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Wealden Times | WT257 | October 2023 | Interiors & Bathrooms Supplement inside

The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes

The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes

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PRICELESS<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2023</strong><br />

257<br />

OCTOBER <strong>2023</strong><br />

INTERIORS & BATHROOMS SUPPLEMENT <strong>inside</strong><br />

Inspirational <strong>Interiors</strong> • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes


jminteriorsuk.uk<br />

Please email or call to make a showroom appointment<br />

2<br />

info@jminteriorsuk.uk 01580 291221<br />

JM<strong>Interiors</strong>WT256.indd All Pages


MINTERIORS<br />

JFine hand crafted kitchens and bespoke furniture<br />

Designing and handcrafting kitchens since 1994<br />

3<br />

02/08/<strong>2023</strong> 14:22:52


A.T. Palmer Ltd<br />

Restoration Specialists Est.1949<br />

OVER 70 YEARS IN BUSINESS<br />

| Employed Skilled Workforce<br />

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Smarden Business Estate, TN27 8QL<br />

atpalmer.co.uk<br />

ATPalmerWT248.indd 1 06/12/2022 09:59


Contents<br />

<strong>October</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />

10<br />

17<br />

21<br />

30<br />

30<br />

HOUSE OF THE MONTH<br />

Dream homes on the market<br />

NOTEBOOK<br />

Upcoming events for your diary<br />

THE MUST LIST<br />

Keep up-to-date with the latest<br />

must-see and must-have goodies<br />

PATTERN & PURPOSE<br />

A full home revamp with<br />

colour and artworks galore<br />

77<br />

78<br />

80<br />

77<br />

STEP OUT FROM<br />

THE SHADOWS<br />

Harness your dark side with<br />

stylish picks from Dr Martens<br />

WEDNESDAY WE<br />

WEAR BLACK<br />

Rebecca Cuffe edits chic gothic<br />

style à la Wednesday Addams<br />

AUTENTICA COCINA<br />

We head to Mexico for recipe<br />

inspiration this month<br />

94<br />

99<br />

107<br />

64<br />

BURIED TREASURE<br />

Jo Arnell concocts the<br />

ultimate bulb lasagne<br />

A DESTINATION OF A<br />

DIFFERENT NATURE<br />

Sue Whigham is inspired by<br />

her recent garden travels<br />

MEET THE HEAD<br />

Get to know Walthamstow Hall<br />

Sevenoaks’s new headmistress<br />

Louise Chamberlain<br />

45<br />

64<br />

75<br />

GET THE LOOK<br />

Emulate Justine Hodgson-<br />

Barker’s textured approach<br />

NATURAL BLEND<br />

Take a tour of our food writer,<br />

Charlotte Butterworth’s,<br />

Provence-inspired home<br />

GET THE LOOK<br />

Enjoy period living with<br />

Charlotte’s classic choices<br />

86<br />

91<br />

93<br />

SPF 365<br />

Josephine Fairley stresses<br />

the importance of yearround<br />

sun protection<br />

JUST A MINUTE<br />

Sarah Maxwell fits in a<br />

speedy meditation<br />

NOURISH TO FLOURISH<br />

Charlotte Lau explores the<br />

power of turmeric<br />

Published by Priceless Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street,<br />

Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF | Call 01580 714705 | Email info@priceless-group.com<br />

Visit priceless-group.com Copyright © <strong>2023</strong> Priceless Media Ltd. The views of the<br />

advertisers & contributors are not necessarily those of Priceless Media Ltd.<br />

109<br />

114<br />

WHAT’S ON?<br />

From pantos to courses, find out what’s on...<br />

FABLES FROM THE FARM<br />

Jane Howard focuses in on her pigs<br />

INTERIORS &<br />

BATHROOMS<br />

SUPPLEMENT<br />

The latest trends<br />

and most stylish<br />

bathrooms.<br />

After page 46.<br />

<strong>Interiors</strong><br />

<strong>Bathrooms</strong><br />

&<br />

5


UP TO<br />

65% OFF<br />

SELECTED<br />

ITEMS<br />

UP TO<br />

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The Best Beds, The Best Sofas<br />

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SECTION<br />

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The Best Beds, The Best Sofas<br />

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UP TO<br />

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INTEREST<br />

FREE CREDIT<br />

ON SELECTED ITEMS<br />

With over a dozen models in roomsets<br />

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We hand at with Wells Duresta are delighted we have to created be the a<br />

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With over a dozen models in roomsets<br />

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44 High Street<br />

Royal Tunbridge Wells<br />

Where quality and service cost less!<br />

01892 535555<br />

sales@wellsinteriors.com<br />

54 | SEPTEMBER <strong>2023</strong> | SO Magazine SO Magazine | SEPTEMBER <strong>2023</strong> | 55<br />

44 High Street<br />

Royal Tunbridge Wells<br />

Where quality and service cost less!<br />

01892 535555<br />

sales@wellsinteriors.com<br />

54 | SEPTEMBER <strong>2023</strong> | SO Magazine SO Magazine | SEPTEMBER <strong>2023</strong> | 55<br />

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KingsfordSolicitorsWT254.indd 1 05/06/<strong>2023</strong> 09:44:40


From the<br />

Editor<br />

As the <strong>October</strong> nights draw in, it’s time to savour cosy<br />

autumn evenings and make the most of life indoors.<br />

With a little help and inspiration from this issue’s<br />

<strong>Interiors</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong>, which has a special focus on<br />

bathrooms, you can discover the latest trends that are<br />

sure to stand the test of time. Think classic design,<br />

colour pops and a sprinkle of West Coast cool.<br />

With the funkiest cinema room we’ve ever seen, the<br />

first of our house features is a real showcase for confident<br />

and beautiful use of pattern and texture. See how interior<br />

designer Justine Hodgson-Barker and her team completed<br />

a whole-house revamp for its art-loving owners. After our<br />

supplement, explore food writer and <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />

& Surrey Homes contributor Charlotte Butterworth’s<br />

Provence-influenced family home. When it comes to decor<br />

and furniture, she’s been careful to shop local and is now<br />

running a new series of cookery workshops where you can<br />

soak up her expertise in the comfort of her spacious kitchen,<br />

with incredible views over the surrounding countryside.<br />

Finally, are you, or do you know someone who is,<br />

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We’re on the hunt for a brilliant new<br />

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Enjoy your Priceless magazine<br />

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& <strong>Interiors</strong><br />

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Ashford&CranbrookRoofingWT248.indd 1 30/11/2022 17:50


House<br />

Month<br />

of the<br />

£3,950,000<br />

Goudhurst<br />

Damien Pestell picks his favourite<br />

homes on the market<br />

The dream: A wonderful<br />

architectural home and the RIBA<br />

South East architectural winner<br />

<strong>2023</strong>. Partially submerged into<br />

the ground, the house merges<br />

with the landscape, while upstairs<br />

the sky floor sits at tree canopy<br />

level and takes advantage of<br />

stunning views down the valley<br />

below. A truly unique build.<br />

Where: Just a mile from the<br />

beautiful and sought-after village<br />

of Goudhurst which is well<br />

known for its pretty centre. The<br />

regional centre of Royal Tunbridge<br />

Wells is also within easy reach.<br />

Setting: A wonderful rural position<br />

within the Kentish Weald.<br />

Beds: 5 Baths: 5<br />

Special features: There is a fully<br />

equipped gym and cinema room<br />

on the lower floor with 110 inch<br />

projection and 16 speakers.<br />

Pleasing details: A detached,<br />

fully restored 3-bedroom ‘Pump<br />

House’ is available by separate<br />

negotiation to create an annexe<br />

to Waterfield House. Some 200m<br />

down in the valley, with its own<br />

entrance and 2.19 acres.<br />

Outside: Manicured landscape<br />

gardens with patio areas giving<br />

way to rolling countryside<br />

and mature trees.<br />

Time to town: From Marden<br />

station, 4.2 miles away, to London<br />

Bridge in just 48 minutes.<br />

Agent: Savills<br />

01580 720161 savills.com<br />

priceless-magazines.com 10


Shipbourne<br />

£6,500,000<br />

The dream: A most impressive Georgian-style<br />

country residence. Built by the present owners<br />

in 2013, the property is in keeping with the<br />

Georgian style yet ideal for modern living.<br />

Where: The sought-after village of Shipbourne<br />

with popular local inn, weekly farmers’<br />

market and a pretty village green. Tonbridge<br />

is the nearest major town 3 miles away.<br />

Setting: Down a series of back lanes, the property<br />

is approached via a gravel drive with a stone<br />

pillared entrance and wrought iron gates.<br />

Beds: 6 Baths: 5<br />

Special features: The magnificent drawing<br />

room with its high ceilings and ornate detailing<br />

is a wonderful multi-functional space that<br />

leads out to the south facing terrace.<br />

Pleasing details: The hand crafted period features<br />

include decorative plaster friezes, elegant marble<br />

fireplaces, high ceilings and sash windows throughout.<br />

Outside: Formal gardens surround the<br />

house with manicured lawns, an attractive<br />

ornamental pond and generous paved and<br />

gravel terraces flanked by well stocked beds.<br />

Time to town: From Tonbridge station, 3.6 miles<br />

away, to London Charing Cross in half an hour.<br />

Agent: Savills 0207 409 5945 savills.com<br />

Lenham<br />

£900,000<br />

The dream: A pretty character cottage with beautiful<br />

rural views across the North Downs AONB. Built in<br />

the late 1800s, this wonderful family home has flexible<br />

and spacious accommodation spread over three floors.<br />

Where: Five minutes outside Lenham village,<br />

with its independent shops and dining options.<br />

Maidstone and Ashford are a 20 minute drive away.<br />

Setting: Nestled in the North Kent Downs<br />

AONB with surrounding farmland leading<br />

to the famous North Downs Way.<br />

Beds: 4 Baths: 3<br />

Special features: The lovely bedrooms with exposed<br />

floorboards make you feel immediately at home and<br />

enjoy fantastic views across low-lying countryside.<br />

Pleasing details: Two handy detached outbuildings are<br />

ideal for those who work from home. There is a detached<br />

garage which has been converted into a workshop.<br />

Outside: The generous gardens are thoughtfully<br />

arranged with numerous areas of lawn as well<br />

as a vegetable patch and greenhouse, for those<br />

that dream of growing their own food.<br />

Time to town: From Ashford International, a 20 minute<br />

drive away, to London St Pancras in only 36 Minutes.<br />

Agent: Rafferty & Pickard<br />

01732 905499 raffertyandpickard.co.uk<br />

11<br />

priceless-magazines.com


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13<br />

priceless-magazines.com<br />

FoxFramingWT247.indd 1 31/10/2022 16:11


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Folkestone Office: 01303 273 273 Maidstone Office: 01622 238 230<br />

Email: ifa@financial-advice.co.uk<br />

www.financial-advice.co.uk<br />

Authorised and Regulated by<br />

The Financial Conduct Authority<br />

FinancialAdviceWT254.indd 2 13/06/<strong>2023</strong> 11:16:06


“They just led the way for me. I<br />

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M<br />

Y<br />

Y<br />

Y


Notebook<br />

Take note! We’ve rounded up the best<br />

of what to see and do near you<br />

Persian Paradise<br />

We’re excited to hear about A<br />

Persian Paradise – the new exhibition<br />

opening at National Trust’s Sissinghurst Castle<br />

Garden. Travel back to the 1920s with writers Vita<br />

Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson and explore their time<br />

together spent in Persia (now Iran) during a period of significant<br />

change. Vita and Harold were two of the most high-profile cultural<br />

figures of their generation and, through their writing, channelled a<br />

growing fascination for all things Persian. Their holiday snaps provide<br />

many glimpses of life that were transformed in the following decades. Vita’s<br />

search for wildflowers and her rummaging through bazaars – which she<br />

preferred to the gossip of the colonial English Drawing Room – enabled<br />

her to create a unique castle garden and home at Sissinghurst. Head<br />

along to see this legacy in two transformed exhibition spaces filled with<br />

a dazzling display of vibrant ceramics, music, projected film, letters,<br />

archival photographs and more. Discover how Vita and Harold’s<br />

trips to Iran became a defining time in their lives that would<br />

later inspire much of their artistry, as well as that of others,<br />

including Virginia Woolf. A Persian Paradise runs<br />

daily from 14 <strong>October</strong> until 24 March 2024.<br />

nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst<br />

Liquid Spirit<br />

For the month of <strong>October</strong>, Silent Pool<br />

have distillery tours on Thursday,<br />

Friday, Saturday and Sunday each<br />

week. Find out all about Silent Pool’s<br />

Liquid Garnishes which are intensely<br />

aromatic blends of botanical oils<br />

designed to elevate the aroma – and<br />

thus the flavour – of your G&T.<br />

There’s no need to add a fruit or<br />

herbs, simply spritz your Liquid<br />

Garnish across the top of your drink<br />

and let the mist work its magic.<br />

The distillery’s Aroma Masterclass<br />

(on 27th <strong>October</strong>) is led by a gin<br />

expert and enables you to get creative<br />

and blend your very own custom<br />

liquid garnish to take home. The<br />

botanical oils, bottles and knowhow<br />

are all provided in this fun<br />

and enlightening experience – a<br />

great one to enjoy with friends.<br />

You’ll also sample the Silent Pool<br />

Gin Expressions range, find out<br />

how botanicals are used in gin, and<br />

explore the role of aroma in relation<br />

to enhancing our sense of taste.<br />

silentpooldistillers.com<br />

SO KIND<br />

ARTED<br />

Kent Painters Group<br />

(KPG) is a not-for-profit<br />

organisation started over 30 years<br />

ago to raise money for local mental<br />

health charities. To date they have raised<br />

£330,000. Once again you will be able<br />

to purchase art from Kent’s leading<br />

artists and sculptors, and this time<br />

you will also be able to have a coffee,<br />

lunch or even walk in the beautiful<br />

surrounding countryside. At the<br />

opening drinks, on Friday 27th<br />

<strong>October</strong> between 6-9pm, you can<br />

meet some of the artists as well<br />

as having the first opportunity to<br />

purchase their art. Following this they<br />

will be open on the Saturday (12-<br />

4pm) and Sunday (10am-4pm).<br />

kentpaintersgroup.co.uk<br />

©National Trust Images/Richard Holttum<br />

istockphoto.com/Elena Efremova


2<br />

GC the OG!<br />

Diary at the ready! You’re<br />

guaranteed a smile and a laugh<br />

at Graham Clarke’s Studio<br />

Gallery open from 11am-3pm<br />

on 6th, 7th, 8th <strong>October</strong>,<br />

3rd, 4th, 5th November and<br />

1st, 2nd, 3rd, 9th December.<br />

Discover a huge collection of<br />

work from greetings cards,<br />

books and posters to limitededition<br />

etchings produced<br />

entirely by hand. Learn about<br />

the traditional printing process<br />

and hear some of the stories<br />

behind his work.<br />

grahamclarke.co.uk<br />

Fifty Guild makers will<br />

exhibit beautiful, handmade<br />

crafts produced in small workshops and<br />

studios across Sussex and beyond, beside the seaside<br />

at the iconic De La Warr Pavilion on 21 & 22 <strong>October</strong>. The<br />

Guild’s sixth show at this popular venue will have a wide range<br />

of disciplines, including work by new and more recent members.<br />

Take the opportunity to discuss work directly with the makers<br />

who’ll be happy to talk about their inspirations and explain<br />

their specialist techniques. Purchase unique works over the<br />

weekend or commission a more personal piece.<br />

The Pavilion’s bright and stylish Café Bar and Kitchen use fresh,<br />

seasonal ingredients, locally sourced where possible, for<br />

delicious lunches, sandwiches and cakes. Weather<br />

permitting, food and drink may be enjoyed<br />

on the balconies whilst overlooking<br />

the sea. Full admission details<br />

thesussexguild.co.uk<br />

WE DO LIKE TO BE...<br />

Hedge Issue<br />

Surrey Wildlife Trust and West Horsley Place are<br />

promising a great day of music, food, craft and<br />

conservation when they host the UK’s very first<br />

hedgerow-themed music and arts festival on Saturday<br />

21st <strong>October</strong>. Designed as a celebration of the rich<br />

cultural and natural history of these ‘forgotten heroes’<br />

of our landscape, Surrey Hedgerow Festival will feature<br />

folk, jazz and rock music from local performers as well<br />

as educational talks, guided walks, storytelling, art<br />

displays and roaming performances from Guildford<br />

Shakespeare. Good sustainable food – including tasty<br />

items garnered from local hedgerows – and locally<br />

brewed refreshments from local Surrey Hills Enterprise<br />

businesses are guaranteed too. Admittance is just £5<br />

and free for under 16s. surreywildlifetrust.org/events<br />

WALKIE TALKIE<br />

On the last Wednesday of every month,<br />

Merriments Gardens holds a ‘Walk & Talk’<br />

in their beautiful four-acre RHS Partner<br />

Garden in East Sussex. Spend an hour with<br />

their Garden Curator and other members<br />

of the team, discussing the blaze of autumn<br />

colours that can be created using late flowering<br />

perennials, ornamental grasses and trees. Get<br />

your own gardening questions answered by<br />

the experts too! <strong>October</strong>’s event will take place<br />

on Wednesday 25th <strong>October</strong> at 10.30am.<br />

Entry to this event is free and there’s no need<br />

to book, so just turn up! merriments.co.uk<br />

istockphoto.com/ OG Art Shop<br />

Local Focal<br />

The much anticipated return of Cranbrook Art<br />

Show will showcase exciting new talent for you to<br />

discover alongside familiar artists to enjoy. Come and<br />

experience a variety of abstract and representational<br />

works in a wide range of media in the beautiful<br />

Vestry Hall, and entry is free. It’s definitely a date<br />

for the your diary if you’re looking for a new piece<br />

for your home or the perfect gift. It’ll be open<br />

from November 9th – 11th 10am-5pm, with a<br />

late night on Friday until 7pm. Pictured is a piece<br />

by Dani Humberstone cranbrookartshow.org.uk<br />

The Festival<br />

of Crafts returns to Farnham<br />

Maltings on 14th and 15th <strong>October</strong>,<br />

part of Farnham’s <strong>October</strong> Craft Month.<br />

Discover the best of British artisans across<br />

a range of handmade crafts from jewellery and<br />

ceramics to stationery, homewares, wood and metal<br />

work, textiles, furniture, lighting and print. Championing<br />

great design and making with an opportunity to meet<br />

and buy directly from the creators, an inspiring<br />

workshop offering lends the chance to try a new<br />

craft through a variety of taster sessions.<br />

Tickets for The Festival of Crafts are £6<br />

in advance (plus booking fee) or £8<br />

on the door (under 18s free).<br />

farnhammaltings.com<br />

MAKE IT GOOD


Contact us for our <strong>2023</strong> brochure<br />

Sevenoaks - Tel: 01732 762682<br />

Tunbridge Wells - Tel: 01892 520730<br />

www.rencraft.co.uk


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XLPoolsWT254.indd 1 13/06/<strong>2023</strong> 11:34:05


We’re Going on a Bear Hunt comes to<br />

life at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic<br />

garden in Sussex. This <strong>October</strong> halfterm<br />

from the 14 th to the 19 th , follow<br />

in the footsteps of the characters in<br />

the tale through sensory installations<br />

plotted along a stunning autumnal<br />

landscape. A must for all fans of this<br />

children’s classic! kew.org/wakehurst<br />

<strong>October</strong> is a time for children<br />

to gleefully demand free<br />

chocolate galore, but we say the<br />

adults should get a treat too! Only<br />

Coco’s tasty bars are wonderfully<br />

dressed up for the occasion, with<br />

loads of fun, unique flavours. They<br />

are handmade in Sussex and their<br />

festive flavours are well worth<br />

earmarking as a stocking filler or<br />

small gift for Christmas before they<br />

sell out! £5.50 only-coco.co.uk<br />

must<br />

The<br />

From must-sees to must-buys and<br />

must-dos, don’t miss this month’s<br />

round up of what to buy, see, do,<br />

and generally get excited about!<br />

It’s time to wear it pink! Raise<br />

awareness and funds for Breast<br />

Cancer on <strong>October</strong> 20th by<br />

dressing up in your most Barbiecore<br />

shades. Register a JustGiving page<br />

and order helpful materials at<br />

the link below – then it’s up to<br />

you! Do a bakesale, school or<br />

work event, quiz or game –<br />

whatever you like. As for<br />

what to wear? We are<br />

loving this Oliver Bonas<br />

cardigan for £65 but<br />

anything pink will work!<br />

breastcancernow.org<br />

Heritage Orchard Days,<br />

Orchard Tours and Half<br />

Term activities – Brogdale<br />

Collections is the place<br />

to be for harvest season.<br />

There’s a Heritage open day<br />

on the 15th with campfire<br />

cooking, apple pressing,<br />

and hundreds of apple and<br />

pear varieties to taste as you<br />

harvest your own to take<br />

home in a free tote. Plus<br />

on the 27th they will be<br />

screening Hotel Transylvania<br />

2 in their working barn with<br />

plenty of family friendly<br />

treats and entertainment.<br />

brogdalecollections.org<br />

©National Trust Images Rachael Warren<br />

’Tis the season of jackolanterns and<br />

pumpkin spice! So what better day<br />

trip with the family than to Chartwell,<br />

where the annual pumpkin display is<br />

in full throes in the Walled Garden this<br />

month. The family home and garden<br />

of Sir Winston Churchill, Chartwell is<br />

always filled with historical intrigue but<br />

in the autumn it is especially lovely with<br />

its far reaching views of the Weald of<br />

Kent, nodding sunflowers, woodlands<br />

to wander in, and branches laden with<br />

apples. nationaltrust.org.uk<br />

Why should birthdays<br />

and Christmas get all the<br />

cakes? Get in the spirit<br />

of the spooky season with Lola’s<br />

Cupcakes’ Halloween range.<br />

With brownies, cupcakes and<br />

showstopping layer cakes, vegan<br />

options and details like dark<br />

oreo crumbs, creepy colours and<br />

blood red raspberry compote,<br />

they are a real decadent treat<br />

for any spooktacular soiree!<br />

lolascupcakes.co.uk<br />

We love all things cosy and warm in the colder<br />

months, which is why Romney Marsh Wools are<br />

a must right now. They have soft throws, classic<br />

scarves, toasty socks, plus plenty of giftable goodies<br />

to get ahead of the festive shopping game – and all<br />

made from 100% British Wool. This tawny<br />

throw (£85) and matching cushion<br />

(£45) are perfect for snuggling up by<br />

the fire with a good book of a chilly<br />

evening. romneymarshwools.co.uk<br />

Great House<br />

Farm Stores’<br />

new Autumn<br />

’23 scented candle is<br />

warm and woodsy with<br />

sandalwood, clementine<br />

and still-warm embers.<br />

It comes in a refillable<br />

ceramic vessel handmade<br />

in the UK and costs<br />

£54 and refills are £26.<br />

greathousefarmstores.co.uk<br />

21


PLOT OR NOT?<br />

If you think your land or<br />

property has development<br />

potential, then give us<br />

a call without obligation<br />

and in confidence.<br />

We are always on<br />

the lookout for<br />

land and property<br />

with development<br />

potential.<br />

Many of our<br />

clients retain our<br />

services and, in the<br />

majority of cases,<br />

pay our fees saving<br />

property owners<br />

OR LAND AND significant PROPERTY costs. WITH DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL<br />

Commercial buildings for residential<br />

conversion, former public houses, redundant<br />

buildings for redevelopment, buildings for<br />

conversion or replacement, houses for<br />

improvement, large sites on the edge of town,<br />

barn conversions, large gardens in residential<br />

areas and major regeneration projects.<br />

in the majority of<br />

significant costs.<br />

blic houses, redundant<br />

replacement, houses<br />

conversions, large<br />

jects.<br />

Contact Stephen Donnelly on<br />

07739 514350 or 01892 579937<br />

website: sjd-projects.com<br />

email: steve@sjd-projects.com<br />

For more information contact<br />

Stephen Donnelly on:<br />

07739 514350 / 01892 579937<br />

steve@sjd-projects.com<br />

For regular updates, visit us at<br />

twitter.com/projects<br />

sjd-projects.com<br />

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22


ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />

Art for all<br />

Gallery 35 is a new venture in Cranbrook,<br />

showcasing a variety of local and affordable<br />

art, from paintings, to jewellery, to ceramics.<br />

We are a gallery and<br />

artists’ hub which aims<br />

to bring the creative<br />

community together<br />

with coffee mornings, artist talks,<br />

workshops, and demonstrations.<br />

Shirley Jenner is the Owner of Gallery<br />

35. Having owned and rented out the<br />

building of Gallery 35 for several years,<br />

Shirley decided it was time to run<br />

something for herself again, and since<br />

she was always interested in art, Gallery<br />

35 was born! As an avid painter and<br />

seamstress, creativity is very important<br />

to Shirley. In fact, some of her paintings<br />

are on display in the gallery. If you get a<br />

chance, do ask her about her paintings,<br />

as she has special anecdotes for each one!<br />

Polly Bennett is the Gallery Manager.<br />

After spending eight years in London<br />

studying Fine Art and Decorative<br />

Surfaces at City & Guilds of London Art<br />

School and working in the decorative<br />

industry, Polly’s love of nature drew<br />

her back to Kent. At Gallery 35, Polly<br />

is excited to create a friendly, inviting<br />

space for artists, makers and art-lovers<br />

to meet. You might find her weaving<br />

away or gilding on paper in the gallery.<br />

Being an art teacher, she’s always thrilled<br />

to demonstrate techniques, so don’t<br />

hesitate to ask her any questions!<br />

We welcome anyone and everyone<br />

with a curiosity for the arts; whether<br />

you’re in the mood for coffee<br />

or art, drop by Gallery 35!<br />

gallery35highstreet.com |<br />

@gallery35cranbrook<br />

01580 715704 | Gallery35, 35 High Street, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3DN<br />

Images clockwise from top right:<br />

Jo Burton: ‘Joy’, Acrylic on canvas;<br />

Zayana Ceramics: ‘Unpredictable Hues’,<br />

Slightly groggy clay;<br />

Chris Schneider: ‘Meadow Storm’, Giclee print;<br />

Lottie Reason: ‘Josie’s Chair’, Oil on canvas;<br />

Dizzy Pragnell: ‘Star Fruit’, Vegetable papyrus.


ART<br />

CRANBROOK<br />

SHOW<br />

Thursday 9 NOVEMBER • 10 - 5<br />

Friday 10 • 10 - 7 & Saturday 11 • 10 - 5<br />

VESTRY HALL • Cranbrook • Kent • TN17 3HA<br />

Free entry and so much Art to enjoy<br />

www.cranbrookartshow.org.uk<br />

cranbrookartshow@gmail.com<br />

Never too old for a mortgage?<br />

M<br />

any people are still concerned<br />

as to whether Equity<br />

Release is safe and these<br />

concerns, in many cases, stem from<br />

what people have heard about<br />

Equity Release from years ago.<br />

Lacal adviser, Sarah Ferrell explains,<br />

“Today’s schemes are unrecognisable<br />

from some of the original “Home<br />

Reversion” plans available in the late<br />

1960s. At this point, Equity Release<br />

was very much seen as a last resort.<br />

Nowadays, with flexible plans<br />

available and rates of interest which<br />

are, in the main, fixed for life, Equity<br />

Release can be a helpful part of<br />

financial planning into retirement”.<br />

Interest rates are somewhat higher<br />

now than they have been in recent<br />

years, however this does not mean<br />

Equity Release should be discounted,<br />

in the RIGHT circumstances.<br />

Why would I apply for Equity Release?<br />

“I find that I speak increasingly<br />

with people who are retired, or<br />

approaching retirement, and they<br />

need to raise mortgage finance for a<br />

whole variety of different reasons, but<br />

the high street is unable to help”.<br />

Whether you need to repay a<br />

mortgage, finance some unexpected<br />

expenditure, gift to family or just make<br />

retirement more comfortable, there are<br />

a number of reasons why somebody<br />

may consider using the equity in their<br />

property as a way to raise funds.<br />

Sarah explains that there are many<br />

different ways in which retirement<br />

mortgages can be set up, so it is definitely<br />

not a “one size fits all” scenario. There<br />

is so much regulation and protection<br />

in place nowadays that the schemes<br />

of the past are unrecognisable to the<br />

wealth of options available today.<br />

“My role is to fully understand<br />

why somebody is looking to raise<br />

the money, what their plans for<br />

the future are and then find the<br />

scheme that is right for them.”<br />

“If somebody is considering raising<br />

money at retirement then I would strongly<br />

recommend a conversation as there<br />

are likely to be options available that<br />

people just don’t know exist” says Sarah.<br />

Sarah is happy to visit your home<br />

and, unlike many banks, she is<br />

not just available 9-5 but will offer<br />

flexible times to suit her clients.<br />

Equity Release can reduce the value of your estate and can affect your eligibility for means tested benefits.<br />

Ferrell Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registration number: 678768<br />

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />

Call Sarah on<br />

01622 631372 or 07789 007447<br />

or e-mail her at<br />

sarah@ferrellfinancial.co.uk<br />

You may find answers to<br />

some of your questions at<br />

www.ferrellfinancial.co.uk<br />

priceless-magazines.com<br />

24


Midwinter<br />

16-18 NOVEMBER<br />

PADDOCK WOOD | KENT<br />

Festive Shopping<br />

at its Finest<br />

250+ fabulous independent retailers<br />

and street food vendors, <strong>inside</strong> our<br />

seven, heated marquees<br />

Sponsored by<br />

TONBRIDGE<br />

Book your timed tickets now at wealdentimes-fair.co.uk<br />

using discount code “MWF23”<br />

<strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Midwinter Fair, The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6PY


Udom weave baby alpaca wool<br />

– known as “The Fleece of The<br />

Gods” since the heights of Inca<br />

civilisation - into the softest, most<br />

luxurious jumpers, tops, and<br />

scarves. We love their cable knit 1hats. udomalpaca.square.site<br />

10 Christmas<br />

gift ideas<br />

The <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Midwinter Fair is the best place to find<br />

unique and thoughtful Christmas gifts. Here are just 10 of our<br />

many new independent designers and makers, with gifts ideas<br />

we hope you’ll love as much as we do.<br />

2<br />

Salcombe Dairy<br />

make ice cream in the<br />

summer and awardwinning<br />

bean-to-bar<br />

chocolate in the winter. They<br />

only use the very best organic,<br />

fairly traded cacao nibs from<br />

the centre of the bean to gain<br />

that all important burst of<br />

flavour that they’re famous<br />

for. We love their chocolate<br />

hamper – it’s the ultimate<br />

indulgence. salcombedairy.co.uk<br />

3Baiji teas bring balance back to<br />

your life. Designed to help you<br />

overcome life’s daily problems:<br />

anxiety, fatigue, period pain,<br />

digestive issues. We love<br />

Relieve, a blend created to<br />

help women<br />

make period pain a problem<br />

of the past. baijilife.co.uk<br />

4Gone Rural have a<br />

story that will warm<br />

your heart. Made by<br />

women weavers in rural<br />

Swaziland, their baskets,<br />

lampshades, and placemats<br />

are made with skill,<br />

care, and soul. We love<br />

their baskets and bowls.<br />

gonerural.co.uk<br />

Book your timed tickets now at wealdentimes-fair.co.uk


The Panettone Store is where<br />

you’ll find the finest selection<br />

of Panettone outside of<br />

Italy. We love their limitededition<br />

Dolce & Gabbana<br />

designed tins. Yes please!<br />

7thepanettonestore.co.uk<br />

5Simply Rye, is the<br />

most delightful Sussex<br />

gift shop, selling<br />

everything from<br />

homeware and fragrance to<br />

fashion and jewellery. You’ll<br />

find super stylish presents at<br />

their Hop Farm pop-up. We<br />

love their mango wood salad<br />

bowls. simplyrye.co.uk<br />

6Godi<br />

make minimalist,<br />

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Interior designer Justine Hodgson-Barker was tasked with creating<br />

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31<br />

priceless-magazines.com


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32


Previous pages & above: The initial inspiration for the living room came from the garden. A backdrop of soft colours has been teamed with a textured<br />

vinyl wallpaper – its subtle geometric shapes show up when hit by light. A hand-loomed rug is by Wendy Morrison and the wall hanging by Lucy Tiffany<br />

Down a leafy lane, in the<br />

picturesque middle of nowhere,<br />

is an architect-designed<br />

home that was built on the site of<br />

a bungalow. It is unassuming, and<br />

apparently low-rise from the outside,<br />

but cleverly utilises its sloping site to<br />

create two storeys. A fabulous garden<br />

– both ornamental and productive –<br />

wraps around the house and beyond<br />

its boundaries there are far-reaching<br />

views out across the countryside.<br />

The owners knew from the outset<br />

that so much thought had gone into<br />

the design and structure of this building<br />

it deserved an equally thoughtful<br />

interior – one that could incorporate<br />

a combination of styles, enhance the<br />

existing structure and bring in the<br />

natural beauty of the surrounding<br />

landscape. But how to do it?<br />

It is hard enough to create an interior<br />

scheme if you have firm tastes and clear<br />

style ideas, but when you have just<br />

moved into a fairly stark contemporary<br />

space and want to mix florals, patterns<br />

and texture – and add in the sleek lines<br />

of some mid-century style too – the<br />

process becomes complicated. How<br />

can you marry seemingly disparate <br />

33<br />

priceless-magazines.com


This page, clockwise: The original kitchen was softened with retro accessories; a corner of the sitting area – artworks are a prominent feature<br />

throughout the house; The pink tiled splashback; A shapely dining table is by Bontempi<br />

styles, soften a stark and industrial<br />

look and yet keep its edge? What, if<br />

anything, can be kept from a previous<br />

property that was so vastly different?<br />

“We didn’t know where to start.<br />

Our previous house was pre-Victorian<br />

– the interior was Arts and Crafts,<br />

William Morris prints and lots of<br />

texture and pattern. This is very<br />

modern. We wanted to incorporate<br />

design, pattern and texture here.<br />

That’s where Justine stepped in.”<br />

Enter Justine Hodgson-Barker of<br />

Barkerdesign, who has helped the couple<br />

to re-imagine the interior, tailoring it<br />

to meet their needs, both practical and<br />

aesthetic. The project was broken down<br />

into phases. “Phase one was the kitchen,<br />

living area and master bedroom,” says<br />

Justine, explaining a little about how<br />

they approached the initial brief. “The<br />

building is very contemporary – it was<br />

built in 2007 and there’s a lot of pure<br />

light that comes in. It has such a bright<br />

feel, we didn’t want to lose that and<br />

respecting the bones of the building was<br />

very important. The clients are putting<br />

their own stamp on the interior by<br />

injecting their personality into the decor,<br />

while remaining true to the building.”<br />

A beautiful kitchen had already been<br />

installed by the previous owners, but it<br />

had an industrial feel that was a little<br />

too clinical for its new owners. “We<br />

took out some of the steel and made it<br />

more organic. It was really pared back<br />

and a different style – exposed beams<br />

and steely fixtures – so we softened it,<br />

changing the handles, adding the pink<br />

tiles and playing to more of a retro feel.”<br />

Justine stresses that it’s important<br />

to make sure that, “everything flows<br />

and different eras come together.” An<br />

example of this is the shapely Bontempi<br />

table that she sourced for the dining <br />

priceless-magazines.com 34


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area. It is sleek and contemporary, with<br />

a nod to mid-century modern, but<br />

has a timelessness about it too. “It’s a<br />

very architectural piece,” says Justine,<br />

“and the legs make lovely angles.”<br />

The whole of the living space opens<br />

out into the garden – and to the<br />

beautiful countryside beyond and while<br />

it is the outside view that captivates,<br />

Justine has cleverly woven elements<br />

from the outside into the interior –<br />

the initial inspiration for the living<br />

room came directly from the garden.<br />

This is a large room with a high<br />

ceiling and Justine was keen to make<br />

use of the height. “Everything was<br />

standard room level,” she says, “so I<br />

wanted to take the eye up.” The shelf<br />

unit is deliberately tall and she has<br />

cleverly enhanced the wood burner<br />

with wall tiles, tapering up like<br />

geometric smoke behind the flue.<br />

The cased opening to the living<br />

space has been lined with green painted<br />

wood – “it’s a detail that creates a<br />

subtle effect and helps to define the<br />

zones.” The green colour goes on<br />

to echo throughout the rest of the<br />

house, quietly linking it all together.<br />

Once the initial process of the<br />

priceless-magazines.com 36


general design direction is chosen, the<br />

enjoyable part – deciding on colour<br />

schemes and detailing – is made simpler<br />

by using sample boards, where paint,<br />

wallpaper, price points, and areas<br />

where they want to save, or splurge,<br />

can be discussed and finalised.<br />

“We decided on a backdrop of soft<br />

colours,” says Justine, “adding texture<br />

to the walls with a vinyl wallpaper,<br />

Justine had a lot of fun<br />

designing the cinema space,<br />

playfully harking back to<br />

the heydays of Hollywood<br />

with a 1930s vibe, and a<br />

nod to Pearl & Dean, all<br />

given a contemporary twist<br />

with some very textural<br />

wallpaper, a ‘feature’ ceiling<br />

panel and some sumptuous<br />

rugs by Niki Jones<br />

so that when the light hits, the subtle<br />

geometric shapes show up. To add more<br />

texture we chose a hand-loomed rug<br />

by Wendy Morrison and on the wall<br />

within the shelf unit, a wall hanging<br />

by Lucy Tiffany. The colours within<br />

this, together with inspiration from the<br />

flower beds outside, are picked up by the<br />

sofas and cushions, which mix a chunky<br />

geometric print with patterned cushions.<br />

“I wanted the pretty elements to contrast<br />

with the contemporary style of sofa.”<br />

The other rooms on this floor are<br />

along a corridor leading from an<br />

atrium. This large space is full of light<br />

that comes in from all directions,<br />

amplified by a backlit mirror by the<br />

front door. “The mirror was there<br />

already, but the background was a<br />

stark white,” says Justine. “We softened<br />

it down.” The walls throughout the<br />

house are now a soft green, which<br />

makes a serene backdrop, enhances the<br />

feeling of light and space and tunes<br />

into the themes in the other rooms.<br />

We pass the smallest room on the way<br />

to the master bedroom, wallpapered<br />

with a bold bird print from Rebel Walls<br />

– a case of going big in small places –<br />

and going bold wherever you can, as<br />

evidenced in the master bedroom.<br />

While it was the headboard in the<br />

master bedroom that was the inspiration<br />

for the decor, it is the fabulous<br />

bedspread and cushions that are the<br />

focal point. “The whole room, including<br />

the built in wardrobe, is colour washed<br />

which helps to hero the colours in<br />

the centre,” says Justine. There are<br />

simple curtains at the window, and<br />

keeping the background all one warm,<br />

soft colour is soothing and restful.<br />

In the dressing room, Justine<br />

has ramped up the natural theme.<br />

“There are little nods to other rooms<br />

– I went back to revisit and pick up<br />

motifs and elements. It is all inspired<br />

by nature.” Cascading gently down<br />

the pale blue wall, as if creeping<br />

in from the sky above, is a delicate<br />

Clematis mural by Sian Zeng. “Its<br />

a small room,” says Justine, “but<br />

it’s high, so we need to make use<br />

of the height and raise the eye.”<br />

The colours in the spare room<br />

continue the mood with cool and gentle<br />

green shades. “The spare room was part<br />

of the third phase,” she says, “carrying<br />

through the same level of spec – it has<br />

a botanical theme and lovely views out<br />

over the garden.” The dreamily leafy<br />

wallpaper in here wraps seamlessly all<br />

the way around the walls – and then<br />

the fifth wall (the ceiling) has been<br />

painted deep sage green to match with<br />

the door and window frames and the<br />

chaise longue, which is the only other<br />

piece of furniture in this tranquil room.<br />

Another cool room, but this time, <br />

37<br />

priceless-magazines.com


Clockwise from top<br />

left: Contemporary<br />

has been softened with<br />

rustic throughout the<br />

house – here in the<br />

entrance hall a bamboo<br />

bench and wicker baskets<br />

have been positioned<br />

below a recessed backlit<br />

mirror; A bespoke multidrop<br />

pendant light<br />

commissioned from Spark<br />

& Bell provides a striking<br />

feature between the floors;<br />

Immediately outside the<br />

cinema room, a space that<br />

was once a wide corridor<br />

has been transformed into<br />

a sleek, but cosy TV room<br />

cool as in Danish mid-century, is the<br />

office. This was originally an architect’s<br />

studio. “The desk went all the way<br />

around the walls of the room. We’ve<br />

re-used it and the joiner re-fashioned it<br />

into a smaller desk that we moved into<br />

the middle of the room,” says Justine.<br />

Above the desk is a 101 Copenhagen<br />

light and completing the Nordic theme,<br />

original String shelving from the 1970s.<br />

It’s hard to tear myself away from the<br />

living area (which is simultaneously on<br />

the ground floor and upstairs on the<br />

second floor). The owners admit that<br />

it would be easy to spend most of the<br />

time just living in here, but Justine has<br />

ensured that the whole of the house<br />

is put to use. “Tasks are related to<br />

rooms,” she says firmly. “Every room<br />

has a purpose – it’s important to use<br />

each space for what it’s intended for.”<br />

This way the design has integrity, each<br />

space can shine within its remit and<br />

the owners are encouraged to use all of<br />

the house. This is especially the case on<br />

the lower floor, where there is a gym,<br />

an office and – as part of the exciting<br />

third phase of the project – luxury of<br />

luxuries and all the enticement I need<br />

to go downstairs: a cinema room.<br />

After pausing at the top of the stairs<br />

to admire the views through the centre<br />

of the house to the outside in several<br />

directions, my eye is drawn to the<br />

stairwell – and to the longest pendant<br />

light that I’ve ever seen. “There was a<br />

light here already,” says Justine, “but<br />

something bespoke was needed. The<br />

bulbs were from Spark & Bell and<br />

we commissioned a handmade multidrop<br />

ceiling rose that they were able<br />

to assemble. It’s a natural looking <br />

priceless-magazines.com 38


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1 26/05/<strong>2023</strong> 10:56:06


Clockwise from this page: Florals and an<br />

autumnal colour palette were employed in the<br />

guest bedroom, giving it a fresh, feminine style;<br />

The headboard in the master bedroom was the<br />

inspiration for the oriental-inspired soft furnishings<br />

and accessories – the background has been kept all<br />

one warm, soft colour for a soothing and restful feel<br />

structure that fits the space really well.”<br />

Down in the cinema room there’s<br />

a big contrast with the light and airy<br />

upstairs spaces, but Justine has been<br />

careful to keep to a similar palette of<br />

colours, albeit more muted, plush and,<br />

well, cinema-like. This room has been<br />

recently finished and she is pleased<br />

with the result. She’s had a lot of fun<br />

designing the space, playfully harking<br />

back to the great days of cinema with<br />

a 1930s vibe, and a nod to Pearl &<br />

Dean, all given a contemporary twist<br />

with some very textural wallpaper,<br />

a ‘feature’ ceiling panel and some<br />

sumptuous rugs by Niki Jones.<br />

Immediately outside the cinema<br />

room is the TV room – a space that<br />

was once a wide corridor, but now<br />

transformed into a sleek, but cosy<br />

place in which to watch television.<br />

The garden is accessed at this level too,<br />

through wide doors that lead out to<br />

another terrace and round the corner<br />

to an enticing swimming pool.<br />

The large downstairs office/design<br />

room is made more airy with long sheer<br />

curtains, a neutral colour scheme –<br />

apart from one gloriously textural and<br />

really useful, cork lined wall – and <br />

priceless-magazines.com 40


41<br />

priceless-magazines.com


Clockwise from this page: Colours<br />

in a downstairs office space have been<br />

kept neutral, with one wall lined in<br />

natural, sustainable cork, and wicker<br />

shades above the desk; The downstairs<br />

loo is papered with a bold bird print<br />

from Rebel Walls; The dressing room<br />

features a delicate Clematis mural by<br />

Sian Zeng; A 101 Copenhagen light is a<br />

striking feature of another office space<br />

priceless-magazines.com 42


simple, uncluttered furniture. The mood<br />

in here is cool, almost colonial, thanks<br />

to the cork wall, the large rattan pendant<br />

lights, fuss-free furnishings and the flat<br />

weave of a Nordic Knots rug. This room<br />

also leads out and up into the garden.<br />

As we take one last look back through<br />

the atrium and out through the living<br />

area towards the view beyond, it’s clear<br />

that Justine has totally fulfilled her brief.<br />

What at first seemed an impossible task – a<br />

marrying of the interior with the garden<br />

and landscape, blending a pared back<br />

contemporary style with a mix of textures,<br />

patterns and colours, the softness of a<br />

botanical vibe and the sleekness of midcentury<br />

modern. This mash-up of ideas<br />

could have gone disastrously awry, but the<br />

owners, with the expertise of Justine and<br />

her team, have pulled it off – masterfully.<br />

Address Book:<br />

Visit barker-design.com to see a range of<br />

projects completed by Justine Hodgson<br />

Barker and her team at Barkerdesign<br />

43<br />

priceless-magazines.com


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ORG4785_Shard Solutions- Magazine ad (Love your home).indd 1 12/05/<strong>2023</strong> 11:53<br />

ShardSolutionsWT253.indd 1 15/05/<strong>2023</strong> 14:31:49


&<br />

<strong>Interiors</strong><br />

<strong>Bathrooms</strong>


Bespoke Flooring<br />

LONG & WIDE . PRODUCED IN KENT . FINISHED BY HAND<br />

JOINERY<br />

OAK FRAMED BUILDINGS DECKING CLADDING<br />

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CALL 01233 732179<br />

VISIT orlestoneoak.co.uk<br />

OrlestoneOakWT252.indd 1 04/04/<strong>2023</strong> 10:36


61<br />

61<br />

62<br />

54<br />

57<br />

Contents<br />

51 DOPAMINE DECOR<br />

Playful, popping and<br />

positive. This trend<br />

takes colour and pattern<br />

to a mood-boosting<br />

maximum<br />

53 QUIET LUXURY<br />

Channel an aesthetic that’s<br />

all about understated<br />

quality and longevity<br />

54 WEST COAST COOL<br />

For the LA lifestyle look,<br />

mix warm beachy bliss with<br />

down-to-earth 70s cool<br />

58<br />

57<br />

54<br />

61<br />

57 GOLDEN AGE<br />

GLAMOUR<br />

Transport yourself to<br />

the glitzy golden age<br />

of Hollywood with<br />

showstopping luxuries,<br />

extravagant materials and<br />

dazzling detail<br />

58 CHECK MATE<br />

Bathroom decor inspired by<br />

chessboards for a polished<br />

monochromatic chic<br />

61 VINTAGE INDUSTRIAL<br />

Aged and hard wearing, this<br />

bathroom look is raw and<br />

exposed with a sense of oldschool<br />

practicality<br />

62 FOREST BATHING<br />

Create a place of natural<br />

beauty and tranquility<br />

62<br />

57<br />

TenterdenTilingWT254.indd 1 08/06/<strong>2023</strong> 16:33:09<br />

Cover image: istockphoto.com/ KatarzynaBialasiewicz<br />

51<br />

51<br />

57<br />

53<br />

49<br />

priceless-magazines.com


Rye Showroom<br />

55 Cinque Ports Street<br />

Rye, TN31 7AN<br />

Landgate Showroom<br />

By Appointment<br />

3 Landgate, Rye, TN31 7LH<br />

As With well an as a ever-growing vast stock of rugs demand we have for custom-made, an ever-growing designed demand for<br />

custom-made, designed rugs. Due to our long standing collaboration with<br />

rugs and our collaborations with designers across the globe,<br />

weavers across the globe, we can create rugs in any design and colour.<br />

we can create rugs in any design imaginable, alongside thousands<br />

of existing rugs to choose from.<br />

A selection of beautiful rugs, looking incredible in situ in clients’ homes.<br />

Call. 01797 360353 | rye@handmaderugs.co.uk | www.handmaderugs.co.uk<br />

HandmadeRugsTenterdenWT231.indd 1 09/07/2021 11:48<br />

New Handmade Rugs showroom now open<br />

The Old Bank, 84 High Street, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7ER<br />

Call. 01797 360353 | rye@handmaderugs.co.uk | www.handmaderugs.co.uk


Claudia ceramic wavy cake<br />

stand in terracotta £145<br />

Rebecca Udall rebeccaudall.com<br />

Curve cocktail glass £44 (Set of 2)<br />

BØde Living bode-living.com<br />

Bluebell chaise armchair in<br />

Prism Stripe by Olivia Rubin<br />

£1,460 sofa.com<br />

Funky Mirror in lilac<br />

£90 BØde Living<br />

bode-living.com<br />

istockphoto.com/ Eureka_89<br />

Unicoco figurine £59<br />

Lenleys lenleys.co.uk<br />

Kartell Masters<br />

chair in Rusty<br />

Orange £218<br />

Lenleys lenleys.co.uk<br />

Yellow Seashells pure<br />

cotton throw £98<br />

JJTextile jjtextile.co.uk<br />

Sorrento bar £4,200<br />

Jonathan Adler<br />

uk.jonathanadler.com<br />

Dopamine<br />

Décor<br />

“Dopamine Décor is my favourite trend<br />

of the moment. There is more to colour<br />

than aesthetic, it can impact our mood<br />

and emotions and, depending how bold<br />

you want to be, you can bring this trend<br />

into your home as much or as little as you<br />

like. Start off with a vibrant wallpaper in<br />

your downstairs toilet or if you’re feeling<br />

brave use a bright colourful sofa with<br />

contrasting paint on the walls to bring<br />

pure joy into your home.”<br />

– Lavinia Watts, Partner at Lenleys lenleys.co.uk<br />

Smaller Tabby table<br />

lamp in Vermilion with<br />

Empire shade in Red<br />

English Meadow by<br />

Matthew Williamson<br />

£127 Pooky pooky.com<br />

Hawthorne Yellow<br />

paint from £20 per<br />

0.94L Benjamin Moore<br />

benjaminmoore.com<br />

On The Same Wavelength<br />

wallpaper in Pink Candy<br />

£105/roll Sorbet Dreams Pop Art Perfume<br />

sorbetdreams.com No2 Poster £13.95<br />

Desenio desenio.co.uk<br />

Silk embroidered<br />

‘Love’ cushion<br />

£80 Raj Tent Club<br />

rajtentclubshop.com<br />

Colour Pop<br />

double oven<br />

glove £21<br />

Willis & Bloom<br />

willisbloom.com<br />

Vaisselle glass vase £645<br />

Liberty libertylondon.com<br />

Eichholtz Mello<br />

swivel chair in<br />

boucle rose £2,235<br />

Sweetpea & Willow<br />

sweetpeaandwillow.com<br />

Art Deco green glass wall mirror<br />

(60x100cm) £109.95<br />

Melody Maison melodymaison.co.uk<br />

Twister side table<br />

£325 Rose & Grey<br />

roseandgrey.co.uk<br />

priceless-magazines.com


A Sofa For Every Space<br />

Sit back, snuggle up and sink into the extraordinary comfort of Bridgman’s<br />

new premium sofa collections. From the softness of each cushion to the finish<br />

of every fabric, you'll never find furniture quite like it.<br />

53A Calverley Road,<br />

Royal Tunbridge Wells,<br />

TN1 2TU<br />

01892 538882<br />

Transform your home with the perfect sofa, armchair, footstool and sofa bed,<br />

available at our beautiful Royal Tunbridge Wells Showroom or bridgman.co.uk.<br />

CHELTENHAM<br />

ENFIELD<br />

OLD AMERSHAM<br />

ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS<br />

WINCHESTER WILMSLOW<br />

52<br />

WALTON-ON-THAMES


w<br />

Shepherds Bush House with interior design by<br />

Naomi Astley Clarke naomiastleyclarke.com<br />

Phileas rechargeable<br />

lamp with 20cm<br />

empire shade in<br />

cream card £98<br />

Pooky pooky.com<br />

Oxford Navy chalk paint £26.95/l<br />

Annie Sloan anniesloan.com<br />

<strong>Interiors</strong> & <strong>Bathrooms</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />

Photographer Paul Massey<br />

Katalin Stripe white<br />

sand wallpaper £149/roll<br />

Mindthegap mindtheg.uk<br />

Charcoal Nude Series<br />

Female Nude V by<br />

Henri Matisse £1,750<br />

Belgravia Gallery<br />

belgraviagallery.com<br />

Imogen chair<br />

£1,029 Lenleys<br />

lenleys.co.uk<br />

Pimlico bullseye<br />

cushion £124<br />

Jonathan Adler<br />

jonathanadler.com<br />

Washed linen<br />

tablecloth £95.99<br />

True Linen<br />

truelinen.co.uk<br />

Watershed by Hettie<br />

Pittman Wey Gallery<br />

theweygallery.com<br />

Quiet<br />

Luxury<br />

istockphoto.com/ YKvision<br />

2 seater Stella Sandringham couch<br />

£2,699 Bridgman bridgman.co.uk<br />

Lincolndale<br />

floor lamp £420<br />

Elstead Lighting<br />

elsteadlighting.com<br />

Boat throw<br />

£117 JJTextile,<br />

jjtextile.co.uk<br />

Large white<br />

stoneware jug £45<br />

Marquis & Dawe<br />

marquisanddawe.co.uk<br />

“Your home should promote guilt-free and unconditionally<br />

relaxed living in a beautiful atmosphere. For a quietly<br />

luxurious look, think a scheme with timber floors and billowy<br />

linen curtains, broken up by sculptural furnishings and<br />

dramatic sculptures, mixed metals, crystal chandeliers, and<br />

marble finishes. Huge indoor plants in oversized vintage urns<br />

will bring height and depth to the space.”<br />

– Naomi Astley Clarke, Luxury London<br />

Interior Designer naomiastleyclarke.com<br />

Hawthorne<br />

chair £1,550<br />

Cobham Furniture<br />

cobhamfurniture.co.uk<br />

Ball finial wall<br />

bracket £640<br />

Sibyl Colefax<br />

& John Fowler<br />

sibylcolefax.com<br />

Home scented candle £48<br />

Great House Farm Stores<br />

greathousefarmstores.co.uk<br />

300TC bed linen from £21<br />

Soak&Sleep soakandsleep.com<br />

Harbour House family space designed<br />

by Garbriel Holland Interior Design<br />

gabrielholland.com<br />

priceless-magazines.com


<strong>Interiors</strong> & <strong>Bathrooms</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />

West<br />

Coast<br />

Cool<br />

“West Coast Cool is about keeping<br />

the look simple. I love the look of the<br />

LA style but alas we do not live in<br />

that amazing climate nor have the<br />

incredible light. So to achieve this look<br />

stick to a neutral palette which reflects<br />

our cooler light but warm this up<br />

with natural linens and earthy tones<br />

in your fabrics. Rattan furniture and<br />

lights will add that California vibe as<br />

will mixing in some funky 70’s pieces.<br />

– Gabriel Holland, interior designer<br />

at Gabriel Holland Interior Design<br />

gabrielholland.com<br />

Allier pendant light<br />

£840 Elstead Lighting<br />

elsteadlighting.com<br />

Gold arched wall mirror £52.95<br />

Melody Maison melodymaison.co.uk<br />

Beach Girl art print by Sabina<br />

Fenn, from £14 Fy! iamfy.co<br />

Bloomingville Felippa outdoor cushion £50<br />

Sweetpea & Willow sweetpeaandwillow.com<br />

Small T vase<br />

in peach £170<br />

Ligne Roset<br />

ligne-roset.com/uk<br />

Round rattan serving Tray £15 Five<br />

And Dime fiveanddime-interiors.com<br />

Riviera ottoman in Olympus Oatmeal £1,500<br />

Jonathan Adler uk.jonathanadler.com<br />

Milchschaum cushion £189<br />

Mindthegap mindtheg.uk<br />

Palm Springs Getaway<br />

art print £23 Green<br />

Lili greenlili.com<br />

Ercol Ibstone universal<br />

cabinet £1,529 Lenleys<br />

lenleys.co.uk<br />

Belize coral sculpture<br />

£49 BoConcept<br />

boconcept.com<br />

Bergamo corner sofa with lounging unit<br />

£9,295 BoConcept boconcept.com<br />

Ercol for John Lewis<br />

Hexton Armchair<br />

with Dark Leg in<br />

Soft Chenille Neutral<br />

£1,849 johnlewis.com<br />

Tan Lines candle<br />

£32 Ease London<br />

easelondon.co.uk<br />

istockphoto.com/ MBPROJEKT_Maciej_Bledowski<br />

Round geometric<br />

vase £30 Cox &<br />

Cox coxandcox.co.uk<br />

Cannes lounge armchair<br />

£899 and footstool £419<br />

Bridgman bridgman.co.uk<br />

Pair of Buddha head<br />

bookends, £165<br />

Shimu shimu.co.uk<br />

priceless-magazines.com


10% off<br />

Porta Romana lighting<br />

Gabriel Holland Interior Design<br />

GH<br />

Coastal City Country Quiet interiors for all homes<br />

Kent, Sussex & London<br />

@gabrielhdesigns hello@gabrielholland.com www.gabrielholland.com 07855 837021<br />

55<br />

priceless-magazines.com


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56


Hollywood floor<br />

lamp by It’s About<br />

Romi £460 Lime Lace<br />

limelace.co.uk<br />

Turner ice bucket<br />

£295 Jonathan Adler<br />

jonathanadler.com<br />

<strong>Interiors</strong> & <strong>Bathrooms</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />

Words of Wisdom<br />

silkscreen by Jack<br />

Vettriano OBE £1,500<br />

The Wey Gallery<br />

theweygallery.com<br />

Palm hand candle<br />

holder £38<br />

Rockett St George<br />

rockettstgeorge.co.uk<br />

Palladain Blue, Mascarpone,<br />

and Cranberry Cocktail paints<br />

various prices Benjamin Moore<br />

benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk<br />

Gold ornate arched triple dressing<br />

table mirror £104.95 Melody<br />

Maison melodymaison.co.uk<br />

Golden Age<br />

Glamour<br />

M2009 Small carved shell<br />

wall bracket with silver<br />

finish £525 Besselink &<br />

Jones besselink.com<br />

Glass Wavy Bowl £24.50<br />

Solavia Glassware solavia.co.uk<br />

“We are hugely influenced by the glamour and glitz that is<br />

Hollywood Regency. Our best tip is to use a metallic wallpaper which<br />

will elevate a neutral scheme by adding some seductive shimmer<br />

and Art Deco opulence. To accessorise, nothing says Golden Age<br />

Glamour like a huge statement mirror – either vintage or a modern<br />

contemporary take on an iconic design. Add luxe accents such as faux<br />

fur and velvet to further emulate the polished glamour of Hollywood.”<br />

– Jamie Watkins, Co-Founder, Divine Savages divinesavages.com<br />

Malia 8 light<br />

chandelier £810<br />

Elstead Lighting<br />

elsteadlighting.com<br />

Richard Podgurski<br />

Hollywood poster<br />

from £15.95 Desino<br />

desenio.co.uk<br />

istockphoto.com/ Caiaimage/Chris Ryan<br />

Mirrored drinks trolley<br />

£595 Cox & Cox<br />

coxandcox.co.uk<br />

Mango wood sunburst mirror<br />

£85 Rock the Heirloom<br />

rocktheheirloom.co.uk<br />

Gatsby cocktail saucer £40<br />

(pair) Dartington Crystal<br />

dartington.co.uk<br />

Pink push button phone £45.99<br />

GPO Retro gporetro.com<br />

Eichholtz trapezium<br />

chair £1,710<br />

Sweetpea & Willow<br />

sweetpeaandwillow.com<br />

Wire mesh soda syphon £215 Rock<br />

the Heirloom rocktheheirloom.co.uk<br />

Tilbury vase<br />

£215 Arteriors<br />

arteriorshome.com<br />

priceless-magazines.com


<strong>Interiors</strong> & <strong>Bathrooms</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />

Wilson hook in black £29<br />

Origins Living originsliving.uk<br />

Monochrome checkerboard<br />

trinket dish £25 Rockett St<br />

George rockettstgeorge.co.uk<br />

Horse head acrylic bookends<br />

£450 Jonathan Adler<br />

uk.jonathanadler.com<br />

Falmouth light £222<br />

Elstead Lighting<br />

elsteadlighting.com<br />

Albion Classic vanity unit<br />

£1,571 The Albion Bath<br />

Co albionbathco.com<br />

Olivia face cloths £19<br />

(set of 4) Sazy sazy.com<br />

Checkmate<br />

abstract canvas<br />

art £190 Green<br />

Lili greenlili.com<br />

Heritage bathrooms Osterley matt<br />

freestanding acrylic bath £3,244<br />

Cranleigh Bathroom Studios<br />

cranleighbathroomstudios.co.uk<br />

Galway Premium matt<br />

black shower valve £159.99<br />

Bathroom Mountain<br />

bathroommountain.co.uk<br />

Modern statuario<br />

matt marble effect<br />

tiles £18.95m 2<br />

Walls and Floors<br />

wallsandfloors.co.uk<br />

Check<br />

Mate<br />

Artemis Diana<br />

bust candle £12<br />

Sazy sazy.com<br />

Take some inspiration from a classic<br />

chessboard in your bathroom. For a<br />

timeless sophisticated look, black and<br />

white has never gone out of fashion<br />

and works in any size bathroom.<br />

Add some marble for a very on-trend<br />

sense of grandeur and luxury with a few<br />

traditional features and accessories and<br />

you’ll have a bathroom fit for a King!<br />

– Craig Cooper, Owner and<br />

Director of Cranleigh Bathroom Studios<br />

cranleighbathroomstudios.co.uk<br />

istockphoto.com/ Visivasnc<br />

Nero soap dispenser<br />

£272 Aston Matthews<br />

astonmatthews.co.uk<br />

Tubby Tub Bath £1,975<br />

The Albion Bath Co<br />

albionbathco.com<br />

Diptyque Baies Candle<br />

£56 Liberty London<br />

libertylondon.com<br />

Retromix black & white<br />

tiles £9.90/m The London<br />

Tile Co londontile.co.uk<br />

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5000 SQ FT OF BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE AND GIFTS OVER 3 FLOORS!<br />

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traditional handmade<br />

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59<br />

priceless-magazines.com<br />

WoodworkWT238.indd 1 04/02/2022 12:15


Why not brighten up your home with a beautiful hand-crafted window<br />

Windows can be designed to match or complement<br />

existing features in your home - even when, as in<br />

these examples, double glazing has been fitted. We<br />

are happy to interpret your own ideas or consult<br />

on original designs and concepts to suit the period<br />

and style of your home or environment. The<br />

windows can be abstract, very creative, arts and<br />

crafts, art deco or traditional.<br />

Once the colours and glass have been selected, it<br />

typically takes four to six weeks, depending on the<br />

size and complexity of the design.<br />

How’s it done? It takes practice and patience, as<br />

well as vision and artistic ability. They are still made<br />

in the traditional way, so they take a little while<br />

but are worth the effort, as they brighten up your<br />

home and they will last a lifetime.<br />

You may be surprised to discover<br />

how affordable it can be.<br />

Baldwin Studios 01323 737271 Mobile: 07971 851777<br />

www.BaldwinStudios.co.uk Ian@BaldwinStudios.co.uk<br />

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60<br />

HETAS and OFTEC Registered Installers<br />

HETAS and OFTEC Registered Installers


Vintage cupboard in a coastal cottage designed by<br />

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63<br />

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Natural Blend<br />

Words: Jennifer Stuart-Smith Photographs: David Merewether


Recipe developer and cookery<br />

teacher Charlotte Butterworth’s<br />

house is centred around her<br />

spacious Neptune kitchen,<br />

where she has created a new<br />

heart for this impressively<br />

proportioned family home


Previous pages & top: Charlotte runs her cookery courses from her spacious Neptune kitchen. The space has recently been extended to create a lovely<br />

new dining area Above: A lot of Charlotte’s furniture has come from <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Fairs over the years, like the mirror in the children’s sitting room<br />

Sometimes, when buying a house,<br />

it’s all about a feeling. You’ve<br />

only got to watch a few of<br />

today’s popular property programmes<br />

to hear potential purchasers saying:<br />

“I’m just not feeling it,” or, as was<br />

the case with Charlotte Butterworth<br />

and family – “it just felt right”. Add<br />

magnificent high ceilings, vast original<br />

windows and a view to die for and<br />

you can see what clinched the deal.<br />

“It had a really nice feel to it and<br />

had been lived in by a family who<br />

wanted to sell it to another family –<br />

who would love it. They obviously<br />

had a real emotional connection<br />

to it,” says Charlotte. She had also<br />

been keen to live on the edge of a<br />

small town, and in this case it was<br />

Cranbrook. “I knew that when the<br />

children were older they would be<br />

<br />

67<br />

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able to walk everywhere and get the bus… they love the<br />

independence of living in a small market town too.”<br />

According to Charlotte, the building’s grandiosity is largely<br />

due to the fact that it was built by a wealthy local brewing<br />

family in the late Victorian, early Edwardian period – though<br />

its tile-hung exterior and the garden’s enormous Scots pines<br />

make it feel even older. As you come in the magnificent front<br />

door, the first thing you notice is the ornate tiled hallway.<br />

“I haven’t done anything to it as I thought if I polished it<br />

it would make it really slippery!” says Charlotte. She has<br />

also retained the inevitable cracks and small imperfections<br />

– “It gives it personality,” she says, quite rightly.<br />

Looking down the length of the lofty hallway, past<br />

the stairway, it’s impossible not to notice the view from<br />

the back of the house, out across the High Weald. Neat<br />

lawns, a rose garden and whimsical topiary are set against<br />

a backdrop of rolling orchards and woodland. “The rose<br />

garden was originally a pond but I filled it in as I worried<br />

about the children when they were little,” says Charlotte.<br />

You can’t help but be drawn to the back of the house<br />

and, more importantly, into the real party piece of this<br />

large family home; the kitchen. The heart of the house<br />

is not only where family and friends spend most of<br />

their time, it’s also Charlotte’s new workplace. “I teach<br />

cookery – but I also do catering and food styling.”<br />

Charlotte founded The Needy Greedy soon after lockdown,<br />

finding herself in need of a change. “My mum was a caterer<br />

and trained chef… so I grew up learning to cook with what<br />

was in the garden and getting creative.” In her gap year<br />

Charlotte did a Cordon Bleu cookery course, then went on<br />

to do a BA & MA in political science before working as a <br />

This page: The drawing room. The lamps and tables were from<br />

Woodcocks in Tenterden and the moose and flamingo prints<br />

were a <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> Fair find from Jenny Wren Design<br />

69<br />

priceless-magazines.com


Clockwise from this page: Fitted furniture<br />

in the master bedroom was made by a<br />

local carpenter and the bed is from Loaf;<br />

The lofty hallway and stairway; The family<br />

bathroom; The master bedroom balcony<br />

chartered accountant. She says that the<br />

main aim of The Needy Greedy is to be<br />

helpful – “I feel like I have something<br />

I can help people with. Everyone has<br />

to eat and so many of us think ‘I don’t<br />

know what to cook’. So, it’s all about<br />

healthy, simple, delicious recipes. I<br />

could teach you how to make a choux<br />

bun, mille feuille if you want – but I’d<br />

rather show you how to create dinner<br />

party food in an hour and a bit!”<br />

As you can imagine, this is a serious<br />

kitchen! “I’d always wanted a Neptune<br />

kitchen… and this is their Suffolk style<br />

in its original colour,” says Charlotte.<br />

The extendable dining table is also from<br />

Neptune, while the chairs are French<br />

brocante. “I have quite a lot of brocante<br />

and French-style items. I spent much<br />

of my childhood and early years in<br />

Provence with my family. So, there is a<br />

big Provencal influence everywhere. You<br />

will see it as you walk around the house.”<br />

Some of these were sourced recently from<br />

the brocante fair at King John’s Nursery,<br />

or from her friend, Sarah Featherstone.<br />

Just as Charlotte likes to use local<br />

produce in her cookery, so too does<br />

she like to shop local when it comes to<br />

renovating and decorating her home.<br />

priceless-magazines.com 70


“The appliances are all from Martins of<br />

Hawkhurst, soft furnishings from Bell<br />

House Fabrics & <strong>Interiors</strong> and carpets<br />

from Butler House Carpets,” she says.<br />

Despite the building’s period features,<br />

its calm and tranquil décor and easy<br />

layout, things have not always been this<br />

way. In the 10 years since moving in an<br />

awful lot has changed. “Initially we just<br />

swapped rooms, turning the drawing<br />

room into a kitchen. The old kitchen<br />

became a snug and is now the boot<br />

room. The dining room is now the kids’<br />

living room and the former playroom<br />

is now the drawing room!” At the same<br />

time they modernised the bathrooms<br />

and added another. “This year we built<br />

this extension… making a huge kitchen<br />

diner. We wanted to have a big comfy<br />

space for the children and a big kitchen<br />

that we could entertain in.” A curved<br />

wall of bifold doors now opens on to<br />

an extended terrace with ‘that view’.<br />

“We used the original ragstone from the<br />

path to extend the terrace and the bifold<br />

doors mean the kitchen really links to<br />

the garden. I’m mad about music, so<br />

there are Sonos speakers out here too.”<br />

It would be too easy to get settled in<br />

the kitchen – I am envisaging coming<br />

on a cookery course as we speak – but<br />

I also want to explore this enormous<br />

house. “Shall we go up via the servants’<br />

stairs?” asks Charlotte. “The servants<br />

would have used these stairs to come up<br />

from the kitchen and to move around<br />

the house without the owners seeing<br />

them.” It’s unimaginable now… but<br />

fun to explore and I’m sure fun for<br />

the children to run up and down, or<br />

sneak up, now they are teenagers.<br />

At the top of the house there remains<br />

what would have been the ‘daily’s’<br />

bedroom. What was once a cupboard<br />

and home to a large water tank has been<br />

turned into an en suite. “It’s perfect for<br />

guests, though my daughter tends to<br />

monopolise the bathroom these days,”<br />

laughs Charlotte. The other guest<br />

bedroom is equally lovely, with views<br />

across the garden and with its own<br />

little period sink. “My mother insisted<br />

that we keep it,” says Charlotte.<br />

Down on the next floor – where most<br />

of the bedrooms are – is the family<br />

bathroom. “This used to be all yellow,”<br />

says Charlotte. These days it’s a much<br />

cooler customer – with a marble-topped<br />

his-and-her’s basin and huge mirror that<br />

reflects the main view over the back<br />

garden and beyond. It would be too<br />

tempting to linger, when brushing your<br />

teeth in the morning, just to take in the<br />

panoramic vista. “We added a shower,<br />

more contemporary Metro tiles – and<br />

Neptune provided the furniture.”<br />

Next door is the master bedroom<br />

which, thanks to the kitchen extension,<br />

now has an even larger balcony<br />

overlooking the garden and reinforced<br />

glass has replaced the railings. “The sun<br />

sets in this direction – so it’s particularly<br />

lovely in the evening.” The room has<br />

been completely re-done, with new fitted<br />

cupboards, and extra panelling behind<br />

the headboard contains hidden shelves.<br />

Soft furnishings add a more personal<br />

touch: “The fabric came from what was<br />

the kitchen. I loved it so much that <br />

71<br />

priceless-magazines.com


Clockwise from top left: The hallway features the original flooring; Charlotte’s spaniel makes herself comfy in her<br />

son’s room; A woodburner has been installed in what used to be the original kitchen, now a boot room<br />

when it came down I got it cleaned and<br />

turned into our bedroom curtains. And<br />

there was enough left over for the foot<br />

stool too!” The bed is from Loaf, bedside<br />

tables sourced from Etsy and dressing<br />

table from The Cotswold Company.<br />

As we come out onto the landing, I<br />

get a fresh take on the grand entrance<br />

hall and stairway. Light floods in through<br />

the hallway windows and sparkles on<br />

the large chandelier overhead. “That is<br />

from Woodcocks in Tenterden. I get a lot<br />

of furniture and decorative items from<br />

them,” says Charlotte. “The wallpaper<br />

was here so we just painted over it… but<br />

you still get the lovely pattern showing<br />

through.” It works really well and is a<br />

fabulous ‘hack’ for those who want to<br />

refresh a room and give the impression<br />

of very expensive embossed wallpaper. “I<br />

am a bit of a Farrow & Ball fan,” adds<br />

Charlotte. “The house features a lot of<br />

Elephant’s Breath and Hardwick White!”<br />

Down the wide stairs and we are back<br />

in the light-filled downstairs rooms with<br />

both the grown-ups and kids’ TV room<br />

at the front of the house, making the<br />

most of the light. “This was the breakfast<br />

room,” says Charlotte as we go into the<br />

kids’ TV room. “Now it’s where the kids<br />

like to hang out with their friends.” They<br />

are certainly two lucky children – it’s a<br />

gorgeous, spacious room with big comfy<br />

sofas and stunning decor. “I’ve bought a<br />

lot of furniture from the <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />

Fair over the years – that mirror for<br />

example,” says Charlotte. Cheerful prints<br />

and pops of colour in the cushions<br />

and soft furnishings prevent it from <br />

priceless-magazines.com 72


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This page: The beautiful garden features neat rose beds and two huge topiary ducks. The new extension incorporated a<br />

sheltered walled terrace with Sonos speakers, so Charlotte can enjoy her music whilst relaxing and entertaining outside<br />

feeling too formal. “The cupboards are<br />

original – we’ve just painted them – as<br />

are the quarry tiles and floor boards.”<br />

Across the hallway is an equally<br />

spacious room – which is where<br />

the grown-ups hang out. “This was<br />

their dining room, then a playroom.<br />

Almost every downstairs room is<br />

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Charlotte admits that it is a lovely<br />

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spend most of our time. I probably<br />

sit in here for about an hour a day.”<br />

White ceramic lamps sit atop sparkly<br />

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“The two pictures, which I adore, are<br />

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When we meet, Charlotte is getting<br />

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priceless-magazines.com 74


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priceless-magazines.com<br />

76


Step out from the<br />

Shadows<br />

Vamp up your dark side with luxe patent finishes<br />

Photograph: David Merewether Styling: Lucy Fleming<br />

Dr Martens<br />

patent shoes £139,<br />

heart backpack £119,<br />

both The Golden Boot<br />

thegoldenboot.co.uk;<br />

metal bat wreath £12,<br />

Hobbycraft hobbycraft.co.uk


Jacqueline Cullen Whitby Jet &<br />

Black Diamond Earrings £995<br />

Liberty London libertylondon.com<br />

Roll neck jumper £59.50<br />

Oliver Bonas oliverbonas.com<br />

Oval cut garnet and<br />

moissanite earrings<br />

£275 Katherine James<br />

Jewellery kjj.rocks<br />

Black P.U. pleated skirt 69.50<br />

Oliver Bonas oliverbonas.com<br />

Ghost charm £70<br />

Astley Clarke<br />

astleyclarke.com<br />

Winter garden checked<br />

boucle skirt £18 Tu<br />

tuclothing.sainsburys.co.uk<br />

Florian brogues<br />

£95 Dune London<br />

dunelondon.com<br />

First Folio 1623 pocket square £38<br />

Rory Hutton roryhutton.co.uk<br />

All Saints Freya dress £259<br />

John Lewis johnlewis.com<br />

Wednesdays<br />

we wear<br />

The Sun talisman<br />

pendant £36<br />

Fable England<br />

fableengland.com<br />

Black<br />

A/W 23 runways are full of long sweeping<br />

black coats and slinky Mortitia-esque dresses<br />

so for spooky season we’re taking a page out<br />

of the Addams family’s mysterious and<br />

spooky family photo album<br />

Jennifer Behr Maggie<br />

headband £195<br />

Liberty London<br />

libertylondon.com<br />

Alaïa belted pants £1,190<br />

Net-a-Porter net-a-porter.com<br />

Fiona Frill Jumper<br />

£52 Fat Face<br />

fatface.com<br />

Ebru Jewelry black<br />

enamel & diamond ring<br />

£235 Wolf & Badger<br />

wolfandbadger.com<br />

Beaded evening<br />

pursee £75 Monsoon<br />

monsoon.co.uk<br />

Chloé belted trench<br />

£2,665 Net-a-Porter<br />

net-a-porter.com<br />

Nyree bug<br />

brooch belt £45<br />

Dune London<br />

dunelondon.com<br />

Daring dogtooth dress £50<br />

Joe Browns joebrowns.co.uk<br />

priceless-magazines.com 78<br />

Short Greta<br />

showerproof<br />

£219 Barbour<br />

barbour.com<br />

Sally Skoufis<br />

drop huggies with<br />

manmade black<br />

diamonds £172<br />

Wolf & Badger<br />

wolfandbadger.com<br />

Ghost Delphine satin maxi dress<br />

£195 John Lewis johnlewis.com<br />

Victoriana embroidered<br />

bag £50 Fable England<br />

fableengland.com<br />

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UNIT 11 HART SHOPPING CENTRE<br />

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Auténtica Cocina<br />

Adriana Cavita’s new recipe book, Cocina Mexicana, takes readers on<br />

a culinary adventure around her home country. Packed with authentic<br />

recipes inspired by her extensive travels, the celebrated chef and<br />

restaurateur tells the story of her heritage and the people who taught her<br />

to cook. Here we’ve chosen three recipes using ingredients that are a little<br />

different to the day-to-day – tomatillos and nixtamalized corn flour<br />

Recipes: Adriana Cavita Photographs: Clare Winfield<br />

Roast chicken with<br />

green mole<br />

(Mole verde o pipián con pollo)<br />

A green mole – from the<br />

central area of Mexico – which<br />

is given its distinctive bright<br />

green colour through the<br />

use of fresh green herbs.<br />

Serves 4<br />

• 1 whole chicken (1.2-<br />

1.4kg), spatchcocked<br />

For the marinade:<br />

• ½ white onion<br />

• 3 garlic cloves<br />

• bunch of fresh coriander<br />

• bunch of fresh parsley<br />

• ½ jalapeño, seeds removed<br />

• 50ml olive oil<br />

For the green mole:<br />

• 250ml olive oil<br />

• 1 white onion, chopped<br />

• 5 garlic cloves, chopped<br />

• 1kg (about 8) poblano<br />

chilli peppers, skin and seeds<br />

removed – see Note below<br />

(you can buy fresh poblanos<br />

from riverford.co.uk)<br />

• 1 tbsp cumin seeds,<br />

lightly toasted<br />

• 1 tbsp black peppercorns,<br />

lightly toasted<br />

• 2 fresh bay leaves<br />

• 250g pumpkin seeds<br />

• 1kg tomatillos, husks<br />

removed and cut into quarters<br />

(you can buy fresh tomatillos<br />

from riverford.co.uk)<br />

• 1 litre chicken stock<br />

• 2 tbsp sea salt<br />

• 200g fresh coriander<br />

• 200g fresh parsley<br />

• 150g fresh mint<br />

To serve:<br />

• white rice<br />

• warmed tortillas<br />

• grilled or blanched green<br />

vegetables (such as fine beans)<br />

1. First, make the marinade.<br />

Put all the ingredients for the<br />

marinade and 100ml water in a<br />

food processor or blender and blitz<br />

until smooth. Place the chicken<br />

on a plate. Rub the marinade all<br />

over the chicken, ensuring it is<br />

well coated. Cover and leave to<br />

marinate overnight in the fridge.<br />

2. Preheat the oven to<br />

180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 or prepare<br />

the barbecue. Place the chicken<br />

on a lined baking sheet and roast<br />

in the preheated oven for about<br />

30-45 minutes depending on the<br />

size of the chicken or cook on a<br />

hot grill, skin side down first, then<br />

turn over to continue cooking.<br />

3. Meanwhile, make the green<br />

mole. Heat the oil in a saucepan<br />

over a medium heat. Add the<br />

onion and garlic and cook for<br />

5 minutes or until they just<br />

start to colour. Add the poblano<br />

chillies and cook for about 5<br />

minutes. Add all the spices, bay<br />

leaves and pumpkin seeds and<br />

cook for 5 minutes. Add the<br />

tomatillos, stock and salt and<br />

cook for a further 15 minutes.<br />

Taste to check the seasoning,<br />

adding more salt if needed.<br />

4. Stir in the fresh herbs,<br />

then transfer everything to a<br />

food processor and blend to<br />

a smooth sauce. Pass through<br />

a fine-mesh sieve/strainer for<br />

an even smoother sauce.<br />

5. Spoon the green mole into<br />

a serving dish and serve it with<br />

the chicken pieces, rice, tortillas<br />

and some grilled/broiled or<br />

blanched green vegetables.<br />

Notes:<br />

To remove the skin from a<br />

chilli or pepper, carefully hold<br />

it over hot coals or an open<br />

flame until the skin has charred<br />

all over. Leave to cool, then<br />

peel away the charred skin.<br />

If you want to increase the<br />

level of spice in this dish, you<br />

can also add a jalapeño that has<br />

been quartered when you add the<br />

other chillies to the green mole.<br />

In Mexico, traditionally the<br />

chicken would be boiled in a<br />

large saucepan of water with<br />

some onion and garlic, but<br />

roasting it in the oven or on a hot<br />

barbecue gives a great flavour.<br />

<br />

81<br />

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Welcome to The King’s Arms in Elham. Having<br />

recently completed an 11 month refurbishment,<br />

this transformed pub offers something for all.<br />

Join us for a delightful dining experience serving<br />

up mouth-watering dishes that will leave you<br />

craving for more and savour the tastes of Kent,<br />

with local Ales, Ciders and Wines on offer.<br />

Watch your food being cooked in our open kitchen<br />

and don’t miss our state-of-the-art Robata grill,<br />

offering a selection of beautiful steaks, each<br />

expertly cooked over open flames to perfection.<br />

Witness the remarkable renovation, where<br />

you can be a part of the action with our open<br />

glass kitchen, watching your meal come to<br />

life. Or simply join us for a tipple in the bar,<br />

and enjoy a freshly made sandwich from our<br />

new snack menu, served 7 days a week.<br />

TO RESERVE YOUR TABLE<br />

call 01303 840242 or visit<br />

www.thekingsarmselham.com<br />

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS<br />

Friday 24th November,<br />

12:00pm – 7:00pm<br />

Taywell Farmshop<br />

Cranbrook Road<br />

Goudhurst<br />

TN17 1DY<br />

Kent<br />

Come and Visit our<br />

stockists and sample<br />

their lovely produce.<br />

Enjoy sampling some of the<br />

delights that Taywell have<br />

to offer this Christmas.<br />

Opportunities to order<br />

hampers, Christmas turkeys<br />

and all the trimmings.<br />

TAYWELL HAMPER CO<br />

Corporate & Bespoke hampers<br />

made to order unique to<br />

you or your business.<br />

Available to order all year<br />

round – as well as our<br />

event picnic hampers.<br />

For the advert please may we use the<br />

email shop@taywellfarm.co.uk and<br />

number 01580211853<br />

Taywell Farmshop, Cranbrook Road, Goudhurst, TN17 1DY Kent<br />

shop@taywellfarm.co.uk | 01580211853 | taywellfarm.co.uk<br />

priceless-magazines.com<br />

82


Tarasca soup<br />

(Sopa Tarasca)<br />

This is a soup from the<br />

Michoacan region. It’s the<br />

perfect dish to warm you<br />

up on a really cold day.<br />

Serves 6-8<br />

• 2 ancho chillies<br />

– 1 left whole and 1 cut<br />

into very thin strips<br />

• 3 tomatoes, asados (see<br />

Note below), then chopped<br />

• ½ small white onion, asado<br />

• 1 garlic clove, asada<br />

• 1 litre chicken stock<br />

• 120ml olive oil, plus<br />

extra for frying<br />

• 400g cooked bayos beans (or<br />

your favourite type of bean)<br />

• 1 fresh bay leaf<br />

• ½ tbsp freshly ground<br />

black pepper<br />

• sea salt<br />

To serve:<br />

• sour cream<br />

• fresh cheese (such as<br />

feta), cut into cubes<br />

• 1 avocado, stoned, peeled<br />

and cut into cubes<br />

• 8 tortillas, cut into very<br />

thin strips and deep-fried<br />

1. Heat a dry frying pan/<br />

skillet over a high heat and<br />

quickly toast the whole ancho<br />

chilli for about 5 seconds<br />

on each side, then remove.<br />

2. Put the charred whole chilli<br />

in a food processor with the<br />

blackened tomatoes, onion<br />

and garlic and blend until<br />

smooth. Add a little chicken<br />

stock to loosen the mixture,<br />

if needed. Strain through a<br />

fine-mesh sieve/strainer.<br />

3. Heat the olive oil in a<br />

saucepan over a medium<br />

heat. Add the sieved tomatoes<br />

and cook for 5 minutes.<br />

4. Meanwhile, blend the beans<br />

with the chicken stock in a<br />

food processor, then strain<br />

and add to the pan with the<br />

tomatoes. Season with salt<br />

and pepper and add the bay<br />

leaf. Cook for 15 minutes,<br />

adding more stock if needed,<br />

until the soup is creamy.<br />

5. Heat a little oil in a frying<br />

pan/skillet and quickly fry<br />

the sliced ancho chilli for 5<br />

seconds. If fried for any longer,<br />

the chilli will became bitter.<br />

6. Ladle the soup into bowls<br />

and swirl in some sour cream.<br />

Place a few cubes of cheese<br />

and avocado on top of the<br />

soup. Finish each bowl of<br />

soup with a handful of the<br />

deep-fried tortilla strips and<br />

the fried ancho chilli strips.<br />

Note: Asado or asada means<br />

that a vegetable has been<br />

cooked over hot coals or in<br />

a hot pan over a high heat<br />

until charred all over.<br />

<br />

83<br />

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Corn cake<br />

(Pan de elote)<br />

This cake is very well known<br />

all over Mexico. In the area<br />

where I grew up, Azcapotzalco<br />

in Mexico City, you can find<br />

them at the local bakery, where<br />

the bakers have a funny way<br />

of cooking them in recycled<br />

sardine cans. I think that<br />

makes them a very special<br />

preparation. Also, I will say<br />

that using native Mexican corn<br />

gives the best flavour, but it is<br />

not always easy to find outside<br />

of Mexico. Sweet yellow corn<br />

is usually easier to fine, which<br />

has a lower starch content,<br />

but with this recipe you will<br />

still get a really good result.<br />

Makes 1 large cake, Serves 6-8<br />

• 3 tbsp nixtamalized white<br />

corn flour (see Note below)<br />

or gluten-free flour<br />

• 10g baking powder<br />

• 130g caster sugar<br />

• 540g fresh corn, at<br />

room temperature<br />

• 30ml whole milk, at<br />

room temperature<br />

• 3 large eggs<br />

• 140g unsalted butter, melted,<br />

plus extra for greasing<br />

To serve:<br />

• vanilla ice cream<br />

• good-quality caramel sauce<br />

You will need:<br />

A 20cm/8” round cake pan<br />

1. Preheat the oven to<br />

170°C/150°C fan/Gas 3 and<br />

grease the round cake pan.<br />

2. Mix all the dry ingredients<br />

in a large bowl, then add to<br />

a food processor with the<br />

corn, milk and eggs and blend<br />

together. Continue mixing<br />

and gradually add the melted<br />

butter, a little at a time, until<br />

the mixture is very smooth.<br />

3. Pour the cake mixture into<br />

the prepared cake pan and<br />

bake in the preheated oven<br />

for 45-60 minutes. To check<br />

if the cake is cooked, insert<br />

the tip of a knife or skewer<br />

in the centre; if it comes out<br />

clean, then the cake is cooked.<br />

4. Leave the cake to cool in<br />

the pan for 20 minutes, then<br />

remove from the pan and<br />

leave to cool completely.<br />

5. Serve warm with ice cream<br />

and caramel sauce. This<br />

cake tastes best when freshly<br />

made, but it will keep for up<br />

to 3 days in the fridge and<br />

can be reheated to serve.<br />

Notes:<br />

I sometimes use frozen corn<br />

for this recipe, which works<br />

well as long as the corn is<br />

defrosted to room temperature,<br />

otherwise the mixture will<br />

separate if the corn is too cold.<br />

Nixtamalized corn flour<br />

is made from corn that<br />

has been treated with lime,<br />

making it easier to digest.<br />

It can be bought online.<br />

Cocina Mexicana by Adriana<br />

Cavita, published by Ryland<br />

Peters & Small (£22).<br />

Photography by Clare Winfield<br />

© Ryland Peters & Small.<br />

85<br />

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SPF<br />

365<br />

Josephine Fairley turns to specially designed creams to combat the damaging effects of yearround<br />

rays from the sun and – new kid on the skin-ageing block – blue light from our tech<br />

I’ll admit: as a beauty editor, I<br />

used to be a bit casual about the<br />

need to wear a daily SPF on my<br />

face outside of summer. Many of<br />

the experts I spoke to, back in the<br />

day, were of the mindset that in the<br />

UK, when light levels are so much<br />

lower between <strong>October</strong> to March,<br />

the only time you really needed a day<br />

cream with sun protective powers<br />

was when you were, say, planning<br />

a long yomp over the Downs.<br />

I am now eating any of the words<br />

which I shared on this subject, in the<br />

past. Because things have changed,<br />

and a lot more is understood now<br />

about a.) incidental sun damage<br />

(the sort you pick up when nipping<br />

to the post box, walking the dog,<br />

doing a little early autumn deadheading<br />

etc.), and b.) the damaging<br />

effects of blue light on our skin.<br />

Our devices – smartphones, laptops,<br />

desktop computers and even TVs – all<br />

emit blue light, a.k.a. HEV (High<br />

Energy Visible) light. There’s still a<br />

lot of research to be done into this,<br />

but increasingly it’s thought that blue<br />

light can contribute to the formation<br />

of fine lines and wrinkles, as well as<br />

skin discolouration (those patches<br />

of pigmentation variously referred<br />

to as ‘age spots’ or ‘sun spots’).<br />

Sunlight – outdoors – also contains<br />

HEV, but the point about blue light<br />

is that we’re exposing ourselves to<br />

this indoors, whenever we’re looking<br />

at a screen. Hence the volte face<br />

on wearing sunscreen year-round –<br />

unless we happen to live off-grid.<br />

Although it doesn’t have the same<br />

capacity to cause skin cancer (because<br />

it doesn’t affect DNA), blue light still<br />

triggers production of free radicals –<br />

basically, rogue molecules implicated<br />

in skin ageing. So, the answer is<br />

skincare products which quench,<br />

or neutralise, those free radicals,<br />

before they can do their damage.<br />

You don’t need to adopt a whole<br />

new skincare regime to guard against<br />

this damage, though. In the habit of<br />

wearing sunscreen in summer? You may<br />

well be ahead of the curve. BUT…<br />

it depends on the ingredients in that<br />

sunscreen: the general consensus is that<br />

effective SPF and blue light protection<br />

harnesses ‘physical sunscreen’<br />

ingredients – notably zinc oxide and<br />

titanium dioxide. These are considered<br />

more effective against blue light<br />

than chemical sunscreens – although<br />

many daily SPF products already<br />

feature a combination of both. Above<br />

and beyond the SPF, however, the<br />

formulation should ideally also contain<br />

antioxidants such as vitamin C, green<br />

tea and/or resveratrol (from grapes).<br />

Here, then, are some suitable ‘screensavers’<br />

for your skin, which will also<br />

guard against that incidental sun<br />

damage, when you step away from<br />

your smartphone and get out into<br />

the great (in every way) outdoors. At<br />

the moment, alas, specific blue light<br />

protection is more often at the luxe<br />

end of the price scale – but we can<br />

expect the technology to trickle down<br />

to the mainstream, fairly smartly.<br />

Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte<br />

Physical Daily Defense SPF30, £32<br />

for 60ml. If you’re looking for a hint of<br />

a tint, as well as protection, check out<br />

this creation from the cult US brand.<br />

A lightweight serum, the adaptable tint<br />

flatters all skintones, featuring marula<br />

and raspberry seeds for softening<br />

hydration, alongside antioxidant grape<br />

juice and sunflower shoot extract.<br />

Neutrogena Purescreen+ Mineral UV<br />

Tint Face Liquid SPF30, £18.70 for<br />

32ml. Another tinted option, this time<br />

promising that it is water-resistant for<br />

up to 80 minutes – which, unless you<br />

are a very dedicated wild swimmer,<br />

may be superfluous to requirements<br />

for the next few months. Blue lightguarding<br />

ingredients here include iron<br />

oxide, while vitamin E protects against<br />

other environmental aggressors. <br />

istockphoto.com/ Ridofranz<br />

priceless-magazines.com 86


87<br />

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FIND YOUR EYEWEAR WARDROBE<br />

Looking for spectacles to suit your unique style and personality?<br />

At Wilson Wilson and Hancock we understand that your glasses are an extension of who<br />

you are. As an independent optician we are free to choose creative and distinctive frames<br />

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your lifestyle. Book your next eye exam or style consultation today and we’ll help<br />

you find your perfect eyewear.<br />

www.wilsonwilsonandhancock.co.uk<br />

Hastings 01424 421717 | Lewes 01273 472360 | Rye 01797 223700 | Tenterden 01580 762069


Murad City Skin Age Defence Broad<br />

Spectrum SPF50, £66 for 50ml.<br />

Designed for city living, but equally<br />

suitable for those of us who live in the<br />

Weald, this is a fragrance-free, 100%<br />

mineral sunscreen which creates a<br />

featherlight ‘force field’ against UV<br />

rays, blue light and pollution (polymers<br />

create a breathable second skin that<br />

prevents penetration of toxins). A real<br />

multi-tasker, this, from one of the first<br />

names in ‘dermatologist skincare’.<br />

Clarins UV Plus Anti-Pollution<br />

SPF50, £34 for 30ml. Ah, good<br />

old Clarins. Another great multiaction<br />

cream, here, in the form of<br />

a lightweight moisturising screen<br />

formulated to shield against indoor<br />

and atmospheric pollution, blue light<br />

and even pollen. The gel-textured<br />

formula, which sinks in fast, promises<br />

eight hours of hydration – and<br />

interestingly, comes in Translucent<br />

(invisible) and Rose, which boosts<br />

skin’s radiance with a rosy glow.<br />

Chantecaille Blue Light Protection<br />

Serum, £137 for 30ml. Definitely<br />

the most indulgent of the choices<br />

here, if budget isn’t an issue – but I’ve<br />

included it a.) because it acknowledges<br />

the challenges of blue light in the<br />

name, and b.) because Chantecaille’s<br />

textures (and fragrances) are always,<br />

quite simply, sublime. This doesn’t<br />

offer sun protection, but the botanicals<br />

are chosen to protect against digital<br />

ageing, so you could layer it under<br />

a favourite broad spectrum (i.e.<br />

UVA/UVB-protective) facial SPF.<br />

Hello Sunday The Everyday One<br />

SPF50, £18 for 50ml. Hallelujah!<br />

This is at the opposite end of the price<br />

range to Chantecaille: lightweight,<br />

invisible and such a pleasure to use<br />

that I promise it’ll swiftly convert<br />

you to year-round sunscreening.<br />

Hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and<br />

provitamin B5 feature, along with a<br />

unique algae extract, Dunaliella Salina,<br />

to help fight blue light, infrared and<br />

pollution, as well as sun damage.<br />

That’s daytime sorted, then. But what<br />

about after dark, when many are still<br />

glued to one screen or another? I’m<br />

certainly not proposing that you start<br />

wearing sunscreen at night (although<br />

the Chantecaille serum could equally<br />

be layered under a night cream). But<br />

do consider taking some lifestyle steps<br />

to protect your skin, not least because<br />

scrolling on your phone in bed (um,<br />

aren’t we all guilty, there?) tends to<br />

be done up close, amplifying the<br />

damage. One easy fix is to switch your<br />

smartphone to night mode, as this<br />

adjusts the colours of your<br />

display, massively cutting<br />

blue light exposure; you can<br />

generally set a timer so<br />

that night mode<br />

kicks in<br />

at your<br />

usual bedtime, without you<br />

having to remember.<br />

It’s also worth pointing out that<br />

the damaging effects of blue light<br />

can contribute to eye strain, as well<br />

as glaucoma, cataracts and other eye<br />

diseases. More than that, it can make<br />

it hard for many people to get to<br />

sleep, as blue light affects our natural<br />

circadian biorhythms. (I know if I look<br />

at my phone or laptop after 9pm, I’m<br />

likely to be wide awake four hours<br />

later.) So, you might want to curb your<br />

night-time habit of doom scrolling/<br />

Vinted shopping/Instagramming<br />

habit entirely – not just for the<br />

sake of your skin, but your eyes.<br />

And because – to paraphrase an<br />

old saying – nobody went to their<br />

grave wishing they’d spent more<br />

time looking at their phones…<br />

See beautybible.com for more of Jo’s<br />

tried and tested beauty reviews.<br />

89<br />

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London has arrived<br />

in the Weald...<br />

Gillian Spooner, a senior Sassoon trained<br />

stylist currently working at the Josh Wood<br />

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Wellbeing<br />

Just a<br />

minute<br />

Sarah Maxwell finds out how pocket<br />

meditation can fit into a busy lifestyle<br />

istockphoto.com/ PeopleImages<br />

If you’ve always fancied trying<br />

meditation, but the thought of<br />

sitting still and attempting to block<br />

out your ‘must get this stuff done today<br />

list’ is too much – and your intention to<br />

start a look-after-yourself-better plan has<br />

tanked again – then pocket meditation<br />

may just be the thing for you.<br />

I’ve always struggled with it. The<br />

time involved, my inability to empty<br />

my mind for more than a nano second,<br />

boredom and distraction. This increased<br />

my stress levels and ended up being<br />

at the top of my avoidance list. I<br />

decided (after much procrastination)<br />

to experiment with different types of<br />

meditation and commit myself to do<br />

one of them for 1 minute every day<br />

for a week. I gradually built this up to<br />

between 1 and 3 minutes of the things I<br />

found fitted me best and, feeling that it<br />

was doing something positive, I decided<br />

to arrange a Zoom chat with a variety<br />

of meditation experts (38 in total) so I<br />

could pass on their wisdom to us all.<br />

I asked this question: “I’m managing<br />

to do between 1-3 minutes of daily<br />

meditations (a variety of types) – is<br />

this doing me any good or am I just<br />

deluding myself and should I bother?”<br />

Only one person said not to bother,<br />

but the other 37 agreed unanimously<br />

that it was doing me a lot of good<br />

and that I should carry on and be<br />

reassured that it was having a positive<br />

effect on my health and wellbeing.<br />

Recent research has linked regular<br />

meditation to a range of health benefits,<br />

including reduced levels of anxiety and<br />

stress, improved immune function,<br />

increased creativity, improved mood<br />

and increased energy. Whether you’re<br />

just starting out or you’re looking to<br />

deepen your practice, incorporating<br />

meditation into your life can help<br />

to improve your overall wellbeing.<br />

So if you want to give it a go, try<br />

a few of these pocket meditations<br />

that take 1 minute a day and with a<br />

little regularity (put it in your diary<br />

to do before you brush your teeth,<br />

before your workout, school run,<br />

before bed etc.) you’ll start to feel the<br />

benefits from your very first session.<br />

Getting started with<br />

pocket meditation<br />

Wear loose, comfortable clothing.<br />

Turn off your phone, TV, radio.<br />

Find a space you feel comfortable<br />

in – this can be indoors or outside<br />

– lying, sitting or moving.<br />

Breath Meditation<br />

Find a comfortable place (standing,<br />

sitting or lying down). Breathe<br />

in through your nose for a count<br />

of 4, hold the breath for a count<br />

of 3 then breathe out through<br />

your nose for a count of 8.<br />

Do this a minimum of 5 times.<br />

Dance Meditation<br />

After choosing your favourite music<br />

to move to – the best music for this<br />

is something without words so you<br />

listen to the sounds and allow your<br />

body to flow along naturally. Let your<br />

shoulders relax and take a couple of<br />

deep breaths before you start moving.<br />

There is no right or wrong way to<br />

move, just let your body react to the<br />

music (this becomes easier the more you<br />

do it). Be aware of the sounds and your<br />

body. If external thoughts about the<br />

washing or a meeting come into your<br />

head, don’t worry, just acknowledge<br />

it and refocus back to the music.<br />

Walking Meditation<br />

You can do this outside in a park,<br />

forest or around your home. Start by<br />

standing still and focusing on your<br />

breathing. Take a few deep breaths<br />

and let your body relax. Once you are<br />

relaxed, begin walking slowly and focus<br />

on the sensation of your feet on the<br />

ground. Notice how your body moves<br />

with each step and how your arms and<br />

legs feel. Continue walking and focus<br />

on your breathing, the sound of your<br />

footsteps, and the feeling of your body.<br />

Some links to check out<br />

• healthline.com/health/mental-health/<br />

top-meditation-iphone-android-apps<br />

• Headspace – simple and easy to use<br />

headspace.com<br />

• Dr Mariette Jansen<br />

drdestress.co.uk/meditation-mindfulness<br />

Sarah Maxwell is a multiple awardwinning<br />

Fitness and Lifestyle coach<br />

and mum of two who juggles a lot<br />

of balls. Find out more about Sarah<br />

and her work at sarahmaxwell.com<br />

Sarah shares her Fitness and Lifestyle tips<br />

on Instagram @sarahmaxwelllifestyle<br />

91<br />

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istockphoto.com, miwa_in_oz , Magone, chokja, Elena Tsvetkova, Drazen Zigic, alexander ruiz<br />

Nourish to Flourish<br />

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau<br />

explores the benefits of incorporating<br />

another healthy ingredient into our<br />

diets. This month it’s turmeric<br />

Turmeric has become a bit of a ‘trendy’ wellness<br />

ingredient on social media in recent years, used in<br />

everything from lattes to pancakes and porridge, but<br />

what are the health benefits and is it worthy of the hype?<br />

The group of compounds that are responsible for much<br />

of turmeric’s health benefits are the colour pigments called<br />

curcuminoids. These are responsible for the vivid orange<br />

colour of turmeric as well as its powerful anti-inflammatory<br />

effects and antioxidant properties. However, curcumin is<br />

poorly absorbed by the body, so in order to receive its full<br />

benefits, it needs to be combined with ingredients such<br />

as black pepper which contains piperine, a compound<br />

which enhances the absorption of curcumin by 2000%.<br />

Turmeric is also a fat-soluble substance, which means<br />

you need to eat it with a source of fat for it to be absorbed<br />

well, so pair it with foods such as coconut milk, avocado<br />

or cheese to maximise the benefit. In higher doses, such<br />

as in a supplement form, turmeric has been known to<br />

manage the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, offer<br />

cardio-protective benefits and help reduce the risk of<br />

type-2 diabetes, although more scientific research is<br />

being done to explore its full potential on our health.<br />

Charlotte runs Plume Nutrition, where she offers support and advice<br />

for weight management, controlling cravings, sleeplessness, stress<br />

and increasing energy levels. Find out more at plumenutrition.com<br />

Red lentil dahl with turmeric<br />

This warming red lentil dahl is a tasty, mild curry, protein<br />

packed, creamy and delicious…perfect for a cosy weekend<br />

supper and rich in turmeric and its antioxidant benefits.<br />

Serves 6<br />

• 1 tsp olive oil or coconut oil<br />

• 2 onions diced<br />

• 3 garlic cloves finely chopped<br />

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger<br />

peeled and grated<br />

• ½ finely chopped red chilli<br />

(or ½ tsp dried chilli flakes)<br />

• ½ tsp cumin seeds<br />

• ½ tsp coriander seeds<br />

• ½ tsp mustard seeds<br />

• 2 tsp ground turmeric<br />

• 1 tsp garam masala<br />

• 200g dried red lentils,<br />

uncooked, rinsed and drained<br />

• 1 can chopped tomatoes<br />

• 1 can coconut milk<br />

• 500ml vegetable broth/stock<br />

• salt and black pepper<br />

• juice of a lemon<br />

• 2 handfuls fresh spinach,<br />

washed (frozen spinach<br />

can be used too)<br />

Grind the cumin, coriander and mustard seeds lightly using<br />

a pestle and mortar, then add to the pan, along with the<br />

turmeric and garam masala and cook for 1 minute.<br />

Add the lentils, tomatoes with their juice, coconut milk and<br />

broth/stock, then stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper<br />

and cook on a medium/low heat for 15-20 minutes until reduced<br />

and thick. If you have time, you can leave it a little longer on a<br />

very low heat for even more flavour (just stir often and check it<br />

doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pan). Taste and add more<br />

chilli if desired. Stir in the lemon juice and spinach until it wilts.<br />

93<br />

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Buried Treasure<br />

Jo Arnell applies cooking principles to the garden this<br />

month, as she starts planning her bulb lasangas<br />

I’m doing my best squirrel<br />

impression this month, scuttling<br />

around, digging holes and burying<br />

bulbs in the hope that, come the spring,<br />

welcome splashes of colour will pop<br />

up in my beds and borders. A lot can<br />

happen in the garden in the intervening<br />

months – not least the actual squirrels<br />

following in my footsteps, unearthing<br />

and skipping off with my buried<br />

treasures. At the moment I’m full of<br />

hope – in fact, anticipation and hope<br />

– imagining how lovely it’s all going<br />

to be is a big part of the process.<br />

Autumn is the main bulb planting<br />

season, but there are bulbs for other<br />

time of the year too, planted in the<br />

spring and early summer. This is<br />

something that is often overlooked, and<br />

potentially it can be confusing trying<br />

to work out what and when to plant.<br />

It helps to know a little about<br />

what a bulb is and where in the<br />

world it may have come from. A<br />

bulb is a modified version of the<br />

plant; leaves, stem and basal plate<br />

(from which the roots will sprout),<br />

compressed into a package, primed<br />

to grow when conditions are right.<br />

They tend to get lumped in together,<br />

regardless of origin, but often need<br />

different growing conditions in order to<br />

thrive. There are bulbs from woodland<br />

situations that flower in early spring<br />

and retreat back under the soil once the<br />

canopy of leaves appears. Woodland<br />

bulbs will tolerate shade and slightly<br />

damper conditions, but those that come<br />

from more arid climates will prefer a<br />

sunny and very free draining position.<br />

They don’t mind the cold necessarily<br />

– bulbs from mountainous regions<br />

will manage very low temperatures,<br />

but may also need a summer baking<br />

and good drainage through the winter<br />

– but wet, soggy soil may cause them<br />

to rot or be more vulnerable to fungal<br />

infections. Snake’s head fritillaries, on<br />

the other hand, thrive in damp meadows<br />

and won’t readily reappear in dry<br />

conditions. If you know their origins,<br />

you will get clues about the conditions<br />

they’ve evolved to live happily in.<br />

Bulbs in Containers<br />

Bulbs work well in containers, either<br />

mixed with spring bedding plants, or on<br />

their own. The great thing about growing<br />

in containers is that, once the flowers are<br />

finished, you can move them to do their<br />

tatty dying back out of sight behind the<br />

shed. I sometimes put a plastic pot <strong>inside</strong><br />

a nice one, so that it can be removed,<br />

priceless-magazines.com 94


istockphoto.com/ FeelPic<br />

leaving the pot free for summer bedding.<br />

Cook up a pot full of bulb lasagne by<br />

layering bulbs that flower at different<br />

times. Three tiers works well, and it’s<br />

worth choosing different types – some<br />

short, some tall – and not too many<br />

tulips, as they’re quite leafy and planting<br />

too many will fill the pot with foliage.<br />

Bulbs that bulk up and<br />

naturalise well<br />

Wild plants like bluebells and garlic<br />

rampantly cover the ground so are best<br />

left to run wild outside in woodland and<br />

hedgerows rather than in the garden.<br />

Snowdrops, crocuses and narcissi are well<br />

known for spreading themselves around<br />

too, although slightly less enthusiastically.<br />

They also seem to enjoy the edge<br />

of woodland and damper meadow<br />

situations. Anemone blanda will carpet<br />

the ground in shades of blue, white and<br />

pink – watch how after flowering the<br />

seed-heads bend down to the ground and<br />

bury themselves (cyclamen do this too).<br />

For a natural looking effect, scatter the<br />

bulbs where you want them to flower<br />

and then plant them where they fall;<br />

this avoids unnatural looking groups<br />

and rows. They will soon clump up and<br />

spread around by themselves. Beware of<br />

the grape hyacinth (Muscari) though,<br />

which can become a weed once it gets<br />

going in the garden. The flowers are<br />

attractive, but the foliage that tends to<br />

linger for way too long, is just like grass<br />

and sprouts up all over the place…<br />

Snowdrops will colonise and<br />

naturalise more easily when planted<br />

‘in the green’. This means planting<br />

them once flowering is over, but before<br />

they dry out. Bought and planted<br />

as bulbs in the autumn they may<br />

have already dried out too much<br />

If growing Narcissi in lawns, make<br />

sure you don’t mind waiting 6 weeks<br />

before cutting the grass. I tend to only<br />

grow smaller types like ‘Tête-À-Tête’<br />

or ‘Thalia’ in borders, as the huge<br />

‘King Alfred’ style daffodils have lots<br />

of foliage that flops about looking<br />

unsightly once the flower is over.<br />

Many tulips can’t be trusted to come<br />

back reliably each year. As a general<br />

rule, the closer you are to the species,<br />

the more perennial they are and these<br />

seem to be less prone to viruses too. The<br />

worst disease affecting tulips is Tulip Fire,<br />

which is a fungal infection that spreads<br />

easily (like fire??) among the bulbs.<br />

This is the reason it’s advisable to plant<br />

your tulips late – as late as January has<br />

been known without any ill effects. <br />

95<br />

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SBIWT247.indd 1 31/10/2022 14:10


That way the cold weather should kill<br />

off any spores before the bulbs go in.<br />

Planting companions<br />

Your bulbs will look attractive among<br />

other early spring flowering plants.<br />

Biennials are especially effective, because<br />

they flower at the same time and also<br />

tend to be quite frilly and floriferous<br />

– plants like forget-me-nots, bellis and<br />

wallflowers make good ‘skirts’ for the<br />

bulbs and then, as their foliage starts<br />

to die back and become unsightly, the<br />

froth of foliage and flowers will cover<br />

it. Dying foliage out in the borders can<br />

also be hidden (bulb leaves never die<br />

off prettily) with other low spreading<br />

plants, like geraniums, astrantias<br />

and Alchemilla mollis, which will<br />

also grow up and cover the leaves.<br />

After flowering<br />

Once flowering is over, dead-head<br />

to stop them wasting energy making<br />

seed and try to let the leaves die back<br />

naturally – tying them in knots is not<br />

the solution. Some people give them<br />

a feed at this point, but a sprinkle of<br />

general purpose fertiliser over the ground<br />

is welcomed at any point in the spring.<br />

They should start to multiply over<br />

the years if they like the conditions.<br />

Many bulbs bulk up and spread quite<br />

readily, especially those recommended<br />

for naturalising, whereas others seem<br />

to diminish, depending on the variety.<br />

Tulips, especially the really pretty parrot<br />

cultivars and those with frilled or striped<br />

petals are rather fickle and won’t always<br />

appear in future years – the bulbs tend<br />

to split into ‘bulblets’ which take a few<br />

years to gain enough energy to flower.<br />

Potential problems<br />

Bulbs will always perform when first<br />

bought, because they are sold in peak<br />

condition, with everything they need,<br />

packaged up and ready to grow, but<br />

after that it’s up to the prevailing<br />

conditions and the care they receive to<br />

ensure that they keep on flowering.<br />

Bulbs can become ‘blind’, which<br />

means that leaves grow, but no flowers<br />

appear. It’s a sign that they’ve run out of<br />

energy, usually because they’re congested.<br />

If this happens, lift and separate them,<br />

replant and feed with some bonemeal, or<br />

a specialised bulb feed.<br />

Tulips do not like being left in damp<br />

soil all year. If you lift them (and have<br />

the time and inclination) be sure to store<br />

them somewhere dry and away from<br />

pests until it’s time to plant them again.<br />

Buy good sized, nice quality bulbs<br />

– and aim to plant them as soon as<br />

you can after they arrive. If they are<br />

left in their packs for too long they’ll<br />

succumb to infections. Tulips should<br />

really be planted in November once<br />

conditions are cooler and the viruses<br />

in the soil have become less active.<br />

Try to plant bulbs – especially those<br />

in borders – really deep. This improves<br />

flowering and may prevent you slicing<br />

through them later in the year, once<br />

you’ve forgotten where you planted them!<br />

To book a gardening course,<br />

contact Jo on 07923 969634 or<br />

see hornbrookmanor.co.uk<br />

97<br />

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A Destination of a<br />

Different Nature<br />

Sue Whigham reflects on her natural<br />

findings on a recent trip to Sweden<br />

Image of Grispholm Castle by Roland Magnusson<br />

Whilst I’d been warned that this year Sweden had<br />

been having a very wet summer, I hadn’t taken<br />

into account what might be the result of this in<br />

a country that is home to over 22,000 lakes, some of which<br />

are such large areas of water that they are known as ‘seas’.<br />

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Sweden for many years<br />

now but this was the first year of ‘The Mosquito’. And<br />

unfortunately that was not the mosquito in the singular but<br />

in the hundreds of thousands! Oh, my goodness. They were<br />

everywhere and obviously hungry which we found to our cost.<br />

We are all used to getting a few bites on trips to hot countries<br />

but here the Swedish version surpassed anything we’d come<br />

across. Thank goodness though, this phenomenon is rare in<br />

Sweden and after a week they disappeared from whence they<br />

came and we regained our equilibrium. This came soon after<br />

a trip to the chemists in Mariefred only to be told that there<br />

had been a run on antihistamines and that they were waiting<br />

anxiously for further supplies to be delivered. Mariefred is on<br />

Lake Mälaran, which has the added attraction of the glorious<br />

and imposing Gripsholm Castle, owned by the Swedish Royal<br />

Family since the reign of King Gustav Vasa in the sixteenth<br />

century. And it was at least an opportunity to do a spot of<br />

shopping and have a delicious open prawn sandwich at our<br />

usual cafe on the corner with the black and white tiles and<br />

then have the bonus of a beautiful drive home on virtually<br />

car free roads – and completely pot hole free to boot.<br />

Södermanland is a particularly lovely part of south central<br />

Sweden with a combination of rolling farmland and stands<br />

of mixed forests and of course, lakes. Many of the farms have<br />

absolutely huge barns all painted in a distinctive red known<br />

as Falu red, which originated from the Falun copper mine in<br />

central Sweden. I’d love to be in Sweden on the day that the<br />

cows are let out of the barns in the spring after a long, long<br />

winter. It is a day of celebration known as a ‘kosläpp’ when <br />

99<br />

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100


We also had the pleasure of<br />

spending an early evening<br />

with a couple of hares<br />

nonchalantly nibbling away<br />

on the grass outside the house<br />

at the same time as giving<br />

themselves a good groom<br />

they come out skipping and jumping for<br />

joy to be out in the fresh air again. Their<br />

offspring will have, of course, been born<br />

in the barns and the farmer has to let<br />

the cows out separately from the calves<br />

so that the calves don’t get accidentally<br />

trampled by their over excited mothers.<br />

Once everything has calmed down<br />

a bit, the calves are then released.<br />

Interestingly cows have to be let out<br />

in the spring under Swedish animal<br />

welfare laws, which sounds good to me.<br />

But back to the lake at the bottom<br />

of the garden where we were staying.<br />

Last year we heard and saw the cranes<br />

that flew overhead most mornings but<br />

this time we only heard them a couple<br />

of times. But the first swim came up<br />

trumps as an osprey, the national bird<br />

of the region, put in an appearance and<br />

I watched him swim low over the water<br />

for most of the length of the lake. He<br />

eventually landed somewhere beyond<br />

the reeds and I didn’t see him again. But<br />

what a spectacular bird with a wingspan<br />

of 1.5 metres – I hear that one was<br />

spotted at Rye Harbour recently too.<br />

We also had the pleasure of spending<br />

an early evening with a couple of hares<br />

nonchalantly nibbling away on the<br />

grass outside the house at the same time<br />

as giving themselves a good groom.<br />

Luckily they didn’t spot us even when<br />

we were rather manically attempting<br />

to take a few rather blurred photos<br />

from the kitchen window. Imagine<br />

our consternation when we got back<br />

the following day and found a dead<br />

hare propped up on the verandah. <br />

Image: A hare in the woods of Skogskyrkogården,<br />

Stockholm, by Victoria Koskela


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Just over half of Sweden<br />

(63%) is covered with forest<br />

and the right of public access<br />

known as ‘allemansrätten’<br />

gives everyone the right<br />

to collect berries and<br />

mushrooms on public land<br />

Clockwise from top left: There’s fungi<br />

aplenty in autumn: freshly picked<br />

chanterelle mushrooms; therapeutic<br />

meadowsweet; the majestic osprey<br />

istockphoto.com/ JohnatAPW / Wirestock<br />

We thought that it must be one of ‘our’ hares but<br />

he’d been found during a chanterelle hunt in the nearby<br />

woods. Nothing wasted here as he ended up in a casserole<br />

in somebody’s else’s household the following day. Then<br />

there were the ‘sounds off’ coming from the forest. I<br />

thought at first it might be wild boar having seen signs<br />

of their excavations in the meadow down the lane but<br />

it was more likely to be some sort of deer as it sounded<br />

rather like a dog with a particularly sore throat.<br />

The meadow that I found such interesting plants in<br />

last year had already been cut to be used for silage. But in<br />

the ditch dissecting the field there were still a few wisps<br />

of meadowsweet and later on that day my hostess gave<br />

me a tisane of dried meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)<br />

to try. I’d read that it was not only used as a herbal<br />

medicine but due to its high concentration of salicylic<br />

acid was used to make aspirin. What a wonderful plant.<br />

It certainly seemed to help both with the irritating and<br />

numerous mosquito bites and one of those throats that<br />

seems to go with flying. Can’t wait for next summer and<br />

to collecting some from the ditch right outside the house<br />

here. Heaven knows why we haven’t done it before.<br />

Just over half of Sweden (63%) is covered with forest and<br />

the right of public access known as ‘allemansrätten’ gives<br />

everyone the right to collect berries and mushrooms on public<br />

land as long as you do it responsibly and don’t take too much.<br />

An hour’s exploration of the woods near the house (in full<br />

improvised mozzie protection clothing!) revealed the most<br />

fantastic collection of fungi of all sorts and some wonderful<br />

lichen too. The forests here are ancient and dotted with huge<br />

granite boulders that were formed after the last Ice Age. Each<br />

one of these has its covering of mosses, ferns and lichens<br />

creating mini worlds perfect for a child’s imagination to run<br />

riot (let alone mine). I didn’t find many chanterelle, the <br />

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An hour’s exploration of the<br />

woods near the house revealed<br />

the most fantastic collection<br />

of fungi of all sorts and<br />

some wonderful lichen too<br />

Images: istockphoto.com/Multiart / Annika Nilsson / TT<br />

forager’s favourite, but either someone<br />

had already passed through this patch<br />

or I just didn’t know where to look.<br />

Having said that, I did come across two<br />

or three here or there. It’s quite difficult<br />

to miss them as they are bright yellow<br />

or orange and very distinctive. They<br />

also smell of apricots. The interesting<br />

thing about chanterelle is that they<br />

are a mycorrhizal fungus which, over<br />

the years, form a symbiotic association<br />

with the trees they are growing with.<br />

This makes them very difficult to grow<br />

in cultivation. Known as the ‘gold of<br />

the forest’ they are a significant source<br />

of Vitamin D and of course, both free<br />

and 100% organic. I rather liked the<br />

look of the natty gadget in the kitchen<br />

department of the local supermarket<br />

with a little knife to cut and collect<br />

the chanterelles attached to a small<br />

brush to clean them off should they<br />

need it. I’m rather glad I didn’t buy<br />

one though as I think that in my case<br />

it might have been a bit under used!<br />

Sue Whigham can be contacted on<br />

07810 457948 for gardening advice<br />

Clockwise from top left: Ripe for the<br />

(responsible) picking: wild lingonberries;<br />

ramsons (wild garlic); wild blueberries


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Meet theHead<br />

We really enjoyed catching up with Louise Chamberlain,<br />

headteacher at Walthamstow Hall, Sevenoaks<br />

With a lifelong interest in medical microbiology<br />

and its impact on societies, coupled with<br />

a great passion for education, Louise<br />

Chamberlain is well-placed to navigate her<br />

school through these post-pandemic times.<br />

What attracted you to Wally Hall?<br />

The first time I visited the school I fell in love<br />

with it. The warmth and the buzz of it drew<br />

me in and the quality of the relationships<br />

between the staff and the pupils really stood<br />

out. There’s a genuine sense of wanting to<br />

understand the pupil as they are and where their<br />

individual light might shine. They are given a<br />

really broad range of experiences in and out of<br />

the classroom allowing them the opportunity<br />

to discover what they might be good at or<br />

find interesting. They aren’t put in a box early<br />

on. It’s important that children are able to<br />

explore new interests and strengths as they get<br />

older. I noticed that the pupils are confident<br />

and articulate but they have no arrogance and<br />

there’s no set way to be a ‘Wally student’.<br />

I really like the fact that this is one of the<br />

oldest girls’ schools in the country. There’s<br />

a balance between being a custodian of an<br />

educational heritage while at the same time<br />

navigating towards the future. Looking at<br />

the history of the school it has never been<br />

a stereotypical girls’ school, it’s always been<br />

about helping the pupils find out who<br />

they are rather than being told ‘this is what<br />

you must do’. It’s a fabulous school.<br />

Who inspired you to study science?<br />

My parents both have science backgrounds<br />

and I went to an all girls’ school where the<br />

headteacher was incredibly positive about<br />

STEM. I was very fortunate that the adults<br />

around me weren’t just answering my questions<br />

but they also encouraged me to ask more. I’m<br />

incredibly interested in medical microbiology<br />

and particularly how it intertwines with<br />

history and influences societies.<br />

What are you most excited about?<br />

At our Junior site we’ve just expanded the<br />

nursery and pre-school, which is very exciting.<br />

We have small boys joining our nursery and<br />

preschool, which is wonderful. The team<br />

here have lots of experience of working with<br />

boys and girls and in the nursery you have<br />

great indoor and outdoor facilities. We have<br />

a lovely forest school area where pupils have<br />

lots of fun. During a recent visit I had leaves<br />

and a lovely slug put on me by the children!<br />

This is a flourishing school, where the<br />

staff support pupils to fulfil their potential<br />

and go onto not only university but also<br />

hugely competitive apprenticeships. We<br />

had a group who in addition to building a<br />

greenpower racing car went on to take it to<br />

Goodwood to race it! I want as many people<br />

as possible to know what a super place this is<br />

and I’m excited about spreading the word.<br />

What do you see as the greatest challenges?<br />

I think they are the same for everyone. Across<br />

the country we have a cohort of young people<br />

who struggle with resilience – there’s a lot of<br />

evidence that young people find it difficult to<br />

make even small mistakes. I’ve done a lot of<br />

reading about how even very young children<br />

don’t feel they can have a go at something in<br />

case they don’t succeed. That is a great challenge<br />

in education at the minute and we need to let<br />

children see that making little errors is part<br />

of learning, it’s an opportunity for growth.<br />

I love our school’s logo, which is a ship. If you<br />

set sail on a ship you know sometimes it will be<br />

stormy. You keep sailing on and there are loads<br />

of other people on board – we aren’t alone.<br />

107<br />

How do you relax outside work?<br />

I do a lot of reading, I tend to have several<br />

books on the go. At the moment I’m<br />

working my way through Pathogenesis by<br />

Jonathan Kennedy, The Square of Sevens<br />

by Laura Shepherd-Robinson and The<br />

Venetian Venture by Suzette A. Hill. I also<br />

have Herring’s Medical Law and Ethics and<br />

I’ve just got the latest Mason and Mcall<br />

Smith’s Law and Medical Ethics because I’m<br />

going to run a bio ethics club for the sixth<br />

form here. It’s something I’ve always found<br />

interesting and I’m very excited about.<br />

I’ve also just finished an undergraduate<br />

diploma with Cambridge University in<br />

archaeology, focusing on death in the ancient<br />

world, it’s been a great reminder of what it’s like<br />

to be the one needing to meet essay deadlines.<br />

And I have a big extended family, so there’s<br />

always something exciting going on somewhere.<br />

I also really enjoy political satire, so like to tune<br />

into Dead Ringers and other Radio 4 comedies.<br />

What book would you recommend to parents?<br />

I highly recommend Every Teenager Needs a<br />

Parrot by Alicia Drummond and also Failosophy<br />

by Elizabeth Day. It’s very helpful for assisting<br />

with resilience – being ready to learn from<br />

mistakes, rather than being too afraid to try.<br />

Where are your favourite places to visit?<br />

I like walking and we’re extremely lucky to<br />

have Knole Park on our doorstep. I was<br />

recommended the independent bookshop<br />

in Sevenoaks and since my first visit I<br />

never leave with just one book! I also love<br />

Italian food so I’m looking forward to more<br />

visits to Marco, also here in Sevenoaks.<br />

Find out more about Walthamstow<br />

Hall at walthamstow-hall.co.uk<br />

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108


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internationally acclaimed artist Anish Kapoor and composer Brian<br />

Elias.<br />

Contemporary sounds will reverberate around the ancient space of our medieval Great Hall for<br />

the local première of this specially composed piece.<br />

This display will accompany the ‘Country Houses, Jewish Homes’ touring exhibition this<br />

autumn. Displays will explore the role of Jewish country houses in Britain, the prejudice Jewish<br />

people encountered and how they fought for the right to acquire land and play a full role in<br />

British society.<br />

Image Credit: Andrew Penketh & Jillian Edelstein ©Anish Kapoor. All rights reserved, DACS, <strong>2023</strong><br />

To see what other things we have going on at Ightham Mote this year please visit<br />

nationaltrust.org.uk/ightham-mote/whats-on or call 01732 810378<br />

priceless-magazines.com<br />

110


ART SURREY (RACHAEL JOHNSON)<br />

GRAHAM CLARKE<br />

OPEN STUDIO<br />

BATEMAN’S<br />

REIMAGINED<br />

What’s On<br />

this Autumn<br />

ART & EXHIBITIONS<br />

Every day until 1 Jan 24<br />

(closed 25 & 26 Dec)<br />

Bateman’s, Bateman’s Lane,<br />

Burwash, Etchingham TN19 7DS<br />

THE WRITER’S HOME:<br />

BATEMAN’S REIMAGINED<br />

A new installation by book<br />

artist Su Blackwell reimagines<br />

the creative process which led<br />

Rudyard Kipling to conjure up<br />

his much-loved classic, The Jungle<br />

Book. ‘Bateman’s Reimagined’<br />

is created from copies of the<br />

story’s handwritten manuscript.<br />

Kipling’s words loop and curl<br />

across hundreds of pages, nestling<br />

a model of the house at Bateman’s,<br />

once the home of the writer.<br />

Entry: included in entry price<br />

nationaltrust.org.uk<br />

Fri 6 <strong>October</strong> (preview<br />

evening) 6pm - 9pm<br />

Sat 7 <strong>October</strong> 10am - 6pm<br />

Sun 8 <strong>October</strong> 10am - 5pm<br />

Epsom Downs Racecourse,<br />

Tattenham Corner Road,<br />

Epsom, Surrey KT18 5LQ<br />

ART SURREY<br />

Come to Art Surrey in The<br />

Duchess Stand, Epsom Downs<br />

Racecourse 6-8 <strong>October</strong> and let<br />

your creative senses be tingled<br />

at one of the largest art fairs<br />

within the south east of England.<br />

Over 90 established artists will<br />

be exhibiting with over 3,000<br />

artworks for sale between £50<br />

and £3,000. For tickets and<br />

more information see website.<br />

artsurrey.co.uk<br />

Fri 6 - Sun 8 Oct & Fri 3 -<br />

Sun 5 Nov 11am - 3pm<br />

Up the Garden Studio,<br />

Meadow View Road, Boughton<br />

Monchelsea ME17 4LF<br />

GRAHAM CLARKE<br />

STUDIO OPEN DAYS<br />

Explore Graham’s fascinating<br />

studio displaying a vast array<br />

of work and find out how his<br />

limited-edition etchings are created<br />

entirely by hand, using traditional<br />

techniques, from copper plate<br />

to hand-driven printing press.<br />

Graham or a member of his<br />

family will be on hand to share<br />

the stories behind his work.<br />

grahamclarke.co.uk<br />

111<br />

Fri 27 <strong>October</strong> (preview<br />

evening) 6pm - 9pm<br />

Sat 28 <strong>October</strong> 12pm - 4pm<br />

Sun 29 <strong>October</strong> 10am - 4pm<br />

Kingdom, Grove Road,<br />

Penshurst, Tonbridge TN11 8DU<br />

KENT PAINTERS GROUP<br />

Kent Painters Group (KPG)<br />

is a wonderful not-for-profit<br />

organisation started by a group<br />

of friends over 30 years ago to<br />

raise money for local mental<br />

health charities in Kent. Its<br />

annual art sale is now one of<br />

Kent’s premier exhibitions and to<br />

date it has raised over £330,000<br />

for the mental health charities it<br />

supports. As a voluntary group,<br />

100% of proceeds go directly<br />

to KPG’s chosen charities.<br />

kentpaintersgroup.co.uk<br />

Thurs 9 - Sat 11 Nov 10am - 5pm<br />

Vestry Hall, Cranbrook,<br />

Kent TN17 3HA<br />

THE CRANBROOK<br />

ART SHOW<br />

Exciting news, the Art Show is<br />

back, showcasing new talent and<br />

familiar artists next month. There<br />

will be free entry to enjoy a mix of<br />

painting, printmaking, sculpture,<br />

ceramics and jewellery. The<br />

selected artists express themselves<br />

and draw inspiration from a wide<br />

variety of sources, so the show<br />

will have something to please<br />

and delight all visitors. There<br />

will be late night opening until<br />

7pm on Friday 10th November.<br />

cranbrookartshow.org.uk<br />

SHOPPING<br />

Fri 13 Oct<br />

Little Silver Country<br />

Hotel Tenterden<br />

PRETTY IN PINK<br />

The hugely successful Heart of<br />

Kent Hospice Choir, ‘The Hearties’<br />

will perform bespoke arrangements<br />

of inspiring and popular songs. An<br />

evening of song and style including<br />

a catwalk fashion show by Mint<br />

Velvet. You won’t want to miss<br />

this fun event raising funds for<br />

the charity Breast Cancer Now.<br />

Entry: Tickets £10 available from<br />

Box Office (website below) or Webbs<br />

Ironmongers High Street Tenterden.<br />

heartofkentshowchoir.co.uk<br />

Fri 20 Oct 7.30pm<br />

Hemsted Park Theatre<br />

Benenden School<br />

THE GREAT THINK<br />

PINK SHOW<br />

An ultimate girls’ night out with<br />

music, laughter, surprises and a<br />

catwalk fashion show by Mint<br />

Velvet. An immersive experience<br />

raising money for breast cancer<br />

charity joining the Heart of Kent<br />

Hospice Choir, ‘The Hearties’ for<br />

a fabulous evening of music and<br />

entertainment. Everyone welcome!<br />

hemstedpark.com<br />

Fri 14 & Sat 15 Oct<br />

Farnham Maltings, Bridge<br />

Square, Farnham GU9 7QR<br />

FESTIVAL OF CRAFTS<br />

Now in its 27th year, the Festival<br />

priceless-magazines.com


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of Crafts returns to Farnham<br />

Maltings as part of Farnham’s<br />

<strong>October</strong> Craft Month. There will<br />

be a selection of the best of British<br />

artisans selling handmade crafts<br />

including jewellery, ceramics,<br />

stationery, homewares, wood and<br />

metal work, textiles, furniture,<br />

lighting and print. Meet and<br />

buy directly from makers, and<br />

even try an inspiring workshop<br />

on a new craft taster session.<br />

Entry: Discount for booking<br />

in advance, see website.<br />

farnhammaltings.com<br />

WORKSHOPS<br />

& COURSES<br />

Thurs 5 & Sat 7 Oct 10.30am<br />

Merriments Gardens,<br />

Hawkhurst Road, Hurst Green,<br />

East Sussex TN19 7RA<br />

MERRIMENTS GARDENS<br />

AUTUMN CONTAINER<br />

& HANGING BASKET<br />

WORKSHOP<br />

Add fantastic autumn colour<br />

to your garden by planting up<br />

a beautiful 14” rattan hanging<br />

basket or a decorative 15”<br />

terracotta pot. Join Merriment’s<br />

experienced Plant Area team for<br />

an informative workshop. They<br />

will help you create your perfect<br />

autumn display and provide<br />

tips on how to keep it looking<br />

good over the coming months.<br />

Entry: Tickets £35 (including<br />

all materials and your choice<br />

of either a 14” rattan basket<br />

or a 15” terracotta pot).<br />

merriments.co.uk<br />

Sat 14 Oct & Sat 18 Nov<br />

Sarah Louise Dix, 57 St<br />

John’s Street, Farncombe, Nr<br />

Godalming, Surrey GU7 3EH<br />

BEGINNER’S ONE<br />

DAY FOOTSTOOL<br />

UPHOLSTERY COURSE<br />

How about learning a new skill<br />

this autumn? Taught in classes of<br />

no more than 10 students, Sarah<br />

Louise Dix teaches an introduction<br />

to upholstery in this excellent<br />

one day class. There are also<br />

other courses on offer including<br />

a 10 week upholstery course.<br />

Pre booking and pre payment is<br />

essential to secure your place.<br />

Entry: £150 exc fabric<br />

sarahlouisedix.co.uk<br />

Listings are correct at time of going<br />

to press but may be subject to change.<br />

Readers are advised to check with venues<br />

before making arrangements. We can list<br />

your event in the next issue of <strong>Wealden</strong><br />

<strong>Times</strong> for only £75+VAT. Please supply<br />

up to 200 words that should include date,<br />

time, venue, contact for enquiries and any<br />

entry price to whatson@priceless-group.<br />

com or send with payment (cheques<br />

payable to Priceless Media Ltd.) to What’s<br />

On, Priceless Media, Kettle Chambers,<br />

21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17<br />

3HF. Priceless Media reserves the right to<br />

edit text to fit space allocated. Deadline<br />

for the next issue is 5th <strong>October</strong>.<br />

Wood Floor<br />

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We also restore wooden kitchen tops<br />

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07794953597 gerardgrover@gmail.com<br />

GARDEN DESIGN COURSES<br />

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NEW COURSES NOW BOOKING<br />

07923 969634 hornbrookmanor.co.uk<br />

© National Trust <strong>2023</strong>. Registered charity no. 205846.<br />

Photography © National Trust Images/Cassie Dickson.<br />

The Sissinghurst Series<br />

Talks, tours & book signings<br />

Visit Sissinghurst Castle Garden for<br />

expert-led events centred around topical<br />

subjects in the gardening world.<br />

MERRIMENTS<br />

GARDENS<br />

KENT PAINTERS<br />

GROUP (DAHLIA<br />

DAYS BY DEBRA<br />

BARR-SMITH)<br />

Kent, TN17 2AB<br />

nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst<br />

priceless-magazines.com<br />

113<br />

Untitled-910 1 14-Sep-23 14:24:54


Jane Howard explains why<br />

her pigs enjoy a completely<br />

free-range existance, just<br />

lyke ye olden days<br />

There is definitely a whiff of<br />

autumn in the air – my favourite<br />

time of year. Out come the<br />

jumpers and wellies and an early morning<br />

foray for mushrooms with mist in the hollows<br />

and grass twinkling with dew is magical. But not<br />

that early. Rather quaintly, since leaving London some<br />

twenty five years ago, the time at which we get up really<br />

fascinates our city friends. When we point out that<br />

it’s really only dairy farmers who have to get up at an<br />

unspeakably early hour, they seem rather crestfallen.<br />

Along with the lack of a smock, a pitchfork in hand<br />

and a straw hat, an 8am start doesn’t quite fit the<br />

bucolic image. I think the cows would<br />

be genuinely surprised to see me at<br />

sunrise, although the pigs are ready and<br />

standing by whatever time we arrive.<br />

But any day soon they won’t be waiting<br />

and then, for a couple of weeks, I’ll<br />

not see them round the trough at all.<br />

And I won’t be one bit surprised. Why?<br />

Because the acorns will have dropped<br />

and nothing is more delicious to the<br />

average porker than a ripe acorn. With<br />

about 20 acres of woodland to roam in,<br />

they could be anywhere, and eventually<br />

they turn up again – fat and happy.<br />

But for the right reason. Rather<br />

than breed our own we now buy in pigs to fatten<br />

and they are (or rather were) all boys – an important<br />

precaution for anyone keeping woodland pigs in these<br />

parts. Apart from The Forest of Dean, the Kent/Sussex<br />

borders have more wild boar than anywhere else in the<br />

UK. They are shy, nocturnal creatures so rarely seen,<br />

but having learnt the hard way I can assure you they<br />

are about. And at this time of year solitary males are<br />

wandering the High Weald looking for romance.<br />

Before I knew better I used to keep sows, Gloria and<br />

Rather than breed<br />

our own we now buy<br />

in pigs to fatten and<br />

they are (or rather<br />

were) all boys – an<br />

important precaution<br />

for anyone keeping<br />

woodland pigs<br />

in these parts<br />

Iris, in the woods and by the time I saw the fleeting<br />

back end of a wild boar – tusks, stripes, spots the lot, it<br />

was too late. Some three months, three weeks and three<br />

days later (pigs are very particular in that department)<br />

Gloria delivered a whole host of stripy, spotty hoglets.<br />

Fab, except that they were wild and<br />

never came near me. Not even for food.<br />

Catching and keeping them proved<br />

impossible so now it’s strictly a Boys Only<br />

policy for participation in the annual<br />

Coopers autumn acorn extravaganza.<br />

But what’s going on here is nothing<br />

new. For hundreds of years peasant<br />

farmers released their pigs into the woods<br />

at this time of year to fatten on acorns in<br />

a practice known as pannage. With the<br />

exception of The New Forest, pannage<br />

isn’t really practiced any more but way<br />

back when The Weald was the stronghold.<br />

The Domesday Book records in 1086 that<br />

around 150,000 pigs were driven every autumn from the<br />

Low Weald to the oak woods of the High Weald. Farmers<br />

from a particular village returned with their pigs to the<br />

same woodland pig pasture, called a den, year after year.<br />

Over time the dens became settlements in their own<br />

right – hence Horsmonden, Biddenden, Witherenden<br />

– and the frequent passage of pigs being driven to<br />

and from these dens formed sunken tracks known as<br />

droves, which remain today as a pattern of roughly<br />

north-south lanes. Quite handy for those boars!<br />

Find out more about daily life at Coopers Farm by visiting coopersfarmstonegate.co.uk<br />

priceless-magazines.com 114


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