Wealden Times | WT258 | November 2023 | Christmas Gift Supplement inside

PRICELESS 

NOVEMBER 2023 

258 

NOVEMBER 2023 

CHRISTMAS GIFT SUPPLEMENT inside 

Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes

jminteriorsuk.uk 

Please email or call to make a showroom appointment 

2 

info@jminteriorsuk.uk 01580 291221 

JMInteriorsWT254.indd All Pages

MINTERIORS 

JMade Designing in Biddenden and handcrafting by a kitchens family business since 1994 

3 

09/06/2023 10:40:54

FIND YOUR 

KITCHEN spirit 

COME AND SEE US FOR A FREE DESIGN CONSULTATION 

SEVENOAKS 

50 LONDON ROAD, TN13 1AS 

01732 454282 | NOLTE-KITCHENS.CO.UK

Contents 

November 2023 

10 

17 

21 

26 

47 

48 

26 

HOUSE OF THE MONTH 

Dream homes on the market 

NOTEBOOK 

Upcoming events for your diary 

THE MUST LIST 

Keep up-to-date with the latest 

must-see and must-have goodies 

A HOUSE WELL TRAVELLED 

A surprising oast house 

with a Mexican twist 

GET THE LOOK 

Learn how to effortlessly 

blend cultures and styles 

VIEW FINDER 

Explore photographer Mel Smith’s 

new studio and living space 

94 

96 

104 

109 

111 

96 

ALL WRAPPED UP 

Rebecca Cuffe edits evening 

wear with bow embellishments 

COSY AWAITS 

Beautifully crafted recipes 

from The Union Rye’s 

Head Chef Maz Cogo 

SCENTS FOR THE SEASON 

Josephine Fairley explains 

why it’s time to expand 

your scent wardrobe 

POSTURE PERFECT 

Sarah Maxwell’s tips 

for a stronger core 

NOURISH TO FLOURISH 

Charlotte Lau explores the 

health benefits of salmon 

116 

121 

123 

125 

130 

48 

HEART OF THE HIVE 

Sue Whigham explores an 

inspirational project headed up by 

Syrian bee expert Dr. Ryad Alsous 

MEET THE HEAD 

Get to know Cranbrook School’s 

new head, David Clark 

LOOK TO THE FUTURE 

Explore the potential benefits 

of financial planning 

WHAT’S ON? 

From pantos to courses, find out... 

FABLES FROM THE FARM 

Jane Howard focuses in on 

the health of her flock 

65 

93 

GET THE LOOK 

Learn how to be inventive 

and thrifty like Mel 

TIED WITH A BOW 

Festive fashion picks 

112 

TROUBLE AHEAD 

Jo Arnell shares her expertise to help 

your plants ride out harsh winters 

and baking summers in the garden 

Published by Priceless Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street, 

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

Visit priceless-group.com Copyright © 2023 Priceless Media Ltd. The views of the 

advertisers & contributors are not necessarily those of Priceless Media Ltd. 

CHRISTMAS 

GIFT 

SUPPLEMENT 

24 pages of 

fabulous festive 

inspiration. 

From page 67. 

Christmas Gifts 

5 

istockphoto.com/ cienpies

Our offices are in 

Ashford, Cranbrook and Hythe 

www.kingsfords-solicitors.com 

“A personal service 

given in a relaxed and 

friendly fashion.” 

Conveyancing | Wills & Estates | Commercial Law | Matrimonial Law | Prenuptial | Agreements | Litigation | Employment Law | Family Law | French Property 

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Ashford 01233 624545 Cranbrook 01580 715144 Hythe 01303 268775 

Kingsfords Solicitors Limited registered office address 2 Elwick Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD 

Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority 621466 

We will 

always try 

& match any 

quotation 

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

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44 High Street 

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Where quality and service cost less! 

01892 535555 

sales@wellsinteriors.com 

54 | SEPTEMBER 2023 | SO Magazine SO Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2023 | 55 

44 High Street 


Where quality and service cost less! 

01892 535555 

sales@wellsinteriors.com 

54 | SEPTEMBER 2023 | SO Magazine SO Magazine | SEPTEMBER 2023 | 55 

priceless-magazines.com 

6

From the 

Editor 

As I write it’s mid-October and over 20 degrees, 

but Christmas is approaching at pace and this issue 

comes with its very own Gift Guide to help you get 

all your ducks in a row! Browse gifts from teeny to 

statement with our themed shopping pages that cater 

for everyone, from animal lovers to jewellery magpies, 

children to avid gardeners, alongside a rundown of 

gorgeous decorations and excellent advent calendars. 

Combine this with a day out at our Midwinter Fair 

(16-18th November at The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood 

wealdentimes-fair.co.uk) and you’re onto a winner! 

Over the next few pages, two really unusual homes 

are ready to be explored at your leisure. Photographer 

David Merewether and I loved the unique differences 

in each – from the noteworthy conversion and 

decoration of our first home, an oast in Surrey, to 

the upcycling genius of photographer Mel Smith, 

where not a piece of old wood was left without a 

new purpose in his studio and living space. 

Cosy is key this month, and our choice of autumn 

recipes are sure to satisfy that craving for 

home-cooked comfort food for the chillier 

season and longer evenings. Plus, be 

sure to check out our event pages for 

some fun-filled family events to fill 

your diary with over the festive season. 

Enjoy your Priceless magazine 

CANTERBURY 

MAIDSTONE 

Priceless Team 

EditorLucy Fleming 

Supplements & Features EditorRebecca Cuffe 

Sub Editor & Features Writer Emily Pavey 

Design & Production DirectorAnthony Boxall 

Sales ManagersLisa Gordon-Hughes 

Maria Hurley 

Senior Account ManagerSarah Norwood 

Account ExecutiveMarnie Newman 

Sales & Marketing Executive Zoe Parrish 

Wealden Times Show Director Flo Simpson 

Events Manager Liz Miles 

Events Sales Director Jude Brown 

Financial ControllerStephen Hunt 

Accounts Sarah Davies 

Nicola O’Leary 

Social Media ManagerCharlotte Lau 

Managing DirectorVivien Cotterill-Lee 

Executive Chairman Julie Simpson 

7 

CANTERBURY 01227 766 655 / Roper Road, CT2 7EL 

MAIDSTONE 01622 753 073 / Sandling Road, ME14 2RF 

In-store & Online 

priceless-magazines.com

DO YOU KNOW 

HOW MUCH 

YOU’LL NEED 

TO RETIRE? 

M 

Y 

Y 

Y 

We all imagine that we’ll have a comfortable and fulfilling 

retirement. But do you know how much you’ll actually 

need to enjoy your retirement, rather than just get by? 

Contact us today. 

We can help you plan for your retirement now, so when the time comes 

you’ll be able to not only cover the essentials but also enjoy 

the finer things in life. 

The value of pensions and investments can fall as well as rise and you can 

get back less than you invested. 

Mortgages | Pensions | Financial Planning | Investments | Insurance 

Citrus Financial Management Ltd 

2nd Floor 

Watermill House 

Chevening Road, Chipstead 

Sevenoaks TN13 2RY 

T. 

E. 

W. 

01732 834 834 

advice@citrusfinancial.co.uk 

citrusfinancial.co.uk 

Approver Quilter Financial Services Limited & Quilter Mortgage Planning Limited. 05/11/2023

istockphoto.com/ Maria Voronovich 

Call 01580 714705 to find your nearest distributor of 

Wealden Times or to get free copies delivered for £25 a year. 

18,000 copies of Wealden Times are printed every month. 

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distribution please contact 

Vivien Cotterill-Lee 

vivien.cotterill-lee@priceless-group.com 

Alfriston 

• Emmett & 

White Antiques 

& Interiors 

Ashford 

• Ashford 

Designer Outlet 

• Eastwell Manor 

• Hunters 

• Kingsfords 

Solicitors 

• Northwood 

• Perry Court 

Farm 

• Sainsbury’s 

• Secret Garden, 

Kent 

• The Wife 

of Bath 

Aylesford 

• Tesco Extra 

Battle 

• British Design 

British Made 

• Jempson’s 

• Trinity of Battle 

Benenden 

• Village Shop 

Bexhill 

• Sivyers Antique 

Emporium 

• Wards 

Biddenden 

• The Bakehouse 

• Bloomsburys 

• Costcutter 

Boughton 

Monchelsea 

• The Cock Inn 

Broadstairs 


Bromley 

• The Glades 

Burwash 

• Londis 

Canterbury 

• Asda Superstore 

• Benton Kitchens 

• The Duke 

William 

• Fenwick 

• Gibson’s 

Farm Shop 


• Whitefriars 

Charing 

• Post Office 

Chislehurst 


Cranbrook 

• Hartley Coffee 

House 

• Hartley Dyke 

Farmshop 

• The Hive 

• Pages 

Crowborough 

• Costa Coffee 

Eastbourne 

• Waterstones 

Find us here! 

Eridge 

• Fuller’s Farm 

Shop 

Faversham 

• Macknade 

Fine Foods 


Flimwell 

• The Weald 

Smokery 

Folkestone 

• Hunters 

• Loaf 

• Moda 

• Rocksalt 


Goudhurst 

• Billie Loves 

• Burfields 

House Wealth 

Management 

Ltd 

• Furnish & 

Feather 

• Goudhurst Inn 

• Goudhurst 

Newsagents 

Greenhithe 

• John Lewis 

Food Hall 

Haywards Heath 

• Cook 

Hastings 

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Centre 

Hawkhurst 

• Kino Cinema 

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Butchers 

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Headcorn 

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Emporium 

Heathfield 

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• The Stores 

Horsham 

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Hurst Green 

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Hythe 

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Shop 

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Seafood 

Restaurant 

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Beauty Retreat 


Ickham 

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William 

Kings Hill 

• Costa 

Lenham 

• Corner House 

Antiques 

Lewes 

• Riverside 

Shopping Hall 

Maidstone 

• House of Fraser 

• Tesco 

Marden 

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Village Store 

Mayfield 

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Cabbage 

Produce Co. 

Northiam 

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Property Group 

• Jempson’s Local 

• Will’s Bakery 

and Café 

Nutley 

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Orpington 


Peasmarsh 


Pluckley 

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Robertsbridge 

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Rolvenden 

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Linklater 

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Rye 

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• Kino Cinema 

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Sedlescombe 

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and Stores 

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Sheffield Green 

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& Wine 

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House Gallery 

St. Leonards 

on-Sea 


Shop 

Staplehurst 

• Frankie’s 

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Tenterden 

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Agents 

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House Interiors 

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Residential 

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of Bath 

TRAIN 

STATIONS: 

• Ashford 

International 

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• Maidstone East 

• Orpington 

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Wells 

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• West Malling 

9 

HERITAGE SPECIALISTS 

BUILT ON REPUTATION & QUALITY 

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01580 242925 

www. c r a n b r o o k r o o f i n g . c o. u k 

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

House 

Month 

of the 

£2,500,000 

- £2,750,000 

Damien Pestell picks his favourite 

homes on the market 

Cowden 

The dream: A stunning 

architectural home as 

impressive outside as it 

is within. Awash with 

natural light and full of 

large welcoming spaces, 

the property is set against 

the picturesque backdrop 

of the Kent countryside. 

Where: The village of 

Cowden, just a stone’s throw 

from both the Surrey and 

West Sussex borders and 

close to the local towns 

of Edenbridge, Tunbridge 

Wells and East Grinstead. 

Setting: On the outskirts 

of the village. 

Beds: 4 Baths: 5 

Special features: The 

wonderful double-height 

atrium is the stand out 

feature of the house, stretching 

the height of the building 

through the first floor landing. 

Pleasing details: The 

fully-equipped gym, games 

room and state-of-the-art 

cinema cater to every facet 

of high-end modern living. 

Outside: The acre plot 

is a haven of tranquility 

and seclusion and comes 

with the option to acquire 

an additional 8 acres. 

Time to town: From 

Cowden station, just two 

miles away, to London 

Victoria in 56 minutes. 

Agent: Maison Partnership 

0333 242 3292 

maisonpartnership.com 

priceless-magazines.com 10

Laddingford 

£1,395,000 

The dream: This beautiful 5 bedroom 

detached house provides spacious and 

well presented accommodation that 

is perfect for the family buyer. 

Where: Laddingford is a delightful hamlet 

with an award-winning public house, 

located just over 1.5 miles from Yalding. 

Setting: In a secluded yet central village location. 


Special features: Period features are tastefully 

woven throughout the property – from exposed 

beams to oak floors, there has been a real desire 

to preserve the heritage of the building. 

Pleasing details: The accommodation is spread 

across the three roundels and the adjoining rooms, 

meaning that each room has a very different feel. 

Outside: The large plot, spanning an impressive 

2.3 acres, comprises rolling lawns, mature trees, 

paddocks and well-maintained gardens alongside 

a swimming pool and extensive outbuildings, 

including a barn, garage, and stables. 

Time to town: Paddock Wood is just 

3.1 miles away with mainline services to 

London Charing Cross in under an hour. 

Agent: Maddisons Residential 

01892 514100 maddisonsresidential.co.uk 

Cranbrook 

£900,000 

The dream: A charming late Georgian 

townhouse with later Victorian 

additions, owned for several generations 

by the town’s millers, whose names 

are inscribed into the brickwork. 

Where: The sought-after town of 

Cranbrook, just a short drive from 

Tenterden and Tunbridge Wells. 

Setting: In the heart of the town, 

underneath the iconic Union Windmill. 


Special features: The pretty dining room 

with original Georgian bullet fireplace, 

deep original cupboards and a study area, 

has direct access to the rear garden. 

Pleasing details: Brick steps lead 

down to a useful cellar, ideal for 

storage and lit by natural light. 

Outside: A pretty walled courtyard garden to 

the rear complements the private front garden 

which has off-road parking for two cars. 

Time to town: From Staplehurst station, 

a 10 minute drive away, to London 

Charing Cross in 50 minutes. 

Agent: Savills 01580 720161 savills.com 

11 


YOU DO THE MATHS! 

At Blake Gardens you could save thousands with 

Matthew’s Affordable Tailored Help Scheme, devised 

with incentives that can be tailored to best suit you. 

Options could include part exchange and contributions towards fees 

like stamp duty, mortgage repayments and many more. Using just 

one of these offers would save you thousands of pounds! 

BLAKE GARDENS IS AN 

ELEGANT COLLECTION OF 

3 & 4-BEDROOM NEW HOMES 

IN MINSTER. FINISHED 

TO A HIGH SPECIFICATION 

WITH A MODERN DESIGN. 

PRICES START FROM: £350,000 

Contact us today to discuss which options are best for you. 

01795 515155 

blakegardens@matthew-homes.com 

*This scheme is subject to conditions. Please ask the sales team for more information and eligibility 

requirements. Incentives can vary from site to site and plot to plot and can be withdrawn at any time.

John-Paul Rafferty 

FNAEA FARLA Assoc RICS 

Paul Pickard 

MNAEA 

Broadstairs 

CONCIERGE SERVICE 

Direct contact with company founders from start to finish 

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What Sets Us Apart? 

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£700,000 

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Benefit from our decades of experience and qualifications 

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No minimum contract length and only pay us when the sale 

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ABOVE AND BEYOND 

Our unblemished 5 star Google rating is testament to our 

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www.raffertyandpickard.co.uk 01732 905499 homes@raffertyandpickard.co.uk 

Save on your home insurance 

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, 

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Whitstable 

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CT5 3QY 

Tel: 01227 772 775 


14

Time for a move? 

If moving home is one of your New Year’s resolutions, 

look no further than Batcheller Monkhouse. We sell and 

let houses of all shapes and sizes, and have a database of 

buyers looking to move to the area. 

Book a free, no-obligation Market Appraisal 

with our property experts today. 

Battle 

01424 775577 

battle@batchellermonkhouse.com 

Haywards Heath 

01444 453181 

hh@batchellermonkhouse.com 

Pulborough 

01798 872081 

sales@batchellermonkhouse.com 

Tunbridge Wells 

01892 512020 

twells@batchellermonkhouse.com

M 

Y 

Y 

Y

Notebook 

Take note! We’ve rounded up the best 

of what to see and do near you 

istockphoto.com/ RomanOkopny / mfto / chaiwarin 

Light Fantastic 

Looking for brilliant ideas for festive outings this season? You won’t want 

to miss the spectacular Christmas Lights at picture-perfect Leeds Castle 

from 24th November until 31st December, brought to you by Sony 

Music and created by Culture Creative. Prepare to be wowed by 

new installations as well as some previously seen favourites as you 

wander through the magical trail. Appearing for the first time this 

year is Loomaland’s hypnotic Cygnus, whilst other mesmerising 

new features include 12 days of Christmas by North Devon 

artist Woody Fox and Heart Walk by Cristina Ottonello. 

Chandelier Walk, by Crescent Moon Events, is a series of 

beautifully designed chandeliers delicately suspended in the 

trees, whilst Squidsoup’s Feast of Light features immersive, 

glowing strings filled with all the colours of the rainbow. 

You can also catch a glimpse of Father Christmas 

along the way and enjoy some festive snacks. 

It’s well worth booking early to secure 

your chosen date and time. 

christmaslightsatleedscastle.seetickets.com 

Winter 

Wonderland 

It’s time to wrap up warm, get outdoors 

and blow away the cobwebs with 

National Trust this month. If you’re 

keen to get the family out in the fresh 

air head to Claremont Landscape 

Gardens for The Snow Queen family 

trail between 25th November and 2nd 

January. Explore the magical installations 

reflecting scenes from the story with 

activities along the way (normal 

charges apply) nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/ 

surrey/claremont-landscape-garden. 

Or how about the Winter Welly Wander 

at Winkworth from 16th December to 

3rd January. Pick up a trail sheet at the 

welcome kiosk and play a range of wellybased 

games for some rosy-cheeked fun. 

£2 per child plus normal admission. 

nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/surrey/ 

winkworth-arboretum 

ALL THE 

TRIMMINGS 

Taywell Farmshop in 

Goudhurst will be holding 

The Spirit of Christmas on 24th 

November from noon until 7pm. Visit 

their local stockists and sample plenty of 

tasty produce. All sorts of delicious festive 

delights will be on offer and you’ll be 

able to get your Christmas sorted by 

ordering hampers, turkeys and all the 

trimmings. Bespoke and corporate 

hampers will be made to order by 

the Taywell Hamper Co. who also 

supply picnic hampers all year round. 

taywellfarm.co.uk 

17 


The wonderfully 

welcoming Ceramic Studio 

in Brenchley will be hosting a Makers 

Market on 3rd December from 10am until 

4pm. The market is a brilliant opportunity to 

support small, local business and makers, giving 

visitors the chance to meet the people that make the 

products. As well as the market stalls there will be 

live music from The Fireflies and a complimentary 

glass of mulled wine and a mince pie. Contact 

the studio if you’d like to have a stall. 

theceramicstudio.co.uk 

make it fun 

Christmas Present 

Celebrate the best of Surrey’s artists and artisans 

and shop a huge range of interesting and one-off 

gifts. West Horsley Place (location of the genius 

BBC comedy Ghosts), will host the Christmas 

Fair from 24th to 26th November. You’ll find 

exhibits from Surrey Hills Enterprises, Surrey 

Guild of Craftsmen, Wey Ceramics, Guildford 

Art Society and many more. With stalls across 

the barn and the manor it’s a great chance to 

soak up the atmosphere of this beautiful historic 

house. Open from 10am until 4pm, tickets 

are £9. westhorsleyplace.org/Event/ 

arts-crafts-artisan-christmas-fair 

‘Tis the season 

Head to Guildford Cathedral for shopping, food, music 

and art this Advent and Christmas. The Cathedral 

will be full of festive cheer throughout November and 

December, with music from Rick Wakeman and friends 

to John Rutter to the Snowman. Advent services start 

on Sunday 1 December with the Advent Carol Service 

at 6pm. A Virtual Advent Calendar will have a door a 

day opening to the cathedral’s wonderful choir singing, 

so do follow their social media. Find details of services 

and events on their website guildford-cathedral.org 

Festive Feels 

Merriments 

Gardens are hosting a 

Christmas Craft Fair on 3rd December 

in their lovely Orangery. Head along to join 

talented local crafters, cooks and bakers and pick 

up some beautiful handmade Christmas gifts. From 

local honey, beeswax candles, essential oil candles and 

crocheted homewares to delicious homemade chutneys and 

jams, festive tray-bakes and fantastic cakes, all alongside 

handmade wreaths and seasonal planters. Staplehurst 

Community Choir will be performing carols and 

there will be mince pies and mulled wine on 

offer to keep you fuelled. 

merriments.co.uk 

SHOW TIME 

From party nights to sensational shows, you’ll find plenty to keep you 

entertained this Christmas at G Live. The Season starts with a nostalgic sleigh 

ride through rock ’n’ roll with That’ll Be The Day Christmas Show followed 

by a Christmas classic as Guildford Choral perform Handel’s Messiah. Get the 

party started with Tropicana 80s and MASSAOKE Christmas or if a festive 

three course dinner and fizz is more your style, enjoy their Christmas dining 

events with live entertainment from the West End Jerseys and The Arg Band. 

Santa’s On His Sleigh is the brand-new magical family show 

written by Justin Fletcher, and Pop Princesses and Cirque 

Enchantment will have you spoilt for choice. 

What will you be seeing at G Live, this festive season? glive.co.uk 


With no shortage of perfect selfie moments 

amid the larger-than-life fauna, Christmas 

at Bedgebury makes for a fairytale outing. 

christmasatbedgebury.seetickets.com 

must 

The 

From must-sees to must-buys and 

must-dos, don’t miss this month’s 

round up of what to buy, see, do, 

and generally get excited about! 

Say goodbye to the disposable 

party hat and hello to this glorious 

reusable pop out crown, one of 

a set of four beautiful designs, 

from The Shop Floor Project. Go 

on, give your Christmas dinner a 

regal flair! theshopfloorproject.com 

If you’re festive shopping at Fenwick, Kingston, 

be sure to try their new Mediterranean-inspired 

tapas restaurant, Fuego. Their charcuterie and 

cheese boards, traditional tortillas and stonebaked 

Napoli-style sourdough pizza make for ultimate 

shopping fuel, especially when topped off with a trip to the 

fabulous Champagne and cocktail bar! fenwick.co.uk 

For perfect 

party season 

catering, 

those clever 

peeps at The 

Curious now deliver their 

exquisite canapés. Order 

online and they’ll be delivered in 

a gorgeous presentation box, 

ready to serve. All you 

have to do is open the fizz! 

thecuriousevents.co.uk 

We love a shop at our 

Midwinter Fair to discover 

some unusual gift ideas 

you won’t find elsewhere. 

With fab art like this 

piece, among other quirky 

home accessories, The 

ever-popular Artisan 

Designers are a must-see. 

The decoupage makers are 

from East Sussex and they 

even take commissions! 

theartisandesignersltd.co.uk 

Elevate your Christmas dinner 

with festive place settings 

by Catherine Jane Designs. 

Catherine hand draws her 

designs in her Kentish 

studio and then turns 

them into stunning 

homeware and 

accessories like these 

ribbon placemats 

which are £52.50 for a 

set of 4 and matching 

coasters £15 for 4. 

catherinejanedesigns.co.uk 

Is there anything more 

luxuriously pampering than 

a massage candle? We love 

Douvall’s Argan creation in 

this festive orange and frankincense 

scent. Blended with nourishing oils, 

including cocoa butter and Douvall’s 

100% first cold-pressed argan oil, 

it is rich in vitamin E, antioxidants 

and essential fatty acids to hydrate 

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21 


Why I love 

Wealden Times 

Midwinter Fair 

Loyal reader Alexandra tells us why she’s such a fan of the Fair 

It’s the perfect day out with my daughter and I can 

catch up with my mates too. Such a fun place to 

shop and we stay nice and warm as it’s all indoors. 

The best coffee 

First things first we’ll grab ourselves 

a delicious coffee from Fine Grind 

in the Ivy Café, next to the Purple 

Marquee. The Fair is a series of 

marquees in a circle, so if you start 

further in, you miss the crowds 

at the entrance. We’ll catch the 

shops in the 

first Green 

Marquee at 

the end of our 

circuit. 

Homeware & Art 

The Wealden Times Fairs always seems 

to unearth the most incredibly talented 

designers and makers. Their pottery, 

paintings, and objets d’art are one-offs, 

designed from the heart. I love The 

Artisan Designers and this year I’ll 

make sure I pick up a gift for me! Then 

I’ll head to Candle Wise for an Ibiza 

candle for my bestie. 

Presents for each other 

Edie and I always buy gifts for each other 

at the Fair, that way we both get what 

we want and it’s so nice doing it 

together. She’s got her eye on 

a new handbag from Sarah 

Haran and I’d really like one 

of Asunsti’s stunning shawls – 

both in the Purple Marquee. 

16 -18th November 2023, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6PY 

B

Foodie gifts 

We then head into the Yellow Food 

Hall where I know we’ll find lots of 

treats there to go in the Christmas 

hamper that Edie and her brother 

give to their Dad. Chalkstream 

Smoked Trout; some Mighty Spice 

curry sauces; Salcombe Dairy 

Chocolates; a box of cakes from 

Pip & Seed; and some Damson 

Vodka, (which he adds to fizz to 

make a Christmas Kir Royale) 

will all be going in the hamper. 

Tickets available on the 

door or to pre-book 

Fashion & Jewellery 

My daughter Edie wants some clothes 

for Christmas, and I need something 

new for the Christmas Party, so we’ll head 

for Rosella Style, Wardrobe No9 and 

Philippa London. My Mum wants me 

to buy Edie some jewellery from her, 

so we’ll also head to Mary Mary and 

Moody Tom in the Blue Marquee 

to find some beautiful earrings and 

maybe a super cute bracelet. 

Local school choirs 

My friend’s daughter is singing with 

her choir, so we’ll make sure we 

head to the Holly Café to listen to 

them and soak up the festive feels. 

Sponsored by 

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We always get into the 

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Delicious food 

It’s great to take a break at 

lunchtime in the Holly Café. 

This year we’ve got our eyes on 

the Lebanese street food from 

Emilio’s. I love a posh sausage, 

so we’ll make sure to visit 

Supreme Gourmet. 

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16 -18th November 2023, Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6PY

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A house 

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Alec and Heidy’s very unusual oast 

house is a delightful cultural melting 

pot of styles from all over the world 


Photographs: David Merewether 

Words: Antonia Deeson 

27 


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28

Previous pages & this page: The Oast Bar. Alec and Heidy 

lifted the flooring to reveal the stunning stone beneath. The 

artwork behind the pink velvet sofa was made by Alec and his 

sons using the colours of the renovation project, painted onto 

offcuts. A staircase above leads upwards into the oast tower 

towards the amazing 18ft crystal drop chandelier 

Human resources leader Alec and his Mexican 

wife Heidy didn’t set out to become interior 

designers. However, having now renovated 

three houses, it’s safe to say that their part time hobby 

has turned into a skill worthy of many professionals. 

The couple and their twin boys found their latest project 

in the heart of Surrey, during the summer of 2021. Built 

in 1832, the building – a 5000 sq ft former hop drying 

oast house – was attached to a ballroom originally built 

for the hop pickers and their families. “When we found 

the property we fell in love with the setting,” says Alec, 

“which is very close to Great Frensham Pond. The house 

itself was very quirky, the garden and exterior were both 

impactful but inside there was an awful lack of light, 

due to the nature of the oast towers which were, at the 

end of the day, made to dry hops and not for providing 

a light and airy residential living space!” says Alec. 

The year-long renovation project involved a complete 

refurbishment of the property, including a new heating 

system, new plumbing, new roof and insulation, painting 

the entire house, new flooring, new bathrooms as well as 

fitted elements like wardrobes. A big job if you are living 

off site, an even bigger headache when you are trying 

29 


“Hanging overhead is a huge gold pendant light, from 

Authentic Reclamation. It was so big that it could only 

be fitted during the build when we had the correct 

access available. Again, it was all about scale for us and 

finding fittings that would work with the space.” 

to live on site, with two children and a 

daily chain of builders and contractors. 

“Before we even got to the lovely stuff 

like sourcing art, furniture and textiles, 

the infrastructure had to come first. 

All the things you can’t see to make it 

more efficient, before all the things you 

can see!” says Alec. This also included 

a brand-new boiler system and a series 

of fully reconditioned radiators from 

The Old Radiator Company, some of 

which were so heavy that they had to 

be hoisted in using ropes and pullies. 

“It was a huge undertaking, but it now 

means every radiator in the house works 

effectively, especially within the largest 

rooms such as huge drawing room.” 

When Alec and his family moved in, 

the interior of the house was a mass of 

dark brown. It was oppressive and really 

constraining the light and airiness of the 

house, so, one of the first things they 

did was paint everything including all 

the beams. “Our painter was working 

full time on the rooms and beams for 

ten months. We researched the paint 

with the best colour pigmentation and 

then played with the colours, using 

one tone of white paint on the ceilings 

(Little Greene Loft White) and then 


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31 


Berry&LambertsWT247.indd 1 15/11/2022 15:34

A T A S T E O F T H E E X O T I C 

W W W . G A R D E N P R O U D . C O . U K 

D E S I G N | C O N S T R U C T | M A I N T A I N 


32

This page: Alec and Heidy zoned the drawing room, hanging two chairs from ManoMano off one of the beams to create 

a reading area with a library at one end, and a velvet chaise and sofa from Loaf at the other end to offer a soft space for 

seating and socialising. Two sets of triple height soaring arched windows pour light into the room and are mirrored in the 

geometric brick work of the new chimney breast and wood burning stove. The walls are in Pearl by Little Greene 

an off-white colour on the beams (Little Greene Portland 

Stone Pale), which allowed for the texture and space of the 

beams to sing.” It is very much this attention to detail that 

makes the interior of Alec and Heidy’s house so special 

and perhaps also reveals a level of care and love that only a 

homeowner might take on the renovation of their own house. 

However whilst it is undeniable that Alec was determined 

not to cut any corners when it came to the first and second fix 

of the refurbishment, ensuring that the day to day utilities all 

worked at optimum output (in hindsight, especially important 

due the current fuel crisis) it is the couple’s love of sourcing 

the decorative elements for their home that really makes this 

house stand out. Inspired both by Alec’s Scottish roots and 

Heidy’s Latin American heritage, the interior design of the 

house is truly an explosion of colour, texture and design and 

as Alec calls them, “objects of impact”. “We have spent a long 

time buying objects that interested us whilst travelling to see 

family in Mexico. This includes craftsmanship such as amate, 

which is a paper thin wood carving technique specialised 

in Mexico, as well as ornately carved and painted symbolic 

animal carvings called alebrijes. We have sourced textiles as 

well and what we really love is that Mexican craftsmanship 

knows no bounds in terms of their use of colour.” 

Alec continues, “Whilst we were in Scotland we acquired a 

huge wooden wall carving, which we call the Rose, but which 

is actually a lotus flower that originates from Southeast Asia. It 

came from a big house on the west coast of Scotland. We are 

lucky that due to the scale of the rooms in our house – both 

the former ballroom and the towers of the two oasts – we 

33 


This page: The dining room is painted in Little Greene Aquamarine. 

The ten-seater dining table from The Packhouse inspired the rest of 

the room and Anthropologie candlesticks offer pops of subtle colour 

are able to find and accommodate these amazing pieces of scale 

with some fantastic provenance from houses all over the UK. 

We found an 18ft glass chandelier from Authentic Reclamation 

in East Sussex which was reputedly from the London home of 

one of the UK’s most famous composers. We knew it would 

look amazing in one of our oasts, once we added in the skylight, 

but it weighed over half a tonne. It was also missing quite a few 

glass drops, which we got remade in acrylic in Guildford and 

as serendipity would have it, one of the UK’s best chandelier 

renovators lives really near us, so he rewired it. These are not 

easy things to just throw up, they needed precision handling by 

the contractors and it was an almost once-in-a-lifetime chance 

within the refurbishment process to install it. We were very 

lucky that we have a builder that we trust. We have worked 

with Russell Hyde of Russell Hyde Construction across all our 

homes and I don’t think we could have done it without him.” 

At the heart of the house is the amazing drawing room. 

For many non-professionals, a room of this size would 

be intimidating. For Alec and Heidy it was a wonderful 

opportunity to let their imaginations run riot. “We decided 

to zone the room so we hung two chairs from ManoMano off 

one of the beams to create a reading area with a library. We 

added a velvet chaise and sofa from Loaf to offer a soft space 

for seating and socialising as well as a brown leather love seat, 

which gave a different colour and texture. At the end of the 

room we hung a piece called ‘Aqua’ – one of a series of abstract 

artworks we have acquired by Robin Mullin inspired by images 

of the Hubble telescope. Hanging overhead is a huge gold 

pendant light, also from Authentic Reclamation, that we had 

to completely respray and re-paint to get it up to scratch. It was 

sold as medieval in style but I’m not sure there is much about 

it that was very medieval,” laughs Alec. “It was so big, like the 

crystal chandelier that we also bought from them, that it could 

only be fitted during the build when we had the correct access 

available. Again, it was all about scale for us and finding fittings 

that would work with the space. For the floor in this room we 

were lucky the wood was still here, so we just stripped it back 

to the original but to a more matt finish.” Two sets of triple 

height soaring arched windows pour light into the room and are 

mirrored in the geometric brick work of the new chimney 


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ocal adviser, Sarah Ferrell, has 

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case studies to demonstrate what Equity 

Release can look like for individuals. 

The names in these cases have 

been changed, however the 

scenarios are authentic. 

Mr and Mrs Roberts wanted to move nearer 

to their children. The prices were higher 

in the area they were moving to so they 

arranged a lifetime mortgage to “bridge 

the gap” between the property they were 

selling and the property they were buying. 

Mr Roberts is still working, so intends to make 

monthly payments of interest to prevent 

the debt from growing. If, when he retires, 

he longer wants to make a payment, he 

can “switch it off” and allow the interest 

to roll up within the lifetime mortgage. 

Janet needed to replace her windows 

and was also concerned about affording 

other home improvements, should they 

be needed. She released £10,000 (the 

minimum most lenders will consider) and 

also arranged a reserve of £40,000. 

Interest is charged on £10,000 from the 

SashWindowHeritageWT187.indd 1 15/08/2017 15:18 

outset. If she never needs additional 

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and no interest will be charged. If, 

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money she will only be charged interest 

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Reserve facilities are not guaranteed 

and are subject to market conditions. 

However, she is only paying interest 

on the money she needs NOW while 

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Clive had an interest only mortgage 

of £10,000. He also wanted to help 

his son with a deposit for a property. 

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While this will ultimately reduce the 

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“If somebody is considering raising 

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35 


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Prenuptial Agreements • Estate Planning 


36

This page: An Indian daybed from a Scottish 

antique dealer and an Indian mirror from The 

Packhouse work seamlessly with a large tapestry 

in the sitting room. Art pieces from Mexico 

again show how clever Alec and Heidy have 

been with mixing styles from all over the world 

breast and wood burning stove which 

Alec designed with a wonderful Art Deco 

paint finish reminiscent of the Empire 

State Building. Two John Lewis Deco 

style wall lights were colour matched to 

the wall paint, Pearl by Little Greene. 

Extra-long and fully lined bespoke 

heavy weight velvet curtains, with a light 

reflective fleck by Closs and Hamblin, 

were designed to add further insulation 

and warmth during the winter months. 

Down a small set of steps, linked 

to the main space by a thread of red 

brickwork, is the Oast Bar. A small snug 

area at the bottom of the oast tower, it 

sits underneath the sisal covered wooden 

staircase that wraps upwards overhead. 

“We had to get a specialist in to strip 

back the dark floor staining which had 

been applied on top of the stunning stone 

floor that we found beneath (which even 

revealed a fossilised bird in one of the 

stones) and also mirrors the wonderful 

stone fireplace surround,” says Alec. 

The beams in the space were completely 

repainted introducing yet more light. 

Further colour and texture were added 

by mixing a soft pink velvet chaise and 

two green armchairs, heirlooms from 

Alec’s family in Scotland, which are 

covered in leather from the tannery 

37 


Clockwise from top: The large open plan kitchen incorporates 

another more informal dining area; The downstairs cloakroom is 

creatively tiled in hexagonal florals; The entrance hall is painted 

in Little Greene Slaked Lime, Celestial Blue and Livid 

that Alec’s grandfather managed (the 

company in Bridge of Weir still supplies 

leather to Aston Martin for their cars 

today). The artwork was made by Alec 

and his sons utilising all the colours 

used in the renovation project, painted 

onto offcuts. A wonderful collaborative 

reminder of the project for all the family. 

Overhead a brass and blown glass light 

pendant adds some fun and colour to 

the space. Once again there is a nod 

to all the family’s cultural roots, with a 

Day of the Dead figure from Mexico 

keeping watch over the fireplace. 

The staircase above leads upwards 

into the oast tower towards another of 

the new skylights and the amazing 


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This page: The kitchen cupboards are painted in Little Greene Brighton Blue and the island in Little Greene Royal Navy. Abstract artwork 

by Robin Mullin graces the dining area wall 

18ft crystal drop chandelier. The entire 

effect is mesmerising, almost sci-fi in its 

effect – and so beloved by iconic architect 

Oscar Niemeyer – as the light ripples 

across the brick and plaster walls and 

the glass drops of the light fitting. “It’s a 

bit like being in the tip of a rocket,” says 

Alec. “Most people add side windows 

to their oast towers but we think adding 

a skylight at the tip encourages the 

maximum amount of light possible 

and makes quite a special effect.” 

At the bottom of the other oast tower 

sits the dining room, above which is a 

guest bedroom and on top of that is the 

playroom for the boys, now home to an 

ever-growing Lego set. In the ground 

floor dining room, the original flooring 

was kept and, like the drawing room, 

sanded down with a matt finish. Little 

Greene Aquamarine added to the walls. 

“We sourced a ten-seater dining table 

from The Packhouse which inspired 

the rest of the room,” says Alec. “The 

sideboard had been left by the previous 

owner and so I re-painted it to work 

with the dining table and then changed 

the handles. An antique settle sourced 

from an old pub in Scotland was also 

painted to work in the room. Velvet 

dining chairs in a range of muted colours 

complete the look, fun yet understated, 

whilst Anthropologie candlesticks offer 

yet more pops of subtle colour. The fire 

surround with Delft style blue and white 

tiles was left by the former owners, a 

further pop of blue can be seen in the 

standard lamp. The roman blinds have 

been kept simple, with fabric from Closs 

and Hamblin, as in the drawing room. 

The sitting room – another of the 

many reception rooms – offers yet 

41 


Above: The romantic white rattan bed 

was bought from Lock Stock and Barrel 

Left: A guest bedroom on the first floor 

of the oast tower makes the most of 

its unique and quirky circular space 

more comfortable seating and provides 

another canvas for Alex and Heidy’s 

artistic flair. New herringbone wooden 

flooring was added and on the walls 

the couple used Little Greene Salix. An 

Indian daybed from a Scottish antique 

dealer and an Indian mirror from The 

Packhouse work seamlessly with a large 

tapestry from Mexico. Port red Art 

Deco style upholstered pieces bought in 

2006 still sit well with pieces of brown 

furniture found in Inverness. Art pieces 

from Mexico again show how clever Alec 

and Heidy have been with mixing styles 

from all over the world – a true cultural 

melting pot. Off the sitting room is 

the entrance hall, painted in white and 

blues, almost Gustavian in its look. All 

the dark wood panelling was re-painted 

in Little Greene Slaked Lime, Celestial 

Blue and Livid. A large vase of flouncy 

florals jauntily greets guest along with 

a smart white painted hall bench. 

Off the entrance hall is the huge open 

plan family kitchen dining room. “We 

repainted the kitchen cupboards with 

Little Greene Brighton Blue and on the 

island Little Greene Royal Navy to give 

a contrast in the colours. We have kept 

and reused much of the furniture from 

our past houses in here. The handmade 

table, benches and dresser have lasted us 

almost two decades and are still very well 

loved.” One of the most striking aspects 

of the room is the geometric tiled splash 

back of the kitchen, worthy of the optic 

work of British artist Bridget Riley. Alec 

actually used a bathroom tile design here, 

which has proved hugely effective. “We 

looked at brass and getting a patina effect 

for the splashback, but we felt the 60s 

style worked really well with the black 

leathered granite worksurfaces.” The light 

above the dining table had originally 

been bought for the drawing room. “We 

had chosen this for that space, but then 

we when put it in the drawing room we 

instantly knew that, due to our issues 

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bedroom is once again an essay in 

lightness – white walls and white ceiling 

and off-white beams reflect the pale 

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Stock and Barrel is the hero of the room 

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44 

ABMV-WT253.indd 1 17/05/2023 14:46:37

Top: The contemporary main bathroom 

features illuminated mirrors and plenty of 

rounded brass fixtures and fittings – a nod 

to the curves of the roundels Right: The 

unusual design of the oast house becomes 

more apparent from the garden to the rear 

below via original leaded windows. The 

wardrobes have been hidden away by 

the local joinery Magic Bean Designs to 

allow maximum space and airiness. A 

picture of The Flower Seller by Diego 

Rivera provides the main pop of colour 

in the room. A guest bedroom on the 

first floor of the oast tower makes the 

most of its unique and quirky circular 

space – the bed sits underneath the 

three leaded windows with simple 

roman blinds, whilst a large gilt framed 

mirror again throws as much light as 

possible back into the room. The main 

bathroom is an essay in contemporary 

bathroom design. A clean monochrome 

mosaic tile on the walls complements 

and shows off the round mirrors, round 

basins with rounded brass fittings and 

rounded door handles in homage to 

the round oast house. The illuminated 

mirrors add the most chic of flourishes. 

Alec and Heidy have created something 

very special. A house made not from 

the guide book to interior design, but 

very much from their hearts. They 

have produced a space for their family 

that truly reflects them and their 

unique heritage. Colour, texture and 

narrative are apparent throughout, 

paying homage to all their interests 

and experiences – everything has a 

story behind it, everything has been 

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View Finder 


Photographs: David Merewether 

Words: Jo Arnell 

Photographer Mel Smith has combined his 

work and home requirements to create the 

ultimate welcoming studio – a homely and 

stylish space to work from where his creative 

approach to reuse and recycle takes centre stage 

49 


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OrlestoneOakWT252.indd 1 04/04/2023 10:36

Previous pages & above: The kitchen space doubles up as a darkroom. A beaded chandelier from The Wall Lighting Company – thewalllightingcompany.co.uk 

– is one of the few new items in the building. The wood throughout has been treated with Liberon antique pine wax to give a mellow patina 

It is a rare thing to go on a property 

restoration journey without a 

route map, to let the building off 

the lead and head into the unknown. 

Architects, building consultants and 

surveyors provide a plan of action, an 

idea of what the end result will look like, 

help with building regulations and give 

professional advice. When Mel Smith, 

photographer – and now, intrepid 

renovator – found a potential studio 

space, he decided to take it on himself. 

We meet him here at the finished 

Smallhythe Studio to find out more. 

“I started this with no clue,” he says 

with an air of nonchalance. “A really 

good friend of mine, Jon, came to visit 

it with me and we built it together.” 

51 


This page: A backgammon scoreboard is tucked away behind a 

set of doors above the dining table. Mel and his team have been 

creative with every inch of this property, including putting the bin 

on a wooden base with castors to whizz around where needed 

Mel had been looking for a new photographic studio, and 

while not sure what form it would take, he was clear what 

it wouldn’t be. “I didn’t want a shop or industrial unit,” he 

says, “which didn’t actually leave many options – so many of 

the old buildings in the area have already been converted.” 

But in the serendipitous way of things, the property came 

up through a friend of a friend. “It needed everything 

doing to it, but I knew it was the perfect studio space.” 

The one storey building has had many uses in 

its time, once a school room and most recently an 

art gallery, as evidenced by what was left behind. 

“There was a little tea hatch and a loo, strip lights, 

a storage loft,” he says. “We ripped it all out. 

Everything. We had skips here for six weeks.” 

Mel, Jon and Jon’s son George – who “came in to help 

for a week and stayed for a year” – set to work. They 

pulled down the whole of the ceiling, leaving just the 

structural joists and then put down scaffolding boards. 

Mel could see from the outside that the pitch of the 

roof was high – something that was hard to visualise 

initially from inside. “I knew there was space, but didn’t 

think about it at all because the ceiling was there. I 

thought, if there was a possibility, a vaulted ceiling 

was a must, because it would give me more light.” 

The space turned out to be bigger than he imagined, 

so he decided to install a tiny second floor. “Once 

the ceiling was down I could see there was room for a 

mezzanine and planned to make just a little one – and 

then decided to do a bigger one and extend it. We 

started at the top – I never realised that was the best 

place to start,” he says, “but of course it makes sense.” 

Unfortunately the only way was down in more ways than 

one – he hit rock bottom when they reached the floor. 

Replacing it really was the low point of the build for Mel 

– “a black moment in the whole thing”. It was a gruelling, 

back-breaking task, involving lifting ancient Canadian 


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This page: The plan chest was originally meant to go into the kitchen, 

but it was too deep for the position, so George and Mel incorporated 

it into the staircase Right: A door in the downstairs loo conceals a 

private bathroom for when clients have left at the end of the day 

pine tongue-and-groove floorboards and much shovelling of 

concrete. “George and I had to angle grind all the grooves out 

and put them outside somewhere where they wouldn’t warp. 

We pulled something like 4,000 nails out in order to preserve 

the floor joists. Then used 60 tonnes of crushed concrete to 

fill the void and pumped in a 4” pad of concrete all through. 

We re-enforced it and then added in 8” of insulation, put 

in the underfloor heating then a self-levelling screed.” 

The floor has been sealed and the studio section painted 

white. Kilim rugs bring warmth and texture. “The screed 

is designed to have a floor put on top,” Mel explains, “but 

it feels soft to walk on and it’s not cold underfoot at all, in 

fact with the underfloor heating it stays lovely and warm. It’s 

like an eco-home – the windows are triple glazed, we have 

an air source heat pump and with the 8” of insulation, our 

energy usage is really low – it’s like a new build house.” 

Up on the mezzanine it’s cosy too – big enough for a bed, 

an office area and a large format digital printer, but the very 

best thing about it is the view through the Velux windows on 

the end wall, which look out across the beautiful Wealden 

countryside. A low chair can be strategically placed in 

55 


The one storey building has 

had many uses in its time, 

once a school room and 

most recently an art gallery, 

as evidenced by what was 

left behind. “There was a 

little tea hatch and a loo, 

strip lights, a storage loft,” 

he says. “We ripped it all 

out. Everything. We had 

skips here for six weeks.” 

front of the window. “When we stay 

here I have my coffee just here,” he 

indicates, “and look out at the view.” 

There’s an impressive view of the 

interior from up here too. The structure 

of the roof, its supports, the staircase 

and the wooden clad RSJ beams that 

span across where the old ceiling used to 

be, have a simple architectural beauty. 

Mel’s work as a photographer has 

had to fit in around the build. “We 

made the studio and loo first, because 

people were asking for shoots. There 

were the two sofas and a trestle table set 

up to give people coffee etc., and just 

a ladder going up to the mezzanine,” 

Organising the layout and making 

a functioning studio and gallery was 

key – it had to work, but it was hard 

to imagine exactly how. “Originally 

there were two doors into the building 

which was bizarre – we knew we had 

to get rid of one of them,” he says. 

“So the wall came up on that side, 

but I still didn’t have enough gallery 

space, so some of the windows had 

to go too. It changed the way we 

shot – we extended the wall to the 

right and added in more wall space.” 

The cool white of this interior 

is warmed with the wood of the 

building’s structure, the staircase, 

wooden kitchen and table. The wood 

has been treated with Liberon antique 

pine wax and brings a rich, mellow 

patina, turning scaffolding boards 

and bits of a big old handmade bed 

into smooth and beautiful pieces of 

furniture – I am amazed at how far 

the wood from the bed has stretched 

and how imaginatively it’s been used. 

Soft leather sofas and huge hessian 

curtains – that divide the studio from 

the rest of the room – match the colour 

of the wood, but also add texture, 

“Texture is key,” says Mel. “I rely on 

shapes and forms. A visitor to our 

garden once told me that I was using 

interesting colour choices,” he smiles. 

“It’s because I’m colour blind. I work 

in black and white. The camera’s 


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57 


VillageBathroomStudioWT254.indd 1 08/06/2023 12:21:19

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This page: Lush green houseplants are a prominent presence throughout, each perfectly matched to their 

surroundings – either displayed in a pleasingly weathered terracotta pot, or wrapped in hessian 

set up so that I look into a black and 

white world through the lens.” 

The kitchen doubles up as a darkroom 

– it’s a shared space. There is a framing 

and finishing workshop to the back of 

the kitchen and Mel has managed to 

balance the double aspect and has made 

the space attractive and functional – full 

of quirky detail. He points to the sink. 

“It was from the garden. The taps were 

made up – I got them from a salvage 

yard. We reground them to make 

59 


This page: Hidden away on the mezzanine, with cleverly thoughtout 

triangular wooden ‘screens’, the bedroom/computer editing space 

has beautiful countryside views through the skylights. Mel stores the 

bits needed for his shoots in wicker baskets hung from a beam 

them work. There are two sets of taps, 

but I like that. I like the texture of the 

copper piping – it came from a shop 

in Lyme Regis. Originally the units 

were going to be ply, but we used some 

shelving from a brick furnace in the end. 

We built the work surface for £150.” 

The ingenious little fixes and 

inventions are too many to mention, 

but include a pulley system for opening 

and shutting the dishwasher because it 

wouldn’t quite fit its allocated space, a 

Monet poster cooker splash-back, the 

scaffold pole that supports a projector 

screen – for clients to view pictures and 

for movie nights – the ‘privacy wheat’ 

in the bathroom (an artful sandwiching 

of grass between two pieces of glass), 

the endless uses that Mel’s old bed 

has been put to. Many of these have 

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track of all the things he sees on his 

travels – but much comes organically. 

The evolution of the stairs up to the 

mezzanine is a case in point. “I was 

going to have a spiral staircase,” he 

explains, “then one that went straight 

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it. The plan chest was originally meant 

to go into the kitchen, but it was too 

deep for where it was meant to be, so 

George and I decided to incorporate it 

into the staircase.” It fits so perfectly – as 

if that was the original idea all along. 

At the top of the stairs the joists 

support the structure with a ‘V’ shape. 

“The 45° angle looked ugly from 

downstairs, so we’ve infilled with 


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Clockwise from top left: Mel drilled 

through the tarmac and concrete 

beneath to install large planters at 

the front of the building, filled with 

wildflowers; The luxurious bug hotel; 

A framing room is tucked away 

outside, to the rear of the building 

planks and you step through.” This also 

separates the mezzanine platform from 

the stairs, but without closing it off. “We 

might add a gantry one day,” he smiles 

– “I’m inspired by things all the time.” 

Mel, a keen gardener, has been bold 

and inventive with the outside space 

too, using architectural plants in big 

containers. “It is tarmac underneath,” 

he explains, “so we drilled through it, 

went through the concrete below to 

give a bit more depth to the soil in 

the troughs. We used large planters 

made from sleepers either side of the 

path and filled with wildflowers.” 

There’s an impressive bug hotel 

offering what looks like luxury 

accommodation for discerning insects. 

There are framed objects on the outside 

walls containing ancient gardening tools 

and interesting coils of rope – Mel’s 

motto for displaying his collections 

being “if in doubt frame it”. It is a 

curated space, but again, a functional 

one that blends a charming parade of 

gardenalia and horticultural flair. 

The genius of this place has come 

from either re-purposing existing 

objects, or from the necessity of having 

to overcome an obstacle, imposed 

by planning, by the layout of the 

building and by the space implications. 

Above all, it has been the crack team 

of Mel, Jon and George, who have 

each brought their own very different 

strengths to this build – “Jon is a great 

builder, a perfectionist,” says Mel 

warmly. “Everything is finished to 

such a high standard. George will do 

anything – he’s so good with wood and 

works with me when I’m just thinking 

about what I want – like the loo roll 

holder or the lock on the loo door.” 

(These both made – naturally – from 

bits of that old bed). “George has an 

ingenuity – when you put us all in a 

team – I didn’t realise it at the time, 

but in retrospect it’s worked really 

well. Day by day it grew organically 

– we evolved the project together.” 

Visualising an end result is not 

easy. Re-purposing an old building 

from scratch is fraught with pitfalls 

and frustrations. Navigating the way 

without a clear set of plans can be head 

slappingly hard, but when the end 

result is as good – and as ingeniously 

effective as this – who needs a rulebook? 

Address Book: 

To find out about Mel Smith's 

black & white family photography, 

see melsmithphotography.co.uk. 

Mel will be at this year’s Wealden 

Times Midwinter Fair, from 16-18 

November at The Hop Farm. Find 

out more at wealdentimes-fair.co.uk 

Jon Rodger Property Maintenance 

01233 770592 jonathan.rodger@icloud.com 

63 


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£105 COEUR DE LION 

coeur-de-lion.org 

Déclinaison à l’Infini faceted drop 

earrings £55 Helene Elisabeth 

Jewellery heleneelisabeth.com 

Ellisee Carezza 

necklace £145 Sif 

Jakobs Jewellery 

sifjakobs.uk 

Gifts to ... 

Oval mint green tourmaline 

and diamond ring 

£12,000 Robert Bicknell 

robertbicknellfinejewellery.co.uk 

kl 

Darbey watch 

£160 Ted baker 

tedbaker.com 

Spar e&S i e 

Art Deco pave set diamond antique 

cluster ring £2,450 Friar House 

friarhouse.com 

hn 

Aura green quartz discoball 

earrings from £160 KATA 

Jewellery katajewellery.com 

Gold hug ring £50 

Lily Charmed 

lilycharmed.com 

Starburst open bangle 

£35 Scream Pretty 

screampretty.com 

Open petal ring £95 

Lucy Quartermaine 

lucyqdesigns.co.uk 

18W Star Sapphire ring 

with white diamond 

halo £2,950 Baroque 

baroquejewellery.com 

Rachel Jackson 

London earrings 

£60 John Lewis 

johnlewis.com 

Pastello earrings 

in rose gold, 

sapphires and 

diamonds 

£2,850 Bucherer 

Fine Jewellery 

bucherer.com 

Double feather bangle 

from £173 Charlie High 

Designs charliehigh.com 

Nova north star pendant 

necklace £99 Amelia Scott 

amelia-scott.com 

London 1593 silver cufflinks 

£145 Dominic Walmsley 

dominicwalmsley.com 

Ad Astra diamond ring £5,800 

Istari London istari.london 

69 



Everybody 1-2 Switch £24.99 

Nintendo nintendo.co.uk 

Janod super rocket 

magnet kit £31.49 

Small Kins smallkins.com 

New camera badge 

£6 Storigraphic 

storigraphic.com 

KAI: The artificial 

intelligence robot £100 

Thames & Kosmos 

thamesandkosmos.co.uk 

Festive fun eco-friendly jigsaw £15 

Play Shed Puzzles playshedpuzzles.co.uk 

Gold glitter wand £9.99 A is for Alice 

aisforalicecostumes.com 

All in 1 baby 

toddler cup 

£10.99 Chomp 

chompbaby.com 

Gifts for ... 

Gift Republic 

100 Movies Bucket 

List scratch-off 

poster £12.99 Very 

very.co.uk 

Th eYo 

ungO ne s 

Barbie Convertible 

£27.99 John Lewis 

johnlewis.com 

Wooden guitar stand by Pintail 

Studio £215 Handmade in 

Britain handmadeinbritain.co.uk 

Dexter dog push along 

£109.95 Little Bird Told Me 

littlebirdtoldme.com 

Exploding Kittens Throw 

Throw Burrito £24.99 

Smyths smythstoys.com 

Lilliputiens Little Red 

Riding Hood magnetic 

theatre £35.50 John 

Lewis johnlewis.com 

Velour dress £30 

Polarn O. Pyret 

polarnopyret.co.uk 

Taskmaster card game £9.99 

Ginger Fox gingerfox.co.uk 

Marvel Deadpool holiday 

pop! by funko £13 

Amazon amazon.co.uk 

Orange jellycat £10.95 Jeremys Home 

Store jeremyshomestore.co.uk 

Personalised pastille 

bracelet £39 Merci Maman 

mercimamanboutique.com 

71 


Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3PS 

Everything you need for life in the country. 

Yerse 

Seasalt 

White Stuff 

Ariat 

Bring some of your personality to your wardrobe 

with a personally tailored suit or jacket with a 

choice of fabrics, linings and trims. Complement 

your look with our stylish footwear. 

48 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 1AS 

01732 902019 | www.suitsshoessir.com 

www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk 

Contact us on 01580 713189 or info@charityfarmcoutrystore.co.uk! 

SuitsShoesSirWT248.indd 1 05/12/2022 10:56 

BLUE VELVET SHOES 

Visit Blue Velvet Shoes at 174 Kings Road, SW3 4UP or buy online www.bluevelvetshoes.com 


72


Faux mohair Polson beanie 

£30 Herschel Supply Company 

herschelsupplyco.co.uk 

MAI orangutan sweatshirt 

£32 Rural Craft Association 

ruralcraftsassociation.co.uk 

Golden rocket bag £75 

Accessorize accessorize.com 


Th er i War dr 

obe 

s 

Tartan scarf & glove gift set 

£54.95 Barbour barbour.com 

Love wool jumper £165 (100% 

of profits donated to Style for 

Stroke) Fund fundjumpers.com 

Borg mittens 

£19.50 M&S 

marksandspencer.com 

100% Merino funnel 

neck in soft grey & 

cobalt stripes £195 

Birdie London 

birdie.london 

Brushed Timothy 

Buffalo Check 

Shirt £65 Crew 

crewclothing.co.uk 

Knitluxe Studio Skye 

Merino lambswool 

wrist warmers £38 

Handmade in Britain 

handmadeinbritain.co.uk 

Swole Panda 

bamboo socks £10 

Jeremy Hobbs 

jeremyhobbs.co.uk 

Penshaw cable 

beanie £29.95 

Barbour barbour.com 

Reversible vegan tote in navy 

& red £189 The Morphbag 

by GSK themorphbag.london 

Esska Rasa dark 

gold boots £170 

Oliver Bonas 

oliverbonas.com 

White Stuff Evelyn velvet 

blazer £100 Charity Farm 

charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk 

Black suede belt with detachable 

buckle £125 Peachy Belts 

peachybelts.co.uk 

Silk tie £150 

Richard Anderson 

richardandersonltd.com 

Swole Panda recycled belt £35 County 

Clothes countyclothesmenswear.co.uk 

73 


Gabriel Holland Interior Design 

GH 

Coastal City Country Quiet interiors for all homes 

Kent, Sussex & London 

@gabrielhdesigns hello@gabrielholland.com www.gabrielholland.com 07855 837021 

19 - 21 Harbour St, Ramsgate 

CT11 8HA 

Gifts 

Jewellery 

Art 

Exhibitions 

Classes 

Gift Vouchers 

www.turnerroweartcentre.com . info@turnerroweartcentre.com . 07307527848 


74 

TurnerRoweArtCentre&GalleryWT253.indd 1 24/05/2023 10:31:42


Gold Champagne Trug £49.50 

M&S marksandspencer.com 

Sanderson crane & 

frog cushion £44 

Jones & Tomlin 

jonesandtomlin.co.uk 

Stargazing mug 

& ceramic 

pen £18.95 

Trouvaille Global 

trouvailleglobal.com 

Michaela Gall 

Sushi plate £255 

Shop Floor Project 

theshopfloorproject.com 

Black agate 

crystal wine bottle 

stopper £35 

Xander Kostroma 

xanderkostroma.uk 

An Apothecary of Art 

wellbeing book from 

Ravenous Butterflies 

£18.99 Batsford Books 

batsfordbooks.com 

Cin Cin 

embroidered 

wall art £69.50 

Oliver Bonas 

oliverbonas.com 


Ho mes 

Ho us eh ol 

ds 

Christmas Wish 

candle from £19 

Arbrook Candles 

arbrookcandles.co.uk 

Use discount 

code ‘XMAS25’ for 

25% off Christmas 

Wish candles at 

arbrookcandles.co.uk 

& 

Daisy Flower 

cushion cover £45 

Jessica Russell Flint 

jessicarussellflint.co.uk 

Butterfly Tiffany 

lamp £96 

Elstead Lighting 

elsteadlighting.com 

Cocktail 

Collection 

ice bucket 

£25 ProCook 

procook.co.uk 

Seven Sisters B Watercolour on paper 

40x40cm £300 by Lucy Homer Jones 

lucyhomerjones.com 

Star design Champagne 

saucer £70 (set of 6) 

Osski osski.co.uk 

Fired Earth ceramic 

diffuser £30 

Jones & Tomlin 

jonesandtomlin.co.uk 

Twilight decanter £110 

Dartington Crystal 

dartington.co.uk 

Handmade ceramic 

geometric vase Sussex 

artist Gaynor Sadlo 

£125 Greenfinch 

greenfinchshop.co.uk 

Rotating snowflake tea light 

holder £8 National Trust 

shop.nationaltrust.org.uk 

Antique hand-painted bone 

trinket box from Rajasthan, 

India £495 Trading Boundaries 

tradingboundaries.com 

75 


West End House 

Art Gallery 

Homeware Candles Gifts & Accessories Jewellery 

Bath & Body Baby & Child Read Write Wrap Gift Vouchers 

Contemporary gallery in beautiful 

Smarden. A glorious mix of artworks 

at all prices from artists near and far 

www.westendhousegallery.co.uk 

Best Art Gallery in Kent Winner 

145 Bridge Street Wye TN25 5DP 

07739 885609 

ticketybooshop.com @ ticketybooshop 

Water Lane, Smarden, TN27 8QB, 01233 770261 

email: girls@westendhousegallery.co.uk 

5000 SQ FT OF BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE AND GIFTS OVER 3 FLOORS! 

W W W. L O N D O N R O A D F U R N I T U R E . C O . U K 

TEL 01959 533433 - LONDON ROAD, HALSTEAD, SEVENOAKS, KENT TN14 7AA 

FARNINGHAM OAK BRANCH - TEL 01322 863230 - HIGH STREET, FARNINGHAM, KENT DA4 0DG 


76


Eiderglass stained 

glass mistletoe 

wreath £36 

Folksy folksy.com 

Sparkle winter 

spice vegan scented 

candle from £25 

SevenSeventeen 

seven-seventeen.co.uk 

Lupins In The Sun 

limited edition fine 

art print from £95 

Abbie Carnegy Art 

abbiecarnegyart.com 

That Little Map Shop illustrated 

Surrey Map £15 Etsy etsy.com 

Crack List card game £20 

Amazon amazon.co.uk 

One of a kind clock £60 

Desiré North desirenorth.com 


Ho mes 

Ho us eh ol 

ds 

& 

Carved glass pebble vase £155 

Rebel Roses rebelroses.co.uk 

Rainbow hand shaped 

boxed puzzle £35 

Jonathan Adler 

uk.jonathanadler.com 

Woodland in steel 

and wood by David 

Mayne £240 West 

End House Gallery 

westendhousegallery.co.uk 

Ellen Hayward Angel 

candle holder £200 

Shop Floor Project 

theshopfloorproject.com 

Ocean Spray short mug £34 Emily 

Doran Pottery emilydoranpottery.com 

Large hand-painted plate £55 

Gillshaw Pottery gillshawpottery.co.uk 

Home set with Awakening room spray 

and diffuser and a calming candle £55 

(worth £80) GAIA gaiaskincare.com 

Mesa tabletop 

fire pit £89.99 

Solo Stoves 

solostove.com 

Personalised house coaster £10 

Reimagined by Anna Stark 

reimaginedbyannastark.com 

Edelweiss Noel cushion £132 Jan 

Constantine janconstantine.com 

Angus table lamp 

with shade £300 

Elstead Lighting 

elsteadlighting.com 

Stacie star frame 

£27 Fable and Mirth 

fableandmirth.com 


Dominic Walmsley 

FOR THE ARTISTIC SHOPPER 

Beautiful bespoke 

jewellery 

BEAUTIFUL ART & UNIQUE ITEMS 

FROM SUSSEX & KENT 

CHURCH STREET TICEHURST TN57AE 

01580 201259 jane@greenfinchshop.co.uk 

greenfinchshop.co.uk @greenfinchticehurst 

3 The Square • Riverhead 

01732 779 555 www.dominicwalmsley.com 

Greenfinch Quarter Page 90x130 final v03.indd 1 08/03/2023 Wealdon 11:48 

Times Natural Ring April 23.indd 1 13/10/2023 16:11:36 

DISCOVER KENT’S ORIGINAL VINEYARD, OWNED AND MANAGED BY THE BARNES FAMILY SINCE 1969 

Biddenden Vineyards Festive Shop 

Here at Biddenden we have everything you need 

for the festive season. 

Our hampers are the perfect gift for family and 

friends. Choose from our range of wines, ciders 

and juices, add a vineyard tour voucher or 

products such as chutneys, honey, gins, beers 

and much more, all sourced from local and 

Kentish businesses. Add a gift message for the 

truly personal touch. 

Merry Christmas from the Biddenden Team 

Visit our website for more information on visiting 

www.biddendenvineyards.com 

Open daily from the 18th of November until 5pm on 

Saturday the 23rd December 

Monday-Friday: 9am-5pm, 

Saturday: 10am-5pm, Sunday: 11am-4pm 

Biddenden Vineyards, Gribble Bridge Lane, Biddenden, Kent, TN27 8DF 

01580 291726 | info@biddendenvineyards.co.uk 


78


31 Le Rouge 

refillable lipstick in 

Rouge Premier £140 

Chanel chanel.com 

Diamond trefoil 

cluster pendant 

Cousins £5,995 

tbcousins.co.uk 

Portrait commission 

voucher from £2,000 

Royal Society of Portrait 

Painters therp.co.uk 

Rose gold Peekaboo 

earrings with two roundcut 

morganites and 18 

brilliant-cut diamonds 

£3,250 Bucherer Fine 

Jewellery bucherer.com 

Clase Azul Reposado 

tequila £215 Selfridges 

selfridges.com 

Meisterstück 

Neo briefcase 

£1,460 Montblanc 

montblanc.com 

Noel double 

wick candle £129 

Holland & Cooper 

hollandcooper.com 

Oaklee coat £980 

Temperley London 

temperleylondon.com 


A Lit tl e Lu xu 

ry 

Rose gold mandarin garnet 

and pink tourmaline serpent 

ring £4,000 Robert Bicknell 

robertbicknellfinejewellery.co.uk 

Utopia woman 

decanter £295 

Jonathan Adler 

uk.jonathanadler.com 

Gold Autumn ring with 

garnets, citrines, sapphires 

and diamonds £6,300 

Dominic Walmsley Jewellery 


Beoplay HX headphones 

£449 Bang & Olufsen 

bang-olufsen.com 

Starlight View Small 

Zip-Around Dark Cherry 

Grab Bag £199 Radley 

radley.co.uk 

Freelancer 2490 

watch £1,795 

Raymond Weil 

raymond-weil.co.uk 

Dream nightdress £135 Simone 

Perele uk.simone-perele.com 

Pro-Ject E1 Phono turntable 

£299 John Lewis johnlewis.com 


FEASTS | EXPERIENCES | DESIGN | CURATION 

Indulge in gorgeous cakes, tasty treats 

made especially for you, your event or 

simply just becasuse... 

Step out of the box with carefully-curated events and feasts that ignite the senses 

and capture the magic of any occasion. 

Filled with life, colour, energy and years of experience, The Curious Events are here 

to take you beyond any expectations of what any celebration can be... 

Creativity & Flair 

Christmas treat boxes £30 

The night before Christmas goodie bag £10 

Christmas Eve grazing box £35 

Boxing Day brunch £19 per person 

Spaces limited 

07922 193031 | daisydoocupcakes@gmail.com 

facebook.com/daisydoocupcakes 

daisydoocupcakes 

Our team of chefs seek to design a menu that 

will have your guests’ tastebuds singing. 

Combining your tastes and preferences with our 

own unique style that’s catered to you, our feasts 

are always a stand-out attraction. 

Seasonality & Quality Produce 

It is our mission to take a sustainable approach 

to everything we do, including using fresh 

produce from our very own allotment, and 

working with small and independent suppliers. 

www.thecuriousevents.co.uk • feast@thecuriouseatery.co.uk • 01622 299359 


80


Revive green 

Le Creuset casserole tea £12.95 Baiji 

from £285 John Lewis baijilife.co.uk 

johnlewis.com 

Cranberry, Port & Orange 

sauce £7.05 Tracklements 

tracklements.co.uk 


snow globe 

gin by Gravity 

Drinks £29 

Harvey Nichols 

harveynichols.com 

Wild Forest 

biscotti gift box 

£30 Biscottilicious 

biscottilicious.com 


F od 

ie s Ch 

ef 

s 

Basil hydro-herb kit made 

from a recycled wine bottle 

£25 hydro-herb.co.uk 

Barista coffee 

syrup £3.79 

Sweet Freedom 

sweetfreedom.co.uk 

& 

Bolivian Wild Truffle gift box £19.99 

MELT Chocolates meltchocolates.com 

Mince Pie, 43.5% 

Venezuelan Milk 

Chocolate bar £5.50 

Only Coco only-coco.co.uk 

Soups £14.99 

National Trust Books 

shop.nationaltrust.org.uk 

Winter Woodland yule log cake from 

£25 Lola’s Cupcakes lolascupcakes.co.uk 

Acorn mug £15 National 

Trust shop.nationaltrust.org.uk 

English sparkling 

wine London 

Brut 2018 £38 

DifferentKind 

thedifferentkind.com 

Silent Pool Black 

Juniper Gin 

£295 Silent Pool 

silentpooldistillers.com 

Ultimate Sushi Kit £34.99 

Kelly Loves kellyloves.com 

Box of 6 mince pie cookie 

cups £20.99 Blondies Kitchen 

blondieskitchen.co.uk 

Gift box with 2 jars of moonshine, 

2 shot glasses and a pouring lid 

£56.90 O’Donnell Moonshine 

odonnellmoonshine.co.uk 

81 


READER 

OFFER 

Use Code: 

WINTER15 

*Ts&Cs Apply 

Think you’ve got clothes moths? Care for your home with 

Total Wardrobe Care’s natural anti-moth products 

15% 

OFF 

CHRISTMAS 

READER OFFER 

*Ts&Cs Apply 

Visit totalwardrobecare.co.uk 

Use Code: WINTER15 

at checkout 

@totalwardrobecare 

Total Wardrobe Care 

@TotalWardrobe 

Total Wardrobe Care 

“Keep a natural oil diffuser 

in your wardrobe at all 

times - it smells good & 

wards off moths” 

“Ingenious new 

pheromone treatment 

to tackle moth 

infestations” 

Unit 4, Farringdon Industrial Centre, 

Hampshire, GU34 3DD 

info@totalwardrobecare.co.uk 

Tel: 01420 588 588


London Grace nail 

polish £12 Ticketyboo 

ticketybooshop.com 

Candy cane 

reusable 

bubble bar £5 

Lush lush.com 

Smell the Roses soap 

£7 Elstree Soaps 

elstreesoaps.com 

Wildsmith Skin shower 

oil £40 wildsmithskin.com 

Gifts to ... 

Bouncing Santa 

shower jelly 

£6.50 Lush 

lush.com 

Pa mpe 

r Sp oi 

l 

Aurelie crimson stripe silk shirt 

£190 and trouser 170 Sleepy 

Wilson sleepywilson.com 

Red French clay natural soap on a rope 

£7.50 The Vely Soapery thevelysoapery.com 

& 

Charlotte Tilbury 

Lip Blur £27 

John Lewis 

johnlewis.com 

Rescue Ritual Cleanse 

& Nourish gift 

set £56 Douvall’s 

douvalls.com 

Wave Pro skin 

spatula with 

SonicGlow 

Technology and 

EMS £119 PMD 

uk.pmdbeauty.com 

Midnight Reset 

sleeping balm 

£50 Kelsey 

kelseyskin.com 

Embroidered flowers linen 

makeup bag £35 Sarah Becvar 

Design sarahbecvardesign.com 

Wella Christmas 

mini luxe oil bauble 

£12 Look Fantastic 

lookfantastic.com 

Wash bag £22.50 Sarah Louise Dix 

sarahlouisedix.co.uk 

Put on Something Ice 

nail laquer £14.90 

OPI opi.com 

C.O. Bigelow coconut 

body cleanser and 

body lotion duo 

set £29 Liberty 

libertylondon.com 

Chloe stripe PJ bottoms 

£129.50 Jessica Russel Flint 

jessicarussellflint.co.uk 

83 


SUSSEX COUNTRY 

gardEnEr 

Sussex Country Gardener has been an independent family-run 

garden centre in the heart of East Sussex for over 25 years. Our 

magnificent Christmas emporium holds all you need to create 

your perfect Christmas – from decorations set in beautiful, 

themed displays, lit artificial trees, and British grown Christmas 

trees, to a delicious selection of festive foods, and gifts galore! 

Magical 

FOREST 

Bring a rustic forest look into your 

home with whimsical woodland 

decorations in earthy tones of 

green, brown, white and gold. 

Berry 


Transform your Christmas 

tree with these opulent 

decorations in shades of blue, 

purple and gold. 

Jolly 

JINGLES 

Bring some vibrancy and fun 

to your tree with our selection 

of mixed colour decorations in 

all different shapes and styles. 

Champagne 

Chic 

Create a truly elegant display 

with our selection of decorations 

in soft shades of pink, gold, 

green and wine red. 

AVAILABLE FROM 24TH NOV 

British Grown, 

Real Christmas Trees 

OUR LOCAL CHRISTMAS TREE SUPPLIER 

Hole Park Christmas Tree farm in Cranbrook 

have a long history and many years of 

experience growing Christmas trees, going back 

over 60 Years. They are members of the British 

Christmas tree growers association, and their 

ethos is to provide fresh homegrown trees to UK 

customers. All their trees are cut to order and 

delivered to us gradually to ensure they are of 

the best possible quality and freshness. 

Receive a £5 voucher to spend in 

store for all online pre-orders before 

the 26th November 2023 

Join our FREE 

reward card club 

Receive a £5 voucher to spend in our café 

Seasonal discounts 

Points on purchases 

Free tea and cake for your birthday 

Christmas late 

night opening 

Friday 24th November 

5.30pm - 9.00pm 

See our website for details. 

20% 

OFF 

ON THE 

NIGHT 

Gifts for all 

Toys for 

children of all 

ages, candles, 

clothes, toiletries, 

Stationery and 

Polish Pottery. 


workshops 

A magical experience 

for all the family. 

Make all sorts from 

wreaths to reindeer 

sweet holders. 

See our website for details. 

SUSSEX COUNTRY GARDENER, MARK CROSS, CROWBOROUGH, EAST SUSSEX, TN6 3PJ 

01892 852828 l www.sussexcountrygardener.co.uk 

STARTS 

FROM 

5th 

DEC


Silver Tree of Life pendant 

£125 Dower & Hall 

dowerandhall.com 

National Trust Gardener’s 

Almanac 2024 

£9.99 National Trust 

nationaltrust.org.uk 

Grow It bonsai tree plant £16 

Moonpig moonpig.com 

Gardening apron £32.99 

Perkins & Morley 

perkinsandmorley.com 

Watering can pin 

badge £6 Storigraphic 



Gre en 

-Fi nge 

rs 

Women’s Arctic Sport II Tall 

Boots £150 Muck Boot Company 

muckbootcompany.co.uk 

RHS Gardening 

caddy bag £69 

Genus genus.gs 

“Plant Dreams, Pull Weeds & Grow 

a Happy Life” mug £6 Vicky Yorke 

Designs vickyyorkedesigns.com 

Personalised leather 

effect gardening journal 

£26.95 Martha Brook 

marthabrook.com 

Bonsai plant 

seed kit £14 

Seed Pantry 

seedpantry.co.uk 

Small World 1 

terrarium £99 

Four Store London 

fourstore.co.uk 

V&A Sweet pea 

seed pack £2 

V&A vam.ac.uk 

Rolife Cathy’s flower house wooden kit 

£50 John Lewis johnlewis.com 

Bundle & Rust gardeners soap 

£4.75 Rural Crafts Association 


Calathea Orbifolia 

with Windsor Sage 

planter £34 Leaf Envy 

leafenvy.co.uk 

Houseplant colour 

pressure mister £14.99 

Dobbies dobbies.com 

3in1 moisture meter 

£24 Leaf Envy 

leafenvy.co.uk 

Grow embroidery kit £22.95 

Hawthorn Handmade 

hawthornhandmade.com 

85 


An exciting & unique gift for a racing fan 

Own a share in a yearling 

for the 2024 season 

• Racehorse Ownership Gift pack from £500 

• Providing exclusive behind the scenes 

organised trips to the training yard/ 

Owners badges when racing/Share of any 

prize money won/Regular updates 

from your Racing Manager 

• Choose from a small number 

of carefully selected yearlings 

who are exciting prospects for 

the 2024 horse racing season 

Established in 2006, racehorse-ownership has provided 

racing enthusiasts with plenty of winners and exciting 

days out throughout the UK and overseas. 

07887 500777 | www.racehorse-ownership.com 

Pamper Your Pets This Christmas 

Helios is a specialist homeopathic pharmacy 

based in the heart of Tunbridge Wells. 

Alongside our remedies we stock a wide range of organic 

and natural skin and hair care products, flower essences 

and vitamin and mineral supplements for all the family and 

a wide range of books, we like to look after your pets too. 

Why not treat your four legged friends to a Helios First 

Aid Kit for Pets which contains 24 homeopathic remedies 

covering a wide range of common complaints and first 

aid situations and our specially formulated SOeSsence 

flower essence for those emergency situations. There is 

a comprehensive booklet to help you choose the right 

remedy too. In addition our SOeSsence healing beeswax 

balm contains botanicals and essential oils to help heal 

sore paws and minor cuts and abrasions and our SLS 

free shampoo contains soothing plant based ingredients, 

particularly good for itchy and scurfy skin. Buy all three 

products and get 20% off. 

Our homeopaths and pharmacists are on hand to offer you 

a warm welcome and expert advice for all your health care 

needs. 

We look forward to seeing you soon. 

Helios Homeopathy Ltd, 97 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2QR 

Open Mon-Fri 9.00am - 5.30pm Sat 9.00am - 2.00pm 

01892 537254 www.helios.co.uk 


86 

HeliosPharmacyWT246.indd 1 17/10/2022 16:06


Molly Black Cat pin 

badge £6 Storigraphic 


“The Queen of Wands” 

talisman necklace 

£36 Fable England 

fableengland.com 

Personalised pet bowl £27 

Reimagined by Anna Stark 

reimaginedbyannastark.com 

Silver star dog poo bag 

pouch £15 Rockett St 

George rockettstgeorge.co.uk 

Paw ring £45 Lily Charmed 

lilycharmed.com 


Furbo 360° dog camera 

with treat dispenser, 

colour night vision, 

and barking alert £139 

Furbo furbo.com 

An im al Lo 

ve 

rs 

Life’s-a-ball Limited edition screenprint by 

Sarah Targett 30x30cm £60 (unframed) 

The Wey Gallery theweygallery.com 

Sprout chew toy £4 M&S 

marksandspencer.com 

PetKit Smart 

Antibacterial Pet 

Bowl £32 

John Lewis 

johnlewis.com 

Pink sapphire gem 

collar charm £16 

Cheshire & Wain 

cheshireandwain.com 

Ceramic bird 

candle holder 

£62.50 Fable 

and Mirth 

fableandmirth.com 

‘I Spies Mince 

Pies’ plate £22.50 

Jimbobart 

jimbobart.com 

Pudding dog 

socks £7.50 

FatFace 

fatface.com 

Karate Cats and 

Kung Fu Dogs 

card game £11.99 

Ginger Fox 

gingerfox.co.uk 

Deeply Dishy luxury 

dog bed from £153 

Charley Chau 

charleychau.com 

Sausage dog tricks mug £15 

Jane Abbott janeabbott.com 

Radley & Friends slipper 

£50 Radley radley.co.uk 

Shelter Stevie sheep dog 

jumper £24 FatFace fatface.com 

87 



The Hot One 

Price: £20-50 

What’s inside: 24 pouches of your 

pick of hot drink 

From the edge of the Peak 

District, Yawn are sending out 

hot drink advents that will have 

you feeling warm and cosy all 

December. There’s options galore 

with hot cocoa in milk or dark, 

and with a cup, or marshmallows 

too, if you like. Tea can be loose leaf 

or bags, caffine-free or even bags for 

two. And coffee comes in options 

of beans or a grind to suit your 

coffee maker or even add a reusable 

advent. yawnbrew.com 

The Personalised One 

Price: £249 

What’s inside: £450 worth of jewellery including pendants, 

necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets 

Abbott Lyon’s advent is available in gold or silver with 

personalisable details so you can unveil pieces with your 

initial and birthstone, as well as getting your name printed 

on the box itself. Nothing says luxury like a bespoke option 

and this one is a really lovely treat! abbottlyon.com 

Advent Calendars 

From classic chocs to jewellery, beauty treats, candles and tipples – we have a grown-up advent to suit 

every taste and have you joyfully counting down the days ‘til Christmas! 

The Jewellery One 

The Pampering One 

Price: £195 

What’s inside: 25 fabulous and festive Lush 

products including bath bombs, soaps, lotions, 

scrubs, and shower gels. 

The Lush Advent Calendar is big, beautiful 

and filled with all you need to spend your 

festive season sweet-scented and feeling 

pampered to the fullest. A lot of the products 

included are exclusive to this box and there is 

a joyful Christmas theme running throughout 

with penguins, snowflakes and santas all 

getting involved. Is it a luxury? Yes. Is it very 

lush? Yes it is! lush.com 

The Pet’s One 

Price: £12.50 for cats, £14 for dogs 

What’s inside: 24 natural treats in 2 or 3 flavours 

Lily’s Kitchen’s proper pet food advents let fourlegged 

friends enjoy counting down the days 

with you. These treats will be the highlight of 

your pet’s day with their natural ingredients, 

using real meat, steamed veggies, and nutritious 

herbs and no nasties whatsoever. lilyskitchen.co.uk 

Price: £220 

What’s inside: 12 really pretty pieces of 

jewellery worth over £400 total 

Sussex brand, Posh Totty’s advent is a 

top pick for jewellery magpies. It is one 

of the brand’s many products that raises 

money for Women International with 

every sale – helping women who have 

survived war. These lovely handmade 

advents are in limited edition of 50 so 

don’t dilly dally! poshtottydesigns.com 


88

The Chocolate One 

Price: £27.50 (or two for £50) What’s inside: 25 delicious handcrafted chocolates 

Chococo’s award-winning plastic-free calendars are always sure to please. This year, they 

have a few exciting new flavours including Bottoms Up! Champagne Gem, We Three Fruits 

and Panela Panache Truffle. This is a chocolate advent that feels indulgent and grown-up 

and at a very reasonable price, while also being sustainable, UK-made, AND they even 

have a plant-based option for the same price! This one checks all our boxes. chococo.co.uk 


The Anything One 

Price: £115 

What’s inside: Whatever you want! 

Kent-based Nancy & Betty Studio’s 

personalised embroidered fabric option 

is perfect for those wanting to do their 

own thing and make an eco-friendly 

choice. The pockets have plenty of 

room so you can fill with whatever you 

want, or get a pair for you and a loved 

one so you can fill them for each other 

for an extra suprise element! 

nancyandbetty.com 

The Whisky One 

The Candle One 

Price: £60 

What’s inside: 24 luxury tealights in 21 

scents, in festive gold aluminium cups 

Great House Farm Stores’ first ever 

advent is filled with tealights that are 

hand-poured on their Welsh farm. 

Candle lovers will adore opening up 

this sustainable box each day to find 

a new scent to try out over a 5 hour 

burn time. This one is homely and 

gentle, a real breath of fresh (or rather 

beautifully scented) air for a soothing 

advent experience. 

greathousefarmstores.co.uk 

Price: £179.95 

What’s inside: 24 50ml drams of Scotch whisky 

The Whisky Tour of Scotland Advent Calendar 

by Gravity Drinks takes you on a journey 

across Scotland. This beautiful handmade 

wooden cabinet also comes with two spirit 

nosing glasses so you can share a tipple each 

night of December. masterofmalt.com 

The Nice List One 

Price: £14.99 

What’s inside: 25 scrummy chocolates in 10 flavours including 

hazelnut, popping sugar, caramel, pretzel and sea salt 

Tony’s Chocolonely Countdown Calendar supports the fight 

for a fairer chocolate industry. With a fact about the industry 

for every day, it educates us while also giving us a seriously 

tasty choc, demonstrating just what the industry could 

and should be doing. All this with a great taste, fair price 

tag, and it’s free from palm oil and plastic packaging. 

Definitely one for the nice list! tonyschocolonely.com 

89 



Pink & gold glitter 

bauble £6.50 

Trading Boundaries 

tradingboundaries.com 

Honeycomb 

bauble decorations 

£45 (set of 6) 

OKA oka.com 

Toy tox tree 

decoration 

£16 Nancy & 

Betty Studio 

nancyandbetty.com 

Harbour stripe 

radish bow £45 

Tori Murphy 

torimurphy.com 

Twisted tapered 

LED candles 

£20 (pair) OKA 

oka.com 

A Royal Celebration 

Take inspiration from Victoria & Albert’s traditional Christmases with ribbons and 

candles, luxury plastic-free materials like silk velvet, glass and paper, and handmade 

details – add a touch of gold and jewel tones, and a dusting of Dickensian snow to finish 

Huxley, the 

Dachshund in 

recycled metal £15.99 

Adams & Mack 

adamsandmack.com 

Glass BonBon jar set of 2 £32.90 

Solavia Glassware solavia.co.uk 

Green velvet 

bow £3.50 

John Lewis 

johnlewis.com 

Footed antique 

brass wine 

cooler, £225 

Cox & Cox 

coxandcox.co.uk 

Terracotta dove 

decoration, £3.99 

Sourced by Oxfam 

onlineshop.oxfam.org.uk 

Pewter mistletoe 

Christmas decoration 

£28 Dower & Hall 

dowerandhall.com 

Lyon Champagne glass 

with diamond cut detail 

£7.50 The Wisteria Tree 

thewisteriatree.co.uk 

Gold LED star light/ 

tree topper £40 

Rockett St George 

rockettstgeorge.co.uk 

Openable 

bauble £9.95 

Annabel James 

annabeljames.co.uk 

First Christmas 

carousel wooden 

decoration £25 

No Ordinary Gift 

noordinarygift.co.uk 

Plum recycled glass 

bauble (hand-blown 

by Muslims in 

Hebron, and handpainted 

by Christians 

in Bethlehem) £18 

Bethlehem Baubles 

bethlehembaubles.com 

Enchanted bow 

charm from £10 

Velvet Linen 

velvetlinen.co.uk 

Kaso lantern aged 

antique brass 

small £70 Nkuku 

nkuku.com 

Dimali antique brass 

candle holder with handle 

£18 Nkuku nkuku.com 

Remote control 

candle tree lights 

£50 (set of 10) 

Cox & Cox 

coxandcox.co.uk 

Damson Berry 

and Gold Leaf 

Wreath £35 

John Lewis 

johnlewis.com 

Brass bells £40 (pair) 

Layered Lounge 

layeredlounge.com 


Family business since 1996 

Christmas Gifts 

Vintage Furniture 

Textiles & More ... 

Enjoy a Glass of Wine in 

our Cafe-Bar too! 

Discover the Magic of Christmas! 

Stunning Vintage World Furniture • Christmas Gifts, Textiles & Decorations 

Candles & Homeware • Fully Licensed Café-Bar • Live Music & Events 

Roger Dean Gallery • Weddings & Receptions • Christmas & Staff Parties 

Front Desk: 01825 790 200 | E: showroom@tradingboundaries.com | www.tradingboundaries.com 

Trading Boundaries, Sheffield Green, East Sussex, TN22 3RB | On the A275 just 10 minutes from Haywards Heath & Lindfield! 


Christmas Half Page 185mm x 130mm.indd 1 19/10/2022 15:49 

91 

TradingBoundariesWT246.indd 1 19/10/2022 15:56

JOSEPH RIBKOFF 

SPECIAL EVENT 

SEPTEMBER 14TH 

3PM-8PM 

EXCLUSIVE OFFERS 

AND PRIZE DRAW 

SHOP ONLINE AND INSTORE 

49 High St, Cranbrook, TN17 3EE 

www.odyl.co.uk | 01580 714907 

HERNE BAY STORE - NOW OPEN 

BEXHILL - CANTERBURY - HERNE BAY - REIGATE 

SEVENOAKS - TENTERDEN - TUNBRIDGE WELLS 

COUNTY CLOTHES 

MENSWEAR 

Proud stockists of: 

Barbour, Barker, Geox, Jeep, Lacuzzo, 

Sergio Duletti, John White, R M Williams, 

Bugatti and Savelli, boots & shoes 

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92

Tied with a bow 

A blush pink cubic zirconia is encircled with a hand painted 

emerald green enamel bow in this beautifully festive ring 

Photograph: David Merewether 

Styling: Lucy Fleming 

Amelia Bow Ring in emerald, 

blush pink & gold, £99, 

Amelia Scott amelia-scott.com

Jacquard gold foil 

star kimono £89 

Scamp & Dude 

scampanddude.com 

Looking good 

slouchy boots 

£60 Joe Browns 

joebrowns.co.uk 

Love knot pendant £95 

Dominic Walmsley 


Black silk bow 

headband £39 

Phase Eight 

phase-eight.com 

istockphoto.com/ Lana-Light 

Bow necklace £60 

Scream Pretty 

screampretty.com 

Alohas fossil cream leather 

ballet flats £120 Oliver 

Bonas oliverbonas.com 

Marlow halter 

dress in black £695 

Temperley London 

temperleylondon.com 

All Wrapped Up! 

PU wrap belted 

midi skirt £35 

Very very.co.uk 

Stripe blouse 

£31 John Lewis 

johnlewis.com 

Your presence is the ultimate present, so take style inspo from 

luxurious gift wrapping by gathering, draping, tying and generally 

swathing yourself in wintry glamour. Just add a bow or two to top it 

off and you’ll be all set for the festive season! 

Lisa The Label Bow 

Belle sweater £245 

Wolf & Badger 

wolfandbadger.com 

Matilda antique Victorian 

true lover’s knot ring £1,680 

The Vintage Ring Company 

thevintageringco.com 

Beaded star hair 

bow £20 Accessorize 

accessorize.com 

Rope knot ring 

£42 SEOL + GOLD 

seolgold.com 

Gold sailors knot 

earrings £2,123.87 

(per earring) 

Cervin Blanc 

cervinblanc.com 

Elegant bootie 

£150 Steve Madden 

stevemadden.co.uk 

Juniper velvet 

jumpsuit 

£95 FatFace 

fatface.com 

Autograph leather trench coat £350 

M&S marksandspencer.com 

Peri paisley devore dress £120 

Monsoon monsoon.co.uk 


Bow detail bag 

£55 Monsoon 

monsoon.co.uk 

Happiest gold 

slingbacks £85 

Dune London 

dunelondon.com

ICONA 

UNIT 11 HART SHOPPING CENTRE 

FLEET | HAMPSHIRE | GU51 3LA 

01252 621035 

www.experiencethedifference.co.uk

Cosy awaits...

Originally from Brazil, chef Maz Cogo has recently moved 

from London to the South coast to join The Union Rye 

as its new Head Chef, having held head chef and senior 

kitchen positions at Brat, Legare and Padella. She brings 

with her a passion for seasonal vegetables and produce, 

whole animal butchery skills, live fire cooking and a 

love of hospitality. We visited her and The Union team 

in their beautiful 15th century building in the heart of 

Rye to shoot three gorgeously autumnal recipes that are 

simple enough to recreate at home and truly delicious 

Recipes: Maz Cogo Photographs: David Merewether 

Homemade ricotta with 

slow roasted pumpkin, 

sherry, walnut & sage 

Serves 6 Prep time: 20 

mins, plus resting time 

This is a gorgeous recipe which is 

simple to make but suitably indulgent 

for an autumnal lunch or dinner party. 

I like using Red Kuri squash with its 

dry and rich flesh which roasts beautiful 

and pairs perfectly with the creamy 

ricotta. I source Kuri squash from 

Tablehurst Farm, near Forest Row in 

East Sussex. For the dressing, use the 

best vinegar and extra virgin olive oil 

you can, such as a sherry or muscatel 

vinegar, or perhaps a sweet apple 

vinegar from your local farm shop. 

For the ricotta: 

• 1L whole milk 

• 300ml double cream 

• 55ml lemon juice 

• 55ml white wine vinegar 

• 2 sprigs of fresh oregano 

Measure out the lemon juice and 

vinegar into a bowl and set aside, 

while you heat the milk, cream, and 

oregano in a saucepan over a medium 

heat, stirring to avoid burning. Once 

at the boil, take off the heat and add 

the lemon juice and vinegar mixture 

and stir well. Leave to cool until room 

temperature and then strain and season. 

Keep refrigerated until needed. 

Note: When straining, be careful not 

to strain it too much. Collect the whey 

in a bowl in case you need to loosen 

the ricotta so it’s rich and creamy. 

For the pumpkin: 

• 600-700g of pumpkin or squash 

such as Red Kuri, Delicata, 

Crown Prince or Butternut 

Heat the oven to 200°C and line 

a large baking tray with baking 

parchment. There is no need to peel 

the squash, simply halve, deseed, cut 

into wedges and arrange onto the 

tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season 

well with salt, a crack of freshly black 

pepper, and a bunch of sage. Roast 

for 35-45 mins or until very tender. 

For the dressing: 

• 1 clove of garlic 

• 50ml sherry vinegar 

• 200ml olive oil 

• 30g dark brown sugar 

• 200ml rapeseed oil 

Crush the garlic in a large bowl 

and whisk in the other ingredients. 

The flavour will greatly improve if 

you leave to infuse overnight in the 

fridge and sieve before serving. 

To serve: 

• toasted and crushed walnuts 

• fried sage leaves 

Arrange the roasted pumpkin on a 

large platter, or individual plates, and 

spoon on dollops of the ricotta. Sprinkle 

with a handful of toasted and crushed 

walnuts, fried sage leaves and generously 

drizzle over the sherry vinegar dressing. 

Any left-over dressing will be happy 

in the fridge for up to ten days. 

97 


THE PEPPERBOX INN 

WINDMILL HILL, HARRIETSHAM, MAIDSTONE ME17 1LP 

Opening Hours: Closed Mondays (except Bank Holidays) 

Tues- Sat 11.30-3pm (food 12-2.15pm) 

6pm-11pm (food 6pm-9pm) 

Sun 12pm-5pm (food 12pm-3pm) 

MERRY & BRIGHT 

Come celebrate the festive season with us. With open log 

fires and twinkling lights amongst the oak beams, there is 

nothing quite like Christmas at the Pepperbox Inn. 

STARTERS 

Sweet potato, parsnip & ginger soup, crispy shallots 

Potted salmon, pickled cucumber, toast 

Smoked ham croquettes, spiced apple relish 

Baked brie with walnuts, cranberries & honey, toast 

MAIN COURSES 

Traditional roast turkey, sausage meat & bacon stuffing, duck fat roast potatoes & gravy 

Pan fried pheasant breast, Drambuie, mushroom & chervil cream sauce, potato terrine 

Slow cooked beef feather blade, red wine sauce, colcannon mash, parsnip crisps 

Pan fried seabass fillet, crab ravioli, dill butter sauce 

Chestnut mushroom & cavolo nero risotto, toasted hazelnuts 

DESSERTS 

Christmas pudding & brandy sauce 

Spiced rum glazed pineapple, lime syrup, coconut ice cream 

Chocolate & caramel biscuit truffle torte, baileys ice cream 

Blood orange & amaretti trifle 

Cheeseboard, biscuits, plum chutney (£2 supplement) 

01622 842558 

www.thepepperboxinn.co.uk 

BOOK NOW FOR CHRISTMAS 

PRICING PER HEAD 

2 Course (mid week only) £25.00 

3 Course £33.50 

MENU AVAILABLE 

1st to 23rd December, excludes Sundays 

A non-refundable deposit of £10 per head is required to secure all bookings. 

A discretional 10% service charge is added to parties of 8 or more 

Bookings should be provisionally made via telephone and confirmed 

with a deposit (within 7 days) & completed order form 

ORDER LOCAL AWARD-WINNING KENTISH TURKEYS ONLINE OR POP IN 

AND SPEAK TO ONE OF OUR HELPFUL AND KNOWLEDGEABLE BUTCHERS 


98

Rolled pork belly, crushed 

potatoes, soft herbs, 

mustard & capers 

Serves 6 Prep and cooking: Approx. 2 hours. 

Pork belly is one of my favourite things 

to cook and eat, I am obsessed with the 

gorgeous meat, the flavourful layers of fat, 

and the constant challenge in making the 

skin crackle! It’s an endless and generous 

process. What a forgiving piece of meat! 

And the great thing is that we produce 

one of the best, if not the best, breed 

of pig on our doorstep. Basically, my 

career is a love letter to British pork. 

Ask your butcher to remove bones and 

score skin for you – a very important step. 

For the pork: 

• 2.5kg pork belly, deboned and scored 

• 1 bunch of thyme, leaves picked 

• 1 tbsp good quality fine sea salt 

• ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper 

• vegetable, or other neutral oil 

• butcher’s string 

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C fan 

assisted, or 230°C if not. Combine 

the thyme with the salt and black 

pepper. Massage the seasoning in 

well to the flesh side of the meat. 

2. Roll the belly as tight as possible, skin 

side out and secure with butcher’s string 

at 1-inch intervals. Pat dry and season 

the skin with good quality fine sea salt, 

rubbing into the score marks on the skin 

and a tiny amount of vegetable neutral oil. 

3. Put the rolled belly onto a wired 

tray and place inside a large, heavy 

based roasting tray, ideally with deep 

sides and handles for easy movement. 

Pour in cup of water to the bottom 

of the tray, without wetting the meat. 

Roast in the centre of the hot oven 

for 40-45 minutes until the skin 

is crackling and crispy all over. 

4. Carefully remove the pork. If you have 

a meat probe, the internal temperature 

should be no more than 63°C and the 

pork should be juicy, tender, and full 

of flavour. Rest the meat, uncovered, 

for a least 20 minutes before carving. 

For the potatoes: 

• 1.2 kg pink fir potatoes or 

other waxy potatoes 

• ½ bulb of garlic 

• 3 large sprigs of rosemary 

• extra virgin olive oil 

• 1 tsp sea salt 

Turn the oven down to 200°C while 

the pork is resting and boil the potatoes 

in well salted water until tender. Drain 

and tip into a large roasting try and 

add the rest of the ingredients and 

mix well. Gently crush the potatoes 

to break the skin, more surface area 

means extra crispy potatoes. Roast 

for 20 minutes until crispy. 

For the herb, mustard, and caper sauce: 

• ½ tbsp capers 

• ½ tbsp Dijon mustard 

• 2 cloves of garlic grated 

• 1 bunch parsley 

• 1 bunch mint 

• ½ bunch fresh oregano 

• ½ bunch of tarragon 

• 1 tsp red wine vinegar 

• 300ml extra virgin olive oil 

• 300ml extra virgin rapeseed oil 

• ½ tsp sea salt 

Combine all the ingredients in a food 

processor, adding the oils slowly. 

Taste and adjust seasoning with 

vinegar and salt. This herby green 

sauce tastes best when prepared the 

day before as the flavours relax. 

To serve: 

Carve a thick slice of pork belly per 

person and plate with the crispy 

potatoes, herb and mustard sauce 

and wilted greens of your choice. 

99

NOW OPEN 

MONDAYS! 

STEAK, SEAGRILL & OYSTER HOUSE 

A STYLISH YET INFORMAL VENUE WITH ITS OWN PUB, BISTRO, 

OYSTER BAR, RESTAURANT AND STUNNING TERRACES 

BOOK ONLINE: www.stubbsrestaurants.com 

01233 666111 

enquiries@stubbsrestaurants.com 

CANTERBURY ROAD, KENNINGTON, ASHFORD, KENT, TN25 4DU

Bay & vanilla panna cotta, 

roasted quince & crumble 

Serves 6 30 minutes prep, plus 

overnight setting time in the fridge 

• 300ml whole milk 

• 400ml double cream 

• 100g caster sugar 

• 3 small bay leaves 

• ¼ vanilla pod scraped 

• 3 gelatine sheets 

1. Soak the gelatine in a small 

bowl of cold water and set aside. 

2. In a small to medium sized pan, 

combine the milk, cream, sugar, 

bay, and vanilla. Gently warm but 

don’t let it boil. Pour in the sugar, 

stir to dissolve, and take off the heat, 

immediately covering with cling 

film. Leave to rest in a warm place 

for at least 20 minutes allowing the 

aromatics to infuse with the cream. 

3. After the resting time, remove 

the cling film, squeeze the gelatine 

leaves to remove water, and add it to 

the warm cream mixture, whisking 

in well to dissolve it completely. 

4. Sieve the infused cream into 

a measuring jug, then pour into 

moulds or short tumbler glasses 

and put in the fridge overnight, 

or for at least eight hours. 

For the quince: 

Serves 6 Prep & cooking time: 75 

minutes prep and cooking time 

• 3 British quinces, peeled, 

cored and cut in half 

• 100g caster sugar 

• 100ml hot water 

• 1 small piece star anise 

• 1 small piece cinnamon stick 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the quince 

halves in a baking dish, cut side up. Top 

each quince half with 2 tablespoons 

of sugar. Pour in the hot water around 

the quince and add the cinnamon 

and anise to the tray. Bake until the 

quince is golden and soft, about 1 

hour. Remove the baking dish and let 

stand for 15 minutes, before serving. 

For the crumble: 

Prep & cooking time: 20-25 mins 

• 50g rolled oats 

• 50g diced unsalted butter 

• 50g light brown sugar 

• 50g plain flour 

• small pinch mixed spice 

• small pinch salt 

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and line 

a shallow roasting tray with baking 

paper. Combine all the ingredients 

in a food processor, or mix by hand, 

until the mixture resembles a sandy 

texture. Shake out on to the lined 

tray and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, 

turning from time to time, until golden 

brown. Leave to cool before serving 

which results in a crunchier crumble. 

To serve: 

Serve the panna cottas with slices of 

quince and some of the golden roasting 

liquor and a handful of crumble on top. 

The Union’s team takes pride in hand making as much 

of their menu as possible in house, crafting ricotta, black 

pudding, crackers and ice creams by sourcing the very best 

ingredients they can from the East Sussex and Kentish 

larders. To find out more about their unpretentious, simple 

and restrained plates of food, and to book a table, visit 

theunionrye.co.uk or call 01797 229289. 

101

’Tis the Season to indulge and 

make merry, and we have got 

the perfect place for you! 

Join us at The King’s Arms in Elham, cosy up by 

our crackling, stoked fires and indulge in our 

delightful festive menu, starting on November 

29th, offering 2 courses for £30 and 3 courses for 

£40. From soul-warming soups, to roast breast 

of Norfolk bronze turkey, it’s the perfect option 

for family get-togethers or corporate Christmas 

parties. For those seeking an exclusive gathering, 

consider our unique hop barn, a private space 

that adds a touch of sophistication to your event. 

As you gather with loved ones or colleagues, 

let The Kings Arms in Elham be your destination 

for a memorable festive celebration. Leave the 

hustle and bustle behind and savour the essence 

of the season in our quaint country pub. 

TO RESERVE YOUR TABLE 

call 01303 840242, 

we can’t wait to welcome you. 

www.thekingsarmselham.com 

WE ARE NOW TAKING CHRISTMAS 

AND NEW YEAR’S BOOKINGS. 

bleusteakhouse.co.uk 

High Street, Staplehurst, TN12 0AH | 01580 890 106 

Due to the overwhelming demand, please kindly book in advance to avoid any disappointment, thank you. 


102

01892 750 310 SUE@DAVIDHAUGH.CO.UK DAVIDHAUGH.CO.UK 

WORKSHOPS & SHOWROOM AT: UNIT 8, NOBLESGATE YARD, BELLS YEW GREEN, TUNBRIDGE WELLS TN3 9AT

“From a cult British scent 

start-up, this takes beeswax, 

iris, sandalwood and vetiver 

and – via some extraordinary 

alchemy – creates something 

that has everyone I know 

who’s tried it compulsively 

sniffing their own skin.” 

Jo describing Olfactive O’s Skin

Scents for the 

Season 

Josephine Fairley handpicks the finest winter fragrances that’ll have you returning for spritz after spritz 

Images: Skin image courtesy of Olfacttive O, all others: istockphoto.com/ Seng kui Lim / banusevim/ Wirestock / Suchat longthara 

There’s only one thing that has me looking forward to 

winter. It is the prospect of switching over my scent 

wardrobe to fragrances that I love, but which feel 

heavy as a faux fur coat on a summer’s day, almost physically 

making me hot and sweaty. For me, some fragrances are floaty 

frocks – my summer choices. Others are velvet, cashmere and 

– yes – opaque tights. And it’s at the exact getting-out-theopaque-tights 

moment in the calendar that I change over my 

perfumes, too. A real olfactory highlight, for me, in the year. 

You, of course, may be one of those people with a 

‘signature’ scent that you’ve worn for forever, and be sitting 

there muttering: ‘That’s irrelevant to me.’ But actually, I’d 

like to persuade you otherwise, because there’s a very good 

reason, at least occasionally, to switch up what you wear. 

Because I’ll bet you also say, at least sometimes: ‘Trouble 

is, I can’t smell it on myself any more.’ And that’s precisely 

because you do have a signature scent, and your nose – 

or rather, your brain – treats it like wallpaper. In other 

words, it just becomes a background smell, and you miss 

out on enjoying something you love, except perhaps for 

a minute or two when first applying. Imagine how bored 

your sense of taste would become if you ate the same food, 

morning, noon and night. Now think about how that 

translates to smell – and maybe at least experiment with 

some of the scents I’m about to go into raptures over. 

Autumn 2023 is actually a very good moment for 

fragrance. During the pandemic, fragrance launches got 

backed up like planes circling round Heathrow. When 

we were all liberated, there was much uncertainty in 

the marketplace, and a lot of the fragrances launched 

were ‘flankers’, existing perfumes which had been given 

a bit of a twist. But this season, the floodgates have 

opened, creativity abounds – and we perfumistas are 

happy people indeed. So, here’s what I’m loving… 

Guerlain Tobacco Honey, from £90 for 50ml eau de 

parfum. There’s a strong tobacco trend wafting through 

perfumery right now. It’s all a bit decadent, considering how 

long the smoking ban’s been in place – but in truth, tobacco 

as a perfumery note is quite different to standing in a fug 

at the King’s Head (for anyone who remembers how much 

they used to have to splash out on dry cleaning, back in the 

day). It tends to be grassy, woody, complex, yet warm and 

seductive, which is why perfumers are having so much fun 

with it. This Guerlain latest really does give the sense of honey 

drizzled with honey, its sweet seductiveness further enhanced 

by vanilla, tonka and sesame, all enveloped in a cigar-like 

smokiness; indeed, it begs for you to dress up in your very 

finest and take it out to a fancy bar, as far as I’m concerned. 

La Montaña Divine Sunset, from £22 for 10ml eau de 

parfum. Used up all your annual leave allocation? From a 

Sussex-based brand (well, in truth, founder Cassandra Hall 

is based between Brighton and a Spanish mountainside), 

Divine Sunset is a real holding-on-to-summer scent which 

invites you to bask in the warmth of orange blossom and 

musks. This is the scent equivalent of finding a protected spot 

on a sunny, blustery winter’s day and turning your face 

105 


JOIN US IN 2023 TO RECEIVE 

A £200 INCENTIVE BONUS 

FOR NEW WORKERS! 

CARE WORKERS 

FULL TIME AND PART TIME SUPPORT WORKERS REQUIRED IN TENTERDEN, 

CRANBROOK, STAPLEHURST AND MOST OF THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES 

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106 

DrChristineWT204.indd DrChristineWT248.indd 1 02/12/2022 22/01/2019 10:21 12:31

to the sun for warmth – an invitation 

to travel, without ever leaving home. 

AKRO Bake, £80 for 50ml eau de 

parfum. Vanilla is probably the No.1 

most popular ingredient in perfumery 

this autumn, a strong revival of the 

‘gourmand’ (or ‘good-enough-to-eat’ 

family of fragrances). Some are supersweet 

(not my bag), but others are 

delicious, without being in any way 

sickly. I was lucky enough to attend 

the launch of this, over a tasting menu 

at The Berkeley’s patisserie (over 

which Parisian pastry darling Cedric 

Grolet presides), where the assembled 

company of perfume writers agreed: 

on paper, we shouldn’t like this, but 

we all fell, hook, line and sinker, 

spritzing and re-spritzing (I still am). 

It’s light, it’s fluffy – a lighter-than-air 

cake, in scented form, dusted with 

icing sugar and utterly moreish. 

Tom Ford Café Rose, from £106 

for 50ml eau de parfum. Not to be 

confused with the intensely rich Café 

Rose which was previously in Tom 

Ford’s collection, this has far less 

of an espresso jolt, and much more 

rosiness. It’s a completely beautiful 

rose, sheer and wearable, but with 

the coffee note adding intrigue (and 

more than a little addiction). 

Escentric Molecules H01, £180 

for 100ml eau de parfum. Escentric 

Molecules became famous when word 

got out that their fragrance acted like 

a pheromone, attracting the opposite 

sex. Strictly, it doesn’t – but plenty of 

people find it very, very smoochy – and 

this being mistletoe season, it might 

be worth experimenting to see just 

how magnetic the Escentric Molecules 

collection is. H01 is the latest addition 

to the line-up, a Harrods exclusive 

which promises to be ‘an olfactory 

oasis among the uncertainty of the 

modern world’ (and we probably 

all need that). It’s leathery, woody, 

musky, and really quite addictive 

– but I also find it grounding and 

calming, something I badly need as 

the Christmas crescendo builds. 

The above have all joined my own 

fragrance wardrobe for autumn/winter, 

but then, it’s my job, and I’m lucky 

enough to have them gifted to me, 

in many (but not all) cases. 

However, there are a couple 

of other ‘old friends’ in scent 

form that I’m thrilled to be 

rediscovering, as the seasons 

change – and I would 

encourage you to make a 

perfume pilgrimage to 

sniff some of them 

out, too. At the 

very least, rather as 

you might with wine, 

you’ll learn what you 

do and don’t like. But 

here are three other scents 

that to me, are winter-perfect… 

Floral Street Black Lotus, £68 for 

50ml eau de parfum. Floral Street’s 

very reasonably priced fragrances have 

just landed in a bunch of M&S stores, 

which makes them easier to check 

out. This is the scent equivalent of a 

black leather jacket slung over a floral 

frock and worn with a cashmere shawl, 

lashings of rosa Centifolia contrasted 

with red pepper and leathery saffron. 

Olfactive O Skin, £110 for 30ml 

extrait de parfum. You want 

nuzzleable, addictive, truly the ‘skin 

scent’, as promised by the name of 

this fragrance? From a cult British 

scent start-up, this takes beeswax, 

iris, sandalwood and vetiver and 

– via some extraordinary alchemy – 

creates something that has everyone 

I know who’s tried it compulsively 

sniffing their own skin. Quite simply, 

sublime – and fascinatingly, it works 

as a brilliant ‘primer’ for any other 

fragrance you might apply on top. 

Zara Fleur de Patchouli, £25.99 for 

100ml eau de parfum. Personally, I love 

a waft of patchouli, whose woody notes 

seems so perfectly suited to winter: a 

crisp swish of autumn leaves, a touch 

of fireside smoulder. Haven’t checked 

out Zara’s fragrances yet? You’re missing 

out. Super-affordable, they are created 

by some of the leading fragrance talents 

in the world (Jo Malone CBE was the 

perfume ‘designer’ for this one), but 

what I would say is: if you fall head over 

heels for something, stockpile it – they 

don’t tend to stick around on the shelf. 

Now, still determined 

to stick to your signature 

scent..? It’s a free country, 

but to me, it’s the scent 

equivalent of always 

going on holiday to 

the exact same place, 

eating toast for every 

meal, or painting 

every room in your 

house in a single 

colour. So, I say: do 

your senses a favour, and 

spritz around, this winter. 

See beautybible.com for more of 

Jo’s tried and tested beauty reviews.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

My life came to a standstill with agonising back 

pain… but now I’m back to health after IDD Therapy 

After her 

IDD Therapy 

programme, 

Jane can now 

enjoy family 

life again. 

Property Investor, Jane Kent, had 

never had a back problem before, 

but recently her life was suddenly 

put on hold by debilitating pain 

and immobility. 

Jane explains: “Over recent years we’ve moved 

house a lot; lifting furniture and boxes had 

become a way of life. Then last September I 

started an RHS course and began to enjoy 

gardening; no doubt this switched my back 

on to ‘high alert’. Then my husband became 

ill, so I slept in our spare room for weeks. I 

remember having to sit on the edge of the bed 

each morning waiting for my back to ‘realign’ 

before I got up.” 

Things took a turn for the worse when 

Jane did some heavy-duty DIY: “The final 

straw came when my gigantic new bookcase 

arrived; after a two-hour installation, my back 

suddenly felt ‘different’. At first, bending felt 

awkward; certain muscles in my lower back felt 

permanently clenched.” 

Jane tried to manage the pain herself but soon 

had to seek help: “I had some physiotherapy 

and acupuncture, without much success. 

Eventually, my GP arranged an MRI scan. 

In the weeks before the scan, things went 

downhill quickly: a shooting sciatic pain 

radiated down my left leg and I felt a burning 

ache around my abdomen.” 

Jane’s pain was completely debilitating and 

soon her life was ruled by it. “I’ve never 

experienced anything like it; the pain was 

relentless. I could only walk slowly, sitting was 

unbearable and normal daily activities were 

almost impossible; my lack of mobility had a 

huge impact on me. I was prescribed strong 

painkillers, but these only worked for 3-4 hours 

– I was quickly up to my daily limit, despite my 

reluctance to take them.” 

Jane had her MRI scan in February; the news 

was not good: “My surgeon said that because 

two prolapsed discs were pressing on the 

spinal nerve, surgery was the only answer. He 

suggested a spinal injection in the meantime. 

I left feeling bleak. I hadn’t even contemplated 

a major operation, and I was uneasy at the 

prospect.” 

James Pickering’s team is changing the lives of 

slipped disc and sciatica sufferers with IDD Therapy 

After some research, Jane’s husband found IDD 

Therapy, a targeted disc treatment for persistent 

back pain, neck pain and sciatica. The 

non-invasive therapy uses gentle pulling forces 

to draw apart spinal segments where discs are 

bulging or damaged, removing pressure and 

irritation from trapped nerves. 

Jane saw that IDD Therapy was being offered 

at Wealden Osteopaths and Spine Centre at 

Flimwell Park. The expert team, led by James 

Pickering, uses the programme to help patients 

who find themselves on a merry-go-round of 

painkillers, physiotherapy and GP visits. 

“James reassured me that IDD Therapy would 

not just relieve my symptoms, but actually 

target the prolapsed discs. As my life had 

ground to a halt by this time, I focused on 

attending frequent and regular sessions over 

several weeks.” 

“I was astonished to feel 

the results immediately: 

the sciatic pain stopped 

almost instantly.” 

The IDD programme was a success and 

things turned around quickly for Jane: “I was 

astonished to feel the results immediately: the 

sciatic pain stopped almost instantly. The gentle 

treatment sessions were so relaxing, I began to 

look forward to them. Soon I had my mobility 

and independence back – it felt wonderful. 

I’ve now taken up Pilates and I’ve completed 

my Day Skipper Course with the Torbay 

Sea School – something I could never have 

imagined when my pain was at its worst. I can’t 

recommend IDD Therapy and James’s team 

highly enough.” 

Don’t let back pain, neck pain or sciatica put 

your life on hold. For a FREE 15 minute 

phone consultation with one of our experts, 

call 01580 212833 or email us at 

enquiries@wealdenosteopaths.co.uk

Wellbeing 

Posture 

Perfect 

Sarah Maxwell straightens out the facts 

to help you stand – and sit – tall 

istockphoto.com/halfpoint 

In our fast-paced lives, the way 

we hold ourselves is frequently 

overlooked. We often neglect 

the importance of maintaining good 

posture and the impact it has on our 

health and wellbeing. Posture plays a 

vital role in our overall health, affecting 

not only our physical wellbeing but 

also our mental and emotional state. 

Poor posture can lead to myriad 

issues, including chronic pain, muscle 

imbalances, reduced flexibility, 

decreased lung capacity and even 

digestive problems. It can also 

contribute to feelings of fatigue, 

stress, and low self-confidence. 

In the next few paragraphs – the first 

of a two-part exploration – I’m going 

to explain how to do some simple but 

very effective exercises, some of which 

you can get on with whilst seated. 

If you spend a lot of time at a desk and 

hunched over your keyboard, you put 

yourself at risk of neck and back pain. 

And even if you have an ergonomic 

chair and a back support, you might 

find the effects more significant than 

you’d expect. Below are some simple 

but effective ways you can correct 

your posture and make a difference to 

your overall health and wellbeing. 

I recommend doing these tension 

release movements as often as you 

can if you’re seated for an extended 

period of time. I have a blue sticky 

dot on my desk as a reminder (along 

with numerous other coloured dots 

on my phone, laptop, bathroom 

mirror... In fact, my house looks like 

a Damien Hirst print currently!) 

You can do these exercises sitting 

or standing, although it’s always a 

good idea to get out of your chair 

at regular intervals if possible. 

Shoulder raises 

Lift your shoulders up towards your 

ears (breathe in through your nose as 

you lift), then release your shoulders 

down (breathing out through your 

nose as you relax your shoulders 

back down). Repeat 10 times. 

Shoulder rolls 

Lift your shoulders up towards 

your ears, then roll them back and 

down in a circular motion one way 

and then the other. Make sure your 

breathing is steady and relaxed 

throughout. Repeat 10 times. 

Shoulder blade squeeze 

This is a great exercise to strengthen 

the muscles between your shoulder 

blades which will improve your upper 

back posture. Inhale through your nose 

as you squeeze your shoulder blades 

together, feeling your chest open up. 

Exhale and release. Repeat 10 times. 

Stand in an open doorway (you can 

also do this in a chair). Raise each 

arm up to the side, perpendicular to 

your body, bent at a 90 degree angle 

at your elbow with palms forward. 

Rest your palms on either side of the 

door frame – if it feels uncomfortable, 

try lowering your elbows down 

slightly. Slowly step forward with 

one foot. Feel the stretch in your 

shoulders and chest. Stand as upright 

as you can and try to avoid leaning 

forward. Hold for 15 -30 seconds. 

In next issue’s part two I’m going to 

delve deeper into posture and show 

you more ways to strengthen, stretch 

and help you alleviate tension, for 

a much improved quality of life. 

Sarah Maxwell is a multiple awardwinning 

Fitness and Lifestyle coach 

and mum of two who juggles a lot 

of balls. Find out more about Sarah 

and her work at sarahmaxwell.com 

Sarah shares her Fitness and Lifestyle tips 

on Instagram @sarahmaxwelllifestyle 

109 


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Nourish to Flourish 

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau 

explores the benefits of incorporating 

another healthy ingredient into our 

diets. This month it’s salmon 

istockphoto.com, miwa_in_oz , Magone, chokja, Elena Tsvetkova, Drazen Zigic, Agustin Vai 

Oily fish is often promoted as a positive food 

choice due to its multitude of health benefits, 

but what exactly are they? Salmon is a great 

source of protein and typically provides 15-20g of protein 

per 100g. It is known as a complete protein which 

means that it contains all nine essential amino acids 

in sufficient quantities, it is also packed with omega- 

3 fatty acids; the important good fats. These help to 

maintain healthy cholesterol levels and protect blood 

vessels from inflammatory damage. Omega-3s are also 

vital for the health of the brain and the nervous system, 

strengthening our immune systems and cellular growth 

and regulating our hormones. Ultimately we need to 

be looking at increasing our omega-3 fats and reducing 

saturated and trans fats; aim for up to two portions of 

oily fish every week and enjoy a variety of nuts and seeds 

in small quantities to help achieve these goals. Salmon 

also contains many key nutrients including selenium, 

phosphorus, and B vitamins. Its unique, delicate flavour 

and less ‘fishy’ taste can make it more appealing than many 

other varieties of fatty fish, such as sardines and mackerel, 

which often make it a popular choice with children too. 

Charlotte runs Plume Nutrition, where she offers support and advice 

for weight management, controlling cravings, sleeplessness, stress 

and increasing energy levels. Find out more at plumenutrition.com 

Salmon & vegetable parcels 

This tasty recipe is packed with healthy omega-3s 

Serves 2 

• 2 salmon fillets 

• 1 lemon – zest and 

juice half and thinly 

slice other half 

• 1 red pepper, sliced 

• 1 green pepper, sliced 

• 1 white onion, sliced 

• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved 

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C 

and cut rectangles of baking 

paper for each salmon fillet, 

big enough to fold over 

and make into a parcel. 

2. Place 2 slices of lemon 

at the centre of each paper 

and rest the salmon on top. 

Add the peppers, onions, 

tomatoes and asparagus 

around the salmon and 

top with the garlic, capers, 

• 10-12 asparagus stalks 

• 1 clove of garlic, 

finely chopped 

• 2 tsp capers, chopped 

• 1 sprig of rosemary 

• 2 sprigs of thyme 

• 2 tbsp olive oil 

• salt and black pepper 

lemon zest and juice, 

rosemary, thyme and a 

pinch of salt and pepper. 

Drizzle over the olive oil. 

3. Fold the paper up and 

twist the ends to make an 

enclosed parcel. Place on 

a baking tray and roast for 

approximately 18 minutes 

until the fish is cooked 

through. Enjoy with sweet 

potatoes or brown rice. 

111 


Trouble 

Ahead 

Jo Arnell comes up with some practical solutions to help protect 

your plants during challenging periods of weather 

It’s been a tough year. Where the 

plants are concerned, it’s been a 

monumentally difficult one. The 

weather has been, putting it kindly, 

challenging. This time last year it was 

raining, and it didn’t stop raining until 

the beginning of December – when 

it froze. Many of our tender shrubs 

– things like hebes and pittosporums 

– died. The weather didn’t really start 

warming up until late spring and then 

suddenly it went very hot and dry. 

Long periods of extreme weather – 

which is more the norm now – make 

growing conditions difficult for all 

the plants. Some will cope better than 

others – the weeds for example, have 

barely noticed and are still romping 

away – but many of our cultivated, 

carefully nurtured plants are suffering. 

We need to find ways to help the 

garden in tricky times, ways to keep our 

plants alive, or, if we do end up losing 

them, an understanding of why they 

have died. The reason that our native 

and wild plants seem on the whole 

to manage much better than most is 

because they are ideally suited to their 

environment and able to withstand 

some of the effects of climate change 

– in the short term. Those from other 

places and the cultivated versions of 

them, where the soil and atmospheric 

conditions are very different, are only 

just at home here, so prolonged changes 

in the weather can be the final straw. 

Soil matters 

Your soil is going to go a long way 

to keep your plants healthy – or not, 

depending on several factors. It’s 

worth doing a soil test to find out 

the pH. Most soils are neutral, but 

if you have acidic soil you’ll be able 

to grow plants like camellias and 

azaleas. If it is alkaline, then lilac, 

lavender and vegetables like cabbage 

and Brussels sprouts will do well. 

The structure of the soil is important 

too. If yours is heavy clay, it may 

be waterlogged in winter and hard 

as concrete in summer. Sandy soils 

on the other hand are free draining 

– which means that they are very 

dry in summer and tend to be low 

in nutrients. Improve heavy clay by 

adding organic matter – manure or 

compost. Improve sandy soil by adding 

the same thing – organic matter will 

break up a clay soil and make it more 

free draining, and will help a sandy soil 

to hold onto moisture and nutrients. 

Good drainage is important, 

especially through long periods of 

wet, cold weather. Many plants more 

suited to Mediterranean conditions 

suffer in a wet winter because the 

area around their roots is saturated. 

This is often worse than the cold. 


Garden 

Many of the 

Mediterranean species 

– lavender, rosemary 

etc – can withstand the 

cold, but not prolonged 

periods of wet weather. 

This is why they are hard 

to grow in clay soil. Clay 

holds onto water and is 

very slow to dry out and 

warm up in the spring. 

istockphoto.com/ Nature, food, landscape, travel / Wirestock / scholes1 

Read my leaves 

You can tell a lot about a plant 

from its leaves. The size, texture and 

colour of the leaf will indicate the 

sort of conditions it has adapted 

to. Big floppy leaves with a large 

surface area – think jungle and pond 

side plants – are trying to get rid of 

excess water, whereas those with thin, 

needle-like leaves are trying to hold 

onto water. In fact, in the case of 

desert plants, the leaves have become 

spikes. Tough, leathery leaves, or 

a waxy coating will prevent water 

loss. Hairy or woolly leaves are also 

adaptations to arid conditions. 

Dark leaves absorb more light 

than pale, so the deep green leaves 

of a holly, or a camellia are ideally 

suited to shade. Pale, silvery or 

grey leaves, on the other hand, 

reflect light well, so won’t be 

overwhelmed in harsh sunlight. 

The root of it 

The rhizosphere is the area directly 

around the roots of the plant, a root 

‘microbiome’ made up of bacteria, 

fungi and other micro-organisms, 

spores, seeds and larval stages of tiny 

insects. It is the interaction of the biota 

within the rhizosphere – a bit like in 

our gut microbiome – that determines 

plant health. Plants form symbiotic 

relationships with soil bacteria and 

fungi that enable them to access 

nutrients, survive attack by pests and 

withstand periods of difficult weather. 

Drought 

Long periods with no rain are a disaster 

for plants that need moisture. We can 

help them by mulching at the end of 

the winter while the soil (in theory) 

is still damp. Mulching will help the 

soil hold onto moisture, suppress 

competitive weeds and improve the 

structure – feeding the soil ecosystem 

and encouraging the microbes that 

will come to the aid of plants. 

If there isn’t a hosepipe ban then 

water, but water carefully. Well 

established plants should be able to 

cope without regular watering, but 

anything planted in the last two years – 

especially woody plants –will need some 

help. Water plants deeply, rather than 

sprinkling them every night. It is better 

to water once a week, but to make 

sure the water gets to the roots. Light 

watering will evaporate before the plant 

can use it, or encourage the roots of the 

plant to stay near the surface of the soil. 

Watering at night is probably best, but 

remember that slugs and snails come 

out at night and will really enjoy the 

cool damp conditions. Watering very 

early in the morning is the alternative 

– in the middle of the day most of 

your hard work will evaporate. 

113 


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114 

WCLandcraftWT252.indd 1 31/03/2023 10:53

Garden 

Pots are very prone to drying out, 

especially little ones, so try to plant up 

groups of plants in larger containers, or 

position small pots near to one another 

Most soils are neutral, 

but if you have acidic 

soil you’ll be able to grow 

plants like camellias 

Pots are very prone to drying out, 

especially little ones, so try to plant up 

groups of plants in larger containers, or 

position small pots near to one another. 

Place a saucer underneath to act as a 

reservoir – but remember to remove this 

in the autumn to stop the plants’ roots 

wallowing in water through the winter. 

It pays to install water butts – rain 

water is better for plants and will make 

all the difference, especially if there is 

a hosepipe ban. In that situation using 

grey water – from the bath or your 

washing up bowl – will be fine too. 

Storms and high winds 

Wind can be hugely destructive, pulling 

down power lines, fences and uprooting 

trees. Protecting plants in these extreme 

conditions is nigh on impossible, but 

there are precautions that can be taken 

to provide some shelter. Semi-permeable 

barriers, for instance, are better than 

solid ones, as these will slow down the 

wind, whereas a solid fence or wall 

will cause the wind to go up and over, 

causing it to whip down the other side, 

or channel along and cause havoc. 

A very fierce wind will just blow the 

fence down. Hedges work well to help 

prevent wind damage, because the wind 

filters through this living windbreak. 

Choose a good, robust hedge if 

it is to act as a shelter belt – laurel, 

elaeagnus, hawthorn and hornbeam are 

good in exposed situations. Remember 

to leave a gap between the hedge and 

the flowerbed to enable access for 

pruning and to keep the roots of the 

hedge away from the plants, as they 

will also be competing for moisture. 

Winter weather 

Our winters are generally mild, but 

every few years Arctic blasts and 

Beasts from the East come swooping 

in, bringing snow and hard frosts, 

killing the tender plants that normally 

just about make it through an 

average winter. Last year hebes and 

pittosporums were badly affected. 

Larger leaved salvias like amistad 

were killed too, although some of 

these did a good job of playing dead 

until May, then suddenly springing 

back to life – possibly once they 

were already on the compost heap. 

Plants native to the northern 

hemisphere tend to lose their leaves 

in the winter and go into a state of 

dormancy. Getting plants through 

extreme cold, when they have no 

adaptations to it, is a challenge. 

Fleece may help to keep off air frosts, 

mulching with organic matter – like 

laying a warm duvet over the ground 

– will provide some protection for 

dahlia tubers and other tender roots. 

If you have a greenhouse that can be 

kept frost-free, or even a porch or 

cool utility room, you’ll be able to 

overwinter those in pots, or cuttings 

of plants grown in the garden. 

Many of the Mediterranean species – 

lavender, rosemary etc – can withstand 

the cold, but not prolonged periods 

of wet weather. This is why they are 

hard to grow in clay soil. Clay holds 

onto water and is very slow to dry out 

and warm up in the spring. Plants 

like lavender need free-draining, or 

shallow, chalky soil, so may well be 

better grown in a container – one 

lifted onto feet, or up on bricks to 

stop it from sitting in a puddle. 

Good preparation is the key. It may 

well be mild this year, but who knows. 

One thing is sure – winter is coming. 

Join Jo in her garden in Woodchurch, 

Kent, for gardening classes and 

workshops. Find out more and 

book at hornbrookmanor.co.uk. 

115 


Garden 

Heart 

of the 

Hive 

Sue Whigham finds out about The Buzz Project, an inspirational 

initiative set up by Syrian bee expert Dr. Ryad Alsous 

One of the last things that Dr. 

Ryad Alsous did before he 

left his flat in Damascus was 

to open one of his windows a fraction. 

As the civil war raged, his block of 

flats had been bombed twice during 

what were daily attacks in the eastern 

part of the city. Realising that there 

would be no-one to feed the doves 

who had shared his balcony for years, 

he decided that they should be able to 

use his flat as he had no further use for 

it. Five years later he asked his cousin 

to visit the flat and take a picture for 

him. He found it was full of life as the 

doves had moved in and had happily 

colonised the place. Dr. Alsous felt 

it gave him validation to have left to 

start a new life in a safe country. 

Despite receiving death threats, Dr. 

Alsous was the last of his immediate 

family to leave Syria and in 2013 

he found himself in Huddersfield 

where he had relatives who had 

settled there over the past forty years. 

He found it somewhere where the 

community both helped him to 

settle in and to rebuild his life. 

He is a world renowned expert on 

bees and his experience both lecturing 

at Damascus University and being Head 

of Beekeeping – when he was in charge 

of 500 hives – stood him in good 

stead when he arrived in the UK. He 

began volunteering at the Huddersfield 

Beekeeping Association and through 

them a lady offered him both a hive 

and a colony of British Black Bees. He 

then wrote a proposal for The Buzz 

Project and met with the then Mayor 

of Huddersfield. It was through this 

meeting that he was offered a piece 

istockphoto.com/ Chisnikov 


British Black Bee images 

courtesy of Helen Gentle 

istockphoto.com/ Chisnikov 

of land to keep hives on by the local 

Canal and River Trust – who then 

refused to accept any rent from him. 

And so The Buzz Project was launched. 

The idea of the project was, and 

is, to offer fellow refugees and job 

seekers the chance to integrate, develop 

language skills, and to regain their self 

esteem and confidence whilst learning 

a trade. Many of the volunteers are 

now self employed and have their own 

hives from which they produce honey, 

essential oils, candles and organic 

cosmetics. The project also has open 

days when the volunteers educate 

schoolchildren about bees and how vital 

they are in the general scheme of things. 

I was reading a report produced by 

Friends of the Earth which tells us 

that it would cost UK farmers £1.8 

billion a year to pollinate crops without 

them (if indeed that were remotely 

feasible). So no bees equals no plants, 

no animals and subsequently, no food. 

Dr. Alsous was one of the inspirations 

for the bestselling novel by Christy 

Lefteri, The Beekeeper of Aleppo. As 

the daughter of refugees herself, she 

had spent several months in Athens 

volunteering with Syrian refugees 

where the seeds of her novel began 

to form. Having discovered an article 

written by Dr. Alsous, she contacted 

him through Facebook and he invited 

her up to Huddersfield to see how The 

Buzz Project worked and to “introduce 

her to the world of beekeeping”. She 

trusted him enough to meet his bees 

without wearing protective clothing, 

as he so obviously had such an affinity 

with them and she remembers the 

experience as “like being in a 

117 


Ilex Nellie R Stevens Ligustrum japonicum (pleached) Magnolia grandiflora 

Ct PvC 

t SC tS 

Photinia Red Robin 

Privacy in gardens can be created using 

trees to hide or screen out an undesirable 

view. Trees grown for this purpose often 

have a clear stem up to fence panel height 

around 1.8-2m with a full bushy canopy 

above, forming a good screen above the 

fence line. This type of screening is 

particularly useful if the garden is 

overlooked by neighbouring properties 

or to retain lower-level exposure to an 

attractive wall or area. 

Semi-mature trees can be planted to 

achieve effective screening from the offset 

with evergreens being preferred for this 

purpose as they screen throughout the year. 

However, a planting scheme that includes 

deciduous trees can provide rich contrast 

and seasonal interest. 

Screening trees 

Practicality Brown can supply a range of 

top quality trees for screening, which are 

particularly useful for creating privacy. 

This is our selection of the best screening 

trees, and all are in stock at our nursery in 

Iver, Bucks: 

• Eriobotrya japonica 

• Ilex aquifolium Nellie R Stevens 

• Ilex castaneifolia 

• Ligustrum japonicum 

• Magnolia grandiflora 

• Osmanthus aquifolium 

• Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’ 

• Pinus nigra 

• Prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’ 

• Viburnum lucidum 

Pleached trees 

We also have a range of pleached trees 

which can be used in the same way; 

pleached trees can be effective for formal 

screening and where space is limited. 

These are our best trees that are in stock: 

• Ilex aquifolium Nellie R Stevens 

• Ligustrum japonicum 

• Magnolia grandiflora 

• Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’ 

• Prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’ 

tree & edge ursery 

As well as the screening trees, Practicality 

Brown grows a range of premium quality 

Practical Instant Hedge at the nursery in 

Iver. You are welcome to visit to view both 

trees and hedges. 

www.pracbrown.co.uk 

Conac us for deails 

email rees@pracbrown.co.uk 

or call 01753 652022 for more informaion

Garden 

Dr. Alsous has been carrying out research comparing 

the British Black Bee with four other strains, 

including Syrian bees, and has found that our native 

bees came out top in their production of honey. 

dangerous but beautiful bubble”. 

The Dark European Bee, or British 

Black Bee, Apis mellifera mellifera, was 

the original native bee in the UK and 

by the 1920s was virtually extinct. 

Dr. Alsous is very much involved in 

promoting these bees over imported 

bees (usually from Italy). He is joined 

in this by Sir Tim Smit, inspirational 

co-founder of both The Eden Project 

and The Lost Gardens of Heligan, 

who suggests that we need a network 

of apiarists to champion these bees. As 

he says, “we super love these bees”. 

At the Eden Project they are working 

with B4 to set up a conservation and 

research project to champion the British 

Black Bee and to recognise the need 

to create reserves and help the bees 

develop ‘strongholds’ throughout the 

country. Sir Tim has been instrumental 

in both promoting the British Black 

Bee and setting up a fourth reserve. He 

confirms that there is a lot of interest 

amongst members of the public to both 

gardens and that Cornwall is one of the 

counties where these bees are thriving. 

It seems that most beekeepers 

(approximately 80%) keep the less 

hardy European bees which have 

a shorter life span but do have the 

advantage of producing large broods. 

However, it seems that the European 

strains ‘stay in and sulk’ at the first sign 

of bad weather. Both men champion 

the British Black Bee for a variety of 

reasons, which include the fact that 

they are hardy and can cope with the 

vagaries of British weather and – as they 

are hairy – are less prone to any form 

of mite. They also groom each other 

which helps in keeping disease away. Dr. 

Alsous has been carrying out research 

comparing the British Black Bee with 

four other strains, including Syrian bees, 

and has found that our native bees came 

out top in their production of honey. 

Finally, the HS2 project has been, 

and still is very controversial since 

its inception and has of course 

constantly been in the media. But for 

some, hopefully, good news. I read 

that HS2 has, it seems, partnered 

with the Great British Bee Project to 

plant up millions of native trees and 

shrubs along the ‘green corridor’ of 

the Phase One rail line of HS2 which 

will encourage the Black British Bee 

to once again flourish. They are to be 

monitored over the next few years too. 

I know that Dr. Alsous mentions 

limes and hawthorn as favourites of 

the British Black Bee. Perhaps any of 

us who has room for a new tree this 

winter might bear this in mind and 

perhaps plant one or other – or both. 

Sue Whigham can be contacted on 

07810 457948 for gardening advice. 

119 


Meet theHead 

We’ve been finding out what makes the new 

Head of Cranbrook School, David Clark, tick 

With his passion for travel, languages 

and an internationalist outlook, David 

Clark enjoys the dynamism of Cranbrook 

School’s thriving and diverse community 

Tell us about your own experience of education. 

I was born and brought up overseas and 

was therefore packed off to boarding 

school in the mid-1970s, which was 

an ‘interesting’ experience. My teachers 

identified some academic talent and I was 

therefore put into the fast stream which 

came as something of a surprise. Alas, like 

many of my contemporaries, I came up 

with a thousand reasons why I couldn’t 

focus on my studies and, instead, found 

time to pursue my many sporting passions. 

Needless to say, I got rather a shock when 

my O Level results were revealed, but that 

period of underperformance gave me the 

kick I needed and I achieved much better 

at A Level and beyond. From school, 

I went to study for a history degree at 

Exeter and played rugby and hockey for 

the university. My PGCE was taken at 

Cambridge and I returned four years 

later to complete my Master’s degree in 

Education Management where my research 

on boys’ underachievement was published. 

What drew you towards Cranbrook? 

I was drawn by its fine reputation, many 

achievements and broad grammar intake 

as well as by its wonderful location and 

tradition of education for character. 

Cranbrook’s dedicated staff and engaging 

students alongside a commitment to pastoral 

care, its enviable co-curricular provision 

and its special boarding dimension were 

also especially attractive. The School’s 

mission, motto and values and its aim 

to blend the traditions of the state and 

independent sectors successfully were 

equally compelling and its ethos was 

one that I wholeheartedly supported. 

What is your vision for Cranbrook? 

We have a collective vision to ensure that 

Cranbrook becomes celebrated nationally as 

the best state boarding school in the country 

– where students are inspired academically, 

where they embrace many new opportunities 

beyond the curriculum and where they 

develop impressive soft skills that will serve 

them well throughout their adult lives. 

What are your thoughts on the 

holistic development of students? 

Holistic education seeks to engage all aspects 

of the learner and this is fundamental to 

developing educational breadth in our 

students. In order to prepare Cranbrookians 

for their futures, we need to ensure that 

they have strong academic foundations 

but we must also widen their horizons 

beyond the classroom. Much valuable 

learning can be done in our societies, on 

school trips, on the sports pitch and in 

the orchestra or choir. Equally, we must 

remember to embrace lessons from those 

around us in the boarding house, in the 

common rooms or in the local community. 

What are the biggest challenges 

that face schools today? 

The phrase ‘we live in interesting times’ 

should be re-worded to say that we live in 

interesting and highly complex times and I 

can’t remember a period when schools faced 

more challenges. Teachers are presented 

121 

with bigger bureaucratic burdens than 

ever and students are still struggling with 

the aftermath of Covid. Added to that, 

schools are caught up in the so-called 

culture wars and need to navigate their way 

through a range of emotive topics with 

care and sensitivity. Additionally, the world 

of education needs to better understand 

the new learning frontier provided by 

breakthroughs in AI and we need to 

embrace this particular challenge as the 

development of artificial intelligence is likely 

to dominate our lives in the coming years. 

What advice would you give to the students 

of Cranbrook to excel academically, develop 

as individuals, and prepare for their future? 

My best advice to Cranbrookians is to 

embody the school values of kindness, 

integrity, aspiration, curiosity and 

individualism. If students embed these 

guiding principles, I am confident that 

they can better prepare for their complex 

and uncertain futures and are more likely 

to make meaningful and significant 

contributions to the world around them. 

What is your favourite book? 

I go through phases with books but I am 

currently enjoying anything by William 

Boyd. Any Human Heart is a good example 

of his style which I enjoy as he often deals 

with broad historical themes and develops 

fascinating characters. Equally, I love 

discovering new children’s books for my 

young boys and books by Oliver Jeffers 

are particular favourites… and great fun. 

You can find out more about Cranbrook 

School at cranbrookschool.co.uk 


Let us help you 

face the future 

with confidence... 

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Celebrating 33 years of providing unbiased holistic financial 

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Look to the 

Finance 

Future 

Lee Wood APFS, Chartered Financial Planner 

at Financial Advice & Services Ltd, 

explains the potential benefits of financial planning 

istockphoto.com/ JWand_Prapan 

When asked about their 

goals and objectives for 

the future, many would 

place financial security high on their 

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however, takes forward thinking and 

planning and whilst it is possible 

to create a plan yourself, using an 

Independent Financial Adviser can 

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A good first step in building a 

financial plan is to first establish the 

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will change. For example, a young family 

looking to purchase their first home 

may well be focused on obtaining a 

mortgage or protecting their family in 

the event of death or ill-health. Whilst 

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would naturally be desirable at this time 

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these areas take a lower priority for the 

time being. Other life events that can 

lead to a significant shift in financial 

priorities are reaching retirement age, 

getting married or facing divorce. 

Engaging with an Independent Adviser 

can help identify the most important 

areas that need to be tackled first. 

Financial planning is a personal 

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Taking a holistic view can also identify 

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None of us know what the future 

holds and even the best laid plans 

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circumstances. This is why reviewing 

your finances on a regular basis is so 

important, as it provides the opportunity 

to consider whether you’re on track 

to meet your goals and understand 

how existing plans and arrangements 

may need to adapt. Holding a formal 

financial planning review at least once a 

year can also be the ideal time to look at 

annual planning opportunities, such as 

using available tax allowances or making 

the most of pension contributions. It can 

also make sure that your finances are not 

affected by any changes in legislation that 

have occurred since the previous review. 

Investment is a long-term process 

and markets will go through bouts of 

volatility from time to time. Behavioural 

finance studies show that investors can 

make rash decisions to sell investments 

when market conditions are difficult, 

which may not be the correct course 

of action to take. It is at this point that 

the true value of financial planning 

advice can be found. Speaking to an 

Adviser can provide reassurance and 

a calm voice through market turmoil, 

helping you focus on the longer 

term and taking an impartial view 

of your overall financial position. 

Using a Financial Adviser to create 

a financial plan, and undertake regular 

reviews, can provide many benefits, from 

reducing the amount of tax you pay to 

providing guidance and reassurance. 

Studies have also shown that it can 

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Ltd, see financial-advice.co.uk 

The content of this article is for information only and does not constitute financial advice. It is for general information only and should not be relied upon when 

making any financial planning decisions. You should always obtain professional independent advice based on your circumstances. Financial Advice & Services 

Limited, Independent Financial Advisers, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.. Text © Financial Advice & Services Ltd 2023 

123 


Social icon 

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Brand Guidelines. 

CHRISTMAS AT CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE 

CHRISTMAS ARTISAN FAIR - Sunday 25th November 

Join us and our wonderful array of Artisans, Vintage and Creative Small Businesses for this year's Christmas shopping event. 

Shop locally and sustainably finding unique and special items for your home, for gifts, for the Christmas table and for you. 

Wander around this historic home for a festive day out with friends. 

10AM - 4PM 

GATE PRICE ON THE DAY - ADULT: £9.50 CHILD: £6.00 

£2 DISCOUNT ONLINE IN ADVANCE - ADULT: £7.50 CHILD: £4.00 

More information and tickets visit www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk/whats-on/ 

HELLO@CHIDDINGSTONECASTLE.ORG.UK | 01892 870 347 

CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE, HILL HOATH ROAD, KENT, TN8 7AD 

A Writer's Christmas 

at Bateman's 

© National Trust 2020. Registered Charity no. 205846. 

Photography © National Trust Images/Elizabeth Vessey 

Visit this winter for a traditional 

Christmas, with decorations inspired 

by the writings of Rudyard Kipling. 

18 Nov-1 Jan (except 24 & 25 Dec). 

nationaltrust.org.uk/batemans 


124

CARVED ANGEL AT WEALDEN TIMES MIDWINTER FAIR 

FAVERSHAM CHRISTMAS 

MARKETS WEEKEND 

SARAH LOUISE 

DIX 

What’s On 

this Season 

CHARITY EVENTS 

Sat 11 Nov 7pm 

Nizels Golf Club, 

Tonbridge, TN11 8NU 

AROUND THE WORLD 

DINNER HILDENBOROUGH 

You are invited to a spectacular 

dinner from the highly popular 

Around the World Dinner series, 

organised by the Hospices of 

Hope Team. Grab your sunglasses 

and a suitcase as this world 

travel dinner promises a fabulous 

evening of great food, dancing, 

musical acts and more! ‘Boarding 

passes’ are £45 per person and 

include a drinks reception in the 

‘departure lounge’; a sumptuous 

three-course dinner with coffee; 

plus on-board entertainment! 

Hospices of Hope are dedicated 

to supporting the development 

of palliative and end-of-life care 

in south eastern Europe. Help 

to raise much-needed funds and 

enjoy a great night out too.Book 

ASAP to secure your places. 

Tickets: £45 

hospicesofhope.co.uk 

COURSES 

Sat 18 Nov 10.30am-3.30pm 

Sarah Louise Dix, 57 St John’s 

Street, Farncombe, Near 

Godalming, Surrey GU7 3EH 

ONE DAY FOOSTOOL 

UPHOLSTERY COURSE 

Enrol on this workshop to 

learn from Sarah herself. This 

introduction to upholstery for 

beginners is taught in classes 

of no more than 10 students. 

You’ll need to bring your own 

fabric (remnants are available 

to buy). All tools and other 

materials are provided. You will 

learn to upholster a beech frame 

footstool. Booking is essential. 

Tickets: £150 

sarahlouisedix.co.uk 

FAIRS & MARKETS 

Sat 4 Nov 10am-3.30pm 

Penshurst Village Hall, 

Penshurst. TN11 8BP 

PENSHURST VINTAGE 

CHRISTMAS FAIR 

Showcasing a festive mix of 

125 

vintage homewares, French 

finds, antiques and decorative 

interior pieces, clothing, jewellery, 

furniture and gifts, all with a 

little Christmas sparkle! Browse, 

admire and shop all things vintage 

from a wealth of fabulous traders 

from throughout Kent and 

Sussex. This one is unique and 

sustainable Christmas shopping 

at its best, with an added 

chance to support local small 

businesses while you’re at it. 

Entry: £2.50 on door 

instagram.com/thewealdenbazaar 

Thurs 16 – Sat 18 Nov 

The Hop Farm, Paddock 

Wood, Kent TN12 6PY 

WEALDEN TIMES 

MIDWINTER FAIR 

Who is the fairest of them all? Do 

we really need to ask? Welcome 

to Festive Shopping at its finest. 

Our heated, interlinked marquees 

are full of celebratory spirit. You’ll 

find all your favourite exhibitors 

plus a wide selection of exciting 

new stands from independent 

businesses who’ll be selling 

gorgeous fashion, imaginative 

gifts, sustainable homeware and 

clothing, art and crafts, home 

and gardenware, beauty, and 

everything you need to create 

the perfect Christmas. Head to 

the Holly or Ivy Café for a wellearned 

tasty lunch or snack. We 

look forward to welcoming you. 

Tickets and info at 

wealdentimes-fair.co.uk 

Thurs 16 – Sun 19 Nov 

Loseley Park, Guildford, 

Surrey GU3 1HS 

LOSELY HOUSE 


Step into a stylish, creative world 

and enjoy Christmas shopping 

at its best. Staged next to 

Loseley House, over 65 makers 

present their unique products in 

comfortable, festively decorated 

pavilions surrounding the Tithe 

Barn. Solve the Christmas list 

and treat yourselves to exciting 

artwork, fabulous fashions, 

dazzling jewellery, and elegant 

candles and homewares. Enjoy a 

selection of artisan cheeses, gins, 

chocolates and scrumptious rum 

to add to your festive table. Free, 

easy parking and refreshments 

from the Loseley House team 

ensure a super day of shopping, 

browsing and enjoying friends 

company. Pre pay online or 

buy tickets on the door. 


Wed 22 & Thu 23 Nov 

Farnham Maltings 

FARNHAM MALTINGS 


Deck the halls with Christmas 

cheer. Find the perfect gift for 

everyone on your list at Farnham 

Maltings’ annual Christmas Fair. 

With over 140 stallholders to 

visit, the fair is bursting at the 

seams with unique items not 

found on the high street. Browse 

and buy from makers across 


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Brand Guidelines. 

Lights, sparkle, celebration 

At Scotney Castle this Christmas 

© National Trust 2023. Registered Charity no. 205846. 

Photography © National Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra 

Celebrate the season with twinkling 

trees, the mansion house decorated 

for a 1960s' Christmas, late nights 

and lights, outdoor family trail, 

perfect presents, and Christmas 

lunches for festive feasting. 

nationaltrust.org.uk/scotney-castle 


126

a wide range from textiles and 

jewellery to ceramics, accessories, 

stocking fillers, decorations, 

seasonal food, and more. Plus, 

enjoy late night shopping until 

9pm with two-for-one prosecco 

on Wednesday evening. 

Tickets: £3 adults, under 18s go free 

farnhammaltings.com 

Sat 9 & Sun 10 Dec 

Faversham Market Place, 

Faversham ME13 7AG 

FAVERSHAM CHRISTMAS 

MARKETS WEEKEND 

Shop for Christmas and get into 

the festive spirit in beautiful 

Faversham. Browse stalls from 

across Faversham’s Charter 

Market, Best of Faversham 

Artisan Market and Faversham 

Antiques Market. And don’t 

forget to meet the donkeys! 

While you’re at it you can also 

stop by Faversham’s lovely 

independent shops and cafes. 

favershammarket.org 

MUSIC 

Sat 4 – Sun 26 Nov 

Venues acrross Wimbledon 

WIMBLEDON MUSIC 

FESTIVAL 

What an incredible opportunity. 

This in one of the ‘most 

distinguished festivals in the 

UK’ where world-class music 

comes to Wimbledon. Highlights 

include The Juilliard Quartet, 

the most important quartet in 

istockphoto.com/ RolfSt & michelangeloop & ViewApart 

US history; Rachel Podger & 

Brexon Baroque with Bach’s 

finest concertos; the Wigmore 

Ensemble; Sofya Gulyak, Leeds 

Piano competition winner; 

Philharmonia Orchestra; 

Academy Choir and many 

more besides. The musical 

superstars are heading to 

Wimbledon, don’t miss them. 

Tickets and info available at 

wimbledonmusicfestival.co.uk 

PANTOMIMES 

Sat 2 – Sun 7 Dec 

Yvonne Arnaud 

Theatre, Millbrook, 

Guildford GU1 3UX 

CINDERELLA 

This year’s stellar line up 

includes EastEnders and 

Detectorists favourite Lucy 

Benjamin as the Wicked 

Stepmother, Radio’s Peter 

Gordon in a hilarious Ugly 

Stepsister duo alongside 

Guildford Shakepeare 

Company’s co-founder Matt 

Pinches, and CBeebies star 

James Merry for his third 

Guildford panto. It promises 

to be full of slapstick and 

slosh, music and magic. BSL 

interpreted performances 

on 7 Dec at 10.30am and 

13 Dec at 7pm. Relaxed 

performance on 16 Dec at 

10.30am. Dementia friendly 

performance on 5 Jan at 1pm. 

yvonne-arnaud.co.uk 

merriments gardens 

GARDEN · PLANTS · RESTAURANT · SHOP 

Merriments’ beautiful 4-acre RHS Partner Garden 

remains open throughout the Winter months. 

Alongside our Plant Area, Shop & Restaurant, some 

of our other Winter activities are shown below! 

Pick up some beautiful handmade Christmas Gifts at 

our Craft Fair on Sunday 3rd December 10am-1pm 

3 Day Course 'Herbs to Boost your Immune System' 

Wednesdays 1st, 8th & 15th November 2023 : 10am-3pm 

Learn about the principles underlying herbalism, how to 

grow, harvest & store medicinal herbs and create home 

remedies used to treat a variety of Winter ailments. 

Taught by medicinal herbalist, Julia Behrens, writer of 

‘Lost in Lyme’ & co-author of Neal’s Yard Remedies 

FARNHAM MALTINGS 

PANTO AT YVONNE 

ARNAUD 

Merriments Gardens | Hawkhurst Road 

Hurst Green | East Sussex | TN19 7RA | 01580-860666 

info@merriments.co.uk | www.merriments.co.uk 

127 


D 

lik 

fr 

w 

car parking lifts 

car parking lifts 

_ 

_ 

to 

Maximise parking space 

while ensuring the safety 

and security of your vehicle. 

_ 

‘Large enough to cope, 

Small enough to care’ 

_ 

_A little bit about us... 

‘Autoquip is a family run 

company based in Kent. 

We have been specializing 

in workshop equipment 

for 55 years, showcasing 

our products at different 

events like the 

Kent County Show!’ 

Take your parking game to the next level: 

Do you have a collection of classic cars that you would 

like stored safely and easily? Autoquip will provide a 

free, no obligation to purchase site survey to see how 

we can cater for your requirements. Please call us 

today on 01227 731 195 

55 

A family business from Kent celebrating years (1968-2023) 

_

Fri 8 – Sun 31 Dec 

The Harlequin Theatre & 

Cinema, Warwick Quadrant, 

Redhill, Surrey RH1 1NN 

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 

Set in the French village of 

Populaire Sur la Mare, a host of 

creative roles, colourful scenery 

and a fast-paced story bring this 

pantomime tale right up to date 

with plenty of shenanigans, more 

than a trifle of tomfoolery and 

an amuse-bouche of comedy 

capers. Beauty and the Beast 

champions one of today’s most 

relevant pantomime stories; 

will Belle see beyond the Beast’s 

imposing façade and discover love 

is more than skin deep? Relaxed 

performance on 17 Dec at 10.30. 

BSL interpreted performance 

on 14 Dec at 5.30pm. 

Tickets: from £13 

harlequintheatre.co.uk 

Thurs 14 Dec – Mon 1 Jan 

Malthouse Theatre, Malthouse 

Road, St Stephen’s Road, 

Canterbury CT2 7JA 

SNOW WHITE 

Brought to you by the same team 

as last year’s record-breaking 

production, Snow White promises 

to be even more magical, with 

a dazzling West End cast, 

glittering sets and costumes, 

and side-splitting comedy for 

the whole family to enjoy, with 

tickets starting from just £12. 

Don’t delay, book today! There 

will be a relaxed performance 

istockphoto.com/ RolfSt & michelangeloop & ViewApart 

BEAUTY AND THE 

BEAST AT THE 

HARLEQUIN THEATRE 

on 17 December at 11am. 

Tickets: from £12 

malthousetheatre.co.uk 

Thurs 14 – Sun 31 Dec 

Sinden Theatre, Ashford 

Road, Tenterden TN30 6LT 

CINDERELLA 

Packed with all of the 

traditional pantomime 

ingredients that audiences 

expect from a Tenterden 

Pantomime, Cinderella features 

laugh out loud comedy, 

stunning scenery, beautiful 

costumes and plenty of boos 

and hisses. Join Cinders as 

she goes from rags to riches, 

outwits her very wicked sisters 

and meets her dashing Prince 

Charming. The clock is ticking, 

so book your tickets now to 

get the best seats in the house! 

sindentheatre.cok 

Listings are correct at time of going to press 

but may be subject to change. Readers 

are advised to check with venues before 

making arrangements. We can list your 

event in the next issue of Wealden Times 

for only £75+VAT. Please supply up to 

100 words that should include date, time, 

venue, contact for enquiries and any entry 

price to whatson@priceless-group.com 

or send with payment (cheques payable 

to Priceless Media Ltd.) to What’s On, 

Priceless Media, Kettle Chambers, 21 

Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 

3HF. Priceless Media reserves the right to 

edit text to fit space allocated. Deadline 

for the next issue is 6th November. 

Faversham Christmas Markets Weekend 

9-10th December 2023 

9-10th December 2023 

Faversham Market Place 

Faversham Market Place 

Shop for Christmas in beautiful Faversham 

Shop for Christmas in beautiful Faversham 

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Jane Howard explains how 

Coopers Farm prepares the flock 

for the start of the ‘sheep year’ 

November means tupping time at 

Coopers Farm, when the rams and 

the ewes get together and the whole ‘sheep 

year’ starts over again. But before that happens 

there has been lots of pre-match planning to make 

sure everyone is match fit and ready for action. 

The ewes operate on a five, four, three system. Five 

months pregnant, four months milking and three months 

off. So the lambs born in April 2023 were weaned in July 

to give their mums a bit of ‘me time’ and they have since 

been cosseted with good grass and plenty of supplements 

to prepare them for the demands of the year ahead. 

Unlike cows, pigs and indeed humans 

that cycle regularly all year, ewes are 

clever, and only come into season after 

the autumn (September 23rd) equinox 

when the night time hours exceed the 

daytime hours. Nature’s way of ensuring 

lambs arrive in the spring when the 

weather is better and the grass begins 

to grow. So traditionally, rams are 

always put with the ewes on Bonfire 

Night with the lambs arriving some five 

months later around April Fools Day. 

But first we need to go through all 

the ewes to check they are fit enough to 

have another successful lambing season. 

It takes a lot to produce – hopefully – a 

pair of healthy lambs and then provide 

them with enough milk to grow into two big strong 

lambs. So each one gets a thorough MOT – starting with 

their teeth. Like all of us, sheep’s teeth degrade as the 

years pass, and without a dentist to fit crowns, bridges 

and implants a sound pair of home grown gnashers is 

essential. So anyone with wobbly or missing ones is out. 

Next we check their teats to make sure they haven’t had 

mastitis, which makes them hard and lumpy, and to make 

sure they are not too low slung – another problem for 

Ewes are clever, and only 

come into season after 

the autumn equinox 

when the night time 

hours exceed the daytime 

hours. Natures way of 

ensuring lambs arrive 

in the spring when the 

weather is better and 

the grass begins to grow 

the older ewe. Lambs expect to find the teats high up so 

low down doesn’t work – sorry missus you’re out with the 

toothless ones. And then there’s the doom laden black tag... 

When we lamb in April, we expect the ewe to produce – 

without too much trouble – healthy lambs that she milks 

and mothers through the summer. If 

they don’t measure up – like the one 

last year that sat on and suffocated one 

of her lambs and the following day 

despatched the other in a similar fashion 

– then they get a black tag. Bad news. 

Once we’ve thinned out the ewes 

we make the numbers back up by 

introducing the tegs, the name given 

to female sheep once they are a year 

old but have yet to lamb and are now 

destined to be first time mums. 

And then, of course, there’s the 

other half of the equation, the boys! 

The ewe cycles every 18 days and 

young rams can manage to get round 

about 35 ewes at a time so we have 

two. All the action will be done and dusted well before 

Christmas and we’ll look forward to welcoming Malcolm 

the scan man in January to let us know how it has gone. 

But before I sign off, and a prelude to next month 

when it will be you know what, don’t forget to pick 

your holly now. Right now the branches are laden 

with berries, so gather them and leave in a bucket of 

water in cold place, because if you leave it till next 

month the blackbirds will have beaten you to it! 

Find out more about daily life at Coopers Farm by visiting coopersfarmstonegate.co.uk 

130

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Wealden Times | WT258 | November 2023 | Christmas Gift Supplement inside

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