Wealden Times | WT260 | January 2024 | Good Living Supplement inside
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
The lifestyle magazine for Kent & Sussex - Inspirational Interiors, Fabulous Fashion, Delicious Dishes
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PRICELESS<br />
JANUARY <strong>2024</strong><br />
260<br />
JANUARY <strong>2024</strong><br />
GOOD LIVING SUPPLEMENT <strong>inside</strong><br />
Inspirational Interiors • Fabulous Fashion • Delicious Dishes
jminteriorsuk.uk<br />
Please email or call to make a showroom appointment<br />
info@jminteriorsuk.uk 01580 291221
MINTERIORS<br />
JMade Designing in Biddenden and handcrafting by a kitchens family business since 1994
Chilham Village Hall, Kent
Every mile a memory<br />
www.chooseleisure.co.uk/freedom
FIND YOUR<br />
KITCHEN spirit<br />
COME AND SEE US FOR A FREE DESIGN CONSULTATION<br />
SEVENOAKS<br />
50 LONDON ROAD, TN13 1AS<br />
01732 454282 | NOLTE-KITCHENS.CO.UK
Contents<br />
<strong>January</strong> <strong>2024</strong><br />
26<br />
88<br />
44<br />
12<br />
19<br />
22<br />
26<br />
43<br />
44<br />
59<br />
HOUSE OF THE MONTH<br />
Dream homes on the market<br />
NOTEBOOK<br />
Upcoming events for your diary<br />
THE MUST LIST<br />
Keep up-to-date with the latest<br />
must-see and must-have goodies<br />
JOINED UP THINKING<br />
Take a look <strong>inside</strong> an<br />
ambitious barn renovation<br />
GET THE LOOK<br />
Embrace warm woods<br />
for true rural living<br />
A PLACE IN THE COUNTRY<br />
Explore Fair Oak Farm, a unique<br />
retreat in blissful seclusion<br />
GET THE LOOK<br />
Harness Fair Oak’s<br />
welcoming, lived-in feel<br />
79<br />
80<br />
84<br />
86<br />
88<br />
94<br />
WHAT’S HOT IN <strong>2024</strong><br />
Get holiday inspiration for<br />
the year ahead with help<br />
from Baldwins Travel<br />
TAKE ME TO A NEW<br />
ADVENTURE<br />
Trip ideas for the<br />
intrepid traveller<br />
SPRING FLING<br />
See out the rest of winter<br />
with cosy pastel layers<br />
NOTTING HILL CALLING<br />
Rebecca Cuffe’s pretty pastels<br />
STARTING AFRESH<br />
Jo Arnell keeps it healthy<br />
with nourishing recipes<br />
to try out this <strong>January</strong><br />
WINTER SPARKLE<br />
Light up your garden with triedand-tested<br />
winter plant picks<br />
Published by Priceless Media Ltd. Kettle Chambers, 21 Stone Street,<br />
Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF | Call 01580 714705 | Email info@priceless-group.com<br />
Visit priceless-group.com Copyright © <strong>2024</strong> Priceless Media Ltd. The views of the<br />
advertisers & contributors are not necessarily those of Priceless Media Ltd.<br />
98<br />
103<br />
104<br />
106<br />
HONEY FUNGUS,<br />
THE BOGEYMAN<br />
Sue Whigham tackles a<br />
pesky fungal beast<br />
DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER<br />
Education consultant Mike Piercy’s<br />
tips to move into <strong>2024</strong> with positivity<br />
WHAT’S ON?<br />
From social events to<br />
courses, find out...<br />
FABLES FROM THE FARM<br />
Jane Howard learns something<br />
new about her chickens<br />
GOOD LIVING<br />
SUPPLEMENT<br />
17 pages of<br />
health & beauty<br />
news, advice and<br />
information.<br />
After page 60.<br />
<strong>Good</strong> <strong>Living</strong><br />
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From the<br />
Editor<br />
I<br />
hope that, by the time you read this, you have had the<br />
most wonderful Christmas with a bit of time to relax<br />
and reflect on all the goings-ons of 2023. I especially<br />
enjoyed this issue’s piece by education consultant and former<br />
Head of The New Beacon, Mike Piercy, where he stresses the<br />
importance of healthy self-reflection and learning from our<br />
past in order to move forward positively – wise words indeed.<br />
Speaking of fresh starts, turn to our special <strong>Good</strong><br />
<strong>Living</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong>, where we explore all things health<br />
and wellbeing, from subtle cosmetic ‘tweakments’ to<br />
men’s health and some lesser-known effects of the<br />
menopause. There are the usual <strong>inside</strong>r makeup tips<br />
from beauty aficionado Josephine Fairley, too, alongside<br />
an exploration of the latest exercise trends for the New<br />
Year with Sarah Maxwell, whilst Charlotte Lau looks into<br />
the benefits of incorporating chia seeds into our diets.<br />
We all need something to really look forward to and,<br />
if travel’s your ultimate indulgence, you’ll be interested in<br />
our rundown of the most memorable trips, from exploring<br />
stunning sights to getting truly hands-on and adventurous.<br />
Before her recommendations for winterhardy<br />
plants in our gardening section, Jo<br />
Arnell takes a brief hiatus from the frosty<br />
outdoors to come up with super-nourishing<br />
dishes to combat Christmas overindulgence.<br />
Think plenty of greens, beans, veg and<br />
lean protein with a dash of chilli heat.<br />
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Happy New Year and enjoy<br />
your Priceless magazine!<br />
Priceless Team<br />
EditorLucy Fleming<br />
<strong>Supplement</strong>s & Features EditorRebecca Cuffe<br />
Sub Editor & Features Writer Emily Pavey<br />
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Maria Hurley<br />
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TRAIN<br />
STATIONS:<br />
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International<br />
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East<br />
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11<br />
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Ashford&CranbrookRoofingWT248.indd 1 30/11/2022 17:50
House<br />
Month<br />
of the<br />
£2,250,000<br />
Damien Pestell picks his favourite<br />
homes on the market<br />
Rushlake Green<br />
The dream: A substantial Grade<br />
II listed country home and former<br />
farm with expansive private<br />
grounds that extend to more than<br />
46 acres. The property includes<br />
numerous outbuildings and has<br />
breathtaking and far reaching views<br />
across the Sussex countryside.<br />
Where: The rural village of Rushlake<br />
Green, laid out around the village<br />
green, includes a vibrant community<br />
with a local pub and village shop. The<br />
nearby town of Heathfield provides<br />
more comprehensive facilities.<br />
Setting: Within its own<br />
private gardens adjoining<br />
extensive countryside.<br />
Beds: 6 Baths: 2<br />
Special features: The gorgeous<br />
formal dining room with high<br />
beamed ceilings, impressive inglenook<br />
fireplace and leaded light windows<br />
overlooks the side and rear gardens.<br />
Pleasing details: There are<br />
multiple, potentially lucrative<br />
business opportunities within<br />
the property boundaries which<br />
include the development of the<br />
outbuildings, creating a fishing<br />
business or even a glamping site.<br />
Outside: The substantial grounds<br />
feature grazing land, a small<br />
woodland and numerous farm<br />
buildings accessible via their<br />
own separate driveway. There<br />
are also equestrian facilities and<br />
an all weather tennis court.<br />
Time to town: From Stonegate<br />
station, a 15 minute drive away, to<br />
London Bridge in less than an hour.<br />
Agent: Neville & Neville<br />
01323 833630 nevilleandneville.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com 12
Hamstreet<br />
£1,095,000<br />
The dream: An enchanting Edwardian home<br />
dating from circa 1902 and with many of its<br />
original features such as high ceilings, wooden<br />
shutters and original French doors. The property<br />
is also graced with captivating west facing<br />
gardens backing onto the Kent marshes.<br />
Where: The pretty village of Hamstreet,<br />
known locally as the ‘gateway to the<br />
marshes’, offers some wonderful walking<br />
routes and is just 6 miles from Ashford.<br />
Setting: A very private central village spot.<br />
Beds: 5 Baths: 3<br />
Special features: The spacious and light flooded<br />
kitchen/breakfast room with vaulted ceiling and<br />
large window overlooks the beautiful gardens.<br />
Pleasing details: The main bedroom<br />
benefits from its own outside external<br />
access and could be used as an Airbnb.<br />
Outside: The mature gardens of just over an acre<br />
have a kitchen garden as well as a wild orchard.<br />
There is also a paddock accessed from the garden.<br />
Time to town: From Hamstreet station,<br />
just a short walk away, to London St<br />
Pancras in approximately 50 minutes.<br />
Agent: Rafferty & Pickard<br />
01732 905499 raffertyandpickard.co.uk<br />
Crowborough<br />
£585,000<br />
The dream: A delightful modern<br />
home set within the High Weald Area<br />
of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Built<br />
by award-winning builders Riverdale<br />
Developments it comes with solar<br />
panels and EV charging point.<br />
Where: On the outskirts of<br />
Crowborough town, which borders<br />
the beautiful Ashdown Forest.<br />
Setting: Nestled amongst lush green trees.<br />
Beds: 4 Baths: 2<br />
Special features: The light-filled<br />
kitchen is fitted with Bosch cookware<br />
as well as Zanussi integral appliances.<br />
Pleasing details: A handy Christmas gift<br />
of £5,000 comes with this new home.<br />
Outside: The good sized garden<br />
with patio has room for growing<br />
vegetables as well as entertaining.<br />
Time to town: From Crowborough<br />
station, just over a mile away, to<br />
London Victoria in just over an hour.<br />
Agent: Connells<br />
01892 883188 connells.co.uk<br />
* some CGI imagery<br />
13<br />
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Sea. Sky. Shoreline.<br />
A collection of Townhouses,<br />
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BOOK YOUR VIEWING TODAY<br />
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shorelinefolkestone.co.uk<br />
Live by the beach and get to London<br />
St. Pancras in less than one hour by train.<br />
A stone's throw from 27 acres of coastal park<br />
and the bustling Old Town of Folkestone.<br />
There is secure parking for each home.<br />
Elegant open-plan living areas frame<br />
spectacular views.<br />
Every residence has its own balcony<br />
or terrace and garden.<br />
©2023 FOLKESTONE HARBOUR & SEAFRONT DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
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PLOT OR NOT?<br />
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r public houses, redundant<br />
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For more information contact<br />
Stephen Donnelly on:<br />
07739 514350 / 01892 579937<br />
steve@sjd-projects.com<br />
For regular updates, visit us at<br />
twitter.com/projects<br />
sjd-projects.com<br />
15<br />
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OrlestoneOakWT252.indd 1 04/04/2023 10:36
A.T. Palmer Ltd<br />
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A unique insight into<br />
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18
Notebook<br />
Take note! We’ve rounded up the best<br />
of what to see and do near you<br />
Wine & Dine<br />
We’re excited to hear that Balfour Winery have opened a new restaurant,<br />
The Winemakers’ Kitchen, at their breathtakingly beautiful Hush<br />
Heath Estate (England’s only gold-medal winning vineyard, thanks to<br />
VisitEngland). The tempting menu is a collaboration between head<br />
winemaker, Fergus Elias and head chef, Dan Austin – expect delicious<br />
seasonal, local produce perfectly paired with their award-winning<br />
wines, proving ‘what grows together, goes together’. Drink in the<br />
incredible surroundings, huge skies and gently sloping vineyards<br />
surrounded by orchards and ancient woodland. There’s even a<br />
free shuttle bus running approximately every 20 minutes from<br />
Marden train station every weekend during the winery’s<br />
opening hours (10am-6pm). No need to pre-book the bus,<br />
just hop on board for a five minute ride to Hush Heath.<br />
The Winemakers’ Kitchen is open for lunch 12pm-<br />
3pm Wednesday to Saturday and 12pm-4pm<br />
on Sundays. From 13th <strong>January</strong> there will be<br />
Dinner Service from 7pm-10.30pm.<br />
balfourwinery.com/visit/winemakers-kitchen<br />
The Real<br />
Agatha Christie<br />
Following a sell-out tour in 2022,<br />
the Queen of History, Lucy Worsley,<br />
is heading back out to share the<br />
fascinating life of the Queen of Crime,<br />
Agatha Christie. You’ll find Lucy at G<br />
Live Theatre in Guildford on Monday<br />
11th March. Why did Agatha Christie<br />
spend her career pretending that she<br />
was ‘just’ an ordinary housewife,<br />
when she clearly wasn’t? Agatha went<br />
surfing in Hawaii, loved fast cars,<br />
and was intrigued by the new science<br />
of psychology, which helped her<br />
through devastating mental illness. So<br />
why – despite all the evidence to the<br />
contrary – did she present herself as<br />
a retiring Edwardian lady of leisure?<br />
Sharing her research based on the<br />
writer’s personal letters and papers,<br />
Lucy will uncover the real Agatha<br />
Christie – the story of a person who,<br />
despite the obstacles of class and<br />
gender, became an astonishingly<br />
successful working woman.<br />
glive.co.uk<br />
VIVA<br />
LA DIVA<br />
Dancing shoes at the<br />
ready! Here’s an opportunity to<br />
indulge in an evening of glitz and glamour<br />
with a three-course dinner, dancing and all<br />
your favourite diva hits performed by Debbie<br />
Perolls and special guests. ‘Night of the Divas’<br />
on 16th March at One Warwick Park Hotel<br />
will also raise much-needed funds for<br />
Hospices of Hope who provide end of<br />
life and palliative care across south and<br />
south east Europe (where 92% of people<br />
diagnosed with terminal illness are still<br />
without proper care). Tickets are £45 and<br />
include a complimentary prosecco plus<br />
a three course meal. Get a 5% discount<br />
if you book before 4th February.<br />
hospicesofhope.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Top<br />
Spot<br />
Are you keen to enjoy the wellrecognised<br />
benefits of connecting<br />
with nature or just fancy blowing the<br />
cobwebs away? Take a look at Kent<br />
Wildlife Trust’s events this season.<br />
How about the Guided Walk:<br />
Winter Birds at Sevenoaks Wildlife<br />
Reserve (£8 on 2nd Feb) where<br />
one of the dedicated volunteers will<br />
help you spot all sorts. With the<br />
trees having shed their leaves, this<br />
is a good time to see the regular<br />
woodland species including goldcrest<br />
and treecreeper. There may well<br />
be flocks of overwintering siskin,<br />
and there are regular sightings of<br />
redwing, brambling and redpoll.<br />
On the lakes, the resident ducks<br />
are joined by shoveler, gadwall and<br />
wigeon, whilst there’s also the chance<br />
of seeing snipe and the elusive<br />
water rail. Take your binoculars and<br />
be sure to wear sturdy footwear.<br />
Afterwards head to the Visitor<br />
Centre to warm up with a hot drink.<br />
This is recommended for the over<br />
12s. And if birds aren’t your thing,<br />
how about bison?! Find out more at<br />
kentwildlifetrust.org.uk<br />
Happy New Gear<br />
If you’re looking for the challenge of a lifetime<br />
this may be just the ticket. St Wilfred’s<br />
Hospice in Eastbourne and St Michael’s<br />
Hospice in Hastings are encouraging people<br />
to sign up for a five day Hospices to Holland<br />
cycling challenge. It will take place between<br />
18th and 22nd September, so you’ve got<br />
time to pump up your tyres and oil your<br />
chain. Participants will be asked to raise<br />
sponsorship money for the cycle, which will<br />
pass along the south coast, across the Channel,<br />
and then through cycle-friendly cities and<br />
countryside in France, Belgium and Holland.<br />
hospicestoholland.co.uk<br />
Castle Competition Time<br />
The kids are back to school<br />
so it must be time to start thinking<br />
about February half term! Hever Castle will<br />
be holding Eco Week and have all sorts of fun<br />
activities planned. They are inviting children to<br />
create a sustainable sculpture with a historical theme.<br />
The winning entry will enjoy a free visit to the Castle<br />
and Gardens for their class! Completed models should<br />
be delivered to Hever between Monday 29th Jan and<br />
Wednesday 7th Feb; voting will take place from Saturday<br />
10th Feb and the winner will be announced on<br />
Tuesday 27th Feb. Please see their website for more<br />
details. Contact Harriet Waldron if your little<br />
one is interested in taking part by emailing<br />
learning@hevercastle.co.uk<br />
hevercastle.co.uk<br />
istockphoto.com/ m_pavlov and tigerstrawberry and Grishina Tatiana / Rostislav_ / Sedlacek / Sergio Delle Vedove<br />
STOP PRESS!<br />
Fans of the smash-hit TV show Drop The Dead<br />
Donkey are in for a treat. The original cast<br />
and writers of the BAFTA and EMMY awardwinning<br />
comedy have reunited for a brandnew<br />
stage adaptation. Richmond Theatre is<br />
delighted to present Drop the Dead Donkey:<br />
The Reawakening! from 30th <strong>January</strong> until<br />
3rd February. Bursting with razor-sharp wit<br />
and classic British humour, this hot off the<br />
press production is one not to be missed.<br />
atgtickets.com/shows/drop-thedead-donkey/richmond-theatre/<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
20
The<br />
Canterbury<br />
Auction<br />
Galleries<br />
FINE ART<br />
AUCTIONEERS<br />
SINCE 1911<br />
Why, that’s<br />
marvellous news!<br />
Have you heard?<br />
Our new sale days for <strong>2024</strong><br />
are now Fridays and Saturdays<br />
9th & 10th February<br />
Consignment deadline 21st December 2023<br />
12th & 13th April<br />
Consignment deadline 8th March <strong>2024</strong><br />
7th & 8th June<br />
Consignment deadline 3rd May <strong>2024</strong><br />
2nd & 3rd August<br />
Consignment deadline 28th June <strong>2024</strong><br />
4th & 5th October<br />
Consignment deadline 30th August <strong>2024</strong><br />
SAVE<br />
THE DATES<br />
29th & 30th November<br />
Consignment deadline 25th October <strong>2024</strong><br />
Call us to book a free valuation at home or<br />
at our Canterbury salerooms:<br />
40 Station Road West, Canterbury, Kent CT2 8AN<br />
Telephone 01227 763337<br />
Email general@tcag.co.uk<br />
Visit thecanterburyauctiongalleries.com<br />
<strong>Wealden</strong> - TCAG <strong>2024</strong> dates 1/2pp.indd 1 11/12/2023 10:43<br />
AT KENT COLLEGE<br />
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21<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Finding a place to eat can be tricky in the<br />
month of healthy resolutions. Try The Fig<br />
in Rye for fresh and nutritious small sharing<br />
plates, featuring local produce and plenty of<br />
veggie and vegan options. thefigrye.com<br />
must<br />
The<br />
From must-sees to must-buys and<br />
must-dos, don’t miss this month’s<br />
round up of what to buy, see, do,<br />
and generally get excited about!<br />
Trying dry <strong>January</strong>?<br />
If so, you may need<br />
something with a<br />
bit of sparkle to<br />
get you through.<br />
This Peony Blush bottle<br />
from The REAL Drinks<br />
Co has a light fruity<br />
and yoghurty taste and<br />
comes so well presented<br />
you could easily think<br />
you’d picked out a<br />
nice sparkling rosé by<br />
mistake. It’s actually<br />
naturally fermented<br />
sparkling tea – rich in<br />
antioxidants and only<br />
13 calories a glass!<br />
£59.70 for a case of 6<br />
realdrinks.co<br />
What better way to give your home<br />
a spruce for the new year than with<br />
beautiful English flowers? Embracing the<br />
natural delights of the UK’s diverse flora, LÖV<br />
Flowers deliver letterbox blooms handpicked for freshness.<br />
They can be ordered as a regular subscription (weekly,<br />
biweekly or monthly) or a one off treat. Each delivery<br />
comes with handy arranging guides in fully recyclable<br />
packaging and will add some natural beauty to any<br />
interior scheme. From £22 lovflowers.co.uk<br />
For those looking<br />
to cook more<br />
healthy meals<br />
at home, ProCook are<br />
launching a new Air Fryer<br />
Health Grill on <strong>January</strong> 8th.<br />
It costs £179 and really can<br />
air fry, grill, roast, bake, slow<br />
cook, steam and more,<br />
all in a healthier<br />
way and without<br />
heating a big<br />
oven! procook.co.uk<br />
Previously known as ‘Blue<br />
Monday’, <strong>January</strong> 15 has been<br />
dubbed ‘Brew Monday’ by<br />
Samaritans (samaritans.org). The idea<br />
is to make it a day to catch up and<br />
connect with someone over a cuppa<br />
– after all nothing relieves the blues<br />
better. Our tea of choice? This Baiji<br />
Relieve Raspberry Leaf Tea is blended<br />
to sooth anxiety, improve skin,<br />
boost your immune system and even<br />
combat menstrual cramps.<br />
£12.95 at baijilife.co.uk<br />
If your new year’s resolution was to get moving and exercise<br />
more, yoga is a great way to do it – giving you flexibility,<br />
muscle tone, improving cardio health and relaxing the mind all<br />
in one! We love these colourful yoga mats from London brand<br />
Ladina Yoga that are eco-friendly, and a tree is planted for each<br />
one sold! This one is £65 at ladinayoga.com<br />
A good portable speaker is a must for those<br />
looking to spend more time outside in<br />
<strong>2024</strong>. This Soundcore Motion 300 speaker<br />
is designed for outdoor enthusiasts. It has<br />
12+ hours battery life, a compact design,<br />
and high quality wireless sound – perfect<br />
for picnics, camping, holidays, BBQs and<br />
really whatever other adventures this year<br />
may bring! £89.99 at uk.soundcore.com<br />
Pantone’s colour of the year <strong>2024</strong> is Peach Fuzz so<br />
be prepared for this gentle warm tone to be a hot<br />
trend this year. Annah Kelly, Styling Expert for<br />
Bridgman says, “It’s not just a trend but a colour that can<br />
provide a sense of enduring luxury.” – As we can see in<br />
this gorgeous Edinburgh Modular Sofa Set 1, available for<br />
£5,059 at bridgman.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com 22
Wishing all our Clients<br />
A Very Merry Christmas<br />
& a Happy New Year<br />
Hammer Price £2,500 Hammer Price £1,100<br />
Antiques & Collector’s Items<br />
Antiques & Collectors' Items<br />
A reputation built on quality<br />
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01797 270 268 | kentpegs.com<br />
OUR NEXT SALE IS TO BE HELD ON<br />
OUR NEXT SALE IS TO BE HELD ON<br />
Wednesday Wednesday 24th 27th <strong>January</strong> April 2022 <strong>2024</strong> at at 11am 11am<br />
With With live live in in room bidding and and online online via via<br />
easyliveauction.com/ibbettmosely<br />
Viewing Viewing of the of sale the strictly sale is by on appointment Monday 22nd on Monday <strong>January</strong> 25th<br />
and Tuesday 26th 23rd April, <strong>January</strong>, between between 10:30am-4.30pm<br />
10am-5pm<br />
For all enquires, please contact us by email or telephone:<br />
auctions@ibbettmosely.co.uk 01732 456731<br />
If you're facing<br />
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or divorce...<br />
we can help<br />
If you’re going through a family breakdown the key to minimising distress is<br />
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of less combative options which put the needs of your whole family first.<br />
Contact our family law team to<br />
find out how we can help you.<br />
01227 763939<br />
family@furleypage.co.uk<br />
furleypage.co.uk<br />
Knowledge. Experience. Results.<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
24
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Joined Up<br />
Thinking<br />
Not shy of a serious challenge, Emma<br />
and Terry Hazelwood undertook a<br />
complicated listed barn conversion,<br />
successfully blending old and new<br />
to create a stunning family home<br />
priceless-magazines.com 26
Words: Jo Arnell<br />
Photographs: David Merewether<br />
Styling: Emily Pavey<br />
27<br />
priceless-magazines.com
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Specialist divorce & family law solicitors<br />
If you are going through a separation or thinking about divorce,<br />
getting expert advice at the right time is crucial.<br />
At Thomas Mansfield Solicitors, we pride ourselves on our practical and compassionate approach.<br />
Our years of specialised experience, outstanding client feedback, and track record<br />
of achieving the best outcomes for our clients speak for themselves.<br />
Contact us to start a simple, important conversation about your future.<br />
Call us on 01892 337540<br />
familylaw@thomasmansfield.co.uk<br />
tmfamilylaw.co.uk<br />
Separation & Divorce • Finances • Children • Mediation • Cohabitation • Prenuptial Agreements • Wills & Inheritance Planning<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
28
Previous pages and above: The black steels make a feature<br />
of the building’s structure and also help to divide up the<br />
space, partitioning it into kitchen, dining and living areas<br />
House renovation, like many other adventures,<br />
is not for the faint-hearted, requiring not<br />
just practical skills but bravery, tenacity and<br />
money (but not always as much as you’d think). Most<br />
importantly you need vision and faith – think of all<br />
those Grand Designs shows where the journey inevitably<br />
falters – to carry you through the tough times. When<br />
Emma and her husband Terry went to view Doves<br />
Barn they saw an old timber barn and next to it a<br />
ramshackle corrugated pig shed. Planning permission<br />
had been granted for conversion, but it had been on<br />
the market for a while. Where others had faltered<br />
and walked away they stood firm and took a deep<br />
breath. “It was just an oak frame that housed a cold<br />
store,” explains Emma, “so the interior was completely<br />
invisible and it was impossible to see what the building<br />
was like. I think that put a lot of people off.’<br />
The vision to imagine – when faced with a giant<br />
apple store and a pig shed – what things could look<br />
like on completion, the stop off points along the way,<br />
and then the ability to hold onto that vision until<br />
it becomes a reality, is where faith comes in. When<br />
you are doing all this yourselves and living on site<br />
as a family, that faith has to extend to one another,<br />
especially when you are working together.<br />
<br />
29<br />
priceless-magazines.com
This page: Emma has curated a feature wall of shelving<br />
to fill what could have been a large expanse of blank<br />
wall whilst also neatly camouflaging the TV<br />
Emma and Terry are at an advantage because they have<br />
building experience, although arguably when you do it for<br />
yourselves it is just as tricky. Together they run Hazelwood<br />
Building & Restoration and have been working in the<br />
area for twenty years – “Doing it for everyone else, so it<br />
was a logical next step for us,” Emma says. “I’m originally<br />
from a marketing and advertising background, but we’d<br />
done a few renovating jobs, adding value, and I decided<br />
that I liked interiors. I did interiors for Terry’s clients –<br />
it’s also a perfect opportunity to showcase the work Terry<br />
can do. He studied furniture design, so he has a fine eye<br />
for detail and can bring a high-end style aesthetic.”<br />
They re-negotiated with the owners and altered the<br />
building plans so that more light would flood both<br />
interiors, before finally installing a mobile home, where<br />
the family ended up living for two and a half years.<br />
“We were in there during the first lockdown – with<br />
two children, a large dog and a lot of home schooling.<br />
Prices of materials rocketed and it was difficult to source<br />
some things for the build.” Despite the cramped living<br />
conditions and the hold ups, Emma appears to look back<br />
fondly on the period. “We put decking all around the<br />
caravan and we were there during two lovely summers,<br />
so it felt a bit like being on holiday at times.”<br />
<br />
priceless-magazines.com 30
“They just led the way for me. I<br />
didn’t have to worry about anything.”<br />
The number one family law team in Kent, putting<br />
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priceless-magazines.com<br />
32
This page: In contrast to the contemporary design of<br />
the new, modern living space, the original parts of the<br />
barn have all the charm of a period interior, with warm<br />
exposed beams and low ceilings in a cosy snug room (top)<br />
They demolished the pig house first, saving<br />
enough corrugated iron to make a covetable little<br />
shed from some remnants – and in the process a<br />
nod to the origins of the building. Standing in its<br />
place is now a large steel portal framed structure.<br />
It has a robust, agri-chic feel and looks modern<br />
and purposeful next to the listed vernacular barn,<br />
to which it is linked with a glass walkway. The big<br />
steel beams have been painted black and make a<br />
feature of its structure, like a modern version <br />
33<br />
priceless-magazines.com
“We were going<br />
to have wooden<br />
stairs,” Emma<br />
says, “but couldn’t<br />
get the wood<br />
during Covid.<br />
The only thing<br />
that was available<br />
was steel, so we<br />
spray painted it<br />
deep plum and it<br />
became a feature.”<br />
of the exposed beams of the barn.<br />
“The beams also help to divide up the<br />
space,” explains Emma, “partitioning<br />
it into kitchen, dining and living<br />
areas.” A suspended log burner, also<br />
black, hangs between the dining<br />
and living area and a linear LED<br />
pendant – made by Terry – hangs<br />
high above the Ercol dining table.<br />
Bold statements are vital in big<br />
spaces and, with a vaulted ceiling<br />
and a huge hooded window at one<br />
end, this is definitely on the large<br />
side, although the kitchen section<br />
has a lower ceiling due to the<br />
mezzanine. “It makes it feel cosier<br />
and more enclosed,” she says, but<br />
it is by no means a dark space,<br />
<br />
priceless-magazines.com 34
AND HOT TUBS<br />
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Prices include:<br />
• Garden room (45mm thick solid timber)<br />
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• Structural basework<br />
• Double glazing<br />
• Specialist paint treatment (supplied only)<br />
• Full electrical package<br />
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WoodworkWT238.indd 1 04/02/2022 12:15
This page: A dramatically dark corridor connects to the light-filled<br />
atrium. This large, uncluttered space has been made to feel welcoming<br />
with warm and natural finishes, textures and houseplants<br />
despite the grey kitchen units.<br />
“We made the kitchen ourselves<br />
from birch plywood. It’s laminated<br />
with a high-tech material called<br />
Fenix. It’s brilliant stuff, resistant<br />
to finger marks, and scratches can<br />
just come out with a finger rub.”<br />
Beyond the kitchen there’s a stripy<br />
glimpse of the striking metal stair<br />
rails that lead up to the mezzanine.<br />
“We were going to have wooden<br />
stairs,” Emma says, “but couldn’t<br />
get the wood during Covid. The<br />
only thing that was available was<br />
steel, so we spray painted it deep<br />
plum and it became a feature.”<br />
The addition of the mezzanine<br />
meant that the family were able to<br />
live in this building while the barn<br />
was converted, sleeping upstairs on<br />
the new floor. “The other side of the<br />
house was boarded up, so we lived<br />
entirely in this side – and compared<br />
to the mobile home it felt enormous,”<br />
laughs Emma. “We moved into<br />
the modern barn extension in the<br />
summer of 2020 and built some<br />
sleeping pods within the mezzanine.<br />
It was self-contained, and with the<br />
bedrooms upstairs this was really all<br />
that we needed. We opened up the<br />
glass link at the beginning of the year<br />
and now have five bathrooms – a wet<br />
room, guest bathroom and three en<br />
suites.” All very much appreciated.<br />
Running from wall-to-wall<br />
through the building is a polished<br />
concrete floor. This helps to link<br />
the two separate buildings into<br />
one, spanning from the new<br />
barn to the old listed barn.<br />
Once the gigantic apple store<br />
was removed from the barn, the<br />
conversion was fairly straightforward.<br />
The planners allowed them to<br />
install big windows at either end<br />
because, “It could be argued that<br />
this would have been a wagon-way<br />
originally and so would have been<br />
left open,” says Emma. “We were<br />
allowed to put in one stud wall,<br />
but on the other side there aren’t<br />
any windows, so it actually helps to<br />
make it a mezzanine.” Being able to<br />
see the whole structure also makes a<br />
beautiful celebration of the building’s<br />
integrity and original purpose.<br />
Spacious and airy, this unenclosed<br />
area is used mainly for storage and<br />
features a long line of cupboards down<br />
one end. “It’s just an Ikea wardrobe<br />
– the Pax system,” says Emma, “but<br />
we took sections out of the doors and<br />
replaced them with rattan. Then Terry<br />
put a surround in to make it look<br />
more built-in. We always<br />
<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Top left and right: The main bedroom and en suite exist in isolated splendour on the first floor of the barn.<br />
The couple have been creative with their furniture, installing a run of Ikea wardrobes, removing sections and<br />
replacing them with rattan Above left and right: A guest bedroom and the main bedroom en suite<br />
try to use leftovers from jobs and<br />
like recycling/upcycling. The unit in<br />
the wet room was a G-plan chest of<br />
drawers, the floor on the walkway<br />
was made from oak offcuts. There<br />
wasn’t enough for a bedroom, but<br />
just enough to complete this area<br />
– it was too nice to throw away.”<br />
This approach is not only money<br />
– and planet – saving, but also serves<br />
to illustrate the couple’s ingenuity<br />
and skill, which in turn enables<br />
them to offer a unique service to<br />
their clients. “We offer a one stop<br />
shop – design and build,” says<br />
Emma. “Terry is a great problem<br />
solver and with interiors it’s all about<br />
the detail – and offering a good<br />
service. It’s about quality, attention<br />
to detail and workmanship.”<br />
Across the walkway, past a<br />
striking (and this sort of space<br />
needs something striking) Sputnik<br />
chandelier from Abigail Ahern, the<br />
main bedroom and en suite exist in<br />
isolated splendour on this floor. There<br />
are far reaching views from here,<br />
framed by beautifully understood<br />
window treatments by Sally Streeten.<br />
The children’s bedrooms are on<br />
the floor below, identical in size<br />
and shape, one either side of the<br />
central ‘wagon-way’. Emma points<br />
out the original ancient end wall of<br />
the barn in her daughter’s bedroom,<br />
built before the cat-slide roof was<br />
constructed. The timbers in the<br />
barn are remarkably well preserved<br />
and cleaned beautifully, left <br />
priceless-magazines.com 38
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untreated by wax, varnish or paint.<br />
The light-filled atrium is<br />
enormous, uncluttered, but made<br />
to feel welcoming, with warm<br />
and natural finishes, textures and<br />
giant houseplants. A focal point<br />
chair leads your eye to the view<br />
beyond the huge picture window.<br />
“It’s just from Made.com,” says<br />
Emma, “but Steve Hanson in<br />
Ulcombe is a fantastic upholsterer<br />
– he re-upholstered the chair and<br />
repositioned the buttons, so now it<br />
looks like a bespoke object rather<br />
than a mass produced one.”<br />
Walking back across the divide<br />
we pass an effective piece of design<br />
that makes the best of the potentially<br />
difficult strip between the barn and<br />
extension. Stones unearthed from the<br />
site and yuccas in pots sit on a bed of<br />
pebbles, transforming what could have<br />
been a bleak space into a view-framing<br />
slice down through the gap, looking<br />
out to one of several zoned seating<br />
areas and the landscape beyond.<br />
Glimpses of the countryside come in<br />
at every window, but the view through<br />
the window at the end of the extension<br />
is the main draw. “In winter it’s all<br />
Top left: The timbers in the barn are<br />
remarkably well preserved and cleaned<br />
beautifully, left untreated by wax, varnish<br />
or paint Top right & above left: Attention<br />
to detail in the contemporary bathrooms<br />
Above right: The main bedroom<br />
priceless-magazines.com 40
Top left: The striking form of the extension is<br />
evident from outside, where wooden cladding<br />
runs from floor to ceiling on the structure,<br />
creating a semi-sheltered area of patio<br />
Top right and above: Emma and Terry have<br />
opted for earthy and natural tones throughout<br />
the barn to complement the worn, warm wood<br />
black out there,” Emma says. “It<br />
took a while to get used to it, but<br />
it’s cosy once the log burner is lit.”<br />
The colours and textures down<br />
this end are earthy and natural,<br />
designed to complement the soft<br />
tones of the scenery around them.<br />
Opposite the comfortable – and<br />
cleverly re-covered – Ikea sofa,<br />
is a well curated feature wall of<br />
shelving that Emma has used to<br />
help zone the space and to fill<br />
what could have been a large<br />
expanse of blank wall. “The TV<br />
on the wall by itself could look<br />
exposed and rather odd, potentially<br />
even an eyesore, so we created<br />
the shelving unit around it to<br />
soften it, housing all the gadgetry<br />
in the cupboards beneath.”<br />
Each of the living spaces in<br />
here exists in its own zone, but<br />
Emma has worked hard to create<br />
an overall theme, uniting the two<br />
buildings into one spacious home.<br />
There’s an uncluttered Danish<br />
mid-century feel throughout,<br />
but the mood is relaxed – Emma<br />
was determined to create a<br />
sense of space and calm.<br />
Together she and Terry have<br />
done more than that. Marrying two<br />
entirely different buildings into one<br />
– and from such monumentally<br />
different eras (1680 versus<br />
2020) – could have resulted in a<br />
complete miss-match. But in the<br />
skilled hands of Terry and Emma,<br />
they have become one dwelling,<br />
linked by the simplicity of their<br />
design, the honesty of the building<br />
materials and shared structural<br />
elements – the staircases, concrete<br />
floor, use of bare wood and metal.<br />
All these have combined to create<br />
not just a showcase for Hazelwood<br />
Building & Restoration, but, more<br />
importantly, a shining example of<br />
how one family has worked hard to<br />
make themselves a beautiful home.<br />
Address Book:<br />
To find out more about<br />
Hazelwood Building & Restoration,<br />
and to discuss a project, see<br />
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The Bathroom Cellar<br />
01580 713883 thebathroom.co.uk<br />
Dyke & Dean<br />
01424 429202 dykeanddean.com<br />
Sally Streeten Interiors<br />
(curtains) 07957 136985<br />
sallystreeteninteriors.co.uk<br />
Steven Hanson<br />
(upholsterer in Ulcombe)<br />
01622 844122<br />
41<br />
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A Place in<br />
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priceless-magazines.com 44<br />
Words: Damien Pestell<br />
Photographs: David Merewether<br />
A true labour of love, Ian and Penny Ledger have tirelessly<br />
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who hire their multi-award winning retreat venue
These page: The farmhouse’s open<br />
plan kitchen/diner has a classic<br />
Aga, butler sink, flagstone floors<br />
and a large communal dining table.<br />
“People tend to gravitate to the<br />
farmhouse and the kitchen especially.”<br />
Below: A corner of the snug<br />
Tucked away in the High Weald countryside<br />
amongst a warren of lanes between Heathfield<br />
and Mayfield is a place so well hidden that a<br />
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Fair Oak Farm was bought by Ian and Penny Ledger<br />
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the plan! To begin with we were just letting out the old<br />
barns. But we’ve just kept adding to it over the years.”<br />
The development of the site has been spearheaded<br />
by Ian, whose experience as a project manager in<br />
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welcome change. He says, “I loved it. It was like going<br />
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the wellness industry over the last decade with seemingly<br />
no end in sight. As Ian tells me, “It’s just not levelling off.”<br />
Five years ago the success of the farm enabled Ian to leave<br />
his full time job in London and concentrate on managing<br />
it full time. His undivided attention has meant he’s <br />
45<br />
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This page: The remainder of the farmhouse’s ground floor consists of two snug living areas with<br />
antique paintings, leather sofas and fireplaces – it’s the oldest part of the house<br />
been able to finish what he started,<br />
with the development work reaching its<br />
conclusion this year with the opening of<br />
their final building, a new treehouse. His<br />
work completed I asked him if perhaps he<br />
might get a manager in and take more of<br />
a back seat. But he was having none of it,<br />
“It’s important to keep it personal for us.”<br />
Ian now manages the site, making sure<br />
everything is perfect for guests’ arrivals.<br />
The transformation of the farm can be<br />
seen in the buildings scattered throughout<br />
the 12 acres that make up the site, each<br />
is of a different era. The grade II listed<br />
barns where it all began seemed like<br />
a good place to start. The holiday let<br />
business was already in place when Ian<br />
and Penny moved in with their young<br />
family, but they never treated it as a side<br />
line, “Right from the beginning we’ve<br />
always treated it like a high end hotel, <br />
47<br />
priceless-magazines.com
This page: Originally a simple two-up, twodown,<br />
the farmhouse has been extended over<br />
the years to create a five bedroom home<br />
not a B&B.” The first thing on their list was to<br />
raise the standard of the accommodation which Ian<br />
oversaw himself. He explains, “We re-built the barns<br />
from the <strong>inside</strong> out.” Lifting the entire timber frame<br />
onto car jacks to create more solid footings and then<br />
adding the plasterboard first. This hands-on approach<br />
has been instrumental in creating the farm the way<br />
it is. Ian continues, “Most of the farm is hand built.<br />
Which means you get exactly what you want. It may<br />
take more time, but it feels more normal to me.”<br />
Abutting the courtyard outside is another<br />
traditional barn, but on a much larger scale than<br />
the others. As I walk <strong>inside</strong> I’m gobsmacked to find<br />
a cavernous space which reminds me of a Medieval<br />
banqueting hall. A grand part-glazed area with a<br />
vaulted ceiling and high dark-wood panelled walls.<br />
When we arrive it’s set up as a dining hall, but it’s<br />
a multi-functional room that can be turned into a<br />
meeting space or a yoga studio with relative ease. The<br />
custom made tables are an example of the many small<br />
tweaks that have been made across the farm to make<br />
life easier for guests. Ian says, “I got fed up moving<br />
the old tables around, these have removable tops so<br />
they’re easy to shift.” Towards the rear of the hall<br />
there is another example of the constant evolution <br />
priceless-magazines.com 48
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WhiteheadMoncktonWT254.indd 1 26/05/2023 10:56:06
Above left and below right: The calm grey<br />
main bedroom features high ceilings and<br />
has proven to be very popular with guests<br />
Above right: Tucked away right at<br />
the top of the house, the loft room is<br />
accessed via a step ladder and feels like<br />
you’re climbing into a tree house<br />
taking place here, this time it’s a bedroom<br />
which is being changed into a study. “I<br />
had feedback from guests that they would<br />
like a separate area to work in, rather than<br />
in their bedrooms. So we’re changing it.”<br />
Removing bedrooms might seem<br />
like a strange thing to do in the<br />
accommodation business but it’s a<br />
conscious decision by Ian and Penny,<br />
which Ian explains, “We’ve actually<br />
halved the number of people through<br />
the doors in the last decade, but doubled<br />
the occupancy.” In other words they have<br />
more bookings for fewer people. Ian<br />
continues, “We believe we are working<br />
in harmony with what the land needs<br />
and we think that fewer people are<br />
more sustainable for the farm.” Smaller<br />
groups also just so happens to suit most<br />
people who come on a retreat, who are<br />
looking for space. And so, despite the<br />
capacity to have over forty guests, they<br />
have limited it to just thirty-two. “We<br />
incentivise lower occupancy,” he says.<br />
“We could have a lot more people but it’s<br />
a personal decision, not a business one.”<br />
Outside the converted barn we traverse<br />
an attractive tiered garden before entering<br />
a pretty courtyard belonging to the oast<br />
house. Originally used for drying hops<br />
it’s now another different place to stay.<br />
Having never been in an oast house<br />
before, I was keen to see what it was<br />
like <strong>inside</strong>. Downstairs is a really cool<br />
reading room with bookshelves covering<br />
all three-hundred and sixty degrees of wall<br />
space. And it’s been converted (with some<br />
minor alterations) into a lovely bedroom.<br />
Commenting on the contrast between<br />
the different accommodation options,<br />
Ian says, “I’m always surprised which<br />
space people choose. Everyone has their<br />
favourite and it’s never what you expect.”<br />
Upstairs, a striking circular wet room is<br />
the perfect place to wash away any stress<br />
with a roll top bath and walk in shower.<br />
Next door the 16th century farmhouse<br />
has a sign on the front door warning<br />
you to ‘Mind your head’ and it’s not<br />
wrong. Once <strong>inside</strong> you immediately<br />
notice the property has retained the<br />
feel of a family home. “It hasn’t really<br />
changed much since we lived here.”<br />
Coming into the open plan kitchen/ <br />
51<br />
priceless-magazines.com
This page: The newest tree house has just<br />
been completed and features a spacious<br />
bedroom area with a curved kitchen neatly<br />
concealed behind a tongue and groove wall<br />
diner it ticks all the boxes with a classic<br />
Aga, butler sink and flagstone floors.<br />
And like any good kitchen it’s a focal<br />
point. As Ian says, “People tend to<br />
gravitate to the farmhouse and the<br />
kitchen especially.” The large communal<br />
dining table is often used for group<br />
meals which can fit ten people around,<br />
but Ian tells me, “It often ends up<br />
squeezing in a lot more.” The remainder<br />
of the ground floor consists of two snug<br />
living areas with antique paintings,<br />
leather sofas and fireplaces which is full<br />
of character and also the oldest part of<br />
the house. Originally a simple two-up,<br />
two-down it’s been extended over the<br />
years to create a five bedroom home.<br />
Upstairs, the main bedroom with high<br />
ceilings feels like the largest room in the<br />
house and is popular with guests. Ian<br />
tells me, “A lot of people like this room.”<br />
Heading back into the older part of the<br />
house I suddenly feel a bit wobbly as the<br />
floors and ceilings undulate above and<br />
below me. Warped over the centuries I<br />
take a moment before continuing for<br />
one more surprise. The loft room is<br />
accessed via a step ladder and feels like<br />
you’re climbing into a tree house. Once<br />
up the ceilings come down another<br />
notch and a tiny doorway which links<br />
two extra bedrooms makes me feel <br />
priceless-magazines.com 52
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FEASIBILITY STUDIES<br />
innatearchitecture.co.uk<br />
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intricate and beautifully joined works of art that make a centrepiece of<br />
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+44 (0)1580 243331<br />
www.deaconandsandys.co.uk<br />
e: info@innatearchitecture.co.uk<br />
t: 01732700176<br />
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DeaconSandyWT252.indd 3 03/04/2023 16:17 54
Top, left and right: Besides the farmhouse and tree houses, accommodation includes a complex of beautifully converted barns, shepherds<br />
huts, an oast house and outbuildings Above, right and left: Dining tables in the central barn have bespoke interchangeable square and round<br />
tops, to make coordinating group dining hassle free<br />
like I’ve stumbled into Wonderland.<br />
Outside we move away from the<br />
original farm buildings and out to the<br />
various outbuildings which include three<br />
eco-tree houses, two shepherds huts and<br />
a hay barn. All of which are huddled next<br />
to a couple of extra acres reserved for the<br />
grazing of rare-breed sheep and alpacas,<br />
or as Ian calls them ‘posh pets’. Beyond<br />
these wildflower meadows help support<br />
the local environment, a subject close<br />
to Ian and Penny’s hearts. He tells me,<br />
“We focus on what we believe is truly<br />
sustainable tourism. To us that means<br />
really working respectfully with the local<br />
environment as well as integrating our<br />
services with the local economy, so that<br />
we can make a difference in as many <br />
55<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Above left: A converted cow shed and stable<br />
cottage can be found to either side of the<br />
barn Above: A wooden sculpture carved by<br />
a previous visitor stands proud in the garden<br />
Left: A large patio can be accessed from the<br />
farmhouse Below, left and right: One of<br />
the shepherds huts and a trio of alpacas<br />
ways as possible.” Integrating the business<br />
with the local area has helped the farm<br />
to provide a wide range of services to<br />
guests and in turn help support the<br />
local economy, providing everything<br />
from therapists to private chefs.<br />
This drive to be part of the solution<br />
is really what makes Ian tick and sets<br />
Fair Oak Farm apart from the many<br />
other similar offerings out there. And<br />
it’s evident in the newest of the three<br />
eco-tree houses, which has recently<br />
opened for guests. Ian explains, “The<br />
tree house structure is built from a <br />
priceless-magazines.com 56
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When may Equity Release be the solution?<br />
Local adviser, Sarah Ferrell, has been<br />
a mortgage adviser since 1995 and<br />
specialising in Equity Release since<br />
2014. She has seen Equity Release<br />
used for many different reasons. This month<br />
she shares a number of scenarios that<br />
she has encountered over the years.<br />
Gift to family<br />
Equity can be released to help towards a<br />
deposit for a property or to help in other<br />
financial ways. The family member is<br />
essentially “getting an inheritance early”.<br />
There are naturally costs to be considered<br />
as ultimately, the recipient is likely to receive<br />
less than waiting for an inheritance, but for<br />
the right scenario, this can be a welcome<br />
injection of funds at a time when it is needed.<br />
Cost of living<br />
Regardless of age, most people are “feeling<br />
the pinch” and this is more acutely felt<br />
by those on fixed incomes. Equity can be<br />
released with a drawdown facility so that<br />
funds can be drawn as and when needed<br />
to supplement income or to cover increasing<br />
outgoings. The beauty of a drawdown is that<br />
interest is only charged as funds are released.<br />
House Move<br />
It is still little known that Equity Release can<br />
be used to PURCHASE a property – it is not<br />
only available against a property you already<br />
own. In re-locating or up-sizing additional<br />
borrowing may be needed and Equity<br />
Release can be used to bridge this gap.<br />
Divorce<br />
Sadly, the statistics of divorce at age 65+<br />
have increased and finance can often be an<br />
issue. Equity Release can be used to enable<br />
one party to “buy out” the other, or, Equity<br />
Release can be used to help both parties<br />
with onward purchases. If the marital home is<br />
sold and the proceeds divided, neither party<br />
may wish to downsize and Equity Release<br />
may help in buying a more suitable property.<br />
Repay an Interest Only Mortgage<br />
There are increasing numbers of people with<br />
Interest Only mortgages nearing the end of<br />
their term and without the funds to repay the<br />
capital. Equity Release can be used to repay<br />
a mortgage. As many of today’s plans allow<br />
interest payments to be made, they can<br />
“behave” like an Interest Only mortgage with<br />
a regular payment being made each month.<br />
Whatever your reason for considering<br />
Equity Release, Sarah maintains that<br />
advice and careful consideration are<br />
needed. She is happy to visit your home,<br />
chat by phone or via video conference<br />
to provide a free consultation and she<br />
will offer flexible times to suit her clients.<br />
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />
Equity Release can reduce the value of your estate and can affect your eligibility for means tested benefits.<br />
Call Sarah on<br />
01622 631372 or 07789 007447<br />
or e-mail her at<br />
sarah@ferrellfinancial.co.uk<br />
You may find answers to<br />
some of your questions at<br />
www.ferrellfinancial.co.uk<br />
57<br />
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SarahFerrellWT251.indd 1 14/03/2023 10:52
This page: A library wall wraps around the ground floor roundel bedroom in the oast house,<br />
whilst a spacious contemporary bathroom fits into the space above<br />
single tree, felled locally and milled by<br />
us to get the sizes we need.” The tree<br />
house construction was all done by a<br />
single local carpenter who was assisted by<br />
Ian. It’s the same design as the previous<br />
two, bar a few minor adjustments, the<br />
addition of a second bedroom and higher<br />
stilts. The tree houses themselves are all<br />
built along an ancient tree line which<br />
has been present for over 600 years<br />
and can be seen on several maps <strong>inside</strong>.<br />
Ian says, “We hope that by putting<br />
these tree houses here [in the treeline]<br />
it will help preserve it for the future.”<br />
In recognition of their commitment in<br />
working with their natural environment<br />
Fair Oak Farm received an award from<br />
National Geographic for ‘Unique Lodges<br />
of the World’. To Ian and Penny it<br />
was more important than all the other<br />
accolades, “It meant more to us because<br />
they got what we’re doing here.”<br />
Climbing up the steps to the viewing<br />
platform outside the higher stilts offer<br />
some great views across the fields,<br />
hedgerows and copses that make up this<br />
area. Inside, the accommodation is five<br />
star. The balcony opens into the main<br />
bedroom which enjoys the same fabulous<br />
views and, behind the giant bed, a curved<br />
partition separates the galley kitchen<br />
and en suite, while turning à droite<br />
reveals another bedroom set in a circular<br />
annexe and accessed via a set of stairs.<br />
Heading back outside, Ian pauses before<br />
we leave, adjusting the towels on the bed<br />
after spotting that one is the incorrect<br />
shade of green. “I’ve told housekeeping<br />
about this.” He’s a details man.<br />
Address Book:<br />
For more information about<br />
hosting a retreat at Fair Oak<br />
Farm, see fairoakfarm.co.uk.<br />
priceless-magazines.com 58
Get the<br />
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />
Ignorance isn’t bliss<br />
Encouraging men to be proactive about their health<br />
In 2021, a study conducted by<br />
Bupa revealed some stark truths<br />
about men’s attitudes to health.<br />
A quarter said they put off having<br />
a health issue checked, and 58%<br />
admitted ignoring the issue in the<br />
hope that it would simply go away.<br />
These stats are perhaps unsurprising<br />
to the many of us struggling to<br />
encourage the males in our life -<br />
whether that be a partner, father,<br />
son, brother or friend - to take<br />
their health more seriously. There<br />
is clearly still some way to go in<br />
influencing these attitudes, but<br />
encouraging the men in your life<br />
to book a GP appointment and<br />
attend reviews for their blood<br />
pressure, cholesterol, prostate<br />
examinations and colorectal cancer<br />
screenings is a positive step.<br />
Persuading men to be proactive<br />
about their health can also help<br />
prevent and spot the early signs<br />
of a range of conditions such as:<br />
Joint pain affecting<br />
the hip and knee<br />
If a friend or loved one is<br />
experiencing pain when<br />
performing everyday activities<br />
or you notice decreases in their<br />
range of motion, urge them to<br />
see their GP. They may need to<br />
seek treatment for osteoarthritis,<br />
a condition affecting one in three<br />
people over 45 in England. The<br />
National Institute for Health<br />
and Care Excellence advise that<br />
exercise and weight loss be the first<br />
line of treatment for joint pain.<br />
Alex Chipperfield, Consultant<br />
Orthopaedic Surgeon at Benenden<br />
Hospital, says: “I hear on a<br />
regular basis that people have<br />
been advised to rest painful<br />
joints as exercise can make<br />
things worse. This is a common<br />
misconception, and I spend a lot<br />
of time convincing people of the<br />
huge benefits that regular exercise<br />
can provide to arthritic joints.”<br />
Strong muscles and supple<br />
ligaments around a failing<br />
joint can help support it and<br />
alleviate some symptoms. Lowimpact<br />
exercises such as cycling,<br />
swimming and walking, as<br />
well as flexibility exercises such<br />
as yoga, can help maintain<br />
strength and mobility.<br />
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Urological conditions<br />
Sadly, due to its association with<br />
the genitals and urinating, there’s<br />
a stigma attached to urology<br />
that prevents people being<br />
open about their condition.<br />
Mary Barker, Continence Care<br />
Nurse at Benenden Hospital,<br />
says: “No-one really wants to talk<br />
about their bladder problems,<br />
but we have found that men are<br />
more reluctant than women to<br />
come forward, although it has got<br />
better over the years. It’s certainly<br />
not as taboo as it used to be.”<br />
Urge a loved one to seek help if<br />
they experience bladder issues<br />
that affect their daily routine<br />
or symptoms of an enlarged<br />
prostate such as weak flow. Initially, they<br />
should see their GP, who can then refer<br />
them to a consultant if necessary.<br />
Seeking treatment<br />
If you’re looking for advice on any of the<br />
above health issues that are affecting a friend<br />
or loved one, Benenden Hospital can support<br />
you every step of the way. Its dedicated team<br />
of experts can diagnose and treat a range of<br />
male health conditions including prostate<br />
enlargement, joint pain, urinary incontinence<br />
and testicular lumps and bumps, with<br />
private GP appointments available.<br />
For more information, call<br />
Benenden Hospital’s<br />
Private Patient Team<br />
on 01580 362 850 or visit<br />
www.benendenhospital.org.uk<br />
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istockphoto.com/ Damir Khabirov<br />
Chic<br />
Tweaks<br />
Leading and award-winning aesthetic surgeon, Dr Rohit<br />
Seth, tells us about the latest trends and advances in<br />
tweakments and aesthetic procedures<br />
Tweakments are non-surgical<br />
treatments that offer quicker<br />
recovery and fewer risks than<br />
surgical procedures. Of course, we’ve<br />
all heard of lip fillers and botox, but it<br />
turns out there are lots more options<br />
out there! To learn more about them,<br />
we asked Harley Street Clinic Surrey’s<br />
Medical Director, Dr Rohit Seth, to share<br />
the benefit of his 25 years’ experience.<br />
Are attitudes to cosmetic<br />
treatments changing?<br />
Perceptions are certainly evolving. We’re<br />
currently experiencing a shift toward<br />
preventive measures for youthful ageing, and<br />
are focusing more on a holistic, regenerative<br />
beauty approach. This integrates cosmetic<br />
treatments into overall wellness strategies<br />
and therefore supports mental and emotional<br />
health more effectively. Looking to the<br />
future, there is also a growing interest in<br />
bioidentical hormone treatments which<br />
are used to address age-related hormonal<br />
imbalances. More attention is being paid<br />
to the gut microbiome’s impact on skin<br />
health and we’re seeing a new influence on<br />
cosmetic choices from biohacking principles.<br />
TRENDING TREATMENTS FOR MEN<br />
Botox – to reduce dynamic wrinkles<br />
with natural, youthful results.<br />
Dermal Fillers – to address volume<br />
loss and contour the face.<br />
Liposuction Assisted BodyTite – a body<br />
reshaping procedure to correct gynecomastia (the<br />
development of excess breast tissue in men). It uses<br />
an advanced technology called Radio Frequency<br />
Assisted LipoTightening (RFAL) to liquefy fat cells<br />
and tighten the skin safely, gently, and efficiently.<br />
PRP Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy and<br />
hair transplant procedures – for hair loss,<br />
effective in restoring hair in areas affected by<br />
male pattern baldness, but outcomes vary, and<br />
it’s essential to have realistic expectations.<br />
Are men seeking out tweakments more?<br />
With changing societal norms and a growing<br />
emphasis on self-care for all genders, there<br />
is an increasing trend in men’s interest in<br />
cosmetic procedures. Men’s cosmetic concerns<br />
can be diverse, ranging from facial aesthetics<br />
to body contouring and hair restoration,<br />
and all these can be aided by a tweakment.<br />
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How should we choose an<br />
appropriate treatment?<br />
A thorough consultation with an experienced,<br />
qualified, licensed medical professional is<br />
crucial. They will discuss your concerns,<br />
expectations, and go through your medical,<br />
surgical and social history. This will help to<br />
determine which treatment(s) will be best<br />
suited for what you are trying to achieve.<br />
Practitioners should be able to present<br />
images of their results and discuss the risks<br />
and benefits of the treatments. Make sure<br />
your practitioner is a licensed medical<br />
professional who has the experience in<br />
the specific treatment you are seeking.<br />
TRENDING INJECTABLE<br />
TREATMENTS<br />
Muscle relaxing injections (Botox)<br />
– to diminish lines by temporarily<br />
reducing muscle activity.<br />
Growth factors (Platelet Rich Plasma aka<br />
PRP) – for conditions encompassing sports<br />
injuries, skin rejuvenation and hair loss.<br />
Dermal fillers (cross-linked hyaluronic<br />
acid) – for volumising and contouring.<br />
Profhilo® (an internal hydration<br />
of the skin) – for an overall plumped<br />
and rejuvenated appearance.<br />
How should we choose a clinic?<br />
Approach cosmetic treatments with<br />
thorough research, realistic expectations,<br />
and a commitment to safety. Consulting<br />
with experienced medical professionals<br />
who specialise in the specific treatments<br />
of interest ensures personalised advice and<br />
optimal outcomes. Ensure the clinic adheres<br />
to hygiene and safety standards, providing a<br />
clean and professional environment. Always<br />
consult with a qualified medical professional<br />
for personalised advice based on your unique<br />
circumstances. A thorough consultation is<br />
paramount to achieve the result you desire.<br />
TRENDING ENERGY<br />
BASED TREATMENTS<br />
Morpheus8 (a combination of advanced<br />
micro needling and radiofrequency) – a<br />
game-changer which penetrates deep<br />
into the dermis to stimulate collagen and<br />
elastin production, tightening, lifting and<br />
resurfacing the skin to reverse the signs<br />
of ageing and improve skin quality.<br />
FaceTite + NeckTite (procedures using the<br />
same radio-frequency technology as Morpheus8<br />
but thermally targets deeper subcutaneous<br />
tissue of the skin) – more advanced but<br />
minimally invasive for an instant lift,<br />
tightening saggy skin on the forehead, around<br />
the eyes, cheeks, mouth, jowls, and neck.<br />
BodyTite – for fat reduction, removing<br />
stubborn fat, tightening the skin,<br />
and all over body contouring.<br />
To schedule a consultation, contact Harley Street Clinic Surrey on<br />
01737 930 400, email enquires@harleystreetclinicsurrey.com or visit<br />
hsharleystreetclinic.com<br />
65<br />
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All Eyes on Menopause<br />
Did you know that menopause and perimenopause can have an effect on eye health?<br />
We talk to the experts at Wilson Wilson & Hancock to find out more<br />
How do perimenopause and<br />
menopause affect our eyes?<br />
Perimenopause and menopause<br />
are long and gradual processes<br />
that occur over several years,<br />
bringing about natural changes<br />
in hormone levels, particularly<br />
oestrogen. Oestrogen plays a<br />
role in maintaining the eye’s<br />
tear film so its decline during<br />
menopause can contribute to<br />
dryness and irritation.<br />
Are the effects permanent?<br />
Fortunately, the vision changes<br />
associated with perimenopause<br />
and menopause are often<br />
manageable. As Optometrists,<br />
we can provide advice<br />
and supply a range of tear<br />
supplements or advise on<br />
other treatments and lifestyle<br />
changes that will help manage<br />
symptoms.<br />
Does anything need to be<br />
monitored?<br />
Regular eye examinations are<br />
crucial during perimenopause<br />
and menopause to monitor<br />
changes in vision and address<br />
any emerging issues promptly,<br />
as hormonal changes can<br />
influence the structure and<br />
function of the eyes.<br />
When should I get help or advice?<br />
If you notice significant changes<br />
in your vision, such as persistent<br />
dryness, blurred vision, or<br />
difficulty seeing clearly. There<br />
are also other effects on the eye<br />
so visiting us for an in-depth<br />
eye examination will help us<br />
check your eye health. Having<br />
regular eye examinations helps<br />
to detect eye conditions early<br />
and to help treat and prevent<br />
any symptoms you may have.<br />
Symptoms of dry eyes<br />
• burning<br />
• itchiness<br />
• a gritty sensation<br />
• excessive tearing<br />
• light sensitivity<br />
• blurred vision<br />
• difficulty focusing<br />
Treatments<br />
• artificial tears<br />
• staying hydrated<br />
• a diet rich in antioxidants<br />
• omega 3 supplements such<br />
as cod liver oil and fish oils<br />
• Reducing prolonged<br />
screen time<br />
Other optical issues associated io<br />
menopause and perimenopause<br />
• fluctuations in vision<br />
• increased sensitivity to light<br />
• increased risk of developing<br />
conditions like glaucoma<br />
istockphoto.com/ PeopleImages<br />
To find out more about the effects menopause and perimenopause can have on eye health and book an<br />
appointment with the friendly experts and Wilson Wilson & Hancock, visit wilsonwilsonandhancock.co.uk<br />
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66
SitSmartWT253.indd 1 09/05/2023 13:29:41<br />
Nutrition&<br />
Health Coach<br />
I'm Nicola, a BANT Registered<br />
Nutritionist, Functional<br />
Medicine certified Health<br />
Coach and Pharmacist<br />
How much better would you feel if you<br />
could at least make a start on getting<br />
some of your symptoms under control?<br />
No matter what stage of menopause<br />
you are in or when you experience it,<br />
let nutritional support help you get<br />
your life back on track, both for now<br />
and for your long-term health.<br />
www.nicolavinall.com . nicola@nicolavinall.com . insta: nicolavinall.earlymenopause<br />
67<br />
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5<br />
places to find the<br />
New You<br />
Whether you stay local or travel further afield, revitalise your<br />
mind, body and soul to meet <strong>2024</strong> feeling your absolute best<br />
Find wellbeing in Cornwall<br />
Scarlet Hotel is an adults-only escape that’s all about natural<br />
living to feed the soul. In the restaurant you’ll discover local<br />
sustainable, slow-grown ingredients in surprising seasonal dishes.<br />
Each room is designed to be warmed by the sun and features an<br />
outside space so you can feel the fresh air and listen to the crashing<br />
waves. All guests also get to use a barrel cedar wood sauna, steam room,<br />
two pools (a bromine one indoors and a natural one outdoors), meditation space, and<br />
enjoy wellbeing classes including Yoga, Tai Chi, and Ayurvedic advice. For a real feelgood<br />
refresh, you could also visit the holistic spa and find yourself bathing in a<br />
clifftop hot tub overlooking the Cornish sea, taking some chill time hanging<br />
in a cocoon pod, having a full body scrub to cleanse and nourish the skin, or,<br />
for couples, slathering each other in mud! Book online at scarlethotel.co.uk<br />
Find easy movement in Kent<br />
If you’d like to start this year out of pain and with increased<br />
flexibility, a massage may be just the thing you need, and<br />
we have one that’s offering £5 off! Priceless’ Emily Pavey has<br />
scouted out Massage Angel’s lovely treatment room in Marden near<br />
Tonbridge. Having realised that being able to turn her head from side to<br />
side, (or just look around without yelping) would be a great way to start<br />
<strong>2024</strong>, she headed off to the highly recommended Massage Angel AKA<br />
Denise Macey. Emily says, “I was genuinely amazed at the difference it<br />
made, the pain relief and long lasting results have been impressive. Denise is<br />
highly knowledgeable, professional, friendly and great at putting you at your ease.”<br />
Massage reduces stress hormones and muscle tension, while improving circulation,<br />
flexibility, skin tone and soft tissue injuries. For a £5 discount off your first treatment<br />
use offer code FIRSTTREAT when booking online. themassageangel.co.uk<br />
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68<br />
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Find fitness in the south of France<br />
For a boost to your health and fitness, Chateau Lou Casteou is an all-inclusive retreat in the<br />
south of France that offers luxury transformative experiences. There’s Let’s Salsa (April 18–21<br />
or Oct 10–13), a whirlwind of dance for those looking to live their Strictly Come Dancing<br />
dreams with award-winning dance professionals teaching styles including<br />
Salsa, Reggaeton, Merengue, and ChaCha. Raquet fans meanwhile, will<br />
love the five-day tennis and padel retreat (April 10–14 inc. day at<br />
Monte-Carlo ATP & May 8-12), which will hone court skills<br />
and have you trying tournament play. Or improve your<br />
strength and kickstart a healthy lifestyle at Body Tonic<br />
(June 5–9 & Sept 25–29) – a five day event for all<br />
ages and fitness levels. It includes circuits, yoga, TRX,<br />
resistance sessions, boxercise, swim club, tennis, padel,<br />
coastal and mountain treks, Afro fit, beach HIIT and<br />
Latin dance sessions. All retreats offer healthy, gourmet meals<br />
prepared by executive chefs, as well as fine wines, Champagne and<br />
cocktails. To book call +44 (0)7990 573 287 or visit loucasteou.com.<br />
Find peace in Dorset<br />
Sometimes all you need to feel at your best is a good peaceful rest somewhere<br />
warm and stress-free, where you can feel truly taken care of. For this,<br />
we have Holiday Outbuildings in Dorset. This place is just ultimate<br />
cosiness. Set on a family farm, each outbuilding has a charming luxe<br />
rustic aesthetic that will make you feel entirely at home, albeit without<br />
all the stress of actually being at home! You can eat at The Cart Shed<br />
dining barn where Mark Kick (former chef at The Ivy West Street)<br />
serves up seasonal deliciousness. Or if you’d prefer, order room service<br />
featuring local produce in classic comfort food dishes. You can<br />
even ‘text for a tipple’ (exactly what you think – send a text and<br />
get drinks sent over to wherever you may be on the farm!) As for<br />
entertainment, there’s a barn cinema you can rent out, a Yoga instructor<br />
you can book to come to your room for ‘fireside yoga’, and plenty to<br />
explore in the surrounding area including Bridport Market, the<br />
Jurassic Coast’s glorious beaches, and lots of brilliant country<br />
walks. Now go put your feet up! holidayoutbuildings.com<br />
Find romance in Greece<br />
A romantic holiday is a great way to cool down after the kid-centric chaos<br />
of the festive season! Rekindle your relationship to feel loved, supported<br />
and appreciated just the way you are, so you can feel like a new you,<br />
without having to change a thing! For your amorous destination, we<br />
have The Ixian Grand & All Suites Hotel, an all-inclusive adultsonly<br />
five star haven that lounges on a stunning private beachfront<br />
on the west coast of Rhodes island. Picture waking up in your<br />
own swim-up room overlooking the soothing waters of the<br />
Aegean sea, able to jump right into your private pool;<br />
sipping wine over a candle-lit dinner for two at one of<br />
many internationally themed eateries; treating yourself<br />
to a Turkish bath at the Aegeo Spa; or exploring the<br />
temples, markets and ruins of the nearby ancient cities<br />
of Rhodes. Book before the end of March and you can get<br />
a 30% discount from March 23rd to November 9th for two<br />
adults – making the price from €166 per night. theixiangrand.gr<br />
69<br />
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sponsors The Priceless <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Living</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
<strong>January</strong>’s<br />
Beauty<br />
Bargains<br />
Josephine Fairley finds super-effective, tried-and-tested<br />
products that don’t come with a hefty price tag<br />
This isn’t the time of year for<br />
a splurge. In fact, if you’re<br />
anything like me, between<br />
the Christmas credit card reckoning<br />
and the <strong>January</strong> tax deadline, you<br />
will be feeling anything but flush.<br />
(Er, that’s an understatement.) But<br />
here’s the thing: nobody needs to<br />
live on beauty’s equivalent of gruel<br />
any more. In fact, I’m increasingly<br />
convinced that high street stores<br />
and beauty emporia offer products<br />
that rival (and even outperform)<br />
the pricier stuff, on many fronts.<br />
Over the past months, I’ve been<br />
making it my mission to seek out<br />
the best ‘beauty steals’ available. And<br />
could there be a better month to<br />
share my Top Ten affordable finds<br />
than this – the gloomiest, brokest<br />
month in the calendar? Here goes…<br />
MY MOOD Nail Polishes, £5 for<br />
singles, £8 for duos. This range<br />
launched in 2023, from the nail<br />
wizards at Nails.INC – which tells you<br />
all that you need to know about the<br />
quality. The polishes last astonishingly<br />
well, are ridiculously affordable,<br />
and the shade range is impressive:<br />
everything from a nail enhancing sheer,<br />
slightly pink-toned polish by the name<br />
of So Beaming that is a brilliant dupe<br />
for Dior’s Nail Glow (at one fifth<br />
of the price), through to a passable<br />
imitation of CHANEL Rouge Noir, in<br />
the form of a shade called Fly – and<br />
literally everything in between, from<br />
nudes to scarlets, shimmers to glosses.<br />
Revolution Beauty x Sali Hughes.<br />
Sali is one of the UK’s leading beauty<br />
influencers and despite being in this<br />
business myself for 30 years, I learn<br />
new stuff from watching her Instagram<br />
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70
The Priceless <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Living</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong> sponsored by<br />
videos ALL THE TIME. The first of<br />
Sali’s brilliant skincare basics ‘dropped’<br />
in April last year, but a couple of addon<br />
products launched in the second<br />
wave particularly impressed me. First<br />
up, Better in 5 Exfoliating Mask,<br />
£15 for 50ml, which blitzes dead<br />
skin cells with a multi-acid blend<br />
of lactic, glycolic, glucolactone and<br />
moisturising glycerine (and despite<br />
having sensitive skin, I have no issues<br />
with this at all). I also really like<br />
Ringlight Creamy Illuminating<br />
Eye Balm, £10 for 15ml, which has<br />
brightening pigments to disguise<br />
dark shadows, is lightly moisturising<br />
(think: hyaluronic acid, glycerine,<br />
shea butter), but doesn’t make your<br />
eye make-up slide off your face.<br />
True Skincare Organic Rehydrating<br />
Rosehip & Rosemary Facial Oil,<br />
£15.50 for 30ml. Last year, I worked<br />
my way through a facial oil that<br />
costs £185 for 30ml. It shall remain<br />
nameless, because I think it’s verging<br />
on criminal to spend that much on<br />
a facial oil (mine was gifted from<br />
a PR) – and really, truly no need.<br />
True Skincare is a brand every beauty<br />
bargain-hunter should sleuth out; this<br />
certified organic range began with<br />
a range of facial oils including this<br />
marvellous blend for dry skins, but<br />
has recently added some truly lovely<br />
skin creams. A skincare name that<br />
deserves to be much better known.<br />
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Pro Stylist<br />
Mascara, £10.99. As far as I’m<br />
concerned, this was my ‘Mascara of<br />
the Year’ last year, coming in at just<br />
over a tenner. The gently curved wand<br />
can be wiggled easily from root to tip<br />
to deliver the inky black formula,<br />
<br />
71<br />
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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE<br />
My sciatica<br />
was so bad, it<br />
was a struggle<br />
just to put<br />
my socks and<br />
shoes on…<br />
Phil Parsons from Staplehurst<br />
was struck with back pain and<br />
sciatica at the age of 38. But this<br />
wasn’t surprising, given the stress<br />
his body had suffered during his<br />
very physical career.<br />
Phil’s job as a freelance lighting technician<br />
meant he was lifting heavy equipment and<br />
stretching his body to its limit on a daily basis.<br />
He often worked long and unsociable hours;<br />
taking care of his back wasn’t always a priority.<br />
However, when the shooting<br />
sciatic pain in his leg began to impact<br />
on his daily activities, Phil knew he needed<br />
to take his health seriously. He explains:<br />
“To begin with, the sciatic pain would<br />
come and go, and it was manageable with<br />
painkillers. But soon it became constant and<br />
started to affect the way I moved. It felt like I<br />
had a tight wire between my lower back and foot,<br />
stopping me from bending and stretching.”<br />
Soon, Phil found it increasingly<br />
difficult to go about his usual daily activities:<br />
James Pickering’s team is changing the lives of<br />
slipped disc and sciatica sufferers with IDD Therapy<br />
Phil’s strenuous job took a toll on his back, but IDD Therapy allowed him to continue working<br />
“The pain began to impact on simple<br />
things which I’d taken for granted, like<br />
drying myself after a shower and putting<br />
my socks and shoes on. Travelling to jobs<br />
became more and more difficult too; getting<br />
in and out of a car was a real struggle.<br />
Worst of all, was the effect it had on<br />
my family life: relationships at home were<br />
strained. I was unable to keep up the pace<br />
with my two young children, and my poor<br />
wife had to put up with my moods; I felt low<br />
and exhausted by the constant pain and the<br />
last thing I wanted was to be around people.”<br />
“As the programme progressed, the<br />
changes were huge. I’ve been free<br />
of sciatica for over a year now.”<br />
Phil sought advice from his GP;<br />
surgery was discussed, but with the risks<br />
and waiting times, Phil knew this would<br />
be his very last option. In the meantime,<br />
he’d tried sports massage to ease the pain,<br />
but this only gave him temporary relief.<br />
Phil’s pain came to a head in Summer<br />
2019. When a friend mentioned that they had<br />
been treated successfully with IDD Therapy<br />
- a specialist disc treatment - at <strong>Wealden</strong><br />
Osteopaths, Phil was keen to investigate. A<br />
consultation with Clinical Director James<br />
Pickering confirmed that IDD Therapy was the<br />
best option. James says: “I referred Phil for an<br />
MRI scan and it confirmed my thoughts that he<br />
was suffering a disc bulge which was irritating<br />
his sciatic nerve – IDD Therapy is our firstchoice<br />
treatment for this type of disc-related<br />
condition; it uses gentle pulling forces to relieve<br />
pressure on the discs and surrounding nerves.”<br />
Phil was hesitant initially:<br />
“To be honest, I was a bit cynical about IDD<br />
at first, but the pain was so bad I was willing<br />
to try anything. James told me I needed to<br />
commit to a series of treatments, but he assured<br />
me that the result would be a significant<br />
improvement in my pain and mobility. I<br />
was also relieved to hear that I’d be able to<br />
continue working during my treatment.”<br />
Phil found the treatment relaxing and he<br />
was encouraged by the results after each session:<br />
“Initially, I noticed small improvements<br />
in my pain and mobility after each session. As<br />
the programme progressed, the changes were<br />
huge. I was still suffering from a little bit of<br />
sciatic pain - something I felt I might have to<br />
live with - but James assured me<br />
that my body would continue to<br />
heal after treatment, now that IDD<br />
had given it a kick start. He was<br />
right: two weeks later, I woke up<br />
with no sciatic pain whatsoever.<br />
I’ve been free of sciatica for over a year now.<br />
If I get the occasional tightness in<br />
my back from working particularly strenuous<br />
days at work, I can stretch my back out<br />
using the exercises James has shown me.<br />
I’m still astonished at the difference IDD<br />
Therapy has made to my health and quality of<br />
life. My children have got their active Dad back;<br />
we now enjoy bike rides, camping and plenty of<br />
outdoor activities as a family. Great news during<br />
the first lockdown, when I was their teacher:<br />
unsurprisingly, PE was their favourite subject!”<br />
Don’t let back pain, neck pain or sciatica<br />
put your life on hold. For a FREE 15<br />
minute phone consultation with one of<br />
our experts, call 01580 212833 or email<br />
enquiries@wealdenosteopaths.co.uk
The Priceless <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Living</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong> sponsored by<br />
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which is properly smudge-proof. The<br />
2000 Calorie Brow Sculpt, £9.99<br />
also impresses, instantly gripping,<br />
grooming, taming and shading<br />
brows in a choice of four waterproof<br />
shades. 10/10, both of them.<br />
Westlab Bath Salts, £9.99 for 1 kilo.<br />
There are some very posh bath salts<br />
out there – £60 for an (albeit sexy)<br />
jar, anyone…? And then there are<br />
Westlab’s aromatherapy salts, which<br />
are rich in magnesium to balance<br />
body and mind, soothe muscle aches<br />
and generally make you feel very<br />
good, not just because of the undera-tenner<br />
price. I like the Balance<br />
Bath Salts, with their jasmine, clary<br />
sage and orange scent, but they<br />
have several options to be explored<br />
at Westlab.co.uk. Just decant into<br />
your own ‘sexy’ jar, if you fancy!<br />
L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable<br />
Foundation, £9.99 for 30ml. I always<br />
used to advise that foundation was<br />
one area where it was worth paying<br />
more – but this definitively proves<br />
otherwise. Serum foundations are<br />
very skin-friendly, especially on drier<br />
complexions (there’s a generous<br />
dollop of hyaluronic acid in this<br />
one), and as the name suggests, this<br />
is ‘super-blendable’. It also has a<br />
built-in SPF30, and the shade range<br />
has literally every skintone covered.<br />
Heathcote & Ivory Hand Creams,<br />
around £6-8 for a trio of 30ml<br />
creams. If you don’t already know<br />
them, Heathcote & Ivory is the most<br />
wonderful British beauty brand,<br />
super-stylishly packaged and at<br />
perfect, pocket-friendly prices. The<br />
gift collections never fail to please a<br />
recipient, but the product I personally<br />
never leave home without is one of the<br />
hand creams. Formulations are subtly<br />
different but results are the same:<br />
velvety-soft hands, achieved instantly<br />
(without having to flap your hands<br />
around), and prettily fragrant, with it.<br />
I find myself spoiled for choice when<br />
it comes to deciding on which little<br />
handbag-friendly trio to treat myself<br />
to next, but I’m particularly fond of<br />
the beautiful, witty collaborations with<br />
French illustrator Nathalie Lété – and<br />
it’s worth noting that H&I also create<br />
the Cath Kidston cosmetics, which are<br />
always gorgeous to look at, too. Many<br />
a happy hour can be spent on the<br />
heathcote-ivory.com website, without<br />
even beginning to break the bank.<br />
The Body Shop Camomile<br />
Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, £6<br />
for 20ml or £12 for 90ml. The clue<br />
really is in the name: ‘Sumptuous’.<br />
Because this really is, while being<br />
tough on make-up – long-lasting<br />
make-up, foundation, general gunk<br />
and even mascara, if you smooth it<br />
gently into the eye zone. N.B. This<br />
has reminded me to go out and<br />
buy another tin – it’s honestly as<br />
good as anything else I’ve used<br />
for cleansing, this year. If not better.<br />
Faith in Nature Hair Mask, £7<br />
for 300ml. At just seven quid for<br />
a whacking tub, you can afford to<br />
slather this on generously – and there<br />
isn’t a reader out there whose winterchallenged<br />
hair wouldn’t benefit<br />
from that kind of deep treatment.<br />
There are several mask options<br />
available, with lovely and naturalsmelling<br />
scents (as you’d expect from<br />
a 99% naturally derived range),<br />
including Shea & Argan, Coconut<br />
& Shea, Dragon Fruit and Rose &<br />
Chamomile (my own favourite).<br />
My last tip for beauty bargainhunters,<br />
meanwhile, is to check out<br />
the cosmetics area of TK Maxx (or go<br />
online for a mooch). I never thought<br />
I’d say this, but they’ve upped their<br />
game dramatically on the skincare,<br />
bodycare and even home fragrance<br />
fronts, and you may well find favourite<br />
brands – or even much-mourned<br />
discontinued products – on the<br />
shelves. The only caveat being that<br />
you have to buy it when you see it,<br />
because it won’t be around for long;<br />
when I was researching this, they<br />
had beauty offerings from REN,<br />
Dr. PawPaw, This Works, Tisserand,<br />
Moroccanoil and so many more<br />
familiar brands. Plus, in their stores,<br />
TK Maxx perennially have a fabulous<br />
offering of prettily packaged soaps<br />
– the sort of <strong>January</strong> mood-lifter<br />
that we could all do with, frankly.<br />
As the saying goes, ‘Why pay more…?’<br />
Visit beautybible.com for more of Jo’s<br />
product reviews and beauty tips.<br />
Soaps,<br />
from a<br />
selection,<br />
TK Maxx<br />
73<br />
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Winter Alert from Helios<br />
At Helios we’re busy preparing homeopathic<br />
remedies to relieve symptoms associated<br />
with winter complaints such as coughs,<br />
colds, fl u, sore throats and more.<br />
Our team of fully qualifi ed homeopaths and<br />
pharmacists are on hand to offer you a warm<br />
welcome and friendly, expert advice on<br />
how to support you and your family’s health<br />
naturally. We have remedies and products<br />
for your pets too.<br />
Alongside our remedies we stock a wide<br />
range of vitamin and mineral supplements,<br />
fl ower essences, herbal remedies and books<br />
and for the real feel good factor, organic and<br />
natural skin and hair care.<br />
We only use companies with the same ethos<br />
of supplying products of the highest quality<br />
and integrity from ethical sources.<br />
Helios Homeopathy Ltd, 97 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2QR<br />
Open Mon-Fri 9.00am - 5.30pm Sat 9.00am - 2.00pm<br />
01892 537254 www.helios.co.uk<br />
HeliosPharmacyWT236.indd 1 29/11/2021 15:47<br />
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Retreats include 5 days of luxury accommodation in the chateau in en‐suite bedrooms with sea or mountain views.<br />
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74<br />
MMBaxterWT248.indd 1 02/12/2022 16:55
The Priceless <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Living</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong> sponsored by<br />
TO TRY<br />
OR NOT<br />
TO TRY<br />
Sarah Maxwell gives her<br />
opinions of the fitness<br />
trends for <strong>2024</strong><br />
istockphoto.com/dima_sidelnikov<br />
Welcome to <strong>2024</strong>, where<br />
the future of health,<br />
fitness and wellbeing<br />
is filled with inventive technology,<br />
sustainability and a much greater<br />
emphasis on our mental health. So, if<br />
your health, wellbeing and fitness is<br />
on your priority list for this <strong>January</strong>,<br />
let’s hit the ground running and look<br />
at some exciting new trends you can<br />
look forward to this coming year.<br />
All change at the gym<br />
Fitness providers across the board<br />
are waking up to the importance<br />
of including holistic health* into<br />
their programs and recognising the<br />
undeniable connection between<br />
physical and mental health.<br />
Fitness centres are increasingly<br />
providing mindfulness and meditation<br />
classes alongside the traditional<br />
weight training and HIIT classes.<br />
*Science is now backing up many holistic<br />
practices that were often disregarded.<br />
Wearable tech<br />
(Smart watches, clothing and even smart<br />
jewellery to monitor your health)<br />
Love or hate them, they’re here to<br />
stay! Pros include goal setting, activity<br />
tracking, accountability, progress<br />
recording and syncing with other<br />
devices and apps to have all of your<br />
data in one place. Cons include<br />
the battery life, which can let you<br />
down at the wrong moment, security<br />
issues and the potential to develop<br />
anxiety and obsessive monitoring.<br />
Sustainable fashion<br />
More fitness and leisure brands are<br />
offering eco-friendly workout gear made<br />
from organic cotton – grown without<br />
fertilisers or synthetic pesticides – or<br />
recycled polyester! Due to my long-time<br />
love affair with second hand/vintage<br />
clothing, this certainly ticks my eco box.<br />
Take a look at wearetala.com<br />
and sosactivewear.com.<br />
Hybrid training<br />
Prior to the pandemic, many people<br />
were reluctant to exercise online (many<br />
instructors too). Now the emphasis is<br />
on a mix of in-person and online fitness,<br />
with rapid advances in technology and<br />
availability making it more accessible than<br />
ever. By combining in-person and online<br />
coaching, now you can look after your<br />
health, fitness and wellbeing wherever<br />
you are in the world and take your pick<br />
from a huge pool of experts worldwide.<br />
Virtual training (VR)<br />
The rise of virtual reality workouts,<br />
gamification and immersive training is<br />
rapidly gaining popularity. Workouts<br />
and wellbeing sessions in a virtual<br />
world has enormous potential.<br />
Headsets are currently cumbersome<br />
(no doubt these will change to be tiny<br />
devices in the future) and tracking of<br />
limbs is still not brilliant, however.<br />
I have to admit, I love VR (I’m<br />
charging mine as I write this). Virtual<br />
Reality fitness and wellbeing is still in<br />
its infancy but progressing rapidly. It<br />
can be isolating but it’s advancing so<br />
quickly, the hope is that more multiplayer<br />
activities will be developed so<br />
social interaction evolves. We all need to<br />
connect with others, and understandably<br />
VR won’t be everyone’s cup of tea,<br />
but for many it will be a lifeline to<br />
keep active and engaged. If you get<br />
the chance give it a go – it’s magic!<br />
Inclusive fitness<br />
Inclusivity has finally now become an<br />
important topic in the world of fitness.<br />
Gone are the days when you plucked<br />
up the courage to walk into a gym for<br />
the first time, signed up to a group class<br />
and felt intimidated – where exercise<br />
was reserved for a select few who could<br />
afford it or were physically able to keep<br />
up with others. Adaptive fitness programs<br />
– for example, provision for the elderly<br />
and specialised support for people with<br />
disabilities – is starting to become the<br />
norm rather than the exception.<br />
The barriers have now been broken<br />
down, enabling everyone to participate in<br />
and benefit from a welcoming, supportive<br />
fitness community that embraces all.<br />
This year, why not start experimenting<br />
and finding what makes you feel good,<br />
recalling that famous advert, ‘Because<br />
you’re worth it!’ Happy New Year!<br />
Sarah Maxwell is a multi-award<br />
winning Lifestyle Wellbeing and<br />
Fitness coach. You can find her at<br />
sarahmaxwell.com. Get in touch via<br />
email at sarahmaxwell@mail.com<br />
and on social @sarahmaxlife<br />
75<br />
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Email: info@regainhearing.co.uk<br />
ELTHAM • BROADSTAIRS • WHITSTABLE • NORTHFLEET • CHATHAM • CROYDON • RAMSGATE • MAIDSTONE<br />
RH23-<strong>Wealden</strong>-<strong>Times</strong>-Half-Page-Ad-Final.indd 1 30/11/2023 16:44:10<br />
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The Priceless <strong>Good</strong> <strong>Living</strong> <strong>Supplement</strong> sponsored by<br />
Nourish to Flourish<br />
istockphoto.com, miwa_in_oz , Magone, chokja, Elena Tsvetkova, Drazen Zigic, Agustin Vai<br />
Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau<br />
explores the benefits of incorporating<br />
another healthy ingredient into our<br />
diets. This month it’s chia seeds<br />
Chia seeds are highly nutritious tiny black seeds from<br />
the Salvia hispanica plant that make an incredibly<br />
versatile ingredient which can be added to thicken<br />
sauces, as an egg replacement or even used to make a<br />
sugar-free jam! They are packed with fibre, protein, omega-<br />
3 fatty acids and various micronutrients plus powerful<br />
antioxidants, which provide several health benefits.<br />
Antioxidants help to fight free radicals in the body<br />
which cause oxidative stress and cell damage, so eating<br />
foods rich in antioxidants may help to reduce your risk of<br />
developing many health issues associated with free radicals,<br />
including heart disease, cognitive decline and certain types<br />
of cancer. They also contain Quercetin, an antioxidant<br />
that can reduce your risk of developing heart disease.<br />
A handful of chia seeds (25g) supplies almost 9g<br />
of fibre which makes a healthy contribution towards<br />
Charlotte runs Plume Nutrition, where she offers support and advice<br />
for weight management, controlling cravings, sleeplessness, stress<br />
and increasing energy levels. Find out more at plumenutrition.com<br />
the daily recommended amount of 30g. Adequate<br />
fibre in your diet is important for digestive health,<br />
maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and blood sugar<br />
regulation. But be sure to build up your intake slowly<br />
because, due to their high fibre content, eating too<br />
many chia seeds may cause constipation, diarrhoea or<br />
bloating – so increase them slowly into your diet.<br />
Energising and fibre-rich breakfast<br />
smoothie with chia seeds<br />
This nourishing smoothie is packed with a hit of spicy<br />
ginger, vitamin-rich berries and creamy almond milk and<br />
butter – a perfect way to enjoy your chia seeds Serves 1<br />
• 1 thumb-sized piece<br />
of ginger, peeled<br />
and chopped<br />
• 100g mixed frozen berries<br />
Simply place all the ingredients into a<br />
blender and blitz until smooth!<br />
• 1 small banana<br />
• 150ml almond milk<br />
• 1 tbsp almond butter<br />
• 1 tbsp chia seeds<br />
77<br />
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Around the World with<br />
Baldwins Travel’s BIGGEST EVER<br />
New Year GIVEAWAY<br />
Europe<br />
Win 1 of 9 Luxury Hampers and a<br />
£500 Baldwins Travel Voucher<br />
To enter and to find holiday inspiration, visit<br />
baldwinstravel.co.uk/ATW<br />
T&C’s apply<br />
Pop into your local Baldwins Travel branch for more details<br />
Tunbridge Wells - Cranbrook - Haywards Heath - Lewes - Maidstone -<br />
Sevenoaks - Tenterden - Tonbridge - Uckfield<br />
Africa Middle East Asia Australia<br />
South America Caribbean USA & Canada Cruise
What’s<br />
HOT in <strong>2024</strong>?<br />
Struggling for inspiration for your next holiday? Here is your<br />
guide from the experts at Baldwins Travel!<br />
The Caribbean<br />
Stunning beaches, vibrant cultures, and that sun. The Caribbean has a special kind of<br />
warmth that must be felt in person. Visit Bathsheba or Carlisle Bay in Barbados to<br />
find yourself in a paradise of pristine white sand and lukewarm water where you can<br />
equally recline under a coconut tree with a good book, or take to the sea with amazing<br />
spots for surfing and scuba diving. Meanwhile, Jamaica is full of life, resonating<br />
with the offbeat rhythms of reggae, its liberating and fun-loving culture is best felt at<br />
the major music festivals held throughout the year. To experience the real nightlife of<br />
Jamaica, where spicy jerk chicken sizzles on the grill and smooth rum flows freely, check<br />
out bars such as Usain Bolt’s Tracks & Records in Kingston or Elevate Night Club &<br />
Lounge in Montego Bay. The love for the Caribbean islands really does start as soon as<br />
you arrive and stays with you long after that golden tan fades.<br />
Sydney Opera House<br />
istockphoto.com/ Ralf Liebhold / Ondrej Bucek<br />
Italy<br />
Bourbon beach in Negril, Jamaica<br />
Overflowing with history, culture, art, and natural<br />
beauty, you can’t go wrong with a holiday in Italy.<br />
For a city break, Rome and Florence, will each<br />
allow you to delve deeper into Italian history and<br />
culture. In Rome be sure to explore the expansive<br />
Roman Forum (worth noting it’s free on the<br />
first Sunday of every month), and find Pinsitaly<br />
Trevi – a little gem hidden in plain sight, right<br />
in the centre of it all by the Trevi Fountain –<br />
where you can have your Eat Pray Love moment<br />
over an authentic pizza that is simply deliziosa.<br />
In Florence, grab a gelato and an Aperol spritz<br />
outside the stunning cathedral, Duomo di<br />
Firenze (or even climb its 463 stairs if you’ve got<br />
the energy) see Michaelangelo’s iconic David,<br />
and round off the trip with an epic steak dinner<br />
at Trattoria Zà Zà. In Bologna, the birthplace<br />
of Bolognese sauce, you can wander the buzzing<br />
medieval streets of the Centro Storico, lined with<br />
foodie finds galore. And in Tuscany find some<br />
of the world’s very best vineyards and wineries<br />
and just sip and relax! The real problem with<br />
a holiday to Italy is that will leave you wanting<br />
to explore different regions year after year.<br />
AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND<br />
When landing in Australia, start your trip in Sydney, where<br />
you can visit one of the world’s most recognisable buildings,<br />
The Sydney Opera House, then take a stroll along the<br />
Sydney Harbour Bridge and admire the breathtaking<br />
views of the whole city. For thrill-seekers looking for their<br />
adrenaline rush, New Zealand is the hub for adventure sports;<br />
take the plunge bungee jumping at The Nevis Bungy and<br />
Swing, the third highest bungee jump in the world, with the<br />
platform 134m above the Nevis Canyon floor.<br />
The Florence cityscape<br />
79<br />
Throughout <strong>January</strong> and February, Baldwins will be holding<br />
Meet The Expert days, having special offers and even giving<br />
away nine £500 holiday vouchers and luxury hampers!<br />
Visit baldwinstravel.co.uk/Around-the-World before the end of<br />
February to complete a simple form and enter the prize draw<br />
and find more holiday inspiration for <strong>2024</strong> and beyond.<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Take me to...<br />
A NEW ADVENTURE<br />
We’re kicking off our new travel feature with a collection of travel ideas to<br />
get you trying something new with explorative and adventurous trips<br />
o<br />
A journey to the heart of nature<br />
The Sekonyer River<br />
Borneo is a wild experience that will introduce you to<br />
nature and the animal kingdom in ways you’ve never<br />
experienced before. Famously the natural habitat of the<br />
magnificent orangutans, Borneo is also home to pygmy<br />
elephants, the world’s largest cave system and the oldest<br />
rainforest. In short, Borneo is a land of wonders; a<br />
place where nature and culture coexist in harmony. To<br />
feel safe and supported on your adventure, luxury travel<br />
consultancy, My Paradise Found, can create a beautiful,<br />
exciting, and adventurous itinerary tailored to you. Go<br />
for a river cruise, climb the iconic Mount Kinabalu,<br />
explore the largest cave system in the world, or relax<br />
at some of the most luxurious and eco-friendly resorts<br />
and lodges. Whatever you’re looking to experience in<br />
Borneo, My Paradise Found can take care of flights,<br />
transfers, and accommodation, along with tours, guides,<br />
and activities. They are also always on hand to help and<br />
assist before, during, and after your trip so you can feel<br />
confident, comfortable, and cared for every step of the<br />
way on your wild adventure!<br />
myparadisefound.co.uk<br />
Proboscis monkey clan<br />
Go for a river cruise, climb the iconic<br />
Mount Kinabalu, explore the largest<br />
cave system in the world<br />
Mount Kinabalu at Sabah, Borneo<br />
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Marmaris, Turkey<br />
discover Marmaris on the Turkish Riviera<br />
and the surrounding Turquoise Coast<br />
Chart your own odyssey<br />
istockphoto.com/ Andrii Medvediuk / den-belitsky / G-o-o-d-M-a-n / macbrianmun / Javier Marcos / Joesboy<br />
There really isn’t any greater adventure than<br />
having the freedom to sail away and follow your<br />
own bliss. This option is a rentable catamaran<br />
that can serve as a safe and luxurious home hub<br />
as you embark on whatever journey you choose.<br />
It’s the perfect way to discover Marmaris in the<br />
Turkish Riviera and the surrounding Turquoise<br />
Coast. Unwind in the secluded bays of Ciftlik,<br />
Bozzukale, or Sogut, explore the buzzing<br />
boutique shops and restaurants of Selimiye<br />
and Bozburun, or travel further to the Datca<br />
Peninsula and over towards Bodrum. You can<br />
even sail further afield to discover the Greek<br />
islands – Rhodes, Kos, Symi, and other small<br />
gems in between are all reachable aboard Ayda 1.<br />
The catamaran is a comfortable and beautifully<br />
maintained 2012 Orana 44 that will give you<br />
complete comfort and performance at sea, with<br />
all the bells and whistles including solar panels,<br />
a swim platform, speakers, a grill, and even a<br />
Nespresso machine. It has 4 double cabins all with<br />
a private wc/shower, so can accommodate up to<br />
8 passengers when cruising (plus your captain to<br />
guide you in your adventures included in the fee).<br />
+90 555 503 3130 | +90 555 503 3131<br />
lucysarah73@hotmail.com<br />
instagram @ayda1marmaris<br />
Ruins on Santorini<br />
The Ayda 1<br />
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Bridge Ponte Pietra in Verona<br />
sit and watch the<br />
tranquil flow of<br />
the Muncio River<br />
as the world<br />
passes by<br />
An operatic Cultural exploration<br />
For those looking to explore something new and unique culturally, how about seeing<br />
the opera in Verona’s grand amphitheatre? Departing on the 24th of July <strong>2024</strong> and<br />
returning on the 29th, Airdale Tours is offering a trip to Verona for the magical Arena<br />
di Verona Festival. Alice Priestley, Marketing Executive at Airedale Tours says, “I can<br />
verify that this trip is a fabulous one, I joined last year and had the most amazing<br />
time!” The trip includes two operas, Carmen and La Boheme, and Alice confirms that<br />
this cultural experience “was a true spectacle to behold, simply spectacular with worldfamous<br />
sopranos, setting, and orchestra”. With multiple walking tours there will also<br />
be plenty of time to take in the romantic Verona, where Shakespeare set Romeo and<br />
Juliet, nearby Mantua where you’ll explore the Ducal Palace, and the incredibly pretty<br />
Borghetto, where you can sit and watch the tranquil flow of the River Mincio as the<br />
world passes by. As if that just isn’t enough cultural enrichment, this trip also includes<br />
excursions to sparkling wine tasting in Franciacorta and Lake Iseo.<br />
01924 276135 | info@airedaletours.co.uk | airedaletours.co.uk<br />
The Verona Arena<br />
AYDA 1<br />
MARMARIS, TURKIYE<br />
Ayda 1 is a very spacious and comfortable family run Fountain Pajot<br />
Orana 44 Catamaran, comprising of 4 double cabins, each with their own<br />
en-suite bathroom. All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning should<br />
you need it, or take your pillow and sleep under the stars if you wish!<br />
Sail away with us to the quietest of bays, and swim in the<br />
crystal clear turquoise waters, where you can enjoy snorkelling,<br />
swimming, paddle boarding or just relax and take it easy.<br />
Rest assured you will certainly enjoy an unforgettable holiday!<br />
Contact us on WhatsApp: +90 555 503 3130 / +90 555 503 3131<br />
Email us at: lucysarah73@hotmail.com<br />
Check us out on Instagram: @ayda1marmaris<br />
www.myparadisefound.co.uk<br />
01233 221150 @myparadisefound @my_paradise_found<br />
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istockphoto.com/ Credit:Yasonya / saiko3p<br />
Blue porcelain Italian<br />
travel mug £16 Spode<br />
spode.co.uk<br />
keep<br />
yourself<br />
hydrated<br />
and<br />
energised<br />
Get set for an Italian adventure with travel essentials and little luxuries<br />
always stay<br />
sun safe!<br />
Back Bay<br />
responsibly<br />
sourced leather<br />
jewellery roll<br />
$108 Ivy Cove<br />
ivycove.com<br />
Pack your bags!<br />
SPF 50 Sun<br />
Defence Drops<br />
£78 Olivanna<br />
olivanna.com<br />
Oliver Bonas Angular<br />
Faux Tortoiseshell<br />
Sunglasess £28<br />
oliverbonas.com<br />
pick a bag<br />
thats ’ secure<br />
& easy to<br />
carry<br />
Irina crossbody<br />
bag in orange<br />
saffiano leather<br />
£365 Anya Sushko<br />
anyasushko.com<br />
Signature personalised<br />
suitcase in Cloud<br />
£125 Koko Blossom<br />
kokoblossom.co.uk<br />
a personalised<br />
suitcase is easy<br />
to find at the<br />
airport<br />
TRAVEL BEYOND THE ORDINARY<br />
For more information call<br />
01892 710810<br />
or visit www.plumtravel.co.uk<br />
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SALE<br />
NOW ON<br />
SHOP ONLINE AND INSTORE<br />
49 High St, Cranbrook, TN17 3EE<br />
www.odyl.co.uk | 01580 714907<br />
Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3PS<br />
Everything you need for life in the country.<br />
<strong>January</strong> Sale Now On<br />
Faux shearling multiway coat £136.50,<br />
Cara & The Sky jumper £85, Rosamunde<br />
silk and lace cami £94, Mos Mosh jeans<br />
£109, Donna Lei suede boots £165, Abro<br />
leather bag £299, Access Fashion jewelled<br />
headband (on jumper) £20, Rachel Jackson<br />
pearl necklace £165, earrings £138.75<br />
all Odyl odyl.co.uk<br />
Our big <strong>January</strong> sale is now on, start the<br />
New Year with some super savings!<br />
www.charityfarmcountrystore.co.uk<br />
Contact us on 01580 713189 or info@charityfarmcoutrystore.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
84
Spring Fling<br />
Dreaming of a change of season?<br />
Layer calming pastels and taupes for<br />
a cosy start to the New Year<br />
Photograph: David Merewether<br />
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Purple heart charm<br />
enamel hoops<br />
£36 Seol + Gold<br />
seolgold.com<br />
Amelie peach cats eye sunglasses £30<br />
Scamp and Dude scampanddude.com<br />
Beach hut pendant necklace<br />
£52 Reeves & Reeves<br />
reevesandreeves.com<br />
Idylle jumper<br />
in blush £45<br />
Rosella Style<br />
rosellastyle.com<br />
Brittany 100% merino<br />
wool cardigan £140<br />
Aspiga aspiga.com<br />
Knit bobble hat<br />
£14 Monsoon<br />
monsoon.co.uk<br />
Saffiano leather<br />
Irina crossbody bag<br />
£365 Anya Sushko<br />
anyasushko.com<br />
Raya scarf £35 Fat<br />
Face fatface.com<br />
Pink baguette<br />
charm hoops £45<br />
Scream Pretty<br />
screampretty.com<br />
Notting Hill Calling<br />
Gustavia bag<br />
in Aqua with<br />
detachable strap<br />
$178 Ivy Cove<br />
ivycove.com<br />
Peach fuzz, lovely lilac, cool blue, buttery yellow and millennial<br />
pink; a scandified pastel pallet reminicent of the pretty terraced<br />
houses of Notting Hill is the way to go in <strong>2024</strong><br />
Gucci geometric<br />
cat eye sunglasses<br />
£300 Liberty<br />
libertylondon.com<br />
Carrington cardigan<br />
with pink Greek tragedy<br />
buttons £280 Hades<br />
hades-shop.co.uk<br />
Reiss Louise lemon<br />
cape-sleeve midi<br />
£268 John Lewis<br />
johnlewis.com<br />
Beachcombing<br />
earrings £30<br />
Tatty Devine<br />
tattydevine.com<br />
Project Two GRFX watch<br />
£60 Adidas adidas.co.uk<br />
L.K.Bennett Elodie overcoat<br />
£440 John Lewis johnlewis.com<br />
Pink beret £13<br />
River Island<br />
riverisland.com<br />
Summer Love agate cuff £65 YAA<br />
YAA LONDON yaayaalondon.com<br />
Noah peach tropical<br />
safari sweatshirt £58<br />
Sugarhill Brighton<br />
sugarhillbrighton.com<br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
Pink ring £120 Joanna Laura<br />
Constantine joannalauraconstantine.com<br />
Monsoon stud earrings<br />
£244 Rachel Quinn<br />
rachelquinn.com<br />
Aahana vegan<br />
sneakers £105<br />
Matt & Nat<br />
uk.mattandnat.com<br />
istockphoto.com/ jenifoto
7 April<br />
<strong>2024</strong><br />
Run London Landmarks<br />
Half Marathon.<br />
Be a lifesaver<br />
Looking to take on a new challenge<br />
in the New Year? Join our team and<br />
support your local air ambulance charity<br />
We’ll be there to cheer you on the whole way!<br />
Sign up today<br />
aakss.org.uk/llhm<br />
Or call us on 01634 471 900<br />
Bring some of your personality to your wardrobe<br />
with a personally tailored suit or jacket with a<br />
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your look with our stylish footwear.<br />
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87<br />
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88
Starting<br />
Afresh<br />
It might be cheesy to talk about healthy recipes in <strong>January</strong>, but<br />
there’s probably a good reason for it: in the dark midwinter<br />
days we need the boost that raw and simply prepared foods<br />
can give us. These healthy dishes are flavoursome, packed<br />
with mood lifting antioxidants – and barely any cheese.<br />
Recipes: Jo Arnell Photographs: David Merewether<br />
Griddled Harissa Chicken<br />
Serves 4 Prep time: 5-30 mins<br />
Cooking time: 20-30 mins<br />
This is literally chicken coated in harissa seasoning and simply griddled.<br />
To make the harissa paste, see the ingredients below, or buy ready made.<br />
• 4 chicken breasts<br />
• 2 small roasted peppers (from a jar)<br />
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed<br />
• 4-5 small red chillies, finely chopped<br />
• 2 tsp cumin seeds<br />
• 2 tsp coriander<br />
• 1 tsp caraway<br />
• 1 tsp fennel<br />
• 1 tbsp tomato paste<br />
• juice of 1 lemon<br />
• 1 tbsp olive oil<br />
Place all the harissa ingredients in a blender and blitz to a paste.<br />
Spread over chicken and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Heat<br />
griddle pan and cook the coated chicken for 5-10 minutes on<br />
each side, until chicken is cooked through. Serve either hot<br />
with mixed seasonal vegetables, or cooled with salad.<br />
<br />
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Jewelled Salad<br />
Serves 4 Prep time:<br />
15 minutes<br />
Orange and<br />
pomegranate are in<br />
season, naturally<br />
packed with nutritious<br />
flavours – sweet and<br />
sour combine in this<br />
mint infused salad.<br />
It goes well with the<br />
harissa chicken.<br />
• 1 bag mixed salad<br />
leaves, washed<br />
• 2 oranges, peeled<br />
and sliced<br />
• seeds from a<br />
pomegranate<br />
• 100g feta cheese,<br />
crumbled<br />
• 100g walnut pieces<br />
For the dressing:<br />
• juice of 1 lime<br />
• 1 tbsp honey<br />
• 2 tbsp olive oil<br />
• 1 small handful<br />
of mint leaves,<br />
finely chopped<br />
Combine salad leaves,<br />
sliced oranges and<br />
pomegranate seeds<br />
in a serving bowl,<br />
add dressing and toss<br />
together gently. Sprinkle<br />
with crumbled feta<br />
and walnuts to serve.<br />
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Carrot and Ginger Soup<br />
Serves 4 Prep time: 5-10mins<br />
Cooking time: 20 mins<br />
This is a zingy carrot soup that can<br />
be made really quickly and from a<br />
few simple ingredients. Carrots are<br />
naturally high in carotene and ginger<br />
is soothing, anti-inflammatory and<br />
will even help you fight a cold.<br />
• 1 onion, chopped<br />
• 300g carrots, roughly chopped<br />
• 4cm chunk fresh ginger<br />
root, peeled and chopped<br />
• 900ml vegetable stock (I used<br />
bouillon vegetable stock powder)<br />
• 100ml white wine<br />
• 100g chopped coriander<br />
to garnish (optional)<br />
• salt and pepper, to taste<br />
Sauté the onion gently in butter (or<br />
oil) for 5 minutes until soft. Transfer<br />
to a large saucepan, add all the rest<br />
of the ingredients bar the coriander<br />
and seasoning, bring to the boil and<br />
simmer gently for 20 minutes. Blitz<br />
with a stick blender until smooth,<br />
season, garnish and serve – either on<br />
its own if you’re being ultra healthy,<br />
or with warm crusty bread. <br />
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New Year Salad – Two ways<br />
The hardest part of this recipe is the<br />
slicing of the ingredients – think of<br />
it as part of your exercise regime, or<br />
use a mandoline (not to be confused<br />
with the musical instrument). I’ve<br />
used the ingredients in two ways, in<br />
case you can’t find the rice wraps,<br />
or (like me) find them a bit fiddly.<br />
If making the wraps, use the Asian<br />
inspired dressing as a dipping sauce.<br />
Lettuce Bowl<br />
Serves 4 Prep time: 30 minutes<br />
• 4 large lettuce leaves – Iceberg is<br />
best as the leaves are ‘bowl’ shaped<br />
• 2 more lettuce leaves, shredded<br />
• 1 red pepper<br />
• ¼ of a red cabbage<br />
• 4 spring onions<br />
• half a cucumber<br />
• 1 carrot<br />
• 2 tbsp pickled (sushi) ginger<br />
• 100g edamame (soya) beans<br />
• 160g hot smoked trout (or salmon)<br />
For the dressing/dipping sauce:<br />
• 2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce<br />
• 1 tbsp (15ml) rice wine vinegar<br />
• 3 tbsp (45ml) mirin<br />
• 2 tbsp sesame oil<br />
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped<br />
• 1 tsp grated ginger<br />
• 1 clove garlic, crushed/grated<br />
Slice off the bottom of the lettuce and<br />
carefully unwrap it – discard the outer<br />
couple of leaves and the central ‘core’,<br />
so that you are left with four ‘that are<br />
bowl’ shaped. Any leftover bits can be<br />
shredded to add to the salad. Thinly<br />
slice pepper, spring onion, cucumber<br />
and carrot length-wise and toss together<br />
with the edamame, pickled ginger,<br />
cooked smoked fish and dressing.<br />
Spoon into lettuce bowls and serve.<br />
Rice Paper Wrap<br />
(left)<br />
Ingredients are as above, but omit the<br />
lettuce and use 8 rice paper wraps<br />
I soaked each wrap individually for<br />
a minute to soften, as they tend to<br />
stick together and/or dry out if not<br />
kept on the damp side. Lay each wrap<br />
out flat, place the salad ingredients<br />
along the centre, fold in the ends<br />
and roll up the wrap. Serve with<br />
a small bowl of dipping sauce.<br />
93
Winter Sparkle<br />
Jo Arnell highlights the seasonal gems primed to light up your garden<br />
Not much is actively growing<br />
out in the garden – it is the<br />
dormant season and our<br />
plants are gently ticking over, preparing<br />
themselves for the year ahead, or if<br />
they are more tender, desperately<br />
trying to survive the cold of a British<br />
winter. We can help the less hardy with<br />
mulch and fleece – and sometimes<br />
this is enough, depending on how far<br />
below zero the temperature goes…<br />
Frost may spell trouble for some, but<br />
it can look very pretty – a glittery<br />
dusting of white enhancing structures<br />
and evergreen shapes. If your garden is<br />
looking far from magical right now, it<br />
might be time to add (when the soil is<br />
more receptive) some plants that will<br />
manage the winter weather and stay<br />
looking good through the bleak weeks.<br />
Evergreens<br />
It is hard to beat the quiet<br />
handsomeness of a well-shaped<br />
evergreen. Some are just made that way,<br />
growing neat and well-formed without<br />
any interference, others (a bit like<br />
some of us) can be made to be pretty<br />
with a little tweaking and pruning.<br />
Taken to extremes, pruning evergreens<br />
turns into an art form and plants<br />
become living sculptures. Small<br />
leaved shrubs like yew, pittosporum,<br />
euonymus, famously box (but off the<br />
menu in some gardens for now due to<br />
the ravaging effects of the box moth<br />
caterpillar) can be clipped into low<br />
hedges, balls, spirals and pyramids. In<br />
fact yew can be trained into any shape<br />
you like, but it takes patience, practise<br />
and a bit of vision to create them.<br />
We might aim for a perfect peacock,<br />
but end up with a squiffy squirrel.<br />
Hardy evergreen shrubs will provide<br />
structure and colour all year, as a foil<br />
or backdrop to the summer plants, but<br />
coming into the foreground in winter.<br />
Frost may kill the more tender plants,<br />
priceless-magazines.com 94
Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’<br />
Helleborus orientalis<br />
Viburnum tinus<br />
Sarcoccoca confusa<br />
istockphoto.com/ Mykhailo Povoroznyk / Tom Meaker / MichelR45 / Wirestock /<br />
DragonTiger / tamara_kulikova<br />
but it positively enhances the look<br />
of many evergreens; Viburnum tinus<br />
and its shorter, bigger leaved relation<br />
Viburnum davidii, have dark green<br />
glossy leaves; Osmanthus has leaves a<br />
little like box, but is faster growing and<br />
has the added bonus of scented spring<br />
blossom; stalwart Elaeagnus is tough<br />
as old boots and puts up with hard<br />
frost – and hard pruning. All of these<br />
will look good through the winter.<br />
Winter Sun<br />
So it’s not actual sun, but a burst of<br />
cheery yellow from a plant in the<br />
depths of winter is sometimes as close<br />
as we get. Mahonia is a favourite<br />
for this – a striking evergreen with<br />
aggressive looking serrated foliage<br />
and spectacular, highly scented yellow<br />
flowers – like spiky bursts of sunshine.<br />
Acacia dealbata (mimosa) is bigger,<br />
more of a tree, and needs a sheltered<br />
site, but it is a lovely thing to grow<br />
if you can, and will shine out like<br />
a beacon in late winter, covered in<br />
fluffy chick yellow, scented blossom.<br />
There is a smallish early narcissi<br />
that naturalises well and can also<br />
be grown in pots and borders, as it<br />
doesn’t have the enormous leaves of<br />
some daffodils that flop about for<br />
weeks once the flowers are over. It is<br />
called ‘February Gold’, but can often<br />
be seen earlier than that, its cheery<br />
heads nodding in the chilly breeze.<br />
Winter Fragrance<br />
Winter flowering plants rely on scent<br />
to attract pollinators. The few tough<br />
little insects that eke it out through<br />
the winter are drawn in by the scent of<br />
the flowers, rather than the colour, so<br />
the plants often have tiny, insignificant<br />
flowers. In fact you may not notice<br />
them at all, until you get within a few<br />
metres and are hit by their fragrance<br />
– and even then it can be hard to<br />
<br />
95<br />
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96<br />
WCLandcraftWT252.indd 1 31/03/2023 10:53
Anemone blanda<br />
know where the scent is coming from.<br />
Sarcococca confusa (Christmas box) is<br />
a small, low growing evergreen, often<br />
overlooked, but it pumps out an almost<br />
overwhelming perfume. Two larger<br />
shrubs that are straggly nothings in<br />
summer, but hard to be without at this<br />
time of the year, are the wintersweet<br />
– Chimonanthes praecox and Lonicera<br />
‘Winter Beauty’, a winter flowering<br />
honeysuckle. Plant them where they<br />
can fade into the background once<br />
the flowers are over, but near enough<br />
for you to catch the fragrance.<br />
Many of these late winter and early<br />
spring performers are suitable for<br />
growing in containers too, in fact<br />
something like a camellia may even<br />
prefer it, as these need acid soil.<br />
The great thing about a plant in a<br />
pot is that it can be moved away<br />
from centre stage once it’s done its<br />
thing – if you can move it, that is.<br />
Magic Wands<br />
The young stems of dogwoods (Cornus)<br />
will provide brilliant winter colour,<br />
especially if you are able to plant several<br />
together. Dogwoods will grow in most<br />
soil conditions, and they actually quite<br />
like damp or heavy soils. They don’t<br />
mind shady conditions, but their stem<br />
colour shows up best in full sun. They<br />
will send out suckers, so plant them<br />
where they have room to spread. The<br />
stems also look good cut and poked into<br />
winter containers, bringing height and<br />
structure – they may even take root.<br />
For the best stem colour, Dogwoods<br />
should be cut back hard in spring to<br />
encourage the growth of new young<br />
stems which have the strongest colour.<br />
Some will cope with hard pruning<br />
better than others – generally the more<br />
vigorous the growth, the harder you can<br />
cut back. After pruning, mulch around<br />
the roots with compost or other wellrotted<br />
organic material, but not right up<br />
to the stems, as this could cause them to<br />
rot. Mulching will feed and condition<br />
the soil – and also help retain moisture.<br />
Dogwoods won’t get too tall, because<br />
they are regularly pruned to the base.<br />
Some of the best for stem colour are:<br />
Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, which has bright<br />
red new growth, while the aptly named<br />
C. sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ has young<br />
stems that literally look as if they’re<br />
on fire – in shades of yellow/orange<br />
tinged with red. Cornus stolonifera<br />
‘Flaviramea’ has yellow-green stems;<br />
Cornus alba ‘Kesselringii’ has young<br />
growth of a deep purple colour.<br />
Willows can (literally) run about in<br />
the garden, so should be carefully<br />
positioned, as they can be invasive and<br />
hard to remove. They are fast growing<br />
and some have brightly coloured<br />
stems to rival the dogwoods. Salix<br />
‘Britzensis’ is one of the best for stem<br />
colour, but will need regular pruning.<br />
Just like Cornus, willows are best<br />
grown near water or in boggy places.<br />
Jewelled Carpets<br />
Bare stems and branches are<br />
companionably set off with contrasting<br />
carpets of snowdrops – the earliest of the<br />
bulbs to flower. These tough little plants<br />
will push up through snow (hence the<br />
name) and frozen ground and naturalise<br />
quickly in places where not much else<br />
dares to grow – in the shade and among<br />
the roots of trees. Slightly later, but<br />
still early, Cyclamen coum, Anemone<br />
blanda, and bulbs like winter aconite<br />
and crocus will emerge. These little<br />
treasures are best seen in massed throngs<br />
beneath the trees, where they make<br />
the most of the light before the dense<br />
canopy of leaves closes in on them.<br />
Hellebores are good and hardy, often<br />
flowering where not much else will<br />
and are a great asset in the garden<br />
at this time of the year. Helleborus<br />
niger (the Christmas rose) flowers in<br />
winter, these are usually white, but<br />
Helleborus orientalis cultivars flower<br />
later, most often in pink shades from<br />
pale to the darkest burgundy.<br />
Low growing evergreens look good<br />
next to bare stems, even low growing<br />
dwarf conifers, or hardy ferns such<br />
as Polystichums will work well and<br />
bring all year foliage interest.<br />
Structure is vital in the garden, perhaps<br />
even more so in winter when we<br />
can’t distract ourselves with flowers<br />
and foliage. We need architecture,<br />
focal points and framework plants.<br />
Right now evergreens, or those with<br />
elegant skeletons, striking bark, or<br />
uplifting fragrance – plants that<br />
might be overlooked during the rest<br />
of the year, shine out beautifully.<br />
Jo’s gardening courses starting<br />
in spring are now booking<br />
07923 969634 hornbrookmanor.co.uk<br />
97<br />
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Honey Fungus<br />
the Bogeyman<br />
Sue Whigham shares<br />
experience and advice<br />
on how to deal with<br />
honey fungus<br />
We’ve always had a part of<br />
the garden where I’d try out<br />
interesting shrubs only to<br />
find that they turned up their toes after a<br />
couple of years. Most disappointing was<br />
the Azara microphylla that never put on<br />
any fresh growth and got scrawnier and<br />
scrawnier. Actually, I think that it would<br />
have been a slightly disappointing shrub<br />
if it had survived as its relative, Azara<br />
serrata is much more exuberant and<br />
deliciously scented. Little did I know.<br />
There’s a lovely specimen at Great Dixter<br />
with its bright, bright yellow flowers<br />
just at the right height to immerse<br />
yourself in their fragrance as you pass.<br />
So then we planted pittisporums,<br />
early flowering viburnums and all<br />
manner of other things. They’ve gone<br />
now and the only plants that are doing<br />
well are a medlar (great for showy<br />
autumn colour) and a healthy bay tree.<br />
Never mind, there is still a good show<br />
of oriental irises which we inherited.<br />
Honey fungus tends not to touch<br />
perennials, luckily. And we’ve now got<br />
the perfect spot for a giant trampoline<br />
firmly secured to a trellis to save it from<br />
becoming airborne any time soon.<br />
So what is the problem? Well,<br />
everything came to a head after the dry<br />
summer of 2021 when several mature,<br />
multi stemmed hornbeams started losing<br />
their leaves early, as well as suffering<br />
branch dieback. Then this year the<br />
leaves seemed to be smaller and generally<br />
sickly. A big patch of honey fungus<br />
mushrooms several feet away from<br />
one of the stricken trees confirmed the<br />
worst. The trees had most probably been<br />
harbouring honey fungus for years and<br />
the drought and the fungus combined<br />
priceless-magazines.com 98
Garden<br />
ZenTari followed by TOPBUXUS<br />
Health-Mix sorted out the caterpillars<br />
this year and stopped them in their<br />
tracks. Wise though to use pheromone<br />
traps to catch the male moths in the<br />
spring and to nip any infestation<br />
in the bud. The added bonus of<br />
the traps is that they are specific to<br />
male box tree moths and will not<br />
attract or kill other moth species.<br />
There are a number of honey<br />
fungus species native to the UK of<br />
which Armillaria gallica and Armeria<br />
mellea are the two usually found. Of<br />
course honey fungus is in most of our<br />
precious woodlands but doesn’t always<br />
cause too many problems in this sort<br />
of setting. The reason being that other<br />
fungi present compete with the honey<br />
fungus and restricts its progress. In a<br />
cultivated garden setting we are not<br />
so lucky as the honey fungus has less<br />
competition from other fungus and<br />
can run unabated through susceptible<br />
trees and shrubs. There is no ‘cure’<br />
for it, either natural or chemical, but<br />
there are steps you can take to stop or<br />
weaken any possibility of further havoc.<br />
I think that once mature trees are<br />
affected, there is a problem in that<br />
as it is spread from root to root, so<br />
it’s difficult to recognise before it is<br />
too late. Red or purple rhizomorphs<br />
maturing into what look a bit like<br />
black bootlaces are to be found in<br />
the root system of the tree and white<br />
mycelium can be found under the<br />
bark. Apparently the rhizomorphs can<br />
extend 30 metres from an infected<br />
plant, which is a worrying thought!<br />
There is a suggestion that you can<br />
sink a plastic barrier into the soil to<br />
a depth of eighteen inches with an<br />
inch or two above the soil if you think<br />
that you might have a chance to catch<br />
the fungus in time. Again, tricky if<br />
the trees that are affected are mature<br />
and thus their roots really extensive.<br />
I think that at that stage, you might<br />
have to live with it after removing as <br />
istockphoto.com/Terrence Pickles (Exeter Trees) / Alastair James / Jenny On The Moon<br />
to reduce the trees to shadows of their<br />
former selves. So three have now been<br />
felled. I’m trying to convince myself<br />
that, rather like after the 1987 storm,<br />
there’ll now be opportunities to make<br />
a few changes in the garden. Luckily,<br />
not all garden shrubs and trees will<br />
succumb to the fungus. There are<br />
some that don’t seem to be affected.<br />
One of these is box (Buxus) and thank<br />
goodness for that. Box has its own<br />
problems with both box blight and<br />
box tree moth caterpillars though.<br />
Repeated applications of TOPBUXUS<br />
Above: Azara Serrata is exuberant and deliciously scented<br />
99<br />
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Garden<br />
“I’m trying to<br />
convince myself<br />
that, rather<br />
like after the<br />
1987 storm,<br />
there’ll now be<br />
opportunities<br />
to make a few<br />
changes in the<br />
garden”<br />
much of the affected plant as possible.<br />
It is only later in the fungus’s progress<br />
that you will spot the clumps of large<br />
honey coloured mushrooms appearing<br />
in late summer. These are, of course,<br />
the final giveaway. They vary in size and<br />
shape and are very recognisable because<br />
of their size and by each mushroom<br />
having a white ring of tissue known<br />
as the annulus just under the cap.<br />
Smaller trees and shrubs can be<br />
protected to some extent by thoroughly<br />
mulching and fertilising as well as<br />
watering regularly in dry summers. The<br />
other thing is to remember to add a<br />
good sprinkle of beneficial mycorrhizal<br />
fungi, naturally present in the soil,<br />
around the roots of new plantings<br />
(Rootgrow is easily available). Trees and<br />
shrubs planted a little too deeply with<br />
soil or compost piled up around their<br />
base are more likely to be damaged as<br />
the fungus can spread through their root<br />
collar. The advice too is to leave the<br />
ground fallow for up to a year before<br />
replanting after you have removed as<br />
much damaged material as you can.<br />
Check whether any new plant<br />
you intend to introduce is capable<br />
of withstanding the fungus if you<br />
definitely know that you have it. The<br />
RHS, amongst others, publish a very<br />
comprehensive list of plants that are<br />
not affected. It would seem sensible<br />
to stick to those. The only one on<br />
the list that I would take issue with is<br />
the flowering quince. Ours seems to<br />
be about to succumb having battled<br />
through several seasons of poor growth<br />
and now a peeling bark – but you never<br />
know, it may be something else. And<br />
I’m sure that it might have preferred a<br />
less exposed spot. Another note to self.<br />
Sue Whigham can be contacted<br />
on 07810 457948 for gardening<br />
advice and help in the sourcing and<br />
supply of interesting garden plants.<br />
101<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Don’t miss our next<br />
Education <strong>Supplement</strong><br />
Find it in the<br />
February <strong>2024</strong> issue<br />
of <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong><br />
priceless-magazines.com
Education<br />
Don’t Look Back<br />
in Anger<br />
Left: The<br />
Arch of Janus in the<br />
Forum Boarium marked<br />
an important meeting place<br />
Below: An ancient coin<br />
showing two-headed Roman<br />
god Janus, 225-214 BC<br />
Mike Piercy, education consultant and former Head of The New Beacon, explains the importance<br />
of healthy self-reflection and learning from our past in order to move forward positively<br />
istockphoto.com/ scaliger / Sergey Strelkov<br />
‘<br />
You’ve never been to Rome? Really?’<br />
New year’s resolution: book long weekend in<br />
Rome. The food, the wine, the culture, the art,<br />
the architecture. History is abundant in Rome – it is<br />
everywhere. The base of a two-thousand-year-old pillar<br />
pokes up cheekily, stubbornly through the pavement as<br />
you pass by an unpretentious enoteca. Then there are<br />
the ‘jani’, the grand archways and elaborate doorways,<br />
sometimes standing in solitary, splendid isolation. Why?<br />
Not because they are all that is left standing of some<br />
ancient relic; because they were built that way, symbolically,<br />
steeped in superstition. Passage through the gateway<br />
would hopefully bring luck and good fortune, particularly<br />
for an army leaving Rome to wage war and conquer.<br />
The jani are watched over by Janus, the god of beginnings,<br />
endings, transition – of doorways. He is generally pictured<br />
having two faces, looking both forward and back. After him is<br />
named this month, <strong>January</strong>, the start of the new calendar year.<br />
It may be the case we don’t want to look back too closely<br />
at 2023: conflict, division, the economy, the cost of living,<br />
potholes and VAR. We can however look forward to <strong>2024</strong><br />
with hope – for there is always hope. I am cursed with<br />
optimism. On 21st December, the winter solstice, the<br />
days began to get longer; the pendulum reached its zenith.<br />
By 18th <strong>January</strong> there will be another hour’s daylight.<br />
Pupils, students, have two new years: September at school;<br />
and <strong>January</strong>, along with everyone else. Both are new starts<br />
providing fresh opportunities. September brings different<br />
teachers, classes, schools and challenges – ambitions for<br />
the year. <strong>January</strong>, after the long autumn term, brings<br />
the chance to stop; to review and reflect. If I had set<br />
myself targets, aspirations, how far along the road am I to<br />
achieving them? Is there the need for course correction?<br />
This an expression derived from spacecraft which may have<br />
marginally diverged from their trajectory, the error growing<br />
over distance, space and time. Not pausing, checking<br />
to course correct, only exacerbates that divergence.<br />
Children do not naturally reflect. They will often beat<br />
themselves up following a disappointment without reflecting<br />
on the causes. Note the use of ‘disappointment’ over ‘failure’:<br />
the former can be qualified; the latter simply destructive.<br />
Getting young people to pause, separate the emotion<br />
from the data and reflect, is a skill best learnt young.<br />
A thirteen-year-old’s conversation with self (in an ideal world).<br />
‘I worked and revised really hard…’ Pause. ‘Did<br />
I really? Truly? Why didn’t I prepare properly? Next<br />
time I will…’ and so emerges an action plan.<br />
‘I should have won the competition – I’m much better<br />
at maths…’ Just a moment. ‘Let’s think about this. The<br />
winner is better at tables, is gold standard maths challenge<br />
(though I am better at algebra). On balance…’<br />
‘It’s not fair. We were the better side…’ Think. Analyse.<br />
‘Actually, the other side did play better – they were<br />
more committed, fitter and tackled. We need to train<br />
harder.’ And so a little bit of self-honesty creeps in. As<br />
it is said, the easiest person to deceive is yourself.<br />
So, we teach, we encourage and we practise with<br />
young people the art of honest, constructive reflection.<br />
Janus looks back at 2023 with one eyebrow minimally,<br />
discernibly, wryly raised at the folly of humankind. We,<br />
too, should look back, but with caution, balance and<br />
perspective: the past is for informing, not inhabiting.<br />
Returning to the new year’s resolutions (most of<br />
which are conveniently forgotten within weeks) let us<br />
look forward to <strong>2024</strong>, making it a better year, learning<br />
from 2023. And book that long weekend in Rome.<br />
103<br />
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ALPACA EXPERIENCE<br />
AT KENWARD PLACE<br />
HALF TERM ECO WEEK<br />
AT HEVER CASTLE<br />
INSTAGRAM<br />
MASTERCLASS<br />
What’s On<br />
this Season<br />
CASTLES<br />
Every weekend until 31 Mar<br />
Hampton Court Palace,<br />
Hampton Court Way, Molesey,<br />
East Molesey KT8 9AU<br />
TUDOR COOKERY<br />
AND ROASTING AT<br />
HAMPTON COURT<br />
Join the palace history cooks to<br />
find out what life was like working<br />
in the royal kitchens in the 16th<br />
century. Originally staffed by 200<br />
people, these kitchens fed over<br />
450 people twice a day. Find out<br />
all about the recipes and methods<br />
used to please the tastes of the<br />
royal court. You can even have a<br />
go at working the tournebroche,<br />
turning the meat in front of the<br />
roaring fires. Tudor Cookery and<br />
Roasting is included in palace<br />
admission; please check opening<br />
times for the day of your visit.<br />
Entry: Included in palace<br />
admission price<br />
hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace<br />
Sat 10 Feb – Sun 18 Feb<br />
Hever Castle and Gardens,<br />
Hever Road, Hever,<br />
Edenbridge TN8 7NG<br />
HALF TERM ECO WEEK<br />
Alongside the children’s eco<br />
sculpture competition (see<br />
Notebook page 20) visitors to<br />
Hever during half term Eco Week<br />
can also take part in a fun eco craft<br />
activity as well as wander around<br />
the grounds to find out more<br />
about what Hever Castle, rated<br />
silver for green tourism, does to<br />
be environmentally friendly. Yuki<br />
Solle, the founder of lifestyle blog<br />
cultivate the life will be sharing<br />
tips on how to reduce food waste<br />
and eat well on a budget. Plus,<br />
she will be running some handy<br />
and informative free workshops<br />
(included in admission price)<br />
on how to turn an old t-shirt<br />
into a bag (feel free to bring one<br />
along) or how to make beeswax<br />
candles (10th February), how to<br />
make a conker laundry pouch<br />
or a bird feeder (15th February),<br />
make a dishcloth from old tights,<br />
socks or leggings or a stick photo<br />
frame (16th February), an egg<br />
carton herb planter or a coffee<br />
body scrub (17th February).<br />
hevercastle.co.uk<br />
COURSES & CLASSES<br />
Mondays 11am-1pm &<br />
Tuesdays 10am-12pm<br />
The Amelia Scott, Mount<br />
Pleasant Road, Royal Tunbridge<br />
Wells, Kent TN1 1AW<br />
IT BUDDIES<br />
Friendly volunteers are ready<br />
to help you improve your IT<br />
skills. Whether you or someone<br />
you know is taking the first<br />
steps online, computer-savvy<br />
but encountering hiccups, or<br />
just wishing to access handy<br />
resources like Which?, Ancestry,<br />
Find my Past and the British<br />
Newspaper Archive. Learn to<br />
master the library apps and<br />
the volunteers can also guide<br />
you through the photocopying<br />
and printing facilities.<br />
Entry: free<br />
theamelia.co.uk<br />
Every other Sunday from 14 Jan<br />
11am-12.30pm<br />
The Amelia Scott, Mount<br />
Pleasant Road, Royal<br />
Tunbridge Wells TN1 1AW<br />
NATURALLY CREATIVE<br />
This fortnightly gardening and<br />
craft group is for anyone looking<br />
to connect with others and<br />
make a positive impact on the<br />
environment. The sessions alternate<br />
between gardening activities based<br />
in The Amelia’s courtyard and<br />
green-themed craft activities. If<br />
you’re green-fingered and enjoy<br />
crafting or just happy to learn,<br />
share and grow, this will be a lovely<br />
way to spend a Sunday morning.<br />
Entry: free<br />
theamelia.co.uk<br />
Thur 18 Jan 6.30-8.30pm<br />
Happy & Glorious, 47a Burgate,<br />
Canterbury CT1 2HW<br />
INSTAGRAM MASTERCLASS<br />
Does your Instagram profile need<br />
a refresh? Are you struggling to<br />
find your creativity? Or are you<br />
brand new to Instagram and not<br />
sure where to start? Bring the joy<br />
back to your social media with this<br />
lovely workshop with Laura from<br />
AnySomething Photography, as<br />
she takes you through the basics<br />
of Instagram. Includes materials,<br />
tea, coffee and nibbles, and some<br />
exclusive Happy & Glorious<br />
discount vouchers in the price!<br />
Entry: £32<br />
happyglorious.co.uk<br />
FAIRS<br />
Sunday 28 Jan 9am-3pm<br />
Highbury Hall, Tenterden<br />
TENTERDEN ANTIQUE FAIR<br />
This local fair will have lots of<br />
stalls selling unique and interesting<br />
retro, vintage and antique items.<br />
There will also be small furniture<br />
and gold and silver jewellery. While<br />
you’re there, you can also stop<br />
by the Café which will be open<br />
and serving bacon rolls, all-day<br />
breakfast, cakes and lunches from<br />
12 noon. Dogs always welcome.<br />
Entry: Free (with free parking) <br />
priceless-magazines.com<br />
104
FESTIVALS<br />
Fri 16 – Sun 25 Feb<br />
Venues throughout Faversham<br />
FAVERSHAM LITERARY<br />
FESTIVAL <strong>2024</strong><br />
A week-long programme that<br />
is eclectic, thought-provoking<br />
and jam-packed with events! It<br />
offers an exciting mix of wellknown<br />
authors, leading thinkers,<br />
up-and-coming writers and local<br />
talent, plus writing competitions<br />
for all ages, workshops,<br />
spoken word, slam poetry,<br />
children’s and family events.<br />
favershamliteraryfestival.org<br />
LUXURIES<br />
Fri 26 Jan 10am-1pm<br />
Brooklands Museum, Brooklands<br />
Drive, Weybridge KT13 0SL<br />
THE CONCORDE<br />
CHAMPAGNE EXPERIENCE<br />
Discover what it was like to fly<br />
on Concorde, with a glass of<br />
Champagne in your hand. The<br />
experience begins with your ‘preflight’<br />
briefing in The Members’<br />
Bar in the original Edwardian<br />
Clubhouse, with tea and coffee<br />
served in your ‘Departure<br />
Lounge’. Then it’s time to board<br />
Concorde and take your seat<br />
on a real Concorde seat, ready<br />
to take your virtual flight and<br />
discover the incredible history<br />
and legacy of this supersonic<br />
aircraft. Before you disembark,<br />
you’ll have the opportunity to<br />
visit the Flight Deck too. See the<br />
world’s only working Concorde<br />
Simulator and watch as she takes<br />
off from London Heathrow, flies<br />
a low-level pass over Brooklands,<br />
and lands back at Heathrow.<br />
Entry: £65<br />
brooklandsmuseum.com<br />
OUTDOOR FUN<br />
Daily at 1pm (also<br />
11.30am Weds – Sun)<br />
Kenward Place, Kenward Road,<br />
Yalding, Maidstone ME18 6AH<br />
ALPACA WALKS AT<br />
KENWARD PLACE<br />
Meet Kenward’s herd of eight<br />
lovely (and occasionally rather<br />
cheeky) alpacas. You can book an<br />
Alpaca Experience throughout<br />
the week to spend a magical hour<br />
learning about these amazing<br />
creatures, getting to know their<br />
distinct personalities, and then<br />
taking them for a walk through the<br />
Kenward woodland. Rest assured<br />
the alpacas will be looking forward<br />
to it just as much as you – you’ll<br />
see them waiting by the gate when<br />
you arrive. Do make the most of<br />
the lovely tearooms on your visit<br />
too. Suitable for children over 10<br />
years. Not suitable for those with<br />
mobility issues. Private Meet &<br />
Greet sessions are also available<br />
for those with additional needs.<br />
Entry: from £25<br />
kenwardplace.co.uk<br />
Sun 14 Jan 10.30am-4pm<br />
Weald & Downland <strong>Living</strong><br />
Museum, Town Lane, Singleton,<br />
West Sussex PO18 0EU<br />
WASSAILING DAY<br />
Bless the <strong>Wealden</strong> and Downland<br />
<strong>Living</strong> Museum’s apple orchard at<br />
their traditional winter Wassailing<br />
– all in the name of encouraging<br />
a good harvest. Join a procession<br />
with music, song and performances<br />
from the House from Sole Street<br />
to the orchard at 11.15am, 1pm<br />
or 2.45pm. In the orchard, a<br />
tree will be decorated and you<br />
can join in the ‘Wassail’ shout<br />
(bring along something to make<br />
plenty of noise – a tin to bang or<br />
something to rattle or whistle).<br />
The musicians will let you know<br />
when to make a noise! Wear warm<br />
clothes, good walking shoes and<br />
all children must be accompanied.<br />
wealddown.co.uk<br />
Sat 3 Feb – Sun 3 Mar<br />
Kew Gardens, Richmond<br />
TW9 3AE<br />
ORCHID FESTIVAL<br />
Drawing inspiration from<br />
the unique flora and fauna<br />
of Madagascar, <strong>2024</strong>’s orchid<br />
extravaganza at Kew will reflect<br />
the island’s lush rainforests,<br />
tropical dry forests and over<br />
3,000 miles of coastline. One of<br />
the most iconic symbols of the<br />
island, the Lovers Baobab, will<br />
be recreated in a breathtaking<br />
display on the waterlily pond,<br />
and floral sculptures will conjure<br />
some of Madagascar’s most iconic<br />
wildlife, including ring-tailed<br />
lemurs, radiated tortoises and the<br />
enigmatic aye-aye, the world’s<br />
largest nocturnal primate. Orchids<br />
After Hours will also return on<br />
select evenings during the festival.<br />
kew.org<br />
WELLBEING<br />
Sat 20 Jan 10am-1pm<br />
Hever Castle and Gardens,<br />
Hever Road, Hever,<br />
Edenbridge TN8 7NG<br />
NEW YEAR FOREST<br />
BATHING<br />
A grounding, reviving 3-hour<br />
forest bathing workshop that<br />
finishes with herbal and wild<br />
teas, snacks and a closing<br />
reflection and gratitude circle.<br />
Entry: £35<br />
hevercastle.co.uk<br />
Listings are correct at time of going to press<br />
but may be subject to change. Readers are<br />
advised to check with venues before making<br />
arrangements. We can list your event in<br />
the next issue of <strong>Wealden</strong> <strong>Times</strong> for only<br />
£75+VAT. Please supply up to 200 words<br />
that should include date, time, venue,<br />
contact for enquiries and any entry price to<br />
whatson@priceless-group.com or send with<br />
payment (cheques payable to Priceless Media<br />
Ltd.) to What’s On, Priceless Media, Kettle<br />
Chambers, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook,<br />
Kent TN17 3HF. Priceless Media reserves<br />
the right to edit text to fit space allocated.<br />
Deadline for the next issue is 8th <strong>January</strong>.<br />
istockphoto.com/ RolfSt & michelangeloop & ViewApart / ErithJohn<br />
ORCHID FESTIVAL WASSAILING DAY ENTRANCE TO BROOKLANDS MUSEUM<br />
105<br />
priceless-magazines.com
Jane Howard contemplates<br />
her farm resolutions for <strong>2024</strong><br />
Apart from the personal eat<br />
more veg / stick to 14 units<br />
/ brush teeth standing on one<br />
leg routines, there are of course many<br />
resolutions that would improve life around<br />
the farm in <strong>2024</strong>. So here’s the wish list….<br />
The chickens… every year, in the spring<br />
when the weather warms a little, at least one of the<br />
hens will go broody, sit tight on a clutch of eggs and<br />
raise a new family. This could be prevented by making her<br />
unbroody, but I always come under pressure from the kids<br />
(now in their late twenties!) to have Easter chicks, because<br />
“we always have”, so we always do! Mother hen will duly sit<br />
on around 12 eggs – fertile because we have Phil – resulting<br />
after losses and breakages in about eight live chicks. It<br />
would be all right if most of them were hens, lots of people<br />
want a hen or two, but every year, yes every<br />
year, there are always more cockerels than<br />
pullets (the name for young females) and<br />
we get left with a gang of unruly male<br />
teenagers which I then have to “deal with”.<br />
This year I will resolve to stand firm.<br />
While on the subject of chickens, there<br />
has been a very strange development in<br />
the hen department. One of our hens<br />
has become a cockerel! She has grown a<br />
magnificent comb, and impressive wattles<br />
– the fleshy flaps of bright red skin that<br />
hang from a rooster’s neck – and started<br />
strutting round the farmyard. Upon<br />
further investigation and reading it appears<br />
that although hens are born with two<br />
ovaries, only one functions. The left one is<br />
responsible for egg production and the right one is always<br />
dormant. If however the left one gets damaged it will shrink<br />
and then the right one will take over and occasionally take<br />
the form of a testicle, so the hen then becomes a cockerel<br />
and may start to crow. <strong>Good</strong>ness. Phil won’t be happy!<br />
The cows… Once we start calving in February I must<br />
be more vigilant. With most cows you can usually tell by<br />
the state of their udder when the birth is imminent. A<br />
Lots of people want<br />
a hen or two, but<br />
every year, yes every<br />
year, there are always<br />
more cockerels than<br />
pullets (the name<br />
for young females)<br />
and we get left with<br />
a gang of unruly<br />
male teenagers<br />
week or so before they calve their udder will begin to swell<br />
known as ‘bagging up’ and then when it’s really close, a<br />
few hours before, the actual teats fill so they look like an<br />
inflated Marigold rubber glove. With cows this makes it<br />
quite easy to tell, but with heifers (first-time mums) who<br />
often don’t let their milk down till the<br />
calf is born it’s all less noticeable – and<br />
it’s usually the heifers that have the<br />
complications. So while I always make<br />
a visit to the barn before I go to bed, if<br />
a heifer is due then I must, must, must,<br />
take another look in the middle of the<br />
night– not always easy when it’s cold, wet<br />
and windy outside and bed is so warm<br />
and cosy. But this year I definitely will.<br />
Other… The ‘other’ list is infinitely<br />
long, but could include successional<br />
sowing in the veg patch so things like<br />
lettuce, radishes and rocket don’t all<br />
come at once and a major project to<br />
make every gate on the farm open<br />
smoothly and close with a satisfying<br />
clunk without the usual pushing, shoving, lifting and<br />
then securing with baler twine that gets annoyingly<br />
knotted. And don’t get me started on the water troughs!<br />
That’s quite a few improvements but if past form is<br />
anything to go by, by the end of next year not much<br />
will have been ticked off, I won’t remember what was<br />
on the list anyway and can happily make another<br />
(very similar list) for 2025! Happy New Year!<br />
Find out more about daily life at Coopers Farm by visiting coopersfarmstonegate.co.uk<br />
priceless-magazines.com 106
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we provide specialist legal services for<br />
individuals and businesses in the Southeast.<br />
+ Contracts & Transactions<br />
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To find out how we can help,<br />
call us on 01622 698000<br />
or email enquiries@wmlaw.uk<br />
whitehead-monckton.co.uk<br />
Whitehead Monckton Limited (no. 08366029), registered in England & Wales.<br />
Registered office 5 Eclipse Park, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN. Authorised<br />
and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under no. 608279.<br />
WhiteheadMoncktonWT246.indd 1 20/10/2022 14:03
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