The Chiswick Magazine October 2020 edition by The Chiswick Magazine

CHISWICK

T H E

October 2020 | Complimentary

M A G A Z I N E

Jo Pratt

Diane Chandler Local author talks latest work

On latest venture, The Flexible Family Cookbook

Studio Figura More than just a gym

HAY Local writing project Agents for Change helps young girls living in challenging circumstances to discover their voice

The Hawk’s Nest West London’s new addition

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17/03/2020 08:27

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Growing their imaginations

Let your child’s imagination take them on a journey of discovery at The Pump House, a new, modern day nursery in the heart of Brentford. • Stimulating indoor and outdoor spaces to spark their curiosity through play • Riverside location – ideal for nature walks • A secure, homely environment for children aged 12 weeks to 5 years • New extended opening hours from 7.30am to 6.30pm

For ne that jo w families i Autum n througho ut n, t regist here are no ration fees. Just q uote Aut for yo umn20 ur dis count .

Personal tours now available. To book a tour or to enquire about a place, contact manager@phdaynursery.co.uk or call 020 8003 0123.

www.phdaynursery.co.uk

pumphousedaynursery The Old Pumping Station, Pump Alley, Brentford TW8 0AP 3

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ABOUT LOCALS, FOR LOCALS, BY LOCALS

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F R O M

T H E

E D I T O R

CHISWICK T H E

M A G A Z I N E

is brought to you by

EDITOR

Áine McGinty aine@chiswickmagazine.co.uk

FEATURES EDITOR

Lucy Bacon lucy@chiswickmagazine.co.uk

ADVERTISING

Simon Hossack simon@chiswickmagazine.co.uk

PUBLISHER

Paul Williams paul@chiswickmagazine.co.uk

DESIGN

Raja Lockey

TRAVEL

Paul Williams paul@chiswickmagazine.co.uk

Dear Reader, Welcome to the October edition of The Chiswick Magazine. Taking inspiration from last month’s virtual Chiswick Book Festival, we’ve intentionally gone a bit literary heavy with this month’s magazine, using it as another excuse to celebrate local authors. Gain some inspiration from Jo Pratt or lose yourself in the work of Diane Chandler & Loyd Grossman. It’s not all books, we visit a new restaurant and a new gym, after all it is all about balance! As always, I really hope you enjoy the read. Áine x

Vencor Ltd Unit 22, 295 Chiswick High Road London, UK W4 4TT. Telephone: 020 3623 0567 © Vencor Ltd 2019. THE CHISWICK MAGAZINE is published by Vencor Ltd. Registerd Unit 22, 295 Chiswick High Road London W4 4TT. chiswickmagazine. co.uk. All rights reserved. ® THE CHISWICK MAGAZINE is registered as a trade mark, trade mark number UK00003257230.

The views of the writers and interviewees in THE CHISWICK MAGAZINE are not necessarily the views of the publisher. All images have been used with permission of the copyright owner. Any imagery supplied by a third party eg advertising, marketing or pr agency, will be published on the understanding the images have been supplied for publication with the permisson of the copyright owner. Any imagery that incurs copyright infringement, the supplier of that image (s) will be held responsible and liable for any royalties or licence fees. The contributor acknowledges that material submitted may be published in any publication or on any website owned by Vencor Ltd. By submitting material to THE CHISWICK MAGAZINE, Vencor Ltd is automatically granted the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and licence to use, reproduce, edit, distribute and display such material, in whole or part and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed for the full term of any rights that may exist in such content.

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Contents Public Notice

Notice of variation for premises license for Barratt Business Hospitality Ltd 8

All sessions now available to stream on YouTube or podcast 10

Studio Figura

Chiswick Nursing Centre

High quality in house and outpatient physiotherapy

Local writing project Agents for Change helps young girls living in challenging circumstances to discover their voice Jo Pratt

Find out more about Isleworth’s hidden gem

Local singer helps raise money for The Samaritans

HAY

Pai Skincare Acton skincare brand’s new identity

New Brentford day nursery provides unique Atelier space to inspire budding young artists Lucy Farley

On his new book and the Chiswick Book Festival

Chiswick Book Festival

The Pump House

Loyd Grossman

#Scarf Up 40 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital team up with artists in a community scarf-making project

The Hawk’s Nest

Local author and cook talks new release, The Flexible Family Cookbook

New outdoor pizza restaurant and cocktail bar comes to west London

Meet the Author

Travel

Meet the Artist becomes Meet the Author as Lucy chats to Diane Chandler

Paul Williams ventures north for a tour of the Orkney islands

PUBLIC NOTICES

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LICENSING ACT 2003 NOTICE OF VARIATION FOR PREMISES LICENCE NOTICE IS GIVEN THAT Barratt Business Hospitality Ltd ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------HAS APPLIED TO THE LONDON BOROUGH OF HOUNSLOW FOR (b) Provide a brief summary of the application setting out the proposed licensable activities, days and times: Supply of Alcohol for Consumption on and off the premises, regulated entertainment and playing of recorded music. Mon to Thursday 10-00 to 23-00 Friday and Saturday 10-00 to 00-00 Sunday 10-00 to 23-00

FOR THE PREMISES 12 Sutton Lane North Chiswick --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------THE FOLLOWING OPENING HOURS ARE APPLIED FOR: Mon to Thursday 10-00 to 23-30 Friday and Saturday 10-00 to 00-30 Sunday 10-00 to 23-30

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ANYONE WISHING TO MAKE REPRESENTATIONS TO THIS APPLICATION MUST GIVE NOTICE IN WRITING BY: October 9th (In writing includes e-mail to licensing@hounslow.gov.uk, 0r letter) TO: Community Enforcement and Regulatory Services - Licensing London Borough of Hounslow, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow, TW3 3EB To view the application please go to: www.hounslow.gov.uk/licensing Within 28 days of the date of this notice specifying the grounds of your representation. Should any representations be received, members of the Licensing Committee will determine the application. Any person who has made representation will be invited to attend the hearing, although all valid representations will be read and taken into consideration in the determination process. The Council are required to copy all representations received in full (name & addresses) to the applicant. This notice must be completed and displayed for a period of no less than 28 consecutive days starting on the day following the date of submission of the application to the Licensing Authority. It must be exhibited prominently at or on the premises where any person outside of the premises can easily read it. It is an offence to knowingly or recklessly make a false statement in connection with an application; the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence is Â£5000.

DATE OF APPLICATION 9th September 2020

ChiswickHerald

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More than just a care home

“

The Chiswick Nursing Centre is friendly and welcoming, providing the kindest possible care in a wonderfully comfortable setting. Our residents are given peace of mind, support and clinical care by our qualified, friendly staff. Families and loved ones have the comfort of knowing that our compassionate approach helps our residents feel safe and looked after in even the most difficult of situations. Whether it’s respite, rehabilitation, convalescence, longer term nursing, dementia care or physiotherapy, rest assured that you or your loved ones are in safe hands.

My sister (86) was admitted to this home during the virus crisis. She was very frail. The staff have been so caring and compassionate. When we were worried about her the manager spoke with my brother and I and arranged a video visit! My sister told us the carers were so kind and that the food was wonderful. The staff meet her every need and she feels that nothing is too much trouble for them. There are doctors, nurses and physiotherapists who help her daily. This home was a lucky find in a time of need. Sister of resident carehome.co.uk

”

Whether it’s respite, rehabilitation, convalescence, longer term nursing or dementia care, rest assured that you or your loved ones are in safe hands.

For more advice on our care call 020 8222 7800 • Ravenscourt Gardens, Chiswick, London W6 0AE www.chiswicknursingcentre.co.uk

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17/09/2020 13:43

LOCAL LIFE

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Chiswick Book Festival

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Online Chiswick Book Festival ‘hailed as a great success’

his year’s online Chiswick Book Festival has been hailed a great success by authors and many readers who have enjoyed the videos and podcasts.

The Festival closed last month with the last of three events with Ealing authors. Professor Emily Caston of the University of West London hosted a Zoom webinar about her new book ‘British Music Videos 1966-2006’ with a panel of producers and directors.

30 of the sessions can be found on YouTube, as well as eight podcasts, via the Festival Catchup page: http://www.chiswickbookfestival.net/ streaming-now-festival-catch/. Those who wish to make donations can do so via DonorBox: https://donorbox.org/chiswick-book-festival

Torin Douglas, the director of the Chiswick Book Festival, said: “We started the Festival with William Hogarth, Sir John Soane and A Rake’s Progress and we ended with Neil Young, the Beatles and Bananarama – via cricket, gardens, food, politics and history. All human life is here! We’ve had a wonderful range of speakers and subjects – and the lockdown has forced us to be creative in the way we have used technology.”

Loyd Grossman, whose new book is ‘An Elephant in Rome’, told Robert Elms on BBC London: “The Chiswick Book Festival is a fantastic thing that features both local and citywide and nationally celebrated authors. I filmed a wonderful interview with Fr Kevin Morris in St Michael & Angels, an Arts & Crafts church designed by Norman Shaw. It’s all online this year and it’s beautifully run.”

Several sessions were filmed by Chiswickbuzz in St Michael & All Angels Church, Chiswick House, Chiswick Playhouse and Gunnersbury Park & Museum, while others took place on Zoom. All were streamed over the Festival weekend on a specially designed Festival page on the Chiswickbuzz Live website. Podcasts were commissioned and streamed by The Chiswick Calendar and Belle Media.

Ariana Neumann, who spoke about her memoir of her father, ‘When Time Stopped’, said on Twitter: “The marvellous @W4BookFest is all online this year. It was an honour to take part and chat with the brilliant @annesebba”. And Rosamund Lupton, whose new book ‘Three Hours’ is a Sunday Times bestseller, tweeted: “Loved being part of the Chiswick Book Festival”.

Torin Douglas said: “We’re particularly grateful to Chiswickbuzz and to The Chiswick Calendar, without whom we simply couldn’t have run the Festival in this way. Thanks too to our wonderful authors, who have given us some amazing talks, and also to our loyal sponsors for giving us the security to go ahead without any income from ticket sales.

One reader who emailed the organisers wrote: “Congratulations to you all on a superb event. The opportunity to ‘catch up’ on talks has been much appreciated, and I look forward to hearing more in the coming days.” Another wrote: “Great programme, really well executed – thank you for this welcome cultural diversion”. Others said “Thank you so much for some excellent talks”; “an amazing lineup of authors”; and “the filming allows close ups of the authors which you couldn't get sitting in the back row of the pews!”

“Thanks finally to those who have made donations – some extremely generous – to cover our costs and, if we make a surplus, to help our charities. We look forward to more donations as people catch up with more Festival sessions in days to come – and we hope we can all be back together next year.”

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The Pump House New Brentford day nursery provides Atelier for creative young minds

ew Brentford-based day nursery and pre-school, The Pump House, provides a unique Atelier space to inspire budding young artists and stimulate creative minds.

Hannah Little, Senior Manager at the Pump House, said: ‘‘Children being able to access resources independently and showcase their individual creativity is at the heart of all we do. We are delighted to be able to offer this truly unique space for our children to experiment with such a vast array of materials in a way they might not have previously, while learning about how art is present in the world around them. In the Atelier, our children’s imagination, expression and experimentation possibilities are endless. For children to grasp a new skill or experiment with something for the first time is a beautiful thing to witness, which happens daily in our Atelier space.

The purpose-built nursery offers this dedicated creative studio – inspired by the Reggio Emilia School of Thought – to allow children to express themselves using a range of artistic materials while incorporating elements from the natural world. Children using the Atelier can enjoy the benefits of creative play in this bright and welcoming space while experimenting with new media and techniques such as painting, clay work, drawing and printing.

‘‘The light tables are particularly special – we watch with fascination when the children use them! Light play gives children a sense of wonder, curiosity, and a new view on something they may never have experienced before. Plus, the light actually helps the children concentrate for longer periods. The light tables bring an array of possibilities only restricted by the imaginations of our children and our practitioners.’’

Parents looking to encourage creativity in their children from a young age can expect a vast range of resources from The Pump House facility. These include; bespoke-made easels, varied man made and natural materials such as sponges, pom poms, sequins, pipe cleaners, sticks, pine cones and feathers, and light tables where children can engage in group work, discussions and viewing things in a new, detailed way that may otherwise be difficult to see. While interacting in the Atelier, children can naturally develop their fine and gross motor skills, language skills, problem solving skills and their social interaction.

Prospective parents interested in taking a tour of the nursery and the Atelier facilities can book now. To get in touch or to find out more contact manager@phdaynursery.co.uk or call 020 8003 0123.

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LOCAL LIFE

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Chiswick & Bedford Park Preparatory School Priory House Priory Ave Chiswick W4 1TX Boys 3 – 7 years Girls 3 – 11 years

(dedicated entry for girls at 7+ Year 3 to prepare for 11+ exams) The Headmistress, Mrs Henrietta Adams will be delighted to hear from you and to discuss our vibrant school. Our return to school in September was much anticipated by both pupils and parents. We have been very vigilant and careful to follow all the recommendation and requirements and are proud to say that all of our pupils have worked together to bring the happy buzz back to our school day. We have had high attendance rates. Congratulations to all those creative pupils who contributed poems to the Young People Poetry Competition 2020. CBPPS winners were Suri, Mair, Alice, Elizabeth, Riam, Willow-Rose, Aila, Imogen, Ava and Emmie.

The last tiger

(1 st prize went to Diana – age 8)

The Horse (By Eva )

Touch (By Elsie)

I roar The fears of falling off and your horse How silently they tumble down To the moon getting hurt, And come to rest upon the ground. And to the stars, The joy of landing safely, To lay a carpet, rich and rare, I roar The pressure of winning the Beneath the trees without a care. To the trees competition, Content to sleep, their Swaying In the breeze, The excitement of being in the air, work well done. I will roar The feel of the strength of your horse, Colours gleaming in the sun. With all the tiger ghosts The bitter taste of air rushing into your At other times, they wildly fly And to them alone mouth, Until they reach the sky. I will roar The sound of the horse’s hooves thump- Twisting, turning through the air When I leave ing the ground, Till all the trees stand Will you roar? The sight of the judge coming to you stark and bare. with the trophy, Exhausted, drop to earth below The smell of flowers around your horses To wait, like children, for the snow. neck.

www.cbppschool.co.uk info@cbppschool.co.uk Tel: 0208 994 1804

Inspiring young minds Limited places available in most age groups 12

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get arty with us! With the most creative of classes and activities set in the most inspiring spaces, our Big Kids Camps keep little ones entertained during the holidays, leaving you time to work, rest or play!

Discover more or book your space at maggieandrose.com

Chiswick 1 Essex Place W4 5UJ

Kensington 58 Pembroke Road W8 6NX

Islington 7 Esther Anne Place N1 1UL

LOCAL LIFE

Lucy Farley by Áine McGinty

Local singer helps raise money for The Samaritans

ucy Farley, from Chiswick, has joined singers from around the world to add her voice to a prayer for the Earth as part of a project raising muchneeded funds for the Central London Samaritans. Earth Prayer, a new piece of choral music written by Hannah Brine, was released in a virtual celebration on the 20th September. The singers worked hard over the summer to learn the piece (which reflects hope, togetherness and the power to change the climate for the better) at virtual rehearsals alongside recording videos of things that have brought them peace over the past six months. The resulting video, which has been put together for the online launch, is a fitting reflection on what has been a hard year for the arts. Lucy who sings alto with Kensington Singers, is a doctor and says: “Monday evenings at choir practice has been one of the things I have missed most during the pandemic. While I love singing in a group, listening to my own recorded voice can be daunting, but I was determined not to let 10 years of singing practice go to waste. Doing Earth Prayer was actually great fun, you can sing as loudly as you want in your own bedroom. I found I was soon engrossed in the singing, getting my pencil out to mark my score and felt connected to the choir again. The recording was a bit tricky, but a really good way to learn, diction and consonants do make a lot of difference, and I finally produced something I could bear to listen to. I am really looking forward to hearing the finished result at the premiere on Sunday.” Hannah Brine, who is also a professional choral director says: “It has been an absolute joy to hear this piece of music come to life and I’m so glad that the singers have got so much out of this experience, albeit virtually. Music really is a lifeline throughout the pandemic for so many. What started as a simple piano motif in my bedroom, quickly grew wings and has become something I am incredibly proud of. I hope the choirs will be able to sing the piece together in person soon. It will be very emotional!” You can now listen to Earth Prayer on Hannah Brine’s website and YouTube channel with everyone encouraged to donate a nominal amount to the Central London Samaritans after listening. Sheet music is also available for any choirs who are interested in singing the piece themselves. 15

LOCAL LIFE

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Hounslow Action for Youth by Lucy Bacon

Local writing project Agents for Change helps young girls living in challenging circumstances to discover their voice.

ounslow Action for Youth (HAY) is a charity founded to support vulnerable young people in Hounslow. The charity supports over 600 vulnerable young people by delivering educational, arts, environmental, responsive, and preventative programmes. Working with HAY, Jacqueline Crooks, an author, created a writing project, Agents for Change, built to transform young womens’ self-belief through writing. “It takes a little courage to sit down and try to find your voice,” says Jo Ely, one of the writers who helped to teach the course. “Nobody can do that until they feel safe and supported. On a surface level the program was about writing but it was really about so much more.” From February 2019 to January 2020, Agents for Change and HAY ran weekly writing and performance workshops for vulnerable young women to increase literacy and core skills, particularly care leavers and those at risk of gangs and sexual exploitation. The project worked with award-winning writers and poets such as Mona Arshi, a Hounslow resident, Kate Wakeling, Irenosen Okojie, Evalyn Lee and Sophie Herxheimer. From these workshops came a poetry anthology- The B Dream. A book filled with brave evocative writing, a testament to the girls’ courage in finding the right words to convey their experiences in life. “Confidence is a tricky thing to measure,” Jo Ely explains. “And it takes a hundred tiny affirming moments to make us feel good about ourselves. 16

“But I think that if you’d told some of our young people, who’d hid their early writing behind their hair or their hands or their rucksacks, that one day soon they’d be reading out their best work, with style and poise, to a crowd of hundreds, well. I think they would have been just astonished at what they could do.” The young writers were involved with every aspect of making The B Dream, from writing the words, to picking out covers. “We had some storming creative sessions discussing the images for the book,” says Jo Ely. “I think that was the moment, for me, when I realised how much these young people had grown. “They were able to make their voices heard, persuade, negotiate, and come to agreements. The result of their hard work was a fantastic book.” The B Dream and the soon to be published new anthology, titled ‘Monuments,’ act as important fundraising tools for the Agents for Change programme and all proceeds from sales of these anthologies go towards the continuation of the writing project. Covid-19 has disrupted face-to-face services provided by HAY, but the charity continues to offer telephone support services for families and has digitized many of its workshops and mentoring sessions. To find out how you can support HAY or get involved yourself, check out: https://www. instagram.com/hounslowactionforyouth/

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LOCAL LIFE

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Partying by Myself Xylophone or clarinet, sounds smooth, quiet, soft, to be said whispered sweet like rosewater or coconut (milky) Everyone thinks I’m loud. My name means garden in Turkish, where I spent my childhood No one there is quiet The garden there is a reflection of who I am Lavender, sunflower Velvet, cotton Wisteria drapes over the fence Calm, my music playing through a speaker Popping candy partying by myself.

- Starr Thomas

Untouchable When I was a child I felt untouchable. I ended up not listening to the teachers then I got kicked out of school. I wish I had known then that school means everything. I was so proud when I got to show my mum my schoolwork. I miss having a happy family. I guess if I was granted one wish it would be for my world to be happy again. But I’m here in this moment in this place in this situation. It’s cold and dark and blank living with people I never feel loved by. I wish I could go back to the happy days. My biggest concern is that my family will break even more and there will be nothing left but a broken family portrait. I want to show everyone that this can change. I will be the calm. Tonight in my room I will dream my mum happy again. Her smile is the last thing I will always see before I sleep.

- Kahdeisha Whyte

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LOCAL LIFE

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Lost It was July 14th two days after my fifth birthday. The night before me and my nan travelled to Manchester to see my aunt and uncle. I haven’t thought of my brother for a while I’ve lived without my brother I’ve watched my brother play in the park I’ve heard my brother worry and I’ve seen my brother do things he shouldn’t do. I changed I’m proud I left that friendship group I wish I had known sooner that they weren’t good for me I would’ve been different Living without a mother hits you more as you grow older - Alannah Cato

The B Dream At night, in my bed I think about Cardi B I use a remote control see myself rapping with Cardi B Around London City I’ve always wanted to swim in the sea, but God knows where I’ll be in life My biggest hope is For success Like Cardi B If I fail I’ll just hold it together Like the dark light in Kunzite That’s the B Dream

- Francesca Agyeman

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LOCAL LIFE

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Weirdo Weirdo Don’t smile Wash your reflection away. That’s what they say I’ll grow broader shoulders. Change the shape of my heart so it blooms. - Sakeena Naveed

Crisp Dark Winter Tonight I want to dream Like a crisp dark winter sky. The most I want to see is the violet-blue that carries spirit To the end of its journey - Muna Mudey

Sweet Lane I was lost in the sweet lane of a supermarket when I was seven or eight I didn’t ask for help I ran in and out of the sweet lane following the sweet scents of sweets and chocolates somewhere better somewhere safer Until I saw my gran in a lane with the cart, looking for me. I could see she was afraid I was sad and she was sad. She bought sweets We stood in the sweet lane and ate them Until the sadness went away - Charlie Vallis

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Jo Pratt by Áine McGinty

Local food writer, cook, food stylist and presenter chats about her latest book and the Chiswick Book Festival

t was a very different Chiswick Book Festival this year with the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions but that didn’t stop longtime participant Jo Pratt from taking part, albeit virtually. Jo, who lives in Acton, has previously held cookery demonstrations or talks at the Festival. ‘‘I think it’s a great thing to do to celebrate books and authors around Chiswick,’’ she says. This year her participation was a pre-recorded video from her kitchen with her colleague Fearne Ward to discuss her latest book, The Flexible Family Cookbook.

and starters, hotpots or lemon and orange cake. As mentioned there are a number of different angles to each recipe in order to suit your needs. In fact at the back of the book there is even a dietary index, so if you know someone is coming around with a particular need you know exactly which page to turn to. ‘‘It’s a competitive world out there when it comes to cookbooks but it’s always nice to try and find something a little different that people can latch onto,’’ she says. People have certainly latched onto this one with our local Waterstones selling out of the book!

We caught up with Jo to find out more about The Flexible Family Cookbook - the third in a series of flexible cookbooks. The first in the series was aimed at vegetarians, the second at pescetarians and the latest on families looking for an easier life. Jo’s aim with this book was to provide people with a number of exciting, colourful and flavoursome recipes which, most importantly, come with the flexibility to be adapted to suit anybody’s needs. ‘‘I know how frantic and chaotic family meals can be and it’s a fact that many parents these days are cooking multiple meals due to a rise in dietary requirements,’’ Jo tells me. Whether you’re cooking for someone who is gluten free, who has dairy intolerances or your vegetarian or vegan family members, this book has it all.

Food styling and photography is also highly important to Jo. ‘‘For this particular book it’s got one image for every single recipe which I think is a really, really important thing in a cookbook, if you haven’t got an image for somebody to look at then you don’t get inspiration and desire to cook it,’’ Jo explains. Food styling took place at Christmas time last year with Acton-based food photographer, Malou Burger Photography. Jo’s kids were involved in the shoot too - doing some washing up and featuring in a couple of pictures. The book was finished at the start of lockdown and Jo was anticipating delays considering the due date was the start of September but amazingly, despite everything everyone has been going through around the world, the book came out on time. ‘‘I think it’s great timing because everybody’s got a bit fed up cooking at home so they’ll get lots of inspiration!’’ she adds.

Jo is a mother of two children aged eleven and thirteen and understands the pain of cooking different dishes to suit the whole family. ‘‘There are so many complications and challenges that we’re faced with when it comes to cooking a family meal and the last thing anybody wants to do is cook separate or different meals.’’

The Flexible Family Cookbook is available in Waterstones, depending on stock! You can also find it online.

With a total of nine cookbooks to her name and another in the pipeline, Jo knows what makes a good cookbook. The Flexible Family Cookbook has recipes for all your meal needs whether it be breakfast and brunch, snacks

You can keep up to date with Jo’s work by searching @cookwithjopratt on Instagram. If you try out one of the recipes why not tag us on Instagram?

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Tortellini Minestrone Time taken 1¼ hours Serves 8–10 Ingredients • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 2 sticks celery, thinly sliced • 1 tbsp tomato purée • 1 tsp paprika • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 1 large carrot, grated • 1 courgette (zucchini), finely chopped • 1 litre/1¾ pints/scant 4¼ cups vegetable stock • 1 x 400g/14 oz tin chopped tomatoes • handful or two of seasonal greens, finely shredded, such as cabbage, kale, chard or spinach • 250g/9 oz packet of fresh tortellini, filling of your choice • flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper To serve • 1 tbsp pesto, mixed with 2 tbsp olive oil • Parmesan shavings or grated

Making a pot of minestrone is the perfect time to use up the veggies that you intended on using for something else, and didn’t quite get round to. Don’t let them turn to mush at the bottom of your fridge drawer. Small pieces of dry pasta are usually used when making minestrone, but I wanted to turn this into more of a main course by adding tortellini pasta instead. You can use any filling, whether it’s meaty, cheesy or a veg one.

Directions Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat and add the onion and celery. Sauté for about 8–10 minutes until softened. Add the tomato purée and paprika. Stir around for 30 seconds or so until the onion and celery are a lovely brick red colour, then add the garlic, carrot and courgette. Continue to sauté for a couple of minutes to soften. Stir in the stock, chopped tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the greens of your choice and then add the tortellini. Return to a simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, or for the time stated on the pasta packet. Spoon the minestrone and tortellini into bowls, drizzle over some pesto sauce and finish with some Parmesan shavings.

Flexible Traditional minestrone: if you want to serve up amore traditional version of a minestrone soup, omit the tortellini and add 75g/2¾ oz dried spaghetti, broken up into small pieces, to the pan with the stock and chopped tomatoes. Make it meaty: for a more meaty option to tortellini, fry some ready prepared or homemade meatballs (beef, lamb, chicken, pork or turkey) in a frying pan until golden brown and stir into the minestrone pan when you add the stock and tomatoes. Cook as above. leaves on top of the batter with the lemon slices The Flexible Family Cookbook by Jo Pratt, £20 Frances Lincoln.

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Sticky lemon and orange cake Time taken 1¼ hours Serves 8–10 Ingredients • 175ml/6 fl oz/¾ cup olive or rapeseed (canola) oil • 2 small lemons • 2 small oranges • 250g/9 oz caster (superfine) sugar • 2 eggs • 175g/6 oz Greek yoghurt • 2 tsp baking powder • 175g/6 oz plain (all-purpose) flour Flexible Dairy-free: use a dairy-free yoghurt (coconut yoghurt is particularly delicious). Vegan/egg-free: this works amazingly well, so please do give it a try. Substitute the eggs for 2 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 6 tablespoons cold water. Let sit for 10 minutes until gelatinous before adding to the cake batter in the above recipe. Use a dairy-free yoghurt such as coconut yoghurt. Gluten-free: use a gluten-free flour and baking powder. Upgrade: add a stalk of rosemary to the pan when making the syrup, and arrange a few small leaves on top of the batter with the lemon slices

This is a brilliant go-to cake when you have people of all ages to feed with varying types of dietary requirements. Whether its gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan, you can adapt the ingredients as and when you need to, and no matter what, the end result is always going to be sticky, citrusy and unbelievably moreish. Slice up the cake and enjoy as a treat any time of the day, or serve as a dessert with fresh raspberries, a dollop of extra yoghurt and some pretty green pistachios scattered over the top.

Directions Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas 4. Brush a 20cm/8 inch round cake tin with some of the oil and line the base with baking parchment. Thinly slice one of the lemons and one orange into half moon shapes. Put into a small saucepan, removing any pips as you go. Finely grate the zest and squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon and orange. Set aside the zest,and pour the juice into the saucepan. Add 100g/3½ oz of the sugar and 100ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup water. Stir, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until the orange and lemon slices are tender. Remove the slices with a slotted spoon and boil the liquid until you have a loose syrup – about 6–7 tablespoons' worth. Remove from the heat and set aside. Beat the oil, remaining sugar, eggs, yoghurt and reserved lemon and orange zest together, to give you a thin batter consistency. Mix the baking powder into the flour and then stir them into the batter. Pour into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of your spoon. Arrange the orange and lemon slices on top and bake for about 40–45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Slowly pour the syrup over the top of the cake, allowing it to soak in. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing from the tin and cooling further. Serve warm or cool.

The Flexible Family Cookbook by Jo Pratt, £20 Frances Lincoln.

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MEET THE AUTHOR

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Meet the Author: Diane Chandler by Lucy Bacon

A conversation with local author Diane Chandler. She has just published her third novel Only Human which is set in Chiswick.

iane has published three novels. She started writing when she moved to London 20 years ago and settled in Chiswick. We sat down to discuss her latest novel Only Human. Only Human centres around Anna Bond a former Tiger mum whose life is unravelling at the seams.

Only Human

The two pillars which she has built her life around, her daughter and husband, are dissolving; her daughter is growing up and pulling away from her and she has discovered that her husband is having an affair. Now the only constants in her life are the smell of yeast from the Fuller’s brewery and Chiswick itself. Diane explains, “The book is really about a woman wondering what she wants to do with the rest of her life.” “I was inspired by what I saw around me when my daughter started secondary school. A lot of the mothers were starting to realise that it was their time again now but they didn’t know what they were going to do next.” For Anna, everything comes to a climax when her daughter gets her first boyfriend and she is forced to look at her family with fresh eyes and consider what she has lost. Tension surfaces and Anna finds herself propelled through a tangled web of secrets and lies towards a devastating climax. 30

The novel took three years to write and while Diane was not directly inspired by Chiswick she does feel that it provides the right atmosphere for the book. Laughing, Diane says, “the book has a very local feel to it so if you are a resident of Chiswick you are very likely to recognise a few scenes and events.” Alongside writing novels, Diane also runs creative writing classes with her publisher, Stephanie Zia. They were inspired to start it when Diane was asked to speak about writing at a conference and they wanted to share their passion further. So far Diane and Stephanie have taught over 150 people and the sessions were taught around Diane's kitchen table. The courses have been very local and Diane describes teaching them as a “real joy.” The workshops are pressure-free and no one ever has to read out their work if they do not want to. During, lockdown they have taught “fast, fun and simple” creative writing classes over zoom but Diane has missed making brownies for her students and welcoming them into her home. She hopes to be able to resume her at home classes in the future. Diane explains, “I enjoy running sessions on the joy of writing. It’s all about unleashing the imagination and everyone can have a lot of fun doing that.”

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MEET THE AUTHOR

ARTS & CULTURE

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An Interview with Loyd Grossman by Lucy Bacon

We talk to Loyd Grossman about his new book and the Chiswick Book Festival

e spoke to Loyd Grossman the author of An Elephant in Rome: Bernini, the Pope and the Making of the Eternal City (Pallas Athene) before his Chiswick Book Festival appearance. An Elephant In Rome looks at the relationship between Berenini and Pope, Alexander VII and how together they created Baroque Rome which continues to delight and attract to this day. An Elephant in Rome

Loyd is an entrepreneur, author and broadcaster and is well known for presenting MasterChef and Through the Keyhole. His last book was an in depth study of the artist Benjamin West. What inspired you to write An Elephant In Rome? I was inspired by my love of Rome in some ways the most fascinating city in the world full of mystery and surprise. From the first time I saw Bernini’s elephant, I wanted to understand how it came to be there. Answering the question took me into the heart of seventeenth century Rome, a period of extraordinary interest which very much shaped the city we so enjoy today. What was your research process for writing An Elephant In Rome? There wasn’t exactly a ‘research process’ other than the usual hunt for source material. What I particularly enjoyed was tying together the art historical story with the political, religious and social context of Baroque Rome. No artist works in isolation and what Bernini wished to do as an artist was very much dependent on his relationship with the popes and the messages that they wanted to get across. What was the most surprising/interesting thing you found while researching the book? I was very surprised by how much Egyptian art and culture influenced Rome over so many centuries. The Ancient Romans were proud of their conquest of Egypt and took a number of souvenirs and war trophies back to Rome, but also imported Egyptian religious cults. Much later, Romans of the Renaissance and Baroque 32

eras were intrigued by what they thought of as Egyptian wisdom and were obsessed with trying to decipher hieroglyphics. Why did you choose to focus on the Baroque period in Rome? The seventeenth century is just so intriguing. It's far enough away in time to be weird and intriguing yet also close enough to the modern era so that we can empathise with people of that period. When did you first become interested in Bernini’s work? As soon as you visit Rome, you get interested in Bernini who contributed so much to the beauty of that city. Although he isn’t especially famous to many Britons, it's worth remembering that in the century of Rembrandt, Rubens and Vermeer, Bernini was by far the most famous artist in Europe. What do you want people to take away from your book? I’d like people to come away with a better understanding of how you can make a beautiful city, but most of all I’d like people to get more pleasure out of their real or virtual trips to Rome! What was your favourite part of writing the book? I have a great sense of curiosity and I love learning and I certainly learned a lot while researching and writing this book. What was the hardest part of writing the book? What was challenging was getting to grips with a whole new range of source material. Seventeenth century Latin has never been my strong point. Are you working on a new book? I’m in the very very very early stages of researching my next book, so I’ll keep quiet about it for a little while longer.

An Elephant in Rome is published by Pallas Athene and is available from all good retailers.

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BEAUTY

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Pai Reimagined by Áine McGinty

Local skincare brand unveils new identity.

cton-based skincare brand Pai has recently revealed a new identity and outlook. Pai, which is loved by a host of A-list celebrities including Natalie Portman and Dua Lipa, was launched back in 2007 in response to its founder Sarah Brown’s sensitive skin. Sarah struggled to find products that her skin could tolerate so created her own line of certified organic products - with a zero compromise commitment to efficacy and ethics.

shop is shifting, in a seismic way, towards conscious consumption. A purchase now represents your values, a demonstration of shared beliefs between customer and brand.

Unsurprisingly, this year’s relaunch is extensive and focuses on storytelling and sustainability. Each of Pai’s products has a new name and unique design interruption to bring to life its core benefit or hero ingredient, making it easier for people to find what they need. The outer carton actually then unfolds to unveil the back story.

The company has always made all of its products since its launch, starting from Sarah’s converted garage. Now its 10,000 square foot custom-built production facility houses every department from research and development, production and distribution, to customer experience, sales and marketing. Sarah’s office sits just a floor above the lab, and her home is a short twenty minute walk away.

“Covid brought complexity, but positives too - making us laser focus on the benefits of conceiving and making our products under one roof, and explaining why our customer should care about this as much as we do.”

Sustainability remained the number one priority throughout the whole process of rebranding. Every component of the packaging was painstakingly reviewed and modified to improve its carbon footprint or recyclability. A handy new guide on the brand’s website actually educates customers on how to disassemble packs and recycle each element.

Their new changes come after the brand launched ‘Acton Spirit’ hand sanitiser during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic in the UK. The local business decided to play their part following the global shortage of hand sanitising gel, initially giving it away for free to neighbouring schools, nurseries and some charities.

Sarah explains: “We wanted to better capture the essence of who we are, what we do and what matters to us. The way we behave and

You can find out more about Pai Reimagined by visiting www.paiskincare.com

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

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Studio Figura:

More than just a gym by Áine McGinty

Stepping into Studio Figura after walking along Isleworth’s busy London Road is like stepping into a different world. A world made up of high tech equipment and determined women.

tudio Figura, which is famed across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, has been in west London for eighteen months. Like countless other businesses they had to close for months as a result of the coronavirus outbreak but they’re back and we’ve visited so you can find out more.

infrared lamps, a collagen light, an ionization system and torsional elliptics. The Roll-Shaper massages the entire body through eighteen different positions, again with added infrared light benefits, reducing cellulite, improving blood circulation, strengthening the immune system and more.

So what is Studio Figura all about? Contrary to what you might think when passing, Studio Figura is not a gym, it’s a women’s only physical fitness centre. Women who decide to try Studio Figura will have a consultation where their fitness plan will be tailored to suit their needs. ‘‘Every lady that comes into Studio Figura has a different goal,’’ says Sylwia Sokolowska, Managing Director for Studio Figura UK. Whatever your goal, you will be looked after throughout the process. ‘‘We motivate them, we work with them and we are here for them to help them achieve their goal,’’ she adds.

In the wellness centre I enjoyed half an hour of lymphatic drainage - a relaxing 30 minutes of lying down which can improve circulation as well as aiding detoxification and weight loss. There are also a number of cosmetology treatments for both the face and the body, to shape and contour the body and tighten and tone the skin. This is fitness with a difference - it’s almost effortless but with some outstanding results. I can’t write about Isleworth’s Studio Figura without mentioning the friendly and welcoming atmosphere. As someone who has tried out a number of gyms, this centre was certainly one of the warmest in terms of welcome and ambience. I almost didn’t want to leave!

Inside, the spacious centre has two zones a wellness and fitness zone and an aesthetic cosmetology zone. The wellness and fitness zone boasts a Roll-Shaper, a Vacu-Shaper, an Infra-Shaper Swan and a Tulip - all of which was made in Studio Figura’s own factory. I was fortunate enough to try out the Infra-Shaper Swan and the Roll-Shaper. The Infra-Shaper Swan is a crosstrainer with a difference, not only does it look majestic but it uses a combination of four innovative components with a variety of benefits. It’s made up of

This concept that has gripped numerous places all over the world is sure to be a hit in London. If this has peaked your interest, be sure to head over to Facebook and search studiofiguralondonTW7 or @StudioFigura.UK on Instagram to find out more.

Studio Figura London TW7 398 London Road. Isleworth, TW7 5AG @studiofiguralondonTW7 @StudioFigura.UK 020 8326 2887

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

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Chiswick Nursing Centre Chiswick Nursing Centre offers high quality in house and outpatient physiotherapy “The staff meet her every need and she feels that nothing is too much trouble for them.”

hiswick Nursing Centre physiotherapists work seamlessly with nursing staff to provide the highest levels of integrated care. Patients receive an initial assessment with the centre’s qualified physiotherapist which is used to develop a personalised physiotherapy plan for each patient.

care first-hand, she said, “My sister (86) was admitted to this home during the virus crisis. She was very frail. The staff have been so caring and compassionate! “My sister told us the carers were so kind and that the food was wonderful. The staff meet her every need and she feels that nothing is too much trouble for them. There are doctors, nurses and physiotherapists who help her daily. This home was a lucky find in a time of need.”

As a part of the rehabilitation programme, the centre’s qualified physiotherapists will work closely with nursing staff to help patients achieve set goals and the best outcomes. Highly experienced in the treatment and management of numerous conditions, the centre’s physio team are experts in the field of rehabilitation whether post-surgery or where required for other reasons.

The Chiswick Nursing Centre’s popular physiotherapy services are also now available to outpatients at their new centre near Ravenscourt Park. The centre’s expert and qualified (HPC registered) physiotherapy team assess and treat conditions in their specialised physio gym and treatment room. With free parking on-site, the centre is a convenient location to be treated for a range of conditions including postsurgical rehabilitation and orthopaedic and musculoskeletal conditions. The centre also offers deep tissue and sports massages.

The physiotherapy sessions are tailored to help recover mobility and the physio team aims to provide early detection of any movement-related problems. Through their treatment the centre’s physios help patients and residents to regain their confidence and independence to promote an excellent quality of life through improved health and wellbeing. Sessions take place in the centre’s well equipped physiotherapy suite which has state of the art equipment including an interactive video ‘exer-cycle’ suite – which lets you ‘cycle’ through ‘country lanes’ and ‘town arenas.’

So, whether its physiotherapy, rehabilitation or convalescence, respite care, dementia care or long-term complex nursing care, rest assured your loved one will be in safe hands at the Chiswick Nursing Centre. For more information please email enquiries@ chiswicknursingcentre.co.uk or call 07568 106258.

A sister of a resident at the Chiswick Nursing Centre has seen the impact of physio teams

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

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#ScarfUp

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital have teamed up with 9 artists for a community scarf-making project to help people with respiratory illnesses prepare for the coming winter. #ScarfUp and keep out the cold is the message from Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s official charity CW+ and a group of prolific artists, who are turning their hand to scarf design this autumn. As we approach the colder winter months and a second wave of Covid-19, nine renowned artists are designing scarves to help patients with respiratory illnesses prevent COPD, asthma, and Covid-19-related attacks.

will support our patients over the winter and reduce the number of exacerbations.” Scarves crafted for #ScarfUp will not replace obligatory face coverings worn to help protect people from catching Coronavirus, but should be used in addition to face masks. Currently, nine artists have designed scarf patterns for the #ScarfUp project: A Space Between, Annie Morris, Bryony Phipps-Wardle, Caragh Thuring, Charlotte Cranidge, Denzil Forrester, Michael Landy, Supermundane, and Victoria Delphine Moore.

#ScarfUp is aimed at patients suffering from COPD, asthma and Covid-19, who are particularly vulnerable to further respiratory illness in the colder weather. Research indicates that mouth and nose coverings may be helpful in preventing attacks, as scarves warm up the air during inhalation – now people with these diseases are being offered unique scarves to keep cold air at bay.

“With different designs from so many talented artists, we hope that there will be a scarf to suit everyone,” said Trystan Hawkins, Director of Patient Environment at CW+. “Our main aim is to help patients with respiratory diseases, and to send them a message of love and wellness using these unique scarf designs.”

The artists have been invited by CW+ to create and donate unique scarf patterns reflecting their personal artistic styles, which will then be translated into a knitting or crochet pattern for members of the local community to download for free on the CW+ website. Volunteer community knitters will then make and donate these scarves to the hospital, so that patients can receive them when returning for follow-up appointments.

The CW+ #ScarfUp project is inspired by the Asthma UK #Scarfie campaign, which encourages asthmatics to wear scarves around their mouths and noses to help prevent asthma attacks. The project also follows on from ‘Hearts for our Hospitals’, a community knitting initiative set up by Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the first wave of Covid-19 in April 2020, which encouraged local knitters to create and donate knitted hearts to commemorate patients who had died from Coronavirus. The initiative elicited a massive response, resulting in around a thousand hearts knitted and donated to such patients’ families, who were unable to be with their loved ones in hospital during the pandemic.

“As we head into winter, it is important that patients with asthma and COPD, as well as those recovering from COVID-19, are able to protect themselves from cold air and respiratory illnesses,” said Gary Davies, Medical Director at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. “Thanks to these artists and our volunteer knitters, we hope that this initiative

FOOD & DRINK

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The Hawk's Nest by Lucy Bacon

New outdoor pizza restaurant and cocktail bar in Shepherd’s Bush. The outdoor seating area is full of artwork and beautiful seasonal flowers.

he Hawk’s Nest, London’s newest outdoor street food dining space is now open in Shepherd’s Bush. The restaurant is housed in a converted railway arch & goods yard across the road from Goldhawk Road Tube station.

- including their sought-after Blood Orange Margarita - a variety of summer spritzers, frozen cocktails, and a seasonal wine list alongside London’s best craft beers from Camden Town Brewery. An innovative Order to Table system with QR codes has been put in place to allow for table service only adding to the safety of guests during social distancing.

To enter the restaurant, guests walk through a bespoke bird’s nest installation made up of intertwined branches and fairy lights. The outdoor seating area is full of artwork and beautiful seasonal flowers. The Hawk’s Nest will be rotating seasonal artwork throughout the year.

The Hawk’s Nest is the first joint venue of Wil Fuller of Soho House Group and Frazer Timmerman, who oversaw the food and drinks offering for Incipio Group, the company behind cult street food dining favourite Pergola.

The first exhibition is by Annie Rose FiddianGreen which includes a series of framed figure drawings hanging inside and a large multicoloured painted mural that she designed to uplift and inspire guests.

Co-Founder, Frazer Timmerman, said: “As locals to the area, we felt that Shepherd’s Bush was really missing the kind of social space that is so popular across East and South London.

The menu focuses on Italian street food including arancini, calamari & serious sauces. A Gozney pizza oven takes centre stage in the garden, living in a converted shipping container, serving a menu of stone baked sourdough pizzas. A couple of options on the menu are the aubergine & kale pizza with sundried tomato pesto for veggies or a delicious parma ham & asparagus pizza. The pizzas are very tasty and surprisingly light because of their thin and crispy base.

“We decided to take matters into our own hands to create the perfect outdoor spot for group bookings and celebrations in an overlooked corner of Shepherd’s Bush Market. “There is nothing like it in the area and we hope it is going to be a very welcome addition to the neighbourhood.” The space is available for private hire throughout the year and will be fully covered and heated during the autumn and winter.

The Hawk’s Nest also has a fully stocked cocktail bar that serves fresh fruit margaritas

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Touring the Orkney Islands by Paul Williams

With a chance to venture north of the British mainland, I jumped at the opportunity. Tagging along with a small group excursion to Kirkwall on the Orkney archipelago, I left wanting more as one of these unique isles began to reveal its spellbinding ancient past.

he Orkney Islands, always on the radar, but never made it - it’s fascinated me for years since watching a documentary about the Stone Age village of Skara Brae, one of Britain’s most important prehistoric sites. But aside this incredible monument to the distant past, the archipelago is steeped in Nordic history, and along with immense tales of hardship endured by generations of islanders thanks to the ever changing and dramatic weather patterns, this beautiful and to an extent mostly unspoiled landscape is an absolute must for those looking for a bit more than a usual tourist plod along. Thanks to Scottish travel gurus, Rabbie’s, I paid a visit to the islands’ capital Kirkwall and its surrounds.

light to meet my driver and the rest of the guys that will make up our party on this trip. ALL HAIL Colin the driver! “You look familiar!” he says to me - our paths have never crossed. But I guess I have one of those faces - anyway, Colin’s sound, a rare breed, knowledgeable, great laugh from the start, and warmly welcomes us aboard the mini bus, an eclectic bunch making up his passengers; a Canadian couple, an American couple, a lady from India, a lady from Switzerland and, er, moi. We depart Inverness at 8am to make our way up the north east coast of Scotland to catch the ferry to Orkney - with a few stops along the way…. Dunrobin Castle Likely built on the site of a medieval fort, the current building is a beautiful example of Scottish Baronial/French renaissance inspired architecture, set on an idyllic coastline. Home to the earls and now dukes of Sutherland since inception, the castle is a must see stop off. Dunrobin Castle is open annually from 1st April to 31st October.

It's raining. I mean pissing it. Not really a surprise given I’m in Inverness in late autumn, but then it only adds to the ambience, surely? Like Cornwall and North Wales, Scotland, more or less my second home given my family connections up here, retains a certain splendour and beauty during a wild, windy downpour. I’m used to it - I love it. After a one night stay at one of the city’s premium guesthouses, Moyness House - seriously, this gaff should be noted for its excellent service and incredibly plush interior - I’m up at first

Knowledgeable Colin gives us the lowdown on the history of the family and the building, an eye opener to the uneducated with a timeline from the dark ages up to the current day.

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Earl's Palace, Kirkwall © Orkney.com

The crossing takes about an hour, weather permitting - it’s so changeable, almost immediate, so be prepared, even in summer. The cool breeze across the Scapa Flow channel can become a gale in seconds, but its brilliant - the journey, although relatively short, is what I am now declaring as ‘geographically of international significance’- the headland of the Isle of Britain behind us and Orkney archipelago ahead of us. Lest we forget Scapa Flow’s military history too.

Helmsdale This fishing village has a colourful, eccentric past - the gold rush of the mid 1800s and a sad, historical timeline during the Highland Clearances - to the south of the town, a memorial statue stands as a poignant reminder of the devastating effects the clearances had on the communities that relied on land as a source of livelihood etc. Today the town is a quiet yet tourist friendly place with visitors from around the world. Ardent fly fishers use the Helmsdale river, highly revered in circles associated with country sports.

Arriving in St Margaret's Hope, we depart the ferry and make our way to Kirkwall along roads built on the Churchill Barriers (permanent defences against German U Boat attacks during WWII), the rusty remnants of scuttled World War II vessels dotting the inner coastline. It must have been savage up here.

Kirkwall Making our way to meet the ferry, operated by Pentland Ferries at Gills Bay, Colin gives us a bit of highland musical therapy (via the stereo - he didn’t burst into song although I’m sure he’s contemplated it) and not a peep from any of us as we anticipate our jolly across to Orkney. We’re all obviously content; it’s been a good ride thus far.

Kirkwall is a delightful town with a surprisingly cosmopolitan feel in one street with its wine bars and good eateries, and an old worldly feel

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Skara Brae, Orkney © Orkney.com

in another. Mix the two and it makes for a good night out: locals, tourists, oil and shipping workers - whatever your moniker whilst you're here there’s plenty to do - ahem, a lot revolved around whisky for some reason…

eight houses, discovered after a storm in 1850, reveal a fascinating insight to the lives of the ancient people who existed here. It has recently been discovered that the site is larger than originally theorised, with evidence via geophysical radar analysis of the village being more town-like in size. Make sure you ask the on site archaeologists to show you the geophysical maps they have at reception - it will astonish you.

St Magnus Cathedral Dominating the centre of Kirkwall is St Magnus Cathedral, dating back to the 1100s. I won’t hark on about its history as that’s what you’ll no doubt be intrigued to find out about when in situ, but the Nordic connection with the islands starts to fall into place - St Magnus was of Norwegian descent, being an earl of Orkney whose flag is now the modern day flag of Orkney - it has a Nordic cross emblazoned on it. Anyway, take time out to wander the magnificent interior and stand in awe of its stained glass windows.

Maeshowe The burial chamber at Maeshowe is the finest chambered tomb in north west Europe and is more than 5,000 years old. Viking crusaders broke into the cairn in the 12th century and carved graffiti runes on the walls of the main chamber, still in evidence today that, with the help of a translating guide, will have you in stitches. It’s a tight squeeze - if you’re claustrophobic, you may want to admire it from the outside, but if you want to make a real step into the time of the ancients, bend over and head up that tunnel!

Skara Brae The incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site of Skara Brae at the Bay of Skaill, is Britain’s foremost example of neolithic domestic dwellings. The

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Above: Kirbuster Farm Museum, Orkney, Right: Vat of Kirbister, Stronsay © Orkney.com

Kirkwall and its surrounds are utterly unique, a testament to surviving the elements, embracing modernity and celebrating its recent and ancient past. This trip, organised by Rabbie’s, is one of the best small group excursions I’ve been on, thanks largely in part to our driver and guide Colin. His interaction, knowledge, camaraderie and genuine love for what he does was reflected in the group’s jovial nature who engaged with each other, enjoying a few beers, having a laugh, and making new friends along the way - and let's face it, these are what small tours should be all about. Rabbie's nail it.

Kirbuster Farm Museum Kirbuster Museum is a ‘left as it was’ farm house that was occupied up until the 1960s. With an Edwardian parlour and Victorian garden, the site typifies island life through the recent past. Life must have been harsh, but those peat fires will have kept the home fires burning ok. Still containing furniture and possessions left by its final owners, this is well worth a visit and, with free admission, should not be overlooked. Italian Chapel Orkney was home to Italian prisoners during World War II who became part of the community, even though their freedom was somewhat restricted. Given permission by the British commanding officer, the prisoners built a chapel which, after recent restoration work, still stands to this day. The Italian/ Orkney friendship is prevalent with annual services to recognise the church and honour those who built it.

The tour attended was the Orkney Explorer lasting 4 days, prices from £139 per person. For further information, Contact Rabbie’s on 0131 226 3133 | www.rabbies.com To find everything you need to plan your visit to Orkney, along with information on living, working and studying in the islands visit www. orkney.com

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We invite you to email us at

admissions@ellenwilkinson.ealing.sch.uk in order to: Join our contact list | Request a copy of our prospectus Ask your questions and receive an email response Reserve a place bespoke tour which will take place as soon as it is safe to do so Book a slot for a one to one telephone meeting with a member of our Senior Leadership Team Check out the Admissions page on our website for a range of activities A specialist College for Science and Mathematics

Where girls create their future Passionate Inspiring Creative Nurturing Successful “ … a culture where pupils thrive and develop as confident young women.” Ofsted 2019

Queens Drive, London W3 0HW | 0208 752 1525 www.ellenwilkinson.ealing.sch.uk | office@ellenwilkinson.ealing.sch.uk 50

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FULLER'S SISTER PUBS GEORGE IV | OLD PACKHORSE | THE PILOT INVITE YOU TO A WEEKEND OF BEER AND GIN

E H T E V A S ATE D

BEER & GIN FESTIVAL

8TH | 9TH | 10TH NOVEMBER

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The ABC of CBD

Hello Chiswick! We’re beleaf, the UK’s premium CBD retailer, and we’ve just arrived on Chiswick High Road! Open now at 288 Chiswick High Road, or online at shopbeleaf.co.uk Come and meet our friendly experts in store to find out more about CBD products, try a new brand, or simply enjoy a complimentary fresh juice! And for all our new customers – here’s 10% off your first purchase in store or online – simply hand in this voucher, or enter the code when prompted at checkout.

VOUCHER CODE: BCI04

GI FT AV VO AI UC LA H BL ER E S

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INVITE YOU TO BE THE FIRST TO EXPERIENCE MEDIK8 BRAND NEW RANGE OF SKIN PEELS

020 8742 2266 theyouclinic.co.uk

info@theyouclinic.co.uk 6 Chiswick Terrace W4 5LY 59

FR FO EE C R C ON HIS SU QU WICK MLTATION OT AGA & PA E: ZINE TCH WO REA TES W DERS T

12 WEEKS TO WOW

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School Preparing for the 7+ and beyond

We are a leading independent school in the heart of Chiswick COURAGE | CURIOSITY | CARE We are a 5 minute walk from Gunnersbury tube station

JOIN US AT 3+

Private tours available on request Call now or email for further information admissions@falconsboys.co.uk 2 Burnaby Gardens, Chiswick, W4 3DT 020 8747 8393 | www.falconsboys.co.uk

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THE CHIWSICK MAGAZINE Helen Pidgeon Solicitors Limited Building 7 Chiswick Park 566 Chiswick High Road London W4 5YG DD: +44 (0)203 585 2576 M: +44 (0)7833 228181 helen@helenpidgeonsolicitors.com www.helenpidgeonsolicitors.com

How effective are Pre and Post nuptial agreements in a divorce or dissolution settlement? Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements –What are they?

circumstances for the court to depart materially from the terms of a pre or post nuptial agreement that the parties had already agreed between themselves.

A nuptial agreement is the settlement of the financial claims a couple could have against each other upon a divorce or civil partnership dissolution. A pre-nuptial agreement is made before a marriage or civil partnership and a post-nuptial agreement is entered into after marriage or civil partnership. Reasons for doing it afterwards might be that there has been too little time to agree a pre-nuptial agreement before the marriage / civil partnership or, there has been a period of separation which may or may not turn out to be permanent or, there has been an event which has made the couple want to clarify these arrangements.

The significance of the “Radmacher” case is that when considering all the facts and circumstances, a court should give “effect to a nuptial agreement (whether made before or after the marriage) where it has been freely entered into by each party with a full appreciation of its implications, unless in the circumstances it would not be fair to hold the parties to it.” Since “Radmacher”, English pre and post nuptial agreements have become increasingly popular. So what value does a Pre or Post Nuptial agreement have?

Who should have a Pre or Post nuptial agreement? Those with particular assets they wish to protect such as a received inheritance or potential gifts of inheritance, trust interests or a share in a family business. Couples who have independent wealth and who wish to maintain financial independence should their marriage end. International couples moving between countries. Couples for whom it is not their first marriage or civil partnership and may have assets they wish to protect perhaps for their children from a previous marriage.

The value that the court gives to a nuptial agreement is likely to be influenced by the length of the marriage or civil partnership, the financial resources of each of the spouses on divorce, and whether there are any dependent children. The extent to which the agreement foresees future events and deals with them in a fair manner, will also determine the eventual influence on the decision that the court makes. How to ensure the English court gives effect to a Pre or Post nuptial agreement.

Pre and Post Nuptial Agreements - Why are they a good idea?

If challenged at the time of a divorce or dissolution, a nuptial agreement is more likely to be upheld if it is entered into without any undue influence and will not lead to hardship. This can be achieved by: • Providing financial disclosure. • Having independent legal advice from a family lawyer (preferably one like me who specialises in such agreements) for both parties. • Making suitable provision for each of the couple and for any dependent children so their reasonable needs are met. • It should be signed in good time before the ceremony occurs.

Financial outcomes on divorce are uncertain and subject to the wider discretion of a Judge. The courts previous decisions have evolved so that where there are significant assets, an equal division will be the starting point to dividing the assets held by both parties. Although, marriage offers financial protection and recognition to the financially weaker party, this lack of clarity can make the court process uncertain and expensive for divorcing couples. For many couples, avoiding the stress, expense, uncertainty and acrimony if their marriage breaks down, is the main reason for entering into a pre or post nuptial agreement. Another motive is to protect assets obtained by one party prior to the marriage. What is the current attitude of the courts towards Pre and Post nuptial agreements?

If you are considering a pre-nuptial agreement, ideally discussions would begin and lawyers be instructed about 6 months prior to the marriage or civil partnership.

Whilst pre and post nuptial agreements are not legally binding, and therefore unenforceable as a contract between the divorcing couple, the attitude of the English courts towards them has changed considerably over the years following the 2010 case of Radmacher v Granatino “Radmacher”. There would need to be unusual

Helen Pidgeon is a solicitor, mediator and collaborative lawyer and director of Helen Pidgeon Solicitors specialising in all aspects of family law. Do contact us if you require further assistance to help you decide what is right for you and your family.

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EARLIER CLOSING. BUBBLIER OPENING. As per the latest government directive we’ll be closing the Villa at 10pm for the foreseeable future. We appreciate that this means you’ll be going out earlier than you’re used to. To reward our loyal friends and clients, we’ll be offering a complimentary glass of our finest Prosecco on arrival to diners who book tables between 5 - 6pm. LUNCH service will carry on as usual 12-3pm, seven days a week DINNER service will start at 5pm - last bookings at 9pm (ending dinner service at 10pm) We are grateful to all our wonderful patrons. We remain positive and continue to maintain every precaution to ensure the safety of our clients and our team. To book, call 020 3384 9442 or email contact@villadigeggiano.co.uk

Welcome to The Hogarth, a unique independent health club in the heart of Chiswick.

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We have reimagined every area of the Club so you can feel safe in every space.Your health and fitness has never been so important, and we're here to help you discover something you love that gets you moving.

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