Country & Town House - August 2019

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

GIVES YOU WINGS

Christian Horner’s Cotswolds corner

AUGUST 2019 £3.90

OUT OF OFFICE

Grown-up gap years

RUM PUNCH

The Caribbean bounces back after Hurricane Irma

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MAR K WILKINS O N O B E

THE MAN

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HIS GENIUS

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HIS KITCHENS

Part of Lux Group Holdings Ltd.

Portobello

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CONTENTS A U G U S T 2 019

COLUMNS 18 20

THE GOOD LIFE The sandman visits Alice B-B in Oman THE RURBANIST Nigel Slater

UP FRONT 23 24 26 28 30 32

PUPPY DOG EYES This season’s specs THE NEW ADAGE Ballet girls are back STYLE NOTEBOOK Fabulous fringing MY STYLE Susie Bubble TOAST OF LONDON Richard Quinn LUCIA LOVES The beauty hall is reimagined for the 21st century 34 BODY LANGUAGE An effort-free workout for your pelvic floor 36 BRIGHT YOUNG THING Eloise Smyth 38 POWDER ROOM New beauty releases 39 BODY & SOUL Don’t skimp on the salt 40 WELL GROOMED Men’s style news

THE GUIDE 43 46 48 49 50 52 54

THE DIARY Happy birthday, Sir Ian ARTS AGENDA Female trailblazers GOOD READS Spotlight on South Africa THE OLYMPIAN Sebastian Coe on his close friend Daley Thompson ROAD TEST Supercar showdown SEEDER’S DIGEST The wonders of wallflowers by Sarah Raven CONVERSATIONS AT SCARFES BAR Sculpture provided fashion designer Nicole Farhi with a change of pace, as Charlotte Metcalf discovers

FASHION & FEATURES 56 64 69

Dress, Alberta Ferretti.

Bikini, Melissa Odabash.

Earrings, Misho Designs

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SHIP SHAPE The boat deck is this season’s catwalk ON LOCATION Behind the scenes of this month’s shoot BULL’S EYE Christian Horner lives life in the fast lane, finds Jeremy Taylor, who visits him in the Cotswolds at the home he shares with Geri Halliwell THE SUPER SABBATICAL Three cheers for grown up gap years, says Christopher Silvester

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CONTENTS A U G U S T 2 019

ON BOARD 82 84 86 87 88 92

CURRENT AFFAIRS Yacht news TOP TRUMPS Whose boat is bigger?

ON THE RIVIERA Set sail in style BUOYS TOYS Go go gadgets BUY VS CHARTER Guides to both RULE, BRITANNIA! The best British boatyards. By Simon de Burton 95 INSIDE STORY Interior design 96 CABIN FEVER Hotels to float your boat 98 SOAK IN THE SEA Spas making waves 100 CRUISE CONTROL Ace adventures

THE INSIDER 103 SITTING PRETTY Outdoor armchair 104 THE PEN IS MIGHTIER Stationery 106 DESIGN NOTES News, views and

inspiration by Carole Annett 108 LAZY LOUNGING Spots for a snooze 109 DESIGN Q&A Alex Innes of Rolls-Royce

FOOD & TRAVEL 111 115 116 120 126 127 129

WISH YOU WERE HERE From Basingstoke to Bali. By Mark Durden-Smith THE HOTEL WIZARD Fiona Duncan has palatial ambitions AFTER THE STORM The Caribbean has a new lease of life THE BUCKET LIST Sir Richard Branson has his sights set on space GASTRO GOSSIP Nathan Outlaw moves to The Goring FORK & FIELD Long lunch location HAPPY HOUR Agave is for sipping, not shotting, says Alice Lascelles

ON THE MOVE

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ON THE COVER Annemara @ Model Management wears bikini by Melissa Odabash and sunglasses by Salvatore Ferragamo.

Photography by Daniel Graham Hack. Fashion direction by Nicole Smallwood. Hair and Make-up by Camilla Hewitt @ One Represents using Leonor Greyl and Tom Ford Beauty. Location: Domes Miramare

131 132 134 135

PROPERTY OF THE MONTH LET’S MOVE TO... Cornwall MY HOUSE Rosi de Ruig FIVE OF THE BEST Lateral homes

10 12 41 130

EDITOR’S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS HIGH SOCIETY STOCKISTS

REGULARS

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53 JERMYN STREET, LONDON | 118 HIGH STREET, ETON | 970 LEXINGTON AVENUE, NEW YORK WWW.NEWANDLINGWOOD.COM

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EDITOR’S PICK S

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EDITOR’S LETTER

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t’s high summer, so let’s please turn our attention to matters of leisure and pleasure for a few weeks; I’m sure we all feel we could do with a break. And more and more so, those breaks are happening on the water.

According to recent research, more Britons than ever before are taking the plunge and looking beyond the beach holiday to chartering a boat or opting for an increasingly popular cruise.

Therefore we dispatched a cohort of writers to report back from the high seas to bring you the very best of messing about on boats.

If wellness is your thing, Laura Ivill aligns her chakras on board with Seaborn and gets flogged with a birch branch with Viking (p98); Christopher Silvester reports on the new trend for the super

30

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sabbatical, which includes a six-week intrepid voyage with Arksen visiting Svalbard (p73); and Simon de Burton reports on British boat builders and why we are always at the top of our game (p92). If a superyacht is more your comfort zone, we bring you our annual On Board special, edited by Rosalyn Wikeley, which brings you a round up of the sexiest boats, the coolest toys, the sleekest style and much more from this esoteric world, starting on page 79.

Depending on whether you’re a racing car junkie or a Spice Girls fan, Christian Horner will be known to you as either Team Principal of the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula One team or Ginger Spice’s husband. Jeremy Taylor visits him at their Cotswolds home and finds out which is noisier – a Spice Girls’ concert or a Formula One racetrack (p69).

Finally, after the devastation wreaked

by Hurricane Irma across the Caribbean in 2017, the finest hotels are now back in business.

We bring you the best in our After the Storm round up (from page 116). In fact, why don’t you take a month off and sail over? n @countryandtown /countryandtownhousemagazine

WEAR Niquesa’s chandelier earrings on board your superyacht

RIDE You can’t get cooler than this Paul Smith x Hummingbird bike for the daily commute

PRE-BOOK Tickets for Leopoldstadt, a new play by Tom Stoppard, directed

by Patrick Marber.

They’re going to fly!

BUY Tretorn’s tennis shoe, made from recycled materials, in homage to Wimbledon

/countryandtownhouse

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CONTRIBUTORS Clear space around logotype = 1.5*X

NIGEL TISDALL

What would you take if you were marooned on a desert island? A stem of sugarcane with a view to making rum; a Persian yakhchāl (underground cooler) in the hope of making ice; lime seeds for growing the final ingredient in my Desert Island Sundowner. Party invites to follow by carrier parrot.

Where did you go on your last adventure? To Turkey for a week-long detox cruise on a vintage motor yacht chartered by the Austrian health clinic Vivamayr. I lost four kilos and learned far too much about digestion.

How do you slow down? I listen to the Dutch composer Joep Beving, who I discovered on a long-haul flight. While the movies on planes are a mixed bag, the audio is invariably full of treats.

MARK DURDENSMITH

What would you take if you were marooned on a desert island? A tennis ball, a video of my children bringing my wife downstairs for her birthday breakfast and a freezer full of butter to drizzle on fish.

Where did you go on your last adventure?

I went to Florida to talk about roller doors.

We snuck off to go on an airboat to whizz round the mangrove swamps looking for alligators.

How do you slow down? I’ve recently discovered the wonders of a game of boules on a summer’s evening. It’s life affirming and pulse slowing.

savoirbeds.com

London

New York

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Paris

Shanghai

Hong Kong

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CONTRIBUTORS

LAURA IVILL

What would you take if you were marooned on a desert island? I’m never without lip gloss, although a desert island might only require Dr Harris & Co lip balm. The stress of waiting to be rescued calls for Ilapothecary’s Beat the Blues pulse roller. And for a good night’s sleep under the stars, I’ll need a luxury fully adjustable bed.

Where did you go on your last adventure? I was in the Arctic Circle on mid-summer’s day, where the sun never sets.

Who better to hang out with than my mum – she’s 80 and we are still sharing adventures together.

How do you slow down? Meditation. I discovered Will Williams’ Beeja Meditation a couple of years ago and it’s a game changer.

DANIEL GRAHAM HACK

TIME SPENT IN RECONNAISSANCE ...

August grouse, September partridge, or October pheasants? Start your practice early!

020 8845 1377 w w w.shoot ingschool.co.u k Shar vel Lane, West End Road Northolt, UB5 6RA

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What would you take if you were marooned on a desert island? A knife for hunting, flint stone to make fire with, and a satellite phone to call someone to get me off of the island.

Where did you go on your last adventure?

I went to Bali with three of my closest friends just over a month ago.

It is an absolutely magical place, I would highly recommended.

How do you slow down? Yoga and calisthenics training. The two things that calm the mind and body for me. Also, a glass of red every now and then helps too.

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T H E A L L- N E W P R I N C E S S R 3 5 E X P E R I E N C E T H E E X C E P T I O N A L®

P R I N C E S S YAC H T S . C O M

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CO U NTRYA N DTOW N H O U S E .CO.U K

EDITOR Lucy Cleland EDITOR-AT-LARGE Alice B-B ASSOCIATE EDITOR Charlotte Metcalf MANAGING EDITOR Anastasia Bernhardt FEATURES ASSISTANT Clementina Jackson FASHION DIRECTOR Nicole Smallwood BEAUTY DIRECTOR Nathalie Eleni FASHION EDITOR Lucy Bond LUXURY EDITOR Lucia van der Post INTERIORS EDITOR Carole Annett JEWELLERY EDITOR Annabel Davidson EXECUTIVE FEATURES EDITOR Rosalyn Wikeley PROPERTY EDITOR Anna Tyzack MOTORING EDITOR Jeremy Taylor PROPERTY & MARKETING ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Gemma Cowley DIGITAL MANAGER Adam Dean ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Eleanor Selby SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Ellie Rix CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Parm Bhamra JUNIOR PRODUCTION DESIGNER Samuel Thomas ONLINE EDITOR Rebecca Cox DIGITAL ASSISTANT Ellie Smith JUNIOR EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Kerri Stolerman TECHNICAL MANAGER Hannah Johnson TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Mark Pearson DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL STRATEGY Wil Harris ACCOUNTS & CREDIT CONTROLLER Aimi Nicastro SALES & OFFICE MANAGER Daisy Orr-Ewing FINANCE DIRECTOR Jill Newey GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Tia Graham MANAGING DIRECTOR Jeremy Isaac CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Stephen Bayley, Simon de Burton, Fiona Duncan, Daisy Finer, Lydia Gard, Avril Groom, Richard Hopton, Emma Love, Mary Lussiana, Anna Pasternak, Caroline Phillips, Holly Rubenstein, Marcus Scriven THE EDITOR editorial@countryandtownhouse.co.uk FASHION fashion@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ADVERTISING advertising@countryandtownhouse.co.uk PROPERTY ADVERTISING property@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ACCOUNTS accounts@countryandtownhouse.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk COUNTRY & TOWN HOUSE is a monthly magazine distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, South Kensington, Wandsworth and Wimbledon, as well as being available from leading country and London estate agents. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s stores and independent newsagents nationwide. It has an estimated readership of 150,000. It is available on subscription in the UK for £29.99 per annum. To subscribe online, iPad, iPhone and android all for only £24.99 visit: exacteditions.com/read/countrytownhouse. For subscription enquiries, please call 020 7384 9011 or email subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk. It is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox.

Copyright © 2019 Country & Town House Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Materials are accepted on the understanding that no liability is incurred for safe custody. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. Whilst every care is taken to ensure information is correct at time of going to press, it is subject to change, and C&TH Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors.

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COLUMN

LU XU RY & N ECESSIT Y

THE GOOD LIFE

I THIS MONTH I’LL BE

1

Checking out the new Byblos beach bar in St Tropez. byblos.com

2

Trying to unlock Gwyneth Paltrow’s secrets by hanging out at her new GOOP shop in Harvey Nichols. goop.com

3

Spritzing myself with Bamford’s new 80 per cent certified organic Camille and Gray scents. bamford.com

FELL IN LOVE WITH KATE WEINBERG WHEN I WAS 18.

Kohl-eyes, auburn mane, brilliant brain and the widest of smiles. We’d maraud round town, kiss boys in bars, read poetry in her flat, plot dreams in the pub. I’d pull out all stops to make her laugh – because when that smile tipped into a deep, throaty chortle – nothing was more satisfying. After Oxford and a UEA creative writing degree, she began writing fiction.

Kate’s clever. She was always going to do something brilliant. And after 20 years (worked in a bookshop, career in journalism, marriage and babies etc), now is Kate’s time. The Truants (published 8 August) is a university murder mystery that started a bidding war among publishing houses and is being compared to Muriel Spark and Donna Tartt. It’s set to be the book of the summer. Kate’s smile is full beam.

THE BEST KIP OF MY LIFE… Wasn’t exactly what I was expecting on an action-packed trip to Oman with experiential travel company Pelorus, founded by ex-military thrillseekers Geordie Mackay-Lewis and Jimmy Carroll. Days diving secret beaches on the coast in Salalah, bumpy desert drives up steep dunes in the Empty Quarter, seeking rare Arabian leopard on treacherous clifftops and flying over the desert in a Microlight (pictured above). On my last night in the Wahiba Sands, I watched the sun set across

the golden dunes, ate slow-cooked lamb and slipped off to my luxurious Hud Hud tent. ‘Goodnight,’ called my host, His Highness Taimur Al Said, the Sultan of Oman’s nephew.

‘Desert sleep is the best,’ he added. I took a warm shower beneath the stars, turned in, and was out for the count until peachy first-light rose over the sands. It’s no wonder sleep has become such a major issue in our ‘civilised’ city lives; light pollution, police sirens, planes, fear of stabbings. I reckon insomniacs should ditch the pills and head for the magical Omani desert, slip into the circadian rhythm and rewild sleep patterns.

UNTIL NOW… Notting Hill’s restaurant scene has been somewhat lacking. There’s fancy two Michelinstarred Core, secret-ish Six Portland Road or Bill Granger’s Aussie brunches… if you can face the queue.

However there’s been a gaping lack of delicious, relaxed neighbourhood spots. But that’s just changed. Hello Gold! The Portobello Road pub of my youth has been repurposed to become the dream local restaurant: a bright conservatory with jungly jasmine creeping up raw plaster walls, a bar delivering knockout cocktails and a menu to rival the River Café thanks to alumni chef Theo Hill. It’s so good – the week it opened I went for dinner and was back for lunch the next day.

Thank Gold! n

HELLO YELLOW When life gives you lemons shrimps.com SUMMER READ The Truants by Kate Weinberg. bloomsbury.com

ALL THAT GLITTERS The hot spot. goldnottinghill.com

THE WORLD UNEARTHED Explore with pelorusx.com

DESERT DREAM Omani tent life. hudhudtravels.com

PHOTOS: © INGRID RASMUSSEN

Arabian nights, summer reads and a spot of supper. By Alice B-B

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INTERVIEW

THE RURBANIST

Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty, says Nigel Slater Rolling your sleeves up and getting stuck in is hugely satisfying.

What brings out the worst in you? I am seriously impatient, so I get cross with people who walk slowly or take a long time to do anything.

The last song that made you dance? Destroy Everything You Touch by Ladytron. At the gym, with my headphones on.

Favourite game? I play Risk with my best friend on train journeys. He doesn’t ‘always’ win.

What would improve your life? An extra day in the week – then I could have two days off.

Where was the last place you ‘discovered’?

I went to Seoul for the first time this year and loved it. Such a fun and vibrant city. I can tell I will be going back regularly.

Nigel Slater’s Toast is currently playing at The Other Palace in London’s West End, before touring the UK. nigelslaterstoast.co.uk n

half my life, so it feels more like home than the Midlands, where my family is from. But Helsinki feels more like home than London. It is smaller, so I know more of it than I do of my own city.

Where do you go to ‘lose’ yourself? I spend a month a year in Japan. It’s a very easy to place to forget everything about your day to day life.

Daily rituals? Making coffee at 6am. I have three small mugs that I use in rotation, all made by the same potter but each slightly different.

Best thing a cabbie has said to you? ‘My wife reads your books in bed. There are three of us in this marriage, Nigel.’

What item of clothing do you wear the most? A dark indigo cotton work jacket.

To be honest I am rarely seen without it – it is actually one of two identical ones that I wear on alternate days.

Last book you read? Robert Macfarlane’s Underland. He took me on a deep underground journey across the world which, to someone as claustrophobic as myself, is quite an undertaking.

Most valuable piece of advice you have received? My father told me never to be

scared to get my hands dirty. He was right.

FROM ABOVE: Nigel at home in his garden; Japan is a place to lose yourself in; let Robert Macfarlane take you on a journey across the world; don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty; coffee is essential

PHOTOS: PIERS FOLEY FOR TARGET LIVE; GETTY IMAGES

Where’s home? I have lived in Highbury for

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STYLE BEAUTY JEWELLERY PA RT I E S

UP FRONT

PUPPY DOG EYES Throw shade with new season specs Forget the oversized ‘no paps’ look, and good riddance to that horribly unflattering micro specs trend. This season’s slew of space-age, sporty and avantgarde sunnies show far more personality. Adam Selman x Le Specs combines all three for ultimate impact. lespecs.com

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UP FRONT Left: Dior costume sketches Right: Dior Opera de Rome

Salvatore Ferragamo Headband, £120

Red Valentino Jacket, £455 at Farfetch

Tove Dress, £795

Cushnie Top, £795 at Net-a-Porter

S T Y L E

Alinka Choker, £5,930 at Harvey Nichols

THE NEW ADAGE Style that’s always en pointe

Valentino Ballet flats, £347 at The Outnet

Fashion and ballet have a long history, but Maria Grazia Chiuri’s interpretation of the dancer’s wardrobe at Dior S/S’19 has reignited our obsession with the easy elegance of the off-duty ballerina. Organza, tulle and chiffon reign supreme, but are brought down to earth when layered with cotton or hardened with leather and buckles à la Miu Miu. Delicate pinks come out of girly-girl territory when contrasted with black. Movement and comfort are key to this most wearable of trends. n

Saskia Diez Tote, £320

Max Mara Top, £744 at Moda Operandi

Coleman Douglas Peals Earrings, £3,688

Dior S/S ’19

Saint Laurent Belt, £430 at Farfetch

Dundas Bodysuit, £265

Maje Skirt, £125 Le Monde Beryl Mules, £375 Coco de Mer X V&A Bodysuit, £172.50

PHOTOS: © JULIEN BENHAMOU. SEE STOCKISTS FOR MORE DETAILS

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi Skirt, £399 at Net-a-Porter

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UP FRONT MICRO TREND

FRINGE BENEFITS NORMA KAMALI Cami, £522 at Farfetch

UTERQÜE Jacket, £150

MATERIAL GAINS

TAKE THREE

CHIC CARRY-ONS

F A S H I O N

N E W S

STYLE NOTEBOOK

CHRISTOPHER KANE Skirt, £745 at Matches Fashion

Swap junk mail for a pair of jeans, says Clementina Jackson

LOEWE Bag, £3,250

SERGIO ROSSI Boots, £848 at Farfetch

DENIM THAT DELIVERS

Denim disasters are no more thanks to a new service that brings the perfect pair of jeans straight to your door. Harper Concierge has teamed up with Donna Ida to take the hassle out of finding your dream style – skinny, straight, slouchy and even that fabulous full denim jumpsuit are all brought to you with expert fitters in tow.

Keep only what you love, no faffing around with returns. A game changer. donnaida.com

LADY LIBERTY 1 TUMI 19 Degree case, £855 2 Away x Alex Eagle The Carry on, from £225 3 Briggs & Riley Cabin spinner, £349

Liberty London has finally unveiled its first ever ready-to-wear line. Drawing inspiration from the Bloomsbury Set and ’30s female surrealist artists, it is a celebration of eccentricity and creativity.

Expect reworked prints aplenty. libertylondon.com

SEE STOCKISTS FOR MORE DETAILS

Candice Lake has put her inimitable Aussie stamp on Beulah London’s high summer collection. The bold print dresses and blouses come in sand-washed silks, soft cottons and linens to keep you cool from beach to street. The cherry on top? Each piece has been ethically manufactured by artisans in India and Bangladesh, with proceeds profiting those very communities.

From £250. beulahlondon.com

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Anyone can travel.

Not everyone knows how to explore.

At Cookson Adventures we dare to be different, exploring the unknown to provide our clients with irreplaceable memories. Whether it’s tagging sharks with a scientist, discovering a lost city with an archaeologist or sailing through the Antarctic aboard an explorer yacht, Cookson Adventures build experiences only we can imagine.

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UP FRONT

Q & A

MY STYLE Susie Bubble celebrates Chinese fashion

Power dressing? Oversized masculine

tailoring at Snow Xue Gao. Summer holiday essentials? A giant

floppy hat, comfy sandals, one pair of uncomfortable showy ones, and far too many swimsuits.

Lounge lizard? Proenza Schouler camouflage trousers and a Uniqlo heat tech, ready for grubby toddler hands.

Finishing touches? A spritz of Gucci Bloom, any bag that fits my portable phone charger (my favourites are Mansur Gavriel and Staud), evening slipper mules and a giant pair of clip-on earrings by Alessandra Rich.

Country walk? My vintage patchwork quilted jacket, thick John Lewis school tights that you can layer and wear as leggings and my battered Converse that I’ve had since I was 16 Style cheats? Bargain hunt wherever possible – especially at Bicester Village – and make sure you are well stocked with the correct hosiery. bicestervillage.com n

1 Maison Margiela dress, £895. 2 Alessandra Rich earrings, £340. 3 Mansur Gavriel tote bag, £485. 4 Gucci Bloom EDP, £75. 5 Mukzin sweatshirt, £80.96. 6 Molly Goddard dress, £900. 7 I-Am-Chen polo shirt, £260. 8 Snow Xue Gao blazer, £1,137. 9 Marni sandals, £390.

Shirley Kurata

PHOTOS: © REX FEATURES. SEE STOCKISTS FOR MORE DETAILS

What are you dressing up for? The haute couture shows in Paris, London’s summer parties and a festival or two. I will be mixing up 1930s tea dresses, epic Gucci and Margiela looks and some tried and tested pieces from Molly Goddard and Simone Rocha.

Wardrobe failsafes? Polo necks for layering underneath dresses or sheer things, and vintage slip dresses – so useful on holiday.

Under the radar labels? All the brands I picked for my Celebrate China pop-up at Bicester Village: like knitwear label I-Am-Chen and really directional lingerie from Marie Yat. I love Mukzin who take Chinese references and mix them up unexpectedly.

Everyday uniform? A pair of Celine wool trousers with Louis Vuitton Archlight trainers and any old tee I can find.

Style crush? Lynn Yaeger from US Vogue or stylist Shirley Kurata.

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UP FRONT F A S H I O N

TOAST OF LONDON

O

n the upper level of a corrugated iron railway arch in Peckham, a ’50s-style dress embroidered with shimmering blue and yellow flowers is arranged on a mannequin next to a tiger-print silk opera coat. This is Richard Quinn’s studio and, flicking through photos of past collections, he seems relaxed about his sudden and intense moment in the international media spotlight last year.

‘I thought it would only be local press in London who would be interested but, suddenly, it was everywhere – you can’t predict what’s going to go viral. It was quite a unique moment – a meeting of two icons.’ Agreed. In fact, it would be difficult to think of two women more famous – the Queen with Anna Wintour next to her, front row at his show, before he was awarded the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. The subsequent Twitter storm wondered what they talked about and marvelled that fashion’s most aloof editor kept her enormous sunglasses on for the encounter.

Quinn’s hallmark look mixes dramatic, bejewelled silhouettes with contrasting florals, veiled faces and unpredictable kinky details. He’s a fan of black latex and faceless models. His MA project was inspired by the artist Paul Harris, whose carpeted and upholstered women are quite – make that very – sinister, a taste developed as a teenager when Richard researched the film work of Tim Burton and probed the nightmarish whimsy of photographer Tim Walker.

Quinn’s latest commission is from PerrierJouët – part of a broader programme titled Artisans of the Wild, which sees the champagne house commission chefs, artists and figures from the fashion world. All endeavours that were celebrated in the Belle Époque era – the champagne house’s signature style, it wants to continue that spirit with a raft of creative projects.

Quinn was commissioned to make a dress for model Winnie Harlow, then a newcomer, whose spirit and outspoken candour captured the élan of the iconic brand. The print for the dress was based on an original verdant design from the champagne house’s archive, and was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival.

Quinn’s rise to recognition was fast.

Presenting his final BA collection at Central Saint Martins, his work was spotted by Stella McCartney, who sponsored his MA and encouraged his innovative approach to sustainability, an outlook that won him the H&M Design Award in 2017.

His contribution to the fashion community and use of technology – which cuts the large amounts of water usually involved in printing and dyeing – were both recognised by the award from the Queen. So how does he retain his signature look while championing sustainability? ‘We work backwards; when you screen-print, it can misregister and bleed – so we add that to lots of our digital prints. Even though it’s really flat on the screen, on the material it looks like it’s been screen-printed.’

In the studio, printmaker graduates lay fabrics under weighted screens, ready to be painted, while a machine embosses fabric with gold metallics. ‘It almost feels like a family,’ says Quinn, ‘We have a head seamstress and pattern cutter who’s more like a mother figure. Sometimes I’m dead set on doing something a certain way and they will tell me I can’t do it that way, or that there’s a quicker alternative.’

As they work, the music destined to play on the catwalk echoes between the two floors. ‘For fittings we always play the music that I think will be used for the show to create the vibe for the whole thing,’ explains Quinn.

‘Everyone in the studio hates it because I’ll become obsessed with a few songs and play them over and over. Last season I played Freya Ridings because I really connected with her lyrics – and then, just as we were about to reach out to her to see if she would perform at the show, she contacted us about a dress.’

He’s not so much a ‘one to watch’ as a ‘watch what he will do for the entire industry’ leader, teasing creativity and manufacturing back from Tuscany and nurturing talent in London. He is a guardian of the future of British fashion. n

PHOTO: REX FEATURES

To the delight of the internet, Richard Quinn is the man who brought the Queen and Anna Wintour together. Caiti Grove meets him at his Peckham studio

FROM ABOVE: A meeting of minds? The Queen of England meets the Queen of US Vogue, Anna Wintour; Perrier-Jouët commissioned Richard Quinn to design a dress for Winnie Harlow to wear at Cannes

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UP FRONT FROM TOP: Harrods’ new 90,000 sq/ft beauty hall; Gucci Rouge à Lèvres Voile Luminous Sheer lipstick, £34; Hermès, Hermessence Agar Ébène eau de toilette, £285; Acqua Di Parma Colonia Sandalo eau de cologne, £182

LIFE’S LIT TLE LU XURIES

L U X U R Y

LUCIA LOVES

Harrods is reinjecting old-world glamour into its new beauty hall, says Lucia van der Post

T

o the outsider, the beauty halls of our most successful department stores may seem already to be bewilderingly large, but the industry insider will understand exactly why some have decided to add more square footage.

It’s in part driven by good old-fashioned competition between the department stores, but also because the beauty world has seen a huge upsurge in innovation.

So when Harrods opened the first stage of its greatly enlarged beauty space in June (when finished it will measure 90,000 sq/ ft), only the public were surprised.

For, as Harrods Beauty Director Annalise Fard puts it, ‘The beauty world has seen more innovation in the last five years than in all the past 50 years put together.’ And that means it needs increasingly luxurious spaces to showcase it.

The result is not only a whole raft of innovative brands to look out for but also more emphasis on customer care, services and events.

Chanel, for instance, has the longest ‘play table’ in the UK, where customers can

experiment without having to part with a penny. Dior Backstage will concentrate on runway make-up, while Maison Dior is all about fragrance.

Uber luxe grooming and fragrance brands Acqua di Parma and Hermès have developed lines exclusive to Harrods, while Gucci has launched its first ever beauty line, which includes 53 lipsticks.

It’ll be worth checking the raft of innovative younger brands – La Bouche Rouge, for instance, is all about sustainable lipstick, while niche Patagonian fragrance brand Fueguia 1833 offers information on the sourcing of all its ingredients, many of which it grows itself for its limited-run perfumes.

Best of all though, is a visit to the Powder Room, where you will be able to receive independent advice on the best skincare and make-up from a group of hand-picked independent specialists. n

LOCK HORNS Inspired by Diana Vreeland’s love of statement jewellery, Claire Fouché makes bold and beautiful cuffs from natural African materials and precious metals and gemstones – perfect accompaniments to summer dresses and cool kaftans. Take the Kolo Turquoise cuff (£850, pictured above) – it’s made from African cow horn and has a large rare turquoise stone in the middle set in 18kt gold plate. fouche.it

HATS OFF Come summer, we all need a hat. Maison Michel’s Blanche version isn’t cheap but it is what you might call a forever hat (that is, if you don’t leave it, as I once did, on an airport bench) – never out of fashion, always timeless, always stylish.

Made from lightweight woven straw, trimmed with grosgrain ribbon. £540. matchesfashion.com

PARTY PITCHES For summer parties or lunches LPM Bohemia has a range of beautifully crafted tents, all made from wood and canvas. While they create large ones for weddings, more useful to most of us are the smaller charming ones which could sit on the lawn, adding a magic extra space for when the rain comes pelting down.

From £670 per day. lpmbohemia.com

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T I M E L E S S I TA L I A N M E N S W E A R F O R T H O S E W H O A P P R E C I AT E C R A F T S M A N S H I P D I R E C T LY F R O M T H E M A K E R S

LUCAFALONI.COM Proudly Made in Italy

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UP FRONT

MIND & M ATT ER

1 R E V I E W

BODY LANGUAGE

READ Alice HartDavis’ The Tweakments Guide: Fresher Face. £10. amazon.com

Olivia Falcon on a shortcut to good sex

totally bearable. For best results, three treatments spaced four to six weeks apart are recommended, with one annual maintenance treatment. Having completed all three, I did indeed notice a change down there, but for others who have acute urinary incontinence, Dr Sra tells me Femilift has been nothing short of a life-changer.

For those not quite so keen to whip their pants off, Emsella is another option. A high-tech chair that you sit on fully clothed, it fires electro magnetic waves to target pelvic floor muscles – you can do 20,000 Kegels in one half-hour session. Far from being uncomfortable, Emsella has potential to be a lot of fun: ‘Two of my clients have orgasmed on the chair,’ chuckles Dr Rita Rakus, who says the treatment has been so popular she’s barely switched it off since it arrived a few months ago at her Knightsbridge clinic. News from the States says that it has benefits for men too, as it increases blood flow in the groin area, which in turn has the knock-on effect of increased performance and stamina.

Let the stampede begin.

Femilift, £1,000 per treatment. cosmebeaute.co.uk; Emsella course of six treatments, £2,000. drritarakus.co.uk n

2

WEAR Nars Ignited eyeshadow palette. The perfect holiday companion. £56. narscosmetics. co.uk

3

WASH A laundry ball inspired by the way coral filters the ocean, collecting microfibers from clothes. £29. rainbowbrands. co.uk

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

L

et’s talk vaginas. Don’t cringe, I promise not to go all Gwyneth on you. This dispatch is backed with solid scientific facts and hope for anyone who has given birth and feels sex is not quite as sensational as it used to be or for women who hate high pollen counts not so much because they have horrible hay fever but because sneezing or coughing has become a risky business for more intimate reasons.

Fortunately I have not experienced any symptoms of urinary incontinence, which affects 32 per cent of British women but, as a working mum of two, who barely makes it to the gym – let alone doing the recommended daily Kegel exercises – my gynaecologist friend, Dr Hina Sra of the Cosmebeauté clinic was sure I’d benefit from a Co2 pixelated laser called Femilift.

Femilift is a rather daunting dildo looking device that is inserted into the vagina to heat the vaginal walls at the right depth (without causing burns or tissue damage), to stimulate collagen and elastin fibres, improving laxity and, for older women, also post menopausal dryness. You have to be up to date with your smear test before you try this treatment and although it’s not a particularly pleasurable sensation (some hot spots caused a sharp intake of breath), it’s

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UP FRONT Q & A

BRIGHT YOUNG THING

Nathalie Eleni gives actor Eloise Smyth a silky soft pink tone What do you enjoy most about being on the set of Harlots? The camaraderie

between our team and the immense amount of female energy. We are this powerhouse of women all trying to achieve something together, which is such a special feeling.

Your character has outrageous style.

What has been your favourite look?

When Lucy Wells was decked out in a pink, plush, Georgian menswear outfit, sporting a pink and white powdered wig and hot pink eyebrows. It was incredibly controversial during those times to wear men’s clothing.

This was very ahead of its time.

How do you look after your skin?

TV and film make up is very heavy duty, so it takes a real toll on my skin. When I’m on set, I use an MZ Skin Hydra-Bright Golden Eye Mask first thing in the morning.

Day-to-day Dermalogica Active Moist is my go-to moisturiser. And I don’t go anywhere without my Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions.

TEAM Make-up: Nathalie Eleni Hair: Emmanuel at Paul Edmonds Photo: RVDS

Season three of Harlots is available on STARZPLAY on Amazon Prime from 11 July. n

GET THE LOOK 1 Define your upper and lower lash line with Marc Jacobs Fineliner Ultra-Skinny Gel eye crayon in Steel(Etto) 34, for a soft pastel pop of colour. £20. harveynichols.com 2 Dab L’Oréal Colour Riche Shine lipstick in Beige In The City on lips for a hydrating high shine nude. £8.99. asos.com 3 Create a luminous base with ByTerry Brightening CC Serum Colour Correcting Primer in apricot glow. £61. byterry.com 4 Apply Dolce & Gabbana Sunlight Liquid Highlighter in Sunrise to cheekbones, nose, centre of forehead and chin for golden radiance. £38. harrods.com 5 For pretty shell-pink eyes apply Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in Pillow Talk, using the shimmering shade to add a highlight pop to the centre of your eye lid and inner corners. £39. charlottetilbury.com

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PROMOTION

BAREFACED BEAUTY Nataliya Robinson takes an effective but holistic approach to problem skin

A

cclaimed facialist and acupuncturist Nataliya Robinson, whose ‘Skin Whisperer’ reputation precedes her, combines highperforming botanicals with cutting-edge technology to treat troubled skin at her Chelsea clinic. Known for her holistic approach, Nataliya is on speed-dial for royals and celebrities who know only too well that a barefaced, healthy complexion is today’s paragon of beauty. After all, foundation-free summers are invariably more fun – and Nataliya’s non-invasive, near-alchemic treatments for ageing skin put a spring in every recipient’s step.

ACNE By scrutinising lifestyle, cycle, diet, sleep and stress levels, Nataliya digs deep to ascertain the causes rather than just addressing the symptoms, taming clients’ imbalanced hormones and creating treatments using her own botanical-rich Quantum Botanika products. Not only did Nataliya suffer from acne herself but she has also studied nutrition and Chinese medicine to boost her holistic understanding of the science behind our skin. She is a blissful sigh of relief through the wellness noise for women and teenagers exhausted and disheartened by their breakouts. Treatments are bespoke – there’s no one size fits all – but for acne, the European Facial is largely prescribed. Pores are gently extracted using plant derived products to calm and strengthen the skin. Nataliya’s signature facial uses massage and acupressure to relieve tension in the face, neck and shoulders (a key contributor to inflamed skin), while her teen treatment combines cleansing, extraction, bacteria-clearing high frequency, massage and a dietary consultation.

Nataliya’s calming approach is testament to the belief that bedside manner and medical rigour need not be mutually exclusive.

FROM ABOVE: Nataliya Robinson; Quantum Botanika Facial Herbal Toner; Cleansing Balm

AGEING SKIN For Nataliya, growing old gracefully and naturally is key, setting the goalpost for her non-invasive anti-ageing treatments. It is often a question of waking up skin that has fallen asleep – reshaping facial contours, improving circulation and sculpting the face much like a gym workout does for the body. She uses non-invasive radiofrequency to target collagen and elastin deep in the skin, lifting and toning the face while gentle vacuum therapy stimulates lymphatic drainage. Those in need of a moisture boost are prescribed the Manuka Honey Facial, combining lifting techniques with medicinal (and anti-bacterial) Manuka honey, rounded off by a cold cryotherapy massage to lock in moisture. The Caviar Facial is equally hydrating, restoring firmness and elasticity with essential fatty acids.

Treatments from £190. nataliyarobinson.co.uk n

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UP FRONT Make-up: @Nathalieeleni_beauty Photo: @RVDS Model: @mariaclalima Hair: @pauledmonds217

SKIN CLINIC

BANISH DARK CIRCLES

Apply MZ Skin Soothe & Smooth Collagen Activating Eye Complex around your eye orbit (£90; net-aporter.com). Dot Estée Lauder Double Wear Instant Fix Concealer 24H Concealer + Hydra Prep around eyes and buff in with a soft brush (£25; houseoffrazer.com).

Highlight inner eyes and under the brow with Trish McEvoy Luminizer (£30; selfridges.com).

HOT OFF THE PRESS

B E A U T Y

POWDER ROOM Quick tips for banishing bulging bags. By Nathalie Eleni

NEW TO TOWN Gala Glow Medical Facial is a new skin treatment, devised

by Dr Marwa Ali, anti-ageing guru and resident aesthetic doctor at Harrods Wellness Clinic. It delivers skin-tightening and brightening, using HIFU technology at a surface level to increase collagen production and add gleaming radiance.

From £2,000. harrods.com

KEEP IT FLUID Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid Foundation SPF15 will help you achieve luminosity and a refreshed complexion.

Out Aug. £35. clarins.co.uk

Talika Genius Light LED Mask (below) combines LED and electro-stimulation to help lift and smooth skin in just three minutes a day (£269; talika.com).

Amanda Harrington’s three-step tanning system (left) takes your bronzing game to a whole new level – the easiest application yet (£85; amanda harrington.com).

Pucker up with Hourglass’ Unreal High Shine Volumising Lip Gloss (above), highly pigmented and ultra-shiny. (£28; feelunique.com).

TREAT YOURSELF

To the glorious Signature Rose Petal Manicure at Nail’d it in Marylebone. For gorgeous holiday hands. Polish £25; gel £40. naildit.com

TRAVEL COLLECTIONS ELEMIS £65. elemis.com DR SEBAGH £150. drsebagh.com

AESOP £45. aesop.com

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

THREE OF THE BEST

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UP FRONT W E L L N E S S

BODY & SOUL

GREAT ESCAPE

A saline solution to bonne santé. By Camilla Hewitt

H

ealth advice has made most households aware of the downsides of salt – namely that too much is bad for your heart. However, the recent rise in the wellbeing economy has encouraged the use of salt thanks to its therapeutic effects. But it is important to distinguish between natural and table salt: the latter is heavily processed and can cause blood pressure to rise as the body attempts to move the toxic elements away from the heart, while natural salts are unrefined and stocked on health shop shelves in their complete crystallised form. A sprinkle of coarse natural flakes not only adds flavour but is also better for your body than commonly used table salt.

In the world of wellness there are so many non-dietary uses too, from a soothing soak in Epsom bath salts to an invigorating Himalayan salt scrub to increase circulation and ease aches and pains.

SALT OF PALMAR MAU RITI US

The Mustique Company is turning 50 this year

H E A LT H H O T L I S T

The SALT concept is based on a simple balance of relaxation, nutrition and movement. In the spa, humble salt is the central ingredient and, instead of an extensive menu, treatments are customised to focus on the individual’s physical and emotional wellbeing. No two people are the same, so why should two spa experiences be? This concept runs effortlessly through the rest of the hotel, right down to its own farm, which supplies the ingredients for a raw plant-based menu. The eco-friendly rooms are stocked with refillable water bottles, bathrobes made from unbleached cotton and coffee bean waste, and a recycled rubber yoga mat. The hotel has a daily programme of movement classes, including sunrise yoga, boxing on the beach and horse riding along the white sands of Palmar. And for exercise-phobes, there’s plenty of chill out time and copious amounts of rum. saltresorts.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

1 Amazing Grace The creator of the SALT raw cuisine has written all about the benefits of eating raw on her blog. gracevanberkum.com 2 In the Clouds If you can’t make it all the way to Mauritius, Notting Hill’s Cloud Twelve is home to a halotherapy room and a menu of Himalayan salt scrubs. cloudtwelve.co.uk 3 Switch Off Pursoma's Digital Detox contains clay powder and French grey sea salt to target urban toxicity, even drawing out electronic-based radiation. £34, pursomalife.com 4 Wild Swimming Swapping the swimming pool for the salty sea this summer? Sweaty Betty has you got covered with the Carve performance costume. £80, sweatybetty.com 5 Coco Lux If you do make it to Mauritius, be sure to visit the south of the island for incredible scenery and indulgent coconut treatments at LUX* Le Morne. luxresorts.com/luxlemorne

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UP FRONT DREAM JEANS

SPIDERS IN STORE

Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur Spider Carbon watch has timepiece superhero written all over it. His first ever model made entirely from multi-layer carbon, its 45mm case houses a skeleton flying tourbillon, and is limited to 28 pieces which will be available from the brand’s first London store opening on Bond Street in July. £241,000. rogerdubuis.com

M E N ’ S

Thom Sweeney has launched a made-to-measure programme for denim jeans, allowing customers to select from multiple style and wash possibilities, plus optional initials on the ticket pocket. From £395. thomsweeney.co.uk

S T Y L E

WELL GROOMED Snoop Doggy style.

By Matt Thomas LISTEN UP Move over Air Pods – PaMu Slides are the impressive result of a hugely successful crowd-funding campaign. They never fall out and boast crisp sound definition, a slick water-resistant design, long charge-time and touch control. £39. indiegogo.com

SLIDE LIKE SNOOP

Duke & Dexter has joined forces with Snoop Dogg to create a ‘pool to party’ footwear collection of 18 eye-catching designs adorned with Snoop motifs. A thousand numbered pairs, from £160. selfridges.com

BACKING THE GOAT Billy Tannery’s Somersetmade goat leather goods are made from food industry by-products. We love this innovative backpack in forest green with its clever roll top design that can add an extra six litres of volume for longer trips. £585. billytannery.co.uk

GROOMERS & SHAKERS

Saunders & Long is launching its debut range at Fortnum & Mason, bridging skin and haircare and including a Long Weekender product which can be used as shampoo, conditioner, shave cream and a dry hair-styler. saundersandlong.com

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UP FRONT S O C I A L

S C E N E

HIGH SOCIETY People, parties, places

Anna Brewster

Tigerlily Taylor

Betty Bachz

Daisy Lowe

Alice Dellal

Yuxi Zhang and Laurent Feniou

Jenna Coleman Ed Westwick Eleanor Tomlinson

Sabine Getty

COUNTRY WEEKENDER Neelam Gill

Ikram Abdi Omar

Yasmin Le Bon

What better excuse to escape for the weekend than the Cartier Queen’s Cup? On the field all eyes were on David Paradice’s new team Scone Polo, awarded top prize by HM The Queen, but off the field, our eyes were on guests’ fabulous ‘English Garden’ inspired attire.

Tracey Emin

Charlotte Dellal

Jez Pereira

Harrison Osterfield and Fredrik Ferrier

DJ Fat Tony

Douglas Booth and Alexa Chung

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; REX FEATURES

Gabriella Wilde

ANIMAL MAGIC

PARIS IN LONDON

‘Often people don’t dare to push open the door of a museum or gallery, so I make sure to bring the museum to them,’ says Parisian artist Richard Orlinski. Which his new London gallery on New Bond Street certainly does, designed as a concept store and opened with a suitably glitzy bash. Très bonne.

Emilia Wickstead

Gala Gordon

How to raise over £1m in one night?

Show your guests a wild time, as the Elephant Family did at the Animal Ball, where a live auction at Lancaster House raised funds for Asian elephants. It was hard to tell who was behind the Venetian masks, but we spied Yasmin Le Bon, Alexa Chung and Tracey Emin beneath the designer-made disguises.

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Frieze London & Frieze Masters Regent’s Park, London 3–6 October 2019 Explore the best of contemporary art, plus leading modern and historical galleries from around the world frieze.com

Global lead partner Deutsche Bank

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ART CU LT U R E BOOKS PEOPLE

THE GUIDE

PHOTO: OLIVER ROSSER FEAST CREATIVE

CAREER GOALS Sir Ian McKellen doesn’t do birthdays by halves. To celebrate the big eight-zero, he’s planned an 80-date tour across the UK – including four special performances at Edinburgh’s Assembly Hall as part of Edinburgh International Festival, the venue and occasion of his landmark first appearance 50 years ago. Gandalf and a chorus of Shakespearian characters among others will grace the stage as he recalls seminal moments and performs favourite extracts from his life’s work.

22–25 August. eif.co.uk

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THE GUIDE

COMEDY

THE TRUTH ABOUT TAMPONS

Having enjoyed a storming premiere season at Adelaide Fringe, YUCK Circus has travelled from the other side of the world not to just break, but completely shatter gender stereotypes at Edinburgh Fringe. Their absurd high-flying acrobatics, hilarious confessions and a live Nutella binge critique society’s double standards and the stigma surrounding women’s issues.

3–24 August. yuckcircus.com

DON’T MISS POLO

Beach Ball

Acrobatics with a live Nutella binge. By Jenny Rowe

Set sail for a spectacle in the Solent

Stacking up to smash that glass ceiling

SAILING

AHOY THERE!

Cowes Week has introduced a new racing class this year which promises more speed for your spend, especially if you splash out a little and take a spectator boat out on the water to be in the thick of it. Around 8,500 competitors, including Olympians, world-class pros and fair-weather sailors, stick their oar in the Solent this summer.

10–17 August. cowesweek.co.uk The audience is at the centre of the action in Tree

FESTIVAL

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

Manchester International Festival is an artist-led programme staged in venues across the city. This year’s highlights include Tree, a musical collaboration created by Idris Elba and Kwame Kwei-Armah, and Re:Creating Europe, a poignant production that explores the history of Europe by speaking the words of artists, thinkers and political leaders. Ends 21 July. mif.co.uk

OUTDOOR THEATRE

Balcony Scenes Get your dose of Shakespearian drama in the historic grounds of Blenheim Palace, where a full-scale pop-up of the original Elizabethan Rose Theatre playhouse will stage four of the Bard’s most popular plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and Richard II. A 900-strong audience is treated to the ultimate immersive experience of 16thcentury entertainment, complete with comic minstrels and merriment courtesy of the Bear Arms pub.

8 July to 7 September. blenheimpalace.com

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PHOTOS: MANUEL HARLAN; © GUILDHALL ART GALLERY, CITY OF LONDON

COUNTRY LIFE

The British Beach Polo Championships return to Sandbanks in Dorset for their 12th year. Up to 5,000 spectators will watch the sporting spectacular, some from a raised sand platform. Also on the programme are fashion shows, beach rugby matches and the SandFest music festival on the Sunday.

On Saturday night, Radio One’s Nick Grimshaw will host the closing Sandpolo Ocean Party. 12–13 July. sandpolo.com

PHOTOS: MARK BRENNER; SAMANTHA MARTIN; GETTY IMAGES

E V E N T S

TOUR

GET YOUR THRILLS

Coming to the Duke of York’s Theatre, the adaptation of Paula Hawkins’ international bestselling novel The Girl on the Train has a lot to live up to. The tense storyline has numerous hold-your-breath plot twists that have been intelligently translated onto the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel. The effect is as gripping as it was on the page: ‘You could hear a pin drop,’ according to Hawkins. 23 July to 17 August. atgtickets.com

DON’T MISS FESTIVAL

Party in the Sky

E V E N T S

TOWN LIFE

PHOTOS: MANUEL HARLAN; © GUILDHALL ART GALLERY, CITY OF LONDON

PHOTOS: MARK BRENNER; SAMANTHA MARTIN; GETTY IMAGES

Morse and Miss Marple have nothing on Jason Manford

Surprise guests try to solve the crime

Relive the action of The Girl on the Train on a stage near you

PREMIERE

INSPECTOR IMPROV

A part-improvised theatre concept begins a fundraising run at Park Theatre in Finsbury Park. Each night Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] unleashes a different, unscripted guest performer – Joanna Lumley, Jason Manford and Catherine Tate among them – onto the stage, where they join a rehearsed ensemble of murder mystery characters. Their role? To solve the crime in real time.

15–27 July. parktheatre.co.uk

ARCHITECTURE

BUILDING BRIDGES

At Guildhall Art Gallery, the Illuminated River showcase features historic paintings of the Thames by artists such as Frank Brangwyn, John Atkinson Grimshaw and Norman Wilkinson. Selected by American artist, Leo Villareal, these works have influenced his design for Illuminated River, part of a ten-year public art project that will connect up to 15 of London’s iconic bridges via a light network. Ends 1 September. illuminatedriver.london

Nick Schlee, Blackfriars Bridge, London, Red Pillars

The Tide on Greenwich Peninsula, London’s first elevated linear park, is now open. Hedged with sculptural art works by Damien Hirst and Allen Jones, and created by the designers of Manhattan’s High Line, it hosts Turning Tides, a festival of art, music and wellness over two separate weekends. Musical headliners include Gaz Coombes and Oumou Sangaré, while LAbased conceptual artist Geronimo has a treat in store for contemporary art fans. 5–7 and 12–14 July. turningtides. london MARKET

A Crafty Cult Four times a year, The London Artisan and its squad of 60 contemporary designers take over the Old Truman Brewery, stuffing it with jewellery, ceramics, glassware, textiles and graphic design. Shoppers passionate about handmade, organic and sustainable goods – prepare to flock here for unique finds. This season you can even try your hand at wheel thrown pottery.

20–21 July. thelondonartisan.com

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THE GUIDE

Lis Rhodes, Dresden Dynamo (1971-2) 16mm film, 5 min

Nottingham Contemporary Collaging chunks of film, Lis Rhodes’ surreal sequences turn Gaza, gender inequality and the MPs’ expenses scandal into a dystopian dream.

Relevant and raw. Until 1 Sept. nottinghamcontemporary.org

FIVE MINUTES W ITH...

A R T S

ARTS AGENDA

The fairer sex comes to the fore. By Caiti Grove

Cindy Sherman, Untitled #413

NATALIA GONCHAROVA Tate Modern, London SE1 Natalia Goncharova’s Russia was bright, celebratory and traditional. This exhibition spans early paintings from 1911 through to her costume designs for Paris’ ballet. A pioneer of gender and body awareness, this essential figure of Modernism deserves a second look in Europe.

Until 8 Sept. tate.org.uk

Natalia Goncharova, Harvest: Angels Throwing Stones on the City (1911)

In the ’50s I used to skip school to lunch with a friend who was a Jewish-German refugee. I understood the isolation it can cause even though they had escaped something much worse. One is always drawing on context – including political injustice.

I want my work to inspire people to question things.

But more than that – it takes action.

PAULA REGO: OBEDIENCE AND DEFIANCE MK Gallery, Milton Keynes The first artist-in-residence at the National Gallery and a member of the London Group where she exhibited with Hockney and Auerbach, Rego is a prolific figure in the art world. Now 84 and still working, this will be her first major retrospective in 20 years. She usually draws inspiration from fairytales, but here she will prove her solidly political outlook as she covers slavery, abortion and female genital mutilation. Until 22 Sept. mkgallery.org

LIS RHODES Artist and filmmaker

People need to get together – young people should be let out for an hour or two a week to instigate change. The male approach tends to be more competitive.

Paula Rego, Angel (1998)

We need to work collaboratively – and for that, women need to be more involved.

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PHOTOS: © THE POLLOCK KRASNER FOUNDATION; © 2018. DIGITAL IMAGE MUSEUM ASSOCIATES/ LACMA/ART RESOURCE NY/ SCALA, FLORENCE; GRETE MARKS, UNTITLED, N.D., © COURTESY GRETE MARKS ESTATE; EOCENE, BARBARA HEPWORTH © BOWNESS, PHOTOGRAPHY MATTHEW HOLLOW; IFEOMA U. ANYAEJI AT BALTIC CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, GATESHEAD. PHOTO: COLIN DAVISON. © 2019 BALTIC

LIS RHODES: DISSIDENT LINES

PHOTOS: SAM KIRBY; COURTESY CINDY SHERMAN AND METRO PICTURES, NEW YORK; © ADAGP, PARIS AND DACS, LONDON 2019; © PAULA REGO, COURTESY MARLBOROUGH FINE ART; COURTESY LIS RHODES AND LUX

CINDY SHERMAN National Portrait Gallery, London WC2 Prom Queen, a politician’s wife, a ’50s film star – Cindy Sherman has been them all. Using herself as a model, the artist has dressed up as fictional characters and wellknown celebrities for 40 years. She challenges the illusion of perfection and asks what meaning we attach to images – all before Instagram was even invented. #seeyouthere.

Until 15 Sept. npg.org.uk

Aida Foroutan, Search (2001-2004)

PHOTOS: © THE POLLOCK KRASNER FOUNDATION; © 2018. DIGITAL IMAGE MUSEUM ASSOCIATES/ LACMA/ART RESOURCE NY/ SCALA, FLORENCE; GRETE MARKS, UNTITLED, N.D., © COURTESY GRETE MARKS ESTATE; EOCENE, BARBARA HEPWORTH © BOWNESS, PHOTOGRAPHY MATTHEW HOLLOW; IFEOMA U. ANYAEJI AT BALTIC CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, GATESHEAD. PHOTO: COLIN DAVISON. © 2019 BALTIC

PHOTOS: SAM KIRBY; COURTESY CINDY SHERMAN AND METRO PICTURES, NEW YORK; © ADAGP, PARIS AND DACS, LONDON 2019; © PAULA REGO, COURTESY MARLBOROUGH FINE ART; COURTESY LIS RHODES AND LUX

FIVE OF THE BEST FEMALE RETROSPECTIVES

PREVIEW

BEYOND FAITH: MUSLIM WOMEN ARTISTS TODAY

IFEOMA U ANYAEJI: EZUHU EZU Plaiting plastic bags and bottles into sculpture, Anyaeji celebrates Nigerian folklore, fashion and poetry while highlighting society’s excess and throwaway culture. Recycling at its most beautiful. Until 22 Sept. baltic.art

Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Exploring identity, faith and memory, five Muslim artists trained or based in the North West are to present their work. Artist Usarae Gul describes herself as ‘Unglish’, the hybrid of Urdu and English her family spoke at home, and combines the two in bright joyful paintings of takeaways and terraced houses.

Shabana Baig’s layered works reflect her identity as a second-generation Asian woman growing up in the ’90s.

Three cheers to the Whitworth for making different voices heard.

Until 10 Nov. whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

YOKO ONO SKY PIECES A retrospective of sculpture, music, film and performance will explore Ono’s love of the sky – a feature of her work that symbolises freedom, peace and our unknowable universe. A tiny gallery with big ambition. Until 6 Oct. heonggallery.com

REVIEW

LEE KRASNER: LIVING COLOUR

Lee Krasner, Desert Moon (1955)

Barbican Art Gallery, London EC2 ‘Any woman denying prejudice,’ said Krasner in the ’70s, ‘should be slapped.’ On seeing this exhibition – work which only started to gain recognition at the end of her life – it’s hard not to get angry. Mostly known for being Jackson Pollock’s wife, Krasner is now getting recognition on her own terms. She studied drawing from Hans Hofmann, who said her work was ‘so good you would not know it was done by a woman’. She had a well-received exhibition – and sold nothing, ripping up her work in a rage to then create vibrant collages from. She refused to be part of Peggy Guggenheim’s 1943 31 Women exhibition, insisting that, ‘I’m an artist, not a woman artist, not an American artist’. Until 1 Sept. barbican.org.uk

BARBARA HEPWORTH: ARTIST IN SOCIETY 1948–53 A newly explored period in the life of Hepworth, her superb figurative drawings and communitybased work in Hertfordshire reveal a new phase of her development as Britain’s major post-war artist.

Until 8 Sept. stalbansmuseums.org.uk BRIDGET RILEY Inspired by Seurat, Monet and Matisse, Riley translates their energy and colour into an abstract language that warps and expands like a score sheet of a Soho bar on a Saturday night. Don’t miss her exhibition at Scottish National Gallery.

Until 22 Sept. nationalgalleries.org GRETE MARKS: AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT Grete defied Bauhaus supremo Walter Gropius to forge her art in her own way. Deemed ‘degenerate’ by the Nazis, derided by Goebbels for her geometric ceramics, this exhibition is a tribute to her originality and grit. Until 27 Oct. pallant.org.uk

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THE GUIDE B O O K S

GOOD READS

A novel that examines how humans react in the face of extreme adversity. By Richard Hopton YOU WILL BE SAFE HERE DAMIAN BARR

South Africa is a nation with a troubled and controversial past. Damian Barr’s first novel explores two key moments in its history: the Boer War of 1899–1902 and the period either side of the end of apartheid in the 1990s.

The first part of the novel recounts the story of a Boer farmer’s wife imprisoned with her young son in one of the notorious ‘concentration’ camps established by the British to prevent the civilian population giving succour to the Boer irregular forces. It is written as a diary, the work of a decent, God-fearing and educated, if unsophisticated, woman who finds herself trapped in appalling conditions. Barr spares us nothing in his descriptions of the horrors of the camps: gross overcrowding, inadequate rations, rampant disease, and random cruelty. Some Boers – so-called ‘hands-uppers’ – pledged allegiance to the British in return for better conditions while many women exchanged sex for money, improved rations and other favours.

MY HOUSE IS FALLING DOWN Mary Loudon Lucy, a married mother of young twin girls, meets Angus, a professional pianist 18 years her senior, at a party. Mary Loudon’s debut novel traces the course of their affair and its consequences, as well as lifting the lid on Lucy’s previous life and her marriage to Mark, a successful artist. It describes the joys and agonies of an extramarital affair, the conflict between compulsive desire and restraining guilt.

That her husband is fully aware of the affair serves only to sharpen the pain; that Mark is deaf while Angus is a musician makes the contrast starker still.

Picador, £14.99

MOUNTAIN MAN James Forrest This is the exhaustive – and exhausting – account of James Forrest’s recordbreaking exploit in climbing all 446 mountains in England and Wales over six months in 2017. Incredibly, he managed to climb all the mountains, camping under the stars and walking in all weathers, while continuing to work four days a week. It is essential reading for anyone who has ever slogged up a steep hill for the thrill of reaching the top and looking out the other side. It made me long to get back to walking the hills, albeit at a less frenetic pace.

Conway, £16.99

The rest of the novel tells of three generations of the Brandt family living in Johannesburg between 1976 and 2010, culminating in the stint Willem (the grandson) spends in the New Dawn camp, run by white supremacist Afrikaners. Its sadistic, militarist regime toughens up young whites with the objective of retaking control of post-apartheid South Africa. The parallels with the Boer War camps are obvious.

On one level, this moving, occasionally very funny, novel is about how humans react in circumstances of extreme adversity. In some it brings out kindness, comradeship and generosity of spirit while in others cruelty, selfinterest and betrayal. This applies as much in the camps of 1901 as in those of 2010.

It’s also a commentary on the changing, and not-so-changing, attitudes of white South Africans to questions of race and equality in the years before and after the end of apartheid. In one suburb of Jo’burg, Barr writes, ‘Dogs became fashionable right after the first blacks moved in’. Much has changed but much remains the same; meanwhile Mandela’s dream is dying.

Bloomsbury, £16.99

THE HEART BEATS IN SECRET Katie Munnik This, the author’s first novel, tells the story of three successive generations of the same family, grandmother, mother and daughter, between 1940 and 2006. The story jumps nimbly between the buttoned-up austerity of wartime Scotland, the free-love counterculture of a Canadian commune for young, pregnant women in the 1960s and modern, politicallycorrect Ottawa, via visits to 1960s Edinburgh and Montreal. Munnik unfurls her story in quiet, reflective prose, but there is much to enjoy along the way – not least a surprising cameo for a Canada goose.

Borough Press, £12.99 n

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THE GUIDE

S P O R T S

THE OLYMPIAN The decathlete who brought British cheer to the global stage. By Sebastian Coe

PHOTO: REX FEATURES

D

ecathlete Daley Thompson a game changer? Oh yes. And so far I have known every one of the game changers who have made it to this column, but Daley is different – and here I declare an interest. He is one of my closest friends.

I met him for the first time when we both debuted for the British athletics’ indoor team in a competition in West Germany in the late ’70s. Our first encounter quintessentially summed up the man who, a year afterwards, began his global domination of the decathlon with a vice-like grip for the best part of the next decade.

On the eve of our German outing, the team manager distributed our competition numbers. I was handed ‘007’. Before I had a chance to discreetly place it back in the envelope, Thompson grabbed it and said, ‘I think you’ll find that’s for me.’

I disagreed, wrestling it back. I’d passed the test. Had I rolled over demurely, I instinctively know we would have been members of the same team, and maybe fellow travellers, but never close friends.

Thompson was more than a game changer in British sport. He was a mood changer. He set a tone, a style and a new level of global expectation at a time when there was little British cheer on the global sporting landscape. He also did it in one of the few global sports. And, as we now know, by vanquishing many who were chemical creations. His non-negotiable stance on clean sport was crucial. It also showed that a Herculean training load and super-human mental strength (I’ve never met anyone with

Daley Thompson stands over his vanquished opponents at the 1982 Athens European Championships

that attribute in greater quantity), could alone prevail.

He won two Olympic, a World, two European and three Commonwealth titles and broke the world record for the event four times. His Olympic success in Los Angeles, when all looked lost until the later stages of the competition, for me summed up this extraordinary athlete. His deadly rival in those games, the German Jürgen Hingsen was looking unassailable. Thompson needed a giant throw in the discus to stay in the competition. On his final attempt he threw

the projectile some six foot further than he’d ever thrown. Hingsen was rocked, and the rest of his competition collapsed like a soufflé.

A short post-script. During his trauma and sitting in the tunnel leading to the field of play in LA’s Coliseum with a towel over his head, I momentarily suspended my own warm up for the 1,500 metres and offered an observation to the stricken German: ‘He is an animal, isn’t he?’ I said. He just forlornly nodded. This column is necessarily about opinion. So, here goes. For me, Daley Thompson is our greatest Olympian. n

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C A R S

ROAD TEST

Growing family spoiling your supercar ambitions? The MercedesAMG GT-S four-door has room for everybody, says Jeremy Taylor

The Mercedes-AMG GT-S is the most fun family car you will find

VITA L STATS Mercedes-AMG GT-S 4MATIC+ 4-door Coupé PRICE £135,550 ENGINE 4.0-litre V8 petrol POWER 631bhp 0-62MPH 3.2 seconds ECONOMY 22.1mpg

TOWN

COUNTRY

The Mercedes-AMG GT-S is almost too clever for its own good. This four-seater is the ultimate family car for people in a hurry. With four burbling exhaust pipes hinting at a bonnet full of fun, this coupécum-supercar screams performance.

The buttons and dials are recognisable but the rest of the multimedia display will have owners reaching for the handbook. It’s very busy indeed. Most functions are controlled by a touchsensitive tracking pack that had me shouting in frustration. With the Mercedes in motion, the delicate surface has a mind of its own.

The build quality is, as you might expect for a motor costing this much, quite exceptional.

Opt for a £3,695 Luxury Lounge Pack between the rear seats and a fresh rash of controls and screens will appear to keep idle hands engaged.

Its tech arsenal includes air suspension, rear steer and all-wheel drive, meaning the GT-S can cope with whatever you throw at it. Even so, around town the long bonnet and poor rear visibility make parking awkward.

The perfect antidote to the more common Porsche Panamera and a darn sight prettier too...

RATING: 4/5 HANDBAGS

Apart from points on your license, the main danger driving the GT-S in the countryside is that you may never want to return to the city again.

Family cars just weren’t meant to be this much fun.

The 4.0-litre V8 can keep up with a Ferrari. The Mercedes sounds old-school good, with blistering performance on the open road. The all-wheel steer makes cornering a doddle, with huge brakes to steady your nerves. There are six driving modes to choose from – including a race setting for those ready to burn out a set of tyres on a track.

Despite its outsize dimensions, the GT-S doesn’t feel that big on the open road. Nimble, precise and very quick, it dispenses with a cross-country tour with minimum fuss. Fuel consumption can be heavy but you won’t notice it through the giggling.

There are four or five-seat layouts to choose from, neither offers much rear legroom but the 461-litre boot is half decent. Being a hatchback, it will swallow up your pooch and decent amounts of shopping. Other Mercedes family cars are available but I doubt any will give you quite as much entertainment as the GT-S. Just set aside an hour or two to read the manual…

RATING: 5/5 WELLIES

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THE GUIDE Jeremy put the McLaren through its paces in Arizona McLaren 570S Spider

THE DRIVE

VITA L STATS McLaren 570S Spider PRICE £166,000

There are two ways to go topless in Payson, Arizona, a test location for McLaren’s latest supercar: Pete’s Place is a cowgirl cabaret of dubious moral standards, while the British manufacturer’s convertible can bring the roof down in 15 showstopping seconds.

That means the 204mph 570S Spider built in Woking packs the slickest street act in the West. The retractable hardtop ingeniously splits in two and disappears into the bodywork. In the remote hillside town of Payson this has serious novelty value. After

ENGINE 3799cc V8 petrol POWER 570hp 0-62MPH 3.2 seconds ECONOMY 26.4mpg

A L L THE GE A R

Jeremy recharged at Villa Royale in Palm Springs. villaroyale.com

all, the bestselling car around these parts is a strapping Ford 150 pick-up truck with bull bars.

The McLaren then, is as macho as a soda pop. While there is enough horsepower from its 4.0-litre V8 engine for an entire posse of cowboys, any convertible is regarded as a fancy one-trick pony. If you want an open-top car here, hell you just take an angle grinder to the roof.

Founded by New Zealander Bruce McLaren in 1963, McLaren is the second most successful team in Formula One history. It made superstars of James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Ayrton Senna and even Lewis Hamilton, winning 12 drivers’ championships and eight constructors’ titles.

The company started to make road-going supercars in quantity in 2010. You could be forgiven for not being able to differentiate between each one because the same futuristic, wild and waspish design DNA is stamped on every model.

I’ve just driven five hours across Arizona from Palm Springs, where Hollywood’s finest come to relax at Villa Royale. The 570S fits in perfectly here – the car is superstar slim. The doors open upwards and, once installed in leather bucket seats, you can start to enjoy McLaren’s glorious engine. It’s directly behind the cockpit and even with the roof down and the aerodynamics thrown into a tizzy, the Spider will take your wig off at 200mph.

In my book, the McLaren is the ultimate beginner’s supercar with no nasty surprises, although it isn’t exactly cheap. However, even if you never play with the adjustable drivetrain, dampers and other track paraphernalia, it can still make you feel like Lewis on the way to a tattoo parlour.

The front storage space will also swallow a dozen shopping bags and speed humps are negotiated via an automatic lift system. Luxurious grand tourer, open-top cruiser, everyday shopping trolley, the 570S does the lot. Find a suitable set of corners and the Spider is thoroughly gripping.

RATING: 5/5 n

SHADES Make a total spectacle of yourself with a pair of London-based Finlay & Co’s lovingly crafted glasses. From £100. finlayandco.com

AND NO IDEA SNEAKERS Athletic Propulsion Labs kit out the Williams F1 team with these lightweight trainers. Make a smart getaway from the starting grid. £155. athletic propulsionlabs.com

SPEAKERS Bose SoundLink Color II is a lightweight, portable Bluetooth speaker that packs a serious punch. £129.95. bose.co.uk

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THE GUIDE

G A R D E N I N G

SEEDER’S DIGEST

FLOWER POWER

Plant wallflowers early to reap the benefits, says our new gardening columnist Sarah Raven

SPARKING JOY When I found this vase I jumped for joy – I’d been looking for a vase this colour for some time. Favourite Jade Vase, £29.95

Wallflowers are one of my very favourite plants because they come in the most wonderful, rich colours and have a lovely scent. I recommend early autumn planting. You can turn something from a wimpy, one-month wonder to a floriferous, robust and longflowering colour giant by planting early. It’s hugely worthwhile.

I love wallflowers under-planting tulips and they also make superb cut flowers. Tulip ‘Sarah Raven’, Tulip ‘Menton’, and Wallflower ‘Ruby Gem’ (from £16.50) together were the most stylish and loveliest combination I had in the garden last spring.

For dark and richly coloured flowers, I love The Rich Velvet Wallflower collection, (from £17.95), which showcases the very best varieties, all of which excelled in our trials at Perch Hill. Or for an on-trend softer look, I adore the Smoky Pastel Wallflower collection (from £17.95). I’ve completely fallen for the scent too and can’t wait to see these come into flower in spring.

AUGUST IN THE GARDEN Menton and Sarah Raven tulips mixed with Ruby Gem wallflowers

Sarah Raven

There’s lots of pruning, dead-heading and harvesting to be done, so if you’re off on your holidays make sure you get some help for your garden or plan ahead. You can also start preparing for the autumn veg patch and start to sow flowers for next spring.

Now is the time to start sowing winter salads and hardy lettuces for autumn/winter and early spring picking. Spinach and chard are also high on my priority list for September. Chard is actually two vegetables in one. Separate the stems from the leaves and cook the stems for two to three minutes longer. Absolutely delicious.

IN A SNIP These easily cut through wire and woody stems yet are small enough to pop into your pocket.

Sarah Raven Mini Secateurs Set, £20.95

LEMON YELLOW Lemon Sorbet Tulip Collection, from £13.95.

All available at sarahraven.com

20 per cent off for C&TH readers at Sarah Raven*. Visit sarahraven.com and enter offer code CTH19. Terms and conditions: Offer ends 31 October 2019. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount.

See website for full Ts & Cs

PHOTOS: © JONATHAN BUCKLEY

WONDER WALL

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THE GUIDE

A chance encounter beneath a dining room table led Nicole Farhi to sculpture.

Charlotte Metcalf meets the artist and fashion designer, plus a few of her miniature heads Portrait by ALEXANDRA DAO

N

icole Farhi arrives with her curator Selina Skipwith, lugging a crate of sculpted heads. Protective of their fragility, Nicole wants to unwrap them herself, so I watch as ten recognisable writers’ faces – Hemingway, Beckett, Woolf and Lessing among others – emerge from their protective wrapping. Their expressions seem all the more intense because they are smaller than life-sized, as if their characters are concentrated and made extra vivid by compression. ‘They’re so amusing,’ smiles Nicole, lining them up on the piano. ‘It’s fun putting so much character into something small – sometimes miniatures can be more powerful.’

Nicole is, of course, a household name, known the world over for her eponymous fashion label.

She became famous when she embarked on a partnership with Stephen Marks that led to Cottage or French Connection, an intimate relationship penthouse? I’m and a daughter. ‘I was very lucky Stephen a city person, so penthouse – believed in me from the beginning, so I could though I’d love do what I wanted,’ she says. ‘I designed things somewhere by the sea.

I wanted to wear – simple, soft, anonymous clothes in black, white or navy.’ Those loose, Michelin star or comfortable, well-cut, functional clothes pub? If I were in France I’d go attracted legions of devotees, who were dismayed to one of those when she gave it all up for sculpture, announcing little country restaurants, but she’d never loved fashion the way she loved art. in England I’d go ‘Sculpture is something I do for myself, for Michelin stars whereas fashion was always for someone else,’ over a pub.

Nicole explains. ‘Sculpture brought me freedom.

Killer heels or About 35 years ago at a dinner, the woman brogues? Heels are so beautiful next to me dropped a cork under the table and but I just stumble then disappeared after it. Eventually I peeked around in them, under the table and there she was, impeccably so flats every time. dressed, just sitting down there carving the cork.

It sparked a conversation that changed my life as Wine or green tea? Green tea, she introduced me to the abstract sculptor Jean though I love Gibson who became my teacher. I studied three good wine with good food. nights a week and Jean later said I was the most assiduous student she’d ever had. I’d still probably Cat or dog? go to Jean’s studio if she hadn’t died in 1991.’

I’ve had both all my life but now Nicole also met the artist Eduardo Paolozzi at they’re gone I the RCA’s foundry: ‘I was in my sexy phase and won’t have a pet again. casting a piece called Orgasm that looked like an open egg with a flame coming out of it. Eduardo

IN BRIEF

had such a sense of humour and was teased by the idea that here was this woman putting the patina on an erotic piece.’

The chance meeting propelled Paolozzi and Nicole into a close and lasting friendship and Paolozzi was a witness at Nicole’s wedding to the writer David Hare in 1992. In her Hampstead home that Nicole now shares with David, Paolozzi’s sculpture and drawings are prominently displayed. She remembers Paolozzi with affection: ‘He was like a giant with a great big deep voice and huge hands but he could be so soft. You never forgot him. He taught me to sculpt whatever I wanted so long as it’s from the heart. So I sculpt exactly what I feel – about the lack of appreciation for large women, as in my last show Folds, or the lack of contact and love between people for my next show, Contact.’

Folds, at the Beaux Arts Gallery in London earlier this year, showed work that was explicitly, frankly, voluptuously physical.

One piece will stand in the foyer of an obstetrics and gynaecology hospital. ‘The woman who bought it said it looks like a woman just after she’s given birth, when the flesh is yielding, soft but so beautiful – I see beauty everywhere,’ says Nicole. She describes Contact, depicting women’s limbs and flesh entwined and embracing, as ‘all about getting back to the basics of touch through the hands’.

For Folds Nicole worked with two models, Paola Barone and Susan Tilley. ‘Sue had only ever sat for Lucian Freud but I persuaded her to come over – she wanted to see my portrait of Lucian,’ says Nicole. ‘The first thing I sculpted was Sue’s breast – she had no idea it could be so full of peace and beauty.’ Judging from the visceral sensuality of the work, Nicole delighted in the luscious layers of soft, thick, heavy flesh.

‘It was an antidote to the fashion industry,’ she says. ‘People were struck that I sculpted fragments rather than the whole body but I wanted to show that every breast, thigh, knee – even a foot can be beautiful. Once, in Hong Kong, I noticed how beautiful my assistant’s knees and elbows were – their perfect shape and round softness of articulation.’

Nicole sculpts in a conservatory that runs the length of the house, overlooking the garden: ‘David visits on Sunday mornings; if I want him to. He has a very good eye and I’m always interested in his views – he has lots to say about my literary heads. We understand each other and are proud of each other’s work. I’m love sculpting. When I don’t get dressed all day and can just be in my studio, in silent conversation with myself, I’m entirely happy. I loved working in fashion – I liked the speed of it and how everything changed so fast but I’ve done it, I’ve finished and turned the page. And now I’m happier as a person and so at peace.’ nicolefarhisculpture.com n

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Nicole Farhi with her sculpted literary heads

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Swimsuit, Zimmermann.

Cape, Needle & Thread

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SHIP SHAPE Don’t dress down to cover up Fashion director NICOLE SMALLWOOD Photographer DANIEL GRAHAM HACK

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Skirt, Jil Sander.

Bikini top, Eres. Hat, Lock & Co

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Dress, Christopher Kane.

Bikini, Arabella London

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Jacket, Joseph. Bikini, Stella McCartney.

Sunglasses, ChloĂŠ

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Bikini, Melissa Odabash.

Necklace, Luv Aj

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Kaftan, Ashish.

Bikini bottoms, Adriana Degreas

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Dress, Ashish TEAM Make-up: Camilla Hewitt at One Represents using Leonor Greyl and Tom Ford Beauty Model: Annemara at Model Management LOCATION With thanks to Domes Miramare, Corfu. Doubles from ¤262 (domesmiramare.com) and Tsirigotis Yachts (tsirigotis.com) STOCKISTS: PAGE 130

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On Location

A hotel with a smattering of Onassis star power proved the perfect backdrop for our Ship Shape fashion shoot

T

he Onassis family knew how to holiday in style, so what better location for our August fashion shoot than this super-chic beachside property they built on Corfu in the 1960s? Domes Miramare, a Luxury Collection Resort, opened last summer after a multi-million-Euro project to restore it to its former Swinging Sixties glory, with the addition of slick new suites and villas.

‘The property has a long history of welcoming the glitterati, and it’s heartening to see this icon reclaiming its rightful place as one of the Mediterranean’s newest and most luxurious resorts,’ says Anthony Ingham of The Luxury Collection.

Originally designed by Greek starchitect Charalambos Sfaellos, Kristina Zanic Design Consultants’ reimagining remains faithful to Sfaellos’ original modernist vision, offering 113 rooms, suites and villas. Our team most enjoyed swanning around the spacious marble bathrooms, whose pretty pastel basins were inspired by ancient Greek mosaics.

Set in shore-hugging grounds and surrounded by centuries-old olive groves, the resort was the perfect place for our fashion team to relax and rejuvenate in between takes with a spot of beachfront yoga, an outdoor personal training session or a pampering wellness treatment – it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it!

Once the team had unwound after a long day’s shooting, they were ready to plunge into the hustle and bustle of Corfu’s Old Town, and Domes Miramare had a fantastically Onassis idea of how to get there. The Miramaretta (pictured opposite) is the resort’s luxury boat service which zips guests to the city in just 15 minutes – half the time that it takes by car and a much cooler way to make an entrance.

As the only hotel on the island to offer this service, guests benefit from a unique fast-track to the cultural riches of Old Town Corfu, while sailing past the stunning coastline of regal Mon Repo, past Moraitika beach and on to Miramare’s dock. Speak to the concierge about how to make the most of this UNESCO protected part of town.

‘It is all about Legacy! Legacy is the force that inspires and drives us,’ says George P. Spanos, Vice President and CEO of Domes Resorts, citing both the importance of the Onassis family and that of Domes Resorts, which has injected real luxury into Greece’s hotel offering – but also the heritage of Corfu itself as the most aristocratic destination in Greece, a feeling that this resort has in spades.

BOOK IT: Domes Miramare is located on Corfu’s eastern coast, 17km from Corfu Airport and 15 minutes’ drive from Corfu Old Town. Doubles from € 262 per room per night. domesmiramare.com n August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 65

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How do you live yours?

Here at Life, we create kitchens to be lived in.

So, come and explore our beautiful showroom and tell us how you live yours.

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Railway Arch 213, Newham Terrace, Hercules Road, Lambeth, London SE1 7DR

www.life-kitchens.co.uk

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THE HOME OF COUNTRY CLOTHING

These delicately textured pure new wool British herringbone tweeds in rosebud and slate bring a cool sophistication to our upcoming Autumn/ Winter catalogue, letting you take both town and country in your stride. Seen here beautifully complemented by both the vibrant colours of our Liberty print tana lawn cotton blouse and the expressive ruffles of our frill front blouse, with cropped West of England marled flannel trousers adding the perfect finishing touch.

TWEED COLLEGE COAT LIBERTY PRINT SHIRT CROPPED FLANNEL TROUSERS CRIMPED FRILL BLOUSE TWEED MODERN SHORT SKIRT

TS30195 TN07505 TP09490 TN11021 TQ12125

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£195 £69.95 £79.95 £49.95 £69.95

To pre-order items from our upcoming mail order catalogue or to reserve your copy, call 01796 483 236 or visit our website at:

www.houseofbruar.com

The House of Bruar by Blair Atholl, Perthshire, PH18 5TW

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Bull’s Eye

PHOTOS: © JEREMY TAYLOR

If anyone’s got wings, it’s formidable racing driver (and Mr Ginger Spice) Christian Horner. Jeremy Taylor meets the Team Principal of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing at his home in the Cotswolds

It’s not just fast wheels that get Christian’s blood pumping – his collection includes a vintage Massey Ferguson tractor

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FROM LEFT: Christian with Geri’s horse, Beauty; in his Aston Martin DB5; and with Geri at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone

C

hristian Horner is one of the biggest names in the world’s most glamorous sport. Team principal of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, his Formula One career is matched by the Girl Power success of his Spice Girl wife, Geri Halliwell. The couple’s chic Cotswold farmhouse is just outside Banbury and neighbours that of Lord Heseltine. A sprawling collection of restored barns and outbuildings, the Horner lifestyle includes fast cars, A-lister friends from motorsport and the music industry, plus an ever-expanding menagerie of animals.

There’s hardly room to reverse a supercar when I arrive at 10am.

It’s the morning after Geri has performed to a sell-out audience at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, and staff and builders are busy trying to complete a new indoor swimming pool in time for a British Grand Prix weekend party (12–14 July). The couple’s two-year-old son Monty is pedalling a toy tractor at breakneck speed, while Geri’s daughter from a previous relationship, Bluebell Madonna, 13, is outside studiously grooming her mum’s horse, Beauty.

I’m here to interview Horner but I bump into Ginger Spice as she walks down the stairs, slightly dishevelled in riding jodhpurs and jumper, apologising for her late showing.

The night before Coventry, the band had played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, with Horner in the audience.

‘Formula One can be pretty mad but I’ve never heard a noise like those fans,’ he says. ‘During the afternoon soundcheck they let me on stage to play the drums. I was tapping out a beat and suddenly the 70 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | August 2019

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band joined in behind me with Smoke On The Water – it was brilliant.’

Whatever Geri really, really wants, it’s unlikely Horner will allow his wife to try out a racetrack. ‘Geri is the worst driver – she’s in a total world of her own and thinks everybody else is doing everything wrong. When she concentrates, she drives well. The problem is the amount of time she spends concentrating on driving.’

There are certainly plenty of cars to choose from in the couple’s barn-like garage. ‘My first classic was an AC Cobra, then I splashed out on an Aston Martin DB5 when I turned 40. I also own a pair of Minis that once belonged to Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, and a vintage Massey Ferguson tractor. Geri bought me a Willys Jeep three years ago, so I tracked down and bought back the red MGB roadster she spent her first pay cheque on as a Spice Girl.’

Horner’s rise to the top of Formula One seemed almost inevitable.

His grandfather and father ran a successful car component company in the Midlands and there were always plenty of interesting motors on the driveway. ‘Dad owned a Reliant Scimitar GTE, a Triumph Stag and lots of Jaguars. Mum drove an Alpine sports car. At one point she had a Triumph Herald. We always encouraged her to get airborne over a humpback bridge on the school run.’

When he was 12, Horner’s parents bought him a go-kart to drive around the fields at their home near Leamington Spa. The grass proved too wet, so he went to an airfield track with his father. From that moment Horner was hooked.

He put university on hold after winning a Formula Renault scholarship in 1991 and later had a successful

‘GERI BOUGHT ME A WILLYS JEEP THREE YEARS AGO, SO I TRACKED DOWN AND BOUGHT BACK THE RED MGB ROADSTER SHE SPENT HER FIRST PAY CHEQUE ON AS A SPICE GIRL’ career in British Formula Two and Formula 3000, setting up his own team, Arden. However, despite a trial with Lotus, Horner realised he would never be good enough to race in Formula One. His big break came when he joined a fledgling Red Bull in 2005 as the youngest team principal, aged 31. ‘It was a massive moment in my life but also felt like a natural progression. I applied all the principles that served me well building my Formula 3000 team to Formula One. ‘At the end of the day, people are your biggest asset – the right technicians, engineers and drivers. I was a big Adrian Newey [Red Bull’s chief technical officer] fan, so when he left McLaren to join us, people stood up and took notice. If you are going to shoot for the stars, you need somebody like Adrian.’

Red Bull finished the season strongly in 2009 and then won the F1 Constructors’ Championship in 2010 – the first of four back-to-back wins with Sebastien Vettel and Mark Webber in the driving seat. ‘2010 was quite a year. Adrian and I both bought an Aston Martin Vantage V12 to celebrate. It was the first real present I had afforded myself.’

As we walk around the grounds, Horner’s faithful West Highland Terrier, Bernie, is never far away; he was named in honour of Horner’s mentor, Bernie Ecclestone. ‘We have four dogs, miniature donkeys, goats, Geri’s horses and a couple of canaries called Donald and Hillary. The latter formed an unlikely friendship and mated!’

Their home is full of memorabilia. A snooker room in one of the outbuildings is plastered with posters of Geri’s alongside countless motorsport trophies and photos from her husband’s career. In the loo is a Time Out cover of the Spice Girls, plus a framed copy of Your Song by Elton John, played at the couple’s wedding in 2015.

Horner looks relaxed in white shirt and jeans, wearing a Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre 16, one of the many in his collection. ‘I don’t mind being in the limelight on a Grand Prix weekend but not the rest of the time. We’ve lived in this place for about four years and it’s become the perfect home to relax and get away from it all.’

Still only 45, with an OBE and four world championships to his name, Horner has long been touted as the next Ecclestone, taking the helm of Formula One when he eventually steps back from team management.

‘It’s very flattering when people make that connection.

At the moment, I very much enjoy the competitive side of my career. I’m really focused on wanting to achieve more with Red Bull and getting us back to a winning situation. Nobody has a crystal ball: ten years down the road I might feel differently.’

Christian Horner is Team Principal of Aston Martin Red Bull Racing. redbullracing.redbull.com n August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 71

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T IM E T O C H A N G E Y O U R V IE W S C o m e o n a JC Jo u rn e y

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SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA HOLY LAND ROME & ASSISI PATMOS ST PAUL IN CORINTH ST BENEDICT IN ROME MEDJUGORJE NORTHERN LIGHTS GOZO & MALTA FAITH THROUGH ART, ST PETERSBURG AND MANY MORE…

WATERLOO SOMME MONTE CASSINO ANZIO NORMANDY PALESTINE BOSNIA ARNHEM OP MARKET GARDEN COLDITZ PENINSULAR WAR ROME TO FLORENCE (44) AND MANY MORE…

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Niquesa Travel’s year-long itinerary stops off at some of the best diving spots in Guatemala and Belize

The Super Sabbatical

A week-long fly and flop doesn’t quite cut the mustard – these days experience is everything. Christopher Silvester investigates the rise of the grown-up gap year

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ABOVE: Niquesa Travel offers expeditions to far-flung parts of Chile BELOW: Celebrity Cruises has partnered with Ben Fogle to present the Great Adventures series

past few years, we have seen an increase in enquiries for an extended sabbatical trip,’ says Nick Wilson, Natural World Safaris’ head of product. ‘Today, travellers want to experience, learn and discover more. Travelling for a longer period of time allows them to get under the skin of a destination to gain a deeper understanding of the place, wildlife, people and culture. Alternatively, it enables the inclusion of an increased number of stops and experiences along the way, valuable when travelling further afield or off the beaten track, when travelling times need to be considered. We are finding extended journeys appeal to those in high-level executive roles who may be on three-month gardening leave before starting a new position. They may also appeal to a retiree sitting on various company boards, who is able to take extended time out and dedicate themselves to the experience.’

An example of the sort of super-sabbatical the company offers, albeit at the eye-watering price of between £65,000 and £85,000 per person, is the immersive 90-day primate and gorilla-binge expedition, which starts with tracking western lowland gorillas in Gabon, then goes into both the Republic of Congo and Central African Republic, seeing gorillas and exploring Odzala-Kokua and Dzanga-Sangha’s national parks and rivers. The next leg, tracking eastern lowland gorillas and summiting the active Nyiragongo volcano in the Democratic Republic

PHOTOS: © RICHARD DENYER; © ANDY PARANT

W

hoever just goes on holiday any longer? Once upon a time, the emphasis was on simply having a period of fun and relaxation with your partner or family, away from back-breaking or soul-destroying toil. Now we seek ever-increasing spiritual rewards from our travels. Selfimprovement is our watchword. The quest for mere pleasure has been replaced by the quest for meaning. We expect to learn more about indigenous communities or about the sustainability of our planet, and therefore more about ourselves. Meet the super-sabbatical.

Last December I was travelling on the Celebrity Edge, the latest cruise liner from Celebrity Cruises, where I met Ben Fogle, the explorer and TV presenter, who has been a global destination ambassador for the company for the past five years. ‘What do you see as a forthcoming trend in travel?’ I asked him. ‘I think you’re going to see more and more people taking super-sabbaticals,’ he replied. Fogle’s Great Adventures series for Celebrity Cruises arose from his perception that cruise companies should concentrate on destination activities as much as shipboard activities, whether it be hiking volcanoes in St Kitts or fjord snorkelling in Norway. For cruisers, of course, time spent in any one place is limited, but what Fogle means by super-sabbaticals is immersive, experiential travel, whereby a couple or a family spend a lot of time in one particular place or on a round-the-world journey.

Having spoken with several tour operators, I’ve discovered that Ben is not alone in making this assumption. Indeed, such is the demand that one London firm, Original Travel, has launched a special division dedicated to organising super-sabbaticals.

Another company, Natural World Safaris, specialises in safari and wilderness adventures with an emphasis on sustainability. ‘Over the 74 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | August 2019

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Ski seasons aren’t just for gap years, says Oliver Corkhill, CEO of Leo Trippi

PHOTOS: © RICHARD DENYER; © ANDY PARANT

of Congo, is currently out of bounds owing to travel restrictions.

(If the FCO relaxes these, the trip will also include a stop at the island idyll of Tchegera Tented Camp, in the middle of Lake Kivu.)

Continuing the route via Rwanda, the land of a thousand hills, you will track mountain gorillas in both the Volcanoes National Park and Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, before exploring the forests of Kibale, Kyambura, Budongo and Murchison Falls, to encounter many of Uganda’s 24 species of primate, including chimpanzees, baboons, mangabey, colobus, galago and more. Pausing at Wildwaters Lodge, on a unique private island midstream on the mighty River Nile, you will next travel to Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains to encounter the gelada monkeys. Finally, you will fly to Madagascar, where your last three weeks will be spent traversing the island from east coast to west coast, encountering at least 20 lemur species and spending time with the lemur-monitoring researchers at Kianjavato.

If that seems too much like a walk in the park, why not try the full one-year itinerary devised by high-end specialists Niquesa Travel?

In the summer you will join your yacht in the Caribbean and sail to Panama by way of Cuba, Mexico, Belize and Costa Rica, before travelling south to Ecuador/Galápagos, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, while your yacht re-locates to Tahiti. Winter will be spent in the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, while spring will see you heading for Indonesia and Cambodia, rejoining your yacht in the Indian Ocean before visiting Kenya and Tanzania. It’s topped off the following summer with a tour of the Greek Islands, Croatia, Italy and the Balearic Islands. Depending on the yacht and crew involved, this whole trip will cost upwards of £750,000 per person.

‘We are increasingly finding that young families see the value of a sabbatical as a means of reconnection and self-development,’ says Mark Allvey, Niquesa Travel’s managing director. ‘Technology has all but eradicated obstacles like education and communication, giving busy families the opportunity to create enduring memories through travel. Clients seek our expertise in curating their entire experience, from careful route planning to creativity, learning and destination knowledge built up over decades. We help them to immerse themselves completely in a particular destination, sharing life experiences while enriching and maximising their precious time together and taking the stress out of what can be a complicated planning process.’

Natural World Safaris isn’t monkeying around with its 90-day primate expedition

Some couples or families might prefer the different approach offered by Arksen, the expedition yacht brand. By reinventing the modern explorer vessel, Arksen hopes to inspire a new generation of sailors. Costing around £5 million each, and designed with sustainability in mind, Arksen yachts are well suited to long trips to remote areas. The Arksen Explorers’ Club assists owners who wish to undertake more challenging trips by sorting out the logistics for them.

‘One of the greatest inspirations for building Arksen was my children,’ says CEO Jasper Smith. ‘The world is a complex place today and while I have sailed extensively with them in the Med and around the UK, I began to dream of taking them on some of the much longer passages I did a few years ago. I then thought how wonderful it would be to take them on some of the extraordinary journeys of our role models.

Following part of the explorer Fridtjof Nansen’s 1890s Fram journey north, sailing in the wake of Bill Tillman, diving some of the sites Jacques Cousteau discovered and following the Kon-Tiki route. Life is short, it skips by. I thought, if there’s one thing I can do for and with my kids that will allow them to see the world in a profoundly different way it is perhaps to show them the world at its most natural and complete.’

And why should skiing be the exception to this new rule? As Oliver Corkhill, CEO of Leo Trippi, explains, while ski seasons are typically considered as activities for gap year students and university graduates, in recent years there has been an increased demand for people in a higher age demographic wishing to spend an entire season in the mountains. ‘These clients are taking a midlife career break to embark on a once-in-a-life time sabbatical, usually four months in length, and they have the finances to really make the most of it.

With today’s “experience economy”, there has been a substantial shift in what clients desire – it’s no longer just about a high-value product (such as an extravagant St Moritz chalet) but instead it’s about the experimental activity offered. To meet this demand, we combine luxury accommodation with exhilarating high-altitude experiences, from snowshoeing in a beautiful national park to exploring thousands of miles of heli-skiing terrain in Iceland’s Troll Peninsula. We take huge pride in our knowledge, experience and contacts across Europe’s leading ski destinations and we are thrilled to share this in order to create truly bespoke and memorable experiences such as sabbaticals.’

And if you’re worried about the impact of taking your children out of school for a year, specialist agencies can arrange for tutors or retired teachers to accompany you on your journey.

So, what are you waiting for? n August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 75

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CHANGING THE GAME SINCE 1962

2018 Africa's Leading Luxury Tour Operator

Geoffrey Kent founded A&K in Kenya more than 55 years ago with little more than a refrigerated truck and the best tents money could buy. Back then, the company went by the motto ‘off-the-beaten-track safaris’. A lot has changed in the intervening years, but we still love to devise tailor-made luxury holidays and unparalleled escorted tours, all of which protect and preserve the places our clients travel to… such as our birthplace – Africa.

0207 173 6440 abercrombiekent.co.uk

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ONBOARD Edited by Rosalyn Wikeley

20

PAGES DEDICATED TO LIFE AT SEA

A Princess Yachts boat provides the perfect springboard

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SHARING SHARINGADVENTURES ADVENTURES SINCE SINCE1973 1973

Hermitage Hermitage Bay,Bay, Antigua Antigua 6.10pm, 6.10pm, 10 April 10 April 2019 2019 Oyster Oyster 885885 www.oysteryachts.com www.oysteryachts.com

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YACHT SPECIAL Plain sailing Oceanco’s 106-metre Black Pearl sailing yacht is as fuelefficient as it is breathtaking. Its three sails are made from carbon fibre and it’s said to be able to cross the Atlantic without burning any fuel, using full electric propulsions. oceancoyacht.com

CURRENT AFFAIRS Trends that are rocking the boat

G R EEN PL AN E T

Increasingly builders and buyers are angling for more eco-innovation, using sustainable materials, solar power and low-emission cruising technology

Tesla of the sea There have been small electric boats before, but the difference with Konrad Bergström’s all-electric X Shore vessel is performance.

It has a range of 100 nautical miles on a single charge, and can reach 40 knots. Silent, fumeless and – thanks to their modular design, inspired by the South American eel – customisable. £260,000. xshore.com

Carbon data Princess’ revolutionary R35 yacht recalls a futuristic James Bond getaway vessel.

The boat’s active foiling system allows the engineers to create a super-efficient hull shape that delivers 30 per cent fuel savings but also a high-speed planning hull at full throttle (this is Princess’ fastest ever boat, made from 100 per cent carbon fibre and reaching 50 knots). In short: a quick getaway’s a green getaway. princessyachts.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © TOM VAN OOSSANEN; ©WATERLINE MEDIA

FIS H I N G FO R DATA

As ‘luxury’ undergoes a seismic conceptual change towards morality, superyacht owners are carving out space for laboratories to study and support the ocean’s ecosystem The Nordic way Vard is building the world’s largest superyacht, a 181.6-metre REV for Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke, equipped with laboratories for the World Wildlife Fund to gather scientific data to help protect our oceans. Launching in 2020, its research will be funded by its recreational and expeditionchartered cruises. revocean.org

Blue planet OceanX’s advanced exploratory vessel Alucia sent a mannedsubmersible to capture the first footage of a giant squid off the coast of Japan and has worked with the Blue Planet II team. It has given fans a sneak peek of the new 85.3-metre explorer yacht ‘Alucia 2’. Alucia on sale for £15.53m. fraseryachts.com

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O FF- G RI D ADVENTU R E

Superyachts are shedding the champagne-uptop-in-Monaco cliché for a more exploratory purpose, with engineering and technology that can endure polar regions and rough conditions out at sea

Sport fishing

Ski and sail Oyster Yacht’s Firebird was fully customised for ambitious round-the-world passages.

Its current owner has sailed the magnificent yacht to the northern tops of Norway, skiing untouched mountain faces towards a hauntingly pretty landscape below, peppered with icebergs and Arctic wildlife. Billed a ‘floating chalet’ with an onboard sauna and Michelin-starred cuisine, Firebird is available for private charter for up to seven and will be migrating from the Arctic tundra to the warmer climes of the Caribbean at the beginning of next year. oysteryachts.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © TOM VAN OOSSANEN; ©WATERLINE MEDIA

As a yachtsman and talented sport fisherman, the owner of Heesen’s new 55-m VIDA superyacht worked closely with the shipyard engineers to customise his yacht for deep-sea fishing (as well as the archetypal superyacht indulgences), and make her the mothership of his sport fishing fleet – she can refuel and recharge her owner’s Bayliss 60 and Baylis 68. heesenyachts.com

Ice queen A cause of great curiosity at the 2015 Monaco Yacht Show, the SeaXplorer 65 combines luxury with commercial ship capabilities (and recalls a Nordic Bond villain’s vessel). The team worked with EYOS Expeditions, which organises superyacht trips to ice destinations.

A second yacht, SeaXplorer 77, has been commissioned by a client keen to use his new toy for surfing, diving and heliskiing. seaxplorer.nl

A S LICE O F TH E GOO D LI FE

Yachts are increasingly accessible with charter companies relaxing their minimum terms, plus high-end exchanges and digital rental platforms

The borrowers The UK’s fastest growing digital boat charter platform, Borrow A Boat is partnering up with superyacht central agent Ocean Independence to allow unprecedented access to superyacht charter. Ocean Independence adds over 100 superyachts into the mix with Borrow A Boat Plus functioning like a swanky version of AirBnb. borrowaboat.com

Day tripping The self-proclaimed ‘original’ yachting company, Camper and Nicholsons has recently introduced day charter experiences, from L’Estaque to Calavaire. From £1,736. camperandnicholsons.com

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YACHT SPECIAL

TOP TRUMPS

Navigating the world’s biggest and boldest yachts

O C E A N V I C TO RY

SA I L

ING YACHT A

TOP TRUMP: Super futuristic exterior and a s foot-thick glas underwater ea observation ar

krug Built by: Nobis Length: 143m Launched: 2017 knots Top speed: 21

ko rey Melnichen Owned by: And e Starck Exterior: Philipp

TOP TRUMP : The largest motor yacht ever built in Italy with six swimming p ools

Built by: Fin cantieri Length: 140 m Launched: 2 014

Owned by: V iktor

Top speed: 25

knots

Rashnikov

Exterior: Esp en Oeino Interiors: Alb erto Pinto, L aura Sessa D esign

e Starck Interiors: Philipp

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES;© KYLE CONLIN; © KLAUS JORDAN; ©A&B PHOTODESIGN

MAKING WAVES Highly anticipated superyachts and sailing yachts, fresh on the scene or soon to hit the water

MADSUMMER (project Figi) Built by: Lürssen Length: 95m Launching: 2019 Cachet: A superyacht beach club with a sea terrace

ARTEFACT

Built by: Nobiskrug Length: 80m Launching: 2019 Cachet: Mismatched windows and environmentally friendly features

TIS (project Tis)

Built by: Lürssen Length: 111m Launched: June 2019 Cachet: A palatial staircase and resort-style spa

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D I LBA R

A ZZ A M

n Built by: Lürsse

TOP TRUMP: A 29m Empire ith w n lo sa style low carbon dioxide and s noise emission

Length: 180m Launched: 2013 knots Top speed: 30

hbabi arak Saad Al A Owned by: Mub Design Exterior: Nauta teriors tophe Leoni In Interiors: Chris

TOP TRUMP : The world’s largest yach t, when measu red by interior volume

Built by: Lürs sen Length: 156 m Launched: 2 015

Top speed: 2 2.5 knots Owned by: A lisher Usma nov Exterior: Esp en Oeino Interiors: W inch Design s

O C TO P U S

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES;© KYLE CONLIN; © KLAUS JORDAN; ©A&B PHOTODESIGN

FLYING FOX

TOP TRUMP: 400 sq/m twolevel spa and twin helipads.

Week’s charter allegedly €4m

Built by: Lürssen Length: 136m

TOP TRUMP: Its submarine was lent to Google Earth’s ‘Explore the Ocean’ project

Built by: Lürssen Length: 126m Launched: 2003 Top speed: 20 knots

Launched: 2019

Owned by: Paul Allen

Top speed: 20 knots

Exterior: Espen Oeino

Owned by: Unknown (rumour says Jeff B)

inn Barnet Interiors: Jonathan Qu

Exterior: Espen Oeino Interiors: Mark Berryman

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YACHT SPECIAL

Black Eyewear Sunglasses, £187

New & Lingwood Jacket, £695

Ortaea Earrings, £33,600

Eugenia Kim Sun hat, £265

Chester Barrie Trousers, £295

Tom Davies Sunglasses, £395

Yamamay Bandeau, £29.95; bottoms, £16.95

Sunspel Jumper, £225

Issey Miyake Trousers, £190

Maiyo Swimsuit, £125

Hamilton & Hare Shirt, £90 Ayla Swim Top, £90; bottoms, £80

Penelope Chilvers Slippers, £259

WNU Shirt, £80

Initially London Bag, £50

Luca Faloni Linen scarf, £75

ON THE RIVIERA

Orlebar Brown Shorts, £165 Love Brand & Co Trunks, £120

Make a splash on board

Nautical overtones and linen finishes are the ordre du jour (just don’t go overboard with it). The cool ocean breeze at full speed will remind you that the not-so-glamorous puffer jacket was, in fact, a fantastic idea. Really though, the boat’s your catwalk and if you’re not steering the thing or in St Barths, anything goes – diamonds, dresses, belted swimmers, short shorts, suits, lipstick. Just make a mental note of where you chucked the heirlooms before diving into the deep blue. n

Billy Reid Shirt Jacket, £370

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BUOYS TOYS A boat is only as fun as its accessories

Let it slide Adults seem to enjoy inflatable superyacht slides even more than children, which is possibly why they are flying off the shelves. These can go up to 18m in length and are usually attached to the top or second deck of a superyacht. From a long, ‘legless’ slide to the curved options, there’s no easier way to draw out the inner child of everyone on board. £POA. superyachttendersandtoys.com

Salt cycle Biblical scenes are afoot with the Manta5 Hydrofoiler XE1, a nifty contraption that allows users to peddle across the ocean surface much like a bike on the road. Its 400w electric motor, battery and hydrofoil technology give up to an hour’s window of unfettered fun, on both freshwater and saltwater. £5,790. uk.manta5.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; ©HEESEN YACHTS; SUPERYACHT TENDERS AND TOYS

Jet, lev, go!

For the ultimate thrill, strap a JetLev-Flyer to your back and experience the power of jet propulsion, zooming as high as 30ft above the ocean. This is German engineering at its finest and satiates every superhero fantasy going.

From £79,000. jetlev-flyer.com

Poolside ocean Sea pools are an ingenious idea. Tightly woven netting not only provides protection from any sea critters and jellies but the enclosed area prevents guests from being swept away by the current. FunAir’s Beach Club Sea Pool has become something of an Instagram sensation, with extensive inflating decking areas and Wave Loungers posing as a poolside experience in the middle of the ocean. £POA. funair.com August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 87

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YACHT SPECIAL

Bigger isn’t always better Buy a smaller yacht than you think you need.

Most owners are better off keeping running costs under control and a yacht upgrade on the horizon than buying something too big and resenting the annual outlay.

Age matters Pre-owned yachts make up the majority of the market, from classic mid-20th century yachts to those resold after a year or two. 2018’s average pre-owned age was 12 years but, for sensational deals, look for yachts built in the ’80s, ’90s and ’00s from renowned shipyards.

Location, location Only an expert can match up a buyer’s tastes with a shipyard. But, generally speaking, the Italians, Dutch, British and Germans excel at larger yachts and superyachts. For ski-boats, centre-consoles and sports-fishers, the American brands offer variety and quality.

Unsplash by Oliver Sjöström

BU Y

Finding purpose Will you be cruising along the Côte d’Azur or deep-sea fishing off the coast of Africa? Usage is key so charter a few yachts first to see how you operate on the boat, especially if it’s with family.

Similarly, chartering out the boat once you’ve bought it can help to keep the sting of fuel, upkeep and mooring bills at bay.

Speedy deals

SFG Sixty CCV designed and built by Franco Gianni

If you’re angling for a quick buy, punt close to the asking price.

Shipyards or sellers will be less inclined to wait for a better deal and will move swiftly. You can expect to achieve between ten and 15 per cent off asking price; 20-25 per cent off is a really good deal, but ensure the financials are in place to move fast.

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © MIKE JONES; © CARLO BORLENGHI; © OLIVER SJÖSTRÖM; © SFG DESIGN

If you want to buy a boat, make sure you read Julian Krickl’s tips first. Mercury Yachts’ Managing Director has over a decade’s experience at the helm of buying boats

Early bird Book early – the market gets quite heated the closer it gets to the season. Leaving things to the last minute will mean a smaller selection of boats, less choice and a higher chance of disappointment.

Devil’s in the detail Give as much information as possible about your party’s requirements and what you are expecting. The crew will then be able to provide a tailor-made solution. Include food and drink preferences, your bucket list of sights, or specific watersports activities.

Crew cut

Chartering is an easy way to dive into the superyacht lifestyle without the upkeep

Ultimately a yacht charter holiday is made by the team and not by the boat. If you have a substandard crew then you will not have a good time. Ask your broker to provide a profile of the crew and if they have been personally vetted.

C H A RT E R

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © MIKE JONES; © CARLO BORLENGHI; © OLIVER SJÖSTRÖM; © SFG DESIGN

An easy, breezy guide to chartering a yacht by Captain Aaron of Heesen’s Irisha and SuperYachtsMonaco’s Jim Evans

Trust the pros Choose a good broker to work with from the beginning. At European hotspots, you need to book many things well in advance, including berths for boats in busy ports and other attractions. It’s best to work with a professional broker who knows the places you wish to visit and can recommend exceptional experiences that are in line with the high price you will pay for this kind of holiday.

Go with the flow Be flexible and remain open-minded. By the very nature of yacht charter there is a weather element which you must accept. If the heavens open, you have to understand that with all the will in the world even the best crew cannot move a boat in dangerous circumstances. Be ready to adapt and change your plan.

Captain Aaron cruising through the blue in Heesen’s 51m superyacht, Irisha

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Oyster 565-01 on her maiden voyage to Guernsey

THE WORLD IS YOUR OYSTER

O

yster Yachts’ 45 years’ experience and uniquely inclusive philosophy embody a lust for uncontrived adventure, a return to nature and a rallying cry for greener seafaring. Its streamlined designs hit that veritable sweet spot between bygone elegance and cuttingedge technology, enchanting wellseasoned sailors and wide-eyed beginners in equal measure.

With over 1,000 hand-crafted and custom-built sailing yachts under its belt, the British sailing yacht builder and charter company prides

Oyster 565-01

Elegant interiors create a home from home

itself not just on its objectively tasteful designs and performance but on the unrivalled aftercare – above and beyond the ‘hand-holding’ expected when investing in a life-changing vessel. Rather than collecting your shiny new toy and being left to your own devices, Oyster Yachts guarantees a support team that facilitates this new lifestyle: engineers are on call 24/7 to send advice, information, spare parts and even boat-side assistance anywhere in the world.

It’s akin to a society – a family of yacht owners united by their zest for life and desire to truly feel the ocean rather than cruise unwittingly over it to the next marina. Such is the bond of ownership that the company’s prestigious Oyster World Rally sees an exclusive club of Oyster owners come together for an adventurous epic and reconnecting with family, friends and the humbling rhythms of nature.

The 2022 World Rally event will begin for the first time in the Mediterranean, setting sail from Oyster’s base in Palma for exotic locations including Tahiti, Vanuatu, Ascension Island and Antigua over the course of a life-changing three-year journey. The company persuades custodians of its yachts to embrace a lifestyle of adventure and unfettered pleasure. And the beauty of the boats is that they are equipped for protracted sailing expeditions from the outset – every whim, habit, style accounted for. ‘You step on a boat and you’re able to go around the world,’ assures one Oyster ambassador. Even inexperienced sailors can muscle in on the maritime action.

PHOTOS © BRIAN CARLIN; ©WATERLINE MEDIA

Thirsty for real adventure? Get inspired by the sailors taking part in the Oyster World Rally

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PARTNERSHIP

Take Leo Eccles and his family, for instance, who recently decided to sign up to the Oyster World Rally to explore the far-flung corners of the globe with a skipper steering the way. Having worked in the city, trading metals for over 15 years, Eccles moved with his family to warmer climes in the South of France and soon graduated from their own motorboat to an Oyster. Hearing tales of intrepid experiences from friends who had completed the Oyster World Rally, Eccles and his family decided to sign themselves up.

‘Before we know it the kids are going to be grown up… so why not experience this fantastic adventure together as a family,’ he says. ‘We are so confident that with the fantastic support that Oyster provide for their World Rallies that it would be the safest and most amazing way of circumnavigating the world.’

Eccles family’s Oyster 655 ‘MAN OF WAR’ will be gracing screens with their own budding YouTube channel, documenting the entire journey and inspiring other young families with little or no sailing experience to follow in their adventurous footsteps.

For avid sailors Jamie, Hamilton and Juan, the siren call of an Oyster Yacht was hard to resist. Quitting their jobs, the three friends put their seafaring wiles to good use, investing in Oyster, Uhuru, and embarking on an exotic adventure, one that substituted the rat race back home in London for the hair-raising exhilaration of the ocean. ‘We had a boat, a route and the dream had become a reality,’ enthuses Jamie, 36 (Uhuru’s captain).

Exploring Alaska

The Eccles family on a real adventure

PHOTOS © BRIAN CARLIN; ©WATERLINE MEDIA

Hamilton, Jamie, Juan

Jamie on the approach to St Lucia

Oyster Yachts effortlessly satiate the desire to break free from technology and rediscover spontaneity and nature in its rawest form. It’s a ticket rather than a product – whether carving the untouched slopes of Svalbard in the Arctic on skis or confronting the white horses in unknown islands of the Pacific.

And where sustainability is concerned, Oyster Yachts are (refreshingly) loath to pay lip service to the term, acknowledging that they are not perfect but undeniably one of the best options for the eco-conscious sailor. They are tirelessly scrutinising their boat build cycle and supply chain, ascertaining areas where they can minimise environmental impact, while solar power technology and drinking water filters on board bear testament to this effort.

While Oyster may boast a diversity of clients, one thing they all share is an enlightened desire to invest in quality of life as well as a breathtaking sailing yacht. oysteryachts.com

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RULE, BRITANNIA!

British-made boats still command the high seas. Simon de Burton takes a deep dive into our nation’s best shipyards

as Poole Powerboats in 1969 by the late Robert Braithwaite, an enthusiastic racer who worked on the Hawk 38 design – it now has a limited edition named in his honour.

Nowadays, Sunseeker is best known for the type of large, white, ocean-going cruisers that are often referred to as ‘gin palaces’ by those who don’t approve.

But moneyed buyers who care little for such disdain are once again filling the firm’s order books, as well as those of other British builders such as Princess Yachts of Plymouth, whose range-topping V40 (130ft) superyacht could be in your berth for as little as £16m, plus VAT. The recently-revived Oyster Yachts is also back on course after being bought from administrators a year ago by gaming software tycoon Richard Hadida.

And business is really booming in the field of the more traditional crafts being created around the country in all shapes and sizes by Britain’s burgeoning

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

O

ur country might be in a bit of a state right now, what with a government in disarray and no one knowing whether we’re coming or going over Brexit – but there’s one thing you can’t take away from us, and that’s our proud maritime heritage. Just think about all those magnificent British-built ships of the past: Francis Drake’s Golden Hind, Admiral Lord Nelson’s Victory, the mighty Ark Royal, RMS Titanic… well, maybe not that one.

The point is we have an enviable history of creating some of the greatest vessels in history and now, after a period in the doldrums brought on by the financial crash of 2008, Britain’s boatbuilding industry is once more riding the crest of a wave.

Only last week I was aboard the 62-knot Hawk 38, the latest creation from Sunseeker, which starts at £535,000, plus VAT, and harks back to the type of craft built by the firm when it was originally founded

FROM LEFT: Plymouth-based Princess Yachts’ 40m superyacht is top of the range; the interior of Princess Yachts’ V40 vessel; Peter Freebody specialises in elegant ‘slipper’ launches at its Hurley workshop

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

network of classic boat builders. Peter Freebody & Co is a 300-year-old family firm now making fabulously elegant Thames ‘slipper’ launches at its exquisite boathouse in Hurley, Berkshire – the ‘slipper’ term relating to the boat’s sloping stern. Using woods such as mahogany, cedar and teak, the Freebody team handcrafts each boat individually and can create bespoke interiors to suit all tastes (especially those that appreciate plenty of wine and a decent picnic on board).

Now run by the founder’s son, Richard, the classic appearance of the firm’s vessels – starting at around £250,000, plus VAT – belies the fact they are powered by the latest eco-friendly electric motors and can comfortably cruise for an entire day on a single charge.

Up at Lochgilphead in Argyllshire, A & R Way Ltd was founded by husband and wife team Adam and Ros Way, who have spent more than 20 years restoring, upgrading

and building traditional (and poetic-sounding) wooden boats, from sailing skiffs to historic luggers like Reaper, a 1902 Fifie Herring Drifter, or 50ft blue water cruising cutters, capable of taking entire families around the world.

Similarly, Ben Harris Boats of Fowey in Cornwall will knock up a beautifully finished sailing dinghy or fullsized, clinker-built yacht that fulfils your nautical dreams.

His Auk tender (with sailing option), is offered at seven foot six inches or ten foot, made with traditional, copperriveted larch on oak construction for strength, durability and swimmingly romantic Swallows and Amazons looks.

Indeed, Cornwall seems to be the place to go these days for a handcrafted vessel, one of the most renowned builders being Dave Cockwell, whose boatyard at Mylor Creek in Falmouth is famous for its Duchy motor launches. They range from the open 21ft day boat, at £36,000, to the elegant, twin-engined, 45-footer that’s August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 93

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YACHT SPECIAL

capable of up to 32 knots in open seas, at £800,000. (The prices don’t include VAT.) A Duchy 60 is in the pipeline.

Perhaps the boat that best exemplifies Cockwell’s skills is the gorgeous 10.5m (34ft) Titian Tender – a day boat that combines futuristic hull design with the best of old-world craftsmanship. With planking of rich Burmese teak and copper-infused caulking to the deck, the Titian Tender is as beautiful as it is practical, with capacity for up to a dozen people, thanks to a fold-out table in the cockpit. There’s space enough, in fact, for a couple to enjoy an intimate overnight stay – assuming they can raise the starter price of £750,000, plus VAT. For sailors on a less extravagant budget, who want the old-school look of a clinker-built boat (that’s one with overlaid wooden planking) at an affordable price and without the need for careful hull maintenance, nothing beats the tried and tested products of Cornish Crabbers,

which makes a range of GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) vessels at a yard in Rock near Wadebridge, Cornwall.

The smaller 17ft Shrimper open sail boat starts from below £20,000, with the range rising to the 26ft Crabber, starting at £114,950 (both prices include VAT).

Sailing is already eco-friendly, but one British firm aims to make it even greener than the sea. Early next year, Suffolk-based boatbuilder Spirit Yachts is launching an ultrasustainable boat with no hydrocarbons on board, at a starting price of £700,000, plus VAT. The Spirit 44E will have colourmatched solar panels integrated into the aft deck to charge the 16 batteries required to power her electric drive system, which uses ‘hydrogeneration’ via the propeller to top them up while sailing. Ultra-thin solar panels may also be built into its recyclable sails, while winches will be manually operated – and cooking done on a non-petrochemical spirit stove.

Make mine a mackerel and chips… n

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © CHRIS SMITH; © MIKE BOWDEN; © REALLY GOOD MEDIA COMPANY

FROM TOP LEFT: Cockwells’ Titian Tender is made from Burmese teak and copper-infused caulking; handfinishing a Cockwells boat; Suffolk’s Spirit Yachts are pushing the boundaries of eco-friendly design

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INSIDE STORY

As these two projects illustrate, it’s what’s on the inside that counts

Keep it secret As New Secret’s owner is frequently on board, Winch Design and Amels were tasked with connecting the landscape with the interior design of the 74m yacht, so they could feel immersed in the surrounding views.

The team travelled far and wide to procure exclusive materials which have been cleverly pared down by contrasting with a naturally-inspired interior. The real star of the show, however, is the central staircase, which floats unattached to the wall. Uniquely, the central column around which it spirals is hollow, with a cut-out section running vertically up, allowing guests to see the inside, gilded with gold. winchdesign.com

Off the table Sy Elfje, a comfortable but detailed yacht by RWD, needed to be able to both cruise and race as its owner is a great philanthropist with a love of sailing. The project was highly collaborative, with the owner involved every step of the way, and her elegant and timeless character really shines through in the design created by Royal Huisman Shipyard. Forget a glass-bottomed boat, this 46m ketch has an Occulus coffee table unlike any you’ve seen before – when you look down you can see passing sea life, a beautiful detail and a stunning piece of craftsmanship. You won’t want to put any books (or coffee mugs for that matter) on this table. rwd.co.uk August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 95

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2 3

CABIN FEVER

1

These hotels can’t fail to float your boat – literally and metaphorically speaking

1

DEEP DIVE

Diving junkies looking for a wellness escape would do very well to book onto the REVĪVŌ Diving and Mind Training Retreat, a healing cruise through Indonesian islands. It provides the privacy and space needed to reset your batteries, with an on-board wellness coach and nutritionist, plus yoga, meditation and spa treatments.

BOOK IT: Six nights from £72,516. revivoresorts.com

4

2

YES, SIR

Fresh on the scene in Ibiza this summer, the 18m Sir Boat has paired up with Sir Joan Hotel to float the hotel’s tasty IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar dishes out to sea. Captain, crew and a delightful on-board butler accompany a party of up to ten guests … soon to open at Barcelona’s Sir Victor, too.

BOOK IT: From £4,443 per day (July to August). sirhotels.com

3

OFF-GRID OMAN

The Six Senses team at Zighy Bay has designed an ultra-luxe Omani dhow vessel, Dhahab, to cruise the Arabian Gulf, keeping up to six guests cool in those Omani heatwaves.

Dhahab’s three-day itineraries sail past remote fishing villages and secluded bays, and can include fishing, kayaking, snorkelling and film screenings.

BOOK IT: Three-day itinerary from £16,891. sixsenses.com

4

ISLAND HOPPING

Four Seasons Koh Samui’s exotic location in Thailand’s Angthong National Marine Park makes it the perfect launchpad for exploring hardto-reach areas aboard Minor Affair, enabling guests to delve deep into the scenery.

Guided stargazing is available, should the adventure spill into the evening.

BOOK IT: Day trip from £7,769. fourseasons.com

5

BODRUM BEAUTY

Bodrum’s relaxed boutique resort Caresse has plenty to boast about on the water: the jewel in its crown is its traditional wooden Turkish Gulet, Miss B – although its Sunseeker XS 2000 comes a close second, playing a starring role in James Bond’s Casino Royale. Day trips with Miss B will sweep you into a Robinson Crusoe-style reverie.

BOOK IT: Half days from £1,069. marriott.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; RUBEN NUNEZ

5

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YACHT SPECIAL

SOAK IN THE SEA Spas with a real-life wave soundtrack: cruise ships are taking spa seriously, says Laura Ivill

I

Seabourn Ovation SEABOURN

Ovation, launched last year as the latest ultraluxury Seabourn ship, has been designed by the starry Adam D Tihany and oozes all the beauty of a private yacht combined with the intimacy of a private members’ club. His spa doesn’t just look good – all Seabourn ships also offer a wellness programme curated by the pioneer of integrative medicine, Dr Weil. The programme includes daily meditation and yoga classes to stimulate creativity, mental focus and happiness, and mind and body seminars, such as expert talks on anti-inflammatory foods, mindfulness and healthy ageing. Dr Weil and his team also personally lead two dedicated Wellness Cruises.

BOOK IT: 19-day Route to Ancient Wellness Cruise, staterooms from £4,499 per person. seabourn.com

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f you thought cruising wasn’t for you, think again. Spectacular ships are rolling off production lines like never before, reclaiming their rightful place as the glamorous way to see an everchanging landscape. These days, cruise lines recognise that gorgeous no-expense-spared spas are a musthave, just as they are for luxurious resorts on land. Since oligarchs realised how ships are a secluded ‘pull up the drawbridge’ way to holiday, the rest of us have caught on (OK, we mostly have to share ours, but aren’t the best trips the ones where we make new friends?).

Cruising’s appeal is ‘to do, or not to do’. When you’ve had your fill of markets or ruins ashore, then the spa is calling.

With an exciting glut of recent launches (there are more than 100 cruise ships on the order books, including new brands by Ritz-Carlton and Virgin) come spas that impress with features and deliver on treatments – all in beautiful, relaxing resorts-on-the-move.

Cruise lines and ships differ wildly, so doing your research or talking to an agent is essential to shortlist your options. Some have spas open to all, but the bigger ships might need to restrict access. If you want more than just sunrise yoga included, you could look for special wellness-themed voyages.

Take the launch of Celebrity Edge in December, with its jaw-dropping spa

by Kelly Hoppen. Much fanfare was made of this new class of ship and its hiring of uber-designers Kelly Hoppen, Patricia Urquiola and Tom Wright (architect of the Burj al Arab) to all play their part, along with 4,000 works of art. It heralded a new dawn for cruising, appealing to the younger design-savvy globalista, who knows her hammam from her hammock.

Celebrity Edge CELEBRITY CRUISES

Kelly Hoppen has created magic with her design of Celebrity Edge’s spa and fitness suite – a vast temple to wellness over two decks. Her palette is, of course, neutral – dominated by uplifting whites that dazzle and chime with the surrounding azure waves seen from floor-to-ceiling glass panels. Bespoke body treatments explore the spa’s theme of earth, sea and air; the elegant thermal suite flows from room to room, from heat to hammam, to crystals, salt and more; the hightech Kérastase salon uses diagnostics for hair, and if you want to experience cosmetic treatments (from fillers to teeth whitening), the spa is your one-stop shop.

BOOK IT: Infinite veranda staterooms by Kelly Hoppen, from £1,854 per person. celebritycruises.co.uk

Scarlet Lady VIRGIN VOYAGES

Such is the changing face of cruising that even Richard Branson is sticking his oar in with the launch of Virgin Voyages’ first cruise ship, Scarlet Lady, due next April. Staterooms are already on sale, and you can bet that Virgin will be rocking the high seas with some high-spirited parties. A cave-inspired den of iniquity, the spa is called Redemption and is where red-eyed revellers will detox before the next round of re-toxing. Late-night DJ spa parties, of course, promise to create havoc with your circadian rhythm. No doubt the Scarlet Lady herself will be the mostrequested memento from the tattoo parlour...

BOOK IT: Inside cabins from £1,130 per person. virginvoyages.com

Europa 2 HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES

Viking Jupiter

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

VIKING OCEAN CRUISES

Unlike many other cruise lines, use of the spa’s thermal suite is included on a Viking Ocean Cruise. This year’s Viking Jupiter is the sixth ocean ship (all mostly identical, with chic Scandi design). The LivNordic spas of the Norwegian-owned liner are cosy, cocooning and true to their homeland. Take a Nordic bathing ritual, in-and-out from sauna to ice cave, from Jacuzzi to cool water shower. Spa therapists explain how the ritual is authentic to Nordic wellbeing, and they can even flog you with a birch branch if you ask nicely.

BOOK IT: Viking Iconic Western Mediterranean eight-day cruise, from £2,190pp. vikingcruises.co.uk

This German-based small-ship cruise line’s spa facilities are particularly extensive – more than 1,000 sq/m, indoors and out, including a fitness studio with PTs and medics for personalised plans. The Europa 2 also has special In2balance sailings focusing on relaxation methods, yoga, burn-out prevention, t’ai chi, shiatsu and interval training. In October, its expedition ship, Hanseatic Inspiration, will focus on ‘wellness and nature’.

BOOK IT: In2balance 13-night cruise, from £6,669pp. hl-cruises.com n August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 99

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CRUISE CONTROL New wave cruises blowing the cliché firmly out of the water 1 Jungle is massive With just three boats and run by a Peruvian family who are deeply involved in the local community, Delfin is the pioneer of luxury on the Amazon. Meals are unlike any you’ve had, using rainforest produce.

BOOK IT: From £1,892. delfinamazoncruises.com

2 Three is a magic number Discover The World has launched three thrilling new itineraries: spotting grey whales and sea lions in Baja California; botanical UNESCO World Heritage sites on the coast of Costa Rica; or coming face to face with Komodo dragons in Indonesia. Decisions, decisions.

BOOK IT: From £5,510. discover-the-world.com

3 South American dream SeaDream Yacht Club’s 70-day inaugural voyage conveniently begins in London aboard the swanky new SeaDream Innovation (an advanced hybrid megayacht) and winds up in Ushuaia, Argentina – the gateway to Antarctica – via Central America.

BOOK IT: From £34,490. seadream.com

4 Animal magic Relais & Châteaux-certified Theory is a state-ofthe-art ship with ten lavish stateroom cabins and the highest ratio of guides to guests in the Galapagos, giving guests space to breathe and explore the beautiful islands at their own pace.

BOOK IT: From £883 per night. ecoventura.com

5 Health hit

6 Glacial pace OK, it’s not an intimate affair but if you’re going to dip your toe in the cruise-liner water, this is the itinerary to go for. Setting sail from Vancouver, guests aboard Cunard’s lavish Queen Elizabeth will glide through Alaska’s majestic glaciers.

BOOK IT: Ten-nights from £1,899. cunard.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © MATT DUTILE

Taking VivaMayr clinic’s renowned holistic healthcare to the water, this is the cruise to jump aboard for preventative medicine. Sneaking off to the shops for chocolate relapses is just not an option at sea.

BOOK IT: Six nights from £8,000. vivamayr.com

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DON’T DREAM IT. BE IT.

The Lau Group, Fiji 12:05pm, 16 July 2018 www.oysteryachts.com

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P R I C E M AT C H G U A R A N T E E D | I N T E R E S T F R E E C R E D I T | B I G G E S T S E L E C T I O N O N V I S P R I N G B E D S

andsotobed.co.uk | 0808 144 4343

Bridport ︱ Bristol ︱ Bury St Edmunds ︱ Chelmsford ︱ Cheltenham ︱ Glasgow ︱ Handcross Harrogate ︱ Hartley Wintney ︱ London, Chelsea ︱ London, Finchley Road ︱ London, Richmond London, West End ︱ Manchester ︱ Nottingham ︱ Oxford ︱ Tunbridge Wells ︱ Weybridge

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LIVING INTERIORS DESIGN

THE INSIDER

SITTING PRETTY Outdoor seating can look just as chic as the furniture you have inside.

Two or three pieces in a sunny spot create a distinct area for summer living – just add a coffee table or stool so you have somewhere to put the sundowners. Pimlico, all-weather rope and teak collection by Indian Ocean. Club chair, £875; coffee table, £985. indian-ocean.co.uk

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THE INSIDER

L’Objet Letter opener, £115. luxdeco.com Caran d’Ache Pen, £39.95. carandache.com

Gucci Candle, £265. farfetch.com

Studio Ashby studioashby.com

T R E N D

Smythson Cards, £23. smythson.com

Montblanc Pen, £615; sleeve, £85. montblanc.com

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER The art of letter writing

Traditional forms of communication are making a comeback. Penning a letter is therapeutic, thoughtful and elegant. Stock up on the finest materials, but don’t ignore the importance of the desktop – it’s your own space to curate, so bring it bang up to date with vibrant colours and characterful objects that will inspire and get those creative juices flowing. n

Mulberry Notebook, £250. johnlewis.com

Jonathan Adler uk.jonathanadler.com

Pentreath & Hall Magazine file, £30. pentreath-hall.com Graf von Faber-Castell Pencil roll, £370. harrods.com

Ghidini Tape mate, £240. amara.com

Linley Blotter, £695. davidlinley.com

Papier x Matilda Goad papier.com

Bridie Hall Pen pot, £40. libertylondon.com

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A different perspective.

Surround yourself with people who design rather than sell.

Learn about materials and making that will stand the test of time. Invest in quality, sustainably and affordably.

Experience a different kind of store.

Kitchens from ÂŁ8,000. Sample paint pots from ÂŁ4.

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THE INSIDER WATCHING YOU Artist and decorator Luke Edward Hall is a busy young man. Look out for his creative fingerprint over all sorts of houses and homeware.

Valentine Aubusson wall hanging by Luke Edward Hall, £750. therugcompany.com

I’M A FAN Born in 1930, Michael Szell was a Hungarian-born textile designer whose work included designs for the Royal Opera House. Brisa, adapted by Christopher Farr from one of his designs, costs from £65 p/m as a fabric or wallpaper. christopherfarr cloth.com

I N T E R I O R S

DESIGN NOTES

Presentation is everything, says Carole Annett ENGLISH HERITAGE

Howe London’s Windsor chair – the original design has been around so long it’s furniture royalty – is hand-crafted in oak and elm.

A leather panel back adds a modern, homely touch, £1,750. howelondon.com

RADIO RETHINK

Ruark and Linley have joined forces on Tempo, a radio with sound wave-inspired marquetry, £1,295. davidlinley.com; ruarkaudio.com

STONE AGE

Just like Fred and Wilma Flintstone’s. Resin rock jug, £205, by Dinosaur Designs. couvertureand thegarbstore.com

ENDURING LOVE The drinks trolley is like Rod Stewart: roll it out every now and again for a bit of a show, to everyone’s delight. Rosa trolley, £1,920. julianchichester.com

ON DISPLAY Elevate your home baking by serving on a pretty stand. Large Peggy fruit stand by Astier de Villatte, £285. summerillandbishop.com 106 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | August 2019

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GET A GR IP

NEW LOOK Originally designed

by Marcel Breuer in 1926, this folding outdoor chair (in a range of bright hues) is reborn as the D4E

by Tecta. £1,555. conranshop.co.uk

GOOD CREDENTIALS

If you are pernickety about what’s in your paint, choose one where the ingredients are clearly stated such as Frenchic Paint, an eco-friendly chalk and mineral product. £16.95 for 750ml. frenchicpaint.co.uk

WELL PLACED

Cornwall based Jenny Aves designs linen napkins and tableware with a pop of colour. £45 for a set of four placemats, £40 for a set of four napkins. jennyaves.com

CITY TOUR Kelling Design takes inspiration from ’60s London for this wallpaper featuring elegant ladies and pooches. £80 per roll. kdloves.co.uk

1 Red mallee wood and resin knob, £34. ilukalondon.com 2 Solid brass door handle, £120 a pair. busterandpunch.com 3 Beardmore antique brass lever doorknob, £474. beardmore.co.uk 4 SA Baxter Armour suite handle, from £120. fbc-london.com 5 Bespoke copper foil doorknob, from £100. lauraelizabethglass.com 6 Personalised door knob, around £460. hautedeco.com

LITTLE CUTIE Handy for either a very small bottom or a smart handbag. Nisha round footstool with tufted cotton fringing, £149. myakka.co.uk

SNOOZE ZONE

For total comfort, choose a chair with a deep seat.

Somerset by Dudgeon, upholstered in Tented stripe by Fermoie, £2,750 (excluding VAT and fabric). dudgeonsofas.com; fermoie.com August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 107

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THE INSIDER

F O C U S

LAZY LOUNGING Make the most of long light-filled days with well-designed outdoor furniture

1 Susie Watson Designs Hand-carved teak garden chair, £695. susiewatsondesigns.co.uk 2 Bramblecrest Ascot round bistro table with two armchairs, £653. bramblecrest.com 3 The Kobo lounger

by Manutti features a hand-woven rope frame with quick-dry foam cushion, £4,370. gomodern.co.uk 4 Gaze Burvill Cloisters oak table, £7,200; court seats, £4,440 each. gazeburvill.com 5 Provence tea for two set, £490 at Neptune. neptune.co.uk

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THE INSIDER Alex Innes

D E S I G N

LIT T L E BL ACK BOOK

Q & A

ALEX INNES

WALLPAPER Cole & Son. cole-and-son.com

Rolls-Royce’s bespoke designer is inspired by architecture

Finishing a Rolls-Royce

Most recent find? The architect Santiago Calatrava. I’ve been aware of his work for a while but was recently awestruck by his Oculus station at the World Trade Centre.

Most extravagant purchase? My mattress is a hugely impressive piece of industrial design. Even the best hotels have been sub par since.

Unsung design hero? Automotive clay modellers. Their hands literally shape a car and play a big part in defining its character.

What should never have seen the light of day? Airport

security. The next design revolution, surely.

Where do you find inspiration?

Architecture. Like car designers, architects respond to functional issues through form.

wife in South Africa, then tracked down a second when I returned to support the launch of our Drophead Dawn a few months later.

What would you never throw away? Old

sketches. They are just as valuable as the ones that develop into something.

Whose home would you like to have a nose around? Marcello Gandini,

KNICK-KNACKS Georg Jensen. georgjensen.com

one of the grand masters of Italian car design.

Which designers do you have your eye on?

The younger designers in the Rolls-Royce studio.

Their vigour, creativity and thinking without constraints never cease to impress me.

What do you collect? Whisky. I’ve always marvelled at the artistry of its production and it’s also a nice reminder of my home country.

What’s beside your bed?

Pregnancy for Men by Mark Woods. We’re expecting a little one in September.

CANDLES Philippa Craddock. philippacraddock.com

How can we live more self-sufficiently? By

questioning intrinsic value. Reduction is the next chapter, I’m sure.

Last piece of art you bought?

A piece by David Filer, a Zimbabwean artist who portrays hyper-real wildlife in pencil.

I actually own two of his pieces – I bought the first with my

PLATES Nymphenburg Porcelain. nymphenburg.com

What are you working on?

David Filer, The King (2017)

The future of personalisation. n

ETHICAL HOMEWARE Shleep. shleepwell.com

GLASSWARE Saint-Louis Crystal. saint-louis.com

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FOR THE VERY BEST OF COUNTRY & TOWN

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EAT DRINK ESCAPE

FOOD & TRAVEL I N D O N E S I A

WISH YOU WERE HERE When Mark Durden-Smith tagged along on trips with his mother, Judith Chalmers, as a child, he caught the travel bug. He took his own brood to Bali to carry on the tradition

Mark with his wife Rachel and their three children, Archie, Freddie and Rosie, at a ‘pink’ beach on Bali

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G

rowing up, as I did, the son of a pro globetrotter, I often get asked about the incredible freebie holidays I must have gone on as a child. The fact is I was only tagged on to my mother’s – presenter Judith Chalmers – Wish You Were Here baggage allowance twice. Once to go to Butlin’s in Bognor Regis, where the eight-year-old me was caught on camera flooring ‘the World’s Strongest Man’ with a deft upper cut. The second adventure was in the Costa del Sol, where a chubby 12-year-old me was filmed eating paella on a sun-drenched beach, followed by a cornetto… or two.

Considering this was 1980 and three terrestrial TV stations was our lot, my peers watched it and my chances at the school disco that summer went from limited to zero.

The memories of those childhood trips still burn disproportionately brightly. We want our children to have experiences that give them that most priceless of gifts – wanderlust. So last summer the Durden-Smiths, consisting of me, my Gower-born Welsh wife Rachel, our 12-year-old twins Archie and Freddie, and 11-year-old daughter Rosie, set off on ‘a holiday of a lifetime’. Our destination was Indonesia via Bangkok.

I think we can safely say Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok the holiday lived up to its billing. One of the conditions of our offspring being allowed to join the party – there were plenty of empty ‘if you don’t go to bed now you are not coming on holiday’ threats – was that we all had to write a diary.

Archie’s journal highlight, after arriving in the blast of heat and colour that is Bangkok? ‘There was a button next to the bed to call a butler.’ This was at the Mandarin Oriental, on the banks of the Chao Phraya river, and a proper treat. Bangkok, with its river tours, lounging monitor lizards, temples and astounding ‘buffay’ breakfasts – watch that spelling Rosie – was the perfect first port of call to show our crew how different places can look from… Basingstoke, our home town.

My wife is a qualified reiki healer – a spiritual soul – and was convinced she’d been a resident of Bangkok in a former life, so she took some dragging away from her old gaff, but we had places to go and dragons to meet. Our next stop was Bali, and after the customary sibling squabble about who wanted which seat in the car that picked us up, we headed to Ubud, accompanied by a never-ending ant trail of mopeds carrying people, livestock, even a giant chest of drawers.

The squeal factor on arriving at the Mandapa RitzCarlton would have deafened a dolphin. The hotel, set in the side of a hill in the rainforest with a river running through it and a light mist to complete the arrival scene, was simply breathtaking and so unexpected.

Our tribe was again moved to record the dramatic natural beauty of Mandapa. Freddie: ‘The room was soooo cool – the loo opened itself.’ We might as well have gone to the Ideal Home Show in Olympia.

A few hours later we were in the hotel restaurant when an earthquake struck: 6.9 on the Richter scale. It was the earthquake that tragically killed 563 people in Lombok in August 2018. We were 90 miles from the epicentre but were still required to evacuate as it shook with alarming

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Rice paddy at sunrise on Bali

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FOOD & TRAVEL

force for 40 seconds.

Rosie: ‘I was soooo scared, my legs were shaking. That night I didn’t sleep. I was petrified.’

Archie: ‘ Rosie was such a wuss.’

All compassion that one.

Having looked at an earthquake app on one of the Mandapa staff’s mobiles, we knew lives had been lost and changed forever, not far away.

It was a sobering thought and probably the most indelible memory for all of us.

A white-water rafting trip the next morning was a good distraction from a night spent worrying about aftershocks and all those affected by the tragedy on Lombok. We weren’t alone on the river, but a sun-dappled rainforest, with modest rapids and whooping children, provided some light relief.

On Rachel’s wish list was a visit to the Pyramids of Chi – enormous copper pyramids where you are expected to lie in silence, in total darkness and meditate as the sound healers bang gongs. Our offspring are world-class fidgeters. This was high risk. Miraculously, the gongs sent all three of them into a deep coma. They loved it so much we went back a second time. That was an error.

Scrubbing and riding elephants, visiting chocolate factories and markets – there’s no shortage of stuff to do in Ubud but we had a date with some Komodo dragons, so took a plane to Flores where we chartered a boat to take us on a four-day, three-night trip around the islands. The dragons themselves were all pregnant and exhausted, but if you like lazy giant lizards, you’ll love it.

Diesel fumes aside, the boat trip was a proper seafaring adventure. There are a number of beaches turned pink by the coral and we snuck onto a deserted one, dropped anchor and spent an idyllic afternoon going all Swiss Family Robinson, building shelters and trying to spear what looked like tadpoles.

We snorkelled with giant manta rays and turtles and played cards on deck as the sun went down.

Our holiday ended with a few days at the mighty and impressive St Regis Hotel in Nusa Dua on the southern tip of Bali. You get a full-beam, rindik-accompanied (a local bamboo xylophone), frangipani-necklaced welcome from the amazing staff.

We had packed a lot into two and a half weeks, brilliantly planned by Elegant Resorts, and even though we hadn’t had the chance to floor the World’s Strongest Man, we arrived home with memories that have a sell by date well beyond a lifetime.

Prices on request. elegantresorts.co.uk n A boat ride through Bangkok

FREDDIE: ‘THE ROOM WAS SOOOO COOL – THE LOO OPENED ITSELF.’ WE MIGHT AS WELL HAVE GONE TO THE IDEAL HOME SHOW IN OLYMPIA

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Dragon-spotting near Flores

St Regis, Bali

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FOOD & TRAVEL

TEN REASONS WHY I LOVE...

BOOK A SUPERYACHT

Take a look at YOTHA, the new digital technology that’s shaking up the yacht charter market in the same way that Booking.com revolutionised the hotel industry.

Negotiate directly with the owner, chat to the captain and design custom adventures with a few swipes of a mobile app. yotha.com

T R A V E L

PALACIO CAN MARQUÉS Palma, Mallorca

1

The love story behind the justopened hotel: German tech supremo Kim Schindelhauer buys beautiful but dilapidated Palacio in Palma’s historic old town. Years later, he meets Congo born, French raised, New York-based interior designer, Aline Matsika who gives it new life.

2

N E W S

THE HOTEL WIZARD Fiona Duncan plays queen of the palace

The unchanged entrance hall with its remarkable double-sided hanging staircase.

3 4

The quiet courtyard garden beyond, an oasis of palms...

The suntrap rooftop terrace with its cocktail bar and stunning view of the cathedral.

5

Aline’s 13 astonishing suites. Each different, more New York than Mallorquin, they display such attention to detail and harmony, with bespoke chandeliers, rugs, furniture and artworks, that they all win…

PALATIAL PLACES 1 Pera Palace, Istanbul Classic museum hotel with spectacular views of the Golden Horn, designed in Neo Classical, Art Nouveau and Oriental styles. Doubles from £150. perapalace.com 2 Gritti Palace, Venice As Somerset Maugham pointed out, there are few greater pleasures than taking a drink on the Gritti’s terrace at sunset. Doubles from £580. thegrittipalace.com 3 Palacio Ramalhete, Lisbon Little

changed 18th-century noble house which Eça de Queirós, ‘Portugal’s Flaubert’ described in his novel The Maias. Leaf through a copy in English while lolling on a sofa. From £130. palacio-ramalhete.com

Which to choose? My favourites are Eden, Rose, Renaissance, Diva…

And my own room, Romance (from £743), so large that there’s a chaise longue on which to rest on the way to the bathroom.

8

Most amazing: Riad, a 380 sq/m three-bedroom suite with plunge pool, private terrace overlooking city and harbour, divine tower bedroom like a ship’s cabin, kitchen and vast living area…

9 10

… a snip, compared to big city prices (from £3,129).

Doubles from £336, including airport transfer. palaciocanmarques.com

BIG KIDS After launching at Chelsea Flower Show, Blue Forest’s fabulous children’s Tree House arrives at Chewton Glen. A delightful new space for kids staying at the family-friendly hotel. chewtonglen.com

PHOTOS: © STUART PEARCE; © BLUE FOREST

And talking of winning: the owner’s award-winning superyacht, WinWin, available to hotel guests for tailor-made days out.

ON TH E T R AV EL R A DA R GRAND TOUR Just opened: Rocco Forte’s Hotel de la Ville in Rome, with interiors by his sister Olga Polizzi and Tommaso Ziffer. The Grand Tour era revisted. roccoforte hotels.com

6 7

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countryandtownhouse.co.uk Mindfulness for Wellbeing Weekend Unlike some wellness retreats, at this Norfolk weekender guests can choose to do as much or as little as they want.

Activities include gentle yoga classes, mindful movement, and breathwork, accompanied by lots of wholesome vegetarian food. Retreaters are encouraged to turn off mobile phones. From £499. satvada-retreats.co.uk

WELLNESS WEEKENDER From farmhouse getaways to island nature breaks, these are the best retreats in the UK

TIME OUT ON TRESCO

RETREAT EAST

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Private members’ club Retreat East will play host to movement coach Roger Frampton, who is running a series of wellness retreats (next up 15-18 September).

Guests spend three days in the Suffolk countryside, experiencing Roger’s training technique firsthand. The Frampton Method requires no gym membership, no weights and no equipment: classes are instead based around flexibility, bodyweight, gymnastics and yoga. From £700. suffolk.farm

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Though it has the feel of an exotic faraway island, Tresco is just 30 miles off the Cornish coast. This mindfulness retreat will help you to reconnect with nature. Run by Caspar Walsh, it’s all about finding solace in the land and sea. You’ll stay at the idyllic Borough Farm. Guests contribute to the teaching cost based on what they can afford. £755 for accommodation and food. tresco.co.uk

FARM LIFE A Somerset farmhouse surrounded by 42 acres of ancient forest, Our Retreat offers the perfect setting for switching off. Across the long weekend, guests take part in mindful yoga classes, sound baths, guided walks, educational talks and workshops on topics like self-care and nutrition.

From £550. ourretreat.co.uk

Scan this code with your phone camera to read the rest of the article

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ESCAPE

AFTER THE STORM

C&TH dispatched Nigel Tisdale, Sue Lawley, Ysenda Maxtone Graham and others to see how Caribbean hotels are breathing new life again after Hurricane Irma JUMBY BAY ISLAND ANTIGUA

Frequented by A-listers, rock stars and well-heeled families, Jumby Bay is the most recent addition to the prestigious Oetker Collection and one of the most exclusive spots in the Caribbean. Perched two miles off the coast of Antigua, the Crusoe-chic island spans 300 acres and is reached by private boat. Part and parcel of the idyllic isle are powdery sand beaches, superb dining, a spa, luxury villas and breathtaking private residences. Recently refurbished by designer Patricia Anastassiadis, the island displays a fresh Caribbean Sea-inspired look. Island

abodes range from Rondavel Rooms with wraparound terraces and sea views to one-bedroom pool suites. Those looking for absolute privacy can splash out on one of the large private homes that fringe the island. Complete with housekeepers and private chefs, these are truly some of the most salubrious residences you’ll find in the Caribbean. Island highlights include snorkelling trips to the nearby wildlife haven, Bird Island, rum tastings and the fabulous, weekly White Night parties.

BOOK IT: ITC Travel offers seven nights from ÂŁ4,579pp all-inclusive, including flights and transfers. inspiringtravelcompany.co.uk

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FOOD & TRAVEL

CHEVAL BLANC ST-BARTH ISLE DE FRANCE ST BARTHS

This glorious Cheval Blanc property is back in business thanks to a top-to-toe overhaul

by French designer Jacques Granges, who dressed the 42-room, white timber-slatted maison – built to resemble a cluster of traditional creole houses – in a breezy seaside palette of bleached wood, rattan furnishings and an assortment of global accessories like werregue baskets from Colombia, Australian aboriginal paintings and colourful Persian ikat fabrics. When not sunning yourself on the beach’s talcum white sands, notch up the indulgence with a Sun-Kissed Ritual – a treatment meant to enhance your tan – at the island’s only Guerlain spa, or wind down with a yoga session in the open air pavilion ensconced within the lush, paradisal gardens by Madison Cox – the man behind Marrakech’s Jardin Majorelle. At La Case de l’Isle, chef Yann Vinsot serves a Caribbean-influenced French and Italian Riviera menu, with dishes such as the tasty lobster ravioli. Book for early 2020, when it reopens after building a new wing with 20 more guest rooms plus another swimming pool and restaurant.

BOOK IT: Doubles from around £660. chevalblanc.com

PRICES ARE FOR DOUBLES PER NIGHT B&B UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

MALLIOUHANA ANGUILLA

This tiny British overseas territory is blessed with some of the best beaches in the Caribbean – and Malliouhana has the good fortune to rest on cliffs overlooking one of the most perfect, Meads Bay. Reopened last December following a zestful makeover

by Auberge Resorts, it sings fun and glamour at every step, from the magisterial lobby decorated with 20 antique diving helmets

to tiered infinity pools lined with regal cabanas tricked out in black, white and yellow.

The 62 contemporary rooms and suites fizz with colour and pattern and have TVs hidden away inside ornate mirrors.

There’s a brand new spa that’s in love with lemongrass, neroli and vetiver, plus complimentary yoga and beach fitness classes – families are welcomed, with a kids’ club and playground in the pipeline. While some luxury resorts on this enchanting island are isolated, here you can stroll along the mile-long sands to discover laid-back bars and restaurants.

It’s well worth booking a boat trip out to nearby Sandy Island or Prickly Pear Cays for a lazy lobster lunch – with lashings of rosé and rum punch, naturally.

BOOK IT: Turquoise Holidays offers seven nights from £2,665pp B&B including transfers and flights. turquoiseholidays.co.uk

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FOOD & TRAVEL

MANDARIN ORIENTAL CANOUAN

Built on a sandy Atlantic shoreline, everyone wakes up to a sea view in this dreamy, luxury enclave. Modernist villas hide in the hillside and a thick forest cascades around the contemporary, colonial-style suites. In the rooms, light-blocking glass transforms into televisions, and slides aside to reveal living rooms of mahogany furniture upholstered in cream linen. Beyond the curved Italianate windows, gardens bordered with hydrangeas and palms lead down to powdery sand, where personal butlers lay out morning coffee and pastries. In the spa, therapists from Bali and Nepal use coconut and passion fruit in scrubs, read energy meridians and practise cranial massage. The five restaurants are an international culinary journey with Caribbean touches – lobster ravioli, seared snapper or duck and lychee curry – from a pan-Asian restaurant with a tandoor brick oven. Any guilt over packing five books subsides after seeing the kids’ club, a utopia of water slides, climbing frames and energetic nannies, who lead baking classes and dressing up games. While they play pirates, make for Shell Beach to float in the serene green and doze under a dried-palm parasol.

BOOK IT: Rooms from $1,350. mandarinoriental.com

HOTEL LE TOINY ST BARTHS

It’s taken more than a year for this fabulous French playground to rebuild itself, but now St Barths is looking better than ever. Set on a panoramic hillside at the quieter east end of the island, English-owned Hotel Le Toiny takes a sophisticated and elegant tack with its supremely restful, ‘coastal chic’ interiors by Lady Bee Osborn. Treats include Bamford amenities, an

excellent Sonos sound system and ‘maxi-bar’ with microwave and sink. Eight new suites have been added and all 22 come with a private heated plunge pool and terrace, where your à la carte breakfast is delivered.

Being a Relais & Châteaux property, top cuisine is to the fore in the airy Le Toiny restaurant, and a customised Land Rover transfers guests down a rough track to the barefoot-luxe Beach Club.

The sea here can be rough, but there’s a pool, chi-chi boutique and superb tartare de thon with coconut rice. Le Toiny also has a sweet cottage spa, and you can go walking on the breezy, goatdotted cliffs. While families are welcome, this perfectly-honed, five-star retreat is bliss on a plate for honeymooners and loved-up couples.

BOOK IT: Elegant Resorts offers seven nights from £3,750pp B&B including transfers and flights. elegantresorts.co.uk

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SILVERSANDS

PRICES ARE FOR DOUBLES PER NIGHT B&B UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

GRENADA

This new hotel on Grand Anse beach is a scene stealer from the get-go with its wow factor 100m pool – the longest in the Caribbean – stretching from the lobby down to its 'infinity' rim overlooking the ocean. Designed by Paris-based architecture practice AW² (whose roll call of hotels includes Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam and Phum Baitang in Cambodia), rooms are split between two white buildings, each clad with bulletwood slats (there are also nine beachfront and hillside villas, ideal for families). Inside, the look is light and airy, with pale oak panelling, Calacatta marble, white walnut floors and modern art on the walls from the owner’s private

collection. Days are spent drifting between a sun lounger and the Espa spa (book in for the coconut scrub), and trying out the paddleboards and kayaks. There’s plenty to explore out and about on this forest-clad island too, from a tour of the Gouyave Nutmeg Processing Station (Grenada is one of the world’s largest nutmeg exporters) to snorkelling at the Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park – a mermaid, a man riding a bicycle and a ring of children holding hands are among the figures on the seabed.

In the evening head to Puro, the cigar and rum bar at Silversands, where you can sip rare, small batch spirits from the island’s distilleries as the sun sets over the bay.

BOOK IT: Carrier offers seven nights from £2,290pp B&B, including transfers and flights. carrier.co.uk

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BEQUIA BEACH HOTEL THE GRENADINES

Once upon a time the tiny island of Bequia (pronounced Beckway) was simply a destination for sailors in search of safe harbour. But nowhere these days escapes the tentacles of tourism and Bequia is fast becoming a popular Caribbean retreat. Go now, before it gets much busier, and when you do stay at the Bequia Beach Hotel.

Standing at the water’s edge on Friendship Bay – surely one of the finest beaches in the West Indies – it’s the vision of a Swedish businessman with a relentless

attention to detail and its spacious beachfront suites, garden cottages, classic rooms and smart villas are all furnished with great taste – colonial refinement meets Thirties chic. There are two pools and restaurants, a small gym, delightful spa and smart sister bar on the island’s other best beach. The whole place exudes the unhurried, friendly charm that is Bequia’s hallmark. Kick off your shoes and order a cocktail. After a few days you’ll have forgotten how to live in any other way.

BOOK IT: Doubles from around £208. bequiabeachhotel.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL

PARK HYATT ST KITTS CHRISTOPHE HARBOUR ST KITTS

PRICES ARE FOR DOUBLES PER NIGHT B&B UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

With its old sugar plantations, dormant volcano and hiking trails through lush rainforests, St Kitts welcomed the opening of its first super-high-end hotel at the end of 2017. Eschewing traditional colonial aesthetics, the Park Hyatt – nestled on Banana Bay with its sugary sand – is sleekly contemporary, with views across to sister island, Nevis. Think bright whites, Scandi furniture and panelled walls, zinged up with pops of colour here and there to create a fresh, clean vibe. Some suites have outdoor living rooms and private infinity pools. Families and couples are each well served with two pools (one adults-only), a kids’ club – perfect for when you want to head to the vast Miraval spa for a volcanic stone aromatherapy massage – and three restaurants, including another adults-only option, the Stone Barn. You mustn’t forgo the lobster – it’s hooked out from pens beneath the pier, taking the meaning of local to its closest literal sense. Delicious.

BOOK IT: Doubles from around £261. hyatt.com

COBBLERS COVE HOTEL BARBADOS

The very act of walking from reception to your room at Cobblers Cove is an irresistible delight – so much so, you might find any excuse to go and ask 'a quick question at reception', just for the chance to wander back through the lush gardens. Off you go through the arch of the exquisitely pretty main house, with the Caribbean Sea shimmering

before your eyes just yards away, through the indoor-outdoor bar where Virgil, the barman, is mixing yet another rum punch, and back to your room – in fact, suite of rooms – with your own front garden next to the sea. This is a heavenly, privately-owned hotel, combining exoticism with a glorious sense of being at home – which will only increase once the two Soane Britain-designed honeymoon suites are unveiled. Come 4pm, afternoon tea replete with Earl Grey and cucumber sandwiches is served – the perfect pampering treat after you’ve been out to explore this friendliest of islands, and before an early evening bathe and a sundowner. Bliss.

BOOK IT: Doubles from around £330. cobblerscove.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL

SUGAR BEACH ST LUCIA

Wedged between the iconic Pitons, Sugar Beach is as lush as the rainforest it’s hacked out of – with all the beach shack vibes of authentic St Lucia, but with butlers, cocktails and private plunge pools to boot. The whitewashed villas are dotted along the hillside to allow maximum privacy and killer views. But you’ll mostly be on the beach below, where kids can snorkel, sail, kayak and scuba while you sip passion fruit daiquiris and raid the 'beachtique', the best curated little hotel boutique we’ve ever seen. Hot pink tuk-tuks ferry you around, from the lush Rainforest Spa to the Bayside Bar, for lobster ceviche, and the vast lagoon pool. Bring trainers if you plan to walk, as the hills are punishing. Yes, there’s a kids’ club to escape the pressing heat but honestly, unless you’re booked in for a two-hour massage, they're best off roaming with new friends, lolling in hammocks and wearing themselves out in the water before you all regroup at sunset for cocktails and sandcastles.

BOOK IT: Doubles from £349. viceroyhotelsandresorts.com

JAMAICA INN JAMAICA

Classy, calm and unassumingly luxurious, Jamaica Inn is a Caribbean retreat that feels more like your home away from home than a five-star hotel.

Everything here is a seamless marriage of splendour and comfort, from the manicured gardens to the mahogany wood library, adorned with black and white photos of past guests – Katharine Hepburn,

Marilyn Monroe and Winston Churchill, no less.

Tucked away in a private cove to the east of Ocho Rios, the hotel is relatively small in comparison with its sprawling, all-inclusive peers along the coast. There are no short straws when picking rooms: all 47 come with verandas looking out to sea. Jamaicans really know how to do R&R (rum and relaxation, that is) and you’ll find everything you need to unwind and unplug – a beach bar, water sports, croquet lawn and a treetop spa that's been voted the best in the Caribbean. The food is fresh, punchy and delicious – both Jamaican and international dishes are unfailing. Whether it’s the deliberate absence of clocks, radios and newspapers, or the periwinkle-hued walls and vast swathes of pure white cotton, you’ll leave feeling feather light.

BOOK IT: Doubles from around £187. jamaicainn.com

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CORAL REEF CLUB

PRICES ARE FOR DOUBLES PER NIGHT B&B UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

BARBADOS

Guests at the Coral Reef Club return year after year, beaming with happiness as they greet the staff and each other like old friends and relax into its intimate atmosphere. The hotel has been catering to a mainly English clientele since Barbados became a top winter holiday destination 60 years ago. In those days the visitors were mainly the idle rich and very famous but, as mass tourism developed, the hotel rode the wave. Set in lovely gardens slap bang next to a beautiful

beach, the Coral Reef Club has two outdoor pools, tennis courts, a spa and fitness centre. At night flaming torches guide you to the restaurant, where dinner is served to the accompaniment of live music. You’ll never sleep in a hotel bed as comfortable as this, nor be looked after by staff who are so attentive and well-trained.

There’s no need to leave the club, other than for the occasional dinner out: in every other respect, the best Barbados has to offer is at your feet.

BOOK IT: Doubles from around £399. coralreefbarbados.com n

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FOOD & TRAVEL

Q & A

THE BUCKET LIST

Sir Richard Branson’s next trip will be out of this world. By Holly Rubenstein Next stop, outer space

What’s at the top of your bucket list? Space.

If I haven’t been into space 12 months from now, something will have gone seriously wrong. We have sent five people into space in the last few months and they’ve come back with their eyes ten times the size.

I’m very, very excited about the idea.

Scaling Mount Toubkal’s snowy peaks is no mean feat

What is your earliest childhood travel memory?

That would be going to Menorca in the Balearics with my family. Just off mainland Spain, it was still completely undiscovered – I think my parents were pioneers in taking us there. We had a lovely time on our beaten up old boat which we would take out.

They are very happy memories.

Richard spent his childhood holidays on Menorca

The Atlas Mountains, outside Marrakech. Mount Toubkal is a lovely mountain to climb. We did it last year – it’s the second highest mountain in Africa. And we just happen to have a little hotel up there called the Kasbah Tamadot, which is run by the Berber community. They are just such gentle, wonderful people and I’ve been there six times in the last year alone.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

TELL US ABOUT A HIDDEN GEM

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Locals lead the safaris at Mahali Mzuri in Kenya

Space tourism is no longer just a dream

What does the next chapter hold?

Virgin Hotels are opening in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, New Orleans, Nashville and Dallas over the next few months. I’m very proud of the job they’ve done. We’re launching our new cruises, Virgin Voyages, later this year – and if people enjoy that, they can upgrade and go to space with us with Virgin Galactic.

The place you’d never return to? I’ve been to a lot of hotels over the years and it can be just ghastly how you’re treated in some places. Sometimes they just don’t seem to know how to get anything right – I won’t name names, but there is a long list. I don’t think there’s any place in the world that I’d never go back to, because every place has its magic – if you search for it. A place is simply people, and you’ll find special people in all parts of the world.

All-time favourite destination?

Our home on Necker Island, but I absolutely love Africa. We have created our own little places there too – Ulusaba in South Africa and Mahali Mzuri in Kenya, where the migration takes place. We’ve got wild dogs and the best sighting of leopards.

Richard fell in love with Necker Island many years ago

Spot leopards at Ulusaba

Where was the first place you fell in love with?

The Great House pool at Necker Island

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Live like Richard at his Virgin Islands home

I found the first place I truly fell in love with when I was 27 years old. I was trying to persuade a lovely young lady to come and live with me, and somebody asked if we’d named Virgin after the Virgin Islands – we hadn’t, I didn’t even know they existed. I managed to persuade this lady to come with me there for the weekend, and we went looking for an island. We had no money to buy an island – we just thought it would be a fun thing to do. An estate agent laid on a helicopter and we came across this beautiful island called Necker Island, with pristine clear water all around it and exquisite reefs.

I looked at her and thought, ‘She could be the mother of my children.’ I looked at the island and thought, ‘This is where we could live,’ and it was love all round. n

Virgin Hotels San Francisco is open now. virginhotels.com August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 125

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FOOD & TRAVEL NEW IN THE FOREST

Make tracks to the New Forest for Burley Manor’s first foodie festival. The ultimate summer garden party, featuring a double-decker bus serving English sparkling wine and a live band. 25 August. burleymanor.com

FRUITY COW The clever people behind Black Cow Vodka have brought the classic strawberries ’n‘ cream combo bang up to date by using leftover wonky English strawberries to flavour their signature creamy milk vodka. A sustainable and lip-smackingly delicious summer tipple. £28. blackcow.co.uk

ON THE T ROT PACK Sebastian Conran’s binoculars case is in fact a cocktail set – perfect for Glyndebourne. £3,000. connollyengland.com

SAVE Yourself the hassle and pick up Brindisa’s brilliant picnic box. £20. brindisa.com

N E W S

GASTRO GOSSIP Make a picnic out of it.

By Clementina Jackson

HIGH MILESTONE English Sparkling Wine has quite literally reached new heights thanks to a collaboration between British Airways and Hattingley Valley to create an exclusive Blanc de Noirs that’s perfect at altitude. hattingleyvalley.com

LONG LUNCHES

SOMETHING FISHY’S GOING ON Creative Japanese twists on finger sandwiches and sweet treats top the tentacles of the underwater creature-inspired tea stand at Sexy Fish. Never one to play by the rules, think cucumber and crème fraiche maki and matcha Victoria sponge. sexyfish.com

PERCH Your bottom on Fortnum’s finest picnic rug. £100. fortnumandmason.com

PHOTOS: EMLI BENDIXEN

Robin Gill goes back to basics at his new eatery on the site of Great Scotland Yard, pictured above (hyatt.com), while The Goring’s first new restaurant in more than 109 years sees Nathan Outlaw showcase the finest Cornish seafood at Siren (thegoring.com).

SIP On fancy tinnies of premium English sparkling wine.

From £4.99. theuncommon uk.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL R E S T A U R A N T

R E V I E W S

FORK & FIELD

Save the best seafood spot on the Isle of Wight for a sweltering summer’s day, says Clementina Jackson

TOWN

UMU, Mayfair

COUNTRY

PHOTOS: ROBIN BALL PHOTOGRAPHY; STEVEN JOYCE

THE HUT, Isle of Wight

There’s a bit of a cult surrounding The Hut on Colwell Bay. Anyone who’s ever been raves about it almost incessantly and makes it their go-to for birthdays, special occasions and, ultimately, any lukewarm weekend which longs to be filled with gallons of rosé, fresh fish and all-round good cheer. It’s at its best in the height of summer, when the bay is filled with boats and people taking a pre-prandial dip, but its sparkling blue and white interior and bubbly atmosphere will brighten even the dullest of days. Put simply, this is the laid-back ‘secret’ beach restaurant of dreams, transporting you straight to the shores of the south of France in spirit but anchored to its location by ingredients – the most excellent Bloody Mary made from tasty Isle of Wight tomatoes, lobster caught in that very bay and delicate sand sole perfected with butter and capers. Book well in advance and prepare to stay long into the evening.

Mains from £15. thehutcolwell.co.uk

Hiding surreptitiously behind an anonymouslooking door on a Mayfair side street is one of the finest – and most exciting – Japanese restaurants in the city. Forgoing the theatrical bells and whistles found at London’s more name-checked Japanese establishments, Umu favours a more refined, less Westernised cuisine that won it a Michelin star within months of opening (it now has two). Around 70 per cent of the fish served is British, and such is chef Yoshinori Ishii’s dedication to the highest quality produce that he personally trained Cornish fishermen in the ikejime method of killing and preserving fish to ensure it met his exacting standards – order the mixed sashimi and you’ll taste the difference.

But it’s not all about the sushi – the seasonal Kaiseki tasting menu takes you on a journey of elegant, traditional and previously unheardof dishes, with many of the top contenders being fully vegetarian. Each mouthful is a surprise and delight that I urge you to try for yourself.

Tasting menu, £165 per person. umurestaurant.com

NICHE EATS SUPER SPECIFIC SPECIALITIES

PLAQUEMINE LOCK, N1 This excellent Regent’s Canal-side eatery serves the best Cajun and Creole food this side of Louisiana.

Flavours are in-your-face fabulous: bacon-wrapped fried oysters, shrimp po’boys, fried okra and a deep, dark gumbo that even managed to knock the socks off a Louisiana native. plaqlock.com

ORASAY, W11 Dream team Jackson Boxer and Andrew Clarke’s new Notting Hill restaurant celebrates the oftoverlooked cuisine and produce of the Western Isles. Langoustines from the Isle of Skye, Hebridean lobster and Isle of Mull scallops are flown down daily to be jazzed up Boxer-style with unexpected, slick flavour combinations that elevate the ingredients. orasay.london

SUSHISAMBA, WC2 Is there a more wonderfully vibrant combination of cuisines than that of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian? The central Covent Garden location only augments the carnival-esque atmosphere. A riot of colours and flavours, there’s a lot going on but each element stands its ground. sushisamba.com

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Design Centre Chelsea Harbour samuel-heath.com Made in England

countryandtownhouse.co.uk

arty style, smarty prices decorative lighting from pooky.com

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FOOD & DRINK D R I N K

HAPPY HOUR

A DR IN K W ITH...

Leave the salt and lime out of it, says Alice Lascelles

OAXACAN WONDER

I

f you want to unlock the delights of agave spirits then the first thing you need to do is slow down. Don’t shoot them: sip them neat, or on ice. Don’t touch anything that’s less than 100 per cent agave.

And if you’re mixing a Margarita keep it simple, so those grassy, earthy notes can really shine through.

THE DON

INSTAGRAM @ALICELASCELLES; PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Technically speaking, Don Julio 70 is an anejo or ‘aged’ tequila, because it spends 18 months in oak. But it’s then filtered until crystal clear. The result is rather good: luxuriantly creamy thanks to the oak, but fresh and youthful on the finish. Savour on the rocks. £70 for 70cl. harveynichols.com

El Destilado’s range of ultraartisan, small-batch mezcals is sourced by two bartenders from across Oaxaca and proves that agave spirits can be as terroir-driven as any wine. This Tobaziche mezcal is dry and nutty; others are fruity, smoky or savoury, depending on how and where they’re made. £112 for 50cl. thewhiskyexchange.com

PLEASING PINEAPPLE

Aficionados generally prefer unaged tequilas because they express the agave in its purest form.

El Rayo Plata does that beautifully – it’s herbal, mineral, but with a touch of charred pineapple too that gives it body and sweetness. Sip it neat or with tonic and a slice of citrus. £39.95 for 70cl. masterofmalt.com

FASHION DESIGNER ALICE TEMPERLEY

1

What are you drinking? Our family’s newly-blended VSOP Somerset Cider Brandy.

2 3 4 5 6 7 7

Who are you drinking it with? People who appreciate good food and drink.

Martini: shaken or stirred?

Dirty.

Guilty pleasure? Collecting beautiful glasses for different types of drinks.

Who would you like to have a drink with? Absinthe with Dalí would be fun.

Most memorable drink?

Snake wine in Borneo.

Favourite bartender?

Dustin Macmillan from Hix.

What was the last great bar you visited? The open-top Sky Bar in Bangkok, which is the highest bar in the world, where I had lots of espresso martinis.

8

What would you drink if it was your last night on earth? I would drink a bottle of our Kingston Black Reserve with some of Somerset cheddar and sliced apples to remind me of where I came from.

IN OR OUT? STAYING IN

STARVECROW CIDER

Skip the passé prosecco and wet your whistle with Kentish craft cider instead. Crisp and apply, with a refined, dry finish, this classy Pet Nat from newcomers Starvecrow is perfect picnic material. £11.75 for 750ml. shop.hopburnsblack.co.uk

GOING OUT

THE BON VIVANT

If you’re braving the crowds at the Edinburgh Festival make time for a cocktail at this candlelit hideaway in New Town. Esoteric liquor is a speciality – sip champagne laced with yuzu sake or bourbon stirred with sherry and fig.

They also have an excellent bottle shop next door. bonvivantedinburgh.co.uk August 2019 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 129

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STOCKISTS ADRIANA DEGREAS adrianadegreas.com

DUNDAS at matchesfashion.com

MAIYO maiyo.co.uk

RED VALENTINO at farfetch.com

ALBERTA FERRETTI albertaferretti.com

ERES eresparis.com

MAJE uk.maje.com

SAINT LAURENT at farfetch.com

ALESSANDRA RICH at luisaviaroma.com

EUGENIA KIM at theoutnet.com

MANSUR GAVRIEL at net-a-porter.com

ALINKA at harveynichols.com

GUCCI FRAGRANCES at theperfumeshop.com

MARNI at mytheresa.com

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO ferragamo.com

ARABELLA LONDON arabellalondon.co.uk ASHISH ashish.co.uk AWAY X ALEX EAGLE awaytravel.com

HAMILTON & HARE hamiltonandhare.com I-AM-CHEN at farfetch.com INITIALLY LONDON initiallylondon.com

AYLA SWIM aylaswim.com

ISSEY MIYAKE at fenwick.co.uk

BILLY REID at selfridges.com

JIL SANDER jilsander.com

BRIGGS & RILEY at harrods.com

JOSEPH joseph-fashion.com

BLACK EYEWEAR blackeyewear.com

LE MONDE BERYL lemondeberyl.com

CHESTER BARRIE chesterbarrie.co.uk

LOCK & CO lockhatters.co.uk

CHLOÉ chloe.com

LOEWE loewe.com

CHRISTOPHER KANE christopherkane.com; at matchesfashion.com

LOVE BRAND & CO lovebrand.com

COCO DE MER coco-de-mer.com CUSHNIE at net-a-porter.com DIOR dior.com

LUCA FALONI lucafaloni.com LUV AJ luvaj.com MAISON MARGIELA at matchesfashion.com

MAX MARA at modaoperandi.com MELISSA ODABASH odabash.com MISHO DESIGNS mishodesigns.com MOLLY GODDARD at matchesfashion.com MUKZIN shop.mukzin.com NEEDLE & THREAD needleandthread.com NEW & LINGWOOD newandlingwood.com NORMA KAMALI at farfetch.com ORLEBAR BROWN orlebarbrown.com ORTAEA ortaea.com PENELOPE CHILVERS penelopechilvers.com PREEN BY THORNTON BREGAZZI at net-a-porter.com

SASKIA DIEZ at net-a-porter.com SERGIO ROSSI at farfetch.com SNOW XUE GAO at farfetch.com STELLA MCCARTNEY stellamccartney.com SUNSPEL sunspel.com TOM DAVIES tdtomdavies.com TOVE tove-studio.com TUMI tumi.com UTERQÜE uterque.com VALENTINO GARAVANI at theoutnet.com WITH NOTHING UNDERNEATH withnothing underneath.com YAMAMAY yamamay.com ZIMMERMANN zimmermannwear.com

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EDITED BY A N NA T Y Z ACK

PROPERTY

HOUSE OF THE MONTH Sell it to us in a sentence… This is your chance to get your hands on the most unique property on the French Riviera. Steeped in history, it’s the only private property on Île Sainte-Marguerite.

What’s its style? Traditional Provençal with some hints of modern.

Does it have any juicy history? King Louis XIV stayed in the historical tower, which dates back to the 12th century. The island is also the final resting place of The Man in the Iron Mask.

Le Grand Jardin Price: €45m 17 bedrooms 17 bathrooms 1,200 sq/m 1.3 hectares

Best room in the house? The bedroom in the 12th-century tower – its views can’t be beaten. Except perhaps by those in the living room of the main villa, which looks directly over the private gardens, tower and beyond to the sea.

Would it throw a good party? A party here would be of Great Gatsby proportions. Travelling to the island really sets the scene, whether for a formal intimate dinner party in the main house or a grand party in the gardens and on the terrace around the swimming pool.

Perks of the location? It is extremely private while also being in close proximity to Cannes. It is the only private property on the island and just a five minute speed boat ride from La Croisette.

Who would like living here? Anyone looking for tranquility, privacy and with an appreciation of history.

What is the outdoor space like? The grounds are simply stunning, with both formal and informal planting: lush gardens full of fruit trees and various plants.

The current owner says… ‘I fell in love with its uniqueness the first time I visited it.’ +33 (0)493 94 45 45; beauchamp.com n

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L E T ’ S

M O V E

T O

CORNWALL

Fast broadband and regular flights have opened up the county, says Anna Tyzack The north Cornish coast offers some of the best surfing in the UK

WHEN IN CORNWALL Walk to lunch Take the coast path from Mawgan Porth to Fifteen. fifteencornwall. co.uk Soak in the spa For adults only, go eco at The Scarlet (scarlethotel. co.uk); or with the family, head to the Bedruthan (bedruthan.com).

W

ith its rugged cliffs, deserted beaches and windswept moors, Cornwall is a different world entirely to that of London and the Home Counties. The train from Paddington takes five hours to reach Falmouth, Cornwall’s largest town, which has a population of just 22,000 people, – seven per cent of the size of Wandsworth.

As such, city dwellers have always considered Cornwall to be summer beach holiday destination rather than a place to call home. This is changing, however, due to superfast broadband, flexible working and four flights a day from Heathrow to Newquay. ‘The big change in Cornwall over the past decade is that people with young families are making the county their main home, while still working part of the week in London or Europe,’ explains Jonathan Cunliffe, an estate agent specialising in upmarket family homes in Cornwall.

The wave of London buyers heading to the Cornish coast has brought with it city-style amenities such as artisan delis and bars, along with

gentrification of existing attractions such as Penzance’s Jubilee Lido, which is now heated using geothermal energy, and St Michael’s Resort spa hotel near Falmouth, which reopened last year following a £50m renovation.

There is also now a trendy independent cinema in Newlyn, while the Blue Bar beach café at Porthtowan on the north coast has sparked a new era of upmarket beachfront dining. ‘Go back 15 years and beach cafés were nasty huts,’ Cunliffe says.

‘Now you can get great coffee and food in every cove around the county.’

A five-minute walk from his house is the Gylly Beach café on Falmouth’s famous Gyllyngvase Beach, which has a bakery, café, outdoor barbecue and firepit.

It’s the water that attracts buyers to choose Cornwall over any other county, Cunliffe says; here they

Something different At Tarquin’s distillery you can wax and sign your own bottle. tarquinsgin.com Light exercise Cycle the Camel Trail from Padstow to Wadebridge.

Brunch with friends Appleton’s at the Vineyard on a slow Sunday. appletonsat thevineyard.com Room with a view Watergate Bay Hotel is right on the beach. watergatebay. co.uk

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; ©ANDY APPLETON; © DAVID GRIFFEN

St Michael’s Mount is a landmark on Cornwall’s west coast

Date night The Longstore in Charlestown has delicious seafood and views. thelongstore. co.uk

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PROPERTY can enjoy endless cliff walks and beach days plus arguably the best sailing and surfing in the country. ‘Priorities are changing: people are motivated by experiences. Cornwall is all about being outside by the water,’ he explains.

South Cornwall is famous for sailing, with deepwater moorings in the Helford River and Fal Estuary and yacht marinas in Falmouth and Mylor, while northern beaches such as Polzeath and Watergate Bay are a paradise for surfers.

There are more practical aspects of a move to Cornwall, however. The county offers an excellent range of day schools, including outstanding state primaries – St Breock Primary, for example, in Wadebridge, St Minver Primary School near Rock and Falmouth Primary Academy – along with prep schools Truro Prep and Polwhele House, where pupils can ride ponies. Falmouth School and Wadebridge Secondary are top state secondary schools, while Truro High School for Girls is a highlyregarded private school.

Property prices are substantially cheaper than the Home Counties, too: for £750,000 to £1.2m you can buy a five-bedroom house with land, just a short distance from the beach – the equivalent in West Sussex would cost more than £2.5m.

Traditionally, second-home buyers have been drawn to the Camel Estuary in the north and the River Fal, River Fowey and Helford Appleton’s at the Vineyard

River in the south. These areas are still popular but Cunliffe has noticed a gravitation towards Falmouth and Wadebridge, which has seen a huge amount of regeneration over the past five years. ‘They are both year-round destinations, which is why they suit those who are living here full time,’ he says.

The property market in Cornwall has cooled considerably since the heady days of 2007, when Cunliffe was selling properties in the fashionable fishing village of Rock for £6.5m, although buyers can still expect to pay £3m for a trophy house on the Camel Estuary. ‘We used to have city boys in their droves, which we don’t any more, but if you find something you like, you still have to act fast.’

For those after a quieter location, try the Seven Bays around Padstow, which are slightly lower profile than Rock yet every bit as beautiful. Meanwhile, Sandy Lush of Cornish property agents Alexander Lush recommends the Rame Peninsula on the River Tamar in the south-east. ‘The area is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with a ferry connection to Plymouth,’ she explains.

Cunliffe, who has a wife and young family, couldn’t fathom living in London rather than Cornwall. He used to work there several days a week but started his own property business 18 months ago, to ensure he didn’t have to leave the county. ‘The work/life balance is better down here – I used to spend so much time travelling but now I can do more exercise,’ he says.

In the evenings, he’ll go mountain biking along the coastal path, then enjoy a pint in a waterfront pub. His wife goes paddleboarding before the school run.

‘That’s quite typical for us these days,’ he says. ‘We really do live the cliché.’ n

FOR SA L E

FALMOUTH, £1.35M Penrose Farmhouse is in a rural hamlet near the sandy cove of Maenporth. The house is awash with period features and has an Aga. jonathancunliffe.co.uk

HELFORD ESTUARY, £1.75M This architect-designed house in soughtafter Helford features spacious, openplan living spaces and beautiful views of the water. jonathancunliffe.co.uk

ST BURYAN, £685,000 A rural, traditional stone farmhouse, not listed, with four bedrooms, a greenhouse, art studio, workshop, pond and kitchen garden in an acre of grounds. savills.co.uk

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; ©ANDY APPLETON; © DAVID GRIFFEN

ROCK, £2.3M Whispers is a New England-style house set in mature grounds of 4.7 acres, within walking distance of beaches and shops in fashionable Rock. johnbray.co.uk

Watergate Bay Hotel

KINGSAND, £325,000 The Beach Nest is a gem of a cottage in the south-east of the county, near the seashore and fully renovated. An ideal weekend cottage and holiday rental. alexanderlush.co.uk

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PROPERTY

H O U S E

HOM ES SW EET HOM ES

S E C R E T S

ROSI DE RUIG

Rosi de Ruig

THE STARTER HOME

Lampshade maker Rosi de Ruig swapped Chez Bu for Dorset Where was your first home? A pretty

terraced house in Shepherd’s Bush.

Best thing about it? The memories!

So much happened there, from bringing our babies home for the first time to starting my lampshade business at the kitchen table.

Shepherd’s Bush, £1m This three-bedroom house needs some love but it is on a pretty tree-lined street, adjacent to Wendell Park and moments from Askew Village. It also has a large garden and the potential to extend the ground floor and into the loft. There are excellent schools nearby and an abundance of local shops and restaurants. kfh.co.uk

Where do you live now?

In a very small village close to the Jurassic Coast in West Dorset, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Rosi started her lampshade business from the kitchen table

What do you love most about it? I spend so much time outside,

either walking, having picnics or just messing around in our garden.

The surrounding countryside is a glorious mix of wild coastline and age-old rolling hills and ancient forts. It is beguiling.

Favourite room? Our bedroom. It is right at the back of the house and overhangs the garden. Falling asleep with the window open to the hypnotic sound of our little river is a pretty wonderful way to end any day.

THE FOREVER HOME

and utterly delicious food ticks a lot of boxes for me.

Where do you see yourself living in the future?

In a minimalist modern apartment in Japan.

The Japanese have such a unique and distinctly visual culture – and the food would be quite a draw too.

If money was no object, where would you live in London? A Georgian house

in Bloomsbury – to be just a stone’s throw from the museums, art galleries, glorious parks and restaurants that the city has to offer.

Where would you like to buy a second home? I’d love a

small clifftop house on Salina, one of the Aeolian islands in South West Italy. The gentle pace of life, crystal blue seas

Sturminster, Dorset, £895,000 A refurbished period farmhouse with traditional outbuildings and about four acres near the village of Sturminster Newton. The large sitting room has a wood-burning stove, and the kitchen an Aga. There are four bedrooms with stunning views across open countryside and easy access to riding along a bridleway. symondsandsampson.co.uk THE DREAM HOME

Most extravagant purchase?

We recently converted a stable into a large family room with pink circus-style stripes on the ceiling. It certainly felt quite a fun addition.

Fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast

Which house would you most like to see inside? The spectacularly huge

Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham in South Yorkshire. It has the longest country house façade in Europe, so the rooms must have truly magnificent proportions.

Rosi dreams of a minimalist Japanese home

What advice would you give a first-time buyer? Space is golden. And always live in

a home before you make any major changes. n

Salina, Italy, €890,000 A villa on Salina in the Aeolian islands with sea views across to the islands of Lipari, Panarea and Stromboli. There is spacious open-plan living, including a kitchen with wood oven, living room and further living space, plus two bedrooms and two bathrooms approached via a stone staircase. There is also an apartment with kitchen and bathroom in the basement. engelvoelkers.com

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PROPERTY

F I V E

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T H E

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LATERAL HOMES

Forget spindly townhouses, the most luxurious spaces in London are lateral – here are some of the widest homes on the market this summer. By Anna Tyzack ST JAMES’S PARK, from £2.25m

One Palace Street is a scheme of 72 apartments opposite Buckingham Palace – the only residential development to have this view. Buyers can enjoy courtyard gardens, a restaurant, leisure facilities (including a library) and concierge. The building was originally a grand Victorian hotel, which used to host royal guests and VIPs. Each apartment is the epitome of opulence with 60ft ceilings, and buyers can choose between classic and contemporary interiors. There are also several penthouses with vast lateral living spaces and spectacular views across the park. numberonepalacestreet.com

CHELSEA, from £5.75m

100 Sydney Street is a boutique development of eight lateral apartments in an exquisite new building in the heart of Chelsea. The properties are generously proportioned and filled with light; open-plan reception spaces lead in to luxurious bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and dressing rooms, and the kitchens have Miele appliances and Quooker boiling water taps.

The largest is a penthouse with three bedrooms, roof terrace, direct lift access and parking space. Sloane Square and South Kensington Tubes are a short walk away and the shops and restaurants of the King’s Road are right on the doorstep. johndwood.co.uk

SOUTH KENSINGTON, £4.25m The penthouse at ONE Brompton occupies the whole top floor of a characterful fourstorey Victorian building on the corner of Old Brompton Road and Cresswell Gardens.

After a four-year renovation by Argent Design, the property features three generous en suite bedrooms, light and elegant living areas with a striking modern kitchen and three terraces.

There is also a dedicated concierge and direct lift access to the penthouse. onebrompton.co.uk; knightfrank.com

BELGRAVIA, £12.75m A newly developed low-built house on Montrose Place, one of the widest in the area, with well-balanced lateral accommodation over four floors.

Accommodation comprises a Poggenpohl kitchen, living spaces with Lutron HomeWorks lighting, media room, gym and four bedrooms. There is also an internal garage. Montrose Place is just off Belgrave Square and close to the boutiques of Sloane Street. bestgapp.co.uk

MAYFAIR, £11.7m 55 Park Lane is a 2,812sq/ft lateral apartment created by merging two adjacent properties.

The result is one of the most luxurious properties in the area, with stunning views across Hyde Park, a state-of-the-art kitchen and a 26ft living and dining room with two balconies, plus four bedrooms, including two master suites with dressing rooms. There is also underground parking and concierge and the restaurants and shops of Mayfair are just a short walk away. harrodsestates.com

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A unique and substantial double fronted villa.

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Victory House, Kensington W8 5RF This immaculate interior designed lateral house, with a 40 ft wide frontage and triple aspect windows, offers the perfect balance of modern living and luxurious comforts with state-of-the-art technology.

• • • •

Two terraces, bar and cinema Spa with gym and swimming pool Off-street parking for two cars Approximately 5,870 sq. ft (545 sq m)

Harry Dawes looks forward to helping you. harry.dawes@knightfrank.com 020 3641 5930

Guide price

£24,000,000

Freehold knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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An immaculate family home.

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Glenilla Road, Belsize Park NW3 A wonderful family home located on a quiet residential street with a large garden.

Orly Lehmann looks forward to helping you. orly.lehmann@knightfrank.com 020 8022 4186

• Benefits from high ceilings and natural light • The property offers 3,996 sq ft of internal accommodation • Glenilla Road is located 0.2 miles from the local amenities and Belsize Park tube station.

Guide price

£5,750,000 knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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Connecting people and property perfectly.

Egerton Gardens, Knightsbridge SW3 Located in a highly regarded address in close proximity of the many amenities of Knightsbridge and South Kensington.

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Beautiful views over Egerton Crescent Elegant south-facing reception room Approximately 757 sq ft

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Roly Ingleby-MacKenzie looks forward to helping you.

Guide price £1,650,000 Leasehold: approximately 169 years remaining

roly.im@knightfrank.com 020 8022 1312 07833 400415

Alexander Place, Knightsbridge SW7 This Grade II listed house is ideally situated for South Kensington, Brompton Road and Knightsbridge.

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South-facing with grand proportions Access to Thurloe Square gardens 2,441 sq ft

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Annabelle Karageorgis looks forward to helping you.

annabelle.karageorgis@knightfrank.com

Guide price £5,450,000 Share of freehold

020 3641 5930

knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent and the deposit, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property (if not an AST). (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) If the landlord agrees to you having a pet, you may be required to pay a higher deposit (if not an AST) or higher weekly rent (if an AST). Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees.

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The houses with the kitchen islands.

Tantallon Road, Wandworth SW12 An exceptional family house located within the heart of the Nightingale Triangle.

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Beautiful Victorian house Lanscaped south-west facing garden Excellent transport links Approximately 2,414 sq ft

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Toby Turnage looks forward to helping you.

toby.turnage@knightfrank.com 020 3641 7731

Guide price £1,595,000

Burtnwood Lane, Wandsworth SW17 An architecturally designed house with a contemporary design, on the doorstep of Wandsworth Common.

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Extended and refurbished Beatrix Potter catchment area Fantastic transport links Approximately 1,759 sq ft

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Toby Turnage looks forward to helping you.

toby.turnage@knightfrank.com

Guide price £1,250,000

020 3641 7731

knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent and the deposit, an administration fee of £288 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property (if not an AST). (All fees shown are inclusive of VAT.) If the landlord agrees to you having a pet, you may be required to pay a higher deposit (if not an AST) or higher weekly rent (if an AST). Please ask us for more information about other fees that will apply or visit www.knightfrank.co.uk/tenantfees.

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A beautiful penthouse with views over the river.

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Carlyle Court, Chelsea Harbour SW6 This charming property is located on the 3rd and 4th floor and is in excellent condition and beautifully presented throughout. The development Chelsea Harbour is situated on the north bank of the river Thames close to the shops and restaurants of Fulham and Chelsea.

• • • •

Matt Smith looks forward to helping you matt.smith@knightfrank.com 020 3597 7670

Two terraces Master bedroom with en suite Concierge and security Approximately 1,163 sq ft

Guide price available upon request

knightfrank.co.uk Connecting people & property, perfectly.

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27/06/2019 14:33

TOM FAULKNER

KIT KEMP

TIM GOSLING

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The

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26/06/2019 15:35

Handsome Manor House Upton Lovell, Wiltshire Salisbury: 16 miles, Warminster: 5.5 miles A substantial family house with well-proportioned accommodation set within beautiful gardens.

5 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, large cellar, indoor swimming pool, tennis court, 3 bedroom cottage, outbuilding, home office, barn. Further land available by separate negotiation.

About 2.09 acres | Guide ÂŁ2 million Charlie Stone Savills Salisbury 01722 562 533 cstone@savills.com

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Beautiful Freehold House St Ann’s Terrace St John’s Wood Underground Station (Jubilee Line): 0.1 miles A charming 3 bedroom house next to St John’s Wood High Street. Double reception room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, cloakroom, terrace and garden. EPC = D Freehold | Guide £2.35 million Alicia Lindsay Savills St John’s Wood 020 3944 4291 alindsay@savills.com

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THE VALE OF PEWSEY, Wiltshire, SN10

£1,650,000

A most stunning Grade II listed former farmhouse, located in the small hamlet of Bourton, which has been in the same ownership for over 43 years.

Guide price

Bourton Farm House has been the subject of significant renovation and improvement by our clients over the years and offers classically proportioned rooms with period detail, as well as large open spaces ideal for modern family life. The house is set in an overall plot of approx.1.5 acres including wonderful formal gardens, a large courtyard and former stable/garaging and beautifully converted former wash house, now a stunning detached studio annexe with kitchenette and wet room, ideal for a multitude of uses.

The property is approached off a small no-through lane and can be accessed from both a front and rear drive.

01672 564555 1 High Street, Pewsey, Wiltshire, SN9 5AF sales@manningfordcroft.co.uk www.mannigfordcroft.com

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• • • • • •

Stunning grade II listed Drawing room, dining room Study/Library Sitting Room with wood burner Large Kitchen/Breakfast Room Utility Room, pantry, wine store

• • • • • •

Two cloakrooms Five large bedrooms Three bathrooms (two en-suite) Beautiful detached studio annexe Lovely formal gardens Former stables and garaging

27/06/2019 11:04

Syleham, Nr Diss - Suffolk / Norfolk border

Monks Hall Estate - an enchanting small country estate with productive arable land, 2.7 miles of river frontage, woodland and grazing * 15th century Grade II* listed manor house in mature grounds with river frontage * Range of traditional farm buildings with potential for alternative uses * Two further farm cottages * Suffolk barn with planning permission for residential conversion * Modern 650 tonne grain store * Over 2.7 miles of river frontage along the banks of the River Waveney * 539 acres (218 hectares) of arable land * 172 acres (70 hectares) of grass land * 59 acres (24 hectares) of woodland * Good sporting potential In all about 785 acres (318 hectares) - for sale as a whole or in up to six lots

Guide Price: ÂŁ7,775,000 for the whole

Clarke & Simpson, Well Close Square, Framlingham, Suffolk, IP13 9DU

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regulated by

t: 01728 621200

www.clarkeandsimpson.co.uk

27/06/2019 14:26

Hills Avenue – Station 1.5 Miles £1,200,000 A most attractive, extended and detached residence, with well-proportioned accommodation over two floors in this favoured tree-lined avenue just off Hills Road on the southern side of the city, close to the train station, Addenbrookes Hospital and a range of local amenities. Accommodation comprising: entrance hall, cloakroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, family room, cloaks/shower room. On the first floor: 4 bedrooms, bathroom, separate toilet.

Outside: generous front and rear gardens, driveway parking, covered car port, garage. EER:E Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

Queen Ediths Way – Station 2 Miles £1,350,000 Hallcroft is a fine example of a substantial 1930’s detached residence occupying a most desirable location at the western end of Queen Ediths Way, convenient for the Addenbrookes Campus. The property boasts a number of fine period features and stands comfortably within its own generous established grounds in all extending to approx. 1/3 of an acre. Accommodation comprising: Reception hall, cloakroom, living room, sitting room, kitchen/ dining room, study/family room. First floor landing, 5 bedrooms, bathroom, shower room. Integral garage. EER:E Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

cheffins.co.uk 01223 214214

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Linton – Station 7 Miles POA Linton House is a fine example of a Grade II* Listed Queen Anne mansion house, extending in all to around 7,500 sq. ft., including cellars and loft rooms.

The versatile accommodation is arranged over three floors and boasts a wealth of period features. This fine home has a variety of useful outbuildings, including former stables and coach house situated around a courtyard. The well-stocked and landscaped grounds extend to about 1.08 acres, leading to the River Granta. A further parcel of adjoining land extending to around 1.61 acres is also available by separate negotiation. The property occupies a most convenient and attractive location close to the heart of this thriving and well-served picturesque village.

Contact: Martin Walshe | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | martin.walshe@cheffins.co.uk

Cambridge | Saffron Walden | Newmarket | Ely | Haverhill | London

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01223 214214 cheffins.co.uk

27/06/2019 11:29

Hadstock – Station 8 Miles £925,000 A beautiful Grade II Listed 16th Century house set in an elevated position within a picturesque village, comfortably set within its own stunning gardens with natural swimming pool and mature grounds and pastures of approximately 3.4 acres. Accommodation comprising: entrance hall, cloakroom, drawing room, dining room, kitchen. On the first floor: bedroom with dressing room/office, further bedroom with en suite shower room, bathroom. On the second floor: 2 bedrooms (1 with en suite bathroom), w.c. Outside: driveway, further parking area, detached double garage, range of outbuildings.

Contact: Bruce King | Saffron Walden Office: 01799 523656 | bruce.king@cheffins.co.uk

Hinxton – Station 2 Miles £1,200,000 A stunning, Grade II Listed barn conversion set in beautiful grounds within a tucked-away position in the village. The barn was designed and developed by the award-winning architect Stephen Mattick and boasts a number of fine features and high quality detailing. Accommodation comprising: hall, sitting room, family room/study, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, cloakroom. On the first floor: 3 bedrooms (1 with en suite shower room and walk-in wardrobe), bathroom. Outside: driveway parking, double bay cart lodge, rear garden, backing onto open countryside.

Contact: Bruce King | Saffron Walden Office: 01799 523656 | bruce.king@cheffins.co.uk

cheffins.co.uk 01223 214214

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Cambridge | Saffron Walden | Newmarket | Ely | Haverhill | London

27/06/2019 11:29

01905 734735

hello@andrew-grant.co.uk

View our current properties: agllp.co/cath

Hill End Farm, Bransford, Worcestershire, WR6

3,350 Sq. Ft.

£895,000

Available as a whole. Guide Price

44

2

4

A very desirable family house together with fishing lodge to provide income, superb views, 5.6 Ac (2.3 Ha).

Worcester 4 miles, Malvern 4, Birmingham 35, London 130, M5 (J7) 5. (All mileages are approximate).

Lot 1 - Reception hall, cloakroom, drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen, four bedrooms (all en-suite).

Self-contained annexe: sitting room, kitchen, bedroom (en-suite). In all 3,350 sq. ft. (310 sq. m) GIA approx.

Two car garage. EPC=D. GUIDE PRICE £625,000 Lot 2 - Fishing lodge, 3 trout lakes, extensive aviaries. Income producing. GUIDE PRICE £295,000 Contact: Andrew Grant Country Homes 01905 734735

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01905 734735

hello@andrew-grant.co.uk

View our current properties: agllp.co/cath

Forthampton, Gloucestershire, GL19

7,051 Sq Ft.

ÂŁ1,795,000

Guide Price

94

6

4

A substantial and comfortable, traditional family home in a peaceful location set within glorious gardens and grounds and 23.57 acres Cheltenham 13 miles, Worcester 18, Birmingham 46, London 113, M5 (J9) 5 (all mileages are approximate).

This lovely period house works very well as either one house or equally for an extended family, with nine bedrooms across two floors including an Edwardian wing providing the potential for ancillary accommodation with its own entrance. The gardens are a particular feature and there are exceptional views over towards the Cotswold Hills. Further land c. Around 5.81 acres is available by separate negotiation. EPC = E

Contact: Andrew Grant Country Homes 01905 734735

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01905 734735

hello@andrew-grant.co.uk

View our current properties: agllp.co/cath

Pudleston, Herefordshire, HR6

9,570 Sq.Ft.

ÂŁ3,500,000

Lot 1: Guide Price

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7

6

A remarkable Grade II Listed Georgian house with cottages, pool house and superb gardens and grounds.

Ludlow 11.5 miles, Hereford 18, Worcester 22, Birmingham 50, London 150 (all mileages are approximate).

LOT 1: House with approx. 55 acres. Four reception rooms, nine bedrooms (five en suite). Pool house with three bedroom apartment and indoor swimming pool. Two double garages, lake, formal walled garden, landscaped gardens, paddocks and woodland.

Additional land may be available.

LOT 2: Five cottages and part converted cottage. GUIDE PRICE ÂŁ1,250,000 Contact: Andrew Grant Country Homes 01905 734735 Joint Agents: Strutt and Parker 01584 873711

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FryerningRoding, Essex Ongar CM5 Beauchamp Fryerning Essex

Guide Price £3,850,000 Guide Price £3,850,000 Guide price £1,250,000 striking five double bedroom, reception Grade II striking five double bedroom, fourfour reception Grade II SetAA in the most beautifully maintained grounds extending property date backpool.

500This years. to listed around 2 acres with a thought lake and to swimming listedperiod period property thought to date back 500 years.

This residence is originally to be 3a be 3 spacious four bedroom detached homethought is situated into Thischarming charming residence is originally thought cottages, providing a fantastic flowflow of bedroom interesting private lane. now The fi rst floor features a master cottages, now providing a fantastic of interesting with balcony, dressing room and ensuite bathroom, a and extensive family living space overover two floors.

The and extensive family living space two floors.

The second bedroom with ensuite, two further bedrooms 7.5 plot comprises formal grounds mixed 7.5acre acre plot comprises formal grounds mixed and a family bathroom.

The ground floor has afrom spacious sympathetically with paddocks (benefitting a sympathetically with paddocks (benefitting from a lounge with twin front bays and a cosy withlake. log second separate access), ponds and fiareplace substantial second separate access), ponds and a substantial lake. burner.

The fitted kitchen/dining tiledgarage floor Numerous outbuildings, tennisroom court,with double Numerous outbuildings, tennis court, double garage opens onto a morning room and adjoining snug. and detached one bedroom annexe. Equestrian and detached one bedroom annexe. Equestrian potential.

EPC Exempt potential. EPC Exempt Country && Village ce 01371 Country VillageOffi Office 01245859444 397475

Country & Village Office 01245 397475

Fryerning Essex Whitehouse Farm Barns,

Guide Price £3,850,000 Mill Green, Ingatestone CM4

Fryerning Essex A striking five double bedroom, four reception Grade II Guide price £2,950,000

Guide Price £3,850,000 listed period property thought to date back 500 years.

Fairview Barn is a spellbinding residence which has3 This charming residence is originally thought to be

A striking double bedroom, four reception Grade beenfive conceived for discrete, refined lifestyles in oneIIof cottages, now providing a fantastic flow of interesting listedand period property thought date back 500 years.

Essex’s most upmarket andto sought-after destinations extensive family living space over two floors. The of Fryerning.

The barn a fusion of historicto and This charming residence isisoriginally thought be 3 7.5 acre plot comprises formal grounds mixed contemporary construction and flow is finished to truly cottages, now providing a fantastic of interesting sympathetically with paddocks (benefitting from a exquisite standards.

Crafted with absolute precision, and extensive family living space over two floors.

Thelake. second separate access), ponds and a substantial the utmost care and attention has been taken to 7.5 acre plot comprises formal grounds Numerous outbuildings, tennis court,mixed double garage maintain its authenticity and is consistent with the sympathetically with paddocks from a and detached one bedroom(benefitting annexe. Equestrian barns original character and charm. EPC exempt potential.

EPCaccess), Exemptponds and a substantial lake. second separate Numerous outbuildings, tennis court, double garage and detached one bedroom annexe. Equestrian Country &&Village Country VillageOffice Office01245 01245397475 397475 potential.

EPC Exempt

Country Village Office 01245 397475 Sales •&Lettings • Mortgages Beresford.indd 157 Sales • Lettings • Mortgages

26/06/2019 14:56

Join us for the exclusive launch at Bonham Grange’s Phase 2!

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