Country & Town House - Nov/Dec 2024 by Country & Town House Magazine

SPRING RISING

ESCAPE!

Michael Morpurgo

it time to take a look at your

usual is not

meets one of our ocean's great defenders, Dr Camilla Floros

FACE A new exhibition goes through e Face magazine’s back-catalogue

a winter walk –and spot some outdoor art

Bamber on the debut novels to have on your reading list

STUDIO Olivia Cole meets Nina Mae Fowler who captures cinema's golden age in pencil

EXHIBITIONIST An orgasm tempts Ed Vaizey to head to the Haywood Gallery

GREEN LANE e EV from China giving Musk a run for his money

BAR Charlotte Metcalf meets BBC disinformation specialist Marianna Spring

Moroccan style shoot will put you in a sunny mood

TO LIFE Lucy Cleland talks to Michael Morpurgo about nurturing both the land and young minds

FIELDS Livia Firth found solace on an organic farm in Italy, says Kamin Mohammadi

PHOTO: CHLOE MALLETT; STYLING NICOLE SMALLWOOD

BATTERSEA POWER STATION GROUND FLOOR

FEATURES CONT...

78 RISING FROM THE RUBBLE Kasbah Tamadot, Morocco, reopens after the earthquake – Richard Branson re ects on resilience

80 ADVANCE TO GO Despite a successful career in advertising, Will Travis decided to take a di erent path, says Annabel Heseltine

INTERIORS

83 GARDEN OF EDEN Carole Annett discovers a sunny Med-island idyll from Spinocchia Freund

86 DESIGN NOTES Interiors news

88 ALL ABROAD Fine international homewares

89 MY INTERIOR LIFE Kit Kemp

TRAVEL

91 TAKING THE PLUNGE Photographer Alistair Taylor-Young’s latest adventure took him to the Arctic

98 MENORCA’ S MOMENT Juliet Herd meets the Spanish family breathing new life into heritage buildings and reopening them as radiant homes and hotels

102 THE LONG VIEW e new rules for making our travels means more. By Francisca Kellett

106 THE ESCAPIST Travel news

108 ASK THE EXPERTS Five specialists tell us where in the world we should go in 2025

110 POSTCARDS FROM... e Saltwater Sauna on England ’s south coast

112 SWEET VALLEY HIGH If you go down to the woods today, make sure you stay in Chewton Glen’s treehouses, says Olivia Emily

113 WINTER’ S TALE Snowshoeing o the beaten track in Northern Sweden

114 ICE TOUCH While President Trump eyes up the island, Lauren Ho gets up feel of Greenland ’s magic from sea

FOOD & DRINK

119 PROUSTIAN FEAST Marcus Wareing's madeleines

121 GASTRO GOSSIP Fermentation isn’t a fad –it might just x our food waste problem

PROPERTY

123 HOUSE OF THE MONTH

124 COOL HEADS Anna Tyzack explores Greece’s new climate super-proofed villas

126 FIVE OF THE BEST Sunshine homes

REGULARS

his young readers to confront issues through the prism of imagination and thought, rather than terrifying imagery and angry rhetoric. We don’t seem to respond well to that. Michael’s new book, Spring, his rst adult non- ction work for 40 years, is a good start. His meditation on the season takes us by the hand into the wilds of Devon, as he waits each day for the rst signs of spring – which come later and later, but come they do, and with them the spirit of renewal and regeneration: we could all do with a bit of that, I suspect (p70).

Livia Firth has always been a vocal activist when it comes to the planet. Having founded one of the rst sustainable consultancies, Eco-Age, which closed last year in circumstances beyond her control, she has now turned her radar away from fashion and onto food. In lockdown, she joined her twin brothers on their organic farm in Italy

It’s a new start for Livia but her activist ambitions are far from over, as she tells Kamin Mohammadi (p76).

You’d think escaping would be high on the agenda of the BBC’s rst disinformation specialist, Marianna Spring. She has the dubious accolade of being the corporation’s most trolled journalist, as her fearless brand of investigation digs into the murkier depths of online and social media. She remains surprisingly sunny though, says Charlotte Metcalf, especially when she gets to meet her naysayers in real life – and discovers the humans behind the keyboards (p58).

Editor’s LETTER

Welcome to our rst issue of the new year, dedicated to escape. While the most recent horrifying ravages of the climate crisis are splashed across news headlines, it gets slashed from the agendas of international banks, investors and governments because political headwinds are blowing in the other direction. For Californians, escaping from an inferno was the grim reality. We need a new story. Can Michael Morpurgo help?

e former children’s laureate has spent a lifetime tackling challenging themes in his bestselling novels, which allow

One of the most pleasurable forms of escape is of course to leave behind the everyday and explore new places. Mindful of how we tread upon our planet, we all want our travels to count for more, and companies are tuning into this, says Francisca Kellett in her e Long View feature on page 102.

We also have despatches from Greenland (which Donald Trump is currently eyeing up, p114), Svalbard – which photographer Alistair TaylorYoung visited to highlight the work of NGOs battling to protect this fragile ecosystem (p91), and Northern Sweden, where Nicola Venning pulls on her snowshoes (p113).

You could of course stay grounded in the UK, where outdoor saunas are predicted to be one of 2025’s biggest wellness trends.

Fee Drummond sings of their therapeutic bene t on page 110. Happy travels.

CONTRIBUTORS

JULIET

HERD

Cultural highlight for 2025?

Leigh Bowery! at Tate Modern. Melbourne-born Leigh, who died in 1994, created some of the most iconic images of the 80s and 90s and was credited with inﬂuencing the likes of Alexander McQueen, Jeffrey Gibson and Lady Gaga. 2025 goals? To be more organised, starting with a major wardrobe declutter. I’m also hoping to ﬁnd some vintage treasures I can enjoy wearing again; shopping your own closet is underrated. More adventurous travel; despite growing up in Australia, I have never visited Vietnam, Cambodia or Thailand. What does escapism mean to you? Retreating to a small beachside bolthole on the northern NSW coast that has been in our family for decades. What could you never live without? A silk eye mask. Can’t sleep without one and it’s a travel essential.

ALISTAIR TAYLOR-YOUNG

Cultural highlight for 2025? Returning to Rwanda. I was invited by NWS to witness and partake in tagging rhinos and lion. Not so much cultural, but of course so very essential to the survival of culture. 2025 goals? To continue a longterm project I’m working on that tells visual stories around the world in a lyrical, poetic rather than factual way. This takes time as the most fascinating places are the ones furthest from the airports. The harder it is to get there, the better the reward. What does escapism mean to you? For me, escapism is a mental state, not where you might be physically. Sadly the art of daydreaming is sabotaged by our telephones. Who are your dream dinner guests? My three children: they are all so busy with their lives, living in different parts of the world. Then Alexey Brodovitch, Tintin and God.

KICCA TOMMASI

Cultural highlight for 2025? I have a special interest in women artists, so I really don’t want to miss Radical! Women Artists and Modernism 1910–1950 at the Belvedere Museum in Vienna, opening in June. 2025 goals? To dedicate more time to my ﬁne art work and gallery exhibitions. What does escapism mean to you? When it all gets too much I escape by creating: my self-portraits and ﬁne art photography work often save me from losing my mind and succumbing to the current madness of the world. Who are your dream dinner guests? I would love to spend an evening listening to Lee Miller, Artemisia Gentileschi and Tina Modotti. What could you never live without? A camera. I have been taking photos almost daily since I was 15 years old and I can’t imagine living without one.

SHANE

C. KURUP

Cultural highlight for 2025?

Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World at The National Portrait Gallery in October. That man was a creative genius on so many levels and had a knack for turning the truly mundane into the fantastical. 2025 goals? Learning Mandarin. I’m half Chinese, yet I can’t speak more than a few words (I blame the British Empire). What does escapism mean to you? Running off to Venice There’s no trafﬁc, the seafood is sublime, every (crumbling) brick is poetry and the city forces you to slow down and go with the pace of the water.

Who are your dream dinnner guests? Joanna Lumley for her charm, Michael Palin for his cultural anecdotes, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother for her historical insights, and Princess Margaret and Agatha Runcible from Vile Bodies as imbibing buddies.

Taking the Plunge, p91

Menorca’s Moment, p98

Elysian Fields, p76

Peak Performance, p34

DRAYCOTT AVENUE, CHELSEA, LONDON

LUCY CLELAND

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

DEPUTY EDITOR LUCINDA BARING

EDITOR-AT-LARGE ALICE B-B

ASSOCIATE EDITOR CHARLOTTE METCALF

ASSISTANT EDITOR & SUB EDITOR TESSA DUNTHORNE

SUB EDITORS KATIE BAMBER, ANDREW BRASSLEAY

FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD

BEAUTY DIRECTOR NATHALIE ELENI

INTERIORS DIRECTOR CAROLE ANNETT

CULTURE EDITOR ED VAIZEY

EXECUTIVE RETAIL EDITOR JULIET HERD

MEN’S STYLE EDITOR SHANE C. KURUP

TRAVEL EDITOR-AT-LARGE FRANCISCA KELLETT

EDITOR-AT-WILD FEE DRUMMOND

SUSTAINABILITY EDITOR LISA GRAINGER

PROPERTY EDITOR ANNA TYZACK

MOTORING EDITOR JEREMY TAYLOR

ONLINE CONTENT DIRECTOR REBECCA COX

DEPUTY ONLINE EDITOR ELLIE SMITH

ONLINE WRITERS CHARLIE COLVILLE, OLIVIA EMILY, MARTHA DAVIES

INTERIM SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER MCKENZIE MULLANY

CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PARM BHAMRA DESIGN & PRODUCTION MIA BIAGIONI

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ELLIE RIX

HEAD OF FASHION EMMA MARSH

SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR PANDORA LEWIS

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR SERENA KNIGHT

DIGITAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR JOEY GOLDSMITH

B CORP & PROJECTS MANAGER XA RODGER

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MARK PEARSON

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER GARETH MORRIS

FINANCE CONTROLLER LAUREN DELGADO

FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR RIA HARRISON

HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT ZOE JONES

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER TIA GRAHAM

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER JAMES THROWER MANAGING DIRECTOR JEREMY ISAAC

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AND WRITERS

TIFFANIE DARKE, JAMES WALLACE, FIONA DUNCAN, OLIVIA FALCON, DAISY FINER, AVRIL GROOM, MICHAEL HAYMAN, LAUREN HO, EMMA LOVE, MARY LUSSIANA, CAROLINE PHILLIPS, STEPHEN BAYLEY

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

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The GOOD LIFE

Alice B-B escapes a clingy

spirit and signs up to a Psychic Development Retreat

ARE YOU PSYCHIC? Just a bit? Ever wondered if that coincidence might be something more? Like when you think of someone and bump smack into them seconds later? I’ve always been a bit curious – but a scaredy cat; I never joined the Ouija board sessions at school. en about ten years ago, I started waking in the night, feeling someone was at the foot of the bed, watching me. It felt like this presence would hitch a ride on my back to our country cottage for the weekend. And, come Sunday night, would thumb a lift back to London. I really didn’t want this extra weight that felt like it was holding me back in some way. So, who you gonna call? I rang ghostbuster and ‘sensitive’ Amaryllis Fraser (amaryllisinsight.com). Fraser hung out in both our London at and Cotswolds cottage, scribbling notes as she ‘received messages’, observed the ancient paths through the garden, wandered about shoving sticks in the ground to release energy – and then, with a grin, told me she’d sent the clingy spirit o to the light. Phew. It worked. e monkey was o my back.

AURA DIAGNOSIS… the potential for developing that intuitive, energetic feeling when you meet someone – that was the sole reason I signed up for a Psychic Development Retreat. On a sunny day in June, I tipped up in Kent where psychics Fiongal Greenlaw and Jamie Meek, creators of e Wellness Foundry (wellnessfoundry.co.uk), had set up camp for the weekend. It’s a funny old thing, meeting psychics. My thoughts whirled: are they real or a sham? Do they know that’s what I’m thinking? Are they reading my aura? Can they see my dark side? Can they tell if I’ve got ‘it’? Where are the hills, and can I run for them? But if they were reading my mind, they didn’t let on and couldn’t have been more charming. e schedule was stu ed with things like ‘Spirit Guides Workshop’ and ‘Symbol Readings’, and I went for it – dived in with glorious abandon alongside diverse fellow retreaters (a neuroscientist, a nancial strategist, someone from a ministry of foreign a airs). In fact, the weirdest thing was how normal it all felt. ere were a few ‘moments’: just as I was wondering ‘so where’s that Patrick Swayze then’, a curtain pole crashed to the oor. In a psychic workshop game, I had visual revelations about the person sitting with her back to me, despite not knowing who it was. And in my private psychic reading with Greenlaw, a darling friend who recently died showed up. I know it sounds crazy, but Greenlaw described her to a tee, and through him, my friend told me she’s having a bloody great – wherever she is. And while I’m not about to come out as a witch, I’ve honed some useful skills – protecting my energy in anxious moments, or turning it to twinkle should I so fancy. I’ve learnt to ground myself to prevent ‘psychic burnout’ – it’s a thing. And YES… I can read your aura. n

The RURBANIST

Sally

Phillips

on

Partridge,

marriage proposals and the kindness of people

What’s bringing you joy at the moment? Pablo Neruda’s Ode to My Socks and my children’s successes. My son Olly has just landed his rst job: he is lming Mixmups, the animation series by the very cool Rebecca Atkinson. What’s annoying you most right now? e fact my youngest has regressed to collecting Pokémon cards again – an incredible waste of money and cause of ghts – and Elon Musk. He signals the death of democracy.

Advice you’d give to your 15-year-old self? Don’t hold raw Dettol on your spots: it will burn your face o . I did that before my rst date.

What keeps you awake at night? Worrying about my kids. I have three neurodiverse children and that comes with a lot of paperwork – my nemesis. What could you have been arrested for? Impersonating someone else. Until I was about 26 and decided to have a truth amnesty, I’d spend every train journey being a di erent person from a di erent country, age, whatever. It was something to do with acting and walking in other people’s shoes, trying them on for size. Best life hack? You don’t need to be super attractive, or young, or to wear expensive underwear or pretend not to have opinions – what men really want is women who can throw wobbly things over distance into containers. After I threw some jelly into a bucket on Taskmaster, I was inundated with marriage proposals. A moment that changed everything? Career-wise I owe a lot to Armando Iannucci: he gave me I’m Alan Partridge at the beginning of my career; and then cast me in Veep just as I’d had my third child and was fat and breastfeeding. Having Olly was a really profound moment. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome ten days after the birth and it still makes me cry; it’s not a tragedy at all, but that moment was fucking horrible. On paper, the story was ‘my life is ruined’. Although our relationship was forged in the re, we are much closer as a result. Where do you go to escape? e supermarket. I’ll amble very slowly round the aisles. I also love bookshops and walking my dogs in Richmond Park. Nothing lifts the spirits like those little dogs’ arses wagging. What’s the best way to put a smile on your face? I have the opposite problem. After a career in comedy, the smile is stuck. e Victorians called it a gigglemug.

You wouldn’t know it but… Ronnie Ancona and I presented the Palm Dog Award to Quentin Tarantino at the Cannes Film Festival on behalf of Brandy, the dog from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

What does sustainability mean to you? How do we adapt our lifestyle to stay within the limits of what our planet can give us? It is down to us and I get anxious and cross with the ‘no energy’ that only exists to sow doubt and create a reason to do nothing. Another facet is: how do I sustain a career in the media when my face is collapsing around my shoulders?

How can we save the world? e fact that you’re asking comedians shows how desperate things are.

What does a life in balance mean to you? Something completely unattainable.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is out in cinemas from 14 February 2025 n

QUICK FIRE FAVOURITES...

SCENT Hermès Un Jardin sur la Toi. BOX SET Ted Lasso. CHOCOLATE Red Lindor balls. SONG Kate Rusby’s The Village Green Preservation Society. DISH Spaghetti aglio e olio. GADGET The toaster. RESTAURANT Ekstedt at the Yard. HOLIDAY Bucket and spade with all the cousins.

PHOTOS:

Sally Phillips has no problem keeping a smile on her face and she loves escaping to the supermarket

The WILDIST

Fee Drummond capitalises on these quieter months by grounding herself in nature

And into the realm of slow, quiet restorative time we plunge. Apparently, this is the only period of the year we actively highlight re ection, accept hibernation and encourage rest.

What a relief for us all, a welcome excuse to ignore the noise of the world and remember ways to feed our quieter inner selves. is leads me ever back to water and light. I take more time to watch and appreciate the play of light everywhere, especially in the darker months, and particularly on water. I ponder the amount of water and glimmering light at play within my own body – our human bioluminescence that is too weak for the naked eye to see.

As I wallow in the joy of no plans, I close in my focus on my morning mantra. I get outside as soon as I can and walk barefoot, soaking up environmental intelligence through the soles of my feet – a grounding ritual as old as the hills, our neurons connecting from toes to ngertips. By breathing and bathing in local biodiversity, touching trees and rubbing earth or leaves in my hands, I am quite literally feeling my way to optimal health.

Protecting and enforcing this morning routine is one of the most important things I do. It dictates my day, allowing me to control+alt+delete my system and start anew, with energy and clarity

of mind, encouraging surfer-style calm to combat the wider chaos of life.

I have become hooked on these natural endorphins and focus on amplifying neurotransmission and absorption. Minerals are absorbed through the expanse of my skin during my wild cold water swims and I ensure that my cells can actually absorb my drinking water by adding Celtic Sea salt, fruit and herbs to my glass-bottled water.

I am describing here my dream self but I have to work hard to make space for it. And that’s the job for these quieter months. I used to change shape for other people and places, now I focus on strengthening the authentic shape of me – and that is my new year’s gift, to continue to grow and thrive in myself.

WILD HACKS

1 DETOXIFY Take time for seaweed baths and salt scrubs. Voya Detoxifying Seaweed Bath, £24; Voya Sugar Scrub, £48. voya.ie

2 NOURISH This grass-fed beef protein supplement by Organised is everything I want for my body daily. £89. organised.co

3 JOURNAL Because now is a time for paper and writing. Bespoke A5 Two Way Journal by Anya Hindmarch, £450. anyahindmarch.com n

Walking barefoot in nature can regulate our nervous system and boost immunity

BedBreakfast

Edited by Juliet Herd

STYLE HOT SPOT

‘My mother once told me I dream in dresses,’ says Stacey Bendet, creative director of alice + olivia, who spotlights wearable couture for her SS25 collection. Find ﬁfties and sixties silhouettes, full skirts, trousers and sculptural jackets with a rich seam of old-world elegance, drama and imagination. ‘I want to make clothes that make a woman feel her most beautiful.’ aliceandolivia.com

The STYLIST

Nice knickers without any nasties? Tiﬀanie Darke shares hergo-to brands for great basics

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: elliot. briefs, from £24, and tanks, from £42, elliotorganics.co.uk

Eberjey Gisele pyjamas in Forest Green, £165, eberjey.com; Wildness Spirit bra, £75, and Spirit briefs, £40, wildnesslingerie.

com RIXO x Stripe & Stare String Scoop bra, £30, and high rise knickers, £18, stripeand stare.com

Has anyone solved the problem of natural, sustainable lingerie that looks and feels good? ose keeping up with the toxic e ects of cheap, synthetic fabrics and arti cial dye and nishing chemistry are right to be wary. In Let em Be Naked, the viral documentary about fashion’s toxic load, designer Je Garner attributes his mother’s breast cancer to a Victoria’s Secret bra. e truth is hard to locate, but the more we know about the long term e ects of PFAS, the chemical compounds present in synthetic dyes and materials, the less sure we can be that the garments we are placing right next to our skin – in our most intimate areas – are ones we can trust.

So where to head? Stripe & Stare uses TENCEL™, a semi synthetic material that will biodegrade over time. e female-led B Corp brand, founded in 2017, has many eco credentials and is also fun and cool, most recently collaborating with Debute, the new label by Lola Bute and Jazzy de Lisser, for a collection of pants and vests, and with Rixo, on underwear sets, camisoles, bodies and PJs in stripes, hearts and leopard prints. Eberjey is another label that uses TENCEL™, and I defy you to nd a softer pair of PJs.

If it is feminine and pretty you are looking for, check out Wildness. is is my hero brand, small and independent. It uses organic cotton with no elastane, making it fully recyclable, while the elastics used in the waistbands are made in the EU, therefore subject to higher standards. All metal components are made in France, while the broderie anglaise and lace is also impeccably sourced. is is lingerie you need to care for – no tumble drying or hot washing, but it is truly beautiful and as thoughtfully, responsibly made as you could hope for.

On a similar tip is e lliot., a basics brand that started out with the perfect tank and now includes pants and bras in the collection. e cottons are organic, with a mission to support regenerative farming, and no toxic chemicals or nishes touch the process. e underwear doesn’t have the same support or French prettiness as Wildness, but they have every right to be in your responsible lingerie collection.

Staying away from mass produced synthetic underwear is becoming as much a health issue as an ecological one. Next time you feel like popping into a high street store for a three pack, please check the label: avoid anything with nylon, polyester, Lycra, Spandex or manufactured outside the EU. And make like the Victorians with their silk bloomers: hand wash and air dry. Beautiful, long lasting drawers for beautiful long lasting ladies. n

Elevate your everyday with The Easies from MR MARVIS. Comfortable & sophisticated – from relaxed mornings to big days ahead. Made in Portugal and available in 19 colours. Shop The Easies now on mrmarvis.co.uk

The EDIT

Herd

RESCUE REMEDIES

Combat stressed skin with these new saviours

1 tolpa. Dermo Face Rosacal Strengthening Regenerating Cream (Night), £12.99. boots.com

2 Lancaster Limited edition Protecting Body Milk SPF50, £28. lancaster-beauty.com

3 Dr Barbara Sturm Anti-aging Dual Serum, £340. drsturm.com

4 La Mer The Night Recovery Concentrate, £590. cremedelamer.co.uk

From cycling shorts to denim Bermudas, Chanel turns seriously sporty for its cruise 2025 collection. Even the house’s classic tweed jacket is given an athleisure update, worn with a hooded sweatshirt underneath. And if you’re beachside, it’s a reimagined scuba diving suit in signature black and white, paired with straw boater – a Coco Chanel fave – and modelled here with youthful insouciance by French muse Loli Bahia. chanel.com

SOFT TREADS

e launch of B Corp footwear brand Allbirds’ new collab with British fashion label Shrimps has put an extra spring in our step. Hero of this three-piece capsule is the versatile Trail Runner Flu trainer, £145, made from Allbirds’ signature u y wool sourced from ZQ certi ed merino farms and accessorised with Shrimp’s trademark faux pearl beads. Pair with Balthasar coat (£695, shrimps.com) and mini Antonia bag (£425, shrimps.com). allbirds.co.uk

GOLDEN HOUR

You could say the new solid gold Longines Mini DolceVita is the missing – er – link in this irresistibly chic timepiece range. It seems such a no-brainer for the DolceVita family’s jewel-like Mini model, that you wonder why it hasn’t made an appearance sooner. Not that we’re complaining. Choose between 18k yellow gold or 18k rose gold versions (diamonds optional) with matching gold bracelets or opt for the black alligator strap with gold pin buckle. Accessorise with a single gold – or silver – bangle. Mini DolceVita 18k yellow gold or 18k rose gold, £22,850. longines.com

RIVIERA CHIC

Meet your latest travel companion. Brunello Cucinelli’s SS25 collection maps an elegant odyssey where Mediterranean exuberance meets the hypnotic calm of desert dunes. Tailoring takes on a breezy sophistication, but it’s the knitwear that steals the spotlight. brunellocucinelli.com

FULL BLOOM

It’s only tting that Erdem Moraliuglu’s debut handbag is called e Bloom. Floral motifs re ect the fashion designer’s life-long fascination with the language of owers and modern femininity. Each bag features a sculptural ower-bud handle, handcrafted in hammered brass. With its organic, slouchy silhouette in soft calfskin or velvet, you’ll want to hug it close, though. Midi Bloom bag, £1,795. erdem.com

COOL GIRL STYLE

We are so crushing on Zimmermann’s new aptly-named Crush resort collection, which takes us on a nostalgic romp through the wardrobes of 80s Brat Pack stars, including Molly Ringwald, Winona Ryder and Lisa Bonet, in such teen classics as St Elmo’s Fire and Pretty in Pink. Think denim varsity jackets and ﬂoaty prom dresses, cute lace biker shorts and mini bustiers, and high-waisted jeans to die for – all with a luxurious modern edge. Pointytoed slides and sheer sockettes anyone? zimmermann.com

SKINCARE WITH PURPOSE

When Charlie Chaplin’s granddaughter, Kiera Chaplin, rst met fellow model and activist Waris Dirie, founder of Desert Flower Foundation, dedicated to ending female genital mutilation (FGM), she wondered how she could help. She’s since opened a school in Sierra Leone and now, as ambassador for natural skincare brand Bufarma, she is spearheading a partnership aimed at raising awareness of FGM. ‘Our commitment to ethical practices and social responsibility is at the heart of Bufarma,’ says Kiera, adding that Bufarma will help support DFF’s educational projects. bufarma.com

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

MY STYLE

Patricia Gucci shares her wardrobe favourites and holiday heroes

the brand through Moda Operandi. e ring has loose round baguette diamonds enclosed in a white sapphire crystal – it’s beautiful.

What are your key travel pieces to take on holiday? For warm climates, it’s happy dresses by La DoubleJ, strappy sandals, owy trousers, all neatly packed in my Aviteur Weekender and Du e Bags. I’ll also always take a straw hat and my Aviteur Gigi Bag.

Favourite under-the-radar labels? I recently discovered Dušan and fell in love with the whole collection. He is a Serbian-born, Milanbased designer and his pieces are discreet and timeless yet bold.

Do you go for timeless or trend-led pieces? Timeless is always trendy. Any style hacks? As long as you have a beautiful handbag and the right shoes, you can get away with wearing pretty much anything.

aviteur.com n

What’s your daily uniform? When I lived in London, my style was more eclectic and I used to dress up much more. Now that I’m in Milan, which is more classic, it’s typically a white cotton shirt or silk blouse, blazer, usually trousers from e Row, moccasins or sneakers

Who’s your style crush? Inès de la Fressange. When it comes to style, the French have got it.

What’s your go-to piece in your wardrobe for winter? My navy cashmere peacoat from Max Mara, black leather trousers, a cream-coloured cashmere sweater and a cashmere scarf from Loro Piana.

What does country style mean to you? Tweed jackets by Katherine Hooker, a waxed Barbour coat, and Hunter wellies.

Favourite accessories for a ﬁnishing touch? My ower diamond earrings and a ring, both by Moritz Glik and both gifts from my partner Greg who discovered

DUŠAN

Rubashka crêpe de chine top in cacao, €1,185, and trousers, €975, dusan.info

SENSI STUDIO

Lady Ibiza straw hat, £295, sensistudio.com

LA DOUBLE J Magniﬁco midi dress in petrol, £1,250, ladoublej.com

Style crush Inès de la Fressange

Italian accessories designer Patricia Gucci believes with the right bag, you can get away with almost anything

AVITEUR Cristallino bag in teal, £1,755, aviteur.com

MORITZ GLIK

Core 15 Ruby earrings, $5,300, moritzglik.com

BURIED TREASURE

From bejewelled swashbuckling pirates to gold ships with billowing diamond sails, Van Cleef & Arpels embarks on a fantastic voyage in search of hidden bounties with its new high jewellery collection. Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, this threepart maritime adventure dips into the French maison’s nautical archives to present such gems as a rose gold and emerald palm tree brooch with detachable gold chest and a sapphire and diamond necklace that literally makes waves. Prepare to set sail. £POA. vancleefarpels.com

The Magpie

CHANNELLING CLEOPATRA

Ancient Egypt’s legendary last pharaoh is the muse behind Pragnell’s new aptly named Cleopatra collection. A modern interpretation of the traditional ‘Sha’bi’ pattern, it pays tribute to the jewelleryloving queen’s inimitable style. Featuring bracelets, rings and necklaces, these pieces are designed to be worn every day. Stacking encouraged. Cleopatra 18ct yellow gold and diamond barrel link bracelet, £37,500, and necklace, £16,500. pragnell.co.uk

Tantalising new treasures, uncovered by

Juliet Herd

MANHATTAN MOMENTS

MARLI New York’s inaugural high jewellery collection calls to mind the vibrancy of the city that never sleeps. Entitled A New York A air, the collection unfolds in ve chapters, taking you on a journey that captures the city’s myriad moods and moments. is diamond and gold Twilight choker evokes its golden hour energy and can be worn alone or stacked (as shown). £POA. harrods.com; marlinewyork.com

SEALED WITH A KISS

Modern-day lovers won’t be able to resist the romance of David Morris’s new ne jewellery collection, Frozen Kiss. Paying homage to Auguste Rodin’s masterpiece e Kiss, the six pieces celebrate the raw passion of the sculpture’s entwined marble paramours. Perfect for Valentine’s Day. 18ct white gold and diamond ring, £POA. davidmorris.com

GREEN LIGHT

Rado’s slimmest watch yet, the True Square inline, is a study in elegant minimalism in green high-tech ceramic, featuring a green motherof-pearl dial. rado.com

PEAK PERFORMANCE

Heading for the hills? Shane C. Kurup gets set for snow season

CUTTING A DASH

Founded in 1952 by two French tailors, Fusalp o ers kit a cut above your usual ski garb. is collection ri s on 1970s style, but with full mod cons, including advanced techno-fabrics, double-faced wools, heat-sealed seams and RECCO® search and rescue technology. fusalp.com

LOUIS VUITTON

Ski T-shirt, £705 louisvuitton.com

THRUDARK

Engage Trousers, £345 thrudark.com

PEREGRINE 1796 jumper, £110 peregrineclothing.co.uk

UPWARDLY MOBILE

Hikers to keep you on a ﬁrm footing

TUNDRA TIME

With its handsome ice-cool face, Montblanc’s limited edition 1858

Geosphere 0 Oxygen South Pole couldn’t be better for clocking the hours mountainside. ere’s no excuse for missing après hour –or the last lift down. £6,800 montblanc.com

RETRO REVIVAL

ose ancient pine skis might look appealing on the chalet wall in a haze of fondue and génépi fumes, but they’re a ne recipe for a fracture. Loro Piana’s polished wood skis have all the retro charm with none of the ankle-busting bindings of old. Loro Piana wood skis, £6,745, mrporter.com

COLD COMBAT

These top-shelf potions are strategic solutions to inclement alpine weather

DANNER Mountain Trail boots, £410. danner.com 3 CROCKETT & JONES Glencoe boots, £675. crockettandjones.com

2 LIFEJACKET

SPF50 Mineral Sun Stick, £16. lifejacketskin.com

3 DR SEBAGH

Replenishing Cream, 50ml, £72. drsebagh.com

SOREL Buxton boots, £130. sorelfootwear.co.uk 1 FREZYDERM Active Sun Screen Lip Balm SPF 50, £12.43. johnbellcroyden.co.uk

BURBERRY

FUTURE ICONS

Celebrating the people making our planet cooler and fairer

You could have heard a pin drop. It was the story of the bumblebee that everyone was talking about afterwards. To put the climate in the context of something people can relate to – rather than talking about net zero and sometimes obfuscating terms that can feel intangible – is the way to achieve cut through. And so it was that John Gummer, Lord Deben, former chair of the government’s independent Climate Change Committee, addressed the audience with a soul-stirring speech at Country & Town House’s third Journey to Zero event at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, which saw the launch of its Future Icons Power People list. e overarching message of the evening though was that joy is the critical ingredient when it comes to galvanising action.

Dominique Palmer

Tiffanie Darke, Laura Clarke, Joycelyn Longdon and Ludovic du Plessis

Amelia Windsor and Rosanna Falconer

Julietta Dexter and Mary Fellowes

Amber Nuttall and Alistair Gosling

Rachel Arthur and Amy Powney

Madeleine Macey and Lucy Cleland

Annabel Heseltine and John Gummer, Lord Deben

Fleur Britten and Lucy Johnson

Shailja Dubé

Tayshan Hayden-Smith

Sian Sutherland

Torsten van Dullemen

Marine Tanguy

Anabel Kindersley

DJ Scarlett

Raymond Blanc

Patrick Grant

Jamila Brown

Clover Hogan

Diana Verde Nieto

Mark Sainsbury

Tori Tsui

LONDON’S LUXURY BEAUTY, HEALTH & WELLBEING EMPORIUM

50-54 Wigmore Street, London W1U 2AU

HEALTH & WELLBEING Reset the scene

As this new year invites an inevitable sense of reﬂection and commitment to renewal, we look to the wild and unspoilt reaches of Menorca, where the breathtaking bones of beautiful heritage buildings are being restored and reborn as private homes and small hotels in the family-owned Vestige Collection. Page 98

Bikini Monday Swimwear Skirt Free People

Photographer: Trish Ward Styling, hair & make-up: Camilla Hewitt using Davines & ILIA Model: Danielle Copperman

Location: Son Vell vestigecollection.com

The SCOOP

Charlotte Cole spotlights three new beauty heroes for 2025

GO NUTS

Have you broken up with your hairdresser? en may I kindly introduce Adem Oygur, who might make you forget your hair woes. He’s overloaded with awards, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t treat you just like the celebrities he styles. From his bright and breezy salon – reclaimed wood, plants, minimalist design – on Ebury Street (right next door to celebrated aesthetician, Dr Jack), he’ll bring back bounce, colour and swing with charm and technical expertise using his own products centred on one hero ingredient, the humble hazelnut. His family farms the nuts, you see, so Adem has developed a unique haircare range made with the organic oil harvested from the farm. adem.london

PIN-UP

Acupuncture remains one of wellness’s most popular therapies. Everyone from Victoria Beckham and Meghan Markle to Gwyneth and Jennifer Aniston are known to go under the needle – for emotional, psychological or physical healing. Acupuncture is, of course, nothing new: this form of Traditional Chinese Medicine dates back over 2,500 years and is said to help with everything from insomnia, depression and stress to skincare (Rita Ora uses it for face-sculpting), pain management and fertility. Eloise Coulson, who practices at e ird Space in Soho, will take you through a wide-ranging questionnaire to really nail down what might be causing you pain or distress. Regular sessions are recommended, but even after one, my sleep (my Achilles heel) was noticeably better. eloiseacupuncture.com

FACE OFF

Lisa Franklin knows good skin. She integrates her own ethically produced B Corp products into a regime that might see her cleanse, exfoliate, extract, while also using infrared LED for soothing, masks for nourishing and, of course, her magical hands for massaging and toning. e latest tech to arrive in salon is LPG, a device that sends micro-pulses into the skin that not only gives it the equivalent of a workout and kickstarts broblast production (the cells which secrete collagen), but also works holistically to reduce cortisol levels and increase heart rate variability. Leave fresh of face and relaxed of body. lisafranklin.london

PHOTOS: ALAMY

Gwyneth Paltrow is a known fan of acupuncture

BODY& SOUL

Our lymphatic system is a key player in our immunity. Here’s how to keep this silent hero moving, says Camilla Hewitt

Are you downing ginger shots in hopes of dodging a winter cold? While a good night’s sleep and a nutritious diet certainly play their part, there are additional steps we can take to stay well this winter. ‘ e lymphatic system, often overshadowed, is a silent hero in immune health,’ says Dr Vijay Murthy, functional medicine and ayurvedic doctor (murthyclinic.com). ‘ ink of it as an essential waste management system. Every day, we’re exposed to environmental toxins, pathogens, and cellular waste that need to be e ciently removed to maintain our health. e lymphatic system lters out these unwanted materials, transporting them to lymph nodes where immune cells, like white blood cells, neutralise them.’

Unlike the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system doesn’t have its own pump, so it depends on our daily habits to keep it moving. While lymphatic drainage is often marketed as a beauty treatment for body sculpting, its bene ts go well beyond appearance. Since the lymph system runs just beneath the skin, a massage targeting the lymph nodes around the neck, armpits, and groin can be a great way to stimulate ow. ‘Practicing self-massage for ve minutes daily can make a noticeable di erence in energy and immunity,’ Dr Murthy suggests.

Anita Kaushal, founder of Mauli Rituals, o ers some advice if you’re looking to try this at home: ‘Contrary to

what one may expect, you want to massage with gentle to mid-pressure. Hard pressure bypasses the lymphatic system, so it is of no use and could do more harm than good,’ she explains. ‘Another way to boost lymphatic drainage is by using a traditional massage tool called a Kansa wand. Ayurveda has long prescribed the copper alloy in the wand for its ability to work like a magnet between the surface of the skin and deeper layers. It helps to gently release blocked pathways, allowing toxins to drain and nutrients to be better absorbed.’ n

GO WITH THE FLOW

Dr Murthy’s at-home lymph system hacks

CHECK IN: LIME WOOD HOTEL

This New Forest hotel recently welcomed Ayurvedic therapist and Reiki healer Sheena Chandran to its Herb House Spa. ‘Ayurveda considers the lymphatic system the most essential system in the body,’ explains Sheena. ‘Longstroke massage, like our abhyanga treatment, can improve lymphatic ﬂow.’ This technique involves pouring warm oil over the entire body and using continuous, ﬂowing strokes to create a gentle, consistent wave-like massage.

Proper hydration is critical, as lymph ﬂuid is mainly water. Aim for at least eight glasses daily and add a squeeze of lemon, which helps stimulate lymphatic ﬂow.

Activities that involve bouncing, like gentle jogging or jumping on a mini trampoline, are excellent lymphatic stimulators. Even a brisk walk can keep the system ﬂowing.

Dry brushing helps move the lymph ﬂuid toward the heart. It can be especially effective in the morning to energise the body. Begin at the feet and hands, moving towards the torso with circular strokes.

Practice diaphragmatic breathing (also known as belly breathing) for a few minutes daily to gently pump lymph ﬂuid, support detoxiﬁcation, and even reduce stress –another big win for immunity.

Alternating between hot and cold water in the shower can stimulate lymphatic ﬂow. The temperature change causes blood vessels to dilate and constrict, which gives the lymph system a gentle push.

Ginger, turmeric, garlic, and leafy greens are known for their detoxifying properties and can enhance lymphatic ﬂow. Additionally, functional foods like chlorella and spirulina can support lymphatic detoxiﬁcation.

Beneﬁts of lymphatic drainage massage go beyond beauty; a Kansa Wand helps unblock pathways, allowing toxins to drain

BODY Language

Olivia Falcon supercharges her liver after weeks of festive revelry

After weeks of festive drinking, I am looking for a cure for my battered liver (a steady stream of wine and cocktails over the last six weeks more or less everyday – yes, even Mondays – has left me looking and feeling a little green). I head to John Bell & Croyden (johnbellcroyden.co.uk), the Harrods of London pharmacies that’s been around since 1798, when hangover cures included opiates, myrrh and beer for breakfast. ings have signi cantly moved on since then, and you can now check in for health screens, blood tests and wellness services ranging from podiatry to high-tech Noble Panacea facials.

I am here to check out e Liver Clinic, which o ers comprehensive testing and support for the body’s most unloved organ. According to the O ce for National Statistics, liver disease is currently the third biggest cause of premature mortality in the UK (after heart disease and self-harm); by 2030, it will be the single biggest. Although our livers are constantly regenerating, the average age of liver tissue is three years old; once you hit 50, the size of your liver shrinks as other organs surrounding it age. Blood ow becomes suboptimal, hence why older people get worse hangovers.

I ’m a social drinker and slightly nervous to submit to the liver FibroScan (£249). is is the gold standard of liver diagnostics: a painless test that takes ten minutes and works like an ultrasound. It detects in ammation, and measures liver fat and sti ness, caused by scar tissue.

The Liver Clinic suggests taking De-liver-ance to optimise liver function

My scores are surprisingly good. I fall into the green band: my liver fat is 0-10 percent and my liver elasticity is optimal. I am warned, however, that this result is only valid for about three months as lifestyle changes (maybe a summer on the rosé) can change your score signi cantly – annual scans are recommended.

For patients who want to improve their scores, the clinic proposes De-liver-ance (from £23.99), a plant-based phytomedicine made of root extracts. e hero ingredient is a sea kelp harvested from Jeju Island o the coast of South Korea. It not only optimises liver function but also increases mental clarity for six hours, and boosts immunity and mood. A month into taking it, I have found it also has a great brightening e ect on my skin and has motivated me to stay on this pious path. Dry February, anyone? n

WINTER SKIN HEROES

1CLEAN

A silky balm that melts into the skin like butter on hot toast and dissolves makeup, sunscreen and pollution through dirt dissolving oils and gentle exfoliators, without stripping the skin.

Dr. David Jack Afterglow Ceramide Cleansing Balm, £65. drdavidjack.com

2 SPARKLE

London-based Dr Dayal Mukherjee has gone all in on the bling, blending sapphire peptides with glutathione, a well known brightening ingredient. A super luxe way to iron out ﬁne lines and increase elasticity. Sapphire Dust Time Control Cream, £190. sapphiredust.com

3 SOOTHE

This is a powerhouse potion with vitamin C, multipeptides, probiotics and antioxidant-rich green tangerine exosomes sourced from Jeju Island in Korea. It soothes inﬂammation and boosts hydration. Dr Somji Signature Serum, £85. drsomjiskincare.com

4 PROTECT

Even on grey February days, UVA rays are still out in force to damage the skin’s DNA. This is a light gel that works exceptionally well under foundation with a matte ﬁnish. Pers Daily Protection Gel SPF50+, £45. pers-skincare.com

All hail the MULTITASKERS

This is the year to streamline your skincare, says Nathalie Eleni

Be auty has evolved signi cantly since the rst multi-tasking Wash & Go 2-in-1 shampoo. Today’s cutting-edge formulations are simplifying our skincare rituals without sacri cing product e ectiveness – and they’re kinder to the planet.

WHERE TO START? Dual performers: I always advocate for a dedicated SPF as the main part of any daily skincare routine (the SPF in your foundation is not enough). Opt for a high-factor SPF that also includes a tint, light-re ecting properties and/or hydrating ingredients. is makes application easier and replaces the need for additional products. Romie Ste ani, senior aesthetician at Skin Doctor London, recommends ZO Skin Health Daily Sheer Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 50 for its wonderfully smooth and hydrating texture.

TOP TO TOE Find a hydrating and fast-absorbing hand cream, like GentleCare’s, to double as a body moisturiser. You are more likely to use it if it’s portable and can take it on your travels or to the gym, instead of a bulky bottle that collects dust in a bathroom cupboard. Choose an ‘all-in-one’ skin cream for your evening routine, such as HydroPeptide’s Nimni Cream. When it comes to combining actives, look for cosmeceutical brands containing peptides, hyaluronic acid, enzymes and vitamins. And for your ‘retinol’ nights, select a multi-bene t formula which suits your skin needs and contains hydrating and soothing ingredients so you don’t need to apply other product’s afterwards. Try Beauty Cleanse’s 3B Blue Elixir.

REPLENISH YOUR POTS

Sterilise and reuse them. Clean them with hot soapy water and once dry, spray with 70 percent alcohol (let the alcohol dry and evaporate before you re ll your pot). Eye cream pots make great travel sizes and old moisturiser pots are excellent for conditioner. As a rm believer in the glowing e ects of face massage and lymphatic drainage, I tend to choose products with roller balls, like Dr Idriss’s e Depu er and Doctor Skin’s Collagen I-Shine Eye Cream.

ACCESSORIES Look for reusable items. Trinny London’s stackable makeup pots and Ruby Hammer’s stackable brush set are super space-saving. Invest in a re llable lipstick case; you can choose a few colours and swap them as needed. Try Dries Van Noten or Lisa Eldridge’s newly launched Rouge Experience Re llable Lipstick – a work of art that you will treasure for years to come.

DR IDRISS

The Depuffer Pufﬁness and Redness Reducing Roll-On Serum, £39. dridriss.com

DOCTOR SKIN

Collagen I-Shine Eye Cream, £75. harrods.com

LISA ELDRIDGE

Rouge Experience Reﬁllable Lipstick in muse, £49 (for case and lipstick). lisaeldridge.com

GOOD NEWS

Edited by Tessa Dunthorne

Stories to the lift the spirits – including a new litter of endangered South African wild dogs – alongside calls to action and solutions to some of the world’s biggest conservation issues.

Cracker Pack

GOING WITH THE FLOW

UK clothing manufacture has dried up the River ames the equivalent of 15 times in terms of its water usage across production, nishing and dyeing, according to research by Epson. e electronics brand has collaborated with sustainable designer Patternity on a range of ‘water silks’ inspired by European rivers, proving through innovative printing, water usage might be cut by up to 96 percent. patternityshop.org

BELL CALL OF THE WILD

Success for the most endangered carnivore in South Africa, the painted dog: 12 African wild dogs born at Tswalu reserve in 2023 have made it into adulthood, and been joined recently by nine new pups. e species, known for its distinct markings and bell-like contact calls, are red list endangered due to habitat fragmentation, disease, and hunting.

Source: Tswalu

DEEP BREATHS

Goodbye 2024. Your legacy was mixed – but one achievement we’ll hold onto is a record 58 percent of the UK’s electricity came from clean sources (renewables and nuclear). Plus, wind power overtook gas, and we closed our last coal- red power station; it is likely that coal power will be phased out entirely in 2025.

ADOPT-A-CORAL

Without action, coral reefs are predicted to go extinct by 2050 – but the Coral Gardeners are on a mission to prevent this by asking us to adopt one. Much like programmes to adopt a panda, big cat or elephant, you receive updates on your reef’s progress. To date, the association has planted 100,000 corals, and recently began work restoring the Gulf of ailand, which has su ered from dynamite and chemical farming. coralgardeners.org

THE SOLUTIONISTS

No one wants to sacriﬁce the joy of travel, says Matilda Cox. These pioneers hope to make your carbon footprint cabin-bag sized

THE PROBLEM

Tourism is responsible for about eight percent of the world’s carbon emissions and the bulk of that comes from the journey – namely air travel. In fact, since the Industrial Revolution, aviation alone has been responsible for about four percent of the 1.1 degrees celsius rise in global temperatures. Holidaying sustainably means rethinking how we get to our destinations, whether that’s by air, land or sea. Luckily, these innovators have some ideas on how we can get from A to B without harming the planet.

THE ANSWERS

LIP SMACKING

A surprise pollinator: Ethiopian wolves with a taste for the sweet nectar of native red-hot poker owers. Researchers at the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme have documented this rst-of-a-kind behaviour (no other large carnivore has ever been seen snacking in this way) as the muzzles of the endangered wolves become covered in pollen, which is then transported owerto- ower. Source: Oxford university

LOVE LANGUAGE

Of the 4,000 indigenous languages spoken around the world, one is fated to die every fortnight, says the UN; by 2100, over 50 percent of all languages will be extinct.

‘Indigenous in AI’ is a group of First Nations engineers ghting to combat this through the construction of speech recognition models, which will preserve endangered languages in perpetuity.

Eco camping with an all-electric

trailer

During the pandemic, staycations skyrocketed in popularity and many of us continue to favour domestic travel. With that in mind, USbased Lightship has created the L1, a sleek, all-electric trailer for the RV industry carefully designed so the towing EV loses almost none of its range (its clean-sheet design gives it three times the aerodynamic efﬁciency of traditional trailers). Plus, when users switch to camp mode, the built-in solar and energy storage lets adventurers live off-grid for up to a week without generating emissions, allowing them to enjoy the outdoors without polluting it. lightshiprv.com

A zero-emissions cruise ship

For those of us afraid of ﬂying, ocean travel offers an appealing (if slower) alternative. In 2023, nearly 32 million people went on cruises around the world and that’s set to reach almost 40 million by 2027. To make these ocean voyages more planet-friendly, Norwegian cruise and ferry line Hurtigruten is working with the shipbuilder Vard and science institute SINTEF to create a new electric ship that uses large batteries and innovative sails to travel emissions-free. As part of its Sea Zero project, the new cruise liner consumes 40-50 percent less energy and is set for its debut in 2030. hurtigruten.com

Electrifying regional air travel

As one of the most carbonintensive activities on the planet, flying urgently needs to clean up its act if it’s going to be a part of the net zero future. Swedish startup Heart Aerospace is developing its ES-30 aircraft, a 30-seat hybrid-electric plane that generates no emissions on shorter routes. With a 200km all-electric range and an 800km hybrid range, ES-30s could slash aviation’s massive carbon footprint. And as batteries improve, that range will increase, too. Many new flight paths could replace driving routes. If all goes to plan, the planes could be ready for commercial flights in 2029. heartaerospace.com

Matilda Cox is content editor at Springwise, a leading global innovation platform. springwise.com

The POSITIVE DISRUPTOR

It’s time to place public wellbeing above the high priests of capitalism, says James Wallace

Are you ready for some Smithsonian blasphemy? Economic growth will not save us from climate breakdown. But here we are sacri cing ourselves and our natural life support system on the altar of wealth accumulation and double-digit returns.

is quest is helping to cause the demise of our planet. ree million households couldn’t a ord heating in 2022, the same year BP declared record pro ts of $27.7bn. Fossil fuel emissions are still on the rise. When I started banging on about ‘global warming’ over 20 years ago, scientists were predicting a 1.5°C increase in temperatures by 2050. But we smashed the ball out of the park in 2024.

Call me a woke do-gooder, but look at the vanishing wildlife and dirtied waters, the crop failures, the queues of refugees, and food bank households. LA is burning down, Valencia was washed away, while Almar ía’s greenhouses were smashed and the UK had its worst harvest in living memory. Will the Spanish be worrying about supplying British supermarkets when the next cyclone hits, or feeding their own?

We’ve been warned: 3.5 billion people are vulnerable to climate impact already. According to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, ‘delay is death’, and it will cost us. In 2021, Oxford University warned the cost of delaying climate action to the nancial sector alone would be £150bn per year.

So what was our new government’s rst budgetary response to these existential threats? A green new deal? No. Double down on business as usual. Commit £21.7bn to carbon capture and storage (CCS) – subsidising a failed technology to prolong our addiction to fossil fuels – while cutting £100m in subsidies for food security. Its commission on the corrupt water industry aims to protect privatisation

by appeasing the international debt market and… drive economic growth. Pouring more public money into private pockets, while the nation remains totally unprepared for climate breakdown.

is insanity pervades every western (so-called) democracy. We cannot solve the challenges of today by continuing doing the things that caused them. When will our industry and government leaders wake up to the emergency and do the right thing? As a heretical systems thinker I imagine a world where every job produces goods and services that enhance lives; where every soul is valued equally; where every measure of success starts with wellbeing before rewarding nancial speculators; and where every nation transitions from exploitative extraction to cyclical systems of waste equalling resource.

Kate Raworth, originator of Doughnut Economics, believes we should be agnostic about growth, to meet the needs of all people within the means of a nite living planet. e economy is embedded in and dependent upon a cooperative and caring society and a healthy and resilient environment. Alternative regenerative and distributive economic models are there to be deployed. We only have plans for achieving a third of the UK’s legally-binding emission reduction targets: 68 percent by 2030.

Sadly, I don’t believe for a moment that our government will dare put public bene t and a liveable planet above the interests of the high priests of capitalism. While the CEOs of sovereign wealth funds, international banks and the owner of X reign, we wait, worrying, until their systems implode. e irony that our self-destructive culture celebrated those pioneers of in nite growth and personal wealth will entertain our descendants in the long dark hours, as they squabble over who has the shredded blanket in the bunker that night.

TRACK Our progress in both our emissions reductions with the Climate Change Committee and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. theccc.org.uk; sdgs.un.org/goals

READ Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth highlights seven reasons our economic system has broken down and suggests ways to ﬁx them. £11.99. uk.bookshop.org

Fishing for money is pointless if there are no more real ﬁsh in the sea

LITTLE GREEN BOOK

How did Dr Camilla Floros go from being a snorkelling-obsessed child to one of our oceans’ greatest defenders? Lisa Grainger meets a marine biologist on a mission

Dr Camilla Floros is one of those rare people who from a young age knew exactly what she wanted to do – in her case, become a marine biologist. Although she’d grown up in a small rural town in South Africa, her father was a real adventurer and sea-lover, so for their holidays they’d often drive to Mozambique. It was here, around the Bazaruto Archipelago, she became ‘obsessed with the ocean,’ she says. ‘It was my paradise.’

It was also here that she realised the damage shing was doing. ‘I could see how they’d drag the nets and damage the reefs, also capturing seahorses, baby sh and pu er sh they couldn’t eat. I thought: “ ere has to be another way.”’

Today, aged 47, Floros is one of most experienced marine conservationists working on the African continent. She has been awarded a doctorate from the Oceanic Research Institute, spent four years in Asia out at sea, and worked for wildlife-trade monitoring specialists TRAFFIC, tracking down and helping governments catch poachers. Unlike many of her contemporaries, her research involves not just the ocean, but coastal communities. ‘I saw, early on, that these people needed the ocean – they relied on it for their livelihoods – but that there might be ways to manage and

educate them about what they took, and how they shed.’ Today, as the principal scientist for Oceans Without Borders and marine manager for the Africa Foundation, dealing with the impacts of over shing and over-tourism, she has to call on this experience on a daily basis. As she reminds me: by 2050 a quarter of the world’s population will be in Africa, putting huge pressure on its environment. In addition, many African governments have granted shing rights to countries such as China, whose mammoth trawlers net species of all kinds and sizes, from turtles and dugongs to whales.

Plus, there’s climate change. When Floros was researching coral for her master’s degree, bleaching – in which the coloured ‘animal’ part of the reef dies – wasn’t recognised as a global threat. ‘ e bleaching of 1999 was totally new.’ Since then, though, there have been four mass bleachings a ecting reefs in 52 countries, from Australia’s Barrier Reef to her own patch, around Mnemba Island o Zanzibar, where water temperatures rose to 31°C ‘in which coral just doesn’t survive’.

While she recognises that climate change requires global action, what local communities can do can make a huge di erence. In Zanzibar today, a Marine Conservation Zone has been created, thanks in part to Mnemba’s sustainability manager Jonathan Braack setting huge areas of coast aside for marine regeneration. Tourist boats now have to pay a fee to explore the waters, funding conservation e orts. Over 1,500 nature lessons a year are given to local children and teachers, to expand their knowledge. Plus, o Mnemba Island, Floros’s team has created metal frames on which they’ve tied coral, to try and regrow species decimated by bleaching and to provide alternative spots for snorkellers.

e key message is, she says, that every person can play their part in helping to maintain the health of our oceans. ‘As a snorkeller: don’t touch anything; don’t stand on corals; don’t feed the sh; don’t throw rubbish in the ocean as it’s one of the biggest threats to sh. If you’re on a boat, moor on a buoy, rather than throwing an anchor down. And if you’re eating seafood, make sure it’s not a valuable reef species but a transient species that grows fast and reproduces quickly.’ And nally, she adds, ‘please don’t collect shells. ey belong to hermit crabs and in the ocean. ey’re homes to something. And when broken down, they replenish beaches.’

e key, she says, is this: ‘stop and think: “Will this make our lives better, and our oceans better?” at’s what we need.’

oceanswb.org; africafoundation.org n

From a little girl, Dr Camilla Floros always knew that she wanted to be a marine biologist; Mnemba Island artiﬁcial coral dive (above)

CULTURE

Saving Face

The National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibition looks back on the famous names that rocked The Face magazine’s pages from the 1980s through to the 2000s, looking at the seismic impact the publication had on how the nation’s youth consumed music, media and more. The Face Magazine: Culture Shift, 20 February to 18 May, npg.org.uk

THE CULTURAL CALENDAR

Events for aesthetes and history nerds alike. By Tessa Dunthorne

GADGETS, GIZMOS, GIRAFFES

Familiar machinery takes on strange, bestial form at the Horniman Museum's Robot Zoo. is interactive exhibition allows you to get stuck in: re a chameleon’s ‘tongue-gun’, or have a go at squid-racing. From 14 Feb. horniman.ac.uk

FIGHT CLUB

Britain's own gladiators are a bit of a forgotten legacy –the 370 years in which we formed part of the Roman Empire saw crowd-drawing gladiatorial spectacles.

Dorset Museum's exhibition in partnership with the British Museum looks into the wealth of artefacts this violent yet sporting pursuit left behind. Now open, until May. dorsetmuseum.com

STRANGE SHAPES

Painter and poet Ithell Colquhoun was little known in her lifetime, but is increasingly recognised for her contributions to the Surrealist movement. A queer occultist expelled from the British Surrealist Group, her work pioneered new techniques, explored the natural world and spooked viewers with macabre, sinister imagery. Between Worlds is at Tate St Ives from February before being transplanted to Tate Britain in June. From 1 Feb. tate.org.uk

GIANT

RUN IN WITH YOUR (FUTURE) EX

Are running clubs the new dating apps? e big Valentine’s Singles’ Run in Regent’s Park is an annual speed-dating event where the speed part largely depends on how quickly you can dash 1.5km, encouraging you to match pace with a meetcute (or three). 15 Feb. twohalves.uk

BOOK AHEAD

Transferring to the West End following a hit run at the Royal Court, GIANT plunges audiences into the aftermath of Roald Dahl's condemnation of Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, with John Lithgow as Dahl. From 26 April, royalcourttheatre.com

PARADISE LOST

Fresh oﬀ the back of a superb take on Medea at the Royal Opera House, Lost Dog dance theatre company now brings a retelling of Milton’s epic to Battersea Arts Centre. 19 March to 5 April, lostdogdance.co.uk

THE BEST PLACES TO SEE OUTDOOR ART

Dig out your walking boots, says Tessa Dunthorne

British artists have long found inspiration in the land, from Cornwall’s craggy coastline to Yorkshire’s rugged dales. Many, like Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, have in turn shaped these places, leaving behind extraordinary sculptures that demarcate the landscape. So, whether you’re seeking a contemplative stroll, a huge hike or co ee in the gardens of a gorgeous estate, here's where to best spy an outdoor artwork.

Good for... Art Geeks. You'll know the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the country’s foremost venue for this genre of work set amid 500 acres of rolling woodlands, elds and formal gardens. is real treat takes at least half a day – with highlights by Henry Moore, Damien Hirst and Ai Weiwei – but the bigger joy is its temporary exhibitors. Headlining this year is visiting artist William Kentridge, who features 40 works that explore the socio-political atmosphere of postApartheid South Africa. ysp.org.uk

Good for... Pretty Gardens. ose seeking a more manicured experience might consider Roche Court Sculpture Park near Salisbury. is spectacular countryside home in Wiltshire has sprawling gardens and parklands that host a selection of outdoor works and is best known for championing emerging artists mingled among pieces by Michael Craig-Martin and Barbara Hepworth. sculpture.uk.com

Good for... A Holiday Nip Round. Less known than the Hepworth Wake eld in Yorkshire are the Barbara Hepworth Gardens in St Ives. e artist moved to Cornwall in the 1930s and this remained her home until her

death in 1975. e house and studio is today managed by the Tate, its enclosed garden an intimate setting for her abstract works, while the studio remains as she left it – a beguiling snapshot of her creative life. stives-cornwall.co.uk

Good for... A Big Day Out. Few have been lucky enough to see Andy Goldsworthy’s Hanging Stones – secreted across the Yorkshire moors – as this serialised artwork is set amid a six-mile hike and visitors numbers are capped to between three and ve groups of six each day, weather permitting. e artist has transformed nine ruinous buildings, all in comment on the adjacent landscape, and you require a special key (not to mention solid map-reading skills) to take a peek. hangingstones.org

Good for... An Urban Amble. e largest sculpture exhibition in the country is set in Folkestone, Kent, and situates 91 artworks alongside seaside and streetscape. creativefolkestone.org.uk

Woody Harrelson is the lead in Last Breath, a survival thriller based on the documentary chronicling the race to save Scottish diver Chris Lemons, trapped 100m beneath the North Sea. In cinemas, 28 Feb

US writer Curtis Sittenfeld returns with Show Don’t Tell, a dazzling short story collection exploring marriage and female friendship with typical razor sharp wit – and revisiting one of her previous protagonists. Penguin, 27 Feb

a rare TV role, Robert De Niro plays a former US president charged with tracking down the perpetrators of a devastating cyber attack in Zero Day Also starring Connie Britton and Angela Bassett. Netﬂix, 20 Feb

actors paint a visceral portrait of one woman in Eline

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park features the twisty-turny ﬁgures of Henry Moore, among others

PREVIEW

Olivia Emily ﬁnds soil – an unseen hero – is stepping into the spotlight at Somerset House

We might walk all over it, but the ground beneath our feet has much more to say for itself than we think. Teeming with life (and its mocha colour very on-trend, as far as Pantone is concerned), our dirt’s health is a valuable indicator of the state of everything around us. As human activity chips away at our ecosystems, our soil is screaming out for some love – and we are nally paying attention.

is is the subject of Somerset House’s landmark exhibition SOIL: e World At Our Feet, showing now in its Embankment Galleries. Drawing together thinkers, lmmakers, scientists, activists and local and global artists, SOIL weaves beauty and wonder through topics spanning waste, climate change, land and justice.

Masterminded by Somerset House’s senior curator Claire Catterall along with writer May Rosenthal Sloan and e Land Gardeners Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elworthy, the exhibition illuminates and responds to soil 's pivotal role across three sections: Life Below Ground, Life Above Ground and Hope.

Cutting-edge Dutch artist Wim van Egmond, for example, has collaborated with musician Michael Prime to present a journey into the underworld, blending spectacular sound and micro-photography in a double-height space. Elsewhere, art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast explores the spongy fungi and mycelium networks passing messages underfoot; France Bourély showcases the microscopic beings that thrive unseen all around us; and Fernando Laposse showcases nature’s ability to nd solutions to the material waste issues we throw at it.

Soil health, climate change, human wellbeing and nutrition are all delicately connected. And as the very real threat of food insecurity rears its ugly head, soil is nally inching its way to the top of the eco-agenda .

SOIL: e World at Our Feet runs until 13 April at Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, London WC2. somersethouse.org.uk

MY Cultural Life

Actor Sam Tutty's loves the V&A but his guilty pleasure is video games

We Aren't Kids Anymore is... A concert performance I will play in for one night only, and a beautiful story about the di cult, complex journey we call ‘life’, written by composer and songwriter Drew Gasparini, and exploring the experience of growing up across age, gender and generation.

After rehearsals, I blow off steam... by having a quick drink at the pub, if I have the energy. Some evenings there’s no steam left.

The ﬁrst musical I fell in love with... has to be Dear Evan Hansen. I still think of the creative team, crew and cast daily. I'm really into the V&A... e exhibits, the area, the gift shop. My perfect day out would start here before a walk in St James’s Park and heading into the West End to see a musical. I'm no stranger to rejection. e other day I had a really tough call with my agent about a role I was sure I would have done great justice to, but it wasn’t meant to be.

My dream role would be... Ponyboy from e Outsiders.

I'm reading faerie romance A Court Of Thorns & Roses...

By Sarah J Maas. I am now on the most recent book in the series – A Court of Silver Flames – and I am utterly obsessed. I have binged Vox Machina... on Amazon Prime. I love a well made animated series. Such fantastic world building.

My favourite painting of all time is... Bridge Over A Pond Of Water Lilies by Monet. I recently went to the immersive experience in London that brought Monet’s paintings to life through projections – it was very moving.

My guilty pleasure is gaming. Videogames are my safe space – I love playing with friends, or by myself. It’s the ultimate cure for boredom.

I went to see Wicked at the cinema on Christmas Eve... Total cultural phenomenon. I am also desperate to see A Streetcar Named Desire with Paul Mescal as I couldn’t catch it the rst time around.

We Aren’t Kids Anymore in concert, 28 April 2025, atgtickets.com

Soil is explored through a multitude of mediums at Somerset House

BIBLIOFILE

Debut novelist Catherine Airey talks to Belinda Bamber about break-ups and new beginnings

Your first novel Confessions begins with teenage Cora dazedly wandering Manhattan on 9/11 and ends with her daughter Lyca living in Ireland in 2023. In between, you criss-cross the Atlantic with the backstory of Cora’s mother, Maíre, and aunt Róisín. What was the seed of this three-generational narrative? I started writing Confessions not long after I had moved from London to rural Ireland. Not a crossing of the Atlantic, but a crossing to a di erent land, where I was on my own. Back in London, my ex had gotten together with a close friend of mine. I wanted to talk to them both very badly, but I also needed to protect myself. is fuelled some of the book’s relationship dynamics. But as the story took shape, the love-triangle element shrank – probably a sign my own heart was mending. Why did you open the story on the day the Twin Towers were hit? I was only eight on 9/11. It was the rst world disaster I was aware of. e tallest building in my town had seven stories, so the height of the Twin Towers was disorientating and reframed my sense of the world. It was the rst time I wrote in my diary about something bigger than my little life in suburban England. It felt like a beginning, a new awareness that you couldn’t stop bad things from happening. I carried those juxtapositions of scale – the minutiae of the everyday becoming part of world-changing events – with me as a writer. So many people had a story about that day, even if they’d been nowhere near New York. It felt like a touchstone, a point for the reader to orientate themselves in the story. How did you tackle such an intricate plot? It was hard! But only at points. Most of the time I was just writing without thinking about

how the parts might t together, because the writing itself is where the ideas come from. What happens should be surprising for the writer as well as the reader. But that approach can be overwhelming and every now and then I’d print sections out, cut them up and rearrange them on the oor. My mum once did a huge jigsaw of the Titanic, a thousand pieces. Writing a novel is a bit like that, but without being able to see the nished picture on the box.

How did you transition from avid reader to debut writer? Reading novels is a safe way to experience emotion. It’s calming precisely because you can’t control it. I was always deeply envious of novelists, though. What bravery, I thought, to make something up, to not give up.

It requires sitting down with yourself, day after day, pushing aside the uncertainty and doubt. Reading and writing are quite opposite activities, passive and active. ough writing does require a kind of passivity, an openness. During the rst draft I had to stop reading novels, to let go of the security blanket of other people’s voices and trust my own instead. What inspired the generational theme? I grew up living next door to my Irish grandmother, a foreboding, secretive woman. She was born near-deaf in rural County Cork in 1921, yet became a doctor and moved to England on her own after WWII. Most of my family have careers in the sciences and when I got into Cambridge to read English, she said: ‘What on earth would you want to do that for?’ I found this very funny. I like that we both went against the grain. I got that from her.

Catholicism is a strong thread – are you religious? I was brought up Catholic and went to mass on Sundays. As a child, I had these secret rituals – long conversations with God in my head while I was in bed. I don’t believe now, but the idea that things happen for a reason is still seductive. Ireland feels familiar because it’s a very Catholic country. For generations, secrecy and shame were woven into the fabric of the culture. My own religious upbringing helped foster a practice of putting thoughts into words, developing my interiority. What inspired the Scream School? at house is based on a place in Burtonport, County Donegal, where the Screamers really lived in the 1970s. e one where both my Dad and I grew up inspired Lyca’s sections. When I was a teenager, I helped my parents sort through my grandma’s stu and we found letters to her from my grandad. I loved stumbling across artefacts that brought the past to life, and later lling in the gaps myself.

Confessions by Catherine Airey (Penguin, £16.99). To read the full interview, plus many more, visit countryandtownhouse.com/culture/ cth-book-club

NEW YEAR, NEW VOICES

Other debuts to brighten winter’s dark nights include James Alistair Henry’s funny and original PAGANS, a detective story set in tribal Britain (Moonﬂower, £9.99); Lucy Steeds’ romantic THE ARTIST brings to life a painter’s studio in 1920s Provence (John Murray Press, £16.99); Rupert Dastur’s lyrical CLOUDLESS explores how the shadow of the Iraq war disrupts a Welsh farming family (Fig Tree, £14.99); and YA novel NEEDY LITTLE THINGS, by Chanelle Desamours, ﬂags police neglect of lost women of colour in the US, when an ESP-gifted teen seeks her missing friend (Bloomsbury, £8.99) n

NINA MAE FOWLER

Olivia Cole meets the Norfolk-based artist whose pencil drawings centred on cinema’s golden age have drawn a global following

Awards season is here – with the BAFTAs in London and the Oscars on the horizon in LA –but it’s always movie night in Nina Mae Fowler’s studio. e artist works with a collection of lm, held on 200 to 300 DVDs. From these she painstakingly searches for splitsecond moments to blow up and freeze-frame in her incredibly detailed hyperreal charcoal drawings. is unique approach has gained her a practice busy with private portrait commissions and a following around the world.

Brief Encounter was the rst lm to obsess Fowler with its emotional power, and she has been drawing some of her favourite golden age faces since she was ve or six years old. ‘Ichoose a moment and then capture lots of stills from the surrounding seconds,’ is her explanation of the process. She then makes a collage of potential images and agonises over which one to choose.Whatever animation or AI might come up with, cinema would be nothing without the in nite stories conveyed by people’s fascinating faces.

Fowler, who also sculpts, rst caught the eye of the National Portrait Gallery as a young artist in 2008, with a small painting of Carlos Acosta who she had observedbackstage at the Royal Opera House.After the piece was nominated in the annual portrait prize (in the same year her future husband, the painter Craig Wylie, won the prize), the gallery commissioned her to depict a series of British lm directors.

Working with limited time and her subjects’ crazy schedules, she came up with the idea of drawing them while they watched a favourite lm, catching them unguarded and in a kind of communion. e gallery now holds her who’s-who of British lm, including Sir Sam Mendes, Ken Loach, Amma Asante and Sir Ridley Scott.‘ ey’ve all been photographed before,’ she says. ‘ ey’ve all had portraits made. I needed to come up with something to spark their imagination.’ She agreed to keep their lm

choices secret to preserve a little mystery, something between the artist and the sitter that remains private. at sense of the unknown always gives another dimension to her work.

Tenyears ago, the rising-star art couple moved from east London to a beautifully remote part of Norfolk, drawn by the studio potential of a derelict coaching house they found in the garden of a Georgian rectory. ese days, their two children are often found making their own work in the studio or in the family kitchen next door. To visit Fowler’s side of the studio is to tumble into an incredible archive of cinema gathered over decades. e attention she’s always paid to the human cost of the lm industry seems even more prescient in the light of the #MeToo moment.

In Maastricht, if you’re not a collector (unlike Sir Ridley Scott, Jude Law and Shaleen Spiteri to name just a few) you can curl up with Fowler’s drawings at the city’s Hotel Beaumont, which has commissioned new works for each of its rooms. With her eye for an unexpected angle, for this project Fowler focused on the faces of women asleep. In Hollywood, in the days of the strict Hays morality code, this was often a teasing way to allow the camera to linger on a woman in bed. e faces in these drawings include Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe and Dorothy Dandridge, but she has named these ‘sleeping beauty’ portraits after the women in the family-owned hotel’s long history, who behind the scenes kept the business on track through the years and generations. As ever, her vision dives straight into the great vault of dreams, daydreams and fantasies manufactured by cinema, with a startling invitation to press pause for a more nuanced look.

Nina Mae Fowler’s work can be seen in London at the National Portrait Gallery (npg.org.uk) and Cob Gallery (cobgallery.com) n

Nina Mae Fowler creates large hyperreal drawings on paper. Laurent Dumas: Family Portrait (2023)

PHOTO: DOUGLAS ATFIELD, COURTESY OF GALERIE SUZANNE TARASIEVE

The EXHIBITIONIST

Opening the year with an orgasm. Ed Vaizey heads down south to the Hayward

The Hayward Gallery opened in July 1968, just a month after I was born. is is of no interest to anyone except me – su ce to say, it has been around a long time, though it struggles to nd its place in the world. It is part of the Southbank Centre, and ts neatly into the Brutalist landscape that is the National eatre and the performance space of the South Bank. But it is tucked away, sits in the shadow of Tate Modern and competes with the Serpentine.

So it may need something special to make you go, and in this respect the Hayward has come up with the goods for the start of 2025 – a dual retrospective of two outstanding women artists, the Liverpudlian Linder Sterling and Brooklyn-based Mickalene omas.

It may be a pun too far to say that Linder’s show is orgasmic, but this punk artist rst emerged in the ’70s with her iconic album covers. Her collage for the Buzzcocks’ album Orgasm Addict makes 1977 famous not just for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

You will recognise many of the images instantly, particularly if you are as old as me and the Hayward. Linder’s work blends magazine images with soft pornographic cut outs to provoke musings on feminism, protest and cultural critique. Orgasm Addict ’s naked woman with an iron superimposed on her face is iconic for that reason – it exposes both male and female stereotypes: pornography for men, fashion and domesticity for women.

Mickalene omas: All About Love is part of an international tour of this pioneering mixed-media artist’s work, and her rst solo show in the UK.

Rice) combine painting and collage using rhinestones and enamel, seen against psychedelic backgrounds of primary colours. e gures leap out and challenge you with their con dence and power. Like Linder, omas’s work has adorned album covers, collaborating with Solange on her EP True, and also fashion runways, as seen at Dior in 2023.

e title of the show is a nod to bell hooks, the black author (who chooses to keep her name lowercase) whose writing explores notions of romantic love and the need for female empowerment. omas is telling you from the get-go what her paintings are about. She is also an art historian, and many of her paintings pay homage to the g reat French artists of the late 19th century, such as Degas.

Both omas and Linder have been closely involved in their shows, particularly Linder, who cherishes what she and the Hayward have in common – both venerable and established yet still, all these years later, containing the power to shock and provoke. ese twin exhibitions will pull you out of your postChristmas stupor, and ask you to debate and think. Perhaps in a Trump world, that is more important than ever.

Linder: Danger Came Smiling and Mickalene omas: All About Love are both at the Hayward Gallery from 11 February to 5 May. southbankcentre.co.uk n

Her portraits of black women (Michele Obama, commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington; Oprah Winfrey; Condoleezza

FROM TOP: SheShe, by Linder Sterling (1981); Mama Bush: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher, by Mickalene Thomas (2009)

HThe GREEN LANE

Can a new EV from ﬂedgling Chinese car-maker BYD win our seal of approval?

ow did a 20-employee company making mobile phone batteries go on to de-throne Tesla as the world’s top-selling manufacturer of electric cars?

Elon Musk laughed when a journalist once suggested Build Your Dreams (BYD) might one day be a threat. I imagine the billionaire Tesla boss is now anxiously watching the ood of electric vehicles from China in his rear-view mirror.

Well-established in the Far East, BYD is expanding aggressively overseas too. e company o ers a trio of family-friendly EVs in the UK that undercut rivals and represent great value for money.

Seal is the latest – a genuinely smart-looking family saloon priced from £45,000. My top spec Excellence model costs a little more but boasts permanent all-wheel drive from two motors and a substantial boost in performance.

e four-door saloon does look remarkably similar to the Tesla Model 3 and is slightly pricier. However, much of that translates to superior build quality and a more user-friendly interior (although the chemical smell from some of the trim materials is quite a nose-full).

Odour aside, the cabin is high quality but the light blue leather will soon look grubby, so I’d choose the black option. An enormous, 15.6inch touchscreen dominates the dashboard and controls many of the functions. e layout is overcomplicated though, and nding the right function can mean plenty of menu scrolling.

Shortcut features are available but compared to the class-leading Hyundai Ioniq 6, BYD tech feels dated. Seal does bene t from twin

wireless charging pads for two mobile phones and that huge infotainment screen also rotates from portrait to landscape at the press of a button. I’m not sure if that’s a gimmick or genuinely useful.

Comfy and serene, the Seal is great around town or at speed on a motorway but the Excellence model’s driving dynamics come to life on a twisty A-road. Porsche-beating power and a clever suspension system turns the BYD into a proper performance car. at extra power also eats into battery life and reduces range to around 280 miles in real-world driving conditions. If battery miles are an issue, opt for the two-wheel drive model that ups the distance to around 315 miles.

However, the main issue facing BYD is the name. e company quickly discovered that driving a car with ‘Build Your Dreams’ splashed across the boot wasn’t a strong selling point for motorists. Many took to their hairdryers to help peel the sticker o .

BYD is better but the brand remains relatively unknown in the UK. Buyers are still over-cautious about making the switch to any electric vehicle –and spending tens of thousands on a car with no identity is an even tougher sell.

Ignore the name, and BYD early adopters can expect a lot of car for the money. e Seal Excellence is backed up by an excellent six-year warranty and eight-year cover for the battery and electric motors too. Look out Elon.

RATING: ★★★★

IN THE BOOT

1 TOY HEAVEN

ultimate, handcrafted big boy’s toy. This is a limited-edition 1:8 scale model of the Ferrari SF-24 (the F1 2024 car driven by

measuring over 10-inches long. £8,495. amalgam.com

2 FESTIVE FIZZ

Drivers might enjoy Wild Idol alcoholfree sparkling wine. Recycled glass, upcycled cork and soya-printed labels. £29.99. wildidol.com

3 HOT SEAT

Or strap in for the ride of a lifetime with a lightweight cockpit seat that offers a realistic F1 driving experience for gamers. Playseat® Formula Instinct, F1® Edition, £519. playseatstore.com

Charles Leclerc),

Jephta

Marianna Spring’s reporting on the darkest tenets of social media for the BBC has resulted in vicious slurs and death threats. But she’s met her trolls head on, ﬁnds Charlotte Metcalf

PORTRAIT BY ALEXANDRA DAO

IN BRIEF

COUNTRY COTTAGE OR PENTHOUSE?

‘A penthouse near where I work and on the river.’

DOG OR CAT?

‘Deﬁ nitely cat. Our family cat Mia is 20 in March, so we’ve had her since I was nine.’

COUNTRY PUB OR MICHELIN STAR?

‘ I love going out to dinner so Michelin star.’

COUTURE OR COUNTRY CASUALS?

‘ I adore shopping. Perhaps not haute couture, but highend high street.’

HEELS OR FLATS?

‘ I’m very short so I never wear ﬂats, but I’m not good at stilettos.’

WINE OR TEA

‘ Red wine, but I like tea too.’

Marianna Spring is suddenly everywhere. After becoming the BBC’s rst Specialist Disinformation and Social Media Reporter in September 2023, Marianna published her rst book Among the Trolls last March (now in paperback as Conspiracyland), a valiant attempt to explain how tectonic shifts in global social media are a ecting us. Marianna’s job title is now Social Media Investigations Correspondent and her trajectory is soaring. I was intrigued to meet Marianna, not yet 30, who perseveres with investigating the internet’s darker reaches despite being constantly, viciously trolled. She has had to consider extra security measures for when leaving her home. Marianna starts by apologising she’s unable to reveal any personal details. ‘I don’t share anything people can seize on to target me,’ she says. ‘I’ll talk about my journalism but I keep the people I love very protected. I also feel for my colleagues, those brilliant producers and editors who, unfortunately, have their names associated with me. My parents worry but they understand I really believe what I’m doing is important, which is an absolute privilege and makes me happy.’

Marianna does seem remarkably cheerful: ‘I’m a very positive person, which you have to be to do this job. I’m entering a hornet’s nest so I expect to be trolled to some extent but sometimes the endless misogynistic slurs, rape and death threats can overwhelm me. So I relish nding out who’s doing the trolling and why, and particularly tracking down those who’ve threatened me personally to have a face-to-face conversation.’ Her job started taking shape when Marianna worked on Newsnight and looked into how the 2019 election was unfolding on social media. en during the pandemic she found herself perfectly positioned to report on the deluge of misinformation and conspiracy theories. ‘ e pandemic was a period of extreme uncertainty and we crave certainty,’ she says. ‘People want to latch on to something really black and white, even if it’s extreme, because the grey area is so overwhelming.’

Marianna believes that the bene ts of understanding trolls are huge. ‘ e gap between what the person is like online, and what they’re like as a real person tells us so much about how toxic and polarised things can become on social media because of the recommendation systems. ese push people down rabbit holes of certain ways of thinking and exploit their vulnerabilities. A lot of people are drawn to the online world because they’re unhappy, dissatis ed or unful lled. On social media, people feel disinhibited and disconnected from their

real selves so they have zero regard for the consequences of what they’re saying. But when I meet them, they’re often very likeable and respectful and it turns out to be fairly positive experience. Stories in Conspiracyland include the heavily pregnant woman photographed emerging bleeding from a bombed Ukrainian maternity hospital and accused of being an actor by the Russian government; Olly Stephens, the 13-year-old stabbed to death after being lured to a eld by teenagers he met on social media; and Martin Hibbert, who, after su ering life-changing injuries in the Manchester bombing, had to face conspiracy theorists insisting the bombing was a hoax. ‘I’m trying to tell gripping stories that humanise the problem and show all the di erent ways social media can harm us,’ she says.

‘ e fundamental issue though is that recommendation systems and algorithms favour engagement over everything else, and when bad stu is ampli ed to millions of people, it can have a devastating impact,’ she continues. ‘ ere’s a conversation to be had about the way Elon Musk is rede ning how and whether social media companies can be held accountable. He says X continues to protect the user’s voice and spends a lot of time talking about how what he calls the “mainstream media” are just mouthpieces for government or powerful people who don’t hold power to account. Yet he’s an incredibly powerful person who’s doing just that. He’s ignored all my requests for interview and when I did a Panorama investigation on him, he didn’t respond to any point but subsequently shared the investigation, triggering a wave of extreme online abuse against me.

‘ e power of vast companies like X without accountability is having dire consequences. Algorithms and recommendation systems are redrawing the lines of how society works and is re ected in how polarised society has become. It’s an increasingly urgent issue to investigate and report on. On a positive note, people increasingly want to be able to spot what’s not true and equip themselves against bad online stu .’

It’s Marianna’s youth, courage and positive attitude that distinguishes her. While many of us feel helpless against the social media tsunami, she is heroically determined to prevent us from being sucked in unwittingly. Justin Webb, one of Marianna’s co-hosts on the BBC’s Americast podcast remarked during the Today programme’s 2024 news review that ‘one day Marianna will be our boss’. He might well be right.

Conspiracyland: Trolls, True Believers and the New Information War by Marianna Spring is published by Atlantic Books. n

Marianna has received online abuse spurred on by the machinations of Elon Musk –who refused every interview request she sent to him

SKY Sheltering

Capturing the Moroccan mood

FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHER CHLOE MALLETT

Skirt and top Emporio Armani Bangles, rings and earrings Pebble London

Dress Zimmermann

Necklace Pebble London

Earrings Sam Ubhi

Dress Dior

Earrings and ring

Top, skirt and shoes

Isabel Marant Bangles, necklace and earrings Sam Ubhi

Swimsuit Melissa Odabash

Shawl Temperley London Necklace and earrings

Sam Ubhi

TEAM

Make-up and hair: Ruth Warrior @ Ray Brown using Sam McKnight & Sisley Paris

Photographer’s assistant: Joshua Bryant

Model: Alice Stoner @ Storm Model Management LOCATION

Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, royalmansour.com

On Location

Royal

Mansour Tamuda Bay is

a new jewel on the Med coast of Morocco

Morocco’s lesser-known Mediterranean coast was the moody backdrop for C&TH ’s escape-themed cover shoot with model Alice Stoner. e country is enjoying a much-needed tourism comeback after its devastating earthquake in 2023 that destroyed so much and the lives of so many (see Charlie Colville’s interview with Sir Richard Branson on page 74 on Morocco’s resilience).

Royal Mansour Tamuda Bay, just a short hop from Gibraltar and a one and a half hour’s drive from Tangier, is a new jewel to put on your travel radar. It’s the ideal spot for for those seeking discreet luxury, a stunning location and impeccable service, away from the hustle of bustle of a city.

is recent addition to the Royal Mansour portfolio fuses Moroccan craftsmanship with contemporary design, its sandhued villas sitting in natural harmony with the turquoise sea, the mountains just beyond a magni cent backdrop. Blending intricate zellige tilework, carved wooden details, and lush gardens, each

element in the suite- and villa-only resort has been crafted with the same meticulous attention to detail seen in its Marrakech counterpart, yet with a coastal twist. e open courtyards, fountains and pathways echo that of a Moroccan riad, while the panoramic sea views ensure an epic sense of space.

e surrounding landscape, from Tetouan’s UNESCO-listed medina to the majestic Rif Mountains, embody the region’s rich cultural heritage, while the ocean location o ers a rich array of activities, from cruises to seabobs and canoes.

Doubles from £350, based on two-people sharing, B&B. royalmansour.com/ en/tamuda-bay n

SPRING TO LIFE

Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare talk to LUCY CLELAND about a lifetime of nurturing both the land and young minds through stories and their charity, Farms for City Children

We may be in the throes of a chilly January right now, but Michael Morpurgo’s latest book immerses us – with each deliberate, delicious word (not one is wasted) – into that tantalising wait for spring, when nature begins to throw o her winter torpor. ‘We idolise spring, of course,’ he writes, ‘because we long for it so much during the dark, cold months of winter.’

Spring is Michael’s rst non- ction book for adults in over 40 years. It’s a short read – at 147 pages – and forms part of a series on the seasons commissioned by Hodder. Bernardine Evaristo will tackle summer, Kate Mosse, autumn, and Val McDermid, winter.

But to read Spring is to walk with Michael in his world, his beloved Devon, as though a companion, softly, humbly, respectfully. He is both a keen observer of nature, giving her a language that touches us all in its poetic simplicity, but also so much part of it.

His presence does not frighten away the otter in the Torridge River (as it didn’t Henry Williamson 100 years before him, who so meticulously captured the intricacies of the natural world in Tarka the Otter). Nor does he fail to spot and delight in the very rst bluebell of the season. His agonising wait for the return of his beloved swallows is almost too painful to bear, until his wife Clare (whose presence is sprinkled throughout the pages) calls to him (us) and leads him (us) to the garage where nally, at last, two do swoop down over them.

‘I clapped quietly, almost silently, to welcome them, to celebrate their 8,000 mile journey, and their arrival, bringing spring with them,’ he writes. We clapped too.

Michael is, on occasion, unable to stop himself from wrangling with the nature of things. He knows he’s fed the birds too long because he so enjoys watching them through the window with his morning

Michael Morpurgo at his home in Devon and together with his wife Clare in younger years (left)

cup of tea. He knows not to move the frogspawn again to give the creatures more of a ghting chance out of sight of the murderous heron. He knows too that, despite the ebb and ow of the seasons, there is change afoot – he sees to it so acutely with every unfurling leaf – and reminds us humans how much we have meddled in that.

To speak to Michael and Clare, from their ‘paradise’ for the past 50 or so years, a two-up, two-down farm worker’s cottage, which used to house a family pig (not theirs), is also to enter their world, despite being down a computer line. It’s impossible not to visualise the mist he describes clinging to the hills and the mellow sunlight of late autumn ltering through the hedgerows (we speak in November). His voice is like treacle, still rich and warm in timbre, despite his 81 years.

For both, this corner of Devon is not just their home but where the work they seem to be most proud of has sprung from. Since 1976, they have been involved with the running of the charity they founded, Farms for City Children. In those intervening years, over 100,000 children have muddied clothes, fed lambs, heaved compost, become bone tired and ravenously hungry, as they spend a week on a proper working farm, o ering them a glimpse into the rhythms of rural life. ‘We felt it was the right of a child to know there was this other world out there, which was

their world too: a world of nature and wonder, a world that fed us, a world we all had to care about and care for,’ writes Michael.

It was Clare’s idea, originally, inspired by her childhood, when she rst came to this part of Devon as a seven-year-old paying guest at a village pub (which belonged to friends of her parents). She revelled in the long hours of freedom roaming the countryside in her wellies. e couple wanted city children to feel that same connection – to experience a place abundant with life and purpose.

‘It wasn’t to be just about farming,’ Michael explains. ‘It was about nature, the environment, and teaching the children that they belong to a larger world.’ ey received early encouragement from poet and neighbour Ted Hughes, who would sometimes read aloud to the children in the evening.

Michael writes about them throughout Spring, and you can almost hear their laughter rising from the pages, as they catch sight of him in his pyjamas busying himself in the garden, picking kale for a breakfast smoothie. ‘It was a joy to watch the children, who, like the saplings they were planting, also need nurturing and encouragement to grow well.’ You sense he feels that their thriving is viscerally linked to nature’s and they are just as important to this landscape for him as the blackbirds, buzzards and butter ies.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

Students from Goodrich school, Hopwood Wick Court and John Donne primary get stuck in at Nethercott House, one of the three heritage farms that hosts children

‘Books can INTRODUCE children to HARSH REALITIES without overwhelming them,’ he says. ‘They can IMAGINE the world diﬀerently, and that’s where CHANGE BEGINS’

Unsurprisingly, books – and stories – shaped the upbringings of both Clare and Michael. Her father, Sir Allen Lane, was founder of Penguin Books, a revolutionary in his time, says Michael, for his desire to make books as a ordable as possible.

Michael was similarly immersed. Brought up initially in Bradwell, Essex by his mother, an actor and stepfather, a history editor who happened to work for Penguin (he didn’t get to know his real father, also an actor, until he was much older), ‘we didn’t have walls in our house, we had bookshelves,’ he smiles. And his mother was also a proli c storyteller. ‘I loved being read stories at bedtime by my mum. at’s how I fell in love with them,’ he recalls.

And how many countless children (and adults) have since fallen in love with his stories (over 150 of them), which are unafraid to tackle tough themes: war, loss, resilience –always with the hope of sparking empathy. War Horse, now of course both a highly successful lm and theatre production, is his most famous. His books are, explicitly, a safe lter through which to explore the sadness, violence and chaos of the real world, through imagination and without harm, something that the ever-more omnipresent smartphone can’t do. ‘Books can introduce children to harsh realities without overwhelming them,’ he says. ‘ ey can imagine the world di erently, and that’s where change begins.’

e Morpurgos are both vocal on how the challenges of our modern world, politically, socially and environmentally, mean that it’s more important than ever for children to have an introduction to – and an understanding of –how vital the countryside and nature is. ‘I hope our work becomes more relevant even than before,’ says Michael, ‘when in fact, I think people thought it was a bit nostalgic how we took children down to the farm, as though it were a bit old-fashioned. I think people now know it’s absolutely mission critical.’ at immersion in nature combined with igniting imagination, understanding and empathy through stories are the twin branches through which the Morpurgos really do help transform children’s lives. Every story, every project, and every child they meet is part of their lifelong passion to nurture curiosity and compassion.

Spring by Michael Morpurgo is published on 20 March (Hodder, £16.99). Farms for City Children is Country & Town House’s chosen charity partner for 2025. C&TH will be donating complimentary advertising throughout the year, as well as highlighting its work through events, editorial, social media, fundraising and volunteering. To nd out more, visit farmsforcitychildren.org n

RISING from the RUBBLE

The 2023 Moroccan earthquake devastated the country, but as Kasbah Tamadot reopens, Richard Branson tells CHARLIE COLVILLE about rebuilding and the resilient Berber spirit

Light pours in dreamily from the open terrace, setting its terracotta walls alight with the ush of sunset. Asayss, the freshly opened restaurant at Kasbah Tamadot, is pleasantly quiet at this time of day – but its plush green sofas, owing cream curtains and walls full of eclectic Moroccan paintings prevent it from feeling empty.

It’s this peaceful lull – and the escapism it lends to guests – that has given Sir Richard Branson’s Atlas Mountain hideaway its cult status among luxury travel seekers. It’s almost hard to believe then, when looking out over the picture-perfect resort spread across the valley, that it was almost destroyed just over a year ago in Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than 60 years.

At least 2,960 people died and a further 2.8 million people from Marrakech and the areas surrounding the Atlas Mountains were a ected by the cataclysmic event. ‘ is valley was hit the hardest during the earthquake,’ Branson says quietly, contemplating the room. ‘It was never forecast to be an earthquake region, so there weren’t any preparations in place. It was just a horrible, horrible night. ‘Kasbah was full of guests – every room was taken – and we were very lucky that the walls withstood it. But the communities around us were really devastated. ere were a lot of lives lost.’

e subsequent 13 months (I visited in November) have been dedicated to rebuilding the local area, aiding its inhabitants and bringing the hotel back to its former glory. ‘ e Eve Branson Foundation [EBF] moved very quickly and did a lot of great work in the community when they desperately needed help,’ notes Branson. ‘ e community is resilient, and it’s back on its feet again.’

‘ We’re still very involved in this project,’ adds Houssain Bousouka, EBF’s president. ‘Most people are still living in tents, and after a year the tents are starting to become a little bit tired. We are giving more supplies, garments, food – especially in the isolated villages further up the mountains.’

Quick action in the face of natural disaster is something Branson – and, subsequently, all Virgin Limited Edition properties – has had to develop over time. e entrepreneur’s most famous retreat (and home since 2006) Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands is testament to that.

On average, a hurricane passes through Necker every three years. And, in 2017, Branson was on the receiving end of Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm that destroyed most of the island’s buildings and vegetation. It took several months of rebuilding to get everything back on its feet.

But it’s experiences like these that have given Branson the mental fortitude to withstand anything else nature has to throw his way. ‘We’ve had pretty much everything – hurricanes, re, earthquakes, diseases – you name it,’ he says. ‘But my approach is that, the day after a disaster, you get out a big sheet of paper and see how you can come back better and stronger than before.’

For Kasbah Tamadot, that entailed working with the Berber community

to help rebuild what had been lost in the earthquake. e EBF has raised over £1.2m for its Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund, and the hotel committed to staying partially open so that it could continue to support tourism to the surrounding areas.

And while one half of the hotel – the luxury Berber tents overlooking the Atlas Mountains – remained active, the other half was a hub of reconstruction for several months. But the e orts were certainly worth it.

Rather than just rebuild, Branson took the opportunity to expand. Alongside a restoration of the main building, six brand-new riads were built – bringing the number of rooms and suites from 28 to 42. With space to house ten guests, private pools and a rooftop lounge, the new suites are just a short walk from the hotel’s new dining destination.

And that brings us back to the room we started in. e hotel’s second restaurant, Asayss was built alongside the riads and lls the space of the former animal shed. Dislodged by the earthquake, the structure was eventually taken down – with the promise that something even better would take its place. ‘I love how we’ve been able to build such beautiful spaces from ruin,’ Branson says. is is a mindset shared by the local people, he says. ‘ e Berber community is made up of some of the most resilient people I’ve ever met. ey’ve been through a lot – not just recently, but over hundreds of years. ey’re living in some of the toughest regions, and they’ve somehow managed to survive and look after each other.’

It’s this tenacity and unwavering hospitality that likely makes Morocco a top tourist destination, despite the lingering remains of rubble that can still be spotted in its villages. ‘Morocco is booming,’ Branson points out. ‘Once people have discovered it, they come back time and time again.’

And when asked about fears of over-tourism, he tells us it’s not a worry for the locals; after all, we’ve only really hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to discovering Morocco. ‘It’s a big place,’ he emphasises. ‘If you go into the centre of Marrakech, it’s bustling. Kasbah o ers a foil: we nd that people come up here for a slower experience – a di erent view of Morocco. ey like to have that balance: the busyness of the city and the wide natural landscape of the mountains.’

Resilience has been key to Morocco’s – and, in turn, Branson’s – brand of tourism, and it shows just what can be done when a community comes together to rebuild itself.

BOOK IT: ree-bed riad from £3,547 B&B. Doubles at the hotel from £573 B&B. virginlimitededition.com/kasbah-tamadot

Charlie’s return ights from London Gatwick to Marrakech have a carbon footprint of 798.5kg of CO2e, ecollectivecarbon.com n

‘My approach is that, the day after a DISASTER , you get out a big sheet of paper and see how you can come back BETTER and STRONGER than before’

Sir Richard Branson, pictured, took the opportunity to build back Kasbah Tamadot bigger and better than before, while also working to support the local Berber communities so devastated by the 2023 earthquake

FIELDS Elysian

Following the closure of Eco-Age and a cancer diagnosis, Livia Giuggioli Firth has pivoted her focus to sustainable farming – and is more driven than ever, ﬁnds KAMIN MOHAMMADI

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KICCA TOMMASI

When Livia Giuggioli Firth and her ex-husband Colin Firth found themselves spending the Covid lockdown with her Italian family in Umbria, Livia had no idea that her twin brothers’ newly acquired farm would become her new passion project. She was then running Eco-Age, the world’s rst sustainable fashion consultancy, a multi award-winning project that advised big brands and the fashion industry on sustainability. In 2015 she had produced the pivotal documentary e True Cost, which explored the impact of fashion on people and the planet, and was founder of the Green Carpet Challenge, using her platform to persuade Hollywood and fashion’s biggest celebrities to don ethical fashion on the red carpet. She was showered with awards and accolades for her activism, and Anna Wintour said of her: ‘Livia is fearless, she’ll pick up the phone to anybody. It’s very personal to her.’

Livia’s new sustainability project is Quintosapore, and it’s very personal indeed. e organic family farm that her twin brothers Nico and Alessandro (the Twin Farmers) acquired in 2019 prompted Livia to dream of returning to live in Italy during the grim days of lockdown. ‘Even though it was a terrible time, being here and being involved in the farm was inspiring,’ Livia says now. ‘Honestly, at the end of lockdown, I didn’t want to leave.’

It is easy to see why. Sitting with Livia and the twins at a long table outside, the wooded valley falls away, giving Quintosapore 360-degree views of the countryside, the horizon etched with the distant outline of the medieval Città della Pieve, the nearest town. On the other side, we can just about see the house that their parents bought when they were children – where they spent most weekends and holidays growing up, roaming the countryside, the twins starting their habit of collecting seeds (now a cornerstone of

their farming activities). As the twins busy themselves with cooking for us on the sophisticated outdoor grill, the sun beats down, butter ies utter and there is nothing but birdsong to serenade us: it is as if time has stood still and modern life has receded. But it is the idyllic nature of this very scene that speaks to the fracture the farm un inchingly addresses: we may be in T-shirts eating outside, but we are meeting in November, the temperature should be much lower and those butter ies should not still be in evidence.

e changing climate and its attendant e ects are all around us.

‘As activists, we always said our focus would be on what we eat or what we wear,’ says Livia, indicating her brother Nico, who worked at Eco-Age with her. ‘We did our best to bring sustainability to what we wear and now, it’s what we eat.’ Eco-Age had to fold earlier this year due to criminal activity that shocked Livia and decimated the company. Around the same time, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and was successfully treated – but both events, devastating as they were, helped her to pivot towards more positive action: sustainable agriculture.

‘People said maybe you should stop the activism, slow down now,’ she says, ‘but actually it gave me a whole new perspective and the farm gives me hope. We have to face the challenges of the climate crisis head on, and what the twins are doing here is more than sustainable farming – it is a rethinking of the approaches that have stripped the soil and brought us to this point. I can’t think of a better way to face the Earth’s uncertain future than to be working with the land to support nature to feed us. And slowing down is what the way we farm forces you to do anyway. You learn patience with farming.’

‘Agriconcura’ is what the twins call it: ‘farming with care.’ Nicola and Ale are the brains – and brawn – behind this unique farm. It is certi ed organic, but Quintosapore goes much further. Combining

Livia Giuggioli Firth and her twin brothers, Nico and Alessandro, at their Umbrian farm Quintosapore

many agricultural methods, from permaculture to biomimicry, this is a vertically integrated project that aims to regenerate soil, foster biodiversity, imitate nature in its swift response to change, and combine the best traditional wisdom with modern technology to invent a whole new way of farming with dignity at its core. In their central laboratory, the team prepares and jars up the delicious – and award-winning – products they sell, such as aubergine caviar, tiny delicate yellow courgettes in oil, and a smoked chilli salt that is swoon-worthy in its sophistication. Equipped with gleaming machinery, this is where Nico experiments to eliminate the need for preservatives or additives in any of their products. So pure is their tomato sauce, for example, that on applying to the FDA for export to the US, the agency ran its own tests to ascertain its verity. It was approved.

e 65-acre farm ranges over several hillsides, at the apex of which is the outdoor cooking area and splendid long table overlooking the rise and fall of the Umbrian hills. Walking the land with Livia and the twins is an education; we pause as Ale and Nico show us the fruits of their labours, pointing out raised beds that eliminate the need for digging and indicating unusual vegetables and ancient varieties that they cultivate from their collection of seeds. Rows of vegetables stretch away, exotic Japanese cucumbers hang from arches, red spinach glows along trellises, and autumn-hued hills fall away on all sides as the dogs run around and we bask in the afternoon sun. Everything hums with life. It’s easy to see why, in spite of the hard work the farm demands, the three siblings are enchanted by what they are cultivating here, both the soil and the Quintosapore philosophy.

‘And you know, at its heart is love,’ says Nico. ‘Love for the land, for our people, the environment, the soil, the food that we share.’ He indicates the long table at which we are sitting, with Ale, a former lmmaker, Livia, and many of the sta of the farm, all tucking into a bountiful meal made of their own produce, washed down with wine from an ancient variety they have resuscitated. Ale tells the story of their Malmaturo wine, a forgotten

grape they brought back to life on a hillside where it had always been grown. He traced the variety all the way back to the Etruscans, a sophisticated pre-Roman civilisation that lived in Umbria and Tuscany.

‘We call this the last supper,’ laughs Livia. ‘We feel in this age of climate challenge and AI, the simple human things are more important than ever – connection with likeminded people, breaking bread together, community.’ It comes back to the central energy of Quintosapore. ‘Love, of course,’ the siblings exclaim in unison. And this they share with the world through their Soil to Fork experiences: guided farm visits, which end in a splendid lunch featuring a ve-course tasting menu. By the end of the experience, visitors are invariably part of the Quintosapore family. ‘You become a Quintosaporean,’ says Livia, eyes sparkling.

During the Soil to Fork visits, the twins cook up feasts using their own vegetables and products, sharing their stories and meticulously researched farming methods with their guests. eir approach is to mimic nature to enable the environment to support itself, making the use of chemicals unnecessary. is includes using biochar, microorganisms and fungi to enrich the soil fast and planting fast-growing trees to create shelter and selfsustaining ecosystems for crops. eir enthusiasm drives

Livia and her brothers’ base, Quintosapore, with its ‘agriconcura’ philosophy, of farming with care; the team sells award-winning products and hosts Soil to Fork feasts and guided farm visits for guests

their conversation, and even brings quantum physics into their farming philosophy.

en we are back to love: how the twins encourage their workers to speak to the plants lovingly as they handpick the produce; how experiments have shown that plants treated with love grow faster and are more resilient to pests. e Quintosapore vision extends to their insistence on employing their farm workers all year round, with secure contracts and a living wage – in an industry that uses armies of illegal foreign workers on pittance wages to meet its margins. e twins, however, believe that time has value and treat their workers accordingly, investing in people who make up the Quintosapore extended family and its unique ethos.

‘It boils down to dignity,’ Ale says, ‘treating the land, our people and our produce with the dignity it deserves. After all,’ he sweeps his hand across the landscape, ‘we are all guests here on this planet, and if we look after the soil, the soil will look after us.’

quintosapore.it

Kamin

Mohammadi

author of Bella Figura: How to Live, Love, and Eat the Italian Way n

Advance to GO

When his professional career blew up in the dotcom bubble, advertising guru Will Travis found a diﬀerent calling.

ANNABEL HESELTINE

charts a truly transformational career shift

Miniscule insects dance in a luminous screen sliding through gaps in the palms towering above us. Rushing water bubbles around my calves and slips down the steep-sided gorge in strong eddying currents. I cannot see the rocks below, but I trust the hand supporting me. Sim, a crypto visionary from India and founder of several companies, is one of my teammates who, like me, has been selected to spend four days here in Bali on Elevation Barn’s Retreat to Advance, to nd clarity in our purpose as leaders.

We are di erent nationalities, three men, three women – ‘only six so that every person’s story counts, bringing a di erent perspective and elevating each other,’ explains Elevation Barn’s founder and our retreat leader, Will Travis, who, in another lifetime, founded and then sold two giant advertising companies and was paid millions to de ne brands like Toyota, Coca-Cola and Net ix. Seven years ago he turned his back on a dream job as a global leader of Saatchi & Saatchi to move to Bali to use his ‘superpower’ of motivation to inspire people to follow their ambitions.

‘I’d had enough of selling things to people they didn’t need,’ says the branding genius. ‘No matter how remarkable you are, you can’t build a barn without your tribe. I want to create a safe place to celebrate trust. When individuals trust themselves, they gain the con dence to extend it to their business world and communities.’ It was a lesson learned from bitter experience.

Aged 32, Will’s life collapsed around him. He realised how alone he was.

Caught up in his ego, he gambled on his business and lost. Everything blew up with the dotcom crash: his marriage, his health and his con dence. And he had no one to turn to for advice. Nobody he could trust. He felt a fraud.

‘I was the doubting hero. I was going to Davos but not leading a country or a corporation, to Burning Man without a six pack, and to Ted Talks but not on the main stage. e colleagues around me were in my pay, so I couldn’t talk to them. I longed for an authentic network where I could go deeper, with trust, to solve those critical challenges, but I didn’t have that.’

‘And neither did anyone else,’ he says, shocked by reports that more than 85 percent of people are unhappy in their jobs, that leadership is the loneliest place and entrepreneurs have a higher risk of suicide. ‘We are in a global con dence crisis; we don’t trust our leaders, our corporations or the data, and we don’t trust ourselves. We undermine each other all the time. Nobody feels they are good enough. I was in board meetings, but I didn’t know the people I was working with. In business, nobody cared. If something went wrong in my life, it was an inconvenience.’

A friend encouraged him to organise a retreat at his country home for six friends, all successful but at a crossroads. He called it ‘Sort Your S**t Out’. en, looking in the proverbial mirror, he realised that he needed to do the same for himself.

His ‘aha!’ moment came at the Explorers Club Annual Gala in New York in 2017, which he attended with oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earle. ‘ e energy

in that room was magnetic. I realised then that every single person there was uniting their “superpower” of science to propel a level of purpose higher than themselves to protect our planet. at triggered Elevation Barn. I thought, what if I could motivate people from all walks of life to trust themselves, elevating that belief in themselves, their families, their businesses, to support what this planet needs?’

Will and his team now lead retreats on ve continents. Using his own branding techniques honed over 30 years and inspired by MIT and Harvard, along with some simple tools – a pack of cards, an iconic object, chalks and crayons, meditation – he workshopped us through exercises that stripped away self-delusions and smashed through our self-limiting beliefs.

Personally, Will has guided over 700 ‘Barners’ (and trained 12 other guides). It may not sound like many, but they hail from 48 countries and 178 professions, including CEOs, billionaires, Fortune 500 CMOs, marine biologists, inventors, writers, domestic dads, athletes, even a Montana bull ghter, many of them with a signi cant reach. It isn’t cheap, but, says Will, ‘we subsidise those we think will bene t but can’t a ord it’. His ambition is for Elevation Barn to win a Nobel Prize for its work as a collective elevating the world. ‘ ere is a need for a community to come together. We are born dependent, are interdependent as children, but spend our lives trying to be independent, playing the hero’s game. at doesn’t work.’

While the Elevation Barn retreats are about the individual, its consultancy, e Stable, helps organisations solve complex business challenges through its global network of experts. At rst, Will resisted the notion: ‘Elevation Barn was really helping people ignite their con dence in who they could be.’

to realise their potential. is year, Will is o to Bhutan to teach his tools to Bhutanese monks.

I went to my rst Elevation Barn retreat fresh out of a challenging marriage, exhausted and unemployed having resigned from my job as a magazine editor with no clear idea of where I was going. I had forgotten my conservation interests, or the reasons why I had taken a master’s in wildlife management. ese memories were rekindled in Bali alongside my self-esteem when my overlooked skills were re ected back to me by the members of my team: a tech start-up VP, the founder of an Indonesian online payment gateway, a Taiwanese TV journalist and a UN sustainability advisor.

Excited as I was by the alchemy of our group, I still wasn’t convinced I could achieve the ambitious tasks I had set myself: podcast, book and database. So last year Will invited me back for a viva at Broughton Sanctuary, a turbocharged ashram in the Yorkshire Dales, to confront di cult questions: how much did I want to do the work or care about the person behind the persona.

‘What if I could MOTIVATE people from all walks of life to trust themselves, ELEVATING that belief in themselves, their families, their businesses, to support what this PLANET needs?’

But then a friend, Tom Gruber, inventor of Siri, asked him to help Sylvia Earle’s scientist-led charity Mission Blue to tell the story of the oceans globally. Like most NGOs, it couldn’t a ord the fees of branding experts. ‘Earle was compelling,’ says Will, who has since pulled in relevant experts including conservationist Steve Boyes, UN climate branding activist Natalia Vega-Berry, Dr Zach Bush and peace activist Candice Mama. ese experts help Earle and other conservation and purpose-driven organisations like Africa’s Great Blue Wall, Bali’s Biosphere Foundation and World Enabled

From the moment I arrived at the second retreat attended by, among others, the Quaker CEO of Vivobarefoot, a pilgrim, a digital nomad and a behavioural scientist, I saw the di erence in myself, how far I had come in 18 months. All doubt was banished. I had found my silver arrow. ‘It’s very hard to wake someone pretending to be asleep,’ explains Will. ‘But when we see cracks in our lives, the light starts to shine and we can rekindle the re.’ And trust ourselves too, I remind him.

elevationbarn.com. Annabel Heseltine is the host of Hope Springs podcast, sponsored by e Resurgence Trust n

FROM TOP LEFT: Annabel and Will; Will Travis made the biggest career change in order to ﬁnd purpose; Will runs retreats at Broughton Sanctuary in the Yorkshire Dales

“A house that is lived in, it never stands still

-Greta Bellamacina ”

INTERIORS

Edited by Carole Annett

In full Swing

Connection with nature and the captivating Mediterranean lanscape is woven through Brigitta Freund’s idyllic island home, ﬁnds Carole Annett

‘We WANTED to ﬁnd a place where we ﬁrst met, a setting that would be truly ours. It was ESSENTIAL that the house would be part of this LANDSCAPE, rooted in the earth’

PHOTOS:

‘My husband and I spent over a year searching for the perfect location,’ says Brigitta Freund of London based interior architecture and design practice Spinocchia Freund. ‘We wanted to nd a place where we rst met, a setting that would truly be ours. We also wanted land that felt spiritual and captured the essence of the Mediterranean, my Greek and Italian heritage, and was rich in minerals and energy. It was essential that the house would be part of this landscape, rooted in the earth’.

Inspired by the Taoist concept of ‘wu wei’, or ‘e ortless action’, Brigitta’s aim was to design a home that looked like it belonged and worked in tune with its natural environment. is also brought its challenges, most notably the topography of the land. ‘It’s a beautiful but challenging landscape and working with the natural contours of the site took time’, explains Brigitta. Wherever possible, she sourced local materials. ‘ e beauty of working with local artisans is that everything feels personal, there is learning from both sides and a sense of history in the craftsmanship. For example, the stone we used for the bar was sourced from a local quarry and we had it carved to t the space. It’s a unique piece, and we love that it has a story behind it.’ e colour palette followed the same principle: greens inspired by the landscape, deep blues reminiscent of the sea, and warm, sun-drenched tones from the soil.

Sustainability was at the heart of the project with a rainwater recycling system, energy e cient lighting and solar panels. Brigitta ensured the energy sources were as sustainable as possible. ‘We are also involved in initiatives to safeguard the land and its biodiversity,’ she adds.

Creating and cultivating the garden was just as important as building the house. ‘It’s not a show garden. It’s a working, evolving space that’s part of our daily life here. We love outdoor living’, she says, ‘and have particularly loved working in nature.’ Brigitta and her husband selected every tree that was planted, the maturing garden becoming a re ection of their journey as a couple. ‘It now holds so much meaning for us’, she says, ‘and also for guests who love to enjoy the spaces created for rest and relaxation.’ e garden is also important for our life as a family. ‘ e children love picking fruit and vegetables. is summer we made marmalade from the oranges they harvested. ere’s something raw and real about working with the land and in many ways it is a simple joy. We not only wanted to create a beautiful space but also a life that feels connected, and that’s what I think we have managed to do here. It’s given us a deep connection to the land and to each other that we’ll carry with us for years.’

spinocchiafreund.com n

Brigitta Freund and her husband wanted to ﬁnd a setting that captured the essence of the Mediterranean

1 DESIGNED TO BE DIFFERENT

Neolith’s sintered stone – a process of combining multiple materials into one piece – is manufactured with 100 percent natural ingredients and is hardwearing. Perfect for kitchen design. Calacatta Luxe sintered stone surface by Neolith, £POA. neolith.com

JUST DREAM

Silk specialist Gingerlily’s collaboration with bespoke stationer Memo Press results in the prettiest ower-strewn bedlinen. Florals for spring? We think so. Forget Me Not silk double duvet, £650, and silk pillowcase, £130. gingerlily.co.uk

HANDMADE IN DEVON

Feldspar ne bone china uses heritage processes and local materials. Sconce from a collection with Lucy Williams (@lucywilliamshome), £198. feldspar.studio

Design NOTES

What’s caught Carole Annett’ s interiors eye this season

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS

1 Hurrah for hard-working worktops. 2 Don’t be square: irregular rugs are far more vibrant. 3 This petite soft-topped perch is a perfect ﬁnishing touch for any room.

JEWEL BLOOMS

Designed in collaboration with needlework artist Viola Shackleton, Violas is Soane’s rst printed velvet. Produced in Lancaster the design retains all the characteristics of Viola's original artwork. £290 a metre. soane.co.uk

2 EARTH TO EARTH

The Lichen series brings together rug designer Sonya Winner and KLC School of Design alumnus Alice Hislop. Inspired by the natural curves and colour of algae. Lichen Malachite green rug, from £3,389. sonyawinner.com

3 SITTING

Laclaux is a new furniture collection founded by Chloé Nègre and François-Xavier Fonbonnat available exclusively at Invisible Collection. £2,850. theinvisiblecollection.com

BOOKSHELF WEALTH

Are you following the trend? Show o your books and knick-knacks with bespoke shelving by HUX London. Interior by Zulu sh. hux-london.co.uk

FOREVER FLOWERS

Ranunculus and anemones made by crepe paper artist Krishanthi Armitt for Willow Crossley. From £56 each. willowcrossley. com

WONDERWASH

Catchpole & Rye’s Charleston collection of washstandsis created by founder Tony O’Donnell and his designteam. ‘I picture this in country homes as much as in city apartments,’ says Tony. From £7,750. catchpoleandrye.com PURE ART

Angela Murray of Quote and Curate (quoteandcurate.com) based at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour painted ‘Morning Light, Dublin’ using natural paint and 24-carat gold-leaf on natural linen. A bespoke commission for Taylor Howes design studio, Angela was tasked with using the studio’s Couture Collection paint range from Graphenstone. Howes & Landino Couture Collection, £2.50 (sample pot) to £279 (10 litres) graphenstone-ecopaints. store; howesand landino.co.uk

5 Pappelina Red Vera berch veneer tray, £38, pappelina.com. 6 Maison Leleu Chaise savage, €7,600, maisonleleu.com. 7 Etsy Turkish lumbar pillow, £111.60, etsy.com. 8 Baobab Collection Scented Five-Wick Marrakech candle, £310, eu.baobabcollection.com. 9 ZDG O cial Banyan ve piece bamboo cutlery, £575, zdgo cial.com 10 Casarialto Transparent and coloured glass con ture pot €198, casarialto.it. Tessa Dunthorne captures ﬁne

1 Molteni&C Mateo table, $11,240, molteni.it. 2 Vinterior 1960s ceramic ashtray, £50, vinterior.co.

3 Yves Delorme Linéa Véronèse green trim pillow case, £69, uk.yvesdelorme.com. 4 1st Dibs Aldo Londi ceramic lamp, £1,195, 1stdibs.co.uk.

A House of Honey home, as featured on 1stdibs.com

My INTERIOR Life

Kit Kemp takes inspiration from Victorian toy theatres and the art-collecting Cone Sisters

What's your typical day like? I walk to my studio in South Kensington every day, passing the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and the V&A. I see children piling o coaches, so excited about having a day away from school. My o ce is a stuccofronted London townhouse on ve oors; it has a good homely feel. I started working in a cupboard years ago, but now I have the whole house for my design team. I check in with the designers, which includes two of my daughters (strategically placed on di erent oors). I prefer to look at colours in the morning light. Creating cohesive ideas for textile collections is always a voyage of discovery and surprise. ere is laughter and discussion when my team sits around the table. My favourite time of the week is ‘blog time’ on Zoom when the New York Design and London teams organise the blogs for the week. We talk about things that have inspired us, exhibitions, new rooms we have created for the hotels, and ‘Meet the Maker’ (craftspeople we admire). My design team has to be versatile, creative and practical. A day might involve looking at plans, recon guring spaces, creating room schemes for hotels and homes, ideas for new textile collections, new

designs for Shop Kit Kemp and, of course, starting buildings from scratch. All three hotels in New York are new-builds from the ground up. Some of the projects take years to come to fruition. Afternoons are lled with client meetings and calls to New York. ere are never enough hours in the day. I walk home, enjoying the di erent seasons in the fresh air. I love food, as long as it only takes 20 minutes to prepare. Fine china and beautiful glassware makes everything taste better. Tim and I talk about our day over supper and a glass of wine.

Is there an exhibition that's caught your design eye? I recently took our design team to Dennis Severs’ House in Spital elds for a spooky candlelight tour. Severs was an 18th-century silk weaver, and Rupert omas, former editor of World of Interiors, was our knowledgeable guide. We loved the showmanship and madness of it all, but the pièce de résistance came at the end. We entered the small garden room where Pollock’s Toy eatres was holding a magical pop-up exhibition. ‘If you love art, folly or the bright eyes of children,’ wrote Robert Louis Stevenson, ‘speed to Pollock’s.’ It is a rare treat to get so much knowledge and eccentricity in such a small space. Our much-loved muse Mimi de Biarritz, who sadly passed away earlier this year, would have adored it. Are there any items you're coveting right now? I recently came across Shame Studios, which makes hand woven carpets and shares our passion for craft and the protection of artisanal skills, carefully combining colour and texture. Its new Watercolours collection, created in collaboration with Cindy Leveson, combines tradition with the freedom and expressiveness of water and pigment. e result is a unique collection of abstract rugs. I immediately wanted one for a favourite event space at Soho Hotel.

Who are your design icons? ere are far too many to name here. Currently,the Cone Sisters of Baltimore are top of my list. ey were two rather frumpy, grumpy looking sisters who amassed art at full tilt over 50 years in the early 20th century. is very unlikely couple crossed the Atlantic numerous times and avidly purchased works by Picasso, Matisse, Manet, Gaug uin, Cézanne, Seurat and Degas when others in their milieu were aghast and outraged by these disreputable artists and their work. eir inspiring collection now makes up a wing of the Baltimore Museum of Art and is not to be missed.

For an up-to-the-minute icon, I was asked to introduce Veere Grenney at an ‘ in conversation’ at e Whitby eatre in New York recently. He is witty and intelligent, and I love his interiors and his line of thought. His new book Seeking Beauty is a good place to discover his work What would your dream home look like? I would like a kitchen window that overlooks a stable yard, so I can see all the horses popping their heads out of the boxes in the morning. I am not keen on conversation in the morning but I like a good view.

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Benjamin Pollock's toy theatres can be found at his shop in Covent Garden

Forty Branches ﬂatweave wool carpet by Shame Studios

HOTELS & TRAVEL

Taking the Plunge

Photographer and director Alistair Taylor-Young shares a pictorial adventure to the far reaches of Svalbard, a journey he undertook with two NGOs battling to save this fragile ecosystem

‘I felt strongly that this area is on a KNIFE’S EDGE . It exists only because of the TEMPERATURE and as such is ANCHORING the rest of the world in so many ways’

1 I’ve always loved deserts. The less there is, the more interesting it becomes, making me search so much harder for a story to tell. The similarities between Svalbard and deserts are quite remarkable.

2 I travelled with two NGOs, Hearts in the Ice and Polar Bears International, led by Natural World Safaris, and I learned that people’s passions matter. Their commitment to learning and exploration made us all be more inquisitive. And from that, there’s a starting point to bringing an educated understanding of our impact on this planet.

3 Highlights included quiet moments onboard the MV Kinﬁsh, watching mountains and ice slip by, juxtaposing the extremes in the weather. And discovering such a raw and isolated place while meeting new friends. It takes a certain person to go to the edge of the world and I love that kind of adventurous spirit.

4 Svalbard is full of surprises. The way the ice forms on the water, from a silky delicate skin that softens the water texture, to pancake ice and then to an impenetrable ice shelf in a matter of moments. The weather changes so quickly, as does the colour of the light.

5 I felt strongly that this area is on a knife’s edge. It exists only because of the temperature and as such is anchoring the rest of the world in so many ways. The fragility and importance of its existence is spellbinding.

6 My key learning from the trip? That an eight-hour snowmobile trek was an adventure. The journey is the occasion, not just the destination.

Natural World Safaris is next operating the Svalbard Land and Sea Adventure in April 2025. From £8,995pp, based on two sharing. naturalworldsafaris.com

RAYS OF HOPE

Ever wondered what it was like to get up close and personal with a majestic manta ray? Join InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort’s annual Manta Retreat in March for the ultimate access. EMMA LOVE gets a sneak peek

When it comes to fantasy island living, not many destinations come close to the Maldives: all jungle-covered specs of land, ringed by sugar-white sand and turquoise bath-like lagoons. But for those wanting to do more than ﬂy-andﬂop in paradise there is another big draw – manta rays. Alongside whale sharks, they are the star attraction for divers and snorkellers to this 860km north-south atoll chain in the Indian Ocean.

Over the last two decades The Manta Trust, one of the world’s leading manta ray research and conservation organisations, has logged over 6,000 individuals and determined that the archipelagic country has the largest stable population of reef mantas in the world.

Hanifaru Bay in the Baa Atoll (a Unesco Biosphere Reserve) has long been known as a cyclone feeding hotspot where, from May to November during the southwest monsoon season, large numbers of mantas congregate, often swimming in a cyclone formation to get their ﬁx of up to six kilograms of plankton a day. But in recent years, a new, exciting discovery has been made in the neighbouring Raa Atoll: a nursery site for juveniles in the lagoon surrounding InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort. ‘It’s the ﬁrst documented nursery site so it’s incredibly special,’ explains

Meral Hafeez, Maldives Manta Conservation Programme project manager of the Raa Atoll, whose research unit is based at the resort. ‘This island sits next to a deep channel that separates the two atolls. We don’t know much about how or where mantas give birth but one potential reason why this is a nursery site could be that they are having their babies at depth. The pups are then left to fend for themselves and they see the Maamunagau lagoon, which is one of the largest in the Maldives, as a refuge.’

In 2023, the lagoon was designated an Important Shark and Ray Area (ISRA) – the ﬁrst step in highlighting it as a critical habitat for mantas and an area of conservation priority. ‘Mantas act as a ﬂagship species; a gateway to understanding the importance of protecting the broader reef ecosystem,’ continues Meral, a trained lawyer with a background in coral reef restoration. ‘The lagoon has beautiful dense patches of coral and harbours a lot of diversity. It’s so important for mantas that we have applied for it to become a Marine Protected Area. If and when that happens, the MPA designation will allow for greater protections for mantas and their habitats through careful controls of things such as speed limits for vessels and the number of excursion boats allowed near key manta aggregation sites.’

SWIMMING WITH MANTA RAYS

Guests staying at the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort can sign up to snorkel with mantas all year round when a researcher from Meral’s team is on hand, alongside marine guides, to share insights on everything from their feeding habits to behaviours. On my visit in December, we had barely been in the boat for 10 minutes when the ﬁrst thin dorsal fin was spotted peeking out of the water. Feeding on the surface, they paid us no attention as we put on masks and ﬂoated nearby.

Despite already learning plenty about reef mantas from Meral during a fascinating talk – a flexible skeletal structure allows them to inhabit different depths without being affected by pressure change; they are ﬁlter feeders who only use their teeth during mating; the average wingspan is four-and-a-half metres – I’m still momentarily surprised when one barrels my way, mouth gaping wide. It’s like being approached at speed by an extremely graceful, huge underwater bird and, as the manta swims directly below, I get a thrilling up-close glimpse of its velvetylooking monochrome topside.

Five things you need to know about manta rays

MAGICAL MARINE EXPERIENCES

For even more in-depth encounters, the InterContinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort also runs an annual four-day, behind-the-scenes Manta Retreat in March, led by Meral. Guests can join the research boat, supporting the team as they freedive down to photograph the mantas’ belly (like a fingerprint, each one has unique markings), take part in an interactive identification workshop as well as other activities such as plankton sampling and data recording. ‘There are very few sites with the potential to specifically see baby mantas. The benefit of being housed at the resort is that we’re engaged in active research and get to share that with guests,’ says Meral, revealing that one of the mantas identified during my snorkelling experience was Auds, a female juvenile first seen in the lagoon in 2019.

As well as surface and cyclone feeding, manta rays also somersault feed – a learnt behaviour that involves repeatedly ﬂipping over on the same spot when it’s teeming with plankton (their throat is the size of a closed ﬁst, meaning that the largest plankton they consume is the size of a grain of rice).

Reef cleaning stations play a vital role in manta health. Cleaner wrasse get rid of any leftover food and parasites, as well as cleaning any wounds so that tissue can regenerate.

Female mantas have a low reproductive output, not reaching sexual maturity until between ten and 15 years of age. They give birth to one pup at a time, then can wait up to around seven years before getting pregnant again.

They are highly intelligent, with the biggest brain to body ratio of any ﬁsh.

In the Maldives, the main threat to reef mantas (which are vulnerable) is boat-related incidents but highly mobile oceanic mantas are classed as endangered due to overﬁshing.

Days can also be spent playing table tennis or volleyball on the beach, spotting marine life while snorkelling on and around the house reef (sometimes there’s no need to even get in the water: one morning walking to breakfast I see a blacktip reef shark, an eagle ray and a shoal of electric blue parrotﬁsh); or taking out the resort’s complimentary canoes and kayaks. Paid-for watersports include PADI dive excursions to some of the 15 sites nearby, a hawksbill turtle safari, ﬁshing trips, waterskiing and catamaran sailing. Yet for me, nothing comes close to not only swimming with the mantas but learning more about them too. ‘There are a lot more ways that people can engage with the environment here that go beyond the house reef; they can have a truly meaningful experience,’ concludes Meral.

For one of the only chances to see manta rays as babies, Intercontinental Maldives Maanumagau Resort is offering a unique Manta Retreat this March

SLEEP OF DREAMS

Dreamy vistas are guaranteed at the palmfrond roof, buttermilk painted villas, which are divided into beach, lagoon and overwater categories (all have a pool; the main choice after location is whether to face the sunset).

I’m staying overwater at the end of a wooden jetty, where white walls are pepped up with geometric rugs layered around the oceanfacing bed and brightly coloured furniture: an orange leather bedhead, teal side table and yellow wicker room divider between the stand-alone bath and the rest of the space. Lagoon villas are split across two floors and have direct access to an artificial beach and pancake-flat water (great for families). Beach villas feel especially private, tucked away behind lush planting yet with a sandy path to the ocean.

Each villa also has Byredo products in the bathroom; a set of bicycles personalised with guest initials for pedalling around the island (there is only one jungle-fringed sandy track with lanterns hanging from palm trees – so it’s impossible to get lost); and a ‘curator’ contactable via an app, who can arrange everything from dinner reservations to activity bookings. Plus, for larger families and groups of friends seeking more privacy, there are also half a dozen residences (two and three bedrooms), each with a kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining, and additional inclusions such as private chef and sommelier, grocery concierge service and babysitting.

Choose from beach, lagoon or overwater villas

EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY

The Retreat, a peaceful overwater hideaway with an infinity pool, hanging rattan egg chairs and a gin station, is one of six restaurants and bars at the resort. It’s a great low-key space for a complimentary pre-dinner mojito or two (evening aperitifs, afternoon tea and poolside non-alcoholic drinks are Club InterContinental benefits for all guests) or a healthy lunch: think zingy superfood salads, yellowfin tuna burger, cauliflower steak.

All restaurants are overseen by executive chef Deepesh Jose whose previous stints include Nobu Dubai – which perhaps explains why the sushi I try at Japanese-fusion Café Umi perfectly hits the spot. Set on the beach, behind the main pool – really a series of interconnecting circular pools, one of which has a swim-up bar – it’s the main social hub of the resort. Help-yourself breakfasts happen here and, in the evening, the global menu runs the gamut of inﬂuences from South America (yellowtail tiradito, spicy tuna tacos) to Italy and Asia (curries, Singaporean rice noodles).

I feast on more southeast Asian fare at rustic overwater restaurant Fish Market, where decorative wire fishing baskets, baby blue rope chairs and coral batik cushions set the coastal scene for seafood-centric dishes such as homemade salmon dumplings, soft shell crab bao, pad thai and nasi goreng.

Meanwhile, The Lighthouse leans towards fine dining with its loosely Mediterraneaninspired menu (rainbow trout carpaccio, butternut squash ravioli, roasted corn-fed chicken with trufﬂe mash) and The Collective, next to Café Umi, is a family favourite for casual, toes-in-the-sand pizza lunches. Visiting chefs also regularly create special menus across the resort; recent residencies include Benjamin Chmura from Tantris in Munich and Thanos Feskos of Delta restaurant in Athens (both have two Michelin-stars).

HOLISTIC WELLNESS

Food isn’t the only area where there’s a rotating roll-call of renowned guest experts. At the AVI Spa, upcoming holistic wellness practitioners this spring include Dr Afsana Aradhana Ghyas, who will offer reiki healing (15 March to 30 April), and Braj Raj Singh, a specialist in therapies such as sound baths and posture alignment (5 May to 30 July). There are also targeted programmes to transform sleep patterns, for a digital detox and boost ﬁtness.

I book in for the signature Balinese massage with native therapist Vina, who uses calming ginger-based Kirsten Florian oil for relaxation. She tells me that when it rains, dolphins are often spotted playing around the elegant overwater treatment rooms. The next day, I wake early for complimentary power yoga (part of the weekly activities programme that also includes running club, a Muay Thai boxing trial and aqua aerobics), holding poses as the inky morning sky and ocean lighten into a fresh palette of blues.

FAMILY FUN

The whole resort is geared up for families, meaning that no-one bats an eyelid when a five-year-old brings a giant inflatable unicorn to breakfast or learns to ride a bicycle by doing endless laps along the wooden jetty. Planet Trekkers kids club (for ages 4 to 12) runs all kinds of creative activities from coconut candle making with the resident artist to playing with Lego. You’ll also find wooden boat-shaped beds for afternoon naps, a games area (PlayStation, fussball), and, outdoors, a pool and splash zone, pirate ship and miniature zipline.

Changing daily activities range from mocktail making for teens at the pool bar (involving whizzing up their favourite ingredients in a blender) to a mini disco and Olympic games for all the family on the beach. Mantas feature too, with one of Meral’s team hosting a weekly interactive session aimed at teaching children about these majestic creatures – and their biggest threats – through fun games.

BOOK IT: The Manta Retreat runs at the Intercontinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort from 17 to 20 March 2025, from $1,490pp. It includes two manta ray snorkelling trips, a guided house reef snorkelling experience, name and adopt a manta ray, and several workshops. maldives.intercontinental.com

When you’re not underwater, feast at one of six restaurants and bars including Fish Market (below), or join the complimentary yoga classes –while kids can go wild at Planet Trekkers

Menorca’s MOMENT

A family-owned Spanish company is quietly breathing new life into some of Menorca’s most beautiful – and neglected – properties, ﬁnds Juliet Herd

e’re in an open-sided Land Rover bouncing around the northern tip of Menorca, veering o -road to catch glimpses of glittering emerald coves and reversing at speed when we hit unexpected dead ends or impenetrable undergrowth.

Ou r guide is in his element – and on a mission to show us not only the natural beauty of this rugged Balearic island but two ramshackle rural properties with coveted coastal access in the process of being restored. Vestige Son Ermità and Vestige Biniduf à, which share an 800-hectare historic farm estate, may be building sites now but come spring they will re-emerge as a pair of design-led heritage hotels.

e island’s windswept, largely treeless centre-north is perhaps not the most obvious choice for such an ambitious venture, but it’s exactly the sort of landscape that appeals to Madrid-based Vestige Collection, a new-era hospitality brand that is quietly shaking up the luxury hotel industry. With a penchant for areas untouched by tourism, it seeks to rescue from oblivion and breathe new life into historically and culturally signi cant properties ranging from humble farmhouses to 13th century palaces. Many are listed as Cultural Heritage Sites and each one given a meticulous makeover in accordance with its unique architectural identity and character.

For the past 16 years, the couple behind the company –former doctor turned healthcare entrepreneur Victor Madera and his wife, María Obdulia Fernàndez – have been steadily amassing an impressive portfolio of 12 boutique hotels and 13 private estates across Spain. e couple cut their teeth on the 16th-century Palacio de Figueras, an 11-room palace overlooking the Eo river in their native Asturias. Originally envisaged as a home for them and their four daughters, it opened as a private residence in 2022, following renovations that took a marathon 11 years.

Now, they have their sights set on Menorca, the smallest and least ashy of the Balearics, and it’s easy to see why. Known a ectionately as Sa Roqueta, ‘the little rock’, this easternmost island with its white and golden sands, whitewashed villages, patchwork of ancient dry-stone walls and abundance of archaeological sites (notably, mystical beehive-shaped towers from the Talayotic civilisation), remains largely wild and unspoilt. ‘ ere is so much about Menorca that appeals to us as a family: the beautiful landscape, the countless beaches, the rich culture,’ says the couple’s elder daughter Marta, who works for Vestige. ‘But something that really sets it apart and isn’t easy to nd in Europe, is how virgin and largely untouched it is.’ e island is also having something of a moment – albeit in an understated, eco-conscious way – with the arrival of several

other innovative hospitality brands as well as that barometer of cultural cool, Hauser & Wirth, which opened a gallery and restaurant in a former naval hospital on Illa del Rei in Mahón harbour, accessed only by boat.

As an environmental trailblazer, Menorca is ercely protective of its natural assets. Having had the foresight to resist package holidays in the 1950s, it has focused instead on balancing tourism with preserving its natural habitat and traditions. Following the island’s classi cation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1993, large chunks of land are now o -limits for development.

Ma ny of the beaches are deliberately only reachable by foot – as we discover rst-hand during our stay at Vestige’s newest opening, Santa Ana, a bijou six-bedroom country house in the sunlit southwest. Set within a 210-hectare estate and surrounded by ravines that ow into a string of picturesque coves, our residence is a short, pine-scented stroll from two of Menorca’s best beaches, pocket-sized Cala Macarelleta and its popular sibling Cala Macarella. For day-trippers, though, access is restricted from June to September – both beaches can only be reached by shuttle bus (or on foot) from a public carpark, to limit overcrowding and protect the coastal environment.

Entering Santa Ana’s nca through a traditionally crafted gate made of wild olive tree wood (a quaintly distinctive island feature), you momentarily feel as though you are stepping back in time, so authentically reimagined is the original 18th century farmhouse and its clutch of outhouses. Indeed, the new cortijo (stone farmhouse) has been built precisely on the existing footprint, in keeping with Spanish law relating to restorations for commercial purposes – a policy which can create some interesting challenges. A decision about a property’s use as either hotel or private home is often left until building work is well underway. ankfully, the Madera Fernàndez family ethos is to let the new identity of a place unfold organically.

Once a thriving farm with its own our mill and assorted beasts, including sheep, goats and oxen, Santa Ana is now a tranquil, honey-hued haven. A former stable block has been converted into ve private suites, each with its own terrace.

ere’s also a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, chill-out area and gym featuring Nohrd eco-equipment so beautifully crafted, it looks like it belongs in a design museum. e spacious main residence, which houses a sixth bedroom, is the communal hub – unpretentious yet stylish with terracotta-tiled oors, wooden ceiling beams, rustic-style kitchen (with retro Smeg fridges), cosy lounge areas and library.

As with all Vestige properties, the rebuild was carried out by the company’s in-house architectural rm, employing more than 40 architects and interior designers. Working alongside

Once a working farm, Vestige Santa Ana is now a six-bedroom honey-hued ﬁnca available for private hire

local craftspeople, including skilled stonemasons, the team has restored arches and other original structures using the island’s plentiful supply of limestone and marés sandstone.

Where structural components couldn’t be salvaged, antique beams and columns were sourced from ancient palaces throughout Spain. Furniture is a mix of bespoke contemporary pieces and antiques, drawn largely from the family’s private collection.

‘W hen we are developing the design concept we try to read the building and respond by sourcing antiques and employing materials and techniques that marry with its history,’ explains Vestige architect Enrique Motilla Saiz. e company is not, however, trying to recreate the past. ‘Our projects are not museum pieces,’ he stresses. ‘Instead, we bring past and present together using contemporary sustainable systems to breathe new life into a building and give it a new purpose.’

As part of Vestige’s commitment to eco-friendly construction, a green under oor heating system, combined with natural thermal insulation, has been installed, while rainwater is collected through roof channels. Electricity is via solar panels. Soft furnishings and rugs are made from natural bres, including linen, jute, silk and cotton, and oors are coated in seamless Mortex micro-cement, giving the suites a clean, modern look. ‘We love having the materials speak for themselves,’ says Marta. ‘It’s part of the reason why our aesthetic is quite minimal. We don’t overload the spaces with decorative features.’

La ndscaping has been kept as natural as possible too. Fruit trees, cypresses and olive trees grace the grounds, providing shelter and attracting wildlife and insects. An orchard has been planted near the pool, which wouldn’t have been out of place on the original farm. ere’s a woodland yoga deck for personal practice – or, if you need a bit of encouragement, you can ask Vestige to book an instructor.

We take a leisurely morning hike along a stretch of the ancient Camí de Cavalls horse trail, which wraps around the 185km coastline and was formerly used by French and British cavalry to patrol the besieged island.

At night, we gather around the pool for a spot of guided stargazing – a certi ed Starlight Reserve, Menorca is known for its unpolluted, clear skies. ‘For us, luxury is space and privacy. It’s being able to listen to the sound of the birds without other noise or having a beach all to yourself,’ re ects Marta. ‘We have a lot of respect for nature, so we love having visitors that feel the same way.’

Meals are taken, family-style, in the kitchen-dining room, where friendly sta from nearby sister property Vestige Son Vell – the rst hotel in the group – prepare delicious Menorcan dishes, including a traditional Catalan cod escudella and a rich chocolate pudding. e next day, we’re on the road again to explore Menorca’s second city, Ciutadella, which reluctantly ceded its position as capital to Mahón when the British took over the island in 1714. With its medieval streets and generous share of palaces, churches and fortresses, it retains much of its historic charm – yet, many of the formerly grand houses now stand empty. We’re here to see one such building: an 18th century neoclassical palace known as Casa Squella, rescued by Vestige several years ago and ripe for restoration.

It ’s a mammoth project. We encounter collapsed ceilings, waterdamaged walls, broken furniture and a raft of rubbish, but the bones are breathtaking. Building work may not have started but the transformation process is already underway, as Marta and the team begin peeling back the layers. ‘Discovering secrets about the properties and their uses is always incredibly satisfying,’ she says. ere is no doubt that if anyone can bring back this faded beauty to her former glory, it is Vestige.

BOOK IT: Rates at Vestige Santa Ana start from €2,880 per night for the entire six-bedroom property. A three-night minimum stay applies. vestigecollection.com

Juliet’s return ights from London Gatwick to Mahón have a carbon footprint of 404kg of CO2e ecollectivecarbon.com n

The six suites at Vestige Santa Ana have a clean aesthetic, with natural materials and a mix of antique and bespoke contemporary furniture

Maison de parfums d’intérieur eu.baobabcollection.com

scented candle photographed by Serge Anton in front of a work by visual artist Florence Pirlot.

Eilenroc

The LongVIEW

How do we make our holidays mean more and linger in our memory?

Francisca Kellett spotlights trips that get deep beneath the skin

Discover a new route to Machu Picchu developed by Intrepid Travel with the local community in the high Andes

New Rules |HOTELS & TRAVEL

Irecently read some research revealing most people go on holiday because – brace yourselves – they want to relax. I know, I know. It’s not exactly discovering the laws of quantum physics, but it did get me thinking. Of course, we all want to relax on holiday but what is it that makes us relax? What are the ingredients that make a holiday, well, a holiday?

ere are the non-negotiables: quality time with friends and family; good food; great activities. But what takes a good holiday and lifts it up to the kind of experience you still talk about years later?

at’s exactly what tour operators are guring out: how to make our travels count for more and stay in our minds for longer. Take the traditional group tour. Once upon a time, that meant traipsing after a guy toting a ag with about a hundred other tourists, climbing onto stu y coaches and staying in vast, soulless hotels. Not exactly one to stick in the metaphorical photo album. ankfully, group tours have changed dramatically, says Zina Bencheikh, managing director EMEA at Intrepid Travel (intrepidtravel.com). ‘Our group sizes usually range from eight to ten people, and our tour leaders are local, which means you really get under the skin of a destination. You can stay in locally owned accommodation, travel on public transport and eat with local families in their homes.’ Added bonus: insider guides mean you often get to visit sites before day-trippers arrive, while smaller groups mean travelling to places that coaches can’t get to. ‘Like staying in a family-run guesthouse in the White Mountains of Crete,’ says Bencheikh, ‘Or at an eco-farm in northern Albania.’ is amounts to the cherry on top: having a more positive impact on communities by supporting small businesses, spreading the bene ts of tourism and allowing our money to go further on the ground, rather than being syphoned o by global conglomerates. A good case in point is Intrepid’s new Greenland Expedition, which inverts the ‘traditional’ Greenland trip by cruise ship –where visitors spend little time on land and money stays with the cruise company – instead bringing travellers on land and right into the heart of the country. Costing from £4,817 a person for ten days, the trip includes guided hikes to Inuit communities, visits to shing towns to learn the centuries-old tradition of bone carving and small-boat trips, hearing stories of legendary monsters from local storytellers.

Another trip that might stay in the mind long after returning home comes from the high Andes. Last year, Intrepid’s Peru operations manager Maritza Chacacanta worked closely with a local community to develop a new section of the Quarry Trail, previously unseen by travellers. e four-day hike still culminates at Machu Picchu but o ers an alternative to the Inca Trail, beginning with a 15-minute climb to Qory Sonq’o hill, where adventurers can take in views of three valleys (Soqma Perolniyoc, Pachar and Huarocondo) and discover skeletal remains and original tomb structures dating back hundreds of years – tombs not seen by any travellers until Intrepid developed this section of the trail. ‘Together with the Socma community, we reforested the area with more than 1,000 plants and ensured the site was ready for visitors,’ says Chacacanta. ‘We pay a small entrance fee, with proceeds reinvested in protecting the site and creating jobs for the community, and we held a traditional ceremony to honour the opening of the trail and seeking permission from Mother Earth and the mountains, rea rming the spiritual connection we share with this land.’ e Inca Trail Express costs from £796 a person for seven days.

Original Travel (originaltravel.co.uk), long a trailblazer of adventure family holidays, has added the concept of summer sabbaticals to its trips. ‘Family holidays are a chance to switch o and connect,’ says co-founder Tom Barber, ‘and summer sabbaticals are a fantastic evolution of that.’

Work drudgery will certainly be far from your mind on Original Travel’s month-long trip around Vietnam and Cambodia, from £6,305 a person, beginning in Hanoi, Mai Chau and UNESCO-protected Trang An. In Cambodia, there’s time to visit the temples before heading to the coast for some beach time in Kep. ‘You can slow the pace, while really getting to know a destination,’ says Barber.

Slowing the pace is very much the USP of Byway (byway.travel), which specialises in ight-free trips. A new focus for 2025 is encouraging ‘in-season’ travel, so rather than eeing winter for hotter climes, you stay closer to home and embrace the season you’re in, reducing your carbon footprint while you’re at it. ‘Travellers are becoming more thoughtful about how, why and when they travel,’ says Cat Jones, Byway’s CEO and founder. ‘People are increasingly embracing the season we’re in, appreciating the beauty of the changing weather and nature. is helps them see new sides of familiar spots, visit places without the crowds and support local economies outside key tourist months.’

Rather than escape northern Europe’s erratic spring, for example, you can revel in its changing moods and colours, and hop by Eurostar to the Netherlands. From there, head south to the town of Lisse, famous as the world’s largest tulip elds, with more than seven million bulbs that burst into extravagant colour, perfect for bike rides or walks. Five days cost from £483 a person, including train transport and accommodation.

Even safaris are stepping up, moving away from ticking o the big ve and instead spending longer on the ground and getting to know a more authentic side of Africa. ‘Showcasing the real Africa has evolved and, I believe, improved,’ says Alice Gully, owner and managing director of Aardvark Safaris (aardvarksafaris.com). ‘It’s no longer about an old colonial perspective, but instead about local people who truly know and love the land.’

Guests, she says, no longer want to sit passively in 4x4s and view game, but instead want to interact with their destination. One of her top tips for escaping the more traditional, cookie-cutter safaris is to head to Tanzania’s far western parks of Katavi and Mahale, combining Nomad Tanzania’s Chada Katavi and Greystoke Mahale camps. Eight nights costs from £9,000 per person, including internal ights and accommodation, and there are elephants, bu alo and hippos galore, as well as Lake Tanganyika’s forest chimpanzees. at’s one for the family album. n

A game drive in far western Tanzania with Aardvark Safaris

Visit ancient Cambodian temples on Original Travel’s summer sabbatical

Go beyond the Big Five at the Greystoke Mahale camp

Lisse in the Netherlands is home to the world’s largest tulip ﬁelds

REWILDING IBERIAN LYNX AND MONTANA’S SWEEPING PRAIRIES

On a mission to empower global change, conservation travel specialists Journeys with Purpose – which o ers hands-on experiences with pioneering conservationists – has now put together the ultimate hit list to introduce travellers to some of the world’s most ambitious projects expected to come to fruition in the next year. From a behind-the-scenes safari in Spain with the scientists spearheading the rewilding project to bring back lynx to the Iberian Peninsula, to joining American Prairie Reserve in its mission to create a multimillion-acre nature reserve in Montana to conserve the iconic Great Plains for future generations, Journeys With Purpose, as managing director Venetia Martin says: ‘connects guests with the most ambitious and successful conservation initiatives across the world’. journeyswithpurpose.org

The ESCAPIST

Lauren Ho looks out at the latest travel news

TREAD OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

With the world as accessible as ever, travel is no longer reserved for the privileged few, resulting in over-tourism and popular hotspots straining under the weight of the crowds. For the conscious traveller, Welcome Beyond has made it a breeze to nd alternatives to some of the world’s most visited destinations. With a portfolio of one-of-akind holiday rentals and small independent hotels, the company has come up with a list that swaps in-demand places such as Santorini for quieter spots like Serifos, an unspoiled Greek island in the Cyclades. Here, perched on a hill on the south coast, the four-bedroom Villa Nectar is spread across two levels with brilliant sea views, making it the perfect idyll to explore the island’s wild rugged beauty and peaceful beaches. welcomebeyond.com

ECO IMMERSION IN NORWAY

In a match made in heaven, Up Norway has joined forces with Havila Voyages – the cruise line equipped with the world’s largest battery packs, enabling silent and emission-free sailing – to o er passengers custom activities that champion Norway’s traditions and landscape while staying true to Havila’s commitment to accountability and environmental stewardship. e Lofoten Hop-on/Hop-o Journey, for example, sails down Norway’s glorious west coast to Trondheim, where guests can spend a few nights in an authentic sherman’s cottage and explore the region through guided hikes and local food experiences. upnorway.com

PHOTOS:

RELIVING SLOW TRAVEL GLAMOUR

Best-known for its long-distance luxury train – which, in its decadent heyday transported royalty, nobles, diplomats and the bourgeoisie across Europe on routes from London to Istanbul – the Orient Express has evolved into a veritable hospitality brand with a portfolio of hotels, as well as returning the legendary train to the tracks. Now, 140 years on, the newest addition to this growing operation is the launch of the Orient Express yacht collection. Due to set sale in June 2026, OE Corinthian – the world’s largest sailing yacht spanning an impressive 220 metres – will unfold over 54 suites, ve restaurants, eight bars, a 115-seat cabaret, a recording studio, cinema, spa, and 16m on-deck swimming pool. is alongside interiors inspired by the golden age of the Orient Express and strong eco-credentials with an expansive 4,500 sq/m of sails, emissions reduction technologies, and a specialised marine mammal detection system. orient-express.com

WHY JAPAN IS A MUST-VISIT FOR 2025

Japan might be one of the most visited countries in the world, but beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Hokkaido lies a sprawling a rchipelago of 14,125 islands and a diverse landscape of destinations worth exploring. is year both Toyama and Osaka have been earmarked as must-visit cities: the latter – best-known until now for its street food – is hosting the World Expo 2025 from April until October, this year focusing on sustainability and a theme of ‘Designing Future Society for Our Lives’. Meanwhile, Toyama, a coastal city on Japan’s main island Honshu, has become a popular o -the-beaten-path destination, not just for its easy access from Tokyo in under two hours, but also for its UNESCO-listed, thatched-roof Gokayama villages and burst of cherry blossom trees that mark the start of spring. In other words, the perfect time to explore this unique country’s undiscovered gems. japan.travel/en/uk/

FEW & FAR LUVHONDO, Limpopo, South

Shaking up the safari world is this six-suite eco lodge set against the Soutpansberg Mountains, its solar-powered cable car offering game-viewing from above the treetops. fewandfarcollection.com

This US debut from London-based Iconic Luxury Hotels pays homage to the Palm Beach of the ‘50s and ‘60s, with bartenders in white tuxedos serving cocktails from a pink marble bar. palmhouse.com

From

A few steps from the Botanic Gardens and Orchard Road Shopping district, this 143-room property nods to its leafy location with works from local artists. standardhotels.com

Africa

PALM HOUSE, Palm Beach, Florida

SALTERRA, Turks & Caicos

its perch on a kilometre of pristine white sand in the quiet south of the archipelago, Salterra raises the bar with 100 ocean-view rooms, six dining outlets and a dreamy spa. salterra.com

THE STANDARD SINGAPORE, Singapore

ZEM WELLNESS CLINIC ALTEA, Spain

Set over ten acres on the Costa Blanca, the extensive wellness offering focuses on prevention and longevity with 32 practices from cardiology to regenerative medicine, alongside personalised meal plans sourced from its farm. zemaltea.com n

Wise

GUIDES

Five travel specialists tell us where in the world we should go

1Where can I go for a castaway Crusoe, off-grid feel?

Suzy Higgs, Turquoise Holidays

‘With 118 islands, there are places in Polynesia most people would struggle to pin on a map. ey fall between ve very di erent archipelagos; only the most intrepid journey far south to the last two but island hopping between the other three – the Society Islands, the Tuamotus and the Marquesas – is paradise.

Tahiti is the gateway to the Society Islands –but skip Bora Bora and the Brando, where Obama wrote his memoirs; head instead to either Mo’orea – half an hour on the ferry, a little catamaran with locals on board – or buy an air pass and y to Taha’a. Flights in Polynesia are regular and quick – to tiny landing strips between ocean and lagoon – it’s as easy as catching a bus. e Societys are Moana-esque, mountainous and lush, and Taha’a is like Bora Bora was 30 years ago, stunning and authentic.

Hop to the Tuamotus, two idyllic sandy, palm covered atolls with overwater villas. e lagoons are vast, one so big you can see it from space. Days here are for pink sand beaches, shallow lagoons with mantas cruising knee-deep, reef sharks circling, turtles.

The Marquesas, further north, are very dramatic – with waterfalls dropping into the ocean, wild horses running free, black sand beaches. ey have their own time zone, language, culture. Only two of the six islands have an airport, so the best way to experience them is on the Aranui, a fabulous former freight ship with four-star cabins and super fun crew.

People ask how Polynesia is di erent to other island escapes. Holidays here come with a price tag because you’re in the middle of the South Paci c, but you can’t beat the Polynesian feeling, the history and culture. Plus we pick special local hotels that are luxurious and elegant but quietly so. There’s some WiFi, but not masses. It’s proper barefoot stu .’ turquoiseholidays.co.uk

2Is there a multigenerational holiday that delivers more than ﬂy and ﬂop?

‘If you want to switch up the traditional villa week, where granny sits on a sun lounger while the kids play in the pool, a holiday sailing Desolation Sound on the Paci c Yellow n private yacht promises an unforgettable adventure. Here, the beauty of nature sweeps you o the grid and into the heart of Western Canada’s untamed wilderness. Far from the distractions of daily life, each day reveals something new and awe-inspiring. Towering mountains rise dramatically from the deep ordlands, and the older generations can sh for Dungeness crab on deck and spot orca and humpbacks gliding beneath the surface while the young bloods mess about with an in atable slide, kayaks, water trampolines, and wakeboards, or head o with a guide in nd bears in ancient forests, untouched by time.

On board, the elegant cabins are a cosy sanctuary where the family can play games and kick back while they journey through one of the most breathtaking places on earth. It’s a chance to create memories that will last a lifetime.’ steppestravel.com

Roxy Dukes, Canada specialist Steppes Travel

3I want to visit Europe this summer but where can I avoid scorching heat?

Hannah Ingle, senior Europe specialist Scott Dunn

‘Some areas of Spain and Greece were uncomfortably hot last July and more and more clients are deciding to put down their beach towels and embracing an adventurebased summer holiday in the Nordics instead. Last year, we saw an incredible 350 percent rise in enquiries for Finland and a 20 percent jump in summer bookings for Norway.

Countries like these come alive in summer. e snow melts to reveal remote mountain trails, sparkling lakes and coastal villages still relatively untouched by modern life. ese cooler – in every sense of the word – places are much less explored than southern Europe; there’s an element of bragging rights if you go somewhere few of your friends have been to.

Swing from cool city break to an awesome train journey through amazing landscapes or hiking in the ords, sleeping in waterside cabins and exploring on a RIB. Guests can really connect with local people, sharing stories after an epic hike in the home of a local guide or spending a day working on a cider farm. It really humbles you and allows you to disconnect from day-to-day life.’ scottdunn.com

4 How can I convince my teens to come on a family sightseeing trip?

‘Imagine visiting the temples of Luxor after dark for a live and immersive re-staging of 1920s Egypt. With the help of professional actors, guests will be transported back in time, the adventure beginning onboard their luxury dahabiya, where they will receive a telegram from famous British archaeologist Howard Carter, enlisting their help with the excavation of a lifetime. e dramatic evening unfolds after-hours at an iconic temple – set against a cinematic score created by a local musician – where the group undertake a mission to banish a secret curse. As they unlock the mystery in each room, the magni cent temple is slowly lit to reveal a celebratory feast. It’s an experience they will never forget and a completely di erent way to engage with history.’ cooksonadventures.com

5Is it possible to explore the Arctic in a sustainable

way?

‘Yes! Because we have built the rst fully sustainable luxury Polar ship. I’ve been a captain in the Arctic for 10 years, and I’ve seen the negative impact we’ve made – the glacier retreat, changes in polar bear behaviour and so on. My twin passions are ice navigation and discovering uncharted areas in the region but I felt increasingly uncomfortable with the part I was playing in the problem. I decided to start a business, bringing my expertise to building a new ship showcasing what’s possible. is ship has to be close to zero carbon and we are lucky at sea we have two big natural energy sources: wind and sun. My team has collaborated with a Swedish naval architect to build our 35m patented sails – covered in 20,000 sq/ft solar panels – at a specialist shipyard. Natural energy will power the ship and the “hotel load”, and we will have biodiesel in reserve for emergencies. ere will be no fossil fuels involved, which is a rst for the industry, so the ship will be silent and have no smell – vital for the wildlife. We have also done a lot of work on lowering our load and have a zero waste policy on board.

Today, 90 percent of cruise ships carry 200 passengers or more – we will carry 36 guests in 18 cabins on a super adapted ship, and we will tread lightly but go deeper. Selar has two goals: rethinking the ship and rethinking its use; only by considering both do we e ect proper change. We have no xed itineraries, which is disruptive in the industry and ts perfectly with the spirit of adventure. I’m a Polar geek and I’ve studied the original explorers, who used simple ships to make much bolder expeditions. We’re also o ering logistics support to the remote research station and will take local volunteers to collect plastic waste – washed in from Northern Europe – between cruises.

I can’t say we will leave no trace at all; all human living leaves some prints in the world. But by showing what’s possible, we hopefully will accelerate the shift to sustainability across the industry.’ selar.cc n

Sophie Galvagnon, Arctic captain and CEO of Selar

Nick Davies, managing director Cookson Adventures

Postcards From...

The Saltwater Sauna, Sandbanks. Fee Drummond embraces the beneﬁts of hot-cold therapy as she races from sauna to wild January sea

Salt: inhaling it, being scrubbed with it, swimming in it, and absorbing it. ere could hardly be a wilder way for me to feel myself into the glorious golden sunrise beside my beloved Solent sea.

At the Saltwater Sauna – located on two South Coast beaches – expect to be cocooned by cedarwood and scented with clary sage steam, almond oil, cinnamon, and ginger, while watching and wallowing in the weather and sea view outside.

Jane, an ex-army o cer turned sauna master, leads me through an immersive hour-long experience, pouring salt laced with eucalyptus, lemongrass, and grapefruit essential oils under my nose to begin our centring ritual.

We race to dip into the cold fresh ocean between the heat, guided rituals and whole-body salt scrubs, seamlessly blending between beach and sauna, an immersion in nature to up-level any dreary day. e sea o ers a welcome bracing contrast as we ow between the

two, each of us becoming more anchored with every dip.

For me, wellness is about waking up and seeking the edge to feel alive, leaning into the wild to connect closer to my instincts. Feeling the cold sharp stones beneath my feet rst thing, the visceral discomfort ignites my system before I relax back into my comfort zones.

I contemplate the dawn community: dog walkers in the near darkness, sea swimmers and joggers, all basking in this beautiful quietness before the world has digitally connected to its frenzy. With a nal smoke ritual with styrax resin, used in healing ceremonies for centuries, as I look over at the sun rising above the Isle of Wight – my favourite island with its Needles, our family’s secret beaches and anchorages – I relish every second of this experience and connection to self. What a doorstep to wake up to.

BOOK IT: thesaltwatersauna.com

STAY: Chewton Glen, chewtonglen.com

SCOTLAND

In two locations in Fife – on Cambo Sands in St Andrews and on a loch at Eden Springs – Wild Scottish Saunas was founded by cold swimmers who encourage alternating stints in the cedarwood sauna with a bracing dook in the Scottish waters. wildscottishsauna.com

KENT

Next to the tidal pool at Walpole Bay in Margate, this community sauna is the brainchild of Dom Bridges, founder of local fragance and skincare brand Haeckels. e rewood is sourced from sustainably managed UK forests and the ash composted at a nearby community garden. haeckels.co.uk

CORNWALL

Often found at Polzeath and Harlyn Bay near Padstow, Saunas By e Sea has two wood- red saunas that move year-round between secluded coves along the north Cornish coast – and pop up at Boardmasters surf and music festival in August. saunasbythesea.co.uk

PEMBROKESHIRE

Founded by two British lmmakers with a vision to bring ancient Nordic sauna traditions to this unmatched part of Wales, Wild Water Sauna travels the length of Pembrokeshire by trailer, picking the best beaches and sunset spots close to the national park’s coastal paths. wildwatersauna.com

WILD STYLE EDIT

Amplify your sauna chic

1 Vitruvi The Essentials Kit, £44. freepeople.com

2 Hunza G Hallie bikini in

chocolate, £195. hunzag.com

3 Yeti Rambler Mug, £42. uk.yeti.com

4 Mungo The Flax quick-drying linen towel, €110. mungo.co

5 PipWin ‘Tickety Boo’ gold coin necklace, £140. pipwin.uk n

Sweet Valley High

Olivia Emily chills out at Chewton Glen’s treehouses on the fringes of the New Forest

When your sleeping mind is acclimatised to zoning out London’s ceaseless din, waking to a gentle leafy rustle is a welcome change. Hidden down an unassuming tree-lined lane beside one of Britain’s best-loved country house hotels, all 14 of Chewton Glen’s Treehouse Suites overlook a wooded valley, providing an instant connection to nature. In the evening, pure silence lulls you to sleep; come morning, birds it between branches mere metres from your bed, nudging you awake with their sweet songs.

While its pristinely manicured lawns might convince you otherwise, Chewton Glen – tucked on the edge of the New Forest – is home to wildlife aplenty. With 130 acres of parkland, woods and lakes to play with, getting lost here is a pleasure, the ground blanketed with crispy orange leaves during my November visit. Amble wherever the wind takes you: to a lake surrounded by weeping willows and spiky wild owers and populated by wild reeds, lily pads and a lone heron swooping to rest by the shore.

Boasting elegant interiors with panoramic oor-toceiling windows, mini kitchens, luxurious bathrooms and the com est of beds, the only di erences the treehouses bear to a traditional suite are the seclusion and elevation on spindly (yet sturdy) stilts as the valley slopes down and the trees spring up. A dunk in the free-standing bathtub is met with tranquil treetop views, woodland creatures scurrying between trees. For the ultimate relaxation, in-treehouse spa treatments can be arranged – though a dip in the spa’s hydrotherapy pools is also a must. e Loft Suite upstairs is a hideaway for littlies: two single beds and a huge TV await, complete with a PS5 for virtual adventures if the heavens open, while each treehouse’s private hardwood deck houses loungers, tables for eating al fresco and hot tubs.

Out here is pure peace: rustles, songbirds, and the occasional rumble of buggies whisking your neighbours to and fro the main house (summoned at the drop of a hat – or quick phone call). All creature comforts are catered for, from a dedicated concierge to continental breakfast hampers bearing freshly baked bread, juices, locally sourced jam, honey, cooked meats and cheeses, which are delivered daily. One feels almost squirrel-like gathering goodies

from the kitchenette and scurrying outside to nibble on them on the balcony, cocooned by forest. With lunch, afternoon tea and supper hampers also available, you could dine in seclusion like this for every meal, if you wished – though the Dining Room and James Martin’s new spot, e Kitchen, are well worth venturing outside for.

After a little luxury R&R, it’s time to get moving: from cycling to riding through the New Forest on horseback, the Chewton Glen team can arrange it all. On site, foodies can get to grips with their surroundings on a guided foraging walk, while private falconry sessions suit animal lovers looking for a thrill. ere’s also a 9-hole par-3 golf course, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, and an outdoor swimming pool in the summer months. e beach is a short 20 minute stroll from the front door. If time is on side, head west to nd Highcli e Castle (stop for tea and homemade cake), Streamer Point (via a pretty woodland reserve), Avon Beach and Mudloch Quay, overlooking Christchurch Bay and the bobbing sailing boats this region is famed for.

BOOK IT: Treehouse Suites start from £995 per treehouse per night. chewtonglen.com n

Chewton Glen’s treehouses have private decks, hot tubs and wood burners

WINTER’S TALE

Nicola Venning snowshoes oﬀ the beaten track in Åre in Northern

Sweden

My snowshoe spikes into the crisp snow as I hike through the r-tree forest. e sky turns aming orange even though it’s only 2.30pm in the afternoon; dusk falls early in northern Sweden. Trees drip with lichen beards, which reindeer love to eat; in the misty distance warm lights glow from the barndoor-red homes, just outside the ski resort of Åre.

Soon we reach our hikers’ shelter, where walkers already hug a crackling open re. ‘A lot of people bring logs, so they give back. It’s really nice,’ says my guide Liam Zehlin, from activity company Explore Åre. He adds some logs from his backpack to the pile, then pulls out co ee, tea and sa ron buns – a Christmas twist on the usual cinnamon ones eaten over ka (co ee and cake with friends).

Åre, which has hosted the Alpine Ski World Championships three times, is Sweden’s largest ski resort, accessible by train from Stockholm and, as I am discovering, the vibrant centre of a stunning mountain, forest and lake heartland.

In the twin province of Jamtland Harjedalen, the town sits above darkly frozen Lake Åresjon, which in winter transforms into a vast and popular, ice rink. Although I stick to skiing and snowshoeing (both excellent, and there’s plenty of snow), the other tempting pursuits include dog-sledging and crosscountry skiing and, for the brave, ice bathing.

Winston Churchill liked Jamtland Harjedalen so much he left his shing gear here (obviously on a summer trip) aiming to return, but maybe his fondness was also in uenced by the good food. I dined spectacularly well in the Granen Hotel & Restaurant and loved the rural charm of the menu (everything from herrings with dill sauce to roasted reindeer) at Buustamons

Fjällgård, a converted stables right on the slopes. Almost all the town’s many restaurants and shops are open year round, which adds to the community vibe. I found delicious presents at the small and colourful Åre Chocolate Factory, which has plans to expand. Having wolfed their samples, I can understand why. Too soon, it’s time to catch the night train from neighbouring county town Ostersund to Stockholm. Tucked up in my couchette, it’s all very cosy – until the train breaks down. However, it doesn’t matter too much. My scheduled 5am arrival becomes 9.30am, so I enjoy a lie-in and emerge rested and ready to enjoy the Swedish capital. e perfect end to a winter break with a di erence.

visitsweden.com. Nicola’s return ights from London to Stockholm had a carbon footprint of 441.7kg of CO2e. ecollectivecarbon.com n

If you’re seeking snow this season, head to Northern Sweden for a winter wonderland immersion

ICE TOUCH

While President Trump eyes up Greenland, Lauren Ho experiences its magic from the high seas

The 13-day journey aboard Seabourn Venture includes Greenland’s capital, Nuuk ABOVE RIGHT: The ship is one of Seabourn’s two new expedition vessels

It’s 7am in Ittoqqortoormiit, eastern Greenland, where the sky, a canvas of muted greys and soft whites, is blanketed by a thick layer of nimbus clouds. Here, anchored in the middle of the Arctic Ocean – the temperature a chilly eight degrees celsius – a delicate and persistent drizzle weightens the cool air with moisture. All around, colossal icebergs emerge from the mist like ghostly sculptures, some gleaming white, others tinged with the ethereal blue of compressed glacial ice. e surface of the water, re ective and iridescent, ripples like a crinkled sheet of silver foil caught in a gentle breeze towards a rocky coastline hemmed in by chunks of sea ice. Beyond, a tableau of colourful wooden houses that contrast against the hushed landscape sit huddled at the foot of rolling snow-dusted mountains in a picture-perfect scene.

After a day traversing the wild waters from Iceland, this was my second morning of a 13-day journey aboard Seabourn Venture, a 132-suite PC6 Polar Class cruiser designed to ply the icy waters of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. I’d boarded a couple of nights ago in Reykjavik, for an itinerary heading down the isolated east coast of Greenland to Aappilattoq at its tip, and up the country’s west coast past Nuuk, its capital and largest city, to Kangerlussuaq, before ying back to Reykjavik.

Like the rest of Seabourn’s eet, Venture –the rst of the cruise line’s two new expedition ships – cleaves close to the brand’s ultra-luxury sentiment. is includes multiple drinking, dining and gathering spots, an outdoor in nity pool and sundeck, four hot tubs, and a tness centre and spa that has a sauna with a view. Also incorporated are next-level experiences: along with a 26-person expedition team of wilderness experts, scientists, historians and naturalists, the ship is equipped with kayaks, enough Zodiacs to take every guest on expeditions at once, as well

as two custom-built submarines. Inside, the ship is a cocoon of re ned and indulgent luxury. e work of Tihany Design, the interiors capture the romanticism of early explorers, revealed through bespoke furnishings in sturdy natural materials – like wood, leather and canvas – in comforting neutral tones highlighted with gold accents and splashes of red, burnt orange, deep greens and blues. All this serves as the perfect base to explore the rugged expanse of Greenland’s untamed beauty.

An autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is vast. About ten times the size of the United Kingdom, the country is the world’s largest island, spanning an area of about 836,000 sq/miles that unfolds over a sprawling wind-swept tundra landscape – alive with Arctic plants and wild owers at this time of the year – and one of the largest ice sheets in the world, which covers about 80 percent of its land. Its small population of just over 56,000 people can be found scattered in a few towns, mostly along its magni cent ord-fractured coastline, which has been intricately carved by millennia of glacial activity.

Ittoqqortoormiit – anchored at the entrance of Scoresby Sund, the longest ord on Earth –is characteristic of Greenland’s settlements, its dusty roads lined with a smattering of vibrant pitched-roofed wooden houses that cascade from the base of the mountain towards the sea. Muskox and polar bear skins drying on lines sway in the blustery winds, dogs snooze patiently besides sleds, awaiting winter, and the small population of only 500 people stare curiously as they go about their daily lives, some passing by on tractors or quad bikes, others on foot as they chat unhurriedly among each other. Children, o school for the summer, roam freely, laughing in the playground, their lives rooted in a strong sense of community, traditions and values. Nivi,

a friendly ten-year-old girl with rosy wind-burned cheeks, appears beside me carrying a fat puppy in her arms, and walks with me past a small post o ce and a quaint church to the surprisingly well stocked supermarket. Here she points out the various meats, telling me in nearly perfect English that her favourite snack is muktuk, a traditional food consisting of whale skin and blubber, which is eaten raw.

e sun rises early at this time of the year and at 3am the next morning, when I crack open my balcony door, a blast of icy air hits me as I watch the sky transform from a deep indigo, to purple and then a blaze of orange. We had sailed deeper into the ord overnight, and as we continue to navigate the narrow channel, a warm glow from the soft morning light slowly seeps over the textured cli s that rise steeply from the water’s edge, while all around us, majestic icebergs oat silently in the frozen waters. We were supposed to explore the land on foot, but the eagle-eyed expedition team have spotted a polar bear roaming the coastline. So later that morning, under a vast dome of blue sky, we hop into the Zodiacs and speed towards the shore, threading through chunks of ice, for a closer look. Bar the gentle lapping of the water against the boat, it’s completely silent as we watch the polar bear, camou aged against the barren terrain, navigate the rocky

landscape with surprising grace. ‘A polar bear’s paws are the size of a dinner plate and a male can weigh as much as 800kg,’ whispers our guide, Trulls. He also tells us what a rare sighting this is, a fact emphasised by one of the guests who, in a wave of emotion, tells us that after numerous trips to the Arctic, this is the rst time he’s seen one in the wild. Humbled, we sit in awed silence as we observe the bear eating a muskox carcass against the occasional sound of icebergs cracking and then calving in the distance.

Each day plays out di erently, depending on the weather. On some we visit the other settlements, talking to the locals over tea and co ee, before going on long leisurely hikes along the moss-covered tundra through ancient viking ruins and past herds of muskoxen; other days we head beneath the surface in the custom-built submersibles, or, kitted out in dry suits, go kayaking amid the looming icebergs.

On our last night, just after midnight when darkness falls, the rst whispers of the Northern Lights begin to emerge. As faint streaks of electric green begin to gracefully sweep across the inky sky – the last glow of the sunset emanating from the horizon – I stand under this celestial display and realise how lucky I am to be able to experience such a remote and magical corner of the world.

Seabourn’s 13-Day Glaciers, Fjords & Indigenous Cultures trip on board Seabourn Venture departs from Reykjavik on 26 July. Prices start from £11,898 pp. seabourn.com

Lauren’s trip, incuding return ights from London to Reykjavik and 13 days cruising, had a carbon footprint of 4,901kg of CO2e. ecollectivecarbon.com n

Seabourn Venture has Zodiacs and two custom-built submarines on board for guest expeditions; the cocooning ship includes 132 suites and a sun terrace with four hot tubs

NURTURE YOUR SOUL

New Year, new you – ﬁnd the perfect soul-enriching experience across the British Isles with PoB Hotels

Whether it’s a silent retreat or a spectacular adventure through nature, wellnessrelated travel is now at the top of everyone’s list, and – while trends come and go – a peaceful getaway is always a good idea. Why not one which offers unique experiences, impeccable design and pampering spas? PoB Hotels has you covered.

Its Nurture Your Soul collection is the ultimate catalogue of unforgettable wellness breaks. Whether you’re longing for tranquil walks in nature, rejuvenating spa time or uplifting yoga ﬂows, there’s something for every traveller to discover. Its breadth of wellness stays across the British Isles take you from havens nestled in the countryside to invigorating coastal escapes. And for 2025, PoB has partnered with some of the most sought-after, high-proﬁle wellness experts, to host a series of exclusive retreats across its many properties.

Hosts include actor and wellness guru Gemma Merna, a life coach and yoga and meditation teacher, who founded the online community ‘Mind and Wellness’ to help women prioritise their mental and physical wellbeing. She is passionate about guiding others to ﬁnd their sense of calm, and build resilience against life’s everyday stressors. Celebrity pilates, yoga, and mindfulness instructor Nathalie Clough will also host. Believing that incredible change can come from movement, Nathalie will share her knowledge of classical and contemporary Pilates and her advice for helping you connect with your body to boost strength and conﬁdence.

These retreats will pair pure indulgence with revitalising movement and knowledge sharing. Try an energising Pilates class or wake up with sunrise yoga, sink into a blissful sound healing session or book into a luxurious spa treatment. This is

you-time – these retreats aim to arm you with time for yourself, to help you reset and recharge for the year ahead.

And don’t think you’ll go hungry. PoB Hotels offer worldclass food, and you’ll have the chance to try delicious, nutrientpacked dishes crafted by awardwinning chefs. And then there’s the soul food, too – soak up all the wellness knowledge from the experts so you can kickstart healthier long-term habits and reach your wellness goals.

Ready to prioritise some muchneeded me-time? PoB Hotels offers the ultimate wellness break where you can take the time to treat yourself and truly nurture your soul.

PoB Hotels takes pride in crafting the perfect experiences for its guests – as it has for over 40 years. The Nurture Your Soul Collection offers unique wellness experiences at various hotels across the British Isles. pobhotels.com

Immerse in nature – PoB Hotels are dotted up and down the country, including in stunning landscapes

Whether you’re seeking a nature break or a yoga retreat, PoB Hotels has you covered

FOOD &DRINK

INGREDIENTS

Makes 16 large madeleines

– 2 eggs

– 100g caster sugar

– Grated zest of 1 lemon – 100g plain ﬂour – 3/4 tsp baking powder

– 100g butter, melted – icing sugar, to dust

For the vanilla cream:

– 150ml whipping cream

– 1 tsp vanilla extract

– 2 tsp icing sugar

For the raspberry cream:

– 150ml whipping cream

– 1 tsp vanilla extract – 1 tsp icing sugar

– 50g fresh raspberries

MADELEINES RECIPE

Marcus says: You can vary the ingredients of this simple sponge cake but I like to keep them classic and serve avoured creams on the side.

METHOD

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric whisk for 3-5 minutes until u y. e beaters should leave a trail on the surface of the batter when lifted (this is called the ‘ribbon’ stage). Add the lemon zest and mix again, just enough to combine.

In a separate bowl, mix the our and baking powder together, then sift this mixture over the batter and carefully fold it in. Add the melted butter and mix gently until a smooth batter is formed.

Using a pastry brush, grease a 12-hole madeleine tin with melted butter. Shake a little our on top, to coat, tapping out the excess. Cover the madeleine batter with cling lm and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Divide the mix evenly among the holes of the madeleine tin (don’t ll each one more than three-quarters full). Bake for 8–10 minutes until lightly golden and rm to the touch.

W hile the madeleines are cooking, make the avoured creams. For the vanilla cream, place the whipping cream into a bowl, add the vanilla extract and icing sugar and whisk with an electric whisk until it forms soft peaks. Spoon into a serving bowl. For the raspberry cream, pour the whipping cream into a bowl, add the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Place the raspberries into a sieve and press through the sieve over the cream to extract the juice and remove the seeds. W hisk this mixture together with an electric whisk until it forms soft peaks and then spoon into a serving bowl.

Release the madeleines from the tin as soon as you remove it from the oven – so they do not stick – and cool them on a wire rack. Bake the leftover mix in the same way. Dust with icing sugar and serve with the vanilla and raspberry cream to dip into.

FOODIE TALES

My food philosophy is: Minimise waste. Respect your ingredients and treat them with love to get the best ﬂavour. And season. The ﬁrst dish I learnt to cook was... Pineapple upside down cake with my mum.

I think cabbage is underrated. I love it pan fried with a broth. Equally it can be steamed and served with butter and black pepper as a simple side dish. A stir-fry is my go to for a throw-it-together dinner... I see it as a great way to empty the fridge. Chicken or beef, veg, and rice or noodles. Just season with soy sauce.

If you asked my kids, they’ll say there’s nothing in my fridge. Now that Jane and I are mostly home alone, it is far less full. The top shelf will always have some chocolate. Currently, I have some pork steaks that I took out of the freezer this morning; I’ll cook them with a mustard cream for dinner. And then you’ll ﬁnd a few jars – pickles, mayos, jams – and always cheese.

You simply must eat at this restaurant at least once... Louis XV in Monaco, by Alain Ducasse. I’ve been a couple of times and it’s always exceptional.

I don’t really refer to cookbooks much, other than my own. I use them as a memory aid when I can’t quite remember what’s in a dish. My new one takes me down memory lane.

Marcus’s France is out now, £26, uk.bookshop.org. n

MARCUS WAREING, TV CHEF & AUTHOR

PHOTOS: MATT RUSSELL

GASTRO GOSSIP

The future of food waste lies in fermentation, says Tessa Dunthorne

You’d be forgiven for mistaking Silo’s Fermentation Factory for some sort of Breaking Bad set. is Hackney Wick space in a shipping container is replete with heavy-duty sanitary curtains over the door, vats bubbling away in the corner, and don’t even think about not wearing a hairnet. It is, of course, more legal than Walter White’s lab. Its steward Ryan Walker – head of fermentation at Silo, the zero-waste restaurant just down the canal and a cool skateboardertype, is cooking up something unique here, though –that parallel holds.

‘ We’re growing a fungus called “koji”, or aspergillus oryzae, which grows on grains,’ he explains. ‘When cultivated, it forms a useful cocktail of enzymes, which when applied to hard-to-digest foods like soybeans, unlocks their nutritional potential… And holds in nite potential for upcycling into soy-like sauces, misos and so on, targeting food industry waste such as spent-brewers grain and whey.’

Ferments are having a hot moment – the science a rms that it bolsters gut health – but Ryan, with blessing from Silo’s chefowner Doug McMaster, isn’t hopping on a

trend. Rather, they’re determined to keep food waste (and its nutrients) in the system for longer, by fermenting it. At Silo, they’ve been using ferments for years as a means of concentrating avour. e Fermentation Factory is their rst attempt to scale something that works for the restaurant and make it commercially available.

‘ is project is as scalable as the waste out there,’ says Ryan. ‘Right now the most abundant and reliable human supply chain we’ve created is waste. We’re aiming to intercept as much of it as we can to turn it into products that are already used in huge quantities.’

Fancy making your own ﬁsh sauce?

Doug adds this includes having exciting conversations with the global shing industry: ‘Currently 35 percent of what goes through shing companies is wasted, which – considering our depleting oceans – is horri c. Imagine if we could work with a sh supplier to deal with this quantity of sh carcasses… If we could use koji to upcycle that waste into, say, a London sh sauce, also mitigating how much we need to import from Asia… How amazing would that be?’

Turning waste into common condiments? What’s not to love. Let the fermenting begin.

WHAT’S IN SEASON

And how to enjoy it

PLATE UP

Where to eat this month

1 CUTTLEFISH Tinned Brixham cuttleﬁsh, £6.95. therockﬁsh. co.uk

2 FORCED RHUBARB Rhubarb & ginger jam, £10.25. daylesford.com

3 KALE Keto8 Kale Crisps, £3.29. holland andbarrett.com

4 JUNIPER BERRIES Origin 1639 gin, £38. sipsmith.com

BRIAR

If you haven’t yet taken a jaunt to Somerset’s foodie capital, Bruton, what are you doing? September saw the open of Sam Lomas’s Briar in the old Osip HQ. Hyper-local produce and foraged ingredients star in a (Great) British menu numberonebruton.com

DONOVAN BAR SERIES

Brown’s Hotel’s Donovan Bar is a sophisticated joint: old school jazz sits in the background as you sip grown-up cocktails . Its guest chef series ups its game, matching Michelin-starred bites to each cocktail. Tom Kitchin from Feb until May. roccofortehotels.com

FLORENCIO

Despite being uber-central, this pizzeria has a proper local’s feel Chef Diego’s menu is fun, too, playing with seasonality. The Fior di Latte pizza, for example, is topped by roasted delica pumpkin, pancetta and whipped lemon ricotta. ﬂorenciopizza.com

BOTTARGA

If you loved the oh-so-photogenic Zephir, Pachamama Group’s new outpost Bottarga is a true Greek treat. Expect small plates with lots of fresh ﬁsh: the titular orzo is a must, as is a not-so-healthful Caesar salad (thanks to its mountain of cheese) bottarga.london

Mouldy rice? Not so – this is Koji cultivated on grains

Edited by Anna Tyzack

HOUSE OF THE MONTH

Hanger Court, Hawkley, Liss, Hampshire

4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3,437 sq/ft, £1.4m

Sell it to us in a sentence... Located in the South Downs National Park in a spectacular country setting, Hanger Court is one wing of a Grade II listed country mansion that has been refurbished to the highest of standards.

How would you describe its design? Period charm, modern ﬁnishes and a fairytale ﬂourish.

What’s unique about it? Deﬁnitely its turreted tower.

What is its history? Hawkley Hurst dates back to 1861 – it was designed by well-known Victorian architect Samuel Sanders Teulon. After WWII, the estate was divided into eight separate properties including three apartments with private and communal gardens. Under its current ownership, Hanger Court has been completely refurbished while retaining its character and period elements.

Best room in the house? The high-ceilinged reception room is the heart of the home. It’s full of period features and ﬂows nicely into the family room, dining room and kitchen.

Perks of the location? Hawkley is one of the prettiest and most unspoilt villages on the eastern side of Hampshire and lies within the South Downs National Park. There’s a church, a sports pavilion and a pub.

The current owner says… ‘From the moment we ﬁrst saw Hanger Court in 2017 we were sold. It was so different from other houses we’d seen; nowhere else was offering a real life princess tower... Every window tells a story, whether it’s the changing colours of the seasons, the call of the birds – of which there are many – or the sheer majesty of the gardens surrounding us.’

+44 (0)1962 677246; knightfrank.co.uk

COOL HEADS

Bioclimatic is the buzzword in countries that swelter in summer, says Anna Tyzack, who takes a look at Greece’s innovative new future-proofed villas

With their stone walls and green roofs, it’s easy to miss the homes at Costa Navarino, a new holiday and residential destination in Messinia in the rocky olive groves on Greece’s Peloponnese. Each villa is simply yet elegantly designed using local materials and has been strategically positioned on the hillside to o er a cool, cave-like sanctuary out of the hot sun.

Houses in the Mediterranean were built like this centuries ago, with a central atrium akin to those found in Roman villas, allowing the heat to escape and shallow pebble ponds to re ect it away from the exterior wall. Now, as temperatures soar due to climate change, architects in Greece are returning to ancient vernacular design in juxtaposition with modern glass innovations.

‘Bioclimatic’, the name for design that works with rather than against the local climate, is a buzzword in Greece as well as Spain, Portugal and the Middle East. At Costa Navarino, the local stone provides a thermally resistant ‘envelope’ around the houses, while stone oors stay cool to the touch even in a heatwave. e dense vegetation surrounding the properties adds shade and privacy, as do beamed canopies and Japanese-style screens.

In Crete, the homes at Elounda Hills, a sustainable 138-acre residential community near Agios Nikolaos on the north-east coast, are also designed to be bioclimatic with a commitment to local materials. eir lusciously planted green roofs follow the contours of the hillside and overhang the exteriors of the

properties, shading the windows and outdoor seating areas. e development uses geothermal energy, removing the need for unsightly and polluting air-conditioning units, and is landscaped using native plants including sea da odils, Greek cyclamen and Cretan rock rose. ‘ e planting strategy will take into account the intense heat of the summer months to create large, shaded areas and natural air conditioning for residents and guests,’ says Ricardo Severini of developer Mirum Group. ‘Elounda Hills will be a truly regenerative resort.’

In more urban areas, too, architects are combining traditional and modern regenerative principles; at e Ellinikon development on the Athenian Riviera, Europe’s largest regeneration project, the Marina Residences and 50-storey Riviera Tower, which will be Greece’s tallest building on completion in 2026, are built using local white stone enveloping lush indigenous vegetation.

‘By integrating advanced climate modelling and sustainable building practices, residents can enjoy modern, comfortable living spaces that are both cost-e ective and prepared for future environmental challenges,’ says Juliet Goldin, head of Rhodium’s consultancy practice, which has helped future-proof the development.

It’s not enough simply to futureproof residences, though. In these new Mediterranean destinations, every aspect of the build incorporates bioclimatic principles. At Costa Navarino, which spans more than 1,000 hectares in four areas on the western

Homes at Elounda Hills (this picture and below) in Crete are designed to follow the landscape’s natural contours

Peloponnese, 90 percent of the total land area is dedicated to indigenous and planted greenery; there are more than 22,000 sq/m of green roofs along with four golf courses planted with grass that requires 30 percent less water than average varieties. Buyers can opt to grow their own for sustainable vegetable gardens and use electric resort buggies. e estate’s four luxury hotels, including the recently launched amphitheatrical Mandarin Oriental, are built to biophilic and bioclimatic principles, as are the tennis centre, padel courts and extensive kids’ club.

While second-home prices have been static across the Med over the past two summers, prices at Costa Navarino are rising; a property bought for €1.2m in 2020 recently sold for €1.9m. Meanwhile more than 16 percent of residences have sold to buyers from Britain, Scandinavia and the US, including 80 percent of the eco beach houses at Sea Dunes, which have garden gates leading directly on to the sand. Buyers, according to Lefteris Tassoulas of TEMES, developers of Costa Navarino, feel more con dent investing in a development that embraces local heritage, and respects nature and the surrounding community.

Not only have thousands of olive trees been replanted at Costa Navarino but there is a steady increase in nests of loggerhead sea turtles. With their nesting sites cordoned o on the beach, research into nesting data by Archelon, e Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, has shown the development has had no impact on their nesting habits. ‘Around Messinia and Costa Navarino there are seven Natura 2000 [a network of conservation areas in the EU] sites and various protected rare species,’ Tassoulas says. ‘ is is among the most untouched yet easily accessible places in Europe.’ e Navarino Environmental Observatory (founded by TEMES with Stockholm University and the Academy of Athens) is researching the impact of climate change on the eastern Mediterranean region, and with local non-governmental organisations is monitoring and protecting Gialova lagoon, a Natura 2000 wetland with 271 bird species.

Developments will always have a carbon footprint. One could argue it is better not to build new, as the embodied carbon dioxide overwhelms the environmental bene ts. In Greece, though, which has lagged behind other parts of the Med in development, there

are social factors to consider; destinations such as Costa Navarino and e Ellinikon inject much needed capital into the local economy. Before Captain Constantakopoulos bought multiple parcels of land to create Costa Navarino, the area had only a few scarcely cultivated potato elds and villages; now up to 2,500 people are employed in the resort and 4,000 further jobs have opened up across the region. Severini hopes Elounda Hills will help extend Crete’s traditional tourist season, spurring further development. ‘It’s set a new bar for sustainable infrastructure improvements and business expansion on the island,’ he says.

As the Mediterranean becomes hotter, futureproofed design and a community centric approach to building is the key to any new residential destination, according to Goldin. ‘ e best modern buildings have minimal energy usage and a harmonious interaction with the surrounding eco-system,’ she says. ‘ ey’re rede ning luxury residential design as we know it.’ n

ON THE MARKET

Villas at Costa Navarino combine ancient design vernacular with modern comfort and innovation

Athens, from €400,000

The Ellinikon’s beachside villas and residences have access to a 600-acre park, swimming pools and sports facilities, while apartments in the iconic Riviera Tower, soon to be Greece’s tallest building, enjoy views over the new 400-berth marina, the Aegean and mountains. theellinikon.com.gr

Crete, from €2.5m

Residences at Elounda Hills combine authentic Cretan style with state-of-the-art biolphilic design and are managed by 1 Hotels and Residences. Each property has a large terrace with Mediterranean views, while many feature landscaped gardens with shady native plants and swimming pools. eloundahills.gr

Messinia, from €4.3m

Perched among the trees in a quiet neighbourhood overlooking the golf course and sea, the Olive Grove villas at Costa Navarino have ﬁve bedrooms and private pools. They’re designed by architects K Studio and both the beach and sports facilities are within easy reach. costanavarino.com/navarinoresidences

The Great ESCAPE

Martha Davies spotlights spectacular homes with a side of sunshine

Nassau, Bahamas, $55m

is seven-bedroom home is tucked away within a coveted 600-acre gated community which is kitted out with a spa, an equestrian centre and a championship golf course. knightfrank.com

Pearson Gardens, Barcelona, £POA

You’ll nd these gorgeous villas in Pedralbes, one of Barcelona’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, and each property provides ve bedroom suites, a swimming pool and a roof terrace. pearsongardens.com

Turtle Bay, Antigua, from $10m

Nestled in two acres of lush tropical gardens, this ocean-front villa boasts six bedroom suites, a heated swimming pool and a gym. savills.com

Xaghra, Malta €2.2m

A sun-drenched farmhouse might seem hard to come by, but this rustic Maltese home is just that (and it’s complete with two huge swimming pools to boot). franksalt.com

Polo Ridge, Barbados, £POA

From sprawling terraces and sweeping ocean views to a cinema room, gym and an enormous outdoor pool, this Barbados mansion has it all. onecaribbeanestates.com

Enabling children from undeserved communities to experience the adventure of working together on our farms in the heart of the British countryside

farmsforcitychildren.org admin@farmsforcitychildren.org @farmsforcitychildren

‘In the crowded restaurant, he instructed me to CLOSE MY EYES , raise my hands, and breathe deeply. SELF-CONSCIOUS and aware of the curious glances from fellow diners, I HESITATED’

Tales of our Time

Lessons in meditation from a history buﬀ? Michael Hayman takes a moment for presence

At rst glance, meditating in Mayfair on a balmy summer evening might seem an unlikely pairing. But throw in an iconic restaurant and one of Britain’s foremost contemporary historians, and you have something that could just catch on.

My rst encounter with Sir Anthony Seldon –renowned educationalist, proli c author of prime ministerial biographies, and thinker on topics ranging from World War I battle eld re ections to the boundless future of arti cial intelligence – illustrates this well. His keen mind, prodigious output and immense energy might not seem like traits suited to meditation, yet he embodies the practice in the most unexpected ways.

Our introduction came under slightly unconventional circumstances. We were to meet a prominent philanthropist to discuss enterprise in schools. Our host, however, was late, leaving Anthony and I alone in a bustling Mayfair eatery. Knowing of his formidable reputation as a headmaster and historian, I was a touch out of my comfort zone.

It showed. My attempt at small talk faltering under his piercing presence. But then, Anthony did something both kind and remarkable. In the midst of the crowded restaurant, he instructed me to close my eyes, raise my hands, and breathe deeply. A gentle hum followed. Self-conscious and aware of the curious glances from fellow diners, I hesitated – but Anthony’s calm authority made refusal almost impossible.

Slowly, the noise of the room faded. My heartbeat steadied. Time seemed to slip away. Finally, he leaned over and said, ‘Now, we are ready. I’m Anthony, pleased to meet you.’

PRESENT & CORRECT

Three tips from Sir Anthony Seldon

1Before any important event, close your eyes, inhale deeply and slowly and exhale slowly. You will be more fully present.

At the beginning of each day, go to your window, whether it’s light or dark outside, and ﬁnd one object you have never noticed before.

Before every meal, inhale and exhale silently, and you will digest your food better.

In that brief but profound exercise, Anthony demonstrated something rare: the ability to silence the noise of the world and focus entirely on the present moment.

It was a lesson I would carry with me long after our meeting. Over the years, our conversations have been joyful and I have interviewed Anthony many times, and one consistent theme emerges from his wisdom: life is a creative journey that demands presence of mind to navigate e ectively.

At a recent event for entrepreneurs, Anthony shared the same insight using a nautical metaphor: ‘Leaders need to spend more time on the bridge.’ His point was simple yet profound. Many of us spend our days either toiling in the boiler room or pacing the deck, consumed by immediate tasks. Few take the time to stand on the bridge, observe the horizon, and chart a deliberate course forward. is perspective resonates deeply in a world where busyness often masquerades as productivity. Sometimes, to truly think, we must rst pause, connect, and breathe.

As a publication always on the lookout for new trends, we can’t help but wonder: could meditating in Mayfair become a thing? If Sir Anthony’s approach tells us anything, it’s that even in the most surprising spots, there is a value to escaping from the day to day bustle and taking yourself to a more peaceful place. It’s a sanctuary within, a spa of the mind, and it can inspire you. n

PHOTOS: ALAMY

Country & Town House - Nov/Dec 2024

SPRING RISING

ESCAPE!

Contents

FEATURES CONT...

INTERIORS

TRAVEL

FOOD & DRINK

PROPERTY

REGULARS

Editor’s LETTER

CONTRIBUTORS

JULIET

HERD

ALISTAIR TAYLOR-YOUNG

KICCA TOMMASI

SHANE

C. KURUP

LUCY CLELAND

What to do with Country & Town House when you’ve ﬁnished reading it

The GOOD LIFE

spirit and signs up to a Psychic Development Retreat

The RURBANIST

Sally

on

marriage proposals and the kindness of people

QUICK FIRE FAVOURITES...

The WILDIST

Fee Drummond capitalises on these quieter months by grounding herself in nature

WILD HACKS

BedBreakfast

STYLE HOT SPOT

The STYLIST

Nice knickers without any nasties? Tiﬀanie Darke shares hergo-to brands for great basics

The EDIT

Herd

RESCUE REMEDIES

SOFT TREADS

GOLDEN HOUR

RIVIERA CHIC

FULL BLOOM

COOL GIRL STYLE

SKINCARE WITH PURPOSE

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

MY STYLE

BURIED TREASURE

The Magpie

CHANNELLING CLEOPATRA

MANHATTAN MOMENTS

SEALED WITH A KISS

GREEN LIGHT

PEAK PERFORMANCE

Heading for the hills? Shane C. Kurup gets set for snow season

CUTTING A DASH

UPWARDLY MOBILE

TUNDRA TIME

RETRO REVIVAL

COLD COMBAT

FUTURE ICONS

Celebrating the people making our planet cooler and fairer

LONDON’S LUXURY BEAUTY, HEALTH & WELLBEING EMPORIUM

HEALTH & WELLBEING Reset the scene

The SCOOP

GO NUTS

PIN-UP

FACE OFF

BODY& SOUL

GO WITH THE FLOW

CHECK IN: LIME WOOD HOTEL

BODY Language

WINTER SKIN HEROES

All hail the MULTITASKERS

GOOD NEWS

GOING WITH THE FLOW

BELL CALL OF THE WILD

DEEP BREATHS

ADOPT-A-CORAL

THE SOLUTIONISTS

THE PROBLEM

THE ANSWERS