Country & Town House - Jul/Aug 2024 by Country & Town House Magazine

A LIFE IN BALANCE

JUL ⁄ AUG 2024 £5.99

Guest edited by

ARIZONA MUSE

FLOWER GIRL Lily Cole

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ANY WHERE ANYTIME.

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Contents

JUL AUG 2024

COLUMNS 16

26 28 30 184

MEET ARIZONA MUSE C&TH’s first ever guest editor introduces herself THE GOOD LIFE Alice B-B on early conservation lessons learned in Kenya THE WILDIST Channel your inner cat THE RURBANIST David de Rothschild on the moment that changed everything LAST WORD Michael Hayman celebrates how creativity can impact society in Manchester

STYLE 33 34 36 38

40 42

FOLLOW THE HERD Woolly tales THE STYLIST Time to ditch the Spandex? THE EDIT Fashion, beauty and jewellery news SHOP THE EARTH DIRT Charityapproved brands WELL GROOMED Sustainable style for men THE MAGPIE Shiny things

HEALTH & WELLBEING 47 48 50 52 54 55

SIT WITH IT Acknowledging mental strain BODY & SOUL Your body keeps score, so check in with osteopath Boniface Verney-Carron THE SCOOP The woman behind Arizona Muse’s glowing skin BODY LANGUAGE The tech to teach you what makes your blood sugars spike BEAUTY DILEMMA What exactly is organic beauty? Nathalie Eleni has some answers SUN SAFE How to protect your skin – and the planet this summer

CULTURE 57 58 63 64 66 70 72 74 78 80 82

84 86

TREE HUGGER The festival to feed your soul CULTURAL CALENDAR Your must-have guide to what to see, read and do THE EXHIBITIONIST Looking at Henry VIII’s six wives through new lenses ARTIST’S STUDIO Claudy Jongstra, the artist using wool to great effect ONLY CONNECT! Rebecca Hossack is the gallerist who put Aboriginal art on the map NEW AGE ARTS Learning a craft is a great way to find a new community ALL TOGETHER NOW Earthed teaches us the nature skills we need to know THE GREEN LANE A classic car for a modern world? The Volvo P1800 GOOD NEWS Yes, we need it THE CONSERVATIONIST Swift action is needed to help protect our birds, urges James Wallace LITTLE GREEN BOOK Can a professor of fashion help shape a fairer future, asks Lisa Grainger THE SOLUTIONISTS Three nature-based innovations to enhance biodiversity SCARFES BAR Photographer Edward Burtynsky

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Contents

JUL AUG 2024

FEATURES 88 96 99 104 108 112

MODELS MUSE Arizona Muse in conversation with cover star Lily Cole GOOD GRIEF Christiana Figueres on trauma and the Paris Climate Agreement NO DIG FOR VICTORY Refashioning farming gives us a chance to save our soils, says Fleur Britten GET THE LOOK Veja shows us how a brand can be truly regenerative A BREWING STORM Is our daily shot of caffeine at risk? A THOROUGHLY MODERN MISS DIOR Dior traces its new collection back to the riotous 60s, says Lisa Armstrong

THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE 119

Travelling to India is never a holiday – it’s a journey, say Daisy Finer, who brings us our first ever wellbeing guide to India

INTERIORS 147 148 150 152

SECOND LIFE Plastics prolonged SOIL SURVIVORS How to keep healthy soil and pretty gardens DESIGN NOTES Interiors news THROW SHADE Sun-shy

TRAVEL 155

158 160 162 164 166 168 170

104 ON THE COVER Lily Cole wears dried flower creation by You Don’t Bring Me Flowers and jewellery by Lily Cole x Skydiamond

104

Fashion Director: Nicole Smallwood Photographer: Matthew Shave Make-up: Lan Nguyen Grealis @ Eighteen Management using ILIA Beauty. Hair: Davide Barbieri @ A-Frame-Agency using Living Proof. Nails: Christie Huseyin using Nailberry

PLANET HOPE Twelve new back-to-nature stays THE ESCAPIST Travel news THE TRIP Francisca Kellett POSTCARDS FROM... Rajasthan BACK ON TRACK All aboard the new Eastern & Oriental Express PEDAL POWER Mary Lussiana goes cycling in Poland ON THE GO SLOW Mindful journeys around Britain INDEPENDENT SPIRITS Touring the Baltics

FOOD & DRINK 173 175

A SPLASH OF WINE Celebrating seasonality – and wine! GASTRO GOSSIP Canned goods

PROPERTY 177 178 180

HOUSE OF THE MONTH FIVE OF THE BEST Small holdings CABIN FEVER The Scandi trend is coming to UK shores, says Anna Tyzack

REGULARS 14 18

EDITOR’S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS

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119

was undergoing when negotiating the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Christiana’s marriage had imploded after 25 ‘happy’ years. A meeting – and then future learnings – with Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, considered to be the father of mindfulness in the West, taught her how to change her mindset; these learnings proved both invaluable in overcoming the trauma of her broken marriage and in being able to engineer one of the most important and difficult negotiations in the world. Leaning into feelings is something model, earth activist – and our very first guest-editor – Arizona Muse, is very comfortable with. In her open-hearted talk with cover star Lily Cole on page 88, she reveals how modelling really makes her feel (and it’s not good) and why tuning in to oneself is so important if you’re going to effect change on the outside. 88 Arizona introduces herself overleaf. It goes without saying that, with Arizona casting her sustainabilityfocused eye over our pages, this issue is packed (though not exclusively) with brands, products, ideas, campaigns, and people that show us that being responsible doesn’t mean forsaking joy – in fact, it’s quite the reverse. The overarching message of this issue, though, is that Nature lies at the heart of everything – and is the teacher we should be turning to. Connecting to her – literally through the soil (see Fleur Britten’s homage to the sexy stuff on page 99); through time spent in green spaces, watching, observing, playing; through poetry, literature and craft; through connecting to the Self – is what is called for. For this inner journey of exploration, there is no greater place on Earth in which to crack open your emotional and spiritual pathways than India. In another C&TH first, Daisy Finer brings you The India Wellbeing Guide. As she says, ‘To begin your inner dialogue with India is to question everything you thought you knew about yourself and the nature of existence. It is to delve into profound ways of living, to honour Mother Earth, to witness the connection between biography and biology.’ Read on from page 119. 42 This issue is special for all sorts of reasons – I hope you think so too.

Editor’s LETTER

recently met someone who attends the annual COP (Conference of the Party) meetings. She told me that Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former President of Ireland, is often the first leader there and the last to leave, while others fly out quickly on their private jets. She would also cry – and on live television. It struck me that perhaps we need to vaunt vulnerability as our superpower – instead of strong-man inviolability. Christiana Figueres, too, in an interview with Annabel Heseltine on page 96, talks about the personal trauma she

EDITOR’S PICKS

LISTEN For summer beats in the great outdoors, pack this miniature yet sound-punching speaker from Marshall.com

WEAR Cut and made in the UK with handpainted and dyed African fabric, I love these unique kimonos from Tutupikin.com

BUY A Rootfull necklace made from wheatgrass root mounted on recycled cotton card. Why not?

READ Mary Robinson’s book is a great place to start if you want to understand how climate justice needs more women at the table

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BREITLING BOUTIQUE: KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON

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PHOTOS: EZRA PATCHETT

Arizona Muse is a model, Earth activist, founder of DIRT Charity and C&TH’s first ever guest editor

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GUEST EDITOR’S LETTER

PHOTOS: EZRA PATCHETT

n the midst of our busy lives, as we stand beneath the towering buildings of our cities clutching devices that put the sum of human knowledge at our fingertips, does disquiet stir within us all? A whisper, urging us to look around and clearly see the world we have shaped; is this really how we’re supposed to be living? We have become strangers in our own land, cut off from what once sustained us. Even the Earth herself is rebelling against our relentless pursuit of progress. In a world overflowing with remarkable technological advancements and connectivity, we have become disconnected from ourselves, each other and the natural world. But I feel a collective awakening is taking place. A realisation that, beyond the concrete and convenience we have built around us, we are born from the Earth to which we must return. We can rediscover what it means to live in harmony with nature, to tread lightly upon her surface, to replenish rather than deplete, to take only what we need, and to give back in return. However, living this way doesn’t mean making our worlds smaller or denying ourselves life’s pleasures. Throughout this carefully curated issue, we peer into the lives of people who are already doing it and sharing just how enriched they feel as a result. And that, actually, it invites abundance, fun and purpose. A life of additionality rather than subtraction. There’s a shift happening when we think of ‘luxury’. More and more, there’s a desire for a lifestyle that respects the delicate balance of our planet. A regenerative, connected and fulfilling existence – one that honours the Earth as our home. That, to me, is true luxury. The writing, writers and people featured in this issue tell us, through stories of their own experience, why connecting back to nature is so important… ‘Nature’s journey is slow, but its success is fast. Just imagine if we began our day from this observatory position instead of the shrill alarm and chaos of our immediate daily life,’ reflects Fee Drummond, Country & Town House’s Editor-at-Wild, as she muses on slowing down, finding solitude and grounding in nature (p28). ‘We think nature is out there and that we are in here. The first thing we have to do is disarm this separation. We are in nature, not apart from, but a part of it. The more we understand that, the better we are able to embrace the opportunities staring us in the face,’ meditates Christiana Figueres, the visionary behind the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, as we delve into her fascinating journey on page 96. For the cover story, I had the pleasure of sharing life experiences and hopes for the future in a conversation with Lily Cole. We discussed how our childhoods influenced who we are today, the impact modelling had on our lives and the joy of returning home to ourselves (p88). Today, it feels like a radical act to live as nature intended, to live a life of simplicity in a world driven by complexity. But in the end, it is only by returning to our roots that we can hope to find our way home. With the Earth in Mind, Arizona Muse

ARIZONA’S PICKS Live like the model and Earth activist I’M WEARING... Anything by Reda Paula. redapaula.com I’M READING... Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta and We Will not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson

I’M SPENDING FAMILY TIME... Glamping, foraging and wild swimming at Campwell. campwell.co.uk

I’M APPLYING... Organic Sacred + Wild products. wearesacred andwild.com

I’M SHOPPING... At Earthshop, where, you will find a farmer to call to get a blanket made from the wool of the sheep raised on the farm. dirt.charity/ earth-shop

I’M A MEMBER OF... ONDA, an appbased membership for community-building and finding your ‘village’. onda.life

I’M TIPPING… The Earth with DIRT Charity. Just click that box to add a tip at checkout with brands such as Groundtruth, The Outnet (Olistic dress pictured) and many more

I’M EATING... Anything produced to the Demeter standard

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CONTRIBUTORS

A Thoroughly Modern Miss Dior, p112

No Dig For Victory, p99

The Indian Wellbeing Guide, p119

Good Grief, p96

FLEUR BRITTEN

LISA ARMSTRONG

DAISY FINER

ANNABEL HESELTINE

What’s your favourite nature spot? Anywhere on the British coast is pretty special, because it means you can look out to sea – always a good reminder that nature reigns. Favourite UK eco brand? Faith in Nature – it was the first company to put mother nature on its board. What are you most looking forward to doing this summer? We’ve been saving up our flying credits – so we’re heading to Africa for three weeks to visit friends in Kenya and Ghana and go on safari. What’s on your summer reading list? Top of the tower of summer books is Susie Boyt’s Loved and Missed, as I know it will make me shed a tear. And Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI by Madhumita Murgia, which was a runner-up on the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and I reckon an important topic for us all to be better versed in.

What’s your favourite nature spot? I’ve just come back from a week’s walking on the South West Coast Path. It’s 630 miles of stunning coastal scenery, much of it protected by the National Trust. We’re doing a chunk each year. Favourite UK eco brand? Mother of Pearl. Amy Powney, the creative director, is committed to doing this regenerative work properly. And the designs are cool. What are you most looking forward to doing this summer? My daughter’s wedding – then going on to holiday in Greece and Italy with friends. What’s on your summer reading list? Currently reading The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. It’s a very atmospheric thriller set post-Holocaust. And also dipping in and out of Off The Grid: Houses for Escape by Dominic Bradbury.

What’s your favourite nature spot? Glastonbury Tor. Arrive early in the morning before anyone else, walk to the top and look out at ancestral England laid out before you. It puts everything in perspective. Favourite UK eco brand? This magazine! To get B Corp accreditation in the world of glossy magazines is a serious achievement. As a freelancer, it’s one of the few publications I am proud to be a part of. What are you most looking forward to doing this summer? In August, the children and I are heading to a secret gem tiny island in Croatia. I can’t wait to hang out just the four of us. What’s on your summer reading list? Hollywood to Kentish Town by Patrice Chaplin. This memoir includes plotting ways to persuade Jack Nicholson to take off his glasses, food shopping for Marlon Brando and meeting Elizabeth Taylor.

What’s your favourite nature spot? The Chyulu Hills in Kenya, home to an old friend who is working with the Maasailand Preservation Trust and is the founder of Big Life Foundation. Favourite UK eco brand? Bower Collective – at last I have found a brilliant company for natural household products in reusable packaging – and it really works. What are you most looking forward to doing this summer? Training for the three-month expedition I am undertaking in Saudi Arabia next year with an old friend, polar explorer Rosie Stancer. I have never done anything like this before. What’s on your summer reading list? Cal Flynn’s Islands of Abandonment, Craig Foster’s autobiography, Amphibious Soul and Local Voices, Local Choices by Jane Goodall, all people I’m interviewing for my podcast Hope Springs that’s launching in September.

WA N T T O K NOW W H AT ’ S ON ? Get the C&TH editor’s picks and our weekly guide to What’s On — and you’ll never say you have nothing to do. Sign up at countryandtownhouse.com/newsletter countryandtownhousemagazine

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COLUMN

The GOOD LIFE Alice B-B on lessons learned for life in Kenya

HE HOLIDAY TH AT CH ANGED EVERYTHING. I was 19, with no clue that a jolly family escapade to Kenya would transform me. We stayed with friends in Laikipia; my first dusty taste of romantic East Africa, blown away by huge skies, enchanted by the Kenyan people, eyes agog at animals I’d only read about. But it was when all the ‘children’ (about ten of us) were sent on an adventure for a few days, that the magic really happened. WE WERE DROPPED BY HELICOPTER in a lugga (a dry riverbed) in remote northern Kenya. No sign of humans or anything as far as the eye could see, until… from beneath acacia trees emerged a caravan of camels, a handsome gang of Samburu warriors and a lady with a kikoi fashioned like a mini-skirt (rumour went round that, beneath it, a knife was strapped to her thigh). She introduced herself as Helen Douglas-Dufresne and instantly our motley crew stood to attention; both spellbound and terrified. Over the next few days we marched to the beat of her drum; we walked, camped, talked, slept beneath the stars, learnt about Samburu traditions, some at first hand! Having wandered off to explore, my little sisters came under fire from young ‘morans’ – the age when Samburu lads traverse from being boys to men, a time when they decorate themselves with crowns of rainbow plumage and shoot arrows at the calves of young girls. My sisters’ legs were prized bullseyes and they ran squealing back to camp; lightly scratched with a war story for life. The following night, rains in the mountains turned the sandy riverbed into a gushing river. It was a narrow escape; while the floods brought new life, had we camped around the corner, we may have been swept away in our sleeping bags. THE DEVASTATION OF ELEPHANT AND RHINO POACHING was also part of our education. Helen founded the Milgis Trust in 2004, developing a grass-roots way for humans and animals to live as harmoniously as possible. ‘Only when people’s basic needs are met can they fully engage in and contribute to long-term conservation efforts,’ she explains. Since then, I’ve returned several times for camel safaris with Helen in Samburu country; visiting schools, irrigation projects, eye hospitals and helping where needed (opening a watering hole for a family of thirsty young warthogs – or delivering first aid to a man with a swollen testicle!). And while the northern black rhino has been poached to extinction, the elephants are back in their glorious herds. From that tender age, Dufresne showed me how humans can tread lightly, and that this beautiful world is for all species. In a time of cynical travel greenwashing, this is the real deal. If you want to see conservation success up close, then go on a camel safari with Helen. And take your children. It will change everything. (remotenwild.com; milgistrust.com). n

THIS MONTH I’LL BE...

THRUSTING copies of Kate Weinberg’s brilliant new book There’s Nothing Wrong with Her to all my friends (kateweinbergwriter.com). SCOFFING the famed tuna pizza at Akira Back at the new Mandarin Oriental hotel in Mayfair (mandarinoriental.com). MUSHROOMSTACKING gummies for focus and performance (dirteaworld.com).

ILLUSTRATION BY MEI MEI, @MEIMEI_2503

‘My SISTERS’ legs were prized bullseyes and they ran SQUEALING back to camp’

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COLUMN

The WILDIST

Fee Drummond taps into her animalistic side to ground herself in nature

before making a single move. Once the land is safe and scoured, the cats warm up slowly in the sun instead of flicking a switch to heat up instantly. Only then do they stretch, and hunt. Nature’s journey is slow, but its success is fast. Just imagine if we began our day from this observatory position instead of the shrill alarm and chaos of our immediate daily life. The amount of time predators sit or flow in stillness, to better balance out their incredible speed in hunt mode, is significant. We exist in a constant energy frenzy and technically aided modern hunt mode. How do we imagine we can be sustainably successful without instilling daily concentrated calm? Calm for me takes effort. I am especially mindful of nature’s maternal style: no helicopter parenting to be seen, movements always slow, strong, knowing and considered, no fuss or mad rushing from pillar to post. Operating one mission at a time, tuning into senses one at a time, using gloriously created bodies in their full energetic spectrum, daily. If only in life we were more like leopards…

WILD HACKS

t sounds like a cliché after Covid to link everything back to ‘connecting with nature’, but over the past few years this phrase has come to mean more to me than a few seconds simply admiring the trees. I have developed a yearning to emulate animalistic wild habits in my daily routine. If I am feeling overloaded or aware that my schedule is derailing under the mad juggle of life, I do two things. First, I breathe like a whale – deeply, expunging all of the air from my lungs until empty, holding my breath there at the bottom. Eventually I take long breaths in and out, expanding lungs and body with air, and without air, ensuring that my entire bloodstream has time to take on the cellular oxygenation. I shift my body closer to how an animal might recover their breath after moving at speed. Second, I imagine what a female leopard or tiger would do in my situation. I picture how they start their day, carefully observing their surroundings, noting any tiny movements, sounds, changes in nature’s patterns,

2 ROLL Chemical-free deodorant is better for people, planet, and armpits. From £15. getfussy.com

3 DRIZZLE Honey in your tea or coffee. Why not get vitamins, minerals and antioxidants instead of a derailing processed sugar high? n

PHOTOS: PEXELS

What can nature teach us about leading a better, wilder life?

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INTERVIEW

The RURBANIST

Explorer and environmentalist David de Rothschild on inspiring change and learning to play

What’s bringing you joy at the moment? Becoming a father in the last few

David’s trek across Antarctica (pictured above) left a permanent mark on his spirit

years is without a doubt one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. It’s amazing to allow yourself to play, something we don’t do enough as adults. I am a firm believer that when you connect play with passion and purpose, it’s the perfect combination to unlock whatever you want to achieve. Children have also vastly altered my outlook on how I approach life. After 20 years in the environmental space, it’s easy to become jaded and cynical, but it has actually sharpened my resolve to try and do more for nature. What’s annoying you most right now? The idea that we can halt catastrophic collapse when we decide to act, as if nature will just fall in line and work to our timetable, is more than reckless. It’s suicidal! We’ve let so many fragile ecosystems slide into self-perpetuating negative feedback loops that have either irreversibly changed or are on the brink of collapse. When nature fails, we fail. It’s time to put aside self-interest, fear, nationalism and profit at all costs, and recognise that when we collectively unlock our human potential together, we can achieve anything we want. Advice you’d give to your 15-year-old self? While the days may seem long, the years are short. In other words, don’t waste a moment. Take advantage of the blissful abundance of energy, naivety and fearlessness. What keeps you awake at night? My brain. I have always loved the art of playing with conscious/lucid dreaming. I tend to find that a lot of my ideas come up when I lie down. It’s great for productivity but not so good for restoration. A moment that changed everything? Twenty years ago, I spent 100 days skiing across Antarctica. The sheer vastness and scale of that magical continent left an indelible mark on my spirit and the connection I feel and hold for nature. It left me with an overwhelming sense of being a tiny part of something much bigger and more powerful, and feeling halfway between a question and an answer, to which I have spent the last 20 years answering and looking for. Where do you go to escape? There is a beautiful place called the Kyle of Tongue in the far north of Scotland. It’s truly raw and wild, an incredible spot. There is something in the soil that grounds you, that gives you a feeling of belonging to something unspoken but very much storied. What does sustainability mean to you? It means challenging the status quo and the ‘that’s just the way we’ve done it’ mentality, and recognising that we need to be constantly trying to improve and leave behind outdated, toxic and damaging systems that don’t serve us anymore. Your greatest triumph? Becoming a father. There isn’t anything else in life that I’ve experienced that’s driven me to change my outlook on life so quickly. Your greatest failure? When I first started in the field of environmentalism around 20 years ago, I most likely thought my point of view was very interesting and important. I quickly realised that was a massive failure, not only because worthiness is the death of the cause, but the quickest way to fail, especially in the environmental space, is to preach by telling others what to do or how to act. From that moment on, I completely changed my approach to being more focused on creative storytelling to problem solve. You inspire change; you can’t dictate it. n

SCENT The Lost Explorer Mezcal Salmiana. BOX SET Curb Your Enthusiasm. CHOCOLATE BAR Meurisse Himalayan Salt. DISH Soft boiled eggs with soldiers and marmite. GADGET A mosquito racquet. RESTAURANT Boulenc in Oaxaca City.

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

QUICK FIRE FAVOURITES...

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The C H Y P Fragrance Family

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STYLE Edited by Mariella Tandy

Follow the HERD Turning fashion into a climate solution is the main mission of DIRT, the charity founded by climate activist and model Arizona Muse. This is nowhere more powerfully exemplified than in HERD. The supply chains and ethical practices are so transparent that you could almost name the Bluefaced Leicester sheep that provided the merino wool for that gorgeous knit you’re wearing. herdwear.co

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STYLE | Column

The STYLIST

With the Olympics approaching, isn’t it time to ditch the Spandex? asks Tiffanie Darke

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Vilebrequin makes merino wool shirts and swim shorts; Pangaia’s activewear is made from castor beans; Community Clothing’s cotton gym kit

here would Jane Fonda have been without her Spandex leotard? Michael Phelps without his Speedo Fastskin? Usain Bolt without his Puma compression shorts? As our Olympics summer kicks off, sports brands will be busy persuading us it’s their synthetic materials driving athletes to perform. Not so. Before synthetic materials, there were natural ones. In 1954 Roger Bannister ran the four-minute mile in cotton shorts and top. In 1979 Ranulph Fiennes crossed the Arctic wearing a 100 percent Ventile cotton suit. ‘The men’s 100m record before synthetics stood at 9.95 seconds,’ observes Patrick Grant of Community Clothing. ‘Very few people have run faster. Synthetic clothing gives only a slight performance edge – and much of that can be attributed to modern training methods.’ Community Clothing’s collection of 100 percent cotton activewear is at the vanguard of a return to naturals. New technology in knitting and weaving, green chemistry and a determination to avoid the cheap solutions of synthetic wear is opening up the plastic-free space. Wool knitted in such a tight weave it floats above the skin, snow proof and water resistant; water repellent made from the algae of a walnut tree; stretch fabric achieved by combining only a tiny percentage of Spandex in the inner core of a wool thread. After you work out in this kit, Lycra leggings feel like a sticky plastic bag. Plastic clothing is not only an environmental risk, it’s a health risk too – we inhale up to a teaspoonful of microplastics a month now, there’s so much in the air, not to mention our waterways. The health risks of toxic chemical finishes and dyes are also emerging: PFAs are chemicals added to enhance moisture wicking, water resistance and the adherence of dyes, now linked to liver damage, cancer and reproductive problems. In synthetic activewear, these chemicals sit right next to your sweaty skin. ‘We haven’t included any synthetic finishing on our fabric,’ says Patrick. ‘All performance is achieved through the mechanics of the way we weave and knit.’ It’s a similar story at mountain wear company Mover. Its water-resistant jackets, base layers and fleeces are now 100 percent plastic free. Vilebrequin has developed fine wool swim shorts, and new technical woollen yarns have found their way to Branwyn’s (game-changing) sports bras. Pangaia is pioneering plant-derived biomaterials like EVO, sourced from castor beans, and a natural peppermint treatment for anti-odour. Natural materials certainly don’t need washing as often, as the anti microbial properties and breathability of wool and cotton is far superior – just ask the sheep. As for Jane Fonda, she wouldn’t be seen dead in Spandex these days. n

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With 10 different styles, MR MARVIS has the perfect shorts with the ultimate fit for every occasion. Our shorts are made in Portugal using high-quality fabrics including stretch cotton, airy piqué, ribbed & dapper corduroy, lightweight linen and – our latest addition – super soft terry. Pair your favourite with one of our limited edition tops to create a full MR MARVIS look. Shop our Spring/Summer collection now on mrmarvis.co.uk

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STYLE | News

The

EDIT All the latest sustainable style and beauty news. By Mariella Tandy

1, 2, 3

Sizzling summer beauty

London’s coolest dressers have a secret: Mother of Pearl, the cult favourite that creates the kind of timeless, elevated staples that just make your everyday outfits that much chicer. Founder Amy Powney is a sustainable fashion innovator too, always pushing for positive change across the industry. motherofpearl.co.uk DENIM DOES GOOD

Made from its signature regenerative cotton, Citizen of Humanity’s Horseshoe Jean in Fragment is a must for summer. £480, citizensofhumanity.com

GREEN SMELLS Sarafumi Etaï Candle, £35. sarafumi.com

Cranbourn Escape to Santorini diffuser, £38. cranbourn.com

1 Weleda Blue Gentian and Edelweiss contouring serum, £32.95. weleda.com 2 Ffern Summer 24 fragrance, £99. ffern.co 3 Sapienic Lipids facial oil, £37. sapienic.co.uk

STEP UP

Rokhz’s boho chic sandals are made from recycled ocean plastics and thermo rubber in southeastern Spain. Each style features a different healing crystal, plus a copper rivet embedded in the sole to ground you with the earth as you walk (or dance) your way through the sunny months. rokhz.com

St Eval Fig Tree, Sea & Shore Pot, £12.99. st-eval.com

Bamford Geranium diffuser, £50. bamford.com

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AN EYE FOR AN EYE

Reformation has teamed up with French eyewear brand Jimmy Fairly on a capsule collection of sunglasses, combining Reformation’s signature, vintage-inspired designs with Jimmy Fairly’s funky silhouettes. The Brune sunglasses, £165. reformation.com

WOLFORD Aurora jumpsuit, £455. wolford.com

STRIPE & STARE Secret Garden pyjamas, £95. stripeandstare.com

WELLICIOUS Yoga pants, €129; cropped tank, €79. wellicious.com

IN YOUR SKIN

Skincare brand myBlend takes a bespoke three-step approach to maximising beauty: food supplements, skincare, and the latest LED technology, with an online skin diagnosis that creates a personalised plan. It’s also committed to local, transparent and responsible sourcing of its ingredients, and uses almost zero plastic across its ranges. myBlend Revitalizing Cream, £210. my-blend.co.uk

ON THE RADAR Biodegradable threads

ONE ESSENTIALS Everyday sweatshirt, £75. onee.earth

THE AVANTGUARD Celosia Moss sunglasses, £98. theavantguard.com

NEEM LONDON Scarf, £69. neemlondon.com

BROLLY WEATHER? HAVELI Seema linen dress, £189. myhaveli.com

MARICI The Muse bag made from Mirum, £1,290. houseofmarici.com

Breathing new life into discarded umbrellas, Argentinian brand D.R.Y. upcyles them into super-stylish genderless garb – from jackets to bags. drycoats.com.ar July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 37

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STYLE | Wardrobe

BEABOND Coco mini necklace, £195. beabondworld.com

MONC Principe sunglasses, £260. monclondon.com

ALTRA Jasmin XXX natural fragrance, £168. altraprofuture. com WARRINER Leather trug bag, £355. warrinerleather.co.uk

Shop the

MARINA RAPHAEL Micro Carina in Napa leather, £550. marinaraphael.com

EARTH

ORAMAI Ibiza shorts, £115. oramai-london.com

Discover Arizona Muse’s favourite brands, and donate to DIRT Charity with every purchase

OFFICINA DEL POGGIO Haircalf shoe, £642. odpcollection.com

KALITA Brigitte dress, £485. kalita.co

INTELLIGENT GLOW Face oil, £53. intelligentchange.com

ANYA HINDMARCH Return to Nature Compostable leather collection, from £650. anyahindmarch.com

ALL AVAILABLE THROUGH DIRT.CHARITY/EARTH-SHOP

STARSEED Glow serum, £79. starseednatural.com

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STYLE | Men’s BAGS FOR EVER

TAKE IT SLO’ With an ethical approach spanning fabric choice and procurement plus dyeing with reduced environmental impact, Slowear became a Benefit Corporation in 2022. Sharp tailoring and fresh colour palettes characterise its distinctive sustainable collections. slowear.com

In its highly sustainable Orbis Circular Collection, Troubadour turns waste products into beautifully crafted bags which, at end of life, can be recycled over and over to create something new. From £195. troubadourgoods.com

Well Groomed

LESS IS MORE

Slow and steady style. By Matt Thomas

Operating on the principle that ‘the world does not need more shoes’, this London-based vegan sneaker brand produces only limited quantities of its footwear, scaling up or down on demand. From £145. lociwear.com

HOT PICKS Protect, bronze up and refresh…

FANCY A THREESOME?

Brompton has launched its first ‘Maker Series’ of collabs with a partnership with fellow Brits Bremont and Cheaney. The result is a limited edition Brompton P Line, alongside a Bremont watch, and a versatile pair of Chelsea boots from Cheaney, all made with fabulous British craftmanship. Available at brompton.com

SUMMERTIME HUES

Feeling the heat? It’s time to cool things down

1 THE GREY Daily Face Protect with SPF 50, £55. johnbellcroyden.co.uk

PANGAIA DNA aloe linen shirt, £135. pangaia.com

UNIFORM STANDARD Series 1 sneakers, £160. uniformstandard.com

MR P Recycled polyester and SEAqual fibre swim shorts, £125. mrporter.com

2 OBAYATY Face Contour Sculpting Bronzer Stick, £56. obayaty.com WAX LONDON Fintry linen blazer, £195. waxlondon.com

3 ANATOMĒ Invigorating hand & body wash, £32. anatome.co 4 VYRAO I am Verdant EDP, from £89. vyrao.com

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D I S C OV E R S U S S E X S PA R K L I N G W I N E S Crafted in the Traditional Method @ R AT H F I N N Y E S TAT E

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04/07/2024 11:06

STYLE | Jewellery B REAL

Blackacre made impact in June by becoming one of only a few B Corp-certified jewellers. Its young team specialises in bespoke jewellery and engagement rings, crafted from traceable stones and recycled metals. Hyacinth diamond climber earrings with paraiba drops, £18,150; St Lucia engagement ring, from £21,500. blackacreldn.com

OLD IS THE NEW NEW

Jeweller Sophie Breitmeyer has just introduced her antique diamond edit of four unique rings, featuring incredible centre stones sourced from trusted London dealers. These stones predate the invention of electricity, meaning they have large facets and softer silhouettes, and were cut to shine brightest beneath candlelight. From £5,450. sophiebreitmeyer.com

The Magpie Sparkling jewellery news. By Mariella Tandy

SUMMER ROCKS

SALON CHIC

The latest addition to Mayfair’s jewellery scene is Lugano, the USA brand that has just opened its salon on London’s Albemarle Street. Designed to feel like a private sitting room, with exquisite art from the likes of Yinka Shonibare, it showcases the brand’s contemporary fine jewellery designs, which often pair rare gems with unusual materials like rubber, carbonium and titanium. luganodiamonds.com 18ct yellow gold, kite shape yellow diamond and black diamond, £POA

MODERN ICONS

Alighieri’s new collection, ‘Votive Offerings’, is a selection of ritualistic objects inspired by the spiritual practices of ancient and modern civilisations. The Bones of Rebirth necklace, £750. alighieri.com

1 BON BON Necklace, £225. bonbonjewelleryclub.com 2 OTIUMBERG Stilla green onyx earrings, £395. otiumberg.com 3 VRAI X STELLA MCCARTNEY Multi row pave diamond ring, £4,639. vrai.com 4 ODP Earrings, £351. odpcollection.com

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THE HOME OF COUNTRY CLOTHING SCOTLAND AT ITS VERY BEST

To pre-order a copy of our new Autumn Winter catalogue please call 01796 483236 or visit

WWW.HOUSEOFBRUAR.COM

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WILD AT HEART

De Beers Jewellers’ Forces of Nature collection celebrates miraculous gifts from the earth

e Beers Jewellers’ unique history, provenance and savoir-faire unite in its wondrous new high jewellery collection of one-off pieces. Forces of Nature features 58 oneof-a-kind jewels inspired by wildlife native to southern Africa, which De Beers Jewellers has a deep connection with. Its atelier took inspiration from the giraffe, lion, greater kudu, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros, zebra and elephant that roam this region to create the collection, which encompasses necklaces and earrings, spectacular cuffs and cocktail rings alongside cufflinks, lapel pins, brooches and headbands. It also includes eight innovative jacket and crown rings, each with an incredible De Beers Jewellers diamond solitaire at its heart. The resulting designs explore the talismanic power that animals and jewellery share. In honouring southern Africa’s native fauna, De Beers Jewellers also pays tribute to its extensive conservation programmes across the

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PR O M OT I O N

region, created through its Building Forever commitments. These include tackling HIV and AIDS in Botswana, and creating the Diamond Route, a 500,000-acre secure ecosystem for Africa’s most vulnerable species – such as the ones that inspired Forces of Nature. The captivating beauty of each piece of jewellery is heightened by the positive impact it has made on people and the planet. ‘Forces of Nature celebrates the animal kingdom, and explores a design genre, the bestiary, with our unique approach,’ explains Céline Assimon, CEO of De Beers Jewellers. ‘The creative studio pays tribute to a region dear to De Beers Jewellers and connects this truly special collection with our conservation efforts in southern Africa – where wildlife protection is at the heart of our mission, with programmes like Moving Giants. More than exceptionally crafted works of art, these jewels carry spiritual significance, reminding the wearer of their affinity with a particular animal. In this collection, we continue to demonstrate the incredible artistry, peerless craftsmanship and remarkable diamonds that define us as a leader in diamond jewellery.’ Discover more about Forces of Nature and De Beers Jewellers at one of their stores or at debeers.com

1 LION Protection Cocktail Ring The cushion-cut Fancy Intense Yellow diamond captivates and enthralls. 2 LEOPARD Magnetism Set Marquise-shaped diamonds with olive-green diamonds echo its mesmerising eyes. 3 ZEBRA Individuality Drop Earrings Evoked with shapely lacquer and diamonds. 4 BUFFALO Stability Crown Ring Half-pyramid rough brown diamonds, juxtaposed with pavé-set horns. 5 RHINOCEROS Fortitude Chain Collar Pin Angular titanium designs with shield-shaped and pear-shaped diamonds. 6 GIRAFFE Dignity Set Elegant, V-shaped silhouettes adorned with earthy-hued rough diamonds. 7 ELEPHANT Tenderness Crown Ring Heart-shaped, pear-shaped and oval-shaped diamonds, intertwining trunks and pink diamonds. 8 GREATER KUDU Spirituality Crown Ring Ethereal grey and white cushioncut diamonds.

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HEALTH &

WELLBEING

PHOTO: XKATE DAVIS-MACLEOD; CLOTHING: FP MOVEMENT

SIT with it

Osteopath Boniface Verney-Carron discusses how emotional pain can manifest as physical pain (p48). Mindfulness techniques such as meditation can change the way we perceive our emotions and experience them physically. Puravi Joshi (pictured) encourages her students to tap into the mental benefits of their practise. Puravi will be teaching at PACE week at The Peligoni Club this October.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Wellness

BODY & SOUL

Osteopath Boniface Verney-Carron gives Camilla Hewitt the tools for emotional and physical release

Your mind and body are connected, and mental trauma can be experienced physically, says Boniface

emotions, I asked Boniface for some words of advice: ‘All you feel, emotionally and physically, is your own making. You can therefore have an impact on it. The key is to remember that you are the sum of your habits. We often say, and I second [physician and author] Dr Chatterjee here, that we are not in a crisis of knowing but in a crisis of “doing” the right thing for us. Indeed, most of us have pretty much all the information about history and humanity in our pockets. How many more podcasts can one listen to? It is about implementing small, feel-good changes every day – ten minutes every day is better than 60 minutes once a week.’ For appointments, visit bonifaceosteopath.com n

CHECK IN: WYLDER If you’d like to get one step ahead and manage your emotions with mindful activities, a Wylder retreat could be just the ticket. Taking place across the Balearic Islands, the four-night breaks combine yoga, Pilates, breath work, hiking and creative workshops to leave you feeling centred and aligned both mentally and physically. BOOK IT: From £1,750. wylder.net/retreats

BONIFACE’S QUICK TIPS Four easy everyday changes for your life 1 The quickest fix is kindness... Hug and kiss, and your body will secrete oxytocin and serotonin — both parties will feel better for it. 2 Breathwork... It is free and always available, and the more you do it, the better and more efficient it is. 3 Do not... Engage with your phone for the first 30 minutes of the day. Buy an old-fashioned alarm clock to wake you up. 4 Implement a morning exercise routine... Just seven minutes is enough to make a positive impact on your health and wellbeing.

PHOTOS: © SOFIA GOMEZ-FONZO

hen emotions are difficult to process or aren’t dealt with, they can build up and manifest as symptoms such as muscle aches, migraines and back pain, and even impact our endocrine, immune, vascular and digestive systems. So what can we do to address this emotional baggage? Most of us associate osteopathy with physiology – the manipulation and massage of muscles and joints. In his practice, Boniface VerneyCarron melds both the physical and emotional realms in order to achieve lasting results. I asked how emotions become trapped in the first place: ‘In our everyday lives, we perceive the world through our senses and send it to our higher centres for analysis, processing, integration and action. The interesting part is that all this information is modulated and even fabricated by our mind and emotions to be experienced physically. The good and the bad. The key here is the edit. You are unconsciously in charge of the edit until either a sudden acute or low-grade cumulative trauma is experienced. Then your edit is overwhelmed, and all you can do is dissociate and send this energy down into your body since your mind can’t deal with it.’ In order to help relieve and release symptoms, Boniface first finds the perceived source and then helps his patients build the courage and the tools to confront emotional and physical suffering. ‘I use a combination of cranio-sacral and verbal visualisation to focus, feel and reframe the emotion. I also use guided breathwork and recommend trauma release exercises, such as intentional cold exposure and other bio-harmonising techniques.’ For those of us attempting to manage and process our

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Supermodel skin.

The Moisturiser

The Hydrator

Your skin’s needs are unique and always changing. World-renowned beauty trailblazer and cosmetic doctor to A-List supermodels, Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh created the concept of mixing different, powerful serums to create a truly personalised daily ritual. Pioneering a sustainable approach to beauty packaging, products are also available box-free, at a saving of 10% when you shop at drsebagh.com. Potent and award-winning, the iconic serums — including the trio shown here — can be used alone or combined, for agelessly radiant results. Moisturising is essential to restore the skin barrier, protect against environmental aggressors, seal in hydration and keep skin plump. Deeply moisturise and soothe your skin using Rose de Vie Serum, with antioxidant and nourishing rosehip oil, blended with the hydrating, hyaluronic acid-rich Serum Repair, which instantly leaves skin looking and feeling plumped, firmer and tighter.

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The Anti-Ager

The Brightener

Add a trouble-shooting, ‘Ageing-Maintenance’ hero to the mix with a few drops of Supreme Maintenance Youth Serum. Boasting a high percentage of expertly targeted active ingredients, this advanced, luxurious serum includes the ‘youth molecule’ Resveratrol, three antiaging peptides, a mineral radiance booster and an anti-pollution film. Power-up your serum blend even more with a little Pure Vitamin C Powder Cream. This patented, highly concentrated and stabilised powder-to-cream formula can be mixed with any serum to brighten the skin, prevent pigmentation and bring back its glow. To find your nearest Dr Sebagh stockist, or to shop online with the option to go box-free, visit drsebagh.com

03/07/2024 16:42

HEALTH & WELLBEING | Notes

The

SCOOP

Move, stretch, massage, repeat, says Caroline Phillips DOSHA DIVA

FACE UP

Want to know where Arizona Muse goes to work on her radiant complexion? Donna Ryan, whom she describes as giving you ‘Botox without the Botox’. I can concur. Near Baker Street, you’ll find a facial with a difference. Combining Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques with European ones, specifically around the use of the gua sha tool, your face undergoes a stupendous yet incredibly relaxing workout. To ensure maximum impact, Donna starts by releasing tension in your back and shoulders with a Chinese spoon so energy can flow (it’s a bit like cupping and your back can remain red and marked for a day or so afterwards). Then you flip over and with the gua sha, oil and her energy-powered fingers, you’ll have a facial massage like no other (including working in your mouth). Results? Even if you don’t end up looking like Arizona Muse, your skin just might. Signature treatment, £205. donna-ryan.com

Can’t get to India? Let India come to you in the form of Angela Pfeiffenberger-Stacey and her Ayurvedic Abhyanga (‘oil’) massage. After ascertaining your dosha (or ‘constitution’) with a detailed questionnaire, this willowy Austrian healer – who’s trained in everything from reiki to transformational coaching, so you get something truly bespoke – sets to work. She gives you a sublime massage – long, rhythmic strokes that induce calm – using dosha-specific, organic Mauli oils warmed with a candle while Indian music plays gently. From your marma (‘energy’) points on your feet to your head – via buttocks, chest and abdomen – she’ll bring your physical and emotional imbalances into harmony and you’ll feel cared for, healed and restored. Then she wraps you in a warm, infrared blanket and while the herbal medicinal oils nourish your body, she performs a rosescented facial. Think blissful cocoon. From £75 an hour. thebodymindspace.com

PHOTOS: HELENE SANDBERG

GIRL POWER

Breathwork, embodiment, mindfulness. Ashka Zasada’s Embodied Feminine system encompasses them all. You’ll lie or crouch on your yoga mat being guided – alongside primal music – to explore the pleasure of the feminine body through somatic (physical) movement, free dance and breath awareness. ‘If you’re feeling tired, move as tiredness,’ Ashka instructs. ‘If you’re sad, embody that.’ She really ‘cracks open’ the heart and body, helping you surrender to the body’s intuitive, guiding wisdom. You’ll soon be embracing your ‘embodied feminine’ – a powerful combination of sensuality, life force and self-expression – with this releasing, awakening work. £90 for 75 minutes online or at home. ashkazasada.com 50 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Review

BODY Language Health tech is going mainstream, says Olivia Falcon

he world of health tech is moving on apace, hooking us up with wearable gadgets that measure and report back on bodily functions helping one to set health goals and highlighting bad habits. Having tried a few, I personally couldn’t get on with the FitBit I bought to track my steps as the wrist band kept breaking, but I love my Oura ring that tracks everything from my heart rate to how deeply I sleep. I’ve also recently signed up to wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). These were originally designed for diabetics to measure glucose levels but are now going mainstream with the worried well. To explain: we are all on a glucose rollercoaster in our everyday life, with blood sugar spikes and troughs, that can be caused by several things from poor food choices to a stressful meeting or intense workout. Blood sugar spikes are normal but, the more frequent and higher they are, they can increase risk of heart disease and overall inflammation in the body. What these devices aim to do is to help you calm the glucose ‘turbulence’ and make the ride as smooth as possible by highlighting the foods and habits that trigger spikes for better mood, sleep, metabolic health, less food cravings and, overall, help you function optimally, positively impacting your longevity. The most famous body sensor brand, Zoe (£259.99; joinzoe.com) – which launched last year, and should be worn for a fortnight – tracks your sugar spikes You can still enjoy pasta, but throughout the day. It’s a 50p sized disc adding veg to the mix lowers that’s stapled to the back of your arm that initial blood sugar spike (I was very nervous to attach it but can

WAKE UP

The ultimate antidote to that dreaded, ‘You look tired’, comment: the ThermoGlow alternates temperatures to boost circulation while reducing the buildup of fluid and inflammation. Dr Levy ThermoGlow Pro, £249. drlevy.swiss.en

report it does not hurt). It allows you to understand in real-time how your blood sugar responds to food, exercise, stress, and sleep and has insights into gut function as it analysis your microbiome. I’ve also been impressed by the newer Lingo (from £89 for a two week test, hellolingo.com), which records your glucose levels via easy-to-read graphs synced with an app to your smartphone and sets a daily glucose target based on your age group (as we get older we metabolise glucose less efficiently) to help you get healthy from the inside out. For me it’s really been a revelation as it’s helped me understand what foods work better for my system. For example, as a pasta lover, I now know by adding some vegetables into the mix significantly lowers my spike and fills me up for longer as fibrous vegetables slow down digestion. So for those seeking longer, healthier lives, I say check yourself out with a body sensor. n

UPPING YOUR BEAUTY TECH

SHOOTING LASERS

Bigger, better, bolder; this laser (don’t worry – it doesn’t hurt) is one of the most powerful at home devices on the market and can be used to treat larger surface areas so its great for cellulite reduction, scar healing and neck rejuvenation. Lyma Laser PRO, £4,995. lyma.life

PRICKLY STUFF

A genius way to upgrade your electric toothbrush, the zippy Celf Dermal Head clips on to any Oral-B iO toothbrush to provide a gentle microneedling. Think firm, radiant skin and squeaky clean teeth. Celf Sensitive Skin Dermal Head, £39.99. celf.beauty

SNATCH IT

Sculpta targets facial muscles through radio frequency to increase muscle tone. Ideal for lax necks, jowls, or folds around the mouth, for a snatched look. Sculpta by Deesse PRO, £499. deessepro.com

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PR O M OT I O N

REST & RENEW

Why Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa on Lake Lucerne is your next wellness destination

ts crisp alpine air and healing thermal waters have attracted health-seeking visitors to Switzerland for centuries. Leading that tradition is the Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa, perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the glimmering Lake Lucerne. The Bürgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne's offering dates back to 1873, when the Grand Hotel first opened as a Kurhaus (spa house). Today, Bürgenstock Alpine Spa is the largest in Europe, and multi-award winning – it won World's Best Hotel Spa and Europe's Best Hotel Spa at the 2023 World Spa Awards, as well as Switzerland’s Best Spa 2023. And you can see why: the space is beautifully constructed of natural Luserna stone from Italy, offset by oak, brass and walls of glass, and it boasts over 10,000 sq/m of facilities over three floors, with 13 treatment rooms, three private spa suites, wet areas with hammam, sauna, whirlpools and hydrotherapy, fitness centre and a kids' club. Its three pools are filled with lake water, and include a dramatic outdoor infinity pool – heated to 36°C degrees – that wraps around two sides of the spa building, offering spectacular mountain views. A recent addition to this historic resort is the spa’s new Beauty Lounge, featuring exceptional treatments in collaboration with four brands that share the Alpine Spa’s philosophies: Dr Barbara Sturm, 111Skin, Dr Burgener, and Biologique Recherche. These prestigious, world-leading skincare brands were selected for their efficacy and deeply luxurious protocols. Treatments address every skin concern and type, from regenerative boost and contour tautening to accelerated post-surgery healing. These include the Dr Burgener Repairing Gold and Green Caviar Facial, which combines high-tech ultrasound waves, an intense dose of green caviar and extracted pearls from Okinawa Island in Japan to leave skin feeling firm, toned and replenished. Other restorative activities on offer include private yin yoga sessions and guided walks through the resort’s pristine alpine surrounds. With its incomparable location, breathtaking views, and enveloping sense of peace, there is no better place than Bürgenstock for embracing rest and relaxation. You’ll leave this mountainside resort feeling refreshed, revitalised and inspired. burgenstockresort.com/en

Take a moment for yourself in the award-winning spa

GREEN DREAMS Since it opened in 1873, the resort has been a pioneer in sustainability, launching a series of groundbreaking initiatives including the historic Bürgenstock Funicular railway, the first electric cable car in Switzerland. A high percentage of the hotel’s power comes from hydroelectricity, provided by the lake, which meets 100 percent of its cooling demands and 80 percent of its heating demands. The finest local produce is also used in its seven kitchens, with the hotel nurturing long-standing relationships with its neighbouring farmers.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Beauty Dilemma

Planet-Friendly BEAUTY Nathalie Eleni has a better way to do beauty

NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES Wild Rose Beauty Balm, £43. nealsyardremedies.com

DR HAUSCHKA Lip to Cheek blush stick, £26. drhauschka.co.uk

S’ABLE LABS Okra Face Serum, £69. sablelabs.co

ith a beauty industry that negatively impacts our planet through pollution, waste, intensive agriculture and overuse of natural resources, it is essential now, more than ever, to choose brands that support Mother Earth. Here is how you can help save our planet, one serum at a time. What is sustainable beauty? It aims to protect the planet, conserve resources, and prioritise the wellbeing of people and the environment. It’s about sourcing natural, biodynamic and organic ingredients without draining resources, as well as supply chains that are Fairtrade and certified cruelty free or Leaping Bunny, and biodegradable packaging. How should I start my sustainable beauty journey?

Waste is a major problem in the beauty industry. The simplest thing you can do is use your beauty products until they are empty. It sounds easy, but how many of us are guilty of being enticed by a shiny new product? And get bored halfway through a pot of something else? Sustainable living is a journey. Each small step will create good habits to make significant changes in the long term. So, first steps: it’s good to streamline your routine and look for quality over quantity; no one needs a ten-step skincare routine. Overusing products can not only be harmful waste to the planet but also harmful to your skin by DAVINES stripping its natural and protective barrier. And LOVE Smoothing then you can make changes one product at a time. Shampoo Refill, £39.15. Replace finished products with more planet-friendly davines.com peers, buying only as you need.

MAISON MADE Extrait de Maison Biodynamic Rejuvenating Face Oil, £132.69. maisonmade.co

Are sustainable products as effective?

Yes, and often – due to the use of more gentle, natural, high-quality ingredients, and avoidance of harsh chemicals and artificial fragrances – these sustainable and natural beauty products are better for your skin.

How can I incorporate more good beauty habits into my routine? Make-up artist and author

SWEET BEE ORGANICS Pure Pits Armpit Detox, £19.99. sweetbeeorganics.co.uk

OIO LAB Hyperfresh Balm Quantum Glow €49, en.oiolab.co

KRI SKINCARE Hydrate moisture serum, £20. kriskincare.com

PHOTOS: PEXELS

of Sustainable Beauty (White Lion, £18), Justine Jenkins, says: ‘Choose refillable products, so you only need to buy the packaging, and you can top up with refills – brands like Etal, Emma Lewisham and SBTRCT are some of my favourites. Also, look for multi-use products; a lip and cheek balm, for example, means less product is needed, and you are more likely to use it all.’ Finally, Justine says if you are unsure about brand messaging and potential greenwashing (providing misleading information about the environmental impact of a company’s products) go to the brand’s website, sees its sustainability message and supply chain, if it states any eco-certification and is transparent about the supply chain involved. n 54 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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Sunscreen | HEALTH & WELLBEING

FUN IN THE SUN

Slather on the SPF

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

SUN SAFE How to protect your skin as well as the natural world

unscreen. It’s a skincare essential, a beach bag staple and a dermatologist’s golden rule. Sun protection factor, or SPF, is a vital part of any skincare routine, as UVA and UVB rays emitted from the sun are not only harmful to the skin, but can cause premature ageing, hyperpigmentation (sunspots) and even cancer. The higher the factor of the SPF, the more protection it gives you from these rays, reducing the chances of sun damage significantly. It should be a part of your everyday skincare routine, regardless of the season. Even on a cloudy day skin is at risk from sun damage. However, there is a wrinkle in our sun-safe routine, and that is the environmental impact of some sunscreens on marine life. Chemical sunscreens, the most common type, contain ingredients that absorb UV radiation. While they shield our skin, these chemicals can wash off into waterways, harming delicate ecosystems like coral reefs. These are some of the most diverse and valuable environments on the planet, with thousands of aquatic species found living on a single reef. They also offer protection for coastal areas by reducing the power of incoming waves – not to mention the income they provide for millions of people through tourism. Studies have linked numerous inorganic UV filters, such as oxybenzone, a common sunscreen ingredient, to coral bleaching, a devastating phenomenon that threatens these vital marine environments. The term ‘bleaching’

comes from the coral’s response to negative environmental factors that cause the coral to expel their zooxanthellae, the tiny cells that live within the coral polyps and give them their colour and are their major source of food. Without these cells, the coral quickly become susceptible to disease and often die. So how do we stay safe in the sun without harming the natural world? Firstly, look for ‘reef-safe’ sunscreen – there are plenty out there – or look for a physical or mineral sunscreen that has minimal impact on the environment. A ‘reef-safe’ sunscreen will be free from chemical UVA and UVB blocking filters like oxybenzone and octinoxate. Physical equivalents such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are also a safe choice, although they can leave a white cast on the skin. Sunwear is another good option – this is clothing that has an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF), which, much like SPF, will protect your skin from UVA and UVB damage. There is quite a range of these sun-safe apparel options out there, but always look for the UPF50+ rating, as this offers the maximum protection. It is interesting to note that a standard white T-shirt only offers the same protection as an SPF 5 sunscreen. By making informed choices when it comes to the brand of SPF you choose, and adopting sun-smart habits, we can still enjoy the sunshine and protect our environment for the generations to come. Written by Alexander Johnston from John Bell & Croyden. All products stocked at johnbellcroyden.co.uk n

1 KORRES Yoghurt Emulsion Body + Face SPF 50, £36 2 EVY TECHNOLOGY Sunscreen mousse SPF 50+, £25 3 DARLING Screen-Me Spray SPF 50+, £47 4 LIFEJACKET SPF 50+ Mineral Sun Stick, £16 5 NOBLE PANACEA The Energist MultiDefense Cream SPF 50, £312

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PRESENTS THE

FRO M

Celebrating Sustainable Luxury; Shaping & Supporting Tomorrow’s Legacy, Today In a world where discerning taste meets conscientious living, Future Icons by Country & Town House stands as the pinnacle of trustworthy recognition for brands and individuals who epitomise sustainable luxury. These prestigious awards honour the visionary innovators whose commitment to sustainability, discernment, quality, and environmental stewardship sets a new standard for responsibility and excellence. Beyond celebration, at C&TH we recognise the challenges of growing a sustainable business in the current competitive landscape. Future Icons will create a new support network of these like-minded brands to enable exponential growth of those who define responsible leadership in luxury today to ensure a thriving, sustainable future for generations to come.

Join us in recognising, supporting and inspiring the icons of tomorrow, today. To find out more and to apply for this year’s awards, visit…

countryandtownhouse.com/culture/future-icons-awards

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PHOTO: © THE MEDICINE FESTIVAL

CULTURE

Tree Huggers Glasto FOMO in July? Here’s a destination to cure all. Medicine Festival is the kind that won’t leave you muddy in a field with a hangover (just muddy in a field). Feed your soul, learn from indigenous speakers about ancient wisdom – and have a boogie to an enviable pan-global lineup of musicians. The C&TH Guide To... The Medicine Festival, p59. 14-19 August, medicinefestival.com

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CULTURE | What’s On

THE CULTURAL CALENDAR Dates for your summer diary. By Tessa Dunthorne

MORE THAN A MUSE LITTLE MISS REIMAGINED

Whether you’re a Little Miss Bossy or Mr Muddle, you’ll find something of yourself among the cast of classic picture book characters. The series is wonderfully reimagined by six contemporary artists at Brighton’s Helm Gallery. Until 21 July. helmgallery.com

Amar Gallery Fitzrovia opens its new doors with a bang with Dora Maar: Behind the Lens. Celebrating the photographer – best known as Picasso’s muse – but whose distinctive Surrealist photograms deserve due credit – it sums up the gallery’s mission: to spotlight those forgotten female, LGBTQ+ and global majority artists. Because art is activism. Until 18 Aug. amargallery.com

THE LEGEND

Hauser & Wirth gallery founder Iwan Wirth played an integral role in creating the legend that was the late Phyllida Barlow. Obscure until her late sixties, Iwan saw her work and insisted it be subject of Hauser & Wirth’s inaugural exhibition. Fitting, then, to have her work mark ten years of the arts centre. Until 5 Jan 2025. hauserwirth.com

LIVING OFF THE LAND

From foraging cocktail ingredients, to chats about why whiffy manure matters, Heckfield Place’s summer programme is a delight. This year celebrates a centenary of biodynamic farming at the estate. heckfieldplace.com

SEPTEMBER SUN AND EQUINE FUN

See off the summer with the Cornbury House Horse Trials, as the five-day event enters its fifth year. The festival doesn’t just feature the country’s best riders and horses – it also promises the best food stalls and shopping experiences. To boot, it’s a scene of bucolic bliss on the grounds of pretty Cornbury House. 11-15 Sept. cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk

FARMYARD TUNES

Farm girl Laurey Williams is courted by Curly and Jud in the classic Rodger and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!. This limited run stars Ted Lasso’s Phil Dunster as the sweet Curly. lwtheatres.co.uk

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Movement and music are key draws of the Medicine Festival

The Critical LIST

Watch, read, listen

Buzzy banking show Industry returns for another dose of highoctane, drug-fuelled drama – this time with Game of Thrones alumni Kit Harington joining the cast. HBO, from 11 August

THE C&TH GUIDE TO…

MEDICINE FESTIVAL Feed mind, body and soul at Medicine Festival, which is less about the headliners, more about the holistic experience

illing itself as a remedial experience that will leave you feeling fresher than when you arrived, Medicine Festival imagines a more peaceful, enlightened and sustainable world. It’s less about the big headliner acts – although it still boasts an enviable poster set of pan-global artists to bop to – and more about spotlighting indigenous wisdom and restorative experiences for its attendees. THINKING Medicine Festival’s biggest offer is its Liminal Lake talks and discussions. Thoughtleaders and changemakers take centre stage, and this year expect to hear from environmentalist Satish Kumar, indigenous rights active Bruce Parry, and psychedelic researcher Dr Rosalind Watts – among others. You’ll feel your brain stretched in all the right ways (and your soul equally as nourished). Expect to also challenge your relationship with nature; the festival is especially well-regarded for its sustainability talks. DANCING No festival is complete without tunes to dance to. Medicine Festival’s lineup is refreshingly global in outlook. Headliners include American ‘ritualistic’ folk songstress Peia, British-Portuguese supernova Nessie Gomes, Zimbabwean mbira artist Millicent Chapanda,

Continuing this year’s rom-com trend is Fly Me To The Moon, a love story set against the backdrop of the Apollo 11 moon landing, starring Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum. In cinemas from 12 July

Connect with the earth – perhaps literally, like one barefooted festival-goer

FILM

and from London-based, international music collective, The Turbans. RESTING After stretching your body and brain, you’re spoilt for choice as far as ways to wind down. Guided movement and meditation are well contrasted by ecstatic dance sessions for example, and yogis can try to hold a downwards-facing dog in hysterics during Laugh Yoga. And given the lovely surrounds, you’d be remiss to not join the forest bathing sessions, taking in and reflecting on your newly improved relationship to nature. Medicine Festival takes place between 18-21 August, at the Wasing Estate, Berkshire. medicinefestival.com

After a fouryear delay caused by the pandemic, Imelda Staunton is fronting a revival of the classic musical Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium. From 6 July

PLAY The Midnight Library author Matt Haig is back with The Life Impossible, which follows retired teacher Grace who embarks on a journey of discovery in Ibiza after being left a house by a long-lost friend. Out 29 August

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CULTURE | What’s On

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL

Ellie Smith settles in for a fortnight of literary fun

very August, Edinburgh comes alive – not only with the worldfamous Fringe, but also the city’s annual literary festival. Returning to the Scottish capital from 10 to 25 August is the Edinburgh International Book Festival, taking place in a new location this year: Edinburgh Futures Institute, located just off The Meadows in the heart of the city. The theme for 2024 is Future Tense, exploring how long-term thinking can bring perspective to current issues, such as AI and the environment. An eclectic programme of over 500 events will be running throughout the month, including talks and discussions from a string of top writers such as Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie, of-themoment names like Dolly Alderton, plus numerous exciting debut authors. Highlights will include a gala event in which writers such as Naomi Alderman and Martin MacInnes will explore their vision for the future

in just seven minutes. Elsewhere, economics and politics experts will delve into some of the toughest questions of the moment: how much wealth is too much? And how is capitalism changing? It won’t all be doom and gloom, though. To balance out all the hardhitting topics, a section called How to Live a Meaningful Life will see authors and audiences coming together to discuss life’s joys. Talks will cover topics like creativity, paying attention and making it count, alongside a number of special meals, demonstrations and conversations hosted by the likes of Sami Tamimi, Asma Khan and Rachel Roddy. At a time when so much discussion takes place online, the festival aims to provide an inspiring and thoughtprovoking space in which to tackle some of the biggest issues of our time. 10-25 August. edbookfest.co.uk

MY Cultural Life

Candice Carty-Williams on putting Queenie to bed, and Michaela Coel I’ve always had to separate myself from Queenie... People

assume that I’ve written about this young black woman, so I must be her. I don’t imagine Phoebe Waller-Bridge gets asked if she’s Fleabag. I’m kind of like, there we go. I’ve worked on it for eight years. Like it? Great. If you don’t? Great. Queenie came out, and now The Bear’s new series is out [for example] – everything has its own little moment. One thing that feels amazing is... I’ve had thousands of messages – even people coming up to me on the street – telling me they found the show healing. I want my work to connect with people, whether that elicits a positive or negative response. I really rate Michaela Coel... I’ve been rewatching Chewing Gum and laughing my head off. She was one of the first black women to be visibly black on screen – her work is incredible and enduring. Maybe one day we’ll be in the same room and I’ll have to figure out what to say. I’m tuning into... The new season of The Bear. I also loved Fallout, but got on less well with The Boys – it’s very violent, isn’t it? I’m reading... An advanced reader copy of Neverland: The Pleasures and Perils of Fandom by Vanessa Kisuule, about her obsession with Michael Jackson, and those abuse allegations. I don’t believe in cultural guilty pleasures... I like what I like. I’ll say it with my chest! Words have meaning at the Edinburgh Book Festival

Watch Queenie on channel4.com; read the full interview with Candice at countryandtownhouse.com

PHOTOS: CANDICE BY EMIL HUSEYNZADE

Now the TV show is out and people have seen it...

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Books | CULTURE

PARADISE LOST?

Richard Hopton reviews three books about nature and the environment

PHOTOS: CANDICE BY EMIL HUSEYNZADE

NATURE’S GHOSTS by Sophie Yeo

The ecological disaster facing our planet is humankind’s existential crisis. ‘We are not coexisting with nature,’ writes Sophie Yeo, ‘but rather obliterating it.’ As the arguments swirl about what, if anything, can be done to alleviate it, the assumption is that the vast bulk of the ecological damage has been done relatively recently. Sophie Yeo’s fascinating new book shows that this is untrue: man’s impact on earth’s ecology has been significant since the early hunter-gatherers contributed to the extinction of the megafauna, the mammoth, the woolly rhinoceros, the sabretoothed tiger and so on. Nature’s Ghosts is a fascinating exploration of the way in which we have affected our environment since the beginning of time. By looking at the past, Yeo is saying, we can better understand the present and plan for the future. Harper North, £22

ENVIRONOMICS by Dharshini David

Green issues are the great cause of our time but are, as Dharshini David writes, ‘revolutionising our economy’. An economic perspective is vital as nearly every green issue ‘comes down […] to what someone, somewhere, is doing to make [or save] money’. Environomics is a fluent, jargon-free explanation of the complex global supply chains which underlie our consumer lifestyle. It sets out the consequences of the choices we make. For example, ‘Our fashion addiction is now the second biggest industrial polluter on the planet.’ Nor are the solutions clear cut: paper straws are regarded as more environmentally friendly than plastic ones – they rot – but they have a larger carbon footprint. Environomics is an important yet accessible addition to the green debate. Read it. Elliott & Thompson, £22

THE GARDEN AGAINST TIME by Olivia Laing

In 2020 Olivia Laing began restoring the garden of a house in Suffolk which had belonged to the gardener Mark Rumary who had lived there from 1961 until his death in 2010. Ostensibly, this book is about Laing’s restoration of Rumary’s garden, about plants and planting, but is also a meditation on the importance of gardens to the human spirit. Her literary allusion ranges widely, from John Milton to Derek Jarman. Likewise, the book wanders freely, from colonial Georgia to Italy in the Second World War. The Garden Against Time is beautifully written – the prose is supple and poetic – but challenging, too. Laing has strong views on society and property: ‘Beauty,’ she writes, ‘is not a virtue that floats free of cost.’ A garden, for her, is not just a garden. Picador, £20

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CULTURE | Books Shetland writing, fi lm and music packs out its wee venue, The Bop Shop.

BIBLIOFILE

Do you feel equipped to subsist in the wild? No, not at all! But

I cherish the self-sufficiency we have. We built a Polycrub last year, engineered to withstand Shetland weather, (locally designed, it reuses old salmon-farm pipes in its skeleton), in which we raise aubergines, tomatoes, asparagus, lemongrass and strawberries; we grow our own tatties and carrots outside; friends from the Isle of Foula bring us beautiful kale seedlings: the flower shoots in May are really tasty and the plants are gorgeously ornamental; sometimes we receive a lucky gift of fish.

Jen Hadfield’s relationship with her island ignites her poetry, says Belinda Bamber

Why did you move to Shetland? My mum is

Canadian and we grew up with this idea of big, open landscapes being a sort of spiritual home. I used to look at towering cumulonimbi from my attic window and imagine summits in the sky. When I first visited Shetland in my twenties I felt myself relax in the wide, open landscapes and didn’t want to leave. What are storm pegs? They are extra-strong clothes pegs that can withstand Shetland gales. I love to see my laundry on the line, because when I have to be indoors, working, some part of me is outside in the changing air. I use weather as a metaphor for energy and change in Storm Pegs: it’s about embracing uncertainty as well as the perpetual drama of a volatile sea and skyscapes. And we don’t need a tumble dryer…

Why did you choose a limpet as your daemon? I seem to search

endlessly for images of security and anchoring. Limpets possess a home-scar – a gutter in the rock that matches exactly the contour of their shell, which they can lock down onto to protect themselves. I love it as an image of how home can feel like a matter of life and death. Shetland stone and soil are very anchoring, and the sea and sky a reminder that stability is always an illusion.

What does ‘regeneration’ mean to you?

When I first moved here, I was romanced by this intensely creative community of craftspeople, artists and musicians, and of deeply knowledgeable crofters and fishermen. But we can’t get too romantic about what’s ‘traditional’ because sheep crofting is often at the expense of natural biodiversity and, at the time of the Clearances, folk were forced from their homes to make way for more lucrative sheep. Historically, Fair Isle knitters were exploited by the ‘truck’ system. And now, words like ‘sustainability’ and ‘regeneration’ can, in my opinion, unfortunately be used to greenwash industrial developments like the new Viking wind farm. How will the wind farm affect Shetland?

A few days ago we were sailing along the east coast of Shetland and anchored up in a sheltered bay in South Nesting – it has one of the most beautiful crofts and croft houses on a spit of land, and is rich in wildlife. The wind farm – one lobe of it – bristles along the entire western horizon there now; wherever we walk or sail we see a corner of it. It is out of scale to the landscape and

When did you start writing full-time?

in the midst of vital nesting territories for rare bird species such as red-throated divers. It was built largely without Shetlanders’ consent, who live in sight and sound of these massive turbines, to power homes on the mainland, not here. What gives you hope? Even though funding has been cut across all sectors, our book festival and world-class film festival have been cancelled and the Shetland I’ve known for 17 years seems at a teetering point, island communities are resilient, generous, self-reliant and resourceful. A pop-up gallery selling donated local art and craft has raised thousands for Palestine and a new monthly cabaret event showcasing new

E M O T I O N A L

When I won the TS Eliot Poetry Prize in 2008, I was able to leave my day job. It’s been a patchwork income, but with wonderful freedom and variety: translating Kurdish and Iraqi writers in Erbil, teaching MLitt students at Glasgow University, introducing primary bairns to poetry at Arvon Writing Centres, working with care-experienced young folk in the Highlands. I feel awed by my luck in recently being awarded a £140,000 Windham Campbell prize for my poetry, which means I can spend time with our little boy Robin as my maternity leave ends. Which writers inspire and anchor you? Annie Dillard, Annie Proulx, Sharon Olds. Storm Pegs by Jen Hadfield (Picador, £18.99). Read the full interview at countryandtownhouse. com/culture/cth-book-club

L A N D S C A P E S

The STRUGGLE TO BE A GOOD man pierces Donal Ryan’s multi-voiced Heart be at Peace (Transworld, £16.99) in Ireland’s county Limerick; traditional SAMI REINDEER HERDERS defend their loves and Arctic lands in The End of DrumTime by Hanna Pylväinen (Swift Press, £14.99); an ESTRANGED COUPLE navigate Vancouver Island’s forests and mountains in their quest for a lost daughter in Moon Road by Sarah Leipciger (Doubleday, £16.99); in Misrecognition by Madison Newbound, an artless young woman tumbles from a love triangle into a SEXUAL IDENTITY CRISIS in small-town America (Bloomsbury, £16.99) n 62 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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Art | CULTURE

The EXHIBITIONIST

Six Lives sheds new light on the women who shaped Tudor history, says Ed Vaizey

PHOTOS: © HIROSHI SUGIMOTO / ODAWARA ART FOUNDATION; © CHRISTIE’S IMAGES / BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

utside the Chamber of the House of Lords is a room called the Prince’s Chamber, where peers gather before debates start. Unlike the rest of the Lords, which is carpeted in deep red, this room has a fetching royal blue underfoot. For reasons that I have never worked out, Henry VIII and his six wives dominate the room, with their portraits above the doors reaching to the ceiling. Well, it’s kind of a Tudor homage I guess. The Stuarts get the Peer’s Corridor. I think Elizabeth I is also in the Prince’s Chamber, and some tapestries of the Armada. Apparently, all the portraits were painted by students of the Royal College of Art in the 1850s, after Pugin had set out the design of the room. All this is a long way of saying if you can’t get into the Prince’s Chamber to see some pretty undistinguished paintings of a Tudor monarch and his wives, then why not pop down to the National Portrait Gallery (NPG) to see some Tudor paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger and contemporary photography by Hiroshi Sugimoto. These two artists, separated by half a globe and half a millennium, meet in the NPG’s first exhibition of historic portraiture since reopening, presenting a study of the lives and afterlives of the six women who married Henry VIII. According to the NPG, Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens will ‘chronicle the representation of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr throughout history and popular culture in the centuries since they lived. As a frequent source of fascination, the stories of the six women have repeatedly inspired writers and artists of all kinds to attempt to uncover the “truth” of their lives: their characters, their appearance and their relationships. From historic paintings, drawings and ephemera, to contemporary photography, costume and film, the exhibition draws upon a wealth of factual and fictional materials to present the life, legacy and portrayal of six women who forever changed the landscape of English history.’ It’s clear why Hiroshi Sugimoto is coming along for the ride. He is, without question, one of Japan’s most renowned photographers and architects. And his work blurs the line between painting and photography. Now in his mid-70s, he has made significant contributions to the world of art and design. For Six Lives, the curators have called

FROM ABOVE: Anne of Cleves by Edgar Degas after Hans Holbein the Younger (186062); Anne Boleyn by Hiroshi Sugimoto (1999)

in his 1999 portrait series of the six wives, taken of waxworks at Madame Tussauds, which explore the eerie tension between what is real and what is imagined. We are all more than familiar with Henry VIII and his six wives, and in this exhibition we will see not just familiar faces but familiar painters. But it’s a clever play to get a great modern artist like Sugimoto - and one that is not European – to bring these great ladies alive with his talent and modern perspective. Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens is at the National Portrait Gallery from 20 June to 8 September 2024. npg.org.uk n July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 63

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CULTURE | Art

Claudy Jonstra creates huge felted tapestries that are collected by the world’s greatest art institutions

CLAUDY JONGSTRA flock of sheep is a unit, like a beehive,’ Claudy Jongstra tells me matterof-factly, ‘if something happens to one sheep, you see the whole herd respond.’ This holistic theory explains a 30-year love affair with wool, a material directly reflective of the quality of a landscape’s ecology, ‘When there are a lot of minerals in the soil, the wool is very flexible and not coarse, whereas a stressed sheep with high cortisol has wool that breaks a lot.’ Her own Drenthe Heath flock roams the northern Netherlands with the unpredictable independence of an unruly teen, but she relies on nature to protect them. ‘Our sheep don’t take preventative antibiotics, only a lot of herbs.’ She sees grazing as essential to sheep welfare, but also the land too, since droppings enrich the soil to produce plants, flowers, bees to pollinate farmland crops which attract birds to eat the insects. ‘It’s all about circularity,’ she explains. The wool creates Jongstra’s huge felted tapestries now owned by MoMA, the V&A and public collections across Europe. Ecology, nature and community as well as colour and materiality suffuse her work. Jongstra began her creative life in fashion. She came to London to showcase her creations at the Royal Opera House: ‘The door was open and somebody looked inside and saw my display. They were friends with the Star Wars costume designer. They asked me, “Can I introduce you to somebody?”’ The next day, Jongstra received a commission to create a costume for Queen Amidala, Natalie Portman’s stately role and work on the Jedi’s robes. With four weeks to her deadline, time was short and the precision for close-up shots had to be exact: ‘I called my family and friends and we worked day and night,’ she smiles. As she switched from fashion to interiors, Jongstra happened to meet Murray Moss at Salone del Mobile in Milan. He gave her an exhibition at his Moss Gallery in New York to present her tapestries to the city’s collectors and critics. Working with wool was always Jongstra’s passion, but her route to colour and contrast came slowly. Commissioned to make 15 shutters for a restaurant adorned with a cherry blossom landscape, Jongstra

discovered that, unlike chemical dyes, plant-based dyes do not run, since the colour becomes part of the fibre. ‘For a purely practical reason I began to experiment,’ she reflects, ‘and then my life changed completely – we started our own dye house, and since production chains are not always transparent - or reliable, we started to grow our own materials.’ A few years ago, inspired by Picasso’s Guernica – his monumental work inspired by the devastation of war – Jongstra created her own version. Like the famous original, it is huge, spirals of browns, black and cream dance across the massive tapestry like sand across a dust bowl. ‘It’s about the absence of colour in our environment, desolation,’ Jongstra tells me. Made of merino wool, raw silk and cotton, it is textured and complex, swirling brushstrokes of natural colour combine to create an urgent beauty. Like Picasso’s work, it is also nomadic, and has travelled for the past three years. ‘Picasso tried to change our mentality. He worked towards a peaceful society,’ Jongstra continues this fervent belief. The work propelled Jongstra to action, and she set about working with farmers in Spain and Belgium, advising how to diversify their farming into growing crops for colour – red cabbages, onions for their skins and woad for its bright yellow hue. Her follow-up to Guernica de la Ecologia (2021) is Tangible Transformation (2023), a hopeful palette of bright blues, greens, mustard and coral. A flourishing project is Jongstra’s school, where art students, teachers, designers and farmers learn about plant-based dyes. ‘In the Netherlands it is hard to find the next generation of farmers, and in France too,’ she says. Crops grown for colour means farmers meet scientists, designers and artists: ‘We need to reconnect with farmers in a contemporary way.’ Of her tapestries, Jongstra says, ‘Sometimes when you’re too early, people aren’t ready for it, but now ten years on, people resonate with the work and its ecological inspiration.’ We are listening Claudy, and we cannot wait to hear what you have to say next. n

PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN JAEGGI.

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Caiti Grove meets the artist for whom art and ecology collide

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Gallerist Rebecca Hossack is a passionate environmentalist and champion of lesserknown artists for whom a sense of connection is everything. By Charlotte Metcalf

ebecca Hossack is widely perceived to be on a par with Bruce Chatwin, late author of the 1987 bestseller The Songlines, for introducing Aboriginal culture to Britain. Quite an achievement for a woman who veered accidentally into the art world after a series of serendipitous connections. ‘I’d been studying to be a lawyer in Australia and arrived in England in 1980 to read for the bar. It was against all my convictions, I wasn’t enjoying it and I just hoped I’d have enough time to visit all the art galleries,’ says Rebecca. A chance conversation with a fellow student led her to Christie’s, where she managed to enrol on an art history course. By 1988 she had her own gallery in Windmill Street. Having earned a little money from selling paintings, she returned to Australia and

then began exhibiting the work of Aboriginal artists in England. Her first Aboriginal show was in summer 1988, comprising work by artists like Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, Anatjari, Uta Uta Tjangala, Billy Stockman Tjapaltarri and Turkey Tolson Tjupurrula, from the Papunya community in the Australian Central Desert where the Contemporary Aboriginal Desert Movement had begun in the early Seventies. More than 40 years on, Rebecca’s reputation as Britain’s leading champion of Aboriginal art is assured. This summer she has been celebrating the 37th edition of Songlines, her annual show of Aboriginal work. For the first time ever, the physically disabled, non-verbal outsider artist Adrian Jangala Robertson left Australia to see his work hanging and in-demand in Rebecca’s gallery.

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IMAGES: COURTESY OF REBECCA HOSSACK ART GALLERY

ONLY CONNECT!

IMAGES: COURTESY OF REBECCA HOSSACK ART GALLERY

Interview | CULTURE

Another artist whose work Rebecca showed was the late and multiple award-winning Emily Kame Kngwarreye. In 2025 Kngwarreye is to have a one-woman retrospective at Tate Modern. This gratifies Rebecca enormously, who wrote to Nicholas Serota, the-then director of the Tate, over 35 years ago to ask if he’d consider exhibiting Kngwarreye’s work or buying one of her paintings. Serota wrote back saying the Tate would never exhibit or purchase such irrelevant work. ‘So often the contemporary art world alights on one star like Damien Hirst or Tracey Emin,’ says Rebecca, ‘and it’s become increasingly preoccupied with money and the next big thing, rather than striving to uncover and nurture real talent. A lot of the artists I’m gravitating towards are either from non-Western cultures because they still have a very strong spiritual element in their work. There’s such a variety of creativity emerging from a deep connection with the earth among the artists living in the Australian Central Desert, whether it’s in their sculpture, carvings, wood, canvas or paper, textiles, quilts, weaves, basketwork or bark paintings from Arnhem Land.’ Arnhem Land is an area six times the size of the UK at the top of the Northern Territory and recent visitors to Rebecca’s gallery will have seen the Aboriginal sculptures, a series of beautiful painted and decorated hollow logs, from there. The installation reflected the cycle of life and death and represented our universal desire to connect with the inexpressible and mysterious. As well as championing Aboriginal artists, Rebecca has gone out of her way to discover and support mid-career women artists. ‘They’ve probably been at home bringing up their kids and suddenly all the male graduates they were at college with are doing really well,’ explains Rebecca, ‘but it’s really hard for them to break back into the art world because they’re no longer young photogenic things who can grace magazine covers as Hot New

Artists. But these women still have that passion and burning desire to paint again and they do it with absolute dedication, late at night or early in the morning or whenever their kids are asleep or out. It’s fantastic to see, and the work is exquisite, many of them focusing on nature and the natural environment. Just take self-taught Hepzibah Swinford, who paints spectacular, abundant arrangements of flowers and foliage in decorative vases, or Abigail McLellan, the Scottish figurative painter, who died in 2009 after battling MS. She produced pared-down images of flowers with the luminosity, simplicity and strength of icons. Sophie Charalambous is half-Cypriot, half-British and her works on paper take such obvious delight in closely observing Cyprus’s flora, fauna and folk art. Ashley Amery is originally from San Diego and her bold, colourful botanical paintings and evocations of landscapes around water and ocean lift the heart. Then there’s G.W. Bot, an Australian artist born in northern Pakistan, who has created her own visual language of signs and glyphs to express her deep spiritual connection with the Australian landscape.’ Rebecca’s love of nature extends beyond its representation in art to the long, hard battle she has fought with her local council over the concrete urban environment around her home and gallery under the Post Office Tower. When the council ripped up the first gum tree she planted, she became a crafty green guerrilla warrior, hiring skips in which to plant trees, flowers and grasses. Numerous confrontations followed, culminating in one over a tree during which the council was armed with a chainsaw. But Rebecca prevailed and now her home and gallery are bright with flowers and the area around both is far greener than it was. She’s also a driving force behind the annual Fitzrovia Arts Festival that unites the community for a week of free events ranging from exhibitions, concerts and performances to dog competitions, ballroom dancing for the elderly and guided walks around an area. There is, of course, always an emphasis on the continuing greening of Fitzrovia as Rebecca continues her quest to plant more trees. ‘Everything connects back to nature, just as we all connect with each other,’ concludes Rebecca. ‘E.M. Forster had it right in Howard’s End when he said that we have no purpose without connecting heads and hearts, thoughts and feelings. “Only Connect!” he wrote. And that in many ways encapsulates my life’s work.’ rebeccahossack.com n

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Night Pool, Night Lights (2022), by Laurence Jones; Pink Wall (2024), by Rose Blake; Rebecca Hossack; Thiaba (2022), by Carla Kranendonk

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SUPER NOVA

Central Saint Martins produces some of the world’s most exceptional artists and designers; these are the talented bunch up for a MullenLowe NOVA Award for Fresh Creative Talent

he MullenLowe NOVA Awards for Fresh Creative Talent highlight the brightest names – and their gamechanging ideas – from the graduating cohort of artists, designers and innovators at Central Saint Martins. C&TH proudly sponsors the Regeneration Award, which recognises a project that promotes circularity, moving away from a linear economy to one that encourages people and planet to thrive. ‘Our collaboration with Central Saint Martins has given us a fantastic opportunity to view the world around us through the eyes of exceptionally talented creatives,’ says Jose Miguel Sokoloff, president of the MullenLowe Global Creative Council. ‘It is a privilege to be able to recognise their creativity while supporting their future.’ Meet the 15 shortlisted finalists… 68 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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AARONY BAILEY, BA Fine Art 4D

Intimate Pages is an honest personal publication that unpacks what it means to be a young woman – especially a woman of colour – in today’s social climate through anecdotal poetry and analogue photography.

ANQI LIU, BA Fashion Communication

Connection Failed explores moments of disconnect – from reality and from the photographer – with alienation hinting at a bigger story.

BHAVNA MADAN MOHA, MA Character Animation

An animated short film, If I Raised My Mother, born from an argument. Challenged on what she’d do differently were she the parent, this film is about being raised in an Indian household.

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C &T H PA R T N E R S H I P

C&TH is proud to sponsor the Regeneration Award, which recognises a project that promotes circularity, moving away from a linear economy to one that encourages people and planet to thrive

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ILLARIA QUINTE, MA Material Futures

Utilising pigment extraction from microalgae – which enjoy antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties – Illaria has created Beyond Flare, spotlighting textiles that are both wearable and combat atopic dermatitis.

IZZY MCCORMAC, BA Fashion (Womenswear)

I am Really a Kite captures the joy of the British seaside through six looks that both challenge traditional garment design and champion sustainable design practices (including economic sustainability). The garments are made from waste pleating paper and scrap-sourced paper.

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Steam Steam Day Up! is a 20-minute documentary tracking the day of British-Chinese dry cleaner Tony Chung, owner of Haggerston’s cult The Steam Room. It inspires the audience to embrace heritage in a post-pandemic world.

CHRISTOPHER BELLAMY, MA Biodesign

Lucid Life is a living material made in collaboration with Polynesian artists bringing together traditional knowledge and science. The material is made up of bioluminescent micro-algae that emits light in response to touch. A project exploring the symbiotic relationship between people and bacteria in the wake of water scarcity, BactoBerries discovers how hygiene and product functionality can evolve – as inspired by the selfcleansing mechanisms of the human skin – and creates cleansers and exfoliators not reliant on liquid.

Traditional Colombian food sayings are translated through graphic design – Evelyn’s Hungry Sayings tracks ‘endangered’ publication formats like recipe books and maps (threatened by digitisation) and takes the form of a collectible album of cards inspired by the Jet Natural History Album.

FUNMI OLAWUYI, BA Product and Industrial Design

Eso Extensions are plant based hair extensions made from pineapple fibre – creating a carcinogenic-free and lovely alternative to the traditional petrol based extensions that dominate the beauty market. The product is in collaboration with pineapple farmers in Nigeria, reusing their waste streams to ensure a circular design process.

GHADA ALAMOUDI, MA Design: Ceramics, Furniture & Jewellery

Khimar Collection is dedicated to reviving intarsia, an endangered craft blending tradition and innovation. Each piece shares tales from over 40 artisans, championing cultural preservation and sustainability.

JOSHUA OBICHERE, MA Fine Art

Joshua’s installation piece, Take Me To Freedom, is set within a skeletal timber ship and challenges the viewer to reconfigure their understanding of Black masculinity – particularly in the form of queer black bodies – in light of historic colonialism and the contemporary realities of blackness.

DEBARATI DAS, MA Biodesign

EVELYN PRENTICE, MA Graphic Communication Design

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JANE ZHENG, BA Fashion Communication (Journalism)

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MARÍA CAMILA LUGO RIVEROS, MA Graphic Communication Design

Maria’s project shares the story of how her father lost his ability to speak as a result of ataxia; the book, Unsteady Ground, examines how typography can capture qualities in language and speech that words alone can’t.

PATRICK GARVEY, BA Fashion (Knit)

Crystalline is inspired by Catholic guilt and Rococo imagery from Patrick’s Irish upbringing and time as an altar boy, merging traditional Catholicism with modern spirituality. Through a crystallisation process developed over two years, Patrick create ‘embroidered’ knits that symbolise a new spiritual connection through crystals. 6

DONNA KIM MA Performance: Design & Practice

Deep Breath is a contemporary dance performance that reinterprets the life of Korean sea women, ‘Haenyeo’, in the context of human breath. Through multimedia visuals and innovative choreography, it offers a resonant sensory experience. n

View the full list of winning graduate projects at mullenlowenova.com

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CULTURE | Craft

NEW AGE ARTS

These community craft workshops will get you closer to nature, says Tessa Dunthorne

Quilting Retreat at the House of Quinn in Rye

A chance to play intuitively with textiles under the supervision of expert textile artist Julius Arthur, behind the House of Quinn. Over six nights in Rye, you’ll work by hand and with uncomplicated materials to assemble a quilt that is personal to you. You’ll be as cosied up in the community feel of this retreat as you will be in your final creation. houseofquinn.co.uk

Spool of Golden Thread Weaving Retreat in Greece

Arachne, myth says, was so talented at weaving that she challenged the goddess Athena and, after a few twists and turns, was shortly turned to a spider. This probably won’t happen to you at this retreat, but the Spool of Golden Thread workshop does take place on the Greek island of Andros, and you’ll learn to hand weave pretty, natural textiles. mariasigma.com

Honouring The Deer Camp in Devon

Oak and Smoke Tannery’s residential course is all about the deer: you’ll learn how to butcher the whole animal to make maximum use of it, tan hide, and even track and trail the creature in the hopes of observing it. It’s not all meat and gung-ho, though – rather, it’s geared around respecting the animals we eat and living in symbiosis with the land. oakandsmoketannery.co.uk

Forest School Mornings at Outdoorium Café, North London

A shorter retreat and one directed at the little ones. Parents can enjoy a break in the foraged food café while young adventurers can set off to spend a morning in Priory Park and the Philosophers’ Garden (near Crouch End) learning about ecology and herbalism, enjoying outdoor activities that focus on memory and communication skills. outdoorium.uk

OmVed Gardens Workshops in Highgate

OmVed Garden was so named for ‘Om’ – the sacred sound of the universe – and ‘Ved’ meaning knowledge. The workshops this regenerative urban garden runs draw on the ‘Ved’ we can develop around ecology through food and creativity. To this end, the garden runs regular supper clubs, citizen science ‘BioBlitz’ events, and sound and making workshops. omvedgardens.com 70 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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Motorbike Paddy Ngale Owls in My Country, 2020, acrylic on canvas, 64 x 64 cm ON DISPLAY AT THE REBECCA HOSSACK ART GALLERY SONGLINES XXXVI: AN ANNUAL SEASON OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL ART 15 JULY - 31 AUGUST 2024 2a Conway Street, London, W1T 6BA Open Monday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm or by appointment info@rebeccahossack.com +44 207 436 4899

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CULTURE | Community

UP YOUR SKILLS

Five lessons from Earthed’s expert instructors

When growing food, aim for biodiversity by mixing root, fruit, flower, and leaf crops. Take your time and build incrementally. Ask yourself: what new crops can I add in with each growing season? Thea Maria Carlson in Biodynamic Farming

Manisha Lath Gupta

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isters Christabel and Ruby Reed have been in the environmental activism space since 2015, when they founded Advaya, which was based around the idea of transformational learning, and ‘bringing people together to explore the deeper, systemic roots of the crises we face,’ according to Ruby. Then, in 2019, they launched the #EcoResolution social media campaign, which featured people like Kim Kardashian, Jack Black, Reese Witherspoon and Will Smith. However, the duo found it was very quickly falling into the traps of what they saw was the issues with the climate movement and social media narratives, and decided to launch a new, community-based platform: Earthed. It is about ‘how we bridge awareness into action,’ says Ruby. ‘And how we can platform and leverage the people who are working on the ground.’ She continues: ‘It’s based on the idea that the most direct way that we can truly impact nature isn’t talking about plastic straws, but actually about rewilding,

ecosystem restoration, supporting biodiversity, and enabling carbon capture through real solutions, not techno fixes – false solutions that just allow the system to continue operating under a different appearance.’ The resulting platform encourages users to learn nature restoration skills, find positive solutions, and build a community of likeminded people. These include – now free – hour-long courses on soil health, coral reef restoration, urban gardening, and biodynamic farming, Ruby and Christabel Reed alongside many others. ‘One of the things that is really exciting is that we’re providing a platform to bring together all of the leaders in the ecosystem restoration, nature-led solutions space, and really presenting it as a movement for everyone,’ says Christabel. ‘Because it can sometimes feel like it’s only for people who are a florist, or a landowner, or an expert farmer. And we’re really trying to put forward the idea that everybody can be a part of it and we can all play a role.’ earthed.co n

Each farm or garden is an integrated living organism – all the flower beds, the pasture, the animals... Learning how to treat the land with biodynamic preparations and practices helps create a selfsustaining whole that generates abundance. Thea Maria Carlson

Tayshan Hayden-Smith

When taking action, it’s important to cultivate a deep understanding of both the environment and community around you. Reaching out to familiar faces or connecting with the places that make up your daily life are both great first steps. Tayshan HaydenSmith in Activating Your Activism

Start seeing your space in 3D: expand your garden, no matter how small, by growing both vertically and horizontally. Alessandro Vitale in Urban Gardening

PHOTOS: © JOYA BERROW; PEXELS

Community meets activism at nature skills platform Earthed. Its teachers share five top tips for getting started

Before planting, spend some time understanding your land, looking at what’s happening around it. Design your garden based on both the movement of the sun and that of the water. And remember to create a multilayered garden of various growing heights. Manisha Lath Gupta in Food Forests

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CULTURE | Motoring

The GREEN LANE

Planned in Sweden, designed in Italy and built in Britain – the Volvo P1800 was a truly cosmopolitan car. Jeremy Taylor drives a classic record-breaker

VOLVO P1800 Year 1962 Price New £1,836 12s 9d Engine 1.8-litre Power 100bhp 0-62mph 12.2 seconds Top Speed 110mph Streaming The Saint, Orbital

rv Gordon loved his car. He loved it so much that he kept it for years and years… and years. In fact, when he died in 2018, the New Yorker had covered more than 3.2 million miles in his Volvo P1800, and driven into the history books. Irv’s cherry red coupe cost £3,000 when he bought it new in 1966 – the year England won the World Cup and petrol cost 24p a gallon. The teacher combined a long commute with weekends away to stack up the equivalent of seven round trips to the Moon, or 130 laps of the world. The secret of his Volvo’s longevity? In 2017, Irv told me a regular service and oil change was all he needed to immortalise his motor in the Guinness Book of Records, acclaimed for driving the greatest distance in the same car. That plus 112,889 gallons of fuel, 492 spark plugs and 33 sets of tyres. Sustainability wasn’t such a topic of conversation 60 years ago. But nowadays, while most of us will average more than a dozen cars in a lifetime, perhaps more drivers should be considering taking a leaf from Irv’s book? To try and prove the point, I’ve borrowed a P1800 to see if you really can drive a classic in the modern world. This particular car is the second oldest right-hand drive model in the world. Originally launched in 1961, this svelte coupe gained iconic status after it appeared in the TV series The Saint, with an up-and-coming young actor called Roger Moore behind the wheel. The producer’s first choice had been the ultra-cool E-Type but Jaguar wasn’t interested! Botoxed modern cars look huge compared

to the elegant, almost dainty P1800. The Volvo also feels tiny behind the steering wheel, which isn’t adjustable but somehow falls neatly to hand. There’s a bank of switches, dials and knobs, plus this car has three-point safety belts! That’s thanks to Volvo too. The Swedish company patented the design but made it available to every car manufacturer, helping to save hundreds of thousands of lives ever since. Depending on your viewpoint, the P1800 also lacks all those sensible but annoying warning sounds that plague every modern car. A modest 1.8-litre engine would have been quite sporty 60 years ago but fitted with a manual gearbox, the coupe can barely keep up with a Transit van today. That said, the plucky P1800 is perfectly comfortable at motorway speeds and scoots along a country A-road with gusto. The P1800 stayed in production until 1973 and after a week behind the wheel, it’s easy to understand why. The Italian styling, chic appeal and bombproof build quality set the standard in the Sixties, turning heads wherever the Volvo went. Irv picked the right vehicle but somehow, I doubt many of us will be covering millions of miles in any modern car.

IN THE BOOT 1 PERFECT PICK-ME-UP An invigorating, non-alcoholic option for the next time you’re the designated driver. Three Spirit Livener, £24.99. threespiritdrinks.com 2 SPLISH SPLASH These Stutterheim boots are made from natural rubber that moulds to your foot for the perfect fit – and available in 16 colours. Chelsea rain walker, £150. stutterheim.com 3 PACK IT IN You’ll be popular when you pitch up with this delightful picnic hamper from Daylesford, packed with organic treats. The Picnic Hamper, £100. daylesford.com

RATING: ★★★★★

N.B. Check out Revival Autos, which refurbishes vintage cars with electric engines and sustainable interiors. revival.autos

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PR O M OT I O N

TAKING OFF

Head to Cornbury House Horse Trials this September for five days of eventing action

n unmissable addition to your latesummer diary is Cornbury House Horse Trials (11-15 September), a fiveday extravaganza of international eventing, brilliant entertainment, and first-class food and drink. It’s all set in the beautiful surroundings of the Cornbury Estate, fringed by the Wychwood Forest in the heart of the Cotswolds.

THE ACTION

Now in its fifth year, Cornbury House Horse Trials brings together the best in international equine talent, with some of the finest young horses and riders in the country competing in a packed calendar of dressage, crosscountry and showjumping. ‘There is so much planned for Cornbury House Horse Trials this year, which my wife, Fiona and I are very excited to announce,’ says David Howden, Cornbury House Horse Trials Founder and President. ‘I am passionate about supporting the best British-based talent, and we are utterly committed to helping the stars of our sport – present and future – to reach their goals. We are delighted to be once again hosting the prestigious British Eventing Young Horse Championships.’

THE ENTERTAINMENT

As well as the high-octane action on the field, there’s plenty of entertainment to keep visitors – young and old alike – busy; whether it's enjoying the live music or occupying the kids at Wildings, the dedicated space for families to get involved with a range of interactive activities.

THE FOOD

The event is also a celebration of the finest Cotswolds food and drink. There’s a new ‘From the Farm’ offering, featuring the best local produce from nearby Cornbury Farm, Bruern Farm, Honeydale Farm, and ‘Field Food’, offering a tasty selection of locally sourced and sustainable food and drink offerings. VIPs can enjoy food cooked by chefs from The Bull in Charlbury. The ‘Endless Lunch’, organised with Mirabeau, redefines traditional hospitality with visually dramatic open fire cooking enjoying a view of the showjumping. ‘I can promise our visitors that this year not only will they be immersed in the very best of British eventing – but also a fabulous day out in a beautiful Cotswold setting,’ concludes David. 11-15 September 2024; tickets on sale now, starting from £5. Children under five go free. cornburyhousehorsetrials.co.uk

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FACT OR FICTION?

There are many myths circulating about electric vehicles. So we asked Polestar’s sustainability team to break some of them down

The new Polestar 4 has a range of up to 385 miles

Aren’t EV batteries and some of the components damaging for the planet and often mined using unethical practices? According to research by the International Energy Agency, electric cars are better for the climate than petrol or diesel ones, even when considering the climate impact of manufacturing and electrical charging. Of course, we have to acknowledge that there are vulnerable and marginalised groups along the supply chain, and the conditions surrounding the extraction and refining of minerals are particularly precarious. Risk assessment, action plans and membership in global multi-partner initiatives like RBA, RMI, Drive Sustainability and Better Mining, can prevent and mitigate those risks in all types of industries with complex supply chains.

Electric cars can only travel short distances before needing to be recharged, right? Wrong! By ensuring maximum efficiency through specialist design and innovation, depending on variant, Polestar 2 has a rated WLTP-range of over 400 miles. What’s more, all Polestar models have Google Maps built-in, so the car will automatically plan the route for you to include any charging stops, even if you want to use a preferred charging provider. For distances over 300 miles (which take around an average of five hours to drive), you will most likely have to stop for a comfort break before the car runs out of charge anyway, so range anxiety is a thing of the past.

Don’t EVs take too long to charge? Plus I’ve heard that there aren’t enough charging stations. There is a large network of charging stations in Europe and North America and this is increasing all the time as EV adoption reaches new heights. At public rapid charging points, it can take as little as 28 minutes to charge a Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor from ten percent to 80 percent, allowing more than enough time to do your weekly grocery shop or to enjoy a coffee break while your car powers up. If charging at home, a vehicle can be charged whenever is convenient for the owner, taking advantage of off-peak tariffs, and ensuring the car is charged to maximum capacity whenever is needed.

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C &T H X P O L E S TA R PA R T N E R S H I P

Aren’t electric cars more expensive to buy and run compared to their non-electric counterparts? The WWF states that running an EV can be up to 90 percent cheaper than conventional cars if charged with electricity generated from renewable energy such as solar power. EVs tend to require a lot less maintenance too, meaning a cost saving for the owner. If you can charge from home using renewable energy, it can cost less than £10 to fill the battery of a Polestar 2 Long Range Single Motor for up to 406 miles (WLTP) of range – far less than refuelling a petrol or diesel vehicle for the same distance.

The electricity used to charge EVs is created by burning fossil fuels, so surely there are still CO2 emissions involved? At Polestar we push for electricity to be created from renewable sources as much as possible. In the UK, we have partnered with Octopus Energy so that our owners can benefit from using 100 percent community-based renewable energy when charging from home. Considering the electricity generation required to charge EVs, figures published in 2020 by the International Energy Agency showed that carbon emissions associated with electric vehicles could be almost half of those produced by cars with an internal combustion engine. For example, the cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of our new electric SUV, Polestar 3, ranges between 28.5-44.5 tCO2e depending on the electricity used to charge the vehicle during its lifetime.

Polestar has partnered with home charging company Ohme for its UK customers

Isn’t it better to keep driving my existing car, instead of investing in a new one? According to data from International Energy Agency, swapping your petrol or diesel car for an electric vehicle can reduce your household’s annual carbon emissions by half. And, if you charge your car with renewable electricity its carbon footprint after purchase can be reduced to almost zero.

Don’t EVs break down more often? Not at all. The idea that EVs are less reliable than its ICE counterparts is yet another common misconception. EVs actually require far less general maintenance, due to fewer moving parts compared with an internal combustion engine, meaning less to go wrong and reduced servicing costs.

What does Polestar do differently to other EV brands? We aim to be transparent regarding our cars’ climate impact, and publish complete Life Cycle Assessments for every vehicle. We are also working to make sure every car in our range has a consistently decreasing carbon footprint. For example, Polestar 2 has a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint that’s three tonnes Co2e lower now than when it launched in 2020, thanks to innovative changes to our manufacturing process and suppliers. Meanwhile, the Polestar 3 has a cradle-to-gate carbon footprint of 24.7t CO2e, significantly lower than that of the smaller fastback Polestar 2 when it launched four years ago. To find out more visit polestar.com

Polestar 3

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CULTURE | News

GOOD NEWS

Tessa Dunthorne is bringing the positive vibes

A WIN FOR GIRLHOOD

GREEN FINGERS

This issue’s guest editor, Arizona Muse, joined some of the C&TH team earlier this year to volunteer to transform the garden of Rhubarb Lodge, a new children’s home in South London. From building raised beds to painting walls, and from power hosing to decorating flower pots and dowsing the land in biodyamic preparations to support soil health, the group donned their gardening gloves and set to work to help create a welcoming and nature-filled retreat for soon-to-be-resident children. ‘We’re hoping we can make this home full of love,’ says its co-founder Ruth. ‘Even if we can set up a support network and make a difference to just one child, then that’s something.’

IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

Brainiacs at Cambridge University have discovered the two earliest, most distant galaxies yet, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. These galaxies date back to the first half billion years of cosmic history, according to Dr Francesco D’Eugeonio, part of the team behind the study. The two galaxies have been named JADES-GS-z14-0 and JADES-GS-z14-1 respectively. Source: Cambridge University

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE; © NASA

A landmark bill in Sierra Leone finally bans child marriage. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Bill 2024 prevents anyone under 18 being married. Thirty percent of girls in Sierra Leone are currently married before the age of 18; four percent of boys are also married. This is in part thanks to the country’s First Lady’s ‘Hands Off Our Girls’ campaign, advocating for the protection of children and childhood. Source: Human Rights Watch

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A STITCH IN TIME

Marks & Spencer has announced a new clothing repair service in partnership with Sojo app. Your holey knitwear can now be mended, and zips replaced, through the M&S website. Clothes purchased through the retailer can also be sent in for alterations. The repair scheme is launched amid a boom in circular fashion services – other retailers offering in-house mends include Mulberry, Barbour and Levi’s.

AI GIVES BACK

Artificial intelligence might prevent elephant fatalities. The southern Indian state Tamil Nadu has rolled out AI-based surveillance tech to detect any crossing beasts on railway tracks. If one of the big mammals enters within 100ft of the live rails, forest and railway officials are alerted so they can slow down any trains and save some lives. Over the past decade, 36 of the animals have been killed by trains, as they cross tracks along their migratory routes to neighbouring forests. Source: The Know

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; © UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE; © NASA

GO WILDCATS

Scottish wildcat kittens have been born in the Cairngorms. These kittens were born in the wild to captive-bred wildcats, released last summer into the national park. This is an exciting first for the Saving Wildcats project led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland; the feline species was feared to be on the verge of extinction. Miracle babies – and awfully cute, to boot. Source: BBC July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 79

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CULTURE | Conservation

The POSITIVE DISRUPTOR Birds of a feather must flock together to demand swift action, says James Wallace

THINK DIFFERENTLY, ACT NOW How to help the swifts

Activist Hannah Bourne-Taylor has stripped off to highlight the plight of swifts in the UK

builds and wall restorations. But despite the backing of respected, high-profile nature lovers like Lord Zac Goldsmith, a petition supported by 110,000 people and appearances on TV, Hannah’s solution fell on deaf ears. Not to be silenced, Hannah insisted on ministerial meetings, winning cross-party backing in a parliamentary debate, then garnered the support of conservation groups and Natural England, with no objections from major house builders. Fast forward a few months, and we’re left wondering if swifts will be welcomed like other rightful migrants or sent packing back to Africa. But still not a word from the powers that be. So, reluctantly, Hannah got her kit off again and caused another media sensation on the way to a Home Office meeting in February. Yet the then-Secretary of State, Michael Gove, was not to be stirred by this bare-cheeked birder. It is quite extraordinary that an individual can still have the power to give life or take it away, and ignore the wishes of the majority. A statesmanly nod and swift bricks would be in the statute books, giving a lifeline to a threatened species. With overwhelming support for the lowest cost conservation programme ever, will the next Secretary of State be more sympathetic to swifts? Or will Hannah have to resort to more drastic measures to save the waning sound of summer? Perhaps doing a Lady Godiva at Lord’s would ruffle the right political feathers into action. James is Chief Executive of River Action n

READ Hannah’s debut nature memoir Fledgling, about saving a wild finch and a swift. (Aurum, £9.99) BIRDBOX Install a swift nesting box on your home or office. peakboxes.co.uk

WEAR A bird across your heart with RSPB T-shirts. rspbteemillstore.com CONSERVE Join your local swift group with Swift Conservation. swift-conservation.org WRITE Ask your local MP to back swift bricks. hannahbournetaylor.com

PHOTOS: © TIM FLACH

can’t wait to take my teenage girls to see England’s women play New Zealand at Lord’s. But it’s not just the thwack of leather on willow we crave, it’s the original sound of British summer: screaming parties of swifts above the MCC Pavilion. For millennia these crescent-winged travellers have brought in the season of strawberries and sixes, but not for much longer. Without urgent intervention, swifts will be consigned to folklore and fossils. As colony nesters of cavities in cliffs, trees, caves, walls and buildings in the UK, swifts return year after year, generation after generation, to the same place. Lose those holes and we lose the whole species. With the contemporary craving for order and homogeneity, swift habitats have all but vanished from towns and villages. Barbecues chez Wallace were incomplete without our swift guests gliding noisily into their summer pied-à-terre – the rest of the year their feet remain airborne – until our landlady innocently tidied up the roof tiles and evicted them from their home. Desperate to protect this most British of birds, ex-model and nature writer Hannah Bourne-Taylor felt she had no choice. Break the law or get naked. Using her body as a canvas in chilly November 2022, she delivered the ‘Feather Speech’ at Speakers’ Corner and walked two miles to Downing Street. Hannah’s request to the government was simple: mandate swift bricks – a £34 brick with a hole in it – in all new 80 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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CULTURE | Sustainability

LITTLE GREEN BOOK

f you haven’t seen the BBC’s YouTube videos of the 66,000 tons of used clothing that is dumped every year in Chile’s Atacama Desert, or the 15 million items ‘donated’ to Ghana every day, and are feeling brave, have a look – although you might need a stiff drink to hand. It’s pretty shocking viewing, even for those who’ve been monitoring fashion waste for decades, like Carole Collet, Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures at Central Saint Martins. If the clothes were made of organic fibres, she explains, they’d at least decompose and feed the earth like compost. But they’re not. They’re often woven from petroleum-derived fibres or pesticide-covered cotton. They’re dyed with chemicals that can poison our water systems and woven from plastics whose micro-particles often end up in living creatures. Like oil, they toxify our planet. When she first came to London in 1991, the French-born textiles graduate had no idea how destructive fashion was. Then she started to visit factories. ‘I suddenly realised that textile factories were only beside rivers so they could get rid of waste,’ she says, ‘and that cotton was not a good “natural” fibre if it was covered in pesticide.’ She felt that if she was going to remain in fashion, she’d have to try and change it. At first, she looked into sustainable textiles and inks, upcycling and recycling. Then in 1997, she heard a talk by Janine Benyus which, she admits, ‘changed everything’. What the author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature explained, Collet says, was ‘how we should learn from nature. How nature runs on solar energy, how the concept of waste doesn’t exist as the death of one is food for another. She talked about circular design – and learning to fabricate as nature does.’ Inspired by the idea of using nature, Collet started to work with scientists to find ways to bring a natural circularity into the fashion world. ‘I realised that there was so much overlap between biology and textiles: they talk of “unzipping DNA”, about “threads”. There is a natural connection.’ Then, armed with her knowledge, and determination to recraft the planet’s future using art, science and technology, in 2000 she launched the world’s first Masters in Material Futures, followed in 2018 by the first MA in Biodesign. Today, as Director of LVMH’s Maison/0 creative platform for regenerative luxury and Co-Director of Living Systems Lab Research Group at Central Saint Martins, she is one of the most respected experts on biodesign. Get her going on the subject of making fabrics, and she waxes lyrical about making rose-shaped accessories from mycelium; weaving ‘lace’ from strawberry roots; building tables from corn husks. She can list great ‘biofabricators’ around the world: the Spiber factory in Japan, which makes a silk identical in molecular structure to a spider’s from plants, and the AMSilk factory in Germany, which makes biotech silk from renewable raw materials. And she’s pretty fascinating on how they have ‘taught’ single-cell organisms, from bacteria to algae, to make materials.

‘One of our graduates, who has a project called Keel Labs,’ she enthuses, ‘even makes material from kelp.’ What’s particularly exciting, she says, is that the boom in biofabricating, biomimicry and biodesign is coinciding with new EU legislation to make production across the continent greener. That, she hopes, will be a gamechanger, because soon every product in Europe will need a ‘green passport’ to show where its components have been made, and of what, so it can be easily dissembled, composted and repaired if necessary. And that’s forcing manufacturers to find sustainable solutions. Previously, she says, no one needed to invent new fabrics because they had polyester and acrylic, which were cheap ‘and that’s all we cared about. Now the expense is not even in the discussion – everyone knows the cost of nature needs to be built into every project.’ Businesses are realising, she says, that without a thriving natural world, they won’t survive. ‘If we kill our insects by spraying cotton, we won’t have pollinators, and we won’t have food. If we warm up our planet by three degrees, they won’t be able to produce cashmere. If we have no water, they can’t grow cotton. They have started to realise they have to act if their businesses are to survive.’ Which is why many companies, she adds, now have put sustainability at the heart of their strategy. For instance, LVMH, which sponsors Maison/0, has an environmental academy, she says, ‘so we can help the way they think and design’. It has also stipulated that, by 2030, all of its products have to be eco-designed – across all brands from fashion and wine to design and hospitality. At Future Fabrics Expo, which took place this June, she says enthusiastically, there were displays of some of the most advanced ‘green’ products devised. One, for instance, showed glasses made in London using biomass waste; ceramics using rice paper, instead of plastic, to impart the patterns onto the clay; cutlery made from silver recovered from X-rays. ‘It’s a whole new way of looking at manufacturing.’ Equally exciting, she says, is students’ thirst to learn. ‘When you and I first started talking about this, 30 years ago,’ she says, ‘students considered sustainability to be an optional thing, not important. Today there is a lot more anxiety: they want skills so they can contribute, to repair the climate and biodiversity.’ And as designers, she adds, ‘they know they can have a real impact. You make one great discovery or implement one decision, and you can change a whole ecosystem.’ Besides, she adds, students are starting to experience the magic of making things using biology and plants. ‘They’re realising that nature is our role model, not people. Once you watch a plant come out of hibernation and change in daylight to make cells turn into a leaf… or watch a mould or mycelium transform food into new materials before your eyes, you’re transfixed. It’s pure alchemy.’ n

‘If we kill our INSECTS by spraying cotton, we won’t have POLLINATORS and we won’t have food. Businesses have started to realise they have to act if they are to SURVIVE’

PHOTOS: © SHUTTERSTOCK; © MISHA HALLER; © IMMATTERS; © PAUL COCHRANE;

Carole Collet is the fashion professor shaping the future of luxury, says Lisa Grainger

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PHOTOS: © SHUTTERSTOCK; © MISHA HALLER; © IMMATTERS; © PAUL COCHRANE;

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Professor Carole Collet; Maison/0’s Rewilding Textiles project, made using natural dyes; mycelium textiles, developed by Carole Collet; the clothes dump in Accra, Ghana.

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CULTURE | Innovation 1

The SOLUTIONISTS

Matilda Cox on three companies whose nature-based technologies inspire hope

THE PROBLEM

Matilda Cox is Content Editor at Springwise, a leading global innovation platform. springwise.com

THE ANSWERS

Did you know that mangroves and seagrass capture carbon much faster than any landbased forests? Plus, these coastal ecosystems are home to thousands of species and provide crucial flood protection. This is why Swiss startup Inverto Earth is working to restore our precious coasts – with the help of drones. Customers ‘adopt’ three by three squared metre nature units, which Inverto restores with the help of local communities and partners like WWF. Drones are deployed to plant seeds at scale, and state-of-the-art tech used to monitor the environmental and social impact of every plot of land. There’s already projects in Pakistan and the UAE, with more in Indonesia and Australia coming soon. inverto.earth

Moving back onto land, Valiha Diffusion hopes to revitalise the forests of Madagascar, a country that’s lost almost a third of its tree cover since the turn of the century. It works with various partners to cultivate healthy bamboo forests on the island. Bamboo is a fast-growing plant, capturing more carbon than hardwood trees and regenerating damaged soils, while also providing food to animals like lemurs. Beyond planting the bamboo, Valiha Diffusion works with local communities to teach them how to sell and use bamboo products, including building materials, baskets and, most importantly, bamboo charcoal – a cleaner source of bioenergy. valihadiffusion.org

Deserts certainly don’t spring to mind when you think of fertile and productive land, but one company wants to change that. HyveGeo, a UK climate-tech startup, plans to ‘green’ deserts in the UAE and beyond with microalgae. Using just wastewater, CO2 , sunlight and unused desert land, HyveGeo grows microalgae and turns it into biochar, biofertilisers and biostimulants. This locks away atmospheric CO2 , and end products can be used to regenerate barren land into arable soil. The process is optimised using robotics and AI, and could see thousands of hectares of arid land transformed into thriving farms that strengthen local food systems. hyvegeo.com n

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Stories of climate change are increasingly dominating headlines, from Australian bushf ires to devastating tornados across the US. Extreme weather is getting impossible to ignore, but global warming is intricately linked with another, lesser spoken about topic: the biodiversity and soil crisis. Between 1970 and 2018, wildlife populations have declined by a staggering 69 percent and soil degradation has reached unprecedented levels, putting strain on global food production and compromising the Earth’s natural ability to trap CO 2 . The United Nations emphasises that biodiversity is our strongest natural defence against climate change, but it’s clearly under threat. So, how do we regenerate our land and restore precious ecosystems? Luckily, these innovators have some ideas.

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Inspired by Nature. Crafted by Neatsmith.

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CULTURE | Interview

Charlotte Metcalf meets photographer Edward Burtynsky, whose industrial landscapes have a montrous beauty – and a vital message about preserving our planet

IN BRIEF COUNTRY COTTAGE OR PENTHOUSE?

We have a cottage on Georgian Bay on the southern shore of Lake Huron, made famous by so many landscape painters. GARDENING OR THEATRE?

I saw Sarah Snook in The Portrait of Dorian Gray and it was incredible. DOG OR CAT?

We have a little 12-year-old mutt poodle-schnauzercocker-spaniel crossbreed, called Barkley because he barks all the time. COUNTRY PUB OR MICHELIN STAR?

The Huron Club is a pub with fantastic beer on tap. My guilty pleasure is its burger. WINE OR TEA

Wine, preferably a good red Burgundy.

PORTRAIT BY ALEXANDRA DAO

aving seen Edward Burtynsky’s recent retrospective at the Saatchi Gallery, I am eager to meet him. When he arrives, he appears upbeat for someone who has spent much of his life creating images out of the catastrophically destructive impact of industrialisation. From a distance many of his images look like huge, beautiful, expressionist paintings. Move closer and you see they are photographs, which appear to have been taken from miles up, showing landscapes decimated by humanity’s activity – logging, mining, quarrying, railways, rubbish dumping, ship-breaking, intensive agriculture, building. The beauty he finds in destruction comprises the central ambiguity at his work’s core, imbuing it with persuasive power that urges us to take the necessary drastic action to save our planet. Ed grew up on Lake Ontario in St Catharines, a small town in which General Motors employed over a tenth of the population, including his father. Ed was familiar with factories from an early age and used to photograph them with the camera his father gave him at 11. He tells me matter-of-factly that his father died when he was 15 and it’s only later, when I probe a little, that I learn his father died from cancer, like many of his colleagues, as a result of working with the now-banned, highly carcinogenic PCB oils. Theses oils were used to weld the cars’ front ends, releasing a fine dust that corroded the lungs irreparably. It’s easy to see how Ed became preoccupied with industrialisation’s deadly side-effects. Ed worked in the mining industry until he had saved enough money to buy a camera and began taking landscape colour photographs. ‘When I finally went to photography school, I was outside the zeitgeist,’ he says. ‘People were doing gritty black and white photography and no one else was seeing mines or logging operations as subjects for art, and no one was using colour photography for anything other than commercial projects. So teachers discouraged me, but that was what got me up in the morning.’ His single-mindedness paid off. Institutes and government offices began buying his work and grants followed. Ed describes photography as the ‘minor miracle’ enabling him to transpose the 3D world into exquisite detail in the fraction of a second. ‘No way could you paint in that detail to be able to see every pebble in the mountainside,’ he says. ‘Photography was the ultimate realist tool, allowing me to use the entire planet as my lump of clay and form it into images.’

Those images have become known the world over via his books and films. His latest film, In the Wake of Progress, which I saw at Saatchi, reduced me and others to traumatised silence. The film came about in 2018 when Naomi Campbell approached him about Toronto’s Luminato Festival, asking if he could fill all 21 huge screens in Yonge-Dundas Square. ‘I wanted people to stop hurrying around in this epicentre of commerce, get caught up in the film for 20 minutes and think about the origins of the stuff in their shopping bags.’ Ed co-produced the piece with Canada’s top music producer, Bob Ezrin, known for his work on Pink Floyd’s The Wall, doing away with narration altogether and allowing the music to help the images speak. ‘The film starts by immersing you in a forest – the whole square was suddenly this big beautiful forest, as it would have been 500 years ago, a world away from the steel concrete and glass,’ explains Ed. From there the film becomes a montage of images presenting evidence of the vicious way we have hacked into, scarred and gouged out great swathes of our earth to build our cities and feed our fast-growing populations. At the end, the film returns to the forest. I tell him how moved I was seeing a stag quietly cross the back of the screen. ‘I wanted to leave people with a sense of hope. Forests have water and where there’s water there’s life. Even horrifically polluted rainwater evaporates and is sucked up into the sky and falls down again to moisturise the earth,’ Ed says. ‘Even after all our transgressions, water can be a virtuous self-purifying material. We’re dislocated from our natural world but nature survives so there are grounds for optimism. I feel insanely wondrous at the planet’s incredible complexity and diversity. We emerged from stardust as mammals and here we are having this conversation today! Our greatest imperative now is to preserve our consciousness and our biodiversity. We’re the most intelligent species and very aggressive, quick to adapt. Such is the power of human ingenuity that we’ll invent the tech to figure out a way to save ourselves and our planet.’ But he admits he has one big fear: ‘Our oceans. We should have called our planet Ocean not Earth because oceans determine life and I’m scared that nothing in our toolkit can fix the catastrophic damage we’ve already done.’ As we part, I feel as I did when I left Ed’s exhibition – optimistic about humanity’s ingenuity, and appalled by our capacity for devastation. It’s precisely this ambiguity that gives his work its unforgettable monstrous beauty. n

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Ed has spent a lifetime capturing industrial landscapes, showcasing its impact on nature and humanity

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Models

MUSE Arizona Muse meets Lily Cole to talk mothers, modelling and doing it differently INTERVIEW LUCY CLELAND FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHER MATTHEW SHAVE

SUN All jewellery Lily Cole x Skydiamond Fabric made from TENCEL™ fibres and filaments

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What or who inspired you to take the path you are both on? Arizona: My mother’s ways are woven throughout the fabric of my childhood which led me to become who I am today. Before having kids, she had many adventures, hitchhiked through Africa in her 20s and had started reading about the divine feminine, so she was already walking a path of transformation which seeded the way for me. Lily: It’s interesting because Arizona and I have never had this conversation before, but I too credit my mum as having the biggest influence on me. I was brought up by her as a single parent. She grew up on a farm in the south of Wales and describes how every single thing was reused, clothes were fixed, handmade, and passed from generation to generation. She is very conscientious and cares deeply about the issues of the world and she didn’t filter that. And she too hitchhiked around Asia. Our mums need to hang out! Did you ever rebel? Lily: There were definitely lots of periods of rebellion. I sometimes challenge specific opinions my mum has about specific topics, but I must admit, the apple probably doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Arizona: In hindsight my rebellion was to go into the fashion industry because I felt like my whole childhood in Santa Fe, New Mexico, was compelling me to be a farmer and go into earth activism. To venture into the city and experience a different lifestyle entirely was the opposite of everything I had known.

ily Cole and Arizona Muse are fellow models and fellow climate activists. Their success on the catwalk – and in Lily’s case, the silver screen – has given them a platform from which to launch their activist selves. Lily co-founded Impossible.com, a social network aimed at encouraging a gift economy, and has written a book, Who Cares Wins: Reasons For Optimism in Our Changing World (and hosts a podcast of the same name), which explores solutions to global challenges. She also collaborates with brands on sustainable products, including a new jewellery collection for Skydiamond. Arizona was named by Anna Wintour as ‘the new face of American fashion’ before finding her passion in soil regeneration and setting up DIRT Charity, which works to help turn fashion into a climate solution. She also consults to help brands incorporate sustainability into their strategies and, most recently, is partnering with the Founders Forum Group, supported by Tech Nation, to launch a new climate event.

What was fashion to you? Lily: Fashion happened to me. I was living in London, got scouted when I was 14 and quickly was working internationally. In some ways I was mesmerised by it, it was a real escape from my childhood and the challenges I might have had at that time. There were tons of creative people and I’d always dreamt of travelling. But I quickly started to feel uncomfortable with the levels of waste and wanted to understand more about supply chains. It’s only recently that we’ve normalised this level of waste, whether it’s throwing clothes in the bin or it’s single-use plastics. We now have this disposable attitude. So I started to challenge specific brands and draw attention to specific issues. And how did your relationship with fashion develop? Arizona: I started to feel really unwell. In truth, I started to hate my whole existence. I remember sitting on shoots and feeling like I didn’t have hands and feet anymore, nor a voice. It was partly because of the sheer physicality of travelling so often, as well as the gradual chipping away at my self image and overall sense of purpose. I also already had my first child,

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EARTH (left) Cocktail earring Lily Cole x Skydiamond Make-up embellishment by Phyllis Cohen @face_ lace, using lace made of sustainable cork WATER (right) Top and skirt E.L.V. Denim Diamonds in water Skydiamond

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FIRE Swimsuit Hunza G Body chain Lily Cole x Skydiamond

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AIR Dress Mother of Pearl Fabric made from TENCEL™ fibres and filaments

What would you like to see change in the world? Arizona: I love imagining life the way it could be if we made the changes we so urgently need, which are threefold; one is government policy about money needing to be spent on things that are having a positive impact. Secondly, we must have more regulation for businesses who choose the easy way forward which doesn’t usually equate to the most healthy future for our planet and society as a whole. And, of course, we need to reconnect ourselves back into nature. The only way we feel moved to protect something is if we know it, and love it. Lily: I was been lucky enough to be invited to Plum Village last year, a Zen Buddhist monastery in France. Christiana Figueres (see interview on page 96) had organised a retreat there for people working in the climate space. It was teasing out questions, from a Zen Buddhist philosophy, about how we approach activism and the climate crisis with lessons around the connection between our inner spiritual worlds and our mental health and the world we create outside. And it’s about the energy we bring. We are creating the world through the energy and intention and the way we act every day in small gestures. It can be problematic if we come at solutions with anger, frustration and division.

Nikko, and so it was a continuous balancing act which really affected my mental health. I’m grateful that my childhood had a positive impact on me, and so when I was invited to a Synchronicity Earth event on biodiversity and heard Jessica Sweidan speak, I was simply entranced and felt like I was returning to the life I experienced while growing up. It brought me back down to the roots of my upbringing and gave me the perspective to think beyond my own world and into the life that surrounds me. It was a big moment for me, and I have felt increasingly more fulfilled ever since. Lily: I think [modelling] it is a peculiar job. I’m mindful as I also recognise it’s a huge privilege, but at the same time, I think it’s a very psychologically strange job that’s quite disorientating. We live in a world where everything is commodified and for sale, and there’s something quite intense about that being your body and your face. You are literally selling yourself in the early days of modelling. You go around with a book of pictures of yourself, like a car salesman, but the car is you.

What’s giving you joy at the moment? Lily: In short, my nine-year-old daughter, who’s just a wild ball of energy and fun. The other big joy for me is art and creativity; for the last few years I’ve been really trying to create more space and time in my life for more creative endeavours, like designing a jewellery collection for Skydiamond using recycled gold. It feels good, like an alignment. Arizona: Being an intentional human being is where joy finds me throughout my life; where I invest my energy, who I spend my time with and how I choose to spend it. I am re-evaluating what it means to say no to certain plans so that I can say yes to things I truly want and need, such as time with my family in nature, which is where my joy awakens. I’m currently asking myself where I can find the most growth, so when I have issues as a parent, for example, I stop and question why that might be. The answer often leads me to something I need to unravel internally, and I’m trying to give myself the non-judgmental space to enquire. The more I learn, and the more intentional I become, the more gratitude I have for the sacredness of being human on Earth. Lily Cole x Skydiamond collection is available now. skydiamond.com n

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ICE TEAM Make-up: Lan Nguyen Grealis @Eighteen Management using ILIA Beauty Hair: Davide Barbieri at A-Frame-Agency using Living Proof Nails: Christie Huseyin using Nailberry Video: Olly Bharat Fashion assistant: Lizzie Ash Photographer’s assistants: Irene Cano and Alicia Colarusso

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Good

GRIEF

n 2015, Costa Rican diplomat Christiana Figueres achieved a phenomenal world first; bringing together 196 countries to sign the Paris Agreement, a united global commitment to keep temperatures to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. But nearly ten years later, as COP secedes COP and news reports flood in of climatic turbulence and species extinction, Figueres acknowledges the despair of leading climate scientists who believe that unless we radically change our living habits now we will crash through that ceiling, hitting global temperatures 2.5 to three degrees above pre-industrial levels. It’s a despair mirrored in communities across the world. ‘So many people today are in grief about what we are losing. I too am in a sense of deep loss about the impact on nature and on humanity,’ she says. But the question to ask is: ‘So what are we going to do about it?’ Are we going to sit and wallow in our despair? Absolutely not,’ says Figueres, who co-hosts the podcast series Outrage and Optimism. She’s calling for a quick energy transition but is also attuned to the grief felt by so many, not least because of her own personal experience. At the time of the Paris negotiations, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was suffering from suicidal trauma. Her now-former husband’s revelation that their 25-year ‘happy’ marriage was a sham triggered a personal crisis. ‘Out of the clear blue sky, he told me he had never been loyal to me. It hit me so hard that I became suicidal.’ Figueres was working in Germany with a team of 500 people but had to stop travelling by train alone because her impulse was to throw herself in front of one. It became unbearable; she was crying herself to sleep every night, then getting up in the morning, putting on a smile and going to work.

As she talks, I cannot help wondering whether the apparent coincidence of what happened next was not in fact the serendipity of a cruel but effective divine intervention. ‘When things became completely unsustainable,’ she told me, ‘I was blessed by the forces of the universe.’ She met Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk widely considered to be the father of mindfulness in the West. Later, she credited his teachings with informing the language she used to secure the Paris Agreement, an extraordinary feat in bringing so many people with such diverse cultural and economic requirements to one table. ‘Nobody really comes to listen,’ she says, ‘but to inform everyone else of their position.’ (She conjures a mind-boggling maze; 196 countries, each with at least three different points of view on 70 different topics of negotiation, all of which had to be unravelled.) Her own personal story unravelled over the Christmas break when Figueres sought out Thay (as his students called him, before he passed away in 2022) at Waldbröl, the Costa Rican diplomat site of a former mental institution only Christiana Figueres 45 minutes away from the negotiations. During WWII, all 700 of its patients were exterminated by the Nazis, who then used it to house its Nazi Youth. ‘Thay chose this place that had seen absolute, inhuman cruelty deliberately to show it was completely possible to turn pain into love, victim into victor, hate into love and forgiveness,’ said Figueres. ‘It was such a powerful story, mirroring the journey of the climate negotiations. A journey from blame to collaboration. From feeling paralysed and helpless to feeling empowered.’ A key challenge in the climate negotiations was the rift between the global north and global south, with the latter feeling a victim of the industrialised countries of the northern hemisphere, says Figueres. ‘Objectively, the

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PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK; © UNCLIMATECHANGE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

ANNABEL HESELTINE delves into the transformative journey of Christiana Figueres, the visionary behind the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK; © UNCLIMATECHANGE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

FROM TOP: Christiana on stage with Brandon Ng, CEO of Ampd Energy, and Prince William at Earthshot in 2023; the moment the Paris Agreement was finalised; Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, whose teachings helped shaped the accord

developing countries are justified in feeling a victim. But if you perceive yourself as such, implicitly you are accusing somebody else of being the perpetrator and that other person is never going to happily take on the mantle of perpetration. So it’s a seesaw of accusations.’ From Thay’s teachings Figueres understood the analogy in her personal life, recognising that if she perceived herself as a victim, she carried that dynamic too. So, she worked on changing her own mindset. ‘I had to understand that I have the tools to walk with a different energy. As does everyone.’ It was hard work but in the process of getting out of her own victimhood ‘my conversation changed and I saw a change within the conversations I was having.’ Figueres realised that rather than preaching to leaders, she was far more effective asking questions about their longterm interests, how they saw themselves growing as nations and how they could protect their people. ‘The more they talked, the more they moved into First World thinking and considered their responsibility in the future. Then we could find a common ground and have a different conversation.’ Figueres studied with Thay until his death, and continues to share his teachings and the insights gained from them with climate activists, leaders and people working with global diversity issues. ‘I am so grateful because if I had not been in that space of my own grief and despair, I probably would have intellectualised it and would not have fully identified with the pain and the grief that I see in so many of my fellow colleagues working on climate and biodiversity issues,’ she says. ‘Now it goes straight to my heart.’ Accepting her own trauma empowered Figueres to lead others with courage and conviction in a way that is refreshingly different from the traditional stiff-upper-lip masculine stereotype, who could never have conceived of admitting to suicidal tendencies while leading world negotiations. ‘It’s so important that we all recognise that we’re just human beings, all trying our very best at different points in our life, with different challenges.’ And the greatest challenge is climate change, says Figueres, the daughter of the former president of Costa Rica, a country leading by example in the fight to change the scary trajectory global warming is taking us towards; its electricity

comes from renewables which now need to be rationed because of drought. In a neat circle we return to talking about Nature’s gift as a healer and a teacher. Nature is fascinating, says Figueres who has just taken a biomimicry course with Janine Benyus, who believes that the more people learn from nature’s mentors, the more they’ll want to protect nature. ‘But what was most fascinating is the fact that we think nature is out there and that we are in here. The first thing we have to do is disarm this separation. We are in nature, not apart from, but a part of it. We are so busy with our humanness, that we don’t take the time to see what’s around us, hugging, embracing and feeding us. The more we understand that, the better we are able to embrace the opportunities staring us in the face. ‘Twenty or 30 years ago we thought all we had to do was take the pressure off nature and optimise our use of resources, but now because of our footprint we need to do more. We need to roll up our sleeves and get stuck in. And we can,’ says the indefatigable diplomat. ‘We have the technologies, the policies and the finance to do it. To be able to say that we were part of the regeneration is an incredible gift.’ The full interview can be listened to on Annabel’s podcast series Hope Springs, by the Resurgence Trust, launching on 13 September; resurgence.org n July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 97

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charity

Founded by Arizona Muse

@dirt.charity

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Can a campaign get traction to persuade us not to dig the earth to release carbon?

Soil has had a sexy makeover – and everyone – from super models to pop stars – is getting down and dirty in it. But will a fledgling campaign help us all get involved to save our soil and therefore ourselves? asks FLEUR BRITTEN July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 99

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PHOTOS: PRIME VIDEO; AFONSO PALMA

verheard in the cinema recently: ‘It’s so weird that a film with “soil” in the title has sold out.’ These words, uttered by a Picturehouse employee, were caught by the independent film producer Claire Mackenzie at a London screening of her latest production, Six Inches of Soil. The film, which narrates the journey of three new regenerative farmers, has been ‘the most successful documentary Picturehouse has ever put on their environmental screening programme,’ says Mackenzie. Soil, you see, has become sexy, with even A-listers singing its praises. And it gets a lot sexier than Jeremy Clarkson, who, to his credit, has taken farming and the concept of soil health mainstream thanks to Clarkson’s Farm. The model Gisele Bündchen has been eulogising about soil and its impact on our health in the Netflix documentary Kiss the Ground (central message: saving our soil could save the planet). Meanwhile, the musician Andy Cato has his hands deep in the stuff, having got his Wildfarmed breads and flours – made from regeneratively farmed ingredients – into Waitrose and M&S. Now with 90 farmers in the Wildfarmed network, Cato is on a mission to help others move towards soil-focused farming to make real food for the high street. What’s more, Instagram is full of – wait for it – compost influencers and hashtags such as #sexysoil and #blackgold. The organic farmer and Soil Association CEO Helen Browning has had a good vantage point from which to observe soil’s recent image overhaul. ‘For a long time, people kept saying to me, “Why don’t you change the name of your association? People think soil is just dirt.” It was felt not to be of interest to

your average person.’ Since the start of her tenure at the Soil Association in 2011, Browning has seen the perception of soil go through a ‘really big shift’, from being ‘a bit yucky’ to, well, a topic for ‘long conversations’ with the actor Laura Dern when she was filming Jurassic World Dominion in 2022: ‘She wanted to make soil a bigger part of that story,’ says Browning. Soil’s transition to star power has taken 10 or so years, Browning says, thanks to farmers recognising that ‘their yields were plateauing because their soils were running out of steam’. And, she adds: ‘There have been some great films that have caught people’s imagination.’ The point is, explains Futurenauts podcaster and environmental advisor Mark Stevenson, that in order to achieve net zero, ‘we have to draw down huge amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. One of the best ways is to bring it back into the soil.’ Vast quantities of carbon, he adds, are lost through industrial farming, depleting microbial life and turning soil into dirt. ‘But the great thing about soil is there’s a lot of it,’ he says, ‘and you can rewire the microbiome and turn it back on again.’ Not only does that draw carbon back into the soil, he explains, ‘it also increases soil fertility, reduces the need for fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation, and increases yield. It makes perfect sense long-term.’ It’s why Stevenson is cooking up a new campaign, No Dig for Britain (working title), encouraging gardeners everywhere not to till their land. He expects it to make a significant difference – British gardens, he explains, comprise one of the biggest chunks of private land in the country (according to the Wildlife Gardening Forum, that’s about 4,330 square kilometres). And, ‘as soon as you disturb the soil,’ he adds, ‘carbon is released. Not digging is a way of trying to keep it there.’ Carbon, he explains, will bond with anything – including oxygen when exposed to

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PHOTOS: PRIME VIDEO; AFONSO PALMA

FROM LEFT: Andy Cato introduces regenerative farming to Kaleb Cooper and Jeremy Clarkson; Helen Browning (bottom) at home on her organic farm with cows and pigs; farmers Ben and Claudia feature in Six Inches of Soil

‘CARBON will bond with anything – including oxygen when exposed to air: “It is the SLUT of the periodic table.” You see – SEXY!’

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FROM TOP: FarmEd, Britain’s first regenerative demonstration farm; Waltham Place in Berkshire

air: ‘It is the slut of the periodic table.’ You see – sexy! Stevenson’s movement is about harnessing citizen power and capturing the potential of regenerative gardening – ie, applying the same principles that regenerative farmers such as Cato use on their land. Regenerative farming – whereby farmers work to improve soil quality by reducing tilling, using fewer pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, increasing biodiversity, planting soil-protecting cover crops, rotating the grazing locations, etc – not only draws down carbon, but also creates a nutrient-rich soil. Those benefits are passed on to the produce – and your gut. Choosing what food you buy will make a big difference to our soil health. Waitrose recently announced that, by 2035, it will source UK meat, milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables from farms using regenerative practices. Until that time, and with many supermarkets driving prices down (sometimes below that of production), why not buy direct from regenerative farmers? Six Inches of Soil’s ‘Dig Deeper’ section on its website lists some great food directories, including Regenerative Farmers of UK, Big Barn for local food suppliers, Pasture for Life farms, and the Nature Friendly Farmers Network. It’s worth noting that most farmers don’t view organic or regenerative as better or worse than each other. Browning sees regenerative farming as a ‘pathway’ to organic: ‘Regenerative farming doesn’t feel like such a big chasm to cross.’ But there’s also ‘much innovation that organic farmers can learn from the regenerative space,’ she adds – such as direct-drilling cereal crops into clover leys, tall-grass grazing and ‘mobstocking’ (intensive, temporary grazing). ‘I think organic and regenerative farming can work together,’ she says. There’s also the growing movement in biodynamic farming, which Arizona Muse’s DIRT Charity supports through fundraising. And there are other ways we can all contribute to soil health. ‘You can use these techniques at a garden level,’ says Browning; for example, ‘planting a big variety [of plants], creating pollinator strips, putting your food compost back into the soil.’ Browning has turned most of her garden into ‘a mini agroforest’, she says. ‘Almost like an arboretum, where we’re growing fruits and nuts.’ Personally, I will be taking a ‘minibeast safari’ and ‘weed walk’ at FarmED in the Cotswolds, a new centre for farming and food education, where I’ll get to learn how to boost my garden’s biodiversity. As Britain’s first regenerative

demonstration farm, it offers a host of workshops, all with the aim of sharing skills and successes. FarmED doesn’t offer any online courses, because, explains Kate Henderson, agricultural lead, ‘We want to bring people together in the same room so that there is peer-to-peer knowledge transfer.’ And I’ll be visiting Waltham Place in Berkshire, a gorgeous 220-acre organic and biodynamic farm and garden with lots to do – plus a wonderful farm shop in which to stock up on biodynamic produce. If you don’t have your own patch of soil, consider joining a community garden, where local people work together to grow anything from tiny wildlife gardens to large city farms, all taking home a share of the harvest (goodtogrowuk.org). Or, says Henderson: ‘Just get outdoors. If you can connect with nature, you’ll end up wanting to care about it.’ Go on, dig in and get filthy. n

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PHOTOS: PRINCESS OF WALES © SHUTTERSTOCK

Veja, the sustainable sneaker choice of many

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Look GET THE

The success of sneaker brand Veja shows how regenerative business can help change the world, says TIFFANIE DARKE

PHOTOS: PRINCESS OF WALES © SHUTTERSTOCK

t first glance there may not be much the Princess are open to abuse. Earthsight’s revelations precipitated stinging letters from of Wales and the Brazilian farmer Valquíria Viana these high-street brands: Better Cotton is the only transparency they have dos Santos have in common, but both like the same on their complex and varied supply chains. With Better Cotton’s reputation sneakers. For Kate, they are an inevitable part of her in tatters, so is theirs. mum-on-the-run uniform; for Valquíria, they are Sebastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion, the friends who a cash crop allowing her to remain on the land her co-founded Veja in 2004, have set up their business to ensure they will never be in this position. Their intention was this from the get-go: to know exactly ancestors were brought to as slaves. where everything came from and to build a best-in-class supply chain, investing The sneakers are made from cotton canvas and Amazonian rubber, and are made by Veja, a French company that is becoming in every pair of hands and field that touches their product. Looking for a way a best-in-class model for regenerative business. out of banking (‘it was boring’), they went in search of a better way to enjoy life. Money, they agreed, wasn’t the end – it While we in the West might struggle with what this was the means. They toured the world actually means, Valquíria feels it every day. It has been looking for inspiration, concluding that the key to expanding her family agro-ecology business and generating an income that allows her to raise her a Brazilian Fairtrade coffee model sons as a single mother. Veja pay Valquíria three seemed the closest to ‘good business’ – giving small farmers a direct and welltimes the market price for cotton, which she sells direct to them through her local co-operative. paid route to market. And for them, an She also qualifies for a bonus if she stewards her excuse to spend time in a country they farm correctly. Veja requires an organic practice, love. They swapped coffee for cotton and multi-cropping, and a careful written record rubber, and as they were both obsessed of weather, harvests and soil health. Which is with sneakers, designed a shoe. They called the brand Veja because it means more or less how these family farmsteads have ‘look’ in Portuguese, and that’s what farmed for generations. they were doing, looking all the way Valquíria, who runs a baking business on the side, is one of thousands of small-scale back to the beginning of things. Their agroecological farmers who hold the secret growth has been experimental, cautious to the future of farming and supply. This fact may and steady, but they have just opened a shop in Covent Garden, following ones be lost on her as she stands resplendent, in flawless in Paris, Tokyo and New York. Without makeup, in the heat of the morning sun, but she making any compromises along the already has plans to take on more land. ‘My dream is to have my cotton crop bigger – to have commerce way, they have grown to sell four million for all our people,’ she says, surveying her rows of pairs of shoes a year. cotton, corn, sweet potato and pepper. ‘Then life ‘The fun of it also grows,’ says conditions would improve greatly.’ François. ‘The business is like a living thing, like a tree that grows a new Sadly, Brazil’s wider cotton industry is not in such good health. According to the NGO Earthsight, there branch every year, not going too high The Princess of Wales (left) is a fan are proven links to deforestation and human rights and sometimes losing a bit of self of Veja; Valquíria Viana dos Santos abuses. Even crops trademarked ‘Better Cotton’, a too. Seventeen years is nothing – it (right) outside her house in Brazil certification brands such as Zara and H&M rely on, takes two to three hundred years in July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 105

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Dressing Differently a forestry cycle to get the really big trees.’ It is François who brought me to Valquíria’s house. The easy way he chats with her mother, cuddles her cat and jokes about his love of cakes makes you understand how this supply-chain relationship works. He and his on-theground team visit these farmers all the time. They know them personally, their families, their fields, as they do the rubber farmers in the Amazon and the rubbish collectors in Rio who source the plastic bottles they recycle into PET for the eyelets in the shoe. François is big with the hugs, quick with the jokes, adores everyone he meets and listens – really listens – when they talk. ‘We can learn so much from them,’ he remarks following an involved conversation about the biduca pest, the blight of the cotton plant. Veja makes a ten to 15 percent profit margin on each shoe because everything goes back into its supply chain. Would Veja ever be tempted to plough its profit into sports stars and ad campaigns, like other trainer brands? ‘Where would be the fun in that?’ he replies. Veja has become the primary supporter of thousands of small, family cotton farmers in the north of Brazil, offering

them the opportunity to stay on their land, to grow a safe path forward. As Valquíria says, ‘Few women want to work in the field, as it’s hard. But if you focus, you get the reward. Everything we want in life requires determination to make it happen.’ So how should we, the shoppers, make decisions about what we buy that can help enable supply chains such as this one, as opposed to ones chopping down the rainforest and exploiting workers? When we cannot rely on certifications such as the egregiously misrepresentative ‘Better Cotton’, it leaves us out on our own. If you want brands you can really trust, you have to look. Look at where something has come from, how it is made, what happens after it is sold, (mending and recycling services), and what benefit society is gaining from it (Veja’s logistics operations are staffed by disabled and marginalised people). That’s when you find the purest form of good business. In my view, it begins with intention. What are you trying to do here? Make a cool product, make lots of money, or improve the world? If you start with the last, the other two might just follow. n

‘Look at where something has come from, how it is MADE, what happens after it is SOLD, and what benefit society is GAINING from it’

Three more futurethinking brands

1 MOTHER OF PEARL Creative director Amy Powney’s search for a best-in-class supply chain became the subject of a riveting documentary, Fashion Reimagined. Not only are her collections leading the way in terms of sustainability, they earn you serious fashion points, too. motherofpearl.co.uk 2 COMMUNITY CLOTHING The Lancashire factory behind this brand is owned by Great British Sewing Bee judge and tailor Patrick Grant. Affordable, wellmade and with a visionary future: it’s soon going to start growing its own dyes. communityclothing.co.uk 3 ANOTHER TOMORROW Set up just a few years ago with the intention of showing the luxury industry how to do good at scale, this American brand has such a cool aesthetic that Angelina Jolie is now on board. Elevated basics made from superior materials. anothertomorrow.co

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A Brewing

STORM We’re a coffee-drinking nation, but is our daily cup at risk, asks TESSA DUNTHORNE

‘W

PHOTOS: © NESPRESSO

e’re seeing lower yields,’ says coffee crusader Pacita Juan. ‘Climate change is drying up trees growing in lower elevations. Without rain, they’ll die. We now water them. The effects of climate change are going to be detrimental not just to coffee – but all crops in general.’ Pacita is calling me from the Philippines, where she is the president of its Coffee Board. Over the past decade, they’ve noticed their trees suffering from global heatwaves, and it’s worrying them. What’s the future of the crop? And if coffee is under threat, what does it say about the wider state of our food systems? Coffee grows as a fruit across over 40 countries along the equatorial tropics of Capricorn and Cancer – the ‘bean belt’. The biggest producer is Brazil, followed by Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia and Ethiopia. The Philippines, by contrast, is a niche grower state. It doesn’t represent as large a proportion of its economy, so if the crop fails, the effects are less extreme. A nation such as Ethiopia, though, where coffee is its biggest export? That’s disastrous. ‘Coffee is highly sensitive to changing climates, and this crop is highly threatened,’ says Dr Aaron Davis, head of coffee research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ‘Our two main coffee crops, arabica and robusta, have been doing great service since the early 20th century, but farmers are now reporting serious issues growing these species.’ The Philippines, thanks to its mountainous, volcanic terrain, is uniquely suited to grow four different species of coffee crop – arabica, robusta, liberica and excelsa – which allows it to observe the impact of climate change across various growing conditions. The fact that it grows four species is unusual; arabica and robusta account for 99 percent of the coffee produced worldwide. Arabica, typically cultivated in east Africa and South America, thrives only within a narrow range of environmental conditions; it begins to suffer from heat stress above 40˚C. Robusta grows in wet, tropical Africa and Asia, and handles slightly more heat than arabica, but is a 108 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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Farming coffee might be harder as the climate changes

PHOTOS: © NESPRESSO

Caldas, Colombia. The coffee producing landscapes in Colombia are UNESCO World Heritage Sites

thirsty plant that – with droughts on the increase – now needs irrigation. The latter also tastes worse; it’s typically kept for instant coffee. Today, even in a moderate warming scenario, according to CarbonBrief’s commodity profile, Brazil stands to lose up to 80 percent of its coffee-growing land. Worldwide, it looks to be about half. And it’s not just the rising temperature that’s at play; the fact that we cultivate only two species of coffee invites trouble. Limited genetic variety means this crop has little resilience to environmental threats (coffee leaf rust disease and invasive pests). Farmers ideally would breed out these issues, but 60 percent of the more than 120 wild coffee species are already at high risk of extinction. It’s to the wild, then, that researchers head with urgency. The clock is running out for coffee and this is how we save the bean. I first met Dr Aaron Davis two years ago at a talk at Kew. The research centre had organised a series on the future of our food, arguing that our planet was going to struggle to keep growing foodstuffs in the way it had for millennia. The talk I remember with total clarity was Aaron’s. He stood in front of us – tanned from fieldwork – and said our coffee was dying and that there was probably no going back, but that there was still hope. His globally spread team was doing the work of finding alternatives, new beans that could survive a changing world. When I talk to him again, he is just back from Borneo. ‘We’d flown to Kuching and then headed north into the remote river valleys where people were growing liberica excelsa,’ he says. His career has been spent in the field seeking out these remote plant species. ‘At the beginning, I worked in traditional botanic research,’ he says, ‘but then I got interested in coffee and climate change, and how this would affect both wild and cultivated species. I began to wonder whether we could use the knowledge we’d built up on wild species to see if there were any alternative species that are more tolerant of drought and high temperatures.’ Liberica is one of a few species that Kew is studying in the bid to find a climate-resilient bean. It was, according to Aaron, almost forgotten:

‘At the end of the 19th century, liberica was a global commodity, but then farmers discovered robusta, which they began to prefer to grow, so the former fell out of usage at the global scale, only cultivated on a small scale in areas of Southeast Asia – until recently.’ Why liberica? Simply put, ‘It’s a big, thuggy plant,’ says Aaron. Its deep roots and thick, fleshy leaves gives it an environmental resilience that other species lack. Pacita agrees. ‘We call it the “wild boar” species here because it’s so thick,’ she says. ‘It survives really well because it grows under the shade of trees – where it’s about five degrees cooler.’ ‘And we’re developing excelsa coffee in Uganda,’ Aaron says, ‘it’s a related species to liberica and very tough. We haven’t got the data yet to evidence that it’s drought- and heat-tolerant, but it’s more so than robusta and arabica. We’re still a little circumspect though, because we can’t yet prove it.’ Then there’s stenophylla, a species that’s been ‘rediscovered’, having not been seen in the wild since 1954. ‘It tastes like arabica – has a high-quality flavour profile – but it grows in much warmer conditions and through dry seasons.’ Tasting panels with Q graders from Nespresso and Jacobs Douwe Egbert back this up. Wild coffee species offer a potential lifeline to the coffee industry. It might mean our supermarket shelves will look a bit more varied – think of the choices of teas we already enjoy. It might also mean scientists have a starting point for breeding resilient hybrid plants. ‘It begins by providing options for farmers,’ Aaron says. ‘They need a choice because an arabica farmer in the future is unlikely to be able to grow robusta – it has different environmental needs – but they might be able to switch to excelsa.’ These aren’t magic bullets though. Excelsa and liberica have lower yields than our favoured cultivated coffees, and represent less than one percent of what’s grown globally right now. It’d be a big ask to make a complete jump to new beans – and, at lower yields, with less profit opportunity. According to Forbes, 80 percent of coffee farmers are living in a cycle of subsistence. With all this demands, some farmers might opt out of the game entirely. ‘There will be less coffee producers [in the future], which will be an issue,’ says Aaron. ‘It’s not just about climate change. The younger generations do not want to do what their fathers, mothers, grandparents did. There’s a demographic shift coming.’ The other bad news, then? There’s no doubt our cup of joe is about to get more expensive. ‘With fewer people growing it on smaller profit margins and with antagonistic influences like climate change, the price [of coffee] will go up,’ says Aaron. ‘The weather is punishing, it’s more difficult to get coffee from the farms,’ Pacita says. ‘Prices have already gone up. Robusta is crazy right now – I haven’t seen prices [like that] in my whole career. It’s through the roof.’ With all this in mind, talk abounds around alternatives: synthetic coffees – the likes of Atomo’s beanless espresso. ‘Production starts by identifying the compounds in other farm-grown ingredients that contribute to the July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 109

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Atomo’s coffee is the ‘real’ thing – but contains no coffee beans

distinctive flavours and aromas of coffee,’ says Atomo chief operating officer Ed Hoehn. The brand claims to recreate coffee so thoroughly that, in blind taste tests, the drink is indistinguishable from the real thing (the company identifies the beverage as a ‘real’ coffee but still a product distinct from the ‘traditional’ ones). And these coffees have the added benefit of being significantly less carbonintensive than traditional ones. (HowGood verifies that Atomo’s drink is 83 percent lower in emissions using 70 percent less farmland.) The relationship between coffee and the climate isn’t one way either: coffee has significant impact on the planet. According to UCL, ‘Growing a single kilogram of arabica coffee in Brazil or Vietnam and exporting it to the UK produces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 15.33kg of carbon dioxide on average’. A single cup of the stuff requires 39 gallons of water according to Unesco Institute for Water Education – which will rise as more coffee farms require irrigation. Given the environmental impact of the drink, is it time we start thinking of coffee like we do meat: lowering our consumption and mixing alternatives into our diet?

‘I think synthetic coffees will have their place,’ says Aaron. ‘Some consumers will say, “Yeah, that’s fine, as long as it tastes like coffee and has caffeine”.’ Should we be okay, though, with taking coffee out of the hands of grower-producer nations? Even putting aside the economic importance of the crop for the lives of those in the ‘bean belt’, this type of farming makes up part of the cultural heritage of these nations. In Colombia, the coffee producing regions of Caldas, Quindio, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca are World Heritage sites. To save our coffee crops, then, there’s a need to futureproof existing farmlands. Coffee plants enjoy a lifespan of more than a decade and establishing new crops takes three to four years. Before we’re ready to breed new species, we need those that exist to keep on producing fruit, lest they be wasted. Some producers – not just small, independent ones, but large ones like Nespresso – are already doing this through regenerative farming. ‘Regenerative agriculture has the potential to both reduce agri-food emissions and leave the land in better condition than how one finds it,’ says Mary Childs, Nespresso’s UK sustainability lead. ‘Our aim with our regenerative programme is to increase both the yields and quality of our coffee. And for us, sustainability and quality are things that go hand in hand.’ Restoring soil (a key part of regenerative farming) helps adapt the crop to handle unpredictable weather conditions, such as heavy rain, so it’ll be less at risk of erosion. ‘We’re also installing windbreaks to make the plants less susceptible to extreme weather events,’ says Mary. Then, there’s work to be done planting trees around coffee regions to sequester carbon and improve biodiversity, which further supports the soil. Going back to Pacita’s point, climate change will be detrimental to coffee and, indeed, many other crops – if not all of them. Coffee is perhaps one of the canaries falling silent in this planet-shaped coalmine of ours. But there’s hope – adaptive measures, alternative drinks and considered crops – and how we ‘do’ coffee might just form the model for how we do agriculture in the future. n

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Maria Grazia Chiuri’s AW24 Collection traces its roots back to Marc Bohan’s 1960s tenure at Dior

MISS D A Thoroughly Modern

As a Dior pop-up comes to Harrods this summer, AW24 collection to the transformational late 1960s

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LISA ARMSTRONG traces Maria Grazia Chiuri’s when fashion left the atelier to conquer the world

PHOTO: © DIOR; © LAURA SCIACOVELLI; ARTIST: SHAKUNTALA KULKARNI

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: AW ready-to-wear collection (and right); Dior’s current creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri and its former one Marc Bohan; AW Miss Dior accessories; FROW guests included Jennifer Lawrence and Nathalie Portman; inside the catwalk show with Indian sculptor Shakuntala Kulkarni’s armour-like structures

PHOTOS: © DIOR; © LAURA SCIACOVELLI © SHAKUNTALA KULKARNI; © GEORGES SAAD; © ADRIEN DIRAND; © PIERRE MOUTON I

n a chilly day last February in Paris, Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Dior’s womenswear, presented a packed autumn/winter 2024 collection in front of a huge audience of top journalists, key clients and celebrities (Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Debicki and Natalie Portman). Models weaved their way through striking artworks by a woman artist with something to say about the female state (in this instance, Indian sculptor Shakuntala Kulkarni’s cane, armour-like structures). In many ways, for Maria Grazia it was business as usual – superficially at least. However, the clothes themselves were very different from Chiuri’s normal playbook, which riffs ingeniously each season on the iconic bar jacket and its pleated, calf length silk and tulle skirts. In the seven years she has been at the house, Chiuri has turned these flattering period pieces into featherweight, airy go-tos for today’s customers, making them far lighter and more user-friendly, while retaining that distinctive, waist-defining silhouette. But not this time. For autumn/winter 2024, Chiuri parked her wagons in the 1960s section of the Dior archives. More specifically, 1967, when Dior launched Miss Dior, its first ready-to-wear collection – a momentous moment in fashion when the grandest of Parisian houses acknowledged the winds of social change. For her 2024 take, Chiuri leaned gleefully into the snappy separates of that first Miss Dior collection, monetarily departing from the wasp waist and fairytale lace ball dresses that are her normal anchors. In their place came a modern, almost sporty aesthetic featuring sharp, knee-length trench coats, gently A-line, just-above-the-knee skirts, pea coats and boxy jackets. For evenings, she presented a series of impeccable, long, sheath dresses that flowed gracefully from the shoulder line. For fun, there were accessories and clothes spattered with a hand-painted graffiti’d version of the Miss Dior logo, originally templated by Alexandre Sache for the scarves in 1970 (so different from Christian Dior’s distinctive original neat front). For 2024, it has been blown up large and now has an almost punk energy. Aside from the fact that M Dior didn’t like the look of knees (‘the ugliest part of a woman’s body,’ he once opined in a declaration that probably wouldn’t get past any switched-on press team today), he would have approved. This contained everything many women today would want in their wardrobes, down to the low block heel, square-toed shoes and swingy, neat handbags – just as it had in 1967. Almost from the moment he launched his house 20 years earlier in 1947, Christian Dior harboured ambitions to make Dior the ultimate shopping experience. ‘I wanted a woman to be able to leave the boutique dressed by it from head to toe, even carry a present in her hand,’ he later reflected. He was as good as his word, adding perfumes, stockings and furs (different times). For all his charm, diffidence and reputation as a dreamy rose sniffer, M Dior was a formidable and farsighted businessman. At one point the house of Dior franchised more than 150 lines. But 114 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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it didn’t produce ready-to-wear. At least not for another 20 years after that momentous postwar debut. That would be a much harder battle. In the late 1940s, the fashion system was structured so that couturiers could design made-to-measure and bespoke clothes for an elite cadre of very wealthy clients – but not much else. This was the very definition of slow fashion. After each couture show (there were just two a year), customers would deliberate over their selection, then make the pilgrimage to Paris for two or three fittings, and wait up to three months for their orders to be completed. Those who were wealthy, but not stupendously so, could buy licensed copies of the twice-yearly couture collections from prestigious department stores in their nearest city – if they happened to live within striking distance of London, New York, Rome or Buenos Aires… These were adaptations, more catered towards the ‘real-ish’ end of affluent life. Still pricey and prestigious, but not as expensive as couture from the fountainhead. Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue in New York; Harrods and Selfridges in London, along with scores of other official partners around the world, paid designers for the rights to copy an agreed number of their designs. These were produced by the stores’ manufacturers, to an agreed standard in high-quality fabrics. In practice, sometimes the results varied. In 1952, in an attempt to elevate the processes and bring it under his control, Christian Dior opened his own work rooms in London and launched CD London. The clothes took their cue from the collections he showed in Paris, but were slightly modified for a British customer. There was a launch catwalk show at the Savoy – it was still highly elitist. In 1967, Marc Bohan, the second designer to take the reins at Dior after the great founder’s death in 1967, attempted to redress that by introducing Miss Dior, a ready-to-wear collection aimed at a younger (although still well-off) customer with a (slightly) more rebellious sensibility who, even had she been able to afford couture, didn’t want to sit around waiting three months for it to arrive. Still luxurious, with elevated fabrics, Miss Dior was designed, under Bohan’s watchful eye, by Philippe Guibourgé, a successful ‘ghost’ designer of the era, working anonymously. Guibourge would later launch a ready-to-wear collection at Chanel in the 1970s, to moderate interest, only leaving the house when a certain German called Karl Lagerfeld was hired to rev things up. The Miss Dior collection of 1967 seemed more modern than anything he did at Chanel. It was expressly conceived to be practical, easy and, crucially, reflective of the way young women were dressing at that time. And what a time. In 1967, rebellion if not revolution was in the air. The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing in the US, together with marches, protests and sit-ins that only grew in intensity as students joined to protest against the US’s war in Vietnam and the draft. A new guard was emerging with a very different world view from that of the immediate postwar generation. Their outrage against social and racial injustice spread across Europe. Demonstrations and strikes against capitalism, consumerism, the police and American imperialism sprouted like mushroom fields. By May 1968, the situation in France became so precarious, President de Gaulle secretly fled the country for Germany. The French economy ground to a halt. It was either an insane idea to launch a new fashion line or a genius one. It says much about Bohan, Dior’s then creative director, that he went ahead. To do otherwise would have made a house that was born out of Christian July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 115

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Chiuri’s AW collection is a playful update on the first Miss Dior collection

PHOTOS: © DIOR

Dior’s urge to change everything that had been fashionable in 1947, seem stultified. Yves Saint Laurent had already introduced his own ready-to- wear collection in 1967, declaring that ‘couture is dead’ (although he carried on designing and selling couture until 2002 when he decided to close his house and retire). Bohan, far less of a showboater than Saint Laurent, declined to make contentious statements in public, preferring to stress his commitment to the customer. ‘My style remained constant over my career. I wasn’t designing for anybody except for the women who were my clients,’ he said. He was the ultimate discreet designer, dedicated to offering a perfected, understated elegance to a few thousand rich clients, including Sophia Loren, Lauren Bacall, Bianca Jagger and, perhaps most famously, Princess Grace of Monaco who remained a loyal customer for the 28 years Bohan was in charge. Her eldest daughter, Princess Caroline, wore Marc Bohan for Dior when she married her first husband in 1978. Elizabeth Taylor ordered 12 dresses from his 1961 collection and considered a Bohan dress one other lucky charms because she’d worn it to collect her Oscar for Butterfield 8 in 1961, her first, although she’d been nominated four times previously. Bohan could see the way the world was going in 1967 - and momentarily at least, it was charging headlong towards a heady nirvana of egalitarianism. In many ways, of the six men who preceded her at the creative peak of Dior, Bohan is the one Chiuri most identifies with. ‘He’s so often underestimated,’ she said backstage in Paris before Dior’s autumn/winter 2024 ready-to-wear. Ease and movement were two hallmarks of Bohan’s work. ‘Elegance is simplicity in refinement,’ he once said. ‘In a sense it [his work] was feminist, long before women had begun burning bras,’ said Chiuri, before unveiling her own take on the 1967 Miss Dior collection back in February. Chiuri always grants a handful of journalists from each major market generous backstage access before all her shows. It’s an effective way for her to communicate the research, intellectual rigour and craft that goes into clothes that often wear their credentials lightly. Like Christian Dior himself, she aims to give a modern woman a complete wardrobe. For her, that means the perfect denim as well the dreamiest red-carpet looks. And like Bohan, she doesn’t care for extreme sartorial statements that can make the wearers look self-conscious, awkward or ridiculous. ‘Bohan wasn’t interested in personal fame. He just wanted to give women a wardrobe of beautiful, sleek clothes. That’s not easy – and it’s not all he did. In his own way, he was very innovative,’ says Chiuri, who has made it her business to study his vast contribution to the house. Bohan’s so-called slim look, which drew inspiration from Britain’s Mod culture and which would influence the 1967 Miss Dior debut, was a case in point. Tellingly, Bohan was the first choice to replace Christian Dior in 1957 of Marc Broussac, the cotton-empire magnate whose money had set up the house. Boussac, while recognising the prodigious talent of Saint Laurent, who had taken over the reins when Christian Dior died suddenly in 1957, fretted that he was too fragile to run a house, and was wary of his designs, considering them too radical, too biased towards the young to be sufficiently tempting for couture buyers. It was Boussac who hired Bohan as an insurance precaution, to run the studios under Saint 116 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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PHOTOS: © DIOR

‘Like Bohan, Chiuri doesn’t care for extreme SARTORIAL STATEMENTS that can make the wearers look SELF-CONSCIOUS, AWKWARD or RIDICULOUS’

Laurent in 1958. Bohan had already worked in Paris for 13 years, the last four as designer at Jean Patou, and understood clothes also had to please paying customers who were not models. Originally, Bohan was engaged on a two-year contract, during which he was dispatched across the Channel to head up Christian Dior in London. When Saint Laurent was conscripted to the army in 1960, he had a nervous breakdown and never returned to Dior, and Bohan was anointed his successor. Bohan’s and Chiuri’s interpretations of feminism have plenty in common. Yet in 2019, Chiuri told me she was a late adopter of overt feminism. She grew up, as so many of her generation did, assuming feminism was a done deal. ‘I thought we’d won,’ she says. ‘Living in Rome, particularly, there was evidence all around that this wasn’t the case. But the countless small (and larger) ways in which women were held back were so ingrained into the texture of society, you almost stopped noticing them as anything.’ Although Chiuri was busy living the life of a feminist – steering a stellar career, and raising a family that remains close even now when it’s scattered across three countries, with a husband, Paolo Regini, who has his own successful tailoring business in Rome – she just didn’t get round to talking about being one. ‘I mean, OK, in the 1980s you weren’t really supposed to be a feminist and like fashion. But that wasn’t my experience. I went to Fendi and it was run by five women.’ Then came the big one – her appointment to Dior in 2017. She read everything there was to read on this most archly feminine of fashion houses and concluded: ‘The risk of femininity is that it can seem dated. And that it’s filtered through man’s view of femininity.’ You only have to look at Chiuri’s playful update of that first Miss Dior collection, with its easy-to-wear, super-sleek skirts and matching trench coats, mid-heel tall boots, zip-up, mini cashmere and quilted nylon anoraks, scoop-fronted knitted tanks, worn over unbuttoned shirts (sexy and cosy), distressed denim suits and dinky shoulder bags, some in neon, to see her feminine/feminist filter at work. It’s a line of emancipated beauty that can be traced directly back to Bohan, while feeling completely right for now. It’s armour in its way: you feel ready for anything in these clothes and slightly more athletic that you might in other tailored clothes. But it’s a million light years of emancipation away from the Shakuntala Kulkarni works that were juxtaposed on the catwalk with the collection for that February show in Paris. Chiuri’s cleverness lies in encapsulating that sense of momentous fashion history into something you want to wear today. Whether you’re a big spender or a student of fashion, it’s worth visiting Harrod’s Miss Dior takeover, which includes exclusive products from the collection such as neon-orange and lime shoulder bags, and book bags specially designed for the store. Stand back and let that intoxicating rush you get when history and modernity click together perfectly wash over you. Miss Dior pop-up at Harrods, 31 July to 25 August. harrods.com n July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 117

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PHOTO: © KERRY DEAN

Ayurveda, yoga, ancient wisdom and spiritual sustenance

THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

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Edited by DAISY FINER

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE WELLBEING GUIDE

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BEST HOLISTIC RETREATS From iconic Ayurvedic health hideaways to boutique mountain escapes that touch the stars, find the place that mirrors your soul

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SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS

From the most reputed ashram to ancient pilgrimage sites, deep dive into the real India 144

NEED TO KNOW

Discover Ayurveda closer to home, the UK experts to have on speed dial, and the products to align with your dosha

ON THE COVER: Six Senses Vana

Editor’s LETTER

hen dreams travel, they take you to India. The vibrancy of colour, a twinkling ankle bracelet, smoking sandalwood. The seductive awakening of the night jasmine, the sacred waters of the Ganges, well-worn mala beads. A land where wisdom and technology, chaotic street markets and silent temples, sprawling cities and princely palaces jostle and steam in one giant copper-bottomed cooking pot. A crossroads of religious influences, cultural messages and symbolic patterns, all of mankind converges here, pulsating with lifeblood, elevated by the most potent spiritual vibration on earth. From celebrating honeymooners to lone wanderers, since time immemorial Mother India has opened her arms to an exploration of what it means to be human, to be lost, to be found, to love, to connect, to heal. Which is not to say that she is easy; India can break you down and build you up like nowhere I have ever been. She is never a holiday, always a journey. When I first visited, aged 16, and complained about the rats scuttling around our haveli in Rajasthan, I was told by the night manager, ‘Open door policy ma’am, open door policy’. All I could do was smile. The sweet and the spicy, the light and the dark, sit closely together in a country that ever brings the shadowlands to the surface. Th ree decades later, I was to return from a retreat in India knowing I needed to end my marriage. It was a relief to be able to admit it. And herein lies India’s teachings. She invites us to step into radical honesty, to deal with what is easier to push aside, to find the jewel in the dagger, to rise once more. No other country offers you the potential to be reborn in this lifetime. To begin your inner dialogue with India is to question everything you thought you knew about yourself and the nature of existence. It is to delve into profound ways of living, to honour Mother Earth, to witness the connection between biography and biology. Th is guide is a portal to your own investigation. Explore India’s offerings. Allow your brain to soak in mystical mantras which have been passed down for thousands of years and chanted by millions of people. Feel the power of breath in lung, learn to stretch out emotion, steady mind, connect with fellow souls and the beyond. Traverse from the tangible into the ineffable. Perhaps, even, discover how to live a meaningful life. Back when I was 16 and down with the rats, I thought to be ‘well’ meant to be successful, thin, popular, rich, married. I now understand it to mean something so much deeper and truer. The word ‘holistic’ originates from the word ‘holy’, or ‘whole’. In India’s sacred lands, to be whole, and hence healthy, is to be connected to the divine, to origin, to Brahman, the supreme Self in all. The ancient wisdom cradled in India’s arms is the tonic humanity needs in modern times. Peace within, peace without, peace all around. Thank you, India, for being the light that calls us home, the eternal fire that reminds us. Hari Om, Daisy Finer

PHOTO: KERRY DEAN

CONTENTS

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COMO Parrot Cay Image credit: Martin Morrell

Ultimate Experiences | Unforgettable Moments | Everlasting Memories

01244 897 511 View our Wellness Collection online at elegantresorts.co.uk/wellness @elegantresorts

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

BEST HOLISTIC RETREATS

SIX SENSES VANA, Dehradun A Reimagined Icon

There’s change in the air at Vana, which, when it first opened in 2014, marked a new dawn of spiritual luxury on the Indian wellbeing scene. Founded by Veer Singh, a young man of pure intent in his 30s, here was a global game changer, a world-class design hotel with a pulsing heart offering a unique combination of Ayurveda, yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan medicine) and superb natural therapies. And while India’s other top tier destination, Ananda in the Himalayas, maintains an atmosphere of old school charm and heritage, Vana walks a different path. Impeccably executed with no expense spared, the design (by Spanish architectural company

Esteva i Esteva) remains cool, contemporary and clean-lined. A wall made of backlit pink Himalayan salt, corridors lined in beguiling images of the Buddha, a sleek swimming pool and polished interiors peppered with Indian touches: bowls of flowers, a candlelit statue of Ganesh, an underground tantric-meditation cave. All this beauty remains. What the old guard, known as Vanavasi, are struggling with is that Veer has now taken a backseat and the day-to-day management of this exquisite hideaway, surrounded by Sal trees in the northern state of Uttarakhand, has been given over to global resort group Six Senses. Rebirth is ever painful but beyond the chitter chat, what is the truth of the experience at Vana today? One French guest on his eighth visit from Paris shares with me, ‘it was a retreat, now it’s a wellness centre’. It’s true that the intense, intellectual atmosphere akin to a designer ashram has been gently popped. Children over six are now allowed, and the five-night policy was abolished during the dark days of Covid, meaning guests can now flit in for a weekend should they wish. The price of the rooms has risen (with a loyalty discount in place for old timers). More Indians themselves are visiting. More wine is being ordered. And yet, and yet, we’re not exactly talking church to nightclub. Photography and social media remain forbidden, phones are not allowed in public, and the crisp kurta pyjamas, designed on special commission by Abraham & Thakore, are still worn for the duration of a stay. Crucially, the elevated mood of healing and harmony remains. Indeed, herein lies the point. As a portal for spiritual, emotional and physical restoration, Vana still holds its place in the world.

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PHOTOS: KERRY DEAN

Transformative escapes for your complete wellbeing

PHOTOS: KERRY DEAN

The insights given by the in-house doctors are outstanding, every treatment a story unto itself. A central nexus of staff who have stayed the course ensures you are held in superbly caring hands. Days begin with yoga as it should be – slow and centred on the breath – and are then peppered with the likes of back-to-the womb Watsu sessions, incredible reflexology, Ayurvedic massages where even your ears are stretched and astonishingly nurturing Tibetan treatments (ask about the oil used and your therapist might reply, ‘it opens the white channels where the wind energy flows’). Vana is the first place in the world where the Dalai Lama has allowed therapists trained at Men-Tsee-Khang, his Tibetan Medical and Astro Institute, to work. Some guests come for time out from high flying jobs or to think about their marriage, others to recover from illness or to grieve a devastating loss. Don’t miss seeing legendary acupuncturist Dimple who has an uncanny ability to read your story. Towards the end of our revelatory session she tells me: ‘Stay away from energy vampires, keep your circle small. Making yourself powerful, this is your responsibility. Your mission is very big. You can become the medicine.’ Inspiration and needles all in the same room. Rare indeed. Under the watchful eye of soulful financier and GM Jaspreet Singh, who talks on the phone to Veer every day, the attention to detail is still fastidious. The food is deliciously, dangerously healthy and the most avantgarde of any wellbeing centre I have visited in India. With sustainable earth-conscious principles pulsing through its veins, there are vegetable and herb gardens, hot tubs with views, jaw-drop treks into the hills and immersive trips to Rishikesh, where you can watch the ritualistic evening aarti. Other highs include varying meditations, flute therapy, yoga nidra, cookery workshops and movie nights under

the stars. Rich and rewarding, every guest I spoke to had both laughed and cried. There is a hushed profundity to the proceedings which takes you back to the raw, true you. Vana has always soothed tired spirits. No wonder protecting this special place is a prerogative for so many. In the old days Deepak Chopra asked if he could run a retreat here with 40 guests. Veer said no. His ultraprotective touch ensured a sacred, sealed vibration. But, as the scriptures teach, change is the only constant. Were Vana to remain the exclusive, insider enclave it once was, it would likely not survive. Surely it’s better to become economically sustainable than vanish completely? When you think about what has been thrown at this property, starting with a lobby so beautiful I discovered I am not the only one who once cried on arrival, it’s easy to appreciate why Vana deserves to undergo its own transformation and meet the needs of the new world. If opening up to more people means spreading the healing further, allowing the seed to blossom so that more people can share in her fruits then I’m right behind it. Vana is, as it has always been, a superlative sanctuary soaked in goodness and generosity. It is still a centre of love and light. A discreet hideaway illuminated by the midday sunlight or come dusk, candlelit walkways. You, in turn, should come here to find and rekindle your own light. Let’s make sure both you, and Vana, keep shining. Daisy Finer BOOK IT: From £5,550pp for seven nights full

board, based on two people. Includes internal flights, transfers, accommodation, consultations, treatments and activities according to your programme. greavesindia.co.uk

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SIX SENSES FORT BARWARA, Rajasthan For Tiger-Spotting Spa Queens

The Six Senses remit in India also includes this reimagined 14th-century frescoed fort in the arid Rajasthani desert. The level of luxury and service is superlative. In fact, this 48-suite hotel really takes things to the next level. Toilets with heated seats automatically flush themselves. For some, it’s all a little OTT, though, demanding travellers do seem to flock here. The hotel opened amidst much fanfare for a Bollywood wedding, which set a template that has yet to be adjusted for a more subtle market. The approach to sustainability is also a little Disney, with local women in saris brewing chai and potters with wheels squatting by the swimming pool. There is a fine line between integrated community work and a sense of voyeuristic display. More authentic is the spa, with gorgeous Ayurvedic pro Dr Neeru Jain, who will read both your pulse and mind, and recommend therapies. Have you ever been massaged with heated tiger’s eye? This powerful stone is said to release anxiety and is used in a 90-minute spa treatment that includes writing down the emotions you want to release, breathwork, visualisations and sound healing. There are tigers, too, just 45 minutes away, with two game drives a day. A leading spa and safari combo. DF BOOK IT: From £621 B&B based on two sharing. sixsenses.com

TAJ RISHIKESH, Uttarakhand

This hotel puts a new spin on luxurious spirituality. Even children are invited with dedicated pools and a play area. The sharp design, using only local materials and blissfully at-one with the surroundings, is more reminiscent of an Aman hotel than traditional Taj outposts. Be warned, there are some steep climbs for those that don’t want to buggy-it. The J Wellness Circle spa is remarkably comprehensive, offering one-to-one yoga sessions which cover the full spectrum – asanas, pranayama, mudra, bandha – as well as consultations with Ayurvedic doctors, body rituals and beautifications. Yoga and meditation take place in a domed pavilion with the splendour of the Himalayas right on the doorstep. The absolute highlight, though, is the privacy, peace and sheer privilege of enjoying the pure waters of the Ganges gushing right past the hotel. It’s a far cry from the hectic holiness of nearby Rishikesh, about an hour’s drive away. Sound healings on the riverbank are beautifully profound, so too is a personal ‘Homam’, a sacred Vedic fire ritual in which the presence of deity is invoked by mantras. Every evening the hotel also hosts an exquisite purifying Ganga Aarti solely for guests: conch shells, ghee, fires, puja blessings and singing – a symbolic and sacred occasion you won’t easily forget. DF BOOK IT: From £340 for a superior room. tajhotels.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

For High-End Hippies

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

SOUKYA, Bengaluru

A Holistic Medi-Centre For Results

What do Sting, Deepak Chopra and Queen Camilla have in common? They have all stayed at Soukya, a world-class, purpose-built health centre near Bengaluru. But don’t let the big-name roll call fool you into expecting something glitzy. The prettiest plantationstyle compound is exquisitely simple, a natural beauty with the sort of discreet old-world charm that immediately soothes frazzled hearts. Though the surroundings alone are not what guests come for. They come instead for the holistic approach to wellbeing. From low energy, depression, anxiety, hormonal issues and insomnia to addictions, arthritis, diabetes, Long Covid, Parkinson’s and beyond, founder and homeopathic practitioner Dr Mathai offers remedial relief to seekers from all over the world. One of India’s leading holistic health experts, known as the father of alternative therapies, Dr Mathai believes in an integrated, layered approach to health. This is exactly what Soukya delivers. After a series of initial one-on-one consultations (addressing everything from health history to personality, emotional state and niggling ailments), your case is then discussed by a clutch of in-house doctors and a meticulously curated

programme designed. Most guests stay for at least a week; for dramatic life-change a month is recommended. Expect a regimented routine. Days start with 7am yoga in the black oxide shala. No alcohol or smoking is allowed, talking is banned in the dining room and lights out is recommended at 9pm. You don’t come here to party. Instead, enjoy the deepest and purest of rests, nourishing vegetarian food and tenderly delivered Ayurveda. Traditional therapies are undertaken in the morning, luxuriously layered one after the other, perhaps interwoven with some naturopathy and lasting as long as three hours. Just when you are wondering if you can ever stand again, it’s time for a shower, maybe a coconut water, then lunch and likely a rest. It’s astonishing how tiring relaxing can be. The afternoons call in yet more therapies: stomach packs, reflexology, acupressure, acupuncture. By day five, you are literally floating. The gardens are equally magical and fill you up on the inside. Over 120 organic herbs and vegetables are grown on-site. The whole place is a model in self-sufficiency. Every morning a bell is rung and Dr Mathai, his wife (a nutritional therapist) and all the staff gather for morning prayer, which creates a potent atmosphere of medicinal spiritualism. Give this place a week of your life, watch time slow, feel your cells settle. ‘Come into silence so you can truly know yourself,’ says Dr Mathai. Soukya is an incredible investment in your future self, a rare jewel that you will treasure, polish and want to return to. DF BOOK IT: From £2,669pp for a seven day

programme, full-board, including transfers. healingholidays.com

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ATMANTAN, Maharashtra

For Escapee Urbanites

A four-hour drive from Mumbai, this 42-acre property near Pune overlooks Mulshi Lake. The design is a little hard-edged, a lot of grey and black stone and brightly coloured furnishings, but it’s the softness of both fellow guests and staff that will win you over. The promise is transformation. As 82-year-old guest Vanita puts it, ‘We all need to make changes when our lives go in a direction that we don’t want to take’. From mini rejuvenation breaks to those on two-week detoxes or a 32-night stay to deal with chronic back pain, everyone is set on living better. The restaurant looking out onto the lake remains the beating heart. Food is proudly SLOW: sustainable, local, organic and wholesome. No use of ‘the three devils’ (white flour, sugar, salt). For breakfast, a papaya and date smoothie, followed by masala oats, finished with a sweet potato galette. Days start at 6.30am in the Kriya Pavilion, where staff guide you through traditional Ayurvedic cleanses: a neti pot to clear the sinuses, followed by a throat gargle and eye wash. Next comes yoga on the terrace. Treatments include a mix of traditional Ayurveda with the likes of Chi Nei Tsang, acupuncture or life coaching. As Robert from LA says: ‘What this place has made me realise is that I can operate from a greater place of serenity. We can all lead with love.’ DF BOOK IT: From £999pp for three nights, including accommodation, meals and daily activities. atmantan.com

NEELESHWAR HERMITAGE, Kerala

This restorative hideaway on North Kerala’s untrammelled coast is unashamedly focused on one aim: to offer guests a ‘200 percent experience’. And the great thing is that ebullient owner Altaf Chapri and his team nail it. This eco retreat is the perfect place to get away from it all – particularly with the hotel’s Lotus houseboat which chugs its way along Kerala’s serene backwaters. Back on dry land, Neeleshwar is incredibly spoiling. It’s not super luxury but that doesn’t matter, you’ll simply be seduced by the sublime stillness. Modelled on traditional fisherman’s huts, there are 18 thatched cottages – all handmade wooden furniture, antiques, teak floors – tucked away among acres of verdant gardens, which brim with hibiscus flowers, frangipani and banana trees. Some have private pools, others captivate with stunning sea or garden views. Each is named after a yogic virtue and sets the scene for the small but perfectly formed spa, with traditional Ayurvedic treatments, meditation and complimentary Hatha yoga. Cycle the roads and soak up local life before choosing between the two excellent restaurants. Open-sided Annapurna serves mainly Ayurvedic-inspired vegetarian plates, but lunch at toes-in-thesand Meenakshi is a must for its just-caught fish – it’ll lull you into a further state of happiness. Harriet Compston BOOK IT: £150 B&B. neeleshwarhermitage.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

For Traditionalists With a Wild Side

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

SHREYAS RETREAT, Bengaluru A Chic Yogi Hideaway

A small pocket of bliss near Bengaluru that’s ideal for yogis looking for an immersive experience in an innately tranquil setting. In 2004, founder Pawan Malik, a Londonbased spiritual entrepreneur, decided he wanted to create a modern, upgraded ashram, suitable for high-achievers on the path to self-realisation. His concept is now a fully fledged but quietly grounded destination health retreat. Simple without being spartan, sleep in one of the 15 atmospheric tents, with bathrooms open to the elements, a little deck with campaign-style chairs, Indian herbal teas, fresh flowers and wi-fi. Rooms are cleaned seemingly whenever you step outside. What bliss to return after the dawn class and find your king-sized bed already made and your laundry taken care of. You will rest well here. The air is clean, the 25 acres of lush green grounds are a delightful exploration of aroma and exotica. Think jack fruits, fig trees, marigolds, coconuts. Classes happen twice daily in the al fresco yoga pavilion with accompanying birdsong and smoking incense. In-house teachers work on rotation, all teaching pure Hatha style, slow but purposeful. Some, like Ramakhan, have been here since inception and guests relish his hands-on adjustments. ‘People say I have six pairs of eyes,’ he laughs. ‘I am all about alignment.’ The morning class is an hour-and-a-half long and sets you up for a delicious breakfast of tropical fruits and homemade granola. The shorter afternoon class at 4:30pm is less rigorous but no less effective. Peppered in between are optional chanting and meditation sessions. Or perhaps

some time in the gym, library or by the sparkling swimming pool. The Anaha spa is equally alluring, a seriously lush addition with treatments as outstanding as the design and a scope that covers everything from beautifully delivered Ayurvedic therapies to crystal salt scrubs, coffee body masks and reviving facials. Don’t miss a revelatory session with wise man Bala Sundar. ‘Have you seen him yet?’, guests whisper to each other, many sharing that he cracked them open and the tears came. The spell he weaves combines personalised meditations, visualisations and the sort of soul reading that leaves you feeling validated and renewed. ‘Every breath is a chance to start again,’ he shares. Insightful consultations with Ayurvedic practitioner Dr Manjula are equally inspiring, as is a visit to the nearby orphanage, built largely by donations from guests. A profound and life-enhancing experience . Come here to move and strengthen the body, nourish your belly with abundant and lovingly prepared vegetarian food (no eggs, no alcohol either), unravel the mind and reflect on this journey called life. Just five days here will leave you lean and keen; many guests stay for two weeks annually. The whole team is something beyond and watching the staff practise yoga together gives a glimpse of the strong, heart-led community. The extraordinary level of care, humour and knowledge-sharing woven throughout is rare. DF BOOK IT: From £1,959pp for seven nights full board, transfers, with Healing Holidays. healingholidays.com

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

ANANDA IN THE HIMALAYAS, Uttarakhand India’s Reigning Legend

You’ve no doubt heard of India’s most longstanding spa hotel, known affectionately as simply ‘Ananda’. The last time I visited was in 2011. I was pregnant with my third child, anxious about whether I would be blessed with another healthy baby. The relentlessly bumpy car journey from Dehradun made me feel incredibly nauseous. Fast forward 12 years and the road surface is not the only thing that’s been polished to perfection. Every element of Ananda – which means ‘eternal bliss’ in Sanskrit – is running as smooth as Himalayan honey. Which is particularly impressive when you consider the plethora of offerings in the spa, what a jigsaw the timetabling must be, and the fact that there are, at least, nine customised food menus, each on a seven-day rotation and each changed seasonally to suit different programmes, personalities and doshas. Food is a central concept at Ananda. The ethos is explained as ‘to eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art’. Every guest follows a menu to suit their constitution or the intent of their programme. As part of my ‘Yoga Detox’ programme I was put on the nutrientrich and balancing sattvic menu – plant-based, fresh, wholesome and palpably grounding. Despite the lack of any over-stimulating ingredients (including ginger and garlic), no meal was disappointing or felt like deprivation. Even on my one-day ‘yogic purification’, which involved drinking warm water with pink Himalayan salts and a series of asanas to encourage a cleansing of the gut, the after-care meal of kitchari, a delicious, homely combination of rice, lentils and turmeric, tasted deeply satisfying and nourishing. The cleanse itself was far gentler, kinder even, than those I have experienced in the medi-clinics of Europe. It left me feeling reconnected

with my heart and body and truly lighter of spirit. But, instead of seeing Ananda as a place to lose weight, you’d do well to remember that the approach here is rooted in inspiring guests to find and integrate ‘a way of life’. Many of the kitchen ingredients are grown in the hotel’s own garden, home to everything from asparagus, clove, garlic, lemon balm and mint, to Ayurvedic superstars such as ashwagandha, said to relieve stress and increase energy, and peela bansa, to soothe coughs. With views out across the Himalayas and down to the birthplace of yoga, Rishikesh, and the sacred waters of the Ganges, the air at Ananda tastes pristine and purifying. Within just a few hours, you feel as if your whole nervous system is being washed clean. At the same time, the foundation blocks of Eastern healing – yoga, Ayurveda and the study of the Vedas (ancient Indian teachings centred in self-realisation) – bring you back to yourself and the touchstones that really matter. No facet of your health is left untended. Every day starts with a delivery of hot ginger, lemon and honey bed tea. In the colder months, a hot water bottle is hidden in your bed at night. Here is a place where you are tenderly looked

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after but where you are also encouraged to look after yourself. In your bathroom are tools for oil pulling, tongue scraping and nightly foot massaging, and the minibars in the cocooning bedrooms (each with balcony and day bed) are stocked with coconut water and kombucha. Immersive programmes run from seven to 14 or 21 days and range from a traditional Ayurvedic Panchakarma to weight and stress focuses. Whichever programme you land on, complimentary add-ons include mountain treks, cooking classes, meditation, yoga rooted in the Bihar school. Why wouldn’t you want to stretch out your limbs every day like animals do? The point at Ananda is to take your time, breathe into the positions, fine tune them, remember the art of slow living. There is a genuine feeling of family between the staff, which lends a particular sweetness to proceedings. It is clear that each member is allowed to shine in their own orbit, together making up the whole. Rather than high-tech diagnostics or medical advances, it is the interconnected and integrated approach to wellbeing that is progressive at Ananda. Traditional Chinese Medicine is incorporated alongside ancient healing modalities. While the majority of the therapies are Ayurvedic, there are also aromatherapy massages, facials, reflexology and in-house energy healers. The physiotherapist will give you tools to release the responsibilities carried in your posture, while emotional healing sessions can help resolve trauma-related behaviours or childhood baggage. No longer just a standardised Ayurvedic spa, Ananda today is a destination wellbeing retreat up there with the best of them. Born of a harmonious heart with a spiritual pulse, when I returned home I felt every moment was ripe with potential. And that’s what Ananda can reignite in you. Inspiration. DF BOOK IT: From £7,288pp for seven nights

based on two people. Includes internal flights, transfers, accommodation, consultations, and some treatments. greavesindia.co.uk

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BAMBOO YOGA RETREAT, South Goa For Om Shanti Beach Bunnies

One of the most wonderous locations of any beach property in Goa, possibly India. Recently relocated to the southern end of Polem beach, stylishly sparse huts and cabanas tumble out onto soft, sultry sands, framed by forest and graceful palms. Expect more than a hint of Thailand, and none of the chaos that India sometimes delivers. A well-oiled team of seasoned staff cater to your every whim and nourishing comfort is the vibe: vegetarian buffets in a dining space with blue-green waters beyond, fruit and snacks, a shop, even a bar. A small portion of partners neatly avoid the yoga, although, whilst this may not be the place for die-hards with an already strong practice, it’s the ideal hideaway for most. Real India remains but an echo (Patnem and Palolem are a 15-minute tuk-tuk ride away and happily deliver the gentle throng of tourist towns). Days kick off with morning meditation before classes of gentle Vinyasa flow. Unless the powerhouse that is Judith is leading, and then asanas are cranked up to full throttle, everyone challenged to the max, whilst still feeling held by her expertise. No wonder she has such a firm following. Afternoon classes are blissful Yin or Yoga Nidra. It’s hard not to fall under the spell as you listen to the roll and thunder of the waves, and the siren screech of a lone fish eagle keeping a watchful eye on this tiny corner of paradise below. Tanya Dalton BOOK IT: From €570 for five nights per person. bamboo-yoga-retreat.com

PURPLE VALLEY YOGA, North Goa

A very specific language of yoga, Mysore Ashtanga has a cult-like following, and while all are welcome at this shoes-off commune, to attend one of the back-to-back retreats really deserves a decent foundational knowledge of the primary series. Offering intense retreats throughout the season and a little into the monsoon, an insider crew share a hunger to push their technique to the max. Many of the staff are keen, well-honed yogis and nearly all join in the daily practice. Fall in line with an unwavering focus. The shala is decked with flickering oil lamps and Hindu deities dressed in fragrant garlands of marigolds. The sense of togetherness begins as, one by one, the students unfurl their mats, find their drishti and join in the sonorous chanting. Send good vibrations out into the dawning of the day, which often also begins with the bark of the dog and the honk of the horn, letting you know India is still close at hand. Hearty nourishing food ensures you feel supported throughout your stay and the two-hour, daily workshops offer insights that will see you scribbling away and improving postures you thought you had nailed. Everything radiates and resonates around the yoga which will actively change you inside and out. TD BOOK IT: From £600 per week, per person (single occupancy), all inclusive. yogagoa.com

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For Dedicated Ever-Evolving Yogis

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

SWASWARA, Karnataka

For Swimming Under a Mango Moon

This rustic hideaway is a short amble from the beauty that is Gokarna’s Om Beach. Shaped like the sacred Hindu word ‘Om’ with two glorious coves, swimming in the ocean as the sun sets feels healing in itself. Though don’t expect privacy, sunbeds or beach service. The scene is akin to Goa 30 years ago: a few beachside shacks, holy cows and fishermen’s boats. Afterwards, retreat to one of the 24 cottages with upstairs seating areas, open-air bathrooms and doors that open onto dragonflies darting over a water reserve. There’s an outstanding pool – one of the best in India – to while away some hours, and an Ayurvedic spa which you can dip into as you see fit. The doctors are not the most invested (so maybe avoid embarking on the likes of Panchakarma), but the treatments themselves are a delight, blending the traditional with the westernised. Abhyanga massages alleviate fatigue while scrubs use sea salts, spices and aroma oils to leave skin glowy. Doshabased menus for those on a curative programme are wholesome if sometimes a tad bland. For breakfast perhaps oat porridge sweetened with jaggery. For lunch and dinner, soups followed by the likes of vegetable korma with beetroot gojju and red rice. Whilst the whole place could be jazzed up, SwaSwara’s appeal rests in its soporific atmosphere. You’ll feel wrapped in gentle vibrations as soon as you arrive. A special spot. DF BOOK IT: From £871 for five nights. cghearth.com/swaswara

ASHIYANA RETREAT, North Goa

For the Soul Sisters

Lily ponds, swimming pools, a resting marble Buddha and the nearby untouched beaches of North Goa, including Mandrem, home to some of India’s finest surf: Ashiyana’s Goan outpost has it nailed. Part Moroccan, part Indian, and all yoga with a smattering of sound healing, jaunts to weekend night markets and spa treatments. No wonder guests (usually single women) carry knowing smiles, either returning or visiting on the word of a trusted friend. From gentle Hatha style through to dynamite Ashtanga with a hint of Vinyasa, twice daily yoga classes are varied and inclusive. Days slip by in a dreamy haze of stretching, beach walks, new awakenings, old aches of the bones – or of the heart – all gently soothed by the magic this place holds. Accommodation is a varied tumble of bamboo huts, tree houses, pretty rooms and lavish suites, all nomad chic and atmospheric. Lap up the endless hot, honeyed lemon water and masala chai, and feast on plentiful vegetarian meals held around a long communal table. Man-at-the-helm Brandon genuinely cares about each individual’s path, not just their flight connection. Harmonious and happy making, this is a true find and one to cherish. TD BOOK IT: From €973 per week in an Eco Lodge, all-inclusive. Open 1 Oct to 15 May. ashiyana.com July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 133

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Most Exciting Newcomer

‘For me it was never a hotel’, says founder Anita Lal, which goes a long way to explain the atmospheric homestead vibe at the most exciting new opening in years, Sitara Himalaya. This new ten-bedroom retreat, on the way to the ancient Buddhist valleys of Lahaul and Spiti, is located at 8,200 feet, 14 miles below the Rohtang Pass. Surrounded by epic mountain and glacier views, breathtaking in their splendour, you can feel the magic and mystery as soon as you arrive. There is a potency, a transcendent spiritual majesty to the surroundings, which is palpable. No surprise, then, that within a short walking distance lies the very spot where it is believed that thousands of years ago the great Indian sage Rishi Ved Vyas meditated for 12 years before inscribing the eternal cosmic wisdom into the four Vedas. This higher knowledge, a philosophy rooted in the idea that everything in the universe is connected and of the same source, is the bedrock of every detail at Sitara. The whole property is decorated with a touch of the divine by Mrs Lal, the force behind India’s lifestyle brand Good Earth (with stores in Delhi, Mumbai and beyond) with Tibetan rugs, sacred ornaments, a brass work by Vikram Goyal, hand-painted murals, vases of flowers, the earthy smell of juniper berry incense. Beauty abounds.

BOOK IT: From £4,555pp for seven

nights full board based on two people. Incl internal flights, transfers, and some activities. greavesindia.co.uk

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SITARA HIMALAYA, Himachal Pradesh

Everything encourages you to relax, reflect and elevate. The glass-roofed Skylight room is an invitation to lie back and watch the Milky Way. ‘On quiet nights, I can hear the hum of the earth,’ says Mrs Lal. Connecting to the absolute is a thread that also runs through the library of spiritual tomes and straight into the Svasthi wellbeing area. This exquisite mini retreat space is its own sanctuary complete with a plunge pool, sauna and steam. Daily yoga with Naveen will wring out both physical knots and emotions, while exceptional body treatments combine sound healing with ancient Marma massage techniques. Days are spent walking with butterflies, reading or in contemplation. Candlelit evenings pass by with storytelling, singing, dancing or dumplings on the veranda, a hot apple toddy in hand. Food is traditional and comforting, the vibe of a laidback house party. Don’t expect room service, mini-bars or TVs. ‘You have to be so careful of polluting your system’, says Mrs Lal. ‘Every cell knows.’ One gets the feeling you could settle into a new (or is it old?) way of life here. Read a little more, sleep a little more, dream a little more, do nothing a little more. Whatever, you’ll leave feeling rejuvenated and reconnected. This is the secret but super luxe India you have been looking for. DF

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

SHAKTI HIMALAYA, Ladakh For an Authentic Mountain High

THE LEELA KOVALAM, A RAVIZ HOTEL, Kerala For Ayurvedic Beginners

This tranquil Keralan clifftop hideaway, overlooking the Arabian Sea, opened in summer 2022. However, it is already making waves with its show-stopping 8,000 sq/ft Ayurveda centre complete with a yoga pavilion and three pools. Kerala is known for Ayurveda, and Leela does it justice, with deeply intuitive therapists rolling out a combination of hard-hitting treatments and top-to-toe pampering. The Panchakarma, an all-out purge, will leave you squeaky clean inside and out or tackle fat with Udvartana, a dry massage with herbal powders. The crescent beaches, ringed by coconut palms, will lull you into further relaxation. Breathe in the salty breeze and go for a ramble, surf, kayak or paddle board. Visit the gloriously restored Halcyon Castle on site, once a summer retreat of the royal family of Travancore, before cooling off in one of the infinity pools. The 188 beautifully designed rooms up the rejuvenating environment (book the Ocean View Suite with its large private patio) and don’t miss the just-caught seafood in the abundance of restaurants, with produce plucked from the sprawling organic veg garden. Just make sure to stop and take in the breathtaking sunset – particularly special in God’s Own Country. HC BOOK IT: From £240 per night. theleela.com/the-leela-kovalam-a-raviz-hotel

It’s easy to overlook India in the summer with its scorching 40-degree temperatures. But Ladakh, in the far north with its cool climes, gives you the perfect excuse to visit. A Buddhist kingdom, otherwise known as ‘Little Tibet’, it’s a spectacular picture of stark jagged mountains, pristine turquoise lakes and crystal-clear skies. Shakti Ladakh shows you the best of this isolated region, taking you off the beaten track, with stays in a clutch of six village houses mingled with mountain adventures. In May 2024, this inspired outfit unveiled its latest addition: Thiksey House. Set opposite mesmerising Thiksey Monastery, there are four cosy ensuite bedrooms, all with a hint of luxury but still authentic. Lovely local hosts are on hand for anything you need. During the day, enjoy a deep dive into rural Ladakh life, from exploring ancient monasteries and sacred shrines to tackling beautiful treks through the valley. There’s even the chance to learn all about your future from a local oracle. Go in July and you might catch the Ladakh Polo Festival. Food is not forgotten. Picnic in style amongst the riverbank’s willow groves, and, in the evening, take time out to admire the brightest stars you’ve ever seen. Then tuck into absolutely delicious homemade Ladakhi food, made from generations-old recipes and cooked using local ingredients in a small woodburning stove. Magical. HC BOOK IT: From £5,677 for seven nights, including accommodation, meals, activities, guides. shaktihimalaya.com

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

A Journey To Conscious Being

The dawn Shillim peak trek was worth every last puff. Our small group of five, led by expert in-house wildlife guide Pralhad, navigated the rugged terrain, observing areas of untouched ‘sacred god forest’ as well as the oriental honey buzzard, Asian emerald doves, Indian coral trees and the Karvi plant, which only flowers once every seven years. It’s not every day that you smell the scents of a forest waking up. Nor is it every day that you summit the top of a mountain, reach the plateau, and are greeted by a pulsating, rising sun and sacred grounds that stretch out to a horizon so vast it speaks of the divine. Another Indian retreat undergoing its own inner transformation, Dharana at Shillim, has recently unyoked itself from the Hilton brand. This move will allow its uniquely profound wellbeing philosophy to pulse into every delicious cell of this bubble of beauty. The setting itself is truly a celebration. A three-hour drive from Mumbai, you slip into an exquisite landscape comprising 2,500 acres of verdant wilderness, waterfalls and woodlands. This precious spot, where Mother Nature unfurls, was ‘rediscovered’ by two De Souza brothers, William and Denzil, in the 1990s. Struck by its raw tranquillity, they decided to conserve it as an ecological hotspot for future generations. Gradually, gently, they acquired more land,

BOOK IT: From £1,699pp for a five-

night programme, full board, based on two sharing, incl. transfers and accommodation. healingholidays.com

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DHARANA AT SHILLIM, Maharashtra

planted more than a million trees, reintroduced indigenous flora and fauna and encouraged local farmers to adopt sustainable land-loving techniques. The knock-on effect on the wildlife has been astounding. Herein lies the difference at Dharana. Come here to connect with an ancient land and experience wellbeing programmes that lay equal emphasis on both personal and planetary wellbeing. We need holistic ways of living interwoven with science to promote a regenerative future. The younger generation of the De Souza family continue to uphold this viewpoint. Sleep in sleek villas built at one with nature (private swimming pools and sunken bathtubs are special). Feast on natural foods, herbs, elixirs and teas proven to have medicinal properties, and delight in healing spaces designed to raise your vibration. The yoga pavilion is a central nexus for steady lessons in Iyengar and the stunning meditation cave feels sealed and safe for beautiful Tibetan bowl meditations and guided Pranayama. Your ‘dinacharya’, or daily routine, as prescribed by the invincible Dr Arun Pillai and the in-house team of experts, sets the pace for your stay. A range of non-invasive diagnostics are some of the best I have come across. Days are peppered with everything from acupuncture and posture-correcting physiotherapy to traditional Ayurvedic rituals. For an interconnected approach to health which weaves an ecological sensitivity with programmes tackling every pertinent issue, from stress to sustainable weight management, Dharana has it – and you – covered. DF

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PR O M OT I O N

Kumkumadi Revitalising Facial Oil

LIFE IN BALANCE Five thousand years of ancestral wisdom led to the creation of Kama Ayurveda

orn thousands of years ago in India, Ayurveda is a natural system of medicine that translates as ‘knowledge of life’. It’s based on the idea that ill-health is due to a lack of balance between mind, body and soul. Kama Ayurveda came into being when its founder, Vivek Sahni, journeyed to the southern Indian state of Kerala and met with an Ayurvedic practitioner. He then discovered medicinal Ayurvedic recipes that were thousands of years old, via sacred Vedic books, and became an avid proponent of this ancestral wisdom. He set out on a pioneering mission: to bring these ancient wellbeing practises to modern life. Today, the brand’s plant-based skincare and haircare products draw upon medicinal recipes of centuries-old Ayurvedic botanical oils, tonics and blends. They are then clinically tested for efficacy, bringing thousands of years of knowledge together with the latest scientific understanding.

This new facial oil is powered by a potent blend of vitamins A, B and C, antioxidant flavonoids, carotenoids and phenolic acid. It rejuvenates the skin, improves the complexion, and enhances skin defences against ageing stressors such as free radicals. It has clinically proven results, with testers reporting that their skin felt regenerated and healthylooking, firmer, more even, and with fewer dark spots. Kumkumadi Facial Oil is based on a medicinal preparation found in the Ashtanga Hridaya, one of the primary ancient texts of Ayurveda, which dates back more than 1,500 years. The Sanskrit name ‘Kumkumadi’ refers to the key ingredient of saffron (kumkum), the red stigmas from the crocus flower, recognised widely for its ability to rekindle skin beauty and radiance from within. The legend also says that kumkum was used by Rani Samyukta, a queen who was known for her ‘miraculous beauty’. The oil is prepared in the traditional Ayurvedic manner, with certified pickers gathering the key herbs at the optimal time. These are then purified, blended into a paste or distilled in a water base, before being heated and combined with other ingredients like sesame seed oil. Kama’s blend also contains sacred lotus, known to calm skin by soothing inflammation, and Indian madder, which is an antioxidant. £124, kamaayurveda.com

Discover Kama Ayurveda's Boutiques CONSULTATIONS Discover bespoke rituals and plans based on your unique Ayurveda profile, from a leading Ayurvedic vaidya (doctor). SPA TREATMENTS A curated menu of massages that use ancient Ayurvedic techniques and healing botanical blends. EDUCATION Learn all about Ayurvedic philosophy from Kama’s in-store experts, and discover its products yourself. 207 Westbourne Grove, London W11; Harrods, 5th Floor, Brompton Road, SW1X. Find out more at kamaayurveda.com.

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

KALARI KOVILAKOM, Kerala

illnesses, the mother of holistic cleanses can help to alleviate everything from back pain, migraines and arthritis to stress, anxiety, insomnia, and even trauma. Considered holy by the sages of India, the Panchakarma method initially involves drinking, in ever increasing amounts, medicated liquid ghee (clarified butter) for breakfast. The ghee is infused with different herbs, depending on health concerns, which are discussed at length with your ‘vaidya’ (doctor) who truly goes into the minutia of your lifestyle, sleep, your spiritual compass, even your libido. Programmes are then

meticulously individualised. The initial effects of drinking the ghee include retching just from the smell of it and a loss of appetite but, ultimately, a loosening of toxins, or ‘ama’, on a cellular level in the body. These toxins are then purged through a layering of traditional purification methods, including a liquid purgative, a series of hardcore enemas and Nasyam therapy, which involves using medicated oils to clear the nasal passages. Thankfully, leeches and induced vomiting are rarely prescribed these days. During the ghee stage, which for most guests seems to last around five days, it’s important to move the

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Top-End Panchakarma

Hidden amid singing tropical greenery, Kalari, as it is affectionately known by old timers, is a world unto itself. If you’re looking for somewhere to experience Ayurveda without any dilution or compromise, and, in particular, its legendary detoxification process, Panchakarma, then this exquisite 19th-century royal palace is where it’s at. With only 19 basic-but-splendid bedrooms, you couldn’t ask for a more atmospheric setting, replete with carved wooden staircases, inner courtyards with sunken basins to catch the monsoon rains, a temple in the grounds, and a building which whispers of rebirths, hopes and dreams. Behind protective walls, to enter Kalari is to leave yourself at the door and adapt to a new set of rules and disciplines. Expect strictly no talking at meal times, a white kurta pyjama uniform and an environment of monastic calm intended to encourage inner connection. There are no TVs, mini bars, or processed foods of any kind. No sunbathing is allowed. No sex (no chance). No alcohol. No smoking. And no leaving the premises. Days start early with yoga, dinner is at 6pm, bedtime at 9pm. While many guests are on their tenth or even 13th visit, newbies who have yet to feel the benefits do threaten to flee. I don’t blame them. Panchakarma is by far the most challenging detox I have ever undertaken. And yet, if you can commit to the minimum stay of 14 nights, ideally 21, it is an investment in yourself that will likely surpass all preconceived ideas you might have about detoxing. A bio-purifying therapy that provides a safety wall against future

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body. Walking the grounds is the morning constitutional. The earth holds you and, combined with daily yoga, yoga nidra and pranayama (yogic breathwork) classes, there is a palpable feeling of a return to a natural state. As Raj, one of the team of in-house yogis, says: ‘Breathe into the depths, notice how you feel in this moment. Light and calm in the body, calm and quiet in the mind.’ In between the thoughtfully conceived daily structure, pounding-to-painful massages are delivered to help remove toxins. The therapists are trained in traditional Keralan martial arts and their touch is vigorous to the point of bruising. There’s no room for modesty. Breasts and bottom get as much work as shoulders. By completion, hair is soaked in oil and is wrapped in a comforting white turban. Pre-purgation, lunch is a repetitive rice gruel, post-

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purgation (happy days) lunch replicas dinner and becomes a two-course meal. Expect beautifully presented vegetarian artworks, using ingredients mostly grown in the vicinity and served on a banana leaf. After dinner, there are evening lectures on Ayurveda, yogic chanting and trataka candle gazing meditations; education is key to integrating wisdom into a healthy lifestyle back home. Ayurveda has recognised the brain-gut axis for thousands of years. A stay at Kalari is not just about weight loss, though double chins do disappear. True to India’s life blood, the whole experience is more a journey of, and to, the inner Self. Yes, it is a physical purification, but is also about the subtle energies, the inner tantra, and coming into unity. For this to happen, the fetters of the mind and uncontrolled emotions are released within the safety net. Many guests cry on arrival, especially if they haven’t been touched in years. As lead practitioner Dr Johaur says, ‘the darkness is taken out, there is an internal atmospheric shift’. Is Panchakarma worth its pain points? Without question. I left Kalari feeling completely restored and reset, my energy up, my head cleared of cobwebs, my heart uplifted. In parallel to cleansing the digestive system, Panchakarma simultaneously declutters the brain and polishes the mirror of your soul. It leaves you purified, glowing and, crucially, ready to face a new future with vigour. Perhaps nothing is more precious or more needed in today’s world. DF BOOK IT: £6,035 for 14 nights.

cghearthayurveda.com/kalari-kovilakom

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

THE IMPERIAL, Delhi

City Icon

One of India’s Grande Dames. The Imperial opened in 1936 as the first hotel in New Delhi and its old-world charm, beautiful gardens and exquisite spa continue to provide a refuge in the capital. Few city spas are as atmospheric. Expect a secret realm of candles, scents, poetry and pools, all overseen by an invincible female team dedicated to supporting the traveller’s transition with warmth, integrity and humour. ‘Once the spiritual approach to life is in place everything else falls into place. We talk about organic food but your thoughts have to be organic too,’ shares spa manager Sweety. A lifestyle consultation with gorgeous Doctor Sheema will reap snippets of advice that you will take home with you, as well as directing you to the best therapies for your dosha. If Ayurveda is not your thing, the spa also offers bespoke massages to suit the mood of the moment; oils range from black pepper, ginger, rouse and oud through to delicate Kashmiri nargis. The yoga teachers are equally exceptional and a new dedicated ‘Yoga Sanctum’, with a living wall of plants, provides the ideal space to practice. The Imperial matters, and with a tight and loving team at the helm, its future has never looked better. Goodbye colonial vestige, hello whole new era. DF BOOK IT: £144 per night. theimperialindia.com

THE TAJ MAHAL PALACE, Mumbai

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Gateway of India

The penultimate place to stay in Mumbai, located bang opposite the Gateway of India in the beating heart of Colaba. ‘The Taj’, as it is simply known, is just as much a landmark as its namesake in Agra and, in its own way, just as beautiful. In fact, the hotel has never looked better or felt buzzier (just be sure to stay in the heritage wing, not the tower). To sit in the breezy courtyard beside the pool, perhaps under your own gazebo with a jazzy Caesar salad and coconut water, is to know that there is nowhere else in the city you would rather be right now. Ahh, but that’s before you discover the new ‘J Wellness Circle’ spa. The menu includes all the usual Ayurvedic suspects but distinguishes itself with surprises like the city’s first magnesium-rich flotation pool, as well as stand out Hamman treatments. Don’t miss the hotel’s Ayurvedic thread, even though it takes place in the older spa location near the gym, it’s a gem. A massage with Rejitha is next-level and will unravel the tightest of shoulders. Be sure to mainline the signature ‘Vishuddi Chai’, an uplifting nectar of fresh lemon juice, holy basil leaves and organic jaggery. Divine. DF BOOK IT: From £191 per night. tajhotels.com 140 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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C OU N

T OWN & Y H R T

GOOD BRANDS DIRECTORY

We’ve done the work so you don’t have to... Welcome to the C&TH Good Brands Directory, allowing you to shop in the knowledge that the brands you’re investing in have the highest ethical standards, plus, crucially, are beautiful and really work too. Each featured brand has accreditations or has been assessed by B Corp, Positive Luxury or Green Salon – and sometimes all three – meaning that they have been through rigorous and comprehensive assessments around their social and environmental impact.

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886 BY THE ROYAL MINT • ANNOUSHKA • BAV TAILOR BOWER COLLECTIVE • BRUICHLADDICH • CRANBOURN® ELVIS & KRESSE • ETHICA DIAMONDS • FORM NUTRITION GIBSONS GAMES • GOOD ENERGY • INLIGHT BEAUTY JOURNEYS WITH PURPOSE • KRĪ SKINCARE • L’OCCITANE EN PROVENCE • L.A BREWERY • LA MAISON COUTURE • LUXURY COTTAGES • MATILDE • MITCHELL & DICKINSON • NEAL’S YARD REMEDIES • ODDBOX • PRODIGY SNACKS • S’ABLE LABS • SAPLING SPIRITS • SARAFUMI • SMOL • ST. EVAL • STAR SEED • THE BOTANIST • THE REAL FLOWER COMPANY • WILD

Discover more at countryandtownhouse.com/good-brands

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Spiritual Journeys

PHOTOS: KERRY DEAN

Venture beyond the conventional spa break to feel the palpable truth of India’s spiritual heritage, says Harriet Compston

abindranth Tagore (the first non-European writer to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature) put it best, ‘the fundamental unity of creation was not simply a philosophical speculation for India; it was her life-object to realise this great harmony in feeling and in action. With meditation and service, with a regulation of life, she cultivated her consciousness in such a way that everything has spiritual meaning to her. The earth, water, light, fruits and flowers to her were not merely a physical phenomenon to be turned to use and then left aside. They were her ideal of perfection, as every note is necessary to the completeness of the symphony.’ Yoga For Your Intellect

VEDANTIC PHILOSOPHY

Experience a deep dive into the core concepts of India’s profound Vedantic philosophy by listening to master teacher Joseph Emmett’s podcast, Yoga for your Intellect. Joseph’s discussions with his friend James Beshara are insightful and wise. A perfect daily practice. podcasts.apple.com

Spiritual Bootcamp

THE VEDANTA ACADEMY, Manali

A three-hour drive from Mumbai discover a trusted ashram which delivers a spiritual education for modern life. Come here to study the words of A. Parthasarathy, now in his 90s and affectionately known as ‘Swamiji’. A self-realised master and author of 12 books on the ancient philosophy of India, transformative teachings provide a pathway to greater inner peace through knowledge of the Self and the truth of existence. Join resident students on the three-year rolling course and attend daily lectures and discussions which delve into what it means to be human. Topics range from harmonious relationships and freedom from stress to success at work and the art of giving. Designed to create an environment of psychological space, you’ll sleep in simple but comforting accommodation and eat nourishing vegetarian or vegan meals. Akin to a softly delivered spiritual bootcamp, days start early with a 4am bell toll for self-study followed by yoga. If you want to stay, a donation of $100 a night is suggested. You can also join the e-learning course. DF. vedantaworld.org

FIVE GOLDEN VEDANTIC PRINCIPLES 1 Life is to give, not to take. 2 Raise yourself by yourself. 3 Whatever is forced is never forceable. 4 As you think, so you become… 5 Rise in love not fall in love. 142 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

Taking The Sacred Waters

VARANASI

History & Heritage

SRI RANGANATHASWAMY TEMPLE

Everybody flocks to Rishikesh, but pilgrims converge from across the world to bathe in the sacred waters of this mesmerising temple at Amritsar, the holiest shrine of the Sikhs. Inside, priests continually chant from the holy book, the sounds broadcast across the complex. Outside, ringed by a marble walkway, is the Amrit Sarovar, the shimmering sacred pool, where the pilgrims bathe in the holy waters. Go at dusk to beat the colossal queues. goldentempleamritsar.org

HAMPI

PHOTOS: KERRY DEAN

Spiritual Immersion

THE GOLDEN TEMPLE

Mark out two or three days in your itinerary to visit this extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spread across 16 square miles with the backdrop of the mighty river Tungabhadra, there are 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar – think forts, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, memorials, water structures and more.

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Varanasi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and one of the holiest for Hindus. It’s a frenetic beguiling place: the flaming pyres lining the ghats of the Ganga River, the swirling ash thick in the air, and the holy men who have renounced worldly life. Stay in BrijRama Palace, with its rooftop terrace giving you front row seats to all the drama below. brijhotels.com Hindu Pilgrimage

Head south to Tamil Nadu and visit UNESCO World Heritage Site Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, the largest Hindu temple in the world, with 49 separate Vishnu shrines (whc.unesco.org/en/ tentativelists/5894). And don’t miss another: the Elora cave temples. It’s ancient Indian rock-cut architecture at its best, created over centuries by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monks (whc.unesco.org/en/list/243).

Becoming Buddha

BODH GAYĀ

One of Buddhism’s most holy sites – and for good reason. It is said that it was here, under the sacred bodhi tree 2,600 years ago, that Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became Buddha. The magnificent UNESCO World Heritage-listed Mahabodhi Temple marks this spiritual site, complete with a two metre-high, 10th-century golden statue of Buddha (whc.unesco.org/en/list/1056). Seeing Shiva

EKLINGJI TEMPLE

Dedicated to Shiva, this 1,000-year-old Hindu temple complex, a half-hour drive from Udaipur, is a stunning complex of 108 temples. It is still very much a place of worship with the Rajasthani maharana visiting every Monday. Keep a look out for the gigantic four-faced marble idol which depicts the four different forms of Shiva. Stay the night at RAAS Devigarh, a beautiful fort palace tucked away in the Aravalli Hills (raashotels.com/devigarh).

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THE INDIAN WELLBEING GUIDE

NEED TO KNOW

All the big news – here and far – for Indophiles, plus the best of Indian beauty FLIGHT FREE AYURVEDA

Check out the UK’s two Ayurveda big hitters: Clover Mill (theclovermill.com), a renovated 17th-century mill in the Malvern Hills, and the Scarlet Hotel (scarlethotel.co.uk), an eco-friendly clifftop bolthole in Cornwall for adults only. Lime Wood has announced a collaboration with Ayurvedic therapist and Reiki healer Sheena Chandra. She will bring her magic to the Herb House spa, offering Shirodhara (a deeply relaxing head massage), the full-body Abhyanga massage with oil, and lumbosacral therapy Kati Vasti (limewoodhotel.co.uk). PLUS THREE UK STARS FOR YOUR BLACK BOOK ...

LAVENDER 1 JILLIAN AND MICHAEL MILLER

Learn Vedic meditation with Jillian Lavender and Michael Miller, a couple who met in India while on retreat. Together they distil the sanctity, practicality and effectiveness of a daily practice with the potential to change your life. londonmeditationcentre.com

2 CORNELIUS O’SHAUGHNESSY

Warm and witty, much-loved Cornelius O’Shaughnessy teaches India’s Advaita Vedanta and Buddhist wisdom. Join his daily online meditations at 7:30am at bodhimaya.com, and watch out for his forthcoming two-night retreats in Berkshire.

3 ANNE MCINTYRE

Appointments with medical herbalist and

Ayurvedic practitioner, Anne McIntyre, based in the Cotswolds, are like gold dust. Her garden is home to over 150 species of herbs and her office is packed with enticing bottles of homemade elixirs, herbal mixes, teas and potions. She also offers numerous riveting courses, many of which include exquisite natural lunches in her home. annemcintyre.com

NEW STAR SPAS

Keep a watch on Anopura, a magical rural escape just outside Jaipur, which is opening a new spa next year (anopura.com). The Leela Ashtamudi, nestled in the pristine Keralan backwaters of the Ashtamudi lakes, opened in October 2023, with a beautiful spa, offering an extensive menu of rejuvenating massages, Ayurveda therapies and detox programmes inspired by traditional techniques (theleela.com).

GO WILD

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, SUJÁN’s pioneering Jawai Leopard Camp, deep in the wilderness of Rajasthan, continues to hit all the wellbeing high notes, with a lakeside spa, invigorating yoga sessions and cycling expeditions traversing spectacular terrain. thesujanlife.com/jawai

TIME FOR TEA

Don’t miss Glenburn Tea Estate, a former planter’s bungalow set on a working tea plantation in Darjeeling. Alongside eight colonial-style bedrooms with terrific mountain views, there’s a fantastic spa, with full body massages, using Darjeeling Green Tea Oil, and Green Tea baths. glenburnteaestate.com

Nab a spot on Jasmine’s Hemsley’s ‘East by West’ Ayurvedic-inspired retreat at Britain’s The Vedanta (13-15 Sept; thevedanta.org). Or at Bujera Fort near Udaipur for impactful yoga with Julie Montagu (5-11 Nov; kurudiproject.com/juliemontaguindia). 144 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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PHOTO: KERRY DEAN

BOOK NOW

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AYURVEDA COMES TO EUROPE

The Ayurvedic approach is going from strength to strength in Europe. Ne wcomer Dat u (datu wellness.com), set against the beautiful nature-filled backdrop of Tuscany, offers retreats bringing together leading practitioners from the worlds of Ayurveda, Yoga, and other Eastern healing techniques. Also, new to the scene is Engel Ayurpura (ayurpura.hotel-engel.com), a brand new boutique hotel high in the Dolomites, which is dedicated to Ayurveda complete with a doubleheight Ayurvedic restaurant opening out onto a large terrace. Across the border, golden oldie Ay ur veda Parkschlösschen (ayurvedaparkschloesschen.de) has an impressive array of Ayurveda programmes, including the hard-hitting Panchakarma. Finally, Ayurveda Resort Mandira (mandira-ayurveda. at) in Austria’s green heart of Styria Styria, has launched the ultimate solution to fight against fatigue, with a fivenight programme, combining Ayurveda and conventional medicine, designed to boost energy, increase performance and help recovery.

AUTHENTIC PANCHAKARMA OUTPOSTS

For professionalism in pretty surroundings Nattika Beach Ayurveda Resort (thenattikabeach.com) is garnering strong reports, so too Vaidyagrama, a proper Ayurvedic hospital which delivers results and care in equal measure (vaidyagrama.com). Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, check out the Raju Ayurveda Centres (drraju.com) where family wisdom has been passed down through generations of ‘vaidyas’.

INDIAN BEAUTY BUYS

Rooted in tradition but packing a modern punch KAMA AYURVEDA Kumkumadi Revitalising Facial Oil Powered by the miraculous botanical of saffron, this nourishing face oil restores a healthy glow. £124, kama ayurveda.com

TRI-DOSHA Vata Relax Massage Oil With 100 percent natural ingredients, Tri-Dosha’s body oils make for a wonderfully scented self-care ritual. £23, tri-dosha.co.uk

SAMAYA Renewing Exfoliant Rooted in the three doshas, this exfoliant comes in varieties tailored to your body type and it will leave your skin super soft without stripping the skin barrier. £69, samayaayurveda.com

MAULI RITUALS Supreme Skin Face Serum This lightweight serum diminishes oxidative damage, stimulates cell renewal, and leaves your skin looking supple and radiant. £37, maulirituals.com

FOREST ESSENTIALS Soundarya High Performance Cream with 24ct Gold & SPF 30 This rich day cream harnesses the power of pure 24ct gold, Bhasma, Ayurvedic herbs and cold pressed oils. £55, forestessentials.co.uk

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@WMORRISANDCO

M O R R I S A N D C O . S A N D E R S O N D E S I G N G R O U P. C O M

INTERIORS Edited by Carole Annett

Second Life

Plastic finds a new life with Weaver Green's blankets – each fabric is handloomed using recycled plastic yarn into a pretty blanket, which, at the end of its days, can be recycled. Madras pink check throw, from £65. weavergreen.com

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Bridget and Henrietta founded The Land Gardeners in 2012

Soil Survivors ur children were at nursery school together,’ says Henrietta Courtauld as she explains how she and Bridget Elworthy met, ‘so rather than discussing playdates, we started discussing plants and soil. And that was the beginning of it.’ As well as selling cut flowers – they were renowned for big, blousy, Constance Spry-inspired bouquets – the women spent 15 years researching soil, along with soil scientists, to make a microbial compost with the aim of getting chemicals off farmland. Their resulting Climate Compost is like a probiotic for soil. Filled with microbes, it saw organic matter leap from five to 12 percent in their own horticultural garden and became the subject of a global trial helping to regenerate a 2,000-

acre Northamptonshire arable farm without using chemicals. ‘There’s more life in a teaspoon of soil than people on the planet,’ explains Bridget. ‘That’s quite a big thing to get your brain around – the whole kingdom under the soil is connected to the kingdom above. And the more biodiversity you have, the more you can grow. If you have good soil, you’re going to have a strong plant, which means good pollen. Then bees are going to make great honey and also pollinate food for you properly.’ Whether you have a window box, handkerchiefsize garden or acres and acres, having good soil helps not only with what you want to grow, but also allows birds and insects to thrive. Climate Compost is available via thelandgardeners.com

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‘O

Carole Annett chats to Henrietta Courtauld and Bridget Elworthy about setting up The Land Gardeners and their shared passion for soil

Gardening | INTERIORS

Five Teas to Heal Your Soil and Plants

It’s Getting Hot In Here

Taken from The Land Gardeners: Soil to Table (Thames and Hudson, £45)

Juliet Sargeant, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, gives her top advice for drought-tolerant planting

To make these teas it is best to use unchlorinated water as chlorine harms the microbes. Either collect rainwater, attach a carbon filter to your hose or leave a bucket of tap water outside overnight. Use teas straight away on a dull day or in the early morning or the evening to avoid bright sunshine as the UV light kills the microbes. Spray teas onto the leaves and around the base of the plant with a watering can.

COMPOST TEA You’ll need: a handful of Climate Compost inoculum or similar microbial compost, and five to seven litres water. Place compost into a watering can of water and ‘dynamise’ or stir so you create a vortex in the middle until the compost is mostly dissolved. The microbes are aerobic so by stirring this way you incorporate air into the process.

‘The problem with climate change is that no-one really knows how it will pan out; and the changes will differ in different parts of the world and UK. When it come to plants, it does seem that, in the UK, dry summers might become a significant feature. However, it is also true that wet winters may feature. So, it is not simply a matter of planting drought tolerant varieties; the solutions need to be more nuanced than that. Fundamental to plant resilience is healthy soil and in fact the whole design and care of the garden. As far as plants go, we need either plants that can take anything that the weather throws at them, or drought tolerant plants, which we then care for in a way that will

WEED TEA You’ll need: an old pillowcase or muslin bag, large container of water, and a diverse selection of weeds including roots, stems and leaves. (The more varieties the better, to add diverse nutrients and minerals.) With the leaves and stems of each plant, ideally these are harvested when just about to flower as this is when they are most nutrient dense. Place muslin bag of leaves into a bucket of water and leave for three weeks. Dilute approx. one part tea to seven parts water in a watering can (it should be the colour of a weak cup of tea) and water onto your plants.

3 4 5

COMFREY TEA You’ll need: comfrey leaves (Bocking 14 variety). This is wonderful for all garden plants, especially for fruiting crops like cucumbers and tomatoes as it is rich in potash and trace elements, such as boron, which these plants need to flower and set fruit.

NETTLE TEA This nutrient dense tea is good for plants and people – full of iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Use for a nutrient boost or when plants are stressed from hot or cold weather or to stop leaves yellowing with chlorosis.

Agapanthus is a resilient choice for your garden

MINT TEA FOR PESTS Mint tea will deter flying insects such as aphids, whitefly and grape worm. You need 100g mint leaves for one litre water. Soak leaves in tepid water outside for three to four days. Dilute one part tea to four parts water.

Just beginning your biodynamic gardening journey? The Biodynamic Gardening Association runs an online club that supports gardeners in their journeys towards adopting biodynamic approaches and practises. biodynamic.org.uk

Healthy soil is the basis of all life on this planet

help them through the wetter, colder months. I recently went to see Beth Chatto’s gravel garden on the hottest day of the driest period for many years. I have to say it wasn’t looking great, but that is not the point. I think we need to get used to our gardens looking stressed when they are stressed. However, there were clearly some plants that were going to bounce back: Phlomis, Agapanthus, Ballota, Sedums and Perovskia.’ n

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FASHIONABLE FLOP

A MERRY DANCE

Snape chair in Regal Arabesque Flame fabric from Sofas & Stuff ’s Th reads of India collection in collaboration with the V&A Museum, £1,432. sofasandstuff.com

LESS IS MORE

House of Grey, a British interior design studio founded in 2013 by Louisa Grey, has collaborated with Armadillo to produce Palus, an exaggerated weave of marled wool. It uses non-toxic materials wherever possible. Palus rug from $2,900. armadillo-co.com

The Dancing Delphinus, silk twill square by Sabina Savage, £265. Sabina’s new book, A Savage Kingdom, the stories behind her hand-drawn illustrations, is out now, £90. sabinasavage.com

Design NOTES

1 Past Perfect Original vintage Spanish tiles from Maitland and Poate, from £160. maitlandandpoate.com

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

NICE CLEAN LINES

1 Salvaged and cleaned by hand to live again. 2 ‘Invest in things you love,’ says Rose Uniacke. Hard not to love this table. 3 Collab with a conscience.

3 Haines Collection Made from repurposed and responsibly sourced fabrics. Haines + Print Sisters cushion, £140. hainescollection.co.uk

PHOTOS: HOUSE OF GREY BY MICHAEL SINCLAIR

2 Table Talk Rose Uniacke’s tiled coffee table is inspired by turnof-the-century Parisian tiles and brickwork, glazed and fired in Stoke-on-Trent, the home of British pottery. Handmade to order in either moss or wheat shades, £8,550. roseuniacke.com

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News | INTERIORS NORTHERN LIGHT

Clive Christian Interiors returns to Scotland with a new showroom featuring its iconic statement designs and latest collections. 14 Braid Road, Edinburgh. clivechristianinteriors.com

SUMMER LOVING All you need to entertain al fresco

HEAVENLY HOMES Giant matches, £8. heavenlyhomesandgardens.co.uk

WHAT A CORKER

Based in East Sussex, Recork has a simple philosophy – to give back to the planet more than it takes. Cork is natural, recyclable, reusable and renewable. Una collection costs from £51.90 per sq/m (excluding VAT, installation and delivery). recork.co.uk

MOLLY MAHON Set of six recycled plastic cups, £24. mollymahon.com

SLEEP WALK

GAZE BURVILL Outdoor kitchen, from £27,150. gazeburvill.com

Parc by Yves Delorme is a glorious depiction of a walk in the park on organic Batiste cotton. Pillowcase from £65 and duvet from £209. yvesdelorme.com

PHOTOS: HOUSE OF GREY BY MICHAEL SINCLAIR

LINEN TALES Vintage napkins, £21.07 ( for two). linentales.com

EYE ON TRADITION

Furniture maker Matthew Burt is entirely based in Wiltshire, and uses English timber wherever possible. Hat-stand (large), £1,716. matthewburt.com

ADDISON ROSS Mini bobbin salt and pepper grinders, green/watermelon, £38. addisonross.com

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INTERIORS | Trend GO POTTY Terracotta ‘Brunhild’ pots, in pair, £8,500. roseuniacke.com

SEEING RED Colette bamboo parasol, £399. eastlondon parasols.com

CUT ME A FRINGE Tuuci sage parasol, £4,495. sohohome.com

TOP IT OFF Organic topsoil for beds and borders, £121.95. ecolandscaping.co.uk

PRETTY IN PINK Betulia pair, £41. johnlewis.com

Throw SHADE

LAND BEFORE TIME Cushion, £195. houseofhackney.com

Bucolic bliss – and plenty of shade. By Tessa Dunthorne

STRIKING STRIPES Desert lounge chair, £339. fermliving.co.uk

ummer luxuriating in the garden best involves a lounge chair – or even an outdoor sofa. Why not Kartell x Liberty’s blocky number from its Giardini Sgereti collection? Break out the summer’s must-read paperback and take a seat. Plus, there’s no better cushioning than a sumptuous fringed style from regenerative brand House of Hackney. Of course, if the cushion has fringing, so too must the parasol (an essential for shade cover and healthy skin). Soho Home’s Tuuci is ideal to retreat under, but best believe we’ve a rotation of parasols on our radar... Parasols-UK’s Blenheim, and Colette by East London Parasols are different answers for different gardens. And if you’re thinking of doing a spot of touch-up to the flower beds, too, make sure to plump for organic topsoil, to let the dirt breathe.

GLOVE UP Sophie Conran x Burgon & Ball leather trim gloves, £20.49. johnlewis.com

GETTING LEGGY Bamboo table, £575. rajtentclubshop.com

FLORAL BLOOMERS Blenheim parasol, from £720. parasol-uk.com

A COMPLETE LAYABOUT Liberty x Kartell Giardini Trix outdoor sofa, £1,371. kartell.com

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The Shape of Things: Still Life in Britain

Until 20 Oct 2024 pallant. org.uk Modern art in the South [ Chichester, West Sussex ) Headline Sponsor Gluck, Lords and Ladies, 1936, Oil on canvas, Private collection, London © Estate of Gluck courtesy of The Fine Art Society Pallant House Gallery is a registered Charity (No: 1102435)

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HOTELS &

TRAVEL

Planet Hope

Twelve new destinations that are helping to restore the natural world in their own way – and you can stay there, too

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ANGAMA AMBOSELI Kenya

Located in East Africa’s first community owned conservancy, Angama Amboseli gives the indigenous Maasai community lease payments together with investments towards healthcare and educational infrastructure. In exchange, visitors can experience a slice of Kenya that feels untouched – all from the comfort of one of ten luxury tents. angama.com

OASYHOTEL Tuscany, Italy

Oasy is a new hospitality concept: destinations built around sustainability and conservation, where guests can benefit from – and give back to – nature. Its Tuscan outpost is a sanctuary for rare fauna and flora, and its 16 lodges are immersed in the wilderness, with two haute-cuisine restaurants, a cinema, and wellness centres on hand. elegantresorts.co.uk

MELOTE HOUSE Limpopo, South Africa

Nestled within the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve in South Africa is the much-anticpated exclusive-use Melote House from Lepogo Lodges. All profits are returned to the reserve for its many conservation projects, which include rewilding former farm land, a cheetah breeding programme, and supporting pangolin and rhinos. lepogolodges.com

SCP CORCOVADO WILDERNESS LODGE Costa Rica

Set in pristine rainforest, and surrounded by 250,000 acres of national park, a stay at this off-grid lodge – only accessible by boat – promises a truly unforgettable naturefilled experience. SCP (Soul Community Planet) has various partnerships in place with local forest and marine conservation organisations. scphotel.com/corcovado

LOUMA

Lyme Regis, Dorset

Launching soon, Louma is a 100-acre farm and retreat overlooking the Charnmouth Valley. Owners Louis and Emma Steyn have a regenerative approach, working to improve soil health and biodiversity. Guests are invited to feast in the farm-to-fork restaurant, explore on horseback, or zone out in the wellness barn. loumafarmandretreat.co.uk

SON BLANC FARMHOUSE Menorca

The entire island of Menorca is a UNESCO Biosphere, and the Son Blanc Farmhouse is a love letter to that. The abandoned 19th-century building was restored with local materials and now it’s the kind of eco-retreat that attracts the fashion set as frequently as the conscious crowd. All that plus a sea view – dreamy. sonblancmenorca.com

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Nature Stays | HOTELS & TRAVEL

TIGH NA COILLE Wildland, Scotland

Secluded on a hillside high above Loch Ness is this repurposed manse house that sleeps eight. It’s part of the Wildland conservation programme, which has taken custodianship of three Scottish estates, and is in the process of ecological rehabilitation through careful land management, nature restoration, and community outreach. wildland.scot

SONEVA SECRET Makunudhoo Atoll, Maldives

With only 14 overwater and island villas, Soneva Secret takes Maldivian luxury and seclusion to a new level. The retreat is part of the Soneva Foundation, which works to conserve the local fragile marine ecosystem, and includes coral restoration, funding reforestation programmes in Thailand, and helping to reduce plastic waste across the Maldives. elegantresorts.co.uk

BOCA DE AGUA Mexico

Architect Frida Escobedo designed Boca de Agua – and its 22 treehouses suspended in air – with regeneration in mind. The guest spaces use as much local materials as possible, provide jobs for those in the area, and then, beyond them, lies an untouched, protected space. Of its 82 acres, 90 percent of the land is untouched as part of a conservation programme. bocadeagua.com

HOMESTEAD LODGE South Africa

Soon-to-open Homestead Lodge will tour you through the Nambiti Private Game reserve – on an electric 4x4. During construction, animals found on-site were gently caught and released into the reserve, wood was ethically sourced from nearby regions, and plant species disrupted by building will be replanted on the lodge’s roof. homesteadlodge.com

THE ARK Sweden

Arken – found in one of Northern Europe’s largest game reserves – is a stay with front row seats to nature. Each of the 23 rooms enjoys a vast south-facing terrace looking out to the savannah, in which bison graze, red deer play and eagles tumble. The hotel has a maintenance-free façade and a sedum roof, so it invites little natural interruption to its surrounds. eriksberg.se

CAP KAROSO Indonesia

Cap Karoso is a beach resort and farm in Sumba that’s been cultivating natural knowledge since it opened in 2023. Yes, that does mean you can enjoy the fruits of its soil on the menu here. But you’ll also feast on a rich ecosystem made up of farmland, forest, seaside and coral reefs – before returning to one of its 44 rooms or 20 villas each night of your stay. designhotels.com n

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WILD WELLNESS

Alongside its horses that roam freely along the pristine beach upon which NIHI Sumba sits, the property is best known for its iconic Spa Safari, which incorporates a spirited sunrise trek through rolling hills, expansive rice fields and small villages to an intimate outdoor spa that sits dramatically on emerald green cliffs with sweeping view of the sapphire sea. Now, the iconic hotel has elevated its offering with Wild Wellness, an immersive experience that fuses the rawness of nature with a new Butterfly Meditation Lounge, alongside activities from underwater seabed rock running to detox programmes that harness the curative properties of rare jungle plants. Coming next year, there will be year-round retreats alongside new treatment spaces, and experiences hosted by guest gurus. From £1,550 per night. nihi.com

The ESCAPIST Lauren Ho’s got all the latest luxury travel news

ZERO SUM GAME

With health and wellness on the radar for many travellers, low ABV and alcohol-free options are being increasingly added to hotel bars. At London’s Middle Eight hotel, Jamaican-born mixologist Maurice Lawrence has created a fun menu that takes guests on a sensory journey through his childhood, with concoctions like ‘Diverse Influence’, made with Seedlip Grove 42, orange bitters, raspberries, ginger, lime, cranberry and apple. preferredhotels.com

From 6-11 August, the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair is a five-day celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, design and culture. Bringing over 70 art centres to Darwin, the fair kicks off with the National Indigenous Fashion Awards and will continue throughout the week with workshops, dance performances, artist talks and fashion panel discussions. Meanwhile attendees can ethically purchase indigenous artworks and textiles with all profits supporting the artists and communities. daaf.com.au

SUPPORTING FIRST NATION ARTISTS DOWN UNDER

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News | HOTELS & TRAVEL

FIVE HOT NEW OPENINGS

SILVESTRE NOSARA, Costa Rica A luxury surf hotel and school with nine residences, including a four-bed penthouse, rooftop lounge, and restaurant. $960 per night. silvestre.cr

SCANDI SPA

When all you want to do is escape and disconnect, there’s really nothing better than immersing yourself in the tranquillity of nature. For its latest offering, travel specialists Off the Map has teamed up with Sunnanhead, a newly renovated barn deep within the Swedish countryside about four hours north of Stockholm, for a private four-night retreat. Daily activities include sunrise yoga sessions, hikes through the woods and meditative canoes on secluded lakes. However it’s the final day’s underground sauna experience that really sets this trip apart. Located 80m below the ground, alternate sweating it out in the sauna with refreshing dips in the turquoise-blue underground Aurora Lakes before indulging in lunch, made by your personal chef who creates regional dishes throughout your stay. £9,999pp for four nights. offthemap.travel

BELLA GRANDE, Copenhagen Hosting illustrious guests since 1377, this hotel now features modern interiors, and Donna, its Italian restaurant. £171 per night. hotelbellagrande.com

CASA MONTI, Rome, Italy Paying tribute to Rome’s charming Rione Monti area, with 36 guestrooms, a restaurant, aperitivo bar and spa. €350 B&B. casamontiroma.com

ROYAL MANSOUR CASABLANCA, Morocco One of Casablanca’s legendary landmarks has been reborn, with 149 rooms and four restaurants. From £436 B&B. royalmansour.com

SHOP ‘TIL YOU FLOP

In celebration of its 35th anniversary, Aman Resorts has teamed up with Johannesburgbased architecture and design firm Luxury Frontiers to create Aman Cabana, a mobile immersive retail concept. First arriving at Aman Puri in Phuket, Thailand, the pop-up boutique takes the form of a sustainably designed modular tent and will sell a new collection of Aman Essentials – the brand’s collection of luxury skincare, fragrances and accessories – alongside exclusive offerings like the limited edition luggage pieces in collaboration with Globe-Trotter. Clean-lined, simple and elegant – the tent was manufactured off site and can be easily and quickly assembled and will appear in various Aman locations across the globe. aman.com

THE THIKSEY HOUSE, Ladakh, India With yoga and a private chef, this is the ideal base for exploring north India’s highest plateau. $7,175 for two for seven nights. shaktihimalaya.com n

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Column

The TRIP

It’s time to get your hands dirty, says Francisca Kellett

t’s worth getting your hands dirty when you’re travelling. I mean that literally. Stop, bend down and stick your fingers in the earth – the differences can be astonishing. When I was in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands, the soil was purple-black, and moist like a crumbly chocolate sponge. On the slopes of Costa Rica’s Arenal volcano, it was dark red and looked so rich I could imagine dropping a pencil and it instantly sprouting leaves. The fine, cinnamon-coloured earth of South Africa’s Karoo, on the other hand, made me wonder how anything could grow there at all. Red and rich, grey and barren, soft or hard as concrete – the ground tells a story that doesn’t always have a happy ending. The earth – small E – is everything, even when we travel. It defines the landscape, but it also tells us how the land is used, if it has enough water, whether the locals are rich or poor or somewhere in between. And it’s how good everything tastes. Is food flown in? Is it intensively farmed? Or has it grown slowly, locally, organically? They’re questions we’re caring about more and becoming better at asking. And hotels are cottoning on. Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has known this for 40 years. Raymond Blanc showed me around his extraordinary kitchen garden a few years back, insisting I dig my hands in the dirt to pull out gleaming, organic carrots, followed by a cooking lesson and Michelin-starred lunch. Damn, those carrots were good (belmond.com). Daylesford Organic no longer just sells its own organic produce; you can sleep in a luxury cottage, go pet the prize cows and then learn how to whizz up a summer salad in the attached cooking school (daylesford.com). At Heckfield Place in Hampshire, I picked tomatoes and met snuffling pigs on their biodynamic farm, and can heartily recommend the cured belly bacon on sourdough for breakfast (heckfieldplace.com). These places offer lovely accommodation and farm-to-table dining, but you can be part of that journey. Further afield, the more remote you are, the more local you want the food to be, to prevent the carbon footprint of all those food miles. Good local produce means good local soil, like at Borgo Pignano in Tuscany, with its organic ‘no-harm’ 750-acre farm, where you can romp through olive groves and ancient-grain wheat fields, and then pig out in the Michelin-starred restaurant (borgopignano. com). In Costa Rica’s Hacienda Montezuma, tour the off-grid ranch and its surrounding protected rainforest, home to jaguars, sloths, anteaters and monkeys, and know that the organic plantation feeds both you and the local community (plansouthamerica.com). At Calabash resort in Grenada, you can laze on the beach with a mojito made from mint grown on its regenerative farm, and then spend the afternoon on a foodie excursion to a family-run agro-tourism homestead to try local home cooking (calabashhotel.com). Or, after a whale-watching trip at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve in South Africa, take a stroll through their gardens, which not only supply the kitchens but provide local youths with horticultural job training. It’s healthy soil and feel-good dining taken to the next level (grootbos.com). Just remember to look down and get your hands dirty. You’ll enjoy its spoils all the more. n

FROM TOP: A chef picks herbs at Borgo Pignano; the neighbours at Heckfield Place; organic veg growing at Le Manoir; Grootbos is an eco paradise with views to match

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WHERE DRAMA MEETS ELEGANCE

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Postcards From... Rajasthan, India. Our Editor-at-Wild spots leopards at Suján Jawai tented camp WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY FEE DRUMMOND

CAMPFIRE NIGHTS

et deep within the bewitching Rajasthan wilderness, against a dramatic backdrop of granite hills and kopjes, dated over 850 million years old, is Suján Jawai, a luxurious Relais & Châteaux tented camp from which you can discover the wonderful wildlife of this unique region. From here you can go on 4x4 and horseback safaris, race camels, visit local villages, try your hands at ancient artisanal crafts – and even spot a leopard, if you’re lucky.

A night to remember: watching a Bond film surrounded by candle-lit desert, gin and tonic in hand. Meanwhile, Suján Jawai’s expert staff unpack my tiffin tin of three-day marinated lamb curry, and my children devour the camp’s fresh mango sorbet.

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Wild Travel | HOTELS & TRAVEL SADDLE UP

Suján Jawai belongs to my childhood friend Jaisal Singh, a polo player turned hotelier and now Marwari breeder – the Maharajas’ majestic endurance desert horses. As well as 4x4 safaris, the property also offers horseback excursions, riding in convoy through mustard fields, ravines, and ending with a beautifully catered brunch that would happily be my last supper. We spy eagle owls, kingfishers, honeybee catchers, little owlets, vultures, wild boar, nilgai, leopard tracks, and snakes within minutes of each other. This is an Indian idyll, with the local trackers knowing everything there is to know about the land and its ecosystems. And it’s not just horses. The second my children, all keen riders, set eyes on the camels, they jump out of our Jeep, and onto their humped steeds, not to be seen again ’til dinner.

WILD STYLE EDIT

Pack sustainably and stylishly

MADE BY HAND

We spend an afternoon with local craftspeople creating pottery, weaving, and block printing under tented pavilions. With refreshing nimbu pani on hand, the gentle sounds of goats and their herders soothingly close, it’s a welcome break from the frenetic pace of everyday life.

SPOT ON

Waking up in my luxurious tent at Suján Jawai, with a tray of ‘bed tea’ delivered by my immaculately turbaned and uniformed alarm clock, Jetu Singh, at cold, dark, desert dawn, is simply a joy. Once dressed, another Rabari tribesman guides me to my open-air 4x4 with his oil lantern, where I am handed a hot water bottle, binoculars, and my species field notes. We set off into the eerie fog of desert dawn, in this precious landscape, through the thriving wilderness of rural Rajasthan. We cross steep boulders and sandy waterways to the morning soundtrack of over 250 bird species. We have one goal: to spot a leopard. Here, we are surrounded by pure, wild, nature. No humans, no other vehicles vying to see these regal cats in their natural habitat, just us and this beautiful, raw landscape.

1 Lock & Co Marissa fedora, £495. lockhatters.com 2 The Deck Safari jacket, £1,595. thedecklondon.com 3 Elvis & Kresse Saddle bag, £180. elvisandkresse.com 4 Bamford Watch Department GMT Titanium – Commando Ltd Ed 001, £1,600. bamfordlondon.com 5 Penelope Chilvers x Sujan Riding boots, £399. penelopechilvers.com

BOOK IT: From approx.

£1,173 per night. Suján Jawai is a Relais & Châteaux member. thesujanlife.com n

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Rail

BACK ON TRACK

t’s mid morning in central Malaysia and the temperature is already creeping upwards of 30 degrees. As I step off the train and onto the platform at Merapoh station, the air is steamy, heavy with moisture. Beyond, the jungle-shrouded limestone mountains loom majestically, disappearing serenely into a blanket of mist. I woke up on board the Eastern & Oriental Express, the iconic 15-carriage train that chugs north through the wilds of Malaysia from Singapore and back again. I’d boarded the previous day on one of the train’s first journeys following a five-year hiatus and refurbishment, on a three-night itinerary heading up towards Penang. The bones of the train have remained unchanged, including the three different cabin categories – Pullman, State and Presidential – the dining carriages, Piano Bar, and the renowned open-air Observation Car. Lined with the same handsome cherrywood and elm burr panelling and ornate marquetry details, the interiors still retain the train’s romantic opulence, but with a fresh colour palette inspired by the lush Malaysian landscapes and vibrant cities along the route. The State Cabin, for example, reflects Penang’s seaside location and painted shophouses with a vibrant blue and green colour palette in plush velvets and silks. At night, the sofas and chairs convert into two floor-level single beds, but by day, it makes for a dreamy spot from which to watch the ever-changing scenes – the thickets of emerald green jungle interspersed with charming villages and towns that line the track. Along the journey, lazy afternoons are broken up by perfectly executed mid-morning excursions with an immersive, cultural

Lauren’s journey included many cultural excursions along the way

component. Breakfast is served in your cabin by your steward, while lunch and dinner are taken in the two central dining carts that transport guests to a golden age of travel with tables that are dressed with meticulously pressed white tablecloths, ornate lamp shades, silverware and crystal glasses. A refined and lavish setting to sink into and watch the world go by while dining on regionally inspired dishes that use locally sourced ingredients – such as the fragrant laksa bouillabaisse – by the much celebrated chef, André Chiang, the train’s new Culinary Curator. On our final day, we hopped onto trishaws and headed into George Town, the capital of Penang. As our driver slowly pedalled us along crowded streets lined with a lively mishmash of trendy boutique shops, vibrant street art, crumbling colonial buildings and colourful shophouses, he points out some of the town’s highlights, explaining that George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. The air fragrant with the tantalising aromas of street food being cooked on sizzling woks, we make our way back to the train for a cocktail. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be. BOOK IT: The Wild Malaysia itinerary costs from $3,410 per person for three nights in a Pullman Cabin. belmond.com

Return flights to Kuala Lumpa have a carbon footprint of 3,136 CO2e. ecollectivecarbon.com n

The Eastern & Oriental Express is back after a five-year break. Lauren Ho climbs aboard

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PR O M OT I O N

A ROOM WITH A VIEW Check into Hotel Victoria for a stay to remember

verlooking the picturesque fishing village of Robin Hood's Bay, the Hotel Victoria boasts some of the most breathtaking views on the North Yorkshire coast. Recently refurbished, the hotel offers stylish and welcoming accommodation with sumptuous bedrooms designed for couples, families and solo travellers, alongside superb dining experiences and entertainment spaces. Each bedroom is elegantly decorated, with thoughtful touches to ensure a restful stay. The hotel also includes spacious family rooms and petfriendly options. With several fantastic areas to dine, drink and relax, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a revitalising Yorkshire escape. Osborne’s Restaurant & Lounge Bar, named after Queen Victoria’s beloved home on the Isle of Wight, offers a menu of British and Mediterranean inspired cuisine that you can savour while taking in the commanding panoramic sea views. Seasonal dishes include braised pork belly with crackling crumb and spring colcannon and the traditional North Sea cod in champagne batter. Before dinner, enjoy sundowners on the terrace, taking in one of the spectacular sunsets over the bay and sampling the signature cocktail ‘Smugglers Ruin’. The lounge bar also offers an extensive

The hotel offers an unbeatable location overlooking Robin Hood's Bay

selection of fine wines, award-winning local ales, and expertly crafted cocktails. For guests looking for a laid back drink and a bite to eat, the adjoining, newly refurbished, Loxley Pub offers a quintessential Yorkshire pub experience, with local ales and a menu of hearty dishes and small plates, whilst the recently renovated garden and terrace offers the perfect location to unwind after a day exploring Robin Hood’s Bay with a drink from the Garden Bar. Sitting at the eastern end of the 190mile Coast to Coast Path, the hotel offers the ideal base from which to explore the region’s coastal locations such as Whitby, Scarborough and Staithes, as well as the North York Moors National Park. Outdoor enthusiasts can take advantage of the many walking and cycling trails that meander through the rolling countryside, whilst history enthusiasts can explore the rich maritime heritage of the area. With attentive service, elegant amenities, and an unbeatable location, Hotel Victoria promises a memorable escape on the North Yorkshire coast. Whether you're seeking relaxation, adventure, or a bit of both, the Hotel Victoria provides the perfect retreat. Find out more and book your stay now at victoriarhb.com n

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Cycling

Pedal Power

Mary Lussiana takes the slow lane as she explores Poland on two wheels

s I pedalled along country lanes in Poland’s Lower Silesia, these lines of Tennyson kept running through my head. For everywhere I looked were ‘long fields of barley and of rye,’ in gently undulating, unspoilt countryside that stretched far into the distance, to the base of Śnieżka Mountain (Snow Mountain), which rises 1,603 metres above sea level on the border between the Czech Republic and Poland. Imagine then my surprise and amusement to find myself at a later point in front of 14th-century frescoes of Sir Lancelot – apparently the only ones which exist worldwide – which grace the walls of the medieval keep in Siedlęcin. For Tennyson’s lyrical ballad, The Lady of Shalott, which I had been thinking about this week, tells the story of Elaine of Astolat’s unrequited love for Sir Lancelot, a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table. But perhaps that is exactly what I should have expected from a trip with The Slow Cyclist, a company that has grown, mainly through wordof-mouth praise, to now be in 14 countries. As founder Oli Broom told me: ‘We look for places where no one else goes; where there is beautiful landscape, high-quality accommodation and things of cultural interest. And to those three pillars we add our own Slow Cyclist hospitality, looking after guests from pick-up, at the airport, or, something we are working to increase, the train station, until drop off.’ Poland is the destination for their latest venture. Its south-west region of Lower Silesia, whose history (it went from Bohemia, to Poland, to the Habsburgs, to Prussia, to Germany and, after WWII, back to Poland, housing the Poles

The group discovering Poland’s Lower Silesia on ebike

who had been displaced from the east of the country, as agreed at Yalta in 1945), has created a rich heritage of architectural monuments, with well-preserved historic towns and bucolic landscapes that include the Izerski Mountains and the Karkonosze Mountains, the foothills of which were our playground. We bicycled along the River Bóbr, down gravel tracks and forest paths, on tiny lanes covered by arching avenues of lime trees. We passed endless fields of barley and rye, scattered with red poppies and deep-blue cornflowers, over which birds of prey, buffeted by the warm wind, hovered looking for food. One day we had lunch in a local winery, a table set up among the vines under a blue sky with cow and goat cheeses from the neighbouring farms. Another day in an old farmhouse, painstakingly restored by a young couple who got out their homemade elderflower nalewka at the end of lunch, to power us through the afternoon. Although many of us, I am sure, reached for the ‘turbo’ button that day on our sleek e-bikes. Our nights were split between two different rural villages, tasty dinners and Polish wine restoring us, before turning into bed. But not before a last look at the starlit, empty, landscape, enticingly beautiful and tranquil today after so many centuries of change. From £2,390 per person for a four-night journey, including group airport transfers, support vehicle and luggage transfers, The Slow Cyclist hosts and two English-speaking local guides, accommodation, all meals, snacks and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, activities, e-bike and helmet hire, financial security and a donation to local causes aligned with The Slow Cyclist’s values. theslowcyclist.com n

‘On either side the river lie Long fields of barley and of rye, That clothe the wold and meet the sky; And thro’ the field the road runs by To many-tower’d Camelot’

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05/07/2024 15:09

HOTELS & TRAVEL | Britain

On the GO SLOW

Liz Schaffer celebrates mindful journeys around the British isles in Slow Travel Britain. In this extract, she explores the bountiful Pembrokeshire foodie scene hotel. Run by Ed and Lou Sykes, the restaurant team here are equally besotted with this rugged landscape, with Ed in particular keen to make foraging approachable for all. Treating his guided experiences like treasure hunts, he believes in bringing back a childhood sense of wonder. ‘Foraging makes you think creatively,’ he explains. ‘What can you do with this blossom? Would this work as a syrup or vinegar, could I pickle these seeds? Every ingredient is part of the party and has something to add.’ Ed is also a fan of experimentation and collaboration (a recent project was with Still Wild distillery, which incorporates foraged Welsh botanicals like rowan and elderberries into its gins and vermouths) and his hotel’s outdoor Secret Garden Restaurant includes foraged elements in almost every dish – many of which you collect while walking with him. Foraging, especially as a first timer, can be daunting. There’s so much to know, and missteps can have serious consequences – which is why it’s best to venture out with an expert. Without having to worry about misidentification, you can indulge your curiosity, the world around you transforming into a surprisingly useful larder. With Ed, for example, I learned that stinging nettle can be made into hay-fever-alleviating tea; pennywort, with its pea-like flavour, is a great snack; the pectin in rowans makes it a brilliant setting agent; while primroses, with their soft flavour, are perfect for salads. Dan Moar of Black Rock Outdoor Company and Forage Pembrokeshire is another expert who guides foragers throughout the county, with his experiences also focusing on bushcraft and rock pooling. A fount of all knowledge when it comes to a plant’s homeopathic properties, he notes that nettle is protein-rich and has more iron, gram for gram, than spinach. Acorns, meanwhile, are a great coffee-substitute, and Dan thinks that everyone should try making sticky hawthorn BBQ sauce (which comes with a subtle, tangy sweetness) or adding rosehip to their vodka for a tart, fruity twist. I left our walk with enough confidence to pluck the Jack by the Hedge I saw blooming that evening, the plant’s garlicky, mustard-like taste making it a fab salad dressing addition. Dan supplies (and runs foraging walks for) Annwn, a fine dining restaurant in Narberth that does phenomenal things with native Welsh ingredients. When I settled in for some culinary theatrics

embrokeshire, tucked away in the far west of Wales, is a coastal haven with an abundance of sprawling beaches, artistic communities and wave-worn walking trails. When the sun shines (as it is wont to do here), you could almost believe you’re on Antipodean shores; and if the weather gods aren’t on your side, there’s no shortage of snug pubs to abscond to. And while Pembrokeshire is the birthplace of coasteering and rich in sacred sites (all excellent reasons to visit), you travel here to eat. There are restaurants worth building a trip around (Grove of Narberth’s Fernery Restaurant springs to mind) and plenty of harbourside cafés dishing up flawless fish and chips, but it’s the resurgence of foraging that makes things particularly special. Foraged elements elevate meals, tying you to the land and seasons and reintroducing the flavours and preservation techniques that our ancestors once knew so well. I first tasted Pembrokeshire’s bounty at The Little Retreat, a sustainability-focused glamping site in the estuary-framed hamlet of Lawrenny. Surrounded by bluebell-scattered woodland and watched over by the town’s stone church, this site hosts an annual lifestyle festival, The Big Retreat, as well as chef Matt Flowers’ Feast Pembrokeshire, an outdoor cooking experience which takes place in the property’s restored walled garden (among other excellent settings). Matt, who also helms Tenby restaurant Tap & Tan with his wife Jade, cooks with fire, fusing this South American style (known for its deep, smoky flavours) with exceptional Pembrokeshire ingredients, such as foraged sea herbs and wild garlic. For him, cooking is a joy, a passion cemented during his first job as a teenager at the local pub, The Lawrenny Arms, just a 15-minute walk down the road. He’d start the day fishing on the estuary, sell his catch (often mackerel) back to the pub and then cook it during his shift. Then and now, he wants his flavour combinations to be recognisable, believing that the best meals have something familiar about them – be that potatoes just like the ones your grandmother used to make or a chicken that tastes as if it’s been slowcooked with love. Eating Matt’s meltin-your-mouth Pembrokeshire rump steak in the afternoon sun, with roses blooming around me, was a multi-sensory experience, offering a taste of the wealth of flavour found throughout the county. An hour away, on Pembrokeshire’s north coast, framed by forest, mudflats and the Preseli Hills, is Llys Meddyg 168 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | July /August 2024

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Pembrokeshire’s mountains, moorland and wild coastline are a natural larder for foodies and foragers

at Annwn the following night, I did my best to put the snippets of knowledge gathered with Ed and Dan to use, curious to see how preservation and cooking processes can change flavours – and just how many plant names I could remember. Inspired by Welsh history, Annwn’s owner-chef Matt Powell has a nuanced understanding of seasonality and tradition. His multicourse (ever-changing) menu featured sea purslane picked that morning, preserved wild garlic, kelp broth (aged for three years, it was like eating the ocean) and gorse flower custard with birch vinegar that conjured memories of spring. While Matt is responsible for the gastronomic magic, you have to tip your hat to the land and all it produces. Of course, there are other ways to connect with the wilds of Pembrokeshire, like absconding to Fforest Farm near Cardigan. Founded by Sian Tucker and James Lynch, this hideaway is part farm, part Japanese-inspired forest retreat, and is made up of a collection of bell tents, geodesic domes, hill and garden shacks crafted from cedarwood (more homely than their name implies) and a restored Georgian farmhouse. ‘Every day we notice the light on the trees, through the clouds and on the sea, and the seasons passing, little by little,’ Sian writes in her book fforest: Being, Doing & Making in Nature. ‘We walk over the clifftops or pootle by boat across the sea to a secret beach and then set up a camp, collecting driftwood, making a fire and diving for spider crabs. We then cook over the flames and eat. We swim, we paddle and play games till sunset, then we head for home. This is as good as it gets. Cooking and eating, laughing and being outside with those you love is blissful for the body, for the heart and for the mind.’ And that’s exactly what this wild and wonderful corner of Wales offers. Whether you’re enjoying a foraged feast with those enamoured with the land and its bounty, or rambling through woodland, blackberries and samphire in hand, you feel connected and enthralled – linked to the people, the food and the environment. This is what slow travel is all about. Taken as an extract from Slow Travel Britain by Liz Schaffer (Hoxton Mini Press, £35), out now n July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 169

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Eastern Europe

Independent SPIRITS Olivia Emily discovers history, high-tech cities, and liquid health in a tour of the Baltics

Over 100,000 crosses are placed at the (well) named Hill of Crosses, Lithuania

The old fishing village of Käsmu, Estonia

preceded by 15 minutes of Soviet propaganda, now a nightclub; or the harrowingly beautiful streets that once formed the Vilna Ghetto under the Nazi Reichskommissariat Ostland, where 40,000 Jewish people were murdered in under two years (1941-43). Or the Jewish Cultural Centre with its haunting exhibition and tiny hide-out, once inhabited by eight Jewish people with no other choice; and, stretching further into history, the Bastion of the Vilnius Defence Wall, which details the Grand Duchy of Lithuania’s storied history (it was briefly, in the 14th century, the largest nation in Europe). Just outside the city, there’s even more to absorb. UNESCO World Heritage site Kernavė awaits, the first capital of Lithuania dating to the ninth century. The ancient city burned down in 1390, around the end of the Crusades (a pagan nation, the ancient Lithuanians were naturally thought devilish by members of the church); what remains are disconcerting artificial hills, originally built for protection, grassed over yet still unnaturally straight-edged all these years later. Perfect for

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ast August, I spent two weeks dodging 35°C heat in Italy. I gazed longingly at water fountains bursting from baking streets across the nation’s ancient northern cities, slept with a wet flannel on my forehead, and lapped melting gelato from my hands as it spilled from the cone. Flash forward to May 2024, and I’m experiencing much the same thing: gazing at picturesque palaces and town halls from sun-soaked courtyards, wise enough this year, at least, to select a tub for my ice cream. This time, however, I’m much further north, enjoying the wide leafy streets of Vilnius in Lithuania, a city I come to think of as the East London of the Baltics thanks to the concrete ex-Soviet housing blocks lining the highways, marvellous street art to be uncovered around every corner, and leafy canal cutting through it all. This is the final city on our whistle-stop tour of the Baltics, a trip I’ve taken with Exodus Travels that stretches for 12 days and absorbs the best cultural and historical sights, sites and oddities the three Baltic nations have to offer. For the uninitiated, that’s Estonia (where we begin), Latvia and Lithuania (where we end). To be shown around a new country by a local is always fulfilling, but to discover the Baltics as they are today guided by people who remember them as they were not so long ago – quashed, totalitarian – is staggering. As we move freely through the three nations, which gained independence from the USSR between 1990-1991, Marius and Andrius enrich each spot with their experiences: that tall building over there was Tallinn’s only hotel for international visitors – and it was bugged top to bottom; that TV tower is Vilnius’ – and Lithuania’s – tallest structure, and we still only had two channels growing up; in the Baltics, alcohol is pure liquid health, they say, pouring another round of Riga Black Balsam (a liquor not dissimilar to Jägermeister, used by a pharmacist to treat Catherine the Great’s sickness – or so the story goes). Perhaps their most bewildering admission to me, is that they grew up without Christmas. ‘My kids love it, but I still prefer New Year,’ Marius tells me. Here in Vilnius, a baroque city, there is enough history to feed a curious mind for days. Take Kablys, an old cinema that used to screen films

PHOTOS: ADOBE STOCK

Jūrmala beach, Latvia

hikers and nature enthusiasts, buttercups and dandelions spring up under step, flighty deer hide among the slender tree branches, and slow worms meander along dust paths, all soundtracked by the gushing River Neris. Further south, we light on Trakai, an ancient island castle that once formed the centre of a fortress. And further north, just across the border from Latvia, is proof that Lithuania’s Soviet atheism really is ancient history (as, too, is its paganism): the surreal Hill of Crosses stands atop a hillock in the middle of nowhere, a place of Christian pilgrimage and a modern marker of peace, boasting more than 100,000 wooden crosses, creating a fantastical folk art installation. We journey between these spots by spacious minibus, traversing straight flat roads flanked by fields spotted with endless dandelions and forests of spindly trees grappling to be the tallest. Bus stops appear and disappear at even intervals, some incongruously decorative relics of Soviet rule. Other cars are infrequent, traffic a rarity, cows occasional and cranes sporadic, picking through the grass with their spindly legs and pointed beaks. One day, we pass through Gauja, Latvia’s largest and oldest national park criss-crossed by defunct train tracks and dotted with cows, subsistence farms, more bus stops, and wooden houses perched beside small lakes, its bubbling river cutting through the middle. Here, we have

Tallinn old town is completely separate from the new town

the rare opportunity to descend nine metres into an ex-Soviet bunker, built beneath a hospital from 1970-80 by non-Russian-speaking Estonians to ensure it remained top secret. At 2,000 sq/m, it is larger than Hitler’s, with power generated by two old tank engines, housing up to 250 people for three months – albeit in very close quarters. We’re shown gas masks, and Marius dons one in record speed, muscle memory from going to school with the ever-looming threat of nuclear war. The Baltic capital cities – Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius – have experienced an uptick in tourists recently, almost back at their pre-pandemic levels despite Russian visitors, historically their largest market, being banned. Today, Finns have taken the lead. It’s these just-outside-the-city spots that are attracting more attention, with city breakers and hiking tourists alike visiting in droves. Likewise, Baltic beach resorts – such as Estonia’s manicured summer village of Käsmu, with pristine gardens opening out into the Gulf of Finland, or Latvia’s beach town of Jūrmala, where 19th-century fishing villages have made way for wooden holiday homes – will surely soon benefit, boasting thick bands of soft sand lapped up by gentle waves. The most popular of the three capitals is Riga, a terracotta town founded by Bishop Albert in 1201, capitalising on Christmas market tourism in recent years. Home to more than 800 wedding-cake-like Jugendstil buildings (the German equivalent to Art Nouveau), we admire the architecture and weave through winding alleys, pausing for coffee on elegant boulevards. There’s a discomfort fizzing beneath the surface, especially when we light on the Russian Embassy papered with protest posters and Ukrainian flags. ‘We’re sensitive,’ Marius tells us, ‘with everything happening in Ukraine. Are we next?’ Outside government buildings, flower beds are striped with yellow and blue blooms. Here, with such a harrowing history of occupation, Russia’s war on Ukraine understandably hits close to home: Estonia and Latvia are bordered by Russia to the east, while Kaliningrad is squashed between Lithuania and Poland to the west. So is it unsafe? Not according to the Global Peace Index – in which all three nations rank higher than the UK. Only occasionally do we see tanks rolling out east, NATO demonstrating its power. It’s a similar story in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, perched on the north coast an 80km ferry ride from Helsinki. During USSR rule, the city’s beaches would be raked each night so law enforcers could capture anyone trying to escape; the Embassy, again, reflects an Estonian resistance to Russia. In May, it’s a consistent 22°C-ish, occasionally reaching a lovely 26°C, perfect for city exploration – and getting hotter every year. As I soak it up from that sun trap Vilnius courtyard, I manage to eat my ice cream in the knick of time. Exodus Adventure Travels’ 12-day guided Discover the Baltics trip, from £1,699pp, excluding flights. exodus.co.uk

The old town, Riga, Latvia

Olivia’s return flights had a carbon footprint of 584kg CO2e. ecollectivecarbon.com n

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100

THE PERFECT SCORE AWARDED TO YATTARNA 2021 BY ANDREW CAILLARD MW

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FOOD&DRINK

A Splash Of Wine

Anna Boglione’s Recipes To Reconnect celebrates seasonality and (thankfully) that includes wine July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 173

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FOOD & DRINK | Recipe

PESCHE E VINO ◀ PICTURED ON

Anna says: Another Italian classic that celebrates simplicity and fine produce, this pudding was our grandmother’s favourite. She would make this for us when we were children and it would represent the coming of summer. Sharp, yet sweet flavours with the freshness of the lemon verbena picked straight from the garden.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Pour the wine into a big saucepan and add the sugar and lemon verbena.

With a knife, make a little cross on top of each peach – this will make it easier to peel once it’s cooked.

Drop all the peaches in the wine, and bring it to simmer for 5 minutes, and then let it cool down.

FOODIE TALES

Once the peaches are cold, remove them from the wine and cut them into pieces. In the meantime, bring the wine back to the boil and reduce the liquid to a syrup.

Serves the peaches in a glass and add a generous amount of syrup to cover them. Garnish with a tip of lemon verbena and some sorbet.

INGREDIENTS Try to to source biodynamic or organic ingredients where possible. Serves 10 – 1.5 litres white wine – 250g sugar – 100g lemon verbena, plus extra to decorate (if you don’t have verbena, use mint) – 5 yellow peaches – 8 flat peaches

Anna Boglione is filling up her tummies with good-to-the-ground food

What’s your food philosophy? Eat healthy as much as you can, enjoy your food with no guilt, indulge at times, know where your food comes from, try to eat local and organic when possible. What was the first dish you learnt to cook? We made Sunday roast every week growing up, so probably a roast chicken. What’s your favourite in season ingredient? I love crunchy fennel, I use the bulb all the way to the tops in salads. They are also great in the oven, the taste transforms with nutty undertones. Also, the boiled tops make a very nice medicinal homemade iced tea, just add lemon and honey. Your favourite ‘throw-it-together’ dinner? At the moment I am really into the simplicity of great produce in its purest form. The tanginess of a Cherokee purple tomato, for example, with a rich fresh burrata, spicy virgin olive oil, topped with basil leaves. What’s in your fridge right now? It’s

stuffed full of organic veg, ready to make baby food - today’s combo was beetroot, parsley, chickpeas and olive oil. Then we have yogurt, some yummy cheeses, homemade kimchi, lots of condiments and a bottle of sake. Comfort snack? It used to be peanut butter, chocolate covered dates – but I made them and ate them in huge quantities when pregnant, so they are now off the menu. Cheese, I love snacking on cheese and creating a mini cheese board for one. And how do you use up leftovers? My family always teases me, as I’m constantly saying that I’m ‘elongating’ a dish – aka adding into last night’s meal to feed people for lunch. Soup, curry and salads work well for this, just add. Or I turn last night’s meal into a salad, that’s another go to – chicken, fish and roasted vegetables work well. Recipes To Reconnect (Kyle Books, £35) n

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Tidbits | FOOD & DRINK

GASTRO GOSSIP

We’re reinventing the plate and regenerating the soil, says Tessa Dunthorne

PANTRY LIST: BUBBLES, BASES AND BARISTAS

Kind-on-soil nibbles

CULT OF CAN

Mama Yu’s Jolene is ‘Mama Yu’

Elevate your pantry staples with the latest bougie basics Chilli oil is now cool (ironically). The hottest brand to burn your mouth with is Lao Gan Ma (meaning Old Godmother), which began life in the 1990s in southwest China. Once, you would have struggled to find the niche product. Not now though – the fiery stuff has gone mainstream, which also means that brands like Mama Yu are able to sell out 1,000-jar ‘drops’ on website Delli.market within only 40 minutes. Jarred and canned goods – i.e. your humble pantry staples – are having a reputational refresh. Why? Perhaps it’s a bid to cut food waste. Maybe it’s a sense of nostalgia. But we think it might be that these food items are surprisingly good for you. Chilli oil, for example, contains capsaicin, a compound that reduces inflammation (and which is linked to better heart function). Other staples include kimchi, which is big with the gut health warriors thanks to its

naturally occurring probiotic bacteria – the same that help keep the food longer in the cupboard. And EVOO (pronounced eee-voo: extra virgin olive oil), rich in antioxidants, is being lugged out of shops in five-litre buckets – even though it’s more expensive than ever (thanks in part to climate change, but also its popularity). And then, lest we forget, the fibrous bean is booming, having been decanted to large glass jars by the likes of Bold Bean Co. We’re pleased to note that its Queen Carlin Peas are grown in British soil using regenerative farming methods – founder Amelia ChristieMiller started the B-Corp-accredited brand in response to soil degradation. Healthy for us, healthy for our Earth. So, canned and jarred goods are on our lips (and in our stomachs). Will you join the cult of can?

1 Wild Farmed Pizza flour, £3.75, rattonpantry.co.uk 2 Bella Barista Navigator blend, £8.50, bellabarista.co.uk 3 Champagne Bollinger Bollinger PN VZ19, £99. champagne-bollinger.com

H U N G E R PA N G S FO R … WILDFLOWERS by chef Aaron Potter… A new eatery in Belgravia inspired by the convivial dining of the Continent using hyper-seasonal ingredients. RUINART X SILO’s Savoir Re(Faire) series, a monthly meal shaped around Ruinart Blanc Singulier, exploring how climate variations influence our taste. ABAJO’S NEW ECOSYSTEMS MENU… A tenseater chef’s table restaurant with a menu that romps through Colombia’s five ecosystems. July /August 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 175

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PROPERTY Edited by Anna Tyzack

HOUSE OF THE MONTH

Trafalgar Barton, Branscombe, Seaton, Devon 7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, £3.75m

Sell it to us in a sentence... Nestled in beautiful rolling countryside with partial views of the sea, this mini estate offers a unique blend of elegance and charm, encompassing a classic Georgian main house, a selection of outbuildings and two holiday cottages. The grounds extend to just under 20 acres. How would you describe its design? The ideal combination of classic and contemporary. What’s unique about it? The combination of land, income generating opportunities, and being within walking distance of one of the best beaches in the area. What is its history? The house boasts a rich history, having been built by Captain Yule, who served as a lieutenant on HMS Victory during the Battle of Trafalgar. Best room in the house? There are too many to choose from. The principal bedroom has superb views over the garden and out to sea. What would summers be like here? Glorious – the house boasts fantastic mature gardens with various areas for outdoor entertaining and enjoying the views, and a ten to 15 minute walk to the beach. Perks of the location? Proximity to the coast, and two very well-regarded pubs in the village. The current owner says… ‘Our home truly ticked every box we were looking for when we moved from London. It offers a perfect combination of being near the coast, having amazing countryside views and walks and being situated in a pretty village.’ +44 (0)1392 249863; knightfrank.co.uk

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PROPERTY | Five of the Best

Small HOLDINGS

You’re just a few steps from living the simple life, says Martha Davies

Portheras Cove, West Cornwall, £1.95m

Commanding spectacular views of both the coast and the countryside, this Cornish cottage in just under an acre is a real showstopper. lillicrapchilcott.com

Thistledown, Alresford, £1.495m

This Hampshire home boasts four acres of land, multiple outbuildings and a range of eco-friendly features including an EPC A rating. Ideal for a smallholding. hamptons.co.uk

Downley, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, £1.5m

Hunting for a modern home in a secluded country setting? This four-bed property with a lake, outbuildings and over an acre is the one for you. michaelgraham.co.uk

Newfoundlands, St Ishmaels, Pembrokeshire, OIEO £1.1m

Sprawling paddocks and handy outbuildings (including a barn conversion) surround this lovely home in Pembrokeshire – plus, the beach is just a short stroll away. countrylivinggroup.co.uk

Gubhill, Dumfries & Galloway, £1.925m

Perched within 60 acres of rugged Scottish countryside is this handsome stone property, which is complete with three separate cottages and a two-storey barn. finestproperties.co.uk

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MAKE CORNWALL PART OF YOUR STORY

POLZEATH | ROCK | DAYMER BAY 01208 869430 | thepointholidays.co.uk | stay@thepointholidays.co.uk Polzeath at the Point.indd 1

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Make the most of your down time with a back-to-nature cabin

CABIN FEVER

or a fix of sea air, golf and coastal walks, Darren Clare drives to his cabin above Polzeath in Cornwall. The timber-clad building has three double bedrooms and an open-plan living space with a wood burner and vast windows overlooking the sea. It’s more luxurious than many of the holiday cottages in the area and yet it is unashamedly a cabin; that’s what sold it to Darren, who lives in Bristol – along with the view from the window seat. ‘We don’t need anything more than this – it’s the perfect size,’ he says. ‘We looked at modern glass-fronted cottages in the area but a cabin is perfect when you already have a lovely family home.’ In Scandinavia, the cabin or hytte is the mainstay of second-home ownership – some people have two; one in the mountains and one by the sea. The concept is still in its infancy in Britain, but buyers such as Darren are drawn to the simplicity and ease of owning a lock-upand-leave cabin that is low maintenance and in a prime location. His cabin at The Point, a small development of architect-designed cabins, is 15 minutes’ walk from Polzeath and has access to an 18-hole golf course, pool, padel courts, gym and restaurant (kotoatthepoint.co.uk). Eva Davies, who owns The Point with her husband, Jeremy, is Norwegian and the cabins were inspired by her childhood holidays in Scandinavia. ‘There you head to your log cabin on the sea or mountains to relax and spend time in nature, and I wanted

to echo that here,’ she says. ‘You have space and privacy in your cabin and access to the coast, and it’s lower maintenance than owning a cottage or farmhouse. We’ll look after it for you, mowing the grass and even renting it out if you choose.’ The luxury cabin concept has been successfully pioneered in Britain at Fritton Lake on the Somerleyton Estate in Norfolk; that’s now a chic second-home community of 100 cabins (with space for 30 more costing from £305,000) situated amid woods and meadows that are part of a rewilding project (frittonlake.co.uk). Owners enjoy wild swimming and paddleboarding on the two-mile lake as well as trail running, yoga and facilities including a 22m heated pool, floating sauna, restaurant and adventure playground. The Guardian voted it one of the most tranquil locations in Britain. The Point is a smaller community – the first phase is just 17 cabins with the option of planning for another 20 – but there is similar emphasis on immersion in nature. The cabins are within generous plots delineated by rugged planting and granite walls, and are designed by Koto, the same company that has created the less premium Scandi-style lodge option at Fritton Lake. ‘They’re flooded with natural light with plenty of space for families to slow down, reconnect with nature and recharge,’ says Eva. The development launched quietly earlier this summer and already five cabins have sold with

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Anna Tyzack takes a look at the new trend for Scandi-inspired cabins as second homes

PROPERTY prices starting at £650,000. One was bought by a friend of Darren’s who visited his cabin and immediately wanted one for himself. Buyers, according to Davies, are attracted by the price – the homes are roughly half the price of a modern threebedroom house in a similar position – but also the design of the cabins, which have a low impact on the surroundings with grass roofs, and are both carbon neutral and energy neutral. They also appreciate that, as designated second homes, they aren’t taking homes away from the community. ‘It was important to me that The Point is on side with the locals,’ Darren confirms. ‘I meet them on the golf course and in the bar, and they’re always really friendly. There’s no sense of being a grockle.’ While the cabins don’t resemble static caravans, they comply with the Mobile Home and Caravan Act, which means the properties are subject to consumer law rather than conveyancing law, enabling buyers to get hold of the keys almost immediately. ‘They can literally move in straight away; one guy put in an offer on Monday and was having a glass of wine with his mates in his cabin the following week,’ Eva says. Cabins are sold on a 90-year license, which can be extended at any time, and owners can use their cabin for up to 11 months a year or sublet it if they choose. They do not pay council tax or stamp duty but pay an annual ground rent of £8,000, which covers utility bills, ground maintenance, broadband and removal of waste and recycling. In addition, they have complimentary access to The Point Health Club as well as two full golf memberships. There are risks involved with buying a property that classifies as a static caravan. As a licence holder, you are subject to the landowner; if The Point sold to a different owner, there is no guarantee that services on site will be to the same standard. It’s also difficult to get a mortgage as the purchase falls under consumer rather than conveyancing law. However, as Davies points out, the cabins are in one of Cornwall’s most popular areas, so there will always be a market for a country

Cabins such as this are designated second homes, so have less of an impact on local house prices

club such as The Point, and the cabins should be easy to sell on. They’ve also been designed to last 90 years, which is longer than many new build homes. Darren, who is a CEO, discussed the possible pitfalls with the Davies’ before purchase, and is confident The Point is a valuable brand with a solid legacy. Indeed, the cabins, according to Eva, will help fund further investment into the golf course and club facilities. ‘Of course, there are no guarantees in life but Jeremy is a golfer who has spent a lot on the course and is creating a culture at the club,’ Darren says. ‘It feels like an old-fashioned seaside country club – there’s live music in the afternoons at the weekend and spectacular barbecues.’ Darren even plans to spend Christmas at his cabin, cosying up by the log burner and taking a dip in the sea on New Year’s Day. ‘It’s the best way to get rid of a hangover,’ he says. ‘I’ve just sold my business and plan to use my new home as much as possible.’ n

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; UNSPLASH

ON THE MARKET

Norfolk, from £650,000 At Fritton Lake there are cabin plots available in the heart of the club, in open meadows and in mature woodland. Buyers can choose between a Koto designled cabin or a cedar-clad log cabin from Retreat Homes, and can specify the layout, finishes and furniture. frittonlake.co.uk

Cornwall, £650,000 Buyers at The Point can move into their new cabin straight away or design a bespoke cabin with their own choice of fixtures and fittings. Each property has an open-plan kitchen/dining room/living room, with log burner, three double bedrooms and two bathrooms plus a utility room. kotoatthepoint.co.uk

Gloucestershire, £5.2m Zen is a five-bedroom larch timber house set amid an acre of woodland at Lakes by Yoo in Gloucestershire, with access to spa, restaurants and cycling trails. The house features open-plan living spaces, a cinema room, heated outdoor pool and roof terrace with views of the lakes. thelakesbyyoo.com

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RESTORING HISTORY FINAL HOMES REMAINING Recognised for its 25 acres of green space, 350-year-old oak trees and homes of exceptional quality, the award-winning Broadoaks Park has well established its roots within West Byfleet, Surrey. Nearing completion, over 90% of homes have sold, with interest for luxury homes within the private parkland estate, continuing to rise. Bringing 126 homes to the community, Broadoaks Park offers a seamless blend of Grade II Listed conversions and new-build properties, each meticulously designed to complement the 19th century charm of the central Mansion House. A significant and striking landmark upon entry to the development, works on the Grade II Listed Mansion Building have rapidly progressed, with Octagon’s expert in-house team carefully restoring, replicating and rebuilding parts of this highly complex, historic building. Dating back to 1876 and designed by a long and distinguished line of Scottish architects, this magnificent building is being converted into two expansive fiveand six-bedroom homes. Bringing the property back to its former glory whilst preserving as many original features as possible, the properties will offer contemporary living in a truly unique setting, due to complete in Spring 2025. Featuring a picturesque ‘village green’ alongside communal lawns and a children’s LEAP play area, Broadoaks Park has attracted downsizers, young professionals, families and international clients. With a thriving new community, only a small selection of homes remain available. Home to artisan bakeries, fine dining restaurants and cosy pubs, as well as amenities including a Waitrose and rows of independent cafés and restaurants, West Byfleet is a village that has much to offer residents. The Basingstoke Canal and Wey Navigation provide picturesque walks, while city commuters have the benefit of the fast rail service (from 28 mins) to London Waterloo. Road users have close access to the A3 and M25.

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New resident, Debbie Evans explains;

“We feel we’ve got it all; a brand-new house that’s energy efficient and easy to run, and somewhere we could start to personalise, whilst enjoying all the period splendour of the distant Mansion House from our front windows.”

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From spacious two-bedroom apartments with private terraces and parking, to three- and four-bedroom Georgian-inspired homes with classical white render facades. Guide Prices start from £750,000 for an apartment and up to £1,495,000 for houses. CGI of typical four- bedroom home

Listed period conversion within Broadoaks Park

One of the final houses to launch will be the Grade II Listed West Lodge, previously the Sales Suite, which is set to be converted into a two-bedroom home this Summer. A unique opportunity to own a piece of Broadoaks’ extensive history, the house is tucked away, offering fantastic views across the village green and the Mansion House. Price on application.

The Sales Suite is open Monday – Friday 10am–4pm. Visit broadoakspark.co.uk

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Octagon Developments 020 8481 7500 octagon.co.uk @octagondevelopments

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LAST WORD The Lowry attracts international talent like the São Paulo Dance Company

Tales of our Time

‘Y

ou don’t need brains to be a painter, just feelings.’ The words of LS Lowry, the acclaimed artist and namesake of one of the country’s best loved institutions – and a great example of an effective regeneration project – The Lowry centre in Manchester.

These words were on my mind when I hosted the launch of its latest report, Making Culture Count, which spotlights the impact of creativity on the regeneration of people and places in Salford, Manchester. On one level the report makes the case for grassroots social regeneration and economic impact, the real power of The Lowry’s story rests with its extraordinary effect on the communities both locally in Salford and much further afield – from school kids and families to refugees and

people who might never have dreamt of stepping through the doors of a theatre. The joy of shared experience, the magical mix that brings with it an astounding energy and vibe. These are the feelings that Lowry himself expressed in terms of art, and in doing so captured what it means to live. But do we value creativity? The actor Timothy Spall, who played the artist in the 2019 film Mrs Lowry & Son, thinks we have a long way to go. Speaking in support of the report, he makes the point that politicians need to stop treating arts as a ‘bloodsucker’ – a cost not a benefit. He describes The Lowry as an ‘open gate’ to communities while art is ‘a liberation for people’. That liberation can also be a sanctuary where imagination can flourish free of the pressures of the outside world. The activist and social entrepreneur, Jaiden Corfield, makes the point

that, ‘The Lowry is a place where young people can feel safe and be brave.’ And he should know – he made the point that his life could quite easily have been one of violence and crime but that at The Lowry he found a place where he could belong. The centre’s CEO, Julia Fawcett, picked up the theme, speaking movingly about that journey and how a bet on the future has paid off – for every £1 of public funding that The Lowry receives, it returns almost £33. I’ve loved working with The Lowry. Not least because the backdrop to the event was the artist’s iconic 1953 masterpiece, Going To The Match. I first saw it when I was eight years old and was beguiled. It depicts the fans of Bolton Wanderers on their way to a cup final. People coming together with hopes for the future. With it a metaphor for this theatre of dreams today: the feeling that you belong. n

C R E AT I V I T Y & C O M M U N I T Y

Timothy Spall as LS Lowry

VISIT The Lowry – inventive theatre and comedy, and home of the LS Lowry art collection. WATCH Operation Mincemeat – the Olivier Award-winning musical created at the venue is now in the West End at The Fortune Theatre (operationmincemeat.com). VIEW Mrs Lowry & Son. Timothy Spall and Vanessa Redgrave depict the life and times of the artist (Amazon Prime/Apple TV).

The Lowry centre in Salford

Michael Hayman explores Manchester’s answer to fostering community and creativity

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