Country & Town House - March/April 2022

A LIFE IN BALANCE

MAKING THE CUT

Fola EvansAkingbola stars in Ten Percent NFTS EXPLAINED Are you more CryptoPunk or Bored Ape?

DESIGN & INTERIORS Why perfection is passé Cover-V5-LC.indd 2

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IN THE WEIGHING ROOM Why female jockeys are riding high

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Contents

MARCH APRIL 2022

COLUMNS 18 20 22 184

THE GOOD LIFE Is Alice B-B too old to be a girlfriend?

THE RURBANIST Jasmine Hemsley GREAT BRITISH BRAND AWARDS 2022 And the winners are...

LAST WORD Michael Hayman meets Chanel’s new CEO, Leena Nair

STYLE 27 28 30 32 34

MAKE IT REIGN Harris Reed’s regal, riotous new collection THE EDIT Style updates A LIGHTER TOUCH Embrace pastel shades THE MAGPIE Jewellery news WELL GROOMED Men’s style

HEALTH & WELLBEING 37 38

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HEAD SPACE It’s all in the mind BODY LANGUAGE Olivia Falcon tracks down the beauty hotspots in the Big Apple BEAUTY BUZZ Nathalie Eleni’s tips and tricks BODY & SOUL Cultivating a slow mindset THE SCOOP Skin boosting therapies and a much-needed makeover TAKE TEN Lay on the lipstick SPA TREK Juliet Herd floats back to health at Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti

SAVE THE DATE 49

Ding dong, the bells are finally ringing, so to celebrate, we’re bringing you the complete guide to getting hitched (at long last), with the dresses, the jewels, the accessories and the venues. Edited by Mariella Tandy

CULTURE 83 84 90

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AND GOD CREATED MAN The many facets of masculinity at the V&A THE CULTURAL CALENDAR What to see, read and do THE EXHIBITIONIST Ed Vaizey explores the history of henges at the British Museum THE POSITIVE DISRUPTOR Let nature be our teacher, urges James Wallace LITTLE GREEN BOOK Hugo Tagholm is on a mission to save our sea ROAD TEST Jeremy Taylor revs up the new Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT SCARFES BAR Fitness powerhouse Grace Beverley

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Contents

MARCH APRIL 2022

FEATURES

100 FOUND IN TRANSLATION Fola Evans-Akingbola reprises the role of Sofia in the British version of French cult hit show, Call My Agent!

108 ON LOCATION At the Montevetro Building 111 WTF ARE NFTS? And do you really need them in your life? asks Robert Jackman 116 GALLOPING AHEAD Amy Wakeham saddles up with the female jockeys leading the charge

ON DESIGN 121

Carole Annett brings you all the inspiration you need for your next house transformation, from eye-catching wallpaper and sumptuous fabrics to tips for your outside space, plus juicy case studies to pore over. Your home has never looked so good

HOTELS & TRAVEL 151

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CARIBBEAN QUEEN Pick your paradise: Moskito, St Barths or the Turks and Caicos THAT’S CAPITAL Four chic new openings in Europe

FOOD & DRINK 161

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FEELING FRESH Awaken your tastebuds with Sophie Gordon’s coconut, white bean and celery soup GASTRO GOSSIP Foodie news

PROPERTY 165

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ON THE COVER Fola Evans-Akingbola wears blazer, trouser and body, all Stella McCartney. 18ct yellow gold, diamond and malachite Lucky Move ring and 18ct yellow gold, diamond and lapis lazuli Lucky Move ring, both Messika Paris. Fashion direction by Nicole Smallwood.

Photography by Rachell Smith. Hair: Cher Savery using Living Proof; Hair braiding: Yohana; Make-up: Lan Nguyen-Grealis at Eighteen Management using Dior Capture Totale Super Potent serum and Forever foundation

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PROPERTY OF THE MONTH A historical Westminster address is given a luxurious makeover LET’S MOVE TO... Oxted FIVE OF THE BEST Grand design homes

REGULARS 12 14 164

EDITOR’S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS STOCKISTS

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Disrupting Diamonds

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the original so watchable have been beautifully adapted to pick up English codes of behaviour. I have high hopes (p100).

I think I first knew what NFT stood for about two months ago, but now thanks to Robert Jackman, I know what a Non-Fungible Token actually is. I even Whatsapp’d my tech-savvy brother who lives in New York to ask whether his little analogue sister should think about investing.

‘Don’t invest!’ came the quick riposte. ‘It is a thing but it’s a bubble and unless you’re lucky you will lose – there will be lots of lottery stories about people making millions, but most will quietly lose whatever they invested.’ So I’m hedging on my brother being right, but you of course must make up your own minds (p111).

With Covid restrictions now dropped, 2022 will no doubt be a bumper year for weddings, so if you haven’t sorted out your caterer yet you may as well give up now. For those playing the long game, we have bountiful pages of wedding confection for you to rip out for your bridal scrapbook (told you I was old-school) – with sartorial guides for everyone from the bride to the guests; honeymoon ideas; venues; jewellery; stationery... it’s your one-stop bridal shop, beginning on page 49.

You might prefer to keep that budget to do up your house though, in which case Carole Annett rides to the rescue with her design eye firmly trained on spring’s new influx of ideas in our On Interiors special (from p121). Or you might choose to blow it all on a once-inlifetime-holiday. We’ve done a little research in the Caribbean for you.

It was no hardship for Rosalyn Wikeley to check out Richard Branson’s new private island outpost, Moskito Island (p151); nor did Mary Lussiana find the new Cheval Blanc on St Barths too shabby (p154) .

If you’re a gambling type, just don’t blow it all on the ’osses, although I’d be minded to back one of our fantastic female jockeys if you do. They’re riding high right now – especially since Rachael Blackmore won the National last year on Minella Times. Amy Wakeham meets the female riders more than just keeping pace with their male counterparts (p116).

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Editor’s LETTER Was your lockdown TV obsession Call My Agent? The cult French show set in a Parisian talent agency became the sleeper hit of 2020. I for one was hooked by Andréa’s style, Mathias’ duplicity and Hervé’s catty put downs. Now, the show’s been transposed to Soho, renamed as Ten Percent and our cover star Fola Evans-Akingbola is reprising the role of receptionist-cum-actress Sofia. It must be nervewracking to take on something so widely adored but, Fola reassures us, the French idiosyncrasies that made

EDITOR’S PICKS BOOK Gorgeous Calcot in the Cotswolds is adding five new family suites this spring – the perfect Easter getaway

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BUY Retinols can be quite drying on the skin, so I’m opting for more natural bakuchiolbased products instead for the same result

RIDE Convert your pedal bike into a snazzy electric version with Swytch Kit – genius

WEAR I love a white leather shoe, especially toughened up with a buckle, which makes these Paper London sandals my summer shoe go-to

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CON T R I BU TOR S

Save The Date bridal guide, p49

WTF Are NFTs? p111

A cliff-top Cornish farmhouse, p142

Diversity in the design world, p136

Mariella Tandy

Robert Jackman

Tallulah Rushaya

Sofia Tindall

Design classic? It would have to be a toss-up between a 1950s Josef Frank Flora cabinet or a Kuramata Miss Blanche chair.

NFT or National Gallery?

National Gallery. For me nothing beats being able to see wonderful art from many different eras painted by hand.

Always awe-inspiring and also relaxing.

Dream home? Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Clay Calloway’s house in Sing 2 or any villa directly on the Italian lakes. They are all near expanses of water, my dream.

Favourite design era?

Definitely the 1930s. I could happily live in any of JeanMichel Frank’s interiors. The colours, proportions, textures...

Everything, basically.

Design classic? A Louis XVstyle writing desk. It’s hardly the height of subtlety, but at least I’d get some use out of it.

NFT or National Gallery?

National Gallery. Given the last two years, I think we’ve all had our fill of the metaverse for now. Although I could be persuaded to change my mind if offered a Bored Ape. Dream home? As a Tennessee Williams fan, I’m drawn to the faded mansions of the old American south. The Longue Vue in New Orleans would work perfectly.

Favourite design era? Right now, I’d say Pop Art. There are lots of parallels with NFTs – not least the low barrier to entry – and it would be interesting to hear the early backlash to it.

Design classic? A Chesterfield sofa. Depending on the colour it’s a timeless design and always comfortable.

NFT or National Gallery?

National Gallery, nothing quite compares to seeing a work of art in person. I am still wrapping my head around NFTs, but it will be interesting to see where it goes.

Dream home? Kenwood House. It’s easy to forget you’re in London, despite the viewpoint on the hill. With acres of Hampstead Heath on the doorstep, I would not run out of walking routes. Interiors wise, the library designed by Robert Adam is a bonus.

Favourite design era? The Georgian era is the one I would revisit. I love the symmetry, light colours and classical references.

Design classic? At the top of my wishlist when I (eventually) buy a home is a mid-century dressing table with a circular mirror. They’re so versatile – perfect for minimalist or maximalist interiors.

NFT or National Gallery?

Don’t judge me, but I’m NFT-curious. Who isn’t intrigued by a hype in 2022?

Dream home? I think it would have to be one of those amazing mansions at Sands Point in Long Island, said to have inspired F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Favourite design era? The Baroque has always captivated me. Gilded basilicas, frescoed ceilings… I’m not sure what that says about me – that I’m a bit extra, probably.

WA N T T O K NOW W H AT ’ S ON ?

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LUCY CLELAND EDITOR

EDITOR-AT-LARGE ALICE B-B ASSOCIATE EDITOR CHARLOTTE METCALF MANAGING EDITOR AMY WAKEHAM CHIEF SUB EDITOR BELINDA BAMBER SUB EDITOR KATIE BAMBER FEATURES ASSISTANT & SUB EDITOR SOFIA TINDALL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT RUBY FEATHERSTONE FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD BEAUTY DIRECTOR NATHALIE ELENI INTERIORS DIRECTOR CAROLE ANNETT CULTURE EDITOR ED VAIZEY EXECUTIVE RETAIL EDITOR MARIELLA TANDY SUSTAINABILITY EDITOR LISA GRAINGER PROPERTY EDITOR ANNA TYZACK MOTORING EDITOR JEREMY TAYLOR ONLINE EDITOR REBECCA COX JUNIOR ONLINE EDITOR ELLIE SMITH JUNIOR SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR DANIELLA SAUNDERS ONLINE WRITER CHARLOTTE RICKARDS ONLINE ASSISTANT CHARLIE COLVILLE ONLINE INTERN SOPHIE BUCKNALL CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PARM BHAMRA PRODUCTION DESIGNER SAMUEL THOMAS FILMMAKER TRACER ITAL ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR ELLIE RIX SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER PANDORA LEWIS ACCOUNT MANAGER KATRINA GANE DIGITAL MANAGER ADAM DEAN SALES SUPPORT & OFFICE MANAGER XA RODGER TECHNICAL MANAGER HANNAH JOHNSON TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MARK PEARSON FINANCE DIRECTOR JILL NEWEY FINANCE CONTROLLER LAUREN HARTLEY FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR RIA HARRISON PROPERTY & MARKETING ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND B CORP PROJECT MANAGER GEMMA COWLEY GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR TIA GRAHAM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER JAMES THROWER MANAGING DIRECTOR JEREMY ISAAC CONTRIBUTING EDITORS STEPHEN BAYLEY, FIONA DUNCAN, OLIVIA FALCON, DAISY FINER, LYDIA GARD, AVRIL GROOM, MICHAEL HAYMAN, RICHARD HOPTON, EMMA LOVE, MARY LUSSIANA, ANNA PASTERNAK, CAROLINE PHILLIPS, HOLLY RUBENSTEIN, MARCUS SCRIVEN THE EDITOR editorial@countryandtownhouse.co.uk FASHION fashion@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ADVERTISING advertising@countryandtownhouse.co.uk

PROPERTY ADVERTISING property@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ACCOUNTS accounts@countryandtownhouse.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk

COUNTRY & TOWN HOUSE is a bi-monthly magazine distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, South Kensington, Wandsworth and Wimbledon, as well as being available from leading country and London estate agents. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s stores and independent newsagents nationwide. It has an estimated readership of 150,000. It is available on subscription in the UK for £29.99 per annum. To subscribe online, iPad, iPhone and android all for only £24.99 visit: exacteditions.com/read/ countrytownhouse. For subscription enquiries, please call 020 7384 9011 or email subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk. It is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox. Copyright © 2022 Country & Town House Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Materials are accepted on the understanding that no liability is incurred for safe custody. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. While every care is taken to ensure information is correct at time of going to press, it is subject to change, and C&TH Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors.

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COLUMN

The GOOD LIFE Alice BB is passing up on vows for happily ever after

‘Y

OU’RE TOO OLD!’ said the man beside me at lunch. ‘Yup, way too old to have a boyfriend. You should say “partner”. Or get married.’ By some miracle, I resisted stabbing him with my fork. But I was stung; he’d achieved what he wanted and made me feel old. Having skipped through the last 15 years of unmarried bliss with Mr Love, I suddenly wondered if this was the moment when the rules kick in – like cutting your long hair after 50. But I love being a girlfriend; neither of us gets complacent, and it adds a frisson. The thought of marriage makes me feel claustrophobic. So even though it was annoying, I’m grateful to that ageist, sexist (pretty sure he wouldn’t have said it to a man) fool for making me consider my romantic status and realise that – yes – having a boyfriend still works for me. I laughed out loud when I left the restaurant, relieved that Mr Old School was neither my husband, partner nor boyfriend – rigid in all the wrong places.

BLOODY THEATRE... I’ve always sort of hated it; the intellectual snobbery, having to wade through ten plays to get a good one, hard seats and being asked to suspend your disbelief while someone munches crisps or snores beside you… It’s a big ask. Sometimes I find myself mesmerised by the actors’ spittle – beautifully back lit like shooting stars that burst across the stage.

But something’s changed. Has the pandemic made me more grateful for performance? A lust for being around people? Or am I now the right age for theatre (if not for a boyfriend)? First it was Cabaret with astonishing Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee; immersed into a louche, underground Berlin bar where anything could happen. Next, the rave-reviewed One-Woman Show by Liz Kingsman. And the week after, The Forest, the new play by Oscarwinner Florian Zeller (The Father). I’m diving in – spit and all.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SPA? Is a question I’m asked almost daily. For those serious about wanting a health holiday, I pass on the name of spa goddess Frances Geoghegan, who started her company Healing Holidays almost 30 years ago.

I believe there’s a retreat or spa for everyone and it’s about finding the right fit and insider info; the best suite, therapists, doctors and when to go. With her years of experience and knowledge, Geoghegan works forensically through your options – she’s like a health version of Wordle. n

THIS MONTH I’LL BE...

HEADING to Skin Matters for the UK’s first live probiotic facial (esseskincare.co.uk). TRIALLING ear seeds to clear blockages for stronger immunity, more calm or better sleep (acupointzero.com). SLIPPING into my new uniform: a trouser suit by Savile Row’s The Deck (thedecklondon.com).

ILLUSTRATION BY MEI MEI, @MEIMEI_2503

‘ I feel MESMERISED by the actors’ spittle – beautifully backlit like SHOOTING STARS that burst across the STAGE’

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INTERVIEW

The RURBANIST

Jasmine Hemsley on eating early, singing with Stevie Wonder and the power of Ayurveda

What’s bringing you joy at the moment? My little

FROM ABOVE: Jasmine (right) with Hari Salem, founder of Hari’s; Stevie Wonder; Kitchari

Hari’s x Jasmine Hemsley Ayurveda-inspired hair treatment rituals are available now, harissalon.com n

JASMINE LOVES SCENT Georgette by Vyrao. CHOCOLATE BAR Tony’s Chocolonely. SONG God Only Knows by The Beach Boys.

DISH Kitchari. GADGET Kansa wand. RESTAURANT The Bull Inn in Totnes, Devon. HOLIDAY India.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES; © THOMAS HAWK/ FLICKR

girl, Mahi, who will be one next month. She’s an absolute hoot, she’s always laughing.

What keeps you awake at night? Anything and everything that I haven’t dealt with before bed, which is why a meditation practice and bedtime routine works so well for me. I’ve got these touchpoints: dimming the lights, changing the music, doing a bit of breath work for 60 seconds before I lie down, and doing a kansa wand massage on my face. All of these things help me get out of my head and into my body.

Best life hack you can share with us? Don’t eat late at night. One of the first things that led me on my wellness journey was making my evening meal smaller and earlier, typically around 6.30pm. It had an incredible knock-on effect on when I became tired, how well I slept, my appetite the next day, my energy and my mood. In Ayurveda, digestion is absolutely central to your wellbeing.

Where do you go to escape? If I’m feeling really overwhelmed, with work or too much going on, then I go outside for some fresh air, space and light. Or if I’m feeling really anxious, then I’ll turn more inwards and make a cosy spot my sofa or bedroom.

Best way to put a smile on your face? Doing a kansa wand massage on my face; it gives me a dreamy smile, and my jaw relaxes. I’ve incorporated it into the signature massage at Hari’s salon, where they’re doing my Ayurvedic treatments at the moment.

Your favourite pet? I had a rat called Emily when I was a teenager, and she was awesome. I would take her to Sixth Form with me and smuggle her in.

You wouldn’t know it but… I once sung on stage with Stevie Wonder, in Las Vegas.

The book you wished you’d written? I’d have liked to have been in Rumi’s head when he wrote some of his beautiful poems. The Guest House is such a revelation in terms of allowing your thoughts and emotions to come in and teach you something, and then to let them go.

The film you wished you’d starred in? Strictly Ballroom. It’s like the Aussie version of Dirty Dancing, and I love everything by Baz Luhrmann.

Your epitaph would read... The quote from Rumi: ‘You are not a drop in the ocean but an entire ocean in a drop’.

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2022 AWARDS

Country & Town House is delighted to celebrate some heroic Great British Brands with our 2022 awards, judged in another year of extraordinary challenge and adversity SUPERHERO BRAND The judges’ special award for a brand that has shown itself to be a true hero by constantly doing good for people and the planet, while never compromising on the quality of its products.

WINNER: BARBOUR

Planet

Product

Craftsmanship

Community

Awarded to a brand that has set ambitious, verifiable carbon reduction targets and done the most to phase out environmentally unfriendly practices.

Awarded to the most innovative, stand-out product that has used new materials and/or new technology in an imaginative way to capture consumers’ imagination.

Awarded to a brand that has harnessed the best artisan and craft skills to design beautiful products and/or found new ways of keeping traditional skills alive and relevant.

Awarded to a brand that has demonstrably supported its own people all along its value chains, its own community and society at large.

WINNER: OXWASH For disrupting an entire industry with its innovative technology that doesn’t compromise on quality. Oxwash offers the first environmentally friendly and quality laundry service, with an ambition of eradicating the impact of washing on the world’s ecosystems.

WINNER: NAIM AUDIO For the multi-award-winning Uniti Atom Headphone Edition that delivers the full hi-fi experience via beautifully built, tactile headphones.

The experience of listening has been described as ‘your preferred route to audio nirvana’.

WINNER: ALEXANDRA LLEWELLYN For sourcing and employing the best British craftspeople to create an outstandingly exquisite range of backgammon and other gaming boards, using marquetry which is then hand-lacquered.

WINNER: THE CONDUIT For creating both the physical premises and the virtual network that bring diverse communities together for the greater good, to help tackle global problems.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: MUSTO For the high-performance, Flexlite Vapour collection, made with revolutionary breathable ventiprene.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: HAND & LOCK For its passionate commitment to keeping traditional embroidery alive and relevant.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: JORO EXPERIENCES For committing to turning travel into a force for good.

PHOTOS: HANNAH HARLEY YOUNG

Barbour continues to make globally renowned products that last generations. The brand supports British manufacturing and constantly finds new ways of repurposing products to eliminate waste and environmental damage, while its philanthropic foundation supports multiple deserving causes.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: HAMBLEDON VINEYARD For enthusiastically supporting numerous worthy initiatives across its local community in Hampshire.

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GREAT BRITISH BRANDS

Alexandra Llewellyn and Deborah Pocock Isabella Charlotta Poppius

Isabella Macpherson, Katy Wickremesinghe, Thomasina Miers and Zafar Rushdie

Lucia van der Post

Nathalie Eleni, Lucy Cleland and Nicola Roberts

Sophie Pendleton and Marie Moatti

Laurent Feniou

Sukhi Bains and Jamie Gill

BEST OF BRITISH

Diane Kordas

Sophie Tea and Sebina Hussain Michael Bonsor

It was almost like pre-Covid days when over 350 guests flocked to The Londoner on a blowy Monday night to celebrate the seventh edition of Great British Brands and toast its worthy award winners.

Champagne flowed, No 3 gin glasses clinked and King’s Ginger cocktails were downed as prize givers, including climate activist Clover Hogan and CEO of QEST, Deborah Pocock, handed out the unique wooden awards crafted by Lignum Surf.

Having not been able to celebrate together for over two years, there was a particularly euphoric atmosphere as at last there was an opportunity for a good catch up among friends – old and new.

Nick and Rob Carter

Gabriella Inwang and Fernanda Reynoso

Charlotte Metcalf and Sally Warmington

PHOTOS: HANNAH HARLEY YOUNG

Ella Pugh

Kyle Grant and Clover Hogan Dame Margaret Barbour and Paul Wilkinson

Geoffrey Marsh and Victoria Broackes

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ARCHIVAL REVIVAL

Two centuries of iconic design WWW.WARNER-HOUSE.COM

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STYLE Edited by Mariella Tandy

Make it Reign

Everything is turning to gold

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC HIBBERT

Fashion designer Harris Reed took inspiration from Sir Herbert Maxwell’s 1897 book, 60 Years A Queen, as well as images of 1970s Mick Jagger for his latest collection. The result?

Glorious, gender-fluid clothes made for your inner rock star – and queen. harrisreed.com

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STYLE | Shopping

The

EDIT Mariella Tandy has a spring in her step

GOOD HAIR DAY Three new finds for a fantastic mane

A new name for your style file: Deveaux New York is the über-cool brand starting to make waves on this side of pond, too. Think neutral palettes, simple silhouettes and ultra-luxe fabrications. deveauxnewyork.com

SWIPE RIGHT 1 The Nue Co Supa_Thick topical scalp supplement. £35, thenueco.com 2 Ful.Vic.Health Fulvic acid shampoo. £25, victoriahealth.com 3 Fable & Mane Amla soothing serum. £29, cultbeauty.co.uk

SUNNY DAYS

Inspired by one of the designer’s favourite summer holidays in Sardinia, Marina Raphael’s latest collection recalls Mediterranean sunshine and living la dolce vita. Micro Porter bag in threaded raffia, £653. marinaraphael.com

Fifty years after Christian Dior held his career-defining ‘New Look’ catwalk show in Paris, the maison has launched La Collection Privée Christian Dior New Look, a limitededition make-up line. It includes eight new shades of lipstick, with packaging inspired by the famous houndstooth print favoured by the house. Lipstick, £39.50. dior.com

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TAKING CARE

Ninety Percent is a London-based sustainable womenswear label that shares 90 per cent of its profits between charitable causes and those who make its collections happen. This Mia set is made with yarn produced from preconsumer cotton waste that would otherwise be destined for landfill. Mia funnel neck top, £60; Willow joggers, £90. ninetypercent.com

Cutler and Gross 1388 Square sunglasses. £315, cutlerandgross.com

Raey Bralette. £175, matchesfashion.com

Ancient Greek Sandals Platform clogs. £295, netaporter.com

STRETCH IT OUT

Bamford has just launched a new wellness collection of traceable athleisure-inspired basics, including a funnelneck sweater, T-shirt, joggers, crop top, vest and leggings.

Created using the softest organic cotton and recycled polyamide produced to the Global Recycled Standard – you won’t want to take them off. Leggings, £65; crop top, £55. bamford.com

ON THE RADAR

Throwing back to the Y2K. Here’s what to wear this time round

Burberry Denim bucket hat. £320, burberry.com

Lauren Rubinski Happy necklace. £85, matchesfashion.com

Finding your perfect pair of vintage jeans can be tricky. This season, Mother Denim has done all the hard work for us with its new range of nostalgic fits. The new Snacks collection takes its cues from throwback styles of the 90s. From £161, motherdenim.com March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 29

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STYLE | Trend FRY POWERS Necklace, £1,708 KIMBERLEY MCDONALD 18ct blackened white gold, geode and sapphire earrings, £4,790

VINCE Cardigan, £380

LAPOINTE Feather trimmed top, £800; trousers, £460

MIU MIU Top, £690; skirt, £600

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN Festividade sandals, £575

Celebrate the return of the sun with a dress that lifts the spirits, like this one by Zimmermann. £695, matchesfashion.com

A Lighter TOUCH

Delicate checks, polka dots and pastel shades usher in spring’s new look. By Mariella Tandy

MARNI Shoulder bag, £750

GANNI Cardigan, £375

PINK CITY PRINTS Mia dress, £200

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH. FOR STOCKISTS PLEASE SEE P164

GRACE WEARS Palazzo pants, £280

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STYLE | Jewellery AN OLD HAND

Boodles Beach necklace featuring white diamonds set in platinum, £12,500; Boodles Beach necklace featuring white diamonds set in 18ct SMO yellow gold, POA

The Ouroboros collections, designed by the brand’s founder Olivia Young, are handmade in Jaipur using ancient techniques and intricate carvings. ouroborosjewellery.com Hand-painted two sided Indian miniatures pendant, set in 18ct gold, £3,790

HIT THE BEACH

Diamonds are forever… and for every occasion, too. Following the wider trend of not just saving your best gems for special occasions, Boodles’ new Beach collection is designed to be worn anywhere, anytime – even with your bikini, piña colada in hand. The collection features chain necklaces, bracelets and anklets with secure rub-set diamonds, made from Single Mine Origin gold or platinum – the sea won’t stand a chance of tarnishing or staining them. boodles.com

PUT YOUR STAMP ON IT

British jewellery designer and goldsmith Cece designs exquisite 18ct gold signet rings and pendants, all featuring hand-enamelled imagery inspired by her love of retro tattoos.

Each piece is handmade in London, and a work of art with its own story and symbolism.

She does bespoke, too. £2,860, cecejewellery.com

The Magpie Sparkly finds for spring.

By Mariella Tandy

GRAND SLAM Three matchready tennis bracelets

1 Messika 18ct gold and diamond Glam’Azone skinny bracelet. £6,170, messika.com 2 Vrai Baguette tennis bracelet. £10,412, vrai.com 3 Roxanne First Rainbow sapphire tennis bracelet. £3,555, roxannefirst.com

FLOWER POWER

Graff’s new Wild Flower collection is a joyful tribute to the English garden and features an array of necklaces, bracelets , earrings and rings. Each piece is made from white diamonds and set in white gold. From £4,600, graff.com

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STYLE | Men’s MANGA TIME

HOWZAT!

Zenith has launched the third and final watch in its celebrated series of Lupin The Third timepieces, inspired by the Japanese manga series of the same name. The watch has two distinct, asymmetrical halves, bringing together all the elements of the series and is limited to 250 pieces. Chronomaster Revival A384 Lupin The Third – Final Edition. £8,300, zenith-watches.com

The old school cricket jumper is back and features, among other relaxed and quintessentially British styles, in Beaufort & Blake’s stylish spring line up. Bartley cricket-inspired jumper, £125. beaufortand blake.com

Well Groomed Matt Thomas has a spring in his step

AND IT WAS ALL YELLOW Add some instant sunshine with this season’s hottest shade

WHAT A PAIR

Thom Sweeney has partnered for the first time with renowned Mayfair shoemaker George Cleverley to produce a capsule collection including Chelsea boots, traditional Oxfords and leather Derby shoes.

Chelsea boots, £760. thomsweeney.com

TAILORED FOR SPRING

Investing in some spring tailoring?

Brunello Cucinelli has a range of classic, stylish shades and shapes in its new season collection. Double breasted suit in light grey, £2,750. brunellocucinelli.com

SPRING SPRITZ

Give yourself a pick-me-up with these invigorating grooming essentials

1 CONNOLLY ENGLAND Car vest, £295. connollyengland.com 2 JOSHUA ELLIS Scarf, £175. joshuaellis.com

Jo Malone Lime, Basil and Mandarin body and hand wash. £32, jomalone.com

Patricks Products Volcanic Sand and Crushed Diamond scrub. £58, patricksproducts.co.uk

Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet eau de toilette.

From £65, penhaligons.com

Firsthand Body cleanser. £18.95, slickboys.co.uk

3 WATSON & WOLFE x ETHEL LOVES ME Card & coin holder, £40. watsonwolfe.com 4 OCTOBRE EDITIONS Owen bag, £100. octobre-editions.com

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A Tradition of Safari since 1812.

Explore our artisanal leather goods and outdoor clothing collections.

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HEALTH&

WELLBEING Head Space It’s all in your mind, says Camilla Hewitt

PHOTO: © THE YOGA CLASS

If there’s any space in our heads we try to fill it, but what if we actually diarised space and gave our minds a moment of peace?

Tuning into our inner voice and listening to our intuition is one of the most productive wellbeing tools we have. Laura Dodd, founder of The Yoga Class, an on-demand studio, tells us: ‘A steady and calm mind creates space for inner strength and confidence and then in turn, the power to progress, to grow, to evolve.' theyogaclass.co

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Lifestyle Head to the Big Apple for fabulous new beauty discoveries

MIND & MATTER

Life’s little luxuries

BODY LANGUAGE

R

WAFT The scent of a Provençal summer from the home of Shirin Von Wulffen and Frédéric Fekkai, who responsibly grow ingredients on site. Because we could all use a little sunshine right now. Bastide Verveine du Sud, £92. libertylondon.com

RENEW Best used in the coldest months, this serum oxygenates skin cells and hydrates right down to deep skin layers. An eyewatering price but sells like hotcakes – go figure.

MBR Liquid Surgery serum, £1,443. shen-beauty.com

LIGHT Kitsch and cute with a kick of floral fruitiness: raspberry, blackcurrant and rose. A reminder that spring is indeed just around the corner. Vilshenko Spring Doll scented candle, £120. vilshenko.com

PHOTOS: PEXELS

I started with a foray to Shen Beauty (shenbeauty.com), Brooklyn’s h ipp e s t b e aut y destination, where guru Jessica Richards’ curation of products is designed to thrill even the most jaded beauty junkie. For surviving the tail end of winter Jessica introduces me to Mahoni manuka honey, £54, sustainably sourced, and individually packaged in paper sachets to soothe sore throats and stomachs. I bought two boxes which indeed proved invaluable through Januar y.

The honey is also an antibacterial humectant, so an ideal face mask for dry, ageing or acneprone skins.

Next, Jessica flagged up Vella Women’s Pleasure serum, £49, a nano-encapsulated CBD gel created by the same team that formulated Viagra which is applied to the clitoris for added sensation during sex; unsurprisingly, it’s been a lockdown bestseller.

A short subway ride over in SoHo, locals Olivia Falcon on New York’s best beauty addresses such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Patti Smith emember the mini break? flock to Thompson Chemists (thompsonchemists.com) Casually catching a plane run by Mama J and The Medicine Man AKA husband on Friday like it was a train, and wife duo Jolie and Gary Alony, who are famous a couple of nights carousing for serving up vitamins, hard-to-find beauty ranges and monthly bluegrass concerts in their pharmacy. around Barcelona or canoodling in Paris and back to your Not to be missed is their own CBD brand, Mama J’s, desk bleary-eyed on Monday. In our that Gary handcrafts; the Space Capsules, £52, address stress and anxiety, while 40 Winks is the best melatonin post-Covid world, such fun is hard to find but for those prepared to brave the paperwork and processing, travel and CBD blend I have ever tried for a peaceful sleep treasure awaits. I am currently gloating over a recent haul without the hangover. of foreign beauty gems.

Uptown, I’m bowled over by Knockout Beauty Forget French pharmacies – New York is the place to (knockoutbeauty.com) a beauty store that offers precise advice go if you want to strike real beauty gold and there’s a trove and treatments. Owned by beauty insider Cayli Cavaco Reck, I’m thrilled to discover Roscuba Perfect B3 spray, of brilliant apothecaries and boutiques you need to know about. The High Line hotel (rooms from $299, thehighlinehotel. £30, a miracle spritz for stressed skin, and Soliel Toujours com) in Chelsea – with a London bus parked outside that Clean Conscious Antioxidant sunscreen mist, £36, both of which carried me through Christmas and winter sun serves early morning coffee and late-night cocktails – is well without a breakout or wrinkle in sight. n situated for striking out uptown or downtown.

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E L I Z A B E T H H A R R O D , S O L O I S T, T H E R O Y A L B A L L E T

Clear space around logotype = 1.5*X

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | News

Beauty BUZZ

Nathalie Eleni has all the latest tips and trips from the world of beauty

FEELING FRUITY

Here’s a new hero ingredient for you: the Australian finger lime, which grows in the rainforest in the coastal border region of Queensland and New South Wales. Used by Aboriginal Australians for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, now beauty brand Biologi is harnessing finger limes for their exceptional fruit acids and skin-brightening vitamin C. This single-ingredient Restore face and body serum features potent phyto-actives that nourish, hydrate and protect the skin from UV damage. £47 for 50ml, lookfantastic.com

GREENER LIFE

Make-up artist Justine Jenkins is one of the UK’s foremost sustainable beauty experts.

She’s written an easily digestible guide sharing her wealth of knowledge to help us all achieve a more planetfriendly beauty routine, without minimising results.

Sustainable Beauty by Justine Jenkins (White Lion, £18)

CHECK IN, CHECK OUT

Take time out from your hectic every day and check into The Standard.

From March it’s running its Suite Self Care initiative, offering a holistic massage, reflexology, lymphatic drainage, facials and nail treatments – all in the privacy of your own room when you book a Junior Suite Terrace.

Begin your relaxation with a soak in the outdoor tub on your private balcony, with panoramic city views. From £350, standardhotels.com

NATURE KNOWS

Inspired by the theory that the numbers three, six and nine might be the key to the universe (often attributed to Nikola Tesla), skin health specialist Jasmina Vico has launched a trio of supplements to treat the gut-brain-skin connection from the inside out. £115 per bottle, jasminavico.com

HOW TO… TREAT ROSACEA Rosacea is usually seen as redness across your nose, cheeks, forehead and chin, which can come and go, or appear in acne-like breakouts. Avoid products with alcohol, AHAs and perfume. To give your skin instant relief, keep it hydrated and its barrier protected with La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense Serum (£21, laroche-posay.co.uk). For an advanced treatment, visit Dr Marwa Ali at Harrods Wellness Clinic for a Photofractional Treatment, which removes redness, broken capillaries and makes skin beautifully clear. From £850, harrods.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

EXPERT ADVICE FROM OUR BEAUTY DIRECTOR

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BESPOKE FIT TED WARDROBES, STUDIES & LIVING ROOM UNITS

W W W. N E AT S M I T H . C O . U K

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B R E N T W O O D | C H E L S E A | H A M P ST E A D | H A M P TO N H I L L | H ATC H E N D

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Wellness

Body & SOUL Camilla Hewitt investigates how to cultivate a slow mindset

1 MINDFUL MOMENTS

Slow hobbies such as writing require your full attention. Being fully present and focused on the task at hand creates a moment of mindfulness. Whether you’re a keen writer or just searching for a slow hobby, the writing workshops at Another Place, a hotel on the shores of Ullswater, could be for you. another.place

2 MOVE SLOW

2 1

The ancient Chinese practice of qigong is designed to improve wellbeing through slow body movements, mental focus and controlled breathing. Meaning ‘master of one’s energy’, qigong helps promote physical, mental and spiritual health by combining meditation and gentle exercise.

Try Hayo’uFit’s online classes. hayoufit.com

3 TIMELY TRAVEL

Kinfolk Travel offers readers a road map for planning trips that foster connections with local people and authentic experiences. The latest book from the pioneers of slow living celebrates slow travel and the idea that an attitude of discovery is more meaningful than a specific itinerary. Featuring destinations across six continents, Kinfolk Travel (Artisan, £32) offers an easy, mindful approach to exploring the world at your own pace. kinfolk.com

3

4 TAKE IT SLOW

Research suggests that it takes approximately 22 days to form a new habit, which is why CBD brand Mission C has set a 22-day programme: to show people the positive impact CBD can have on their lives by making sustainable habits. The brands targeted products span across three ranges – sports, skincare and mental health. missionc.com

5 SLOW RECOVERY

Stretching for 50 minutes is a big ask for anyone but allowing yourself time to loosen up can benefit both your physical and mental health. Stretching allows blood and oxygen to flow better, improving mental clarity, and your chances of completing that to-do list. StretchLAB aims to make stretching a regular part of self-care routines with assisted sessions. stretch-lab.co.uk

4

5

« CHECK IN: Forestis, South Tyrol Found deep within the mountain forest of the Dolomites, Forestis is the ideal place for the adventurous traveller to unplug, a place where time can be sensed and filled with value through physical and mental mindfulness. Forestis offers a range of experiences that focus on wellness. Surrounded by the elements of pure spring water, pristine mountain air, countless hours of sunshine and a mild climate, daily curated experiences include Wyda Celtic yoga and hiking tours.

BOOK IT: From €660 per night. forestis.it

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Notes | HEALTH & WELLBEING

The SCOOP

Cell therapy for your intimate bits and the best in blowdries. By Charlotte Cole CELL IT LIKE IT IS

It’s all very well applying expensive fancy creams, serums, masks and scrubs to our skin, but that will really only ever work on the epidermal layer. For results that can change the dial, you need to dig a little deeper, go a little harder. Step forward Signal-Cell Therapy – whereby skin is infused with ‘signalling factors’ that prompt our skin cells to act like they’re 14 years old again – all perky, pouty and energetic. And what exactly is it, you may well ask. Here’s the skinny: the therapist uses a handheld machine with teeny weeny needles and a sort of manual pen that creates controlled microinjuries (sounds scary, it’s not) over your face to enable the infusion of Signalling Factors. These act as a kind of messenger to get your own cells to function like they’re a petulant teenager again i.e. collagen and elastin production will be rebooted leading to plumped up, smooth and fresh-looking skin. It also works on the scalp for healthy hair production – and, if your sex life’s in need of a kick in the pants, try it on your intimate bits (both men’s and women’s) for some sensory overload. If it’s on your face, you will get up looking like you fell asleep under the sun lamp, but put on your shades, hurry home and by the next day or so, everything will have calmed down and over the following few weeks your showy new skin will begin to shine. Signal-Cell Therapy, £755 at EF Future Health. ef-futurehealth.com Signal-Cell can be used on your intimate bits to get things flowing again

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Jo Hansford has opened in Harvey Nicks

Mane & Mani at Neville

GO WITH THE BLOW

Lucky for Knightsbridge folk, Jo Hansford has just opened her second ever London hair salon on the fourth floor of Harvey Nicks. Go for a blowdry – and stay for the champagne bar (johansford. com). Or round the corner at Neville Hair & Beauty, you can swing by its new Mane & Mani Bar and, ever so efficiently, get your nails done at the same time (nevillehairandbeauty.net).

Choices, choices.

FACE TIME

If, like me, you’ve totally forgotten how to apply makeup (thanks, lockdown), but are now re-emerging into a social frenzy of cocktail parties and opening nights, I recommend you call in the services of make-up artist Miri Vasovic. She’s worked with the best of the best, including Lucia Pieroni and Pat McGrath, and will come to your home and have you looking like a red carpet starlet ready to embrace the night again. From £200, mirijanavasovic.com March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 43

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Take Ten

GET LIPPY 1

3

5

7

9

2

4

6

8

10

Deck of Scarlet Threeway Solid Lip Oil in Scarlet Passion With the hydration of an oil, the pigment of a lipstick, and the shine of a gloss, this glides on to create seductive red lips. £24.70, deckofscarlet.com

KVD Beauty Epic Kiss Nourishing Vegan Butter Lipstick in She Defined A soft neutral pink with a buttery application that leaves lips hydrated for hours. Your new everyday go-to. £19, feelunique.com

Tinker Taylor Beauty Lip Oil A rich blend of grape seed oil, jojoba seed oil and chia seed oil designed to soak in quickly and nourish dry lips. Think instant hydration. £26, tinkertaylorbeauty.com Algenist Genius Liquid Collagen Lip Treatment Noticeably youthful-looking lips are just a swipe away.

A lip treatment that visibly improves the look and texture of lips in just ten days. £36, cultbeauty.co.uk

Nude by Nature Creamy Matte Lipstick in Red Blossom A flattering pinky-red shade that is also made from 100 per cent natural ingredients.

With castor seed oil for moisture and conditioning. £13, nudebynature.com

Vesta London Beauty Lip Gloss in Cloudy The perfect nude gloss with just a hint of je ne sais quoi. Infused with shea butter and cocoa butter, wear with a dark liner for a 90s-inspired look. £13, vestalondonbeauty.com

Gucci Rouge De Beauté Brillant in Sally Soft Honey Sheer meets satin, for the smoothest lipstick that delivers 24 hours of moisture. This blush shade is the perfect pink. £35, gucci.com Decorté Softening Lip Emulsion This new anti-oxidant formula creates the perfectly soft and plumped up priming veil for lips, with a glossy, protective finish. £25, decortecosmetics.co.uk

Axiology Balmie in Strawberry The cutest zero-waste lip crayon, this creates a beautiful soft strawberry stain of colour. Can also be used as a pop of colour on cheeks. £11, contentbeauty wellbeing.com Rosso Valentino Refillable Lipstick in Very Couture The most striking catwalk red that delivers instant glamour on the spot. Just swipe it on, and you’re ready for your close-up. £40, valentino-beauty.co.uk

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; UNSPLASH

Pout power is back on the agenda – and we’re thrilled, says Nathalie Eleni

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What all the best light bulbs are wearing this season

upmarket style, street-market prices

www.pooky.com

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Wellness The spa offers sweeping views over the Dolomites

SPA Trek

A back-to-nature escape leaves Juliet Herd floating to health at Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti

I

am floating in a salt-water lake mesmerised by a refracted light show taking place above me, created by a shimmering sheet of Swarovski crystals suspended from the ceiling. In this dimly lit cave-like space, the effect is other worldly.

Welcome to the wellness temple that is the spa – all 5,000 square metres of it – at Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti in northern Italy. One of the largest in the Alps, it is based on a blend of classical Chinese medicine and Western science and is at the forefront of a new wave of holiday destinations focused on health and wellbeing.

At the heart of this award-winning spa is the sauna area, divided into five circuits of different temperatures, materials, phytotherapy and aromatherapy. You start your ‘energy-therapeutic path’ with a 15-minute wallow in a light-flooded whirlpool enriched with magnesium salts. From this central point, you then choose one of the four seasonal zones, each linked to different body organs and aimed at restoring Yin/ Yang balance and energy levels.

I am in the Black Tortoise winter zone, which as well as the salt lake features a salt grotto for relaxation, and is designed to help shift kidney blockages – a cause of lower back pain which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and fear. Floating in the dark, I find my senses are heightened as I breathe in the scent of juniper and cypress and listen to the soft tinkle of crystals. It hits me that this one simple activity delivers exactly what the luxury eco-resort sets out to achieve: space, nature, silence and time for oneself.

It may all sound a bit New Age but it’s surprising how quickly you adapt to the rhythms of this seductive

circuit; you literally go with the flow. The idea is to follow a bespoke programme, which will take you from your chosen sauna to the 22-room treatment floor for a signature massage, a vigorous body scrub or nourishing facial using the Lefay alpine skincare range.

Surrounded by the majestic Brenta Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the five-star Lefay Resort & Spa rises like a giant modern chalet above the town of Pinzolo. Here, environmental wellness is as key as the personal kind. Architecturally integrated into the surrounding landscape, the resort, which opened in 2019, is a leader in the use of renewable green energy and latest-generation technologies designed to reduce energy and water consumption. As with its sister property, Lefay Resort & Spa Lago di Garda at Lake Garda, it offers guests a CO2 -free experience.

The respect for nature and sustainability is also reflected in the resort’s interior design, incorporating local materials such as oak and chestnut as well as Italian natural leathers and wools. The vibe is sophisticated yet cosy with open fires and soft lighting in the lounge areas and floor-to-ceiling glass walls affording uninterrupted views.

A highlight is the fine dining restaurant, Grual, which features an unforgettable ‘altimetric’ culinary experience, created by chef Matteo Maenza. The 12-course tasting menu pays homage to the Trentino region by taking you on a gastronomic ‘walk in the mountains’, where every ingredient is linked to a specific altitude – from the valley floor to the alpine pasture and finally, the high peaks.

BOOK IT: From €350 B&B. lefayresorts.com n

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Largest selection of Vispring beds nationwide

ANDSOTOBED.CO.UK | 0808 144 4343

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LOCK & CO. WEDDING COLLECTION

BY AWON GOLDING Lock & Co. Hatters 6, St. James’s Street, SW1A 1EF London lockhatters.com | +44 20 7930 8874 | shop@lockhatters.co.uk

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SAVE THE DATE

PHOTO: FASHION AND ART DIRECTION, URSULA LAKE; PHOTOGRAPHER, MATTHEW SHAVE

THE C&TH WEDDING GUIDE

Edited by Mariella Tandy

Dora dress made-toorder wedding dress, Vivienne Westwood.

Diamond and 18ct white gold necklace (transformable into two bracelets), earrings and ring, all Fawaz Gruosi

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WEDDING GUIDE

IN THE STARS

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WEDDINGS,

BY MARIELLA TANDY

THE COLOUR OF LOVE

EXCLUSIVELY YOURS Brides-to-be have a new destination in their search for The Dress: Kate Halfpenny for Harrods, the exclusive new collection by Halfpenny London for the luxury department store.

Comprising 14 pieces, the collection features the Love Dress (above right), designed for Harrods by Kate Halfpenny. The Love dress is a silk organza dream with layered 3D hearts, gradually increasing in size to frame the neckline and sleeves. The hearts are cut using a couture technique and organically placed on the bodice and the frills of the skirt.

The gown will be available to try on exclusively at Harrods in red and ivory.

Prices start from £850 for accessories and £2,600 for dresses. harrods.com

NOT JUST FOR THE DAY The modern bride wants to keep sustainability front of mind when choosing a dress, so Paper has launched ‘Bridaldom’, a concept that comes with the mantra, ‘A dress should be for life, not just a day’. Keeping the price point affordable and the styles simple, from the Scorpion dress (pictured, £425) to the Kelly trousers (£240) teamed with the Tehea top (£240), these are pieces that will be worn long after the honeymoon period is over. paperlondon.com

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Mask Up Skin treats for the big day

TempleSpa An instant facial in a tube.

Breakfast Smoothie scrub and mask, £30. templespa.com

Dr Sebagh This purifying, anti-pollution mask refines and refreshes the skin while providing a deep cleansing action. Skin Perfecting mask, £42. drsebagh.com

111 Skin Containing 24ct gold and damask rose, this mask works both to illuminate and calm the skin for a party-ready glow. Rose Gold facial mask, £20.

111skin.co.uk

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Annoushka’s ten new one-of-akind ring designs celebrate the beauty of coloured gemstones.

The latest additions to the jeweller’s Love and Commitment collection, each design comprises a central ring and accompanying diamond jacket. They were inspired by Annoushka Ducas’s own engagement ring, which was the very first piece of jewellery she designed 30 years ago.

18ct yellow gold, pink sapphire and baguette diamond ring, £26,000. annoushka. com

25/02/2022 11:50

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WEDDING GUIDE

A NEW LIFE

Nailed It

Pronovias, the luxury Spanish bridal house, has launched Second Life, an exciting new initiative where brides can have their wedding dresses transformed free of charge into a new style after their big day. You can choose from over 50 carefully selected bridal gowns that can be converted by altering the length, eliminating sleeves, and adding belts straps, sashes and other details to create a totally new look. pronovias.com

Manicure must-haves

Manucurist With 84 per cent natural ingredients, Manucurist offers a kinder way to colour your nails. Nail polish in Old Rose, £14. manucurist.com

PUT A RING ON IT Don’t want to wait? Create your unique engagement ring with Vrai, which offers more than 3,500 combinations of cut, colour, carat, setting and band.

Delivery is a speedy two weeks, and all consultations are via Zoom. Even better, all its rings are made from zero-emission cultured diamonds from the Diamond Foundry, which uses renewable energy to create its labgrown stones. From £929, vrai.com

French Girl Apply this blend of botanical extracts and essential oils in the run up to the big day.

Nail & Cuticle Oil, £20. freepeople.com

TEA FOR TWO Suzannah London’s new service allows you to customise its best-selling tea dress in the designer’s Marylebone boutique. The 1930s-inspired tea dress has become a signature style for the brand, due to its effortlessly flattering cut and versatility. You can adapt the neckline, sleeve and dress length to your personal preference, and have it made in your choice of printed silk or silk viscose velvet – perfect for a town hall wedding. From £995, suzannah.com

Gucci Always classic, always chic: make a style statement in Gucci’s perfect shade of red. Nail polish in Goldie Red, £24. selfridges.com

Kahmune is a luxury label offering an array of footwear styles designed to match the skin tones of all women.

The brand spent countless hours researching shades in order to ensure that it’s able to serve the majority of complexions around the globe.

From £290, kahmune.com

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COLOUR CRUSH

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BRITISH LEATHER GOODS WWW.ETTINGER.CO.UK

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WEDDING GUIDE

Galvan Thalia dress. £1,295, galvanlondon.com

Halfpenny London Hyacinth dress, Orchid skirt and sleeves. £POA, halfpennylondon.com Jennifer Behr Medici hairband. £425, browns fashion.com

Rachel Trevor Morgan Short tulle veil. £850, racheltrevormorgan.com

WHITE OUT IT’LL BE ALL WHITE ON THE NIGHT

Christian Louboutin Kate Draperia pumps. £775, christianlouboutin.com.com

Sassi Holford Stephanie dress with detachable sleeves. £POA, sassiholford.com

Cult Gaia Eos clutch. £246, netaporter.com

Atelier Colpani at By Rotation Dress. Rent from £90, byrotation.com

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Oui The Label at Something Borrowed Belle dress.

Rent from £40, something borrowedrent.co.uk

Sister Jane at Rotaro Alice dress.

Rent from £15, rotaro.co.uk

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Anya Hindmarch Love Hearts tote. £895, anyahindmarch.com

Taller Marmo Feather-trimmed dress. £1500, matchesfashion.com

Merve Bayindir Teresa hat. £500, netaporter.com

AVANT GARDE

Rita Coulson Una dress. £895, thewedding -club.co.uk

Celia B Sartor jacket, £240; Balzac waistcoat, £111; Butternut pants, £130. celiab.com

EXTRA, EXTRA, EXTRA!

Amina Muaddi Sandals. £830, browns fashion.com

Rolling in Roses Eros jumpsuit. £POA, rollinginroses.co.uk

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Simone Rocha Bag. £695, matchesfashion.com

Jimmy Choo Aveline heels. £750, jimmychoo.com

Alexander McQueen Silk-faille gown. £3,200, netaporter.com

Grace Wears Feather bag. £145, gracewears.london

Jenny Packham Wonder gown. £3,635, jennypackham.com

Zimmermann Postcard dress. £1,600, netaporter.com

COLOURFUL

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WEDDING GUIDE

Lock & Co Juliet veil. £350, lockhatters.com

16Arlington Poppy top. £475, matchesfashion.com Saint Laurent Tuxedo jacket, £2,365; trousers, £755. brownsfashion.com

Heidi Klein Bikini top, £100; bikini bottoms, £95. heidiklein.com

Manolo Blahnik Hangisi satin pumps. £795, manoloblahnik.com

SUITING WHO WEARS THE TROUSERS?

Charo Ruiz Dress. £355, brownsfashion.com

Rime Arodaky Jax dress. £1,195, netaporter.com

Reformation Fairfield dress. £400, thereformation.com

Ancient Greek Sandals Angel sandals. £125, ancient-greek-sandals.com

Sensi Studio Seashell bag. £149, revolve.com

BEACH

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Rosantica Cheers bag. £840, brownsfashion.com

Savannah Miller at My Wardrobe HQ Dress. Rent from £46, mywardrobehq.com

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sɫɔˑȲʟ ʟʁ˒ɷ ʁΦȲʟʦ ȉɷ Ȳ˗ʰȲɷʦɔˑȲ ȦʁɫɫȲȦʰɔʁɷ ʁɅ gʁʟɷɔɷɆ ˒Ȳȉʟ ȉɷȬ *ˑȲɷɔɷɆ ˒Ȳȉʟ EɔʟȲू ˒ɔʰɏ ʦʁɴȲʰɏɔɷɆ ʰʁ ʦʹɔʰ ȉɫɫ ʁȦȦȉʦɔʁɷʦे oliverbrown.org.uk

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WEDDING GUIDE

DOWN THE AISLE

Garrard Aloria diamond hair slide in 18ct white gold. £8,000, garrard.com

THE FINISHING TOUCH

Pragnell Masterpiece geometric ring in 18ct white and rose gold with fancy hexagonal and shield cut diamonds. £90,000, pragnell.co.uk

Asprey Daisy earrings in garnet and 18ct rose gold. £17,300, asprey.com

Tasaki Petal hair corsage in silver with diamonds. £POA, tasaki.co.uk

MAKE YOUR DAY A DAZZLING ONE

TOI ET MOI

Messika Paris Messika by Kate Moss 18ct yellow gold, malachite and diamond Colour Play headdress. £POA, messika.com

De Beers The Alchemist of Light collection Atomique double ring in white gold set with 200 diamonds and a 0.69ct round brilliant-cut diamond. £36,200, debeers.co.uk

Graff Crossover ring with diamonds and fancy yellow diamonds. £POA, graff.com

Chopard Happy Hearts 18ct rose gold, diamond and red stone ring. From £1,500, chopard.com

Boodles Gemini ring set with blue tanzanite and pink morganite in platinum and 18ct yellow gold. £POA, boodles.com

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Buccellati Macri heart 18ct gold and diamond necklace. £3,300, buccellati.com

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PUT A RING ON IT

Tiffany & Co. Victoria necklace in platinum with freshwater cultured pearls and marquise diamonds. £39,500, tiffany.co.uk

Rachel Quinn Pin Cushion pearl, rose gold and yellow gold heart earrings. £1,410, objetdemotion.com

Hancocks London Vivid red Burmese ruby with diamond surround in 18ct rose gold. £7,750, hancocks-london.com

Kiki McDonough Unique green tourmaline and diamond pear ring in 18ct yellow gold. £5,900, kiki.co.uk

David Morris Diamond, 18ct gold and pearl Deco earrings. £34,000, davidmorris.com

Olivia & Pearl Aphrodite vermeil and mother of pearl earrings. £220, oliviaand pearl.com

Mateo Diamond and pearl earrings. £3,005, matchesfashion.com

Cleopatra’s Bling Theseus ring in 18ct gold with blue sapphires and green tsavorites. £1,883, cleopatrasbling.com

PEARL POWER Venyx Elementa ring in yellow gold, black rhodium, diamonds and Akoya pearls. £7,200, venyxworld.com

Emma Clarkson Webb Bespoke diamond and emerald ring. £POA, emmacwebb.com

Anita Berisha Rings. From £65, matchesfashion.com

SOMETHING BLUE Loquet Mirasol locket in aquamarine and gold. £5,500 (charms extra), loquetlondon.com PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Harry Winston Diamond Loop Full Motif earrings with aquamarines and diamonds. £POA, harrywinston.com

Adler Bora Bora earrings in 18ct white gold set with 10 pear-shaped blue sapphires and diamonds. £POA, adler.ch

Sophie Keegan Venice ring in 18ct gold, with sapphire and diamonds, £6,500; Rope bracelet in 14ct gold, £1,350. sophiekeegan.com

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WEDDING GUIDE Fope 18ct rose gold and black diamond cufflinks. £2,475, fope.com

New & Lingwood Silk square. £65, newandlingwood.com

Edward Green Asquith dress shoes, made to order.

From £1,260, edwardgreen.com

Favourbrook Parade waistcoat, £290; Gatsby shirt, £120; Chesham morning coat, £720; trousers, £250; silk tie, £100. favourbrook.com

SUITED & BOOTED

Oliver Brown Oliver Brown is the foremost destination for purchase and hire of top hats in the UK, if not the world. Its extensive collection ranges from highly-coveted, one of a kind, antique silk hats to classic felt wool hats – perfect for weddings. From £250, oliverbrown.org.uk

ALL EYES ON YOU

Huntsman Fresco suit. £1,995, huntsman savilerow.com

Emily Mortimer Silver cufflinks (can be engraved). £125, emilymortimer.co.uk

Crockett & Jones Seaton loafers. £375, crockettandjones.com Turnbull & Asser Casino Royale dress shirt. £295, turnbullandasser.com

Rolex Rolex Explorer in oystersteel and yellow gold. £8,950, rolex.com

Breitling Premier B09 Chronograph in stainless steel. £6,200, breitling.com

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Cartier Ballon Bleu de Cartier watch. £12,900, cartier.com

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar. £POA, audemars piguet.com

Patek Philippe Calatrava ref 5227J -001 in yellow gold. £29,150, patek.com

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

GET ME TO THE CHURCH ON TIME

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Preservers of Time A true British brand built on a strong foundation of heritage. Rapport London’s horological products will help preserve and extend the life of your timepiece. Four generations later, Rapport remains a family-run business with the core values and philosophy laid down by its founder of innovation, quality and service. Throughout the years Rapport have invested in new technology, unmistakable craftmanship and sourcing the highest quality materials in order to produce world class products.

Rapport strives to produce travel and lifestyle products that combine genuine leather and luxurious soft suede. Watch winders that use latest technology to keep your watch ticking when you’re not wearing it and watch boxes to store a fine watch collection. rapportlondon.com

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WEDDING GUIDE

Mehry Mu Fey mini box bag. £465, mehrymu.com

Ganni Dress. £225, ganni.com

Matilde Jewellery Tide earrings. £750, matildejewellery.com Loretta Caponi Melinda dress in bouquets, £740; (right) Melinda dress in coral stripes, £630. lorettacaponi.it Elie Saab Trousers, £1,795; blouse, £1,900. netaporter.com

Roger Vivier Cube crystal and velvet heels. £1,150, rogervivier.com

BE MY GUEST SHOWSTOPPING LOOKS THAT WON’T UPSTAGE THE BRIDE

Salvatore Ferragamo Pastel belt. £280, ferragamo.com

Victoria Grant at My Wardrobe HQ hat. Rent from £38 a day, mywardrobehq.com

Loeffler Randall Dahlia heels, £305; (right) Penny heels, £340. loefflerrandall.com

Carolina Herrera Dress. £2,050, matchesfashion.com

Lapima Lisa sunglasses, £410. matches fashion.com

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Lirika Matoshi at Hurr Collective Dress. Rent from £47, hurrcollective.com

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Saloni Karen dress. £550, saloniworld.com

Rotate Birger Christensen Natalie dress. £320, netaporter.com

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WEDDING GUIDE

Chanel Heart bag. £4,215, chanel.com

Casa Raki Eleonora swimsuit. £170, casaraki.com Totême Signature trench coat. £700, totemestudio.com

MALDIVES

Missoni Dress. £820, netaporter.com

STAY: SONEVA JANI

The luxurious Thai resort’s famed ‘no news, no shoes’ vibe has been brought to the Maldives with Soneva Jani. Expect villas with water slides, a star-gazing observatory and four restaurants to choose from.

From $3,600 per night, soneva.com

Giovanni Raspini Bali necklace. £620, giovanniraspini.com

PARIS

LOVE ISL AND

STAY: HÔTEL PLAZA ATHÉNÉE

This worldrenowned hotel sits on the prestigious Avenue Montaigne in the centre of Paris, making exploring the city a breeze. Its newly renovated suites on the seventh floor take inspiration from the Art Deco period. Rooms from €890, dorchester collection.com

WHAT TO WEAR AND WHERE TO STAY ON HONEYMOON

La DoubleJ Spock dress. £660, matches fashion.com

Chloé Small Woody basket bag. £430, chloe.com

If Only If Emily nightgown. £199, ifonlyif.co.uk

CURAÇAO

STAY: SANDALS ROYAL CURAÇAO

Lose yourself in the picturesque south Caribbean, where Sandals is opening its latest luxury resort.

Expect spectacular sunsets and worldleading cuisine on a 3,000-acre estate.

From £2,425pp*, sandals.co.uk/royalcuracao. Opens June 2022.

Almasika Gold cuff with diamonds. £5,605, netaporter.com

Rixo Steph dress. £265, rixo.co.uk

Khiry Fine The Vanguard earrings. £4,030, netaporter.com

FOR HIM

Love Brand & Co Eye of the Tiger Staniel swim shorts. £120, lovebrand.com

Fairfax & Favor The Balmoral loafers. £160, fairfaxandfavor.com

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Black Eyewear Artie sunglasses. £177, blackeyewear.com

Westley Richards Sutherland bag. £1,295, westleyrichards.com

HOTEL PRICES ARE BY NIGHT UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED. *THIS PRICE IS CORRECT AT TIME OF PRINT, SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY AND CAN CHANGE OR BE WITHDRAWN WITHOUT NOTICE. PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; MARK READ

Penelope Chilvers Kiss slides. £169, penelopechilvers.com

25/02/2022 11:55

Lab-grown diamonds 100% recycled gold Discover more www.matildejewellery.com

DISCOVER NOW

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WEDDING GUIDE

ON THE DAY MAKE IT ONE TO REMEMBER Nyetimber Nyetimber’s awardwinning sparkling wine is perfect for celebrating. There are various packages to choose from, and couples will also receive gifts ranging from a personalised magnum to tickets to visit the Nyetimber Vineyard. £POA, nyetimber.com

JUST ENGAGED! WHAT NOW? Five top tips for wedding etiquette by Myka Meier

1

WHAT TO DO FIRST Before posting the exciting news on Instagram let your close family and friends know that you’re getting married.

Make sure the ring is covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy or a separate specific policy.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW Papier x Temperley London The Papier x Temperley London Delft suite includes save the dates, invitations and RSVP cards, on-the-day essentials and postwedding stationery, from guest books to notecards. From £11.25, papier.com

MonAnnie Cakes Fen from MonAnnie cakes is the go-to girl to create something entirely bespoke for your wedding. Not only does she create masterpieces, they also taste incredible.

From £3,500, monanniecakes.com

2 3

SAVE THE DATES Should be sent out six to eight months prior to the wedding date.

INVITATIONS These are traditionally sent six to eight weeks before the wedding day.

Make sure the RSVP date is about three weeks prior so you can have enough time to work with the appropriate vendors and planners.

4 Lucy Vail Floristry This award-winning British florist creates unforgettable table settings and wedding themes. lucyvailfloristry.com

GLORIOUS GIFTS

Smythson Jewellery box. £1,295, smythson.com

Helle Mardahl Bon Bon coupe glass. £315, matchesfashion.com

The Sette Potager tablecloth.

From £175, thesette.com

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The Vampire’s Wife Sacred Heart cushion. £350, matchesfashion.com

5

THE BIG DAY Book the venue for the ceremony and reception first, as it will influence everything else. Don’t buy your dress before you know where you’ll be wearing it, send save the dates, or build your wedding website until you confirm the date and place.

Myka Meier is author of Modern Etiquette Made Easy (Skyhorse, £8.43)

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Maison Margaux Head to Maison Margaux for super stylish wedding crockery rentals in a multitude of different styles and designs. maison margauxltd.com

BUDGETS Discuss the wedding budget with your fiancé(e), both sets of parents and anyone else who may contribute. Don’t meet with vendors or sign contracts until you have a good understanding of how much you plan to spend.

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P R O M OT I O N

SAY I DO

...to a picture-perfect wedding and romantic honeymoon in paradise at a Sandals resort

S

tart the first day of the rest of your lives together in paradise, surrounded by turquoise waters, soft white sands and gently swaying palm trees. Voted the World’s Leading All-Inclusive Resorts 26 years in a row, Sandals is the name to trust when it comes to creating your dream destination wedding and a truly blissful honeymoon.

With 16 adults-only resorts to choose from across seven of the Caribbean’s most idyllic islands, you’re guaranteed the wedding and honeymoon you’ve always dreamed of.

Included in the price of your wedding are a variety of picturesque Caribbean locations for ceremonies and photos, as well as your own dedicated planning team. Weddings are free for couples that stay three nights or more, including the ceremony, a bouquet, boutonnière, and even a cake to cut.

Sandals understands that, as every love story is unique, so should be every wedding day, meaning you can customise everything from the venue décor to your signature cocktail at the reception.

And you can start your honeymoon straight away, with luxurious rooms and suites to stay in, unique experiences at Red Lane Spa, five-star gourmet dining featuring global cuisines, unlimited land and water sports, and so much more, all part of Sandal’s unique offering.

Visit sandals.co.uk to start planning your dream wedding and honeymoon, or call +44 (0)800 742 742

LOCATIONS TO LOV E

Over-the-water wedding chapel With 360o panoramic water views and a glass floor aisle to walk down. Available at Sandals South Coast, Grande St Lucian, Sandals Ochi and Sandals Montego Bay

Traditional wedding chapel Framed by lush greenery and featuring traditional wooden pews and an elevated altar.

Available at Sandals Montego Bay

Beachfront wedding Pristine white sand beaches create the perfect backdrop for your destination wedding. Available at all Sandals resorts

Rooftop wedding location An al-fresco wedding idyll beside a rooftop pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Available at Sandals Royal Barbados

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WEDDING GUIDE

WEDDING BELL S FIND THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR YOUR BIG DAY AND EVERYTHING ELSE WILL FALL INTO PLACE

THE OLD COURSE HOTEL

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; © HAYLEY PALMQUIST PHOTOGRAPHY

ST ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

Let magical Scotland be the perfect backdrop for your big day. The Old Course Hotel is St Andrews’ historic golf resort, spa and wedding venue, a stone’s throw from the golden stretches of West Sands Beach and the breath-taking Scottish coastline.

‘We always knew we wanted to get married in St Andrews, as it was somewhere we would come to for weekends away as a couple and with our families, too,’ explains Kirsten (shown above on her wedding day with husband Craig). ‘As soon as we went to see The Old Course Hotel we knew it was a special place.’

Whatever your wedding dreams are made of – from a small family affair to a star-studded black-tie ball – The Old Course Hotel is here to help them come true. The light-filled Conservatory, where Kirsten and Craig held their drinks reception after being married in the nearby Holy Trinity Church, can seat up to 160 and has beautiful views over the greens of the world-renowned Old Course. The happy couple then hosted their evening celebration in the hotel’s ornate and romantic ballroom with its glittering chandeliers, which can seat up to 130 for dinner and dancing. ‘Our dancefloor was full all night with our friends and family dancing away and enjoying themselves,’ remembers Kirsten.

If it’s a bigger bash you’re after, the newly extended Hall of Champions can seat up to 450 guests and features a sweeping view over the Old Course. It was recently re-designed to incorporate a dreamy colour scheme of slipper satin, lilacs to evoke the heather and sage greens, and has a dedicated entrance, porte cochère and reception area, and as well as an outside area for drink receptions.

Finally, if you’re wishing for a more intimate event, then the hotel’s cosy, wood-panelled Boardroom has views over the links courses to the beach beyond. Or there’s the intimate book-lined Library with its roaring fire, or even the option of an al-fresco wedding on the West Deck terrace.

‘After the ceremony we got some photos on the Old Course and the Swilcan Bridge, which was also something we had dreamed about for years,’ concludes Kirsten. ‘It felt so surreal standing on the bridge as husband and wife.’

Wherever you choose, you can be sure of a warm Scottish welcome, and dedicated staff who will guarantee you big day runs smoothly from start to finish. +44 (0)1334 474371; oldcoursehotel.co.uk

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PROMOTION

HAMSWELL HOUSE BATH, SOMERSET

Quite simply one of England’s most romantically beautiful and enchanting venues, Hamswell House dates back to the 16th century and is set in a 50-acre private estate in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s the beloved family home of Rupert and Victoria Legge, who will oversee all your plans for the big day, ensuring a warm personal touch that sets Hamswell House apart from other, more commercial, wedding venues. ‘It is a magical place perfect for entertaining,’ says the couple. ‘We look forward to welcoming you here for the best day of your lives.’

For your ceremony, there’s the glorious 18th-century orangery with a Cotswold stone roof and huge arched windows, or you can exchange your vows under the boughs of a 400-year-old lime tree in the grounds of the estate. For a traditional English church setting, the charming St Mary the Virgin, in the village of Marshfield, is a mere 10 minutes away.

Afterwards, toast the nuptials with champagne and canapes on the Hamswell House terrace, with expansive views over the surrounding countryside. There’s also a splendid marquee that can seat 200, and you’re free to bring your own champagne as the owners don’t charge corkage. During the reception guests can explore the lovely walled gardens with the 200-year-old wisteria clad pergola, knot garden and 18th-century water garden with its waterlilies and Neptune fountain – these make a beautiful backdrop for photos, too. Close to Bristol and Bath, Hamswell House is also under two hours from London. +44 (0)7710 727773; hamswellhouse.co.uk

PYLEWELL PARK LYMINGTON, HAMPSHIRE

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; © HAYLEY PALMQUIST PHOTOGRAPHY

Beautifully British and enchantingly eccentric, Pylewell Park is the venue to choose if you’re looking for a day to make entirely your own.

All weddings here are totally bespoke: you’ll have exclusive use of the house, as well as the 68-acre South Park and house gardens to play with, including the gazebo, pavilion and bewitching panoramic perspective over the Solent, plus access to a private beach.

At the centre of it all is the grand house, which dates back to the 17th century. Here, the bridal party can make use of the 13 characterful bedrooms ahead of the big day, many of which have four posters and all of which are filled with quirky, memorable details – the twin copper bathtubs in the bridal suite is just one example.

For the ceremony itself, there’s a number of options to choose from. Between April and September, a picturesque sail-structure makes the perfect al fresco location. For winter weddings (or as a wet weather option), three splendid rooms in the house are also licensed for ceremonies. Alternatively, St Mary’s Church is just at the end of the driveway.

After the register is signed, it’s time for the fun to begin. Wedding receptions at Pylewell Park are held in the venue’s state-of-the-art Pavilion, a permanent tented structure that’s a totally blank canvas for you to make your mark on. Its floor-to-ceiling French windows offer unparalleled views over the water, and there’s a built-in bar, kitchen and bathrooms, as well as a dance floor.

Outside a terrace adorned with festoon lighting, fire pits and pretty pots and planters offers plenty of space for evening food trucks and al-fresco cocktails. Pylewell Park’s grounds also offer a picturesque setting for dreamy wedding photos. +44 (0)1590 670001; pylewellpark.com

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WEDDING GUIDE

CLUNY CASTLE SAUCHEN, ABERDEENSHIRE

A truly romantic historic Scottish castle – complete with fairytale turrets – Cluny Castle dates all the way back to the 15th century. The Aberdeenshire family home of the young laird Cosmo Linzee Gordon (who also had his own wedding there), the castle is nestled within 200 acres of beautiful landscaped parkland.

Cluny Castle offers various options to make the day your very own. It has its own licensed chapel within the castle’s grounds that can seat up to 120 guests. Directly below the chapel is the Tenants’ Hall, with beautiful stained-glass, mullioned windows that echo those of the chapel. It can accommodate 90 guests for dinner and its parquet flooring makes it ideal for dancing.

Alternatively, for small weddings of up to 24 people, guests can use the castle’s beautiful dining room and drawing room.

For bigger bashes, Cluny offers a variety of sites for a marquee, all enjoying magnificent views of the castle, which is always available as a backdrop for wedding photographs. Guests can choose any size, layout, theme or style of marquee and even specify a clear roof to take advantage of long Scottish summer sunsets and star-filled night skies. Cosmo insists that the only limit to guests’ choices is their imagination.

Bridal parties can stay in the castle, with eight superb bedrooms available on the top floor. Or there’s Cluny’s much sought-after West Wing apartment, which sleeps ten and is set over two floors with a palatial living area. Overall, the castle can accommodate up to 26 guests. +44 (0)1330 833302; clunycastle.com

COWDRAY ESTATE

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

MIDHURST, WEST SUSSEX

Build your dream wedding day in the heart of the magical 16,500 acre Cowdray Estate in West Sussex’s rolling South Downs National Park. Here, there’s two distinct venues to choose from: the magnificent Cowdray House, and the flower-filled Walled Garden.

The former is a handsome manor house set in 110 acres of Capability Brown-designed parkland. There are three locations licensed for civil ceremonies: atmospheric Buck Hall, with its vaulted ceiling and arched minstrels’ gallery, the wood-panelled dining room, and various garden locations. The wedding breakfast can be hosted in Buck Hall, which seats up to 150 guests, or larger celebrations can be held in a marquee on the lawns. And the wedding party will feel right at home, with the house’s 22 luxurious bedrooms, as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a tennis court, bowling alley and cricket pitch.

Alternatively, there’s the Walled Garden, a heavenly wedding and celebration venue situated next to the historical Cowdray Ruins, which are the remnants of the original 13th-century house that burnt down in the 18th century. It’s licensed for ceremonies in the well-tended gardens underneath a pretty wooden pergola, as well as in the Castle Room and Courtyard Room. And you can dance the night away under the stars afterwards, with a marquee in the garden that can host from 15 to 130 guests.

Whichever venue you decide to choose, the dedicated team at Cowdray will ensure that you have a day to remember, all in the picture-perfect surroundings of the bountiful estate. +44 (0)1730 812423; cowdray.co.uk

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PROMOTION

CHAPEL HOUSE ESTATE MINSTER, KENT

Your big day deserves an extra-special venue – and the bucolic Chapel House Estate near Ramsgate, Kent, will certainly deliver.

The exclusive-use luxury venue is available for celebrations of up to 120 guests, with everything happening right there on-site, from the ceremony to the reception.

At the heart of the private 25-acre estate is the historic Chapel House, formerly a family residence with a story that goes all the way back to 1290. It’s been lovingly renovated with weddings in mind, and is surrounded by sublime formal gardens. There’s also a secluded walled courtyard with a lounge bar and private chef’s table, where the couple and their immediate guests can enjoy delicious seasonal, local produce at an intimate rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.

There’s a variety of options for the ceremony itself, like the Wild Apple Orchard, which is large enough for 120 guests, and the Walled Courtyard, which is perfect for more intimate gatherings of up to 60.

The Old Malt Granary is also licensed for weddings and the state-ofthe-art Banqueting Barn is ideal for receptions.

And the wedding party can enjoy exclusive use of the estate for the duration of their stay – it can be booked for weekday or weekend weddings (with a minimum stay of two nights for the latter), with the couple and their guests encouraged to make the estate their own.

The historic Chapel House can accommodate up to six guests, while the estate’s eight state-of-the-art Hideaway Lodges can sleep up to 16. A true gem in the Garden of England. +44 (0)1843 825466; enquire@chapelhouseestate.co.uk; chapelhouseestate.co.uk

SYMONDSBURY ESTATE SYMONDSBURY, DORSET

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Located just a few miles from the Jurassic Coast, Symondsbury is an idyllic 1,500 acre estate nestled in the rolling hills of the Dorset countryside.

It’s here on the estate that you’ll find the Tithe Barn, one of the country’s most popular wedding locations in recent years – and for very good reason. This sympathetically restored 14th-century barn, surrounded by landscaped gardens and boasting a suntrap courtyard, is overflowing with charming rustic character and understated elegance. Able to accommodate up to 180 guests, the Tithe Barn is licensed to conduct civil ceremonies and partnerships, and there’s flexibility for you to fully personalise your special day with the support of Symondsbury’s on-site wedding team.

Looking for something a bit different? Symondsbury Estate’s marquee offers opportunities for field or sylvan woodland weddings, whilst the nearby Crepe Farmhouse and secluded gardens can be transformed into an intimate space for family and friends to celebrate together.

But however you choose to celebrate, you’re guaranteed a fabulous wedding breakfast, whether that’s a traditional dinner in the Tithe Barn, an al fresco feast in the private garden or a lavish supper in the woods. Symondsbury Estate’s team of expert chefs use hand-reared meat from the estate, and seasonal vegetables grown locally.

There’s also a range of accommodation on site to choose from, including charming country cottages, traditional farmhouses, luxury bell tents and an elegant Georgian townhouse sleeping 21 guests. +44 (0)1308 424116; symondsburyestate.co.uk

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WEDDING GUIDE

GLORIOUS GIFTS

DISCOVER A TRULY BESPOKE, PERSONAL WEDDING REGISTRY EXPERIENCE AT THE WEDDING PRESENT COMPANY

The Wedding Present Company’s showroom in Chelsea, London

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PROMOTION

ON THE LIST

A gift voucher for Marlo Wine, a fine wine delivery service A crowd favourite, Le Creuset dish in Bamboo Green

P

lanning for the big day can be both energising and daunting, and even the thought of what wedding gifts to ask for is sometimes challenging.

Curating the perfect, flexible list takes the pressure off both you and your guests, so you all know what’s chosen will be valued and treasured forever.

This is where The Wedding Present Company comes into its own. Drawing on over 25 years of experience, it offers a truly bespoke wedding list journey, from its custom-made wedding presents and exclusive brand names, to its exceptional showroom experience. You can create your own detailed, curated registry with expert guidance from a dedicated Wedding List Advisor, meaning your guests can select gifts they can be sure you’ll love.

At The Wedding Present Company’s showroom in Chelsea, London, expect to be inspired by a focused portfolio of your favourite brands and exclusive present ideas you won’t find anywhere else.

Gifts in the showroom are arranged by room, meaning you can browse and visualise how presents might look and work together in your own home. Wander around with a lovely glass or two of Nyetimber sparkling wine, breathing in the aromas of Jo Malone diffusers, and explore what your married life could soon look like.

Delve into all sorts of gift ideas, ranging from sumptuous towel sets and retreat vouchers, to honeymoon funds and boutique brands exclusive to The Wedding Present Company including Wonki Ware homeware and Eeva Kristiina bespoke trays that are beautifully matched to the Farrow & Ball colour of your choice.

Above all, it’s an opportunity to build a wedding gift list that works for everyone – and one less thing to worry about ahead of your big day.

Photos by Chloë Winstanley

A Mr & Mrs Smith voucher for a delightful getaway

A KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer for future cakes and bakes

Showroom, First Floor Furniture and Arts Building 533 King’s Road, London SW10 0TZ +44 (0)20 7622 6300 showroom@weddingpresentco.com Find out more at weddingpresentco.com

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HAVE CAKE YOUR

AND

EAT IT Gorge on sumptuous, wedding-ready diamonds FASHION AND ART DIRECTION URSULA LAKE PHOTOGRAPHER MATTHEW SHAVE

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V necklace with diamonds set in platinum; Secret Combination collection earrings with diamonds set in platinum; Classic Winston cushion cut 3.83ct engagement ring with diamonds set in platinum, all Harry Winston

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Wedding cake, Lily Vanilli; 18ct white gold and pavé diamond dress ring, Hancocks London; Old Cut diamond bracelet in platinum and gold, circa 1920s, Hancocks London

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Dress, Halfpenny London; Champagne, Laurent–Perrier; Haute Joaillerie collection earrings with marquise brilliant cut diamonds set in 18ct white gold and titanium, Chopard; Happy Diamonds collection ring with a dancing diamond and pear-shaped diamonds set in 18ct white gold, Chopard

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Pink champagne, Bollinger; Masterpiece collection emerald cut diamond ring, Pragnell

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Pearl Rose Deco bangle with Akoya pearls and diamonds, set in 18ct white gold; Pearl Deco ring with Akoya pearls and diamonds, set in 18ct white gold, both David Morris; Champagne by Moët & Chandon

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Wild Bouquet Radiant ring in platinum and diamonds; Wild Bouquet Radiant earrings in platinum and diamonds, both by Tasaki

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Wedding cake, Peggy Porschen; Diamanté-trimmed court shoe, Aquazurra; Carlotta diamond necklace in white gold; Carlotta diamond bracelet in white gold, both Buccellati TEAM Hair: Luke Benson at Frank Agency Make-up: Sonia Deveney using Nars; Nails: Cherrie Snow using Dior Manicure collection and Miss Dior hand cream Model: Karina at Premier Model Management STOCKISTS: PAGE 164

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Pasadena Wallpaper. Greenwich Chairs in GoGo fabric. Dawn Linen with Dash Tape on window shade.

Eden Collection: Wallpaper, Print and Woven Fabrics www.thibautdesign.com tel: 020 7737 6555

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CULTURE

PHOTO: GUCCI PRE-FALL 2019 MEN’S TAILORING CAMPAIGN; CREATIVE DIRECTOR: ALESSANDRO MICHELE; ART DIRECTOR: CHRISTOPHER SIMMONDS; PHOTOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR: HARMONY KORINE; COURTESY OF GUCCI

And God Created Man The V&A’s spring exhibition celebrates the power, artistry and diversity of menswear and masculine ideals. With contemporary looks by designers alongside historical treasures from the museum’s collections, it’ll take you on a deep dive into how our notions of masculinity have changed over the centuries. 19 March to 6 Nov 2022.

Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear at the V&A. In partnership with Gucci.

Harry Styles models in Gucci’s Pre-Fall 2019 men’s tailoring campaign

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CULTURE | What’s On

THE CULTURAL CALENDAR Get out and about with these dates for your diary, says Sofia Tindall

STEP CHANGE

WALL TO WALL

It’s the 1,900th anniversary of the building of Hadrian’s Wall this year, marked by 12 months of events and activities.

In March and April this includes stories, exhibitions, lectures, adventure quests and children’s short story competitions across the country, all celebrating the wall and its unique heritage. Until 23 December 2022. 1900. hadrianswallcountry.co.uk

POTTERHEAD

Two of the world’s largest Beatrix Potter exhibitions have merged in a new V&A show, which looks at the author’s work as a natural scientist, conservationist and storyteller.

Until 8 Jan 2023. vam.ac.uk

THE SECRET HISTORY

From porcelain to textiles, art to weaponry and delicate embroidered screens, Japan: Courts and Culture at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, takes visitors on a gripping tour of ancient Japan. It’s a tantalising glimpse into 350 years of diplomatic, artistic and cultural exchanges. Until12 March 2023. rct.uk

LAND AHOY!

Spend an evening steeped in nostalgia at Wilton’s Music Hall in Shadwell, one of the few remaining unrestored pub halls. It hosts Sasha Regan’s awardwinning, all-male company for a rousing rendition of HMS Pinafore. 16 March to 9 April. wiltons.org.uk

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PHOTOS: PRESS ASSOCIATION

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, Banbury in Oxfordshire is hosting a dazzling programme of events on the theme of #BreakTheBias. Expect live and virtual talks, crafting classes, exhibitions and virtual mentoring sessions across the whole month. 8-31 March. iwdbanbury.com

PHOTOS: GEORGE PIPER; ROGER CLEGG

WHO RUNS THE WORLD?

Ballet Black returns with two new works celebrating the company’s 20-year history.

There’s a new dance, Black Sun, by choreographer Gregory Maqoma, as well as Say It Loud, created by Artistic Director Cassa Pancho to chart the struggles and inspiration behind the pioneering ballet company. 24-27 March, balletblack.co.uk

FROM TOP: The Gold Cup is the pinnacle of the Jump Racing calendar; jockey Jack Kennedy won the 2021 race on Minella Indo

The Critical LIST

Big releases to bookmark

Anticipation is high for Hulu’s new fictionalised series The Dropout, about disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, starring Amanda Seyfried. Out 3 March, Disney+ and Hulu

TV

THE C&TH GUIDE TO…

CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL

The latest A-lister to tread the boards is Jodie Comer, who makes her debut with Prima Facie, a onewoman show about a sharp young barrister who falls victim to the patriarchal justice system. 15 April to 18 June. primafacieplay.com

The annual extravaganza is back – with a little extra sparkle. We’ll see you by the paddock...

L

ike crème fraîche and caviar, diamonds and horse racing are a match made in heaven. Which is why Cheltenham Festival’s Gold Cup, sponsored this year by Boodles, is double-circled on our calendars. Thanks to The Jockey Club, the Festival is still as much of a thrill for racegoers as when it started in 1818 – and 2022 promises to raise the bar even higher.

THEATRE

TABLE TALK... A day at the races isn’t

Tard, the talented novice, ridden by Grand National winner Rachael Blackmore, is hotly tipped to win).

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT... It’s not just

THE GOLD CUP... The Gold Cup is the PHOTOS: PRESS ASSOCIATION

PHOTOS: GEORGE PIPER; ROGER CLEGG

complete without being wined and dined like royalty, and Cheltenham is renowned for rolling out the red carpet. Whether you’re indulging in a Michelin star-worthy meal overlooking the Winner’s Enclosure or toasting your windfall in Fitzdares’ Partners Bar in the Orchard (C&TH is its media partner this year), an unforgettable experience is guaranteed. jewel in the Festival’s crown. This year also sees Boodles (a long-standing sponsor of the races) take over the torch from WellChild as the named partner of the festival, and Gold Cup sponsor. Past winners of this exhilarating race include champions like Best Mate and Kauto Star – so this year’s spectators will be waiting with bated breath to see who emerges in the lead (A Plus

about the action in the grandstands – a packed shopping village is the perfect place to browse between races, complete with entertainers and live musicians. From rock ‘n’ roll Liverpudlians The Wickermen (on days one and four) to live jazz from the Hipcats, the folky Lucky 15s and more, there’s something for everyone.

15-18 March. thejockeyclub.co.uk

Ryan Reynolds plays a fighter pilot who travels back in time in new sci-fi film The Adam Project, joined on screen by 13 Going On 30 alumni Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. Out 11 March, Netflix

FILM

Loved Jennifer Egan’s Pulitzer-winning novel, A Visit From the Goon Squad?

Her next, The Candy House, is a collection of interconnected narratives exploring themes of authenticity and privacy. 28 April (Corsair, £19.99)

BOOK

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CULTURE | What’s On

PREVIEW

Ellie Smith looks forward to an operatic version of The Handmaid’s Tale at the London Coliseum

M

argaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale was first adapted back in 1990, in a film spearheaded

by German director Volker Schlöndorff. Despite a Harold Pinter screenplay and all-star cast featuring Natasha Richardson and Faye Dunaway, the movie was widely dismissed by critics. Decades later, the TV version we all know and love launched on Hulu starring Elisabeth Moss.

It’s less well known that in between these two adaptations there was an opera, first shown in 2000 in a performance by the Royal Danish Opera, before transferring three years later to London’s English National Opera. And this spring it’s returning to the London Coliseum, offering

a musical reworking of the thoughtprovoking tale.

The audience is plunged into the Republic of Gilead, a place where women have been stripped of their rights and freedoms. Mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey plays protagonist Offred, one of the handmaids forced into reproductive slavery to bear the children of the elite. As fans of the TV show will know, Gilead has a deeply unnerving atmosphere, which Danish composer Poul Ruders captures through a discordant score, influenced by medieval chanting and gospel music. It makes for powerful viewing at a time when the story’s themes feel all-too relevant.

4-14 April, eno.org Catch The Handmaid’s Tale on stage with the English National Opera

MY Cultural Life

Pippa Bennett-Warner’s heading to the Old Vic and tuning into Real Housewives this month

I’m tuning into… I’m not a big podcaster but I keep

hearing great things about Smartless.

My ultimate cultural recommendation...

The Photographers Gallery is excellent.

Cultural guilty pleasure... The Real Housewives.

Doesn’t matter which one – I watch them ALL. Pippa stars in BBC One drama Chloe, out now. bbc.co.uk/iplayer 86 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | March/April 2022

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PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

One of my first jobs was playing Cordelia to Derek Jacobi’s Lear so I’ve been totally engrossed in JR’s book.

I love this perspective on the story – one that I guess we didn’t know we needed until we had it.

The last thing I watched was... Encanto. I’m obsessed with the songs. All Of You is my favourite. I dance around my kitchen to it.

What I’m most looking forward to seeing... A Number at the Old Vic. My friend Paapa Essiedu is in it.

Favourite painting... October’s Gone... Goodnight, (1973) by Barkley L Hendricks. I first came across BLH’s work at the Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power exhibition at Tate Modern back in 2017. It was love at first sight.

Favourite film of all time... Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensibility.

It’s a classic. I watch it very regularly.

Band/singer I always have on repeat... I’m a big Kurupt FM fan. They’re hilarious. Summertime is so good.

PHOTOS: NICKY HAMILTON

What I’m reading... Learwife by JR Thorpe. It’s brilliant.

Books | CULTURE

THE WEST AWAKES

Richard Hopton reviews three novels set in the West Country and Wales

1 PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

PHOTOS: NICKY HAMILTON

MOTHER’S BOY Patrick Gale

Patrick Gale’s new novel is, as he puts it, ‘a very loose retelling of the early life’ of the Cornish poet Charles Causley (1917-2003) and his mother, Laura. It recounts Causley’s schooldays, youth and war service, tracing his uncertainties, insecurities and ambitions with a sympathetic and emotionally astute pen. The wartime Royal Navy opened Causley’s eyes to the wider world, geographically, socially, and sexually but the novel’s central theme is the asymmetric relationship between Causley and his mother, who were inseparable yet very different, devoted to one another yet strangely distant and mutually incomprehending.

Like many of Gale’s novels, Mother’s Boy is set predominantly in Cornwall, ‘its own country, a sort of island, fortified by rocks and water.’

Gale writes with a light touch, making the ordinary compelling, the commonplace universal. Tinder Press, £20

2

VIOLETS Alex Hyde

Violets, Alex Hyde’s first novel, tells the story of two young women, both called Violet, in the closing months of the Second World War as they struggle with pregnancy and miscarriage amid the uncertainty and deprivation of war.

One Violet miscarries twins just before her husband is posted abroad; the other Violet becomes pregnant by a Polish soldier billeted in her house. The first Violet is left to mourn her loss at home but the second Violet escapes wartime factory work in South Wales by volunteering for an overseas posting in the ATS. This takes her to Naples, where she forms an unlikely friendship with the patrician Maggie. It’s a story about women in the male-dominated world of war, written in a fragmented, impressionistic style which gives it a poetic quality. Granta, £12.99

3

BREAKNECK POINT T. Orr Munro

The heroine of T. Orr Munro’s debut novel is Ally Dymond, an experienced if headstrong crime scene investigator attached to the police in north Devon. In dealing with the scenes of two apparently unconnected deaths, she becomes convinced that there is more to them than meets the eye but her attempts to discover the truth bring her into conflict with her superiors.

The setting is determinedly gritty: this is the north Devon – Bidecombe and Barnston are respectively thinly-veiled versions of Ilfracombe and Barnstaple – of sink estates and caravan parks rather than of picturesque villages and peaceful valleys. It is a tightly plotted, well-paced story with a disturbingly manipulative, evil villain at its core. The prose sometimes subsides into cliché – there is, for example, a lot of eye-rolling – but overall it’s an entertaining, atmospheric novel. HQ, £14.99

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CULTURE | Books

BIBLIO FILE

By Belinda Bamber

Two modern love stories explore race, faith and marriage

UNDER THE COVER WITH…

Lizzie Damilola Blackburn The tribulations of love and race are explored from the man’s point of view in Kasim Ali’s Good Intentions (£14.99, Fourth Estate). Nur wants to marry his soulmate, Yasmina, but after four years’ living together still hasn’t introduced her to his traditional, British Pakistani parents, believing they won’t accept she’s Black. As he explores delicate themes of race and family, Ali shows rare honesty in unpicking Nur’s fear and self-doubt.

Unafraid to show their protagonists in an unflattering light, the authors suggest selfdelusion can be as great a barrier to happy coupling as the oppositions they perceive around them. It’s the old adage: to meet ‘the one’, you first need to accept and love yourself.

MORE MARCH MAGIC ENCHANTMENT awaits in Fledgling, Hannah Bourne Taylor’s engrossing account of how she rescued and nurtured lost fledgling birds in her garden in Ghana, soothing her homesickness in the process (£16.99, Aurum, out 5 April). And there’s ALCHEMY in Vagabonds!, Eloghosa Osunde’s deep dive into the outlawed queer streets of Lagos (£20, HarperCollins, out 31 March), a vibrant underworld of crazy spirits, magical unions and interlinked stories.

Like Yinka, I’m a Christian of Nigerian heritage and grew up in Peckham. But in my single days I never set up a plan to find a man… And I’m a much better cook!

I was inspired to become a writer by Malorie Blackman and Jacqueline Wilson.

I attempted my first novel aged ten.

My traditional dad wanted me to be a lawyer. To compromise, I studied politics at Oxford and briefly became a journalist.

A break-up got me writing again.

Yinka grabbed my heart and didn’t let go.

I now live in Milton Keynes, a lively, multicultural area. They’ve heard of Nollywood! But I miss London’s AfroCaribbean hair and beauty shops.

I’m a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk. Their books make me smile.

Like many British Nigerians, I know how it is to feel not Nigerian enough in some circles, not British enough in others.

I have a bias towards books with a Black cast – there aren’t as many! I enjoy Chimamanda Ngozi, Lola Shoneyin and Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani. People Person by Candice Carty-Williams is my next treat.

Yinka is about the universal pressure to find a partner. She’s a flawed heroine.

But who wants to be perfect? We’d never experience the joy of achievement.

We grow by learning from our mistakes.

Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?

(Viking, £14.99, out 31 March) n

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; AIDEN HARMITT-WILLIAMS

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izzie Damilola Blackburn’s feelgood debut, Yinka, Where is Your Huzband? opens with an engaging family party, at which Yinka’s jolly Nigerian aunties wag their fingers at her single status and embarrass her by inviting all the guests to join them in prayer for her to find a ‘huzband’. Yinka vows there’s nothing wrong with being 31, single (and a virgin), but devises a game plan to get a boyfriend in time for her cousin’s upcoming wedding. Her ensuing dating journey entails droll set-pieces, cultural clashes, hapless blunders, a job crisis, her lurking ex, and sibling friction. But it’s her dawning self-knowledge that provides the satisfying story arc.

The debut author of Yinka, Where is Your Huzband?

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THE

DECORATIVE ANTIQUES & TEXTILES FAIR

Book tickets at decorativefair.com @decorativefair

Spring 2022 Wednesday 4 to Sunday 8 May Battersea Park, London

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CULTURE | Column

The EXHIBITIONIST Ed Vaizey wonders over the secrets of Stonehenge at the British Museum

FROM ABOVE: Stonehenge; the Nebra sky disc; the Schifferstadt gold hat

I

’m thrilled to have just been appointed as a trustee of Tate. But as smug as I feel, I see that George Osborne has been appointed chair of the British Museum. Once again, I have been eclipsed by my old school mate. While I toiled away as a lowly Minister, he presided over us all as the youngest Chancellor in a gazillion years. And his achievement was made all the sweeter, as he liked to remind me, as he was four years below me at school.

So, it’s an act of great magnanimity of mine to review the British Museum’s exhibition The World of Stonehenge, which runs until July. Not that magnanimous actually, as it’s an absolute stunner.

Apart from being something George sees every weekend on his way to his country estate in Somerset, Stonehenge is weaved into our collective imagination. A pre-history man-made sculpture and temple, it has silently witnessed millennia of human goings-on. It seems to be in direct commune with the old gods, and speaks of pagan mysteries, magic and ancient Britain. Built 5,000 years ago, and altered through the ages, it resonates with us still because of its famous alignment with the rising midwinter and summer solstices.

The British Museum’s exhibition seeks to bring this all to life, tell us the story and set Stonehenge in context. Unlike the Elgin Marbles, the stones have not been moved from their base in Wiltshire. What has been transported is the 4,000-year-old Seahenge, a large, upturned oak trunk surrounded by 54 oak posts, which was discovered off the Norfolk

coast 34 years ago. This is the first time it has been exhibited outside Norfolk, and indeed the first time some parts of it of have ever been exhibited at all. It reminds us that ‘henges’ (a term coined in the 1930s by a curator) were very much the in-thing 5,000 years ago, with more than 1,300 surviving across Europe.

And the exhibition very much emphasises Stonehenge’s links with Europe. More than 430 exhibits are on show and about half come from European museums. These include the absolutely amazing Nebra sky disc, which at almost 4,000 years old is reputed to be the earliest depiction of the cosmos, set out in gold, bronze and copper. On show as well are two rare and remarkable gold cone-shaped hats – the Schifferstadt gold hat from Germany and the Avanton gold cone from France – the first time they have been exhibited in Britain. Brexit may have messed a lot of things up, but clearly loans from Europe can still get through customs.

More locally, but many of which have still not been seen in London, are objects from burial sites, including the ‘gold lozenge’ from the Barrow Burial, located near to Stonehenge, which is the finest example of Bronze Age gold craftsmanship ever found in Britain, and the treasures buried with the Amesbury Archer, a grave that contained the richest array of items ever found in a British Bronze Age burial site.

Stonehenge remains a controversial site today for mundane political reasons. Ten years ago, there was a row about building a visitor centre. Today there is a row about building a tunnel to hide traffic from the site. But what is not controversial, and what I love, is the huge amount of scholarship and knowledge that is on display in this exhibition, bringing our ancestors alive.

The World of Stonehenge runs until 17 July 2022. britishmuseum.org n

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R E S E T YO U R S PAC E A N D M I N D W I T H LU X U RY O U T D O O R F U R N I T U R E F RO M

LEISUREPLAN.CO.UK / +44 (0)1279 816 001 / SALES@LEISUREPLAN.CO.UK

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CULTURE | Conservation

The Positive Disruptor We need to start learning from nature, says James Wallace

THINK DIFFERENTLY, ACT NOW Tangible ways to usher in a more hopeful future for planet Earth

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ill it, cut it up, look at it under a microscope. Patent it. This is conventional problem solving.

For four hundred years, this ‘mechanistic’ and ‘reductionist’ scientific methodology has underpinned Western Europe’s global rampage on culture and nature.

The upside? We can eat what we want, travel where we want, talk with whom we want. Technological advancement of the ‘Anthropocene’ has birthed centenarians, found vaccines for pandemics and propelled billionaires into space. However, Descartes, Newton and Bacon wouldn’t recognise their baby: the Age of Enlightenment has accidentally snuffed out too much life.

There is, however, another paradigm of ‘holistic’ science where Goethe, Heidegger and Jung show us that nature is paradoxically finite and bountiful; chaotic yet selfregulating; blood-thirsty yet nurturing. Every part is whole and yet part of a greater whole. Just as nature relies on its delicate, balanced systems to thrive, so too do we rely on the people, organisms and landscapes that nourish us.

Have you ever seen a dirty beetle? VW-badged, yes.

But not six-legged and strolling along a stick. Have you ever wondered why? Convertible Beetles have smooth surfaces to which muck clings easily. Invertebrate beetles have bumpy shells from which mud is repelled. Simple but who’d-a-thought-it?

Following George de Mestral’s invention of Velcro having observed burrs on his dog’s fur in 1948, Janine Benyus coined the term ‘biomimicry’ in 1997, catalysing a design movement to harness natural ingenuity that solves

the world’s most critical problems.

The Eastgate Centre in Harare is climate controlled by passive natural convection biomimicking termite mounds whose ingenuity goes one step further than architect Mick Pearce: their ‘buildings’ maintain humidity for growing the fungus that feeds them as well.

Soil and cooperation equals cosy home and endless nosh.

Cypris Materials’ paint has polymer nanostructures that refract light like the scales on blue morpho butterfly wings scattering structural colour while acting as a cooling agent. Think bright and cool house, boat or VW Beetle minus polluting chemicals.

For decades, John Todd’s Eco-Machines have transformed toxic waste into drinking water with the help of algae, fungi and bacteria, without spewing fumes.

Humans have been biomimicking for millenia. Even our neolithic wattle and daub houses deployed the mud and sticks used by beavers in lodges and birds in nests.

Already, science and technology are dancing reciprocally once again with Earth’s utility and resources. Waste-free, closed-loop biomimetic systems of farming, building, clothing and transport are being developed by Boeing, Levi-Straus, Kohler, Interface, General Electric and many others.

In a global free market driven by growth in a finite world, we must selfregulate and solve problems like nature.

To design and grow in cycles rather than extract and consume in straight lines.

Only then can we ask humbly of Gaia Mother Earth - please Miss, can we have some more? n

CATCH AN EYE...

In 3D-printed fashion devoted to cultural coexistence and minimising waste. threeasfour.com STUDY...

With the Biomimicry Institute and solve global problems naturally. biomimicry.org DESIGN...

With Michael Pawlyn’s buildings for a sustainable future. explorationarchitecture.com BUILD...

Green cities that nourish with architecture and design studio William McDonough + Partners. mcdonough partners.com RUN WILD...

In bio-compatible, recycled, natural fibres with Vivobarefoot.

Tracker II FG walking boots, £200. vivobarefoot.com

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; THREEASFOUR IN COLLABORATION WITH KORNIT DIGITAL, PHOTOGRAPHER RANDY BROOKE

Can we design like nature instead of against it?

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CULTURE | Sustainability

MY LITTLE GREEN BOOK Lisa Grainger meets Hugo Tagholm, the surfer battling to clean up our seas

FROM ABOVE: An SAS beach clean-up; founder Hugo Tagholm; meeting Prince Charles; SAS protest at COP26 in November 2021

JOIN THE SURF WAR Attend a clean-up of a local stretch of water – or create your own group. SAS is attempting a million-mile clean this year Sell tickets in the annual raffle Arrange something fun to fundraise for SAS Never flush away sanitary products, and buy only biodegradable products Don’t buy balloons – they often end up strangling or choking creatures at sea Create a plastic-free community – in your family, office, street or community Petition government and water companies; every voice counts

into streams, rivers and the sea.

They’re seeing that our beaches are a tapestry of plastic: full of Lego pieces rather than shells, dead birds tied up in balloon strings, dolphins caught in plastic bags, marine life smothered with litter…

And when scientists say that by 2050 up to 90 per cent of our marine life will be gone – fish, shells, life as we know it – people started to sit up.’

Today, with tens of thousands of volunteers following his example – campaigning, protesting, volunteering, fundraising, and trying to live plastic-free lives – his army of sea-lovers is growing. The charity has helped to create 850 plastic-free communities, from John O’Groats to Land’s End who get together for clean-ups. And thanks to public pressure, water companies are being fined – last year Southern Water had to pay £90 million for sewage spills. What’s vital, he says, is to keep up the fight ‘because water companies have paid out nearly £60 billion to their shareholders since privatisation and shouldn’t be allowed to use our waters as open sewers’.

Besides, Britain has some of the dirtiest waters in Europe, ‘and no one is proud of that. We all need to get our hands dirty – and clean it up.’

For more ideas of how to get involved, visit sas.org.uk n

PHOTOS: © MIKE GUEST

H

ugo Tagholm has loved water since he was a boy. In ponds, he caught newts and toads, and on the Thames shores scavenged for treasure. ‘My bedroom was a testament to the outdoors: my own little natural history museum,’ he says, ‘and that made me fall in love with nature, and water, even more.’

Today, as CEO of Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), the 47-year-old is one of Britain’s most passionate environmentalists: a man on a mission to clean our seas not only for sea-lovers but for marine inhabitants choking in muck. The charity began in Cornwall in 1990 because surfers were, as he puts it, ‘wallowing in turds, E. coli, chemicals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and microplastics’. And if they were picking up ear infections, he adds, ‘imagine what it was like for the fish. We had to do something.’

For a while, thanks to EU legislation, he explains, beaches slowly got cleaner. But when English water companies were privatised in 1989, it soon became clear that profit took precedence over poo, as ‘corporate fat-cats made millions, and shareholders offshored their profits without tax, while polluting our waters.’ When no one took any notice, he started to take his wetsuit, surfboard and gasmask into boardrooms and Whitehall, to protest. He did TED talks, and got schools involved. And slowly he became the voice of people who care about not only British beaches, but the state of the oceans across the world.

Thankfully, he says, ‘people are now starting to become outraged at the levels of pollution – last year there were 400,000 sewage discharges

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The Heybrook King Size Bed and Lambswool 100% Natural Fibre Mattress

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Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT PRICE £144,000 ENGINE 4.0-litre V8 petrol POWER 631 bhp 0-62 MPH 3.1 seconds ECONOMY 20 mpg STREAMING Tie Your Mother Down – Queen

Road Test

Jeremy Taylor revs up the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT – a swansong for combustion engines

TOWN COUNTRY In this wonderful world of wokeness, sometimes you just have to This is not the four-wheel drive for ploughing down a rutted raise a hand and admit to a bad habit. The Cayenne Turbo GT is a very bad habit indeed – a naughty monster of a machine.

As manufacturers scramble to bring out more electric models, this latest super-SUV is unapologetically non-PC. A petrol V8 engine provides sledgehammer performance and ensures this is the most driver-focused Cayenne model ever.

Unlike the Porsche 911 coupe, Cayenne owners can actually fit two full-size passengers in the back and carry a dog in the boot. Quite why Porsche felt the need for a faster Cayenne model in the range is difficult to fathom but I’m glad they did.

Perhaps the boom in SUV sales persuaded them that a supercar with more ground clearance and practicality is the future.

Switch the drive settings to Normal and the Porsche is a harnessed, subdued beast for everyday use around town.

There’s an ever-present burble from the new titanium exhaust pipes but otherwise it’s ‘just’ another Porsche SUV. Inside, the interior is more sport-orientated, with Alcantara trim covering the bucket seats. Some might find them a little firm for everyday operations around town, but they are a necessary evil in a car with this much power.

country track. Apart from the expensive wheels, all that lightweight trim wasn’t designed for off-road use – it was added to make the Turbo GT even faster on the road.

But find an empty stretch of tarmac, slip into Sport mode and the Porsche absolutely flies. Supremely agile, the Cayenne keeps powering through the revs and is engaging to drive.

Only the Lamborghini Urus comes anywhere close to this level of excitement – and that SUV costs £20,000 more. The power surge made me giggle, taking all my powers of restraint to keep the Turbo GT within the legal limit.

If the performance doesn’t amaze you then the SUV’s ability to hurtle around corners like a McLaren certainly will.

Powerful carbon ceramic brakes are standard, as well as the tiny ‘ears’ on the end of the roof spoiler – the only clear indicator that this is the most potent Cayenne money can buy.

Porsche’s GT department in Germany made all manner of tweaks to the V8 engine to ensure the Turbo GT doesn’t disappoint. You may wonder who needs cars like this any more; me, I just see it as a glorious, if rather naughty, swansong for the combustion engine.

RATING: 5/5 HANDBAGS

RATING: 5/5 WELLIES

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Driving | CULTURE

THE DRIVE

DESTINATION: MANDARIN ORIENTAL, HYDE PARK, LONDON

The Mandarin Oriental is surrounded by horsepower. Guests can watch the Household Cavalry clip-clopping past the dining room that overlooks Hyde Park, or marvel at the rash of supercars parked outside.

Bang opposite is Harvey Nichols, Harrods is just around the corner and this part of the capital rarely sleeps. Outside it’s busy and bustling but inside the Mandarin Oriental is a haven of calm. An Edwardian building of great character, the hotel is now fully open again after a devastating fire in 2018.

The new interior is surprisingly light and welcoming given the austere façade, from the relaxed Rosebery lounge – perfect for afternoon tea – to Dinner, a two-Michelinstarred restaurant by Heston Blumenthal.

Rooms that used to be draped in a classic English style have been overhauled with an art deco theme. Luxurious features include wonderful toiletries – plus a heated and illuminated Japanese loo.

However, the hotel’s loos look positively normal compared to those at The Glade restaurant at Sketch London, a 20-minute walk away across the park (sketch.london). The most Instagrammed lavs in London attract visitors from all over the world. However, I’m more interested in the food and décor at this subterranean, woodland world. Glade’s vegetarian garden menu offers treats such as red beetroot and spinach fondue, or baby artichoke salad with pine nuts, all served by brilliantly informed staff.

My set of wheels for the weekend is also a little quirky. The current Maserati Quattroporte was launched in 2013 and feels old school compared to more state-of-the-

The Mandarin Oriental

art saloons from rivals BMW, Audi and Mercedes. However, if you can forgive its foibles, this four-door is full of charm.

A Ferrari-sourced V8 engine produces 572bhp and is good for 200mph – it also sounds fantastic in Sport mode. Ride quality is adequate but then this is really an Italian super-saloon for those who prefer to drive, rather than be driven.

My top-of-the-range Trofeo is expensive and won’t hold its value especially well.

However, the Quattroporte stands out from a crowd of German saloons and is positively quirky by comparison – overlooking the tiny slot to recharge a mobile phone, the ridiculous seat belt buckle position and a 16mpg fuel habit.

Frustrating – but only the Italians could design a sinister-looking saloon this good with an emergency boot release inside the luggage compartment. No doubt the perfect escape route for any Mafioso victim.

IN THE BOOT KEY CARE Never lose them again with this neat finder.

Operated via a free app, the system ‘rings’ the tiny tile attached to your keys, or uses a map to locate.

Tile Pro, £29.99. uk.tile.com

BOOK IT: From £720. mandarinoriental.com Maserati Quattroporte Trofeo PRICE £125,000 ENGINE 3.8-litre V8 petrol POWER 580 hp 0-62 MPH 4.5 seconds ECONOMY 16 mpg STREAMING The Godfather soundtrack

BOND BOOK The most famous 007 car is the Aston Martin DB5 – complete with Gatling guns and ejector seat. This coffeetable book tells the story. £34.99, herocollector.com

LIGHT & SHADES Serengeti makes a range of driving sunglasses – lightweight, unisex and great behind the wheel. Their Carroll in matte khaki is polarised and perfect for summer. £270, serengeti-eyewear.com

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CULTURE | Interview

Charlotte Metcalf talks to entrepreneur Grace Beverley about building her fitness empire, sustainable activewear and the importance of rest PORTRAIT BY ALEXANDRA DAO

N IN BRIEF PENTHOUSE OR COTTAGE?

For now, a penthouse on the river MICHELIN STAR OR COUNTRY PUB?

I like the Fir Tree pub in Oxford – it does a vegan Sunday roast KILLER HEELS OR FLATS?

Flats, and if not, I always have trainers in my bag DOG OR CAT?

I have an adopted Maltipoo called Ziggy GREEN TEA OR WINE?

Wine

early five years ago I interviewed Victoria Broackes at Scarfe’s Bar about her work at the Victoria & Albert. We chatted a bit about her four daughters, one of whom, Grace, was becoming a rising talent in the fitness space. So, it’s with delight that I’m now talking to Grace about her phenomenal rise to entrepreneurial stardom. At just 25, Grace has been shortlisted for numerous awards, winning a fat handful of prestigious ones, including the 2021 Businesswoman of the Year and London Business of the Year at the SME National Business Awards. She’s as busy as any mogul twice her age but she arrives early, flanked by her assistant and publicist.

What’s interested me about Grace’s career is that it represents everything older generations tend to disapprove of, as they squint at her Instagram posts with perplexed frowns, lamenting how times have changed and wondering how posing in a bikini can earn you millions. It goes without saying that it’s not that simple, and I’m eager to chat to Grace about what it really takes to reach the top.

In February 2015, during her last two months at school, Grace began posting a daily Instagram diary of her fitness regime. ‘Fitness seemed to be about pain, strict dieting, deprivation and willpower and I wanted to show you could enjoy it and started sharing fun, short workouts,’ says Grace.

‘I documented what I did, and if I missed a workout, I’d say so. I think this honesty was why my account had an appeal.’

Known online as GraceFitUK, Grace waited till she had 10,000 followers before revealing her identity. Then she founded Shreddy in 2016, a female fitness transformation platform and app, followed in 2019 by TALA, a sustainable activewear brand. She recently raised £4m in funding for TALA, but back then it wasn’t an easy business decision. As an ‘influencer’ (a term Grace now prefers to avoid), she had earned good money wearing numerous activewear brands.

‘My income fell 50 per cent when I decided to stop promoting fast fashion labels,’ she says, ‘but I was determined. At first, I couldn’t see rental working for sweaty, pre-owned activewear, and natural fibres couldn’t always be the answer for high performance clothing either. I looked at available alternatives, but they were really expensive. It wasn’t right to charge £100 for leggings. It seemed insane that sustainable activewear was out of reach for a whole generation.’

Grace persevered and found a way of halving the price by making her fabrics from 92 per cent recycled content

rather than 100 per cent. She was adamant her products should have great colour, fit, performance and style without compromise – though she admits this meant compromising her own business, since tight margins prevented her from advertising at first. However, she won through by openly revealing the tough slog her business was going through.

‘People liked the fact I was being authentic as much as [they liked] the merchandise,’ she explains. ‘I’d talk about politics or the abortion referendum in Ireland – which some people really disapproved of, in a “just-stick-to-fitness-selfies” way. People tend to put anything to do with online (specially women’s) success in a box, but the internet gives you the opportunity to build up a brand persona. The internet’s no silver bullet, but I see it as another arm of advertising.’

When lockdown hit in March 2020 Grace initially felt confused not to be running around all day. She saw people were feeling pressured to learn a language or gain a new skill. ‘We’re all now connected online non-stop so productivity is the blueprint of my generation and we’re expected to work 24 hours a day,’ she says. ‘Social media can look at things in a very black and white way, so if I shared a work tip, people said, “This is a pandemic not a productivity contest.” But if I posted that people needed to relax more, I “lacked discipline”. Yet to be truly productive, you have to care for yourself properly.’ So Grace wrote a book, Working Hard, Hardly Working, full of compelling, wise and sensible advice about how to balance work and downtime. Her time-saving advice and ordered to-do lists are impressively useful.

Anyone attributing Grace’s success to her social media posts has failed to grasp her capacity for focused, disciplined hard work and her dedication to her customers. Having spotted that the fitness industry was not appealing to her and her generation and that they were being priced out of sustainable activewear, she found solutions for both. It’s one thing to post a sexy selfie but quite another to possess the entrepreneurial grit and ambition to create two awardwinning brands and write a book to boot (not to mention her chart-topping podcast). As her team whisks her off to her next meeting in an electric car, I have nothing but utter respect for Grace’s well-deserved success.

Working Hard, Hardly Working (Penguin, £9.99) is out now. shreddy.com; wearetala.com n

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Fitness entrepreneur Grace emphasises the importance of a good work/life balance

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Found IN

Trans l Fola Evans-Akingbola, star of Ten Percent, on getting starstruck on set, self-doubt and her spy ambitions. By AMY WAKEHAM FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHER RACHELL SMITH

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s lation Dress and loafers, Christopher Kane. 18ct yellow gold, diamond and malachite Lucky Move ring, Messika Paris.

Kemper chair, Liang & Eimil @ LuxDeco

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Bodysuit, Melissa Odabash.

Glass painted by Lan Nguyen Grealis

t’s a grey, chilly Friday afternoon in southeast London, but the small café Fola Evans-Akingbola has chosen for our rendezvous is bustling with life, its closely packed tables lined with locals catching up over cappuccinos and slices of cake before the weekend begins. It’s a frequent haunt for the actor, who grew up in nearby Honor Oak Park and recently bought a home just around the corner.

Fola enters, swathed from the cold in a calf-length duvet coat and black hoodie, and orders mint tea. She’s wearing her glossy hair loose (having had it braided and extended for the cover shoot), and her skin has the kind of make-up-free glow that can only be put down to great genes (and – maybe – lots of herbal tea). Warm and friendly to a fault, we instantly bond over local foodie spots and cute homeware shops. It’s like chatting with an old, yet impossibly beautiful, friend.

But to business: we’re here to talk about her role in Ten Percent, the British remake of the French show Call My Agent! that took the world by storm over the pandemic. It’s been a global hit: Call My Agent!, or Dix Pour Cent as it’s called in France, won Best Comedy at the International Emmys and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Series at the Critics’ Choice Awards in 2021. It’s proved so popular that Bollywood and South Korean adaptations are also in the works.

Like Call My Agent!, Ten Percent is set in a talent agency – transplanted from Paris’s Rue Saint-Honoré to London’s Soho – and follows its team as they scramble to keep their A-list clients happy and the business afloat after the sudden death of their founder, all while navigating personal and relationship issues.

The British series was adapted for Amazon Prime by writer and director John Morton, who previously created beloved BBC comedies such as W1A and Twenty Twelve. In it, Fola plays Zoe, the agency’s receptionist and an aspiring actor, who has a pivotal role in the storyline.

Fola was in Vancouver, where she was filming the series Siren, when the email dropped into her inbox inviting her to audition.

‘I was over the moon when I got the part,’ says Fola. ‘It was so nice to be a part of something of which I was already a fan and already laughing at the script.’

Is she worried about negative comparisons critics might make between the original and the remake? ‘Comparisons are inevitable,’ she says matter of factly.

‘We’re not trying to take anything away from what they did. We’re just putting our own British spin on it.

‘John really infused that fundamental, middle-class Britishness into the characters and the writing,’ continues Fola. ‘The French and British are very different, and he captured our thing of being ultra-polite, awkward, not saying what we mean, not meaning what we say, and therefore getting into sticky situations. The energy is very different, even though the characters are the same.’

A large part of the charm of Call My Agent! is that the A-list celebrities looked after by the fictional agents play themselves. This means that Fola gets to star on screen alongside names like Helena Bonham Carter, Olivia Williams, David Harewood and Clémence Poesy. Did she ever get nervous, acting alongside such big stars? ‘I had a scene with David

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Coat, top and shorts, all Christian Dior. 18ct yellow gold, diamond and malachite Lucky Move ring, Messika Paris

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Dress, Louis Vuitton.

Trainers, JW Anderson @ Matchesfashion

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Top and dress, both Preen

by Thornton Bregazzi

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Oyelowo, and I didn’t have to act much as Zoe is starstruck and I was also totally starstruck. I could be my awkward self.’

And the similarities between her and her character didn’t end there. ‘I definitely related to her,’ says Fola. ‘That combination of having to be ambitious as an actor but also having crippling self-doubt. Of always thinking: “Was that shit? Am I rubbish?

What am I doing?”

‘You have to be a little bit delusional to think you can make it [as an actor], but you also have to stay grounded, and know that it’s a really hard profession to make a living in – most people don’t. You have to occupy those two spaces at all times, which I think is really difficult.’

Despite having family in the business (her uncle is actor Jimmy Akingbola), Fola never thought she’d end up acting. It wasn’t until

her early 20s, having turned down a place at university to study philosophy, that she finally caught the bug.

‘I was in a bit of a shit relationship, and I think my mum was trying to get me away from him,’ Fola laughs. ‘She said, “Find a hobby.” I found an acting class, and I loved it, and I did another one, and I loved that too.’ She auditioned for the National Youth Theatre (it takes people aged 14 to 25) and got in. The spark was lit.

Fola signed up to Identity School of Acting, the drama school set up by Femi Oguns in 2003 with the aim of getting a new, more diverse generation of talent onto our screens.

Its impressive roll call of alumni includes Letitia Wright, John Boyega and previous C&TH cover star Jessica Plummer.

Femi is now Fola’s agent, and she credits him with instilling her with the confidence to go for it.

‘He’s so passionate, he could literally convince a duck to act,’ she enthuses.

‘You spend five minutes with him and you’re like, “I can do it! I believe in myself!”’

Her dream role is ‘anything spy-related’. Inspired by books like Alex Rider, she wrote to MI5 when she was seven, asking for a job.

‘I was like, “you guys are missing a trick, no one would suspect Dress, Halpern Studio a child. Hire me,”’ Fola laughs.

‘My way of living out that dream is any kind of Lara Croft-type film.’ She studied karate as a child, and now does wing chun, a form of kung fu.

Her next project, which she’s about to return to Vancouver to film, sort of makes that dream come true. The Night Agent is a new Netflix political conspiracy thriller series based on the New York Times bestseller by Matthew Quirk, in which Fola plays a secret agent. ‘It’s going to be a very different energy to Zoe, as this character is not bubbly at all, she’s very serious,’ explains Fola.

We finish our drinks and Fola disappears into the gloaming, wrapped up in her duvet coat against the cold February air. For a minute I lose her in the late-afternoon crowds, but then I spot her, all raven hair and glowing skin as she heads towards home. A south-east Londoner ready to make her mark on the acting world.

Ten Percent arrives on Amazon Prime this spring. n

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Top, skirt and loafers, all Victoria Beckham TEAM Hair: Cher Savery using Living Proof Hair braiding: Yohana [+44 (0)747 2380 831] Make-up: Lan Nguyen-Grealis at Eighteen Management using Dior Capture Totale Super Potent Serum and Forever Foundation Digital cover: Tracer Ital @ Adrenalin Photographic Photographer’s assistants: Oscar Yoosefinejad and Kate Whelan Fashion assistant: April McCarthy Shot on location in the Montevetro building in Battersea, London STOCKISTS: PAGE 164

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ON LOCATION

Perched on the banks of the River Thames, the Montevetro Building became the oh-so-cool location for our cover shoot with Fola Evans-Akingbola

O

riginally owned and designed by the former president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, this apartment in Battersea’s Montevetro Building is a haven of contemporary cool that’s also available to buy today.

Set across three floors, the 2,950 square foot waterside penthouse has far-reaching city and river views with a open plan living area enclosed in glass, giving you the impression you’re floating on clouds.

With a glass walkway connecting the living area to the Pedini fitted kitchen and leading onto a west facing balcony, the underfloor heating and fully wired audio-visual system can transform the space into a colourful, light-filled entertaining area.

Its stairway leads up to an upper glass balcony on the top level overlooking the reception space, and doors lead out to a spacious rooftop terrace.

The lower level’s master bedroom with an impressive walk-in shower room and dressing area is fit for a king – or at the very least a city-dwelling princess. Along with its two other en-suite bedrooms, the apartment’s glassy interiors serve up cool, calm style just moments from Battersea Bridge.

Not only is the apartment suffused with modern London good-looks, but it also sits atop state-of-the -art leisure facilities, including a gym, steam rooms and tennis courts, and 24-hour security. Fusing sharp, spirited style with masterful design acumen, this is the pinnacle of city living.

Available with three parking spaces and one storage unit. £5.5m, jowebster.com; +44 (0)207 349 7055 n 108 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | March/April 2022

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The Bored Ape Yacht Club is a collection of 10,000 NFTs – unique digital collectibles that give membership to the club

Your friends have them; your favourite brands want you to buy them; your news feed is full of them, but do you need non-fungible tokens in your life? ROBERT JACKMAN guides you through the latest digital craze March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 111

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hen the elders at Collins English Dictionary made ‘NFT’ their word of 2021, they must have known they were on to something. Unlike other recent winners – which included the predictably ubiquitous ‘lockdown’ and, before that, ‘Brexit’ – here was a word that some of us had probably had cause to look up at some point in the year.

Maybe more than once.

So what exactly is an NFT? Standing for ‘non-fungible token’, it’s actually a reasonably simple concept – provided, that is, you have some familiarity with blockchain, the vast computerised networks which underpin, among other things, cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. But while bitcoin and its successors used blockchain to create digital bank vaults, NFTs use them as a digital registry: creating a verifiable and transparent link between an owner and a specific item.

Think of NFTs, then, as working like the land registry – except that, rather than being overseen by human administrators, records are kept in check by a network of computers. The problem with this definition, though, is that – while largely exhaustive – it does little to explain how NFTs have gone from nerdish obscurity to a $20bnstrong market straddling the worlds of art and luxury goods. And seemingly overnight too.

The high point in NFT mania came last summer, when a piece of digital art – or at least the digital ‘ownership’ of it – sold for $69m at Christie’s. The image – titled The First 5000 Days – was the creation of Michael Winkelmann, a 40-year-old graphic designer who works under the name Beeple. Winkelmann had been producing CGI creations since 2007, building up a cult following for his cartoonishly grotesque depictions of America’s political and cultural elites. Now he was in the same price bracket as Picasso.

What did the artist have to say about his work going for an eightfigure sum? His reaction on social media – a two-word tweet containing the word ‘holy’ and a certain expletive – suggests he was just as shocked as the rest of us. To the untrained eye (less of an impediment than elsewhere in the NFT market), Beeple’s work hardly screams high art – resembling, as it does, the kind of heavyhanded satire you might find on a student poster.

So why did it fetch such an astounding price? The truth is that The First 5000 Days had the good fortune to become the subject of an intense bidding war between three prominent cryptocurrency investors (or ‘whales’ as they’re known). That the

crypto market had just been on yet another serious bull run – with NFT-linked Ethereum quadrupling in value between January and May – had likely left enthusiasts feeling flush.

Giddy enough, evidently, to consider spending $69m on a JPEG. Arguably, though, that wasn’t even the most baffling purchase in the year of the NFT. In September, an NFT of a single grey pixel – the work of an online artist known only as Pac – fetched $1.36m at Sotheby’s. A work designed purely to troll NFT enthusiasts – by pointing out how anyone can ‘right-click and save’ any image they like – sold for more than $7m.

From time to time, the art world has sought to get in on the joke. In September, Damien Hirst unveiled The Currency, a deliberately underwhelming range of NFT-inspired dot paintings priced at $2,000 each. Buyers could choose to take either a physical print or an NFT. But there was a catch: whichever format they didn’t choose would be destroyed.

It isn’t just the art market that has got NFT fever. Ever since NFTs went mainstream, luxury goods brands have been busy coming up with their own digital offerings. Back in April 2021, watchmaker Jacob & Co reportedly sold a virtual

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3.0’: a futuristic vision of a ‘decentralised’ internet in which we interact not through corporate social media platforms but instead through self-policing digital collectives.

In this new internet, NFTs will serve as a digital keycard: providing proof that we are who we claim to be. Access to a certain digital space – for example, a virtual hang-out for art collectors – will be dependent on having the correct NFT. As users interact with that space, they may receive more NFTs, giving them a larger stake in the community.

The problem with this theory is that, in as much as NFTs are even creating communities, they are functioning less like digital kibbutzim and more like ultra-exclusive clubs that only amplify real world inequalities.

Look at CryptoPunks: a range of 10,000 similarlystyled digital avatars launched in 2017 to provide digital pin badges for in-the-know crypto enthusiasts. Five years on and these Minecraft-like doodles trade hands for millions of dollars. A similar collection of ‘Guess Who’ style JPEGs, the ironically-named Bored Ape Yacht Club, has recently become the latest status craze amongst Hollywood celebrities. Paris Hilton is one of the most recent converts: paying more than $300,000 for a digital image of an ape in shades and a leather cap to put on her social media profiles.

Will it all come crashing down? Quite possibly. Listen to the NFT critics (there are plenty) and you’ll find wellrehearsed criticisms that the industry is the preserve of charlatans and chancers. The evangelical posturing of recent buyers – including Hilton bestowing free NFTs on an entire studio audience – has done little to quell criticism that the whole thing is mindless hype. There’s one thing you can’t deny about the NFT crowd though: they’re not afraid to put their money where their mouths are. And then some. n CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The First 5000 Days by Beeple sold at Christie’s for $69m; Burberry partnered with Mythical Games to launch an NFT collection for the video game Blankos Block Party; Damien Hirst with some of the 10,000 pieces in The Currency, which can be bought as physical works or NFTs; the NFT issued by Bordeaux winemaker Château Angélus; part of the range of virtual ‘skins’ Balenciaga created for online gaming platform Fortnite; Jacob & Co’s virtual wristwatch

wristwatch for more than $100,000. Since then, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Moncler and Balençiaga have all begun dipping their toes into producing ‘luxury’ items to be worn in the ‘metaverse’ – a market that one investment bank predicts could be worth more than $10bn by the end of the decade.

As a rule of thumb, where exclusivity exists, NFTs aren’t far behind.

Renowned Bordeaux winemaker Château Angélus issued NFTs alongside the launch of its 2020 issue. The idea was that buyers would not only have proof of ownership of their barrel, but would also be able to resell the collectible digital artwork further down the line.

Are NFTs a good investment? Looking at online marketplaces like OpenSea, it certainly isn’t hard to find NFTs selling for impressive multiples of their last purchase price. But for all the comparisons to the crypto boom, the NFT marketplace is very different. While bitcoin has always allowed investors to buy as much or as little as they like, NFTs are like discreet luxury goods: you either buy one outright or you don’t. Just as you can’t invest £1,000 in a fraction of a Patek Philippe, it isn’t possible to purchase ‘shares’ in NFTs. If you want to sell your NFT, you need to find a buyer. Which means paying to list it on an auction site. Even on the busiest exchanges, it’s common for NFTs to spend months on end waiting for a single bid.

Meanwhile, the fact that anyone can make an NFT means that markets quickly become flooded with copycat projects. Artists are already raising the alarm about fakes.

To a dedicated tribe of true blockchain believers, though, all of this is a distraction. These would-be tech prophets insist that NFTs aren’t a tool for speculative finance, but instead part of a fundamental reimagining of the internet. NFTs, they say, will be one of the main building blocks for ‘web March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 113

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Galloping

PHOTOS: GREAT BRITISH RACING

AHEAD

Fifty years since women first competed alongside men on the racecourse, female jockeys are finally getting the big rides and the big wins. But what’s it really like to be a woman in racing in 2022? asks AMY WAKEHAM 116 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | March/April 2022

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PHOTOS: GREAT BRITISH RACING

or as long as I can remember, there’s been a humorous Snaffles print on my family’s sitting room wall. ‘A sight to take home and dream about,’ it says, depicting two point-to-pointers soaring over a thick birch fence.

‘But old Jorrocks would have had it –,’ the caption continues, under a smaller sketch of a triumphant female jockey pipping the others at the post, – “They were nasty, jealous, steeple-chasin’ little hussies.”’

The racing world has changed a lot since Charles ‘Snaffles’ Johnson Payne sketched out that playful piece in the 1950s. Today, horse racing is one of the few sports on the planet where women and men compete on a level playing field, with the chance to win the same prize money and garner the same accolades.

This year marks half a century since women have been allowed to ride professionally in the UK. But it’s only in very recent years that women have come to the forefront of the sport; wins by female jockeys in British racing increased by 76 per cent between 2015 and 2019, according to Great British Racing, and women now make up almost a quarter of all riders across flat and jump racing.

‘I’m very lucky that I’m on the crest of a wave because racing had already changed a lot before I even started riding,’ says jump jockey Page Fuller. ‘But I do appreciate that it’s only fairly recent, and before that there probably was some stigma attached to female riders. I’m just grateful that there were people before me who fought these battles, so that I can just go and do something I love as a living.’

Her attitude is shared by record-setting flat jockey Hollie Doyle, who came third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award 2020 and was also named Sunday Times sportswoman of the year. ‘It’s not a thing now,’ she says. ‘When you see a girl riding a race, it’s normal.’

However, she acknowledges that, like in almost all professions, women have to work harder to be recognised for their achievements. ‘I think you have to work hard anyway to be a jockey,’ she continues. ‘But I always thought I need to work harder to prove myself, that I can be good enough.’

‘You have to come in and show that you’re tough, and that you’re not just going to be walked over,’ agrees flat jockey Nicola Currie. But she also admits being a woman might have had its benefits, too.

‘I think it helped my career when I was getting going and starting to ride some winners. Although I was riding against boys who were just as good as me, because I was a woman I stood out more. I wasn’t just another lad coming up through the ranks,’ she says.

It’s undoubtedly been a momentous couple of years for women in racing. All the female jockeys I spoke to pointed to Rachael Blackmore winning the Grand National last year as a watershed moment for them in the sport. Meanwhile, at the Shergar Cup at Ascot last summer, the ladies’ team, captained by Hayley Turner OBE, held off stiff competition to lift the prize, with Nicola winning two out of the six races and gaining the Silver Saddle award. The team’s third member was French jockey and global racing superstar Mickaelle Michel. All this together means the profile of women in racing has never been higher, or more illustrious.

‘I wasn’t surprised because I think she’s just as good, if not better, than all the lads, but I just felt a sense of relief,’ Hollie says of Rachael’s record-breaking win. ‘Because there’s so much conversation about whether women are as good as men and all this, but then Rachael Blackmore’s just won the Grand National, so there’s your answer.’

But it’s not all been smooth sailing. Another event that has hung over the racing world in recent months is the bullying and harassment case brought by jump jockey Bryony Frost against fellow rider Robbie Dunne, which resulted in him being banned from riding for 18 months.

It has cast an unwelcome spotlight on the sport’s so-called ‘weighing room culture’, where jockeys traditionally get changed for their races together. The chair of the Frost-Dunne case’s independent panel, Brian Barker, expressed concern about a ‘deep-rooted, coercive’ culture that is ‘not conducive to the good health and development of modern-day race-riding’.

It’s an issue that has split the racing world, and while none of the women I speak to want to address the topic directly, all attest to a positive personal experience in the weighing room.

‘I’ve been treated with respect, and I’ve had an amazing experience in the weighing room,’ says Page. ‘In life in general everyone’s having to readjust how they treat each other. Whatever you do, there are always going to be some people who let the side down and it’s just working out how to constructively more forward so that everyone can have a good experience.’

FROM TOP LEFT: Hollie Doyle rides to victory on Glen Shiel; Khadijah Mellah wins the Magnolia Cup in 2019; Hollie Doyle

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Hollie also speaks openly about the beneficial experience she had in the mixed weighing room. ‘I grew up watching my idols, like Ryan Moore and people like that, riding alongside them, working alongside them, being with them in the weighing room. I grew up watching them and what they did and how they carried themselves. Without them, if I’d been completely segregated my whole career, I might have struggled,’ she explains.

Nicola acknowledges that it can be difficult, nonetheless. ‘There’s that stigma that women aren’t as strong or tough as men. So you have to prove that and prove yourself in the weighing room,’ she explains. But she’s optimistic that, for the new generation of female riders coming up, things will probably be better. For a start, in November 2021, British Horse Racing announced plans to improve and modernise weighing room facilities, to meet the needs of jockeys of all ages and genders.

‘It’s certainly getting a lot easier for girls coming in,’ Nicola notes. ‘And because there’s more of us, they’ve got the support of the likes of me, Hollie and Hayley [Turner] in the weighing room. We can help them get their stuff ready and tell them about the track. Whereas when we were starting out you just had to hope you knew one of the lads who you could go in and speak to.’

The weighing room culture and the FrostDunne case, with their slight whiff of Snaffles and his interloping ‘little hussies’, are just some of the challenges and changes that horse racing is currently facing. This traditionally close-knit community is slowly having to open itself up to many other new faces and backgrounds.

‘People struggle with change,’ notes Khadijah Mellah, the UK’s first (and only) Muslim jockey, who rose to fame when she won the charitable Magnolia Cup in 2019 at Goodwood Racecourse, after learning to ride at Ebony Horse Club in Brixton. Since then, she’s inspired the Riding

To find out more about women in racing visit greatbritishracing.com n

PHOTOS: GREAT BRITISH RACING

FROM ABOVE: Rachael Blackmore and Minella Times after winning the Grand National; Page Fuller; Nicola Currie; Nicola on Jumbly

A Dream Academy, launched by the Racing Foundation to support and train talented riders from under-represented communities.

‘I haven’t actually experienced anything negative apart from a few hate comments online, but those weren’t from the racing community,’ she says, when I ask about her experience in the industry so far. ‘Racing can be very accepting and welcoming. However, it’s obvious when I train that there’s a lack of diversity. I stick out like a sore thumb.’

Khadijah is currently completing her degree in Mechanical Engineering, but hopes to return to Charlie Fellowes, the trainer behind Haverland, the horse she rode to victory at the Magnolia Cup, once she graduates.

‘I have a long way to go in terms of my own ability,’ she acknowledges. ‘However, if I could help encourage people from different backgrounds to try out new sports, to try out horse racing, that is already a life goal achieved.’

As well as increasing the diversity of riders, she hopes that racing will open up to a wider audience in coming years. ‘I really hope I can sit in a box full of strangers that won’t all just be white people. And I hope that going to the races could potentially be a weekend activity, not just for people that live in the country, but also for people that live in cities.’

She continues: ‘It’ll be more wholesome, and add value to racing, and tap into talent that hasn’t been seen before. I think there’s a lot to be hopeful for.’

Fifty years since the first professional female jockey crossed the finish line – and even more since Snaffles published that humorous sketch – racing is starting an exciting new chapter, with women firmly front and centre.

‘There have been a lot of positive changes in racing recently and sometimes everyone needs to take a step back and just listen to each other,’ concludes Page. ‘Everyone’s just there for the love of the sport.’

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A DRAMA THAT CAN NEVER BE WRITTEN

BE PART OF THE DR A M A

14 - 18 JUNE 2022

Royal Ascot Early Booking Price ends midnight 31st March* Tickets from £32 | Fine Dining from £259 + VAT Book at ascot.com today

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ONDESIGN

PHOTO: © DAVE WATTS

INTERIORS FOCUS

Faded Glamour by the Sea, by Pearl Lowe (CICO Books, £25)

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Edited by Carole Annett

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ON DESIGN

Contents DESIGN NOTES What to buy this spring

128

THE FURNITURE MAKER Carole Annett meets Rupert Bevan

130

WALL COUTURE We’ve got you covered

132

PLAYGROUND MATERIAL Swag, swathe, ruffle, drape

134

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR Inside a VOC-free project

by Pandora Taylor

136

CHANGING THE GAME Meet the duo taking on diversity in design

138

KNOCK ON WOOD Luxury in the treetops

140

NEW DIRECTIONS Shaking up the Great British Pub

142

THE SIMPLE LIFE A Cornish farmhouse

144

SHAKE YOUR TAIL Peacock-inspired interiors

146

OBJECTS OF DESIRE British makers of the moment

148

GREEN FINGERS Outdoors with Randle Siddeley

134

128

144

E D I TO R ’ S L E T T E R

A

new season and a fresh mood is in the air. I have stopped fussing over un-ironed sheets and mismatched china. Perfection is passé. What matters now is considered spaces, surrounding ourselves with objects that spark a memory.

The interiors industry is embracing a similar ethos. Leading the charge are companies like Vigour and Skills (p146).

Husband-and-wife team Beatrice and Clement unearthed a wealth of local artisan talent after moving to the Cotswolds. In order to showcase their work, and more importantly, the personalities behind the craft, they launched an online site selling exquisite handmade objects. They realised just as the provenance of what we eat is so important, so too is the experience of knowing the person behind a mouth-blown piece of glass, embroidered cushion or hand carved bowl.

Talking of craft, master furniture maker and restorer, Rupert Bevan, is a craftsman who has stayed behind the scenes for most of his career, specialising in bespoke furniture and mirrored glass design. On page 128 he explains why now’s the time to launch his own collection.

And on page 134, Pandora Taylor explains how she fulfilled the brief of an American client to create a healthy home with no VOCs (the chemical crap that causes off-gassing). It’s an eye opener.

Plus, Sofia Tindall chats to designers Alexandria Dauley and Sophie Ashby on page 136 about United in Design, the organisation taking on diversity in the world of interiors. Many young designers have already benefitted.

And, finally, the design shows are back, with so much to see and do. I’ll be chatting to Isabella Worsley on Thursday 17 March at Petrified wood Design Centre Chelsea Harbour stool, £700. (visit dcch.co.uk for tickets). indigenous.co.uk I hope it puts a spring in your step.

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

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D E S I G N N O T E S

TREE FOR LIFE I’ve just discovered Grain, a flat-pack sustainable furniture company with a zero-waste ethos. Nested side tables, £185. grain.co.uk

What’s caught Carole

Annett’s eye this month MODERN THINKING Wycombe marble-top dining table, £1,830; Wardley dining chairs in dark oak, from £325 each. neptune.com

SHOWSTOPPER

STEPPING OUT Fashion designer Alice Temperley turns her attention to flooring with a capsule collection of runners. Fuchsia and spring green Scheherazade runners, £2,800. temperleylondon.com

ALL-DAY LOUNGE Named after Talitha Getty, Trove’s sofa was inspired by time spent relaxing with her friends on Marrakech rooftops. £5,400, thetrove.co.uk 124 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | March/April 2022

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PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; TOM FAULKNER BY ODA EIDE

Acton 7-light pendant, from £354; drum 13cm shade, £40.40 (sold separately). davidhuntlighting.co.uk

ON DESIGN NEWS

BETTER THAN EVER Linwood now weaves Omega velvet to include recycled polyester, as well as switching to a stain-resistant finish that doesn’t contain nasty chemicals for a kinder, happier, more luxurious velvet.

Linwood eco velvet, £57.90 p/m. linwoodfabric.com

BREAKFAST IN BED Arbala handpainted ochre and gold tray inspired

by Moroccan Zouak design – stocked at interiors and lifestyle expert Laura Jackson’s curated online marketplace, Glassette. £150, glassette.com

GOOD TIMES Pullman Editions designs limitededition posters capturing the enduring appeal of Art Deco. Over 100 designs featuring sport, glamorous resorts and historic cars. £420 each, pullman editions.com

METICULOUS CRAFT The Lily ottoman with an undulating leather motif is a joint venture between textile artist Aiveen Daly and metal maestro Tom Faulkner. £12,500, tomfaulkner.co.uk

SISTER ACT

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; TOM FAULKNER BY ODA EIDE

Putting their creative skills together, siblings Ellie and Hermione Gee are Hum London, makers of beautiful one-of-a-kind lampshades.

From £60, humlondon.com

NEW LEASE OF LIFE I discovered this 1950s haberdashery storage unit, £2,650, at vintage furniture shop Merchant & Found – Matilda Goad has one in her showroom. merchantandfound.com March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 125

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ON DESIGN NEWS

HIGH GLOSS Armouria chandelier by Laura Kirar. £4,090, arteriorshome.com

GETTING STARTED Rosy and Sharon, founders of Mila London, a new ceramics and linen company, offer fresh designs from South Africa and Europe. Comporta platter, £160. mila-london.com

FAIRY’S PERCH Hand-crafted from natural rattan, the Letty slipper chair sits as a dressing table, hall, or dining chair. £395, sharlandengland.com

SPRING IN THE AIR

Velux has joined up with Whinnie Williams and Kierra Campbell of Poodle & Blonde to launch a ‘Magic Hours’ wallpaper collection, designed to complement daylight from above using light-reflective texture and woodgrain print. £115 per roll, poodleand blonde.com

FROM BACK: Espalier Alpaca fabric (georgespencer.com); teardrop lamp (bella-figura.com); Matelassé Colorato fabric (rubelli.com)

PETAL POWER Industrial designer Marc Newson, renowned for his work with Louis Vuitton, Prada and Ferrari, turns his attention to taps with the Bibury collection for Drummonds.

Mixer, £4,356. drummonds-uk. com

DON’T MISS OUT London Design Week at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour brings the design and decoration community together. 13-18 March. dcch.co.uk

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

LIGHT IT UP

Elderflower and Gooseberry charity candle (a percentage of sales goes to support those living with mental health issues). £50, jomalone.co.uk

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CO M P E T I T I O N

FLORAL FANTASY Win a designer bedroom makeover courtesy of Yves Delorme

B

ring the outside in this spring with the renowned luxury French brand Yves Delorme and its beautifully botanic Flores range of bed linen.

Inspired by French gardens, go on a romantic walk and discover the linen’s diverse blooms and greenery such as magnolia flowers and peonies coming into bloom, joined by the green hues of willow shoots, set against a white background.

Made from 100 per cent organic cotton sateen, this 300-thread count bed linen collection features a paired-back geometric pattern in white and green on the reverse and is tied together with a contrasting green pipped edge. The finish has a lustrous sheen and feels silky smooth on your skin, ideal for a perfect night’s sleep. uk.yvesdelorme.com; monogrammedlinenshop.com

WIN One lucky Country & Town House reader will win a Flores bedroom makeover with Yves Delorme.

Enter for your chance to win one king-size duvet cover worth £369 and two standard pillowcases worth £79 each, with a total value of £527.

TO ENTER Visit countryandtown house.co.uk/ competitions and follow instructions. The competition closes on 30 April 2022, terms and conditions apply.

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T H E F U R N I T U R E M A K E R

‘W

e translate ideas into beautiful, functional pieces,’ explains Rupert Bevan, who established his eponymous workshop 20 years ago. Working closely with the upper echelons of the interior design and architecture worlds, his bread and butter is bespoke furniture, mirror and specialist finishes.

Whether it’s a brass-clad kitchen, a dressing room decorated in verre églomisé or a vast antiqued hallway mirror – vital pieces in a project’s jigsaw – Rupert and his team are on board from concept to final fitting.

While much of his work is for private houses, a keen eye can spot the Rupert Bevan nuance in the eye-catching Parrot Bar at Beaverbrook hotel in Surrey, for example, or any Soho House property where a chair, bed or cabinet is likely to have started life in his west London studio.

‘I’m like the sweetshop,’ he explains. ‘Designers and private clients come to me with an idea and my role is to translate it into a practical object. It’s still their baby, [but] I make it happen.’

His new collection contains furniture that clients can buy ready-to-use, made by master craftsmen in the company’s Shropshire workshops. Ten designs have evolved, slow-burn,

over years of collaborations, underpinned by his study of historic furniture and innate understanding of how people live.

Rupert explains: ‘I can sell these pieces without having to tweak, they are an amalgamation of everything I’ve learnt about materials and furniture construction.’ Objects fascinate him, from lead soldiers to glassware and ceramics.

‘I remember seeing a photo of designer Paul Smith’s desk covered in artefacts. I’m the same, a collector. I fill walls, tables and endless plinths. I was brought up in a house of books, objets, antiques and spent four years as an apprentice gilder and restorer staring at the minute detail of 17th-, 18th- and 19th-century gilding. Curiosity is a never-ending journey; I’ll never stop looking and learning.’ Rupert used to spend his spare time visiting auctions and junk shops but now tends to sift for treasure online. ‘Not as pleasurable but still fruitful; I could lie in bed for days spending money,’ he admits.

What matters to Rupert is honesty and sincerity. As he puts it: ‘There’s an integrity in connecting design and craftsmanship.

My primary objective is to have something genuine to offer.’ The Croft chair, for example, is an adaptation of a chair he designed years ago and then tweaked for Nick Jones of Soho House, a long-

PHOTOS BY ASTRID TEMPLIER AT RUPERT’S HOME IN SHROPSHIRE

Gilder, restorer and furniture maker, Rupert Bevan’s name is synonymous with excellence. Carole Annett discovers what makes him tick and why it was time to launch his own collection

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ON DESIGN INTERVIEW CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Rupert Bevan at home; Denver Dining Table and 1940s Dining Chairs; Miami Cocktail Cabinet; Harp Chairs, all from the RB Collection

PHOTOS BY ASTRID TEMPLIER AT RUPERT’S HOME IN SHROPSHIRE

standing client. ‘Nick is very particular about comfort and how long someone will sit. He’ll typically want a seat width, or arm length, changed 5mm to get it right.’

He met Nick through interior designer Susie Atkinson.

‘It was thanks to Susie we started working with Soho House – she was its head designer. We worked with her on furniture for Babington House, Somerset, and have joined forces many times since she’s had her own studio.’

One of the standout pieces in the new collection, the Miami cocktail cabinet, is typically Rupert Bevan – cleverly thought out, beautifully constructed, with a touch of moxie. Art deco-inspired, it has an antiqued mirror exterior and integrated fridge-freezer. The interior offers dark-stained, oiled and waxed walnut, and adjustable glass shelves to ensure making a drink is as enjoyable as imbibing it. ‘I’ve noticed their rise in popularity, yet old cabinets from the ’20s and ’50s are too small for modern drinkers. The Miami is like a wardrobe, very welcoming.’

The Marcel bench with geometric-shaped legs sits happily in any setting. ‘I love hard benches – this one is styled on a ’50s design by Marcel Coard, with raw-fumed timber.’ Fuming with ammonia causes tannins in the oak to darken. ‘Think of an old stable where the horse’s urine – ammonia – has darkened the wooden stalls,’ he explains. Rupert prefers surfaces as natural as possible – leather, brass, wood – easily maintained and restored, allowing furniture to achieve a timelessness and longevity.

The Denver dining table features a patinated, brasswrapped top with blackened steel base – unexpected, elegant and, like the whole collection, designed to sit comfortably with any style of interior, contemporary or traditional, city or country.

Rupert feels he has come full circle, having his own collection after years of designing for others. After stints in Fulham and Wandsworth he’s also back working in Notting Hill, near where he originally apprenticed, but now in his own studio. Another boomerang. ‘It’s funny to be back here,’ he smiles, ‘though where I am now used to be no-go. It’s changed a great deal over the years.’

You can wander in to his All Saints Road showroom and see the collection here as well as online, available to order and ready within eight to 12 weeks. While technically the new furniture is ‘off the shelf’, Rupert’s still happy to take a back seat with plaudits. ‘While the collection has my name on it, I’m genuinely pleased when a client talks about a piece of furniture as their idea, and I’m hardly mentioned. Then I know I’ve done my job.’ rupertbevan.com n March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 129

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ON DESIGN SHOPPING

Annie Sloan Songbirds decoupage papers in collaboration with The RHS. £11.95 per sheet, anniesloan.com

Osborne & Little Green Wall wallpaper. £152 per roll, osborneandlittle.com

Rubelli and Milanese acoustic specialist Slalom join forces to create sound-absorbing panels made from 75 per cent recycled lightweight foam. £POA, rubelli.com

WA L L CO U T U R E We’ve got you covered

Morris & Co Woodland Weeds wallpaper, £119 per roll; Willow Boughs (lampshade), £109 per roll. morrisandco. sandersondesign group.com

Palms wallpaper in Leaf by Jo de Pear. £145 per roll, dadoatelier.com

Cécile Figuette captures the essence of Diptyque’s archives, transforming designs into wall decoration. Boscage and Basile (below dado) wallpapers, £435 and £530. diptyqueparis.com

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Deco Martini Arsenic wallpaper by Divine Savages. £140 per roll, divinesavages.com

House of Hackney Bryher Rose Trellis Cinnaber wallpaper, an homage to decorator Madeleine Castaing. £125-£185 per roll, houseofhackney.com

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Some furniture is made for the here and now.

Some is built to stand the test of time.

At Neptune, we believe that the best can do both.

Good design never grows old.

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ON DESIGN SHOPPING

Nina Campbell Arber fabric, £95 p/m. osborneandlittle.com

GP & J Baker Ashmore collection, from £95 p/m. gpjbaker.com

Chair upholstered in Calder, Bark, £120 p/m; cushion in Amberley, Cognac, £110 p/m, by Martin Hulbert Design. zinctextile.com

P L AYG RO U N D M AT E R I A L Swag, swathe, ruffle, cover, drape… toy with this season’s beautiful fabrics

Rosie Uniacke Pink Squirrel sheer linen, a design by inspired by William Morris, £165 p/m. roseuniacke.com

Soane Britain Woven Symi fabric in aramanth, £280 p/m. soane.com

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Colony Kailash silk jacquard, £880 p/m. colonyuk.com

Watermelon linen from Porcupine Rocks’ Tabula Rasa collection, £180 p/m. porcupinerocks.com

Vanderhurd Boe Woven fabric in graphite and gold, £230 p/m. vanderhurd.com

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Some furniture is made for the here and now. Some is built to stand the test of time.

At Neptune, we believe that the best can do both.

Good design never grows old.

neptune.com

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H O W H E A LT H Y IS YOUR HOME?

Carole Annett takes a tour of interior designer Pandora Taylor’s new VOC-free project

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andora Taylor’s VOC-free renovation of an Arts & Crafts London property for an American client is a breath of fresh air – both for humans and for the planet.

Firstly, what are VOCs? The majority

of materials common in homes contain chemicals called Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs, which are broken down through normal use and released into the air. This is known as ‘off-gassing’ – like that ‘new paint’ smell when you enter a recently decorated room. To create a healthy home, I focused on sourcing materials such as plasterboard, underlay, timber flooring and furniture with zero per cent VOCs to ensure the cleanest possible air quality.

timber flooring was hard, mainly because the information around VOCs provided by suppliers is still very unclear. Furniture was easier to navigate as all the upholstery was made using traditional methods. We were careful to choose natural fabrics.

Pure wool, for example is naturally fire retardant and does not require any chemical treatment. If in doubt, stick to 100 per cent natural materials and you are likely to get it right.

A few years before we met, when they lived in LA, my client began to suffer shortness of breath and headaches after spending long periods in certain rooms of their house, as well as skin irritation after interacting with plastic fibres. After a survey, they were shocked to find certain rooms contained very high levels of VOCs. Hence, they wanted their new London base to be as chemicalfree as possible.

the brands I had used for years, like Farrow & Ball and Edward Bulmer, contain some of the lowest amounts of VOC compared with other paints on the market. However, if you want to ensure you’re 100 per cent VOC-free, always get confirmation from the supplier. Some brands labelled as ‘healthy’ still contain traces.

Is buying VOC-free a bit like choosing food – just look at the label? It’s now easier than

To avoid VOCs, you would usually go for solid natural wood, but my client requested underfloor heating, which causes timber to warp. Finding VOC-free engineered

a few years ago to find naturally based paint.

One of the biggest surprises was that some of

Were your design ideas compromised by the brief? The trickiest area was flooring.

Do you think we will see more VOC-free homes in the future? There’s really no

reason not to. I think joinery is trickiest as furniture needs to be made of solid wood, hence it’s more expensive than veneered MDF. Solid wood is also less stable with the impact of central heating, but the result is beautiful. For anyone starting to think seriously about how to reduce off-gassing in their home, there are some easy wins like paint, engineered timber floors and choosing natural fibres for upholstery. pandorataylor.co.uk

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Did the client request a VOC-free house?

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ON DESIGN SUSTAINABILITY

FLOOR PLANS Roger Oates wool rugs and stair runners are made from 100 per cent wool, which can reduce environmental dust by trapping airborne particles until vacuumed away.

From £149 p/m. rogeroates.com

BOTTLE IT Made in the UK, Habbio uses material made from recycled bottles instead of foam – apparently there’s more formaldehyde in a tomato than in Habbio furniture. Sofas from £1,099. habbio.co.uk

DREAM SLEEP Brooke + Wilde’s Perla mattress includes 14 layers of natural materials including silk, cashmere, blended alpaca, bamboo and lambswool.

Double mattress, £3,399. brook andwilde.com

PIGS IN BLANKETS Piglet’s duvets and pillows feature breathable and absorbent materials such merino wool to help regulate the body’s temperature.

From £59. pigletinbed.com

CLEAN LIVING

Create your own VOC-free home

THE LIMEY The slightly tumbled finish roughens the edges and ages these tiles, giving them the appearance of Cotswold stone.

Tumbled Buscot limestone, from £71 p/m 2. artisansofdevizes.com

PURE PAINTS Rose Uniacke chose Norfolk-based Graphenstone to develop a range of natural and chemicalfree paints. From £30 p/l. roseuniacke. com; graphenstoneecopaints.store

WOOLLY TALES Natural, pure wool fabrics from £91 p/m; throws from £150. smithandnoor.com

HEAD SPACE

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Pandora Taylor’s Kyma headboard for Ensemblier has chemical-free padding and an FSC plywood frame with jute webbing.

From £1,195. ensemblierlondon.com

VEGETABLE BED Savoir Beds’ first Vegan Society-approved bed, the Reformer Nº4v, is entirely handmade from plant-based materials. Super King, £25,210. savoirbeds.com

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CHANGING THE GAME

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Winners of the 2021 United in Design graduate apprenticeships, who gained placements with design companies: Christine Omorre; Isaac Nwaku; Derya Gul; Mercy Sossion; Roshu Shrestha

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hat were you doing on 25 May 2020? Chances are you were immersed in a lockdown whirligig of banana bread, home workouts and Zooms. Yet it’s also the date when, across the Atlantic in Minnesota, George Floyd was killed in police custody, an event indelibly marked on national consciousness that went on to powerfully

ignite the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

Individuals and businesses joined together around the world, rallying in support, not just against racism, but also in a pledge for greater diversity, equality, inclusion and better representation.

It was a stark wake-up call for many industries in which under-representation had crept through unchecked. For Sophie Ashby and Alexandria Dauley, this meant taking action on the lack of diversity in interior design. ‘It was clear something needed to change,’ recalls Alexandria. ‘I didn’t know Sophie before, but we were put in touch and hit it off immediately.’

The duo set about creating United in Design (UiD), a graduate apprenticeship programme that connects graduates from BIPOC and economically disadvantaged backgrounds with designers; their one-year paid placements aim to ‘level the playing field’. And the numbers speak for themselves: in just over a year UiD has amassed over 120 graduates and 160 brands. So how does it work in practice?

After being successfully shortlisted,

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; GERARDO JACONELLI; YORLI MENDOZA; AUDE LERIN

Alexandria Dauley and Sophie Ashby are the duo taking on diversity in the world of design, says Sofia Tindall

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ON DESIGN DIVERSITY 3

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CHARMAINE WHITE

UiD graduate Mercy Sossion’s placement began with Turner Pocock, where she learned about healing spaces. She progressed to Julian Chichester and Sophie Ashby before landing at Sohobased studio, Hubert Zandberg.

Having always been drawn to design but not considered it as a possible career, Mercy says creating opportunity is essential for change. ‘A good way to approach it is to actively seek out young and emerging talent through a lens of diversity,’ she explains. Creatives with a multitude of backgrounds, she points out, offer a huge contribution to interiors and design. ‘Recruiting from a bigger pool can only serve to enrich the culture and future of the industry.’

Mercy has set her sights on creating spaces that boost wellness: ‘My hope is to work with a plethora of talented creatives to realise designs that improve people and communities for the better.’

It’s rewarding to see individuals within the design industry and businesses taking meaningful steps towards making interior design a more diverse space. But one thing is clear, we cannot rest on our laurels. #BlackLivesMatter shone a light on the problematic smokescreen of ‘slacktivism’ (token representation and virtue signalling being hindrances to meaningful action). If we want to see sustained change, Alexandria emphasises, businesses and individuals must step up their game.

‘Sadly, barriers start at a young age,’ she points out. Lack of funding, prohibitively expensive design schools and an absence of Black and POC role models in the industry are just some of the roadblocks. It adds up to a bleak picture, but one which can be transformed through the collective action of designers and companies (including publishers) in the industry.

‘The landscape is extremely lacking, but I truly believe our seven pledges (including apprenticeships, mentoring, work experience and schools outreach) are the answer to creating a more diverse industry,’ says Alexandria. ‘We just need more companies to sign up.’

The call to action is clear: don’t just watch this space, there’s never been a more important time to get involved.

For more information, and if you’re an individual or design business that wants to get involved, visit unitedindesign.com

The White House Interiors specialises in timeless, elegant residential spaces with Charmaine White’s exquisite deference to detail. thewhitehouseinteriors.com

2 CHRISSA AMUAH

Art lovers, meet your new obsession: Amwa Designs is an inspired collection of wallpaper, furniture and art by textile maestro Chrissa Amuah. amwadesigns.com

5 MAC COLLINS

3 FIDO FAWO

Fido Fawo launched Fibi interiors in 2017. Dynamic and bold, its signature style is drawn from by Fawo’s Congolese roots. fibiinteriors.com

4

5

TOLA ADEFIOYE

When he’s not reviving furniture, you’ll find Tola Adefioye curating an exquisite collection of mid-century pieces for his shoppable platform: Old, Old Woods. oowfurniture.co.uk

Mac Collins’ award-winning furniture is part sculpture and part contemporary masterpiece, pushing the boundaries of design. Catch his exhibitions across London at spots like the Design Museum. maccollins.com

6 ISATU FUNNA

Global travels and an artisan-driven ethos inspire the designs of Dar Leone, an Islington homewares brand from designer Isatu Funna. dar-leone.com

TA K E T E N

6

Design names to know in 2022 7

JAMESON 7 SASHA

PABOY 8 INBYCASA

Looking for a West London interior designer?

SJ Interiors, headed up

by Sasha Jameson and boasting a just-launched bespoke range, is your go-to. sj-interiors.com

Lockdown design sensation Paboy Bojang’s cushions and table mats have become cult collector’s items. incasabypaboy.com

MUCHIRI 9 SHIRO

Housed in a lofty galleryspace-meets-consultancy in Wesminster, SoShiro is the brainchild of Shiro Muchiri. Pop in for a showstopping line-up of collections. soshiro.co

ZUBAIR 10 REESHA

9

From a studio in Bristol, small-batch pottery sensation Reesha Zubair is making waves. reeshazubair ceramics.co.uk

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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: The sun deck features a heavenly outdoor shower; the tree-hugging cabin is built around mature living trees; a skylight keeps the bedroom bright

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ON DESIGN CASE STUDY

I N T O T H E W O O D S Exploring a treehouse for the young at heart in Dorset, as seen in Extraordinary Escapes by Gemma Bowes

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; © SANDY STEELE-PERKINS

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limbing a spiral staircase to soak and steam in the rooftop sauna and hot tub, relaxing in the outdoor ‘tree shower’ and zipping down a slide for grown-ups are just some of the playful elements at this fabulous, secluded treehouse for two, built by a master craftsman and his team.

Set in its own private corner of a woodland in west Dorset is the luxurious Woodsman’s Treehouse, a superbly crafted treetop chalet built around a 200-year-old oak tree. This is a treehouse of dreams, where a pier-style boardwalk and rope bridge lead to a magnificent, raised cube clad in log pieces, and two wooden decks. Here guests soon adapt to the immutable rhythms of the forest.

On the lower deck there’s everything you could possibly need to spend most of a stay outdoors: an open air ‘tree shower’ hammers out hot water under the branches, there’s a hammock to slumber in, a barbecue and a wood-fired pizza oven. Moving up a wooden spiral staircase, guests can enjoy a rooftop sauna and hot tub, taking a soak among the birds and beasts that share this arboreal sanctuary. Inside the treehouse, a circular living space has a fancy rotating

wood-burner, a kitchen, king-size bed, and roll-top copper bath.

This winning combination of pampering with a side portion of zaniness is typical of the building’s creators, Guy Mallinson, an expert carpenter and woodsman with many decades of experience and a penchant for childish fun, and his partner in design, architect Keith Brownlie of BEaM. Even though the Woodsman’s Treehouse is for adults only they added a slide for whizzing down to the forest floor – to please his guests’ inner child, says Guy. Two other new treehouses at Mallinson’s Woodland Retreat, which also features tipis and yurts, have a cargo net to slouch on and a swing, as well as the inimitable superb finish that demonstrates Guy’s woodworking proficiency. It’s not just fripperies and fun, the treehouses were carefully and sustainably constructed so as not to disturb the trees and ecosystems around them. The project won a Riba South West Award that even the squirrels and blue tits must applaud.

Extraordinary Escapes by Gemma Bowes (Quadrille, £20); The Woodsman’s Treehouse, Mallinson’s Woodland Retreat, Holditch, Dorset. mallinson.co.uk n March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 139

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ON DESIGN COMMENT

NEW DIRECTIONS Isabella Worsley on the design renaissance of the Great British Pub

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FROM TOP: The Pheasant Inn; The Surprise

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y design philosophy is driven by buildings themselves – I’m inspired by the classical backbone of architecture, so a pub is a wonderful subject matter. From a design perspective, the most important starting point is considering heritage: British pubs are so historically established, and have played a really important role as the centre of communities.

For example, The Surprise in Chelsea has a great naval history – it was named after HMS Surprise, a famous ship used by the British to surprise attack the French. When Jack Greenall brought me on board to re-imagine its interior, I wanted to weave in subtle references to its naval roots and its location near the Thames. By contrast, with The Pheasant Inn at Lambourn (which I added three rooms to last year, building on a 2016 redesign by Flora Soames), we wanted to pull on the heartstrings of the British country pub and its role within the countryside. We used lots of deep, rich hues, rusty reds and an autumnal palette which invited that pastoral sensibility.

Translating these design principles into a home works really well. A key thing is to utilise local craftsmen and artisans wherever possible.

Designers need to be thinking about the environment more than ever before, so it’s important to be mindful when you’re sourcing suppliers. Locally crafted, second-hand or refurbished pieces bring enduring quirk, charm and personality to a space.

The last couple of years has brought about a wonderful renewed appreciation for The Great British Pub. The importance of a space for communities to gather has revived interest post-Covid, it’s very exciting and inspiring for designers to create spaces to really be enjoyed. As for my favourite pub? I think it has to be The Gunton Arms in Norfolk, designed by Robert Kime. He’s done a wonderful job of giving a sense of heritage through his design, which is strikingly counterbalanced by contemporary artworks from Ivor Braka’s collection.

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Door handles are the handshake of the building; make sure it’s a good one.

+44 (0)20 8680 2602 | www.josephgiles.com

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A N E W T R A D I T I O N

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nown for her beautiful and playful approach to interiors, designer Isabelle Lomas has brought her interior modus operandi to Fentafriddle farmhouse, on Cornwall’s blustery north coast. Previously, Isabelle worked with a number of designers, including Martin Brudnizki, Soho House Group and Conran + Partners, before starting her eponymous studio in 2020. ‘For me, it was being able to have autonomy over design and producing work that was put out under my own name. It is so rewarding to go through all aspects of the design process and develop pieces so that you can then see the interest and traction it receives from others in the design world,’ reflects Isabelle. ‘It really pushes me to stay true to my gut instincts in what I know is going to work and to take those risks.’

The farmhouse project was completed in 2021 as both a second family home to a family of five and a guest retreat, with spectacular sea views. Despite being a traditional coastal home, the clients were inspired to add elements of surprise.

‘The main brief was to modernise and update the old farmhouse by creating a house that wasn’t too colourful or trendy,’ recalls Isabelle. ‘Comfortable and with a nod to traditional styles, but with modern and geometric fabrics.’

Isabelle also drew upon her experience in hospitality with Soho House, as the clients also wanted to rent it out as a holiday home. She elaborates: ‘Knowing how and where to apply certain fabrics and colours that will conceal spills and wear and tear is really useful for ensuring the house doesn’t feel or look tired after a few years of use.’

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Isabelle Lomas has given a modern twist to a historic cliff-top Cornish farmhouse that doubles as a family home and retreat, discovers Tallulah Rushaya

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ON DESIGN CASE STUDY

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A palette of deep rusts, greens, and reds organically emerged, Isabelle explains, after observing the changing seasons in Cornwall. Meticulous colour selections, from paint to cushion trims, run throughout the home, a skill Isabelle honed while working at Martin Brudnizki.

‘I used Drop Cloth by Farrow & Ball in the hallway, which is a lovely chalky shade and works so well in areas with less natural light,’ explains Isabelle. ‘I continued this colour to the playroom where I had placed a bold deep green bespoke L-shape sofa. Drop Cloth has some green in the undertones and it really shone through in this area.’

Inspired by designers such as Rita Konig and Nicola Harding, Isabelle was further influenced by the client’s large art collection, of which ‘some was inherited, and others were sourced from antique markets or bought online.’ With a keen eye and respect for sustainability, Isabelle added to this collection with antique or handmade finds from Kempton Market and blue leather B&B Italia chairs from Pamono. The master bed, which Isabelle calls ‘one of our hero pieces’, was made by firm favourite Ensemblier.

Balancing the old with the new was important for the farmhouse. Isabelle was sympathetic to its origins, retaining features like the existing floorboards where possible. She also reused the slate on the roof and exterior steps, repurposing it as bathroom shelves.

Bespoke furniture allowed for the inclusion of playful individual elements, such as scalloped details and Isabelle’s personal favourite, the bespoke cabinet for the American fridge freezer unit, which delighted the clients after some initial indecision. Bobbin side tables designed by Alfred Newall added a flair next to the floral headboard in the guest bedroom, where ‘the scheme was more romantic and softer than the rest of the rooms in the house.’

As this characterful family home begins its second life with an all-new look, Isabelle summarises it perfectly as, ‘unexpected, understated luxury, considered.’ isabellelomas.com n March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 143

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ON DESIGN TREND

CASADECO Plumae wallpaper. £182.80 per roll, janeclayton.co.uk LIBERTY LONDON Hera fringed velvet cushion. £135, libertylondon.com

EMMA J SHIPLEY Amazon Langley chair with seat cushion. From £495, emmajshipley.com

ANTHROPOLOGIE Ocean crater door knob. £10, anthropologie.com

HOUSE OF BRUAR Artland peacock gin glass. £16.95, houseofbruar.com

WEAVER GREEN Navy herringbone blanket. £50, weavergreen.com

SHAKE YOUR TAIL Don’t be a retiring wallflower, it’s time to ruffle a few feathers. Peacock blues, intricate Art Deco detail and frothy, tactile fronds perfectly set the scene for solo fireside evenings and cocktail soirées alike. By Sofia Tindall

REBECCA UDALL Matt swirl candle. £36 for six, rebecca udall.com

WEDGWOOD Renaissance Red plate. £30, wedgwood.com

A MODERN GRAND TOUR Mini classic gold table lamp. £1,900, amara.com

BEAUMONT & FLETCHER Malika footstool. £POA, beaumontandfletcher.com

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VINTERIOR Original 1930s French Art Deco sideboard. £1,492, vinterior.co

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W W W.TA N I A J O H N S O N D E S I G N .C O M

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Vases by Bristol-based artisan potter Reesha Zubair, one of Vigour and Skills’ makers

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O B J E C T S O F D E S I R E

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ON DESIGN BRITISH CRAFT

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hen Clement and Beatrice swapped city life for the Cotswolds, their aim was to establish a rural idyll rather than any ideas of fresh enterprise. Beatrice was pregnant, their second child imminent, while Clement planned to commute to London to carry on his career in backstage fashion photography. As for many others, lockdown caused derailment but also an opportunity for re-routing. With time to explore the local area around Burford, like enthusiastic metal-detectorists, they ventured out, unearthing little gems of creative talent in villages and farmhouses: weavers, ceramicists, carpenters, jewellers and glassspecialists producing exquisite clothes, artworks and decorative objects.

‘It was enchanting,’ says Clement, ’I wanted to know about these artists working in sheds, stables and spare rooms, to document and share their stories.’

Early in his career while at Louis Vuitton, Clement met leatherworkers and artisans behind the luxury brand.

It was one of the highlights of his role. ‘I loved telling clients how pieces were put together, the materials and skills involved. I realised they loved it too. Telling a story was integral to a purchase.

Understanding the love and care that goes into a product makes you appreciate and value it more’.

Like shak ing a kaleidoscope and watching tiny fragments fall into order, Beatrice and Clement realised their shared experiences, passions and expertise had the potential to become something special.

Soon after their second child was born, so too another baby: Vigour and Skills, an online store connecting customers to the best of British craft.

FROM ABOVE: Plum bowl, £40; founders Beatrice and Clement; Vigour and Skills makers (from left) Reesha Zubair; Glynn Allcock; Emsie Sharp

Business is thriving, Vigour and Skills now showcases a nationwide community of experts. With storytelling and traceability at the heart of the brand, the website shows each maker in their workplace with behindthe-scenes interviews directed

by Clement.

‘We had a vision of everyone coming together,’ says Beatrice, ‘we’re the umbrella, empowering customers to make informed choices, cutting out the supply chain labyrinth. It’s so relevant with the issues of farming, circular fashion and sustainability. We want to be accessible and transparent, offering product with an enduring quality.’ The duo also share business acumen where necessary. Beatrice has experience of fashion marketing with brands such as Chinese designer Huishan Zhang when he was a start-up.

She explains: ‘I know the difficulties young designers face trying to keep hold of their creativity in ferocious industries. We’re here to nurture and help.’

As well as the array of handmade products, the website offers sonnets, recipes and news, including details of a collaboration with Amber Foundation, a charity supporting disadvantaged young people to transform lives by helping them move out of homelessness and unemployment. Beatrice and Clement have big ideas and big hearts – with surely more to come.

Beatrice, Clement and Vigour and Skills makers are at London Craft Week, 9-15 May, londoncraftweek.com n March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 147

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LOOK

A H E A D

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ur gradual return to ‘normal’ feels all the better for coinciding with the arrival of spring, which can’t fail to reawaken optimism about the summer ahead. At a time when we’re tentatively starting to celebrate our freedom from the pandemic’s restrictions, I’m planning a garden to delight my senses on every level, thinking about taste, sound and smell, as much as about what it’s going to look like.

So I’m hoping for a fragrant garden full of trees whispering in the breeze and abundant in delicious vegetables.

Start with at least one stunning tree.

Regular readers will know I like gardens to perform all year round and judge them by what they look like in the winter. A good all-season tree is the Betula utilis ‘Nepalese Orange’, a Himalayan birch with a vivid orange and cream peeling bark. It has pretty yellow catkins in spring and bright autumn leaves, providing visual drama throughout the year, especially if planted against a backdrop of dark, forest green.

The river birch or Betula nigra has pinkish

brown papery bark that exfoliates to reveal a creamy white trunk and won’t fail to delight in every season, starting with its spring catkins that become vibrant, lime green leaves, darkening as summer progresses and mellowing to butter yellow in autumn.

I use Deepdale Trees, which stocks superb specimens ready planted in containers so you can buy all year round (deepdaletrees.co.uk). The birches start between four and six metres in height and grow up to 20 metres so it’s critical you pick a generous spot in your garden. But these trees are worth it – I count them amongst my closest friends, so if you have a big garden, I’d advise planting three.

For gorgeous flowering shrubs that deliver bright autumn berries, you can’t go wrong with Viburnum betulifolium, with spectacular yellow leaves and clusters of scarlet berries, fat as redcurrants. These will grow up to three metres. At half the height is the Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snow Queen’ and for ground cover go for quercifolia ‘Munchkin’ that grows up to about 80 cms and has a large oak-type leaf and exquisite

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; JONATHAN BUCKLEY

Plant now for a summer garden to delight all the senses, says Randle Siddeley

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ON DESIGN GARDENING

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jasmine provides a decorative and sweet-smelling facade; an arrangement of Sarah Raven’s New Giants sweet peas; Suttons mushroom kit; garden inspiration; juicy plum tomatoes; the pinkish brown bark of a river birch

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; JONATHAN BUCKLEY

white-pink flowers. It’s perfect for patio containers, too.

Turning to taste, March is the time to get your hands into the earth of your allotment or garden and start digging in your vegetables. Order online from Suttons, a formidable and renowned grower of seeds (suttons.co.uk). For a visual and literal vegetable feast I’m going for both colour and taste and growing purple sprouting broccoli, vitamin-rich kale, Romanesco pointy cauliflowers, dwarf French beans, mangetouts, fleshy golden Burpees beetroots, Purple Haze carrots and the striped Italian Courcourzelle courgettes with their sweet nutty flavour and flowers that can be used in a multiple of delicious ways. I avoid fat and gold onions, preferring the smaller, red Kamal variety for its sweet, intense flavour. I use a chopped layer of them in the pan under a chicken as they make gratifyingly good gravy. For salads I’m growing Japanese knobbly Zipangu cucumbers, butterhead lettuce or lollo rosso with its crispy, purple leaf. I’ll plant plum or cherry tomatoes and avoid big tasteless ones. Finally, I’ll be firing up my taste buds with multi-coloured sweet peppers and some fearsome Habanero chillies. If you only have a window box, Suttons sells mushroom kits from just £14.99, great fun for children who can pick their own fast-growing oyster, shiitake or chestnut mushrooms straight from the windowsill.

I love red, pink and white roses and buy from Harkness, a reliable supplier with excellent, service (roses. co.uk). My three favourites are Darcey Bussell for a proper, deep crimson rose, Fantin-Latour for a cupped shell pink rose that then relaxes into full-petalled splendour and Rosa Boule de Neige, for creamy clusters of silky, camellia-like flowers.

There is nothing more lovely than a warm summer evening, redolent with the scent of jasmine and roses and no English summer is complete without vases tumbling with sweet peas wafting clouds of garden fragrance into the house. Sarah Raven is the undisputed queen of sweet peas and she’ll dispatch them ready to put into the ground from March, so start ordering now (sarahraven. com). Her sweet peas are strong, highly scented and supersized, all pre-trialled in her garden. I love her lusciously coloured, long-stemmed New Giants collection that tower over others in a vase, and the Full on Fragrance and Clouds of Scent Collections. For the strongest smelling sweet pea, try the purple and magenta Matucana, which she rates as ten out of ten for unrivalled, intense scent.

You can also buy specially formulated sweet pea fertilizer and decorative obelisks or maypoles in wood or metal.

As we ease out of our winter of discontent, it’s delightful to be planting a garden that will soon burst into scented glory, yielding up a colourful, mouthwatering variety of vegetables and flowers. randlesiddeley.co.uk n March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 149

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HOTELS&

TR AVEL Caribbean QUEEN

From private paradises to buzzing beach bars, get set for your next island hit

Moskito Island is Richard Branson’s latest venture

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FAR FROM THE MADDING FLIES Rosalyn Wikeley joins the billionaire’s club at Richard Branson’s latest paradise island escape

F

irst there was Necker, now there is Moskito. At the end of last year, Richard Branson, the challenge-driven, spaceloving business titan, opened his second private-island escape, set to be the hottest travel and property ticket in the British Virgin Islands.

Ten private estates fold stylishly into 125 acres of dramatic topography, all framed by a tangle of palms, banana trees and wildflowers, saved

by Branson from the ravages of reported highrise hotel plans. It’s a far cry from the gatedand-groomed Palm Beach-style villas carpeting too many Caribbean islands; the landscaping is gentler here, the architecture more restrained.

That’s not to say it’s devoid of wow-factor, to which the smooth infinity pool wrapping the edge of The Point Estate’s steep hillside like a cake ribbon would attest. But it’s kinder on its surroundings, on the eye and generally operates in a league free of faux pillars and endless garages.

Take Branson’s own estate on the northeast tip of the island, whose design was neatly summarised by his son, Sam, as ‘Robinson Crusoe won the lottery’. The layout and design trace a casual, warm and family-oriented lifestyle – the same barefoot luxury Necker is known for where indoor and outdoor Balinese-inspired spaces blur into one. I am relishing a lazy morning in the Beach Villa guest house, one of 11 rooms spread

FROM TOP: Watersports on tap; The Oasis Estate; aerial view of The Point Estate

across the three main villas, all of which are connected by labyrinthine wooden walkways up in the tree canopy. Giant palm leaves shift in the hot breeze, lizards dart across steps and gardeners tame rebellious thickets of green below. As a testament to island priorities, televisions are either absent or cleverly tucked away, rising reluctantly from their built-in hiding spots in furniture for the odd sports match or news update. Less covertly, like daisies straining towards the sun, the lo-fi Mangrove Villa’s beds, soft loungers and pools all twist towards magnificent views of Virgin Gorda and Necker.

Robinson Crusoe lost his way a little up at Headland House where a pool table, bar and wrap-around infinity pool invite louche evenings in the cavernous Great Room. Here, up to 40 supper guests can debrief on the day’s tennis tournaments and watersporting adventures over photogenic sharing plates of tuna carpaccio, mahi mahi and shrimp. But it’s the rolling wave soundtrack, lapping the rocks below at night, breaking the glassy turquoise in the day, that spins this speck of private space into mirage zone – when the dapper beach

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Caribbean | HOTELS & TRAVEL saxophonist isn’t present to serenade the lunch club at The Cove below.

This is just one of three privately owned ‘estates’ on Moskito that have joined the rental programme; the other seven (some complete, some still in build stage) are a work in progress.

Our golf buggy zips across the island’s undulating landscape. Contemporary structures glint in the sun, then at night reimagined Balinese hilltop villages glow like lanterns in the distance. There’s no communal spa here – why bother when private estates cater perfectly to upmarket pummelling? Mine takes place in a glass cubic structure at The Oasis Estate: a sexier, more modern addition to the island’s softer counterparts, cast in the shape of a yacht with pared-back interiors and smooth minimalist architecture. A polished outdoor firepit and rum-drenched statement bar in the living space set a clear party agenda. It beats me that billionaires would want to recreate a communal bar in a private home, but three negronis in and I’m wondering if a more compact version could be carved into my London abode.

It’s Moskito’s hilly landscape that bestows each villa with its own expensive view over the Caribbean Sea and across to unspoilt neighbouring islands. And with its position on the island’s highest peak, Oasis wins in the sunset stakes. All nine bedrooms take full advantage of this with their own yacht-style balconies – the master suite’s being large enough to host a Gatsby party, with Richard’s dock light twinkling in the distance.

Manchioneel Beach – a small patch of perfect white sand carved out of the jungle – is a 10 -minute walk away. This is one of the island’s communal areas, in the sense that guests spending upwards of $17,500 a night for exclusive use of one of the estates can sip a piña colada next to wandering home-owners, or compete with some of the Necker Strive crowd (one of Richard’s many charity challenge initiatives) over a game of volleyball or slacklining. The shared areas (including a tennis FROM TOP: The Branson Estate with Headland House’s Great Room; Beach Villa; Mangrove Villa bedroom and Beach Villa living room

pavilion peering over the island’s two manicured courts, the watersports centre, the Peloton-plied gym and the Beach House) all heed John Donne’s ‘no man is an island entire of itself’, setting a convivial, social tone – a tropical, buttoned-down Davos, perhaps.

Historically, the sparse intersection of wealth and taste has worked as an excellent balm for envious onlookers, but here in The Point Estate (a scatter of subtly designed villas and suites that appear to weave into the jungly hillside) there’s limited material to run with. Traditional Indonesian-style thatched roofs contrast the smooth, sinuous contemporary interiors, while glass walls send the four-poster, the cream linen sofas and the Danish chairs into the rush of tropical green outside, and an electric fan swivels with 21st-century rigour, a perfect expression of old style with modern intent. The rooms are calm, uncluttered. A small motorboat setting off on its adventure beyond is framed by exotic green and purple flowers from the outdoor shower. Its afternoon return is observed from the library viewing deck, drawing a satisfying line of beer froth across the calm water. This grade of vertigo-inducing sweeping views are usually the preserve of helicopter passengers or local pilots. To casually observe them over a bowl of fresh Caribbean fruit or from an afternoon soak in the hot tub is both euphoric and simply ludicrous.

But perhaps these two ingredients simmer into reality for the billionaires populating this luscious island. And a few weeks of it can now be bought, for no small sum of course, but a drop in the Caribbean Sea for these private island players.

BOOK IT: From $17,500 per night during

low-season, based on a four-night minimum stay at The Point Estate for up to 16 guests.

Rates include a dedicated Estate Manager, private chef and a dedicated team of staff. As well as all meals, drinks, watersports, and a personalised itinerary from start to finish. +44 (0)800 716 919. moskitoisland.virgin.com March/April 2022 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 153

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BLISSFUL ST BARTHS

A perfect blend of French savoir-vivre and Caribbean charm, St Barths offers endless white-sand beaches, sophisticated restaurants, enticing shops and a number of seriously good hotels. Mary Lussiana introduces you to four of the best

1

EDEN ROCK

The red roofs at Eden Rock, so beautifully set off by the surrounding deep blue waters of St Jean Bay, are the first thing visitors to the island see as they sweep in low over the resort in small, sleek jets. It’s loveat-first-sight, which only blossoms on closer inspection of the hotel; the tagline ‘Life is Eden’ strikes an entirely possible note. Just 37 rooms cluster around the rock, all different, all colourful havens of sybaritic pleasure, from the six-bedroomed Villa Rockstar with its private pool to the cosy Rock Rooms that jut out over the sea. Amenities include Diptyque ‘ylang’ room spray, the hotel’s signature Red Rock nail varnish and Dr Barbara Sturm lip balm. Head to the new spa to iron out any worry lines that might remain - perhaps from the difficulty of choosing between Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s signature truffle and fontina cheese pizza and his crispy salmon sushi. But everything is delicious at Sand Bar, where the waves are your soundtrack. Just don’t miss a visit to the Rémy Bar for a ginger margarita first.

BOOK IT: Rooms from ¤900 B&B plus taxes. oetkercollection.com

A lesson in stylish simplicity, the clean-lined, contemporary Le Sereno sits on the edge of crystal clear waters in the beautiful Grand Cul de Sac bay. White clapboard exteriors open to breezy, white-on-white interiors where ceiling fans whir above four-poster beds and vast bathrooms, with handsome tubs set on wooden floors. The 39 newly renovated rooms spill out onto terraces with sea views, a spa offers body and facial treatments with Valmont products and there is a 24-hour gym.

The restaurant, Al Mare, offers al-fresco dining and the best of the Italian kitchen courtesy of chef Raffaele Lenzi. Weaving fresh local ingredients into traditional favourites, dishes to pick include lobster spaghetti and risotto with lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange, topped with caviar. Swim it all off in the Instagrammable pool that runs down towards the sea, framed by soaring palm trees.

BOOK IT: Suites from ¤850. serenohotels.com

PHOTOS: EMILY LABOUÉRIE; RUBEN ORTIZ; LAURENT BENOIT

2

LE SERENO

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Caribbean | HOTELS & TRAVEL

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VILLA MARIE

Exuding Caribbean charm, tropical chic Villa Marie is a colourful gem hidden away in the lush green interior on the west of the island. The 18 rooms and three villas come in turquoise, bougainvillea pink, canary yellow and sky blue with bespoke furniture crafted with mother of pearl and shells. The bedrooms, many with four-poster beds, spill out onto wooden terraces with sweeping views of the sea and a swinging wicker chair to enjoy it from. Dip into the spa for a locally inspired hot shell massage and take time to laze by the pool, where breakfast is served in the morning. The François Plantation restaurant blends French and Caribbean influences and ingredients; try the scallops with sea urchin butter and Colombo spice blend or black cod cooked in bamboo leaves with coconut milk. A recent addition is the buzzy Gyp Sea beach club where you can enjoy a tartare of local wahoo fish with your feet in the warm sand.

BOOK IT: Doubles from £400. en.saint-barth.villamarie.fr

4

CHEVAL BLANC ST-BARTH ISLE DE FRANCE

PHOTOS: EMILY LABOUÉRIE; RUBEN ORTIZ; LAURENT BENOIT

One of the largest hotels on St Barths, this outpost from the expanding Cheval Blanc group seriously impresses from its in-room amenities (think ‘ocean extract’ bespoke bath bombs in Tropical Chic scent from perfumer Guerlain) and impeccable housekeeping to its enticing cuisine and Guerlain Spa. There are shops for diehard fashionistas and luxury brand pop-ups. Situated on Flamands, what is considered by many to be the best beach on the island, luxurious rooms and suites with interiors by Jacques Grange overlook the sea or are dotted around the garden. The group’s trademark ‘alchemists’ design experiences and activities to dust your days with magic, but really what could be better than early morning walks on the empty beach, lazing by the pool, lunches of mahi-mahi hot dogs, afternoons of rejuvenating facial sculpture in the spa and dinners of yellow-fin tuna with a glass of perfectly chilled Chablis?

BOOK IT: Doubles from £625. chevalblanc.com

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Caribbean

TROPICAL TREATS

ABOVE & BELOW: The ultimate escape at under-the-radar Pine Cay

Emma Love switches off on Pine Cay and Jessica Harris hits the spa at Rosewood Baha Mar

A

15-minute speedboat ride from Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands, 800-acre Pine Cay is an under-the-radar private island aimed at anyone wanting a peaceful escape.

The hotel has just ten recently revamped rooms (plus two cottages). Inside, the look is casual chic with blonde wood furniture, tree trunk tables, driftwood round mirrors and blue-green coral artwork on the wall; sliding glass doors open directly onto the beach. Other new additions are a gym, spa treatment rooms for relaxing massages using Bamford products and – perhaps best of all – a tiki-style bar that’s perfect for rum cocktails at sunset. As you’d expect, much of the action here revolves around the water, from snorkelling on a nearby reef to a Hobie Cat trip to neighbouring Fort George Cay, an uninhabited island popular with locals who drop anchor while searching for sand dollars. Borrow fatbikes and pedal along sandy, forest-framed paths to The Aquarium on the southside, a lagoon-like haven for kayaking and swimming. Or cross the bridge to hidden away Jack’s Place, where you can tuck into a picnic lunch before spotting green turtles in the glassy shallows. Back at the hotel, under shady palm-frond thatched roofs, restaurant tables are arranged around the pool, where Costa Rican chef Pablo Cabrera serves up freshly caught conch with sweet chilli sauce followed by grilled mahi mahi and delicious s’more bars. EL BOOK IT: Doubles from $1,525 per night full-board. pinecay.com

U ABOVE & BELOW: Rosewood Baha Mar reopened in 2021 after being closed due to the effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria

sing sustainable ingredients sourced from the island, the reopened Sense spa at Rosewood Baha Mar follows the same ethos you find throughout the luxury beachside hotel. Utilising traditional healing remedies once used by the Indian tribes and West African communities of the Bahamas, the medicinal benefits of plants, roots and weeds are still felt in every restorative treatment. Each appointment starts with the invitation to freshen up with a relaxing shower followed by the spa’s signature foot ritual outside in the private terraced garden.

After a gentle exfoliation and foot massage it’s time for the main event: the signature Sense Massage. The therapist kneads away the aches and pains of the day using firm pressure and great skill, masterfully manipulating the body.

Finishing with a head massage that dissolves neglected cranial tension, it’s not long before you drift away into a restful sleep to the sound of birds in the trees and the tinkling of spa music. JH BOOK IT: Sense Massage, $180. Doubles from £625 per night. rosewoodhotels.com n

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© Valérie Lade

© Renata Romeo

Odyssée www.baobabcollection.com

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THAT’S CAPITAL With life creeping back to cities, Mary Lussiana celebrates four chic new openings in Europe

2

1

BULGARI, Paris

The long-awaited Parisian outpost of the Bulgari group arrived in the capital in December, making front-page news as it did. The trademark minimalism, courtesy of Italian architectural studio Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel, comes in a mix of muted, earthy colours shot through with warm tones, something the London hotel lacks. Paying homage to the undisputed excellence of Italian craftsmanship, ceramics from Gio Ponti jostle with silk carpets from Altai of Milan. Overlaying all is the Bulgari brand; expect its cashmere throw on the bed and the Serpenti motif illuminated above the bath tub. Undoubtedly the suite to book this summer will be its penthouse. Vast marble-clad interiors take up the top two floors of the hotel and open out onto almost 600sq/m of lush rooftop garden complete with lemon trees and, of course, views of the Eiffel Tower. As in all Bulgari hotels, talented Italian chef Niko Romito is in charge of the restaurant. Try the fresh spinach and ricotta tortelli with butter and sage.

Worth the journey alone.

BOOK IT: Doubles from €1,400. bulgarihotels.com

THE CARLTON TOWER JUMEIRAH, Knightsbridge, London

While the rest of the world hibernated from Covid, a quiet transformation was happening in the heart of Knightsbridge. The Carlton Tower, located on Sloane Street with views over Cadogan Gardens, first opened in 1961 and became London’s first tower hotel.

In 2020, it was shut for 18 months to undergo a £100m transformation into a hotel suitable for the latest generation of international travellers.

Quiet luxury oozes from every pore of the new-look hotel, from the marble-lined lobby with its glittering Lasvit chandelier to the sophisticated rooms and suites designed by 1508 London. There’s a new health club and spa with London’s largest naturally lit swimming pool, where you can lounge before enjoying a massage with Aromatherapy Associates essential oils. Downstairs, there’s The Chinoiserie restaurant for all-day dining and afternoon tea, plus Al Mare, the hotel’s new destination restaurant.

Italian in theme, it’s headed by Executive Chef Marco Calenzo and offers a menu of crowd-pleasing favourites like white truffle tagliarini and arancini.

BOOK IT: Rooms from £675. jumeirah.com 158 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | March/April 2022

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Escape | HOTELS & TRAVEL

3

MANDARIN ORIENTAL RITZ, Madrid

Madrid’s grande dame, the Ritz, opened by César Ritz himself in 1910, has never looked so good. Dazzlingly fresh from an impressive makeover by French design studio Gilles & Boissier it is now part of the Mandarin Oriental group, which has spared no expense in re-opening this Belle Époque jewel for the glamorous Madrileños who have long frequented it. Woven throughout the unashamedly luxurious interiors are nods to Madrid’s rich artistic heritage – the fragmented mirror in the Palm Court is a contemporary echo of Velázquez’s mirror in Las Meninas – lending to the whole a real sense of place. Food seamlessly follows suit. All restaurants are under the helm of Spanish chef Quique Dacosta, whose contemporary cuisine is best tried at gourmet restaurant Deessa. There, beneath gilded ceilings and glittering chandeliers, feast on plates of smoked eel and chilli soup or turbot in sherry sauce. Swim it all off in the city’s prettiest swimming pool, where lights in the ceiling mimic stars and constellations of the night sky.

BOOK IT: Doubles from €600. mandarinoriental.com

4

THE IVENS, Lisbon

Named after the 19th-century Portuguese explorer, Roberto Ivens, this charming hotel sits in Lisbon’s elegant Chiado district and marks the debut of the Autograph Collection in the capital. Club-like interiors mix atmospheric dim lamps and velvet armchairs with beetles and maps, magnifying glasses and tropical plants, prints of macaws and shelves of curiosities, creating rich surroundings for visitors to explore – albeit more modest than those along Ivens’ adventures between the lakes of Zaire and the Zambezi river in Africa. The hotel’s 87 bedrooms are pared down by comparison, despite the occasional elephant head and ceiling of leafy fronds, offering tranquility alongside Jo Malone amenities and shower-only bathrooms. Three food outlets, all designed by Lázaro Rosa-Violán, are the new hot-spots in town. Rocco offers traditional Neapolitan fare (try the aubergine alla parmigiana) and a leafy terrace that will come into its own in summer. The seductive Gastro Bar with its marble counter and mirrored ceiling has regular DJ spots, while Crudo Bar offers all the bounty from the Portuguese seas.

BOOK IT: Doubles from €410. marriott.co.uk n

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FOOD&DRINK

Feeling Fresh Awaken your tastebuds with Sophie Gordon’s coconut, white bean and celery soup

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FOOD&DRINK | Recipe

FOODIE TALES Chef Sophie Gordon on cooking with the seasons

Pictured on previous page

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 180°C fan, ready for making the croutons. Put the oil into a large pot over a medium heat, add the coriander and cumin seeds, and fry until fragrant. I like to bash the seeds slightly with the top of a wooden spoon to allow the flavours to deepen once you add the rest of your ingredients. Add the chopped onion and cook until soft and slightly translucent. Add the sliced celery, celery leaves, garlic, apple and ginger, and continue to sauté until the vegetables become soft and fragrant. Add your beans and stock and bring to the boil, then lower to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding a pinch of chilli flakes if you want a slight kick. Once your soup starts to thicken, add the coconut milk and half your greens. Keep the heat low while the greens cook, adding the lime juice and zest as you go. Season with salt and pepper again to taste, and continue to simmer the soup to allow it to thicken even more.

While the soup is simmering, make your croutons. Simply toss the torn bread with the olive oil, garlic and some salt and pepper. If you are using any optional additions (lime zest or sesame seeds), add these now.

Spread the bread on a baking Serves 4–6 tray and pop it into the oven for about 8–10 minutes, allowing — 1 tsp oil of choice it to crisp nicely. You can give — 2 tsp coriander seeds the tray a shake about halfway — 2 tsp cumin seeds through, to prevent burning.

— 1 large onion Once cooked, remove from — 1 bunch of celery, sliced the oven and place to one side — 5 cloves of garlic, to cool and crisp up further.

Once your soup is nice and thick, — 1 apple, chopped turn off the heat and use a ladle — 2 tbsp grated ginger to remove half the contents of — 2 x 400g tins white the pot to a bowl. You can either beans use a hand blender or, if you — 1–1.5 litres have a high-speed blender that vegetable stock can take heat, go ahead and use — Salt and pepper that here. Blend until smooth.

— Dried chilli flakes I like to keep my soup with some — 1 x 400ml tin of additional texture, but feel free full-fat coconut milk to blend all or less of the mix.

— Handful of fresh greens Add the purée back to the pot (kale, spinach, chard) along with the rest of your — 1 lime, juiced and zested greens and bring back to the — 3–4 slices of boil, stirring to combine. stale bread, torn into To serve, ladle into bowls, small chunks and top with a squeeze of — 2 tsp olive oil lime juice, any extra seasoning — Sesame seeds/lime zest and the crispy garlic croutons.

veggies, less processed foods. I’m an advocate of cooking seasonally and from scratch.

First dish you learnt to cook? A curry of some

sort. Watching my dad make a curry paste always intrigued me – I loved the depth of flavour you could create with just a few ingredients.

Favourite in-season ingredient? Pumpkins

are without a doubt one of my favourite vegetables. I love the different varieties.

Biggest mistake? Once I was making a Moroccan tagine – instead of a ‘pinch’ of zest, I used a whole orange…

Most memorable meal out? The Begging Bowl in

south east London. Every time I go, I fall in love with it all over again. The flavours are second to none. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

When you’re not in the kitchen, where are you? I love being outside in nature.

I’m lucky to live close to the sea and the South Downs in Sussex, so I can usually be found on a run or a long hike with my partner. I’m also known for traipsing around a food market.

Do you have any unique cooking rituals?

My friends and family know if I’m cooking at home as there’ll be pots and pans everywhere. Especially if I’m left to my own devices to create something new!

What’s in your fridge? We’ve got lots of condiments, some left over pesto, carrots, potatoes and kale. I’m thinking about making a big curry to have with some lentils and coconut milk.

Dream dinner date? I’d love to dine with Jamie Oliver. We’d have a good foodie natter and my ideal location would be Salon in Brixton, which has a great pasta menu.

The Whole Vegetable is out now (Michael Joseph, £25) n

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

COCONUT, WHITE BEAN & CELERY SOUP

Food philosophy? More When she’s not cooking, Sophie can often be found in a food market

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News | FOOD&DRINK SECOND ACT Having taken Spitalfields by storm, Middle Eastern eatery Bubala is tackling Soho. We’ll see you there in April. bubala.co.uk

RAISE A GLASS

To the female vintners changing the game.

Unwined Women in Wine tasting kit, from £65. unwinedatyours.co.uk

JUST IN

Let’s hear it for the girls: Chantelle Nicholson and head chef Eve Seemann are the dream team behind Apricity, Mayfair’s new eco-conscious restaurant. Seasonal food from small-scale British farms, English wines and zerowaste cocktails, all under one roof. apricityrestaurant.com

Gastro GOSSIP The war on waste needs you, says Sofia Tindall

EGGSTRAORDINARY

Rainforest Alliance-certified and wrapped in recyclable paper, Artisan du Chocolat’s Tinamou eggs really are guilt-free. £6.95, artisanduchocolat.com

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD

Mortimer House, the Fitzrovia co-working space, is building buzz for its guest chef series. Catch Tom Cenci of 26 Grains this April. mortimerhouse.com

PHOTOS: © CHARLIE MCKAY

ISLAND LIFE

We’re smitten with the peppy new look at The New Inn, Tresco Island (its Cornish chateaubriand and Bryher crab scores serious points, too). tresco.co.uk

DON’T MISS OUT On Food Waste Action Week (7-13 March). Why not teach yourself a few zero-waste tricks with Douglas McMaster (@zerowastecookingschool)?

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PROPERTY

Edited by Anna Tyzack

HOUSE OF THE MONTH 9 Millbank, Westminster, SW1 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 7,219 sq/ft £27.5m In a sentence… On the banks of the River Thames in the heart of Westminster, 9 Millbank is a landmark residential address that captures the essence of British luxury and style.

What’s the design like? Studio Goddard Littlefair is behind the apartment’s classically British interiors, pairing the architecture with an elegant palette of colours, materials and artworks.

What’s unique about it? The ceiling heights. The developer, St Edward, has respected the proportions of the building, transforming a former boardroom into a dramatic six-metre-high reception room overlooking the river.

Does it have any juicy history?

9 Millbank was designed by Sir Frank Baines and constructed in the 1920s as the headquarters for Imperial Chemical Industries. It was requisitioned by the Government in 1939, with wartime figures including Lord Beaverbook and ViceAdmiral Sir Alfred Evans holding office there in the years that followed.

What would parties be like here? A members’ club-inspired hideaway area with bar and games room is perfect for intimate soirées and cocktail parties. +44 (0)20 3468 5332; 9millbank.com

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OXTED Anna Tyzack finds space to breathe and a quick commute in Surrey

but there are decent places to go for beauty and hair,’ agrees Kirsty Merritt, a public relations specialist who moved to Oxted several years ago with her husband and daughter.

There are also great places to go out, she adds, citing the community-run pub, The Bull, as well as restaurants such as Cucina and Thai Pad. The town boasts two lively cocktail bars – The Ginistry and Cattle & Cocktail – as well as an annual arts and music festival, a monthly farmer’s market and a Saturday artisan market.

For city breaks and ski holidays Gatwick is just 20 minutes’ drive away, while the coast is only an hour. ‘At weekends you can walk the dogs on the North Downs Way with views to Ashdown Forest,’ says Robert, who recommends the Barley Mow at Tandridge and the Haycutter at Broad Oak Green as perfect post-walk lunch spots.

The area is well set up for families, with numerous good schools within a short run: St Mary’s C of E primary in the town is rated excellent by Ofsted, while Hazelwood is a popular local prep school.

The town is in the catchment of several renowned state secondaries, and just 20 minutes from Sevenoaks School, an independent co-ed day and boarding school, which takes pupils from three to 18 and offers the International Baccalaureate. Alternatively, there’s Whitgift School in Croydon, which takes boys from 11 to 18, and Woldingham School, for girls 11 to 18, both accessible by train.

Those with younger children are well catered for, Kirsty adds, with a range of baby and toddler classes, including buggy fit and rugby tots.

PHOTOS: EDDIE JUDD PHOTOGRAPHY

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or Londoners looking to move to the sticks while keeping their desk in town, Oxted in Surrey is a revelation. Just 38 minutes from London Victoria, the area surrounding the town is 93 per cent green belt, the highest in the country.

‘You never have to go far for a picturesque country walk,’ says Stuart Routledge of Jackson-Stops in Oxted (jackson-stops.co.uk). ‘There are commons, woodland and farmland to explore as well as the wideopen spaces of Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s family home, Penshurst Place and Hever Castle.’

Situated off the main road on the edge of the chalky North Downs, Oxted is easy to miss. ‘People don’t tend to come here intentionally – they’ll be heading to Sevenoaks, Reigate or Dorking, but once they see the Tudor buildings, cricket pitch and cinema they fall in love,’ maintains Robert Leech, who runs a local estate agency (robertleech.com).

‘Many of those who left London during lockdown regret moving so far away,’ he adds. ‘Here, one can be back home within an hour of having lunch in Mayfair.’

Oxted’s railway station, which also has a 41-minute direct link to London Bridge, is probably the major selling point for commuters – but according to Stuart the town isn’t a boring commuter hub.

There are two main streets, Station Road East and Station Road West, each with thriving independent shops and boutiques as well as cafés serving proper coffee.

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Let’s Move To | PROPERTY Families can choose between a house on the outskirts of the town, where large, light-filled properties have gardens of up to an acre; or find an even larger home around the pretty villages of Nutfield, Limpsfield Chart and Limpsfield. While some date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, the majority were built in the ’20s and ’30s, meaning they’re unlisted.

House prices in the area still appear reasonable to those selling up in the capital, ensuring it’s not just families but also country-loving young professionals who are relocating here.

The exodus during lockdown pushed values up, though – by 14 per cent since 2018, according to figures from Rightmove. Average house prices in the town were more than £700,000 last year, while detached houses sold for more than £1.1 million. For a four- or five-bed property with several acres near a popular village buyers can expect to pay more than £1.75m, Stuart says, while houses

with more than five acres and amenities such as pools, stables and tennis courts tend to cost more than £3m. Robert expects the market to continue bubbling this year, due to a short supply of family houses and high demand from those still desperate to leave the capital.

While many London-leavers have reported niggling regret after taking the plunge, families seem only to grow fonder of Oxted as they get to know it, adds Robert.

‘It’s a town of two halves as it’s divided by the railway; people usually discover one side before they buy and are then delighted to find the other once they’ve moved in.’

Kirsty, who is a leader at the Oxted Ladies Run Club, believes it perfectly suits anyone with a desk (or life) in London who also craves the green space and fresh air of the countryside. ‘Nature is all around us here,’ she says. ‘Yet unlike other commuter hotspots, Oxted feels modern and vibrant with its own unique identity and a brilliant community of women.’

BEST FOR

DATE NIGHT Steve Drake’s Sorrel in Dorking won a Michelin star within a year of opening. sorrelrestaurant.co.uk A BLUEBELL WALK Explore Peter Rabbit woods on Limpsfield Common, which in spring become a carpet of bluebells. nationaltrust.org.uk A SHOPPING SPREE Browse clothing and homewares at Number 44 Station Road East (number44oxted.co.uk) or watches and bespoke jewellery at Paul James (pauljamesjewellers.com)

SPA DAY The Coach House Spa at Beaverbrook overlooking the Surrey Hills offers individual treatments and two pools. beaverbrook.co.uk DAY OUT WITH THE FAMILY Godstone Farm is an immersive day out, where children can meet rabbits, piglets and cows as well as pile into the indoor play barn. godstonefarm.co.uk

FROM LEFT: Cattle & Cocktail, a bar and steakhouse in the heart of Oxted; students from nearby Sevenoaks School

PHOTOS: EDDIE JUDD PHOTOGRAPHY

FOR SALE

OXTED, From £457,500 Perfect for young professionals, the apartments in Courtyard Gardens, off the high street, feature one or two bedrooms and outdoor terraces with views over the North Downs. There’s also private parking alongside the feature, landscaped, central gardens. courtyardgardensoxted.co.uk

EDENBRIDGE, £3.395m An impressive five-bedroom country residence amid seven acres of established gardens and grounds.

With a modern feel and generously spaced living areas, amenities include a detached garage with studio, tennis court, swimming pool, stables and helipad. jackson-stops.co.uk

EDENBRIDGE, £5m A 15th-century farmhouse with a grand, vaulted reception hall with beams and a minstrel gallery, plus five bedrooms, a cinema room and a self-contained staff annexe. Surrounding the house are landscaped formal gardens by designer Roger Platt, with a Victorian-style greenhouse. johndwood.co.uk n

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LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE A St Ives in the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man’s artistic landscape has never looked better

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ith its sweeping vistas, golden sand and turquoise seas, the Isle of Man is a glimmering jewel in the crown of the British Isles.

Just 100 miles from the UK coast in the Irish Sea, the island is 33 miles long and 13 miles wide, and dotted with bustling, cosmopolitan towns and villages, which also benefit from mountains, forests and beaches right on their doorstep.

With this abundance of inspiration, it’s not surprising that art is booming in the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man Arts Council (IOMAC) is actively supporting creatives in an effort to revamp the island’s image and encourage young people to build careers and lives there.

Since 2019 the IOMAC council has spent £229,800 on visual arts on the island, and in 2021 it invested 35 per cent of its budget on public works, resulting in a growing

The view across to Peel Castle

culture of contemporary cool, to go alongside its burgeoning foodie scene.

This means that, as well as bustling art galleries, new murals are popping up all over the island, from a selection of bold street art by different artists on bus shelters in Ramsey, to the Castletown police station decorated with punchy illustrations. It’s bringing an all-new sense of vibrancy and life to the island.

And despite only having 85,000 residents, the Isle of Man is home to an unusually high number of artists, attracted by the island’s light, open spaces, and plentiful nature. Although some were born there, many have moved to the island from the United Kingdom, or from abroad. In fact, by creating an environment that welcomes and supports artistic talent, the IOMAC are excited that this will create a 21st century version of St Ives’s renowned artist colony, which over the years nurtured and inspired names such as Barbara Hepworth and Bernard Leach.

It’s certainly an exciting time for art in the Isle of Man, as it reimagines itself to attract a whole new generation of islanders.

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Karolina Pawlowska’s vibrant mural looks out over the harbour in Port St Mary

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THE ISLE OF MAN SCHOOL Spotlight on three Manx artists

Q&A: KAROLINA PAWLOWSKA Isle of Man mural artist

PHOTOS: © HANNALOGUE PHOTOGRAPHY

Responsible for many of the bright and beautiful large-scale murals you can see around the island, Karolina grew up in Poland but moved to the island in 2014 in search of a more positive, peaceful, and happy life. You can also catch her colourful artwork in the Isle Gallery in St Johns, Nobles Hospital, and the Bonzai Pan Asian restaurant in Douglas.

How would you describe the Isle of Man? A small island where time stops.

A place where you have a chance to be very close to nature, where people are so friendly and generous and kind.

Where everything slows down and you can just breathe and relax. Where you can find your way to understand yourself more and be grateful for what you have.

How did you start creating murals? I always loved to paint big! It’s a great challenge and I love the satisfaction when you finish. There’s the physical work – when you’re so tired that you can barely move – but also a mental escape to another world, a reset button.

I painted my first mural when I was 17,

and as a business I started painting large commissions in 2018.

What are you working on at the moment? I’m creating my new collection of paintings called Dreamland. It’s going to be very special collection inspired by the sea, dreams and emotions with hope to help other people who are going through tough times. It’s been a difficult time for all of us with lockdowns, isolation and feeling so far away from our loved ones. So many people agree that this year is a year of change and big decisions. I want to express all the emotions that are lurking inside of my mind. I’m sharing the whole process, my thoughts and behind the scenes daily on my Instagram, so I’d love to invite interested people to join this creative journey and get inspired with me!

What do you do when you’re not creating art? The Isle of Man is a perfect place to find peace in your mind and enjoy the little moments. We love long walks, playing on the beach and enjoying the sunshine by the sea. I love to sketch by the sea with my son, observing nature and then drawing what we see. @cup.of.layna

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BETH LOUELLA Combining elements of realism and expressionism, Beth explores a variety of emotional, physical, spiritual and social themes through symbolism, composition, mark making and colour. Her recent vibrant, positive works can be found on bus shelters in Ramsey. bethlouella.com

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ADAM BERRY Adam’s bold graphic designs now decorate a bus shelter overlooking the beach at Ramsey, and his works can also be seen at other sites on the island. adamberry.net

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MEGAN HINDLEY After completing a BA in Illustration, Megan, also known as Stedhead, painted murals for numerous London and Isle of Man restaurants. She was commissioned by the IOMAC to decorate a police station with a series of irreverent, eye-catching vignettes. @stedhead_art

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PROPERTY | Five of the Best

Grand Design HOMES Five homes that push the limits of modern design. By Sofia Tindall

BERKSHIRE, £3.25m

Checkendon Hill House is a striking modern interpretation of Arts & Crafts design in a poetic countryside setting. As you arrive, a winding driveway gives plenty of scope to admire the 1.8 park-like acres. You’ll find just as much to impress indoors as out, with six bedrooms, showstopping entertaining spaces and a classical turret with a fourstorey staircase. knightfrank.co.uk

WINCHESTER, £1.55m

At the end of a private lane and surrounded by 0.2 acres of gardens, this property is ideal for modernism-lovers in search of tranquility.

At its heart is an open plan kitchen/ dining room with a magnificent double-height elevation. Along with four bedrooms and three bathrooms, there are music and art rooms for creative projects. hamptons.co.uk

BATTERSEA POWER STATION, £3.2m

Waking up to a view of the Thames, open plan kitchen and private terrace wouldn’t be a bad start to each day. With Art Deco-inspired interiors (including a copper bath and herringbone floors) this ‘Heritage 33’ apartment is one of the best in Battersea Power Station. Right on the doorstep are restaurants, bars and a Boom Cycle spinning studio. radstockproperty.com

HOLCOMBE, £950,000

How does living in a former brewery sound? The fascinating history of Hop House dates back to 1830 when it was owned and run by explorer Robert Falcon Scott’s parents. In 2002 it was renovated to include a double height kitchen/living area and five bedrooms.

Outdoors there are gravel paths, lawns, terraces, and space for a kitchen garden. knightfrank.co.uk

LITTLE VENICE, £12.95m

This two-bedroom villa is a triumph of modern architecture by Wells Mackreth, fusing original period features with industrial design. The old coach house (once the workshop of Partridge Fine Art) now leads through to a sunken kitchen and library/cinema room.

Three sets of double French doors open out to the walled courtyard garden and roof terrace. savills.com

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New collections in all our showrooms www.cphart.co.uk | 0345 600 1950

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THE BANK OF MUM AND DAD Supporting children in a property purchase could be smoother and easier with Coutts’ flexible bespoke borrowing options…

rates. Therefore the decisions young people make about what they study and where, and what they do after university, for example whether they can find a job while still living at home, are vitally important. parent’s love never ends. And although parents’ financial ‘It is never too early to have these conversations.

Homeownership, or the lack of it, has serious long term generosity may be more finite, their support in key moments – such as the first-time purchase of a home implications for relationships, parenting, pensions, savings or a timely move up the property ladder – can have and more. It also impacts decisions that parents make – if you life-changing impact. know your children could be living with you for longer your For a generation of homebuyers faced with skyrocketing own property decisions are altered. A great many families property prices and ultra-competitive markets, family members were “reunited” during the pandemic, with both positive and negative results.’ have become key allies.

But benefactors can do far more than help young people In fact, financial support from parents and other relatives hit record highs of approximately £9.8 billion in 2021, helping to fund step onto the property ladder. Advantages could include a a whopping 49 per cent of all first-time buyer wider selection of higher value properties to transactions, says estate agent Savills. choose from; an increased total amount that And reliance on the Bank of Mum and Dad could be borrowed; and a lower loan-to-value is only set to grow. ‘Today it is thought that 49 (LTV) ratio leading to better mortgage deals. per cent of first time purchases involve help from This support matters to young buyers the bank of Mum and Dad,’ says property guru competing in a ‘supercharged’ property and Coutts brand ambassador Kirstie Allsopp. market, which in the last quarter of 2021 saw ‘In my view the managers of the bank of Mum high-end house price rises of three per cent in and Dad (i.e. parents or relatives) should seek to the capital, according to figures from Coutts’ have very early conversations with their clients latest London Prime Property Index. The (i.e. their children) about finance.

Index (coutts.com/property) also revealed ‘Even before you have chosen your A-levels that areas outside central London, such as Register for our next Exclusive Coutts you need to think about your future. In parts Richmond, Wandsworth and Islington saw Virtual Property Event with Kirstie of the UK property is becoming increasingly prices surge well above the capital’s average.

Allsopp at coutts.com/property unaffordable, despite historically low interest Coutts private banker Franklin Asante

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

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P R O M OT I O N

comments: ‘Because income hasn’t kept pace with property prices, parents are looking to bridge that gap, thus making repayments more affordable. It’s in these scenarios where we most often see the Bank of Mum and Dad come into play.’

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Explore bespoke borrowing options Looking at the financial health of parents and children alike is crucial, however, and all decisions must be considered.

Annie Ingram, Associate Director and Private Banker at Coutts, comments: ‘Parents’ motivations may be quite straightforward, but it’s important to explore all the financial arrangements available. Striking a balance between supporting children and allowing them their independence can help to avoid later tensions around repayments or property selection.

‘At Coutts we support families every step of the way. We look at your family’s unique multi-generational goals and total wealth, then pinpoint the solutions which could work most effectively for your child for the long term.

‘We offer a range of bespoke borrowing solutions and can even connect young buyers with specially selected local agents who could assist them in finding a suitable home that meets their expectations.’

Along with guarantor and jointborrower mortgages, a further flexible option from Coutts is its Offset Select Mortgage, which allows parents to offset their children’s loan amount against their own deposits. While this won’t tie up parents’ funds – or make them liable to the borrower’s debt, since offset deposits remain in their name – it can benefit the children by reducing monthly mortgage repayments or helping them to pay off the mortgage earlier.

When it comes to deciding on the right path, communication matters, concludes Ingram. ‘Different generations can have very different objectives, so it’s vital that family members communicate with one another and work closely with a professional adviser.

‘This way, the Bank of Mum and Dad could prove a smooth and easy process for parents – with the potential to change their children’s lives forever.’

Coutts’ Intergenerational Property Solutions

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Setting up guarantor options where the strength of the mortgage approval is based on the parents’ wealth.

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Joint-borrower mortgages wherein parents and their children are jointly responsible for mortgage payments.

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Gifting a child money towards a deposit if the parent has liquid assets – there may be tax implications.

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Offsetting a child’s mortgage against the parents’ deposits, thus reducing the balance on which interest is due and helping make mortgage payments more affordable.

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Borrowing against parents’ investment portfolios.

Speak to Coutts to discover how its bespoke borrowing solutions could help you. coutts.com/ property

Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Over 18s only. Credit is subject to status and approval. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Offest Select Mortgages – for mortgage amounts over £750,000. Terms and conditions apply. No interest is paid on offset deposits. You may not be eligible for all Coutts mortgage solutions.

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Property shown is from Phase 2 of the development.

Property shown is from Phase 2 of the development.

S U R R E Y’S E XC LUSI V E C O U N T RY E S TAT E

PHASE FOUR NOW LAUNCHED A COLLECTION OF SIX & SEVEN BEDROOM DETACHED FAMILY HOMES Set within 25 acres of landscaped grounds, Broadoaks Park offers brand new and beautifully restored homes.

Finished to Octagon’s renowned high level of specification, all homes are designed to enhance the private parkland setting and surrounding listed buildings. West Byfleet village and train station are less than one mile away, with regular train services to London Waterloo taking from 30 minutes.

SALES SUITE OPEN – VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Guide Prices start from £1,785,000

B R OA D OA K S PA R K . C O . U K

020 8481 7500 | OCTAGON.CO.UK

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live the

life CHELSEA’S TA L L E S T AND MOST

ELEGANT

RESIDENCES

1 to 5 bedroom apartments from

£990,000

Call or email

020 7352 8852 sales@chelseawaterfront.com A DEVELOPMENT BY

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JOINT SELLING AGENTS

18/02/2022 14:26

Homes of character in and around the scenic South Downs National Park

Wilmington, near Alfriston

Price Guide - £1,000,000

Set within almost 3 acres amidst scenic countryside – a detached country house which is a result of a tasteful conversion of a period barn. Featuring a 33’ x 19’ sitting room, a 21’ x 13’ open plan dining room and a spacious kitchen. 3 bedrooms, en suite shower room and separate bathroom. Double garage, outbuildings. EPC:G

Jevington, near Alfriston

Price Guide - £750,000

The principal portion of a fine period house within charming lawned gardens. Tastefully modernised over the years and comprising a magnificent sitting/dining room with fine inglenook fireplace, kitchen/family dining room, 3 large bedrooms, dressing room, spacious bathroom, shower room, delightful garden setting and generous off road parking space.

Alfriston, in downland setting

Price Guide - £1,250,000

An exceptionally fine detached period house in idyllic setting. Commanding glorious views and beautifully appointed with 2 large reception rooms, fine inglenook fireplace, farmhouse style kitchen, 4 bedrooms, study/bedroom 5, 2 bathrooms, shower room, utility room, 2 summer houses, generous car parking space and extensively lawned gardens.

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JMCHASE.CO.UK

LOOKING TO BUY IN THE HOME COUNTIES? Finding and securing the right country home in the right location and at the right price can be a challenging business. Now that we are emerging from the pandemic, we continue to experience a strong and very competitive market. As a client of ours you will be in the strongest position to succeed while removing unnecessary stress and providing confidence throughout the process.

JM Chase are an established independent buying agency with extensive experience of acquiring fine property from London and across the South of England. Eddie has worked in the residential property market for more than a decade. Starting his career in Prime Central London and then The Home Counties, where he has worked closely with private families and HNWI’s buying and selling. Having grown up in The Home Counties, he moved back to the area with his wife and their two sons. With an in depth knowledge of the industry and his patch, he will utilise this to provide a comprehensive and personal service. He has all the credentials needed to advise clients looking to move to an area that he loves. If you would like to find out more about the service, please give Eddie a call in confidence.

Eddie Ruggles-Brise | Home Counties | 07776 074184 | erugglesbrise@jmchase.co.uk

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Fulbrooke Road, Newnham – Station 1 mile £2,000,000 An impressive and substantial 5 bedroom, detached 1908 residence with accommodation extending to 2325 sq ft. This fine home has an ‘arts and craft’ style, is flooded with light, and occupies a special location near Newnham village, with fields extending behind to the river walk to Grantchester, yet very close to the city centre and university. The property has a wide driveway and large shed/store and sits in substantial established south-facing gardens with lawn, flower beds, fruit trees and a wild ‘nature reserve’ copse. EER:E Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

Gazeley Lane, Trumpington – Station 1 mile £1,750,000 A unique opportunity to acquire a substantial detached residence dating back to 1928 together with delightful generous mature gardens and occupying a rather special position within a highly sought after and private cul-de-sac, considered to be one of the most desirable residential streets just one mile to the South of the city centre conveniently placed for access to private schools and excellent range of local amenities and also within easy reach of the railway station and major routes. The delightful mature gardens are a special feature and enjoy a high degree of privacy and seclusion. EER:E Contact: Martin Walshe | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | martin.walshe@cheffins.co.uk

cheffins.co.uk 01223 214214

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Cambridge | Saffron Walden | Newmarket | Ely | Haverhill | London

24/02/2022 12:23

Lensfield Road, Cambridge – Station 1 mile £975,000 A most impressive 3 storey Grade II listed Georgian town house of significant charm and character in this rarely available prime central city location greatly benefiting from its own enclosed front and rear gardens as well as garage and parking at the rear. Lower ground floor kitchen, snug, w.c., stunning first floor drawing room, bathroom and 2 first floor bedrooms with bathroom.

Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

Hertford Street, Cambridge – Station 2 miles £1,450,000 A most stylish and beautifully presented bay fronted Victorian town house with elegant accommodation arranged over four floors in a sought after location within easy walking distance of the city centre, Jesus Green and the river. Entrance hall, cloakroom/ utility room, impressive principal reception room, stunning lower ground floor kitchen/ dining/ family room and lower ground floor bedroom (5) with en-suite. 3 further bedrooms and shower room on first floor. Principal bedroom with en-suite on second floor. Attractive enclosed rear garden. ERR: D Contact: John Quick | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | john.quick@cheffins.co.uk

Cambridge | Saffron Walden | Newmarket | Ely | Haverhill | London

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01223 214214 cheffins.co.uk

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Little Sampford, Nr Saffron Walden – Station 11.5 miles £1,395,000 A substantial, Grade II Listed, detached farmhouse set in a tucked-away, private location within its own grounds of approximately 0.86 of an acre, including a substantial detached barn, double garage and adjoining home office. Accommodation comprising: entrance hall, snug, sitting room, dining room, study, kitchen/breaksfast room, utility and wet room. First floor: 7 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. Outside: large garden with detached barn, detached double garage and home office.

Contact: Bruce King | Saffron Walden Office: 01799 523656 | bruce.king@cheffins.co.uk

Widdington, Nr Saffron Walden – Station 2 miles £900,000 A beautiful, Grade II Listed, former Post Office forming part of this picturesque village. In addition to the main house is a detached, two bedroom annexe offering a multitude of uses, including home office, studio or ancillary accommodation. Accommodation comprising: entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen/dining room, study and cloakroom. First floor: 4 bedrooms, en suite and family bathroom. Outside: ample off-street parking and private gardens overlooking paddocks and countryside beyond. Detached, two bedroom annexe.

Contact: Bruce King | Saffron Walden Office: 01799 523656 | bruce.king@cheffins.co.uk

cheffins.co.uk 01223 214214

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Cambridge | Saffron Walden | Newmarket | Ely | Haverhill | London

24/02/2022 12:24

Elsworth, Cambridge – Station 13 miles £925,000 A brand new detached house of individual style and panache architect designed and constructed to an exceptionally high specification and incorporating many special features and providing exceptionally versatile accommodation. The property occupies a most desirable non-estate position in a picturesque lane close to the church and within a short walk of an excellent range of local amenities.

Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

Melbourn, Royston – Station 1 mile £1,300,000 A unique opportunity to acquire a most attractive and sympathetically improved Grade II listed detached period house together with a stunning and beautifully presented detached barn providing luxuriously appointed accommodation in a convenient location close to the heart of the village and set in mature gardens extending to about 0.4 acre.

Contact: Martin Walshe | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | martin.walshe@cheffins.co.uk

Cambridge | Saffron Walden | Newmarket | Ely | Haverhill | London

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24/02/2022 12:24

LAST WORD Mini skirts and pastel tones ruled on the Chanel spring/ summer ’22 runway

Tales of our Time Michael Hayman speaks to Leena Nair, Chanel’s new CEO

‘L

ife didn’t please me, so I created my life.’ And didn’t she just. Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Cha nel stands as one of the great icons not just of fashion but of 20th-century life.

It’s a phrase that might well find favour with the new CEO of Chanel, Leena Nair, who I interviewed for my podcast Change Makers, and who joins the maison from global giant Unilever.

It was there she was appointed the first female, first Asian and youngest ever Chief Human Resources Officer. It leads her to reflect that, ‘In every job I’ve done, I’ve been the first woman ever to do that job. You’ve got to be courageous, not only embrace

the trailblazing, but also bring your own take on it.’

For those wondering how she might approach the next chapter of her career at Chanel you would do well to reflect on what she speaks of as a personal mission to ‘ignite the human spark for a better business and better world’.

On one level this speaks to Leena’s belief that business can and should be a force for good – whether that’s the world of a corporation or the world of couture.

But it also speaks to her belief in people and their potential to be the very best that they can be. That doesn’t mean setting unrealistic or undesirable goals. Indeed, Leena feels she has been on a journey and describes her first pregnancy as a ‘wake up moment’ because ‘I had my baby and six

hours later I was on emails’. Thinking at the time that she was doing the right thing, it was a junior colleague who told her that ‘you’ve set an impossible bar’ for other women.

‘I didn’t think about what kind of message I was sending out,’ she admits now. ‘When you’re a leader you have an enormous burdening privilege…to use that to influence changes for the better.’

It has been over a century since Coco Chanel opened her eponymous maison.

And while much has changed, much seems relevant in our uncertain times. ‘Elegance is refusal,’ Coco famously said. This, for Leena, means refusing the cards life dealt her, and instead designing her own, transforming the business landscape at the same time. I think Coco would have enjoyed meeting the new trailblazing CEO of Chanel. n

LISTEN to Leena Nair (left) speaking about her new role at Chanel on changemakers.works. WATCH The Beatles: Get Back, an incredible three-part documentary by the acclaimed Peter Jackson (disneyplus.com). READ The Accidental Vegetarian by Simon Rimmer. The secrets of delightful food without meat (Mitchell Beazley, £14.99).

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES; MSNBC

TA L K I N G P O I N T S

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THE CORNUBIA COLLECTION

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