Country & Town House - May/Jun 2024

MAY ⁄ JUN 2024 £5.99

A LIFE IN BALANCE

LUKE THOMPSON Bridgerton’s boy

THE WILDIST Meet our new columnist

AFRICAN QUEENS

A night with the Black Mambas A GOOD LOOK AT LONGEVITY

Spring into

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SUMMER

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JEWELS JEWELS THAT THAT TELL TELL TIME TIME

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Contents

MAY JUN 2024

COLUMNS 28

32 34 216

THE GOOD LIFE Alice B-B has decided to decamp from the countryside THE WILDIST Meet our new Editor-at-Wild THE RURBANIST The River Cottage’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall LAST WORD Michael Hayman learns a lot about himself in an Army-style bootcamp

STYLE 37 38 40 42 50 54 57

COCOON ME It’s a wrap THE STYLIST Seeking a vintage bargain THE EDIT Fashion, beauty and jewellery news TO THE NINES Style for The Season WELL GROOMED Rich pickings for men THE MAGPIE Shiny things TIME TO SHINE Simon de Burton brings you the latest watch models to ogle at

HEALTH & WELLBEING 65

66 68 70 72

HIT YOUR STRIDE We can’t all look like Gisele Bündchen but we can admire her from afar BODY & SOUL Combating pollutants at home BODY LANGUAGE Olivia Falcon checks out London’s latest longevity clinics THE SCOOP Trying out a blood sugar sensor BEAUTY DILEMMA Bye-bye skin laxity

CULTURE 75 76

87 88 90 92 94 96 98

EN PLEIN AIR Open-air theatre is back CULTURAL CALENDAR Your must-have guide to what to see, read and do ARTIST’S STUDIO Sophie Charalambous THE EXHIBITIONIST Female artists are centre-stage, says Ed Vaizey GOOD NEWS Raising your spirits THE CONSERVATIONIST Are you prepared for a wet and wild future?

THE SOLUTIONISTS How do we change the way we travel? Here are three innovations THE GREEN LANE Jeremy Taylor tests the mettle of the new Corsa Electric SCARFES BAR Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans are the dream duo at the helm of the RSC

FEATURES 100

100

108

HIGH KICKS Having fun with pattern and colour at Beaverbrook’s Dower House YOUR SUMMER STARTS HERE Clear your diary – we’ve got all the summer smash hits you don’t want to miss

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Contents

MAY JUN 2024

FEATURES 112

116

120 124

MAN ABOUT TON Bridgerton’s Luke Thompson isn’t in it for the fame MOVING MOUNTAINS Giving artisans a livelihood and restoring their pride in their cultural heritage is Soshana Stewart’s mission GREENER PASTURES Is it time for the legal industry to face up to its own oily ethics? asks Rachel Donald FROM THE GROUND UP How Georgia Scott, CEO of Groundtruth, built a brand with purpose

THE AESTHETIC GUIDE 129

A look at longevity and how to feel and look your best self in our annual guide edited by Annabel Jones

INTERIORS 177

180 182 184

CITRUS SPRITZ A Canary Wharf apartment with fresh charm DESIGN NOTES Interiors news ALL TIED UP Coquette home styling MY INTERIOR LIFE Martin Kemp

TRAVEL

MOTHERS UNARMED Lucy Cleland gets up close and personal to the Black Mambas 190 LEAVE NO TRACE A safari in Botswana with the lightest of touches 194 THE ESCAPIST African travel news 198 THE TRIP Francisca Kellett wonders if the age of overtourism is over 200 MIND YOUR MANOR Fiona Duncan luxuriates at Estelle Manor 202 POSTCARDS FROM... Raja Ampat, Indonesia 187

FOOD & DRINK 129 ON THE COVER Jacket, shirt, skirt and shoes Erdem Signatures blue topaz and diamond earrings Kiki McDonough Fashion Director: Nicole Smallwood Photographer: Carla Guler Make-up: Joe Pickering @ Arch The Agency using Dior Forever Foundation and Capture Totale Le Sérum. Hair: Joe Pickering @ Arch The Agency using Hair Ritual by SISLEY. Model: Gia Tang @ Milk

205

207

DOUBLE TROUBLE A cocktail duo from the Connaught Bar GASTRO GOSSIP Barfly

PROPERTY 209 210 212

HOUSE OF THE MONTH An architectural icon in the Turks and Caicos FIVE OF THE BEST Country estates ANGEL OF THE NORTH Anna Tyzack on Manchester’s many charms

REGULARS 18 22 62

EDITOR’S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS SOCIAL SCENE

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KATE WINSLET

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and, I’m betting, Mr Stewart thinks himself one very lucky man indeed. Lisa Grainger interviews her on page 116.

Women working to create a better world, like Shoshana, are no strangers to these pages. Take the Black Mambas, who I was fortunate enough to spend a night with at their bush camp in Kruger, South Africa last month with B Corp company Intrepid Travel. They are the world’s first all-female anti-poaching unit, and the success of this radical approach to conservation lies in the data. Poaching incidents have fallen by 63 percent since this impeccably trained unit first put boots on the ground just over ten years ago. Crucial to this positive outcome, believes its founder Craig Spencer, is that they patrol unarmed. Intrigued? Find out more on page 187.

It was filmmaking in war zones that prompted sisters Georgia, Sophia and Nina Scott to create a brand that not just fulfilled their own need for really good bags to carry camera kit, but did so in the least planet-damaging way possible.

Enter Groundtruth, bags that are not just fit for extreme conditions but are also happy swinging through Knightsbridge. Amy Wakeham finds out the founders’ story on page 124.

If you’re a Bridgerton fan, then you’re in for a treat. As the third series of this mega-hit airs on Netflix this May, Tessa Dunthorne sits down with Luke Thompson, who seems able to blend effortlessly into the background of the busy London cafe in which they meet. He likes it that way, he says. You pretty soon get to realise that this serious young man is not in acting for the fame, on p112.

This issue also features our Aesthetic Guide, edited by expert Annabel Jones, from page 129. Our approach to aesthetics is like our approach to most things – it’s all in the balance.

Undoubtedly, there is pressure to keep looking as good as you can for as long as you can, but there is value in that. Looking good makes you feel good and when you feel good, everything is just that little bit easier.

We only feature the best doctors and journalists in the business and bring you some interesting dives into sleep, what it’s like to be on Ozempic long term and why, perhaps, we need to be looking at the food on our plate instead. Enjoy.

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Editor’s LETTER

like Rory Stewart. I like his ‘explainers’ in the wildly popular podcast he co-hosts with Alastair Campbell, The Rest is Politics.

I like the fact he walked across Afghanistan. I like his thoughtthrough approach to politics. And I also like his wife. As president of Turquoise Mountain, an NGO working in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to revive historic neighbourhoods and traditional crafts in areas where culture is under threat, Shoshana Stewart is smart, capable, beautiful

EDITOR’S PICKS SPEAK Thanks to smart phones and social media, we’re losing the art of conversation...

TREAD Reclaim it Merry People makes by far the comfiest with some help wellies I’ve come across and perfect from this book for town and country

BOOK Summer isn’t summer without Giffords Circus. I’m booked into its London appearance in Chiswick this June

SPRITZ I swear that whenever I wear this incredible scent from Matiere Premiere, I get stopped and told I smell so good...

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CONTRIBUTORS

Introducing our new Editor at Wild, p32

Can the Law Drag Fossil Fuels into Greener Pastures? p120

Touch Point, p142

The Last Diet? p136

FEE DRUMMOND

RACHEL DONALD

REBECCA NEWMAN

FIONA GOLFAR

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

Sunshine on the Solent and boatlife with the kids at home.

When it's good, there is nowhere better… Horses at dawn and water skiing at sunset – we live for those summer days.

Favourite place for a sundowner? At anchor, on any boat. I love Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight where the water is aqua and flattens off at dusk, the bay encased by the high chalk cliffs of The Needles, making the perfect sunset spot.

What's on your wrist at the moment? Actually – nothing.

I love not knowing the time.

But I am lusting after a sleek diving or adventure watch.

Top beauty secret?

Face yoga. I’m trying to be disciplined at it, but it is hard to be consistent. And keeping my gua sha tools in the freezer.

When it comes to make up – less is definitely more as I grow older.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

Spending one month nestled in the mountains of Crete writing my book, a poetic and powerful deconstruction of how the law erases violence against women in order to justify violence against nature.

Favourite place for a sundowner? I have no idea what a sundowner is, but it made me think of how the sun is setting on Europe – a peace project can only last for so long in a military industrial complex.

What's on your wrist at the moment? I was at a conference when a French man delightedly explained to me that time is ‘made up’ He had recently discovered this fact, despite the expensive watch on his wrist; I've been happily losing track of man-made concepts for years.

Top beauty secret? The only ingredient your beauty cabinet needs is a jar of manuka honey.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

The beach at Saunton Sands stretches out forever, and the waves are glorious for a wannabe long boarder like me. I’m also entirely besotted with two brothers, Jack and Jamie, who teach surfing and come out with me: it’s heaven.

Favourite place for a sundowner? On the dunes (it’s a UNESCO biosphere reserve, and I wisely surf with a friend that makes the most incredible mezcal margaritas).

What's on your wrist at the moment? A Swatch.

I go through phases of Apple Watch and Oura to watch my Heart Rate Variability (stress, which is affected by unlikely things) and training times. But I love the peace of analogue, too.

Top beauty secret?

Sleep, sex, and Pat McGrath.

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

I’m looking forward to spending time at my home in Fowey, Cornwall. I love not having to go to an airport to go on holiday. My husband’s family were friends of the author Daphne du Maurier who lived there and his aunts followed her to work on the land during the war. It holds his history and we all love it.

Favourite place for a sundowner? My favourite sundowner is sitting at North Street Kitchen, again in Fowey, watching the sailing boats come in at the end of a long day on the water while enjoying a frozen margarita.

What's on your wrist at the moment? I like a classic man’s watch. I wear a 1951 Cartier London Tank Normale.

What's your top beauty secret? I swear by Gucci Westman’s glow drops. They make my skin look radiant.

WA N T T O K NOW W H AT ’ S ON ?

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LUCY CLELAND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

EDITOR-AT-LARGE ALICE B-B ASSOCIATE EDITOR CHARLOTTE METCALF DEPUTY EDITOR AMY WAKEHAM ASSISTANT EDITOR & SUB EDITOR TESSA DUNTHORNE SUB EDITORS KATIE BAMBER, RUBY FEATHERSTONE, ANDREW BRASSLEAY FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD BEAUTY DIRECTOR NATHALIE ELENI INTERIORS DIRECTOR CAROLE ANNETT CULTURE EDITOR ED VAIZEY EXECUTIVE RETAIL EDITOR MARIELLA TANDY TRAVEL EDITOR-AT-LARGE FRANCISCA KELLETT EDITOR-AT-WILD FEE DRUMMOND SUSTAINABILITY EDITOR LISA GRAINGER PROPERTY EDITOR ANNA TYZACK MOTORING EDITOR JEREMY TAYLOR ONLINE CONTENT DIRECTOR REBECCA COX DEPUTY ONLINE EDITOR ELLIE SMITH ONLINE WRITERS CHARLIE COLVILLE, OLIVIA EMILY ONLINE ASSISTANT MARTHA DAVIES SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER DANIELLA LAXTON CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PARM BHAMRA DESIGN & PRODUCTION MIA BIAGIONI ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER ELLIE RIX HEAD OF FASHION EMMA MARSH SENIOR ACCOUNT DIRECTOR PANDORA LEWIS ACCOUNT DIRECTOR SERENA KNIGHT DIGITAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR ADAM DEAN DIGITAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR JOEY GOLDSMITH SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER SABRINA RAVEN SALES SUPPORT, OFFICE & B CORP PROJECT MANAGER XA RODGER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MARK PEARSON CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER GARETH MORRIS FINANCE CONTROLLER LAUREN DELGADO FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR RIA HARRISON HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTANT ZOE JONES CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER TIA GRAHAM CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER JAMES THROWER MANAGING DIRECTOR JEREMY ISAAC CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AND WRITERS TIFFANIE DARKE, JAMES WALLACE, FIONA DUNCAN, OLIVIA FALCON, DAISY FINER, AVRIL GROOM, MICHAEL HAYMAN, LAUREN HO, RICHARD HOPTON, EMMA LOVE, MARY LUSSIANA, CAROLINE PHILLIPS

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, Hampstead, 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 £39.99 per annum. To subscribe online, iPad, iPhone and Android all for only £9.99/month, 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 © 2024 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 B-B is off in search of new horizons – with a quick stop at the spa first, of course

T

HE MAGIC COTTAGE… our dreamy, enchanting Cotswolds home is for sale. (As I write this – I’m thinking ARE YOU MAD?!)

But we’ve decided, after 12 years, it’s time to chuck all the balls in the air. I find change terrifying. But also exhilarating. And I’ve realised that change through freedom of choice – rather than forced necessity – is a huge privilege. But, my god, I’ll miss the deafening dawn chorus as the birds salute the sun rising over the hill, wandering through the intense bluebell woods, the gentle sing-song of the stream that meanders through our garden, sneaking off to our local pub, The Bull in Charlbury, for a pint and some toothsome grub or to Daylesford for a decadent massage. But it’s time to hand our happy home over to someone else. And time for us to roll up our sleeves and take on a fresh project.

DAMN IT’S GOOD... But probably the best thing about the new Reconnect Retreat at Heckfield Place hotel in Hampshire – it starts weeks before you set foot in the place. There’s a pre-retreat Zoom session with resident eco-psychologist Amy Steadman, who feeds back what you hope to achieve from the retreat. This information is used by the team to create a personalised programme. So, by the time you arrive, every therapist and practitioner is ready to deliver your specific programme, to facilitate whatever it is you need from this time. Each staff member has been plucked for their world-class treatments delivered intuitively. The Bothy spa is – I believe (and I’ve tried a few!) – the most beautiful in the UK. While the food is mostly biodynamically grown at the hotel’s farm and then spun into heavenly manna by chef/magician Skye Gyngell. The retreat ends with a walking and talking session through the woods with psychologist Amy – a brilliant way to close the loop on your experience.

If you need time to reconnect with yourself, with a friend or a gang of pals – The Bothy at Heckfield is the place to do it. (heckfieldplace.com) ‘FANCY GOING TO... the theatre?’ Groan. For years I’ve struggled with it; the spitting, the shouting, the overacting, the feeling trapped, the inability to suspend my disbelief. But then I saw The Picture of Dorian Gray with Sarah Snook (Shiv in Succession).

And in those two hours everything changed. This production and phenomenal performance hasn’t just raised the bar – but slung it into a new stratosphere.

So now my beak is whetted and I’m going all in.

My hot-list: Romeo & Juliet with Tom Holland, A View from The Bridge with Dominic West and in the autumn there’s Steve Coogan in Dr Strangelove.

I blame the brilliant Snook – I’ve done a 180 and gone full-luvvie. n

THIS MONTH I’LL BE...

REVISITING the revamped Julie’s restaurant in Notting Hill – where Mr Love and I had our first date (juliesrestaurant.com).

SPRITZING Tan Luxe X Paris Hilton’s excellent tan-in-a-can (tan-luxe.com). HUNTING for the best bed linen – curious to try Shleep’s wool sheets (shleep.co).

ILLUSTRATION BY MEI MEI, @MEIMEI_2503

‘We’ve DECIDED, after 12 years, it’s time to CHUCK all the balls in the AIR’

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COLUMN

The WILDIST

Our new editor-at-wild Fee Drummond celebrates the importance of the tribe

family and a like-minded cohort, which makes it almost impossible to feel that we are surviving, let alone thriving.

I grew up travelling, having adventures lost in nature, off-grid exploring and surviving – experiences that have shaped me. But it has taken a lifetime of battling conformity to learn to respect the parts of me that yearn to be wild, and which need daily sustenance so that I can be the best version of myself.

Over the past ten years therefore, I have been exploring the science behind natural wellness. I try to listen to my gut instinct and lean towards ‘wild’ choices in everything from food, medicine and travel to parenting and lifestyle. As a mother of three, I have battled disease, trauma, and long-term illnesses, using food as medicine, and rejecting convention. Tuning into the call of nature, noticing where it leads me and better understanding why it is good for me, has become a habit.

In this column, I will be exploring what it is to live a luxe, barefoot, intelligent, nature-based, wild life in today’s world. I hope you’ll find your wild side with me.

WILD HACKS

2 GLOW We lack collagen in the foods we eat, and need more of it to keep fluid, and youthful. What you put on the inside, glows on the outside. Add one table spoon to your latte. Try OSSA Organic Grass Fed Organic Collagen Peptides, £32. ossaorganic.com

3 STEEP Choose tea leaves instead of teabags, as they contain plastic and chemicals that you then ingest. Plus, taking time to slow down while waiting for a real brew, is a form of mindfulness in itself.

Try TeaPigs Loose Tea Subscriptions, from £1. teapigs.co.uk n

PHOTOS: FEE DRUMMOND X FUJIFILM

‘T

he Wildist’ – the name of this new column, which will explore a return to old ways that can nurture and feed our souls, while restoring our fragile biochemistry – could imply a solitary spirit; as though being wild was about being alone rather like the image of the howling wolf in front of the moon. But it’s almost entirely the opposite. It is about freeing a magnetic aliveness and being open to connection. It is a form of togetherness, of finding your place within your ‘tribe’.

Nowadays, we lack the historical social structure of living within the security of a tribe, where everyone has a role, a sense of unconditional belonging, shared knowledge and aligned values. And where trusted peers, loyal-to-the-death friends, and a permanent community would surround you to support, share and hand down skills and knowledge about the intricate daily needs for human survival.

Life today mostly consists of separated boxes and small units of co-dependency, far from friends,

Fee has tapped into her wild nature to be the best version of herself

1 ABSORB Water needs to contain minerals for your body to absorb it. If water is filtered of all nutrients or minerals, you are merely ‘flushing’, and not ‘absorbing’ any minerals. I sprinkle salt flakes – I use Celtic Sea Salt – under my tongue before drinking water.

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INTERVIEW

The RURBANIST

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on finding peace in nature, and holding the government to account

spring and early summer, I love when the noise of it is a little bit louder every morning, and I start seeing birds pairing off and doing their funny little dances.

What’s annoying you most right now? The government’s refusal to fully understand that the way we eat is fundamental to our health, and offering no help to people in terms of real education about food, or food policies that will make a difference to people’s lives.

What could you have been arrested for? It wouldn’t altogether surprise me if I was arrested for protesting about an environmental cause. If we don’t see some real commitment to policies that will change the energy sector and move us away from fossil fuels towards renewables, then, not for the first time, I may well be on the streets again.

Best life hack? Cold water. I know people love to make jokes about it, but I have a pond at home that I swim in, or I have a cold shower. You feel fantastic afterwards.

A moment that changed everything? Waking up at the original River Cottage (which I rented to escape from London), sometime in the very early spring of 1999, and thinking, ‘Oh, I wonder if I could persuade Channel Four to let me do a series about downsizing here, and I wouldn’t have to go back to London, I could start my vegetable garden and keep a few chickens and see how it goes.’

Where do you go to escape? For a walk in the woods. We’re lucky to have a bit of woodland here at home, and several times a week, I’ll just wander down to the end of the field and into the woods. So just outside and being in nature generally, but specifically being among trees.

What does sustainability mean to you? Being conscious of the impact of your decisions on the planet. We’re never going to get it right all the time. Just to be engaged and thoughtful, and conscious of the fact that all the decisions you make will have an impact.

Your greatest triumph? I’ve campaigned on a lot of issues, and I wouldn’t consider any of them a triumph, even though we changed European law on discarding fish at sea. It’s always a mistake to think you’ve triumphed, because there’s always more to do.

Your greatest failure? I’ve made TV series about the climate crisis and tried to engage the government to persuade them to think again about their environmental policy. Given they have basically doubled down and backed off their commitments to tackle climate change, you could say that’s a pretty spectacular failure. But I’m not deterred by that.

What does a life in balance mean to you? That every day you need to take some time to enjoy and relish those aspects of life that nourish you. For me, that’s family and nature.

River Cottage 2.0

How to Eat 30 Plants a Week is out on 9 May (Bloomsbury, £25) n

QUICK FIRE FAVOURITES...

SCENT Bay leaf. BOX SET The Wire.

CHOCOLATE BAR Toffee Crisp. SONG Baba O’Riley by The Who. DISH My mum’s shepherd’s pie. GADGET A potato ricer. RESTAURANT St John. HOLIDAY The Hebrides.

PHOTOS: MIKE HOLFORD / UNSPLASH; NILS LEONDHARDT / UNSPLASH; STEFAN JOHNSON; MATT AUSTIN

What’s bringing you joy at the moment? The dawn chorus. In

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STYLE Edited by Mariella Tandy

Cocoon ME

Elevate your late-spring layers with a glorious quilted coat thrown over a crisp cotton dress – just the thing to ward off the British chill before the sun (finally) comes out. Reversible coat, £595; Ekberg dress, £385. wiggykit.com

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STYLE | Column

The STYLIST Tiffanie Darke is on the hunt for a (vintage) bargain

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Sellier London stocks preloved Birkins; Chillie London’s founders Lydia McNeill and Natalie Hartley outside their store; an Hermès Kelly bag from Xupes; Chanel from Sellier London

t takes 278 steps to make a Chanel flap bag. Apparently, the craftmanship that goes into making these iconic bags is akin to that of a Chanel jacket – which may explain why one now costs over £10,000. This amounts to a 75 percent price increase in the last five years, but it seems the higher they’re priced, the more desirable these bags become. How does luxury get away with it?

The rise of the secondhand market offers a clue.

Luxury goods are now investment pieces, whereby you may not just recoup the money you spend, but if you buy wisely, you could get it back with interest.

‘Revenues from reselling luxury bags and clothing now add up to around $200bn a year,’ reports The Economist. For the sensible (and mindful) shopper, the resale market is beginning to eclipse buying new.

However, a warning. There is no sign the rise of the secondhand market is slowing the rise of primary (first-hand) goods – in fact it may even be fuelling it. Shopping preloved is not a sustainable choice in itself – shopping preloved mindfully is.

Personally, I’m trying to buy only five new things a year, and another four secondhand.

So, what are the rules? For leather goods, Sellier London, Vestiaire and Xupes are where most of the marketplace goes down. If you can’t bear the scroll, Reluxe Fashion and Hardly Ever Worn It (HEWI) offer a more curated experience.

For clothing, go elsewhere. It’s hard to do any kind of return on these platforms and the seller is not always honest.

I bought a Gabriela Hearst shirt last year that arrived with a button missing and a pull in the fabric. I have yet to wear it.

Instead, go to an actual shop and do some actual shopping. Chelsea’s Sign of The Times is a treasure trove of goodies, as is SK Vintage in Kentish Town and (for cool streetwear vibes) Chillie London on Portobello Road (trawl the excellent market while you’re there too).

But best of all are charity shops. Not only is your money going directly to a good cause, but you could pick up a major bargain. One well-known influencer told me she deposits piles of gifted clothing in her local Oxfam (Hampstead), meanwhile the Charles Tyrwhitt partnership with British Heart Foundation means you can find brand new, quality shirts for just £10. At these prices, who’s going to Chanel? n

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Falmouth Khaki & Ocean Suede

BY APPOINTMENT TO HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON

MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879

Our interpretation of a classic summer Boat Shoe featuring our new Rubber Wedge Sole

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STYLE | News

The

EDIT Blue sky dressing.

By Mariella Tandy

SUMMER SKINCARE

Varley has teamed up with Fairly Made – which enables brands to measure and improve the environmental and social impact of their products – to understand the traceability of its designs and work towards a more transparent and responsible future. This means you can shop its relaxed everyday outfits with more confidence. varley.com

LOVELY LINEN

London-based fashion label Labeca, which aims to create the perfect capsule wardrobe, has just what we’re looking for this summer. Its new linen collection features beautiful designs made from the natural, breathable and durable fabric. Hazel dress, £270. labecalondon.com

FRESH SCENTS

Three sublime spring fragrances Van Cleef & Arpels Moonlight Rose eau de parfum, £145. selfridges.com

Molton Brown Sunlit Clementine eau de parfum, £120. moltonbrown.co.uk

1 Summer Fridays Jet Lag Eye Serum, £46. spacenk.com 2 Ilia Skin Rewind Stick, £48. iliabeauty.com 3 Chantecaille Rose de Mai body cream, £150. harrods.com

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Flora Verde eau de parfum, £70. fenwick.co.uk

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GANNI Port Royale sunglasses, £185. ganni.com

HAPPY FEET

VARANA Cashmere jumper, £650. varana.com

KIOHNE Coral swimsuit, £145.69. kiohne.com

We love Longchamp’s take on classic summer sandals made in collaboration with master sandal maker K.Jacques. Even the iconic closure from the brand’s beloved Pliage bag range has been incorporated into the shoes. Longchamp x K.Jacques sandals, £270. longchamp.com

ON THE RADAR This season, the lady is in red

HANDS OF TIME

ROUJE Apero bag, £375. rouje.com

JACQUEMUS Leather trousers, £1,315. harveynichols.com

From 26 May to 9 June, Van Cleef & Arpels is staging its first-ever London watch exhibition at Cromwell Place. Telling the story of the maison’s timekeeping heritage, sources of inspiration and incredible craftsmanship, it’s an unmissable event that will enchant watch and craft lovers alike. There’s also talks and children’s workshops from L’ÉCOLE, the brand’s School of Jewelry Arts, and on display will be its exquisite new launches, like this Lady Arpels Brise d’Été watch, with its butterflies that tell the time and flowers that sway with a single touch. vancleefarpels.com

MOTHER Bomber jacket, £470. netaporter.com

NATURE KNOWS BEST

REFORMATION Bethany ballet flats, £268. thereformation.com

Star Seed’s new Forest Cream boasts a waterless formulation made from 100 percent natural, wildcrafted with ingredients from coastal forests. The formula works harmoniously to restore the skin’s natural balance and rebuild the microbiome, nourishing the skin without clogging pores. Made in small batches, Star Seed partners with East African smallholders who forage for its key ingredients, like baobab and neem, ensuring traceability and sustainability. £89, starseednatural.com

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STYLE | Wardrobe

TO THE NINES

Put your best foot forward this social season, says Mariella Tandy

PRELOVED

INVEST

RENT

DIOR Milly Carnivora necklace, £27,400. dior.com

BOTTEGA VENETA @ COCOON CLUB Mini Jodie bag, rent from £19. cocoon.club

SUZANNAH LONDON Dress with cape, £2,490 suzannah.com

GUCCI @ HANDBAG CLINIC Marmont mini bag, £895 handbagclinic.co.uk

LALAGE BEAUMONT Maya Mignon bag, £775. lalagebeaumont.com

ME+EM Dress, £395. meandem.com SIR @ RITES Frankie dress, rent from £79. rites.co

CHRISTIAN LACROIX @ 4ELEMENT Star earrings, from £85.

4element.co.uk

BORGO DE NOR @ RELIKED Dress, £265 reliked.com

PINK PIGLET @ MY WARDROBE HQ Tourmaline earrings, £240. mywardrobehq.com

RIXO @ BY ROTATION Bag, rent from £3. byrotation.com

HOUSE OF BRUAR Swing skirt, £59.95. houseofbruar.com

BUNDLE MACLAREN @ MWHQ Waverley Pout headpiece, rent from £9. mywardrobehq.com BEULAH Yahvi lemon dress, £750. beulahlondon.com

CHANEL @ RELUXE Brooch, £920. reluxefashion.com

THE ATTICO @

BY ROTATION Heels, rent from £39 byrotation.com

MIU MIU @ HEWI Ballet flats, £450. hardlyeverwornit.com

ARANYANI Stone Drops bag, £POA. aranyani.com

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PR O M OT I O N

WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF Lead the celebrations with Malone Souliers’ partyperfect wedding shoes

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here’s nothing as magical or joyful as a wedding – whether you’re the happy couple, part of the bridal party, or there to celebrate your good friends’ happiness.

Step forward, Malone Souliers.

The British brand’s fabulous collection of wedding shoes offers both comfort and oodles of charisma for its wearers – meaning you can dance the night away in style.

For brides, the brand has a divine collection of gorgeous bridal shoes, featuring dreamy pearl and crystal embellishments that’ll put a sparkle in your step as you make your way down the aisle.

For guests, the brand also has a myriad of styles for every outfit.

Designed with flair and finesse in London and handmade in Italy, each pair of Malone Souliers shoes brings personality and elegance to your special occasion ensembles, whether that’s a black tie gown, sleek slip dress, or impeccably tailored

Tala 90 heeled sandals, £765

Bonnie 80 heeled mules, £605

ABOUT THE SHOEMAKER trouser suit. Whatever you’re looking for – luxurious satin styles, dazzling crystal embellishments or sleek slingbacks – Malone Souliers has a shoe for you.

So, for every wedding invite dropping through your letterbox this spring, you can RSVP with a flourish knowing Malone Souliers has the perfect pair for you to hit the dance floor in.

Blythe 80 heeled mules, £580

Founded in 2014 by Mary Alice Malone, Malone Souliers has been crafting timeless, effortlessly modern shoes for discerning women ever since. The brand works with highly skilled Italian makers who use the finest materials to produce shoes that combine beauty with comfort and the perfect fit. A certified member of the Leather Working Group, Malone Souliers also designs and manufactures with a zerowaste approach and continually strives to care for the wellbeing of the planet and its people.

Discover the wedding collection at malonesouliers.com and at Harrods Shoe Heaven. harrods.com

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Suits

YOU

Your complete guide to Royal Ascot style with Fairfax & Favor Designed with town and country in mind, Fairfax & Favor designs and makes luxurious contemporary classics, for an elevated sense of style. fairfaxandfavor.com

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PR O M OT I O N

LEFT: Dress Self-Portrait; Hat Victoria Grant; Belmont bag in Tan Fairfax & Favor; ‘Eternity’ stud earrings Tilly Sveaas CENTRE: Esme jacket in Navy Fairfax & Favor; Dress Emilia Wickstead; Hat Emily London; Loxley bag in Stone and Newbury heel in Porto Blue Fairfax & Favor; ‘Molten’ 18ct gold-plated vermeil hoop earrings Missoma ABOVE: He wears morning suit, shirt and top hat Oliver Brown; Tie and Balmoral loafer Fairfax & Favor. She wears dress The Fold; Hat Awon Golding; Gloves Cornelia James; Brancaster heel in Black, Langham clutch in Melon and Sennowe belt in Melon Fairfax & Favor; ‘Molten’ 18ct gold-plated vermeil hoop earrings Missoma

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BELOW & CENTRE: Beatrice blazer in Ecru, Belmont bag in Black and Newbury heel in Tan, Navy & Cream Fairfax & Favor; Dress Phase Eight; Hat Lock & Co; ‘Eternity’ stud earrings Tilly Sveaas FAR RIGHT: Dress AJE; Hat Lock & Co; Finsbury bag in Stone and Florence wedge in Ivory Fairfax & Favor; ‘Eternity’ stud earrings Tilly Sveaas

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PR O M OT I O N

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BELOW: Esme jacket in Ecru and Highbury clutch in Blush Croc Fairfax & Favor; Dress AJE; Hat Lock & Co; ‘Eternity’ stud earrings Tilly Sveaas CENTRE: He wears blazer, shirt and trousers Hawes & Curtis; Wells deck shoe in Pine Green Fairfax & Favor. She wears dress Ghost; Hat Awon Golding; Finsbury clutch in Stone and Sorrento wedge in Black Fairfax & Favor; Gold hoop earrings Tilly Sveaas FAR RIGHT: Victoria jacket in Biscuit Wool and mini Tetbury bag in Melon Fairfax & Favor; Headband Karen Millen; ‘Molten’ 18ct gold-plated vermeil hoop earrings Missoma

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PR O M OT I O N

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STYLE | Men’s PLACES AND FACES

Formula 1 champ Jenson Button and British actor Matthew Goode are both sporting Hackett’s SS24 collection inspired by sunny Seville, where the palette stretches from trad greens, blues and beiges through to bright mandarin, seagrass and ash pink. hackett.com

LINING UP

Well Groomed Spring style updates, sorted.

By Matt Thomas

This field jacket from Purdey is a sportswear classic and the ultimate in seasonal versatility, with a wool or a cotton lining designed for breathability and comfort in warmer weather. £1,200, purdey.com

BEST OF THE ZEST

Let the sunshine in with a refreshing citrus scent…

OFF THE WALL

Lee has launched a collection inspired by maverick 80s artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, incorporating sweats emblazoned with his riotous artwork through to paint-splattered jeans and customised denim jackets. lee.com

KEEPING IT LIGHT

Lightness is key to the luxurious collections created by British designer Alan Scott, which spans outerwear and casual jackets through to polo shirts, using a revolutionary cashmere stretch technology. alanscott.co.uk

SUNSHINE STYLE

Get summer-ready with these updates for your warm weather wardrobe ABTANY Abrobad swim shorts, £210. abtany.com

SUNSPEL T-shirt, £85. mrporter.com

SWAINE Indy backpack, £2,900. swaine.london

2 LOEWE Solo Vulcan eau de parfum, £118. perfumesloewe.com 3 GEO F. TRUMPER Extract Of Limes Cologne, from £26. trumpers.com 4 ACQUA DI PARMA Mandarino di Sicilia, £147. acquadiparma.com

PHOTOS: © BRYAN ADAMS

MANOLO BLAHNIK Monaco suede loafers, £595. manoloblanik.com

1 PARFUMS DE MARLY Perseus eau de parfum, £245. harrods.com

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THE BESPOKE JOURNEY

Tailor-made creations are at the heart of The House of Swaine. As every product is made by hand in Swaine’s workshops, they can be customised or even created from scratch for discerning customers.

The first step in the journey starts with an in-depth consultation, to discover exactly what the customer would like to commission. Mood boards, pictures and sketches can be provided to further personalise the experience.

Next comes material and leather selection that will bring the design to life. Swatches are always provided, as the tactile sensation of the leather is integral to the bespoke experience.

Then comes the iterative design process, when Swaine’s dedicated in-house team develop the customer’s unique idea, polishing it until it’s exactly as required, and ensuring that it matches the original vision.

Finally, Swaine’s artisans will begin the meticulous process of creation, using their expertise and the chosen materials to bring the unique vision to life.

1

2 MADE BY HAND

The House of Swaine has been proudly crafted by artisans in England since 1750 THE HISTORY

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Established in 1750 as whip and saddlery makers, The House of Swaine has served the British royal family and luxury connoisseurs alike ever since.

Its founder, James Swaine, set the standard for quality British goods – a reputation the brand upholds to this day.

Over the years, The House of Swaine welcomed Brigg Umbrellas and Herbert Johnson Hats to its family, creating a uniquely British luxury offering with elegance, style and craft at its heart.

Almost 300 years later, all House of Swaine products are still made by hand in England by the brand’s team of dedicated artisans. Whether a hat, umbrella or attaché case, all designs are made from the finest selection of natural and durable materials, with leather sourced from English cattle and tanned and shaped in workshops using the traditional bridle leather silage process.

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PR O M OT I O N

THE HOUSE OF SWAINE FAMILY

THE HERBERT JOHNSON COLLECTION, since 1889 The hatter of choice for royalty and nobility in the late 19th century, Herbert Johnson first made its name for its silk-velvet top hats. In the 20th century, its hats witnessed many of era’s sporting and cultural moments: Sir Stirling Moss wore a Herbert Johnson helmet when he won the British Grand Prix at Aintree in 1957, and its hats appeared in The Avengers and Dr Who. Most notably, Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones sported a Herbert Johnson ‘Poet’ felt hat in the iconic film series.

THE LEATHER COLLECTION, since 1750 Swaine is known for its classic attaché cases, which feature traditional construction techniques kept alive by the brand’s master craftspeople.

Each case takes more than 30 hours to make, using the finest English bridle leather, and drawing on Swaine’s saddlery background. Every item is made to last a lifetime, fully repairable and made with passion.

Also in Swaine’s signature leather goods collection are folios, handbags and holdalls, each timeless design crafted to last. Vintage glamour meets modern day elegance in the Margot bag – which can be customised if desired – while the Kensington is a modern laptop bag, sleek and stylish in supple leather.

Swaine is also famed for its bespoke trunks and suitcases, which are made to order in a choice of leathers and colours. Each trunk takes over 500 hours to make.

THE BRIGG COLLECTION, since 1836 Craftmanship and heritage are at the heart of Brigg Umbrellas, an icon of British luxury – its designs can be seen in Singin’ in the Rain and Mary Poppins. All of its umbrella handles are made from the finest hardwoods, like oak, stripped cherry, and polished chestnut, and feature a goldplated collar.

See more at www.swaine.london

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STYLE | Jewellery PEARLY QUEENS

The gemstone gets a bold new look with A Sinner in Pearls’ latest collection, ‘Purity’, which captures the essence of water and the graceful movement of droplets in nature.

Freshwater pearls are paired with onyx, crystal quartz and dalmatian for unisex pieces with real impact. asinnerinpearls.com

BIRD IN THE HAND

The Magpie

Tiffany & Co’s iconic Bird on a Rock design has been given a rainbow makeover in a new collection created as a tribute to its famous designer, Jean Schlumberger. This time, it has been reinterpreted with a curated selection of colourful gemstones, diamonds and pearls accented by rare paillonné enamel. £POA, tiffany.co.uk

The latest jewellery news.

By Mariella Tandy

RETURN OF THE CHOKER

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Fabergé and James Bond have teamed up celebrate the monumental 007 archive. Their first outing is inspired by the 1983 film Octopussy, which actually features a Fabergé egg. The new egg, limited to 50 pieces and taking seven months to make, is crafted from 18ct yellow gold and hand-painted with green enamel. The accompanying locket, meanwhile, is set with blue sapphires and white diamonds, and the octopus inside has two black diamonds for eyes. faberge.com; 007store.com

GOLD RUSH

Super stylist Petra Flannery (who names Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan and Amy Adams among her clients) and her sister Meehan have collaborated with Vrai on a range of vintage-esque Fair Trade diamond and gold pieces, inspired by their California childhood. From £5,000, vrai.com

1 ELHANATI Velvet and flower choker, £7,750. elhanati.com 2 SYDNEY EVAN Beaded choker with charm, £595. brownsfashion.com 3 YSSO Ariadne 18ct gold-plated choker, £700. theysso.com 4 CECE FINE JEWELLERY Sweetheart necklace, from £4,750. cecejewellery.com

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MESSIKA BOUTIQUE Unit 6, East Piazza, Covent Garden London, WC2E 8 HD

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Watches | STYLE

Time to

SHINE Simon de Burton on the latest watch models to get excited about

OOH, IT’S A BIT FROSTY…

Recently arrived Audemars Piguet CEO Ilaria Resta hit the ground running with the launch of one of the grooviest watches of the year so far. The Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon is the result of a collab with Australia-born, London-based fashion designer Tamara Ralph and features a frosted gold case containing a dial composed of three off-set rings made from different tones of pink gold, each with a diamond polished edge. The dial frames a flying tourbillon set with 19 brilliant cut diamonds and the watch is limited to 102 examples. £POA, audemarspiguet.com

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CHAIN REACTION

No watch maker is quite as masterful in the field of form and function as Patek Philippe, so it’s not surprising that the latest version of its classic ‘Golden Ellipse’ dress watch is set to become an instant classic. The original Ellipse was launched in 1968, its elliptical shape being based on the mathematical formula for the ‘golden ratio’.

Combining a gold case with one of the first blue dials seen on a wrist watch, it measured a small but perfect 27mm by 32mm and soon established itself as the ‘sine qua non’ of dress watches. This new version measures a more imposing 34.5mm by 39.5mm, has a deep black dial and brings back the deliciously slinky gold chain bracelet that hasn’t been available on an Ellipse since the 80s.

Fabulous. £51,470, patek.com

THAT’S A CUT ABOVE

Not so long ago the new ‘Cut’ from Hermes might have been described as a watch just for the lay-deez – but with horological gender lines now being thoroughly blurred and smaller case sizes well and truly ‘in’, the 36mm diameter Cut is pitched as a watch for everyone.

Named after the subtly chopped-off edges of its cushion case, the sporty newcomer can be had in steel or steel and rose gold and with or without diamonds. A choice of matching bracelets or a range of brightlycoloured rubber straps (all featuring a quickchange system) make it easy to mix and match your Cut – and to take advantage of its 100 metre water resistance. £5,430, hermes.com 58 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | May / June 2024

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Watches | STYLE AVAST BEHIND

Historic dial name Breguet has dipped into its past as one-time chronometer maker to the French navy and ‘launched’ this new tourbillon in the sea-worthy Marine range. The Reference 5577’s crystal case back reveals a beautifully decorated movement awash with maritime imagery, such as a compass rose and rope-work engraved on the top of the mainspring barrel, a mainplate striped to resemble deck planks and a wave pattern decorating the platinum peripheral rotor. The nautical theme extends to the strap, too: whether you choose rubber, leather, or a metal bracelet, the clasp is based on the look of a ship’s wheel. It costs £174,200 in platinum or £158,200 rose gold – so watch out for pirates... breguet.com

I ZAY, ZAT’S GOOD STUFF

Harry Winston’s ‘Project Z’ kicked-off 20 years ago with the introduction of the ‘Z-10’ watch featuring a case made from a sci-fi-sounding material called Zalium – an ‘exclusive’ dark grey Zirconium-based alloy that is ultralight, non-allergenic, non-corrosive and decidedly tough. And Zalium has certainly stood the test of time, as demonstrated by its appearance in these new versions of the high-end brand’s Ocean range of sports watches. Limited to just 50 pieces each in zingy neon green and black, turquoise and orange or navy blue and white, they feature open worked dials based on the architecture of New York’s Manhattan Bridge. Which way to the beach? £21,600, harrywinston.com

YOU MIDAS WELL Rolex wowed the crowds at April’s Watches and Wonders show in Geneva by pulling the wraps off a shamelessly decadent version of its ‘Deepsea’ dive model with a case and bracelet hewn from 18 carat yellow gold. The veritable sea monster of a timepiece weighs a wristdragging 320 grams – but it’s far from being all show and no go. The massive case features a helium escape valve and guarantees ‘waterproofness’ (as Rolex likes to call it) down to a lung-crushing 3,900 metres.

There’s also a scratch-proof ceramic bezel and a ‘Glidelock’ bracelet clasp that makes it easy to adjust in the (unlikely) event that you need to strap it over the cuff of your wet suit… £45,700, rolex.com

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HE’S ALWAYS A GOOD SPORT With Wimbledon fortnight just around the corner, we should all be dusting-off our racquets and ironing our thigh-skimming skirts – and that’s just the boys. And while we’re at it, let’s not forget to equip ourselves with a watch just like Rafa’s (that’s Rafael Nadal, to those unfamiliar with Spain’s master of the green sward). For the past decade, he’s worn ultra high-tech Richard Mille tourbillons built to withstand the shock of his mighty forehand – and the latest RM 35-03 Automatic Rafael Nadal model features a patented ‘butterfly rotor’ that enables its mechanism to be adjusted to alter winding speed, just as a modern car’s transmission can be switched from ‘comfort’ to ‘sport’.

So whether you’re thrashing-out a match-sealing tie-break on Centre Court or slobbing out on the sofa watching the Wimbledon highlights, the mainspring of your RM35-03 should always be perfectly tensioned. Phew…. £POA, richardmille.com

BACK TO THE FUTURE

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

Who needs designers when you have a back catalogue as rich in fabulous creations as Longines? Well, the historic Swiss maker does need a designer or two to keep things fresh – but they seem to know the meaning of restraint and are not prone to over-tinkering with the classics.

Which is why the latest versions of the Conquest model (created to mark the 70th anniversary of Longines landmark dive watch) successfully combine a modern feel with a vintage look. As the name suggests, the Conquest Heritage Central Power Reserve gets a power reserve indicator in the middle of its lovely anthracite dial, which also features contrasting gold-coloured hands and hour markers. £3,500, longines.com 60 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | May / June 2024

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Watches | STYLE GUCCI COO COO

The roots of the ‘fashion watch’ can be traced back to a remarkable man called Severin Wunderman who persuaded Aldo Gucci to grant him sole rights to produce Gucci timepieces back in 1972. Under the ownership of luxury goods giant Kering since 1999, Gucci now takes it watch division extremely seriously - as evinced by its latest series of high complication models that includes this addition to the 25H collection, its first-ever minute repeater. Featuring three tiny hammers and gongs that sound the hours, quarters and minutes, the 340-part movement is housed in an ultra-thin ‘tri-layer’ case with an octagonal crown hidden at three o’clock. The intricately patterned openwork dial was inspired by ‘cymatics’ – the creation of forms from sound waves. £POA, gucci.com

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

LOOK WHAT JUST BREEZED IN

The latest take on couture house Dior’s eency, weency, tiny, teen La D de Dior cocktail watch is this ‘Etoile des Vents’ or ‘Wind Star’ model. Penned by Victoire de Castellane - who has been Dior’s head of watch and jewellery design for 23 years the watch takes inspiration from the ‘lucky star’ beloved of brand founder Christian Dior. Choose from dials made from motherof-pearl (£42,000) or malachite (£44,000), each decorated with golden stars set with diamonds and contained in gold cases with diamond-set bezels. dior.com

WELL THAT CERTAINLY TOOK OFF

It’s widely accepted that one of the first men’s wrist watches was made for pioneer aviator Alberto Santos Dumont. The Brazilian-born pilot was a close friend of jeweller Louis Cartier and (so the story goes) complained to him about the difficulties of having to use a pocket watch at the controls of his aircraft - so, in 1904, Cartier presented him with a watch designed specifically for wearing on the wrist while flying. Seven years down the line it went on public sale as the ‘Santos’ – and almost 115 years (and lots of evolution) later, it remains one of Cartier’s most popular models. Several new models are available this year, but we love this three-hander with a smoky brown dial that comes with both a bracelet and a leather strap. £7,400 (large model), cartier.com n May / June 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 61

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STYLE | Social Scene

Wiggy Hindmarch

Philippa Thackeray

Kerstin Remy

Charlotte Stavrou Ruby Raut

Eshita Kabra-Davies Jade Holland Cooper

Madeleine Sangster

Alexandra Carello

EVERY WOMAN

Nina Briance

Desideria Tantalo

Marina Beaumont

Priya Downes

Nathalie Schyllert

Chrissie Rucker

Lucy Cleland

Celebrating International Women’s Day at The Hari hotel

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or the second year running, County & Town House and Paper London hosted a lunch at The Hari hotel in Knightsbridge to acknowledge and celebrate female founders.

Our very special speaker, Chrissie Rucker of The White Company, shared her founder journey with 35 guests, wowing them with the fact that she built a business without any outside investment that is now worth hundreds of millions. Chrissie is also really passionate about paying it forward and as patron of The Prince’s Trust, in 2018 she started the campaign #ChangeAGirlsLife with the aim of raising funds and empowering young women across the UK in employment, education or by starting their own businesses. With investment in female-founded brands still dismally low, stories were shared around successes and challenges from founders at all stages of their business journey.

Whatever the future, supporting each other with insight, knowledge, experience and a glass of Pomello spritz feels a good way to keep breaking down those barriers.

Alice Edwards Sophie Lis

Butty McConville Malin Spano

Maeve Doyle Amy Powney

Katie Fyfe Rahel Tesfai

Carmella Sternberg Coco Baraer Panazza

PHOTOS: © MARCUS DAWES

Marine Tanguy

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Unlock your hidden beauty.

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HEALTH &

PHOTOGRAPHER: LACHLAN BAILEY; STYLIST: GERALDINE SAGLIO

WELLBEING

Hit Your STRIDE While we can’t all look like Gisele Bündchen, we can take our cues from her healthfilled approach to life. The supermodel has collaborated with luxury athleisure label Vaara on its new SS24 collection of sporty swimwear and pilates-to-brunch activewear. Belted swimsuit, £240. vaara.com

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Wellness

BODY & SOUL

between the gut and the brain, resulting in a predisposition to psychiatric or neurological disorders.’ She goes on to say, ‘We each, as individuals, differ in our ability to detoxify from these pollutants, which is reflected in Camilla Hewitt is on a mission to combat pollution at home the variation in our susceptibility to developing chronic diseases. nvironmental pollutants Paying attention to stress levels, How toxic are your bed sheets? are cited as one of the sleep, regular exercise, gut-friendly main factors influencing fibre, and fermented foods will all health. Air pollution, positively enhance our microbiomes and our bodies ability to deal with water contamination, and the chemical substances environmental pollutants.’ in the food we eat, the products While we can all make healthy we use, and the homes and buildings we live and lifestyle choices to limit their effects, work in can all contribute to chronic disease. we must acknowledge that most pollutants derive from human Although we are becoming increasingly aware activities. In order to have a positive of this link, the invisibility of pollutants means impact, each one of us needs to work they often go ignored.

Ecological medicine expert Dr Jenny towards using greener alternatives. n Goodman (drjennygoodman.com) gives us an insight into just one of the ways harmful substances can enter the body and be detrimental to health. ‘The skin is the largest organ in the body. It absorbs all sorts of toxic chemicals from not only cosmetics, perfumes, and deodorants but also from clothing and bed linen. Most of the Four home products chemicals that contaminate fabrics are lipophilic that won’t pollute or fat-soluble, meaning they can penetrate the skin and then head for fatty organs, which include the brain. These petrochemicals have been implicated in cancer, endocrine disruption (messing with your hormones), reproductive and neurological problems.’ When looking for clothing and bedding, Dr Goodman recommends investing in fabrics such as organic cotton, hemp, flax linen, and undipped wool.

Dr Nikita Grover, who is the Head of Functional Medicine at Lanserhof at The Arts Club (theartsclub.co.uk), points out the knock-on effect of environmental pollutants that enter the gut: ‘Chemical substances foreign to animal life disrupt our intestinal microbiota, causing dysbiosis. This, in turn, impacts the resilience of our immune systems, increases the risk of metabolic disorders, and manipulates the two-way communication

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SQUEAKY CLEAN

Fronted in glass and Cornish stone, Noordhoek is an eco-retreat on the edge of Porthcothan Beach on Cornwall’s north coast. Built using local suppliers and craftspeople, the property boasts solar panels and EV chargers for electric boats, plus an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, and its own yoga studio with bifold doors, meaning guests can make the most of the fresh saline air.

BOOK IT: From £5,050, sleeps 12-16 guests. perfectstays.co.uk

2 Hello Klean Removes pollutants and impurities from water, such as chlorine and heavy metals, and minimises their harsh effects. Purifying Shower Filter, £65. helloklean.com 3 Navy Grey British made, within a radius of 145 miles from fibre to finished jumper.

Field Vest, £250. navygrey.co 4 Piglet in Bed Woven from European flax linen and cotton. Quilt, from £309. pigletinbed.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

CHECK IN: NOORDHOEK

1 Reome Contains broccoli leaf and aloe extract, clinically proven to purge skin of the effects air pollution. Three Suns Balm Cleanser, £55 .reome.com

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Hästens 2000T® Experience the bed of your dreams at your nearest Hästens store.

Photography Simon Procter

HASTENS.COM

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Review

BODY Language Olivia Falcon checks out London’s new longevity clinics

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ryan Johnson is a man on a mission and a social media sensation who spends around $2 million a year biohacking and blueprinting every organ of his body in a live experiment to live longer and live better.

The good news is you probably don’t need to spend quite as much to dip your toe into the longevity pool as London is awash with new clinics and private healthcare clubs promising to enhance and extend our lifespans.

First up: The Galen Clinic (consults from £500; thegalenclinic. com) is a plush townhouse off Harley Street, founded by Dr Andreas Androulakakis a renowned surgeon who has overseen the aesthetics arm of the famed Palace Merano Medi Spa in Italy for the last 15 years. At Galen, Dr Andreas will be offering both non-invasive injectable cosmetic treatments as well as surgical procedures such as face lifts and breast rejuvenation in the clinic’s state of the art operating theatre. Also on the menu, comprehensive diagnostic testing with in-house functional medicine guru, Dr Nathan Curran, who might suggest the new EBO2 Ozone Therapy, a real boon for those circling the drain of burnout, it involves extracting blood from the patient’s arm and oxygenating it to boost the mitochondria cells Solice – the machine also has an infrared filter to reduce inflammation to give one an incredible boost of energy. There are also dermatology services led by Catherine Borysiewicz, the Duchess of York’s dermatologist and a raft of other specialists on hand.

For those who feel they never get enough airtime with their GP, Solice is a new generation members-only healthcare concept (from £4,950 for a three-month membership; solice.health) that provides unlimited access to Hooke London a private GP, health concierge and advanced

MIND OVER MATTER

BLUR

Sweed Miracle Powder works like the Paris Instagram filter to magically blur imperfections and imbue skin with an incredible glow. Free from talc and bismuth oxychloride, it contains vitamins and minerals.

In five shades. £38, sweed beauty.com

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SOAK

The ultimate hostess gift and so much better than a box of chocolates, these cold pressed organic oils from Nyita are supercharged with plant infusions and sublime fragrances such as pink damask rose, zesty yuzu and ylang-ylang. Bath Oil Discovery Set, £125. nyitacollection.com

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SOOTHE

Scientifically formulated to fight inflammaging, this powerful cream contains xanthohumol, an antioxidant 30 times more powerful than vitamin C. It tones down redness, fades pigmentation and gives skin a sheen of good health.

Pro XN Antioxidant Therapy, £129. proxn.eu

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PERFECT

Formulated with powerful antiinflammatory ingredients that rapidly repair blemishes without damaging the skin – apply eyeAM’s Crystal Clear Pigmentation and Spot Treatment with a rose quartz applicator. £29. eyeamworld.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

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diagnostic test such as epigenetic testing which will evaluate your predisposition to ageing diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s with curated regenerative programmes led by Dr Tamzin Lewis and Dr Liza Osagie-Clouard.

Hooke London also offers in-depth health assessments aiming to boost your body, mind and emotional resilience (from £7,500; hooke.london). Guests are asked to fill in detailed questionnaires crafted by the psychiatry team, who want to know how you cope with change and stress. There are also blood panels and full body scans, with results given through an interactive presentation before guests are handed to a team of experts who might include Professor Boloux, a world leader in endocrinology and a godsend for women in the menopause.

Therapies range from personalised supplementation and meal deliveries to behavioural coaching for motivation, and physiotherapy. If you are someone who also puts yourself at the bottom of your to-do list then this service is for you. n

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THE HOME OF COUNTRY CLOTHING SCOTLAND AT ITS VERY BEST

To request a copy of our new Spring Summer catalogue please call 01796 483236 or visit our website.

Many amazing fresh Spring brands are also available online.

WWW.HOUSEOFBRUAR.COM

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Notes

The SCOOP

Caroline Phillips on lingo and lasers LEARN THE LINGO

If you’ve ‘done’ the Zoe app, possibly the most intriguing feature of the gut, blood fat, and blood sugar response programme was wearing the glucose monitor – which tells you how your body’s glucose levels react to certain circumstances, food (sugar – in all its forms generally means a big spike), exercise and stress. But the sensor they use is meant for those who actually already have Type 2 Diabetes.

Now though, for wellness warriors interested in preventative measures and those wanting to improve their metabolism, Abbott – a global leader in diabetes care and the company behind the Freestyle Libre monitor used in Zoe – has launched a consumer lifestyle wearable called Lingo. It’s the same principle – you stick the biosensor in your arm and off you go – logging your meals, exercise and other activities on the app and learning – through prompts, and educative bites of information, how to better manage and understand your own glucose reactions.

The more steady your graph, which looks rather like a mountain range with troughs and peaks throughout the day, and the fewer larger and long-lasting spikes you log, the better functioning your insulin regulation – and better blood sugar control you have.

Given that, according to Diabetes UK, 4.3 million people in the UK live with diabetes and roughly 850,000 people could be living with diabetes who are yet to be diagnosed, and a further 13.6 million are pre-diabetic (and probably don’t know it), Lingo is part of the new wave of preventative healthy tech that empowers us as individuals to get a grip of what’s going on with us personally – wearing it for two months is advisable to give you a decent time range in which to monitor yourself – and to be able to test out what works and what doesn’t. Future iterations will have more actionable feedback. Two-month programme, £300. hellolingo.com

LIGHT FANTASTIC

Listen up Lyma fans, the Lyma Laser Pro, the must-have device that uses low-level laser therapy (LLLT) to help smooth fine lines, fade acne scars, tighten skin and regenerate muscle, has arrived, boasting three times more power than the original. Unlike traditional red-light therapy, Lyma activates cellular rejuvenation deep within the skin – as used for decades in hospitals for cartilage repair to wound healing. It’s ouchy-pricey but, bye-bye plastic surgeons, pain and downtime, hello smoother, tighter, brighter skin.

The LYMA Laser Pro, £4,995. lyma.life

CELL IT TO ME

If you don’t know this very effective, Swiss skincare brand, get it on your radar now. Better still, book for it to come (with a therapist) to your home.

Because Cellcosmet has partnered with the fabulous Lucie app, allowing you to experience this wellness offering chez vous. Lucie may send Sezen (an ex-Bulgari Spa therapist) to do your facial. You’ll then enjoy a two-step cleanse, exfoliation, clay mask, face and hand massage, hot and cold compresses. Your skin will be radiant and revitalised. 90 mins, £250. lucieapp.co.uk

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Beauty Dilemma

At a LOSS

HYDROPEPTIDE Retinol Routine Booster, £84. hydropeptide.co.uk

DIOR Capture Totale Hyalushot wrinkle filler, £75. dior.com

ALASTIN SKINCARE Regenerating Skin Nectar with TriHex Technology, £180. skinpharmacy.co.uk

Nathalie Eleni targets skin laxity

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DR SEBAGH Platinum Gold Elixir £395. drsebagh.com

SKINCEUTICALS C E Ferulic, £165. skinceuticals.co.uk

WILDSMITH SKIN Active Repair Copper Peptide Serum, £100. wildsmithskin.com

CURRENTBODY NuFACE Trinity device, £302. currentbody.com

HELLO SUNDAY The Illuminating One Glow Primer, £23. cultbeauty.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

ith the latest skin tightening technology available, it’s not only your spirits that will be lifted. Skin laxity occurs when collagen and elastin fibres (think of them as the scaffolding for your skin) start to break down, resulting in loose or sagging skin.

What causes collagen breakdown? Although it’s a natural result of ageing, exposure to harmful UV rays, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, weight loss and genetics all add to the mix.

Are there any quick beauty hacks? Home-use gadgets like CurrentBody’s NuFace range (from £162, currentbody.com) – which uses microcurrents to gently stimulate muscles and help improve muscle tone long term – can also give a temporary lifting effect as a quick fix. Face massage is another way to instantly change the look of skin. Use upward lifting movements, with medium pressure and an oil or serum to allow glide (no dragging!), and a pinch-and-lift movement along the brow-bone – this can work wonders to help release muscle tension, which can exaggerate the look of heavy-looking lids.

Can face cream help? Although I truly believe you should never underestimate the powers of a good moisturiser, expectations should be realistic. A cosmeceutical-grade vitamin C like Skinceuticals C E Ferulic can help stimulate collagen production, as can retinol. Peptides and amino acids can also help to improve the skin condition and encourage a slight tightening effect over time, giving an overall healthy appearance to your complexion. But, most importantly of all, an SPF should be worn every day – I recommend Hello Sunday’s illuminating primer.

What about micro-needling? Certain home micro-needles are great for product absorption, but to get the collagen-boosting results to help lift and tighten skin, a professional treatment needs to be carried out. I have been micro-needling my clients’ skin for years. It creates micro-wounds that supercharge your skin’s natural collagen production, and results can be amazing.

I use the Xcellaris Pro Twist, which triggers the body’s natural regeneration process (treatments from £250, omniya.co.uk) How about remodelling treatments? Dr Jennifer Doyle, Head of Aesthetics at The Clinic Holland Park, recommends Softwave non-surgical treatments as a successful way to achieve remodelling and lift. ‘Energy is delivered 1.5mm below the surface of the skin, targeting the mid-dermis exclusively to stimulate huge amounts of collagen. The clever way in which the ultrasound is delivered means that the energy coverage is superior to other devices on the market,’ she says (treatments from £1,750, theclinichollandpark.com).

And injectables? If you don’t want to go down the filler route, Dr Wassim Taktouk advises Sculptra for increasing skin firmness and definition (treatments from £800, drwassimtaktouk. com). It is an injectable bio-stimulator clinically proven to increase skin’s natural collagen production to help volume loss. It’s a great non-surgical option to achieve a sculpted jawline, with results lasting up to two years. n 72 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | May / June 2024

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PR O M OT I O N

HEALTH IS WEALTH Echelon Health is the world’s leading provider of preventative health assessments

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

chelon Health, located at the heart of Harley Street, is one of the world’s leading providers of Preventative Health Assessments. The clinic utilises only the most advanced and cutting-edge imaging technology that, combined with the talent of its renowned radiologists and doctors, enables the clinic to detect tumours as small as 1-2mm and subsequently, detect up to 92 percent and 95 percent of the causes of preventable death among men and women, respectively (available via the Platinum Assessment).

Echelon Health recognises Dr Paul Jenkins, that no single scanner can assess Medical Director for all diseases, so it utilises a combination of advanced MRI, CT and ultrasound technology, alongside comprehensive blood tests such as tumour markers, to give its clients optimum accuracy in their results.

The most comprehensive assessment takes six hours to complete, with no down time.

The clinic, situated in a beautiful Harley Street establishment, also benefits from having it own in-house medical advisory committee, which comprises a large network of best-infield consultants and practitioners, who consistently advise Echelon Health on best practice and provide knowledge on the most up-to-date medical science, meaning it remains at the forefront of preventative medicine.

Echelon Health’s Platinum and Gold clients have access to a beautifully appointed private suite for complete privacy during the assessment, which can be extended to accommodate couples coming to undergo the assessment together.

Call Echelon Health on +44 (0)20 7580 7688 for a confidential conversation with one of its private client managers or email info@echelon.health

CASE STUDY Amanda Wakeley OBE reflects on her assessment with Echelon Health ‘The combination of losing a seemingly healthy sibling to a brain tumour, a milestone birthday, and 30+ years of a highly stressful career were the catalysts for me in signing up for the Echelon Platinum Health Assessment.

If you are like me, with a positive mindset, with a healthy lifestyle, it is less scary to assume that 'all is well'. However the reality is sometimes we have no idea of what is actually going on in our bodies – and our health is truly our most important asset. A hackneyed old phrase but so true.

My assessment was incredibly thorough. The day was stress free as I was gently guided from one procedure or check to another, always with kind reassurance and informed answers to my many questions.

The follow up consultation was reassuring but also revealed a couple of issues that my regular health checks would not have uncovered, and if left untreated would possibly have had an impact at a later date. I feel encouraged by this health MOT, relieved to be aware of where my body is at, and reminded to never be complacent or take my health for granted.’

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CULTURE En Plein Air

PHOTO: © RSC

As summer returns, so too does outdoor theatre.

And what else projects better than The Bard’s back catalogue? His work was built for the open stage. As You Like It at the Holloway Garden Theatre, 18 July to 1 September. rsc.org.uk

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CULTURE | What’s On

Meadow Shadow cushion design by Tord Boontje

THE CULTURAL CALENDAR

Installations and exhibitions perfect for aesthetes, says Tessa Dunthorne

WILD CHILD

Nick Waplington’s Living Room is an intimate series of photos taken of family, friends and neighbours on the Broxtowe housing estate in Nottingham. Timeless documentary images taken with deliberate care to avoid a voyeuristic gaze and an absolute must-see. Until 25 May, hamiltonsgallery.com

CHEETAH GIRLS

Kenyan-born artist Alexandra Spyratos brings her solo show to west London’s Catharine Miller gallery. Exhibiting art inspired by the rich wildlife of Africa, you’d be forgiven for mistaking Chelsea with a sub-Saharan safari. From 25 May, alexandraspyratos.com

FLOWER POWER

MOVERS, SHAKERS

Featuring groundbreaking modernist art from Ukraine, In The Eye of the Storm explores the works made in the early 20th century of the Balkan state in the wake of collapsing empires, wars and total state upheaval.

29 June to 13 October, royalacademy.org.uk

Well-heeled folk treading the King’s Road will be sharing the pavement with largerthan-life floral installations, as Chelsea in Bloom returns in all its vibrant glory. ‘Floral Feasts’ is the theme this year – watch you don’t become lunch for one Very Hungry Caterpillar – we hear he’s hardly ever satiated.

20-26 May, chelseainbloom.co.uk

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PHOTOS: © JOHAN PERSSON & ISAAC ANTHONY

FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM

Kew Wakehurst is well worth a day trip this summer – its sunny season art programme, Meadowland, champions one of Britain’s most threatened habitats: the meadow. Colourful art installations take over the landscape here, and, hopefully, so too will a bunch of creepy crawlies and critters.

From 14 June, kew.org/wakehurst

Chelsea Hospital’s resident pensioners

The Critical LIST

Watch, read, listen

THE C&TH GUIDE TO…

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

After winning big this awards season, The Bear is back for its third instalment, with Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and all the others set to return for another dose of high-octane drama. Out June, Disney+

TV

Blissful blooms and bio-design. By Wendy Scott

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lamboyant f lorals, dandy designs and precious plants from across the world signal in spring with the sensation that is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Held annually, the event presents progressive gardens from cutting-edge practitioners that go beyond the decorative and incorporate ecological principles and biodiverse design.

PHOTOS: © JOHAN PERSSON & ISAAC ANTHONY

SO WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? Starting as a pre-war gardening show in a mini marquee in 1913 and evolving into a gargantuan and globally revered platform, Chelsea Flower Show is the premier UK extravaganza for plantcentred design and all things horticultural.

Vaulting way beyond a mere garden show darling, the event’s eco credentials have risen substantially during the last decade, making it a Mecca for future-forward concepts on sustainability, urban greening and biodiversity.

WHAT’S THERE TO SEE? As well as the spectacular annual Show and Sanctuary Gardens, Pavilions and Plant Studios, there are several others we won’t be missing: The Boodles National Gallery Garden celebrates the 200th anniversary of the culture hub, and takes inspiration from paintings there including Seurat, Van Gogh and Monet; a Roman Garden

by The Newt in Somerset, honouring ancient gardening traditions with playful and innovative design – fountains, architectural features, frescoes and healing plants, will be on display; The Bowel Research UK Microbiome Garden looks at the connection between the health of

Jeff Nicols’ hotly-anticipated 1960s film The Bikeriders is primed to arrive in cinemas this summer, complete with an all-star cast that features Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy. Out 21 June Spot royals as well as plants at CFS

the soil, wildlife and our microbiome, and features an edible meadow; The Planet Good Earth Garden mimics a natural forest ecosystem; The Water Aid Garden models a future with less reliable weather patterns; and The World Child Cancer’s Nurturing Garden features keyhole gardens saving water/ soil nutrients.

AND WHAT ABOUT REFRESHMENTS? Created in collaboration with The Dorchester, The Drawing Room offers floral-inspired champagne afternoon tea, bar bites and chilled drinks, while Spring Garden at Chelsea (for private clients and intimate groups) is a stylish space where guests embrace the simplicity and seasonality of renowned chef Skye Gyngell’s food. There are also plenty of cafes, food courts and picnic areas, too.

From 21-25 May (21-22 May for RHS members only). From £38.85 for members and £48.85 for non-members. rhs.org.uk

FILM

The latest A-lister to join the West End is Tom Holland, starring in Jamie Lloyd’s pulsating adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, at Duke of York’s Theatre. 11 May to 3 Aug

PLAY

A must for your summer reading list.

Three sisters return to their family home following a loss in Blue Sisters, the new novel from Cleopatra and Frankenstein author Coco Mellers.

Out 23 May

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GET IN THE SWING

The ultimate guide to The Boodles Tennis

Picturesque Stoke Park is home to the annual Boodles Tennis championship

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eturning to the Buckinghamshire countryside from 25 June to 29 June 2024 is the 20th edition of The Boodles Tennis, one of the highlights of the British social season. A five-day tennis event featuring the world’s leading tennis professionals from around the world, it takes place in the magnificent grounds of the beautiful Stoke Park, acting as an intimate warm up to the Wimbledon Championships.

THE VENUE

Situated only 35 minutes from central London, Stoke Park has been the host venue of The Boodles since the event was created by organisers ACE Group International in 2002. With over 1,000 years of history and a star of the silver screen having appeared in many movies over the years (including 007’s Goldfinger, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year) the iconic Stoke Park exemplifies luxury and world class hospitality.

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PR O M OT I O N

THE EVENT

The Boodles is truly a unique event and the most lavish warm-up for The Championships at Wimbledon – truly a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience. It is a heady mix of high calibre tennis featuring Wimbledon stars, combined with a day of unmatched hospitality on the manicured lawns of Stoke Park.

The Boodles has the feel of an English garden party, with a relaxed atmosphere where champagne flows and tennis stars mingle with guests in intimate and beautiful surroundings. The purpose-built stadium fits just 2,000 people, and no seats are further than ten metres from the grass court, giving visitors a front row seat to the action.

With an exclusive list of official sponsors, such as Patek Philippe and the established status of their title sponsor, Boodles, guests will experience the luxury and service that has become so synonymous with these brands of excellence.

The gates open at 11.30am daily, and the tennis starts at 2.30pm, with close of play expected at around 6.30pm (though the duration of matches varies). Opening hours are extended on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

While the appearance of specific players can’t be guaranteed, the 2024 event is primed to showcase some of the world’s top male tennis players.

To give you an idea, in previous years the event has attracted the world’s top tennis stars such as Novak Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafa Nadal to name a few.

THE FOOD AND DRINK

A wide range of food and drink will be on offer for guests, with a full selection of exquisite public catering on offer.

Over the years, The Boodles Tennis has welcomed superstar players like Novak Djokovic (above)

Hospitality packages are also available in both the Legends’ Enclosure and the Players’ Enclosure.

The Legends’ Enclosure package includes food and wine plus reserved court-side seats offering unparalleled views of the tennis. You’ll also be treated to afternoon tea in your private area.

Even more lavish is the Players’ Enclosure package. Your day will kick off with a champagne reception while you browse the Boodles jewels on display, followed by a gourmet threecourse lunch, plus a chance to watch interviews with the tennis stars before they take to the court. You can then enjoy the matches from your private court-side box. Afternoon tea is then served.

THE DRESS CODE

The dress code is ‘smart casual’, with guests invited to dress for a ‘glamorous summer party’.

BOOK IT: Tickets available now from £105. theboodles.com

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CULTURE | What’s On

PREVIEW

Ellie Smith gets access all areas to the Princess Diana photo archive

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e’ve all seen countless images of Princess Diana – but do we know the stories behind them?

A new exhibition will offer fresh insight into one of the world’s most famous royals, offering a behind-the-lens look at a selection of images taken by her official photographers, Anwar Hussein and his two sons Samir and Zak. Opening this May at St Katharine Docks in London, Princess Diana – Accredited Access will showcase 75 photographs taken by the Hussein family over the course of Diana’s lifetime, alongside first-hand accounts of the stories behind them. The Husseins had special access to the Princess and her family, spending over four decades working alongside them, meaning they were able to capture numerous significant moments – both public and private.

Photographs on display will

include Diana sitting alone outside the Taj Mahal, the ‘revenge dress’ that she wore to a dinner in 1994, and the handshake she shared with a HIV patient – an instrumental moment in ending the stigma surrounding the virus.

The exhibition is arriving in London following successful runs in the US, Canada and Australia.

‘I am honoured and humbled to have been given the opportunity to photograph Princess Diana so extensively and to have had the pleasure of having many friendly and insightful conversations with her,’ said Anwar. ‘I am delighted that the images captured, as well as those of my sons, are coming home to London to recognise and memorialise such a remarkable woman and her sons.’

25 May to 2 September, princessdianaexhibit.com

MY Cultural Life

The Famous Five actor Ann Akinjirin is nostalgic for Sweet Valley High

The exhibition offers an all-new insight into the princess’s life

obsessed with Sweet Valley High! I think because it featured young people. I liked the on-screen portrayal of it, found the stories fascinating, loved the dialogue and the way the books were written. It gripped me.

This version of The Famous Five isn’t… infantilising.

They’re not spoon feeding the story to viewers. If you were a fan of the books as a child, you’ll be surprised by how they’ve brought it to the screen this time around. Child or not, you’ll enjoy it.

A moment on screen that forever changed me… is in the final season of Breaking Bad. Walt’s brother-in-law, the cop, sits on the toilet and five seasons suddenly click.

The best book I’ve read recently is… Cleopatra and Frankenstein. I loved that the characters were flawed and messy.

And I really love the way people write New York in books.

My ultimate London weekend is… A hot weekend consisting of a long, aimless stroll along a canal. Then to a gallery – the National Portrait Gallery is my favourite – before lunch or dinner at a tapas restaurant. After that – sitting and giggling on the sofa with my love.

My top painting of all time is… The Negro Scipion, a painting

by Paul Cézanne. It was at the Tate Modern last year.

An actor we should all watch out for… I recently saw Anatomy of a Fall. The kid in that [Milo Machado-Graner] is exceptional.

In the final part of The Famous Five… You can expect the troop to really come into their own. It’s faster, more intense and hair raising than what has come before, with great performances from new ensemble cast members.

The Famous Five returns to BBC in May. bbc.co.uk/iplayer

PHOTOS: © ANWAR HUSSEIN

I didn’t read The Famous Five when I was young… I was

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Books | CULTURE

DO YOU REMEMBER?

Richard Hopton reviews three books that mine a deep seam of memoir

PHOTOS: © ANWAR HUSSEIN

1

COLD KITCHEN,

by Caroline Eden

In her beautifully written, evocative book Caroline Eden relives her travels by cooking in her basement kitchen in Edinburgh. She is certainly well travelled: Uzbekistan, Russia, Istanbul, Georgia, the Baltic states, Poland, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine all feature in this book. By cooking its food, she conjures up memories of each far-flung place: ‘a kitchen,’ she writes, ‘is a portal... providing unlikely paths out of the ordinary.’ We hear, for example, of her stay in Gyumri in Armenia and her brush with a populist anti-government rising in Bishkek, Tajikistan’s capital. At the same time, she delights in many different regional delicacies: Uzbek melons, Russian meat pies, or Latvian bread-and-beer pudding, among many others. This is a book which takes itself seriously – food is no laughing matter, after all – but an engaging one. Bloomsbury, £18.99

2

WAYFARER,

by Phoebe Smith

Walking is for many people a liberation.

The metronomic act of putting one foot in front of the other, mile after mile, frees the mind. Phoebe Smith, already an inveterate adventurer, took it a step further by walking some of the pilgrim routes that have been revived in recent years in Britain and Ireland: St Columba’s Way, St Hilda’s Way and many others. ‘I know,’ she writes, ‘that I had to walk old paths in order to discover new trails.’ She might have added that walking these pilgrim trails, imbued with ancient religious significance, gave her the time, space and inspiration to come to terms with her troubled background, her mother’s death, and abusive, coercive relationships. As she walks, Smith reveals her love of nature and the countryside in poignant, finely observed prose. HarperNorth, £16.99

3

MY FAMILY AND OTHER SEEDLINGS,

by Lalage Snow

In a previous life, Lalage Snow was a photojournalist covering the world’s war zones, living for a while in Kabul. In My Family she tells of her attempts to cultivate an allotment in a Dorset village. She fights weeds and slugs, plants, hoes and, eventually, harvests while looking after two young children and a baby. As the year progresses, we learn much about the history of vegetables – more interesting than you might think – and, at intervals, she delves back into her journalistic experiences, especially once the Russians invade Ukraine. The allotment helped rationalise the world: ‘When events seemed to spiral beyond comprehension I found a sense of stillness,’ she writes. It’s no mean feat to turn a tale about allotments and young children into an enjoyable, informative and charming book. Quercus Books, £22

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CULTURE | Books pull off this balance to perfection – something terrible is happening, but you recognise yourself within the lightness.

BIBLIOFILE

Why is water central to your work – it’s also the medium of your debut, Our Wives Under the Sea? I don’t think it was conscious

Belinda Bamber talks queerness and the apocalypse with Julia Armfield

until I realised water/the ocean is a trope in a lot of formative lesbian media: movies like Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Ammonite and Water Lilies, novels like Sara Jaffe’s Dryland, and Kirsty Logan’s The Gloaming.

There’s something in the image of water that speaks to duality – the idea of being one thing on the surface and another beneath, which can be so key to the queer experience. Proximity to water somehow goes hand-in-hand with the concept of coming out or coming into oneself more fully, the idea of an odyssey or a baptism, of moving through water to become more fully yourself.

Private Rites shows three sisters navigating love, life, work and their tyrannical father, in the face of apocalyptic floods. What did you enjoy about writing it? Exploring the way

banality and dailiness always assert themselves no matter the extremes people face – it shows their adaptability, but also their apathy and powerlessness. Writing this novel was partly confronting that apathy – by considering what will persist when everything else falls apart (work, commuting to work, complaining about work etc) and what a waste of time that all is.

You’ve called it ‘King Lear with lesbians at the end of the world’. What does the sisters’ queerness bring to the story? I think it is

the story – when I was mapping out the arc of this novel, I became very interested in the way that disaster epics and apocalypse narratives in fi lm and literature tend to ring fence the importance of the traditional nuclear family. In an emergency, the priority is to get your family into the bunker. I wanted to deconstruct that a little from a queer perspective and consider what would happen if your nuclear family was not safe, or worth keeping safe, and how your disaster narrative would unfold.

Do you have ‘private rites’ around writing?

There’s a fallacy that writing has to take place in this rarified space, and I think this myth allows writing to become an elitist pursuit, only open to those with time and means. In reality, you write whenever you can: I have a full-time job so getting it done is, to me, the only point.

Can we learn about love from books?

Do you see yourself in a tradition of queer writers? We’re all just writing in the moment,

and it can only really do you harm to zoom out and try to see yourself as something larger.

However, I’m inspired by Andrea Lawlor and Sarah Waters and Alison Rumfitt and people making incredible queer cinema like Charlotte Wells and Rose Glass and Luca Guadagnino, and old horror auteurs like James Whale. I love the way you can scratch my favourite genre – horror – and find queer writers and artists and fi lmmakers everywhere.

Why are there eyes on every page?

As a child, the realisation the world isn’t a safe place shaped my interest in horror as a genre.

It’s a novel about watching and being watched and about the sensational of powerlessness that can accompany seeing things unfold in front of your eyes.

It’s foreboding yet funny: did you conceive the story as tragic or comic? I wanted the

relationships to be as realistic as possible despite the extreme setting, so I tried to blend comedy and tragedy. I like to mix horror and genre elements with really mundane realism, which is sort of a tragicomic balance. Some of my favourite novels, like Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby,

Great question – I’d recommend Geek Love (Katherine Dunn), The Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton), Happy All The Time (Laurie Colwin), America is Not The Heart (Elaine Castillo), It (Stephen King), and Greta & Valdin (Rebecca K Reilly) – all different kinds of love and all equally formative.

Dystopian novel you’re reading? Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang.

Do you hope the end will come with a bang or a warning? A warning, so I can build an ark

and take my wife and our cat and our friends and their cat, mostly just to see what the cats would do.

Private Rites by Julia Armfield (Fourth Estate, £16.99). Read the full interview at countryandtownhouse.com/culture/cth-book-club

Portals between past and future lead to a cross-century LOVE STORY in The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Hodder & Stoughton, £16.99); a MURDER at Carnival on a Caribbean island opens Monique Roffey’s feministrallying Passiontide (Vintage, £18.99); Ruth Ivo whirls through Soho in he burlesque MEMOIR Performance (Hodder & Stoughton, £18.99); a carousel of EXISTENTIAL thinking spins Rachel Cusk’s Parade (Faber, £16.99); interwar society SCANDAL drives Vanessa Beaumont’s debut The Other Side of Paradise (Magpie, £16.99) n

PHOTOS: © AVERY CURRAN

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

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PR O M OT I O N

THE SCENT OF HOME

The story behind Jo Malone London’s new Townhouse collection

W

e sat down with Celine Roux, Jo Malone London’s Global Head of Fragrance, to talk about the inspiration behind its dreamy new Townhouse collection...

C&TH: Tell us all about the gorgeous new Townhouse range of candles and diffuser oils?

CELINE ROUX: With this collection we wanted to design scents that are specifically for the home. Each one has its own specific mood, unique design and enchanting story to tell. All the scents were inspired by the home itself: the Jo Malone London Townhouse – a classic Georgian residence built 200 years ago. It is my creative hub, the home of Jo Malone London and a beautiful British building full of history. Taking inspiration from the Townhouse theme felt so simple yet so powerful; that is how it all started.

C&TH: Take us on a sensory journey around the Jo Malone London townhouse. How did it inspire each scent in the collection?

CR: Before we explore the house itself you need to experience the courtyard. The scent for this is Fresh Fig & Cassis. It’s a beautiful sunlit morning with a freshness on the breeze and you are sitting in the courtyard having a leisurely breakfast with Golden Amber & Orange Townhouse diffuser friends under a fig tree. It’s very uplifting: we have oil (comes with juicy cassis, ripe purple figs and moss. The wet soil diffuser), £148 brings an earthiness that makes it quite addictive.

Then you have Green Tomato Vine, which transports you to a greenhouse on a warm afternoon with colourful, tender vines all around you. It’s leafy green with an earthy tang, vibrant and crisp: a scent that makes you feel safe.

Next, you head inside the house and into your bedroom with Lilac Lavender & Lovage. The windows are

The collection’s candles and diffusers are carefully crafted in ceramic and porcelain, inspired by the Georgian architecture of the brand’s London home

Wild Berry & Bramble Townhouse candle 3kg, £500. A new scent for the Jo Malone London collection, available exclusively at Harrods

open and there are fresh sheets on the bed. The aroma of lavender and the herbs from your window box float into the room. This calm and serene moment is what we wanted to capture with this candle.

Then it’s time for high tea! The Pastel Macaroons candle was inspired by the very British tradition of afternoon tea, with its comforting sweet almond and vanilla notes. I love the idea that you can share this tea-time moment with other people and this scent instantly makes you feel connected to friends and family, even if you’re not together. It’s very indulgent and luxurious.

The day draws to a close with Glowing Embers: the scent of a cosy night in, in front of the fireplace, in your favourite room of the house. It’s a room to retreat to after the last guests have gone.

Throw a log onto the fire and relax into your favourite chair, while flames crackle and pages turn.

It sets a very contemplative and Golden Amber & Orange Townhouse candle, £100. comforting mood. During the A new scent for the Jo development phase we pushed the Malone London collection ambery notes to bring softness and a golden warmth.

C&TH: And how is the new collection different from the rest of Jo Malone London’s creations?

CR: Our candles are usually created following the launch of a cologne, but this time the candles take centre stage. They aren’t replacing our classic candles though, don’t worry! We are so proud of those and they are very important to our world. This collection gave us the chance to explore new olfactive territories.

You wouldn’t necessarily want to wear a cologne that smelt like a plate of macaroons or a crackling fire, for instance!

Discover the new Townhouse collection at jomalone.co.uk

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SHOWBIZ, BABY

O

n Sunday 14 April, the most glamorous thesps in the country gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate all things theatreland.

And like any good show, it was an emotional ride. There were tears – Succession star Sarah Snook appeared genuinely baffled by her Best Actress win for The Picture of Dorian Gray. There were cameos from superstars – Michael Sheen, Anna Maxwell Martin, Brian Cox and Cara Delevingne, to name but a few. There were powerful calls to action – Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini championed the work of Black writers in her speech, saying her win proved a hunger for work by underrepresented voices.

And, of course, there were heartstopping performances from several nominated West End companies. Tom Francis sang Sunset Boulevard

What is the Society of London Theatre?

The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) was established in 1908

by Sir Charles Wyndham – today it is the leading membership organisation for theatre producers, managers, owners and operators.

But its work reaches far beyond membership.

SOLT is the non-profit organisation investing in the future of British theatre. It not only runs the Olivier Awards, but also Official London Theatre and London’s TKTS booth – meaning it provides unparalleled ticketing access to (and insight into) shows on the West End and beyond.

as he marched the green carpet – relayed live via the technical wizardry Jamie Lloyd has come to be known for – before bursting through audiences to take the stage. (The incredible show then won in an astonishing seven categories.)

The cast of Operation Mincemeat had Natasha Hodgson mounting an imaginary horse in comedy number Born To Lead, while the cast of Hadestown hit perfect dissonant harmonies in Wait For Me. The Olivier Awards were established in 1976 by the Society of London Theatre. Originally the ‘Society of West End Theatre Awards’, they were eventually renamed for stage legend Laurence Olivier. Over the years, they’ve grown and grown – from ceremonies at Café Royal to taking over the Royal Albert Hall. Today, they are the most prestigious stage awards in the UK.

PHOTOS: PAMELA RAITH

The Society of London Theatre presented the Olivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard in April – and we were dazzled by all things theatreland

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PR O M OT I O N

BOOK IT: OUR TOP THEATRE PICKS Four shows you shouldn’t miss

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The National Theatre 60th anniversary performance; Hannah Waddingham opened with a belting number; the cast of Hadestown performing a medley from the show

‘SOLT plays a crucial role in championing our vibrant theatre sector. From lobbying government to selling tickets, we’re ensuring the continued success and accessibility of our sector’

HADESTOWN Transporting the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice to the West End in a pop-folk musical by Anaïs Mitchell. Mastercard best new musical nominee.

Until Dec, from £23, officiallondontheatre.com

GUYS & DOLLS The Manhattan-set musical is one of the greats – and now immersive at the Bridge Theatre. Gillian Lynne award for best theatre choreography winner.

Until 2025, from £22.50, officiallondontheatre.com

Co-CEOs Claire Walker and Hannah Essex

PHOTOS: PAMELA RAITH

NEXT TO NORMAL The rock musical is an intimate exploration of family, loss and mental health. Mastercard best new musical nominee. Until Sept, from £23, officiallondontheatre.com

STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW Hawkins, 1959. Stagecraft at another level in the adaptation of the Netflix hit. Noël Coward award for best new entertainment or comedy winner. Until Dec, from £33, officiallondontheatre.com

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PR O M OT I O N

And the Winners Are...

A selection of the 26 award wins

SARAH SNOOK Best Actress for The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Michelle Visage (RuPaul’s Drag Race) Nicole Scherzinger wore a strappy backless dress

Cedric Neal (Guys & Dolls) wears a Ferentino tux Cara Delevingne wears a custom Gucci gown

Denise Gough (People, Places & Things)

Georgina Onuorah (Hamilton) wears Mithridate

John McCrea (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie)

SO DARLING

T

hey’re used to being costumed to the nines, and the stars of both stage and screen didn’t disappoint on the Olivier Awards Green Carpet for the 2024 awards. They were decked out in jewels and dresses to die for. So who was there, and what did they wear?

JADE LEWIS AND MATILDA FEYIṢAYỌ IBINI Unusual Rigging Award for Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre for Sleepova

Marisha Wallace (Guys & Dolls) wears Alex Perry

MARG HORWELL Mithridate Award for Best Costume Design for The Picture Of Dorian Gray James Norton (A Little Life) wears Bottega Veneta

Left to right: Natasha Hodgson, Zoë Roberts and David Cumming, from Operation Mincemeat

Left to right: Bonnie Langford, Joanna Riding and Janie Dee

Book tickets for London shows from the people who bring you the awards at officiallondontheatre.com n

PHOTOS: PAMELA RAITH

AMY TRIGGS Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for The Little Big Things

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Art | CULTURE Sophie often captures her subject in situ first, before working on it in her studio

SOPHIE CHARALAMBOUS

PHOTOS: © CAITI GROVE

‘P

Caiti Grove discusses painting and partition with the visual artist

ainting from film is my theme this term,’ visual artist Sophie Charalambous tells me of her role at the Royal Drawing School, where she teaches teenagers and postgraduate students. ‘We’ve been working from a film, turning it into monoprint, cutting up the prints and making collages, and then painting from those,’ she explains.

In her East London studio, plants sit on a windowsill and work waits for attention on a vast table crammed with of paint brushes, pots and photographs. As she prepares tea, she explains her view of inspiration – it does not dazzle in a lightning bolt moment, but is generated by the process of making and doing. ‘“Le Quattro Volte” is my latest project – there’s no dialogue, just sounds, it’s wonderful. It’s about the Italian idea of the four stages of life told through events in a little village. The whole cycle of life from the human being to the animal and then the mineral, and how it’s all connected.’

A slow, rural life is part of Charalambous’s heritage. Her father is Greek Cypriot, a strong thread that weaves through her work.

‘My Dad, he always talked about his village where they farmed the land for generations,’ she says. The family lost their farm in the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in August 1974. ‘Fifty years later, there’s still no solution. It’s a trauma for people to lose their land, overnight. It’s all gone and then you’re displaced. You have to somehow emerge from that and carry on.’

Her recent exhibition, Pear, Fig, Pomegranate, focused on lost land and migration. ‘It was about trees and Cyprus and culture and landscape,’ she says slowly. A fig tree drawn in Regent’s Park represented the transplanting of culture. ‘My parents were refugees, so it was about the future being here, rather than Cyprus.’ In the foreground of other work, a chainlink fence separates the viewer from the scene, referring to the political situation in the island riven between Greeks and Turks. ‘There’s a lot of visual language of partition,’ she explains. Her childhood memories formed under a southern Mediterranean sun also continue to influence

her work, ‘not just the landscape and the plants and the animals and flowers, but also the church, the shadows, the goat herder bringing the goats up to the pasture in the afternoon.’

At university in Brighton, Sophie’s contemporaries developed conceptual ideas inspired by Damien Hirst’s oeuvre while she ran down research rabbit holes in the library’s Egyptian section. She discovered encaustic, painting with a combination of wax, and pigment, which was used in Ancient Egypt for the Fayum portraits, which show what each person inside Egyptian mummies look like. She used it successfully in her own work while studying. ‘I was doing figurative, large figures from imagination, with mythical references. They were very textural.’

After university, Sophie studied set design at Motley College. Her first project on graduation being a magical realist piece with a £50 budget. The second was for dance company The Fabulous Beast with a half a million pound budget. ‘It’s a real grafting job,’ Sophie remembers of that period of her career. ‘You work with so many people: actors, producers, directors, the writer if they’re still alive. It’s really being a jack of all trades.’ After five years, her focus shifted back to her art.

These days, she works both en plein air and in the studio. ‘It’s working in front of the motif and then bringing it inside and working from my imagination,’ she explains of her process. The relationship between paper and object evolves. ‘When I bring it [the artwork] back to the studio, it’s very quick – it changes pace because it is no longer beholden to whatever it was inspired by, it just becomes something that you’re having a relationship with, and you’re trying to make it work,’ she says.

With the wisdom of experience and the curiosity of an inquisitive student, Sophie and her work are a joy to be around. Both genuine, complex and articulate, I look forward to her next project. @charalamboussophie @rebeccahossackartgallery n May / June 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 87

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CULTURE | Art

The EXHIBITIONIST

Q

uite rightly, women artists continue to be at the forefront of many exhibitions, redressing an imbalance that has existed in our national institutions for many years. As well as the National Portrait Gallery doing an amazing job in displaying many more women artists and sitters, the Royal Academy currently has an outstanding show about Angelica Kauffman.

Kauffman, working in Rome and London in the second half of the 18th century, became one of the founding patrons of the Royal Academy and a close friend of Joshua Reynolds. Her exhibition at the RA runs until the end of June, but versatile artist that she is, she is also now appearing simultaneously at Tate Britain in an exhibition called Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920 – I think you get the point of what the curators are seeking to achieve.

Spanning 400 years, this exhibition focuses on how these women became artists – because of course, there was no formal training available for the majority of this time. Interestingly, at least from the 18th century onwards, the test of female equality seems almost to have been whether these artists ended up having a relationship with the Royal Academy.

There are over 150 works, and many by artists that were well-known in their day, but some of whom are less resonant today.

Mary Beale, who painted in the 17th century, received no formal training in becoming an artist – it was inconceivable that a woman should be so trained at that time. It is likely she learned from her father’s friends, who included the painter Sir Peter Lely. She ended up becoming a professional artist and being the main breadwinner for her family, with her devoted husband recording her work and practice in meticulous detail in more than 30 journals. Despite her lack of training she ended up painting the nobility.

Elizabeth Butler, by contrast, who painted in the 19th century, was able to receive instruction at

FROM ABOVE: Angelica Kauffman, Portraits of Domenica Morghen and Maddalena Volpato as Muses of Tragedy and Comedy (1791); Laura Knight, A Dark Pool (1917); Elizabeth Butler, The Roll Call (1874)

a female artists’ school in South Kensington. Her paintings, depicting war scenes both heroic and melancholy, proved hugely popular – one had to be guarded by a police man at the Royal Academy summer exhibition. Many of them when you see them will be familiar to you. But, even so, Elizabeth failed to get elected to the Royal Academy, which at that point had not had a female member since Kauffman’s day.

Also on display are works by Laura Knight, who painted in the first half of the 20th century and was elected to the Royal Academy – only the third woman to be so, and the first woman to have an exhibition at the Academy.

These are just three artists among many but together illustrate the slow but steady progress women were able to make in a world dominated by male artists. Their stories shed light on the attitudes of their times, but also offer new perspectives and remind us that every age had its nuances.

Angelica Kauffman, until 30 June (royalacademy.org. uk). Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920, 16 May to 13 October (tate.org.uk). n

IMAGES: © COLLECTION OF NATIONAL MUSEUM IN WARSAW / PIOTR LIGIER; © ESTATE OF DAME LAURA KNIGHT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2024 BRIDGEMAN IMAGES; ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST / © HIS MAJESTY KING CHARLES III 2024

Ed Vaizey celebrates the women artists who have shaped British cultural history

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DISCOVER MORE eyeofthecollector.com

Joseph Lacasse, Méditation (Dia no. 100), 1974 courtesy of Whitford Fine Art Othello Credenza, 2017 courtesy of Zelouf & Bell Image courtesy of Adam Parker

17/04/2024 12:20

Eye of the Collector.indd 1

26-29 JUNE 2024

26 JUNE BY INVITATION

GARRISON CHAPEL LONDON, SW1W 8BG

CULTURE | News

GOOD NEWS

Tessa Dunthorne has the feel-good stories to brighten your day

WILD LANDS

Over two percent of Scottish land is currently rewilding, says the Scottish Rewilding Alliance. The charity has launched a ‘Rewilding Nation Charter’ in the hopes that Scotland will declare itself the world’s first rewilding nation; it’s currently one of the most nature-depleted nations on earth. The charter asks the Scottish government to commit to nature recovery across 30 percent of land and sea. Not a wee target (but certainly a bonnie one). rewild.scot

LAY DOWN THE LAW-N

NEW STARTS

A new partnership between Saira Hospitality, the Hotels With Heart foundation, Camden and Westminster Council launched in March, offering 20 rough sleepers a roof overhead and hospitality training to get themselves back on their feet. The partnership guarantees job interviews for candidates at the end of a four-week programme. They’re looking for further partners to support the rough sleepers in their next steps, too – be it via work experience or funds. Get in touch at sairahospitality.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; PEXELS; © RICARDO ROCHA

BOTTOM FEEDERS

No more bottom trawling in Greece’s marine parks – that’s not an innuendo, it’s a new law put in place by its government to prevent the harmful fishing practice that drags a net along the ocean floor. By 2026 and 2030 respectively, national parks and marine protected areas will ban this act – enforcing it with state-of-the-art surveillance – in a bid to protect biodiversity in marine ecosystems. Source: Guardian

A farm near Salisbury plans to establish the biggest natural grassland in southern Europe. Why’s this good? Lower Pertwood Farm says that, by doing so, they can hopefully restore declining plants, insects and endangered species, including turtle doves and cuckoos.

Source: Guardian

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MONIED MEN – AND WOMEN

The gender pay gap in the UK is at its lowest level in seven years, as revealed by the latest surveys. There’s still a way to go, nonetheless – women earn 91p to every £1 a man makes (meaning, from 29 November, women ‘start working for free’).

Source: Positive News

ANIMAL CROSSING

17 May is Endangered Species Day

SPREAD YOUR WINGS Mashpi Lodge, a hotel and nature reserve in the Ecuadorian rainforest, has discovered a new species of butterfly – the Argyrogrammana cana, the 18th new species it has discovered. The hotel has spent 12 years pouring resources into rainforest conservation, battling a dramatic decline in Latin American wildlife population. And it’s a neat little space to stay. Exactly the kind of holiday digs we can get behind. mashpilodge.com

SPEEDY SCAN

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; PEXELS; © RICARDO ROCHA

A streamlined prostate cancer test is being rolled out – a clinical trial involving patients in 12 countries has determined that quicker, cheaper scans for the disease are as accurate as the current standard. The new test removes one step from the three-part MRI diagnosis, making it speedier and more accessible. There’s talk of a potential national rollout from next year.

Source: Medical Express

BOOHOO-HOO, INDEED

ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda now need to revamp their green messaging – aka any products presented as eco-friendly must be backed up with further information plus ‘accurate and clear’ claims. This includes a ban on using ‘natural’ imagery – like leaves – that implies a level of sustainability through association. A big win from the Competition and Markets Authority in the crackdown on greenwashing.

IN A WHILE, CROCODILE In Cambodia, conservationists have successfully released 50 captive-bred Siamese crocodiles into the wild – these crocs are one of the world’s rarest due to hunting and habitat loss. Half of this number now carry acoustic tags to help Fauna & Flora conservationists (alongside the Cambodian Forestry Administration) track the movements of the reptiles as they continue on their journeys. Source: Fauna & Flora

HOT WHEELS

Volvo has produced its final diesel car. Yes, it’s very last. This final vehicle? An XC90, which rolled out of its plant in Torslanda, Sweden, in March this year. Bravo, Volvo, now one step closer to its goal to be a fully electric vehicle manufacturer. It’s a short drive here on out.

BATS FOR THE RIGHT TEAM A new study coauthored by the University of Oxford reveals that island-dwelling bats might be an unexpected ally for farmers in Portugal.

By studying the droppings of over 100 individuals bats, scientists discovered for the first time that nearly half of what Madeiran bats eat is made up of agricultural pests. Among these were two types of moths that damage vegetables and cereals.

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CULTURE | Conservation

The POSITIVE DISRUPTOR Are you ready for a wet and wild future? asks James Wallace

THINK DIFFERENTLY, ACT NOW Prepare yourself for a wetter future

Floods like this one in Dorset have become a more regular occurance in the UK

door, we witness whole harvests of wheat drowning, and livestock swimming for their lives. Our already vulnerable national food security cannot cope with perpetual flooding.

All of the above is avoidable. But still housing estates pop up overnight along rivers like spots on a lanky spread-eagled teenager. Waterways are canalised and dredged, racing fertile soil and insurance policies off to the sea. So much ignorance pervades, from minds as narrow as ditches.

What if we actually valued rain? Rather than legions of concrete, paving, tarmac and plastic lawns, permeable, natural surfaces would soak up water locally. Rainwater could be harvested in tanks and wetlands, saved for those equally extreme and frequent droughts. Rivers could be rewiggled and bifurcated, allowed to breathe across the natural floodplain, buffered by the thirsty roots of marsh, woodland and scrub.

Imagine investing in future-proof climate adaptation rather than Victorian engineering. Imagine sponge cities, lush with the blood of life and vibrant valleys going with nature’s flow. Imagine elected politicians delivering on their manifestos. Imagine a nation beavering together as if our lives and livelihoods depend on it. Imagine recharged aquifers and water butts abounding. Imagine the subsiding fears of all those millions of webbedfooters, welly-warers and baler-outers.

Imagine welcoming the coming storms with open arms, thanking the small gods that lurk between whispering rushes for the rain that sustains us.

James is Chief Executive of River Action n

BE PREPARED Keep a weather-eye on marauding storms with the Met Office metoffice.gov.uk SUPPORT Join one of 300 communities offering support to people at risk of flooding. nationalfloodforum.org.uk

PADDLE Get out on the water, learn to canoe and make the most of our rivers with British Canoeing. paddleuk.org.uk INSURE Sleep peacefully with the security of Flood Re insurance. floodre.co.uk NATURAL Learn about natural flood management locally, like the North West Flood Hub. thefloodhub.co.uk/nfm

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; UNSPLASH

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ebruary, 2014. My now-deceased wife, Becca, lies in ICU recovering from 14 hours of cancer surgery. My phone vibrates. It’s our neighbour Lynn Davies, ‘James, you thought things couldn’t get worse. They have. Your house is flooded.’

For two months, as Becca recovered from her op, we endured a relentless flow of filthy water rushing past our home in Wiltshire, laden with raw sewage and sanitary products. We weren’t alone. The Aldersgate Group of sustainability leaders estimated that ‘once in a hundred years’ flood could cost the UK economy £14 billion.

As I write ten years later, our village has been inundated again, as have communities across the country. People talk about climate change (aka climate breakdown) as some future, foreign thing. Extreme weather is now the norm.

Everywhere. As Jocelyn nipped at the winged heels of Isha, we’ve had 10 named storms in the winter. Remnant hurricanes, warmed by the Gulf Stream, are migrating en masse to Britain, rocking small boats, and big.

We are woefully under-prepared. Over five and a half million properties – one in six – are at risk of flooding. The National Audit Office has warned that the number of homes that should be better protected by 2027 has been cut by 40 percent, and 500 of the 2,000 promised flood defence projects have been abandoned. Apparently, inflation is to blame, not this wet fart of a Government.

These biblical deluges damage more than buildings.

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MEDITATIONS ON REPETITION AN EXHIBITION BY RICHARD NOTT AT THE REBECCA HOSSACK ART GALLERY 8 May - 4 June 2024

Richard Nott, Red, 2024, oil on canvas, 155 x 145 cm

Richard Nott wearing Workers for Freedom,1987

Richard Nott is the founder of the iconic British fashion label, Workers for Freedom. Over recent years, he has built a career in painting.

This May, The Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery presents an exhibition of the artist’s latest series of paintings, Meditations on Repetition.

"I realised when listening to music whilst painting that my playlist contains a majority of tracks with repetitive themes: Philip Glass, Nils Frahm, and so on.

Then I thought of the pleasure repetitive planting brings. A tapestry of tulips.

A woodland of bluebells. Endless snowdrops in a country park.

I find all this transporting. Stabilising. Shutting out the shouty, divisive and rather ugly world we find ourselves in at the moment. I realise, given my many years of looking, and many years of confronting diverse wonders, all I want at this stage is to make a rectangle of modest, lasting, and quiet beauty.

Richard Nott, 2024

Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery 2a Conway Street, Fitzroy Square London, W1T 6BA

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THE GUIDE | Innovation 1

The SOLUTIONISTS Matilda Cox introduces three tech start ups hoping to transform the way we travel

THE PROBLEM

Despite a Covid-induced dip, the travel industry is well and truly back, with last year’s air travel rates almost matching pre-pandemic levels. But although we might have missed jetting off to somewhere new and exciting in the holidays, with travel and tourism responsible for around ten percent of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, the climate certainly didn’t.

It’s now impossible to ignore the impact that travelling has on the environment, and customers are responding accordingly.

According to Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, three-quarters of travellers said they want to travel more sustainably. It might be what consumers are demanding, but is it possible for travel to ever be sustainable? These startups certainly think so.

Matilda Cox is an editorial assistant at Springwise, the leading innovation intelligence platform. springwise.com

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THE SOLUTIONS

It can be overwhelming to know where to start when planning a trip – especially for those wanting an eco-friendly experience. Viatu curates positive-impact holidays across destinations like Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, offering a choice of luxury or budgetfriendly packages. Notably, Viatu only picks partners with hotels and organisations that work to protect the culture, biodiversity, and resources of local communities.

The platform also provides carbon calculations for all activities involved in a trip, enabling Viatu to make climate contributions or offset the emissions generated by a user’s holiday. viatu.com

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When it comes to where you stay, hotels often aren’t the most sustainable choice, wasting huge volumes of water, energy, and food in the name of customer comfort.

Startup Raus believes that it’ll be far better for the planet – and, to boot, your mental health – to have your stay out in nature instead.

The company offers customdesigned, off-grid cabin getaways across Germany and Austria that are completely self-contained and equipped with cooking facilities, tools, water tanks, and solar power.

When booking through Raus, customers can also choose to spend a little extra to fund essential soil regeneration. raus.life

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3

When you think of the harbingers of polluting travel, you probably think of planes. Hoping to provide a more sustainable (even comfortable) alternative to short haul flights is Midnight Trains, which is connecting popular locations with its ‘hotel on rails’.

Customers can book private cabins of varying sizes, as well as order room service, at a fraction of the carbon cost of travelling by air.

Although plans to connect the UK may have been tabled for now, in 2025 Midnight Trains still hopes to launch its first journeys from Paris to cities like Barcelona, Rome, and Venice. midnighttrains.com. n

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A Tradition of Safari since 1812.

Explore our bespoke sporting arms, artisanal leather goods & outdoor clothing collections.

westleyrichards.com

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The GREEN LANE Is the new Corsa Electric worth the extra spend over cheaper petrol versions? Jeremy Taylor plugs in

Vauxhall Corsa Electric Ultimate BATTERY 51kW RANGE Up to 246 miles PRICE £38,585 POWER 154hp 0-62mph 8.2 seconds TOP SPEED 93mph STREAMING Vauxhall and I – Morrissey

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auxhall has been making superminis for 40 years – the original, no-nonsense Nova proved a sales sensation and was a budget favourite with learner drivers too. Today, the new Corsa is still one of Britain’s best-selling cars.

New to the current model line-up is Corsa Electric, a replacement for the Corsa-e and as smart-looking, user-friendly a small EV as anything on the road. Buyers benefit from emission-free motoring, cool styling and generous levels of equipment but does it warrant the hefty price tag?

Remodelled with Vauxhall’s latest ‘Vizor’ face, the Electric doesn’t bamboozle owners with technology and features a battery capable of well in excess of 200 miles. Thanks to a fast-charging system, the battery will power up to 80 per cent in just 30 minutes on a 100kW fast charger, or under eight hours using a 7kW home system.

The Vauxhall may not have the urban chic of a Mini Electric or the funky Honda e but Corsa Electric is still a supremely competent and enjoyable drive. That’s especially true if you make use of the drive mode button – Sport really livens up performance on a twisty A-road road. On the motorway, switch to Eco for maximum miles.

Gearless and silent like all electric cars, the Corsa is effortless motoring.

Despite a rather firm ride, on longer journeys it performs well and easily keeps up with traffic. Thanks to an Extended Range battery in the Ultimate model I drove, there’s less worry about finding a charging station too.

Inside, the Vauxhall’s understated interior is a bit soulless, with too many

hard plastic surfaces. At least the top specification Ultimate keeps you warm in the morning with heated seats and steering wheel, while Alcantara trim, LED mood lighting and a black headliner add some sporty finesse. Drivers can also relax on a massaging seat – that’s proper, limo luxury!

Unfortunately, understanding the ten-inch infotainment screen can be time-consuming. The menu system isn’t intuitive, so many owners will likely just link up to their smartphone with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto instead. Otherwise, the Corsa is straightforward enough – thankfully it has simple, physical controls for the heating system which are much easier to use that a touchscreen.

Corsa Electric is equipped with all manner of safety systems, like most modern cars. Side blind-spot alert, lane position alert, forward collision alert – as least the Vauxhall doesn’t bombard the driver with endless audible warnings. However, perhaps there should be a warning about the price.

The entry-level Corsa Electric Design starts at £32,445, while my Ultimate version is a hefty £38,585! That seems expensive, especially as a petrol Corsa is priced from £19,625, rising to £28,385 for the sporty Turbo Ultimate model.

Even with the stylish facelift and lashings of equipment on board, owners need to be passionate about their Corsa to pay that sort of money for an electric supermini.

RATING: ★★★

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Motoring | CULTURE

THE DRIVE Destination: Henry’s Townhouse, London

Fancy a flutter in a coquettish EV convertible? Jeremy Taylor and Jessica Talbot-Ponsonby drive and discuss a darling of English literature.

JT: It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but

what we drive.

JT-P: Oh, you’ve gone all Sense & Sensibility on me

– although I’m certain the motor car wasn’t invented in Jane Austen’s era.

JT: That’s why I was buffing my barouche, in readiness for your trip to Henry’s Townhouse, the one-time abode of Austen’s brother of the same moniker.

JT: A barouche, Mr Darcy, what are you suggesting?

JT-P: An open-roof luxury carriage – or in this case a Fiat 500! A barouche was the equivalent of a convertible Rolls-Royce 200 years ago and has featured in many an Austen novel. She also wrote a letter on ‘parading about London in a barouche’.

JT: Well, I wasn’t expecting a modest Fiat 500 convertible to protect my bonnet but let’s come back to that later. Indeed, my fan was all aflutter when we arrived at this handsome Georgian pad in Upper Berkeley Street.

JT-P: A riot of velvet and silk, the six themed bedrooms are also equipped with discreet mod cons to comfort the weary traveller. Henry’s was lovingly restored a few years back by property power couple, Jane and Steven Collins. An homage to all things Austen, it now doubles as an upmarket B&B, or whole house rental.

JT: Yes, it seemed almost insensitive using the Dyson hairdryer and Nespresso machine in such gilt-framed surroundings. Our room, Eliza, was named after Austen’s sister-in-law, complete with frilled fourposter and squidgy chaise longue. Downstairs, the communal areas are packed with curated antiques, while a sumptuous breakfast is served beside the cosy Aga. So, why choose the compact and bijou Fiat for this literary trip down Marylebone way?

Henry's Townhouse riffs on Regency splendour

JT-P: You will have noticed Marylebone is within

the Congestion Charge Zone – so battery power was required. Minus an open-roof barouche of my own, the 500C is remarkable one of only a handful of suitable EV soft-tops on sale at the moment.

JT: Do you think Jane Austen would have been tickled by a little dolce vita in her life?

The 500C is charmingly disarming – especially the fabric roof that slides back in stages to let in the sunshine. Did you note that fully open, all rear visibility is then totally obliterated?

JT-P: The boot is hardly big enough for your smallest hat box either, which means the small back seat becomes the luggage shelf. Still, the Fiat is perfect for the gad-about town, simple to park, or weave through traffic at modest speeds.

JT: More pride than prejudice then?

JT-P: Indeed, although as you know, pride, where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation…

JT: I couldn’t have put it better myself. Delightful.

FAST LANE

FIRST PAST THE POST Bentley is celebrating the centenary of its first victory at Le Mans in 2024. The world’s most iconic endurance race takes place in France from 1216 June. 24h-lemans.com

BOOK IT: Doubles from £595 per night.

henrystownhouse.co.uk

FIRE IT UP UK 4x4 specialists Overfinch has created a limited-edition Range Rover inspired by the 2024 Year of the Dragon – with dragon ‘skin’ seats and unique embroidery. From £198,000. overfinch.com

Fiat 500C BATTERY 42Kw RANGE 199 miles PRICE £34,195 POWER 118hp 0-62MPH 4.5 seconds TOP SPEED 93mph STREAMING Emma – The Talking Book

FAST FUN Enjoy wheel-spinning action with this wind-up, 452-piece replica of a battery-powered Formula E machine. McLaren Formula E Race Car, £46.99. lego.com n

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CULTURE | Interview

Co-artistic directors at the RSC, Tamara Harvey and Daniel Evans, tell Charlotte Metcalf why the company is getting double bang for its buck PORTRAIT BY ALEXANDRA DAO

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hough it is the very first time in over six years that I am in conversation with two people in Scarfes Bar, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey point out that their joint creative leadership of the Royal Shakespeare Company is not unprecedented. Between 1978 and 1986, Trevor Nunn and Terry Hands were at the helm together, just as Glen Byam Shaw and Anthony Quayle were during the Fifties.

I ask how they manage to collaborate on what is essentially a dictatorial creative role demanding a clear, strong vision. Don’t they ever fight? ‘No, it’s in the debating where the really interesting stuff happens,’ grins Tamara. ‘And I enjoy fighting my corner.’ ‘Arguing with someone throws light on whether I really believe in something or not,’ adds Daniel. They appear so in tune with each other that they even finish each other’s sentences, while always leaving a respectful pause and never interrupting. They are in need of coffee, as they were up late at the Olivier Awards, celebrating the wins of some of the designers and directors they are set to work with. Yet they exhibit nothing but energy, and full-throttle enthusiasm and delight in their new job.

Tamara became aware of Daniel when she directed Pride and Prejudice at Sheffield Theatre under Daniel’s artistic directorship. ‘I popped into wardrobe and everyone was waxing lyrical about how very present Daniel was,’ she says. Daniel then advised her when she was applying to be Theatr Clwyd’s artistic director, a role she held for eight years till 2023.

Daniel grew up in Wales and was a professional child actor before studying at London’s Guildhall. He worked successfully as an award-winning actor as well as taking up his role at Sheffield in 2009 and then becoming artistic director at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2016 till last year.

Unlike Daniel, Tamara wanted to direct rather than act, falling in love with theatre aged 11. ‘At my Brighton school, younger children weren’t allowed to be in the school play,’ she says. ‘But a maths teacher let me paint scenery, so I watched the last act of West Side Story from the wings. I was instantly entranced. This was the place I truly belonged.’

I was at the Royal Society for Arts in January when Daniel and Tamara unveiled their new season, and was excited to hear them broadening the RSC’s remit together. They laugh delightedly when I describe some of the new plays as ‘not very RSC’. ‘That’s great, because audiences love being surprised and being part of something new,’ says Tamara. ‘One of our challenges was finding a wider range of writers,’ continues Daniel ‘and that goes back to Peter Hall bringing in new writers in the sixties.

Don’t forget Pinter’s The Homecoming premiered at the RSC.’ For purists, there will still be plenty of Shakespeare across four

theatres, including The Holloway Garden Theatre, reopening to offer shorter productions (at just £20 for adults and £10 for children) of The Two Gentlemen of Verona by The Next Generation Act, the RSC’s company of young people, and As You Like It. Across the other three theatres, Tamara makes her directing debut at the RSC with Pericles, Rupert Goold directs Hamlet and there are productions of Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night and Othello. The Other Place hosts a performance of King Lear, created by the Uzhhorod Theatre Company in western Ukraine during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. There’s also Northern Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet, particularly championed by Tamara who grew up loving ballet and dancing herself.

Emma Rice directs Wise Children, a new adaptation of Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia. ‘We’re thrilled to have Emma as she’s a wonderful, chaotic creative and her work just explodes onto the stage,’ effuses Daniel. Then there’s Sanaz Toossi’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, English, in collaboration with Kiln Theatre. ‘It’s part of Indhu Rubasingham’s final season before she leaves for the National,’ says Tamara. ‘It’s set in a TEFAL class in Iran where four adults are learning English. It’s stealthily and politically about identity…’, ‘and very, very funny,’ adds Daniel. ‘We devoured it and battled for the rights.’ Finally, Daniel takes the lead role in Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II and winces mischievously when I ask him how he will cope with the notorious death scene involving a red-hot poker. ‘It’s finding time to learn the lines I worry about,’ he says.

We reminisce about how much we enjoyed The Jungle, the play by Good Chance that recreated the notorious refugee encampment in Calais.

Now the RSC is staging Good Chance’s new political thriller, Kyoto, set at the 1997 climate change summit, directed by Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin. ‘We can’t say too much yet but it will definitely be immersive,’ says Tamara, ‘and it’s going to be absolutely amazing,’ adds Daniel.

‘The arts have such an important role to play,’ says Daniel, ‘and,’ adds Tamara, ‘we’re determined to use the company to reach out across borders, especially when so many are closed or closing.’

I am struck by how coherent and united their vision is, as a veritable double-act, almost morphing into one person. As Daniel puts it, ‘the RSC’s getting double bang for its buck.’ So, what would they like their legacy to be? ‘To make the RSC a place for absolutely everyone,’ says Daniel. ‘And somewhere all artists from everywhere can call home and create work that’s “not very RSC”,’ Tamara says grinning, perfectly rounding off Daniel’s sentence. n

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The dynamic duo is ushering in an exciting new era at the RSC

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Bodysuit and skirt Hermès Shoes Malone Souliers x Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini

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High KICKS Punchy patterns and curious colours for a summer of style FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHER CARLA GULER

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Top and skirt Emilia Wickstead 18ct yellow gold diamond quiver drop earrings Theo Fennell Shoes Manolo Blahnik

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Dress Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini Shoes Roger Vivier Lavender amethyst and pink tourmaline bracelet Kiki McDonough Hat boxes, brief case and luggage case MCM

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Shirt and skirt Michael Kors Collection Shoes Manolo Blahnik

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Dress Huishan Zhang Earrings Alessandra Rich

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Dress Simone Rocha Signatures green amethyst oval necklace and Signatures green amethyst and diamond earrings Kiki McDonough

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Dress and cape Giorgio Armani Signatures blue topaz and diamond earrings Kiki Mcdonough TEAM Make-up: Joe Pickering @ Arch The Agency using Dior Forever Foundation and Capture Totale Le Sérum Hair: Joe Pickering @ Arch The Agency using Hair Ritual by SISLEY Photographer’s Assistant: Barney Arthur Fashion Assistant: April McCarthy Video: Carl Wilson @ Adrenalin Management Model: Gia Tang @ Milk LOCATION Sage green and candy cane stripes are not necessarily the colours and patterns you conjure when you think of a country house. Yet it’s with this palette that interior designer Nicola Harding has sprinkled her colourful magic over the Dower House, which has freshly emerged on the Beaverbrook Estate.

Built as a one-of-a-kind for those looking for a bucolic yet stylishly beautiful rental with everything you could possibly need – including helipad and access to the first-class facilities of Beaverbrook Hotel – the Dower House’s attraction lies in its exclusivity. With its own private entrance and walled garden, guests will feel completely at ease, whether in the swimming pool, the spa room or the yoga studio. Sleeps ten. beaverbrook.co.uk

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YOUR SUMMER Starts Here

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

TESSA DUNTHORNE uncovers the best events to make the most of the sunnier months

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SUMMER FESTIVALS

1

BST HYDE PARK London, 29 June to 14 July

BST Hyde Park’s line-up this year promises sizzle factor – Stevie Nicks, Kings of Leon and Shania Twain are among the big hitters, and Stray Kids will lure in those fans of K-pop or converts following last year’s Blackpink headline. bst-hydepark.com

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GLYNDEBOURNE FESTIVAL

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East Sussex, 16 May to 25 August

This year, your summer season doesn’t start until the fat lady sings. Expect big voices at Glyndebourne, and even bigger shows: Carmen, Die Zauberflöte and The Merry Widow. glyndebourne.com

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SOUTHBANK MELTDOWN FESTIVAL London, 14-23 June

The Queen of Funk Chaka Khan curates this year’s Southbank Meltdown festival – the longest running artist-curated music festival in the UK. southbankcentre.co.uk

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SUNNY PERFORMANCES

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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST Manchester, 14 June to 20 July

The Royal Exchange Manchester sees its programming getting a little Wilde. The Importance of Being Earnest looks at how we curate ourselves – a prescient comedy from the 19th-century writer. royalexchange.co.uk

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SWAN LAKE BY THE STATE BALLET OF GEORGIA

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RSC SHAKESPEARE AT THE HOLLOWAY GARDEN THEATRE

London, 28 August to 8 September

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

The State Ballet of Georgia brings a star-studded cast of dancers to London’s Coliseum under the direction of Nina Ananiashvili – a twinkly night to remember. londoncoliseum.org

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Warwickshire, 18 July to 1 September

It would be a shame to see Shakespeare inside at this time of year. Luckily, director Brendan O’Hea has an answer to that, presenting As You Like It in the RSC’s purpose-built garden theatre. rsc.org.uk

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OPEN-AIR DELIGHTS

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SUMMER SOLSTICE AT STONEHENGE Wiltshire, 21 June

Gather at sunrise to greet the summer solstice at ancient Stonehenge. The beauty of this event is seeing the morning rays splash the Heel Stone, marking the astrological midpoint of the year. stonehenge-tour.com

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HENRY MOORE STUDIOS & GARDENS Hertfordshire, all summer

Explore 70 acres of mostly-grazed lands containing Henry Moore’s huge metalcast sculptures that practically cut through the treeline. henry-moore.org

Buckinghamshire, all summer

Enjoy an al fresco feast prepared by celeb chefs at Oxmoor Farm. You’ll be one of 50 served up bountiful plates by the likes of Amber Francis and Michelle Trusselle in the rolling Chiltern Hills. oxmoorfarm.co.uk

ARTY VOYAGES & FORAYS

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WOW!HOUSE

London, 4 June to 4 July

Step inside a fantastical house curated by the world’s best interior designers.

Whether you’re seeking a visual spectacle that’s somewhere between a living exhibition and your Pinterest dream boards, WOW!house is one of London’s biggest annual design events. dcch.co.uk

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SCOUR THE COUNTRY FOR NATIONAL TREASURES UK-wide, from 10 May

Twelve exhibitions will open simultaneously at 12 museums and galleries around the country, each centred around a different ‘national treasure’. nationalgallery.org.uk

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EYE OF THE COLLECTOR London, 27-29 June

A fittingly aesthetic venue will this year host the fourth edition of the collectible design festival: Chelsea Barracks’ Byzantine-style Garrison Chapel. Perhaps you’ll find the perfect piece to take home tucked in a bay. eyeofthecollector.com

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WILD FEASTS AT OXMOOR FARM

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FAMILY FRIENDLY

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BARBIE: THE EXHIBITION London, from 5 July

Proving dolls aren’t just for kids, the Design Museum’s Barbie exhibition is a blockbuster exploration of 250 remarkable objects that built a following of all ages. But good for the little’uns, too. designmuseum.org

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PARK FAIR

Oxfordshire, 21-23 June

PHOTOS: NG672, REMBRANDT (1606 - 1669), SELF PORTRAIT AT THE AGE OF 34, 1640, OIL ON CANVAS, 91 X 75 CM, © THE NATIONAL GALLERY, LONDON.

Unlimited rides for the kiddies, wellness and shopping for the grown-ups, and then live music for absolutely everyone… Park Fair is a summer do for the whole tribe. parkfair.uk

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REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE - THE ENORMOUS CROCODILE London , 17 May to 8 June

Roald Dahl’s picture book comes to life – all singing and dancing. The enormous crocodile is wriggling through the jungle in search of naughty nibbles to eat… Larger-than-life puppetry in a fabulous open-air venue. openairtheatre.com

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SPORTING EVENTS

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ROYAL ASCOT Berkshire, 18-22 June

Ascot promises to draw racing devotees and novices alike this summer. The royal meeting kicks off with seven races on the card for day one before galloping into a packed week of equine action. Remember the dress code and be sure to place your bets. ascot.com

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IT’S A (T20 VITALITY) BLAST UK-wide, from May

A cricket late promises unparalleled drama squeezed into a single innings – these are speedy matches to whet your wicket. Hosted at Lord’s and the country over at county cricket venues. ecb.co.uk

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HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA Oxfordshire, 2-7 July

Splash around to cool down at the most prestigious regatta in the world. Henley’s 300 races take place over a serene six days along a picturesque stretch of the River Thames. Expect festival vibes with music and food, too. hrr.co.uk n

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MAN about

TON Luke Thompson is best known as a Bridgerton boy. But as an actor he’s navigating fame on his own terms and staying true to his compass, finds TESSA DUNTHORNE

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From Bridgerton to Shakespeare, Luke is ushering in a summer of love stories for our cultural calendar

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does give some credit to the idea that male leads go through a pretty intense glow-up prior to their moment in the sun – see Jonathan Bailey’s de-sideburning between seasons one and two. Is there much pressure to look a certain way for the show? He did, he confirms, work with a personal trainer. ‘The way I approach it is that I wouldn’t do it for any part,’ Luke says. ‘It can feel really odd when people [on screen] are supposed to be playing normal people and then suddenly they have nine packs. But I think that with Bridgerton, because it’s based on a romance novel, it’s important – because that’s the world. Within reason, it’s part of it.’

Throughout our conversation, there are several times when the actor stops and pauses to gather his thoughts. Sentences are dropped halfway through, consternation etched on his face, as he decides how to answer a question. I get the impression that he takes words very seriously – this man does not hand them out willy-nilly. And this seems true of his approach to his career – he is undoubtedly someone who’s in it for the art. A proper thesp, who sounds as though he’d prefer the baggage of fame didn’t come with his line of work.

‘I don’t really find [fame] weird. I think it can be,’ Luke says. ‘I feel it’s more of a choice than people make it out to be. I think if you want to stay private, you can do it.’

He continues: ‘It’s a trade off, though. It does mean you have to turn down some things you’d maybe quite like to do. But I don’t buy that it’s something you’re subjected to.’

Is the reason he’s not on social media a deliberate choice not to be ‘famous’, then? ‘That’s a bit of a myth,’ he says, ‘the reason I’m not on social media is that it plays into my addictive behaviours. It worries me, what it does to your attention span – I’m worried that I haven’t read a book in a long time, and that I find it difficult to focus on a film.

‘But maybe partly I think I’m not capable of dealing with it. And it doesn’t quite square with my vision of this job. But, you know, people have different visions of the job.’

Here and there, he grows quiet. There’s a point at the end of the interview where I ask him what he’s finding challenging at the moment. He meets this with a smile and a shrug – but he’s got an edge now. He starts to speak and then stops, several times.

‘This,’ he says. The Shakespeare play or this interview? ‘These are always really challenging, I think. My relationship with this stuff. There’s fun to be had with it, and I don’t not enjoy doing it, but I find it quite challenging.’

He talks about being shy as a child. ‘One of the reasons I took up acting in the first place is that I grew up quite self-conscious. I’ve always slightly spectated on myself, which is not very pleasant when you’re just living! But on stage, it’s like I’ve outsourced it.

‘Other people are watching me, so I don’t have to.

I can relax. I’m probably so attracted to the [acting] because that part of my brain just shuts up.

‘I don’t think it [acting] is a cerebral process,’ he continues. ‘I’m allergic to any sort of method.

What’s infinitely more interesting is what happens to you – this idea of acting as some kind of sacrifice, in the Greek sense – you’re going out to go through something.’

And if he weren’t an actor, he says, he’d be a pianist: ‘But I think it would’ve been a bit lonely.

There’s a bit more freedom and it’s a bit more sociable to be an actor. Over the course of this career, though, [piano] has become a really useful thing – it’s something that’s just mine, that no one can say I can’t do. Which is useful in a job where you’re spending most of your time like, “do you want me?”’

When we wrap up, he gets up and shakes my hand farewell. He offers to grab the bill – a true-blue Regency man – and then off he goes, into a rehearsal room to lose himself in Shakespeare, where I imagine he is happiest. n

PHOTOGRAPHER: ALEX INGRAM; STYLIST: GRACE GILFEATHER; GROOMING: ALEXIS DAY USING THE ORDINARY AND DIOR BACKSTAGE BEAUTÉ

I

find Luke Thompson in Hopper Coffee House in Clapham. Or actually, I don’t – at least initially. I sit next to him for ten minutes before I realise who he is. For one, he’s not dressed in the breeches and floppy shirts we’ve come to recognise him for, as artist Benedict in Netflix hit Bridgerton. In real life, the 35-year-old actor dons a much more casual flannel shirt on top of a grey tee.

Secondly, he manages almost completely to blend into the background of the café, not quite becoming a wallflower, but attracting no attention. Surreptitious. Over the course of an hour’s chat, no one interrupts us for a selfie or to gush over the actor. Given Bridgerton ranks as Netflix’s fourth most popular show of all time, this must be rare. ‘I’m not recognised particularly,’ he shrugs.

‘I manage to go about my life.’

Luke’s currently in rehearsals for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost. This adaptation, he says, has a ‘really fresh energy’. Punters can expect to see the story – which follows the King of Navarre imposing a no women, no booze, no fun isolation on his court in the pursuit of self-growth – jettisoned to the modern day, and also Silicon Valley.

‘It’s not necessarily the most well-known play,’ he says, ‘which is a good thing. You do sometimes feel that, with Shakespeare, you’re performing to the five percent of people who’ve seen 58 Macbeths.’

The director, Emily Burns, has taken a utilitarian approach to the original material, cutting and shaping it to fit her vision – an approach that may shock traditionalists. ‘There’s some stuff that just won’t work, and you’ve got to cut it,’ Luke maintains. ‘Because it’s not a museum piece. It’s not a lecture; it’s a play.’

He continues: ‘I think there’s a weird hang up around Shakespeare – they’re not perfect plays, and you can cut quite a lot. But I do happen to love them. They’re endlessly rewarding and endlessly complex.’

You can tell he loves them. After leaving RADA, he scooped up award nominations for his first professional role, playing Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Then he was Laertes in Hamlet under director Robert Icke. Casting directors obviously think him the perfect fit for The Bard.

‘I’ve always found that historical world easier to inhabit,’ Luke says. ‘I think for most people, they’re like, “modern – easy; classical – ahh, a bit tricky”. For me, it’s always been the other way around. I think it’s that I enjoy playing the slightly imagined [world] – a bit like Bridgerton.’

On Bridgerton, he is clear about a few things. Firstly, that it’s very ‘locked up’ – media training is extensive, promotional junkets are more akin to ‘long pieces of performance art’ and ‘season three is season three’, the only detail I can elicit from him on the plot about the latest instalment of the hit show, landing on Netflix on 16 May. Secondly, though, is that we can expect a season of growth for Benedict.

‘He’s so open for lots of new experiences, but it can be slightly paralysing, because it means he doesn’t really know where he fits in,’ Luke explains. ‘And that’s where we find Benedict this season – pushed a bit further on.’

Thirdly (and this might surprise some Bridgerton devotees), he’s not looking ahead to a Benedictfocused season – at least imminently. ‘It’d be nice to give the character a full exploration, that’d be really fun, but the way the show runs – it’s a big ensemble show.

As long as I’m given interesting things to do, I don’t really mind.’

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Moving

MOUNTAINS LISA GRAINGER meets Shoshana Stewart to talk rebuilding Afghanistan, preserving craftsmanship, and falling for Rory

S

itting in her Georgian drawing room, Shoshana Stewart looks every inch the sort of lady that John Singer Sargent might have painted in the 19th century: a green crushed velvet dress with high neck and voluminous sleeves shimmering on her slim body, and a string of pale gems dripping from each earlobe, offsetting her glossy hair. Like many of the women captured by the artist, the 44-year-old is an American in London. But she’s emphatically no socialite lady-who-lunches. As I join her upstairs, surrounded by exquisite carpets and fine marquetry, it soon become very clear that she’s every bit as smart as her more famous husband, the former politician, adventurer, writer and now podcaster Rory Stewart. She is an astrophysics graduate, with a master’s degree in education and an MBA from the London Business School, and a Senior Fellow at the Yale Jackson School for Global Affairs. Not only that, but she is president of a non-governmental organisation (NGO) with more than 500 staff, whose roots extend around the world, linking craftspeople whose heritage is under threat with consumers wanting Rory and Shoshana Stewart to buy beautiful handmade objects. in Amman, Jordan Turquoise Mountain was the idea of King Charles, then Prince of Wales, during a visit to Britain of Afghanistan’s then-president, Hamid Karzai. After 30 years of war, the president had explained, his country’s cultural heritage was at risk of disappearing. What the country needed was something akin to The Prince’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts to help preserve its history.

In 2006, the King dispatched to Afghanistan the one Brit he knew who’d not only walked across the country on his own, but he trusted,

having got him to tutor Princes William and Harry one summer. Rory Stewart loved the idea of the challenge and moved there to start work.

When Shoshana (named after her great-grandmother, and meaning ‘rose’ in Hebrew) arrived in Kabul with her then husband, Noah Coburn, an archaeologist, she hadn’t travelled much internationally.

Until she was 20 she hadn’t had a passport, and after that had left her New York home only to go to places such as Harlem, Boston and, briefly, Honduras, to teach science in tough schools, and to Zambia to see a solar eclipse. When Noah suggested they go to live in Afghanistan in 2006 to do research, ‘it was totally random’, she says. ‘I’d never been, I’d never studied it. I just decided to take a year off and have an adventure.’

Within a day of arriving, though, she says, ‘I found what I love to do.’

Rory Stewart had been there about six months, setting up Turquoise Mountain, and needed volunteers.

‘It was madness, abject chaos,’ she says, shaking her head while describing how a driver dropped her off in Kabul at a fort called Qala-eNoborja, on the top of which Rory was standing in a suit covered in mud. It was soon clear, she says, they needed her organisational skills. ‘The first weekend, they put on a calligraphy exhibition – but none of the computers were linked.

So Aziz, the office manager and I did that… Soon, at the age of 26, I was managing a building project with a 55-year-old Pashtun man – and, against all the odds, we restored 150 historic buildings: an amazing project.’

When she talks about ‘a building project’, this wasn’t a lick-ofpaint job. An entire district of Kabul, one of the oldest in the city, had fallen down, its inhabitants living in rubble: ‘The neighbourhood was six feet deep in rubbish – earth and plastic bags.’

To start with, she says, ‘Rory bought 200 spades and wheelbarrows,

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Shoshana Stewart; woodwork in the King’s Lodge, a suite in The Connaught created

by Turquoise Mountain craftspeople; examples of Palestinian Phoenician glass; Khin Da Lin, a weaver in Myanmar

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Shoshana with King Charles, who founded Turquoise Mountain back in 2006

to treat people fairly, how to be smart about money.’

As a result, Turquoise Mountain has expanded into five other countries, employing nearly 500 staff and 10,000 male and female artisans in Myanmar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan and Palestine. In Myanmar, where they’ve worked since 2014, their artisans include marginalised Chin and Kachin communities who have held on to their traditions of hand-weaving embroidered wedding blankets. In Jordan, where many refugees from across the Levant have fled, there are Syrian wood-carvers who ‘are at the very top of their game’.

From Palestine there are ‘spectacular glassblowers’ who make clear and Phoenician-style glass. And in Saudi Arabia, she says proudly, they have an 82-year-old student of jewellery who has opened her own business and employed other women. When the jeweller got her first order, Stewart says with delight: ‘She got one of the women to write a note to me to say, “Thank you for making the first money I have made in my life”.’

While many of the craftspeople are women, Shoshana insists the focus is preserving artisan heritage, ‘which is gender irrespective. There is something wonderful about working in cultural heritage as it’s an asset, which is not something that’s normally discussed in international development. Usually it’s about poverty, water, education – helping people fix things. Whereas with cultural heritage, we can say, “Your heritage is amazing and we can bring money to your community based on it.” It’s a fun way to approach it as you’re looking at things that are going right, not wrong.’

The organisation is clearly doing something very right. So far, it has made more than $17m in sales, channelling money into the pockets of craftspeople, funded healthcare to more than 200,000 and given customers opportunities to invest in exquisite crafts that might otherwise have vanished. In Afghanistan, she says, there are now more than a million carpet-weavers, thanks in part to the demise of Iranian carpet-making, and the mechanisation of the industry in India and Turkey. Christopher Farr in London, for instance, gets his handmade rugs from Turquoise Mountain.

‘And everyone there is proud of seeing their heritage and culture shown around the world,’ continues Shoshana.

Since The Connaught hotel in London used the NGO’s craftsmen to create the Prince’s Lodge in 2010 (which ‘was wonderful as it allowed us to showcase what we could do’), followed this year by the King’s Lodge, other hotels have followed suit. In Riyadh, the Four Seasons ordered hundreds of trays, amenity kits and bowls, and a Radisson bought something for every single room in the building. The Anjum Hotel in Mecca ordered $500,000worth of products: the largest order Turquoise Mountain has ever had.

The size of the orders, she says, shows ‘the lightning speed in which Saudi is changing. I love working there as it is such an important place.

Its people are very interested in cultural heritage, and have the money and will to support it: both citizens and government.’

Not that she wants to talk politics. When her husband ran to be leader of the Conservative Party in 2019, she took six weeks off to help run his campaign – and that was enough for her. ‘I love my job and want to do this ten years from now,’ she says firmly. ‘Rory and I will always talk about everything. But I’ve realised what I love is learning about other people’s cultures, and languages, and food – and understanding why things don’t translate, or do. And bringing benefit to people. And that’s what I do.’

and hired every man who wanted work. We dropped street level by six feet and got rid of 30,000 truck-loads of rubbish.’ Next, he set about finding skilled tradesmen to create new infrastructure, and put in water and electricity. And finally, they built a school and created a curriculum, so that the skills could be passed on to future generations.

Since the Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture opened in 2011, she says, beaming and showing me exquisite boxes inlaid with marquetry, mirrors embellished with fine mother of pearl and an ornately carved coffee table, nearly a thousand students have graduated from the threeyear course. Accredited by the City and Guilds, it offers four subjects: woodwork, jewellery, calligraphy and miniatures, and ceramics.

What brings her particular joy, she says, is that many of those graduates now run their own businesses. When the Taliban took over the country, she admits, no one was sure what would happen. ‘It was such a monumental change… But the staff there kept going, and brought it back in a way that they felt proud of and was defensible. I remember the first time I went back, maybe six months after the takeover, and people taking me around, showing me their stuff. I’d been to half of their weddings when I lived there and they were so proud… I’ve never felt so happy in my life.’

In the same year that the school opened, another major change happened.

During her time in Afghanistan, her marriage to Noah broke down.

And having been ‘each other’s best friends’, dodging bullets and learning the Afghan language Dari together, she and Rory realised ‘that we were something else’.

‘My guy…’ she says, clearly wishing that he wasn’t away for six weeks teaching at Yale, ‘is the most remarkable person I have met in my life. I love being around him. I love Turquoise Mountain, and am so proud of what we do and what we made together. I might be the president now, but he taught me how to do it: how to make sense of a chaotic system, how

turquoisemountain.org n

PHOTOS: © KEVIN MORAN

‘Everyone is PROUD of seeing their HERITAGE shown around the world’

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Can the Law Drag

FOSSIL FUELS

As lawyers in courts around the world battle it out over the future of fossil fuels – not to mention the future of the planet – RACHEL DONALD asks whether it is time for the legal industry to face up to its own oily ethics?

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into GREENER

PASTURES?

‘F

ind the dirt, find the damage, and find the right legal strategy,’ says Ben Franta, founder of the Climate Litigation Lab at Oxford University. He was enjoying a quiet Sunday evening before I called to ask exactly how – and if – the legal industry can stop the fossil fuel industry heating the planet beyond a survivable limit. But Ben doesn’t mind – he gave up another life as an archaeologist on a quiet Greek island to tackle these questions.

He is one of many throwing themselves at what is commonly described as an existential crisis. The planet is in the throes of the sixth mass extinction event, we broke past the 1.5C degree heating limit set by the Paris Agreement last year, our waterways are either choking with plastic or drying up, crop

yields are down across the world, wars are being fought over resources, our oceans are acidifying and our geopolitical world order is reshuffling, with both East and West embracing totalitarianism. This is a world in crisis and its roots began thousands of years ago with our first political hierarchies. There’s a lot we must fix. For now, though, we need to stop putting fuel on the fire.

The political strategy around the world is the opposite of that very sensible suggestion. Fossil fuel production is at an all-time high and private energy companies are planning on extracting even more in the future. Governments in the Global North, like our own, are still dramatically subsidising the world’s most polluting industry to the tune of trillions of dollars and petrostates are planning to get entire continents hooked on fossil fuels.

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ever, and renewable energy is merely adding to the total energy production.

‘Fossil fuel companies have a lot of political power,’ says Nine de Pater, one of the lawyers for Milieudefensie who successfully sued Shell in 2021 in the Netherlands. The legal team, which included scientists, showed that Shell’s climate policies did not align with climate science, and argued that the company is knowingly causing danger by contributing significantly to the climate crisis with its CO2 emissions. The court agreed and ordered Shell to reduce its emissions by 45 percent compared to its original 2019 target, starting immediately. But just last year Shell, along with most companies in the fossil fuel industry, threw out its pledges and declared it is no longer planning on cutting oil production.

‘Shell is taking steps backwards,’ Nine tells me. ‘That’s very worrying and should not be accepted.’ But even though Shell is not complying, nothing can be done until the 2030 deadline, at which point the damage to the climate and planetary stability will be baked in. Shell faces heavy fines if – when – it fails to comply with the court’s orders. Paying damages won’t, of course, undo harm caused by its emissions, but it would ricochet through the finances of its shareholders. ‘There can be very serious financial consequences,’ says Nine. ‘It’s important for shareholders and stakeholders to know the risk that Shell is taking by not complying to this verdict.’

The energy giant has been fighting legal battles on multiple fronts. In the UK, a team from ClientEarth took Shell’s board to court as concerned shareholders. They argued that Shell was threatening the company’s future by not moving away from fossil fuels fast enough and were backed by major institutional investors, including the largest workplace pension scheme in the UK – an excellent example of shareholders who are at major risk by Shell not complying with the Dutch court verdict.

The legal team targeted the company directors who are ‘legally obliged to ensure that their actions today do not compromise the financial stability of their companies tomorrow’.

‘The writing is on the wall for fossil fuels,’ says Connor Thompson, a lawyer on the case. ‘As global demand for oil and gas diminishes, companies reliant solely on fossil fuels face an uncertain future.’ But the British court didn’t agree, instead saying that ClientEarth was not taking into consideration the range of ‘competing considerations’ Shell’s directors take into account.

ClientEarth, of course, does not agree: ‘The law must allow for directors to be held to account when their actions put their own company, let alone the planet, at risk.’

The judge’s ruling is emblematic of the legal climate in the UK, where it is easier to prosecute a climate activist than sue a fossil fuel company.

Thanks to the policy recommendations of a shadowy collective of global think tanks called the Atlas Network, which are behind the sweeping trend to criminalise activism around the world and brand activists as

terrorists in the press, Rishi Sunak’s government has deliberately targeted citizens while handing out more licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. The public prosecutor is lining up hundreds of citizens for their day in court while criminals engaging in ecocide walk free. In response, some lawyers are refusing to both prosecute these activists and work for fossil fuel companies. The group, Lawyers Are Responsible, is quick to point out the complicity of the legal industry, without whom the fossil fuel industry could not function. Between 2017 and 2023, leading law firms globally facilitated $1.63 trillion in fossil fuel transactions. ‘It’s just a scientific fact that those fossil fuel companies are doing huge amounts of damage to the planet and to all the people and nature on it,’ says Ben. ‘And more lawyers are helping the industry than suing the industry.’

It’s disappointing – although Activists are more likely perhaps not surprising at this to be prosecuted than fossil fuel companies stage – that the responsibility for a brighter future is falling to selforganised groups of concerned citizens. Thankfully, the historical precedent for acting against harmful industries lies in civil courts rather than criminal ones, Ben says. Still, it begs the question of exactly how much we can expect from the legal industry if its power is so closely tied up with state power, which is so closely tied up with fossil fuel power. Who will the state side with if these cases threaten their fuel source? What would that do to the law itself? Will states ever sue the source of their own power?

‘Great question,’ laughs Ben. ‘Probably not – but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.’ Indeed, there are two dozen government-led suits against the fossil fuel industry in the United States. One of the most high-profile cases is the State of California vs Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, Chevron, as well as the domestic oil industry’s biggest lobby, the American Petroleum Institute. However, Nine warns that – unlike the Dutch suit, which sought to reduce emissions – California is seeking financial damages from these fossil fuel companies: ‘It shows the two sides of it, the dependency on fossil fuels on one side and also that fossil fuels cause problems.’

This, ultimately, is the crux of the problem. We need to stop burning fossil fuels immediately. We cannot do so immediately. There is no debate, but the discussion is complex. Tackling the problem demands every tool available to us and law is just one of them. ‘The legal system can really enforce change, but it is not accessible to everyone as it is expensive and takes a lot of time,’ says Ben. ‘We don’t have a lot of time. We can use it as an accelerator of change but it is not the silver bullet.’

Ultimately, challenging the fossil fuel industry is a reckoning for the legal industry, whose murky ethics have facilitated trillions of dollars of planetary damage. ‘Everyone deserves representation,’ says Ben. ‘But not everyone deserves a co-conspirator.’ n

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

‘The public prosecutor is lining up hundreds of CITIZENS for their day in court while criminals engaging in ECOCIDE walk free’

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Georgia Scott (left) with her sisters and co-founders, Sophia and Nina

FROM THE GROUND UP AMY WAKEHAM meets Georgia Scott, co-founder and CEO of Groundtruth, the innovative British bag brand with a purpose 124 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | May / June 2024

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Groundtruth 10L Tote Pack, £135

t’s been a long journey to get to where we are today. Honestly, I feel like I’ve lived a thousand lives.’ I’m speaking to Georgia Scott over Zoom on a gloomy winter’s day. As grey as it is outside, though, I’m entranced by her fascinating, colourful story of how she got to where she is today – and how she came to found innovative bag brand Groundtruth with her two sisters. The Scott siblings had quite an ‘unconventional upbringing’, travelling across Europe following their parents, who worked in theatre.

In her early 20s, Georgia worked with her older sister, Sophia, a documentary filmmaker. Together, they started their own company, Groundtruth Productions, ‘with the aim of telling people’s stories from the ground, and doing it in a very authentic and organic way’.

For 12 or 13 years, filming took the two sisters all over the world, capturing stories of people affected by conflict. Their experience led them to realise several things: ‘That pointing a camera and capturing something was not enough anymore, to try and do our part in helping better this planet,’ explains Georgia.

‘And, also, how climate change was really fuelling people having to flee their homes.’

She continues: ‘I remember reading this news report from the UN, where it said that the number of people fleeing their homes due to climate change is going to surpass the people fleeing their homes due to conflict. Having lived in refugee camps for many years, I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody.’

In their travels, they also saw the impact plastic pollution was having on even the world’s most remote locations, and the ethical and environmental impacts of the fashion manufacturing industries.

The sisters decided, in their own way, to do something about it.

‘We thought to ourselves, we need to have really cool bags that can transit between different worlds. One minute we’re in a high rise in New York pitching a new film idea; the next minute, we’re on the borders of Syria, or in the jungles of Sierra Leone. And we needed a bag that could live with us and travel with us, and at the same time be made from the plastic pollution we were seeing in the environment.’

So, in 2017, Georgia and Sophia enlisted their third sister, Nina – who, handily, was working in the textiles industry – to start Groundtruth and create practical, long-lasting bags from innovative recycled materials. Georgia’s husband, Obaida Fahed, a Syrian refugee she met in a camp in Lebanon, came on board as chief operating officer.

The priority of the business was building an ethical, transparent network of suppliers. ‘We went about building our supply chain the same way we would build a film: by talking to people on the ground,’ says Georgia. However, that was easier said than done.

‘We did a big tour of Asia and felt quite disillusioned by the issues that we came across out there, in terms of the conditions for workers.

I’ve seen some shocking things.’

At the time there were a very limited amount of good, durable, sustainable materials. So, the sisters innovated their own out of 100 percent recycled plastic.

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releases microplastics into the environment, and is inherently incompatible with creating a circular economy. How does Groundtruth square that with its sustainability mission and use of recycled plastics?

‘There’s been this explosion of people using recycled materials,’ Georgia acknowledges.

‘And I think it absolutely can cause more harm than good. We don’t know where the plastic is coming from and what coatings are being used – our coating is VOC [volatile organic compounds, which include a variety of chemicals that may have short- and long-term adverse health effects]-free.’

She continues: ‘We’re currently making a film in Hawaii, where they’ve just discovered seven times more microplastics in the nursery grounds for the baby fish than fish. We are repurposing plastic to create materials, but we’re doing it in the most thoroughly researched way possible.

And at the same time trying to highlight the issue of plastic pollution in our environment to encourage a lifestyle where you start to remove that single-use plastic.’

Groundtruth uses Global Recycling Standard plastic, which comes from waterways, landfill, and oceans, and is collected by a big company in Asia, before being taken to Taiwan where it’s made into pellets and then yarn.

‘It’s very important for Groundtruth to work with partners who share our philosophy, and have open reporting, and who don’t mind us walking up with our cameras at any given day to film in the factories. If we can’t have that, then we don’t work with them,’ says Georgia.

After making ‘13 or 14’ different prototypes, Groundtruth put its bags through perhaps the most rigorous field testing of all: trekking in Antarctica with explorer Robert Swan, the first person to walk to both poles.

Groundtruth has also been working for three years on carbon capture technology, and embedding CO2 emissions within its bags’ recycled polypropylene hardware. Remarkably, it’s found that, by adding the carbon, it improves the mechanical performance to be 40 percent stronger than virgin plastic.

‘It feeds into that philosophy of trying to build something that’s

going to last a very long time,’ says Georgia. ‘We’re not just designing bags, but we’re actively, with our partners, innovating new materials that can potentially be a solution for a problem. That’s our mission.’ The brand recently won the iF Design Award for its hardware with embedded CO2 emissions.

Groundtruth plans to introduce a lifetime warranty, and start a repairs hub in London, as well as an exchange programme if a customer becomes tired of their bag and fancies swapping it in return for a voucher for a new one. ‘We’re going to create a cycle where no Groundtruth product ever ends up in landfill,’ says Georgia.

The brand has just kitted out an all-female team of explorers and scientists trekking to the North Pole with sledge covers, and Georgia is working on the film on microplastics in Hawaii, working with sportspeople to try to raise awareness and tackle the ‘compassion fatigue’ she worries is affecting citizens in the UK and US. ‘I can easily feel disillusioned by the state of the world,’ she says. ‘I think we have done horrendous things to our planet. We’ve done horrendous things to each other. And I would love to see a more united front on our climate problems.

‘Because at the end of the day, we are all connected, and the planet is connected: what happens in the US; what happens in Mozambique; we will feel it here – it’s all connected.’ groundtruth.global n FROM TOP: The Scott siblings check out a factory; sorting plastic bottles for recycling into yarn; explorer Robert Swan in Antarctica with a Groundtruth bag

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charity

Founded by Arizona Muse

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PHOTO: MATEUSZ SITEK; ART DIRECTOR: URSULA LAKE

A look at longevity

THE AESTHETIC GUIDE

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AESTHETIC GUIDE

Contents 132

WHAT’S HOT?

136

THE LAST DIET

140

THE LONGEVITY PLATE

142

TOUCH POINT

146

SLEEP ON IT

150

GET HACKED

The latest aesthetic news and the newest clinic openings Diary of an Ozempic user,

by Fiona Golfar Why have we made eating so complicated?

Insomnia is said to affect one in three people. Here’s how Annabel Jones overcame hers Alice Hart-Davis gives the skinny on exosomes

154

A CUT ABOVE

161

TRIED & VERIFIED

173

ON CALL

Annabel Jones on the rise of the mid-life facelift Our beauty team put ten treatments to the test Doctors’ directory

On Cover: Haute Joaillerie earrings with pear-shaped morganites Chopard Art Director: Ursula Lake. Photography: Mateusz Sitek. Hair: Craig Taylor using Hair

by Sam Knight. Make-up: Marco Antonio using CHANEL Jardin Imaginaire and No. 1 de CHANEL Eye Serum. Nails: Nicole Williams at Stella Creative Artists using CHANEL Le Vernis in Rouge Noir and CHANEL La Crème Main. Photo Assistant: Zach Clapham.

Model: Natalie at Established

Editor’s LETTER

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G

reetings from the front lines of aesthetic medicine, where our team of experts have been hard at work to bring to life the fourth edition of the Country & Town House Aesthetic Guide.

This issue explores the intersection where beauty and wellness meet and the impact the convergence of procedures, skin health and lifestyle improvements can have on longevity and what it truly means to age well.

To kick things off on page 136, Fiona Golfar shares her real life account of, for better or worse, what it’s like to be on weight-loss medication for the long term. Meanwhile, leading longevity experts are calling for an end to diet culture and asking that we switch our focus away from quick fixes towards eating for long-term health by following the simple principles outlined in The Longevity Plate (p140).

In her feature Touch Point, Rebecca Newman has taken a look at the surge in power facials; those that lift and sculpt by combining sci-fi devices with ancient protocols like acupuncture and lymphatic massage (p142).

Elsewhere, I recount my two-year battle with insomnia and the extreme measures I’ve taken to solve it (p146).

Back to skin and Alice Hart-Davis decodes the emerging science of exosomes and how they can biohack your skin’s age (p150).

And, of course, it wouldn’t be the Aesthetic Guide if we didn’t probe into the newest surgical interventions. In A Cut Above on page 154, we investigate the rise of the midlife facelift and whether or not it’s a smarter way to halt the hallmarks of facial ageing than certain non-surgical alternatives. As has become tradition, we have also tried out ten treatments that we’ve reviewed with honest appraisal on page 161. And last but not least, should you be considering a tweak we’ve updated our annual aesthetic doctors’ directory with some new and approved entries.

I hope you enjoy it!

PHOTOS: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE

Tightening and brightening without injecting? Welcome to the super facial, says Rebecca Newman

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WHAT’S HOT?

BEST NEW BEAUTY BUYS

This season’s latest and greatest HEALTHY HAIR ON TAP

We are in the midst of a healthy hair revolution. In tech, Dyson is at the forefront of innovation with its new wet-to-dry Airstrait Straightener, £499 (boots.com), which like its curl-giving equivalent, Airwrap, straightens and dries all textures of hair with air alone.

We’ve tried it and like it. Elsewhere, Kerastase has brought out Premiere, with the kinds of ingredients you’d expect in high-performance skincare.

With actress Sydney Sweeney (right) as the brand’s new ambassador, it’s hard not to be tempted. We’re betting she uses Premiere’s Intensive Shine Repairing Oil, £41.95, to restore shine (lookfantastic.com).

STAR-SPANGLED SKINCARE

LIFE IMITATING ART

Artist Marina Abramović’s Longevity Method was created to help counterbalance the rise in technology and embrace the simplicity of life, the idea being to rediscover forgotten rituals and focus on living in the present. There are four products in the range including a face lotion and three longevity drops: Energy, Anti-Allergy and (our favourite) Immune (£99 each) consisting of fresh garlic, lemon, hawthorn berry, calamus root, mumie, and flower pollen. Or get all four in the set box for £459. abramoviclongevity.com

Alastin Skincare is the latest scientifically advanced brand to cross the Atlantic.

Featuring patented TriHex Technology (a blend of skinfirming peptides to support the removal of aged collagen and elastin), it includes both post-procedure products and daily skincare heroes. We’re superfans of the Restorative Skin Complex, £180, that brightens and lifts and the HA Immerse Serum, £100, which increases the skin’s own hyaluronic acid, naturally. skinpharmacy. co.uk

1 Neurae Harmonie Serum The skincare line from the brother and sister whose family started Sisley, taps into the emerging field of neurocosmetics – the brain-skinconnection. £135, neurae.com 2 The Sarah Chapman Clinic Range Clinical excellence in a bottle, with two concentrated serums and a recovery cream – coming soon. sarahchapman.com 3 Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint in Toast A warm nude-ish brown that gives a sheer non-sticky finish thanks to its addition of shea butter and peptides. £16, rhodeskin.com 4 La Roche-Posay Mela B3 The wisdom was that age spots are too heavy a task for skincare to tackle on its own is blasted by 18 years of research by La Roche-Posay. £48, boots.com 5 Armani Beauty’s Luminous Silk Sunlit Creamy Bronzing Powder Contains skin-gliding oils and microfine pigments in believable tones that gives skin an unrivalled radiance. £46, johnlewis.com

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Discover Ouronyx, the destination for Mindful Aesthetics, where beauty is a testament to our inner health and happiness 20 St James's St, St. James's, London SW1A 1ES | 020 4542 1697 | www.ouronyx.com

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NEW FACES & SPACES You couldn’t ask for a more beautiful bunch. Introducing the newest clinics and spas to hit the country and town

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4

CHELSEA DENTAL CLINIC, CHELSEA, LONDON

Practice owner and respected cosmetic dentist, Dr Rhona Eskander, has created a whole new genre of dental practice, one that combines cutting-edge procedures in a chic and relaxing setting.

Enlisting the help of her sister, Tanya, an architectural designer who graduated from the Royal College of Art as a master of Architecture, together the Eskander sisters have brought the cocooning environment of an upscale wellness spa to dentistry.

Think pale wooden floors and nude textured walls with a living grass installation surrounding the walls of the reception. It’s so shoulder-droppingly chill, you’ll forget why you’re there. chelseadentalclinic.co.uk

2

DR SONI RESIDENCY AT THE LANGHAM

A 3,000 sq/m Romaninspired spa within the grounds of Estelle Manor offers a sanctuary for guests to fully detach. Take a dip in the marble carved bathing hall including five thermal pools, or indulge in one of the ancient healing rituals inspired by Indian Tibetan or Chinese traditions. estellemanor.com/eynsham-baths

5

SURRENNE, BELGRAVIA, LONDON

Be still our beating hearts, this longevity members’ club is unlike any other.

Merging the latest protocols created with an advisory board that includes longevity experts like neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and author of Lifespan, David Sinclair, with modern wellness rituals, the club is set over four floors and includes a swimming pool integrated with a sound system for in-water meditations. Members can take fitness classes in Tracy Anderson’s G-floor studio, go wild swimming and have facials

by Dr Lara Devgan, followed by a bite from the micronutrient rich café menu designed by Rosemary Ferguson. Contact membership@ surrenne.com

1

With its own private entrance, take the stairs down to the Chuan Spa, and enter a plush reception area where you’ll be given your own locker space to leave your things and all-day access to the private gym – all before your treatment with Dr Ashwin Soni, an aesthetic doctor and GMC licensed surgeon practising in subtle injectables. langhamhotels.com

3

EYNSHAM BATHS, ESTELLE MANOR, OXFORDSHIRE

6

MONTROSE LONDON, BELGRAVIA, LONDON

Montrose London combines medical excellence (it’s founded by three renowned plastic surgeons) with the cosiness of a luxury boutique hotel. Nestled behind its own private entrance in the heart of Belgravia, the upscale maximalist decor makes you feel instantly at home, while the treatments that range from aesthetic injectables and non-surgical energy devices to medical dermatology and surgery, are at the cutting edge. montroseclinics.com

5

DR DAVID JACK EDINBURGH

Dr David Jack has returned to his Scottish roots and opened up in picturesque Howe Street in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town.

A budding interior designer, Jack’s latest space is as you’d expect: decadent and welcoming.

Treatments include a spot-on mix of injectables, bespoke facials, and energy treatments like Morpheus8. drdavidjack.com n

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AE ST Our acclaimed clinic ‘attracts the glitterati’ with its ‘discretion and professionalism’ - Tatler.

• Botox® • Dermal/Lip Fillers • Hydrafacial® • Morpheus 8® • Emsculpt Neo® • Emtone® • Mole Removal • Mole Mapping • Thermage® • Aesthetic Surgery • Body Contouring • IPL and Lasers • Skin Surgery

Y ER G

A

n all-encompassing luxury clinic for your health, beauty and body needs.

SKIN & ICS, SU T E R H

‘A secluded space where you can come and have everything to do with beauty. If you are having your Botox but are worried about a mole, then you can have it looked at by a consultant dermatologist.’

United through a love of beauty, art, plastic surgery and aesthetics, Montrose London was founded by three plastic and re-constructive surgeons; Dr Georgina Williams, Dr Jonathan Dunne & Dr Shaimaa Jamshidi

Book Now

WhatsApp

London’s Best Skin and Aesthetics Address MONTROSE LONDON, 19 WEST EATON PLACE, LONDON, SW1 X 8LT www.montroseclinics.com | +44 20 7112 8298 | bookings@montroselondon.com

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The

LAST DIET?

‘S

o, how long are you going to stay on it?’ It’s a question I’ve got used to hearing over the past year. It’s nearly always accompanied by a raised eyebrow. I’ve been on weight-loss medication for a year. It’s changed my body, my mental health and my life. My answer to that question is, never; I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.

When I first heard about the ‘miracle’ drug Ozempic – designed for type-2 diabetes – which works by mimicking the action of a naturally occurring hormone, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), to delay the digestion process and thereby manage hunger, I was curious to Oprah is one of the Hollywood know if this could work set who has taken Ozempic for me, someone who has for weightloss reasons struggled with weight issues

for years, even more so after hitting menopause.

I was hearing from friends that people were seeing startling results on it, but I hadn’t thought it was something I could even consider taking, until I spoke to my gynaecologist who confirmed that she felt it was a wonder drug for women struggling with menopausal weight gain.

I wasn’t obese, but was easily carrying 15 to 20lbs more than I should. I had worked for a fashion magazine for years and loved clothes, and was having to make decisions about what to wear based on what would fit rather than what I wanted. I felt heavy and sluggish; my thighs rubbed together, I had back boobs and wide hips, chubby arms, and my face was puffy. Getting dressed had become a minefield.

Still, I didn’t get rid of any of my clothes because I held on to the dream that one day I’d diet myself back into them. I’m 62 and although I live in the era of body positivity, I saw nothing to celebrate about my extra pounds. I didn’t feel myself in my puffy body.

PHOTO RIGHT: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE; PHOTO LEFT: SHUTTERSTOCK

From Oprah to Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Hollywood is coming clean about weight loss medication.

But would you do it? Fiona Golfar has – this is her story, one year on

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PHOTO RIGHT: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE; PHOTO LEFT: SHUTTERSTOCK

‘Ventaglio’ ring in 18ct white gold set with diamonds and ‘Palais des vents’ bracelet in 18ct white gold set with diamonds Adler ‘Peggy’ swimsuit Second Summer

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AESTHETIC GUIDE

I started the course in December 2022, injecting the ‘pen’ into my stomach once a week as instructed (at first, I was so nervous I didn’t take the plastic nozzle off the top of the tiny needle and wasted a dose).

I took 0.25mg and built to 1mg over several months, increasing the dose very slowly.

I had looked into the side effects – nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation – and the possible health risks, but my rationale was they were risks worth taking.

I made sure I was taking a good probiotic, Symprove, and magnesium citrate, which takes good care of my colon. I sometimes had a little nausea, but it came in waves and it was not violent and would pass like mild car sickness. My appetite decreased; I ate the same foods but in smaller quantities.

I stopped thinking about controlling my food all the time.

I had a mixed reaction from my friends about my weight loss. Some were thrilled for me, knowing it had always been a struggle. Some were very judgemental because of the shortages and the muchpublicised difficulty for diabetics to obtain it. Others cheerfully listed the possible health risks. I often wonder why they suddenly felt the need to become health experts. Sometimes I think there was a touch of jealousy involved. But really, most of the raised eyebrows were about the idea that weight loss was something I was not disciplined enough to do without sticking a needle (albeit a tiny one) into myself.

I can’t deny the truth in that. But it wasn’t for lack of trying every diet on the planet over the years. Peer-group judgement is something I have no problem with – I can laugh it off – but I do have friends who take Ozempic and keep it a secret.

One morning, I was sitting up in bed and my husband said, ‘Oh my God! Your back has lost so much weight. Your waist is back!’ He has been trained never to comment on my weight and I realised he was thrilled for me – his judgement came from the heart.

As for the pounds I lost? I don’t ever weigh myself. It’s the path to madness.

However, I let my clothes tell me how I’m doing and they gave me a resounding ‘Welcome back’ as I slipped into pencil skirts I bought in the early 2000s.

Ozempic melts muscle as well as fat, and it is highly recommended to add weights to training. I tailored my exercise to include more high-intensity resistance, which paid off because, as I became leaner,

KNOW YOUR OZEMPIC FACTS

1 2

In the US, the FDA approved Ozempic in 2017 to help control blood sugar in type-2 diabetes.

In the UK, Ozempic is available only on prescription, to be administered once-weekly.

Ozempic is a trade name of the medication semaglutide.

It stimulates the release of insulin, lowers blood sugar and slows stomach emptying. Under the trade name Wegovy and made

by Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk, semaglutide was approved by the FDA for weight management in June 2021.

In clinical studies, the average patient lost 15 percent of their body weight.

3

In March 2023, Wegovy was approved for NHS use for patients with a BMI that puts them near the top of the obese range, as well as those with at least one weightrelated health condition. There is a two-year maximum limit for the prescription. According to an August 2022 study, after coming off semaglutide, patients on average put back two-thirds of the weight they lost within a year. Possible side effects are listed as pancreatitis, changes in vision, kidney failure, and ‘possible thyroid tumours, including cancer.

4 5 6 7 8

In October 2022, the European Medicines Agency reported ‘an increase in demand for Ozempic, which has led to intermittent supply shortages that are ongoing’.

The average cost of one month of Ozempic 1ml is £199. If you include the ongoing blood tests and doctor’s appointments, it’s not a cheap option.

Doctors recommend regular blood tests and putting the work in with exercise and a healthy diet, and not just counting on the drug.

Most doctors recommend starting on 0.25 ml of semaglutide, graduating to 0.5ml and after about four months to 1 ml. Side effects can include nausea, which will usually pass after a few minutes.

London Medical (london medical.co.uk) offers holistic programme Smartweight, which includes a consultation with a medical doctor, blood tests and, for suitable candidates, a monitored prescription for Ozempic alongside a nutrition coach.

my body started to look defined. My selfesteem sent me trotting to the gym with a spring in my step, which was never the case before. My diet is essentially Mediterranean, including a lot of meat, fish and fibre-rich vegetables. I didn’t just change into a healthy eater overnight.

I still crave the foods I love –Chinese and Thai – but I eat much smaller portions.

Sugar was the biggest hurdle. I craved it and heard from other ‘Ozempic’ friends who did too. It took a year for me to finally give it up; I’m amazed that after ten days without it I felt so much clearer in my head.

People warned me that ‘Ozempic face’ is a thing. It is. I lost a lot of volume in mine and I saw my aesthetic guru, Dr Maryam Zamani, who put gentle amounts of dermal filler into my cheeks, which had hollowed and made me look a bit gaunt.

‘I have also seen a loss of volume in the face from patients who are on Ozempic,’ she says. ‘I tend to use gentle fillers like hyaluronic acid along with biostimulation that helps the skin regenerate.’ Dr Zamani also sometimes uses lasers to tighten the skin. The results of the gentle amount of filler she used on me were amazing and I will refresh that about once a year.

I saw a slight loosening of the skin on my thighs, my breasts and underarms, but at my age, frankly, that’s the deal with skin and I’ll take it. There are options but they involve surgery and I don’t want that.

Taking Ozempic has freed me from constant anxiety about my weight and given my health a boost. I have much more energy and have regular blood tests to ensure everything is functioning well – it is.

I think far less about things I can do to make myself feel better. I tweak less, I work out more and I shop less, as I am getting such a kick out of wearing all my old favourite things. I got a pair of new hips last year and started to dance again, slipping into a pair of leggings and a black T-shirt and going to a class where I could bear to look at myself in the mirror. All these things I would never have dreamt of doing before.

Studies show that if you stop taking Ozempic then you’re likely to regain some of the weight. I think that happens with any of the gazillion diets I’ve been on. But although I am no longer shedding pounds, I have plateaued at a weight I am happy with and plan to stay this way. If that means staying on what I consider a wonder drug, I will. I no longer worry about other people’s judgement. n

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PR O M OT I O N

LASER FOCUSED

Want clinical-grade results without having to wait for an appointment? The new LYMA Laser Pro is a uniquely professional device that’s safe enough to use at home

W

hile most at-home energy devices are a mild imitation of the ones professionals use in their expert clinics, the new LYMA Laser Pro device is as close to surgery as it gets, and yet it’s as safe to use as a sheet mask.

Three times more powerful than LYMA’s original laser, and popular with A-listers, the LYMA Laser Pro, which took four years for the brand to develop, is even bigger and more powerful than its iconic predecessor.

Allowing the user to treat a wider surface area of 33 sq/cm with even more powerful results, the LYMA Laser Pro harnesses 1450mw of continuous, ultra-diffused low level laser light that penetrates up to 10cm below the skin’s surface to remodel skin from the muscle tissue upwards, without pain or downtime.

Designed for professionals to use in their clinic settings but easy enough for novices to master at home, the second generation of LYMA Laser Pro addresses not only fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, blemishes, but also has been shown in clinical trials to have truly transformative results, tightening crepey skin on knees and bingo wings –

and even transforming cellulite.

With non-invasive aesthetic treatments projected to grow globally by 15.4 percent by 2030, recent research by the University College London found that two-thirds of cosmetic injections are not done by qualified doctors, making the case for valid alternatives to surgical procedures that carry zero risk of harm.

Dr Graeme E Glass PhD, Plastic Surgeon, Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College says: ‘As a leading plastic surgeon, it’s fair to say that all surgery comes with some degree of pain and downtime and this doesn’t suit everyone. The LYMA Laser Pro is the closest thing you’ll get to surgery without any of the pain or downtime and that makes it an attractive option for everyone.’

At £5,000, the LYMA Laser Pro is by no means an insignificant investment, and yet it pales in significance to the cost of a facelift. Both are guaranteed to last ten years and both yield transformative results – but one comes with zero pain or downtime. Which would you choose?

For more information head to lyma.life

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Swimsuit The White Company ‘Secret Combination’ earrings with diamonds set in platinum Harry Winston

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TheLongevity

PLATE Ozempic may help with weight loss but what about proper nutrition? asks Annabel Jones

L

ow fat, low cal, keto, paleo, vegan: the diets many of us grew up following and, as diets go, failing at, have been replaced by a simple mantra: healthy eating. But in an era of overcomplicated messages that dial-in on the details (such as the quality of one’s oat milk) instead of the fundamentals, most people have lost sight of what healthy eating means, says medical research scientist and nutritionist Dr Federica Amati.

In her new book Every Body Should Know This: The Science of Eating for a Lifetime of Health (Michael Joseph, £22), Dr Amati outlines the evidencebased guidelines for eating well, highlighting specific junctions in life when our nutrition may need re-evaluating – such as adolescence and menopause.

‘The best way to think about longevity is to ask yourself, “What do I want my life to look like when I’m 85? Do I want to get out of bed unassisted and be able to feed myself well? Then what are the habits I need to instil in my 30s, 40s, 50s to get there,’ says Dr Amati, adding that to live a long and healthy life you need to eat to mitigate the five main health risks: heart disease, cancer, metabolic obesity, type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline.

PHOTOS: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE

THE DIETARY PATTERN WITH THE BEST HEALTH OUTCOMES

Along with forsaking smoking (‘no amount of red light therapy is going to undo the damage that smoking causes,’ says Dr Amati) and reducing alcohol, which she stresses is a carcinogen that harms your health, ‘a Mediterranean style dietary pattern has been proven across millions of people to improve most health outcomes, including frailty, fertility and disease.’

The main pillar, says Dr Amati, is plants.

‘A plant-led diet consisting of legumes, beans, greens, and seasonal fruits and vegetables with some animal protein should form the foundation of any longevity diet,’ she recommends, warning that meat should complement – not be the mainstay of – our diets.

‘You can get all 20 amino acids found in protein from plants – including the nine essential ones,’ adds Amati who recommends opting for fatty fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids (mackerel, sardines, wild salmon) three

Six Longevity Supplements

1. Wiley’s Finest Wild Alaskan Fish Oil Omega 3, £17.99. planetorganic.com 2. Pure Encapsulations B-Complex Plus, £29. healf.com 3. Artah Enhanced NAD+ Complex Food Supplement, £65. artah.co 4. Nutri ADVANCED MegaMag Magnesium Powder, £38. johnbellcroyden.co.uk 5. NaturesPlus Vitamin D3 1000 IU, £13.95. naturesplus.co.uk 6. Jolt Ultimate Age Blocker, £69.99. joltmyworld.com

times a week as opposed to red meat. ‘The evidence is clear, meat intake is linked to a higher risk of disease,’ she says. On top of these fundamental principles, Dr Amati suggests experimenting with supplementation ‘if it helps you feel better’, but doesn’t recommend expensive vitamin infusions.

NAD: WHAT IS IT, AND DO WE ACTUALLY NEED IT?

NAD is the supplement of the moment but is it a valid addition to a longevity protocol or just another hot trend destined to fizzle out? NAD stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and is a natural coenzyme with about 300 functions that are hugely important for energy production, says longevity expert Dr Sabine Donnai.

Our NAD production reduces over time, hence why supplement companies are keen to sell it to us. However, Dr Donnai has only found one that works: Accuri NAD+ Optimisation Dietary Supplement by Jinfiniti Precision Medicine, which she stocks at her London clinic Viavi.

‘We’ve tested plenty of NAD supplements including infusions and it’s the only one that we’ve seen improve all the chemical processes we look for, such as mitochondria function, methylation, detoxification,’ Dr Donnai says.

Most good NAD supplements are expensive and come courtesy of longevity practitioners such as Dr Donnai, thus aren’t available to the general public.

However, Rhian Stephenson, a leading nutritional therapist and naturopath, has just launched one under her wellness brand, Artah. ‘NAD influences every hallmark of ageing. By the time we’re 40, NAD levels have dropped by 50 percent and by 60 they’ve halved again,’ says Stephenson who explains that it’s not only biological ageing that impacts NAD levels but how much sleep and stress we’re under, hence why lifestyle protocols such as mindfulness can boost energy.

Artah’s supplements use standardised extracts of herbs and compounds with medicinal properties, which Stephenson likens to eating organic fruits and vegetables compared to those sprayed with pesticides.

THE FOUR SUPPLEMENTS EVERYONE NEEDS

‘We all have very individual needs but after decades of measuring people’s nutrient status there are four supplements that people tend to lack: omega 3 fish oil, magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin D,’ says Dr Donnai.

B vitamins are key for cell function and metabolism, magnesium with sleep and relaxation (Dr Donnai prefers magnesium glycinate), vitamin D3 is crucial for immunity and omega 3s (from fish oil) help with heart health and curb inflammation by balancing omega 6.

Dr Donnai says there are a few tips for making sure you are paying for a supplement that’s bioavailable. ‘Many supplements are made from petrochemicals, which can be harmful and not helpful,’ she says, adding: ‘Look for ones that say food grown or food state (with a shelf life) in an opaque or dark glass bottle to keep the ingredients stable,’ she says. n

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TOUCH

A facial isn’t just a facial anymore – the newest ones come with lifting, tightening powers that could rival a cosmetic procedure, says Rebecca Newman

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POINT

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Swimsuit The White Company ‘Riviere’ necklace with square emerald cut diamonds set in platinum and ‘Secret Cluster’ ring with diamonds set in platinum Harry Winston.

Lasers, LYMA

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S

omething happened at the Oscars.

And I don’t mean the Ken dance.

Rather, the fully fledged articulation of the ‘snatched face’, the look that’s taken Hollywood by storm. Think skin that is dewy, bouncy – naturally tight jaw-lines and defined cheekbones – and so healthy it gleams. The secret? Emma Stone, Margot Robbie and co are heading to a new breed of skin guru: luminaries with global followings, such as Ivan Pol or Fabricio Ormonde. These uberfacialists blend multiple modalities into newly powerful, bespoke facials. Could

these hybrid treatments promise results that could equal, or even surpass, a reliance on injectables? Do they mark a pivot toward treatments that work on a profound level to make our ‘snatched’ skins act and look better than ever? Here’s hoping. Welcome to the new age of the super facial.

Time was that facials were simple.

A couple of masks, some products layered on and off with uninteresting sweeping motions. They equated to a pleasant lie down with some fluffy towels, and results that were fine, but neither lasting nor epic.

‘Facials have evolved tremendously,’ says

Keren Bartov (kerenbartov.co.uk), one of the UK’s leading lights who treats Bar Refaeli and Isla Fisher. They can profoundly alter the cellular health of the skin.

Further, these treatments come at a time when people are realising the limits of Botox and filler. Courtney Cox has been candid about how she overdid things, and ‘messed up a lot’. Alongside the likes of Kylie Jenner, she’s had her fillers dissolved. Instead, Cox now sees Bartov, who continues: ‘I never judge anyone who does choose to have these treatments. But yes, if you want to avoid more invasive treatments like Botox then

PHOTOS: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE

Swimsuit and jewellery as before. Boost LED Mask, The Light Salon

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AESTHETIC GUIDE

her elegant rooms in a Georgian townhouse, she deploys everything from LED therapy to microcurrents that lift and tone.

However, the secret sauce is her signature, muscle-melting massage – sculpting the muscle, stimulating blood flow and with lymphatic drainage.

South Korean facialist Mina Lee’s (minalee.london) method also hinges on touch, and may begin with legs being pulled, hard, and shaken; then firm manipulation of the face with some combination of cupping, acupuncture and Korean massage techniques to release any ‘stuck energy’.

‘To treat the skin, you must treat the body too, and taking care of the skin can recharge your mental and physical wellbeing.’

She stops after having done only one side of your face to show you the improvement – an astonishing, instant lift. This holistic method is then coupled with state-of-the-art Korean products, as well as mesotherapy and LEDs. Sessions with Bradden start with acupuncture on the ears and face, while lying on a bed with an Infrared Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Mat (emanating healing electromagnetic waves). ‘It’s all about freeing the energy from within,’ she says: ‘to sculpt, lift and boost circulation and collagen.’

Fascial release massage may be followed with LED light therapy. It’s a transformative facial: it washes off lines and the fatigue from your complexion, and restores a vastly better-looking version of yourself; it also renders you somehow internally – even spiritually – rejuvenated.

Giselle Sommer ville (info@ gisellesommerville.com) also starts from within: clients are given antioxidant supplements to lower inflammation. Like Lee, she uses deep massage, and Korean innovations such as Celltweet (topical exosomes, messengers that encourage skin cells to behave optimally, which can ‘reverse the biological age of the tissue’ to make your skin behave – and look – freshly hatched. facials can give exceptional results.’

It’s not only, continues super facialist Sarah Bradden (sarahbradden.com), that too much Botox and filler can make a face look fake, ‘They are both quick fixes.

They don’t address the health of the skin’.

Moreover, injectables lack the sense of ritual, of looking after oneself. Of self-care as well as skincare.

MANUAL POWER LIFTERS

Katharine Mackenzie Paterson (katharinepaterson.com) is celebrated as a specialist ‘where tech meets touch’. From her

COLD SNATCH

At the new Chelsea flagship Eudelo clinic (eudelo.com), Dr Stefanie Williams is a fan of the cold, creating the inaugural facial with cryostimulation (firing precision CO2 at the skin) – as well as LED lights to prompt the fibroblasts to bring more elastin to the skin, along with reducing inflammation, to boost the function of what Williams calls ‘fit skin’. She’s long had a holistic approach too, evidenced by her offering oxygen therapies, and using binaural sounds in many treatments (to promote the healing, resting state), telling me: ‘Skin health is good health.’

TECHNOLOGY HEAVY

Shane Cooper (shanecooperclinic.com) and Keren Bartov are particularly known for their high-tech wizardry. From her fourstorey clinic in Notting Hill, Bartov offers some 50 different modalities. There’s a bushel of lasers, lights, radio frequencies, ultrasound and collagen-stimulating cold plasma. ‘Our speciality is how in one treatment we combine perhaps five machines,’ she says. The lifting and firming effects are sufficiently potent that results can last up to two years.

There’s a similar array in Cooper’s arsenal, beloved by ‘snatched’ stars including Cara Delevingne and Sienna Miller. ‘My toolkit includes an army of medical grade machines, which can be tailored for muscle lifting and skin tightening,’ he tells me. Again, he builds them, using up to six in a single session to maximise the effect.

Victoria Beckham’s facialist Sarah Chapman (sarahchapman.com) was one of the earlier facialists to move into these kinds of devices – at the same time, she continues to emphasise the holistic component.

‘We all feel the damaging effects of everyday stress. It can be worth investing in treatments not only to improve the skin, but also it’s important they have a positive effect on the mind.’ Hence, she continues to champion her ‘gymnastic’ massage techniques, as well as treatments such as ultrasound, cell therapy and microneedling, and is a strong ‘advocate of regular phototherapy’, expounding on the benefits of using the clinic-grade Dermalux Flex to be used at home to deepen the results, especially reducing inflammation.

All these are a far cry from the fluffy dressing gowns and cucumber eye-patches of yore. Will they replace Botox or filler entirely? Likely not – yet. But it’s hard not to be drawn toward the bouncy, biologically youthful effect of a ‘snatched’ face. And after all, says says Dr Surbhi Virmani, whose Exosomes on Ice Facial is particularly high-tech, these next-gen approaches radically ‘improve skin health, texture and appearance. Once you create luminous skin, once skin is brightened, tightened and hydrated then people often only want very minimal [surgical or injectable intervention].’

In lieu of a megawatt facial, there is a tool you can use at home to lift droopy jowls and smooth away crinkles - not just on the face but from bingo wings and saggy knees too. Three times more powerful than its predecessor, the Lyma Laser Pro tightens crepey skin, clears blemishes and reduces pigmentation with no pain or downtime.

It costs an eye-watering £4,995, but then on a cost-per-wear basis, it’s practically a bargain. n

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AESTHETIC GUIDE

SLEEP On It Good-quality sleep is fundamental to ageing well. But why is it so hard to come by in middle age? Annabel Jones investigates

place – one of social media’s less admirable qualities is its tendency to disseminate health in binary soundbites. Hence why specialist consultants such as Dr Matthew Hind, consultant respiratory physician at the Royal Brompton Hospital London and an honorary senior lecturer for the National Heart and Lung Institute, prefers to rely on medically recognised sleep studies to determine causality. When he’s not doing life-saving work (such as researching how to grow new lungs for patients with lung disease), he is one of the leading consultants at OneWelbeck’s sleep clinic, which is where our paths first crossed.

RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME

I was not only sleeping poorly, I was experiencing curious involuntary leg movements that prevented me from getting to sleep, alongside tingling in my hands and feet that was so distracting I couldn’t relax.

By the time I reached Dr Hind, I was at my wits’ end. A consultation determined it was likely I had something called restless leg syndrome that results in periodic limb movements at night, a condition that can often be caused by low ferritin (iron stores). While my blood tests revealed my ferritin was within the ‘normal range’, it was at the thin wedge of a large spectrum – not low enough to necessitate an iron infusion but not high enough for someone with my symptoms. In other words, my body’s iron stores were far from optimum, Hind explained, and suggested I take ferrous sulphate (an iron supplement) until my ferritin levels, which were 30ug/L, reached at least 100 ug/L. This would take up to three months.

THE IMPORTANCE OF A SLEEP STUDY

While we waited for my iron to improve, Dr Hind issued a sleep study. At OneWelbeck, you have several options. These include a DIY sleep device called Sunrise that you can use at home. From £550,

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t’s hard to know when or why it started. For most of my life I’ve slept like a baby. That all changed two-ish years ago – I’ve barely slept through the night since.

When you wake up each morning feeling like you’ve been burning the candles at both ends when you haven’t had a drop of alcohol in months and go to bed at 8pm most nights, it’s a mild form of torture.

But while our parents’ generation would have suffered in silence, there’s now emerging science that’s inspiring a new genre of sleep-hacking advice from tech to habit shifts to help us get the quality of sleep our bodies need for longevity.

Not only is sleep more studied than it’s ever been, Western culture has become obsessed with wellness, making rock stars of experts such as Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, who is the founder of the Center for Human Sleep Science. His work examines the impact of sleep on human health and disease (he’s published in more than 100 scientific research studies on the science of sleep), the highlights of which he’s promoted on popular podcasts such as neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s wildly successful health pod, Huberman Lab. Whereas physician and author of Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity Peter Attia regularly extols the virtues of ‘good sleep’, insisting it’s critical to our innate physiological repair processes, while poor sleep ‘triggers a cascade of negative downstream effects from insulin resistance to cognitive decline, as well as mental health issues’. We’re turning into a society of longevity nerds – and sleep is at the cornerstone of it.

Nowadays, it’s as common to discuss how many hours REM (rapid eye movement) you got last night as it is to talk about the weather. Indeed, most midlifers I know are well-versed in the nuances between melatonin, magnesium, ashwagandha and CBD drops as an aid to sleepiness.

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Eye mask The White Company ‘Ventaglio’ ring in 18ct white gold set with diamonds and ‘Palais des vents’ bracelet in 18ct white gold set with diamonds Adler

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AESTHETIC GUIDE

this includes diagnostic blood tests, the Sunrise sleep study and results that are determined at a medical consultation with a respiratory sleep doctor. As my symptoms weren’t straightforward, Dr Hind suggested I try a more detailed study called the NOX T3.

After a quick demonstration, I was sent home with the sleep device that was set to begin recording at a predetermined bedtime of my choice. The T3 involves attaching a heart monitor via a chest strap and sticking numerous electrodes on various parts of the body, which record how many leg movements are made throughout the night, whether snoring or sleep apnoea (a condition in which patients stop breathing for short periods) is detected – and if so, how many times and in what position.

In suspected parasomnias such as narcolepsy, sleepwalking or rarer types such as sexomnia whereby patients unknowingly act out sexual behaviours in their sleep, there’s the third option of staying overnight at a sleep laboratory to be monitored by a clinician.

I was found to have, as suspected, a number of periodic leg movements throughout the night that did improve gradually in alignment with elevated iron stores. Though iron isn’t the only factor; restless leg syndrome can be influenced by certain medications such as antidepressants.

A diagnosis of restless legs didn’t surprise me.

What did come as a shock was the mild sleep apnoea, which was found in my case to happen mostly during periods when I was sleeping on my back, known as positional sleep apnoea. Such back sleeping causes the jaw to drop backwards and the windpipe to narrow, leading to snoring and a lack of oxygen, which puts a strain on the heart by not allowing blood pressure to fall as much as it ideally should during the night.

In severe cases, sleep apnoea can lead to an increased risk of a stroke or heart attack.

Moreover, signs of mild sleep apnoea may involve waking up to go to the loo more often than usual as higher blood pressure puts more strain on the kidneys.

And more generally, waking up feeling unrefreshed despite being asleep for a sufficient number of hours.

Positional sleep apnoea can be caused by a few reasons: being overweight is the obvious cause as a thicker neck circumference is linked to a reduction in the airway at the back of the throat. However, it’s not the only cause, particularly in women over 40, says orthodontist Emma Laing (emmalaing.com), who fits patients with a mandibular advancement splint, a fancy name for a custom-fit mouth guard by Sleepwell that gently pries the airways open by positioning the bottom jaw forward. ‘There are generally two cohorts for sleep apnoea: men who are overweight with a shirt collar of 17.5 or over, and women, usually over 40, with a petite jaw that naturally sits backwards – a lot of my patients fit into this category,’ she explains.

The downsides of the device are jaw ache (TMJ), which can be apparent the morning after, and hypersalivation, which causes a dry mouth, though these are usually teething problems that are outweighed by the improvement in sleep. Another option being bandied about online is wearing mouth tape (available

SLEEP TIGHT

OTO SLEEP DROPS WITH 10% CBD High-grade CBD has been shown to help with sleep and relaxation. This one is blended with MCT, lavender oil, butterfly pea flower extract, spearmint and liquorice for a natural form of sleep meds. £69, otowellbeing.com

NUROSYM This bioelectric wearable helps to calm your autonomic nervous system via the vagus nerve. £599, nurosym.com

ALPHA-STIM Twenty minutes a day creates a similar effect to meditation. Leading brain and longevity expert Dr Sabine Donnai is regularly recommending this device to her clients. From £599, alpha-stim.co.uk

on Amazon) at night to encourage nose breathing.

Dr Hind suggests some simple tips instead: for positional sleep apnoea, he recommends tucking a tennis ball in the back of a bra or snug sport top, which helps prevent you from rolling onto the back; and placing a brick or books underneath the head of the bed to lift the position of your head marginally upwards, thus encouraging the jaw to stay forward.

Of course, more serious sleep apnoea requires more strident protocols such as wearing a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) device.

ARE HORMONES TO BLAME?

For women, menopause can be blamed for changes in sleep patterns as a drop in oestrogen and progesterone can contribute to insomnia, therefore it’s worth asking your GP to have your hormones checked. If you find you’re somewhere in the menopause transition then seeing a gynaecologist who specialises in menopause and HRT (hormone replacement therapy) is a good place to start, as balancing sex hormones can be all that’s required to get your sleep back on track, should that be an option for you.

DIET AND SLEEP

Another thing to consider, says Hind, is acid reflux, which can accompany sleep apnoea, and be reduced by not eating two to four hours before bed and avoiding fizzy drinks and sugary, fatty or fried foods.

Dialling in one’s nutrition is the obvious answer but, in the meantime, drinking Gaviscon Advance, an unpleasant-tasting gooey liquid made from seaweed, before bed is another as it creates adequate throat slip and helps to ease symptoms. Extra weight in and of itself is a lead cause of sleep apnoea, including mild positional kinds, says Dr Laing. ‘Often it’s in midlife when it’s more common to gain weight, particularly during the menopause transition, that the tipping point occurs.’

ADULTS NEED BEDTIME ROUTINES TOO

SLIP SLEEP MASK The best quality silk, this eye mask is gentle on the delicate skin around the eyes while blocking out light. £50, cultbeauty.co.uk

LUMIE BODYCLOCK LUXE 700FM Get your morning rhythm back on track without relying on HEV-emitting smartphones for an alarm clock. £199, lumie.com

Blackout blinds or curtains, and a reduction in HEV light (high energy visible light, from phones etc) an hour or two before bed can help ease insomnia if you keep to a strict habit. I now charge my phone in a different room and have bought a Lumie alarm clock ,which emits a gentle light gradually over 15 to 90 minutes to wake me. Wearing a silk eye mask and blacking-out windows has also been shown to help with insomnia. One of the best ways to correct a dysfunctional circadian rhythm, however, is to stick to a strict bedtime practice that involves going to bed and waking at the same time each day and unwinding a good hour or two before bed. ‘We give our children strict bedtime routines but, as adults, we tend to neglect this principle and go to bed at erratic times, which shows up in poor-quality sleep,’ says Hind. n

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Dr. Aggie Z atonska

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A

GET HACKED Alice Hart-Davis lifts the lids on the smart new cell messaging ingredient that claims to biohack your skin’s age

mong all the fascinating tweakments that aim to turn back the clock and trick our skin into acting younger there’s one word that comes up again and again: exosomes. ‘Biohacking is optimising your biology,’ says Dr Sophie Shotter, medical director of Illuminate Skin Clinics, ‘and getting the most out of your body that you possibly can. There are so many simple things that we can do to biohack our skin by improving our lifestyles and using great skincare,’ says Dr Shotter. But, she adds: ‘There are also high-tech treatments – and exosomes are among the most exciting.’

So what are these wonder-workers?

Exosomes are minute ‘vesicles’, nanosized bubbles released by cells in order to communicate with other cells, wake them up and get them working. They’re not living cells (like, say, stem cells) but they act as transporters, carrying proteins and genetic material between cells. In the skin, they reduce inflammation and kickstart rejuvenation which is why the world of aesthetic medicine is so interested in them, and why ‘exo’ procedures are popping up on treatment menus everywhere.

If you’re wondering where exosomes come from and which type is best – well, that’s where the arguments start. You can extract them from plants, you can gather them from bovine or marine sources, and clinics that use these say they are more effective than plant-based products, because there are more synergies between the exosomes and human skin. And then there are human-derived

exosomes, which – obviously – have the greatest impact on our skin and which are perfectly legal to use in Korea, where most of them are made, but which are illegal in the UK. [Plenty of UK practitioners tell me that as long as they’re just applying them topically, as opposed to injecting them into the skin, that’s fine, but UK and European regulations are quite clear that human-derived products can’t be used as cosmetic ingredients. Just so you know.]

Back to what exosomes can do. Because they are so effective at reducing inflammation, accelerating healing and amplifying the production of collagen and elastin, practitioners are using them as an add-on to existing treatments to create bouncy, glowing, stronger skin.

Applying a liquid serum of exosomes after a plain microneedling treatment bombs the exosomes into the skin through myriad tiny punctures that the needling has created, where they can enhance skin-regeneration while speeding up recovery time – they can be particularly effective around the eyes, strengthening the skin enough to reduce the look of dark circles.

Facial aesthetics doctor Dr Maryam Zamani offers an exosome treatment on top of procedures such as laser and radiofrequencing needling (from £350, drmaryamzamani. com). ‘Cutting-edge exosome technology is set to transform treatment results as it revives and repairs skin at a deep cellular level and enhances treatment results,’ says Dr Zamani. ‘By stimulating cell differentiation

and regeneration, exosomes can amplify collagen and elastin production, reduce the appearance of pigmentation, accelerate wound healing, strengthen the skin barrier, promote facial rejuvenation, and help regulate melanin production for a firm, even-toned and hydrated complexion.’

Leading aesthetic practitioner, Dr JeanLouis Sebagh, never one to miss a trick to amp up his offering for his elite clientele, has chosen to use EXO|E plant-derived exosomes to stimulate his patients’ skin cells to function at optimum levels and will apply the product as a face cocktail after Meso Rejuvenation with PRP (where platelet-rich plasma, extracted from your own blood, is injected into the top layers of the skin; £700; three to four sessions are recommended, a month or two apart, (drsebagh.com). The results? Added glow and minimal downtime. He also uses exosomes after PRP for hair restoration, and says the results are great.

I’ve tried a couple of exosome procedures and absolutely get the point of them. I only had one session of Purasomes (microneedling, with Dr Anoob Pakkar-Hull, who uses bovinederived exosomes, from £500, dranoob.co.uk), but it was enough to appreciate how quickly the exosomes helped calm down my skin after the microneedling, and how much brighter and smoother my skin looked afterwards. How much of that was due to the skin-reviving effects of the needling and how much was down to the exosomes is hard to tell, but the treatments work hand in hand.

Then there was Dr Surbhi Virmani’s

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‘Exosomes on Ice’ treatment, in which marine-derived exosomes are blasted into the skin on a pressurised jet of supercooled oxygen. I had this done after a fearsome lip-reconditioning treatment where PRP, taken from my blood, was injected into my lips, to prompt them to produce more of their own collagen and become firmer without injections of lip filler, then quickly followed with microneedling (ow ow) to layer the remaining PRP into the surface of my lips and all around my mouth. The icy exosomes act as a chaser to all this, to supercharge all that collagen boosting, and to speed up the recovery (yes it has helped, thank goodness, as my lips swelled hugely after treatment, but were back to normal after a day or two (Exosomes on Ice, from £500, the whole Lip Service treatment is £700, cosderm.co.uk).

I’ve also had a go at firming up my ageing hairline by needling Calecim, a serum containing growth-factors and exosomes, into my scalp. Calecim is wellproven (with clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals) to revive the growth of thinning hair, so it’s worth the ouch-factor of having to microneedle your

own head. I had my first treatment in clinic to get the idea (from £250 per session, phiclinic.com) then followed up needling the receding patches around my temples at home and yes, I saw new growth, which is all the encouragement you need to keep going (from £300, calecimprofessional.com).

Can exosomes work without all these needles? ‘Yes absolutely,’ says Dr Shotter, who uses EXO|E plant-derived exosomes.

‘We have an exosome facial for people who want the benefits without the more invasive procedures. The exosomes alone stimulate huge increases in collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in the skin. My patients love them.’ (EXO-Equilibrium Facial: £480 at illuminateskinclinic.co.uk) As for exosome skincare – it’s here already. Dr Tunc Tiryaki, one of London’s best-known facial plastic surgeons and who has a strong interest in regenerative medicine, has launched a product called Morphiya, which is made with ‘hybrosomes’ (exosomes, taken from bovine umbilicalcord blood, fused with liposomes), which appears to have remarkable powers. It’s reassuringly expensive at £196 for a 30ml bottle (morphiya.com) and it’s easy as pie

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to use – you just put it on twice a day after cleansing. With my usual skincare actives, I ask? ‘Using this on its own will do your skin more good than any other cream you could find,’ Dr Tiryaki tells me sternly.

That’s bold, but he has up his sleeve a single-blinded clinical trial on the product (that’s where the testers didn’t know if they were trying the real thing, the half-strength real thing, a 0.2 percent retinol cream or a dummy/control cream, but the researchers did). This showed that his hybrosome cream was 30 percent more effective in reducing wrinkles when compared to the control cream or the retinol cream. So I followed his advice, and used Morphiya with sunscreen in the morning, and on its own at night for six weeks, and found it reduced my skin age by six years (as measured by a Visia skin imaging device).

Dr Barbara Sturm has exosome products in her skincare line-up too (Exosometic eye cream, £350, and face serum, £450, drsturm.com) and you can bet your bottom dollar more will follow.

The big question is: with this skinbiohacking exosome technology, will we soon be able to go needle-free?

Can these magic molecules give us the Benjamin-Button effect where, in future, no one looks their age but doesn’t look ‘done’ either?

‘We’re on an important journey in regenerative medicine just now,’ says Dr Kate Goldie, a leading aesthetic practitioner who has funded an independent study into exosomes, co-authored with Dr Owen Davies and Soraya Williams. ‘There’s no doubt that in not so many years, we will be able to reverse or prevent ageing, and people will not expect to age as they used to – but we need to be careful how we get there. The effectiveness of exosomes depends on the health of the cell they come from. If they tell a story of youth, then they will get other cells to work in that way, and that’s very attractive. Some companies are very careful on their cell sources, others less so. There’s a real danger that in the rush for commercial success, companies will damage the reputation of exosomes by using products before they are properly researched.’

So if you fancy biohacking your skin with exosomes, choose a great practitioner and quiz them closely about which products they use, and why – such due diligence is always the way to get the best results.

Alice Hart-Davis is founder of thetweakmentsguide.com n

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PR O M OT I O N

SKIN KING

From acne to body sculpting, Dr Ariel Haus is at the forefront of skin longevity

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

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t’s rare to find a centre of excellence for both medical dermatology and the very latest aesthetic treatments under one roof, but Dr Ariel Haus has created exactly that in his Harley Street clinic, which occupies a listed 18th-century townhouse.

His combined approach of medical aesthetics with clinical dermatology has made him one of the most sought-after doctors in his field.

Whether you’re concerned about skin cancer, rosacea, teenage acne or are simply curious to discover the very latest non-surgical, skin-tightening and lifting procedures for the face and body, Dr Haus or one of his team of leading dermatologists and nurses are at your disposal. And it’s not only their medical and aesthetic knowledge that stands out, but the warm and welcoming patient experience, from the reception team to aftercare which Dr Haus Dermatology has become known for.

After medical school in his home city of Rio de Janiero, Dr Haus pivoted to dermatology after hearing one of the founding fathers of plastic surgery, Professor Ivo Pitanguy, speak about the positive psychological impact Dr Ariel Haus surgery had on burn victims he’d treated. Realising the connection between physical appearance and mental wellbeing, Dr Haus developed a passion for dermatology which led him on a distinguished career path working for the NHS before opening his private practice in London nearly 15 years ago.

‘The buzzword today is longevity,’ says Dr Haus. ‘What I find exciting is the advancements in laser technology and energy treatments like Ultherapy which in the right hands can provide facelift type results.’

The majority of Dr Haus’ Harley Street patients want to look ‘great but not “done”’, which is created by a layered treatment plan combining the very latest lasers to even out skin tone, remove pigmentation and redness

with some clever Ultherapy to sculpt and tighten. The results are impressive.

And with summer approaching there is a rising demand for body concerns like cellulite, which can be treated with a wide range of non-surgical body sculpting treatments such as the new Exion, which uses a combination of monopolar radiofrequency and targeted ultrasound for localised fat reduction and improved skin laxity. It also boosts the production of collagen and elastin.

There’s also a brand new non-surgical double chin treatment available which is proving popular with both male and female patients. It combines radiofrequency with muscle stimulation to reduce double chin fat, giving the jawline a more defined and sculpted look. Dr Haus’ clinic is one of the first in the UK to offer this treatment.

It’s being one of the first to harness the latest technologies for treatments like this with an old school expertise in dermatology that gives Dr Haus’ patients the excellence they expect – optimum skin health with transformative aesthetic treatments.

75 Harley Street, W1. +44 (0)20 7935 6358; drhausdermatology.com; reception@ drhausdermatology.com; @drarielhaus

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ABOVE honestly think I missed out on the facelift.

Like an old-fashioned good one that you have when you’re like 44,’ actress Sarah Jessica Parker told radio host Howard Stern, joking ‘I’ve heard stories…’

The secrecy shrouding facelifts is something Kshem Yapa (yapaplasticsurgery. com), a GMC-certified plastic surgeon specialising in facelifts and rhinoplasty, wants to change. ‘As life expectancy is rising, cosmetic surgery should ideally be one part of a wellness program – rather than this taboo thing that celebrities do under a cloak of secrecy,’ he says.

A point of frustration for surgeons such as Yapa is the unrealistic expectations that come with non-surgical treatments such as dermal filler. ‘You can’t camouflage facial laxity by adding more and more filler. It will start to look artificial,’ he explains.

In some circles, artificial is the end goal but the over-stuffing now frighteningly common in tribes of young women and men is bringing facial surgery back to the fore for midlifers in search of a more authentic outcome. Even if it means going under the knife.

But then there are facelifts and then there are deep plane facelifts. In 2021, surgeon Anthony Jacono gave Marc Jacobs one which the fashion designer shared openly on social media. Before Jacobs and Jacono popularised it, the deep plane wasn’t common knowledge.

Now it’s all anyone can talk about.

Jacobs was 58 at the time of his facial surgery, though scroll Jacono’s Instagram page and a good swathe of his patients are in their 40s. This begs the question: is it better to lift earlier rather than later?

Yapa says you can’t put a number on the appropriate time to get a facelift, pointing out the obvious: ‘Everyone ages differently depending on their lifestyle and genetics.’

What is clear, says Yapa, is that the deep plane is usually more appropriate for those in midlife compared to the SMAS (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) facelift, which one could argue is the reason why we turned against facial surgery to begin with.

‘In a SMAS facelift, the surgeon dissects under the skin and fat which sits on top of the SMAS layer and then works on the SMAS from above using sutures to pick it up and lift it into a more youthful position.

The skin is then redraped without any tension,’ says Yapa. This requires a level of artistry and taste alongside an understanding of what works on that patient’s anatomy for it to look good. A crude attempt at tightening the SMAS can result in an old-fashioned wind-tunnel look, a tell-tale sign you’ve had a facelift. A bad one at that.

The deep plane lift is more complicated.

It entails dissecting the tissue deeper down, where the nerves and muscles lie, releasing the ligaments, then pulling the skin and SMAS in one composite movement. This, explains Yapa, de-tensions the facelift avoiding the telltale tightly pulled look.

Let’s not be naive; such detailed intervention doesn’t come cheap (the New York Times reported in 2022 that a Jacono facelift costs $230,000, a figure that’s rumoured to have doubled since). And that’s not accounting for the maintenance – a facelift can need redoing every decade to maintain the uplift.

Although Yapa is more realistic: ‘Let’s be clear, nobody needs a facelift and patients are certainly not obligated to have it redone in ten years – many clients choose to invest in

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‘I

Annabel Jones reports on the rise in midlife facelifts and asks whether going under the knife is a smarter way to rejuvenate facial ageing after all

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‘Mizu’ earrings in 18ct white gold set with pear-shaped diamonds Adler

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surgery once and accept the ageing process thereafter,’ he insists. Just as well if yours is costing anything close to Jacono’s.

Consultant plastic surgeon Georgios Orfaniotis (orfaniotis.co.uk), who operates out of the Montrose Clinic in Belgravia, has honed the art of the deep plane and charges a more reasonable fee: ‘I was probably one of the first to do deep planes in London. When I first started doing them, everybody was saying: ‘What is this guy doing, this is taking so long.’ Nobody could understand why I was doing this technique at the beginning.’ Then, he adds, ‘the Americans started promoting it and took it to the next level to where it now costs these crazy prices.

‘It’s not ethical. To be honest, no plastic surgery should cost that amount,’ says Orfaniotis who charges £29,000 for face and neck, a humble fee in comparison to the hundreds (of thousands) charged in New York and LA. Still, not bad for four hours work (the average time it takes to perform a deep plane facelift).

Orfaniotis isn’t shy to admit he likes to operate on younger people. ‘It can be a challenge, because sometimes the gains are marginal and you have to manage expectations, but in the right case a good, deep plane facelift can slow down the ageing process and

SWOT UP If you are considering facelift surgery, be sure to invest in several consultations, which should cost about £200-£300 each. Ask to see before and after pictures and get a sense for the surgeon’s ethics and personality. Word of mouth is a great indicator but always put safety first by opting for surgeons who are members of BAAPS (British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons) and are registered as specialists in cosmetic surgery on the GMC (General Medical Council) website, which means they’ve trained in the UK and completed a senior clinical fellowship scheme approved by the Royal College of Surgeons.

create a nice foundation to age well further down the line.’

There are, of course, surgeons who believe a facelift should wait until a patient is at least 50, to which Orfaniotis argues: ‘I think a lot of it is the quality of the surgery. If it’s done well, it improves everything: skin quality, collagen, how the face moves, your facial expressions.’

And the subsequent lifts? ‘The first facelift is so important to get right. Then you can correct a little thing here and there in future without having to redo the whole thing,’ says Orfaniotis.

The investment pays dividends if you have your face tightened at 40, but what if you’re past the age when a deep plane makes sense? ‘A traditional SMAS lift is quicker to perform and is cheaper for the patient – and it’s easier to recover from – for this reason it can be a smarter option for older patients in their 70s and 80s,’ says Yapa, who stresses: ‘you can get good results from a SMAS too.’

Back to fillers: the rumour is they are the enemy for plastic surgeons. Not necessarily, Yapa says, but they can be problematic during surgery. ‘When dermal filler is overdone, it tends to sit around the dissection of tissue planes and when it’s injected in the wrong place – close to the nerves where you don’t want it – it takes time to remove, making facelift surgery more difficult.’

Scar tissue, says Yapa, can also be induced by energy treatments such as ultrasound.

‘Everyone wants to avoid general anaesthetic and so they’re looking for alternatives to a surgical facelift but energy treatments can cause fat necrosis leading to scarring.’ He adds: ‘When you dissolve fat with energy the deeper tissues can get lax, which changes the shape of the face.’

Dissolving pockets of fat around the jowls, for instance, may provide some instant gratification, but it doesn’t fix the underlying problem of tissue laxity, which can only be properly addressed with surgery, says Yapa, who prefers superficial treatments such as microneedling and radiofrequency, which rejuvenates the quality and texture of the skin rather than disturbing the structure beneath. ‘Hydrating injectables like Profhilo or precisely controlled lasers are a nice compliment to surgery,’ he suggests.

Orfaniotis is less keen on certain skin-boosting injectables. ‘I think it’s wise to avoid biostimulators.

They create collagen but not the soft collagen that we want – some collagen creates fibrosis (scar tissue) that makes more work for us.’

Was filler and its co-stars just a momentary obsession we’ve overdosed on, one that’s ultimately led us back to basics – or can the two camps coexist in harmony? ‘In the future, I hope to see specialist injectors and surgeons working on a patient’s longevity plan together – a more holistic approach is definitely needed,’ says Yapa.

Knife or needle, what remains true is ageing well is never just about one thing. n

PHOTOS: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE

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* COMPARED TO JUVEDERM VOLBELLA . *REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST; GB-RES-2400087 DOP APRIL’2024

SEALED WITH A KISS Restylane Kysse: the aesthetic art of natural lip enhancement

As beauty trends come and go, the desire for soft, plump FLEXIBILITY MEETS SUPPORT and natural-looking kissable lips is always in demand. With FOR NATURAL RESULTS the impact of celebrity looks influencing the popularity It is important to maintain flexibility and movement for of lip fillers in the UK, it is a worry that this may distort the natural-looking results. Engineered for contouring and perception of ‘natural’ beauty. natural expression, Optimal Balance Technology (OBT) As we age, the changes that can occur to our lips due is at the heart of Restylane Kysse, with a soft, flexible gel to natural collagen depletion and lifestyle texture to distribute evenly and provide a factors such as smoking include loss of natural-looking enhancement. volume and definition, with the fatty tissues beneath the lips diminishing over time to LESS IS MORE leave lips looking deflated. This causes The high performance of Restylane Kysse significant changes in facial symmetry, highlights that less product is needed to as symmetrical lips contribute to facial achieve optimal lip fullness.* The overall proportion. result is desired fullness and volume, with The art of aesthetics enhances individual up to 12 months of smooth, plump, naturalfacial features rather than changing them, looking lips. and with this in mind, Restylane Kysse is designed to preserve individual beauty. It IMMEDIATE RESULTS works by naturally enhancing and subtly Restylane Kysse provides immediate smoothing lips with an advanced formula results, with lips appearing plumper that seamlessly integrates for an improved and more defined after the treatment, Treated with Restylane Kysse and restored version of your own lips. which typically takes 15-30 minutes and is

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PR O M OT I O N

performed by a qualified medical professional.

Before the procedure, a numbing cream or local anaesthetic can be applied to minimise any potential discomfort. The filler is then injected into specific areas of the lips to achieve the desired outcome. The effects can last for several months, although individual results may vary.

Over time, the body gradually breaks down the hyaluronic acid, and additional treatments may be needed to maintain the desired lip fullness.

trends where dramatic transformations are common, natural-looking lips never go out of style. My experience with Restylane Kysse filler has been truly remarkable. It’s a versatile solution that delivers a natural look whether they’re seeking to enhance youthful fullness or restore subtle volume.’

IN SAFE HANDS

 100 percent were satisfied or very satisfied with the lip style after treatment  96 percent agreed that their lips looked natural  73 percent agree that these lips had a more kissable and natural feel, with high partner satisfaction

* COMPARED TO JUVEDERM VOLBELLA . *REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST; GB-RES-2400087 DOP APRIL’2024

Restylane, a trusted name in aesthetic medicine, has long been renowned for its exceptional quality and effectiveness, with years of research and innovation at the forefront of the brand.

Restylane has established itself as the pioneer in dermal fillers, and Restylane Kysse is no exception. Restylane Kysse has undergone extensive clinical studies and gained medical professionals’ trust worldwide. Its proven track record ensures a safe and reliable solution for lip enhancement, providing people with peace of mind during their transformative journey.

Dr Zoya Awan says, ‘Throughout my years of practice, I’ve catered to patients of diverse age groups, each with unique needs when it comes to lip enhancement. In my opinion, with fleeting

HIGH PATIENT AND PARTNER SATISFACTION

Natural-looking lips will always be in trend. With Restylane Kysse, you can confidently embrace your natural beauty, knowing that you have found a solution that delivers the perfect balance of elegance and authenticity.

Dr Zoya Awan is a Galderma Key Opinion Leader. For more information, visit restylaneusa.com and galderma.com

Dr Zoya Awan

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TRIED VERIFIED When considering a tweak or two there’s nothing like word of mouth to put you in the picture. Here, our dedicated team of beauty experts put ten aesthetic treatments on trial May / June 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 161

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What happens: Dr Selena Langdon is one of the first UK aesthetic doctors to offer this revolutionary treatment and she’s very excited having seen the results, ‘especially on difficult to treat areas like stretch marks and acne scars’. In fact, she goes as far as to say it could be an alternative to more aggressive procedures like laser or surgery.

Why? Because PBSerum, which has both medical and cosmeceutical applications and is already popular in Europe and South America, is the first therapeutic system based on recombinant enzymes. When these are targeted effectively, they can do everything from breaking down fat such as that around the jowl (so remodelling the jawline) to improving scarring and fibrosis.

On the cosmeceutical side, it can offer a souped-up facial, delivered through prickly microneedling with SkinPen or with radiofrequency (whatever system helps it get pushed into the skin most efficiently), with excellent tightening results. But if you have an area of concern, such as pigmentation or ageing hands, these enzymes might become your new best friend – and how fun to say bye-bye, surgery.

Ouch factor: The area is numbed before treatment, so tingling on the treatment zone is all that you should expect.

Downtime: All tightness and redness should be relieved after 48 hours, but you’ll have to drink lots, wear full SPF and use minimal products in the meantime to avoid infection.

Results: For an A-class facial with lasting results, it’s an exciting development, but for those with a condition such as acne or even stretchmarks, it’s a game-changer.

Book it: £POA. berkshireaesthetics.com

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MESOTOX

What happens: A combo of teeny amounts of Botox plus mesotherapy, this powerful, non-surgical treatment is face genius Vaishaly’s invention.

As you lie on a heated couch in Vaishaly’s Marylebone clinic, 20 tiny goldtipped needles attached to a phial of skin boosters are applied to your skin in soft, prickly motions. The bespoke solution includes Botox to smooth fine surface lines with a personalised serum of vitamins, minerals and amino acids selected for your skin type. The whole thing takes about 30

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minutes and is perfect for anyone who doesn’t want a full face of Botox or fillers.

Ouch factor: The sensation feels like someone is gently pricking your face with a pencil nib.

Downtime: Unlike lasers or peels there’s no imperative to keep out of the sun, sea or sauna afterwards, leaving you free to return to work straight away.

Results: Brilliant for loose skin, discolouration, acne, eye bags, scars and for oily, congested areas as pores are dramatically tightened. Skin looks brightened, hydrated and its texture and tone even. An ideal treatment for brides, the glow lasts three to four months.

Book it: From £345. vaishaly.com

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What happens: A subtle enhancement of the lips that uses the patient’s own growth factors to enhance fullness, Dr Lizzie Tuckey is an expert at achieving fuller lips without relying on hyaluronic acid filler. After an

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LIP FLIP X PRP

initial consultation, blood is taken from a vein in the arm which is then spun in a centrifuge to separate out the plateletrich plasma that’s steeped in growth factors. This is then injected back into the lips to regenerate collagen (the body’s structural protein) for firmer lip tissue with improved hydration. The second (lip flip) part of treatment is optional and involves a small injection of Botox in the small muscles around the lips that keeps them from turning inwards when smiling, thus reducing a gummy smile and giving a subtle lift to the top lip.

Ouch factor: As local anaesthetic is applied to lips beforehand only mild discomfort is felt during the PRP injections. For the Botox, expect a few short, sharp scratches.

Downtime: Some mild swelling occurs for a few hours afterwards along with mild bruising in some that can last a couple of days.

Results: Immediately lips feel smoother and more plump. Optimum results appear after two weeks as the Botox kicks in.

Book It: £795 with Dr Lizzie Tuckey at drmichaelprager.com

PHOTOS: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE

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PBSERUM WITH SKINPEN

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PR O M OT I O N

SEE THE LIGHT

* CLINICAL STUDIES, EVALUATION CARRIED OUT ON THE STATE OF THE DERMIS, 31 WOMEN, THREE TO FOUR APPLICATIONS PER WEEK

myBlend LED Face Mask’s skincare technology takes inspiration from centuries-old wisdom and modern scientific breakthroughs

T

hroughout history, civilisations have lauded the sun for its therapeutic properties. From ancient Egypt and Greece to China and India, sunlight was considered a source of vitality. But it wasn’t until the 19th century – and the advent of electricity – that scientists discovered the truly remarkable healing potential of light therapy.

Today, myBlend has combined age-old wisdom about the power of light with modern science to create its myLEDmask. The mask, which targets the face and neck, is designed to be used three to four times a week over the course of six to eight weeks, using photobiomodulation technology to prevent the effects of aging. Each myLEDmask uses 144 red LEDs alongside 144 infrared LEDs in intensive preset programmes, depending on your skin type, starting at just five minutes, to stimulate collagen production, improve skin density, smooth wrinkles and firm the skin. The effects are impressive: after one month of use, skin appears three years younger.*

HOW DOES THE LED MASK WORK? Dr François Michel, dermatologist and expert in laser therapy, sheds the light on how myBlend’s LED Face Mask works.

‘LEDs are small diodes that emit different colours,’ he explains, ‘each colour corresponds to a precise wavelength, with varying penetration into the skin. The myBlend mask uses the colours red and near infrared (630 and 850 nanometres) as

this blend has been proven to increase the effectiveness of results.

In fact, unlike red light, invisible infrared exists in pulsed mode and is more comfortable.’

And what of the results? He confirms: ‘Scientists have noticed an improvement in overall skin quality when using red light: texture, firmness, suppleness, radiance were all enhanced, to give the skin a youthful boost.’

But it doesn't stop there. ‘They also observed restorative effects on the skin’s components, and in the skin’s circulation,' continues Dr Michel. ‘Subsequently, infrared was also acknowledged for its ability to further improve the repair effect.’

As for its growing popularity, he says, it’s because, unlike other skincare tech – laser, for example – LED masks are non-intrusive.

‘LED masks offer an extremely gentle and painless technology to improve skin outcomes, with minimal risks,’ he says.

BUY NOW myBlend LED Facial and Neck Mask uses red and infrared LEDs to stimulate collagen production, improve skin density, smooth wrinkles, improve pigmentation and visibly firm the skin. £1,100, myblend.co.uk and exclusively at Harrods, harrods.com To try it out in store, visit Harrods 5th Floor Hair & Beauty Salon to discover the brand and speak to a myBlend expert for a full skin diagnosis

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LIFTING STANDARDS

From his invisible scarring techniques to his eye for beauty and over 25 years experience, Mr Alex Karidis is trusted for his natural-looking surgery explains. ‘The deep plane facelift is not new. It has been around since the mid-nineties. However, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all facelift, and the technique alone does not guarantee a great result.

We are all unique, with different anatomy, tissue characteristics, and ageing concerns. It’s the experience, skill, eye, safety record, and assessment of the surgeon that's critical.’

While trends aren’t important, looks are. Mr Karidis is known for his extremely natural results. 'I absolutely abhor any possibility that a patient of mine could look stretched, pulled or distorted in any way. The aim of surgery is to make people look better, not different. I believe in classic, natural, soft beauty,’ says Karidis who is known for his ‘invisible’ awardwinning techniques which leave minimal scarring post operation.

In addition to facelif t surger y, Mr Karidis performs a full range of surgical body contouring and cosmetic breast surgery treatments, and is renowned as one of London’s leading male breast reduction surgeons.

Karidis Clinic, The Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, 60 Grove End Road, London NW8 9NH; +44 (0)20 7432 8727. @karidis_london; karidis.co.uk

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

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he facelift is undoubtedly having a revival. In the UK alone, the number of people choosing to undergo a facelift in the last year has risen by 97 percent. In part, the normalisation of non-invasive cosmetic treatments has helped pave the way for the rise in surgery as consumers are becoming more willing to experiment. At the same time, there is a certain level of fatigue with the limitations of some non-surgical treatments, leading patients to consider surgery as an alternative.

Choosing the right surgeon is, of course, key. Skill and experience are two of the most important factors which is why renowned plastic surgeon Mr Alex Karidis is so sought after.

His experience is based on over 25 years in private practice at his clinic at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth in St John’s Wood where he has performed over 20,000 cosmetic operations with nearly 2,000 of those being facial and facelift operations.

When contemplating a facelif t, choose an experienced surgeon who will meticulously assess your exact needs, rather than someone who is promoting one particular procedure or approach, says Karidis.

‘There is lots of talk currently about the Mr Alex Karidis “cutting-edge” deep plane facelift,’ he

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AMEELA

What happens: If you’ve had Profhilo before you’ll be familiar with the method. But, Dr Ashwin Soni, a GMCregistered plastic surgeon and expert injector, believes Ameela is a superior type of skin booster.

Utilising polynucleotides, the solution is rich-in-stem cells thus helps to produce more collagen and elastin for firmer, plumper skin that appears refreshed and rejuvenated. Dr Soni applies numbing cream and massages the area with an ice pack before injecting it into the superficial layers of the skin in strategic areas on both sides of the face. The whole thing takes no more than three minutes before Dr Soni moves on to the under eyes. To ensure safety and protect the delicate skin around the eyes, he inserts a cannula in the top of the cheek, which he uses to safely distribute the formula to the undereye area. This is the moment where you might begin to get tense – but the sensation, while jarring, is quick.

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Ouch factor: It’s more cringey than painful, though the face injections are a bit stingy for a second or two.

Downtime: Relatively little. A miniscule bruise might occur in injection sites but it dissipates quickly.

Results: A refreshed radiance is seen immediately afterwards and six to 12 weeks later dark circles are diminished while skin quality appears juicy and youthful – without the superficial look that filler can impart.

Book it: From £600 a session, available at his residency at The Langham Hotel, London and at his flagship clinic in Ascot, Berkshire. thesoniclinic.com

5

TEETH BONDING

W hat happens: Dr Tom Craw ford-Cla rke pr ides himself on the natural look and is a whizz at composite bonding, a veneer-like coating that turns worn and aged teeth into a youthful-looking smile – without

removing any of the natural tooth underneath. The process begins with facial planning, during which CrawfordClarke takes into account the whole facial anatomy including the width of the nose and the curve of the lips, making note of any asymmetries that need to be accounted for (teeth that are too symmetrical can look ‘off’ he maintains).

A digital mock-up of the end result gives a good metric of how your smile will change, which is followed up with a mock fit of the new teeth, which he does by applying a rudimentary application of composite (the same material that’s used in fillings) to establish the length and size of your new teeth. Pictures are taken and off you go with time to adjust to your new smile. Crawford-Clarke says this is key to moving ahead as it can take some time to get used to a new look, despite it being an improvement.

Once any adjustments have been agreed upon, the actual appointment lasts about four hours. Crawford-Clarke hand paints four or five different shades of the composite material to the teeth making sure to add in subtle nuances such as transparency at the bottom for a natural look that follows the morphology of the original teeth – only ten years younger.

While some bonding can appear thick and opaque, Crawford-Clarke’s are no more than 0.7 millimetre thick, reducing the propensity to chip considerably.

Ouch factor: No pain, but patience is required as the appointment is long and painstaking.

Downtime: Results are transformative and immediate, and no downtime is necessary.

Results: Composite bonding, when planned meticulously and artfully applied gives a complete smile makeover that looks as good as porcelain veneers.

Though, says Crawford-Clarke, the material isn’t as durable and doesn’t last as long. Polishing is required every six to twelve months along with regular hygiene appointments to maintain the original look.

Book it: From £475 per tooth. Four to ten teeth are recommended. luceodental.com

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What happens: Targeting eight strategic lifting points including the cheekbones, tear trough, nasolabial folds, mouth corners, pre-jowl area, jawline and lower cheek, Dr Joney De Souza minimally injects a combination of varying viscosities of filler to achieve a subtle facelift effect without the need for surgery. De Souza, who counts Cat Deeley as one of his clients, works methodically for around an hour to ensure results are both natural-looking and in harmony with your specific facial features.

Ouch factor: Dr De Souza uses numbing cream and a cannula with a thin needle which is virtually pain-free, though some discomfort is normal. The dermal filler itself contains a lidocaine which decreases sensitivity further.

Downtime: You can resume normal duties directly afterwards but De Souza advises avoiding makeup around the eyes for a day and applying SPF. Some swelling is usual for up to 24 hours following treatment.

Results: A sculpted face is apparent first off, while dark circles around eyes are reduced as is hollowness in the temples and cheek area. Overall, skin takes on a firmer more youthful appearance which lasts up to 12 months, after which touch-ups may be required to maintain the status quo.

Book it: From £1,800, priced after consultation. drjoneydesouza.com

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LIP AND CHEEK FILLER

What happens: Dr Ivona Igerc (Dr Ivy) works on her patients while they stand, allowing gravity to dictate the areas she needs to address (every face looks better lying back). This technique, says Dr Ivy, allows her to view the face from all angles giving her more control and a more ‘elegant outcome’. Taking a ‘cephalometric analysis’ which examines the relationship between bone, muscles and fat padding, when static and in motion, she first determines exactly where to inject. While opera music is playing, Dr Ivy applies a numbing cream and after 20 minutes begins to move ballerina-like around the face to carefully administer the filler in the lips and cheeks. Once finished, she gently massages skin tissue, moulding it with her hands like a sculptor, ensuring the solution is positioned as desired.

Ouch factor: Dr Ivy is a gentle injector but there is some initial swelling with bruising

Tuxedo jacket Paul Smith

in some patients, a normal reaction that’s expected to vanish within three days.

Results: No pillow face here, lips and cheeks look naturally rejuvenated, not filled.

Book it: Priced on consultation.

111harleystreet.com

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What happens: Dr Galyna Selezneva is known as the energy device queen and only works with technology that’s scientifically proven to work. One of the first to introduce Emface by BTL, the machine that utilises a combination of HIFES (highintensity facial electrical stimulation) and radiofrequency, the machine activates the muscles while tightening the skin with safe levels of radiofrequency. New to the protocol is Emface chin pads that target a wobbly double chin, while helping to snatch the jawline simultaneously. For a

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EMFACE SUBMENTUM

full facial rejuvenation Galyna begins by applying electromagnetic pads onto each cheek, one on the forehead and a small pad (submentum) underneath the chin.

While the muscle stimulation is felt (it’s like a workout for the facial muscles), the main sensation is gentle heat. The procedure takes around 30 minutes and you’ll leave with a slight flush that usually subsides within the hour.

Ouch factor: No pain, just a toasty wash of heat that feels no different to the warmth of the sun.

Downtime: None, this is non-invasive face lifting at its best.

Results: You’ll start to see more definition in the jawline immediately but the collagen boosting effects begin showing one week after and continue to improve over the course of three months.

Book it: Emface submentum with chin pads costs from £2,500 for four sessions, and is available at Rita Rakus clinic. drritarakus.co.uk

PHOTOS: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE

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THE 8 POINT LIFT

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PR O M OT I O N Dr Selena Langdon

AWARD-WINNING AESTHETICS

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Led by Dr Selena Langdon, Berkshire Aesthetics has won numerous awards for its patient-centred offering

erkshire Aesthetics was named the UK’s best aesthetic strategically placed within the face. This approach allows her clinic at the Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards 2023, further patients to achieve maximum results from less product. cementing the clinic’s reputation of offering the best possible At Berkshire Aesthetics, the approach is undoubtedly to aesthetic treatments in a patient-focused environment. ‘consult, not sell’, and patient education is vital. Patients are From its purpose-built site on the edge of Pinkneys Green, consulted in-depth and allowed to ask questions without pressure, near Maidenhead, the growing team of medical experts delivers commitment, or judgment. Not only does the clinic offer many of cutting-edge treatments in a discrete and relaxed setting. the world’s leading treatments, but it is integrated with a network Dr Selena Langdon founded Berkshire Aesthetics with a of local medical professionals, including specialists in Plastic ‘patient first’ approach, which means the patient is at the centre Surgery and Dermatology. The cohesive, medically led approach of everything they do. A thorough consultation guarantees that to patient care ensures that patients can be supported in their patients' aesthetic concerns are understood, and treatments are aesthetic goals and general health. aligned with their emotional needs and motivations.

Having previously won Aesthetic Doctor of the The focus is on ensuring the best therapies are Year, Dr Langdon’s profile has grown due to her offered, which increasingly involves combination commitment to her patients and the remarkable treatments and an emphasis on skin health as the treatment outcomes she achieves. She is well basis for achieving optimal in-clinic treatment results. known for representing the interests of patients Supporting Dr Langdon is an exceptional team and lobbying for change in regulations that of aesthetic practitioners and accomplished promote safe and responsible treatment choices. aesthetic doctors.

Berkshire Aesthetics is an exceptional clinic in Dr Mira Mikhail Dr Mira Mikhail is a GP and aesthetic doctor who a discreet rural location. The highly experienced expertly uses dermal fillers to perform incredible front-of-house, practitioner, and doctor patient transformations and more discreet teams support Dr Langdon in her steadfast adjustments. Her favourite treatment is filler for the belief that aesthetic treatments should be midface, as it supports overall facial structure, reduces delivered responsibly and with the utmost care tiredness, and restores a youthful appearance. for the patient and their physical and emotional Dr Dara Suite trained initially in Plastics before wellbeing. specialising in Aesthetic Medicine. She is mainly focused on treating lower facial sagging and skin Furze Platt Rd, Maidenhead SL6 6PR; Dr Dara Suite laxity. Often, this involves small amounts of filler +44 (0)1628 202028; info@berkshireaesthetics.com

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LAM 7-IN-1 ULTIMATE 360 CELLULAR ACTIVATION FACIAL

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W hat happens: Dr David Jack is renowned for his subtle work and his new MorphoLift treatment is no exception.

A combination of Botox targeting the platysma muscle that spans the neck and jowl area, and dermal fillers to support the structure of the jawline is complemented by a session of Morpheus8, the micro-needling and radiofrequency treatment that stimulates collagen production for tighter, brighter skin.

You’ll chill in the waiting room accented with Corinthian columns and sip on fresh coffee served in porcelain cups while the numbing cream kicks in. As the treatment gets underway the injections of filler and Botox are quick and efficient while the Morpheus8 device is like a posh staple gun (minus the staples) that

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MORPHOLIFT

feels warm on the skin with a slight zapping sensation. The whole thing is over before you know it, but if you check your watch the whole treatment takes around two hours.

Ouch factor: Some people f ind Morpheus8 painful, others tolerate it without any discomfort. We found it marginally uncomfortable but not at all painful.

Downtime: Skin may look a little red directly afterwards but it soon disappears.

Results: Done over two sessions, neck and jaw look tighter after the first session, but things get better and better as the months go on, peaking around six months later.

Book it: £4,100 over two sessions with Dr Jack and £3,560 with his associates.

SAFETY NOTE: make sure to visit an experienced medical doctor who is proficient at operating energy devices. n

PHOTOS: MATEUSZ SITEK; STYLING: URSULA LAKE

What happens: Dr Uliana Gout is a pioneer in aesthetics and her truly bespoke approach to your individual needs is what makes her one of the most sought-after practitioners in the business. Her latest seven-step treatment is based around ‘SkinRegen’ (her aesthetic buzzword for 2024), and concerns itself with targeting individual cells to stimulate them and prompt collagen production.

Mixing and matching both product and machine, this turbocharged seven step facial kicks off with radiofrequency (which can heat your face, but she monitors your ability to withstand it closely), after which a layer of rejuvenating exosomes is delivered with a technology called electroporation to drive it deeper.

Before another layer of those punchy little protein and bioactives-packed molecules, Dr Gout hyper cleanses the face with exfoliant BHA/ABA for the T-zone and a powerful antioxidant facial which really helps to boost smoothness, depigmentation and radiance and opens it up ready for more, including the delivery of polynucleotides (particularly hydrating) into the exposed pores.

Taking down the heat, and including oh-so-moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid, Dr Gout cools the face with a blast of cryotherapy, before finishing up with an LED treatment to boost the efficacy of the treatment, topped off with an oxygen blast for a final circulation kick. This is more than just a facial, and two to three sessions are recommended six to eight weeks apart for the full effects – which are confidence-boosting perkiness and smoothness.

Ouch factor: The only bit that can be slightly painful is the degree of heat used in the radiofrequency.

Downtime: You won’t want to wear makeup for a couple of days but there’s no hiding away needed.

Results: Tighter, brighter skin appears over the weeks to come – and lasts.

Book it: Program of three, £3,384. london-aesthetic-medicine.com

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“I give my patients holistic advice when it comes to their skin - it’s the body’s largest organ and needs an inside out approach. That means, not only recommending clinically proven skincare, but also suggesting lifestyle changes and taking the right health supplements to support their skincare journey. I do this with GetHarley. It delivers all the products, directly to my patients’ homes.” – Dr Sophie Shotter

@getharley

26/04/2024 13:07

‘I’ll have what she’s having.’

In the stunning setting of the historic Chandos House, London, cosmetic doctor and trailblazer Dr Sebagh and his team offer tailor-made treatments at the cutting edge of technology. regenerating therapy. A small amount of fat is meticulously removed from areas like the abdomen or thighs, then carefully processed to create a solution rich in stem cells, growth factors, and wound-healing agents. This potent blend rejuvenates and revitalizes the skin while restoring youthful contours to the face.

Experience the transformative effects of this procedure with minimal downtime.

K Thread Lift (3D Thread Lift)

Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh

DR SEBAGH’S TOP TREATMENTS Dr Sebagh Platinum Polynucleotide Treatment Experience a tailor-made bespoke protocol designed personally for each patient by Dr Sebagh to achieve that ‘wow’ factor look, with zero downtime.

This treatment seamlessly integrates a range of cutting-edge technologies, ingredients and therapies to achieve stunningly beautiful results. Dr Sebagh skillfully combines a mixture of HIFU, Advanced PRP/PRF, polynucleotides, hyaluronic acid and an Exosome Topical Mask, targeting and enhancing numerous micro areas of the face for an all-over, comprehensive improvement. Expect a sculpted, lifted visage with restored volume and dramatically improved skin texture. The best part? Zero downtime ensures you can step out with confidence immediately after treatment.

stimulating collagen production and neovascularization—the body’s natural process of forming new blood vessels.

This enhances blood flow, fosters cellular rejuvenation, and improves skin texture, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while enhancing skin elasticity.

This technological breakthrough presents a unique opportunity for women seeking a rejuvenated appearace without surgery.

DR MARITON’S TOP TREATMENTS Fraxel Laser Treatment Dr Mariton is renowned for her expertise in Fraxel Laser treatment, an innovative fractional skin resurfacing technique known for its transformative effects on pigmentation, pore size, and skin texture, ultimately achieving a flawless complexion. This advanced procedure utilises small beams of laser energy to precisely target sections of the skin. She often combines Fraxel with IPL Therapy to address pigmentation concerns and further enhance skin texture, ensuring remarkable and long-lasting outcomes.

Dr Sebagh’s expertise in thread treatments is renowned, offering a Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) transformative solution to counteract the effects of gravity on our face and One of Dr Mariton’s preferred treatments neck as we age. This innovative approach is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Platelet replenishes volume and uplifts sagging skin using high quality threads made of polydioxanone (PDO) as well as Poly-L-Lactic Acid (PLLA) and Polycaprolactone (PCA). Once inserted, the threads are delicately lifted upwards to anchor the skin and slight pressure is applied to the skin in order to reshape its surface.

The benefits are twofold: firstly, the mechanics of thread insertion provide an instant lifting effect, as the threads lend support to elevate the skin to its new position. Secondly, the K Thread Lift (3D Thread Lift) promotes cellular renewal by

Regenerative Fat Transfer Discover an innovative treatment designed to replenish facial volume and address concerns such as hollow eyes and dark circles. Dr Sebagh’s approach combines micro fat injections with nano fat stem cells, delivering a powerful skin-

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Dr Diana Piana-Mariton

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

“Pioneering medical cosmetic procedures have helped to make my vision for ‘Ageing-Maintenance’ a reality.”

— Dr Sebagh sensitivity associated with rosacea, providing comprehensive relief, and restoring comfort to the skin by stopping the inevitable progression to worsening of the condition and subsequent skin changes to more inflammatory rosacea.

DR KOLLI’S TOP TREATMENTS Botox

Dr Kolli carefully tailors each Botox procedure to enhance the client’s natural beauty while preserving their distinctive features for natural-looking results. Whether softening fine lines, smoothing wrinkles, or rejuvenating the skin, her delicate touch and artful technique consistently deliver Rosacea poses a significant challenge results that are refreshingly subtle yet for Dr. Mariton’s patients.. Her specialised undeniably transformative.

Rosacea Vascular Laser Treatment effectively targets and improves the A special Botox technique that Dr appearance of capillaries on the skin. Kolli uses is Microtox that achieves Beyond addressing aesthetic concerns, flawless, glass-like skin. Also known as this treatment also helps alleviate the Dermatox, it works by placing dilute toxin in tiny papules just under the skin’s surface, rather than into the muscle where it is typically placed, for the most natural-looking results. Microtox has a variety of benefits such as improving skin texture, skin tightening, pore size and fine lines. Botox can also be used to redefine the jawline, targeting sagging jowls by relaxing the muscles of the neck that pull down the jawline, thereby improving the jawline, slimming down the neck and reducing sagging skin, for a more youthful neck contour. This can also be combined with collagenstimulating treatments like Profhilo.

Combining the multiple injection approach of mesotherapy with botulinum toxin, MesoBotox uses the technique of gently delivering small injections of active ingredients, vitamins and antioxidants plus Botox for a subtle and gentle, yet comprehensive facial rejuvenation treatment. Applied to the surface skin layer, it allows facial mimicry to be preserved, while smoothing out fine wrinkles and making skin glow from within.

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Dr Deepti Kolli

Lip Fillers Dr Kolli is known for her precise and natural lip enhancement. Giving each patient a bespoke consultation, she uses a variety of techniques to achieve the desired lip shape in a natural, subtle way; for example, Botox applied to the top lip for a gentle lifting effect, Hyaluronic Acid to volumise for pillowy plumpness, or a ‘Lip Flip’ to redefine the shape of the lips.

Dr Sebagh London Clinic Chandos House Queen Anne Street London W1G 9LQ 020 7637 0548 doctor@chandoshouse.com drsebagh.com

Rich Fibrin, renowned for its accelerated recovery time and rejuvenating effects on the skin. PRP/PRF harnesses the potency of growth factors and cells extracted from your blood which are then reintroduced into the skin painlessly via a mesogun, stimulating cell regeneration, and yielding firmer, plumper skin with a visible reduction in fine lines and wrinkles, unveiling a radiant, rosy complexion. This entirely natural and chemical-free substitute can volumise and replump the skin in depth, offering a bio-alternative to synthetic fillers, and effectively leveraging and enhancing the body’s innate healing proteins for enduring, luminous effects.

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PR O M OT I O N Using 3D imaging and ultrasound, Dr Rhobaye can take super-precise measurements

SWEET HARMONY

With his artistic flair, surgical expertise and advanced technology, Dr Dean Rhobaye’s full facial harmonisation procedure gives truly transformative results

‘N

eurotoxins and fillers are easy to inject but very difficult support and structure, followed by refinements to facial to get right,’ says Dr Dean Rhobaye from Sloane Clinic, contours and proportions while reducing mild facial sagging Harley Street. The world’s best injectors, he continues, and minimising wrinkles. come from a facial surgical background. ‘One needs to Taking a holistic, bespoke approach, Dr Rhobaye prides understand the biomechanics of the tissue and how himself on the subtlety of his results which come courtesy opposing muscles interplay with one another. Each patient’s of his artistic acumen. A keen sculptor, Dr Rhobaye’s eye anatomy is unique – we all have largely the same muscles but for proportion is undoubtedly a differentiating factor in his the shape, density and orientation is individual – and how the arsenal of expertise. The best in class in facial harmonisation, muscles express themselves is different again,’ he explains.

Dr Rhobaye is an award winning practitioner having received His advanced full facial harmonisation procedure involves the highest accolade at the Aesthetic & Anti-aging Medicine a delicate combination of neurotoxin (Botox) and facial filler, World Congress (AMWC) for his work using advanced injected strategically and sympathetically to optimise features, injectable techniques. But it is his patients who provide him smooth contours and define facial structure in a natural-looking with the most rewarding feedback. way so that patients look the best versions of themselves.

Staving off unnecessary facial surgery for minimallyUsing state-of-the-art 3D and ultrasound imaging invasive techniques that offer exceptional results, his advanced technology, Dr Rhobaye carefully injectable procedures are highly plans and monitors his treatments sought after, not least because to optimise results and maximise they last. ‘There is evidence now patient safety. For neurotoxins, to suggest that facial filler is more he uses dynamic mapping to permanent than we first thought, assess each patient, taking precise potentially giving long-lasting measurements that inform his results that do not need to be injection points, depending on the continuously topped up. The key pattern of wrinkles and bulk and is knowing how, where and who to expression of the musculature. inject and when not to.’

Carried out gradually over multiple sessions to allow Dr Dean Rhobaye, Sloane Clinic, for progressive, strategic 10 Harley St, London W1.

The harmonisation procedure involves enhancements, he begins with an 020 7340 1488; sloaneclinic.co.uk; Botox and filler strategically combined initial phase of filler that provides @deanrhobaye

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AESTHETIC GUIDE

ON CALL

THE A-Z AESTHETIC DOCTORS’ GUIDE Find an expert from our vetted list of aesthetic wizards who specialise in everything from non-surgical facial lifting to subtle skin enhancements

A-D Dr Aggie Zatonska Known for her undetectable work, it has made Dr Aggie Zatonska one of the most calledfor injectors in Surrey.

A former ENT surgeon, Zatonska prefers a 360-degree approach and will combine injectables with newer modalities that deliver exceptional skin quality over the long term. @atelier.dr.aggie; atelier.clinic Dr Ahmed El Muntasar Dr Ahmed is an impressive figure within the health industry. The youngest ever medical student at St Andrews University, he completed 12 courses in aesthetics by the time he was 26 and won three awards at the British Aesthetics Awards in 2020.

He believes deeply in a patient-centered approach. @theaestheticsdoctor; theaestheticsdoctor.com Dr Alexis Granite With a medical degree from the prestigious Weill Cornell Medical School in New York City, Dr Alexis is board-certified in dermatology in the US and a Dermatologist in the UK. Her practice spans skin biopsies to aesthetic injectables and she is one of the most recommended skin doctors in London. @dralexisgranite; dralexisgranite.com

Mr Alex Karidis Having performed over 20,000 cosmetic operations in the last 27 years, Dr Karidis is an expert at facelifts and facial rejuvenation procedures. He has spent years perfecting an award-winning invisible technique. He also performs body contouring and breast surgery, including male breast reduction. @karidis_london; karidis.co.uk Dr Ariel Haus A genius with lasers, according to online patient reviews, dermatologist Dr Haus and his entire staff are renowned for their professional and welcoming manner at his state-of-the-art clinic on Harley Street. From specific concerns like acne and rosacea to holistic aesthetic treatments, Dr Haus is the king of skin. @drarielhaus; drhausdermatology.com Dr Ashwin Soni A GMC registered plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr Soni also specialises in injectable procedures like nonsurgical rhinoplasty and cutting-edge skin boosters. He is a trusted name with those in the know for his safe and subtle results. @thesoniclinic; thesoniclinic.com

Dr Christine Hall A GMC-registered GP, Hall is also a former pharmacist with a passion for skincare.

She makes frequent trips to Seoul where skincare and aesthetics are at the cutting edge and, astonishingly, continues to work as an emergency medicine doctor and GP alongside her aesthetic work. @drchristinehall; drwassimtaktouk.com Dr David Jack With his delicate touch, you’ll never look overdone with Dr David Jack’s ‘naturally beautiful’ approach. If you’re nervous about injectables, he’s your go-to guy for natural-looking results. @drdavidjack; drdavidjackclinic.com Dr Dean Rhobaye Dr Rhobaye has developed a bespoke method of facial harmonisation using dermal fillers and neurotoxins to achieve beautiful results. Winner of the non-surgical facial beautification category at the annual Aesthetic and Anti-Aging Medicine World Congress awards, Rhobaye is not your average injector. @deanrhobaye; sloaneclinic.co.uk Dr Deepti Kolli A cosmetic dermatologist, Dr Kolli is a specialist in injectables and state-ofthe-art treatments such as personalised PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and mesotherapy to enhance and rejuvenate the skin. drsebagh.com

E-I Dr Frances Prenna Jones Known for her red light therapy to give skin an ever-fresh glow, Dr Prenna Jones is rumoured to have treated several high-profile models and celebrities due to her light-handed approach and skincare know-how. @drfrancesprennajones; drfrancesprennajones.com Mr Georgios Orfaniotis Mention the deep plane facelift and Orfaniotis’s name is inevitably mentioned. With a plastic surgery fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons, Mr Orfaniotis is on the GMC specialist register for plastic surgery.

He has over 15 years’ experience in some of the most advanced facial rejuvenation techniques. @dr_georgios_orfaniotis; orfaniotis.co.uk Dr Georgina Williams A co-founder of Montrose London, Dr Williams is a consultant plastic surgeon and fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, specialising in facial and breast plastic surgery and microsurgery. She divides her time between her NHS surgical practice and her private clinic at Montrose where she focuses on non-surgical work such as Botox and fillers. @drgeorginawilliams; montroseclinics.com Mr Hagen Schumacher A highly qualified plastic and reconstructive

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surgeon and a wellregarded NHS consultant, Mr Schumacher has private practices in London and Cambridge where his main interest includes breast surgery, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, chin alterations and facelifts. Whatever your concern, his guiding principle is to improve the confidence and selfesteem of his patients. @hagenschumacher; adore.life Dr Galyna Selezneva A whizz with the world’s leading high-tech machines, Dr Galyna is the beauty insider’s trusted body guru. From firming jowls to sculpting love handles and tightening down there, her expertise and warm bedside manner make her unique. @dr_galyna; ritarakus.co.uk Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme Her Instagram feed is a landing place for targeted skincare advice including the lowdown on the mostasked about ingredients, from retinol to pregnancy skincare advice. As founder and medical director of Adonia Medical Clinic, she offers state-of-the-art treatments from PRP for hair loss to microneedling for skin rejuvenation. @dr_ifeoma_ejikeme; adoniamedicalclinic.co.uk

J-L Dr Joanna Christou Being a dual qualified dentist and medical doctor has enabled Dr Christou to pursue a special interest in facial musculature when performing non-surgical procedures and creating

the discrete, holistic results she is renowned for. cosmeticskinclinic.com Dr Johanna Ward An award-winning cosmetic doctor, GP and expert in cosmetic laser, Dr Ward is a leading figure in the science of preventative anti-ageing medicine from both a clinical dermatology and nutrition standpoint. @drjohannaward; cosmeticskinclinic.com Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh A former surgeon, Dr Sebagh has mastered the art of non-surgical face and neck lifting using cosmetic procedures to achieve naturallooking results. One of his signature treatments includes The Ultralift™ LP, using HIFU technology to help slack skin and facial muscles snap back into shape. @drsebagh; drsebagh.com Dr Joney De Souza A pioneer in new technologies, Dr Souza delivers luminous skin quality through his layering of laser modalities to reduce pigmentation, firm facial contours and tighten sagging jaw lines. @drjoneydesouza; drjoneydesouza.com Dr Joshua Van der Aa Dr Joshua has honed his skills as an injector by travelling the globe to learn from the best in the field. Known for treating the eye area subtly and precisely he is a master at tricky tear trough filler and non-surgical eye lifts. @drjoshualondon; drjoshuavanderaa.co.uk

Dr Judy Todd Dr Todd is the expert celebrities trust for a nonsurgical facelift. Renowned for transforming the neck and lower face, she’s a pro with high-tech machines from Morpheus8 to FaceTite and NeoGen Plasma, the device lauded for Shirley Ballas’s facial transformation. @dr_judy_ todd; cadoganclinic.com Mr Kshem Yapa A GMC-certified consultant plastic surgeon who works between the NHS and his private practice, Mr Yapa specialises in facelift surgery and rhinoplasty.

His Deep Lift and Restore Face Lift incorporates the specialised deep plane lifting technique with fat grafting to replace lost volume. @yapaplasticsurgery; yapaplasticsurgery.com Dr Lizzie Tuckey A member of the Royal College of Medicine and the British college of Aesthetic Medicine, Dr Lizzie’s advanced surgical training has given her an edge in both facial rejuvenation and body contouring with an emphasis on achieving a natural look. @drlizzietuckey; drmichaelprager.com

M-P Dr Marco Nicoloso An expert injector, Dr Marco Nicoloso isn’t one for aesthetic trends. He takes a holistic approach to the face, treating it like a piece of fine art that needs gentle restoration rather than reinvention.

He is renowned for creating a subtle look, which has gained him a loyal following of discerning clients. @drmarconic; @ouronyx; ouronyx.com Dr Marwa Ali With a global client base, men and women travel far and wide for Dr Marwa’s expertise. Never one to overdo it, light injectable enhancements are her thing from artful Botox to undetectable tear trough filler. She combines these with HIFU and IPL (intense pulsed light therapy), to give her clients the luminous skin quality they desire. @dr_marwaali; harrods.com Dr Maryam Zamani An oculoplastic surgeon, Dr Zamani has a passion for facial aesthetics and works both in the US and UK. With a bestselling skincare line including her sell-out LED facial device, Dr Zamani knows that great skin is all about balance. @drmaryamzamani; drmaryamzamani.com Dr Michael Prager Offering what he calls ‘cosmedical wellbeing treatments’ at his Knightsbridge clinic, Dr Prager specialises in natural-looking injectables that boost your confidence without looking as though you’ve had anything done. @dr_michael_prager; drmichaelprager.com Dr Mitul Shah A renowned periodontist and implant specialist, Dr Shah is an expert in cosmetic gum improvements such as crown lengthening with

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AESTHETIC GUIDE

extensive experience managing complex gum issues including recession.

If you’re concerned about a gummy smile, then look no further. @drmitulshah; chelseadentalclinic.co.uk Dr Nina Bal Italian-born Bal was a professional skier before she studied to be a dentist, and later an advanced aesthetic doctor specialising in facial sculpting treatments.

A TV personality and social media star, Bal’s clients head to her for natural-look injectables and signature sculpting technologies such as Endolift. @drninafacialsculpting; facialsculpting.co.uk

R-T Dr Rhona Eskander Co-founder of Parla and owner of the newly upgraded Chelsea Dental Clinic, Eskander is an award-winning cosmetic dentist who specialises in everything from ultranatural veneers to minimal edge bonding. If you’re looking for a youthful smile enhancement, she is a class above. @drrhonaeskander; chelseadentalclinic.co.uk Dr Rita Rakus The indisputable ‘London lip queen’ Dr Rakus is known for creating the perfect pout, while her Knightsbridge clinic houses some of the best cosmetic practitioners and high-tech machines from EMface to Sofwave. @ritarakus_; ritarakus.co.uk

Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai This oculoplastic aesthetic surgeon is the go-to eye expert if you suffer from hollow, drawn-under eyes.

Her signature treatment, the Eye Boost, combines tear trough filler with complementary modalities to refresh the eyes. @drsabrinashahdesai; perfecteyesltd.com Dr Selena Langdon A trained plastic surgeon, Dr Selena Langdon is the founder of Berkshire Aesthetics, a patient-focused clinic that specialises in long-term skin health.

A skilled injector and CoolSculpting expert, she is internationally renowned for her body treatments. berkshireaesthetics.com Dr Sophie Shotter From face tightening treatment Sofwave to exosomes, Dr Shotter believes all work should look ‘invisible’ to the naked eye. @drsophieshotter; illuminateskinclinic.co.uk Dr Stefanie Williams A highly regarded dermatologist, Dr Williams is a genius at correcting all kinds of pigmentation with her medical-grade facials and combination approach of peels, laser, IPL and freezing techniques to achieve clear, even-toned skin. @drstefaniew; eudelo.com Dr Surbhi Virmani Having accrued 20 years’ experience in anaesthetics and critical care overseas and within the NHS, Dr Virmani now exclusively practices aesthetics and cosmetic dermatology.

A master at correcting pigmentation, other areas

of expertise include hand and neck treatments and non-surgical facelifts utilising the holy trinity of technology, skincare and injectables. @drsvcosderm; cosderm.co.uk Dr Tom Crawford-Clarke Dr Tom’s expertise in smile design sets him apart.

Designing each patient’s smile digitally, his eye for facial aesthetics and expertise in cosmetic dentistry makes him a firm favourite for Invisalign and natural-looking veneers and composite bonding. @drtcc.dentist; drtomcrawfordclarke.com Dr Tracy Mountford With her bespoke, intuitive approach to rejuvenation, Dr Mountford has decades of experience with injectables and knows how best to treat each face by eye. She combines injections with devices like Ultherapy that target the deeper layers of the skin for longer-lasting results. @the_cosmetic_ skin_clinic; cosmeticskinclinic.com

U-Z Dr Uliana Gout As president of the British College of Aesthetic Medicine, Dr Gout’s extensive knowledge has led her to develop her ‘intelligent aesthetic’ technique using complementary procedures that target every layer of the face from the bone to the muscle and the skin surface for the most natural-looking results. @lam__clinic; london-aestheticmedicine.com

Dr Vicky Dondos Author of The Positive Ageing Plan, unsurprisingly Dr Dondos believes in a gentle insideout approach to natural beauty. Beauty editors prize her injectable skills as being rejuvenating and undetectable. Best for a subtle refresh. @drvickydondos; medicetics.com Dr Victoria Manning and Dr Charlotte Woodward Known for a holistic inside out approach including offering nutrition and fitness advice with minimally invasive treatments, Drs Manning and Woodward are leading experts in thread lifts to reduce sagging. @river_aesthetics; riveraesthetics.com Dr Wassim Taktouk Dr Wassim Taktouk is the insider’s go-to doctor.

A master at subtle facial contouring, he is loved by women and men looking for a subtle tweakment. @drwassimtaktouk; drwassimtaktouk.com Dr Yusra Al-Mukhtar A dental surgeon and medical aesthetic clinician, Dr Yusra notched up several years’ experience in maxillofacial and skin cancer surgery before focusing on aesthetic medicine. She is known for her natural, non-surgical facelifts combining dermal filler, thread lifts and advanced devices. @dryusra.almukhtar; dryusra.com n

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INTERIORS Edited by Carole Annett

Citrus SPRITZ

Carole Annett tours a zingy Canary Wharf flat ‘The brief from the client was that he wanted to emulate his grandmother’s apartment, decorated in the 70s, for which he had great admiration,’ says designer Rabih Hage. ‘He has a big collection of vinyl records and loves the city… that was enough for me to reimagine the apartment that I grew up in, in Paris.

An eclectic mix of new and vintage furniture give this home dollops of personality

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INTERIORS | Case Study veneer cupboards with carved recess handles, the whole encased in an ebony macassar frame, like a thick coating of liquorice. A curved breakfast bar looks like it’s been casually ‘dropped’ to sit against one edge. The aesthetic was universally loved and reproduced by the developer across a further 11 apartments. ‘I love designing kitchens,’ he says, ‘this one is relaxed and understated with a twist of nostalgia’.

Key artworks were commissioned from contemporary British artist Chloë Østmo. ‘She is super talented and I love working with her on special commissions and interiors,’ says Rabih.

‘She inspired me to develop dedicated, site-specific artworks and installations with up-and-coming artists. These creative relationships extend the style and possibilities of our interiors, developing into truly varied and happy emotional journeys,’ he explains. And, I suspect, often journeys involving trips down memory lane. rabih-hage.com n

‘The furniture was especially fun to source – a mix of new and vintage,’ he continues.

An architect and interior designer dividing his time between London, New York and the South of France, Rabih designs from the inside out, taking inspiration from his clients to create deceptively effortless spaces suffused with warmth and subtle wit. This apartment, on the upper floors of a residential tower in Canary Wharf, was part of a larger project for the studio, to carve 12 dwellings out of the building’s top five storeys.

‘A big but very exciting challenge,’ he says, ‘the cherry on the cake was being asked to design one for use as a client’s pied-à-terre.’

Airy and light, the apartment has views extending over Canary Wharf, the City and the rest of London to the west.

Rabih has combined vibrant shades and strong shapes to give the interior a unique look, a bespoke rug uniting all the elements of the room. ‘I love bright colour,’ he says, ‘as well as adding depth and repetition through pattern. Most clients ask for colour as small accents against a more muted background but when it comes to my personal choice, and here with carteblanche from the client, I went full technicolour on big pieces of furniture as well as wallpaper and accessories’. The seating comprises two sculptural chairs by Pierre Paulin, ‘For me the quintessential 70s designer,’ says Rabih, a red Ribbon and green Mushroom chair, both made by Artifort. The sofa is another notable design, drawn on paper by legendary architect Vico Magistretti for Cassina in 1973, and part of its collection ever since. The console table was spotted in a French flea market while the curtains are from a recent collection by Élitis: ‘The pattern is pop art, very 70s,’ says Rabih.

He is particularly proud of the kitchen design – oak

FROM TOP: The kitchen proudly displays its curved oak breakfast bar; the iconic Ribbon chair in red

PHOTOS: GRANT FRAZER

‘Creative RELATIONSHIPS extend the style and POSSIBILITY of our interiors, developing into truly varied and happy EMOTIONAL journeys’

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Book an appointment www.cphart.co.uk 0345 600 1950

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GO GLOW

Give your lights a little bit of curvature this spring. Calder

by Jamb is a milky white opaline glass globe with an oh-so-strapping belt of brass. £4,000 (exc. VAT), jamb.co.uk

SLEEP TIGHT

We’re desperate to check into the Corinthia London for a staycation, as the hotel has plumped for Hästens Maranga beds in 35 of its suites. Offering dreamy, cloudlike comfort, they’re liable to tempt you under its covers well past checkout. hastens.com

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

2 Hyper Cool Carla stool, £2,050. samanthatodhunter.com 1 Hue New Neatsmith's new shade is a hue paying homage to the Scottish wilderness.

Highland x green anthracite glass door.

From £2,200 p/m, neatsmith.co.uk

DOLCE VITA

Mind The Gap’s kaleidoscopic wallpaper will brings a lick of Italian sunshine to your living room walls. This serene and lovely Tuscan garden-inspired design is called ‘Fiori in Fiore’.

From €229 p/m, mindtheg.com 3 Big Squish The Garret outdoor chair, £4,495. sohohome.com

SPRING DREAMING

1 Fresh thinking in a dressing room 2 Is it a footstool or a place to perch? Who cares, we love it 3 The perfect spot for an al fresco snooze (yours or the pup’s) 180 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | May / June 2024

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News | INTERIORS

FLORALS FOR SPRING? Five groundbreaking fabrics and wallpapers

LINWOOD FABRIC Ashfield linen by Linwood, £73.90 p/m. linwoodfabric.com

ROLL UP, ROLL UP

Cranborne, made from 100 percent traceable wool, is named after Cranborne Chase National Landscape, a quiet Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty overlapping Wiltshire, Hampshire and Somerset. £174.50 p/m, rogeroates.com

THE FABRIC COLLECTIVE Hera Amaro linen, £197.40 p/m. thefabriccollective.com

SOANE Mawar Wallpaper by Charlotte Johnstone, £480 p/roll. soane.co.uk

SANDERSON X GILES DEACON Regency Aperigon, £85 p/m. sandersondesigngroup.com

TROPICAL SHOWER

While you wish away the months until your sunny summer holidays, bring a dash of Bali to your daily routine – step into this transportive shower clad in tropical wallpaper.

Ubud waterproof wallpaper, £270 p/m (glues and sealants included). westonebathrooms.com

OH SO DITSY

Forget cut flowers, bring nature inside instead – as inspired by Standen House, West Sussex. Spring flowers from the National Trust IV papers at Little Greene, £127 p/roll. littlegreene.com

COLEFAX & FOWLER Tiger in charcoal, £142 p/m. colefax.co.uk

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FLOWER POWER Woodland Floral fabric, £69 p/m. harlequin. sandersondesigngroup.com

BUBBLE BAR Bitter orange soap bar, £33. shop. ninacampbell.com

YOU SILLY GOOSE Candle snuffer, £65. maisonflaneur.com

All Tied Up

Coquettish decor and lots of ribbon. By Tessa Dunthorne

B

e inspired by the runways – coquette is the trend charming us all. Molly Goddard’s latest collection – all puff, fluff and extravagant sleeves – has had us dreaming about the aesthetic ever since. So, stock up on cut Britishgrown flowers and pretty bouquets, and practise tying the perfect bow; coquette is all about a hint of romance and just a subtle bit of flirting, although the Gufram Bocca sofa offers more than a hint of a kiss. Even the cushion fabrics are getting in on the fun – dress up your boudoir wth intricate, hand-drawn florals from Harlequin.

And make sure your art has a bit of pith, too – wit is, after all, the flirt’s best tool. And thus, perfected: the coquette-ish interior.

IN KNOTS OVER YOU Cocktail glass, £30. thegoto.com

ROMANCE ME Blush pink rose hatbox, from £245. pulbrookandgould.co.uk

LICK, STICK, STAMP Bow card, £4.50. loveandhonor.co.uk

APOLOGY NOTE ‘I’m Sorry For Being Awful’, £3,500. countereditions.com

PUCKER UP Gufram Bocca Unlimited Forest 355 sofa,

by Studio 64, £4,410. artmest.com

IF CLIPPY WERE CUTER Etsy, by Amelia Anne O’Dequito, £8.83. etsy.com

DAVID SHRIGLEY PRINT: I’M SORRY FOR BEING AWFUL (2018), EDITION OF 125, 12 COLOUR SCREENPRINT ON SOMESET TUB SIZED 410GSM, PRINTED BY K2 SCREEN, LONDON. 76X56CM. SIGNED, NUMBERED AND DATED BY ARTIST. COURTSEY OF COUNTER EDITIONS AND THE ARTIST.

NOW KISS Melody Rose London plate, £46 each. wolfandbadger.com

BE INSPIRED Molly Goddard AW24. mollygoddard.com

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INTERIORS | Interview

My INTERIOR Life

FIP radio, a PT session and fresh air keeps Martin Kemp’s imagination whirring

A typical day at work… I rise around 6.30am and have porridge

with spirulina and blueberries. It’s usually quiet, but occasionally I listen to Classic FM for peaceful background noise – and occasionally the news, although it’s a bit more disheartening.

I shower, using Atelier Rebul, before dressing. All in 20 minutes (I’m quick) before walking to the office. The walk and fresh air wakes me up, allowing me to gather my thoughts and find inspiration. The day is spent immersed in design and meetings, interspersed with a PT session at the gym, ending in something social or a night on the sofa with a ‘no beat’ playlist.

For inspiration at work… The first thing I do in the office is to turn on the bluetooth speaker – we listen to FIP radio from France. I pick it for its eclectic range of (often obscure) music and how it stimulates conversations in my team. Project meetings are daily and these are inspirational, too, seeing the team interpret ideas, challenge thoughts, and explore how we can improve our work and detailing. The people around me are my biggest source of inspiration.

A space that inspires me… I live moments from the Leake Street graffiti tunnel in Waterloo and find myself in there regularly, admiring the incredible creativity among these artists – it really deserves a wider platform. The work changes regularly; the only protocol is to grant your predecessor a few days of exposure before obliteration. My second home will always be Los Angeles, a city I can never get enough of: peaceful, relaxed, easy-going, fun, creative – and so much more going on behind closed doors, once you know where to look…

Recently I was very lucky to acquire a Paolo Buffa cabinet, which I’d been admiring for some years – it finally made its way into my home and will never leave. I Paolo Buffa cabinet. can sit and admire it all day, to me such is the beauty £4,839, 1stdibs.com of detail it manifests.

I’d one day soon like to acquire an artwork

by Amanda Lear – ideally the self portrait of herself as a queen – and an autographed photo of Sir Roger Moore who was an old school gentleman.

Aside from that, perhaps a few items from my own soonto-come furniture and homewares line…

Autographed photo Watch this space. of Sir Roger Moore

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Amanda Lear Self Portrait as a Queen (courtesy of the artist)

PHOTOS: © EBAY, © AMANDA LEAR; © BONDSTARS.COM

I’m coveting some art and design objects right now…

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HOTELS &

PHOTOS: DIANA JARVIS FOR INTREPID TRAVEL

TRAVEL

Mothers Unarmed

In our Africa Special, Lucy Cleland goes bush in Kruger with the Black Mambas, the world’s first all-female wildlife ranger unit May / June 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 187

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I

t’s a truth universally acknowledged that it’s not a great idea to spend a night with a Black Mamba. Luckily, my sleep was not blighted by the terror of rubbing up against Africa’s largest poisonous snake. Rather, I could rest easy – apart from the spectacular midnight lightning display – knowing that should any serpent writhe up to me in my tent, one of the highly trained women from the world’s first officially recognised all-female wildlife ranger unit, aka the Black Mambas, would be there in a flash.

Not that protecting tourists is their day job, of course.

That’s far more interesting and important. They’re out on bush patrol, finding snares, monitoring wildlife and keeping their eyes peeled for poachers. Also, crucially, they’re educating the youngest members of their community (the ‘bush babies’) that keeping animals alive is both better for them and the wildlife – each group sustaining the other: employment and financial independence for one; protection and conservation for the other. They’re also pretty kickass in their army fatigues (the three-month army-style training is ‘brutal’) – yet without a weapon in sight. Critical to this unit is that they are, controversially, armed with nothing more than pepper spray and a pair of handcuffs.

Thanks to a unique partnership with the travel industry’s biggest B Corp, Intrepid Travel, I – and you, if you sign up for one of their trips that includes this one-night-only experience with the Mambas – get to meet and hang out with a handful of them at an overnight stay at their bush training camp.

Leitah Mkhabela, Felicia Mogakane, Cute Mhlongo, Debra Mukanzi and Collet Ngobeni greet us with a range of shy to wide smiles and shuffling black boots at Mambas HQ in the Olifants West Nature Reserve in Greater Kruger Park – where all the Big Five – lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard – and the odd viper – can be found.

The first thing you catch sight of outside their modest quarters is a set of rhino skulls on the ground. These, together with the stacked-up nests of wire snares that the Mambas have found on their daily patrols (in the past six years they have removed more than 1,471), are a stark reminder that poaching – particularly of the highly endangered rhino – is a very real and present danger. Why no weapons is the first question that springs to mind.

According to the unit’s founder, Craig Spencer, a deeply tanned, sinewy-bodied man in his fifties who lives and breathes conservation and is no stranger to the criticism he garners for this novel approach to anti-poaching, the answer to that is that he was keen to ‘break that culture of being militarised in South Africa’.

‘I don’t believe for one moment that with the right kind of training, you still need a weapon to defend yourself against animals,’ he tells us as we chow down vegetable stew and maize meal together round the campfire later. ‘We also realised that poachers are scared of being detected. You can see it in the clothing that they’re wearing, the traditional medicine they carry, the sponges they put under their shoes so they don’t leave tracks… They want to know how they can get in and out of this place without being caught – it’s a totally different set of neural pathways to choose to take another person’s life.’

And what about lions? The Mambas tell us, giggling, that they have had their fair share of animal encounters.

Cute recounts the story of coming across a young lion cub who took a particular liking to her, wanting to play until the mother turned up and didn’t seem too keen. Despite this, nobody has yet – to this day – been seriously injured and there’s an armed response unit just a call away.

Craig likens the Mambas – many of whom are mothers to children that they must leave in the care of family members for 21 days at a time – to our British bobbies on the beat. Their omnipresence alone is a deterrent (they patrol both day and night in shifts). And given that traditional gun-carrying male rangers were not dealing with the devastating loss of rhinos in Kruger National Park (according to Helping Rhinos, which is supported by Intrepid Travel’s non-profit The Intrepid Foundation, in the last ten years close to 10,000 rhinos have been lost to poaching), it was time to rethink the solution: the Mambas, Craig believes, are a part of that answer.

‘I’ve been doing this [conservation] for 30 years now,’ says Craig. ‘And in that time we’d just been getting better guns, better night vision equipment, better helicopters...

It was all militarised. And I was just tired of the guns because it literally doesn’t make any difference. You’re not going to shoot the problem away.’

Leitah concurs: ‘We cherish life,’ she says as we gather around the campfire. ‘We don’t want to live in a village where there are widows and orphans [many poachers live among the local communities from where the Mambas are employed and are just trying to eke out a living]. So that’s why we’re unarmed.’

Since the Mambas first started patrolling ten years ago, there has been a 63 percent reduction in poaching incidents in their area, so it appears that this female-centric approach is proving that old ways can change.

‘I want to tell my grandchildren one day how I helped to protect the animals,’ continues Leitah, ‘not sad stories about how I killed five men. I love my earth.’

Leitah’s words linger with me as I pick my way gingerly to my tent alert to snakes in the darkness, guided only by a blister pack of stars in the African sky, and thinking how obvious it is that group of unarmed mothers are helping dial down the violence that has stalked this country for centuries.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Zebra in Kruger National Park; on patrol with the Mambas; teatime round the camp fire; elephant spotting; Lucy having a joke with Debra Mukanzi and Felicia Mogakane

BOOK IT: Intrepid Travel offers trips to South Africa,

with the Black Mambas experience included in particular itineraries, starting from £905pp, including accommodation, some meals and activities (intrepidtravel.com). Flights to Johannesburg from Heathrow with British Airways start from around £700 (britishairways.com) Lucy’s return flights had a carbon footprint of 2,863kg CO2e. ecollectivecarbon.com n

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in Kruger bas; teatime g; Lucy having Mogakane

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LEAVE NO TRACE Stephanie Drax enjoys a safari in Botswana with the lightest of touches

W

hen seen from space, the Okavango Delta bursts across 22,000 sq/km of Africa like a shimmering fountain flare, drenching the Kalahari Desert with ten billion cubic metres of fresh water. During the wet season, it trickles a thousand kilometres from the Cuito and Cubango rivers in Angola, gathering charge uninterrupted through Namibia before splaying itself across the swampland of Botswana after austral summer. It’s little wonder that the delta invites the largest – and arguably luckiest – wildlife population on the continent.

I skim above it in a tiny plane, taking in the millennia-forged matrix of grassy floodplains, watery tendrils, and golf-coursegreen islands pitted like lichen on the land. By the time we touch down, I’ve already spotted four of the Big Five. It’s a prelude to what’s on offer at Duba Plains Camp and what its operating company, Great Plains Conservation, works so fiercely to protect.

My first question, though, as my guide, Rapz Samati, drives me to our camouflaged micro-camp on the island, is: ‘What’s that smell?’ The scent of wild sage is heavenly. So too, is the enormous suite prepared for my family, one of only six tents at the camp. My two young boys gawp at the vast rooms, copper bath, outdoor shower and mini swimming pool, all elevated on stilts, with a wraparound deck for Attenborough addicts such as us to admire grazing elephants on the largest ‘flatscreen TV’ imaginable.

So far, so safari, you might think. Here’s the difference: Great Plains pioneered conservation tourism in Africa, setting new standards in sustainability, hospitality and humanity. It all

Duba Plains Camp offers a real back-to-nature experience

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Africa special | HOTELS & TRAVEL

The Okavango Delta is a sprawling, nature-rich wetland in Botswana

Expert guides lead guests on bushwalks and safari drives

began here in Botswana in 2006. Founded by Beverly and Dereck Joubert, Emmy Award-winning wildlife filmmakers, Great Plains was conceived to rescue and replenish the creatures and habitats that the couple saw diminishing before their eyes. When the Jouberts were born almost 70 years ago, there were 400,000 lions in the wild; today there are 20,000. Using funds generated from their 15 camps across Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kenya – and they have never themselves taken a dividend – the Jouberts affect real change, on the ground and in the mind.

On their concessions, all leased from the locals, hunting is banned and human impact is limited. Their camps can all be deconstructed to leave no trace and plastic is virtually non-existent.

Duba Plains runs on 100 percent solar power, grey water feeds the environment, and leftover food is converted to biogas that can be cooked with or used as slurry for farming projects. Eighty percent of the staff come from the local community and are carefully trained.

Tourist dollars spent here filter to the right places, including helping to move rhinos from poaching hotspots to safe havens, training potential poachers to be rangers, building a force of female rangers and rewilding the Sapi reserve in Zimbabwe with species on the brink of extinction.

The bush in the delta thrums with the chirping of reed frogs.

Rapz drives us over a log bridge that connects the island camp to the grassy, open plains. Monkeys sound an alarm call in a sausage tree, alerting us to a magnificent lion napping in the shade. For him and his pride, the rhino and red lechwe aquatic antelope, this is country-club living, but they rest on a knife edge: ‘Without tourism, our eyes would be diverted from poaching, the May / June 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 191

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Africa special

Spy the Big Five (and many other species) in their own habitats

community might compete with the animals for meat and wild berries, and they might resort to aiding poaching or farm and fence the land,’ warns Rapz, ‘When the floods arrive, they could block the water and disrupt the natural way.’

Great Plains tactically educates local children in sustainability, and they share the knowledge with their parents. We all have our part to play in the delicate balance of the delta, it seems, and as the sky at dusk turns the colour of papaya flesh, we watch two wild dogs run down and rip apart a red lechwe. It’s a visceral and poignant moment that serves to remind us that sometimes we must remain silent witnesses.

Dawn brings the second act of our adventure: a water safari at Sitatunga Private Island. We board a small boat and meander our way to the newest Great Plains camp, using channels that can change with the shift of tectonic plates. It’s a deeply soothing journey and the diversity of birds now captures our attention: Goliath heron, malachite kingfishers and the globally threatened wattled crane take turns outstripping our boat. Using a long lens camera (lent to all Great Plains guests), I capture a fish eagle as it whips a catfish from the water and feasts on it in the papyrus reeds.

On the far side of a hippo-laden lagoon, the small, raised camp blends into ebony trees. Staff greet us on the pontoon like longlost family – the service at Great Plains is heartfelt – and we settle into our remote Robinson Crusoe chapter. Old treasures breathe life into an eco-salvage aesthetic: railway sleepers from a mine in South Africa line the floor, and shaggy thatch covers canvas roofs and walls. The blonde wooden structures – the heart of each of the three suites - are inspired by local fishing baskets that showcase both the culture and craftsmanship of the area. Just like Duba, Sitatunga treads lightly and could be removed with no impact on the environment.

Back on the boat for our aqua game drive, Pat Malatsi, our ranger from the local Beyei tribe, is in synch with our surroundings. When he calls to the birds – a swamp boubou or a little rush warbler – they

Sitatunga Private Island is situated in a lagoon filled with hippos

call back. We play spot the croc in teeming waters: they grow up to six metres here and might even try their luck with a baby elephant.

Pat casually cups his hand in the water and drinks from the delta.

When we venture out at dusk in mekoro (traditional canoes), we come across a pod of 35 bathing hippos, their alpha male baring his fleshy, pink mouth at us in warning. Pat stops us still. Our hearts are in our mouths, but Pat allows us to admire them from a safe distance. As we peacefully retreat, I shoot them with my camera, capturing them through my lens. We all breathe calmly together in this verdant piece of Africa, on a speck of sparkling water that can be seen from space.

BOOK IT: Original Travel offers a five-night stay in Botswana, based

on two adults sharing a pool suite in Duba Plains for two nights, and three nights at a pool suite in Sitatunga Private Island (full-board) with return economy-class flights from London Heathrow, connecting flights, private transfers, and guided tours, from £12,500pp. originaltravel.co.uk Stephanie’s return flights had a carbon footprint of 2,772kg CO2e. ecollectivecarbon.com n

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Choosing the perfect villa for your important holiday is not easy, which is why we are here to help at every step, from our Villa Specialists in the UK to our Destination Experts on hand in location. And with 50 years of experience, we know what makes the perfect villa holiday.

cvvillas.com / 020 3991 2633

Greece / Italy / Spain / Portugal / Croatia / France / Morocco / Caribbean / Turkey / Sri Lanka

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22/04/2024 10:08

DETOX MIND, BODY AND SOUL

Amid a 300-hectare sanctuary of forest, beach and sand dunes on the southern tip of Mozambique’s Benguerra Island, Kisawa Sanctuary is possibly one of the most blissful spots to cleanse your mind, body and soul. So it makes sense that the property has just launched its new Gentle Island Detox Programme at its state-of-the-art Natural Wellness Center. Meticulously crafted and tailored to individual needs, the offering combines a mix of immersive experiences such as light fitness, yoga and meditation, sound healing, infrared sauna sessions, massages and lymphatic treatments. The perfect getaway to discover your inner peace and set you up for continued good habits back at home. From €4,300, kisawasanctuary.com

The ESCAPIST

THE FOUR Cs

Further boosting its Global Ecosphere Retreat status – one of the highest sustainability standards in the world – The Safari Collection’s Sasaab tented camp in northern Kenya has just launched a new cultural and learning hub.

Called the 4C Centre – namely, Conservation, Community, Commerce and Culture – the beautifully curated exhibition space is located next to the main lodge with views across the Ewaso Nyiro River and Laikipia Plateau.

Showcasing local geology, Samburu culture and community partnerships, this new addition enhances the guest experience, which also includes activities like visiting the top of the sacred Samburu Mountain for a pre-arrival breakfast with unimaginable views. From £862, thesafaricollection.com

PHOTOS: © BRIAN SIAMBI; © ELSA YOUNG

Lauren Ho has all the latest African travel news

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News | HOTELS & TRAVEL

PIONEERS OF PURPOSE

Sustainable luxury travel operator, Wilderness, has raised the bar once again with the introduction of a newly enhanced impact strategy. With a focus on hospitality and conservation, the group helps protect 2.3 million hectares of land over eight African countries.

The plan is to double this by 2030 and continue doing so in an ongoing cycle of conservation through empowering local communities, educating children, and protecting people and wildlife from threats to their co-existence. Together with NGOs, communities, businesses, and their guests, the group has built a collaborative ecosystem that maximises impact. Aspiring to be the benchmark for conservation tourism, the result so far has seen the Wilderness team of 3,000 people create captivating journeys to more than 60 camps in iconic wild destinations from Rwanda to Zambia for over 40,000 guests annually, changing people’s viewpoints on how they travel and interact with the land they leave behind. wildernesstravel.com

PHOTOS: © BRIAN SIAMBI; © ELSA YOUNG

THREE OF THE BEST SUSTAINABLE LODGES

1

LENGISHU Located on the Borana Conservancy in Northern Kenya, Lengishu has been the go-to luxury retreat for wildlife lovers since it opened its doors in 2019, implementing practices from water sourcing through boreholes with solar power to protecting the endangered black rhino population through investing conservation fees from guests. This steadfast commitment has earned it Global Ecosphere Retreat status, considered the gold standard in sustainability audits for the hospitality industry. It is the only private house – and one of only 12 properties worldwide – to receive this accreditation. From £8,750 per night, lengishu.com

2

MELOTE HOUSE Lepogo Lodges has unveiled its second property, Melote House, located in South Africa’s Lapalala Wilderness Reserve. A fully non-for-profit venture, Lepogo bestows 100 percent of any financial gains back into the reserve. It also carbon offsets every guest’s flight, with each guest given a choice of one of three conservation projects to support. Elsewhere, initiatives include working with the reserve on projects from the release of wild cheetahs, and the sponsorship of the pangolin rehabilitation centre, which is coming soon. From £12,000 per night, all inclusive, lepogolodges.com

3

ANGAMA AMBOSELI Tucked in Kenya’s 5,700-acre Kimana Sanctuary, the ten-suite Angama Amboseli is the country’s first community-owned conservancy. The lodge leases the land from the local Maasai community, paying substantial fees – due to reach a minimum of USD $11 million over the next 25 years – back to the 844 family members who own the land. This means the local community also benefits from employment opportunities, tourism revenue, and investments in healthcare and education. All this, plus game drives, walking safaris, hot air ballooning and in-suite massages. From $1,650, angama.com

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | News

FIVE HOT NEW OPENINGS

SINGITA MILELE, Tanzania In the heart of the Serengeti, this five-suite villa offers wellness treatments, fully stocked ‘bar-delis’ and a movie room. From £21,657, singita.com

ANCHORS AWAY

The Kenyan Lamu archipelago – a UNESCO Heritage Site – is a cluster of desert islands that have long drawn visitors for its centuries-old Swahili settlements and beguiling sand dune beaches. Thanks to the launch of NaiSabah Dhow, visitors can island hop with ease. Using the monsoon winds to follow ancient routes, the traditional 75ft wooden sailing yacht comprises three cabins and can sleep up to eight people, making it the perfect base for groups of family and friends to kayak, fish, snorkel and explore the islands’ historic ruins. A conservation fee supports local communities and marine ecosystems preservation through the North Kenya Conservation Trust.

From £5,790pp for five nights sailing, one in Nairobi, theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk

CAPE GRACE, Cape Town The iconic property’s much-loved charm has been enhanced with a fresh look, plus four new restaurants to sample. From £756, capegrace.com

LUX* MARIJANI, Zanzibar On Pwani Mchangani beach, this has Omanistyle architecture, white-washed walls and locally crafted terrazzo tiles. From £280, luxresorts.com

WILDERNESS DESERT RHINO CAMP, Namibia An elegant new base to continue Wilderness’s 20-year mission to defend and preserve the black rhino. From $530, wildernessdestinations.com

SCHOOL’S OUT

It is one of the most famous game reserves in Africa, with over a million visitors annually.

So it’s extraordinary to discover that in the towns surrounding the Kruger National Park, many residents have gone their entire lives without seeing some of the country’s most famous wildlife. Wild Shots Outreach is changing all that. Founded by Mike Kendrick eight years ago, the organisation connects with disadvantaged youths and local schools that border the park, and introduces them to wildlife and conservation through photography. The programme teaches new skills and helps inspire and raise aspirations, resulting in over more than 70 programmes with over 600 student graduates – many of which have gone on to establish successful careers in photography, as nature guides within the park, and even within Wild Shots Outreach itself. Up next, the organisation is looking to expand beyond South Africa, partnering with schools in Kenya, Namibia and Botswana. wildshotsoutreach.org

GREAT PLAINS MARA TOTO TREE CAMP, Kenya These elevated tree-house tents sleep eight, and are a private haven for families or friends. From $1,920, greatplainsconservation.com n

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Small group travel in more than 100 countries.

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The TRIP

Is the age of overtourism finally over? asks Francisca Kellett

being implemented and action being taken.’

Barcelona, for example, where an influx of 20 million visitors in 2019 started pushing out the city’s 1.6 million residents, has banned new luxury hotels, introduced licences for AirBnB landlords, increased tourist taxes, and limited the number of docking cruise ships.

Venice, where UNESCO warned that overtourism is causing ‘irreversible damage’, has banned large cruise ships and now charges day trippers €5 on select days. Rome has brought in hefty fines for bad tourist behaviour, and the Vatican has banned selfie sticks – which is a relief.

Really, though, limiting overtourism is down to us. Visiting off-season is the obvious one. I’ve had glorious breaks in the last year doing just that: Ibiza in October, and the South of France in May. In both, the weather was balmy, the restaurants quiet and the locals happy to see me.

Avoiding obvious destinations is the other, something that Original Travel is pushing. ‘It’s about visiting the undiscovered corners of the classics,’ Tom Barber, the founder, says. ‘Fly to Naples and instead of the Amalfi Coast, head south to Cilento and Calabria. Same culture, food and weather, but none of the camera-toting tourists.’ It sounds blissful: fewer crowds, better experiences, happier hosts – and a much lower chance of getting smacked in the face. n

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

T

he last time I went to Rome, I got smacked in the face at the Vatican. I hadn’t done anything wrong. This was not a matter of moral outrage or religious fervour. But I had committed a tourism crime: I’d visited Rome in early summer. Peak season, when the pavements are clogged, the sites thronged, the restaurants packed to the carbonarascented rafters. It was the worst possible time to go, and entirely my fault that I got whacked around the head with a selfie stick.

Rome, like so many holiday hotspots, is suffering from too much love. Too many visitors, too many cheap flights, too many short-let holiday rentals. Overtourism, in other words, when a destination is so overwhelmed by visitors that it makes both the lives of residents and the experience for travellers pretty miserable. Paris will be undergoing just that this summer, with around 16 million visitors streaming in for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Compare that to the 9.9 million they had in total from June to August last year. The games might be fun, but getting around the city? Or into a restaurant? Or, indeed, living there day to day? Pretty miserable.

Tourism, in its starkest, most unsustainable form, is only about growth. A ‘successful’ year means an increase in visitors – never mind if those visitors are disgorged in their thousands from a cruise ship, there for a few hours, spending no money locally or connecting in any meaningful way with a destination. Too often, the results are overloaded infrastructure, overused transport systems, rising house prices and, ultimately, a breakdown in local communities. Add to that the degradation of the environment – from pollution to the damage of historical sites – and you’ve got a perfect storm: disaffected, pissed-off communities, and tourists destroying the very places they’ve come to enjoy.

But it’s not all bleak. ‘I feel like perhaps we’ve passed peak overtourism,’ Thomas Power, the founder of B Corp-certified Pura Aventura, tells me. ‘Overtourism is being actively discussed, policies 198 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | May / June 2024

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PR O M OT I O N

GET SET, AND GO

Brush up on your favourite British sport or try a new one with PoB Hotels

A

re you all set for a summer of sport?

Think tennis at Wimbledon, horse racing at Ascot, rowing at Henley and sailing at Cowes Week. And don’t forget the Tour of Britain cycling event, which first began in 1945. For a tiny nation, we really pack a punch when it comes to our sporting heritage.

Don’t just be a spectator though – this summer, PoB Hotels is encouraging everyone to embrace their inner sportsman, and connect with one or more of Britain’s five most-loved sports through PoB Hotels’ extensive offering. Many of its hotels not only enjoy superb facilities but are also set in Britain’s most idyllic locations – ride a bike along a scenic cycle track, sail round our breathtaking coastline, or hit the open moors on horseback.

And because PoB Hotels all have excellent food and rooms, once you’ve worked up an appetite, you can tuck into a delicious dinner before settling down in stylish surroundings.

Victoria Pendleton, former Olympic cycling champion, is leading the way, having just completed her very own PoB break incorporating fitness, kayaking, rowing, horse riding, and of course cycling. Not that you need to be an Olympic super star to take part: there are plenty of opportunities for all levels, whether you want to try a new sport or to pursue one you already love.

WET AND WILD

Britain’s coast was made for a sailing break, with PoB Hotels scattered along its length as well as by lakes and reservoirs.

Some have their own boats, or are a short walk from sailing clubs. For the ultimate rowing experience, you can’t beat following in the wake of regattas and races on the Thames.

SADDLE UP

Get active this summer with PoB Hotels’ extensive sporting opportunities

Do you prefer two wheels or four legs?

It’s a rare PoB Hotel that isn’t near somewhere great for cycling, with either bikes to borrow or nearby cycle-hire outfits so you can tackle everything from flat cycle ways to more hilly terrain. Many are close to stables, too, or might even have their own horses on site.

PERFECT YOUR FOREHAND

There are tennis courts in PoB Hotels everywhere from Cornwall to Scotland, where you can hit some balls around during a friendly game or perhaps take advantage of some expert tuition.

You’ll find hard courts, grass courts of championship standard, and in some cases, both.

To book your next active escape, visit pobhotels.com/get-set-and-go

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Mind Your Manor

O

Estelle Manor in Oxfordshire is like Soho House, but for grown-ups.

Fiona Duncan luxuriates at one of the UK’s most lavish hotels

pened last summer, Britain’s most lavish hotel to date is, quite simply, astonishing. As well as its fabulous looks and its impressive scale, depth, vision and attention to detail, it is also that rare thing among grand British country house hotels: it’s properly hip and cool and yet properly warm, enveloping and cultured - and that’s saying something for a vast, brooding neo-Jacobean pile in not-quite-the-Cotswolds. Overlooking a languorous pool, heated year-round, on the huge terrace, with green fields beyond, Estelle Manor’s gorgeous, eclectic, layered and patterned sitting rooms, bars and restaurants sweep through the house while outside its grounds are filled with amusements and diversions, not least the justopened Roman-inspired spa, Eynsham Baths, as large – 3,000 sq/m – as the once forlorn, now reborn manor house that it compliments.

The former Eynsham Hall, now Estelle Manor, is Soho Farmhouse for grown-ups. Better still, unlike members-only Soho Farmhouse, it welcomes hotel guests as well as members (who pay £3,600 per year, plus a £500 joining fee). Stay

there, if you can, for several days: there is much to do, with more activities to come. Already, it has echoes of Gleneagles in Perthshire, now correctly dubbed ‘the glorious playground’. Both properties are owned by hospitality entrepreneur Sharan Pasricha of Ennismore (whose portfolio also includes the Hoxton hotels and private members’ club Maison Estelle in London), but unlike Gleneagles, it’s been created from scratch under the guidance of Sharan’s wife Eiesha, a successful businesswoman in her own right and daughter of Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal.

The care, authenticity and integrity that has been lavished on Estelle Manor by its owners reminds me of why The Pig hotels also stood out – and still do stand out – from the crowd in their own mid-market sector: because they are the passion project of their founders, Robin and Judy Hutson, who, like the Pasrichas, see to every detail. At Estelle Manor, interior designers, under the guidance of Eiesha, have successfully complemented the Edwardian, neo-Jacobean atmosphere of the original house (built in 1908) with a marvellous mix of colours, textures,

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Review | HOTELS & TRAVEL cottages and even houses, all more contemporary in style than the lovely coiffed and canopied rooms in the main house, dotted around the estate. And there’s the spa.

Taking its inspiration from Roman villa ruins found close to the 60-acre Estelle Manor estate, the Eynsham Baths are a series of Roman-style bathing pools among sculpted stone columns with a vast central tepidarium bathing hall overlooked by a circular first floor balcony, plus five thermal pools, steam room, hay sauna, lounge, ten treatment rooms, a huge hammam and an outdoor ‘breathwork’ pool.

A not-inconsiderable fee of £95 allows hotel guests a three-hour spell in this serene temple of water and light, including a table in the lounge for healthy drinks and snacks. Add a massage from one of the expert practitioners specially brought in from Thailand, India and other countries, and a sense of balance and serenity, when you step outside and return to the hotel, is guaranteed.

Time, for me, drifted idly by in the Eynsham Baths (no mobiles, no watches or clocks). In the Nosing Room, where you choose from a variety of specially concocted massage oils for your treatment, I was introduced to my therapist, Manos. How wonderful: the single best massage I have ever had was courtesy of Manos, from Greece, at Heckfield Place a year ago. Now here he was.

Serendipity. Estelle Manor is that kind of place. My only proviso is that while staff are generally excellent (many, like Manos, have come from the best establishments Britain has to offer) they are as a whole, as befits the difficult circumstances of British hospitality these days, not quite as exceptional as the hotel itself, which has, like everywhere, a constant turnover.

From the restaurants to the spa, every inch of Estelle Manor has been carefully considered and luxuriously executed

BOOK IT: Doubles from £550 per night, including

breakfast. +44 (0)1993 685800; estellemanor.com n

patterns and period furniture while twisting the 21st century into the mix with superbly chosen modern art. It’s hard to choose a favourite spot, but the original library shelves filled with books and objects of interest, and the Billiards Room, now a traditional Chinese restaurant dominated by a huge original fireplace, perhaps stand out.

Other restaurants are the lively Brasserie and the lush Glasshouse, the latter overlooking the kitchen garden and serving its produce.

Members, should they wish to be separate, have their own lounge, café and study, plus co-working space and kids’ club.

What else? A lot. There’s the huge stateof-the-art gym (with 37 classes per week for members), a pair of padel courts to cater for the fastest growing racquet sport in the world, archery, axe throwing, foraging, falconry, bikeriding and mini Landies for the kids with more activities in the offing, all happening within sight of the hotel. There are further bedrooms, May / June 2024 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.COM | 201

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Postcards From...

Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Our Editor-At-Wild sets sail to possibly the last great paradise on Earth PHOTOGRAPHY AND WORDS BY FEE DRUMMOND

SETTING SAIL

Our home from home is a comfortable dive specific gaff rig boat, with the most excellent sunset spots, crew and food, with professional camera charging stations. We arrive at night and can’t resist a dive. Within minutes I see my first Walking sharks, three of them. After six days of up to three dives a day, I am thrillingly fit, strong, sated, knackered, and unbelievably chilled. Absorbing minerals in sea water this way leaves my mental mode resembling chilled surfer flow state.

PHOTOS: FEE DRUMMOND X FUJIFILM

R

aja Ampat is home to more than 1,600 species of fish, 75 percent of the world’s known coral species, six of the seven known species of vulnerable to critically endangered sea turtles, and 17 known species of marine mammals. It’s a conservation triumph where reef manta rays have doubled in population. In short, the Indonesian archipelago is one of the most marine biodiverse locations on earth.

However, the dance between the benefits of eco-tourism and conservation must be carefully choreographed in order to preserve this last piece of paradise for generations to come – for this marine sanctuary is critical to our future and oceanic regeneration...

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Wild Travel | HOTELS & TRAVEL

SHARKS AHOY

Swimming with reef sharks in the shallows is an unexpected surprise.

Fast, they are fast! I melt down to horizontal and start swimming their circular route in crystalline waters. I slot in behind a pair of sharks who after a while, appear to accept me as no trouble, hot on their tails with my camera. One with a bite mark on its cheek helps me identify it.

WILD STYLE EDIT

I’M FREE This is not scuba diving, this is mastering the art of breath – mind and body aligned to reach depth. Nothing is more peaceful, strengthening and mentally empowering. The ‘Mammalian Diving Reflex’ is how a baby’s windpipe automatically closes to prevent water from entering the lungs, and why whales and dolphins can survive such depths.

Swimsuit

by Mari Swim $195, mariswim.com

Pack sustainably & stylishly

KALEIDOSCOPIC CORALS

With three-quarters of the world’s coral varieties, ten times that of the Caribbean, and gin-clear waters, it means that you can see a kaleidoscope of corals resembling Murano vases, bunches of baby corn, marbled fans, cobwebs, and oversized cabbage patches without having to swim a stroke. I glide over golden fields of what look like coral fungi made of fine fragile bone china. I strain every muscle in my body as I hold my breath, ensuring my long free diving fins don’t touch the acres of intricacy just inches away from my body.

PHOTOS: FEE DRUMMOND X FUJIFILM

1 With Nothing Underneath Striped linen shirt, £100. withnothingunderneath.com

INTO THE MANGROVES

Where the land meets the sea is a critically important place and mangroves harbour some of the most important nursery systems for all marine life. When I put my face under water I am blown away by an exquisite crystalline vision. I duck dive straight into a sea snake, quite literally, and my GoPro and I delightedly follow his stark black and white stripes.

He’s incredibly poisonous but I am thrilled to be a foot away until he curls away beneath a coral head. Friendly bat fish live on the end of large tree root systems, and shoals of transparent vertical stick fish mimicking twigs float amid this underwater woodland.

2 Abysse Ama recycled plastic swimsuit, £244. abysseofficial.com 3 Sett SPF50 mineral, reef safe sunscreen, £15.99. settsurf.com 4 Patrick Mavros Elephant hair silver cuff, £430. uk.patrickmavros.com 5 Stow London Safari style weekend bag in tan leather, £695. stowlondon.co.uk

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FOOD&DRINK

Double Trouble

The Connaught Bar’s Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee is a zingy cocktail duo

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FOOD & DRINK | Recipe

FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY, STING LIKE A BEE ◀ PICTURED ON PREVIOUS PAGE

1

To make butterfly milk punch: mix 250g caster sugar, 30g fennel seeds, the zest of three lemons, 200g celery and 750g chopped pineapple (with rind) in a large jug. Add 100ml of lemon juice, 300ml lemon verbena tea, 350ml bourbon, 200ml tequila and 75ml absinthe and leave to infuse for 24 hours. Strain through a muslin cloth into another jug. Heat 300ml milk until warm, not boiling, and slowly pour the milk and 60ml of lemon juice into the jug and leave for 30 mins. Fine strain the mixture through two pieces of muslin cloth into a clean jug. Store in the INGREDIENTS fridge for up to a week.

2 3 4

To make bee-pollen armagnac: stir 700ml armagnac and 50g bee pollen together in a jug before straining through a paper coffee filter into a clean bottle. Store at room temp for up to a month.

To make sugar syrup: add 500ml mineral water and 1kg of sugar to a blender and blend until the sugar is dissolved.

Store in the fridge for up to a month.

Stock Your Cabinet: – Armagnac – Champagne – Absinthe – Bourbon – Tequila

You'll Also Need: – 1 pint whole milk – 250g caster sugar – 1 pineapple – 30g Fennel seeds – 3 lemons – 200g celery – 3 lemons – Mineral water Unusual ingredients – and where to buy: – Bee pollen – find at Neal's Yard Remedies or Ocado – Lemon Verbena Tea – find at True Tea Company, or any Wholefoods shop

Preparing the cocktails: for the Float Like A Butterfly, combine 45ml milk punch, 5ml sugar syrup, 45ml champagne and two dashes of absinthe to a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a flute. For the Sting Like A Bee, combine 30ml of the bee-pollen Armagnac, 20ml sugar syrup, 15ml lemon juice and 30ml champagne into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Serve together.

Foodie Tales

Agostino Perrone, Director of Mixology at The Connaught, tops us up What’s your drinks philosophy? It’s more of a hospitality philosophy that has guided me and The Connaught Bar team through almost 16 years of work: everything we do, from cocktail creation to service, is driven by an aim of providing the most memorable experience for our guests. This means that a cocktail is not just a liquid mix in a glass, but a vehicle of discovery, connections and emotions.

What was the first cocktail you learnt to mix? Having started bartending in my hometown in Lake Como, Italy, it’s no surprise my first cocktail was a negroni.

What’s your favourite ingredient for a drink? At the moment, I am keen on a chilli and sundried tomato distillate from a small producer in Italy called Clab Culture. It brings a burst of Mediterranean flavours and aromas to the drinks, plus a gentle spicy kick.

The drink you’d pull out as a dinner party aperitif? It has to be the martini cocktail, the most glamorous and versatile of all drinks.

What’s the best no/low drink you’ve had? I love flavoured waters, something simple and reflective of the indigenous produce and local familiar tradition of a geography. For example, in Mexico I am always after agua de fresa or agua de lima (strawberry and lime water).

Where do you go to get away from it all? I have my secret place on Lake Como. A hidden gem on a hill that outlooks the entire lake. To get there, you need to walk through a tiny village and a wood, and all of a sudden you have the most breathtaking view of Lake Como, which you can enjoy from a bench placed on top of the hill. It’s my place to space out.

The Connaught Bar: Cocktail Recipes and Iconic Creations (Phaidon, £29.95) n

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Tidbits | FOOD & DRINK

GASTRO GOSSIP

Tessa Dunthorne raises a glass to new summer tipples and cool drinking destinations

IN GOOD SPIRITS

Gins for your tonic

BAR CHAT

The 007’s Spy Bar at Raffles holds all sorts of secret delights

Where to drink away these longer evenings THE WILD ONE...

Upstairs@Ronnie’s promises a night of debauchery with a great soundtrack. If you can stomach a stiff drink on a Wednesday, the Jazz Jam goes on until 3am and here you’ll find the next big names in blues. (We spotted Laurence Cottle – whose own shows sold out the main house – playing here for only £10 entry.)

The drinks will send you dancing – negronis mix strong and with gin, and there’s an extensive selection of Moët & Chandon if fizz is your preferred tipple. ronniescotts.co.uk

THE SERIOUS ONE… Dram bar opened last November but it still feels a bit like only serious mixologists are in the know.

Welcome to the cool crowd; this bar is among the best in London. It has everything – a whisky shop, private pool room, terraced garden, and even a cocktail vending machine. Drinks are a bit more niche but excitingly so – bartenders whip up mixes you’ll not find elsewhere, like the Plum & Whey and Koji & Birch. On top of that, these only cost £12-13 – so you’ll leave... spirited. drambar.co.uk

THE SECRET ONE… Prefer your martinis shaken not stirred? You’ll fit right in at 007’s Spy Bar at Raffles London, the OWO. Descend underground until you reach an unmarked door. There, go back in time to a room inspired by history – the rooms the Spy Bar now occupies once held intelligence ops.

Expect it to be much more leisurely during your visit though, all cosied up in plush vintage sofas and with cocktail in hand. Mind you, we’re not at liberty to share the actual menu – it’s classified. raffles.com

1 The Aberturret Gin London Dry gin, £45 for 70cl. theaberturretgin.com 2 Sapling Spirits Climate positive gin, £24 for 70cl. saplingspirits.com 3 Silent Pool Gin magnum, £99 for 150cl. silentpooldistillers.com 4 The Botanist Cask aged gin, £70 for 70cl. thebotanist.com

IMAGES COURTESY OF DRAM

THREE NEW BUBBLIES AU NATUREL: Telmont has released its Réserve de la Terre, which is grown without herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, or synthetic fertilisers (uk.champagne-telmont.com). OLD SCHOOL COOL from Champagne Bollinger – the new La Grande Année Rosé 2015 is vinified in small oak barrels (champagne-bollinger.com). And a NEW GENERATION of wine: the Rathfinny Mini 2020 – the first ever 50cl bottle of English sparkling (rathfinnyestate.com).

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N ST N R EW U C TI O IN

Braughing Friars, Braughing, Hertfordshire

£1,300,000

PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT - Oliver Minton Village & Rural Homes are delighted to bring to the market this fantastic 4 acre BUILDING PLOT with planning permission granted for ‘Friars Bourne’, a stunning 7000 sq ft contemporary bespoke home in this highly sought after hamlet location on the rural outskirts of Braughing village. Please contact us for further information. East Herts District Council planning reference is 3/22/0217/FUL

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PROPERTY Edited by Anna Tyzack

HOUSE OF THE MONTH

Mandalay, Long Beach Drive, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands Seven bedroom, ten bathrooms, 15,274 sq/ft, $22.5m

Sell it to us in a sentence... An architectural icon of the Turks and Caicos landscape.

How would you describe its design? Classic Caribbean – and the epitome of luxury living. Its masterful layout is centred on a stunning multilevel pool with a lounge, fire pit and cascading water features.

What’s unique about it? Its award-winning architectural design. The pool boasts 38 adjustable LEDs and stretches through the home, leading to an infinity edge overlooking the Caicos Banks.

What is its history? It was developed in 2012; architects R.A. Shaw Designs used a pre-existing foundation made before new regulations. It was given the prize for the Best Architecture Single Residence at the International Property Awards in 2017.

Best room in the house? This property is a chef’s dream: inside, you’ll find a family kitchen, a professional kitchen and a walk-in wine cooler, as well as a spectacular beachfront dining room.

Perks of the location? Mandalay sits about 40 feet from the sea and enjoys 190 feet of pristine Long Bay beach – a world famous spot for kiteboarding. +1 (649) 3322612; tcrea.com

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PROPERTY | Five of the Best

Country ESTATES

Martha Davies picks five properties that dreams are made of

Chalcot House, Wiltshire, £8m

This Grade II*-listed manor is complete with a tennis court, swimming pool and stables, not to mention 52 acres of land encompassing both formal gardens and rolling parkland. struttandparker.com

Mylor Downs, Cornwall, OIEO £3m

Set in 30 acres of glorious grounds, this Cornish home is a real stunner.

There are four bedrooms and four bathrooms in the main house, plus a separate farmhouse. lillicrapchilcott.com

West Charleton, Devon, £3.75m

Looking for luxury? This grand estate features a fivebedroom manor alongside six cottages and a detached oak-framed entertainment centre with a cinema room and indoor pool. marchandpetit.co.uk

Boden Hall, Cheshire, £6.65m

Stroll through the grounds of this sevenbedroom Georgian home and you’ll spot a lake, squash court and a saltwater pool. It’s a bucolic dream. There’s also six cottages as part of the estate. savills.com

Dancers End, Hertfordshire, £4.75m

From a party barn, gym and detached cottage to a tennis court, pavilion and topiaried garden, this Grade II-listed home has it all. You’ll also spot period features like marble fireplaces. knightfrank.co.uk

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IN IO EW T N UC R ST N

Arches Hall & Stud Farm, Latchford, Standon, Hertfordshire London 25 miles | Newmarket 40 miles | Cambridge 26 miles | Hertford North 8 miles (Trains to London Liverpool Street from 49 minutes) Bishop’s Stortford 9 miles | London Stansted 13.5 miles (Distances and times are approximate) Superb five-bedroom Edwardian house Stud with thirty loose boxes | Paddocks | Horse walker | Manège | Two grooms’ flats houses

£3,750,000

Other Arches Hall Stud complex homes available: Superb contemporary Barn Conversion - £1,195,000 House with Stables & Paddocks - £925,000 More details available on request

Arches Hall presents a rare opportunity to acquire a picturesque residential and equestrian estate positioned within beautiful Hertfordshire countryside. The principal house dates to around 1900, with subsequent additions and is in a prominent position overlooking its own land and surrounding unspoilt countryside. The house is approached along a tree-lined drive, bordered by post and rail paddocks either side. The property includes the renowned Arches Hall Stud, which boasts an impressive track record, having produced a large number of winners of group races over a period of 40 years, by the renowned owner-breeder, Dick Hollingsworth. With an abundance of established paddocks, Arches Hall Stud offers the potential for a regional breeding operation or extensive livery facilities. An impressive residential and equestrian estate in a beautiful setting.

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Media City is just one of many thriving neighbourhoods attracting people to life in Manchester

ANGEL of the NORTH ith its expanding population, imposing skyline and vibrant art and music scenes, it’s tempting to compare Manchester to London – but Mancunians won’t have it. Those that live and work in the UK’s second city covet its distinct identity and have no desire for it to become another London.

‘It’s becoming a better version of itself, not a clone of the capital,’ maintains Baljit Arora of estate agency Orlando Reid, who grew up in Manchester before spending 12 years living in London. ‘Manchester is a young, hip and wealthy city with a huge amount of regeneration and a pledge to become zero carbon by 2038 – 12 years ahead of the government’s 2050 target.’

Yet even Baljit, who moved back to Manchester a few years ago to launch Orlando Reid Manchester, concedes that it feels a lot more like London than it used to. Where once there were textile mills, Manchester’s centre is now populated by shiny residential skyscrapers inhabited by a new generation of young professionals working for companies such as Google, KPMG and Siemens. The centre is divided into distinct districts, some chic and sophisticated, others hip and edgy, and it shares many of London’s luxury brands from restaurants such as Sexy Fish and Chotto Matte to gyms including Barry’s Bootcamp and F45 Training and shops such as Harvey Nichols and Emporio Armani. It’s even, as of this summer, getting a Soho House. In a YouGov poll for Times Radio, more than half of those who wanted Britain to have a new capital backed Manchester.

But Manchester will never be London, Baljit

insists, and neither its inhabitants nor the developers regenerating the city want it to be. As the epicentre of the cotton trade during the Industrial Revolution, it’s cut from a different cloth, a hotchpotch of canals, Victorian warehouses and Art Deco shopping centres and hotels. It doesn’t have the green open spaces of London, but the Pennines and Peak District are within easy reach and over the past 30 years the city’s two-square-mile centre has been scrubbed up beyond recognition, with redundant warehouses and wharfs transformed into cutting-edge offices, restaurants and shops, and the construction of new apartment buildings. ‘When I was growing up, the city centre was empty land and car parks – no one lived there,’ Baljit says. ‘Now we’ve got a huge number of residential developments with gyms, spas, primary schools and new parks, which has drawn a successful, young population into the centre. We can walk everywhere, the air is cleaner than it is in London and the cost of living is lower.’

Those that live and work in Manchester do not believe it’s a step down or compromise – quite the opposite. Culturally, the city has never looked to London; Oasis, The Stone Roses, acid house and rave all started out in Manchester and its music and arts scene lives on, along with its sporting prowess: Manchester City and Manchester United, two of Britain’s most successful football clubs, are based in the city. It’s also outpaced almost all other UK cities in terms of economic growth over the past decade and offers a wealth of employment opportunities at companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Adidas, Magic Circle law firms and management consultancies

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; UNSPLASH

W

Anna Tyzack turns her prime property eye to Manchester

PROPERTY including PwC. No wonder, then, that 51 percent of all students in the city choose to remain there once they’ve graduated.

Manchester has its own financial quarter, Spinningfields, a former garment district, which developed during the late nineties and is now home to around 40 percent of the city’s offices, along with high-end fashion brands including Mulberry.

Meanwhile, Media City, in the redeveloped Salford Quays to the west of the centre, houses the BBC, ITV and production companies. From here, it’s an easy walk to Deansgate, the Chelsea of Manchester, a strip of Victorian shopping arcades and luxury apartments stretching from Manchester Cathedral to the 47-storey Beetham Tower. The new W Residences have added further cachet to the area, as will Soho House when it opens this summer. For edgier bars, shops and hotels there’s the Northern Quarter, or ‘NQ’, and NOMA, two regenerated Victorian districts with independent record shops and some of the city’s liveliest nightlife.

‘Manchester’s skyline has changed beyond recognition – it has some of the tallest developments outside London,’ Baljit explains. Critics include Eamonn Canniffe, who co-authored a report into Manchester’s new skyline by campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage. He believes the towers are out of keeping with Victorian Manchester, with planners giving in too easily to the demands of developers.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear how much of a success the Media City project has been, with anecdotal reports of empty lots and producers still favouring London studios. Yet the city is only as clunky and experimental as it was at the start of the industrial revolution when its mills began to spring up, Baljit argues. ‘It works from a young professional’s perspective; you can live and work in the centre in a way that would be unaffordable in London.’

Or at least you can for the time being. Rents are rising – by 50 percent in three years – although city centre apartments still cost around

Cool new neighbourhoods are emerging across the city – whether that’s with new builds (above) or near the atmospheric Victorian shopping arcades (left)

half the price of the equivalent in central London: around £300,000 for an apartment in Deansgate or £425,000 for a three-bedroom townhouse in the trendy neighbourhood of Ancoats, just outside the centre.

Families looking to move to the suburbs, however, already face prices in line with those of the capital.

In Didsbury and Chorlton, detached four-bedroom houses cost more than £1.2 million, while in sought after commuter villages such as Alderley Edge, Hale and Bowdon, prices are some of the most expensive outside London with the largest houses costing between £5 and 7 million.

Baljit believes that prices will only strengthen as Manchester’s economy continues to flourish and more workers make the move from the capital. ‘It feels exciting: there are so many new tech companies and banks moving in as well as a lot of influencers,’ he says. ‘It doesn’t feel like a second city; it feels like a global player.’ n

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES; UNSPLASH

ON THE MARKET

Brunswick Mill, from £228,144 A Grade II-listed building currently being converted into 153 characterful apartments between Ancoats and New Islington. The development is a fiveminute walk from the metro and beside a canal. orlandoreid.co.uk

Ancoats, £395,000 A three-bedroom apartment in a modern building close to the canal and the shops, cafés and restaurants of Ancoats, which was recently voted one of the trendiest neighbourhoods globally by Time Out. orlandoreid.co.uk

Deansgate, £2.5m A penthouse in Deansgate Square in the heart of Manchester with access to The Club, a 22,000 sq/ft wellness space with gym and pool. The property has open plan living, three bedrooms and three bathrooms. savills.com

Alderley Edge, £5.85m A modern family home of 10,500 sq/ft surrounded by 16 acres of gardens and meadows. The house features large entertaining spaces, five bedroom suites and a spa with gym, sauna, steam room and pool. jordanfishwick.co.uk

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BOTANIC VISTAS

Elegant and historic 75 Cadogan Place offers oodles of charm

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75 Cadogan Place offers a prime location overlooking this sought-after Knightsbridge communal garden

PHOTOS: © A WINSHIP

n the borders of Knightsbridge and Belgravia, this impressive Grade II-listed freehold building on the famed Cadogan Place has come to the market for the first time in over 60 years. Charlie Willis of CW London and CEO of The London Broker is the exclusive selling agent and says, ‘With the imminent Chelsea Flower Show in May, this historic and charming freehold period property is within easy walking distance of the Royal Hospital. It would be the perfect staging post for the green-fingered buyer wishing for wonderful yearround views over a sought-after historical communal garden once known as the London Botanic Garden, and along the dramatic white stucco-fronted terraces of Cadogan Place.’

The property’s freehold is offered for sale and with vacant possession for £5.95m, and provides totally flexible accommodation across three apartments. These have effectively served as a family home by offering a multigenerational living solution. The current owner occupied the ground and lower ground floor maisonette back in the 1960s and has subsequently acquired the remaining two flats from the Cadogan Estate. Quietly positioned in one of the best locations in London, directly opposite over seven acres of residents’ gardens and with a tennis court, the flats also benefit from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea resident parking (by application).

Cadogan Place is a short walk from the world-renowned shops and restaurants of Sloane Street, the King’s Road and Knightsbridge, with both Harrods and Harvey Nichols within easy reach.

The building is laid out over five floors and boasts many period features with a combined internal space covering 2,896 sq/ft, which includes three reception rooms, four double bedrooms (two en suite) and a kitchen leading to the conservatory and a rear patio garden.

Its Georgian façade and elegant windows overlook the classic white-fronted terrace of Cadogan Place, the manicured residents’ garden and around to Sloane Street, where Beaverbrook Townhouse sits on the junction to Cadogan Square.

The garden is divided into two parts with the southern part, once known as the London Botanic Garden, having been laid out at the end of the 18th century by William Salisbury, containing a library, hothouse, greenhouse and conservatory. As a result, the South Garden still contains 300-year-old Mulberry trees. In the centre is the Hans Sloane Garden, created for the 2005 Chelsea Flower Show.

The North Garden was created by the equally renowned

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PR O M OT I O N

Humphry Repton in 1806. Both areas are railed with enclosing lawns, and clumps of shrubbery and mature trees.

This area of Chelsea remains one of London’s most interesting historical quarters. Until 1777 the site of Cadogan Place was almost completely occupied by fields. Henry Holland built what he called ‘Hans Town’ on Lord Cadogan’s land, consisting of Sloane Square, Sloane Street, Cadogan Place and Hans Place. The simple terraced houses of stock brick became immediately fashionable among the upper middle and professional classes. Charles Dickens described the area in Nicholas Nickleby as the ‘slight bond’ between ‘the aristocratic pavements of Belgrave Square and the barbarism of Chelsea’. Previous inhabitants of Cadogan Place include an eclectic gathering from Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, anti-slavery campaigner William Wilberforce, writer and lover of Oscar Wilde Lord Alfred Douglas to the highly popular Irish comedy actress Dorothea Jordan who for 21 years was mistress to the Duke of Clarence, who later became King William IV and who had 10 children with the Duke.

Charlie Willis concludes , ‘According to homipi.co.uk, there are a total of 286 properties on Cadogan Place including 24 houses and 262 flats, with an average price of houses on this street at a reputed £11,101,529. This makes the freehold of 75 Cadogan Place a rare opportunity for a long-term investor or indeed a family looking to the future for a fabulously flexible home full of character.’ charliewillis.london

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LAST WORD Michael and British business leaders find out exactly what they’re made of

Tales of our Time

Michael Hayman discovers what the Army’s ‘Be The Best’ slogan actually means

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o Army Headquarters South East and the heathlands of Hampshire for an immersive leadership challenge day.

The invitation was written with military precision to strike fear into the heart of a comfort-driven pen pusher: me. ‘Limited cover from the elements’ and a test of ‘leadership, resilience and communication skills,’ it promised.

Was I up to it? A question posed not only by my internal monologue, but clearly a moment of collective doubt, in a windswept car park, on the assembling faces of business Britain.

Leaders in their own commercial backyard but what about the in the Great Outdoors?

Army tea was the first experience, an institution all of itself. Stewed across the ages it has the strength of Hercules. And it earns the respect of the most experienced regulars if you can take a brew.

Three cups in, we were brought to attention for the briefing delivered by an urbane Lieutenant Colonel. We were gathered, he explained, to learn more about the leaders we might become.

But to do this we needed to be introduced to the people we were at that moment.

First up, The Prisoner: trapped, folded arms and sullen in demeanour. The Passenger: happy to sit back and not play an active role. The Protestor: complaining, negative disruptive and disengaged. The Participant: enthusiastic, engaged and involved. And The Pilot: the hands-on leader who sets the course.

As I gingerly eyed my fellow participants I waged we had enough Prisoners in the ranks for a Dickensian penal colony.

But in this I was wrong. A veritable squadron of pilots were waiting to be discovered. For, as the day swung into action we were all to find out what we were really made of. From physical training with the incredible gurkhas to ammunition resupply drills with the outstanding

Six Triple Eight lands on Netflix later this year

Reservists of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, and so much more.

As each task progressed, a dawning realisation. When the Army talks about ‘Be The Best’, it’s an invitation, not an instruction. We all have hidden qualities to be revealed, teamwork and leadership skills to be discovered, physical abilities that are better than you might think.

In short, the best of yourself is in you and a day like this is designed to reveal, rouse and refine it. It’s something that Reservists get to experience on an ongoing basis and it is these skillsets that more employers in the business world can support.

Later, I was back on more familiar terrain: speaking at a black tie awards dinner in Central London. Quite the transformation from the khaki. But it was more than matters sartorial that had changed. The prisoner had been freed and I have some very brave, committed and brilliant members of the armed forces to thank for that. n

I M AG I N E T H AT

VISIT D-Day exhibitions – British Normandy Memorial, France and National Memorial Arboretum, UK – honouring the service and sacrifice of the D-Day generation. WATCH Six Triple Eight (Netflix). Kerry Washington will star in the inspiring story of World War II’s only Women’s Army Corps unit of colour. SUPPORT Army Reserve. Serve in your spare time Michael and two Ghurkas (army.mod.uk/army-reserve).

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© Serge Anton

OCEANIA

Maison de parfums d’intérieur eu.baobabcollection.com Photograph taken in front of a work by Kudditji Kngwarreye.

Nicolas Andrin - Aborigène Galerie Paris.

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