Country & Town House - November/December 2020

LIVING A BALANCED LIFE

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 £3.90

Gabriella

WILDE Our Christmas

cover girl

WAR & PEACE

Alexandra Tolstoy’s life plays out like a Russian novel

It’s in the

GET YOUR ROCKS ON Our 35 page watch and jewellery guide

STARS

YOUR ASTROLOGICAL GIFT GUIDE

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©2020 Harry Winston, Inc. RUBY AND DIAMOND NECKLACE by HARRY WINSTON

Discover the HIGH JEWELRY COLLECTION

LONDON, 171 NEW BOND STREET 0207 907 8800 LONDON, FINE JEWELLERY ROOM HARRODS 0207 907 8899 HARRYWINSTON.COM

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N AT U R E’S R A R E J E W E L S

S T R AT F O R D - O N - AV O N | M AY FA I R | L E I C E S T E R S H I R E | P R A G N E L L . C O . U K

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MESSIKA.COM

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CONTENTS NOV E M B E R / DEC E M B E R 2 0 2 0

COLUMNS 24

THE GOOD LIFE Alice B-B shops from home and detoxes Swiss style 28 THE RURBANIST Paul Smith 208 LAST WORD Michael Hayman on the uplifting power of music

UPFRONT 33 34 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52

54 56

SHINE ON The party starts with Galvan THE EDIT Let the Christmas countdown begin, says Mariella Tandy DISCO DOMESTIQUE Staying in is the new going out THE SCOOP Pedal power GREEN LIFE Introducing our new sustainability column by Lisa Grainger MY STYLE Old Céline and Solange with Roadkill’s Pippa Bennett-Warner BODY LANGUAGE Olivia Falcon gets under the skin with Dr Sebagh THE CLOSE UP Actor Emma Greenwell embraces old-school glamour POWDER ROOM Glowing skin and next-gen tech. By Nathalie Eleni SPA TREK Can Lydia Gard see the wood from the trees at Lime Wood’s fitness retreat with Matt Roberts?

BODY & SOUL Danielle Copperman’s skin saviours and mood-boosting foods WELL GROOMED Men’s style news

ALL THAT GLITTERS 59

JEWELLERY & WATCHES SPECIAL Avril Groom finds an industry adapting brilliantly to the new normal, plus our favourite new watch launches and a jewellery wish list to die for

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YOUR SONG Katherine Jenkins kicks off Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall WHAT’S ON Christmas culture THE EXHIBITIONIST Ed Vaizey hangs out with Hogarth at Pitzhanger Manor ARTIST’S STUDIO Caiti Grove meets sculptor Nick Hornby GOOD READS The books that should be on your wish list this Christmas THE OLYMPIAN Sebastian Coe finds inspiration in the great leaders of the past ROAD TEST Plan next summer’s staycation with VW’s newest camper

THE GUIDE 100 102 103 104

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CONTENTS NOV E M B E R / DEC E M B E R 2 0 2 0

THE GUIDE (continued) 110 WINTER BLOOMS Make your garden into 112

a lockdown-friendly idyll, says Randle Siddeley CONVERSATIONS AT SCARFES BAR Elizabeth Saltzman, stylist to the stars

FEATURES 116 126

134 138 141

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INTO THE WILDE Gabriella Wilde lights up The Ritz in our cover shoot I DANCED ALL NIGHT AND STILL WANTED MORE Some nights you’ll just never forget...

THE RUSSIAN HOUSE Alexandra Tolstoy shares her tale of love and loss BACK TO NATURE Amy Wakeham travels to Wales to forage for sustainable skincare A LAND OF PLENTY Welsh billionaire and philanthropist Michael Moritz on creating a Tuscan eco paradise LEAVE IT TO THE STARS Take meaning from our astrological Christmas gift guide

INSIDER 171 172 174 175 176

LATE BLOOMER Dried flowers are having their moment in the sun DESIGN NOTES What’s new, now FOCUS Love is in the chair TREND Dress up your fireside THE WHITE ALBUM At home with The White Company’s Chrissie Rucker

FOOD & TRAVEL 179 SPACE TO BREATHE Will Young

has family fun in Sri Lanka 182 RURAL RETREATS Pack up the family

for a weekend in the country 184 THE WEEKENDER Sofia 185 RESTAURANT REVIEW Teresa Levonian

Cole tries Lisa Goodwin-Allen’s Northcote 186 GASTRO GOSSIP The latest food news 187 TASTE THE SEASON Pear tart

ON THE MOVE 189 PROPERTY OF THE MONTH

Julians Park, Hertfordshire ON THE COVER Gabriella Wilde wears dress by Giambattista Valli, rented from Hurr, earrings by Annoushka and boots by Jimmy Choo. Hair and make-up by Alexis Day using Evo and Chantecaille.

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INSIDE Gabriella Wilde wears dress by Preen by Thornton Bregazzi and shoes by Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini. Hair and make-up as before.

190 LET’S MOVE TO GREAT MISSENDEN

Country living, a quick hop from London 192 FIVE OF THE BEST Eco homes

REGULARS 16 EDITOR’S LETTER 18 CONTRIBUTORS 188 STOCKISTS

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Lauren Cuthbertson of The Royal Ballet Lauren wears a selection of j ewellery from Kiki Unique s

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EDITOR’S PICKS

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EDITOR’S LETTER

A

s it’s our last printed issue of the year, we couldn’t go out like a wet pandemic weekend with Tier 3 restrictions, oh no! We’re going to party like it’s… definitely not 2020. Be gone, doom scrollers, we want this year’s end to sizzle and sparkle.

I have felt during these times that there is something akin to a quasi Blitz spirit throughout the country – our enemy not being nightly bombing raids but instead a stealthy, silent pestilence that’s changing our behaviour so cruelly. It makes one so grateful for even the tiniest of social interactions. And, personally, that stolen glass of fizz at one of London’s most beautiful hotels tastes that much better when you know you should probably be at home... So putting the utterly gorgeous Gabriella Wilde on the front cover in a frothy, over-the-top dress, and photographing her at The Ritz, feels wonderfully like sticking two fingers up to the virus.

And while we can’t revel like all those wonderful creatures in Ticky Hedley-Dent’s ‘I Danced All Night and Still Wanted More’ feature on page 126, in which everyone, from Nicholas Coleridge and Petronella Wyatt to David Gandy and Jilly Cooper, spills

WEAR A Christmas dress of dreams. Thank you, Simone Rocha

116 the beans on the best party they’ve ever been to, we can steal moments to remember and think how damn lucky we are that the bombs aren’t really dropping.

I’m sure too that people will try and make this Christmas (however it’s conducted and in whatever tier of restrictions) one of the most special ever (particularly for the children who endured so much in lockdown).

Thought will go into every detail. Presents will be chosen with extra care (for inspiration – you just need to look at our fun astrological gift guide on page 145).

Food will be cooked with love, and games played with joy. I have to admit I’m rather looking forward to a slightly pared-down version of the day.

For extra sparkle, feast your eyes on our lustrous 35-page jewellery and watch special section, edited by Avril Groom – who casts her expert eye over how the industry is faring in uncertain times (p59), but more importantly, fills the pages with so many dazzling diamonds and glittering gemstones that the proverbial magpie will be more than satisfied.

So we wish you the merriest of holidays – full of perspective, a sense of balance, a good dose of optimism – and ideally a dose of vaccine, too. We are never far away at countryandtownhouse.co.uk and you can keep in the loop and up to date with our weekly newsletters and podcasts. And if you’d like to give us a festive treat, turn to page 114 to find out how to fill in our reader survey. You never know, you might be the lucky winner of a fabulous fivenight trip to the Maldives @countryandtown with business class flights! /countryandtownhousemagazine /countryandtownhouse Happy Christmas.

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SPRAY S M Novella’s 70 per cent Cleansing Spray onto your mask for a great-smelling, germ-busting refresh

UP Your tablescape game with Summerill & Bishop for the River Café

TREAT US Turn to page 114 to find out how to fill in our reader survey for your chance to win five delicious nights in the Maldives

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CONTRIBUTORS

AVRIL GROOM

All I’m hoping for Christmas is...

The chance for all my family to be together – there are eight of us.

One thing we can all do to live a greener life: Walk more. I started during lockdown and haven’t stopped. It’s the quickest way to get around London, Read Avril’s 25-page watches and jewellery special from p59 and healthy.

The most exciting thing about next year is... The tantalising goal of being able to travel again, in an eco-friendly way.

Best gift I’ve ever given: The vintage Rolex my husband inherited and ruined in a swimming pool (old Oysters are not waterproof) the week I met him. I found it in a drawer and secretly got it restored for a special wedding anniversary.

HARRIET COMPSTON

All I’m hoping for Christmas is...

A trip to either the North or South Pole – a life-long dream ever since I saw David Attenborough’s Frozen Planet.

One thing we can all do to live a greener life: Walk, walk, walk – particularly in London. I used to live in the Harriet speaks to Gabriella Wilde on p116 Middle Temple and the streets surrounding the Inns of Court are so fascinating.

The most exciting thing about next year is... Getting started on my next book, Glorious Hotels of Sri Lanka.

Best gift I’ve ever given: A tsatsal (Mongolian milk spoon).

TICKY HEDLEYDENT

All I’m hoping for Christmas is... Not to be woken before 6am by the children! Joking aside I hope we get to celebrate with our extended family but if not we’ll have a fabulous day with our two boys and our miniature schnauzer, Agatha.

One thing we can all On p126, Ticky asks some do to live a greener well- known faces to share their most unforgettable parties life: Order milk from the milk man.

The most exciting thing about next year is… It’s not 2020!

Let’s hope we can return to normality reflecting on what we have learnt during the pandemic.

Best gift I’ve ever given: A Donald Trump loo brush to my brother-in-law for Secret Santa. And I’ll never forget the look of pure joy on my son’s face, aged three, when we gave him a Buzz Lightyear.

LISA GRAINGER

All I’m hoping for Christmas is...

A vaccine: worldwide, for everyone. A hug from my mum, in Africa. And a neverending supply of dark Pierre Marcolini chocolates.

One thing we can all do to live a greener life: Become more like the post-war generation, who had so little, and C&TH’s new Sustainability Editor; read Lisa’s first column on p42 so treasured and reused everything.

The most exciting thing about next year is... That nature has had time to replenish itself during lockdown.

Best gift I’ve ever given: Four sets of theatre tickets, to my boyfriend, for spring, summer, autumn and winter.

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

EDITOR Lucy Cleland EDITOR-AT-LARGE Alice B-B ASSOCIATE EDITOR Charlotte Metcalf MANAGING EDITOR Amy Wakeham SUB EDITOR Belinda Bamber FEATURES ASSISTANT & SUB EDITOR Sofia Tindall FASHION DIRECTOR Nicole Smallwood BEAUTY DIRECTOR Nathalie Eleni INTERIORS EDITOR Carole Annett EXECUTIVE RETAIL EDITOR Mariella Tandy SUSTAINABILITY EDITOR Lisa Grainger PROPERTY EDITOR Anna Tyzack MOTORING EDITOR Jeremy Taylor ONLINE EDITOR Rebecca Cox ONLINE WRITER Ellie Smith ONLINE ASSISTANT Daniella Saunders ONLINE INTERN Kate O’Gorman CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Parm Bhamra PRODUCTION DESIGNER Samuel Thomas ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Ellie Rix SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Pandora Lewis DIGITAL MANAGER Adam Dean SALES & ADMIN ASSISTANT Bea Cerullo TECHNICAL MANAGER Hannah Johnson TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Mark Pearson FINANCE DIRECTOR Jill Newey FINANCE CONTROLLER Lauren Hartley PROPERTY & MARKETING ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Gemma Cowley GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Tia Graham MANAGING DIRECTOR Jeremy Isaac

MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Stephen Bayley, Simon de Burton, Fiona Duncan, Olivia Falcon, Daisy Finer, Lydia Gard, Avril Groom, Richard Hopton, Emma Love, Mary Lussiana, Anna Pasternak, Caroline Phillips, Holly Rubenstein, Marcus Scriven THE EDITOR editorial@countryandtownhouse.co.uk FASHION fashion@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ADVERTISING advertising@countryandtownhouse.co.uk PROPERTY ADVERTISING property@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ACCOUNTS accounts@countryandtownhouse.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk COUNTRY & TOWN HOUSE is a monthly magazine distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, South Kensington, Wandsworth and Wimbledon, as well as being available from leading country and London estate agents. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s stores and independent newsagents nationwide. It has an estimated readership of 150,000. It is available on subscription in the UK for £29.99 per annum. To subscribe online, iPad, iPhone and android all for only £24.99 visit: exacteditions.com/read/countrytownhouse. For subscription enquiries, please call 020 7384 9011 or email subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk. It is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox.

Copyright © 2020 Country & Town House Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Materials are accepted on the understanding that no liability is incurred for safe custody. The publisher cannot be responsible for unsolicited material. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. Whilst every care is taken to ensure information is correct at time of going to press, it is subject to change, and C&TH Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors.

CROCKETTANDJONES.COM Country & Town House is a member of CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England)

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

MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879

A classic, Goodyear-welted, Chelsea boot made in England using the finest Burnished Calf & featuring our flexible City rubber sole

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COLUMN

THIS MONTH I’LL BE

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Gorging on veggies thanks to Tyme plant-based food deliveries. tymefood.com

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Using Bioeffect EGF Serum; barley-based, which signals cells to boost collagen and elastin, and made in Iceland – where they know a thing or two about winter skin. bioeffect.co.uk

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Dining at chic Maison Francois on Duke Street – for the best French brasserie food. maisonfrancois. london

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genetics, research shows that poor lifestyle and bad habits can lead to chronic disease. But the body is amazingly responsive to change so if you want a thorough reboot, head to the newly opened Chenot Palace on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland. Overseen by brilliant scientific director Dr George Gaitanos, the new space is both beautiful and super hightech. There’s a rhythm to the daily body treatments that’s both deeply relaxing and detoxing (20 minutes in a bubbling bath, then wrapped in hot and cold mud and popped on a massage water bed before being hosed down with freezing jets, then the bliss of Chenot’s meridian channelbased ‘energetic’ massage). But it’s Alice B-B tries the ultimate the food that health and lifestyle reboot does it for me – a Michelin-esque but super healthy, low-calorie FH – SHOP FROM HOME Mediterranean diet that makes for And I don’t mean line the an easy re-entry into the real world; pockets of the world’s richest a pleasingly flat tummy, boosted man. I mean make an appointment immune system and bursting with with furniture company Maker&Son. energy. I’d go twice a year if I could.

Chairs, sofas and beds are all things BESIDES KNICKERS… I have you have to try before you buy. And hardly bought new clothes for six Maker&Son founders Felix Conran months. It feels good. However, one (grandson of the late Sir Terence thing I have bought is a hat from Conran) and his father Alex Willcock Maison Michel’s new shop on Conduit understood this when they started Street. The titfer is such a hard their business. But a combination of working piece of kit and my new baker exorbitant shop rents and dwindling boy keeps my nut warm and dry. If for high street footfall made opening some strange reason I need to dress a physical store nonsensical. So they up then I have my sleek Alex Eagle decided to do a ding-dong Avon and made-to-measure green velvet trouser take the product to the consumer in suit – a present last year from a very a fleet of handsome interior-designed special and generous friend. And such vans. My verdict – the comfiest chairs a privilege to be part of the process; I’ve ever sat/leapt/snuggled choosing a pattern, then privy to the up in. But I also want to buy craft of cutting and fitting. It’s a wearthe van, too! for-life number. And right now that’s TAKE RESPONSIBILITY the only kind of shopping I’m into.

I believe this is the key when Oh, except buying bones and toys for it comes to individual and the puppy. And a snuggly new Ralph & societal health. While we Co bed. Lucky Betty! n can’t do anything about our

THE GOOD LIFE

S

LU XU RY & N ECESSIT Y SUIT FOR LIFE Made to measure at alexeagle.co.uk

TRY BEFORE BUY Sit in a cloud. makerandson.com

TOP HAT Warm nut. michel-paris.com

IN YOUR BASKET Happy puppy. ralphand.co

LIFESTYLE REBOOT Optimum performance. chenotpalaceweggis.com

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INTERVIEW

THE RURBANIST

Paul Smith on being an early riser, celebrating 50 years as a designer and the joys of a navy suit

mistaking me for Bill Nighy. That happens a lot!

What was the last book you read? I hardly have the time to read books, but I recently came out with a coffee table book in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Paul Smith brand. As a surprise my team had arranged for my friends to write me letters with anecdotes about our friendship. It was fantastic reading all of those kind words back.

Most valuable piece of advice? Never assume.

It remains my company motto to this day.

What are weekends made for? Spending time with my Pauline, visiting galleries and reading the newspaper. Oh and working in one of my shops; on a Saturday afternoon you’ll often find me at Paul Smith, No 9 Albemarle Street.

What would really improve your life? For this pandemic to

be over. Although I do hope we get out of this with everyone being a little kinder to one another and less rushed.

Signature dish? Baked beans on toast – I’m not much of a cook, as you can tell, but I can scramble that together.

The last place you ‘discovered’? The

recent lockdown hasn’t given much opportunity for discovery, but I’ve rediscovered things in my office that had been buried deep under piles of books, cycling jerseys and other things.

What’s your favourite accomplishment?

FROM ABOVE: Paul Smith dark navy blazer; Paul Smith 50th Anniversary Book, edited by Tony Chambers (Phaidon, £49.95); Claridge’s – ‘hard to beat’ for a special night out

Continuity. It’s not easy in this business and it’s something I’m very proud of.

What are you looking forward to? More of the same, please! paulsmith.com n

Where’s home to you? Home to me is where my wife

Pauline is. We live together in Holland Park.

Where do you go to ‘lose’ yourself? My studio is where my creativity flourishes and I lose myself into my creativity.

What’s one of your daily rituals? I wake up very early, at 5am, to go for my daily swim at 6am, and I’m in the office for 7am. That is my daily routine. I have been doing this for years and it gives me great comfort.

Favourite place in London for a good night out? Pauline and I aren’t night owls but Claridge’s is hard to beat when you’re looking for something special.

Favourite piece in your wardrobe? That would have to be a navy suit. My current favourite [by Paul Smith] is a deconstructed blazer where we removed the shoulder padding and there is hardly any lining. It’s incredibly comfortable but still has the look of wearing a suit.

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EDIT ED BY M A R I E L L A TA N DY

STYLE WELLBEING JEWELLERY PA RT I E S

UP FRONT

SHINE ON Galvan’s infinity jumpsuit with fringed sleeves embroidered with pearl beads is a contemporary nod to 1970s disco babes. Known for its modern, clean-cut approach to occasion dressing, Galvan’s keep-forever pieces promise to be ones you wear on repeat. £1,095. galvanlondon.com

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UP FRONT

The

EDIT

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Mariella Tandy wraps up the season of celebration

HOUSE PARTY

This festive season might be a more domestic affair, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up. La Double J’s bright A/W ’20 collection will do the job. Sorella dress, £620. ladoublej.com

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SHINE BRIGHT

Stefania Vaidani makes sustainable, eco-friendly clothes for women who want something unique. T-shirt, £80; trousers, £105. stefania-vaidani.com

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FOOT LOOSE

Manolo Blahnik has arrived on Net-a-Porter with a covetable selection of its beloved shoes, alongside new seasonal styles.

Lurum mules, £925. netaporter.com

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COLOUR ME HAPPY

Rouge Hermès, the heritage brand’s first cosmetic’s line, launched earlier this to great fanfare. For A/W ’20, there are three new limitededition lipstick shades in rose shades, all packed in refillable tubes. £62. hermes.com

DAY TO NIGHT DRESSING

For PJs elegant enough for daywear (and Zoom calls), look no further than the Prowling Leopard set from Yolke, £365. yolke.co.uk

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THREE OF THE BEST

NEW HANDBAGS

MULBERRY From morning brunch to dinner out, this Mini Millie bucket bag in black sable, calfskin and faux python is your new weekend wonder. £795. mulberry.com

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JUMP AROUND

ON THE CARDS

APC is known for its timeless denim staples.

It’s collaborated with Goop to produce a capsule focused on five must-have pieces. Lucy jumpsuit, £385. goop.com

These tarot card pendants are the good luck charms you need in these uncertain times. £13,485. sorellinanyc.com

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WALK TALL

LOEWE X KEN PRICE A highly covetable bag in a new, limited design? Loewe has hit the jackpot (again). Small Puzzle LA series bag in classic calfskin, £2,300. loewe.com

LEMAIRE A modern icon, this Camera bag is made from vegetabletanned leather, before being waxed and polished by hand. Beautiful in its simplicity. £860. uk.lemaire.fr

Knee high boots are back, and they don’t get much better than this cosy shearling and tan calfskin pair from Dior.

Pair with knitwear and a plaid skirt for cold weather cool. £1,690. dior.com

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STATEMENT SCENTS

The Diptyque winter collection is full of beautiful home accessories. It includes this candle holder, designed in collaboration with bronze artist Osanna Visconti, and inspired by dripping wax. £1,820. diptyqueparis.co.uk

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DRINK UP

Packed with everything a tea lover could need, this limited-edition Smythson x Rare Tea Company set is a beautiful and collectible gift. Now, who’s for tea? £2,995. smythson.com.

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Les Giettes, Valais, Š Ivo Scholz

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UP FRONT S T Y L E

DISCO DOMESTIQUE

Staying in is the new going out.

By Mariella Tandy

Snuggle up in style in this crochet cardigan from Italian knitwear maestro Brunello Cucinelli. Handamade from alpaca, cashmere and mohair in warm tones. £6,400. brunello cucinelli.com

GOAT Kordelia dress, £720

YVONNE LÉON Ring, approx. £1,138 TALLER MARMO Casta Diva dress, £1,780

BATSHEVA Gracie blouse, £250

CHRISTOPHER KANE Cardigan, £995

ETRO Skirt, £2,200

LOEWE Pumps, £895

ALTUZARRA Feather belt, £380

SEE STOCKISTS FOR MORE DETAILS

OLYMPIA LE TAN Basquiat Dinosaur clutch, approx. £1,085

GUCCI Cardigan, £970

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Midi Mayfair Bag in Evergreen Patent Croc & Hot Air Balloon Scarf in Red Silk

LONDON

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DUBAI

SHANGHAI

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UP FRONT S T Y L E

THE SCOOP Get on yer bike to keep trim this winter, says Charlotte Cole

Emma Lovewell - one of my favourite Peloton instructors

LOCKDOWN LIMBS

If you hadn’t heard of Peloton before lockdown, it’s pretty much guaranteed you would have during. Those smug folk (all 3.1 million of them) who – within the confines of their own home – could get as good a workout as any gym spin class was a painful kick in the backside, as the rest of us trooped out for our hour’s constitutional.

Oh no, these serious workout junkies could be done with their caloriebusting HIIT class before we’d even put our joggers on.

This exercise bike-on-speed is a serious piece of kit – it costs £1,750, plus monthly subscription fees of £39, and it offers a vast range of classes for beginners to hardcore fitness fanatics, from HIIT to tabata, all streamed in front of you on a large TV screen. You can join a live class to feel connected to the rest of humankind (why not high five Jodie in Texas?) but all classes are available at any time so you can follow your favourite teacher (recommendations? Emma Lovewell, if you like a nice girl vibe and Leanne Hainsby, if those US accents get too much), or go by music style.

Watch the screen as you rip through those calories in no time.

But it’s not just cycling – no fitness company in its right mind confines itself to one activity only. With yoga, cardio, strength, meditation, stretching, running and even walking programmes, plus a bootcamp option, your fitness needs are just a swipe away. With lockdowns cranking up and a cold, dark winter looming, those sales figures might soar as high as Covid cases. I’d sign up now, there could be a worldwide shortage before you know it. onepeloton.co.uk

BETTER THAN BOTOX

Want to know where the A-list go to get their eyelash extensions? Or rather they don’t go, as Camilla KirkReynolds (below) comes to you. With a reputation for absolute discretion, putting lash health and safety first and for having hands as steady as a surgeon, the former film make-up artist creates the most natural-looking extensions out there with results that can look better than Botox. Her latest technique uses gel to bond the extensions to the eyelash root rather than glue.

This means that instead of in-fills every two weeks, lashes can last up to eight.

Game-changing.

Full set of extensions, £550. camillalashes.com

GOLDEN TOUCH

There are facials and then there are Pietro Simone facials. The Italian skincare whizz kid who used to hide in the shower mesmerised while his mother smoothed endless unguents onto her face, has just arrived in Harrods. His technique – dry and then oil-based facial massage, exfoliation with cotton thread (amazing!) – and his products, including anti-oxidising 24-carat gold, make for a very powerful, effective facial with results to write home about. His mother would be proud. 90-120 minutes, from Going for gold with £475 at Harrods.

Pietro Simone pietrosimone.com n

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55 Jermyn Street, London, SW1Y 6LX

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24 New Cavendish Street, London, W1G 8TX

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24 Brook Street, London, W1K 5DG

www.johnsmedley.com

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UPFRONT

S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

THE GREEN LIFE

Lisa Grainger discovers five ways to buy better – with a little help

W

e all want to look good, feel good, smell good. But when so much of what we give, and are given, at Christmas lies unused, and when 56 per cent of us don’t recycle the products we don’t want through organisations such as toiletriesamnesty.org, we’re all contributing to the mountains of rubbish in our landfills and flooding our oceans. How to buy better? Imelda Burke, founder of Content Beauty & Wellbeing – a favourite destination of Emma Watson – shares her top tips.

1

KNOW WHAT’S GOING DOWN THE DRAIN

Many of us are so preoccupied with what a product does for us that we don’t consider what it does to our planet.

Ingredients should be biodegradable and non-toxic, so they don’t contaminate our water and poison marine life.

Don’t buy: products containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, which contribute to bleaching coral reefs; methylparaben, which has been found in marine mammals; and plastic micro-beads, which don’t break down in water.

Instead try: plant-based brands such as Odacité, Biosolis and Tata Harper.

2

THINK ABOUT PACKAGING

Unless the packaging of a product is recyclable, avoid it.

Opt for easily recyclable glass and aluminium packaging, or refillable packaging. If you aren’t sure of how to dispose of it, find a specialist Terracycle beauty bin.

Note: squeezeable toothpaste tubes can’t be recycled.

Try: Georganics toothpaste, Ben & Anna deodorants, Beauty Kubes plastic-free shampoo and Dr Bronner’s body wash.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pai Skincare Virtuous Circle kukui and jojoba eco-bead exfoliator, £29. paiskincare.com; Rahua Classic shampoo, £34. rahua.eu; Georganics Natural toothpaste, £6.90. georganics.com

3

SHOP LOCAL

By supporting brands made in the UK, you’re supporting the local economy, providing employment and cutting down on carbon released in shipping products around the world.

Try: Pai Skincare, Evolve Beauty, Therapi Honey Skincare, Haeckels and AS Apothecary.

4

AVOID MINERAL OILS

Products containing mineral oil might last a long time, but are made from a non-renewable resource, petroleum. Instead, opt for renewable plant oils and butters – such as jojoba oil, shea butter, almond oil, buriti oil and cocoa butter.

Don’t buy: products with paraffin, petroleum, mineral oil, palm oil.

Instead try: Josh Rosebrook, de Mamiel, Twelve Beauty.

5

REUSE, DON’T BIN

Upgrade bathroom accessories: reusable washable organic cotton or bamboo make-up removal pads by Tabitha Eve and Green Fibres; plastic-free organic cotton buds by Simply Gentle; reusable metal razors by Mühle. Plus, refillable pouches for shampoo (Rahua), compacts for make-up (Kjaer Weis) and moisturiser pods (Tata Harper). contentbeautywellbeing.com n

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L O N D O N — 75 J E R M Y N S T R E E T P A R I S — 199 B I S B D . S T - G E R M A I N T O K Y O — T O K Y U P L A Z A G I N Z A EDWARDGREEN.COM

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UP FRONT

Q & A

MY STYLE

Get dressed with Pippa Bennett-Warner

Chicago Bulls basketball top. I’m obsessed with The Last Dance. It’s a man’s top so I wear it as a dress at home with Charvet slippers.

Daily uniform: A Canadian tuxedo: a Céline by Phoebe Philo shirt, Agolde jeans and a Levi’s denim jacket with Air Max 90s. It’s what I feel most comfortable in if I’m running around town.

Wardrobe failsafes: A pair of black Céline by Phoebe Philo jeans, a black polo neck and a black shirt from The Row. Style icon: My mother, Paulette. She’ll always be the most elegant woman in the world to me.

Power dressing: I prefer really good tailoring to dresses. A well cut shirt, jacket and trousers and any shoes by Christian Louboutin.

Holiday packing: I would go to either

Jamaica or St Kitts. In my bag would be Ganni and old Marni summer dresses, a pair of Tevas and some Céline by Phoebe Philo sunglasses.

Finishing touches: I have three perfumes in rotation: Agent Provocateur’s Eau de Parfum, La Maison Hedonique’s Samedi à Paris and Frédéric Malle’s Portrait of a Lady. I don’t wear jewellery every day but I love my Elsa Peretti bone cuff and my hotlips rings by Solange Azagury-Partridge.

Country walk: A Margaret Howell anorak, jeans, a Bella Freud jumper and either Le Chameau wellies or Converse high tops.

Under the radar labels: During lockdown I discovered Mateo, a Black owned Jamaican-American brand. It does the chicest jewellery and bags.

Online go-to: Vestiaire Collective is my absolute favourite site. I’m big on circular fashion.

Style cheats: Find a great tailor and if in doubt, wear black! n

1 Margaret Howell Anorak, £310 2 Taass Chicago Bulls vest, £225 3 Agolde Riley jeans in Blur, £183 4 Charvet Suede slippers, £351 5 The Row Carla blouse, £725 6 Mateo Diana bag, £227 7 Ganni Seersucker maxi dress, £215 8 Céline Black frame 04 sunglasses, £310 9 Hotlips by Solange Ring, £185 10 Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady, £168 for 50 ml 11 Christian Louboutin Eloise pump, £525

IMAGES: REX FEATURES

What makes you feel your best self? My Michael Jordan number 23

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UP FRONT

MIND & M AT T E R

GLOW Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation Seamless skin wrapped up with a natural and radiant finish. £41. chanel.com

R E V I E W

Beauty is more than skin deep, says Olivia Falcon

A

s someone who loves Christmas, I’m feeling slightly discombobulated. I am the geek that books panto tickets in September and plans the Christmas drinks party when others are trick-or-treating – sadly, I suspect there’ll be no chance of either this year.

But one annual ritual I still hope to uphold is my seasonal check-in with Dr Sebagh, the Santa Claus of great skin.

As the cosmetic doctor of choice for supermodels, Sebagh is the guy to get you glowing. He tells me if you really want to dazzle and maintain youthful good looks, you need to address the face in layers, digging deep and working under the dermis to tighten muscles and give everything a boost. While I’m not ready for a facelift, even my Slip silk face mask (the best Covid-protective covering for avoiding breakouts) can’t hide the fact I’m looking more weary than cheery, so I sign up for Sebagh’s legendary Pre-Party Prep Facial.

This high-tech treatment has three parts. The first involves the Ultralift, a machine from South Korea that uses a High Intensity Focused Ultrasound current to stimulate flagging facial muscles, subtly tightening and lifting the face. Sebagh customises the settings to work at different depths – 4.5mm tightens muscles with a rather odd sensation that feels like a dull ache. As he works it across

my forehead it slightly lifts the brow muscle, pulling it up to create that sexy cat-eye look favoured by the Hadid sisters. Going shallower he stimulates fibroblast cells that give skin a youthful spring and finally he does a lighter 1.5mm pass around my nose and cheeks to refine the larger-looking pores.

Next, we go on to the milk peel (Naomi Campbell’s favourite) – a superficial treatment that contains a high concentration of lactic acid for invisible exfoliation (no shedding, I promise) and works on all skin types and tones. The final touch is Sebagh’s signature Meso Glow, a quick-firing needle gun (so rapid you really don’t feel a thing) that contains a potent cocktail of ingredients to improve skin texture. It contains a very runny form of hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate and give skin a dewy effect that lasts around three months, plus vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc, peptides and tranexamic acid – a brilliant ingredient that’s been creating a buzz. It has a bleaching effect on sunspots and thus is excellent at clearing up pigmentation.

And the best part of this treatment? There’s no bruising or burning, so if you need a last-minute quick fix, it’s a true Christmas miracle.

Dr Sebagh Pre-Party Prep Facial, £800. drsebagh.com n

INHALE Aromatherapy Associates B Corp-certified and dedicated to social and eco transparency.

Bath oil, £49. aromatherapy associates.com CHEW Leapfrog Immune Ensure a stronger immune system with this brilliant supplement.

From £34.99. leapfrog remedies.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

BODY LANGUAGE

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UP FRONT

Q & A

THE CLOSE UP Emma Greenwell’s beauty secrets. By Nathalie Eleni

What’s in the mirror? Not so much what

I see as how I feel; I’m learning to be kinder and more confident in my skin. I still see myself as 16…

When do you feel confident? When surrounded by my friends and family.

When do you feel your best? When I drink enough water and get enough sleep. Lockdown has been good for this.

Top beauty tip? Do a double-cleanse.

It’s not anything new, but when you take the time to remove the impurities of the day and properly clean your skin, you can really see a significant difference to your complexion. I’m currently using Clé de Peau Beauté Gentle Cleansing Milk, which I love.

Hero products? I use Weleda Skin Food for instant hydration and Obagi Professional-C Serum to help keep my skin bright and healthy.

Desert island must-haves?

TEAM Make-up: Nathalie Eleni nathalieeleni_beauty Photo: Liam Pearson lundonlens Hair: Carlos Ferraz carlosferraz_ Aazima Musayeva Amour cuff, £250. azimamusayeva.com

SPF and backgammon.

Signature look?

Brushed up brows and glowy skin.

Minimal effort. ‘No make-up’ make-up or, more often than not, just no make-up!

Favourite fragrance?

Fleurs d’Oranger by Serge Lutens, a new discovery and a total treat for the senses.

The treatment you swear by?

I’ve been having ENVYousGlow + Oxygen facials with Dr Marwa Ali at Harrods Wellness Clinic. They use hyperbaric oxygen to infuse nutrients into the skin without using a needle.

It’s very impressive and leaves your skin super-hydrated. n

GET THE LOOK

Go for old-school glam this winter

1 2 3

For a deep berry pout apply Byredo Dancehall Queen lipstick, from the new collaboration with Isamaya Ffrench. £35. byredo.com Apply Jane Iredale’s Glow Time BB Cream over skin for a flawless base. £39.95. janeiredale.co.uk Sweep Decorté AQ Blush in Innocent Purple over cheeks to add an ethereal glow. £57. decortecosmetics.co.uk

4

Apply Ishimmer Individual Lashes to the outer corners of your eyes for undetectable volume and length. £10. ishimmerlashes.com

5

Aadd volume to the lengths and ends by scrunching in A Stylist’s Secret 24 Hour Minute Volume. £19.95. astylistssecret.com

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Drum roll...

Give or unwrap the gift of the glowing, brighter-looking skin this Christmas with the award-winning Dr Sebagh Advanced AgeingMaintenance Skin Care range. The classic super-serums and potent Pure Vitamin C Powder Cream can be used on their own or combined to create a beautifully bespoke ritual.

Available in-store and at drsebagh.com

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UP FRONT

GLOW-UP Plump up the volume with these hydrating picks

NARS SKIN Luminous Moisture Cream. £46. lookfantastic.com

B E A U T Y

POWDER ROOM

For Erdem’s SS21 show, NARS’ Global Artistry Director, Jane Richardson, created glowy, flawless bases using NARSskin Luminous Moisture Cream

All the skinspiration you need this winter. By Nathalie Eleni

ELEMIS Superfood Kefir Tea Mist. £26. elemis.com

HEATING UP

Take inspiration from the Scandis and bring the sauna home this winter.

Industry expert Sunlighten has developed a portable pod so you can feel all the benefits of its innovative Solocarbon infrared technology in the comfort of your home – no building required. Benefits include lowered blood pressure and stress levels, detoxification (by raising the core body temperature, toxins are sweated out), pain relief and weight loss. The pod also offers chromotherapy, with an array of LED lights in different colours to aid different conditions. From £2,796 inc. delivery. sunlightensaunas.co.uk

TYPOLOGY Teint Serum. £25.80. uk.typology.com

ELECTRIC DREAMS Super charge your beauty cabinet

NURSE JAMIE UPLIFT FACIAL FIRMING TOOL An innovative facial massager, this tool contains 24 precious tourmaline stones to temporarily energise, enhance and uplift your skin. £55. nursejamie.com CLOUD NINE AIRSHOT PRO Turn up the shine and cut your drying time in half with this high-precision dryer with the revolutionary Eco-Precision Motor. £199. cloudninehair.com

SENSICA SENSILIFT MINI This gadget has two power beams to boost collagen, while radio frequency waves pierce through the skin’s layers for immediate effect and long-lasting results at home. £109. currentbody.com

4

CURRENTBODY SKIN FLEXMD The world’s most powerful home-use LED device, this harnesses clinically proven, patented blue, red and near-Infrared LED light to tackle a range of skin concerns including redness, pigmentation and to help even out skin tone. £1,915. currentbody.com

5

REDUIT ONE This device uses cutting-edge micro technologies to finely mist product onto your hair, resulting in stronger, shinier locks. Combined with Réduit One’s Hairpods, filled with specialised targeted formulas, it will also reduce your plastic waste. £189 + pods. reduit.com

IMAGES: NARS COSMETICS

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Vispring makes supremely comfortable beds, and has done since 1901.

Only the finest natural materials, inside and out.

Designed for durability. Crafted for comfort.

Made for the very best sleep. www.vispring.com

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01/09/2020 10:41

UP FRONT

W E L L N E S S

SPA TREK

Lydia Gard gets physical at Lime Wood’s Herb House

I

t would be easy to assume that, after so much initial hype and positive press coverage, the Herb House Spa at Lime Wood Hotel would simply sit back and rest on its well-earned laurels. But luckily it turns out not to be the case.

Already at the top of its game, the only way to offer more was to draft in personal trainer Matt Roberts – the man-machine responsible for some of the most honed abs in the world. And he’s not just there in name.

Book one of Lime Wood’s new three-day fitness retreats and Matt will personally throw his weights around Herb House’s sleek, new, super cool rooftop gym, alongside a team of stellar trainers. The whole space has been reconfigured with functional fitness in mind, as per the Matt Roberts philosophy: mobility and stability for effective movement and a strong and mobile body.

So don’t be surprised if, like me, you find yourself attempting to dead lift your own body weight before spinning flat out for 40-second intervals that feel ludicrously long and set your lungs on fire. I’d also wager that, by the end of one session, you’ll have vengeful thoughts about the swish new Technogym equipment Matt has installed. But there’s always rooftop yoga or a deep-tissue Bamford massage to set you up again for tomorrow.

Hang on, you’re thinking. What’s the point of putting yourself through all that hard work if, ultimately, you’re going to prop yourself up at the fancy courtyard bar in your best shoes and sink a bottle of wine before opting for the pork shoulder at Lime Wood’s in-house restaurant Harnett Holder & Co? Luckily, that’s not the case. Leading nutritional therapist Amelia Freer has been quietly consulting in the kitchens, working alongside Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder to season their irresistible offerings with her sensible, holistic principles. So now the menu’s designed to give everyone access to dishes that are both nourishing and delicious. Amelia isn’t one for fad diets. It’s all about balance, as you’ll discover if you attend one of her brilliant workshops, cookery classes or events – but you’ll have to be quick because they sell out faster than her kohlrabi salad.

Everyone likes a bit of R&R, but since few of us are willing or able to fly halfway across the world right now to drink juice in a jungle (and potentially quarantine afterwards) it’s hard to think up an excuse not to spend three days at Lime Wood, shifting those lockdown kilos and eating heavenly, healthy food. You’re sure to work hard, eat well and come home toned and glowing.

BOOK IT The retreat is £850 per person and includes two nights, two hour-long massages, all meals, use of the Herb House Spa and 16+ hours of small-group training sessions in the Matt Roberts rooftop gym, the New Forest National Park and the movement studio, tailored to individual preferences and abilities. (Lime Wood has Covid-19 safety measures in place.) n

FEEL THE BURN Lululemon Align leggings for serious comfort and style (£88, lululemon.co.uk). BRING Epsom salts to soak away any muscle pain in the bath. WEAR Garmin Fenix 6, the ultimate multisport smartwatch (£529, garmin.com). MAINTAIN Grab Amelia Freer’s Simply Good for You for quick, simple, healthy recipes to make back home (£22, Michael Joseph).

PACK

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Trailfinders pioneered Trust Accounting – the TF ATOL approved Trust Account is unique, as no other travel company keeps your holiday money totally intact until you are back home.

If you are unable to travel due to FCO advice or quarantine, Trailfinders offers the following options: 1. Travel as booked 2. Change your holiday to new dates or new destination 3. Cancel and receive a full refund within 14 days Trailfinders’ travel insurance provides cover if you have to cancel due to Test and Trace, or if you are diagnosed with Covid-19 – visit trailfinders.com/insurance.

In short, you can trust Trailfinders – no one looks after you, your holiday or your money better.

BOUTIQUE SANTORINI

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Save over £1,350 per couple Including direct flights, 5 hotel, breakfast and private transfers Perfectly situated in Imerovigli, boasting a commanding position high on Santorini’s caldera, this peaceful location offers stunning panoramic views of the Aegean Sea and the beautiful island landscape.

The whitewashed walls and innovative architecture of OMMA Santorini flows through the pristine grounds where guests can relax in their own private pool, by the main infinity pool to admire the views, or simply kick back in the spa.

7 NIGHTS FROM

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Save over £2,350 per couple Including flights, 5 island resort, half board and speedboat transfers This luxury resort has a serene setting with an excellent house reef. Blending contemporary comforts with authentic Maldivian style, Coco Bodu Hithi is a chic island retreat. Relax in your open plan Island Villa with private pool or stroll down the decking straight onto the beach. Enjoy dinner and drinks at one of the resort’s five restaurants and two bars, including the romantic overwater Aqua, serving freshly caught seafood and Tsuki offering delicious and authentic Japanese cuisine.

LUXURY ANTIGUA

7 NIGHTS FROM

£2,049

Save over £2,200 per couple Including direct flights, 4 + all inclusive boutique beach resort in a Junior Suite and private transfers A boutique gem located in historic English Harbour overlooking the picturesque waters of the Caribbean Sea, with only 28 rooms this intimate hotel blends traditional colonial style with contemporary comforts that capture Antigua’s rich maritime heritage. Situated on top of the hill in the original house, the Terrace Restaurant offers gorgeous sea views and serves delicious international cuisine. Down on the beachfront, the open air Reef Restaurant serves Caribbean and Italian inspired dishes throughout the day in a beautiful setting.

e

TRUST TRAILFINDERS – NO ONE LOOKS AFTER YOU BETTER Tailormade Travel Worldwide First & Business Class Travel Cruise Trailfinders

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Valid for selected May departures. Information correct at time of going to print.

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“Truly excellent: patient, friendly, helpful and a mine of knowledge, tips and advice.”

27/10/2020 15:30

UPFRONT W E L L N E S S

BODY & SOUL

Model and author Danielle Copperman shares her health and wellness secret with Camilla Hewitt

1

MY SKINCARE SAVIOURS

Water! It sounds simple, but drinking enough always helps my skin. Alcohol always affects my skin, too, so I try to limit it – especially before a shoot. Otherwise, I eat a lot of avocado and nuts for healthy oil levels in the skin. Product wise, I love anything by Romilly Wilde, Liz Earle’s Hot Cloth Cleanser, de Mamiel night serum and Evanhealy moisturiser. I think essential oils and carrier oils are my main saviours though, as they’re so natural and simple and you can use them for all kinds of things.

2

MY WORKOUT WARDROBE

I have so many nice kits but I always end up throwing on black biker shorts and an old oversized tee. I love loose and baggy clothes for comfort, but every now and then I’ll put on a matching sports bra and leggings set – it’s definitely a good feeling.

Most of my workout gear is made sustainably, and there are so many brands using eco-friendly fabrics these days that are highly functional and an amazing fit.

Danielle’s book Well Being offers recipes and rituals designed to help realign the mind and body

4

MY MOODBOOSTING FOODS

I love adaptogens if I need a serious mood boost, like chaga, reishi, ashwagandha, he shou wu, maca and cacao.

Anything with cacao (but with no refined sugar) helps to lift my mood and give me more energy without the sugar rush. Also, simple seasonal ingredients – specifically fruit – always give me a muchneeded lift and contain the nutrients my body and mind crave from season to season, thus boosting my mood.

3

MY GO-TO SUPPLEMENTS

I take vitamin D3, oils of some kind (fish or vegan like chia or other plant combinations), and 5-HTP for stress and anxiety. I also usually take a good multivitamin and sometimes probiotics, but I try to get them in liquid form and just manage my diet appropriately so that I don’t need to depend on supplements too much.

Food is definitely the best medicine for me.

5

6

MY RELAXATION RITUAL

During the day I take long deep breaths and have a quick lie-down on my bed with my eyes closed.

Or I’ll do a short meditation.

If I have more time, I read a book or listen to a podcast; they’re meditation in their own way for me. Essentially, I just look for something that gives the stressed side of my brain a break and activates the parasympathetic nervous system. In the evening I meditate, do gentle yoga or go for a long walk in the fresh air.

MY EXERCISE ROUTINE

Slow and steady all the way! I used to be into hardcore, intense training regimes, which really got results but didn’t feel good on a mental, hormonal or emotional level for me.

Slower exercises like pilates and yoga seem to give me more results these days, as well as more definition than ever. I find they also calm and centre my mind as they call for deep breaths and bit of focus and concentration.

(Kyle Books, £25) daniellecopperman.com

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CELEBRATING 25 YEARS AS THE HOME OF COUNTRY CLOTHING

INSPIRED BY THE GREAT WESTERN FILM - THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY - WEAR YOUR GILET LIKE A TRADITIONAL THROWN ON SKIN As the Home of Country Clothing the House of Bruar specialises in luxury sheepskin accessories for the whole family, with beautiful handwarmers, slippers, rugs, car accessories and more bringing you the inherent warmth which this natural fibre offers. Featuring our aysmmetric gilet crafted from the finest sheepskin, it is the perfect layer for warding off the winter chills and just one of the highlights you will find in our new Handmade autumn/winter Gift Catalogue.

SHEEPSKIN GILET TS00527 | £195 SHEEPSKIN HANDWARMER TG00789 | £39.95

Experience the very best in contemporary country clothing. Visit our website today:

www.houseofbruar.com To preorder our new mail order catalogue please ring 01796 483 236 The House of Bruar

by Blair Atholl, Perthshire, PH18 5TW

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UP FRONT PATCH UP Duke + Dexter has teamed up with racing legend Jensen Button on D + D Racing, a new collection featuring motifs inspired by his career and the racing world. Handmade in England, shoes start at £200 and range from trainers to loafers. dukeanddexter.com

A WATCH FOR WARRIORS

Grand Seiko’s new Katsu-Iro limited edition timepiece emanates strength, from its design inspired by the armour worn by samurai warriors and the blue indigo colouring representing bravery to the 18k lion insignia. Grand Seiko Katsu-Iro Spring Drive Chronograph GMT 60th Anniversary Edition. £40,540. grand-seiko.com

M E N ’ S

S T Y L E

WELL GROOMED Matt Thomas on festive scents and cool new kicks

HYBRID HYPE

Goral footwear has launched a new Hybrid trainer range, with four new styles based on classic shoes. From £315. goral-shoes.co.uk

GLITTER GLOBE Get in the festive spirit with a snowstorm collector’s edition of Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Le Male fragrance to celebrate the season. £71. escentual.com

INTO THE WILD Barbour and John Lewis’ new collaboration was developed with ambassador Ben Fogle.

It’s a rugged collection of outerwear, overshirts, comfy knits and sturdy boots, ideal for tackling the new season.

Barbour Fogle Wilderness Colliford Overshirt, £99.95. johnlewis.com

THOM’S TOWNHOUSE

Thom Sweeney has launched a super-smart tailoring townhouse on Mayfair’s Old Burlington Street. The luxurious four-storey experience includes bespoke tailors’ workshops, made-to-measure lounge, cocktail bar and barber’s shop. thomsweeney.co.uk 56 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2020

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The Bournbrook Travel Bag Collection.

Handcrafted alongside our prized best guns and rifles. westleyrichards.com/bournbrook

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ALL THAT GLITTERS EDITED BY AVRIL GROOM

PHOTO: MARIN LABORDE

The C&TH

Jewellery &Watch Kate Moss wearing jewellery from her collaboration with Messika, inspired by vintage pieces in her own collection

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WISH LIST

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Editor’s Letter

94

92

W 84

e are where we are, not remotely where we expected to be a year ago. Realising that lives can be thrown off course by events no one could foresee is one reason why the people, and things, we hold most precious have even greater significance now – and why the jewellery and watch industry has been a rare bright spot of the Covid economy.

Celebrating occasions and rites of passage continues, and when these are curtailed a gift to treasure is more important than ever. Imagine finding such a wonder inside a luscious piece of fruit – as photographer Matthew Shave does in his glowing high jewellery shoot (p84). And as we reset our priorities we find new ways to shop, which we examine in a feature that comes to optimistic conclusions (p79).

We are also highlighting some of the individuals who make the industry great: the apprentices benefitting from the British revival of this centuries’ old system (p94); the watch brand moguls who insist on giving back, to whom writer Ming Liu brings her analytical approach (p96); the CEO of the Italian brand funding British vaccine scientists (p79) and projects

Avril’s amulet of choice is this small cross by Otiumberg. £716. otiumberg.com

and, in the year of Black Lives Matter, the women rising to prominence in southern Africa’s diamond mining industry, using their pioneering experience to help younger generations (p82).

The enigmatic Taiwanese jeweller Cindy Chao has secrets coaxed out of her by Francesca Fearon, who has written a book about her (p92). It is uncanny that Chao’s Reflection bangle and Boucheron creative director Claire Choisne’s Contemplation collection were conceived before the pandemic – the life reset was already under way in creative minds.

We also examine the timely rise of symbolic, protective and intensely personal jewellery (p76) – my favourite example is a tiny equal-armed cross (a pre-Christian symbol of the Earth and the four elements) in diamonds

by British demi-fine jewellery brand Otiumberg (above).

Seasonal features include Mariella Tandy’s thirty days of Christmas jewellery shopping with a glorious piece for each (p62), Timothy Barber’s take on the very latest watch news (p70), plus the jewellery equivalent (p66), and a great spectrum of watch shopping from the tough and sporty to the tiny and feminine (p64). In such uncertain times we hope everything in these pages brings you the joy of celebration and the promise of better days. n

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Shopping

WISH UPON Thirty brilliant ideas to give as a gift this festive season...

ADLE R

AN NOUS H K A

GAR R AR D

B UCH E R E R

KIKI M CDONOUG H

Angelic or not, take flight with these Shinsei earrings in pretty 18-carat rose gold with diamonds. £4,250. adler.ch

Spread some magic with this Spinning Moon charm in 18-carat gold and glittering diamonds. £7,900. annoushka.com

Wear you heart on your hand. Aloria pink sapphire and diamond ring set in 18-carat white and rose gold. £10,000. garrard.com

Peekaboo earrings, 18-carat rose gold with round-cut prasiolite and brilliant-cut diamonds. £2,400. bucherer.com

Delicate beauty. Cross pendant in blue topaz, lemon quartz, peridot, diamonds, and tourmaline. £4,200. kiki.co.uk

DAVID M OR RIS

DE B E E RS

E LIZ AB E TH GAG E

FOPE

VH E R N IE R

Punk meets pretty with the Miss Daisy Safety Pin in 18-carat white gold and rose-cut diamonds. £2,600. davidmorris.com

Try a new look, no piercing required. Dewdrop ear cuff white gold set with diamonds. £1,250. debeers.com

Set off a dress with this necklace of 28 imperial turquoises with 18-carat yellow gold. £7,200. elizabeth-gage.com

Ramp up your everyday outfits with this 18-carat yellow gold Panorama bracelet with diamonds. £4,740. fope.com

Modern Italian masters of sculpture twist gold, bronze and diamonds.

Coucher de Soleil ring, £4,850. vhernier.com

CLEOPATR A’ S B LING

TASAKI

CHAN E L

B UCCE LL ATI

BOODLE S

These Asterids earrings are hand-crafted and 18-carat gold plated, with blue enamel. £116. cleopatrasbling.com

A fresh take on pearls.

Petit Balance class necklace with Akoya pearls and diamonds. £6,860. tasaki.co.uk

A delicate floral accent never dates. Extrait de Camélia ring in 18-carat beige gold and diamonds. £7,900. chanel.com

Dress up a jumper or make an entrance – these yellow gold Macri earrings with diamonds do both. £9,600. buccellati.com

Spring has sprung eternal with this intricate Blossom ring with diamonds set in 18k rose gold. £4,600. boodles.com

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A STAR

Or keep for yourself. By Mariella Tandy

CARTIE R

DIOR J OAILLE RIE

B ROOK E G R EGSON

M IN K A

CASA CASTRO

An elegant addition to your everyday wardrobe.

Clash de Cartier bracelet in 18-carat pink gold. £7,400. cartier.com

Look at love a different way. Leaves of Love ring in yellow gold, diamonds and malachite. £6,400. dior.com

The stars aligned for this charming astrology series.

Libra diamond necklace (other signs available). £1,510. netaporter.com

This elegant cocktail ring just calls out for a martini. Yellow gold and tourmaline ring. £2,800. minkajewels.com

For flower power in a statement size, go for these blue quartzite and apatite earrings. £3,790. netaporter.com

TIFFANY & CO.

G IOVAN N I R AS PIN I

This Schlumberger Heart clip in 18-carat gold and turquoise makes an eyecatching accent. £9,850. tiffany.co.uk

Inspired by the shifting tectonic plates, these Petra earrings are truly timeless. £265. giovanniraspini.com

B IB I VAN DE R VE LDE N

STAR AN IMAL SU N DAYS

DEZSO SAR A B E LTR ÁN

A playful thrill. Monkey diamond and gold ear cuff. £1,850. matchesfashion.com

Find your spirit animal.

Diamond and 14c-gold Dolphin pendant. £620. staranimalsundays.com

Take the sea with you wherever you go. Sapphire and gold charm. £950. matchesfashion.com

SOPH IE B ILLE B R AH E

K AVANT AN D S HAR ART

TATIANA VE RSTR AE TE N

Nail minimalist Scandi style with this diamond and gold earring. £3,300. matchesfashion.com

Pink sapphire, diamond and rose gold earrings.

Approx. £7,589. kavantandsharart.com

Wish upon a shooting star. Mini diamond Star earrings. £2,900. tatianaverstraeten.com

J IA J IA

VE NY X

Touch the rainbow. Crystal and bead necklace in 14-carat gold, sapphire and quartz. £1,245. netaporter.com

A euphoric mix of nine different stones and 18-carat yellow gold.

Rainbow Teer ring. £9,095. venyxworld.com

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C&TH JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Shopping

TEMPUS

Out with the old year, in with the new. Mark the changing days

B R E ITLING E N DU R ANCE PRO Sporty, sleek, stylish: this high-precision chrono really sets the pace. From £2,450. breitling.com

ROLE X SU B MARIN E R Almost 70 years after it launched, the Submariner still leads the pack with a new green bezel. £7,650. rolex.com

B U LGARI ALU M IN I U M

PATE K PH ILIPPE PE R PE TUAL CALE N DAR CH RONOG R APH

Push the limits with the relaunch of this pioneering aluminium and rubber sports watch. £2,580. bulgari.com

Beauty is power. £129,350. mappinandwebb.com

AU DE MARS PIG U E T CODE 11 . 59

PAN E R AI LU M INOR MARINA DM L S

This selfwinding chronograph combines style and precision. £41,300. audemarspiguet.com

The new black: 3D printed using a high-power laser and titanium powder. £13,500. panerai.com

H U B LOT B IG BANG CAM O YOHJ I YAMAM OTO A sublime marriage of anarchy and innovation. £18,900. hublot.com

A L ANG E & SÖH N E 1 815 R AT TR APANTE HON E YGOLD An homage to fine Saxon craftsmanship. £124,100. alange-soehne.com

B E LL & ROSS B R 03 92 DIVE R OR ANG E Flashback to the 70s with this punchy homage to retro diving watches. £2,990. bellross.com

TU DOR B L ACK BAY FIF T Y- E IG HT A true classic, reimagined in navy blue and with a new, slimmer 39mm case. £2,760. tudorwatch.com

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FUGIT

with a beautiful new watch. By Amy Wakeham

OM EGA CON STE LL ATION Timeless elegance paired with advanced engineering. £5,560. omegawatches.com

B R EG U E T TR ADITION DAM E 703 8 As beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. £32,900. Exclusive to the Bond St boutique.

H E R M È S ARCE AU LIF T R E PE TITION M IN UTE S Complications get a captivating equestrian twist. £POA. hermes.com

CHAN E L BOY. FRIE N D A classic tale of boy meets girl, this timepiece balances clean lines and elegant proportions. £3,250. chanel.com

PAS HA DE CARTIE R Bold and confident with an unforgettable graphic silhouette, the Pasha is unmistakably modern.

From £5,200. cartier.co.uk

HAR RY WIN STON PR E M IE R MA J E STIC ART DECO Black jade and diamonds ramp up the drama. £POA. harrywinston.com

RICHAR D M ILLE R M 17- 01 TOU B ILLION

R AYM ON D WE IL TOCCATA

Intricate technology meets an eye-catching exterior. £POA. richardmille.com

Powered by a quartz movement, this watch will upgrade your everyday. £850. raymond-weil.co.uk

JAEG E R - LECOU LTR E 101 BANG LE

PIAG E T LIM E LIG HT GAL A M IL AN E S E

The world’s smallest mechanical movement, set with 996 diamonds. £POA. jaeger-lecoultre.com

Turn heads with these smooth curves and 62 brilliant cut diamonds, £42,200. piaget.com

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Jewellery News

GOLD TIDINGS

Avril Groom brings you cult collaborations and news from outer space KATE COLLABORATES

At 46, Kate Moss is still a unique style icon.

But our cover girl and face of Parisian jeweller Messika has gone further, collaborating with founder Valérie Messika on a new high jewellery collection that’s inspired by Kate’s own vintage pieces. Think tasselled anklets and full-ear cuffs, super-sized rings and Indian-esque fringe necklaces, from ‘everyday’ styles (Moss version) to red carpet stunners. £POA. messika.com

SHIFTING PERSPECTIVES Kaleidoscopes are not just for kids. We love the shifting, gem-like patterns that magically appear down a cardboard tube and so did Harry Winston, even though diamonds were his thing. In the 1990s the house revisited this colourful heritage with a limited edition, gold-and-gems version of the treasured toy. A new collection celebrates those multi-symmetrical patterns, capturing a moment in daring combinations of unusual stones – and, of course, diamonds – for thirty-two unique pendants in three sizes, each set on a jewelled platinum chain. £POA. harrywinston.com

TIE ME A RIBBON

Boodles designer Rebecca Hawkins loves to collect random inspiration on her travels. On a recent trip to Japan, the exquisite wrapping and tying of parcels and kimonos made her contemplate ribbons and bows as a motif for jewels, not just the gift box. The brand new collection has ribbons as linked strands of gold in three colours (a lucky number in Japan), with bangles and rings set with diamonds in Boodles’ UK-exclusive, very sparkly, Ashoka cut.

From £15,000. boodles.com

FORBIDDEN FRUITS When Hungarian designer Sandra Sandor, of super-cool fashion brand Nanushka, teamed up with award-winning jewellery designer Rosh Mahtani, of Alighieri, the results were bound to be electric. Mahtani’s favoured materials are irregular baroque pearls and abstract, textured, rough-hewn shapes in vermeil. The London-made pieces express femininity in bulbous yet elegant shapes recalling ancient fertility symbols, with great names – who wouldn’t want a cuff called The Forbidden Cloister? From £210. nanushka.com

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Jewellery News

WILD THING

A SUPERNOVA IN THE SKY

The panther symbolises Cartier and at Harrods you can now luxuriate in the allure of this sensuous feline. The Panthère de Cartier Experience immerses you in its history: from how it was promoted to Cartier’s icon by mid-century creative director Jeanne Toussaint (known as La Panthère), to high jewellery and timepieces dating from 1914, plus modern techniques. The pop-up even has a room for Covidcompliant trying-on of current panther pieces. Until 27 November. harrods.com; cartier.com

The eye-popping Supernova necklace made by Lark & Berry from Diamond Foundry’s carbon-neutral gems was worn by performer Billy Porter at this year’s Oscars. Now the 64.5 carat, 500-diamond piece has been converted into 39 unique items, made with trilliant and baguette stones and set in 18-karat white gold.

This one: £6,750. larkandberry.com

NAME TO KNOW

Suzanne Kalan is one of those underthe-radar designers worth knowing.

Her distinctive style is based on the subtle glow of baguette diamonds, arranged in irregular geometry.

Already a name in the US, she has just opened her first boutique in Harrods, featuring several exclusive pieces.

From £635. suzannekalan.com; harrods.com

FINAL CHAPTER Historic French house Chaumet divided its 2020 high jewellery collection into ‘chapters’. The final one is an intriguing departure for a house best-known for Empress Josephine’s tiaras. Inspired by constructivist architecture and the work of Pierre Sterlé, who designed for Chaumet in the 1970s, it features gold mesh and tiny, interlacing ingots in sinuous shapes, punctuated with the deep sea-blue of indicolite tourmalines and rows of yellow sapphires. Real collector’s pieces. £POA. chaumet.com

WATCH THIS JEWELLERY

Florentine jewellery designer Carolina Bucci and Audemars Piguet’s latest collaboration is Bucci’s Keep It Super Simple (KISS) jewellery range, inspired by a watch’s coiled hairspring. It’s sold only in AP’s townhouses and Bucci’s store. From £6,100. carolinabucci. com; audemarspiguet.com

OUT OF THIS WORLD Louis Vuitton’s British jewellery designer Francesca Amfitheatrof loves fierce looks. Her first high jewellery for the brand, Riders of the Knights, was very Game of Thrones. Her second, Stellar Times, is softer but no less adventurous – now the warrior women are space cadets. Its themes are the solar system and far galaxies, expressed in important stones, diamonds and smooth, curvaceous, modernist shapes. Spot the signature LVs – used liberally but subtly. £POA. louisvuitton.com

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Watch News Bremont ionBird

SIGN OF THE TIMES Timothy Barber brings up-to-the-minute news from the world of watches

COLOUR ME BEAUTIFUL Not since the 1970s has the watch world seen such a riot of colour as it’s experiencing right now.

Forty years ago Rolex was matching its gold Day-Date models with enamel Stella dials in bold tones, and has again opened the paintbox to dramatic and delightful effect. Its suite of 36mm Oyster Perpetuals in cheery shades of pink, mustard yellow, coral, turquoise and racing green are a tonic for 2020’s gloom. The stainless steel Oyster Perpetual is a much humbler piece than the Day-Date, but the colour pops are if anything even stronger, while the 36mm sizing ensures unisex appeal that’s equally au courant. £4,450. rolex.com

IS IT A BIRD?

Early next year, Rolls-Royce is aiming to break the speed record for electric aircraft with its zeroemissions plane, the Spirit of Innovation. Brit luxury player Bremont will be on board as Official Timing Partner, and has even machined cockpit parts at its Henley factory.

For flight fans, meanwhile, comes the handsome Bremont ‘ionBird’, named after the technology propelling the plane.

Its lightweight titanium case, GMT display for two time zones, and chronometer rating, make it the high-tech flying watch par excellence. £4,495. bremont.com

Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36

GROUND CONTROL

Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time

With the world effectively grounded, a travel watch seems either anachronistic or romantic – the latter surely the case with Patek Philippe’s cultishly popular pilot-style watches. There’s something of the glamour of historic travel running through the design, while the GMT hand gives you a second time zone. The latest incarnation, in white gold with a grey-blue dial, is classed as a women’s watch at 37.5mm, though only recently that was about par for the brand’s men’s watches and I’d happily sport this one. £37,350. patek.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Mariner Memovox

DEEP DIVE Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Polaris range, inspired by the 1960s dive watch of the same name, curiously lacked a capable modern dive number. No longer. The Mariner Memovox meets professional dive watch standards, with a 300-metre depth rating plus the vibrating buzz of the mechanical Memovox alarm to remind you to resurface.

It carries the sheen of hand-crafted luxury, with the movement on show and a dial of inkiest blue. Its ‘face’ is Benedict Cumberbatch, who enjoys the spiritual aspects of both freediving and meditation. He wears it well. £15,800. jaeger-lecoultre.com

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Watch News

SNOW BLAST

You wouldn’t expect anything understated from a watch called the Sparkling Blast – nor do you get it with this cool-as-ice fusion of technique and design, plus a sprinkling of snow. The Blast’s X-shaped skeleton architecture centres around a flying tourbillon, with both case and movement coated in 211 diamonds, cut in free-form shards that complement the tessellated contours of the case. CHF 410,000 (around £345,800). ulysse-nardin.com

Ulysse Nardin’s Sparkling Blast

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition SFTI

TAKE FIVE

TOP GUN

The Oris mixture of winning design and dependable value takes a leap forwards with this dive watch containing the brand’s new in-house automatic movement. The Calibre 400 delivers a whopping power reserve of five days – it’ll still be running after the working week – and enhanced anti-magnetism to fend off interference from pesky digital devices. Most impressive is the ten-year warranty – twice that of Rolex or Omega, with a recommended service interval to match. £2,600. oris.ch

Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400

For those getting in touch with their inner Tom Cruise (aren’t we all?), IWC is launching a commercial version of the chronograph it makes exclusively for graduates of the US Navy’s Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor (SFTI) programme – better known as Top Gun. A limited-edition variation on the popular Pilot’s Watch Chronograph, it’s cased in matte black ceramic, with the back in ceratanium, a titanium/ceramic composite. So, it’s lightweight and extremely tough, as you’d expect for something designed for the pilots of supersonic jets. The olivegreen textile strap adds further military edge to a watch that’s all about the need for speed. £9,400. iwc.com

IN A WHIRL ‘Round like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel…’ Noel Harrison’s famous lyrics could apply equally to the latest Royal Oak Concept watch from Audemars Piguet – the Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon – or to the spiralling form of the brand’s extraordinary new museum, the Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet, in its historic Swiss home town of Le Brassus. Designed by Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, the museum provides a light-filled showcase for 145 years of Audemars watchmaking, including the atelier where the firm’s most complex timepieces are handmade. Tours can be booked through the brand’s website and, should you make it out there, you’ll have a sensational place to stay as well: Audemars Piguet bought the village hotel, knocked it down and had Ingels design its luxurious replacement. Ingels took the museum’s form from the spiral hairspring found in mechanical watches; it’s perhaps also behind the concentric circles fanning around the watch dial. The hand-hammered ‘frosted’ finish developed by jewellery artist Carolina Bucci, and the sculptural beauty of the dial, give a jewel-like quality that is unique in watchmaking.

CHF 145,000 (around £122,290). audemarspiguet.com

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept Frosted Gold Flying Tourbillon

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Anti-magnetic.

5-day power reserve.

10-year warranty.

The new Aquis Date is powered by Oris Calibre 400.

A new movement.

The new standard

Aquis Date Calibre 400

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Amulets

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE C Avril Groom uncovers modern day amulets

all us superstitious, but in such anxious times the ancient idea of gemstones’ protective power has never been more comforting. The NHS rainbow was the start, a heartfelt statement made optimistic in brightly twinkling gems. There is also a need to affirm close ties through very personal, often bespoke pieces that say far more than words. People have had time to think and reset priorities, reflecting a contemplative mood already in the air before the pandemic. Jewellery has changed, and it means more than ever.

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Theo Fennell makes the truly personal even more so with rare stones and his London workshop, where clients can see works in progress.

Sapphire and diamond evil eye ring, £12,750. theofennell.com Vintage-inspired and exquisitely made, Genevabased Margaret Jewels is an word-of-mouth secret.

Now its Sentiments pieces – like this Egg locket (from £15,000) or gold bangles with a personal, diamond message – can be ordered online. margaret-jewels.com

3

Pippa Small’s take on the rainbow is more original and subtle than the classic shape but just as meaningful, and uses bright, slightly irregular gems. Long earrings, £3,500. pippasmall.com

4

Positive vibes with David Morris’s new Fortuna collection, named after the luckiest zodiac conjunction of sun, moon and star sign.

Translucent, tactile discs of blue agate for energy, pink opal for calm, green chrysoprase for joy or motherof-pearl for healing. From £1,300. davidmorris.com

5

Boucheron’s creative director Claire Choisne was already planning her Contemplation high jewellery collection pre-Covid. From small clouds and raindrops to feathers and dandelions, created with astonishing technical expertise. £POA. boucheron.com

6

Christian Dior was guided by symbols and omens, like the tiled wind rose (signifying travel and chance) at his family home, which set him on the road to Paris. Turned by Victoire de Castellane into a golden symbol backed with protective onyx or mother-ofpearl, now in a romantic Toi et Moi ring.

From £2,650. dior.com

7

The 18k yellow gold and precious gemstone Lovelock charms from Annoushka are each a talisman for our times A bee for endurance, an evil eye for protection, a guiding star, a pierced heart and a simple polished lock for a special message. From £935. annoushka.com

8

Before they knew how to cut them, ancient civilisations were aware of diamonds’ strength, and wore them for protection in battle. De Beers used rough diamonds for its first Talisman collection in 2005. What better time than now to wear these beautiful new stacking rings and single earrings, mixing rough and cut stones? From £1,025. debeers.com n

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Industry insight | JEWELLERY & WATCHES

LET’S GET PHYGITAL

While pillars of retail wobble in the current crisis, Avril Groom discovers there’s new strength and sparkle in the jewellery industry

W

e shop differently for jewellery and watches now. But shop we do. The industry has proved resilient during the pandemic, as life’s celebrations continue. This traditional market is now entering the digital age, from online auctions to bespoke orders by Zoom. And with stores reopening we’re all getting ‘phygital’, in the seductive new space where physical presence and digital technology meet.

Optimistic industry leaders tell us how it works.

THE LUXURY BRAND

Few luxury house bosses have a hotline to the British government, but Bulgari’s CEO Jean-Christophe Babin never follows convention. When the pandemic hit Italy early and hard, Bulgari turned its fragrance division to making hand sanitiser. Realising that vaccine research was imperative and that Britain’s Oxford-based team is a leading contender, the brand helps finance the work and, longer term, is funding scholarships for students committed to virus research. This active involvement in trying to defeat the virus explains why Babin’s calls to Health Secretary Matt Hancock do not go unanswered, and reflects his adventurous, can-do attitude.

‘The pandemic sped up change,’ Babin tells me by Zoom from Rome. ‘Celebrations of key life moments continue but we needed new methods. Luxury brands have been slowly embracing online commerce – we had it but we have expanded to fifteen countries in a few months, and online sales have triple-digit growth.

Our sales staff have online meetings or phone calls with regular clients, as much to see how they are as to sell, especially during lockdown, increasing the quality of our relationship with them.’

Bulgari still launched its annual high jewellery collection in June, ‘but we needed to be creative to sell £2 million necklaces virtually,’ he says. ‘We sent top clients iPads that explained the background to the Barocko collection, and its inspiration in 17th- century Roman baroque – and via an app it shows all the pieces, to try on virtually like it’s a mirror.’ The app will

Bulgari presented its Barocko high jewellery collection in a socially distanced catwalk show in Rome in September

expand to cover a wider range, including watches; in the meantime, clients pay a deposit and the item is sent so they can try it IRL. He estimates the conversion rate to sales at 60 per cent.

After helping Italy’s anti-pandemic effort Bulgari was able to hold a sparkling, but rigorously Covid-compliant, Rome launch in September, with a socially-distanced catwalk show and dinner at one of the city’s greatest baroque private palazzos, plus inspection in-store of the astonishing stones and designs of the collection. But it’s not quite back to normal.

‘The pandemic has changed how we work,’ says Babin. ‘I’ve found we can manage the company efficiently with very little travel, saving time, energy and money that we can re-invest, and have a better life balance.’ bulgari.com

THE VINTAGE SPECIALIST

Family firm Pragnell offers high-quality vintage, its own jewellery designs and top watch brands, and all sectors are doing well, says MD Charlie Pragnell.

‘People have more time to consider their purchase, to get informed online, and often make an appointment so we can prepare pieces for them. There is a return to classically beautiful design. Something that has stood the test of time, and is restored to last hundreds more years, is very attractive’. Other factors are: ‘the investment value of heavy, vintage gold as the metal price rises, and people’s desire to shop in traditional high streets.

And they are increasingly Pragnell 1940-1960 gold, sapphire broad-minded, layering and ruby vintage bracelet, £4,900 an antique yellow-gold chain with our new, bold, retro-style version.’ pragnell.co.uk November/ December 2020 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 79

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The Audemars Piguet townhouse on Bond Street, one of five worldwide, welcomes customers old and new for a highly personalised experience

THE TOWNHOUSE MODEL

THE REMODELLER

Robinson Pelham’s work runs from vivid rainbow-sapphire earrings to bespoke pieces that the Middleton family wore at William and Kate’s wedding. They have upped their digital offer and replaced meetings with phone consultations, many about remodelling. ‘Each customer who has commissioned during the pandemic has done so to capture or hold on to an emotion,’ says director Zoe Benyon. ‘They’ve been thinking about what jewellery means to them. It could be a grandfather’s coin collection put on a bead necklace, sapphires from a grandmother’s ring set into a Pomegranate ring alongside our rainbow sapphires and tsavorites, or a single old-cut diamond given a pavé sleeve of orange and pink sapphires. We change our habits to suit the customer,’ she adds. ‘Jewellery is full of sentiment but it’s also fun. If a client is nervous about coming to us we make it happen in a different way so it’s still a wonderful experience. robinsonpelham.com

Robinson Pelham specialises in reimagining beloved pieces for a new generation

THE SHOPPING OUTLET Outlet stores are often overlooked for jewellery and watch shopping, yet make sense for long-term buys.

Bicester Village has brands including Breitling, TAG Heuer, Longines, Annoushka, Pomellato and Monica Vinader, which have found a double-digit growth in average transaction value since lockdown, especially on watches, as clients want to ‘buy better’.

Some stores are innovating to reach the customer – Annoushka has pioneered virtual shopping, which now accounts for nearly half its Bicester business, either directly through the website, through video with the store or through the Village’s personal shopping service.

And De Beers’ Forevermark diamond brand, which currently has no Bicester store, recently held a successful week’s trunk show, by appointment, at the Village’s VIP apartment. tbvsc.com

IMAGES: MISAN HARRIMAN; NICKY EMMERSON

On Bond Street a discreet doorway leads into Audemars Piguet’s London townhouse store, which feels like a private club. The spacious apartment has separate areas – a bar, a large table for client dinners, sofas around a wide screen and a secluded zone for consultations. Visits are by appointment, currently with only two clients at one time. However, says UK general manager Daniel Compton, ‘if someone is intrigued by our banner outside and calls up, we accommodate them if we’re not full.’

It’s one of five AP stores worldwide, all in architecturally interesting buildings. ‘As an independent brand making only 40,000 watches annually we would like to know all our clients personally,’ says Compton.

‘People aren’t travelling so we’re getting to know our local clients, both collectors and the guy who has saved up to buy one AP. They can take time out and relax here.

We encourage visits even when they’re not buying.’ In normal times, treats would be laid on to suit clients’ interests – ‘moneycan’t-buy’ experiences. Now it’s about building relationships, and other brands are looking at the business model. audemarspiguet.com

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Industry insight | JEWELLERY & WATCHES

THE BESPOKE INDEPENDENT

THE LUXURY CHAIN

As a major retailer with 135 branches in Britain and the US, Watches of Switzerland was hard hit by lockdown, with spring sales down 28 per cent. But the bounceback has been impressive. Last quarter showed a 20 per cent increase year-on-year with online sales up almost 50 per cent. Even in July, jewellery sales for the group (including Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths) were only two per cent down on last year. What’s the secret?

‘Our staff and the way they have kept in touch with clients,’ says CEO Brian Duffy. ‘Throughout lockdown they were contacting regular customers with Zoom meetings and phone calls. We’ve taken digital ads and sped up delivery to next day, or same day on high value items – 86 per cent of our watch sales are £1,000-plus models.

We keep up interest with collaborations such as an exclusive model with Hublot [right].’ During lockdown, ‘our staff trained in Covid hygiene and PPE-wearing, so by mid-June we were ready to go, confident our stores are safe. We are being supported by local shoppers while tourists account for under ten per cent of sales, and the phygital model is working well.’ watches-of-switzerland.co.uk

Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph ‘Watches of Switzerland Group’ Special Edition, £14,600.

Shaun Leane is known both for elegant, slightly punk pieces and bespoke work – recently Princess Beatrice’s engagement and wedding rings. ‘We’ve been busy with bespoke orders during the pandemic,’ he says. ‘I’ve set up our jewellers to work from home and on design I’ve been having Zoom meetings with clients and sending 3D printed models of designs, or stones to inspect.’ Couples often ask to receive a ring at the studio.

‘The man then presents it. I open the champagne – it’s a great Instagram moment.’ shaunleane.com

THE AUCTION HOUSE

IMAGES: MISAN HARRIMAN; NICKY EMMERSON

Online-only auctions are flying, attracting many first-time buyers. Christie’s two online watch and clock auctions in July saw participants from 40 countries, half of them new clients, and made over CHF 3.2m (£2.6m). Christie’s also achieved a world record online auction jewellery price – $2,115,000 (nearly £1,7m) for a 28.86-carat, D-colour, step-cut diamond. It has offered part-online auctions since the sale of Elizabeth Taylor’s jewels in 2011 but, says Aline Sylla-Walbaum, global MD, Luxury, ‘the international take-up, and new buyers, are really encouraging and reflect how happy people are to buy online. This was a real moment of truth – what might have taken three years took three months.

Live auctions will offer the most outstanding works ABOVE & LEFT: In June, this spectacular diamond became the highest-value but online sales will have increased importance.’ jewel ever sold online; Aline SyllaBritish auctioneers Fellows also had online Walbaum, MD of Christie’s Luxury auctions for watches and jewellery during lockdown. ‘We make the auction a very good experience that our clients trust,’ says communications manager Alexandra Whittaker.

‘We now hold some live auctions with limited viewings but we also do virtual Zoom viewings and we’ve had record numbers of clients, especially for collectable watches, including recently a record-breaking Rolex Military Submariner that sold for £140,000.

But online auctions are here to stay.’ christies.com; fellows.co.uk

London-based silversmith and bespoke jeweller Theo Fennell has been equally busy, creating dramatic rings for private clients. He has also found ‘people are thinking about their life and family, finding old pieces with decent stones stashed in drawers and wanting them redesigned.’ He has created simple, modern designs for necklaces or bracelets that focus on stones of different colours and shapes which, he says, ‘we can make with the client’s own stones, working out the colours and cuts into a harmonious, unique piece’. theofennell.com

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Naseem Lahri, managing director of Lucara Botswana

How ethical mining is benefitting its local communities, and in particular its women

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he Diamond Producers Association became the Natural Diamond Council earlier this year, explaining the positives of an industry that has long been under critical scrutiny.

While some environmental impact is inevitable, this can be managed by reclaiming the land once mining finishes. Its wealth brings social benefits to communities and now that jewellery houses and clients demand traceability and transparency for any diamond they buy, its ethical situation has improved immensely. It is also an industry where women are prominent – a third of the workforce of NDC members are women. Mining communities provide decent, and equal, education as part of corporate social responsibility, and the passionate women I spoke to are its beneficiaries.

The NDC members all run programmes to encourage and support women in the industry.

The managing director of Lucara Botswana is Naseem Lahri, who had both determination to reach a top job and conviction that she would. She

Tofara Chokera, senior IT engineer at Zimbabwe’s RZM Murowa

Zenzi Awases, a geologist for De Beers and co-founder of the Women in Mining Association in Namibia

is a Muslim of Mongolian and Persian heritage, married to a South African, and benefitted from Botswana’s good education system funded by the diamond industry – 80 per cent of the country’s export value is diamonds and the government there is a shareholder.

Lahri trained as an accountant and was already married with a small child. She joined the diamond industry ‘by chance’.

‘I became an accountant at a coal mining company which was taken over by a diamond mining firm, and when I learnt how important diamonds are to Botswana I decided that was the industry for me and I was going to be a managing director.’

It was not easy, she says, not because of overt gender discrimination but through

IMAGES: NATURAL DIAMOND COUNCIL

WOMEN ON TOP

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Partnership | JEWELLERY & WATCHES

‘unconscious bias because I had a finance rather than mining background,’ she says. ‘For the male management that was fine but they had difficulty visualising me taking wider responsibility.’ She found this with her first job at the mine, in diamond sales, ‘and it made me even more determined to reach the top,’ she says. Now the situation is different. ‘As CFO I was already on the board, the only woman.

As MD, I now have a 75 per cent female board and the international company has a female CEO’.

As a geologist for De Beers and co-founder of the Women in Mining Association in Namibia, Zenzi Awases is equally determined. As one of nine children of politically active parents living in a mining town, she had good schooling – ‘a community payback from the mine was providing good teachers’ – but had no money to train as a lawyer.

Instead, she won a government bursary to study chemical engineering, went on to geology, persuaded De Beers Namibia to let her shadow a geologist for two weeks and ultimately joined the industry.

‘Until 13 years ago it was illegal for women to be miners,’ she says.

‘As a geologist I needed to go down the mine, the only woman in a desert camp where there was no kit that fitted, no separate bathroom or changing room, and I complained so I was seen as rebellious.’

She was so absorbed in the desert and finding diamonds that she says she ‘didn’t realise how my contemporaries in other fields were advancing faster’ and considered a career change. But on hearing in 2017 that women made up only 20 per cent of the workforce across all mining, she felt ‘that wasn’t progress so I stayed and set up our association, which now has over five hundred members’. Its latest campaign has been for women’s PPE, but she says the real fight now is against ‘the unconscious bias that makes older, male management still assume that women like me are there to make lunch or take minutes’.

It was different for senior IT engineer Tofara Chokera, growing up in Zimbabwe. Her single mother was a teacher who took on extra jobs to pay for her three children’s education but there was no money for Chokera to go to the same boarding school as her siblings, and her day school had no IT equipment.

Fascinated by computers but without access to them, she studied computer and information systems at university. ‘I had to work hard but I felt this skill was the future, and I had no time to think “I can’t”,’ she says. A graduate traineeship in a mining firm led to a job with RZM’s Murowa diamond mine, where she has created new systems and monitoring.

Carissa diamond necklace Chokera’s passion– which

by Graff, which actively encourages equality in its all the women share – is to pass Botswana mining, cutting on her knowledge to girls and and polishing divisions through them improve the lives of all her compatriots. ‘There’s still a mindset here that if something looks manual, it’s a man’s job and women do teaching or clerical work,’ she says. ‘Many teachers do not have the technological expertise to give different career advice, and parents less so.’

The Murowa mine has a career development scheme

LEFT AND ABOVE: Boodles’ Gemini ring with two white diamonds from South Africa’s Cullinan mine where women work in many areas including as miners; unset stones from the mine

with local schools where pupils come to see every aspect of it, including IT. Chokera believes all schools should have basic computers, and with IBM has set up the E-Digital Skills Academy, teaching girls online about AI, coding, digital design and the internet of things.

‘Boys are better catered for because it’s still assumed that girls will marry instead of having a career,’ she says, ‘but women love it and can still learn while at home, as many have had to be in the pandemic.’

Likewise, Awases is planning to take her message, through the association, to rural schools where, she says, ‘children may not even know what mining is. As well as giving back to poorer communities in terms of aid like bursaries for bright rural children, we need to talk to both genders, so children are aware of equality from early on. It cannot come if men feel their jobs are threatened and we need to address men’s psychology too’.

In Botswana, Lahri is already taking action. ‘We need to be flexible and understanding with our workforce, open and listening,’ she says. ‘Women need to feel they are not held back, and men that they are not being replaced. It’s a fine balance, but freedom of choice has helped women. We’ve been invited to the party and now we’re allowed to dance.’ n

IMAGES: NATURAL DIAMOND COUNCIL

‘Women need to feel they are not held back, and men that they are not being replaced’

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RICH PICKINGS

Ruby and titanium cuff, Chopard Haute Joaillerie

Choose jewellery that is always in season Art director and prop stylist URSULA LAKE Photography MATTHEW SHAVE

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Emerald and diamond necklace, Graff

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Diamond and gold bracelet, Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.

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Sapphire and diamond necklace set in platinum, Harry Winston

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Soie Dior ring in white and yellow gold, diamonds, emerald and Paraiba-type tourmalines, Dior Joaillerie

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‘Agrafe Torsade’ white gold and diamond necklace, Cartier

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‘Minimalism’ diamond necklace and ‘Bohemian’ diamond ring, both Messika by Kate Moss

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‘Poppy Meadow’ diamond and ruby necklace, Boodles STOCKISTS: PAGE 188

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Interview

THE WAITING GAME

Perfection takes time, and Cindy Chao’s clients are happy to wait, says Francesca Fearon

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FROM ABOVE: Jeweller Cindy Chao; Black Label Masterpiece I Aurora Butterfly; The Art Jewel Ruby Butterfly; Black Label Masterpiece III Green Plumule earrings; Black Label Masterpiece VI Reflection Bangle

Her jewels are nature-inspired and formed using the 18th-century cire perdue (lost-wax casting) technique to create exquisite sculptures that capture a moment in the subject’s lifecycle. They are mounted in titanium (for lightness) and sparkle with thousands of coloured gemstones and diamonds, set in an elaborate pavé technique so that both top and underside are covered.

Chao’s father was a sculptor and her own prowess comes from hours spent in his studio. But her happiest memories are of her grandfather, Hsieh Tzu-Nan, the famous architect of many of Taiwan’s foremost temples and the subject of a documentary she is working on.

‘My “playground” was my grandfather’s studio and construction sites,’ she recalls. ‘He shaped my mindset and trained my eyes. I am particularly sensitive to colour gradations, and creating visual impact is indispensable to me.

I owe this training to my grandfather back when technology was not reliable.’ On construction sites, ‘he showed me the art of toning to create a colour palette with subtle nuances.

I could not tell any difference with my naked eye at the beginning, but he insisted so much and tried repeatedly until he found the correct colour to use.’ Chao’s remarkable dedication to colour and shape, and her eye for detail, are clearly attributable to these happy childhood hours. cindychao.com n

PHOTOS:: © CINDY CHAO

ased in Taiwan, far from the high-jewellery hub of Europe, and with no family background in the business to aid her, Cindy Chao has, in just 15 years, become one of the foremost jewellery artists of her generation. Today, two of her annual butterfly masterpieces feature in museum collections, one in Washington’s Smithsonian Museum and the 2008 Ruby Butterfly in Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

Through her company, Cindy Chao The Art Jewel, she also regularly exhibits at Masterpiece London and TEFAF and is highly valued by global collectors and connoisseurs. They need patience, Chao admits, as she is an uncompromising perfectionist. One waited over eight years for 2018’s Black Label Masterpiece, the Peony Brooch, and was content to do so, she says. ‘It had undergone 20 revisions and adjustments.’

The key difference in her one-of-a-kind jewels, she explains, ‘is our attitude and spirit during the creative process. We always strive for perfection, and we infuse our lives and emotions into all our art jewels.’ This is the ‘creative spirit that clients appreciate’.

Chao often refers to ‘we’, for she believes in a collaborative creative process with craftsmen in Paris and Switzerland who meet her exacting standards. When the Covid-19 crisis meant no travel, she was in daily phone and video contact with them from Taipei, working on the 15th anniversary collection, which has just been unveiled in Shanghai.

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FROM TOP: The Garrard workshop; David Morris Pearl Diam Choker Necklace; perfecting a setting at David Morris; Staffan Haggstam at work in the Theo Fennell workshop

THE APPRENTICE

Craft specialists are indispensable to Britain’s heritage brands, but their traditional skills are disappearing. Apprenticeships are now more important than ever, says Francesca Fearon

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ou might imagine, as you wander around London’s swankiest jewellery areas, that the gemstones sparkling in the windows, or the prestigious Royal Warrant hanging above some doors, are the biggest assets of the stores you pass.

But no – British jewellers’ best assets are the loyal and remarkable craftspeople who dedicate their lives to transforming designers’ visions into intricately detailed, exquisitely-crafted reality.

Many of them begin five-year apprenticeships at 16 and then move between workshops before settling. Alan Pither has been at David Morris (davidmorris.com) for 22 years, Alex Sheridan at Theo Fennell (theofennell.com) for 35, and his colleague Staffan Haggstam for 30. However, some are nearing retirement and workshop numbers are diminishing.

Pither apprenticed at Cartier in 1972 and joined David Morris in the late 1990s. He remembers around 30 people in the workshop in those days,

whereas now there are only six. However, they’re the most highly skilled, producing precious jewellery pieces that sell for tens of thousands of pounds.

The celebrated goldsmith of the ’60s and ’70s, Andrew Grima (grimajewellery.com), employed more than 30 in his workshops, ‘and it wasn’t [even] considered the biggest in its day,’ recalls Peter Scott, founder of court jeweller Cleave & Company (cleave. com), who was apprenticed to Grima in 1974.

‘Andrew would take an apprentice on every year, who would work on saleable pieces by year two, so there were always four who would be revenueearning as well as running errands and maintaining the workshop,’ remembers Scott. He sat at the same workbench as Haggstam (now at Fennell) who taught him skills and proffered advice. ‘Peter, it has to look as if it’s been handmade, it mustn’t be

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New generation | JEWELLERY & WATCHES

perfect, like it’s been made by a machine,’ Haggstam would urge.

These jewellers learn every skill, from mounting, setting and polishing precious jewellery to specialist crafts like enamelling and engraving – associated with the ancient British tradition of making insignia and decorations. ‘The skills go back centuries and even the workbenches have stayed the same, with leather pouches to catch loose metal,’ says Sara Prentice, creative director at former Crown jeweller Garrard & Co (garrard.com).

‘The apprentices still make the tools that stay with them throughout their life as jewellers,’ says Garrard’s head of design, Claire Scott, who was herself an apprentice to Prentice, sitting at the corner of her desk for six months, shadowing her and learning traditional skills like gouache painting.

‘A wonderful thing today is a willingness to test new techniques and find new ways of doing things,’ she adds. Garrard’s 2019 Muse collection, inspired by Queen Alexandra, required very fine filigree work that was fashionable in Victorian times, but is painstaking to achieve by hand. Garrard’s craft specialists invented new techniques to create a similar effect in a modern way.

Fears that these skills will be lost as the older generation retires are worrying the jewellery business. Pither points to the ’80s and ’90s, when almost no apprentices joined the trade, and many skills are now found more cheaply abroad.

However, there is fresh hope thanks to a new generation of apprentices rising up through the Goldsmiths’ Centre (goldsmiths-centre.org), funded by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, which was founded in 1327. The centre provides a

FROM ABOVE: Finishing a piece in the Garrard workshop; a diamond bracelet from Garrard’s Muse collection; the art of engraving a signet ring at Rebus; former Goldsmiths Centre apprentice Gabriela Kucharska now designs jewellery at Cleave & Co

foundation year and study time as part of a five-year apprenticeship. Cleave, Garrard, Theo Fennell and Rebus (rebussignetrings.co.uk), the signet ring specialist in Hatton Garden, have all recruited apprentices from there.

‘School tried to push me into the university system but I wanted to do something artistic with my hands and so I had to fight my corner,’ says Jordan Kippax, who’s in the second year of her apprenticeship at Fennell. ‘My grandma gave me some jewellery and I thought it quite cool to make heirlooms for people to hold onto, with all the meaning these pieces possess, rather than something designed for fashion,’ she explains. Now she sits at a work bench beside Sheridan and Haggstam.

Gabriela Kucharska has been a designer at Cleave for six years, having graduated through the Goldsmiths’ Centre as its first design apprentice.

‘I didn’t know about this apprenticeship scheme when I was at school, but the person who taught me jewellery also taught there,’ she says. Now she designs pens, jewellery, trophies and enamelled insignia for the court jeweller, founded 19 years ago.

‘Insignia are jewellery for generals,’ says her boss Peter Scott, who made the Garter Star for the Duke of Cambridge. ‘We believe it is the first new one in about 140 years,’ he says, explaining how, when one of the 24 holders of the Order dies, all their insignia are returned to the Queen to be re-awarded.

Another skill learned at the Goldsmiths Centre is hand engraving, which, says Rebus founder Emmet Smith, uses tools and skills dating back thousands of years.

Apprenticed at 16, he points to the need for ‘natural artistic talent and the ability to focus on a tiny area under an eyeglass for a job that could take three or four days’. The difficulty, he admits, is finding apprentices now who can sit still and stick it out.

Alan Pither’s son, Lewis, is his apprentice at David Morris and the third generation in his family to go straight into the trade from school. ‘I remember starting on a big necklace straightaway,’ says Lewis, while his father adds: ‘There’s no mucking around on practice pieces, you’ve got to get straight into it.’ During lockdown Lewis was creating mounts using computer-aided design (CAD is one of the modern techniques appearing in workshops along with laser machines and 3D printers), for a spectacular diamond and ruby necklace the pair are currently completing. ‘So if anything goes wrong it’s all Lewis’s fault,’ teases his father. No pressure from the master, then. n November/ December 2020 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 95

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JEWELLERY & WATCHES | Giving back

TIME TO DO GOOD Ming Liu investigates the watch brands giving back

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Oris supports clean-ups of the Hangang river in Seoul, capital of South Korea

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Oris is conserving Carysfort Reef, Florida; Bremont H-4 Hercules, £9,495; Oris Carysfort Reef Limited Edition, £2,100; Nomos Glashütte Ahoi, £2,760; Raymond Weil Don Giovanni Così Grande, £3,995

seconds displays alongside a digital jumping hour. Ten per cent of sale proceeds go to Nordoff Robbins (nordoff-robbins. org.uk), the UK’s largest independent music therapy charity, which helps promote communication through music. ‘Now it’s important to keep a positive tune,’ says Elie Bernheim, Raymond Weil’s CEO and grandson of the founder. ‘Our goal is to inspire so that when we meet again, we can get back to an upbeat rhythm.’

The current climate has also highlighted existing work between watch brands and their chosen charities. Bremont (bremont.com) has always created limited edition pieces that support a variety of charities, while Nomos Glashütte (nomosglashuette. com) and Doctors Without Borders Germany have been partners for eight years. In July the watch brand announced new men’s and women’s Ahoi models; €250 (around £227) is donated from each sale, funding 15 protective suits for staff or providing 5,500 people in a refugee camp with essential medications for a week.

Swiss watchmaker Oris (oris.ch) is involved in hands-on, water-related, charitable projects, by channelling its expertise in diving watches. Its limited edition Ocean Trilogy watches centre around saving the world’s seas, from protecting species to reducing plastic, while its new, green-dialled Hangang watch aids the clean-up of South Korea’s Hangang river, via sales and sponsored clean-up days on site. Meanwhile, its steel Carysfort Reef diver watch is the third in a six-year partnership with the Coral Restoration Foundation, conserving Florida’s Carysfort Reef.

But really it’s just business as usual, says Oris co-CEO Rolf Studer. ‘Luxury has always had a component of giving. But working with people on a high level, creating something, is the contemporary way,’ he says. ‘Integrating causes with the brand and our DNA – that has real meaning.’ n

IMAGES: ORIS

atchmakers have long had philanthropic programmes but with Covid-19 some are giving their initiatives a rethink. A recent study by Bain & Company found that 80 per cent of luxury customers prefer brands that are socially responsible – simply reducing environmental impact just won’t cut it anymore.

Rolex (rolex.com) already has philanthroic DNA: its owner, the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, is a non-profit trust and registered charity. For four decades its Awards for Enterprise has handed grants to environmental and tech pioneers, and for twenty years its Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative has paired up well-known names with aspiring artists to produce Rolex collaborative works, from visual Day-Date 40 arts to dance and film. And £31,450 now Rolex has funded Perpetual Music, a series of European classical concerts supporting musicians and singers, who have been especially hard hit by the pandemic. A hundred artists participated, their performances broadcast via Rolex’s partner, the Medici.tv platform.

Music is also synonymous with Raymond Weil (raymond-weil.co.uk). This year it relaunched the Don Giovanni Così Grande watch, whose cool dial sets concentric minute and running

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Merry and Bright Slow down, relax, take your time. Neptune’s home designers are on hand with expert advice to bring a touch of magic to your home this winter

Book an appointment to chat to one of Neptune’s friendly designers, online or in-store – the first consultation is complimentary. neptune.com

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As frosty mornings ice the trees and darker evenings in front of flickering log fires draw in, finally staying at home for Christmas is a familiar tradition we can all sink in to. After the most challenging of times, now is the chance to cocoon with your nearest and dearest, raise a glass to your neighbours – from a distance, of course – and cherish small joys and wonders all around.

Transforming rooms into sanctuaries infused with magic and festive charm is Neptune’s speciality, and this year it’s gone a step further, suffusing its new Christmas collection with meaning. Handmade felt reindeer ornaments, embroidered table linen and vintage glass baubles are all delight-inspiring decorations to add personality from your tree to your table, and pieces that you can preserve and enjoy for a lifetime. Decking our four walls is one of the pleasures we can truly pause and appreciate this year, so slow down and take the time to festoon your home, creating captivating spaces to enchant young ones and inspire wonder. When it comes to creating feature spaces, windows, walls and fireplaces provide perfect nooks to layer up winter greenery, entwine clusters of glowing fairylights, and add Neptune’s candles to fill your halls with the scent of fresh, woody Pine Needles and warm and spicy Winterberry.

A Neptune dining table, like the Arundel, is the perfect workstation for baking, kneading and whipping up Christmas treats. When it comes to dinner time, create colourful tablescapes with wreaths of holly, pine cones, gleaming silver ‘Bring foliage, candlesticks and winter whether real or life-like, inside to berries. Inspired soften surfaces like by winter landscapes, the mantlepiece the colour and fill vases palette of this throughout the year’s seasonal home with vibrant, collection blends silvers enlivening greens’ and whites, deep green and red to create a snug haven. This year ‘home for Christmas’ is more poignant than ever before, so there’s never been a better time to treat your closest circle to a beautiful space to enjoy and cherish. Make yours merry and bright with Neptune.

With Neptune Fulham’s home designer, George Miller, learn how to give your home a festive makeover in the lead up to Christmas…

1

Start thinking about Christmas in November by bringing foliage inside, whether real or life-like, to soften surfaces like the mantlepiece. Fill vases throughout the home with vibrant, enlivening greens.

2

As we move through the season, layer on top of your greenery base with decorations and flourishes (like baubles, pine cones and berries) to introduce a variety of colours and textures.

3

Candlelight is so symbolic of Christmas, from scented candles to advent countdowns. It’s most effective in layers so bring tea lights, lanterns and candlesticks into your living and dining spaces. Then, create a lovely welcome with a seasonal diffuser in the hallway, which you can enhance with a matching candle.

Neptune’s friendly home designers are on hand to chat, and give expert advice on styling your home.

The first consultation is complimentary.

neptune.com

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COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK

THE FLYING SCOT A MOMENT IN TIME WITH SIR JACKIE STEWART

Rebecca Cox spends a little time (via Zoom, naturally) with three-time F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart to reflect on some of his more significant moments...

You held the joint lap record at Goodwood Motor Circuit for 55 years, how do you feel watching people trying to break your records?

Listen, records are made to be broken! I’ve always been of that opinion. I was lucky enough to beat the record of Jim Clark and Juan Manuel Fangio who I think still was the greatest driver that has ever raced. When I broke his record, I really thought ‘this is heaven, allowing me to do this’.

What has to go right to get that flying lap?

What is the emotion?

Everything’s got to be gentle, almost a love affair with the car. The car is like an animal, a highly bred animal.

If you do something wrong, it magnifies your error and it bites you. You must be without emotion. Emotions are dangerous, you do things and say things you wish you’d never done or said. You can’t be angry with the car, you can’t be sleepy with it, and you certainly can’t take liberties with it! Basically, anything goes.

Although, you do see drivers getting fairly angry with their cars at times…

Not the good ones!

If you had to pick a moment in time to revisit from your life again, what would it be?

In terms of motor sport, starting out with my man Ken Tyrrell. Winning the championship for the first time was pretty nice, winning the last one was OK. The life is very glamorous, it’s colourful, exciting, and in my day of course it was also very dangerous. Sadly, most of my friends died. Helen, my wife, counted 57 people.

So that time was a peak and valley of excitement, glamour, achievement, and at the same time it was huge loss, up close and personal.

Such a huge part of your legacy in motor sport is your campaign to make the sport safer, are you prouder of this or of your record on the racetrack?

My three world championships were fine, I was proud to have achieved what I did, but I knew I was going to get beaten. Numbers are unimportant. It’s what you do around those numbers that is important and my motor racing safety campaign, for that reason, will probably be the thing I’m most remembered for. Apart from driving a racing car, which was actually not too difficult.

Sir Jackie Stewart has been a Rolex Testimonee since 1968

R E AD TH E F U LL I NTE RVI E W AT CO U NTRYAN DTOWN H O U S E .CO.U K

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Everyone

has a book in them

It’s called an autobiography

It’s the one

no one else

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How you rocked

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How you saw The Beatles in ’62

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ART CU LT U R E BOOKS PEOPLE

THE GUIDE

YOUR SONG Despite obvious challenges, Katherine Jenkins’ annual Christmas performance at the Royal Albert Hall is going ahead this year – albeit with a difference. The Welsh star has recorded a festive musical in the historic venue alongside other luminaries like Bill Nighy and Vanessa Redgrave. It will be screened in cinemas worldwide from 1 December. katherinejenkins.film

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E V E N T S

WHAT’S ON

Ballet, carols and light festivals: Christmas 2020 is going ahead after all, says Ellie Smith AUDIBLE ART

Potter Edmund de Waal and painter Gary Hume are among the guests featured in Whitechapel Gallery’s new podcast series, Hear, Now. Each episode sees the gallery’s curators inviting artists and thinkers to discuss current works (like Nalini Malani’s Can You Hear Me?, left), and the stories behind them. whitechapelgallery.org

UMBRELLAS UP Step into the creative mind of a choreographer at this year’s Dance Umbrella festival, which offers behindthe-scenes access to the world of contemporary dance, alongside workshops, discussions and a giant digital disco finale. 23–27 November. danceumbrella.co.uk

ONLINE Can You Hear Me, at Whitechapel Gallery until 6 June 2021

Edinburgh Art Festival presents the delayed 2020 edition of Platform, an annual show of support for artists in the early stages of their careers. Bringing together four pieces of new work, this year’s crop explores freshlypoignant themes such as the importance of touch and the aesthetics of the collective.

Until 29 Nov. edinburghartfestival.com

YOU’RE BOOKED

Catch Benjamin Britten’s Owen Wingrave at Grange Park Opera

Mark Bleakley explores ideas of weight and gravity for Platform: 2020. Performer: Seamus Killick

IN BETWEEN TIMES

Grange Park Opera’s 2020 digital programme, The Interim Season, reflects our strange times. It includes, among others, Britain’s first new opera since lockdown, A Feast in the Time of Plague. 19 Sept to 13 Dec. grangeparkopera.co.uk

Following the announcement of this year’s Booker Prize on 19 November, the Southbank Centre will host a digital celebratory event with the winning author, plus readings from the six shortlisted novels.

The winner will be interviewed by author Bernardine Evaristo, alongside a Q&A and conversation. 23-30 Nov. southbankcentre.co.uk

IMAGES: MARIJKE WILLEMS; BRIAN HARTLEY; HELEN MURRAY; TRISTRAM KENTON; JEFF EDEN

THE RIGHT PLATFORM

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THE GUIDE Barely Methodical Troupe has made a name for itself with awe-inspiring acrobatics

JUMP AROUND After making waves with their production of Bromance at the Spiegeltent last year, Barely Methodical Troupe is back with an equally mesmerising performance. Coming to Chichester Festival Theatre this November, Shift explores changing perceptions through the medium of powerbased acrobatics.

26–28 Nov. cft.org.uk

A PLAY FOR TODAY

Theatre productions created during lockdown are coming to fruition – notably the National Theatre’s Death of England: Delroy, co-written by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams as a sequel to their previous play, Death of England. Instead of focusing on the protagonist of the first piece, Michael, this timely play follows his best friend Delroy, a black, working-class man who gets arrested on his way to the hospital. 21 Oct to 28 Nov. nationaltheatre.org.uk

OFFLINE

IMAGES: MARIJKE WILLEMS; BRIAN HARTLEY; HELEN MURRAY; TRISTRAM KENTON; JEFF EDEN

Lauren Cuthbertson as the Sugar Plum Fairy

BALLET LEAPS BACK

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without The Nutcracker, so happily it is back on stage at Covent Garden this winter, to a socially-distanced audience. With Lauren Cuthbertson as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Peter Wright’s choreography is guaranteed to bring much-needed magic, both for live audiences and those at local cinema screenings. 10 Dec to 10 Jan 2021. roh.org.uk

LIGHT FANTASTIC

There is a light at the end of the dark tunnel that is 2020: Kew Gardens’ Christmas trail. The magical light festival returns for its eighth year in a row with a canopy of starry lanterns, a singing rose garden, neon-wrapped trees and the grand Palm House Pond finale, which sees festive projections illuminated across the lake. We can’t think of a better way to wave goodbye to a year like this one.

18 Nov to 3 Jan 2021. kew.org

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

Women Are Heroes, Action in Favela Morro da Providencia, Rio de Janeiro, 2008

France’s answer to Banksy, selfstyled ‘photograffeur’ JR has gained international acclaim for his incisive photography and epic street murals.

Some of his most notable works are being displayed in a new exhibition, JR: Chronicles at the Saatchi Gallery – the first of its kind in the UK. 13 Nov to 9 Feb 2021. saatchigallery.com

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THE GUIDE CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Orgy, from The Rake’s Progress by William Hogarth; the exhibition at Pitzhanger; the house’s exterior, designed by Sir John Soane

C U L T U R E

THE EXHIBITIONIST

P

itzhanger is a gem of a gallery, based in west London. It was formerly the country house of Sir John Soane, whose central London home in Lincoln’s Inn is now a muesum. Soane was one of the most influential British architects in the late-18th and early-19th centuries. His most famous surviving buildings are probably the Bank of England and Dulwich Picture Gallery. A surprising amount of his work has been lost, including much in Whitehall, such as his additions to the House of Lords, which were destroyed by fire in 1834.

Soane bought an older Pitzhanger and demolished it, building his own house on the site. It was meant to be a home fit for the artistic family dynasty he was hoping to found. As such, it’s a remarkable building to visit in its own right. Owned by the council for more than a century, in 2019 it was reopened after extensive refurbishment. It’s now a fantastic gallery and always has a brilliant exhibition to go and see.

Soane was an avid collector of art, which is why his home in Lincoln’s Inn was destined to become a museum after his death. It’s crammed full of stuff, from architectural models to an enormous Egyptian sarcophagus. Soane bought the celebrated artist William Hogarth’s renowned work, A Rake’s Progress, in 1802, and hung the paintings first at Pitzhanger before moving them to Lincoln’s Inn in 1810.

Now they are back at Pitzhanger, for the first time in more than two centuries, as the centrepiece of a wonderful exhibition, Hogarth: London Voices, London Lives. It not only shows Hogarth’s work but also that of contemporary artists illustrating London life. A Rake’s Progress depicts the social conditions of London at the turn of the 18th

century by narrating the fall of a young man, Tom Rakewell, in eight oil paintings. Rakewell inherits a fortune and things go from bad to worse (depending on your point of view). He gets fabulous new clothes, goes to orgies, gambles, gets arrested and ends up in the debtor’s prison.

As you do. Indeed, as one of Soane’s sons did – Soane sold Pitzhanger when his children proved a disappointment to him. Returning the Hogarth paintings is a kind of reunion for the architect and his house.

Hogarth’s paintings would be reason enough to visit, with their wonderful depiction of London life in the 1730s. But you will love the contemporary work as well. John Riddy’s architectural photographs stood out for me. His evening photograph of three illuminated council doors, London (Heygate) 2008, sits alongside his shot of the bay windows of London’s Garrick Club, its sumptuous interiors and Zoffany paintings glowing from within.

There is also footage of the skateboarders at the Southbank Centre by filmmakers Oliver Payne and Nick Relph, and work by artists such as Ruth Ewan and the playwright and film-maker debbie tucker green (yes, she spells it lower case). Pre-Covid, visual artist Faisal Abdu’Allah would have been there to cut your hair – as well as being an artist and professor, he is a trained barber – but the point remains about the barber’s shop being one of the focal points of London life.

From the irreverence of Hogarth and the formality of Soane through to the exuberance of skateboarders, thanks to another humdinger exhibition at Pitzhanger, a lot of London life is here.

Hogarth: London Voices, London Lives, until 31 December. pitzhanger.org.uk n

IMAGES: PITZHANGER

Ed Vaizey discovers a social and artistic history of London, from ` Hogarth to the present day, at Sir John Soane’s country house

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Nick Hornby breaking boundaries in his Notting Hill studio

A R T I S T ’ S

S T U D I O

NICK HORNBY

Caiti Grove talks crises and collaborations with the structuralist sculptor

‘W

hen I was 20 I had a crisis,’ Nick Hornby tells me, sitting on the fire escape to his Notting Hill studio. ‘I was taking portraits in Morocco. But I found myself wrestling with the politics of representation. What does it really mean for me – a white, middle-class gay man – to photograph a person of colour?’

This question became the core driver of his practice: how does our own identity determine how we perceive things?

After he graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art, his first two major commissions were to collaborate with young people at Tate Britain and then at the Southbank Centre. In the latter, he collaborated with six young people, hybridising one drawing from each participant into a single 14 foot sculpture. The work revealed each of their designs, depending on where the viewer was standing. This led him to ask: what if the same exercise was repeated using iconic works from the canon of art history?

Fast-forward ten years to Hornby’s first public commission, Twofold.

From one angle it embodies a Kandinsky abstract, from another Michelangelo’s David. Five metres tall, it stands like a curling steel ribbon outside a new university science department in the town of Harlow, Essex. It was commissioned as the town’s 100th sculpture, joining the likes of Rodin, Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth.

So why all the collaboration and citation of other works?

‘I’m obsessed with structuralism,’ he explains. ‘The idea that the author is not the final purveyor of truth. It fits my own

crisis of the personal subjective.’ Hornby decided a constructive way to approach subjectivity in sculpture was by exploring both his and others’ identities through collaboration.

Opening this November, Zygotes and Confessions is his solo exhibition at Mostyn gallery in Wales, and includes his first autobiographical series. In his Notting Hill studio – ‘a little idyll akin to a 17th-century chapel,’ as Hornby describes it – the works stand on plinths under a double-height ceiling. They are three-foot high globules of viscous-looking resin, lacquered with images of men in Speedos and women’s swimming costumes. The exhibition explores gender, sexuality, identity and body politics, taking on sculptural traditions in art history, whether through busts, 19th-century ornaments or 20th-century abstraction.

‘From my first show at the Southbank until lockdown this year,’ he says, ‘my work was quite academic, austere, calculated, theoretical.’ I disagree – I think it is timeless and elegant, and poses questions about art and history, authorship and legacy. This new work feels unmistakably now: rooted in a curious and non-binary moment of history, little represented in modern art. ‘It’s been quite a weird year and I just started to feel that now was the time to do something different, to explore ideas I hadn’t quite dared to before,’ Hornby explains. And hooray for that.

Zygotes and Confessions, at Mostyn, Llandudno, Wales.

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B O O K S

GOOD READS Richard Hopton on the books to add to your Christmas wishlist

The Golden Age of British Short Stories 1890-1914, edited

by Philip Hensher, is a treasure trove of works by some of the great names of British literature from Kipling to Lawrence via Wilde, Hardy and Conrad.

(Penguin, £25)

MEMOIR

Kiss Myself Goodbye is Ferdinand Mount’s wonderful memoir of his aunt Munca. As gripping as any detective novel, it’s occasionally funny but often shocking, sad and moving, a microcosm of human resilience and frailty. (Bloomsbury, £20)

FICTION

Robert Harris’s latest novel V2 is a masterly historical thriller set against Hitler’s rocket attacks on London in November 1944.

Atmospheric and authentic, Harris simultaneously entertains and informs with great élan. A terrific read. (Hutchinson, £20)

HISTORY

GCHQ lies at the heart of this country’s security, eavesdropping on our foes. John Ferris’s fascinating Behind the Enigma lays bare many of its secrets, revealing a century of covert operations, the hidden side of history. (Bloomsbury, £30)

IMAGES: GETTY

SHORT STORIES

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THE GUIDE

BRITAIN

The Official History of Britain

by Boris Starling is a cornucopia of statistics illuminating every aspect of our national life, past and present, in life, death, love, work and much more besides, perfect ammunition for every festive debate.

(HarperCollins, £14.99) For weather watchers and amateur forecasters, Very British Weather would make the perfect present.

(Ebury Press, £16.99)

DIARIES

Lionel Barber was editor of the Financial Times from 2005 to 2020. His diaries, The Powerful and the Damned, tell the fascinating inside story of these years of political, financial, and economic upheaval in riveting detail.

(WH Allen, £25)

FOOD

James Strawbridge’s The Artisan Kitchen will inspire you to teach yourself – or rediscover – the time-honoured culinary techniques of preserving, curing, smoking, and potting. This is cooking at nature’s pace, unhurried and rewarding (DK, £20). The Flexible Family Cookbook by Jo Pratt gives 75 quick recipes with over 200 variations to accommodate fussy children and picky teenagers.

STOCKING FILLERS

Toksvig’s Almanac is a diary of fascinating, obscure and extraordinary facts, ideal for browsing throughout the year (Trapeze, £14.99). The Ordnance Survey Great British Treasure Hunt will entertain the family for hours (Trapeze, £14.99).

CHILDREN

IMAGES: GETTY

TRAVEL

Far and Away is a delicious collection of the late AA Gill’s travel writing. The pieces bear all the hallmarks of Gill’s writing: wit, irreverence, perceptiveness, and the cascading virtuosity of his prose. (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £20)

Wild City by Ben Hoare is a charming introduction to the bewildering and often unexpected variety of animals which share our cities with us. Lucy Rose’s vivid illustrations bring these unusual city dwellers to life (Macmillan, £12.99).

Maggie O’Farrell’s Where Snow Angels Go is an enchanting children’s story, full of wonder and mystery, beautifully illustrated

by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini.

(Walker Books, £14.99)

LONDON

London’s railway termini are a monument to Victorian taste and ingenuity, now revived and re-imagined for the 21st century. Christian Wolmar’s Cathedrals of Steam is their story and London’s, vividly and intimately intertwined.

(Atlantic Books, £25)

WINE

On Bordeaux, edited by Susan Keevil, is a sumptuous tasting of grand cru writing about the bountiful produce of the world’s greatest winegrowing region, spanning a timeline of three centuries.

A wine buff’s delight.

(Académie du Vin, £30)

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THE GUIDE

Want to be a good leader? Take inspiration from the likes of Churchill and Nelson

S P O R T S

THE OLYMPIAN

I

seem to have spent literally hours on webinars during the pandemic months discussing the role of leadership, with a particular focus on the skills required to navigate our organisations through the Covid crisis. Now, given the renewed upward trajectory of this cursed pandemic, I’m probably going to end up with a lot more requests again.

But long before Covid took us in its grip, a whole industry had coalesced around the idea of what makes a leader.

Most airport bookshops are stuffed to the gunnels with tomes on the subject. Frankly, some have such thin and ubiquitous content that it’s easy to skim through them on a short-haul flight. Many shed little light on leadership but are trite and merely restate the obvious; lots are devoid of the real-life experiences that plot into our own personal framework of reference. But for those despairing of this particular genre, rescue is at hand.

My favourite historian, Andrew Roberts – famed for The Storm of War – has just produced a crisp contribution to the subject and one with real substance.

Leadership In War Time focuses on the good, the bad and the occasionally disastrous traits of nine wartime leaders

who in large part have shaped the world we live in, from Horatio Nelson to Adolf Hitler and Winston Churchill to Joseph Stalin.

Roberts skilfully synthesises the ultimate leadership lessons to be drawn from those confronted by the blast furnace of war.

It’s fascinating and revealing in equal measure and really shines a light on the art of decision-making when under the most intense pressure.

If you never read anything more on this subject, this book will suffice. It makes me reflect on the 2012 London Olympics years and the rocky journey I confronted in the first few years of my presidency of World Athletics – because although neither environment was the equivalent of being in a theatre of war, my media and select-committee jousts occasionally felt like it.

I only wish Roberts had turned his hand to this book a little earlier. It goes without saying nobody in a leadership position should leave home without it.

Leadership In War

by Andrew Roberts (Penguin, £9.99) n

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Sebastian Coe looks to leaders of the past as inspiration for the future

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How do you live yours?

Here at Life, we create kitchens to be lived in. So, come and explore our beautiful showroom and tell us how you live yours.

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

www.life-kitchens.co.uk

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C A R S

ROAD TEST

Take your 2021 staycation to the next level, says Jeremy Taylor

VITA L STATS VW CALIFORNIA 6.1 COAST PRICE £56,395 ENGINE 2.0-litre turbo diesel POWER 148bhp 0-60MPH 14.3 seconds ECONOMY 33.6 mpg max STREAMING Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys

TOWN

COUNTRY

Welcome to the Hotel California! The latest Volkswagen camper van is the perfect home on wheels for travellers planning a UK staycation.

The VW California 6.1 Coast is nothing like conventional campers – those with the aesthetics of a dishwasher that clog up country lanes in Cornwall.

It may be smaller and lack some basic features – a loo and shower – but the new V-Dub is brilliantly thought-out and so much nimbler on the road.

Yes, it is based on the same platform as a van but the seats are comfortable, with acres of space for two passengers up front, plus a couple more in the rear. The boot is huge, although pulling down the tailgate requires a strong arm. Power comes from a frugal 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine that also meets the latest Euro 6 emission regulations.

Thanks to compact dimensions, the VW is a winner around town. Use it for the school run, squeeze it into a supermarket car park or load it ßup with everything on sale at Ikea this Christmas.

The California’s Achilles heel is its price. At over £56,000 on the road, before options, you really need to be a happy camper several times a year to make it worth the spend. On the plus side, this VW holds its value extraordinarily well.

RATING: 4 HANDBAGS

Your children will love the VW California camper van – it’s not just a car, it’s an adventure. Pop up the roof tent and there’s a double mattress, while the roll-forward bench seat below also turns into a large double bed. During the day, the roof bed can be raised to free up headroom.

The front passenger seats rotate backwards into the cabin, so four people can sit facing each other across a table that magically slides out from beside the cooker. For al-fresco dining, another table is stored in the side sliding door, with two folding chairs hidden in the rear tailgate, plus an awning.

Even at the end of my week-long trip to Scotland I was still discovering neat new touches: the USB ports tucked away behind the passenger seat, a reading light that plugs into a charging point and a handy mirror inside the mini-wardrobe space.

Tempted? Don’t expect a bargain. Sales have soared in 2020 because of the pandemic; even second-hand vans are highly sought-after.

My only grumble is that the eight-inch infotainment system costs an additional £1,338, which seems rather mean considering the other kit included in the package. Otherwise, carry on camping and enjoy our great British countryside.

RATING: 4 WELLIES

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THE GUIDE Warm up in Feversham Arms’ year-round heated pool

Elon, you’ve got competition

THE RIDE – POLESTAR 2 DESTINATION: FEVERSHAM ARMS HOTEL, YORKSHIRE

VITA L STATS Polestar 2 Electric 5-door PRICE £46,900 RANGE 300 miles POWER 300kW/402bhp 0-60 MPH 4.7 seconds MAX SPEED 127mph STREAMING Cool For Cats – Squeeze

The bonnet badge will likely fox everyone in the photo-round of your socially-distanced Christmas pub quiz, but this is Polestar – the newest electric car company to take on the might of Elon Musk’s Tesla.

A spin-off from Volvo’s in-house racing division, the Scandinavian car maker launched the beautifully-built Polestar 2 in the summer – a sub-£50,000 answer to the impressive Tesla Model 3.

And while the Tesla has a greater battery range, the sheer style and cool factor of the Polestar make it very desirable. The 2 is cheaper than the brilliant Jaguar I-Pace but still offers four-wheel drive, cuttingedge cabin design and novelty appeal.

Based on the award-winning Volvo XC40, the 2 is essentially a cross between a mid-size saloon, hatchback and SUV. It’s also quicker than most sports cars, refined and a very lovely place to sit.

Worried about buying a car from a company you’ve never heard of? Don’t be. Polestar is backed

by Chinese giant Geely, the name behind both Lotus and the new London electric taxi, as well as Volvo, the most-improved car brand of recent years.

Official figures claim the Polestar 2 can almost

manage 300 miles on one charge but, like every other electric car, in the real world it’s usually less.

This summer I tested it by heading north from London to Yorkshire, roughly a 500-mile round trip.

My destination was Feversham Arms Hotel in the delightful market town of Helmsley, part of the North York Moors National Park. A former coaching inn, the property now offers car-charging points in lieu of stables for refreshing horses.

The hotel’s go-to feature for many guests is its year-round outdoor heated pool and hot tub (although on my visit the sky was cloudless and the temperature touching 30oC as I checked in). The adjoining Verbena Spa also enjoys a roaring trade.

While your electric motor silently charges in the car park, order a G&T by the pool before popping in to the Weathervane restaurant to sample the hotel’s seasonal menu. There are several pretty walks direct from the hotel into the local countryside – try the hilly amble to Rievaulx Abbey, which passes an exquisite ice cream shop.

Helmsley itself has a high street lined with independent shops, a ruined castle and a bustling market square. The town is 240 miles from London and yes, I did stop to recharge the Polestar near Nottingham. Download a charging app to your phone, or use the car’s built-in charger finder.

My advice? Do your homework before you set off.

If you’re an electric car newbie and want to play safe with a recognised badge, the new Audi e-tron might be a better choice. For my money, I’d choose Polestar, its rival from the cold north, and score a point at the pub quiz too.

BOOK IT: From £120 per night. fevershamarmshotel.com

IN THE BOOT SUPER STOCKING-FILLERS SOUND EXPERIENCE Listen to your own sounds in the passenger seat with these top-end headphones. Designed

by French experts Focal, they’re inspired by Bentley’s EXP 100GT centenary car. Focal For Bentley Radiance, £1,199. bentleymotors.com

CLASSIC F1 The 1950s was the era of gorgeous Formula 1 cars – this hardback book recalls the glory days of Stirling Moss and Fangio. The perfect Christmas gift for petrolheads. £50, Evro Publishing

COOLER KING Keep the fizz chilled for Christmas with this 40-litre rechargeable coolbox, £115. halfords.com

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THE GUIDE

G A R D E N I N G

WINTER BLOOMS

Transform your garden into an inviting, lockdown-friendly space, says Randle Siddeley

A

s we face a socially distanced winter, more of us are looking to our gardens to yield up an outdoor room. I’m inspired by what can be done, having just transformed a Belgravia courtyard into a cosy jewel box.

To give the impression of a room, I erected a slender iron pergola around heirloom-quality, and reassuringly expensive, American outdoor furniture from McKinnon and Harris (every frame guaranteed for a lifetime). I planted around it and suspended heat strips from the top. Into a green wall I built a barbecue, sink, worktop and fridge – even in winter, white wine and vodka need chilling.

There is no reason for any winter garden to look bedraggled. Ornamental grasses, seed heads and trees come alive in wintry, pale, gold light. Silver birch bark curls and flakes, adding a delicate sense of fragility. The prettiest birch is the exotic Chinese red birch Betula albosinensis ‘Pink Champagne’. Thistle heads add spiky sculptural drama and Erygngium yuccifolium has a creamy bloom on a long stem that glows

ABOVE AND LEFT: Festive red berries are must-haves at Christmas; dahlias are making a comeback

Garden designer and landscape architect, Randle Siddeley

Pennisetums add luminous colour and texture to a winter garden

in the light, similar to the small globe thistle Echinops ritro Veitch’s Blue. The fuzzy, caterpillar-like heads of Pennisetums also add silvery luminosity.

Hydrangeas’ russet, papery heads add warmth and I always enjoy watching the slightly conical paniculata type turn from white to pinky green and then to a crispy brown. Never cut them back till April, just as they’re about to produce new shoots, and they’ll work for you all the year round.

By November you should have planted your spring bulbs but it’s not too late for wallflowers, which, like dahlias, are having a comeback. The great splodges of luscious colour they offer will draw the eye even to the gloomiest corners. Sarah Raven (sarahraven. com) sells wallflowers potted and gardenready so grab your trowel and start digging.

Be generous – plant them in big clusters of at least 12 and not more than 20mm apart.

Their names alone make me yearn for May’s festive colours – Erysimum Ruby Gem, Sugar Rush, Sunset Orange and Rich Velvet. There’s even a sumptuous crimson perennial called Erysimum Bowles Mauve that flowers all year.

Finally, it’s just not Christmas without mistletoe, pine cones and berries so plant plenty of holly and seek out mistletoe lurking in a tree. You want holly with gleaming dark leaves and thick clusters of plump berries, so choose Ilex meserveae Blue Angel or Ilex aquifolium Alaska. The robins will be happy, too. randlesiddeley.co.uk n

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THE GUIDE

Celebrity stylist Elizabeth Saltzman has built a starry career with her impeccable taste and infectious personality. Charlotte Metcalf meets her Portrait by ALEXANDRA DAO

E

Iizabeth Saltzman dresses A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow, Uma Thurman, Saoirse Ronan, Sandra Oh, Jodie Comer, Julia Garner, Poppy Delevingne and Gemma Arterton.

The Hollywood Reporter has named her one of the ‘Most Powerful Stylists of the Year’ and she’s arriving any minute. I’m anticipating a siren wreathed in haute couture but the woman who walks into Scarfes Bar is wearing a woolly hat and cosy sweater. She looks as natural and wholesome as Ali McGraw in Love Story and almost as young, despite her 55 years.

I admit to Elizabeth that she is not what I expected as the woman with the most glamorous job in the world. She’s changing out of her trainers into a pair of scarlet patent heels that she’s brought to look Christmassy Penthouse or and she gives me an enormous, warm smile country cottage?

Cottage for living, that makes her eyes scrunch up. ‘Sure, there’s by the sea please, glamour but there’s a lot of sleep loss too,’ and a penthouse for work. she laughs. ‘Being a stylist is bit like being a shrink. I focus on empowering people, getting Killer heels or comfy flats? them to embrace what they like about their How about bodies. I start by asking how they see their daily comfy heels and fabulous uniform and most people say: “Oh, I just need flats? You can’t an oversize sweater”, so [that means] they’re be yourself with hiding or need comfort. Or they say: “I love a painful feet. jacket”, so they’re a fidget and need structure Dog or cat? We and somewhere for their hands. I find out what have a ten-yearold Lucas terrier people are going through, because for clothes called Fred. to look good you have to feel good. All of them Glass of wine can act, but boy does it make a difference if or green tea? they feel great on that red carpet. With positive I’ve never drunk alcohol but I love energy you can wear a paper bag and you’ll be to serve wine voted Best Dressed. And people have got to feel and I’d drink mint tea or the comfortable. No killer heels! The only person occasional Diet I’d ever torture is Gwyneth’ – Elizabeth roars Coke, because sometimes I with laughter – ‘Gwyneth can handle it as she like being THAT knows it can make for a better photo.’

American.

Elizabeth grew up in Manhattan in a close, Country pub or loving family. Her father was an interior Michelin star?

I care about designer and her mother was the fashion conversation with director at Saks 5th Avenue and Bergdorf my friends, so I’d Goodman. ‘Mum would turn up at school in always choose the friendly pub. an Yves Saint Laurent power suit when all the

IN BRIEF

other mums were in Lilly Pulitzer. It was excruciating at the time but she made me feel secure enough to break the mould and not to care what others thought. I wasn’t afraid to wear a bathing suit with a leather jacket or a blue wig and pyjamas.’

In her teens Elizabeth was a regular at Area, a downtown Manhattan nightclub. It was here that Gabriella Forte spotted her style and offered her a job at Giorgio Armani. Elizabeth was disappointed to find she’d been relegated to the stockroom but she worked hard: ‘I was first to arrive, last to leave. I lured my friends into the store. I befriended the sales assistants, who could sell a sofa as a dress.’ It wasn’t long before Elizabeth was Senior Fashion Editor at Vogue and she hasn’t stopped since.

‘You must work countless hours a day,’ I say. ‘Oh yeah,’ she sighs, ‘hours and hours and hours.’ We discuss juggling a family (husband and two teenage sons) with a job that demands she fly back and forth across the Atlantic from her London home. She tells me about the 11 suitcases that Fedex lost when she was in the middle of a shoot in California. Thousands of pounds worth of stuff went missing, including one-off outfits lent by top designers, priceless jewellery and Elizabeth’s own irreplaceable vintage pieces collected over 40 years.

She’s now firmly assigned these hectic, stressful dramas to the past, having reappraised her life during lockdown, which she spent in Southampton, New York, with her family. ‘I had time to sleep, read and think. I had the luxury of re-establishing my passion for the earth and realised I’d always hidden behind my work. I’d been pleasing a lot of people without rewarding myself. Growing up I had the luxury of being healthy, having food and hot water and love. Call me Jewish but that gave me guilt! I’ve always been trying to prove myself, spreading myself thin to give enough back. When I took a good look at myself in lockdown I didn’t like what I saw – an empty-nester in a country falling to bits and facing inevitable climate change. Now I know where I’m headed. There’s no reason for me ever to fly to LA for a two-hour fitting again, I will stay the night. I love building confidence and helping designers but I’ve understood that other people’s problems aren’t solely mine, so I’m going to focus on what I can change and try to not be everywhere all of the time.’

Elizabeth’s undoubted skill, on top of her obvious unerring eye for style, is making people feel good. I feel buoyed up after just an hour with her. No wonder she’s so in demand. I wonder how on earth she’ll ever manage to turn clients away if the pandemic eases and the time comes for them to clamour for her services again. n

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In her shoes: Elizabeth Saltzman has gone from back room girl at Giorgio Armani, to stylist to the stars

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The booking must be submitted a minimum of six weeks prior to departure. Once the booking is confi rmed, no changes can then be made. Dates of travel are subject to availability and certain black-out periods apply. The ticket includes taxes and is not transferable, cashable or refundable. Etihad Guest miles or other frequent fl yer schemes cannot be redeemed for upgrades; nor will they be earned during the trip. The class of travel is fixed. Lounge access and chauffeur service are not included. Original letter should be presented for ticket issuance and identifi cation is required at the time of ticketing. The voucher is eligible for travel only on the Etihad Airways network and does not include codeshare partners. Current Etihad Airways health and safety protocols must be adhered to prior to, during and after the fl ight, which can be reviewed at www.etihad.com/en/fl y-etihad/health-and-wellness. Etihad does not cover any additional costs related to health requirements and testing that may be required due to COVID-19. Due to current travel restrictions around COVID-19, Etihad Airways is not responsible or liable for any travel disruptions and respective losses. For accomodation booking, please contact reservations@thenautilusmaldives.com. Dates are subject to availability. Winner to attach this letter along with a copy of the passports and fl ight itinerary.

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CALL OF THE WILDE Gabriella Wilde shares her desert island books and tells Harriet Compston the secret to a happy marriage Fashion director NICOLE SMALLWOOD Photographer CARLA GULER

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Dress, Kristian Aadnevik.

Earrings, Annoushka

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the costume designers a bit of a heart attack, since you can’t really wash these elaborate costumes.

What qualities do you think have made you successful? Who knows…?

It all feels rather random and possibly just a stroke of luck.

But being kind and respectful to everyone helps. I have observed how older actors have conducted themselves, their commitment to working hard and the understanding that we are all essentially another cog in a huge production where everyone’s role is vital. I’ve always been impressed by Eleanor [Tomlinson] on Poldark, who is incredibly hard-working, open and thoughtful.

Film you think everyone in the world should see?

Becoming Nobody, a very moving documentary about Ram Dass and his teachings.

In light of everything that has been happening this year, it was particularly comforting and gave me a mindset to get outside the worry.

What’s your relationship with social media like?

Fraught. I don’t like to be on it too much because, for all of its pluses, it has a negative, addictive nature, which takes you away from real life.

As a mother, that’s quite pertinent to me. I don’t want to catch myself on social media rather than with my kids, but yet – like everyone – I find myself doing that.

What did you want to be when you were a little girl?

Favourite role to date? Caroline in Poldark. I loved her spark,

vulnerability and bravery. One of my favourite scenes was when Caroline and Dr Enys found out their daughter was going to die.

Obviously a really sad scene but I thought it was written beautifully and very authentically.

What demands do you have on set? I have never been one for making demands. The only time I have is when I brought my baby on set. He was four months old when we started filming the third series of Poldark. Brilliantly the entire filming schedule was laid around his feeding times. My costumes were especially designed so I could feed him. He was sick on me nearly every day, which gave

A painter. Art was a big part of my childhood and a real solace at school. It was the path I wanted to follow so I went to study fine art at college. I still like to paint but don’t do it very often. I love to do portraiture and Lucien Freud has always been one of my favourite artists.

If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be? Stop worrying. Be yourself unashamedly. When you look

back as an adult, you realise how carefree you could have been.

The things you thought were life-and-death situations really weren’t.

Although I know that worrying is a pointless exercise and doesn’t fix anything, it’s hard to put it into practice. I was like most teenage girls, desperately trying to work out how I fitted in. But, as you get

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LEFT: Dress, Preen

by Thornton Bregazzi.

Shoes, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini BELOW: Dress, Jenny Packham. Boots, Christian Louboutin.

Earrings, Alexander McQueen

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just like everyone else. Be kind. Be kind. Be kind.

Which five books would you take to a desert island? Untamed by Glennon

Doyle – a memoir about being a woman in the world. The author is a really inspiring woman, everything she said resonated with me and rings with such truth. The Bhagavad Gita – a spiritual [Hindu] text. A desert island would be the type of time and place where I could read something hefty like that and fully digest it. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk – to me, it’s important to spend time understanding the connection between mind and body. Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver – I love Mary Oliver. On a desert island, it would be nice to have something to dip in and out of, just read one poem and think about it for a while.

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande – I have always been drawn to the relationship between mortality and death, not in a morbid way, more in a life-affirming way.

The most challenging moment or your life?

older, you learn that not fitting in means you’re in the wrong place, not that there is anything wrong with you.

What does it mean to be a mother? From having one child to three, I definitely worried how I was going to love another child or give them what they require. With each child, you are pushed to your edges in a wonderful and extreme way. It requires all of who you are and every reserve you have but, from somewhere within, you find what they need. It’s a constant search. So, being a mother is a journey of self-discovery and learning who you are, your limits and how much love you have to give.

What principles do you instil in your children? You are special,

Giving birth to my first son. I was quite young – 24. I hadn’t been around friends having babies so I felt that I was going into it a bit blind. I ended up having a great birth. I had him naturally, which I wanted, but it was obviously a very intense experience. It was the first time I’ve been challenged in that way and known wholeheartedly that nobody could do it but me.

Are you conscious of what you put in your body? I am very aware of what is healthy and what I should be doing, but I am also a total sugar addict. I guess it’s a balance. I think being obsessively healthy is bad for your mind (although maybe good for your body) so allow yourself to have a bit of both. Don’t be overly critical of yourself, be a little joyful, don’t worry too much about eating chocolate and doing the right thing.

What is your current beauty regime? I like to use as much natural stuff as possible – particularly Weleda. I also love Wildsmith Skin and Tata Harper. The more I read about what you put on your skin and the way your body absorbs it, I start to think,

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LEFT: Dress, belt and earrings, Chanel ABOVE: Top, Alberta Ferretti. Earrings, Annoushka

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days a week; I didn’t want to have anything more to clean and look after. But I am also a real homebody and my home is a sanctuary.

It’s important that I love the things I have and that they are beautiful. I like to have the odd thing around that is meaningful and tells a story.

If we come to Somerset for the day, what should we do? My number one

place is Stourhead, a big National Trust estate. It’s unbelievably beautiful, with ancient woods. Then there’s the river at Tellisford, which is wonderful for wild swimming. I go a lot in the summer with my kids. For lunch, I would order half a chicken and chips in the Roth Bar & Grill, or there’s amazing pizza at At The Chapel. Both are in Bruton.

There are wonderful shops on St Catherine’s Hill in Frome including The Dandy Lion for vintage clothing. A designer called White Doe, makes lovely sustainable clothing that is stocked at Seed. High Pavement, a tiny restaurant in Frome, is great for supper with delicious North African sharing food.

What’s your secret to a happy marriage?

‘Would I want to eat what I am putting on my skin?’

How do you relax? I love being by the sea. I hope one day to live by it. It’s such a calming place to be. My favourite beach is Eco del Mare in Italy. My husband has been going there every summer since he was young. We got married on that beach. I’ve been there every year with my kids. It’s really beautiful and I adore Italy.

What’s your interior design style? Minimal, practical and comfortable. I’ve moved a lot and seeing all your life possessions packed up in a big pile of boxes made me want to get rid of everything. I thought, ‘Why do we have all this stuff?’ And also lockdown, where I was home 24 hours a day with three kids, seven

As a natural control freak, I think the answer is just ‘let go’. Not ‘let go’ so that the other person can take control of your autonomy, more that if you both operate from that place then you will allow each other to be who they are and your lives will go as they go.

That’s the happiest place.

How will you be celebrating Christmas? At home with my boys. We always go to the Christmas tree farm, where the kids run around and pick a tree. It still feels quite a novelty to be at home, just with my kids, and be the grown-up at Christmas.

I find it a moment of realising where I am in my life – I still feel like a child most of the time. But now I have to realise that Christmas Day is down to me, I need to organise it and turn it into this special day. When you are a kid it’s this magical event but for parents it’s exhausting.

What are you hoping for under the tree this year?

Honestly nothing. Just time with the people I love. n

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FAR LEFT: Top and skirt, Simone Rocha RIGHT: Dress, Ralph & Russo Shoes, Manolo Blahnik.

Earrings, Annoushka TEAM Fashion assistant: Daisy Bryson Photo assistant: Tristan Fennell Hair and Make-up by Alexis Day using Evo and Chantecaille Video: Magda Jano Video Editor: Tracer Ital @adrenalinphotographic Digital Artist: Meg Dowson @adrenalinphotographic LOCATION With thanks to The Ritz Hotel theritzlondon.com STOCKISTS: PAGE 188

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On Location

Gabriella Wilde lights up the historic rooms of The Ritz – newly reopened after its first-ever period of closure

W

hether you’re visiting for tea or staying for a week, there’s something irresistible about The Ritz. It could be the sweeping golden corridors, lined with marble pillars and softly-spoken, attentive staff. Maybe it’s the opulent rooms, draped in luxurious furnishings and filled with inviting beds. Or perhaps it’s the way The Ritz’ lights illuminate the broad sweep of Piccadilly, transforming it into a heart-warmingly familiar beacon as you make your way from Mayfair to St James’, or pass by on your way to the Royal Academy. Few London landmarks are as iconic.

As such, there couldn’t have been a better location for the Country & Town House cover shoot with quintessential English actress Gabriella Wilde, star of Poldark and the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984, due to be released this Christmas. With tight Covid precautions observed, the shoot took place in The Ritz’ William Kent House and in the sumptuous Marie Antoinette Suite, perfect foils for the jaw-dropping gowns by Giambattista Valli, Jenny Packham and Chanel that were carefully selected by our fashion director, Nicole Smallwood. It was Gabriella’s first fashion shoot after having her third child, and she was excited and happy to be back on set again.

As with the rest of the British hotel and hospitality industry, 2020 has offered up many challenges for The Ritz.

However, after a few months of closure due to the pandemic – the very first time the hotel had been closed since it was first opened by Swiss hotelier César Ritz in May 1906 – it was able to reopen in late summer, welcoming guests back to the Michelin-starred Ritz Restaurant, the beautiful Palm Court, where the hotel’s world-famous afternoon tea is served, and the 111 bedrooms and 25 suites. (It goes without saying that all possible Covid precautions are taken for every guest and visitor, to ensure their stay is as safe as possible.)

With Christmas around the corner, The Ritz will soon be putting on the glitz with its signature spectacular decorations, filling its rooms with twinkling lights to mark this joyous annual festival. Whether you’re looking to toast the time of year with your family and friends, or simply treat yourself to a Christmas Day you’ll never forget, nowhere does festive quite like The Ritz.

Opulent and iconic: The Ritz was the perfect location for our shoot with Poldark star Gabriella Wilde (see p.116)

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PHOTO: OXFORD, THE LAST HURRAH BY DAFYDD JONES PUBLISHED BY ACC ART BOOKS

‘I DANCED ALL NIGHT AND STILL WANTED MORE’ The party may be over for now, but it will be back, says Ticky Hedley-Dent

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Seated, from left to right: Hugh Grant, Marina Killery, Lulu Guinness, Lord Neidpath and Catherine Guinness, at the Piers Gaveston Ball, Park Lane Hotel, London 1983

T H E G O O D O L D D A Y S

DAFFYD JONES SOCIETY AND CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER

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arties are pretty much off the menu this festive season. What better time, then, to ask a heady mixture of the arty, fashionable and unashamedly social to reveal which epic shindig really blew their minds? As any veteran partygoer will tell you, it’s not about the money. No, what’s needed is an alchemical explosion of fabulous guests (with a sprinkling of hedonists who don’t give a damn), a vibe of spontaneity and, of course, free-flowing drinks. So, mix yourself a cocktail and be our armchair invite at these fabulous bashes.

‘My career began with some pictures I did of the Piers Gaveston club in Oxford.

I lived around the corner from where several members lived in Norreys Avenue.

I covered informal meetings, dinners, drinks parties. This (left) was a Piers Gaveston Ball I photographed, held in London at the Park Lane Hotel. The dress code was ‘Garden of Earthly Delights’ after the painting by Hieronymus Bosch.

It went on from about 10 pm until 3 am.

Many men were dressed as women. The women were mostly scantily dressed.

Many friends were there and I spent a lot of time chatting, but also there was a lot to photograph. Memorably, I used up 24 rolls of film – a record for me.

I was an early fan of Hugh Grant. At the time he’d only appeared in an undergraduate film set in Oxford.

Marina Killery was a hat maker and artist. Lulu was already married to Valentine Guinness, one of the founders of the club. Lord Neidpath is wearing a dress and on his other side is Catherine Guinness, who’d returned from a spell in New York where she was part of the Warhol circle.’

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FA S H I O N , FA M E AND FORTUNE

JENNY PACKHAM FASHION DESIGNER

‘The JP Aftershow Party at Boujis, London, in 2004. The S/S ’04 collection had been inspired by a six-hour car trip through Kerala.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley had walked the catwalk in gold hot pants and Erin O’Connor had posed to perfection in lemon silk tulle. The applause had been rapturous and as the team tumbled out of the backstage area the adrenaline was surging. Then, as we entered Boujis, the magnums of champagne had already been uncorked. Later in the evening Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit pumped and suddenly we became a throbbing pogoing mass of hedonistic fashion folk living the dream. Such team spirit is hard to capture. Spoilt by the naivety of youth, I thought it was just one of so many more nights like that to come but things change and, grinding with my pattern cutter, it became a story for a giggle rather than something to be repeated. But sometimes, when I hear that track, I lift my heels a little and smile.’

RITA KONIG INTERIOR DESIGNER

‘When we were 21 a friend of mine had the most incredible birthday.

Nicky Haslam designed it. He reimagined the basement of the Royal College of Art as El Morocco, the famous NYC night club in the Fifties. He printed navy and white zebra fabric for the banquettes and there were black and white photographs by Terry O’Neill on the walls. The Gipsy Kings played live and we danced our hearts out and then went on to Annabel’s. It was that rare thing when all the components conspire for a perfect storm, a beautifully produced party, with a guest list full of friends and mixed ages. Pure joy and terrific fun was had all night!’

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Naomi Campbell, Carla Bruni and Gianni Versace at the Rhythm of Life Ball at the Grosvenor House Hotel in 1992

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T H E G O O D O L D D A Y S

DAVE BENETT

ANDREW ROBERTS HISTORIAN

PHOTO: DAVE BENETT

SOCIETY AND CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER

‘It’s difficult to pick one because I’ve been to so many great parties in my life, but one that stands out, because of this great pic, is the Rhythm of Life Ball for the Rainforest Foundation at Grosvenor House Hotel in 1992.

People really knew how to party in those days and it was the epitome of London fashion and music in the early Nineties! There was a catwalk show with Carla Bruni, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Tyra Banks and Christy Turlington. At dinner, Eric Clapton sat with Carla smoking cigarettes, Trudie and Sting were dancing while Kylie Minogue performed.

All the girls were dressed in Versace and posing with Gianni, who was the king of fashion at the time.’

‘Robin Birley’s cream pie-throwing party at the old Katharine Hamnett shop on the Fulham Road was my best party ever. In August 1990, he invited 300 people to what was billed as a normal birthday party, but then the walls of the room, which turned out to made of white crepe, rose up suddenly and the guests started to be pelted by semi-naked women hurling cream pies, of which there were over five thousand placed around the edges of the room, as music played Happy Days Are Here Again. We all rushed over and spent the rest of the party throwing cream pies at one another, slipping around on the floor and getting covered in cream from head to foot. I look back on the innocence and exuberance of that time – three months or so before the fall of Margaret Thatcher – as a very happy time in my life.’

NICHOLAS COLERIDGE CHAIRMAN OF V&A , EX- CHAIRMAN OF CONDÉ NAST, NOVELIST

‘Lady Melchett’s Black & Gold Ball, in May 1981, was the first seriously glamorous party to which I was ever invited. Sonia Melchett ran a salon for authors, politicians and socialites in those days, and the ball she gave with her daughter, Pandora Mond, was highly anticipated. It was held in The Orangery in Holland Park and as you entered the room you saw every famous face you had ever seen. Not one single guest had failed to make an effort – gold turbans, gold tunics, gold britches and long golden coats wherever you looked. I dressed as a 20-year-old matador in a golden suit of lights. The whole room shimmered. Even the champagne was golden, in my memory. I remember that Vogue had the exclusive to photograph the party, but I somehow intercepted some pictures and they appeared in Tatler first instead.’

PETRONELLA WYATT JOURNALIST

‘When I was 18 I was invited to a costume ball at West Wycombe Park by its wonderfully eccentric and charming owner, Sir Francis Dashwood. Like his 18th century ancestor, a founding member of the Hellfire Club, Francis was adept at the art of hedonism. The gathering was large but select: royals, politicians, grandees, writers and other luminaries. Oriental tents were erected on the grounds, overlooking lakes with temples on which ballerinas and singers performed. As the stars got brighter a gondola glided into the central lake. Its occupant was Pavarotti, who sang to us. Afterwards there was a great firework display accompanied by a full orchestra. I was drunk on beauty. I will never forget it as long as I live and I shall never see its like again.’

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S TA R Q U A L I T Y

BEN ELLIOT CO -FOUNDER OF QUINTESSENTIALLY, CO - CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY

‘I loved the party at my wedding – it’s the best party I’ve been to. My father-in-law, Steve Winwood, and his children were the band, with Motown singer Gary US Bonds. All the people we loved most under a harvest moon in Gloucestershire.’

DAVID GANDY MODEL

‘Dolce & Gabbana know how to throw a party. However, the party to celebrate their 20th anniversary was quite extraordinary. VIP quests turned up in horse-drawn carriages and included the who’s who of the fashion and film industries. At one point I remember Diana Ross being played and everyone getting up to dance, then realising Diana Ross was actually there in person and singing live!’

ED VAIZEY CONSERVATIVE LIFE PEER AND C&TH CULTURE EDITOR

‘The best party I ever went to was one of Charles Finch’s pre-BAFTA parties at the old Annabel’s. Somehow, Charles always manages to get top Hollywood royalty there. He once introduced me to Tom Cruise and we became great friends for about ten minutes. He subsequently invited me to his filmset, a premiere, and threw a screening for me. I haven’t heard from him since, but I dine out on the encounter A LOT!’

Amy Adams, Tom Cruise and Andrea Riseborough at Annabel’s, 2013

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Forest Whitaker (top right) celebrates his 2007 Oscar win at the Vanity Fair party, with (clockwise from above): Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combes, Jerry Inzerillo, Kelly Preston and John Travolta

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RICHARD YOUNG

PHOTO: RICHARD YOUNG; GETTY IMAGES; DAVE BENETT / GETTY IMAGES

CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER

‘The most incredible parties I have ever covered were the Vanity Fair Oscar parties at Mortons in Los Angeles. I would be flown out every year, always staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The evening started with the Oscar-viewing party, a sit-down dinner for around 250 celebrities and industry bigwigs. Then, after the ceremony, two curtains would reveal the main party area constructed each year just for the night. This is when the real partying started. All the Oscar winners would do the rounds of the various parties and always finish up at Vanity Fair later in the evening. It was so exciting, waiting for all the big names thrusting their Oscars in the air, everyone in a celebratory mood and ready to have their photograph taken. I was never refused a shot by anyone. I have never in my life attended a showbiz party that can compare to the ten years I was fortunate enough to have full and total access there.

This shot of Forest Whitaker with his Oscar for The Last King of Scotland absolutely captures the incredible electricity running through the party that night!’

W H E N W E W E R E Y O U N G

BEN GOLDSMITH FINANCIER AND ENVIRONMENTALIST

‘The first party I can remember was thrown by my father, James Goldsmith, to celebrate my sister Alix’s marriage in Paris. I was 11, and the party took place at his restaurant Laurent, which was just off the Champs-Élysées. A famous New Orleans brass band had flown over for the occasion, and the rhythm of that great drum in chorus with the trumpets and trombones could be heard as we walked up from the other end of Avenue Gabriel. I remember a riot of colour and noise, swirling dresses, great platters of lobsters, and the marching band weaving its way through the revellers.

The giants of that time, metaphorical and seemingly to me actual, sat at corner tables chewing their cigars: Kerry Packer, John Aspinall, Mark Birley, Taki, my uncle Teddy, my father.

I’m not sure we’ll see their like again.’

JILLY COOPER AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST

‘The best party I ever went to was when I was eight. It was on 8 May, 1945, the day after Germany surrendered.

My father, a brigadier, took a day off from the War Office and my adored brother came home from prep school.

Carrying a red jelly and a shepherd’s pie containing our entire week’s meat ration, we walked to the party. Every house was ablaze with lights and strewn with Union Jacks and bunting. Tables groaned with food and drink, and there was a twelve-foot-high bonfire with an effigy of Hitler on top.

Later, we toasted Mr Churchill and the King and Queen. Then we bellowed: ‘There’ll always be an England,’ and all the grown-ups cried. I got awful indigestion from eating uncooked baked potatoes, my best friend guzzled a whole tin of condensed milk and was sick in the rhododendrons. Gradually it sunk in: that we had won the war, and that we were free.’ n

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The RUSSIA HOUSE A

lexandra Tolstoy’s life plays out like a novel written by her distant cousin Leo, and she’s only 46. During lockdown in April, a documentary called The Countess and the Russian Billionaire aired on the BBC and newspaper supplements were filled with glossy pictures of her globetrotting life – all private jets, houses in Chelsea, St Barts and on the French Riviera, a wardrobe just for handbags (mostly Chanel), PAs, nannies and French tutors… So far, so gilded (indeed, Sergei Pugachev is one of the top thousand richest people in the world).

But as the five-years-in-the-making documentary unfolded, this life of extreme wealth and privilege crumbled before our very eyes, morphing into one of assassination threats, physical attacks, spying, financial hardship and a passion that ultimately turned sour.

With the eight-year love affair well and truly over (she hasn’t seen Pugachev since 2016), the beautiful Chelsea home they once shared, and where she had been living with their three children (Aliosha, 11, Ivan, 10 and Maria, 8) until May this year, has now been sold.

Alexandra was given just 12 days’ notice to leave after Moscow judges ruled it belonged to creditors in the Russian capital.

For anyone who drooled over the gorgeous eclectic interiors of these two former artist’s studios (previously occupied by Walter Sickert and William Rothenstein) knocked together and designed by Daniel Slowick and Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler Interiors to create the most striking and original family home, the Christie’s

London sale, ‘Alexandra Tolstoy: A Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler Interior’, taking place this month, is a highlight of the autumn auction calendar. But how does it feel for Alexandra to have to let go?

‘The anticipation is actually way worse than the reality,’ she tells me, speaking on Zoom from her newly rented home. ‘Weirdly, I don’t feel sad at all. Lots of traumatic things happened in that house.’

Asked whether the documentary painted a fair account of things, Alexandra is angry that there seemed to be an agenda to cast Sergei as a political victim of Putin. ‘It’s a murky, dirty world but I don’t think Sergei had any political ideas or aspirations and they tried to make out that we separated because of Putin, but it wasn’t that.

I was very frightened of him.’

Where once, in kinder times, the house entertained other Russian oligarchs (who couldn’t quite believe that Sergei lived in a house with bare wooden floorboards – where were the gold taps?), and was filled with an extraordinary collection of antiques sourced by Slowick from all over the world, now it is to be changed by a new owner’s style and new guests. But where did all the wonderful antiques come from and what are the standouts of the collection that we should bid on?

‘When we came to London just before my oldest son was born, Sergei gave me a lump of money to buy things for the house. Emma and Daniel had worked with us on our Moscow home, so I got them involved here,’ explains Alexandra. Talking about the project, Slowick comments that, ‘Alexandra had a very clear vision and her taste was very consistent. Decorative, colourful, comfortable, quirky, full of pattern and informal.’

PHOTOS: © CHRISTIE’S

A wonderful selection of objets and antiques from the house that Alexandra Tolstoy shared with a billionaire oligarch is going under the hammer at Christie’s this month. How does it make her feel to have to let go? asks Lucy Cleland

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PHOTOS: © CHRISTTIE’S

Alexandra Tolstoy at the Chelsea home she once shared with Sergei Pugachev before she was asked to leave with 12 days’ notice

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‘TALKING ABOUT IT GIVES ME A LAYER OF PROTECTION, BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO BE ACCUSED OF WORKING WITH THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT’

This shines through in the quirkiness and originality of the pieces. For example, they bought the wonderful English pine doll’s house at the Chatsworth Attic Sale in 2010 (one of the few pieces Alexandra is most upset about leaving behind).

Slowick found the ‘very unusual’ Italian 19th-century cherrywood table in northern Italy – perfect for filling the dramatic dining space – and a tall Scottish Arts & Crafts oak bookcase that he cleverly filled with green glazed paints. ‘I love how wood and green go together,’ she says.

Her favourite lots? ‘If I were going in to buy, I’d be looking at the American ‘rag’ carpet. It’s really rare and special and works in any interior. It’s difficult to find something with simple primary colours that isn’t modern. And the oak partners’ desk is pretty cool.

This again works with everything.’

Is she keeping anything? ‘Yes,’ she laughs. ‘I’m keeping the beds and dining table and chairs and the children’s pictures because they grew up looking at them every single day so it’s good for them to have a bit of continuity.’

Indeed, you wonder how the children have fared throughout these turbulent years. ‘It’s been strange and difficult for them,’ acknowledges Alexandra. ‘They know the facts. I never say anything critical. I think the most difficult thing is that they don’t want to know. It’s scary. They get on with their day-to-day. It’s their way of coping.’

It’s a far cry from Alexandra’s own upbringing deep in the Somerset countryside with her father, Nikolai Tolstoy, mother Georgina and siblings Anastasia, Dimitri and Xenia – which was perhaps less dramatic externally, but internally a young Alexandra was undoubtedly forging her own future adventures.

‘I had quite an ascetic, repressive upbringing,’ she says. ‘I wasn’t allowed to watch television till I FROM ABOVE: Lots for sale include a few of Alexandra’s favourite pieces: a Scottish Arts & Crafts oak bookcase, 19th century (estimate £2,000-£3,000); was 18. And I had these an American ‘Rag’ carpet, 20th century (£2,000-£4,000); an English greyvery long, boring holidays painted pine doll’s house, second half 20th century (£1,000-£2,000); and an English oak and brass partners’ desk, mid 20th century (£2,500-£4,000) where I read a lot: mostly

Alexandra Tolstoy: A Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler Interior: Christie’s online auction, 4-25 Nov, 2020. Estimates start at £300 for lots including English furniture, porcelain, lighting, rugs and carpets. christies.com n

PHOTOS: © CHRISTIE’S

the classics – Brontë, Dostoyevsky, Stendhal, Austen, Walter Scott. I lived a lot in my head. Reading allowed my mind to expand and showed me I didn’t have to live the life I’d been brought up to live.’

How true, but what led to this openness to talk so freely about her life, in a way so many others may have shied away from – indeed to film documentaries and fill glossy magazines? ‘I’m a person who wears my emotions on my sleeve, but what I lived through [in my marriage] was very frightening and I sort of had a nervous breakdown. I didn’t sleep for about five years. That’s part of the abuse – to make someone feel so confused they don’t know what’s going on.’

And has the fear dissipated somewhat? ‘Yes, I feel much better now. Talking aloud about it also gives me a layer of protection, because I don’t want to be accused of working with the Russian government [which is what Sergei believed] as that’s horrendous.

[Equally,] my life is so involved with Russia – I run a travel business, I take people to Russia, I love Russia and I don’t want to be associated with being their enemy somehow.

Talking out about it is a kind of insurance policy.’

And what of Sergei?

Any regrets? ‘No. I watch people living in regret and it is the most toxic waste of life. But now,’ she says wryly, ‘finally I am learning from my mistakes so I hope I wouldn’t make them again.’

With the sale of the house yet another dramatic chapter in the life of Alexandra Tolstoy, she has surely considered writing her own book. ‘One day I will write an account of my life as it’s the kind of story I like reading but I think it needs to have a good ending.’

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PHOTOS: © CHRISTIE’S

Alexandra Tolstoy’s drawing room in her Chelsea townhouse, showing over 15 lots offered in the sale at Christie’s London

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BACK TO NATURE

Amy Wakeham forages for sustainable skincare in Wales

T

he early autumn breeze whips around me as I stand on a rocky outcrop of a remote Welsh hillside, purple bilberry juice staining my fingers. A swathe of pink heather and copper bracken illuminates the landscape as I lean in, listening to Richard Prideaux patiently explain the prickly, time-consuming process of harvesting wild gorse flowers.

Prideaux is a forager and survival expert, and the lynchpin of Wild Beauty, the new skincare brand from the Rhug Estate. He is taking me foraging for the ingredients that make up the core of the Wild Beauty range: elderflower, lemon balm, heather, gorse, dandelion, hawthorn, meadowsweet, herb robert, nettle and yarrow. All of which grow in plenitude on Rhug, and which Prideaux and his fellow nature expert, Amy, are now tasked with gathering for Wild Beauty.

‘We only take a small percentage of what’s growing here when it’s in season, so it’s totally sustainable,’ explains Prideaux. ‘It’s not farming – it’s hunter-gathering.’ Of the ten ingredients, gorse is the most difficult to collect, while Prideaux discovered that, although nettles are relatively easy to pick, when dried their hairs become airborne – and all too easy to swallow. ‘No one was harmed in the making of Wild Beauty,’ he jokes, ‘apart from a couple of foragers.’

Wild Beauty is the latest addition to the Rhug

FROM ABOVE: Forager Richard Prideaux picking yarrow with team member and ‘face’ of Wild Beauty, Anastasiia Berezhna; Purifying Cleansing Lotion with Dandelion, £55; Nourishing Eye Cream with Elderflower, £85

Estate portfolio, a beautiful, verdant expanse of 12,500 acres in north Wales that is owned and run by Lord Newborough. Fully organic and lauded for its meat, which is sought after by high-end restaurants in London, and all over the world, it was awarded a Royal Warrant by fellow organic enthusiast, HRH Prince Charles, in 2018.

‘I wanted to capture something that embraced everything that surrounds us here,’ explains Lord Newborough as we huddle away from the Welsh rain in the estate’s office once the foraging is finished. ‘The fresh air, the streams, the wildness and the beauty of the area; I wanted to capture all this in a skincare range.’

Lord Newborough is passionate about the environment and, since taking over the estate from his father in 1998, has converted it to organic (it was certified by the Soil Association in 2000) and added a large portfolio of renewable energy projects, including hydro, solar and wind power. Above all, he says he wants to ‘secure a better future for the next generation’. His modus operandi, which he

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applies to everything from the livestock to the crops to the Wild Beauty brand, is ‘low stress’.

Last year, surrounded by such an abundance of nature, Lord Newborough was struck with the idea of using it to create a luxury, sustainable skincare brand using ingredients foraged on the estate.

He sat down with Prideaux and together they came up with the list of forage ingredients that, along with organic oats, spring water, honey and beeswax from the estate, makes up the heart of the Wild Beauty range.

These are then transported to Dorset where, along with six sustainably sourced essential oils, they’re formulated into creams, masks, serums and lotions.

From the very beginning, Lord Newborough was committed to getting the right accreditations for Wild Beauty. ‘I can say for definite that we are the most certified and sustainable skincare range to come onto the market,’ he says.

Wild Beauty carries a raft of Soil Association certificates as well as the Leaping Bunny logo, the Vegan mark and Halal stamp. ‘The amount of certification in this industry is actually shockingly poor,’ he continues, shaking his head.

‘The number we see on products that are invented by the companies themselves. Or they’ve been put

together by trade associations. They’re not genuine.’

The whole range is also packaged, where possible, in recyclable glass bottles – for which the team is developing refill pouches – and in post-consumer recycled plastic where not.

Of course, as with any beauty product, the proof of the pudding is the eating (metaphorically speaking), and after a few weeks of trying it out I can attest that Wild Beauty more than lives up to its aspirations. As well as smelling lovely, the foraged ingredients have a potent effect, while still not triggering my hypersensitive skin. The replenishing mask is particularly good, with healing Rhug honey, anti-inflammatory heather and soothing yarrow, while the meadowsweet, nettle and gorse in the rebalancing tonic have made my skin noticeably brighter and more hydrated.

And I’m not the only one to be impressed: only a short while after it launched Wild Beauty scooped two gold medals at the International Organic Awards 2020, for the aforementioned mask and the purifying cleansing lotion. Plus, ‘In the first two weeks, everybody who’d ordered online reordered,’ says Lord Newborough, proudly.

Wild Beauty is a welcome addition to an industry that’s not traditionally known for its eco credentials or transparency. What’s more, the fact that its ingredients are sourced in Wales – and foraged, no less – before being formulated in Dorset is certainly a balm for those of us worrying about the carbon footprint of our beauty routines.

After all, we’re already buying local British meat, fish, fruit and veg – isn’t it time we took the same approach to our skincare? rhugwildbeauty.com n

WILDCRAFTED BEAUTY A term that has emerged in the US in recent years, ‘wildcrafted’ beauty refers to products that are created with sustainably foraged ingredients. Here are three British and Irish brands that, along with Wild Beauty, are taking this new path.

HÆCKELS Based in Margate, Hæckels uses seaweed foraged from outside its lab’s front door to create its skincare, perfume and home line. Algae Plump + B3 serum, £20. haeckels.co.uk

CODEX BEAUTY With wildharvested and organic ingredients, Codex Beauty harnesses the best of biotechnology for products that really work. Bia Day Cream, £67. codexbeauty. com

VANDEROHE Made from a blend of certified organic and wildcrafted ingredients, picked for their skin-healing and moodenhancing properties.

Purifying Cleansing Oil. £72. vanderohe.com

ABOVE AND LEFT: Lord Newborough on the Rhug Estate; the stunning Berwyn hills and river Dee in North Wales, where Richard forages for Wild Beauty’s ingredients

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A unique classic car tour adventure

Exploring Scotland’s most scenic highways and exclusive destinations

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A LAND OF PLENTY

PHOTOS: BORGO PIGNANO

From Wales to the rolling Tuscan hills, the preservation and conservation of landscape has obsessed entrepreneur, philanthropist and writer Michael Moritz. Here, he describes how he has created a piece of Italian eco-heaven for us all to enjoy

Borgo Pignano’s five-acre garden produces a delicious array of fruit and veg for the hotel

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O

n a late October day in 1966 the rain was hammering against the fogged-up windows of a classroom in South Wales when the teacher stopped the lesson to announce that, just 20 miles away in the small mining town of Aberfan, a coal tip had slid down a hillside and hundreds of people were missing. I had just turned 12.

Occasionally, when I’m gazing at the views from Borgo Pignano – the countryside hotel my wife and I have developed on a Tuscan hilltop – I think of Aberfan and the way the natural beauty of the valleys of South Wales was decimated by the coal industry.

I also sometimes think about How Green Was My Valley, a film about a Welsh coal town that won the Oscar for best movie of 1941 but, thanks to the illusory tricks of Hollywood, was actually filmed in the hills above Santa Monica.

On an early autumn day, such as the one on which I write, and after the excitement of a colossal night-time thunderstorm, none of the views from Borgo Pignano are an illusion. They stretch unimpeded as far as Corsica – some 70 miles away – and there are no coal tips or signs of industrial depredations. The freshly ploughed fields in the valleys around us are maroon and chestnut; the fields that have been planted with cover crops are a soft, cobalt green; the leaves on the vines are turning orange and gold but the trees have yet to lose their leaves. Our valleys are green.

From the time Borgo Pignano was first settled until about 80 years ago, its inhabitants had no choice but to live from the earth. That was true for the Etruscans who were Borgo Pignano’s first settlers, and the Romans who succeeded them and used stone from the estate’s quarry to help construct a recently discovered coliseum in nearby Volterra.

It was also the case for the many generations of Italian landowners who owned Borgo Pignano until about 60 years ago.

Visitors to Borgo Pignano in the 1930s would have found a community of about 150 people who, with the exception of the owner and his functionaries, the schoolteacher, the baker and the priest, were living a hard-scrabble life as tenant farmers. The elegant copperplate inscriptions in the annual chart of accounts that records with meticulous detail the quantities of grain, beans, seeds, wool, wine, oil,

cheese and silage turned in by these tenants offers a glimpse of the unremitting rigour of their lives.

Most of these people lived on the upper floor of small stone buildings, with their pigs and chickens below. Water was drawn from various wells or the cisterns that collected rainwater. Candles were the source of light during the long, cold winters; wood harvested (by handsaw and axe) from the nearby forest provided heat. Before oil and the combustion engine brought the tractor, the fields were either ploughed by hand or by oxen.

Little wonder that for these farmers and their wives the arrival of tractors, mechanical harvesters, chemical fertilisers, motorcycles and the three-wheeled Piaggio Vespa (made at a small factory about 30 miles from Borgo Pignano), seemed like a godsend. But the benefits were short-lived. The fields were over-ploughed, which led to terrible erosion, and fertilisers poisoned the earth.

When we bought Borgo Pignano, the hamlet needed extensive work. This gave us the chance to refashion the relationship between the property and the surrounding countryside and we felt it our duty to do everything possible to help Borgo Pignano sustain itself with as light an energy footprint as possible. The planning officials of the local municipality have become allies in this effort since they wisely prefer ecologically-sensitive building materials.

A year-long reconstruction of the roofs means we now capture every drop of rainwater, which we store in the same underground cisterns that have been here for centuries. The most interesting water-saving excursion was the creation of the first field in Tuscany to have swales – trenches dug into the natural gridlines – which collect rainwater and prevent erosion. The results have been astonishing. A field that was parched and ochre for much of the year is now green and alive with fruit trees.

Much of our heat is drawn from a furnace fuelled with woodchips from the trees in the surrounding forests. We obviously make sure these woods remain healthy and vibrant.

Solar panels provide supplementary electricity and these days we also have chargers for electric vehicles.

The evidence of the rejuvenation of the land is apparent every day for guests. Soaps and shampoos are made on the property. Bread and pasta are made from our own flour that we mill. The olive oil, wines, honey and preserves all come from the trees, vines and beehives that are dotted about the property. Our dozen horses munch on the hay we grow but it is the ‘orto’, our fiveacre vegetable garden, which deserves the prize for productivity, spawning – among other items – asparagus, artichokes, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, beans, chicory, raspberries and strawberries.

Food or products that we don’t grow are sourced locally. Cheeses are produced by nearby neighbours with small farms. A fish supplier appears several times a week with the morning catch from Elba, which is about as close as a sea bream can swim to Borgo Pignano.

We’ve learned much from operating in this manner, something which requires the fortitude to work with nature rather than be constrained by additional costs. Now, we’re ready to apply all we have learned to our new undertaking, Borgo Pignano Florence, which will open in 2023. With its 30 luxury rooms and suites, surrounded by olives and vines, it will become a bucolic countryside retreat, set within the largest grounds of any hotel, in the birthplace of Michelangelo, Galileo and Leonardo da Vinci. n

PHOTOS: BORGO PIGNANO

BREAD AND PASTA ARE MADE FROM OUR OWN FLOUR. THE OLIVE OIL, WINES, HONEY AND PRESERVES ALSO COME FROM BORGO PIGNANO

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PHOTOS: BORGO PIGNANO

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Borgo Pignano is a 750-acre estate set in the heart of Tuscany, surrounded by bountiful organic farmland and consisting of a restored 18th-century villa and a hamlet first settled in Etruscan times

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

WE CAN’T

PREDICT THE

FUTURE,

SO LET’S LEAVE IT TO THE

STARS In a world of uncertainty, why don’t you just follow the signs? Here’s your ultimate astrological Christmas gift guide

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Chaumet Joséphine Aigrette Impériale earrings, POA. chaumet.com

Ettinger Large zip-around purse, £420. ettinger.co.uk

Fern Fans Berry pink, £60. fernfans.com

Edwards Eyewear Glasses, £249. edwardseyewear.com Alice Cicolini Candy lacquer totem ring, £2,880. liberty.co.uk

Paper Pyjamas, £295. paperlondon.com

LOEWE Perfumes Tomato Leaves wax candleholder, £68. perfumesloewe.com

John Smedley Jolie in fuchsia merino top, £295. johnsmedley.com

ARIES

Colour Red Characteristic Dynamic Birthstone Ruby

Holland & Holland Norweger shoes, £515. hollandandholland.co.uk

Jonathan Adler Lips trinket tray, £98. uk.jonathanadler.com

Fortnum & Mason Beauty advent calendar, £195. fortnumandmason.com

Mulberry Alexa, £1,095. mulberry.com

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

The Diamond Store Emerald and diamond earrings, £879. thediamondstore.co.uk

Isabel Manns Reversible Kelly top in Emerald, £375. isabelmanns.com

Yves Delorme Blossom cushion, £73 yvesdelorme.com

London Sock Company Socks, £15. londonsockcompany.com

Dar Leone Romarong Temne pot, £33. dar-leone.com

Not Another Bill Personalised backpack, £22. notanotherbill.com

Shrimps River coat, £695. shrimps.com

TAURUS

Colour Deep Green & Blue Characteristic Creative Birthstone Emerald

Harris Distilliry Cèilidh bottle, £45. harrisdistillery.com Popsockets Enamel Evil Eye phone grip, £16.99. popsockets.co.uk

Crockett & Jones Albert green velvet slippers, £230. crockettandjones.com

Goodhood x Doiy Design Saguaro cactus glasses, £48. goodhoodstore.com

Banwood Balance bike, £139. liberty.co.uk

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© Valérie Lade

© Peter Lippmann

High Society www.baobabcollection.com

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Samantha Tea Rose gold-set rainbow sapphires and moonstone ring, £1,785. samanthatea.com

Montezuma White chocolate truffle bites with mango, chilli and lime, £3.99. montezumas.co.uk

Graham & Green Love Birds Matchbox seat pad, £35. grahamandgreen.co.uk

Farlows Fairisle jumper, £119. farlows.co.uk

Suzannah Suede belt, £185. suzannah.com

Olivia von Halle Queenie robe, £850. harrods.com

Yves Salomon Toscana shearling yellow coat, £2,106. yves-salomon.com

GEMINI

The Vampire’s Wife Ghost Bow dress, £1,700. thevampireswife.com

Colour Yellow & Green Characteristic Versatile Birthstone Moonstone

Hunter Original, £95. hunterboots.com

Tom Lane Wool throw, £65. tomlane.co

Bordallo Pinheiro Cabbage jug, £100. liberty.co.uk

Acqua di Parma Colonia special edition, £400. harrods.com

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ejchurchill_christmas_3mm_bleed.pdf

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30/10/2020

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Really Wild Scarf, £65. reallywildclothing.com

Keith Haring The Skateroom art object, £195. yoox.com

DeMellier Mini Los Angeles shearling bag, £315. demellierlondon.com

Loquet London Locket and moonstone charm, £600. loquetlondon.com

Dinosaur Designs Freshwater pearl earrings £175. dinosaurdesigns.co.uk

Eudon Choi Afi Coat, £815. eudonchoi.com

Daylesford Love & Peace matchbox, £7.50. daylesford.com

CANCER

Fornasetti Solitario teapot, £350. harrods.com

Colour White Characteristic Sensitive Birthstone Pearl

Rachel Vosper Five-wick candle, £325. rachelvosper.com

CQP Ghost trainers, £295. c-qp.com

Jing Tea Tea timer, £12. jingtea.com

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Lacoste Skirt, £155. lacoste.com

Alighieri Leo necklace, £195. shop.alighieri.co.uk

Mind the Gap Ravenala lamp shade and base, from £425. mindtheg.com

Rex London Cordoba stoneware plate, £8.95. rexlondon.com

D.S. & Durga Burning Barbershop eau de parfum, £220. liberty.co.uk

Oliver Brown Chiltern shooting sock, £35. oliverbrown.org.uk

Temperley London Dress, £895. temperleylondon.com

LEO

Rejina Pyo Maude skirt, £395. rejinapyo.com

Colour Orange & Gold Characteristic Outgoing Birthstone Peridot Rockett St George Orange glassware set, £70. rockettstgeorge.co.uk Soho Home Flower stool, £695. sohohome.com

Jessica Russell Flint Eye mask, £36. jessicarussellflint.co.uk

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LEATHER FOOTWEAR | ACCESSORIES | CLOTHING

FAIRFAXANDFAVOR.COM

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Votary Lavender & chamomile candle, £45. votary.co.uk

Hopeful Manhattan bag, £150. hopefullondon.com

Atopia Spiced Citrus ultra-low alcohol spirit, £24. sainsburys.co.uk

Dogs: The Human Animals £25. waterstones.com Retrofête Alphabet rhodium-plated crystal earring, £100. net-a-porter.com

Brunello Cucinelli Skirt, £1,150. brunellocucinelli.com

We Are Paradox Shampoo, £18. weareparadoxx.com

Dubarry Downpatrick boot, £249. dubarry.com

VIRGO

Diemme Everest hiking boot, £335. brownsfashion.com

Colour Black Characteristic Perfectionist Birthstone Sapphire House of Hackney Velvet cushion, £120. houseofhackney.com

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay M5 Speaker, £530. mrporter.com Vilac Vintage Ride-On Car, £112. liberty.co.uk

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay E8 3rd Generation, £300. bang-olufsen.com

Emily P. Wheeler Gold, opal, diamond and pink sapphire earrings, £18,500. emilypwheeler.com

Connolly Calf cashmere socks, £85. connollyengland.com

Amiki Children Anetta nightdress, £77. amikichildren.com

Atelier Choux Set of three swaddles gift set, £100. atelierchoux.com

Nina Campbell Lion napkin, £20. ninacampbell.com

David Hunt Lighting Hyde brass table lamp, £354. davidhuntlighting.co.uk

LIBRA

JW Anderson Belt tote bag, £375. jwanderson.com

Joules Wellies, £24.95. joules.com

Victoria Beckham Sunglasses, £315. victoriabeckham.com

Neptune Cromford throw, £170. neptune.com

IMAGES: GETTY

Colour Pastels Characteristic Fair Birthstone Opal

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SU IO PT RI R C FE BS OF N

GIVE THE GIFT OF A BALANCED LIFE THIS CHRISTMAS 6 ISSUES FOR ONLY £12

6

PRINT ISSUES OF C&TH, PLUS SPECIAL ISSUES & INSTANT ACCESS TO EVERY DIGITAL EDITION

UP FRONT S T Y L E

STYLE REVOLUTION

GIGI BURRIS Straw hat, £340

Sustainable and ethical are your new fashion watch-words, says Mariella Tandy

BAUM UND PFERDGARTEN Calina turtleneck, £99

STINE GOYA Lindy dress, £1,650

PIPPA HOLT Embroidered kaftan, £460

MARA HOFFMAN Freda dress, £360

Alex Gore Browne’s designs are knitted in Italy using the finest Italian yarns, resulting in pieces that will last a lifetime. Sweater, £195; detachable collar, £265

VOTARY Eye oil, £115

STELLA MCCARTNEY Ruffled blouse, £395

SEED TO SKIN The Dew Mist, £66

CARAVANA Leather belt, £158

NANNACAY Astrid macramé tote, £130

GABRIELA HEARST Hades Agate sandals, £675

BITE STUDIOS Ombré dress, £550

MOTHER OF PEARL Iona trousers, £350

STORY MFG Tie-dyed skirt, £345

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Swarovski Arc-en-ciel red topaz and gold ring, £999. swarovski.com

Hicks & Brown The Chelsworth fedora, £124. hicksandbrown.com

Schöffel Silk shooting cravat, £49.95. schoffelcountry.com Alexander McQueen The Tall Story bag, £2,490. alexandermcqueen.com

Empreinte Bra, £85.50. empreinte.eu

Louise Kennedy Lydia blazer, £1,495. louisekennedy.com

Holland Cooper Leather biker jacket, £399. hollandcooper.com

Molly Goddard Farly skirt, £780. netaporter.com

Nynne Leather trousers, £1,520. luisaviaroma.com

SCORPIO

Colour Blood red Characteristic Passionate Birthstone Topaz

René Caovilla Juliette biker boot, £1,060. renecaovilla.com

Tasaki White gold, South Sea pearls and garnet ring, £3,270. tasaki.co.uk

IMAGES: GETTY

Dries Van Noten Sequin and feather bag, £390. liberty.co.uk

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ORIGINAL, LIMITED-EDITION ART DECO POSTERS

Limited to editions of 280, our newly-commissioned Art Deco posters feature glamorous holiday destinations around the world, ski resorts in the European Alps, and the world’s greatest historic automobiles. Over 100 designs to choose from, all printed on 100% cotton fine art paper, measuring 97 x 65 cm.

Pullman Editions Ltd

Priced at £395 each.

Tel: +44 (0)20 7730 0547

Private commissions are also welcome.

94 Pimlico Road Chelsea

London SW1W 8PL

www.pullmaneditions.com

info@pullmaneditions.com

Our central London gallery All images and text copyright © Pullman Editions Ltd. 2020

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE Venyx Choker with Sagittarius tag, £6,000. venyxworld.com

Kent & Curwen Crew neck, £180. kentandcurwen.com Aspinal of London Scarf, £125. aspinaloflondon.com

Chelseagem Sloane hairband, £27. chelseagem.com

Quantum Botanika Cleansing balm, £65. nataliyarobinson.co.uk

Fairfax and Favor Elizabeth gilet, £475. fairfaxandfavor.com

Favourbrook Velvet jacket, £690. favourbrook.com Alexandra Llewellyn Made to order zodiac backgammon board, £18,000. alexandrallewellyn.com

SAGITTARIUS Colour Plum and dark blue Characteristic Optimistic Birthstone Turquoise

Augustinus Bader The Face Oil, £180. augustinusbader.com

Duke and Dexter Opus loafers, £200. dukeanddexter.com

Sabina Savage Silk and cashmere scarf, £579. sabinasavage.com

PHOTOS: GETTY

Piglet x Woolovers Sheepskin mules, £42. pigletinbed.com

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PROMOTION

KNITTED TOGETHER Whale of a Time crafts timeless, sustainably made knitwear for town or country

I

n September 2016, Ellie Wales founded Whale of a Time from her parents’ home in Norfolk. The aim was to create timeless pieces, sustainably crafted from organic fabrics. Four years later, and the brand is going from success to success, with an ever-growing customer base and worn by the likes of Channel 4 presenter Danni Menzies and Made In Chelsea’s Miles Nazaire.

This autumn Whale of a Time launches its debut knitwear line of cosy rollnecks and chunky jumpers, all proudly crafted from premium merino wool and lambswool.

instead. All Whale of a Time seconds and samples are also put on resell platform Depop, ensuring nothing ever goes to waste. What’s more, sourcing its yarns from British farmers means the brand knows exactly where its wool comes from, ensuring high welfare standards and shrinking the carbon footprint of every jumper it makes.

MADE IN BRITAIN Last year Whale of a Time decided to bring its entire manufacturing process back to the UK, ensuring greater transparency and substantially reducing the brand’s carbon footprint. It also speeds up the time between design and production and allows the brand to respond to its customers’ feedback – whether that’s about new colourways or style suggestions.

The knitwear collection is designed in the company’s HQ in West Acre, Norfolk, and made right here in the UK along with the rest of it’s unisex range of casual wear.

TIMELESS

SUSTAINABLE Sustainability has been at the heart of Whale of a Time since it began. From the start it has always used organic cotton across its ranges, and from summer 2019 the brand has been plastic free, using recyclable boxes and tissue paper in its packaging

Whale of a Time’s new knitwear collection offers effortless styles, sustainably made in Britain

Whale of a Time has never been interested in passing trends; it wants its clothes to be loved and worn season after season, year after year. To this end, its concise knitwear range is utterly timeless, with classic cuts and colours you can return to every autumn and winter. So, whether you’re heading out for a crisp country walk this season, or layering up to meet friends for lunch in town, Whale of a Time has the perfect jumper for you. whaleofatimeclothing.com

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Westley Richards Hunting hat, £135. westleyrichards.com

Penhaligon’s Quercus limited edition eau de cologne, £60. penhaligons.com

Rollo London A5 notebook, £22. rollolondon.com

Dior Maison Toile de Jouy dessert plate, £250. harrods.com

Joseph Skirt, £695. joseph-fashion.com

Don Papa Rum, £32. sainsburys.co.uk

CAPRICORN

Colour Earthy Characteristic Ambitious Birthstone Blue sapphire

Scandiborn Jute rug, £175. scandiborn.co.uk

+Audio The+Record player, £1,190. plusaudio.com

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Hanwag Tatra Top GTX hunting boot, £280. hanwag.com

Celtic & Co Yeti boots, £155. celticandco.com

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a connection this Christmas Christmas is a time for celebration.

Make eyes light up, smiles erupt and laughter fill the air, even when you can’t be there.

Make it memorable with royalmint.com C E L E BR AT E | C OL L EC T | I N V E S T | SEC U R E | DISC OV E R

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Hanro Briefs, £67. hanro.co.uk

Lock & Co Beanie, £150. lockhatters.co.uk

Sunspel & David Shrigley Jumper, £250. sunspel.com

AKT Natural deodorant balm, £18. aktlondon.com

Pullman Editions Aston Martin limited edition (unframed), £395. pullmaneditions.com

The Alkemistry x Wolf Jewellery Box, £139. thealkemistry.com Gingerlily Silk pyjamas, £265. gingerlily.co.uk

AQUARIUS

Colour Blues Characteristic Assertive Birthstone Garnet

Beck Bags Large Havana tote, £360. shopbeckbags.com Edward Green Polperro loafers, £475. edwardgreen.com

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Rosamund Muir Boots, £425. rosamundmuir.com

Mariage Fréres Matcha bowl, £88. mariagefreres.com

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PROMOTION

DECK THE HALLS

From tablescapes to garlands, expert florist Lucy Vail has plenty of ideas for your home this Christmas

1

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GET FRUITY

Bulbs of hyacinths and paperwhites planted in antique bowls are great for placing at the centre of your festive table.

They also give off the most amazing scent.

We love mixing fruit and flowers. From little bowls full of cranberries to loose pomegranates, figs or nuts nestled between your arrangements, all are a fantastic way of bringing colour and texture to your table.

2

BOWLED OVER

GO GREEN

A sustainable choice this Christmas is drying flowers and fruit to reuse in your wreaths and garlands. In particular, large hydrangeas dry out beautifully, as do lavender and pink heather.

These are also a great way to spread festive pops of colour throughout your home.

3

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Take inspiration from your surroundings and add drama to your floral arrangements by using foraged goodies.

From sprigs of holly and berries from the garden, to twigs and larger branches – don’t be afraid to bring the wow factor into your home this Christmas with a foliage explosion.

5

THE ONLY WAY IS UP

Experiment with your staircase garland this year. Instead of just the handrail, weave the garland up and through the balusters to create an all-encompassing feel and something that’s a bit more exciting.

C&TH readers get 10 per cent off with the code LVF10. lucyvailfloristry.com

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Baobab Collection Swann candle, from £92. baobabcollection.com

Barbour Mayapple knit, £99.95. barbour.com

Joshua Ellis Cashmere stole, £325. joshuaellis.com

Coze Sati bathrobe, £70. cozelinen.com

La Perla Silk pyjamas, £315. laperla.com

OKA Aberarth table lamp, £295. oka.com

Maison M Silk velvet pouch bag, £95. maisonmlondon.com

PISCES

Theo Fennell Amethyst Trumpet ring, £3,500. theofennell.com

Colour Aqua & Purple Characteristic Compassionate Birthstone Amethyst Kin Yoga mat, £55. kinyogamats.com

House of Bruar Tweed slippers, £39.95. houseofbruar.com

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Le Chameau Iris Wellington boots, £100. lechameau.com

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New York | London | Dubai

Sculptures, water features and sundials made uniquely for you davidharber.co.uk | +44 (0) 1235 859300

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Sales and design consultations In showrooms and by virtual appointment Call 0345 600 1950 or visit www.cphart.co.uk

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LIVING INTERIORS DESIGN

THE INSIDER

LATE BLOOMER Sussex-based Fox Flowers is reviving a traditional art for the modern world with its hand-dyed and sustainably produced dried bouquets. Described as ‘a sweet shop of dried flowers, irresistible and practically edible with flavours to suit all,’ the vibrant, fiery shades of this new collection are the perfect addition to any winter tablescape.

From £13. foxflowers.co.uk

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THE INSIDER

RUGGED STYLE

Colville, the fashion brand by ex-Marni designer Molly Molloy and former Voguette Lucinda Chambers, is launching its first homewear collection.

Jute mat, £815. colvilleofficial.com

I N T E R I O R S

DESIGN NOTES

Threads of inspiration.

By Carole Annett

JUNGLE PUZZLE The eyecatching Kuba Maze fabric from Christian Lee mixes traditional roots with bohemian vibes. £46 p/m. christianleefabrics.com

WELCOME BACK In its 150th year, Warner has dusted itself off and re-emerged as Warner House. Bailey love seat in leopard noir, £2,400. warner-house.com

HEAR ME ROAR Panthère de Cartier vase in porcelain, £1,000. cartier.co.uk

KISS & STITCH

Line Up is a collection of handcrafted rugs from Howark Design and Holmes Bespoke, available in wool or a recycled PET yarn that’s hard wearing and easy to clean.

From £2,160. holmesbespoke.com

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PLACE SETTINGS SIX OF THE BEST

BY GUBI Satellite pendant light

by Mathieu Matégot for Gubi. £605. conranshop.com

BY GIORGIO

Porto by Armani/Casa – high fashion for your home, inspired

by Armani himself. £306 p/m. rubelli.com

SUNDOWN Japanese Sunset wallpaper by Wild Hearts Wonder, handpainted and digitally printed to show every brush stroke. £69. wildheartswonder.com

DIGITAL DREAMS

For the third collection in his printed leather series, Bill Amberg has collaborated with the likes of Kesewa Aboah, Bethan Gray and Yinka Ilori (left).

Each collaborator has designed a unique digital print for leather upholstery. billamberg.com

1 Le Sirenuse x Luke Edward Hall bone china plate, £68. emporiosirenuse.com 2 Giovanni Raspini Gorilla champagne bucket, £1,150. giovanniraspini.com 3 Joanna Wood wine glasses, £120 for six. joannawood.com 4 Issy Granger Pom carafe, £55. issygranger.com 5 Legle Sous Le Soleil butter dish, £75. bonadea.com 6 Apparatus Studio candle blocks, £725. andyoulifestyle.com

DAINTY Porada’s Smile stool is a little room pleaser.

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THE INSIDER F O C U S

SITTING PRETTY

1 Porada Ester chair with canaletta walnut frame and Range fabric, £1,331. porada.it 2 ‘We curate a home in a similar way to an exhibition,’ says Brigitta Spinocchia of Spinocchia Freund. spinocchiafreund.com 3 ‘Although damask is a traditional motif, we’ve added a contemporary twist with the use of colour,’ says Natalie Cotgrove, designer at Loomah. loomah.com 4 Hannah Lohan designed this seating area for a Victorian country home in Devon. hannahlohaninteriors.com 5 An oversized lampshade creates a focal point in a London penthouse by Deborah Bass of Base Interior. baseinterior.com

IMAGES: © SUE THORNE; © DAVID CLEVELAND

Love is in the chair, says Carole Annett

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Mylands Huguenot marble matt emulsion, £26 for one litre. mylands.com

APC Pinot Noir quilt, £535. apc.fr JamJar Edit Handmade flower fairy, £30. jamjaredit.co.uk

Ian Snow Gingerbread man decoration, £7. iansnow.com

Nkuku Chana mango wood star, £40. amara.com House of Bruar Harlequin cushion, £49.95. houseofbruar.com

Tom Raffield Dartmoor shepherd sheepskin, £180. tomraffield.com

Neptune Chichester round dining table, £950; Wardley dining chair, £300. neptune.com

David Hunt Lighting Oyster bronze pendant, £204. davidhuntlighting.co.uk

T R E N D

CHESTNUTS ROASTING

Nina Campbell Amethyst hemstitch placemat, £6.95. ninacampbell.com

Dress up your fireside, says Sofia Tindall

The weather outside is frightful, so we’re staying in and decking our halls instead. Simplicity is the key to a rustic Christmas scheme, so dig through your bottom drawers for wood, twine, starched linens, greenery and pine cones. Add your favourite handmade decorations, and finish off with a scatter of stars.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Ochre and Pure, both from £5.95. anniesloan.com

Cole and Son Whimsical Stars wallpaper, £80 per roll. cole-and-son.com

Bitossi Home Volta dinner plate, £35. thehambledon.com

Cox & Cox Round iron log holder, £70. coxandcox.co.uk

Rose Uniacke Hans Wegner Web lounge chair, £17,500. roseuniacke.com

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Towels and Sleep candle, both from The White Company; the bathroom; Chrissie’s study with armchairs by The White Company; kitchen designed by Ann Boyd design; study with leather chair by Rose Uniacke RU collection

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THE INSIDER C A S E

S T U D Y

THE WHITE ALBUM

Step inside The White Company founder Chrissie Rucker’s home, says Sofia Tindall

W

e were living in Shropshire and finding the commute to London very difficult,’ Chrissie Rucker explains.

‘We fell in love with this house the moment we walked through the door, and it’s been a work in progress for nearly 12 years.’

As striking in its simplicity as it is in modern day Austensensibility, Rucker’s 16th-century Buckinghamshire home makes a textbook case for leaving stately properties undressed and understated. Neutral shades flow peacefully throughout cavernous spaces, lending them an almost cathedral-like stillness and majesty. It’s the living embodiment of the subtle elegance at the heart of the White Company, which she founded in 1994 (there’s a reason it makes its way onto all of those Christmas and wedding lists each year), so no wonder it’s also the main inspiration of her bible for home design, For The Love of White.

With original sash windows, a ‘magical’ double-height hall with a gallery, original plasterwork and mouldings, the principle design signature is, of course, white. ‘I’ve always loved the perfect simplicity and versatility of white,’ Rucker says. ‘It’s classic yet modern and, like a little black dress, stands the test of time.’

But, she adds, not all white is created equal. ‘In a predominantly white home, it’s important to choose warm whites. We used lots of chalky whites and the softest greys.’ Over time her home has also become a collaborative project of sorts, with London-based interior designer Ann Boyd drafted in for the initial overhaul of the design, and more recently the expert eye of antiques specialist Rose Uniacke who worked on the finishing touches.

Natural materials, diaphanous drapes, weathered wood and slates are also elements cleverly used throughout to enhance a sense of texture and underscore the grandeur of the building.

Rucker’s personal triumph is the kitchen, previously several small, poky rooms. ‘We replaced three windows with French doors, making it much lighter. It became one of our most loved and used rooms in the house.’ As Christmas descends, it’s all too easy to envisage each tranquil, luminously serene room decked in white cluster fairy lights, glass baubles, flickering candles (‘Winter, Fir Tree and Highland Escape are always my Christmas staples’) with mantelpieces draped in greenery, and a fire leaping in the vast grate. ‘Bringing the outside in too, adds life to a space,’ concludes Rucker. ‘A fig tree in a bright, airy space or just a large vase of simple greenery or flowers really adds natural energy.’ For the rest, of course, you’ll have to read the book.

FROM ABOVE: Bed and bedlinen by The White Company; a custom made dresser by Ann Boyd Design; matching twin sofas designed by Rose Uniacke, antiques sourced by Rose Uniacke and accessories by The White Company

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28/10/2020 16:31

ESCAPE THE ORDINARY with your own luxury fleet Meridian Adventure Sail creates tailor-made, bespoke sailing itineraries for those seeking to explore the wonder of the ocean and exquisite hidden gems.

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EAT DRINK ESCAPE

FOOD & TRAVEL

S R I

L A N K A

SPACE TO BREATHE

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Will Young abandons himself to the beauty and peace of Sri Lanka

From bustling cities to palm-fringed beaches, Will Young finds plenty to explore in Sri Lanka

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t was a unanimous decision between my father, sister and me, to return to Sri Lanka for our annual family outing. We’d visited the country in previous years and fell in love with its warm people, tuk-tuk races, spice regions, temples and, above all, food. It was a place I desperately wanted to revisit, despite its rocky recent history.

It was early evening when we landed in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s bright, bustling and modern capital, and immediately drove the short distance to The Wallawwa, the first Teardrop Hotel on our itinerary. Set within 200-year-old tropical gardens, the country house-style hotel is a calm and peaceful escape from the clamour of the airport, its jungle pool and spa the perfect place to soothe away travel-frazzled nerves. There are elegant rooms where you can sit and read in peace, or, like I did, simply relax with a pot of Ceylon tea on the wide veranda that wraps around one side of the old house.

After an evening of recuperation, we set off early next day for the UNESCO World Heritage site of Galle Fort, on the south-west coast. Evidence of the island’s rich but complex history of European colonialism, Galle Fort first appeared in Ptolemy’s world map of 125–150AD and was rebuilt by Portuguese settlers in 1588 and further fortified by the Dutch the following century.

Within its narrow, winding streets, lined with an eclectic array of centuries-old villas, churches and spice warehouses, we found Fort Bazaar, a 17th-century former merchant’s home that has been transformed into a boutique hotel. After tuning into the final of the Rugby World Cup, we spent the day strolling around the fort’s ancient parapet and venturing into Galle city’s maze of shops, restaurants and cafes.

Craving some peace after all that hustle and bustle, we drove an hour up Sri Lanka’s palm-dotted ‘sunset’ coast to Kumu Beach, a small boutique hotel on the shores of the Lakshadweep Sea. There we were met by an unforgettable vista of silver light dancing over the deep blue sea, framed

ABOVE AND BELOW: Will Young relaxes on his family trip to Sri Lanka; Fort Bazaar offers a quiet haven amid the bustle of Galle Fort

IMAGES: ©TEARDROP HOTELS; WILL YOUNG; GETTY

The Wallawwa’s tropical gardens are 200 years old

by gently waving coconut fronds and a globe sculpture by local artist Sanjaya Geekiyanage. We all exhaled simultaneously – finally, here was a space where we could really relax.

For the next week we set up home there. I shared my enormous, light-filled suite with my sister (whose loud, contented snoring was the only downside of the trip). We woke every morning to the sound of crashing waves on Balapitiya’s golden beach below, and breakfasted on the balcony, watching local families coming down to the shore to bathe.

Of course, you can’t visit Sri Lanka without mentioning the food. Sri Lankan curries are without doubt the most diverse and delicious cuisine I have tasted on any holiday, ever. While staying at Kumu Beach we were taken on a tour of the local food market by the hotel’s head chef, Indika. Once we’d shopped for ingredients, we headed back for an in-depth cooking class.

Prawns, dahl, aubergine, plantain… the list of dishes we made was endless. I consider it one of the best experiences I’ve ever had – and that has to include singing with James Brown.

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FOOD & TRAVEL

ABOVE: listen to the waves crash from a private balcony at Kumu Beach; RIGHT: bedrooms are light, airy and open to the view

IMAGES: ©TEARDROP HOTELS; WILL YOUNG; GETTY

I CONSIDER IT ONE OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES I’VE EVER HAD – AND THAT HAS TO INCLUDE SINGING WITH JAMES BROWN

ABOVE: Sanjaya Geekiyanage’s sculpture greets residents at Kumu Beach hotel; holding a baby sea turtle

We also took a trip to the nearby Ahungalla Sea Turtles Conservation and Research Center, where every turtle, whether baby or adult, is nurtured and protected before being released into the wild. To hold a baby turtle knowing it has been safely hatched and will soon be carried into the sea was heart-warming. Equally inspiring was the story of the owner who, during the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, picked up as many turtles as he could and ran for the hills to safety.

There’s no doubt Sri Lanka is a country that has suffered a lot over the centuries. From colonial rule through to nearly 30 years of civil war from 1983-2009, devastation by the tsunami and the shock of the Easter 2019 terrorist attacks, it’s undeniably still suffering to this day. However, despite these hardships, the Sri Lankans I encountered always inspired me with their remarkable friendliness, warmth and inner spirit.

As I discovered in my unforgettable journey, the country feels safe, the culture is intoxicating, and the experience is a once-ina-lifetime trip you will never forget.

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TR AVEL

RURAL RETREATS

Find a pocket of calm, just for you. Edited by Amy Wakeham

Kingshill Farmhouse, Elmley Nature Reserve, Kent

IMAGES: REBECCA DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Just an hour from London you’ll find the soul-soothing Elmley Nature Reserve on the Isle of Sheppey, a place where flocks of migrating birds fill the skies, barn owls nest in towering oak trees and the sea mist rolls dramatically over the marshes, settling into ditches like puffs of silver candyfloss. Kingshill Farmhouse (so-called because King James II was once kept prisoner here) is a marvellously good-looking, exclusive use, 18thcentury property. The six rooms – each beautifully refurbished and decked out with free-standing bathtubs, statement walls and four-poster beds – practically ring with history, featuring period details from 300-year-old bread ovens to ceiling beams made from entire trunks of ancient trees. Guests can walk along the medieval sea walls, keeping their eyes peeled for bitterns, buzzards, marsh harriers and (in March) boxing hares, and scour the mudflats for million-year-old shark’s teeth and the old hulks of Thames barges.

When your legs ache, simply return to the cavernous, glass-fronted, farmhouse kitchen and tuck into a dinner of cider-braised shallots, slow roast Kent lamb shoulder and chocolate brownies, all cooked by the fantastic on-site chef.

BOOK IT: From £2,040 for the whole house for two nights; individual rooms from £180 per night. elmleynaturereserve.co.uk 182 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2020

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FOOD & TRAVEL

Star Castle, St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly What malaise cannot be eased by a white sandy beach and a glimpse of clear turquoise water? The Star Castle Hotel is perched on a hill to the south-west of St Mary’s, just five minutes' walk from the quay and with stunning views over the archipelago. A real family hotel, you’ll get to know the staff within hours of your arrival, from Sarah taking care of everything in reception, to co-owner James, who does the rounds at breakfast checking how everyone is doing and helping organise excursions. Kids will love exploring the castle itself, but the spacious modern garden rooms and suites stretching out behind the castle building are perfect for families. There's outstanding dining available both in the castle's restaurant and the garden conservatory, and it’s the best spot on the island for watching the sunset, too.

BOOK IT: From £519 per person for a four-night B&B stay in March 2021 with return ferry and transfers. ukprestigeholidays.co.uk

Cider House, Wilderness Reserve, Suffolk If you're looking for all the luxury and attentiveness of a five-star hotel, but with the seclusion and privacy of your own cottage, look no further than Wilderness Reserve. This 5,000-acre estate, a stone's throw from Aldeburgh, is home to a multitude of charmingly renovated properties, from romantic, no-electricity, one-bedroom Hex Cottage to partycentral 18-bedroom Chapel Barn (one to book for next year).

Wherever you stay, you'll be taken care of by a watchful host, who'll be there to cater to your every wish – whether that's a night by the bonfire under the stars, delicious bespoke meals from the estate's kitchen delivered to your door, or activities such as archery, clay pigeon shooting or birdwatching with Wilderness Reserve's resident ecologist.

We stayed in Cider House, with six bedrooms, a covetable family kitchen, pool, hot tub and spa room. Set among the estate's beautiful grounds (reimagined by landscape architect Kim Wilkie), teeming with wildlife at every turn, there's no better escape from the rat race.

BOOK IT: Cider House, from £1,131 per night. wildernessreserve.com

IMAGES: REBECCA DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

The Mitre, Hampton Court, Surrey This Grade II listed building sits plum on The Thames and is a literal stone’s throw from Hampton Court. It’s no wonder then that Hector Ross had his eyes on The Mitre decades before it finally became his, along with co-owner and culinary director Ronnie Kimbugwe. With stints at Beaverbrook and The Bel and Dragon coaching inn group behind them, this is the first place that they can proudly call their own. And that pride beams through literally with a litany of lion motifs scattered throughout the 36-room boutique hotel whose interiors have been deliciously revamped by Nicola Harding. It’s only been open a few weeks but it feels self-assured in its very homely skin. And that is how they want you to feel – at home. Children, dogs, a juke box, an honesty bar, a private jetty and seemingly unlimited space for eating and drinking will no doubt see it bustling from dawn till dusk with locals and tourists alike. Who said history was dead?

BOOK IT: Doubles from £195 B&B. mitrehamptoncourt.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL Centuries of history can be seen in Sofia’s remarkable architecture

THE ESSENTIALS

STAY The quirky Grand Hotel is a Sofia landmark, overlooking the central City Garden and close to most attractions.

Huge rooms and austere corridors hark back to the communist era. Staff are friendly and helpful – make time for an afternoon coffee in the Grand Café.

From £99 per night. grandhotelsofia.bg

T H E

W E E K E N D E R

SOFIA

The Bulgarian capital is a treasure trove of history and a foodie heaven – especially if you like cheese, says Jeremy Taylor

Sofia’s St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox churches in the world

the Symbol of Sofia – a modern sculpture of bronze and gold that features on most postcards.

Nearby are the remains of the ancient Roman town of Serdica, only discovered 16 years ago when the metro station was built. It’s a must-see, and includes Roman baths and a burial site.

For a high-rise lunch head to At The Eagles, perched atop the Ministry of Transport. It’s one of the capital’s tallest buildings and, apart from the obligatory cheese dishes, it’s a good spot to sample a variety of Bulgarian wines.

Sofia has plenty of museums – some better than others. During the afternoon, try the History Museum for an overview of Bulgaria’s importance over the centuries, or the National Art Gallery.

In the summer, locals like to sit and eat in one of the many open-air bars and cafes. Otherwise check out Buffet on Ekzarh Yosif for its unusual mixture of eclectic decor and Bulgarian and Mediterranean dishes.

Yes, including cheese.

A night out here is inexpensive and, once the Foreign Office lifts its ‘essential travel only’ restrictions, flights from London take just over three hours.

BOOK IT May and June are best, when temperatures are less oppressive and streets less packed.

December offers festive markets and shopping. Return flights from £61. britishairways.com n

DO The Serdica Amphitheatre was uncovered in 2004 – built by the Romans, sacked by the Goths. Relax in the spring waters of the Central Mineral Baths. Leave a little time to visit Vitosha Boulevard, the posh street where wealthy Sofians like to promenade.

BUY Bulgarian feta cheese is famous, but they love all kinds of curd here. Local wine is inexpensive and can be very good if you know what to look for.

Otherwise, traditional costumes and pottery dominate the tourist shops.

EAT Before & After restaurant is set in an old house and is a perfect dinner location. For traditional Bulgarian cuisine, Hadjidraganovite Izbi may be a mouthful to pronounce but the meat dishes are sensational.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

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aid-back Sofia is a thriving modern city, but you don’t have to look that hard to uncover the remnants of a darker soviet era. Sprawling government buildings dominate the city centre, with a smattering of communist statues. Many of the blocks are empty or in a state of disrepair, but scratch the surface and Sofia comes to life.

Start your day with a traditional breakfast at Mekitsa & Coffee in Graf Ignatiev. Hot mekitsa is a local favourite, consisting of feta cheese and honey. Otherwise, a banitsa is an egg pastry with baked cheese – tastier than it sounds.

Walk around the central district to see imposing Stalinist architecture thriving amid older buildings. At the junction of Todor Alexandrov and Maria Louisa Boulevards is

SEE Visit St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (left), an outsize masterpiece with capacity for 10,000. Then hail a cab and discover the remarkable Boyana Church just outside the city (above). A UNESCO heritage site, the hillside attraction is decked out with fabulous frescoes (just remember to book ahead for a tour).

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RESTAUR A NT REVIEW

NORTHCOTE Teresa Levonian Cole discovers divine creativity in the Ribble Valley

The Northcote hotel has held a Michelin star since 1996

IMAGES: NORTHCOTE

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ext time you fancy heading up (or down) the M6 for a break, consider avoiding the welltrodden paths of the Lake District in favour of the delights of the Ribble Valley. Not only home to the Forest of Bowland (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), it’s also blossoming into a haven for foodies. From award-winning artisan cheeseries and Michelin-starred restaurants to the Lancs answer to Fortnums – Holmes Mill in Clitheroe – the county is fast transforming its culinary image: less traditional Lancashire hotpot, more vibrant gastro hotspot.

Perched at the top of the culinary tree is Northcote, a hotel whose restaurant has cherished its Michelin star for a quarter of a century. Executive chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen is ever-present, ensuring her exacting standards are met at all times: from breakfast, with the option of her killer double-baked Lancashire cheese soufflé, until you fall into bed after (for example) the most tender aged Lake District fillet steak you will ever taste.

Menus are driven by local, seasonal and organic ingredients, with many herbs, vegetables and edible flowers grown in the hotel gardens, to be magically transformed into what Goodwin-Allen describes as ‘modern British’ dishes. The restaurant offers lunch, à la carte, and plant-based menus, but is most renowned for its fivecourse gourmet dinners (£85, plus paired wines), which highlight Goodwin-Allen’s astonishing creativity.

Who, for example, would be wowed by the notion of ‘Chilled Isle of Wight Tomatoes’? Yet what arrives is an explosion of intensity, texture and colour: a medley of macerated, jellied, dehydrated and whole tomatoes, paired with a crisp, acidic Grüner Veltliner. Equally

modestly termed are ‘English Peas’ – in fact tiny raviolis of Black Cow cheddar cheese in a smoked bacon consommé with pea foam.

And it just keeps getting better, with a third course of steamed wild turbot roasted in its own stock, with mussels, citrus gel and a confetti of nasturtiums. The sticky belly of Lake District lamb was served with sheep’s curd and the most fragrant lovage emulsion, and was paired with a rich Orgo wine from Georgia.

By now it will come as no surprise that the finale, the Annabel Strawberry Trifle, was to regular trifle what a Maserati is to a Robin Reliant. I watched it being prepared from my seat at the prized Chef’s Table in the glassed-off kitchen, which has TV monitors so you can view activity at each of the prep stations.

Best of all, after five wines from five different countries – selected by sommelier Tamas Czinki along with Northcote’s MD and wine aficionado, Craig Bancroft – it was comforting to know my bed was only a short walk away. northcote.com n

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TIDE TO TABLE Blackwater oysters smoked over the fire, line-caught wild bass and foraged sea buckthorn are just a taste of what’s on offer at Ivan Tisdall-Downes and Imogen Davis’ new outpost. Upping roots from London, the restauranteurs behind Native have relocated to Essex’s Osea Island to focus on local produce from fields and shores. nativerestaurant.co.uk

SAFE BET

Have a flutter at the newly-opened Fitzdares club in Mayfair. Former Sketch bar director Dom Jacobs hand-selected the extensive wine cellar, while epicurean twists on classic bar snacks (think lobster croissants) will set any foodie’s heart racing. fitzdares.com

THIS MON TH

BUY Black Mountains Smokery’s mouthwatering range includes everything from canapés to Christmas hampers. Taste for Two gift box, £49. smoked-foods.co.uk

READ The perfect present for the pizza connoisseur.

Pizza, by Thom and James Elliot (Quadrille, £20)

N E W S

GASTRO GOSSIP Food for thought.

By Sofia Tindall

SPEND Bar trolley couture with Veuve Clicquot and Yayoi Kusama. £POA. veuve clicquot.com

MARKET VALUE

If you relish a good haggle over gooseberry chutney, don’t despair over news of farmers markets going digital. Designed by British chef Jason Hartley, the Cultisan app brings together hundreds of farmers, growers and producers with the vision of creating a more ethical future for markets. cultisan.com

SETTING THE BAR

BOX CLEVER

Wild Radish is a new recipe box curated by the likes of ‘chef’s chef’ Philip Howard and food author Anna Hansen.

Each chef’s table-style box also comes with a wine paired by specialist Matthew Jukes. From £50. wild-radish.co.uk

PHOTOS: NIC CRILLY-HARGRAVE

Overindulged last Christmas party season? This year, get teetotalled instead. Nine Elms has partnered with the Alcohol Free Co and Bax Botanics for four non-alcoholic cocktail kits. All of the fun, none of the hangover. nineelmsdrinks.com

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FOOD & TRAVEL R E C I P E

TASTE THE SEASON

Quick, easy and delicious pear tarts from Donna Hay

FOODIE TA L ES

DONNA HAY IS A COOK, AUTHOR AND TV PRESENTER Food philosophy? It’s always been ‘special made simple’, which to me means easier, quicker and better-for-you recipes that look as good as they taste.

First dish you cooked? My nanna taught me how to make the most delicious lemon curd and I still use her recipe today.

Most vivid childhood food memory Playing in my grandparents’ kitchen garden. My nanna would give me little jobs like picking the strawberries or climbing a tree with a big bucket to pick mulberries.

Biggest mistake you’ve made? Having my own test kitchen means we make little and big mistakes every day and that’s what makes my recipes work every time, because I have tested them until perfect.

IMAGES: © CON POULOS; RECIPES AND STYLING BY DONNA HAY

A LMOND CRISP WITH MAPLE PEARS INGREDIENTS SERVES FOUR » 120g ground almonds » 95g flaked almonds » 2 egg whites » 55g raw caster sugar » 1 Beurre Bosc firm brown pear » 2 tablespoons pure » » maple syrup » Vanilla bean, » ice cream or » yoghurt to serve

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reheat your oven to 180°C. In a medium bowl, place the ground almonds, flaked almonds, egg whites and sugar and mix to combine. Divide the mixture into four and press into 10cm rounds on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for ten minutes.

Cut the pear in half vertically and use a teaspoon to remove the core. Cut each half into half again so you have four pear quarters. Make five slices down the length of each quarter, keeping the top 1cm near the stem intact.

Gently fan out the pear quarters and place one on each tart base. Brush the pear quarters with maple syrup and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Brush the pears with the remaining maple syrup and serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

I love that something so simple to make can look and taste so good. Sticky wafer-like pears atop crispy almond biscuits make for a perfect match.

Everyday Fresh: Meals in Minutes, by Donna Hay (Fourth Estate, £20). n

Most memorable meal? I really enjoy cooking at home for family and friends, so having an afternoon with my favourite people at home in Sydney with superdelicious food is always really special.

When you’re not in the kitchen, where are you? By the ocean, either on my morning run or paddleboarding with my other half.

Do you have any unusual rules? My boys and I are known to enjoy reverse dinner; it means starting with dessert and ending with dinner!

What’s in your fridge right now? I like to visit Bondi markets each Saturday to pick up fresh produce and at the moment (in Australia) rainbow chard is beautiful.

Least favourite ingredient? I would have to say capsicum, or red pepper as you say in the UK. Dream dinner guest? My best friend lives in London and I haven’t seen her in over 12 months. We would sit in a cosy corner at The Fumoir with a glass of champagne and nibble on some bar snacks, with nonstop talking and laughing.

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PROPERTY

HOUSE OF THE MONTH Sell it to us in a sentence... The most beautiful and commanding family home in a ringfenced estate of 182 acres just 42 miles from London.

Who built it? Julians Park was built in 1605 for William Stone, refronted and remodelled in 1710 for Adolphus Meetkerke, and then altered in the 1930s for Colonel Reginald Cooper. He updated the grounds and added a swimming pool in one of the walled gardens.

Julians Park Rushden Hertfordshire, SG7 Price: £5.75m 10 bedrooms 7 bathrooms 18,406 sq/ft

Does it have any juicy history? The Honourable Mrs. P Pleydell-Bouverie purchased the house in 1940, who was photographed by Cecil Beaton and included in his The Book of Beauty – Beaton was a frequent guest. The house has played host to a number of guests over the years, including Winston Churchill, US presidents and numerous members of the Royal Family.

What would parties be like here?

With its traditional entrance opening into a grand drawing room with an impressive open fire, the property provides a welcoming feel and sense of arrival.

Adjoining the library is a magnificent music room, and its dining room has a bay front window overlooking the garden; a perfect setting for dinner parties.

What’s unique about it? Within 50 miles of London it’s extremely rare to find an estate of this size with farmland completely surrounding the house. The house is also placed at the centre, with no public rights of way such as bridleways or footpaths running through.

Perks of the area? Less than an hour from King’s Cross, Julians Park sits in the pretty rural village of Rushden, eight miles from Stevenage. There are excellent schools nearby, and further afield in Cambridge.

020 7318 5025. struttandparker.com n

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BEST FOR...

M O V E

T O

GREAT MISSENDEN

ABOVE & BELOW: The Chiltern Hills, where Roald Dahl found inspiration for many of his tales; Tom Kerridge’s The Hand & Flowers in Marlow

A circular walk Coombe Hill, a 15-minute drive from Great Missenden, has a natural play trail and extensive views over the Aylesbury Vale to the Cotswolds. nationaltrust. org.uk

Anna Tyzack explores this pictureperfect Buckinghamshire enclave

I

t’s easy to see why the author Roald Dahl fell in love with Great Missenden when he moved to Buckinghamshire in 1954. The village is quintessentially English, with pretty period cottages, independent shops and down-to-earth pubs. Dahl could also walk straight out into the Chiltern hills from his home, Gipsy House.

Today, Great Missenden still offers the antithesis of urban living, with quiet streets lined with beech trees and plenty of green space – yet its 45-minute rail link into London Marylebone makes it a viable base for those working in the capital.

‘It’s somewhat of a commuter’s secret – deep in the Chilterns yet less than 40 miles into central London,’ explains Jemma Scott of The Buying Solution agency (thebuyingsolution.co.uk). For the same money as a family house in London, you can have a larger garden and more bedrooms, adds Andrew Dollemore, manager at Hamptons International (hamptons.co.uk) in Great Missenden. ‘The commute into London is so quick – why wouldn’t you move here?’

Since the start of the pandemic, a growing number of families has been asking themselves this question.

Hamptons has seen a 36 per cent increase in new buyers in 12 months, plus a high level of offers and transactions, with several properties fetching more than their asking price.

‘People are being far more black and white: the uncertainty surrounding Brexit put a brake on the market but now we’ve got very strong buyer demand with people wanting to get on with their lives,’ observes Dollemore.

London leavers moving to Great Missenden can enjoy the complete package of a city job and access to everything the capital has to offer, plus an outdoorsy home life surrounded by green space. ‘It makes even more sense now people don’t need to be in the office every day,’ says Dollemore. The London train link is more reliable than other commuter lines, he says, with no run on seats, and the village is within striking distance of all London airports and the West End. Amersham, Chesham, Beaconsfield and High Wycombe are useful nearby centres.

But why head elsewhere when the village and its surroundings are so genuinely picturesque that they have featured in Midsomer Murders and the Vicar of Dibley? ‘The area is hilly and beautiful with numerous lovely walks in woodland and great mountain bike trails and bridleways,’ confirms Ellie Bishop, who left London for Great Missenden last year, with her husband and two young children.

The Bishops have discovered numerous local gems: Fan Fan, the new pizzeria on the high street; Wild Kite, a wine bar opposite the station; and the farm shop at Peterley Manor Farm in Prestwood, where the Duchess of Cambridge is believed to have bought her Christmas tree last year. There’s

A pub lunch The Polecat Inn in Prestwood is a Grade II-listed former hunting lodge serving good food and Malt Brewery ale made just half a mile away. thepolecatinn. co.uk A bike ride Take the Hampden Route of the Chiltern Heritage Trail (chilternsaonb. org) through pretty local villages and stop off at the Hampden Arms. thehampden arms.co.uk A date night The Hand & Flowers in Marlow is Britain’s only 2-Michelinstar pub (thehand andflowers. co.uk), while The Sir Charles Napier at Chinnor has beautiful gardens (sircharlesnapier.co.uk)

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

L E T ’ S

A family day out Explore the early drafts of Roald Dahl’s most famous tales on a guided visit of the Roald Dahl museum. roalddahl.com

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PROPERTY a vibrant tennis club, pools in Amersham and High Wycombe, a wide array of holiday camps and weekend clubs and, of course, the Roald Dahl Museum (roalddahl.com).

For families such as the Bishops, the local schools are a major attraction. ‘The area is renowned for its excellent educational facilities, including Dr Challoner’s Grammar School for boys in Amersham and High School for Girls in Little Chalfont,’ explains Mark Rimell, a director in Strutt & Parker’s country house department (struttandparker.co.uk). ‘In fact, the Chiltern Hills aside, the schools on offer are probably the major draw to this part of the world, with the area boasting some of the best grammar schools in the country as well as first-class public schools.’

Great Missenden also offers a good state primary, while prep schools Godstowe, The Gateway and Caldicott and Swanbourne House are all within a short school run. Nearby public schools include Eton, Harrow, Stowe and Wycombe Abbey.

The market for family houses in Great Missenden and the chocolate box villages to the north, such as Little Kingshill, Pednor, The Lee,

ABOVE & BELOW: Foodies are spoilt for choice in this area of the world; The Polecat Inn is good for lunch

Lee Common and Ballinger Common, is strong this autumn, according to Mark Crampton of property finders Middleton Advisors (middletonadvisors.com), yet it’s still possible to buy a four- or five-bedroom house with a large garden for under a million.

‘Village houses are flying off the shelves in the £850,000 to £1.5m range,’ says Scott. Period properties with a few acres outside the village will cost more than £1.5m, with best-in-class country houses selling for upwards of £3m.

‘There has been competition through the summer, which has pushed prices up,’ confirms William Furniss of Knight Frank (knightfrank.com).

‘We’re now achieving better results than we were pre-lockdown.’ Other popular villages, according to Rimell, are Great Hampden, Little Hampden, Hyde Heath and Chartridge.

For potential buyers, the elephant in the room is the planned HS2 railway line, which emerges into the countryside not far from Great Missenden – although according to Dollemore the market is no longer impacted. ‘The houses it affects have already been compulsorily purchased,’ he says. That said, Crampton warns that careful research is needed before buying in the area, as many homes have been blighted by it.

For the Bishops and other families moving out of the capital, Great Missenden offers the type of country life you’d expect to find further out in the Cotswolds.

‘Beyond the village there are little enclaves that are unbelievably remote,’ agrees James Shaw, of Prime Purchase (prime-purchase.com). ‘When you’re out walking or riding it’s hard to believe you’re only 40 miles from London.’n

FOR SA L E

LITTLE HAMPDEN, £2.25m Leaf Cottage is a five-bedroom property surrounded by open fields and woodland.

There’s a double aspect living room, a cosy sitting room, formal dining room and large kitchen, plus a study. The gardens extend to nearly an acre, with manicured lawns and a swimming pool. knightfrank.co.uk

LEE COMMON , £1.89m Built in the 1920s, this four-bed family house is approached by a sweeping carriageway and is set well back from the country lane. There’s a large drawing room, dual aspect dining room and a kitchen with French doors, plus an annexe with independent access. The gardens have mature trees and a shrubbery and there is a double garage. hamptons.co.uk

HYDE END, £3.75m Hyde End Hall in a hamlet near Great Missenden is a substantial country house dating back in parts to the 1680s.

It includes a panelled entrance hall, reception rooms with oak flooring, and six bedrooms. Formal gardens surround the property and there is also a stable block and paddock. struttandparker.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

BALLINGER, £825,00 The Roses is a spacious four-bedroom Edwardian home with private gardens.

There is a generous kitchen, dining room, sitting room and utility room, and the master bedroom has a fireplace and dressing room with bathroom. The gardens feature box hedge topiary and mature trees. hamptons.co.uk

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PROPERTY F I V E

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ECO HOMES

Make the switch to a more sustainable house. By Amy Wakeham

DULWICH VILLAGE, £POA

Open-plan and full of light and space, this five-bedroom Huf Haus (only one of a few in London) is highly energy efficient and features a post-andbeam construction system, using sustainable wood as a raw material.

This creates a modern, flexible living space, with a home office, landscaped garden and a guest bedroom and family room in the basement. knightfrank.co.uk

HENLEY-ON-THAMES, £3m

Built using energy efficient materials, two air source heat pumps and with photovoltaic panels installed on the roof, this five-bedroom house is ideal for those looking for a modern family home.

It’s also sympathetically designed to fit in with its backdrop on rolling Oxfordshire countryside.

Sliding glass doors and full-length windows bring the outside in, allowing views over the extensive gardens. hamptons.co.uk

BERE PENINSULA, £785,000 Homes don’t come much more cutting edge than this one, situated in what used to be a reservoir. Now a four-bedroom family home, with a cinema room and gym space, the unique house has eco-friendly private heating and drainage systems, plus a heat recovery system.

It’s all built around a central courtyard garden, and there’s plenty of natural light throughout from large windows and skylights. stags.co.uk

ISLE OF WIGHT, £1.65m Bask in the Isle of Wight’s superb light and climate with this award-winning contemporary coastal home. Five-bedroom Haddon Lake House was built to make the most of its beautiful surroundings in the former pleasure grounds of a nearby Victorian marine residence. Eco-friendly features include Swedish softwood windows and doors, low water appliances and the use of natural materials where possible throughout. struttandparker.com

LYME REGIS, £3.95M One of only a few Baufritz energy-saving houses in the UK, The Lookout is a so-called ‘Passive House’, heated through sunlight and residual heat. It’s also a very healthy house, built using ‘eco-walls’ that provide ventilation for a constantly pleasant indoor atmosphere.

With seven bedrooms, a pool and 58 acres to play with, there’s plenty of room to breathe here. knightfrank.co.uk

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Virtual Christmas Carol Concert

We are proud to partner with children’s mental health charity Place2Be Thursday 3rd December (6:30pm–7:45pm) From the comfort of your sofa!

Book your tickets here: place2be.org.uk/carolconcert20

This special event promises to be the highlight of your festive calendar. To keep everyone safe, Place2Be’s annual Carol Concert will look a little bit different this year. Still packed with all the festive fun, carols, celebrity readings and more, this year’s special event is live streamed from St Marylebone Parish Church. Cosy up at home with your nearest and dearest* and tune in to raise vital funds for children’s mental health services this Christmas. *please keep safe and follow the latest Government guidelines on Coronavirus Registered office: 175 St. John Street, London, England, EC1V 4LW. Registered charity in England and Wales (1040756) and in Scotland (SC038649).

Registered company in England and Wales (02876150). This is a fundraising event held by and for Place2Be to help continue our charitable work of improving children’s mental health.

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NEW YEAR, NEW HOME Escape to Jersey with DiCasa Homes

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fter a year of chaos and uncertainty, we’re all looking for more space to breathe and more time to spend with those who matter most. Enter DiCasa Homes. Based on Jersey in the Channel Islands, it offers a selection of beautiful refurbished turn-key properties, plus a luxury concierge service to make your relocation and settling in process as smooth as possible.

Less than an hour from London, Jersey is a small but perfectly formed island of unspoilt golden beaches and lush green hills. The climate is balmy, and Jersey is officially recognised as the warmest and sunniest part of Britain. There’s also a wide choice of excellent state and private schools, and an impressive healthcare system, not to mention a great range of restaurants, bars and cafes to explore. And by moving with DiCasa, you can be sure you’ll be looked after every step of the way. dicasahomes.com

VESLET Veslet is a welcoming and beautifully proportioned family home, perfectly positioned in the heart of the rolling St Lawrence countryside. The restoration and refurbishment of this granite stone house has delivered a space of beauty and integrity, with sleek and well-considered interiors created by the DiCasa team.

The property also features a luxurious pool and spa complex, and an expansive garden and lake, complete 5 bedrooms with boat house 4 bathrooms and separate guest 3 reception accommodation. rooms £POA

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PROMOTION

CEDAR VALLEY

6 bedrooms 6 bathrooms 3 reception rooms

The rare combination of a coastal retreat and countryside estate, Cedar Valley is a magnificent house in St Martin. Beautifully decorated by the DiCasa team, it’s filled with luxurious, carefully selected fabrics and antiques that will instantly make you feel at home. The house is secluded and very private, with views over picturesque Flicquet Bay. Upon passing the slipway into the sea, which is also owned by the property, you are met with a sweeping driveway leading up to the house; you’ll be instantly caught by its splendour and distinctive character. Cedar Valley is positioned in about seven acres of ancient woodland, complete with two ponds and an unspoiled stream, which runs from the entrance to the top of the woodland. A separate gym and two-bedroom guest cottage are the ideal finishing touches. £POA

HIGHCLIFF A stunning restoration and refurbishment of Highcliff has transformed this traditional granite country estate, stables and paddocks into a striking and characterful family home.

It offers magnificent sea views across 15 acres of land above Bonne Nuit Bay on the north coast of Jersey. The renovation has produced a spectacular and traditional family home that is still strikingly modern in both execution and finish, while retaining a traditional feel. £POA

4 bedrooms 4 bathrooms 3 reception rooms

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Hampshire, Awbridge

Guide Price ÂŁ2,395,000

An exceptional family home presented to a very high specification, in a peaceful and private location within beautiful grounds.

Awbridge 1.5 miles | Mottisfont & Dunbridge train station 1.7 miles (London Waterloo from 1hr 50mins) Romsey train station 3.9 miles (London Waterloo from 1hr 41mins) | Southampton Airport 13 miles 5 Bedrooms | 4 Reception rooms | 4 Bath/shower rooms (3 en-suite) Exceptional kitchen/family room | Triple garage | 4,765 sq ft About 1.65 acres Fiona Pengelly Salisbury Office | 01722 344 010

Patrick Glynn-Jones Winchester Office | 01962 869 999

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

60 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

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V ILLAGE L IF E . LU X U RY L IF E S T Y L E. Eagle House has been central to Wimbledon Village life for over 400 years. The Grade II* listed property, once visited by Lord Nelson, is considered one of the capitals finest surviving examples of a Jacobean manor house.

Lovingly restored and expertly converted into eight luxurious two and three bedroom apartments with private parking and communal gardens, Eagle House is located on Wimbledon High Street and adjacent Wimbledon Common, effortlessly combining peaceful village living with quick city connections in one exceptional setting.

SELLING AGENT KNIGHT FRANK: 020 8946 0026

VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT

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ACADEMY GARDENS

Guide price ÂŁ4.95m

Duchess of Bedfords Walk, London, W8 Two double bedroom top floor duplex apartment in a wonderful condition with views across the communal gardens Positioned over the top two floors, this exceptional apartment enjoys wonderful natural light throughout and excellent views, particularly from the reception room that overlooks the landscaped grounds and manicured communal gardens. Academy Gardens is a prestigious gated development, renowned for its grand entrance building known as The Refectory, its superb 24 hour concierge and valet parking service as well as the communal gymnasium and swimming pool. EPC E

Harwood Advisory | Sami Robertson +44 (0)7748 508 891 | sami@harwoodadvisory.com

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SALES

IN THE MARKET

Whether you’re buying or selling, Harwood Advisory is on your team

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our home will always be at the top of your list of priorities. That’s why, whether you’re in the market for a new home or looking to sell your current one, you need a trusted voice on your side to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Harwood Advisory has built a reputation of discretion, integrity and honesty. It was founded by Sami Robertson (right), who was made a partner at Knight Frank in his twenties and has 15 years’ experience of the international prime property market, accumulating sales of over £1bn in his career and, remarkably, more than £35m over the last couple of months. Sami will work with and alongside you to get the best results imaginable for you and your family.

Harwood Advisory specialises in the sale of properties ranging from £500,000 to £250 million.

It has built a reputation of trust, discretion and professionalism, and for consistently achieving the best sale price, in the quickest time, for the world’s global players and UHNW individuals.

ACQUISITIONS Over his time in the prime property industry, Robertson has built an unrivalled knowledge of the market, allowing Harwood to act quickly and decisively when needed. With a wide network of contacts, Harwood is always among the first to know about crucial off-market deals, so you can find your dream home with ease.

GOING THE EXTRA MILE Harwood knows there’s so much more to buying or selling your home than just the basics. Whether you need expert advice on the best finance deals, legal counsel, blue chip architects, surveyors, interior designers, landscape gardeners, or insurance, Harwood has the contacts to help.

GIVING BACK Sami and Harwood are passionate about giving back to wider society, which is why the team has taken on the challenge of several longdistance swims – the Straits of Gibraltar, Lake Zürich and the English Channel – to raise money for causes close to their hearts. In 2020, this includes James’ Place, a charity for the prevention of male suicide, still the single leading cause of death of men under 50. harwoodadvisory.com sami@harwoodadvisory.com +44 (0)7748 508 891

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PROMOTION

TRENDING NOW... ACTON Previously overlooked by well-heeled buyers, Acton is the guarded secret of Londoners in the know. And with the Elizabeth Line arriving in December 2021, plus a new shopping centre and the regeneration of the South Acton Estate, this part of west London has never looked better. Green and leafy with plenty of parks and a village feel, it’s top-notch for families, boasting great local schools including Ark Priory and Ark Byron primary academies, Wetherby School, and Twyford Church of England High School. For dining and drinking, Fed & Watered on Churchfield Road is great for brunch, and Vindinista is a wine shop and bar with an impressive selection of bottles.

What’s more, Heathrow, the M4 and A40 are just on the doorstep, providing easy escape to the country and abroad.

SELLING NOW… Cumberland Park, London, W3. £2,799,999 Country living, in the heart of the city. This light-filled family home is the best house in Acton, situated at the far end of a private, gated drive; it feels secure and free from traffic. The six-bedroom property is set over four floors, and has many original features including marble fireplaces, elaborate cornicing and ceiling roses.

There’s a large, open-plan kitchen and living area, as well as spacious bedrooms.

The 125-foot walled garden is an unimaginable amount of space in the centre of London, and beautifully landscaped with a lawn, terrace, and planting. To top it off, there’s the two-bedroom coach house, featuring a modern kitchen, large living area, and bathroom. A fabulous space to use as an office or studio.

See more at onthemarket.com

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Derbyshire’s Derbyshire’sdedicated dedicatedsales salesand andacquisition acquisitionagents. agents.

Derbyshire’s Derbyshire’sdedicated dedicatedsales salesand andacquisition acquisitionagents. agents.

DARLEY MOOR

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A stunning, stone built house set within part of the historic gardens, designed by Paxton, of Sydnope Hall including the original rose garden and offering light and spacious family accommodation in a peaceful woodland setting.

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Entrance hall, drawing room, study, kitchen/dining room, playroom, Amdega conservatory, exercise room, five/six bedrooms, five bath/shower rooms (two ensuite), games room/bedroom six.

Front and rear drives, double and single garages, off road parking, pond, garden extending to approx. 2.4 acres.

M t t C s

Nr Matlock, Derbyshire

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EPC rating D Guide price £1,650,000 subject to contract.

Viewing: By appointment edward@caudwellandco.com or 07766 565 893

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ILAM

Nr Ashbourne, Derbyshire A stunning Grade II* listed period Country House in an elevated position with fantastic views over open countryside set in approximately 31.2 acres.

Main house: Entrance/dining hall; drawing room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, master bedroom with bathroom and dressing room, eight further bedrooms, two further bathrooms, large nursery/sitting room with kitchenette, laundry room, boot room, old washroom/boiler room. Flat: Sitting room, kitchen/dining room, two bedrooms, bathroom.

Courtyard to rear of the house with extensive range of traditional stone barns incorporating garden store, tack room, feed store, double and single garages, party barn, two stables, log store and hay lofts. Further substantial modern building with further stabling. Stone flagged terrace, gardens, orchard and pasture land, in all approx. 31.2 acres.

Guide price ÂŁ2,375,000 subject to contract Viewing: By appointment edward@caudwellandco.com or 07766 565 893

www.caudwellandco.com www.caudwellandco.com www.caudwellandco.com www.caudwellandco.com

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About 173 acres.

£2,750,000

A delightful livestock farm in a wonderful hilltop setting, providing superb panoramic views.

Timsbury, Near Bath, Somerset. Bath – 8.5 miles; Bath Spa – London Paddington: 1 hour 15 minutes.

A pretty farmhouse with a group of both traditional and more modern buildings sit at the end of a long drive and within 173 acres of undulating farmland. Recently used for goat milking, cheese making and pig and sheep rearing. A large two storey barn has significant potential for a range of different uses, such as additional accommodation or office and workspace. The land is a mix of pasture and arable land with some woodland. Additional land potentially available totaling up to 119 acres. Offers considered for house and buildings with some land. EPC: F.

Martin Hemmett MRICS martin.hemmett@cooperandtanner.co.uk Telephone 01373 455060

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155 acres. Longbridge Deverill, Warminster, Wiltshire

ÂŁ3,250,000

A wonderful lifestyle opportunity; a lovely small livestock farm in a beautiful rural location on the edge of the renowned Longleat Estate. Set just 3 miles to the south of Warminster in the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and within easy reach of Frome, Bruton, Salisbury and Bath. Totaling close to 155 acres, the farm has three well-appointed dwellings and a group of former dairy farm buildings now adapted for beef suckler rearing and finishing.

Martin Hemmett MRICS martin.hemmett@cooperandtanner.co.uk Telephone 01373 455060

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Gannock Green Farm, Sandon – 3 miles from Ashwell Station £2,250,000 An elegant and most impressive Grade II Listed detached Georgian farm house which extends to about 4,500 sq.ft, with views across open farmland in a idyllic and picturesque setting surrounded by undulating and unspoilt countryside yet just 3 miles from Ashwell mainline Station. Beautifully presented and incorporating character feature. Reception hall, 4 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room with AGA, walk in pantry, boot room, cloakroom and utility room, cellar, 5 bedrooms, en-suite, family bathroom and shower room. About 6.44 acres, outbuildings, double garage and swimming pool.

Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

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29/10/2020 13:51

Barton Road, Cambridge – 1 mile from Cambridge station £1,600,000 A unique and very special opportunity to acquire an established, individual detached residence in an outstanding and most desirable position just off Barton Road to the west of the city and set in its own delightful established plot extending to about half an acre, long driveway, parking area and further vehicular access leading to double bay cart lodge. Accommodation comprising: Reception hall, cloakroom, living room, kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, family room. On the first floor: 4 bedrooms, one en-suite shower room and a family bathroom. EER: D Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

Clare Road, Newnham – 1 mile from Cambridge station £1,500,000 A most impressive and substantial Victorian semi-detached townhouse providing versatile accommodation set over five storeys in this most desirable position overlooking Gonville and Caius sports field and located within Newnham just one mile to the West of the city centre. 3/4 receptions rooms, 4/5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and cloakroom/shower room. Front garden with parking and enclosed courtyard style garden. EER:D Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

Cambridge | Saffron Walden | Newmarket | Ely | Haverhill | London

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LAST WORD

TALES OF OUR TIME Michael Hayman on finding strength and solace through music

Music brings comfort, joy and a sense of community

‘K

eep it going!’ Words of encouragement from a faded school report, offered to me by a music appreciation teacher with the terrible task of inspiring me with the classical greats. It wasn’t a lesson – it was a gift. The gift of escape. The gift of emotion.

The gift of togetherness. All crucial components of the human experience so badly challenged by the isolation of Covid-19.

The host of the BBC Proms, Katie Derham sees much in our relationship with music. Zoom choirs and lockdown musical events are creative responses to tough times. Music, she says, ‘creates the mood and soundtrack to our lives’ and provides an ‘emotional journey where we can pause and breathe’.

Music is a route to community. I lost my sister-in-law, Lorraine, to cancer in lockdown. As a flautist with the Bath All Comers Orchestra she found strength, friendship and purpose. In reflecting on her life, I have come to understand its empowering effect at a time of immense personal pain. Because music is more than joy. It is part of the armoury of keeping our sense of self at a time of great distress and isolation. When times are tough people turn to music for solace.

As a supporter of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra I have found that if your perception of orchestral music goes no further than a white tie and tails then you really are missing its contribution. From cinematic and video game scores to community projects, it provides something wonderful, all at whatever level works for you.

My youngest daughter is learning the violin and it strikes me that so many childhood memories often have music at the heart of them.

But the talent pool of young musicians is defined by what parents can afford rather than a national commitment to delivering creative expression and exposure to diverse experiences.

Music helps people get to a better place. Take special educational needs and disabilities where music has a massive, proven and positive long-term impact on the participants. But these initiatives face a massive fight for survival. So, keep it going. Not just the message of an old report but the urgent task of today.

Michael Hayman hosts the podcast Change Makers. wearesevenhills.com n

EXPERIENCE The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Brilliant! Search for it on youtube.com. LISTEN To The Sun King podcast. David Dimbleby delivers a tour de force on the life, influence and impact of Rupert Murdoch (audible.co.uk). WATCH Schitt’s Creek. Bottled sunshine and the warmth of laughter for cold winter nights. A total Emmy Award-winning gem (netflix.com). READ Diary of an MP’s Wife: Inside and Outside Power.

No holds barred reflections from Sasha Swire (£20, Little, Brown).

PHOTOS: © SHUTTERSTOCK

TA L K I N G P O I N T S

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RAISED AROUND THE WORLD

AU D E M A R S P I G U E T B O U T I Q U E S LO N D O N : S LOA N E S T R E E T | H A R R O D S F I N E WATC H E S A P H O U S E L O N D O N : N E W B O N D S T R E E T ( B Y A P P O I N T M E N T O N LY )

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