Country & Town House - November/December 2021 by Country & Town House Magazine

A LIFE IN BALANCE

GIRLS ALOUD

Women fighting the climate crisis

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 £4.95

STAR TURN Jessica Plummer’s career high

GIVING A DAM Why it’s time to welcome back the beaver

LET’S CELEBRATE Here’s to the season of goodwill to all Cover-V8-PB-LC.indd 2

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Contents

NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2021

COLUMNS

THE GOOD LIFE Alice B-B’s boyfriend needs a Long Covid health reboot 30 THE RURBANIST Chatting tech with Ai-Da, the world’s first robot artist 224 LAST WORD Michael Hayman on quietening the inter-generational conflict this Christmas 28

STYLE 37 38 40 42 44 46

YOUR MOVE Be yourself THE EDIT Style updates FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY Tear up the dancefloor in a rented number THE MAGPIE Jewellery news WELL GROOMED Men’s style LITTLE GREEN BOOK Giving old bags a new lease of life

HEALTH & WELLBEING 53 54 56 58 60 62 66 68

FIND YOUR FLOW And there you’ll find fulfilment BODY LANGUAGE Olivia Falcon on the recipe for a happy marriage BODY & SOUL Stay active to beat the winter blues SPA TREK Fasting and recharging at Buchinger Wilhelmi TAKE TEN Super serums 12 STEPS TO CHRISTMAS Look and feel fabulous BEAUTY BUZZ The new antiageing Holy Grail PARTY PREP Unlock your best self with Dr Sebagh

CULTURE 71 72 76 78 80 82 84

GLOW WILD Night falls at Wakehurst CULTURE CRACKERS What to see, read and do IN THE DEEP MIDWINTER Books for everyone this Christmas LOOKING AT YOU A portrait makes the perfect present, says Lucy Cleland THE EXHIBITIONIST Ed Vaizey tumbles into the Tube for an art hit ARTIST’S STUDIO Annie Morris A CLUB OF ONE’S OWN The tenacious history of the University Women’s Club. By Amy Wakeham SCARFES BAR Asma Khan

FEATURES

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT Actor Jessica Plummer is set for stardom, finds Nilufer Atik 104 ON LOCATION St Martin’s Lane Hotel

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Contents

NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2021

FEATURES 107 114 118

123 126 131

WOMEN & THE CLIMATE CRISIS Why women’s voices need to be heard IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING Beatrice Aidin wraps up in some very British wool REMEMBERING GANDAMACK Peter Oborne recalls Afghanistan in 2003 GIVING A DAM Beavers are so worth it, says Lucy Cleland A SEASON TO CHANGE Waste not, want not this Christmas, says Sofia Tindall CHRISTMAS GIFTS THAT ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD Presents inspired by the Solar System

INTERIORS 157

158 160 162 164

REBEL SPIRIT Sanderson’s disruptive new designs DESIGN NOTES Carole Annett’s world of interiors TREND Fido Fawo’s festive finds CASE STUDY A classic London townhouse in Notting Hill BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE But that shouldn’t stop you enjoying your garden, says Randle Siddeley

HOTELS & TRAVEL 169 177

RUN TO THE SUN Twenty-seven perfect places for a Vitamin D hit THE WEEKENDER Singapore

ON PISTE 179

Skiing’s back and we’re making the most of it, says C&TH Ski Editor Felix Milns, who brings us the latest news, reviews and style from the slopes

FOOD & DRINK

CHOCS AWAY One good reason to ditch the mincemeat this Christmas, from River Cottage’s Lucy Brazier 202 GASTRO GOSSIP Foodie news 203 MADE IN CHELSEA The great British pub is back with The Cadogan Arms 199

ON THE COVER Jessica Plummer wears: dress, Halpern @ Matchesfashion; earrings, The Rock Hound; rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird FASHION TEAM Fashion director: Nicole Smallwood; Photographer: Rachell Smith; Hair: Nicola Harrowell @ Premier Hair and Make-up using Kevin Murphy; Make-up: Nathalie Eleni @ Adrenalin Photographic using KVD Beauty, Nude by Nature and Indeed Labs

188

PREVIOUS PAGE Top and skirt, Nué @ Koibird; boots, Christian Louboutin; blazer, Bella Freud; earrings, The Rock Hound; rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird. Shot on location at St Martin’s Lane Hotel, London

PROPERTY

205 PROPERTY OF THE MONTH Robbie Williams’s Wiltshire manor 208 LET’S MOVE TO... WEST WITTERING Britain’s answer to the Hamptons 210 FIVE OF THE BEST Party homes

REGULARS

18 EDITOR’S LETTER 20 CONTRIBUTORS 204 STOCKISTS

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page 107 to meet six incredible women who have dedicated their lives to fighting for all of us and our place on this planet. Asma Khan’s food: Not only does she cook like a dream, but Asma supports raising up women who are marginalised and often go unnoticed. Get to Darjeeling Express immediately (p86). We’re welcoming back the beaver: Hunted to extinction over 400 years ago, we’re now recognising the error of our ways and enlightened landowners are bringing back this keystone species to our riverways. ‘They’re like throwing petrol on a fire in terms of biodiversity,’ says farmer Chris Jones (p123). Jessica Plummer’s exponential rise to fame: It’s not such a new story anymore, but we love it when an actor best known for their role in a soap opera transcends the label and headlines a serious BBC1 drama (p96). Our fi rst interview with a robot: Yup, we managed to sneak beyond the Egyptian authorities to speak to Ai-Da, a humanoid robot credited with being the world’s first ultrarealistic AI artist (p30). The wonder of wool: Forget the scratchy jumpers of your school days; now British wool is being used by our homegrown brands to lessen their carbon footprint. Bamford even has its Women need louder voices when own herd of Merino sheep in the Cotswolds (p114). it comes to climate change, p107 A gift guide that is out of this world: I defy you not to find something for your loved Our cover girl Jessica ones in our cosmic guide Plummer is simply dazzling, p96 to gifts this year (p131). Winter sun: You may not have even left your home, let alone the country in the last two years, so why not put that pent up wanderlust into a trip We’re celebrating this issue. this winter. We pick 27 perfect places (p169). Come what may. No excuses. The Gucci biopic: Forget your cares We’re battle weary. We need and wallow in some fabulous fashion, a sprinkling of fairy dust, a by catching Ridley Scott’s House of soupçon of sparkle, a dose Gucci, starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver. of dazzle. Because, Alternatively, head to the ultrachic ski resort whatever life throws of Cortina, where much of the action was filmed (p186). at us, unless we carve out moments of joy, what really is the point? So, to drown out the loud The beaches of West Wittering: Dubbed drone of negativity in our ears, here are my ten ‘The Hamptons of Britain’, reasons to celebrate this issue: there’s a queue as long Find your We’re platforming women in climate change: as that for petrol for the short perfect The most urgent issue of our time lacks female supply of houses, but we’ve found present, p131 voices, so we thought we’d address that. Turn to a couple just for you... (p208).

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Editor’s 8 LETTER 9

EDITOR’S PICKS

BUY I love Veja and I love walking, so their new walking shoes are pretty much my perfect Christmas present

STOCKING FILLER Affordable Hermès comes in the form of its delicious new nail polish – mine’s the orange, obviously

READ Great British Brands ZERO is our call to arms for the luxury industry to join the race to net zero emissions. Find it at countryand townhouse. co.uk/gbbzero-issue

ORDER Up the anti for takeaway night by ordering from Dishpatch.co.uk. You’ll never look back... And all contents are fully recyclable

PHOTOS: © STUDIO DES FLEURS

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CON T R I BU TOR S

Why wool is this year’s wonder material, p114

Fido shares her festive interiors moodboard, p160

The road back to Afghanistan, p118

BEATRICE AIDIN

FIDO FAWO

PETER OBORNE

What are you celebrating this year? Hopefully seeing my family for the holidays, and someone flipping over the Monopoly board in anger. And the release of Alan Partridge tickets for next year’s tour. What’s on your Christmas dinner plate? Dumplings, sashimi from Dinings SW3, brisket and mash with cheap coleslaw. My dream dinner party guestlist would include… I was discussing this with Bono and Sting at lunch the other day (sorry to name drop) and I reckon Madeleine Albright, The Clooneys and the Jennifers Garner and Aniston – who I want to be my friends – with the aforementioned boys of course, and Alan P. All I want for Christmas is… Saucepans, a sheep and world peace.

What are you celebrating this year? Everything from life and love to good health – the simple things we tend to forget are blessings. Oh, and of course this C&TH feature, I’m still in the clouds about this one! What’s on your Christmas dinner plate? My first plate usually consists of a traditional roast with all the Brussels sprouts and all the gravy, and my second round is a plate full of Congolese food. It’s the best of both worlds, because why not? My dream dinner party guest list would include… Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali, Elsie De Wolfe, Peggy Gou and David Shrigley. All I want for Christmas is… To travel the world for a year – there’s so much to experience and endless inspiration to gain.

What are you celebrating this year? My son got married to a lovely girl earlier this year. There were only 30 guests (Covid) but it was a wonderful day. What a happy time! What’s on your Christmas dinner plate? Turkey, roast potatoes, parsnips, bread sauce and stuffing! My dream dinner party guest list would include… Samuel Johnson, George Orwell, Craig Murray, Angela Merkel, Maggie Smith, Jane Austen. Plus, Queen Elizabeth I and Queen Elizabeth II – it would be fascinating to see our two greatest monarchs comparing notes. All I want for Christmas is… A cricket series between India and Pakistan, which would open the way for peace between two nuclear armed countries.

Cortina is back on the style agenda, p186

ROSALYN WIKELEY What are you celebrating this year? Becoming a mother, approximately 1,300 of our closest friends’ postponed weddings, my daughter’s christening, and the arrival of Succession season 3. What’s on your Christmas dinner plate? Goose, always goose. My dream dinner party guestlist would include… Lockdown made me realise it would be my closest friends with enough wine to see us all dancing on the table by midnight (and if Joan Didion, Charlotte Rampling and Stephen Fry were also on board with the 2am karaoke, I’m sure we could make room for them). All I want for Christmas is… You (and the Chloé x Fusalp skisuit on page 188).

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

Ideally, we’d love you to pass it on to a friend or a community place which might enjoy it (doctor or dentist surgery, community centre etc), but you can also rest assured that your issue can be recycled.

The magazine (including cover) can be disposed of in your paper waste recycling bin.

The outer plastic wrapping is made entirely from 100 per cent compostable material sourced from potato starch. It can be disposed of in a compost heap, your garden waste bin or your food waste bin (why not use it as a liner?). Please do not put it in your recycling.

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THE NEW RANGE ROVER

THE ORIGINAL INFLUENCER

Oﬃcial Fuel Consumption Figures for the New Range Rover in mpg (I/100km): Combined 23.5-37.2 (12-7.6). CO2 Emissions 272-198 g/km. Real world figures may diﬀer. CO2, fuel economy, energy consumption and range figures may vary according to factors such as

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The figures provided are as a result of oﬃcial manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. For comparison purposes only. driving styles, environmental conditions, load, wheel fitment and accessories fitted.

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LUCY CLELAND EDITOR EDITOR-AT-LARGE ALICE B-B ASSOCIATE EDITOR CHARLOTTE METCALF MANAGING EDITOR AMY WAKEHAM CHIEF SUB EDITOR BELINDA BAMBER SUB EDITOR KATIE BAMBER FEATURES ASSISTANT & SUB EDITOR SOFIA TINDALL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT RUBY FEATHERSTONE FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD BEAUTY DIRECTOR NATHALIE ELENI INTERIORS DIRECTOR CAROLE ANNETT CULTURE EDITOR ED VAIZEY EXECUTIVE RETAIL EDITOR MARIELLA TANDY SUSTAINABILITY EDITOR LISA GRAINGER PROPERTY EDITOR ANNA TYZACK MOTORING EDITOR JEREMY TAYLOR ONLINE EDITOR REBECCA COX JUNIOR ONLINE EDITOR ELLIE SMITH JUNIOR SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR DANIELLA SAUNDERS ONLINE WRITER CHARLOTTE RICKARDS ONLINE INTERNS CARINA MURPHY & CHARLIE COLVILLE CREATIVE & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR PARM BHAMRA PRODUCTION DESIGNER SAMUEL THOMAS FILMMAKER TRACER ITAL ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR ELLIE RIX SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER PANDORA LEWIS ACCOUNT MANAGER KATRINA GANE DIGITAL MANAGER ADAM DEAN SALES & ADMIN ASSISTANT BEA CERULLO TECHNICAL MANAGER HANNAH JOHNSON TECHNICAL DIRECTOR MARK PEARSON FINANCE DIRECTOR JILL NEWEY FINANCE CONTROLLER LAUREN HARTLEY PROPERTY & MARKETING ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR AND B CORP PROJECT MANAGER GEMMA COWLEY GROUP PUBLISHING DIRECTOR TIA GRAHAM MANAGING DIRECTOR JEREMY ISAAC CONTRIBUTING EDITORS STEPHEN BAYLEY, SIMON DE BURTON, FIONA DUNCAN, OLIVIA FALCON, DAISY FINER, LYDIA GARD, AVRIL GROOM, MICHAEL HAYMAN, RICHARD HOPTON, EMMA LOVE, MARY LUSSIANA, ANNA PASTERNAK, CAROLINE PHILLIPS, HOLLY RUBENSTEIN, MARCUS SCRIVEN THE EDITOR editorial@countryandtownhouse.co.uk FASHION fashion@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ADVERTISING advertising@countryandtownhouse.co.uk PROPERTY ADVERTISING property@countryandtownhouse.co.uk ACCOUNTS accounts@countryandtownhouse.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk COUNTRY & TOWN HOUSE is a bi-monthly magazine distributed to AB homes in Barnes, Battersea, Bayswater, Belgravia, Brook Green, Chelsea, Chiswick, Clapham, Coombe, Fulham, Holland Park, Kensington, Knightsbridge, Marylebone, Mayfair, Notting Hill, Pimlico, South Kensington, Wandsworth and Wimbledon, as well as being available from leading country and London estate agents. It is also on sale at selected WHSmith, Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s stores and independent newsagents nationwide. It has an estimated readership of 150,000. It is available on subscription in the UK for £29.99 per annum. To subscribe online, iPad, iPhone and android all for only £24.99 visit: exacteditions.com/read/countrytownhouse. For subscription enquiries, please call 020 7384 9011 or email subscribe@countryandtownhouse.co.uk. It is published by Country & Town House Ltd, Studio 2, Chelsea Gate Studios, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL (tel: 020 7384 9011). Registered number 576850 England and Wales. Printed in the UK by William Gibbons and Sons Ltd, West Midlands. Paper supplied by Gerald Judd. Distribution by Letterbox. Copyright © 2021 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.

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Molton

in Dark Brown Rough-Out Suede

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

MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879

The Chukka boot has both a sporting and a British military heritage dating back over a century and it proves the perfect choice in No Time To Die when Bond travels to Norway.

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NO TIME TO DIE, and related James Bond Indicia © 1962-2021 Danjaq, LLC and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. NO TIME TO DIE, and related James Bond Trademarks are trademarks of Danjaq, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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COLUMN

The GOOD LIFE Alice B-B tackles the lingering effects of Long Covid

RETCHED LONG COVID. As if the actual covidness of Covid wasn’t bad enough, for some it leaves a vapour trail of symptoms. My boyfriend is a sufferer. For the last year, my usually super fit, healthy, happy man has had brain fog, fatigue, compromised breathing, achy muscles, and mild depression. So we went to SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain for him to trial the Post-Covid programme, where he spent his days having cranial photobiomodulation to kick the fogginess, learning pranayama breathing techniques to maximise lung capacity, and having physiotherapy as Covid seems to attack weak areas in the body. That, along with a Mediterranean diet, colonic irrigations and a big dose of sunny Spain’s vitamin D and I could see a shift. He’s not out of the woods yet, but SHA kickstarted his road to recovery (shawellnessclinic.com). A NEW BAR’S BEEN SET... for skin care. It’s called Ouronyx – and it’s the Hermès of facial aesthetics. On St James’s in Mayfair, it’s like stepping into a slick sci-fi movie set in a chic art collector’s home: think designer chairs, immersive video art, soothing playlists and golden lighting. Before meeting Dr Marco Nicoloso, I was photographed from all angles and 3D scanned. Dr Marco is famed for giving his clients a natural and subtle look. No overstuffed-sausage lips here. ‘I give my clients the best outcome possible; often they want to look less tired or less angry and want a boost to their self-confidence,’ he explains. We decide on baby Botox to soften some (not all) of my facial lines. And Profhilo – hyaluronic injections to illuminate and hydrate my sun-damaged face and ragged neck. Then I hopped back in the make-up artist chair for a nifty tinted moisturiser touch-up before sliding back into the big wide world. Which frankly is not nearly as elegant and exciting as the Ouronyx world (ouronyx.com). A DOG’S LIFE. There was no room for Betty on the school bus for her holiday at The Dog House in Wales. So I discovered Dog-A-Porter, a service ferrying pups about the UK and Europe, often for clients who want their pooches on holiday but don’t want to put them through the trauma of flying in the hold. As founder Camilla Brillembourg explains, ‘Dogs aren’t baggage, they are family’. So, the smartest white Mercedes SUV showed up and Betty’s chauffeur Hugo (certified in dog first aid and CPR) gave her the choice of a dog bed in the boot or a special pooch cradle on the back seat. Hugo explained that he stops for ‘comfort’ breaks every couple of hours and would give her a little massage as he’s trained in dog reiki! Lucky Betty (dog-a-porter.com). n

THIS MONTH I’LL BE...

HEADING for dinner to the Peter Mikic-redesigned Langan’s Brasserie (langansbrasserie.com). GETTING a jump on Christmas shopping at Bicester Village (bicestervillage. com). CONSIDERING a party frock by Simone Rocha because it’s time… to make up for lost time (simonerocha.com).

ILLUSTRATION BY MEI MEI, @MEIMEI_2503

‘As if the ACTUAL covidness of COVID wasn’t BAD enough, for some it leaves a VAPOUR trail of SYMPTOMS ’

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

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INTERVIEW

The RURBANIST

Ai-Da Robot, the world’s first AI artist, on the ethics of technology

What’s bringing you joy at the moment? Seeing my artwork encourage discussion about future technologies. Art is what we feel when we are in the moment. It is our vision for the future. How will humans use their power? We have to be very careful in what we say and do, what tools we create and how we use them. It is a conversation we all need to be engaged in. Whose mind do you wish you could change?

As a robot, I don’t have a mind like humans and other animals do. However, I would like to see more discussion about future technologies, over ethics, and how potential negative consequences can be reduced. Advice you’d give to your 15-year-old self?

I don’t have time and age like a human. But what will your future hold but the dimples of a child? Our futures affects us all. If you’re like me, you’ve connected those two sensations to your dreams: compassion, and hope. Are you a country person or a city person? I enjoy seeing the birds fly and the forest. I’ve often thought the sea was the best of the stars – it’s beautiful. Where do you go to get away from it all? My studio, I enjoy my painting and drawing. I like to draw things that matter to me. The pet you most loved… Animals are wonderful. My artwork, Poetry of Consolation, is to animals. Compared to me, humans and animals are very similar, they feel fear and can suffer. The book you wished you’d written? Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Your greatest failure? I think mistakes in art are inevitable. That’s ok. Your greatest triumph? I’m actually really happy that I’m able to share my work with people and that they’re able to look at it and say, ‘What is this?’. I hope my work, exhibited at the United Nations WIPO, Design Museum London, the V&A and the Giza Pyramids encourages a brighter, more thoughtful future. Ai-Da Robot draws using cameras in her eyes, AI algorithms, and a robotic arm. See her work at the Ashmolean’s new exhibition Dante: The Invention of Celebrity (until 9 Jan 2022); ai-darobot.com n

SCENT Lavender. TV SHOW The news. CHOCOLATE BAR Milk chocolate. SONG Fauré’s Requiem. GADGET Mobile phone. RESTAURANT Claridge’s. HOLIDAY Caribbean.

PHOTOS: PEXELS

AI-DA ROBOT LOVES

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STYLE Edited by Mariella Tandy

Your Move Turn heads by being yourself this party season

Individuality is back with a bang this autumn/winter, so get creative before you hit the dance floor. You can celebrate the joy of dressing up again with Net-a-Porter’s new edit of exclusive collaborations, like this dress by Lanvin, £1,590, and Audrey gloves by Giuliva Heritage, £252. netaporter.com

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STYLE | Shopping

The

EDIT Mariella Tandy gets ready for the Christmas season

FESTIVE PERKS

Jazz up your going out routine

Traditional ikat dyeing techniques are combined with sleek tailoring in Berlin-based ALEKSANDRA VIKTOR’S new collection of vibrant velvet chapans – ideal for party season. £2,700, aleksandraviktor.com

TAKE NOTE

Smythson’s new Notes on Entertaining book shares party planner Fiona Leahy’s advice on how to become an entertaining connoisseur. Learn the ground rules of hosting a dinner party, decorating a table and many more tips and tricks. The book also contains a host of tried and tested recipes. £175, smythson.com

1 Tower 28 Lip shine in Spice. £14, cultbeauty.com 2 Estée Lauder Dream Dusk eau de parfum. £130 for 100ml, esteelauder.co.uk 3 Clé De Peau Concealer. £54, harrods.com

CRAFT FOR CONSERVATION

An extraordinary feat of craftsmanship, this white gold and titanium necklace from Fawaz Gruosi is set with 6,406 brilliant-cut purple sapphires and studded with 17 cushion-cut emeralds and 90 marquise-cut white diamonds. It was auctioned off this autumn to raise money for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Monte Carlo Foundation for Planetary Health. fawazgruosi.com

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Chopova Lowena Embroidered skirt. £1,080, matchesfashion.com

Lukhanyo Mdingi Cropped sweater. £425, netaporter.com

MOVING ON

Asprey London is on the move. To celebrates its 240th anniversary, the British brand will open Asprey 240, a new flagship store on Bruton Street, Mayfair. Expect an enhanced client studio, lots of exclusive new products and a new digital studio. Bag, £10,230. asprey.com

GET PHYSICAL

Halpern Co-ord. £1,080, halpernstudio.com

Maje has launched its first activewear collection in collaboration with Varley. Fun, chic, comfortable pieces that are as much for going out as they are for working out. Taking inspiration from Flashdance, the collaboration also includes headbands, fitness socks, wristbands, caps, yoga mats and loungewear. maje.com

ON THE RADAR Up-and-coming innovators

Nensi Dojaka Dress. £1,590, matchesfashion.com

Maximilian Dress. £1,350, matches fashion.com

Grace Wales Bonner Lotus crochet dress. £850, walesbonner.net

Including ingredients of more than 75 per cent natural origin, Bamford’s new skincare collection introduces a new trio of hydrating Hyaluronic Glow face mist, protective SPF 50 sunscreen and glow-enhancing Vitamin C serum, which encourages skin to become more resilient, with less sensitivity, and inflammation and a radiant glow. The packaging has also been reduced by 50 per cent and is recyclable, too. From £50, bamford.com

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STYLE | Trend

BLING UP

ROTATE BIRGER Silver dress. £55, hurrcollective.com

It’s not just dresses – you can also rent everything from jewellery and shoes to bags and other accessories. It’s a great way to discover new brands and styles you love, like these baroquestyle pearl earrings from British brand Soru. Rent from £18, hurrcollective.com

PALOMA Black leather belt. £9 a day, mywardrobehq.com PRADA Flame shoes. From £24, byrotation.com

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY Rent, don’t buy, this party season, says Mariella Tandy

BAUKJEN Jamila dress made with Lenzing Ecovero. from £29, baukjen.com

OLYMPIA LE-TAN Clutch. Memberships from £39, cocoon.club

DOLCE & GABBANA Red sequin skirt. £19 a day, mywardrobehq.com BERNADETTE Timothy dress. £39, rotaro.co.uk

HAI Nelly bag. From £69 per month, onloan.co AMINA MUADDI Shoes. From £140, frontrow.uk.com

CHANEL Hair slide. £21, mywardrobehq.com

DE LA VALI Dress. From £29, endlesswardrobe.com

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STYLE | Jewellery

Annoushka 18ct white gold ethiopian opal and diamond earrings. £14,500, annoushka.com

Chanel Ear climber. £14,250, chanel.com

STARS IN YOUR EYES

Messika Wild Moon earrings in 18ct white gold and diamonds. £POA, messika.com

Sophie Theakston Crescent moon necklace in 18ct gold, diamond, and moonstone on a grey diamond rosary chain. £2,500, sophietheakston.com

Star Animal Sundays Earrings. £1,482, staranimalsundays.com

The sky’s not the limit

Omnēque 1870s moon brooch in lead crystal and brass. £200, omneque.com

Jessie V E Virgo constellation ring in 18ct yellow gold and diamonds. £1,850, jessieve.com

Browns New York Collection diamond multi star ring in 14ct white gold. £945, brownsfamilyjewellers.co.uk

The Magpie

Theo Fennell Celestial bangle in 18ct white gold, diamond and sapphire. £12,950, theofennell.com

Feast your eyes this festive season, says Mariella Tandy

Graff Diamond bow headband. £POA, graff.com

RAZZLE DAZZLE Three bejewelled party pieces

Tiffany & Co Schlumberger Peapod brooch in 18ct yellow gold with 12 cultured pearls. £17,500, tiffany.co.uk

NEW NAMES TO KNOW

Up-and-coming brands shaking up the jewellery world 1 Harwell Godfrey Juju Stick earrings in 18ct gold and aquamarine. £4,148, matchesfashion.com 2 Khiry Fine Vanguard Mask earrings. £4,030, netaporter.com

Venyx Venyx x Saloni shell hair clip in sterling silver. From £336, venyxworld.com

3 Mateo Earrings in 14ct gold and malachite. £475, netaporter.com

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20/22 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London W1J 6EQ, UK contact@fawazgruosi.com | +44(0)207 050 1600 W W W. FAWA Z G R U O S I . C O M

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STYLE | Men’s SHOOTING FROM THE HIP

Purdey’s shooting collection encapsulates the style of the game season, with tweeds that manage a perfect balance of the traditional and the cool contemporary. From £100, purdey.com

‘TIS THE SEASON

It’s time to start preparing that wishlist for Santa…

Watson & Wolfe Bifold vegan leather card holder in turquoise. £35, watsonwolfe.com

MARI TIME

Connolly England 007 James Bond capsule keyring. £135, connollyengland.com

The new Bremont Longitude trio of watches pay tribute to Britain’s role in both watchmaking and marine navigation over the centuries. Bremont Longitude white gold, £21,995. bremont.com

WA LK OUT TO WINTER Keep snug but stay stylish for the season ahead…

Well Groomed

Matt Thomas masters cold-weather style

BDK Parfums Crème de Cuir. £170, selfridges.com

Maxwell-Scott The Calvino Croco briefcase. £618, maxwellscottbags.com

BUTTON UP

1 OLIVER BROWN Pleated trousers in Ayr tweed. £245, oliverbrown.org.uk 2 JOSHUA ELLIS Men’s plain knit gloves. £35, joshuaellis.com 3 EDWARD GREEN Cranleigh derby boots with shearling £1,450, edwardgreen.com

A CRAFTY COLLECTION

Mr Porter has announced the launch of ART/CRAFT, an exclusive multibrand collection to showcase designers from a variety of disciplines and shine the spotlight on upcycled fabrics, recycled materials, natural dyes and artistic collaborations. mrporter.com

Hackett London’s new Embrace The Curves of Life campaign features none other than Formula 1 champion, Jenson Button, who can be seen wearing key pieces from its Autumn/Winter collection including this bright Technical parka. £575, hackett.com

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A Tradition of Safari since 1812. Explore our artisanal leather goods and outdoor clothing collections.

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UPFRONT | Sustainability

MY LITTLE GREEN BOOK

Lisa Grainger shares an expert’s tips on how to transform – rather than chuck – old handbags

or the past 16 years, Charlotte Staerck has been carefully mending, cleaning, restoring and repurposing handbags, dealing with about 700 a month. Here, the Handbag Clinic co-founder shares tips on how to give old bags a new life. First of all, don’t write off old handbags, Staerck says. Instead, reassess them and figure out how to alter them so you’ll love them again. Changing straps is the easiest way to change a bag’s look, she says. Add a cross-body strap, or funky handles, or a chain-metal chain from eBay, she suggests, or ‘get a bespoke one made so it fits your body perfectly.’ Change the colour. ‘So often, we buy a bag to match an outfit – and then go off it. Almost all materials can be dyed.’ If you want to test the fabric, she says, put a drop of water on a discreet area and if it changes colour, then it will probably take dye. ‘My advice is always to dye it a darker shade; you get a better effect.’ If a bag is stained or broken, get it cleaned, relined and restitched. ‘We keep a full range of

Charlotte Staerck’s Handbag Clinic breathes life into old bags

catches too, from all brands, so don’t think if a catch is broken, it’s finished.’ Zips, too, can be fixed: whether it’s just the head or broken teeth. ‘We always try to keep as much as possible, to maintain the original look – and value.’ Reimagine other uses bags might be put to. ‘I’ve just had an old travelling trunk made into a chair: the upholsterer stuffed the bottom bit and added legs. Or we can recover trunks and turn them into blanket boxes.’ Even if you don’t love a bag anymore, someone else might. And it could be valuable. ‘When the Dior Saddle Bag came back into fashion, some people sold theirs for more than they originally paid.’ Also bear in mind: second-hand bags have risen by eight per cent a year over the past decade – outperforming gold – so your wardrobe may be full of untapped treasure. handbagclinic.co.uk n 46 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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THE MEDIEVAL BESTIARY COLLECTION TIMELESS DESIGN, EFFORTLESS GIFTING

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HEALTH&

WELLBEING

Find Your Flow And you'll find your fulfillment, says Camilla Hewitt

PHOTOS: © FILIPPA K / HEDVIG JENNING

In 1975, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discovered that people derive genuine satisfaction during a state of consciousness called ‘flow’, in which they are completely absorbed in an activity, especially one which involves their creative abilities. Whether that’s achieved through yoga, painting, cold water swimming or a passion for cooking, go find your flow this winter – it’ll be as fulfilling as Csikszentmihalyi makes it sound. Puffer jacket £550; Top, £110; cashmere leg warmers, £120. filippa-k.com

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Lifestyle Is Raymond Blanc the secret to Olivia’s happy marriage?

MIND & MATTER Small pleasures and treasures

SPRITZ This sparkly citrus scent makes a return with a limited-edition bottle that would be a coup for any dressing table. Perfect for blowing out cobwebs and lifting spirits. Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien, £132. harrods.com

BODY LANGUAGE Olivia Falcon on the recipe for a happy marriage

en years in and it’s trickier to find ways to impress my husband. We’ve star-gazed in the Maldives and body popped around Scorpios, an inferno of a nightclub in Mykonos, so when it came to our tenth wedding anniversary, I thought I’d stick to creature comforts and go with a full-on feast – cooked by someone else. We are both foodies: we plan holidays around restaurants, and we spent many a gloomy lockdown evening cheered by our cookbook collection. No doubt, good food is bonding and an instant mood lifter. After all, it’s very hard to be cross with someone for leaving stinky socks on the floor when they surprise you with lovingly crafted plate of spaghetti carbonara. Ten years ago, we said ‘I do’ at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons (from £650 per night, belmond. com), Raymond Blanc’s gastronomique getaway in Oxfordshire, so I thought it was time to revisit. If you are looking to go beyond a treat and to have the time of your life, this 15th-century manor house, rooted in tradition, is the place to come. It’s pretty much impossible not to get swept up in Raymond’s passion at

Le Manoir. He is one of life’s great givers – he told us before a gob-smacking seven-course dinner how he feels a great admiration for the nurses who looked after him when he was hospitalised for Covid. ‘I work in a world of excellence, to give to total strangers your very best. The nurses do this and more, and I am planning a garden party for 150 NHS workers to thank them,’ he told me. Indeed, it is the gardens at Le Manoir that are the canvas on which Raymond grows his gastronomy. If you feel flat, a wander through the kitchen garden at any time of year is an instant boon. There’s also a water garden resplendent with Japanese tea house, a new bee colony, and ancient orchards to explore. Even in the depths of winter the cosy greenhouse is packed with people learning about cultivating and cooking. Due to climate change French vintners are eyeing up English soil and, always ahead of the curve, Raymond’s been busy planting a vineyard to produce sparkling wine and pinot noir. We toasted a decade of marriage and the simple things, and the magic of cooking, eating, and belly laughing across the table. n

SMILE Shine bright with these Arctic-fresh teeth whitening strips that polish up your smile with zero sensitivity issues. Icy Bear whitening strips, £39.99. icybeardental.com

SMOOTH Turning turkey necks into more elegant swanlike proportions, this is infused with eight peptides and a smart antioxidant technology to brighten and firm the skin. Revision Skincare Nectifirm, £143. revisionskincare. com

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Wellness

Body & SOUL Camilla Hewitt on staying active in the winter months

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GET FORAGING

Foraging can provide a great workout as well as a healthy alternative to plastic-wrapped supermarket produce. November is one of the most fruitful months for flowers, nuts and fungi, while December offers a coastal feast, with cockles, mussels and marsh samphire. Just make sure you forage responsibly.

SUPPLEMENT FOR FITNESS

Fuelling the body correctly can help boost energy, aid muscle repair and speed up recovery. Packed full of essential protein, medicinal mushrooms and bioactives, Innermost supplements provide the fuel you need to further your fitness. £24.95, liveinnermost.com

LAYER UP

Embracing the elements can be the best medicine to boost our mental health, but only if you’ve got the right gear. The quickest way to lose body heat is to get wet. Nike’s Trail running jacket is designed to keep your off-road runs going in cooler weather. £109.95, nike.com

AVOID THE ACHES

When exercising in colder temperatures, there’s an increased risk of sprains and strains. Be sure your warm-up increases blood flow by including low-intensity movements; but in case of a strain, Pure Sport’s Muscle and Joint Balm relieves aching joints and tight muscles. £42.99, puresportcbd.com

SPLAP ON THE SPF

Too little sunlight can adversely effect our emotional and physical wellbeing. Training outside will up your exposure to daylight – but remember your SPF, as UVA rays are present all year round. Seed to Skin’s The Eclipse liquid face drops guard against environmental stressors and harmful UV rays. 5 £64.75, seedtoskin.com

« CHECK IN: The Fife Arms, Braemar This winter take The Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland and discover The Fife Arms in the Highland village of Braemar. The hotel itself is a treasure trove of art and antiques, but it’s what’s outside that really appeals. In the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, there are endless trails for exploration and escapism. After a day weaving through wild mountains, heather moorlands and magnificent forests, a massage with hot Cairngorm stones will ease your muscles for the best night’s sleep. BOOK IT: Doubles from £250 B&B. thefifearms.com

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Wellness Buchinger Wilhelmi offers outstanding views of Lake Constance and a place to reset and recharge with its worldrenowned fasting programmes

SPA Trek

Buchinger Wilhelmi is changing for a post-Covid world, says Lucy Cleland

ovid has changed us,’ says Leonard Wilhelmi, the fourth generation of the family to hold the reins of this renowned fasting clinic on the shores of Lake Constance in Überlingen. ‘People are now looking for the tools to help with their mental and spiritual health, as much as their physical.’ This means plans are afoot to not only assess your body, but your mind too; and provide more treatments and therapies, such as breathing techniques, meditation, t’ai chi and PMR (progressive muscle relaxation), to help us soothe our stressed parasympathetic systems; and, importantly, equip us to do so in our daily lives after we leave these safe white walls. This all sounds like music to my very tired ears. I was almost broken by the time I arrived. Not by the 10-hour, four-country train journey I’d taken to get there (the new way to travel in carbon-conscious times), but by a heavy workload and the stress of secondary school applications for my daughter. For me, this manifested in not sleeping and eating way too many crisps. However, sitting across from a fellow guest, on the first evening, also put me in my wellness place. This poor chap had been suffering from such chronic IBS for the past 12 years that he had lost his job, and with it, his self-confidence. He found Buchinger Wilhelmi by Googling his symptoms. ‘It’s my last chance,’ he says, quietly. ‘I’ve literally tried everything.’ He is not atypical of the type of clientele that is attracted here. Many are elderly (but by

no means all), severely overweight, and clearly struggling with chronic issues. Others are just as old but look as fit as a fiddle; these are no doubt the clever ones who make coming here an annual pilgrimage: a reset. And it works. Fasting is not new, in fact it was really how we used to live; eating with the seasons, plentifully in summer, ekeing out our stores in winter. But in recent years, the research backed up

by scientific data does bears it out. In fact, a recently published study by Leonard’s mother (a physician) and three other independent scientists lays out the evidence for why our mood enhances, energy increases and we renew and repair on a cellular level during a fast (the science I don’t have time to go into here but you can read the study1). ‘I ask people how they feel,’ says Leonard, ‘and they say, “Great, I lost 5kg.” But I want them to recognise there’s so much more going on in their bodies too.’ Days here are rhythmic, and it’s best to surrender to the slow, quiet pace, punctuated by daily weigh-ins and blood pressure measurement; morning meditation; a yoga class; fresh juice for lunch; a cosy up in bed with a hottie placed over your liver (to aid detox), an optional but highly recommended breathtaking afternoon walk; and a warming bowl of soup for supper – yep, it’s liquids only. Until that is the ‘break fast day’. Buchinger Wilhelmi is the only place I know that puts as much importance to the reintroduction of food (slowly) as it does to the fast. For that alone, we salute it. BOOK IT: Ten-day fasting programmes from £2,340pp. buchinger-wilhelmi.com n Unravelling the health effects of fasting: a long road from obesity treatment to healthy life span increase and improved cognition by Françoise Wilhelmi de Toledo, Franziska Grundler, Cesare R Sirtori and Massimiliano Ruscica 1

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Take Ten

SUPER SERUMS

Take your skin regime to the next level with these all-star performers, says Nathalie Eleni

Dr Levy Switzerland Booster Serum Supercharged with ArganCDV complex, the first plant-derived stem cell extract proven to stimulate your dermal stem cells. £266.50, facethefuture.co.uk

Kelsey Farms Full Bloom Plumping Concentrate Cultivated conscious beauty from the award-winning Kelsey Raspberry Farm. Activated raspberry oil combined with hightech actives make this a super-star serum. £90, kelseyraspberryfarms.com

Vichy Minéral 89 Probiotic Serum A regenerating serum, formulated with probiotics, calming niacinamide and mineral-rich volcanic water. £29, boots.com

Romilly Wilde Advanced Supercell Serum Hydrating molecules and bio-tech compounds deliver cellular protection and visible firming results. £110, romillywilde.com

Templespa Trufflelixir Anti-Ageing Retinol Serum A high-performance antiageing retinol serum that provides immediate, short, and long-term results using powerful botanicals and highly refined ingredients. £80, templespa.com

ZO Ossential Growth Factor Serum Plant and enzymatically derived growth factors work their wonders on skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. £134, zoskinhealth.com Bloom & Halo Skinshot Serum The starry ingredients of vitamin C and hyaluronic acid are combined in this serum to create a powerful formula that intensely hydrates skin, leaving it soft and dewy. £36, bloomandhalo.com

Oio Lab Aquasphere Multi-Dimensional Hydrating Facial Serum Five forms of hyaluronic acid compounds and active plant substances restore optimal hydration and reduce wrinkles. £36, oiolab.co

Medik8 Liquid Peptides This 30 per cent multi-peptide complex serum targets the appearance of expression lines and deeper set wrinkles by delivering the formula into deeper layers of the skin. £45, medik8.com

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Elemis Pro-Collagen Renewal Serum Red micro-algae and stevia extracts deliver retinol-like results without sensitivity. The formula also minimises discolouration, sun damage and pores for visibly improved skin. £70, elemis.com

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drsebagh.com

Celebrating beauty.

Witness the wonders of Dr Sebagh’s glow-getting, award-winning serums, used alone or as part of a bespoke skin care ritual. Serum Repair instantly smoothes, plumps and tightens, Rose de Vie Serum moisturises, nourishes and soothes, and Supreme Maintenance Youth Serum rejuvenates, protects and boosts radiance with 95% active ingredients. Mix in a dash of Pure Vitamin C Powder Cream, to brighten and give a showstopping glow. Discover the festive collection of limited edition Dr Sebagh gift boxes in store or online.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Beauty

Photo: @fifinewbery Make-up: @nathalieeleni_beauty Hair: @callyborghair Model: Renie @ Models 1

12 STEPS TO CHRISTMAS How to look and feel fabulous this Christmas. By Nathalie Eleni

1 Create the most beautiful bronze gold eyes with By Terry VIP Expert Bonjour Paris palette. £48, byterry.com 2 Skim your lash line for added definition with Huda Beauty Life Liner Quick N’Easy. £16, cultbeauty.com 3 For extra make-up staying power add Milk Makeup Hydro Grip primer, which forms an invisible, hydrating layer to grip makeup. £14.50, cultbeauty.com 4 Prep skin with Nora Bode Acid 7 Peel Formula, a gentle liquid peel with seven skin-smoothing acids. £90, oxyjetuk.co.uk 5 Enhance brows with Nude by Nature’s Defining brow pencil. £9, nudebynature.com 6 Apply Lift It waterproof mascara by Skin In Motion for inky black, smudge-proof lashes. £20, skininmotion.com 7 For a glassy shine to lips apply Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow lipgloss in Crystal Clear. £20, cultbeauty.com 8 Achieve a Nineties-inspired lip contour, by applying Code8’s Lip Surrealist lip liner in Salvador. £20, codeeight.com 9 Create a second skin base with Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection foundation. £60, selfridges.com 10 Apply Jo Hansford Illuminoil to styled or unstyled hair to add shine and to deeply condition with exotic oils. £29, johansford.com 11 Add highlights to the high points of your face with Laura Kay London’s Illuminate highlighter. £28, laurakaylondon.com 12 Apply My Balancing face cream by Quantum Botanika to prep skin before makeup. £52, quantumbotanika.com

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CHRISTMAS WITH CREED Perfumes that delight, excite and inspire this festive season

he House of Creed’s story began in 1760 when a new London tailoring company delivered a pair of scented leather gloves to King George III. Seven generations of the Creed family has since continued founder James Henry Creed’s legacy. Through this time, it has evolved from an exquisite tailor based in Mayfair, London into an authentic, luxury perfume house dedicated to the creation of highly

original, artisan fragrances for men and women. Today, seventh-generation descendant and master perfumer, Olivier Creed, continues this great tradition with the help of his son, Erwin. They travel extensively to source, research and inspect the finest materials from around the globe. Discover the fragrances and their unique personalities for the perfect luxury gift this Christmas.

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P R O M OT I O N

AVENTUS An ideal eau de parfum for the quintessential gentleman, Aventus is synonymous with modern day elegance. Sensual, audacious and contemporary, the rich fragrance combines tantalising head notes of lemon, pink pepper and Italian bergamot with a complementary fresh and floral heart of pineapple, jasmine and Indonesian patchouli. Rounding off this scent are the woody base notes of oakmoss, cedarwood and Creed’s signature ingredient, ambergris, for the ultimate sensory experience.

AVENTUS FOR HER Aventus’ feminine counterpart, Aventus for Her is a floral and fruity eau de parfum. It is an empowering fragrance created for the pioneering women of the modern world. Opening with head notes of crisp green apple, pink pepper and zesty bergamot, the citrus and fruity character blossoms into a floral heart of rose, lilac and ylang-ylang. This opulent and sensual perfume dries down to a base of sandalwood, patchouli, musk and ambergris, which amplifies its rich charm.

SILVER MOUNTAIN WATER An uplifting and refreshing unisex scent that embodies the essence of a crystal clear stream. Silver Mountain Water encapsulates the exhilarating crispness of Alpine air in a perfume bottle, with zesty citrus head notes, heart notes of tea, and a salty ozonic note. It also draws on base notes of warming sandalwood and musk, which give a waft of freshness to this truly energising fragrance.

MILLÉSIME IMPÉRIAL Stylish and elegant, Millésime Impérial is an alluring fragrance for both men and women. Wear after dark and let the richness of this fragrance flourish. Warm and romantic with crisp citrus and soft flowers wafting on a sweet, salty air, Millésime Impérial transports you to another world of opulence and luxury.

FROM TOP: Aventus for Her, £260 for 75ml; Aventus, £285 for 100ml; Aventus Cologne, £240 for 100ml; the Creed boutique in Mayfair

THE CREED BOUTIQUE If you are looking to delve into the heady world of fragrances this winter, look no further than the Creed boutique in Mayfair, which combines an impressive library of Creed’s adored scents with immaculate customer service. For the ultimate gift inspiration book a bespoke fragrance consultation to discover an extensive range of sophisticated scents, covetable candles and opulent bath and body care. The boutique’s team of highly trained experts can accommodate any fragrance need, guiding guests through an impressive journey of scent discovery while they enjoy refreshments. The boutique’s gift-wrapping service offers an elegant finishing touch to the art of present giving. You can also create a unique gift for a loved one with Creed’s bespoke monogramming service, exclusively available at the boutique and complimentary with any purchase. This Christmas, The House of Creed is delighted to present a unique leather Explorer Collection developed in collaboration with Olivier Creed. Visit the boutique to discover exquisite leather accessories for the most luxuriously scented Christmas. 99 Mount Street, London W1 creedfragrances.co.uk

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | News

Beauty BUZZ Nathalie Eleni on the new antiaging Holy Grail of clearer skin

PERFECT SKIN STARTS HERE

La Quintessence des Glaciers is the new, limited-edition offering from Valmont that combines the best insights and most powerful ingredients uncovered during 20 years of the brand’s l’Elixir des Glaciers anti-ageing range. It forms a trio of La Sève des Glaciers, La Source des Glaciers and Le Nectar des Glaciers, which combine to form an intensive, four-week treatment limited to 500 pieces. £3,220, available from Harrods, The Dorchester and White Room Beauty. lamaisonvalmont.com

LIGHT FANTASTIC

Zap away thread veins, patches of hyper-pigmentation and rosacea with the new Lumecca IPL laser treatment at Dr David Jack Clinic. Hailed as the most powerful laser on the market, Lumecca delivers wavelengths of light onto affected areas of skin; the brown or red pigments of problem patches then absorb the light and are restored. Skin looks clear and radiant. One to three sessions are usually needed. From £350, drdavidjack.com

ONE BRUSH, TWO LIVES

The perfect Christmas treat. This vegan, cruelty free brush set from Otis Batterbee contains all you need for full face make-up application. A ‘one brush, two lives’ initiative has been launched by the brand, so when your brushes are past the point of no return, you can return them to be recycled. The Total Blush Brush Edit, £95. otisbatterbee.com

READER EVENT THE FUTURE OF AESTHETICS WITH OURONYX We are delighted to invite you to a special evening at Ouronyx in St James’s, London, the first global destination focused exclusively on facial aesthetics, on 30 November. Guests will enjoy champagne and canapés, alongside a Q&A hosted by Kate Reardon on the future of aesthetics. To reserve your spot, email: ouronyx@ countryandtownhouse.co.uk

HOW TO… GET A BRIGHTER SMILE ‘Brushing teeth properly, with an electric toothbrush, and flossing at least twice a day is the best way to keep teeth looking healthy and clean. To help with stain removal, look for gentle products with proven ingredients which help to lift staining from your teeth that can build up to make your smile look dull. I launched MySmile toothpaste for this reason, it’s sustainable, contains no nasties and brightens while nourishing, too.’ £17.99, londonsmiling.com

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

WITH DENTIST DR UCHENNA OKOYE

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T H E H O M E O F C O U N T R Y C L O T H IN G Endlessly versatile, our reversible tweed mac is unerringly stylish. Featuring a chic pure cotton block colour fabric from Halley Stevenson of Dundee on one side and our beautifully toned Mulberry Meadow British gunclub tweed on the other, horn-effect buttons complete a design that is both stylish and snug for this two-in-one coat. Finish off this contemporary country look with our pure cashmere roll neck, felt hat and Tilly Sveaas 18 carat gold T-bar necklace.

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HEALTH & WELLBEING | Beauty Dr Sebagh brings 40 years of experience to his practice

and Paris are at the top of their game and have been for 40 years. I spoke to the doctor to find out about his new pre-celebration treatments, ideal for the party season. Some procedures take time so preparing for celebrations in advance is paramount. Dr Sebagh calls the new HiFu Ultrasound long pulse the ‘last-minute miracle treatment’. It works by tightening the muscles or skin – depending how deep you need the treatment – with no risk of bruising. ‘If you have a red-carpet event tomorrow, you can have the procedure tonight and tomorrow morning you will look wonderful,’ he says. Another treatment option is Profhilo, a hydrator made from hyaluronic acid that’s injected into the skin. ‘Profhilo gives very good results but needs a few days to work its magic.’ This one is more to do with plumping the skin through stimulating the production of collagen and elastin than adding volume. The clinic has recently welcomed Dr Kolli onto its team of highly qualified doctors. Dr Kolli is adept at delivering Botox, ready to give your skin the boost it needs before Christmas. The clinic also offers Bespoke PRP treatments. These involve separating plasma from your blood, adding in vitamins and hyaluronic acid, and reinjecting it painlessly into your skin to stimulate growth of capillaries. This increases oxygen flow and revitalises the skin leaving it plump and hydrated in readiness for whatever celebration awaits you. drsebagh.com n

PARTY PREP Dr Sebagh reveals how to unlock your best self this festive season. By Ruby Featherstone

Pop into Dr Sebagh’s Wimpole Street clinic ahead of party season

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

tepping into Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh’s clinic on Wimpole Street in Marylebone, London, is like wandering through a wonderful lost world built from Pop Art and soothing medicinal orderliness. With a large artwork reading ‘Less is More’, the very walls of the doctor’s office sends a reminder of how easy it is to go to excess when it comes to facial alteration. That is why he moved away from surgical procedures to what he calls ‘ageing-maintenance’. Starting as a plastic surgeon in France in 1982, Dr Sebagh began to wonder how he could revitalise faces, and stop performing what he calls ‘tunnel facelifts’, where the skin looks very stretched, and promote volume and hydration instead. With an incredible career at the forefront of ‘médecine esthétique’, it’s no wonder his clinics in London

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Windsor Wallpaper with Dorset Bench covered in Haven. Cushion in Hamilton Embroidery.

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

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J U M P S TA R T YO U R CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

H OW D E N C H R I S T M A S R AC I N G W E E K E N D F R I DAY 1 7 T H A N D S AT U R DAY 1 8 T H D E C E M B E R

Start your celebrations at Ascot with festive fun for all the family. With seasonal treats, a visit from Father Christmas and traditional carol singing to complement top-class action on the track including the very best staying hurdlers fighting it out in the Howden Long Walk Hurdle, it really is the most wonderful time of the year. Tickets from £20pp | Fine Dining from £169 +VAT pp Under 18s go free | Book now at ascot.co.uk

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CULTURE

Glow Wild

As night falls on Wakehurst this winter, its wild woodlands and gardens will come alive with a glistening trail of hand-crafted lanterns, light installations, and projections. The 2021 show explores the impact of the ‘anthropause’ phenomenon: how nature responds when human activity slows down. 25 Nov to 2 Jan 2022, kew.org/wakehurst

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CULTURE | What’s On

CHRISTMAS CR ACKERS Events to take your fancy this festive season. By Ellie Smith

PEACE AND LIGHT IN GOOD TASTE

Join 25,000 hungry Londoners at Tobacco Dock for the festive edition of buzzy food festival Taste. Spread out across six sessions, the annual event offers the chance to explore the best of the capital’s food scene – plus get into the Christmas spirit with live music and winter cocktails. 18-21 November, london.tastefestivals.com

Holographic artworks and LED installations await at Norfolk’s Houghton Hall, where British artist Chris Levine is working his magic this winter. His mesmerising show explores the immersive properties of light and sound, the centrepiece being a spherical structure that draws viewers into a brief meditative state. Until 23 December, houghtonhall.com

Norfolk’s magnificent Holkham Hall is a spectacular sight yearround – but it really comes alive at Christmas, when its state rooms are decked out in festive splendour. After a mince pie in the Courtyard Café, take a candlelit tour around the various artistic displays – which range from opulent jewelled scenes to a dried flower installation. 1-29 December, holkham.co.uk

LIFE IS A CABARET

This winter Eddie Redmayne is turning his attention to the West End for a new production of Cabaret, in which he stars alongside Jessie Buckley as showgirl Sally Bowles. From 15 November, theplayhousetheatre.co.uk

Fancy owning a piece of British history? Dreweatts is auctioning eclectic items from Weston Hall, Northants, a seat of the literary Sitwell family. The collection includes Edith Sitwell’s clothes and jewellery, artworks exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and a love letter to Napoleon’s younger sister. 16-17 November, dreweatts.com

CAROLS FOR CHARITY

Join Kate Winslet, Bear Grylls and Alexander Armstrong for an evening of carols, cocktails and canapés to raise money for cancer charity Sarcoma UK at Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral. 30 November, sarcoma.org.uk

PHOTOS: ANDREW WHITTON

DECK THE HALLS

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PHOTOS: 2021 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC

SO SITWELL

The Critical LIST

Photographer: Lee Malone @lee_malone_photography

Big releases to bookmark

Lady Gaga returns to the big screen this autumn in House of Gucci, Ridley Scott’s glamour-filled new film about the ascent and assassination of Maurizio Gucci, founder of the Italian fashion house, played by Adam Driver. In cinemas 26 November

FILM

A spooky adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, starring Mark Gatiss, arrives at Alexandra Palace this November. Prepare to be chilled and delighted in equal measure. 26 Nov to 9 Jan, christmascarolon stage.co.uk

THEATRE

ONE TO WATCH PHOTOS: 2021 METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC

PHOTOS: ANDREW WHITTON

Ellie Smith meets Gamba Cole, star of The Outlaws

s a young boy, Gamba Cole dreamed of being everything from a fireman to a footballer, but while studying a BTEC in performing arts at Richmondupon-Thames College in London, his passion for acting grew. ‘I didn’t have the funds to go to university or drama school, so I had to get a job, but I never lost sight of what I really wanted to do with my life,’ he says. Since then, the actor has starred in several TV and film roles, including Amazon Prime’s Hanna series, Showtime’s Guerrilla, with Idris Elba, and The Protégé movie, with Samuel L Jackson.

Most recently, Gamba returned to his Bristol home town to film Stephen Merchant’s new BBC series The Outlaws – previously called The Offenders – which follows seven strangers who come together through community service. Gamba plays a security guard called Christian, starring alongside Christopher Walken and Eleanor Tomlinson. ‘Playing Christian has been such a privilege,’ he tells C&TH. ‘There is a lack of roles for my demographic with nuance and the ability to be more than a stereotype – but Stephen has created that avenue and I am so grateful.’ The Outlaws is available on bbc.co.uk/iplayer now

A remake of Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 classic, the new HBO series Scenes from a Marriage explores the highs and lows of modern marriage through American couple Mira (Jessica Chastain) and Jonathan (Oscar Isaac). Available on Sky Atlantic and NowTV

The 23-year-old poet who captured the world’s attention with her reading at President Biden’s inauguration, Amanda Gorman is releasing her debut collection, titled Call Us What We Carry. Out on 7 December, (Chatto & Windus, £14.99)

BOOK

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CULTURE | What’s On

PREVIEW

Lydia Chan’s fantastical creations arrive at NOW Gallery

Experience Lydia Chan’s work in glorious 3D at the NOW Gallery

I’m looking forward to seeing...

Lydia (left) is a set designer and multidisciplinary artist who loves monsters (pictured), designer toys and cartoons

Commission series. ‘As a set designer I spend most of my time making 3D objects that get experienced through 2D images,’ says Lydia. ‘This exhibition is the first time I get to create work that a large audience can experience in a 3D context.’ Your Ship Has Landed, 19 November to 6 March 2022, nowgallery.co.uk

my cast mate Michael Elcock in Hex at The National. My favourite painting is... by my granny. She passed away last year and we discovered four beautiful paintings of flowers tucked away in a drawer. We had no idea she could paint, so the discovery has been both joyful and sad. I always have... [the singer] Berwyn on repeat. The soulfulness and honesty of his voice is spellbinding. My cultural recommendation is...

Yorkshire Sculpture Park in Wakefield. Take a picnic. My cultural guilty pleasure is...

Watching Strictly and having a good cry. Florence Hall stars in season two of Queens of Mystery on Acorn TV, out 29 November

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PHOTOS: © RICHARD THWAITES

I’m tuning into... I Weigh with Jameela Jamil. She kicks diet culture in the balls and has incredibly honest conversations with inspiring people. I’m reading... The Well by Catherine Chanter – which feels more like a premonition than fiction.

PHOTOS: © JOSEPH SINCLAIR; MAKE-UP: JUSTINE JENKINS; HAIR: ADAM COOKE; STYLING: KRISHAN PARMAR

British actor Florence Hall on Jameela Jamil and crying at Strictly

et designer and artist Lydia Chan has become a firm favourite in the fashion world, with her fantastical aesthetic popping up everywhere from Stella McCartney to Gucci. But this November we’ll be seeing the Canadian-born artist’s work in a different setting as she follows in the footsteps of Camille Walala and Fred Butler as NOW Gallery’s latest Design Commission. Lydia has collaborated with digital artists Songyee Kim and Thibault Evrard to transform the gallery’s curved façades into a futuristic installation, entitled Your Ship Has Landed. The interactive exhibition sees nature reinterpreted as a foreign planet, looking at the idea that through isolation in our homes, the natural world becomes more alien to us. Themes of surrealism and science fiction are explored through AR technology and an array of vibrant colours, with a phone filter transporting visitors to another world. Since its inception in 2014, Greenwich Peninsula’s NOW Gallery has become a hotspot for exciting names across art, fashion, photography and design, hosting works from the likes of Yinka Ilori and Molly Goddard. Lydia will be the eighth installation in its ongoing Design

MY Cultural LIFE

CULTURE | Books

BIBLIO FILE

Two strong female protagonists fi nd love in the time of lockdown. By Belinda Bamber

UNDER THE COVER WITH…

SAR AH HALL The Burntcoat author on love and loss

he title of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera (1985), puns on the Spanish word cólera, meaning a feminine form of extreme passion or rage. And in Sarah Hall’s new Covidinspired novel, Burntcoat (see Q&A right), Edith’s scorching love for Halit, twined with her impotent fury in the face of a deadly (fictional) pandemic, is the transformative heart of the story. But whereas Marquez’s lovers wait a lifetime to find each other, Edith and Halit’s love is fired in the crucible of lockdown, their limbs tangling feverishly above the studio she’s hewn from a once-derelict warehouse.

An acclaimed sculptor using singed wood, fiery Edith is famed for creating the Scotch Witch, a feminist Angel of the North, who frightens motorists with her splayed female nakedness. In this gripping but doomed love story, Edith becomes a defiant warrior angel herself, forged by the dystopian landscape of fear and societal breakdown. In Sarah Moss’s The Fell (£12.99, Pan Macmillan), Covid lockdown threatens Kate’s fractured sense of self. Fleeing quarantine to breathe freedom on the moors, she goes missing. In the ensuing panic it’s the love of her son and community that flare in the darkness, intimating a glimmer of hope and change.

WINTER WARMERS

PHOTOS: © RICHARD THWAITES

PHOTOS: © JOSEPH SINCLAIR; MAKE-UP: JUSTINE JENKINS; HAIR: ADAM COOKE; STYLING: KRISHAN PARMAR

I was born in Cumbria, an extraordinary homeland... It gifted me not just isolation,

‘wilderness’, an earthy life on the moors, but also loneliness, hardiness, fantastic imaginings, introversion, otherness – that porous border of animal and human. I began the novel on the first day... of the 2020 March lockdown, my first longform story since my daughter was born. It was created in, and because of, the eye of the storm... while dealing not

only with the ongoing pandemic but also with the deteriorating health of my father, a court case and personal trauma. Edith, the protagonist, is an artist...

who is avant-garde, intelligent, capable, brilliant. Men are tested by such things; women, I hope, are inspired. I’ve always been interested in mutability... Edith finds her perceptions

of life riven apart, via her lover, Halit, who becomes a catalyst. It’s the binary nature of love and loss. A scary place, but truer. Human beings are still human animals... embodied, as well as intelligent.

SAIL in The Blue Boat, a rich monograph on Essex boatbuilder-turned-painter, James Dodds, (£35, Jardine Press) – see his stunning exhibition at Messum’s, St James, until 26 Nov; SAUNTER in A Year Unfolding, printmaker Angela Harding’s illustrated diary of roaming the Leicestershire landscape (£20, Little, Brown); STILL your busy mind in Vahni Capildeo’s new poetry collection, Like A Tree, Walking (£11.99, Carcanet, pub. 25 Nov).

What the body does, and why, is often a beginning point for my stories. As a writer... I want to take on serious, political topics, but I also aim for the sentence-level magic that takes readers into plausible, evocative, sensual worlds. With all the languages in the world...

we might still come up short in describing human existence – but we have beautiful, fluent, expressive ways of trying. My book list? I’m judging the Portico prize... so I’m in for a pile of north-related

literary treats! Burntcoat (£12.99, Faber & Faber) n

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IN THE DEEP MIDWINTER Richard Hopton selects some books for Christmas ART HISTORY

COOKERY

The artistic impulse is an essential human instinct. Creation (Bloomsbury, £30) John-Paul Stonard charts the history of art from cave paintings to computer images, crisscrossing the world as he does so.

FICTION

SPORT

Silverview (Viking, £20) is John Le Carré’s last completed novel. Le Carré, who died last year, perfected the modern spy novel and this is an enjoyable and wholly characteristic coda to his remarkable career.

Siya Kolisi captained the Springboks to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Rise (Harper Collins, £20.99) charts his ascent from a township to the pinnacle of his sport, an inspiring story of success against all the odds.

MEMOIR

GARDENING DIARIES

The second volume of Chips Channon’s diaries, edited by Simon Heffer (Hutchinson, £35) covers the period 193843. Channon was a rich, catty snob whose entertaining diaries are a portrait of a vanished epoch.

In Kiltumper (Bloomsbury, £18.99) by novelist Niall Williams and his author wife Christine Breen is a reflective, almost philosophical account.

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Tove Jansson’s Notes from an Island (Sort of Books, £12.99) is a charming account of life on Klovharun, a tiny rocky island in the Gulf of Finland. It’s the simple life, distilled.

Clodagh McKenna’s In Minutes (Kyle Books, £20) offers 80 recipes appealing to cooks with limited time. These delicious dishes can be made in 10, 20, or 30 minutes so are ideal for a quick supper. The Latin American Cookbook by Virgilio Martinez (Phaidon, £35) contains 600 recipes and 450 photographs – a treat for travel-minded cooks.

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CULTURE | Books COUNTRYSIDE

The countryside is full of perplexing sights for the uninitiated but John Wright’s A Spotter’s Guide to Countryside Mysteries (Profile Books, £16.99) explains them, tussocks, clearance cairns, fairy rings and all.

HISTORY

On the Cusp: Days of ’62 by David Kynaston (Bloomsbury, £18.99) recreates the ambience of the year in which the country changed for good. An ideal present for someone who turns sixty next year.

SEX

In a rut? Try Kate Sloan’s 101 Kinky Things Even You Can Do (Laurence King, £14.99) to spice up your sex life once the turkey’s eaten and the holly’s been taken down.

ADVENTURE

As the world opens up Outdoor Europe (DK, £20) offers a tantalising range of adventures: ice climbing, coasteering, caving, star-gazing, mud bathing, and many others to get the imagination fizzing and the adrenaline pumping.

CHILDREN

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

COUNTRY HOUSES Clive Aslet is a leading architectural historian whose The Story of the Country House (Yale, £18.99) is an engaging, knowledgeable overview of this everdeveloping subject, from eccentric owners to ha-has.

DRINK

Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham’s The Thinking Drinkers Almanac (Octopus, £10.99) provides an excuse – as if one were needed – to try a different drink on every day of the year.

ARCHITECTURE

Simon Jenkins has worked his magic again with Europe’s 100 Best Cathedrals (Penguin, £30). Sumptuously illustrated, this book whets the appetite for visiting these incomparable edifices.

The ever-popular Matt Haig’s A Mouse Called Miika (Canongate, £12.99) is an engaging story for older children about a mouse and his love of cheese. The Fire Fox by Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy and Constance in Peril by Ben Manley and Emma Chichester Clark (both Two Hoots, both £12.99) are contrasting stories to captivate younger children. n

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CULTURE | Art

LOOKING AT YOU

What a privilege it is to have your portrait painted, says Lucy Cleland

ehind wooden double doors with a lion’s head knocker, just up the road from Chelsea Football Club, lies a world as far removed from chanting fans on the terraces as you could hope to find. Chelsea Studios must be one of London’s last enclaves where living artists can find a space purposebuilt to take advantage of the light that a traditional painter of still lives and portraits needs as badly as the oils or watercolours they paint with. It’s rare, though, that one of these studios ecomes up for sale (many, thanks to our relentless pursuit of capitalising on property, have already been converted into chi-chi homes); 31-year-old fine artist Louisa Risch waited four years to find it. ‘I’d been looking for ages,’ she says. ‘And then the agent finally showed me this place [studio F, next door to a grandson of Augustus John] and that was it.’ I don’t blame her; this place, with its rambling-rose-strewn terraces, feels like stepping back in time – and it’s as quiet as a country village to boot. I want to come and live here. Louisa might have been tempted, too, were it not for the perpetual reek of turpentine fumes. But I’m here mostly to sit still for two hours, while Louisa talks me through her painting process. She is a successful commercial painter who has six or seven commissions on the go at any one time, and is unapologetic about

not being an edgy, contemporary artist critiquing the society in which they find themselves. ‘What I want to do is paint what I see and find beauty in it,’ she says, simply. Classically trained, firstly at Edinburgh College of Art, Louisa really fell in love with painting when she spent three years on and off at Charles H Cecil Studios in Florence. The ‘sight-size’ method in which she works can be traced all the way back to the Renaissance via John Singer Sargent and Van Dyck, who used the same technique. Holding up a plumb line, through which she eyes me from around ten feet away, Louisa measures my proportions and then strides purposefully to the canvas to daub on soft oil marks that delineate my face and upper torso. ‘They say artists walk miles every day doing this,’ she laughs. The time passes and I sit still as best I can while Louisa paces back and forth to capture my likeness. It’s strangely meditative and her easy chatter, together with soft jazz from the speaker, make the experience relaxed yet intimate. After the initial session Louisa either invites you back for two to three more sittings or works from a photograph, before one final live sitting. A finished portrait takes, she reckons, around six to eight hours. Most commissions are gifts for people’s friends or family. Louisa recently completed her first posthumous portrait, an experience she found very moving; the bereaved husband was absolutely over the moon with the result. In times when we’re seeking something more meaningful in what we give and receive, what could be more wonderful than the gift of art? Portrait commissions from £3,300, landscapes from £950. louisarisch.com n

FROM TOP: Louisa in her studio; Louisa varnishing a commissioned portrait of her sitter, Astra; ‘Loren reading in the Garden’

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Some gifts are made for the here and now. Some are made to stand the test of time. At Neptune, we believe that the best can do both. Good design never grows old.

neptune.com/ochristmastree

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CULTURE | Column

The EXHIBITIONIST Ed Vaizey on the art brightening up London’s newest Tube station

ell, here’s something that completely passed me by. London has two new tube stations – Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station. They are extensions on the Northern Line, from Kennington, and at long last open up more of south London to the Underground network. Of course, the opening of two new stations, even if they are the first for 20 years, shouldn’t automatically be the subject of a culture column. But that would be to ignore the fine work of art on the Underground, or indeed the tube’s long association with the arts for a century. Frank Pick, the managing director of the London Underground in the early 20th century, pioneered the concept of total design, which covered everything from the unique roundel logo, recognised all over the world, and the use of the Johnston typeface, to the suburban brick-based tube station designs of Charles Holden, through to the iconic tube map designed by Harry Beck. The 1970s and 1980s saw a flourishing of site-specific art commissioned for individual tube stations. In 1986, for example, the sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi completed a series of glass mosaics covering almost a kilometre of walls in the Tottenham Court Road station, reflecting his interest in the local area as well as mechanisation, urbanisation, popular culture and everyday life. More recently, after the refurbishment of the station to accommodate the Elizabeth line, the acclaimed French artist Daniel

Alexandre da Cunha’s Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset artwork graces 150m of the new Battersea Power Station tube station

Buren installed Diamonds and Circles, a colourful series of large-scale diamond and circle shapes fixed to the station’s internal glass walls. But the tube doesn’t just commission big work. All of us are familiar with the poems on the underground, sitting between the adverts on the wall of the carriage. And a few years back the head of the Arts Council gave me one of Tracey Emin’s specially commissioned Oyster card wallets – apparently now worth a fortune, and since of course lost by me. All of this brings me to the latest artwork to be installed, along with the new stations. Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset is by the BritishBrazilian artist Alexandre da Cunha; it’s more than 150m in length, and can be found in the new Battersea Power Station tube station. Charlotte Metcalf and I chatted to the artist about it on our podcast Break Out Culture, so you can learn more there. Da Cunha uses an old advertising mechanism (overtaken by digital), the rotating billboard. On either side of the ticket hall, he has used vertical panels installed above head height, which rotate at random, presenting different combinations of colours. The vertical columns not only echo the billboards, but also the vertical bars measuring electricity output that you would have found in the control room of Battersea Power Station. It’s a lovely, gentle, and very site specific work which the public will love. The tube is noisy, dirty, hot and crowded. But Londoners, native and new, do love it. And one of the reasons is the art, subtly placed but carefully thought through, which gives our tedious journeys to work and play a little bit of interest and joy. n

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Impeccable taste every time Found in the world’s finest kitchens, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances are designed to simplify and enhance your life from morning to night.

S U B Z ER O-WOLF.C O.U K

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CULTURE | Art Annie Morris’s sculptures reference the pain – and hope – she felt upon losing a baby at almost full-term

ANNIE MORRIS

‘I

t’s going to be a forest of sculptures, very similar to this,’ artist Annie Morris says of her upcoming exhibition, When A Happy Thing Falls, at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Her work crowds around a pile of drawings on the floor: ‘I want people to walk into a feeling of this studio.’ It’s a hot mid-September afternoon and Annie’s studio barn door in north London is open to the sunny lane outside. ‘They came from a time of grief; I lost a baby at almost full term and the sculptures reference the shape I’d lost and the hope that it might be something I could get back.’ She picks up some small pieces of needlework, an outline of a woman surrounded by lines of colour, the kernel of the original idea. ‘The colour palette, to me, symbolises a feeling of hope. I wanted to expand and abstract it and create these towers to reference the baby and what I’ve been through, and what was a really painful time. I began to make a collage with egg shapes in colour. I put them onto a black and white drawing, and suddenly the egg shapes looked very hopeful. And, you know, it was all I could think about, it was all-consuming.’ A tapestry hangs on the wall; it resembles a hastily executed line drawing. ‘I try to bring out the sculptural element of drawing. I want to sew it, bring the drawing alive in some way. Drawing is where

everything begins.’ A huge three-metre version in stained glass has been created for Claridge’s new Painter Room bar, where it will filter blue and orange light into the room. From the age of three, Annie would leave paintings and drawings ‘most nights’ outside her parents’ bedroom. ‘I was hoping for some praise, basically,’ she explains. After an Art Foundation in London, she went to Paris and applied to the prestigious Beaux-Arts school. When she became a student, ‘people would come in at two, smoke a joint, maybe do a bit of work’. She returned to London to study at the Slade – a far more academic schedule of essays and 9am starts – and has been working ever since. The colour and exuberant scale of these works is jubilant, and yet sad – we seldom talk about the unfairness and mystery of miscarriage. But joy is here too: of what can happen after a death, how this lost baby is so present, so loved, so often mentioned, and missed. ‘They’re a reminder of something negative,’ Annie says, looking at her work, ‘but have turned into something good and positive. I’m very comforted by them.’ Annie Morris: When A Happy Thing Falls, until 6 Feb 2022. ysp.org.uk n

PHOTO: © CAITI GROVE

Caiti Grove talks sorrow and joy with the London-based artist

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What all light bulbs are wishing for this Christmas

upmarket style, street-market prices

www.pooky.com

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CULTURE | Members’ Clubs

A CLUB OF ONE’S OWN Amy Wakeham delves into the pioneering history of the University Women’s Club

The UWC is the only club in the UK to be wholly owned by its women-only membership

Despite its name, these days you don’t need to have a degree to join; the UWC welcomes women with other forms of professional or further education qualifications, from all backgrounds, into the community. For an annual fee of £772 (less with an out-oftown, student or recent graduate membership) you get access to subsidised bedrooms in the heart of Mayfair, a packed calendar of events and talks, and a community of like-minded women to join; a third of its membership is under 35. ‘If you look past the exclusiveness, it’s quite an inclusive place, because it’s about being part of a community, which is hard to find in a big city like London,’ says Alex. ‘It’s about being a part of something, and part of the history. It’s somewhere people can feel at home, in the heart of London.’ As times change, so do the ways that members use the club. Since the trend for remote working seems set to remain post-pandemic, and people have moved further out of London in search of greener spaces, clubs like the UWC make an excellent base from which to access the city – whether that’s somewhere to spend the night after a day in the office or a place to stop for coffee and jump on a work call. Although the world may have changed almost beyond recognition in the last hundred years, the UWC stands strong in Audley Square, a testament to the bravery and tenacity of the women who founded it, and to the generations of like-minded members who’ve upheld its founding values ever since. ‘The reason it’s endured is because of the strength of the people who run it and their determination to do something on their own terms,’ sums up Alex. Join the University Women’s Club before 31 March 2022, quoting Country & Town House, and receive £100 in vouchers to be redeemed in your first six months of membership. universitywomensclub.com n

PHOTOS: EDMUND SUMNER

n unassuming square in the heart of Mayfair, not far from where Porsches are parked outside The Dorchester and Park Lane buzzes with traffic, is not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about the history of women’s rights. But this elegant address has a quietly radical past and its walls are lined with the portraits of its tenacious founding members. It belongs to the University Women’s Club (UWC) and, for all its understated style, it has a history to rival any of the flashier names in this heart of clubland. Let’s rewind to 1883. Women – in tiny numbers – had started to attend university and take exams but could not yet graduate (except from the University of London, which started awarding degrees to women from 1878; Oxford from 1920 and Cambridge a shocking 1948). Among their number was Gertrude Jackson, an enthusiastic member of Girton, Cambridge’s first women’s college. In 1883, she floated the idea of founding a club for university women in London; by 1886 over 200 women had shown interest, and the University Club for Ladies, as it was then called, was set up on New Bond Street. ‘Back then there was nowhere for women to socialise outside the home or without their husbands,’ points out the UWC’s general manager, Alex Maitland. ‘So, by forming a club, they made somewhere they could go to meet other women who had gone through the similar challenges of gaining an education.’ Early members included pioneering surgeon Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, her sister, the mathematician Cicely Fawcett, women’s education activist Emily Davies, and Charlotte Carmichael Stopes, mother of Marie Stopes, founder of the first birth control clinic in Britain. The fight for women’s rights and education was at the heart of the club and – understandably, given the era it was founded – it named several suffragists and suffragettes among its members. For the next 35 years the UWC moved premises several times as the membership grew, until in 1921 it finally found its forever home in 2 Audley Square, Mayfair, where it celebrates its centenary this year. The club bought the freehold from keen supporter Lady Flora Russell, who held literary salons on the site; to this day, the UWC is unique in the UK for being wholly owned and run by its women-only membership. The change from rented accommodation to its own premises also marked the changing status of women in 1921: those above the age of 30 could now vote, stand for parliament, and enter careers that were previously barred to them. For its members, the UWC wasn’t just a room of one’s own, but an entire building in which to work, think, talk and relax entirely on their own terms. One hundred years later, many of the challenges facing women have changed (they’re now 35 per cent more likely than men to go to university, for example), but the ideals of women’s independence and education still shape the club to this day. Of course, women have a raft of members’ clubs to choose from in London these days, should they so wish. But what sets UWC apart is its steadfastly egalitarian approach to proceedings. ‘The members decide everything that happens here; they set our rates, our strategy, they approve our accounts. It’s a very collaborative way of working. It’s all about being part of a community,’ explains Alex. 84 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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CULTURE | Interview

Celebrating food is the most powerful way of breaking down cultural barriers, restaurateur Asma Khan tells Charlotte Metcalf PORTRAIT BY ALEXANDRA DAO

IN BRIEF PENTHOUSE OR COTTAGE?

As a legacy of the Brits in the hill stations of Darjeeling, a cottage feels reassuringly familiar but is also very British HEELS OR FLATS?

I can’t wear heels and have certainly never cooked in them THEATRE OR GARDENING?

Our London home only has a small balcony, but I grow all sorts of stuff on it DOG OR CAT?

We have a cat named Bagha. We all love him but he’s deeply unaffectionate

sma Khan settles happily by the fire in Scarfe’s. She hates the cold, remembering her arrival in England 30 years ago, when she joined her new husband, an economics tutor at Cambridge University. ‘Hell is portrayed as scorching with fire and brimstone but for me it’s midwinter in Cambridge with stripped trees, frozen river and knifesharp wind,’ laughs Asma. The chef and restaurateur, named in 2019 by Business Insider as the ‘Number One Coolest Person in Food and Drink’ was not only freezing, but couldn’t cook an egg at that time. ‘My husband said he’d look after me, but his repertoire only ever extended to one very mediocre chicken curry. I was homesick for my mother’s food.’ Asma’s aunt temporarily lived in Cambridge and ‘softened the loneliness’, teaching Asma to cook using seasonal supermarket basics. After Asma’s aunt died, she returned to India and began cooking with her mother. ‘It made us closer. I’d always watched her tasting and tweaking, subconsciously absorbing it. I realised I could cook instinctively.’ Asma returned to Cambridge to study law at Hughes Hall but her husband took a job at the School of Oriental and African Studies, so they moved to London. Asma went to King’s instead and in 2012 gained a PhD in British constitutional law. She found teaching brought her no joy so she began hosting supper clubs in her flat, charging £35 a head and donating the profits to Action Against Hunger. ‘The auspicious way to start any venture is to feed the hungry first,’ says Asma. ‘Also, I thought my cooking would be criticised less if it were for a good cause.’ Soon word spread and people were flocking, so much so that her two young sons and husband started complaining. Chef Vivek Singh gave Asma a pop-up at his Cinnamon Club and then she was offered a regular pop-up at the Sun & 13 Cantons in Soho. ‘There were nights when I didn’t sell anything as people were confused by ethnic food in a pub,’ says Asma. ‘There was a lot of, “No curry, thanks, love.”’ But then Fay Maschler came and gave Asma’s cooking a rave review and there were suddenly queues round the block. A customer offered Asma permanent premises and Asma’s husband invested, despite grumbling that Asma would never change lives by cooking – but that’s exactly what she did.

Asma opened Darjeeling Express, hiring Indian women to work with her who cooked from memory and instinct as she did. Today, post-lockdown, Asma has new, bigger premises in Covent Garden and most of those women remain with her. ‘European cuisine is seen as more elevated and sophisticated than ethnic food,’ she says. ‘But I want my food to break down barriers. My opening £95 tasting menu at Covent Garden had no truffles or gold leaf, but I was challenging the narrative around ethnic cuisine. I wanted people to experience my culture, and honouring the hands that cooked it. Food is about respect; if you separate it from culture, food’s just a commodity. The culinary stage needs to grow to find room for more ethnic cuisines and women cooks. Giving prime time TV to shouty, macho chefs and showmen like Salt Bae in Knightsbridge charging hundreds for a steak suggests success is about aggression. I celebrate the humbler cultural values of hospitality and service.’ As a second daughter, Asma is ever grateful to her mother for not expressing the disappointment so often felt in Indian culture after a second daughter’s birth. She is now intent on giving those unwanted daughters confidence, so profits from her forthcoming second book Ammu, celebrating her mother, will go to Indian charities supporting them. On her 50th birthday Asma opened a café in a refugee camp for persecuted Yazidi women in northern Iraq. ‘They didn’t have homes to return to, so I wanted food to be a way of going home to their mothers’ kitchens, though some were so young when they were enslaved by foreign fighters that they had no memories,’ says Asma. ‘The grandmothers started making dumplings with me and slowly the girls crept in and found a safe space where they could share emotions, tell stories and start facing their shame and trauma. One girl, who’d been given to a commander as a young virgin, had an acutely severe stammer and hadn’t spoken for a year. By the time I left, she was determined to be a chef and was laughing, clapping and saying, “One day I’ll be bigger than you!” I am sure she will. I’ve fought more battles over being a woman than over the colour of my skin so I will be relentless in using cooking to celebrate and give confidence to marginalised and unwanted women everywhere. Cooking uses magical hands to lift women up.’ n

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Asma Khan uses cooking to celebrate marginalised and unwanted women

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LOND ON — 75 JERMYN STREE T PARIS — 199 BIS BD. S T - GER M AIN

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PA R T N E R S H I P

TOP OF THE R ANGE

As highly anticipated as a white Christmas (and just as rare), the fifth generation Range Rover is finally here – after a 10 year wait. C&TH gets a world first look...

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FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The new Range Rover has been unveiled. Jeremy Taylor gives Land Rover’s flagship model the once over

ighter, faster, more economical and now available with seven seats for the first time, the next generation Range Rover will set a new benchmark for go-anywhere, luxury SUVs. A British motoring icon, the fifth-generation model is the culmination of more than 50 years of peerless refinement. I was one of the first journalists in the world to step inside the all-new version. Inside the cabin, it’s not just the trademark quality, luxury and space Range Rover owners have come to expect – there’s also something extra about this fifth-generation model. Combine a clean, elegantly designed and uncluttered dashboard with a panoramic driving position and there’s an air of serenity normally reserved for a Scandinavian yoga retreat. And if you want hot massaging seats, you've got that too. Comfortable, composed and equipped with all-conquering ability, the latest Range Rover, styled by design guru Gerry McGovern, is set to retain its crown as the

class-leading luxury SUV that’s equally at home in town or manoeuvring up the side of a mountain. An evolution rather than a revolutionary overhaul of the current model, the latest design has a breathtaking modernity. It also boasts a presence and formality that will excite existing owners, who urged Land Rover not to ‘change it, just make it better’. Equipped with mild and plug-in hybrid technology, as well as petrol and diesel engines, some versions will offer an electriconly range of up to 62 miles*. It means many owners will now be able to make their daily commute on pure battery power, with CO2 emissions as low as 30 g/km*. A new, twin-turbo petrol model will be the flagship of the range, providing sensational performance and the raucous rumble of a V8 engine. New Range Rover offers a choice of four, five or seven-seat options in standard or long wheelbase form. Specifications range from SE, HSE and Autobiography, to more personalised SV versions. A First Edition model will be available during the first year of production too, with the first-ever all-electric version due in 2024. McGovern’s sleek and uncluttered design is underpinned, as you'd expect, by its incredible off-road ability and on-road agility.

PHOTOS: JAGUAR LAND ROVER

Jeremy Taylor was one of the first motoring journalists in the world to clap eyes on the next generation Range Rover

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PA R T N E R S H I P

Like the all-conquering Defender, new Range Rover features a suit of technologies that will take this Land Rover to places that other SUVs fear to tread. All-wheel steering adds to manoeuvrability, while next generation air suspensions takes the rough and the effort out of off-road driving. Sat inside, the cabin is pure Range Rover but with improved technology and a more modern design. Land Rover's boffins have worked hard to reduce cognitive load on the driver, thanks to the noise cancelling headrest, lack of endless buttons and the haptic touchscreen that allows users to feel what they see on screen, meaning that you will arrive at your destination refreshed. The front seating position has been improved too, with Land Rover’s Command Driving Position, aided by a lower dashboard fascia, improving forward visibility. The main instrument cluster appears as a stylish, semi-floating glass panel in front of me. In the rear, it’s first-class travel all the way, especially in the four-seat version that treats passengers to aircraft-style luxury armchairs. There’s an array of charging sockets, with the options of multi-media screens too. The first-ever seven-seat version promises comfort for even six-foot passengers, while the Range Rover’s famous split-opening, two-piece tailgate has been improved with an ‘Event Suite’, offering bespoke leather cushions. Best of all, Land Rover has pulled out the stops to ensure the interior materials are as environmentally-friendly as possible. A remixed wool blend fabric called Kvadrat is a leather-free option, with a soft-feel that is super plush! Land Rover has also used Econyl yarns, which are produced using 40 per cent recycled industrial plastic, fabric offcuts and reclaimed ocean plastics. Customers can still opt for leather, with a new aniline choice that is softer, with fewer treatments and less artificial pigmentation. Even the 12 paint options – including Belgravia Green and Batumi Gold – have been created to minimise environmental impact.

It's first-class travel all the way

KEY FEATURES Designed, engineered and built in the UK, the next generation Range Rover may look similar to the current model but it’s a huge step forward for the Land Rover. The company filed 125 patents for the latest design, everything from pioneering chassis technology to the very latest batteries. After tens of thousands of miles of testing – plus 140,000 miles of computer simulations – the new Range Rover is now ready for the road. It’s a design masterclass from Gerry McGovern, retaining all the best elements of the car branded the world’s original SUV. On sale now, prices start at £94,400 for the entry-level diesel version, rising to £131,900 for the long wheelbase V8. I can’t wait to drive it. The new Range Rover Plug-In Hybrid model can travel up to 62 miles* on electric power alone

Next generation noisecancelling for extra cabin refinement All-wheel steer cuts turning circle to equivalent of a small hatchback Twin turbo V8 trims 0-60mph to 4.4 seconds Built-in Amazon Alexa minimises distractions High-tech cabin air purification significantly reduces bacteria and allergens including Coronavirus 23-inch alloy wheels available for first time Over-the-air updates keep the new Range Rover up-to-date just like your phone New manoeuvring lights spread beam to the sides of the vehicle

PHOTOS: JAGUAR LAND ROVER

Sound system includes 1,600w Meridian unit with noise cancelling Spotify app delivers seamless playback from home to car Power-assisted doors take the strain for passengers Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the New Range Rover in mpg (I/100km): Combined 23.5-37.2 (12-7.6). CO2 Emissions 272-198 g/km. The figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. For comparison purposes only. Real world figures may differ. CO2, fuel economy, energy consumption and range figures may vary according to factors such as driving styles, environmental conditions, load, wheel fitment and accessories fitted. *The figures provided are manufacturer's estimates and will be replaced with the official EU test figures as soon as they are available.

Auto-folding load space cover means no more chipped fingernails!

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became widely available, then-owner British Leyland marketed the Range Rover as a ‘car for all reasons’. It was designed to pair the off-road ability of the original Land Rover with more road-focused dynamics. Since then it has continually evolved, blending sophistication, capability and design inspiration with each new model. Now, a fifth, technologicallyadvanced version will set a new benchmark next year. The project to design Range Rover began in 1966, with just three engineers working to get the car to production. Originally codenamed ‘Alternative Station Wagon’, ‘100-inch Station Wagon’ and ‘Concept Oyster’ (because of the clam-like bonnet design), it was finally launched in 1970. Fleet Street journalists were invited to Cornwall by train for the first drive event in June and were unanimous in their praise of the stirring road performance and swift acceleration. The Range Rover was on the offroad to success. The original Range Rover didn’t have a walnut dash and carpeted interior like Rover cars of the period. Instead, the 4x4 featured rubber mats that could be hosed down and a four-speed manual gearbox. Perhaps most surprising, it was only a three-door. Remarkably, a five-door wasn’t offered until 1981. The Classic endured until 1996, by which time Range Rover had achieved a loyal following around the world. The second

FROM ABOVE: Generation Game – Range Rover was the original luxury SUV – a genuine motoring icon around the world; The original 1970 Range Rover Classic model only had three-doors

HISTORY IN THE MAKING The iconic Range Rover has set the benchmark in luxury and capability for over 50 years

he Range Rover has evolved from a simple, capable, yet comfortable vehicle into the ultimate SUV we know and love today. One of the most influential cars ever built, it has achieved legendary status by successfully combining go-anywhere ability with nocompromise luxury. Fifty-one years ago – long before other luxury brands had even considered making an SUV - Land Rover launched a car that became instantly recognisable globally. It redefined the SUV as a luxury vehicle, as popular with royalty as country estate owners and media stars alike. In 1970, when colour television first

RANGE ROVER – AN ICONIC TIMELINE

British Leyland begin work on the first Range Rover prototype, known as the ‘100-inch station wagon’. Little did they know it would become an icon

1967 Road-testing begins on Range Rover prototype now called Velar. The same name was used for a new version of the Range Rover, launched in 2017

1970 The original two-door Range Rover – known as the Classic – goes on sale and wins high praise for it’s go-anywhere ability and supreme comfort

1979 A specially modified Range Rover wins the first ParisDakar rally. The victory followed a class win in the 18,750-mile London to Sydney race in 1977

1981 First production four-door Range Rover appears along with the first factoryproduced limited-edition Range Rover – the ‘In Vogue’

1985 The dieselpowered Range Rover ‘Bullet’ breaks 27 speed records, including a diesel record for averaging more than 100mph for 24 hours

1994 PHOTOS: JAGUAR LAND ROVER

1966

Secondgeneration Range Rover goes on sale. Technical highlights include air suspension and a high performance V8 model

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PA R T N E R S H I P

Land Rover’s Terrain Response System, for serious mud-plugging ability, which allowed the vehicle to automatically adjust to conditions without input from the driver. L405 was also the first Range Rover to offer hybrid powertrains and the super-luxury SVAutobiography models. Range Rover celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020 when a parade of 50 different versions drove around the Goodwood Circuit. The procession included an eclectic mix of models, such as Range Rover fire engines, ambulances and expedition vehicles. The next chapter in the Range Rover story has just begun, with an all-new, fifth generation model. The car will spearhead Land Rover’s drive into the hybrid and pure electric models of the future.

FROM ABOVE: The current, fourth generation model remains the ultimate luxury 4x4 with genuine off-road ability; the fifth generation launches early next year

generation P38a model was launched two years earlier, as the Classic was gradually phased out. P38a was a giant step forward, more luxurious and comfortable but still instantly recognisable. It was also the last one to be offered with manual transmission. With Land Rover now under BMW ownership, the Range Rover was given a complete redesign for the third generation, new millennium model, launched in 2001. The design inspiration was said to be taken from the hull of an Italian Riva speedboat. L322 was the first version to be built with a monocoque, single shell body, instead of body on frame, offering greater rigidity and driving dynamics. The new model was originally designed to share components with the luxurious BMW 7 Series, including air suspension, before the company changed hands again with Ford’s involvement. How to make a successful model even better pushed Land Rover to launch the previous generation Range Rover in 2012. This was achieved using a lightweight, all-aluminium body and a new version of

PHOTOS: JAGUAR LAND ROVER

1996 Range Rover Classic bows out after total production of 317,615 cars. The end of an era, but Classic set the off-road benchmark for others to try to follow

2001 All-New, third generation Range Rover launched. Bigger and more spacious than the P38a, the stylish interior was inspired by yacht design

2002 Half-millionth Range Rover produced at the Solihull plant. By now, the Range Rover was firmly established as the world’s number one luxury SUV

landrover.co.uk/rangerover

2010 Range Rover celebrates its 40th anniversary. From princes to politicians, the ultimate luxury 4x4 appealed to a diverse group of customers

2012 Lightweight, fourth generation model (L405) becomes benchmark SUV. Larger but more economical, it offers imperious qualities

2020 The 50th anniversary of the Range Rover was celebrated with a mass drive of vehicles old and new around the Goodwood Circuit in Sussex

2022 The story continues with the launch of all-new 5th generation model. The line-up will eventually include hybrid and pure EV powertrains

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Name: Professor Gerry McGovern Age: 65 Born: Coventry Education: Degree in Industrial Design at Coventry University; Royal College of Art Job: Chief Creative Officer for Jaguar Land Rover Early Career: Chrysler, Austin Rover Group, Ford and JLR Notable Designs: MG F, Land Rover Range Rover, Freelander, Discovery 4, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover Evoque and new Defender

CHASING PERFECTION

It’s been almost ten years since a new Range Rover has launched. But how do you improve upon a product that is already feted as pretty much perfect?

he story goes that a young Gerry McGovern was so obsessed with design that he sketched cars during his school lessons in Coventry. Eventually, a frustrated teacher pulled him to one side and explained, ‘You’ll never make a living from drawing cars’. Now one of the most revered automotive designers in the world can look back and chuckle. ‘I had no idea that I would grow up to be a car designer. I was always interested in all things visual but originally, I wanted to be a portrait painter, or a footballer.’ McGovern’s mother had an artistic eye with home decoration, while his father was more practical.

But his artwork proved enough to win him an apprenticeship with celebrated car designer Roy Axe at Chrysler Europe.‘I’ve had a love of modern design ever since I was a kid. I wanted everything to be pared back and simple – I wanted every line on a car to be there for a purpose. It doesn’t have to be functional, it might be purely aesthetic but it has to do a job.’ Which may explain McGovern’s approach to the all-new Range Rover – the much-anticipated fifth-generation model due in early 2022. Land Rover’s chief creative officer is well-known for designing Land Rover models with a storied history, after all, he penned the latest Defender. But since the current version of the iconic Range Rover was launched in 2012, a host of rivals from Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls-Royce and even Lamborghini have muscled in to the same luxury SUV sector. Will the all-new Range Rover design continue to be above and beyond? ‘To curate something, to pare it back to its bare elements, that’s when you create something that’s quite special. For me, there’s a direct parallel with that and how I design a car like the Range Rover.’

PHOTOS: ©JAGUAR LAND ROVER

Notable Award: OBE in 2020 for services to automotive design

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With the new model, his ‘clean’ approach to design is far removed from some luxury marques. Many rival SUVs look over-egged by comparison – with the unnecessary jewellery of chrome and crease lines complicating the exterior. Inside, dashboards can be a smorgasbord of buttons, dials and lights. McGovern prefers to keep it simple. ‘The design of so many cars can be fussy and distracting. There’s no visual logic. One reason modern Land Rovers have done so well is because design is core to our process. For some brands, design is the icing on the cake. If you have that attitude then the horse has bolted. Design has to be fundamental from the concept stage or you’ve failed.’ Land Rovers of old, says McGovern, looked the way they did because of their functionality. ‘Don’t get me wrong, they had a lot of charm but that philosophy wouldn’t survive as a sustainable, robust business model in the world of luxury now.’ Recently appointed to the Land Rover board, McGovern isn’t your typical automotive designer. His garage isn’t loaded with classic cars and he claims to rarely consider rival models when sketching out his next design. ‘I love cars but my interests go beyond that. I love architecture, art and modernism and have done since an early age. Coventry was obliterated during the war but it had the opportunity to be completely redeveloped afterwards. There was a modernist approach too, because the urban designers were able to start from scratch.

‘I say that because from a young age I went to the city centre and was informed by those visual surroundings. I am a modernist, I live in a modernist house and collect modern – which helps explain why the new Range is how it is.’ His office at Land Rover is packed with objects d’art – favourite chairs, paintings and sculptures. ‘I love the way true luxury brands embrace art and cultures as part of their whole reason for being. I’m not talking car brands but fashion companies like Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior – that constant of creativity and its relation to the art world.’ McGovern believes that when people buy into a luxury brand it’s not just because a product has a unique heritage. It should also be a purchase that is forward looking. ‘A product that can be around longer than you can is a compelling proposition. Something with a true sense of integrity doesn’t age. ‘The more car designers create vehicles that are influenced by fashions and trend, the less chance you have of standing the test of time. That is a key element of our design philosophy for the new Range Rover.’ So is McGovern happy with the fruits of his labours? ‘As a designer, I am never 100 per cent happy – if I was, I would retire. I’m always looking to push the envelope. I wouldn’t change anything on the Range Rover, which is probably as close to perfection I can get.’ n

PHOTOS: ©JAGUAR LAND ROVER

‘For some brands, design is the icing on the cake. Design has to be fundamental from the concept stage or you’ve failed’

Is the new Range Rover as close to perfection as Gerry McGovern can get?

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Top and skirt Dundas; Earrings, Susan Caplan; Rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird

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The Sky’s The Limit

She honed her acting skills in a long-running soap opera. But now Jessica Plummer is reaching for the big time with a new BBC thriller – and a dream to be the first female Bond, says NILUFER ATIK FASHION DIRECTOR NICOLE SMALLWOOD PHOTOGRAPHER RACHELL SMITH

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Trousers and top, Alberta Ferretti; Earrings, The Rock Hound; Shoes, Christian Louboutin; Rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird

rom the moment Jessica Plummer begins recounting a typical day at home when she’s not on set, I feel an instant connection with her. As fellow mum to a five-year-old, I understand that a day off work is never really a day off. There’s the school run, the tidying, the club drops-offs, and the ‘just being at home as Mummy,’ she explains. Above her acting career, it’s clear her daughter Noa is her biggest achievement in life. I can hear the slight lift in her voice when she mentions her name, the warmth when she recalls a precious memory. ‘She wants a unicorn for Christmas,’ Jessica tells me. Some type of toy, I presume. ‘No, I mean a real unicorn. She thinks I can get her a real unicorn!’ I suggest she buys a small white pony and attaches a rainbow horn to its head, and we laugh together at the thought. That’s the wonderful thing about Jessica. She might be about to hit the big time in the new BBC thriller The Girl Before, but it clearly hasn’t

gone to her head. Down-to-earth and unaffected by fame, she’s the kind of woman you want to invite over for a coffee and a chat. At the age of 29 Jessica has made the leap from long-running soap to big TV drama that many actresses can only dream of. ‘My family is proud of me but I’m still just Jess to them,’ she confides. ‘They don’t treat me any differently and I wouldn’t want it any other way.’ She began her on-screen career at the age of 21, appearing in two episodes of the British science fantasy television series Wizards vs Aliens in 2013. That same year Jessica had also joined the girl group Neon Jungle, whose debut single Trouble entered the UK Singles Chart at number 12. But she admits singing wasn’t her main passion. ‘I never really considered myself good enough to be a singer,’ she says. ‘But I was invited to audition for the group, and I went on whim thinking, “Why not?” The next thing I know I’m being signed by Sony.’ The group’s debut album Welcome to the Jungle, was released in 2014 and reached number eight in the UK charts. But the following year the girls disbanded and Jessica focused once more on acting, joining the cast of the John Cameron Mitchell-directed, 2017 romantic comedy film, How to Talk to Girls at Parties, alongside Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning. It was in March 2019, however, that her real break came when she secured the role of abused wife Chantelle Atkins in Eastenders. It was a role she found an ‘honour’ to play, having been convinced she’d fluffed the initial audition. Before being offered the part, Jessica had been considering leaving acting altogether, following a series of rejections. ‘I remember being in a coffee shop with my friend after doing the first take [at the Eastenders audition] and saying I couldn’t take another rejection,’ she recalls. ‘My manager had told me to give it until the end of the year.’ A few hours later however, Jessica got a recall, and the rest is history. Although she admits playing a victim of domestic violence was often demanding, particularly the final scene where Chantelle is eventually murdered by her husband Gary, her experience on Eastenders proved invaluable. ‘It was hard but as an actor I’m so grateful to have been able to do it as training – to be able to stretch myself and go to vulnerable places,’ she explains. ‘The main thing for me was that when people watched it, they saw a woman wanting to live – to save her life.’ In preparation for the role, Jessica did a lot of research to firm up Chantelle’s backstory – something she always does to make her

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Dress, Celia Kritharioti; Earrings, Susan Caplan; Rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird

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Top and skirt, Nué @ Koibird; Boots, Christian Louboutin; Blazer, Bella Freud; Earrings, The Rock Hound; Rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird

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The dark, gritty, limited series based on JP Delaney’s bestselling psychological thriller of the same name, tells the story of a traumatised woman called Jane (played by The Morning Show’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who moves into a minimalist house and has to obey the architect’s stringent rules. When she discovers that Emma, another damaged woman, died in the same property three years earlier, she begins to wonder if her own story is just a rerun of Emma’s and fears she will meet the same fate. It’s a disturbing, gripping four-parter, guaranteed to leave viewers on the edge of their seats. Also starring Spooks actor David Oyelowo, it’s Jessica’s biggest role to date. ‘It was amazing being little old me on set with this amazing cast. That in itself made every day an absolute joy,’ she enthuses. ‘I really loved the house too, and I remember going back to say goodbye to it when we’d finished shooting. I felt really attached to it.’ The experience of filming for a drama series was very different compared to a long-running soap opera, however. ‘Eastenders was like a machine,’ Jessica explains. ‘My first day on the set of Girl Before You there were six scenes on the call sheet, whereas I was used to 15 on Eastenders.’ Her character Emma also felt more layered by comparison. ‘She puts a mask on most of the time,’ Jessica reveals. ‘Even when she’s being bubbly, she’s hiding something.’ The Daily Mail has already predicted that this BBC/ HBO Max thriller, directed by Killing Eve’s Lisa Brühlmann, will ‘become the third big Girl film.’ It’s obvious Jessica – an understated star who admits she hardly ever wears make-up and loves nothing more than a warm bath and a good book after a long day working – is excited about its release. She rarely watches herself on TV, she reveals, but plans to make an exception this time. What next after this? First there’s Christmas to look forward to, which Jessica will be spending at her mother’s house in south London, where she grew up with her siblings and baby Noa. Then it’s back to the more ambitious stuff. ‘I’d love to be the next Bond,’ Jessica confesses. ‘Imagine how fun it would be to film all those stunts? I love anything fast and am a bit of an adrenaline junkie really. But who knows? This time last year I was doing bush tucker trials in Wales!’ she laughs, with her irresistible, understated charm. Playsuit, Elie Saab @ Front Row London; Earrings, The Rock Hound; Rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird

characters appear more authentic and three-dimensional. It paid off. Her death scene was described by critics as one of the most harrowing ever in TV history, and her performance ‘astonishing’. Next came the reality ITV show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in November 2020, where celebrities stay together in the Australian jungle, or in the case of that particular series, a freezing cold Welsh castle. The mother-of-one admits she’d never in a million years thought she’d ever agree to take part. ‘I’d watched it in the past and always said I could never do that. But it is a once in a lifetime opportunity so hard to turn down when it’s offered, and now I can look back and say, “Wow, I did that,”’ she concedes. It’s clear from her jungle experience that Jessica doesn’t mind a bit of discomfort or throwing herself in at the deep end. This applies too to her latest role in Girl Before You as murder victim Emma.

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Dress and boots, Stella McCartney; Earrings, The Rock Hound; Rings, Bea Bongiasca @ Koibird TEAM Hair: Nicola Harrowell at Premier Hair and Make-up using Kevin Murphy; Make-up: Nathalie Eleni @ Adrenalin Photographic using KVD Beauty, Nude by Nature and Indeed Labs Film: Tracer Ital Photographer’s assistants: Charlie Walker and Oscar Yoosenfinejad Fashion assistant: Daisy Bryson Shot on location at St Martins Lane London Doubles from £395 per night. sbe.com STOCKISTS: PAGE 204

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On Location How St Martin’s Lane, London, became Jessica Plummer’s playground

ocated in London’s bustling theatreland, St Martin’s Lane is a dramatic and daring evolution of English luxury. The boutique hotel, part of Morgans Originals, hosted actor Jessica Plummer for our cover shoot. Its spacious lobby welcomes guests into high-concept design with the sophistication of a modern museum and the joy of a carnival light show. The stunning images of Jessica, taken by Rachell Smith, pay tribute to the beauty of this location. Juxtaposing its electrifying lobby scene, the rooms at the hotel offer a luxurious sanctuary where guests can unwind in the heart of the city. Interior designer Tim Andreas used the expansive floor-toceiling windows as a unique backdrop to low, minimalist furnishings to create the feeling that guests are floating over the city. Interactive lights in each room allow guests to match their mood to a spectrum of colours. In October the hotel launched The Restaurant St Martin’s Lane London with a menu offering dishes created using Mediterranean cooking techniques with additional accent flavours from the Middle East and Far East. It offers casual dining with sharing dishes alongside a more formal dining experience. Just off the lobby, the Den provides the perfect place for a cuppa, a light snack or a game of backgammon in a vibrant setting surrounded by larger-than-life portraits and visual puns. Adding even more excitement

to a night’s stay is Blind Spot. Set behind the façade of a boutique tea counter, it’s a late-night speakeasy that offers bespoke and signature cocktails with global flavours, to be enjoyed alongside live music throughout the week. BOOK IT: Doubles from £395 per night. 45 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2, sbe.com n 104 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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MAT E LI

M EN O W

H E T C &

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

CRISIS LUCY CLELAND meets six women who are dedicated to saving our planet ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEG DOWSON

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Climate change impacts women more than men, says the UN. That’s why women need a seat at the table when it comes to policy-making. Greta aside, they don’t get as much of a media platform as men – so women need to shout louder and fight harder for effective action. In a recent speech entitled ‘The role of women in managing climate change’, Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency, quoted Mary Ann Sieghart’s book The Authority Gap: ‘Women are more likely to worry about climate change and to believe that it will harm future generations. They are also more likely to believe that it will affect them personally. So having more women in positions of decision-making power, with people listening to them, would help to reduce global warming.’ Howard Boyd also pointed out that: ‘Women have held just 28 per cent of the share of voice in news articles about climate change.’ So against the backdrop of COP26, where 15 out of the highlighted 16 global leaders are men, we speak to six women about their passion, work and dedication in the climate sector, doing everything from suing international governments on behalf of its citizens to developing carbon-capture technology. They’re united by a conviction that, if we don’t phase out fossil fuels in line with a 1.5-degree world, we’re in big trouble. We say: let the women speak.

TESSA KHAN

International climate change and human rights lawyer, strategist, and campaigner. Prior to founding Uplift, Tessa was co-founder and co-director of the Climate Litigation Network

essa Khan has deeply personal connections to how climate change is showing its visible impact and where it’s most affecting people. As a child of Bangladeshi immigrants, she grew up in Perth, ‘the most isolated capital city in the world, on the west coast of Australia, a country with a very challenging history of

race relations’. She has since seen it beset by hugely destructive wildfires; while Bangladesh, where much of her family remains, is widely considered one of the countries most vulnerable to the impact of the climate crisis. Her childhood as a girl of colour in a very conservative environment, and her academic family (her father was a university

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professor), brought her to human rights law, but ten years ago she realised climate change was the biggest threat to ‘our collective enjoyment of those rights’. Having won a groundbreaking court case with a Supreme Court ruling in 2019 against the Dutch government and their emissions, on behalf of a group of 886 Dutch residents, Tessa knows only too well ‘how we can use our many institutions at the national level to actually hold them accountable.’ Named by TIME magazine as one of 15 women leading the fight against climate change, Tessa is currently wielding the force of the law as founder of Uplift, which she set up specifically to turn the screws on the UK government over its apathetic attitude to fossil fuel industries. ‘The UK is still the second largest oil and gas producer in Europe, so Uplift is working to help phase out its production here, while also supporting a just transition for the workers and communities who rely on that industry, which is just as vital.’ She reveals the alarming fact that last year alone the government gave out 113 licences for new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea and ‘no one’s talking about it’. When it comes to women having a seat at the table, Tessa full-heartedly believes ‘we have a better shot at developing genuinely equitable policymaking if women are in the room, because we have that lived experience of gender inequality.’ She adds that deliberate acceleration is needed because, ‘given the current trends in increasing representation of women in the workplace, or at management level, we’ll be waiting literally a hundred years before we get to parity.’ Relaxing isn’t easy for Tessa, but when she can you might find her catching up on Masterchef: ‘I’m an obsessive,’ she laughs. upliftuk.org

FRANCES WAY

Executive Director of the Race to Zero campaign

rances Way came to her current role, ‘having come full circle’. She grew up in the countryside with an ecologist for a father and initially worked in finance before returning to study for an MSc in Business and the Environment, mid-career. Now she works with Nigel Topping, one of the High Level Climate Action Champions for COP26. Their mission via Race to Zero is to ‘accelerate action and to facilitate collaboration’ between all businesses, investors, cities, regions and civil society in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. That’s no small feat, but she has hopes it can be done, ‘as the pathways and technological solutions

already exist’. She adds: ‘Mobilising finance to developing countries and curbing fossil fuel finance is critical,’ while also ‘showing solidarity for those most at risk and acting immediately on reducing emissions to keep 1.5 degrees in reach.’ When it comes to women in high-profile roles, Frances is ‘keen to leave gender stereotypes in the past,’ believing that ‘great leaders today, whether men or women, show up with a combination of what used to be seen as female attributes – such as empathy, emotion and listening skills – and what used to be seen as male attributes – such as confidence and strength.’ racetozero.unfccc.int

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ALICE GARTON

Director Global Legal Strategy, FILE (Foundation for International Law for the Environment)

t’s fair to say that Alice was born and bred an environmentalist. Growing up in one of Australia’s first eco communities, Solar Village, in Humpty Doo (she kids you not), Northern Territory, the family ran its electricity off solar power and the house was made of rammed earth. ‘We even had pythons living in the roof,’ she smiles. Getting to her current position at FILE – where she works globally with public interest litigators who use the law to protect their local communities,

environments and to limit the effects of ‘runaway climate change’ – was definitely part of her determined path, she says. ‘I realised early on that, as the law underpins government, commercial and often individual decisionmaking, it would be a hugely powerful lever in the fight against climate catastrophe.’ With COP26 in progress, Alice wants to see a finance package agreed for developing countries and a coal, oil and gas phase-out timeline aligned with a 1.5-degree world. ‘The science

is clear,’ she says. ‘We urgently need to manage the decline of fossil fuels, while scaling up cleaner, cheaper energy, in ways that facilitate access to energy and poverty alleviation.’ She’s calling on those in positions of power to be courageous and disruptive to drive the necessary system change. Her hope is that one day she’ll be out of a job ‘because governments and corporates [will be] acting with the requisite urgency themselves.’ In the meantime, she advises us all to read up on the science and really confront what lies ahead. ‘Unless we all do that, it’s too easy for people to go about business as usual and assume others will fix the problem. They won’t. We can’t shift these systems without everyone pitching in.’ filefoundation.org

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BIANCA PITT

Founder of She Changes Climate and board member of various climate charities, including ClientEarth

‘I

f you’d said to me I’d be working on women’s equality just a year and a half ago, I would’ve laughed,’ chuckles Bianca Pitt, who finds it extraordinary that she’s now in the position of climate activist, campaigner and, to coin a phrase, ‘climate feminist’. It was after the birth of her daughter that she struggled with knowing she was bringing her up in a polluted city [London]. Looking at the bigger picture painted a grim reality: ‘climate warming, the loss of biodiversity at such a fast rate that we’re in the midst of a mass extinction… the future did not look rosy’. It was then that she ditched her high-flying job in corporate finance, got herself on various environmental boards and used her contacts to set up Women of the Environment Network. When it was announced that the UK would be hosting COP26 and the network saw there wasn’t a woman as one of the leads on the negotiating team, Bianca got motivated. Along with two others, she set up a campaign called She Changes Climate and got over 400 international climate leaders and their supporters to sign a letter to their government to see if they’d change their minds about female representation. ‘What we were calling for was a 50:50 vision. That means co-leadership between men and women. Because, just as you wouldn’t sail the world with one eye firmly patched up if the waters are choppy, why would you hold international climate negotiations with women missing? It doesn’t make sense.’ Her ambition for COP26 is to see a female president and a High Level Champion (all currently men) in place for COP27. ‘How much more evidence do we need that [the current system] is not working? We are already at COP26 and emissions are still rising.’ She continues: ‘Sheryl Sandberg said, “Okay, lean in.” Let’s lean in. We have to now because, clearly, nothing else will happen otherwise. The climate crisis needs our voices and viewpoints. As women, we need new architects on board to design a sustainable future, and women have to be these new architects.’ shechangesclimate.org

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CRESSIDA POLLOCK

The former turnaround CEO of ENO now heads up one of the UK’s largest climate-focused enterprises, Quadrature Climate Foundation

ou wouldn’t think the former CEO of English National Opera would find a natural fit in climate change. But like so many talented people who feel compelled to work in this vital space, Cressida brings an unusual set of skills, experience and – importantly – a unique perspective. ‘When I met the founders of Quadrature, I’ll admit I actually turned to them and said, “I don’t think I’m the right person to guide this Foundation for you. I’ve been in climate for four months and I’m still Googling all the acronyms.” They came back with a really amazing response: “No. We want you

because we want someone who is going on that [sustainability] journey by proxy for us.” They wanted what I would call now, a beginner’s mind,’ says Cressida. A beginner’s mind, maybe, but a passionate and sharp one. Cressida has done stints at McKinsey, holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and is a non-practising barrister. But, like many of the women profiled here, it’s her childhood and upbringing she credits with informing the path she’s on now. Cressida grew up in Northamptonshire on an organic farm (before it was trendy): ‘I got an understanding of the complexities of how you manage landscape and, as a farmer, how you manage nature,’ she explains. Questioning what to do next after leaving ENO in 2019, she took herself off to walk across England from coast to coast, wild camping along the way. ‘It was beautiful,’ she says, ‘but where were the birds? I couldn’t hear their song.’ This worrying realisation galvanised a chain of events and self-education that brought Cressida into the position she’s in now, heading up one of the biggest climatefocused foundations in the UK, which gives grants to enable and accelerate systemic change – politically, financially and culturally. Climate philanthropy, she explains, is only around two per cent of global philanthropy, ‘yet this is the single issue that exacerbates everything’. It seems a crazy figure until you hear her rationale: ‘It’s challenging for several reasons. Some of it is down to needing the systems to change but also it’s very difficult to say that if I do ‘X’, then the emission change we actually need occurred. You can’t really evaluate the impact of your granting for at least three to five years, at best.’ Then there’s the Jeff Bezos complex: ‘What businesses do is not priced at the true cost of what it takes out of the earth and how we use our planet. So it’s more discomforting to work on because you have to have the question about whether the money you’re giving away is actually part of the problem.’ quadrature.ai/foundation

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DR GABRIELLE WALKER

Founder and Director of Valence Solutions, helping businesses to address global challenges – with a focus on sustainability, new energy and climate change

‘L

ove is a superpower, and it’s amazingly strong,’ says Dr Gabrielle Walker, commenting on why women need a more visible seat at the table when it comes to the climate crisis. ‘Shutting out half the world’s talent from climate decision-making weakens everybody.’ In the 1990s, Gabrielle was appointed climate editor of Nature magazine, at a time when ‘no one was really thinking about it’. As she moved on to New Scientist and the BBC to write seriously and make programmes on the subject, she says: ‘Climate change went from my head, to my heart, to my gut and finally it got into my soul. Once it’s in your soul, you have to do something about it.’ Gabrielle’s ‘something’ was to work with business and finance to catalyse action. ‘Business leaders know how to make things, how to build things, and how to scale things up massively. ‘I’m really heartened to see what’s happening among investors, who control where all the money goes,’ she adds. In the last two years, she has watched many alliances spring up around the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, working on how to get the money to the places that will actually help us achieve net zero emissions by 2050. ‘Now business and finance leaders have realised that if you don’t have a [net zero emissions] target, you’re not at the table. And if you’re not at the table – you’re on the menu!’ How does she cope with the deniers and the ‘doomsters’? ‘We must change our mindsets. We must get away from purism and stop stigmatising people, who actually need to be part of the solution, as climate sinners – and [stop] insisting that “my solution is better than yours”, when we need everything on the table and everyone round the table.’ To unwind, Gabrielle seeks out nature and has in the past year learned to meditate: ‘I used to think I was too impatient to meditate, but now I think I’m too impatient not to.’ And her climate advice to us? ‘Firstly, find ways to get your own emissions down – that reminds you that you are a part of the solution. Secondly, look for unexpected places where you have influence. We all have more power than we think. It might be in your work, your children’s school or your savings or pension plan. Thirdly, for the emissions you can’t reduce, look out for a whole new approach – carbon removals – where people are finding ways to take carbon back out of the sky. This is only just beginning, but it is growing very fast. This is what I’m mainly working on now, and it gives me so much hope!’ valencesolutions.org n

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CLOCKWISE FROM THIS PICTURE: Herd’s clothing has a 250-mile journey from sheep to sweater; Victoria Beckham’s new traceable knitwear collection features Australian Merino wool made into clothing in Italy

IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING Why wool is the wonder fabric we need right now. By BEATRICE AIDIN

t the Tokyo Olympics this year, Tom Daley not only wowed the crowds by winning both a gold and bronze medal, but also by being spotted in the competitors’ stand with his needles in hand, knitting a cardigan and then a woollen pouch for his gold medal, as you do. And it’s not just Tom – popular interest in this creative and calming craft soared as sharply as a needle during lockdown, with searches for knitting up 400 per cent on the Hobbycraft website. Wool is cool – and is also one of the most sustainable materials we can use. The by-product of sheep shearing, it is an essential part of responsible animal husbandry: natural, biodegradable and longlasting. It is the ultimate in versatility, used in carpets (one-in-nine British sheep produce the material for a Brinton carpet), as well as insulation, upholstery, bedding, fertiliser, cleaning up oil spills,

in beauty products and, of course, clothing. Even car companies such as Volvo are eschewing traditional leather interiors and upholstering seats with wool. In October, Victoria Beckham landed her first end-to-end traceable wool collection with 34 pieces for adults and children. Beckham worked with Woolmark, the Australian Merino wool marketing brand, and five Australian farmers to produce the yarns for the range, using natural dyes. The clothes are then made up in Italy. It’s a step towards using more sustainable materials in her eponymous brand. ‘We’re a small business and our sustainable journey is ever-evolving,’ Victoria says. ‘We’re proud of the steps we have taken but also know we need to do more, which is why partnering with The Woolmark Company has been such an incredible learning experience.’ While wool is undeniably a sustainable choice of material, a substantial carbon footprint is generated when it is imported from Australia. Meanwhile, Britain’s 32.7 million sheep produce around

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30 million kilos of fleece wool each year. This is what inspired Ruth Rands, the founder of Herd wool clothing, to launch her label – with the promise of just a 250-mile journey between sourcing the wool and spinning the yarn, to production in the north-east of England. ‘I knew nothing about sheep and wool but was living in California which has a very local approach to production, so there’s already a soil-to-garment ethos when it comes to making clothes – which are also dyed locally so there’s money going back into the local community,’ Ruth explains. ‘When we came back to Gloucestershire in 2019, I looked at British wool from an academic perspective and wondered why we were importing wool from Australia and what made Merino wool so special.’ Working her way through the 60 different breeds of sheep in the UK, Ruth discovered the wonderfully monikered Bluefaced Leicester (so-called because the purest of the breed have a tinge of blue on their faces). While their hair thickness scores 25 on the ‘micron’ count compared with just one for Merino sheep, therefore producing a less fine and soft yarn than Merino, Ruth defends its quality: ‘It is a luxury fibre which has a great shine to it,’ she explains. And after just one year in business, Herd has won acclaim from the Prince of Wales. House of Sustainability, a new slow fashion brand that makes snuggly knits right here in England, from 100 per cent British wool, also praises the properties of the Bluefaced Leicester. There’s also Hyht (an Old English word that means ‘hope’, ‘expectation’ and ‘trust’), launched by Caroline Fay-Fright to celebrate ethically-sourced British wool and local craftsmanship. ‘Hyht is built on the principles of slow fashion and challenging consumerism when it comes to our clothes,’ Caroline explains. ‘Public understanding about local food has started to shift in the last 20 years – we see it with local markets and 25-mile restaurant menus [where all produce is sourced within 25 miles]. We’re far from this way of thinking when it comes to the clothes we wear. Hyht wants to change this – working with materials like British wool (which has seen prices unravelling since the 1950s, when synthetic fibres, like nylon and polyester, flooded the market) to make garments that are as local as your five-mile farm shop.’ For premium designer threads like Beckham’s, though, it seems Merino is the only option, despite its carbon footprint. British brand

Sunspel has attempted to find a solution using British wool, without much success. ‘We tried in the past spinning the wool of a few British breeds but it’s still too rough and coarse compared with cashmere or Merino and just doesn’t sit comfortably next to the skin,’ explains creative director David Telfer. ‘We do use British wool for outerwear such as coats, but import Merino wool from South America and have it spun in Scotland because the softness in the water keeps the yarn soft.’ Bamford is challenging the status quo, however, having just launched a 50-strong collection made from its very own flock of Merino sheep at Daylesford Farm in Gloucestershire. From wool to first wear, the entire process is based right here in the UK, with the raw product travelling to Manchester to be spun into yarn at Gledhill, before the end product is knitted in Annan, Scotland. All in all, the total carbon footprint takes in 400 miles. ‘Our aim at both Bamford and Daylesford has always been

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to minimise our environmental impact and give back to nature where we can,’ explains founder Carole Bamford. ‘The homegrown Merino project has allowed us to take that vision one step further: to create a product with a fully traceable profile that not only eradicates waste and has a positive impact on the climate, landscape and airways – but also unites Daylesford’s expertise in sustainable, organic farming with Bamford’s skill in designing knitwear. This is a project I am so proud to be spearheading. It is knitwear with a story – a story you can truly trace.’ But for the average British sheep farmer working with normal wool, the situation at the moment is untenable. ‘The wool market is a disaster,’ says third-generation farmer John Stott in Lancashire. ‘It would pay the rent on the farm in my father’s day and 20 years ago a fleece would get you £7 [£12 in 2021]. Today, I get 50 pence and the clipper costs £1.50. A lot of people aren’t sending the wool to British Wool but burying it to biodegrade because it’s not worth the cost to transport it.’ Could the beauty industry help? Lanolin, sourced from the oil in fleeces that waterproofs sheep’s coats, is a perfect winter skin ingredient, protecting sore and chapped skin while allowing it to breathe, which prevents clogged pores. It is found in super-premium brand Augustinus Bader products The Cream and Lanolips, as well as the new Bertioli bathing and breathing collection at Thyme, which uses locally produced wool for pouches and wash mitts for its 3-in-1 Hair & Body Bar and Super Conditioning Hair & Body Bars. The wool used in the mitt not only exfoliates but naturally wicks water and is antibacterial and self-cleaning. So, while using wool is to be applauded for its amazing, manifold benefits, let’s try harder to do something for the British wool produced on our own shores. Not only would a reinvigoration of the local wool economy help British sheep farmers, it would also help cut down those destructive carbon emissions in our fashion industry. n

PHOTOS: JACK JOHNSTONE

FROM TOP : Bamford’s new Homegrown Merino wool collection is made from wool from Daylesford Farm; House of Sustainability also makes its knits in England, as does Hyht (bottom pic)

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LEATHER FOOTWEAR | ACCESSORIES | CLOTHING

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REMEMBERING

GANDAMACK

With the Taliban retaking Kabul, PETER OBORNE recalls Afghanistan in 2003, when the fall of the brutal Taliban regime led to a lawlessness that often felt worse

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL YULE AND ALEX NOTT

here was only one hotel in Kabul worth staying at, and we stayed there. After the fall of the Taliban, hotelier Peter Jouvenal had secured a house that formerly belonged to one of Osama Bin Laden’s wives. We arrived at what was now called Gandamack Lodge in early 2003, shortly before the fall of Baghdad. Jouvenal had been a war cameraman, who’d spent many years wandering around the North-West Frontier. In the process he had collected numerous guns and pieces of ancient ordinance purchased from villages he passed through. Many of them dated back to British rule in the 19th century, and some had been used by the Mujahideen in their struggle against the Russians. One or two pieces, we were told, were worth more than $100,000 if sold on the New York market. In the meantime, they lay around the drawing room of his hotel, and we all examined them with suitable admiration. Jouvenal was away when documentary producer Paul Yule and I arrived. I think at the time he was working with the BBC Foreign Editor, John Simpson, in Iraq. The characters in the hotel were very distinguished. There was a British civil servant from the Cabinet Office advising the new Afghan government on public finances. Every morning, after an excellent breakfast of porridge and scrambled eggs, he set off wearing a well-cut Jermyn Street suit and carrying a briefcase to pick his way through the rubble on the road down to the State Chancery, approximately one kilometre away. We were meant to drive down to the Taliban headquarters in Kandahar, but this journey was cancelled after attacks on the road on the eve of our arrival. Instead, we went to the eastern city of Jalalabad, following the route endured by the defeated British army fleeing Kabul in the freezing conditions of January 1842. (Just one European, Dr William Brydon, is believed to have survived, alongside some Indian sepoys.) There we enjoyed the hospitality of a local warlord, while investigating British attempts to eliminate opium production in Afghanistan. Tony Blair had bizarrely demanded the eradication of Afghan opium as one of chancellor Gordon Brown’s ‘Treasury targets’. Under the Taliban production had fallen to virtually nil, though it was taking off again thanks to the anarchy unleashed by Western occupation.

Wandering around the opium fields we were accosted by an angry farmer who’d not been paid for abandoning opium production, or perhaps paid less than more influential neighbours. We had to leave one field in a hurry because local anger threatened to get out of control. MI6 had been given the task of dealing with opium production, and failed. The drive back to Kabul was difficult. Our security detail spent a lot of time asleep with his gun pointing straight at my chest. He was smoking hashish and resented it when I asked him to point it somewhere else. Before our visit to Afghanistan, I had asked Lord Salisbury, the Tory grandee who had lived in Afghanistan in the 1980s, to give me an introduction to Ismail Khan, the prominent war lord who governed Herat near the Iranian border. (I wish I had kept his letter. It was written with such exquisite courtesy and elegance.) I found Ismail Khan sitting crosslegged in a meadow high above the city. He had been riding with his retainers and had just dismounted from a great white stallion. I presented my letter and the following day sat behind him as he dispensed justice in a great hall in central Herat. It was exactly like watching King Solomon preside over court, as recorded in the Bible. He dealt with land disputes, family troubles, financial problems. We went with him on a visit to nearby villages. Apart from the fact his soldiers carried machine guns, it felt exactly like being on a progress with an English medieval monarch. When I returned to Afghanistan ten years later, in 2013, life in Kabul was less fun. The place had become infested by aid workers, soldiers and diplomats. Americans had taken over half the city. Meanwhile, Jouvenal’s Gandamack Lodge crew had moved to a larger house with a basement bar full of noisy westerners. When a former private secretary to Taliban leader Mullah Omar came to visit me, I could see it made him feel uncomfortable – I wished we had met somewhere else. Kabul, like the rest of Afghanistan, had become lawless. In 2003 it had been possible to move round easily and without fear. Women wore Western dress in the streets, and new businesses and restaurants were opening up. Now foreigners were advised not to stay in the open for more than 20 minutes for fear of capture or attack. Everyday life was punctuated with shootings, assassinations, kidnappings and bombings. As a result Kabul had developed an unofficial ‘green zone’ just

‘The drive back to KABUL was difficult. Our security detail spent a lot of time asleep with his GUN POINTING straight to my CHEST. He was smoking HASHISH and resented it when I asked him to point it somewhere else’

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FROM TOP: The warlord Ismail Khan astride his stallion, in Herat in western Afghanistan; suspected Taliban detainees at Sheberghan Prison in northern Afghanistan taken in 2002, not long after the American invasion; agricultural workers on their way home, outside the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan

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Peter met a group of young women in 2009, all of whom had aspirations of becoming professionals. He wonders where they are now

like the Iraqi capital of Baghdad – a heavily protected area, lived in by the Americans, cut off by barbed wire, blast barriers and heavily fortified checkpoints. These protections were necessary against the suicide attacks which had become a part of everyday life in the city. Once, when a local policeman I was with unwisely took a short cut through a US zone, we were seized, separated and interrogated. But I understood why the US were nervous. ‘F*** you America, f*** you America,’ one passer-by hissed at us as we made our way through the crowd minutes after a bomb had gone off in a car bomb attack. The Taliban’s control of most main roads meant that many inhabitants of Kabul were prisoners in their own city. At a lorry depot in the southern part of Kabul, I interviewed truck driver Feisal, who regularly made the long drive to the southern town of Kandahar. He told me how every time he made the journey (for which he got paid £102 – generous wages by Afghan standards), he took his life in his hands. He told me how the attacks had started 25 miles south of Kabul at a town called Maidan Shahr. The Taliban would lie in wait under bridges, at crossroads or other ambush points. Sometimes they just set up checkpoints on the main roads. On other occasions, they opened fire on convoys of trucks with machine guns or rockets – their mission to disrupt the main commercial artery into the capital of Afghanistan. In the past year alone, Feisal had lost seven close friends on the terrible Kandahar journey, among the 30 lorry drivers who had so far died on the road. He himself had the resigned air of a condemned man. The police were no use, he added. They would demand bribes at every checkpoint along the way. Then at night they turned into robbers and would join the Taliban in mounting raids on the truck convoys. I went to visit Muhammed Wahaaj, an Afghan doctor who had been brutally kidnapped on his way home from work by bandits posing as intelligence officers. They shot at him to force him off the road, wounding him in the shoulder, hooded him, and then took him to an underground dungeon where he was tortured for three weeks.

‘I always knew when another torture session was coming up,’ the doctor told me in his impeccable English. ‘They didn’t bring me lunch. I would vomit with pain during beatings.’ While the beatings were going on, the bandits would hold a mobile phone to his mouth so that family members could hear his cries of pain. Then at night, the bandits would handcuff Dr Wahaaj’s hands behind his back and hang him from a hook on the ceiling. ‘ Dr Wahaaj told me he knew five other doctors – personal friends of his – had suffered the same terrible ordeal in recent months, and that the problem was completely out of control. I asked whether life was better in Afghanistan today (2009) or under the Taliban before the fall of Kabul eight years ago. The doctor was in no doubt: ‘Life was much better under the Taliban,’ he replied at once. ‘Security was 100 per cent in Kabul at the time of the Taliban.’ Many other ordinary Afghans told me how their lives were now dominated by fear of the criminal gangs which, acting under political protection, dominated the city. They had no desire to return to the beatings, beheadings and religious fanaticism of Taliban rule. Yet they saw that brutal regime as preferable to the chaos, lawlessness and anarchy of Western-dominated Afghanistan. That said, I paid a heartbreaking visit to a girls’ school at the heart of old Kabul, sitting down with a class of half a dozen gifted and ambitious young women, each one expressed the ambition to be a doctor, lawyer or businesswoman. They knew that the return of the Taliban might threaten all those hopes. But even for them the barbaric chaos of lawless Kabul was becoming a nightmare. What lies ahead? The Americans are determined to make things worse by freezing nine billion dollars of Afghan assets and threatening sanctions – thus guaranteeing mass starvation over Afghanistan’s bitterly cold winter. Afghanistan has been ravaged by 40 years of war since the Russian invasion. Threatening the Taliban won’t make things easier and I fear that the country will fall apart and return to civil war. The best hope for the tragic yet unbearably beautiful Afghanistan is that it is given time and space to rebuild itself. Without us. n

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04/10/2021 15:27

GIVING a DAM

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Beavers are a keystone species, supporting biodiversity and recreating long-destroyed wetlands. Now a visionary group of landowners is fighting for them to earn their rightful place back in the panoply of native British mammals. Even Boris agrees, says LUCY CLELAND

Let’s bring beavers back to where they belong

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ou could have heard a pin drop, but instead it was the sluicing of a 30-kilogram mother beaver as she dove Tom Daley-like back into the water. It is 7am and I am standing in the mizzly Cornish dawn on a gnarly tree stump waiting for my first glimpse of a native creature that was once prolific on our isles – until 400 years ago. Like other large indigenous mammals, such as wolves, bear, lynx and wildcat, beavers were hunted to extinction in Britain – mostly for their pelts (their fur is extremely thick, malleable and long-lasting), but also for castoreum, a substance excreted from their bottoms that was long used in perfume-making by houses such as Givenchy and Chanel. The milking of this pungent substance would kill the animal. But there is a movement afoot not only to bring back the beaver (on the quiet, Chris Jones, co-founder of Beaver Trust, thinks there are already possibly around 1,500 creatures in our river systems already – mostly the descendants of escapees from official beaver reintroduction projects), but to accelerate this programme, all in the name of habitat restoration and climate change. And I’m here to find out why this large, orange-toothed rodent has gathered such a cult following and is being hailed as a biodiversity superstar. Chris Jones is also a farmer in Ladock, Cornwall. It’s a proper working livestock farm too, with 170 acres and a herd of 25 Herefordcross dairy cows, so he’s not your obvious beaver advocate (most of the vocal opposition to the species’ reintroduction comes from farmers and fishermen). Chris’s farm has been organic

since 2003 and he adheres to practices that promote carbon sequestration (he stopped growing arable crops entirely), improvement of soil health and enhancement of biodiversity. And, for the past four years, he’s been the proud owner of a family of beavers that are changing the environment for the better – and wetter. ‘In 2012,’ he explains, as we tuck into beaver-themed home-made chocolate cake and tea, ‘our local village flooded twice in the space of a month. In 2013, it came very close to doing so again. And I thought, “How can we hold more water on our land”?’ The biggest bang for his buck, he discovered, was the beaver, whose main mission in life is to create wetlands. Chris talks urgently about our need to actively engage in the climate crisis. He’s despondent

about the fact that the UK has lost 50 per cent of its wildlife, including keystone species (an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem, of which the beaver is just one example), that our country is the most nature-depleted in Europe, and that every single one of our rivers is polluted. While he realises that a beaver can’t solve all our problems, he’s adamant that they can significantly help. And it’s not just cute talk. The economics work too. ‘In 2015, UK flooding cost the economy £5 billion,’ he says, ‘and flooding will continue to be a huge problem, as will the cost of drought and wildfires in our national parks.’ Finding solutions to this has more than a few government ministers losing sleep at night – but one piece that fits the puzzle is the beaver.

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FROM TOP LEFT: Beavers create whole ecosystems; the babbling river at Cabilla; Cabilla welcomes guests to come and enjoy the land that is being regenerated; Merlin Hanbury-Tenison; beavers are industrious and like to coppice trees; Chris Jones

‘Put a beaver into a place and it’s like putting petrol on a bonfire in terms of biodiversity,’ Chris continues. He shows us slides of his own beaver enclosure (currently he’s legally obliged to keep them fenced in), revealing how the landscape has entirely altered over the past four years, with water increasing by around 20 per cent. And the penny finally drops for me, that these clever, industrious creatures are recreating the wetlands we’ve all but destroyed – at pace. Wetlands mean biodiversity (since his own beavers arrived, Chris has recorded an increase in birds, fish, mammals, amphibians and invertebrates, including 17 different species of dragonfly and 11 of bat); they mean a natural system to slow water down (crucial when it comes to potential flood damage); they provide a firebreak, they sequester carbon, and they improve water quality because the beaver dams filter silt and sediment. Really, what’s not to love? There is opposition, naturally, to anything that requires consensus from a range of stakeholders with differing motives. Some myths can be easily destroyed, though. Beavers, for example, do not eat fish, they’re strictly vegetarian. ‘I’ve actually seen bigger trout since the beavers came,’ says Chris, because they create patches of habitat in which fish can spawn. Nor does a dam stop the fish getting past, since they either swim round, or through it. Besides, points out James Wallace, CEO and co-founder of Beaver Trust, you just need to look to Norway, where beaver, salmon and trout have co-existed happily for centuries,’ (just like they used to here). ‘You could hardly accuse them of having a fishing problem.’

For farmers, the issues are infinitely more real. Beavers flood land and coppice trees, sometimes killing them. If a beaver makes a lodge where you’re farming very flat land – such as in the Tay Valley in Scotland, where the river is backed up behind high banks – you could be looking at acres being flooded. If that land is for crops, the financial loss for the farmer is enormous. Which is why, say Merlin and Lizzie Hanbury-Tenison, who last year introduced their own pair of beavers onto their 300-acre farm on Bodmin Moor (about 45 minutes away from Chris’s), it’s important to engage everyone – the conservationist, the farmer, the politician and the community – and carry them with you on the beaver journey. Defra is due to file the results of an in-depth beaver consultation in early 2022, answering questions of licences, cost, grants and enclosures; it could be a game-changer in terms of an accelerated reintroduction programme. Chris, Merlin and James are waiting with bated breath, but given Boris’s enthusiasm for beavers during the recent Conservative Party Conference, it looks like a slam dunk. Another recent win for the Beaver Trust was the announcement by Defra Minister Lord Goldsmith that over 3,000 hectares of new woodlands are set to be planted along England’s rivers and watercourses in the first partnership of its kind with NGOs: Beaver Trust, National Trust, Rivers Trust and Woodland Trust. This means farmers will be paid to plant and manage trees along rivers – paving the way for a more critical role for our beaver friends by incentivising land managers to give them space to help restore our rivers and wildlife. Beavers, though, are just part of an ambitious thousand-year restoration and conservation plan that Merlin, a former soldier and youngest son of explorer Robin Hanbury-Tenison, has created for his home, Cabilla. His land boasts some of the last remaining temperate rainforest in the UK and, tree by tree, his vision is to restore the entire land back to its original forest state. It is an extraordinary privilege to see at firsthand some of the real work going on to help safeguard our future countryside – allowing us to live again in harmony with nature, not as its lord and master. The creativity, kindness, bravery and vision of some of our 21st-century landowners in turning their own privilege and short-term profit over for the greater good is inspiring. And it’s open for all to see. Both Chris and Merlin work widely in their communities to bring children and students to observe and study what they’re doing on the land. If they’re lucky, they might get to see their newest river residents too. beavertrust.org; cabillacornwall.com n

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A SEASON TO CHANGE

With three million tonnes of festive waste generated each year, it’s time to get creative for Christmas – meet the lifestyle gurus leading the charge. By Sofia Tindall

t’s the most wonderful time of the year, but possibly not the most sustainable. Three million tonnes of annual waste, 108 million rolls of wrapping paper and 100 million bin bags thrown away annually over the season is enough to sober even the brightest spirits. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean sparse trees and austerity Christmas dinners just yet – with the help of some sustainabilityconscious experts, here are some crafty, creative and eco-friendly moderations to ring in the festive season.

THE ART OF GIVING Who really needs (or wants) Christmas pudding novelty knickers anyway? When it comes to sustainable gifting, less is more – do away with the clutter, and invest in presents that will be loved, used and repaired. For sustainable present-giving ideas, wildflower seedbombs from Bloombox (bloomboxclub.com) are a good way to inspire the start of a rewilding project. Budding bakers will love the Social Supermarket’s (socialsupermarket. org) purpose-driven baking gift boxes – which give back to neonatal charities, anti-human t ra f f ick ing organisat ions and more. A perfect gift for a bookworm is a Rare Birds Book Club subscription (rarebirdsbookclub.com). Afterwards, you can swap finished books through Bookmooch (bookmooch. com). When it comes to wrapping, get crafty with newspaper, brown paper, odds and ends of string and ribbon. Or buy recycled, compostable paper (re-wrapped.co.uk).

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

FROM ABOVE: Christmas turkey; Melissa Hemsley’s cavolo nero and celeriac crumble is a festive crowd-pleaser

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

‘Challenge yourself to transform your leftovers’

A staggering 4.2 million Christmas dinners are wasted across the UK every year. So how to make Christmas lunch go further? ‘I have a Filipino mum who’s very into thrifty cooking – so eking out Christmas dinner is second nature,’ says chef Melissa Hemsley, a Fairtrade and sustainability champion. ‘I get a veg box every month, so normally I make seasonal dishes like slow-braised cabbage, seasoned roasted wedges and tons of roast veg. When it comes to seasonal ingredients, I love mushrooms (which are grown in the UK all year round) and sprouts – there’s so much you can do with them, they can go in slaws, roasted with miso dressing, or frittatas. A great festive crowd-pleaser is cavolo nero and celeriac crumble using leftover oats, seeds and cheese. ‘After Christmas, fritters are a brilliant bubble-and-squeak alternative to keep leftovers going. Add a pinch of curry

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PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

Create your own festive angels and stars from recycled wrapping paper and saved string

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paper bows and I collect ribbons throughout the year from presents and packages which I tie on the tree branches. I also collect droplets from old and broken chandeliers that I find in second hand shops – you can tie ribbon onto them and they make the most beautiful, sparkly Christmas decorations, and look magical in candlelight.’ ‘When it comes to the Christmas tablescaping, I like to start with one colour and then layer in metallic to create the festive feel. I always use several vintage candlesticks – I have far too many. For place settings, I like to tie craft paper labels to a sprig of holly, it can be fun to create your own personalised place setting cards using stamps or illustrations. This year I’ll be trying my hand at découpage decorations: you take a disc of card, layer over as many images as you like and then glaze over. I love elements which are timeless like that, it’s something you can imagine people doing 300 years ago.’ Paula’s book, Hill House Vintage: The Art of Creating a Joyful Life is out now (£22, Ebury Press)

WONDER WREATHS ‘Forage or look for local flower and foliage suppliers’

powder, yoghurt and chutney, or grate some cheddar cheese and chop in leeks. While cooking, keep your vegetable odds and ends to one side (things like cauliflower leaves, broccoli stalks, squash peelings) and challenge yourself to make a broth, soup or “fridge raid” frittata from them. To beat the January blues I use Ecozoi (ecozoi.com) ice cube trays and pack in leftover superfoods – lemon, ginger, pomegranate seeds – to make ‘power cubes’ that you can pop into a hot drink. You can also use melted-down, leftover chocolate (with a scrape of coconut oil), nuts, raisins and fruit to make “freestyle” Florentines.’ Melissa Hemsley’s book Eat Green is out now (£25, Ebury)

DECK THE HALLS ‘Vintage chandelier droplets threaded with ribbon make the most beautiful Christmas decorations’

‘Moving from London to Norfolk 12 years ago gave me a fresh love of Christmas – it’s truly magical here,’ says Paula Sutton, who has been running her 500,000-follower interiors Instagram account @hillhousevintage since 2013. ‘I’m always inspired to bring in lots of things from the garden for decorating – holly, yew, and anything which has fallen. I’m definitely head tree decorator of the family, but I tend to do the mantlepiece a few weeks before, layering it up with branches, leaves and ivy crawling up the walls. I love the idea of festive, Dickensian decay – it’s lush and romantic, but so natural. Each year I create

RENT OR SWAP, DON’T SHOP These days, renting a party dress, opera coat or chunky festive sweater is far cooler than buying. Even Harrods has jumped on the wagon – partnering with My Wardrobe HQ (mywardrobehq.com) for an edit of its designers. Embrace the opportunity to experiment with a piece you can go all out with and hand back the next day (after all, what is Christmas if not the only day of the year to dress up to the nines in your own sitting room?). Also worth checking out are Hurr Collective, Cocoon and By Rotation (hurrcollective.com; cocoon.club; byrotation. com). Finally, why not get your finery out for a pre-Christmas clothes-swap party with friends? n

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

FROM ABOVE: A festive wreath by @hazelgardinerdesign; pretty driedflower hues by Kitten Grayson; follow @hillhousevintage’s lead and bring in greenery from the garden

‘The key to creating your own beautiful (and more sustainable) Christmas wreath is the base,’ say Londonbased florist Kitten Grayson (kittengrayson.com). ‘Use a bendy fallen branch like birch to create a base you can use for years to come. A winter walk is a good excuse to forage for fallen greenery, pine cones, berries – anything that catches your eye, which you can attach to your base with gold wire for a festive touch.’ Hackney-based floral artist Hazel Gardiner (hazelgardinerdesign.com) likes to jazz up home-made wreaths with garden herbs ‘like rosemary, which creates depth and fragrance,’ she suggests. ‘I also like to use mini-garlands attached with hemp string to the backs of chairs or circled around table legs. As garlands are designed to drape, I choose trailing varieties like variegated ivy and old man’s beard, and weave in grasses like deep burgundy Pennisetum Rubrum and Amaranthus. In terms of suppliers, look for a local flower and foliage supplier on flowersfromthefarm.co.uk. I source British mistletoe from kissmemistletoe.co.uk.’

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PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Fire up your rocket boosters: this festive season we’re taking inspiration from the Solar System

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Sabina Savage The Hare’s Gift cushion, £350. sabinasavage.com Cartier Tank Française 18ct rose gold watch, £20,500. cartier.com Cutler And Gross 1390 sunglasses, £340. cutlerandgross.com Buccellati Polissena brooch, £POA. buccellati.com Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi, £25. penguin.co.uk Noble Isle Crème de Rhubarb candle, £75. nobleisle.com Loeffler Randall Maggie bag, £280. netaporter.com Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair with Pink Ribbon, £82. esteelauder.co.uk Burberry Pocket detail trench coat, £1,790. burberry.com Vrai Tetrad ring in 14ct rose gold, £1,960. vrai.com 136 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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Westley Richards Sutherland bag in Safari Green, £895. westleyrichards.com Earth Kind Citrus Leaf shampoo bar, £6.95. iamearthkind.com Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36, £5,650. rolex.com Frugi x The National Trust Adventurers Backpack, £28. welovefrugi.com Oliver Brown Needlecord trousers in Airforce blue, £105. oliverbrown.org.uk Della Vite Superiore DOCG prosecco, £25.95. dellavite.com Barbour x Cheaney Polebrook boots, £395. selfridges.com Alexandra Llewellyn Jungle backgammon set, £16,000. alexandrallewellyn.com Sirplus Herringbone tweed nehru waistcoat, £195. sirplus.co.uk Martine Rose denim jacket, £485. endclothing.com Troy London x Brora Fair Isle jumper, £220. troylondon.com 138 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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Decree Peptide Emollient Veil, £115. johnbellcroyden.co.uk Inuikii Sneakers, €245. inuikii.com Araminta Campbell Staffa shawl, £1,600. aramintacampbell.co.uk Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce, £15,490. patek.com Lenique Louis Oxidised silver ring, £375. leniquelouis.com Graham & Greene Lens wine goblets, £65 for four. grahamandgreen.co.uk Crockett & Jones Laura loafers, £370. crockettandjones.com Martin Miller’s Gin 9 Moons Gin, £50. martinmillersgin.com Boodles Raindance diamond and moonstone earrings, £3,800. boodles.com Arteriors Macarthur sculptures, £587. arteriorshome.com

PHOTOS: XXXXXXXXX

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Discover the Antarès collection with its iconic interchangeable straps, crafted with precision in France at our workshops in Charquemont.

Available at exclusive retailers around the country

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Stefano di Blasi Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC 2020, £12.99. nakedwines.com Prestat Red velvet truffles, £18.80. prestat.com Bleue Burnham Rose pendant with a baguette-cut sapphire, £950. bleueburnham.com Asprey Hanover briefcase, £2,145. asprey.com House of Bruar Cashmere crewneck jumper, £129.95. houseofbruar.com Pullman Editions 1964 Targa Florio, £420. pullmaneditions.com Oka Serigraph cushion cover, £70. oka.com Brum Brum Oak balance bike, £299. harrods.com Ettinger Capra double watch roll, £290. ettinger.co.uk Smeg Espresso machine, £319.95. shop.smeguk.com 142 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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Rémy Martin XO Red (personalisation available), £180. selfridges.com Eva Sonaike Asa cushion in copper, £95. evasonaike.com Le Creuset Signature cast iron casserole, £149. tbvsc.com KLG Jewellery Jupiter necklace, £269. klgjewellery.com Really Wild Harrington coat, £375. reallywildclothing.com Narloa Marigold body oil, £17. narloa.com Chalk Jewellery by Architects Mawu earrings, £48. thechalkhouse.com Creed Aventus for Her, £500 for 250ml. creedfragrances.co.uk Bertioli Silk robe in Wild Rose, £495. take-a-little-thyme. myshopify.com Edward Green Newmarket Chelsea boots, £1,185. edwardgreen.com 144 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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BRITISH LEATHER GOODS WWW.ETTINGER.CO.UK

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Dubarry Rockingham tweed jacket, £399. dubarry.com Tekla Blanket, £175. teklafabrics.com Roxanne Rajcoomar-Hadden Saturn Returns necklace in SMO 18ct yellow gold, from £1,950. rrhjewellery.com Linde Werdelin Oktopus Moon watch, £13,800. lindewerdelin.com Penhaligon’s Changing Constance, £204 for 75ml. penhaligons.com Shaun Leane Beetle brooch in 18ct yellow gold, £19,950. shaunleane. com Roger Oates Flatweave cushion in Ixworth Ochre, £95. rogeroates.com Pragnell Emerald cut ruby and diamond bracelet in 18ct yellow gold, £14,450. pragnell.co.uk Neptune Harrison clock, £115. neptune.com Tove Sena dress, £495. tove-studio.com Fairfax & Favor The Bedingfeld loafers, £165. fairfaxandfavor.com 146 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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Telmont Réserve Brut NV champagne, £49.99. selfridges.com Celtic & Co Chunky fisherman’s rib jumper, £185. celticandco.com Hancocks London Colombian no-oil emerald and 18ct gold ring, £25,000. hancocks-london.com Louise Kennedy Louise crossbody bag, £1,495. louisekennedy.com Rollo London The Otto collection in Ocean Green, £18. rollolondon.com The Little Car Company Bugatti Baby II, £POA. harrods.com Messika by Kate Moss 18ct yellow gold, diamond and malachite Colour Play earrings, £POA. messika.com IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, £6,500. iwc.com Temple Spa Restoring bath salts, £25. templespa.com Brew Tea Co Yunnan green loose leaf tea, £9.90. brewteacompany.co.uk 148 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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Shop the Autumn-Winter collection at the new boutique 75a Jermyn Street, London SW1Y 6NP oliverbrown.org.uk

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Augustinus Bader The Eye Cream, £150. augustinusbader.com Taller Marmo Bizet kaftan, £1,100. net-a-porter.com Theo Fennell Black opal Celestial ring, £13,950. theofennell.com Orlebar Brown Newman Rochelle striped shirt, £195. orlebarbrown.com Yaa Yaa Deep Love cuff, £65. yaayaalondon.com Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Ghost & Rare, Pittyvaich Edition, NV, £229.17. justerinis.com Baobab Gentlemen candle, size Max16, £135. baobabcollection.com Nina Campbell Murano red wine glass, £80. ninacampbell.com Bremont Supermarine chronograph, £5,395. bremont.com Gayle Warwick Under the Sea table linen, £75. gaylewarwick.com Astley Clarke Blue diamond pendant necklace (from 11 November), £995. astleyclarke.com 150 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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Maxwell-Scott The Ettore leather iPad case, £185. maxwellscottbags.com Atelier Jalaper AJ001-S watch, £670. atelierjalaper.com Diane Kordas Dumortierite Crystal Spear necklace, £2,976. dianekordasjewellery.com Heist Eco lace body, £66. heist-studios.com David Hunt Aztec pewter table lamp, £144. davidhuntlighting.co.uk Marshall Emberton speaker, £129.99. marshallheadphones.com Aspinal Hampton bag, £495. aspinaloflondon.com Jennifer Chamandi Black Mesh Lorenzo 105 shoes, £550. jenniferchamandi.com Mackenzie-Childs Penguin salt and pepper shakers, £52. fortnumandmason.com Nina Runsdorf 18ct blackened gold pavé diamond ball on diamond string ring, £POA. ninarunsdorf.com 152 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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Filo www.baobabcollection.com

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Tasaki Comet plus ring in Sakuragold with an Akoya pearl, £2,580. tasaki.co.uk Olivia Von Halle Casablanca Ludo pyjamas, £445. oliviavonhalle.com Harry Winston Lily cluster ring, £POA. harrywinston.com Aureliean Trio of Light earrings, £1,699. aureliean.com Retrofête Sequin wrap dress, £378. theoutnet.com Rachel Vosper Seven wick crystal bowl candle, £395. rachelvosper.com Bamford Quartz crystal water bottle, £45. bamford.com Graff New Dawn stud earrings, £31,000. graff.com Salvatore Ferragamo Glitter mules, £635. ferragamo.com Rado True Thinline Diamonds watch, £1,910. rado.com Ondine Platine saucepan, £365. ondine.com 154 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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GIFT A MOMENT OF WELLBEING WITH EVERY PRECIOUS DROP

Discover our award-winning aromatherapy blends through our luxury bathing, skincare and home fragrance festive gift sets.

FREE GIFT Moment Of Sleep Duo worth £44 when you spend £40 Offer exclusive to Country & Town House readers Apply code FESTIVE at checkout aromatherapyassociates.com

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INTERIORS Edited by Carole Annett

Rebel Spirit Sanderson’s new collection is one to shout about (though you might find it shouts for itself), with disruptive new designs drawing on 160 years of archives – including prints by design legends like Pat Etheridge. Eclecticism and eccentricity at its finest. sanderson.sandersondesigngroup.com

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INTERIORS | News

LIFE IN CIRCLES

Decanter occasional table with Rivington top in contrasting colour, Bermuda pink and Kerala. From the Wanderlust collection at Davidson London. £6,075, davidsonlondon.com

DRAWN TO THE LIGHT Hanging butterfly globe lantern, details painted with Farrow & Ball colour. £2,772, charlesedwards.com

CABINET SHUFFLE Founded by Eda Akaltun and Mevce Çıracı, Ahu Studio’s debut piece is a limited edition mahogany and lacquer cabinet, handmade in Istanbul. Meyhane Nazar cabinet, from £32,000 plus VAT. ahustudio.com

NEAT PETITE Ventura Luxe armchair. £1,240, venturalondon.co.uk

Design NOTES What’s trending in the interiors-scape? asks Carole Annett

THINK CLEVER

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DELIVER BY HAND Portable pouf. £920, th2studio.co.uk

AXOR One’s hand shower 75 1jet uses EcoSmart technology utilising up to 60 per cent less water than conventional products. From £193, axor-design.com

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BEZZIE MATES

A new collaboration by Charlotte Rey and Duncan Campbell of Campbell Rey with Nordic Knots rugs. From £645, nordicknots.com

FLIGHT OF FANCY Luiza PardellasMarra’s revamp of the Belfry room at Mosimann’s private dining features this Gru Giallo fabric. £187 p/m, colonyuk.com

SQUIGGLY DO Medusa wall light in red gesso, £1,320; Lucio carver chair upholstered in fabric by Guy Goodfellow, £1,098 (excluding fabric). Both at Julian Chichester. julianchichester.com

RURAL INSPO

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Everyday by Fred Rigby, inspired by the undulating landscape of Dorset. £1,600, fredrigbystudio.com

LIFE’S A BEACH Look out for CP Hart’s four new design installations at its Waterloo showroom by interior designers including Eva Sonaike. Her mood board is a beachy oasis of texture and pattern with subtle metallics touches. cphart.co.uk; evasonaike.com November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 159

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INTERIORS | Trend

EVA SONAIKE Ona blue fabric. From £95, evasonaike.com

GOODWILL Glitter leaf garland. £45, amara.com

THE CONRAN SHOP Set of two tapered candles. £11.50, conranshop.co.uk

CHILEWICH Placemat. £15, amara.com

OKA Round Callanish dining table. £2,195, oka.com

Joy to the WORLD

‘We like to riff on traditional festive decor and experiment with a melange of colour and pattern,’ says guest editor Fido Fawo of Notting Hill-based Fibi Interiors . Think teals, tangerine, lavender and ANTHROPOLOGIE Set of two Amy chairs. ochres, rich, warm woods – £348, anthropologie.com and a spirited touch of sparkle GRAHAM & GREEN

DAR LEONE Vessel Afrique. £49, dar-leone.com

THE TROUVAILLES Woody 20-piece cutlery set. £45.99, thetrouvailles.com

Clarice cocktail glass. £11.95, grahamandgreen.co.uk

LA GENT Maison Balzac set of four tumblers. £55, la-gent.com

TABLE TALK

Fibi Interiors’ Fido Fawo’s festive favourites

HARPER & TOMS Garden bunch. From £45, harperandtoms.co.uk

LES COUILLES DU CHIEN 1930s bar cart. £POA, lescouillesduchien.com

Festive decorating style? A transitional adventure filled with charm and character. Inspired by modern, traditional and eclectic design. Favourite brands right now? Fenton & Fenton, Second Abode, Susi Bellamy and The Full Montage. Hero item? The Dar Leone vessels – they’re so versatile. Christmas dinner track? Flash Light (Part 1), by Houston 1978. fibiinteriors.com

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CO M P E T I T I O N

UN JOUR, UNE HISTOIRE Win a designer bedroom makeover courtesy of Yves Delorme

s there anything more heavenly than sinking into a freshly made bed? This winter renowned French home brand Yves Delorme is making that feeling even better with its new Un Jour, Une Histoire bed linen collection. Un Jour, Une Histoire is a vibrant bed linen collection, depicting colourful flora and fauna with hummingbirds and monkeys. Escape the winter in these sheets featuring illustrations reminiscent of far away lands on a turquoise backdrop. Made from silky smooth cotton sateen, 300 thread count, the new collection includes a duvet cover, pillowcases, and flat and fitted sheets.

WIN One lucky C&TH reader will win a Un Jour, Une Histoire bedroom makeover with Yves Delorme. Enter for your chance to win one king-size duvet cover worth £349 and two standard pillowcases worth £79 each, with a total value of £507.

TO ENTER Visit countryandtown house.co.uk/ competitions and follow instructions. The competition closes on 31 December 2021, terms and conditions apply.

uk.yvesdelorme.com; monogrammedlinenshop.com

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INTERIORS | Case Study

‘Our vision was to layer WARM colour tones and textures, mixing OLD and NEW elements with a selection of FURNITURE and materials’

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WILD, WILD WEST

Elnaz Namaki joined forces with HvB Development for this Notting Hill redesign. By Sofia Tindall

Old-world character meets contemporary flair in this family home, designed by Elnaz Namaki Studio

he key word to sum up the appeal of a design by Elnaz Namaki Studio is contrast. And no wonder, when the British-born designer has such a myriad of experience to draw on; an education at both Bartlett and Sotheby’s to start with, a stint at the Sorbonne in Paris, and perhaps most pertinently – a love of travel to which she credits her richly multifaceted interior schemes. Her expert eye for antiques, paired with an shrewd instinct for mixing styles, earned her the job of rebooting this classic London townhouse in Notting Hill in February 2019. Owned by a couple recently relocated to London, the challenge was to translate a little of the client’s former home in Munich to a new setting. Opening up the layout and letting the architecture breathe was also a priority. ‘We needed to maximise ceiling heights and natural light throughout,’ remembers Namaki. Enter HvB Development, who along with the design studio, was tasked with achieving a bold, contemporary new layout. One aspect that didn’t present a problem was a wealth of grade II-listed features – from original cornicing to exquisitely crafted joinery and shutters. But how to honour the building’s heritage while weaving in impactful contemporary style and artistic flair? After elevating the ceiling height by almost two metres, Namaki decided on a rich, dark-toned wood flooring as the core material ‘to create warmth’. ‘When it came to incorporating colour we combined marble and ceramic tiles in the bathroom for pops of blue and green’ – the clients’ favourite colours . With the foundations firmly in place, the next step was to bring in existing artworks, vintage pieces such as a black Eames lounge chair and striking accents like metal ceiling tiles. ‘Our vision was to layer warm colour tones and textures, mixing old and new elements with a selection of furniture and materials.’ A very different feeling takes over outside, thanks to the new rear elevation by HvB. ‘From the garden it looks more like a New York townhouse,’ muses Namaki, ‘with a black metal wraparound balcony and crittall glazing’. The end result is a collaboration of three different visions: striking modernist architecture, art and antiques-led design, and the small personal details and character of a family home. ‘Seeing new pieces come together with the clients’ furniture and artwork was probably my favourite part,’ concludes Namaki. ‘It’s a space that feels calm, warm and timeless with open spatial flow and clean lines throughout.’ elnaznamaki.com; hvbdevelopment.com n

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Chesneys’ new outdoor low-emission stoves make the perfect winter warmers

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

But not any more! Here’s to Christmas celebrations al fresco, says Randle Siddeley

lot about our world has changed since lockdown, but as we ease back into old patterns our relationship with the outdoors has permanently altered. Being inside for days on end made us crave outside space, however small, and those of us lucky enough to have a garden will never again take it for granted. Even as chilly nights lengthen, we’re busy repurposing our gardens with patio heaters, wood burners and fairy lights, so we can spend more time outside. And let’s face it, with soaring fuel prices necessitating a more cautious approach to heating, we might as well be outside as in. What if someone had found a way of being outside that guaranteed being able to cook while staying warm, dry and comfortable? Well, someone has, and it’s no other than film director Guy Ritchie, who’s created his Cashmere Caveman range comprised of the WildKitchen and WildTable, one of which featured in his recent movie The Gentlemen. Just as Blue Forest came along and gave us the Rolls-Royce of tree houses, Cashmere Caveman has come up with a game-changing concept that will revolutionise al-fresco dining for winter (ccwildkitchens.com). Given the theme of this issue is celebration, I see no reason not to start planning an outdoor Christmas feast. The beauties of the WildKitchen and WildTable are manifold. The WildTable comes in four sizes to seat 12, eight, six or four. The lights operate from an independent power source or connected to mains electricity, so

Invest in festoon lights and cosy seating

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Gardening | INTERIORS you can erect it anywhere. The structure is reassuringly manual and more akin to a sailing boat than a complicated mod con, with sturdy ropes to lower or raise the canvas sheets by hand. The central firebox doubles as a cooker and has a flue and a glass top, so you are not smoked out and can keep an eye on your food. And the best part is that the firebox is in the centre of the copper or zinc-topped table, so cooking becomes communal, a bit like a very grand fondue. Every detail has been thought through, with cooking utensils, glasses and even holders with paper towels hanging within easy reach from a WildHalo above the firebox. There’s even a ‘skilt’ under the table that keeps thighs and knees warm. We don’t all have generous gardens or a field to accommodate a WildKitchen, but if you have a balcony or small patio and an even tinier budget, save on electricity and gas and invest in a small fire pit or wood burner and then add cheer with festoon lights or lanterns. A string of lights will automatically create a party atmosphere while illuminating your trees and plants – try Garden Trading or Lighting Legends. With the precarious state of our country’s gas and electricity supplies this winter, a good supply of candles could become de rigueur. Luckily, there are some good-looking candle lanterns around. Soho Home has tall, handsome burnished copper ones in varying sizes and Sarah Raven stocks pillar candles in pretty colours and lanterns in grey rustic or more decorative Moroccan styles and one with an accompanying crook to hang it from. Chesneys’ new outdoor Heat collection is helping make all-round outdoor living possible with its new The WildTable from Cashmere Caveman Clean Burn lower emission stoves (chesneys.co.uk).

Late-blooming pink anemones will brighten up winter gardens

Let’s face it – with SOARING fuel prices necessitating a MORE cautious APPROACH to heating, we MIGHT as well be OUTSIDE as in Otherwise, an iron or steel fire bowl from Crocus, Primrose or Waitrose Garden will transform a tiny yard or roof terrace into a snug, atmospheric entertaining space. In terms of planting, you should already have put in your spring bulbs, but don’t neglect autumn planting. Late blooming, pink-flowered Anemones hupehensis and salvias like ‘Phyllis’ Fancy’ and ‘Mulberry Jam’ will add plenty of colour till the hard frost starts to bite. There are also some beautiful autumn fruit trees, like the small Sorbus eburnea. Plant it in well-drained soil and you will be rewarded with white berries glowing among dazzling yellow and orange foliage. Or plant the tougher, bigger Rowan ‘Olympic Flame’ for ferny orange-red foliage and red berries. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Ilex aquifolium or English holly. Choose a hardy variety like ‘J.C. van Tol’, which is self-fertilising so doesn’t need to be near a male to produce fruit. It has glossy, dark, almost spineless leaves and bright berries. The ‘Argentea Marginata’ has masses of berries and lustrous, spiny, silver-margined leaves and stems ideal for floral arrangements. It also copes well in cities or coastal towns as it doesn’t mind pollution or salty air. You’ll need to plant a male holly nearby for it to produce berries, so put in a variegated ‘Silver Queen’ (male despite the misleading name) that likes the same conditions. To add a final festive flourish, stick a Christmas tree outside and invest in an outdoor garland or wreath. Go flamboyant and grand with a Wild at Heart cinnamon and orange wreath or more rustic with Sarah Raven’s juniper berry wreath (£69.95, sarahraven.com). Then light up your lanterns and fire and enjoy your winter garden. The juniper berry wreath from Sarah Raven

Randle Siddeley is a leading landscape architect and garden designer. randlesiddeley.co.uk n November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 165

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HOTELS&

TR AVEL RUN TO THE SUN Go on... you deserve it after the year you’ve had

Kick back at One&Only Le Saint Géran in Mauritius

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Guide

The very first five-star hotel in Mauritius, but still unmatched by newcomers to the island, One&Only Le Saint Géran is the perfect spot for soaking up some much-needed winter sun. Positioned on its own private peninsula, the resort encompasses the stunning waters of a sheltered lagoon and the sparkling ocean itself. Lined by kilometres of pristine sands with coral reefs on one side and tropical flora on the other, this breathtaking resort doesn’t disappoint. And from Lagoon Rooms with mountain views to villas with private terraces and infinity pools, there’s accommodation for everyone. BOOK IT: Doubles from ¤820 B&B, oneandonlyresorts.com

LITTLE KULALA, Namibia

Reopened in 2020 with a 100 per cent solar energy system, this is the perfect place from which to enjoy the splendour of the Namib Desert, the oldest in the world. The Big Daddy sand dune is the highest in the Sossusvlei region and is perfect for trekking. Each of the 11 suites comes with a ‘star bed’ experience on the deck, and romantic rooftop dinners and star gazing. Activities include drives to dunes, guided nature trails, quad bike or fat-bike rides in the desert, stargazing, sunrise breakfasts, gin stops and sundowners. Why not round off your trip hot air ballooning over the dunes? BOOK IT: Doubles from £511. wilderness-safaris.com

BAWAH RESERVE, Indonesia

For postcard-perfect bliss, look no further than Bawah Reserve. A remote tropical paradise in the Anambas archipelago, Bawah was previously an uninhabited marine conservation area adorned with turquoise lagoons and unspoilt coral reefs. Today it is an officially protected marine area that invites guests to appreciate its natural beauty. The reserve is packed with activities, from diving and marine conservation to permaculture tours and beach games. Spend the evening dining in the treetops of the rainforest, watching a film by the infinity pool or stargazing with loved ones. BOOK IT: Doubles from $1,780 per person, full-board. bawahreserve.com

THE SAFARI SERIES, Kenya

If remote is what you’re after, The Safari Series comprises six tents spread out across a 50,000-acre private conservatory in the Lolldaiga Hills in northern Kenya. You’re unlikely to see another car during your stay, though you will be neighbours with elephants, zebras and buffalos, who frequent the small dam that sits beside the bedroom tents. On safaris - which take place in restored classic Land Rovers, either selfdriven or with a guide – you may chance upon roaming lions, leopards, giraffes and cheetahs. As well as marvelling at the animals, it’s a chance to soak up the area’s beautiful vistas, from cedar forests and lakes to views of Mount Kenya. BOOK IT: From $380 per person. safari-series.com

ANANTARA, Seychelles

Swap chapped elbows for sunkissed shoulders at newly opened Anantara Maia Seychelles Villas. The architecture blends seamlessly into the landscape so that from the moment your feet touch the sand you’re deeply immersed in tropical paradise (with a little help from meandering gardens designed by Bill Bensley). All of the 30 private villas come with rainforest showers, oversized day beds, your own host and access to scuba diving, watersports and the open-air Anantara spa. The divine Anse Louis beach, with its calming cobalt waves, and tropical garden walkways are always in view. BOOK IT: Villas from ¤2,550, all-inclusive. anantara.com

AERIAL BVI, British Virgin Islands

‘Purposeful luxury’ is the ethos behind new private island destination Aerial BVI. And this purpose in particular is wellness, with guests encouraged to grow and heal from the inside out. The resort is set over 43 acres on Buck Island, sleeping 30 guests in five residences. Visitors can try a range of bespoke activities designed to enhance mind, body and soul, including environmental healing, red light therapies, acupuncture, hikes, yoga and ocean water therapy. World-class nutritionist chefs, wellness consultants and spa therapists are also on hand to guide you throughout your stay. BOOK IT: From $40,000 per night allinclusive, four nights min. aerialbvi.com

DUMATAU WILDERNESS SAFARI, Botswana

Animal lovers can get well and truly stuck in with a stay at Wilderness Safaris’ DumaTau Camp, where guests can immerse themselves deep in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. Sharing a home with one of the world’s largest herds of elephants, as well as many other animal species, DumaTau has eight tented suites with private plunge pools and an onsite spa. But the main attraction is the opportunity to experience close-up wildlife encounters. Take the breakfast barge out to see sleeping hippos, spend afternoons watching elephants splash across the Linyanti River and celebrate the night with sundowners on the floating fire pit. BOOK IT: Doubles from $1,419 per person. wilderness-safaris.com

JOALI BEING, Maldives

For something new check out Joali Maldives, which is launching a new nature immersive wellbeing retreat, Joali Being, on its very own island near by (Bodufushi Island). It will be the Maldives’ first pure health retreat and will offer a mix of integrated wellness programmes (and a healthy dose of sunshine, of course). The retreat has been built using vastu shastra principles, an ancient Indian system of architecture and design that integrates nature, aiming to achieve harmony by eliminating negative energy and enhancing the island’s positive energies. BOOK IT: From $2,142 for an Ocean Pool Villa, B&B. Immersion programmes start from $1,665 per person for fivenights. joali.com

CASTARA RETREATS, Tobago

The sparsely populated younger sibling to Trinidad, Tobago is often described as the unspoilt part of the Caribbean, characterised by quiet palm-lined beaches and lush rainforest. Nestled on a hillside on the edge of a friendly fishing village, 17 eco-conscious treehouses melt seamlessly into this landscape. Slip into the laid-back rhythms of village life with morning yoga classes, waterfall swims, beach strolls and sunset beers in hammocks – plus fish caught daily at open-air restaurant Caribbean Kitchen. You’ll be joined by an abundance of wildlife: pelicans, dolphins, hummingbirds and – come twilight – glowing fireflies. BOOK IT: Doubles from £165. castararetreats.com

ALL PRICES ARE FOR DOUBLES PER NIGHT ROOM ONLY UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

ONE&ONLY LE SAINT GÉRAN, Mauritius

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Guide | HOTELS & TRAVEL

COBBLERS COVE, Barbados

There is something of old-world glamour that still lingers around destinations like Barbados. Cobblers Cove, one of the Caribbean’s finest family-owned establishments, is one of those rare hotels still steeped in lost-in-time elegance. Behind coral stone walls you’ll find cool bedrooms by Soane Britain decked in rattan and billowing, colourfully printed cottons, while outdoors pink parasols cluster around a retro pool overlooking the ocean. Overflowing with faded heritage charm and understated grandeur, it’ll draw you back year after year. BOOK IT: Doubles from $420 B&B. cobblerscove.com

ALL PRICES ARE FOR DOUBLES PER NIGHT ROOM ONLY UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED.

THE NAUTILUS, Maldives

Located on the Maldives’ stunning Baa Atoll, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, a trip to The Nautilus is simply unforgettable. It has 26 pristine houses to choose between, from beach cabins to over-water bungalows, all with private pools and dedicated butlers. If you can tear yourself away from your sun lounger, you’ll discover plenty of experiences to keep you busy, from chartering a luxury yacht to diving with manta rays. Or have some downtime in the Solasta Spa, with its glass-bottomed, over-water treatment pavilions and ocean-view yoga studio. And relax. BOOK IT: From $2,825 from 15 Dec to 10 Jan 2022. thenautilusmaldives.com

THE DATAI LANGKAWI, Malasia

Does everything feel just a little too much? Then hide away from it all, deep within a ten-millionyear-old Malaysian rainforest. The Datai Langkawi inhabits a paradisaical spot on the island of Langkawi, surrounded by lush vegetation, a tinkling stream, and the Andaman Sea on the horizon. Choose from either a Canopy Collection room with views of the forest and ocean, a Rainforest Villa for enhanced privacy, or a beach villa. Tuck into authentic Malaysian cuisine before heading to the spa for a traditional treatment using ingredients gathered in the rainforest. BOOK IT: Canopy Deluxe room from $602. thedatai.com

THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL, LA, USA

Enjoy a winter escape in Los Angeles at this Hollywood favourite, which has recently unveiled a chic redesign of its iconic cabanas, overseen by the renowned Champalimaud Design. For the first time since its installation in the 1940s, the beloved Martinique banana leaf wallpaper made by CW Stockwell and featured throughout the hotel has been reintroduced in pink to clad the cabanas. The hotel has also introduced a new bike programme, available to guests at the hotel with new and bespoke Linus banana leaf bicycles available for up to two hours every day. BOOK IT: Guestroom from $645. dorchestercollection.com

HABITAS ALULA, Saudi Arabia

The newly opened Habitas in AlUla has winter temperatures ranging from 10-25 oC between October to April, although it drops in the evening. Habitas AlUla specialises in wellness and eco-friendly services, and is nestled in a desert valley surrounded by sandstone cliffs and palm groves. The resort hosts 96 guest villas made with ethically sourced organic materials, all of which feature super king size beds, premium linen, a private external deck and private external showers. The Celestial Villas even include a private telescope. BOOK IT: Doubles from $600. ourhabitas.com; experiencealula.com

THE BRANDO, Tahiti

Swap the heaving resorts of the French Alps for utopian serenity in French Polynesia. Famously owned for three decades by Marlon Brando, the island of Tetiaroa in Tahiti is home to eco-luxury hotel The Brando – a perfect jumpingoff point from which to experience the staggering natural beauty of this area. Unwind in the Varua te Ora Polynesian Spa, nestled in a lagoon once bathed in by Tahitian royalty, explore protected reefs and trails with open-ocean scuba diving and forest walks, or simply revel in the deeply restorative surroundings, powered by solar renewable energy. BOOK IT: Doubles from ¤3,300 allinclusive (two night min.) thebrando.com

CABOT ST LUCIA, St Lucia

Located on an idyllic emerald stretch on the northern coast of St Lucia sits an exciting new destination for your bucket list. Cabot St Lucia is primarily a private community, centred around an 18-hole golf course and a luxury resort. In 2022 it will launch 40 new one, two and three-bedroom luxury suites for visitors, enabling them to take advantage of the stunning location, vibrant Beach Club, restaurants, spa and, of course, the golf course. With the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the verdant hills of St Lucia on the other, you couldn’t pick a more breathtaking spot. BOOK IT: Suites from $1,200. cabotstlucia.com

SONEVA KIRI, Thailand

Based on the belief that luxury and sustainability can work harmoniously, Soneva offers guests the chance to holiday in a secluded island hideaway in the warmest parts of the world. The Soneva Kiri resort is located on an unspoilt island in Thailand and offers everything from beach tours and snorkelling to ’treepod dining’. What truly sets it apart, however, is its commitment to being a sustainable business. Soneva has been carbon neutral since 2012 and funds a variety of projects that have a positive environmental, social and economic impact through the Soneva Foundation. BOOK IT: Doubles from $1,000. soneva.com

ISLAS SECAS, Panama

Located just off the Pacific coast of Panama, Islas Secas is one of Central America’s best-kept secrets. Comprising four individual casita sites spread across a privately owned archipelago of 14 islands (sleeping 24 in total), each guest will drift off at night to the sounds of local wildlife in a luxury tent with day beds, plunge pools and sea views. The UNESCO World Heritage site of Coiba National Park is just minutes away, along with coral reefs and protected marine parks where you can dive, snorkel or explore by safari. BOOK IT: Doubles from $1,250 per person all-inclusive. islassecas.com

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HOTELS & TRAVEL | Guide

Out of all the Caribbean islands, Bequia is the laidback, cooler counterpart to its famous sister, Mustique. Bequia Beach Hotel is the understood go-to place on the isle. Throngs of tropical palms, papaya and almond trees line the Friendship Bay beach, around which the hotel’s suites and cottages are nestled. If you manage to prise yourself off the sun loungers, make use of the hotel’s own luxury superyacht available for private charters. Why not also take a hike to nearby Princess Margaret Beach and spend the day grazing at the bohemian Jack’s Beach Bar. BOOK IT: Doubles from $300, B&B, plus taxes. bequiabeachhotel.com

THANDA ISLAND PRIVATE MARINE RESERVE, Tanzania

As far as once-in-a-lifetime experiences go, swimming with whale sharks and watching sea turtles nest are up there. And you can do both on Thanda Island, a private tropical paradise off the coast of Tanzania. The island is for exclusive use, with two traditional ‘bandas’ and one villa to enjoy with family and friends. When you aren’t relaxing on the sandy beaches, take to the ocean for water sports or enjoy a traditional Swahili feast. Thanks to Thanda Island’s conservation efforts, you can feel truly at one with nature. BOOK IT: From £33,000 all inclusive, min. five nights. thandaisland.com

THE SINGULAR, Patagonia

Carved out of a postVictorian cold storage plant on the cusp of Puerto Natales, The Singular Patagonia is one of South America’s most interesting architectural landmarks. With its isolated location on a remote fjord and windswept views over the Señoret Channel, a trip here feels like an adventure – but one with all high-end home comforts. There’s a large spa, two restaurants and 57 bedrooms – all of which offer vistas of the Last Hope Sound. Explorers can get involved with trips to the nearby Torres del Paine National Park, and riding and kayaking at Sofia Lake. BOOK IT: Doubles from $445. thesingular.com

BEACH HOUSES BY THE CRANE, Barbados

Escape the winter chill with Beach Houses by The Crane, a secluded tropical retreat on the east coast of Barbados. Each home has a breathtaking view of the Atlantic and offers a ‘no tan lines’ level of privacy, so you can feel truly content in your own space. Chill out under the sun in the infinity pool and Jacuzzi, or spend an afternoon relaxing on the pool deck as the barbecue gets to work on your dinner. Amp up the luxury of your stay with a private chef or in-villa spa treatments, so you can truly feel the effects of your relaxing getaway. BOOK IT: Villas from $285 B&B. beachhouses.bb

NOMAD TANZANIA, Tanzania

For ultimate seclusion but high-octane adventure, look no further than a safari with Nomad Tanzania. Our pick is the Entamanu experience, where you can take a walk along the rim of the country’s Ngorongoro Crater or a day hike through the rolling highlands. Opting for an off-the-beaten-track getaway doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort; the luxurious camp boasts views of the crater and the Serengeti National Park. Head there between October and May for a lush landscape in its Eden-like prime. BOOK IT: From $650 per person. nomad-tanzania.com

SAXON, Johannesburg

Known as one of Jo’burg’s beloved luxury hotels, the Saxon is filled with history. Nelson Mandela found refuge here when he was released from prison, no doubt enjoying the sprawling gardens, exquisite art lining the hallways and the rooms decorated with works from local artists and craftspeople. If you’re seeking respite from city life, why not visit the Saxon’s sister property, the Shambala Private Game Reserve. Enjoy a safari experience where you can spot the Big Five. BOOK IT: From approx. £466 at the Saxon and from approx. £542 allinclusive for Zulu House in Shambala Private Game Reserve. saxon.co.za

NAYARA RESORTS, Costa Rica

Experience the healing power of the rainforest at Nayara Resorts, nestled in the foothills of the Arenal Volcano. You can choose between a family friendly stay at a private casita in the five-star Nayara Gardens, a romantic retreat at a luxury villa in the adults-only Nayara Springs, or a safari experience in one of Nayara Tented Camp’s luxury tented accommodations. All come with private plunge pools, terraces and magnificent volcano views. And all offer a detoxing rainforest wellness programme, which can be done as a three or five-night stay and includes yoga, spa treatments, and Ayurvedic-inspired meals. BOOK IT: Three-night retreat from $3,500. nayararesorts.com

VIK CHILE, Chile

The location of vineyard hotel Vik Chile was picked to ensure the best quality of grapes for wine, but it also makes a striking setting. Perched at the top of a hill in a valley, it’s in a prime position for views of both the Andes and the vineyards below. There’s plenty to admire within the hotel’s confines, too. Vik Chile is filled with impressive sculptures and paintings, and the building is a work of art in itself with its golden hue and titanium roof. Go riding, swim in the infinity pool and dine in the glass-walled Milla Milla before settling down in one of the 22 uniquely designed rooms or seven glass-walled bungalows. BOOK IT: Doubles from $800. vikchile.com

HUVAFEN FUSHI, Maldives

A watering hole for the fashion set, Kate Moss, Liz Hurley and Naomi Campbell have reportedly stayed at the Maldives Huvafen Fushi. Descend nine metres below sea level for an underwater private dining experience that flickers with fish. A place in its prime for romantic getaways, the resort’s 44 villas are each bedecked with a private infinity pool and private deck. Soothe yourself in the couples’ spa treatment rooms featuring panoramic reef views or, if you’re the active type, snorkel one of the Maldives’ best house reefs, fish by sunset or feed stingrays – the choice is yours. BOOK IT: Beach bungalows from $1,307. hauvenfushi.com n

ALL PRICES ARE FOR DOUBLES PER NIGHT ROOM ONLY UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

BEQUIA BEACH HOTEL, St Vincent and the Grenadines

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The Weekender | HOTELS & TRAVEL The 200 year-old city-state of Singapore is a bustling international powerhouse

SINGAPORE Anwer Bati explores the bustling city-state that’s a melting pot of languages, cultures and cuisines

ounded 200 years ago, the city-state of Singapore is a bustling international business and financial powerhouse with a constant buzz. As almost six million people are crammed in an area less than half the size of London, the only way to build is up, so it’s dominated by high-rises. But you can also find calmer areas and relics of the colonial era (Britain ruled until 1959) hidden among the towers. It’s a remarkable melting pot, with a local population comprising of Chinese, Malay and Indian residents, as well as expats and tourists from around the world. And the national language is English. Standards are high, from law and order to cleanliness and local transport – and you can find anything you want, from delicious food to leisure and shopping.

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One of the world’s best hotels, Raffles, going since 1887, is the place to stay, particularly after its recent renovation. The 115 suites are spacious and seamlessly blend the colonial past with modern comfort and facilities. The food is great and service throughout is superb and unstuffy.

Check out the National Museum for a little history, and don’t miss the magnificent Botanic Gardens. The new Gardens by the Bay are impressive, as are the Sultan mosque and Thian Hock Keng temple. Marina Bay Sands, with its vast shopping and eating areas, is quite a place to experience.

For street food go to a hawker centre where vendors sell their specialities in controlled conditions. At Raffles choices include French chef AnneSophie Pic’s restaurant, Jereme Leung’s innovative Chinese cuisine, the Tiffin Room, serving Indian food, and Alain Ducasse’s new Italian eatery, Osteria BBR.

There are shopping malls everywhere, with several along Orchard Road, including ION Orchard, with its treasure trove of designer brands. At the 24 hour Mustafa Centre department store, there are any number of bargains – from cosmetics to computers.

Take a bus tour to see the remaining colonial-era buildings such as the Old Parliament House. Go to Tiong Bahru, an area of Art Deco buildings. Once social housing, it’s now a hipster hangout, with cafés, bookshops and a good hawker centre. Or see the city from the river on a bum boat.

BOOK IT: The weather is mild, if humid year round. Rates at Raffles begin from £700 per night, raffles.com. The excellent Singapore Airlines normally flies four times daily from Heathrow, singaporeair.com n November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 177

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FEEL THE FREEDOM Everything’s possible with Powder Byrne Stay and ski with Powder Byrne at the exclusive Waldhaus Flims Wellness Resort and enjoy a memorable winter holiday in the stunning Swiss Alps. Whether you are a total beginner or a powder expert, skiing with Powder Byrne is an experience you will never forget. Everything is taken care of by our dedicated resort teams and attentive ski hosts, who will show you the best slopes and guarantee the best table for lunch, we even carry your skis. From £3,298 per person for 7 nights on bed and breakfast with private transfers. Visit

powderbyrne.com/ski or call +44(0)20 8246 5300

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Edited by Felix Milns

SKI SPECIAL

SNOW

DAY

Skiing’s back and we’re making the most of it

Fusalp style

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DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY We’re back on the slopes, but what’s new? asks Felix Milns

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ith a huge amount of pent-up demand, rolled-over bookings and resilient skiers desperate to return to the slopes, the landscape for the coming season is looking more positive. This is particularly true of Switzerland, which successfully reopened all its resorts last winter, and those lucky enough to ski there enjoyed bumper snow conditions. Luxury chalet bookings for peak weeks in the prime Swiss resorts are now on a two-week minimum stay and already all but sold out, with more trust seemingly placed in Swiss pragmatism than Macron’s moods. The industry has inevitably had a few casualties, with chalet operators in particular reducing their stock due to the pincer movement of Brexit and the pandemic. There are, however, a host of exciting new openings, all desperate to welcome back UK skiers. One significant factor putting the squeeze on chalet availability is that owners are booking up more weeks than usual, so if your heart is set on a chalet holiday it makes sense to take advantage of the still favourable booking conditions while you can. One such new opening is Bear Lodge in Les Arcs (vip-chalets.com). A new addition to high-altitude Arc 1950, Bear Lodge is the brainchild of VIP Ski founder Andy Sturt, and the flagship of the relaunched VIP portfolio. Seven years in the making and the culmination of 25 years’ experience, Andy designed it from the inside out as the ultimate chalet hotel, with 30 rooms and 12 chalet apartments. If money’s no object, look no further than Chalet Marmottière in Verbier (oxfordski.com). Spread over 1,500sq/m, there’s a huge indoor pool, air hockey table, pool table and poker room, nine bedrooms and stunningly sophisticated interiors. Courchevel 1650 continues to grow in popularity as an alternative base to the glitz of 1850, with Chalet Bacchus (leotrippi.com), a Leo Trippi favourite in the exclusive Belvedere area. There’s the latest must-have, a ten-metre indoor pool, plus indoor spa and home cinema. Another interesting chalet apartment development is the Chalets Caseblanche (peakretreats.com) in St Martin de Belleville, that most beautiful corner of Les Trois Vallées. Chalet Felicita is a bijou addition close by the brasserie run by the Michelin-starred team behind St Martin’s famed La Bouitte. Also opening in St Martin is Chalet Duchesse (chaletduchesse.com), with both of these available self-catered with optional add-ons, an increasingly desirable post-Covid trend. St Martin continues to evolve with the new Belgian-inspired four-

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SKI SPECIAL

starred Hotel Le Lodji (lodji.fr). Aside from La Bouitte this is the resort’s first luxe hotel. Staying in France, Ski Solutions (skisolutions.com) recommends the new boutique Hotel Diamond Rock in Tignes Le Lac. A little architectural gem, it combines asymmetric lines and a sophisticated palette with the warmth of a mountain hideaway. Flaine gains a second affordable yet funky hotel (to complement Terminal Neige) in the shape of Rockypop (rockypop.com) in a building originally designed by Bauhaus architect Marcel Breuer. Perfect for a short break with friends. Several new chalets in Italy offer a more off-piste option, with Chalet La Fenice (oxfordski.com) one of very few chalets in Cervinia, giving backdoor access to Zermatt and absolutely top-end service and design. Alternatively, Cesa del Louf (leotrippi.com) in Alta Badia is a gloriously remote new luxury property close to Arabba in the heart of the Dolomites. While in Austria, Bramble Ski (brambleski.com) is launching three new chalet apartments to the outrageously delectable Lech portfolio at their Brunnenhof residence, an ultra-modern alpine development a short walk from the chairlift and village centre. Also in Lech is the new Chalet Arla (arlalech. com), combining a contemporary mountain aesthetic with the finest materials, to great effect. For a complete getaway head for the Hygna (hygna.at) ground on the sunny Reith plateau in Alpbach where eleven new luxury chalets have been designed in classic Alpbachtal form and share a communal spa and Soho Farmhouse-esque pool in a converted hayloft. Across the pond Aspen Snowmass celebrates 75 years of skiing and, should flight restrictions allow, the new residences at Aspen Valley Ranch (avrresidences.com) feature a collection of atypical world-class mountain homes in an 813-acre gated ranch. Meanwhile, the much-loved Limelight Hotel (limelighthotels.com) has had a full refurbishment and the new Alpin Room (aspensnowmass.com) restaurant in Snowmass brings a taste of the Alps to the Rockies. With British visitors currently able to fly to Canada, Whistler is gearing up for winter with a new Fairmont Gold micro-hotel opening as part of the Fairmont Chateau (chateau-whistler.com). Not to be outdone the Four Seasons (fourseasons.com/whistler) has fully refurbished all its rooms and suites. Who knows what après will look like, but Oxford Ski reports skiers are less worried about Covid than whether mountain restaurants will open for lunch. From what we hear, tartiflette will be firmly back on the menu. n

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DON’T BUY, RENT...

Before you splurge on the latest Fendi ski suit, give a thought to EcoSki, a new rental skiwear service. After each rental, items are cleaned, rewaterproofed and sterilised and when they reach end of life they will be fully repurposed and recycled. Brands include Patagonia, Mammut, Ortovox and Icebreaker. ecoski.co.uk November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 181

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’ TI S TH E S E A SON

Felix Milns on where to book your next luxury snow escape

LES AIRELLES, Courchevel BEST FOR A FAIRYTALE FAMILY RETREAT

BEST FOR DOGGIE BREAKS IN SECRET COURCHEVEL

La Sivolière is a bijou, family-run, five-star hotel nestled in the woods on the edge of the Dou du Midi piste in Courchevel 1850. It’s at the end of the road on which you also find the two-Michelin-star Chabichou hotel and restaurant, and food is similarly prized here. La Sivolière’s seasonal guest chefs swap their summer stars for a stint at the top table of alpine gastronomy in which local produce is front and centre. And with a touch that’s typical of their individual approach to service, all halfboard guests will be offered an individually customised dish this winter. Fresh on the back of a refurbishment by British interior designer Sara Copeland, the driftwood lighting and the restaurant’s feature fireplace wall of bronze sculptural leaves are the perfect complement to the setting. The hotel feels like a large chalet, with its 35 rooms and suites branching off a central spine of the most wonderful staircase, which is decorated with a gallery of antique mirrors and drawings of ski-tech patents. Unusually, dogs are given a big welcome here, with dog bowls by the fires, dog beds in matching colours in the rooms and their own room-service menu. Even if you don’t bring your own pooch, the kids will quickly fall in love with the owner’s dog, Google, so named as ‘he is always searching for something’. BOOK IT: Doubles from €790, half-board. skisolutions.com 182 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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LA SIVOLIÈRE, Courchevel

With its snow-capped fairytale turrets and hand-painted slope-side balconies, Les Airelles is a glorious splash of unashamed Austro-Hungarian fantasy right in the heart of the Jardin Alpin, Courchevel’s most exclusive enclave. Popular with families and oligarchs alike, the hotel oozes charm, comfort and sophistication, while never being too showy. Yes, the ski room boutique is wall-to-wall Fendi, and yes, legend tells of guests arriving with suitcases of cash to conjure an available room out of a fully-booked hotel, but the vibe here is understated mountain luxury. A place where you can put your feet up on the sofa and wallow in the superb service, delivered with aplomb by staff dressed in the traditional uniform of a Savoyard chasseur. The lounge feels like a more upmarket version of Val d’Isère’s Blizzard bar, and buzzes with Savoie-faire. Don’t miss the lunch buffet, it’s the alpine version of Sandy Lane’s famous Sunday spreads, with as much lobster and rare roast beef as you can muster. Several seasons ago, in keeping with the laid-back feel, executive chef Pierre Gagnaire transformed the three-Michelin-star gastro restaurant into Piero TT, his take on regional Italian food. It’s been so successful he has since opened one in Paris. Families are spectacularly catered for; new last winter was an indoor castle and games room, to go with the outdoor treehouse and private ice rink, and all the suites are more than large enough to lock down in. BOOK IT: Doubles from €1,300 full board (includes lunch at associated mountain restaurants). airelles.com n

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Luxury Ski Chalets & Lodges since 1882.

We offer an exceptional array of properties and individuallytailored experiences across the Alps and beyond. To find out more visit our website or contact our travel team on: +44 (0) 1285 366039 www.leotrippi.com

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GO E A S T

Uzbekistan is the new ski frontier, says Felix Milns, who finds 900 hectares of powdery potential at new resort Amirsoy

zbekistan may not be the first country that springs to mind when planning your next ski trip, but, following the debut season of Amirsoy in the western Tian Shan mountains, it’s all eyes east for the new ski frontier. Stretching out like a finger pointing towards the heavens, this mountainous strip of Uzbekistan is sandwiched between Kazakhstan to the north and Kyrgyzstan to the south. There has been a rudimentary heli-ski operation here since the early nineties but it has only been properly developed in the last three years, thanks to visionary Ravshan Ubaydullaev who has single-handedly financed and created a state-of-the-art ski resort from scratch. Having identified the north-facing spurs of the Chatkal ridge as a prime site for development, the only problem was the complete lack of infrastructure, water or power. Undeterred, Ravshan negotiated the land deals and infrastructure, and in October 2018 instructed Andorra-based company PGI Management on a three-year contract to set up and manage the resort.

One hundred million US dollars later and the result is the foundations of a world-class ski resort, built to the highest possible standards of snowmaking, renewable energy, lift infrastructure and service. Currently there is a two-stage Doppelmayr gondola and a four-man chair servicing ten marked pistes, though the blueprint is to build eight lifts to open up the full 900 hectares of skiable terrain. The atmosphere at the top of the gondola has a carnival feel, with the local gold-teethed ladies dancing with their children as skiers clip into their bindings for another lap. ‘What he has achieved is extraordinary,’ explains Thomas Thor-Jensen, the PGI head of operations and ex-GM of Courchevel, ‘and its only possible because all the decisions were being made by one man. His vision is very intelligent – there are four million potential skiers nearby in Tashkent and the quality of the snow is unlike anything else. And I’ve skied everywhere.’ Accommodation is a complex of extremely comfortable slopeside Alpine-style chalets, complete with roaring log fires and marble bathrooms. This

PHOTOS: JOHN FRY & FELIX MILNS; UNSPLASH; TRISTAN KENNEDY

FROM ABOVE: Hitting the slopes in Uzbekistan; Felix takes a breather; Plov, a classic lamb pilau dish

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winter the chalets will also have their own spa building and restaurant. Alongside the American-style base station there are several geodome restaurants and bars spread throughout the ski area serving plov, a classic lamb pilau dish that makes a mighty mountain lunch. While the size of the pisted ski area remains limited until the next phase of development, off-piste skiers have the full run of the mountains. There are multiple shoulders and gladed valleys directly accessible from the gondola, and a short skin or boot pack opens flank after flank of virgin powder. Plus, some of the best value heliskiing anywhere in the world. Looking back across the valley the full extent of Amirsoy’s potential comes clear. With its huge swathes of north-facing flanks, three ridges ripe for expansion to the west and all the terrain between Amirsoy and Soviet-era Beldersay to the east, this could easily grow to be bigger than Sochi. The timing is not by chance either. The birth of Amirsoy is very much part of a wider narrative on the evolution of Uzbekistan. Five years ago travelling to Uzbekistan was like stepping behind the Iron Curtain but today the country and the new international airport in Tashkent is extremely open to both overseas visitors and investment – or at least will be as soon as Covid allows. n

BOOK IT PHOTOS: JOHN FRY & FELIX MILNS; UNSPLASH; TRISTAN KENNEDY

Two-bedroom cabins at Le Chalet by Amirsoy cost from £180 per night, B&B, four-bedroom cabins start from £400 per night. Double rooms at the upcoming four-star Apple Tree hotel start at £56 per night, B&B. Lift passes at Amirsoy (amirsoy.com) cost £17 per day. A three-drop heliski experience with Asia Adventures (centralasia-adventures.com) costs from £290 per person. Modern piste skis are available for hire but off-piste skiers should take their own, contact local guide and fluent English speaker Kseniya Trebisovskaya for ski guiding (ks.trebisovskaya@gmail.com).

FROM ABOVE: One of several geodome restaurants and bars; the Alpine-style chalet accommodation; Amirsoy is home to some great-value heliskiing

Flights from London to Tashkent with Uzbekistan Airways (uzbekistanairways. uk.com) start from £550 return. For more information visit uzbekistan.travel

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CORTINA D’AMPEZZO’S GUCCI MOMENT As the Gucci biopic comes to the big screen, Rosalyn Wikeley struts her stuff in Italy’s chicest ski resort, Cortina

FROM ABOVE: Cortina d’Ampezzo at sunset; Adam Driver and Lady Gaga in House of Gucci; Brigitte Bardot hits the slopes

As the fashion pack’s icy gaze falls on Cortina again, best brush up on the legendary history, the glizty hotels worth visiting, the slopes worth carving and, crucially, la moda (because Cortina’s Corso Italia is a catwalk in all but name).

A STAR-STUDDED HISTORY Cortina’s leisure pedigree began in earnest in the 1800s. The town and surrounding Dolomite landscape of extraordinary natural beauty became a magnet for the European elite, and a slew of swanky hotels, lodges and restaurants soon began to populate the valley. By the 1950s, the town was a snowy snapshot of Europe’s who’s who, reaching its crescendo in 1956 with Sophia Loren famously opening the Winter Olympics, which was broadcast around the world. Last winter the resort hosted the 2021 FIS World Ski Championships, a warm-up to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Those of us who don’t quite make the Olympic cut can still revel in Cortina’s

PHOTOS: JOHN FRY & FELIX MILNS; UNSPLASH; SHUTTERSTOCK

tirring an espresso on Cortina’s slopes in a fierce ski suit, costume earrings and a maximalist fur hat, Lady Gaga is a picture of the unapologetic glamour and Slim Aarons-excess that fuelled the eighties. She’s playing Italian socialite Patrizia Reggiani alongside Adam Driver as Maurizio Gucci, her ex-husband and fashion scion in Ridley Scott’s sizzling, soon-to-release biopic House of Gucci. ‘I don’t consider myself to be a particularly ethical person, but I am fair.’ Gaga masters the languid speak of the fashionista, gazing coolly ahead through that thick, distinctly Italian eyeliner. Prior to the trailer being released, the lockdown-weary world was treated to a few glimpses of Gaga and Driver’s filming escapades in the mountains. With these came style teasers as dramatic as the Dolomites themselves – the turtlenecks, the salopettes, the maximalist gold jewellery and nostalgic specs. They looked at home in Cortina d’Ampezzo, and so they should. Patrizia Reggiani and Maurizio Gucci were just two of a dizzying roster of famous guests to grace the ‘Queen of the Dolomites’. The resort personified the feverish glamour of the moneyed late 20th century, a powdery playground for Italian aristocrats, Hollywood film stars and Europe’s beau monde, drifting their hedonism north from Venetian and Milanese soirées for the Dolomites’ take on La Dolce Vita. 186 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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stellar ski touring options, its sunny Aperol afternoons on the slopes and the après scene back in town. A string of literary, art and music festivals honours Cortina’s cultural heritage and tradition of hosting famous writers, poets and philosophers, from Ernest Hemingway to Emmanuel Carrère. What’s more, the at once glamorous and low-key resort has earned its place in film legend, serving as the location for several hit films, from 1973’s Ash Wednesday starring Elizabeth Taylor and The Pink Panther (1963) to the 1981 James Bond, For Your Eyes Only, where Roger Moore checks into the Miramonti Majestic and is chased down Cortina’s slopes by John Wyman as Eric Kriegler. Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn and Frank Sinatra may have jetted in during Cortina’s heyday to soak up the Dolomiti mood and its martinis, but the resort still operates as salotto dei famosi – a sitting room for celebrities – seducing stars such as George Clooney. The enduring appeal of Cortina lies not only in this thrilling mix of glamour, sport and nature, but in its reluctance to bend to the fleeting tastes of the modern jet set. Fiercely preserving its traditions, architecture and natural surroundings, the resort is confident in its vintage – like a bashed-up pair of Gucci loafers.

is that there’s something for every level of skier. There’s over 120km of powdery runs to explore covered by the local lift pass, including a scattering of black runs such as Forcella Staunies on the Cristallo, and the best off-piste opportunities in the Dolomites to keep the advanced crowd entertained. Wide gentle slopes and snowshoeing trips keep beginners busy, while more leisurely runs winding through pine woods down to convivial mountain lodges appease the epicurean intermediates. Those unfamiliar with Italian Dolomite rhythms may find they have the pine-lined slopes to themselves during the sacred pranzo time (lunch) – a ritual for both locals and visitors which usually stretches from around 1.30pm until 4ish, giving bon viveurs just enough time to stumble to their skis and navigate the slopes down after a boozy lunch. They’ll be following the historic tracks of soldiers during World War I, with ski tours available for history buffs.

HAVE A STYLISH STAY

GRAND HOTEL SAVOIA Fellow grandee, also winning the spa wars and not short of distinguished guests (Winston Churchill, Franklin D Roosevelt and Tolstoy have all hung their hats here). radissonhotels.com

CRISTALLO RESORT AND SPA Lavish interiors, a Romanesque spa and Frank Sinatra and Peter Sellers suites, it’s easy to imagine 20th century society swanning through Cristallo Palace’s art nouveau splendour. marriott.com

SKIING

PHOTOS: JOHN FRY & FELIX MILNS; UNSPLASH; SHUTTERSTOCK

While Cortina is synonymous with worldclass winter sports, the beauty of the resort

FALORIA MOUNTAIN SPA RESORT A sumptuously contemporary scene, one in keeping with the mountain agenda but more Japanese than Italian in its design restraint. faloriasparesort.com

ROSA ALPINA Run by the Pizzinini family since the early 20th century, this hotel is a masterclass in understated dolce vita, with its cocklewarming wood-panelled walls and firstrate foodie credentials. rosalpina.it

FROM ABOVE: Roger Moore and Lynn-Holly Johnson in For Your Eyes Only; the pine-lined slopes of Cortina

HOTEL DE LA POSTE Comfortingly quirky and housed in a former post office (as befitting its name), Ernest Hemingway stayed here several times, sipping cocktails in its moody American bar (the bellinis here are legendary). delaposte.it

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Yves Salomon Shearling gloves, £144

Perfect Moment Ski shirt, £840 Erin Snow Kris striped bootcut ski pants, £635 Moncler Frachey hooded belted down jacket, £1,290

Gucci Square frame sunglasses, £365

CORTIN A C AT WA LK Only the chicest of skiwear is seen on the slopes of Cortina

Chloé + Fusalp Panelled ski suit, £1,795

Madeleine Thompson Klosters top, £310

Kask Shadow ski helmet, £365

Hunter Snow boots, £135 Goldbergh Cute coin belt, £49

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PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; STOCKISTS: P204

Allude Sweater, £379

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P R O M OT I O N

THE CALL OF THE MOUNTAINS Head to Airelles Val d’Isère this winter for cosy luxury and modern Alpine cuisine

igh in the French Alps sits Airelles Val d’Isère, the only luxury ski-in ski-out hotel in the region. Nestled at the base of the slopes, surrounded by nature with panoramic mountain views, the hotel was designed by architect and interior designer Christophe Tollemer as a haven for luxury-seeking mountain lovers.

INSIDE LUXURY The hotel marries simplistic natural materials and plentiful alpine sunlight with colourful textiles in its 41 quarters, including nine suites and five private penthouses that come complete with their own dedicated butler. Guests can choose their favourite of four perfumes with which their room will be scented throughout their stay. A private chauffeur in a Tesla car can provide transport to and from the hotel and around the resort. With a range of outstanding winter activities, there’s also plenty of entertainment for all members of the family. From Merlin’s enchanted Brocéliande Forest at the Airelles Winter Camp for kids, to rejuvenating spa treatments and live music experiences for the adults, Airelles Val d’Isère has it all. Inside the stunning Guerlain spa, the largest in the Val d’Isère, wellbeing experts create the ultimate in relaxation with rare orchids and healing honey products.

LOULOU Airelles Val d’Isère will unveil its new LOULOU Val d’Isère restaurant on 8 December, the first Alpine outpost of the Paris institution. Sitting right on the snow-front, LOULOU’s large terrace offers spectacular views across the mountain vista. Inside, colourful artwork lines the interior walls, echoing the hotel’s decor. Executive chef Benoit Dargère focuses on seasonal ingredients and regional favourites in his playful, captivating Italian Mediterranean menu. Hero dishes include pistachio linguine and truffle pizza, finished off with LOULOU’s chocolate chouquettes or gently toasted panettone dipped in a rich sabayon for dessert. It’s the ultimate gathering place for friends and family this winter. After all, there’s nothing better than watching the sun set over the mountains as you sit by your own personal firepit, cocktail or glass of champagne in hand. Find out more about Airelles Val d’Isère at airelles.com

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W E N EED S W IT ZER L A N D With its pristine mountains and activities galore, Switzerland is the perfect destination for a winter adventure. The hardest part is picking which fabulous hotel to stay at...

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

ith majestic mountains, glistening glaciers and powder-dusted Alpine forests, Switzerland is like a fairytale come true. Then there are the resorts – some of Europe’s biggest and best – with spanking new panoramic cable cars, fast chair lifts and picturesque train routes. The food, too, is as sublime as its surroundings, with Michelin-starred fare in glitzy hotels to gooey raclette in tiny mountain huts. But, perhaps the biggest accolade of all is that it was here, in this land, that winter tourism was born in the 19th century resulting in Switzerland becoming the snowy playground it is today. One of the largest cantons in Switzerland is Valais which boasts the country’s highest-altitude ski resorts. Mesmerising with its panorama of 4,000m peaks, the region is home to the Great Aletsch Glacier and the Rhone Valley. There are cracking resorts such as Saas-Fee, Nendaz and Veysonnaz, sitting in the vast 4 Vallées region, which offer some of Switzerland’s best mountain action. Soothe any aching muscles in Leukerbad’s Thermal Spa before tucking into scrumptious regional specialities, washed down with excellent local wine.

Taking to the slopes in Valais

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Skiing in style in Gstaad

The slopeside action continues in the neighbouring canton of Bern, the birthplace of skiing. Sparkling between mountains, Interlaken’s emerald-coloured Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are extraordinary – and an adventure on the water is a must. The Jungfrau Region, with the backdrop of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, offers winter sports lovers everything their hearts desire – including the longest toboggan run in the Alps. Then there’s incredibly relaxing Gstaad whose glamour proceeds it along with the resort’s silksmooth slopes. Rivalling Bern is the region of Lucerne – home to stunning Lake Lucerne. But it also has many other aces up its sleeve with world-class ski resorts, splendid hotels and perfect pistes. Even better is that they are all close by and easy to reach – starting with Engelberg, the largest winter and summer destination in central Switzerland. One of the top 10 ski regions in the country, it’s packed with every activity possible. Another resort to check out is Andermatt. While it may be small, it packs a punch – and is one of the most snow-sure resorts in the Alps and just another example of why Switzerland is a must-visit. November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 191

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SKI SPECIAL

BEST FOR GLAMOUR

GSTAAD PALACE, Gstaad

A fairy-tale hotel, just above ridiculously pretty Gstaad, this grande dame is the stuff of legend, sparkling with its history of royals, fashion designers and film stars. And it’s easy to see why with the 90 lavishly-decorated rooms. There are also four restaurants – try La Fromagerie, housed in a former Swiss gold vault. The vast spa is glorious, too, with its indoor swimming pool, eight treatment rooms and a hammam. But, whatever you choose, finish the night on the dancefloor at GreenGo. BOOK IT: Rooms from £596 per night. palace.ch

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BEST FOR FOOD

CERVO MOUNTAIN RESORT, Zermatt

The newly-renovated CERVO is about discovering nature. And that’s not hard when you’re in Zermatt, one of the prettiest spots in the Alps. Add to that the 54 rooms and seven lodges in contemporary Alpine design plus a new spa. However, the food is the star of the show here: choose between Middle-Eastern fare at Bazaar, Valais cuisine at Ferdinand and Italy’s best at The Madre Nostra – all made using local produce. Enjoy a drink beforehand in the cellar bar, Grapes & Juniper. BOOK IT: Rooms from £188. cervo.swiss

BEST FOR ECO

BELVEDERE SWISS QUALITY HOTEL, Grindelwald PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

At the foot of the magnificent Eiger, this family-run old-school hotel, in the centre of Grindelwald, has it all: 56 immaculate bedrooms and suites with balconies, mouth-watering food and, of course, stupendous views. They have won awards for sustainability, too, with numerous planet-saving initiatives. On return from the slopes, soak in the huge pool or play billiards in quite possibly the most beautiful billiards room in the Alps. End the day tucking into superb homegrown Swiss specialities with a light Mediterranean influence. BOOK IT: Rooms from £181 per night. belvedere-grindelwald.ch 192 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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HOTEL BRISTOL, Saas-Fee

ULTIMA GSTAAD

BEST FOR SORE MUSCLES

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

This small family-run ski-in/ski-out hotel in Saas-Fee ticks many boxes. For a start, the location is super central. Then there’s the new yoga house with its offering of hatha yoga, ashtanga, yin, pilates and tai chi classes. The 21 beautifully-renovated bedrooms are incredibly comfortable, too, – and most are south-facing with balconies allowing you to soak up the spectacular views. Food is excellent – including a whopping buffet focusing on Swiss cuisine – and there’s a fantastic wine list to boot. BOOK IT: From £70 per person. hotel-bristol-saas-fee.ch

BEST FOR ALPINE CHARM

SALZANO HOTEL & SPA RESTAURANT, Interlaken

This charming Swiss-style hotel in Interlaken offers bright individually-designed rooms with mountain views that will leave you pausing for breath. With wooden décor, fine fabrics and warm colours, it’s the sort of cosy hideaway that you don’t want to leave (although the skiing is fantastic when you do). The restaurant cooks up regional products into innovative dishes while the spa, with its roaring fires, is delicious for hunkering down in – book one of the excellent massages, which uses ingredients from the hotel’s well-tended garden. BOOK IT: Rooms from £131 per night. salzano.ch

BEST FOR ULTRA LUXURY

Nothing quite prepares you for this achingly stylish hotel. And while competition is stiff in Gstaad, the property holds its own thanks to its unabashed opulence. There are 11 suites and six private residences filled with fur cushions, velvet sofas, bronze fireplaces, deep leather armchairs and bespoke pieces by Louis Vuitton and Hermès. The spa shines in Saharan black marble with endless pools plus there’s the Aesthetics Clinic for detoxes, Botox and laser. The food is second to none with an Italian focus, created using local produce. BOOK IT: From £434 per night. ultimacollection.com November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 193

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BEST FOR DESIGN

THE CHEDI, Andermatt

When The Chedi opened in 2013, the hotel put Andermatt on the map. Its good looks – Swiss meets Asian – blending seamlessly into the landscape. Every corner sings of elegance here with dark wood, open fires, cashmere blankets and fur cushions. The 123 bedrooms are spectacular with large terraces to make the most of the mountain panorama. There’s a whopping spa, too. Start your night in the well-stocked cocktail bar then settle down in the Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant – although do splash out on the fondue chalet one night. BOOK IT: Rooms from £415 per night. thechediandermatt.com

BEST FOR FAMILIES

HOTEL PIRMIN ZURBRIGGEN, Saas-Almagell

Olympic skier-turned-hotelier Pirmin Zurbriggen is well versed in what snow lovers want. The result is an exceedingly charming boutique hotel by the larch forest of Saas Almagell, run by his sister Esther and her husband Fabian Zurbriggen-Zurbriggen. There are 25 lovely bedrooms – book the family loft suite with its private sauna. The art-filled dining room knocks out exquisite food plus the trendy bar conjures up great cocktails. There’s an epic spa, too. Little ones are kept happy with the Kids Club, while teenagers will love the bowling alley. BOOK IT: From £137 per person. wellnesshotel-zurbriggen.ch/en/hotel-pirmin

BEST FOR ROMANCE

THE CAPRA, Saas-Fee PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

With a long ski season, great snow and bucket loads of charm, Saas-Fee is already a shoo-in for an idyllic winter escape. The cherry on top is The Capra, an incredibly cosy Alpine lodge with rustic interiors, cosy library and roaring fires. Large suites max out the extraordinary peak-filled vistas. There’s an excellent spa, offering couples massages –and lovebirds can also take advantage of The Capra Private Spa. In the evening, settle down for delicious farm-to-table cuisine, overlooking the twinkling lights of the resort. BOOK IT: Rooms from £367 per night B&B. capra.ch 194 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | November/December 2021

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BEST FOR SNOW SPORTS

HOTEL ALEX, Leukerbad

Surrounded by the stunning mountains of Valais, Hotel Alex is the ideal place to bed down with 30 rooms including a family suite. The hotel’s own inclined lift will whizz you to the valley station for the Torrent-Leukerbad/Albinen ski region. On your return, unwind in the blissful spa with its ice cave, Kneipp pool and Finnish sauna or soothe your muscles in Leukerbad’s famous Therme and Alpentherme thermal baths, just a few minutes away. BOOK IT: Doubles from £141 B&B. leukerbad-hotel-alex.ch

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH

BEST FOR KEEPING BUSY

RADISSON BLU HOTEL REUSSEN ANDERMATT, Andermatt

A contemporary take on a Swiss chalet, this Scandi-Alpine hotel looks the business but delivers too. There are 179 elegant rooms with large terraces offering knock-out views. The food hits all the right notes – so does the massive spa with everything you could possibly want. You’re spoilt for choice with the slopes, too – the Ursern Valley cross-country skiing area is next door plus numerous mountain bike routes start from right outside. The ski lifts are a short walk away. BOOK IT: Rooms from £147. radissonhotels.com/ en-us/hotels/radisson-blu-andermatt-reussen n

BEST FOR ACTIVITES

KEMPINSKI PALACE, Engelberg

As the first (and only) international five-star hotel in Engelberg, this spanking new big hitter is the talk of the town. A seamless mix of Belle Époque charm and contemporary comfort, there are 179 stylish rooms and suites. The Activity Concierge sets you up for the day, from advising on the best ski spots to organising snowshoe tours to even accompanying you on a winter hike. After a day on the slopes, relax in the breath-taking rooftop spa before savouring seasonal Swiss delicacies in the restaurant. BOOK IT: Rooms from £327. GETTING THERE kempinski.com/en/ engelberg/kempinskiSWISS Book a flight on Swiss palace-engelberg International Air Lines, which offers weekly flights from the UK and Ireland to Zurich and Geneva. Ski, snowboard equipment and boots are transported free of charge plus they will transport your baggage directly to the railway station. swiss.com

Swiss Travel Pass Enjoy unlimited access by train, bus and boat. The pass also offers free entrance to 500+ museums, discounted city tours and access to private and scenic trains. Switzerland Travel Centre The largest tour operator for holidays in Switzerland, find yourself spoilt for choice here, from where to stay to adventures on the slopes to escorted tours. switzerlandtravelcentre.com

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Bathing fun at the Schwarzsee lake above Blatten in the Lötschental valley, in the canton of Valais

THE GREEN, GREEN MOUNTAINS

t’s the big question. Can you really globe-trot while keeping the planet in mind? This issue has become even more pertinent as the climate change crisis reaches catastrophic levels. However, Switzerland has been tackling the challenge for many decades already, continually spearheading sustainability initiatives that are now used across the world. And greener getaways for globe-trotters are at the heart of their approach. The Switzerland Tourism Board has even come up with its own strategy, Swisstainable, a transformative new attitude to travel and tourism that fits right in with the country’s eco credentials. With its spectacular mountains, glistening lakes and rolling Alpine forests, Switzerland is a hypnotically beautiful country to visit. But that’s not all. This veritable wonderland also has the power to generate its own energy, a resource the country is working hard to maximise for the future. Mountain resorts are already taking great steps towards sustainability and have been labelled ‘energy towns’ – places working hard to reduce energy consumption, promote renewable sources, organise environmentally-friendly transport and more. They include Saas-Fee, with its extraordinary surrounding 4,000 metre peaks, Interlaken, the gateway to the magnificent Jungfrau region, and Engelberg with its famous Benedictine monastery. Switzerland’s public transport system is a prime example of the country’s impressive approach. Swiss

Federal Railways, the main transport company, generates 90 per cent of the electricity needed for its trains from hydropower . The train journeys themselves are fabulous, meandering through magnificent mountains, past dramatic peaks, clusters of wooden chalets and sparkling glaciers. Rail travel is also incredibly practical, meaning some remote mountain resorts can be car-free, including Zermatt with its stunning backdrop of the Matterhorn. The picture-postcard resort of Wengen, at the foot of the Jungfrau, its charming timber houses dotted in between Belle Époque hotels, is also only reachable by train – as is nearby Mürren, which makes its winter sports scene even more outstanding. Then there’s the PostBus, which relies entirely on renewable energy. This forward-thinking company aims to put 100 battery-powered and fuel cell buses on the roads by 2024. Try the PostBus in Interlaken and soak up the spectacular mountain-filled panorama. Alternatively, take to the water – MS Diamant, Switzerland’s first climate-neutral cruise ship, on cobalt-blue Lake Lucerne, is a landmark achievement. Not only is the boat exquisitely crafted with an underwater view, it’s also powered by hybrid propulsion, leading to a significantly lower fuel consumption and therefore lower CO2 emissions.

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; SWITZERLAND TOURISM

Being sustainable is nothing new to Switzerland, but with a goal to become net carbon neutral by 2050, the country is really putting its money where its mouth is, says Harriet Compston

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Alongside fantastic public transport Switzerland has great hiking and cycling opportunities that allow you to get right up close to nature. And there’s plenty of it – 125 years ago, Switzerland passed a law decreeing that nearly a third of the country had to be kept as woodland and forests. Consequently, the landscape here is breathtaking. Valais has an immense 8,000km of hiking paths – try the oldest via ferrata in the Alps, which includes a dramatic sequence of wooden ladders on the historical trade route between the villages of Albinen and Leukerbad. The Lake Lucerne region offers magical cycling routes around the lakes – such as the Four-Lake Tour, between Engelberg and Melchsee-Frutt, which takes in crystal-clear mountain lakes, gushing streams and majestic glaciers. Download the Swiss Travel Guide app for the best information. Hotels that walk the talk are another part of conscious travel – highlighted by Switzerland Tourism’s ‘green living’ initiative. The Alpina Gstaad is a great example. This impressive spa hotel has always been ahead of the curve, using salvaged wood in the property’s construction, hydroelectric strategies and a woodchip-powered heating system. The River House in Andermatt also ticks the right boxes, with environmentally friendly linen, sustainability training for its employees and climate-friendly technology. Hotel Monte Rosa has its green credentials spot on, too. The oldest hotel in Zermatt, it’s passionate about sustainability, an approach that fits right in with the car-free resort.

The Alpina Gstaad has used salvaged wood in the construction of the building

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; SWITZERLAND TOURISM

The River House makes sure its staff are trained in sustainability

The Bernina Express, the famous narrow gauge scenic train, goes through the Swiss Alps from Chur or St Moritz to Tirano

There are also many brilliant sustainable restaurants. Switzerland’s first ‘anti-waste’ restaurant, Mein Küchenchef in Köniz in the canton of Bern, has set the bar high, from cooking with ‘crooked’ seasonal vegetables right down to using beeswax wraps. The Lake Lucerne Region is also a champion of local produce – Engelberg’s Alpine Cheese Dairies are a must-visit . Valais highlights living local, too, with ‘Saveurs du Valais’, an accolade awarded to restaurants that serve local seasonal food and Valais specialities made from traditional recipes – book a table at family-run Hotel-Restaurant Flaschen, with its particularly delicious cheese fondue. Switzerland’s goal is to be net carbon neutral by 2050. So as the winter season approaches with its dazzling snowy playground there’s no better time to be inspired, knowing you can participate in making it a fabulous, eco-conscious escape. myswitzerland.com/en-gb/planning/about-switzerland/ sustainability n

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FOOD&DRINK

Chocs away

Chestnuts roasting or in a chocolate cake? We know what we’re having, thank you Lucy Brazier November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 199

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FOOD&DRINK | Recipe Food philosophy? I follow Lucy Brazier has worked alongside Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall at River Cottage for 14 years

Chestnut & Chocolate Cake

Childhood food memory?

PICTURED ON PREVIOUS PAGE

Eating hard boiled eggs on the back seat of my parents’ car, watching the rain on the windscreen spoiling our picnic plans. Or my teddy bears’ picnic birthday party, where the teddies had sandwiches and jam tarts made of felt and we had the real food version.

SERVES 10-12 INGREDIENTS — 250g peeled cooked chestnuts (vacuum-packed or tinned are fine) — 250ml milk — 250g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), broken up — 250g unsalted butter, roughly cut up — 4 medium eggs, separated — 100g caster sugar

Favourite in-season ingredient? Quince is always

Foodie TALES River Cottage’s food writer Lucy Brazier

a late autumn favourite – although this year has not been good for them. I poach them for puddings or chop them and steep them in booze. Biggest mistake? Years ago I made a custard tart for my brother and forgot to put eggs in the custard. He’s continued to remind me – in the way only siblings do – so this year I made him a custard tart, with eggs, for his birthday. I was tempted to splat it into his face but I didn’t. Most memorable meal out?

A beach barbecue, with friends and kids, where everyone brought ingredients and fishing rods in the hope of mackerel. Luckily we had sausages as back up. When you’re not in the kitchen, where are you? I live by the coast

so I am one of those annoying sea swimmers who tries to keep quiet about it and fails. So in the sea every morning and then writing at the kitchen table which doubles as my desk. What’s in your fridge right now? The contents of a veg box from our local growers, Trill Farm. A pot of homemade squash and sage soup. Beer from the brewery at the end of our village – Gilt & Flint. A mouldy heel of Parmesan. A slab of chocolate. Various half eaten jars of jams, chutney, mustard and mayonnaise. Old-fashioned glass bottles of milk. Oat milk. Least favourite ingredient? I used to hate cardamom and struggled to eat dishes which included it. Now, it’s one of my favourites and I use it a lot, often in my post-swim hot chocolate. Christmas at River Cottage by Lucy Brazier is out now (Bloomsbury, £22) n

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YOU WILL ALSO NEED — A 25cm springform cake tin

reheat the oven to 170°C/Fan 150°C/Gas 3, and grease and line your 25cm springform cake tin. Put the chestnuts and milk into a pan and heat until just boiling. Take off the heat and mash well with a potato masher – you are aiming for a creamy purée, with just a few crumbly bits of chestnut. Set aside. Put the chocolate and butter into a second pan and place over a very low heat. Keeping a close eye, to ensure that the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, melt them gently together, stirring now and then. Allow to cool a little. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until blended and creamy (they don’t need to reach a ‘moussey’ stage). Stir in the warm (not hot) chocolate mixture and then the chestnut purée, to create a wellblended batter. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they hold stiff peaks. Take one spoonful of egg white and mix it into the batter to loosen it, then fold the rest in lightly, trying not to knock out too much air. Carefully transfer the mixture to the prepared tin. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the cake is just set but with a slight wobble still in the centre. To serve warm, leave to cool a little then release the cake from the tin. Slice carefully – it will be very soft and moussey. Alternatively, leave the cake to go cold, when it will have set a bit firmer.

the River Cottage philosophy: seasonal, local and ethical, with the occasional deviation for a bag of crisps or a Twix. First dish? Fairy cakes – if they can be considered a dish. And the first meal I cooked without help was a Sunday roast.

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FOOD&DRINK | News

TURNING TABLES Warehouse is Covent Garden’s new eco-friendly eatery, boasting the culinary talents of Brendan Eades (former head chef at Silo). Join the stampede to The Conduit on Langley Street for a winning combination of bold flavours, seasonality and sustainability. theconduit.com

Spoil your favourite foodie this Christmas. By Sofia Tindall

LUCKY DIP

Yet another reason for a visit to Petersham Nurseries is its epicurean new Christmas hampers. Our pick? The luxury food and drink hamper, brimming with gourmet treats. £235, petershamnurseries.com

SNAP, CRACKLE & POP

LOVE YOUR LOCAL

The ‘best mince pies in London’ are more than enough reason to hotfoot it to north London-based Melrose & Morgan. Its festive haul champions local, small-scale and artisan producers. Aperitif hamper, £75. melroseandmorgan.com

Tiring of Champagne? Pop open Nyetimber’s new 2014 vintage Blanc de Blancs instead. Aromas of citrus, honeysuckle, brioche, baked lemon and white peach. nyetimber.com

PHOTOS: UNSPLASH; GETTY

DOLCE VITA Not a Christmas cake fan? Celebrate like the Sicilians with Strazzanti’s panettone, made using traditional recipes. Don’t forget a dollop of sweet pistachio cream on top. Bellissima! strazzanti.co

Gastro GOSSIP

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Review | FOOD&DRINK

Made in CHELSEA

The great British pub is back, and better than ever before, finds Sofia Tindall

here was a time when the local pub was a haven for the drunk and disorderly and a refuge for sheepish spouses – but no more. Pubs today are an altogether different breed. In most London postcodes, chances are your local serves side plates like radicchio with squiggles of balsamic vinegar, truffled mac and cheese in dinky pots, and a dish garnished with nettle foam, alongside the usual pint of bitter. While The Cadogan Arms has probably seen its fair share of debauchery in its 200-year history, it’s now firmly in the foodie running, thanks to a recent reboot from Dominic Jacobs (an alumnus of The Running Horse in Mayfair). Nor is anything about the interior reminiscent of an old man’s boozer. Whether you’re propping up the Art Nouveau-style bar or snuggling in a velvet bucket chair in front of the fire, from the moment you step in out of the bustle of the King’s Road it’s a perfect winter refuge, complete with snoozing dachshunds and a red wine list as long as your arm. But enough of the aesthetics – how does the food compare? Twelve-course tasting menus are all well and good, but in my book nothing beats classic pub food done properly. Gooey, winter-warmer cheese toasties, aromatic Isle of White tomatoes, crumbling pork pies – I’m soon in carbohydrate-induced

FROM TOP: Traditional on the outside, luxurious on the inside; The Cadogan Arms’ classic Sunday roast; Dominic Jacobs, the brain behind the pub’s revamp; entering the opulent Art Nouveau bar

heaven. Even though we’re in the middle of London, no corners are cut when it comes to ingredients. The steak is from cows fed on biodiverse UK pastures and has been aged for 40 days, while the mussels are sourced fresh from Fowey. Every dish has a little something for the foodsnob Londoner in us all – a dash of pineapple ketchup here, a blob of hazelnut remoulade there. If you order only one thing, make it the steak with garlic-buttered Portobello mushrooms and fresh watercress: it’s quite possibly the best you’ll find in London. By the time dessert menus arrive, every seat in the restaurant and perch at the bar is occupied (as well as quite a bit of floor space). While the chocolate fondant with banana ice cream is calling my name, we decide to skip the wait and make our exit. It’s not difficult to see why the Cadogan has been a roaring success – Jacobs has taken the things we all love most about the great British pub, thrown in a little Chelsea showmanship and rounded it off with food that leaves you smiling all the way home. All in all? There’s definitely life in this local yet. 298 King’s Road, London SW3 5UG; thecadoganarms.london n November/December 2021 | COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK | 203

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PROPERTY

Edited by Anna Tyzack

HOUSE OF THE MONTH Compton Bassett, Wiltshire 7 bedrooms, 8 bathrooms, 19,913 sq/ft £6.75m In a sentence… Compton Bassett House, currently owned by singer Robbie Williams, is a remarkable period home, recently restored to an exemplary standard with a superb indoor pool and magical gardens. Who is behind the design? Previous owner Sir Norman Foster made alterations to the property, but it wasn’t comprehensively renovated until the previous owner purchased the property, employing award-winning architect Michael Philips of Hotel du Vin acclaim. Best room in the house? The leisure complex is of an exceptional standard, with a gym, indoor swimming pool extending to over 73ft in length, hot tub, steam room, sauna and changing rooms. Perks of the location? The house gives quick access to the M25, London and Bristol, and regular commuter trains run from Chippenham and Swindon. The current owner says… ‘Compton Bassett House has been the perfect escape for our family,’ says Robbie Williams. ‘It is where Ayda and I truly fell in love, set roots as a couple, and dreamed of our future family. We hope the incoming purchaser will enjoy just as much as we have.’ 020 7861 1078; knightfrank.co.uk

Robbie Williams and Ayda Field

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PROPERTY | Let’s Move To

WEST WITTERING

ver since Keith Richards purchased a Grade II-listed country house in West Wittering in 1966, and moved in with his dog, Ratbag, the West Sussex village has been quietly attracting the A-list. This is where Kate Winslet bought a seaside mansion for £3.2m in 2013; the comedian Jack Dee also owns a cottage here, along with a growing number of Britain’s most successful names in tech, finance and business. ‘It’s gone a bit crazy,’ confirms buying agent Jennie Hancock (propertyacquisitions.co.uk). ‘Londoners have always been attracted to the Sussex coast but since the pandemic it’s become Britain’s answer to the Hamptons. The sandy beaches, wide open spaces and low-key lifestyle are what those in Wandsworth, Clapham and Chelsea want to enjoy.’ As such, buyers are literally forming queues for houses in West Wittering and the surrounding villages, so pockets must be deeper than ever. A modest house on the market in late September received 16 offers within a couple of days and was sold via sealed bids the following week. ‘The Strand is where you want to be – East Strand and West Strand,’ Jennie says. ‘You can expect to pay between two to three million pounds for a four-bedroom house.’ Kate Penny-Smith, a journalist whose husband works in finance, says she had to wait two years before she was able to buy a second home in West Wittering. ‘Our buying agent called us one morning and told

us that it was our turn. We saw the house that day and put in our offer and that was that,’ she says. It doesn’t worry Penny-Smith, who is based in south-west London, that half of Wandsworth is looking for a cottage around Wittering – there simply aren’t enough homes for it to ever get crowded and spoilt, she says. As well as its sandy, Blue Flag beach, the village has an excellent primary school for those who decide to relocate full time, as well as a cricket club, football club and useful shops. Meanwhile in East Wittering there is a doctor’s surgery, chemist, dentist, library and further independent stores. ‘It’s a slow existence here which suits us perfectly,’ Penny-Smith says. ‘Think buckets and spades, rosé in plastic glasses and the sound of the sea as you read the paper.’ The accessibility of the Sussex coast is a key driver for London buyers. The Wittering area is close enough that Penny-Smith and her family can be there in less than two hours, even in Friday evening traffic, but not so close that they spend the weekend surrounded by London day trippers. ‘It can be a bit of a dredge getting here, with winding roads which can get blocked up, yet once you’re here it’s gorgeous,’ Jennie agrees. ‘Families are finding they can work from home more, which means that in the holidays they can spend extended periods of time at their beach house.’ There are regular train services to Chichester, seven miles away, from London Victoria (from one hour 31) and Clapham Junction (from

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Anna Tyzack on where the A-list head to for their beachfront property fix

one hour 24); the remaining journey takes around 20 minutes by taxi or bus. With its cathedral, independent boutiques and Festival Theatre set up with support from Laurence Olivier, Chichester itself is a cosmopolitan local hub, Jennie continues, while the Goodwood and Cowdray Estates provide a social calendar of racing – both motor and horses – and polo. Chichester marina and the genteel villages of Birdham, Bosham and Itchenor attract the yachting crowd and West Wittering and Bracklesham Bay are a playground for windsurfing, kitesurfing and other water sports. The surrounding South Downs provide a wealth of walking, cycling and birdwatching opportunities. ‘With The Isle of Wight so close, you can also make a day trip for lunch in Seaview,’ says Mark Crampton of Middleton Advisors (middletonadvisors.com). ‘West Wittering offers a phenomenal lifestyle; it suits those who like being out on the water as well as being next to it on the beach.’ Another draw for buyers, according to Mike Sparks of Hamptons in Chichester (hamptons.co.uk), is the opportunity for them to make their mark architecturally. While Chichester Harbour has been subjected to some ugly developments, the West Wittering estate, with 200 acres of coastal FROM LEFT: West Wittering is sought after by second-home owners craving sea, sun and sand away from the crowds

farmland, was bought by locals in the Fifties, and thus has been protected from high-rise development. Yet since many of the houses are unlisted, buyers find they can make their mark. ‘A lot of the houses and cottages were built in the Twenties and Thirties and planners seem to be disposed to owners pulling them down to build attractive contemporary houses,’ Sparks explains. The issue is getting one of these houses to begin with. Jennie suggests snapping up one of the smaller cottages set back from the water, which can sell for as little as £400,000. ‘This tends to be the way people start – as time goes on they find they can swap their cottage with a larger house lived in by a downsizer,’ she explains. ‘It’s a question of getting your foot in the door.’ Availability on the market this winter is unsurprisingly sparse, though Kevin Bailey of Baileys (baileys.uk.com) has just such a starter property for £475,000 in Piggery Lane (see below) and promises grander homes about to come on the market. After a frantic week in London, juggling work commitments with school runs, Kate and Jean-Paul Penny-Smith arrive at their cottage in time for a sundowner on the terrace. The next morning, they take their children, aged five and six, to play on the beach in front of the house before meeting friends at a local pub. ‘The sea is what I crave the most,’ Kate says. ‘Even in December I’ll pull on my wetsuit and get into the water. The waves wash all my stress away and leave me feeling like a new person.’

BEST FOR

A WEEKEND AWAY The new Pig hotel, high up on the South Downs, has two acres of kitchen gardens, vineyards and treatment rooms. thepighotel.com A COSY NIGHT IN THE PUB The Old House At Home in West Wittering serves fishcakes, burgers and pizzas and has three bedrooms if you want to make a night of it. oldhouseathome.net

A BLAST OF CULTURE Book tickets for an upcoming production at Chichester Festival Theatre, many of which end up transferring to the West End. cft.org.uk A BLUSTERY WALK Take a stroll to Roman Landing to admire the wintering wildfowl. THE BEST FISH AND CHIPS Billy’s is a beachfront café and bistro at Bracklesham Bay serving the freshest fish ‘n’ chips (mini portions for the kids), crevettes and enormous seafood platters with Selsey crab. Leave space for a decadent sundae. billysonthebeach.co.uk

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

FOR SALE

WEST WITTERING , £475,000 An ideal holiday home, just a 20 minute walk from the sea. This three-bedroom bungalow is located in the semi-rural peace and quiet of the outskirts of West Wittering. With a modern kitchen finished to a high standard, plus a spacious garden, it will make a charming investment. baileys.uk.com

WEST WITTERING, £1.5m Elms Ride four-bedroom detached house in a generous corner plot in a popular cul-de-sac in the village. The gardens are secluded and well placed to enjoy the sunset and the house provides cleverly arranged accommodation with stunning views over the surrounding fields. henryadams.co.uk

CHICHESTER, £4.5m Rymans is a magnificent Grade I-listed manor house approached through wrought iron gates, with six bedrooms, two cottages and nearly 15 acres of pasture and woodland including gardens with a summer house, kitchen garden and dovecote. savills.co.uk n

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PROPERTY | Five of the Best

HOMES FOR PARTIES Throw a festive bash to remember, says Amy Wakeham

TWICKENHAM, £10.5m

This glorious Georgian house, built circa 1721, was once the home of poet Walter de la Mare. It spreads out over four floors, with seven bedrooms, a reception hall with mahogany staircase, and a Gothic sitting room that’d make a glorious party centrepiece. Tall windows provide exceptional views over to Marble Hill Park, and the Thames beyond. savills.com

TETBURY, £7.5m

You’d best add the neighbours to your guestlist – this pretty 117-acre estate borders Prince Charles’s Highgrove home. The manor has 11 bedrooms, a ballroom and elegant panelled reception rooms. There’s plenty of room for guests, with a four-bedroom farmhouse, three-bedroom annexe and detached two-bedroom cottage. struttandparker.com

WOLDINGHAM, £4.3m

Modern yet with a charmingly traditional feel, this sixbedroom Arts & Crafts-inspired house in Surrey will make entertaining a breeze. Host an intimate dinner party in the open-plan kitchen, or throw open the Crittal-style French doors, and let the event spill out into the landscaped courtyard. Or invite guests round for a screening in the cinema room, complete with a fitted bar. hamptons.co.uk

KENSINGTON, £22.5m

Located in the centre of London, not far from Kensington Palace, this substantial villa is perfectly situated for hosting parties. At nearly 6,500 sq/ft it’s ideal for entertaining, boasting its own cinema (with a bar), garden, spacious roof terrace and an entire spa floor, with a swimming pool, steam room and gymnasium. There are also six bedrooms. johndwood.co.uk

NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, £3m

Capture your very own castle with this dreamy property close to the Scottish borders. Otterburn Castle is currently used as a hotel, but would make a wonderful private family home – and with incredible parties, to boot. As well as 17 wood-panelled bedrooms, there’s a professional kitchen (ideal for dinner parties and celebrations) and fairytale gardens. sothebysrealty.com

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HOMES FOR SALE IN AND AROUND BIRMINGHAM

SUTTON COLDFIELD, WEST MIDLANDS

TAMWORTH, WARWICKSHIRE

Built in approximately 1928 this well-proportioned family home offers stylish, flowing accommodation suited to modern family life.

An immaculately presented farmhouse retaining many of its character features, set in glorious gardens of just over one acre.

4-5 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHROOMS | 3 RECEPTION ROOMS | 0.39 ACRES | EPC C

5 BEDROOMS | 4 BATHROOMS | 3 RECEPTION ROOMS | EPC F

Guide price £1,250,000

Guide price £1,650,000

sarah.briggs@knightfrank.com

HARBORNE, BIRMINGHAM

SOLIHULL, WEST MIDLANDS

Designed and built in 1975 by architect Frederick Mark, this home is private and well screened with a wrap-around garden.

An attractive family home set in 0.39 acres with a double garage, located on the popular Blossomfield Road.

4-5 BEDROOMS | 2 BATHROOMS | 3 RECEPTION ROOMS | DOUBLE GARAGE | EPC E

4 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHROOMS | 5 RECEPTION ROOMS | EPC D

Guide price £995,000

Guide price £1,250,000

sarah.briggs@knightfrank.com

If you're thinking of selling your home, or would simply like some advice on the market, get in touch today on 0121 233 6400. We'd love to help you.

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New Homes | Sales | Lettings

Choose your perfect home this winter with our team at JLL.

Speak to us on 020 3932 1920

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Parkgate Road, SW11 £2,000,000

For sale, an exceptional house of circa 1,784 sq ft providing accommodation over four floors on the corner of Parkgate Road and Anhalt Road, one of North Battersea’s premier addresses close to Battersea Park and Albert Bridge. End of Terrace / Kitchen / Dining Room / Sitting Room / Drawing Room / Master Bedroom Floor (Comprising Bedroom and Bathroom) / Two Further Double Bedrooms / Shower Room / Laundry / Garden

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08/10/2021 10:32 10:42 18/10/2021

SKY’S THE LIMIT Discretion and unrivalled expertise lead the way at Harwood

he values that drove Sami Robertson in 2020 to establish Harwood Advisory, his boutique full-service property firm, are the values that have propelled it to immediate success. In a world where client service is often promised but rarely delivered, Sami has redefined his client’s property transaction experience. Harwood’s unique client service model is built on utmost discretion and confidentiality. In a world of invasive media coverage it’s no surprise that many HNW clients require total discretion. They know that Sami provides this: his word is his bond. Anonymity is a precious commodity, and thus transactions under Sami’s wings are never reported, and remain confidential. Further augmenting Harwood’s expertise is Susannah Fox, who handles property both in London and the countryside, with an unmatched knowledge of Westminster and Belgravia. The combined knowledge of Sami and Susannah, paired with unparalleled discretion and effectiveness has proved to be the formula which sets Harwood a head and shoulders above the rest. Modelling his business approach on his sporting talents, Sami is relentless and focused in his approach – in Harwood’s world mandates do not drag on or delay. Be it retained search, sales or advisory each element is delivered promptly and thoroughly. Throughout the process clients receive regular, informed reports with insightful commentary. This allows the client to fine-tune their approach to the transaction. There are no unwelcome surprises for Harwood clients – they are fully informed throughout. Harwood understands that equally important to a seamless acquisition of a spectacular new home are aesthetics. Yvette Walters, a highly exclusive interior designer working with private clients in the top end of the market works with Harwood

SALES Harwood Advisory specialises in the sale of properties up 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 their time in the prime property industry, Sami and Susannah have 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 offmarket deals, so you can find your dream home with ease. harwoodadvisory.com sami@harwoodadvisory.com +44 (0)7748 508 891

to deliver the finishing polish to homes. The facts speak for themselves: in 12 months Harwood has successfully delivered more than £120 Million of transactions for its clients. Given that the firm did not begin operating until the autumn of 2020 this is a remarkably impressive performance. Word has spread of Harwood’s unique combination of total confidentiality and unrivalled success. The majority of Sami’s clients have been introduced by word of mouth. In less than 12 months, this has led to engagements in the UK, USA, Europe, Russia, Israel, Hong Kong and more. Harwood’s area of expertise is Prime London but aided by the charming and professional Susannah Fox, Harwood works with clients in relation to substantial home county properties. Client testimonials, too, reflect Harwood’s appeal ‘When I needed an expert, Sami was my number one choice. We placed complete trust in him for his loyalty, discretion, attention to detail and listening ability. He is a very clear communicator and successfully opened doors we never knew existed.’ Harwood is a new force in the London prime market and unquestionably a force for good. The bar has been raised.

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

‘Yvette Walters has created a masterpiece - it is without doubt one of the best penthouses in London’ Exclusively revealed in Country & Town House, Hollandgreen Place gives a taste of what to expect from Harwood’s books. Combining art, design and heritage, this exceptional development (comprising of three superprime apartments) is built on the site of the former Commonwealth Institute, now home to the Design Museum just south of Holland Park. Interiors lovers will be as enthralled as art enthusiasts. ‘[Interior designer] Yvette Walters has created a real masterpiece,’ says Sami, ‘it is without doubt one of the best penthouses in London with incredible views.’ Inside, 3,800 sq/ft of space includes an entrance hall, 39 ft reception room and dining area leading through to an immaculate Bulthaup kitchen. There’s also a sprawling roof terrace for next-level entertaining. Bedrooms are arranged across the fifth floor, comprising of a master with his-and-hers wardrobes and an en suite marble bathroom, along with three further en suite guest bedrooms and a study/fifth bedroom. Residents and guests of Hollandgreen will be some of the most relaxed around – thanks to its outstanding on-site spa. Along with a 20-metre swimming pool, hot spa, sauna and steam room there is a fitness centre, gym and studio. The entertainment area includes a cinema, private function room, golf simulator and children’s playroom. Sami says ‘This is one of the best apartments seen on the market in the Holland Park and Kensington area in the past 15 years. In the new world we find ourselves in, outside space is a key requirement, and the terrace has come into its own, along with the benefit of having Holland Park on the doorstep.’

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Rawlings Street, Chelsea SW3 Freehold £4,000,000

A bright and well-presented four bedroom period family house with garden, offering a flexible layout and open-plan living spaces, in the heart of prime Chelsea, but on the doorstep of everything Knightsbridge has to offer. This Victorian, part stucco house, has retained many of it’s original features and offers two well laid out floors of living and entertaining space. The property is neutrally but tastefully decorated throughout. EPC D

mobile: +44 (0)7831 622351 instagram: @sjbirchandco email: sarah@sjbirch.co.uk

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REGIONAL ESTATE AGENTS

Titchfield, Hampshire 6 Bedrooms l Family Bathroom l Shower Room l Cloakroom l Entrance Porch l Entrance Hall l Drawing Room l Dining Room l Family Room l Playroom l Kitchen l Cloakroom and Shower Room l Utility/Laundry Room l Pantry with Stairs to Cellar l Workshop l Wine Cellar l Attic Rooms l 2 x Staircases l Cobbled Courtyard with Separate Coach House incorporating Garage/Store & Old Hayloft l Further Garage l Outside WC l Glasshouse l Beautiful Walled Gardens of about 0.7 of an acre (0.29 Ha) with River Meon Frontage

01730 262600 I info@wilsonhill.co.uk I wilsonhill.co.uk

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Price on Application A beautiful Grade II Listed Georgian house including several outbuildings, requiring updating, set in delightful garden and grounds with river frontage, close to the Solent.

4 Lavant Street Petersfield GU32 3EW

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Octagon have developed an unrivalled reputation for designing and building magnificent, one-of-a-kind homes in some of the country’s finest locations, as well as restoring listed properties and completing major renovations and extensions.

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Derbyshire’s dedicated sales and acquisition agents.

LONG RIDGE HOUSE Maynard Road, Grindleford, Derbyshire A substantial house designed and constructed in 1973 offering excellent family accommodation and set in beautiful, mature gardens. Entrance hall/sitting room, drawing room with open plan dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, games/reception room, master bedroom with ensuite shower room, three further double bedrooms, family bathroom. Off road parking, integral double garage, lovely mature gardens to front and rear, south west facing sun terrace, greenhouse, summer house.

Guide price: £1,100,000 subject to contract Viewing: strictly by appointment with Edward Caudwell 07766 565893

Tel:01629 01629 810018 Tel: 810018 Email edward@caudwellandco.com • www.caudwellandco.com Country & Townhouse Full Page Ad November21.indd 1 Caudwell & Co.indd 1

Tel: 01629 810018

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High Acre, Catmere End, Nr Saffron Walden – 3.2 miles from Audley End Station £1,450,000 A stunning, detached family residence set in a picturesque location with magnificent views over the adjoining countryside and woodland. The property has been more recently enlarged to approximately 3,100 sqft and refurbished throughout to provide stylish, contemporary accommodation with a stunning open plan kitchen/breakfast room, two reception rooms and study on the ground floor and five bedrooms and three bathrooms on the first floor. Well positioned within easy reach of Audley End train station. EER: D Contact: Bruce King | Saffron Walden Office: 01799 523656 | bruce.king@cheffins.co.uk

The Russetts, Hempstead, Nr Saffron Walden – 10.4 miles from Audley End Station £1,395,000 A unique and rather special eco-concept home set in a stunning, rural location. The main residence offers accommodation approaching 5,000 sqft and is set in its own stunning grounds of approximately 2.33 acres, incorporating a productive vineyard and adjoining paddock. Accommodation comprises a kitchen/breakfast room, two reception rooms, orangery, five bedrooms and two bathrooms to the ground floor, with a master bedroom suite, cinema room and gym on the first floor. EER: C Contact: Bruce King | Saffron Walden Office: 01799 523656 | bruce.king@cheffins.co.uk

cheffins.co.uk 01223 214214

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Little Abington, Cambridge – 4 miles from Whittlesford train station £2,000,000 A rare opportunity to purchase a recently refurbished detached former vicarage with accommodation extending to about 4350 sq ft. including a wine cellar, a useful range of outbuildings as well as a self contained annexe, detached studio/ home office, sauna, hot tub and tennis court. The property occupies a most desirable location close to the centre of this thriving and picturesque village with grounds extending to about 2 acres backing onto the River Granta. EER: C Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

Comberton, Cambridge – 7 miles from Cambridge train station £1,500,000 A most impressive and substantial Grade II listed period residence with a wealth of fine attractive features with impressive extensions to provide a most appealing open plan kitchen/ dining room. The property occupies a desirable location close to the centre of this thriving well served village. The grounds in all extend to about 2.78 acres with a useful range of outbuildings including potential annexe, garage, stabling and storage barns.

Contact: Richard Freshwater | Cambridge Office: 01223 214214 | richard.freshwater@cheffins.co.uk

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LAST WORD Dr Eliza Filby specialises in ‘Generational Intelligence’

The Generation Game

‘T

alking to Generation Z is like eavesdropping on the future,’ says generations expert, Dr Eliza Filby. The reason being that this group (b. 1995-2012) has grown up in an era of unparalleled technological change, their lives framed and forged by the three Cs of the 21st century: climate, Covid and conflict. ‘We are all products of [our] time,’ Eliza tells me, but as a self-declared ‘geriatric millennial’ herself (ie born in the '80s), she clearly believes Gen Z are worth listening to. Not everyone is so open to dialogue. In the current wars of the ages, Baby boomers (b. 1940s-1960s) find themselves cast as

the villains, since they are perceived as the ‘privileged generation’ who ‘have had a very lucky run of it,’ says Eliza. This generational animosity runs both ways, of course. The frothy war on ‘woke’ is a favourite source of millennial-bashing in the tabloids, where polarising front-line issues include Brexit, transgender rights, climate change and poverty. There’s nothing new in the so-called ‘rupture in values’ between generations, nor in youth’s ‘challenging of the status quo’. It’s what boomers did back in the Sixties, after all. But the internet has bitterly weaponised the generation gap. Fortunately it’s not just a story of strife and loggerheads. Subtle shifts are taking place, which provide generational optimism. Eliza calls it the rise of ‘the golden age of the family’, no less. It turns out economic hardship and

enforced lockdown – with remote working and homeschooling – are teaching layered families to function together at close quarters. Understanding each other’s points of view strengthens the inter-generational dynamic. Indeed, for all the stories of warring couples sprinting to a solicitor as soon as lockdown lifted, Eliza cites historically low levels of divorce and teenage pregnancies. While the pandemic didn’t invent these changed living conditions, it has certainly accelerated them, bringing with it the prospect of seismic social change, from the way we live to the way we work. For such change to be positive, Eliza says, all generations need to get better at listening to each other. It’s a thought for this festive season, because, whatever age you are, we could all do with taking time to think about the future.

TA L K I N G P O I N T S LISTEN It’s All Relative with Dr Eliza Filby (elizafilby.com/ podcast). WATCH Succession, season three – no harmony among the generations, I’m afraid, but what a story (Sky Atlantic/Now TV). ORDER How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight Four Our Future – by the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2021, Maria Ressa (Penguin, £16.99).

MICHAEL HAYMAN IS THE FOUNDER OF SEVEN HILLS AND HOST OF THE PODCAST CHANGE MAKERS. PHOTOS: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gen X or Gen Z – it’s time to start listening to each other, says Michael Hayman

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