essence Issue 71

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Issue 71 | MAY 2016

NEW

DAWN Rolls-Royce’s silent open top

Also inside this issue

IN FULL BLOOM Roni Floral Design

WILD ABOUT ART Wildlife Artist of the Year

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contents Issue 71 | MAY 2016

8 | Interview | RONI FLORAL DESIGN

Its floral creations have graced high profile events hosted by Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio. The company’s creative force is Nicolas Barelier and Andrew Peters talked to him following his recent move to London.

16 | Motoring | ROLLS-ROYCE

Perhaps the most opulent open top car currently available sets a new benchmark in luxury. Euan Johns sees in a new Dawn and explains why two plus two doesn’t equal four in the eyes of its designer.

22 | Gardening | HTA

8

Interview | RONI FLORAL DESIGN

Perfect

DISPLAY

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme have always been a staple in any self-respecting herb garden, but there are many more to cultivate as The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) explains.

Roni Floral Design is a family business whose creations have graced high profile events hosted by Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio. Today the company’s work in floral design is sought after by a clientele in its native France, England and Italy. The main creative force behind the company is Nicolas Barelier. Andrew Peters caught up with him following his recent move to London. >>>

28 | Fashion accessories | MARK/GUISTI

MARK/GIUSTI is a London-based luxury brand devoted to producing handmade bags and leather accessories using the finest Italian craftsmanship.

Founder Mark Farhat finds inspiration from his father’s diplomatic travels.

32 | Fashion | KATJA NUUTINEN

Now established as one of the sought after new generation couturiers in London and attracting highprofile clientele, this Wimbledon studio creates beautiful pieces of bespoke couture.

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 9

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38 | Food | CRATES LOCAL PRODUCE

Crates chooses current seasonal offerings, asparagus and honey, together with recipes to enjoy.

40 | Artisan food | EAT SURREY

Shirlee Posner of Eat Surrey discovers a Black Barn butcher looking to take on the world.

42 | Review | THE GRANTLEY ARMS

The Grantley Arms in Wonersh is setting itself up to become a venerable foodie destination under new head chef Matt Edmonds, says Laura Scott.

50 | Legal | MUNDAYS

Stephen Morris, partner in the Dispute Resolution Department of Mundays LLP, looks at the importance of seeking experienced legal advice when a will is challenged.

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52 | Finance | PMW

Wild about art

Now in its ninth year, The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year competition attracts entrants from around the globe in support of the planet’s wildlife.

This year there are four Surrey based artists shortlisted for the £10,000 top prize.

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his stunning wildlife art competition, The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year, returns to the Mall Galleries from 27 June to 2 July and heralds a fabulous collection of original works by supporting artists from around the world.

The competition’s seven categories attract entries in all artistic medium including oil, watercolour, bronze and ceramic. Forming the heart of the exhibition is the shortlist for the 2016 Wildlife Artist of the Year prize. Launched in 2008 to raise awareness and funds for endangered wildlife, the competition brings together the best wildlife artists.

With categories ranging from Earth's Beautiful Creatures to Urban Wildlife, over 130 original works will challenge Since it began, the event any preconceptions of wildlife art. The event is has raised over £320,000 now firmly established in the art event calendar.

Everything on show is for sale with profits to help protect some of supporting the David Shepherd Wildlife the world’s most Foundation’s conservation projects across Africa and Asia. Since it began, the event has endangered wildlife. raised over £320,000 to help protect some of the world’s most endangered wildlife.

David Shepherd explained: “I set up my Foundation with the sole purpose of giving something back to the animals that helped me achieve success as an artist. At a time when the world’s wildlife is under such devastating pressure from expanding human populations and illegal trade, it seems fitting that we take a step back and reflect on the sheer beauty and diversity of our natural world and what could be lost if we do not truly appreciate the value of the world around us.” >>>

58 | Leisure breaks | SALZBURG

Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart and was the setting for Rogers and Hammerstein’s unforgettable musical, The Sound of Music. Rebecca Underwood finds all the right notes in Austria.

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year competition attracts entrants from around the globe in support of the planet’s wildlife. This year there are four Surrey-based artists shortlisted for the £10,000 top prize.

Nick Oneill, Heart of the Sea

Profile: David Shepherd (pictured above) Wildlife Foundation (DSWF)

Simon Lewis, CEO at Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd, looks at the economic issues that need to be considered before the choice is made about whether to go it alone and leave the European Union or not.

62 | Charity | DAVID SHEPHERD

Charity | DAVID SHEPHERD

A few of the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2016 shortlisted works

62 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

The DSWF is an adaptable and flexible organisation responding promptly to conservation threats by supporting trusted individuals and organisations operating in the field. Lean on administration, but generous on funding, the Foundation supports a range of innovative, vital and far-reaching projects achieving real results for wildlife survival including: sending undercover agents into the field to investigate illegal wildlife crime, provide training and the supply of anti-poaching patrols working with governments to strengthen conservation laws and regulations educating wildlife consumers about the plight of wildlife in demand countries teaching young people about endangered wildlife through art and school projects

Stefano Zagaglia, Turquoise & Gold Plumage

• • • •

Sevina Yates, Heart of the Matter

Radka Kirby, Flamboyant in Bloom

Karen Laurence Rowe, Upon a Deserted Sand

A week of wildlife art Venue: The Mall Galleries, SW1 Monday 27 June, Private preview by invitation only.

For further details and press enquiries (telephone 01483 272323 for information).

Tuesday 28 June to Saturday 2 July: public opening from 10am to 5pm (4pm Saturday). Entry by donation.

Pre-sales and an online catalogue will be available from mid-June 2016.

Tom Shepherd, On the Edge

Chung Shek, Koi Carp

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 63

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66 | Events | SURREY

Linda Seward’s detailed diary of the best of what’s on in theatre, music, exhibitions, arts and countryside over the month.

78 | Interiors | MORPHEUS LONDON

Leading design house Morpheus London is renowned for creating exceptional properties in the world’s most desirable locations, one of which is The Penthouse at the Pavilion development in St John’s Wood.

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MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 3

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essence 71

COVER: The Rolls-Royce Dawn rear deck

essence team

Acting Editor: Andrew Guilor Contributing Editor: Louise Alexander-O’Loughlin Publishing Manager: Rebecca Peters Production Manager: Linda Seward Designer: Sharon Smith Senior Designer: Jason Mayes telephone: 01932 988677 email: editor@essence-magazine.co.uk Advertising Manager: Andrew Peters telephone: 07980 956488 email: marketing@essence-magazine.co.uk Advertising Sales: telephone: 01932 988677 email: marketing@essence-magazine.co.uk Advertising Sales (supplements): telephone: 07971 937162 email: katie@ktmedia.co.uk Contributors: Euan Johns, Laura Scott, Shirlee Posner, Andrew Peters, Rebecca Underwood, Stephen Morris, Simon Lewis, PJ Aldred, Jennifer Sutton, Naomi Diamond, Linda Seward, Jane Pople, Emily Bird.

essence magazine

Maple Publishing Limited, the publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any artwork will be at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made in writing to the publisher. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

essence is posted by Royal Mail to key addresses in Cobham, Oxshott, Esher, Weybridge, Guildford and outlying areas.

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Flower power There is quite a lot of talk currently about the so-called ‘baby boomer’ generation.

With governments trying desperately to cut their expenditure, one demographic seems to be escaping austerity and enjoying the good life. Growing up in the sixties, they experienced an age of hippies, passive resistance and flower power.

Nicolas Barelier, who owns Roni Floral Design, has flowers in his blood and creates his own version of ‘flower power’. This month, essence talks to Nicolas whose company produces stunning floral displays for the very best occasions and events.

A new dawn is heralded by luxury carmaker Rolls-Royce as an innovative and silent cruiser arrives in showrooms to set a new benchmark in open top luxury. Fashion is represented in the form of Mark/Guisti which is keeping Italian craftsmanship alive and well with its historic byzantine designs. In addition, Katja Nuutinen, based in Wimbledon, produces couture fashion, so look no further when deciding what to wear to those seasonal racing events.

In the garden, herbs can appear a little staid, but in addition to producing magical flavours in the kitchen, they can add ornament and beauty to any pot or border.

This month, essence champions a very worthwhile cause as The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s ninth Wildlife Artist of the Year competition takes place at the Mall Gallery and we highlight some of the stunning art shortlisted for the prize, including four entrants from Surrey.

As usual, essence has health, legal, education and finance advice, together with the best of a variety of activities highlighting food, events and two competitions for theatre tickets to see the Go-Between at the Apollo Theatre and a Hollywood classic, courtesy of Silent Pool Gin. The essence team

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 5

WWW.MARKGIUSTI.COM

Unit 6, 50a Kensington Church Street, London W8 4DG

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Perfect

DISPLAY

Roni Floral Design is a family business whose creations have graced high profile events hosted by Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio. Today the company’s work in floral design is sought after by a clientele in its native France, England and Italy. The main creative force behind the company is Nicolas Barelier. Andrew Peters caught up with him following his recent move to London. >>>

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Interview | RONI FLORAL DESIGN

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 9

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Q Nicolas, do you have any siblings?

A Yes, I have two older brothers and a younger sister and we all work for our family passion, floral and vegetable art!

Q Are you the artist of the family?

A That’s a big word and I don’t really like to describe myself as the artist of the family. I come from a family of artists, from father to son, for four generations now, all with the same passion for flowers.

Personally, I like the idea of inspiring the people around me and creating the unexpected.

Q Does your family have an artistic history?

A Absolutely, this is a family passion passed down the generations since 1880. It’s an incredible story, a destiny brought together by the rose. The rose is a symbol of life, ephemeral as it is eternal, a neverending story.

Q What first attracted you to floral design?

A It’s in the blood and we were lucky as from a young age we had the trust of individuals interested in the beauty of their event or evening. It’s a fascinating and amazing feeling to have the opportunity of limitless and boundless creation.

Q Did you ever consider you would be designing floral displays for your current clientele?

A Not really. I feel very lucky to continue the family tradition and do something I love. Every day we create all types of projects: different floral designs in different dimensions. This may just be a bouquet for the interior of a house, or a magical setting for a birthday, a wedding or other important life events.

10 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

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Interview | RONI FLORAL DESIGN

Q You recently moved to London, why?

A The London market is extremely international and diverse at the moment; I would also say it’s the event capital of the world.

Everything is decided in London before recreating itself across the world.

Q How do you first approach what a new customer wants?

A In a few words: by listening, being attentive and accurate, offering imagination and reassurance. It’s sometimes difficult for people to visualise what they are thinking and that’s where reassurance and trust come into the equation.

“There is no rule in the arrangement of a bouquet. The most important rule in floral art is that there are no rules.”

NICOLAS BARELIER

Q What’s the process for achieving a positive result and a happy client?

A Be attentive to their personality, style and the people around them.

Be responsive to the smallest issues and provide a wealth of ideas.

Once guidelines are set, we keep a level of secrecy in order to reach the big day with that element of surprise. Perhaps, most importantly, be attentive in the final discussion!

Q Where does your inspiration originate?

A Fashion is a tremendous source of inspiration and it’s exciting when great artists from around the world exchange ideas and talents.

One has only to see new dresses, new hairstyles and new models. My trips overseas are also an opportunity to gain inspiration.

Q After establishing yourself in France and Italy, what’s next?

A Internationally, of course, and specifically the United States. ‘A French family conquers Los Angeles, Hollywood, Beverly Hills’.

I can see this headline in the newspapers. >>>

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 11

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Q The company is named Roni Floral Design, why?

A It's a love story between my father and mother. They combined their names, Ro (Robert) and Ni (Nicole). For the past year, we have signed all our events under the Roni Floral Design label precisely to promote and emphasise the history around the word.

Q What are your favourite flowers to work with?

A I love this question. I would say all, simply all of them without exception. All four seasons are magical even though, it is true, that flowers are subject to global warming and the blending of the seasons: the season of the Peony, Sweet Pea, Anemone, Dahlia, Lily of the Valley… I really love all flowers and take great pleasure in bringing them together.

Q You have created floral designs for de Grisogono jewellery, the high profile amfAR gala (hosted by Sharon Stone) and the gala for the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation in St Tropez. Do you have a favourite type of event?

A Not really, these are big names and big events from the real work of floral art. It’s an honour to work for charity causes which are necessary for the future wellbeing of our children and grandchildren today.

Q Your next project is to open a store in St. Petersburg. Was there a particular reason for choosing this city?

A We were approached directly to do so and are currently working on the project. St. Petersburg is a wonderful city and an exciting opportunity.

Q How do you relax away from the business of flowers?

A I feel the fulfilment of all artists around the world is rather confused and mixed up. Personally, I create and that rewards me enough, this to me is relaxation. If you do something you like, it helps not to get too stressed.

Q What do you find most rewarding about your job?

A When my kids are asked: “what does daddy do for a living?” and they respond at the top of their four and eight year old voices: “My dad’s an artist!”  essence INFO Website: www.roni-fleurs.com Email: events@roni-fleurs.com

12 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Nicolas Barelier

Profile: Roni Floral Design In the Barelier family, children grow up in greenhouses. When Constantin Barelier, the great grandfather, discovered the Côte d’Azur in the 1800s, he fell in love with its scents and settled as a horticulturist on Cap d’Antibes.

This former Greek shipbuilder was very successful and received the title Meilleur Ouvrier de France (best craftsman of France) in 1887. This distinction sealed the family’s destiny and the grandfather continued to cultivate roses before his son, Robert, took over the reins. Robert met Nicole, daughter of one of his father’s biggest clients, for whom she composed bouquets, and they married. Naturally, they decided to open their first boutique in 1971 at Cagnes-sur-Mer, followed by a second in Juanles-Pins in 1984.

Since then, Robert and Nicole’s children – Jean-Marie, Emmanuel, Nicolas and Audrey – have gained a passion for flowers. Their playground was a field of roses where games of hide-and-seek left their skin scratched with fond souvenirs. Today the siblings celebrate their floral success that they hope to share with the whole of Europe.

Emmanuel is the businessman, Jean-Marie and Audrey juggle commercial consistency and creative gifts while Nicolas is a bold, instinctive and intuitive designer, constantly pushing at the boundaries of his own limitations.

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Motoring_RR_Layout 1 06/05/2016 12:37 Page 1

NEWDAWN The Rolls-Royce Dawn is perhaps the most opulent open top car currently available and sets a new benchmark in luxury. Euan Johns sees in the new Dawn, and explains why two plus two doesn’t equal four in the eyes of its designer.

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Motoring | ROLLS-ROYCE

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here’s a lot to be said for electric cars, all silky smooth running and silent stealth. Although I would have to say, as they become more prevalent, which of course they will, my advice is to take extra care crossing the road. I was almost run over by one of the silent beasts the other day, carelessly exercising my habit of not looking and listening – just listening.

This new Dawn is quiet, remarkably so, and manages the slings and arrows of the bumpiest roads with consummate ease. Some may think that even this prestigious carmaker would have to bow to the laws of physics and, of course, it does, but you really wouldn’t think it. The Dawn comes perilously close to providing a sublime open top drive, and with the top up, the driver has to keep his or her eyes open to realise there is any movement at all.

Specific attention has been paid to the engineering and manufacturing fronts in the creation of the Dawn’s roof. Unheard of anywhere in the modern motor industry, the roof of the Dawn delivers the silence of a

>>>

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 17

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“Our new Rolls-Royce Dawn promises a striking, seductive encounter like no other Rolls-Royce to date, and begins a new age of open-top, superluxury motoring. Dawn is a beautiful new car that offers the most uncompromised open-top motoring experience in the world. Quite simply, it is the sexiest Rolls-Royce ever built.”

TORSTEN MUELLER-OETVOES, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS

Rolls-Royce Wraith when up. It operates in almost complete silence in just over 20 seconds at a cruising speed of up to 50kph.

Working with a fabric roof configuration, the Rolls-Royce engineering team set themselves a challenging goal to make the world’s quietest convertible. This silence quest applied to all aspects of the roof and, by extension, to the car itself. Its design is graceful, beautiful and sensuous, whilst remaining one of the largest canopies to grace a convertible car. In fact, the Dawn’s roof is the second largest fabric roof on a current production car, second only to its Phantom Drophead Coupé stable mate.

The silent lowering of the soft top – dubbed ‘The Silent Ballet’ by the engineers – transforms the car, delivering a true Dawn moment when night turns into day.

As we know, compromise is not a word recognised in the Rolls-Royce lexicon. The company continues to live by the clarion cry of co-founder Sir Henry Royce to: “Strive for perfection in everything you do. Take the

best that exists and make it better. When it doesn’t exist, design it. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.”

The final part of that maxim guided the Rolls-Royce team as it worked to initiate a new age for open top, super-luxury motoring. In a sector exclusively populated by the biggest of automotive compromises, namely the 2+2 seat configuration, Rolls-Royce has indeed accepted no compromise. Studying the open-top sector and its high-value niche, it became apparent to the designers that customers were being a little shortchanged. The myopic focus on one specific configuration – the 2+2 setup

18 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn © ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS LIMITED

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Motoring | ROLLS-ROYCE

– was, in the company’s view, a compromise too far. An accepted 2+2 is a configuration with seating favouring the driver and front passenger, leaving two smaller seats for occasional, very small, adult passengers or children in the rear. The result is a sector populated exclusively by opentop cars that Rolls-Royce would consider ‘anti-social’.

So, breaking the mould has created a car deemed silent and social that can be used in comfort by four adults on a day-to-day basis, travelling together at the pinnacle of style.

Roof down, the allure of the car is apparent. From the side, the steep rake of the windscreen, the swage line that flows over the rear haunches, plus the high beltline that rises along the profile, give an impression of speed. The same beltline wraps around the rear passenger cabin akin to the collar of a jacket pulled up to protect the neck.

Modern craftsmanship comes to the fore in the interior woodwork with open-pore Canadel panelling (echoing Sir Henry Royce’s favourite French cove) which traces the horseshoe shape of the rear cabin.

What’s the price to keep silent whilst running? Well, prices start from £250,000. This car is a rarity, but think of it this way, special things like this come perhaps once in a lifetime, and if we’d all had the foresight to put £50 on Leicester City winning the Premiership at the start of the season, we’d be there. 

essence INFO Website: www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 19

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Classic cars | H&H CLASSICS

Iconic royal Lagonda The 1954 Lagonda 3 Litre Drophead Coupé car that won Aston Martin Lagonda Limited its first Royal Warrant was built to the special order of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. It recently sold for just under £350,000 through H&H Classics at their auction at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

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sed by The Duke of Edinburgh for personal transport up until 1961, and finished in a bespoke shade of Edinburgh Green, the three litre Lagonda was one of just 20 MK1 cars made.

Prince Philip used the vehicle to drop off Prince Charles at Cheam Preparatory School, and the car toured The Commonwealth with him in 1956-1957. The Lagonda featured an extra vanity mirror – reputedly for Her Majesty The Queen to adjust her hat – and a radio telephone necessitating the Duke being allocated his own radio frequency by The Admiralty.

During The Duke’s seven-year ownership, Aston Martin despatched staff to The Royal Mews and Windsor Castle on a sometimes weekly basis to ensure smooth running. For The Commonwealth tour, the car was met in Australia by one of the firm’s most senior engineers, Tony Tocock. Dunlop similarly went to great pains to ensure that all its Australasian branches were stocked with suitable tyres.

H&H Classics sales manager, Damian Jones, explains: “This car is part of our history. The accompanying paperwork beggars belief.

There is a story about Prince Philip driving Her Majesty The Queen through London and being held up by a policeman on point duty.

When he saw who was in the Lagonda, he did a double take and swiftly waved them on.” 

essence INFO Website: www.classic-auctions.com

20 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Duke of Edinburgh boarding the car with his chauffeur Walter Bennett in the background

Profile: H&H Classics H&H Classics was founded by Simon Hope in 1993 as a specialist auction house dedicated to the sale of collectors’ motorcars and motorcycles. Staffed by handson enthusiasts with over 600 years combined experience, H&H’s specialist valuers are among the most knowledgeable in the industry.

With the head office near Warrington, Cheshire and an office in Hindhead, Surrey, H&H Classics holds regular sales at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire, Donington Park in Derbyshire and Chateau Impney in the West Midlands.

M&A_Coachworks_advert_Layout 1 22/07/2015 16:30 Page 1

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Thyme for herbs “Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, remember me to the one who lives there” constitutes the chorus of that famous ballad made famous by Simon & Garfunkel. These four herbs have always been a staple in any self-respecting herb garden, but there are many more to cultivate as The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) explains.

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reating a culinary herb garden is easy and has the benefit that it looks almost too good to eat. A selection of tasty herbs can be planted that are valued as much for their ornamental appeal as their flavour. From sage to thyme, rosemary to clipped bay and flowering chives, combine herbs valued for their ornamental beauty to produce long-lasting displays, as well as regular pickings for the kitchen.

There are no hard and fast rules about creating herb gardens, but successful designs often define the space using brick pavers, dividing up the area with small paths to provide easy access for picking. Go for an informal mix or choose a formal pattern or cartwheel design. As a centrepiece, plant a large, shrubby herb such as rosemary or sage, a formally clipped bay tree, or a potted herb arrangement.

In small spaces herbs can be grown in pots, either planting them individually and grouping pots together into displays, or creating bold combinations in larger containers. As many herbs have Mediterranean origins, they relish a site in full sun where they can bake during summer.

Soil must be free-draining too, as wet and waterlogged ground will lead to root damage, and for pots choose a free-draining, loam-based compost.

Low-growing thyme is a herb garden favourite, perfect for making a herb carpet, softening the edges of gravel paths, or filling gaps between paving. With flavoursome foliage in greens, silvers and golds, plus colourful flowers too, they’ll look good and provide pickings all year. >>>

Four hardy herbs for pots or borders w Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) w Mint varieties w Chives – both regular onion flavoured and garlic chives. w Thyme (Thymus varieties) – including AGM (Award of Garden Merit) winners like golden thyme (Thymus ‘Aureus’), ‘Silver Queen’, ‘Pink Chintz’ and lemon scented ‘Bertram Anderson’.

Herb topiaries Several shrubby herbs can be clipped and trained into formal topiary features. These living sculptures not only look striking, but their clippings can be used in cooking or dried and stored.

The best herb topiaries are created using upright growing varieties of rosemary, sweet bay, sage, lemon verbena, Greek myrtle, or even tender perennials like scented leaf pelargoniums.

Popular shapes for training bay include balls, cones, pyramids, spirals and standards (with a clipped head on a short woody leg). Skilled commercial growers even create bay trees with striking twisted corkscrew stems.

22 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Chives in flower PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ADAM PASCO MEDIA

Gardening | HTA Herb pot with thyme PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ADAM PASCO MEDIA

Top tips for successful herb gardens Although many herbs are of Mediterranean origin and relish hot dry conditions, to obtain the best from herbs in pots most require regular watering to prevent their compost drying out completely. Try standing in saucers of water so pots can take up moisture as required.

Add fertiliser to one watering a week to keep plants growing strongly, or mix slow-release fertiliser granules into compost at planting time.

Regular picking some herbs, like basil, encourages side shoots to form, keeping plants bushy and productive.

Pick and dry the leaves of herbs like thyme, sage, bay and many others to store and use when cooking.

The flowers of many herbs can be used to brighten summer salads. Use flowers from chives, basil, coriander and thyme, and flowers or petals from daylilies, pot marigolds, nasturtium, lavender and others.

NB: Always check flowers are edible before eating.

Japanese Maple leaves (Acer) PHOTO COPYRIGHT: THE FARPLANTS GROUP

Coriander has a habit of bolting or running to seed, but enjoy the flowers as they’ll encourage beneficial insects like hoverflies into the garden. Let plants set seed, then collect and dry coriander seeds to grind and use when cooking spicy Indian dishes.

Mixed thyme bed PHOTO COPYRIGHT: THE FARPLANTS GROUP

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Literature | IVY PRESS

Herb garden companions Dozens of interesting culinary, medicinal and ornamental varieties of herbs are available to plant together and create vibrant herb gardens. Many are hardy shrubs or perennial varieties that will grow back again year after year, while others (like coriander and basil) are annual herbs that will not survive winter outside, so new plants will be needed each year.

w Angelica w Basil w Bergamot (Monarda) w Borage w Chamomile w Chervil w Chives w Coriander w Curry plant w Dill w Fennel w Garlic chives w Greek Myrtle

w Hyssop w Lavender w Lemon balm w Lemon verbena w Lovage w Marjoram (Oregano) w Parsley – curled and flat-leaf types

w Sage (Salvia officinalis) w Savory w Sweet bay (Laurus nobilis)

w Tarragon

Heirloom Plants

A Complete Compendium of Heritage Vegetables, Fruit, Herbs & Flowers

Rosemary in flower PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ADAM PASCO MEDIA

Whether adding to salads, cooking with new potatoes, or making herb teas, mint is a versatile herb with many uses. Colours and flavours vary immensely from powerful peppermint and spearmint to those with an underlying taste of apple, citrus, banana, red berries and many more. And for chocoholics everywhere there’s even chocolate peppermint with a hint of dark chocolate. Irresistible! Just remember that mint is one herb that’s always best kept contained to prevent it invading borders, so grow it in a pot or large bottomless bucket.

Rosemary is a hardy shrub with aromatic leaves and long flowering season. ‘Miss Jessopp’s Upright’ is a popular statuesque variety, but for large patio pots also consider a variety from the Prostratus Group with a weeping habit that will gracefully arch over the sides of the container.

Try flavouring casseroles, soups and sauces with homemade bouquet garni made from sprigs of thyme and parsley wrapped in a bay leaf. Alternatively, other herbs can be added to suit a culinary creation, such as rosemary, basil, chervil or tarragon. Herbs have so many uses including using fresh in cooking, making pesto, infusing into herb oils and vinegars, or making herb teas.

A wonderful assortment of herb plants are available at garden centres now, so buy favourites to create a personal culinary herb garden.

Many herbs can be raised from seed too, so buy packets of coriander, basil, parsley, chives and many others v essence INFO

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is the trade association for the UK garden industry.

Website: www.the-hta.org.uk

24 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

This book is the perfect companion for every home grower who wants to fill their garden with old and interesting varieties while helping to save threatened or forgotten plants.

Heirloom plants often have a charm lacking in commercially produced varieties. Unless these seeds are grown and saved, they will not only be forgotten, but lost too.

Based on the seed catalogues of Thomas Etty, the book lists exciting cultivars, along with profiles and growing tips.

Responsible gardening, certainly, but with more than a hint of romance; who could resist the lure of the splendid Hubbard Green Warty squash, or the Green Zebra tomato?

Thomas Etty Esq is the UK’s only dedicated heritage seed company and was set up over twenty years ago by Ray Warner. The company name is inspired by Ray’s great, great, great grandfather who himself dealt in seeds in the nineteenth century. Ray is the dedicated seedsman behind this heirloom seed company with Thomas Etty Esq sourcing seeds dating from the seventeenth century to the end of World War II, all from small-scale seed suppliers from the UK and Europe.

Lorraine Harrison is a keen practical gardener with a master’s degree in garden history. In addition to contributing to the gardening quarterly Hortus, she has authored a number of books, among them the bestselling Latin for Gardeners.

“A strikingly produced compendium of heirloom vegetables, fruit and flowers” – The Bookseller

By Lorraine Harrison & Ray Warner, seed catalogues written by Thomas Etty 224 pages • Hardback • Illustrations throughout ISBN: 9781782403173 • RRP: £18.99 essence INFO

Published by Ivy Press Website: www.ivypress.co.uk

History | CAPABILITY BROWN

Ultimate landscape gardener This year is the 300th anniversary of the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown and will be celebrated in a festival of events. Brown changed the face of eighteenth century England, designing country estates, moving hills, digging lakes and serpentine rivers, and creating vast parklands on an immense scale.

B

aptised on 30 August 1716 at Kirkharle, Northumberland, Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was the fifth of six children of William Brown, a yeoman farmer, and Ursula, who worked in the house on the Kirkharle estate. He began work as a gardener at Kirkharle, but in 1741 reached Stowe where he rapidly assumed Portrait of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, c.1770–75 responsibility for the execution of both PAINTING/PHOTO CREDIT: RICHARD COSWAY (1742– 1821)/PRIVATE COLLECTION/BRIDGEMAN IMAGES architectural and landscaping works.

It was here that Brown married Bridget Wayet in 1744, with whom he went on to have nine children. At Stowe, Brown began working as an independent designer and contractor and, in autumn 1751, was able to move with his family to the Mall, Hammersmith, the then market garden area of London.

Brown’s style derived from the two practical principles of comfort and elegance. On the one hand there was a determination that everything should work, and that a landscape should provide for every need of the Prior Park, Bath great house; on the other, his landscapes had to look elegant.

Brown is best remembered for landscape on a huge scale, constructing not only gardens and parkland, but also planting woods and building farms linked by carriage drives, or ‘ridings’, many miles from the main house. Such are the enduring qualities of his work that many of the landscapes with which he is associated remain worth seeing today. The images that Brown created are as deeply embedded in the English character as the paintings of Turner and the poetry of Wordsworth.

Lucy Worsley, TV historian and chief curator, Historic Royal Palaces, confirms: “This year the nation celebrates the work of the great Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, a man who began his long career being despised as a ‘cabbage planter’ and ended it lauded as an artist who ‘adorned his country’. His ambition was to ‘finish England’, and he certainly made a good job of it, leaving a legacy of hundreds of parks and gardens up and down the country for us to enjoy as we celebrate the 300th anniversary of his birth this year.” essence INFO

The Capability Brown Festival is managed by the Landscape Institute on behalf of the Festival Partnership. For more information about events visit Website: www.capabilitybrown.org

Factfile: Capability Brown Brown’s nickname ‘Capability’ was established during his lifetime. It’s thought to have derived from his habit of describing landscapes as having ‘great capabilities’.

Leading Brown expert, John Phibbs, estimates that Brown worked on half-a-million acres of land in England and Wales – an area around the size of Mauritius.

Brown often used ha-has in his design. These dry ditches or sunken fences divided formal gardens from landscaped parks without interrupting the view. They were often used to keep livestock off certain parts of an estate.

Brown was a skilled water engineer, including complex draining schemes in many of his designs, and creating lakes that covered up to 80 acres of ground.

King George III appointed Brown as royal gardener for Hampton Court and St James’s in 1764, with a salary of £2,000 a year. This appointment also allowed the family to live in Wilderness House, which stands within the grounds at Hampton Court Palace.

Brown used a range of indigenous hardwoods, exotics and conifers in his vast planting schemes.

The cedar of Lebanon, introduced into the country in 1638, is often called his ‘signature tree’ because he used it often.

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Fashion accessories | MARK/GIUSTI

British design and Italian craft MARK/GIUSTI is a London based luxury brand devoted to producing bags and leather accessories entirely handmade using the finest Italian craftsmanship.

MARK/GIUSTI’s founder is Mark Farhat and his designs are influenced by classical mosaics and architecture and inspired by his father’s travels as a diplomat. Each piece is lined with original fabric based on designs of the Byzantine era, dating from as early as the sixth century AD. The result? A range of leather accessories that are special and understated in their elegance.

The modern trend of mass marketed products has lead many companies to search for larger production runs, lower costs and higher profits. This has left hundreds of artisan craftsmen, possessing generations of experience, out of business. The consequence is that skills diminish, leaving many people who excel in their job out of work.

The MARK/GIUSTI brand represents luxury to the highest degree using superior craftsmanship and detailed design to bring beautiful historic mosaics back to life. It’s a brand combining design, function and craftsmanship in perfect harmony – something not seen in mainstream offerings that are much more ‘logo’ driven.

MARK/GIUSTI has a wide collection of beautifully crafted pieces ranging from luggage, weekend and sports bags, business bags and all small leather accessories including wallets, iPad and laptop covers. There is also a rich silk neckwear line to match each collection.

My M/G is the bespoke service for the MARK/GIUSTI brand.

This service is dedicated to designing and producing exclusive custom-made bags for those requiring an even more unique product. When using this service, clients are able to select materials and linings of choice, add or remove interior pockets or perhaps inscribe initials on the interior of the design.

essence INFO

MARK/GIUSTI Unit 6, 50a Kensington Church Street, London W8 4DG Website: www.markgiusti.com

>>>

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 29

Profile: Mark Farhat Mark Farhat is the creative director and founder behind MARK/GIUSTI. Born in Lebanon, he spent much of his childhood growing up in Africa. Mark studied at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon, and his passion for fashion led him to London where he gained an MA in marketing management with a focus on luxury brands from the University of Westminster.

After graduation, Mark was employed by Capelli NY, a manufacturer of fashion accessories based in New York, where he became responsible for men’s accessories in the UK. MARK / GIUSTI Unit 6, 50a Kensington Church Street - London, W8 4DG www.markgiusti.com

In Milan, he attended the Instituto di Moda Burgo and during this time he worked for some of the hottest fashion shows during Milan Fashion Week.

Mark’s business ethos is summed up in his own words: “Reviving historic mosaics through outstanding craftsmanship, innovative design, contemporary functionality and the highest quality of material is my goal. As the son of a diplomat, I was exposed to different cultures and found appreciation for history and art and this remarkable experience informs my vision.”

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Fashion accessories | MARK/GIUSTI

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 31

Art of couture Katja Nuutinen hails from Finland, but is now established as one of the sought after new generation couturiers in London. Attracting high-profile clientele, not only from the UK, but also around the world, her Wimbledon studio creates beautiful pieces of bespoke couture.

Katja’s interest in couture started in childhood making soft toys and clothes with her mother’s sewing machine. Having gone through extensive training, rather than teddies, she’s now known for her timelessly opulent, beautifully finished designs and meticulous attention to perfect fit and detail.

Designs range from alluring wedding dresses and red carpet gowns to chic occasion wear. Katja has also designed a collection of hats and clutch bags perfect to finish off an outfit for special occasions, weddings, ladies’ days or perhaps a royal garden party.

But what is couture? Couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing handmade from start to finish. High quality, often costly fabrics are sewn and finished with extreme attention to detail. The end result is an article of clothing the wearer is proud to own and that stands the test of time. Katja confirms: “Couture is art. We sculpt with silk, paint with colourful fabrics and serenade with exquisite detailing. We capture the essence of the individual in a beautiful piece of wearable art.”

According to Katja there is no formal training to become a couturier, what is required is plenty of experience. Couturiers have to have vision and creativity and be armed with plenty of patience. A good couturier is an expert in shape, texture and function, equipped with the ability to work with a variety of clients. It takes years to master these skills and knowledge and the learning never stops. Each new creation is an opportunity to invent new techniques and explore personal limits.

Most of Katja’s clients arrive by recommendation and happily return year after year when in need of an outfit for a special occasion.

Clients are encouraged to feel at ease and to enjoy the exclusive experience of having their dream outfit designed and made.

As Katja says: “A beautifully tailored piece of couture is a great tool in bringing out the best in a person and making them feel fabulous.

A professional couturier designs an outfit to complement an individual style. A great design is so much more than a drawing on paper; it’s all about how the design works with the personality of the wearer, how the correct proportions bring the look together, how the right shade of fabric looks and about every tiny detail. It’s a unique intricate puzzle that comes together to make sure the client looks stunning when it’s their moment to shine.”

essence INFO Rose dress £1,350 Inset, Royal Burst hat £650

Katja Nuutinen Couture London 7 Leopold Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 7BB Telephone: 020 8944 8848 Email: info@kncouture.com Website: www.kncouture.com

Fashion | KATJA NUUTINEN

Bespoke couture: Sapphire gown Price on application

Azurine gown £1,850

Adora clutch bags £249

>>>

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 33

Moon suit ÂŁ1,390 Adora clutch, as before

34 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Fashion | KATJA NUUTINEN Colour block coat £690

Radia dress £890

Silver Rose hat £530

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 35

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Supplement | AUTUMN 2016

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Crates_Layout 1 06/05/2016 12:52 Page 1

Crates Local Produce is located centrally within the historic market town of Horsham and bursts with fresh, seasonal food sourced directly from local producers. For more details see www.crateslocal.co.uk. Follow on Twitter @crateslocal or Facebook page Crates Local.

At their best right now Seasonal and local food offers taste, health and even economic benefits. Crates Local Produce highlights the amazing seasonal produce available from our region.

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: KATI MOLIN | DREAMSTIME.COM

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: STUDIO 37 | DREAMSTIME.COM

Asparagus

Honey

This highly sought after vegetable is one of just a few grown as a perennial with plants living up to ten years. The stalks grow up from the crown of the plant and are picked before they form fern-like leaves, resulting in a delicate flavour with the tips being the most succulent and delicious. Over the centuries, asparagus has been used as both food and medicine, reputedly helping with liver, kidney, bladder and even heart functions. It is also proven to have anti-inflammatory qualities helping with conditions such as arthritis.

The season is incredibly short, lasting only a matter of around six to eight weeks, making this early vegetable one of the most eagerly awaited on the seasonal calendar. The stalks should be soft without too much of a woody texture, but this sometimes cannot be avoided as the season progresses, although it is possible to simply break off the woody end from the stalk. Buy fresh, store in the fridge, preferably with the ends sitting in water, but eat them soon.

Honey remains one of the most natural sweeteners and many believe it has amazing health benefits.

Over recent years, the media has hailed more exotic honey as the best, but there is nothing finer than sourcing local honey from the very bees busy working close to home. It is a delicious food in its own right and a wonderful ingredient to cook with.

At this time of year, when the dreaded hay fever starts, honey is even more sought after. It is believed that taking in heavy pollen in small amounts can desensitise sufferers to the lighter airborne pollen.

This remedy works best with local honey and when embraced all year round, not just when symptoms start. Be wary of honey labelled as raw or organic as this can still be treated and it is almost impossible for honey to be truly organic given that bees travel large distances for their nectar. Some of the finest honey is that from a local beekeeper who may still warm the honey, but it is not rapidly heated or highly filtered like commercial honey, thus removing much of the goodness.

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Food | CRATES LOCAL PRODUCE

Asparagus with bacon, egg and Dijon dressing

Honey and sesame glazed chicken

Serves two www.crateslocal.co.uk

Serves four www.crateslocal.co.uk

Ingredients: Ten to twelve green asparagus spears Four rashers thick back bacon Two eggs One tablespoon Dijon mustard 50g butter Juice of one lemon Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients: One whole chicken 150g runny honey Three tablespoons soy sauce Half teaspoon black pepper Two tablespoons sesame oil Four tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Method: w Slowly start to fry the bacon in a dry pan on a very low heat. w Hard boil the eggs, leave warm in shells until ready to serve. w Once the bacon starts to crisp, prepare the asparagus and dressing. w Break the woody ends off the asparagus spears and boil or steam for around five minutes or until just softened. w Melt the butter in a small pan, stir in the mustard, lemon juice and seasoning. Whisk thoroughly while heating gently. w Shell the eggs and halve, place on top of the crispy bacon with the asparagus and pour over the warm dressing. Serve immediately.

Method: w Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade/gas mark 5. Line a shallow baking dish with baking paper. w Divide the chicken into breasts, legs and wings and place on the lined dish allowing space between each piece. w Put in the oven for a total cooking time of around 45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. w Combine the honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper in a small pan and add in two tablespoons of water.

Bring this glaze to the boil and simmer very gently. w Turn the chicken pieces every ten minutes and pour over some of the glaze each time. w Once the chicken is thoroughly cooked and covered in the glaze, sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds. w Serve with rice or potatoes, vegetables or salad.

essence INFO Crates Local Produce 24a Carfax, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1EB Telephone: 01403 256435 Website: www.crateslocal.co.uk Follow on Twitter @crateslocal or Facebook page Crates Local

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Spreading the word Damon Buckingham of Black Barn Butchers in Milford is currently preparing to take on Australia, New Zealand and France in the World Butchers’ Challenge in September. As part of a team of six British butchers, they have to fill a 24 foot display unit with a jaw dropping selection of finished products in just three hours.

Shirlee Posner of Eat Surrey finds out more.

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Damon Buckingham with Black Barn owner David Mitchell and apprentice Tim Bicknel

amon Buckingham is a butcher at award winning Black Barn Butchers in Milford who were runners up in last year’s Surrey Food and Drink awards. Surrey has a wealth of fantastic butchers who have been able to head off competition from supermarkets through their expertise.

Pre-packs and convenient shopping at any hour lured many of us away from traditional high street shops, but national trends show a return to selecting independent shops over high street chains is increasing. Properly hung and matured meat, beef from pedigree and rare-breed herds, free range pork, poultry and lamb are increasing in popularity.

Surprisingly, a high spike in eating quality and flavour doesn’t always get reflected in the price, making this a real winner for savvy food shoppers.

One of the recent Surrey success stories, Black Barn Butchers is based at Secretts in Milford.

Opening in 2012, it steadily built up its customer base and in 2015, when a larger unit became available, Black Barn snapped it up. Just settled into this new home before Christmas, Black Barn underestimated potential orders for its gorgeous quality turkeys and beef joints and had to turn a few people away. Next year it will be prepared.

Damon, shop manager at Black Barn, is among a younger, dynamic community of butchers emerging within the trade, contributing to a new style of creativity and a desire to design value added products (oven-ready, seasoned and stuffed). Damon started working in a butcher’s shop when he was fifteen and at eighteen was working full time in a traditional butcher’s shop in Greenwich.

This shop, he says, was very old fashioned, but he learned to cut carcasses and it set him on a good path.

Damon stayed for three years, but with no product innovation or added value ranges on the horizon, he decided to move to a more modern business. Taking a role as a head butcher in a Kent-based business, he found an opportunity to increase his skill set.

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In another move (strategic as it turns out), Damon met David Mitchell at Osney Lodge Farm in Godstone where it was preparing meat for the food service sector.

David already had a small business and when the unit went into liquidation he found himself one of the biggest debtors. He was able to take this business with him and luckily the timing was perfect as he offered Damon a job. David’s shop was at Secretts, and a good fit as the farm shop is well known for its quality food and home-grown produce. Initially the core (80%) of their business was for the food service sector, but gradually the retail side caught up. Gaining membership to the Q Guild in 2014 was also key to their success.

David Mitchell’s ethos for Black Barn meat means the quality and provenance of what he buys for the shop is faultless. Lamb comes from farmer Jessica Cross, who has a herd of South Downs’ sheep just 16 miles from the shop in Diss. Pure breed Aberdeen Angus beef is from farmer Angus Stovold at Lydling Farm in nearby Shackleford, and pedigree Hereford beef is from Tim Metson at Coverwood Farm in Ewhurst.

This clear provenance, their butchery skills, food hygiene and customer service have gained them entry into the Q Guild of Butchers who represent just over one hundred of the best butchers in the UK. This accolade and the awards scheme for butchery products gave Damon an outlet for his fantastic ideas for oven-ready products.

Damon, since starting at Black Barn, has filled the counters with seasoned meats, stuffed, hand-tied and stitched single portion creations and a stunning range of sausages. The sausage range (made in house) includes marmite, venison and red wine, Welsh dragon (a winning combination of herbs and chilli) and wild boar sitting alongside more traditional flavours. Black Barn’s gluten free pork sausages are a hit with customers, which with a range of other

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Artisan food | EAT SURREY

Free-range sausage patties with kale and potato cakes This makes a great weekend brunch dish or light midweek dinner.

I used a burger press from Lakeland to make the patties, but it’s possible to shape by hand too. This was a healthier take on the sausage muffin sandwich from McDonalds which my kids loved when they were younger. Older now, they liked my version too, and it’s now a regular on lazy Sunday mornings. I usually cook the potatoes the night before so they are cold to start the dish: they stick together better that way.

Sausage patties Six large, free-range, pork and herb sausages (de-skinned) from a proper butcher: remove meat from casings and shape into six patties (use gluten-free if needed), OR one Black Barn sausage patty per person (available from the butcher at Secretts of Milford).

Potato cakes 600g of cold cooked red skin potatoes (leave the skins on) 50g white cornmeal (polenta) 50-75g finely chopped young kale leaves (if using older leaves, take the leaves off the centre vein) Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper A couple of pinches of ground chilli (optional) Enough white cornmeal mixed with two teaspoons of sweet Spanish smoked paprika to coat the cakes Sunflower oil to shallow fry Accompaniments Two rashers of streaky bacon per person One poached or fried egg per person One small bunch of roasted vine ripened cherry tomatoes per person A handful of baby kale or salad leaves for each plate, tossed in a little lemon juice and oil to season Method w Place the potatoes in the bowl of a stand mixer with the kale, polenta and seasoning. Mix until all are combined. The polenta provides the bonding agent here! w Divide the mix roughly into six portions and using a burger press or hands, shape into six cakes. Mix the polenta and smoked paprika to coat each cake.

Chill until required. w Pan-fry the cakes in a little sunflower oil to seal. w Heat the oven to gas mark 5/190 degrees centigrade/fan 170. Place the tomatoes on a foil lined baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. w Heat a small amount of oil and pan-fry the sausage patty to seal with the bacon and then transfer to the oven and place with the tomatoes to finish cooking. Using the same pan, seal the potato cakes and cook until golden brown on each side. w Heat some water in a small pan and poach the eggs. Assemble the dish on a warmed plate and enjoy. The potato cakes can be made in advance and cooked when needed. w Serve one or two cakes per person, depending on appetite!

creations, won the butcher a host of Q Guild product awards. Damon’s burgers, stuffed chicken breasts and pork dishes are legendary too, so, while he and David both butcher carcasses, his real forte is the added value he brings before the meat goes on display. It’s this skill as a finisher that won Damon a place on the GB team for the World Butchers’ Challenge.

Organised by Retail Meat New Zealand, the first event was held in 2011. At this time it was open to butchers from New Zealand and Australia. In 2013 Britain joined and it was renamed the Tri-Nation Challenge. This year, for the first time, there is also a team from France and another change of name to the World Butchers’ Challenge. Tougher competition and an already high standard set by a three time champion team from New Zealand ‘The Pure South Sharp Blacks’ means this will be no easy task for team GB. Held in a different country each year, this time around the hosts are Australia. Damon will be travelling there on September 5.

David Mitchell, Damon says, could not be more supportive of the time he has to put in for this event, which includes regional meetings. As a team, they have to butcher a side of lamb, pork and beef into their chosen cuts. They are allowed to have with them additional ingredients: seasoning, styling props and garnishes, with judges scrutinising preparation, presentation, finishing and display.

It’s clear at Black Barn, aside from this competition, that education and skill sharing is part of its commitment to the community. In addition to training an apprentice, Tim Bicknell, Black Barn run butchery courses, which are open to the public, and Damon works in the wider community running events with restaurants such as sausage making.

I can’t wait to see how team GB do at the Challenge, and whilst it would be great for a win, I’m sure Damon will bring back some brilliant ideas that will appear on the counter.

As a champion of our local Surrey food movement, I wish Damon and his team the best of luck. It’s brilliant we have a Surrey butcher at such a prestigious global event. Shirlee Posner

essence INFO Find World Butchers Challenge on Facebook Retail Meat New Zealand competition information: rmnz.co.nz Websites: www.blackbarnbutchers.co.uk and eatsurrey.co

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Head for the hills The Grantley Arms in Wonersh is setting itself up to become a venerable foodie destination under new head chef Matt Edmonds, as cook and food writer Laura Scott discovered when she paid it a visit.

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ituated in the village of Wonersh, near Guildford, is a Grade II listed pub dating back to 1590. The village itself is brimming with character and ancient timber clad buildings set amongst the beautiful Surrey Hills’ countryside. The Grantley Arms is establishing itself within the village community, but also has great ambitions to become a pub which offers much more than the everyday gastro eatery.

Head chef Matt Edmonds, previously head chef at The Gherkin, also holding a senior position with Pennyhill Park, is keen to put his pub on the food map by creating stylish, elegant, modern food using British ingredients. The pub is also a key supporter of British wine and spirits including Silent Pool gin and wines from the local Albury Estate, Cornwall’s Camel Valley and Kent’s Chapel Down.

The Grantley Arms was bought, renovated and relaunched by locals Richard Cryer and Chris Frederick whose objective was to restore the pub to its former glory and create a place for the village community to enjoy once again.

“We want this pub to be a central part of village life again and that means both popping in for a glass of wine and reading the papers with the dog at the weekend, to enjoying a three course meal with some really special ingredients from Matt and his great team. We really wanted to create a place we could enjoy for all occasions. The pub is still going to feature events such as a quiz, but customers have the option of eating dishes ranging from fresh divercaught scallops to burgers whilst The only problem playing”, explains Chris. with this dessert I visited the pub early on a Friday was that it was evening and there were already several groups of people dotted gone all too soon. around both the large drinking area and the recently converted (previously the skittle alley) dining room. The room has adopted the look of a converted barn with high vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and brickwork complemented by soft neutral paintwork and glorious rope work chandeliers. Tables are well spaced apart and the plush, generously upholstered seats offer absolute comfort in which to relax for an evening of fine dining.

My companion and I started off with a couple of Silent Pool gin cocktails, a refreshingly gorgeous pink liquid that included pomegranate,

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Food review | THE GRANTLEY ARMS

“We want this pub to be a central part of village life again and that means both popping in for a glass of wine and reading the papers with the dog at the weekend, to enjoying a three course meal with some really special ingredients from Matt and his great team” lemon, basil and tonic. They disappeared in a few gulps, as did the chef’s canapé that was offered to us of smoked freshwater eel, pickled baby fennel and baby anise hyssop. That is exactly the right way to keep a couple of customers happy.

The menu at The Grantley Arms offered us so many modern, interesting flavours that it proved a tough call trying to choose between dishes, so we decided to go with a fish and seafood theme to make things simpler. Our menu choices were complemented by a fantastically crisp Spanish white wine (Candidato Viura) from La Mancha, with hints of apple and grapefruit.

To start, we chose Weymouth crab with brown crab mayonnaise, kohlrabi, sea herbs and seaweed salt, along with torched pickled red mullet with leek and fennel, served with homemade bread. Crab that tastes as fresh and clean as this, with such a rich yet delicate flavour, was the best possible start to a meal. The other elements of the dish enhanced the crab’s flavour without detracting from the star of the plate. The red mullet was set upon a dark stone and garnished with vegetables reminiscent of the kind of food found in a modern Scandinavian restaurant: charred, crunchy, minimal and fresh. A clever start to our meal. My only wish was that the bread, made in house, could reflect the modernity of the food. We were served thick slices of a traditional white farmhouse loaf, whereas some chunks of crusty, aromatic sourdough would have been more appropriate.

Keeping with the fish for mains, we moved on to wild sea bass with heritage beetroots, sea vegetables and lobster foam. The sea bass had depth of flavour and was cooked with understanding and a lightness of touch. The beets provided sweetness and the lobster foam added a subtle note to the dish. The star of the mains was definitely the monkfish, cooked by a chef that knows and understands how to treat fish. Well seasoned morsels of meaty firm flesh, surrounded by a delicate fragrant curried sauce, with notes of sweetness from nuggets of Muscatel grapes and nuttiness from the roasted cauliflower. I hope this remains on the menu, it deserves recognition.

To finish, we both shared a ginger opalyse cremeux: a custard-based white chocolate ganache, with poached rhubarb, rhubarb gel and gingershortbread crumb, with a rhubarb sorbet bursting with pink rhubarb tang.

The balance of ginger was bold enough to stand up to its partner and they accentuated each other in every way. The only problem with this dessert was that it was gone all too soon.

The cheeseboard, all British, featured Dirty Vicar (unpasteurised), Black Bomber Cheddar (mature), Levin Down, Molecomb Blue and Golden Cross goat’s cheese (raw) with crackers, chutney and, again, the >>>

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 43

3pp_FoodRev_Grantley_Layout 1 06/05/2016 12:53 Page 3

WIN two tickets to see a true Hollywood film classic

Win two tickets to an outdoor classic movie event on World Gin Day, 11 June 2016, courtesy of Silent Pool Distillers.

Join Silent Pool for a fabulous open air screening of a classic Hollywood masterpiece to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday and World Gin Day. The event will take place at the distillery that evening, 11 June, at the end of Silent Pool’s open day. The screening takes place in the wonderful surroundings of Silent Pool Distillers (named after the pool that sources the water used) in the heart of the Surrey Hills on the Duke of Northumberland’s Albury Estate. Legend states that Emma, a woodcutter’s daughter, drowned in the pool whilst bathing and attempting to hide from the passing Prince John, elements represented on the bottle's design. Fine food and sophisticated beverages will be available throughout the evening, including a limited Queen's birthday gin created for this special day.

To win, simply visit www.essence-magazine.co.uk and answer the following question:

competition

farmhouse bread. Perhaps a good nutty rye or walnut loaf could be offered here to complement the cheese. The cheeses were a fine bunch, especially the tangy almost crunchy Cheddar and the subtle smooth blue.

Finishing off our meal with a couple of underwhelming coffees, my only other advice would be to invest in using a good local artisanal coffee supplier which are now abundant in Surrey. A good meal should always end with good coffee and perhaps My companion and swapping the bought in Cantucci biscuits for a bite of a homemade I started off with a couple of Silent Pool macaron or a warm madeleine would elevate the end of the meal gin cocktails to the level it could and should be.

What works so well in The Grantley Arms is the way that customers were enjoying their food on both sides of the pub. Guests in the dining room had a more restaurant-like experience, whereas those eating in the bar were enjoying their meals in a more informal setting which widens the pub’s appeal and attracts a diverse crowd of diners.

Having chatted to Matt on Instagram, I’m in no doubt that his ambition for the pub to be recognised and become a destination for its superb modern British food and wines is inevitable, so book now to avoid disappointment because this is a pub that is going places. 

How many elements from the legend are represented on the Silent Pool gin bottle?' a) 3 b) 5 c) 10 Closing date: 30 May 2016.

essence INFO

Silent Pool Distillers Shere Road, Albury, Surrey GU5 9BW Telephone: 01483 229136 Websites: www.silentpooldistillers.com and www.venturecinema.co.uk Terms and conditions apply.

essence INFO The Grantley Arms The Street, Wonersh, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0PE Telephone: 01483 893351 Website: www.thegrantleyarms.co.uk Laura Scott: www.howtocookgoodfood.co.uk

44 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Prize is as stated and subject to availability. Due to the nature of the venue, guests must be over 18. Please bring warm clothes as the temperature drops considerably after sunset. The event will go on in all weather conditions unless deemed unsafe by the organisers.

Baking | JEN’S CUPCAKERY

Raspberry and lemon cupcakes I always prefer a bit of tang with my sweet stuff and these cupcakes offer a luscious lemon lift and fresh tart raspberry kick to the soft, sweet vanilla sponge. Top with a fresh lemon frosting and garnish with raspberries and crystallised lemon, or even mini lemon meringues for extra pizzazz! Spring bright and dressed up in pretty baking cups, these make an ideal afternoon tea treat for friends and family.

Makes around 12 Ingredients w 100g unsalted butter or Flora Buttery w 225g caster sugar w 210g plain flour w Two teaspoons baking powder w Three medium eggs w 100ml milk w Two teaspoons vanilla extract w 360g caster sugar w Punnet of raspberries w One lemon rind and juice For the frosting w 110g unsalted butter w 500g icing sugar w One lemon (rind and juice)

Method w Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade/gas 6 and then grease and line a 12 hole baking tin with pretty baking cups or cupcake cases. w Cream the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and mix until combined. w Grate the rind of the lemon and add to the mix, then cut up one or two of the raspberries per cupcake and just gently push into the top (they will sink during baking). w Spoon the mixture into the cases (around two thirds’ full) and then bake for around 18-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. w Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the frosting by mixing together the unsalted butter, icing sugar lemon rind and juice. Mix for a good few minutes until soft and creamy. w Pipe or spoon the icing on top of the cupcakes and decorate with a fresh raspberry and a mini lemon meringue. Super spring like!

TOP TIP: I find frozen raspberries can be easier to use: just crumble them into small pieces straight out of the freezer on to the top of the batter, they will sink slowly during the bake. essence INFO

Website: www.jenscupcakery.com Email: mail@jenscupcakery.com Telephone: 07751 553106 Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenscupcakery Twitter: @jenscupcakery Blog: http://ilovejenscupcakery.wordpress.com

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 45

Hair today, gone tomorrow Laser hair removal and IPL laser hair removal are fast becoming popular for eliminating unwanted body hair. They are very similar treatments often confused: but what is the difference?

Naomi Diamond of Epsom Skin Clinics provides the low down on how to obtain silky smooth, hair free skin this summer.

B

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ANNA OMELCHENKO | 123RF.COM

46 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

oth laser hair removal and IPL laser hair removal mechanisms aim to disrupt the hair cycle using energy to reduce hair growth. Lasers have been found to be more precise targeting hair on the lightest to the darkest of skins without damaging surrounding tissue. This is because they produce a single wavelength of concentrated energy aimed to target the colour of the hair or the blood supply in the hair follicle. Blonde or white hairs are nearly impossible to treat because of the lack of colour.

Electrolysis uses a probe to individually treat each hair and has been around since 1870. This is the only treatment which can effectively treat unpigmented hairs. Electrolysis was used for hair removal on large areas of the body prior to laser which is now able to treat body areas such as backs, underarms and legs in a shorter period of time.

The FDA’s (US Food and Drugs Adminstration) approval of lasers means that aesthetic therapists, doctors and surgeons can help treat unwanted tattoos, warts and verrucas, varicose and thread veins and ageing skin concerns. Epsom Skin Clinics have just launched Fotana Spa Dynamics NDYAG laser with Frac3 technology offering the latest standards of efficiency to obtain optimal results.

IPL machines, on the other hand, are unable to successfully treat the above concerns as they produce a broad spectrum of wavelengths with energy absorbed by different layers in the skin.

Because of this, surrounding skin is more at risk, with burning occurring in darker skin types, and is less commonly used.

For silky, hair free skin, expect to undertake six to eight laser treatments, with a small reduction of hair after each session, eventually leading to around 60–80% removal of hairs overall, with regrowth sparser and thinner. My seven top tips to ensure clients are aware of how to obtain the best hair removal treatment are as follows:

1. The therapist should thoroughly consult with the client prior to treatment. As with any procedure, there are a lot of considerations to ensure success. This includes checking the client’s medical history as laser treatment should be avoided if taking any photosensitive drugs or topical solutions.

2. Natural/fake tan should be avoided for at least four to six weeks prior and post treatment.

I can’t stress enough the importance of using high factor sun protection on a daily basis. Sun and sunbeds are a no-no: they are the main causes of premature ageing and both offer a higher risk of skin cancer. Avoiding harmful UVA rays from the sun reduces the risk of burning and pigmentation changes to the skin during laser treatment and UV damage to skin cells is irreversible. My favourite product at the moment is Heliocare advanced spray 200ml: perfect for the whole body and clinically proven to protect skin against daily environmental challenges and UVA/UVB rays.

I would advise commencing laser treatment when sun exposure of the treated area can be minimised or completely avoided.

3. Avoid waxing and plucking hair for four to six weeks: shaving is the way forward throughout the treatment. Hair needs to be present in the hair follicle for laser treatment to be successful.

4. Any aftercare advice given by a therapist should be followed and is vital not only to the success of the treatment, but to ensure there are no adverse reactions. Post-treatment with laser there is an increase in heat: hot baths, swimming, saunas, steam room, exercise and restrictive clothing must be avoided.

Make up application should not take place for 24 hours, with the exception of mineral make up. I love Jane Iredale’s light powder mineral or mineral foundations.

Beauty | EPSOM SKIN CLINICS

5. Exfoliation should be avoided a week before and a week after treatment. I encourage my clients to exfoliate skin once to twice weekly to remove dead skin cells. My favourite product at the moment is Jan Marini’s bioglycolic body scrub as it contains highly concentrated glycolic derived from sugar cane which encourages the skin to exfoliate quicker and more effectively.

Used before jumping in the shower of an evening, it is brilliant for callous and roughened areas of skin, ingrown hairs and can help the appearance of keratitis pilaris, a common skin condition causing tiny bumps and redness usually affecting the upper arms and thighs.

6. Moisturising is essential for the skin to function properly so it’s something I make my clients aware of during the consultation process.

Before a laser session no moisturisers, deodorants or perfumed products should be applied to the treatment area. Aloe vera is a great natural hydrator and can be used immediately after any hair removal process to soothe and moisturise skin.

7. With a 60-80% reduction in hair, top up sessions may be required a couple of times a year to keep the remaining hair at bay. After a course of laser treatment, hair can be expected to be a lot more manageable than before.

essence INFO

Epsom Skin Clinics Website: www.epsomskinclinics.com Telephone: 01372 737280 (Epsom) or 020 8399 5996 (Surbiton) PHOTO COPYRIGHT: VALUAVITALY | DREAMSTIME.COM

MAY 2016 essence-magazine.co.uk 47

Bask_Advert_Layout 1 04/04/2016 15:09 Page 2

Get your sexy back The Baskerville Clinic is an established London medical practice for over 25 years, treating UK and International patients in the heart of London.

Headed by Dr Paul Baskerville, Consultant General and Vascular Surgeon, the clinic specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of vein and circulation conditions.

The clinic treats and cares for all types of vein disorders from legs to hands, including thread veins and problems during and after pregnancy.

From the minute you step through the door to the minute you are discharged Paul will take sole responsibility for your wellbeing and aftercare. There is no delegating of care to nurses or therapists.

Our team are experts in their respective fields and offer a comprehensive range of modern treatments.

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020 7436 1931 info@baskervilleclinic.com www.baskervilleclinic.com

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Health | THE GOOD CARE GROUP

Ten reasons to consider live in care

Live in care is an increasingly popular alternative to other more traditional forms of care.

Here Michelle Elliott of The Good Care Group explains the reasons for its growing success...

1. It enables the person requiring care to live as independently as possible in the comfort and and familiarity of their own home. Able to enjoy all the memories, belongings, beloved pets, gardens, treasured possessions, relationships and community ties that entails. To carry on continued participation in local activities, clubs and events.

2. For the family, it provides peace of mind and reassurance that their loved one is being cared for by a highly trained and experienced care team who will enhance their overall health, wellbeing and quality of life.

3. It220 offers a real alternative to having to move 08000 234 into a care home – something that can be very www.thegoodcaregroup.com unsettling to an individual, particularly if they are enquiries@thegoodcaregroup.com @goodcaregroup living with a condition such as dementia.

4. It provides a highly tailored plan of care that is developed and managed with input from the individual, their family and other professionals involved in their care. The care plan takes into account not only their care needs, but also their lifestyle preferences and routines to ensure the individual lives well with choice and dignity.

5. It allows people to maintain assets and capital appreciation.

6. A professional carer provides a range of care and support including everything from personal care, medications management, housekeeping, laundry, cooking and shopping through to social activities, lifestyle support and companionship.

7. It ensures continuity of care, which is so important in guaranteeing high standards of care are provided. A dedicated team of two consistent carers look after the person requiring care, so a long-term relationship is built where needs and preferences are truly understood.

8. It provides one-to-one care, which is something rarely achieved in institutional settings, and a more person-centred service which is not driven by tasks, instead focusing on holistic care

that includes activities which promote wellbeing and personal worth. Careful carer matching enables the right skills and personality mix to be identified.

9. Live in care can mean that couples are able to stay together as loving partners.

10. Pain is better managed through the provision of one-to-one, round-the clock care from a consistent care team. Continuity of carer improves communication strategies, understanding and trigger identification.

The Good Care Group is the UK’s most awarded live in care company. It’s professional approach to home care enables its clients to live well in their own homes, whilst improving health and wellbeing outcomes. They are specialists in caring for people with dementia, Parkinson’s, MS, stroke rehabilitation and providing end of life care.

They also provide a nurse-led care service for people with complex needs. essence INFO

The Good Care Group Enabling your loved one to lead the life they choose Enquiries: 08000 234220 Email: michelle.elliott@thegoodcaregroup.com Website: www.thegoodcaregroup.com

MAY 2016 essence-magazine.co.uk 49

Are wills watertight?

How certain can you be that your estate will be distributed in accordance with the wishes in your will? Stephen Morris, Partner in the Dispute Resolution Department of Mundays LLP, highlights the importance of seeking experienced legal advice when a will is challenged.

Stephen Morris is a partner in the Dispute Resolution Department of Mundays LLP. He has been advising clients on disputes under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 for more than 20 years. He also regularly advises on disputes arising in relation to the validity of wills and the administration of estates and trusts, including the conduct of executors and trustees.

Stephen has over 30 years’ experience in the negotiation of constructive outcomes to disputes in the fields in which he operates. Where appropriate, these are achieved through mediation, to which he brings maturity and an ability to get to the heart of the elements which underlie disputes and the personal issues which can make them so hard to settle.

Stephen also heads the Property Disputes team at Mundays which deals with issues arising from the ownership, letting and occupation of commercial and residential property.

Mundays is listed in both of these practice areas as one of the leading firms in the south east of England.

Stephen is also acknowledged as a leading individual in Real Estate Litigation in Chambers’ Directory 2016 and the Legal 500 2015.

Stephen can be contacted by telephone on 01932 590588 or by email at stephen.morris@mundays.co.uk.

50 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

R

egular readers of this column will be aware of the importance of making a will in order to ensure that, following their death, their assets are passed on to whoever they want to benefit. In most cases that is exactly what happens; the executor appointed by the will establishes what the assets and liabilities of the deceased are and then distributes them in accordance with the wishes expressed in the will or, if there is no valid will, according to the rules on intestacy (which are directed towards the distribution of the estate to family members).

However, many readers may have become aware last year of the case of Ilott –v– Mitson, which received widespread media attention when the claimant, the estranged daughter of the deceased, succeeded in securing an order from the court giving her approximately one

third of her late mother’s estate, despite her mother having excluded her from her will and having specifically expressed the wish that she should not receive anything from her approximately £500,000 estate.

The case made headlines and triggered much discussion about the justice of the decision of the Court of Appeal, which resulted in a substantial reduction in the legacy which the deceased had left to a charity.

What much of the reporting failed to do was to explain the underlying legislation on which the claim was based, the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 (the Inheritance Act), which provides a comprehensive framework for claims by what are often called ‘disappointed beneficiaries’ who fall into the following categories: w The spouse or civil partner of the deceased PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ZIMMYTWS | DREAMSTIME.COM

Legal | MUNDAYS

w A former spouse or civil partner of the

deceased who has not formed a subsequent marriage or civil partnership w Any person who was, for a period of two years or more leading up to the death of the deceased, living in the same household as the deceased as their husband, wife or civil partner (that is without having entered into a legal relationship of that nature) w A child of the deceased w Any person who was treated by the deceased as a child of the family in relation to their marriage or civil partnership w Any person not within the above categories who, immediately before the death of the deceased, was being maintained, either wholly or partly, by the deceased.

In broad terms, the Inheritance Act provides for spouses and civil partners in the first two categories to be entitled to seek such financial provision as it would be reasonable for them to receive – whether or not that sum is required for their maintenance; the measure for all other claimants is such financial provision as it would be reasonable for them to receive for their maintenance only.

The court has very broad powers as to the sort of order it can make, in effect giving it liberty to review the assets available and to determine what arrangement best suits the circumstances of the case. In doing so, it takes account of a broad range of factors, not just the value of the estate but also the financial circumstances of everyone who might be affected by an order, not just the claimant, but also any beneficiary whose interest would be affected by a successful claim. The court also has regard to any special needs of the claimant and is specifically required to take account of any broader circumstances (including the claimant’s conduct) which it considers relevant.

In Ilott –v– Mitson, this led to a decision with which many people felt uncomfortable, given the particular circumstances of the case

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: KATARZYNA BIAŁASIEWICZ | 123RF.COM

Challenging the validity of wills The Inheritance Act is not the only basis on which the validity of wills can be challenged. Mundays often advise on situations where doubts are raised as to whether a will complies with the strict legal requirements, in particular with regard to the circumstances in which it was prepared, executed and witnessed. On one occasion recently we advised on a will which turned out to have been forged.

Wills can also be found to be invalid if it can be established that the deceased did not have the requisite capacity when the will was made or if they were subjected to undue pressure or influence (usually by a beneficiary) or if they did not know and approve of the contents of the will.

Challenges of this kind need to be addressed both sensitively and through a forensic approach, using appropriate legal procedures and practices to establish the full history of the testator and the circumstances in which the will was created. In addition, consideration must be given to the consequences of a will being declared invalid. (the claimant daughter had been estranged from her deceased mother for 26 years at the date of her death and her mother had left specific instructions to the effect that she did not want her to benefit from the estate).

It is not the purpose of this article to discuss the merits of that decision but instead to alert readers to the availability of this remedy in the circumstances described. As Ilott –v– Mitson illustrates, the court’s decision in these cases can bring about what might be described as rough justice. It is inevitable that anyone embarking on such a claim is unlikely to be able to predict with any certainty what the outcome might be. Pursuing such a claim can also result in significant legal costs being incurred.

For those reasons, it is usual for the parties to claims to seek to resolve them through negotiation, often assisted by the process of mediation.

The Inheritance Act contains significant further detailed provisions and the resolution of claims is subject to technical requirements (for example where a claim is brought on behalf of a minor or someone under a disability, where any settlement requires the approval of the court at a hearing specifically convened for that purpose). For that reason, anyone contemplating such a claim – or finding themselves having to defend one – should seek specialist advice from an experienced legal practitioner. v

essence INFO

Mundays LLP Cedar House, 78 Portsmouth Road, Cobham KT11 1AN Telephone: 01932 560500 Website: www.mundays.co.uk

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 51

High stakes for Brexit gamble – CHAPTER III 0n 23 June we will be asked to cast our vote on whether the UK should remain within or leave the European Union. Simon Lewis, CEO at Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd, continues his exploration of the economic issues we need to consider before we make our choice about whether to go it alone.

M

y first chapter looked at the issues of trade and geopolitical influence and implicitly concluded that from these perspectives, remaining within the EU was likely to offer greater opportunity for prosperity.

My second chapter considered the economic impact of the immigration that arises from the free movement of people within the EU; one of the four ‘cornerstone’ freedoms required of EU membership. I concluded that to date, such immigration has provided a net economic benefit but suggested that this might not always be the case. The free movement of people made perfect sense when all member countries had broadly comparable living standards and earning expectations but this is no longer the case following the EU’s relentless expansion.

In this chapter I want to look at how the EU spends its budget, consider if it is well spent and ascertain whether the UK derives appropriate value as a consequence of its membership.

In 2015 Britain’s gross contribution to the EU budget was £17.8 billion but this amount was not actually paid because of an annual rebate, which amounted to £4.9 billion.

The National Institute of Business in Spain determined that roughly 36,000 of the 228,000 or so businesses in receipt of an EU grant did not exist 52 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Deducting also the £4.5 billion actually spent by the EU in Britain (on regional investment, development and subsidies) gives a net cost of £8.5 billion for the year.

The EU currently has an annual expenditure budget equivalent to around £125 billion. In some ways, this might not seem a lot of money compared, say, to this years’ expenditure budget of £750 billion for the UK Government. However, £580 billion of this will be spent on state pensions, welfare, healthcare, education, defence and interest payable on the national debt; none of which activities the EU is required to finance. Therefore, given its remit, £125 billion is quite a lot of money for the EU to spend each year.

We have a strong bureaucratic tradition in Britain, by which I mean that we have often suffered from a home grown excess of it. I thought it would be interesting to look at the finances of a bureaucratic agency that I know well and compare it to the EU. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for the regulation of retail financial services providers in the UK and is financed by levy on financial firms that are subject to its supervision.

Its budget for 2015–16 is £479 million and it employs 3,060 staff on a full-time equivalent basis. Overall costs therefore amount to around £156,500 per member of staff.

Finance | PMW

In contrast, the EU has a budget equivalent to £125 billion and employs 55,000 staff.

This amounts to £2.25 million per member of staff. Either EU bureaucrats are spectacularly well paid or a big part of their role is to collect money and hand it out to others. This is borne out by the EU’s statement that “80% of the EU budget is managed by national or regional governments”.

The budget allocates a whopping 40% to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which hands out generous subsidies to farmers.

A further 33% is spent on regional investment, while 6% is consumed by administration costs.

This does not leave much money to deal with other issues, which perhaps partly explains the poor initial response to Europe’s refugee crisis.

Analysis of what individual countries receive in EU spending shows that the UK receives less money per head of population than the EU’s 27 other members. This is largely a consequence of CAP and explains why the rebate for the UK was negotiated.

Unsurprisingly, France receives (due to CAP) roughly twice as much spending as the UK. The biggest beneficiary in absolute terms, receiving €17.5 billion in 2014, is Poland.

CAP is worthy of a chapter by itself but in summary, the inefficiency it creates has been estimated by the OECD to increase the price of food in the EU by 20%. This hits the poorest the hardest because they tend to spend a greater proportion of their income on food.

The annual audit of the EU’s financial accounts has never been signed off without

qualification (doubt) during the last 21 years.

The problem is insufficient evidence to prove that money handed out ultimately went to the right people and that a fair price was paid for the goods, assets or services paid for.

A good example of this is provided by the observation of the EU’s auditor that new roads paid for in Spain cost twice as much per kilometre as roads it paid for in Germany, with a comment that this difference could not be explained by differences in labour costs.

Whether this type of occurrence is the result of corruption or inefficiency is uncertain.

Nevertheless, research by the EU into the prevalence of corruption in procurement revealed that over half of companies that tender for EU financed projects believe corruption to be widespread at national and regional procurement authorities.

It seems clear that the EU needs to improve how it monitors its spending. This is underlined by the fact that the National Institute of Business in Spain determined that roughly 36,000 of the 228,000 or so businesses in receipt of an EU grant did not exist. There are many such examples in many member states.

It is also important to scrutinise EU spending from the perspective of whether it makes sense. For example, the EU spent €72 million on a scheme to discourage smoking while in the same year handed out subsidies totalling €293 million to tobacco farmers in Europe.

Portugal has received over €60 billion in regional support funding from the EU since it joined and much of this was spent on a construction binge. As a consequence it now has 1,800 miles of motorway; four times more miles of motorway per inhabitant than Britain.

The irony is that the Portuguese Government was forced to introduce motorway tolls as part of the country’s bailout package following the euro crisis, so these motorways are now only lightly used.

The revitalisation of Liverpool owes much to EU regional funding, so there are examples of success. Nevertheless, the regional funding project overall is littered with the corpses of many white elephants. It does seem that far too much money is allocated to failing and wasteful policy areas that are protected by national self interest.

However, perhaps the greatest example of waste is provided by the fact that the European Parliament sits for one week each month in Strasbourg. The capital of Alsace, which is a German speaking region of France, was chosen as the official seat of the European Parliament to symbolise the post-war reconciliation between Europe’s two great foes.

The perpetual movement of parliamentarians, their staff and all of their papers represents an enormous waste of time and money. The EU budget allocates over £1 billion for this over seven years. That’s a lot to spend on symbolism.

It is not only a waste of time and money because there is a substantial environmental impact, which is not without irony given the volume of environmental legislation the EU has imposed. It has been calculated that each year the exercise results in the emission of 19,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. To get an idea of what this meant, I established that the average UK car registered in 2015 emits 122 g of carbon dioxide/km. According to my calculations, the annual environmental impact of this travelling circus is equivalent to that average car travelling 155.6 million km. At an average speed of 80 km/h the journey would take 222 years….

My conclusion is that the EU does not spend well and that the UK does not derive enough benefit from its contribution to the EU’s budget. Nevertheless, I am sure there is more to discover to shorten the odds on making the right choice so I will not be placing my bet until the final chapter. v

essence INFO

Simon Lewis is writing on behalf of Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd (PMW), Chartered Financial Planners, based in Esher. The Company has specialised in providing wealth management solutions to private clients for 47 years. Simon is an independent financial adviser, chartered financial planner and chartered fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. The opinions outlined in this article are those of the writer and should not be construed as individual advice. To find out more about financial advice and investment options please contact Simon at Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd. Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Telephone: 01372 471 550 Email: simon.lewis@pmw.co.uk Website: www.pmw.co.uk

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 53

PHOTO CREDIT: SHAO-CHUN WANG | DREAMSTIME.COM

Still the best bet University seems to remain the best option open to students to secure a career, so parents have to address their offspring’s money management, personal safety and practical skills to prepare them for university life.

T

Perhaps the most important aspect of choosing a university and course is the future possibility of finding gainful employment.

54 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

he exam season is, again, upon us.

After that comes the time every parent encounters with happiness and a little dread.

After the relief, popping of Champagne corks and university acceptance, realisation hits home that the baby has quickly grown up and is on the move. Despite rising rents and high tuition fees, further education is still the route to employment, with postgraduate education even more so.

In most cases, university options will be away from home, and sometimes far away. Perhaps the most important aspect of choosing a university and course is the future possibility of finding gainful employment.

Many of the most successful universities producing employable graduates are outside of Surrey (see table), with some of the best in London, but students will still want their

fair share of fun to accompany the hard work. Will they want to join the morning commute or sample their new life and independence? Most of us know it’s going to be the latter, and the choice may even be learning overseas as fees abroad are lower than here, with the added bonus of picking up the local lingo too.

For most students, the thought of incurring substantial debt can be daunting, but increasingly it’s the only way forward as competition in the jobs’ market in general and for the professions stiffens even further.

Graduate pay has stagnated since 2007, but that hasn’t put students off applying to university. The fact remains that job prospects are improved with a degree rather than without, although there has been a disturbing increase in graduates taking on ‘non-graduate’ jobs.

Education | UNIVERSITY PHOTO CREDIT: OLGA REUTSKA | DREAMSTIME.COM

How do parents help a young adult embark on the next stage in life, independence, whilst addressing concerns over safety, responsibility and awareness?

Studies show that: w Over a third of parents will spend in excess of five hundred pounds equipping offspring for university, not taking rent, bills and tuition fees into account. w The greatest fear for parents who have a daughter is for her safety; this is in direct contrast to the student herself where evidence indicates she is less worried. w Half of all parents teach their children the basics of fending for themselves: how to wash, iron and cook whilst instilling budgeting skills and awareness. w Over eighty per cent of parents worry about the financial abilities of their children in advance of them leaving home for university or college for the first time. w There’s a sexual differential of worries between boys and girls, but the main concern is their budgeting abilities, and whether or not they will make friends whilst away from home.

Costs of university High tuition fees and living expenses mean many students believe it will be necessary for them to retain a part-time job whilst studying.

There is a case for studying abroad, with lower fees the attraction.

Keeping in touch Despite concerns about practical abilities, parents are far less likely to keep in contact regularly with their sons than daughters, with a third of parents of boys believing their child will only contact them once a week during term time.

University League Table 2017 Budgeting and life skills Almost 90 per cent of students admit they have never managed or paid a household bill.

Almost a third of 16-19 year olds admit to not knowing how to wash or iron their clothes.

So parents can help by teaching children a few simple budget recipes, allocating them specific chores around the house to perform and offering advice on how to look after their finances.

Parents considering student accommodation should find out how well trained on site staff are in understanding student needs; for instance, with advice on simple life skills such as registering with a local GP. Out of the two parties involved in this momentous life change, it’s the parents who usually find it hardest to adjust, with both mums and dads prone to needing tissues whilst bravely waving goodbye.

Time does fly and after a few weeks parents realise that those tidy bedrooms will soon be very annoyingly a mess again; it may even be sooner, as the highest drop out rate for students is during the first term. Perhaps the advice here is to not give them a hard time if that is the case, as it may be they will turn into another Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Marc Zuckerberg, Jon Snow, Ellen DeGeneres or Harper Lee… So after the dust has settled, parents can quickly turn their thoughts to planning for a full house again, and perhaps an even

(source: The Complete University Guide) 1 Cambridge 2 Oxford 3 London School of Economics 4 Imperial College London 5 St Andrews 6 Durham 7 Loughborough 8 Warwick 9 Lancaster 10 University College London

Universty League Table 2017 for the southeast region (source: The Complete University Guide) 2 Oxford 11 Surrey 17 Southampton 18 Sussex 23 Kent 27 Reading 37 Royal Holloway, University of London 55 Buckingham 59 University for the Creative Arts 61 Portsmouth

fuller one as welcoming a future daughter or son-in-law over the family threshold becomes a possibility.

At the end of the day, statistics don’t lie, and a university education is increasingly the best route for young people to take to stand a chance of obtaining gainful employment in an increasingly competitive environment.

essence INFO

Websites: www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk and www.scholarship-search.org.uk

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 55

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Create your own authentic, off-the-beaten-track, Sri Lanka experience with Island Adventures

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Lit_Layout 1 06/05/2016 12:33 Page 1

Literature | REVIEW

With Winston Churchill at the Front Winston on the Western Front 1916 Following his resignation from the government after the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, Winston Churchill’s political career stalled. Never one to give in, Churchill was determined to continue fighting the enemy. He was already a major in the Territorial Reserve and he was offered promotion to lieutenant colonel and with it command of a battalion on the Western Front.

On 5 January 1916, Churchill took up his new post with the 6th (Service) Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers. The battalion’s adjutant was Captain Alexander Dewar Gibb who formed a close relationship with Churchill that lasted far beyond their few weeks together in the war.

Dewar Gibb subsequently wrote an account of his and Churchill’s time together in the trenches. Despised on arrival, by the time he departed he was adored by his men. Supplemented with many of Churchill’s letters, the book is a most unusual and absorbing account.

Andrew Dewar Gibb became a member of the Scottish Bar in 1914.

During his service with the Royal Scots he reached the rank of major. After the war he continued with his legal career and was a founder member and leader of the Scottish National Party.

By Major Andrew Dewar Gibb, MBE, KC RRP: £19.99.

221 pages • Hardback ISBN: 9781848324299 Published by Pen & Sword Books Ltd www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

Beatrix Potter Fashion Designer Collection In July, Penguin Random House Children’s is releasing a collection of five of Beatrix Potter’s best-loved books with covers designed by iconic fashion designers from Britain and Ireland. The release will form part of a year-long celebration of Beatrix Potter on the 150th anniversary of her birth. The pinnacle of this special anniversary year is the publication of The Tale Of Kitty In Boots, the rediscovered manuscript being illustrated by Quentin Blake, publishing on 1 September. The Fashion Designer Collection will form an integral part of celebrating Beatrix Potter during this celebratory year.

Five of Britain and Ireland’s most exciting fashion designers have been commissioned to reimagine the cover designs of Potter’s best-loved tales.

Visually stunning and completely unexpected, Potter’s characters are seen through a new lens.

Beatrix Potter had an eye for fashion as well as the natural world, clothing her characters in à la mode jackets, hats, shawls and dresses, with Peter Rabbit inseparable from his iconic blue jacket.

Each designer has created surprising and wonderful designs inspired by Beatrix Potter’s classic tales, adding their own distinctive style into the mix. The designers and books are: •Henry Holland – The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck •Orla Kiely – The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle •Preen – The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin •The Rodnik Band – The Tale of Tom Kitten •Cats Brothers – The Tale of Peter Rabbit RRP: £6.99.

On A Good Day Perhaps best known as a collaborator on the legendary Beatles’ album cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Al Vandenberg’s first monograph brings together his London street portraits from the 1970s and 1980s. Released to coincide with Photo London at Somerset House, running from 19–22 May 2016, a specially curated selection of original prints from the book will be exhibited

by Eric Franck Fine Art. On a Good Day captures the style, mood and tone of seventies’ and eighties’ London and features appearances from Motorhead’s Lemmy and Jordan (Pamela Rooke) the infamous shop assistant at Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s shop, SEX. Every image in this book is imbued with a positive, uplifting intention.

Vandenberg always worked in a compassionate, humanist tradition that is now difficult to find practiced so purely. He was gifted with somehow being able to strike a rapport with, and feel empathy for, his subjects almost instantly.

Though beguilingly simple, even to the extent of appearing as lucky snapshots when seen in isolation, these photographs are the result of careful study, years of practice and personal philosophical choices.

By Al Vandenberg RRP: £35.00.

56 pages • Hardback ISBN: 9780956992277 Published by Stanley/Barker www.stanleybarker.co.uk

Published by Penguin Random House Children’s Publishers www.randomhousechildrens.co.uk

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Experience ‘a little night music’ in Salzburg Salzburg, Austria’s fourth largest city, evokes memories of childhood fairy tales and it truly has music at its heart. Located on the banks of the Salzach River at the northern border of the Alps, this city is the birthplace of Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart and was the setting for Rogers and Hammerstein’s unforgettable musical, The Sound of Music, writes Rebecca Underwood.

T

he Untersberg Mountain, only ten miles from Salzburg city centre, featured in the opening and closing scenes of The Sound of Music, awarded the Oscar for best picture in 1966. Soaring 6,473 feet into the blue Alpine sky, the Untersberg attracts visitors and locals keen to show off their skiing skills during winter and it’s a popular spot for hiking, climbing and paragliding in the warmer months when many a tourist can be seen running at full speed with arms outstretched impersonating the Von Trapps with abandon.

Another of Salzburg’s most popular attractions is the imposing Hohensalzburg Castle, perched high on a hill overlooking the city dating back to the eleventh century. Hop Another of Salzburg’s most on the glass Festungsbahn cable car for spectacular panoramic views of the city popular attractions is the and valley on one side and the mountain imposing Hohensalzburg on the other. The medieval fortress features Castle, perched high on a hill state apartments dating back to 1498 and highlights include the Golden Chamber, overlooking the city dating back to the eleventh century. richly furnished, with walls that were once covered in leather tapestries embellished with gold, and the glittering Golden Hall with its gold studded ceiling supported by a sturdy beam, which is 17 metres long. The Golden Hall is the venue for more than 300 concerts every year when the most talented musicians from all over the world celebrate the works of Strauss, Haydn, Schubert, Vivaldi, and of course, Mozart.

Salzburg’s most famous son was born in 1756 and at the tender age of five he was proficient on both the violin and keyboard and began to write music. He composed his first symphony at the age of eight and records show that he performed in Venice at the age of fifteen. To learn more, visit Mozart’s Geburtshaus, located on Getreidegasse. The townhouse where he was born and spent his first 17 years is a museum which exhibits a fine collection of instruments, including a small violin he played in his childhood and the clavichord on which he composed The Magic Flute. A selection of family portraits is displayed on the walls and there are personal letters and early editions of his music. Visitors are >>>

58 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

The majestic city of Salzburg

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Leisure breaks | SALZBURG

TRAVEL TIP

Be sure to make a note of the Salzburg Festival, which began in 1920, as it is the city’s most popular event opening on July 22 and continuing until August 31.

Performances include opera, concerts and plays.

The programme includes a number of dates for ‘Introducing opera to children’, and regular performances of Don Giovanni and Mozart Matineés. There is the opportunity to see performers of the Vienna Philharmonic and Salzburg’s Mozarteum Orchestra performing works by Mozart and Haydn.

ALL PHOTOS, EXCLUDING THE HOTEL SACHER, COURTESY OF TOURISMUS SALZBURG

Horse Pond, Karajan-Platz

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 59

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The twinkling city of Salzburg at night

welcome to listen to his music, using the headphones provided, and standing in his home serenaded by his genius is a truly spellbinding experience.

Whilst the mood is high, wander around Alstadt, Salzburg’s old town, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Visitors flock to admire exceptional examples of baroque architecture and to appreciate the towering domes and spires. Take a leisurely stroll around Herbert von Karajan Square, named in honour of the Austrian conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, and see the magnificent Horse Pond, designed and built in 1693 by Johann Bernard Fischer von Erlach, the Austrian architect and sculptor.

To add a little romance, saunter around the Mirabell Palace, the office of the mayor of Salzburg. Surrounded by breath-taking gardens, the property was built by prince-archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau in 1606 as a token of his love for Salome Alt. In 1854 Emperor Franz Joseph declared the site open to the public and highlights include the elaborate staircase adorned with figures of angels and there’s a delightful selection of sculptures in the alcoves. The Marble Hall is not to be missed as it is where Leopold Mozart, his son Wolfgang and daughter Nannerl performed.

After the tour, rest awhile in the stunning early baroque Mirabell Gardens and breathe in the Alpine air amid the rich and fragrant floral displays. Take a stroll around the Pegasus and Grand Fountains, the Orangery and the Rose Garden.

For weary travellers seeking some luxurious pampering, consider the Hotel Sacher, founded in 1876 and located in the heart of the Old Town. This elegant property features 113 spacious rooms with contemporary furnishings and up-to-date technical equipment. The junior suites measure 40 to 50 square metres with bright interiors and wonderful views over the river and the spacious bathrooms offer underfloor heating with separate showers and bath tubs.

For an exceptional dining experience, the hotel’s Zirbelzimmer restaurant offers the highest standards of comfort and service. The dining room’s walls and ceiling feature traditional wood panelling, tables are dressed with crisp fine linens and the food is outstanding. Sample the delicious truffle ravioli with parsley and ‘Goji’ berries, of course accompanied by a preferred tipple.

Raise a glass high and make a toast to Saltzburg, it truly is a city with music at its heart. 

60 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Hotel Sacher

Mirabelle Gardens

To add a little romance, saunter around the Mirabell Palace, the office of the mayor of Salzburg.

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Wild about art Now in its ninth year, The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year competition attracts entrants from around the globe in support of the planet’s wildlife.

This year there are four Surrey based artists shortlisted for the £10,000 top prize.

T

his stunning wildlife art competition, The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Artist of the Year, returns to the Mall Galleries from 27 June to 2 July and heralds a fabulous collection of original works by supporting artists from around the world.

The competition’s seven categories attract entries in all artistic medium including oil, watercolour, bronze and ceramic. Forming the heart of the exhibition is the shortlist for the 2016 Wildlife Artist of the Year prize. Launched in 2008 to raise awareness and funds for endangered wildlife, the competition brings together the best wildlife artists.

With categories ranging from Earth's Beautiful Creatures to Urban Wildlife, over 130 original works will challenge Since it began, the event any preconceptions of wildlife art. The event is has raised over £320,000 now firmly established in the art event calendar.

Everything on show is for sale with profits to help protect some of supporting the David Shepherd Wildlife the world’s most Foundation’s conservation projects across Africa and Asia. Since it began, the event has endangered wildlife. raised over £320,000 to help protect some of the world’s most endangered wildlife.

David Shepherd explained: “I set up my Foundation with the sole purpose of giving something back to the animals that helped me achieve success as an artist. At a time when the world’s wildlife is under such devastating pressure from expanding human populations and illegal trade, it seems fitting that we take a step back and reflect on the sheer beauty and diversity of our natural world and what could be lost if we do not truly appreciate the value of the world around us.” >>>

62 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Profile: David Shepherd (pictured above) Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) The DSWF is an adaptable and flexible organisation responding promptly to conservation threats by supporting trusted individuals and organisations operating in the field. Lean on administration, but generous on funding, the Foundation supports a range of innovative, vital and far-reaching projects achieving real results for wildlife survival including: sending undercover agents into the field to investigate illegal wildlife crime, provide training and the supply of anti-poaching patrols working with governments to strengthen conservation laws and regulations educating wildlife consumers about the plight of wildlife in demand countries teaching young people about endangered wildlife through art and school projects

• • • •

A week of wildlife art Venue: The Mall Galleries, SW1 Monday 27 June, Private preview by invitation only.

For further details and press enquiries (telephone 01483 272323 for information).

Tuesday 28 June to Saturday 2 July: public opening from 10am to 5pm (4pm Saturday). Entry by donation.

Pre-sales and an online catalogue will be available from mid-June 2016.

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Charity | DAVID SHEPHERD

A few of the Wildlife Artist of the Year 2016 shortlisted works

Nick Oneill, Heart of the Sea

Stefano Zagaglia, Turquoise & Gold Plumage

Sevina Yates, Heart of the Matter

Radka Kirby, Flamboyant in Bloom Karen Laurence Rowe, Upon a Deserted Sand

Tom Shepherd, On the Edge

Chung Shek, Koi Carp

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Nina Neve, 2016 Wildlife Artist of the Year competition manager, continued: “The sheer diversity of media and form this year has created an extraordinary celebration of the natural world and a huge challenge for the judges. Deciding between a fox, skilfully crafted from tin, and a classic oil of a brooding tiger will make selecting the overall winner extremely hard.”

The four Surrey shortlisted artists for the 2016 Wildlife Artist of the Year (pictured opposite) are: • Jo Maynard, Cobham, Barn Owl • Claudia Hahn, Cranleigh, The Thinker • Lesley Pilbeam, Godalming, Deadly Driftwood and Sucker Punch • Karen Ellen Phillips, Horley, Lion Prince  essence INFO David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Telephone: 01483 272323 Website: www.davidshepherd.org Mall Galleries Website: www.mallgalleries.org.uk

Jo Maynard, Barn Owl

Judges for Wildlife Artist of the Year 2016 Sarah Barker is the managing partner of Montgomery Barker, a boutique Mayfair law firm with a particular sector focus on the art world.

Lesley Pilbeam, Deadly Driftwood

Dr Sally Bulgin is managing editor of The Artist and Leisure Painter magazines, the UK’s market-leading practical art magazines.

Gary Hodges is the best selling pencil artist in the UK. He has received many awards during his career, has been a member of the Society of Wildlife Artists since 1990 and a judge for DSWF's Wildlife Artist of Year competition since its inception.

Emily Lamb produced her first solo show with DSWF and has supported the charity by donating paintings for exhibitions and auctions.

Mandy Shepherd spent much time in Africa as a child and, after studying graphic design and illustration at Brighton, returned to work in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa. She produced her first show at Harare, Zimbabwe in 1980 and has established studios in London and Chichester.

Karen Ellen Phillips, Lion Prince

Mel Shepherd, daughter of David Shepherd, has spent her life surrounded by art and is a sculptor in her own right. Mel was instrumental in setting up DSWF, building the charity from its humble beginnings to one of the most respected small international conservation charities in existence today.

Hazel Soan is one of Britain’s most admired watercolourists, well-known for her ‘Splash of Colour’ series with Anglia TV and her role as an art expert on Channel 4’s ‘Watercolour Challenge’.

Claudia Hahn, The Thinker

Simon Trapnell was involved in establishing Nature in Art, the world’s first museum dedicated exclusively to art inspired by nature which opened in 1988.

Simon is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Wendy Feess was born and educated in Zimbabwe. She came to London to enter the world of interior design and whilst in Hong Kong assisted in the compilation of a catalogue of Japanese wood-block prints for the Metropolitan Museum.

Nick Mackman is an award winning sculptor of ceramic and bronze animal sculptures. She has been widely exhibited and is a regular contributor to the Wildlife Artist of the Year Exhibition.

Lesley Pilbeam, Sucker Punch

64 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

The four Surrey shortlisted artists for the 2016 Wildlife Artist of the Year

essence | COMPETITION

WIN

a pair of tickets to see The Go-Between starring Michael Crawford at the Apollo Theatre Veteran stage and screen actor Michael Crawford makes a much anticipated return to the West End with the premiere of a new British musical, The Go-Between.

Based on L.P. Hartley’s 1953 novel, The Go-Between follows Leo Colston (played by Michael Crawford), a man who can no longer hide from the memories of his past. Memories of the gloriously hot summer of 1900 and of his days spent in Norfolk come flooding back…

Spending a holiday with the family of his school friend Marcus in their luxurious country home, the young Leo finds himself acting as the go-between for the beautiful upper-class Marian and tenant-farmer Ted who are embroiled in a forbidden love affair. The innocent Leo gets caught up in the adult world of deceit and manipulation as he risks everything in this deeply moving coming of age story. The events of that summer and the devastating effects of love denied will shape his life forever.

To win a pair of tickets to The Go-Between at the Apollo Theatre in London, simply visit www.essence-magazine.co.uk and answer the following question: Who wrote The Go-Between? a) William Shakespeare b) P.D. James c) L.P. Hartley Closing date 20 May 2016

essence INFO

Apollo Theatre 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7EZ Box office: 0330 333 4809 Website: thegobetweenmusical.com Booking until 15 October 2016 Terms and conditions apply Prize is subject to availability. Winner’s tickets are valid until 3 June 2016. Prize is as stated and cannot be transferred or exchanged.

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essence events

spotlight on...

Hampton Court Palace Festival 2016 Wednesday 8 to Thursday 23 June The Hampton Court Palace Festival returns to the stunning and historic surround of the Tudor Courtyard with a collection of world-class acts.

The schedule and line-up for 2016 is as follows: Wednesday 8, Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 June: legendary singer Tom Jones; Thursday 9 June: powerhouse vocalist Anastacia; Friday 10 June: Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, with Pauline Black from The Selecter; Saturday 11 June: Fanfare & Fireworks with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra; Tuesday 14 June: the incredible singer/songwriter Van Morrison (pictured right); Friday 17 June: acclaimed performer Caro Emerald; Saturday 18 June: ten-time Grammy award-winner George Benson; Wednesday 22 June: the unrivalled Art Garfunkel and on Thursday 23 June: Katherine Jenkins performs a tribute and celebration for the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Information: hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com

Richmond Theatre Richmond Monday 9 to Saturday 14 May King Lear Marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, a new interpretation of this great tragedy.

Age 14+.

Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21 May Tom the Musical Celebrating the life and music of Tom Jones.

Sunday 22 May Gyles Brandreth Comedic word-meister on tour.

Tuesday 31 May to Wednesday 1 June Northern Ballet The company performs Jane Eyre and the Tortoise & the Hare.

Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May My First Ballet: Sleeping Beauty English National Ballet present the popular fairytale especially for children aged three and upwards.

Monday 30 May to Saturday 4 June Heartbeat The popular ITV show is recreated for the stage.

Tickets: 0844 871 7645 or ambassadortickets.com/woking

Adrian Mann Theatre Epsom Wednesday 18 to Saturday 21 May Annie The Musical Banstead and Nork Amateur Operatic Society present this popular production.

Information: 07716 496878 or nescot.ac.uk

Tickets: 0844 871 7651 or

Camberley Theatre

ambassadortickets.com/richmond

Camberley

New Victoria Theatre Woking Wednesday 18 May Mercury – The Ultimate Queen Tribute Authentic performances of popular Queen hits.

66 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Wednesday 25 May Shakespeare Untold Shakespeare’s Globe and Seabright Productions present stories based on the plays of William Shakespeare: Romeo Untold and Titus Untold.

Information: 01276 707600 or camberleytheatre.biz

Photo credit: Bradley Quinn

theatre

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essence events Cranleigh Arts Centre

G Live

Cranleigh

Guildford

Wednesday 18 May Mark Steel: Who Do I Think I Am? Thought-provoking comedian with a brand new tour.

Tuesday 17 May Balletboyz: Life All male company of ten dancers perform a brand new show taking an elegant and provocative look at life and death.

Friday 27 May Tom Stade: You’re Welcome!

Canadian comedian ruminates on life’s oddities and shortcomings.

The Electric Theatre Guildford Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 May Time and the Conways Family drama from the pen of J.B. Priestley.

Information: 01483 369350 or glive.co.uk

Information: 01483 444789 or

Rose Theatre

electrictheatre.co.uk

Kingston-upon-Thames

epsomplayhouse.co.uk

Sunday 8 May The All Star Stand-Up Tour 2016 Perhaps the biggest comedy tour of the year, Gary Delaney, Pete Firman, Jarred Christmas and Sean Hughes appear for one night only at the Rose.

Saturday 14 May to Sunday 5 June King John A production marking Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary, Trevor Nunn returns to direct Shakespeare’s epic battle of ascension.

Sunday 22 May An audience with Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe Strictly Come Dancing favourites perform a dance showcase mixing ballroom and latin movements.

Farnham Maltings

rosetheatrekingston.org

Epsom Playhouse Epsom Thursday 26 May Hay Fever Noël Coward’s comedy of manners written in 1924.

Thursday 26 May Croft & Pearce Comedy sketches from Hannah Croft and Fiona Pearce of BBC Radio 4 fame.

Tuesday 31 May Pop Factor A show for all the family celebrating the biggest popstars and current chart hits.

Information: 01372 742555 or

Information: 020 8174 0090 or

Farnham Tuesday 17 May Stones in his Pockets The hit comedy in its twentieth anniversary year. A quiet Irish village community is turned upside down when a Hollywood film crew arrives.

Information: 01252 745444 or farnhammaltings.com

Guildford Fringe The Star Inn, Quarry St, Guildford Saturday 21 May, 8pm Guildford Gag House Comedy Club Fringe favourite Abi Roberts hosts with appearances from Tania Edwards, Jon Long and Markus Birdman. For more details, see the website.

Information: guildfordfringe.com

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford

Nigel Kennedy, G Live

Photography by Ash

Information: 01483 278000 or cranleighartscentre.org

Madison Whitley, English National Ballet School, My First Ballet, New Victoria Theatre

Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 May The Merry Wives Comedic and entertaining Shakespeare, full of colourful characters and verbal fun.

Monday 23 to Saturday 28 May The 39 Steps Four actors play 130 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun action based on the John Buchan book and Alfred Hitchcock’s film.

Monday 30 May to Saturday 4 June After Miss Julie Helen George stars in a compelling, erotic, psychological thriller.

Tickets: 01483 440000 or yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

68 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016 Helen George, After Miss Julie, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

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spotlight on...

Surrey County Show 2016 Stoke Park, Guildford Monday 30 May, gates open 8am There really is something for everyone at this superb family day out which brings together hundreds of animals, food and drink, top class entertainment, rural crafts and competition on the 66 acre Stoke Park site. Just a few of this year’s highlights include masses of livestock competing for the coveted Surrey County Show rosettes and prize cards; The Countryside Arena showcasing falconry, gun dogs, terrier racing, sheepdogs and lots more throughout the day; Miller’s Ark Petting Farm with goats and kids, sheep and lambs and miniature donkeys; The James Dylan Motorcycle Stunt Team; Surrey Food Theatre with Dan Britten, Simon Taylor and the Abinger Cookery School; a ring dedicated to dogs and lots of shopping opportunities for clothing, jewellery, homewares and unique crafts. Tickets on sale now.

Information: surreycountyshow.co.uk

music Cranleigh Arts Centre Cranleigh Saturday 21 May, 8.30pm We Remember Joe Cocker Seven piece band, featuring Paul Cox on vocals, celebrate the 50 year legacy of the great Joe Cocker.

Saturday 28 May, 8pm Fred’s House Five piece band mix elements of folk/pop, country, rock and west coast with a seventies’ vibe... sounds intriguing.

Investec International Music Festival 2016

Surrey Community Music Society

Various venues

Holy Trinity Church, Claygate

Thursday 5 to Saturday 7 May See The Clare Teal trio on 5 May at Denbies Wine Estate; on 6 May Dmitry Sitkovetsky plays Bach at the Holy Trinity Church in Guildford and violinist Nicola Benedetti appears at St Teresa’s, Effingham on 7 May.

Saturday 14 May, 7.30pm The 140-voice Elmbridge Choir and the 90-voice Elmbridge Ladies Choir join forces to perform ‘The Joys of Spring’ in support of Leatherhead-based charity, Freewheelers Theatre and Media Company. Hear new songs and a few old favourites, from folk to light opera, movie songs to musical theatre; something for everyone.

Information: 01483 444334 or visitguildford.com or shimf.co.uk

ONE LIVE: A Concert for One Medicine

Information: 01483 278000 or

Loseley Park, Guildford

cranleighartscentre.org

Saturday 4 June, 6–11pm Join Channel 4’s Supervet Noel Fitzpatrick and friends at this festival in support of The Humanimal Trust.

Bands confirmed include Starsailor, The Feeling, Scouting for Girls, Sound of the Sirens and Reef.

G Live Guildford

exhibitions The Art Agency Esher To Saturday 28 May Jo Quigley Jo works in a variety of media, but particularly in acrylic, and her favourite subjects are wildlife and people.

Information: 01372 466740 or theartagency.co.uk

Dorking Museum

Information: surreymusic.org and

West Street, Dorking

ticketbasket.co.uk

Saturday 28 May South Street Caves open day Tours of these fascinating caves.

Vivace Chorus and the Brandenburg Sinfonia G Live, Guildford

Information: 01306 876591 or dorkingmuseum.org.uk

Saturday 11 June, 7.30pm Choral Concert Performances of works by John Rutter and Jonathan Willcocks.

Saturday 21 May, 7.30pm Chantez! A Night of French Music It’s difficult to beat the romance and beauty of the French composers Fauré, Ravel, Massenet and Franck. The Chorus will bring together some of their best work in a celebration of French choral music as they perform Panis Angelicus and Cantique de Jean Racine, finishing with the beautiful Requiem by Gabriel Fauré.

To Sunday 22 May Threads of Meaning The latest textile exhibition from The Wey Valley Workshop.

Saturday 28 May to Sunday 19 June The Makers Art 2016 An exhibition from the Society of Designer Craftsmen, North Surrey, offering ceramics, glass and jewellery.

Information: 01483 369350 or

Information: 01428 682158 or

Information: 01483 369350 or

Information: 01483 444751 or

glive.co.uk

southernpromusica.org

glive.co.uk or vivacechorus.org

guildford.gov.uk/guildfordhouse

Tuesday 24 May, 7.30pm Nigel Kennedy Renowned British violinist Nigel Kennedy performs an acoustic and new interpretation of his Four Seasons, along with his composition, Dedications.

Wednesday 25 May, 8pm Graham Nash Legendary singer-songwriter on tour with guitarist Shane Fontayne.

Information: onelivefestival.co.uk

Southern Pro Musica Holy Trinity Church, Guildford

Guildford House Gallery Guildford

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essence events

cinemas

Cranleigh Arts Centre 01483 278000 or cranleighartscentre.org Farnham Maltings 01252 745444 or farnhammaltings.com Odeon Esher 0871 2244007 or odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_times/s89/esher Odeon Epsom 0871 2244007 or odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_times/s88/epsom Odeon Guildford 0871 2244007 or odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_times/s92/guildford The Screen Walton 01932 252825 or screencinemas.co.uk The Ambassadors Cinema, Woking 0844 871 6743 or ambassadortickets.com/cinema Pilgrim, Surrey Hills CowParade, Watts Gallery

Haslemere Museum Haslemere To Saturday 28 May Curators on our Doorstep Paintings chosen by local people from the Museum’s fine art collection.

Information: 01428 642112 or

Saturday 21 May to Sunday 24 July The Road to Abstraction: The Ingram Collection Featuring works by Henry Moore, John Tunnard and many more.

Information: 01483 737800 or thelightbox.org.uk

haslemeremuseum.co.uk

near Haslemere

Godalming

Sunday 5, Friday 10 to Sunday 12 and Friday 17 to Sunday 19 June, Art & Soul Local artists David Paynter and Helen Pittick stage their fifth Open Studio exhibition bringing together more than 20 artists in the setting of David’s house, studio and grounds.

Information: 01483 860591 or mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk

New Ashgate Gallery

Information: 07799 653093 or

Farnham

theartful gallery.co.uk

To Saturday 4 June Rural and Urban Perspectives: A Photographer’s View Five photographers present their perspective on dynamic urban and rural settings.

To Saturday 4 June Sally Anne Fitter and Celia Wilkinson: Outside and In Colourful collages and landscapes.

Information: 01252 713208 or newashgate.org.uk

The Lightbox Gallery and Museum Woking To Sunday 3 July Tim Rudman: Iceland – An Uneasy Calm This exhibition celebrates Tim’s travels through Iceland.

Messenger by John Tunnard (1900–1971), The Road to Abstraction, The Lightbox

Watts Gallery Compton, Guildford To Sunday 5 June Poetry in Beauty: The Pre-Raphaelite Art of Marie Spartali Stillman Showcasing the importance of this admired female artist.

To Saturday 3 September Surrey Hills CowParade See the life-size cow, Pilgrim, inspired by the art of G F and Mary Watts. It will be on display until it is herded along to the inaugural Surrey Hills Food, Drink and Music Festival in September where it’ll be auctioned off for charity with the other CowParade cows.

Information: 01483 813593 or wattsgallery.org.uk

© National Trust/Ian Shaw

To Tuesday 17 May Solo exhibition: David Atkins Leading contemporary landscape painter with his sixth solo exhibition.

© The Estate of John Tunnard

The Artful Gallery McAllister Thomas

70 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016 Polesden Lacey’s beautiful garden

national trust

out & about

National Trust properties offer

Bocketts Farm

perfect venues in which visitors

Leatherhead

can play and relax. A few are shown

Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June Spring spectacular Meet birds of prey and watch flying displays (Tuesday to Friday). Plus lots of friendly farm animals, pony rides, pig racing, Treehouse Towers outdoor play and indoor play barns.

here, but visit nationaltrust.org.uk for more.

Claremont Landscape Garden Esher Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June, 10am–5pm Half term shoe trail Learn about what our ancestors wore on their feet.

Information: bockettsfarm.co.uk

©The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

1 May 16_Layout 1 02/05/2016 16:10 Page 7

Elephant orphans in Kenya under the care of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Brooklands Museum

Godstone Farm

Weybridge

Godstone, near Caterham Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June May half term See birds of prey this half term.

Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 May and Friday 3 June, 10am–3pm Half term activities Small donation for some activities.

Saturday 14 May, 10am–10pm The 1940s relived A vintage market, live music, re-enactors and a display of classic commercial vehicles.

Tuesday 31 May to Friday 3 June Half term family fun Popular car rides, fun children’s trails and family workshops.

Information: 01372 220644

Information: 01932 857381 or

Information: hobbledown.com

Information: 01372 467806

Box Hill Near Dorking

Information: godstonefarm.co.uk

East Clandon, Guildford

Horton Lane, Epsom Open all year Have fun in the play barn and more.

Thursday 26 May, 8–10pm Bat walk Bat detectors provided.

Information: 01483 222482

Leith Hill Place Near Dorking Friday 27 May, 11am–1pm Family orienteering Family-friendly orienteering trail.

Information: 01306 711685

Polesden Lacey Great Bookham, near Dorking Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June, 10am–3.30pm Edwardian explorer trail Visit mapped ‘survival points’.

Information: 01372 452048

Painshill Park The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Clapham Common Saturday 11 June, start 10.30am The Enormous Elephant Run An early notification here for a great cause. Raise money for elephants dressed as an elephant and help the Trust to protect a species in dire need. Register to run, jog or walk 5k, 10k or 15k at Clapham Common in an elephant costume which is part of the registration pack. All proceeds to the Trust to help fund its work with elephants in Kenya. Families, teams and corporate entries welcome.

Information: runforelephants.com

Dunsborough Park Ripley

Winkworth Arboretum

Information: 01483 208477 or

Sunday 12 June, 12 noon–4.30pm Garden open day for the National Gardens Scheme Tea and cakes at beautiful Dunsborough Park. All proceeds from the teas will help support local homeless and vulnerable people.

nationaltrust.org.uk

Information: dunsboroughpark.com

Godalming Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June, 10am–4pm Half term trail Fun children’s trail.

Information: rhs.org.uk/wisley

Surrey Wildlife Trust Various locations

Hobbledown Farm

brooklandsmuseum.com

Hatchlands Park

Saturday 28 May to Sunday 5 June Half term outdoor adventures Scouting-themed activities.

Cobham Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 June Story Pocket Theatre The Arabian Nights and A Pocketful of Grimms beautifully performed in the Painshill Conservatory.

Thursday 12 May, 6.30–8pm Spring in Staffhurst Wood A mile long guided walk.

Thursday 26 May, 6.30–8.30pm An evening at Norbury Park, Leatherhead A three mile guided walk looking at habitats and their management.

Information: 01483 795440 or surreywildlifetrust.org

sport

Booking: 01932 868113 or painshill.co.uk

Epsom Derby Epsom Downs Racecourse

RHS Garden Wisley Woking Thursday 12 May Bat walk The secret world of bats at sunset.

Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June Classic and historical flat racing with Ladies’ Day on Friday and Derby Day on Saturday.

Information: epsomderby.co.uk

farmers’ markets Camberley Saturday 21 May, 10am–3pm Cranleigh Every Friday, 9.30–11am Epsom Sunday 1 May and 5 June, 9.30am–1.30pm Farnham Sunday 22 May, 10am–1.30pm Guildford Tuesday 3 May and 7 June, 10.30am–3.30pm Haslemere Sunday 1 May and 5 June, 10am–1.30pm Milford Sunday 15 May, 10am–1.30pm Ripley Saturday 14 May, 9am–1pm Walton-on-Thames Saturday 7 May and 4 June, 9.30am–2pm Woking Thursday 19 May, 9am–2.30pm

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 71

Sculpture_Layout 1 06/05/2016 12:27 Page 1

Jon Buck, Ship to Shore (Maquette), 2009, Edition of 10, 78x40cm COURTESY OF PANGOLIN LONDON

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Sculpture | PANGOLIN GALLERY

Lynn Chadwick, Sitting Couple on Bench

William Tucker, Void, 2005, Bronze, Edition of 4, 68x68x102cm

Sculpture

trails

Pangolin London’s Sculpture Trail includes large scale works by a host of artists both within the gallery and canal side at Kings Place, Kings Cross, and is fast developing a reputation as one of the UK’s most dynamic sculpture trails.

T

imed to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Pangolin London will present an ambitious exhibition that brings the 'outdoors in', converting its gallery space into a lush formal garden complete with trees and water features.

‘Sculpture in the Garden’ is the second exhibition in the series created by the gallery, which began with ‘Sculpture in the Home’ in 2014. That exhibition was based on the touring exhibitions of the same name curated by the Arts Council England in the 1940s and ‘50s. These exhibitions offer an opportunity to view sculpture in a fresh and different way and encourage audiences to engage with sculpture beyond the traditional gallery or museum setting.

Working with a garden designer, the inside of the Pangolin London’s Kings Cross premises will be transformed into a garden with three parts: a wooded area, a formal garden and a walled garden. The exhibition aims to explore how sculpture has been synonymous with the garden since ancient times and is intended to inspire the viewer to consider sculpture as a valid addition to any space, whether it be the smallest urban roof terrace or a large country garden.

A first of its kind, the exhibition includes work ranging from established sculptors such as Lynn Chadwick, Ann Christopher, William Tucker and Peter Randall-Page to emerging sculptors all working on a variety of scales and budgets. 

'Baboon', by Michael Cooper, bronze, edition 2 of 6, 88x44cm ALL IMAGES ABOVE COURTESY OF PANGOLIN LONDON

Profile: Pangolin London Pangolin London is one of the city’s few galleries dedicated to exhibiting sculpture. Representing both established, emerging artists and artist estates, Pangolin London curates a dynamic exhibition programme that focuses on the historic developments of British sculpture as well as the cutting-edge contemporary.

The gallery’s affiliation with Europe’s leading sculpture foundry, Pangolin Editions, enables it to offer a unique service to both collector and artist alike, with expertise in all areas of the making, commissioning and installation of sculpture.

To support sculpture from grass roots, Pangolin London organises a bi-annual sculpture residency in collaboration with the PJLF Arts Fund. Based in Kings Cross, the gallery exhibits sculpture in its specially designed gallery and also throughout the public spaces of the culture hub Kings Place and along the canal side.

essence INFO Sculpture in the Garden Pangolin London, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9AG Friday 13 May to Saturday 9 July 2016 Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am–6pm, closed Bank Holidays and between exhibitions Telephone: 020 7520 1480 Website: www.pangolinlondon.com

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 73

Soap Stone_Layout 1 06/05/2016 12:28 Page 1

THE WONDERS OF

SOAPSTONE Soapstone is often overlooked in the interiors’ world and frequently takes a backseat to the more glamorous marble and granite. One company, SPARQ home is rapidly altering the perception of this stone by marketing collections of barware, tableware and cookware crafted entirely from soapstone, giving this unusual material its own time in the limelight, Emily Bird found out more.

W

ith a name derived from its ‘soapy’ soft feel, soapstone has been mined for thousands of years and is formed at convergent plate boundaries where the earth’s crust is exposed to constant heat and direct pressure. Traditionally used in the creation of handmade ornaments, and even gravestones, thanks to the stone’s easy-to-carve properties, its modern uses include kitchen construction.

It is still used to create intricately carved sculptures to this day.

Established by Steven Chavez and Justin English, SPARQ home was formed when the founders discovered the wastage left from soapstone quarries around the world.

The soft, carvable quality of the rock is a negative aspect in the mining stages as, when drilled, soapstone breaks into smaller pieces often too small for many of the industries that require it.

On learning of the extensive waste of this undervalued and incredibly useful material, Steven and Justin set about transforming the discarded stone into beautiful and impeccably stylish accessories for the home.

Boasting a host of beneficial properties, soapstone is one of the best natural materials for conducting and maintaining temperatures, making

Profile: SPARQ home Originally, SPARQ home was founded on a mission to preserve nature’s soapstone quarries across the globe. In most quarries, up to eighty per cent of all soapstone mined is deemed waste or scrap material. For businesses such as kitchen construction, large, flawless slabs of soapstone are hard to come by with each cut of stone evaluated and claimed as scrap or useful.

When making large cuts of stone, the scrap far outweighs the useful slabs.

As such, these blocks of scrap stone are left behind, lining the roads of the quarries. From an aesthetic view, the blocks of stone destroy the landscape of the quarries and from a pure environmental angle, these blocks are left to die, wasted on the roadside.

In an effort to regain control of soapstone waste, and make useful a stone that has so much to offer, founders Steven Chavez and Justin English have set out to clean up the disastrous quarries worldwide and find a purpose for the discarded soapstone. This is where SPARQ home was born as Steven and Justin turned to the stone’s natural properties of maintaining warm and cool temperatures.

Building on the success of the company’s soapstone product line, Steven and Justin expanded into stainless steel, bringing the same level of sophisticated design and usefulness to entertaining ware.

74 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

Serving Slab, medium

Soap Stone_Layout 1 06/05/2016 12:28 Page 2

Home accessories | SPARQ

Sparq Whiskey Spheres, set of two

Tequila Shooters, set of four

Physical properties of soapstone Soapstone is composed primarily of talc (where the powder comes from) and shares many physical properties with that mineral. These properties make soapstone valuable for many different uses. The stone’s physical properties include: soft and very easy to carve non porous non absorbent low electrical conductivity heat resistant high specific heat capacity resistant to acids and alkalis

• • • • • • •

Soapstone is a rock and its mineral composition can vary. Its composition depends upon the parent rock material and the temperature/pressure conditions of its metamorphic environment. As a result, the physical properties of the soapstone can vary from quarry to quarry and even within a single rock unit.

it fantastic in the making of serveware and barware. Both non-porous and non-absorbent, it is ideal for serving food as it will not stain and the stone’s resistance to acids and alkalis also make it a wonderful material for drinking vessels.

SPARQ home has developed a wide collection of home accessories to take advantage of soapstone’s quality of retaining both cool and hot temperatures with ease. From oven-to-table platters to pizza stones and serving slabs, keeping meals warm at dinner parties is a simple task, and each piece can be cooled to transform the items into serveware for chilled cheeses, charcuterie and desserts.

Whiskey rocks, increasingly gaining in popularity as a way to chill drinks without watering them down, are also available, with the soapstone holding the cold temperature much longer than other forms of ice replacement. Whilst the classic square rock shapes are available in both large and small sizes, whiskey spheres can also be found which offer a design-led addition to a favourite cocktail.  essence INFO SPARQ home’s collection is now available at Amara.

Website: www.amara.com and www.store.sparqhome.com

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 75

Humphrey Munson design and make award-winning and beautiful handmade kitchens. Each bespoke kitchen is handcrafted by a team of the finest cabinetmakers who combine a passion for their craft with expert technical knowledge.

The Nickleby design (shown) embodies the true spirit of the classic contemporary kitchen. Using a combination of painted solid wood cupboards and natural wood accent units, this kitchen features touches of luxury throughout.

www.humphreymunson.co.uk

THE DARCYS

PARK LANE | ASHTEAD | SURREY | KT21 1EJ

HOMES OF DISTINCTION LAUNCHING 14TH MAY The Darcys is a charming private development of four luxury detached 5 bedroom homes and is situated in a peaceful residential area located just a short stroll from the quaint village of Ashtead.

To register your interest please call:

01372 225007 or our selling agent Patrick Gardner on 01372 360832 Alternatively visit shanlyhomes.com

.

Computer generated image of The Darcys. Internal photography of previous Shanly Homes development.

Penthouse in the Pavilion

Leading design house Morpheus London is renowned for creating exceptional properties in the world’s most desirable locations, one of which is The Penthouse at the Pavilion development in St John’s Wood. They shared their thoughts on this, one of their favourite projects, with Jane Pople.

W

ith over 20 years’ experience in the luxury sector, Morpheus’ passion for design excellence and attention to detail has delivered pretty incredible results. The company has designed some of the most luxurious properties in the world, including projects in Singapore, Courchevel and Monte Carlo. This particular project in St John’s Wood had its own challenges, as they all do.

No set brief meant the owner was happy to follow Morpheus’ lead, trusting them to deliver a luxurious feel without over embellishment or feeling over the top. The preference was for rich, sumptuous materials, including leathers and silks, but with a desire for a bright overall look. Thoughtful layout and a stipulation for a dedicated study and ample storage options were a necessity. Given these

78 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

criteria, the company was able to design bespoke furniture and joinery items, but above all it was essential the stunning views were maintained and enhanced for the cricket-loving owner.

Creation/planning process Morpheus worked through detailed design stages with the client before progressing through full project management. In addition to the design, this included co-ordination with structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, dealing with building management, all landlord agreements and building control.

This was a perfect project for the team as the client gave absolute trust; so much so that the client’s wife didn’t actually see the property until the day >>> before handover.

Interiors | MORPHEUS LONDON

MAY 2016 | essence-magazine.co.uk 79

Favourite room/part of the project The views from this apartment are wonderful.

Morpheus’ favourite part was travelling up to the penthouse in the lift, turning to enter the main reception and being greeted by an expanse of light flooding the room with a huge vista across the famous cricket ground. As the client loved cricket, changes were incorporated to improve layout and dramatically enhance these views. The views over Lords Cricket Ground are completely uninterrupted and can be seen from the penthouse’s 25 metre terrace, as well as from the main reception room, dining area and study.

The penthouse is fortunate to have its own private, tranquil garden to the rear of the property, with panoramic views of the London skyline, and is a peaceful haven amidst the bustle of the city.

As on all of its projects, Morpheus designed beautiful items of furniture and joinery, including the Thomas James’ entrance hallway console and the Thomas James’ dining table, some of the stand out items of furniture in the apartment. Design details include the fine brass inlay detailing within the fitted joinery and door details. These details incorporate a common thread carried throughout the apartment.

80 essence-magazine.co.uk | MAY 2016

A favourite room is the master bathroom.

The rear wall of the bathroom is overlaid in book match marble with the vanity unit, complete with double basins, bespoke designed in a soft, fluid, concave style. Wall mounted taps add to the sleek and minimal look, whilst the large shower area has the showerhead recessed into the ceiling. Lighting throughout the bathroom is subtle and warm, in particular with the back lit mirror and cove lighting over the bath area which causes warm light to wash downwards over the marble.

Project challenges There were mechanical issues and having to upgrade or introduce new technology into the penthouse, such as audiovisual systems.

The logistics of transporting all of the joinery and certain items of furniture up into the penthouse were interesting at times. The design had to be considered to ensure everything could be installed and fitted. Whilst the penthouse has its own private lift access, it was not large enough to accommodate the sofas, and so each of these had to be carried up eleven flights of stairs!

essence INFO

Penthouse Apartment, The Pavilion, St Johns Wood, London Floor area: 3,600 square feet Project time taken: ten months Websites: www.morpheuslondon.com and www.amara.com.

About Jane Pople Jane Pople has over five years experience writing about interiors and the design industry, favouring emerging designers and new talent.

This article first appeared in The Lux Pad, www.amara.com/luxpad.

The

essence

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