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contents Issue 95 | OCTOBER 2018

6 | Theatre interview | NEIL OLIVER

Neil Oliver has launched a dazzling history of Britain and ta en it on tour. ames ampton finds out more about the television historian’s motivation and The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places.

14 | Garden design | ALLADIO SIMS

6

Emanuela of Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design sho s us ho to embrace har est time hen e finall reap the rewards of home-grown fruit and vegetables.

16 | Interview | ANJLI MOHINDRA

The intense BBC One thriller, Bodyguard, was something li e a domestic ason ourne film. n li Mohindra played terrorist bomb maker Nadia in Jed Mercurio’s gripping drama. Andrew Peters asked n li about that role and her blossoming career.

22 | Travel | THE EVIAN RESORT

Kevin Pilley seeks out luxurious spa treatments and more at The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort on the banks of Lake Geneva.

28 | Motoring | ASTON MARTIN

16

The return of not one, but two, illustrious names, DBS and Superleggera, continue Aston Martin’s revival combining to provide yet another model to drive the compan s profitabilit . uan ohns disco ers hat all the fuss is about.

32 | Fashion | DAKS

The inspiration for the DAKS autumn/winter 2018 collection is a meeting on a romantic winter afternoon, rich in colours, prints and window checks.

36 | Fashion accessories | PICKETT

Pickett has been handmaking luxury leather items in Britain for over three decades, with 2018 marking its thirtieth anniversary. essence spoke to Pickett’s founder, Trevor Pickett, about how he has always championed British craftsmanship.

42 | Legal | MUNDAYS

28

Gemma James is a Partner in the Commercial Property Department at Mundays LLP and explains how not to get tied up in nots if our propert is identified as having Japanese Knotweed.

48 | Artisan food | EAT SURREY

Shirlee Posner introduces readers to a company she was immediately drawn to: Dorking’s Gin Kitchen.

50 | Food review | STEPHANIE BROOKES

Stephanie Brookes, BBC Radio London food expert, offers her pick of an eating establishment for this month, a taste of Italy at Marcella in Deptford.

56 | Events | SURREY

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

32

62 | essence | PROPERTY

selection of the area s finest houses from some of Surrey’s best estate agents.

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APPEAL Disappearing Dawn Chorus A preparation for the 85th anniversary of Wild Birds Protection The Dawn Chorus is dwindling, and wild birds are rapidly declining in numbers; the planet may perhaps fall silent again.

This was a concern for Eric Parker (1870–1955), pioneer conservationist whose work helped push through the Wild Birds Protection Act that came into force in May 1934, 85 years ago next spring. Parker lived and worked in Surrey, near Godalming. Parker campaigned vigorously for legislation against the indiscriminate gathering of wild birds’ eggs, alongside hunting and other destructive activity. He talks about the period that led to the passing of the Wild Birds act in 1934 as ‘that year of blessed memory’.

David Lewiston Sharpe is a composer and has worked with the Royal Philharmonic. David has set verses by Eric Parker which give sad, soulful expression to the plight of song birds – his Song of the Nightingale. The plan is to present the new song cycle, sung by astounding mezzo soprano Phoebe Haines, in a programme with the Royal Philharmonic alongside works by Elgar, Delius, Butterworth and Respighi – all inspired by the natural world. The concert will aid the work of scientific research and practical activity to promote work towards avian conservation. I invite essence readers to get in touch –

please help to fund this concert and important conservation work.

essence INFO Birds on the Wire & the Waves Wild Birds Protection – 85th Anniversary Concert, Sunday, 12 May 2019, Cadogan Hall Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra Phoebe Haines (mezzo soprano) David Lewiston Sharpe (conductor) Programme: Lewiston Sharpe/Parker The Song of the Nightingale, Butterworth Banks of Green Willow, Elgar 3 Songs, Sea-Pictures, Chanson de matin & de nuit, Delius Summer Night on the River, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring, Respighi The Birds Contact: davidlewistonsharpe@gmail.com/020 8362 9971

4 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Surrey Sculpture Society

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www.surreysculpture.org.uk 0 essence-magazine.co.uk | XXXXXXXXXX 2018

62 48 essence 95 COVER: NEIL OLIVER

essence team

Editor: Andrew Guilor Contributing editor: Louise Alexander Publishing manager: Rebecca Peters Production manager: Linda Seward Designer: Sharon Smith Digital design: Jason Mayes telephone: 01932 988677 email: editor@essence-magazine.co.uk Sales director: Debbie Pell telephone: 07836 565699 or 01932 834907 email: debbie@essence-magazine.co.uk Commercial director: Jane Barnfield-Jukes telephone: 07795 206030 or 01932 834900 email: jane@essence-magazine.co.uk Contributors: Kevin Pilley, Andrew Peters, James Rampton, Euan Johns, Stephanie Brookes, Emanuela Alladio, PJ Aldred, Jennifer Sutton, Shirlee Posner, Linda Seward, Gemma James.

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 reaches key addresses in Cobham, Oxshott, Esher, Weybridge, Guildford and outlying areas. Properties in all the major private estates, including St George’s Hill, the Crown Estate and Wentworth Estate, receive the magazine 10 times per year. essence is also distributed to selected estate agents and is available at city businesses and all esa apartments throughout 17 locations in the south-east.

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16 Defining times Historian Neil Oliver admits that he had a real job on his hands trying to define the British Isles in just 100 places. He’s extremely passionate about his subject and surprisingly has managed the task, but does admit it could have been 500.

He discusses with essence his new book and theatre tour The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places and how he’s nervous performing live.

BBC One’s drama Bodyguard was yet another gripping thriller from creator Jed Mercurio, providing us with heart-stopping moments throughout. But perhaps none more so than at the very beginning and end of the six part series.

Anjli Mohindra played bomb maker Nadia, and talks to essence about that role and her burgeoning career that began with The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Also in the magazine, Kevin Pilley explores the spa delights of The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort situated on the French shores of Lake Geneva. Fashion comes in the form of the DAKS autumn/winter collection and provides ideas and style for cooler weather. Euan Johns looks at the resurrection of two famous names with Aston Martin’s exciting lightweight Superleggara.

Emanuela of Alladio Sims Garden Design celebrates harvest time and explains how to embrace and enjoy the fruits of garden labours, Stephanie Brookes samples a taste of Italy at Marcella in Deptford, whilst Shirlee Posner introduces essence readers to Dorking’s Gin Kitchen.

As always, this issue of essence has a mix of health, beauty and legal advice, alongside the diary of events and places to visit, together with the pick of some of the region’s finest properties.

The essence team

© Maple Publishing 2018 Maple Publishing Limited, Howard House, 70 Baker Street, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 8AL

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 5

HISTORY ON TOUR Long-haired historian Neil Oliver could be starring in Poldark, instead he’s launched a dazzling history of Britain and taken it on tour. James Rampton finds out more about the TV heartthrob’s motivation and The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places.

St Michael’s Mount PHOTO COPYRIGHT: JULIAN ELLIOTT | 123RF.COM

Q Neil, what inspired you to go on tour with your compelling show, The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places?

A I saw a flyer for Ray Mears’ show. He was going to be playing at the Albert Halls near us in Stirling and my wife said to me: “Why don’t you do a show like that?” I’ve done lots of book tours and festivals before, and I began to think the book that had been commissioned from me, The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places, would lend itself particularly well to a tour of Britain. So I decided to do it, and now I’m really excited about it.

Q How did you go about selecting those 100 places?

A Writing is 50% of what I do and I’m always thinking about the next book. Over the last 20 years, TV has taken me on a very unusual tour of Britain. As well as iconic places such as the White Cliffs of Dover, Edinburgh and Cardiff, I’ve gone to unexpected, remote sites that take quite a lot of getting to. They are places that people have never heard of. So I’d become aware that an idiosyncratic chronology of the British Isles had formed in my head.

Q Can you expand on that?

A I had seen everything from very early human settlements around Happisburgh, where there are footprints from 800,000 years ago, through the Stone and Metal Ages to sites connected to great moments from a more modern era. I thought I could easily choose 100 places – in fact, I could have chosen 500. I realised there was a story to be told from very early to modern times by introducing people to these places.

Q Do you have a favourite?

A That is very hard because there are so many places in the British Isles that I love. For instance, Iona is somewhere I’ve been a lot over the years, and I love it. It’s a great centre of Christianity, but beyond that it’s a very spiritual place because of the look of it. It’s a little island with a beautiful shape. It has turquoise seas, pink rocks and a wonderful abbey that dates back many centuries. It’s a lovely, relaxing place to be.

Q Anywhere else?

A I love Avebury. I was taken there as an archaeology student in my teens, and I’ve visited it many times since. Whatever you think magic

6 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

is, there is magic in Avebury. There is something there that just lets your imagination run free. It makes you think differently about the world.

It’s a very special place. I also love St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall.

It’s a splendid site that has all these amazing legends about giants and dragons associated with it.

Q Do you have any other favourites?

A The Tower of London is a fascinating place. It’s an icon. I’ll be inviting audiences to look at it in a different way. It’s dwarfed by modern London and almost looks like a toy. But the parish church inside it, St Peter ad Vincula, is astonishing. In front of the altar is a shallow grave containing the bodies of Anne Boleyn, Catherine Howard, Lady Jane Grey, Thomas More, William Lord and many more. They are all there, having been dispatched by the executioner’s axe. It’s the antithesis of Westminster Abbey, where the glorious dead are revered. At the Tower of London, they are tucked away and buried in shallow graves to be forgotten.

Q Do you relish the prospect of meeting your fans face to face?

A Definitely. People always ask me really interesting questions. They ask me: “What’s your favourite place? What period of history would you go back to if you had a time machine? And who would you invite to a dinner party?” But the great thing is, the questions can be about literally anything. I’m not a specialist – I’m not just talking about the six wives of Henry VIII. In the show, I’ll be talking about anything that has happened in the last million years – quite a big subject! >>>

Theatre interview | NEIL OLIVER

“Yes, our civilisation is flawed, but it’s the best there is and we must ensure that we don’t coast to catastrophe.” Neil Oliver

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 7

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: GRANT BEED

Avebury PHOTO COPYRIGHT: STEPHEN MOOR | 123RF.COM

Q Are you looking forward to performing live?

A Yes, although I am nervous about it. People make the assumption that if you’re on television, you’re used to being looked at. I don’t deal with an audience in my TV work. I’m just with a cameraman, a soundman and a director. So the prospect of public speaking always makes me nervous – just as you’d be nervous about making a best man’s speech.

The tour is exciting, but nerve-racking. It’s the agony of anticipation, but I know it will ultimately be really enjoyable. I take great pleasure in telling stories, and I can’t wait to share them with people.

Q How do you maintain your passion for your subject?

A I’m always in the position of finding out that I don’t know anything.

Every day is a school day. I’m always realising that however many interesting facts I’ve picked up, I don’t know the half of it. I’m always thinking: “I don’t know enough.” That keeps me fascinated.

Q Where did you and your wife meet?

A My wife and I met at university. She is a journalist who worked for a long time in newspapers.

Q Are you passing on your passion to your three children?

A As a family, we’re always going to places of historical interest. We live in Stirling, the site of a great deal of history. In Stirling, we had the Jacobite Rebellion, William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots and James I of England. The kids hear a lot about all that.

Q Do you view history as a universal subject?

A Yes. Whether you’re rich or poor, educated or not, everybody is interested in history. It’s the stuff people talk about. It’s why we are the way we are. That’s why it’s so important to study history: it is such a shame that it’s been downgraded below IT and business studies.

Q Does history affect popular culture today?

A Definitely. The stuff that happened in Scotland during the mediaeval period was every bit as violent as Game of Thrones. If you think the House of Lannister is bloodthirsty, just take a look at what happened with the Campbells and MacDonalds!

Profile

Neil Oliver was born in Renfrewshire in Scotland. He studied archaeology at the University of Glasgow and worked as an archaeologist before training as a journalist.

In 2002 Neil made his television debut presenting BBC2’s Two Men in a Trench in which he and Tony Pollard visited historic British battlefields.

Since that time he has been a regular on television, presenting A History of Scotland, Vikings and Coast. Neil was appointed President of the National Trust in Scotland in 2017. He travels all the time, but his home is in Stirling with his wife, three children and an Irish Wolfhound.

Q Were your parents passionate about history?

A Yes. My dad was a salesman, not a history teacher, but when we were children he loved taking us to historic sites. He is a great lover of the West Highlands. We went to places like Glencoe and he was the first person to tell me about the Massacre of 1692. My dad’s enthusiasm for those places was infectious. I now have the same love of the West Highlands, probably absorbed from him.

Q Was there one thing when you were a boy that influenced your passion for history?

A Yes. I used to enjoy watching the film Zulu when I was young. The story is so well told: it’s very exciting and dramatic. It portrays the bravery on both sides. The Zulus come out of it with nobility. The film inspires a lot of emotions – it’s uplifting, but also violent. That kind of thing is bound to leave a mark on a youngster.

Q Did your enjoyment of that film continue later in life?

A Yes. At university, I met my good friend Tony Pollard. We discovered we shared a passion for films like Zulu and The Man Who Would Be King. We set up a project to investigate the battlefields of South Africa such as Rorke’s Drift and Isandlwana. Two Men in a Trench, our TV debut in 2002, happened because of that. So our shared interest in Zulu completely changed both our lives and lead us both into TV. Zulu was the fork in the road.

Q Why are we so fascinated by history?

A As animals, we’re curious about each other – hence the popularity of gossip magazines. History is part of that. From a very young age I was always interested in why things were the way they were. That same instinct draws to science people who want to know why the grass is green. Science deals with the how, history deals with the why and the who. As a child, you think: “Why do I live here?” Your parents say: “We moved here because of your dad’s work.” Or you hear that both your grandfathers survived the First World War, and you ask: “What is the First World War?” Very soon, it starts to become history. >>>

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Q Tell us more.

A Everyone is wired differently, but from early on I felt the need to understand why we had got to where we were. Why do we speak a different language from the people in France? Why are Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales different countries? These questions that children ask are answered by history.

Q Can yesterday teach us about today?

A Yes. Our current geopolitical situation is fascinating and complex.

Why are we at daggers drawn with Russia? Why did the recent poisoning in Salisbury happen? Why are we better off than people in Africa? It’s a long story that is 50,000 years old. It’s all because of history. You can’t understand anything without history. If the story of the world is a book, then all of us are born on a different page. If you only read a few lines around your page, you won’t understand the story.

Q What can we learn from the past?

A Everything makes more sense when you study history. The more history you read, the less judgemental you become. All the things that are happening now have happened before. It’s always been the case that people can’t get on with each other. If kids out there are worried about relations between the West and Russia, you can tell them that we’ve fallen out before. We’ve also been at war with America. Countries reach a high point and then they go through low points. That’s all explained by history. Like everyone else, politicians can have a better understanding of what’s happening by appreciating that there are patterns in history.

Q Does being famous ever get to you?

A No, it’s a manageable level of fame. Most days someone will say hello based on the fact that they recognise me from TV. Usually it’s something very pleasant like: “I love that film you made about Cornwall or Egypt.” It’s not a level of fame that means I can’t go out of the house.

I’m not followed by paparazzi. It is really nice.

Q You have presented several series of Coast. Why has that programme struck such a chord?

A I’ve now done series on the coasts of the British Isles, Brittany, Normandy, and Scandinavia, parts of the Baltic, Australia and New Zealand. We haven’t quite gone all over the world yet, but we’ll keep trying! The programme has a fairly simple premise. It invites people to remember and celebrate places close at hand that they might have forgotten about or not thought of since they were children. People love to be shown their own country from a different angle. Coast has these amazing aerial shots and people get a kick from seeing that in our show.

Q What have British viewers in particular gained from Coast?

A There’s nothing triumphalist about the series. It’s not declaring that Britain is the best country in the world. But it celebrates our country and allows people to see it in a new light. It shows the highs and lows of our history, the whole tapestry of life in Britain. It invites people to think that it’s actually a fascinating place. It also reminds you that if you spend half an hour in a bus, you can be at the coast and somewhere completely different.

10 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Roman Baths, Bath PHOTO COPYRIGHT: VISIT ENGLAND/BATH TOURISM PLUS/COLIN HAWKINS

Neil’s snapshot of Britain in five places Goat’s Hole Cave, Gower Peninsula Where a skeleton was discovered from 34,000 years ago. “There are places in Britain where the world feels old, where she shows her age.”

The Roman Baths, Bath, Somerset Where the modern world arrived with invaders from Italy. “When you get right down to it, the Roman invasion of Britain was driven by two politicians on the make.”

The Globe Theatre, London Where Shakespeare wrote and his work was performed. “The King James Bible, the works of William Shakespeare – the language of those creations has moved and shaped the whole world.”

Abbeystrewry Cemetery, Skibbereen, County Cork Where the victims of the Great Hunger of the 1800s are remembered. “Starvation, slavery – these are blights we associate with the story of Africa, but they are part of the story of the British Isles as well.”

The Old Kirk, Parton, Dumfries and Galloway Where the father of modern science, James Clerk Maxwell, is buried. “Without his imagination, his curiosity, we might live today in a world without radio, television, mobile phones and the internet.”

James Clerk Maxwell

Theatre interview | NEIL OLIVER

Q Do you think we often underestimate the wonders that are on our own doorstep?

A Yes. The advent of accessible air travel has encouraged people to think that if you want an adventure, you have to travel 10,000 miles.

A couple of generations now think that to be on holiday you have to be at least in Europe and probably in Asia. So our homeland has been not exactly neglected, but people have forgotten what’s here. It’s quite understandable. Time is precious, and if you only have two weeks a year for a family holiday, you may well want to go somewhere like Bali.

But people can forget that Pembrokeshire and Cornwall are wonderful too. Coast has shown people the far north of Scotland, the Atlantic coast of Ireland and Cumberland and made them think: “My God, there are stunning places within an hour’s drive of me.”

Q Does the same happen in other countries?

A Yes, it’s the same all over. In Australia and New Zealand, people come up to me and say: “We spent all our holidays going to Fiji, but your series has inspired us to visit places closer to home. We’ve lived here all our lives and never seen half of it.”

Q Why is the coast such an essential part of British culture?

A It’s part of our psyche. As Winston Churchill and others have pointed out, we are an island race. In the British Isles, you’re never more than 70 miles from the coast. It is ever present. For most of us growing up, holidays are about getting to the beach. Even though the weather is often inclement, when you go to the coast, it’s a completely different landscape for people who live in towns.

The Globe Theatre PHOTO COPYRIGHT: CLAUDIO DIVIZIA | 123RF.COM

Q The coast is vital to our history as well, isn’t it?

A Yes. For thousands of years, our trade has always come by the sea. We have defended our coastline from invasions and welcomed new arrivals there. Our history has always happened through the coast: think of 1066 or Henry VIII and the Cinque Ports. We are not a big island, and ours is a coastal story. The coast is woven through the tapestry of Britain.

Q You’re passionate about military archaeology which in part stems from a strong family connection with the First World War, doesn’t it?

A Yes. Both my grandfathers fought in the First World War. My dad’s dad joined up when he was 16. He fought around Albert and was wounded at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge. He came home but was sent back to the Front. He was involved at the Somme and also at Passchendaele. I sat on the knee of a man who knelt in the trenches at the Somme. Isn’t that incredible?

Q And what about your mum’s dad?

A He was younger. He almost certainly lied about his age to join up and went to fight at Gallipoli at the age of just 16. He was badly wounded by friendly fire and was sent home. In the Second World War, he tried to volunteer, but couldn’t because of the injuries from the bullet wound.

I find it amazing to think that a century ago my mum’s dad was fighting at Gallipoli. If you think back to then, you can see how far we have come. That’s the great thing about history. >>>

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 11

Iona Abbey PHOTO COPYRIGHT: LUCA QUADRIO | 123RF.COM

Q You studied archaeology – what is it that you find so interesting about the subject?

A It’s the opportunity to handle objects that were last handled by someone 8,000 years ago. No-one else has touched them until today.

You can also find the marks where people knelt. So, as well as finding evidence of the fighting at the Battle of the Somme, you can find the place where a soldier knelt to cook. That gives you a funny feeling.

Q What is the most exciting archaeological find you have made?

A At the battlefield at Isandlwana I found a bullet from a Martini-Henry rifle. I can be sure that was fired on 22 January 1879, probably around lunchtime. I also found the button from a soldier’s tunic. There could only be one reason why that was there. At a Neolithic site, I also found a scatter of flint tools. There were four bald spots in the middle where their feet had been. Whoever it was stood up from working with the tools and walked away, little knowing that 8,000 years later someone would find that impression on the ground. I find that profoundly moving.

Q So you’re just as fired up as ever about archaeology?

A Absolutely. The thing that excited me about archaeology when I was a boy still excites me today. I’m still thrilled about the idea that there are traces all around us of things that people dropped thousands of years ago. They’re commonplace things – not the American Declaration of

Neil Oliver on tour

In The Story Of The British Isles In 100 Places, an idiosyncratic choice of locations tell us how our nation became what it is today. They start in Norfolk with the footprints of a family from nearly a million years ago, and go up to the Highlands and the Orkneys and as far west as it is possible to go, before ending up at the nuclear power station at Dungeness in Kent.

12 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Independence or the birthplace of Jesus Christ. You could put a cup down today and it could be picked up by someone in 8,000 years’ time.

Imagine that.

Q Can you please tell us a bit about your new novel, The Black Glass?

A It’s a kind of sequel to my last novel, Master of Shadows. It has the same central character. He comes back from the Siege of Constantinople in 1453 and finds himself swept up in the events of the Wars of the Roses. It involves a real artefact from a real person, Dr John Dee, who was known as Queen Elizabeth’s magician. He had a ‘Black Mirror’ which was part of the kit he used for magic and is now in the British Museum. I created a complete fiction around that.

Q You are very recognisable with your long hair – would you ever think of cutting it?

A No. It’s just the way I look. I don’t give it any thought, but because I’m the age I am, it does mark me out. It’s part of who I am. It’s been like that since I was 17. Some people cut their hair or dye it. Most people arrive at a look; mine just happens to be longer than most. It means I get recognised. In my line of work, it’s good to be recognisable, and with my hair people can recognise me from far-off!

Q Finally, what do you hope that audiences will take away from The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places?

A I hope people will go away with the same passion for history that I have. History can sometimes feel like a dry and dusty subject studied at school. But I find it is as thrilling as any Marvel movie! essence INFO

Tickets for Neil Oliver, The Story of The British Isles in 100 Places tour are available from theatre box offices and via www.neiloliver.com. Locally, see the show at GLive in Guildford on Monday 8 October and The Capitol in Horsham on Tuesday 16 October.

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Harvest time September is harvest time, when we finally reap the rewards of home-grown fruit and vegetables, says Emanuela Sims of Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design.

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oday so many of us want to grow edibles at home, but often space and time constraints work against us. Indeed, growing edibles takes a lot of time and effort, but there are ways of integrating a mini vegetable garden in our garden space to create a visually pleasing and tasty display.

Making the best of the decorative qualities of fruit and veg growing is indeed the main challenge for a garden designer wanting to create fabulous outdoor spaces. Seen closely, productive plants can indeed be highly decorative and magically transform the aesthetics of a garden – crinkled cabbage leaves add texture to borders, juicy lettuce leaves can be very lush and multicoloured, strawberries, cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs make for wonderful hanging baskets, and who can resist the temptation to snap a fruit or two every time you brush past them?

Whether you choose to dot edibles within the borders to fill in those unsightly empty gaps and create interesting combinations, or to cluster them in containers or a series of raised beds that make maintenance less taxing, the possibilities are endless and so is the fun to be had.

This year, for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we were asked to produce a series of edibles’ displays to demonstrate how pretty herbs and vegetables can be in a garden if used in a creative way. We had lots of positive feedback from visitors who were amazed at how pretty the combinations looked and even more so to discover how easy it was to recreate them at home.

It was a fun experience and we came up with a series of really stunning displays that make the best of vintage upcycled props to convert them into useful edibles’ containers. Much of the fun was devising clever ways to reuse some of these discarded objects – and so old pans got a second chance to live as deep planters, old baths

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An old cake tin and teapot improvise as strawberry and thyme planters, in a visually pleasing arrangement IMAGE COURTESY OF ALLADIO SIMS GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN LTD, ALLADIO SIMS SHOW GARDEN @ RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2018

Garden design | ALLADIO SIMS The multitude of shapes, textures, colours and fragrance in edibles can help produce amazing displays IMAGE COURTESY OF ALLADIO SIMS GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN LTD, ALLADIO SIMS SHOW GARDEN @ RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2018

Herbs are perfect for containers, and look particularly striking if planted en masse in long toms and then clustered together IMAGE COURTESY OF ALLADIO SIMS GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN LTD, @ RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2018

Lettuces and herbs growing happily in vintage bushel boxes, next to freshly harvested produce wrapped in hessian and stacks of old terracotta pots IMAGE COURTESY OF ALLADIO SIMS GARDEN AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN LTD, ALLADIO SIMS SHOW GARDEN @ RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW 2018

became mini allotments, coffee makers were reused as herb pots, shallot chicken feeding trays became pretty seed trays, wicker baskets were lined with stapled plastic bags and turned into French chic planters, milk churns became very useful courgette and pumpkin pots and wooden vegetable cases were lined and filled with cut and come again multi-coloured lettuces.

If you are a foodie this is the sort of gardening that offers a chance to show off and be as adventurous as you like, experimenting with new and exciting varieties to make dishes really stand out. Just pick up some interesting seed varieties and start sowing straight away.

The rest is just lots of fun, and for those who relish the challenge of giving a second breath of life to some of the discarded items in a garage or shed, then cluster a group together, staple some hessian around the containers you like the least and you will have created a stunning display that is easy to look after and water and that won’t cost the earth.

Looking ahead to next year, why limit your horizons? Try venturing out into the world of edible ornamentals, there is so much enjoyment to be had! essence INFO

Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design Limited Regional office: Lower Bourne (Farnham), Surrey Website: www.alladiosims.co.uk Email: Hello@alladiosims.co.uk

Profile: Alladio Sims

Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design Ltd was established in 2015 after Jon Sims and Emanuela Alladio collaborated on a Silver Gilt winning show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The two directors continue their collaborative approach throughout their practice with Jon’s background in interior architecture giving distinctive spaces and Emanuela’s passion for plants and photographic eye adding great texture and contrast.

Jon and Emanuela in the show garden they created for the Istanbul Flower Festival in 2016

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 15

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Interview | ANJLI MOHINDRA

ACTING adventures The intense opening scene of BBC One’s thriller, Bodyguard (the most watched TV drama in over a decade), was something like a domestic Jason Bourne film, as we were all in the hands of creator Jed Mercurio, gripped as every second passed as Nadia’s (Anjli Mohindra) thumb trembled over the detonator. Andrew Peters asked Anjli about that role and her blossoming career. >>> PHOTOGRAPHER: MONTANA LOWERY | STYLIST: HOLLY OUNSTEAD | MAKE UP: ADELE SANDERSON C/O FRANK AGENCY | HAIR: STEFAN BERTIN C/O FRANK AGENCY

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 17

“...we were encouraged to write character biographies and they always pushed us to find the truth in all our work. We did lots of improvisation too – I think that really encourages actors to take ownership of their characters and commit to who they are.” Anjli Mohindra PHOTOGRAPHER: MONTANA LOWERY STYLIST: HOLLY OUNSTEAD MAKE UP: ADELE SANDERSON C/O FRANK AGENCY HAIR: STEFAN BERTIN C/O FRANK AGENCY

Profile: Anjli Mohindra Anjli Mohindra grew up in Nottingham and trained at The Television Workshop – an East Midlands-based training centre for young acting talent. Having always had the desire to be an actor, she made this career decision in her teens after admiring Samantha Morton in Sweet and Lowdown, Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society and Sophie Okonedo in Skin.

Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), David Budd (Richard Madden) in BBC One’s Bodyguard PHOTO COPYRIGHT: BBC/WORLD PRODUCTIONS

Q Anjli, you grew up in Nottingham: do you have fond memories of the town?

A Oh crikey! Most of my childhood memories were made in Nottingham and a lot of the people I love still live there so I go back as often as I can. In between jobs I look forward to getting back for long weekends, sticking on my dad’s wellies and trundling through the woodland path behind our house with our dog, Jack.

Q What interested you about acting in order for you to pursue it from a young age?

A I was a bit of a bookworm as a child – I really loved stories. The idea of being a part of the storytelling itself has always been thrilling for me. I enjoy researching my character’s world and getting inside the heads of the characters I play.

Q Did you ever consider other careers?

A No. I never wanted to do anything else.

Q You were accepted into the Carlton (now Central) Junior Television workshops. Looking back, how do you think this experience helped you?

Her first major television role was as Rani Chandra in CBBC’s The Sarah Jane Adventures – a part she played for four series between 2008–2011.

She has since had supporting roles in several television dramas including Cucumber (Channel 4) written by Russell T Davies, Paranoid (Netflix), The Boy with The Topknot (BBC Two) and Bancroft (ITV) alongside Sarah Parish, Faye Marsay and Amara Karan. Most recently, Anjli played Nadia in Bodyguard, the BBC One thriller from Line of Duty showrunner Jed Mercurio. She will shortly star alongside Tom Riley in the ITV crime drama Dark Heart.

Additional TV credits include Midsomer Murders (ITV), Cuffs (BBC One), The Missing (BBC One) and My Jihad (BBC Three). She recently won a place on the Royal Court Writers’ Programme and is looking to develop her voice as a new writer.

A I owe a lot to those workshops. The training I received is now the foundation of my actor toolkit; we were encouraged to write character biographies and they always pushed us to find the truth in all our work. We did lots of improvisation too – I think that really encourages actors to take ownership of their characters and commit to who they are. It was there, in a chance meeting, I met my first acting agent and that really kickstarted everything. I don’t know how I’d have done it without ‘Workshop’, as we call it!

Also, while training there, I met a troop of wonderful people I feel lucky enough to now call lifelong friends. We’re all as thick as thieves.

Q It all started for you with Coronation Street, playing Shareen: do you watch the programme now?

A I don’t anymore, but it was a family ritual growing up, so it was a real treat to be part of it. My mum came with me to the set and did the obligatory embarrassing parent thing. Looking back now though, my mum’s joy at being momentarily surrounded by the actors she watched on TV every night was really special. >>>

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PHOTOGRAPHER: MONTANA LOWERY STYLIST: HOLLY OUNSTEAD MAKE UP: ADELE SANDERSON C/O FRANK AGENCY HAIR: STEFAN BERTIN C/O FRANK AGENCY

Julia Montague (Keeley Hawes), David Budd (Richard Madden) in BBC One’s Bodyguard PHOTO COPYRIGHT: BBC/WORLD PRODUCTIONS

Q As Nadia in BBC One’s Bodyguard you were part of what has been widely accepted as the year’s most gripping 20 minutes of television drama – how does that feel?

A It’s been incredible! That was my most exciting role to date and the response has been amazing. I think what Jed Mercurio, the writer, has done by making us suspect the establishment’s hand in the bombings is thought provoking and challenges stereotypes.

Q You’ve mainly had acting roles in TV work, would you consider film or theatre?

A I would love to do more theatre, it’s what I did before my television career began. I’m looking forward to doing more film work too. My agent’s plan is to be very selective of any roles going forward to give me the chance to get stuck into more of both.

Q You had a three year stint in The Sarah Jane Adventures as Rani Chandra. Did that provide you with the confidence you obviously now have?

A The Sarah Jane Adventures was my first proper regular role. I loved every minute and definitely began to feel relaxed in front of the cameras. I was so young and looking back at the episodes it feels like watching a younger sister still very much learning the ropes. I think I’ve developed my process since and my confidence has come with that. Steeping myself in the character’s world fires me up. It feels less like performing and more like living life in their shoes!

Q How important has your family been in helping your career?

A I couldn’t do what I do without them. My mum is the most tenacious person I have ever come across. We call her the Adidas woman because, with her, impossible really means nothing. She’s always encouraged me to follow my heart, without fear. My dad has always been behind me, ferrying me to and from auditions as a child.

My brother and sister are always my harshest critics. I feel lucky to have them all on my team.

Q What do you like best about your work?

A Life on location. We literally went underground when filming Dark Heart for ITV, then the next week we were by the sea. Being on set is so much fun, the camaraderie, the banter and the tea table with its coveted snacks!

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Q You’ve done some comedy – would you like to do more?

A Definitely! A lot of what I’ve done recently has been serious and harrowing. I’d be well up for letting my hair down.

Q I understand you would like to be a writer. Can you tell us a little more about your ambitions?

A I was lucky enough to get a place on the Royal Court Writer’s programme and that gave me a huge respect for scriptwriters. I’m still relatively new and I’m writing a pilot sci-fi comedy at the moment. I’m having a lot of fun doing it, in between acting, and hope to have my work out there soon.

Q You’ve been especially busy this year, what does 2019 hold?

A My next role is as Josie Chancellor in ITV’s Dark Heart which screens later this month and I’m looking forward to that. Then I’m in a fantastic ghost story for BBC Four by the wonderful Mark Gatiss.

Beyond that, who knows? That’s the joy of this job. We very much live in the moment and the road is wide open: who knows what’s around the corner!

Q What’s your greatest luxury?

A Quality time with family, friends and my boyfriend, a good laugh and deep heart to heart, including those philosophical chats at three in the morning. My brother is very good at those. They say you are the product of your closest humans and I’m incredibly grateful for those very special bonds.

Bodyguard is available on BBC iPlayer. Dark Heart will air on ITV from 31 October.

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Swiss BLISS

Kevin Pilley seeks out luxurious spa treatments and more at The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort.

The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort

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Travel | THE EVIAN RESORT

View over Lake Geneva below the peak of Mont Blanc PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ALBIN HILLERT | 123RF.COM

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ever could I have imagined the exquisite sensations to be derived from the nimble fingers of one madame from Co.Clare and a single pot of caviar. Or ever guessed how a sturgeon could help me maintain my youthfulness.

I discovered ‘Swiss Bliss’ in France, on the banks of Lake Geneva. And an Irish lady and some elite fish caused me to become temporarily rot-proof. Maria Beickert nee Callinan was born in Ennis and studied hotel management at GMIT Galway and, for sixteen years, has worked at The Royal Evian Hotel on the French side of west Europe’s largest lake. She started as a receptionist and is now in the Evian Source Spa. Her husband is a porter.

As well as other anti-ageing regimens, regenerative procedures and five-star ‘polysensual experiences’, the famous hotel’s spa offers La Prairie cellular skincare treatments with caviar-based facials, eye massages and bespoke rub-downs: meaning being daubed and kneaded from scalp to toe in a rejuvenating emulsion of caviar pearls, leaving the subject luminous, shimmering and 210 Euros lighter for the 150 minute unique Swiss Bliss programme.

The 467-acre, 150 room Royal Evian, forty minutes from Geneva, opened in 1909 in honour of King Edward VII who died before he could visit and blag some luxury; the hotel was allowed to keep its royal status. The Jean-Albert Hébrard-designed ‘white steam ship anchored in the hills’ above Lac Leman and its rotunda’s Baroque frescoes have recently been refurbished.

This iconic Belle Epoque hotel and European flagship of the Roaring Twenties is back looking fit and well. The makeover has taken a hundred years off the old hotel with the interiors now fresh-faced. >>>

The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort: key dates

1905 The Evian Mineral Water Company commissioned the construction of the hotel.

1906–1908 Construction of the hotel by Jean-Albert Hébrard.

1909 June 16, opening of The Hôtel Royal 1958 Fire in the night of 12 to 13 August in the presence of Ludmilla Tchérina and Errol Flynn.

1982 Inauguration of The Hôtel Royal’s spa, the Better Living Institute.

2003 Hosting of the G8 summit, under the French presidency of Jacques Chirac.

July 2015 Re-opening of The Hôtel Royal after extensive renovation.

November 2016 The Hôtel Royal Evian receives the ‘Palace’ distinction.

February 2018 Les Fresques, The Hôtel Royal’s restaurant, receives a Michelin Star.

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 23

Above: Pool and, right, stunning terrace, at The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort

One of the first spa palace hotels, the now Danone-owned Royal Evian has always Vineyards near Montreux and Evian been a magnet for the rich and famous. The spa’s relaxation lounge is the Aga Khan PHOTO COPYRIGHT: ALBIN HILLERT | 123RF.COM III’s old apartment. They still have the original chandelier in storage. The Royal was the holiday choice for sultans, maharajahs, shahs and other royalty, as well as celebrities and statesmen. It hosted the 2003 G8 summit.

I emerged from La Source feeling toned and honed, revived and de-toxified, regulated and re-mineralised, tauter than taut: my skin de-blotched and lovingly de-grimed. And my circulation pepped up by my caviar infusions. Tightened and lightened, the free radicals temporarily neutralised, my natural beauty briefly restored, if not permanently, and with an enhanced complexion, I radiated good health; I exuded well-being. As well as sturgeon.

And, after a quick squirt of the complimentary Evian facial mist spray, I was ready to test out the practical benefits of foot reflexology and explore le pays de Chablais.

Sometimes a break is needed from Irish women expertly cleansing your crevices.

The grounds contain a Swiss chalet-style sister hotel and former weight-loss retreat and hotel du regime Ermitage, the red cedar and pine La Grange du Lac auditorium and a rose garden. There is an eco-durable, no-pesticides-used golf course and the resort is only forty-five minutes from Des Portes du Soleil – Europe’s largest ski area.

A downhill stroll and twenty minute uphill cardio-vascularly challenging hike back is Evian-les Bains with its medieval hospital, thirteenth century church, 1907 funicular railway, lakefront 1878 casino, 1883 theatre with neo-classical façade, 1900 Palais Lumiere, 1826 Pump Room and the Cachat source water temple (St Catherine’s Tightened and lightened, the free Fountain or ‘Point of Emergence’) where locals fill up their bottles with radicals temporarily neutralised, free, magnesium-rich, sand-bank filtered water, tranquil and sans gaz.

The curative virtues of the water were first discovered in the late my natural beauty briefly restored, eighteenth century by a marquis suffering from stones. The first if not permanently, and with an hydropathic establishment opened in 1826. enhanced complexion, I radiated A 30-minute, 21 Euro ferry crossing away is Lausanne from which good health; I exuded well-being. visitors can easily access the Swiss Riviera and the steep-sided Lavaux (Dezaley), Medinette vineyards and have a tasting of the local Chasselas As well as sturgeon. wines. The Domaine Bovard in Cully is one of the best. The 2015 harvest >>>

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A bathroom suite with a view at The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort Lac Leman at sunset PHOTO COPYRIGHT: MARCOS OSORIO CECILIA | 123RF.COM

was the most successful in sixty years. Try the Buxus Sauvignon Blanc and lunch at Tour un Monde Restaurant which looks down on most of the 104-mile perimeter, croissant-shaped, 25 miles long by 11 wide lake fed by forty-two rivers. From the terrace it’s possible to see Evian, the Bernese Alps, Mont Pelerin, the Savoy and Valais mountains, Montreux and Vevey.

Lac Leman gets its name from either the Greek for lake’s port or the Celtic word ‘limos’, referring to the local fertile mud.

Cistercian monks planted the original vine rootstock. They also brought French stones across the lake to support the terraces. So there are, arguably, two French sides of Lake Geneva. While digesting the char, fera, perch fillets and lake shrimps, watch the yachts and Swiss police boats stopping people attempting to smuggle cheaper French food into the country.

The Royal Evian Hotel’s Les Fresques (frescoes) restaurant offers: “un menu gastronomique”, comprising six courses, including Lake Geneva crayfish with foie gras and saffron froth (washed down with local Rousette de Savoie de Louis Magnin), venison, sole in seaweed butter, squid and botargo, which are cured and compacted grey mullet eggs.

After the matured cheese selection and all the chestnut honey, fig jam and tartes for breakfast (the hotel has fifteen pastry chefs), it can all be worked off in the spa’s outside hydro massage trail or aqua-gym before booking another soothing appointment avec Madame Maria for another round of epilations, firming caviar extracts, life-supporting lipids, gommages (body scrubs) and deep-reaching, energising stomach massages.

Everyone sleeps well at Royal Evian. All except Mrs Frankenstein.

She and her husband honeymooned there. Before she was strangled.

Frankenstein’s monster would never have made a spa therapist. But he could have been mistaken for a customer or health tourist, he had the gait of one. Frankenstein walked like he had a metabolic disorder or a urinary ailment, which made it look like he had been overdoing it on the diuretics front. Or maybe he was just getting used to the very scanty, hardly-there and rather tight briefs the Evian Source Spa staff make visitors wear, pre and apres the refreshing roe.

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Old postcard of Evian, the pier PHOTO COPYRIGHT: GILLES PAIRE | 123RF.COM

essence INFO

Take advantage of the 1+1= 3 special offer and enjoy a unique experience for a little longer at the five star Royal Palace Hotel or four star Ermitage from €314 in double occupancy in a south-facing room at the Evian Resort. And from €548 in double occupancy in a Séjour park view room at The Hôtel Royal, Evian Resort.

Offers subject to availability.

Websites: www.evianresort.com, www.domainebovard.com Aer Lingus flies daily from Dublin to Geneva and the Evian Resort is a one hour drive from Geneva Airport.

Relaxation and refinement

Château de Berne Hotel & Spa, located in Provence countryside, is a member of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux network.

This beautiful and spacious spa offers 800 square metres of wellbeing and pampering with products by Cinq Mondes©, along with breathtaking views over vines and olive groves. Features include an indoor upstream pool and swan neck fountain, jacuzzis, a sauna, steam room and two VIP duo cabins with whirlpool baths.

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT CHÂTEAU DE BERNE HOTEL & SPA

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genuine pledge of quality, with expert knowledge in spa treatments, Château de Berne offers guests and visitors alike a genuine moment out of time in this haven of peace, with celebrated Cinq Mondes’ treatments and rituals. The Spa also offers three single cabins, a special ‘exfoliation’ room fitted with a steam room, two privatisable duo cabins with whirlpool baths and a beauty salon. The Spa’s beautiful, sunny terrace, with its exceptional vista over vines and olive groves, is a must-do part of the Spa experience.

Cinq Mondes spa treatment brand is now present in over 30 countries and acclaimed by top-ranking spas the world over. The Cinq Mondes’ product range consists of natural and unique cosmetic treatments, inspired by ancient beauty recipes. Specially designed for professional spa care, the combine efficienc and safet and are the fruit of e tensi e phyto-aromatic research. The range adheres to the strict Nature Laboratory Charter (Charte Laboratoire du Naturel®) to guarantee the highest-quality, dermatologically-tested products, containing only organic or natural ingredients, free of paraben, phenoxyethanol, silicon, mineral oils and artificial colouring. pioneer in the elaboration of petrochemical free formulas, Cinq Mondes has always given priority to active biological ingredients with equal efficienc and sensor benefits. ll products are certified ith the cocert osmebio label.

essence INFO

Website: www.chateauberne.com Telephone: 00 33 494 604888 ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 27

Aston’s superb

lightweight The return of not one, but two, illustrious names, DBS and Superleggera, continue Aston Martin’s revival under its new leadership and combine to provide yet another model to drive the company’s profitability. Euan Johns discovers what all the fuss is about. >>> 28 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Motoring | ASTON MARTIN

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ston Martin is reviving an iconic nameplate that first appeared in 1967; DBS, perhaps synonymous with a certain secret agent, and touring’s famous mark of Superleggera. The Superleggera suffix is Italian for ‘superlight’ and will once again adorn an Aston Martin’s bonnet.

This is the fastest and most powerful the company has yet produced, with the 211mph super GT well and truly positioned in the Ferrari 812 Superfast’s slipstream.

A collaboration that originally paved the way for the DB4, 5 and 6 Mark 1, DBS Superleggera pays homage to the historic super lightweight construction technology of the famous Italian coachbuilder. Effectively replacing the Vanquish S model, the name being saved for the marque’s McLaren 720S-rivalling, mid-engine supercar due in three years. >>>

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 29

“DBS Superleggera packs a breathtaking punch, yet its dynamics have been carefully honed to engage drivers of all ability levels. Immaculately styled, obsessively engineered and outrageously potent, the new DBS Superleggera is every inch the Aston Martin flagship.”

Andy Palmer, Aston Martin president and chief executive officer

The new DBS Superleggera is not a lightweight by any stretch of the imagination in performance or looks. The Super GT is a breed apart that takes the fight to the world’s best on its own terms.

Clad Batman-like using sculpted carbon fibre body panels, this latest model is blessed with a highly individual styling that adds to a more muscular look. The appearance is complemented by epic performance courtesy of the 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 that’s tuned to produce power and huge torque for a breathtaking response.

This is the British marque’s modern Super GT flagship with blistering acceleration that offers 0–62mph in 3.4 seconds and 0–100mph in 6.4 seconds. A heart-thumping driving experience is enhanced by class-leading in-gear acceleration with 50–100mph achieved in fourth gear in a mere 4.2 seconds.

The modern design is unique, beguiling and bold and departs just enough from the understated refinement of previous models to be different. The advanced engineering evokes Aston’s best-loved flagship models of the past with generous proportions combined with an aggression – it’s a real head turner. Compelling curves with advanced aerodynamics make for a sleek shape that cheats the wind and clamps the car to the road. Some innovative aerodynamic concepts first seen on the DB11, such as the curlicue and Aeroblade, are taken further with an F1-inspired double-diffuser. The downforce generated (180kg against the DB11’s 70kg) is the highest figure ever for a series production Aston Martin and as an added bonus the increase comes with no additional drag. At the car’s heart beats the 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12 engine: the same as the DB11. It’s set low and as far back in the chassis as possible to optimise the centre-ofgravity and weight distribution. The front grille is more prominent and new headlights and tail lights distinguish it further from the DB11: all part of the plan to distance itself more from other cars

30 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

in its range. It is the first vehicle not to have the winged logo on the boot – the name being spelt out instead.

All this design and techie wizardry adds up to a potent package, a “brute in a suit” according to Aston CEO Andy Palmer. The noise from this beast is certainly louder and more expressive than the DB11, all emanating from the reworked quad exhaust system.

The DBS Superleggera is priced from £225,000 in the UK and $304,995 in the USA with a Volante version set to arrive in early 2019. The target? Well, prancing horse owners will want to take a hard look at this beauty, and existing Vanquish possessors will surely want to have one. If you’re not in those ownership categories and want a vehicle to add a bit of spice, take a look.

For those managing to find themselves at the front of the queue, then delivery should be in time to impress the relatives at Christmas. essence INFO

www.astonmartin.com

‘Deck the halls’ in October for a happier Christmas New research has shown that those who ‘deck their halls’ early, could actually be happier than the rest of us. A study has revealed that people who put up Christmas decorations earlier tend be more nostalgic and happier and, because they extend festive cheer to others, they are generally seen as friendlier.

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ut if the thought of getting in the festive mood so early fills you with dread, you could always call in the experts.

Marcus Dunn, managing director of Cobham-based Lumiere Events, has been helping homeowners and businesses dress for Christmas for over ten years, with a bespoke lighting and decorating service that will instantly get you in the Christmas spirit. His clients include Chelsea FC, Borough Market, Polesden Lacey, ITV, Dominion Theatre, Breitling, Southwark Cathedral and a whole host of Premiership footballers and private clients.

Marcus comments: “Our first job of the year is always a job in Upper Berkeley Street which is installed at the end of October for a client who likes to embrace the festive season early. And from then we have a steady stream of installations for commercial and residential customers from the beginning of November. Some of our clients absolutely love Christmas and are really keen to get their decorations up early as it is guaranteed to put them in a good mood.

“We’ve had some interesting requests over the years including designing and installing jewel coloured lights to create a crown effect on the outside of a building in London.

This year, we have already had requests to wrap buildings in a large red ribbon for that ‘Wow’ factor effect and a whole host of other requests for exterior and interior lighting displays.

It’s already clear that rose gold is going to be a popular colour theme for 2018.”

Lumiere Events offer Santa sacks of creative ideas and inspiration, and can help transform your home, office or business premises in to a Winter Wonderland. How does it work? All you need to do is contact Marcus and his team and they will discuss a wide range of options with you to suit your style and budget and then provide you with a proposal of ideas which often include garlands and wreaths for mantelpieces and fireplaces, bannisters and balustrades, festive table displays and Christmas trees with starburst toppers and present boxes. Plus, a wide range of options for lighting up the exterior of your property or making the most of existing shrubs and trees to create that extra special lighting effect! essence INFO

For further information, visit www.lumiere-events.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 31

WINTER ROMANCE The inspiration for the DAKS autumn/winter collection is a romantic winter afternoon – palettes are rich in colour.

Alongside the iconic House Check, a bespoke and innovative check has been designed exclusively for the season. DAKS historically work with iconic British Mills and AW18 is no exception, partnering with cloth manufacturer, Fox Brothers.

Winter in the spirit of colour, the collections explore a multitude of vibrant and vivid hues such as green, burgundy, red and rust, with touches of ochre yellow. The AW18 collection is rooted in the brand’s British legacy, using key details to completely evoke that iconic English style. Details are key: fabric flowers are scattered on jacket lapels and delicate gold details adorn belts.

essence INFO

Website: www.daks.com

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Beatrice classic floral blouse £265

Fashion | DAKS Veronica corduroy jacket £575 Corduroy trousers £275

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 33

Adriana floral dress ÂŁ475

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Fashion | DAKS Jack House Check jacket £650 Terance brown corduroy trousers £175

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 35

PROUD TO BE

British With enduring reputations of quality, longevity and excellence and despite the risks of Brexit, British luxury brands are more committed than ever to keeping their manufacturing base in the UK. essence spoke to Pickett’s founder, Trevor Pickett, about how he has always been a bastian for British craftsmanship.

B

ritain’s luxury brands are known for their heritage, design and craftsmanship, with London being a choice destination for buying both British and non-British luxury brands. Pickett, based in Burlington Gardens and Sloane Square, London, has had the fortuity of handmaking luxury leather items in Britain for over three decades, with 2018 marking their thirtieth anniversary.

“Our products are handmade by highlyskilled British craftsmen, ensuring each item is constructed individually with pride and perfection. We’ve built our reputation on selling British made leather goods. Where we can, we always buy British, sourcing our leathers from merchants across the British Isles. We choose exclusive new colours to add to our wide range of vibrant and traditional colours.”

“Today, we are faced with a diminished market, there are less manufacturing units and only the best have survived, so although it’s a smaller source, we know the quality is so high.”

The perfect sports car companion This year, luxury leather brand Pickett celebrates its 30th anniversary with a new Burgundy Collection, celebrating the most popular colour of the 80s. The collection has translated almost every traditional product in the Pickett line into

36 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Burgundy – from luggage, to umbrellas and handbags to luxury backgammon boards.

Pickett continues to specialise in making bespoke luggage with bespoke services available in store. Where else would Trevor Pickett have found the inspiration to design the perfect sports car companion, then looking out from his shop windows onto Savile Row? Pickett’s New ‘Shaftesbury Holdall’ has a removeable ridged base and was developed to fit most sport cars – it becomes completely soft and can be stored flat when not in use.

The Shaftesbury Holdall is available online and in store, priced at £550. essence INFO

www.pickett.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Burgundy Dog Head Umbrella £285

Burgundy Shaftesbury Holdall £550

Captions to be added Lockable Jewellery Box £995

Burgundy Backgammon Board £1,595

Perudo Set £450

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 37

Manhattan, IT’S AN ISLE OF JOY! Rebecca Underwood reflects on the words and music of two of New York’s most famous sons: lyricist Lorenz Milton Hart and composer Richard Charles Rodgers as she visits the Big Apple: “the great big city’s a wondrous toy, just made for a girl and boy, we’ll turn Manhattan into an isle of joy”.

M

anhattan, an island surrounded by the Hudson, Harlem and East rivers, is the most populated borough of New York City and an exciting metropolis that simply pulsates with life. Visitors are enthralled by an abundance of popular attractions, including the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Empire State Building, museums galore, an enormous choice of Broadway shows and plays and the opportunity to eat and shop ‘til you drop!

Manhattan continues to attract more than 55 million visitors per year and it may seem they are all congregating in Times Square at the same time! This is the hub of Manhattan’s razzle ‘n’ dazzle, surrounded by imposing billboards with glittering lights and the overwhelming spectacle demands unwavering attention. Towering skyscrapers adorned with advertising, on the ground a swirling maelstrom of people dodging yellow cabs and a never-ending stream of traffic, all whilst buses inch past long, sleek-lined limousines. Police cars, fire engines and ambulances whizz past with sirens blazing and loud pop music blares out from stationary vehicles caught up in the melee.

Manhattan never sleeps and for art lovers it’s a treasure trove. Head for the Morgan Museum and Library on Madison Avenue at 36th Street and view Pierpont Morgan’s 1906 Library. Morgan, an American financier, selected architect Charles Follen McKim to design a library to house his enormous collection of rare books and manuscripts. The exterior of the property features Tennessee pink marble, the blocks set with exact precision without the use of mortar. The interior was restored in 2010 and the lighting illuminates the murals and décor.

Sparkling chandeliers, ornate ceilings and beautiful pieces of period furniture reflect the grandeur of a bygone age.

The ideal way to see all the landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge and much more, is on board one of the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises which depart from Pier 83 at West 42nd Street. We selected the two and a half hour ‘Best of NYC’, a fully narrated cruise which sails sedately past all the famous sights.

38 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Times Square PHOTO COPYRIGHT: NYC & COMPANY | MARLEY WHITE

TRAVEL TIPS International flights: Fly Business Class to JFK from LHR via Dublin with Aer Lingus. Take advantage of the generous luggage allowance of three x 23kg, priority boarding and luxury in-flight dining. Relax in style on lie-flat seats for a soothing in-flight slumber. For more information, visit aerlingus.com.

Pre flight: Experience the tranquillity of the 51st & Green lounge at Dublin airport: the closest airport lounge to an active runway. Take advantage of the wide choice of dishes, complimentary Wi-Fi and entertainment. Visit www.dublinairport.com

Short breaks | MANHATTAN Omni Berkshire Place

TRAVEL TIPS NY attractions: Purchase a NYC pass and skip the lines at major attractions, including the Empire State Building, Big Bus Tour, Statue of Liberty, New York Water Taxi, museums and more.

Visit newyorkpass.com. And to learn more about the Big Apple, visit www.nycgo.com Airport transfers: Book a private transfer in New York with Blacklane for a reliable, punctual, first class service. Prices are all-inclusive and guaranteed in advance, so sit back and relax upon arrival. Visit blacklane.com for more information.

River skyline view PHOTO COPYRIGHT: NYC & COMPANY | JULIENNE SCHAER

For those who have worked up an appetite and fancy a real NYC dining experience, head for Junior’s at 1626 Broadway. Founded in 1950, Junior’s is the home of the original New York cheesecake and for those of us with a sweet tooth, it’s absolutely scrumptious.

For explorers seeking luxury in a prime location, Manhattan offers an endless choice of hotels, including the Omni Berkshire Place located on East 52nd Street at Madison Avenue, merely steps away from Radio City Music Hall. The opulent Rodgers and Hammerstein suite provides more than 1,000 square feet of lavish living space and features a 500 square feet wrap-around terrace – the ideal spot for a pre-dining cocktail or two whilst admiring the view of the Manhattan skyline. Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote their Broadway masterpiece Oklahoma on this very spot in 1942 and the accommodation reflects the era’s glamour perfectly.

For those on a less generous budget, the Z NYC Hotel located on 43rd Ave, Long Island, Queens is ideal. A short walk away from Queensboro Bridge, Manhattan is within easy reach and the hotel provides a complimentary shuttle bus to the 59th Street Subway entrance (between Lexington and 3rd Ave). Guests are also welcome to use complimentary bicycles and a helmet and chain/lock and cord for securing packages are all included.

For our final dining treat, we made our way to Virgil’s Real BBQ Restaurant on West 44th Street, a stone’s throw from Times Square. We devoured the tasty half rack of Memphis-style pork spare rib, dry rubbed and hickory smoked. And as we held our glasses of Virgil’s ale in the air, we made a toast in honour of Rodgers and Hammerstein, and with a slight change of lyric...

‘There is nothin’ like Times Square Nothin’ in the world, There is nothin’ you can name That is anythin’ like Times Square!’

The Rodgers & Hammerstein suite at the Omni Berkshire Place

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 39

As with all investments, your capital is at risk

Creating champion investment portfolios since 1969

Contact us to arrange a complimentary consultation Visit www.pmw.co.uk or call 01372 471550

Weed or Knotweed?

That is the question!

Four letters can make a big difference! A weed might be unsightly, but if an expert declares it to be ‘knot’ weed, there is a much more tangled problem! Legal risks and obligations affect owners and tenants of residential and commercial property alike, so keep that in mind whilst looking at your land and know when to seek legal advice, says Mundays’ solicitor Gemma James.

Japanese Knotweed

Gemma James is a partner in Mundays’ commercial property team and acts in connection with all types of commercial property from retail shops, offices and warehouse units to restaurants and bars, for private and corporate landlords and tenants. Gemma deals with sales, purchases and lettings and both conventional and Islamic finance transactions associated with residential property for commercial investment and private clients.

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: YOROZU KITAMURA | 123RF.COM

Gemma can be contacted on +44 (0)1932 590645 gemma.james@mundays.co.uk

D

espite a 2018 study by the University of Leeds and US engineering firm AECOM finding no evidence that its roots can crack concrete or undermine foundations, Japanese Knotweed can cause property owners no end of difficulties. Here are just a few: w Maintenance is burdensome because the plant can grow up to 10 centimetres per day in the summer. w Some mortgage lenders refuse to lend on affected properties while others demand that any knotweed within 23 feet of buildings is destroyed. Their valuers will be on the lookout for it if you are buying or re-mortgaging, so it can put transactions and funding at risk because it will devalue the property. Solicitors acting for lenders will have to advise the lender if any enquiries reveal there is knotweed at or in the vicinity of the property.

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w The Court of Appeal ruled in a case

against Network Rail this year that if knotweed spreads from your property to your neighbour’s, you could be liable to compensate your neighbour. The mere presence of its roots is sufficient for a claim against you even before any physical damage has occurred. If you are on the receiving end of such ingress from a neighbour, this case gives hope, but most likely a long and costly claim and/or remediation process. w If you are trying to sell your property, you will be obliged to disclose any awareness you have of the presence of knotweed on the standard property information forms which can cause buyers to withdraw or lower their offer. Failure to disclose information of which you are aware can lead to a future claim for misrepresentation from your buyer.

Legal | MUNDAYS

Identity fraud risks for property owners w A property afflicted by knotweed is less

appealing to tenants, who may ask for rent reductions and treatment to be paid for or provided by the landlord. w Buildings insurance may be harder to obtain because insurers shy away from properties with an arguably increased risk of damage. RICS guidance indicates a potential risk of damage within seven metres of knotweed roots. w If you try to handle and dispose of knotweed yourself, you risk criminal and civil liabilities for failure to comply with legislation. Fines and even imprisonment are possible if the appropriate regulations are not followed for management, treatment and disposal. w The local authority can serve notice on you requiring you to remedy the condition of land when it becomes aware of its presence and any consequent risk to adjoining land.

Failure to comply can lead to prosecution.

If you become aware of Japanese Knotweed on your land, its market value will be diminished by this blight and you are best advised to instruct a professional company to advise on remediation. This will typically be a treatment programme stretching over several years to manage it effectively. It is wise to ensure the company will offer a guarantee for its work. Often a clear management programme will be sufficient to convince buyers, lenders and tenants to proceed and to reduce your risk of claims from neighbours, but someone will have to pay the treatment costs.

If you are a tenant or purchaser, make sure you arrange a thorough survey of external areas before committing to a property.

Tenants should carve maintenance and eradication out of their lease obligations and consider other concessions from the landlord such as rent reductions and remediation programmes at the landlord’s cost. Buyers should assess whether a price reduction or initial remediation works are appropriate from a seller, and ensure that the benefit of any treatment guarantees and management plans pass to the new owner. It is worth checking that the knotweed consultant is registered with the Property Care Association.

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: NATALYA OKOROKOVA | 123RF.COM

Terrible tales of fraudsters mortgaging or selling properties they do not own are increasingly common. You are more at risk if you live overseas, or if your property is rented out, empty, not mortgaged or not registered. How can your solicitor minimise these risks for you? Consider all or any of the following options:

w Register any unregistered titles at the Land Registry. w Ensure your correspondence address is up to date at all times on the Title Registers of all properties you own.

w Inspect the property regularly to ensure no unauthorised parties are in occupation and use managing agents to assist if it is tenanted.

w Sign up to get property alerts from the Land Registry. This is a free service for up to 10 properties where you will be alerted if someone applies to change the register for your property (such as sale or mortgage) although it will not prevent the change. w Put a Restriction on your title to stop a sale or mortgage being registered for your property unless a conveyancer certifies to the Land Registry that the application was made by or for you.

Expect your solicitor to require certified copies of photographic and address evidence of identity for you at the outset of a transaction and to speak with you to confirm your bank details before sending out money to you rather than relying on email (which can be intercepted by fraudsters). Annoying as this may be, it is for your own protection!

If you discover knotweed on your land, your surveyor might find it has come from next door. In this event, remediation costs could potentially be shared with your neighbours, or even wholly attributed to them. If it has not spread next door from your land yet, take action fast, not just to protect the value of your property but also to prevent claims by your neighbour.

When a weed is knotweed, pay heed faster than the speed of...knotweed!

essence INFO

Mundays LLP Cedar House, 78 Portsmouth Road, Cobham KT11 1AN Telephone: 01932 590500 Website: www.mundays.co.uk The contents of this article are intended as guidance for readers. It can be no substitute for specific ad ice. onse uentl e cannot accept responsibility for this information, errors or matters affected by subsequent changes in the law, or the content of any website referred to in this update. Š Mundays LLP 2018.

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 43

Adve

Charity | THE FOUNTAIN CENTRE

Going and growing

Do you know what The Fountain Centre is? Some of us find out the hard way, but many local residents have no idea that they have this wonderful facility on hand when they need it most.

T

he Fountain Centre is an independent charity within St Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford. We offer information and support, counselling and a range of complementary therapies – to cancer patients and their families. People come to us from all corners of Surrey and beyond.

It has a wig bank and library, and can provide information about local support groups, welfare benefits and a host of specialist cancer charities.

Their Family Support Service is unique in the UK, working with families from the time a parent is diagnosed – and about 25 per cent of new patients have school age children (or younger).

There are many ways in which the centre can help, dealing with the initial shock of a cancer diagnosis, minimising the side effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and reestablishing confidence and well-being. It has recently been able to introduce a new service for in-patients, where a dedicated therapist visits those who are too ill to leave their hospital beds.

Some therapies can help with pain, stress and stimulating the body’s circulatory and immune systems. The centre is getting particularly good results using acupuncture to control hot flushes in both female and male patients.

Perhaps just as important is the feeling of sanctuary, quite unlike a hospital. One recent user explained: “Walking in the first time was like balm on irritated skin. I was totally unprepared for the welcome. I always leave the Centre feeling relaxed, listened to, supported and more cheerful.”

And the husband of a patient put his side of the story: “When I was encouraged to have a reflexology treatment I wasn’t sure at all. I was a copper who had worked the streets of London.

I thought complementary therapies were not for me. But the therapist put me totally at ease; it was fabulous. It changed my life, allowing me

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to unwind during a really rough ride that lasted several years.”

The Fountain Centre is run by a small team and has over 100 volunteer therapists, counsellors and welcomers. At last count it had 5,750 registered users, and offer over 700 appointments a month. The first four treatments are free; after that, patients are asked to give a small donation if they can.

The Family Support Service is lottery-funded for the next four years, but receives no funding from the government. The centre raises all the money it needs to keep going by their own efforts.

It costs over £200,000 per year to run, which is tiny compared to other well-known local causes.

The centre makes the money work very hard and puts the ‘fun’ into fundraising whenever it can – most recently abseiling off Guildford Cathedral Tower and the annual fashion Show.

The Fountain Centre keeps going, and growing, entirely through the love and generosity of the community it supports.

essence INFO

Website: www.fountaincentre.org Telephone: 01483 406619

Adverts Issue 68_Layout 1 03/02/2016 15:12 Page 4

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: PEEKEEDEE1 | 123RF.COM

At their best right now Crates Local Produce, located in Horsham’s historic centre, bursts with fresh, seasonal food offering taste, health and economic benefits.

Dangerous spicy apple and pears

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: NATALIA NIKOLAEVNA WIMBERLEY | 123RF.COM

Spaghetti squash

At this time of year, squashes are beginning to hit the shelves offering a wide variety in size, colour and shape of these versatile beasts.

The most elusive and amazing is the spaghetti squash, also known as the noodle squash. Its name gives it away as, once cooked, the yellow (or sometimes orange) flesh transforms into strands, just like spaghetti.

This rare squash is highly sought after by those who appreciate its magic as it can be used as an alternative to pasta. Full of folic acid, potassium, beta carotene and vitamin A, and as low in calories as other squashes.

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Russet apples

We are seeing a greater demand from customers wanting English apples, however, there seems a reluctance from supermarkets to champion traditional varieties, especially russets.

There are many types of russet including the Golden, Egremont, Orange Pippin and Claygate Pearmain. They get their generic name, russet, from their rough almost furry skin that covers just some or the whole of the fruit. In Shakespeare’s era they were referred to as ‘leathercoats’ and quoted as such by Henry IV. Most russets are deliciously sweet and often have a nutty taste and aroma.

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: BRENT HOFACKER | 123RF.COM

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

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: PEEKEEDEE1 | 123RF.COM

Food | CRATES LOCAL PRODUCE

In season recipes Pasta-free spaghetti marinara SERVES TWO

Ingredients: One medium size spaghetti squash Two teaspoons oil, rapeseed or olive 600g fresh soft tomatoes or one tin tomatoes if out of season Two tablespoons tomato purĂŠe 100g chestnut mushrooms Four cloves garlic One medium onion Bunch fresh basil (or tablespoon dried) Bunch fresh oregano (or tablespoon dried) Four tablespoons butter 150g hard Parmesan-style cheese, recommend Twineham Grange

the mix, simmer for another ten minutes while preparing the roasted squash. wCut the squash down the middle, scoop out and discard the seeds and remo e all the flesh pulling the strands apart. wMelt the butter with a dash of water in a large pan. Add in the squash strands, season with salt and pepper to taste and heat though. Stir in around three quarters of the cheese and heat through again until the cheese is melted. wServe with the sauce on top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and garnish with basil leaves.

Dangerous spicy apples and pears MAKES SIX GLASSES

Pasta-free spaghetti marinara Method: w re heat o en to gas mar 6 and prick the squash all over with a fork. Roast whole for at least an hour or until the skin becomes soft enough to take the end of a knife easily. Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before attempting to cut. wRoughly chop the onion, mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic to soften, followed by the mushrooms.

After just a few minutes add the tomatoes and tomato purĂŠe and simmer for around ten minutes. wRip up the leaves of the basil and oregano and add these to

Ingredients: One bottle dry white wine Two apples, choose a crisp variety Two pears One orange Six cinnamon sticks One tablespoon whole cloves Two teaspoons mixed spice 100ml white rum 500ml ginger ale Method: w Cut the fruit into around one centimetre thick pieces and press in cloves to the sides of at least half of the fruit pieces. w Using two medium pitchers (dividing all ingredients between the two) or one large, add in the fruit slices, cinnamon sticks and sprinkle over the mixed spice. w Pour the wine over this, then the rum and stir gently. w Cover and place in the fridge for at least four hours. w Once steeped, strain the mixture and return to the pitcher. You can then add back in some or all of the fruit. w Add in the ginger ale, stir gently and serve.

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 47

Distilled under moonlight and fireworks Shirlee Posner introduces readers to the enchanting tale of Dorking’s Gin Kitchen.

Kate Gregory

I

came across The Gin Kitchen at a food fair in Dorking and was immediately drawn to its quirky style, great logo and brand image. More importantly, it is a classic example of a micro distillery making small batches of delicious gin by hand, using fresh ingredients, and how a great idea, determination and vision can make a dream come true.

Kate Gregory was a single mum going through a divorce with a full-on job in the defence and aerospace industry. Purely by chance, on the way to work one day, Kate tuned in to Radio 4 and listened to a programme about the rise of craft gin distillers in the UK referred to as a gin renaissance movement. This, she says, was her epiphany moment and when The Gin Kitchen was conceived. Arriving at her meeting, she quickly made a call to close friend and colleague Helen Muncie and told her they were going to start their own gin distilling business. This totally out of the blue idea was a shock to both of them, but after thinking it through, they did it anyway.

It is hard not to notice that there has been a flood of new craft gins on the market and reports suggest the number has doubled since 2013. When Kate and Helen decided to start gin distilling, they were complete rookies. Kate’s approach was to search the internet using key words such as ‘how to distill gin’.

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Between them, Kate and Helen did enough research to source their first copper still from Portugal and secure a workspace at Dorking Brewery. Their first ever gin, Dancing Dragontail, was made at the Brewery on 5 November 2016, although at that point it didn’t have an official name. The distilling process took longer than anticipated and was finally ready to bottle at 3am. Kate and Helen both love the fact that it was literally brewed under moonlight and fireworks and the enthusiasm for their business is still like a newly-lit sparkler.

They were quick to propel their gin onto the market as with no external funding the success of the business needed them to become economically active immediately. To make gin, Kate explained, an alcohol base has to be purchased, often referred to as neutral grain spirit, and it’s rare these days that gin distillers make this themselves. A container of this (organic) costs £1,000 and is enough to make four batches of gin with around 30 bottles in a batch (batch size relates to still size). At this point creativity is unleashed as what makes each gin unique are the botanicals used to give the final flavour profile.

Many distillers use only dried ingredients, but at The Gin Kitchen fresh are used wherever possible. The end result is that with a higher level of distilled essential oils, the gin goes cloudy when mixers are added.

Many gin aficionados dislike this and so some gins are filtered after distilling to remove this element. The Gin Kitchen do not do this as it also removes some of the unique flavour notes

Artisan food | EAT SURREY

Blushing Monkey gin and tonic

Blushing Monkey gin and tonic While I was with Kate it seemed rude not to sample a gin and tonic, even though it was before midday (a rare event for me).

Kate explained that for Blushing Monkey gin to be at its best, the order in which ingredients are added has to be reversed. Put simply, this is a sketch rather than a recipe, and was invented by a Gin Kitchen friend, Lesley-Anne. Chunky ice is essential here too, as if it’s too slushy it will water down the drink too quickly.

Use a Copa de Balon gin glass for maximum effect.

Ingredients 50ml Blushing Monkey gin Half a bottle of premium tonic (Fever Tree or Fentim) Fine strips of lime A slice of dragon fruit for a dramatic finish Method w Half fill a Copa glass with chunky ice. Pour over half a small bottle of premium tonic or more to suit palate. w Pour Blushing Monkey gin in a circular fashion to create a candy-floss pink cloud. w Garnish with a twist of lime and a slice of dragonfruit.

too which Kate and Helen are adamant should be retained. Some gin drinkers embrace the cloudiness of this range of gins and others shun it. This is, it seems, a purely personal preference. The Gin Kitchen’s new gin, Blushing Monkey, relies on cloudiness as when the gin is mixed with tonic it gives a pink pearlescent glow.

Being self-funded, the duo needed to start selling so they could afford to make another batch. Village Greens Farm Shop became a stockist and a couple of independent off licenses too. Although orders were coming through, they wanted to be stocked in a London store with heavy footfall.

Being listed with a large independent retailer was a key aim.

Within three weeks of starting the business, Kate and Helen walked into Fortnum & Mason and asked to see the spirits buyer who, it turned out, had been standing right next to them and was immediately interested. They were taken into the buyers’ tasting room and left soon afterwards with an order and a slot as spirit of the month (a slot they have now filled four times). Kate and Helen had to delay the first delivery as they simply did not have enough stock to fulfill it!

Regulars at food fairs promoting their brand, Kate and Helen are easy to track as they are very active on social media. I have seen people swoon over the hot gin punches of Gutsy Monkey Winter Gin with Ringden Farm fresh pressed pear juice. Those of us in the know marvel over the delicious drinking quality of their products – there are not many gins which are drinkable neat, but this is one of them. Last March, The Gin Kitchen moved out of Dorking Brewery into their own bonded warehouse, a 170 year old barn on a farm just outside Dorking. Here Kate and Helen hold parties, gin tastings and launch events. Last year they also added Eternal Absinthe to their range with artwork created by a local tattoo artist Ruth from Eternal Tattoos in Dorking. It’s a revival of a traditional rose absinthe and already has a firm following.

I have met some inspirational producers over the last years, but this all female crew are now firmly at the top of my list. I left with a bottle of Blushing Monkey gin which if bought direct from the distillery is £45 (£53 in Fortnum’s).

Why not pop in and have a chat – it’s the perfect activity for gin enthusiasts. essence INFO

The Gin Kitchen Punchbowl Lane, Dorking RH5 4DX Website: www.gin.kitchen Shirlee Posner is a food writer and blogger at www.eatsurrey. co.uk and provides social media management, web copywriting and food photography.

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 49

MY MONTH IN FOOD PHOTO COPYRIGHT: DAVID P MACDONALD

I

Stephanie Brookes, BBC Radio London food expert, offers her pick of an eating establishment for this month, a taste of Italy at Marcella in Deptford.

t’s something of a luxury having a local restaurant which happens to feature regularly in your top 10 list. I have, at any one time, a well-vetted inventory of restaurants ready to hand, whether I’m speaking about my latest finds on the radio, or simply chatting with friends. I’ve noticed I’m increasingly mentioning the name Marcella on almost a daily basis.

Fortunately for me, it’s also a ten minute walk to Deptford. I almost find myself bragging (in the nicest possible way, of course) about the highlights of this area. Far from keeping this place a wellhidden secret, I truly want to share.

Deptford has become something of a culinary hotspot in recent years with the development of Deptford Market Yard which now hosts the weekly Deptford Bites Market. This Saturday event holds a mix of independent culinary vendors with something to please almost every appetite (I’ve done the legwork here). Marcella, however, has become the destination of choice for locals in the area. The restaurant founders have a passion for quality Italian produce and fresh, Chicory, Peach and Gorgonzola PHOTO COPYRIGHT: STEPHANIE BROOKES

50 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Saffron Arancino PHOTO COPYRIGHT: STEPHANIE BROOKES

seasonal ingredients. Their recent introduction of a Sunday set menu is something of a weekend must: three courses for a very reasonable £20.

This restaurant’s ever-growing popularity does mean placing a booking is highly recommended.

If you happen to be passing by without a prior reservation, however, friendly staff will always endeavour to accommodate, and will likely suggest their countertop seating, close to the kitchen – surprisingly not as noisy as you might think. On this occasion, we were seated in the main dining area: always the preferred option, of course, and an excellent vantage point for perusing the board of daily dishes.

As it was a weekend, I ordered a cocktail quicker than our server had the chance to ask: “still or sparkling?” The Frangelico Sour is the perfect cocktail (I have discovered) to kickstart the savoury taste buds: fluffy clouds of egg white top a deliciously nutty concoction of hazelnut liqueur blended together with fresh lemon and lime. Order without hesitation.

Food review | STEPHANIE BROOKES

Trotolle alla Norma

Sbrisolona

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: STEPHANIE BROOKES

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: STEPHANIE BROOKES

To begin proceedings, the snacking dish of Saffron Arancino has become something of a fixture on the menu. These crispy coated rice balls are evenly golden in colour, delicately flavoured with floral saffron, and when pulled apart, a vibrant yolkrich colour reveals a moreish filling of soft, creamy rice. The arancino is served with a drizzle of sharp balsamic and topped with a grating of salty pecorino.

The small plates are all designed to tempt a visitor into naturally wanting more, and luckily the first course of Chicory, Peach and Gorgonzola arrived before a greedy second order was placed. The starter: an earthy mound of soft green leaves, flecked with soft Gorgonzola and atop fresh, ripe peaches. The natural bitter flavour of chicory is instantly mellowed by the fleshy, sweet peach which coats the leaves in its natural juices, creating a wonderfully light sauce.

The creamy Gorgonzola brings a much needed salty note to the overall dish. If any notion of ordering salad might seem a ‘boring’ way to begin a meal, this starter is the perfect example of why a selection of a few, carefully considered ingredients can create a true star of a menu.

At Marcella, it can’t be guaranteed a favourite dish will be on the menu as options change daily, however, one thing that is certain is that a tempting dish of freshly made pasta will always be present.

I have a weakness for any kind of pasta, but I’m rendered incapable of ordering anything but when dining at Marcella. The dish of Trottole alla Norma is the definition of relaxed, weekend fare. Each perfectly made trottole contains these little spiral ridges which trap much of the fresh tomato sauce accompanied by gloriously chewy, charred bites of spongy aubergine.

If my server noticed that I had finished my Sunday lunch a touch on the speedy side, she didn’t let on; this is something to be expected at Marcella, perfectly clean plates. This couldn’t be said for my childhood eating habits. Today, my good behaviour was being rewarded with a delightfully messy, divine final dish of Sbrisolona. The dessert instantly piqued the attention of the next table, with a just-audible “oooh”.

Sbrisolona is a traditional Italian almond cake which can be broken into generous chunks (as here). I was pleased to see an addition of fresh fruit with a scattering of gleaming dark cherries and mounds of crème fraîche. The dry, almost biscotti-like texture of the Sbrisolona is softened by the oozing sweet cherry juice and the creamy, yet air-light crème fraîche. I quickly ordered a coffee as it seemed to me the perfect pairing, and I actually put aside a few pieces of the almond cake to ‘dunk’ into the steaming hot espresso.

The leisurely weekend lunch I had envisioned didn’t quite work out as planned. All in all the experience lasted shy of around fifty minutes. Clearly, I’m not cut out for pacing myself when Sunday lunch is this good.

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: MARCELLA

essence INFO

Marcella, 165A Deptford High Street, London SE8 3NU Websites: www.marcella.london; www.stephaniebrookes.com Telephone: 020 3903 6561 Email: hello@marcella.london

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 51

Baking | JEN’S CUPCAKERY

Pumpkin and GINGER CAKE

The flavours of ginger and cinnamon make the perfect pairing for an autumnal bake. This super-moist sponge is ginger-liscious: chunks of crystallised ginger, the crunch of pecans and pumpkin to add a soft, succulent texture.

from our wineries to your glass essence readers receive a special 25% discount on any bottle purchased when presenting this advert (up to 4 October, no further discounts)

TOP TIP: For easy gingernut crumb, place in a small food bag, seal and use a rolling pin to crush.

Ingredients 220g unsalted butter 410g dark brown soft sugar 270g plain flour One teaspoon bicarbonate of soda One teaspoon baking powder Two teaspoons ground cinnamon One tablespoon crystallised ginger One teaspoon ground ginger One teaspoon vanilla extract 350g pumpkin (buy tinned for ease) Four eggs Two tablespoons pecan nuts 175g cream cheese 450g icing sugar, sifted 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature Half teaspoon ginger Four gingernuts Method w reheat the o en to .

Grease and line two eight inch sand ich tins. w ream together the butter and dar bro n soft sugar in a large bo l.

Add eggs one at a time, followed by the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and anilla until the mi is smooth.

52 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

w Fold in pumpkin (puréed), chopped nuts and cr stallised ginger.

w Pour into cake pans and bake for around 35 minutes, or until a s e er comes out clean. w Whilst waiting for the cakes to cool, make up the cream cheese frosting by creaming the butter, then adding the icing sugar until a crumb-like texture is achieved at which point add the cream cheese and ginger. i until smooth. w Sandwich the two cake halves with the cream cheese frosting and some bro en gingernuts.

Swirl some icing on top and then decorate with more ginger crumb and some pecans (if they haven’t been eaten along the a . w Enjoy with a nice cup of tea, but the cake will keep for a good few days in an airtight tin.

essence INFO

Website: . enscupca er .com Telephone: 07751 553106 Email: mail enscupca er .com Facebook: .faceboo .com jenscupcakery Twitter: @jenscupcakery

The Autumnal Equinox Special Promotion In celebration of the Autumnal Equinox, Cellar One invites you to join us for a complimentary wine tasting where we shall celebrate the arrival of the season and introduce you to our hearty range of wines.

Make your reservation: 01932 428604. Promotion runs 11am–7pm until Thursday 4 October 2018.

Cellar One Thomas Hardy House 2 Heath Road Weybridge Surrey KT13 8TB Telephone: 07469 408768

Psychology, psychotherapy, psychiatry and counselling For adults, young adults, children and couples We can all have difficulties in everyday life and encounter problems that we simply find hard to cope with alone. You may feel worried, anxious, low, confused, isolated or may be experiencing difficulties in relationships.

These feelings and thoughts may persist and become overwhelming. In these circumstances it is difficult to know which way to turn.

At times like these it can be helpful to talk things over in confidence with an experienced counsellor, psychotherapist or psychologist who will enable you to explore your concerns in a safe, contained environment, to help you develop appropriate strategies and techniques to cope with your life difficulties in a more effective way.

We offer clinics in Weybridge and East Molesey.

Take a step forward and contact the practice for a free telephone consultation:

Telephone: 0333 0096 321 www.thepractice.co.uk

FACE UP TO A PEEL

Jacqui Casey of Epsom Skin Clinics explains why we should not be daunted by skin peel treatments.

M

any people believe a skin peel treatment is an alarming procedure to undertake, primarily because of how they have been portrayed in the media and on television makeover programmes.

It is thought that skin peels take multiple layers off the skin, leaving the user with a lot of recovery time. However, there are in fact lighter and more superficial peels that can be provided to treat many skin complaints such as acne, Rosacea, pigmentation, including sun damage, and melasma (hormonal pigment) and to improve general skin appearance.

Superficial skin peels work by removing dead skin cells from the skin’s surface, which then stimulates new cells to grow. These peels are very gentle and only work on the epidermis, removing the most outer layer of skin, leaving hardly any down time. Deeper skin peels that can be performed by a doctor will remove multiple layers of skin and these may result in two weeks down time or more.

gentle, perfect for people with sensitive skin.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids do increase photosensitivity, so be careful when exposed to the sun.

The most common BHA, Beta Hydroxy Acid, is salicylic, used to treat oily and acne prone skin.

If acne is affecting confidence, then this skin peel is the right one to use. A salicylic skin peel is very light and works on the outer layers of the epidermis improving clogged pores, congestion, oily skin tone and acne. With a very short downtime, this is a great treatment as it can be carried out as often as every two weeks.

Skin peels contain AHAs and BHAs AHA stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acid, the most common of which is glycolic acid, a natural ingredient derived from sugar cane. Glycolic acid has skin renewing properties often used in peels and products which easily penetrate into the skin.

Glycolic acid helps to smooth out fine lines, fade pigmentation and improve sun damage. In fact it’s great at deep exfoliation of the skin: improving spots, blocked pores and blackheads.

Another AHA commonly used is lactic acid, derived from milk. Unlike other AHAs, it is very

Combining skin peels?

Certain skin peels can be combined, for example, the salicylic and the mandelic skin peels. Using both together is ideal for someone who has acne, Rosacea or an area of inflammation.

54 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Rosacea?

For those requiring improvement to sensitive skin and to address Rosacea, then mandelic skin peels, a type of AHA similar to glycolic and lactic acid, are best. Mandelic molecules are much larger than glycolic and lactic acids and therefore penetrate less deeply, reducing irritation. This is a brilliant peel for someone with very sensitive skin, or who wants a light skin peel.

Epsom Skin Clinics recommend a consultation with a trained therapist prior to any treatment as the best way to start so that correct advice and information can be given to ensure a client benefits from and achieves the best possible results.

essence INFO

Epsom Skin Clinics Website: www.epsomskinclinics.com Telephone: 01372 737280 PHOTO COPYRIGHT: VICTOR69 | 123RF.COM

Beauty | EPSOM SKIN CLINICS

Your recipe for great skin, founded by MasterChef finalist Angela Langford perfect pores 30ml £31.00 Pore perfecting face serum: rose, cypress and hyaluronic acid Rose petals, cypress and juniper are blended with electric daisies and hyaluronic acid to help smooth skin and reduce the appearance of pores.

Angela says... “This natural serum is great for improving the appearance of pores and smoothing skin. This is the recipe for repelling wrinkles and improving your complexion.” sweet cheeks 100ml £18.00 Balancing and cleansing face wash: papaya, cypress and rose Rose petals are blended with papaya, cypress, orange blossom and witch hazel to produce a non-foaming, gentle face wash that doesn’t strip skin of its natural oils.

Angela says... “For those prone to oily, combination or congested skin, this face wash is for you. It is the recipe for beautifully balanced, clean and clear skin.” bloom & glow 15ml £20.50 Radiance restoring face oil: chia seed and sea buckthorn Chia seed and sea buckthorn are blended together to deliver high levels of essential fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants. This oil impro es s in s elasticit , calms inflammation and restores radiance.

Angela says... erfect for sensiti e, easil inflamed or generall out of kilter skin. This is your recipe for gorgeous, glowing, radiant skin.”

Visit the website for seasonal offers and packages and sign up to the newsletter.

0% finance available. www.epsomskinclinics.com

As a predominately online skincare brand, we realise you may not have previously seen our products. We therefore encourage new customers to try products by using our Skincare Sample Pack Service.

essence INFO

Website: www.angelalangford.com Telephone: 01460 929596 Email: info@angelalangford.com

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 55

Spotlight on...

Autumn Festival, Painshill Park Cobham

Sunday 21 October, 10am–6pm ‘Fall’ in love with Painshill Park and celebrate a host of autumn-themed activities for all the family. Follow the tree trail to see a beautiful display of autumn colour and try balancing on the stepping stone log challenge and tree swing with wooden medals to be won. There’ll be displays of horse-powered timber extraction and a traditional heavy horse wagon ride. Browse the wide range of stalls with handcrafted items made from wood, metal, leather and honey. In addition, learn how to keep trees health and find out more about tree maintenance. Tast food and drin treats ill be on offer, including chillies, cakes and sparkling wine. So breathe in the autumn air and view the majestic colours of Painshill’s magical landscape.

Information: painshill.co.uk

Theatre Richmond Theatre Richmond

Tickets: atgtickets.com/richmond

New Wimbledon Theatre Wimbledon Wimbledon

Tickets: atgtickets.com/wimbledon

Tuesday 2 to Saturday 6 October An Inspector Calls

Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 October Horrible Histories

J B Priestley’s classic thriller.

Performances of Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians.

Saturday 3 November Blood Brothers

Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 October Guess How Much I Love You

Based on the books by Sam McBratney.

Monday 15 to Saturday 20 October The Habit of Art

Revival of Alan Bennett play.

Monday 22 to Saturday 27 October Vulcan 7

Play written by and starring Adrian Edmondson and Nigel Planer.

New Victoria Theatre Woking

Tickets: atgtickets.com/woking

Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 October Dinosaur World Live

Interactive new show.

Monday 8 to Tuesday 9 October Private Peaceful

Adapted from the book by Michael Morpurgo.

Tuesday 16 to Saturday 27 October Jersey Boys

Smash hit musical on tour.

56 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

Monday 29 October to

Legendary Willy Russell musical.

Dorking Halls

Dorking Wimbledon Tickets: dorkinghalls.co.uk

Monday 22 to Tuesday 23 October The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Fabulous family show.

Epsom Playhouse Epsom

Tickets: epsomplayhouse.co.uk

Saturday 13 October Emerald Storm

Irish dance brought into the 21st century.

Monday 29 October A Life in the Realm of Madness...

Suggs – What a King Cnut

A new show from the Madness front man.

Wednesday 31 October Tim Vine: Sunset Milk Idiot

Silly new jokes from this entertaining comedian.

Ruined abbey and autumn trees at Painshill Park, Cobham

essence | EVENTS

the/diary / /diary OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 57

G Live

Guildford Tickets: glive.co.uk

Monday 8 October Neil Oliver: The Story of

Music Cranleigh Arts Centre Cranleigh

The British Isles in 100 Places

Tickets: cranleighartscentre.org

Historian Neil on tour: see the essence interview on page 6.

Friday 12 October Kelly Oliver plus support EMMAY

Wednesday 17 to

Radio 2 favourite performs.

Saturday 20 October Awful Auntie

Dorking Halls

Based on the David Walliams book.

Guildford Shakespeare Company

Dorking Wimbledon Tickets: dorkinghalls.co.uk

Thursday 11 October From The Jam: All Mod Cons,

Various locations

40th Anniversary Tour

Tickets:

Saturday 13 October to

Legendary ‘The Jam’ bassist Bruce Foxton fronts the acclaimed From The Jam.

Saturday 3 November Alice in Wonderland

G Live

guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk

Multi-venue restaging marking the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s relationship with Guildford.

Harlequin Theatre Redhill

Tickets: harlequintheatre.co.uk

Friday 19 October Kathy Lette’s Girls’ Night Out

Guildford Tickets: glive.co.uk

Tuesday 9 October Level 42: Eternity

Popular band on tour with support The Blow Monkeys.

Monday 15 October Joan Armatrading

Australian-born author on tour.

Wonderful singer/songwriter celebrates 46 years in music.

Rose Theatre Kingston

Tuesday 23 October Soul II Soul Thirty Years Tour

Kingston-upon-Thames

Tickets: rosetheatrekingston.org

Tuesday 23 to Sunday 28 October The Gruffalo’s Child

Hugely influential and successful band pay tribute to their debut album Club Classics Vol. One.

Based on the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler popular book.

Guildford Symphony Orchestra

Tuesday 30 October Ballet Black: Double Bill

St Catherine’s School, Bramley Tickets: g-s-o.org.uk

Celebrating dancers of black and Asian descent.

Sunday 7 October, 3.30pm Animal Magic Family Concert

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

Bringing a zoo full of animals to life through music.

Tickets: yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Southern Pro Musica

Guildford

Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 October Still Alice

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

Sharon Small stars as a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Sunday 21 October Orchestral Concert:

Monday 22 to Saturday 27 October Rain Man

Mozart and Beethoven

Mathew Horne stars in this play based on the popular film.

58 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

From The Jam, Dorking Halls PHOTO COPYRIGHT: DEREK D SOUZA

Awful Auntie by Birmingham Stage Company, G Live PHOTO COPYRIGHT: MARK DOUET

Information: southernpromusica.org

Including Mozart’s Overture ‘Così fan tutte’ and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A.

Alice in Wonderland (2015), Guildford Shakespeare Company PHOTO COPYRIGHT: STEVE PORTER

essence | EVENTS

Spotlight on...

2018 Guildford Book Festival Various locations, Guildford Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 October A fabulous line-up of speakers is expected for this year’s Guildford Book Festival.

From household names such as comedienne Jo Brand (pictured left) and dancer Anton Du Beke to authors such as Matt Haig and Gill Sims, currently top of the fiction and non fiction bestseller lists. This ear, on aturda ctober, there is also a Leonard Bernstein Centenary Gala Concert and Talk at Holy Trinity Church.

For 2018, the Festival welcomes Guildford Shakespeare Company’s Matt Pinches who will discuss Lewis Carroll’s unique relationship with Guildford and the return of GSC’s Alice in Wonderland, a multi-venue production. In addition, there’s an evening with journalist Martin Bell and Woman’s Hour presenter Jenni Murray presents her book A History of the World in 21 Women. Ben Macintyre talks Cold War espionage via the true story The Spy and the Traitor and Max Hastings returns with Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy, 1945-1975. Karen Maitland and Laura Purcell discuss Ghosts, Ghouls and the Gothic: Writing to Thrill at the University of Surrey, and don’t miss Kate Mosse in conversation with Stephanie Merritt.

With lots of workshops and events, this Festival is really not to be missed.

Tickets: guildfordbookfestival.co.uk

Festivals

Exhibitions

Epsom Playhouse

Fields of Flowers

Tickets: epsomplayhouse.co.uk

Information: becart.co.uk

Wednesday 24 to

To Saturday 13 October

Epsom

Saturday 27 October Satisfied Eye International Film Festival

Epsom & Ewell’s first international film festival has the theme of Women Heroes.

Farnham Maltings

The Guildford Institute

Becca Clegg returns to the Institute with her colourful, impressionistic landscape paintings.

Guildford Art Society

With all art for sale and a free raffle to win an original painting.

Free entry.

Haslemere Museum High Street, Haslemere

Saturday 6 to Tuesday 23 October Lyric Pieces by Hugo Grenville

To Sunday 7 October Sidney Francis: Photographs of

The Gallery’s first solo exhibition

by Hugo, one of the country’s leading colourist painters.

Woking in the 1920s and 1930s

Museum of Farnham West Street, Farnham

farnhammaltings.com/museum

Watts Gallery

Compton, Guildford To Sunday 28 October James Henry Pullen:

New Ashgate Gallery Farnham

Information: newashgate.org.uk

To Saturday 3 November Autumn Craft Collection

Information:

To Saturday 3 November Surrey Artist of the Year 2018

guildfordbookfestival.co.uk

exhibition and sale

Saturday 6 to Sunday 14 October

Affordable, original art, prints and cards.

A partnership between New Ashgate and Surrey Artists Open Studios to celebrate creative talent.

See Spotlight above.

A rare combination of French Impressionist paintings and sculpture.

Celebrating the anniversary.

To Saturday 6 October Surrey Contemporaries art

Various locations

To Sunday 13 January Impressionism: The Art of Life

Information: wattsgallery.org.uk

and surreycontemporaries.co.uk

Guildford Book Festival

View glimpses of what Woking was like nearly 100 years ago.

300 years of Willmer House

A collection of ceramics, glass, jewellery and textiles.

Information: haslemeremuseum.co.uk

Woking

Information: thelightbox.org.uk

To Saturday 22 December Behind Closed Doors:

Saturday 3 November Art and Craft Show

The Lightbox Gallery and Museum

mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk

Information: guildfordartsociety.co.uk

Information:

The Maltings’ longest-running craft event with over 80 emerging talents and established makers from Surrey, Hampshire and across the UK.

Information:

Information:

Saturday 13 October to

Saturday 27 to Sunday 28 October

High Street, Godalming

Guildford House Gallery, High Street, Guildford

Farnham

craft.farnhammaltings.com

McAllister Thomas

JO BRAND PHOTO COPYRIGHT: PAL HANSEN

Inmate – Inventor – Genius

Gallery show emphasising Pullen’s status not as a mechanical copyist, but as an innovative artist.

Tuesday 23 to Sunday 28 October October half term

Inspired by the above exhibition, create your own invention.

Saturday 27 October Watts Late: Imaginarium

Events and performance as part of Museums at Night.

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 59

Cinemas Cranleigh Arts Centre 01483 278000 or cranleighartscentre.org Farnham Maltings 02152 745444 or farnhammaltings.com Odeon Esher 0871 2244007 or odeon.co.u fanatic film times s

esher

Odeon Epsom 0871 2244007 or odeon.co.u fanatic film times s

epsom

Odeon Guildford 0871 2244007 or odeon.co.u fanatic film times s The Screen Walton

guildford or screencinemas.co.u

The Ambassadors Cinema, Woking

or

ambassadortickets.com/cinema

National Trust

Leith Hill Place

National Trust properties offer perfect venues to explore at any time of the year.

We list a few here, but visit nationaltrust.org.uk for more.

birthday concert

Clandon Park near Guildford

Information: 01483 222482

Wednesday 24 to Friday 26 October October half term bulb planting

Join the gardens team planting bulbs in the parterre garden.

near Dorking

Information: 01306 711685

Thursday 11 October Ralph Vaughan Williams’

To Sunday 21 October Exhibition: Gwen Raverat

Works by this wood engraver.

Wednesday 24 October, 10am–12 noon and 1.30–3.30pm Creepy crafts and spooktacular baking

For ages four to ten.

Polesden Lacey

Great Bookham, near Dorking

View previously unseen items in the basement exhibition.

To Thursday 29 November Polesden Hospital

near Esher

Information: 01372 467806

Tuesday 16 October Fruit, nuts and cones walk

Join guide Hilary for a walk through Claremont this autumn.

Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 October Half term Hansel and Gretel trail

Follow in the footsteps of Hansel and Gretel and help them escape from the wicked witch.

Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 October Fairytale crafts

Get creative this half term with Claremont’s craft sessions.

60 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 2018

PHOTO COPYRIGHT: HUGO GRENVILLE

A one hour concert and tea party.

Prebooking on 0344 249 1895.

Until Sunday 28 October Salvaged collection

Claremont Landscape Garden

Elena Interior II, oil on canvas, Lyric Pieces by Hugo Grenville, McAllister Thomas

Information: 01372 452048

From June 1915 to late 1916 Margaret Greville opened Polesden as a convalescent hospital for officers. To mark 100 years since the end of the Great War, Polesden Hospital offers a rare glimpse into the lives of people who lived and worked at Polesden during that time.

Autumn colour at Winkworth Arboretum, National Trust PHOTO COPYRIGHT: JOHN MILLER

Winkworth Arboretum Godalming

Information: 01483 208936

Tuesday 16 and 23 October Autumn colour walk

Discover what makes Winkworth so special in the autumn.

Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 October Happy Halloween trail

A spooky trail around Winkworth.

Autumn Motorsport Day, Brooklands Museum

essence | EVENTS

Out and about

Go Wild Golf Day 2018

Alice Holt Forest

The sixth annual Go Wild Golf Day allows golfers of all levels to challenge the Born Free team.

Tickets are £55.

uc s orn a , arnham

Information: brutalrun.co.uk

Saturday 20 October, 6pm Halloween BRUTAL run 2018

Online entry for this run is now open with 3.3k, 6.6k or a 10k lap of the spookiest ever BRUTAL. Wear a spooky costume.

Battle Abbey and Battlefield Hastings

Information: english-heritage.org.uk

Saturday 13 to Sunday 14 October 1066 The Battle of Hastings

Out of Surrey, relive the atmosphere and tension as over 600 soldiers clash in this award-winning Battle of Hastings re-enactment.

Birdworld Farnham

Information: birdworld.co.uk

Monday 22 to Friday 26 October Halloween activity week

A unique Halloween grotto, themed arts and crafts, activity trail and train ride, plus lots more.

Bocketts Farm Park

Slinfold Golf and Country Club, West Sussex Registration: bornfree.org.uk

Friday 5 October

Firework displays Throughout Surrey Various dates

See fireworks at the following local venues: Bramley: 3 November Brockham: 4 November Chiddingfold: 4 November Cranleigh: 4 November Epsom: 4 November Farnham: 4 November Godalming: 3 November Haslemere: 4 November Horley: 3 November Horsham: 28 October Guildford: 4 November Mytchett: 5 November Norbiton: 3 November Ripley: 28 October Sunbury-on-Thames: 3 November Weybridge: 5 November Woking: 4 November

Haslemere Museum Haslemere

Fetcham

Information: haslemeremuseum.co.uk

Information: bockettsfarm.co.uk

Friday 26 October Haunted Halloween

Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 October Wizards and witches week

Spooky trail, reptile roadshow and wizard magician shows alongside fun farm activities.

Dress up in a spooky costume and enjoy creepy crafts. Don’t miss the Halloween procession through Haslemere at 4.30pm.

Brooklands Museum

Saturday 27 October Magical museum at night

Weybridge

Tickets: brooklandsmuseum.com

Sunday 14 October Autumn Motorsport Day

See competition cars from all ages on the adjacent Mercedes-Benz World circuit and later on Test Hill.

Follow the special trail and explore the museum galleries by torchlight.

Ramster Hall

Beginnings by Jonathan Hateley, Surrey Sculpture Society, The Savill Garden PHOTO COPYRIGHT: JONATHAN HATELEY

RHS Wisley

Surrey Sculpture Society

Woking

The Savill Garden, Windsor Great Park

Tickets: rhs.org.uk/wisley

Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 October Taste of Autumn

Information: surreysculpture.org.uk

The best of the season at Wisley’s harvest celebration.

Saturday 20 October to

Impressive sculptures nestled within the Garden’s beautiful blooms and woodland.

Sunday 4 November Room on the Broom half term

Surrey Wildlife Trust

To Monday 5 November

family fun

Various locations

Spooky trails around the garden, creepy crafts and lots more.

Information: surreywildlifetrust.org/events

Tuesday 16 October, 10am–3pm Create animal homes

Surrey Hills Wood Fair 2018 Fish Pond Copse, Cranleigh

for the garden

Information: surreyhills.org

Visit Nower Wood as tutor Paul Ritchie offers a guide to different animal home structures.

Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 October

A celebration of the Surrey Hills and all that is ‘Good about Wood’ with demonstrations, coppice crafts and wood products, horse and wagon rides, children’s activities, bug hunts, local produce, a beer tent and much more.

Wednesday 24 October, 10–11.30am Potter around Puttenham Common

A beautiful autumn wander among lowland heath, woodland, water and rolling hills. Look out for fungi and winter migrants.

Farmers’ markets Camberley aturda Cranleigh

er

Epsom unda

ctober,

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am

pm

am

ctober and

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Chiddingfold

Farnham unda

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Information: ramster.com

Guildford Tuesda

ctober and

o ember,

.

Tuesday 9 and

Haslemere unda

ctober and

o ember,

am .

Monday 22 to Friday 26 October Half term family activities

Wednesday 10 October Autumn Fair 2018

On weekdays, don’t miss car rides, tours on Concorde and lots more.

Charity fair in association with Meath Epilepsy Charity.

am .

Milford unda

ctober,

Ripley aturda

ctober and

am .

Walton-on-Thames aturda Woking Thursda

ctober and

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pm am

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pm

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pm

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OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 61

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Finding your next home... ri ate

fice

www.barnes-london.com

Knight Frank www.knightfrank.co.uk

Trenchard-Arlidge www.trenchardarlidge.co.uk

John D Wood www.johndwood.co.uk

Curchods www.curchods.com

Broadway and Parsons Green takes Grosvenor Billinghurst 17 minutes to Oxford Circus and just www.grosvenorb.co.uk half an hour to Canary Wharf.

Heathrow Airport is 32 minutes away from nearby Hammersmith Underground.

Winkworth Fulham has a vibrant mix of shops, www.winkworth.co.uk restaurants and bars, whilst Bishops Park and the river provide some peace and quiet. Nearby Ofsted ‘outstanding’ rated schools include Fulham Cross Girls School, London Oratory School as well as APW Lettings independent schools such as Fulham www.apwproperty.com Prep School.

For further information please contact Octagon on 020 8481 7500 or Strutt & Parker on 020 7731 7100.

Waterfords www.waterfords.co.uk

Octagon 020 8481 7500 | OCTAGON.CO.UK www.octagon.co.uk

16/02/2018 62 essence-magazine.co.uk | OCTOBER 201817:22

Nightingale Court £4,750,000 Oxshott, Surrey

Situated in the heart of the prestigious Crown Estate and backing onto ancient woodland is this magnificent, bespoke family residence. This imposing English mansion offers a wealth of entertaining space, coupled with a leisure complex with both indoor and outdoor swimming pools, and separate staff accommodation.

Having seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms, Nightingale Court is a fabulous home boasting beautiful landscaped gardens with stunning views and direct walking access to the Prince’s Covert woodland.

The main house principal reception rooms are: living room, drawing room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, study, family room, leisure suite/sitting area, utility room and cloakroom.

The first floor boasts a master bedroom suite comprising dressing room and ensuite bathroom, four further bedroom suites and a galleried landing. The second floor has two further ensuite bedrooms with a dressing room and one having a kitchenette and ample storage space. There is also separate staff accommodation with a lounge/kitchen and bedroom.

The leisure suite, with its indoor pool, gym, steam room, changing facilities, sound system and built-in barbecue, is accessed via the main house and ideal for entertaining.

Outside there is a three-car garage, swimming pool with pool house and terraced lawns in 1.475 acres.

8 High Street, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3DY Telephone: 01932 588288

essence

PROPERTY

OCTOBER 2018 | essence-magazine.co.uk 63

8 High Street, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3DY Telephone: 01932 588288

Belgrove House £2,450,000 Cobham, Surrey

Belgrove House is situated in the heart of Cobham along the desirable, leafy Water Lane and offers a rare chance to buy a brand new home of this scale and quality built by renowned property developer Portchester Estates.

An impressive large reception hall with oversized tiles provides a welcoming first impression and leads to three well-proportioned reception rooms including a spacious kitchen/breakfast/family room, separate drawing room and a bay-windowed dining room. he first floor is accessed by a sweeping French polished staircase. At the top double doors lead to a master suite, fully-equipped with a dressing room and four piece en suite. There are three other bedrooms all with en suites on the first floor. he top floor boasts an open plan media room as well as a fifth bedroom suite. All floors are concrete with underfloor heating. he uality fittings include uravit, Hansgrohe and Miele.

Nearby, Cobham village centre offers an excellent selection of local shops and boutiques, a Waitrose supermarket, wine bars, cafés and restaurants. Leisure pursuits can be easily reached, including several golf courses, a fitness centre, tennis, cricket and rugby clubs.

Water Lane is conveniently located within easy reach of both Cobham & Stoke D’Abernon Station with frequent direct services to Waterloo and the A3 junction providing routes into London and the M25 with links to Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

The excellent private and state schooling in the area includes the nearby Reeds School, and also Danes Hill in Oxshott and the ACS International School.

APW Lettings, Weybridge 134 Oatlands Drive • Oatlands Village • Weybridge • Surrey • KT13 9HJ t: 01932 857300 e: weybridge@apwproperty.com Office hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Saturday 9am to 5pm

www.apwproperty.com Onslow Road, Walton on Thames KT12 Available 26 October 2018 UNFURNISHED Six bedrooms, four bathrooms, three reception rooms APW Weybridge Lettings are pleased to bring to the market a lovely character house which has been carefully modernised to a high standard and benefitting from outdoor swimming pool. Offering three reception rooms, six bedrooms, four bathrooms, wood floors, good size garden, double garage and driveway.

Ashley Drive, Walton on Thames, Surrey KT12 £7,950 per month Available NOW Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, four reception rooms Located only 0.4 miles to Walton Station, this substantial five-bedroom executive house built by Octagon.

Ideally positioned in an exclusive private estate with master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite, four more bedrooms, four reception rooms, family bathroom, landscaped garden, carriage driveway and double garage.

Octagon Developments: Homed to perfection

Computer generated image – Broadoaks Park, West Byfleet

Founded over 40 years ago, Octagon pioneered the concept of luxury housebuilding with a straightforward, but revolutionary idea: build a select number of exceptional homes of the highest quality.

Eagle House, Wimbledon Village

Fast-forward to 2018, and Broadoaks Park is proof that this idea still drives Octagon’s work. Situated on 25 acres in West Byfleet in Surrey, properties at Broadoaks Park will range from beautiful apartments to spacious detached family homes, with the flagship site seamlessly blending new build properties with the existing Grade II listed mansion and its adjoining lodges and coach houses.

Alongside meticulously landscaped grounds, residents will benefit from the site’s excellent accessibility. London Waterloo is less than 30 minutes away by train, and getting to Heathrow takes the same time by car, making the area one of the Surrey stockbroker belt’s most desirable locations. Recently given the greenlight by Woking Council, Broadoaks Park embodies the Octagon philosophy: outstanding homes in exceptional surroundings.

Broadoaks Park is not the only illustration of Octagon continuing to lead the way in luxury housing, with their Eagle House development in Wimbledon Village already shortlisted for awards.

Among London’s finest surviving examples of a Jacobean Manor

House and built in the early 1600s, the Grade II* listed property has hosted a slew of famous residents, from co-founder of the British east India Company, Robert Bell, to Arthur Schopenhauer, the renowned German metaphysical philosopher. It was even graced with a visit by Lord Nelson in 1805. Throughout a fouryear project, Octagon has gone to great lengths to restore Eagle House to its former glory. Working closely with English Heritage,

Kim comments; “This is my first opportunity to work with Octagon since founding my luxury interiors company, and to come on board at the concept stage is exciting, allowing us to create a truly Innovative outdoor space includes the aspirational home to show their coveredOctagon’s lower courtyard gardens, award-winning team of craftsmen painstakingly potential purchasers. landscaped space the frontbest andperiod features – from stained restored theto property’s glassas toprivate original balconies fireplaces –and and converted the accommodation “The Bishops Row townhouses are rear, as well luxury apartments.inResidents will benefit large from ainside, so we are surprisingly terraces.into Theeight pièce de résistance landscaped communal garden, communal lift access, focusing on creating free flowing outdoorbeautifully living comes in the form of with one of the apartments having its own private lift, and spaces within the show home to the roof top terraces from Plots 8 and secure private parking – a rarity given its location adjacent to demonstrate how flexible the 9, which give residents unbeatable Wimbledon Common. different rooms and levels can be. views towards the River Thames. sophisticated Plot 9 will also the feature a lift all floors.

Across city, on thetonorth banks of Using the Thames, is Bishopstones and textures, Row, Octagon’s first Fulham development.

Withfrom spacegreys, often abronze finishes Launching the Showhome within Plot Octagon premium in this enclave of London, employed innovative and woven leathers to herringbone 1 in earlytechniques February,to Octagon create a brought set of deceptively townhouses: andspacious geometric prints, the scheme is Kim Harvey Kim Harvey Interiors fromof generous first- and top-floor balconies to courtyard contemporary andgardens elegant with a rooftopan terraces. onboardand to create aspirational tailored finish, inspired by classical scheme within the London British history.”

Octagon believestogreat properties belong in style great and locations, townhouse.

In addition the high and so develops the majority of its projects in prime London and Bishops Row offers exceptional quality finishes and specifications select locations within and around the home counties. Properties transport linksteam, in toeach the West End and synonymous with the Octagon name, are individually designed by their talented in-house the City.

Nearby Putney Bridge station each room has been given a personal house equipped with unique character, while ensuring they retain provides access to Sloane Square and feel, with bespoke cabinetry and hand the developer’s signature style.

London Victoria, whilst Fulham sourced artwork throughout.

The fourth floors are home to a family bathroom and the additional double bedrooms, each featuring built in wardrobes and two also enjoying en-suites.

Broadway and Parsons Green takes 17 minutes to Oxford Circus and just half an hour to Canary Wharf.

Heathrow Airport is 32 minutes away from nearby Hammersmith Underground.

Fulham has a vibrant mix of shops, Bishops Row, Fulham restaurants and bars, whilst Bishops Park and the river provide some peace and quiet. Nearby Ofsted ‘outstanding’ rated schools include Fulham Cross Girls School, London Oratory School as well as independent schools such as Fulham Prep School.

For further information please contact Octagon on 020 8481 7500 or Strutt & Parker on 020 7731 7100.

020 8481 7500 | OCTAGON.CO.UK

A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON BUYING, RENTING AND SELLING HOMES

MILFORD GRANGE GUIDE PRICE £2,750,000

A fantastic equestrian opportunity of prime Surrey land of circa 10 acres with exceptional state-of-the-art facilities and stables including 42ft floodlit ménage and 700m canter track with back fields and paddocks. Situated in a peaceful setting on the edge of Chobham village, Milford Grange is an exceptionally well-built house designed by the current owners and finished in 2012. The property is a stunning, six bedroom family home that has been created to an exemplary standard throughout and extends approximately 6,000 sq ft over three floors.

Six bedrooms, five reception rooms, five bathrooms, gardens, 10 acres of land/paddock.

ABBEY PLACE GUIDE PRICE £2,850,000

Abbey Place is a stunning detached family home situated on one of Ascot’s finest roads and offers a very bright, spacious and well-proportioned eightbedroom house over three floors.

Eight bedrooms, six reception rooms, six bathrooms, house, detached, garden, triple garage, modern, rural, 6,216 approx sq ft, land area 0.43 acres.

SUNNINGDALE | 01344 291639 sunningdale@winkworth.co.uk

winkworth.co.uk/sunningdale

OFFICES IN LONDON, THE COUNTRY AND OVERSEAS SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY

Barley Mow House, Barley Mow Lane, Knaphill, Surrey GU21 • Freehold • Guide price £1,000,000 This detached Grade II listed cottage is situated on the border between Knaphill and Chobham, on a quiet country lane and occupying a plot of approximately 0.308 of an acre.

Little Heath Road, Chobham Surrey GU24 • Freehold • £875,000 Situated within a quiet non-estate location, this four bedroom detached house, with double garage, falls within easy reach of Chobham village and Chobham Common and has been extensively modernised throughout.

WATERFORDS CHOBHAM • 32 HIGH STREET, CHOBHAM, SURREY GU24 8AA • 01276 903300 • WATERFORDS.CO.UK

Plot 43, Pelhams Walk, Esher, KT10 • £1,495,000 • EPC: TBC BUILDING PLOT • DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY • PHOTO INDICATIVE CGI

Situated in one of the most idyllic and picturesque areas of Esher in the exclusive Esher Place private estate, this west-facing plot overlooks the River Mole and has planning permission for a detached house of approximately 7,000 sq ft.

Plot 45, Pelhams Walk, Esher, KT10 • £1,550,000 • EPC: TBC BUILDING PLOT • DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY • PHOTO INDICATIVE CGI Nestled in the exclusive Esher Place private estate, this beautiful west-facing plot overlooks the River Mole and has planning permission for a detached house of approximately 7,000 sq ft.

ESHER 01372 462211 • WWW.JOHNDWOOD.CO.UK

OXSHOTT

£725,000

A renovated, Edwardian, larger semi-detached house with style and convenient location. Good hall. Sitting room. Dining room. Double aspect kitchen. Three bedrooms. Superbly re-fitted bathroom. Paviour parking for three/four cars. 116ft south-backing rear garden. Walk of station, shops, pub/restaurants. EPC: E.

SOLE AGENTS

OXSHOTT

01932 864242

£945,000

Situated in the heart of Oxshott Village, a four-bedroom character home with three receptions, double garage and off street parking. Well maintained 90ft rear garden with wide terrace and southerly aspect. Scope to extend, consent granted.

EPC: E.

SOLE AGENTS

01372 843833

COBHAM VILLAGE

£735,000

A 1930s’ detached house in cul-de sac, a short walk of shopping centre and schools. Hall. Cloakroom. Sitting room and conservatory. Dining room. Fitted kitchen. Three bedrooms. Re-fitted bathroom. South backing 100ft garden with extensive patio and large Studio/home office. EPC: E.

SOLE AGENTS

01932 864242

OXSHOTT – PRIVATE ESTATE

£1,395,000

Situated in Knott Park, a family home recently improved and well presented. Four double bedrooms, three receptions, kitchen/breakfast room and secret first floor den. Screened private rear garden with intriguing ‘facilities’, double garage, sauna and ample off street parking. Scope also to extend STPP. EPC: D.

SOLE AGENTS

01372 843833

Estate Agents in Cobham, Stoke D’Abernon and Oxshott for over 80 years

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ST. GEORGE’S AVENUE, WEYBRIDGE, KT13 A beautiful ground floor conversion maisonette in a classic Edwardian property with private garden and parking, situated between the Queens Road shops and Weybridge mainline station. Kitchen/diner leading to vaulted reception room, master bedroom with en suite, dressing room and doors to garden, two further bedrooms, family bathroom, utility room, period features, share of freehold, no onward chain. EPC rating TBC.

GUIDE PRICE OF £895,000

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WEYBRIDGE 01932 821160

37 Queens Road, Weybridge, Surrey KT13 9UQ jackson-stops.co.uk/london newhomes@jackson-stops.com

Local & National reach through a network of London & Regional offices PROPERTY EXPERTS SINCE 1910

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Esse

St John’s, Woking

Prices from £1,595,000

Two stunning and individual, 5 bedroom detached homes each with a detached double garage and ample off street parking, set in over 1/4 of an acre of beautifully landscaped gardens. Providing the best of modern living with quick and easy access into London and surrounding areas.

01483 776644

woking@curchods.com

Effingham

£995,000

A quality home with immense charm and character positioned on an individual plot in the heart of Effingham Village with a south west facing garden and local amenities close by. This brand new beautifully crafted home comes complete with a 10 year NHBC Warranty.

01483 281010

kate-dancey@curchods.com

Maximum exposure on the UK’s leading property websites when you sell or let with Curchods Essence Magazine September 2018.indd 1

18/09/2018 15:23:32

B R OA D OA K S PA R K WEST BYFLEET

Computer Generated Image

DE S IG N E D & BU I LT BY O C TAG O N

The magnificent Broadoaks Park will soon be making an appearance in West Byfleet, Surrey.

We are delighted to confirm that Woking Borough Council Planning Committee has resolved to approve our planning application for Broadoaks Park.

This unique and exclusive new development set in approximately 25 acres will offer an appealing mix of residential properties, ranging from stylish apartments to spacious detached family homes. The existing Grade II listed mansion, alongside its adjoining lodges, coach house and ornamental gardens, will be beautifully restored and converted into luxury homes.

Construction of the new and refurbished homes will commence in autumn 2018, with a sales and marketing suite scheduled to open in the New Year.

R E G I S T E R YO U R I N T E R E S T T O DAY B R O A D O A K S PA R K . C O . U K

020 8481 7500 | OCTAGON.CO.UK