essence issue 65

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The Hannah Peschar

Sculpture Garden Open May to end of October 2015 Friday and Saturday 11am until 6pm Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday 2pm until 5pm By appointment only for groups of four or more on Tuesday to Thursday

General Admission £10 Adult £8 Concession £7 Child Admission by appointment £12

www.hannahpescharsculpture.com The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, Black and White Cottage, Standon Lane, Ockley, Dorking, Surrey RH5 5QR

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October 2015

Individuality I was recently watching a rerun of Room 101 with Chris Packham as guest and Frank Skinner hosting in which Packham bemoaned the impact that humans were having on the planet.

Skinner defended the human race and wondered at its resourcefulness and inventiveness, in short the individuality of us all.

In this issue, we highlight this trait as essence features renowned wildlife photographer Doug Allan who Sir David Attenborough regards as one of the best in the business. The unique Pelé celebrates 75 years and we feature the art commissioned on this milestone in his honour.

Porsche recently announced their competitor sports car to the Tesla. Known as Mission E, the all electric performance sports car has arrived – see page 22 for details.

In keeping with Doug Allan’s remote landscapes, Hanna Lindon explores perhaps the last British wilderness, Scotland’s west coast.

Additionally, there’s fashion from Lakeland and Cornwall’s Celtic & Co for smaller members of the family, comment on what exactly is meant by domicile from Mundays solicitors and in finance Simon Lewis explains the further implications of the recent budget on business owners.

Finally, essence features the best of a variety of activities for the coming month as we highlight the best food and events to enjoy.

The essence team

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Food

Interview Doug Allan is one of the world’s most respected and experienced wildlife and natural history cameramen. His expertise at both Poles has featured in the popular BBC documentaries Frozen Planet, Blue Planet and Ocean Giants.

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Crates Local Produce chooses current seasonal offerings, including spaghetti squash, parsnips, russet apples and gurnard – perhaps the ugliest fish on the counter – with recipes to enjoy.

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Travel

Knoydart peninsula is perhaps the most remote spot in mainland Britain. Soldered onto Scotland’s west coast, it’s a haven for flora, fauna and free-range families. Hanna Lindon gets back to nature on a trip to this wilderness paradise.

22 Motoring

Euan John’s looks at Porsche’s newest mission recently debuted at the Frankfurt motor show.

Simply named Mission E, it will be the first battery-powered, fourseater concept sports car from the marque, whose performance will rival fuel-powered cars.

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Contents October 2015

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Fashion

Lakeland provide some autumn style and Celtic & Co demonstrate traditional handcrafting techniques to produce appealing children’s fashion.

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Legal

Julie Jaggin, associate at Mundays, looks at the important concept of domicile and its implications.

40Finance

Simon Lewis, in a follow up to his previous article, sheds light on the increasing tax burden for some investors and, in particular, small and medium size business (SME) owners in receipt of a dividend income.

42Education

Michael Connolly, headmaster at Cranmore School, West Horsley, considers the importance of music and drama in the school curriculum.

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Leisure breaks

Rebecca Underwood visits Istanbul, nestled on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait. This unique metropolis, where the exotic east meets the cosmopolitan west, offers visitors an intriguing glimpse into a rich, colourful history and a fascinating culture.

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Art

Painter Lisa Wright’s work has been selected for the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition for the last twenty two years and she has also won numerous awards throughout her career. Her new exhibition, The Unversed, curated by Coates and Scarry, is unveiled in London this month.

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Events

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

Interiors

Jenny Allan from JCA Interiors offers advice on how to create impressive entrance halls, make a statement and set the scene for the rest of the home.

Antiques

The world of antiques is changing and smaller shops seen on popular television programme Bargain Hunt are becoming fewer in number with antiques fairs increasingly providing a shop window for dealers. Ingrid Nilson has run successful fairs for over 10 years and this month stages The Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair.

The Heart of The King

by Luis Paulo Machado

50 Pop Art Pelé: Art, Life, Football is an exhibition of art inspired by Pelé to celebrate his 75th birthday. The exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery includes work from internationally acclaimed artists, including Andy Warhol, Lorenzo Quinn and Mitch Griffiths.

essence team Acting Editor: Andrew Guilor Contributing Editor: Louise Alexander-O’Loughlin Publishing Manager: Rebecca Peters Production Manager: Linda Seward Designer: Sharon Smith Senior Designer: Jason Mayes, telephone: 01932 988677, email: editor@essence-magazine.co.uk Advertising Manager: Andrew Peters, telephone: 07980 956488, email: marketing@essence-magazine.co.uk Advertising Sales: telephone: 01932 988677 email: marketing@essence-magazine.co.uk Advertising Sales Executive: Nadine Schioldan, email: nadine@essence-magazine.co.uk Contributors: Hanna Lindon, Michael Connolly, Rebecca Underwood, Julie Jaggin, Simon Lewis, PJ Aldred, Jennifer Sutton, Naomi Diamond, Euan Johns

essence magazine Maple Publishing Limited, the publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

Any artwork will be at owner’s risk. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made in writing to the publisher. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher. essence is posted by Royal Mail to key addresses in Cobham, Oxshott, Esher, Weybridge, Guildford and outlying areas. 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, London hotels and Heathrow airport lounges.

Design and production www.domino4.co.uk

OCTOBER COVER Stuart McAlpine Miller, Playing the field, courtesy of Halcyon Gallery.

© Maple Publishing 2015

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Divine inspiration

www.driveDS.com

essence interview

Ice cool

Doug Allan is one of the world’s most respected and experienced wildlife and natural history cameramen. His legendary expertise at both Poles has made him a popular and charismatic speaker. His work has featured in the popular BBC documentaries Frozen Planet, Blue Planet and Ocean Giants. essence caught up with him for a question and answer discussion before the start of his UK talk tour. >

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All images courtesy Doug Allan

Doug Allan on location with walrus pod

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essence interview How did a boy from Dunfermline become an Arctic photographer? My first passion was diving, which I started at school. That led to a marine biology degree, but on graduating in 1973 I decided I didn’t want to be in what I termed ‘science at the sharp end’, so I cut loose and simply looked for excuses to dive. Two years later I read an article in a dive magazine written by someone who’d just been a scientific diver in the Antarctic. I tracked down the address for the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), applied to them and in 1976 was heading south to one of their research bases on a year’s contract as a diver. Best move I ever made!

What inspired you to become a wildlife cameraman?

Still pictures were a way to show people what the Antarctic was like. Movies in a way were a natural progression. I got my break by already having extensive experience of working in extreme environments, in the cold topside and underwater. The Antarctic was also much less accessible to film makers twenty years ago than it is today, yet it was familiar territory to me. I met David Attenborough when he visited our research base in January 1981, helped the film crew and had my eyes opened to the business of wildlife filming.

The bottom line was that it encompassed so much of what I enjoyed – diving, photography, adventure, travel, scientific knowledge, creativeness. It also seemed like a lot of fun.

So looking back, how do you feel about where you’ve ended up? Wildlife camera people are in a very privileged position because we’re asked to go to lovely places, to capture the beauty and behaviour and bring it back. The down side, however, is the real price to be paid socially.

You need a very understanding family because most years you will be away between six to eight months of the year. It can be hard mentally getting the balance.

You film wildlife in the harshest environments on earth. Why the fascination? Extreme polar filming isn’t for everyone; it’s not exactly comfortable with your extremities freezing while waiting for the perfect shot.

But the Poles are amongst the greatest wildernesses left on the planet and are home to some of the most charismatic animals. Wildlife filmmaking demands a tenacity and willingness to be on your own for long periods which suits my personality. To witness the behaviour I want, I have to develop a high level of closeness with my subject, so I’ll camp out rather than stay in a hotel. We spend a long time in the field; every minute on screen takes around one week’s filming on location and shoots can last from three weeks to nine months. And yes, it can be hard to maintain interest on long shoots; when I was alone filming snow leopards, I had two sightings in 13 weeks. But it’s worth it for those close moments of intimacy when they happen.

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What is the most dangerous animal you have ever filmed? Walrus can be difficult and unpredictable underwater. One grabbed me while I was filming in the Arctic waters north of Baffin Island. It came up from directly below without warning, putting its front flippers firmly round my upper legs. I hit it hard on the head and luckily for me it immediately let go and swam off. That’s how they catch unwary seals, but usually they hold on and drown them.

It would also be hard to beat the occasion in the Antarctic when a three metre long Leopard Seal swam up to me, opened its jaws wide in a threat display, then took the whole of the front end of my camera’s lens into its mouth. I could hear the scrape of the seal’s teeth on the lens, and looking down the viewfinder I was able to focus on its tonsils. It held that position for about five seconds, then opened its jaws and swam off.

Where is the most dangerous place you have ever filmed? The most potentially dangerous place is on the frozen sea ice, which is a very hostile and unstable habitat, especially when it begins to break up in early summer. There are cracks and shifting ice, it’s easy to get cut off from the land, yet that’s when many of the marine mammals are returning and when you need to be on the ice to film them.

Most satisfying moments of filming? Watching the polar bear cubs come out of their den for the first time on Kong Karls Land filming for Planet Earth; that was wonderful because we’d been there for weeks before we found a den and we thought we might fail completely. The first time I ever was close to a big whale, when I did Right Whales in Argentina way back in 1989. This female was so friendly that she ended up pushing me through the water on the end of her rostrum while I gently rubbed her head.

To be in the presence of a friendly fifty tonne whale and look it straight in the eye – just sheer magic.

What is your favourite animal? It’s hard to say between polar bears and killer whales. But if forced to choose, it would be the bears. I’ve made around 25 trips to film different polar bear behaviour. Every time I watch a bear, I learn something new.

What is better – filming above or underwater? I like the challenges of both. Underwater you need to get in close and use wide angles because the visibility is often poor.

That makes for exciting filming of big fish or mammals.

But it’s often cold and frustrating because the subjects can so easily swim away. Topside with long lenses needs a different kind of field craft, but the satisfaction is the same when you finally come away with images that show the beauty or novelty of an animal behaving naturally.

What is it about working in extreme conditions that attracts you? I guess at heart I like the challenge. There’s

>

“For me, wildlife cameramen don’t come much more special than Doug.

There’s just no one else who knows the frozen worlds as he does.”

Sir David Attenborough

Climate change: melting ice surrounds North Pole sign

Profile Doug Allan was born in 1951 in Dunfermline and began diving in 1968 before studying marine biology at Stirling University in Scotland. After graduating, he worked as a pearl diver, dive instructor, commercial diver and biologist in the Red Sea before making his first trip to Antarctica in 1976 as diving officer on a British research station. Over the next ten years he spent five winters and eight summers down south, where he developed his eye for both still and moving images.

Doug changed direction in 1986 to full time freelance photography and documentary filming, specialising in extreme habitats both above and underwater. He concentrated on the wildlife of the polar zones, particularly penguins and leopard seals in the south and polar bears in the north. Doug has been involved with over 60 films and series in his career, and has made more than 50 trips to the Poles shooting for Discovery, National Geographic, BBC and many others whilst filming for series such as Planet Earth, The Blue Planet and Frozen Planet.

His awards include four Emmys, five BAFTAs, four Wildscreen Pandas and recognition at Jackson Hole and Missoula Film Festivals. He has twice won the underwater category in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards and was awarded the Royal Geographical Society’s Cherry Kearton Medal for his wildlife images. He has three Honorary Doctorates in recognition of his camerawork and was awarded the Polar Medal in 1983 for his work with BAS, and a bar in 2012 for his filming in both Poles.

Doug, up close and personal, with a whale and her calf

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essence interview

The near death proposal

by Doug Allan Sue Flood and I, with Olayuk, our guide, were on assignment for the Blue Planet looking at narwhals and belugas. For a week we’d been relishing round-the-clock sunshine, filming at the floe edge where the solid meets the open water. The previous day had been a long one, 19 hours non-stop, and we returned at 1am in thickening fog.

Four hours later, I was awakened by muted mutterings. Olayuk was outside the tent, talking softly to me. In between words of Inuktitut, I could hear him mention, “open water”.

I stuck my head outside – and realised the solid ice around us had broken into floes. We were on an ice floe about 30 metres in diameter, and only by sheer luck was all our gear still on it. We couldn’t see further than 50 metres in any direction. I knew floes like ours could break into pieces no bigger than dinner plates in minutes, once a swell rose.

Luckily, we still had a means of communication: Olayuk’s HF radio. Within an hour, we had made contact with Arctic Bay, the nearest village, about 110 kilometres away.

“Don’t worry, we’re praying for you,” was the message back. Encouraging, I thought. But more practical would be for them to patch us through to Dave Malloy, the flight operations director at Resolute, a community 170 kilometres distant, where there was a helicopter.

By a good piece of fortune, I had been talking to Dave on the radio only a few days earlier, discussing the possibility of some helicopter time to do aerials.

My conversation now started: “You remember that helo that might be ready in the afternoon? Any chance of sending him out a little earlier, please?

We have a bit of a situation here.” The key is to sound cool in situations like that, even with the dinner plates threatening.

Dave immediately agreed, though we’d have to wait a further five hours for the freezing drizzle to pass through Resolute and the fog to lift over us. When people ask me now what my favourite sound is, I usually start by talking about a beluga whistling at me under water. But the clatter of those rotor blades approaching to rescue us comes a close second.

And in the time that we were waiting for help, I also made my marriage proposal to Sue. This was not, as some black-humoured friends have suggested, “because you expected to die”, but because I had been waiting for a special moment.

And they don’t come much more special than that.

“COP 2015 (United Nations Climate Conference) is the last chance saloon. To ignore climate change and pretend it will go away is to walk blindly but knowingly over a cliff. We have to reconnect people to the planet.” Doug Allan

Doug on location

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“…the toughest in the business.”

Sir David Attenborough

A leopard seal poses for Doug’s lens and (right) on the frozen landscape with an Arctic Fox

always been a physical element to what I’ve liked doing, a kind of edginess. Extreme conditions make for high emotions.

It’s not like I’m an adrenaline junkie, but there’s a huge satisfaction in bringing back pictures from difficult situations.

Can you describe what it’s like being underwater with a humpback whale? The secret is to be patient, take the time to develop a relationship with the individuals, spend maybe the first couple of encounters just at the limit of vision so she gets to know you. But then if it’s inclined to friendliness, you can move in. Eye to eye, only a couple of metres apart, you completely realise how much she’s weighing you up. Play your cards right in terms of body language and she’ll relax. Then just more patience and the chances of seeing behaviour will follow. There’s no greater compliment an animal can pay than be chilled in your company, so you should be reciprocally grateful.

Exciting, humbling, it’s a wonderful privilege.

How does the extreme cold affect filming? The extreme cold shortens the life of batteries so it’s important to have a good supply. It can mean that lubrication grease in the lenses can freeze and become very sticky, so the focus becomes stiff. LCD displays on cameras stop working.

Touching metal parts of the camera and lenses mean frost nipped fingers.

How long do these programmes take to make? You must be very patient! The rule of thumb is that a cameraperson a week in the field will bring you one minute on the screen in the finished programme.

Global warming – fact or fiction? Absolute fact. The patterns of weather around the world that used to be reasonably predictable from year to year are definitely getting more erratic. The melting of sea ice in the Arctic is happening sooner, and summers are warmer than they used to be. The sea ice in the Arctic is a crucial habitat for several seal and whale species, and of course for the polar bear. All the ecology of the Arctic region is in fact at risk from climate change.

Any landscape/seascape/wildlife that you still want to film? There are whales called narwhals in the Arctic – only five metres or so long, but with a three metre single tusk growing out from their head: almost mythical creatures, termed unicorns of the sea. I’ve filmed them a few times, but never enjoyed their company for long. Give me half an hour in the presence of a friendly one and I’d be in heaven.

At the other end of the scale, more traveling in the islands of the South Pacific appeals. Wonderful friendly people and many unvisited islands.

Where do you travel for holidays? I’m not one for lying on the beach, so there’s often some activity involved.

Diving with my son Liam is good fun and he’s become an excellent diver with a great sense of where he should swim to be perfectly placed in the picture!

Why did you write your new book, Freeze Frame?

Making films is one way of communicating, but while it’s been at the heart of my career, I’ve always seen the written word as having a permanence that moving pictures seldom do. There’s something about the greater investment of time and effort by the reader compared to the viewer, how books have space for your imagination to reach into while television does most of it for you.

You can also convey many more personal feelings and experiences in a book than you can in a film. I guess there was simply a lot I wanted to let out. Every picture tells a story and I just let mine tell all theirs. l

essence info Life behind the Lens Doug Allan’s UK speaking tour from Monday 2 to Sunday 22 November 2015.

At Camberley Theatre, Camberley on 5 November 2015 Telephone: 01276 707600 Websites: www.camberleytheatre.biz and www.dougallan.com

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essence travel

All images courtesy Hanna Lindon

Britain’s

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last wilderness?

The Knoydart peninsula is the most remote spot in mainland Britain – a haven for flora, fauna and free-range families. Hanna Lindon gets back to nature on a trip to this wilderness paradise.

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oldered onto the west coast of Scotland, overlooking the legendary isles of Skye and Rum, is an unassuming little peninsula that might just hide one of Britain’s best-kept travel secrets. This is Knoydart, a place without supermarkets, real roads or any modern trappings of civilisation, only accessible by boat or through a 26-kilometre hike through some of the roughest and most mountainous terrain in the country. It’s the kind of place where Bear Grylls might take his kids on holiday, and for those beguiled by the idea of getting back to nature then it could just be a dream destination.

Knoydart has been on my bucket list ever since I learned that it’s officially home to mainland Britain’s most remote pub. I was intrigued by the stories of beautiful beaches, a spectacular mountain backdrop and seafood fresh off the dock. That’s why, on a misty morning in mid-shoulder season, my husband Guy and I were completing the last leg of a twelve hour journey from our home in Gloucestershire to the peninsula’s main settlement, Inverie.

We’d spent the previous night wild camping in nearby Glen Etive (a place famous for featuring as one of the brooding Scottish backdrops in Skyfall), just to get into the mood. If you’ve never wild camped before then it’s a must-do experience – no caravans, campsite chatter or cars; just you, a campfire and the stars shining above. Wild camping isn’t officially legal in England or Wales, but it is in most areas of Scotland, provided you choose a relatively remote place to pitch up and leave no trace of your presence. Glen

Etive is an ideal place to give it a go, as you can park in a secluded spot and camp right next to your vehicle, falling asleep to the chatter of the river that flows down the glen.

We spent the evening recovering from the long drive north with celebratory beers and a warming fire. The next morning it took us a couple of hours to travel the remaining sixty miles to the remote West Highland port of Mallaig, where we hopped on a tiny ferry en-route to Knoydart.

The ferry glided through the calm waters of Loch Nevis, surrounded by a billowing sea of swirling mist. Somewhere up there the sun was doing its best to put in an appearance: arcs of soft light formed faded rainbows beyond the bow of the boat and every now and then there was a flash of forget-me-not blue sky. A smudge of darkness out to our right hinted at the ragged shoreline that twists away from Mallaig towards the wildest corner of Scotland, but otherwise we were sailing serenely along in our own calm white bubble.

“Today’s going to be a cracker when this fog clears,” said the boat’s captain. “You’re unlucky though – we’ve seen dolphins every crossing this week, and I doubt you’ll get a glimpse of them this morning.”

In the cosy front cabin was a poster showing all the marine life that passengers might spot during the journey. Basking sharks, sunfish, porpoises and seals were all pictured, alongside leatherback turtles and more species of dolphin than you could count on one hand. It was a list to rival the world’s most exotic tropical waters and as blue sky spread across the horizon, it seemed difficult to believe that we were still in Britain. >

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essence travel

I’ll never forget those initial views of Knoydart. Beyond Inverie’s shingle beach, the coastline flowed into a long, sandy cove that gave way in turn to a marching line of rugged, muscular looking mountains. Trails of mist snaked through the trees above the village and wreathed around the string of low whitewashed houses that framed the seafront. Most of what we were seeing was owned by the Knoydart Foundation, a community association that raised £750,000 in 1999 to buy the peninsula from bankrupt private landowners. Today the residents of Inverie and its wild surroundings are mainly incomers fleeing from pressured lives in the southern cities or Knoydart Foundation workers, but that doesn’t stop a close community atmosphere from prevailing.

Inverie itself, with its picturesque cluster of sea-blasted coastal cottages, was even more idyllic than I’d imagined. As our ferry drew into harbour, two children were kayaking in the shallows without an anxious parent in sight. A small family who had travelled with us in the boat got into a battered old Defender left parked and open for them, jaunting off merrily down the bumpy road into the fragrant pine woods that frame the village.

Knoydart always used to be a roughing it destination with an excellent campsite and a bunkhouse, but no real luxury to be had anywhere. Today, that’s all changed. Selfcatering eco lodges complete with hot tubs hide among the trees, and there are also

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some brilliantly cosy B&Bs and guesthouses scattered around the peninsula. If feeling flush, then Knoydart House (Condé Nast Traveller’s ‘Luxury Scottish Winter Retreat’) and the smaller but just as opulent Knoydart Hide are my top picks. An alternative is to make like us and stay in the Old Forge’s Knoydart Snug: a small but superior cottage with faint-making views of the bay and breakfast included.

Feeling peckish after our long journey, Guy and I paused just to drop off our stuff before making a beeline for the pub. Locals were gossiping over drams of golden whisky as we rolled up at The Old Forge’s rustic bar and ordered two seafood platters.

The menu claimed that every item on the platter – other than the pots of thick, garlicky dipping sauce – was sourced from within seven miles of Knoydart, so it was the obvious choice. Mind you, I was sorely tempted by the wild venison that had been culled and butchered on the peninsula and was also on sale at the Knoydart Foundation shop next door. It took the arrival of the supersized platter, with its liberal helpings of juicy Loch Nevis langoustine, hand-dived Arisaig scallops, Mallaig-smoked salmon and Loch Nan Uamh rope mussels, to convince us that we’d made the right choice.

The best way to work off a big meal in Knoydart is to lace up the walking boots and go for a tramp. During our time on the peninsula we did plenty of hiking, even managing to tackle one of the three

‘Munros’ (that’s Scottish mountains over 3,000 feet high for the uninitiated), but one of my favourite outings was the Knoydart in a Knutshell trail. This scenic two-hour hike winds through the pretty pine woods above Inverie before descending to meet the mouth of Inverie River and meandering back again along the beach. Children, big and small, will love searching for shells on this huge expanse of sand, and discovering the odd wooden sculpture that emerges at low tide.

The joys of Knoydart are mainly walking, relaxing, paddling and soaking up nature in its unadulterated state, but the peninsula isn’t short of great places to eat either. We enjoyed some scrumptious fair trade teas at the Knoydart Pottery & Tearoom as well as dinner at the Dining Room at Doune.

Despite being located a six-mile four wheel drive journey from Inverie followed by a fifteen minute walk down a rough path, this tiny eatery has built up a well-deserved reputation for incredible ‘slow’ food based around locally sourced products.

We left Knoydart after three days feeling refreshed and revived, and this time there was no sea mist to disguise the knockout views towards the Western Isles as the ferry carried us speedily back across Loch Nevis to Mallaig. We broke our journey in the beautiful valley of Glen Coe this time, stumbling across a lone bagpiper on our walk around this legendary region and finishing up with yet another al fresco, fireside meal in the most secluded spot we could find.

“A toast?” suggested Guy, holding up his beer as the sinking sun turned the mountains pink.

“Why not?” I said. “Here’s to the call of the wild.” l

“...one of my favourite outings was the Knoydart in a Knutshell trail. This scenic two-hour hike winds through the pretty pine woods above Inverie before descending to meet the mouth of Inverie River and meandering back again along the beach.” Hanna Lindon

Go explore...

Getting there: Seabridge Knoydart

(www.knoydartferry.com) operates a ferry service from Mallaig to Inverie, and a return will set you back £20. For day trips you can park for free at Mallaig’s harbour, which is a scenic one and a half hour drive from Glencoe.

Getting around: Visitors are not permitted to bring vehicles on to the peninsula, so walking is the preferred mode of transport. Land Rover hire is, however, available from some guesthouses and with Seabridge.

When to go: Avoid the winter months, when the ferry is unreliable and the weather arctic. June, July and August are also made difficult by western Scotland’s voracious midge population. Spring and autumn are both perfect times to visit Knoydart.

Where to stay: Knoydart House (www.knoydarthouse.co.uk) or Knoydart Hide (www.knoydarthide.co.uk) for luxury, or Knoydart Snug (www.theoldforge.co.uk/ knoydart-snug.html) for more modest budgets.

Where to eat: The Old Forge (www.theoldforge.co.uk) and The Dining Room at Doune (www.doune-knoydart.co.uk) are both top-class places to eat. The award-winning Lochleven Seafood Café (www.lochlevenseafoodcafe.co.uk) near Glencoe is another top choice.

Top attractions: Accompany a ranger on a wildlife-tracking expedition with Wild Knoydart Experience (www.knoydart-foundation.com), take a Land Rover tour (www.knoydart-foundation. com) or join the scheduled walks that leave Inverie every Wednesday at 11.30am.

Guidebooks: Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) and Rough Guides (www.roughguides.com) both publish Scotland guidebooks that cover Knoydart.

Find out more: The Knoydart Foundation (www.knoydart-foundation.com) is an invaluable source of information, as is Visit Knoydart (www.visitknoydart.co.uk).

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thomaspink.com SPRING SUMMER 2016 AT THOMAS PINK

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ON A MISSION

Debuted recently at the Frankfurt motor show, Porsche is on a mission. Mission E to be precise and for that read the first battery-powered, four-seater concept car from the marque. Euan Johns looks at an exciting future and Tesla competitor.

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his is what it might look like – the Porsche of tomorrow. Together with the new 911 Carrera, Porsche presented the Mission E concept car at the IAA in Frankfurt last month. The concept is a coherent sports car design with an electric drive and all the traits that make up a Porsche.

In the Mission E, there is an entirely new balance to be experienced between performance and efficiency. All this is supplemented by futuristic displays and control concept. This first all-electrically powered four-seat Porsche for the 21st century represents the future of a concept that has made the 911 the most successful sports car for over 50 years.

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Mission E provides an extensive insight into how Porsche sees the future of the electric sports car, addressing some of the problems, not least charging time and power deliverance.

At first glance the fascinating, futuristic design of the four-door car bears references to the 911 and reveals the E to unmistakeably contain Porsche’s DNA. This meticulously designed sports car with all-wheel drive develops a total power of over 600 hp, which can be converted into typical Porsche driving dynamics.

The driving range is over 500 kilometres with an innovative 800-volts battery charging system. The Porsche Turbo Charging remarkably reduces charging

time to just slightly longer than it takes to fill a fuel tank today. At the quick charge station, it takes just over fifteen minutes to provide enough charge for around 80 per cent of the total range. The car can also be recharged at home in the garage via inductive charging by simply parking over a coil embedded in the floor of the garage.

In keeping with Mission E’s purist interior, the control and display concept is intuitive with eye-tracking and gesture control as well as innovative functions. Amongst all the gizmos (to mention a few) are: l a camera mounted in the rear view mirror that recognises the driver’s mood and shows it as an emoticon in the round instrument.

This fun factor can be saved together with

essence motoring

individual information such as the route or speed, and should the urge take, it can be shared with friends via a social media link. l a holographic display that extends far into the passenger side. It shows individually selectable apps stacked in virtual space and arranged by priority with a threedimensional effect. The driver or passenger can use these apps to touch-free control primary functions such as media, navigation, climate control, contacts and vehicle. l virtual exterior mirrors are literally eye-catching.

Lower corners of the windscreen show images of outside cameras mounted in the front wings providing the driver with an enhanced view of surroundings, and safety information can also be displayed. >

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essence motoring

l an

eye-tracking system detects which instrument the driver is viewing. The driver can then activate the menu of the instrument in focus by pushing a button on the steering wheel and navigate within it.

The list goes on, but I’ll stop there, as it’s enough just to take in the look of the car, futuristic whilst retaining those historic and sporty good looks. Batman would be proud of it. But if you can’t wait for all this, there’s the new Porsche Carrera also premiered with the E, which probably lost out to it in the attention grabbing stakes.

So what’s new with this classic? Well more refined looks, a new engine with bi-turbo charging, enhanced performance and efficiency and a re-engineered chassis which lowers the ride by ten millimeters.

There’s a new option of rear-axle steering, available on the Carrera S models for the first time. For statistician petrolheads that translates into the fastest lap time around the North Loop of the Nürburgring being reduced to seven minutes and 30 seconds – ten seconds faster than previously.

Worried about the car being a little low to access the garage? Don’t be as a hydraulic lift system can be chosen with integrated lifting cylinders in the struts of the front axle. Pressing a button increases ground clearance at the nose by 40 millimetres within five seconds thus preventing the vehicle underbody from hitting the ground

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when traversing steep garage exits. So we can all sleep soundly.

What does all this mean? Well, in reality, the new Porsche Carrera is a sleeker, better engineered, up to date sports machine that anyone would be proud to own.

Alternatively, Porsche lovers may just want to hold on to their existing classic and go on a personal ‘mission’ to have what looks like being a winner in the Mission E, if the charging rates match the hype. Who would have thought: a clean sports car without any reduction in performance? Hold on to your hats everyone. l

essence info Website www.porsche.com

“The concept car combines the unmistakeable emotional design of a Porsche with excellent performance and the forward-thinking practicality of the first 800-volt drive system.” Porsche News

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essence fashion

Dogtooth fringe cape ÂŁ285

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Luxe in

Feathered jacket £350 High waisted wool trousers £205

Pleated back dress £179

Asymmetric top £139

Autumn 2015 sees the launch of James Lakeland Luxury: designed for the woman who identifies with quality fabrics and expert tailoring. Handcrafted in Italy, the AW15 collection continues the James Lakeland ethos of superior quality for any occasion.

W

ith less than 50 pieces per style, this James Lakeland capsule collection is the essence of exclusivity. The AW15 Luxury collection focuses on a colour palette of dark earthy hues, bold reds, reimagined animal prints and features the classic neutral tones of grey and dusty pink.

Each piece is expertly tailored with a serious pattern cut designed to ensure a sleek silhouette that flatters. The collection uses a mix of luxurious and statement fabrics ranging from Italian cinzia, leather, wool for tailored creations plus chiffon and floating feathers for delicate ensembles. The independent woman is the focal point and pieces exude sophistication empowering the female form. l

essence info James Lakeland Website: www.jameslakeland.net

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essence British craftsmanship

Wrapped in love

Celtic & Co’s passion for creating beautiful, natural, luxurious products extends across its entire range, from every pair of sheepskin booties to each cosy knit, be assured of the quality, craftsmanship and thoughtful touches from this Cornish company.

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Opposite page: infant fleece £75 flatout bear £50 sheepskin rugs from £75 This page, clockwise from top: kids’ sheepskin slippers – bootees £32 kids’ button detail jumper £49 kids’ cable jumper dress £55 kids’ mini celtic boots £55 kids’ cable cardigan £45 Toscana boots £65 pushchair liner £75 kids’ button detail jumper £49 kids’ fashion knit bootees £42 kids’ knitted shorties £42

essence info Celtic & Co Website: www.celticandco.com

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© credit | Dreamstime.com © Chesterf

essence health

The seven deadly sins of skincare

Aesthetician Naomi Diamond of The Epsom Skin Clinic advises readers on how to gently care for skin and keep it healthy.

S

o we all know what’s good for us and what’s not, such as drinking water instead of tea and coffee, or eating vegetables instead of cake, but skincare can be confusing and misleading. Here are what I call the seven deadly sins involved in skincare and their solutions.

Problem: soap Put it down…quick! Using soap to cleanse the face on a daily basis can be why some skin conditions are caused.

Remember the pH scale from science lessons?

Our skin has a natural acid mantle of pH 5, whereas soap is an alkaline product with a pH of around 10. Using soap on skin strips it of its protective barrier leaving the effects of everyday life, pollution and free radicals to wreak havoc on healthy cells.

Solution: cleanser Nowadays most cleansers are water-soluble and can be washed off in the same way as soap. They are more balanced and can treat specific concerns.

Why not try a vitamin C based cleanser twice a day? It will help brighten skin, but also calm inflammation and has antioxidant protection against free radical damage.

Problem: over exfoliation For those who like the feel of a perfect polished skin, exfoliating more than twice a week is a no no! Sloughing away dead skin is an important part of a beauty routine as it promotes a healthy glow and stimulates circulation. However, the danger is it stimulates the production of oils that can bond with dead skin cells, creating more congestion and an uneven complexion.

Solution: there are alternatives!

Glycolic Acid is naturally derived from sugar cane and resurfaces the skin without physically scrubbing it like beads. It gently digests dead layers whilst breaking up congestion and also leaves skin smooth and surprisingly soft. When used in a cleanser for a specific skin type the product is mild enough to use at least once a day.

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Problem: non-protection I say it every month! It is vital to protect against premature aging and skin discolouration.

As long as it is light outside UVA and UVB can damage skin, even on a cloudy day.

Solution: SPF Readers may think I’m mad when I recommend an SPF 50 as they can’t begin to imagine that thick, greasy, gloopy product on their faces. There is an alternative; Heliocare is a range that provides lightweight moisturising protection year round.

Problem: non removal of make up It is so easy to do. Who wants the hassle at the end of a long day (or night) removing make up? But before putting head to pillow, just think of the dirt and debris that accumulates in make up during the day which is then transferred onto that pillow which will then find its way back to your skin the next night and so the vicious circle begins.

Solution: remove it Skin deserves to breathe, so let it. Cleanse make up off and replenish vital moisture to ensure skin remains youthful and radiant.

Problem: picking Picking at spots and imperfections can lead to scarring and pigmentation issues, which take longer to eradicate. Also, if not removed in the correct manner, bacteria can spread deeper into the skin or around the face.

Solution: stop! Try and avoid picking at spots by using on the spot treatments to help. In clinic a Salicylic acid based peel will help to slow down over production of oil and dry out existing spots, whilst evening out the complexion. Also, for those who do have scarring, microdermabrasion will help to deeply exfoliate and smooth.

For an on the spot treatment, Agera Oxy infusion cream is antibacterial and can be used over an entire area or just locally on individual concerns.

Problem: over treating In a similar way to over exfoliating, over treating is bad for the skin. This can mean cleansing too much, which removes natural oils and can cause dryness or stimulate oil production, or over treating with on the spot treatments which can leave dry crusty marks on the skin. Also, over moisturising can cause skin congestion.

Solution: see a skin specialist A skin specialist can recommend a routine tailor made for the client. Follow it to achieve healthy, soft beautiful skin.

Remember it can take anything between four to eight weeks to really see a difference and the routine can be altered to suit. So, if skin becomes dry or prone to more spots, contact the therapist and adjustments can be made to the skincare regime.

Problem: roughness around the eyes The eye area is very delicate, so treat the skin with kindness. Pay attention to its condition and try not to rub too hard.

Solution: be gentle I always recommend eye products. Depending on my client’s skin type and main concerns, I will carefully select a cream, serum or gel to smooth, soften and brighten the eye area. The amount of product and application is important.

Only use the size of a grain of rice between both eyes and apply gently with the ring finger by dabbing around the bone. I use Obagi Professional C serum to brighten and stimulate collagen and elastin. The light formula doesn’t make the eye area puffy. l

essence info Epsom Skin Clinics Website: www.epsomskinclinics.com Telephone: 01372 737280 (Epsom) or 020 8399 5996 (Surbiton)

© credit | Dreamstime.com © Chesterf

essence baking

Cranachan cupcakes with whisky frosting What could be more Scottish dessert-wise than Cranachan, a magical whisky infused concoction, drizzled with honey, oozing with fresh raspberries and oats? As an homage to the Scottish Highlands’ feature in this month’s essence, we have concocted a deliciously warming Cranachan cupcake, perfect for the colder weather, which readers can cut out and keep for Burns Night too!

Ingredients (makes 12) 100g unsalted butter 125g caster sugar 100g plain flour Two teaspoons baking powder Half teaspoon baking soda 150g oats 80ml semi-skimmed milk Three large eggs One teaspoon vanilla extract Small squeeze of lemon juice Raspberry jam or puréed raspberries to fill

Whisky frosting 125g unsalted butter 300g icing sugar Three to four tablespoons whisky

Method l Line a 12 cup muffin tin with cases and pre-heat oven to around 180°C/160°F. l Beat together the butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy.

l Warm the milk in the microwave and then add the lemon juice to the jug and put aside. l Break the eggs into a jug, lightly beat them, then add the vanilla extract. Combine with the butter and sugar mix. l Put the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl and stir to combine. Add to the mix. Add the milk, lemon and oats and gently mix until combined. l Divide between the 12 cases and place in the oven for around 20–25 minutes or so, depending on oven. Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack. l When the cupcakes are cool, core the centre of each with an apple corer and fill with raspberry jam or puréed raspberry and then replace the piece of cupcake removed. l For the whisky frosting, place the butter and icing sugar into a bowl and mix until smooth and creamy. Then add the whisky a tablespoon at a time – if the icing starts to look a little runny then add another tablespoon of icing sugar (or use less whisky!).

l Using a spatula or piping bag, top each cupcake with the whisky frosting, then add a sprinkling of oats, dried or fresh raspberry and a drizzle of honey.

Top tip: Try toasting some oats on a baking tray in the oven for fifteen minutes to brown and then use for topping.

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

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essence food

At their best...

RIGHT NOW

Seasonal and local food offers taste, health and even economic benefits.

Crates Local Produce highlights the amazing seasonal produce available from our region.

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

C

Spaghetti squash At this time of year, squashes are beginning to hit the shelves with any good greengrocer offering a wide variety in size, colour and shape of these versatile beasts. However, one of the most elusive but most amazing specimens 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.

Although rare, this squash is highly sought after by those who appreciate its magic as it really can be used as an alternative to pasta. Full of folic acid, potassium, beta carotene and vitamin A, as low in calories as other squashes and, of course, tasting like squash. However, partner it up with a rich sauce or ragu, top with cheese and the family may well be converted. The easiest way to deal with this very hard squash is to roast it whole before even attempting to cut it. Image Š Pipa100 | Dreamstime.com

Parsnips Unsurprisingly, the parsnip is a close relative of the carrot, but can be even sweeter. It was one of the most widely used sweetening ingredients in Europe before cane sugar was discovered and imported. More than just an old favourite in a roast dinner, parsnips can actually be as versatile as carrots and even enjoyed raw in a salad. Similar to the spaghetti squash as a substitute for pasta, rice can even be successfully replaced by finely chopped parsnips.

Parsnips also work well mashed, in stews, soups and as one of the nicest vegetable crisps alongside beetroot. They contain more goodness than the average potato including vitamins, minerals, potassium and antioxidants. The Romans considered parsnips as an aphrodisiac, although sadly in much later years the Italians used them mostly as pig feed. Today, parsnips are hailed once more and even make rather good wine. Image Š Sally Scott | Dreamstime.com

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Russet apples Apple growers throughout the south of England are seeing a bumper crop this year helped by the lack of frost back in spring, above average summer temperatures (surprisingly) and just the right amount of rain. This is great news as finally we see a greater demand from customers wanting English apples, so there should be a high supply. There still, however, 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. Similar to cox, many people adore the russet and they are much easier to source from small greengrocers or markets rather than chains.

Image © Chiyacat | Dreamstime.com

Gurnard Possibly the ugliest species on the fish counter, but don’t let this put you off the gurnard as it is both delicious and a great sustainable option. Once thrown back as bycatch if caught in our waters or even used as bait, it has now become popular thanks to chefs such as Rick Stein and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. We have finally caught up with the rest of the world to appreciate the firm white and tasty flesh of the gurnard.

There are three native species in our shores: the tub, red and grey gurnard with the grey being the smallest at less than half a kilo weight, whilst the tub can be twice this. They are bottom feeders and, in addition to their rather large heads, gurnards also have vicious looking spines on their backs so great care should be taken when preparing a whole fish, although a fishmonger should happily trim these and fillet if required. Gurnard can have a bitter tasting skin and the flesh can end up on the dry side, but it is so firm and tasty, it works beautifully in pies, stews and soups. Image © Andylid | Dreamstime.com

>

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essence food

Fragrant red gurnard soup www.crateslocal.co.uk Serves four Ingredients: Two red gurnards, filleted, but retain the head, bones and fins One onion One red pepper One bulb fennel 600g fresh soft tomatoes or one tin tomatoes if out of season One litre of fish stock (can substitute with chicken or vegetable) Two tablespoons tomato purée Four cloves garlic, smoked if possible Black peppercorns Half teaspoon fennel seeds One star anise Pinch saffron One bay leaf Few sprigs thyme Four juniper berries Half glass red wine

Pasta-free spaghetti marinara www.crateslocal.co.uk Serves two

Method: • Chop the onion, pepper and fennel into medium pieces and finely chop the tomatoes if you have been able to source tasty local and soft ones. Peel and finely chop the garlic.

• Put aside the flesh of the gurnard and then gently fry the remaining heads, bones and fins. Add in the chopped vegetables (not the tomatoes or tomato purée at this stage) with the seasoning and herbs.

• When this has all softened, add the fresh tomatoes (or tin of tomatoes), tomato purée, red wine and fish stock. Allow this all to simmer for just under an hour.

• Remove as many of the bones as possible from the soup and liquidise the remaining mixture. This then needs to be sieved into a large pan – push it through the sieve as the mix will be thick.

• Roughly tear or cut the flesh of the gurnard and add. Simmer for 20 minutes and serve with simple crusty bread.

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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 purée 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 Method: • Pre-heat oven to 200°C/gas mark 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.

• Roughly chop the onion, mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion, garlic to soften, followed by the mushrooms. After just a few minutes add the tomatoes and tomato purée and simmer for around ten minutes.

• Rip up the leaves of the basil and oregano and add these to the mix, simmer for another ten minutes while preparing the roasted squash.

• Cut the squash down the middle, scoop out and discard the seeds and remove all the flesh pulling the strands apart.

• Melt 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.

• Serve with the sauce on top, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and garnish with basil leaves.

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Parsnip, walnut and honey cake www.crateslocal.co.uk Serves four Ingredients: 250g parsnips 250g self-raising flour 185g butter 250g demerara sugar Three large eggs Two teaspoons baking powder 100ml runny honey (local and raw if possible) 50g walnuts Two teaspoons mixed spice Small orange or one lemon For the filling and top: 250g mascarpone cheese Three tablespoons honey Halved walnuts and honey or butterscotch sauce to finish Method: • Pre-heat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease (with around 10g of the butter) and line with baking paper two 20cm sandwich tins.

• Over a gentle heat, melt the remaining butter, sugar and honey in a pan and allow to cool just slightly.

• Stir in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and then the eggs, once beaten.

• Grate the parsnips and chop the walnuts, add these to the mixture, as well as some of the orange or lemon zest and all the juice from one fruit.

• Bake for around 45 minutes, testing when ready by inserting a knife into the centre of the cakes (which should come out clean).

• Allow the two cakes to fully cool and prepare the filling and top by mixing together the mascarpone and honey.

• Assemble and serve with some half walnuts and honey or butterscotch sauce.

Dangerous spicy apples and pears www.crateslocal.co.uk Makes six glasses 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: • Cut the fruit into around one centimetre thick pieces and press in cloves to the sides of at least half of the fruit pieces.

• 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.

• Pour the wine over this, then the rum and stir gently.

• Cover and place in the fridge for at least four hours.

• Once steeped, strain the mixture and return to the pitcher(s). Then add back in some or all of the fruit.

• Add in the ginger ale, stir gently and serve.

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

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essence artisan food

A PLEASURE TO

SHOP

Shirlee Posner of Eat Surrey visits Noel’s Farm Shop, a friendly emporium in Woking selling artisan food products, fresh produce and an exclusive line of delicious baked treats.

I

have been to a lot of farm shops over the last few years and a handful stand out for being incredibly welcoming and full of personality. Noel’s Farm Shop is way up there. Based at Sutton Green Garden Centre in Woking, this food emporium is all about the products.

Rustic wooden shelving and no frills fittings give way to carefully selected lines of interesting snacks, crackers, preserves and culinary ingredients. Refrigerators hold local meat from Wakeling’s (butchers based in Godalming), artisan cheeses from Sussex and further afield, plus charcuterie and dips.

What I absolutely love about this shop is the fact that it has a balanced mix of fresh produce, cooking ingredients and deli treats.

I could shop here and buy everything I need to produce a restaurant class meal and it wouldn’t cost the earth (literally). Plus I am supporting a local trader, who goes out of his way in turn to support small artisan producers.

Noel Dobson opened his shop four years ago; it is his first foray into the world of food retailing as he was fresh out of a career as a care home provider. For many it could have been a disaster, but this entrepreneur is embracing the world of food retailing to good effect. His ability to deal so charmingly with his customers probably has a lot to do with his background!

I first visited when the shop was a few weeks old and have been following this enterprise with interest ever since. It’s close to my home, so a local for me, and it’s been great to see how the shop has expanded and how creatively Noel stocks the shelves. He has a hardcore following of local shoppers who love his helpful personality and range of fresh and packaged food on offer. Buy a big

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shop and Noel will carry it to your car. Not sure what apples to buy? Noel will chop a few up to try. Service and enthusiasm on this scale is a rarity and one of the reasons I keep going back for more!

This farm shop is part of a garden centre with land, so growing for the shop and pick your own is part of the bigger picture here too. In the summer months some of the produce will have only travelled a few hundred metres to be sold in the shop. The provenance too of the products makes this shop a local foodie destination as Noel also stocks free range eggs, local traditionally cured bacon, hams and other charcuterie, plus sour dough bread from The Bread Factory in London. Bacon comes from White Lodge Farm in Chobham, where curing methods are award winning, plus the farm only uses local free range pork from Plantation pigs in their products. If you like to know where your food comes from, Noel, a live food directory, is more than happy to inform.

Noel listens to his customers and now has a comprehensive range of gluten free products and ingredients by request: tortilla and pastry mixes, Glebe Farm gluten free flour and gluten free bread from a new baker who bakes exclusively for him.

What I also really like about this business is how Noel isn’t averse to buying directly from new start-ups. Take for example his delicious bags of freshly baked mini bakewell tarts and biscotti. These are made by one of his customers who had wanted to start baking part-time and now because of this retail outlet has fulfilled a dream. As Noel rightly points out, the bakery goods are delicious and exclusive to him. Not many retailers can achieve that unless they produce themselves.

Farm shops don’t always want the hassle of buying from many producers and will only go via distribution companies. Products with a short shelf life will not get listed, so it will only be preserves, chutneys, jams and biscuits which dominate many food outlets, particularly within garden centres. This makes the food retail area a lot easier to manage, but less useful for proper food shopping. I am not sure how many of us appreciate the huge amount of work that goes into managing a business with short life products and how much potential waste there is.

If passing by (there is no way to miss his chalkboard signs), pay Noel a visit, he’ll be delighted to see you. Don’t be surprised if you end up with a sampling session of new season wet walnuts, apples or cheese, it’s all part of the charm of shopping at a truly independent destination.

•

essence info Noel’s Farm Shop Sutton Green Garden Centre, Whitmoor Lane, Guildford Road, Woking GU4 7QB Telephone: 07908 124603 Websites: www.noelsfarmshop.co.uk www.eatsurrey.co

Artisan_2pp_Layout 1 02/10/2015 10:27 Page 3

Autumn pecan apple cake with maple frosting

T

here has been a brilliant apple harvest this year with record yields throughout the UK. Out and about I have seen numerous boxes outside driveways with ‘help yourself’ signs proving that community spirit is alive and kicking.

When there is a glut, it’s time to get creative in the kitchen. After an apple tasting at Noel’s Farm Shop last week, I decided to make this delicious autumnal cake using finely diced Red Windsor eating apples as they don’t collapse when they cook like Bramley apples do. This cake is moist, light, spicy and sweet, perfect at this time of year with a hot drink. My preference is a smooth, dark coffee with a little milk, which balances the sweet nutty flavours in the cake.

I use fine ground plain wholemeal flour for added texture and flavour, but use white if you prefer.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 Ingredients (for one large round cake) *75g finely chopped roasted pecan nuts (reserve 25g for decoration) Three eggs 350g vanilla caster sugar, or use plain with one teaspoon of vanilla essence 225ml sunflower oil 350g plain fine brown flour (or plain white) 120g milled flaxseed Two teaspoons ground cinnamon Half teaspoon sea salt One teaspoon baking powder Two large sweet red dessert apples, peeled and finely diced 50g peeled and grated fresh ginger For the frosting 125g softened butter 100ml maple syrup 280g icing sugar

PROVIDER OF

CREATIVE PR SERVICES, COPY WRITING & FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY TO ARTISAN FOOD PRODUCERS

Shirlee’s food reviews of independently owned cafes, restaurants, artisan food producers and farm shops in Surrey. A supporter of the local food movement with an aim to promote, support and champion their work.

I always tell a personal story by taking the time to meet the people behind the products or the brand.

Read my reviews here www.eatsurrey.co Twitter: @eatsurrey Instagram: @eatsurrey Telephone: 07917 891881 Email: eatsurrey@gmail.com

Method 1. Beat the eggs and sugar in a stand or with a hand held electric mixer until white and creamy. Drizzle the oil in slowly.

2. Combine the flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, salt and baking powder in a bowl and add a spoon at a time to the egg mixture, folding in each spoon gently.

3. Finally fold in the apple, ginger and pecan nuts.

4. Divide the mixture equally between two lined 23cm diameter cake tins and bake for 35 minutes or until firm to touch in the centre.

5. While the cake is baking, make the frosting. Place all the frosting ingredients together in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy (a stand or hand held mixer is perfect for this job). Cover the frosting and leave until required.

6. When the cake has completely cooled, place one half on a serving plate and spread over with half the frosting. Put the second half of the cake on top and finish with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle with the roasted pecans and drizzle with a little maple syrup (optional). *Chop the pecan nuts lengthways into narrow strips and roast in the pre-heated oven for ten minutes and allow to cool while making the cake.

Shirlee Posner

Member of the Guild of Food Writers

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© Everythingpossible | Dreamstime.com

essence legal

Home, sweet domicile Julie Jaggin, Senior Associate in Mundays Private Wealth Department, looks at the status and implications of domicile

M

ichael Kors handbag? Check! Savile Row suit? Check! Mayfair apartment? Check!

It’s not an unusual shopping list for non-UK domiciled persons having a day out in London, perchance to celebrate their survival of this year’s Ed Miliband Manifesto to wipe them out as a species. Their status remains politically charged largely because of a range of Income and Inheritance Tax (‘IHT’) benefits available to them under English law.

Aside from boosting the UK economy, it is important to bear in mind that such a shopping trip for a ‘Non-Dom’ brings into play a whole range of tax and succession issues where it is important to get the right advice and planning in place.

Romanes eunt domus Domicile is a strange but important concept because it determines (among several other legal concepts) how much IHT you pay. The word ‘domicile’ comes from the Latin ‘domus’ which means the place you call home (i.e. the place in Monty Python’s Life of Brian where Graham Chapman unsuccessfully attempted to direct the occupying Romans by means of grammatically incorrect graffiti).

A Non-Dom only pays IHT on assets situated here whereas a UK Dom pays tax on all assets worldwide. This means that the Non-Dom’s Mayfair flat will be subject to tax at 40%

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on the value over their modest allowance of £325,000 which can come as a shock if the plan was to keep the property in the family.

Often there will be no other assets in the UK to pay the IHT and, unless money can be brought in from overseas, the property will have to be sold to pay the tax. Until a few years ago, it was possible to change where the land is situated by the alchemy of transferring it to an offshore company and thereby converting the nature of the asset from land to shares situated outside of the UK and therefore out of the IHT net.

“Where the couple are both Non-Doms, the IHT spouse exemption is unlimited and a gift of all UK property to a spouse means no IHT is chargeable.”

Now, such a scheme requires payment of a punitive yearly charge known as the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (‘ATED’) and, in comparison, there is much to be said for the simplicity of outright ownership accompanied with correct planning.

No tax please, we’re spouse exempt For married couples, a properly drafted Will limited to their UK assets is recommended.

Where the couple are both Non-Doms, the IHT spouse exemption is unlimited and a gift of all UK property to a spouse means no IHT is chargeable. This is linked to a general political motivation to encourage marriage so long as home-grown family wealth is not going out of the country. If a UK Dom spouse passes property to a Non-Dom

spouse on death, the IHT spouse exemption is limited to £325,000 unless the Non-Dom makes a formal election to be treated as a UK Dom for IHT purposes.

The succession problem On the world succession stage, English law is an oddity. Its basic premise is that you can leave your assets on death to whomever you like, subject to certain categories of person asking the court for an order under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. However, our rules of Private International Law are very respectful to those of another person’s domicile. English law applies to any land situated here, but we defer to the law of a person’s domicile in respect of any other assets such as shares or bank accounts.

The consequence is that buying the Mayfair flat without a valid English Will is that English rules of Intestacy will determine who inherits it.

Unsurprisingly, a surviving spouse and children take priority under Intestacy, but disputes can arise between the surviving spouse and children, particularly among families with children blended from first and subsequent marriages. Such a dispute could have been avoided with a flexible life interest trust balancing the needs of all.

And finally...

No-one likes contemplating their mortality, but the particular status and requirements of some of our wealthiest Non-Dom visitors need specialist, practical advice to ensure their assets acquired here do not convert into legacy of a nasty tax and succession surprises for the family they leave behind. l

Julie Jaggin is a Senior Associate in Mundays’ longestablished Private Wealth department and specialises in trusts, probate, Wills, capital tax-planning, domicile, international succession, Court of Protection and elderly client work. As a full professional member of both the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and Solicitors for the Elderly, Julie aims to deliver comprehensive, clear and practical advice to a wide range of overseas and UK based clients.

Julie Jaggin can be contacted on 01932 590646 or at Julie.Jaggin@mundays.co.uk

LONDON CALLING Mundays’ London office opened in July as part of its long-term growth strategy.

The new office is located at 1 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, and is staffed full-time, with a number of partners from the firm’s property team splitting their time between Cobham and London.

In time, other Mundays teams covering Commercial Property, Corporate Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Private Wealth and Family will also be in regular attendance as the firm builds its London office offering.

The traditional Mundays’ market in North Surrey and South London remains very much at the heart of the firm’s strategy and future, indeed you may have noticed the newly refurbished office space in Cobham. Mundays sees its new London office as an exciting step forward as the firm continues to grow and evolve.

essenceinfo Mundays LLP Cedar House, 78 Portsmouth Road, Cobham KT11 1AN Telephone: 01932 590500

www.essence-magazine.co.uk 39

essence finance

Summer Budget

blues (part 2)

In a follow up to his article in the previous edition of Essence, which looked at further regressive change to the tax regime for pensions, Simon Lewis sheds light on the increasing tax burden for some investors and in particular, small and medium size business (SME) owners in receipt of a dividend income.

T

he Summer Budget provided notice of a fundamental change to the way in which dividends are taxed.

On the face of it, the changes (which take effect from the 2016/17 tax year) are part of a drive to both simplify and level the tax system. However, the new regime is forecast to raise an additional £2 billion in tax each year and much of this will be paid by those with substantial invested savings and owner managers of small and medium size companies.

The first thing to bear in mind is that a company must have sufficient profit or retained earnings (profits on which tax has already been paid) to pay a dividend.

Therefore, any dividend paid is already effectively net of corporation tax, which is currently charged at 20%.

Some credit for this tax deduction is currently given through the application of a tax credit of 10%, which is then used to gross up the net dividend for

40 www.essence-magazine.co.uk

tax calculation purposes. For example a dividend of £10,000 net is deemed to have been £11,111 gross with a tax paid credit of £1,111. Unfortunately, non-taxpayers and tax exempt savings schemes (ISAs, pensions etc.) are not able to reclaim the notionally paid tax. Nevertheless, basic rate tax payers have no further tax to pay.

Higher rate tax payers pay 32.5% of the grossed up dividend less the 10% tax credit, which equates to 25% of the net dividend received. For additional rate tax payers, the applicable rate of 37.5% is equivalent to 30% of the net dividend.

Under the new regime – to apply from April 2016, the notional 10% tax credit will be abolished and a new ‘tax-free’ allowance of £5,000 will be introduced. Whilst no credit will be given for the corporation tax paid (and therefore even dividend income within the allowance is not really tax-free), no further tax is paid on dividends received within the allowance, regardless of the top

“There will be much less incentive to simply retain ownership and generate consistent profits” Simon Lewis rate of income tax paid by the recipient.

Dividends received by non-taxpayers and tax exempt savings schemes will be unaffected. However, once the allowance is used, dividends will be taxed at 7.5% (basic rate), 32.5% (higher rate) and 38.1% (additional rate).

Those most affected are likely to be small and medium size business owners that are remunerated through a combination of salary, taxable benefits and dividend. In many cases, their share of the financial cake they have baked is about to get smaller.

To illustrate the scale of the impact we should consider a worked example that firstly assumes salary and taxable benefits are sufficient to utilise the personal income tax allowance and basic rate income tax band. In addition, dividend income of say £100,000 is received annually.

Existing regime Net dividend Grossed up dividend Higher rate tax (32.5%) Less tax credit (10%) Tax due

£100,000 £111,111 £36,111 £11,111 £25,000

New regime Net dividend Less dividend allowance Taxable dividend Tax due (32.5%) Tax increase

£100,000 £5,000 £95,000 £30,875 £5,875

In this example, the increase in personal income tax due is a staggering 23.5%.

It should be remembered that corporation tax of £25,000 will have been paid to enable a net dividend of £100,000.

Therefore, for an owner managed business, the tax borne by a pre-tax profit of £125,000 would total £55,875 (44.7%).

Financial planning strategies to mitigate the impact of this tax increase include making sure spouses and civil partners are each in a position to make use of their £5,000 dividend allowances by balancing out enough of their investments to enable this. Business owners should make sure shares are in the right hands and try to boost dividend payments this tax year before the tax rises take effect. However, even then it will generally be better to draw dividends than salary/ bonuses to save National Insurance contributions.

HMRC has, for many years, been agitated by the perceived tax advantage gained by those who incorporate their business and at a time when our Government is strapped for cash, it is understandable there has been pressure to address this imbalance.

However, this new approach could inadvertently stifle entrepreneurial activity.

The remaining tax breaks for entrepreneurs will be centred on those that found, grow and subsequently sell a business.

There will be much less incentive to simply retain ownership and generate consistent profits (and tax revenue for the Government) as the only way to cash in tax efficiently on the risk, stress, sweat and toil will be to cash out. This might not produce the best long term outcome for the UK economy.

If you are not a client of PMW, you may find the impact of these important issues on you will not be evaluated before it is too late to alter your strategy. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a personal consultation. l

essence info Simon Lewis is writing on behalf of Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd (PMW), Chartered Financial Planners, based in Esher. The Company has specialised in providing wealth management solutions to private clients for 46 years.

Simon is an independent financial adviser, chartered financial planner and chartered fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment. The opinions outlined in this article are those of the writer and should not be construed as individual advice. To find out more about financial advice and investment options please contact Simon at Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd. Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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

www.essence-magazine.co.uk 41

essence education

arts

Encouraging the

performing Michael Connolly, headmaster of Cranmore School, considers the importance of music and drama in the school curriculum.

42 www.essence-magazine.co.uk

T

he modern school curriculum is designed to offer both breadth and depth to all pupils, even at a relatively young age. However, over time there has been an increase in the significance of exams, especially in core subjects, which has put pressure on some aspects of the curriculum. It is unfortunate that music and drama have been marginalised in some schools because they are deemed to be less important than literacy, numeracy and science.

Perhaps some of those who have positions of influence in education need to be reminded that music has been regarded as a cornerstone since the very beginning of formal education. The philosopher Plato set out a curriculum over two thousand years ago which gave prominence to music as a vital element in developing the whole child.

The Greeks were keen on drama too and it is no surprise that major productions of works by their gifted writers such as Sophocles and Euripides remain popular today.

We all know that very young children from nursery age onwards enjoy learning songs and playing with percussion instruments. It is vital that teachers can harness this energy and enthusiasm so that children will be able to progress with their musical education by engaging in more challenging and complex activities.

At Cranmore School, we ensure that our youngest pupils aged two and a half are able to enjoy music. Like most children, they love putting on a performance for their parents and, in common with most schools and nurseries, we have a Christmas production.

In our experience, the care and attention given to music in the formative years pays great dividends later. As pupils progress through Cranmore they are able to have individual instruction in a wide range of instruments – we have almost 20 specialist music staff who cover everything from the flute and cello to drums and bass. Pupils are able to play together in small ensembles and in our full orchestra.

Good schools cater for pupils of all abilities and at Cranmore we recognise that for some children music might well become a recreational activity in adult life.

For others who obtain a Grade 8 Distinction in an instrument, we know they have the potential to forge a career in music.

Regardless of learning a musical instrument, all children can continue their musical education through singing. Most schools do devote some time to singing, even if it is only the regular hymn in assembly. The children at Cranmore are fortunate because the school runs several choirs which allow pupils to develop their singing talent to a high standard. In addition, Cranmore hosts many concerts in its wonderful auditorium and in November there will be a performance given by the highly prestigious Tenebrae Choir.

So how can we develop children’s interest in drama? There was a time when pupils had to slavishly read through a Shakespeare play in class, not the best way to inspire a life-long interest. Thankfully, good schools now seek different opportunities for pupils to gain confidence in public-speaking and performing in drama productions too.

Teachers know that some children who are reticent in class can really take on a different persona on stage and act with true flair and panache. If you are lucky, you may spot future potential at a young age. I can recall watching a young Orlando Bloom in a school show many years ago – whatever happened to him?

The creative opportunities which music and drama provide are essential in any curriculum. As well as the enjoyment and skills which children develop from these activities, one must not forget the teamwork involved in most cases which further enhances pupils’ communication and social skills. There appears to be a bias in this country where we are quick to applaud talented individuals in sport, but we should give full and equal credit to those children who achieve great things in music and drama through their own hard work and commitment.

In conclusion, all schools are bound by the exam system and the pressures which inevitably arise from it. However, now is the time for us to stop and think about what we are losing if we allow music and drama to be gently marginalised in the curriculum. l

essence info Cranmore School Cranmore School has recently announced a programme of change to transform it into a fully co-educational school for pupils aged two and a half to thirteen years.

It is committed to providing a balanced curriculum which can develop each child’s potential. This includes a Forest School so that the youngest pupils from the nursery onwards can experience real ‘outdoors education’.

Telephone: 01483 280340 Website: www.cranmoreprep.co.uk

www.essence-magazine.co.uk 43

essence leisure breaks

The exotic city of

Istanbul Istanbul, nestled on both sides of the Bosphorus Strait, between the sparkling waters of the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea, is a unique metropolis where the exotic east meets the cosmopolitan west. With domes, towering minarets, the call to prayer from a multitude of mosques and a swirling maelstrom of more than fifteen million people, Istanbul offers visitors an intriguing glimpse into a rich and colourful history and a fascinating culture, says Rebecca Underwood.

Sultan Ahmet Mosque

44 www.essence-magazine.co.uk

Hagia Sophia Museum

C

onstantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Christian world, known as Sultanahmet, is the location for most of Istanbul’s historical attractions, including the Hagia Sophia Museum, dating back to the sixth century. This magnificent dome, considered the embodiment of Byzantine architecture, was constructed on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I, and is widely recognised as a symbol of the city. The church was looted in 1204 by the fourth Crusaders and became a mosque during the emergence of the Ottoman Empire in 1453.

Visit the nearby Radisson Blu Bosphorus Cruise Lounge Topkapi Sarayi palace, once the sultan’s residence and heart of the Turkish Empire for four centuries.

This enormous collection of buildings stands on a headland overlooking the Bosphorus, the Sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn. Take a leisurely stroll through the imposing Imperial Gate into the lush verdant courtyard where the sultan’s bodyguards were stationed and pause for a while at the Gate of Salutations where the heads of traitors were once displayed. A warren of meandering paths leads the visitor to kitchens where a frenzy of 150 chefs prepared daily feasts for 5,000 guests and the harem, which housed hundreds of young women who were reserved for the sultan and guarded by eunuchs. Another leafy courtyard leads to the school where the sultan’s many sons and daughters studied and where fabulous jewels and treasures are now displayed. Exhibits include the exquisite Topkapi Dagger, adorned with glittering emeralds, a wide variety of elaborate costumes and the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle, which presents the Prophet Mohammed’s cloak and sword.

Radisson Blu Bosphorus Starboard restaurant

The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque due to the 20,000 handmade blue ceramic tiles papering the interior walls, was constructed in the seventeenth century during the rule of Ahmet I. The mosque’s main dome, six towering minarets and eight secondary domes reflect the splendour of Byzantine and Islamic architecture and it is considered to be the last mosque of the classical era.

Another popular attraction is the Hippodrome, which once housed 100,000 spectators. Imagine their thunderous cheers as they watched the four horse chariots racing at break neck speed around the track. In the centre lie an Egyptian obelisk, which dates back to 1500 BC, and an adjacent marble block, which portrays Theodosius, the last emperor to rule over both the eastern and western sectors of the Roman Empire.

For a unique shopping experience and to practice haggling skills, head for the Grand Covered Bazaar, an intricate maze of over 4,000 shops. Istanbul’s top attraction, which dates back to the fifteenth century, entices even the most resistant visitor with a dazzling >

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essence leisure breaks

: top tiinpformation re For mo bul, visit n a t s I n o ey.com k r gotu

Corner suite at the Park Bosphorus Hotel

Istanbul’s heritage tram

extravaganza of gold and silver jewellery, oriental rugs of every size and colour, pungent spices, copper, suede and leather goods and trinkets galore. Shoppers are sure to be persuaded to part with more than a few Turkish Liras. Stop off for a breather at one of the many cafés and sample the delicious cheese pie, known as Borek, or for the sweet toothed, savour the scrumptious kadaif, a combination of shredded wheat and nuts oozing with honey. Round off with a Turkish coffee or a glass of raki to put a spring in the step…

For weary explorers who prefer to be in the heart of the action, the Park Bosphorus Hotel offers luxurious accommodation.

The hotel, which opened in 2013, is located in the European part of Istanbul and within walking distance to Taksim Square and Istiklal Avenue, crammed with shops, cafés and street hawkers selling all manner of ‘genuine fakes’!

Relax in a spacious deluxe suite measuring 39–47m² with contemporary furnishings, rich drapes and soft carpeting.

The hotel’s dining options include the informal Gümüssuyu restaurant, which offers a wide array of international cuisine, including a tempting selection of succulent Turkish dishes. Be sure to visit the Hezarfen Terrace Bar, which offers a spectacular panoramic view over the Bosphorus: it’s the ideal spot to sip on a pre or post-dining cocktail. For a more formal affair, head for the Izaka restaurant on the hotel’s rooftop

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to sample a fusion of Middle Eastern and Turkish creations or feast on a first class Byzantium, Armenian and Ottoman Mezze.

For a special afternoon treat, consider an afternoon cruise on the Bosphorus. Join locals making their way to Eminönü on one of the city’s modern trams, which are efficient and frequent and for only four TL (less than £1) visitors can travel quite some distance. Eminönü is a busy transport hub and travellers can embark on one of the many boats (Sehir Hatlari vessels with the

include the Starboard open-air restaurant with tables located right beside the Bosphorus. The innovative Mediterranean menu also features the Turkish Manti, which is pasta dough, filled with mince meat cooked in a chicken broth and served with a light yogurt and delicious sauces.

Or perhaps dine in the hotel’s comfortable and laid back Cruise Lounge, which features an impressive cocktail bar in the centre and spacious outside seating area, which is the ideal spot to take in the view and relax.

Topkapi Sarayi palace

yellow funnels have been in operation since 1851) sailing to Ortaköy, a more tranquil upmarket area with water front cafés and restaurants and narrow meandering cobbled stoned streets packed with charming little shops and boutiques.

For those seeking a tranquil retreat, the Radisson Blu Bosphorus is a stylish hotel located on the scenic waterfront, close to the Ortaköy pier. The hotel’s loft-style suites, which measure approximately 50m², are light and airy with contemporary furnishings and comfortable beds. Dining options

To dine further afield, head for the nearby Laledan Restaurant at the Çırağan Palace Kempinski. Located on the ground floor of the property and again overlooking the Bosphorus Strait, it truly is an exceptional dining experience. Consider sampling the succulent ‘Alinazik’ kebab, smoked eggplant purée and marinated, sautéed lamb cubes.

Whilst viewing the spectacular panoramic views across the glittering waters of the Bosphorus, visitors will agree that Istanbul is indeed a unique city where the exotic eastern world meets the modern west in harmony. l

essence competition

“I thoroughly enjoyed Peter Pan Goes Wrong and can’t recommend it enough.

It’s ridiculously funny, it’s definitely a show worth seeing.” Peter Kay

Win a pair of tickets to see

Starring the original accident-prone cast of The Play That Goes Wrong The original cast of the West End’s hit comedy The Play That Goes Wrong returns to the stage this Christmas in J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan.

O

nce again the members of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society battle against technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes. Will they ever make it to Neverland? For the slickest show in the West End this season, don’t see Peter Pan Goes Wrong!

To win a pair of tickets for performances between 15 to 17 December at the Apollo Theatre, simply answer the following question at www.essence-magazine.co.uk.

Closing date: Friday 30 October 2015. See essence website for details: www.essence-magazine.co.uk

Who was Peter Pan’s nemesis? a. Doctor Hook b. Captain Hook c. Captain Cook

essence info Peter Pan Goes Wrong Apollo Theatre, 31 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7ES. Tickets from £20.

Book tickets: 0844 482 9671 or www.nimaxtheatres.com/apollo-theatre/ peter_pan_goes_wrong Limited season from Friday 4 December 2015 to Sunday 31 January 2016 Facebook: /PeterPan Goes Wrong Twitter: @pangoeswrong Terms and conditions apply. Tickets are valid 15–17 December 2015. Subject to availability. Prize is as stated and cannot be transferred or exchanged. No cash alternative will be offered.

www.essence-magazine.co.uk 47

essence art

The innocence of youth Painter Lisa Wright’s work has been selected for the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition for the last twenty two years and she has also won numerous awards throughout her career. Her new exhibition, The Unversed, curated by Coates and Scarry, is unveiled in London this month.

L

isa Wright’s works examine the search for self and identity, and crosses historical imagery with very modern topics. Lisa’s subjects grow as her own children grow up, her world informing her painting.

Lisa’s solo show entitled The Unversed is an exhibition of over 30 paintings and drawings. Their distinctive imagery offers a combination of motifs from historical paintings and the modern-day, which act to move the viewer simultaneously through different periods of time.

Figures in Lisa’s paintings are caught on the brink of adulthood; they have soft, childish faces and newly rounded bodies and their predominantly naked figures are adorned with decorative, adult clothing consisting of ribbons, Tudor ruffs and silk Boudoir Cabinet by Lisa Wright, Coates & Scarry

sleeves. The figures adopt semi-formal portrait poses that enhance the juxtaposition between their pubescent shyness and awkwardness with an increasing defiance.

Many figures are shown wearing masks, reminiscent of the Venetian carnival, held in place over the mouth to render the wearer somewhat passive. The Unversed refers to this passivity of Lisa’s figures, who, anticipating their future identities during an unsettling era, lack the skills and the experience to express themselves adequately.

Lisa’s paintings are developed from a variety of sources. Drawings are made from life and (if necessary) from reproductions of historical paintings such as those by the eighteenth-century painters Pietro Longhi and Jean-Antoine

About the artist

After studying at The Royal Academy Schools, London, 1990-1993, Lisa Wright relocated to Cornwall where she currently lives and works. Her work is held in many corporate and private collections and she was artist in residence with the Royal Shakespeare Company throughout the two year period of their ‘Histories’ cycle, culminating in an exhibition at the Roundhouse, London. Lisa’s work has been selected for the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition for the last twenty-two years. She has also exhibited in the significant ‘Art Now Cornwall’ exhibition at Tate St Ives and won numerous awards, including the National Open Art Prize and the Threadneedle Prize in 2013.

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“…puberty heightens everything. Emotions are intensified and the presentation of the self, of body image, predominates.” Lisa Wright Watteau and, most importantly from repeated drawing expeditions to study works in place at historical collections held by institutions like the National Gallery and the Wallace Collection.

Lisa’s works appear highly staged: a smudge of paint acts as an indeterminate background, the depth of pictorial space is deliberately made mysterious and a softly glowing luminosity lights the figures in particular ways, as if they were actors or dancers on a minimal stage. Yet each figure is afforded privacy: a space within the canvas which belongs to them alone, perhaps making the viewer feel as if they are intruding into a very private world, despite the ‘staging’. l

essence info The Unversed, from Thursday 1 to Saturday 17 October, 11am–7pm Monday to Saturday; 11am to 5pm Sunday Gallery 8, 8 Duke Street Street, St James’s, London SW1Y 6BN Websites: www.lisawrightartist.co.uk www.coatesandscarry.com

Young Pretender

by Lisa Wright, Coates & Scarry

Invisibly There

by Lisa Wright, Coates & Scarry

At Her Mirror

by Lisa Wright, Coates & Scarry

Boudoir Cabinet

by Lisa Wright, Coates & Scarry

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essence pop art

Pelé Brazil by Russell Young

Sporting icon in art Pelé: Art, Life, Football is an exhibition of art inspired by Pelé to celebrate his 75th birthday. The exhibition at the Halcyon Gallery includes work from internationally acclaimed artists, including Andy Warhol, Lorenzo Quinn and Mitch Griffiths.

A

rriving in a bespoke number 10 Pelé bus, legendary footballer Pelé unveiled the exhibition of art that celebrates his 75th birthday and a lifetime of sporting and humanitarian achievements. The Brazilian hero revealed the highly anticipated collection alongside internationally acclaimed artists including Lorenzo Quinn, Mitch Griffiths, Pedro Paricio, Santiago Montoya and Ernesto Cánovas.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is Andy Warhol’s original painting Pelé (1977) from his ‘Athletes’ series comprising ten portraits of sporting heroes. The renowned pop artist famously predicted that one day, everyone would be famous for 15 minutes, but it would be Pelé whose fame would last for “15 centuries.”

Pelé by Raphael Mazzucco

The exhibition displays photography, original paintings, limited edition sculptures and prints. In addition to contemporary artwork, iconic memorabilia from Pelé’s incredible career is on view: the world famous Jules Rimet trophy and three World Cup football medals – on loan for the first time ever outside of Brazil.

Says Pelé: “I feel extremely blessed to be working with the Halcyon Gallery which >

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< RUSSELL YOUNG Initially a successful photographer and music video director, British-American Pop artist Russell Young (b. 1959) is now best known for compelling, larger-than-life screen print paintings appropriated from history and popular culture. Alluding to the great Pop artists of past and present, including Andy Warhol, Young collects images from newspaper cuttings, eBay and even police forces and then reworks them to explore issues raised by photography, portraiture and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the prickly nature of celebrity itselfâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

(BOTTOM LEFT)

RAPHAEL MAZZUCCO

Canadian Raphael Mazzucco (b. 1965) is both an elite fashion photographer and an expressive contemporary painter, building exhilarating layered narratives through paint, collage and hand-lettered texts.

Merging his love of the photograph with the sensuality of painting, he captures human and animal forms set against dramatic backdrops that span the continents.

www.essence-magazine.co.uk 51

<

LOUIS SIDOLI Anglo-Italian artist Louis Sidoli (b. 1968) creates retro portraits in the Pop Art tradition of Andy Warhol, mirroring the aspirations of consumer society. Sourcing old photographs and graphic elements, he silkscreens and digitally applies them to a variety of mixed media, including neon, lenticulars, fused glass and aluminium with cast resin.

Hermes XXI by Pedro Paricio

<

PEDRO PARICIO

Fascination with vivid colour and a love of paint itself are hallmarks of contemporary Spanish artist Pedro Paricio (b. 1982).

In bright and dynamic canvases he sets out to solve conceptual problems, to incorporate street culture into fine art, to pay homage to great artistic figures of the past and to examine and question the role of the artist. He has an all-embracing view of painting which crosses the boundaries between abstract and figurative, object and narrative, addressing subjects ranging from contemporary science to Hispanic folklore and from music to philosophy.

commissioned such an exciting collection to celebrate my birthday and my career.

Art has played a big role in my life for many years and it has been a very humbling experience to have so many talented artists creating such beautiful work in my honour.

I believe art can be interpreted in many ways, much like football. Football is art to me and it’s a very nice birthday present.”

Paul Green, president of Halcyon Gallery, confirmed: “If ever the expression ‘the beautiful game’ was applicable to one individual it was Pelé. And it is this beauty, this creativity, this human presence that we wanted the exhibition to capture and recreate on canvas, in sculpture and in print.

We are confident the public will be able to experience something truly unique.”

The exhibition is accompanied by a book which will include essays by Dr. Bernard

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Famous for 15 Centuries Pelé green by Louis Sidoli

Vere, lecturer in modern art at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, and bestselling biographer Brian Winter. Said Brian: “Pelé is a beacon of simple, non-empirical emotion. Something about the man makes us happy, joyous, whole. We need not be fans of football, or even sport, to feel his magic. More than half of the planet’s people weren’t even born when Pelé played his final professional match in 1977. Yet, somehow, he makes them smile too. He delights and inspires, even today.” l

essence info Exhibition opening times: Monday to Saturday, 10am–6pm, Sunday 11am–5 pm. The exhibition runs until 18 October 2015 with free entry.

Halcyon Gallery 144–146 New Bond Street, London W1S 2PF Telephone (visitor information): 020 7100 7144 Website: www.halcyongallery.com

Pelé in front of Russell Young’s Pelé Bicycle Kick artwork

Profile: Pelé Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or Pelé as he is better known, is considered by many football fans to be the greatest footballer the world has ever seen.

He was the youngest player ever to win a World Cup, a veteran of four World Cups, scorer of 1,283 professional goals (12 of them in World Cup tournament fixtures), a member of those magical Brazilian squads that won soccer’s greatest prize in 1958, 1962 and 1970, and ‘Athlete of the Century’, awarded by the International Olympic Committee in 1999.

<

Playing the Field by Stuart McAlpine Miller

Pelé by Andy Warhol

ANDY WARHOL American artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol (1928–1987) was an initiator and one of the foremost exponents of Pop Art. Best known for his multiple-image silkscreens of consumer goods and celebrities, he appropriated subjects from popular culture, newspapers and branded products, adopting an inexpressive, pared-down style that challenges notions of what art is. < STUART McALPINE MILLER Contemporary Scottish artist Stuart McAlpine Miller (b. 1964) pairs the ultramodern with the classic in immaculate paintings of supermodels overlaid on cartoon imagery. Alive in an array of pastel shades and irradiated by the illusion of transparency, his works have a precision that suggests computer generation although he paints solely in oils, creating this illusion with subtle tones of varying colour. Like Andy Warhol, McAlpine Miller reflects on mass consumerism and the shallowness of modern existence.

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essence events

spotlight on...

Hamlet Barbican Theatre, Silk Street, London To Saturday 31 October Benedict Cumberbatch stars in the title role of this Lyndsey Turner production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the Barbican (pictured right).

The cast also includes Ciarán Hinds and Siân Brooke. Tickets are highly sought after and there are 100 at £10 allocated for every public performance.

For those not lucky enough to have secured a place, National Theatre Live – the National Theatre’s project which broadcasts plays live from the stage – will screen the production on Thursday 15 October to over 550 cinemas and theatres in the UK. Just some of the organisations taking part locally include Camberley Theatre, Farnham Maltings, Haslemere Hall, Leatherhead Theatre and Odeons Epsom, Guildford, Kingston-uponThames and Richmond. For a full list of participants, visit ntlive.com.

theatre Richmond Theatre Richmond Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 October Ellen Kent: Die Fledermous, Tosca and Carmen Three operas staged over four nights.

Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 October The Odyssey, Missing Presumed Dead A powerful production about a high ranking government minister on a diplomatic mission that ends in disaster.

Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October Avenue Q Award-winning musical for ages 14+.

Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 November The Glass Menagerie A new production of Tennessee Williams’ first successful play.

Tickets: 0844 871 7651 or ambassadortickets.com/richmond

New Victoria Theatre Woking Saturday 17 October Michael Palin: The Thirty Years Tour Rarely told fascinating stories from three momentous decades in Michael Palin’s varied life.

54 www.essence-magazine.co.uk

Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Classic comedy starring Michael Praed and Gary Wilmot.

Wednesday 4 to Saturday 7 November Northern Ballet’s The Nutcracker A reimagining of the classic ballet performed to Tchaikovsky’s score.

Friday 6 November Northern Ballet’s Elves & the Shoemaker A ballet for children aged 3+.

Tickets: 0844 871 7645 or ambassadortickets.com/woking

Cranleigh Arts Centre Cranleigh Saturday 24 October Blunderbus Theatre Company presents My Pet Monster and Me Songs, music and puppetry make up this happy, sad, funny farmyard adventure, perfect for half-termers aged three to seven and their grown-ups.

Friday 30 October Crazy Glue A tragic-comic roller coaster following a couple’s romance using clown, mime and dance.

Information: 01483 278000 or cranleighartscentre.org

Benedict Cumberbatch (Hamlet) at the Barbican Theatre. Photograph by Johan Persson

Information: hamlet.barbican.org.uk and ntlive.com

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essence events Dorking Halls Dorking Saturday 10 October Ed Byrne: Outside, Looking In Great stand-up comedian returns.

Thursday 22 October Milton Jones and the Temple of Daft The master of the one-liner.

Information: 01306 881717 or dorkinghalls.co.uk

The Electric Theatre Guildford Saturday 31 October Showstopper!

The Improvised Musical A new musical comedy is created each performance from audience suggestions, with unpredictable results...

Monday 12 October Michael Portillo ‘Life: A Game of Two Halves’ A unique insight into the politician turned television presenter’s life with a chance for audience questions.

Wednesday 28 October My Kingdom is a Horse A new breakneck, irreverent and funny history of the Wars of the Roses from the writer of Horrible Histories: the Ruthless Romans.

For ages seven to thirteen.

Sunday 1 November Milton Jones and the Temple of Daft Loud shirts, strange hair and great one-liners...

Information: 020 8174 0090 or rosetheatrekingston.org

Information: 01483 444789 or electrictheatre.co.uk

Woking Fringe

Guildford Fringe

H.G. Wells Conference and Events Centre, Woking

Friday 16 October, 8pm Guildford Gag House Comedy Club For the full evening’s line-up, see website below.

Saturday 10 October Woking Gag House Comedy Club Top touring comics perform: for more details see website below.

Information: 0333 666 3366 or

Information: guildfordfringe.com

wokingfringe.com

Kick Back Comedy Club

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

The Boileroom, Guildford

Guildford

Saturday 24 October The best comedians on the circuit.

Sunday 11 October Brian Blessed: Absolute Pandemonium In association with the Guildford Book Festival, Brian Blessed tells tales from his life: no doubt extremely loudly...

Monday 12 to Saturday 17 October Rebecca A new production of Daphne du Maurier’s classic tale of Cornish romance and jealousy.

Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 October Home and Beauty Classic period comedy from Somerset Maugham, set just after the end of the First World War. Tuesday 27 to Saturday 31 October The Rubenstein Kiss An award-winning new play inspired by the true story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg.

Information: 07784 045110 or kickbackcomedy.com

Riverhouse Barn Walton-on-Thames Sunday 18 October Blofeld and Baxter: Rogues on the Road Stalwarts of the revered Test Match Special have plenty of tales to tell.

Information: 01932 253354 or riverhousebarn.co.uk

Rose Theatre Kingston-upon-Thames To Saturday 31 October The Wars of the Roses Shakespeare’s game of thrones, directed by Trevor Nunn, comprising a trilogy of plays: Henry VI, Edward IV and Richard III. Starring Joely Richardson.

Image: Steve Tanner

The Star Inn, Quarry St, Guildford

Michael Palin, The Thirty Years Tour, New Victoria Theatre, Woking

Rebecca, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

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

56 www.essence-magazine.co.uk Crazy Glue, Cranfield Arts Centre

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spotlight on...

Surrey Wildlife Trust, various locations

Photographer James Adler/Courtesy Surrey Wildlife Trust

Various dates Surrey Wildlife Trust manages almost 8,000 hectares of land in Surrey and has a hands-on approach to caring for nature reserves and wildlife. Some of the events organised this month by this worthy organisation include: Herds and Wey at Thundry Meadows, Friday 23 October, 10.30am–12.20pm.

A ramble to see birds, reptiles, fungi and the herd of belted Galloway cattle (pictured left). Contact 01483 795470 or see website.

Muck and smells at Cucknells Wood, Shamley Green, Saturday 24 October, 11am–12.20pm. Explore this beautiful ancient woodland. Contact 01483 795463 or see website.

Wild tots at Newlands Corner, Guildford, Wednesday 28 October, 10am–12 noon or 1.30–3.30pm. Outdoor games for children aged two to six. Contact 07968 832509 or see website.

Chobham Common on parade, Saturday 7 November, 10am–1pm.

Explore the Common’s military history. Contact 07765 867383 or see website.

Information: 01483 795440 or surreywildlifetrust.org

music

The Harlequin Theatre & Cinema

exhibitions

curators’ collective, retelling events in the lives of local residents through their outfits.

Dorking Museum

Information: 07805 417957 or

West Street, Dorking

farnhammaltings.com/museum

Redhill

Camberley Theatre Camberley Saturday 10 October An evening with Mungo Jerry and band Celebrating 45 years since the iconic ‘In the Summertime’ with anecdotes, stories, film and music.

Saturday 17 October, 7.30pm Clare Teal and her big band Jazz singer and BBC Radio 2 presenter Clare Teal performs big band and swing songs.

Information: 01737 276500 or harlequintheatre.co.uk

Information: 01306 876591 or

Information: 01276 707600 or

Southern Pro Musica

camberleytheatre.biz

Holy Trinity Church, Guildford

Farnham Maltings Farnham Friday 23 October Carpet Crawlers The ultimate Genesis tribute show.

Information: 01252 745444 or farnhammaltings.com

Saturday 17 October Family Activity Saturday: The Big Draw Celebrating the world’s largest drawing festival: The Big Draw.

Friday 16 October, 7.30pm Romantic classics Performing A night on a bare mountain by Mussorgsky, Violin Concerto in E minor by Mendelssohn and Symphony no.4

by Tchaikovsky.

Information: 01428 682158 or southernpromusica.org

G Live Guildford

Vivace Chorus

Friday 16 October Hothouse Flowers Traditional Irish music with soul, rock and gospel influences.

Friday 6 November Jools Holland & His Rhythm ‘n’ Blues Orchestra A new autumn tour.

Holy Trinity Church, Guildford

Information: 01483 369350 or

Saturday 10 October, 7.30pm A concert for Shooting Star Chase Children’s Hospice Care with a programme of Carmina Burana, Fanfare to the Common Man and The Gloria by John Rutter and more. The Chorus perform with Surrey Advanced Brass Ensemble.

glive.co.uk

Information: vivacechorus.org

dorkingmuseum.org.uk

Guildford House Gallery High Street, Guildford To Saturday 10 October The Magna Carta Embroidery A project of twelve unique embroidery panels telling the tale of 1215 and the Magna Carta.

Saturday 17 October to Saturday 7 November Guildford Art Society: Autumn Exhibition Members showcase their best work in a selling exhibition.

The Lightbox Gallery and Museum Woking To Sunday 1 November Warhol and the World of Pop Art The artwork of Andy Warhol in a unique exhibition of Pop Art. Saturday 10 October to Sunday 17 January 2016 Quentin Blake: Inside Stories Curated by Blake himself, the exhibition includes sketches and original artworks of famous illustrations for his own books and collaborations with the likes of Roald Dahl, David Walliams and Michael Rosen.

Information: 01483 737800 or thelightbox.org.uk

Information: 01483 444751 or

McAllister Thomas

guildford.gov.uk/guildfordhouse

Godalming

Museum of Farnham West Street, Farnham To Tuesday 20 October 100 Years of Farnham Fashion By the Museum’s own young

Saturday 3 October to Tuesday 3 November The Autumn Exhibition Featuring gallery artists.

Information: 01483 860591 or mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk

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essence events

cinemas

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

Farnham Friday 9 October to Saturday 14 November Surrey Artist of the Year Eleven selected makers from Surrey Open Studios look for public votes.

Friday 9 October to Friday 14 November Rachel Mulligan Surrey Artist of the Year 2014 with her first solo show of stained glass.

Friday 9 October to Friday 14 November Maker in focus: Judith Needham Local willow designer displaying work from baskets to willow dens.

Information: 01252 713208 or newashgate.org.uk

The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden

festivals

Clare Teal, The Harlequin Theatre and Cinema, Redhill

Electric Theatre family festival Guildford Monday 26 to Saturday 31 October Theatre, film, workshops, dance, arts and crafts, storytelling and lots more for half term.

See website for details.

Information: 01483 444789 or electrictheatre.co.uk

Farnham Festival of Crafts Farnham Maltings Saturday 17 to Sunday 18 October Celebrate contemporary craft as the Festival showcases work from over 70 of the best makers in the UK.

Image © Kempton Park Racecourse

New Ashgate Gallery

TNO winning the williamhill.com hurdle, Kempton Park Racecourse

Information: 01252 745444 or farnhammaltings.com

Ockley

Guildford Book Festival Various venues, Guildford

To Sunday 1 November The Art of Bedlam: Richard Dadd An exhibition exploring this troubled Victorian painter remembered for his depictions of mystical subjects.

Sunday 11 to Sunday 18 October Authors appearing at the Festival this year include the actor Brian Blessed, ex-Bond actor Roger Moore, renowned journalist Max Hastings, Terry Waite, actress Helen Lederer, Vince Cable, Melvyn Bragg and many more.

Don’t miss Readers’ Day at G Live on Saturday 17 October, a mini interactive festival in a day for book lovers with six authors appearing to discuss what they read and who inspires them.

Information: 01483 813593 or

Information: 01483 444334 or

wattsgallery.org.uk

guildfordbookfestival.co.uk

Information: 01306 627269 or hannahpescharsculpture.com

Watts Gallery Compton, Guildford

Image © Chessington Wolrd of Adventures

Until Saturday 31 October Summer exhibition 140 pieces selected by ownercurator Hannah Peschar all set within a beautiful garden.

58 www.essence-magazine.co.uk KOBRA ride, Chessington World of Adventures

national trust

out & about

National Trust properties offer perfect venues in which visitors can play and

Beaulieu’s annual firework spectacular

relax. A few are shown here, but visit

New Forest, Hampshire

nationaltrust.org.uk for more.

Saturday 31 October, from 3pm Ghosts and Ghouls is the theme for this year’s event, with fireworks, fairground rides, Halloween-themed live music and much more. For those wishing to attend more local firework events, see visitsurrey.com.

Claremont Landscape Garden Esher Saturday 22 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am–5pm Halloween half term activities Visit the spooky trail available throughout the week, along with various craft activities.

Information: 01372 467806

Hatchlands Park East Clandon, Guildford Thursday 22 October, 11am–1pm Autumn colour walk Enjoy a guided walk.

Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 11am–4pm Halloween half term Spooky trails and fun activities.

Information: 01483 222482

Polesden Lacey Great Bookham, near Dorking Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October Wild learning autumn Den building, wild art, games and more. See www.wildlearning.net.

Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am–3.30pm Halloween – through the looking glass Follow Wonderland creatures in the woods to warn Alice.

Information: 01372 452048

Information: beaulieu.co.uk

Bocketts Farm Leatherhead Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November Wizards and witches week Quiz trails, creepy craft corner and reptile roadshow along with pumpkins, pony and tractor rides, animal handling and lots more.

Information: bockettsfarm.co.uk

Brooklands Museum Weybridge Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 10am–4pm Half term family activities With car rides operating and the Big Draw workshop, there’s lots going on at Brooklands.

Friday 30 October, 6.30–9.30pm Torchlight tour: Halloween special A behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum after dark on Halloween.

Information: 01932 857381 or brooklandsmuseum.com

The Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair Sandown Park Racecourse

Surrey Hills near Dorking Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 11am–4pm Half term fun at Box Hill Fun activities throughout the week.

Friday 30 October, 6–8pm Children’s spooky fun on Witley Common Dress up in a scary outfit and join the torchlight walk.

Information: 01372 220644 or nationaltrust.org.uk

Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October Fine art and high quality antiques from all corners of the UK. Information: esherhallfair.com

Painshill Park Cobham Sunday 18 October, 9.30am–4pm Autumn forage (adults only) Join outdoor guru John Ryder for a fascinating look at the world of fungi and other plants. Advance booking required on 01932 868113.

Image courtesy of Beaulieu

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Beaulieu’s annual firework spectacular

Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, 9am–4.30pm Wild Halloween Camp Tracking, wild art, bushcraft and den building for children aged eight to thirteen years. Advance booking required on 01932 868113.

(Howl ‘o’ Ween, Friday 23 October to Sunday 1 November), Thorpe Park (Fright Nights, various dates between Friday 9 October and Sunday 1 November) or Legoland (Brick or Treat Saturday 17 October to Monday 2 November).

Information: 01932 868113 or

Tickets: merlinentertainments.biz

painshill.co.uk

The Living Planet Centre RHS Wisley

Woking

Woking

Tuesday 27 and Thursday 29 October, 10.30am–12.30pm The Big Draw – every picture tells a story Book a workshop to find out more about polar bears and penguins and create a special artwork..

Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October Wisley harvest weekend Food stalls, apple tastings, talks, demonstrations and more.

Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November Spooky woodlands half term A fun-filled week of family activities.

Information: 0845 260 9000 or

Information: wwf.org.uk/whatson

rhs.org.uk/wisley

sport

Theme Parks

Kempton Park Racecourse

Chessington, Thorpe Park and Legoland

Sunbury-on-Thames

Until November Celebrate Halloween with a visit to Chessington World of Adventures

Sunday 18 October William Hill Jump Sunday An afternoon of quality racing.

Information: kempton.co.uk

farmers’ markets Camberley Saturday 17 October, 10am–3pm Cranleigh Saturday 17 October, 10am–2pm Epsom Sunday 4 October and 1 November, 9am–1.30pm Farnham Sunday 18 October, 10am–1.30pm Guildford Tuesday 6 October and 3 November, 10.30am–3.30pm Haslemere Sunday 4 October and 1 November, 10am–1pm Milford Sunday 18 October, 10am–1.30pm Ripley Saturday 10 October, 9am–1pm Walton-on-Thames Saturday 7 November, 9.30am–2pm Woking Thursday 15 October, 9am–2.30pm

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essence interiors

MAKING AN ENTRANCE

Entrance halls offer the chance to make a statement, to set the scene for the rest of the home. Jenny Allan from JCA Interiors explains how to make sure this area gives that great first impression.

W

hen designing a whole house the entrance hall is always the first place to start as it is the central pivotal point of the home and sets the scene for the rest of the design.

The style must be cohesive with other principal rooms which lead from the hall as there will be internal vistas through to those rooms when doors are open.

An essential part of creating a stunning entrance area is an impressive front door and it should look good from the inside as much as outside. It must be in proportion and complement the architecture of the property whilst being inline stylistically with the rest of the interior.

A further essential consideration, at the central core of the property, is the staircase which has the ability to be an incredible design feature. A multitude of choices are available in all different finishes: from floating wooden treads to marble helical staircases, there is an opportunity to create

a real statement feature that will be the focal point of the house.

Good lighting is also critical in the successful design of an entrance hall. A chandelier or modern piece of designer lighting creates impact and can make a powerful first impression. The proportions of double height entrance halls should be enhanced by this feature light which encourages the eye to be drawn upward, emphasising the height and space on show. Further wall lights or downlighters can be incorporated to balance the powerful centrepiece ensuring all areas have adequate light.

Creating a flow through the house is an important part of an effective design. This should be felt from the moment the front door is opened and furniture selection in an entrance hall is a key part of this. Mirror the shape of the hall with a console or central table which is attractive, but easy to walk around. If the hallway is a large area, it

is important for the space not to feel empty and sparse, so ensure there is enough furniture and features to make it feel homely. In some cases it may be appropriate to add a seating area or even a grand piano to complete the design.

The entrance hall can be an ideal place for prized pieces of artwork or sculpture as there will be enough space around them so they are displayed and shown in their best light. Adding these pieces will offer the perfect finishing touches to an area of the house which has the potential to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; visitors and create a stunning first impression.

Elegant, characterful or imposing, perhaps a mixture of the three, there is a myriad of options for creating a successful entrance hall, but just ensure it relates in a holistic way to the interior design of the rest of the house.

â&#x20AC;˘

essence info Jenny Allan is founder of interior design company JCA Interiors Telephone: 020 3714 9325 Email: info@jcainteriors.co.uk Website: www.jcainteriors.co.uk

www.essence-magazine.co.uk 63

essence antiques

Antiques, trends and antique fairs Garret & Hurst Psyche

The world of antiques is changing and the smaller shops seen on the popular television programme Bargain Hunt are becoming fewer in number with antiques fairs increasingly providing a shop window for dealers.

R The Esher Hall

Antiques & Fine Art Fair Thirty-five specialist dealers are exhibiting at the fair with a good splash of new faces from all over the UK such as picture experts Haynes Fine Art of Broadway, Iona House Gallery from Woodstock and Baron Fine Art from Chester.

Furniture is represented by WR Harvey & Co (Antiques) Ltd from Witney, S&S Timms from Bedfordshire and Cheshire’s famous TV antiques celebrity Mike Melody of Melody Antiques.

Closer to home, the fair is supported by a good number of local dealers from the Surrey and Sussex area including Emma Duveen Art & Decorative Antiques from Guildford, David Brooker Fine Art from Reigate, Garret & Hurst Sculpture from East Grinstead, Jeroen Markies Art Deco from Forest Row, M & D Moir, Mark J West and Rugs of Petworth.

Tickets are available on the door or download from www.esherhallfair.com.

64 www.essence-magazine.co.uk

HR Melody Antiques Jacobean chest

ecently a good number of antiques shops, traditionally the backbone of many a market town, have closed their doors due to lack of regular footfall.

Antiques and fine art fairs have become indispensable as they offer dealers an opportunity to showcase their finest wares to a wide audience. Fairs are extremely popular with the general public and members of the trade. Over a three or four day weekend, antiques fairs bring in many more visitors than would cross a shop threshold in several months.

Collectors, interior designers and overseas visitors mingle with avid fair-goers making a visit an ideal day out, aided by excellent refreshments and free parking.

Members of the antiques trade are always first through the door on opening morning, ready to snap up that unique piece. All in all, antiques fairs have become the ideal marketplace for meeting old friends, renewing relationships and making new contacts, as well as being an excellent thermometer as to how the trade is fairing.

Swedish born Ingrid Nilson has been staging antiques and fine art fairs with The Antiques Dealers Fairs Limited since 2004.

The Autumn Antiques & Fine Art Fair was launched at Cheltenham Racecourse, held until 2008. Ingrid expanded her trademark boutique antiques fairs held across England, often at luxury hotels and stately homes such as Petworth and Harewood, under purpose built marquees in the grounds.

The Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair will be Ingrid’s eighth fair at Sandown Park Racecourse. Renowned for the high quality of antiques and works of art available for sale, and the superb layout transforming Esher Hall into a glittering Aladdin’s Cave, the fair has earned a reputation as Surrey’s most established quality event for fine art and antiques.

For those in the process of sprucing up a house, the fair is an absolute must with a wide choice on offer. Whether it’s paintings, furniture, rugs, clocks, jewellery or accessories, Georgian, Regency, Art Deco or contemporary, traditional or quirky, it can all be found under one roof at Esher Hall. l

essence info HR Mark J West Three scent bottles, 1830

The Esher Hall Antiques & Fine Art Fair Esher Hall, Sandown Park Racecourse, Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey KT10 9AJ Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October 2015.

Telephone: 01797 252030 Email: ess@adfl.co.uk Website: www.esherhallfair.com Tickets £5 to include catalogue and readmission.

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