Westerham Life Magazine July 2014

WESTERHAM & OXTED LIFE ISSUE 64

BECKENHAM, SEVENOAKS, CHISLEHURST, TUNBRIDGE WELLS AND THE EXCLUSIVE SURROUNDING AREAS

www.thelifemagazines.com

J U LY 2 0 1 4

CHARLIZE THERON GOES BEGGING

SUMMER HEALTH AND BEAUTY CHARMING CHELSFIELD

DAYS GONE BY IN CHISLEHURST KENT EVENTS

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HISTORY

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FASHION

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HOMES & GARDENS

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

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FOOD & DRINK • TRAVEL

HARWOODS TONBRIDGE

Why go anywhere else.

- Test drive the latest 2014 Land Rover models.

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Call us to book your test drive today.

Harwoods Tonbridge, Vale Rise, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1TB 01732 353637 harwoods.tonbridge.landrover.co.uk

Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the 2014 Land Rover range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 47.1 (6.9) - 15.4 (18.3) Extra Urban 62.8 (4.5) - 29.1 (9.7) Combined 56.5 (5.0) - 22.1 (12.8) CO2 Emissions 181 - 299 g/km.

The figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. A vehicle’s actual 2 JULY 2014 fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.

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W E L C O M E

elcome to the July issue.

PUBLISHED BY THE FISH MEDIA GROUP LTD

The Ridings Woodfield Lane Essenden, Herts AL9 6JJ Tel : 0844 800 8439 Fax : 01707 655 718 www.thelifemagazines.com Email: peter@fishmediagroup.co.uk

Editor Faye Manning Assistant Editor Katie Miller Sub Editor Alex Lux Fashion Editor Kitty Shead Contributors Maureen Cole John Ruler John Bly Bruce Edwards Jack Smith Regan Maloney Design & Production Amanda Jane Spicer Photography Adam Swaine Accounts Kathy Manning Ken Fleet Business Development Managers Lisa Westerman Sinead Shell SALES Vanessa Lane James Marshall DIRECTORS Peter Smith Rory Smith Patrick Smith

All Rights reserved. All Fish Media Group Ltd magazines are copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers. Whilst Fish Media Group Ltd takes every reasonable precaution, no responsibility can be accepted for any property, services or products offered in any of our publications and any loss arising.

Whilst every care is taken with all materials submitted to all of our magazines the publisher cannot accept the loss or damage to such material. The Fish Media Group Ltd reserves the right to reject or accept any advertisement, article or material prior to publication.

Opinions expressed are strictly those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Fish Media Group Ltd. We accept no liability for any misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be accepted for the content of these pages.

Now that the summer is here it’s a good time to look and feel your very best, so we are pleased to include our Summer Health and Beauty Special in this issue. You will find a wide variety of local spa’s, salons, doctors and specialists to help you look and feel great this summer with tips, ideas and suggestions from the people who know the best way to get you looking and feeling good.

Our front cover and main story feature the beautiful, talented and versatile Charlize Theron. In our interview with Charlize she tells us about her new movie ‘ A Million Ways to Die in the West’ , how she actually begged for the role of Anne and the pleasure of starring opposite Liam Neeson. Charlize also tells us how lucky she has been in her career and about her relationship with the actor Sean Penn. I am sure that you will enjoy the feature and it will make you want to see this hilarious movie.

Our excellent Local Life team Maureen Cole, Adam Swaine and John Ruler have been out and about visiting more local towns and places of interest this month. Maureen takes a close look at Chelsfield and Goudhurst, Adam focusses his lens on the Summer Colours of Kent and John takes an affectionate look back at Chislehurst in a bygone era and revisits Camden Place. You will really enjoy these superb features.

..... we are pleased to include our Summer Health and Beauty Special in this issue.

As usual we have covered all of your favourite interests and hobbies in this issue. Bruce Edwards reviews more recent Book releases. We look at Lake Garda in our Travel pages. We help you to be the ‘Best Dressed Guest’ at summer events in our Fashion columns. Our Home and Garden section shows you that creating a lovely home ‘Is all in the details’. There are more summer events for you and the family to enjoy in our What’s On Pages and celebrity chef Nathan Outlaw shares some delicious fish recipes from his new book.

Also in the July issue Nick Pace of CWJ takes us on a tour of Westcombe Park in Orpington. We meet Alison Morton the Tunbridge Wells author with a growing following and there is professional expert advice from Thomas Dunton the renowned local solicitor on how to protect your business.

We hope that you enjoy the July issue, as you can see there is so much for you to read and enjoy.

Until next month………………..

You will be pleased to know that you and your friends can now read our magazines online at www.thelifemagazines.com To advertise contact Lisa on tel: 07904 251984 or email lisa@fishmediagroup.co.uk or Peter on tel: 077111 43342 or email peter on peter@fishmediagroup.co.uk

JULY 2014 3

4 JULY 2014

JULY 2014 5

Advertisement feature

Audi arrives in Tunbridge Wells August 2014.

A state-of-the art showroom is coming to West Kent this summer with the arrival of Tunbridge Wells Audi.

experts, all dedicated to serving Audi customers with superior levels of care.

The new environmentally friendly Audi Centre, which incorporates solar thermal water heating and energy saving LED lighting, will open in August on Dowding Way, next to Fountains Retail Park. The existing Tonbridge Audi Centre will be relocated to this new premium and much larger site.

The showroom will provide a premium location in West Kent/ East Sussex where visitors can browse Audi’s award-winning range of new and used cars, experience the technologically sophisticated models set to arrive throughout 2014, and purchase and maintain their cars receiving the highest levels of customer service.

With the move to Tunbridge Wells comes the opportunity to add to the 70-strong team of Audi

In what will be a first for Audi in the South East, the new Tunbridge Wells Centre will offer a charging

point for the Audi A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid car, due to go on sale in the UK later this year.

It will also be a fully approved, high performance Audi RS and R8 sales and technical centre.

Further, Tunbridge Wells will be one of the first centres to offer a Private Customer Configuration Lounge, where buyers can use the latest touch screen technology to choose the complete specification for their new vehicle, and see it in high definition on an 80 inch LED television screen.

Tunbridge Wells Audi (Coming soon) Dowding Way, Tunbridge Wells TN2 3UY www.tunbridgewells-audi.co.uk 6 JULY 2014

Part of the Inchcape Group

Customers will also be able to enjoy a relaxing café lounge area, plus a Direct Service Reception where they can watch their car being serviced via a monitor and interact with the technician carrying out the work.

With a large new flagship car showroom, a bigger approved used car display, more visitor parking and a state-of-the-art car servicing area, Tunbridge Wells Audi will provide customers with the ultimate in quality service and care.

For further information on the forth coming Tunbridge Wells Audi Centre please contact Tonbridge Audi today.

Tunbridge Wells Audi

Tonbridge Audi Brook Farm Five Oak Green Road Tonbridge Kent TN11 OQN 01732 386906 www.tonbridgeaudi.co.uk

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JULY 2014 7

L O C A L E V E N T S

What’s on...

JULY 2014

THEATRE TRIBE WEST END MUSICAL THEATRE .

Performing Arts Summer Camp – THRILLER. The Theatre Tribe Academy offers bespoke Musical Theatre experiences to young people wishing to learn from West End & National Touring theatre professionals. We enrol a maximum of 18 students per workshop. Each experience emulates as closely as possible the atmosphere of a professional rehearsal room and theatre.

Training by working West End and Touring actors, singers and dancers. DAYS 1- 4: 10am to 3.30pm. DAY 5: 12noon to 7pm (final show at 6.30pm). Open to ages 7-15. All levels welcome.

CONTACT: 020 3239 3149 / 07751 238 932 / contactus@ theatretribe.co.uk / www. theatretribe.co.uk Walthamstow Hall School, Holly Bush Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 3UL. Mon July to Fri 25 Jul 2014 SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. Join Chapterhouse Theatre Company this summer for an evening of Regency wonderment as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood make their first forays into the exquisite world of eighteenthcentury society. Bring a picnic along with family and friends and follow the sisters as they find their path and lose their hearts under a beautiful summer sky in their quest to find the perfect balance of sense and sensibility.

Start Time: 7.00pm.Ightham Mote. Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 0NT. Sat 2 Aug 2014. Tel:0844 249 1895 www.chapterhouse.org

WESTERHAM STEPS BACK IN TIME TO THE SUMMER OF 1914. Horse-drawn general service vehicle, trench warfare and tea on the lawn. Local shops will demonstrate what they looked like and the goods they sold 100 years ago - from coal merchants and tobacconists to butchers and bakers. Sat 26th and Sun 27th July 2014 www. visitwesterham.org.uk/heritage/ fww/1914 MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP. Returns to Brands Hatch for the 2014 season. There is guaranteed to be plenty of excitement in store. With support races from the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship and the Triumph Triple Challenge amongst others, there is sure to be never a dull moment, as plenty of action takes place on the track right in front of you. Go karting will be open during the event for children, and World Superbike Champion James Toseland will be performing live music for free. Tickets online at www. brandshatch.co.uk or at the gate on the days of the event, with grandstand seating available.

Children under 13 go free.

Online prices: Adult weekend £33; Adult Sunday £26; Weekend Camping £18; Children free; more options available at the gate. Date & Time of Event: 18-20th July 2014, 9am-6.30pm.

Brands Hatch Circuit, Fawkham, Longfield, Kent, DA3 8NG.

British Superbikes at Brands Hatch

8 JULY 2014

WHITE ROCK WALK. The White Rock Inn has decided to use the annual beer festival to give back to charity by enjoying the idyllic landscape of Underriver with a sponsored dog walk. Raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind we are very excited to see your dog as a hero for the day, for more details visit Dogs Unite on the link below, event sponsored by WAGS. The walk starts at 1:00pm, please arrive from 12:30, midday if you would like to register on arrival. White Rock Inn, Underriver, Kent TN15 0SR Saturday 26 Jul 2014 www. guidedogs.org.uk/dogs-unite/ find-events/white-rock-walk

these beautiful gardens, there will be a selection of food, drink and craft stalls – all Kent based – plus an Art Exhibition and entertainment and competitions. It promises to be great fun for all the family.

Information www.rockdale. org.uk or call 01732 458762 or email carol.wynn@rockdale. org.uk Tickets can be purchased at reduced prices in advance: Adults £4, Family £10 (2 adults plus up to 3 children), Children (5 – 14 years) £2 and Children (under 5) £1.On the day: Adults £6, Family £15, Children (5 14) £3, Children (under 5) £2.

Chevening Estate, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN14 6HG

SUNDRIDGE FETE AND EIGHTH ANNUAL CAR SHOW. Traditional Kentish Fete in the lovely gardens of Bishops Mead on the A25, Sundridge. Entertainment for all the family, children’s and competitive adults’ games, craft stalls, beer tent, Pimms tent, strawberries and cream, homemade traditional ice creams, tea and cakes etc., alongside the eighth annual Sundridge special interest car show: hundreds of vintage, classics, sports, muscle, custom/hot rod, American classics as well as international historic race cars and motorcycles. 2.00pm to 4.30pm. Adults £1.00, children free. Tickets at the event. Bishops Mead on the A25, Sundridge, Kent, TN14 6EQ. Sun 13 Jul 2014.

Tel: 07722 010317

FOUR ELMS GRAND FETE. The annual fete with traditional stalls, WWII airplane flypast (Spitfire and Hurricane) beer tent, tea tent and food all affordably priced. Good family fun. Bring your dog. Participate in the games and win a prize, be entertained by Applause. Enter the dog show, ride a pony or just sit back and listen to the band or watch the Ravensbourne Morris dance. Get lost in our unique fete maze. Wander the stalls and grab a bargain or win a bottle. This is the place to get jam, plants, ice creams and have fun Don’ t miss it. From 13:00, official opening 14:00 Entry FREE. Large car park £2 per car.

Four Elms, (near Hever Castle and Chartwell), Kent, TN8 6NE. Sat 12 Jul 2014. Tel: 01732 700043

CHEVENING HOUSE OPEN GARDENS & FOOD & CRAFT FAIR. Sunday 13th July 2014 2pm - 5pm, the gardens at Chevening House Estate will be open to the public in aid of Rockdale, a Sevenoaks based charity offering supported accommodation and residential care for older people within Sevenoaks and District. The 40 acres of gardens include a maze, lake, parterre and walled kitchen garden. As well as being a rare opportunity to explore

GREAT WELLING CHARITY BEER FESTIVAL. Our third annual Welling Charity beer festival brought to you by Bexley Round Table promises 30 English real ales, Ciders and real Lagers. At least one third of these are locally produced in Kent and South East London.

In addition to the fine ales there will be plenty of English grub. Live entertainment on stage every day. Competitions.

Stand-up comedy. Talent show and fun for all. Entry is FREE.

Have you suffered a To purchase ale you just need to buy a special commemorative glass for £3. All profits will help the local community so you really can drink with a good conscience! Come along and have a great day/weekend out with likeminded people while giving something to the community. Contact beer. festival@aol.co.uk Doors open 12pm. Fri and Sat until midnight.

Sunday ‘til exhausted! £3 for commemorative glass which is required to be served at outside real ale bar. Guy Earl of Warwick , Park View Road , Welling, DA16 1TB. Fri 25 - Sun 27 Jul 2014. www.wellingbeerfestival.co.uk SEE ART FAIR. A boutique arts event that raises the profile of the arts, social life and businesses in the South East of England. 25 galleries showing new work at this inaugural SEE ART FAIR. The fair will also include a selection of schools art projects and support local charities. See website for times Entry prices: Private View tickets for TWO: £25 (This also allows entry to the art fair on all other days for free) Adult: £6 (Ticket purchased valid on any one day) Concessions: £4. Children under 16 Free. Assembly Hall Theatre, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2LU. Wed 9 July - Sun 13 Jul 2014. www.seeartfair. co.uk CHISLEHURST FARMERS MARKET. Held on the 3rd Sunday of the month and is open to the public between 10am and 2pm. The Farmers Market is held in a new location of Hornbrook House Car Park, High Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5AB. Produce includes seasonal fruit and vegetables, chocolates, cider and alcoholic drinks, bread, meat, cheese, preserves, sauces and much more.10am to 2pm. Free Entry. Contact: 07775 736116.Sun 20 Jul 2014, Sun 17 Aug www.myfarmersmarket. co.uk

GUY TORTORA & BEN TYZACK CONCERT. Americana blues and roots music from these 2 wonderful guitarists. Starts 8pm.

Tickets £10 each. Small venue only seats 50 people. Panacea Coffee House, Orpington High Street, Kent, BR6 0JW. Sat 19 Jul 2014.Tel: 07801 089375 www. guytortora.com GREAT COMP SUMMER SHOW. Taking place when the garden is at its peak of colour, this festival of gardening over two days in the beautiful grounds surrounding the 17th century Manor House near Borough Green, Sevenoaks, Kent. Music is supplied by jazz ensemble ‘Strings & Things’ and ‘Pimm’s’ is available on the lawn. Teas, lunches and delicious homemade cakes are available from the Old Dairy Tearoom. . Come and explore our wonderfully quirky garden showcasing 7 acres of beautiful and rare plants. This hidden gem of a garden is home to an Italian Garden, romantic ruins, enchanting woodland walks and the Old Dairy Tearooms.11am - 5pm. For ticket prices and information contact 01732 885094 www.greatcompgarden. co.uk Great Comp Garden, Comp Lane, Platt, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN15 8QS, Kent TN15 8QS. Sat 9 Aug and Sun 10 Aug 2014.

TITSEY PLACE GARDENS OPEN GARDEN FOR NGS. One of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey. Magnificent ancestral home and gardens of the Gresham family since 1534.

Walled kitchen garden restored early 1990s. Golden Jubilee rose garden. Etruscan summer house adjoining picturesque lakes and fountains. 15 acres of formal and informal gardens in idyllic setting within the M25. Open For NGS: Sat 12 July and Sat 16 Aug. Admission £4.50, Children £1. Times:Opening:1-5. Open for charity. Titsey Place Gardens, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0SD. Tel: 01273 715356.

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JULY 2014 9

Contents EDITORS LETTER

3

WHATS ON

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LOCAL LIFE Chelsfield – Character and Appeal 12 Goudhurst – A fascinating History

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Chislehurst – In Days Gone By

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Camden Place – A Slice of French Life 24 Focus on - The Summer Colours of Kent

30

Thomas Dunton Solicitors – Protecting your Business

32

COVER STORY Interview with Charlize Theron

34

Alison Morton – Local Author 38 Westcombe Park – More than a Rugby Club 40 HEALTH AND BEAUTY SPECIAL

43

Better Body – Award Winning Personal Training 44

TO UPDATE?

INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE FABRICS CURTAINS & BLINDS WALLCOVERINGS FURNITURE LIGHTING MIRRORS WOOD FLOORS CARPETS

Mr Michael Gaunt – Varicose Vein Treatment 46 Be a Summer Smoothie

48

Wells Clinic – Coolsculpting

51

Spire Tunbridge Wells – Specialist Orthopaedic Care

52

North Downs Hospital – Cosmetic face Surgery

54

Bluebird Care – Care visits at Home 55 FASHION Blackburn Bridal Couture – Exclusive Occasion Wear 56 Be the Best Dressed Guest

58

HOME & GARDEN It’s all in the Detail

62

Origin Leisure – Take the Plunge

66

Tilemates – Leading Tile Specialists

68

British Beach Polo Championships

70

TRAVEL

11-12 Sundridge Parade Plaistow Lane Sundridge Park Bromley BR1 4DT 020 8466 6313 www.sundridgeinteriors.com 10 JULY 2014

Riding High in Lake Garda

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BOOKS REVIEW

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FOOD & DRINK Nathan Outlaw takes the Bait

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E X C L U S I V E LY AVA I L A B L E F R O M O U R F L A G S H I P S T O R E S W E S T F I E L D L O N D O N , 1 S T F L O O R • A R I E L WAY • L O N D O N W 1 2 7 G E • T E L : 0 2 0 8 7 4 9 6 3 3 1 B L U E WAT E R , T H A M E S WA L K - G R O U N D F L O O R • G R E E N H I T H E • K E N T D A 9 9 S J • T E L : 0 1 3 2 2 8 3 7 0 4 0

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L O C A L L I F E

Chelsfield Chelsfield is a pretty village, with a mix of beautiful old cottages and modern luxury houses, which add to its character and appeal.

WORDS: MAUREEN COLE

P

rior to the arrival of the railway in 1868 Chelsfield was a quiet, farming area, sitting on the top of the North Downs. However, as with many other villages in Kent, the arrival of the railway brought with it considerable changes. Built roughly half a mile to the west of the church, it allowed coal to be imported and locally produced strawberries and perishable goods to be transported to London quickly.

This pretty village nestles in the countryside in a conservation area, within the Green Belt area of London. Chelsfield lies roughly twenty miles from London and has become part of the desirable commuter belt, attracting people from the city looking for a greener place to live. In 1938, before the introduction of the Green Belt, major boundary changes took place and intensive building was planned for the area. However, the Second World War brought a halt to these plans and with the introduction of the Green Belt Act, development has been restricted and has remained fairly low.

The village dates back to the Anglo Saxon period, although there are few records. It is known that William the Conqueror gave Chelsfield to his half-brother Odo, the Bishop of Bayeux, who it would appear, benefitted greatly from William’s benevolence. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book (1086) as Cillesfelle and Ciresfel, probably meaning “a chilly field,” as the land was high and exposed, or it may have derived from the ownership of

12 JULY 2014

PICTURES: ADAM SWAINE

a man called Ceol. The village was granted a Charter in 1290, allowing for a market each week on a Monday and a fair each year, lasting for three days. Today the parish is roughly two thirds smaller than it was originally, as large areas were given over to surrounding parishes. However, in 2001, the parish managed to claw back some of these areas – including Chelsfield Park and the shops and houses in Windsor Drive.

The beautiful parish church is dedicated to St Martin de Tours and dates back over 900 years. It is a Grade 2 listed building and is mentioned in the Textus Roffensis, dated 1122. The oldest parts of the church are built in the Early English Style, with triple lancet windows at the east end. The tower and tower arch were built in the 13th century. St John’s Chapel, on the south side of the church dates back to 1312 and it contains the memorial to Collett, who was an alderman and London merchant and died in 1607.

It seems a shame that many churches have chosen to replace their old church pews with modern chairs. St Martin’s church has bucked this trend however and the pews they have today date back to 1886, and replaced the earlier box pews.

The number of church bells has been added to over the years and the church now has the grand number of eight bells. The Bell ringers are an active group in the village, ringing for Sunday Services and weddings. They are frequently joined by visiting

L O C A L L I F E ringers and ring special peals for important occasions, such as the Queen’s Jubilee.

If you can speak of a, “parish friendly church”, then St Martin’s would qualify for the title. The peaceful churchyard offers a quiet haven, with a wonderful variety of wild flowers and it is a popular resting place for parishioners.

Famous people from Chelsfield include Brass Crosby, who was an Alderman and Lord of the Manor of Chelsfield. Brass championed Liberty of the Press and was imprisoned in the Tower of London in the 1700’s, after demanding that the minutes of Parliament should be published. The public spoke out in his support and his actions led to the saying, “As bold as Brass.” There is a memorial to him on the north wall of the church aisle and a Blue Plaque to him, on a post, on the entrance in Church Drive.

Another famous person living within the parish was the author Edith Nesbit. Edith was born in 1858 and during her teenage years she lived near to the railway. In the 1870’s she witnessed the construction of the tunnel from Chelsfield and the cuttings at Knockholt. Her experiences probably influenced her when she wrote the famous children’s book, “The Railway Children,” in 1906.

This beautiful village also has some lovely places to eat and drink. The quaint inn known as, The Bo-Peep dates back to the reign of Edward V1 (1547-1553) and it was originally known as, The White Hart. The original building was a farm dwelling.

In 1627 it was purchased by Caleb Seagrave who, in 1633, was

In the mid-18th century the area in which the inn stands became known as Bo-Peep – a name derived from the nursery rhyme and given by smugglers engaged in wool smuggling. Smugglers at this time used the caves and tunnels, which existed around Chelsfield, as hiding places for their contraband. One such tunnel was believed to run from The White Hart to a garden in Crockenhill and the inn subsequently became known as The Bo-Peep.

Henry Brooker purchased the inn in 1815 and obtained a Wine License but it was another Henry Brooker , his grandson, who obtained a full spirit license during Queen Victoria’s reign.

In 1972, Leonard Shepherd registered the name of the inn as The Bo-Peep.

Situated in a beautiful setting, the pub has ample parking.

Graham Buckley and Kate Mansfield purchased the pub in 2006 and there is a warm and welcoming atmosphere- with fine food and a lovely garden it is well worth journeying to. The pubs history is reflected in its building, with low ceilings and beams -

Also worth a visit is the Five Bells, a traditional country pub in Old Chelsfield. The pub dates back to 1668....

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granted an Ale and Cider License. Joshua Hickmutt purchased the property in 1709, when it was registered as, The White Hart.

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L O C A L L I F E

which the willowy and attentive waitress Sophie, navigates with panache! Graham and Kate have begun to research the history of their pub and my thanks to them for much of the information on the Bo-Peep. – www.thebopeep.com Also worth a visit is the Five Bells, a traditional country pub in Old Chelsfield. The pub dates back to 1668, when the parish church had just five bells – hence its name. Set in a beautiful location it has two cosy bars and a lovely restaurant, which uses locally sourced produce in its recipes. It is possible to enjoy a relaxed Sunday breakfast here! The pub holds a variety of regular

The Bo-Peep

14 14 JULY JULY 2014 2014

events and special events are also arranged throughout the year.

Whether you choose to be active or want to merely chill out and relax, Chelsfield has much to offer. The village has its own cricket club, which is one of the oldest in Kent and there are also some lovely walks in the area. Chelsfield Lakes Golf Club is nearby and offers players both an 18-hole Lakes course and a 9-hole course. As well as its beautiful countryside and quaint pubs, Chelsfield has much to interest everyone.

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L O C A L L I F E

Goudhurst As well as the appeal of beautiful countryside, Goudhurst has a fascinating history which includes wealth, hardship and smuggling.

WORDS: MAUREEN COLE

T

his charming and captivating village lies in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has stunning views across open countryside. Situated in The Weald of Kent the village is built on a steep hill and is dominated by the beautiful church of St Mary’s. Lying about 12 miles south of Maidstone, near the border with Sussex, it stands on a crossroad of the A262 and B2079, where there is a large village pond.

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Most of the people in the village were engaged in farming and in 1309 Edward 11 granted Goudhurst a weekly market and two annual fairs. In 1330 weaving became important in the village when Flemish It has fine pubs and eating places, weavers arrived. The cottages built a lovely 12th century church and for the weavers stand opposite the church and were built around 1350. an intriguing history. It is truly The industry brought much wealth to the area and the village prospered for a village to be treasured and many years

preserved.

The picturesque church stands on high ground and provides a central focus point, with some outstanding views from the church tower over the surrounding countryside. It is claimed that on a fine day it is possible to see Canary Wharf Tower, in London, which is roughly forty miles away. The earliest record of a church in Goudhurst dates back to the 1100’s although it is believed that there may have been an earlier church dating back to the Saxon

16 JULY 2014

period. The church suffered severe damage in 1380 when a fire rampaged through Goudhurst, (leaving only some 13th century masonry in the church). It melted five great bells, burned four lofts and damaged the tower stonework. As a result a new tower was built but without the spire in 1638-1640.

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The village probably began in a clearing in the great forest which covered the Weald and it grew into a small market town. The name Goudhurst derived from the Old English,”Hyrst” meaning wood and “guo” meaning battle.- Possibly a battle had been fought here during Saxon times.

PICTURES: ADAM SWAINE

Goudhurst, being part of the Kent Weald, played an important part in the iron industry. The area was dotted with iron foundries and the Bedgebury Foundry became leading ironmasters, producing the guns for Drake’s navy, which were used in the Spanish Armada .However, as the industry began to grow in the north of England it declined in the south, leaving many areas devastated. Goudhurst suffered badly and there was a great amount of poverty in the area. With the decline, wages and

L O C A L L I F E

living conditions deteriorated and smuggling became a way of life. The Hawkhurst Gang were a notorious smuggling gang in the area and they controlled much of the illicit trade of tea, brandy, rum and coffee. They took their name from their home village of Hawkhurst and operated from Dover to Poole in Dorset.

Many smuggling gangs were supported by local people as they brought well paid work to the area. However, the murderous brutality of the Hawkhurst Gang resulted in the local population turning against them. At Goudhurst the Goudhurst Band of Militia was set up, led by a former army corporal, George Stuart. The gang leader Arthur Gray was captured and tried at the Old Bailey before being executed in 1748. Thomas Kingsmill, who came from Goudhurst, took over as the leader but the gang were eventually defeated by the Goudhurst Band of Militia and Kingsmill was executed in 1749.

The Flemish weavers who settled in the area preferred “hopped” beer to English ale. They brought with them new varieties of hops and the knowledge of how to grow and brew them. As a result hop farming grew in the area and by the late 1800’s hop farms covered the countryside around Goudhurst. The hop pickers from London would arrive each year to harvest the crops until mechanisation was introduced in the 1950’s.

Goudhurst’s wealth has ebbed and flowed over the years although its population has remained fairly stable for the last 100 years at between 2500 and 3000 people. Although the number of shops has declined, the village can still provide for most everyday needs and there are some excellent pubs and restaurants. For those people seeking a wider range of shops, Royal Tunbridge Wells is roughly 9 miles away.

JULY 2014 17

L O C A L L I F E

The Goudhurst Inn dates back to 1830 and has been refurbished in recent years. It is now a chic, yet comfortable village pub and restaurant, offering classic food and drink. The Inn hosts regular events including jazz and music evenings.

The Star and Eagle Hotel in the High Street was once an ancient monastery and dates back to the 14th century. The original old stonework can still be seen throughout the building, along with exposed brickwork and wooden beams. The hotel offers a wide selection of food and on a fine day guests can dine outdoors and enjoy the beautiful views. The hotel stands next to the church and is some 400 feet above sea level. During the 18th century it was the headquarters for the Hawkhurst Gang and its

18 JULY 18 2014 JULY 2014

history and spectacular views make it very popular with tourists.

If you enjoy seafood then the Green Cross Inn, in Station Road, may appeal to you. The Inn offers a great variety of seafood dishes and is renowned for its crab and oysters. At lunchtime it offers home cooked meals and light snacks.

Goudhurst is a beautiful village which lies in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has spectacular views over the surrounding countryside. It has fine pubs and eating places, a lovely 12th century church and an intriguing history. It is truly a village to be treasured and preserved.

maureenc411@btinternet.com

JULY 2014 19

L O C A L L I F E

STROLL DOWN MEMORY LANE: EIGHT Tourist town or a place to sleep ? JOHN RULER feels it’s nicely balanced

CHISLEHURST This‘ wood on gravel’ proved fertile ground for the rich and famous

A big welcome for the Duchess of Albany, daughter-in-law of Queen Victoria, in Royal Parade in May 1913. She was there to help raise money for the Albany Fund, set up to improve the plight of those unemployed and suffering from poverty and deprivation following the closure of the Deptford docks in 1869. The man behind the fund was the Chislehurst-born philanthropist George Hayter Chubb, grandson of the founder of the famous Chubb locks. Raised to the peerage in 1927, as Baron Hayter of Chislehurst, he was also founder of Farrington School in Chislehurst.

H

istory has a knack of defining whether a town is destined to become an historic site or commuter territory. Or, in the case of Chislehurst, a hefty slice of both.

Its credentials are impeccable. As a royal manor held by the wealthy Walsingham family, it was here, in 1597, that Elizabeth the First knighted her chief spymaster, Francis Walsingham, following his voluntary exile in Europe while the Catholic Queen Mary was on the throne.

And in 1871 came new found fame with the arrival at Camden Place of exiles from France – Louis Napoleon III, Empress Eugenie and their son the Prince Imperial.

Frognal Estate, too, on the northern border of Scadbury was formerly home to successive Lords of the Manor: Thomas

20 JULY 2014

Townsend, the 1st Lord Sydney, after which Sydney in Australia and Sydney, Nova Scotia, are named was one of them.

Let’s not forget other, more recent, illustrious residents such as William Willett, instigator of Daylight Saving Time and Sir Malcolm Campbell, one time holder of the land speed record born and buried in Chislehurst. Richmal Crompton, author of the Just William stories died here too.

Further proof of its ‘tourist’ status is the recent restoration, through Lottery Funding, of a large hand painted parchment map, once creased and torn. Pinpointing the homes of the famous, and signed by William Willett as the purchaser of Camden Park Estate, it will be the centrepiece of next year’s events commemorating Willett’s legacy.

L O C A L L I F E The parchment was acquired by the ever enterprising Chislehurst Society from 70 year old David William who in 1943 sheltered in Chislehurst Caves – themselves a major attraction since the early 1900s and host to the likes of David Bowie, Status Quo and Jimi Hendrix. They also featured in a 1972 episode of Dr Who. If you’ve not visited them recently I recommend you do, if not now then when another Lottery funded, and highly relevant, project gets underway. This will centre on the little known story of ammunition workers who toiled in the 22 miles maze of caves and tunnels during World War One. Their task: to store ammunition from Woolwich Arsenal. A new bus route transported workers to the site with a narrow gauge railway laid to reach the deepest parts. The men themselves were exposed to many hazards, not just from the danger of explosions, but from burns and jaundice caused by chemicals in the munitions.

Chislehurst Society plan to produce a documentary, some of which will be filmed in the Great War sections of the caves not currently on the existing visitor itinerary. Special sections will

highlight a unique series of carvings that munitions workers made in the soft chalk to honour the memory of nurse Edith Cavell, captured and shot by the Germans in 1915.

All of which helps promote Chislehurst as a genuine tourist centre, as well as a much sought after village whose commuter status stemmed from the arrival of the railway in 1865. This sparked the inevitable housing boom in the area generally, with Chislehurst in particular becoming home to wealthy East India merchants, lawyers and bankers. New estates quickly sprung up for the newly affluent middle classes.

Much of the history is centred on Chislehurst Village, also known as the High Street, with shops playing a major role in the lives of many a resident, both past and present. With the centenary of the outbreak of World War One very much in mind I enlisted the help of Joanna Friel, champion of anything Chislehurst in selecting some delightful prints of around 100 years ago.

My thanks go to the Chislehurst Society, of which Joanna is the local studies executive, for their use.

This remarkable picture shows a huge number of horses drinking at the Prickend Pond in August, 1914 – the very month in which the Great War broke out. These most likely came from the stables of local gentry, many of whom, having switched from horsedrawn carriages to the new fangled car, were happy to commit them to the war effort. Horses from Woolwich Barracks, home to the Royal Artillery, likewise practised their field gun drill on Chislehurst Common. Of the one million horses which left Britain for the Western Front, just 60,000 returned.

The High Street has always been epicentre for community gatherings as this picture of local lads cheering on a military band, taken in 1908, six years before war broke out, aptly shows. This remains so today with Chislehurst ever more eager to see it as a place to visit, witness the Mary Portas High Street Champion of the Year Award to Alison Stammers, Chair of the Chislehurst Town Team, in 2013. Despite not coming from a High St background, she was chosen for her passion and drive to reach this goal.

JULY 2014 21

L O C A L L I F E

No tut-tutting over health and safety in this wintry shot of skaters on the Rush Pond around the turn of the century.

But times change, with a warmer climate and a regular year round depth of water from a borehole leading to less chance of it freezing.

The small depth of ice in the picture was no doubt rock solid.

With fireworks for sale, this possible November 1930 picture of Cooling’s shows the diversity of goods for sale, along with newspaper billboards reporting serious rioting in Belfast – a foretaste of things to come: another advertises the Chislehurst Times.

Though the Cooling family business was originally a stationer and newsagent, (later diversifying into photography as some of these prints show) the name is now synonymous with the thriving garden centre at Knockholt. This basically began in 1913 when 17 year old Arthur Cooling began growing market garden crops as a part-time occupation. In 1920 he purchased one acre of land at the rear of Chislehurst High Street in what is now Nursery Road where the first second-hand greenhouses were built.

In 1955 Michael joined his father, Arthur. to form the partnership trading as Coolings Nurseries. The rest as they say is history.

White & Bushells (which stood on the corner of the Willow Grove traffic lights) was, in Joanna’s words,’ the shop which sold everything, reminiscent of that in the famous Two Ronnies’ TV scene in which “four candles” are mistakenly handed over instead of “fork handles.” Some locals still recall the ability to buy a bag of nails from a large bag so old nails were dropping out of the bottom. But you could at least buy the number you wanted.’ Tom Bushell also wrote Imperial Chislehurst, the story of Napoleon III’s stay at Camden Place.

NEED TO KNOW: Chislehurst Society www. chislehurstsociety.org.uk. T: 020 8467 0900 email: admin-chislehurstsociety.org.uk; see also visitchislehurst.org.uk. A great combination, depicting the various commercial and historic aspects of the village. A second edition of the book Chislehurst in Time, in which some of our pictures appear, is available at a special rate of £12 direct from the society.

A somewhat quiet turn of the century High Street reflecting perhaps that shopping was often left to the staff of the big houses rather than the cultural activity it is today. The biggest change is how shops used their windows far more to advertise their wares, unlike today’s offering personal services, from opticians to estate and travel agents,

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L O C A L L I F E

CHISLEHURST ‘CHATEAU’ PROVIDES A READY-MADE RETREAT

Imperial Family savour a slice of

French life!

WORDS: JOHN RULER PICTURES: ADAM SWAINE

OLD PRINTS - COURTESY OF THE RIBBONS COLLECTION, THE CHISLEHURST SOCIETY

E

ven in a wintry sun, every inch – or should that read metre – of Camden Place, Chislehurst, looks fit for an emperor.

Which is why, in the 1870s, Napoleon III and Princess Eugenie, along with their young son, went into exile in what still resembles a magnificent French chateau.

depict the family’s influence; it’s not for nothing that the current 467 telephone code spells out IMP, the first three letters of the old Imperial exchange, or that roads such as Prince Imperial Road and Eugenie Mews lie alongside Empress Drive, Imperial Way, Royal Parade and the Imperial Arms pub.

Which is precisely what the then owner Nathaniel Strode intended all along. Regarded as a shrewd speculator, as much as a lawyer and ardent Francophile, he had enthusiastically created a familiar French haven for the Imperial Family deposed when the Second Empire, which Napoleon III had clung on to for so long, collapsed.

Such, too, was the local affection shown to their French guests, that the funeral of Napoleon III (Louis Napoleon), a spectacular affair that stretched from Camden Place across Chislehurst Common, was exceeded only by the 100,000 that turned out for that of his son, also named Louis.

The ornate 18th century panelling, for instance, which greets visitors to what, since 1894, has been home to Chislehurst Golf Club, was acquired from the Chateau de Bercy on the edge of Paris. Elsewhere draperies, paintings, drawings and maps Left: This bust of Empress Eugenie was sculpted by Adam Salomon, a famous French sculptor and a very early photographer.

24 JULY 2014

A stroll round with Iain Trotter, the house manager, and Joanna Friel, heritage representative of The Chislehurst Society, helped flesh out a saga which saw Louis senior deposed following the disastrous Battle of Sedan in the Franco-Prussian war. First to arrive in 1870 was Empress Eugenie – daughter of a Spanish nobleman who fought on the French side during Napoleon Bonaparte’s Peninsular War in Spain – along with their son, renting what was to be their ‘touch of home’ for £300 a year.

They were followed in 1871 by her then deposed husband Louis, nephew of ‘Ole Bony’.

England was already well known to him. Exiled after his uncle’s defeat at Waterloo, he spent many years both here and in Germany. He had also become smitten with Emily Rowles, whom

L O C A L L I F E he first met when she was 16. Her father owned Camden Place in the 1830s, and it was Emily who later assisted Louis escape from Fort Ham in the Somme prison in 1846. (see next page: Napoleon was not the only name of notoriety). But she was considered an unsuitable bride.

His eyes also settled on another English rose, Elizabeth Howard, who later gave birth to a son. This was not Napoleon’s, though he did father at least two illegitimate sons. The actual father, however, settled property on Elizabeth to support their son, via a trustee – none other than Nathanial Strode who it later transpired had been receiving money from the Emperor during this time.

Above: Copy of the death certificate of Napoleon III issued in 1873.

With such connections, the family established a rich social life, including calls at Buckingham Palace. They also watched cricket on Chislehurst common, and on one occasion, or so the story goes, asked that a particularly fine catch on the boundary be replayed so Eugenie could see it!

However already dogged by illness, Louis succumbed to what he described as the agonising ‘stone’ in January, 1873, aged 64, still complaining of the terrible English weather and the constant spying. This relates to a claim that the crafty owner of Above: The oval ceiling painting the windmill some 400 yards away rented spotted at the top of the out the first floor to French spies, and the magnificent stairway, is by an ground floor to British spies to keep an unknown student of Francois eye on the French!

Boucher, a well-known 18th century French painter noted for pastoral and mythological scenes. It is of Leda, from Greek mythology, up to no good with with a swan, actually Zeus (otherwise known as Jupiter) in disguise.

Within an hour son Louis arrived with water to sprinkle on his father’s body as it lay in state in the main hallway before burial at St Mary’s RC Church, Chislehurst; in January 1874 it was transferred into a granite sarcophagus

Wall paintings in what is now the lounge depict various activities of the 19th century.

attached to the church This was designed by the French architect Destailleur and remains there today.

Despite a reputation as a dictator and war-maker, Napoleon III is now seen as enabling France to modernise. This included overseeing the rebuilding of Paris, setting up a modern financial system and the building of the railway.

He also survived long enough to see his son – whose coming of age in March the same year was marked by jubilation and the flying of the tricolour at Chislehurst station – accepted as an officer cadet at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. By now the Prince had become well acquainted with the British royal family and was even rumoured to have been seeking marriage to one of Victoria’s daughters, Princess Beatrice.

He also volunteered, despite opposition from Disraeli, then Britain’s Prime Minister, to serve Queen Victoria, not as a British Army officer, impossible as a French national, but as an observer in what came to be called the Zulu War. This was made famous in the 1964 film Rourke’s Drift starring the young Michael Caine. In February 1879, determined to see active service, he attached himself to a small party of eight troopers and a native guide lead by Lieut Carey. But they were surprised by a Zulu war party while reputably taking coffee at a deserted village.

Louis, apparently unable to mount his horse but at least able to fire his revolver, was among those killed by assegai wielding Zulu warriors. He was 26. His body, returned six weeks later by boat, was too badly wounded to be displayed publicly. In 1881, Eugenie, left Camden Place, though a large monument to the Prince Imperial, still stands in Prince Imperial Road. The Prince’s coffin and that of his father, however, were transferred in 1888 to St Michael’s in Farnborough, Hampshire, where the Empress remained until her death in 1921. She was 94.

Left: Napoleon and Empress Eugenie.

Right: The gilted wooden panelling in the dining-room (pictured right) dates back to 1713 and was imported from the Château de Bercy in 1859.

NEED TO KNOW: Further information on www.chislehurstsociety.org.uk; also www.chislehurstgolfclub.co.uk. (as well as being a private members golf club, Camden Place is one of Kent’s leading historic house wedding venues.

JULY 2014 25

L O C A L L I F E

Napoleon was not the only name of notoriety

T

he very name Camden Place stems from a less known, but certainly famous, Elizabethan scholar and headmaster of Westminster School, William Camden who in 1586 published the first topographical survey of Great Britain and Ireland. He came to Chislehurst ‘ in that place where it shall please God to call me to His Mercye’, in 1609 to escape the plague and be near his friends the Walsinghams.

Though suffering from ill-health, he founded an endowed lectureship in History at Oxford, which continues as the Camden Chair of Ancient History. He died in 1623 in the house he had built, though his body lies not in Chislehurst, but in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey. His original house was built just to the east of the current house, close to the green-keeper’s buildings.

The wrought iron gates shown above were from the Paris Exhibition of 1867 which once adorned the entrance and were used to furnish scrap iron for the war effort in 1940.

Right and Below: Memorial to the Prince Imperial in Prince Imperial Road. (Photo: John Ruler)

In 1717, Robert Weston rebuilt the property, fairly unpretentiously, calling it Camden Place. However In 1760 Charles Pratt, an ambitious and radical lawyer produced a much grander version, apparently nicking parts of the common to create a country estate. Created a Baron in 1765, he took on the name Lord Camden. And, yes, before you ask, Camden Town was so-called, after him, albeit with landowners involved : in effect, it might well have become the London Borough of Pratt!

More structural changes took place under the watchful eye of George Dance, arguably the foremost English architect of the 18th century. And in 1805 when Thomas Bonar took over ownership, more substantial alterations took place again under Dance. But on May 31, 1813, their footman, Philip Nicholson, murdered both Thomas and his wife; rather gruesomely, he managed to cut his throat while awaiting execution, which was delayed until he was fit and well enough for it to go ahead.

The Bonar children rented the property until in the 1830s along came the Rowles and Napoleon’s first love Emily. Sadly like her father, Henry who, after falling into debt, committed suicide, her wealthy Roman husband likewise fell into debt and was sentenced to hard labour.

Thanks to her old admirer, Napoleon, this was commuted to banishment. He eventually died in poverty. Emily survived on a pension from Napoleon.

In 1860 Camden Place was purchased by Nathaniel Strode, which is where we came in… an epic story of truly Downton proportions.

Right: A statue of The Imperial French eagle can be spotted on the sarcophagus attached to St Mary’s RC Church (Photo: John Ruler)

26 JULY 2014

Main picture: Camden Place as it was in the late 19th Centrey - the facade has barely changed (Bromley Library). Smaller pics from top to bottom: 1. The tri-colour flying over Camden Place. 2. The Imperial family in their home from home. 3. Napoleon III lies in state covered with violets.

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Originally a carpenter in the bustling furniture centre of Shoreditch, London, Nathaniel was one of the first to import dining furniture from Denmark.

We also have an M25 showroom, located in Leatherhead, Surrey. This shop, with its high street store-front and its friendly, experienced staff, is the ideal place to experience Wharfside Furniture.

Our future

The Scandinavian aesthetic appealed to the UK market, as did the superb quality, and Wharfside became known as the direct source for Danish furniture. Today we have happy customers who first bought their dining suite as newly marrieds in the 1960’s.

Who we are today Nathaniel’s son Jonathan took over the business in the 1980’s.

Jonathan raised Wharfside to a new level of luxury. We now specialise in bespoke furniture; wall units, kitchens, dining, lounge and bedroom furniture designed and made to order. Since our factories are small and specialist, and our staff have years of experience, we are able to provide a level of service which is unparalleled.

Jonathan introduced the award-winning Austrian company, Team7 to the UK. Team7 are known worldwide for their luxurious designs, the finest European hardwoods and an uncompromising commitment to the environment.

Today, our warehouse is still located in Shoreditch, which is now the capital’s coolest district. With exposed brickwork, steel girders, and a glass roof, the large showroom is an icon in its own right. It also happens to be a treasure trove for lovers of luxury furniture.

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Team7 solid wood bespoke kitchens have never before been seen in the UK. The solid European hardwood, finished only with pure natural oils, creates a healthy environment ideally suited for the kitchen. The designs are contemporary, the finish is superior and the options are extensive.

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F O C U S O N

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THOMAS DUNTON

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F E AT U R E

A Million Ways to Die in the West. Pictured: Louise (Amanda Seyfried), Foy (Neil Patrick Harris), Albert (Seth MacFarlane) and Anna (Charlize Theron)

Charlize Theron:

‘I Begged for this Role’ C

harlize Theron is laughing about a memorable day she had on the set of her new comedy western A Million Ways To Die In The West.

It involved a particular scene with her co-star Liam Neeson, who plays her bullying outlaw husband Clinch Leatherwood. Theron was required to whack a trouser-less Neeson over the head and cheekily place a flower where the sun doesn’t shine.

“I said what any healthy woman would say,” recalls Theron, giggling. “’I get to see Liam Neeson’s butt!’ That’s what happened. I can think of so many worse jobs!”

Born in South Africa, Theron has been steadily working for the last two decades, famously arriving in the States aged 19 with just 400 dollars to her name and a boat-load of ambition to make it in Hollywood.

Yet, despite the plaudits for her performances in heavy-hitting dramas, particularly as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, for which she won a Best Actress Oscar, Theron’s isn’t the first name that springs to mind when it comes to comedy.

34 JULY 2014

F E AT U R E Fully aware of this fact, she says she “begged” Ted creator Seth MacFarlane, who helms and also stars in A Million Ways To Die In The West, to give her the role of mysterious gunslinger Anne.

“I’ve been interested in comedy for a while, but it’s been tricky because audiences know me so well doing something very different,” admits the 38-year-old.

“In fact, what also interests me is odd comedy. Those are very rare. The combination of this script and Seth directing was a slam dunk for me. I started begging instantly. I closed the script and started begging.”

Odd is a very good description of this film.

MacFarlane plays Albert, a sensitive sheep farmer who feels out of sorts with the hard times he lives in. When his girlfriend Louise, played by Amanda Seyfried, dumps him for the smug Foy (Neil Patrick Harris), he becomes friends with Anna - who advises him on how to win fickle Louise back, not realising Anna’s connection with her husband Clinch. There’s also a song about moustaches, urinating farm animals and plenty of toilet-humour gags.

While the jokes may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s clear that stepping away from serious drama was rather freeing for Theron.

“I loved watching this movie, because it felt like I was actually seeing myself,” explains the actress, who has a two-year-old adopted son, Jackson, and revealed earlier this year that she’s dating Sean Penn .

Going into the unknown could be daunting prospect for some, but Theron was quite clear in how she should approach the comedy script.

❛

I’m completely aware of how blessed my career and my life has been, I think my 22-yearold self would probably just be jumping up and down......

Amanda Seyfried (left), Seth MacFarlane and Charlize Theron attending a photocall for the film A Million Ways to Die in the West at Claridge’s Hotel in London

❛

“The worst thing you could do is show up and think you’re going to be funny, because the universe doesn’t work that way,” says the star, who studied ballet in Johannesburg as a youngster. “If the writing is good and you have good director like Seth, who is at the top of his game, the comedy will naturally come from that. You won’t have to force it.”

Likewise for Theron, who shaved her head for the upcoming Mad Max film and piled on the pounds for 2003’s Monster, the chance to play a version of herself, instead of someone completely alien, was a nice change.

“I think there’s an idea that actors have, where unless you’re completely transforming and disappearing into a character, you’re not really doing your job,” says the former model, whose blonde locks have grown back to a short bob and are today coiffed into playful curls.

“There was something refreshing after 20 years of doing this; watching a movie, seeing and hearing myself and feeling like that was enough to tell that narrative - that there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Looking back on those 20 years in the business, Theron can see how much her 2004 Oscar win has helped to shape her career.

“I can’t be jaded about it, winning an Oscar is definitely a highlight,” she says. “Just because it’s from your peers, and it’s something that’s really the cause of a lot of opportunity coming your way afterwards. That was definitely something I didn’t expect in my career.”

Sean Penn, left, and Charlize Theron attending The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute benefit gala celebrating “Charles James: Beyond Fashion” in New York

JULY 2014 35

F E AT U R E

EXTRA TIME

CHARLIZE THERON ON SCREEN • The Devil’s Advocate (1997) A fresh-faced Theron found herself playing Keanu Reeves’ wife in this intense thriller about a lawyer who gets more than he bargained for.

• Monster (2003) She won a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her portrayal of real-life prostitute and serial killer Aileen Wuornos.

• The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers (2004) In this biopic about the British actor, Theron plays Swedish actress Britt Ekland, who was Sellers’ second wife.

Theron, who was the first South African to win an Oscar - which she now keeps on a shelf in her library at home - is appreciative of how things have turned out for her.

Her early years weren’t always easy as her father was an alcoholic. Aged 15, she witnessed her mother shoot him dead after he tried to attack her in a drunken rage.

“I’m completely aware of how blessed my career and my life has been,” she says today. “I think my 22-year-old self would probably just be jumping up and down

36 36 JULY JULY 2014 2014

going, ‘Woohoo, we’re still doing it! We’re not a waitress! We kept going!’, so I’m very grateful for that. You have to be in this business.”

Although she has recently criticised the media intrusion on her personal life that comes with fame, Theron seems keen to count her blessings today.

“This business is not something that a lot of people get to experience,” she reasons.

“So if you’re fortunate enough to be in that position, you better be grateful about it.”

• A Million Ways To Die In The West is in cinemas now

• North Country (2005) This drama about a woman miner who successfully files a sexual harassment case won Theron nominations at the 2006 Oscars, Golden Globes and Baftas.

• Arrested Development (2005) As batty Brit Rita Leeds, Theron showed that she can turn her hand to more comic roles.

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L O C A L L I F E

Local Author

ALISON MORTON Returns Home for her Latest Book Launch

Author Alison Morton

T

unbridge Wells born and bred Alison Morton was both delighted and surprised when the launch for her first book, INCEPTIO, packed Waterstones in March 2013 despite the blizzard conditions. In the end, there was standing room only and even the staff agreed they’d never heard such an interesting talk.

A heady moment. So what happened next?

The launch of SUCCESSIO

“I’d already drafted the second book, PERFIDITAS, but it needed to go through the editing and honing process. Once completed, I returned to Tunbridge Wells in November 2013 to launch it.

“I was born and educated here and served in the Territorial Army in St John’s Road for six years. I brought my husband south from the Wirral and we raised our son here. Like my brother, he went to Skinners’ while I set up my translation business in Pembury. Tunbridge Wells has been, and always will be, a significant part of my life.”

Writing novels is now your main occupation. Were they inspired by your home town?

Alison with broadcaster Sue Cook at the INCEPTIO launch March 2013 in Waterstones Tunbridge Wells

“Yes and no. My father who ran a specialist coins and medal business in Calverley Road, was a numismatist and ‘Roman nut’; he passed his enthusiasm on to me. Every European holiday included visits to Roman sites. And I loved it! It inspired to take Latin at school and led me to a history MA thirty years after my first degree.

“But instead of writing a standard Roman adventure story, I wanted to follow the same concept Robert Harris did in Fatherland, i.e., setting a thriller against the idea of an altered present. I wanted not only to write a cracking story but also explore what could have happened if women ran a Roman-style society.”

So tell us about your latest book…

“SUCCESSIO, which has the double meaning of ‘what happened next’ and ‘the next generation’ is the third in my alternate history thriller series. It can be read alone or as a sequel to the first two.

Roma Nova – the last remnant of the Roman Empire that has survived into the 21st century – is at peace. Carina Mitela, the heir of a leading family, but choosing the life of an officer in the Praetorian Guard Special Forces, is not so sure.

She senses danger crawling towards her when she encounters a strangely selfpossessed member of the unit hosting their exchange exercise in Britain. When a blackmailing letter arrives from a woman claiming to be her husband Conrad’s lost daughter and Conrad tries to shut Carina out, she knows the threat is real.

Trying to resolve a young man’s indiscretion twenty-five years before turns into a nightmare that not only threatens to destroy all the Mitelae but also attacks the core of the imperial family itself. With her enemy holding a gun to the head of the heir to the imperial throne, Carina has to make the hardest decision of her life…”

And next?

“Now number three is launched, it’s back to writing number four. I’ve drafted half of it but there’s an awful lot more adventure and action before it ends…” www.alison-morton.com

38 JULY 2014

Alison with presenter Pat Marsh in the BBC Radio Kent studio, Tunbridge Wells in November 2013 for the launch of her second book PERFIDITAS

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L O C A L L I F E

Westcombe Park

MORE THAN JUST A RUGBY CLUB

O

n most Saturdays at the top of Orpington, close to the M25 Junction, you can hear the raucous, spirit lifting support for the local Rugby team, Westcombe Park, as they play on their home ground. The club is set in 33 beautiful acres of Kentish greenbelt, the majority of which is predominantly set up for Rugby pitches.

However, you may be surprised to learn that there is a lot more than just Rugby played at Westcombe Park. It has a great relationship with other sports including Cricket, Table Tennis, Football and it also plays hosts to Ruggerbugs, a “very mini introduction to Tag Rugby”, surprisingly Tag rugby members are as young as 18 months old.

In addition Westcombe Park provides a suitable venue for the University of the Third Age, this is an organisation for people who are no longer in fulltime employment it provides educational, creative and leisure activities to many retired and semi retired people.

The clubhouse is at the heart of the many social events that have been held at Westcombe Park, but sadly this busy clubhouse has seen better days and Westcombe Park are currently in the process of trying to fund a brand new building. Many of the events that have been held there recently have been aimed at assisting with fund raising for this project. Events have ranged from a Wham! Tribute night, Ladies Pamper and Indulgence Evening and most recently a Comedy and Curry Night. All have been hugely successful.

Westcombe Park RFC is in the top 100 of clubs in the country, and its 1st XV team are the flagship of its success. The club’s main sponsor is CWJ, the well-respected local solicitors and notaries, one of their solicitors is Nick Pace, who was delighted to have recently made his debut in the line-up for the 1st XV. The relationship between Westcombe Park and CWJ has been a great success over recent years and as a result Westcombe Park are proud of the excellent business relationship and social friendship that has been forged from this association. Several members of CWJ either play, coach or watch their children play at all ages and levels at Westcombe. CWJ has been proud and honoured to have become a great sponsor and supporter of this superb club. They continue to provide on-going exceptional legal advice during the new Build Project Process.

Westcombe Park are always welcoming new players and members from U6s through to the Gents team.

It currently runs 5 Senior teams a Youth Academy, Junior and Mini rugby, as well as a great social environment for players, explayers, supporters, sponsors and parents.

Nick Pace of CWJ

Every club likes to think it’s a little different to the others or has something special about its style of play, traditions or origins. Westcombe Park thinks it is unique in all these aspects as they must be the only rugby club founded by someone who never could and never would play the game. In 1904, a Sunday afternoon bible class at Blackheath was attended by, amongst others, Dudley E Roughton. What set Dudley apart from his peers was the fact that he had severe mobility problems and had to use a crutch to walk. Dudley also had peculiar passion - peculiar for someone with his disability - he was a rugby football fanatic and conceived a plan to form his own team.

So, from its humble beginnings 110 years ago, through to the present day of being a Multi Sports facility, Westcombe Park is hoping to take the next big step and create an eco-friendly, state of the art building which will no doubt, remain the home to this wonderful club for many years into the future and looks forward to welcoming new members over the coming months.

For more information contact:Westcombe Park Rugby Football Club Goddington Dene, Goddington Lane, Orpington, Kent BR6 9SX Tel: 01689 834902

Proposed new Clubhouse for Westcombe Park RFC

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H E A LT H B E A U T Y

Q&A with Better Body Group Founder Jason Crow

Tell us about The Better Body Group: The Better Body group is the largest dedicated Personal Training Centre in the UK, staffed solely by expert graduate and post graduate qualified trainers.

Why did you start and when?

The Better Body group was established to set the standard for personal training. We still work to the same mission statement; “To increase the ease of access to appropriate and effective exercise direction”.

Placing emphasis on the words appropriate and effective. The Better Body Group was formed over 10 years ago residing at the back of a lawnmower shop in Sevenoaks, we have come a long way since then.

How easy was it to get off the ground?

As with any startup business there were a lot of hours involved.

At one point I was doing 75 hours of one to one sessions a week.

This was only made possible through the support, belief and patience of my wife and the fantastic team that has grown up around me.

What training does your team have?

All of our 22 trainers have a minimum of a University degree in a sports, exercise or rehabilitation field. On top of this many have masters degrees and were at some point regional or national level athletes. They all go through at least a 3 month internship with us before starting and continue their post graduate studies in their chosen area of expertise while they are with us.

Who designs the programmes for clients?

Each client is assigned their own trainer who will look after all of their exercise and nutrition needs. Doing everything possible to get their client to their goal in the safest and most effective manner while also adhering to our protocols and customer service guidelines.

What makes you different from other fitness centers?

I could say it is the unrivalled knowledge of the training team or the unique setup and range of the equipment or our consistently high success rate and this would be true, however the number one reason why people stay with us when asked is that….

BEFORE AFTER

What has been your biggest challenge?

No matter what, never compromising the level of our service, taking on standard personal trainers or running a traditional fitness centre would have been the easy route. As a business we have put clients first, profits second, and in many cases this does not work, but we are so customer service orientated it appears what goes around comes around, and here we are growing very quickly.

What are some of your biggest success stories?

As a traditional measure of BIG SUCCESS we took 9 stone off a young man called Mike in 6 months to get him ready for his wedding (Google – fat Mike Telegraph). We have equally taken 10 stone off one of our local mums and got her back to running. But the equally important success stories are the children who we get comfortable with exercising again and the ladies that find success with us after trying every diet possible. Each client has their own success, so really our biggest success, is the pure volume of clients reaching their goals.

What are plans for the future?

To expand and to be able to help more people. We open our second site on July 31st in Blackheath.

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& TREATMENT FOR VARICOSE VEINS

he alt h b eau ty

LEADING CONSULTANT VASCULAR SURGEON MICHAEL GAUNT OPENS A NEW PRACTICE AT THE LONDON CLINIC IN HARLEY STREET AND DISCUSSES THE TREATMENT OF VARICOSE AND THREAD VEINS… WHAT ARE VARICOSE VEINS? Varicose veins are a common problem affecting at least 20% of the adult population in the UK. ey occur when small valves inside the veins stop functioning correctly.

Rather than blood flowing effortlessly back towards the heart, the blood stagnates within the veins causing aching,

Michael Gaunt tiredness and discomfort.

At first, problem veins may not be visible but symptoms occur.

Sometimes patches of blue thread veins may be the earliest signs of an underlying problem. Eventually, the abnormal veins may become swollen, enlarged and varicose. is condition can be embarrassing and painful.

Varicose veins are usually blue or dark purple in colour and may also be lumpy or twisted in appearance.

While any vein can be affected, varicose veins most commonly develop in the legs and feet – predominantly because standing and walking can put pressure on the veins in the lower body.

WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER HAVING THEM TREATED? In the developing stages, varicose veins and thread veins may be primarily a cosmetic problem. However, if ignored, the condition can deteriorate and a variety of complications can occur such as leg swelling, pigmentation of the skin around the ankles and ulcers.

Occasionally, veins can burst causing bleeding, or the blood within the veins can clot leading to the painful condition of phlebitis or even deep vein thrombosis. People who use air travel for work or holidays may be at increased risk particularly if those flights are long haul.

IS THIS TREATMENT JUST FOR WOMEN? Certainly not, it can affect men just as much as it can affect women.

Men tend to cover their legs up more, so the problem may be hidden away and ignored, with some men only seeking treatment when their veins become swollen and complications start to occur.

It is important to target varicose veins before they become a problem, as without medical treatment some conditions may worsen.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN TREATMENT AND IS IT PAINFUL? Fortunately, modern, minimally invasive treatments can often be 3 8 46 D E JULY C E M 2014 BER2013

performed under local anaesthetic as a walk-in, walk-out procedure. is leaves the patient with minimal postoperative pain with practically immediate return to normal activity.

Michael Gaunt is a leading venous expert and has extensive knowledge of these procedures, having treated over 4,000 patients with the Endovenous Laser and ClariVein techniques.

Both techniques are associated with considerably less pain, bruising and scarring than traditional stripping techniques.

IS IT PERMANENT? Most modern techniques for treating varicose veins are associated with very good, long-term results.

Patients are benefiting more and more from the advances in the treatments and the new procedures that are now available.

HOW CAN I GET MY THREAD VEINS TREATED? Not all visible veins in the legs are varicose veins. Small veins underneath the skin, known as thread veins, spider veins or reticular veins, may become prominent due to a variety of different reasons. ey can cause symptoms of discomfort, itching and irritation as well as being unsightly.

Often the appearance of thread veins is due to the effect of daily wear and tear on delicate skin and local treatments are effective. However, sometimes thread veins are an indication of underlying varicose veins which may not be visible on examination.

Treatment of the thread veins will not be successful unless the underlying problem - for example the varicose veins - has been corrected first. erefore, a thorough venous assessment is necessary before initiating any local treatment for thread veins. is could include injection microsclerotherapy or VeinWave therapy.

Once underlying varicose veins have been treated or excluded, local treatment of the thread veins is much more likely to be successful.

VeinWave therapy is also very effective at removing unsightly facial red veins affecting the nose and cheeks.

ONCE I’VE DECIDED TO HAVE TREATMENT, WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? Make an appointment where we can assess your condition and discuss potential treatment and steps forward. ese no obligation consultations are offered at e London Clinic in Harley Street.

If you would like to book a mini-consultation, including an ultrasound scan, for just £95, or if you would like to find out more about your treatment options call 01223 305858 or visit www.michaelgaunt.com ■

Mr Michael Gaunt Consultant Vascular Surgeon Varicose and Thread Veins

BREEZE INTO SUMMER WITH NEW LEGS AND A NEW YOU

Did your legs let you down last summer because of varicose veins or thread veins? Why not do something about them so that you can look forward to this summer with confidence?

Consultant vascular surgeon Michael Gaunt has opened a new Harley Street practice specialising in varicose and thread veins. He is a leading venous expert, experienced in treating varicose veins with both the Endovenous Laser and ClariVein techniques. Varicose veins are often considered a cosmetic condition but if neglected can result in complications. Minimally invasive local anaesthetic procedures can be used to treat varicose veins on a walk in, walk out basis.

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H E A LT H B E A U T Y

BE A SUMMER SMOOTHIE M

ost of us rejoice at the start of summer, but there is one serious downfall: depilation and lots of it. A woman’s legs and armpits amounts to around 78,000 hair follicles.

Hair removal suddenly needs to top your beauty regime so you can bare your pins quicker than someone can say ‘heatwave’. Nobody wants to be that girl walking around in black opaques in 30+ degrees.

And legs aren’t the only thing to consider. There’s armpits, for all those sleeveless tops you can suddenly wear, and your bikini line in preparation for swimsuit season.

If everything’s looking overgrown, it’s time to start your deforestation, quicksmart. Here’s our guide to a hair-free summer.

PREP Firstly, you’ll need to decide on your de-fuzzing method. Surface hair removal methods like wet shaving or depilatory creams will give you immediacy if you want smooth skin fast, ouch-free, but you’ll need to tackle the regrowth regularly.

Depilatory creams may not be the best option for sensitive skins, due to the chemicals involved, so always carry out a 48 JULY 2014

patch test first.

Be prepared for a small degree of discomfort with root hair removal, like epilating and waxing, but you’ll be rewarded with smooth skin for longer.

If you’re intent on minimising your hair growth completely, invest in longer-term treatments like IPL or laser.

You’ll always get the smoothest results with any treatment if you prime your skin first once or twice a week: “Exfoliating is key,” says Remington’s hair removal expert, Dr Barbara Kubicka. “Use a scrub or brush to n ot only invigorate the skin, but also tackle tougher and thicker areas of skin where the hair may have more trouble pushing through, which can lead to ingrown hairs.”

EXECUTION Avoid shortcuts to achieve optimum hair-zapping powers. The goal is a smooth finish rather than just irritated, hair-free skin.

If you tend to grab the razor, you’ll get the best results by lathering up with a shaving soap. Regular soap and water can dry out the skin leaving you with a scaly appearance, so pick out a dedicated shave soap with moisturising properties. Using a multi-blade razor will also help cut through stubble more effectively.

They’re not completely pain-free,

but the latest epilators and wax products on the market have minimised the pain involved with new techniques and technology. Check out the heated roll-on wax devices from Nair and Veet.

“There are two main pieces of advice to reduce pain when epilating,” Kubicka says, “ Firstly, you can numb the skin with ice or a numbing agent. Secondly, commit to epilating often - this weakens the hair meaning it can be removed more easily.”

MAINTENANCE Shaving can dry out your skin quickly.

Lock in moisture with a body oil; apply within five minutes of getting out of the shower to keep your skin super-hydrated.

If you’ve been removing hair at the root, be mindful of the products you’re applying to the skin immediately afterwards.

“Oils and moisturisers are a big no-no if you have been epilating or waxing,” Kubicka warns. “Pores are left open following these treatments, meaning they can easily be blocked and clogged by thick and sticky moisturisers, which can lead to spots, inflammation or rashes.

“Aloe vera is by far the best product to use after a treatment,” she suggests. “ It soothes and cools skin, so try to use a product with aloe vera that’s as pure as possible.”

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JULY 2014 49

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BEAUTY BULLETIN

for waiting in line over a lifetime ys dox. da Ra 1 by 18 ey ds rv en Brit sp ing to a su t, the average or per year, accord s s er ur mb ho me 55 Patiently or no ly of mi lent ile fa at’s the equiva ing our turn, wh en are the bathroom. Th tes per day wait nu weekly basis. M mi a ne on ni ur of ho e an ag er er av ov ng 20 an up di d g en en We sp om, rackin ogging, sp s to bathroom-h up in the bathro me b co ru sc it es en at wh em ts hous unterpar than women. their female co ven minutes less just as bad as se st ju , up ng spruci minutes per day

BATHROOM WARS

ERT RECESSIONISTAanAL d sunglasses

bel.m. Buy - sorted, via la free pair of Summer hair ucts and get a od pr m pink l. be la mplete with PVC any two or more Giles shades co er m, gn l. si be de la n io at ocks last limited edit lable whilst st ai Av h. uc po t pout prin nationwide. sensuals salons Toni&Guy and Es .uk). (www.tjhughes.co

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u’ll e is so good yo lish Beach Hous twe , dy Ciate’s nail po ea -r tion . The four vaca thing want to move in at are just the co p to r te it gl d an om P es fr ad se sh look onal. Choo ni - bikini opti ma azing G er Am mm su y, a or r Gl fo ickerbocker Kn h, tc co ps Ho e Collection, epperminty, Ciate Beach Hous s. oe Sh y rt Pa d racie an o.uk). £20 (www.ciate.c

TRIED & TESTED Tori Mayo avoids the pasty look with a pre-vacation DIY spray tan Hoping to get a head start on my holiday skin before jetting off to the Med (without spending a packet), I gave the Gorgeous Bronze Salon Tan at Home kit a go. It’s a home spray tan with added Anti-Cellulite Formula. I’m a redhead with fair skin and a smattering of cellulite. My complexion and tans, real or fake, don’t usually mix, but I was aiming for a toned, natural and sun-kissed look ahead of my holiday.

With assistance from the boyfriend for those hard to reach parts, we sprayed as instructed - horizontally and from a set distance. It wasn’t the light dusting I was expecting, so I rubbed in any excess which was running down my skin I found h olding the spray further away helped it adhere more - then I left it on for the minimum two hours before showering off.

The results were quite obvious, but I liked the bronzed effect. There were no streaks where it had been applied and coverage was even, though I could spot where I’d missed bits. The spray tan comes in two shades - Light to Medium or Medium to Dark - and (without a hint of orange) the lighter tone really suited my skin . From one attempt, I can’t comment on the cellulitereducing properties promised on the box, but having a faux colour certainly helped disguise the dimples.

I would definitely use this again and, with a further nine applications in the bottle, I’ll be mastering the technique each time. At a fraction of the price of a salon spray tan, I don’t mind if it takes a couple of attempts to really get the hang of it. As for my holiday glow, the tan lasted for around four days before fading - just in time to be replaced with a real holiday tan!

Gorgeous Bronze Salon Tan at Home, £19.99. Visit www.gorgeousbronze. co.uk for nationwide stockists 50 JULY 2014

Freeze your stubborn fat away FREE ZE th os e are a s o f f a s tu b b o or e x t rn g e t e r c i s e d o t h at d i e t t he bod n’t touc y yo u de h – sire

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JULY 2014 51

Specialist orthopaedic care is not far away At Spire Tunbridge Wells Hospital you can get direct rapid access to our expert orthopaedic consultants Our orthopaedic consultants specialise in: • Hip, minimally invasive hip replacement and revision surgery • Knee, whether sports related, arthritic changes or knee replacement • Shoulder, keyhole diagnostic procedures to shoulder replacement • Back and spine, simple pain management techniques to complex spinal surgery • Hand and wrist, carpel tunnel, arthroscopy to reconstructive work • Foot and ankle, from bunions to ankle and reconstructive surgery Whether you’re insured or not, we’re open to everyone and offer one-off private treatment with a fixed price agreed in advance.

For more information or for an appointment, please call

01892 598124 www.spiretunbridgewells.com

Fordcombe Road, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0RD 52 JULY 2014

Call us now to find out more on

01892 598124 www.spiretunbridgewells.com

Mr NicholasBowman, Bowman, Consultant Mr Nicholas Consultant Knee discussesSurgeon the LowerSurgeon Limb Orthopaedic discusses knee joint and related knee jointthe and related problems problems sees in clinic. he sees inheclinic.

What are the special features of the knee joint?

The knee joint is the largest hinge joint of the human body and has considerable forces exerted on it on a daily basis. Because it is situated between the two longest and strongest bones of the body, it is susceptible to twisting injuries, sideways impact injuries as well as degenerative (wear and tear) disease processes.

What do patients complain of when they have a knee problem?

Symptoms can vary in the knee joint depending on the particular problem that exists.

Injuries commonly cause pain around the inner aspect, and may be associated with catching or stabbing pains. Ligament injuries often manifest as knee instability and patients can experience giving way of the knee, or a feeling that the knee can’t be trusted.

Knee cap disorders are often associated with pain at the front of the knee, particularly going up or down stairs or hills.

Wear and tear problems are often associated with a persisting ache or discomfort in the knee, usually associated with activity.

There may be reduced movement and stiffness of the joint.

What causes knee problems?

The human knee is a complex structure that has many components – any of these component parts can be injured either during sporting activity or in accidents such as slipping, a fall or a twisting injury.

Unfortunately, with increasing age, the knee joint can become susceptible to wear and tear (osteoarthritis) which can cause pain or stiffness.

Sometimes the knee joint can become painful or stiff without any obvious anatomical injury, disease or internal derangement and can become symptomatic due to weakness in surrounding muscles.

A knee specialist will hopefully be able to pinpoint your particular problem after taking a detailed account of your particular concerns, and a careful clinical examination of you and your knee.

Further investigations such as X-rays and MRI scans are usually helpful in confirming the diagnosis and in tailoring specific treatments.

What diagnostic tests do you use?

I like a plain x-ray of the knee in almost all cases. Often an MRI scan is requested, to look at knee structures in more detail.

Fractures of the knee are best visualised with a combination of X-Rays and CT scans.

When is surgery required?

Thankfully, many knee disorders can be treated without the need for surgery and once a diagnosis has been made, the mainstay of these treatments involve physiotherapy, muscle strengthening and functional rehabilitation.

Some conditions will require surgery and these tend to be significant, higher energy injuries, or disorders that present to a knee specialist at an advanced stage.

Occasionally surgery can be indicated if your particular problem fails to respond to non-surgical measures (physiotherapy, osteopathy etc) When can patients be seen?

I am available to see patients upon request at the Spire Tunbridge Wells Hospital. I also run a specialist Knee Injury Clinic on Mondays.

Whether you’re insured or not, we’re open to everyone and offer one-off private treatment packages.

01892 598124 | www.spiretunbridgewells.com | Fordcombe Road, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0RD

JULY 2014 53

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Cosmetic Face Surgery

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ith time, and gravity, “photo-ageing” from sunexposure and smoking in particular, many changes occur to our faces. The facial tissues lose elasticity, and fullness (called atrophy), making skin, fat and the fibro-fatty SMAS tissues drop down the face. This causes deep “nasolabial-folds”, “marionette-lines” and the development of “jowls” which “square-off” the angle of the jaw-line.

A Face-lift aims to reverse these effects in the lower or midface. Removal of excess skin and manipulation of “SMAS” provide a powerful lift of the lower face in an “upward and backward” direction. This reduces jowls and re-defines the jaw-line. It re-distributes fat into the cheek region and reduces naso-labial folds (deep wrinkles passing from the nose to the angles of the mouth) and “marionette-lines” (deep wrinkles from the angles of the mouth to the chin) to provide a more youthful appearance.

Results of surgery can be very long-lasting.

Different types of surgical face-lift including “short-scar”, “deep-plane”, “mid-face”, “minimal access”, and suture-based techniques can be used depending on your needs. It may be possible to have your face-lift under general or local anaesthetia.

Other procedures can be combined with face-lift surgey including “Neck-lift” to address laxity of the neck, “brow-lift” or “blepharoplasty” to rejuvenate the eyes, “rhinoplasty” to alter the nose, and the correction of prominent ears. Also fat liposuctioned as part of a face-lift can be used to add volume to the lips or face.

If you are considering cosmetic surgery and would like to find out more you may want consider a consultation with Mr Simon Mackey, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at North Downs Hospital. Alternatively come along to North Downs Hospital Cosmetic Information Evening on 29th July, for more information and bookings visit www.northdownshospital.co.uk or call 08436 585307.

Cosmetic Surgery at North Downs Hospital With expert consultant surgeons and a reputation you can trust, why not contact us today to see how we can help you?

www.northdownshospital.co.uk | 08436 585 307 54 JULY 2014

Mr Simon Mackey

Before committing to surgery, take time to research and ensure you fully understand limitations and potential complications, and ask your surgeon what measures you can take to reduce the chances of these.

LOOK GOOD AND FEEL GREAT

Non-surgical techniques such as peels, fillers and muscle-

relaxing techniques are desirable to try to limit “down-time”.

Unfortunately nonsurgical techniques alone cannot substitute for surgery, and vice versa. Surgical and nonsurgical techniques can complement each other though.

ramsaycosmeticsurgery

CARE VISITS AT HOME Good Old Fashioned Service Call our professional teams in Bromley 0208 315 0236 bromley@bluebirdcare.co.uk Call our professional team in Sevenoaks Sevenoaks Call our team in 01732 471 professional 541 01732 471 541 sevenoaks@bluebirdcare.co.uk Sevenoaks sevenoaks@bluebirdcare.co.uk Tunbridge Wells 01732 471 541 01732 808 947 sevenoaks@bluebirdcare.co.uk tunbridgewells@bluebirdcare.co.uk

Dear Dear Debbie Debbie

Debbie Moulton, Care Manager of

BlueBird offers CARE her aDviCe DEBBIE Care, MOULTON, Debbie Moulton, Care Manager of

MANAGER OF BLUEBIRD CARE

BlueBird offers her aDviCe OFFERS Care, HER ADVICE

Dear Debbie

Can you explain why some people are given money to Dear Debbie Dear Debbie help them with care costs and others have to pay for it all themselves? doesn’t seem very fair - they are allto My 85 olditmother has had a are stroke and now Can youyear explain why some people given money needs frequent attendance and care.

After looking oaP’s afterwith all. care costs and others have to pay foratit help them all options, we’ve decided to bring her to live with my Yours sincerely, all themselves? it doesn’t seem very fair - they are all family.

This Claire Chesterwill mean either me or my husband giving up oaP’s after all. our jobs in order to provide care. A nurse in the hospital Yours sincerely, suggested home care as an option but before we go furtherChester I’d like to investigate. Could you advise?

Claire

Dear Claire

We offer good old fashioned service A realistic cost effective alternative to residential care. With familiar friends, relatives and possessions around.

We offer everything from personal care to shopping, cleaning or social visits.

Our staff are caring, trained to give medication and police checked. www.bluebirdcare.co.uk

Yours sincerely the reason Susan P is that social Care is considered to be different Dear Claire from Health Care, which is covered by the NHs and is Dear Susan universally available without charge.

“Fairness” is adifferent the reason is that social Care is considered to be difficult concept in social Care! at present, youand have from Health Care, which by the if NHs I would guess that thereisiscovered every likelihood that a is home more than £23,250 in savings or capital, you have pay universally available withoutyour charge.

“Fairness” is to asupport care service could provide mother with the for your social ifCare! your savings areifwhich below that that sheown needs while you’re both at work should difficult concept in Care. social at present, you have enable you both to continue with your careers, if that’s level, you may qualify for some assistance from your local more than £23,250 in savings or capital, you have to pay what you’d prefer. authority which will provide guidance. for your own social Care. if your savings are below that People who’ve had thefor misfortune suffer a stroke may even if you have to pay yourassistance ownto social Care, youlocal level, may qualify for some from have you some particular care needs especially in your recovery may for attendance allowance, whichhave is not authority - which will care provide guidance. but qualify an experienced provider should a means pool of tested. to be eligible, you must be 65 or over and have care with thetotraining and the Care, supervision evenstaff if you have pay forneeded your own social you resources necessary to keep on top of either a physical or mental disability that isthings. severe enough may qualify for attendance allowance, which is not means The agency would need to assess things carefully for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to tested. to be eligible, you must be 65 or over and have before any firm be made, but that would supervise you, forpromises your owncould or someone safety. the either a physical or mental disability thatelse’s is severe be a normal procedure and a requirement for all enough new payment is presently either: for you to need help caring for yourself or someone to customers. l £53 per week if you need frequent help or constant supervise you, for your or someone else’sready safety.

The service could helpown getting your mother forthe the supervision theeither: day, sufficient or supervision at night, or the day, ensure that she has nutrition during payment is during presently take her outhelp in a or wheelchair an activity l day, per ififyou need supervision l £79 £53perhaps perweek week you need frequent help orfor constant or two andboth if necessary attendorher inare theterminally evening to get throughout day and night, you supervision during the day, or supervision at night, orill. her ready for bed. can claim byiffilling in Form aa1a, available from the lYou £79 per week youtrialling need help supervision I would recommend an or arrangement like this Post office, or by going online at www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice/ throughout day andas night, or you terminally before you both do anything drastic as are resigning fromill.a job that may sustain you for years to come!

You can claim by filling in Form aa1a, available from the Best wishes, Post office, or by going online at www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice/ Debbie Moulton Best wishes Care Manager Best wishes, Debbie Moulton Bluebird Care (Sevenoaks) Care Manager Debbie Moulton Bluebird Care (Sevenoaks) Care Manager Bluebird Care (Sevenoaks)

august 2013

XX

JULY 2014 55

FA S H I O N

BLACKBURN BRIDAL COUTURE Announces

EXCLUSIVE OCCASION WEAR SAMPLE SALE

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ith a brand new location, Blackburn Bridal’s luxury occasion wear is set to host an exclusive sample sale. Taking place from 27 – 28 July, the event is a not-tobe missed opportunity for Mothers of the Bride and guests to find the perfect occasion wear outfit for a fraction of the price.

Show-stopping one off pieces will be available from designers including; Bernshaw, Jill Harvey, Dress Code, Anoushka G, and Blackburn Bridals signature range Blackburn Couture.

Whether it’s finding a beautiful wedding day outfit, or a special cocktail dress for a glamorous evening affair, with sizes ranging from 8-18 there really is something for everyone. An extensive collection of accompanying hats and shoes is also available in the sale to provide the perfect finishing touches.

With gowns starting from £50 and with up to 75% off, it is advisable to visit early to avoid disappointment. No appointment is necessary, simply drop in between 11am – 5pm on Sunday 27th or between 10am – 5.30pm on Monday 28th July to browse the range.

The sale will be taking place at Blackburn Bridal Couture, located in the heart of Blackheath Village at 56 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, SE3 0BD. All products brought from the sale are sold as seen and non-refundable.

56 JULY 2014

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M SU IT ON ND DA A H U Y Y2 P TO 28 7T 75 TH J H % UL O Y FF

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LE

BLACKBURN BOUTIQUE, 56 TRANQUIL VALE, BLACKHEATH LONDON SE3 OBD.

Tel 0208 297 1188 or email info@blackburnoccasionwear.co.ukJULY . 2014

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FA S H I O N

BEST DRESSED GUEST F

orget the bikini season panic.

There’s nothing like a summer event dress code to put you in a fashion spin.

It’s that tricky balance between looking elegant and relaxed enough to match the season. Formal, but not stuffy. Statement, but not attention-seeking (this especially applies in the presence of brides).

Solve your what-to-wear conundrums with our style guide to bag the award for Most Glamorous Guest.

OUTFIT APPERITIF Dress code doesn’t have to automatically mean ‘dress’. This season, there are smart matching separates or two-piece tailoring options if you’re tired of sticking to the same silhouette.

“Think about the style of the occasion before you plan your outfit,” advises Jenny Packham, red carpet and Debenhams designer.

“Research the venue and location before outfit shopping, as it helps set the mood and style focus: a traditional wedding in the countryside offers a different set of sartorial rules to a tropical, beach vibe, for instance.”

Make sure your outfit ties together with one common thread. Try picking out one accent colour from your dress or suit to base your accessories on.

MAIN EVENT Whether you’re beach, city or countryside-bound, always vow to say ‘I don’t’ to white at weddings.

“Black and white is a great, chic alternative,” suggests Packham. “Dress up a simple, block colour look with statement accessories. But if the outfit is bold, keep the extras simple, and vice versa.”

Don’t sabotage your Dancing Queen skills by hobbling on to the dance floor and ruining your look. Give your footwear a trial run around the house before wearing on the big day.

58 JULY 58 2014 JULY 2014

Betty Jackson at Debenhams sheer sleeve dress, £60 (www.debenhams.com)

Damsel in a Dress Angel Fall jacket; £119 (www.damselinadress.co.uk)

Abigail print dress, £99; Chelsea clutch, £59; both Boden (www.boden.co.uk)

BHS blue floral print slingback courts, £24 (www.bhs.co.uk)

Topshop Lagoon jacquard blazer, £58 (www.topshop.com)

JULY 2014 59

FA S H I O N

Packham says: “It’s going to be a long day, so make sure your heels are both stylish and comfortable. My tip is to pack flats in your bag if you’re planning on hitting the dance floor.”

CLOSING PARTY Temperature is all-important when selecting your event ensemble. If it’s an outdoorsy do, remember that temperatures will drop at night.

“Unless you’re wearing a suit, it’s often difficult to find a suitable cover-up for a summer dress,” says Packham. “A light cashmere cardigan or matching wrap is a great solution.”

If your dress is plain, bling things up for evening with an intricate beaded jacket that will supercharge your look from day guest to evening glamazon.

“Ensure you have a bold lipstick in your handbag for the simplest way to take your outfit from day to night,” suggests Packham.

HAT’S THAT

Butterfly print chiffon dress, £55; Wallis (www.wallis.co.uk)

Considering a head-to-toe statement? A hat can instantly give your outfit the wow factor.

Stephen Jones, milliner and designer of Top Hat at Debenhams reveals his tips for getting a-head for event season: • Try on a variety of hat styles until you find one that works for you. Take a hand mirror

! w o N t i y u B

with you so you can see what the back looks like.

• Ensure the fit is correct - my hats in the Debenhams collection come on bands so you can easily position them correctly on your head.

• Get a hat to suit your face, as opposed to your clothes.

Jacquard mesh yoke dress, If it suits your £80; Laura Ashley face, you’ll feel (www.lauraashley.com) comfortable and it will go with your outfit.

• You need something a bit more substantial than a fascinator to balance out a tailored shoulder. Fascinators are great for evening with a cocktail dress - so glamorous.

• For smart post-work events, put a tiny fascinator in your handbag that you can put on to smarten up and feel completely different.

GET THE LOOK GET THE LOOK

One don’t in 10 Brits You have shops for a profit. to shop on wrong doing so,to Saturdays dubbed ‘reverse

bag Rochelle Humes’ new collection. The Embrace the Saturdays singer Cup, White Stuff are and sometime shops or online. The This Morning collections.

Offer host has teamed up with Very. co.uk to become the latest celeb designer on the books. The first drop is available now, priced from £25, with a second phase set for July 17 (www.very. co.uk).

Michelle Keegan gives a masterclass in how to make leather summerMichelle Keegan a masterclass howRiver to make appropriate; switch blackgives for pastel pink. Herin exact Island Lightleather Pink Leather Pencil Skirt is £95, available (www.pink. summer-appropriate; switch blacknow for pastel riverisland.com).

Her exact River Island Light Pink Leather Pencil Skirt is £95, available now (www.riverisland.com).

FASHION FLASH Charity Cheats FASHION FLASH admit to upselling second hand items bought from charity

Almost two thirds of the charity bargain hunters felt morally Charity Cheats according to the poll by admit VoucherCodesPro.co.uk. a concept One in 10 Brits to upselling secondIt’s hand items chugging’, a trend on the increase, according to the website. bought from charity shops for a profit. Almost two thirds of the charity bargain hunters felt morally wrong doing RECESSIONISTA ALERT

so, according poll byball.

VoucherCodesPro.co.uk. beautiful game withtoathe beautiful To celebrate the World givingIt’s away an exclusive mini football when you spend a concept dubbed ‘reverse chugging’, a trend on£75 thein colourful special is inspired by prints from their summer holiday increase, according to the website. available on England match days only (June 14, 19 and 24).

RECESSIONISTA ALERT Embrace the beautiful game with a beautiful ball. To celebrate the World Cup, White Stuff are giving away an exclusive mini football when you spend £75 in shops or online. The colourful special is inspired by prints from their summer holiday collections. Offer available on England match days only (June 14, 19 and 24).

60 JULY 2014

Flawless Jewellery Bespoke jewellery, handmade by us at our Kent workshops.

Handmade 18ct white gold ring, set with round brilliant cut diamonds - £4,000.

21 High Street Westerham Kent TN16 1RA 01959 569 612

info@flawless-jewellery.co.uk www.flawless-jewellery.co.uk

50 Green Lane Chislehurst Kent BR7 6AQ 020 8467 5862 JULY 2014 61

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It’s all in Harbour Cushions on Sofa from Samuel & Sons.

Harbour Barrell Knot Fringe (left cushion) £86; Harbour Serpentine Braid; £39 a metre (bottom of Sofa & right cushion); Harbour Crown Knot Frog, £32; on sofa corner, Samuel & Sons

I

n the same way some people can make an item of clothing look special just by adding a single accessory, others can transform a room in a trice with a little re-arrangement and the addition of a few eye-catching items.

It’s an enviable skill, and that flair can make a house a home which is filled with character and personality. But even if you’re not a stylist or a decor diva, it’s perfectly possible with a bit of effort and a modest budget, to work your own magic on your rooms.

“Anyone doing up a home on a tight budget should remember one little designer secret - the power of budget basics,” says Julie Savill, author of 101 Finishing Touches (BBC Books, £4.99).

“Almost anything you can think of, from tableware to bed linen, can be

62 JULY 2014

THE DETAIL found in plain and simple ranges and for a fraction of the price of their fancier, patterned counterparts.The trick to turning these brilliant basics into stylish furnishings is the little twists you add yourself, such as a braid, ribbon, buttons or fringing.”

As we all invest more in our homes, we’re paying attention to the details, and delighting in customising and demonstrating our taste in touches that might formerly have been overlooked, like door handles, cupboard knobs or curtain ties.

“Customisation is anther key to style success. It’s the ability to take a plain cushion or curtain and give it a twist that sets it firmly in the designer bracket - but without a hefty price tag attached,” says Savill. “A plain cupboard can be revamped with a coat of paint and new knobs, while a small collection of random pieces of china can be sprayed the same colour and - hey presto - they’re a focal point on a shelf.”

Some people do have the happy knack of being able to sling a few apparently unrelated things on a shelf, somehow making an eye-catching arrangement, but if like most of us -

you need a little help, follow the experts’ guide to desirable details...

BUTTON IT

Bird wall decoration,

£14, BoConcept.

Our craze for craft has brought buttons right back into fashion and they look brilliant adorning everything from cushions to bedheads.

“It’s simplicity itself to add a little customisation and lift everyday shopbought items into an altogether more stylish league,” says Savill.

“The easiest place to start is with a bag of buttons, which you can pick up for next to nothing at jumble and car boot sales. A single large button in the centre of a square cushion, or a neat line of them along the middle of a rectangular one, will give an expensive-looking hand-crafted finish.”

DESIRABLE DETAILS: Hobbycraft has a jolly and colourful array of buttons.

At £4, their Jumbo Button Jar Brights, is

Jumbo jar of of bright buttons, £4, Hobbycraft.

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H O M E G A R D E N

Glass Square or Flower design recycled glass cabinet knobs, £5.50 each, Grace & Glory

a snip. Vintage lovers are well catered for at The Button Queen, which has antique as well as modern buttons.

The Headboard Workshop can add buttons to headboards on request; headboards from £199. There’s no shortage of inspiration at V V Rouleaux, which has ribbons, tie backs, tassels and trimmings in a rainbow of colours, and a selection of textures and finishes.

Beach hut string lights, £34.50, The Glow Company

“Handles are deservedly receiving a real focus, and there’s an amazing choice these days offered by specialist shops and DIY stores,” says Savill.

“A group of handles in dazzling colours could make an interesting stand-alone wall display, or arrange a selection in a line in a hall, or on the back of a door, as an eye-catching place to hang coats or bags.”

DESIRABLE DETAILS: Ceramic Heart Wall Hooks, £5 each, Mirrors reflect light and from Here are an excellent way to give an And Far, illusion of more space, alter specialists the proportions of a room, in Fairtrade, or emphasise specific features. recycled “If you love something, it’s homeware, fine to buy in bulk. A range of are pretty and eye-catching Venetian style practical. Ikea has glassware, with its different sizes brilliant details, and mix of frames and mirrors, Key Handle mug, low on price but makes a terrific display, and a from £18, Great British high on style, and its collection of hand mirrors can Designs new PS 2014 Knob, also look stunning,” says Savill. assorted colours, £8 for a “Don’t overlook the garden - a pack of four, is a good example, or mirror fixed to a wall or fence will make a a funky Krokig Multi-coloured Coat Stand, plot seem larger, or create the feeling of an £22. intriguing, unexplored space.

There’s always something distinctive in DESIRABLE DETAILS: Dunelm’s Not On The High Street’s range and their mirrors are suitable for every location, Vintage Pushka Cupboard Knobs are a including a Venetian-style Dressing Table steal at £4.95, with antique style lettering Mirror, £39.99; and the Loire Collection and the iconic phrase ‘Home Sweet Home’.

Arch Mirror, £34.99, which can be used Grace & Glory’s stylish collection will have indoors and outdoors. you wondering why you’ve never paid attention to knobs and handles before.

CAN YOU HANDLE IT? Glass Cabinet Knobs made from recycled Door and cupboard handles once glass in a square or flower design, £5.50 disregarded as functional essentials are each. now mulled over and truly regarded UPHOLSTERY UPDATE as jewellery for the home. Just as a beautiful bracelet or bag As we all embrace colour and can make all the difference to want to bring unique style to an outfit, handles also are an our rooms, there’s a return indication of style and taste. to trimmings for soft

GLASS DISTINCTION

Krokig mutlicoloured coat stand, £22, Ikea

Grosgrain ribbons start from around £1.50 a metre, VV Rouleaux

furnishings, from sofas to curtains.

“If you’re looking to add a touch of glamour, try adding a braid to the skirting of your sofa or armchair, or apply modern rosettes to the corners of your furniture,” says Emily Peacock of Samuel & Sons, specialists in trimmings.

“For a colour pop, why not opt for a hot pink or emerald green cord, which will highlight the edges of your furniture and offer colour to your living room in an understated way.”

DESIRABLE DETAILS: Good designs and lyrical names feature in Samuel & Sons range, such as Harbour Serpentine Braid, £39 a metre, and Harbour Crown Knot Frog, £32, all of which give va-vavoom to upholstery. There’s no shortage of glamour in the collection at The Unique Seat Company, specialist upholsterers who offer a wide variety of braids, trims and fringes.

An Extravagant Heavy Hot Pink Fuschia Curtain Tie Back With Diamante Detail, £55.

Wizard of Oz Wicked Witch door stop, £29.99, The Gift Oasis JULY 2014 63

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Vintage Pushka cupboard handles, £4.95 each, Not On The High Street.

JUST FOR FUN Decorative objects that make you smile and gladden your heart when you see them are always worth treating yourself to. Not only do they add personality to your home, they could also boost your wellbeing!

Wellies umbrella stand or vase, £95, Out There Interiors

DESIRABLE DETAILS: Look out for ordinary objects given a different twist. Door stops needn’t be dull and this Wizard Of Oz Wicked Witch Door Stop, showing her legs and ruby red slippers, £29.99, The Gift Oasis, is treat for fans of Dorothy and Toto. A Wellies Umbrella Stand or Vase, £95, in white ceramic, Out There Interiors, could add a humorous touch for a hall or conservatory; while a gilded picture frame is actually a Renaissance CD Rack, £149, Store.

Capture a holiday atmosphere in an instant with Beach Hut String Lights, £34.50, from The Glow Company, or make a tea break special with a Key Handle Mug, from £18, Great British Designs. Finally, remember flying ducks? So yesterday, but they’ve been revamped and live on. A pure white Bird Wall Decoration, £14, BoConcept, could help your spirits soar.

Ceramic Heart Wall Hooks, £5, each, Here And Far

ABOVE: Renaissance CD Rack, £149, STORE

Hurricane Lamp Vase £4.99 Small Sundae Dish Pink £2.99 Set of 3 Mirrors £5.99 Toulouse 2 Drawer Nightstand £59.99, Dunelm.

64 JULY 64 2014 JULY 2014

Extravagant heavy hot pink fuschia curtain tie back with diamante detail, £55, The Unique Seat Company

DETAIL DESTINATIONS BoConcept: 020 7388 2447/www.boconcept.com The Button Queen: 020 7935 1505/www.thebuttonqueen.co.uk Dunelm: 0845 656 565/www.dunelm-mill.com The Gift Oasis: 0845 463 9981/www.thegiftoasis.com The Glow Company: 0845 505 9090/www.glow.co.uk Grace & Glory: 01271 370 095/www.graceandgloryhome.co.uk Great British Designs: 0800 148 8307/www.great-british-designs.co.uk Here And Far: 01822 612 113/www.hereandfar.co.uk The Headboard Workshop: 01291 628 216/www.theheadboardworkshop.co.uk Hobbycraft: 0330 026 1400/www.hobbycraft.co.uk Ikea: www.ikea.com Not On The High Street: www.notonthehighstreet.com Out There Interiors: 020 8099 7443/www.outthereinteriors.com Samuel & Sons: 020 7351 5153/www.samuelandsons.com STORE: 0844 414 2885/www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk VV Rouleaux: 020 7224 5179/www.vvrouleaux.com The Unique Seat Company: 0800 121 6210/www.theuniqueseatcompany.co.uk

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TAKE THE PLUNGE WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING A DECISION THE HEAD OFTEN RULES THE HEART, AND IN THE MAJORITY OF CASES WE ARE FOUR TIMES MORE LIKELY TO MAKE A DECISION BY WEIGHING UP THE PROS AND CONS, THAN GO WITH OUR INSTINCTS.

W

hen it comes to making a decision the head often rules the heart, and in the majority of cases we are four times more likely to make a decision by weighing up the pros and cons, than go with our instincts.

Heels or flats? We make tons of quick decisions every day, but others we linger over for days. According to research commissioned by swimming pool company Origin Leisure, we find it easy to make really big decisions, but then agonise over the smaller details.

We trust our gut for life-changing decisions, but ironically we then sweat the small stuff. In fact, over a third of us admit to knowing instantly that our current home was ‘the one’, but it then often takes us days, weeks or even years to decide on improvements such as installing a new kitchen or adding a conservatory.

When it comes to home improvement, it doesn’t come much more luxurious than an indoor swimming pool, and while it’s important to consider all the details, the research showed that spending too much time agonising over the decision can be counterproductive.

Gary Taylor of Origin Leisure said: “In our 30 year experience we’ve found that people wish they’d spent less time deliberating and more time enjoying the fruits of their decision making. If it will make you and your family happy, just get on, 66 JULY 2014

listen to your instinct and enjoy it!”

For anybody wanting to take the plunge with the ultimate home improvement, here are the answers to the key questions to help you make your decision.

HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST? e cost depends on a multitude of factors, from the size and shape of the pool, right down to the choice of materials. An indoor pool can cost from £135,000 to £250,000 and upwards, depending on your design. A good place to start is to decide on a budget and ask your swimming pool company to tailor the design to the amount you’d like to spend.

WHAT ARE THE RUNNING COSTS? Don’t forget to factor in the weekly, monthly and yearly expenses for heating, chemicals and maintenance. e ongoing costs will depend entirely on the design of your pool, how it’s used by your family, and your choice of heat source. An experienced swimming pool company will advise you on the ongoing costs and offer advice on keeping them as low as possible.

HOW ECO FRIENDLY IS A SWIMMING POOL? Whether or not the swimming pool will be eco friendly is an important factor to some homeowners. If you’re concerned about the environmental impact of the pool, or simply want to lower running costs, eco models are available. Origin Leisure’s

Eco Pool House incorporates the very latest building materials for energy efficiency to reduce running costs once the pool is complete.

DO I NEED PLANNING PERMISSION? Adding an Origin swimming pool to your home has never been easier! Changes to permitted development rights mean you may not require planning permission at all - even if planning permission was previously denied. Use a specialist swimming pool company to guide you through the procedure, advising you on the necessary steps to take, which will speed up the process significantly.

HOW LONG WILL THE PROJECT TAKE? e length of time it takes to install a swimming pool depends entirely on the design; the size, shape and type of swimming pool will vary the timescale from project to project. It’s best to allow at least 20 weeks for the pool to be completed.

WHAT SWIMMING POOL DESIGN IS BEST FOR ME AND MY FAMILY? While pool houses were previously simple pine chalets, today indoor swimming pool design has evolved and we now expect the same style, quality and finish in the pool house as we would in our own homes. But, with so much choice it’s no wonder we’re left scratching our heads when making a decision. Origin Leisure has designed a range of popular indoor swimming pool models that can be tailored for you.

WHO WILL OVERSEE EACH STAGE OF THE PROJECT? It helps to talk to a swimming pool company that can oversee the whole project from start to finish. is way, you will have one point of contact and don’t need to project manage any of the design or building process.

HOW MUCH MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED? e after care for a swimming pool is easy, but for those who’d like a helping hand, the experts at Origin Leisure also offer a full maintenance service, giving you as much or as little help as you need to maintain the upkeep of your pool.

THE BENEFITS OF A HOME SWIMMING POOL TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY While taking the plunge may seem daunting, making the decision brings measurable benefits. A swimming pool from Origin Leisure provides new ways of having fun, spending precious time together as a family, even making a ‘staycation’ seem more appealing. e additional space is perfect for entertaining and socialising with friends and family, and the design can include a kitchen, seating or bar.

Access to a pool right on your doorstep means it’s easy to swim every day in the privacy of your own home, either to maintain a healthy lifestyle or simply as a space to relax.

Whatever your decision, the experts at Origin Leisure are available to help create your home swimming pool. With over 30 years experience creating beautiful domestic swimming pools, the company manages every stage of the project from start to finish, giving you the confidence and freedom to enjoy your decision.

To speak to the experts at Origin Leisure call 01895 823366 or visit www.originleisure.com ■

JULY 2014 67

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H O M E G A R D E N

Tilemates – Leading Tile Specialist

T

he Tilemates Group are proud to be regarded as the ‘Leading specialist tile retailer in the south east’ and since starting business in 1983, they continue to pride themselves in providing first class customer service, supplying high quality products at very competitive prices.

With over two decades of experience, Tilemates have expanded to 5 stunning showrooms. Manager of Tilemates Petts Wood, Paul Smithson says “We like to carefully select our display materials based on consumer trends and changes in fashion and design. Although we are very selective in our products, we believe that we have the right balance to cater for every taste and budget.”

Whether you want to keep it simple with a block of colour for a minimalistic look, or experiment with texture and colour for something a little more eye-catching, you’ll find products at all of their showrooms that stand the test of time. Tiles can be easily wiped clean, and the surface of glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles will not retain liquids or absorb fumes or odours, so they’ll help keep your home feeling new and fresh.

New ranges include various matt & polished porcelain tiles,

large format tiles, stunning “wood effect” porcelain and the more traditional, but elaborate patchwork designs.

The Tilemates Group also stock an expansive range of ‘off the shelf products’ as Dave Bryant, manager of Tunbridge Wells – The International Tile Store – explains, “We like to think of ourselves as the one-stop shop with products such as under-tile heating, tile backer boards, adhesives, grouts complete wet room systems and various sealers and cleaners.”

Tilemates believe passionately in providing a high level of customer care, meaning the service doesn’t end as you leave the showroom. Paul adds, “We always endeavour to build long lasting relationships with our customers, who return time after time and gladly recommend us to others.”

For more information visit your closest showroom at; The International Tile Store The Warehouse, Tunnel Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2BT 01892 514004 tunbridgewells@theinternationaltilestore.co.uk Tilemates, 16 Chatsworth Parade, Queensway, Petts Wood, Kent BR5 1DF 01689 878667 pettswood@tilemates.co.uk Other branches at Welling, Crayford and Brighton Follow us on twitter – @tilematestiles Facebook – facebook.com/Tilemates Online – www.tilemates.co.uk

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73

T R AV E L

Riding High in

Lake Garda

View of the harbour in Bardolino, Italy

T

he narrow medieval streets of Borghetto are packed with cyclists. A woman walks past me, wheeling a mountain bike, her Lycra outfit splattered in mud.

I’ve been receiving a slightly more gentle introduction to the cycle routes of the Veneto region of northeast Italy.

Behind her limps an athletic-looking individual, blood dripping from a nastylooking cut on his knee. A group of older men stroll past a riverside cafe, cycle helmets in hand, covered in dust.

The mild climate, clean waters and stunning scenery of Lake Garda and its environs have been attracting visitors in their droves for hundreds of years.

An inveterate couch potato, I’d usually opt to spend my holidays safely ensconced under an umbrella in a cafe, enjoying an aperitivo, making the most of the sunshine and watching the world go by.

But the area has also, perhaps unfairly, earned a reputation as a high-end destination best suited to older travellers.

Not today. Today I have joined the ranks of the two-wheeled. But while these bruised and battered devotees have just completed a gruelling cross-country race,

74 JULY 2014

In fact, there are hotels around the lake shore to fit every budget - and there’s far more to do in the Garda region than sit around admiring the scenery.

Tourists walking along the bank s of Lake Garda in Bardoli no, Italy

T R AV E L From Garda and Bardolino in the west, to Mantova in the south and Verona in the east, more than 400km of cycle routes have been ‘mapped’ to make exploring the region by bike a foolproof endeavour.

The pool at Hotel Caesius Thermae Spa in Bardolino, Lake Garda, Italy

With sat-navs, maps, bikes and helmets all readily available, there’s no excuse not to take to two wheels and gain an alternative perspective of the area. Particularly if, as in my case, there’s the promise of wine and lunch at the end of my exertions.

It would be more than fair to describe me as a novice cyclist - I’m pretty sure the last time I owned a bike I was eight. It was pink.

The last thing I remember about riding that bike is a nasty fall involving a kerb and my chin.

But, starting from the town of Peschiera, it’s a gentle ride along the banks of the shockingly blue waters of the river Mincio to Valeggio sul Mincio and the quaint village of Borghetto, where elderly gentlemen fish for pike and tourists sample the worldfamous tortellini. My introduction to the world of mountain biking is a far cry from the experience of Borghetto’s racers.

But the next day brings a new challenge weaving through the crowds of tourists and locals milling around the lake shore.

Visions fill my head of crashing headlong into octogenarian holidaymakers on a narrow path, precipitating myself, them and my lovely shiny mountain bike into the water.

Visconti Bridge in the village of Borghetto, Italy

Luckily it doesn’t take long to realise that not only are there dozens of other cyclists ably navigating the board-walk that runs between lakeside towns of Garda, Bardolino and Lasize, but that those cyclists really do fall into every age-range and category imaginable.

From wiry fitness freaks with thighs of steel, heading up into the hills to plunge at breakneck speeds back down towards the lake, to Lycra-clad retirees and families with young children, cycling really is for everyone around here.

Bardolino is well known for its local ruby-red wines, best served chilled, and the slopes surrounding the town are blanketed with the vineyards where the Corvina Rondinella and Molinara grapes are grown. After making my way around the shoreline in leisurely fashion, I’m directed inland - and uphill.

Soon I’m red in the face and pedalling furiously up an intimidating, steep incline, idly wondering what on earth I’ve signed myself up for.

View of the harbour near the Lake Garda in Bardolino, Italy

Once I’ve finally worked out how to use the gears of my bike properly, the inclines do get considerably easier to negotiate - but it’s only when I reach the crest of the hill and start to free-wheel down a broad avenue of cypress trees towards the Tenuta Preella winery that I finally relax enough to take a moment and appreciate the beauty surrounding me.

Ahead lies a patchwork of vineyards, dotted with red-roofed farmhouses. Behind me the hills drop away to the distant waters of the lake.

I’m hot, dusty and more than ready for lunch - and by the time I’ve worked my way though a tasting of Bardolino wines and a rustic meal of breads, meats and local cheeses, I’m happy to spend the afternoon relaxing poolside.

JULY 2014 75

T R AV E L Arche Scaligere in Verona, Italy

The 4-star Hotel Caesius occupies a piece of prime Bardolino real-estate just feet from the lake shore - from my balcony I can catch a glimpse of the tranquil lake waters, and it’s just a 15-minute stroll into Bardolino town, the best-known of Garda’s resorts. But after my morning exertions I’m quite content to collapse onto a shady sunbed and prepare myself for another day of cycling.

This time I’m tackling a completely different terrain - the packed streets of Veneto’s second city, Verona. Best known as the home of Shakespeare’s most famous pair of star-crossed lovers, the city has survived floods, German occupation and Allied bombs. Now it has to contend with me and my trusty bike.

After making my way into the city along the river Adige, past kiwi plantations, orchards and the home of Hellas Verona football club, I’m jolted along a cobbled cycle path towards the Castelvecchio bridge, where I’m introduced to my guide View of the vineyards and Lake Garda in Bardolino, Italy

TRAVEL FACTS - LAKE GARDA

for the morning.

He leads a small group of intrepid cyclists on a whirlwind tour of Verona’s highlights, starting at the Castelvecchio, built by the influential della Scala family in the 1350s as both fortress and home.

These days it’s a museum packed with medieval sculptures and paintings by the likes of Mantegna, Carpaccio and the Bellinis.

We pause at the Roman Arena, once the setting for gladiators’ handto-hand combat and feats of bravery, now an impressive backdrop for opera performances, before weaving through the mass of tourists to the Arche Scaligere, gothic mausoleums for the Scaligeri family tucked away off one of the city’s most bustling squares.

Then it’s time to forsake the bikes and witness Verona’s biggest tourist attraction, the Casa di Giulietta - or, in English, Juliet’s house. Despite the fact that there’s no evidence Shakespeare’s heroine ever lived

there - and the marble balcony overlooking the tiny courtyard was in fact built the 1930s - thousands of love-struck tourists make the pilgrimage to touch a statue of Juliet and add their graffiti to the walls of the tunnel into the courtyard each week.

Verona, like Garda and the rest of the Veneto region, remains enduringly popular with tourists - and it’s easy to see why.

With direct flights from the UK to Verona, beautiful scenery, a thousand years of history to explore and a worldrenowned culinary scene, it’s a destination that’s hard to resist.

Exploring the region by bike gives visitors the chance to explore paths, tracks and cycle routes they might otherwise never have seen, provides a degree of independence that can be difficult to achieve on a package break, and - perhaps the biggest bonus - offers a much needed opportunity to burn off a few pasta calories.

Punta San Vigilio, on the shores of Lake Garda, Italy

Celia Paul was a guest of Thomson Lakes (www.thomsonlakes.co.uk; 0871 230 8181) who offer a week’s half board at the four-star Hotel Caesius Thermae Spa in Bardolino on the southern shore of Lake Garda, including flights from Gatwick and transfers from £739 pp (based on two sharing). Direct flights from all major UK airports are available at a supplement starting from £10.

76 JULY 2014

The Bookshelf

BOOK REVIEWS

“across the spectrum - examples of different genres, ages and places take your pick” WORDS BY BRUCE EDWARDS

The Visitors Sally Beauman

Under a Silent Moon Elizabeth Haynes

• Little Brown • £16.99 Hardback

The Highwayman’s Daughter Henriette Gyland

• Sphere

• Choc Lit

• £13.99 Paperback

• £7.99 Paperback

There’s an odd word - faction - to describe, as in this instance, an amalgam of fact and fiction. Beauman has taken carefully researched facts concerning the discovery of Egypt’s Tutankhamun’s tomb, added a few intriguingly fictional characters and interwoven Lucy’s life story with captivating detail. Spanning the decades, it starts with a sickly child existing amongst the British regime, gives her a new friend, and allows her to watch the academic adventurers in their ‘digs’ for ancient treasure. There’s a strange fascination here though not everyone will appreciate the dilemmas that abound, nor the extensive ‘cast of characters’ included and it may be an uneasy read as a consequence. That said, the fascination certainly grips one, drags you on and the characters act their parts well, bringing pathos, ambition, social niceties to the fore in differing ways. Almost a ‘history without tears’ textbook, though quite where the title comes from isn’t made clear.

If Egyptology or deep sagas are your thing, this is one not to be missed.

If, amongst the wide ranging readership of this publication, there are those who delight in all aspects of a complicated crime, then this is undoubtedly going to get you going. Written by a professional, it follows procedure in exact detail, the exact moment, and gives you the paperwork trail to follow. ‘One cold night under a silent moon’ - spooky may be the word for the setting. Without going into all elements of the story, we have a battered pretty woman in a cottage and another female who’s apparently committed suicide by driving over a quarry edge. DCI Louisa Smith, tasked with the unravelling of the story’s complexities, has her own lifestyle problems to resolve - as in most detective stories it seems de rigueur to add romance or lack of it to the story line, as if plot following isn’t difficult enough. The style is nearly as cryptic as the police paperwork that’s included, so the reader will have to concentrate to squeeze the best from this well constructed plot.

One for the easy-read brigade to slip in the bag for a weekend away. Set in eighteenth century Hounslow, in the era of the ‘money or your life’ and when journeying across the country is a risky business. We discover Jack Blythe, a well-to-do gentleman with prospects on just such an occasion. When his coach is held up, he loses a purse and some of his hair. He doesn’t know it at the time, but he also loses his heart, for the highwayman is a girl. The complications of romance, wagers, inheritance, and the true parentage of the wayward Cora keeps the story rattling along. We may like Jack, frown at Cora’s misdemeanours and dislike the errant Rupert, but at least the tale rolls on across rough territory in a similar way to a coach and four. Social formalities of the day prevents Jack from sweeping Cora off her feet - and in reality, she manages to elude his capture more often than not.. A pleasant read in true ‘ChocLit’ tradition.

ISBN: 978 0 7515 5167 9

ISBN: 978 0 7515 4957 7

ISBN: 978 1 7818 9071 4

Suggestions and queries to writerselect@gmail.com. We’re always happy to consider specific titles for review, though without obligation.

Can’t find a title? E-mail your details and we’ll help.

Need a new source for a romantic read ? - Try www.novelsforromance.co.uk JULY 2014 77

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F O O D D R I N K

OUTLAW TAKES THE BAIT Nathan Outlaw fell hook, line and sinker for fish during his childhood.

G

rowing up in Maidstone, Kent, Nathan Outlaw spent weekends on the beaches of the South East coast, watching his granddad tuck into jellied eels, and going sea-fishing off piers.

“I’m quite friendly with a lot of fishermen, and they fascinate me, I could just listen to their stories forever.

And the actual industry itself, with the sustainability and all that side of things, I love it.”

After catering college and a spell at a London hotel, he was keen to indulge his passion for creatures of the deep (and shallows!) and moved to Cornwall to work at Rick Stein’s celebrated Seafood Restaurant in Padstow.

Despite being an island nation, we lack confidence when it comes to cooking fish, he says.

He now has a handful of restaurants to his name - two in Rock (one of which, Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, has two Michelin stars), one in Port Isaac (Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen) and a consultancy in London at The Capital Hotel.

He’s also written two books about fish the second of which, Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen, was published this month - but his enthusiasm shows no signs of waning.

“I have nothing against meat, I enjoy cooking that as well, but for me, the actual subject of seafood is fantastic,” says the 36-year-old, whose father Clive is also a chef.

“The biggest thing that I always tell people is, don’t cook your fish until you’ve got everything else ready,” he advises.

“Have all your vegetables cooked, your sauce, all that will take much longer than a piece of fish. Most pieces of fish will cook much quicker than a microwave meal. In three or four minutes, it’s cooked.”

And don’t be put off if your first attempt fails.

“It’s practise, practise, practise. The more you cook fish and the more you handle fish, the better you’re going to get at it.”

Outlaw met his wife, Rachel, when she was working as a waitress at Stein’s restaurant. They married 13 years ago and

have two children, Jacob, 11, and Jessica, nine.

“My wife is Cornish, my kids are Cornish, the dog’s Cornish - I’m the only outsider!” he says.

Home, in the village of St Minver near Rock, sounds pretty idyllic.

“I can just see the sea from my house if I stand on my tiptoes,” says Outlaw.

“It’s about five minutes from any of the beaches.”

Not that he has much time for lounging.

“I’m lucky that I’ve got a wife who’s understanding and comes from the industry. Because if my wife wasn’t from the industry, she probably wouldn’t be my wife any more,” he says, laughing.

“I do work all the time. But I don’t ever really feel like it’s a job, so it’s never been an issue.”

Fancy some fish? Here are three recipes from Outlaw’s new book for you to try at home...

● Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen by Nathan Outlaw is published by Quadrille, priced £20. Available now.

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Raw Bass with Anchovy, Mint and Coriander Dressing (Serves 6 as a starter)

1 bass, about 2kg, scaled and gutted 36 anchovy fillets in oil, drained 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 1tsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped About 50ml light rapeseed oil For the anchovy, mint and coriander dressing: 3 anchovy fillets in oil, drained 25ml lime juice 50g coriander leaves 50g mint leaves About 150ml light rapeseed oil Sea salt Fillet and skin the bass, then freeze overnight.

Put the 36 anchovy fillets into a bowl or jar, sprinkle over the garlic, lemon zest and parsley and then drizzle with the rapeseed oil. Leave to marinate for at least two hours. (You can prepare the anchovies to this stage, cover and leave them to marinate for up to three days if you wish.)

Allow the bass to thaw slightly until you can slice it, then slice very thinly.

For the dressing, put the other three anchovy fillets into a small food processor with the lime juice, coriander and mint, and blend for one minute. With the motor running, gradually add enough rapeseed oil to give the consistency of a thick pesto dressing. Season with salt to taste.

Lay the bass slices out on a large plate, season lightly with salt and arrange the marinated anchovies on top. Dress the fish with the herb and anchovy dressing and leave to stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Baked Whole Plaice and Cider Onions with Tarragon and Anchovy Butter (Serves 2)

1 plaice, at least 1kg, gutted 50ml olive oil 2 white onions, peeled and finely sliced 2 bay leaves 200ml dry cider Sea salt (Outlaw recommends Cornish sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper For the tarragon and anchovy butter: 200g unsalted butter, softened Bunch of tarragon, leaves only 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped 4 salted anchovy fillets, chopped Lemon wedges to serve Salt and pepper Heat your oven to 220C/Gas Mark 7.

For the tarragon and anchovy butter, put the softened butter into a bowl. Chop the tarragon and add to the butter with the chopped shallots and anchovies. Mix well until evenly combined and season with pepper, and a little salt if needed, to taste. Shape the butter into a roll on a sheet of cling film, wrap in the film and twist and tie the ends to seal. Refrigerate to firm up.

Put the olive oil, onions and bay leaves in a roasting tray, pour on the cider and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

Season the plaice all over with salt and pepper. Take the roasting tray from the oven and lay the fish on top of the onions. Put the tray back in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the plaice is just cooked.

Meanwhile, unwrap and slice the butter. To check the fish is cooked, make an incision into the thickest part and see if the flesh is pulling away from the bone.

Lay the sliced butter on top of the fish and pop the tray back into the oven for two minutes.

Serve the plaice simply with the cider onions and lemon wedges.

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Salmon Poached in Tarragon Vinegar with Carrots in Brown Butter (Serves 4)

4 portions of salmon fillet, about 200g each, pin-boned 2 carrots, peeled 200ml white wine 200ml white wine vinegar 400ml water 50g caster sugar 10 tarragon sprigs For the carrots in brown butter: 250g salted butter 8 small carrots, peeled and halved lengthways, or 24 baby carrots 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 2tsp chopped tarragon Sea salt Cut the carrots lengthways into fine ribbons, using a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Pour the wine, wine vinegar and water into a saucepan and add the sugar, a pinch of salt, the carrot ribbons and tarragon sprigs. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for two minutes. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the brown butter, heat the butter in a pan over a medium-low heat until melted and starting to bubble. At this stage, lower the heat and continue to cook until the butter turns brown and has a nutty aroma; don’t let it burn. Immediately remove from the heat and strain through a muslin-lined sieve into a bowl.

Add the halved or whole baby carrots to a pan containing enough cold water to just cover them and add some salt.

Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the carrots are almost cooked. Drain and return them to the pan. Add 50ml of the brown butter with the chopped garlic and warm through over a low heat. Season with salt to taste and remove from the heat.

Drain the carrot ribbons, reserving the liquor; set aside.

To cook the salmon, bring the reserved liquor to a simmer in a fairly wide pan and add the fish fillets, making sure they are fully submerged. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes; the fish will cook in the residual heat. To check the fish is done, carefully lift out a portion and insert a small knife into the thickest point, hold it there for five seconds and then place it against the back of your wrist; it should feel warm, not cold or hot.

Once the fish is ready, for the dressing, combine 75ml of the poaching liquor (reserved from earlier) with 150ml brown butter, warm through and add the chopped tarragon. Place a portion of salmon on each warm plate. Divide the carrot ribbons and brown butter carrots between the plates and spoon the dressing over the fish and carrots to serve.

Three of the best Fishcakes

Tesco Finest Salmon, Spinach and Lemon Fish Cake, £3 for pack of two, Tesco Zingy Sicilian lemon juice cuts through the creamy salmon and fluffy Maris Piper mash.

The outer crumb has a nice crunch too.

M Signature Cod & Chorizo Fishcakes, £2.49 for pack of two, Morrisons Spanish chorizo adds a spicy bite to these cod cakes, which have a creamy surprise at the centre in the form of some oozing Manchego cheese.

Taste The Difference Melting Middle Smoked Haddock with Cheddar & Leek Fishcakes, £2.99 for pack of two, Sainsbury’s They might lack the sharp kick of lemon or chorizo, but with their more traditional and deliciously creamy cheddar and leek sauce, these are perfect comfort food.

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