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Official government fuel consumption figures in mpg (litres per Offi cial government fuelMartin consumption gures Edition: in mpg (litres per 100km) for the Aston DB9 GTfiBond 100km) the(21.1): Aston Extra-urban Martin DB928.8 GT Bond Urbanfor 13.4 (9.8): Edition: Combined 20.2 Urban 13.4 (21.1): Extra-urban 28.8 (9.8): Combined 20.2 (14.0). CO2 emissions 325g/km (14.0). CO2 emissions 325g/km The mpg/fuel economy figures quoted are sourced from official The mpg/fueltest economy figures quoted are sourced from official regulated results obtained through laboratory testing. regulated obtainedpurposes through only laboratory testing. They aretest forresults comparability and may not reflect They are fordriving comparability purposes not reflect your real experience, whichonly mayand varymay depending on your real including driving experience, which weather, may varyvehicle depending factors road conditions, load,on and factors including road conditions, weather, vehicle load,only and driving style. Vehicle shown for illustrational purposes driving style. Vehicle shown for illustrational purposes only and related James Bond Trademarks ©1962-2015 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. and related James Bond Trademarks ©1962-2015 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation.

CONTENTS November/December 15 / Issue 02

FEATURES

32 MADE IN BRITAIN

A look at the creation of our nation’s coins and medals – inside The Royal Mint.

36 JAGUAR'S DRIVING AMBITION

Gareth Herincx speaks to Jaguar about their 80th anniversary and newest models.

40 THE HOUSE THAT KATE BUILT

Kate Moss brings catwalk cool to the country with a new Cotswolds retreat.

95 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING GETAWAYS Ten of the most unique, luxurious property stays, ideal for Christmas shopping.

FOOD & TRAVEL

72 SPARKLING WINES

Meet the people behind the scenes at some of Britain’s finest vineyards.

76 FOOD & DRINK NEWS

Jenny Linford's highlights from Britain's food scene for the upcoming festive season.

78 GREAT BRITISH FARE

Sarah Farrell’s selection of the best British produced food to eat on Christmas Day.

86 CITY GUIDE - BEAUTIFUL BATH Paul Bloomfield explores the glorious Georgian city of Bath.

100 CLIVEDEN HOUSE HOTEL

A Jewel in our Heritage - Robin Glover has an unforgettable overnight stay.

106 HANBURY MANOR

Discover Hanbury, a country house hotel with seclusion, service and sport.

ARTS & CULTURE

15 EVENTS GUIDE

A pick of the best events across Britain

26 FASHION & ARTS

Melanie Abrams reports on where to go and who to look out for this season.

110 LIVING HISTORY

The story of 18 Stafford Terrace - a Victorian home in Kensington village.

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

CONTENTS November/December 15 / Issue 02

47 58 54

FASHION & BEAUTY GLAMOUR EDITS

The best new fashions, watch and jewellery collections - for him and for her.

A WINTER'S ROSE

Mix soft silks with wool and cashmere for a fresh and chic style to see you through the colder months.

INTERVIEW WITH PIP HOWESON

Diana Woolf speaks to Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Queen of coats and British tweed.

23 24 71

HOME & INTERIORS PRETTY AS A PEACOCK

Incorporating rich emerald green, vibrant teal and opulent gold.

HIGHLAND FLING

Earthy hued tartans, natural textures and countryside motifs.

TOP TEN DECANTERS

Bring a hint of Downton decadence to festive drinks parties.

115 PROPERTY MARKET

Exquisite properties across Britain, for city, coastal and country living.

128 HOME DECOR

Kathryn Reilly's best pieces of exceptional craftsmanship with homegrown flair.

130 Q&A WITH ANDREW SPEER

Cellar Maison offer wonderfully bespoke designer wine storage, walls, pods and cellars. Andrew shares his insight into this highly creative niche industry.

Pick of the best properties on the market

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

115

THE STER LI N G COLLECTION T H E E P I T O M E O F D I S C R E E T F L A M B O YA N C E .

Timeless craftsmanship informs every hand-turned edge and subtly contrasted stitch. Smooth, black calf enrobes every wallet and purse in the collection. Yet within, extravagant colours burst from soft, drum-rolled leather. A pleasure contained, for the more individual. E T TI N G E R . TO E ACH TH EI R OWN . ETTINGER.CO.UK

Hampers, champers and glorious gifts

Making Christmas Merrier Since 1707 fortnumandmason.com

Behind-the-scenes

SHOT ON LOCATION: COBHAM HALL COVER MODEL: JAZMINE HIKAKA (FULL STORY P58-67)

H E A D

O F F I C E

SWITCHBOARD: 01489 660680 enquiries@exclusivelybritishmagazine.co.uk EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: editorial@exclusivelybritishmagazine.co.uk LATEST NEWS & PRESS RELEASES: press@exclusivelybritishmagazine.co.uk ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES: jessica.way@exclusivelybritishmagazine.co.uk SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES: subscriptions@exclusivelybritishmagazine.co.uk TO SHARE YOUR VIEWS: letters@exclusivelybritishmagazine.co.uk

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N OV E M B E R / D EC E M B E R 2 0 1 5

S I V E L Y E X C L U

N OV E M B E R /

ur hearts have been warmed by the extraordinary response of our readers to the launch issue of Exclusively British and thank you all for the encouraging letters and e-messages of support. They mean so much to us and we look forward to receiving many more. We are sure that this season’s issue will again shine a light on some of the British products, places and people among the best that Britain has to contribute. In this issue, we interview Gordon Summers, Chief Engraver at The Royal Mint, (p33), feature Jaguar’s brilliant new range of motorcars, (p36) and reveal an historically important Kensington terraced house, (p110). We visit the beautiful city of Bath, landmark hotels in Buckinghamshire and Essex and sample the award-winning English sparkling wines which are shaking the champagne-drinking world (p72). With Christmas on the horizon, we list ten of the most desirable places to stay, when shopping for presents, and preview coming events, such as the Lumiere 2015, in Durham, and the Bath Mozartfest. Of course, we also bring you a host of appealing properties and the best of the season’s fashion, furnishing and beauty trends. We hope you agree that we have been successful in maintaining a balance in our content and welcome your comments and suggestions for future features. My editorial team will always be pleased to receive your messages, by whichever medium you choose. Wishing you all a very happy holiday season – see you in 2016!

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RECEIVE SIX ISSUES FOR £20 SAVING OVER £5 OFF THE COVER PRICE: VISIT

Meet our contributors

Gareth Herincx Our Cars Specialist

see page 36

Jenny Linford Our Festive Foodie!

see page 76

Abigail Butcher Luxury properties

see page 95

Claire Pitcher Our wines connoisseur!

see page 72

EXCLUSIVELYBRITISHMAGAZINE/SUBSCRIBE & QUOTE 'CHRISTMAS' Contista Media Ltd, cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken prices and details are subject to change and Contista Media Ltd take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved

WITH A SPECIAL THANKS THIS ISSUE TO: Abigail Butcher, Angela Harding, Becky Dickinson, Claire Pitcher, Diana Woolf, Dominic Nicholls, Emma Johnson, Gareth Herincx, Hannah MacLeod, Jenny Linford, Kathryn Reilly, Katrina Harper-Lewis, Melanie Abrams, Paul Bloomfield, Robin Glover, Samantha Rutherford and Sarah Farrell.

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

CELEBRATE IN STYLE IN OUR ENCHANTED WINTER GARDEN

Enjoy the ultimate festive experience this Christmas in our enchanted winter garden, 100ft in the air, overlooking the streets of London. From intimate dinners to cocktail parties, we can help you plan the perfect celebration. 99 Kensington High Street

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FORTNUM’S THE KING OF CRACKERS These red, ruched wonders will truly astound one’s Christmas lunch guests. Set of 6, £1000, fortnumandmason.com

Turnbull & Asser are excited to announce the opening of a new store on 4 Davies Street in the heart of Mayfair. Set over two floors, the 1000 sq ft (110sqm sqm) store will house Turnbull & Asser’s readyto-wear collection and bespoke service. Designed by acclaimed interiors architects Shed, the building will reflect the exemplary British brand's new design studio and showroom in South Street. The new Davies Street store, will sit alongside the Bury Street bespoke store and Jermyn Street ready-to-wear store in London’s St James. 2015 also marks Turnbull & Asser’s 130th anniversary as the world renowned authority in gentleman’s dressing and as leading shirt and tie makers. A turnbullandasser.co.uk

opens

FAT

Founded on principles of British craftsmanship and bespoke iconic design, we love this collaboration between London Morgan and Squint Interiors. Morgan’s cars, hand-made in the English town of Malvern, are renowned worldwide for their unique blend of charisma, craftsmanship and performance. Anthony Barrell, Dealer Principal of London Morgan, said: “We are thrilled to be working with Squint, one of Britain’s most ingenious and treasured designers, on this exciting project”. Lisa Whatmough, Founder of Squint, said: “Our richly decorative textiles perfectly complement the evocative design of the 3 Wheeler, the result being a product which radiates character and emotion. With a shared distinct design-led focus based on craftsmanship, London Morgan are natural partners for us and we hope this collaboration is the beginning of something very special”. A londonmorgan.co.uk

THE

LONDON MORGAN AND SQUINT CREATE A SPECIAL EDITION MORGAN 3 WHEELER!

HYDE PARK CORNER Everyone loves Anya Hindmarch’s Bathurst bag, but we love this rainbow plastered version even more. It will go lanesborough.com

DUCK

THE LANESBOROUGH

SPICED STAR BISCUITS & LUXURY HOT CHOCOLATE golden all-butter biscuits (£6) with unashamedly rich and silky smooth, Luxury Hot Chocolate (£4.50) whittard.co.uk

WHITTARD CHELSEA

FORTNUM & MASON

BRITISH BRILLIANCE

DEBUT STATUS

HIGH STREET, BRAY, The Fat Duck has re-opened after a nine month closure which saw the team decamp to Australia and the ancient building undergo extensive renovations. thefatduck.co.uk

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

A S H L EY B AY N T O N - W I L L I A M S

books THE CURIOUS MAP BOOK 100 curious, entertaining maps, drawn mainly from the unrivalled map collection in the British Library which includes early jigsaws of maps, playing-card maps and even a jigsaw globe! Priced £25.00

JACQUI SMALL

BRITISH BRILLIANCE

DEBUT STATUS

THE BOOK OF TEA: Growing it, making it, drinking it, the history, recipes and lots more by Louise Cheadle and Nick Kilby - teapigs’ unique insights on tea. Priced £20.00

on location

COBHAM HALL, COBHAM, KENT, DA12 3BL

Our fashion pages (p58-67) were shot on location at the beautiful Cobham Hall - a 16th Century mansion set in 150 acres of historic gardens and parkland, that reflects Elizabethan, Jacobean, Carolean and 18th Century styles. The renowned Gilt Hall features a magnificent gilded plaster ceiling and wall decorations and the historic 18th Century Snetzler Organ. Ideally located adjacent to the A2/M2 and close to the M25 and M20 motorways and only 17 minutes by fast train from London, Cobham Hall is the perfect venue for a range of functions, weddings, formal or informal business meetings, or large family gatherings. The former family home of the Earls of Darnley, Cobham Hall is now an independent day and boarding school for girls, recently rated as ‘Excellent’ by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. A cobhamhall.com

ability and cutting-edge technology.” Naturally, the attention to detail inside is the epitome of modern British luxury with handcrafted metal, wood and leather in abundance. Sumptuous front seats, featuring 22-way adjustment, are available with contrast stitching and a quilted diamond design "echoing the design of a finely tailored British hunting jacket". At launch, the Bentayga is available with an integrated Mulliner Hamper Set, complete with fridge, bespoke fine Linley china cutlery, crockery and crystal glass, BENTLEY GOES OFF-ROAD Meet the Bentley Bentayga - the "fastest, most powerful, most luxurious and most exclusive and storage area for dry goods. A bespoke mechanical SUV in the world". Designed, engineered and handcrafted in Crewe, Bentley's first SUV Mulliner Tourbillon by Breitling (Sport Utility Vehicle) is also the most expensive with prices starting at £160,000. The Bentayga features a twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W12 engine capable of reaching 62mph clock can also be specified. Once the preserve of Land in four seconds and a top speed of 187mph. Bentley also plans to launch diesel and plug-in hybrid versions, as well as a seven-seat option. “The Bentayga is truly the Bentley Rovers and Jeeps, the SUV sector is now one of the most of SUVs," said Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors. lucrative in the car world. "It redefines luxury in the SUV sector and offers a genuine Bentley experience in any A bentayga.bentleymotors.com environment, thanks to a combination of unparalleled attention to detail, go-anywhere

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

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The Brit Guide T H E

B E S T

O F

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L I F E

E V E N T S / N E W S / A R T S / C U LT U R E / P E O P L E

HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND HYDE PARK, LONDON 20 NOVEMBER-3 JANUARY 2016

Hyde Park will be once again transformed into a dazzling spectacle of winter magic, filled with festive activities - a Christmas extravaganza not to be missed. Winter Wonderland is FREE to enter; tickets can be purchased in advance to guarantee fast-track entry to the ice skating, the magical ice kingdom, Zippo's circus, the giant wheel and bar ice. Open 10am-10pm. (except on Friday 20th November when they will open at 5pm. A hydeparkwinterwonderland.com :

EVENTS LUMIERE 2015, DURHAM

The London Boat Show

Bath Mozartfest

Lumiere 2015 Durham

EXCEL LONDON 8-17 JANUARY

BATH, SOMERSET 13-21 NOVEMBER

DURHAM CITY 12-15 NOVEMBER

The 2016 London Boat Show cruises into ExCeL London on 8 January 2016. Kicking off the boating calendar, it’s the first place to see the latest trends, technologies and innovations – right at the heart of one of the World's most pioneering cities. Whether you are an enthusiast or new to boating and sailing, this London Boat Show will give you a vast range of craft to explore, from Kayak to Dinghy to Superyacht. There are hundreds of boats from small independent builders to multinational companies and their size varies from under 15 feet to over 50 feet. A

londonboatshow.com

This year celebrates the 25th anniversary for Bath Mozartfest, a gem of a festival set against the backdrop of beautiful Bath. Featuring top class international musicians, it celebrates the work of Mozart, those who influenced him and who he influenced. This wide-ranging programme sells out and achieves considerable critical acclaim. This year it features Sir András Schiff; the English Chamber Orchestra; the Jerusalem Quartet; Vassily Sinaisky with violinist Alina Ibragimova, to give just a flavour. A bathmozartfest.org.uk

Originally planned as a one-off, Lumiere has since grown into the UK’s largest outdoor light festival. Held every other year, in 2013 it was attended by a record 175,000 people over four days. This year it is returning to the beautiful medieval city of Durham for four magical nights, bringing together the world’s most innovative artists. The festival will transform the nocturnal landscape with a spectacular array of artworks all made from light. Lumiere is free to visit, but the central area will be ticketed at peak times. A lumiere-festival.com

BATH MOZARTFEST

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

EVENTS FESTIVAL OF LIGHT LONGLEAT

Festival of Light Longleat

Winter Olympia Art & Antiques Fair

Wales Rally GB

Longleat is to stage the biggest Chinese lantern festival ever seen in Europe this winter. More than 10,000 individual lanterns will transform the Wiltshire estate in to a magical winter wonderland. Many of the glowing scenes are entirely new for this year with designers taking inspiration from China’s mighty Tang and Qin dynasties. Among the illuminated artworks will be a magnificent Pagoda – created entirely out of porcelain ware, a life-size floating Dragon Boat and some stunning recreations of Longleat’s famous animal residents.

LONDON, OLYMPIA 2-8 NOVEMBER

Celebrating its 25th Year Winter Olympia Art & Antiques Fair is the flagship art and antiques event of the British winter season, coinciding with Asian Art Week in London, and is supported by both the trade associations, BADA and LAPADA. Over 120 hand-picked dealers will showcase an irresistible array of beautiful and unusual objects and works of art rich with provenance and timeless originality. Each exhibitor brings a carefully hand-selected choice of stock, sourced throughout the year and reserved especially for the fair.

Wales Rally GB is Britain’s concluding round of the dramatic 2015 FIA World Rally Championship. No fewer than 160 spectacular turbocharged machines – and their fearless drivers – will all be in high-speed action with the majority of the thrilling competitive stages taking place in the legendary Welsh Forests. However, for those not wanting to venture quite so far into Wales’ great outdoors, there is also a more family-friendly RallyFest staged at Chirk Castle. Tickets for the award-winning event are now on sale with significant discounts for those booking in advance.

LONGLEAT, WILTSHIRE 13 NOVEMBER-3 JANUARY

longleat.co.uk/festivaloflight

olympia-antiques.com

NORTH AND MID WALES 12-15 NOVEMBER

walesrallygb.com

WINTER OLYMPIA ART & ANTIQUES FAIR

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Choreographed by Christopher Hampson Music by Sergei Prokofiev

“Expressive storytelling, lovely choreography and stunning sets.” New Zealand Listener

Edinburgh Festival Theatre 5–31 Dec 2015 0131 529 6000* edtheatres.com*

Glasgow Theatre Royal 12–16 Jan 2016 0844 871 7647**

Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre 20–23 Jan 2016 01224 641122*

atgtickets.com/glasgow*

aberdeenperformingarts.com

Inverness Eden Court 27–30 Jan 2016 01463 234 234* eden-court.co.uk*

*Booking fee | **Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge. | Photography by Nisbet Wylie | Registered in Scotland No. SC065497. Scottish Charity No. SC008037.

EVENTS HEVER CASTLE AND GARDENS

November Racing Weekend

Taste of London Tobacco Dock

Christmas Around the World

ASCOT, BERKSHIRE 21-22 NOVEMBER

LONDON, TOBACCO DOCK 19-22 NOVEMBER

HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS, KENT 28 NOVEMBER –24 DECEMBER

Gather friends and family to enjoy a memorable afternoon’s Jumps racing alongside The Country Living Christmas Fair at Ascot. Between races, lose yourself in more than 30 stands featuring seasonal delicacies and beautiful handcrafted items. Plus don’t miss the opportunity to treat yourself to a delicious lunch at Ascot’s award-winning restaurant, On5. Fine dining and lunch in On5 must be booked in advance. Please see website for further details. A ascot.co.uk

Taste of London will be transforming Tobacco Dock this winter for the festive edition of the much loved culinary event. The stunning dockland warehouse at Tobacco Dock will be turned into a festive food heaven —following on from the sell out success of Taste of London in Regent’s Park in June. There will be appearances from the most exciting London restaurants, serving up taster size portions of their incredible dishes; highlight include Café Spice, Joe’s Oriental, Hix, Tredwell’s, Meatliqour and Club Gascon. A

london.tastefestivals.com

Discover how different countries from around the world celebrate Christmas and the history behind their traditions. Travel across the continents uncovering Christmas practices and rituals from various cultures. Visit the fairytale castle, walk the magical fairy lit Christmas trail, see Father Christmas and admire the beautifully lit award-winning gardens. Also highly recommended is the 5* Luxury Bed & Breakfast accommodation available within the grounds - exclusive, luxurious and award winning. A

hevercastle.co.uk

TASTE OF LONDON

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

EVENTS Freeze Big Air & International Ski

Skate at Somerset House

Freeze Big Air & International Ski

Scottish Ballet’s Cinderella

SOMERSET HOUSE, LONDON 18 NOVEMBER - 10 JANUARY

LONDON’S QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK, LONDON

FESTIVAL THEATRE EDINBURGH 5-31 DECEMBER

Somerset House is partnering with Britain's biggest ever Snowsports & Fortnum & Mason for a magical Music Event is taking place on the 14th Christmas tradition in the capital. Skate November. The Freeze Big Air event will at Somerset House will offer a host of form part of UK Sport’s National Lotexperiences to enjoy on and off the tery funded major events programme ice, from romantic dates to fun family and see over 60 of the world’s best male days out and evening celebrations with and female snowboarders and skiers friends. Club Nights bring an exciting descend on the capital’s iconic Queen twist to evenings out on the ice with DJs Elizabeth Olympic Park to take on a spinning tracks at the rink-side decks, huge real snow jump measuring 120m while Fortnum’s will host festive pop-up x 41m - that’s 15 metres longer than the The Christmas Arcade and Wembley Stadium pitch - created out Fortnum’s Lodge. of 360 tonnes of snow. A somersethouse.org.uk A freezebigair.com

Skate at Somerset House

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Scottish Ballet presents the European premiere of Christopher Hampson’s Cinderella, originally created for the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2007. Acclaimed New Zealand designer Tracy Grant Lord’s luxurious costumes and extravagant sets create a glittering fantasy world peopled with characters that are touching, funny and real. Dazzling against the light and dark of Prokofiev’s powerful score, this ravishing interpretation of the timeless rags-to-riches romance is everything you could wish for at Christmas, and more. A edtheatres.com/cinderella

New exhibition Tennis posters from the 19th century to the present day

FEEL LIKE A WIMBLEDON CHAMPION Every summer brings another exciting Championship at Wimbledon, so why not visit the award-winning Museum. With complimentary audio guides in 10 languages, learn about the history of the sport, listen to John McEnroe’s ‘ghost’ and see the new Championship trophies display. You may also take the behind the scenes tour of the grounds and explore the home of tennis, including Centre Court, for a truly inspirational experience.

Open Daily: 10:00am until 5:00pm Nearest Underground: Southfields Telephone: 020 8946 6131 The Museum Building, The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, Church Road, Wimbledon, London SW19 5AE WIMBLEDON.COM/MUSEUM

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5 7

Channel the showiest member of the animal kingdom. Incorporate rich emerald green, vibrant teal and opulent gold into your interior scheme with feathery flourishes and luxe materials. WORDS | KATRINA HARPER-LEWIS

1 Samson table lamp, £180, (lamp shade, £90), Pooky 2 Carved emerald wall mirror, £11,190, Touched Interiors 3 Eltham Chair in Lasenby Teal, £649, Marks and Spencer 4 Hand painted peacock feather bauble, £6, Marks and Spencer 5 Sapin candle, £48, Diptyque 6 Peacock feather wreath, £55, The Contemporary Home 7 Luxury peacock feather and gold leaf armoire, £16,900, Touched Interiors 8 Alhambra frame, £20, House of Fraser 9 Armour Chair, £495, Out There Interiors

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

EMPORIUM

3 4 2

Highland fling

Earthy hued tartans, natural textures and countryside motifs will give your home a touch of Gaelic chic. It’s time to evoke your inner laird or lady of the manor… WORDS | KATRINA HARPER-LEWIS

10 9

8 1 Voyage Highland Coo linen cushion, £39, Cotswold Trading 2 Wilderness two-tier antler chandelier, £895, Alexander & Pear 3 Bronze hanging stag tree decoration, £5 Lizard Orchid 4 Kintyre check charcoal stocking, £24.50, Ian Mankin 5 Whittard of Chelsea Whisky Tea, £12.00 6 Barra chair in Torrin plaid, £999, Marks and Spencer 7 Stag jewellery dish, £20, Oliver Bonas 8 Arran Melrose check and leather trunk coffee table, £1395, Alexander & Pear 9 Highland platter and bowl, from £20, House of Fraser 10 Gold effect wall mounted coat of arms, £24.95, Melody Maison 11 Winterberry check throw, £79, Marks and Spencer 12 Harris Tweed hip flask, £25, John Lewis

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

261 Fulham Road, London SW3 6HY 020 7352 5594 sales@beaumontandfletcher.com www.beaumontandfletcher.com Pompadour sofa covered in Casaleone mohair Cambridge blue Ariana bespoke hand embroidered cushions Rococo carved wall-lights

FASHION 10 ARTS

TOP

Where to go and who to look for… in November and December

Photographer: Oliver Hadlee-Pearch

Words | MELANIE ABRAMS

Editor's choice!

Hannah Weiland

Faux fur is having a fashion moment, thanks to British designer, Hannah Weiland of Shrimps. Established two years ago, her furry coats to clutches with their crazy colour combos and designs have garnered stylish fans like Laura Bailey. “Immediately we knew this was completely different,” says Roberta Benteler, founder of Avenue32.com, Shrimps’ first stockist. “Hannah made faux fur fun,” she says. Look out for this season’s quirky face prints embroidered onto fur (pictured above) and the cool denim dungarees.  shrimps.co.uk; avenue32.com

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

East London’s Alixandra Fazzina is flying the flag for British photography as she battles 11 other international photographers for this year’s Prix Pictet to be announced on 12 November by the UN’s Kofi Annan. In contention is Fazzina’s dramatic and timely photo essay on fleeing migrants from war torn Somalia. Preferring to focus on the lesser depicted human consequences of conflict, her cinematic aesthetic goes beyond traditional reportage, says Michael Benson, the prize’s director.  prixpictet.com

FASHION & ARTS

James Bond is back with the eagerly awaited Spectre. And so is the hi-tech boffin ‘Q’, played by Ben Whishaw who won plaudits for his first appearance in the role in Skyfall. “It’s a bit like doing a Shakespeare role that’s already been inhabited by many other actors,” said Whishaw whose breakthrough role was playing Hamlet in Trevor Nunn’s 2004 production at the Old Vic. Since then he’s gone on to winning an Emmy, BAFTA and other awards. Watch out for him too in BBC2’s thriller, London Spy, with Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling and the new Eddie Redmayne film, The Danish Girl. 

Spring/Summer 2016’s London Fashion Week saw new designers make their mark. Twin sisters, Mandeep and Hardeep Chohan of Nom de Mode held their first presentation. Their elegant sleeveless coats and capes with soft silks, brocade trims and intricate embroidery create a distinctive über chic look. Then there’s the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN designer, Sadie Williams whose nascent avant garde architectural silhouettes and hi tech fabrics have already won her stylish fans including Cara Delevingne.  nomdemode.com and sadiewilliams.co.uk

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

FASHION & ARTS

Sex in the City siren, Kim Cattrall is back on the London stage this November, taking the eponymous role in Penelope Skinner’s new play, Linda, at the Royal Court Theatre. “Kim and Linda share the same qualities – glamour and stature but also vulnerability,” says Skinner. Unravelling the seemingly perfect life of a 50 something businesswoman, Cattrall’s signing is testament to Skinner’s rising star status. Having won the 2011 Charles Wintour Award for the most promising playwright at the London Evening Standard Awards, Skinner has just completed her first film script, adapting her breakthrough play, The Village Bike.  Linda is on from 25 November 2015 to 9 January 2016 at the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London SW1W 8AS, 020 7565 5000, royalcourttheatre.com

Fresh from winning a best actor gong at this year’s Olivier awards for playing The Kinks’ Ray Davies in Sunday Afternoon, John Dagleish is joining the likes of Judi Dench and Zoe Wanamaker in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s inaugural season at the Garrick. Now playing a policeman in Terence Rattigan’s comic Harlequinade and a Shakespearean conman in The Winter’s Tale, Dagleish’s career has been equally diverse. He has been hardworking Alf Arless in BBC1’s costume drama, Lark Rise to Candleford to the socially inept stoner in E4’s romp Beaver Falls.  Harlequinade and The Winter’s Tale are on to 16 January 2016 at The Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0HH, 0330 333 4811 or 0844 482 9673, nimaxtheatres.com/garricktheatre and branaghtheatre.com

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

FASHION & ARTS

Two top British TV talents take to the stage this month. Swapping draughty 20th century Downton Abbey for an 18th century French château, Michelle Dockery will join The Wire’s gritty Dominic West in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at London’s Donmar Warehouse. Whilst Dockery gets the goodie-goodie role as the virtuous Madame de Tourvel, West will take a dastardly turn as the amoral Vicomte de Valmont. Grab those tickets fast.  Les Liaisons Dangereuses is on from 11 December 2015 to 13 February 2016 at the Donmar Warehouse, 41 Earlham Street, Seven Dials, London WC2H 9LX, donmarwarehouse.com, 0844 871 7624

William Welstead

Diamonds from India sparkle this season as the Victoria and Albert Museum unveils the spectacular jewels of the Al Thani collection. But these dazzling stones are not just for Maharajahs’ turbans or Cartier brooches, today’s new Brit jewellers are adapting them in surprisingly innovative ways. Take Lincolnshire born, William Welstead. He makes his simple diamond jewels pop by mixing 18th century Indian diamond cutting techniques with English design craftsmanship. Discover his new Nizam bead necklaces. Made popular by the Hyderabad royals, these stones are the shiniest around.  William Welstead, williamwelstead.com, and Bejewelled Treasures: The Al Thani Collection is on at the V&A from 21 November 2015 to 28 March 2016 Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, vam.ac.uk

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

FASHION & ARTS

Pictured right: After the Manner of Perugino, 1865, Julia Margaret Cameron © National Media Museum, Bradford / Science & Society Picture Library Pictured below: Ernest and Maggie, c.1864, Julia Margaret Cameron © National Media Museum, Bradford / Science & Society Picture Library.

Pictured left: A Study after the Manner of Francia, 1865, Julia Margaret Cameron © National Media Museum, Bradford / Science & Society Picture Library

Pictured lef: My Favourite Picture, My Niece Julia, April 1867, Julia Margaret Cameron © National Media Museum, Bradford / Science & Society Picture Library Pictured below: Group from Browning’s Sordello, July 1867, Julia Margaret Cameron © National Media Museum, Bradford / Science & Society Picture Library

The first lady of British photography, Julia Margaret Cameron, is in the spotlight as the 200th anniversary of her birth is celebrated at the Science and Victoria and Albert Museums. Her revolutionary, ethereal out of focus images immortalised Victorian society. “Her gentle light and serenity belies the psychological intensity of her images,” explains award-winning portrait photographer, Jillian Edelstein, whereas new talent Morgan White still riffs on Cameron’s close ups, drawing us deeper into his subjects from Orlando Bloom to Sienna Miller.  Julia Margaret Cameron: Influence and Intimacy is on at the Media Space, Science Museum Exhibition Rd, London SW7 2DD to 28 March 2016, 0870 870 4868, www. sciencemuseum.org.uk and at the V&A from 28 November 2015 to 21 February 2016, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, vam.ac.uk

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

FASHION & ARTS

▴ The Whitworth, and Central Exhibition Gallery, Photographer Alan Williams ▸

Museum of the year!

Installation view of The Starry Messenger, 2013, (film,18 minutes) by Bedwyr Williams. Photographer Michael Pollard. 2015.

◀ Cornelia Parker's opening show at the Whitworth

Dorothea Tanning, 'De Quel Amour', 1970. Courtesy Centre Pompidou and Musee National d'Art Moderne

Cornelia Parker's Cold Dark Matter, The Whitworth, © Alan Williams

Cornelia parker. 'Black Path (Bunhill Fields)' 2013. Courtesy the artist and Frith Street Gallery

Anne Wilson, 'Dispersions (no. 27)', detail. Courtesy Toms Pauli Foundation

Ghada Amer, 'Sunset With Words-RFGA', 2013.

The Hacienda used to be Manchester’s cultural hotspot, now it’s the Whitworth Art Gallery. Over 200,000 visitors have poured in since February’s re-opening after a £15 million facelift. “The galleries are noisy with people of all ages talking about the work,” says Cornelia Parker whose ordinary objects-turned-sculptures were the gallery’s inaugural show. Iconic works by JMW Turner to Tracey Emin form the diverse 55,000-strong permanent collection, whilst Bedwyr Williams’ trippy cosmic installation is on show now. “The new gallery is for Everyman,” he says. Little wonder the Whitworth is the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year.  Whitworth Art Gallery, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER, 0161 275 7450, whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

Pictured above (left-right): Detail view of The Northern Hemisphere, 2013 (mixed media) by Bedwyr Williams; Installation view of artworks selected from the Whitworth’s collection by Bedwyr Williams, 2015; Installation view of The Starry Messenger, 2013, by Bedwyr Williams; Installation view of The Northern Hemisphere, 2013 (mixed media) by Bedwyr Williams. Photographer of all images Michael Pollard.

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

THE ROYAL MINT

MADE in BRITAIN

We take a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the creation of our nation’s coins and medals – and the artists who make them possible! Words | ROBIN GLOVER

et in a Valley near Llantrisant, South Wales, since 1968, The Royal Mint is not only responsible for all the coins supplied into the UK’s monetary system but now produces 15% of all the coins in the World. In addition, ever since 1815, it has been proud to manufacture medals, awards and commemorative issues, including all the medals awarded at the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics! The history of minting British coinage goes back more than 1000 years, to the days of Alfred the Great, but there were many mints around the nation at the time and only with the establishment of The Royal Mint in 1279, in the Tower of London, could the unification process begin. As the political turmoil of the Middle Ages calmed, The Royal Mint established, during the 16th Century, the monopoly that exists today. Expanding national and

international demand led to a new factory being built in 1812, on Tower Hill, but this too, with decimalisation looming, reached capacity and it was decided to move the Mint from London to Wales. We were invited into the inner sanctum to meet Gordon Summers, who has worked at the Mint since 1993, becoming Chief Engraver in 2010. His team consists of 8 engravers and 6 master tool makers, working to an accuracy of 1 micron (one-thousandth of a millimetre), but, before there is any engineering to be done, the designs have to be individually drawn, by hand, subjected to scrutiny by Gordon and revised as necessary. Selection of the winning design is the responsibility of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, choosing from a number of proposals. :

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

THE ROYAL MINT

“The good news is that, in the spring of 2016, a multi-million pound Visitor Centre will be opened on the site” Entries to these competitions are usually by invitation only although, as in the case of the new £1 coin, it may be made open to any design studio. Only then will a times-twelve plaster cast of the proposed coin be produced, with computer assistance, for even more detailed scrutiny, before tools and dies are made, with manual fine-detail, and a sample coin generated. During our visit, Gordon proudly showed us the actual original drawing, by Royal Mint Engraver Jody Clark, of the latest image of Queen Elizabeth 11, to be used on the special-issue coins commemorating her achievement of becoming, on 9th September 2015, our longest-serving monarch and on all UK circulating coins from 2016. Jody’s place in artistic history, just like Ian Rank-Broadley before him, will be secured by the appearance of his initials, in minute print, underneath the Royal image. It is to be regretted that the vast majority will handle the coins without giving any regard to the artistic talent which goes into their manufacture. You will probably need a magnifying-glass, but take a look! In every sector of human activity, there will be an unsavoury element seeking to take advantage of the unwary and the counterfeiting of coins has become an international scourge. Indeed, of the 1.5 billion £1 coins, currently in circulation, it is estimated that 3% are worthless forgeries!

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Given the prime ranking of our Royal Mint, it is not surprising that it is at the forefront of designing coins to confound the criminals and, by 2017, newly-designed £1 coins will be issued, with secret, built-in security features, some obvious and some invisible, to make replication either impossible or commercially unviable. If there is any spare capacity, after the UK demand is met, we suspect there will be international interest in this advanced British technology. Since 1968, general access within the hallowed walls has been severely limited, and security is firmly maintained by armed members of the Ministry of Defence Police - hardly surprising, given the enormous value of the finished products, as well as the vast amount of precious metals used in the manufacturing process. The good news is that, in the spring of 2016, a multi-million pound Visitor Centre will be opened on the site, allowing the public to view the historic collection and admire the skills, artistry and machinery needed to mass-produce the ‘pounds in our pocket’. In further moves to capitalise on the unique quality of the finished article and the burgeoning global market for fine gold and silver, The Royal Mint has both introduced a new fineness of Britannia bullion coins and provides, through royalmintbullion.com, a facility for customers to buy, store and sell bullion coins and Royal Mint gold and silver bars, even purchasing a small portion of a large bar! 

The Longest Reigning Monarch

Celebrate a reign like no other The Longest Reigning Monarch 2015 UK Five-Ounce Silver and Gold Proof Coin On 9 September 2015 Her Majesty The Queen will become Britain’s Longest Reigning Monarch. The Royal Mint invites you to join us in celebrating a date that will become part of UK history and be remembered on Britain’s coins. • Features a specially commissioned portrait design that will not feature on circulating coins • Struck in either 999 fine gold or 999 fine silver • Only 1,000 five-ounce silver Proof coins will be struck • Limited Edition Presentation of 170 five-ounce gold Proof coins

Prices from £395* Online: royalmint.com/monarch

Phone: 0845 450 38 06

(For FREE UK delivery please enter the Promotional Code P1611T on Your Basket page).

(Lines open 9am-6pm Monday-Sunday Please quote P1611T when placing your order).

*Price from £395 is based on the 2015 UK five-ounce silver Proof coin. Coins shown are not actual size. Full specifications are available on request. Packaging may change without notice. Prices may change due to fluctuations in raw material prices. Limited Edition Presentation is the maximum number of coins, presented in this specific style, that will be issued. Maximum Coin Mintage is the maximum number of coins that will be issued. © The Royal Mint Limited 2015

P1611T

Jaguar’s Driving

AMBITION

Why 2016 promises to be the year of the Big Cats. Words | GARETH HERINCX

ar makers don’t come much more iconic than Jaguar – a British sporting marque which has been celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2015. The reality is that Jaguar has almost been too busy to mark the motoring milestone. In a whirlwind year, three hugely important new models have been launched. Two of the new cars – the “baby” Jaguar XE and the larger XF – are sporting saloons, primarily aimed at breaking the stranglehold German giants Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi have in the executive sector. The third is the F-Pace – Jaguar’s first 4x4 SUV – or “performance crossover” as the Coventry-based firm prefers to call it. A lot rides on the success of these three models, along with the range-topping XJ and the award-winning F-Type sports car launched in 2013. :

Pictured above: Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar, with E-Type at 1961 Geneva launch

Jaguar XF

Jaguar XE

A YEAR TO REMEMBER The closest Jaguar came to celebrating its 80th birthday was at the Mille Miglia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the legendary Italian road race â&#x20AC;&#x201C; staged last May. Nine of the marque's most legendary 1950s models were driven by famous names including celebrity chef James Martin in a D-Type, while the supermodel duo of Jodie Kidd and David Gandy teamed up in an XK120 roadster. Jaguar F-Pace

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Pictured: Jodi Kidd and David Gandy in the XK120 roadster, and James Martin in a D-Type

Pictured left: Jodi Kidd and David Gandy with the XK120 roadster

Images of Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar

BIG CATS

HERITAGE Although Jaguar as a name was adopted in 1935, the company’s origins can be traced back to the Swallow Sidecar Company, co-founded by 21-year-old William Lyons in 1922. Knighted in 1956, Lyons steered Jaguar through the glory years of the 1930s through to the 1960s, overseeing iconic models such as the SS 100, XK120, Mark 2, C-Type and D-type. Not forgetting the greatest of them all - the E-Type - "the most beautiful car ever made” according to Enzo Ferrari. During the 1950s, Jaguar’s motorsport roll of honour included five wins at the Le Mans 24-hour race and victory at the Monte Carlo Rally. By the mid-sixties, Jaguar had become part of the British Motor Corporation, which later morphed into the nationalised British Leyland, and the brand was in a desperate state during the 1970s, especially after Sir William Lyons retired in 1972.

BACK FROM THE BRINK Jaguar was rescued by new chairman John Egan in 1980 and by 1985 the now independent company was stable again – appropriately the year of Sir William’s death. Ford bought Jaguar in 1989 with mixed results, before selling to present owners Tata Motors of India in 2008. Now, after years of consolidation, investment and planning under Tata, Jaguar is back with a range of acclaimed new models all designed, engineered and built in Britain.

Jaguar saloons have always been renowned for their combination of ride comfort and driving dynamics and the new XE and XF are no exception. The smaller XE squares up against the mighty Mercedes C-Class, BMW 3-Series and Audi A4 in the compact executive sector. “Great proportions and a dynamic edgy feel are at the core of Jaguar design,” explains Ian Callum, Jaguar’s Director of Design. “We wanted to create a strong sense of movement, and have given the XE a dynamic and purposeful look that is without compromise. “Sleek, low, coupé-like exterior proportions combine with an efficient package that is instantly recognisable as a true Jaguar." The XF battles it out in the larger executive sector with the big-selling BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6. “Elegant, handsome and with proportions that imbue a great sense of integrity – the all-new XF will be true to the strong tradition of sporting Jaguar saloons while being completely of its time,” adds Callum. The new F-PACE, Jaguar’s first SUV, will tread new ground for Jaguar in a burgeoning new sector. “It offers a unique combination of Jaguar sports car inspired exterior design, fused beautifully with a thoroughly practical and spacious luxury interior. The F-Pace is our family sports car,” explains Callum, who joined the company in 1999. He has now designed the complete Jaguar range of cars which also utilise the latest in lightweight aluminium materials and powerful yet economical engines. Jaguar has arguably never been in better shape. And one thing’s for sure - 2016 will be a crucial year with potentially enormous sales up for grabs, not just in the UK, but Europe, America, and emerging markets including China. 

Images of Sir William Lyons, founder of Jaguar, and the iconic Jaguar E-Type

“A car is the closest thing we will ever create to something that is alive” – the vision of Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons.

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

THE HOUSE THAT KATE BUILT

When it opened ten years ago, The Lakes by Yoo set a precedent for urban style in a country setting. Now a new project - which sees fashion superstar Kate Moss turn her hand to interiors - will take this luxury-design-meets-country-living concept to a whole new level. Chairman John Hitchcox shows Emma Johnson around. Words | EMMA JOHNSON

ohn Hitchcox is everything you’d expect from someone who counts Simon le Bon, Kate Moss and Jade Jagger amongst his friends – charismatic, mischievous, very cool – but also down-to-earth and refreshingly pragmatic. He came up with the concept for The Lakes, he tells me, after finding himself trudging around Regent’s Park, two young children in tow, thinking, ‘There has to be something better than this’. “I wrestled with where I wanted to raise my children. I was a total urbanite, but I wanted the kids to be brought up in the country – somewhere they could play outside, explore woodland, go sailing. For years I had a real jostle about where we should live.” The answer, it seems, was The Lakes – a place where parents could come with their children, at weekends and during school holidays, and pick up as much country living as they could, while enjoying the benefits of a life in London too. “The idea was to create somewhere you could come and get all the luxuries you were used to in a hotel or an urban environment, but in the country.” :

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Images by Mel Yates

“With the lake houses, we built them on the water, so your garden is the lake. Here we’ve got an acre of land to play with in each plot. I’m even thinking about building treehouses…”

Picture above: Chairman John Hitchcox and Kate Moss outside the front door of The Barnhouse at The Lakes by Yoo Main image: Living Room, Right: Staircase, Guest bedroom, Children’s room

Hitchcox found the site in 1999, and in 2008, after numerous years of planning machinations, work began. It was no small venture. What was previously a barren 650-acre gravel pit expanse is now a beautiful secluded setting, complete with a wealth of natural wildlife and stunning scenery, with 90 lakeside homes nestled amongst over 500,000 indigenous trees. A little bit reminiscent of parts of north America, or even the Scandinavian forests, The Lakes feels very unique. Plots are available to purchase – both on the lakes and now in the woodland areas - and houses can be designed from a range of layouts and styles, making each house bespoke. “Our only restrictions are to make sure each house blends in with the scenery, so it feels harmonious,” Hitchcox explains. “And we insist on using entirely local materials – larch from local farms, Cotswold stone, for instance.” Even though the development feels like it has naturally evolved into its landscape, it is clear that the level of planning and precision is second-to-none. And, what is perhaps most unique about The Lakes is the way that a community has sprung up amongst residents here, despite there being over 90 houses spread across 650 acres. Saturday evenings during the summer sees a communal barbeque in the woods, where everyone pitches in, while the well-attended spa provides a space for parents and children to relax or keep fit and woodland activities educate and entertain children during the holidays. There are plans to introduce a restaurant or bar offering in the next couple of years. “Everyone feels like they’re part of things here. We wanted to build a community and have residents be part of those things they care about. And that’s what we’ve got here – a group of likeminded people, most are from London, but with an international flair. Now our residents all know each other, and they appreciate that – they know what it’s like to be in a new country and start again with the social life.” And it’s not only their social life that is taken care of. Because of the nature of the development, maintenance issues are dealt with centrally and the Lakes’ concierge :

Images by Mel Yates

Pictured (above): Living room view, Dining area, (below): Master bedroom Opposite page: Pool area and exterior of The Barnhouse

“Kate lives down here,”says Hitchcox.“And she seems to know what works. When we first started talking about this,I walked around her house and said, ‘This place is really cool, you should design something for us’. service means you can organise a wealth of activities and services from your own home, including having your fridge pre-stocked before you arrive and your fire lit. “I suppose it’s almost the opposite of the country pile,” says Hitchcox. “You don’t have maintenance and management issues, your house is looked after when you’re away and when you arrive the place is ready for you.” With the new woodland houses, this concept of a country

mansion without the maintenance headache is more pertinent than ever. The Cotswold stone Barnhouse – the first of its kind on the site and a departure from the other lakeside homes – will eventually be part of a wooded enclave totalling 25 acres, in the centre of The Lakes development. With water on all sides, and hundreds of trees surrounding each acre plot, these new woodland houses will offer a real sense of secluded luxury and

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

boast an enviable amount of space to boot. “With the lake houses, we built them on the water, so your garden is the lake. Here we’ve got an acre of land to play with in each plot. I’m even thinking about building treehouses…” smiles Hitchcox. As we talk, sitting in the impressive double-height sitting room, looking out to the garden and the lake beyond, the autumn rain is lashing against the floor-to-ceiling

windows. How has Hitchcox and his team rationalised this indoor/outdoor living that their designs seem to encapsulate, with the inevitable British drizzle? “There are little details in the house throughout that lend themselves to that,” he says, jumping up and taking me into a smaller, second sitting room with glass walls on two sides. “These open completely, so the whole room changes and you’ve got that real sense of being outside, even if the weather means you’re inside. Suddenly the entire house becomes completely open – and you start to live outside more.” It is clear that every detail has been considered here. Even if it is Kate Moss’s first foray into interior design, it’s a confident one, with real splashes of inspiration: a painted pea-

cock darts across a skirting board, a vintage record player encourages you to stop and sit, and a striking image of Moss herself, dressed in a figure-squeezing gold lamé suit dominates the main landing. It could feel affected, out-of-place in this quiet Cotswolds enclave, and yet, it fits somehow, despite its starry aspirations. “Well, Kate lives down here,” says Hitchcox. “And she seems to know what works. When we first started talking about this, I walked around her house and said, ‘This place is really cool, you should design something for us’. We talked about several different projects, and then she came down here one day, and saw The Barnhouse and loved it – she said it reminded her of Johnny

Cash’s woodland house. It just seemed like a great place to start. It wasn’t too big, a nice intro into what Kate could do.” And, by all accounts, this new direction into interiors has been a successful one for the model, and the team at The Lakes. As a local girl, it’s clear Kate Moss has an eye for the Cotswold style. “She’s a perfect fit really – local influence with an international outlook. And she’s done a brilliant job. We’ve had a great reaction. It was quite a brave leap for us, something completely different from the lake houses. But I’m thrilled with it… I want to move in,” finishes Hitchcox.  To enquire about ownership visit thelakesbyyoo.com - or call 01367 250 066.

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

TAILORED LIVE THE BOND LIFESTYLE IN BRITAIN visitbritain.com/spectre

O N L Y

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C I N E M A S

GlamourEdits H O W

T O

S U R V I V E

T H E

W I N T E R !

FA S H I O N / I N T E R I O R S / J E W E L L E R Y / G I F T S / S T Y L E

DECADENCE

BY ANNA-KARIN KARLSSON

Decadence has been the theme of Anna-Karin Karlisson’s Designs for 2015. The collection is full of wanton luxury and opulence. Karlisson’s work is characterised by excess and indulgence in pleasure, where more is definitely always more! Perfect for Winter glam, these Decadence Acetate and Swarovski Crystal sunglasses pictured here are priced €1200, available from Fenwick or Net-a-porter online. A annakarinkarlsson.com : EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | September/October 15 47

EMPORIUM COLOURS

THE

RAINBOW

Editor's choice!

we love...

6 7

COLOURS OF THE RAINBOW 1 Rainbow mules, £495, Malone Souliers at matchesfashion.com 2 Starburst multi vixen scarf, £120, helenmoore.com 3 Editor's Choice - Not met Raey yet? Let us introduce you. The in-house label from powerhouse fashion retailer Matches Fashion is all about luxe fabrics cut in timeless and androgynous silhouettes. Think boring things made instantly interesting and wearable for the rest of your life - this coat shouts easy-peasy luxury and is lovely to stroke. Coat, £550, Matchesfashion.com 4 Emerald and white gold ring, £14,750, shaunleane.com 5 Mixed precious stones bracelet, £4,900, pippasmall.com 6 Gold and sapphire Rapunzel ring, £2,080, pollywales.com 7 The New Signature Touch - Grape Lizard, £7,300, vertu.com 8 Bathurst leather bag, £1,295, anyahindmarch.com 9 English Bluebell by Yardley, £14.99, yardleylondon.co.uk

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

EMPORIUM SILVER

AND

GOLD

Coffee table craving

Whether you’re a gemstone geek or just looking for a swish new addition to your coffee table, you’re going to want the epic new book from iconic British jeweller, Graff. It documents founder Laurence Graff’s lifelong progression, from establishing his own jewellery house at just twenty two years old to becoming one of the world’s leading jewellers, all via puzzlingly beautiful photographs of Graff’s signature gobstopper jewels. A £65, rizzoliusa.com

PARTY FEET

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Editor's choice!

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SILVER & GOLD 1 Graff book, £65, rizzoliusa.com 2 Anouk pointy toe pump, £425, harrods.com 3 Kensington High Heel Pump in Metallic Mushroom Goat, £360, mulberry.com 4 Platform sandals, £575, Nicholas Kirkwood at matchesfashion.com 5 The Midi Marylebone Tote, £850, aspinaloflondon.com 6 Editor's Choice - The Langley True Reversible collection offers luxurious scarves with a complementary colour on either side making them extremely versatile. 75% Lambswool and 25% Angora - they are super soft and luxurious to the touch. £90.00, beggandcompany.com 7 Beatriz Carnaval Diamond Pendant, £13,950.00, cassandragoad.com 8 Zara Martin Python Headphones, £35.00, skinnydiplondon.com 9 Jo Loves Christmas Trees limited edition collection Room Fragrance, £39 and Scented Candle, £45, jomalone.co.uk 10 The Soveriegn Ladies Watch, £275, ospreylondon.com 11 The Regent Beau Brummell Tourbillon Pocket Watch, £POA, backesandstrauss.com

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

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JEWELLERY BOX 1 Yellow Gold Rose Cut Diamond Starry Night Star Pendant, £534.99, diamond star earrings, £545, and bracelet, £345, londonroadjewellery.co.uk 2 Rose diamond pendant in rose gold, £2,500, pragnell.co.uk 3 Vintage Snowflake earrings, £5,760, biiju.com 4 Green Jade and diamond drop earrings set in platinum, £18,810, davidmarshalllondon.com 5 Feather Bangle in White Gold, £15,830 and Feather Diamond Pendant, £5210, davidmarshalllondon.com 6 Diamond and Peridot Bombe Ring, £5,900, kiki.co.uk 7 Black and white diamonds in 18 carat rose gold, £1,650, pragnell.co.uk 8 White gold and emerald earrings, £10,500, stephenwebster.com 9 Gold Over The Rainbow ring, POA, theofennell.com 10 Secret Garden Opal Ring, £51,250, davidmarshalllondon.com

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

www.londonroadjewellery.co.uk Telephone: 0844 8718454

LUXE BODY WASH APPLE & BEARS True style starts in the bathroom Find out more at appleandbears.com

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Editor's choice!

BECAUSE HE'S WORTH IT! 1 Timeless watches, inspired by the British seaside, £125, shoreprojects.com. 2 Cotton jumper, £65, Old Harry, oldharry.com. 3 Body wash, £13, The Gentleman Range, harveynichols.com. 4 Shave cream, £3.50, Bulldog, meetthebulldog.com. 5 Handmade woven belt, £55, Brydon Brothers, brydonbrothers.com. 6 John Lobb, Fowey Leather Ankle Boot, £1,500, harrods.com. 7 Heritage Nut Bank Lid-over Attaché Case, £3,465, ettinger.co.uk 8 Have your favourite furry face printed onto your your choice of silk. Silk pocket square, £295, turnbullandasser.co.uk. 9 Derek Rose’s satin cotton pyjamas are the ultimate luxury nightwear, £146, Derek Rose, derek-rose.com. 10 Copper cufflinks. Made in a British aerospace factory, from a single bar of copper, £110, Alice Made This at mrporter.com. 11 Simply Sartorial socks, £149, London Sock Company, londonsockcompany.com.

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

PIP HOWESON

Interview with Pip Howeson

QUEEN OF COATS & BRITISH TWEED Pip Howeson makes stylish, elegantly tailored, bespoke coats and jackets, a wonderfully British synthesis of urban chic and traditional country house practicality

WORDS: Diana Woolf

0 something Pip Howeson is charming, chatty and completely passionate about old-fashioned tailoring. She bubbles over with enthusiasm, telling me all in one breath both about the skill involved in making the curved sleeves of a 1930s riding habit as well as the cut of a Russian cavalry officer’s vintage coat. ‘You can do amazing things with seams and panels’ she laughs.

Howeson was always interested in fashion, inspired perhaps by her naval father’s uniforms, although she has no formal training in textiles (she studied agriculture at Cirencester Agricultural College). After leaving college she had a series of different jobs, each one helping build up the practical skills needed as a tailor and a successful entrepreneur. She spent some time working at the fashion brand Jack Wills as well as doing a stint with the interior decorator Nicky Haslam. Next she worked for four years with :

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

PIP HOWESON

the fashion designer Selina Blow. ‘It was really hard core, but it was a great experience and I learnt so much from her’ says Howeson. In effect an old-fashioned apprenticeship, it was here that she learnt her all-important cutting skills under the eagle eye of their inhouse Savile Row-trained pattern cutter. This was followed by a year at David Feilden, the wedding dress designer. Although Howeson learnt a lot here, she didn’t really enjoy the experience: ‘It was all chiffon and bias cut and not enough about structure and tailoring’, she explains. And so in 2012, with much encouragement from her husband and the flimsy security provided by a short business course, she took the plunge and set up her own bespoke tailoring business. The early days were extremely hard. ‘It’s hugely tough starting a business’, she says, but three years on the business is thriving and last year Howeson was selected for the prestigious Walpole Crafted Class. She now lives with her husband Robin and Labrador puppy Henny in Islington and works from home, with forays out to visit clients or attend fairs. And although she exchanged her tractor for a sewing machine long ago, she’s still a country girl at heart, and says that trips to her Oxfordshire cottage and her riding (when she has time) keep her sane. In fact, a deep-seated love of the countryside permeates Howeson’s work as she finds inspiration in the colours and traditions of the British landscape and will only work with natural fabrics. Her material of choice is Harris tweed: ‘I love the romance of it and the fact that it’s still made in the crofters’ homes in the Outer Hebrides’ she says. Other materials used are tweeds mixed with cashmere sourced

Her material of choice is Harris tweed: ‘I love the romance of it and the fact that it’s still made in the crofters’ homes in the Outer Hebrides’ she says.

Framed images (top left) Sculptor Nic Fiddian Green wearing his finished Pip Howeson coat in Harris tweed photographed by Peter Johnston (top right) Stephen Fry's Brompton with velvet elbow patches photographed by Shamil Tanna (above and below) Nic Fiddian Green being fitted for his bespoke coat photograph by David Evans.

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

from Ireland, lambswool and silk which she uses for linings. Howeson’s business is all about using her considerable technical skill as pattern cutter to create clothes that perfectly fit both her clients’ bodies and their lifestyles. Once the initial consultation process is completed, Howeson makes a calico – a cotton version of the coat - to check the fit, and when she and the client are happy with this, it’s taken apart and used as a template for the final piece in their chosen fabric. Specially selected details such as buttons, linings, collars, cuffs and trimmings are all added later. It’s an incredibly labour-intensive process but the results are fantastic and clearly give both Howeson and her clients a great sense of satisfaction. ‘I love being able to take someone’s insecurity away and make them feel special when wearing one of my coats’ she says. Each client is different - be it a rower with one arm bigger than the other, or a lady recovering from breast cancer who wanted a coat that would draw attention away from her chest - and each one requires a different solution. The sculptor Nic Fiddian Green asked for an overcoat ‘big enough to wrap his wife in’ and with an extra large pocket for his sketch book, while Stephen Fry wanted a jacket with leather patches ‘like a geography teacher’ – requests which Howeson was, of course, delighted to accommodate. So what does Howeson wear herself? Jeans, a silk shirt, vintage Ferragamo pumps and her own label ‘Alice’ jacket. ‘It’s a lovely box jacket, made out of soft cashmere so super easy to wear and as it’s got ¾ length sleeves I can keep my hands free’ she tells me - a perfect example of her brand’s subtle mix of practicality, tailored elegance and quietly restrained luxury. 

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Pictured: Grey jumpsuit, £445, Joseph, joseph-fashion.com; Yellow gold beaded stacking ring, £250, Rose gold beaded stacking ring, £250, Yellow gold and diamond ring, £400, all HALL, hall-collection.com.

A WINTER'S ROSE Mix fabrics and textures this season for a fresh and chic approach to winter dressing. Soft silks paired with wool and cashmere in pastel pinks and neutral tones will see you through the colder months in style.

PHOTOGRAPHS | DOMINIC NICHOLLS STYLING | HANNAH MACLEOD

Pictured (left): Jumper, £270, Equipment, net-a-porter.com. Pictured (opposite page): A-symmetric jumper, £575, Stella McCartney, selridges.com; Trousers, £460, Vilshenko, vilshenko.com; Jacket, £610, Carven, 85 Pelham Street, London; Rings, Yellow gold beaded stacking ring, £250, Rose gold beaded stacking ring, £250, both from HALL, hall-collection.com.

Pictured (this page): Shirt, £332, Tibi, tibi.com; Jeans, £235, MiH, mih-jeans.com; Earrings, £630, Brooke Gregson, brookegregson. com; Necklace, £400, HALL, hall-collection.com. Pictured (opposite page): Grey wool jumper, £375, Tibi, net-a-porter.com; Silk skirt, £150, Isabel Marant Etoile, Selfridges.com; Trainers, £80, Adidas Originals, adidas.co.uk; Earrings, £630, Brooke Gregson, brookegregson.com; Socks, £9, topshop.com.

Pictured (opposite page): Silk camisole, £375, Charlie Brear, avenue32.com; Trousers, £445, Joseph, joseph-fashion.com; Cardigan, £350, Dries Van Noten, Selfridges.com; Necklace, £400, HALL, hall-collection.com; Earrings, £630, Brooke Gregson, brookegregson.com; Yellow gold beaded stacking ring, £250, Rose gold beaded stacking ring, £250, yellow gold and diamond ring, £400, all from HALL, hall-collection.com. Pictured (right): Grey jumpsuit, £445, Coat, £675, both Joseph, joseph-fashion.com; Neck scarf, stylist’s own; Necklace, £400, HALL, hall-collection.com.

Pictured (this page): Shirt, £332, Tibi, tibi.com; skirt, £635, Vilshenko, vilshenko.com; Belt, stylist’s own; Trainers, £80, Adidas Originals, adidas.co.uk; Earrings, £630, Brooke Gregson, brookegregson.com; Necklace, £400, HALL, hall-collection.com. Pictured (opposite page): Skirt, £1090, ThePerfext, avenue32.com; Shirt, £225, Joseph, joseph-fashion.com; Jumper, £265, Joseph, joseph-fashion.com; Boots, £557, Laurence Dacade, modaoperandi.com.

Photographer: Dominic Nicholls Stylist: Hannah Macleod @ Frank Agency Hair Stylist: Alex Price @ Frank Agency using L’Oreal MUA: Jade Leggat @ S:Management using MAC Stylist’s Assistant: Gemma Carmichael Photographer’s Assistant: Toby Buckingham Model: Jazmine Hikaka @ IMG Shot on location: Cobham Hall, Cobham, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 3BL (cobhamhall.com)

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WATERFORD MIXOLOGY

MAD MEN EDITION DECANTER

To honour a show that is critically acclaimed for historical authenticity, Waterford paid close attention to period detail. Like the era it celebrates, Mixology Mad Men Edition is neither subtle nor inconspicuous. That is clear right from the traditional, deep cutting and heft of each piece of crystal. Bands of rich gold and precious platinum - wide as the lapels of Don Draper's tailored suits - accent each indulgently rendered piece. A ÂŁ270, Houseology :

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | September/October 15

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

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CREATORS OF FINE, BESPOKE WINE CELLARS, WALLS & PODS

DEFINING YOUR HOME OF FINE WINE v 020 8677 8230 v cellarmaison.com

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decanters

Bring a hint of Downton decadence to festive drinks parties. As well as enhancing the flavours of your favourite wines and spirits, a decanter can make a real style statement and create a sense of occasion. WORDS | KATRINA HARPER-LEWIS

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5 1 Waterford mixology Mad Men edition decanter, £270, Houseology 2 Hobnail objet small, £45, Marks and Spencer 3 Newport Decanter, £198, Johnathan Adler 4 William Yeoward crystal fern tall decanter, £475, Amara 5 Waterford Crystal mixology decanter, £240, John Lewis 6 Sagaform schnapps decanter and shot glasses, £21.95, Scandinavian Shop 7 Tank decanter, £95, Tom Dixon 8 LSA Julia Decanter, £50, Black by Design 9 Navy crystal decanter, £154, Joanna Wood 10 Oscar de la Renta tortoise amber ships decanter, £246, Amara

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

SPARKLING WINES Words | CLAIRE PITCHER

FOOD & DRINK

HE BIRTHPLACE of cricket, Hambledon village in the Meon Valley, Hampshire, is also home to England’s oldest vineyard. Dating back to 1952, the first vines were planted by Sir Guy Sailsbury-Jones, who still lives on the estate. It’s a beautiful place. You can see Mill Down House from the road, perched on a hill, overlooking row and after row of vines sweeping down to flat ground. It has a real presence, a grandeur reminiscent of chateaux in France, but with its own, uniquely English style. Those vines planted by Sir Guy no longer grow at Hambledon, as production shrank in the 90s. It was today’s owner and trained biochemist, Ian Kellett, who decided to grow grapes for sparkling wine. Ian had the soil tested and conducted a lot of research himself on the chalk soil in Champagne. In 2004 he planted a test bed of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, and in 2008, there was a reasonable harvest. With no winery on site at the time, he sold the grapes. In 2009 he sold them again to a vineyard that produced a wine that won a gold award. Realising the quality of juice he had, Ian took the next harvest to a winery and brought it back by tanker – labelled Mill Down, you can still buy a bottle from that 2010 year.

Image courtesy of Nyetimber

QUINTESSENTIAL QUALITY Vineyard Assistant Steve Lowrie and Construction Manager Phil Kellett are the perfect double act (as well as highly experienced in wine production) for a tour of this stunning estate, which not only grows its vines over 20 hectares of chalk landscape but, since 2011, also produces it in the high tech winery on site. Here, it’s all about creating the finest English Sparkling Wines with as little intervention as possible Their immoveable attention to detail is paying off too; in blind taste tests with what is considered the very best Champagne, even the world experts prefer Hambledon. So why aren’t we all drinking it? Why do we still opt for a £120 Dom Pérignon rather than a £42.50 Hambledon Premiere Cuvee? Steve has a theory: “For starters, Champagne has benefited from 200 years of marketing. And unfortunately English wine did itself a disservice in a way because we tried to produce still wines, which is not conducive to this country’s climate; it’s not warm enough to ripen the grapes. For sparkling wine, you don’t

Above left-right. Ian Kellet and Steve Lowrie

want the grapes to be over ripe, you need the acidity.” As more and more English vineyards bring their sparkling wines to farmers’ markets, restaurants, shops, bars and major events our refined British tastebuds are beginning to appreciate it: “They’re not drinking it because it’s patriotic, they’re drinking it because it’s good quality,” says Phil.

LEADING THE WAY There are four ‘houses’ in Europe that actually grow and produce their own wines and all of them in the UK: “None of the big Champagne houses grow and manufacture their own,” Phil reveals. And this isn’t the only shock news: “The small producers in Champagne make their own bottles and then sell the rest (the scraps) of their grapes to the ‘big boys’,” says Steve. “They openly admit this. The Crus, Bollinger, to name just two, are not getting the best juice. This is why people are now turning to English - the taste is far superior to Champagne.”

THE SCIENCE BIT As the popularity of sparkling wine grows, it’s usual practice for vineyards to buy grapes from elsewhere. They need to make a lot of wine but there aren’t enough vines in the ground. “They’re making good wines,” reassures Steve, “but we want to set ourselves apart.” At Hambledon, during harvest, it takes less than five hours from pick to press: “We also have a gravity fed winery, the only one in the UK,” explains Phil. “It’s the least intervention method as pumping changes the wine’s molecular structure, effectively giving it an electrical charge. In Champagne, they pump at least seven times throughout the whole process. Whether this is a good or bad thing we don’t really know, we’ve just opted for a less is more route.” It’s only been four years since Hambledon became self sufficient, but they have grand plans for the future. “We want to be a one-million-bottle-a-year business,” proclaims : EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Phil. “We have vines in the ground to bring us up to 375,000 bottles a year, but we have to extend and get more vines.” In the meantime, there’s a much greater motivation for the team in Hampshire: “Ultimately we don’t want the man of the match at Lord’s waving a bottle of Champagne, we want him waving a bottle of English sparkling wine!” www.hambledonvineyard.co.uk

Other English sparkling wines… Camel Valley, Nanstallon, Cornwall

“My parents first planted vines here at Camel Valley in 1989 and first made wine in 1992,” says wine maker Sam Lindo. “Our inclement British weather is perfect for growing grapes suited for sparkling. We need a higher acidity and a lighter flavour and this is exactly what you get with less ripeness.” Sam insists that sparkling wine has always been good in England, “but there didn't used to be as much”. In fact, English sparkling wine has been awarded best in the world more than 10 times: “There is a lot of talk about how good it is,” he points out. “There are also lots more producers making a lot more wine, so more people know about it.” Sam’s choice for Christmas Day lunch: “For a starter, I would choose smoked salmon and cream cheese on mini bagels matched with Camel Valley Pinot Noir Rose Brut. What gives me the greatest pleasure is drinking our wine on Christmas Day on our sun terrace overlooking the vineyard thinking about all the other people in the world enjoying our wine at the same time.” And New Year? “Annie's Anniversary Brut is top of my list.” camelvalley.com

Nyetimber, West Chiltington, West Sussex The Nyetimber Estate first planted vines in 1988 and was the first vineyard in the UK to plant the three celebrated grape varieties found in Champagne. The first vintage was in 1992; Cherie Spriggs, Head Winemaker, recalls her first taste: “It was in 2001 and I felt it was something really special - unlike anything I’d tried elsewhere in the world.” Overlooking the South Downs, the Nyetimber site is the perfect place to produce these wines, “plus each Nyetimber vineyard meets a long list of specific criteria including soil type,

microclimate and aspect, all of which give our grapes their unique character,” points out Cherie. It’s been a busy year for Nyetimber. In May, they launched their Classic Cuvee 2010 vintage, which won a gold medal at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships. “We’ve established some fantastic new brand partnerships too, with Land Rover, Ben Ainslie Racing and Goodwood Racecourse, to name a few. Cherie’s choice for Christmas Day Lunch: “For me, Christmas day is not complete without roast turkey and all the trimmings. I would most certainly serve Nyetimber’s Rosé 2009. It’s the ideal companion to roast turkey and cranberry sauce. And New Year? “Nyetimber’s Classic Cuvee. We released our 2010 vintage earlier this year, which is a wonderfully elegant and complex wine.” nyetimber.com

Gusbourne Estate, Appledore, Kent “Our Kent and West Sussex vineyards enjoy a climate which has close parallels to Champagne, but with a soil which is really unique, and includes mineral deposits from when the sea reached much further inland. Its probably one reason why our Brut Reserve goes so well with local Rye Bay scallops or Whitstable oysters,” says Gusbourne Estate’s Master Sommelier Laura Rhys. Two of their wines won the coveted Gold Outstanding medals at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) this year and since then they have had enquiries from distributors from all over the world. “I think next year we will start selling extensively in the USA. I’ve been in Texas working for the Court of Master Sommeliers, and it’s a really exciting and inquisitive market,” says an excited Laura. Laura’s choice for Christmas Day Lunch: “A dessert match for our Rosé would be a cranberry meringue tart – it would pair beautifully with the delicate red fruit character, biscuity notes and complexity of our Rosé 2012.” And New Year? “We released a limited release of Late Disgorged Blanc de Blancs last year, perfect for a special occasion like New Year.” gusbourne.com 

Images (Above left clockwise) Laura Rhys, Gusbourne Estate, A Christmas scene, Nyetimber bottle selection, The Nyetimber Estate, views from Hambledon vineyard, wine tanks at Hambledon, and Hambledon bottles.

FOOD & DRINK

SAY CHEESE

FOOD& drink

A good cheeseboard is an essential part of the festive season. Britain is home to some wonderful cheesemakers, with their cheeses well worth sampling. Cheesemonger Andy Swinscoe, of the award-winning Courtyard Dairy, in Settle, North Yorkshire , prides himself on showcasing the best of British farmhouse cheeses. Sample his choices for yourself with the Christmas Cheeseboard and the Luxury Cheese Selection, both available mail order.  A thecourtyarddairy.co.uk

Our tasty pick of the most delicious, exciting seasonal treats, tempting delicacies and highlights from Britain's food scene Words | JENNY LINFORD

FESTIVE FIZZ

Thomas Dakin Gin is a classic style London Dry Gin which takes its name from the forefather of English gin, Thomas Dakin, who created the world’s first quality gin in 1761 in the North West of England. Thomas Dakin was a pioneer and began distilling at the age of 25. This new gin, named in honour of the young innovator, was launched in Manchester & London this July - distilled at the world’s oldest gin distillers in Warrington, Cheshire. Available in fine bars and restaurants, and in Harvey Nichols stores nationwide.  A quintessentialbrands.com

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Editor's pick!

CREATIVE CAKE DECORATING

With home baking on the rise thanks to the Great British Bake Off, cake making and decorating is enjoying a revival. Catering for this enthusiasm is Cake International (NEC,Birmingham 6-8 Nov), the world’s largest cake decorating show. Come and be amazed by sugar craft and chocolate working skills, with Will Torrent and Mich Turner among the talents doing demos and offering workshops.  A cakeinternational.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK

CHOCOLATE AND WINE MATCHING

A partnership between chocolate specialists Cocoa Runners, champions of beanto-bar chocolate, and veteran independent wine merchant Corney & Barrow offers lovers of fine wines and chocolate the chance to explore both together. Much tasting and slurping went into assembling the Taster Collection (£48.95) and Explorer Selection (£99), matching specific wines with particular chocolates and giving scope for some truly enjoyable research.  A exmoorcaviar.com

TALKING TURKEYS

Award-winning turkey farmers Paul and Derek Kelly revived the fortunes of the bronze turkey, offering truly tasty, slow-growing, free-range birds, which they hand pluck and mature for extra flavour. This year, the innovative team are introducing a unique breed, reared from bronze turkeys but weighing 2-4 kg, so perfect for those who want a whole but tiny turkey as their festive centrepiece!  A kellyturkeys.com

CHAMPION CHARCUTERIE

The rise of British charcuterie is a cause for rejoicing. A new generation of committed charcuterie makers are creating distinctive cured meats, from rabbit salami to beef biltong. Based at Borough Market, Cannon & Cannon champion, promote and stock a range of artisan British charcuterie, offering assorted tasty hampers and a Meat School offering tastings and workshops.  A cannonandcannon.com

FOODIE GIFTS

Silvana de Soissons, founder of The Foodie Bugle, has a discerning eye and a genuine passion for supporting small-scale food producers and craftspeople. Her on-line shop, therefore, offers rich pickings for presents for food lovers, whether vintage tea sets and cookware to delicious edibles. The historic city of Bath is home to the physical Foodie Bugle shop, selling fresh produce, groceries and homewares as well as having an inviting tearoom. Their Bath shop is open 8am to 8pm Monday - Sunday at 7 Margaret's Buildings, BA1 2LP.  A thefoodiebugleshop.com

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

for the festive season

Words | SARAH FARRELL

FOOD & DRINK

HRISTMAS is traditionally a time for the family to get together, exchange gifts and enjoy a long, leisurely feast. A lot of thought has gone into the Christmas decorations, including the festive table, which is decorated with colourful candles and crackers before being laden with delicious food for the most important meal of the year. It’s a time of celebration so what could be finer than singing the praises of great British food and drinks? A top Christmas lunch can be sourced entirely from ‘made in Britain’ products including stunning starters, the traditional turkey, Christmas pudding, wines, beers and English sparkling wines. Your family and guests can taste the difference by enjoying the finest British fare while helping local farmers, fishermen, breweries and wine producers. It also keeps the food miles to a minimum too. When your guests arrive, you can hand them an aperitif to savour while they catch up on the family gossip before dining. To tickle the taste buds before sitting down to eat, beer drinkers might enjoy a glass of Oliver’s Light Ale from the Coniston Brewing Company, which is a refreshing, light mild ale and a good palate cleanser. Or, as already mentioned in our Sparkling Wines feature this issue, (page 72), Nyetimber Classic Cuvee 2010 has complex aromas and gentle bubbles producing a fine, elegant wine making it ideal for pre-lunch drinks. The West Sussex soil is perfect for cultivating sparkling wines and the vineyard is so fussy that if the grapes aren’t up to scratch, the wine isn’t produced. After the aperitifs, a lovely but informal way to start the festive meal is with colourful platters of meats and fish accompanied by bread from your local bakery or cheese straws. Providing a feast for the eyes as well as the tongue is a mixed plate of charcuteries such as that provided by The Real Boar Company combining different colours and flavours to make a visually appealing and appetising starter. The company recommends: “The rich dark colours of the game salami, some wild boar chorizo with the paprika glowing and then a lighter more subtle duck and plum salami.” Equally delicious are Morecambe Bay potted shrimps produced by Furness Fish Poultry & Game. The brown shrimps are caught by local fishermen before being peeled and potted in butter and a “secret combination of spices”. They have a delicate flavour and can be eaten hot or cold. These are simple starters which need little preparation leaving the chef with plenty of time to attend to the main course. CROWNING GLORY FOR A FESTIVE CHRISTMAS The golden roast turkey is the crowning glory of the Christmas dinner table and so it is certainly worth investing in a free-range or organic bird as they are bursting with flavour. Rhug Estate in Denbighshire, Wales, home to Lord Newborough, offers Rhug Organic Dee Valley bronze turkeys and geese for Christmas. They arrive at the farm in June and enjoy free-range living for seven months before being ready for the festive season. :

FOOD & DRINK

As well as high animal welfare standards, the taste is gorgeous and the birds take up to an hour less cooking than conventional birds. Alternatively, Kelly Bronze Free Range Turkeys are 'bred to be wild". Their ancestors came from Mexico to Great Britain in the early 16th century and they nearly died out in the UK in the 1950s until the Kelly family in Essex rescued them. The birds are packed with flavour so you can enjoy a beautiful main course, either a whole turkey, breast roast or crown as well as turkey sausages along with Jules & Sharpie Cranberry sauce on the side. If you prefer game such as pheasant, Furness Fish Poultry & Game provides wild birds from local estates throughout Cumbria and Lancashire. For the festival table, there’s a choice of boneless chicken and pheasant with stuffing or boneless pheasant with sausage meat which would make delicious alternatives to turkey. Staying in Cumbria, some of the finest hams, sausages and bacon come from RB Woodall of Waberthwaite for your ‘pigs in blankets’ and stuffing to accompany the turkey. The family has been producing meats for eight generations from the famous shop which doubles up as the post office in the Cumbrian village. With your main meal, fine ales such as Tether Blonde by the Wharfe Bank Brewery and Winter Glow by the Exe Valley Brewery, as recommended by Beer For That, or the Champion Beer of Britain 1998, Bluebird by Coniston Brewing Company, come highly recommended. Rosé wines are fine to accompany turkey and game with selections from the Nyetimber estate or Mount vineyards being fabulous choices. SWEET END TO A MAJESTIC MEAL So to dessert with the spicy scented Christmas pudding taking centre stage. For a really rich flavour, Lakeland Christmas Puddings are among the finest in the land. They’re made in Cornwall and, where possible, they source ingredients locally. Certainly the milk, cream and butter used are always Cornish. Lakeland says it is “a luxurious, traditional recipe which has been handmade by skilled bakers and matured. This dark, moist pudding is richly fruited and delicately spiced. Laced with stout and brandy, the pudding has a distinctive rich sweet aroma.” For a rich and beautifully decorated Christmas cake, there’s nothing finer than Betty’s in Yorkshire whose tea rooms are famous throughout the world for providing a grand Yorkshire tea. Bettys Royal Iced Baubles Christmas cake is decorated with hand-piped sugar roses, holly, fir leaves and marzipan baubles. It looks too beautiful to eat – almost! A great beer to go with dessert is the Champion Beer of Britain 2012, No 9 Barley Wine, with overtones of cognac and marzipan, brewed by Coniston Brewing Company. It’s pretty strong but perfect to sip with Christmas pudding. Alternatively :

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

Christmas Tea treats

Discover the Whittard christmas collection online and in stores: 82

V I S I T W W W. W H I T TA R D . C O . U K

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

FOOD & DRINK

try Glad Tidings Winter Stout from the Chiltern Brewery or Honey Spice Tripel by Sharp’s Brewery in Cornwall, which come highly recommended by Beer For That. For those who don’t have a sweet tooth a plate of mixed British cheeses from The Fine Cheese Co like cave-aged Cheddar truckles, Colston Bassett Stilton or the delicately flavoured Waterloo made from Guernsey milk will round off Christmas lunch perfectly.  After all this beautiful rich food, a strong coffee or tea from the independent family-run firm Taylors of Harrogate, luxury hand-made chocolates such as English peppermint or spiced orange from Montezuma’s in West Sussex and a glass of warming cider brandy from The Somerset Cider Brandy Company will provide the finishing touches to an exquisite Great British Christmas meal. 

Another great way to ensure you're stocked with a selection of the best British fare is to have a hamper selection delivered to your door, filled with an array of gastronomic pleasures, from handmade chocolates to outstanding wines - our favourite is Fortnum and Mason's Mayfair Hamper. Many of the finer things in life are included, such as a generous wedge of Organic Blue Stilton, an indulgent venison terrine, Explorers' Biscuit Selection and sumptuous Turkish Delight, accompanied by Fortnum’s exclusive blends of tea and coffee. Priced £275.00, fortnumandmason.com

Editor's choice!

Luxury Christmas Hampers left and right 1-5: 1 Fortnum and Mason Mayfair Hamper, Priced £275.00, fortnumandmason.com 2 Booths Large Christmas Hamper, Priced £120, booths.co.uk 3 Daylesford Cotswold Crate daylesford.com 4 Forman and Field Christmas Essentials Hamper, Priced £129.95, formanandfield.com 5 Bettys Luxury Christmas Hamper, £150, bettys.co.uk

3 4

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Travel guide

E X P E R I E N C E S

F O R

L I F E T I M E

H O T E L S / C I T I E S / V I S I T O R S I T E S / C U LT U R E

City Guide

BEAUTIFUL BATH Explore the glorious Georgian city of Bath. The perfect place to live, play and invest. Words | PAUL BLOOMFIELD

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Pictured above: Bath Abbey at Christmas, The Roman Baths

FROM ANCIENTS TO AUSTEN

The Romans weren’t the first to enjoy a dip in the hot springs here – legend has it that Bladud, father of King Lear, was cured of leprosy after wallowing in these waters nearly 3,000 years ago – but the ancients put these mineral spas on the map in AD 44 when they founded the city of Aquae Sulis. And those Italian invaders really knew how to make personal hygiene a treat, as you’ll discover while wandering among the Great Bath, Sacred Spring and sauna, along with the Temple of Sulis Minerva and other fascinating finds brought vividly to life in the Roman Baths complex (romanbaths.co.uk). The baths lie in the historic heart of the

Pictured above: Jane Austen Festival, Bath Christmas markets

city; as you emerge, you’re faced with the spectacularly ornate west front of 16th-century Bath Abbey (bathabbey.org) – to give its full name, the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul – alive with angels clambering up and down ladders carved into the golden stone. Step inside to gaze up at the delicate fan vaulting, or climb the 212 steps to the top of the tower for views across the city. Alongside the Baths is a reminder of the city’s Georgian heyday, when social :

HE STREETS of Bath aren’t paved with gold – but they are lined with it: gorgeous honey-stone buildings flank every street, avenue and crescent. Like Rome, this charming city in northern Somerset nestles neatly into seven hills – hills that provided the Georgians with the building blocks for their beautifully planned Palladian playground, now recognised with Unesco World Heritage status. Whether you are thinking of investing in property, moving to the city, or visiting for a short break, Bath is an ideal destination: a city that doesn’t feel like a city, rather an elegant sophisticated little village embedded in green countryside, small enough to stroll across but packed with historic attractions, alluring shops, fabulous eateries and, of course, those soothing spa waters. Winter adds extra sparkle to Bath’s gilded glory, thanks to the Christmas market that fills the air with the aroma of mulled wine and sizzling sausages. Head out into the crisp air to spend a morning browsing historic gems and stylish boutiques; peer through the steam wafting from an open-air spa pool to admire the city’s spires and rooftops in the afternoon; and explore the bustling festive bazaar during the evening, settling into a chic bar or Michelin-starred restaurant to round off the day.

BEAUTIFUL BATH

Pictured above: Kennet Bath & Avon Canal and Inside the wonderful Bath Abbey

Pictured above: Fashion Museum

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BEAUTIFUL BATH

Pictured left and below: The Royal Crescent Hotel at numbers 15 and 16.

Pictured above: The Royal Crescent Pictured below: The Circus

climbers led by Richard ‘Beau’ Nash flocked to newly fashionable Bath to take the waters – and, more importantly, to see and be seen. An air of haughty elegance still clings to the Pump Room (romanbaths.co.uk/ pump-room-restaurant), described by Jane Austen, arguably the city’s most famous resident, in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Settle in among the fluted columns and crystal chandeliers to pluck sandwiches and patisserie from a layered stand as you’re serenaded by the resident string trio. Austen aficionados, many of them clad in gowns and bonnets, head through Queen Square – where you can join a game of petanque – to the Jane Austen Centre (janeausten.co.uk), which tells the

A QUOTE FROM JANE AUSTEN'S NORTHANGER ABBEY

“They set off in good time for the Pump Room, where the ordinary course of events took place; Mr Allen, after drinking his glass of water joined some gentlemen to talk over politics of the day and compare the accounts of their newspapers; and the ladies walked about together, noticing every new face and almost every new bonnet in the room”

story of Jane’s five (not altogether happy) years spent in the city during the early 19th century. The real marvels, though, are a little farther uphill. The Circus is the apogee of Bath’s 18th-century architecture, a circle of Palladian houses designed by John Wood the Elder and inspired by Rome’s Colosseum; promenade a circuit to admire the 525 pictorial motifs adorning the frieze above the first storey, and spot the plaques honouring notable residents including painter Thomas Gainsborough and prime minister William Pitt the Elder. It’s a short hop west to the Royal Crescent, whose sweep of golden terraced houses, built by John Wood the Younger between 1767 and 1774, grace just about every postcard in town. Now a museum, No 1 (no1royalcrescent.org.uk) has been redecorated and furnished as it would have been in the late 18th century, giving

Pictured above: the resident string trio at the Pump Room and No. 1 Royal Crescent, Bath Museum.

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Image courtesy of Paul Bloomfield

Pictured left Royal Victoria Park Pictured below The Pump Room

an insight into life above and below stairs during Bath’s Georgian glory days. Alternatively, for a more immersive experience you can book a stay at numbers 15 and 16 – now the Royal Crescent Hotel, pictured above, the city’s most desirable address. It’s worth strolling around the corner onto Marlborough Buildings, from where you can spy the rear of the crescent, a surprising hodgepodge of styles – sections of the facade were sold individually, and each purchaser tacked their house, built to their own designs, onto the rear. :

Images include optional upgrade at extra cost

LUXURY RIVERSIDE LIVING IN 21ST CENTURY BATH

On the banks of the River Avon, within an easy stroll of Bath’s historic centre. These new three and four bedroom townhouses offer the ultimate in modern convenience. Inspired by Bath’s classical terraces, complete with the pale honey-hued stone that gives the city its timeless appeal, these striking new townhouses are anything but traditional.

Arranged over four stories, they offer flexible openplan living, with sleek Alno kitchens, luxury Villeroy & Boch bathrooms and a superb specification throughout. Generously proportioned, with secluded gardens, balconies and dedicated parking, their proximity to excellent transport links and the city centre makes them ideal for commuters, young families and downsizers alike.

3 bedroom townhouses from £595,000 (upwards of 1570 sqft*)

4 bedroom townhouses from £799,950 (upwards of 2060 sqft*)

Sales & Marketing Suite open daily 10am-5pm 75-76 Palladian, Victoria Bridge Road, Bath BA2 3FL | For your Satnav use BA2 3ET

BATHRIVERSIDE.CO.UK

01225 463517

*Plot Specific and subject to availability. Photography shown is of the Longmead Terrace Show Home. Pricing correct at time of going to press.

Sl T ip o pe w rs el, no Ro w b in e & clu de d

By day or by night, come rain or shine...

To watch our Spa video, please scan the QR code or visit our website

...bathe and relax in Bath’s natural thermal Spa Open all year from 09.00 – 21.30 www.ThermaeBathSpa.com

See how the other half lived

at ROYAL CRESCENT Discover how life used to be above and below stairs in Bath’s most fashionable address.

www.no1royalcrescent.org.uk

WWW.HOLBURNE.ORG Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DB

6555 No.1 A3,A4,A5 portrait AW.indd 2

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Images courtesy of Paul Bloomfield

BEAUTIFUL BATH

Pictured above left-right: Rostra Gallery in George Street, Jolly's department store in Milsom Street & Pulteney Weir from Pulteney Bridge

spine, running south from George Street. Look out for quirky one-offs including Vintage to Vogue (vintagetovoguebath.co.uk), a unique boutique of fashions spanning much of the past century – essential for picking up that 20s flapper dress essential for the prohibition tea dance – and accessorise with fabulous footwear

Theatres and Museums… Pictured Below; Holburne Museum (holburne.org) Pulteney Street, 01225 388569. Theatre Royal (theatreroyal.org. uk) Sawclose, 01225 448844. Museum of East Asian (meaa.org.uk) Bennett Street.

Small it may be, but Bath punches above its weight creatively – it's a buzzing hub for writers, artists and designers, and this aesthetic sensibility is reflected in its roster of galleries and independent shops. You’ll find a good selection even in the few steps east of the Royal Crescent along Brock Street and adjacent Margaret Buildings, with fine and contemporary art, jewellery and ceramics to the fore, and more down Gay Street and the roads running off it just south of the Circus. Our pick is Rostra Gallery (rostragallery.co.uk) at 5 George Street, where an eclectic selection of limited-edition prints and sculptures complements regularly changing exhibitions by exciting contemporary artists. When Bath became fashionable, the fashions came to Bath – and here they stay, with appealing independent boutiques tucked in between familiar high-street brands. Those stylish Georgians ambled along broad, graceful Milsom Street, now the city’s shopping

Image courtesy of Paul Bloomfield

BOUTIQUES TO BATHS

Pictured above: Milsom Place, off Milsom Street, and The Victoria Art Gallery (victoriagal.org.uk) located next to Pulteney Bridge.

from the original Ted and Muffy store (tedandmuffy.com) a few doors down. Across the road sits the ‘Old Lady of Milsom Street’: Jolly’s department store, serving Bath’s fashionistas since 1831; today it’s a House of Fraser, but among the couture you can spy gorgeous period features including the original peacock mosaics. Turn left at the foot of Milsom Street and you’ll discover a little touch of Florence in Bath: Pulteney Bridge, a miniature Ponte Vecchio, lined with shops overlooking the River Avon and the weir below. Alongside the sinful cakes and couture of the bridge’s boutiques and cafés sits the Antique Map Shop (dg-maps.com), overflowing with fascinating old charts dating back centuries. Beyond stretches stately Great Pulteney Street, reputedly Europe’s broadest residential street, leading to the Holburne Museum (holburne.org). Originally the Sydney Hotel, opened just before Jane Austen arrived – she lived in a house overlooking the building, and wrote about taking strolls around the surrounding pleasure gardens – today the Holburne houses a fine collection of works including masterpieces by Gainsborough and Zoffany, and hosts excellent temporary exhibitions. :

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BEAUTIFUL BATH

From here, it’s a short but steep stroll up Bathwick Hill to the start of the Skyline Walk (nationaltrust.org.uk/bath-skyline), the National Trust’s most downloaded hike, revealing spectacular panoramas across the city. If you’re not up to the full six-mile circuit, you can enjoy the vistas on the shorter new Walk to the View route – download a PDF from the National Trust website. Back in town, there’s only one suitable way to salve those limbs: with a steam and soak at Thermae Bath Spa (thermaebathspa.com). The natural thermal waters, emerging at a balmy 33.5C, are the same as those in which the Romans luxuriated – only today you can relax in an open-air rooftop pool, drinking in views of the abbey and surrounding monuments. For an even more exclusive experience, book the nearby Cross Bath, and steep on the site where ancient Celts worshipped their goddess Sul, or check into the newly opened Gainsborough Bath Spa (thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk) – the only British hotel with its own natural

thermal spa. As the sun sets on a winter’s day in Bath, lie back and gaze up at the emerging constellations above, reflecting that you’re enjoying the same view as those ancient Romans who set the trend nearly two thousand years ago. 

Pictured above: Overviews of the city, Thermae Bath Spa and The Bath Priory Hotel, left: Cocktail from Opium, and afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel, below: A dish from The Bath Priory

FOOD & DRINK

From gourmet coffee and sinful cocktails to Michelin-starred restaurants, Bath offers a Bar: Opium range of places to indulge (opiumbars.com). Cafe: Shakes up classic cocktails Sam’s Kitchen in three interlinked (samskitchendeli.co.uk). subterranean vaults Award-winning cafe and beneath Pulteney Bridge deli with fine coffee, cakes, – bohemian, hidden, and charcuterie and salads. 61 indulgent. The Vaults, Walcot Street, Spring Gardens Road, 01225 481159. 01225 332 321.

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Fine Dining: The Bath Priory Hotel (thebathpriory.co.uk/restaurant). Offers arguably Bath’s finest dining, courtesy of Michelin-starred Sam Moody, you'll find the hotel in a stylish space overlooking delightful gardens and just a short walk from the city centre. Weston Road, 01225 331922.

BEAUTIFUL BATH

Saunton Sands

Bath Literature Festival: (early March): Headline writers this year included Kazuo Ishiguro, Rachel Cusk and David Nicholls. bathfestivals.org.uk

Great Bath Feast: (October): the best cooking, shopping and eating. greatbathfeast.co.uk

Bath International Music Festival: (mid-May): top classical, jazz, world and pop acts. bathfestivals.org.uk

Christmas Market: (26 November-13 December 2015): 170 wooden chalets pack a magical festive bazaar. bathchristmasmarket.co.uk

Bath Fringe Festival: (late May-early June): music, theatre, comedy, dance and more. bathfringe.co.uk

Bath Film Festival: (early December): previews, classics and filmmaking awards. bathfilmfestival.org.uk

Bath Half Marathon: (early March): one of the country’s top running races. bathhalf.co.uk

Bath in Fashion: (late March): catwalks, conversations, courses. bathinfashion.co.uk

TRAVEL CONNECTIONS

Pictured above: Classic Four Poster room at Paradise House and relaxation at The Gainsborough Bath Spa

Bath Spa railway station, served by First Great Western trains (firstgreatwestern. co.uk), takes about 90 minutes to and from London Paddington (half-hourly) and 15 minutes from Bristol Temple Meads (several times an hour), with easy connections to the rest of the country. Train is by far the best way to arrive and travel – Bath is not a city designed for driving, and parking spots in the centre are scarce and expensive.

WHERE TO STAY

WHERE TO BUY

Luxury; Royal Crescent Hotel (royalcrescent. co.uk) occupies two townhouses in the middle of Bath’s grandest sweep of Georgian architecture. There’s fine dining in the Dower House restaurant, gastro bar food in cocktail lounge The Montagu and a peaceful landscaped garden that’s perfect for afternoon tea. 16 Royal Crescent, 01225 823333 Boutique; Paradise House (paradise-house. co.uk), a beautiful 1735-vintage Georgian house with views over the city, is arguably Bath’s finest boutique B&B. Picture above left. 86-88 Holloway, 01225 317723 Self-Catering; Halcyon Apartments (thehalcyon.com/apartments) provide stylish bases for city-centre living near to the beautiful Circus. 15A George Street, 01225 585100 Relaxation; The Gainsborough Bath Spa (thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk) Recently opened, and centered around Spa Village Bath with access to the natural thermal, mineral-rich waters. Picture above right, Beau Street, 01225 358888

Bath was largely insulated from the 2007 downturn in prices but still offers good value compared with London – some 40% of prime property purchasers are relocating or investors from the capital. Townhouses and apartments in the Georgian crescents (Royal, Lansdown, Cavendish and Somerset being the most attractive) and Circus are popular options, but with excellent state and independent schools in most areas there are few no-go zones. ‘Poets’ Corner’ just south of the train station offers substantial Edwardian townhouses near well-regarded Beechen Cliff school. Large period properties on the outskirts provide elegant country living close to city amenities.

Look out for the locals… Bath has produced or hosted plenty of well-known luminaries through the centuries, including comedians Bill Bailey and Russell Howard, Great British Bake-Off queen Mary Berry, Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie, Hollywood star Nicolas Cage, and writers Charles Dickens and – most famously – Jane Austen. Current residents include: › Lizzy Yarnold and Amy Williams, gold medallists in skeleton at the 2014 Sochi and 2010 Vancouver winter Olympics › Manolo Blahnik, shoe designer extraordinaire › Midge Ure, musician, formerly of Ultravox › Jason Gardner, Olympic gold medallist sprinter › Ken Loach, film director, known for Kes

Mary Berry: Image courtesy of Tim James & Mabel Gray

The city hosts a packed calendar of special events Here's a small selection.

Jane Austen Festival

D IA RY O F E V E N T S

RESOURCES The city’s visitor information centre (visitbath.co.uk) alongside the Abbey can book accommodation and event tickets. It also provides details of walking tours including In the Footsteps of Jane Austen and free daily Mayor of Bath walking tours. 0906 711 2000.

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CHRISTMAS GETAWAYS

Christmas Shopping

GETAWAYS

Want to make a weekend of Christmas shopping? Around the UK’s towns and cities are hotels large and small, and beautiful cottages available to rent for a weekend away before the silly season begins. Here’s our pick of the best. Words | ABIGAIL BUTCHER

1 THE PIG near

Bath

THIS 29-ROOM COUNTRY house in the Mendip Hills, Somerset, just 20 minutes from Bath city centre is the perfect winter weekend hideaway. Visit the Christmas market in Bath (26 November-13 December) or enjoy a festive lunch in the Greenhouse Restaurant from the hotel’s 25-Mile Menu. What isn’t grown in The Pig’s kitchen garden is sourced locally.  From £149 per night, thepighotel.co.uk/near-bath

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THE ZETTER TOWNHOUSE:

Marylebone

2 THE GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL:

OPENED THIS SUMMER, each of the 24 bedrooms in the Georgian townhouse within Marylebone’s trendy Portman Village is furnished with antiques and curiosities. Spoil yourselves and stay in the rooftop apartment replete with al fresco bath and roof terrace.  From £258 per night, zettertownhouse.co.uk/marylebone

JESMOND DENE HOUSE:

Newcastle

SET IN A LEAFY area just north of the city, and 15 minutes from the airport, this Grade II-listed Arts and Crafts mansion overlooks the small wooded valley of Jesmond Dene. Each of the 40 rooms are different, designed to retain original features and proportions.  From £140 per night, jesmonddenehouse.co.uk

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London

JUST 25M FROM London’s King’s Cross St Pancras station, this now Grade II-listed hotel was the world’s first great railway hotel, designed by Victorian master builder Lewis Cubitt, the architect behind King's Cross railway station. It first opened in 1854 and re-opened in 2013 after an extensive five-year restoration project. The fantastic location means you can shop not only in London, but take day trips to Paris and Brussels, too. After a long day on your feet, dine in Michelin star-winning chef Mark Sargeant’s Plum + Spilt Milk restaurant before retiring to your room to enjoy the hotel’s complimentary —and impressive — library of 72 movies. Superb.  From £175.20, gnhlondon.com

CHRISTMAS GETAWAYS

THE MUSIC ROOM:

Lancaster 5

The stunning Baroque interior in this 1730 garden pavilion has been painstakingly restored by the Landmark Trust. Set on a pedestrian square in historic Lancaster, there is a small roof terrace and fine view of Lancaster Castle. Sleeps two.  From £69.75pp per night, landmarktrust.org.uk

Belfast

THE MERCHANT HOTEL:

In the heart of the city’s Cathedral Quarter, this opulent hotel was built in the 1850s as the headquarters of Ulster Bank. The quirky Art Deco and Victorian rooms are bold and bright.  From £240, themerchanthotel.com

THE GRAND HOTEL:

Brighton

THE NEWLY INDEPENDENT luxury hotel is an iconic part of Brighton’s seafront. Built in 1864 it is thriving today, with a restaurant run by seafood expert executive chef Alan White and a spa for postshopping pampering.  From £90 per night, grandbrighton.co.uk

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CHRISTMAS GETAWAYS

York

MINSTERGATE:

There can be no more atmospheric Christmas shopping venue than the Shambles in York — the inspiration for the Harry Potter films. Immerse yourself with a stay in this central National Trust apartment, housed in a Medieval building with exposed timbers, sloping floors and is full of nooks and crannies.  Sleeps two, from £455 for three nights, nationaltrustholidays.org.uk

Oxford

THE STEWARD’S HOUSE:

Get right into the heart of Oxford with a weekend in the former official residence of the Steward of the Oxford Union. Enjoy privileged access to hidden chambers and rooms, and even attend a University debate.  Sleeps two. From £105.63pp per night, landmarktrust.org.uk

10 THE WESTBRIDGE HOTEL:

London

This beautiful and stylish boutique hotel with its unique character and rich history make it a real find in the heart of east London shopping and leisure district. Conveniently located only minutes away from the heart of the London Olympic Games Center, Westfield Stratford City and the O2 Arena.  From £109, thewestbridge.com

THE WITCHERY BY THE CASTLE:

Edinburgh

Right in the heart of the city, this 16th century restaurant with rooms is the ultimate romantic getaway. Think candlelight, velvet, silk and four-poster beds in each of the nine suites. A Christmas treat.  From £325 with champagne on arrival, thewitchery.com

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THE WESTBRIDGE 335-337 HIGH STREET, LONDON E15 2TF T: +44 (0)203 327 4969

E: info@thewestbridge.com W: www.thewestbridge.com

When shopping for Christmas in London find yourself in our stylish 4* hotel which is in the heart of East London Shopping District within few minutes’ walk from Westfield Shopping Centre, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and 20-minute train ride from London’s main tourist sites including Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Facilities include 80 Rooms, Gym, Lounge/Business Centre, Restaurant, Courtyard, Free Wi-Fi

BOOK SEVEN OR MORE DAYS IN ADVANCE AND SAVE £15 PER ROOM PER NIGHT For full terms and conditions visit www.thewestbridge.com

A Jewel in our Heritage CLIVEDEN

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This famous stately home is reborn as a gem of an English country-house hotel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; relax and enjoy your stay in the unstuffy, but sumptuous, elegance of this unforgettable destination, where history is in the air and the welcome is genuine. Words | ROBIN GLOVER

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ocated near Taplow, Buckinghamshire, overlooking the upper reaches of the Thames, Cliveden is perfectly situated for visitors looking for easy touring of London and the south-east of England. The first breathtaking image, as you approach Cliveden by car, is not of the building itself but of the ‘Fountain of Love’, a nineteenth-century love-token for his wife from the first Lord Astor. While still smiling from sight of this marble masterpiece, you proceed towards the House along an arrow-straight, two-hundred metre gravel drive, past the 40 metre tall Italianate clock tower, to be greeted by a magnificent, honey-coloured expression of hospitality, in all its forms. You somehow know, there and then, that this hotel is very special. There have been houses at Cliveden since 1666, when the Duke of Buckingham, a favourite of Charles II, had a love-nest

created for his mistress, the Countess of Shrewsbury. Subsequently, the property passed through the hands of various royal and noble families, including Frederick, Prince of Wales and father of George III, the Earl of Orkney, the Duke of Sutherland and the Duke of Westminster. Destroyed twice by fire in the 19th century, the house was finally rebuilt in 1852 and expanded, before William Waldorf Astor bought Cliveden in 1893. The Astor family were the final private residents, leaving in 1968, not long after the famous political scandal, the ‘Profumo Affair’, brought Cliveden into national prominence. Cliveden House has been a hotel since 1984, under various tenants, but has, since February 2012, been in the benevolent care of a rather more enlightened management, whose sole aim, in conjunction with the owners, the National Trust, has been to improve all aspects of the hotel while maintaining and enhancing its integrity. Under the restrictions imposed by its Grade-1 list-

ing, all works, both inside and outside, have had to comply with the exacting demands of the protectors of England’s heritage. Each of the 37 guestrooms and suites (all named after characters in its history) have been refurbished to the highest standard and it has taken a full three years to secure and restore the fabric of the mansion. The next, and final, phase of improvements will comprise the indoor pool and the spa treatment rooms. The effort taken so far has been fully rewarded and, even though the appearance suggests a ‘Downton Abbey’, the reality is of a modern, efficient and welcoming ‘homefrom-home’. Now, appropriately carpeted, decorated and furnished, Cliveden has been reborn, ready for a new generation of guests. Some sympathetic re-arrangement has lead to the impressive Great Hall, complete with antique suits of armour and a vast, and ornately-carved, 16th century fireplace, becoming a genuine ‘reception’ room for incoming guests – you are seated :

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in comfort and your registration forms presented in a folder for completion – and the perfect setting for morning coffee and the ever-popular afternoon teas. The bar has found its home in the Library, facing south and overlooking the immaculately maintained 4-acre parterre. As you would expect, next to the bar is the Dining Room, exquisitely appointed and sharing the view across the 17th century terrace and down to the Thames valley, quite breathtaking on its own but absolutely brilliant when, as happens on most evenings, the resident red kites swoop and wheel, majestically, over the parterre. In keeping with the operating company’s aim for Cliveden to move into the elite of five-star venues, the installation of state-of-the-art kitchens and the recruitment of a top chef came high on the list of priorities. In 2013, the Michelin-starred chef, Andre Garrett, was lured from Hilton Park Lane and asked to weave his magic on the

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catering front, including, as well as the dining-room, the ‘open-all-day’ Club Room, intriguingly installed in and around the stables (disused) and where more casual and lighter catering needs are perfectly met. Naturally, the original stable stalls are preserved and bespoke tables and benches fitted in them. In keeping with the equine theme, the table legs are fetlock-shaped, and hooved, and the bar stools are fitted with saddles! Where Andre’s talent, and imagination, is allowed full expression is in the more formal, but not at all stuffy, main dining-room. His three-course Market Lunch is considered a bargain while dinner is so much more than a meal and not to be hurried. Taking pre-dinner drinks either in the Great Hall or the more intimate Library, bowls of olives (‘delicious’ said my partner) and honey-spiced almonds (equally special) appear, followed, a little later, by a selection of tasty ‘amuse bouche’ canapés. When shown to the armchair-comfort of our table, we or-

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

dered, for our first course, grilled asparagus and Devon crab salad and were more than delighted with the flavour and presentation of each. Words cannot do justice, either, to the quality and taste of our main course selections, fillet of beef and wild seabass. The enthusiastic, and ever-knowledgeable, sommelier was happy to suggest wines, by the glass, appropriate to each dish. For dessert, we selected a perfectly-prepared pear soufflé with melted chocolate and a delicately-flavoured vanilla crème brulee. After a sound sleep in the deep comfort of our room in the East Wing, and a leisurely breakfast, we left this iconic house, taking with us many happy memories. Cliveden House is a most relaxing hotel where guests will find the best of food, comfort, service and welcome, all in a classically English setting. I am not much given to eavesdropping, but I overheard an apt comment from a nearby dining-table - ‘Everything I dislike in a hotel is not here’! 

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A DIGNIFIED RETREAT

HOTEL R E V I E W Robin Glover visits

Hanbury Manor Marriot Hotel & Country Club

This country house jewel in the Marriott chain has something for everyone, seclusion, service and sport – conveniently close to the Capital!

et in 200 acres of the best of Hertfordshire, only 20 minutes off the M25 north of London, the 161-room Hanbury Manor Marriot Hotel & Country Club this year celebrates the 25th anniversary of its opening to guests and nineteen years as a Marriott. The first house on the estate was built in 1730 by the Pole family, whose most famous ancestor was the 16th century Margaret Pole, known as the last Plantagenet, who, given the fate of other ‘pretenders’ to the throne, wisely chose not to dispute the monarchy of the Tudors. In the 19th century, ownership passed into the ambitious hands of the Hanbury family, part of the Truman’s brewery enterprise, who transformed the property, replacing the hall with a Jacobean-style manor-house and laying out the first golf course on part of the grounds. The development of the estate into today’s luxury resort, after spending most

of the 20th century as a girls’ boarding school, was completed in 1990. Arriving at the splendidly imposing entrance, you will experience the first examples of the personal service of which the Hanbury is deservedly proud. Doors are opened, baggage taken, car valet-parked and registration completed, all without apparent effort or fuss. The short time taken does, however, give you time to admire the architecture of the pseudo-Jacobean oak-panelled Reception and Oak Hall, hung with tapestries and lit by huge bay windows. Finding your way to your room may not be quite so straightforward! One of the beauties of converting, and extending, an existing property is the quirkiness of layout, with different lifts reaching different floors, no long echoing corridors of identi-rooms and the occasional re-tracing after misreading the ever-helpful directions! Naturally, all the rooms (and bathrooms) are of the highest appeal but those with a :

golf-course view are especially rewarding. Both the informal Oakes Grill and Terrace, where most visitors take their meals, and the hugely-impressive Zodiac room and terrace and Oak Hall, where a first-class afternoon tea is served, share this unbeatable outlook, over the lake. The dignified, cocktail bar is situated off the Oak Hall and, although it closes at 8pm from Sunday-Thursday, stays open at weekends, when guests are less likely to have early business appointments to attend. In midweek, the ‘19th hole’ Vardon’s Bar remains open later and provides a most relaxed and convivial meeting- and eating-place. That early foray into golf has been developed into one of the major attractions of Hanbury Manor and the first impression, for all guests, is that of driving through the parkland undulations of its 18-hole championship-grade course, a challenge for golfers of all standards, from the likes of English Open competitors, off the Blue tees, to those of more modest skills, off the Yellows! With its proximity to London, and the welcoming facilities of the hotel and leisure complex, this is not only a thriving members’ club but the host destination of many society, and company, golf days. For those not so keen on golf, the park offers walks, tennis courts, croquet lawns and jogging/cycling trails to suit all tastes. Even without the golf, the hotel provides the perfect setting for weddings, seminars and conferences

of all sizes, from 10-180 people attending. With a bewildering variety of private rooms, from the intimacy of the Garden Court, out in the immaculately-kept grounds, to the grandeur of Poles Hall, now deconsecrated but once the estate church, there has to be the right choice for that special occasion. No hotel of the exalted standing of the Hanbury Manor would be complete without indoor leisure facilities, for those days when the weather conditions are unfavourable for venturing outdoors. No guest could be disappointed by the standards of the beautiful swimming-pool, Jacuzzi and cardio/gym. If outdoor golf is not possible, why not try the newly-opened Games Room, where there is a pool table and a state-of-the-art Golf Simulator, giving ‘access’ to 15 of the finest courses in the world. All this frantic activity may lead, inexorably, to the need for the therapeutic pleasures of the beautifully-appointed Spa, where an extensive array of treatments, both pampering and pummelling, are provided by the team of qualified practitioners, using the finest of famous-name products to beautify and/or soothe. The setting may be old and stately but the Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club now stands as a perfect 21st century example of how to blend the mature with the contemporary, providing five-star levels of service in a comfortable, unstuffy and relaxing setting, and so close to London! 

Christmas at Bovey Castle There is no place like Bovey Castle to experience the magic of a country house Christmas, with the hotel transformed into a festive hideaway for December.

Winter breaks at Bovey Castle

The three-night Christmas break and two-night New Year’s Eve break include accommodation in one of the hotel’s 63 bedrooms or within a luxury lodge, with dining, entertainment and a selection of activities included. Prices start from £800 per room per night Please quote ‘Exclusively British’ when booking

North Bovey, Devon, TQ13 8RE T: 01647 445007 E: christmas@boveycastle.com www.boveycastle.com

Visit www.boveycastle.com to view our Christmas Brochure

/boveycastlehotel

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28/07/2015 15:24:52

STOER LIGHTHOUSE, LOCHINVER, LAIRG, SUTHERLAND

This fully-furnished, self-catering lighthouse offers two cosy flats and a separate bothy, with all the necessities for a comfortable stay. Both flats are equipped with well-stocked libraries for those lazy days, whilst the bothy, with its pair of single beds, is perfect for families with older children who want space of their own. Stoer lighthouse is ideal for those who enjoy hillwalking, mountaineering, water sports, fishing, bird watching and mountain biking, or for those who want a break away from it all, somewhere different.

WWW.STOERLIGHTHOUSE.CO.UK

01732 861800

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20/04/2015 12:50

LIVING HISTORY THE STORY OFAVICTORIAN HOME IN KENSINGTONVILLAGE Step back in time in an amazingly well-preserved expression of one family’s domestic legacy. Words | ROBIN GLOVER

18 Stafford Terrace, W8 7BH

Open Wed, Sat and Sun; September-June aspiring classes. We are sincerely fortunate that 18 Stafford Terrace, only 200 yards away from the High Street, became the home of the newly-wed couple, Edward and Marion Linley Sambourne, and was passed down through the family, largely unaltered and unspoilt. Edward, always called ‘Linley’ by all who knew him, was a talented artist and, in 1867, had become a contributing cartoonist for the satirical, weekly magazine, ‘Punch’, the ‘Private Eye’ of the time. He progressed to being the magazine’s principal cartoonist by 1901 and continued in this position until his death in 1910. Marion died in 1914 and No.18 became the home of their bachelor son, Roy, who was oday’s traffic flows, stutteringly, up not inclined to change the house and would anyway and down one of West London’s have been restrained by his sister, Maud. main thoroughfares, Kensington Roy devoted his leisure time, outside his stockjobbing High Street, without pause. Back employment, to the preservation and cataloguing of in the 1860’s, however, it was all so the vast archives of drawings, photographs, letters different when Kensington was a and household records accumulated by his father. village, surrounded by farms, market gardens and After his death in 1946, the house remained in the parkland, and the motor vehicle was still a dream! family but was never again used as a full-time resiOne such area was Campden Hill, on the north dence. Linley’s granddaughter, Anne, was determined side, where the Phillimore family had owned land that his home should be preserved, intact, in his for over 100 years. With the increasing wealth memory, and, on this understanding, was finally sold, generated by the expansion of Empire and the with all its contents, to the Greater London Council demands of the Industrial Revolution, Kensington in 1980, being transferred to the ownership of the became a fashionable suburb and the Phillimores Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 1989. saw an opportunity to take advantage of this demand Under this benign stewardship, a comprehenby developing residential properties, aimed at the sive programme of sympathetic refurbishment and :

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“Fascination with the period, fuelled by television series like Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey, should result in a surge of visitor numbers, eager to see the ‘real thing’” extensive restoration, to exacting standards, has resulted in the property the visitor can see today. While it is, in effect, a museum, you hold the knowledge that every piece of furniture, every one of the many hundreds of paintings, photographs, drawings and prints and all the books, ceramics, glassware and bric-a-brac adorning the stairways and rooms are being displayed in as near possible an authentic and original setting. Although Linley Sambourne House has been open to the public since 2003, the attraction is less well-known, particularly among tourists, than it deserves, given its unique appeal. The international fascination with the Victorian/ Edwardian period, fuelled by television series like Upstairs, Downstairs and Downton Abbey, should

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result in a surge of visitor numbers, eager to see the ‘real thing’. The Royal Borough are looking to satisfy this demand and are increasing the visiting hours accordingly. The ‘listing’ of No.18 means that no exterior signage mars the architectural elegance of Stafford Terrace and the aesthetic appeal is further boosted by the uniform perfection of the white-painted four-storey houses, each adorned with gloss-black railings. No.18 can be readily identified by the tiled and glazed window-boxes on the ground and first floors, installed by Linley in response to the fashion for the nurture of rare plants from around the world. The basement level has certainly been modified, in recent years, and now provides a reception area, shop and education room. The almost palpable, atmospheric ‘hit’ is felt as soon as you emerge from the basement into the remarkably brightly-lit entrance hall, colourfully tiled and with the stone stairs leading tantalisingly up to the further spectacular delights to come. Every available space is filled with pictures and ornaments, a universal theme in this home! No amount of words, only a personal tour of this remarkable masterpiece, could do justice to the tenacious determination of Linley, his successors and, finally, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to preserve this historic home for generations to come. 

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From 1875, 18 Stafford Terrace was the family home of ‘Punch’ cartoonist, Edward Linley Sambourne. The house gives an insight into the personal lives of the Sambourne family, and also provides a rare example of what was known as an 'Aesthetic interior' or 'House Beautiful' style. Public open days on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays: guided tours AM (advance booking essential) and open access from 2 - 5:30pm. Private tours also available. 18 Stafford Terrace, London W8 7BH Visit www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

18 STAFFORD TERRACE

the sambourne family home STEP BACK IN TIME TO 1899

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F O R A B R O C H U R E A N D N E A R E S T B AT H R O O M S P E C I A L I S T C A L L 01 4 5 4 3 2 8 811 | W W W. M AT K I . C O. U K | M AT K I P L C , B R I S TO L B S 3 7 5 P L

Property market F I N D

Y O U R

D R E A M

C I T Y / C O A S TA L / C O U N T R Y

XXVIII OLD QUEEN STREET ST JAMES – LONDON

Sale Guide Price: £23 million Set in historic St James, overlooking Birdcage Walk and the Royal Park, 28 Old Queen Street is located in the heart of the royal and political establishment, between Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster. Whilst surrounded by the world renowned areas of Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Belgravia, St James is recognised as a more discrete yet quietly authoritative area of the capital, known for its eminent occupants, past prime ministers, great industrialists, members of Parliament, the aristocracy and, of course, royalty. A beautiful Grade II Georgian residence in one of the finest and architecturally important streets in St James’, the property has been restored sympathetically. Overlooking Birdcage Walk, the home enjoys sweeping views of St James’s Park and offers a blend of contemporary interior provenance, which benefits timeless appeal. The property has been sympathetically restored, offering the choice of formal imposing principal spaces for grand entertaining or a sense of calm and tranquility within the beautifully appointed bedroom suites and private spaces. : A hathaways.co.uk

Amazing location!

H O M E

PROPERTY IN THE COUNTRY

FORDINGBRIDGE

BLENCOW

Ennim, Blencow, Cumbria Price Guide £1,695,000

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This property, located in the Lake District, is a magnificent country house in a resplendent parkland setting with lodge, grounds and woodland extending to 8.71 acres. An additional 16.78 acres may be available by separate negotiation. Ennim was acquired by the current owner in 2000 and was the former home of First Viscount Whitelaw. It has been sensitively remodelled to provide exceptional family accommodation with four reception rooms, seven bedrooms and five bathrooms. The grounds are a truly stunning feature of the property with some magnificent specimen trees, woodland walks and a former tennis court. In all the grounds extend to 8.71 acres and there is a fine stable block with garaging, kennels and a two-bedroomed gate lodge.

Clever Garden Additions

create more indoor space with an orangery! Marston & Langinger’s garden rooms are well thought-out, and executed with precision. And they wear particularly well, as evidenced by these orangeries built at the beginning of the 21st century, making them a sound investment. Prices for the design and joinery from £50,000+VAT. v marston-and-langinger.com

Carlisle office of Savills incorporating Smiths Gore, 01228 635862

Frogham, Fordingbridge Hampshire, £2,000,000

located within the National Park!

This striking modern day country house style residence provides a superb range of beautifully styled family accommodation including six reception rooms and five en suite bedrooms. Its location within the National Park really does set it apart, being enviably positioned at the end of a private no-through-track within a totally secluded and tranquil twelve acre setting. The property enjoys a 360° vista over the open forest which, quite literally, wraps itself around this exquisite home. Discretely positioned at the very end of this private track, the property is approached via brick pillared and timber electric gates complete with security entry phone.

Penyards, Burley Office, 01425 403600

EXCLUSIVELY BRITISH | November/December 15

PROPERTY CHOICE OF THE MONTH