Kudos issue 37 by Kudos Kent

Your family lifestyle magazine for Kent, Surrey & Sussex

Nov/Dec 2019

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WELCOME TO KUDOS

Hello

Welcome to the November/December issue of Kudos I always find November a rather drab and grey month after the sparkle of Bonfire Night, but it’s a bit like the calm before the storm as we build up to Christmas. So to brighten up November and see you through to the new year, we’ve got plenty of festive fun in this issue. If you fancy doing something different with the decorations this year, we show you how black and gold can be just as Christmassy as red and green – and a lot more stylish. We’ve got pages of gift ideas that we love – and you will, too, the chance to win a family ticket And thinking ahead to 2020, we’ve got for The Snow Queen at Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge a competition to win a year’s membership Wells, and recipes for delicious party food. with énergie Fitness. The perfect end to Christmas aside, as Lenny Henry embarks on a 2019! new nationwide tour, find out what he loves about performing live, meet local mumpreneur Chantelle Hannah Tucek Laker, and join me on a family day at Hever Castle. Publishing Director Cover Image: Meaghan Grace Hinkis as Clara in The Nutcracker, The Royal Ballet ©ROH/Tristram Kenton, 2013. Image by AKA ©ROH 2016.

Twitter, Instagram & Facebook: kudoskent Web: www.kudoskent.co.uk

Contents 6 Kudos loves...

Managing Director: Robin Tucek Publishing Director: Hannah Tucek Editorial Director: Ann Wallace Creative Director: Neil Constant Sales Manager: Vikki Hyder Fashion Editor: Sally-Ann Carroll Photographer: Matt Harquail

10 News & events 18 Love celebrity 22 Love family 32 Love education

Kudos is published bi-monthly by:

54 Love food and drink 66 Love home 76 Love garden

While every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. All rights reserved. Prices and details correct at time of going to press.

No part of this publication may be produced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

78 Love business 80 Love charity 81 Marketplace 82 Love heroes

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K U DOS LOV E S

Things we love for Christmas

Christmas countdown

Give chocolate advent calendars a miss this year. What will really perk you up each morning in December is to delve into the enchanting world of the ancient Japanese tea ceremony with this special calendar by Newby. Both an elegant decoration and a perfect gift to share with the tea curious and connoisseurs alike, each compartment is filled with four individually-wrapped sachets from Newby’s Classic Tea Bag Collection. £59 And for the perfect tea-lover’s gift this Christmas, these eye-catching caddies illustrated by the designer Matthew Williamson are ideal. The colours and characters of the three new and exclusive tea blends – Jasmine Rose Garden, Maharaja’s Breakfast and Exotic Earl Grey – are also reflected in the elaborate artwork, based on hand-painted watercolours inspired by stories of the East. £30 each www.newbyteas.co.uk

Stocking fillers

Forget about oranges in stockings. The Avant-Garde Air Hand Soap has been delightfully scented with fragrant tangerine mixed with patchouli and violet. £6 www.stories.com These adorable mint shoes with a cute penguin design are designed especially for growing little feet. The wide toe area means that feet can move without restrictions, and the soft, flexible leather is breathable and protects their feet while crawling, cruising and walking. A non-slip suede sole means they can feel the floor and find their balance. £9.49-£10.49 www.dottyfish.com 6

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K U DOS LOV E S

Cracking crackers

Crackers are a must on Christmas Day but the gifts inside are usually pretty naff. Well, not if you want to splash the cash with these seriously impressive King London Luxury Christmas Crackers for the ultimate festive table. Gifts include a Liberty eye mask, Hopscotch candle, bath salts and lip balm, Soap Co soap bar and exfoliating soap pebble. £120 www.nancyandbetty.com

A chocolate dream

This Giant Christmas Hamper will impress even the sweetest of chocoholics and would be a great treat for all the family to share. There’s plenty to go round, from Christmas Clusters (candied orange, freshly-ground cardamom, Madagascar roasted cocoa nibs and crushed pistachios in dark chocolate) and a Golden Caramelised White Chocolate Mini Bar to Tawny Port & Fig Chocolates, Rose & Lemon Turkish Delight smothered in 67 per cent Madagascar dark chocolate and a Madagascar-origin Dark Chocolate Mini Bar studded with crystallised ginger. There’s something to please everyone. £100 www.chococo.co.uk K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

By royal appointment

This royal Mouse King from The Nutcracker will make a fabulously festive ornament. A worldwide limited edition of only 1,225 pieces, he comes boxed with his numbered certificate of authenticity, making him a very special gift. £119 www.worldof bears.com

K U DOS LOV E S

Gin’s the thing

The unique Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin was born from a mistake when a master distiller was attempting to make a strawberry liqueur. He took his fresh, mashed strawberries and added them to a new recipe gin he was working on, and the rest is history! Fruity and sweet, this gin can be enjoyed over ice as an aperitif, with tonic or in cocktails. Here are a few suggestions:

The PerfectServe • 50ml Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin • 200ml premium tonic water • Fresh strawberries & lime wedge

Method Build the cocktail in a Copa glass over ice. Garnish with fresh strawberry slices and a wedge of lime, stir and serve.

Puerto with a Christmassy Twist • 50ml Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin • 200ml soda water • Fresh mint & cinnamon sticks

Method Build the cocktail in a Copa glass over ice. Garnish with fresh mint and a cinnamon stick, stir and serve.

Strawberry Mule • 50ml Puerto de Indias Strawberry Gin • 200ml premium ginger beer • Juice of half a lime • Mint leaves & lime slice

Method Build the cocktail in a Copa glass, stir and serve. £27 Available from Amazon, Whisky Exchange and the Drinks Supermarket

Travel light

If you’re thinking of flying off on a short break over the festive period, it’s worth making sure that your cabin bag is not over the size limit. You can do that by investing in a 55 x 35 x 20cm Cabin Mate from Gate8 Luggage which complies with all airline baggage rules. Made from extra-durable materials and protected by a five-year warranty, there’s a zip-off laptop bag and an internal hanging bar that allows you to ‘hang’ your garments so they arrive ready to wear. The wheeled bag also quickly and easily converts into a backpack, so you can wheel or carry, whichever you prefer. £159 www.gate8-luggage.co.uk

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K U DOS LOV E S

Tree-mendous

Tree decorations couldn’t be cuter or more fun than these! From outer space, underwater magic, festive food and party drinks themes, to wonderland, Christmas fun and the more traditional – we love them all. From £4 www.sassandbelle.co.uk

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LOV E N EWS

Upfront What’s new and happening

Challenge yourself in 2020 World’s leading obstacle course event returns to East Sussex Registrations are now open for the Spartan UK South East race weekend, which is returning to Pippingford Park in Nutley, East Sussex, on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th April 2020. The obstacle course events are organised by Spartan Race, the global leader in obstacle-course racing. All the courses will be packed with Spartan’s signature obstacles including barbed wire crawls, rope climbs and fire jumps, all guaranteed to get the adrenaline pumping. The races are designed to push racers out of their comfort zone and are perfect for those looking for a new fitness goal to aim for in 2020. The first race weekend of the season will kick off with the Pippingford Park event. The varied terrain of Pippingford Park is used by the British Army for basic training, and lends itself perfectly to a Spartan race. With rolling hills, picturesque woodland trails and rivers and lakes, there are plenty of natural obstacles for Spartan to utilise, creating a challenging but enjoyable course. Each of the races has heats to cater for people of all fitness and abilities, including Elite heats for the more competitive racers. So regardless of whether you’re taking part in your first obstacle course race or are a seasoned racer, there is something for you. This year, there is also a total prize pot of £25,000 up for grabs. Across the race weekend, Spartans will have two different race options to choose from: the 5km Sprint event and the more challenging 21km Beast. There is also a kids’ race for younger thrillseekers who want to get outdoors and live life adventurously. The Sprint puts endurance aside and will test the racers speed over a 5km course. The course is packed with 20 of Spartan’s most fun, exciting and challenging obstacles. It’s the perfect distance for either first-time Spartans who are new to obstacle-course racing, or the more experienced racer who is looking to test their speed against the clock. 10

The Beast is perfect for the experienced athlete and involves a demanding 21km circuit across varied terrain with 30 obstacles of all shapes and sizes to navigate along the way. The Beast will test racers’ strength, endurance and resolve. The unpredictable terrain and Spartan obstacles are designed to challenge runners to dig deep. Spartans can chose between taking on the race as an individual or as a team. Taking part as a group of friends, colleagues or training partners is a great way of building team spirit and keeping motivation going right up to the finish line. Dave, winner of the 2019 South East Elite Beast, said, “I have done a few OCR events in my life, but the Spartan series are definitely the best in the UK. The venues are amazing and constantly changing so you never get bored. Spartan has a great combination of elite-level racing, racing for those who want a sporting challenge and fantastic children’s races that make a great family day out.” 2019 saw over 40,000 racers take on Spartan races in the UK and 2020 will see even more racers taking part in seven race weekends up and down the country, with other scheduled events to take place in Ireland, Wales, Midlands, Scotland and Windsor. Sam Lansdale, Spartan General Manager for UK and Ireland, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Spartan will be returning to the legendary Pippingford Park for the first time in five years. Our 2020 season is going to be bigger and better than any other year and it’s an amazing course to be kicking off the 2020 season with.” Spartan was founded by world-class adventure racer Joe De Sena in 2008 and has grown to become the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand, with more than 200 events in more than 42 countries across the globe.

For more information about Spartan and to register for 2020 events, visit www.spartanrace.uk/en

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LOV E N EWS

Quality care in the community Consultus Care and Nursing celebrate the official opening of their new training centre suite extension Consultus Care & Nursing officially celebrated the grand opening of their new, expanded Training Centre, with local MP Tom Tugendhat on hand to unveil the new training facilities. This was followed by a champagne reception and a tour of the new centre. Susan Antenbring, Training Manager, said, “We were thrilled to welcome Tom Tugendhat to our new purpose-built training centre, to take the opportunity to showcase our wonderful facilities and demonstrate our passion for delivering the highest-quality carer training.” The long-established Tonbridge-based company continues to go from strength to strength and this latest investment reinforces their on-going commitment to train and develop carers to meet the increasing demand for live-in care. Peter Seldon, CEO, clarified, “The training centre is an integral part of Consultus which has been successfully providing carers and nurses across the UK for nearly 60 years.” The training centre is endorsed by the UK Statutory body, Skills for Care, as a Centre of Excellence and is accredited by Edexcel Pearson to offer a variety of BTEC and Diploma qualifications. With a nationwide shortage of carers, Consultus is at the forefront of alleviating the national social-care crisis and provides a vital service to many hundreds of older people and their families in their own homes, via professionally trained carers. The company offers a real difference by supporting these families at extremely challenging times and thus making a real impact on the quality of their lives. In his opening speech, Tom Tugendhat said, “This isn’t just a training place; it underpins something that is fundamental about the way we live today. Consultus Care enables people to be as independent and free for as long as it is possible, and that is such a gift. Live-in care unlocks the ability to stay at home with family and friends, giving people dignity, which is hugely liberating.”

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Care Training Manger, Susan Antenbring, MP Tom Tugendhat and CEO Peter Seldon With the additional training capacity, Consultus are able to deliver a comprehensive selection of care-related training courses including Parkinson’s, dementia, stroke, diabetes, end of life and the First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work qualifications. The award-winning centre can now offer training opportunities to local care organisations, businesses and individuals, as well as their own community of live-in carers. www.consultuscare.com

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LOV E G OI NG OU T

Out and about with Kudos

Christmas is coming... Turn the page to find out about festive creative days at Curious House, including how to make your own wreath

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Open house

Switch off and switch on your creativity Creative courses run from a stunning contemporary country house in East Sussex encourage small groups to explore new skills and enjoy a convivial day away from it all. Philippa King has opened her creative home to host courses with hospitality at their heart. Collaborating with some extraordinary teachers, guests enjoy a great day with tea, chat, a delicious lunch and something wonderful to show for it. Highlights for the rest of this year include: Day of Experimental Drawing Victoria Threlfall – Wednesday 13th November Forget about any hang-ups you might have about drawing – come and experiment. Lino Cut Cards and Papers Clare Dales – Thursday 14th November Explore the medium of lino cutting to create your own stunning Christmas cards and wrapping paper. Christmas Wreath to see you through to Twelfth Night Nicky Gaffney – Friday 6th December Take a breather in the run up to Christmas and join us for a festive morning making your own, unique, luxury wreath. Creative Christmas Wrapping Emily Wood – Saturday 7th December Morning Course: 10am to 1pm. £50 plus £15 for materials Learn the art of beautiful present presentation ahead of the big day. Day courses cost £95, including lunch. The cost of materials varies for each course. www.curioushouse.net or call 01435 884806 /07747 106929

Festive fun

Magical Medieval Christmas for The Canterbury Tales Once again, The Canterbury Tales visitor attraction will host festive fun with Father Christmas in a very special time-travelling adventure for children. Following the enormous success of last year’s events, Magical Medieval Christmas will return to The Canterbury Tales on 14th and 15th December. Santa enjoyed his time in the 14th century last year so much that he has decided to stay there this year! Christmas is in danger once again and it’s up to some budding young adventurers to convince Santa that here in 2019 we still have the spirit of Christmas. Families are guided through a series of festive activities on the medieval streets of The Canterbury Tales with songs, games and decorations. Their journey ends with a visit to Santa’s grotto and a gift for every child. www.canterburytales.org.uk

Up, up and away

Peter Pan comes to Tonbridge Back for a fourth year, following last year’s smash hit pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk which broke box office records, Wicked Productions return to the EM Forster Theatre, Tonbridge, with the high-flying Peter Pan, from 13th December5th January. Audiences will be ‘hooked’ with this spectacular laugh-out-loud family pantomime, ‘Never Never’ will your swash be more buckled than at this fabulous show! Watch as Peter Pan, Wendy and the children head for the second star to the right and straight on ’til morning to beat the vicious Captain Hook and provide a loving home for the Lost Boys. But ever lurking in the water is the nasty croc, waiting to get the ‘upper hand’ of anyone who dares come too close… Packed full of fabulous scenery, costumes, special effects, crazy jokes, audience participation and lashings of panto magic, set spirits flying in Tonbridge this Christmas with the adventures of the child who never grew up! www.emftheatre.com

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LOV E COM PET I T IONS

WIN!

A family ticket for four to any performance of The Snow Queen at Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells This Christmas, Trinity Theatre presents a tale of adventure, friendship and bravery. Hans Christian Andersen’s classic children’s favourite The Snow Queen has been adapted for the stage by Teresa Heskins, and is directed by Trinity’s new Artistic Director, Kezia Cole. When Kai meets the Snow Queen, she persuades him to leave his home, his grandmother and his best friend, Gerda, to live with her in faraway Lapland. So Gerda sets off all alone, determined to find him – even if she has to search the whole wide world… From 12th-31st December, join us on this magical adventure full of enchanting characters, original music and snowball fights! For a novel take on a festive favourite, don’t miss A Christmas Carol on 28th November, as actor John O’Connor delightfully recreates Dickens’ famous performance of his best-loved ghost story. Working with the script Dickens used, John O’Connor plays over 20 characters, skillfully drawing the audience into this Victorian ghost story. They will be transported from Dickens’s own warm study to Scrooge’s freezing house, and the Cratchits’ welcoming dinner table. Heralded as “a beautifully intimate piece of storytelling with a familial, cosy atmosphere” (York Press), enjoy this festive treat in the spirit of Christmas past, present and future. Over the years, Trinity Comedy Club has played host to some of the brightest talent on the comedy scene. For its legendary Christmas run (30th November-7th December), the action moves into the foyer, accompanied by a three-course festive menu laid on by the Kitchen & Bar. The foyer is the ideal setting for an up-closeand-personal experience, one that rivals any venue on the circuit. Perfect for a grown-up night out, or your work Christmas party. Bump up your evening with one of their sharing boards, and take full advantage of their new wine list. ’Tis the season, after all… Guitarist and composer Richard Durrant’s Candlelit Christmas Concert on 19th December heralds the start of the Christmas season with singer Amy Kakoura and master fiddler Nick Pynn to serve up a festive feast of acoustic Christmas music. This unique show mixes chart-topping Christmas songs with an early music repertoire, British folk, traditional carols, and solo guitar works, offering “an all-embracing winter tapestry” (Guitar & Bass Magazine). Look out for a pair of festive screenings from The Royal Ballet, with Coppélia on 15th December, and The Nutcracker on 17th December. Ninette de Valois’ charming and funny Coppélia is a story of love, mischief and mechanical dolls. The intricate choreography is set to Delibes’ delightful score and shows off the technical precision and comedic timing of the whole company. Osbert Lancaster’s designs bring a colourful storybook world to life in this Christmas treat for the whole family. A Christmastime staple, The Royal Ballet’s glorious production of The Nutcracker is the production par excellence of an all-time ballet favourite. It’s Christmas Eve and Herr Drosselmeyer the magician sweeps young Clara away on a fantasy adventure in which time is suspended, the family living room becomes a great battlefield, and a magical journey takes them through the Land of Snow to the 16

Kingdom of Sweets. Tchaikovsky’s glittering score, the gorgeous festive stage designs, and The Royal Ballet’s captivating dancing make this Nutcracker the quintessential Christmas experience. For full listings, and to book tickets, visit trinitytheatre.net, or call the Box Office on 01892 678 678

How to enter our competition

To enter our competition, go to www.kudoskent.co.uk/competitions. Submit your details before the closing date of 7th December 2019. One lucky winner will be selected at random. There is no cash alternative. We will NEVER pass on your details.

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LOV E COM PET I T IONS

WIN!

A whole year’s gym membership with énergie Fitness Kudos has teamed up with énergie Fitness – the friendliest gym in Tunbridge Wells – to offer this fabulous prize worth £260. To be in with a chance to win, all you have to do is download a free pass from the following link and you will automatically be included in the competition: energiefitness.live/tunbridge-wells The free day pass entitles everyone who enters the competition to a free day at the gym – this could even be used to try one of the many classes énergie offer! If you want to get into shape in the New Year, there’s nowhere better to do it than énergie. Whether you are new to exercise or a seasoned pro, they will give you all the help you need to make the most of the bright, fresh gym with its huge range of state-of-the-art equipment. The best class instructors and Personal Trainers make your gym session something to genuinely look forward to, and ensure that you achieve what you set out to do, be it weight loss, toning, stamina, strength or general buffness!

To find out more check out: www.energiefitness.com/tunbridge-wells.html www.facebook.com/energieFitnessTunbridgeWells/ www.instagram.com/energiefitnesstunbridgewells/ “Every time I’ve been, I’ve been made to feel welcome by staff and other members. It makes my workouts so much better to be around so many lovely people.” Samantha, High Brooms “There’s no pressure, just support, and whatever your goals might be, this is a friendly and nurturing environment to achieve them.” Kathy, Tunbridge Wells

Terms and Conditions • The winner will be drawn at random by énergie Fitness in the first week of January, 2020. Their decision is final. • The winner will be advised directly. • The prize is not transferrable and the free year must be commenced by 31/1/2020. • This draw is not available to anyone who is currently, or has been since 31/8/2019, a member at énergie Fitness, Tunbridge Wells.

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LOV E CEL EBR I T Y

Lenny live As Lenny Henry embarks on his new stand-up show, he explains why he loves performing to an audience

Interview by James Rampton Image credit: Jack Lawson McDonald 18

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“Being in front of an audience is the best thing you can do. Films and telly are extra, but live is you unfiltered”

There is really very little that Sir Lenny Henry cannot do. As well as being one of Britain’s best-known and most celebrated comedians, he is also an acclaimed writer, radio DJ, TV presenter, co-founder of Comic Relief, and an award-winning actor. In addition, Lenny has a PhD in Media Arts – “Dr Henry, I presume” – and in 2015 was awarded a knighthood for services to charity and drama. Phew! But now, I am delighted to report, Lenny has returned to his first love: live performance, touring the country with a brilliant new show. Following the publication of his memoir, Who Am I, Again?, Lenny will be travelling the length and breadth of the country with An Evening with Lenny Henry – Who Am I, Again? It is not a conventional stand-up show; rather, the performer dazzles audiences with stories from his life. In the first half, Lenny treats us to a series of anecdotes – triggered by writing his memoir – which are both hilarious and poignant. He recollects growing up in the Black Country, puberty, school, friendship, family secrets and unabashed racism. He remembers how – with his mother’s mantra of “H’integration” ringing in his ears – he did his best to overcome those obstacles and make his way in the world. Lenny proceeds to regale the audience with memories of his stellar career. After he burst into the public consciousness in 1975 as the splendidly gifted 16-year-old winner of the TV talent show, New Faces, he enjoyed enormous success on such TV shows as Tiswas, Three of a Kind and The Lenny Henry Show. Despite his huge popularity, however, Lenny could not help himself wondering at every stage: Am I good enough? Is this what they want? In the second half of the show, Lenny is interviewed by friend, broadcaster and author Jon Canter, offering further insights into his life and career. There is audience interaction throughout: perhaps their questions will help Lenny work out, “Who Am I Again?” It all adds up to a tremendous evening, as you would expect from one of the most magnetic live performers this country has ever produced. It is not just me saying that – the critics concur. The BBC has described his live performance as, “Rip roaring entertainment … Lenny Henry gave a class performance of the sharpest comedy banter … Superb!” Meanwhile, the Express & Star

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LOV E CEL EBR I T Y

has dubbed him, “A master of his trade,” and the Evening Standard has called him, “Absolutely hilarious.” Before the tour started, Lenny tells me he can’t wait to be back on stage. “Live performance is just the best,” he asserts, a captivating and compelling presence both on and off stage. “Being in front of an audience is the best thing you can do. Films and telly are extra, but live is you unfiltered. It’s just you stood there talking to an audience.” The performer, who has also starred in such sitcoms as Chef! and The Fosters, goes on to recall the greatest live show he ever witnessed. “What Morecambe and Wise did in front of a live audience was very different to what they did on telly. Their TV show was brilliant, but Eric was probably twenty times funnier on stage than he was on telly. I worked with him in Bournemouth in 1979, and it was one of the most extraordinary live experiences I have ever had. It was so funny and loose. “I try to get to the same space when I perform live, create real sense that this is unmediated and unmitigated. I attempt to communicate to the audience that ‘We’re gonna have a great time for the next 90 minutes, and then we’re all off home! HOORAY!’” An Evening with Lenny Henry – Who Am I, Again? is bolstered by the presence of his legions of loyal fans, who have followed him up and 20

down the country for the last four decades. The performer, 61, who has also appeared in such top-class dramas as Broadchurch season 3, Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle, The Long Song, The Syndicate 3, Danny and the Human Zoo and Hope and Glory, reflects on the amazing rapport he has with his audience. “People show up – sometimes not all at the same time! To be honest, it is a long time since ‘Katanga, my friends!’ or ‘OOOOOKAAAAY!’, but it seems that people still want to come and see the show and be entertained. “What is lovely is that my audience has grown with me over the years, they get me – and what I’m trying to do– I really cherish that.” The other aspect of live performance that he adores is that he can improvise – live and direct in the moment. Lenny, who has also given memorable stage performances in Othello, The Comedy of Errors, Fences, Rudy’s Rare Records, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Educating Rita and King Hedley II, reveals that, “With this show, the audiences are not just going to get a prepared, scripted presentation, but the bits in between, too.” “My favourite comedians are the ones that have not only put in the hard work on their show, but they can also (once the show is up and running), swim between sections of their script and fool around. Those are my favourite performances: where you’re allowed to improvise right then and there, and the audience gets that. That’s K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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what’s really exciting about live performance; you’re not watching a robot, you’re watching a human being. If you come to play, the audience really appreciate that.” Even though his live show is tied to the publication of his memoir, Lenny is swift to point out that it’s very far from a conventional book tour. He discloses that, “I thought, ‘I’m not going to do the normal book tour thing.’ How can I do that? I’m not sure comedians are supposed to do book tours in the way other people do them. “There is a weight of expectation about a book tour, and people would be severely disappointed if a comedian started to navel gaze and talk about how his parents beat him viciously as a child. People are not going to get therapy on stage from me. They will get stories, character stuff and songs. I’m sure he’s a great guy, but It’s not going to be a Julian Barnes-type evening, OK people? We don’t get down like that…” As he looks back on his early years in the business, Lenny underscores how valuable they have been in forming him as a comedian. “If you write a book about your early years, there is a palpable sense that the past is another country and that you’re looking at yourself from a thousand miles away. “You write with these words indelibly printed on your brain: ‘Well… that was a very interesting time… these were interesting

experiences… they probably made me who I am today.’ This kind of reflection can make you realise why you are the way you are in the present day – I’ve noticed that I now stick up for myself and also want to be an integral part of the creative process, which all stems from the experience of my first 10 years in the business.” Lenny closes by emphasising that the show should not only be entertaining but also provide insight into his true identity. “I hope people enjoy their evening out with me – but I also want them to feel at the end, that they’ve learnt something about who I am and how I got there. This is a Len they’ve never met before. The show is going to be loose, fun, insightful, and revelatory. Did I say ‘fun’ yet?” Yes, you did, Sir Lenny. Finally, what does he hope that audiences will take away from An Evening with Lenny Henry – Who Am I, Again? “A book!” And, no doubt, many, many laughs.

Lenny Henry will be performing at the Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells, on 15th November www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

www.lennyhenryontour.net

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L OV E FA M I LY

Family first

News about a mental health charity, the impact of fast fashion, life-saving first aid and more Kind of you to join us How The Kindness Co-op is supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people The Kindness Co-op was launched by two friends, Lucie and Charlie, with the purpose of promoting kindness towards others (especially amongst children), ourselves and the environment. Being mums, they have always tried to teach their children about looking after the planet that they are going to inherit, and looking after each other. Seeing their children demonstrate unprompted acts of kindness filled them with pride and they decided that they wanted to create a brand to encourage this ethos through inspirational clothing and accessories. In 2018 they launched The Kindness Co-op, a socially-responsible brand offering organic clothing for children and adults featuring inspirational designs. Since then, the brand has grown and now also offers a range of accessories including tote bags, notebooks and badges. It was important to Lucie and Charlie to have a philanthropic element to the brand, so with every item sold they donate a portion of the profit to the wonderful charity, YoungMinds. YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity championing the mental health and emotional wellbeing of children and young people. They exist so that young people have the strongest possible voice in improving their mental health. They strive to make sure everything, from Government policy to practice in schools and services, is driven by young people’s experiences and aspirations. They support parents to help their children through difficult times, equip professionals to provide the best possible support to the young people that they work with, and they empower young people to change their world. Nobody’s perfect, but as concern about climate change grows, The Kindness Co-op will do everything they can to ensure that they source from ethical suppliers, use organic materials where appropriate, minimise the use of plastics and only use packaging that can easily be recycled. www.thekindnessco-op.com www.youngminds.org.uk

What goes around comes around? New Oxfam study reveals shocking environmental impact of the UK’s fast-fashion culture New clothes bought in the UK produce more carbon emissions per minute than driving a car around the world six times. It is estimated that more than two tonnes of clothing are bought each minute in the UK. That produces nearly 50 tonnes of carbon emissions – the same as driving 162,000 miles in a car. Emissions from clothes bought in the UK every second are equivalent to driving a car from London to the Costa del Sol and back. And per hour this equates to driving around the world 360 times. Buying one new white cotton shirt produces the same amount of emissions as driving a car for 35 miles. The is based on a 100 per cent cotton shirt with a net weight of 220 grams, which amounts to 10.75kg of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. An item of clothing could travel 21,748 miles – from a cotton field in the US, to production units in Bangladesh, to the shipment of the product to Germany and finally to the customer. Despite these huge figures, a study commissioned by Oxfam of 1,000 British adults found 53 per cent are not aware fast fashion is damaging to the environment. Not only is the textile industry one of world’s major polluters, many of its products are thrown away. Each week, 11 million garments end up in landfill in the UK. To keep prices low, throwaway fashion is made

by garment workers often from poor communities, and paid below the living wage. Oxfam says the poorest people in the world who did the least to cause climate change are suffering most. The richest 10 per cent of the world are responsible for around 50 per cent of global emissions, while the poorest half are responsible for 10 per cent. Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam’s Chief Executive, said: “These staggering facts about fashion’s impact on the planet and the world’s poorest people should make us all think twice before buying something new to wear. We are in a climate emergency – we can no longer turn a blind eye to the emissions produced by new clothes or turn our backs on garment workers paid a pittance who are unable to earn their way out of poverty no matter how many hours they work. “As consumers, it’s in our power to make a real difference. Buying second-hand clothes helps to slow the ferocious fast fashion cycle, giving garments a second lease of life. Together we can make a difference and help reduce fast fashion’s impact on people and the environment. The statistics also found the carbon footprint from new clothes we buy every year as a nation is more than if all 66 million of us flew to Malta for a holiday.”

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Adventure for kids Bluewater Nature Trail celebrates The Very Hungry Caterpillar Bluewater has relaunched their Nature Trail, in partnership with the classic children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, celebrating 50 years since the book was first published. To enjoy the trail, little ones can pick up a free trail map in mall and follow The Very Hungry Caterpillar-themed signs to explore the lakes, play areas, bug hotels, stepping logs and hopscotch! Amidst their adventures, children will also discover an incredible, giant wooden sculpture of The Very Hungry Caterpillar crafted by local sculptor Steven Porchmouth. There’s also a new spider climbing frame in the heart of the Nature Trail, adding to the host of fun outdoor activities. Robert Goodman, Bluewater’s General Manager, said: “We’re delighted to celebrate this new chapter of our popular Nature Trail through a partnership with The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has entertained children for the past 50 years. I am sure the new sculpture will quickly become a favourite with kids and adults alike.” The relaunch is perfect timing as Bluewater has been named in the prestigious Green Flag awards for a fourth consecutive year, testament to the value of Bluewater’s own parkland. The Green Flag awards identify and reward the UK’s leading parks and green spaces. They recognised the 50 acres of beautiful green space at Bluewater – the area is a hotspot for biodiversity and a beautiful and educational place for all the family.

How to save a life First-aid skills to be taught in all state schools in England from 2020 You never know how you would act in an emergency, yet our actions could save a life. After 10 years of campaigning by the British Red Cross, it will be compulsory for first-aid skills to be taught in all state schools in England from 2020. It’s an impactful way to give young people the confidence they need to help someone. Campaigner Marina Fogle, co-founder of the Bump Class and host of The ParentHood podcast, who is married to British Red Cross Ambassador and TV adventurer Ben, and mother to Ludo and Iona, comments: “As parents, Ben and I are so thrilled our children will be able to learn these important skills so that they never feel completely helpless in an emergency situation. It’s also a relief knowing that if anything were to happen to them in the future, more people might be able to help. So many women I know, especially those weaning their babies, are terrified of the possibility of their child choking. But children learning first aid could make all the difference if one of their younger siblings was choking at home. “This new legislation, however, is just for schools in England. At the moment teaching first aid in schools in the rest of the UK is optional. We support the British Red Cross’s calls for it to become a compulsory part of the curriculum throughout the UK so all school children get the same chance to learn how to save a life.”

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Supermum? No thanks, I’m ‘good enough’ Eight in 10 mums have shunned the idea of being a supermum, and feel they are ‘good enough’ instead, a study has found. Researchers polling 2,000 mums of children aged 0-18 have found that rather than aiming for perfection, most believe they are doing OK when it comes to raising happy and healthy children. Just managing to produce a cake on time for their child’s birthday is among the things mums believe shows that they are doing a ‘good enough’ job, as well as serving up vegetables for their child at mealtimes, even if they only eat a couple of forkfuls. Being okay with the fact their youngster isn’t getting the best grades in the class, happily playing with the kids instead of doing the washing and understanding it doesn’t matter if the meals they prepare aren’t cooked from scratch, also feature in the list. And one third of mums have accepted that ‘winging it’ as a parent is okay, because no one is perfect anyway. Siobhan Freegard, spokeswoman for parenting site ChannelMum.com said: “Parents today are under so much pressure to be perfect. They constantly question and compare themselves to others to check out if they are measuring up. But being perfect simply isn’t achievable and it’s not even a goal we should be aiming for. If you have a child who is happy and loved, you are definitely doing a good enough job.” Researchers found telling your child you love them at least once a day is the top sign mums believe means they are doing ‘good enough’. Others say questioning their own ability to parent, managing to make time to read a bedtime story and giving up all notions of having a tidy house also make

mums feel like they are doing OK. The study also found 79 per cent of mums sometimes feel like the worst parent in the world, but that they are reassured when they look at their happy child. Having a house which looks like a tip – but it being the house all other children want to come and play in, also make mums feel like they are doing a good job. Realising you haven’t bought any clothes for yourself in two years, but not minding because the money has been spent on the family, is another indication of someone doing their best. While understanding that sometimes parking their child in front of the TV, needing a night out with girlfriends away from the children, and not giving a damn if the child is covered in mud if they are having a good time, also appear in the top 30. Nine in 10 mums just want their kids to grow up and remember their childhood fondly. But more than half worry they’re not providing enough education for their children at home and a further six in 10 don’t think they give their kids enough time and attention. However, eight in 10 mums acknowledge most tend to give themselves a hard time when it comes to parenting and juggling modern life. In fact, just under half admitted to worrying about what other people think of their parenting skills. Siobhan Freegard added: “The fact that someone is worrying if they are doing a good job as a parent usually shows that they are. You can only do your best. Give yourself a break, a pat on the back and go and spend quality time with the kids. Everything else can wait.”

Top 25 signs of a ‘good enough’ mum 1. Y ou tell your child you love them at least once a day 2. Your child goes to bed in one piece and happy 3. Questioning or worrying about being a good enough mum means you already are one 4. Not worrying that your child is covered in mud, food or paint because they are having fun 5. When you accept that winging it as a parent is OK. Because who wants to be perfect? 6. Knowing that self-care isn’t selfish. Even if it’s just finding time for a soak in the bath or getting your nails done 7. When you’ve managed to make the time to read to them at night 8. Accepting that a living room full of toys is OK. Who needs a tidy house anyway? 9. When you spot a child having a public tantrum and rather than judging, you give the mum an ‘I’m here for you, sister’ look 10. Y ou realise it’s OK to put them in front of the TV at times, so you can get a bit of peace and quiet/chores done 11. When you feel like your children have driven you mad all day and bedtime was a horror show, yet you know that you’ll want to sniff their sleeping heads 12. Realising that you haven’t bought any new clothes for you for ages – and not minding because the money’s been spent on your family 13. You don’t take your child’s behaviour personally. Just because they did something nasty doesn’t mean you’re not doing a good job

14. Your kid’s not getting the best grades in the class – but they’re learning about being a good person 15. The realisation that you can’t pour from an empty cup and that looking after you is as important as looking after your child 16. You realise it’s okay to arrange a night out with friends, away from the children 17. You give your child food from the oven rather than cooking from scratch, but at least they’re full and fed 18. You manage to produce a cake in time for their birthday – bought or made 19. Knowing that it’s fine that you don’t help out at school because you are working hard 20. You understand other people need to look after the children too – it doesn’t all fall on you 21. When you serve up vegetables/fruit in the hope some get eaten, but not beating yourself up when they don’t 22. Knowing that the ‘beige dinner’ phase won’t last forever and not worrying about it 23. Your child tells you they hate you, then that they love you half an hour later 24. When you feel like you’re failing and that it’s such hard work. Yet you’re seriously considering doing it all over again 25. When you become adept at catching poo or puke in your hands

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Party time

Dial up the glam this festive season with Pure Collection

Above from left to right: Velour Wide Leg Jumpsuit, £120; Georgette V Neck Midi Dress, £120; Devore Jacket, £180, and Metallic Ankle Length Trouser, £99

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Small is beautiful

Kent-based founder of The Wild and The Tame, Chantelle Laker handcrafts limited-edition baby and toddler blankets, accessories and nursery décor. She talks to Kudos about starting a small business as a mum of two

What was it like starting up your business whilst pregnant and with one child to look after?

Whilst I had a successful career in PR, I had wanted to start a creative business for years to put my design degree to use. Although I knew my hands were about to become doubly full, I realised I had a window of opportunity whilst pregnant to give this a level of focus that I wouldn’t be able to again for a couple of years. I concentrated on making all of the time-consuming decisions and actions to get the business up and running before my due date, so that I could then pick them back up when I had got to grips with life with a newborn (all over again!) and a toddler. So, I developed an initial product collection, designed the branding, built and launched the website, and established a social media presence. Once I was ready to get back to work, I would sew or make website updates during my baby’s naps and gradually built up to working during nursery hours. It has been a real juggle but ultimately it is becoming a mum that inspired me to launch The Wild and The Tame, so without my sons, this business wouldn’t exist.

Was it hard to get the business off the ground?

Getting your name out there is one of the most difficult things about getting a small business off the ground. I invested a lot of time in the first year selling at as many small business fairs and pop-up shopping events as possible in and around Kent, as you just can’t beat being face to face with customers, allowing them to see and feel the quality of products for themselves and making human connections – as much as we’re in a digital age, people still like to buy from people!

What products did you start with?

Having made a few milestone blankets as baby shower gifts for friends, I launched with these alongside cot blankets, moses basket blankets, swaddle 26

blankets and framed prints. I extended the range at the start of this year to include bibs and teething rings, which are now our bestsellers and make beautiful matching gift sets. I’ve just recently launched fitted cot sheets, too, in response to customer demand. Decorative mattress sheets are really big in America and Australia. The trend has now reached the UK but the market is lagging behind, especially the big-name baby brands, so it’s great to be able to fill this gap and bring style-conscious parents something they are struggling to find. This year also sees our very first Christmas collection, which I’m very excited about!

Do you design the actual fabric? If so, how do you find the inspiration? If not, how do you choose or source them?

I spend a lot of time researching and sourcing fabrics and all of the prints in our collection are nature themed. The name The Wild and The Tame is about celebrating different characters in nature and amongst our little ones (from the fierce to the gentle!), so I curate a mixture of bold and more dainty prints to offer something for all tastes and personalities. The majority of the prints that I use are limited-edition designs by UK illustrators, which means that only a small quantity of each product will ever be made in a single fabric, making each item even more special. I look for fabrics with intricate layers of detail – an antidote to the simplistic designs often found on baby products on the high street (as a mum of boys I felt compelled to create an alternative to the stereotypical car and truck motifs!).

What do you love most about your job?

I set out to create beautiful nursery décor and accessories that parents can really fall in love with, which are as much for them to swoon over as for their little ones. I handmake all of our products and being able to create every day and see each unique piece go to a new home where it’s cherished is a real dream. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

Where would you like to see your business in five years’ time?

I am focusing heavily on expanding our bricks-and-mortar reach beyond our current retail stockists in Kent. I love to work with other small businesses and am an advocate of shopping local, so I would like to see The Wild and The Tame’s products on the shelves of independent children’s, homeware and gift stores across the UK. I also have a goal to eventually commission fabric designs which are exclusive to The Wild and The Tame, with potential for limited-edition collections produced in collaboration with selected stores.

What plans do you have for the immediate future?

Next year I will be introducing even more products which will take The Wild and The Tame beyond the nursery, and I have plans to take the business on the road to bigger fairs and pop-up events further afield.

What advice would you give to parents that are thinking of starting their own business?

It is easier said than done, but try to have a detailed plan whilst being as flexible as possible. Building a business around children, especially pre-school age, means that each day will be unpredictable but having a clear plan will help you to ensure that the pockets of time you do have available can be used most effectively to bring you a small step closer to your end goal.

Where can our readers find your products?

You can shop The Wild and The Tame’s collection in person at Hollie’s Little Cakery – The Emporium on The Pantiles in Tunbridge Wells, at Walrus and Oyster Emporium in Canterbury and at this year’s Wealden Times Midwinter Fair (14th-16th November). Or shop online at www.thewildandthetame.co.uk

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My family day out to... Hever Castle At three years old, my son Leo’s vocabulary constantly surprises me. Every day is a new word or even sentence. “Mummy, don’t be ridiculous!” he said to me the other day, and “Look at the mess he’s made!” when our chocolate lab had devoured a pear on the sitting room floor. The latest one was when he swapped a toy with his sister (rather than the usual grabbing a toy out of her hand and making her cry). When I congratulated him on giving her something in return rather than just taking the toy she had, commenting that, “Your sister’s happy, you’re happy….” He finished it off with “And everybody’s happy!” holding his hands up in the air. A small thing, but it made me stop what I was doing and laugh out loud. It’s moments like these that make up for all the tiredness and the bags under my eyes. He’s also fascinated by castles. For a while, he was calling our home a castle (it’s definitely not!) and so I figured it was probably a good idea to show him the true meaning of the word. Although I guess I did quite like feeling like a Queen… of our castle. Having heard about the Adventure Playground, I knew Hever Castle would be a very family-friendly choice. It was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, who was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. It was a family day out – one-year-old sister Evie, Nanny Annie and Uncle Mikey joined us. Leo was very excited to see his first castle, but even he couldn’t resist the lure of the rose garden which we passed on the way. Until William Waldorf Astor bought Hever Castle in 1903, only a modest garden existed around the castle walls. Today, thanks to his remarkable efforts and those of the gardening team, there are many magnificent areas to discover (its 125 acres was recently awarded a prestigious Gold at the South East in Bloom awards). The romantic quintessential English rose garden is the setting for over 4,000 roses which flourish from June until the end of September. Leo was enthralled by the blocks of colour, which range from palest pink to deep crimson and rich purple. “Oh, look mummy, it’s a pink one! Oh look, a yellow one!” He charged along, stopping only to point out each colour. I finally caught up with him, and showed him how to sniff a flower. “It smells lovely,” he agreed. The Italian Garden was my favourite; there is so much to take in, so many interesting little sculptures and details to admire. Covering four acres, the long sweeping lawns and tall clipped yew hedges form the central area of this magnificent garden, bordered by two 12-foot-high walls made from local stone. On the north side is the Pompeiian Wall which contains small bays showcasing antiquities in stone and marble enveloped with shrubs and climbing plants. Along the south side runs the Pergola Walk with its shaded grottoes planted with ferns and moistureloving plants. Hidden in its centre behind a tall hedge lies the Sunken Garden, an oasis of peace and quiet. The impressive Loggia at the lake end of the garden is flanked by pillared colonnades with balustrade steps leading to the piazza below with its classical sculpture inspired by the Trevi Fountain in Rome. As we approached the moat with its pretty bridges and fountain, we said hello to the ducks and swans, before Leo shrieked with delight at the sight of the castle – it really is very pretty. Exploring inside was fun for both young and old. Leo was really interested in the smaller details, like all the little ornaments on display, some of the old children’s clothing – but most of all he loved the knight’s armour. He knew immediately that it was a knight. I was horrified by the instruments of torture that were also on display in this room (let’s just say the names they are given are pretty self explanatory and some made me wince, Leo just thought they looked really cool!). Of course, it wouldn’t be a trip out with the children if they didn’t do something to embarrass me. Leo managed to lose one 28

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of his toy cars under a piece of furniture. Thank you to the man who creatively used a poker from a fireplace to retrieve it, much to Leo’s delight! And Evie made a run for it at one point, past the rope barrier and into one of the Castle’s room displays, which meant I had to then run after her and chase her around the room until I managed to grab hold of her and bring her back to the visitor’s side. Phew, crisis averted! After lunch at the impressive Moat Restaurant (their passionfruit cake is amazing!) and Leo had enjoyed the topiary that we passed on the way – he loved the bush-shaped pig – our final stop for the day was the Adventure Playground. Tudor Towers is a nine-metre-tall wooden play castle, bigger than a fourbedroom house and complete with its own moat, drawbridge and three turrets! Then there’s Acorn Dell – a natural play area with a two-metre high living willow structure, a giant sandpit, a grassy mound with three tunnels to clamber in and a slide and climbing frame. Located in the trees are two lookout platforms linked by a clatter bridge and with a slide for making a quick escape. In addition, the wooden playground features climbing frames, swings and an aerial runway. Leo was enthralled. He loved it all! Evie loved the sand and going through the tunnels with her brother. Oh, and throwing sand on me which I didn’t really enjoy that much. It was the perfect end to our day. The children were exhausted by the time they had finished. The only way I could get Leo to leave was to promise that we would come back soon (we did, this time with daddy and granddad) and a small white lie that it was closing so we had to leave (I think there was still another hour to go). The next day, when my father asked how our day out was, I smiled at the memory and replied, “You know what, it was just such a lovely day.” And it was, it really was. And you know what, Leo doesn’t call our home a castle any more, which I guess is a little disappointing, but I can’t blame him now that he has seen a real one. But I’ll carry on pretending that I am the Queen of our little ‘castle’.

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“Vaser liposculpting transformed my body!” Melissa Marshall explains how she has regained her figure after four children and previous tummy-tuck surgery

As a mum of four teenage boys, I am active, fun and outgoing, but ever since having tummy-tuck surgery some years back, I really struggled to hide the unsightly scar the procedure had left me with. “Why don’t you try vaser lipo,” my friend Sarah suggested to me over a morning coffee meet. It was a term I’d heard of, but I wasn’t familiar with what could be achieved. Intrigued, I did my research and was recommended to Consultant Plastic Surgeon Amir Nakhdjevani who operates from the Bella Vou Clinic in Tunbridge wells. His results were so impressive that I immediately booked myself in for a consultation. The moment I walked through the surgery door, I was met with a smile and it instantly put my nerves at rest. I was so excited and optimistic, I booked the date there and then. Within two minutes of meeting Amir, he put me completely at ease and I knew I could safely put my body in his hands. “I’m so pleased for you!” Sarah announced excitedly as I made the call to tell her my news. Amir recommended high-definition vaser liposuction to my stomach and flanks in order to completely remould my midsection, smooth 30

out my scar and give me the definition I had back in my 20’s (I’m now 43). I do a lot of yoga and have to wear tight fitting clothing for this, but my hipto-hip scar really showed where I’d gained weight on and off over the years. I was left with quite a lip, so wearing figure hugging dresses or yoga pants meant you could clearly see the line. My dream was to regain the confidence I had 10 years ago. “After the procedure you will be able to wear whatever you like without having to worry about lumps and bumps,” Amir told me at the consultation. “This is a modern procedure where I will remove the unwanted fat cells from the body and drain them out during the process. This encourages collagen to build within the body and underneath the skin, so it basically shrink-wraps the skin back and gets rid of that looseness and wobbly feeling. You’ll regain what you had back in your 20’s, or before you had kids.” It was music to my ears. The procedure would completely redefine my midsection and take me back to a comfortable place. Because I’d previously had a tummy tuck, it was also explained to me this had resulted in the redundant skin and low abdominal fat. Amir explained K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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From top to bottom: Melissa before; three days after; three weeks after

From left to right: Nurse Lesley, Mr Amir Nakhdjevani MBBS,MRCS,FRCS (Plast) Consultant Plastic Surgeon, ODP Joy

that a tummy tuck procedure can create a smooth, flat appearance of the abdomen but unfortunately, does not give you any definition. Having tone to my midsection which could be created through vaser lipo was the part I most looked forward to. On the day of the procedure the nurses settled me in and refreshed me on what to expect. “Bruising and tenderness can be expected,” they informed me. “This tends to subside quite quickly. You’ll have drains for 24 hours post-surgery to remove any excess fluid. This can be a little uncomfortable, but you’ll feel fine once the drains are removed.” The day after surgery, the drains were removed and I had a lymphatic massage. I felt so much better. Despite the slight discomfort immediately after the op, I soon realised this was just from the drains, not the procedure itself. The results were astonishing and immediate and you could see a continued improvement after each massage. They’re a really important part of the process and help to alleviate swelling and excess fluid.

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I also wore a high-definition vaser vest and a compression garment given to me by the clinic. The vest keeps you feeling nice and safe and secure and keeps you in the right space. It compresses everything to reduce swelling. I had to wear it for four weeks, but it’s quite comfortable and after a few days I couldn’t have imagined not wearing it. Fast forward to the present and I can’t believe the change. It takes six months for your body to completely heal, so I’ve not even seen the final result yet, but to say I’m over the moon is an understatement! Book your free consultation at Bella Vou: t: 01892 257357 hello@bellavou.co.uk www.bellavou.co.uk Instagram: @bellavou

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Heads up!

Top local head teachers give their views

Where do you stand on competition in your school? Do you believe it is better kept to a minimum, or could encouraging a competitive spirit unlock even more of a child’s potential?

Joff Powis, Headmaster

Vinehall School, Robertsbridge A co-educational day, boarding school and nursery for pupils aged 2-13

If we were to dampen the competitive spirits within our children, we would not be best preparing them for their futures. Fundamental to the personal development of a child’s character and self-confidence is a carefully-managed balance between seeking success and building resilience. At Vinehall, we believe it is our responsibility to encourage an ethos of positive, cooperative and modest competition. We have high expectations for every child in all that they do, but we ensure that a healthy scaffolding has been built around them to enable each child to experience success. As a school ‘full of opportunities’, we are conscious that our children will reach their potential only if they experience challenge and healthy competition along the way. Moulding confident but humble and compassionate children is our purpose, who will leave us with the broadest possible range of skills and passions.

Phil Usher, Deputy Head

Battle Abbey School, Bexhill and Battle Independent co-educational day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3 months-18 Sadly, at some point in everybody’s life there will be someone faster, stronger or better than you. There will be setbacks and disasters, yet what sets success apart from failure is the ability to deal with this and strive for betterment, whether for oneself, the team or society. Competition often has negative connotations and is associated with ‘winners’ and ‘losers’, however harnessed effectively, it can advance all. The ultimate person to compete with is yourself. This can manifest itself in sport, performing arts, relationships, academic performance and many other aspects of scholastic and personal life. I enjoy taking part in 10K runs, but as a broken former rugby player will never come anywhere near winning. But I revel in the opportunity to try and set a personal best. Effective target-setting and a nurturing school environment can unleash a competitive spirit that unlocks a child’s potential. For example, in order to be more competitive in a football team, a coach needs to identify the aspects of the game each individual player must improve and develop strategies to develop that, whether it is taking a free kick or passing the ball. This principle can equally be applied to a violinist within an orchestra or a historian trying to write a better essay. At Battle Abbey School, children are given opportunities to compete with each other, but more importantly with themselves. The family ethos at the school means that their individual strengths are well known and they can be challenged appropriately. There will be times when the team loses, a performance goes badly or an essay is not as good as it could be. However, as in adult life, the challenge is not to dwell on defeat, but to learn from it and try to come back stronger. Much has been written about the need to develop resilience in the modern world and this approach, alongside first-class pastoral support at school and at home, facilitates this. 32

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Craig McCarthy, Headmaster

Russell House School, Sevenoaks An independent co-educational preparatory school for boys and girls aged 2-11

There is no getting away from it, we live in a competitive world. Being competitive to one degree or another is part of the human condition and to deny it is unhealthy. Competition is the driving force behind levels of engagement and improvement. This can be at multiple levels, simultaneously, oneself, as part of a group or as part of an organisation. Yet being competitive should not be the ‘end all’. We should recognise that there are children who have differing levels of competitiveness and an individual’s attitude can vary depending on the type of activity being approached. Our county-level tennis stars may take their proverbial ‘foot off the gas’ for chess matches because they view chess as a relaxing social venture when compared to their tiger-like leaping around when court-bound. It is all about balance. The balance we aim for here at Russell House, is to provide an environment where competition is welcome, both in and out of the classroom, and that every child is able to explore and experience activities that suit their own levels of competitive spirit. Their sense of success breeds confidence, and confidence breeds success and more of that potential is realised, or unlocked. Additionally, our pupils are specifically asked to be competitive with themselves; to set personal targets in every aspect of their school lives and to reflect on how they measure up to these self-made goals, as much as they measure themselves against their classmates. Finally, being competitive can help us bounce back from life’s setbacks and achieve that ‘resilience’ that so many claim our youth lack today. Olympic hockey gold medallist and former Russell House pupil Susannah Townsend wowed us all with her tales of determination and sheer hard work to recover from serious injury and get back in the GB Hockey squad, which she duly did. We only learn by doing, by experience. Embrace competition as a welcome companion on life’s journey but don’t let them hog the conversation.

Bill Jones, Headmaster

Spring Grove School, Wye (near Ashford) Independent preparatory school for boys and girls aged 2-11

Every Friday morning at Spring Grove School we invite all of our parents to attend Assembly, which is presented by a different class each week. It’s a lovely occasion – a time for our school community to come together, for parents to see their children performing in front of the whole school, and for us to celebrate the achievements of the children over the past week. We always end Friday Assembly with our School Prayer, but before that is an event that is highly anticipated by children, staff and parents alike – the presentation of Jelly the Giraffe. How Jelly came to be the school mascot of Spring Grove is a story for another time, but every week he is the prize for the winner of our weekly School House competition. Children are awarded House points for a wide variety of things – good work, being helpful and kind to others, and reading at home being just a few examples. The children thrive on this benign competition, and the awarding of Jelly each week is always greeted with huge excitement. Winning and losing, learning to cope with the elation of success and the dejection of defeat, is part of growing up. We encourage competition in many forms at Spring Grove, in sport, and in a series of House competitions (entertainments, maths challenges, Spelling Bees…) across the year that allow groups of children from Year 1 to Prep 6 to work together collaboratively. We believe this healthy competition gives our children the chance to push their boundaries and find out what they are capable of, as well as learning to appreciate the success and capabilities of others. We underpin this with an extensive programme that puts the wellbeing of every member of the school community at the heart of everything we do. Our vision for Spring Grove is that every child has the space and opportunity to grow with confidence, academically and holistically. As part of this vision we value competition not only for the opportunity to win but also to lose gracefully, and the capacity to learn from failure. Competition is unavoidable in life, but by giving the opportunity for children to test themselves in a safe and supportive environment at school, we believe that we are preparing them as well as we can for life beyond school. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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Emma Neville, Headmistress

Rose Hill School, Tunbridge Wells Co-educational preparatory school for boys and girls aged 3-13 When parents hear the word ‘competition’, their thoughts may run to images from their childhood, winning the first place in a sporting tournament, often reminding them of their personal bests. Equally they may also reflect on the embarrassment of failing at certain competitions. When comparing your own competition memories to your child’s current reality, you may glance over a shelf full of ‘participation’ trophies and wonder if the competitive activities from your childhood could still hold a place in your child’s life today. Is it better to keep competition out of the way at school, so no one gets hurt? Or could competition be the key to unlocking even more of your child’s potential? The opportunities for competition at Rose Hill are there to motivate pupils, by challenging them to put in their maximum effort. When pupils face competitive activities at school, they not only gain individual skills, like resilience and perseverance, but they also build on important interpersonal skills enabling them to learn to let others have their turn, see things from others’ point of view, and build a strong character in spite of failure. These are the skills that help prepare children for their future lives. It also helps them succeed socially and academically in school. At Rose

Hill School we promote and encourage our pupils to take part in positive, healthy competition that will enable them to develop their confidence, experience higher self-esteem and engage them as they discover new skills and develop new talents and a desire to improve.

Rob Stonier, Deputy Head (Academic)

Junior King’s, Canterbury An independent, co-educational, day and boarding school for pupils aged 3-13

Competition is an integral part of growing up, something that children have to both accept and learn how to deal with. Schools should equip their pupils with the necessary skills so that they will be able to deal with life after school. One of the key outcomes of competition for pupils is the opportunity to build and develop resilience. It is often through failure that children learn the most and develop the skills to be able to deal with situations that do not go their way. At Junior King’s, we provide a multitude of opportunities for children to achieve across a diverse range of activities, both academic and non-academic, and we challenge pupils to give their best and strive for excellence. While it is important (and easy) to celebrate success, “failure” is also something we are working hard on with our pupils and parents. Children can find themselves the focal point of unrealistic expectations from those at home who wish to see them achieve, and as a result pupils can sometimes be impacted negatively when events do not go their way. On top of this, children’s role models do not always set a good example (sportspeople arguing with referees, for example), which can provide an unhealthy template for coping with disappointment. At Junior King’s, we teach children to accept defeat or victory graciously and we aim to reframe perceived failures as learning experiences; just a step along a path to personal improvement. After all, James Dyson “failed” 5,126 times on the way to inventing his vacuum cleaner! Of course, competition does have to be monitored so that it does not create undue stress and anxiety. At Junior King’s, we aim to encourage “healthy” competition: attainable goals must be set, collaboration and teamwork should be key components, and the environment must not isolate children or encourage a “win-at-all-costs” mentality. It is also important that children are rewarded for their effort and not purely on an outcome basis. As Dyson’s success demonstrates, effort, dedication and persistence are indispensable qualities. At Junior King’s, we believe that “healthy” competition can unlock a child’s potential, aiding development of interpersonal skills and discovery of new talents, instilling a desire to improve and try new things, and providing the thrill of achievement. On the flipside of this is accepting failure as a natural part of life. Allowed to experience the highs and lows of competition, children can be expected to flourish into well-rounded young adults, ready for world beyond. 34

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Vanessa Coatz, Acting Head

Marlborough House School, Cranbrook Co-educational preparatory school for boys and girls aged 3-13 As a school with values at its core, Marlborough House approaches competition in a positive way. We believe that the opportunity to shine in a supportive environment should be celebrated, and shying away from competition is potentially missing a valuable teaching opportunity. All children excel in an area of school, whether it be academically, creatively or physically, and recognising that every child can achieve is important to our pupils’ wellbeing. Winning is wonderful and can boost self-esteem and personal drive, but does it teach us as much as losing does? We work hard with our children to understand that losing carries with it a toolbox for learning and we are always looking at ways to develop the character of our pupils. Teaching for character is at the heart of all our lessons and developing the virtues of resilience, patience, flexibility, perseverance and effort, amongst others, are at the top of our agenda. Our Senior children even have the benefit of small-group mentoring sessions as part of the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate, where their tutors specifically speak to them as individuals about how they learn and how this relates to their achievements. Competition, whether on the sports field, in an academic contest or a schoolwide ‘bake-off’, allows us the opportunity to talk about how we can improve and this is a powerful and proven way to ensure progression. The acronym of FAIL to mean First Attempts In Learning is the backbone of our Growth Mindset and gives a language to the children to allow them to understand that first is not always best in the long run. At Marlborough House we don’t say “we can’t do it” we say “we can’t do it YET”.

Norman Miller, Press Officer

Brighton College, An independent co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 3-13

Rather than striving mainly to beat others, Brighton College sees benefits in encouraging pupils to compete against themselves. It seems strange that so many people choose to go to the gym and endure the physical stresses of ‘working out’ because they understand that it can be good for us, but fail to see that inner resilience and strength also benefits from the ‘workout’ posed by facing challenges. Yes, you may not always beat your personal best, but the act of trying to beat it on a regular basis is as worthwhile. Brighton College values this often-unappreciated truth so much that, two years ago, the school appointed a Director of Pupil Engagement to check which pupils were not challenging themselves and find ways in which we can inspire them to engage, from sports to reading challenges, asking staff and pupils to read a certain number of books in a certain time. School clinical psychologist Lisa Damour wrote in her book Under Pressure: “Common sense and scientific research tell us that operating beyond our comfort zones helps us to grow”. What some call stresses and challenges, she describes as “essential catalysts for human growth and development”. In sport, too, Brighton College focuses on helping each pupil improve their own performance rather than solely on beating others. All pupils take part in some kind of sport at Brighton College, guided by the ethos of ‘sports for all’, and built on a comprehensive and inspiring games programme. “We actually don’t like the idea that any pupils are given an exclusive offering,” explains Brighton College Head of Sports, Michael Davidson. “So we offer a number of extension opportunities, with anything from strength and conditioning to nutrition and skills – but these are available to any pupils who want to participate.” Such an approach doesn’t lead to any lack of elite performers. In fact, over 30 Old Brightonians have represented their country in sport in the last 10 years – most recently, England teenage rugby international Marcus Smith. But while we can all celebrate sports stars testing themselves against each other on the grand stage, being able to look in the mirror and know you have tested yourself is a triumph to savour every day. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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Hilary Blake, Headmistress

Sacred Heart School, Wadhurst Independent Catholic mixed primary school for 2-11 Being competitive and being compassionate should not be mutually exclusive; that is a key lesson at Sacred Heart School. We encourage every child to be aware of their personal targets and to strive to meet and exceed them. A personal target could be focused on achievement in the Daily Mile; improving test scores, personal organisation or conduct. There are many stepping stones on the road to success! We believe it is important to encourage competitiveness, but at the same time we recognise and reward effort as much as achievement. If every child can succeed in being the best that they can be, rather than simply ‘the best’, then we can be confident that we have given each child the key to unlocking their potential. Success, yes, but not at any price; much better to be remembered for the way that you win rather than for being the winner. I am sure many of us have used the example of the London Marathon runner who in 2017 paused his own race to go to the assistance of an exhausted competitor and help him to cross the finishing line. There is more than one way to win the race!

Andrew Webster, Headmaster

The Mead School, Tunbridge Wells Co-educational preparatory school for boys and girls aged 3-11 It’s a cliché but, when you think about it for a moment, the old adage ‘the only person you compete against is yourself’ has a deeper philosophical note then would first appear. It’s certainly at the heart of our ethos at The Mead. Indeed, I am often found repetitiously reminding the children that we have no interest in them being the best but rather their best. In a recent assembly, I showed the children the 2016 Olympic 100 metre final. After our first viewing, I asked them who had won the race. ‘Bolt’, they chorused. I then asked if anyone had heard of Ben Youssef Meite. No one had, so I pointed him out on a freezeframed finish line. Lane 8. Sixth place. I contested that Meite could be regarded as the winner. Puzzled expressions warranted further explanation and so I went on. Bolt’s 2016 time was far from his personal best and yet Meite not only ran his fastest personal time to come in 6th, he also, in the process, broke the Ivory Coast’s national record. We then watched the race again and all focused on Meite, sharing every strained sinew that allowed him to produce his bestever performance. Most remained unconvinced that Meite could be described as the winner but few argued that he was a winner. In short, I had achieved my objective, to sow the seed of perspective. We ask Meadites to be the best possible version of themselves today and a better version tomorrow. In this mission, their ranking is irrelevant. Being in set 1 or 2, team A or B, the winning or losing side, none of these things should define us. What defines us is our personal contribution to our teams and how we take responsibility for improving that contribution. This is the deeper philosophical edge I mention above. Who is that ‘self’ that we are competing against? How many of us convince ourselves that we have done our 36

best when we know that’s not true? How many of us place ceilings above our heads, convincing ourselves that we have peaked? If we can get our children to engage in even a fraction of this meaningful level of self-reflection and ambition, then real learning and progress is the inevitable and rapid consequence. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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Viewpoint Local schools have their say Adrian Brindley, Head of Pre Prep at Rose Hill School, talks about the importance of mathematics for young children

There are many innovative approaches and resources which incorporate maths into play and help to make abstract ideas more concrete, but these may not be properly understood by practitioners in some early-years settings. There remains a concern that there is too much emphasis on counting, for example, at the expense of developing early number sense and the early understanding of the abstract language of mathematics. In my experience, the quality of mathematics learning in early years and beyond can often depend on the quality, and more importantly, the attitudes of adults coming into contact with this age group. Many talking with under five-year-olds have a negative attitude or outlook on mathematics as a result of their own mathematical experiences whilst at school. As one of my peers put it, the best way to produce children who have mathematical difficulties is to employ adults who dislike mathematics or have had bad mathematical experiences in the classroom. A continued and possible increased focus on maths and numeracy in an early-years curriculum, together with adults who will not impose their negative feelings about mathematics, will certainly help to develop children’s progress. It is also important to provide children with the time to allow them to discover that their own methods may be just as valid as the one proposed by their educator, discover how robust their methods are and compare others’ ideas in order to gain a full depth of understanding. Like many of those in the early-years workforce, parents may be reluctant to engage in the subject because of their own lack of confidence and this passes on to their children the perception that it is okay to be no good at maths. This needs to be stemmed at source and so a positive engagement with the subject, praise for success and progress, and a removal of the K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

mantra “it’s okay to be no good at maths!” is required. We are all learners and continue to develop and enhance our skills each day. Accordingly, we need to support parents to enable them to engage their children’s mathematical activities and to pass on the understanding and indeed relevance of mathematics in their children’s lives. A national drive to highlight the importance of early-years maths, like those of healthy eating and exercise, language and reading would be a good place to start. Unless proper planning and foresight is applied, young children will not have a sound start to their mathematics education. It is paramount that all practitioners, both new entrants and in the existing workforce, receive regular training in children’s mathematical development. Parents may well benefit from directly receiving information on how to develop their children’s mathematical skills prior to early years and they should feel supported and then confident in working in partnership with their children’s teachers as the children develop. Higher numeracy skills directly correlate with good health, employability (and higher wages) and it is our responsibility as a prep school to ensure that we do our very best to support and further this learning. At Rose Hill School we are at the forefront of mathematical discussions, both in-house and nationally. If you would like to come and see what we are doing here at Rose Hill, why not arrange a bespoke tour of the school.

Please contact admissions@rosehillschool.co.uk

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Why boys should dance

Steve Marshall-Taylor, Head of Senior School at Brighton College

Knowledge springs initially from ignorance. So when Good Morning America host Lara Spencer foolishly mocked Prince George back in August for taking ballet lessons at his prep school, the backlash provided a chance to spotlight the unique benefits dance offers potential Billy Elliots as well as young ballerinas. If Spencer had done any research before putting her foot so wrong, she could have read the 2016 survey by America’s respected Business Insider that found professional dancers topping rankings for “the most physically active jobs in America” – beating ‘macho’ roles like structural iron and steel workers and forest firefighters, as well as fitness instructors. The criteria for judgement included dynamic strength, explosive strength, stamina and trunk strength. A study by the University of Hertfordshire, meanwhile, found ballet dancers had higher fitness levels and strength than international swimmers. While dance is compulsory at primary level within the UK national curriculum, it falls off sharply as an option in many secondary schools, due in part to time pressures and lack of specialist teachers. Negative stereotyping sadly lingers on from the depressing uproar that greeted the mere suggestion of dance being compulsory for secondary boys during the 1990 consultation for a draft national curriculum. But understanding the unique way dance fuses strength and stamina with grace and control is why I have made Brighton College a hotbed of dance for boys as much as girls. This year, around a hundred boys throw themselves every week into diverse terpsichorean expressions of youthful energy and creativity. They choose from seven very different styles – Classical Ballet, Modern Dance, Contemporary, Street Dance, Musical Theatre, Tap and Jazz – taught in 100 classes a week led by nearly a dozen specialist dance teachers. Dance fever is infectious, too. Within a week of arriving at Brighton

College, one teenage devotee had persuaded every other boy in his tutor group to take up dance too. A special dance taster day for Fourth Form boys at the start of this academic year resulted in over 20 signing up for lessons. In an era of increasing societal stresses, dance can play an unexpected role in tackling tensions. One famous example saw early hip-hop dance dial down 1970s street violence in New York’s then-notorious South Bronx. When male gang members came together at the celebrated Hoe Avenue peace meeting, previously warring young men decided to battle for status via street dance clashes rather than bloodshed – choosing good moves over bad blood. Last year, meanwhile, the media reported on dance easing simmering violence among the youth of Colombia’s Chocó region. “It is like a magic tool,” one local politician said. “The young people like to dance… When they hear a drum it runs through their veins.” Giving boys in the UK more chance to dance can throw a similar lifeline, especially when gang violence and knife crime bedevil the streets of many cities and towns. Offering dance to teenage boys as an integral part of their school day would make it a life-affirming experience for all, rather than something just for those who had a luckier start in life, like Prince George. There are hopeful signs school dance provision may finally be making an elegant pirouette out of the doldrums. One Dance UK – who strive for a stronger and more diverse British dance community – reported an 8 per cent increase last academic year in the number of entries for AQA GCSE Dance. The first rise in several years, it saw over 200 new schools opting to deliver the qualification across the UK. The latest season of the BBC’s hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing has seen men of all ages and abilities discovering the physical challenges as well as huge pleasures of dance. Let’s make sure our boys can experience the same thrill.

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Independent schools are the only minority which can be attacked with impunity Mike Piercy, Headmaster, The New Beacon in Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is fortunate in having a number of fitness centres, from the council-operated Sevenoaks Leisure Centre to several privately-operated businesses offering a similar service. No single facility suits everyone: choice is good. Imagine, then, if the private organisations were forcibly closed and everyone had to go to the Leisure Centre. Quite simply, it would never happen. At the recent Labour Party conference, a motion, ‘to include in the next Labour Party general election manifesto a commitment to integrate all private schools into the state sector’ was carried. Inherent in this is the threat to charge VAT on fees and remove the relatively small tax benefits educational charities receive. Independent school fees are already burdensome – justified by small class sizes, the consequent individual pastoral care, and a broad curriculum which includes sports, the arts and music. The great majority run on a very tight financial model with any small surplus used for the benefit of the pupils. Neither schools nor parents could afford these additional costs. Putting aside the fundamental human right of freedom of choice as well as the appropriation of charitable assets, the Labour party position is riddled with incoherent, tangled, economic spaghetti. Through educational charitable trusts (and through private enterprise), Independent Schools Council (ISC) schools contribute £14 billion to UK GDP per annum. The New Beacon alone contributes £8,708,052 to UK GDP and £5,584,150 to the local Sevenoaks economy (figures derived from the Oxford Economics calculator). Our state education system – like the NHS – is under immense strain. I have huge admiration for all who teach in maintained schools, work in hospitals, or indeed in any part of the state monolith. Approaching 7 per cent of children in the UK attend independent schools – a fairly steady proportion over many decades. Is there the funding or infrastructure to see an additional 7 per cent of pupils in maintained schools? Were all the boys at The New Beacon (a boys’ school!) to go to local primary or secondary schools, the cost to the state would be £2,232,785. Class sizes would grow yet larger and even fewer parents would get their first-choice school. Practically and logically: is this a plan which can really work for all? The aim of ‘equal opportunity’ is admirable but is blind to the fact that some will always be more equal than others (to misquote George Orwell). I deliberately avoid the word ‘privilege’ which is emotive, divisive and dangerous. Mankind is by nature competitive and aspirational – once upon a time, survival depended on it. Some parents make sacrifices to buy more expensive houses within the catchment of high-performing state schools while others might do the same by choosing to pay school fees. I like cars. I drive a Volkswagen but would love an Aston Martin in the garage. Zanzibar, The Seychelles, Mauritius and South America are dream holidays but will remain dreams. Ah, well! So what is the solution if we cannot all be equal? The cost to the state for a primary-school child is just short of £7,000 which is, of course, already paid for through taxes. If this were an Education Allowance which parents could ‘top up’, a greater choice would be opened to them. Equally, some pressure would be removed from (and further funding released for) maintained schools. There is already considerable collaboration between independent and state schools (search ‘Schools Together’ for evidence). Furthermore, many families in the independent sector receive financial support with fees. Collaborating, working together, can only be to the benefit of the education system as a whole, thus for our children and the future of the country. Let us not attack independent schools. Instead, let us see them as part of the solution rather than the problem. Attack any ‘minority’ and pay the consequences – with one notable exception: independent schools, the only minority which can be attacked with impunity. Easy prey, it would seem! K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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Modern boarding approach

Hurst College explains how flexi and weekly boarding are the popular choices for both students and parents Modern boarding is about achieving academic excellence and building confidence, leadership skills and independence, as well as gaining a sense of community and cultural understanding. The boarding community at Hurst College is made up of flexi and weekly boarders, now that it has moved away from full boarding. Hurst believes that these two options allow students to make the most of the educational and co-curricular opportunities during the week, and enjoy home life with their families at the weekends. Flexi boarding for three nights each week is a huge attraction, and it really is flexible. Students are able to choose their nights, even at short notice, and retain their own bed throughout the term. It is also a halfway house between home and school. All students participate in co-curricular activities and many find this particularly beneficial, as do parents who need to juggle a busy lifestyle. Hurst’s weekly boarders can stay for five nights from Sunday to Thursday or Monday to Friday, removing the stresses of a daily commute and allowing even more time for co-curricular activities and study. Caty Jacques, Deputy Head Pastoral, said: “It is much easier to fully immerse yourself in the school community when you stay the night. You can embrace the ethos and values and really feel part of it. I worked at a school where there was full boarding and the biggest complaint from parents was that they felt out of the loop and cut off from their children. This is the first time I have worked in a school with flexi boarding, and I am completely sold on it.” Housemaster Adam Hopcroft said: “Boarding gives students a work-home balance. School life is busy, so boarding provides students with the chance to take part in extra-curricular activities after school.” The benefits of boarding extend far beyond the extra-curricular options. Adam believes boarding gives students an advantage academically. “Boarders have more access to their teachers as well as their friends. Our students work in study groups during prep and we make sure they are productive during this time. If they work well, it allows them to have a more relaxed weekend.” Housemistress Tania Fielden believes that a boarding environment gives students a strong foundation for their future. “As boarders, children have to learn skills for life, which is good preparation for their future. They grow up in a supportive environment and it becomes their second home.” Key to a home-from-home environment is the sustained effort by housemasters/mistresses and their teams to not only provide a welcoming house, but to also make themselves available to share the ups and downs of the day. In families where both parents work full-time and childcare is expensive, boarding means there is no need for busy parents to worry about the school run and they can be confident their child is being well looked after. This leaves weekends free for quality family time. For children, boarding is a way to spend more time with their peers, be better prepared for the school day and have more time to take part in a full range of extra activities. Headmaster Tim Manly explains: “We aim to strike a healthy balance between school and home. Boarding means that students are able to engage with a rich and textured life within strong communities but also maintain contact with parents and family. We want our students to develop in all sorts of good ways, not least a sense of independence and individuality, but also the ability to work in a team with others and to understand what it means to be a fully-functioning human being, to live not just for oneself but for other people, too.” The open-door policy of Hurst’s modern boarding approach, coupled with excellent communication between school and home, means that parents are continuously in touch with progress and can regularly watch their children perform.

The college operates bus routes throughout Kent and Sussex to accommodate day, flexi and weekly boarders. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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Music has the power to change children’s lives, so let’s inspire and engage them right from the start Deborah Bannister, Head of Music, Russell House

Nothing gives me greater pleasure professionally than exposing children to music and helping them to love it. It’s through education that we give children the tools to investigate and discover what works for them. I want music to be their friend, the companion they turn to when they are happy or sad; the source of pleasure gained from being part of a choir or an orchestra; even a link to their cultural heritage. For some, it will be of critical importance, giving them the confidence to realise they can do whatever they want. For every child, it’s beneficial: for their brain, for listening, sharing, concentrating – all the things that are integral to being human. My own memories are surrounded by music. I grew up in Newfoundland in Canada which has a cultural heritage steeped in folk music. Every Sunday after lunch, my father brought out his accordion and played songs which had been passed down through his family. My grandfather accompanied on the spoons and my mother and grandmother sang. None had been classically trained and my father couldn’t read a note, but music was what we did. Whilst I have since had a classical musical education, the experiences of accompanying my father at community events, playing the organ in church and performing in choirs across the country developed me as a musician in the broadest sense. I am convinced that a good musician is anyone who loves music and wants to perform and immerse themselves in it. This means we are all musicians when we share a passion to play, sing and perform. Our music classes are based on this premise. In class, we make fantastic music together. They are a place where children are free K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

to move around, inspired by music; where they can get excited, where music sets their hearts racing; and where you see the involuntary smile that appears because they love it so much. Our approach is aligned with that of the influential Hungarian composer and philosopher Kodály. The Kodály method, developed from his work, is a singing programme. Kodály believed that every child is born with their own unique instrument – their voice – and they need to learn how to use it. From the youngest age, children are taught to use their voice to internalise pitch and affiliate it with a symbol. It’s fantastic to be able to start this with children when they join Russell House at the age of two, turning them on to music in a way which can open up so many opportunities. They are fascinated by different sounds and love exploring our instruments. They also sing and are introduced gently to pitch, rhythm and tempo. By the age of five, they are already affiliating hand signs to pitch in the pieces they sing. They can start making their own music, putting notes on the stave based on colour conventions or the hand signs. Then they can play, matching colours with colour-coded bar chimes. In all these different ways, children are accessing and making music at the level that suits them. If they are ready to move to the next level and start to read the notes on the stave and take what they know of their voice to learning an instrument, that’s great. But if they simply love to sing, that’s great too. The key is to provide lots of opportunities for them to follow their own interests, and make sure that no one slips through the net. If a child doesn’t learn to love music at this age, there’s something wrong. After all, what’s not to love? 41

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Scholarships mean hard work Paul Borrows, Assistant Head, Academic, Vinehall School

The word school is derived from the Latin ‘schola’. However, in the same way that the word ‘church’ originally referred to a group of people gathered in collective worship rather than to a place of worship, the Latin word ‘schola’ refers to leisure time given to learning rather than to the classrooms in which learning takes place. The original meaning of the Latin ‘schola’ is preserved in the words scholar, scholarly and scholarship. It is worth reflecting on the idea that to be a scholar requires devoting your free time to learning, whether it be learning an instrument, a sport or more traditional academic disciplines. At the heart of what it means to be a scholar is the idea that scholarliness grows from a dedication to something that manifests itself as a willingness, an eagerness even, to devote all the time you can find to pursuing excellence in a particular field. With this in mind, the decision to apply for a scholarship must be driven by how much a child enjoys art or drama or whatever discipline is being considered. If a child has only reached Grade 7 on the bassoon under duress, it is unlikely they are going to enjoy the hours that they will be asked to devote to various orchestras, ensembles and choirs as a music scholar. Similarly, pursuit of an academic scholarship should be driven by a deep love of learning and an eagerness to share ideas and engage in intellectual debate, rather than from a shallow desire to feel superior to others. At Vinehall, it is our intention to nurture the interests and talents of all our children. In awarding scholarships, our aim is not to honour attainment, but to recognise those children who are eager to devote themselves to a particular discipline and whose dedication and application are an example to their fellow pupils. We want the children to understand that a scholar does not distinguish themselves by the badge or tie they wear, but by the 42

way they behave, by the resilience they show when they are struggling and the courage that characterises their pursuit of excellence. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that the key to achieving world-class expertise in any particular discipline is practice – 10,000 hours of practice to be precise. More specifically, it is necessary to practise in the correct way, which generally means having a good teacher. At Vinehall we do not expect our pupils who are pursuing scholarships to senior schools to have managed 10,000 hours of practice yet, but we do expect them to practise and we also recognise the importance of having good teachers to guide that practice. Whether pupils are applying for academic scholarships or music scholarships, art scholarships or drama scholarships, sport scholarships or design technology scholarships, we understand that they need individualised support to enable them to succeed. We are fortunate to have superb teachers who have the experience and expertise to guide children successfully through the scholarship process. In recent years, our pupils have been awarded an array of scholarships to some of the leading schools in the country including Tonbridge, Brighton College, Charterhouse, King’s Canterbury, Dulwich College, Gordonstoun, Eastbourne, Bede’s and Uppingham. Vinehall is now taking September 2020 scholarship applications for children gifted in academics, sport, art, music and drama. Please email admissions@vinehallschool.com for further details.

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Are we all the same?

Angela Culley, Vice President Independent Schools Association (ISA) and Foundation Governor at Rusthall St Paul’s CofE Primary School As educationalists we are on a constant drive to improve our schools and thereby the educational provision and outcomes for our pupils. We are challenged to be the best – whatever that may be. We suffer sleepless nights over targets, we strive to achieve the coveted ‘Outstanding’ inspection report. All of this is highly commendable, for we do want to provide the best opportunities for pupils and we offer a highly valued, marketable and measurable service. We must be clear and transparent in our aims and achievements, both inside and outside the classrooms. One slip in a grade, or a badly-behaved child, however, can damage the reputation of the whole school. It is too easy to forget that we are working and living with a community of individuals, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. And what about the pupils – how do they see their school life? Dare I suggest that our stresses may even have a negative impact rather than the positive, constant ladder of improvement that is envisioned. Children thrive when they are treated as individuals and feel understood. It is an accepted fact that no one can teach a stressed child. It is equally true that a stressed teacher cannot deliver an outstanding, creative lesson so there has to be a balance. Well-constructed, achievable targets bring out the best in everyone resulting in that wonderful feeling of success. We all need to be stretched, to strive, to have a goal, to be inspired to achieve, but a target for one child or one school may well not be the same for another. We need to respect the individual person and their circumstances and abilities. The same principle is true for schools. Each school develops its own values and mission statement reflecting their pupil cohort and location. Rusthall St Paul’s happens to be a church school situated in the heart of the village with a wonderfully broad socio-economic mix and an inclusive ethos. Inevitably and rightly, their targets will be very different from a selective town school, for example. Competition is healthy in many spheres: physical, mental and professional. School life is full of competitions, some individual, but many involving teams; inter-school and inter-house sports are the obvious examples, together with house points, but competition is fairest and best when the playing field is level. Everyone enjoys a close-run football or rugby match! Let us make sure that when we make comparisons and talk about ‘the best’ we are comparing like with like, when we set targets they stretch and are ambitious but attainable, and when we partake in competitions they are both fair and interesting. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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In the spotlight Quickfire questions for Sarah Wolford, Head of Nursery and Kindergarten at Vinehall School

Sum up your own school days in five words Happy, fun, challenging, friendship and opportunity.

What makes you smile?

When I can make a difference at Little Vines Nursery. The simplest things: a child happily saying goodbye to their mummy or daddy; or achieving their next milestone, such as being able to put on their shoes; or finding their self-confidence when talking in front of others. I smile when I see that a child has tried so hard to achieve their next level of development and has never given up. I smile when a child shows resilience and bounces back after failure. I smile when a child demonstrates such a happy disposition by singing whilst they are playing. I smile when a child shows compassion and kindness towards their peers. Above all, I smile when a parent feels so happy and content that they have chosen Little Vines Nursery for their child!

Where would you like to see your school in five years?

I would love to see Little Vines Nursery continuing to grow and supporting each child to achieve their highest outcome. Every child is unique and, through the expertise of all our Early Years staff, we identify each childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uniqueness and set them up on their journey to explore, investigate and face new challenges. Of course, I would love the Little Vines Nursery to continue to have top reviews from our parents and be in the top 20 day nurseries guide every year!

What do you hope that your pupils say about your school when they leave?

I would like every child to remember their first days at Little Vines Nursery. This is the beginning of their Vinehall journey and I would like to think they hold many happy memories. Primarily, I hope that they remember learning through play, the lovely environment, excellent teachers and lots of fun. One of the highlights is being able to see the children grow on their journey through the school. They often come back to visit or help in the classroom and I am delighted when I hear leavers say that the Early Years was such a happy time, that everything was so small, the lunches were yummy and that it was like their second home!

If you were to have a different career, what would it be?

That is easy! I have always wanted to be a nurse. I like the thought of helping people and feel I am a good listener. The only one thing I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to do is deal with sick, as my work colleagues will tell you! I am very grateful to them for always stepping in if a child is sick; any other illnesses or injuries I can deal with! 46

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School report A round-up of what’s happening in the world of education

Top marks Outstanding GCSE results for Battle Abbey School Battle Abbey School is celebrating the best year yet for GCSE results since recent records began. Craig Austen White, the school’s Director of Studies, said: “To put it simply, the results are absolutely fantastic. It’s a small cohort and as such every one of them constitutes a significant percentage of the overall results meaning all pupils had to bring in personal bests to set a new record. It makes these stunning results all the more remarkable when you consider the fact that we are a nonselective school.” “Overall, 10 per cent of our grades were at grade 9, the highest possible. The National Average for percentage of 9 grades is 4.5 per cent so we are more than double the UK average. Amazingly, 44 per cent of all grades were at 7–9, the old A*-A equivalent. “Some subjects in particular were notable for the quantity of 9 grades achieved. RS and Maths led the way with 25 per cent and 22 per cent of all grades in their subjects at the very highest standard. Dance and Latin both saw every single one of their cohort receive 7–9 grades, with Textiles (67 per cent), Maths (65 per cent) and PE (59% per cent) also putting in excellent results.” Headmaster David Clark added, “The exams this year were harder than ever following the Michael Gove reforms and yet our students bucked the national trend – particularly at the top level. “Several of our departments made a particularly strong showing. Our nationallyranked Maths department saw a 100 per cent pass rate with a staggering 22 per cent of students achieving the top grade 9 – an achievement that only a handful of the very best schools in the country will achieve. The Creative Arts and Humanities remained as strong as ever and Triple Science grades were especially pleasing this year, as were the results in Dance. Overall, the whole cohort is worthy of praise for turning in a truly excellent set of GCSE results. “Several pupils deserve special mention. Oliver Skeet achieved a remarkable twelve 9 grades and an 8 – ranking him as one of the very best candidates in the

country. Many other students did great things, too, with several securing all grades at 7–9. Harrison Todd needs recognition for his A* distinction in Further Maths, despite taking the qualification a year early, meaning that he is already one of the very best mathematicians in the UK. Equally important for us were the many personal bests achieved by students, often in subjects where they had previously lacked confidence. Some of the grade 5s were amongst the most satisfying of all – and credit is due to both the students and teachers for their combined efforts.” Read more about Harrison’s achievements on page 52...

Read all about it School is a real page turner for children in Ashford Hundreds of pounds worth of books have landed in Ashford as local co-operative colleagues have been supporting their nearby primary school. The books are now being enjoyed by children at Godinton Primary School after a donation of £750 from The Co-operative Food, in Ashford. Colleagues at the convenience store in Louden Way are part of the local, independent co-operative – Southern Co-op – and made the donation earlier this year when they heard the school needed some help stocking their library. But the store also went further and made the school its charity partner of the year for 2019/20. Richard Knowles, Store Manager at The Co-operative Food – Ashford, said: “The school is at the heart of our local community so it is really heartening to be able to support its pupils in a variety of ways. As well as the books, the store has donated food and drink during playtime and also rewards for the school’s weekly star award tea party. Plus our customers can now support them too when they pop pennies in our collection pots at our tills or support one of our fundraising activities which we run throughout the year.” Jill Talbot, Headteacher, said: “We are immensely grateful to the team for the continued support they have given to Godinton Primary School. The funds donated to support reading across the school have enabled us to purchase a wide range of exciting and stimulating books for the children which is having a positive impact on their reading. The children think they are brilliant!” 48

The Co-operative Food store is supporting the school as part of Southern Co-op’s community engagement programme ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’. This initiative enables colleagues to support local causes through donations, fundraising and volunteering and aims to help neighbourhoods become greener, healthier, safe or more inclusive. www.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/makingadifference

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To be the best Mayfield pupils shine in GCSE results Adding to the impressive A Level results, Mayfield girls are today celebrating another exceptional set of GCSE grades. Over 40 per cent of entries were awarded 9-8 or A* equivalent, with almost 70 per cent graded 9-7 or A*/A equivalent. One hundred per cent of GCSE entries achieved A*-C equivalent grades. Over one in five girls were awarded all A*/A equivalent grades in 10 or more subjects and 100 per cent of girls gained five or more 9-4 or A*-C equivalent GCSE grades. Particular highlights include 80 per cent of girls awarded 9-7 or A*/A equivalent in Religious Studies, 72 per cent awarded 9-7 in English Literature, 70% per cent 9-7 in Geography and almost 70 per cent 9-7 in the three separate sciences. As well as developing academic excellence, the school is acclaimed for its Creative and Performing Arts and this is reflected in outstanding GCSE grades: 100 per cent of Music entries were awarded 9-7 with 50 per cent at the top Grade 9, recognising the very best performing students, whilst in Drama two-thirds of girls were awarded Grades 9-7, with over 50 per cent achieving 9s and 8s or A* equivalent. In Ceramics, 56 per cent of entries were awarded Grades 9 and 8, with two girls achieving almost perfect scores. Against a continuing decline in the study of languages nationally, Mayfield girls continue to excel as linguists. In French, 63 per cent of entries were awarded 9-8 or A* equivalent and 75 per cent 9-7. Across the broad spectrum of global languages offered at the school, almost 80 per cent of entries were awarded 9-7 or A*/A equivalent. Within these overall results are a number of remarkable individual accomplishments. Samantha achieved an outstanding 10 Grade 9s, one Grade 8 and an A* in Further Maths at IGCSE. An accomplished actor, Samantha balanced her academic studies with a range of school and local theatrical productions and also performed at this year’s distinguished Charleston Festival. In addition, she successfully completed her LAMDA Grade 8 during the year, in which she achieved Distinction with an impressive 100 per cent score, and sang K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

in Rome on the school’s Schola tour, with memorable performances in The Vatican and The Pantheon. Samantha is excited to be embarking on her Sixth Form studies and hopes to progress to Drama School after A Levels. Eleanor achieved an impressive nine 9s, one 8 and an A* in IGCSE Further Maths. She has also had a busy year: an outstanding sportswoman, she competed at the top level in a wide range of sports for the school and played hockey at county level. Francesca is delighted with her achievement of four Grade 9s, five Grade 8s and two Grade 7s. A member of the Mayfield Equestrian squad, she also qualified for two NESA national championships during the year. Francesca commented that she is most proud of her GCSE results as they represent a great improvement in her performance over the course of her studies, which she attributes to hard work and the dedication and commitment of her teachers, who have supported and encouraged her. Monami achieved a remarkable nine Grade 9s, three Grade 8s together with a highly coveted A* with Distinction (A^) in IGCSE Further Maths. She completed her Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award this year and played in the school orchestra. The worthy recipient of the Mayfield Sixth Form All-Rounder Scholarship, Monami will be taking A Levels in Art, Physics, Maths and Further Maths and has her sights set on studying Computer Science at a top university. The 9-1 grading system, first introduced in 2017, was applied to all GCSE subjects taken this year, reflecting exam reforms which included more demanding content and the elimination of coursework. The girls’ achievements are all the more impressive in this more challenging environment and Mayfield’s broad academic intake. Headmistress, Antonia Beary, comments: “It is a pleasure to see so many girls do so well again this year. Although the courses have become more rigorous, we are delighted that Mayfield continues to achieve consistently high results across the board. Of course we are proud of A* and Grade 9s and 8s but no one should be judging individuals simply on examination results and I hope that every girl is proud of what she has achieved as each grade reflects real effort and application. 49

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A great year Hurst College celebrates best-ever results Students at Hurst College recently celebrated the strongest-ever set of results at both GCSE and A level, in what Headmaster Tim Manly has described as “a great year”. Their recent pattern of year-on-year improvements continued once again at A-level, with 84 per cent of grades awarded at either A*, A or B. This outstanding achievement has enabled the overwhelming majority of Hurst leavers to take up places at their first-choice universities, including significant numbers heading for Oxford, Cambridge and the most selective Russell Group universities. Not to be outdone, this year’s GCSE cohort also surpassed all previous records. An incredible 83 per cent of all grades were between 7 and 9, which equate to A and A* grades in the pre-reform currency. Perhaps even more impressively, 64 per cent of grades were 8 or 9 which are benchmarked against the A* grade of the previous system and remarkably, the most commonly-awarded GCSE grade achieved by Hurst students is the coveted grade 9, introduced by the government to identify the very best students nationally. Interestingly, for both A-level and GCSE, Hurst College was at the very top of the pile for Value Added out of any independent school in the country. Hurst’s philosophy is to celebrate individual performance in all aspects of life, judging each student’s success against their own potential. These record-breaking results speak volumes for the sheer quality of academic achievement at the school, and Mr Manly is justifiably proud of the students. “In short,” he summarises, “these results are superb overall and comfortably the strongest which our students have achieved at Hurst. They have not just been great people but also set the benchmark for future years.”

Looking after the environment Spring Grove going for ‘Eco-School’ status In recent years Spring Grove School in Wye has built an enviable reputation for its award-winning Forest School, as well as its recycling and environmental work. In the summer term the school’s ‘Spring Back’ project was awarded Runner-Up in the ‘Totally Active’ category of the Better Energy School Awards for schools in central and southern England. This award recognised the wide range of environmental initiatives carried out by the children, including beach clean-ups, making eco-bricks, recycling batteries and wellies, and collecting bottle tops. Spring Grove now plans to build on this excellent work with the aim of becoming an accredited ‘Eco-School’ – a global programme that engages 19.5 million children across 67 countries. The first step towards the prestigious Eco-School Green Flag Award has already been taken with the election of a school Eco-Council. Over the next few weeks, the Council will be conducting an Environmental Review of the school and its grounds. The review is designed to enable pupils to see how well Spring Grove is performing across the 10 Eco-Schools topics – litter, waste minimisation, energy, water, transport, health and wellbeing, school grounds, biodiversity, global citizenship and food and the environment. The Eco-Council will then decide which topics to work on towards the Green Flag Award over the coming months. www.eco-schools.org.uk www.springgroveschool.co.uk

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Top of the class Top Kent school makes it through to the finals of Independent Schools of the Year 2019 Marlborough House School has been selected as a finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year 2019 Awards, in the ‘Independent Pre-Prep School of the Year’ Category. This year saw a record number of entries as hundreds of schools, of different sizes and from across the country, competed in these national awards, making this a significant achievement for Marlborough House. Vanessa Coatz, Acting Head, said: “What a fantastic accolade to receive. We are delighted that our school has been recognised for giving our youngest children the very best start. Our Pre-Prep really does provide an incredibly special beginning to an educational journey full of learning and laughter.” The awards ask to see evidence of success stories that feature both individuals and innovative practice, for a judging panel that is made up of heads, governors, parents and representatives of membership associations from across the sector and chaired by Dr Helen Wright, former President of the Girls School Association and Vice-Chair of the Independent Schools Council.

Across the generations Beacon Academy students take part in creative community projects with Artytime A number of Beacon Academy students recently enjoyed getting involved in two creative community projects with Artytime, a local not-for-profit community-interest company with a mission to bring arts and craft to all ages and abilities. Year 9 student Katie and former Beacon Academy students Sam and Eve volunteered to take part in Artytime’s intergenerational Life Lines project with residents of Crowborough’s Windlesham Manor Residential Care Home. Katie, Sam and Eve were paired with residents, Edith, Gaye and Doreen, working alongside them over several meetings to each produce a piece of art depicting the resident’s life. The students spent time with their partners, getting to know them and taking photographs or copies of photographs to support their research. The rest of the time was spent developing and creating their piece of art which once finished, will be displayed at Windlesham Manor Care Home. Founder of Artytime, Beverly Pashley, comments, “Life Lines is a real living history project that offers enormous benefits to both the students and their partners. Some of the residents remembered the war years and rationing, the technology they used (or lack of) in their chosen professions and general life in yesteryears. It is a really important and interesting project for young people to be involved in. It’s open to all aged 14 to 22 with a ‘have a go attitude’ – art techniques will be discussed so don’t feel you need to be a budding Leonardo Da Vinci.” All art materials and a project manager were provided by ArtyTime who were on site during the sessions at the care home. In celebration of the recent opening of their new Scrapstore at Jarvis Brook Skate Park, Artytime ran a street-art competition for 11-16 year olds to design an inspirational mural reflecting the Artytime ethos to ‘reuse, recycle, repurpose’. With the help of Beacon Academy students Ollie and Kyan and professional street artist Julian Johnson, aka Artjaz, the winning design by Riley, Haydon, Thomas and Tommy was completed during the summer. Artytime is now recruiting students that would like to be involved in the redecoration of the rest of the Skate Park. Artytime is now offering young people opportunities to get involved in a number of rewarding and enjoyable activities. Contact Beverly Pashley at office@artytime.co.uk with any questions about how to get involved. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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90 not out Celebration time at Junior King’s The Junior King’s School celebrated its 90th anniversary on its historic site in Sturry, Canterbury on 4th October. Junior King’s prides itself on its modern, creative approach to education, but anniversary celebrations saw it plunging back in time to the 1920s for one day only. There were plenty of surprises in store for pupils as the school looked back on its 90-year history in its current location. Opened in 1879 as the preparatory school to the King’s School Canterbury, Junior King’s was initially based with the senior school in the Precincts of Canterbury Cathedral, moving to its current site at Milner Court in Sturry in 1929. Located two miles outside Canterbury city centre in 80 acres of beautiful countryside, the new site allowed Junior King’s to expand and develop its own character and strengths away from the senior school. Today, the historic buildings of the original estate have been adapted and augmented in order to house a modern, dynamic school with a focus on creative, all-round education and broad curriculum learning for children aged between three and 13. Celebration saw this history channelled into a packed day of 1920’s fun for pupils. Upon arriving at school, excited children were greeted by a huge, vintagestyle carousel outside the 16th-century Manor House building (now the school’s reception). Rides on the carousel were available non-stop throughout the day as part of a rotation of 1920s-themed activities. These included an Art Decoinspired art lesson where pupils sewed their own designs; a PE session that saw lines of children exercising 1920’s-style; a dance class teaching the Charleston; and a photo booth full of 1920’s props. Even lunch had a historic flavour, with a 1920’s menu carefully curated to please modern taste buds! Each year group also had its own tree to plant in the grounds to commemorate the occasion, a lasting reminder of this special anniversary. After all the excitement, the only thing left to do before home time was enjoy cupcakes and ice cream in the school’s orchard, which were served up by teachers on vintage bikes – an appropriate end to a day of fun, thankfulness and celebration.

It all adds up Maths achievements by Battle Abbey pupils Battle Abbey School pupil Harrison Todd has recently been awarded the top grade of A^ (an A* with Distinction) in GCSE Further Maths. The Further Maths GCSE is an extremely challenging course that is only sat by approximately 3 per cent of the Year 11 students in the whole country and from this handful of top mathematicians only 9.9 per cent go on to achieve the top grade of A^ (an A* with Distinction). Remarkably Harrison is only in Year 10 so has taken this examination one year early. Also worth celebrating is George Jempson, also in Year 10, who narrowly missed out on an A^ but scored an extremely applaudable A* grade. Head of Maths, Farouk Tumi, said: “Congratulations to Harrison, this really is a fantastic achievement. Harrison has long been on our radar as quite an exceptional mathematician. He has continually led the field in terms of our internal testing and is already a lynchpin of the school’s Senior UKMT Team this year, though it’s usually only for sixth formers.” Headmaster David Clark said: “Our maths department is now nationally recognised as a flagship department in the teaching and learning of mathematics. For the second time in as many years, the school’s iGCSE maths results have exceeded all expectations. Two-thirds of students were awarded the highest grades – sevens, eights and nines – and not a single student of the non-selective school failed to achieve a very respectable grade. “Our excellent Mathematics Department, with strengths in all areas, is securing plaudits from across the region. It is no accident that Battle Abbey tops the list of all schools in East Sussex and Kent for Value Added across all subjects.” (The Value Added measure indicates the improvement students make between key stages in their education.) Battle Abbey has enjoyed many other mathematical successes of late. Two sixth-form students qualified for the British Olympiads in this year’s competition, the junior maths team is currently ranked 17th in the whole of the UK, and

Year 9 Student David Jempson has also just qualified for the British Olympiads, securing his place while competing against older students in Year 11. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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Saving the planet The Mead staff first in Tunbridge Wells to become United Nations accredited climate-change teachers Teachers at The Mead School, Tunbridge Wells, have become the first teachers in the town and among some of the first in the entire country to complete the eduCCate Global Climate Change Teacher Course accredited by the United Nations. Gemma Wilson and Caroline Wilson, who teach at the prep school for children aged 3-11, will now be able to deliver up-to-date climate change lessons to Mead pupils. Climate Change Accredited Teachers have access to resources and training through the United Nations Climate Change Learn Programme that equips them with climate change and environmental knowledge to educate and empower our next generations. Teachers are required to complete five modules that give them UN accreditation as a climate-change teacher. The online course covers areas such as climate-change science, adaptation planning, health, forests, climate-change finance and international negotiations. Gemma Wilson said: “It’s great that Caroline and I now have the UN accreditation so we know our pupils will be given accurate, relevant information on the causes and effects of global heating. It’s wonderful to share our knowledge on this hugely important subject with the children.” Headmaster Andrew Webster said: “The UN’s sustainable development goals are a central part of our curriculum at The Mead. Lessons on Global

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Studies, Geography, STEAM and Art are tailored to encompass issues such as world poverty, clean water, affordable energy and climate action. The UN accreditation further enhances our ability as a school to teach children effectively on these important issues and we are immensely proud of Gemma and Caroline for working hard to gain this status.”

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Let’s party! These delicious dishes are perfect for parties, or when you want a treat

Giant Scotch Eggs with Pickled Walnuts

Luxury Scotch eggs are so fashionable, and the pickled walnut adds flavour and colour to the sausagemeat Makes 4 Ingredients

• 5 free-range eggs • 400g sausagemeat • 4 Opies Pickled Walnuts, chopped finely • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley • salt and pepper • 50g plain flour • 80g panko breadcrumbs

Method

• Hard-boil 4 of the eggs for approximately 8 minutes, leaving the yolks a little soft. Cool immediately in cold running water.

• In a large bowl combine the sausagemeat, walnuts and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

• Peel the hard-boiled eggs, then divide the sausagemeat mixture in 4 and wrap around the eggs creating a tight seal.

• Season the flour and place on a shallow plate. Beat the remaining egg in a separate shallow dish. Place the panko breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.

• Roll each egg first in flour, then egg and finally in breadcrumbs. Place on a plate in the fridge to chill for about half an hour.

• Heat oil to 170°C and deep fry for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Hints and Tips: When the eggs are cooked they should float to the top of the oil. Add to a sharing platter to enjoy with friends; also perfect for a picnic treat.

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Best-ever Sausage Rolls

Create gastro-pub luxury sausage rolls at home by adding Opies Pickled Walnuts to the sausagemeat. Enjoy hot for supper and if you have any left over, they are delicious eaten cold the next day for lunch Makes 6 Ingredients

• 350g sausagemeat • 50g Opies Pickled Walnuts, drained and chopped finely • 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage • 320g pre-rolled sheet puff pastry • 50g caramelised red onion chutney • 1 egg, beaten • 1 tsp sesame seeds • 1 tsp black onion (nigella) seeds

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5. • In a large bowl mix together the sausagemeat, walnuts and sage. • Unroll the sheet of pastry onto a lightly-floured surface. Divide equally, measuring across the shortest edge, into 3 rectangles 23cm x 12cm (approximately).

• Spread a third of the chutney onto each pastry rectangle. Divide the sausagemeat into 3, roll into a long sausage and place on top of the chutney.

• Brush the long edge of the pastry with egg, fold over the top and press the cut edges together at the side of the roll. Repeat until all three are made.

• Brush rolls with egg and top with the seeds. Cut each one in half and slash the tops with a sharp knife.

• Place on a lined tray and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until risen and golden.

Hints and Tips: As an alternative at Christmas, replace the onion chutney with cranberry sauce. If you are feeling artistic, try plaiting the pastry and make this into one large sausage plait.

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Salmon, Ginger and Tarragon Parcels Succulent salmon fillets topped with chopped stem ginger, sliced spring onions and tarragon and encased in a light, crispy filo pastry Serves 4 Ingredients

• 4 pieces of Opies Stem Ginger in Syrup, drained and chopped • 4 spring onions, finely sliced • 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon • 1 lemon, zest and juice • 270g pack of filo pastry • 50g unsalted butter, melted • 4 salmon fillets, skinned • salt and pepper to season

Method

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C/160°C/gas mark 4. • Mix together the stem ginger, spring onions, tarragon and lemon in a bowl. • Cut the filo sheets in half and divide into 4 piles. Allow 2/3 layers for each parcel.

• Build each parcel individually, brushing with butter between layers. Place a salmon fillet in the centre of each square. Top each fillet with the ginger mixture, dividing it equally between each one. Season. • Wrap remaining pastry loosely around the salmon. Brush with butter. • Place on a lined baking tray and bake for approximately 20 minutes until golden. Hints and Tips: Delicious served with freshly-cooked seasonal green vegetables and new potatoes. Try sprinkling with sesame seeds before baking. • Use Opies Lemon Slices instead of fresh lemon. • As an alternative, try using different fresh herbs like dill, coriander or basil. • Replace the salmon with trout fillets for a seasonal twist.

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Stilton and Pickled Walnut Scones

Combine leftover Stilton cheese with pickled walnuts to make delicious savoury scones, perfect for a party or with a warming bowl of soup. They’re best eaten warm Makes 8 Ingredients

• 200g self raising flour • 50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes • 50g Stilton cheese, crumbled • 80g Opies Pickled Walnuts, finely chopped • 1 tsp English mustard • 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives • 80ml full fat milk • 1 egg, beaten

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas mark 5. • Sieve the flour into a large bowl. Rub in the butter cubes until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

• Stir in Stilton, pickled walnuts, mustard and chives. • Make a well in the centre of the mixture and, using a round-bladed knife, gradually mix in the milk until a soft dough is formed. Do not over-mix.

• On a floured surface lightly knead the dough. Using a rolling pin, roll to 20 mm thick and cut out using a 6cm-round cutter.

• Place on a greased baking tray and brush with beaten egg to glaze. • Bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. • Transfer to a cooling rack and leave to cool slightly. Hints and Tips: Replace the Stilton with any strong-tasting hard cheese. A great way to use up leftover Christmas cheese.

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Carrot, Courgette and Ginger Gluten-free Muffins

Flavoursome and spicy individual muffins, perfect for everyone, especially those avoiding gluten in their diet. They’re dairy-free as well Makes 6 Ingredients

• 150g self raising gluten-free flour • 2 tsp mixed spice • 1 small courgette, grated • 1 small carrot, peeled and grated • 3 pieces of Opies Stem Ginger in Syrup, diced, and 3 tbsp of reserved syrup • 2 eggs, beaten • 150ml vegetable oil • 75g soft brown sugar • 50g chopped walnuts • 50g icing sugar Cooks notes: 12-hole muffin tin and muffin cases required.

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 170°C/ 150°C fan/gas mark 3. • Sieve the flour and mixed spice into a large bowl . • Mix together courgette and carrot with the stem ginger and 2 tbsp of reserved syrup.

• In a large mixing jug combine the eggs, oil and sugar. • Pour the liquid mixture into the flour and combine well using a wooden spoon. Fold in the grated vegetables and walnut pieces.

• Divide equally between the muffin cases and bake for approximately 25 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool.

• Mix the icing sugar with the remaining syrup and drizzle over the tops of the muffins.

Hints and Tips: Ordinary self-raising flour works well in this recipe. As an alternative finish, chop a piece of ginger and scatter over the tops before baking. Try using a lever-action ice cream scoop for an easier, speedy way to fill the cases.

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Indulgent Chocolate Cherry Trifle

This is a clever way to make a quick, show-stopping dessert that uses ready-prepared ingredients. Deliciously more-ish Makes 4 Ingredients

• 100g dark chocolate, broken into squares • 500ml tub of fresh Madagascan vanilla custard • 2 chocolate muffins (approximately 75g each) • 100g Opies Black Cherries with Kirsch and reserved syrup • 200ml double cream • 50g Amaretti biscuits

Method

• Place a small bowl over a pan of warm water and melt 75g of the chocolate, reserving the rest for decoration.

• Heat the custard in a pan or microwave to just below boiling point. Remove from the heat.

• Add the custard to the molten chocolate and beat until thoroughly combined. • Cut the muffins into quarters and place in the base of 4 individual glass dessert bowls (or jam jars).

• Spoon over the black cherries together with some of the reserved syrup so that the muffins become saturated.

• Pour over the chocolate custard and put in the fridge to set. • Whip the cream to soft peaks and refrigerate until required. • To serve, crush all but 4 Amaretti biscuits and fold into the cream. Spoon

the cream mixture over the trifles and decorate with the remaining biscuits. Grate the reserved chocolate over the top.

Hints and Tips: This dish can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

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Mixed Berries Prosecco Shots

Deliciously grown-up, you’ll not be able to resist these. Try serving as a palate cleanser or make them to help your party go with a swing Makes 8 Ingredients

• 4 gelatine leaves • 100g Opies Mixed Berries with Prosecco and reserved syrup • 3 tbsp water • 3 tbsp caster sugar • 300ml chilled Prosecco

Method

• Soak the gelatine in a little cold water. • Divide the Opies Mixed Berries with Prosecco equally between 8 shot glasses. • In a small pan gently heat the water and caster sugar until dissolved • Squeeze the water out of the gelatine leaves and add to the pan, stirring gently until dissolved. Do not over-heat.

• Put 100ml of reserved syrup into a jug, stir in mixture from the pan and top up with chilled Prosecco to the 400ml mark. Stir.

• Pour into shot glasses and chill until set.

Hints and Tips: Use chilled Prosecco to make the jellies set quickly; you’ll also find that some of the bubbles are captured. Try using Opies Black Cherries in Kirsch as an alternative fruit.

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Waste not...

Delicious ideas for using up Christmas leftovers

Panettone French Toast with Boozy Berry Compôte

A perfect post-Christmas recipe to use up leftover Panettone and half a jar of Mixed Berries with Prosecco Makes 4 Ingredients – for the compôte

• 100g Opies Mixed Berries with Prosecco, and reserved syrup • 100g fresh raspberries • 100g fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

Ingredients – for the French Toast

• 2 eggs • 150ml single cream • 1 tsp vanilla essence • 1 tbsp caster sugar • 25g unsalted butter • 2 large slices of Panettone, 2cm thick, cut into 4 triangles • Icing sugar to dust

Method

• Make the berry compôte: combine the Mixed Berries with Prosecco with 4 tbsp of syrup, raspberries and strawberries in a bowl, set to one side.

• In a small mixing bowl beat together the eggs, cream, vanilla essence and sugar. • Melt the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Coat each side of the panettone in the egg mixture and immediately fry slices in the pan for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. • Serve immediately with the berry compôte spooned over each slice and dusted with icing sugar.

Hints and Tips: Serve with Greek yogurt or Quark. As an alternative, replace the panettone with brioche or fruited bread slices. This would also be delicious with Opies Black Cherries in Kirsch.

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Ultimate Leftover Sandwiches Because there is nothing better... Serves 2 Ingredients

• 4 thick slices of bread • 4 slices of leftover roast meat • 4 slices of Swiss cheese • 8 Opies Cocktail Gherkins, sliced in half • 2 squeezes of American mustard • 2tbsp mayonnaise • Thinly-sliced red onions • Handful of fresh spinach • 50g butter, softened • 1tsp olive oil

Method

• To build the sandwich, take two slices of the bread. Spread with a generous

amount of American mustard, top with the spinach, red onions and meat, then the swiss cheese and gherkins. • Spread a little mayonnaise over the two other slices of bread and sandwich together. • Take a frying pan big enough to fit the two sandwiches in comfortably. Add half the butter and the olive oil and cook until golden and crunchy. Flip over and add the last of the butter. Cook until golden and crunchy. • Serve the sandwiches straight away with extra mustard and mayonnaise. Hints and Tips: This sandwich can be totally customised to suit your tastes and leftovers. For extra flavour spread over some leftover stuffing.

About Bennett Opie

Bennett Opie is one of the oldest, private family-owned food companies in the UK and is based in Sittingbourne, Kent. For over a century Bennett Opie has endeavoured to create, produce and distribute highquality products that include a wide range of cocktail products, speciality pickles, chutneys, olives, ginger, luxury fruits, sauces and compôtes under the Opies brand. They’re available in Waitrose, Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Ocado. www.opiesfoods.com

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Food for thought

A feast of news to make your mouth water

Ring The Bell Snuggle up in a great British pub this winter Nestled in the heart of an English country village, welcoming visitors from near and far for over 400 years, The Bell is the perfect place to hunker down after a brisk country walk or for a long winter’s night. Local ales on tap, heart-warming food sourced from local suppliers in the restaurant and attentive staff make any visit memorable. With more development planned for next year, Head Chef Oscar Fonesca is travelling the world, spending time with chefs in the most extraordinary restaurants to hone his skills and seek inspiration that will inform his menus in his new open kitchen. With regular jazz and comedy, featuring world-class talent, this pub in a corner of East Sussex is punching above its weight on so many levels. The décor and demeanour of The Bell is eclectic in the truest sense of the word, looking as if an eccentric nobleman has travelled the world and stuffed his house full of curiosities from his travels. The result is utterly charming. There is something to admire at every turn, be it the Banksy by the loos, the Henry Moore lithograph in the restaurant or the twisted post-box sculpture on the pavement. And for gentlemen only, the French Horns that double up as urinals. Currently there are seven highly-individual guest rooms above the pub with features including silver birch trees (a nod to the derivation of Ticehurst’s name, which is “the wooded hill where goats graze”), huge copper bath tubs, upside-down tiles and randomlyplaced light features. A Love Nest and three lodges that parody the design of Kent and Sussex oast houses are set in beautifully-designed gardens around a central fire pit. Each of the lodges has its own private outside area with a fire. The Love Nest has a wood-burning stove and private roof terrace (round, of course). Look out for weekday offers to drive away the winter blues. Room rates from £75 for a midweek stay for two people sharing including breakfast 01580 200300 / www.thebellinticehurst.com

Smoking hot Stock up for Christmas at The Weald Smokery The Weald Smokery in Flimwell has a new-look 2020 mail-order brochure, featuring a truly inspiring range of smoked products and gifts. Says owner Andrew Wickham, “We have seen yet another successful year, winning five Great Taste Awards. Our Smoked Trout Fillets leads the way with two Gold stars, whilst our Home-Cooked Ham, free-range Dry Cured Bacon, Smoked Venison and Smoked Mussels have each been awarded a Gold Star. Also, in the newly-created British Charcuterie Awards in 2018, we obtained a Gold for our Smoked Dry Cured Bacon and in 2019, a Silver for the Smoked Venison. “This year we have truly transformed our selection of gifts and hampers and guarantee we can make any occasion completely unique and memorable – including this coming Christmas – so make sure to visit our shop or request a copy of our brochure or browse online. Just give us a call and we will happily post you a brochure free of charge, allowing you to sit back and relax whilst you sort out your Christmas shopping at the Weald Smokery!” A family-run business for over 35 years, the Weald Smokery products are smoked on site using traditional methods (historically, locals preserved their food by smoking it with the oak found in abundance in the area) to give their smoked fish, meats and cheeses their distinctive, authentic flavours. At Christmas time, their Smoked Salmon continues to be their biggest seller so make sure to order early to avoid disappointment as there is a limited amount that can be produced. Their Christmas display features lots of nonperishable foodie gift items, great for stocking fillers or those difficult presents for hardto-buy for family members. There are also four hampers and eleven gift boxes to choose from which include a mix of smoked products and non-perishables, but you can also make up your own hamper or gift box. 01580 879601 / www.wealdsmokery.co.uk

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All change New head chef for The Kentish Hare Earlier this year saw an addition to the Kentish Hare team with new Head Chef David Boswell, a Tanners’ veteran who has worked with Chris and James Tanner for the last 13 years, initially at Tanners Restaurant and then the Barbican Kitchen in Plymouth. David has settled in well with the team and has been working with Chris and James to create some exciting menus of fantastic seasonal Kentish and West Country produce. “Now that the season has changed and the autumnal days draw in, we are serving some fabulous dishes on the menu, including Chart Farm Venison and West Country line-caught Sea Bass, which is a big hit at the moment,” says General Manager Paul Barber. “And let’s not forget the fantastic Kentish vegetables and autumn fruits that we use across all our menus, including our popular vegetarian and vegan dishes. “It’s a great experience to work with a whole kitchen brigade and front of house team tweaking the menus, from fabulous starters to mouthwatering desserts, such as the ever-popular Sticky Toffee Pudding served with a Salt Caramel Sauce, and classic Crème Brûlée. For a real treat, try our new Dark Chocolate Soft-Centred Moelleux, with Milk Chocolate, Peanut Ganache and Banana Ice Cream!! “As the Christmas season will soon be upon us, why not check out our website – www. thekentishhare.com – for our Christmas party menu. Please note space is limited for these popular events, which are suitable for work colleagues, group of friends or a family gettogether. We have a well-stocked cellar with a selection of local ales, beers and ciders, and a whole wine selection which is available by the glass, carafe or bottle. Also, our demon cocktail maker, Eszter, has created some seasonal cocktails to tempt your tastebuds and which you can enjoy in the Snug or Library bar by a roaring log fire or at your restaurant table. “Exciting times are ahead in 2020, with food festivals and pop-up food offerings at national events. And don’t forget, we can bring The Kentish Hare to you, at your home or an outside event, from a small intimate dinner party to a full-scale event.” To find out more, email Paul Barber at enquiries@thekentishhare.com

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Man about Towns From 4D virtual design and the benefits of water softeners to the growing ‘wellness’ trend, Alex Towns, owner of Towns Bathrooms in Tonbridge, tells us what’s new in bathrooms

Bathrooms are an important element of any home. The kitchen might be the hub but the bathroom is the sanctuary, a place where you can unwind and de-stress. And boy, do they have a lot of innovations of late – your standard white three-piece suite really is a thing of the past. So what’s exciting in the world of bathrooms? Says Alex Towns: “We do a lot of work with Ashton & Bentley, who are specialists in freestanding baths which are designed and manufactured in England. They are made from a material called Correro – a unique composite that harnesses the thermal properties of organic limestone and pure white marble resulting in a material that is hard wearing, luxurious and practical, allowing the bath water to stay warmer for longer. “They have a brand new innovative concept, called Organic Téchni. You can pretty much mold the bath to any shape you desire, great for those awkward spaces or if you really want the wow factor. It offers you complete versatility and they are now introducing lots of colours – the outside can be painted in pretty much any colour you want. We’ve just installed one of their freestanding baths in our showroom that you can actually use as a shower as well. They also have a new metal-finish bath, and we are going to be the first showroom in the UK to feature it, so that’s very exciting for us!” And what about other brands? “For me,” says Alex, “it’s important to work with prestigious manufacturers that supply quality products that are built to last but 66

also with excellent after-care service should anything happen. It gives us and, more importantly, the customer complete peace of mind. “Graff, Dansani, Zucchetti, Matki… they are the brands that you will see in hotels across the world. Graff’s showers and taps, for example, are really big in America. They are renowned around the world for their respected products that are finished properly – the finish won’t rub off, fade or tarnish. If you compare them to some of the cheaper products on the market, you really can see the difference in the quality straight away – for example, in the weight and feel. Investing in quality taps and showerheads really will make a difference to your bathroom. The same is true for anything that goes into the wall, like a shower valve. You don’t want a cheap bit of brass that develops a leak a few years down the line. The products we sell are tested over and over again, so you know they are going to last. That expression you get what you pay for springs to mind!” Another great bathroom innovation of recent years comes courtesy of brands like Hewi – creaters of the more accessible bathroom, but not as you know it. The ‘accessible’ element has been built into the design. For example, beautiful hand basins have a grab rail built in so you don’t have anything on the wall as you would have in, say, a hospital toilet, which makes the bathroom look so clinical. What you have is a smart, modern bathroom but without all the chunky grab rails so, at first glance, it looks just like a standard bathroom. This isn’t just ideal for disabled people; you could also invest in some Hewi products to future proof your bathroom.” K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

Something that’s really exciting for Alex is the growing ‘wellness’ trend. “Say you are an empty nester, your kids have left home, you have a spare room and you want to make a nice bathroom,” he says. “You could have a steam room put in. We’ve got these beautiful seats so that at the end of a long week you can sit on the seats in your shower with your partner and use it as a steam room. You can include aromatherapy and chromatherapy – the use of coloured lights – to both your bath and shower, offering a natural therapeutic form of healing. We’ve got a beautiful spa bath called Skin Touch which releases hundreds of bubbles of oxygen to the skin, making it feel nice and soft. It’s about creating your own little fortress of solitude – a completely multifunctional space. We can even put a music system in the bath, so the bath acts as a speaker. Kohler make these toilets that look a little spacey but they will meet you by opening up the seat, they can wash you and dry you… there is even a little blower so that if you go to the toilet in the night, it will blow warm air against your feet so they don’t get cold. That’s pretty amazing!” When it comes to cleaning your bathroom, this can be a real chore, but Alex has a solution, as he explains. “Water softeners are a great invention that people are still a bit dubious about, but they will protect your new bathroom and keep it spotless for years to come. Softeners stop any limescale build-up and prevent water marks. It will descale your boiler and cyclinder, your kettle and your taps, keeping them all flowing properly and efficiently. You don’t need to use abrasive cleaners, either. One of our customers who opted to include a water softener says that all she needs to do is rinse the shower screen with water after a shower. That’s it. No more scrubbing away. Once people have a water softener installed they love it and wouldn’t be without it.” Some people find it hard to visualise their new bathroom design, but now you don’t have to. Pop into Towns Bathrooms and their inhouse designers can offer a one-stop-shop to customers. As part of that service, 4D virtual design will really help you to get an idea of the space, how it will work, how you want it to flow, and how the design comes together. It’s a virtual headset that will enable you to ‘walk’ around your bathroom. “Some people are still a bit wary of this technology,” says Alex. “Older generations are not used to it but younger generations live their life with technology every day so I think this is something that will increase in popularity over the years.” The world of bathrooms are changing in more ways than one! K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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A noir Christmas Forget the traditional red and green this year, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how to incorporate some sophistication to your festive decor with darker tones that still maintain that Christmas feeling

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Clockwise from above: VFT Blenheim pattern in Black, Grey and Dover White with Telford border Christmas tile, £219.76 www.originalstyle.com; clear glass bauble with black & gold bumble bee, £4.50; black & gold Harlequin glass bauble, £3.90; matt black & gold glitter zebra stripe bauble, £4.50 All from www.giselagraham.co.uk Opposite page: Taha’a black & copper Christmas stockings, from £35 www.penelopehope.com

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Clockwise from top left: Cream, black & gold sequin Christmas cushions, £98 each www.janconstantine.com; WOW Christmas decoration, £8.90 www.abodeliving.co.uk; traditional Christmas coir doormat, £14.95 www.MelodyMaison.co.uk; Ruut blanket (£105) and cushion covers (£35) in black www.lapuankankurit.fi Opposite page: Festive Glamour Christmas tablescape in gold, teal and navy, from £20 www.rebeccaudall.com; Christmas dining cracker in Athenian Black chalk paint and Dark Silver gilding wax, POA www. anniesloan.com; Christmas trees patterned tea cup mug, £8, and small Home For Christmas printed tray, £18 www.sophieallport.com

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Clockwise from top left: Caviar hand-painted glass Christmas bauble decoration, £20 shop.nationaltheatre.org.uk; New Year’s Eve chalk paint in Napoleonic Blue, Oxford Navy and Athenian Black, and Christmas dining setting using Athenian Black and Old White chalk paint, baubles in Emperor’s Silk and Paris Grey, Linen Union table cloth, all available at www.anniesloan.com Opposite page, clockwise from top: The Ceramic Upton is a must over the Christmas table giving a warm welcoming glow, £195 www.fritzfryer.co.uk; Habitat Handcraft Luxe Christmas bauble, £6, www.habitat.co.uk; Black and white Christmas tree-top star, £19 www.idyllhome.co.uk

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K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

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K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

Clockwise from top left: Garlands, from £12, and various decor and accessories, all from www.gardentrading.co.uk; Six black & gold glass baubles, £30, and black hanging paper stars, £26 www.coxandcox.co.uk Opposite page: Kids Christmas bedroom mural by Lucy Tiffney using chalk paint from www.anniesloan.com: Habitat Handcraft Luxe Christmas baubles, from £6 www.habitat.co.uk; Six black starburst glass baubles, £18.50 www.coxandcox.co.uk; Cassette mix-tape Christmas decoration, £12 shop.nationaltheatre.org.uk; HO HO HO cushion, £28 www.latte-design.com

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Garden notes

Some seasonal thoughts from Tim Sykes of Gardenproud So it’s nearly Christmas! What could you possibly give to a garden enthusiast? Well, top of all gardeners’ lists for the most useful tool is a decent pair of secateurs. Combine these with a good pair of gardening gloves and you’ll be well set for 2020. On my list would be Felco Secateurs (from £16.99; www.worldoffelco.co.uk), and a decent pair of gloves such as Husqvarna Work, Bradleys Heritage and Haws. Burgon & Ball also sell a very nice set of Flora and Fauna gloves (£14.99; www.burgonandball.com). What could be more special than a specimen tree? It could be fruit, or flowering, or a statement tree. For inspiration, look locally at English Woodlands website, www.ewburrownursery.co.uk or contact me. All gardeners welcome a decent resting post, so a nice garden bench (like this Kensington Teak Banana Bench, £242.49; www.corido.co.uk) would tick the box for an original Christmas present. Two tickets to Chelsea 2020 will set you back around £50 each, but what a day! Well worth the expense and opportunity to re-energise your thoughts and ideas for the garden. If you go for it, I recommend packing a picnic (or popping into Marks & Spencers en route), then splashing out on a bottle of Moët whilst enjoying the lunchtime bandstand. For that very special person, you might treat them to a garden makeover (prices from £300), a planting plan that will help spruce up their beds, or renovation of a complete garden area. This is always guaranteed to set the New Year off to a good start.

For further information, or help with your garden plans for 2020 contact Tim Sykes at Gardenproud, on 07725 173820 www.reallygardenproud.com

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Second best

For an unusual Christmas gift for a gardener, Best Reclamation has a range of ornaments, statuary and furniture waiting to be discovered

Reclamation yards are a treasure trove of antique and reclaimed items for gardens, from benches and birdbaths to planters and urns, and so much more. Create a path with reclaimed bricks, add a sundial to your lawn, upcycle garden furniture for a fraction of the price of new, and set up an old ladder to display potted plants. All you need is imagination!

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Business notes A round-up of local business news

Winning design Rencraft finalists at 2019 Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Awards The team at Rencraft have been celebrating after Designer and Director Robert Waite was shortlisted as a finalist in this year’s Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Awards in London. Robert fought off some stiff competition to have his bespoke design (pictured) selected as one of just three finalists in his category, following a record number of entries for the prestigious industry awards which are now in their 17th year. “I couldn’t believe it when I found out,” said Robert “I’m absolutely chuffed to bits. This was a particularly special project for me as the design was for a returning client, so it was already a lovely project to work on. To have the design shortlisted for an award is the icing on the cake.” The dramatic, open-plan design featuring handmade cabinetry and granite worktops was shortlisted in the Best of British Design & Manufacturing category – which Robert’s colleague and fellow Rencraft designer Jonathan Reynolds won back in 2016. Managing Director John Stephens was also listed as a finalist in the Best Use of Materials category at last year’s event, making this a hat trick of successes for the Kent-based kitchen designers. Visit www.rencraft.co.uk to find out more.

Taking the reins West Kent Chamber of Commerce and Industry appoints new President Lynne Gadsden, a director of Grovewood Wealth Management, based in Speldhurst, near Tunbridge Wells, has been appointed as President of West Kent Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She succeeds Gillian Forsyth, who recently stepped down, as she has retired from her position as General Manager of Halliwell Care Home in Tunbridge Wells. Lynne has been a member of West Kent Chamber for 15 years, when she and her husband, Michael moved their business over to the Tunbridge Wells area. “I was very surprised and honoured to have been asked to become President,” says Lynne. “Within my own profession I now hold the highest qualifications in my industry and have 26 years’ experience in my career, but to be asked to take on this role from an organisation outside of our industry was an even bigger accolade.” With a history which dates back to 1858, West Kent Chamber of Commerce is the leading support organisation for business in the area and boasts Dame Kelly Holmes as its Patron. Benefits of joining the Chamber include access to networking events, a business support telephone helpline, business advice clinics, a 50 per cent reduction in export documentation fees and a members’ discount scheme. “Being a member of West Kent Chamber is easily the best way to make connections in the local area on a professional basis,” says Lynne. “Members will always go out of their way to help each other and the opportunity to learn more through the events and training sessions that are held is great, while the discount scheme is very helpful, too.” Lynne is a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). Grovewood Wealth Management is a senior appointed representative of St James’s Place Wealth Management and Lynne gives financial advice to individuals and businesses. Her focus is generally people aged 55-plus, who are coming up to retirement. “I also hold the Society of Later Life Accreditation (SOLLA), which means I am one of the few specialists in the country who give advice on financial planning in later life, whether that is paying for care or other aspects of later-life issues,” says Lynne. “This has led onto giving advice to clients who are often vulnerable and need some hand-holding.” www.wkcci.com 78

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Helping hand A round-up of local charity news

A century of care Birthday party celebrates RBLI’s centenary Almost 600 people marked the centenary of Royal British Legion Industries supporting the country’s most vulnerable veterans when they attended a 100th birthday party held at its village at Aylesford, near Maidstone. Guests at the party included former military personnel and their families who live in the charity’s village, as well as members of the charity’s volunteer base. They were joined by residents of the charity’s Gavin Astor House care home and assisted-living home, Queen Elizabeth Court, as well as employees of its social enterprise: Britain’s Bravest Manufacturing Company (BBMC). The charity’s work traces back to 1919 when support was provided to the sick and wounded soldiers at Preston Hall after their return from the trenches of the First World War. One hundred years on, the RBLI’s village now provides a home to more than 300 veterans and their families. In total, the charity now supports more than 17,000 individuals a year in Kent and around the UK. During the party, guests were entertained by Kent Youth Jazz Orchestra, The Wealden Choir and the Two Bows and Max Richards, as well as the marching samba band Bloco Fogo, before finishing with a firework display. Acrobats, stilt walkers, face painters and close-up magicians joined the guests, alongside various food and drink stalls, including a hog roast. Steve Sherry CMG OBE, Chief Executive of RBLI, said: “We are immensely proud to be still doing today precisely what our founders were doing for the country’s most vulnerable veterans this time 100 years ago. It was great to celebrate our work through the decades in our village. “And, as important as it is to look back, the event was also about celebrating what RBLI has to come as we move into our second century. This year, we started our ambitious Centenary Village project – a £22million development which will utilise the integrated care model rolled out across our existing village, which encompasses

health, social care, welfare and employment to help those who have served their nation, or those who are suffering disabilities, to more quickly turn their lives around. “The Centenary Village will see RBLI support more than 600 veterans each year, every year, for the next 100 years.” Work is expected to begin on the new village shortly. It will include 22 apartments, each designed to be fully accessible and house single veterans in urgent need, alongside 16 new family homes, and a further 24 assisted-living apartments. At the heart of the development, which will sit alongside the existing village, care homes and manufacturing facility in Kent, will be a state-of-the-art community centre with an accessible gym.

Building bridges Outstanding Contribution Award for Civil Engineer The Chief Executive of one of the country’s oldest charities has been presented with an award for her Outstanding Contribution to Civil Engineering. Sue Threader is the Bridge Clerk (Chief Executive) to the Rochester Bridge Trust, and was presented with its highest honour by the Institution of Civil Engineers’ Kent and East Sussex Branch. The award recognises both Sue’s dedication to civil engineering in the world around us and to inspiring young people to take an interest in related subjects. Regional Director Jonathan Baggs explained: “As a Fellow of the Institution, Sue lives and breathes civil engineering. Charged with the maintenance of Rochester’s bridges – as well as various estates around the country – she is no stranger to the transformational effect of civil engineering on people’s lives. Leading the current maintenance of the bridges, Sue’s approach takes care of these special structures as well as being sensitive to the needs of bridge users and the local community.” Sue is currently managing the £10m Rochester Bridges Refurbishment Project which will see the three bridges in the Trust’s ownership given a complete overhaul, putting them in the best possible condition for the future. In addition, she has established an initiative to support engineering education, providing free materials to educators as well as organising ambitious activities to engage families and young people. Jonathan added: “Sue’s work with young people and their families is exemplary and innovative – with new initiatives such as the bridge-themed adventure golf which had a sixweek residency in the Nave of Rochester Cathedral over the summer, and will be showcased at the ICE headquarters in Westminster during an Engineering Late open evening. 80

Sue commented: “It is an unexpected honour to receive this award for work which I enjoy so much. To look after Rochester’s bridges and to be able to engage with the civil engineers of tomorrow is a dream job for me. I’m grateful to the Institution for this recognition, and to the whole team at the Rochester Bridge Trust, who make all of our achievements possible.” To find out more about the Rochester Bridges Refurbishment Project visit www.rbt.org.uk/refurbishment or see www.rochesterbridgetrust.org.uk to access the Trust’s free engineering education activities. K U D O S N OV E M B E R / DE C E M B E R 2 019

Kudos Marketplace Your directory of local businesses, services and events

We are a specialist Skin Clinic offering a wide range of Cosmetic and Medical Treatments • Beauty • Aesthetics • Semi Permanent Make Up • Specialist Skin Treatments

Cosmedics Skin UK Ltd Skin Clinic Woldingham 6A The Crescent, Station Road, Woldingham CR3 7DB Tel: 01883 652106 www.cosmedics-skin.com

Godstone Farm Tilburstow Hill Road, Godstone, Surrey, RH9 8LX Opening times: 10 am until 5pm in winter, and until 6pm in Summer Entry cost: £9.90 per adult and child over 2 years Tel: 01883 742546 Email: havefun@godstonefarm.co.uk www.godstonefarm.co.uk

Inches of Oxted Your local Clarins Gold Salon 38 Station Road West, Oxted RH8 9EU Tel: 01883 722555 Email: inchesofoxted@unicombox.com www.inchesofoxted.co.uk Stagecoach Otford Opening times: Saturdays, Kemsing Primary school TN15 6PU – Early Stages (4-6yo) 9:15am-10:45am and Main School (6-18yo) 10am-1pm; Fridays, Dunton Green Primary – Early Stages (4-7yo) Entry cost: Two week trial = £25 (Early Stages) £50 (Main School) Tel: 01732 430 387 Email: otford@stagecoach.co.uk www.stagecoach.co.uk/otford FB: business.facebook.com/OtfordStagecoach/

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Fennies Day Nurseries & Preschool Begin an amazing learning journey from nursery to preschool 11 stunning nurseries across Surrey and the South East Unique pedagogical approach Inspiring custom made indoor and outdoor areas Nutritious meals in line with the EYNP Email: book.visit@ fennies.com Tel: 0208 770 3222 www.fennies.com

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Living with CF Sevenoaks parents help to raise awareness of Cystic Fibrosis

Two Sevenoaks parents whose children suffer from Cystic Fibrosis (CF) are lending their support to a year-long fundraiser organised by Sencio Community Leisure (SCL), which operates leisure centres in Edenbridge, Sevenoaks and White Oak, Swanley. An inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive system, CF has been chosen by the not-for-profit SCL as part of its annual commitment to supporting a charitable cause through a series of events and challenges involving staff, customers and the local business community. Three young lives a week are currently lost to CF and a half of sufferers currently die before their 42nd birthday. Alison Dillon’s 21-year-old son Oli was diagnosed when he was three months old and, over the years, has had a number of stays in hospital for IV antibiotics for a degenerative disease that, with every infection, brings the risk of irreversible lung damage. “Some years back Oli caught flu and was desperately ill, losing 49 per cent of his lung function we were told he might not get back. Thankfully he did but it was a very scary time and brought the reality of CF crashing into our lives,” says Alison, who is an active campaigner for access to new medicines that are currently unavailable in the UK due to the inability of NHS England and the manufacturer to reach an agreement. “I find it cruel that for the first time there is a medicine that can treat the root cause of CF instead of simply managing symptoms and which is available in 11 EU countries, the USA and Australia but not in England. These medicines can reduce infections by 42 per cent and hospital stays by 62 per cent. “Keeping fit and healthy is paramount for a person with CF as it helps clear the lungs. I am therefore grateful Sencio has chosen to support the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust this year.”

SCL Wellness supervisor James Arnold suggested the Cystic Fibrosis Trust as Sencio’s charity of the year after speaking to former colleague Chris Clark, whose seven-year-old son, James, suffers from the condition. “James was born in 2011 and was diagnosed with CF following some tests he had after he was failing to thrive and put on weight,” explains Chris. “He was very poorly and had severe chest infections from birth. Every day we fight CF with a cocktail of medication, nebulisers and physiotherapy. Fortunately James has been ‘well’ for the past two years with no admissions but we continue to help him keep infections at bay to ensure he stays as well as possible for as long as possible. “CF is sometimes misunderstood as a medical condition so raising awareness and funding for research and support services is absolutely critical.” SCL staff took part in a centre-to-centre triathlon in August and raised £735. They completed a run from Sevenoaks Leisure Centre to Edenbridge Leisure Centre before tackling the challenge of the uphill cycle to White Oak Leisure Centre in Swanley. A team then swam the distance between White Oak and Lullingstone Park Golf Course. Later in the month, SCL hosted its annual charity golf day at Lullingstone Park Golf Course and raised a further £1,150. The monies will be further increased by other fundraising events before a presentation is made to the charity in the new year. For further details on the work of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust go to cysticfibrosis.org.uk For further details about Sencio Community Leisure visit sencio.org.uk

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