SEPTEMBER 2015
T I M E T O H AT C H P L A N S
SECRET DEVON
A quiet haven in the South Hams
one of two LUMIE bodyclocks worth nearly £60.
SELLING NOTES:
preparing your house for viewings
SUZI PERRY
on reclaiming family time from screens & gadgets
CARLUCCIO’S SUNDAY BEST
from the Godfather of pasta
Find your perfect home
A hand-picked selection of the best properties to buy in Cambridgeshire
Brought to you by
23 Church Street, Willingham, CB24 5HS
HIGH STREET, HADDENHAM
£280,000
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A cottage-style modern detached three bedroom house in a small cul de sac, off the High Street of this popular village. • • • • •
Located in a small cul-de-sac No onward chain Modern kitchen Rear garden with lawn and patio area Single garage
Character home with modern benefits
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This interesting ‘cottage style’ modern detached property is located down a small cul de sac of similar homes. Ground floor accommodation offers an entrance hallway with stairs rising to the first floor, a wet room with vanity unit wash basin, and a spacious kitchen with a range of matching base and wall-mounted units, electric oven and hob and some integrated appliances. Finished to a high standard with a ceramic tiled floor, tiled walls and inset spot lights, the window is to the front aspect. The Master Bedroom is en suite and there is a family bathroom on the same floor. Outside, the rear garden has a patio area, door to the garage, and a small lawn with gated side access. A shared driveway gives access to a single garange and private drive offering off-road parking.
HIGH STREET, CONINGTON
£635,000
DAINTREES ROAD, FEN DRAYTON
£595,000
A substantial six bedroom family home with stunning views over farmland and accmmodation over three floors.
A spacious five bedroom house occupying an end of cul de sac location and tremendous kerb appeal.
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Picturesque village location Re-fitted bathroom suites Re-fitted kitchen Stunning views Swavesey village college catchment
Spacious detached family home Highly requested village location Excellent catchment for both Primary and Secondary schools Conservatory Detached double garage
Welcome September 2015 This issue of Nest promises to ease you gently into Autumn. We go to South Devon to a secret hideaway you’ll love just as much out of season, and if you’re not looking forward to the clocks going back, enter this month’s giveaway, to win a LUMIE Bodyclock – waking up naturally even on a dark morning. Our family feature this month explores what the experts say about the pros and cons of technology use at home. Closer to home, we offer a hand-picked selection of properties marketed through our Cambridge and Willingham offices.
Whether you are buying, selling, or just interested in ideas for your own nest, we hope you enjoy this issue. If you have any questions about any of the properties, or would simply like some advice or a chat, we would be delighted to help in any way we can.
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07&11 PROPERTIES OF THE MONTH
Jeremy Trott Director Hockeys Estate Agents 01954 260940
08 T R AV E L N OT E S
13 COOK COMPETITION
WIN a LUMIE STARTER 30 Many people have to get up earlier than they’d like - to commute, start shift work or to train - and find it a struggle to get going. Teenagers often sleep late into the morning because they stayed up late. Some people would simply say they are ‘not a morning person’. Whatever the reason, many of us do not feel awake in the mornings. We manage, but we are not at our best, and often get tired later in the day. Finding it hard to get up is often a biological problem, where the systems in our brain that control our sleep have got
out of sync. This creates sleep inertia, the inability to feel alert and perform when we first awake. Studies have shown that wake-up lights like Lumie Bodyclock, that gradually turn on and get brighter during the last 30 minutes of sleep help to reset your body clock and reduce complaints of sleep inertia. The light stimulates production of hormones such as cortisol that help us to get up and go, while suppressing those like melatonin that bring on sleep. Adjusting your body clock with bright light will not only help you to feel more awake in the morning; it will lift your mood, energy and productivity all day. The simulated sunset will help you to feel ready for sleep at the end of the day. For your chance to win one of two Lumie Bodyclock Starters worth £59.95 each, enter our competition. Answer the question and send your name and address by email by 31st October 2015.
Lumie Bodyclock helps to stimulate which hormone in the morning? a) melatonin b) cortisol c) growth Please email your name, address and answer to nest@hockeys.co.uk and state ‘Yes to information.’ if you’d like Lumie to contact you with details of products and promotions via email in the future.
BOURNEYS MANOR CLOSE
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23 Church Street, Willingham, CB24 5HS
£295,000
RAMPTON ROAd, COTTENHAM
£475,000
A well presented three storey Town House with versatile living accommodation comprising three or four bedrooms.
A six or seven bedroom property with versatile accommodation, ideal for multi-generational living.
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Popular village location No onward chain Large living and kitchen/dining area Master bedroom en suite Utility room
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Quiet cul de sac location Fitted with burglar alarm system Modern development Single garage Enclosed rear garden with side access
HIGH STREET, SWAVESEY
£395,000
MARGETT STREET, COTTENHAM
£375,000
An attractive four bedroom semi-detached period house with cottage garden and allocated parking.
A three bedroom detached bungalow in an excellent position for shops and facilities, and no onward chain.
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Swavesey Village College catchment High Street location Period features Four bedrooms Versatile accommodation
Detached bungalow Highly sought after village Single garage Off-road parking Mature garden with pond and patio
FAMILY
SUZI WEIGHS UP THE PROS & CONS OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE HOME
Smartphones and screen time are a way of life now but C4 The Gadget Show and BBC’s Formula 1 presenter Suzi Perry says it’s not too late to claim back family time Away from the stresses and strains of real life, were you really switching off on holiday – or were you busy uploading photos of your precious time away? When you’re excited about a lovely view because you know your Facebook friends will ‘like’ it too, or when our updates are reduced to ‘Off to the gym’ and then ‘Back from the gym’, surely it’s time to disconnect from our virtual world? One in every three people has felt ‘overwhelmed’ by communications technology to the point they felt the need to escape. Texting, email and social networking (eg Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat) can be fantastic for research and entertainment or keeping in touch with overseas friends or family but 36 per cent of parents interviewed in a Cambridge University-led survey said technology disrupted family life at least some times, and more than half said they felt their family would benefit from having technology-free time. Researchers also found, perhaps surprisingly, that children still prefer to communicate face-to-face. Adults need to lead by example but
texting over tea and toast or checking Facebook while CBeebies is on in the background isn’t uncommon. “Parents need to send the right signals to their kids,” says Suzie Hayman, trustee of Family Living and Parentline. “Start with rules, rather than waiting until no one is communicating, and make sure you ‘skill up’ so you know technology isn’t being abused. Encourage family meals and keep media for public rooms, not the bedroom.”
INVEST IN REAL FACE TIME “Dr Cecilia d’Felice, clinical psychologist and author. says: “Face-to-face contact is an investment, especially when we’re tired and have had a long day at work, but only real people keep us engaged and committed. Even when they’re driving us mad, real people offer us support and challenge. If we lose the ability to make eye contact, to relate to people, we lose the ability to be attractive and, in turn, the ability to mate. Too much dopamine, what we get from the ‘hit’ of screen time makes us insular and emotionally clumsy - we quickly lose touch with reality.”
Switch on! • Apps for cooking can encourage teens and children to get involved in the kitchen - the addition of technology can make it more fun. • Smartphones have handy diaries you can share - so the whole family can have access to each other’s schedules. • SKYPE allows instant messaging with family and friends for free, anywhere in the world. Switch off! • Time spent alone on technology can fracture family life - parents can be just as guilty as kids. • Internet bravery is all too easy and the lack of face-to-face contact can draw anyone into a virtual world. • Online chat rooms and forums can lead to feelings of alienation and, at worst, cyberbullying and narcissim.
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23 Church Street, Willingham, CB24 5HS
KINGFISHER COURT, EARITH
£350,000
HIGH STREET, COTTENHAM
£325,000
A modern four bedroom riverside town house with garage and private mooring, located in a small gated development.
An individual three bedroom detached house with character storm porch and a double carport.
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Modern town house Master bedroom en suite Four reception rooms Double garage No onward chain
Highly sought after village No onward chain Large rear garden with patio area Double timber gates lead to off-road parking Character fireplaces
Your child is unique, so why send them to a school where they become one of many. The Phoenix provides your child with the highest standard of education in a lively, stimulating environment. Every Phoenix child has a personalised learning plan to enable them to achieve their full potential. We believe that every child matters. The Phoenix, an independent foundation school set up by parents, for parents looking for a school that truly cares.
Nurturing Love for Learning – Developing Passions Discovering Strength – Building Confidence Tel: 01954 263113 www.thephoenixschool.co.uk head@thephoenixschool.co.uk Willingham House, 50 Church Street, Willingham, Cambridgeshire CB24 5HT
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23 Church Street, Willingham, CB24 5HS
dUddLE dRIVE, LONGSTANTON
£350,000
A four bedroom detached house with two generous reception rooms in a popular village development giving access into Cambridge via the A14 and guided busway. • • • • •
Modern detached home Popular development Re-fitted kitchen with under-floor heating Master bedroom en suite Single garage
Modern family home Located in a highly regarded part of the village of Longstanton, offering excellent access into Cambridge, this family property is extremely well presented and finished to a high standard throughout. Comprising living room, family room and dining room, there is ample space for a family. The modern kitchen overlooks the garden and has a range of re-fitted maching base and wall mounted units, under-unit lighting, one and a half bowl sink unit, built-in dishwasher, four-burner hob, stainless steel splashback, extractor canopy with fan, built-in double oven and the current owners’ attention to detail extends to the beautiful ceramic tile floor and under floor heating. An archway from the kitchen leads to the utility room, which leads to the garden. Bedrooms have excellent storage space with fitted or in-built wardrobes and the Master Bedroom benefits from an en suite. The fourth bedroom is currently used as a Study.
Private garden The rear garden offers plenty of privacy with a lawned area and flower and shrub borders, paved patio area, gated rear access and a personal door to the single garage.
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Yearning for South Devon’s little secret: the Yealm Estuary Creeks, cosy cottages and crabbing give you an idea of what to expect from this tranquil haven of bobbing boats nestled between Bigbury Bay and Plymouth The River Yealm rises 430 metres above sea level on the Stall Moor mires of south Dartmoor and makes its 15-mile journey to the sea passing the estuary mouth just below Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo. If you feel at home in Dartmouth or Salcombe but want to get away from the hustle and bustle, this is the place for you. It is a tidal estuary four miles in land, busy with local activity but it’s a different pace of life here. Crossings have to be by ferry on the seasonal passenger ferry service or by car and the only things you need to pack – with or without children – are buckets, spades and crabbing lines! When the tide goes out it’s perfect for crabbing at Yealm Steps on the Newton Ferrers side, which has a Post Office, Co-op, a cafe with free wifi, estate agent, pharmacy, and it’s not far to take a picnic down to Mothecombe beach. Early evening, head to The Ship Inn at Noss
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Mayo for dinner or drinks - it’s a great waterside gastro pub with a terrace overlooking the quay - just be sure to time it right with the tides if you’re parking on the beach! Newton Ferrers has The Dolphin, which offers a decent pint of real ale and another terrace with fabulous views of the River. For a day out, you can head to Dartmoor for walking, Plymouth for the National Maritime Museum, or to Bigbury Bay, just 14 miles South, where you can dig, build sandcastles, surf, body board, rockpool or explore Burgh Island, the setting for two Agatha Christie stories and the site of the iconic Art Deco Burgh Island Hotel. The Bay View (licensed) Cafe overlooks the island and opens for lunch, (the crab sandwiches are something else!) and in the evening. And of course Salcombe is only just over half an hour’s drive away, perfect for shopping, sand and sailing.
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Where to STAY For a couple or small family... Annex at Barnicott, Newton Ferrers Short term lets available in this twin-bed cosy studio apartment in the heart of Newton Ferrers. Recently refurbished, it’s the perfect bolt hole, with parking. Contact Victoria Williams 07971 074181 or www.airbnb.co.uk For a larger family... No.1 Pillory Hill, Noss Mayo A charming fisherman’s cottage with three double bedrooms situated in the heart of Noss Mayo, 30 meters from the water, with stunning views, a garden, crabbing equipment, high chairs and beautifully designed and finished interiors. www.nossmayocottage.co.uk
THE YEALM FERRY A seasonal service runs from Yealm Steps and Wide Slip (for Noss Mayo Coast Path to Stoke) from 1st April to 27th September, every day 10am - 4pm. Call ferryman Bill Gregor on 07817 132757 to check. Prices start range from 50p per dog and £1.50 per bike to £3 for age 14+.
WHERE TO EAT The Ship Inn, Noss Mayo This award-winning waterside pub has been renovated using reclaimed materials, English oak, local stone and has lots of tasteful nautical features, old furniture and log fires. The main beer comes from Summerskills and here you’ll enjoy good, fresh, homemade food and a fabulous view across the water – you can even tie up your boat outside. The menu changes daily and features local produce. www.nossmayo.com / 01752 872387
ALTERNATIVES At times when the ferry is not running: BUSES - No.48 runs Wembury Plymstock, connecting with the No.94 to Noss Mayo (every 2 hrs). Call Traveline 0871 200 22 33 TAXIS Wembury Cabs: 01752 863710 Ivy Cabs: 01752 696969 South Hams Travel: 01752 830175 or 07557 522215 Walking around the estuary is possible but it entails a long walk, much of which is on minor lanes.
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82 Regent Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1DP
WILLOW WALK, CAMBRIdGE
£595,000
SEARLE STREET, CAMBRIdGE
£500,000
A superbly located Town House dating back to 1815 with Listed status for its architectural and historic interest.
A fantastic three bedroom house benefiting from recent improvements and no onward chain.
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FAIRHAVEN, LOdE
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Enviable city location with garden Extended accommodation Period features Permit parking Loft space with Velux window
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Grade II Listed Short walk to city centre Private road with allocated parking Many period features No onward chain
£295,000
CANTELUPE ROAd, HASLINGFIELd
£495,000
A fantastic opportunity to acquire a refurbished semidetached bungalow in an elevated corner position.
A wonderful Grade II Listed cottage with a recently re-fitted kitchen, charming gardens and off-road parking.
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Artistic touches Semi-rural village Rare opportunity Spacious accommodation Off-road parking for two cars
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Detached Grade II Listed cottage Period features Double-ended bath Quiet village location Inglenook fireplace with gas fired stove
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82 Regent Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1DP
COW LANE, FULBOURN
£635,000
A unique and superbly presented village home in highly desirable Cow Lane, offering three or four bedrooms with balcony areas and wonderful gardens. • • • • •
Lifestyle home Highly regarded location Garden office / artist’s studio Landscaped gardens Easy access for A11 and Cambridge city centre
Stylish Lifestyle Home This immaculately presented home must be viewed. It benefits from versatile accommodation with an indulgently large master bedroom, two balcony areas, split level ceilings, large windows and spacious hall and landing. On the ground floor, the accommodation is laid out as: entrance hall with oak flooring and an open tread staircase to the first floor, cloakroom, study/bedroom 4, living room, snug, kitchen/breakfast room with solid oak work surfaces, walk-through store and utlity room. The living room and snug both have oak flooring and views over the rear garden. On the first floor, there is access into the roof space from the super light landing, and three bedrooms, one en suite shower room and family bathroom. The property has gas fired heating and double glazing.
Outside space Front gardens setting the property back from the road are well stocked, and there is a driveway for off-road parking. A delightful rear garden offers shrubs, beds and trees together with pathways, pond and a garden office/artist’s studio with power and light.
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Thinking of a move? We are happy to offer you a free, no obligation valuation of your property.
Call us for a free valuation on
(01954) 260940
To advertise in this space please contact nest@hockeys.co.uk
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homes in the CB23 and CB24 postcode
Hockey’s Willingham branch director Jeremy Trott advises sellers on how to prep for for house viewings
Opening your home to potential buyers works best when you take a business-like approach and the best advice is to make good use of your agent. Viewings are a crucial part of the selling process and it’s important to focus on the end point, which is your agent finding the best buyer for you. Jeremy Trott, director of Hockeys Willingham office, says: “At Hockeys, when a house comes on the market, we will have pre-alerted registered buyers and will have warmed some of them up to any new properties. Our aim is to achieve a sale that exceeds the asking price - we create a list of hot buyers and we set out to achieve optimum interest - as this is in the best interests of our clients. “Without a doubt, ensuring your home is clutter free is the no.1 most important preparation you can invest time in. Let us manage the viewings – we know the buyers and what they want because we have often met them several weeks ahead of your property going on the market. We know what their priorities are and because we have an established relationship and are there in a business capacity only, it removes any akwardness – if vendors stay at home for a viewing it can end up with too many people; the buyers can’t talk freely, the space feels smaller, and this can often hamper a purchase.”
Jeremy goes on to explain how in an empty property, an experienced agent, knowledgeable about the local area and market, can quickly turn any negative feedback into a positive. He says: “Examples are queries about Ofsted ratings of local schools, knowledge of the Guided Busway routes or of pedestrian shortcuts through a development. Often, we find that buyers
Ensuring your home is clutter free is the no.1 most important preparation you can invest time in could look at a house that needs decoration or updating and they may start talking about it needing tens of thousands of pounds of work, and we can quickly reassure them that it will be an affordable project.”
SETTING OUT YOUR STALL So if your responsiblity is simply to set the scene and create a ‘shop front’ that enables the agent to sell a lifestyle – it’s called ‘staging’ here are some tips from members of the Netmums forum: • Fresh air! Windows or vents open, fresh flowers, perhaps a laundry wash. • De-clutter as much as possible - make rooms look as big as possible.
• Get the house as clean as possible; deep clean the kitchen and bathrooms. • First impressions count; clean windows, check doorbells work, pathways are weeded and swept. • Open curtains and blinds to create as much light as possible. • Make sure the driveway is clear for your visitors to park and if you’ve got a garage, try to have it clear. • Beds made, bins emptied. • Get as close to ‘show home’ standard as possible; read magazines for ideas on interiors finishing touches. • Wipe down any gloss, eg. skirting boards. • Don’t cook anything too strong smelling the night or morning before. • Make any minor repairs necessary, including broken door knobs, mouldy grout or flaky sealant in the shower. Amy Grace, contributor to First Time Buyer magazine and The Telegraph, says: “Leave a folder of information to hand, eg if you have them, guarantees for boilers, integrated kitchen appliances, council tax or planning permission certificates - show you are careful property owners. Buyers like that. It’s a bit like seeing a Full Service History on viewing a car. The agent may not use it but it’s useful to know it’s there.” So, to get started try to see your house through a buyer’s eyes and start prepping!
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PACCHERI CON RAGU ALLA NAPOLETANA Large pasta tubes with Neapolitan bean sauce • 400g dried paccheri pasta • 60g Parmesan, freshly grated • Salt and pepper, to taste
Carluccio’s Sunday Lunch Antonio Carluccio holds the equivalent of a knighthood for his services to Italian cookery. He’s written 17 books and consults with the 70 Carluccio’s restaurants in the UK. He grew up in Salerno on the Amalfi Coast but says “None of the regions I’ve lived in have influenced my tastes, just my mother and my family. I learnt about the benefit of sharing food together. For Italians, eating is about so much more than putting something in the stomach.” Hardly a family Sunday passes in southern Italy, without a Neapolitan ragu being cooked and eaten for lunch. “It’s not just a sauce for pasta but an entire meal; it’s the only dish where you get Primi and Secondi in one dish – you know, we normally have the pasta first, then the meat dish.” The cut
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of beef chosen to make the braciola must be ‘scamone’, rump of beef but beyond that, this is a very simple dish. “Italian cooking is simple. My philosophy is MOFMOF - Minimum of Fuss (makes) Maximum of Flavour! This underpins everything I do in the kitchen. With the pasta, salt your boiling water with 10g per litre and when it’s cooked, lift it – never wash or drain pasta. My book ‘Pasta’ is for afficionados and beginners.”
Method For the braciole, lay the beef slices flat on a board. In a bowl, mix the parsley, raisins, garlic, Parmesan, pine kernels, salt and pepper. Divide into 4 portions and spread on to the beef. Roll up the slices and fix with a wooden toothpick or bind with kitchen string. Next, put the oil in a pan and fry the onion until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the beef braciole and fry to brown on each side. Next, add the wine and let the alcohol evaporate for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir well and let the mixture cook slowly at first, covered with the lid until boiling, then reduce the heat to a minimum. Cook for 1 1/2 hours,
Braciole • 4 large thin slices of rump beef • 2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley • 1tbsp raisins • 1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed • 20g Parmesan, freshly grated • 1 tbsp pine kernels Sauce • 60ml olive oil • 1 onion, peeled, finely sliced • 50ml dry white wine • 800g canned crushed tomatoes • 2 tbsp tomato paste Alternative pasta You could use rigatoni, vermicelli, fusilli or maccheroni instead of the paccheri.
uncovered, until the braciole are very tender. Turn this occasionally, and stir the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the pasta and mix with some of the sauce. Serve each portion of pasta with some of the sauce and some grated Parmesan, and then serve the braciole separately, either sliced or whole, as a second course. Sunday lunch is done! Visit www.antonio-carluccio.com for recipes and news on new books.
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82 Regent Street, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1DP
BANDON ROAD, CAMBRIDGE
£850,000
An exceptional family home that stands out for its stylish architecture and high specification fittings, in a convenient location with easy access to the city centre. • • • • •
Architect designed Stunning contemporary home High specification throughout Enviable location Under-floor heating to ground floor and to upstairs bathrooms
Architect designed modern family living Located in a convenient location, with pedestrian access on to Huntington Road and proximity to the wooded area of Girton College, this impressive home offers high-specification, luxury living. The detailing includes American white oak stained and grey lacquered internal doors, glass balustrates with porcelain floor tiles, beautifully fitted ktichen with stone work surfaces, Siemens integrated appliances, luxury bathrooms and en suites with Villeroy and Boch. The accommodation is set out as follows: a generous, light entrance hall, cloakroom, utility room, sitting room and superb open-plan split level kitchen/dining/living space. On the first floor, a galleried landing leads to five bedrooms, three of which have en-suite facilities together with a luxurious family bathroom.
Outside space The private garden is beautifully landscaped and split-level with lawn beyond having a wide planting border and a deep walled garden. The garage has an electric rolling door, wall-mounted gas boiler, power and light, plus a personal door to the side.
New naturally lovely drinks for spring... We’re making 2015 deliciously fruity, fragrant and lovely with new pressÊs: Summer Fruits, Mango & Peach, Cox Apple with no added sugar, and new cordials: Elderflower & Rose and Mango & Peach.