SO Magazine August 2023

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT

SIOBHAN STIRLING ON THE EXCITING EVOLUTION OF HER SUCCESSFUL PR AND MARKETING BUSINESS SHARP MINDS

Making memories

Meet Suzi Mitchell of Taylor Made Dreams

FOOD & DRINK Escape to the country

We profile two great new gastro pubs to visit

It’s time to jet set go!

The best holiday getaways for summer 2023

Welcome to your August edition of SO magazine.

Although it might be a quiet month for most, rest assured we have plenty for you to read in this month’s edition. Our cover features local business entrepreneur Siobhan Stirling who founded her PR & Marketing business Sharp Minds just over ten years ago. We caught up with the former BBC TV presenter and producer to discover why she swapped a career in the mainstream media to establish her own unique communications company. Turn to page 8 to discover the mother-ofthree’s influential story.

We also meet the inspirational Suzi Mitchell who founded the Taylor-Made Dreams charity in 2014 in honour of her late son Taylor who died from an incurable illness aged just 15. Ahead of the charity marking its tenth anniversary in 2024, Suzi tells us what fundraising events are on the horizon and how you can get

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involved, both as a supporter and volunteer. Our exclusive interview with Suzi is on page 22.

Monika Kozlowska, a qualified life, business and leadership coach, has written a piece for us on ‘mum guilt’ and advises practical tips on how to ensure you don’t get caught in the trap of trying to be the ‘perfect parent’ – essential reading as the holidays stretch out before us and school seems like a distant memory!

Elsewhere we have some tempting travel ideas – whether you’re wanting a staycation or a last-minute break with the kids. We also have some great ideas on how to spend your time if going on holiday isn’t an option. As well as a preview of the Rye Jazz Festival (p24) we also have some new gastro pubs worth checking out... The Royal Oak in Hawkhurst (p26) and The Print House in Tenterden (p28) may be a little further afield but definitely worth the trip once you experience a taste of their hospitality!

We hope you enjoy the issue,

Culture vulture: What’s on where this month

Local hero: Paul Dunton previews the line-up of this year’s Local & Live festival

ISSUE 178

EDITOR

Eileen Leahy

eileen.leahy@onemediauk.co.uk

DESIGN

Jo Turfitt

EDITORIAL

Karen Martin

Naomi Murray

Tim Sykes

Molly Miller

PHOTOGRAPHY David Bartholomew

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Sharp thinking: We meet Siobhan Stirling and her Sharp Minds marketing team to discover the secret of their success

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In step: Nourish and Childrensalon dance through the decades for charity

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Grooves and food: A look back at this year’s Pub in the Park

Al fresco appeal: Potters Home & Garden Digital host a seasonal social

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Tuning up: Britttens Music host two key concerts

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Love where you live: Local restaurateur Ivan di Santo on where he likes to shop, stroll and socialise

21 Asia express: The TN Card’s Jess Gibson meets the successful team behind Kitsu, Kiko Sushi & Yakitori and now Momo Bubble café

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Cruise control: Kitch reveals the best holiday resort wear

Lifelong: Naomi Murray on the man who forgot to die

58 The stage is set: Interior designer Jane Lee talks about her home staging business

62 Seeds of change: Why Camellia Taylor swapped psychology for garden design

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Lasting legacy: We meet the inspirational Suzi Mitchell from Taylor-Made Dreams

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Easy life: Hypnotherapist Karen Martin on how to stress less

65 Drought resistance: Garden Proud’s Tim Sykes on why Beth Chatto's designs are inspirational

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Call to action: Fitness expert Sarah Gorman reveals to get you back on track

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Go with the flow: Yoga expert Lucy Parker on practicing daily gratitude

72 Dreaming of Disney: We discover why it’s still a classic holiday destination 30 years on

74Drive of your life: Test drive the new Rolls Royce Spectre

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All that jazz: Previewing this month’s International Rye Jazz Festival

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Branching out: Discover the charm of The Royal Oak in Hawkhurst

28 Historic hostelry: Enjoy a taste of the newly refurbished pub The Print House

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Free yourself: Life and Business Coach Monika Kozlowska on how to rid yourself of ‘mum guilt’

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Artistic approach: Painter Lauren Bouche tells us about her work with Langton Primary

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POWER OF PUCCINI Lamberhurst Music Festival

AUGUST 5

Heritage Opera bring their production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly to the stunning grounds of Bayham Abbey on August 5 as part of the Lamberhurst Music Festival. The opera tells the story of 15-year-old Cio-Cio-San who, against her family’s wishes, marries an American naval officer called Pinkerton. He, however only marries her for convenience as he intends to find an American wife on his return to the U.S. Cio-Cio-San (which is Japanese for butterfly) does not know this though, and waiting for him to return, bears him a son. Three long years pass, until Pinkerton returns… if you’re an opera fan make sure you go along to find out what happens…The production starts at 5.30pm and finishes at 10pm. Tickets cost £30. See www. lamberhurstmusic.co.uk for more details.

MARKET VALUE Pantiles Antiques & Vintage Fair

AUGUST 5 & 6

Over the weekend of August 5 and 6 Tunbridge Wells’ famous historic walkway The Pantiles will be the backdrop for this summer’s Antiques & Vintage Fair. Dubbed by organisers as ‘a whole antiques experience’, there will be over 50 selected dealers as well as celebrity antique valuations from the likes of TV’s Eric Knowles, Richard Price, David Harper and Charles Hanson. It’s a must-visit for anyone who loves collecting historic pieces from a variety of different periods and countries. In addition to browsing the numerous gem-laden stalls, treasure seekers will have the opportunity to enjoy lots of live music, food and drink over the weekend too. Entry is free. To find out more visit www.thepantiles.com

FUN FOR ALL THE FAMILY Summer at Hever Castle

THROUGHOUT

AUGUST

From fun challenges to falconry displays and jousting, summer at Hever Castle promises something for all the family. Throughout the summer holidays children can take part in a series of hands-on activities and challenges as part of the castle’s Heroes and Villains School (included in normal admission rates). On selected days in August there will be falconry displays from Birds of Prey Willow Centre and of course there will be Hever’s thrilling jousting tournaments happening from August 12 on selected weekends. BSL interpreted jousting and falconry displays will be on offer for deaf and hard of hearing visitors at certain times, see hevercastle.co.uk for more information.

VIVE LA FRANCE LES MISÉRABLES Trinity Youth Theatre

AUGUST 5 & 6

Over the month of August Trinity Youth Theatre will be putting on two epic shows that all the family will enjoy. First up is their schools’ edition of Les Misérables which they will be performing on August 5 and 6. See this talented team

DID YOU KNOW?

The musical version of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables has been the winner of over 100 international awards and seen by over 65 million people worldwide. The novel has also been translated into 21 different languages.

retell the classic 19th-century story by Victor Hugo, which follows the tale of Jean Valjean, who after being released from years of unjust imprisonment in France, is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert, who refuses to believe Valjean can change his ways. Don’t miss your chance to see this epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit.

To book tickets head to www.trinitytheatre.net

NOTEWORTHY EVENT Jazz on The Pantiles

AUGUST 10

Kicking off at 7pm is another Jazz on The Pantiles session. Running every Thursday evening all through the summer until August 31, this popular event sees lots of local musicians performing on the promenade’s famous bandstand. Enjoy the sights and sounds for just £5 entry fee or why not make a meal of it – quite literally – and book a table at one of the neighbouring restaurants so you can sit back, relax and enjoy the sonic jazz tonic.

DID YOU KNOW?

Jousting was regarded as the most romantic form of combat? Tournaments were often held to win a lady’s honour and as such, they would give knights an item of personal importance on the promise he would return it alive after the tournament.

We bring you the most entertaining events happening this August

FULL STEAM AHEAD Spa Valley Railway

AUGUST 12

Take a train journey with a difference by treating yourself – and your taste buds - to a special evening courtesy of the Faulty Towers Dining Experience on the Spa Valley Railway. Straight from London’s West End via the legendary Sydney Opera House, this international sensation has cleverly been speciallyadapted to be performed on a moving steam train! The interactive culinary experience is a hilarious tribute to the famous 1970s BBC sitcom which starred John Cleese and Prunella Scales playing hapless hotel managers (and husband and wife) Basil and Sybil Fawlty, with Andrew Sachs taking on the role of the beleaguered Spanish waiter Manuel. Prepare to be served up mayhem and a suitably seventies three-course meal, during this two hours of fun and laughter. For tickets and timings head to www. spavalleyrailway.co.uk

BARMY BRITAIN

Horrible Histories Live on

Stage

AUGUST 14

As part of this summer’s Hever Festival, Birmingham Stage Company will be performing two of their Horrible Histories

Barmy Britain shows at the Two Sisters’ Theatre on Monday August 14 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. The hit West End show is quoted as being ‘full of crazy new characters and rude new rulers from Britain’s barmy past’. So, will you be conquered by William? Will you sink or swim with King Henry I? Go house hunting with Henry VIII? Join the gorgeous Georgians as they take over England? Break into Buckingham Palace and hide from the Queen Victoria? Well, you’ll just have to go along in order to find out. Go to www. heverfestival.co.uk for more information.

DID YOU KNOW?

The game

Subbuteo was invented in 1947 by Langton Green resident Peter Adolph. Mr Adolph sold the business in 1968, but it continued to be made in and around Tunbridge Wells until 1981.

MAD ABOUT THE BARD

St Margaret’s Church, Horsmonden

AUGUST 17

At 7.30pm This Is My Theatre will present their interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy of errors classic Much Ado About Nothing.

Directed and adapted by Sarah Slator and with music by Simon Stallard, the performance, which takes place at St Margaret’s Church, Horsmonden promises to be an enjoyable evening for all. Here Sarah tells us a little bit more about it: “In Shakespeare’s raucous romantic comedy, deception is rife as wedding bells sound in the air, testing not only the young lovers Hero and Claudio, but also the steadfastly single Beatrice and Benedick! With plots, pranks and live music throughout, you will fall in love all over again with Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing again!” To book tickets visit www.thisismytheatre.com

RAZZLE DAZZLE ‘EM

Trinity Youth Theatre

AUGUST 18-20

The second performance for the Trinity Youth Theatre troupe takes place from August 18 to 20 when the venue’s young actors, aged 16-19, will take to the stage to perform Bob Fosse’s classic musical Chicago. Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd, the young players will retell the story of Roxie Hart who murders a faithless lover and convinces her husband, Amos, to take the rap… until he finds out he’s been duped and turns on Roxie... Visit www. trinitytheatre.net for more information and to book tickets.

BACK OF THE NET English Subbuteo Masters

AUGUST 19

Tunbridge Wells welcomes the return of the Subbuteo English Masters. The event, first played in 2005, will feature the top players in England in both senior and youth categories and will be played at The Amelia Scott, Tunbridge Wells, on Saturday August 19.

To discover more about this event head to www. theamelia.co.uk

MUSIC TO OUR EARS

Local & Live

AUGUST 25-27

The town’s annual music festival Local & Live takes place over the bank holiday weekend and promises yet another superb line-up of live musical acts. Primarily taking place in Calverley Grounds, there will be other pop-up venues including The Forum, The Sussex and the Spa Hotel. See more on this by heading to Paul Dunton’s feature on pages 6 & 7 or visit www.localandlive.org

THE GREATEST HITS OF MOTOWN

Two Sisters’ Theatre, Hever

AUGUST 26

Calling all Motown fans! Get ready to Go Loco, Down in Acapulco courtesy of a night under the stars at Hever Festival Theatre with the singers and musicians who form The Greatest Hits of Motown. Kicking off at 8pm, this stunning, 100% live show combines first class music with the slickest choreography and an amazing band, to deliver truly outstanding performances. You will find yourself Dancing On The Ceiling, with songs from legendary artists including; Lionel Richie, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, The Isley Brothers, Edwin Starr and many, many more. Head to www.heverfestival.co.uk for more information.

GO WILD Family bat walk

AUGUST 29

At 6.45pm the Friends of Grosvenor and Hilbert Park welcome children and their parents to their annual Family Bat Walk. The evening will start off with some batty crafts and activities like making bat masks and echolocation games. Then a guided walk around the park will take place as visitors listen and look for bats. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Please wear suitable clothing for walking around the park and remember to check the weather forecast so you can dress accordingly. This is a ticketed event so you will need to bring along £2 per person.

ALL AT SEA Trinity Theatre

AUGUST 30

Screening twice on August 30 at Trinity Theatre is the latest celluloid incarnation of The Little Mermaid –AKA Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart... The widely acclaimed film, which stars Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy and Javier Bardem, is being shown at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. www.trinitytheatre.net

Happybirthday18th birthday

Local & Live

The Local & Live Music Festival, on from August 25-27 at Calverley Grounds and other venues across Tunbridge Wells, is back! Here its founder and organiser Paul Dunton reveals who’s on the bill and ten reasons why you should be there, too in this, its 18th year…

The town’s biggest free music festival returns in August, when Local & Live returns once more to Calverley Grounds. Held over the Bank Holiday weekend from August 25 to 27, it draws thousands to the park with its showcase of the very best the local music scene has to offer.

From modest beginnings on The Pantiles bandstand many years ago, amazingly the event is in now its 18th year and has become the biggest free series of live music gigs in the area. It all begins at 6pm on the Friday night in Calverley Grounds, before continuing the next day and running from midday to 10pm on both Saturday and Sunday. On Bank Holiday Monday the action switches to the Sussex Mews in The Pantiles.

As it’s such a special year for us we really hope you’ll dedicate some or all of your weekend to coming along and enjoying all the live acts. Here are just a few reasons to get involved…

Paul Dunton Music Editor Follow Paul @PaulDuntonmusic

TOP TEN HIGHLIGHTS OF LOCAL & LIVE: Local music

Don’t expect to see tribute or covers bands at Local & Live. This event showcases the cream of local talent playing their own compositions. These are real artists who care deeply about their musical creations and the best place to find them is at Local & Live. Who knows what you will discover?

Meet the stars

Unlike the big commercial festivals, nobody will be arriving by helicopter and hiding backstage in the green room. You are more than likely to see the artists on stage one minute and mixing in with the crowd the next, enjoying the music and the vibe. If you liked their performance, go and tell them in person!

Food, glorious food

Local & Live has recruited some of the best local food and drink companies to take stalls in the event’s food village. They bring a wide variety of local and global cuisine styles, including very decent vegetarian and vegan options. You can spend all three days in the park and not eat the same meal twice.

Local & Live Fringe

Did you know the event even has its own fringe festival? Every night, before the main stage closes, things are already revving up at The Forum where the free ‘after party’ gets crowds rocking. Then, on Monday, both The Forum and a special stage

in Sussex Mews run back-to-back music all afternoon and into the evening.

Al fresco vibes

Bring a rug because everything you need for a great picnic is right there in the park. Cool drinks and hot food are just a few yards away. Add to that the continuous enjoyable entertainment from midday at the weekend until 10 in the evening and you have the perfect summer scenario.

We are family

This is one event where you don’t need to leave the kids with a childminder or insist the teens must be picked up by 10pm. Local & Live is a festival for all the family and this has been proved year on year with the amount of young and older attendees. Even well-behaved dogs are welcome on a lead.

Friendly and social

It would be difficult to go to Local & Live and not meet anyone. It

has to be one of the friendliest festivals out there. Once you get settled in, the chances are you’ll be chatting to your neighbours before you know it. We always hear stories of friendships formed at Local & Live.

Heart of Tunbridge Wells

If you live in the town, then the festival is on your doorstep. There is no need to worry about parking in the town centre or having to choose a nominated driver so you can have a drink. Calverley Grounds is perfectly placed for most people living in all areas of the town.

Easily accessible

If you live in a neighbouring town or village but still want to come, then you are likely to be just minutes away by train or bus. The line through Tunbridge Wells serves Tonbridge and Sevenoaks. Also buses from right outside the gate go to towns like Crowborough and Uckfield.

It’s absolutely free

There is genuinely no charge for attending the festival. The event is a gift to residents from the local music scene supported by the town’s businesses. However, if you like it, you can support it by buying your food and drink from the stalls in the food village or by making a donation at the event or on the website: www.localandlive.org

“This event is a gift to residents from the local music scene and supported by the town’s businesses”

“We punch above our weight...”

too far for me one day that made me want to reconsider my options. That’s why I knew that if I ever started my own business I would afford both myself and any parent I employed the liberty to be available for school consultations or sports days as I thoroughly believe in striking the right work-life balance. And I firmly believe we are doing that at Sharp Minds.”

Whilst Siobhan was still working as a producer at BBC South East, she tells me that she also freelanced as a print journalist, working specifically for parenting titles, which enabled her to build up a highly-successful second career.

“That worked pretty well and took me into freelancing for national newspapers, as well as being asked to write a book. But then the financial crash of 2008 happened and the print industry just seemed to drop off a cliff. Eventually the editors who had originally commissioned me started appearing in PR and communications roles working for specific brands. They’d realised there was still a consumer audience out there – but they had moved online. So that’s how I got involved in becoming a digital content creator. This was around 2009 so pretty early on really.”

Siobhan finally left the BBC in 2012 with the intention of carrying on working for herself.

“All I wanted to do was be a wellrespected freelance copywriter, but the big challenge for me was having the confidence to promote myself. I knew I was a talented writer but when you have to put yourself out there and convince others to pay for your work, well that was tricky at first for me. I realised I needed to believe and grow in my own selfconfidence.”

Trading as Sterling Words, Siobhan also offered her services through a few agencies that had established clients in need of great content.

Siobhan Stirling of Sharp Minds Communications tells Eileen Leahy all about

her unique marketing and PR agency and reveals how a recent move to new offices in Southborough is helping her team expand into an exciting second decade…

e are ‘Sharp Minds Communications –marketing intelligence’. Our logo is worded like this because it reflects the level of intelligent and strategic advice we offer clients which really makes us different from others,” states Siobhan Stirling, founder and director of the aforementioned company.

I’ve just asked the successful entrepreneur and mother-of-three to sum up in a nutshell the essence of what makes Sharp Minds Communications stand out in the rather crowded field of PR and marketing.

“We have the experience and expertise to devise really smart,

cost-effective solutions for our clients, but we actually deliver much more than that. We don’t just create campaigns, we also provide informative and effective counsel,” adds Siobhan, who has won countless awards for her business acumen and commercial vision since establishing her business in 2012.

She hasn’t had the chance to tell me about her numerous accolades yet but it’s clearly evident given the framed certificates and shiny plaques (including numerous Times of Tunbridge Wells Business awards) that adorn the walls and shelves of her smart new offices in Southborough, which she and the

team of eight moved into at the start of the summer.

It’s all the more impressive when I discover that Siobhan hasn’t worked in this particular commercial sector all of her professional life. In fact, she only migrated here after working as a seasoned journalist and broadcaster, after initially starting in PR.

“I worked for the BBC for 20 years. Firstly as a reporter and presenter, and then latterly at BBC South East as a producer,” she explains. “When I had my children I went part-time but it never felt like a career after that – it was just a job. Essentially the BBC is shift work and there was one shift change

“These agencies had great local connections and the confidence and ability to get in front of potential clients, which I had no experience of. But after two years of whitelabelling my services through larger agencies, I realised that I wasn’t just a copy and content writer, but was able to offer the whole gamut of marketing services and strategy.”

Around this time she joined a peer-to-peer masterminding accountability group, which helped inform her thinking for her rebrand to Sharp Minds Communications to reflect the agency offering and attract the right staff to help her deliver for clients and grow the business.

“When you’re self-employed you’re effectively accountable to no one – but that can work in both a positive but also negative way. With this type of group, members work as one another’s board, sharing ideas and strategies to help one

PHOTOS BY DAVID BARTHOLOMEW

“We have the experience and expertise to devise smart, cost-effective solutions. We don’t just create campaigns, we also provide informative and effective counsel”

SHARP MINDS IN NUMBERS:

Sharp Minds prides itself on delivering measurable Return On Investment for its clients. Recent successes include:

230million – audience reached for global parcel theft PR campaign

38,000 more views on Google searches per month

550% increase in profit after two years of working with Sharp Minds

200 additional phone calls per month

60% increase in website enquiries

#1 on Google – up from page 5

another accelerate their personal and professional growth.”

Siobhan now runs the Tunbridge Wells group as she says it was ‘seismic’ in helping her expand from a sole trader to a business – even enabling her to work out who her first employee was going to be.

“The masterminding group really has collective wisdom. You’ll have people who are numbersfocused, those who are good on

the emotional side of business. Everyone brings something to the table to create something that is really powerful.”

Fast forward a few years and Siobhan has gone from employing one person to a team of eight which is made up of both full- and parttime workers and also apprentices.

When I visited the office on the day of our SO cover shoot the atmosphere was lively yet focused,

with people taking calls and working at their desks but still able to spare five minutes to chat. And with Siobhan’s three pet dogs being part of the set-up, the ambience at Sharp Minds is definitely a convivial and collaborative one.

“Every Wednesday we get together in our boardroom and have lunch together,” smiles Siobhan. “It’s a great way of catching up with everyone in an

informal way that still allows us to update one another on things but to also ensure that the team is happy.

“I’ve done a lot of work over the years on what Sharp Minds’ role is. This has not only helped me focus on my thinking for clients but has also given me the necessary tools to run my business. In short, I want to create opportunities –for our clients, our staff and our community.”

“We do an awful lot of strategic thinking. We excel at making the complex accessible, engaging and compelling”

JOINT EFFORT: Siobhan Stirling (in orange dress) with her Sharp Minds Communications team who have helped her create one of the area’s most successful PR & Marketing firms

Some of Sharp Minds’ current clients include local businesses such as Maddisons Residential Estate Agents, Clarity Homes and Commercial, Atelier de Linde Architects and Welham Jones Funerals. But she tells me they are also expanding their national and even global offering too.

“We recently took on a very sophisticated technology firm who are based in Portsmouth but they work on an international level. That’s very exciting for us as a business and the reason we can do that is due to the collective expertise we are able to offer.”

She adds that she believes there is a ‘typical Sharp Minds client’ and that’s the fact they are all leaders in their own right.

“They are doing it their way. Their

thinking is ‘I want to create what good looks like in my sector’. You can see that with the way Maddisons markets houses and the way financial planner Amanda Redman is dedicated to educating women about finance. Clarity Homes and Commercial are disrupting the traditional building market by giving you exact quotes for their work –not just an ever-escalating ballpark figure. They are invested in changing the mental health culture within construction, too.”

On that very subject, Siobhan says that it has never been more vital to do this, which is why Sharp Minds are big supporters of West Kent Mind, aiding them financially wherever possible and also doing work pro bono for them.

“We do quite a lot of this type

of work for start-ups too,” Siobhan says. “We also have corporate membership of the TN card. To me, it’s an absolute no-brainer to be encouraging Sharp Minds staff to support our local independents. For the cost, it’s a small perk to give, but the benefits for the local economy and our staff are awesome – it’s a win-win-win.”

Siobhan reveals that another USP of her business model is that they are genuinely integrated in their clients’ teams. “We are as hungry for their success as they are. And again, if you look at the level of expertise in our business you will see that we punch way above our weight.

“We’re a small agency in Southborough, but we were up against some of the biggest agencies in Europe at the international Sabre Awards in March. And because we punch above our weight, we help our clients punch above their weight.”

Siobhan says her background in TV also comes into play. “It is a very technical medium, and because of that, there are lots of checks and systems to make sure that you don’t, quite literally, go off-air. I know from my staff who have joined from elsewhere that, in other agencies, everybody has their own notebook, a to-do list and their own system. But that’s a very easy way for things to slip through the net, or for the client experience to be dependent on who’s working on their account.

“It became obvious to me when I was scaling beyond myself that I needed to introduce the same systems, procedures and checks in the way that the BBC operates, to ensure the same quality experience in terms of content and customer

SHARP MINDS PR HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST YEAR:

• International PR campaign that generated 82 pieces of coverage worldwide, with a digital audience of 230+ million

• Secured articles in The Financial Times, Sunday Telegraph and Mail On Sunday within two months of being appointed by a local Kent-based business

• Launched a groundbreaking sustainability campaign for a global print company across 16 target regional newspapers

• Appointed to undertake a corporate re-branding for a national equity release provider, instrumental in designing and implementing a clear media strategy resulting in a front-page story in the Sunday Telegraph

• Handled a crisis situation with a leading group of care homes, making sure nothing was leaked and reputation was restored

• Finalist at the SABRE Awards EMEA Awards in Frankfurt, Germany, out of more than 2,000 entries

relationship management, no matter who is delivering it, so we have really robust project management systems.”

Siobhan’s extensive experience as a journalist also benefits the way she and her team do business.

“Any content that we produce is always edited internally before it goes to the client, with a second and more senior pair of eyes cast over it. We apply the same robust approach when we’re engaging a third-party supplier, such as a graphic designer, videographer, or website design agency. Because we’ve got the insight of our clients and have worked with them very closely on their business goals, vision, mission, brand, tone and voice, we’re able to give a coherent brief and constructive first

edit. That means the whole process is much more streamlined and less stressful for our clients.”

Siobhan explains that as well as her personal media and communication credentials, her team also includes former Mail on Sunday and Financial Times journalists and highly qualified experts in the communications sector. Each one of them, whether they’re working full- or part-time, always looks for every possible opportunity for their clients.

“As a result, our clients are getting phenomenal results from their investment. Many are receiving coverage in a number of our national newspapers.

“Our clients are getting access to top-level professionals and strategic

support without them having to pay London prices. That’s another crucial USP for Sharp Minds.”

Siobhan says that although she and her team are expanding with national and international clients, helping local entrepreneurs and business leaders reach a bigger stage is something they remain committed to.

“I grew up in Tunbridge Wells from the age of seven. We built our house in my parents’ back garden, which is where I still live. My children went to school here and my first grandchild is about to go to the same primary my kids and I went to.

“It’s a great place to be and it’s great to be able to contribute to Tunbridge Wells’ business success.”

Siobhan tells me that as well as advising clients on new opportunities she and her team also help them to think through the impact on their business structure of pursuing different income streams or scaling in a different way. It’s all about thinking outside the traditional box and putting them

first. Something that isn’t always the case in the world of marketing and communication.

“We combine our marketing intelligence with integrity,” she adds. “We will never sell a service to a client, just because it’s something that we offer; we are completely honest at all times. If we suggest to a client that we think they should be adopting a certain strategy, it’s because we believe it will deliver on their business goals.

“Too often I come across companies that are spending time and money on marketing strategies that are just not right for their business.

“What agencies should advise clients is what they need – not what the agency is selling. If you sell strategies that suit you, and not the client, they’ll end up saying that marketing doesn’t work, or PR doesn’t work. It’s not that it doesn’t work; it’s because the strategy that a client was sold was not right for their business.”

Siobhan goes on to say that a lot

AWARD WINNING PR AND MARKETING:

SABRE Awards EMEA 2023: Finalist

BEST BUSINESS WOMEN AWARDS

2022: Silver, Best Boss

BEST BUSINESS WOMEN AWARDS

2021: Winner, Best Woman in Marketing & PR

TIMES OF TUNBRIDGE WELLS

BUSINESS AWARDS 2023: Winner, Outstanding Business; Winner, Creative Business

KWIBA 2022 WINNER: Businesswoman Of The Year (Over 5 Years)

KWIBA 2022 WINNER: Employer of the Year

KWIBA 2022 RUNNER-UP: PR & Marketing

KWIBA 2021 WINNER: Leadership & Management

KWIBA 2021 RUNNER-UP: Businesswoman Of The Year (Over 5 Years)

KWIBA 2021 RUNNER-UP: PR & Marketing

KWIBA 2020 WINNER: Leadership & Management

KWIBA 2020 RUNNER-UP: Businesswoman Of The Year (Over 5 Years)

KWIBA 2019 WINNER: PR & Marketing

KWIBA 2018 WINNER: PR & Marketing

KWIBA 2018 WINNER: Women’s Champion

is now, also opens its doors to apprentices and students who want to gain work experience.

“The first person I employed was an apprentice and since then we have had four. As well as supporting working parents I am a huge believer in helping the young get started, too.

“I do think that as business owners we have a duty, with university fees so high, to provide alternative pathways to a successful career for those who learn best outside the classroom or for whom uni fees are prohibitive. It’s really exciting seeing my apprentices go on and do other things.”

Telling me about her commitment to supporting working parents Siobhan says it stems from her experience as a working mother.

“When I went part-time I was definitely viewed as ‘the mum who sometimes comes to work’. That has really informed the way I do business. When you are a small cog in a big machine you can’t shape the workplace culture, but running my own business and employing people has enabled me to prioritise our culture and how that supports all our team.

“People are giving you their best eight or so hours of the day and that’s a tremendous privilege, so there’s a duty with that to create an environment that is good. That applies to minor things like having a nice place to work, but then on a bigger scale it’s about valuing everyone equally. We can’t compete on London salaries, but we can on work-life balance.”

That’s certainly evident in the positivity Siobhan’s team radiate – in fact I would say it’s palpable. This is an independent agency that really is committed to doing things differently – but it’s also a business that isn’t afraid to have a bit of fun along the way. As I leave, I spy a collage of framed SO covers on the wall, which feature a number of Sharp Minds’ clients. They are clearly proud of what they are achieving courtesy of Siobhan and her team’s vision and expertise. It’s definitely a joint effort...

of what she has learnt has come from networking – whether that’s at her weekly BNI meetings or courtesy of the bi-annual Make It Your Business, that she hosts, which is all about empowering women entrepreneurs.

“Make it Your Business is a fantastic opportunity to meet local female entrepreneurs for the inspiration, ideas, and support to start or grow your business from whatever stage you are at. And BNI is like my business family. I have had so much support from those meetings since I joined eight years ago. You can’t be a taker in that environment, it’s all about giving.”

This she says is why her company, which is currently revamping its website to reflect where the business

“We do an awful lot of strategic thinking and due diligence for our clients,” states Siobhan. “They are trusting our advice and strategies, so they have to be right from the start. We excel at making the complex accessible, engaging and compelling and we look forward to doing that in our next decade too.”

“I’ve done a lot of work on what Sharp Minds’ ‘why’ is. I’ve realised what gets us out of bed in the morning is creating opportunities –for our clients, our staff and our community”

Raisingspirits

Childrensalon and Cripps recently hosted a fun event dubbed ‘Dance through the Decades’, in support of Nourish Community Foodbank. Taking place in the Sky Lounge at Cripps HQ on Mount Ephraim in Tunbridge Wells, this well-supported evening was compered by local panto legend Tom Swift. During the evening guests visited the Childrensalon Pop-up Designer shop, danced to music from DJ Luke Swift, bid on auction lots, tried their hand at the Wheel of Fortune and enjoyed the stunning views over the rooftops of Tunbridge Wells. Gracie Browning, Head of Fundraising at Childrensalon commented; “As long-term supporters of Nourish, Childrensalon were delighted to host this event and raise critical funds for the food bank, especially in the run-up to the long summer holidays when many families struggle financially. The final totals aren’t in yet but on the night we raised well over £5,000 for the charity.”

Dawn Stanford, Operations Director at Nourish added: “We are incredibly grateful to our local community for their ongoing support. We would like to thank all of our guests, the teams at Childrensalon and Cripps, Colley Raine & Associates for managing the event, TN1 Bar & Kitchen for the canapés and TWRFC for helping us stock the bar, and finally, the best double act we could have asked for, the Swift Brothers, who really made the event so special.”

PHOTOS BY TOMASZ CICHECKI

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Park life

Dunorlan Park was transformed into a wonderland of gourmet food and good grooves for three days last month when Pub in the Park came to town over the weekend of July 7-9.

The UK’s biggest food and music festival, which was founded by chef Tom Kerridge, first came to Tunbridge Wells in 2018. It returned for 2023 with a slew of award-winning and Michelinstarred pubs and restaurants. They included some of our favourite locals, including the Tanner Brothers from The Hare in Bidborough, Will Devlin of The Small Holding and Atul Kochhar, who is still rumoured to be opening a restaurant here in Tunbridge Wells. The event’s main presenters this year were Masterchef’s Andi Oliver, Si King of the Hairy Bikers and Saturday Kitchen’s Matt Tebbutt while the live music was provided by the likes of Rudimental, Badly Drawn Boy, McFly and the legendary Sister Sledge who got everybody up and dancing on the final day of the festival.

With thousands of visitors descending on Pub in the Park to enjoy the excellent entertainment, delicious food and glorious sunshine, the event was hailed yet another great success by the organisers.

PHOTOS BY PUB

IN THE PARK & KERRIE KENT

Smart thinking

Potters Home Digital, specialists in technology for the home and garden, hosted an ‘Outdoor Cooking Showcase’ last month at their store in Tenterden. It was hailed a great success by the digital experts who have been in the historic town since 1913. They started out providing clever technology for the home and have since branched out into providing everything you might need for an immersive digital experience in your outside space too. The gastro event drew many guests and clients who had the opportunity to enjoy cooking demonstrations by several professional chefs. The delicious food was cooked on a number of Potters’ special state-of-the-art outdoor dining equipment including the iconic Big Green Egg BBQ and various wood-fired pizza ovens, and other impressive outdoor cooking solutions. Delicious refreshments and the finest English wines were served alongside the al fresco food which everyone present deemed to be cooked to perfection!

SCOTT JAEGER PHOTOGRAPHY

For

For more details please visit hadlow.ac.uk/enrolment

Whereabouts do you live in the borough of Tunbridge Wells?

I live in Hawkenbury, a green and idyllic neighbourhood not far from the centre of Tunbridge Wells. It’s the perfect location for nature lovers, thanks to its abundant verdant spaces and tranquil surroundings. Despite its peaceful atmosphere, Hawkenbury offers easy access to various amenities and entertainment options. I feel incredibly lucky to reside in such a beautiful and well-connected place.

How long have you lived there and what made you decide to move to the area?

I’ve been here for five years, and love that it is so quiet, very green, and generally is a lovely neighbourhood to be part of.

There’s also a great school close by and it’s easily accessible to the town centre.

Are there any nice views or walks near to your home?

Hawkenbury has a great recreation ground, with brilliant sports facilities, a kids’ play area, and lots of fun events happening throughout the summer. It backs onto woods, farmland and hiking trails which take you through many different routes in the nearby countryside.

When you are in town where’s your favourite place to go shopping?

I like to go shopping in the High Street, which is also where Soprano is located. I am keen on supporting all of our local retailers as buying local is really important to me.

Where do you like to grab a tea, coffee or a slice of cake?

The Arte Bianca deli at the top of Chapel Place, just off the High Street, is a piece of Italy in our town. It is always my first choice for coffee, lunch, and fresh food!

Do you have a preferred restaurant you like to dine in regularly?

We love eating at Lago and The Warren which are both located near and on the High Street. Kai’s Kitchen, opposite the train station, is also a regular favourite. In fact, I like all the independent restaurants in our town…

Which places do you take people when they come to visit?

The Pantiles is always a favourite

thanks to its historical feel and bustling vibe. I’m also a big fan of green spaces like the Common and Dunorlan Park.

Where’s the best spot to go for a Sunday stroll in the area?

Walks can be anywhere from Hawkenbury Rec to Hargate Forest, depending on what the weather is like!

If you’re looking to relax and unwind, where’s your favourite place to go?

To be honest, I would have to say it’s my own garden! It’s a very peaceful space and therefore the perfect place to relax and unwind.

Where do you like to meet friends and socialise?

Well, there’s not much time for that with two busy restaurants! (Ivan also co-runs Coco Retro on Vale Road with his brother Maurizio). When we do get some time off we like to jump in the car and visit a local pub in one of the surrounding villages, for some lunch and time with friends.

What do you like to do when you spend a weekend or day off in the local area?

In addition to all the places I’ve already mentioned, I’d have to also include the Ashdown Forest as it has so many lovely trails to explore.

Why do you love where you live?

Tunbridge Wells has the perfect mix of things to do and see, places to eat and drink, and a real community feeling. That’s why I love where I live.

“When I get some time off I like to jump in the car and visit a local pub in one of the surrounding villages, for some lunch and time with friends”

The Warren

The Pantiles

Hargate Forest

Hawkenbury Recreation Ground

Kai’s Kitchen

This month SO Magazine chats to Ivan Di Santo, owner of tapas restaurant Soprano, and co-founder of Coco Retro, about all the places he likes to support locally. Here Ivan reveals where he likes to stroll, shop and socialise….

The Royal Oak - Food in August and events calendar

Upcoming weekly events

SATURDAY 5TH AUGUST - 12PM-5PM THE ANNUAL SMUGGLERS FUNDAY

BBQ, fancy dress, bouncy castle, treasure hunt, face painting, hands on history and traditional story telling with live musket firing.

HAWKFEST - FRIDAY 11TH AND 12TH AUGUST

The Royal Oak will be providing all the drink and food provisions for the event and would love to see you all down there. Showing support for the local community.

SEPTEMBER 8TH - COMEDY NIGHT 8PM

£12 provided by Lonestar Comedy. Three professional comedians with barrels of laughs guaranteed

WEDNESDAY – BYOB FRIDAY – FISH SATURDAY – STEAK SUNDAY – ROASTS

Was the opening of Kiko Sushi & Yakitori on London Road in 2019 a natural progression for you?

Yes. We wanted Kiko Sushi & Yakitori to be on a par with the best restaurants on The Pantiles. With our manager Dave leading the way, I am confident we are there already.

Your restaurants are always so busy, what is the secret of your success?

We welcome all our customers with open arms and want to make them feel at home. We work really hard to serve the best food we can offer, provide the best hospitality and say both hello and goodbye to them with the biggest of smiles. We endeavour to give great value for money too – despite the rising costs of products.

And now you have opened Momo Bubble on Grove Hill Road, your third business in the town. Many congratulations! For the uninitiated, what exactly is bubble tea?

I’d say bubble tea is a one-of-a-kind beverage! It is originally a Taiwanese recipe, made by blending a tea base with milk, fruit and fruit juices, then adding the signature ‘bubbles’ – these are the yummy sweet and oh-sotasty tapioca pearls which sit at the bottom of the drink.

What else do you serve at Momo Bubble and when are you open?

want to be the best”

The TN card is the Tunbridge Wells loyalty scheme that rewards shoppers for supporting local. This month its founder Jess Gibson chats to Kiko, owner of Kitsu, Kiko Sushi & Yakitori and now Momo Bubble café about bringing the flavours of Japan to Royal Tunbridge Wells…

Kiko, you have recently opened your third business in Tunbridge Wells, congratulations! Can you tell us about when you opened your first restaurant, Kitsu on Victoria Road?

Yes, it’s been a busy few years! We took over Kitsu around eight years ago – we saw the potential of sushi in our town and thought ‘let’s give this a go and make our sushi the best in Tunbridge Wells.’ Since then we have seen many new sushi restaurants opening in the town!

Kitsu may be small but it certainly has a mighty reputation for offering the very finest sushi which could rival any London

Thank you. Our Kitsu customers are happy with and excited by the

taste and quality of our dishes, and many return time and again because of our food and warm, welcoming team. We have customers coming to us from all over Kent as well as from Hastings and Brighton, Orpington and even from London! They say our dishes and service are so good that it’s worth the journey!

Where does your love for sushi come from?

Well to be honest, I love food. You can bring me any kind of dish and I’ll give it a go and share it with everyone to try. I am totally passionate about creating new, tasty dishes for people to enjoy. It’s why our menus are so large and spread out – we want to introduce everyone to new, different and delicious dishes.

WHO: Momo Bubble

WHERE: 2 Grove Hill Road, TN1 1RZ

REWARD: 10% discount

FOR MORE INFO: thetncard.com/momobubble

WHO: Kiko Sushi & Yakitori

WHERE: 5 London Road, TN1 1DQ

REWARD: A complimentary tempura maki roll when dining in.

FOR MORE INFO: thetncard.com/kikosushi-yakitori

We also offer milkshakes and have our signature Momo’s Bubble Waffles, which are crispy and tasty Hong Kong waffles. We make this iconic street food using a special batter infused with a hint of sweetness, and they are cooked to perfection in our traditional waffle irons. We are open from 11am until 8pm from Tuesday to Sunday each week.

Your work ethic is extraordinary and you have built a fantastic team around you. Where does your drive come from?

It isn’t just myself. All our restaurants have amazing team members behind them, who are willing to go above and beyond. Without our managers like Dave and Kevin, and all the others, our businesses would not be the successes they are. My passion and drive for all our businesses is due to them.

Thank you for joining the TN card. Why is it important to support local?

Our town has lots of small businesses like us who have unique stories and products, and really care about their customers so by supporting local we can share all this with our customers. We love getting to know new people each day, making them happy and seeing them come back. We’ve seen customers come to us for a date, then come to us with their new baby, and return again and again as their child grows up. It is a great privilege to be part of people’s lives!

“We

“All our restaurants have amazing team members behind them, who are willing to go above and beyond.”

Jess Gibson

Founder the TN card

“This is a fitting legacy”

Taylor-Made Dreams is a local charity that enables children with life-limiting and terminal illnesses to access numerous therapeutic services and achieve their dreams by fulfilling their ‘bucket list.’ To discover more about the work it does and what plans it has for its tenth anniversary, Eileen Leahy meets the Crowborough-based charity’s founder Suzi Mitchell, who set it up in 2014 in honour of her late son Taylor…

Taylor-Made Dreams makes dreams happen for children with life-limiting illnesses and provides their family with financial, emotional and practical support alongside their difficult journey.

The Crowborough-based charity was founded in 2014 by Suzi Mitchell after her 15-yearold son Taylor passed away from an incurable illness. He was first diagnosed aged just 11 in 2008, but after four years of bravely battling, and undergoing countless medical procedures, he very tragically lost his fight.

Setting up the Taylor-Made Dreams charity was, Suzi tells me, a way to process the unbearable pain and acute loss she and her family, which includes two other sons, felt on Taylor’s passing.

“It was the only way I knew to turn the tragedy we were going through into something positive.”

Suzi says that by doing so it gave her the opportunity to function again after the passing of Taylor.

“Luckily I had two very good friends who visited me every single day for six months. They helped me cope, but one day they stopped coming and I was scared but I also realised that it was time to move on and do something.”

Suzi, who lives in Crowborough, tells me she applied for a job at Taylor’s school and after she got the job she worked there for three years in order to support herself and her children and to also use the evenings to work on the charity.

“I didn’t watch TV for three years. I simply went to work and when I came home I worked on Taylor-Made Dreams. Then Shane Armstrong and his business partner Paul Wilcox, made it

possible for me to give up my job by officially supporting the charity. That meant I could work on it full-time, and that really springboarded things.”

Taylor-Made Dreams now supports terminally ill children and those with life-limiting illnesses in Kent, Sussex and Surrey, courtesy of a variety of holistic services, counselling and – uniquely –helping them create and fulfil a ‘bucket list’.

“We are the only charity in the country that offers all our children a full ‘Taylor-Made’ bucket list, to meet the specific needs and desires of the individual child,” explains Suzi. “We did this with Taylor and found that it really helped to leave lasting and very precious memories for us to cherish when time together is far too short.” To date the charity has offered over 2,000 bucket list items.

She goes on to explain that

Taylor-Made Dreams has a number of referral partners who include Demelza, ellenor, Young Lives Vs Cancer (formerly CLIC Sargent), Alice’s Arc, The Sussex Snowdrop Trust and West Kent Disabled Children, as well as local GP practices and schools.

“All these and more can send a referral on behalf of a terminally ill child. But if there are any other agencies out there that could also refer please do get in touch.” The charity aims to be offering services for Essex by the end of the year.

Since it was established, Suzi has identified additional gaps in the healthcare sector and created possibilities. She says this includes offering a one-off £250 medical travel grant which enables parents to travel privately with their children to essential medical appointments. The charity has also created a very useful tech loan library.

www.taylormadedreams.org.uk

“This has specialised pieces of equipment that families might not have access to, or might not be able to afford as they are so expensive to buy. A lot of the time children’s speech will deteriorate or they may be non-verbal and so therefore can’t communicate. This specialist equipment gives them a little autonomy and dignity too.”

In terms of the holistic services they offer these include reiki, massage, reflexology and counselling and so far they have been able to offer 1,500 of these types of treatments.

Suzi adds that another thing Taylor-Made Dreams has done is give each family the opportunity to have an official family portrait.

“This was one thing we didn’t do when Taylor was alive and that is something that as a mother I really miss, so now families can have a professional photo taken and we will have it put on a memory stick and also made into a digital canvas and coffee-table book.

“What makes us truly unique though is offering children with life-limiting illnesses the opportunity to fulfil their dreams and enjoy quality time and wonderful experiences with their families.”

Over the past nine years Suzi says this has included TV presenter and author David Walliams reading children fun stories, comedian Rob Brydon inviting some for afternoon tea and chef extraordinaire Heston Blumenthal hosting a very special eight-course dinner at his restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in London’s Knightsbridge for a wannabe young chef.

“Heston has been really wonderful. Not only has he donated some incredible prizes for a forthcoming charity event we have later this year, he has also put together a team of seven from his kitchen brigade at The Fat Duck to run on behalf of Taylor-Made Dreams in the upcoming Royal Parks Half Marathon which is happening on October 8.” The charity has 62 people running on its behalf in the race.

Suzi also has high praise for the charity’s patron, comedian John Bishop whom she first met as part of Taylor’s bucket list.

“Taylor was such a beautiful, giving human being that to create such a legacy – to be able to create smiles in the eyes of children with illnesses in his name – it means so much”

Taylor Mitchell pictured above and below left with his mother Suzi

“Taylor had always loved watching John Bishop’s DVDs –he was his comedy hero – and so I emailed John telling him Taylor’s story and he very kindly invited us to see his show in Nottingham. We went along and by then Taylor was in a wheelchair. I thought we had a couple of tickets but when we got there we had a whole box! John asked where my other boys were and I explained they were staying with a friend in nearby Mansfield. He told me he wouldn’t start the second part of his show until his chauffeur had been to collect them. At the end of his show John asked the audience to stand up and applaud Taylor which was beautifully heart-breaking,” smiles Suzi. “It was unbelievably kind and so generous of him and we will never forget that.”

Suzi reveals that John has been instrumental in supporting the

charity’s new Sibling Support Service which offers respite to the brothers and sisters of terminally ill children courtesy of special days out.

“In 2022 we launched our Sibling Support Service and John has been very much a part of that, inviting children to see him when he was in Mother Goose. The service also offers things like puppy yoga and escape room trips. The brothers and sisters are living through trauma every day so this gives them and their parents some time out. Mums and dads don’t need to worry about them as they know they are in good hands.”

Other supporters of the charity include comedian Tim Vine and former newsreader and Strictly star Natasha Kaplinsky, but the charity is always looking to garner more support as they receive no funding from the Government.

How to donate to Taylor-Made Dreams:

· To send a one-off donation text TMDWISH to 70085 to donate £5

· To send a monthly donation text DRAGONFLY to 70085 to donate £5 a month (texts cost £5 plus two standard rate messages)

· Titanium Circle: is an elite group of dream-makers. You can sign

“We have access to certain grants and trusts but we cannot stress how important our individual fundraisers, volunteers and corporate sponsors are,” explains Suzi.

Some of Taylor-Made Dream’s local supporters include G Collins, Childrensalon, Host My Office, Ven Morgan Interiors, Colley Raine, Brilliant Businesses, TN Recruits and Loch Associates.

“Corporate support is what keeps Taylor-Made Dreams alive and businesses can do this via our Titanium Circle, but we value every single person who supports us. We’d love for people to also subscribe to our Dragonflyer newsletter.”

This is so named because when a family says goodbye to a loved one, they are gifted a sliver dragonfly pendant by the charity as a precious keepsake with the name of their child engraved on the reverse.

Up until February this year Suzi tells me she was ‘wearing many hats’ in terms of juggling fundraising, prize-sourcing and admin duties, but earlier this year she has been able to employ an official fundraiser and PA.

“This has made such a difference and allowed me to concentrate on developing the charity further. We are also hoping to have a family liaison officer in place by December.”

“Setting up and running the charity has been a very healing experience for me. Taylor was such a beautiful, giving human being that to create such a legacy – to be able to create smiles in the eyes of children with illnesses in his name – it means so much.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY:

· Yogathon on September 2 to commemorate Taylor –Friend of the family Ruth Baker Race will be hosting an all-day yoga event at her studio in Crowborough. For more info call 07812 102467 see @beyond_the_pose

· Royal Parks Half Marathon – October 8 – there will be 55 runners taking part in honour of Taylor including Heston Blumenthal’s chef’s brigade running in this event. www.taylormadedreams.org.uk

“When I was doing the present business plan, I conducted some research to find out how many children in the counties we serve are eligible for support and when it came back it was staggering to learn that at any one time there are 4,500 children who are eligible for our services – just in those three counties.

“And sadly the evidence suggests that figure would increase by 10 per cent by 2030. By supporting charities like Taylor-Made

up to an annual commitment through one of four levels with a range of benefits the charity offers in return for businesses’ ongoing support. See www. taylormadedreaams.org.uk

· You can also donate via: your employee payroll, Match Giving, Volunteering & Pro Bono work

· The charity is always in need of fundraising prizes, auction prizes and skills, and training opportunities

Dreams, which have a positive impact on the short time these children have left is so important.”

Next year is the charity’s tenth anniversary and Suzi says they have some exciting plans, but they are under wraps for now.

“I don’t see the tenth anniversary as a celebration but we will have some special events to mark the occasion. Our vision has always been to have our own Taylor-Made Dreams centre and we are on track for this to open in 2025. That will mean we’ll have a dedicated hub for families to come to and somewhere to offer a warm welcome and support.

“We will always need more individual donors, skilled volunteers and businesses to come on board, but for everyone who is supporting us now and hopefully future we cannot thank you enough.”

TAYLOR-MADE DREAMS IN NUMBERS:

Since 2014 the charity has helped deliver:

· Over 2,000 bucket list items

· Over 1,500 holistic and counselling sessions

· The charity works with children aged 5-18

· 52% of children come from Kent

· Each child benefits from between one and nine services

· In 2021 Taylor-Made Dreams set up the tech loan library which allows hands-free communication for children with limited mobility through the Skyle eye tracker and interactive table

· In 2022 the Taylor-Made Dreams Sibling Support Service launches to offer respite to brothers and sisters of unwell children

“What makes us truly unique is offering children with life-limiting illnesses the opportunity to fulfil their dreams and enjoy wonderful experiences with their families”

Taylor with the Red Arrows and below the charity’s patron John Bishop and supporter David Walliams

Ruth Baker Race (second left) will be hosting a special Yogathon for Taylor-Made Dreams

“This year’s festival

The 11th Rye International Jazz and Blues Festival takes place from Thursday August 24 to Monday August 28, and boasts a stellar line-up of talented musicians including Laura Mvula, Ruby Turner, Joe Stilgoe, and The Brand New Heavies. Here its organiser Ian Bowden tells SO Magazine more about this noteworthy festival that’s now in its second decade…

his year’s festival line-up is as strong as ever,” declares Ian Bowden who is founder of the Rye International and Blues Festival.

Established in 2012 Ian says that the festival has always had the same aim and that’s to create and present a vibrant music festival that provides diversity, quality, and inclusion.

Over the years it has seen acts such as Dionne Warwick, Macy Gray, Hue & Cry, Liane Carroll and our very own Violet Jive perform.

“Boutique by design the festival programming is eclectic

and provides variety inclusion, engagement, and assists in the mental wellbeing of attendees through the power of live music performance and participation,” continues Ian.

“The festival now attracts more than 10,000 visitors, not only from across the South East but also from around the UK and Europe. In doing so this makes a very positive contribution to the local economy, enhances tourism, and enriches the region from a creative and cultural perspective.”

In fact, many from the Tunbridge Wells area regularly make the journey down to

For the full programme of what’s on where and to purchase tickets go to www.ryejazz.com

You can also donate to the Rye Jazz Festival’s Crowdfunder by heading to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ryejazzmusic

will be exceptional”

picturesque Rye in order to see live acts, which this year will include Laura Mvula, The Brand New Heavies, Joe Stilgoe, Ian Shaw and Claire Martin. The concerts take place in myriad venues in Rye, including the Brewery Yard Club, The Ship Inn and the Grapevine Champagne and Jazz Bar plus of course St Mary’s Church which forms the centrepiece location of the festival.

“This year we will have seven exceptional world-class headline afternoon and evening concerts taking place at St Mary’s church. The festival has a wonderful reputation of presenting the highest quality concerts at the church with specialist staging and lighting, creating an exceptional and intimate atmosphere,” explains Ian.

Performing on Friday August 25 is the incredibly talented singer, songwriter, and pianist Laura Mvula who will be performing a special evening show with two grand pianos courtesy of Yamaha

Pianos who are partnering the festival this year. Guest pianist Oli Rockberger will be joining Laura as they perform repertoire from her highly acclaimed debut album ‘Sing To The Moon’ which coincides with the tenth anniversary of the album’s release in March 2013.

Additional afternoon and evening concerts at the church include London-based Snowboy and The Latin Section, acclaimed British-Jamaican R&B Singer Ruby Turner, Grammy awardwinning American Blues and Country singer Mike Farris, pianist Joe Stilgoe and acid jazz and funk aficionados The Brand New Heavies who will be closing the festival on Monday August 28.

In addition to the main venue there will be ticketed events at the Brewery Yard Club where performances will include Will Collier’s Chet Baker project, Collette Cooper and Kitty LaRoar.

There will also be numerous free live music sessions too. The

THE BIG QUESTION

How should businesses respond to sustainability challenges?

This month in The Big Question, we speak to Pete Kenyon, Partner at Cripps and Chair of Purpose Committee and Charly Denton, Founder of Denton’s Art of Hair

Q. How have consumer attitudes changed and how will this impact on future consumption?

Pete - Consumers are demanding much more from their suppliers and we see this as a powerful force towards speeding up change. Suppliers who can’t prove objectively they are taking this seriously will rightly fall behind.

Charly - It’s definitely more on peoples radar, a concern about their impact on the environment and people are starting to realise the amount of waste used in certain businesses. We are definitely being chosen because of our sustainability credentials, because we are zero waste to landfill. It is becoming more mainstream because of their sustainability values.

Q. How much should businesses prioritise sustainability as part of their planning?

Charly – There are lots of organisations and information to advise businesses.

For my industry, I went to the Green Salon Collective. They helped me with the procedures and provided the green bins. I also took the stance to reuse things in my salon; I have an upcycled washing machine, fridge and computer which I bought locally to limit the impact I made.

Pete - We believe a triple bottom line approach is the way of the future with planet and people being put top of the agenda and balanced alongside profit. To stay on top board rooms need to embrace the paradigm shift.

Q: What are the individual risks to businesses of not focussing on this?

Pete - The business risk is loss of customers and therefore profit and a loss of people to run the business. Possibly the greater risk is a human failure of management to do what is right in times of such need.

Charly - I feel that a lot of consumers are now calling out those companies who aren’t fully on board with sustainability. There are other companies leading the way and the consumer is now actively choosing to shop with them due to their sustainability values.

Q: How much should businesses collaborate on this issue?

Charly - Collaboration is something that we should all do. I have been transparent and shared my procedures with other salons in the town. For me, on Camden Road, we support our local neighbours, for example I often recommend Haven Restaurant, we have values in common.

Pete - We passionately believe that we’ll get there faster together and are currently finalising plans to launch an exciting collaboration of Tunbridge Wells businesses to work together for planet and community.

Grapevine Champagne and Jazz Bar will host thirteen shows over the weekend of August 24 to 28, while The Ship Inn will present five free live gigs from the likes of the Terry Seabrook Jazz Trio, The Real Capitano and the hugely respected Blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter Roger Hubbard. Live music also takes place at The Old Bell in Rye on Thursday August 24, at William the Conqueror pub in Rye Harbour on Sunday August 27 and also at the Lookout on the same day.

The town’s Kino cinema will also be putting on performances from lunchtime onwards each day and will feature top-quality emerging and established musicians performing a variety of Jazz, Blues, Funk, Latin and Cuban music from across the region and from further afield.

“We can’t wait to give people a wonderful weekend of live music and we look forward to welcoming you to Rye later this summer,” smiles Ian.

Q: How might the government intervene with regulations?

Pete - Developing a regulatory framework to ensure that businesses meaningfully reduce their impact on our planet is an essential part of the solution.

Charly - There is a lot more they can do. The sustainable grants they offered were only for businesses trying to become sustainable so those already operating a good practice weren’t eligible. Business rate reductions would be an attractive option to make businesses more sustainable and keep them accountable.

With our grateful thanks to:

“The Rye Jazz festival has a wonderful reputation of presenting the highest quality concerts”

Alex Green CEO Royal Tunbridge Wells Together

The oak branches

SO Magazine had the recent pleasure of enjoying the hospitality offered by the Royal Oak in Hawkhurst. This historic pub, which dates back to the 16th century, has been returned to its former glory after a devastating fire broke out nearly two decades ago. Read on to discover how this charming hostelry has successfully risen from the ashes thanks to its current custodian Laurence Bowes and his team…

You can’t miss The Royal Oak as it lies in the centre of Hawkhurst and is perfectly situated close to the crossroads leading to Rye, Cranbrook, Flimwell and Hurst Green. Hawkhurst is most definitely a ‘Jewel in The Weald’. It is still a village of great unique appeal and is also famous for the notorious Hawkhurst Gang of Smugglers who dominated the area like the mafia from 1735 to 1749. The Royal Oak was central to that particular period in history and its current owners, Bowes Hospitality, are happy to celebrate this historic link on a regular basis.

Co-founder of Bowes Hospitality is Laurence Bowes who also owns The Leicester Arms in Penshurst and The Rock Inn at Chiddingstone.

Laurence brings with him experience as a chef, as well as a restaurateur and landlord, having worked in the hospitality industry for many years.

“My recipe for success is to serve simple food that customers understand and love, using great local produce that speaks for itself and sings off the plate! Our pricing strategy is to make things affordable and great value for money.”

The menu at The Royal Oak certainly reflects this, as it changes seasonally and ensures the best of

the area’s ingredients are right at its heart.

Once I’m settled at a cosy table in the pub, which boasts a mix of sandblasted beams, stripped-back brick walls, funky patterned tub chairs, a bright turquoise statement wall and oodles of light thanks to its restored mullioned windows, I

get stuck into the food available on the menu.

The Gazpacho chilled soup with pickled cucumber ribbon and farmhouse wedges of bread (£7) sounds tempting as it’s summertime – as does the ‘proper pint’ of prawns served with a traditional Marie Rose sauce and

lemon (£10). Eventually though I decide upon The sticky pork belly bites which are served with a rich roasted apple chutney (£8). These are utterly delicious and drizzled with a sweet sticky jus and a sprinkling of sesame seeds which gives the dish great texture, too.

Mains at The Royal Oak range from pub classics like fish and chips (£15) to posh bacon, egg and chunky fries (£14) to plates with a little more finesse, such as panroasted sea bass with Med-style vegetables and salsa verde (£19).

“My recipe for success is to serve simple food that customers understand and love, using great local produce that speaks for itself and sings off the plate!”

Laurence Bowes

out…

Burger lovers will be in heaven here as there are four special types on offer, including a decent veggie option. All come served with fries and homemade slaw. There are some great veggie sharing dishes on the menu too including Padron peppers (£4.50) and the aptlynamed ‘Oozy Mac & Cheese with Cripsy Onions’ (£5).

I decide upon the braised short rib of Aberdeen Angus beef, which comes with fluffy roasted new potatoes and crisp seasonal greens (£18). The beef is cooked low and slow to achieve the best melt-in-the-mouth results, and like my starter is generous in terms of its portion size. With it I enjoy a glass of Chilean Cabernet Merlot and savour every rich moreish mouthful.

Talking of wine, Laurence has a great selection on offer. This includes local tipples from the likes of Bolney Estate as well as interesting varieties from France, Italy, Chile and Spain.

Scraping the last remaining forkfuls of my main dish, the thought of a pudding is the last thing on my mind but Laurence manages to twist my arm as he clears my plate:

“You now simply must try our chocolate brownie, with chocolate sauce, honeycomb ice cream – is that ok with you?”

“Do I have a choice?” I chuckle in response.

When the homemade sweet sensation arrives it’s also super generous in size – one portion could easily have been enough for two.

“My braised short rib of Aberdeen Angus beef, comes with fluffy roasted new potatoes and crisp seasonal greens. It’s cooked low and slow to achieve the best meltin-the-mouth results, and I savour every rich moreish mouthful.”

Puds here are well-priced at £7.50 each and range from classics such as sticky toffee pudding and Eton Mess to lighter options like sorbet, which is £2 per scoop. There’s also a local cheese board on offer too for £9.

This commitment to supporting the suppliers on the doorstep is evident in every dish – from start to finish.

“All I know is how to do local,” reveals Laurence as I finish my meal. “I have worked at various corporate levels, but now I am now running my own business I really strive to deliver great local produce, while supporting our nearby suppliers to ensure we

meet customer satisfaction and affordability.”

I also learn that Laurence is highly committed to supporting the community too – both locally and further afield. He does the latter by donating £1 from every kids’ meal sold at the pub to schools in Kenya and Peru.

“My strategy is to ensure The Royal Oak becomes an even more important hub of the local community whether that’s due to the events we put on, offering our meeting rooms for local purposes or helping others who need us.”

As I get up to leave, Laurence adds that there are now 10 wellappointed bedrooms available at The Royal Oak – which is surely the perfect way to end the evening after dining so well? It’s fair to say that will definitely be an option for me the next time I visit!

Prints charming

SO Magazine pays a visit to The Print House in Tenterden, a newly refurbished gastro pub with rooms that dates back to the 15th century, but has its sights firmly set on a very bright future…

The smart historic Kentish town of Tenterden grew wealthy on the wool and cloth industry of the medieval period but one of its other claims to fame is that it’s believed to be the birthplace of one William Caxton, who as well as being a merchant, diplomat, translator and writer, is believed to have printed the first book in English in 1477.

One of the town’s most famous pubs, The William Caxton, was so named in his honour, but after it was put up for sale last summer its new custodians, husband and wife team Andrew Dixon and Seonaid MacDonald, decided to rename it The Print House.

The couple say they decided to rebrand the pub after a considerable renovation and some careful strategic planning in order to bring it into the 21st century. As well as giving it a new name – which still respectfully reflects the story of its famous resident William Caxton – Andrew and Seonaid have carried out a super stylish refurbishment and put great

local, seasonal food and drink at the heart of The Print House.

On arriving at the historic hostelry, which also has six luxurious bedrooms, I personally felt a pang of nostalgia as I used to frequent it quite a bit in my youth, playing darts and enjoying a pint or two of Fremlins.

Seonaid and Andrew warmly greet my guest and I, and immediately note that I am impressed by its greatly improved makeover.

“We want The Print House to be perceived and enjoyed as an inn, serving good food and beverages with lovely rooms and comfort throughout,” explains Andrew who opened this impressive establishment with his wife in February of this year.

“This is a destination venue. It’s a calm place to relax with friends over great food and drink and we are very pleased that more and more people are discovering this for themselves,” he adds.

In addition to the delicious food and drink being served in the newly refurbished premises, which tastefully respect their period origins, The Print House also has a superb courtyard garden which is an ideal spot for al fresco dining and drinking. As well as lunch and dinner menus you can also tuck into sharing boards or feast on afternoon tea here too.

After making our way through the busy dining area, we settle down at our cosy table and peruse the menu. There are just four choices for each course, which suggests the venue is keen to use only the freshest, most seasonal of ingredients, concentrating on quality rather than quantity.

To start I decide upon a classic prawn cocktail (£9) – however I did ponder for quite some time over the tasty-sounding Scotch quail eggs salad with mustard mayonnaise (£7)! My guest says they can’t resist the sound of the fresh broad bean and mint bruschetta (£7) which after being quickly devoured is declared as ‘bursting with seasonal flavours’.

For my main course I chose the lamb rump, which was cooked to perfection and accompanied by a

“We want The Print House to be enjoyed as an inn, serving good food and beverages with lovely rooms and comfort throughout”

minted salsa verde and served with buttered Jersey Royals, green beans and Chantenay carrots (£20). My dining companion was delighted with their choice of oven-baked hake with crispy parsley and lemon crust, which came with a delicious concasse tomato salsa (£18) and herby new potatoes.

After our enjoyable second course I had the opportunity to chat to Seonaid about the culinary vision of The Print House menu.

“From the outset we agreed to only cook with local produce wherever possible. That means fish from Hastings and vegetables from our Maidstone supplier. All our meat is sourced from a local butcher based here in Tenterden and we try to change the menu weekly where possible.

“The style here is very much ‘Modern British Bistro’ with a real focus on the guest experience.”

Chatting to Seonaid it is clear there is much care, skill and love coming out of the kitchen...

Meanwhile, Andrew is in charge of running the bar and so has carefully curated a stunning selection of craft ales, local spirits and a wine list which boasts over 80 varieties including some local English ones too.

“We want to create a balance

of offering affordable wines with the more exotic,” he says before telling me that their wine merchant also supplies the likes of The Ivy.

Andrew and Seonaid also inform me that their daughter-inlaw is a Wine Maker at Chapel Down Winery which is only just down the road at Small Hythe. This has resulted in their awardwinning wines being on offer here, too.

On the evening my guest and I visited The Print House, the dessert menu boasted a special Wimbledon theme as the tournament was in full swing at the time. I can testify that both the Pimms Trifle and a Kent Berry Coulis and Crème Brulee with

edible flowers were ace – and very fairly priced at just £7 each.

Oh, and as further testament to how good this place is, the proof isn’t just in the pudding but in the pub’s polite and friendly waiting staff. You know when diners are traditionally asked (once too often in my opinion) if ‘everything is alright?’ Well, I’m pleased to report that the team at The Print House don’t really do that. I guess that’s because they know everything is actually more than alright!

We will look forward to returning soon…

www.theprinthousetenterden.com

@the_print_house_tenterden

“This is a destination venue. It’s a calm place to relax with friends over great food and drink”

Have you strolled down Chapel Place lately? If you’re a foodie who loves savouring seasonal flavours and fresh local ingredients, you won’t want to miss out on the delightful dining experience One Warwick Park Hotel’s restaurant, The Brasserie, is offering diners this summer. We’re talking fantastic value school holiday deals, delicious seasonal dishes, and free handcrafted cocktails that are perfect for unwinding with. If there’s a better way to bookend a day out with the family in central Tunbridge Wells, we’re yet to find it!

Serving up summer

Stuck for recipes to keep the kids happy and healthy, or maybe you’re in need of a night out with friends? Well the team at The Brasserie have every culinary option covered this summer says Molly Miller…

a seasonal twist with ingredients sourced from nearby producers.

As an exciting bonus for its summertime diners, The Brasserie is also running a special drinks promotion throughout August where all customers will receive a complimentary cocktail.

The free drink will be served alongside any dish from the main menu, which also features an extensive selection of fine wines, craft beers, spirits, and cocktails. Expect English favourites like Chapel Down and Flint Valley wines, as well as refreshing mojitos, premium gins, and Aperol spritzes.

Since opening its doors in 2016 after a remarkable renovation, One Warwick Park has become the goto destination for luxurious guest experiences, offering relaxing hotel stays, beautiful event spaces, and indulgent dining options.

The Brasserie, its newest offering, launched last year, originally serving brunch and cocktails, but its immense popularity led to the extension of operating hours to include dinner reservations.

The lunch and evening menu celebrates the very best of laid-back dining, combining all-time favourite dishes with a unique twist. With a commitment to sourcing locally,

the menu changes with the seasons, ensuring the freshest and most delicious ingredients are used. This summer, treat yourself to starters like the meze sharing platter – an irresistible spread of hummus, baba ganoush, stuffed vine leaves, olives, grilled flatbread, halloumi, and fresh tomatoes. Other delightful options include crispy king prawns and Caesar salad, while the main menu focuses on hearty meals loved by the whole family.

From the classic Brasserie burger and battered cod and chips to succulent fillet steak and a timeless club sandwich, each dish boasts

But the summer deals don’t stop there. Families with kids in tow will be delighted to know that meal times at The Brasserie will be extra special during the school holidays, as children under 12 eat for free until the end of August. This fantastic offer can be redeemed when an adult main course is ordered, ensuring a super healthy and delicious treat for the little ones. The Brasserie has all their favourites covered –from yummy chicken goujons and tasty vegan nuggets to juicy beef burgers. Each dish comes with a salad and fries, and don’t forget the sweet desserts to top it all off!

Bookings can be made online at brasserie-owp.co.uk

“With a commitment to sourcing locally, the menu changes with the seasons, ensuring the freshest and most delicious ingredients are used”

The Print House

The Print House Inn is a cosy and friendly pub with Rooms in Tenterden. Reasons to gather your family and friends and come here include: the lounge and its small corners, deep velvet sofa and cosy chairs next to the wood burning stove.

Timeless and quirky flourishes come courtesy of Seonaid and Andrew’s time in Kenya, lighting and statement furniture including a Sophie Walbeoffe oil painting and hand blown recycled Kitengela glass wall hangings bring a touch of the bush to this pretty hotel. Upstairs there are six uniquely furnished rooms (each with luxuriously comfortable beds and ensuite shower/bathrooms).

The Restaurant producing deliciously light and melt in the mouth meals during these warm summer months. We try where possible to only cook fresh and locally sourced ingredients to ensure we support local farmers and producers.

Recommendations:

• Peach & Proscuitto Caprese Salad

• Local Rump of Lamb with Minted Salsa Verde accompanied by Jersey Royals, Green Beans & Chantenay Carrots

• Oven Baked Hake (freshly caught) with a crispy Lemon crust accompanied by wilted greens and lightly crushed new potatoes.

• East Sussex Goats Cheese Salad with honey dressing & croutons or the vegan platter with a heap of interesting melt in the mouth foods to grab your attention.

• Sharing Food Platters - locally caught Fish Platter, Summer Delights Platter, local Charcuterie & Vegan platters not to mention the Cheese Boards.

• Cherry Cheesecake

The Snug Bar where wine connoisseurs and beer enthusiasts can get their fix! Local is important to us and we do support many local vineyards. And for the Gin enthusiasts amongst us there is a large selection of local and interesting gins to chose from.

Opening Times

From Monday 24th June 2023 we are now open. Midday - 11pm, 7 days a week.

Perfectmyth…

Monika Kozlowska is a local Life, Business and Leadership Coach who as well as offering one-to-one life and corporate coaching, often gives inspirational talks here in Tunbridge Wells. Her most recent one was on ‘mum guilt’, so we asked her to elaborate on what this means in an exclusive comment piece for SO Magazine

If you’re a mum, you probably know what ‘mum guilt’ feels like. It’s this horrible feeling wrapped up in shame and inner judgement that makes us feel like we’re not good enough mothers at all. A lot of us have this feeling at least once a week, with some admitting to feeling mum guilt twice a day.

But have you ever wondered where this feeling of guilt even comes from? We judge ourselves this way because we believe we’re not doing or being enough. But who decides what ‘good enough’ here is? Not necessarily us.

Most people have an inner checklist of ‘what a good mum is and how she behaves’ even before they have their own kids. It’s because every society, every culture has its idea of a ‘perfect mother’ –

unwritten expectations and rules to follow to fit into this picture.

That’s why the teenage me ‘knew’ a good mum breastfeeds her child, prioritises her children and limits screen time... The tricky part is that the perfect mother myth as a social construct is based on unrealistic expectations. It’s actually impossible to achieve. Just look at some of the below:

The ‘perfect’ mother…

• Gives everything to her children

• Bakes cakes and cooks every meal her children eat from scratch

• Has an immaculate house

• Earns her own money because she isn’t ‘dependent’ on her husband (but she doesn’t work too much –because her kids always come first)

• Limits screentime and uses her imagination to entertain her kids

• Has a wonderful marriage, works out, stays healthy and prioritises herself through regular self-care

• Never yells, is never resentful, never finds her kids irritating and annoying *

* Examples taken from the sociologist Dr Sophie Brock

We internalise this image, because we’re surrounded by it everywhere – media, culture and the society we’re part of. And when we don’t fit in, we feel guilty; like we’re not enough. So what can we do to manage this?

Question the values

Because we’ve been fed the perfect mother myth for so long, it’s easy for us to feel guilty about things that don’t align with what’s important to us. So next time you catch yourself feeling guilty, ask yourself ‘whose values are we talking about here? Mine or somebody else’s?’ I spent months hating myself for not being able to breastfeed my son exclusively.

If you’d asked me, I would’ve told you I believe that ‘fed is best’. And it was only when I realised that I

was trying to fit into the (unrealistic) ‘perfect mother’, that I allowed myself to not feel guilty about it. If you are also feeling this kind of pressure then try doing the following:

Give permissionyourselfto be human

Now that you’re aware of the fact we’re all part of a bigger construct that happens to be pretty unrealistic, you can take your power back by giving yourself permission to be human. Come up with your own set of rules that seem more human and are important to YOU. If it feels right to you, allow yourself to say you love parenting, but at times you find it irritating, too – and that’s good enough for you.

Reframe what you feel guilty about

Ask yourself how it’s actually

serving your child. For example: feeling guilty about taking time away from your children? It can be a great opportunity for them to practise learning and innovation while you fill your own cup and return to them feeling happier. Remember a happier mum is often a more patient, more fun mum with lots more energy – which also benefits your child!

So let’s stop trying to fit into unrealistic expectations and start giving ourselves permission to parent in the way that feels right to us. Because one thing we can probably all agree on – trying to fit into an unachievable perfect picture makes us stressed and overwhelmed. And our kids would probably prefer a mum at peace with herself.

www.monikakozlowska.com/ about-monika-life-coachtunbridge-wells

About Monika Kozlowska

Monika is a Transformational Coach with ACC credentials from International Coaching Federation, Business Mentor, Leadership Coach. She has over a decade of corporate experience in marketing, working as Chief of Staff and loves ‘helping people succeed and finally see how much is possible for them’.

The mother of one adds: “I work a lot around putting yourself first, boundaries, juggling ambition and motherhood and becoming a bolder, more balanced and fulfilled version of yourself.”

“Because we’ve been fed the perfect mother myth for so long, it’s easy for us to feel guilty about things that don’t align with what’s important to us”

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Atelier de Linde: Architects

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR LIMITED SPACES

Every house has a different set of surroundings, and a good architect will address the limitations and should look for ways to maximise the connection with nature through inspired design, according to director Tara de Linde:

“We have had plenty of projects where outside space is limited or under used. Our response is to work harder to create balanced natural light and architectural and horticultural focal points outside of the building.

“Where there are limitations, we must get creative, for example by installing a living wall to draw interest upwards in a small courtyard garden or transforming a tiled roof into a living membrane to extend the natural landscape from an elevated level. There is always a way to bring the outside in and enjoy nature from within four walls.

“Architecturally, these considerations are a big part of what makes a home exceptional, and practically, it makes them a joy to live in. The benefits that biophilia and connection to the outside world bring to our clients has encouraged us to write this philosophy into the blueprint and build it into our designs.”

CREATING NATURALLY HAPPIER, HEALTHIER HOMES

Biophilia is defined as the ‘love of life and living things’. More than just a wholesome philosophy, embracing it within our homes can have positive mental and physiological health benefits. As award-winning architects committed to designing sustainable and beautiful homes, Atelier de Linde advise on the most effective ways to incorporate the natural world into our interior living spaces.

BENEFITS OF BIOPHILIA

Biophilia is a hypothesis that was first proposed in 1984, but in recent years it has gained more currency, particularly as a reaction against sterile spaces. The theory suggests that it’s in our DNA to love nature and feel calmed by it.

If you’ve ever proudly positioned a new plant in your home, you will already be aware of the positive impact of introducing living things into your space. Indeed, research has found that being connected with the natural world has both physical and psychological benefits: being surrounded by living things makes us less stressed and more likely to feel happier and healthier. So how can you use nature to enhance your home?

LET THERE BE NATURAL LIGHT

When looking to create a greater connection with your outside space, many people extend into their garden, but one of the most common pitfalls with this design approach is unbalanced lighting.

Bifolds or sliding doors are the perfect way to open up the interior to the outdoors, but they can

create glare if they are the only light source.

This can be easily balanced by installing skylights or sky lanterns on opposing walls or roofs, which create an unexpected and instant connection with nature, offering natural sunlight streaming in through the day or a glimpse of the stars at night.

CREATING POCKETS OF NATURAL VIEWS

But additional windows can do much more than balance light and add interest to the design, as director Angie Pool explains:

“Many people place their focus on the main threshold between their living space and their gardens, but the real interest from an

architectural design perspective is when you have unexpected pockets of views to the outside world.

“As architects, we work hard to create points of interest throughout the homes we design, that flourish at different times of the year. The seasonality we experience in this country is something to be appreciated and our designs work to compliment and draw the eye from within the house to the outside spaces.

“This can be achieved with thoughtful architectural and interior design and artfully placed windows, which can be used to frame shrubs, sculptures or water features to provide a stronger connection between inside and out.”

BEAUTIFUL, SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Award-winning, RIBAchartered architects

We realise your dreams with tailored service, combining high-quality design with sustainable principles.

Experts in:

• New builds

• Passive House retrofits

• Carbon neutral buildings

• Schools, hotels, public spaces

www.atelierdelinde.co.uk

hello@atelierdelinde.com

01892 571474

“We work hard to create points of interest throughout the homes we design”

“Biophilia is written into the blueprint of our designs”

No-frills farewells – what you need to know

direct cremation companies are nationwide; in some cases, they will try to subcontract to local funeral directors, enabling the family to collect the ashes locally, but it’s not always the case.

Some firms offering these services online even outsource to companies that transport the deceased many miles across the country to cremate them, sending the ashes back by courier to the family – or not, in some cases.

How to ensure peace of mind if you opt for a direct cremation

If you want to explore a direct cremation, please make sure you do your research to know what will happen to your loved one’s body and how you will receive their ashes. Of course you could always consider your local funeral director, who can provide the same service at the same price as the nationwide companies. With the facilities to look after the deceased locally and with dignity, you will have peace of mind about where your loved one is throughout, keeping you more in control. It also means that you can have a viewing, which is important to many families, although this will be at additional cost.

Planning a memorial ceremony

There are many ways to honour your loved one’s memory, with recent research showing an increase in direct funerals Simon and Rebecca Welham – the father and daughter team behind Welham Jones Funerals and Memorials – share their insights into unattended funerals and how family and friends can find alternative ways to pay tribute

What is a direct funeral?

Unlike a traditional funeral, held with family and friends in attendance at either a religious or secular service, a direct or unattended funeral has no wake or viewing, no procession, no service, no mourners in attendance – ‘no fuss’, as some might coin it. The deceased is either buried (direct burial) or cremated (direct cremation) with only the funeral director or crematorium staff present.

It might sound stark, but to some it is straightforward. For others, however, there is concern it might leave a gap in the process of grieving.

How common are direct funerals and cremations?

A growth in direct funerals was highlighted in the recent UK Funeral Plan Market 2023 report, published by The Funeral Solution Expert and Trajectory Partnership – however direct funerals still only account for under seven per cent of burials and cremations in the UK.

Why are some people choosing the direct option?

There are diverse personal reasons. We are very understanding as to why someone might choose this for themselves or their loved one.

• The growing cost-of-living crisis and reducing the risk of debt left to family members are key drivers, especially when a funeral is not pre-paid. Others want to leave money for the future benefit of family members, so inheritance is a factor.

• Some people would prefer to spare their loved ones the stress of organising a traditional funeral, while others can be overwhelmed at a time of bereavement.

• Some families have planned an alternative scattering of ashes ceremony, or plan for a direct funeral with the focus on a memorial service held later, focussing on the celebration of life and not the death.

• Some have also claimed that the marketing and regulation around direct funerals is clearer and therefore less hassle to organise.

“Your

Why unattended funerals might not be for everyone

Due to the impersonal nature of a direct funeral, family and friends can find they are left feeling a lack of closure or celebration. This can cause some sadness and confusion in not being able to say goodbye in the more traditional way, and in not facilitating the connection with wider family and friends.

How does a direct cremation work?

In brief, the deceased is collected by a firm and taken to the prebooked crematorium. Many

Whether you decide upon a traditional or direct funeral, there are many ways to create a farewell to suit your personal circumstances. Funeral directors such as us can help in arranging a local memorial service, independent of a direct funeral, that brings everyone together to celebrate your loved one, at a meaningful venue or the deceased’s home.

We have supported many families in finding local venues set in beautiful surroundings, with catering options, helping them find a celebrant to lead a memorial service to enable family and friends to say their farewells. If you wish, your loved one’s ashes can be present too.

Discuss your wishes with your loved ones

So, if you think this might be a solution for you or your family, have a family discussion to explore ways to hold a memorial gathering following a direct funeral. It can be an emotional topic to raise but will help family prepare as well as enabling them to have a hand in arranging a wonderful celebration that feels right for all involved.

“We have helped many families create truly personal memorial services to celebrate their loved ones”

is a key part of life”

Lauren Bouche, a local sensory artist who loves to paint in a number of abstract ways, including with her hands and sometimes feet, has been the Artist in Residence at Langton Green Primary School during the summer term of 2023. Following her end-of-term exhibition last month, Lauren spoke to Eileen Leahy about her work and why she believes it is so important to keep the arts alive in mainstream education…

For the past few months, artist Lauren Bouche has been going to Langton Green Primary School to help further pupils’ appreciation of the arts. She has been working with more than 400 schoolchildren in a variety of expressive workshops with the end goal of showcasing their creations in an exhibition.

After hours of painting with their feet, hands and brushes, Lauren and her students were successful in putting on a special exhibition showcasing their work at the end of last month.

But before that took place,

Lauren and the children put in a lot of hard work creating incredible supersized canvases – and if you follow the school or Lauren on social media, you would have been able to see them being worked on during this past summer term.

“Art and music are key parts of life at Langton Green Primary. The school loves to share, and celebrate art and music each and every day with the children as one element of providing them with cultural capital,” explains Lauren.

“The school champions working with different local creatives as ‘artists-in-residence’ in order to share the magic of the design process with their pupils and so when they got in touch with me, we became very quickly mutually excited about working together on this amazing project.”

Lauren says that her main aim, alongside inspiring the pupils, is that other schools will see this creative collaboration and be inspired to do something either with her or as a school.

“I suppose it’s about the message of educational establishments prioritising the arts, pupils’ individual well-being and having the ability to express themselves, but there has to be a fun element to all of this too,” smiles Lauren.

“Quite simply, doing this has

been a wonderful chance for us to come together as a local community and truly make a difference.”

Lauren and the schoolchildren have worked on a pretty impressive large scale, mainly outside so they could stretch their artistic endeavours to the max.

“We have worked with huge scrolls of paper, PVC and Perspex.

We’d put on music and get, quite literally, really hands-on.”

I ask Lauren how the project with Langton Green Primary School came about, to which she says they got in contact with her via Instagram.

“I am super grateful for that. I have always wanted to be an artistin-residence and loved the idea of inspiring the younger generation to just go for it through expressive art. The idea of running specific workshops excited me, to be able to encourage creativity, expression and break down barriers through different mediums and music whilst creating artwork. I was also intrigued to see if the way I paint with my hands to create a piece of work was beneficial to others.”

Of the project, which ran from April to July, and the subsequent show last week, Lauren says she has had nothing but very positive feedback.

“This in itself is so rewarding on every level, let’s do it again! The teachers loved the idea of working outside and not in the boundaries of the classroom and felt it was liberating and creative. They also felt it was an amazing way to demonstrate that expressive art can take many forms and use many techniques.”

Lauren explains that she ran

“I love the idea of inspiring the younger generation to just go for it through expressive art”

“Art

expressive workshops for each year group, so every single child got to experience a session with her.

“We always started with a warm-up on a large roll of paper with oil pastels and charcoal, then moved on to creating our abstract final pieces by using our hands –painting and experimenting with different techniques on Perspex and PVC fabric – all with the exhibition in mind to showcase the artwork.

Last week the art was hung from a ceiling in the school to create

an immersive art installation and it will now be there permanently there as a tribute to the work Lauren and the primary pupils have done.

What does Lauren think the children gained from this creative experience?

“Firstly I think they loved just being outside and I feel they gained immense confidence working on a large scale. They learned how to work collaboratively in teams, with the exhibition in mind at the end of term as our clear goal.

Inspired

“I really hope they found it refreshing and felt inspired to carry on or start something creative as a hobby or even a career. They just needed to have fun whilst expressing themselves in a totally different environment. I feel I have learnt so much from them too, they have inspired me to be more playful, have fun, let loose and change the medium for my next series of work!”

Lauren tells me that she wanted to work this way as she deems herself to be a holistic artist who loves focusing on the senses, creating a feeling and a mood.

“My art is tactile, large scale and expressive. I paint with my hands, random tools and sometimes

even my feet to create pieces. The canvas feels like home, it’s the place to be vulnerable and to let out raw emotions using paint. A goal of mine is to create spaces for people to heal through movement and art,” she adds.

Lauren tells me that art has always been a part of her life: “It is deeply rooted, and ingrained inside me. I have never known anything different. From a very young age I remember always being drawn to arts and crafts, It runs in the family, my parents and grandparents are also very creative.”

Lauren studied at De Montfort University in Leicester and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Textile Design specialising in screen printing.

“This is where my love for movement came into play, the process from the original artwork to developing the primary source into a print, this really sparked an interest in me. For my final major project,

I collaborated with dancers to produce tactile abstract prints.”

Lauren has had what she calls “a varied and exciting career” so far, working as an assistant stylist and also as a set assistant for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. Lauren is currently working at the Prince’s Trust supporting young people.

“This feels close to my heart as I was supported by the charity at one point. I live and breathe art, it is in my heart and soul. My ambition is to be a full-time holistic abstract artist.” @laurenbouche www.laurenbouche.com

“Artist-inresidence Lauren Bouche has been going to Langton Green Primary School to help further pupils’ appreciation of the arts”

Lauren Bouche

Is now a good time to buy an annuity?

Annuities have been out of favour for the past few years as retirees looked at other ways of funding their retirement. Now, a series of interest rate hikes is making annuities look more attractive again.

While an increase in annuity rates is good news for anyone seeking a guaranteed retirement income, it doesn’t necessarily mean buying an annuity is the right choice for you.

Here, we explore how much income you could get from an annuity versus income drawdown, and what else to consider when you weigh up your options.

How much could I get from an annuity?

Our analysis shows that someone with £500,000 in pension savings who buys an annuity at age 66 could currently expect retirement income of £28,744 a year. If they had £1m in pension savings, that figure would rise to £57,627 a year1.

If they opted for income drawdown instead, a £500,000 pension could provide annual income of £31,331 until age 87 or £25,126 until age 95. This assumes the pension fund grows at 5% a year after charges and that the income increases annually with inflation (assumed at 2%). For a £1m pension, the corresponding figures are £62,662 and £50,252, respectively.

Compared with a couple of years ago, when annuity rates were much lower, the gap between the income you can expect from an annuity versus income drawdown has narrowed.

What’s better – an annuity or income drawdown?

How much income you’re likely to receive is just one factor to consider when deciding how to access your pension savings. Whether now is a good time to buy an annuity will be completely personal to you. A financial adviser can help you decide on the right approach, but a useful first step is to understand the key differences between annuities and income drawdown.

An annuity will provide you with a guaranteed income for life, no matter how long you live. From day one, you’ll know how much income you’re going to receive each year. Annuities offer certainty – and that may be particularly reassuring if you’re worried about the recent volatility in the stock market. On the flipside, annuities are inflexible – you can’t change your mind once you’ve bought an annuity, and you can’t vary your income to reflect any changes in your circumstances.

Income drawdown is more flexible because you can adjust the amount and frequency of your withdrawals. Your pension remains invested, so there’s also the potential for your savings to grow over the long term. However, there is a risk that your pension doesn’t last as long as you

need it to – either because your investments don’t perform as well as you hoped or you withdraw too much money. It’s really important to ensure your pension is carefully invested and that you have a robust drawdown strategy in place.

Are there any other options?

Taking a blended approach to retirement income – where you use part of your pension to buy an annuity and keep the rest invested – could give you the best of both worlds. You could, for example, buy an annuity to fund your essential expenditure; you may get some comfort from knowing you have a guaranteed income to cover your bills and weekly food shop. You could then use income drawdown for discretionary expenditure, withdrawing money as and when you need it.

If you have other savings and investments, you could also use these to fund your retirement. ISAs, for example, are a tax-efficient source of retirement income because withdrawals are completely tax free. A financial adviser will be able to look at all your assets and advise on the best way to access them in retirement.

Next steps

The increase in annuity rates is certainly something to consider when you’re deciding on how to fund your retirement, especially if you’re worried about stock market performance. However, the decision that’s right for you will ultimately depend on your individual circumstances. It’s really important to understand all your options and the risks involved. This is where getting some smart advice can help. An adviser will take the time to understand your goals and aspirations, and help you make sure your retirement plan is a resilient one.

Louise Shaw Divisional Director

T. 01892 739580 / E. louise.shaw@brewin.co.uk brewin.co.uk/royal-tunbridge-wells

The value of investments, and any income from them, can fall and you may get back less than you invested. This does not constitute tax or legal advice. Tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in the future. Neither simulated nor actual past performance are reliable indicators of future performance. Information is provided only as an example and is not a recommendation to pursue a particular strategy. Information contained in this document is believed to be reliable and accurate, but without further investigation cannot be warranted as to accuracy or completeness. Forecasts are not a reliable indicator of future performance.

RBC Brewin Dolphin is a trading name of Brewin Dolphin Limited. Brewin Dolphin Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Register reference number 124444) and regulated in Jersey by the Financial Services Commission. Registered Office; 12 Smithfield Street, London, EC1A 9BD. Registered in England and Wales company number: 2135876. VAT number: GB 690 8994 69

1 Annuity assumptions: single life, monthly in advance, no guarantee period, non-smoker, standard (healthy) rates, 2% indexation, payable for life. Quotes obtained from Iress 5 April 2023.

Heal yourself

With summer well underway and balmy, light evenings there is no doubt that more people are out and about playing sports such as tennis, football, cricket and of course running and cycling, which has had a huge upsurge over the last couple of years.

Physical activity we all know is good for us. It also has great potential to enhance our wellbeing. Even a short burst of 10 minutes of brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood.

During exercise muscles are stressed and it is perfectly normal

after a good workout to feel some muscle soreness, which usually begins 6-8 hours after activity.

This is due to inflammation within the muscle as muscle fibres break down. Symptoms are usually stiffness and mild pain on first movement, which is generally relieved on gentle movement and stretching. This should go within 24-48 hours as the muscle fibres repair and become stronger. If a person experiences pain during exercise or swelling of joints and muscles – or the pain continues for more than 72 hours – then the exercise was too much and is a sign of damage.

Homeopathy is a gentle, safe form of complementary medicine and can support recovery after any form of strenuous exercise, even overdoing it in the garden. There are many remedies with a long history of traditional use to relieve inflammation and stiffness of muscles and joints and also repair damage from strains and

sprains to aid recovery. These can be taken internally in tablet or pill form or can be by way of a topical application in a cream or gel form.

The following remedies are very specific for trauma and injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints, or just overdoing it:

Arnica 30c: The number one remedy for trauma, injuries to soft tissue, bruises, muscle soreness, aches and pains. It is a great remedy to take to aid recovery after a strenuous workout or running a marathon. It is also very useful for concussion of joints in runners.

Arnica can also be applied in cream form to the affected area.

Rhus tox 30c: This remedy is traditionally used for muscle aches, strains and sprains and generally overdoing things. Symptoms are worse after rest and on first movement, but better on continued gentle movement and heat. It’s also an excellent remedy for stiff joints too.

Ruta 30c: Very similar to Rhus tox but with more of an affinity to tendons and ligaments. It is a great remedy for shin splints in runners and can be alternated with Arnica. The combination of Rhus tox and Ruta in cream form can also be very beneficial for muscle aches, strains and sprains.

Helios Injury is a combination of Arnica, Rhus tox and Ruta and is a must for the sports bag or first aid cabinet at home. It has a

long history of traditional use for trauma and injuries to soft tissue, strains, sprains and arthritic joints too. It is also available as a topical application.

We recommend having a selection of common first aid remedies at home, in your sports bag, or if planning a trip away, why not consider one of our homeopathic remedy kits? Lightweight and compact, our Basic 36 remedy kit covers a wide variety of sports-related injuries, common complaints and first aid situations and we’re giving 15% off until mid-August.

Alongside our remedies and therapeutic creams, we have a wide range of vitamin and mineral supplements such as Viridian Glucosamine with MSM capsules to support joints or Betteryou Magnesium Muscle Body Spray. Our qualified homeopaths are on hand to offer a warm welcome and their expert advice in our pharmacy shop or on the phone. Do pop in and see us.

“We recommend having a selection of common first aid remedies at home, in your sports bag, or if going away, why not consider one of our homeopathic remedy kits?”

In their monthly column for SO the team at Helios suggest some top remedies for sports injuries…

Musicians hit the high note

Last month, local and awardwinning music shop, Brittens Music hosted an intimate concert that featured two sellout piano recital performances. The event was part of this year’s Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival. First on the bill was classical pianist Morten Vamplew who captivated the audience with his interpretation of some of Claude Debussy’s masterpieces.

Morten’s recital was followed by a performance from international pianist Jong-Gyung Park, who played a summer-inspired selection of pieces which included works by Beethoven, Chopin and Ravel.

Tunbridge Wells Fringe Festival, which was established in 2021, is known for celebrating both emerging talents and established artists. The spirit of the festival closely aligns with the ethos of Brittens Music, which prides itself on supporting music education and local musicians of all ages and levels within the community.

This is the second year Brittens Music has opened its doors in order to provide a stage for artists to perform in an environment that makes listening to classical performances accessible and affordable to all.

Andrew Collins, owner of the multi-specialist music shop and music school, was delighted with how the event went, telling SO Magazine: “The recitals not only

“The recitals not only celebrated the timeless allure of classical piano music, but also emphasised the enduring power of live performances to unite and inspire”

celebrated the timeless allure of classical piano music, but also emphasised the enduring power of live performances to unite and inspire.

“The TW Fringe Festival continues to inspire us to think outside the box regarding how we

can showcase local musical talent within our showroom and we plan to host regular events in the future.”

Keep an eye on the Brittens Music website for details of future instore events at www.brittensmusic.co.uk

Morten Vamplew Jong-Gyung Park

Holiday heroes

Our resident fashion expert, Charlotte Newman from Kitch, reveals why the Sophia Alexia brand is just perfect for summertime chic

When it comes to luxury resort wear, Sophia Alexia is a Londonbased label with exquisite creations, blending luxury, sophistication and an effortless sense of summer chic. If you’re looking to revamp your summer wardrobe with pieces that exude elegance and versatility, Sophia Alexia should undoubtedly be on your radar this season.

IN THE BEGINNING…

The brand was founded in 2015 by British fashion designer Sophia Alexia. With a vision to create timeless resort wear pieces that complement various body types and cater to diverse tastes, she embarked on a journey that would soon capture the hearts of fashion enthusiasts worldwide. Sophia’s love for travel, art and culture heavily influences her designs, resulting in collections that embody a sense of wanderlust and sophistication.

MATERIAL GIRL

Sophia Alexia is renowned for their stunning designs, which effortlessly blend contemporary and classic elements. Each piece in their collection is carefully crafted, paying attention to intricate details and flattering silhouettes. From

flowing maxi dresses adorned with artistic prints to impeccably tailored kaftans, the brand caters to the modern woman’s desire for comfort and style.

What sets Sophia Alexia apart is their emphasis on using luxurious fabrics sourced from around the world. Silks, chiffons, fine linens and sustainable materials are among the brand’s favourites. Their dedication to high-quality materials ensures the garments not only look fabulous but also feel exquisite against the skin, making them ideal for luxurious getaways and summer adventures.

STYLE QUEEN

Sophia Alexia’s designs are versatile, offering a plethora of styling options for various occasions. Whether you’re lounging by the pool, sipping cocktails at a beach club, or attending an elegant evening soirée, there’s a Sophia Alexia piece for every occasion. Their resort wear pieces can be effortlessly transitioned from day to night, allowing you to make a statement wherever you go.

CHIC AND SUSTAINABLE

In an era where ethical fashion is gaining increasing importance, Sophia Alexia stands committed to

sustainable and ethical practices. The brand takes pride in its efforts to minimise its carbon footprint, promoting slow fashion and ensuring fair labour practices. By choosing Sophia Alexia, not only are you adorning yourself with exquisite pieces but also supporting a brand that values the environment and the well-being of its workers.

The London-based luxury fashion resort wear brand has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the fashion industry with their sophisticated, versatile and sustainable creations. As summer unfolds its warm embrace, their exquisite designs offer the perfect combination of luxury and comfort, making them the ideal addition to your wardrobe this season.

Whether you’re planning a glamorous beach vacation, a relaxing resort retreat, or simply seeking to elevate your summer style, Sophia Alexia’s carefully crafted resort wear pieces will effortlessly enhance your look and capture the essence of summertime elegance. Keep an eye out for this luxurious brand and experience the joy of indulging in timeless and chic fashion that celebrates both your style and your values.

“Whether you’re planning a glamorous beach vacation, a relaxing resort retreat, or simply seeking to elevate your summer style, Sophia Alexia’s pieces will effortlessly enhance your look” www.kitchclothing.co.uk @kitch_clothing

UNLIMITED HOTDESKING DAYS 24/7

SUPER-FAST AND RELIABLE INTERNET

FREE PRINTING AND SCANNING

FREE COFFEE, TEA AND FRUIT

BREAKOUT AREAS + ZOOM ROOMS

MEETING ROOM BOOKING

MONTHLY SOCIALS AND EVENTS

FABULOUS OFFICETRIBE COMMUNITY

SUPER-FAST AND RELIABLE INTERNET

FREE PRINTING AND SCANNING

FREE COFFEE, TEA AND FRUIT

BREAKOUT AREAS + ZOOM ROOMS

MONTHLY SOCIALS AND EVENTS

MEETING ROOM HIRE

EASY ONLINE BOOKING

FABULOUS OFFICETRIBE COMMUNITY

Simple pleasures

Irecently returned from a trip to the Greek island of Kefalonia feeling ever more assured that the more we tune in to our surroundings the healthier we are.

Modern life has a way of disconnecting us from nature but study after study shows the benefits we reap, both psychologically and physically from being ‘in-tune’.

Sometimes we hear stories on this that leave an indelible mark. Stories that fill us with hope and joy…

As we journeyed back to the airport I shared with our driver the true story of a man called Stomatis Moratis who came from the island of Ikaria, and he in turn told me about the local goat herder who climbs the mountain four times a day, caring for 1,000 goats, from whose milk he makes yoghurt and feta.

Looking up we could see his humble abode, a little whitewashed stone hut with just enough room for a bed and table.

He makes tea from the wild thyme, its beautiful purple hue adorning the hillsides everywhere you look.

I learned he is toned and muscular, looking many years younger than his remarkable age

Naomi Murray Co-founder of Botanica Health botanicahealth.co.uk

of 96. I imagine he is a lithe, strong man with a great sense of purpose.

Stomatis, however I don’t need to imagine. I have seen his face and watched him harvesting his olives many times. Although he has now passed away he still lives on in these snapshot recordings of his life.

Stomatis was a war veteran who arrived in Florida from the Greek Island of Ikaria in 1943 to have treatment for a combat wound.

Along with his wife and three children, the United States became his home. But then in 1976 while climbing the stairs he noticed he was becoming breathless.

Chest X-rays showed he had developed lung cancer, which was confirmed by nine other doctors.

Given just nine months to live and only offered aggressive treatment, Stomatis made the decision to return to the island of Ikaria with his wife Elpiniki. There he could be buried in the cemetery overlooking the sea.

They returned to his parents’ pretty white-washed house amongst the vineyards, where Stomatis prepared to die.

At first he spent his days in bed being tended to by his wife and mother. On Sundays he would go to church where his grandfather had been a priest. There he would see his old friends and they would talk for hours over a few bottles of wine. Stomatis thought he may as well die happy.

About six months passed and

Stomatis began to feel stronger. He started to plant vegetables, tended to the vineyard and played dominoes with his friends in the village. He basked in the sunshine, drank in the fresh air, enjoyed the local food and sipped on the famous Greek Mountain Tea.

Years went by during which he extended his parents’ home for his children and he worked hard in the vineyard, which produced 400 gallons of wine a year.

He lived way beyond his predicted expiration date by over 40 years, and when he returned to the US some years later to visit the doctors who had diagnosed him he found they had all died.

Stomatis passed away peacefully at the age of 102 on February 3 2013. It is important to note that he didn’t die of cancer.

He never sought any therapy when he was diagnosed, he just went home.

HOW TO LIVE TO 100

The island of Ikaria is in one of the Blue Zones, these are regions in the world where the inhabitants live much longer than average.

Stomatis’s story teaches us to:

• Have a sense of purpose

• Get some sunshine

• Don’t clock watch, Stomatis never looked at his watch

• Listen to your body and take a nap if you need to

• Laugh with your friends

• Reconnect with your faith

• Find your tribe and surround yourself with people who love you

• Get out in nature and walk

• Eat honey and take herbs

• Enjoy your garden and tending to your plants

• Enjoy a glass of organic wine

I often wonder with Stomatis, was it just that he came back to a place he felt most at home, both in himself and with his surroundings.

The study of epigenetics has shown us that genes are constantly expressing themselves positively or negatively, according to their environment.

The most simple aspects of life may be more life saving than we think…

Naomi Murray from Botanica Health in Rusthall reveals the fascinating story of Stomatis Moratis, a US war veteran who was diagnosed with cancer but went on to live for decades thanks to being in tune with his simple surroundings in Greece….

“Sometimes we hear stories on this that leave an indelible mark. Stories that fill us with hope and joy”

Stomatis Moratis

AFTERNOON TEA

Enjoy sweet and fruity summertime flavours in our beautifully crafted pâtisseries, perfectly accompanied by scrumptious savouries, traditional scones and a delicious selection of teas, coffees, or bubbles.

Bookings available 12pm – 4pm every day

Traditional £25 | Prosecco £30

SUNDAY ROAST

Get together and spend some quality time enjoying a delicious roast alfresco this summer, overlooking our 36 acres of glorious grounds. All the family are welcome... dogs too!

Available on selected dates: 6th August •27th August

2 courses £27.50 | 3 courses £31.50

Stress less, live longer

• Neurology: headaches, migraine, brain fog, trouble concentrating, poor memory.

• Digestion: dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, acid reflux, nausea and bloating, constipation or diarrhoea, autoimmune conditions like Crohns Disease

• Body detoxification: waste and toxins cause disease and infection when the liver, kidneys, gallbladder and lymphatic system become inflamed and can’t process them. Symptoms include swelling, fluid retention and skin rashes

• Blood sugar: When the liver and pancreas become inflamed, unstable blood sugar and excess insulin can lead to diabetes

• Endocrine: the functioning of the thyroid, adrenal glands, reproductive system, skin and hair health can be disrupted by unstable hormones

• Muscles and bones: joint and muscle aches and pains, fatigue and autoimmune conditions like fibromyalgia affect mobility and strength

• Immune system: causes autoimmune diseases like arthritis, lupus and psoriasis by overreacting to inflammation

The biochemistry of stress and anxiety is inflammatory, and inflammatory diseases in their many and varied forms tend to kill many of us in the end. This is scientifically proven and welldocumented. The NHS is stretched to its capacity treating preventable inflammatory symptoms and the personal cost of the problems that cause them is high in terms of quality and expectancy of life.

It is widely understood that the body keeps the score when the mind is overwhelmed with problems it wasn’t designed to solve. And yet, the maintenance of good mental health is often regarded as secondary to medicating physical illnesses.

While many of us are aware that anxiety and stress can lead to a range of issues like depression and burnout, it is less well-known that these emotions can also have a significant impact on our physical well-being.

CHEMICAL CRISIS

Anxiety is a normal response to a perceived threat which triggers the brain to release a range of stress hormones including cortisol and adrenaline. This biological response is hardwired to deal with primaeval conditions which bear no relationship to the pressures of our lives today.

The human body is ingeniously designed to respond to the anticipation of deprivation which would have been a common fear

of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Cortisol stimulates a craving for high-calorie food and enables the body to produce and retain fat stores to minimise the risk of future starvation. Brilliant if you’re having to forage for food every day. Not so good when surrounded by an unlimited abundance of fattening food and afflicted by chronic stress. Many of us are just not aware of how much stress we’re under because it’s a normal state of existence.

If you think of cortisol as being triggered by a state of amber alert caused by normal day-to-day stresses, adrenaline is a red alert to warn us to react to an imminent predator attack. It accelerates bodily functions to create a surge of energy and activate the flight or fight response.

EMOTIONAL FLARE-UPS

There are multiple physically inflammatory symptoms of riding the high-speed roller coaster of life. Many of these are acknowledged in the way we use language to describe emotions. If something is doing your head in or is a pain in the neck, you’re talking through gritted teeth or finding it hard to swallow or think straight, these are descriptions of the inflammatory effect of certain emotions on specific body parts. If you’re sick to the stomach, kicked in the guts, galled, liverish or sh** scared, that’s because the digestive tract is often described as the ‘second brain’.

Here’s a rundown of some typical inflammatory responses to the biochemistry of stress and anxiety:

Karen Martin Hypnotherapist hypnotherapykent.co.uk

Life-threatening illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer have been proven to be aggravated if not caused by anxiety. The Alzheimer’s Society reports on research showing that stress appears to have a direct impact on some of the mechanisms underlying dementia.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY SOLUTIONS

Exercise and healthy eating help minimise the risks and enable the immune system to function more efficiently to reduce inflammation.

A life of excessive consumption and lack of self-care is generally shorter than that of someone with a balanced harmonious lifestyle. Hypnotherapy, mindfulness and meditation, which effectively achieve the same neurological state of reduced brain wave frequency by slightly different means, also help cut off the inflammatory hormones at the pass. These simple methods require no prescription and can be easily practised as a preventative means to safeguard against stressinduced diseases.

The mind-body connection is a two-way street. A sick body causes anxiety, and anxiety can make a body sick. Maintaining a healthy mind and a healthy body requires a multidisciplinary approach to well-being and that starts with a healthy mindset to maintain healthy habits and behaviours. Just think of the brain as the operating system or machine code that runs every aspect of human function. It has superpowers we barely understand and have yet to fully make use of.

Qualified local hypnotherapist Karen Martin reveals the inflammatory effects of stress and anxiety, and suggests that by adopting a more positive, healthier mindset this can help create better habits and a more relaxed you…

“While many of us are aware that anxiety and stress can lead to a range of issues like depression and burnout, it is less well-known that these emotions can also have a significant impact on our physical well-being”

POTTERS HOME DIGITAL

Award winning retailer – let Potters Home Digital realise your home and garden entertainment needs with our consultation, design, sales and installation service.

• Audio/Video supply and installation

• Cinema and Media Rooms

• Lighting Control and design

• Smart Home and Gardens

Potters Home Digital established in 1913 we have been providing home entertainment from the very beginning.

With staff collectively with well over 120 years combined experience just within Potters alone. There is no project that can not be dealt with.

We have been working alongside architects, House designers and builders, individuals as well as many commercial businesses to deliver the best solutions for residential and commercial properties.

Lance Hopley – the owner with over 40 years in the business and his business partner Alex Jones of over 20 years have continued to monitor trends and move with the fast moving world of audio visual technology. Identifying new markets and offering the very latest products and trends that has evolved into a complete lifestyle solution in recent years from cinema rooms, media walls and smart home gardens.

The business really is unique and has won multiple awards and been recognised by the electrical retailing industry for its outstanding services by winning best Independent Consumer Electrical Retailer for 2021, 2022 and recently again for 2023

Potters Home Digital are experts in home technology. Bringing the latest technology from the worlds leading brands to create intelligent integration systems to enhance both your home and lifestyles.

OUR SERVICES AND WHO WE WORK WITH

Property Developers as well as home owners we work very closely with architects where we can add unique selling points with adding Smart Home technology into their projects.

Interior Designers where can bring technologies and solutions that blend seamlessly into the property, allowing the clients to enjoy the technology they desire without detracting from the home décor and design.

Architects working alongside to deliver smart homes with solid infrastructure, that are also eco friendly, secure and better equipped to produce service layouts and solutions from concept to delivery.

Commercial Restaurants and Bars where we can deliver audio and video distribution solutions to perfectly complement your business or environment whether it’s a sports bars with video distribution or a back ground music for your restaurant or showroom.

It was back in 2019 – that Lance and Alex could see a trend in outdoor living and particularly a thirst for outdoor entertainment especially for audio and TV. They set about designing the garden at the rear of their premises to show off what can be achieved and have created a truly unique experience that has quite literally seen fantastic results – in the implementation of the best of outdoor living.

“Enhancing lives through the use of technology”

Al fresco appeal

THE SMART HOME GARDEN

An immersive experience. One that combines smart technology, award-winning garden design, and meticulous craftsmanship. Home entertainment. Inside and out. At the Smart Home Garden our team of experts can design, plan and install fully integrated smart technology into your garden, bringing all your much-loved home entertainment systems from the inside to the out.

We offer unique audio and lighting solutions, home security and Wi-Fi networks perfectly suited to your garden, with meticulous implementation to create an atmosphere and experience like no other.

Transform your garden into an entertainment space with the help of an all-weather music system.

When all the garden comforts and features are in place, the finishing luxury is highquality garden sound. We’re not talking about blasting into neighbouring gardens. We’re envisioning precision musical detail underpinned by rich bass, controlled so that it reaches the corners of your garden and no further.

Our approach to outdoor audio provides a smooth, even sound throughout the area. Garden sound design comprising satellite speakers and sub woofers, envelops a space with clear and balanced audio. This is achieved by bespoke Discreet Audio.

The ultimate in disguise is its ability to practice the ‘art of bespoke’. This means that if the most fastidious garden designer demands that outdoor speakers complement the colour, texture, or shape of any supporting structure then it can be combined into its surroundings without upsetting the overall garden layout.

We also offer the very best in Outdoor TV’s With a range of screens from 55 to 75 Inch TV’s that are available to see and experience. The screens are fully waterproof and are 4 times brighter than conventional TV’s so you can see vividly the amazing performance of Samsung Terrace TV’s even in bright sunlight. Take it a stage further and experience the amazing outdoor cinema we have created in our garden.

can’t afford to stay fit” or “I don’t have time to exercise” are two phrases I often hear being thrown around, serving as excuses which could ultimately lead to neglecting our health and general well-being.

In a fast-paced world where subscriptions have become the norm, and convenience takes precedence with services like Deliveroo, it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate our priorities. Many of us subscribe to various services without a second thought, from streaming platforms to meal kits, but when it comes to online fitness subscriptions, suddenly, the budget becomes a concern.

A can-do attitude

carries us through life – the body. Online fitness subscriptions offer a wealth of benefits, making it easier for us to prioritise our physical and mental well-being. They provide convenience, variety, and guidance, allowing us to work out in the comfort of our own space. Most platforms offer access to live-streamed classes, providing accountability and motivation for those who may struggle to show up consistently. Additionally, they offer a library of pre-recorded sessions and classes, giving users the flexibility to fit workouts around their schedules and working days. Some apps even offer short 10 to 15-minute videos, making it manageable to incorporate fitness into our daily routines, no matter how busy we are. We often talk about not having any time or being too busy to

exercise, but it’s essential to reassess what this truly means. If we break down our day, most of us can actually find small pockets of time to include quick bursts of physical activity. For example, while waiting for the kettle to boil, we can do a quick 30-second burst of high knee runs, or while brushing our teeth, we can fit in 30 squats. The more we integrate these moments of activity into our daily lives, the more natural they become, and we may even find ourselves wanting to do more.

Let’s pause and reflect on this. Our health should be our utmost priority, and investing in online fitness subscriptions can be an excellent way to achieve this with only a small price to pay for longterm benefits. While some may argue that fitness memberships or subscriptions are expensive, there are many gyms out there that provide affordable options for those on a budget. Additionally, if you still find it unaffordable, there’s always the great outdoors, where you can engage in physical activities without any cost. When we think about it, exercise and keeping fit don’t have to cost a fortune; in fact, they can be entirely free. What it requires is a shift in mindset and a commitment to making fitness an essential part of our lives. We often spend hours glued to our screens, binging on TV shows and movies, scrolling through social media, but we tend to neglect the very vessel that

Teeth brushing squats: While you are doing your teeth assume the squat position with your feet in a parallel position, put weight in the heels and imagine you are trying to sit down on a stool behind you. Try 8 full squats and then 16 small

pulses in a squat position and repeat until you have brushed your teeth - two minutes is optimal for this.

Sit down stand ups: Every time you are going to sit down during the day try sitting and standing and sitting again 8 to 10 times. Do this throughout your day and see how it all adds up.

When we genuinely want to do something, we can always find the time for it. So, let’s stop telling ourselves that there’s no time for exercise and start making the time. Investing in our health pays dividends in all aspects of life. Improved fitness boosts energy levels, enhances productivity, and helps combat stress, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life. It’s time to reassess our priorities and make room for fitness in our lives. By scheduling time for physical activity and being mindful of how we allocate our resources, we can cut down on non-essential subscriptions and redirect those funds towards a healthier, stronger, and happier version of ourselves. Prioritising your health is not just about physical fitness; it’s an investment in yourself and your overall well-being. Taking care of your body and mind will bring rewards beyond measure, impacting every aspect of your life positively. So, let’s make health a priority and embark on a journey to a happier and healthier life. Your body will thank you for it!

High knee march/run (whilst waiting for the kettle or toaster):

Standing tall, lift alternate knees high up towards your chest and either march this out or you can spring from one foot to the other to get the heart rate elevated. This will add to your step count and will be done once the kettle is boiled.

This month our resident fitness expert Sarah Gorman reveals why it’s so important to make time – and budget – for a regular fitness routine whether that’s online or in the great outdoors

MOVE OF THE MONTH: Single arm row

Sarah Gorman

Fitness professional and entrepreneur @sarahgormanblendfit sarahgorman.fit

“Our health should be our utmost priority, and investing in online fitness subscriptions can be an excellent way to achieve this with only a small price to pay for long-term benefits”

PHOTO BY MAX GORMAN

Show your appreciation

Yoga and well-being expert Lucy Parker of FLOW Tunbridge Wells reveal her top tips on how to begin practising daily gratitude…

ladybird to the big wins of love and friendship, gratitude makes a significant difference that can be harvested into a crop of health benefits to keep us feeling great!

FEELING GRATEFUL CAN:

• Rewire your brain to encourage positive thinking

• Reduce anxiety by regulating your stress hormones

• Enhance dopamine and serotonin – the ‘happiness’ neurotransmitters

• Improve your overall mood

• Improve your sleep

DID YOU KNOW?

According to research, a fiveminute daily gratitude journal can increase your long-term well-being by more than 10 per cent. That’s the same impact as doubling your income!

Some ways to try practising gratitude:

1. Settle into bed each evening and take time to reflect on your day before you drift off to sleep

2. Observe what happened, what made you feel happy and what might have left you feeling anxious or irritable. Was it people, situations or events that had the most impact on you today?

I’m sure you’ve heard that gratitude can make you feel better, but have you ever considered practising it daily in order to help you lead a happier and healthier life?

Scientists are busy proving what Eastern mystics have known for centuries: that feeling grateful gives us biofeedback for optimal health and a ‘feel-good’ factor that can last for hours, if not days.

The results can be seen on the bio-psycho-social-spiritual scale, meaning that you can feel them in your body and brain as well as experience them in your social interactions and through your sense of being connected to a greater community. Gratitude is not just about thanking someone else for something, it’s about an internal sense of well-being that can enhance our personal growth and satisfaction.

In these times of uncertainty, economic gloom, doom scrolling, strikes and the ongoing risk of

Lucy Parker Flow Tunbridge Wells lucy@flowtunbridgewells.com

environmental calamity, the scales are most certainly hard to keep balanced. It’s all too easy to allow ourselves to tip into fear and anxiety, remaining in a gloomy and negative mood for much of the time.

This is where gratitude steps in, helping us to recalibrate our internal scales finding harmony and, yes, you guessed it, inner peace! Being thankful for our lives, from the tiny joys of watching a

10 FINGER GRATITUDE

I’ve practised 10 finger gratitude with my kids every day since they were little.

It’s surprising how many things there are to be grateful for if only we stop long enough to notice.

Try it now, look around you and see what there is to be thankful for… the clouds, the final chocolate in the box, the scent of a rose, an old family photo, the breath in your lungs. When you get started the list can stretch way beyond your ten fingers and on to your ten toes too! (On one such session my son, then aged 5, told me how grateful he was for poo! Well, I agreed, me too)! When you invite curiosity into your life, you’ll

• Strengthen connections with friends, family, and romantic partners

• Lower high blood pressure

• Motivate you to move more

• Strengthen your immune system

And if you’re seeking ‘true happiness’, a regular gratitude practice can lead to optimism, selflessness, spiritual awareness, empathy, and high self-esteem, all of which are key components to cultivating a greater sense of joy in our lives.

be surprised by what you see and how thankful you are for the simplest things around you…

HERE’S HOW:

1. Stretch out a finger, one at a time, and think of something you feel grateful for

2. Drop into the feeling of each thing and notice its impact on you as you bring it into your awareness

3. Count to a full 10 with one specific gratitude for each finger

4. Don’t stop till you reach 10, especially if you’re finding it hard

So why not see how you go: I’d love to hear how gratitude helps you live your life more fully.

3. Now, focus on three good things for which you are grateful. They can literally be anything. Encourage yourself to be as specific as you can.

4. Write these three good things down in a special notebook you have selected exclusively for this practice.

Keeping this gratitude list is a wonderful way of building up a personal gratitude mountain you can climb whenever you need a little perspective or fresh air!

READER OFFER: Try our NEW Move & Meditate class on a Wednesday evening from 7.30-8.30 pm. Use –SOFlow30 – at the checkout to receive three one-hour classes for just £30. See this link: flowtunbridgewells.com/ yoga-tunbridge-wells/

Flow Tunbridge Wells

29 Woodbury Park Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9NQ

“Being thankful for our lives, from the tiny joys of watching a ladybird to the big wins of love and friendship, gratitude makes a significant difference that can be harvested into a crop of health benefits”

Putting their best foot forward...

Guest’s Shoes are celebrating 70 years in business. SO Magazine went along to their popular store in Crowborough to meet Jenny Rickwood, who is founder Tom Guest’s granddaughter, to discover why they are still in step after all these years…

Walking into Guest’s shoe shop on Crowborough High Street it’s immediately obvious why customer service is so key for them.

Jenny Rickwood, who manages the shop, which has been in the town since 1968, is patiently helping a customer decide on new pair of trainers. She says a cheery ‘hello’ to me and then gets back to carefully slipping various pairs on and off the lady’s feet until she is happy they have chosen the right one.

“I always say you have to try shoes on,” says Jenny after the satisfied customer has left the shop with, yes, a spring in her step!

Jenny started as a Saturday girl in the shop and after returning to the business many years later she worked her way up to manager.

She says there is friendly rivalry between the Crowborough store and the Mount Ephraim one in Tunbridge Wells which has been there since 1957 and also has a repair workshop. This site is run by Tom’s son Ian, who also started as a Saturday assistant and then joined full-time in the business after leaving school.

Mending shoes is what Tom Guest, started doing when he was invalided from the Navy after the war. His reputation and skill for repairing shoes grew and in 1953 he opened his first shop on Camden Road in Tunbridge Wells with the Mount Ephraim site opening four years later.

After that the business expanded and at one stage there were nine stores in the local area, four of which were in Tunbridge Wells.

“We also had branches in Rusthall, Tonbridge and West Malling,” continues Jenny. “Then there were three vans that would travel around the surrounding villages, picking up and returning repairs and also selling shoes!”

Although the company now has just the Crowborough and Mount

“We are certainly big on quality and comfort and have a number of brands to suit all members of the family”

PHOTOS BY CARRIE CAUDELL

Ephraim stores, they are still very busy and regularly frequented by many loyal customers says Jenny.

What does she think has contributed to the longevity of the business which sells men’s, women’s and a small selection of children’s shoes?

“I think a little bit mix of both customer service and the variety of brands we stock has helped but my grandad would probably say it’s our service.

“That’s been a key element of why we are still here and have seen other competitors off the high street. We may not be heavily focused on fashion but we are certainly big on quality, comfort. We’re also known for our specialities such as the wider fitting and orthotics. Our service is quite specialist so we get people coming from quite far away from places

like Bexhill, Uckfield, Crawley. We even have our yearly visitors from America who always come and see us!”

Jenny says that both Guest’s stock a number of different brands, the latest of which is Skechers, but they also have Jana, Rieker and DB Shoes and sell a variety of handbags, belts, polishes, laces and accessories.

“We are a traditional shop but we still have a bit of fun by putting bright shoes in our window and having lots of quirky items to sell like belts made from recycled plastic. We have lovely customers, many have been with us through generations. They know they can trust us and will have the opportunity to experience good customer service.”

Although they may be traditional in their values they are certainly forward thinking with a big presence on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“The last five years have been all about investing in social media. It’s working as we are gaining new followers all the time,” adds Jenny.

Celebrating such a milestone anniversary, Jenny and her team have a few special things coming up. They include a good night out for the six members of staff who are across both sites and some good discounts and sales for their loyal customers.

“People have supported us enormously since Covid. It’s like they suddenly realised the value of shopping and supporting independent businesses like ours. Fashion has also changed a lot since the pandemic and now people want comfort and more casual styles. The demand for formal footwear has slowed down and casual shoes and trainers are what people want and we can definitely provide that here.”

For more information follow Guest’s on social media:

FB @guestshoesservicesltd Instagram @guestsshoes Twitter @GuestShoes

“People know they can trust us and will have the opportunity to experience good customer service”

STEP BACK IN TIME: Pictures from Guest’s historical archive include images of the regular Guest’s Gazette published and a picture of the Crowborough shop (far right)

House proud

Following her recent win at the House Wow Awards 2023, we caught up with local interiors expert Jane Lee, who specialises in home staging, downsizing and styling. Here she explains more about her passion for creating dream homes for both her face-to-face and remote clients – whatever their budget

Can you start by telling us how you got into the interior design domain?

I started playing around with room layouts as a child, experimenting with what looked and felt good – my parents were used to things being moved around! Back then I didn’t realise it could be a future career. I remember the excitement of being allowed to choose my own wallpaper and bedding, and I enjoyed tidying up my friends’ toys; their mums loved it when I went round. I don’t think it’s that unusual in this business to start young.

Did you immediately go into interiors or did you do something else?

I always wanted to be a journalist and after graduating, I landed a job as a trainee news reporter on

the Evening Argus in Brighton. I moved to London five years later to work for national newspapers and started renovating my homes, moving every few years. Friends started asking for my advice and began encouraging me to take it up professionally.

It’s funny looking back how two of my childhood pastimes –rearranging and organising rooms – are the backbone of Jane Lee Interiors.

Have you been professionally trained and if so where did you study?

I decided to get some qualifications under my belt and after moving back to Sussex studied Interior Design at City College (now Brighton MET) alongside the Certified Home Staging and

Styling Professional (CHSSP) Course while freelancing for interiors and property magazines. I loved every minute of both courses and started taking on small projects and getting my website together.

What made you make the leap journalismfromto the wonderful world of interiors?

After a friend’s flat I’d staged sold for £10,000 over the asking price, and my Brighton house got three asking price offers on the open day, I knew it was time to go for it. I still write about home staging, downsizing and decluttering for local and national publications and websites but my heart’s now in my interiors business: I really enjoy helping people to transform their home, whether it’s in person or giving advice remotely.

You specialise in offering ‘occupied home staging’. Can you tell us what this is?

Home staging is a proven marketing tool that makes properties appeal to a broad range of buyers: the aim is to sell faster and for the best possible price. Occupied staging simply means they’re furnished, rather than empty or partially furnished. Some home stagers specialise in vacant properties and rent out entire room sets for a set period but my passion is working with what my clients already own. Because I offer a

“I really enjoy helping people to transform their home, whether it’s in person or giving advice remotely”

Jane Lee

decluttering service I often attract people who are downsizing or just want to take less to the new home. I’m usually working in someone’s main home, a probate or holiday property.

How did you first discover the trend in home staging?

Home staging’s huge in Scandinavia. When I visited Stockholm I was captivated by the estate agents’ windows: every property looked like an interiors magazine. While it was great to look it did mean that none of them really stood out from the other: they were all gorgeous. Over here, where a minority of homes are staged, it’s the ones that have been that are likely to reap the rewards.

Tell us about your love of ‘shopping your home’ for clients?

Nobody wants to spend much on somewhere they’re leaving, which is why I’m keen to make the most of the existing furniture and accessories – or ‘shopping your home’ by moving things around: a picture in one room could work perfectly next to a chair in another. I’m looking at each space with a fresh eye. Besides being extremely cost-effective it’s planet-friendly too. Investing in staging is a drop in the ocean compared to the money people knock off their asking price if they can’t sell. It can be tricky to see your home with buyers’ eyes if you’ve lived there for a while.

Unless they’re looking for a project, buyers are put off by poor kerb appeal, clutter, tired decor, and clunky layouts and room flow. I’m checking for issues that can lead to lower offers, there’s a lot more to home staging than plumping cushions.

And you believe that it’s worth investing in good photography too?

Beautiful photos sell everything these days but for some reason they haven’t been commonplace when selling our biggest asset. My photographer is amazing! You only get one chance to create a buzz when your home goes on the market so it’s vital to make a great first impression. Only 1 in 10 people can imagine a room other than how it’s shown, so make it easy for them to imagine themselves moving in. Increasing numbers of estate agents are working with home stagers and professional photographers and I strongly believe they improve the appearance – and saleability – of all types and sizes of property.

You offer consultationsin-person and also virtual ones. How does the latter work?

I was already offering virtual consultations before lockdown, to help people further afield. Demand obviously grew when people felt uneasy about having a stranger in their home. People still needed to move – and of course a lot of people were having big clearouts

and that’s when I launched the virtual decluttering and styling sessions.

We have an initial chat and then I ask to see lots of pictures of the exterior and interior – kerb appeal and any outside space too. Most clients simply WhatsApp over photos and a walk-through video is good too. I then have a good look, report back and together we come up with a plan.

Do you have virtual clients all over the country?

I’ve worked with people all over England including Yorkshire, Devon, Norfolk, Hampshire,

Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire. I have family in Tunbridge Wells so know it well, and am more than happy to visit or work remotely with your readers.

How do you manage not to cause offence if you are suggesting people change certain things in their home?

I’m naturally sensitive and

SOME UK HOME STAGING STATISTICS:

• 94 per cent of estate agents agree that staging increases the number of viewings and 86 per cent report that staged properties sell up to three times faster than nonstaged ones.

• The average time it takes a property to receive an offer after staging is 45 days; the average time non-staged properties sit on the market is 108 days.

• Homebuyers spend more time viewing a staged home.

• 78 per cent of estate agents confirm that staging boosts the offer value by up to 10 per cent and 100 per cent recommend staging from the outset of marketing.

Source: Home Staging Association (UK & Ireland).

extremely tactful! It’s important to stress that I’m not judging anyone’s taste or style, it’s just that when you move the target buyers are searching for a certain ‘look and feel’. That’s what I’m showing people how to achieve. I’m also sensitive to people’s timescales, budget and energy levels – how far a home-owner decides to go is up to them; I can also come back and provide hands-on staging, decluttering and styling. It surprises me how many of my clients get totally on board and work through all of my suggestions, often updating me after a consultation before I’ve even driven home! Interior design is all about the owners’ taste, while home staging concentrates on creating a look that will entice a large range of buyers.

Is it a challenge having to stick to a tight budget?

Not at all, I really enjoy the challenge. I relish making the most of what’s already there –transforming rooms in low- or nocost ways wherever possible. Most people have more than enough for me to work with! Together we can pick out the best vases, pictures, etc, and begin to start packing the rest away – or let it go. Most spaces can be transformed without breaking the bank, when you know how. If there’s the budget and time I can suggest paint colours, flooring options etc but generally it’s ideas for new cushions, bedding, towels, flowers and finishing touches: things they can take with them.

www.janeleeinteriors.co.uk

“Home staging is a proven marketing tool that makes properties appeal to a broad range of buyers: the aim is to sell faster and for the best possible price”

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Fun in the sun

Looking for something exciting to do as a family or with a group of friends this summer? Then look no further than Bewl Water’s brilliant Aqua Park says Molly Miller

Indoor, outdoor and for tots and teens, southeast England’s largest reservoir, Bewl Water has something exciting for everyone to enjoy! And now the summer holidays are in full swing, the 800-acre site’s most sought-after summer attraction, the Aqua Park, is back in action with special discounted prices for mid-week sessions.

Reminiscent of those used on popular shows like Total Wipeout, the giant inflatable obstacle course has already received some amazing feedback from this season’s thrill seekers with one adventurer describing the experience as ‘absolutely brilliant’. With 3,000 square metres of pure inflatable fun, the floating playground has been dubbed the UK’s best Wibit outdoor aqua park with popular features including an XXL action tower, flip mattress and monkey bars making it a paradise for water park enthusiasts.

Key to Aqua Park’s appeal is its popularity amongst all ages and whilst children aged six to 12 must have either a parent or guardian accompanying them on the obstacle course, 13 to 16-year-olds can have their parent or guardian viewing from the shoreside where they can grab a coffee, relax, and soak up the sunshine as Bewl’s lifeguards keep everyone safe.

Like with all Bewl’s activities, bookings can be made easily online and tickets for the Aqua Park cost £23. But for summer, the reservoir has lowered its prices for mid-week sessions, which can now be enjoyed for £20 per person.

“We have already taken over 3,000 bookings so far for the school holidays alone and urge parents to book now to avoid missing out,” said Kevin Parker, Senior Operations Manager at Bewl Water.

All customers must turn up 45 minutes prior to their session for a safety briefing. Afterwards,

children and parents can refuel at the Waterfront Café where a selection of light meals and tasty snacks are served all day.

There’s also an ice cream parlour where kids can enjoy slushies and milkshakes too and for those after picnic-worthy patches, there are plenty to choose from promising glorious views of the surrounding countryside and glistening waters.

Tickets for the Aqua Park can be booked at aquapark.bewlwater. co.uk

“With 3,000 square metres of pure inflatable fun, Bewl’s floating playground has been dubbed the UK’s best Wibit outdoor aqua park”

Natural selection

Following her triumphant time at Chelsea Flower show earlier this summer, local designer Camellia Taylor, who won an RHS Silver Gilt medal for her Natural Affinity Garden for Aspens, speaks to Eileen Leahy about her career and why she swapped psychology for horticulture…

category, the garden’s main aim was to raise awareness around the therapeutic value of nature by engaging with each of our seven senses. Here Camellia tells SO readers more about the project and reveals why she digs gardening so much…

What made you decide to quit your job in psychology to pursue a career in gardening?

experience I’ll never forget. I loved being in an environment with people that were equally passionate about garden design and made so many great friends.

Do you think there are any key similarities between your two careers?

their

in scientific research in the area and recently completed ecosensory training to complement my field of work.

Aspens charity and local garden designer Camellia Taylor celebrated an award-winning Chelsea Flower Show in May.

The Pembury-based organisation, which provides high-quality care and support to individuals on the autism spectrum and those with learning disabilities, worked with local garden designer Camellia to create the Natural Affinity Garden, which went on display at the RHS’s most famous horticultural event and drew lots of praise.

Sponsored by Project Giving Back in the All About Plants

I have loved being outside since I can remember. My earliest memories always involved the outdoors so my interest in gardening stemmed from that passion. My first experience in gardening was when I moved to my first flat where I had a window box of basil that I somehow didn’t kill from which I continually harvested. I left my career in psychology when I had my first daughter. The pause in my career gave me time to reevaluate my priorities and pursue a career in something I was equally passionate about.

Where did you do your training and what did you enjoy most about it?

I did my training at London College of Garden Design at Kew Gardens. It was the most incredible year. We had amazing lecturers and guest tutors and it was an

I am passionate about the benefits we derive from nature. I enjoy linking people with their outdoor spaces and creating a connection that is personal to them. I inform my design choices with evolutions

You graduated in 2020 and three years later were showing at Chelsea! How did this happen? The journey to Chelsea evolved from my connection to Aspens. It is a wonderful charity that I have known for years. We have a lovely relationship. We (together with 11 other chosen designers/charities) were lucky enough to receive the generous sponsorship from Project Giving Back this year at Chelsea which made my design possible.

What was it like being part of the world’s biggest horticultural event?

It still feels surreal and was such a great opportunity to showcase the amazing work Aspens do. I loved being part of it and getting to work alongside some of the best designers in the world.

Can you tell us about the thinking behind the Aspens garden?

The footprint of the garden is based on my interest that brain neurons and plant roots not only look similar, but have also been mathematically shown to grow in the same way. The garden is

“I am passionate about the benefits we derive from nature. I enjoy linking people with

outdoor spaces and creating a connection that is personal to them”

composed of three main elements: trees, plants and stone. The plants have been specifically selected for their individual sensory qualities and are placed according to different sensory zones.

Have there been challenges involved in your career as a garden designer?

I’m a working mum and it is a constant challenge trying to juggle parenting with my career, but one I wouldn’t change. My daughters are enthusiastic about the job I do. They are creative girls and often show me their own designs and I love to encourage their creativity.

Can you tell us about any other commissions you have worked on recently?

I mainly work on residential designs. Recently I’ve been creating gardens for young families which is something I really relate to as the brief frequently involves incorporating natural play. I love to do this as it ties back to child development from my previous career in psychology.

You cite a love for naturalistic planting. Has this always been your signature style?

I love naturalistic planting as it sits effortlessly in the garden. My style has evolved over the years and will continue to do so. I follow Beth

Chatto’s principles of ‘right plant, right place’ so always try to use planting that is appropriate and sympathetic to their environment. I will always be passionate about the environment and hope that my designs reflect this.

Which gardens or designers inspire you and do you have a favourite local one?

My favourite designer is Dan Pearson. I have always admired his work and have been fortunate to hear him speak. He reimagined Delos at Sissinghurst, which is one of my favourite local gardens to visit. Jo Thompson is a great local designer and is someone who always takes time to give me the benefit of her experience and knowledge.

What new trends are you seeing in gardening?

The UK and Southern Europe are currently experiencing some of the hottest weather on record (which follows a wet winter in the UK) and a number of my recent clients have expressed an interest in incorporating more drought-tolerant planting and environmentally friendly landscaping into their design.

Are you looking forward to a busy year in 2024?

I am excited about developing my thinking and designs to adapt to

this climate unpredictability and ensure that I’m always prioritising the environmental impact of my designs - with a similar focus to the plants and local materials incorporated in my Chelsea design. As always, it will be another hugely busy but rewarding year, and I’ll hopefully continue to learn and grow as a designer.

@thegardentaylor www.thegardentaylor.com

Design I Build I Planting

TEAM WORK: Camellia with the team at Aspens celebrating their Chelsea award

VISIT US IN ROBERTSBRIDGE! WE HAVE EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO HELP WITH MAINTAINING YOUR LAWN AND GARDEN.

Creative endeavour

With heatwaves and hosepipe bans becoming more and more frequent, Tim Sykes of Gardenproud reveals why drought-tolerant gardens could be the way forward…

After the severe drought of last summer and the heatwaves happening this summer, plus the hosepipe ban, all garden lovers must be wondering how on earth their precious outdoor spaces are going to survive.

Common sense would suggest we should be thinking about alternative planting strategies and low-pressure watering systems.

That’s why I believe the late and legendary Beth Chatto’s Gravel Garden (described also as a dry garden) at Elmstead Market, near Colchester in Essex is an inspiration.

This is perhaps Beth’s most well-known garden. Interestingly it began as an experiment and has never been watered since its creation. Despite it being situated in one of the driest parts of the country and having poor, freedraining soil, this former car park has become renowned for its spectacular display of droughttolerant plants.

Amazingly the garden is only irrigated by natural sources. This may seem extreme, but the garden, which was created in 1992, and the strategy of careful soil preparation, heavy mulching, then utilisation of gravel as a surface mulch, all combined with drought tolerant plants, has obviously worked. We recently visited the garden

Tim Sykes Gardenproud

and the photographs on this page are testimony to Beth’s research and the subsequent team’s exceptional care and attention that goes into its remarkable presentation and upkeep.

Good soil preparation is key

When creating the gravel garden the soil and subsoil needed breaking up and turning over to a reasonable depth. This allowed penetration of rain and a good root system.

The Beth Chatto team mixed in plenty of good compost to two spades’ depth. This was designed to help conserve

moisture, especially at the plant establishment phase. The ground was then allowed to settle before planting.

When planting, each plant was given a really good soaking in a bucket of water before planting. Then when planted the areas were well-watered with a hose.

Beth chose not to apply any mulch in the first year since she knew that fresh fluffed-up soil incorporating compost tends to encourage weeds. Instead she chose to hoe the soil in the first season and remove any weeds.

In the following season a mulch of 12mm gravel was spread between the plants to a depth of 25-50mm, depending on the type and height of plants. So obviously a thinner mulch would be used for shorter plants etc.

The close planting, combined with gravel mulch, helps reduce the subsequent weeding. It also reflects sunlight and keeps the soil below cooler and thus more likely to retain moisture longer.

Choose drought-tolerant plants

If you’re thinking about adopting a drought-resistant garden then consider a range of plants that will give you interest throughout spring, summer and winter. A balanced design that incorporates bulbs, perennials and shrubs. This will give you shape, texture and colour in your borders.

Drought-tolerant plants you might include in a scheme:

Lavandula angustifolia Lespedeza bicolor

Euphorbia characias subsp. wulfenii

Sternbergia lutea

Arum creticum

Phyla nodiflora

Sedum spectabile “Iceberg”

Phuopsis stylosa

Helichrysum hypoleucum

Yucca gloriosa

Alstroemeria ligtu hybrids

Hebe “Red Edge”

Cotoneaster franchetii

Helleborus argutifolius

Spiraea japonica “Bullata”

Codonopsis Clematidea

Nigella damascena “Miss Jekyll

Alba”

Helianthemum “Rhodanthe Craneum”

Acanthus dioscoridis var. perringii

Iphelion uniflorum

Origanum vulgare “Aureum”

For more advice and information see Beth Chatto’s book “DroughtResistant Planting” published by Frances Lincoln 2016.

Beth Chatto’s Gardens and Nursery are open to the public on selected days throughout the year. It’s well worth a visit!

For full details go to www.bethchatto.co.uk

What’s happening in the garden this August?

- Dead head the roses

- Remove supports from herbaceous plants that have finished flowering

- Add supports to taller dahlias

- Cut sweet pea blooms regularly to keep fresh flowers coming

- Plant early flowering bulbs including snowdrops, crocus and iris as soon as they become available

- Keep hedges trimmed and weed around the roots to keep them healthy

- Keep potted plants and key plants watered by using your watering cans

For further information or help with your garden design contact Tim Sykes at Gardenproud on 07725 173820, or at tim@gardenproud.co.uk

“Beth Chatto’s famous Gravel Garden began as an experiment and has never been watered since its creation. Despite it being situated in one of the driest parts of the country and having poor, free-draining soil, it has become renowned for its spectacular display of drought tolerant plants”

Back to School in Royal Tunbridge Wells

We’ve all been there, skidding round all the shops in the last couple of days before the schools go back at the beginning of September! Why not get ahead of the game and visit the wide selection of school suppliers available in Tunbridge Wells at your leisure over the next few weeks? We have got you covered with all your return to school purchases, from some of our brilliant independents and big brand names.

Stationery

Brand new MOOCH store opened on 28th July 2023. Mooch is a lifestyle brand which thrives on offering current, trendy products that you won’t be able to find elsewhere. Mooch stocks an extensive kids range covering the back to school season which children and students of all ages will love. There is something for everyone in this brand new store!

Upper Mall, Royal Victoria Place

Lunchboxes, Water Bottles & Bags

WHSmith

Explore the range of student essentials to give your young learners the best start this year! From amazing deals and offers on a vast selection of stationery to fill their pencil case. WHSmith has everything they'll need to see them through the school year.

121 - 122 Royal Victoria Place

Poundland

Poundland have created a "Back To School" checklist to help make your shopping a breeze. From stationery to lunchbox essentials, they've got everything that you need on this list so that you don’t forget a thing!

10-16 Grosvenor Road, TunbridgeWells

The Range

Essential school stationery and other items every kid needs before going back to school in September.

Vale Road, Tunbridge Wells

Ryman

Grab all of your back to school essentials with Ryman! Everything you could need for going back to school, including notepads, exercise books, pens and pencils, academic planners, school bags, lunch boxes, revision guides and more! With plenty of fun designs and colours to choose from, you’ll find stationery and back to school supplies perfect for every personality type.

24 Monson Road, Tunbridge Wells

The Works

Everything you need for going back to school! What better excuse is there to get yourself brand new stationery than a new school term?!

41-43 Calverley Rd, Tunbridge Wells

Jeremy's Home Stores

The town's much loved "Purveyor of Fancy Goods" has all those handy things which make going back to school easier; lunch boxes, lunch bags, snack pots, water bottles & stationery! 26-28 Monson Road

#Lovelocal Support Tunbridge Wells Businesses Supported By:

Why not follow us on Social Media to keep up with the latest news in the town centre @rtwtogether

@rtwtogether

@Royal Tunbridge Wells Together Business Improvement District

Getting back into the school routine; don't forget to sign up to out of school activities too; Water Babies on Vale Road, Tunbridge Wells are now taking bookings for September. Teach your little one a life skill with availability from birth - 5 years old.

Please contact holdon@waterbabies.co.uk or call 01424 892568 for more details.

School Uniform & Shoes

Stampede

Tunbridge Well's Independent Children's shoe shop has a large stock of children's school shoes and trainers for back to school! An appointment system runs in August as well as offering a walk in (non appointment) service. School shoes start from £39.99 and the friendly team cater for all budgets, styles and shape of feet (wide or slim). There's even an under-stairs play-house as well as a TV showing children's films to keep siblings occupied whilst their family member is being fitted for shoes!

6B Camden Road 01892 511651 Appointments at: www.stampedeshoes.as.me/schedule.php or scan QR code

Clarks

Beat the back-to-school rush and book your appointment today. Kids are at their happiest when they feel comfortable. That's why Clarks' versatile collection of school shoes has a mix of styles to suit everyone. 44-46 Calverley Rd www.clarks.co.uk/school-shoes

Next

Trespass

Specialising in high quality and durable outdoor jackets for a range of purposes, including Back-toSchool! Unit 10, Royal Victoria Place 01892 516256

Sainsburys

Great products from hard wearing school shoes, durable school uniforms, as well as exciting packed lunch ideas to keep the kids interested.

Linden Park Rd

Simmonds

Tick off the new-term checklist in a flash with this one-stop schoolwear shop at Next™! Send the kids back in serious style with made-tolast schoolwear

31-35 Camden Rd

Marks

Award winning, light, cool and super-comfy, M & S school uniform is cleverly designed with repellent finishes for added durability, crease-resistant fabrics and scuffresistant shoes, our tried and trusted uniforms will let kids enjoy work and play everyday.

33 Calverley Road 01892 511466

Experience quality service and specialist knowledge with a personal touch. Whatever you need, the team of dedicated experts can help. With over 180 years of specialist garment and fitting knowledge, Simmonds provide an unrivalled understanding of school uniform and sportswear to ensure the very best options for pupils, parents and schools. Simmonds make buying uniform and sportswear easy, providing a one-stop shop for parents with expert fitting advice; at their flagship store in Tunbridge Wells. 64 Calverley Road 01892 510123

Sports Kit

JD

Sports Direct

It's time to get Back to School ready! This is your one-stop shop for all school essentials, from shoes, trainers & sports kit to bags, stationery and much more! Upper Level Royal Victoria Place 0344 332 5131

Giving lessons in style, JD Sports is the leading trainer and sports fashion retailer in the UK. Taking looks up a level with a range of essential accessories and schoolready trainers. 117-119, Royal Victoria Place

You've bought the stationery, chosen the lunch box, uniform & shoes, now it's time for the back to school haircuts! Here is a selection of some of the Hairdressers and Barbers in the town centre who offer children's haircuts!

Design a Head 6A Camden Road 01892 544937 www.designaheadhairdressing.co.uk

Headmasters 22 Monson Road 0345 459 7731 www.headmasters.com

SW1 Hair & Beauty 17 High Street 01892 618388 @sw1hb

Fargs 10 Camden Road 01892 533336 www.fargs.co.uk

Buzz Barbers 144 Royal Victoria Place 01892 616655 www.buzz-barbers.co.uk

Simply Sports

A multi-sport, specialist, locally run business that aims to give you the very best products, service and value to make heading back to school that much easier! 68 Mount Pleasant Road 01892 521311

Priding itself on the service offered; staff are fully trained & supported by all the main global brands, as well as smaller brands too. Dancing Boutique caters for every dancer!

8 Camden Road 01892 529720

Dancing Boutique

and Spencer

Sports

THE UK'S FINEST OUTDOOR FURNITURE

A Garden For All Seasons

For over 45 years, Bridgman has rede ned modern outdoor living. Through hot summer days and crisp autumn nights, enjoy everything your garden has to o er with their award-winning furniture and accessories, beautifully crafted to last for years to come.

Find your perfect outdoor dining and lounging furniture at our beautiful Royal Tunbridge Wells Showroom. Alternatively, call 01892 538882 or visit bridgman.co.uk to shop online.

OLD AMERSHAM ENFIELD CHELTENHAM

ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Sail away... win a cruise

Your chance to join us at the #HolidayInspirations Show this September...

Baldwins Travel will be hosting the #HolidayInspirations Show, and this year it’s coming to Sevenoaks. This is your chance to come along for inspiration on worldwide holiday and business travel destinations, with over 40 travel, tour and cruise operators attending. There will be plenty of travel ideas for all ages and types of travellers including solo travellers, couples, honeymooners, families, multi-generational families, large groups, and corporate travellers. Our tour operator partners have the world covered, as they are all specialists in their

product and destinations, so come along and meet the experts at the show, which is on Sunday 24th September, 10am to 3pm, at the award-winning Sevenoaks School. This year we will be holding several presentations throughout the day from a wide range of different travel, tour, and cruise operators, giving you the chance to hear more about destinations and meet the expert themselves. Many of our travel partners will be offering exclusive show offers on the day –so don’t miss out!

Attendance and parking at

the show is free, we ask that you sign up online in advance for Fast Track entry on the day and for your chance to WIN A CRUISE courtesy of Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines visit www.baldwinstravel. co.uk/events. Every visitor to the show will be in with a chance of winning this amazing prize. So If you are looking for Holiday Inspiration, then come along to the Baldwins Travel #HolidayInspirations Show 2023 this September.

We hope to see you there!

Some very exciting news from Baldwins Travel

Baldwins Travel is thrilled to announce they have been voted Travel Agent of the Year –London and South East England (Small Agency) 2023 at this year’s Agent Achievement Awards. The Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards is the largest celebration of the travel trade in the UK & Ireland and the highest accolade for travel

agencies and agents. The awards are designed to honour those travel agencies and travel agents who truly represent the best of the travel industry and recognise excellence in a range of categories and specialisms. On winning this award

Nick Marks, Managing Director says

“We are absolutely delighted to win this coveted award, which is due to

the hard work and dedication of all the team at Baldwins Travel. We pride ourselves on giving the very best service to all our clients and we cannot thank enough everyone who voted for us – this award means the world to the team”.

Nick and 7 of the team attended the glittering award ceremony.

Get away from it all

Did you know there are still plenty of last-minute staycation options available during the school holidays? Whether you’re looking for a peaceful countryside weekend or a luxurious hotel getaway, you’ll find great deals, even for peak travel dates if you know where to look. Let Molly Miller be your last minute holiday guide…

SALOMONS ESTATE

For a charming rural getaway, why not consider Salomons Estate? This picturesque Grade II listed manor house in Tunbridge Wells offers 36 acres of rolling gardens and six beautifully refurbished holiday cottages. Each combines historical charm with modern luxury, and if you book directly, you can save 20% using code ‘BOOK20’!

The cottages cater to groups of all sizes, accommodating 2 to 12 guests, and they’re also dogfriendly, so the whole family can

join in the fun. You can choose from the grand Gate House, the quaint Cottage, or the newly added Garden Cottages which are located behind a beautiful walled garden. Named Peony, Lavender, Rose, and Honeysuckle, the Garden Cottages boast original features from their fascinating history. They were once potting sheds used by the estate’s gardening staff in 1890 when David Salomons, London’s first-ever Jewish Lord Mayor, lived there.

All holiday homes at Salomons offer fully equipped kitchens,

stylish lounge and dining areas, spacious double bedrooms, luxury bathrooms, and large flat-screen TVs. The two larger cottages also boast their own private gardens, which are perfect for relaxing outdoors.

During your stay, you can explore the estate’s glorious grounds, visit the museum, and indulge in delightful afternoon tea or Sunday lunch on the terrace (available on selected dates in August). The location is also great for day trips to nearby historical sites like Hever Castle and Penshurst Place, as well as attractions such as the Assembly Hall Theatre and Bewl Water.

ONE WARWICK PARK HOTEL

If you’re seeking luxury, One Warwick Park is the place to be. This boutique hotel, located near Tunbridge Wells’ famous Pantiles, offers 20% off when booking directly. The hotel stands proudly on Chapel Place and features 39 bedrooms and suites, plus two beautifully refurbished self-catering options.

The House, with room for up to eight guests is dog-friendly and offers a spacious marble kitchen that seamlessly connects to the lounge/diner, providing plenty of space for families to relax. The Apartment is also dog-friendly and suitable for smaller groups, boasting a cosy space with luxurious amenities and a private courtyard to enjoy the sunshine. For an all-inclusive experience, the hotel offers interconnecting suites and bedrooms, blending comfort and elegance, equipped with modern amenities, flat-screen TVs, plush pillows, and lovely bathrooms with complimentary Temple Spa products.

During your stay, be sure to check out The Brasserie,

One Warwick Park’s delicious restaurant, where kids under 12 eat free during the summer holidays, and parents can enjoy a free cocktail!

The summer promotion is valid until the end of August and can be redeemed when ordering one adult main from the seasonal menu. Dishes all use locally-sourced ingredients, with popular favourites including the Brasserie burger, a 7oz fillet steak, battered cod and chips and a classic club sandwich. There’s also a bar, featuring an extensive drinks menu providing the perfect spot to sit back and unwind after a day exploring with the family. Nearby attractions that are perfect for keeping the children entertained include the Spa Valley Railway, Trinity Theatre, Dunorlan Park and Chimera Climbing. Book your luxury break at onewarwickpark.co.uk and use code ‘BOOK20’ for 20% off this summer!

“Whether you’re looking for a peaceful countryside weekend or a luxurious hotel getaway, you’ll still find great deals this summer”

Living the dream in Disneyland in Disneyland

with movable floor-to-ceiling LED screens that glide across a 650sqm stage to facilitate the fluid scene changes and full-sized set decorations that stretch up to 30 metres wide and 6.2 metres high including a marigold bridge connecting the worlds of the living and dead.

Up to 38 artists and Pixar characters are on stage at any time, quick-changing more than 120 dazzling costumes created in collaboration with Paris-based workshop Bas et Hauts.

Two hundred spotlights magnify movements choreographed by Romain Rachline-Borgeaud and Céline and Cain Kitsaïs, including overhead footage of floor-based dancers in a Finding Nemo vignette which projects a kaleidoscopic clam shell fantasia à la Busby Berkeley onto a rear wall.

Adding to the complexity, multimedia and performance elements flirt with a soundtrack recorded with 54 musicians at studios around Nashville, enriched by a conductor-led ensemble of eight musicians live on stage.

Their accompaniment on piano, violin, trumpet, cello, guitar, drums, saxophone, trombone, tuba, double bass, clarinet and percussion deepens symphonic swells of an original score infused with familiar Pixar film themes.

Damon Smith journeys to infinity and beyond with Buzz Lightyear as the French resort initiates the launch sequence of an immersive new stage show

In the 1996 animated film Toy Story, cowboy Woody rudely dismisses the serendipitously acrobatic entrance of his rival Buzz Lightyear by decrying, “That wasn’t flying, that was falling with style”.

From July 15, the delightfully self-deluded space ranger soars to the rafters of the Studio Theater at Disneyland Paris when Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure takes up permanent residence in the production courtyard of Walt Disney Studios Park.

Masterminded in just six months by directors Arnaud Feredj and Matthieu Robin, producer Astrid Gomez and an army of more than 100 creatives, the 33-minute multisensory performance is included in the French resort’s general admission ticket price (subject to availability) and augments stateof-the-art video, live actors, music, puppetry and water effects with attention-grabbing theatrical flourishes such as a certain intergalactic action figure defying gravity in an aerial harness.

Writer Thomas Maurion introduces the show’s lead character – a child called Charlie, who dreams of conducting their own orchestral composition at

their school’s end-of-year gala – in mixed-reality video.

The musically gifted urchin loses the sheet music on the eve of the concert, heralding a speedy transition from 2D to 3D for the on-stage arrival of Woody, Bo Peep, Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Lotso, Rex and Green Army Men to search every nook of Charlie’s digitally rendered room for the missing pages.

The toys’ gung-ho quest unwraps melodic interludes with Miguel from Coco, Carl, Russell and Dug from Up, Sulley, Mike Wazowski and yellow hazmatsuited operatives from Monsters, Inc., and clownfish Nemo, his

worrywart father Marlin and forgetful Dory.

Sign language is cleverly integrated into character responses although younger audiences who don’t speak French may yearn for audio description or supertitles to slingshot sweetly around bilingual dialogue that is weighted heavily towards native speakers.

Performed five times daily, Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure goes un poco loco for technical innovation and heartwarming sentiment to celebrate the enduring power of community spirit.

It’s one of the most ambitious shows in any Disney theme park,

A euphoric new earworm, “Together We Are One” composed by Austin Zudeck, Justin Thunstrom, Tony Ferrari and Noemie Legrand, proves irresistible as the toe-tapping closing refrain.

The arrival of Together: A Pixar

Musical Adventure emboldens the most impressive roster of theatrical productions and parades at a single Disney property, led by the spellbinding Mickey And The Magician at Animagique Theater in Walt Disney Studios Park, which melds large-scale illusions and special effects with song and dance numbers from Cinderella, Beauty And The Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin and Frozen.

Soaring chants across a sunscorched savannah distinguish The Lion King: Rhythms Of The Pride Lands at Frontierland Theater in Disneyland Park, which has been exclusive to the French resort since 2019.

Staged atop giant African drums (one of which tips forward to provide Scar with a fittingly grand entrance), the reworked rites-ofpassage drama scavenges elements from the Oscar-winning 1994 film and Tony Award-winning 1997 stage show to chronicle Simba’s grief-fuelled odyssey from cub to

benevolent ruler.

The two parks in Chessy, located about 20 miles east of Paris, have been home to attractions and shows based on Pixar’s Oscarwinning back catalogue since April 2006 when the Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast dark ride unholstered in Discoveryland.

The interactive shooting gallery straps intrepid explorers into twoperson space cruisers mounted with infra-red laser guns. Direct hits at targets emblazoned with Emperor Zurg’s insignia score between 100 points (circular targets) and 10,000 points (triangular) although trigger-happy recruits should aim at the centre of Zurg’s armoured chest in the first and last scenes to collect a secret 50,000 points.

A short walk away, behind the Hyperspace Mountain rollercoaster, Mickey’s PhilharMagic 4D experience now includes a scene from Coco replete with a hidden Pizza Planet truck

– an Easter Egg in almost every Pixar film.

Floats dedicated to Toy Story and Finding Nemo take pride of place in the daily Disney Stars on Parade, while Joy from Inside Out, Miguel from Coco and Woody and Jessie from Toy Story put their best feet forward for the rainbowcoloured Dream… and Shine Brighter! daytime show as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations.

Over in Walt Disney Studios Park, a hulking statue of Buzz Lightyear dominates the Worlds of Pixar area festooned with seven family-friendly attractions.

Jessie from Toy Story meets and greets fans and poses for rootin’ tootin’ photographs next to Crush’s Coaster. The spinning rollercoaster is exclusive to Paris and one of the resort’s most intense rides, propelling four-person turtle shells into the depths of the Coral Sea at the mercy of the swirling East Australian Current.

In stark contrast, guests of any age and height can enjoy the gently looping undulations of Slinky Dog Zigzag Spin.

Cars Road Trip takes a leisurely drive along Route 66, pausing briefly for a simulated earthquake and flash flood in Cars-tastrophe Canyon (sit on the left-hand side of the ride vehicle if you’re happy

to get wet during the deluge).

Cars Quatre Roues Rallye is a family-friendly spinning teacup ride inside cute, anthropomorphic automobiles.

Strong stomachs are required for RC Racer, which accelerates back and forth along a half-pipe track and hangs almost 80 metres in the air at its highest point.

Simulated 25-metre plummets on the Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop elicit stomach-lurching screams, while Remy the rat cooks up his favourite dish on the Ratatouille: The Adventure 4D dark ride, heightened by delectable aromas of oranges and freshly baked bread in kitchen scenes.

Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure also stimulates audiences’ senses with scents. Comforting base notes of childhood wonder complement candyfloss wafts of sweet harmony. Breathe deeply.

HOW TO PLAN YOUR TRIP

Disneyland Paris (disneylandparis.com/engb/; 0344 800 8898) offers a two-night/three-day stay at Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe, including direct return economy flights with Easyjet from London Gatwick to Paris Charles de Gaulle, from £1612 for two adults and two children (ages 3-9), including park tickets. Price based on September 15 2023 departure date.

“Together: A Pixar Musical Adventure goes un poco loco for technical innovation and heart-warming sentiment to celebrate the enduring power of community spirit”

FIRST DRIVE:

to accelerate and brake ‘without spilling a drop of champagne in the back’. Yes, really. While the champagne test wasn’t performed, we did get a good opportunity to drive it on the road and it’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between this and a V12. Both are silent and power delivery is remarkably similar. Engineers were told to design a ‘Rolls-Royce first, an electric car second’ and on the road, it’s clear they’ve nailed it. Power is delivered smoothly with no sudden explosive bursts as you’d expect in an EV. It’s linear and relaxing. As for the wafting, magic carpet ride – these terms describe Spectre perfectly. It’s sumptuous and cosseting on all road surfaces. Our only slight complaint would be the steering – at times it lacked a tiny little bit of feel, but it hardly blots the copybook.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Spectre is the spiritual successor to the Phantom Coupe and was drawn

FACTS AT A GLANCE

MODEL: Rolls Royce Spectre

BASE PRICE: £330,000

MODEL AS TESTED: Spectre

PRICE: £450,000+

ENGINE: Electric

POWER: 576bhp

TORQUE: 900Nm

MAX SPEED: 155mph

0-60MPH: 4.4 seconds

EMISSIONS: 0g/km

RANGE: 329 miles

Rolls-Royce Spectre

The new Spectre marks a brand new electric age for Rolls-Royce. James Baggott has been finding out what this luxury EV is like

WHAT IS IT?

Back in 1900, Rolls-Royce cofounder Charles Rolls predicted in a magazine article that electric cars would be ‘very useful’ when ‘charging stations can be arranged’. Fast forward 123 years and the brand is finally launching Spectre, its first fully electric car, despite the fact no one could quite yet describe the UK’s charging infrastructure as being ‘arranged’.

Rolls-Royce says the century-long wait for its first EV wasn’t through want of trying.

The car maker dabbled in electric propulsion with the 102EX Phantom back in 2011, but surmised after that project that charging would take too long and batteries weren’t good enough. But in the last decade technology has advanced quickly – and now the 329-mile range Spectre is ready for the road.

WHAT’S NEW?

Pretty much everything on the Spectre is new – even the Spirit of Ecstasy bonnet emblem has been redesigned with a more aerodynamic profile to reduce drag.

The famous Rolls-Royce star-light headlining, which uses tiny LEDs to twinkle at night, has now been extended to the doors and it’s the first Roller to go fully electric.

The Goodwood-based business has said it will never produce another car with a combustion engine again.

WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?

Ditching the firm’s famous silky smooth V12 was never going to be easy, but Rolls-Royce believes it has found the ideal solution with this electric set-up. The 102kWh battery can be charged from zero to 100 per cent in 5 hours and 30 minutes on a 22kW charger. While most home chargers are 7kW, Rolls-Royce says it expects owners to have access to faster chargers at home and work.

Owners have told the car maker they actually prefer the benefits of charging as it means they won’t have to visit petrol stations any more and, presumably, be forced to mix with the hoi polloi. Buyers have, on average, access to another seven cars in their garage so when a trip could potentially cause range anxiety issues they’re expected to use something else.

Performance-wise the Spectre hits 60mph in 4.4 seconds, is limited to 155mph and produces 576bhp and 900Nm of torque.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?

This is a car that’s as good to drive as it is to be driven in – and before you ask, yes, most buyers drive themselves around. There were three important character traits that Rolls-Royce wanted its new Spectre to demonstrate: Silence, ‘waftability’ and a magic carpet ride. The designers are convinced this is what owners want – that and the ability

to resemble luxury sailing yachts. It certainly has similar elegant lines and looks incredibly imposing on the road. The designers told us they were looking to recreate the slabsided, single hull of a boat.

Up front, there’s the huge trademark grille and it’s available in a whole multitude of colours, including stunning two-tone paint jobs.

WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?

Spectre is packed with clever, luxury touches. These include powered doors that open and close at the touch of a button, or when the driver puts their foot on the brake.

Rolls-Royce has redesigned the digital dashboard to match the colours of the car and even the sounds have been curated – the indicator noise is said to be a combination of ‘whisky tumblers and the ping of metal from the car’s air vents’.

WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?

Rolls-Royce buyers are ultrawealthy and used to having whatever they want – and the firm will give it to them. The car maker is cagey about the price, explaining that it’s quite uncouth to even speak about it, but when pushed the firm says Spectre starts at around £330,000.

Few will leave the factory costing less than £450,000, though. That’s down to the huge range of colours, finishes and options users can pick. You name it, and you can get it on a Spectre.

VERDICT

The Rolls-Royce Spectre is simply joyful to drive. The marque set out to make the world’s most luxurious electric car and has excelled. The ride is wonderful, the power delivery sublime and its looks are a work of art. There are few cars on the road that are quite as perfect as the Spectre – but you’ll certainly have to pay for that privilege.

That said, if you need to ask the price, even Rolls-Royce admits you’re probably not the sort of person it’s looking to sell to. For the rest of us, it’s simply a desirable electric car we can only dream of owning.