Dales Life May-June 2011

www.daleslife.com | £1.95

May/June Issue 2011

A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

WHITE OUT WINES FOR ALFRESCO DRINKING

SHED CHIC PLACES TO POTTER

MINIATURE MARVELS COLLECTABLE COLD PAINTED BRONZES

James Martin’s COOKERY MASTERCLASS

COUNTY KITCHENS (Leyburn) Ltd Exquisite new range of handmade kitchens now in stock.

PLEASE ASK FOR OUR COMPLIMENTARY BROCHURE, TELEPHONE: 01969 624274 Showroom: Belle Vue Offices, Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5AW Visit our website: www.yorkshire-kitchens.co.uk Open: Monday to Friday 9am-5.30pm and Saturday 10am-1pm

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The Editor’s Letter early summer is a marvellous time here in the dales, with so much to see and enjoy — and, hopefully, some lengthy spells of fine weather to help us make the most of it.

However busy you are, though, do make a point of visiting the brand new Dales Life website at www.daleslife.com. as always you can read the whole magazine online, but now you’ll also find a variety of exciting extras, including seasonal recipes, property news and some exclusive — and very generous — wine offers from lewis & cooper and Yorkshire Vintners.

May/June 2011

Editor: Sue Gillman Deputy Editor: Brian Pike Production: Claudia Blake Advertising: Sue Gillman Art Editor: Stef Suchomski Fashion Editor: Chloe Smith Proofreader: Tom Fox Proprietor: Sue Gillman T: 01904 629295 M: 07970 739119 E: sue@daleslife.com

Better still, one lucky visitor to our new site will earn themselves a cheque for £500. all you need to do for a chance to win is sign up to the Dales Life mailing list. do it now, before you forget — and tell friends and relatives to get involved too!

Dales Life Holgate Villas, Suite N, 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4AB

meanwhile you’ll find plenty in this issue to help you celebrate the arrival of summer, including some delicious seasonal recipes from andy Brooks, Head chef at Henderson’s restaurant near aysgarth, (p.69) and christine austin’s choice of refreshing white wines for alfresco quaffing (p.58).

Contributors:

this is one of the best times of year to tackle the garden, and on p.32 you can read adam appleyard’s tips on growing cucumbers (ideal for those delicate sandwiches on the lawn!) and tasty sweetcorn that puts the shopbought stuff to shame. if you want to beautify your borders then turn to p.24, where you can find Rebecca Pow’s advice on growing that spectacular and ever-popular flower, the peony. when it comes to gardens, what could be more quintessentially english than the garden shed? sheds aren’t just for old codgers nowadays, and if you want something rather more cutting-edge than just a place to store garden tools then sally coulthard’s article about how sheds can be chic will give you inspiration. You can find it on p.16.

Adam Appleyard Brian Pike Chloe Smith Chris Baines Christine Austin Claudia Blake Henry King Ian Henry Laurie Campbell Rebecca Pow Sally Coulthard Sally Scott-Richards

there’s lots more besides, including claudia Blake’s latest restaurant review (p.64) and Brian Pike’s choice of books (p.102), along with recipes for impressive dinner party dishes from tV chef James martin (p.48) and cosy teatime treats from elizabeth Guy and Pat Kirkbride (p.96). we’ll be back again soon — until then, i hope you enjoy this issue of Dales Life and the new Dales Life website.

sue Gillman Editor

to advertise in Dales Life contact sue on 01904 629295 or 07970 739119

V i s i t u s at w w w. d a l e s l i f e . c o m 3

Beautiful handmade kitchens designed and made to order in Yorkshire

Bespoke doors • Cast iron radiators Victorian & Georgian fireplaces • Period door furniture Stoves • Lighting • Oak Flooring Visit our extensive showroom in Richmond View our on-line brochure at www.periodhousestore.co.uk Tel: 01748 821500 Unit 3-7, Simpson Building, Borough Road, Gallowfields Trading Estate, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL10 4SX 4

Contents

May/June 2011

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58 16 78 On the cover 16 Shed Chic There is something quintessentially English about the shed, says Sally Coulthard.

48 Mastering The Art Entertaining is easy when you've got James Martin on hand.

58 On The Grapevine Wines for alfresco drinking,

by Christine Austin.

78 Miniature Marvels Tennants valuer Adam Schoon introduces Ian Henry to a collection of exquisite cold-painted bronzes.

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Contents

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Features 9 Emporium Inspiring ideas for your home and garden.

13 Inside Story The latest news on interiors, compiled by Chloe Smith.

24 Peony Power Think peonies are old fashioned? Think again, Rebecca Pow reports.

32 Dig It How to grow sweetcorn and cucumber, by Adam Appleyard.

40 Warm Welcome

85 A Matter of Taste Traditional or contemporary, we have the right kitchen for you.

94 In Season Rhubarb is the flavour of the moment, says Chloe Smith.

96 Sweetness And Light Tea time treats from cookery writers, Elizabeth Guy and Pat Kirkbride.

102 Bookmark Brian Pike takes a critical look at what's hot off the press.

Chris Baines celebrates the sights and scents of early summer.

107 Beauty Spot

64 The Discerning Diner

112 Dales Diary

Claudia Blake visits The Raby Hunt Restaurant in Summerhouse.

69 Chef ’s Table Dine in with Dales chef Andy Brooks.

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Sue Gillman visits Swinton Park Spa. A guide to local events.

129 To Dine For Great places to stay and eat in the Yorkshire Dales.

96 To advertise in Dales Life contact Sue on 01904 629295 or 07970 739119 All rights reserved. Permission for reproduction must be sought from the publisher. Freelance contributions welcomed. The views and opinions expressed in Dales Life are not necessarily those of the publishers or their employees.

BEAR COT TAGE INTERIORS Period & Contemporary Country Design Bespoke design service ranging from a single cushion cover to a complete home design package

Curtains & Blinds, Fabric, Furniture, Lamps Mirrors, Bespoke Joinery.

The Cattle Market, Market Place, Hawes, DL8 3RD Tel 01969 666077

www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk

PATCHWORK ROSE Beautiful home accessories and stylish gifts

Find the perfect gift, chic addition to your home, or simply treat yourself!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - -------------------- -

23 North End, Bedale, DL8 1AF | 01677 427627 or shop online at www.patchworkrose.co.uk

Visit us at the following country shows throughout the summer: Duncombe Park Country Fair Monday 30 May 8

North Yorkshire Show Sunday 19 June

Great Yorkshire Show Tuesday 12 - Thursday 14 July

EMPORIUM Inspiring ideas for your home

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1. Blanket Out Youngsters just love these soft and stylish Raggy-Tag comfort blankets. Velour £17.99, limited edition Liberty fabric £20.99, The Forge Home Interiors, Bedale. www.forgeinteriors.co.uk 01677 427383.

2. Pack It In Fun retro-style stacking storage cases for kids in gorgeous pastel shades. £19.95 for a set of three or individually priced, The Forge Home Interiors, Bedale. www.forgeinteriors.co.uk 01677 427383.

3. Some Like It Hot This colourful cafetière wrap will cheer up your breakfast table whilst keeping your coffee nice and cosy. £7.99, Askrigg Village Kitchen. www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk 01969 650076.

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4. China Syndrome Quaff your hot drinks in style from these thoroughly delightful bone china mugs. Various designs. £8 each, Askrigg Village Kitchen. www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk 01969 650076.

5. Quilt While You’re Ahead Add a touch of summery charm to a bedroom with this pretty country-style patchwork quilt by Cavania. £82, Patchwork Rose, Bedale. www.patchworkrose.co.uk 01677 427627.

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Reinvented Recycled and Revived we are a new web based company who are passionate about our environment. our ethos is to oer bespoke and individual pieces that have been recycled and revamped.

Antique upholstered pieces Bespoke service Hand finished furniture Home accessories www.peppercornhouse.com email: enquiries@peppercornhouse.com tel: 01325 401778 mob: 07961967070

...beautiful sofas, 30% cheaper than the high street...

Online, by phone, or visit our Yorkshire showroom at The Clock Tower, Oakwood Park, Bishop Thornton, Harrogate, HG3 3JN.

Telephone 01423 774020 10

www.sofasandstuff.com

EMPORIUM

Inspiring ideas for your home and garden

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1. Sit Out In Style Celebrate summer with this set of wrought iron chairs, granite-topped table and hanging parasol. £1,375; items also available separately. County Kitchens, Leyburn. www.yorkshire-kitchens.co.uk 01969 624274.

2. Something To Crow About This Vanessa Arbuthnott ‘Cockerel & Spot’ linen fabric has bags of rustic charm — ideal for upholstery, curtains or soft furnishings. Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes. www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk 01969 666077.

3. If You Can’t Stand The Heat…

Practical and pretty, this floral print double oven glove is just what you need when handling your hot-pots. £8.90, Askrigg Village Kitchen, www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk 01969 650076.

4. Handsome Prints

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Give your furnishings a timelessly elegant look with Sanderson’s exciting new range of sumptuous fabrics inspired by classic designs. Milners of Leyburn. www.milnersofleyburn.co.uk 01969 622208.

5. Country Cover-Up Vanessa Arbuthnott’s new range of beautiful hand-crafted, blockprinted fabrics is the height of contemporary cottage chic.

Bear Cottage Interiors, Hawes. www.bearcottageinteriors.co.uk 01969 666077.

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We have moved to…

The Warehouse, North Lane,Huntington, York YO32 9SU Tel. 01904 400561 On the junction of North Lane, Huntington and the A64 Malton road

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The

InsideStory

compiled by chloe smith

MORRIS MAJOR William Morris and the revolutionary Arts and Crafts movement he spearheaded were once highly controversial, but nowadays their iconic designs are world famous and their popularity continues to soar. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Morris & Co, and to celebrate it the company is launching four collections of luscious

wall-coverings and fabrics that revisit some of their best-loved designs. Milners of Leyburn is the place to browse them, and Keith Garrad, Milners’ MD, is certain they are going to be keenly sought-after here in Yorkshire. “There is a wealth of period properties in our region,” he says, “and Morris prints are remarkably sympathetic to them. Whether it’s a stone cottage or a stately home like Castle Howard — whose owners employed Morris & Co in the early days — the naturalistic patterns complement them perfectly.”

Milners of Leyburn, www.milnersofleyburn.co.uk 01969 622208.

Chic and Unique Why settle for poor-quality mass-produced furniture when, for the same price or less, you can enjoy something quirky, individual and unique? Something that will stand the test of time, and be greener into the bargain? That’s the thinking behind Peppercorn House, a webbased business set up at the end of last year by Nikki Thompson, whose genuine passion for ‘reinventing, recycling and reviving’ charactersome pieces of furniture has already won her a loyal following. The Peppercorn House website features an ever-changing gallery of furniture and accessories handfinished in gorgeous Farrow & Ball shades, or available to be meticulously reupholstered in a fabric of your choice. Nikki also offers a popular

bespoke service whereby she gives a makeover — and a new lease of life — to her clients’ much-loved chairs, tables, bureaux, mirrors, cupboards, cabinets and chests.

Peppercorn House, www.peppercornhouse.com 01325 401778.

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SITTING PRETTY Sofas and Stuff is a revolutionary new home furnishings brand, offering high quality sofas and chairs at up to 30% below high street prices — and they have just opened a new showroom in a charming renovated farm building at Bishop Thornton, near Ripley, north of Harrogate.

It’s a relaxed, no-pressure environment in which you can browse timelessly elegant furniture designs and choose from a huge range of modern fabrics. The company supports Prince Charles’ Campaign for Wool, and their commitment to wool fabrics helps support sheep farmers, rural economies and woollen mills. By choosing rural locations and making sofas and chairs to order Sofas and Stuff save on overheads, allowing them to provide traditional British quality at a very affordable price — a compelling alternative to cheap sofas made abroad.

Sofas and Stuff, Bishop Thornton Ripley, www.sofasandstuff.com, 01423 774020.

Double the Treasure

Sturmans Antiques in Hawes is the longest established antique shop in the Dales — they first opened their doors for business in 1985 — and with their newly extended showroom they have recently doubled their display area. Sturmans have always carried an extensive selection of high quality Georgian, Victorian and Regency furniture, and the new space has given them the opportunity to present an expanded range of fine period oak and country pieces along with some choice pieces of walnut. They also have an extensive selection of longcase clocks, wall bracket clocks, mantel clocks and barometers (all fully overhauled and guaranteed), along with elegant chandeliers, light fittings, lamps, mirrors, paintings and decorative boxes. Sturmans is also well known for specialising in pre-war and rare Moorcroft ceramics, and there are usually at least sixty Moorcroft pieces in stock for avid collectors to browse. The shop is open seven days a week, and they offer a convenient delivery service for larger purchases.

Sturmans Antiques, www.sturmansantiques.co.uk 01969 667742

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DEANSBURY KITCHENS LTD Makers of Bespoke Kitchens & Bedrooms

We w i l l d e s i g n , c r e a t e & i n s t a l l y o u r p e r f e c t k i t c h e n o r b e d r o o m .

Combining modern working kitchens with traditional design and craftmanship.

Unit 1A, Standard Court, Standard Way Industrial Estate, Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL6 2XA Tel: 01609 775383 W: www.deansburykitchens.co.uk E: info@deansburykitchens.co.uk 15

Shed Chic Sally Coulthard on why sheds are chic.

There is something quintessentially English about the shed. For generations these modest garden buildings have been the last male bastion, a retreat from work and wife.

A place to potter.

But times have changed.

Forget the pipe and slippers.

Life at the bottom of the garden has become infinitely more interesting. We buy more sheds than ever, in all shapes and sizes. One in five of us is now the proud owner of a shed. We use them for every imaginable purpose, from craft workshop to wendy house, granny annex to garden room.

For an increasing number of people it seems that sheds have become the perfect solution to the demands of modern life. As Terence Conran once noted, a shed’s enduring appeal is its separateness — where else can you escape from the house without going more than a few metres? Your shed might only be a minute down the garden path, but it’s a million miles away from the noise and distractions of daily life. What better place to relax and recharge your batteries?

Equally, many people who work from home find that the only place they can concentrate is away from the main house. It can be difficult to focus when your attention is

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diverted by chores or noisy kids. A shed home office is the ideal solution — all the professionalism of an office without the daily commute.

And thanks to advances in technology, such as broadband and WiFi, there’s no reason your shed can’t be as wellconnected as any City firm.

At the same time, a shed’s very proximity to your property is another point in its favour. We may all dream of a romantic retreat or a distant place of solitude, but from the point of view of security it’s nice to know you can keep an eye on your shed at all times. It’s also good to know that you can pop back and forth when the mood strikes.

Sheds are no longer places where old electrical appliances go to die. Forget rusty tools and broken deckchairs, because today’s sheds are more likely to contain a laptop than a lawnmower. We girls have also got in on the act — in fact more women than men are now ‘sheddies’, using them for everything from art studios to saunas. Sheds are also ideal

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be craned out of your garden and taken to your new nest at a later stage. In fact there’s no reason why your shed can’t be a moveable object all year round — shepherds’ huts and gypsy caravans are perfectly designed to travel, even if it’s just from one end of your lawn to the other.

The planning process is also simple when it comes to sheds. As a general rule most sheds don’t need planning permission. Sheds are classed as portable buildings and aren’t subject to such stringent laws as permanent buildings — so, for most people, putting up a shed won’t mean wading though reams of red tape.

family spaces, giving children the room and freedom to play, whatever their age. From treehouses to teenage dens, sheds can allow both parents and children a welcome and safe breathing space.

From their humble origins as places of shelter and storage (‘shed’ is derived from ‘shade’), sheds are now considered an attractive addition to the home. The combination of high house prices and demand for space has encouraged many of us to look to outside for more living space. Extensions and loft and basement conversions are expensive options, and not always viable. They can also be very disruptive. Building a shed, on the other hand, tends to be cheaper, quicker and it involves a minimum of fuss.

Sheds are also eminently portable. Most sheds come in kit form and can easily be dismantled and rebuilt on a new site — perfect if you ever decide to move home. Some of the more expensive shed manufacturers even offer a relocation service; if you tell them you plan to move the shed at some stage, they can reinforce the structure so it can

The fact that sheds are simple structures, however, doesn’t mean they can’t be comfortable.

It’s not difficult to get heating, electricity and water connected to your shed, making it almost entirely self-contained. Adequate insulation and comfortable furniture can turn even the most basic of boxes into a cosy hideaway. It’s no wonder that many people often prefer time in their shed to time at home.

Sheds are a winner with house buyers too. The jury’s out on whether you’ll actually add any value to your home, although a survey carried out by the British Institute of Surveyors says that a well-kept garden shed can add up to 5% to the value of your property. How much value a shed will add, if any, depends on where you live, what kind of house you own and, of course, the type of shed. From simple larch-lap potting sheds to architectdesigned beach huts, your location and wallet will limit your choices, not your imagination. But whether you build a home office or a shepherd’s hut, you should easily recoup your costs and make your home eminently more saleable. Even the most basic of garden sheds will give your garden a boost. By stashing away all the tools, bikes and other equipment that usually clogs up the outside space, you’ll instantly increase your home’s kerb appeal and make the garden seem bigger.

Most people, though, build a shed because they want to stay in their house, not move. A shed can hugely improve your enjoyment of your property.

By expanding the amount of living space you have, you’ll not only feel less crowded in your home but 19

you may also be able to enjoy hobbies or pursuits that you previously couldn’t. Whether it’s a stained glass workshop or a photographic darkroom, sheds are ideal creative spaces, especially for those activities that are too noisy or messy for your main home.

A shed at the end of the garden will also enhance your enjoyment of any outdoor space you have. Sheds help you feel more connected to your green space, turning the garden into an extension of your home.

Nature feels closer. Urban life feels more distant. You experience the weather and seasons more intensely. It’s all the fun of camping without the soggy sleeping bag.

Whatever your motive for wanting one, sheds are ultimately about expressing yourself and creating a place that entirely fits your needs.

If you can have fun in them, even better!

Sally Coulthard’s Shed Chic: Outdoor Buildings for Work, Rest and Play is published in hardback by Jacqui Small and is available from all good booksellers priced at £20.

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The Dales hard landscape specialists.

High quality workmanship by an experienced and friendly team From patios and driveways to rockeries, stone walling and ornamental ponds.

Mini digger and excavation work Experts in the creation of high quality durable and aesthetic projects For free friendly advice call Frank Johnston B.Sc.

Tel: 01969 640457 Mobile: 07803 735000 E-mail: frank@stonescapes.com www.stonescapes.com

Superb gardens & landscapes from Neil Wilmore Est 1988 HDN Hort.

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01969 624555

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Can you tell the difference?

Is it wood or PVCu?

LIFETIME Home Improvements

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From Harrogate to Hartlepool, Hawes to Helmsley, our many thousands of happy customers are looking out on the brighter side of life, improving their homes and enjoying the superb quality of our products and workmanship.

Talk to the experts – designed and fitted by specialists we can bring your ideas to life… We offer a no obligation design and quotation service, so contact us today and tell us about your plans – we’ll be delighted to hear from you.

Take advantage of greater energy savings, security and style. From contemporary to traditional, we offer a bespoke range of top quality window andconservatory designs and bespoke solutions in a colour and style to suit you.

Visit our showrooms at: Lifetime Home Improvements Plews Way, Leeming Bar Ind. Estate Northallerton, North Yorkshire DL7 9UL T: 01677 424381 W: www.lifetimeltd.com

GardeninG products for all seasons…

The spring and summer months are a busy time for gardeners and having a good garden centre stocked with a great range of seasonal garden products is a must.

The Greenery, a family run gardening centre business from Wetherby (established six years ago) has opened a new store at Lightwater Country Shopping Village and promises to offer a competitively priced, well stocked selection of spring/summer bedding, shrubs and vegetable plants as well as seeds, herbs, pots, garden furniture, bird care products, compost, fuchsia baskets and hanging baskets and other gardening ranges. Top brands include Scotts, Thompson and Morgan and Hoselock.

The garden centre is sited in a prime position at the entrance to the shopping village.

Haydn Farmer, Director, explained “We see ourselves as the gardener’s best friend and a traditional garden centre. We’ve established our business based on two founding principles – great customer service and going that extra mile; if we don’t stock something, we are

prepared to find and source it, that’s what makes a good garden centre stand out from the rest” “All our team are gardeners and if a customer needs advice, we are always happy to share our gardening experience with them” He adds.

Haydn cites herbs as being especially popular this year and are now in season.

“With the interest in dining alfresco, barbeques and general cooking, herbs are a great choice for any garden big or small. It’s not just about the aroma or colours that herbs bring to any garden, but, by growing your own in a small plot or pot, it can make your food taste extra special, because it’s been your own labour of love. The garden centre stocks different types of herbs, which are available now.

Haydn and the team at The Greenery look forward to

welcoming customers to the new garden centre at Lightwater Country Shopping Village.

The Greenery, Lightwater Country Shopping Village, North Stainley, Ripon.

Tel 01765 635445.

Open daily from 10am 23

Peony POWER 24

think peonies are old-fashioned? then think again!

Rebecca Pow reports.

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Few can fail to be intoxicated by the dramatic blooms of the peony, with their delicate, paperthin petals. Equally beguiling are those gradually swelling buds that get fatter every day until they finally unfurl their showy flowers.

Coral Charm

Mention peonies and people automatically tend to recall the deep red peonies commonly found in gardens decades ago. The flowerheads were often so heavy that they drooped and needed staking.

I inherited some of them – Peony officinalis ‘Rubra Plena’ – in my own garden, and whilst I still treasure them there are a myriad of other even more tantalizing varieties to choose from nowadays.

It’s largely thanks to one nursery, Kelways, that there are so many peonies available today. James Kelway, who started the nursery in 1851, crossed two peony species (P. lactiflora from China, and P. mascula, commonly found in Europe) and thereby introduced a new range of plants. His breeding programme grew and grew, and plants from Kelways can now be found worldwide.

Peonies come in a diverse range of shapes and forms, including single, imperial, double and semi-double.

Imperial peonies, also known as Japanese peonies, often resemble exotic water lilies. Double forms are the classic garden peonies, with colours from purest white to deepest shades of violet. Semi-double peonies have two or three rows of petals and are renowned for their resistance to the weather. Savour not just the sight

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Alice Harding but also the smell, for most of these alluring flowers are scented – some sweet, some spicy.

For inspiration, go and see the fabulous peonies in the sheltered walled garden at The National Trust’s Beningbrough Hall, near York, where they play a starring role in the South and East formal borders in May and June. If you fancy a trip south, the large field at Kelways in Somerset, affectionately referred to as ‘Peony Valley,’ will be filled with the breathtaking spectacle of over 500 peony varieties in full bloom in June.

The floral marquee at Chelsea Flower Show is also an excellent place to see peonies showcased in all their glory at the end of May.

Sarah Bernhardt

PeoNY PRacticalities Not only do peonies look beautiful, they are easy to grow. Peonies are great survivors. They will flourish anywhere, they don’t get aphids and – amazingly – deer and rabbits hate them. Some can live for fifty years, and they will tolerate extremes of climate and long periods of neglect.

However, if you lavish love and care on your peonies they will reward you with even more blooms.

The key is to buy good quality peony plants in the first place. The best time to plant your new purchases is in the autumn when a good root system will develop. Do not plant them too deeply; the eyes at the top of the

crown should be no more than 3cm below soil level. Throw on a few handfuls of a high potash feed such as bonemeal or rose fertilizer every autumn to encourage flowering.

Whilst peonies do live a long time, they get less vigorous with age, so don’t be afraid to split and move them, remembering not to replant them too deeply. This is an activity best done in the autumn. The only major affliction that peonies suffer from is peony wilt, and the best way of avoiding it is to plant them where the air can circulate freely, which means not crowding them in with other plants.

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Potted PeoNies Peonies can be successfully grown in pots, but don’t let them get too wet or too dry. Use a pot at least 30cm in diameter with adequate drainage holes. Fill it with a soil-based compost such as John Innes No 3. Note that peonies don’t grow well in composts with a high peat content.

PicKiNG a PeoNY New varieties are continuously being introduced, but the tried and tested old varieties are still hugely popular.

‘Bowl of Beauty’ remains the all-time bestseller. With its enthralling scent and its frilly lemony-cream centre framed by a bowl of bright pink outer petals, it’s easy to understand the attraction. ‘Magic Orb’ is cerise pink with a white centre, and ‘Felix Crousse’ is a magenta-red, richly scented double; both continue to be firm favourites. ‘Adolphe Rousseau’ also has a real ‘wow’ factor, with a vibrant magenta flower that will stop you in your tracks.

White peonies can also be extremely striking. The pure white ‘White Wings – which copes surprisingly well in a shaded position – is hard to beat, its large, alabaster petals contrasting with the flowers’ bright golden centres.

‘Solange’ is another popular white variety, as is ‘Alice Hardy’, available from Claire Austin’s nursery.

Many peonies make ideal cut flowers.

The large double variety ‘Sarah Bernhardt’, which has apple-blossom pink petals tinged with silver, is one of the best for flower arranging. Reaching up to a metre in height, it is one of the taller varieties. It is sweetly perfumed

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Adolphe Rous and flowers freely, often until the end of June. ‘Felix Crousse’ is also an excellent cut flower, as is ‘Shirley Temple’, a white bomb-shaped flower that doesn’t require staking.

Most peonies can be bought for between £8 and £12 a plant.

Rarities fetch higher prices. The floaty red ‘Peony Smouthii’, for example, will set you back around £50. Whichever variety you opt for, I’m sure you will treasure it forever.

A passion for peonies, once kindled, is seldom extinguished!

SEE AND BUY You’ll find great displays locally at Beningbrough Hall.

See www.nationaltrust.org.uk for opening times and admission charges.

Specialist suppliers include Claire Austin, www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk, and Kelways, www.kelways.co.uk. Check the Kelways website for Peony Valley opening dates.

The beauty of glass is not always clear

Glass for kitchens, bathrooms and mirrors any size and colour

Est. 1988. Bathrooms from most major manufacturers Bathrooms Direct, The Industrial Estate, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire DL7 9UL T 01677 425788/424035 • F 01677 425581 E sales@bathrooms-direct.net • W www.bathrooms-direct.net

Sophisticated Style

The very best in natural, luxurious rattan furniture…

For further information, please call Kath or Colin Blanchard on 01748 811773 or 07764 279815 www.canefurniturenorthyorkshire.co.uk Showrooms at Leeming Bar are now open Saturday 10am till 2pm, other times by appointment'

NICKERY NOOK The best place to shop for unique gifts and stylish accessories Yankee Candle • Bomb Cosmetics • Crystal and fashion jewellery Chocolates – hand made at ‘The Chocolate Shop’, Leyburn Carte Blanche and other cards designs and Blue Nose Bears Gifts and Trophy engraving our speciality

3 MARKET COURT, BEDALE DL8 1YA • 01677 425848 30

LUXURY LINEN HIRE AND LAUNDRY SERVICE FOR THE YORKSHIRE DALES We are the premier rental service for luxury bed and bath linen in the Yorkshire Dales specialising in holiday cottages, guest houses, and hotels. Our laundry is based in Wensleydale from where we provide a spot on service 7 days a week. We can take responsibility for your stock levels and therefore there are no stock turnover penalties.

As we approach our second birthday come and meet the team at Swinithwaite or Julie will be more than happy to come to you.

Coach House, Swinithwaite Hall, Swinithwaite, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4UH T: 01969 662624 F: 07092 008049 julie@thewhitebeddingco.com www.thewhitebeddingco.com

Sanderson & Co Interior decorating suppliers A wide range of wallpapers, traditional and modern, including: Crowson Shand Kidd Linda Barker Graham & Brown Over 100 wallpaper books in stock with next day delivery Paints by Crown and Dulux Farrow & Ball also available Paint colours mixed while you wait High Street, Leyburn Tel: 01969 623143 31

Dig it!

Shop-bought sweetcorn and cucumbers can be dull as ditch-water. But grow your own and it’s a different story, says Adam Appleyard.

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he minute you pick a fruit or vegetable, the taste and texture start deteriorating. Nowhere is this more obvious than with sweetcorn. So quickly does the flavour begin to alter that gourmets will recommend you to start your saucepan of water boiling before you head out into the garden to cut your cobs. So if you’ve always considered sweetcorn rather boring, make a point of trying the fresh stuff. It’s an altogether different beast.

T

Like sweetcorn, cucumbers aren’t usually very highly thought of. And indeed they can be rather depressing — if we’re talking about the sombre green batons on sale in the supermarket, that is. Eat your own straight from the garden, though, and you can see why cucumber sandwiches were once all the rage. Both cucumbers and sweetcorn are surprisingly easy to grow, so why not give one or other — or both — a go this year?

Cracking Corn Even in disappointing summers here in the North, sweetcorn can thrive. There are plenty of varieties on offer, but I’ve had very satisfactory results using ‘Northern Xtra Sweet’ from Chiltern Seeds (www.chilternseeds.co.uk). ‘Sundance’ (widely available) can also cope well in challenging conditions.

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When planning where to plant sweetcorn, one consideration is crucial. Sweetcorn is wind-pollinated, so it needs to be planted in tight blocks, never rows. Other than that it’s all remarkably straightforward.

Plant your seeds indoors in May or early June, one each in a small or medium-size pot, and put them in an electric propagator or on a warm windowsill. When your plants have germinated, start taking them outdoors during the daylight hours to give them a dose of sunshine and harden them up for life in the outside world.

When frosts are no longer likely, plant them out in a well-manured, free-draining, sunny spot. Plant them in blocks, with rows offset so that every plant is about 35cm from its nearest neighbours. Water in well, and keep well watered for the first few days, but don’t overdo it. Thereafter you will only need to water during especially dry spells and when the cobs are beginning to swell.

Your sweetcorn plants will appreciate being covered with horticultural fleece on unseasonably cold nights, especially early on. Other than that, simply keep them weed free, and stake them up if they start to get a bit wobbly.

When corn cobs start to ripen, their silky tassels turn brown, but you will need to test each cob before picking it. Peel back the husk and slit one of the kernels with a sharp knife. If the liquid inside is clear then it’s not quite ready. If it’s milky then it’s time to go and put that saucepan of water on the stove. Test regularly, and aim to eat your cobs just as soon as they are fully ripe.

Remove each cob by simply grasping it firmly and twisting.

Choice Cucumbers The cucumber that ticks all the boxes for me is ‘Miniature White’ from The Real Seed Catalogue (www.realseeds.co.uk). Providing you can find a reasonably warm, sheltered spot you don’t need a greenhouse or a polytunnel to grow it — in fact I have successfully grown it outdoors in fairly exposed spots for several years. You don’t need a trellis either. Or much space. Planted between larger, bushier plants it will happily bumble along the surface of the ground, setting golden-yellow fruit aplenty.

And the best thing about it? The cucumbers it produces are nice and small. Pick them when they are 5cm to 8cm long and they provide an ideal meal sized portion with nothing left over — unlike their giant greenhouse cousins.

Sow cucumber seeds in May, one per small pot, and put the pots in an electric propagator or on a warm windowsill. As the seedlings start to grow, harden them off as per the sweetcorn. Once the weather is reliably warm, choose suitable spots to plant them, either in a group or fitted in and around bigger plants, leaving each cucumber 30cm to 35cm breathing space in all directions. They enjoy a bit of sunshine, but in my experience they can also flourish in partial shade.

At each of your chosen spots, dig a little pit and pile in plenty of compost

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or well-rotted manure. Plant each seedling on top of this nutritious nugget and water in well. Continue watering them regularly and generously, particularly when the fruit are forming. They will also appreciate a dash of liquid tomato fertilizer from time to time. The plants will zigzag across the ground as they fancy, so if they happen to head towards a path or lawn just gently redirect them.

Otherwise it’s just a question of leaving them be and waiting for your miniature cucumbers, which you should peel before eating. They are most delicious when small; don’t be tempted to leave them to grow larger or they will become tough.

As an alternative to ‘Miniature White’ you could try ‘Crystal Apple’ (www.victoriananursery.co.uk). This too thrives outdoors and produces tasty yellow fruit the size of a tennis ball, but it will need to be trained up some form of support.

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If you’re keen on growing traditional long, dark green cucumbers then your plants will definitely require a trellis or bamboo wigwam and, in many cases, a greenhouse. ‘Carmen’ (www.plantsofdistinction.co.uk) requires both, but is a reliably productive variety.

Plant it in large, manure-enriched pots, and get your supporting structure in place well before the plants grow large enough to need it.

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DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

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Warm WELCOME Professor Chris Baines celebrates the sights, sounds and scents of early summer

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I love this time of year.

There is such a sense of optimism about the landscape. The birds are at their busiest gathering food for new families, but they still have time for a burst of song to declare their territorial rights at dawn each day. The more delicate early spring flowers make way for the taller, showier species that are robust enough to rise above the grasses, and on warm days when the air is still, the whole outdoor experience is enriched with the subtle scents of blossom and the flight of some of our most colourful butterflies.

Bluebell woods are at their best in late spring. As a lad I used to take part in the Whitsuntide walk with the church choir.

Our visit to sing at the local children’s hospital took us through Coppice Wood, a rocky slope of oak and beech, wild cherry, holly, and hazel. The heady perfume of the carpet of bluebells has stayed with me for life.

The intense colour of bluebells is breathtaking, and in the sunnier glades and pathways of many bluebell woods there will also be banks of pink campion and tall spikes of foxgloves. The pastel pink and the deep blue combine spectacularly. Add to that the flash of a peacock butterfly’s wing and the tuneful contribution of a robin or a song thrush and it is pretty close to natural perfection.

This is also a time of year when young animals are exploring for the first time.

Dawn may be the best time for bird song, but sit quietly in a bluebell wood at dusk and you may be lucky enough to see badger cubs, fox cubs or perhaps a whole family of hedgehogs. Could there be better surroundings for such young creatures to learn how to survive?

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The presence of bluebells is also clear evidence of woodlands that we have lost. Where bluebells still grow amongst stands of bracken on open hillsides, along a hedge-bottom or at the margin of gloomy coniferous plantations, they are a sign that native broad-leafed woodland grew there until the relatively recent past. The Woodland Trust and others have identified hundreds of these lost ancient woodland sites, and where the conifers are carefully removed, or saplings are planted to shade out the bracken, the true woodland habitat is gradually able to recover. Let’s hope that the promised review of the nation’s forests leads to much more of this positive habitat restoration. We need all the bluebell woods that we can get.

Country lanes, hedgerows and verges are also especially colourful and full of life in late spring. As the evenings lengthen, a quiet stroll between hedgebanks will often reward you with the perfume of wild honeysuckle. Banks of the white-flowered greater stitchwort shine out in the half light, and where there are still good numbers of night-flying moths there is every chance of seeing bats hunting up and down the lane. Gone are the days when a summer drive meant frequent stops to scrape squashed insects from the windscreen and headlights, but there are corners of the Dales that have escaped the worst effects of postwar pesticides, and where wildlife can still enrich a late spring evening walk.

Wet meadows are another feature of the Yorkshire Dales that are at their most colourful in May and June. Land drainage may have eliminated many pockets of boggy ground, but where the late spring soil still manages to stay

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waterlogged, this time of year sees striking displays of some of our most handsome wildflowers. Marsh marigolds and yellow flag irises are both spectacular, and they trace out the wettest hollows, ditches and stream margins.

Ragged robin is another wildflower that loves to grow in boggy ground, and it is hard to beat for the intensity of its deep pink filigree flowers. Ragged robin often grows in harmony with tall meadow buttercups and an accompanying carpet of water forget-me-not, brooklime and bugle, and this natural tapestry will generally have time to flower and fade before the hay is cut and harvested.

On the margins of the wettest ground it is still easy to find patches of pink-flowered lady’s smock. The fact that this lovely flower has many common names — ‘milk maids’ and ‘cuckoo flower’ are just two of the more familiar — suggests that this was once a feature of the fields in almost every valley bottom. The flower itself is very pretty, but for me it holds the key to one of the most welcome sights in the whole year, because lady’s smock is the favourite food and nectar plant of one of our most enchanting butterflies.

The orange tip butterfly never fails to lift my spirits. The females have rather dull white wings, but the distinctive tangerinecoloured wing flashes of the males make up for that. The handful of lady’s smock plants at the margin of my garden pond are enough to guarantee an annual visit from these delightful butterflies. If you are lucky enough to find a whole wet meadow of lady’s smock and ragged robin — and they do still survive here and there — then the fluttering wings of dozens of orange tips are definitely the icing on a very beautiful wildlife cake.

Photographs © Laurie Campbell

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Rhododendrons Azaleas Eucryphia Magnolias Cornus Trees Shrubs Bamboo Primulas Camellias Perennials

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at Swinton Park

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Saturday 28th May 6.00 - 10.30pm • Live Music • Gourmet Barbecue • Circus Skills Entertainment

Saturday 20th August • A Day in the Parkland • Treasure hunts • Face painting • Pony rides • Falconry displays Please bring your own picnic, cash bar for refreshments. £5 per child (adults free)

Walking Food Festival

Family Falconry & Nature Days

Sunday 29th May 11.00am - 4.00pm • Culinary Trail • Cookery Demonstrations • Gourmet Retail • Rosemary Shrager Book Signing

Tuesday 26th July & Tuesday 2nd August • A morning at the Bird of Prey Centre and the Pet Corner • Woodland walk with Nature Trail and visit to Bird Hide and Deer Herd £3 per child and £5 per adult (please bring your own picnic and refreshments)

Twilight Party

£5 entry for both events The Deerhouse, Swinton Park, Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 4JH 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

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…there’s always cake Rebecca Squires becca@theresalwayscake.co.uk mob: 07823 338939

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MASTERING THE ART Sophisticated dinner party dining is easy when you’ve got James Martin on hand. These three delectable dishes should be plain sailing.

BEETROOT AND SHALLOT TARTES TATIN WITH GOAT’S CHEESE These tarts may look complicated but they’re very easy to make and a nice savoury alternative to the classic apple tarte Tatin that most people think of as a dessert. This version was on my restaurant menu once, served with a truffle honey dressing, and it was a huge success. If you want to try the dressing, it’s just a small amount of truffle oil mixed with really good-quality runny honey.

MAKES 4 TARTS VEGETARIAN

2 soft goat’s cheeses, such as Perroche 50g (2oz) watercress 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar FOR THE TARTS

100g (3 ½ oz) caster sugar 50g (2 oz) butter 200g (7 oz) cooked small beetroot (not in vinegar), peeled 200g (7 oz) small shallots, peeled and kept whole 1 clove of garlic, peeled and finely chopped 250g (9 oz) ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry Salt and black pepper FOUR 10CM (4IN) DIAMETER NON-STICK TART TINS

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1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas 6.

2. First make the tartes Tatin. Place a non-stick saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the sugar and allow to caramelise. Add the butter and mix together with the caramelised sugar, then remove from the heat and pour the mixture into the tart tins and set aside.

3. Cut the beetroot into small wedges and divide these and the shallots between the tins, inserting them into the caramel until each tin is packed full. Place little pieces of the chopped garlic on to each of the tarts and season well with salt and pepper.

4. Cut the ready-rolled puff pastry into 4 discs, each about 2cm ( ¾ in) larger in diameter than one of the tart tins. Place a disc of pastry on top of each tin, tucking in the edges down the sides to seal in the shallots and beetroot. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

5. Meanwhile, tip the cheeses into a bowl and mix to a paste using a spoon, then dress the watercress in the olive oil and vinegar and set aside.

6. To serve, tip the tarts out of the tins while still hot and place on each plate, topping with some of the dressed leaves and a spoonful of the creamed cheese.

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THE CLASSIC BEEF WELLINGTON This is a true kitchen classic and will test any cook to hold their nerve. It’s said to be named after the Duke of Wellington, who loved beef, truffles and mushrooms. (Well, so do I, but I’m a long way from getting a dish named after me!) Whether it is true or not, these classic flavours never fail to impress. One of the Wellington’s real advantages is that it can be made well ahead of time. Do make sure to include the pancakes as they will help to soak up some of the beef juices and stop the puff pastry from becoming soggy.

SERVES 4–6

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil 500g (1lb 2oz) beef fillet (middle section), fat removed 25g (1oz) butter 100g (3 ½ oz) Portobello mushrooms, finely chopped 4 slices of Parma ham 75g (3oz) smooth chicken liver pâté 1 x 375g packet of ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry 1 egg yolk, beaten FOR THE PANCAKES

3 eggs 6 tbsp plain flour 150ml (5 fl oz) milk 40g (1 ½ oz) butter FOR THE GRAVY

500ml (18 fl oz) chicken stock 150ml (5 fl oz) red wine Dash of balsamic vinegar 3 tbsp softened butter 25CM (10IN) NON-STICK FRYING PAN

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1. First make the pancakes. Place the eggs and flour in a bowl and whisk together. Gradually add the milk and whisk the batter to a consistency that will coat the back of a spoon. Heat the 25cm (10in) frying pan until really hot, add a quarter of the butter and, when it has melted, pour in a quarter of the batter to thinly coat the base of the pan. When the batter has set, flip over and cook the other side.

Tip out on to a plate lined with greaseproof paper, then repeat, making 4 pancakes in total and layering each between sheets of greaseproof paper.

2. Place a separate non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Season the beef fillet with pepper and then place in the pan and sear for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the heat and set aside.

3. Melt the butter in another frying pan over a high heat, then add the chopped mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes or until all the excess moisture has evaporated. Season well with salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly, then purée in a food processor or using a hand-held blender.

4. Place the pancakes flat on a work surface, overlapping slightly.

Spread with puréed mushrooms, then top with the Parma ham.

Spread the pâté over the top of the beef and then place it on the ham. Fold up to enclose the beef.

Continued…

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THE CLASSIC BEEF WELLINGTON (CONTINUED) 5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it forms a square 33cm (13in) wide and 5mm ( ¼ in) thick. Place the pancake-wrapped-beef in the centre, brush the surrounding pastry with beaten egg yolk, then fold up and turn the edges of the pastry towards each other on one side.

6. Place the beef parcel, seam side down, on to a baking sheet and brush with more of the egg yolk, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), Gas 6.

8. Remove the beef from the fridge and brush again with the remaining egg yolk. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until golden, then remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

9. To make the gravy, pour the stock and red wine into a saucepan and boil to reduce by a third, then whisk in the balsamic vinegar and butter. Season with salt and pepper, pour over the sliced Beef Wellington and serve.

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VANILLA CURD MOUSSE WITH CHEAT’S HONEYCOMB This is such a quick pudding that can be served as suggested, or alternatively layered up in a dish with the honeycomb on the top. Use proper vanilla pods – the flavour is so much better than essence. The best are the bourbon vanilla pods from Madagascar: thick, fat pods full of delicious, flavoursome seeds.

SERVES 6 VEGETARIAN

200g (7oz) crème fraîche 200g (7oz) curd cheese 200ml (7fl oz) double cream Seeds from 1 vanilla pod 600g (1lb 4oz) mixed summer berries 25g (1oz) caster sugar 2 Crunchie bars SIX 7CM (3IN) DIAMETER METAL RINGS WITH 3.5CM (1½ IN) SIDES

1. Place the crème fraîche in a bowl along with the curd cheese and double cream. Add the vanilla seeds and whip until firm peaks are formed. Arrange the metal rings on a baking tray, then spoon the mixture into the rings and leave in the fridge to chill for a few hours overnight.

2. Remove the stalks from the mixed berries and toss in a bowl with the caster sugar, then place in a pile on each plate. Remove the curd mousses from the fridge and, placing a warmed tea towel around the outside of each mould, carefully release the mousses on to each plate next to the berries.

3. Using a fine grater, grate the Crunchie bars over the top of the mousses until a small layer of chocolate honeycomb is formed, then serve.

Masterclass: Make Your Home Cooking Easier

Masterclass: Make Your Home Cooking Easier

by James Martin is published in hardback by Collins at £20, and is available from all good booksellers.

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Terete Hot Tubs ‘The only plastic is in the plumbing’

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Phone for a brochure

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DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

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On the Grapevine Christine Austin chooses some refreshing spring-into-summer whites.

There’s nothing better than that first sip of a crisp, white wine at the end of a long day’s work. It’s a treat for the tastebuds and — if the weather allows — a great accompaniment to a leisurely inspection of the garden.

Now that most wines come with their grape variety clearly marked on the front label, it is easy to navigate the flavours: piquant gooseberries for Sauvignon Blanc, rounded peaches for Chardonnay, and almost nothing at all for Pinot Grigio.

But once you have learned and appreciated those flavours — and perhaps grown a little tired of them — what should you choose? Why not head away from the usual tastes towards new and interesting grapes and regions that you may not have tried before?

Torrontés is a good place to start. With its bright aromatic fruit reminiscent of rosepetals and spice, and its crisp, dry finish, this is one of my favourites for summer drinking. It is good as an apéritif, but can carry though to a simple stir-fry supper, especially if there is lemon grass or a hint of spiciness in the food.

Torrontés is a speciality white grape variety from Argentina, where it grows in most regions, from the high-altitude

vineyards of Salta to San Juan and Mendoza. One of the most enthusiastic and dynamic growers in Argentina is José Alberto Zuccardi, who specialises in organic viticulture. His 500 hectares of land is busy with people who tend the vines and check the irrigation channels, doing most of the work by hand. His Organic Torrontés 2009 (£7.15, The Wright Wine Company, Skipton, 01756 700886) is a good value example of this lively and stylish grape. Also organic is Cuma Torrontés 2008 from the highaltitude vineyards of Michel Torino in Cafayate (£6.99, Campbell’s of Leyburn, 01969 624391). This is a touch brighter, with clear, fresh acidity.

In a similar style, Gewürztraminer is another grape ideally suited to drinking at the end of a sunny day. It gathers up rather more spice and concentration than Torrontés and has a fuller style, with weight that can take on a spicedusted chicken breast or a light curry sauce. Lying over the snowcapped Andes mountains from Argentina’s Mendoza vineyards, Carmen is one of Chile’s oldest wine companies, and they too have an organic philosophy.

Not everything is actually labelled as organic, but I have visited this winery and their care for the land and their vineyards is exemplary. Corks & Cases 59

in Silver Street, Masham (01765 688810) has Carmen Gewürztraminer 2009 at £9.29, and it has terrific concentration and finesse.

Away from spice and rose petals, Viognier is a grape that some people avoid ordering in restaurants because it looks difficult to pronounce. In fact it’s easy to say (‘vee-on-ee-ay’ should do the trick), and its light apricot fruit and rounded weight and flavour make it another great spring-into-summer wine. Corks & Cases is the place to find Berton Vineyard’s The White Viognier 2010 which comes from the cool Adelaide Hills in Australia (£10.29).

Whilst single varietal wines are easy to choose, it’s more fun to learn about wine regions where the variety is not put on the label, and where the wine is often made from a traditional blend of grapes.

In Rueda in northern Spain, Verdejo, Viura and just a splash of Sauvignon Blanc are blended to give a crisp, vibrant wine with herbaceous notes similar to Sauvignon Blanc, but with more pineapple notes mid-palate. This is a great apéritif wine, but it also goes well with fish and white meat dishes.

Yorkshire Vintners, who operate from

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Ripon (01765 601701), have the crisp, green-edged Rueda 2009 from Finca La Barranca at £7.50. Lewis & Cooper in Northallerton (01609 772880) also have the stylish MoMo Verdejo and Viura blend Rueda 2009 at £7.99.

With supper in mind, Italian white wines come into their own. Their sheer light, food-friendly style ensures that they sit comfortably with whatever is on the plate, from a simple salad to grilled chicken. Lugana San Benedetto 2009 from vineyards close to Lake Garda has crisp apple-and-pear fruit with a rounded generous palate and a savoury finish. It is that finish which is the key to food and wine matching.

Yorkshire Vintners has it at £10.74 — quite expensive for a Monday-toThursday wine, but Fridays and the weekends deserve something a bit special.

And the grape variety? This is one you probably know, but might not realise was in this wine. Lugana San Benedetto is made from Pinot Grigio, the grape beloved of wine bars — but one which, when treated with care and concentration, produces a lively tipple that works perfectly with food.

Wine Offer Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, 2010 Santa Digna, Torres, Chile

£36.00 6 Bottle Case

Cherry colour. Perfumed notes of plum and strawberry with hints of grapefruit. Elegant and sensual with a prolonged aftertaste.

RRP £46.50

Albia, 2009, Rosé di Toscana IGT, Barone Ricasoli, Italy

£48.00 6 Bottle Case

Fresh with hints of scented flowers and citrus fruit appeal. The wine delivers lovely sweet notes of cherries and strawberries.

Old Winery Rosé, 2009 Tyrrell’s Wines, Australia

RRP £62.94

£48.00 6 Bottle Case

Fragrant strawberry and spice aromas; the palate is soft but refreshing, with an explosion of ripe red fruit flavours.

Malbec Rosé, 2009 Chakana Andean Wines, Argentina

RRP £58.20

£42.00 6 Bottle Case

Cherries and strawberries mixed with tropical fruits and herbs.

RRP £51:90

Côtes du Rhône Rosé, 2009 E. Guigal , France

£51.00 6 Bottle Case

Fresh with an expressive nose of red fruits & citrus.

RRP £64.74

De Casta Rosada, 2009 Miguel Torres, Spain

£39.00 6 Bottle Case

Pale raspberry in colour, intense and brilliant. A predominance of flowers and the presence of red and tropical fruits.

RRP £47.94

Mixed 12 bottle case including two of each of the above £88.00

To place an order please call 01765 601701 or email info@yorkshirevintners.co.uk Free delivery in Yorkshire, all prices include VAT Yorkshire Vintners - Wine Merchants offering a completely personal wine service every step of the way, ensuring great value by constantly sourcing interesting and skilfully made wines from around the world.

We have over 300 wines in stock.

Please see our website for more details, www.yorkshirevintners.co.uk Unit 15 Sycamore Business Park, Copt Hewick, Ripon HG4 5DF

Contemporary dining in the Yorkshire Dales

Native Lobster Thermidor Festival 2011 JUST £35 FOR 3 COURSES AVAILABLE FROM 7.15PM: June 29th, 30th July 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th See our website for more details www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

7 Silver Street, Masham, N Yorks, HG4 4DX Telephone: 01765 689000

Our Head Chef Andy Brooks uses only locally sourced ingredients for our range of menus. Our stunning restaurant set deep in the rolling countryside offers you the perfect place to relax and enjoy some of the finest food in the Yorkshire Dales.

Stone House Hotel

Open 7 days a week, lunch time and evening. We can offer private dining for parties and have facilities for corporate events and meetings.

Please visit our website to see our latest events and menus Chef has just launched our new menu offering a range of exciting dishes for spring/summer For bookings and enquiries please telephone (01969) 663268 Hendersons Bar and Restaurant, Westholme Estate, Aysgarth, North Yorkshire DL8 3SP www.westholme-estate.co.uk 62

The Country House Hotel overlooking magnificent Wensleydale Open daily for: Freshly Brewed Morning Coffee Light Lunches Home Baked Afternoon Teas Delicious Table D’Hôte Dinner Menu Ginger Tree – Health & Beauty

Tel : (01969) 667571 www.stonehousehotel.co.uk

Welcome to

ASKRIGG VILLAGE KITCHEN Deli and Bakery Good, honest fresh food, prepared in our village kitchen for you to enjoy at home.

From the deli - we bake our own bread daily from farmhouse white, malted seed to fresh croissants.

Bistro style meals to take home - Fresh meals cooked daily, comforting casseroles, lasagne, and authentic curries.

Homemade puddings, homemade pies, sausage rolls and sandwiches to take away.

Visit our new shop ‘NEXT DOOR’ We have greeting cards,postcards, an unusual range of gifts, old fashioned sweets and chocolates, Traditional Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream and Gifts from the Yorkshire Dales.

Pop in for a browse.

Market Place, Askrigg • Please contact Jo 01969 650076 www.askriggvillagekitchen.co.uk Open daily 7.30 am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 12pm

A traditional ambience, excellent food and an extensive wine list, make The Queen's Head a perfect place to relax and unwind.

Mid week lunchtime specials from £5.25 Early bird dinner menu from 6.00 to 7.30pm (excludes Saturday) 2 courses £12.95, 3 courses £16.95

For the very best in fresh local food, breathtaking views and great service.

The Queens Head Finghall North Yorkshire 01677 450259 enquiries@queensfinghall.co.uk www.queensfinghall.co.uk

63

eDiscerning DINER

Claudia Blake visits e Raby Hunt Restaurant in Summerhouse 64

From the outside, The Raby Hunt looks every inch the country hostelry that it evidently once was. Step through the door, though, and you’ll find a stylish restaurant with an urban atmosphere that’s all the more surprising given its location — the modest little village of Summerhouse on the winding back road between Darlington and Staindrop.

There’s a pocket-size bar, done out in red and black, and a smart dining room dominated by understated purples and warm, woody tones. Both are eminently cool, contemporary and uncluttered. Fresh flowers on each table, funky cutlery and condiment sets, fine linen napery and some enigmatic driftwood collages on the wall all add to the impression that this is an establishment whose owners are determined to do something a bit different — and do it well.

The menu was concise — just four choices in each category — but that’s something I always take as a good sign. The wine list, by contrast, was fairly substantial, with useful tasting notes and a decent selection of wines by the glass. We chose a pleasantly muscular Zinfandel.

Even before our starters arrived we had fallen in love with the food at The Raby Hunt, having already savoured two delicious complimentary canapés (a crispy cone of pea purée and smoked salmon, and a toothsome nugget of cod and tartare sauce), an amuse-bouche (a tiny helping of cottage pie made with rabbit and crowned with a microscopic turnip), and two excellent homemade breads (olive bread and sesame bread, both with terrific crispy crusts). Chef clearly knows what he is doing.

Our starters confirmed the high expectations raised by all these tasty preludes.

Mine was a butternut squash velouté with goat’s cheese cannelloni and chestnut mushrooms. To describe the velouté as ‘creamy’ would be a criminal understatement — it was a sweetly luscious golden foam, seemingly compounded of sunlight and silk. The goat’s cheese cannelloni added subtle textures and a hint of sharpness to the mix, and the mushrooms chimed in nicely with their deep, earthy, savoury tones. I could happily have eaten it two or three times over.

Piers’ starter was shin of beef slow-braised in red wine, along with three tiny puff pastry squares, each topped with a snail. Like my velouté — and everything else we ordered — it was exquisitely presented on simple, elegant white crockery.

The beef was flaky and soft, and so intensely flavoured that it rather overshadowed the snails, which looked fun but barely registered on the flavour scale by comparison with the luscious meat. A fine experience nonetheless.

Compellingly deep, meaty flavours are clearly something Chef excels at. We had experienced them before with the rabbit cottage pie, and we were to experience them once again in our mains. Mine consisted of various bits and pieces — loin,

65

breast and neck — of lamb. Well, actually it was ‘hoggart’ (as the menu had it) or ‘hogget’ (as it is more generally known), which is a sheep that’s too old to be a lamb and too young to be mutton. Setting sheepological technicalities aside, the fact is that everything on the plate was thoroughly delicious. The judiciously cooked meats were complemented by creamy-sharp little cubes of ewe’s cheese, a vibrant pea purée and a flavoursome jus.

Piers’ main was a similarly wide-ranging take on the pig, consisting of meltingly soft pork tenderloin, crisp-topped and succulent belly pork, and flaky pig’s cheek. The meats came with fondant potato, baby leek, a couple of crisp, garlic-mayonnaise-topped lettuce leaves and a smoky barbecue sauce. Like mine, it was a confident and extremely accomplished dish, and try as we might we couldn’t identify anything to fault in it.

‘I could happily have eaten it two or three times over.’

My dessert was a white chocolate and coconut pannacotta — to be honest, tasting more of the coconut than the white chocolate — with a zingy mango purée and a quenelle of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Before it arrived I had had my doubts about the suitability of the ice cream, but it turned out to work surprisingly well with the other elements on the plate, largely because Chef had kept the mint and chocolate flavours suitably subtle.

Piers had chosen Valrhona dark chocolate brownie with a raspberry mousse cylinder and vanilla ice cream. The brownie was essentially a dark, brooding cube of unbelievably dense chocolatiness, and the raspberry mouse cylinder — actually a rather impressive miniature tower — provided a refreshingly light and fruity counterpoint.

Leaving aside the cost of the drinks, the food bill came to around £74, that’s to say approximately £37 per head for the three courses and the various complimentary bits and bobs. The food, as you will have gathered, was altogether excellent, and service was friendly and reassuringly professional.

In sum, then a memorable and highly enjoyable evening of fine dining — and if that’s what you’re looking for, then The Raby Hunt Restaurant offers exceptional value. I wasn’t aware of the village of Summerhouse before we visited, but it’s now very definitely on my dining map of the North. I’m looking forward to heading back along those winding roads again in the very near future.

For further information about The Raby Hunt Restaurant visit www.rabyhuntrestaurant.co.uk or call 01325 374237.

66

Enjoy Roux Scholar Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn Modern British food using only the finest local ingredients, beautifully prepared and presented.

Fine wines, real ales and friendly service Accommodation available

Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire Tel 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk

THE WHITE BEAR COUNTRY INN MASHAM • NORTH YORKSHIRE The White Bear is a five star inn situated in the pretty market town of Masham in the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales.

Relax in our beautiful rooms and dine on fine local Yorkshire produce. Or join some of the locals in the bar for a drink.

Experience a real taste of the Dales.

01765 689 319 thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

P U B • R E S TA U R A N T • R O O M S 67

ed Extend Dinner, Bed & Breakfast Offer 3 course Dinner for 2, Bed & Breakfast from £99 per room per night.

Please call to book quoting ‘Dales Life’

Live Music with Chris Myers Friday 10th June, 8.30pm Covering Status Quo to Dolly Parton, Robbie Williams to George Formby MRZMXIH FEGO HYI XS TSTYPEV HIQERH ERH HI½RMXIP] RSX XS FI QMWWIH

Ripon Races - Thursday 16th June Carry on the celebration and Book dinner with us after the races.

5YSXI ±EX XLI VEGIW² XS VIGIMZI E JVII KPEWW SJ TMRO ½^^ TIV TIVWSR (tables of 4 or more, when ordering min 2 courses per person)

To view our latest Menus, Events and News - Please visit our website

Private Dining

Games Room

Beer Garden

Car Park

Free Wi-Fi

T: 01765 641324 W: THEGEORGEATWATH.CO.UK

DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

Ian Lancaster

meat sales

Suppliers to the Catering Trade Quality Local Meat, Beef, Pork, Lamb, Poultry, Game, Sausages, BBQ Packs Freezer Packs of your choice Free delivery to your door for orders over £40.00 Rose Dene, Carthorpe, Bedale, N. Yorkshire DL8 2LH

Tel: 01845 567257 Mob: 07770 748320 Fax: 01845 567749 68

To book space in the Su mmer issue contact Sue Gillman Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.demon.co.uk www.daleslife.com

Chefs’ TABLE Henderson’s Restaurant, The Westholme Estate, Aysgarth

The Westholme Estate is set in the idyllic surroundings of Bishopdale, a stone’s throw from Aysgarth. At its heart is Henderson’s, a smart, modern bar and restaurant popular with residents and locals alike. Fitted out to the highest standards, it’s a relaxed, informal environment in which guests can enjoy everything from a light lunch to a luxurious evening meal from the à la carte menu.

Head Chef Andy Brooks grew up in Leicestershire in a family mad about food, and he accumulated valuable experience in a variety of prestigious local gastropubs, including the Red Lion Inn at Stathern, which was awarded the title AA Pub of The Year while he was working there.

At Henderson’s, Andy’s menus put a contemporary twist on traditional British cuisine, with all ingredients sourced as locally as possible — frequently from the Estate’s own vegetable garden.

The menu he has devised for Dales Life reflects his enthusiasm for food that is simple, stylish and delicious.

To add that finishing touch, Ripon-based wine merchants Yorkshire Vintners have selected wines that will sit perfectly with Andy’s chosen dishes.

For further information about Henderson's and The Westholme Estate call 01969 663268 or visit www.westholme-estate.co.uk.

Yorkshire Vintners are at www.yorkshirevintners.co.uk .

69

Ham hock and parsley terrine served with homemade piccalilli ingredients

method

Serves 10

To make the picalilli

For the terrine 4 x 300g ham hocks 2 bay leaves 1 onion, sliced 6 cloves 1 small handful curly-leafed parsley, with stalks 100g clear honey

For the piccalilli 1 cauliflower, cut into small florets 3 small onions, finely diced 5 shallots, finely diced 25g salt

Combine the cauliflower with the onion and shallots. Sprinkle with salt, cover, and leave on one side for 24 hours.

The next day, rinse the vegetables and pat dry. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt, and leave on one side for 20 minutes before rinsing and drying with a clean cloth. Combine with the cauliflower mixture.

Boil both the vinegars with the chilli for 10 minutes before straining through a sieve. Discard the chilli.

Mix the sugar with the turmeric, mustard powder and cornflour.

Moisten with a little of the warm vinegar — enough to make a paste. Combine this paste with the rest of the vinegar, and bring back to the boil. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until thickened.

Tip the vegetables into the mixture, combine well, and leave to cool. Pot the piccalilli into sterilised preserving jars and store in a cool place. It will keep for at least a month.

1 cucumber, diced 500 ml white wine vinegar

To cook the terrine

250 ml malt vinegar

Cover the ham hocks with cold water and leave to soak overnight.

The next day discard the soaking liquid and refill the pan with fresh water. Bring the ham hocks to the boil with the bay leaves, parsley stalks, cloves and onion.

⁄2 red chilli, seeds removed, chopped

1

300g caster sugar 25g turmeric 50g English mustard powder 3 tbsp corn flour

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Simmer for 2 to 4 hours, until the bone can be easily be pulled free from the meat. Remove the hocks from the liquid and leave until cool enough to handle. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Place the hocks on a roasting tin and pour over the honey. Cook for 20 minutes until the hocks begin to caramelise.

Remove the tin from the oven and use a fork to flake the meat, removing any fat and sinew. Combine the meat with the parsley and use to fill a 1kg terrine tin lined with plastic wrap. Press down well with your fingers and leave to chill for 4-5 hours.

Serve the terrine in slices, with the piccalilli. t Noir wo n to our range: io orld Pino A New W est a recent addit Estate, from k g g ic but we su ay 2009 Warw ormally £15, (n nn Chardo h in South Africa ll prices a sc o y; b a M en ll 0 in Ste nnay is d to £13.5 l Chardo discounte ). This wonderfu ough T s en include VA in style, and ha calilli without ian pic Burgund stand up to the to re u e. ct in ru st terr ering the overpow 70

71

Poached Salmon with roast pepper spiced couscous and tomato salsa ingredients

method

Serves 6-8

To make the spiced couscous

6-8 200g salmon fillets (one per person)

Preheat oven to high. Chop the peppers into 2.5cm chunks.

1 onion, finely chopped 4 shallots, finely chopped 1 head fennel, finely chopped 3 sticks celery, finely chopped dry white wine

For the couscous

Chop onions into 4cm chunks. Mix the oil, cumin and sugar with the vegetables. Roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the peppers have charred slightly at the edges.

Put the couscous in a large bowl. Add the cinnamon, salt and pepper and garam masala (if using) and mix well. Pour over enough boiling water to cover — usually the same volume (not weight) as the couscous.

200g couscous 1 red pepper

To make the salmon and salsa

1 green pepper

Put the salmon fillets side by side in a shallow buttered dish and add the finely chopped onion, shallots, fennel and celery. Pour over a little dry white wine and water, cover with buttered greaseproof paper and pop in the oven at 190ºC for around 20 minutes until the fish has changed colour and is opaque.

1 yellow pepper 1 white onion 1 red onion 2-3 tbs vegetable oil 1tbs cumin powder 1tsp sugar

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium once it comes to a boil. Simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes.

⁄4-1⁄2 tsp cinnamon powder (optional but delicious)

1

⁄4 tsp garam masala (optional)

3

salt and pepper to taste

For the salsa 8 cups tomatoes, finely chopped 1½ cups onions, coarsely chopped ½ cup green pepper, coarsely chopped ½ cup red pepper, coarsely chopped 6-7 cloves garlic, finely chopped ¼ cup coriander, finely chopped ⁄3 cup red wine vinegar

2

1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon white or black pepper 72

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73

Eton Mess ingredients

method

Serves 4-6

To make the meringues

3 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 105ºC and place a rack in the centre of your oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1

150g superfine or caster sugar ⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1

250 ml heavy whipping cream ⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1

15g granulated white sugar 500g fresh strawberries 30g granulated white sugar, to taste

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat the whites until they hold soft peaks. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat until the meringue holds very stiff peaks. Beat in the vanilla extract.

The meringue is done when it holds stiff peaks and when, if you rub a little between your thumb and index finger, it no longer feels gritty. If it feels gritty the sugar has not fully dissolved, so keep beating until it feels smooth.

Place a little of the meringue mixture on the underside of each corner of the parchment paper. This will prevent the paper from sliding. Then, using two spoons, place 10 equal sized mounds of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the meringues for 1½ to 1¾ hours, rotating the baking sheet from front to back about halfway through to ensure even baking.

The meringues are done when they are pale in colour and fairly crisp. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and leave the meringues in the oven to finish drying overnight. Meringues can be stored in an airtight container for several days.

To make the Eton Mess Place the whipping cream, vanilla extract and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill the bowl and a wire whisk in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. When chilled, beat the mixture until stiff peaks form. If not using right away, cover and place in the refrigerator. The whipped cream can be made several hours in advance.

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Vendim (£9.00 for 37.5cl with honey, e ile in h w C rt m se o fr . des l golden the finish wonderfu hint of spice on d n a s flower

74

To make the strawberry mixture, place about one third of the strawberries in your food processor and process until just puréed. Alternatively, you can crush them with a potato masher or fork. Cut the rest of the strawberries into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl along with the puréed strawberries.

Sprinkle the granulated white sugar over the strawberries and stir to combine. This mixture can be made about one hour before assembling the Eton Mess.

To assemble the dessert, break five to six meringues (more or less if you like) into bite-size pieces. Then fold the strawberries and meringue pieces into the whipped cream. Place in pretty dessert bowls or long stemmed glasses and serve immediately.

75

robert.sturdy@speartravels.net www.speartravels.net/leyburn

DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

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Freelance Graphic Designer York office PA to Editor York office Distribution Agents Northallerton, Leyburn Freelance Journalists

Pl ea se e- mai l a current CV to sue@ da lesli fe.c om 76

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COLLECTING

Antiques Tennants valuer Adam Schoon introduces Ian Henry to a collection of exquisite cold-painted bronzes.

At the end of the 19th century, no well-to-do home would have been complete without a glass-fronted display cabinet — or more likely several — crammed with collectables. Many of these collectables are, of course, still enthusiastically sought after today, and nowhere is this truer than in the case of Viennese cold-painted bronze figurines.

Vienna at the end of the 19th century was a thriving and highly cultured city. The capital of the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was home to an increasingly sophisticated and prosperous middle class. And it was to feed their growing appetite for attractive and luxurious collectables that local metalworkers developed — or, more accurately, revived and elaborated — the art of cold-painting bronze.

The best and most famous of these Viennese manufacturers was the Bergmann factory, founded in 1860 by Franz Bergmann (1838-1894). His son Franz Xavier Bergmann (1861-1936) subsequently took over the Company and opened a new foundry in 1900. Bergmann figurines are very highly regarded nowadays, and when Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn was asked recently to sell a splendid private collection of Austrian cold-painted bronze animals — most of them from the Bergmann factory — the lots generated a huge amount of interest. Tennants expert Adam Schoon kindly talked me through the collection and put the Bergmanns and their work in context.

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79

“Casting bronze is an ancient technique,” says Adam, “and bronzes were certainly painted during the medieval period. Bergmann and similar makers decorated their bronzes with oil colours, creating luminosity by building up several layers of paint. Unlike enamels or pottery glazes, which are baked at high temperatures to harden them, the paints used on bronzes are applied and simply left to dry — hence the term ‘cold-painted’. One notorious problem with cold-painted bronzes is that the paint very easily chips off — which, naturally, can substantially affect the value of the piece.”

“The Bergmann factory produced maybe 20,000 or 30,000 different models from 1860 until it closed in 1930. These were prized for their attention to detail, and included not just animals but a wide variety of human subjects, including Oriental and erotic figurines. The racier subjects were signed with the alias ‘NAM GREB’ — ‘Bergmann’ backwards — but the mainstream pieces from the later years usually carry a distinctive mark, a letter ‘B’ within a kind of vase shape. They are also often stamped with the word ‘Geschützt’, which many people erroneously assume to be the name of the maker, but which actually simply means ‘patented’!”

80

“The Bergmanns and their fellow Austrian makers produced figurines of virtually every kind of animal you can imagine. As well as the more obvious and popular subjects like dogs, cats, birds and horses, the collection we were asked to value and sell also included plenty of more surprising and technically demanding ones. There were, for example, some stunningly lifelike lizards, frogs and toads, along with a magnificent snail that looked as if it could have come straight from the garden. There were also various insects and spiders, including a fly, two bumblebees and a grasshopper with delicate, translucent wings made from horn.”

“Another remarkable and especially rare piece was a figure of a porcupine, each of whose spines must have been individually made and applied to the animal’s body. Items like this were cleverly crafted works of art, and would not have been cheap at the time. And the more keenly contested ones, especially if they are in good order, are certainly not cheap nowadays either. The porcupine in question made an amazing £1,900.”

“Another slightly offbeat subject that did very well at the auction was a little monkey sitting and inspecting a human skull. It went well beyond the estimate and fetched a healthy £800. Also very popular with bidders was a group of six kingfishers, ranging in height from 3cm to 9.5cm, which went under the hammer for a very robust £1,600.”

81

“With so many intriguing and beautiful subjects, it’s hardly surprising that coldpainted bronzes are so avidly collected.

They are also widely reproduced these days and some unscrupulous vendors may try to sell reproductions as originals. The pieces that we auction here at Tennants are, of course, thoroughly authenticated, but if you can’t be sure of the seller or the provenance then do your research carefully before parting with large sums of money.”

For details of forthcoming auctions at Tennants visit www.tennants.co.uk.

82

OF H AWE S

For the Yorkshire Dales largest selection of quality antiques Visit our newly extended shop with 5 showrooms full of quality antiques.

Longcase clocks, barometers, antique mahogany, period oak and walnut, plus one of the largest selections of pre war Moorcroft in Yorkshire.

MEMBER

Sturmans Antiques Main Street, Hawes North Yorkshire DL8 3QW Telephone 01969 667742

From Leeds to London for £180,000 At Bonhams we place items where they will attract the best prices and with salerooms across the UK, Europe and around the world we have quite a few to choose from.

Our Specialists are out and about around the County this month and could be available to call and provide a free verbal valuation.

For further information or to make an appointment for a free verbal auction valuation please contact Alison Hayes on 0113 234 5755 or email alison.hayes@bonhams.com Illustrated: This important George III carved mahogany serpentine concertina-action tea table was consigned through our Leeds office and sold in our recent London Fine English Furniture Sale for £180,000.

Bonhams 30 Park Square West Leeds LS1 2PF www.bonhams.com

www.sturmansantiques.co.uk Open 7 days a week • Nationwide deliveries 83

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A MATTER

of Taste

I

n today’s sluggish housing market, many homeowners are opting to improve rather than move. The kitchen is the obvious place to start — and if you’re dreaming of a new one there are some talented experts in our region who can help.

85

oNlY ThE

Best will do HOLME DESIGN, BEDALE

H

aydn and Mel Armsby — the husband and wife duo behind Holme Design — certainly aren’t content to rest on their laurels. Only last year they opened a magnificent new showroom in Bedale’s £1.45m Craft Yard, and already they’ve added a whole new extension showcasing gorgeous high-gloss surfaces, high-tech design solutions and ingenious high-specification appliances.

Whether you’re looking for a traditional style kitchen to 86

complement a period property or for something chic and ultramodern, Holme Design is a great place to come to for ideas and inspiration. And regardless of whether your project involves redesigning a single room or undertaking a full-scale renovation, Haydn and Mel are ideal sources of advice.

“Haydn has had over 30 years experience designing kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms with some of the most prestigious

and successful retailers here in the North, and he has an indepth knowledge of every aspect of the supply and installation process,” says Mel. “And as a family run business rooted in the local community, Haydn and I look after every single customer personally.

We get masses of very positive feedback from our clients, and personal recommendations from satisfied customers are one of the main reasons our business has grown so quickly.”

“We are passionate about what we do, and we’re delighted to be able to offer a carefully selected range of kitchens unique to the Dales area. For example, we’re very excited about the latest additions to the range of Charles Rennie Mackintosh kitchens by

so much easier to load, and ideal for people with restricted mobility.”

Omega. These come in fabulous high gloss, painted or natural wood finishes, and in a wonderful range of styles.

Whether you’re looking for something classic or modern, you really should check them out — they are absolutely stunning.”

And they really do supply boiling water, not the 98°C water that some brands give you — so you can be confident of getting a decent cup of tea.

They’re child-safe too.”

“And of course, even if you’re looking for a traditional style kitchen, there are all sorts of modern conveniences that can be seamless integrated into it. Induction hobs, for instance — they’re quicker than gas, and cleaner to use and more economical too. Or inline dishwashers, which are

“Also very popular with our clients are our 100°C boiling taps, available as a single, neat tap unit that can supply cold, warm or boiling water.

“To ensure that you get exactly the kitchen you want, Haydn hand-draws designs to scale and then transfers them onto computer, giving detailed 3D CAD images that will help you envisage and refine your chosen design.”

“All of our suppliers were selected because they work to the very highest quality standards, and the same is true

of our team of qualified tradesmen — only the best will do. Naturally we can handle every stage of the installation process, including joinery, plastering, electrics, lighting, flooring and decorating, as required. But we’re very happy to provide a supply-only service

too — so it’s entirely up to you how much support you would like us to give you.”

Holme Design, Bedale, www.holmedesign.com 01677 424669.

87

AN EYE foR

Detail DEANSBURY KITCHENS, NORTHALLERTON

I

t comes as no surprise that Philip Bottomley, founder of Deansbury Kitchens, describes himself as a perfectionist. Even a quick glance at one of his company’s beautiful bespoke kitchens makes it clear that this is the work of craftsmen who care passionately about what they are doing. Every surface — whether it be elegant granite, polished marble, lustrous natural timber or hand-painted wood — just shouts quality.

Pay a visit to their showroom in 88

Northallerton and you can judge for yourself.

But of course there’s more to a great kitchen than just gorgeous surfaces, and the finished product is the result of many hours of painstaking planning and talented creative design work.

“The kitchen is the most important room in the house,” says Philip, “and everyone has different expectations of their kitchen. The key to our

success, I think, is that we listen carefully to our clients and discover exactly what those expectations are. How many people will be using the space, and just how will they be using it? How does the kitchen relate to the rest of the house, and to the garden? And how can it be designed to best express the client’s personality and taste?”

“No two kitchens are ever the same, and there are no off-thepeg solutions. In fact that’s something I love about the

job — there’s always a new challenge, and nothing is routine. And it’s because we’re a small independent company that we can offer a far more friendly and customer-focused service than larger, more impersonal firms.”

themselves on providing a total kitchen solution — not just crafting those luscious surfaces but ensuring that lighting, plumbing and electrical appliances all integrate seamlessly and perfectly into the overall design. Their work is a perfect marriage of modern

with their determination to achieve exceptional levels of customer service, have earned them lots of business by wordof-mouth recommendation from existing clients.

“And that’s the other thing I enjoy so much about the job,” says Philip. “When a client rings

Philip has over a quarter of century’s experience in cabinet and furniture making. He founded Deansbury Kitchens in 1996 and — as you would expect from a perfectionist — still has a very hands-on approach to the business.

The other key mover in the company is Shaun Ashton, who joined Deansbury Kitchens in 2003, bringing with him a strong background in carpentry, a flair for design, and the same meticulous attention to detail that is so important to Philip.

precision tooling and finely honed traditional craftsmanship; dovetailed drawers, naturally, come as standard. Timbers are supplied from environmentally friendly, well-managed, sustainable forests, and granite and marble surfaces — should you choose them — are supplied by a local company who welcome customers to their factory, where they can select the exact slabs of stone that will be carefully worked and installed in their new kitchen.

up and tells us how delighted they are with their new kitchen, it makes all the hard work and the long hours worthwhile.”

Together they head a team of skilled professionals who pride

Philip and Shaun’s attention to detail and uncompromising insistence on quality, coupled

Deansbury Kitchens, Northallerton www.deansburykitchens.co.uk 01609 775383.

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hiddEN

Gems

THE SECRET DRAWER, SKIPTON

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t always takes a day or two in a new kitchen before you know where everything is.

With a bespoke kitchen from The Secret Drawer, though, that couple of days could stretch into a couple of months — maybe even years.

So proud of their skills are award-winning cabinetmaker Richard Mason and his team that they make a point of hiding an exquisitely crafted secret drawer, complete with perfect miniature dovetail 90

joints, somewhere in their handmade kitchens. Customers often have to spend several weeks figuring out where their secret drawer is concealed. In fact the record for one of The Secret Drawer’s hidden bonuses remaining undiscovered currently stands at three years!

You can see inspirational examples of The Secret Drawer’s art at their newly refurbished showroom in Cononley on the outskirts of

Skipton (they have another showroom in Ilkley too, by the way). The emphasis is on clean lines and contemporary curves, with traditional wood craftsmanship complemented by a variety of different woods and paint finishes. Oak is Richard’s favourite timber — he loves its warmth and character — but the company also works with more unusual woods like walnut and pippy sycamore.

The Secret Drawer is doing its bit to preserve the environment with a number of eco-friendly initiatives, and their timber comes from an equally eco-conscious Yorkshire company, John Boddy, who are committed to supplying timber and wood products sourced from forests certified under

tackle any project from a single piece of furniture to a complete refurbishment.

The Secret Drawer’s kitchens feature state-of-the-art appliances from manufacturers like Wolf, Sub Zero, Miele, Lacanche, Britannia, Quooker and Miele, seamlessly integrated with the

approach. Their project is a unique and individual one, and our response to it is equally unique and individual”.

environmental schemes.

The timber arrives at The Secret Drawer complete with bark, and clients are often fascinated to see the wood for their kitchen-to-be at the workshop in its original form, before it is carefully crafted into their furniture.

cabinetwork to achieve the highest standards of aesthetic appeal, ease of operation and practicality. But although the luxurious results incorporate the best of 21st century technology, time-honoured skills are an equally crucial factor in the mix — beginning with the initial design work, during which Richard does all his drawings by hand rather than with computers.

vast majority of their work coming from recommendation, Richard and the team now have delighted clients all over the UK, and regularly undertake work abroad for clients with properties in Europe.

Cabinetmaking, though, is just one of the array of skills on offer at The Secret Drawer.

Richard is delighted to be able to offer an integrated service that will see a project through from initial idea to completion.

He heads a team that includes fitters, builders, plumbers, electricians, decorators and interior designers, prepared to

“Designing in pencil has become rare these days,” he explains. “Most firms nowadays rely on computeraided design technology. We find, though, that our clients appreciate our more traditional

Their drawers may be secret, but the company is very much in the spotlight, and their reputation has spread well beyond Yorkshire. With the

The Secret Drawer, Cononley, Skipton www.secret-drawer.co.uk 01535 630072.

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STAYiNg AhEAd of ThE

Times COUNTY KITCHENS, LEYBURN

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n a tight-knit community like the Dales, where word-of-mouth recommendation is crucial, businesses need to have something special about them to survive. Whatever that special ingredient is, County Kitchens in Leyburn clearly have it. For the last sixteen years they have been steadily extending and developing their range of services, and their kitchens have even received the accolade of being chosen to feature on national TV. 92

County Kitchens is run by husband and wife Andrew and Linda Reaks, along with Karen Lambert, Linda’s sister, all of whom were born and raised in the Dales. Even their two teams of fitters seem almost like family, they have been with the company so long! Andrew also runs an architectural design company and, as a qualified architectural technician, can provide professional advice on extensions or alterations. If you’re thinking of removing

walls to create an open-plan room, he’s just the man to ask!”

“Over the past sixteen years kitchen fashions have changed almost beyond recognition,” reflects Linda. “We started out with little choice other than between medium oak or white.

With the introduction of TV design shows like Changing Rooms back in 1996, things really moved on, as entertaining in the kitchen became the in thing.”

“Today we can offer clients a vast choice of styles and finishes. We supply handmade kitchens, bedroom and bathroom furniture from Charles Yorke and Hovingham Interiors, along with factoryproduced but bespoke designed kitchens from

One factor that has undoubtedly contributed to Country Kitchens’ success is the evident enthusiasm and energy that the whole team puts into the job. “We have supplied kitchens all over the UK — most recently we were working in Winchester —

3D imagery, and we can easily alter those images to show you precisely how different worktop colours, types of flooring and so on will fit in together — it’s a great way of using technology to help our clients achieve their ideal look.

Just how things will change

leading manufacturers like Sheraton, Omega, Second Nature and Callerton. We have no starting price, and you can spend as little or as much as you want. We can also provide you with individual items such as hinges, doors, plinths and lights — in fact pretty much any kitchen accessory you can think of.”

and it has been terrific fun organising the design, supply, installation and travel arrangements. No two days are ever the same, and we are always meeting interesting people. It’s a real buzz!”

over the next sixteen years I don’t know, but I’m sure there are going to be some very exciting surprises!”

“Recently we have also begun supplying a new range of freestanding furniture and garden furniture by Neptune, which means that nowadays we have got virtually the whole of your house covered!”

“At the moment we are busy fitting four great new displays in our showroom in Leyburn market place. If you like what you see there, we offer a comprehensive design and quotation service. Evening appointments are available, and brochures can be posted out on request. We produce all our designs in full colour

County Kitchens, Market Place, Leyburn www.yorkshire-kitchens.co.uk 01969 624274.

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InSeason Rhubarb is the flavour of the moment — and this zesty rhubarb cake is a delicious and unusual way of using it.

With it’s tart, bright taste, rhubarb offers cooks a refreshingly fruity flavour boost at a time of year when there’s not yet a great deal else on offer.

uses, including jams, compotes and chutneys.

Thanks to its sharpness, it also makes a surprisingly successful accompaniment for oily fish and pork.

Rhubarb and custard and rhubarb crumble are, of course, firm favourites, but rhubarb has plenty of other

To prepare rhubarb, wash it carefully and discard the leaves. If the stalks snap cleanly then they don’t need

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peeling. Rhubarb stalks can be stored — minus the leaves — in the vegetable drawer of a fridge for up to a week.

You can find more rhubarb recipes and tips on the Riverford website, www.riverford.co.uk/homefarm.

Rhubarb and Cinnamon Cake

By Jane Baxter, Riverford Field Kitchen

Serves 8 Ingredients 60g unsalted butter 380g soft brown sugar 3 large eggs a few drops vanilla essence, or seeds from ½ vanilla pod a pinch of salt 300g self raising flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp ground cinnamon 250ml crème fraîche zest and juice of 1 orange 400g rhubarb, cut into 1cm pieces

for the topping 45g brown sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon Preheat oven to 180°C/gas 4.

Grease a 24cm springform tin with butter, and dust with a little flour.

In a food processor, cream the butter with the sugar, then add the eggs and vanilla. Sift the remaining flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon into a bowl, then add to food

processor and pulse a few times to combine. Add orange zest and juice and crème fraîche, then transfer to a large bowl and stir in the rhubarb.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin. Mix the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the cake. Bake for 75 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Serve warm or cold, with custard or cream and extra stewed or roasted rhubarb.

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Sweetness and LIGHT Three recipes for teatime treats from award-winning local cookery writers Elizabeth Guy and Pat Kirkbride.

Doreen’s classic fruit scones Doreen’s scones are famous throughout Swaledale and beyond. Over the years she reckons she will have made many thousands at the Auction Mart Café, funeral teas and countless functions around the Dale.

Makes 12 450g (1lb) self-raising flour 2 teaspoons of baking powder A pinch of salt 85g (3oz) margarine

85g (3oz) caster sugar 85g (3oz) currants About 150ml (¼ pint) milk to mix

1

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Using your hands, rub in the margarine and then add the sugar and currants, mixing well.

Slowly add the milk, and stir in with a knife, until you have a soft dough.

2

Roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of about 2cm and cut with a 5cm-diameter cutter.

3

Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until well risen and brown on top.

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Lemon curd cake Make lemon curd at the same time as meringues so as not to waste the egg yolks. It is so tangy and delicious (especially on hot, buttered toast) and has no preservatives as in many manufactured curds. Lemon curd must be kept in the fridge.

Serves 12 FOR THE CURD Zest and juice of a large lemon 110g (4oz) granulated sugar 2 egg yolks or 1 large free-range egg 60g (2oz) butter

FOR THE CAKE 280g (10oz) margarine 280g (10oz) caster sugar 5 eggs 280g (10oz) self-raising flour Zest of a large lemon

FOR THE ICING 110g (4oz) icing sugar Lemon juice (about a dessertspoon)

1

Put all the ingredients for the curd in a pan and melt over a low heat, stirring continuously.

Bring to the boil and simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes until the curd is glossy. Put into a clean jar or bowl and cool.

2

Put the icing sugar into a bowl and slowly add the lemon juice until you have a soft but not runny icing.

3

You will need two 25cm cake tins, lightly buttered and lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Put the margarine and caster sugar in a bowl and mix until pale and fluffy. Break the eggs into a small bowl, add to the butter mixture and gently mix. With a spatula, bring all the mixture down from the side of the bowl and add the flour and lemon zest. Mix well but do not overbeat. Divide the mixture into two tins and spread out evenly.

4

Place in the middle of the oven for about 30 minutes, until risen in the middle and softly firm to the touch. With a knife, carefully ease the cake from the side of the tin. Turn out on to a cooling rack.

5

When the cake is cool, turn the bottom one over so that it is upside down on the plate on which you are going to serve it. Put on enough lemon curd to cover the cake and place the other cake on top, baked side up. Cover the top with the lemon icing.

6

This is a beautiful cake, particularly for Easter, when you can decorate with crystallised primroses and violets – just dip the flowers in beaten egg white, then into caster sugar and allow to dry completely on parchment paper. Arrange in the middle of the cake.

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Wholemeal orange, date and walnut scones You can use all wholemeal flour for these, but it gives a lighter scone if you use half white self-raising flour. They will travel well if picnicking and will sustain you for a good afternoon’s walking. If you don’t like dates, just replace with juicy sultanas.

Makes 12 220g (8oz) wholemeal self-raising flour 220g (8oz) white self-raising flour 110g (4oz) margarine 110g (4oz) caster sugar 110g (4oz) walnuts, chopped 110g (4oz) chopped dates

1

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Mix the flour, margarine and sugar together until you have an even, crumbly mixture. Add the nuts, dates and orange zest and stir. Add the eggs and slowly add the milk until the mixture is combined to form a soft but not sticky dough.

2

Turn the mixture out on to a floured surface and knead lightly to form a ball. Roll out into an oblong about 3cm thick, sprinkle with a little demerara sugar and cut into 12 squares.

3

Place separately on a greased baking tray, leaving enough room for the scones to rise.

4

Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown, well risen and firm to the touch. Remove the scones from the baking tray on to a cooling rack.

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Finely grated zest of an orange 2 eggs About 150ml (¼ pint) milk Demerara sugar to decorate

Recipes and pictures are from Rambler’s Rewards: Cooking from Coast to Coast by Elizabeth Guy & Pat Kirkbride, with photographs by Derry Brabbs, published in hardback

by Frances Lincoln at £20. Inspired by local specialities and local products — especially those of their native Wensleydale and Swaledale — Elizabeth and Pat’s charming book was recently awarded first place in the ‘Culinary Travel’ category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

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Bookmark BRIAN PIKE SIZES UP SOME NEW TITLES

INFLIGHT “Unlike the average airline SCIENCE meal, it’s full of tasty, easily

by Brian Clegg

Icon Books, paperback, £12.99

digestible nuggets.”

This entertaining little book is subtitled ‘A Guide to the World from Your Airplane Window’, though to be honest the description doesn’t do it justice. Even if you end up stuck in an aisle seat, you’ll find plenty of diversion here for yourself and your travelling companions. Unlike the average airline meal, it’s full of tasty, easily digestible nuggets. The topics it covers include pretty much every flight-related scientific query you’re likely to dream up between here and the other side of the globe. How do the bag check and body scan machines work? If water is heavier than air, why don’t clouds sink? How high up in the atmosphere can you find birds, or bacteria? Is it possible to get jet lag flying north to south? Why don’t aeroplanes have normal toilets? What makes airline tea taste worse than airline coffee?

And why are the rest of your inflight refreshments so very disappointing too? It’s all great fun, and — with the holiday season looming — the ideal thing to slip into your travel bag.

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KITCHEN SECRETS

by Raymond Blanc Bloomsbury, hardback, £25

Raymond Blanc always seems such an amiable chap — just a string of onions short of everyone’s stereotypical Frenchman — and this lushly illustrated book has all the easygoing charm you would expect from him. His Gallic enthusiasm for nosh is inspiring, and his text sparkles with excitable adjectives like ‘divine’ and ‘delectable’. But Monsieur Blanc didn’t clamber to the top of his culinary tree by being warm and fuzzy.

Beneath its avuncular surface, this book is ruthlessly professional. To craft absolutely everything to Raymond’s exacting standards you will need a cook’s thermometer, a blow torch and maybe even — if you win the lottery — a sous-vide cooker.

Fortunately there are masses of recipes, all but a few of which are within the grasp of ordinary, poorly equipped mortals. Each is handily coded for difficulty, from the fall-off-a-log Navarin of Lamb to the insanely complex Café Crème in a Chocolate Cup. True to his claim to dish up ‘kitchen secrets’, the Michelin-starred maestro has footnoted each one with a variety of genuinely useful tips and tricks. Magnifique.

THE MAKING OF THE BRITISH LANDSCAPE

by Francis Pryor Penguin, paperback, £14.99

Britain may be compact, but our landscape is remarkably varied — and so are the uses we have put it to since the end of the last Ice Age. From Neolithic houses in the Orkneys to out-of-town shopping malls on the M25, this fascinating book weaves the last 12,000 years of human activity into a coherent and compelling story. The author, an archaeologist who regularly appears on TV’s Time Team, specialises in prehistory, so it’s no surprise that the first third is full of especially intriguing ideas and insights. That said, there’s barely a dull moment until p.696 when the footnotes begin — and even some of those are worth reading. Dr Pryor’s trick is to feed us plenty of colourful detail, along with a scattering of enjoyably tetchy personal observations, without ever losing sight of the bigger picture. His passion for the countryside is evident on every page; if you love it too, you’ll find this authoritative but unstuffy history a thoroughly gripping read.

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THE SECRET LIFE OF THE GROWN-UP BRAIN

by Barbara Strauch Penguin, paperback, 9.99

Well here’s some encouraging news. Until recently it was thought that we were all born with a fixed number of brain cells, and that as we get older these gradually die off — leaving us increasingly mentally decrepit.

According to Barbara Strauch, recent research shows that this is a load of tosh, and that even the over-60s can churn out new brain cells given the right circumstances.

That’s not to say that our brains continue to work the same way in middle age as they did when we were younger. Yes, we tend to get slower and more forgetful when it comes to details — hence those ‘senior moments’. On the positive side, our overall performance at complex tasks, such as piloting an aeroplane, can actually improve. This book presents a believable and highly accessible account of the way the brain ages, and assesses the role that exercise, nutrition and our environment play in keeping us mentally sharp. It makes heartening bedtime entertainment for anyone who plans on growing old without losing their marbles. Providing they remember to read it, that is.

THE COMPLETE VEGETABLE GROWER

by John Harrison Right Way, hardback, £16.99

John Harrison may not have the towering media profile of an Alan Titchmarsh, but his books sell by the garden shed load. And looking at his latest title, it’s easy to see why. It’s bright and breezy, packed with pictures and bullet points, and it radiates an enthusiastic but levelheaded ‘can-do’ attitude that will make even the least confident novice gardener feel at ease. With this in your hand, even the poorest soil, the most rampant weed and the most pestilential pest seem like minor hiccups on the way to a glorious harvest. Touching on everything from designing your garden and choosing your tools to brewing up nutritious compost, germinating your seeds and feeding your burgeoning crops — and including a month-by-month guide to the gardening year — it’s a concise, good-humoured compendium of stout practical advice. As every gardener knows, you can never have too many gardening books, but if you had to scrape by with just one, this would be a very plausible contender.

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Love Yorkshire

LOVE DALES LIFE A year’s subscription for just £12

• Keep informed of rural events • Enjoy irresistible dishes using seasonal produce • Try recipes from the top chefs • Learn about your local environment • Subscribe to ensure you never miss an issue, or give someone the perfect gift

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aleslif e.com

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A TAST E OF

ALFRES WINES FO CO DR INKIN R G

SHED CHIC TO PO TT ER

MIN MARIATURE COLLEC VELS TA

BLE COLD BRON PAINTED ZES

Jame s Mar CO O K ERY M A

Send a cheque for £12 payable to Dales Life Holgate Villas, Suite N, 22 Holgate Road, York YO24 4AB Name Address Postcode

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YORK SHIR E

WHIT E OUT PLACES

Recipes • Books • Travel • Beauty Restaurants • Wildlife • Fashion Gardening • Antiques • Wine

May/J une Iss ue

10 THIRSK ROAD, NORTHALLERTON ACTIVE LIFE HEALTH CLUB, SCOTCH CORNER

T 01609 771 477 T 01748 850 101

Beauty Spot Sue Gillman visits Swinton Park Spa for a Lux Candle Massage Few hotels in the Dales can boast such an impressive setting as Swinton Park near Masham, with its ivy-clad turret and lush, rolling parkland.

But Swinton Park offers a good deal more than just luxurious accommodation, and reasons to pay a visit include a restaurant with three AA rosettes, a thriving cookery school and a busy year-round programme of themed events. Today, however, I have come to reacquaint myself with Swinton Park’s state-of-the-art spa, and indulge myself in one of the new treatments on offer there: the Chocolate Lux Candle Massage.

On arrival I’m delighted to find that the spa now has its own separate entrance. It all looks very chic and modern, and makes a welcome change to having to navigate your way through the hotel’s maze of corridors. Now you can slip in and out unnoticed before and after treatments — a very definite improvement.

At reception I am greeted by Helen, my therapist, and ushered into one of the changing rooms. Once clad in the traditional dressing gown and slippers I wander down to one of the new treatment rooms, which is — in contrast to my slightly cramped changing room — light, airy and unusually large.

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FACT FILE On the menu A wide range of massages, body wraps, Aromasoul rituals, facials, hand and foot treatments, full-body tanning, and complementary therapies from LaStone therapy to reflexology.

What I tried The Chocolate Lux Candle Massage.

Cost £65 for 50 minutes.

Verdict 9/10 Contact Swinton Park Spa, Swinton Park, Masham, HG4 4JH tel. 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

The first thing that strikes me is the intense and intoxicating aroma of chocolate. The idea of a candle massage is a clever one. Lux candles — available in a variety of fragrances — are made from a combination of aromatherapy essences, natural essential oils and shea butter. Once lit, of course, they fill the room with gorgeous, relaxing scents. The candles are designed to melt at a consistent 38ºC, just above body temperature, and when they do so they can be drizzled onto the skin like normal massage oil.

Shea butter is said to have anti-aging and toning properties, and to improve circulation. Lux candles also contain almond oil, rich in vitamins B and E, to smooth dry and sensitive skin and improve circulation, along with coconut oil to nourish the skin and make it glow.

I hop onto the huge couch (a welcome change from the usual narrow beds that most beauty salons roll out) and Helen begins the massage. I soon realise that she is a brilliant therapist. Instead of pummelling, kneading and slapping me to within an inch of my life — as so often happens elsewhere — she uses gentle and soothing movements to work into my shoulders, neck and back, and through to my legs and arms.

This is definitely the best massage that I have ever had, and I have experienced quite a few. I truly do not want it to end.

The massage over, I slip into the relaxation room where I enjoy a cup of mint tea to bring me round. Bliss!

Most of us consider a good massage a treat, but for me it’s an essential thanks to my hectic lifestyle. The cost of a Lux candle massage at Swinton Park Spa is £65 for a 50-minute session. This is not cheap, I admit. However, you do get a small massage candle to take away with you and continue the good work at home. You can also make a day of it here with some of the excellent packages that the spa offers.

Alternatively you can spend some time wandering around Swinton Park’s beautiful gardens or enjoy lunch on the terrace.

To sum up, the Chocolate Lux Massage at Swinton Spa is a fantastic experience. As well as doing wonders for my stress levels, it left my skin silky smooth and glowing. Highly recommended.

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Style for you and your home

Your local department store for style and personal service FOR YOU Jackpot Seasalt NYDJ Jeans

Weirdfish Kipling Fossil

FOR YOUR HOME Carpets Blinds Rugs Lighting Curtains Bedding

6 Market Place, Leyburn DL8 5BJ T: 01969 622208 e: sales@milnersofleyburn.co.uk

w: www.milnersofleyburn.co.uk

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For ÂŁ15 the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust will plant a native broadleaf tree in a new natural wood in the Yorkshire Dales. A unique gift that will keep growing for years to come.

And one that will make a lasting difference to our countryside.

A unique labyrinth of tunnels, chambers, follies and surprises created in a four-acre walled garden in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.

Opening times for 2011 Open everyday from 1st April - 31st October then Sundays until Christmas Monday - Saturday 12 noon until 6pm Sundays and bank holidays 10am - 6pm Holiday accommodation now available.

Please telephone 01969 640638 for further details. www.theforbiddencorner.co.uk

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust work to support the environment, people and economy in the Yorkshire Dales Charity No. 1061687

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Admission is by pre-booked tickets only To reserve your ticket please telephone 01969 640638 / 01969 640687 We look forward to seeing you

Kiplin Hall

Jacobean House Country Seat of Founder of Maryland, U.S.A.

Hall and gardens open Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Hall Now furnished as a charming Victorian home packed with family memorabilia, plus new exhibition - One Woman’s Fight.

Open 2pm-5pm

Gardens and Pleasure Grounds Including lakeside and woodland walks. Open 10am-6pm

Tea Room Delicious homemade cakes, scones and light lunches, served with a smile. Open 10am-5pm

Summer events including Friday 8 July - Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men

Kiplin Hall nr. Scorton, Richmond, DL10 6AT (off the B6271)

Full list of events and more details phone 01748 818178

www.kiplinhall.co.uk

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dales

diary

Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal near Ripon Telephone 01765 608888 www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Compiled by Annabel Eager

Events

Dales Countryside Museum Hawes Telephone 01969 666210 www.yorkshiredales.org.uk

Sheep to scarf weekends

Banqueting House

Goblins, Witches, Fairies and Plants!

Saturday 28 May 11am to 1pm

Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 May, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July 10am to 4pm Talks at 11am and 2pm

Uncover the folk tales and fairy stories linked to herbs and plants on the estate. Meet at the Visitor Centre.

Frances Coates will demonstrate how to transform raw fleece into finished creations (dyeing, carding, spinning, knitting and felting). Free

Get Medieval Saturday 28 to Monday 30 May and Saturday 30 to Sunday 31 July 11am to 5pm

Sunday 5 June and Sunday 2 October 1pm to 4pm

Join the costumed re-enactors around their medieval abbey encampment. Watch and take part in activities and demonstrations based on 15th century life.

Kate Trusson will explain and demonstrate the techniques used by Dales knitters in the past. Free

Photographic Exhibition – Northern Landscapes

The history of knitting in the Dales

Felt jewellery design and making workshop Sunday 12 June 10am to 3.30pm Join felt artist Wendy Chan and create beautiful jewellery. Part of the Open Studios programme of events. ÂŁ15 plus materials.

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Saturday 18 June to Sunday 10 July 11am to 5pm Yorkshire photographer Chris Ceaser hosts an exhibition of his recent work.

Navigation Skills Wednesday 29 June 9am to 5pm Take a one day course to learn basic navigation skills. Learn how to understand an OS map, use a compass and stay safe on the hills. £49 per person. Booking essential, tel: 01423 871750

Open Air Shakespeare – A Midsummer Night’s Dream Saturday 9 July 7pm. Gates open 6pm Let the Lord Chamberlain’s Men entertain you with classic Shakespeare performed in the Abbey ruins. Bring a picnic and chairs and soak up the unique atmosphere. Adult £15 Child £12. Booking essential, tel: 0844 249 1895 or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/events

Open Air Theatre – Pinocchio Wednesday 27 July 6.30pm.

Gates open 5.30pm Bring a picnic and join us for an evening of outdoor theatre and fun with Heartbreak Productions as they perform the family classic Pinocchio in the Abbey ruins. Adult £12 Child £10. Booking essential, tel: 0844 249 1895 or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/events

Newby Hall near Ripon Telephone: 0845 450 4068 www.newbyhallandgardens.com

Newby Hall Craft and Food Fair Friday 3 June to Sunday 5 June 10am to 4pm Be inspired by the pick of the area's craft producers and be tempted by local edible delights.

Yorkshire Vintage Association Saturday 11 June and Sunday 12 June 10.30am to 5pm Yorkshire Vintage Associaton displays tractors, vehicles and machinery once commonplace in the countryside.

Historical Vehicle Rally Sunday 17 July 10am to 5pm The North East Club for Pre-war Austins assembles over 1000 vintage cars and assorted auto jumble.

Matombo Zimbabwean Sculpture Experience Sunday 19 June to Sunday 11 September 11am to 5pm daily An exciting opportunity to have a go at stone sculpting at one of the largest exhibitions of Zimbabwean Sculpture in Europe. Many pieces for sale.

Fountains Abbey Newby Hall

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Events continued

Swinton Park near Masham Telephone: 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Malham Telephone: 015242 51004 www.ydmt.org

Children's Cookery Courses Monday 30 May to Wednesday 1 June 30 May - Mini Chef (6-9yrs) An afternoon course with goody bag to take home (£50) 31 May - Basics for Beginners (10 - 14yrs) A day course with lunch for those new to the kitchen (£60) 1 June - Confident Cook (10 - 14yrs) A day course with lunch for those wanting more of a challenge (£60)

Spa Lunch Thursday 2 June Join our therapists and (comfort zone) colleagues for an introduction to what’s new in the world of beauty and body products.

The event includes facial and make-up demonstrations, goody bags and two course lunch, and a discount for treatments booked and products bought on the day. Book an appointment for a skin analysis using the (comfort zone) Skin Specialist Machine, with latest-generation software and micro camera. £25 per person

Deerhouse Barbecues Friday 17 June and Friday 15 July For those who are looking for something really out of this world, this alfresco event is perfect for the intrepid diner. Sensational food is served to you by our chef at your table, tasting all the better for being outdoors, with candlelight, a starlit sky and a blazing fire to work their magic. What better way to relax and soak up the atmosphere of a dreamy English summer's evening. £35 (including Pimms on arrival)

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Sward! – The story of a meadow Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 June and Tuesday 14 to Friday 18 June YDMT are delighted to be promoting a new play this summer: Sward! – The story of a meadow. It is an entertaining romp through love, life and modern science, created by award winning playwright Simon Corble.

If you'd like to join us in celebrating the area’s fantastic meadows, there will be performances in various village halls across the Dales from 7 to10 June and 14 to18 June.

Tickets: £7 for adults, £4 for 8-16 year olds.

Not suitable for children under 8.

Call 015242 51004 for more information and to book tickets.

Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Woodland Open Day Saturday 2 July This year’s Supporter Woodland is in a beautiful spot near the riverbank in Aysgarth.

The woodland has been planted with a mix of Ash, Rowan, Oak, Holly and Hawthorn, along with plenty of Hazel which will provide an excellent foodsource for the resident dormouse population. If you’d like to see the woodland for yourself and find out more, the open day is your chance. All ages. Cost Free. Donations welcome.

Please call us on 015242 51004 or email info@ydmt.org to reserve your place and find out more information.

Kiplin Hall near Richmond

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’

Telephone: 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men perform Shakespeare’s enchanting comedy in our beautiful lakeside setting. £14/£12/£8. Bring a picnic, warm clothes and insect repellent – just in case! Booking advisable

Plant, Book and Craft Fair Sunday 5 June 1pm to 5pm Plants, books and local crafts for sale in the Walled Garden. Adult £1.50, Children free.

Donations of plants, books and produce welcomed for the Friends of Kiplin stall.

Friday 8 July 7.30pm (picnics from 6.30pm)

Christopher Crowe and the Grand Tour Sunday 26 June 11am – 5pm Christopher Crowe (Mark Bamforth) celebrates the return from Washington D.C. of the painting by Luca Carlevarijs of St. Mark’s Square, Venice, and introduces his other early 18th century Italian art purchases to their new home.

Included in admission to the Hall.

Detail from the Carlevarijs painting

Open Gardens Marton-cum-Grafton Telephone 01423 322016 www.marton-cum-grafton.org/opengardens

Open Gardens

York, there will also be art work on display, plenty of fun games on the Green and delicious food to enjoy.

Adults £4, Children free. Marton-cum-Grafton is situated between York, Harrogate and Boroughbridge; just off the A168 (junction 47 or 48 of the A1).

Sunday 26 June On 26th June 2011, the gardens of Martoncum-Grafton, North Yorkshire will be open to the public in all their summer glory. As a much anticipated annual date in the diary, the event is a wonderful day which will entertain all ages. With over 14 gardens open between 11am and 5pm for visitors to wander around in the picturesque village between Harrogate and 115

Events continued

The Himalayan Garden Grewelthorpe Telephone 01765 658009 www.himalayangarden.com

The Himalayan Garden Open daily 22 April to 12 June 10am - 4pm Closed Mondays except Bank Holidays The award winning Himalayan Garden at Grewelthorpe, near Ripon opens for the season on April 22. The gardens have more than 1,000 different varieties of species and hybrid rhododendrons, and 170 different magnolias.

There will be some special activities for the whole family, and some stunning contemporary sculptures will be on display.

‘Standing Hare’ by Christopher Marvell at the Himalayan Garden

116

The Black Sheep Brewery Masham Telephone 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com

The Black Sheep Ripon Triathlon 2011 (1.5km swim, 44km bike, 10km run) Saturday 9 July The NYP Tri club in association with The Black Sheep Brewery, Ripon Race Course and all race events partners, announces that Ripon Triathlon will be staged on Saturday 9th July at Ripon Racecourse. Join us for a great week-end of Triathlon and family fun. Online entries only. www.trihard.co.uk

The Black Sheep Brewery at The Great Yorkshire Show Tuesday 12 July to Thursday 14 July Come along and join the Black Sheep Flock at this years Great Yorkshire Show.

The Black Sheep Baa..r will be the place to be, with great beer, live music, the fantastic Sheep Show will be once again appearing alongside the Black Sheep Baa..r. The New Zealand presenters educate and entertain with their fantastic very talented sheep. The 30 minute show is cleverly devised and is highly entertaining and extremely informative. The highlight of the show is "The Sheep Show Hustle", featuring the famous dancing sheep. Visitors this year will also see the launch of Black Sheep Brewery's new logo.

For further information on the shows itinerary keep an eye on our events section of our website www.blacksheepbrewery.co.uk

the †ravel lounge

It’s not just a holiday, it’s your holiday

An amazing selection of CRUISE deals are now available at the Travel lounge in association with

To take advantage of these or any other offers, please phone Linda, our Cruise Specialist on Bedale (01677) 427358

Cruise Deal 1. Onboard BOUDICCA

Outside Cabin Was £1889 pp

Iceland and Norway (D1120)

Our Price £1750 pp

14th September 2011 – 13 Nights CRUISE FROM NEWCASTLE Itinerary includes – Cruise from Newcastle – Bergen - Skjolden - Sandane - Olden Alesund – Akureyri – Isafjordur - Reykjavik (Overnight Stay) - Newcastle

Cruise Deal 2. Onboard BOUDICCA

Plus £130 per cabin Onboard Spend

Outside Cabin Was £1639 pp

The Canary Islands with Lisbon (D1123)

Our Price £1475 pp

16th October 2011 – 15 Nights CRUISE FROM NEWCASTLE Itinerary includes – Cruise from Newcastle – La Coruna - La Palma - Tenerife Gran Canaria - Lanzarote - Lisbon - Newcastle

Plus £150 per cabin Onboard Spend

Cruise Deal 3. Onboard BRAEMAR

Outside Cabin Was £2463 pp

Festive Caribbean (M1127)

Our Price £2358 pp

22nd December 2011 – 15 Nights FLY DIRECT FROM MANCHESTER Itinerary includes – Fly from Manchester – Barbados - Grenada - Curacao - Tortola St Maarten - St Kitts - Antigua - Dominica - Tobago - St Lucia - Barbados Fly Back to Manchester

Complimentary executive lounge at Manchester Airport

All Prices shown are per person based on 2 people sharing an outside cabin and subject to availability

Hurry these prices won’t last long.. So call today!

Terms and Conditions Apply

The Travel lounge, 11B Market Place, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1EB Tel: 01677 427358 The Travel lounge is a division of Hays Travel Ltd. 25 Vine Place, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear SR1 3NA Company Reg. No. 1990682

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CRAFT & FOOD FAIR The pick of the area’s craft producers 3RD, 4TH & 5TH JUNE 2011 10.00am-4.00pm Discover a wonderful selection of crafts and regional food at this traditional fair set in the beautiful grounds of the Newby Hall Estate.

EVENT ADMISSION: (Includes entry to Gardens & Children’s Adventure Garden): Adult £8.50 | OAP £7.50 | Child £7.00 | Under 4’s Free

www.newbyhall.com

Newby Hall & Gardens RIPON, NORTH YORKSHIRE HG4 5AE

Information Hotline: 0845 4504068

ÂŁ1.00 OFF ENTRY PRICE Present this voucher and save an extra ÂŁ1.00 off (gardens only) entry price.

ONE VOUCHER PER PERSON. VALID 3/4/5.6.11 ONLY (CRAFT & FOOD FAIR)

118

Spring into summer with a day at the races!

What better way to make the most of the start of long evenings and warm weather than a day or evening at the races? A perfect chance to dress up and have a fabulous time with family and friends, and if you have a flutter your horse may come in!

Take advantage of the party discounts and book now to put a spring in your step.

ADMISSION PRICES FLAT

FIRST RACE

Tuesday (eve) 3rd May Friday (eve) 20th May Saturday 28th May - Totesport Saturday

18.00 18.20 13.50

Friday 3rd June Wednesday 29th June

13.50 14.30

ÂŁ14.00 ÂŁ12.00 ÂŁ4.00

Grandstand & Paddock OAP’s Course Enclosure

Under 16’s go FREE* £21.00

Punters Package No discount is available for group bookings. The Punters Package must be booked and paid for 48 hours prior to the day.

Wednesday 6th July Wednesday 13th July Wednesday 20th July

14.20 14.20 14.10

Tuesday 2nd August - Family Day Friday (eve) 12th August - Ladies Evening Wednesday 24th August - Family Day

14.00 17.50 14.20

NB: Provisional timings only (can be subject to alterations)

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Aerials & Digital Installations Your local family run business

EARN MONEY FROM

SPECIAL OFFER Free extens ion with every high gain aerial fitted

CLEAN AND FREE

SOLAR ENERGY

WITH SOLAR PV PANELS

• Reduce your Electricity bill

• Digital aerial upgrades from £65 • Freesat installations • TV brackets & phone extensions • Sky installations & faults

• Reduce your Carbon footprint

OAP’s discount 15% off

• An average home could generate

Call today on 0800 0132341 or 07850 636902

SOLAR PV PANELS

£800 - £1200 per year • Increase the value of your home

We will beat any genuine quote

Reg:18265879

• Excellent feed in tariff at 41p • No planning permission required

The timeless classical beauty of solid hardwood floors For further information please contact

DDR Electrical Ltd Telephone 01969 625529 Mobile 07708 023716 www.ddrelectricalltd.co.uk 120

h Direct from our sawmill h Every floor produced individually to

a consistent profile and assured quality h Extensive range – from rustic oak to

exotic walnut h Matching skirtings & mouldings

Duffield Timber, Melmerby, Ripon HG4 5JB Tel: 01765 640564 Flooring Sales www.duffieldtimber.com

s Rated aENT L L E C EX CQC by

Residential & Day Care Home for Elderly People

A famil y bu siness t hat cares The Millings, 5 North End, Bedale, North Yorks DL8 1AF.

Tel: 01677 423635 www.residential-homes.net WINNER OF THE ICG 2008 GREAT NORTH CARE AWARDS BEST CARE EMPLOYER

Rosedale Nursing Home & Lodge Throughout their lives our families have strived to provide us with the best, now it’s your turn. We would like to give you the opportunity to discuss and plan the bespoke care they deserve with our dedicated team at Rosedale.

Services available: • DEMENTIA CARE • NURSING CARE • RESPITE CARE • SHORT BREAKS • DAY CARE • RESIDENTIAL/ PERSONAL CARE • PALLIATIVE CARE • CARE FOR THE PHYSICALLY DISABLED

INTRODUCTORY OFFER

FIRST WEEK’S STAY FREE Subject to a minimum stay of four weeks & on production of this advert. Quote ROS/DALES05 to qualify for our introductory offer

The Old Vicarage, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire DL9 4DD. Call Steve Kay, Care Manager 01748 834948 rosedale@mmcg.co.uk www.mmcgcarehomes.co.uk 121

PREMIERE CARE (NE) LTD Awarded a 3 star rating = excellent by the Care Quality Commission in 2009

Premiere Care will enable you to live at home with the help of an experienced carer.

We provide a flexible service to suit your individual needs.

For detailed information please contact Ursula Bussey.

Thornborough Hall, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5AB Telephone: 01969 622499 Mobile: 07802 712366

Paul Rutter BSc(Hons) MC Optom

Optometrist and contact lens practitioner

We offer quality eyecare for all the family Relaxed and friendly atmosphere NHS and private patients welcome Full range of contact lenses available Extensive range of frames Home visits available Personal service Digital retinal photography now available

7 Southend, Bedale Telephone 01677 424142 122

Hillcrest Care Home

Dedicated to quality care • Handpicked staff • New management • New experienced owners • Totally refurbished • Value for money • Home cooked quality meals

At Hillcrest we believe in giving all our residents the quality, care and respect that they deserve. We deliver this with our team of dedicated staff that all have empathy and passion for the care they give.

Hillcrest has undergone a major refurbishment by the new owners, giving the home a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The only way to really appreciate the high level of care offered at Hillcrest is to arrange a visit for yourself.

Call Hillcrest’s manager Nicola Cooper to arrange a visit at a time to suit you on 01748 834444 or email hillcrest@sirtin.com

Hillcrest, Byng Road, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, DL9 4DW

A.J.Hicks Domestic Plumbing Services For all your domestic plumbing needs Fast, friendly, reliable service.

24hr service NO CALL OUT CHARGE Are you having difficulty finding a plumber?

Are they always too busy to deal with the little jobs?

Bathrooms fitted Tiling work Call Andy Hicks Tel: 01677 450309 Mob: 07845 936064 Email: andrew.hicks93@virgin.net

No job too small!!!

The Wensleydale House Doctor Home Improvement Specialist • Interior & Exterior Painting • Interior Decorating • Tiling • Plumbing • Plastering • Flooring (including laminate) • Kitchens and bathrooms fitted

No job too small BOOKINGS NOW BEING TAKEN FOR YOUR SUMMER EXTERIOR PAINTING

Tel: 01677 450810 Hunton, Bedale, North Yorkshire

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• CITY & GUILDS QUALIFIED • FULLY INSURED • CERTIFICATES ISSUED • BIRD GUARDS & COWLS FITTED • PROMPT PROFESSIONAL SERVICE • NO MESS - NO FUSS! Martin Tradewell QUALIFIED CHIMNEY SWEEP Glenside, Horsehouse, Leyburn DL8 4TS 01969 640099

City & Guilds Qualified No: 7641 124

Tel: 01677 426616 Email: admin@theplanshop.net The Assembly Rooms, 29 Market Place, Bedale DL8 1ED

B E S P O K E J O I N E RY

Designers, Manufacturers and Installers of Quality Traditional & Contemporary Architectural Joinery

For a free brochure and quotation call us on Harrogate: 01423 524470 Leyburn: 01969 623020 Moor Park, Moor Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire, DL8 5LA e: info@bikercontracts.co.uk w: www.bikerbespokejoinery.co.uk 125

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“For Sales In The Dales”

6$/(6 /(77,1*6 &200(5&,$/ L$1' & P523(57< S3(&,$/,676 3(5621$/ & P52)(66,21$/ S(59,&( Residential Buying, Selling & Letting. Commercial Sales & Leases.

Holiday Property. Overseas Property. Business Transfers. Acquisitions.

Valuations. Surveys. Mortgage Advice. Inheritance Planning.

Property & Antique Auctions. Removals, Collections & Deliveries.

01729 825311 Bentham 015242 63739 Settle +DZHV London 02072 980305 Leyburn 01969 622936 )D[ 0845 2802213

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LYNDON HAW Specialists in traditional and contemporary wrought ironwork and woodwork

DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

We are looking for distribution agents Wood gates • Traditional hardwood and softwood doors Quality fencing • Specialists in remote control gate systems • All types of fabrication work undertaken • Repair/refurbishment service to existing gates Specialists in fitting gates in rising driveways

Distance and delivery no object.

Call for a free estimate or on site quotation

Tel: 01677 450450/450374 The Forge, Finghall, nr Leyburn 126

Positions available throughout Yorkshire.

Excellent rates paid Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.demon.co.uk www.daleslife.com

LD SO

We have the Dales covered John G Hills is an estate agents offering a full agency service from selling farms and land, to country houses and cottages.

LD SO

We also offer a specialist full property management service, including letting of cottages, houses and land letting, rent reviews, repairs and improvements.

All aspects of property extensions, barn conversions, new builds and planning assistance.

SO

LD

We handle applications for agri-environmental schemes including ELS and HLS, Compulsory purchase and compensation.

We are independently owned and our commitment is to provide our customers with the highest level of service.

Valuations for probate, tax planning and borrowing purposes.

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LD

Estate Office, Leyburn, North Yorkshire. DL8 5EW. T: 01969 623109 F: 01969 624185 E: jghills@easynet.co.uk W: www.jghills.com

All our properties are now available to view at www.rightmove.co.uk LET

Red House Farm | Husthwaite

Whitecroft & Stable Cottage | West Witton

A highly desirable and beautifully situated small mixed farm with equestrian potential – 75 acres.

For sale as a whole or in 2 lots. Viewing by appointment. Best and final offers by 10th June.

First class period house and detached cottage in the highly desirable village of west witton. Spacious family house with three double bedrooms.

Detached one bedroom cottage. Immaculately presented. Stunning private gardens and off street parking. Outstanding village location in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Lot 1 – Red House Farm Steading with 13 acres £400,000 - £450,000 Lot 2 – 62 acres prime arable land £340,000 - £370,000

£400,000 - £450,000

Corbury House | Osmotherley

Smithy Garth | Silver Street, Askrigg

A most charming 4 bedroom Georgian residence.

Spacious family living accommodation. Wealth of character and charm. Pleasantly situated with attractive gardens. Garage and outbuildings.

Viewing by appointment.

Substantial detached four bedroom detached family house in a commanding position. Immaculate and spacious accommodation. Gardens, garage and spectacular views. Secluded yet central location.

Excellent village amenities.

Offers in excess of £500,000

£425,000 - £450,000

Bedale 01677 425950

Leyburn 01969 622800

robinjessop.co.uk

To Dine For Great places to eat and stay in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

The George at Wath

Swinton Park Hotel

Located at the centre of the charming village of Wath, just over three miles from the city of Ripon, you will find The George at Wath, a traditional country inn serving a mouth-watering menu using locally sourced, fresh, seasonal produce. We also offer an excellent choice of fine wines, many by the glass and a selection of local cask ales. Luxury en suite accommodation, private dining, beer garden and function room available.

The George at Wath, Main Street, Wath.

HG4 5EN tel: 01765 641324 www.thegeorgeatwath.co.uk

An elegant, 30 bedroom luxury castle hotel. With four Red Stars (Inspectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice) and three Rosettes awarded by the AA for excellent facilities, this is one of the most highly rated hotels in Yorkshire. Award-winning cuisine is served in the sumptuously furnished dining room, using seasonal produce sourced from the hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four acre walled garden and surrounding estate.

Swinton Park Hotel, Masham, Ripon. tel: 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com 129

Vennell’s restaurant

The Queen’s Head

Now in its fifth year, Jon Vennell's cooking continues to impress with many major accolades and awards under his belt. Jon's wife, Laura, is front of house and has a relaxed, friendly approach which is probably why customers keep coming back to sample the seasonally changing menu. Even Claudia Blake gave a flawless review. Vennell's holds many events throughout the year. See the website for further details.

Vennell’s Restaurant, 7 Silver Street, Masham. tel: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

The Queen's Head is a charming, characteristic country inn dating from the 1700s, set in picturesque surroundings in the attractive village of Finghall. near Leyburn. It offers comfortable modern accommodation and a traditional, cosy bar. Manager and head chef Ian Vipond has devised a fresh, new menu for the restaurant, based around tasty local and seasonal produce. Traditional bar snacks are also available. With original oak beams and a dining room that looks out over the woods said to have inspired ’The Wind in the Willows’ the Queen’s Head combines a real sense of history with great food and a genuinely warm welcome.

The Queen's Head, Finghall (between Leyburn and Bedale). tel: 01677 450259 www.queensfinghall.co.uk.

The White Bear The White Bear is situated in its own courtyard in the beautiful market town of Masham. A team of talented chefs use locally-sourced ingredients to create delicious, seasonal dishes. Enjoy your meal in the charming dining room or the traditional bar; open fires create a cosy atmosphere throughout. An extensive wine list complements the menu. Awarded the ‘Cask Marque’ for the quality of its cask ales, the hotel often features in the Good Beer Guide.

Accommodation is available in fourteen individually designed rooms all en suite.

The White Bear, Wellgarth, Masham. tel: 01765 689319 www.thewhitebearhotel.co.uk

Hendersons Bar & restaurant Set in the idyllic riverside surroundings of Westholme Estate in Bishopdale near Aysgarth, (which is currently being turned into a luxury holiday resort as part of an ongoing £8m redevelopment programme), Hendersons is a bright, stylish, relaxed bar and bistro-style restaurant with a contemporary feel. Using local and home grown produce, talented head chef Andy Brooks creates modern British cuisine, drawing on his wealth of experience from restaurants throughout London and the Midlands.

Hendersons Bar & Restaurant, Westholme Estate, Aysgarth. tel: 01969 663268

The Sandpiper inn Enjoy Jonathan Harrison’s unique cuisine in the traditional surroundings of the Sandpiper Inn, Leyburn. Modern British food prepared using only the finest ingredients. Fine wines, real ales and friendly service. Accommodation is available.

The Sandpiper Inn, Market Place, Leyburn. tel: 01969 622206 www.sandpiperinn.co.uk 130

The Black Sheep Brewery The Black Sheep Brewery Visitor Centre - situated in Masham, the gateway to Wensleydale - is the ideal place for a great day or evening out. You can take a tour of the Brewery, have a meal in the Bistro, and taste their award-winning beers at the ‘Baa…r’. You can also buy lots of goodies from the well-stocked Sheepy Shop. It offers a ‘ewe-nique’ venue for corporate entertaining, product launches, parties and weddings. Many events take place throughout the year. Check the website for details.

The Black Sheep Brewery, Wellgarth, Masham. tel: 01765 680101 www.blacksheepbrewery.com

Stonehouse Hotel Enjoying stunning views across Upper Wensleydale, and ideally placed as a base for hill-walkers, Stone House Hotel is an elegant, country residence dating from 1908. It is set in an acre of fine gardens just a short drive from the bustling market town of Hawes.

With its cosy bar, library-cum-billiard room and panelled Oak Room, Stone House makes a great place to relax.

There’s a comfortable restaurant where you can enjoy delicious, locally sourced traditional food from breakfast through to dinner, and choose from an extensive list of fine wines. There are three spacious and romantic four-poster suites, and five ground floor conservatory bedrooms that open directly onto the lawns, popular with dog owners and guests who aren’t keen on stairs.

Stone House Hotel, near Hawes, Wensleydale. tel: 01969 667571, www.stonehousehotel.co.uk

Love Quality Love Dave Hudspeth Carpets Beacon Garage Catterick Road CATTERICK GARRISON DL9 4RZ 01748 835111 Unit 7, Badger Court Harmby Road LEYBURN DL8 5BF 01969 625111 Unit 3, Standard Court Standard Way Ind. Est. NORTHALLERTON DL6 2XA 01609 780003

Inspired designs…

…created for you Kitchens • Bathrooms • Bedrooms • Home Offices With over 30 years experience and a reputation for listening to our clients, we personally manage all projects, from design to installation.

Unit 1 The Craft Yard, The Station, Bedale DL8 1AW Tel: 01677 424669

www.holmedesign.com 132