Dales Life Winter 2010

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WINTER ISSUE 2010

ÂŁ1.95

DalesLife

A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

CHILL OUT What to drink this winter

Berry Christmas Plant fruit trees now

Blooming Lovely Light up your garden with bulbs

IN THE FAST LANE Festive food from The Hairy Bikers

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

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DalesLife

The Editor’s Letter Winter 2010 Editor: Sue Gillman

Chilly winter weather is a great excuse to gather around the fire with friends and family, and there’s plenty in this issue to help you make the most of the festive season.

Good food is a must, and we have two sets of marvellous midwinter recipes to inspire you.

On p.40 you can find some new twists on Christmas favourites from the BBC’s Hairy Bikers. And turn to p.58 for some splendidly stylish recipes from The Wensleydale Heifer’s Head Chef John Barley.

You’ll be wanting something to wash all that gorgeous food down with, and Yorkshire Vintners have picked out wines to match The Wensleydale Heifer’s menu. For more fine drinking — from invigorating aperitifs to robust reds — read Christine Austin’s recommendations on p.52.

Editor: Sue Gillman Deputy Editor: Brian Pike Production: Claudia Blake Advertising: Sue Gillman Art Editor: Stef Suchomski Art Director: James Price Fashion Editor: Chloe Smith Proofreader: Tom Fox Proprietor: Sue Gillman T: 01904 629295 M: 07970 739119 E: sue@daleslife.demon.co.uk Dales Life Holgate Villas, Suite N, 22 Holgate Road, York, North Yorkshire YO24 4AB

Contributors: Adam Appleyard Brian Pike Chloe Smith Chris Baines Christine Austin Claudia Blake Henry King Ian Henry Laurie Campbell Rebecca Pow Sally Scott-Richards Sarah Drew Jones

Winter’s a good time to curl up with a book — and books make excellent presents too — so it’s no surprise that there’s a flood of new titles on the market. In his specially extended Bookmark column on p.108 Brian Pike spotlights some of the best. Frivolous or serious, there’s something for everyone here.

For more present ideas — or to find quality seasonal food and drink — turn to our Christmas Emporium feature on p.70. Why settle for anonymous products from the High Street multiples when you can buy something so much more charactersome from one of our local independent retailers? More than ever, they richly deserve our support.

Tempting though it is to hibernate until spring, it’s good to brave the elements every now and then. Take a walk on a crisp, sunny day and you could well spot one of our native birds of prey. A few species are in decline, but others are flourishing — Chris Baines explores their varying fortunes on p.8.

And if you think there’s nothing to be done in the garden, think again. Plant the right tulip bulbs now and you’ll have a glorious display come spring, as Rebecca Pow explains on p.32. Now’s the time to plant fruit bushes and trees too; if you’d like to feast on your own raspberries, gooseberries, apples and plums next year, Adam Appleyard’s article on p.24 is a must-read.

I hope you enjoy these and all the other features in this jam-packed issue. We’ll be back early in 2011 — until then here’s wishing you all the very best for Christmas and the New Year from the whole Dales Life team.

Sue Gillman

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Contents

Winter 2010

40

32

52 24

On the cover 24 Dig It

40 Festive Feast

Now is the time to plant fruit trees or bushes, says Adam Appleyard.

Splendid seasonal recipes from The Hairy Bikers’ 12 days of Christmas.

32 Blooming Lovely

52 On The Grapevine

Exotic tulips to plant now,

by Rebecca Pow.

Christine Austin selects some divine drinks for winter dinner parties.

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Contents

8

58

Features 8 The Wild Ones

90 Out Of This World

Winter is a great time to spot our native birds of prey, says Professor Chris Baines.

Sue Gillman visits the luxurious Sha Wellness clinic in Spain.

16 The Discerning Diner Claudia Blake visits The Black Horse, Kirkby Fleetham.

58 Chef 's Table Dine in with Dales chef John Barley of The Wensleydale Heifer.

70 Christmas Emporium Great gift idea's from some of Yorkshire's independent retailers.

76 Top Glass A beginners guide to collecting period glassware, by Ian Henry.

84 Beauty News Top winter skincare and Christmas goodies, by Sarah Drew Jones.

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96 The Frilly Season Chloe Smith looks at the new season's lingerie collections.

100 Dales Diary A comprehensive guide to events, compiled by Henry King.

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

114 Hot Property Full of rustic charm and traditional features, Ashla Cottage could just be the property for you.

128 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.

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Red Kite

The WILD ONES Winter is a great time to spot our native birds of prey.

Professor Chris Baines reports on their changing fortunes.

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© Laurie Campbell

When I was growing up in South Yorkshire immediately after the war, kestrels were still a relative rarity. Aggressive gamekeeping and the widespread use of agricultural pesticides such as DDT had kept the numbers of all our birds of prey very low, so it was always a thrill to see a ‘windhover’ hunting over the rough grassland of old colliery tips and farmland. During the 60s, 70s and 80s numbers soared, and the kestrel became our most common bird of prey. Frequently seen hovering over motorway verges, it was a familiar sight to anyone with half an eye for wildlife.

Now, though, there is rather shocking news. According to the British Trust for Ornithology, in the year 2008-9 kestrel numbers dropped by a dramatic 36%. What’s more, this nosedive follows on the heels of a 20% decline over the previous 15 years. Our much-loved kestrels seem to be in serious trouble, and bird experts are mystified.

We have a dozen different breeding species of birds of prey in Britain.

Apart from kestrels and sparrowhawks (which have suffered a less dramatic drop in numbers) all the rest are thriving, and winter is a good time of year to look out for them. The short days mean that they often have to hunt from dawn till dusk. Hard weather drives even the most wary of them closer to human settlements, and the lack of foliage gives better views in wooded landscapes.

Even so, you will not see all the different species. Ospreys and hobbies are summer visitors that spend the

Sparrowhawk

winter months in Africa, and several of the rest will prove hard to find.

Golden eagles are still almost entirely restricted to the remotest mountains of Scotland. Goshawks, hen harriers and marsh harriers are numbered in the low hundreds and tend to be localised.

Merlins are particularly difficult to spot as they speed across their favoured habitat of heather moorland, although their numbers have more than doubled since the mid-1990s.

Britain’s other species of birds of prey are well worth looking out for though.

Buzzards have benefited from the burgeoning rabbit population and have now taken the kestrel’s place as Britain’s most common bird of prey.

They are a feature of almost every rural ramble, and I even see them circling

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Š Laurie Campbell

Merlin

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above my inner city home from time to time; they soar on thermals, so the relative warmth of the city in winter helps to give them a lift. Their distant mewing call means you will often know they are around long before you see them.

Red kites are as big as buzzards, and their reintroduction over the last quarter century has been one of the great successes of post-war conservation. They are still rare, but are spreading more widely and increasing in numbers every year.

Their distinctive forked tail makes them unmistakable, and when the sun catches their cream and fox-red feathers they look glorious. They are still largely restricted to the countryside, but they are scavengers and it can’t be long before they discover the joys of suburban roadkill and discarded fast food.

Peregrine Falcon

Golden Eagle

Peregrine falcons and sparrowhawks have both become much more common in towns and cities in recent years. Sparrowhawks are woodland hunters, and they clearly see little difference between an urban and a rural forest. They have benefited from the great popularity of garden birdfeeders. I regularly see them fly fast and low across next door’s garden, swoop up and over the boundary hedge, and snatch a blue tit or great tit from right under my nose.

Spectacular, albeit a little sad!

Peregrines are birds of cliffs and quarries. They are muscular killing machines that can fly at speeds of 100 miles per hour and they prey on pigeons. This makes them unpopular

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with racing pigeon fanciers, and it marked their card in World War II as a threat to the nation’s carrier pigeons.

Nowadays they have adopted a more metropolitan lifestyle, using town halls, cathedrals and other tall buildings as nesting sites, and dining each day on a diet of town pigeons.

They have even been seen snatching their prey from the midst of busy inner city traffic.

All of our birds of prey are wonderful to watch, and the fact that most of them are thriving suggests that the health of the landscape is improving.

This makes the crash in kestrel numbers all the more mystifying. A shortage of nesting sites may be partly to blame, and open-fronted nesting boxes are now being put up beside long stretches of our motorway network. Kestrels feed predominantly on short-tailed voles, and the crash may also reflect some problem lower down the food chain.

It is to be hoped that the sharp drop in their numbers will prove to be a temporary blip, and that they will bounce back before too long.

Whatever the cause, and whatever the prospects, kestrels are national natural treasures, and I for one would very much miss the sight of them hovering motionless on the wind.

Common Buzzard

Š Laurie Campbell

Kestrel

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The Wensleydale Heifer, West Witton, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 4LS Tel: 01969 622322 Fax: 01969 624183 E-mail: info@wensleydaleheifer.co.uk

www.wensleydaleheifer.co.uk

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

We have everything to make your visit to us perfect.

You may wish to stay overnight or for a few days, dine with us, hold your meeting in purpose-built surroundings, celebrate an important day in your life, or just have a drink with some of the locals in the bar.

Christmas menus now available

01765 689 319

thewhitebearhotel.co.uk 14

“Christ mas Pa r ty menu Now a vailable �

Located in the tranquil village of Wath, only 3 miles from Ripon and 2 miles from the A1, The George at Wath, open seven days a week prides itself on quality. Serving a mouth-watering choice of pub classics and bistro style food, GSQTPIQIRXIH F] E [MHI GLSMGI SJ ½RI [MRIW ERH PSGEP GEWO EPIW ˆ 0YRGL 7IVZIH ˆ ˆ (MRRIV 7IVZIH ˆ ˆ 7YRHE] 0YRGL 7IVZIH ˆ ˆ 8LYVWHE] +VMPP 2MKLX ˆ ˆ ;IHHMRKW 4EVXMIW ERH 1IIXMRKW GEXIVIH JSV ˆ Christmas Day GSYVWI 0YRGL † TIV TIVWSR Book Now New Years Eve Eve 0MZI 1YWMG JVSQ “Poptrashâ€? 8MGOIXW WXMPP EZEMPEFPI 8S ZMI[ SYV PEXIWX 1IRYW )ZIRXW ERH 2I[W 4PIEWI ZMWMX SYV [IFWMXI

Private Dining

Games Room

Beer Garden

Car Park

Free Wi-Fi

T: 01765 641324 W: THEGEORGEATWATH.CO.UK

Why not meet in the Bistro for a relaxed Lunch or Dinner. Enjoy delicious food and a fantastic selection of real ales and fine wines.

Now serving food all day on Sundays from 12 noon – 9.00pm

For more intimate dining why not try our elegant Restaurant – the perfect place to enjoy award winning cuisine.

Ripley Castle Estate, Harrogate, HG3 3AY Tel: 01423 771888 e.mail: reservations@boarsheadripley.co.uk

one of The Great Inns of Britain

www.boarsheadripley.co.uk

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Discerning The

DINER

Claudia Blake visits The Black Horse Inn in Kirkby Fleetham

he residents of Kirkby Fleetham were delighted when The Black Horse Inn reopened last year following a lengthy spell of closure. All the more so because — despite the sweeping refurbishments and the new owners’ evident determination to grab a slice of the higher-end pub dining market — it’s still a place that welcomes locals and intends to stay at the centre of village life.

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The bar has all the features you would expect from a country pub, including stone flags, exposed beams and a dartboard. If you don’t fancy the full restaurant experience you can eat bar snacks or a selection of modestly priced options here.

The restaurant itself is a spacious room in the modern extension that lurks behind the inn’s more traditional frontage. With its muted green and mocha tones, painted tables and sea grass flooring it is calm, contemporary and uncomplicated. It’s easy to feel comfortable here, all the more so given that the staff are genuinely friendly and welcoming.

There’s a fair amount of choice on the menu, the general theme of which is traditional British fare with a few nods towards the rest of the world. The wine list is compact but wideranging, with bottles priced from a modest £10 up to £35, and there’s plenty of choice for anyone who wants to order by the glass. We bagged a bottle of a perky, gooseberry-sharp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

One thing that was conspicuous by its absence from the outset was bread and butter.

I didn’t even get any with my starter, which was a mutton broth — and I do enjoy a bit of crusty bread with soup. Let’s face it, bread is hardly expensive, so I don’t think it’s asking too much.

Breadlessness aside, the broth was a fine, cheering brew, with generous chunks of soft mutton, finely chopped root vegetables and a scattering of pearl barley all adding to its taste and texture. This is the first time I’ve seen mutton broth on a menu for a while, and I hope it won’t be the last.

Piers started with a warm caramelised onion tart with Berkswell cheese. I can’t say I had heard of Berkswell cheese, and to be honest it wasn’t easy to separate its taste out from the general mêlée of flavours. Like the broth, though, the tart was a good comforter for a chilly night, dominated by the gentle sweetness of the onion. A thin pastry case balanced the softness with a bit of crunch, and a scattering of salady bits and a dash of balsamic provided the necessary antidote to the sweetness. Very pleasant.

On to mains. Piers had ordered a hot-pot of traditional breed pork with smoked sausage.

Plenty of good deep, hearty, savoury flavours here — not just the chunks of lean pork and the insistent autumnal tones of the smoked sausage, but also the earthy notes contributed 17

by a nugget or two of black pudding. Shredded Savoy cabbage added crispness and fresh green tints to the mix. Without our side order of fries it could all have been a little too richly meaty, but the crispness and flouriness of the chips set everything straight.

My main course consisted of a neat diamond of stone bass set on top of an equally neat diamond of ‘melted’ red peppers — supersimple, super-stylish presentation! The fish was just the right side of being overcooked, and its splendidly crispy skin was an excellent contrast to the peppers. These were indeed melting, their sweetness nicely matched by a sharp saffron vinaigrette.

Next, desserts. I chose vanilla cheesecake, and was pleased to find that it was remarkably light — almost mousse-like, in fact. I didn’t spot any little black vanilla dots, and the topping didn’t quite have the oomph I was hoping for (I’m a bit of a vanilla addict) but the base was admirably thin and crisp. It was served with chunks of tangy spiced plum, and the whole plate slipped down in the twinkle of an eye.

Piers opted for the sticky toffee pudding, and this one was a classic example of something

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we Brits do best: calorific but heavenly warm puds. Light, exquisitely textured and datesweet (but not over-sweet), it had just enough luscious toffee sauce to help it on its way.

The Black Horse offers a decent selection of coffees and teas, and we sipped one of each as we mulled over the bill. The food itself, excluding drinks, came to a remarkably moderate £47, that’s to say £23.50 each for three courses. Given the quality of the cooking, the simple but stylish presentation, the relaxed and easygoing ambience and the willing service this is exceptionally good value — lack of bread notwithstanding.

It seems to me that The Black Horse has got things pretty spot on. It remains a watering hole for the local community, whilst also offering high quality, sensibly priced dining for those who have come from further afield.

The residents of Kirkby Fleetham are lucky folk indeed.

For further information about The Black Horse Inn call 01609 749 010 or visit www.blackhorsekirkbyfleetham.com.

Festive Events

at Swinton Park

Christmas Lunch (from 29th November onwards) A three course festive lunch in stunning surroundings, with coffee and petit fours in the drawing room. £25 per guest

Contemporary dining in the Yorkshire Dales

Party Nights (14th, 15th, 16th & 21st December) Celebrate in style, with dinner and dancing till 1.30am. £35 per guest (with special accommodation offer available) The Big Chill (4th December – 8th January) Relax and recuperate with a festive break, including dinner, cookery demonstrations, goody bags and vouchers. £110 per person

Masham, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 4JH www.swintonpark.com 01765 680900

christmas but with style EXTRAORDINARILY FINE FOOD FOR CHRISTMAS PARTIES THROUGHOUT DECEMBER OPEN CHRISTMAS DAY AND NEW YEARS EVE

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.

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 new web site to see our latest events Now taking bookings for Christmas & New Year Christmas Day 5 course Lunch £50 per person A la carte Christmas Party menu from £22.50 per person New Year Hog Roast - Free Entry

For bookings and enquiries please telephone (01969) 663268

7 Silver Street, Masham, N Yorks, HG4 4DX Telephone: 01765 689000 www.vennellsrestaurant.co.uk

Hendersons Bar and Restaurant, Westholme Estate, Aysgarth, North Yorkshire DL8 3SP www.westholme-estate.co.uk 19

Day time menu Served 12-2.30 Monday to Thursday all day Friday and Saturday

Evening menu Served from 5pm

Food served all day on Sunday

Real ales, real food, real chips, real fires - REAL PUB! A traditional pub serving delicious homemade food cooked to order, using locally sourced produce.

Cosy bar offering a choice of real cask ales, including local breweries The Black Sheep and Theakstons.

Mine hosts: Sharon and Ken

THE BAY HORSE INN

5 Silver Street, Masham, Ripon HG4 4DX

01765 689 236 www.bayhorsemasham.co.uk

Christmas Sample Menu A lightly curried homemade parsnip soup Smoked salmon and prawn parcels Homemade chicken liver pâté with our own onion and cranberry chutney Roast turkey with all the trimmings Poached haddock with mussels & prawns in white wine sauce Spinach and ricotta filo parcels with a red pepper sauce Belly pork braised slowly with cider and apples Homemade chocolate and raspberry roulade Christmas pudding with brandy sauce Lemon posset with homemade biscuits And finally coffee and mints - 19.95 per person

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.

Christmas bookings now being taken

Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire • Tel: 01969 622206 • www.sandpiperinn.co.uk 20

Stone House Hotel

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 Now taking Christmas bookings.

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

The Green Dragon Exelby

Our Christmas Day menu is now available.

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We also cater for Christmas parties large or small.

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the old deanery Enjoy a wonderful Christmas Lunch served between 12 & 2pm from 1st to 24th December. £20 for 2 courses and coffee, £25 for 3 courses and coffee.

Or a fabulous 3 course Christmas Dinner in the warmth of the candlelit dining room.

Served between 7pm & 9.30pm Monday to Saturday from 1st to 24th December at £30 per person.

Book early for a relaxed Christmas Eve Dinner before Midnight Mass or before you go out on the town!

If you want to join in a Party Night - or organise one of your own please call soon! £40 per person with a glass of Prosecco, a 3 course dinner, coffee and chocolates, and a disco till midnight.

See the New Year in at our very special Gala Dinner and Dance, with a champagne and canapé reception at 7.30pm, a 7 course dinner from 8pm and dancing in the bar till 1am. £85 per person It’s a great night, so don’t miss the fabulous house party atmosphere!

Book early to avoid disappointment...

The Green Dragon is a traditional country inn with roaring log fires and welcoming staff.

A function room is available for any occasion.

Accommodation available.

Christmas at

Take the strain out of Christmas and spend it at The Green Dragon, Exelby

HIGH ROW, EXELBY, BEDALE DL8 2HA 01677 422233 www.thegreendragonexelby.com

THE DEANERY O L D

The Old Deanery, Minster Road, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 1QS t: 01765 600003 e: reception@theolddeanery.co.uk w: www.theolddeanery.co.uk

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To order please ring 01765 601701 or email simon@yorkshirevintners.co.uk

nfo@yorkshirevintners.co.uk www.yorkshirevintners.co.uk

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Christmas at The Countrymans A warm welcome in traditional surroundings Introducing our Christmas menu available throughout November to mid January. 2 courses £19.95, 3 courses £24.95.

We serve a delicious range of food using fresh, local, seasonal produce.

Full details of our traditional menus can be found on our web site, www.countrymansinn.co.uk (£5.00 deposit per person required to secure booking)

The Countryman’s Inn Hunton, Bedale, North Yorkshire DL8 1PY T. 01677 450554 www.countrmansinn.co.uk

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Dig it!

If you have fruit bushes or fruit trees, now is the time to prune them. And if you don’t, it’s the time to plant them!

Adam Appleyard advises on making next year a fruitful one.

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G

ardening writers generally suggest you curl up in front of the fire with a seed catalogue during the winter months.

Tempting though this prospect may be, there’s plenty to be done outside if the weather isn’t too challenging.

One of the most worthwhile things you can do is to ensure you have a fine crop of homegrown fruit when summer and autumn finally roll round again — which means heading outdoors with a pair of pruning shears to tackle your untidy fruit trees and bushes. And if you don’t have any fruit trees or bushes on your patch, then why not plant some? Growing your own fruit is surprisingly straightforward, and eating them fresh from the garden is a real treat.

Raspberries Buy bare-rooted raspberry canes from your local garden centre or by mail order any time from now until early March. Plant them out just as soon as the ground is workable — in other words, not frozen solid! As with all bare-root plant purchases, soak the root ball thoroughly before planting.

Raspberries love moist conditions, preferably on slightly acidic soil, which is why they do so well in Scotland. Full sun or partial shade will be equally

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acceptable. Prepare your chosen site by digging in compost or well-rotted manure.

relatively small bushes can give you several pounds of sweet, succulent fruit.

There are two kinds of raspberry: summer-fruiting and autumn-fruiting.

Autumn-fruiting ones are easier to manage, but if you have the space then try planting a bed of each. ‘Glen Ample’ is a reliable, heavy-cropping summer raspberry. For an autumn fruiter, try the appropriately named ‘Autumn Bliss’.

As with many other fruit bushes, you can train gooseberries along a fence if you wish.

Personally I’m just as happy with conventional bushes. Choose a sunny, sheltered, well-drained site and dig in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure. Buy your gooseberry plants as bare-rooted bushes and plant out with at least a metre of space around each one. Choose heavy-cropping ‘Invicta’ for traditional green gooseberries, and ‘Pax’ or ‘Whinham’s Industry’ for attractive red ones.

Summer-fruiting raspberries are traditionally grown between pairs of wires to stop them flopping. If you want to do this, you’ll need to hammer in stakes at either end of your raspberry bed, but I’m just as happy tying my raspberries to tripods of bamboo canes when the need arises. Plant your raspberries about 45cm apart, but not too deep — they like to root near the soil’s surface.

Mulch with manure or compost in spring, and keep them well watered, especially as the fruit develop. If you’re not prepared to share them with the birds then you might need to rig up some kind of netting or bird-scaring apparatus.

And pruning? For autumn-fruiting raspberries, simply cut down the whole of each plant to a few centimetres above the soil. Yes, it’s that easy. Summer-fruiting raspberries can be pruned immediately after cropping, but I usually leave it until later. Prune only the canes that have carried fruit in the current year. You can tell which they are by looking for the shrivelled fruit-stalks. Once you’ve identified them, cut them down to a few centimetres high. While you’re at it, lop off the tops of any canes that are getting unreasonably tall. Job done!

Gooseberries After a spell in the gardening doldrums, gooseberries are making a comeback. And rightly so. With a bit of luck a couple of

The denser your gooseberry bush, the less productive it will be, so be prepared to prune enthusiastically, preferably as winter begins to draw to a close. Traditionally, gooseberry bushes should be a wineglass shape, so remove any side-shoots from the bottom few centimetres of the main stem. Cut out dead or damaged branches, along with any crossbranches that are crowding the centre of the bush. Once the bush has an open structure, shorten the main stems by between one third and one half and cut back all the side-shoots to 6-7cm.

Optionally you can give your gooseberry bushes another snip in July, when you can knock back new sideshoots so that just five leaves remain on each one.

Thin out about half of the fruits when they are of a decent size, and use them, sweetened, in cooking. The remaining ones will grow larger and sweeter, and can be eaten straight from the bush or in desserts.

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Apples What could be more English than an apple?

With modern dwarf varieties you can get a bumper crop from a tiny tree, and with a bit of luck you can be picking apples within a year or two of planting. There are any number of fancy ways to train apple trees, but if you want an easy life then plant a freestanding one.

There are dozens of varieties, and I recommend you visit an independent garden centre or specialist nursery where they can advise you what will best meet your requirements. Try to fit in at least one good eating apple and one good cooking apple.

Planting a pair will help with pollination too.

Apple trees love moist, sheltered, welldrained sites, although in practice they will do their duty pretty much anywhere sunny.

If you’re growing them on a lawn, though, cut back the grass a metre or so around the trunk to leave bare soil that will allow water and nutrients through to your tree’s roots. In a year or two, when the tree is established, you can let the grass grow back.

With freestanding trees grown on modern dwarfing rootstocks, pruning won’t be a chore. It’s simply a matter of going out in winter and taking off any branches that are crowded, damaged or heading in the wrong direction. In fact in the first year or two you may well find there’s virtually nothing to do.

In late summer, when the apples have started to develop, remove any damaged fruit and thin out the rest — that way you’ll have a sensible number of nice big apples rather than a multitude of tiddlers.

Plums Plums are best grown as freestanding trees in a sunny, sheltered, well-drained spot. Bear in mind that a single plum tree won’t get pollinated unless there are other plums in the neighbourhood. If there aren’t any nearby then plant more than one of your own.

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The classic garden plum is ‘Victoria’, with its large, sweet, juicy fruit. ‘Czar’ is also a reliable choice. You might also consider planting a greengage — a golden-green variety of plum celebrated for its excellent taste, but seldom found in shops or markets.

Other than keeping new plants well watered, and mulching and fertilising your plum trees in spring, plums don’t require much attention.

Thinning out excessively heavy concentrations of developing fruit is always a good idea.

Thereafter it’s just a question of sitting and waiting for your luscious fruit to ripen, then racing the birds and wasps for them.

Unlike the other plants we have been discussing, plum trees don’t usually require much by way of pruning. In the event that damaged branches need to be removed, or pruning is required to control the tree’s shape, then do it in June. Pruning plums in winter makes them liable to disease, and should be avoided at all costs.

10 THIRSK ROAD, NORTHALLERTON T 01609 771 477 ACTIVE LIFE HEALTH CLUB SCOTCH CORNER T 01748 850 101

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

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Tulip Parrot Mix

Blooming Lovely Rebecca Pow explains how you can light up your garden with bulbs

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O

ne of the best things about tulips is that with careful planning you can have them providing spring cheer in the garden from early March until late May. Using flowering time as a guide is one of the simplest ways to decide what to grow. The other thing to bear in mind is colour. There are two approaches to colour management.

Either you can simply select your favourite colours and throw them together in one rainbow blur, or you can opt for tried and tested colour combinations.

Bulb specialist Chris Ireland-Jones of Avon Bulbs advocates the second strategy. “By concentrating on two or three colours at a time you will get more impact,” he says.

“Try mixing lilac, white and purple. Or, for more zing, earthy reds, pale yellows and pale pinks. A smattering of white, such as White Triumphator, or Spring Green, will add freshness and lightness to any combination.”

As long as the bulbs are healthy you can plant them right up until Christmas, even later if you are daring. In fact if you plant tulip bulbs when the soil is too warm they run the risk of developing ‘tulip fire’, a fungus that withers the bulb and distorts the foliage and flowers. Just make sure the soil is not too wet, and not frozen. If you are storing bulbs before planting, open the bags and keep them in a cool, wellventilated area. Even if the skins are flaking off, provided the bulbs are firm, they should still be viable.

Flaming Spring Green

Most tulips do best in loose, well-drained soil. They can be planted in the open as well as under deciduous trees and the canopy of other plants. By planting some in full sun and some in shade you can extend the flowering period by up to ten days.

Tulip bulbs are ideal for pots and tubs too, and by layering a mix of bulbs with different flowering times, putting the largest bulbs at the bottom and the smallest at the top, you can maintain a display for ages. For pots, Sarah Raven recommends the large, creamy T. Purissima, which will flower first, followed

by T. Orange Emperor and lastly the red Rococo.

If you are planting a mass of tulips, prepare the whole bed to a depth of around 25cm to make planting easier. If you are dotting the

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Gregii tulips flower in March. They are only 10cm in height and are ideal for rockeries and planters. I have groups of T. Cape Cod planted in my gravel border and they look delightful amongst the ornamental grasses.

Fosteriana tulips should flower from March until the beginning of April. They have large flowers in captivating colours, amongst them the creamy-white T. Flaming Purissima and the tangerine-orange T. Orange Emperor.

Tulip Golden Artist

tulips into an existing border, put each bulb in with a trowel or bulb planter to at least twice its depth.

There are early, mid and late flowering varieties of tulips, in a multitude of different shades — in fact there are an incredible 7,800 named varieties! Here are some of my favourites.

For the year’s first taste of tulips try the Kaufmanniana tulips. These typically sport large flowers on short stems and can flower as early as February. Many have interesting leaf-markings, and since the flowers tend to open wide in the sun you should give them plenty of space. T. Ancilla is pale yellow, bursting with red inside, and T. The First is reminiscent of a red and white stick of rock.

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Single Early tulips come into their own in early April. They are characterised by having one pretty cup-shaped flower per stem. Good examples are the popular Apricot Beauty, which is a soft salmon shade with a rose fragrance, and Couleur Cardinal with flowers of rich crimsonscarlet. Equally fabulous is the dramatic Princess Irene, which has soft orange petals marked with purple.

The Triumph tulips flower from mid to late April, and are a wonderful group of longflowering stalwarts suitable for all situations. Try Abu Hassan, a mysterious dark mahogany tulip edged with yellow, and the even more intriguing dark chrysanthemum-crimson Jan Reus.

As April progresses, the floaty Peony tulips burst forth. These really do resemble peonies, and amongst them is the musthave T. Angelique. Its pale apple-blossom pink petals exude a gentle fragrance.

In May the exquisitely elegant Lily-Flowered tulips show their faces. These have quite

The sultry, deep-purple T. Black Parrot

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Tulip China Town

thin, pointed, reflexed petals. Some of the most popular include T. China Pink, which is satin-pink with a white base and looks glorious amongst the silvery-grey foliage of Stachys or Santolina. And for showstopping brilliance who wouldn’t be enticed

by T. Ballerina, a fragrant, marigold-orange tulip? Throw in some superb pure white T. White Triumphator for added oomph.

In late May a final tulip twist comes with the Single Late tulips. One of my favourites is the magical T. Menton, which turns from rose to apricot-orange as the days go on.

It never ceases to evoke comments — and neither does the intensely dark Queen of Night, which looks stunning backlit with sunlight.

In mid May the incredible Parrot tulips do their stuff, and nothing else can compare with their ruffled forms. The sultry, deeppurple T. Black Parrot and the fiery Flaming Parrot are equally incredible. In the great orchestra of May-flowering tulips, the unique Viridiflora tulips play make a useful foil for their more vibrant kin. T. Spring Green is pale apple-white, with brush strokes of green on each petal.

For a total tulip treat, visit one of the tulip festivals held in gardens around the country between April and May — you’ll pick up ideas galore. In the meantime, online tulip suppliers include www.avonbulbs.co.uk www.dejager.co.uk www.sarahraven.com www.dutchbulbs.co.uk

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Sophisticated Style The very best in natural, luxurious rattan furniture‌

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40

Festive Feast

Hearty food is a must over the festive season, but this year why not try something a bit different? These splendid seasonal recipes from The Hairy Bikers’ 12 Days of Christmas put a contemporary twist on old favourites, and are simplicity itself to make.

CHESTNUT, ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & BRAMLEY APPLE SOUP This is a great winter soup, packed with festive flavours.

The Bramley apple is the secret as it tempers the sweetness of the chestnuts and squash.

SERVES 10 1.5kg butternut squash, cut into large chunks 5 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for cooking the squash 1 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 potatoes, diced 1 Bramley apple, cored and chopped 2 litres chicken or vegetable stock 1 sprig of thyme 2 bay leaves 400g chestnut purée 500g chestnuts, peeled and roasted (set aside a handful for garnish) sea salt flakes freshly ground black pepper truffle oil for garnish (optional) cream for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Put the chunks of squash in a roasting tin and splash with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Give them a stir so they are all coated with oil. Roast the squash in the hot oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through and a bit scorched, then set aside to cool. When the squash is cool enough, drain off the oil and remove the peel from the chunks.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a big soup pan, add the onion, garlic, potatoes and apple and fry until softened, not browned. Add the stock, squash, thyme, bay leaves, chestnut purée and chestnuts – don’t forget to keep some chestnuts back for the garnish. Season.

Simmer until the potato is soft, stirring regularly so the soup doesn’t catch and burn on the bottom of the pan. Leave to cool slightly then purée in a blender. Check for seasoning, then return the soup to the pan to warm through.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with a swirl of cream and another of truffle oil if you like. If you do this properly, it doesn’t have to look naff. Top with slices of the reserved roast chestnuts.

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TRADITIONAL HONEY-GLAZED GAMMON Cook a big piece of gammon to serve a party of 20 people or a smaller joint for a family meal - with lots of delicious leftovers. It tastes amazing served hot with a dribble of the cooking liquor, a generous spoonful of Cumberland sauce or a really delicious parsley sauce. Make sure you buy good-quality gammon. Double-smoked works a treat for this recipe if you can get your hands on some SERVES 10-20 2-4kg boned and rolled smoked gammon 2 small onions, peeled and halved 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into short lengths 2 celery sticks, cut into short lengths 4 bay leaves 12 black peppercorns small handful of whole cloves GLAZE 4 tbsp runny honey 4 tbsp prepared English mustard

Put the gammon in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.

Bring to the boil over a high heat, then remove the pan from the heat and drain all the water away. Refill the pan with fresh water, add the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns.

Return to the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and leave the ham to simmer gently for 20 minutes per 500g. If your pan isn’t quite big enough for the water to completely cover the joint, turn it over halfway through the cooking time. When the ham is ready, remove the pan from the heat and carefully lift the meat from the water and place it on a board. Leave to cool for 15 minutes. Don’t throw the ham stock away – use it for making a delicious pea and ham soup.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Using a small knife, carefully cut away and peel off the pork rind, leaving as much of the fat as possible. Score through the fat in a diamond pattern and push a clove into the centre of each diamond. Line a roasting tin with a large piece of foil and place the ham inside. Bring the sides of the foil up to create a bowl shape in which the ham can nestle.

Mix the honey and mustard together until smooth and brush half evenly over the ham, including the face. Bake in the centre of the oven for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and brush the remaining honey mixture over the ham. Put the ham back in the oven, placing the tin so the opposite side of the ham is facing the back. Cook for another 10–15 minutes until the fat is glossy and golden brown. If the ham starts to get too brown in places, cover loosely with small pieces of foil. Leave to stand for about 15 minutes before carving.

Put the ham on a serving platter or board. Pour any of the marinade that’s collected in the foil into a small pan and warm it through gently. Carve the ham into thin slices and serve dribbled with a little of the hot basting liquor.

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ROAST GOOSE

WITH GINGER & ORANGE STUFFING Roast goose makes a fantastic festive meal and we reckon that you can get 6 good portions out of one goose. Goose can easily be overcooked, so although it is perfectly possible to stuff the cavity of the bird, it can result in the flesh becoming dry as you wait for the stuffing to cook inside. With this recipe, stuffing balls are cooked separately and then placed around the goose for serving, making a really impressive-looking dish. You can get the stuffing, giblet stock and glaze ready the night before.

SERVES 6 5.5–6kg oven-ready goose 2 medium oranges 6 bay leaves, plus extra for garnish sea salt freshly ground black pepper GINGER & ORANGE STUFFING 1 tbsp sunflower oil 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 goose liver (if available) 6 balls of stem ginger in syrup, drained and cut into small pieces 200g fresh white breadcrumbs 500g good quality sausagemeat 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves GLAZE 2 balls of stem ginger in syrup, drained and cut into fine slivers 4 tbsp stem ginger syrup 4 tbsp ginger wine GINGER WINE GRAVY 2 heaped tbsp plain flour 500ml giblet stock 3 tbsp ginger wine sea salt freshly ground black pepper

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Remove the goose giblets and the neck. Make sure the goose is thoroughly thawed if previously frozen. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Place the goose on a rack over a large, sturdy roasting tin and prick with a skewer a few times down each side just below the wing. This will help release the fat. Season the goose with salt and pepper. Finely grate the orange zest and put it in a bowl. Cut the oranges into quarters and pop them into the body cavity with the bay leaves and cover the goose legs with triangles of foil. Roast the goose for 30 minutes per kg, plus an extra 20–30 minutes if you like your goose well done. A 6kg goose will need about 3 hours.

While the goose is cooking, prepare the stuffing, gravy and the glaze.

Separate the liver from the rest of the giblets – it will be the large, softer one. Pat dry on kitchen paper and cut into small pieces, discarding any sinew or damaged parts. Put the rest of the giblets in a large saucepan with the goose neck cut into 3 or 4 pieces and make a stock.

To make the stuffing, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onions for 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add the goose liver and fry for a further 1–2 minutes until browned. Tip into a large bowl and leave to cool. Add the remaining ingredients and the reserved orange zest to the onions and liver. Season with lots of salt and pepper and mix well. Roll the stuffing into 18 small balls and place them on a baking tray, then cover and chill until ready to bake. To make the ginger glaze, put the stem ginger slivers, syrup and ginger wine in a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring. Remove from the heat and set aside until ready to use.

After the goose has been cooking for 1½ hours (or 2 hours if you prefer your goose well done), remove it from the oven and put it on a board. Drain the fat from the roasting tin into a large heatproof bowl. Return the goose to the rack and continue cooking for a further 1½ hours, removing the foil after 30 minutes.

To check the goose is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer, then press the skewer against the leg and check the juices that run out. When the goose is cooked, the juices should run clear. Also, when you wiggle the legs, they should move fairly freely.

Brush the goose with the ginger glaze and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes until the skin is glossy and lightly browned. Don’t leave it any longer or the glaze will burn. Take the goose out of the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C/Gas 6.

Place the goose on a warmed serving platter and cover loosely with foil and a tea towel and leave to rest for 20–30 minutes. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the reserved goose fat over the stuffing balls to add flavour and bake in the centre of the oven for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cooked throughout.

While the stuffing balls are baking, make the gravy with the giblet stock and ginger wine (see page 109). Remove the tea towel and foil.

Place the stuffing balls around the goose, adding a few bay leaves.

Pour the gravy into a warmed jug and serve with the goose.

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CHRISTMAS PUDDING FONDANTS This is a great pudding for when you have people round for supper, as all the work can be done in advance and the puds are popped in the oven just before you are ready to eat them.

SERVES 6 50g mixed dried fruit 1 tsp mixed spice 2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp ground nutmeg finely grated zest of ½ orange 4 tbsp brandy 150g plain dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids 150g butter, plus extra for greasing 3 large eggs 3 large egg yolks 50g caster sugar 25g self-raising flour icing sugar

Butter six 175ml metal pudding basins and line the bases with small discs of baking parchment. Place them on a small, sturdy baking tray. Put the dried fruit in a small pan with the spices, orange zest and brandy. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring constantly, until the liquid evaporates or is absorbed by the fruit. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the fruit to cool for 30 minutes.

Break the chocolate into pieces and put them in a heatproof basin with the butter. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until the chocolate and butter have melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together with an electric beater until pale and thick. Gently fold in the cooled fruit and the melted chocolate and butter. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold it in lightly. Spoon into the prepared tins and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Fifteen minutes before you want to serve the puddings, remove them from the fridge and bake for 10–11 minutes, until well risen but still wobbly in the middle. (Add a minute to the cooking time for each hour that puddings have chilled, up to 3 minutes extra.)

Loosen the sides of the puddings with a round-bladed knife, turn them out onto dessert plates and remove the lining paper. Dust the puddings with icing sugar and serve with crème fraîche, cream or brandy butter.

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CHRISTMAS PANNA COTTA Not everyone likes traditional Christmas pud so here’s a delicious alternative – a spicy panna cotta. It’s light, modern and sexy – just like us really!

SERVES 6 2 tbsp raisins 2 tbsp dark rum 3½ sheets of gelatine 500ml double cream 4 tbsp caster sugar ¼ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground allspice ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 1 small handful berries, such as redcurrants, to serve

Put the raisins in a bowl, add the rum and leave them to soak for about 30 minutes. Soak the gelatine in cold water until soft.

Meanwhile, pour the cream into a heavy saucepan, add the sugar and spices and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the cream for 2–3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, squeeze the excess water out of the gelatine and whisk it into the cream mixture. Drain the raisins and add them to the cream, discarding the rum.

Divide the mixture between 6 moulds or ramekins. Set them aside to cool completely, then cover the panna cottas with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until set.

When you’re ready to serve the panna cottas, dip the moulds into hot water for a minute to loosen them and turn out onto plates.

Serve with some berries – redcurrants look very Christmassy!

Recipes and photographs are from The Hairy Bikers’ 12 Days of Christmas by Si King and Dave Myers, published in hardback by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, and available from all good booksellers priced at £20.

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The ultimate cheese experience.

Indulge yourself with our award winning cheeses from the small artisan cheese makers, The Dales Food Company, formerly known as The Ribblesdale Cheese Company, based in Hawes. We changed our name as we don't just make cheese, we also make goat fudge and goat butter too.

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52

On the

Grapevine Christine Austin selects some divine drinks for winter dinner parties.

Informal suppers are fine during the summer, but when winter arrives I start to feel the need for a white tablecloth and candles. A dinner party may seem a lot of work, but with a little preparation you can enjoy terrific food and wine, then sit back and wait for the reciprocal invitations. I can’t help you with the food, but here are my recommendations on dealing with the drinks.

I

Begin by clearing the clutter from your wine rack. Get rid of dusty old bottles that were never much good in the first place. My golden rule is that if it cost less than a fiver and you haven’t drunk it in six months then you might as well pour it in the gravy. This applies especially to white wines, but can also cover reds. Between £5 and £10 you will need to do some research, but anything that came from a school raffle is probably not worth keeping.

Next do the same with those half-empty bottles and decanters of port and sherry. They won’t do you any harm but they will have lost the zingy flavour they had when you first opened the bottle. Gravy, sauces, stocks and soups will all benefit from a splash of alcohol.

Now you can start restocking the wine rack or

the cupboard where you keep your wine — which should ideally be cool and dark to help keep your purchases in tip-top condition.

All dinner parties need an aperitif and in wintertime I like to offer a clean, perky Manzanilla to sharpen everyone’s tastebuds.

One of my favourites is La Guita, which comes in half bottles from Campbells of Leyburn (01969 624391) at £6.49. This is just the right size for four people to share as an aperitif with nibbles of jamón and salted almonds; if there are more people you may need to trade up to a full bottle at £10.49.

Keep it in the fridge and try to finish the bottle in one evening because Manzanilla loses its sea-salt tang a few days after opening.

Not everyone likes Manzanilla, so have a bottle of fizz to hand. It could be champagne, and there are certainly some good deals around this year. But since this is the age of austerity, why not check out the delicious, clean, light, toasty flavours of Crémant de Bourgogne from Cave de Lugny (£9.99 from Bon Coeur Fine Wines in Masham, (01765 688200).

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Once your guests are gathered around the table, any starter that involves fish, salad, chicken, avocado or even a light spice will go wonderfully with the Albariño grape from Spain. This is a wine with a light, peachy aroma and a delicious weight and texture.

Try the Vionta Albariño 2009 (£11.19) from Yorkshire Vintners (01765 601701), a new wine merchant based in Ripon. Yorkshire Vintners was founded by ex-employees of another Yorkshire wine merchant that went under in the recession, so despite being new they have a lot of experience. There is a large warehouse where you can wander around to select your wines, and monthly tastings are planned.

Winter weather calls for robust reds and if there is game on the menu, head to Italy for sheer complexity and style. Try the elegant, savoury, cherry fruit of Frescobaldi Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva 2006 (£16.99 from Corks & Cases, Masham, 01765 688810), or trade up to the fabulous chocolate-dusted, deep cassis flavours of Chianti Classico 2006 from the beautiful, organically-run estate of Querciabella (£18.50, Yorkshire Vintners).

I am impressed by the way that wines from Argentina have improved in quality in recent years, and the deep, robust, loganberry-laden flavours of Malbec are particularly suited to winter weather. Try Don David Malbec Reserva 2007 from Michel Torino (£9.99, Campbells of Leyburn); it comes from the high mountainous region of Salta, where the grapes seem to develop deeper colours and flavours.

Alternatively, head to the south of France where a new wave of quality winemaking is producing individual wines with real character. Terroir Languedoc (www.terroirlanguedoc.co.uk) is a mail-order company run from Skipton by Gemma Crangle, and it specialises in organic and biodynamic wines. To team up with beef casseroles try the bramble, fig and spice flavours of Domaine des Soulanes 2008 (£9.95), which is made from Grenache and Carignan.

All good dinners need dessert, but instead of serving a light, fruity sweet wine, head for something that will go with cheese and that can be sipped while someone loads the dishwasher and the rest of the table puts the world to rights. I love Madeira, and Lewis & Cooper in Northallerton (01609 772880) have a great selection, mostly from the top-quality producer Barbeito. Their Single Harvest 1997, with its flavours of figs, marmalade and a touch of cinnamon, is simply delicious with hard cheeses such as Cheddar and Parmesan, especially if there is a handful of nuts and raisins to go with them. It is drier and more food-orientated than many other more commercial Madeiras.

If you really need a dessert wine, then the rich intensity of 5 Puttonyos Tokaji 2002 from the Crown Estates of Hungary will go well with tarte tatin, crème brulée and even a chocolate roulade. You only get 25cl for £9.25 (Yorkshire Vintners), but just a thimbleful of this heavenly nectar provides enough concentrated honeyed lemon and caramelised apple flavours to balance the sweetest dessert.

Querciabella estate

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FREE FESTIVE TASTING EVENT Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd December from 5.00pm – 8.30pm

Find out now why your local store is now on the national map

Thanks to your help Campbells of Leyburn is a finalist in the National Retail Awards – the Oscars of the trade.

So what did the sponsors and judges find to nominate Campbells ahead of many major and national brands?

Visit our Festive Tasting Event and see for yourself!

We have: • The finest local award winning rare breed meats including all your Christmas and New Year needs • A range of superb local products including fresh fruit and vegetables • An exciting selection of delicatessan products • And perhaps the best range of wines and spirits in the region Many of which will be available for you to sample.

So put these dates in your diary and we will look forward to seeing you. www.campbellsofleyburn.co.uk 4 Commercial Square, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5BP Tel: 01969 622169 Email: enq@campbellsofleyburn.co.uk

Our traditional in house butchery and deli have just been extended offering even more mouth watering products including local cheese and meats, Italian pasta and French delicacies. Don’t forget we will be taking orders for your Christmas turkey and other festive products plus we will have some amazing seasonal special offers.

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Why not visit our large showrooms or telephone 01677 423127 or 422581 for more information

5 Bridge Street, Bedale 56

UNIT 7, BADGER COURT HARMBY ROAD BUSINESS PARK, HARMBY ROAD, LEYBURN, NORTH YORKSHIRE, DL8 5BF 01969 625111 BEACON GARAGE, CATTERICK ROAD, CATTERICK GARRISON, NORTH YORKSHIRE, DL9 4RZ 01748 835111 UNIT 3, STANDARD COURT, STANDARD WAY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, NORTHALLERTON, DL6 2XA 01609 780003 EMAIL:SALES@DAVEHUDSPETHCARPETS.CO.UK

DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

To book space in the Spring issue contact Sue Gillman

The timeless classical beauty of solid hardwood floors C Direct from our sawmill

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

C Every floor produced individually to

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

exotic walnut C Matching skirtings & mouldings

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

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Chef’s

TABLE THIS MONTH:

The Wensleydale Heifer - West Witton Since he took over The Wensleydale Heifer in 2005, owner and chef David Moss has transformed the 17th century coaching inn into a top-notch boutique hotel — the first in the Dales.

Each of the luxuriously appointed en suite rooms is cleverly themed, with quirky design concepts that range from the confectionery-packed ‘Chocolate’ room to the exuberant ‘A Night at the Movies’ deluxe double.

The Wensleydale Heifer’s sumptuous restaurant and its equally stylish but less formal fish bar both offer an extensive menu of exquisitely fresh fish and seafood, along with carefully selected locally sourced meat and vegetables.

Head Chef John Barley has devised a special menu for Dales Life readers that reflects The Wensleydale Heifer’s food philosophy: to choose the finest quality ingredients and cook them simply and sympathetically, keeping the spotlight firmly on their natural flavours.

And just in case you were wondering about drinks, wine merchants Yorkshire Vintners, who are based at Copt Hewick near Ripon, have selected wines that will perfectly complement these flavourful and stylish dishes.

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Tian of Whitby Crab, Crevettes, Beetroot, Horseradish and Potato Salad with Caper Dressing This dish is a real taste of the sea. It makes an ideal starter for a dinner party - it looks amazing and it can all be done in advance!

Serves 4 250g handpicked white crab meat 8 large peeled and cooked crevettes 16 small boiled new potatoes 2 medium size cooked beetroots 1 tbsp horseradish, fresh or relish 4 tbsp good quality mayonnaise 2 finely chopped shallots 2 tbsp capers small bunch finely chopped chives micro rocket leaves lemon juice olive oil salt and black pepper 4 cylindrical moulds (if you don’t have these just place each layer carefully on a serving dish)

Yorkshire Vintners recommends: Viognier 2009 Anakena, Rapel Valley, Chile A really stunning New World interpretation of Viognier from Anakena in the Rapel Valley, this wine is golden straw in colour and shows intense apricot, rose and ginger aromas. The palate is richly fruited, with apricot and peach mingling with lively citrus notes. Crisp and elegant, it is delicious as an aperitif but will also match crab and crevettes perfectly.

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Dice the new potatoes and mix them with the horseradish, chopped shallots, salt, pepper and mayonnaise. Divide evenly between your 4 cylindrical moulds. Slice the beetroot thinly and place on top of the potato mix. Check the crab for shell, then mix with a squeeze of lemon, a tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place this mixture on top of the potato and beetroot.

Finish off with the peeled crevettes and micro rocket leaves. Remove the cutter.

Finish the dish with a sprinkle of capers and chives and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Serve with a lemon wedge.

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Seared Salmon with King Scallops, Saffron Mash, Spinach and Fire-Roasted Tomato Dressing Good quality organic salmon can now be found in most supermarkets. It is less fatty than the farmed salmon, and whilst it may cost a little more it has a fantastic flavour. If you can get hold of diver-caught king scallops they are always better than the trawled ones.

Serves 4 4 150g organic salmon fillet portions, skinned 12 large king scallops 250g baby spinach 2 large Maris Piper potatoes 15g saffron strands 100g fresh sunblush tomatoes in oil 50g unsalted butter small bunch finely chopped chives olive oil salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 200ยบc. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a pan with oil and the chives. Heat just before serving.

Steep the saffron strands in 2 tablespoons of hot water. Peel and chop the potatoes, boil until tender and mash until smooth.

Season, add 25g of butter and the saffron and its water. Keep warm.

Wilt the spinach in a little olive oil and season. Drain out all excess water.

Keep warm.

Place the salmon fillets in a hot pan with some olive oil and put in the oven for about 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.

Yorkshire Vintners recommends: Torricella Chardonnay 2006 Barone Ricasoli, Italy This Tuscan Chardonnay aged in oak could be mistaken for a fine white Burgundy. It is not too overpowering, but will stand up well to the strong salmon flavours. Well-made oak-aged Chardonnay can be very elegant, and this is a prime example. On the nose there is a hint of tropical fruit, plenty of oatmeal and a little crushed almond. The palate has very fresh but ripe apple and pear fruit, with clean lemon zest qualities giving a shimmering acidity.

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While the salmon is cooking, cook the scallops in a red hot pan for about 2 minutes on each side. Finish with the remaining butter and a squeeze of lemon.

To assemble the dish, put wilted spinach in the centre of each plate. Add three tablespoons of saffron mash to each plate.

Put the salmon fillet on the spinach and the scallops on the saffron mash. Finish with a drizzle of the tomato dressing.

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Lemon Posset with Vanilla Cream This pudding is so simple, yet looks very elegant. In the five years since The Wensleydale Heifer opened this is the recipe that we have most often been asked for. Once again this dish is ideal for a dinner party as it can be prepared beforehand and finished off in just a few minutes.

Serves 4 125g caster sugar 1 tsp liquid glucose 125g lemon juice and rind (about 2 lemons) 550ml double cream 1 vanilla pod 30g icing sugar 50ml good quality fruit coulis

Bring 420ml double cream to the boil. Add the caster sugar, glucose, lemon juice and rind and simmer for 5 minutes. Leave to stand in the saucepan for 20 minutes, then strain through a sieve and pour into 4 champagne glasses. Leave to chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Whip the remaining cream with the icing sugar and the seeds scraped from the vanilla pod and put this into a piping bag.

To assemble the dessert, put a tablespoon of coulis on each of the lemon possets and finish with the whipped cream.

Yorkshire Vintners recommends: Domaine Noble 2005, Loupiac, Bordeaux, France Loupiac belongs to a cluster of less well known appellations in Bordeaux. It covers only 370 hectares and is comparable in style to its prestigious neighbours Sauternes and Barsac. A blend of 80% Semillon and 20% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is a golden yellow colour and the nose displays intense aromas of caramelised pineapple and vanilla. The wine is mouth-filling, with citrus notes, and its sweetness is balanced nicely by firm acidity. It’s not easy matching a wine to lemon, but this one works!

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NICKERY NOOK

3 MARKET COURT, BEDALE DL8 1YA 01677 425848

So much more than you think – especially at Christmas • Yankee Candle • Bomb Cosmetics • Chocolates – hand made at ‘The Chocolate Shop’, Leyburn • Carte Blanche cards and Blue Nose Bears • Crystal and fashion jewellery

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Once again we have the largest selection locally of individual Christmas cards, boxed sets, charity boxed sets and 2 for 1 offers.

Our Christmas gifts and decorations include many ranges unique in Bedale. We have everything you need to wrap your gifts for the festive season.

For that special gift ask about our diamond cut engraving services and picture framing Bring this advert to Nickery Nook to claim 10% off all Christmas themed items. Offer ends 24th December

Fringez ‘n Freckles Hair & Introducing Dermalogica Skincare the professionals choice Why not pamper yourself this Christmas with our 20% introductory offer off all Dermalogica facials. Or why not treat your loved one to a voucher this Christmas.

Beauty Salon

and nail bar

We offer a wide range of treatments including: Waxing • Manicures • Pedicures Weddings - Hair and Makeup California Spray Tan

Just arrived - The Gelish Experience A polish that does not smudge, chip or peel and gives a flawless finish, and dries in seconds.

Lasts up to 2 to 3 weeks.

Amazing range of colours to choose from.

Telephone 01969 625192 3 High Street, Leyburn, DL8 5AH

Now stocking handbags

Commercial Square Leyburn DL8 5BP 01969 624948 Also in Sedbergh Visit our friendly boutiques for style & fashion

Gatsby ’s hairdressing

01677 426943 DISCOUNT WEDNESDAY • LOYALTY CARDS AVAILABLE Everyone welcome!

9a Market Place, Bedale 67

ELLE MACPHERSON FREYA CALVIN KLEIN FANTASIE TRIUMPH LEJABY CURVY KATE An exquisite collection of lingerie, swimwear & nightwear now available Buy online from www.victoriaslingerie.co.uk Free postage and packing 11 High Street, Leyburn Tel: 01969 622102

Head over Heels Stunning new winter collections now in stock New this season, Italian wool scarves, hats and gloves.

Ladies Shoes Handbags Costume Jewellery MARCO TOZZI速

2 Railway Street, Leyburn North Yorkshire DL8 5AY Tel: 01969 625234 Open 10-5pm Monday to Saturday 68

PAT C H W O R K

R O S E

Beautiful home accessories and stylish gifts

Find the perfect gift, treat yourself or simply create a cosy retreat at home this winter Extended opening: Sunday 11am-3pm and Thursday till 8pm throughout December

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

PINE

JUNCTION

Reclaimed and handmade country pine furniture and home accessories available at our showroom in the village centre.

The Stone Barn, West Tanfield t: 01677 470461 www.pinejunction.co.uk pinejunction@hotmail.co.uk Proprietors: Rose Overton & Robert Watson Open 6 days a week Mon-Sat 11-4,

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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 70

Christmas

Emporium Looking for seasonal gifts or tasty festive treats? With so many specialist independent retailers in our region, it makes sense to shop locally. Here’s a roundup of some of the best.

Riverford Organic at Newby Wiske deliver fresh, tasty fruit and vegetables throughout the North East. For Christmas they have made it their mission to supply everything else you need by way of seasonal food and drink too — all of it is 100% organic, and delivery is free. As well as turkey (whole, or jointed and stuffed) they have a wide range of meats, including spiced beef and roasting joints of beef and pork, along with some fantastic organic smoked salmon. For those with a sweet tooth Riverford offer Christmas puddings made to their own special recipe and mince pies baked in their farm shop — plus enough cheese, chutney and chocolate to keep you going well into the New Year. They also sell organic dairy products courtesy of Acorn Dairy, and a variety of tempting organic alcoholic drinks including the ever-popular sloe gin.

Riverford Organic, Home Farm, Newby Wiske, DL7 9HB, 0845 600 2311 www.riverford.co.uk/homefarm

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Yorkshire Vintners is an independent wine merchant based near Ripon, which carries a huge range of wines, champagnes and fortified wines ideal for holiday season drinking. They aim to put the fun back into wine-buying, encouraging customers to try before they buy, and if you phone ahead they can propose a tailormade selection of drinks for your dinner or party. Their house champagne is Baron de Marck, a great-value bubbly from a respected small champagne house.

If you want a hearty winter red, their Rioja Reserva Covila 2004 will match well with festive food flavours. For a white to wash down your Christmas lunch, try the Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2009 from Jean Christophe Mandard. And for a fantastic red pudding wine, ask about their South African Muskadel — equally delicious with chocolate or cheese, mince pies or Christmas pud.

Yorkshire Vintners, Unit 15 Sycamore Business Park, Copt Hewick, HG4 5DF 01765 601 701 www.yorkshirevintners.co.uk

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Baby Duckling - an exciting new online service launched by North Stainley couple David and Sharron Cooney — offers an inspired contemporary mix of new gift ideas and traditional toys for babies, toddlers, pre-school children and mums-to-be. There’s something for everyone here, including fun wooden toys, fabulous educational jigsaws, super-sized pop-up books, traditional crafts and handmade nursery gifts, along with contemporary designs from Jamie Oliver, Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston. And whatever your child’s favourite character — from Winnie-the-Pooh to Hello Kitty — you’re sure to find them here.

Wonderful products personalised to feature a child’s name include silverware for special occasions, rhinestone-embellished gifts and clothing, nursery décor, first crockery sets, handmade special occasion books and personalised recorded stories. It’s a one-stop shop for top quality, innovative presents at sensible prices.

Baby Duckling 0844 412 7422 www.babyducklingsboutique.com

Formerly known as Ribblesdale Cheese, The Dales Food Company specialises in goat’s milk cheeses handmade from single-source local milk, and they have recently extended their range to include delicious goat’s butter and goat’s fudge. They also make awardwinning sheep cheese and Wensleydale cow’s cheese. Their custom-made mini-cheeses, hand-waxed in Christmas colours, are ideal for seasonal eating — or giving, if you can bear to part with them. If your tastes incline to blue cheese there is now a blue version of their popular ‘Original Goat’, along with a gorgeously creamy blue Wensleydale. The Dales Food Company can make up hampers to order, including artisan-made biscuits, oatcakes and chutneys. Buy mail order (by phone only), visit their tiny shop in Hawes, or look out for their cheeses in local delicatessens.

The Dales Food Company, The Little Cheese Shop, Market Place, Hawes, DL8 3RZ 01969 667 788 www.dalesfoodcompany.com

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Lewis & Cooper’s frontage on Northallerton High Street seems modest enough, but behind it lies a labyrinthine store packed with more than 35,000 lines. Its awardwinning handmade plum puddings and luscious fruit cakes are especially keenly sought after at this time of year. Lewis & Cooper is also renowned for its luxury hampers; choose from an impressive range or have your own selection of goodies made up to order while you sample the first floor tearoom or browse the wine department. And don’t forget to plunder the shop’s massive delicatessen counter with its huge range of Yorkshire, British and continental cheeses, cured and cooked meats, pies and more. Stock up on fine coffees too — they’re roasted in-store. A second, smaller Lewis & Cooper store thrives in Yarm-on-Tees.

Lewis & Cooper, 92 High Street, Northallerton, 01609 772 880; 109 High Street, Yarm-on-Tees, 01642 784 158 www.lewisandcooper.co.uk

The 'Sheepy Shop' at Masham's Black Sheep Brewery stocks a range of gifts that are ideal for anyone with a hankering for the company's splendid award-winning ales. The ales in question, which include Black Sheep Ale, Holy Grail and Riggwelter, feature prominently in the brewery's various festive hampers. Also included in the hampers are products that have been flavoured with Black Sheep Beers, such as Black Sheep Ale Chutney, Riggwelter Mustard and Riggwelter Pickle — alongside other great products sourced from top local suppliers, including genuine Wensleydale cheeses from the Wensleydale Creamery. As well as food and drink you can also choose from a huge range of products emblazoned with Black Sheep imagery and logos, including T-shirts, baseball caps, glasses, mugs and tankards. Pop into the brewery shop, or buy online.

Black Sheep Brewery, 01765 680101/680100 www.blacksheepbrewery.co.uk

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Millie Moo have a new shop in Leyburn, and it’s just the right place to find a special present for a child.

Millie Moo are well known for making wooden furniture and accessories for your home, kitchen and children (their hand-finished wooden letters are always very popular) but they have masses of other top-quality gift ideas as well. This is the place to come for a beautiful personalised wooden toy box — or some fabulous traditional wooden toys to put in it. You’ll also find charming rag dolls and plenty of loveable teddies, from Gund, Kathe Kruse, Scandi Chic, Wingreen and Powell Craft, along with the very collectable Charlie Bears.

Millie Moo also stock a huge range of quality children’s clothing, including fun designer outdoor gear from Joules, Hatley, Albetta designer children’s clothing, cotton traditional nightwear from Powell Craft and gorgeous Padraig sheepskin slippers.

Millie Moo, Newsteads, High Street, Leyburn DL8 5AQ, 01969 624953 www.millie-moo.co.uk

Bursting with chocolate treats for Christmas!

The Little Chocolate Shop in Leyburn is busy making scrumptious hand made chocolates Come and visit us at our working factory where you can watch how the chocolates are made Our shop has a super range of delicious chocolates and hand made confectionery

Visit us at our Factory The Little Chocolate Shop Ltd, Leyburn Business Park, Harmby Road, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5QA

Tel: 01969 625288 www.thelittlechocolateshop.co.uk 75

TOP GLASS

e 18th century was a golden age for English glassmaking, and wine glasses of the period are highly collectable. Tennants’ expert Adam Schoon gives Ian Henry a beginner’s guide

Engraved Rococo style wine glass circa 1730 76

Hold an 18th century English wine glass in your hand — feel its perfect balance, peer closely at its exquisite workmanship — and it’s easy to see why they are so keenly sought after.

For such a fragile item to survive three centuries is a minor miracle. Almost equally surprising is how affordable many of them still are. Whilst some command prices upwards of a thousand pounds, good examples can be had for little more than a hundred. It’s a small price to pay for such a beautifully crafted piece of history.

Leyburn auction house Tennants is a good place to find quality English glassware, and Tennants’ valuer and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert Adam Schoon guided me through some fine examples from their Autumn Catalogue Sale. Adam’s career in antiques began with a boyhood passion for collecting glass bottles, and his continuing enthusiasm for fine glassware is infectious.

Until the late 1600s, when Thomas Ravenscroft’s experiments with glassmaking began to bear fruit, most glass tableware was imported from Venice. And very fussy, flamboyant, over-elaborate stuff it was too. The rise of English glassmaking, however, coincided with a shift in taste towards simpler, more understated and — to modern eyes — more stylish forms.

The first piece Adam showed me, a heavy baluster wine glass dating from around 1700, is a classic example. It’s a masterpiece of uncomplicated elegance, with a thistle-shaped bowl sitting atop an acorn knop (a ‘knop’ is a decorative knob or boss) into which an elongated bubble of air has been introduced to add visual interest. The glass fits so snugly into the hand, and feels so reassuringly solid, that it’s easy to imagine raising it in a hearty 18th century toast and slamming it back down on the table again. Mind you, it would have been used only in the most refined of company; fine glassware of this kind was only for the privileged few. Adam expects it to fetch between £800 and £1,200.

Moving ahead ten or fifteen years, we can see the basic template being refined and elaborated. In 1714 George I, first of the Hanoverian monarchs, came to the throne, and our next glass shows a distinct middle European influence, most notably in a ‘Silesian’ stem, square in cross-section, moulded according to a technique borrowed from the artisans of Silesia (today part of Poland). The ‘thistle’ bowl looks even more thistle-like than in the previous example, the knop having been ground into a series of diamond-shaped facets. This would have been a laborious task in an age before mechanisation, but would have made the glass sparkle resplendently by firelight or candlelight. Adam’s auction estimate: £400 to £600.

By the date of our next glass, around 1730, a new style was coming to the fore.

Austere lines were giving way to Rococo frivolity, and glassware was

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Heavy baluster wine glass circa 1700

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becoming more explicitly decorative. In shape this glass is similar to the previous two, but noticeably slimmer and lighter — more appropriate for polite sipping than rowdy toasting. What’s more, instead of a plain bowl we have an exquisitely engraved one. It bears a Latin motto and shows a cherubic Bacchus sitting on a barrel and brandishing a bunch of grapes. The level of detail is extraordinary, with even tiny grasses and trailing vine tendrils lovingly etched. Whereas the leaves are matte, each individual grape has been polished to a glossy lustre to mimic the highlights of a real bunch of grapes.

The piece’s quality is reflected in its robust price; at auction you would expect to pay between £1,000 and £1,500 for this little gem.

Silesian stemmed wine glass circa 1715

Equally striking is a Newcastle light baluster glass from around 1740, which is engraved with flowers, clasped hands and a pair of hearts on an altar.

Newcastle was at its peak as a centre for glassmaking at this period and, as the inscription in Dutch suggests (it translates as ‘Best Wishes for Your Marriage’), was exporting its wares to Continental Europe. Adam’s estimate for this fine example is £1,200 to £1,800.

The next glass may not be the most valuable, but it is definitely fun. At first sight it’s simply a glass engraved with flowers and a geometrical motif.

There’s more to it than that, though. Some of the centres of the flower heads are polished, but others are drilled through. Hold the glass the right way round — a single hanging bloom gives a clue which way — and you can safely drink from it. Hand it over to a friend, though, and when they raise it to their lips wine will cascade through the tiny pierced holes and stain their frothy Rococo clothes. Truly a frivolous glass for a frivolous age. A glass like this will cost you £500 to £800 at auction — and perhaps a friend or two if you decide to test it out.

Newcastle light baluster wine glass circa 1740

By the middle of the 18th century the Rococo style was waning, and Adam showed me an attractive trumpet-shaped glass from around 1750 that points the way towards a different aesthetic. New techniques have made it possible to draw the crude air bubbles in the stems of earlier glasses into fine multiple spirals, creating a design that is both simple

Newcastle baluster trick wine glass circa 1750

and refined. Considering its age and elegance, the auction price for such a glass is refreshingly modest: somewhere between £100 and £150.

In our final glass, which dates from around 1765, we see the technique of decorating the stem with spiral twists taken a step further. In this case there are two different sets of opaque spirals, one set within the other. Even today it is hard for someone who doesn’t understand glassblowing to imagine how this is done, and at the time it must have seemed like sheer magic. It’s a piece of magic that would nowadays cost you between £150 and £250 at auction.

Cheers!

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

Buyer beware! Adam’s top tips for spotting reproductions.

Early wine glasses were widely reproduced in the early 20th century, so how can you tell a fake from the real thing? The surest way to be safe is to buy from a reputable auction house or dealer, but here are some pointers.

Trumpet bowl wine glass with spiral twist stem circa 1750

• True 18th century glass has a lead content that gives it a distinctive grey-blue, misty tone which 20th century glass doesn’t have. Train your eye by comparing the two.

• Old glass has masses of character, including bubbles and tool marks made during the shaping of the piece (known as ‘marvering marks’).

Modern reproductions, by comparison, tend to look a bit too perfect.

• A glass that has endured many years of use will have scuffing on the underside of the foot.

Unscrupulous dealers may try to mimic this by rubbing a newer glass on a rough surface, but this will tend to produce parallel sets of marks rather than genuine random scuffing.

• If the glass has a twist stem, look carefully at the direction of the twist. It should run from top right down to bottom left. Modern reproductions often twist the opposite way.

• Be suspicious of any glass whose foot is elliptical, or whose foot is markedly different in diameter from the rim of the bowl. Even if it’s not a fake it may have been ground down to hide chips, and this will drastically reduce its value.

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Double spiral twist stem glass circa 1765

Wells Decoration

Specialist in period property We understand how quality decoration enhances your home while adding to its value. The importance of a perfect finish cannot be overstated.

The is There still ttime to transform tran your room in tim time for Chri Christmas.

From Harrogate to the Netherlands for ÂŁ44,400 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 pretty picture was consigned in Harrogate and sold in our recent 19th Century British Picture Sale in London for ÂŁ44,400 to a private buyer from the Netherlands.

FOR FREE CONSULTATIONS AND ESTIMATES

PHONE ANDREW WELLS 01609 882800 07956 651088 wells.decoration@googlemail.com

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

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DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

We are looking for distribution agents Positions available throughout Yorkshire.

Excellent rates paid

New Detox Deluxe Days and Winter Spa Breaks Christmas Gift Vouchers

Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.demon.co.uk www.daleslife.com 83

Beauty NEWS Top winter skincare, Christmas goodies and sleek and chic new fragrance TREND REPORT: CHIGNON Cheryl Cole’s bedhead up-do is the new way to wear a chignon. Rough-dry hair with a good mousse, to give it a tousled texture. Circle hair into a neat bun at the nape of the neck, and secure with bobby pins, leaving some strands free to frame the face. Hair needs to be in top condition, so book a bespoke deep conditioning treatment at your local salon: we’re addicted to the Kérastase treatments at Saks salons. Take home a Kérastase Lumière Nutri-Sculpt, £17.90 at Saks, to smooth onto hair for last-minute shine.

EDITED BY SARAH DREW JONES

THREE WINTER SCENTS

GORGEOUS GIFT

Eva Longoria Parker’s first fragrance, Eva, is now at The Perfume Shop from £27.50, Gucci Guilty – also at The Perfume Shop, from £34.50 – is a cool oriental floral, and style mavens will love Lola Velvet Edition by Marc Jacobs, £45 (department stores).

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Stuck for a luxury gift for your best friend, sister, mum.... or even secret treat for you?

Sisley’s put together a stunningly beautiful Christmas coffret this year, with an eau de parfum and moisturising body cream in its bestselling fragrance, Eau du Soir.

Find it at Space NK (www.spacenk.co.uk) for £71.

SKINCARE SOS In cold weather, skin needs some extra help to look its best. One of the best all-rounders in the fight against time is the lovely Darphin Stimulskin Plus Rejuvenating Lifting Serum, £142, which helps the contours of your face stay firm. Used every day, it’ll keep moisture levels high too.

Fans of organic skincare will love REN Rose Synergy O12 Restoring Facial Serum, £40, with rose oil and omega 6 and 7 essential fatty acids to repair skin’s barriers and restore softness.

Too many late nights? Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Night Cream, £80, is all you need to enhance skin while you sleep, and will guarantee you wake up looking refreshed.

Caudalie’s famous for using resveratrol in its skincare, a health-giving grape extract found in red wine. Caudalie Vinexpert Firming Serum £43.50, is a quick-fix for those days when you’re running straight from work to an evening on the tiles.

SCARLET LIPS As seen on the catwalks at Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld and Herve Leger, a classic crimson pout is the fast track to glamour right now.

Choose bold matte or soften the impact with a cherry gloss.

Australian brand Lipstick Queen gets it right with Saint Red, £15 (Space NK).

STRAWBERRY KISS Nothing melts the years away like a super-flattering shade of pink.

Clinique’s nailed the trend for natural-looking blush this season, with the lovely Limited Edition Strawberry Fudge Holiday Compact, £25. With three eyeshadows in shimmering shades of soft pink, chocolate brown, and a dark slate to dial up the drama, it’s also got a perfect suit-anyone rose blusher.

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EDGY GLAM Time to vamp up your makeup bag. Try the new Black Maple collection from Bobbi Brown, for luscious hues of damson, cherry and charcoal. Achingly on-trend but with translucent textures, they’re light and easy-towear. We love the Metallic Lip Colour £15.50, Sparkle Eye Shadow £14.50 and Lip Gloss in Black Chocolate £14.

EYES HAVE IT The beauty world’s buzzing about the new Crème de la Mer Eye Balm Intense, £95 (Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser). With triple strength ingredients and a depuffing marine extract, eyes look younger and brighter. Not cheap but a must-have if you’re serious about your skincare.

IN NEUTRAL Nail stylist-to-the-stars Deborah Lippmann has a range of nude nail polishes you’ll want to wear forever. Top shades Sarah’s Smile and Waking Up in Vegas were created with Deborah’s clients Sarah Jessica Parker and Mariah Carey in mind. They’re £14 each at House of Fraser.

WE LOVE These cutesy sequined cosmetic purses, £3.50 from Marks & Spencer, will make any woman smile this Christmas.

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A Vita Medi -Spa is an advanced Laser clinic that specialises in Laser and Aesthetic Treatments.

Our doctors and nurses have vast experience in the non-surgical and laser fields, and we have the benefit of medical staff that are permanently on site. All consultations are free.

Prices starting from: • Treatment for Lines and Wrinkles £170 • Dermal Fillers/Lip Enhancement £210 • Medical Laser Hair Removal £25 • Laser Thread Vein Removal £40 • Cellulite Reduction – £150 • Rosacea/ Pigmentation – £40 • Acne Scarring/Skin Tightening – £99 • Mole/Skin Tag Removal – £25 • Medically Managed Weight Loss Programme – £199

RELAX • REFRESH • REJUVENATE • CACI Ultimate Non Surgical Facelift • Elemis Face and Body Treatments • Facials and Body Treatments for men • Elemis Exotic Body Wraps • Luxury Manicures/Pedicures • Jinny Eye Lash Extensions • Spray Tan/Waxing • Wedding Make up BUY ELEMIS NOW ON LINE AT

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Please call for further information or to book an appointment.

Please book early to save disappointment.

TRADITIONAL ALL YEAR ROUND CEDAR WOOD HOT TUBS AND SAUNAS

TRADITIONAL ALL YEAR ROUND CEDAR WOOD HOT TUBS

The only plastic is in the plumbing In this world of plastics and synthetics, it’s refreshing to find a hot tub made of wood.

Our traditional cedar wood hot tubs and outdoor saunas are classic in their cooperage design and are made from the finest Western Red Cedar available, hand picked from the lumberyards in Canada.

With our all new unique designed tubs, we can now boast the thickest hot tubs on the market, with 2 1/8" staves - “a world first” Terete Hot Tubs, Osmotherley, North Yorkshire Tel: (UK National) 01609 883 103 • (International) +44 (0) 1609 883 103 www.teretehottubs.co.uk to request a brochure

Elite Bathcare Ltd

J Parfitt Plumbing & Heating Domestic & Commercial work undertaken:Plumbing & Heating Installation Bathroom Installation

Bring your bath back to it's former glory

T: 01969 650665 M: 07882005261 Email: jparfitt@dsl.pipex.com Qualified Engineer with 30 years experience

Bath re-surfacing specialists All work guaranteed 30 years experience

Telephone 0191 584 2159 (24 hours) www.elite-bathcare.co.uk 88

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Bathrooms Direct, The Industrial Estate, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire DL7 9UL T 01677 425788 | F 01677 425581 | E sales@bathrooms-direct.net 89

90

Out of this

world

Sue Gillman visits the luxurious Sha Wellness Clinic in Spain. erched on a hillside in Valencia’s spectacularly beautiful Sierra Helada is what is arguably the world’s finest macrobiotic wellness resort.

P

Spas and clinics are proliferating nowadays, many of them unremarkable. The Sha Wellness Clinic, however, is clearly a serious player. Barely two years old, it already boasts a clutch of awards.

I arrived — six hours late and with a splitting headache — at Alicante airport, where I was met by the clinic’s driver. An hour later I was at the Sha. The clinic overlooks the town of Albir, and the backdrop of the Aitana mountains and the pretty bay of Altea make for breathtaking views.

The building, though, comes as something of a surprise. Just what is this stunning Modernist creation doing in the middle of a street of pink and cream suburban villas? The answer, apparently, is because it was built on the site of the former home of the owner, Alfredo Bataller Parietti.

Despite not being in the best of moods, I couldn’t help being impressed. There’s a massive cascading water feature at the entrance, and the whole building is surrounded by lush vegetation, including

olives, ferns, palm trees and bird of paradise flowers.

The reception area is a triumph of cool, calm minimalism: white leather settees, full-length windows and marble floors. The building was designed by renowned Uruguayan architect Carlos Gilardi, and the interior is by prizewinning designer Elvira Blanco Montenegro.

Mr Bataller and his sons, who help run the clinic, are obsessed with quality, and everyone involved with the Sha is at the forefront their field.

There’s an oriental feel about parts of the clinic, reflecting the influence of Michio Kushi, a founding father of modern macrobiotics. Mr Bataller’s interest in macrobiotics came as the result of a longstanding digestive problem. Unwilling to undergo surgery, he sought an alternative. He was introduced to macrobiotics and — after assiduously following a macrobiotic diet — eventually recovered. He decided to open a clinic to educate others and sought advice from Mr Kushi, who became a guiding light in the project.

Macrobiotics, which originated in Japan, is a regime that involves consuming a carefully balanced diet of grains (mainly brown rice) and locally grown vegetables, and avoiding 91

processed foods. Its followers firmly believe that this promotes health and wellbeing. Mr Kushi was instrumental in introducing macrobiotics to the West in the 1950s. He offers consultations at the Sha, but wasn’t in residence during my stay. Even if he had been, I’m not sure I would have stumped up €750 for the privilege.

My suite was spacious and elegant, with a huge balcony overlooking the mountains. I wasted no time heading to the spa for a stint in the flotarium. The spa areas are truly jawdropping. The moment you open the door the combination of immaculate design, exquisite fragrances, trickling water features and candles communicate a sense of relaxation and centredness.

At the spa you can indulge in therapies from all over the world, delivered by practitioners who are experts in their disciplines. The facilities include therapeutic pools, hydromassage beds, toning pools, saunas, ice fountains and hot and cold pebble walks. On top of everything to do in the spa, the Sha has a varied programme of activities including cookery, yoga, dancing, Pilates and aqua fitness.

You also need to find time to squeeze in all the specialist consultations and therapy sessions.

My initial consultation was with Dr Juan Rubio.

92

Despite the language barrier — his English was a bit hit-and-miss — I immediately warmed to him. After a thorough checkup he gave me a variety of dietary advice, demonstrated several exercises and manipulated my neck to free a trapped nerve. Wonderful. I later learned he had studied oriental medicine with Mr Kushi.

I also enjoyed a splendid massage — one of the most vigorous I’ve experienced — from the clinic’s specialist reflexologist masseur.

I had been expecting the cuisine to be somewhat spartan, but the food — served in an awesome roof-terrace restaurant — turned out to be quite exceptional. The emphasis is on healthy dishes, lovingly prepared with the finest organic ingredients. Head Chef Pablo Montoro worked at El Bulli, widely regarded as the world’s finest restaurant, before being recruited to the Sha. How he makes his dishes taste so delicious without dairy, wheat, added sugar or flavourings is a mystery. As for the presentation — well, it has to be seen to be believed.

My favourites included swordfish marinated in miso, sake and mirin with vegetable tempura — so good I ate it every day. Another extraordinary dish was grilled baby tubers, mangetouts, baby peppers, carrots and spring onions smoked with mint, mushroom and nut cream. Served in a domed dish, the aromas

93

were intoxicating. And desserts? The Sha’s fried coconut milk with nougat ice cream, smothered in hot chocolate sauce was simply sublime.

In the interests of research, I tried the detox menu for a day. Pleasant enough, but the more indulgent main menu was so gorgeous that I decided that 24 hours of the hard-core macrobiotic diet was quite enough.

Everything about the Sha is top-drawer but — unlike many high-end establishments — it’s not at all stiff or formal. Whether you’re in top-to-toe Chanel or slumming it a track suit there’s no snobbery or pretentiousness. The staff are fantastic, and unfailingly helpful. I did experience occasional language problems, but most of them speak excellent English. Most importantly, everyone is truly dedicated to what they do. The atmosphere is genuinely friendly — it’s like being with a talented, supportive family.

So did my stay at the Sha change me?

Certainly when I got home after just four days

94

my skin problems had cleared up, my eyes were brighter, and everyone said I looked ten years younger. The pricing is, frankly, pretty steep, but there’s no question that you’re getting value for money. You’re paying for excellence, and excellence is what the Sha delivers.

The Sha has certainly made me resolve to improve my ways. Unfortunately the macrobiotic diet is quite hard to follow on your own. If only Chef Montoro had thought to produce a recipe book I could use for inspiration!

For more information about Sha Wellness Clinic visit www.shawellnessclinic.com. At www.wellbeingescapes.co.uk you can book a variety of SHA Wellness Clinic Detox Holiday packages. A package including seven nights full board, a variety of checkups, consultations, therapy sessions and group activities, personalised follow-up, return flights and transfers is currently priced from £1880 per person (sharing), £2,050 per person (singles).

Spear Travels Robert Sturdy is now at our new branch in Leyburn at 10 Market Place, next to the Co-Op.

Your local, independent Travel Agent.

Well-travelled staff with a wealth of knowledge.

Long Haul and Tailor-Made Specialists.

Honeymoons and Cruises. Worldwide Flights.

Family Holidays. City Breaks.

For more information come and see us or email Robert at: robert.sturdy@speartravels.net

also at:40 High Street, Boroughbridge Tel: 01423 324545 3 Market Row, Barkers Arcade, Northallerton Tel: 01609 779821

RETAIL AGENTS FOR ATOL HOLDERS

95

The Frilly Season

96

Finding that perfect Christmas gift can pose a challenge for the best of us. This year why not give something different?

Beautiful lingerie is top of most women's wish list, and Victoria’s Lingerie in Leyburn has a terrific selection of the latest styles from top brand names.

With expert advice on hand there’s no need to be shy, and gentlemen in search of a special present for a special lady can be sure of all the help they need.

Victoria’s Lingerie, 11 High Street, Leyburn, 01969 622 102, www.victoriaslingerie.co.uk

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A & J Riddle

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We are a small friendly company offering Marquee Hire in the Yorkshire Dales for: • Agricultural Shows • Village Fetes and Fun Days • Small Private Parties • Table and Chair Hire

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Call 015242 51004 or visit www.ydmt.org @VYRZOPYL +HSLZ 4PSSLUUP\T ;Y\Z[ ^VYR [V Z\WWVY[ [OL LU]PYVUTLU[ WLVWSL HUK LJVUVT` PU [OL @VYRZOPYL +HSLZ *OHYP[` 5V 98

We are now taking bookings for 2011

E: info@ajriddle.co.uk M: 07729 871 713

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from

Bedale Hall

The splendid Georgian ballroom provides a superb venue for all social events and exhibitions. It is ideal for concerts, dinner dances, wedding receptions and other celebrations and those who have enjoyed its historic atmosphere will be left with a memory which will last for a lifetime. The elegant Lounge and Bedale Room are perfect for other smaller social gatherings and an ideal venue for business seminars and meetings.

If you are planning a wedding why not come to the

Wedding Fayre at Bedale Hall on Sunday, January 16th 2011.

Bedale Hall, North End, Bedale DL8 1AA Tel: 01677 423797 e-mail bedalehall@responseinternet.co.uk For more details contact the Administrator in office hours Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10am to 12 noon with private parking and easy access to all facilities

The Hall is licensed for Civil Wedding Ceremonies - a wedding and reception at Bedale Hall can be tailored to meet your requirements and budget

99

Dales Diary

Compiled by Henry King

Events Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal near Ripon For more information telephone: 01765 608888 www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

2 December 7.30pm Christmas Theatre – Mr Fezziwig’s Christmas Guaranteed to rouse your Christmas spirit, a great start to the season for all the family. Pre-theatre festive suppers available in Fountains Restaurant. Booking essential, tel. 01765 643164 / 643199 or email. fountainsbookings@nationaltrust.org.uk

4-5

11-12 18-19 December

3.30pm – 5pm Saturdays & Sundays Music & Lights* Enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of the Abbey and Hall bathed in coloured lights with seasonal music. Last admission 4pm.

4-5

11-12 18-19 December

11am-3pm Saturdays & Sundays Christmas Twinkle – Angels and Stars* Make your own Christmas decorations for our trees or to take home. Drop in self-led activities for children in Swanley Grange.

6-23 December 12pm-1.30pm (Mon-Thu only) Christmas Lunches Bring your family, friends or work colleagues to enjoy a delicious three course Christmas lunch in Fountains restaurant. Booking essential, tel. 01765 643198 or email. fountainsbookings@nationaltrust.org.uk *Normal admission applies

100

Kiplin Hall near Richmond For more information telephone: 01748 818178 www.kiplinhall.co.uk

3-5 December 11 am – 5 pm ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ An interpretation of those well-known gifts and their meanings. Twelve rooms of beautiful Christmas decorations created by the Friends and volunteers of Kiplin Hall and local groups using fresh flowers and greenery. Decorative theme and Christmas activities for children. Christmas Shop – unusual gifts, original artwork and prints, crafts, stocking fillers and cards.

Tea Room – cakes, scones and festive goodies.

Admission: Adult £6, Concession £5, Child £3, Family (2+3) £17.

3 December 5.30 pm and 8 pm Victorian Tales of Fear – Classic Ghost Stories for the Christmas Season Found Theatre, in association with North Country Theatre, presents three chilling tales, from the likes of Charles Dickens, M.R. James and Edgar Allen Poe, introduced and narrated by eccentric Victorian ghost hunter, Montagu Furzan and featuring Paul Sullivan as The Madman.

Tickets Adult £12, Concession £10, Children £8 (not suitable for under 11s) including festive interval refreshments.

4 December Victorian Musical Evening 7.30 pm The enchanting Harp Singers entertain with carols and festive songs. Ticket £10, Friend/Volunteer £9, including seasonal refreshments.

Fountains Abbey 101

Ripley Castle

Events Ripley Castle near Harrogate For more information telephone: 01423 770152 www.ripleycastle.co.uk

1-4

December

White Rose Winter Festival: The very best in opera, dance, classical and exciting musical entertainment. There will be four concert evenings taking place: Wednesday 1st December - The Four Seasons

by Candlelight Thursday 2nd December - A Night at the Opera Friday 3rd December - The Sound of the Musicals Saturday 4th December - Ripley Castle Winter Proms (Matinee and Evening performances) Register on www.whiterosefestivals.com.

For sponsorship and hospitality enquiries email to info@whiterosefestivals.com or call 01423 563563.

102

10-12 December 10am – 6pm except Sunday 10am-4pm Christmas Fair at Ripley Castle Tick off your Christmas present shopping list while enjoying the splendour of an ancient stately home at the new Christmas Fair inside Ripley Castle itself.

Find presents to thrill and enthral from the 70 topquality companies who will be taking over the Ingilby family home for three days in order to solve your Christmas gift challenges with taste, originality and value for money. Enjoy a delicious lunch or tea, or sip champagne, while a classical soloist serenades you.

Free parking. £5 online at www.ukgrandsales.co.uk, £6 by phone on 01634 226203.

Book timed sessions at 10am, 11am, 12 noon, 1pm or 2pm each day.

We regret that pushchairs and dogs are not allowed in the venue. Baby backpacks are available to use free of charge.

Swinton Park near Masham

From 4 December

For more information telephone: 01765 680900 www.swintonpark.com

Detox Deluxe Offer

28 November 11.00am - 8.30pm Orchid Lunch An insightful look at the world of Orchids. Hosted by Ray Creek of Ray Creek Orchids. £35 per person, including the gift of an orchid per guest.

From 4 December Big Chill Offer Accommodation package with dinner, cookery demonstrations, goody bag and complimentary vouchers – £110 per person.

A luxury spa day package with Detoxifying Marine Mud Wrap and Lymphatic Full Body Massage - £99 per person, including lunch.

20 December Santa at Swinton Follow the festive trail in the grounds and meet Santa in his grotto, with refreshments and activities in aid of Acorns Pre-School, Masham. £5 per child, adults free.

25 January Burns Night Dinner Pipe in the haggis and all the trimmings - £45 per guest.

Swinton Park 103

Events Gayle Mill near Hawes For more information telephone: 01969 667320 www.gaylemill.org.uk

7 November 11am to 6pm Gayle Mill Christmas Fayre Traditional wooden and seasonal crafts, games, puzzles and family activities. Wood turning demonstrations. Admission £1.50 adult and 50p child (includes seasonal refreshments).

5 December 11am and 2.30pm Demonstration Day Special Guided Tours + demonstrations of water powered Victorian woodworking machinery. Admission £10 adult, £5 child (including refreshments).

Booking advised.

Antiques & Fine Art Sales Tennants Auctioneers Leyburn The Auction Centre, Leyburn For more information telephone: 01969 623780 www.tennants.co.uk

18-20 November Autumn Catalogue Sale (Three Day Sale) An astonishing range of items for auction, including Glass, Ceramics, Oriental Works of Art, Jewellery, Silver and Furniture. See website for further details.

27 November 9.30am Antique & Home Furnishing Sale Including Furniture, Paintings, Jewellery, Clocks, Silver and Ceramics.

4 December 9.30am Antique & Home Furnishing Sale Including Antique, Victorian and Later Furniture, Paintings and Jewellery.

11 December 9.30am Antique & Home Furnishing Sale including Toys, Models & Collectables.

Gayle Mill

The Dales Countryside Museum Hawes

15 December 10.30am Arms, Armour, Militaria & Ethnographica.

For more information telephone: 01969 666210 www.yorkshiredales.org

4-5

December 10am – 5pm

Christmas Weekend Festive fun at the museum with free entry, Christmas crafts, stalls, quizzes, games and prizes.

A German tinplate car smokers’ compendium (Toys, Models & Collectables Saturday 11 December) 104

OPEN DAILY ALL YEAR The Splendour of a castle the warmth of a family home

Discover the tranquility and serenity of Ripley Castle’s stunning grounds – a delight at any time of the year with beautiful Walled Gardens, Lakes and Deer Park.

Visit this fascinating 700 year-old Castle which is steeped in history.

(Weekends only Dec – Feb inc.)

Tea Room, Children’s Play area, wonderful shops, ample free parking Gardens 9.00am – 5.00pm (All year) Mobility buggies available by prior arrangement

A FASCINATING PLACE TO VISIT

Ripley Castle, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 3AY tel: 01423 770152 email: enquiries@ripleycastle.co.uk www.ripleycastle.co.uk

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A Festival For All The Family

This Christmas Wednesday 1st – Sunday 5th December 2010 From 10:00am – 5:00pm Every Day Soak up the enchanting atmosphere as you join the hustle and bustle of our traditional Christmas market, full of laughter and festive cheer in a magical Dickensian setting.

Festival Entertainment Victorian Flea Circus • Santa’s Grotto • Carol Singers & Local Choirs Punch & Judy Shows • Handbell Ringers • Stilt Walkers & Fire Eaters Entertainment varies daily

For further information, please visit

www.lightwatervalley.co.uk Free Entry • Free Parking

Providers of private instruction and guiding for Hillwalking skills, Paddle Sport and Nordic Walking.

Enjoy a day out in and around the beautiful Yorkshire Dales. From guided walks, navigation classes and canoe training to our paddle & picnic.

www.rivermountainexperience.com Tel: 01677 426112

Come and explore with us.

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

Come and meet Father Christmas 5th, 12th and 19th December from 10am until dusk Christmas vouchers now available direct from the web site We welcome beginners to experienced, corporate days, Small parties and one to one tuition Open over Christmas – by appointment only Carter Ings Farm, Fearby, Masham Tel: 01765 689232 Mobile: 07977 700017 / 07889 034560 e-mail: info@warrengill.co.uk www.warrengill.co.uk

Open 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

Admission is by pre-booked tickets only To reserve your ticket please telephone 01969 640638 / 01969 640687 We look forward to seeing you 107

Nature Tales: Encounters with Britain’s Wildlife Michael Allen & Sonya Patel Ellis When wild winter weather or a dose of flu keeps you confined indoors it’s strangely comforting to read about the natural world that — we hope — is somehow managing to chug along out there without us. This compilation of British nature writing spans three centuries and covers topics as diverse as Charles Darwin’s meditations on the power of the humble earthworm to transform the landscape and Bill Oddie’s hilarious account of being bitten by a succession of increasingly bloodthirsty shrews and voles. Our country’s wildlife may not be as teeming or as gaudy as that of some of the exotic locations we see on TV, but it has its own special magic, as each of the fifty-plus sparkling contributions in this anthology makes clear. What’s more, the first essay in the book is by our very own wildlife correspondent Professor Chris Baines, and 10% of the profits go to the UK’s 47 Wildlife Trusts. What’s not to like?

Book

MARK Giving a book as a present, or just looking for some holiday reading? Brian Pike picks some crackers.

Elliott & Thompson, hardback, £18.99

The Apple Book

150 Years of Britain in Pictures

Rosie Sanders Now that supermarket fruit has become so uniformly tedious, the realisation is belatedly dawning that many of our more interesting varieties of apple are in danger of disappearing. This new and expanded version of the classic apple reference book would make a splendid present for gourmets and gardeners alike. It’s an eminently practical guide to 144 different varieties, and Rosie Sanders’ lovingly detailed paintings are a pleasure to browse. Even if you didn’t appreciate apples before, you probably will by the time you have thumbed through these luscious pages. Each set of paintings — which depict the fruit, the foliage and the blossom — is accompanied by a brief history of the variety, tasting notes and a diagrammatic cross-section. At the back of the book you can find a concise guide to growing apples. Short of specifying which variety of apple caused all that kerfuffle in the Garden of Eden, it’s about as comprehensive as you can get.

People bang on about the pace of change, but it’s only when you thumb through a book like this one — a huge and splendid collection of photographs from the archives of the Press Association — that you get a real sense of just how extraordinarily wide-ranging that change has been. This addictive book is a great opportunity to, for example, take a peek inside a Sainsbury’s store in 1909, with its potted palms, mosaic floor and army of cravat-wearing assistants. Or contrast the 1908 London Olympics — whose competitors consist mainly of glum mustachioed gents in baggy shorts — with the DayGlo lyrcra glitz of today’s version. A century ago giant airships were at the forefront of transport technology, and Regent’s Park Zoo were using a camel-drawn mower to trim their lawns. About the only things not to have changed beyond recognition over the years are our obsession with sport, our insane sense of humour, and Sir Cliff Richard (pictured in both 1961 and 2009).

Frances Lincoln, hardback, £25

Ammonite Press, hardback, £30

108

Villages of Britain Clive Aslet What a fine idea: to create a patchwork history of the British countryside through a series of brief glimpses of 500 different villages. But if you’re expecting dewy-eyed nostalgia, think again. The author skips effortlessly from the heartrending case of a family of four who starved to death in a Hertfordshire poorhouse to a 21st century panto in Oxfordshire, and from a pond-dwelling monster in Sussex to an illicit community of environmentalists in Pembrokshire. Even if you think you know a place well, this book has the potential to surprise you. It was news to me, for example, that the village I was born in was once considered “one of the roughest, wickedest places in England” (today I find it only moderately wicked). Tightly written, informative and drily amusing, this breezeblock of a book — it runs to nearly 700 pages — makes absorbing bedtime reading for anyone interested in social history or rural affairs.

Bloomsbury, hardback, £30

Delete This at Your Peril: The Bob Servant Emails Neil Forsyth

Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay John Lanchester

If you need a good laugh to brighten up these dark days then this book (reprinted with additional material now that Bob has made it onto Radio Scotland) is an absolute corker.

Instead of deleting those spam emails that offer untold wealth, unmissable business opportunities and foreign brides, journalist Neil Forsyth — replying in the character of former Dundee window cleaner Bob Servant — gives the fraudsters a taste of their own medicine. So eager are they to wheedle his bank details out of him or chivvy him into wiring money that they remain gloriously unaware he is running circles around them with his wild demands and surreal claims. Soon Bob has the would-be tricksters submitting recipes for his theme restaurant, devising riddles and offering legal advice on his crazy vendetta with the postman. There’s a certain amount of profanity and innuendo (presumably pencilled out in the BBC version), but providing that doesn’t bother you this is pure comedy gold from start to finish.

I can barely check my change, let alone grasp the finer points of economics, but to my surprise I managed to read this explanation of the current financial crisis from cover to cover. And enjoy it too. It’s witty and passionate, and even if some of the details are a bit mystifying that doesn’t matter. They were clearly equally mystifying to many of the bankers who blithely rammed our economy so firmly down the toilet, and who are now paying themselves generous bonuses out of the money we’re all stumping up to bail them out. As Mr Lanchester tells it — and it’s hard to dispute his lucid argument — it’s a story of staggering shortsightedness, stupidity and greed. Since Whoops! was published in hardback, he has added a chilling epilogue in which he points out that, despite all the hot air, nothing whatsoever has been done to fix the underlying problems. This gripping, must-read book is one of the few good things to emerge from the whole sorry shambles.

Birlinn, paperback, £6.99

Penguin, paperback, £9.99 109

A History of the World in 100 Objects Neil MacGregor The BBC series which this book accompanies is one of the finest things Radio 4 has done in years.

It consisted of one hundred fascinating quarterhour chats, each focusing on an object from the British Museum, beginning with a 2 million-yearold stone tool and finishing with a Chinese solarpowered lamp. What was particularly enjoyable was the clever way Neil MacGregor used each item to shed light on the society that produced it — and in many cases the interactions between several clashing cultures. It was history at its most accessible and exciting, and this 700-page book is an excellent way to revisit it. Along with the original text, each object gets a full-page photograph, sometimes more. These are printed on matte paper, and are in one or two cases a little murkier than I would have hoped. But I guess the intention was to make this a book for reading rather than a glossy coffee-table wrist-breaker. And quite rightly so; the text is far too masterfully written to trivialise.

Allen Lane, hardback, £30

Weeds Richard Mabey The villains are always so much more interesting than the good guys, aren’t they?

Well-behaved cereal crops and decorously pruned roses are, frankly, the anonymous bureaucrats of the vegetable world. With weeds, by contrast, we have a terrifying rogue’s gallery of splendidly depraved characters, including the five-metre-tall, skinblistering Giant Hogweed, the outrageously invasive ‘foot-a-night’ Kudzu vine, the satanically toxic Poison Ivy, and the infinitely resourceful, near-ineradicable Ground Elder.

But whilst we love to hate them, weeds have proved surprisingly helpful over the ages — an impromptu medicine chest just outside the back door. What’s more, weeds are very much our own creation. Dogging our footsteps since civilisation began, they thrive in the ground we plough and bomb and trample, and hitch lifts on our boots, and in our carts, trains, boats and planes. Richard Mabey’s celebration of these botanical vagabonds is as sharp and gripping a piece of writing as any you’ll find, and deserves a place on every nature-lover’s bookshelf.

Profile Books, hardback, £15 110

Kevin McCloud’s 43 Principles of Home In this great big grab-bag of a book, Kevin McCloud — design guru and TV presenter — mulls over a wide range of issues broadly related to how we live, and how we might live in the future. Some of the topics he tackles are primarily technical and practical ones (the costs and benefits of LED lighting, for example). Others touch on aesthetics (Mac versus PC), healthy living (avoiding dangerous household chemicals), ethical consumerism (conventionally farmed cotton sheets versus organic linen ones), civic planning (what we want our public spaces to look like) and philosophy (materialism and the nature of happiness). One of the most interesting sections is his account of Dharavi, one of the largest slums in Asia. Dharavi seems to function surprisingly well, despite its estimated population density of a million people per square mile, giving McCloud ammunition for his challenging suggestion that “we should perhaps be intensifying our cities and towns rather than letting them sprawl”. Altogether it’s a rich and thought-provoking brew, and the author’s vision and enthusiasm are endearing.

Collins, hardback, £30

Look out on the brighter side of life…

LIFETIME Home Improvements

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.

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

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.

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 111

robinjessop.co.uk

rightmove.co.uk

Finley House | Harmby, Leyburn

42 Firby Road | Bedale

Attractive detached family house. Three double bedroom accommodation. South facing garden.

Excellent rural village location.

Viewing by appointment.

Spacious detached bungalow. In need of some refurbishment. Good two bedroom accommodation with potential to make a third bedroom. Corner plot with good sized gardens. Garage and workshop.

Offers in excess of £225,000

£275,000

Marwood House Apartment | Leyburn

Sunnymeade | Middleham, Leyburn

First class two bedroom apartment with balcony.

Gas central heating. Superb views. Bond and references required. £500 Per Calendar Month

Detached four bedroom dormer bungalow. Quiet and secluded town centre location. Well proportioned family accommodation. Useful garage and workshop. Gardens and off street parking.

Offers in excess of £250,000

Bedale 01677 425950

Leyburn 01969 622800

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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.

S

D OL

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.

SO

LD

Valuations for probate, tax planning and borrowing purposes.

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

LET

HotPROPERTY Looking for country comforts, but unwilling to stray from the beaten track?

Ashla Cottage could be just the answer.

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Many house buyers are still in search of a Yorkshire rural idyll, but their priorities have shifted significantly in the last year or so. Rather than settling for a property in the middle of nowhere — as plenty of people would have done not so long ago — they’re now looking for something that little bit closer to civilisation. Maybe it’s because last year’s exceptionally cold winter reminded everyone just how challenging winter in the Dales can be.

With Ashla Cottage, currently on sale with leading regional estate agent Robin Jessop, you can enjoy the best of both worlds. It may be just a stone’s throw from the bustling market town of Bedale, and a mere four miles from the A1, but it certainly ticks all the right boxes for those in search of country comforts.

It’s a charming and very characteristic Grade II listed Georgian detached house — with the added attraction of a huge walled garden sheltered by mature trees — set in the quiet, secluded hamlet of Firby. And in case you were wondering, yes, it even has roses around the door.

The fact that there’s such a substantial walled garden, and that there’s a door through from that garden into the grounds of adjacent Firby Hall, suggests that Ashla Cottage may once have been where Firby Hall’s head gardener lived. Be that as it may, the word ‘cottage’ doesn’t do the place justice.

With its generously proportioned period windows and high ceilings, the ground floor immediately strikes you as light, airy and spacious. The other thing you notice is that many of the original features have been retained. For example there’s panelling, a 115

window seat and an open fire in the living room. The dining room has panelling and window seats too, along with feature beams and a fine parquet floor. The pleasant breakfast kitchen has fitted units and a Belfast sink, and there’s a very handy utility room right next door.

Like the ground floor rooms, the three bedrooms — one of which has an en suite shower room and WC — are all of generous dimensions, and there’s a decent size family bathroom too. Outside, to the rear, you’ll find a newly built garage and a large workshop and garden storeroom.

Ashla Cottage is in immaculate condition, and you could certainly move in right away without needing to do any work. But if you wanted extra space in the long run, there’s a large boarded loft that could be turned into a magnificent bedroom suite — and, of course, 116

plenty more space in those outbuildings.

quality properties that offer a combination of stylish country living and convenient commuting are few and far between — so if that’s what you’re aiming for, maybe you should take a look without delay!

Ashla Cottage, Firby, Bedale is currently on sale with Robin Jessop Ltd, offers in the region of £525,000. For further details contact Robin Jessop’s Bedale office, 4 North End, Bedale, 01677 425950, or view the property online at www.robinjessop.co.uk.

A world of difference See the latest British and European Designs of Kitchens, Bathrooms & Bedrooms Celebrating 31 years of successful trading in Yorkshire

New kitchen showroom now open

www.smithbrothersyork.com Smith Brothers (York) Ltd Osbaldwick Link Road, York YO10 3WA Tel: 01904 415222 Harrogate Showroom 168-170 Skipton Road, Harrogate HG1 4PS Tel: 01423 520378 (Through the Esso Garage) Mon – Fri 8.30am – 5.00pm Sat – 9.00am – 5.00pm

K I T C H E N S • B AT H R O O M S • B E D R O O M S

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•INHERITANCE TAX• SELF ASSESSMENT•WAGES•

WALTER DAWSON & SON INCORPORATING

Robert Blackburn & Co CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS

New name… same service …whatever your business, whatever your size, we promise you a friendly, personal and professional service.

York House, Market Place, Leyburn, North Yorkshire DL8 5AT Tel: 01969 623636 Fax: 01969 624512 Also at: Dewsbury, Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds

•FARM ACCOUNTS•

•PAYROLL• BUDGET•BOOK KEEPING• VAT •

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•BUSINESS ACCOUNTS•

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

- 5 +233(5

& Co. E67 1886

“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

ZZZ MUKRSSHU FRP

A villa with a view To rent on the Cote D’Azure South of France Luxurious 4 bedroom villa with pool First line views over the Bay of Cannes Set in the delightful village of Theoule Sur Mer 5 minutes walk from the beach, bars and restaurants 10 km drive to the centre of Cannes 35 minutes from Nice airport

Fantastic offers for early bookings!

Please call Sue on 07970 739119 119

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S WEE S E L A P D 2 ne 0800 028 66

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Keeping your chimney clean, safe and efficient is very important, who you choose to clean your chimney is equally important.

As a member of the Guild of Master Sweeps, Dales Sweep offers a prompt, reliable, dedicated and professional chimney sweeping service, ensuring any warranty on your flue or stove is not compromised, and with our vast experience we’ll keep your chimney working as efficiently as possible.

EARN MONEY FROM

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SOLAR ENERGY

WITH SOLAR PV PANELS SOLAR PV PANELS • Reduce your Electricity bill • Reduce your Carbon footprint • An average home could generate £800 - £1200 per year

We sweep all chimneys, solid fuel appliances as well as open fires, and we can also fit bird guards and cowls.

To book an appointment simply

FREEFONE 0800 028 6622

• Increase the value of your home • New increased feed in tariff from April 2010 • No planning permission required

• City & Guilds qualified • Fully insured • Certificates issued • Prompt professional service • Bird guards and cowls fitted • NO MESS - NO FUSS! Martin Tradewell QUALIFIED CHIMNEY SWEEP 4 Hawthorne Close, Leyburn DL8 5SN For further information please contact

DDR Electrical Ltd City & Guilds Qualified No: 7641

Telephone 01969 625529 Mobile 07708 023716 www.ddrelectricalltd.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

DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

We are looking for distribution agents Positions available throughout Yorkshire.

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

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

DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

We are looking for freelance graphic designers Excellent rates paid Telephone: 01904 629295 Mobile: 07970 739119 email: sue@daleslife.demon.co.uk www.daleslife.com 124

Be mobile on one of our Scooters from as little as £295 including warranty and after sales service • Wheelchairs • Rise and Recliner Chairs • Adjustable Beds • Bathlifts and Stairlifts also available • No obligation, home demonstration, distance no object, part exchange welcome.

• Mobile showroom

Call 01937 558604 0% finance available on request All major credit cards accepted

Imagine living in luxurious, spacious accommodation, surrounded by 19-acres of beautiful, mature grounds and having a range of leisure facilities and amenities all on site. For the over-55s, this can be more than a dream at Middleton Hall Retirement Village, the first in the region, located between Yarm and Darlington.

Middleton Hall prides itself on being an innovative leader in services for older people. It has an unsurpassed reputation for high quality services, care and accommodation. This is achieved through our extensive team of highly trained and exceptionally dedicated staff. Services included Assisted Living Suites, Residential Care and Complete Care.

Middleton Woods has one, two and three bedroom apartments set around a sunny courtyard overlooking a lake and wildlife area. It is designed for independent living with its own entrance and private car parking.

Middleton Spa is a unique addition to the retirement village built to provide healthy living opportunities for all. The Spa includes a swimming pool, spa pool, gym and therapy rooms.

In addition Middleton Hall offers a restaurant, bar, shop, coffee shop, sports green and library.

Middleton Hall Retirement Village, Middleton St George, Darlington, Co Durham, DL2 1HA www.middletonhallretirementvillage.co.uk

For further information and a brochure please call: 01325째332207 enquiries@middleton-hall.com

Bring your business to

Life In today’s tough marketplace, your advertising needs to work twice as hard.

Dales Life is the only quality publication to give you blanket coverage of the Dales.

Complete Mobile Dog Grooming Salon All grooming carried out on board • We come to you • No travel stress • No bathroom mess • A calm & safe environment for your dog • From a warm refreshing bath to a complete grooming experience • City & Guilds qualified groomer • Fully insured • All areas in & around The Dales considered

Sandra Heeney Phone: 01969 623653 Mobile: 07596 234375 Email: sheeney@btinternet.com Access to power required for the drying process.

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For two decades we’ve been helping local businesses grow.

And we can help you too.

Contact Sue Gillman on 01904 629295 or 07970 739119 to find out more.

DalesLife A TASTE OF YORKSHIRE

The Wensleydale House Doctor Est 1970

BEDALE PLUMBING & HEATING LTD PLUMBING & HEATING ENGINEERS GAS • OIL • LPG • INSTALLATION SERVICE • REPAIR • OIL TANK INSTALLATION Full plumbing service from a dripping tap to a new bathroom suite.

TEL: 01748 810786 / 01748 811614 MOBILE: 07814 036057 / 07710 741874 ELM GARTH, BEDALE, N.YORKS, DL8 1PA bedaleplumbingandheatingltd@hotmail.co.uk

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 ALL YOUR DECORATING NEEDS

Tel: 01677 450810 Hunton, Bedale, North Yorkshire

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

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!!!

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DineFor

To

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

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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.

GRASSINGTON HOUSE Outstanding. You can see why the proprietor/chef John Rudden has won so many awards. Personable and passionate about food, this comes across in the cuisine found here. John’s willingness to share his secrets and genuine interest in his customers puts this place in a league of its own. Staying, dining or enjoying a master class at Grassington House Hotel is an absolute joy. Quality in Tourism Five Star Gold Star and AA 5 star and 2 rosettes.

5 Grassington House Hotel, Grassington. tel: 01756 752406 www.grassingtonhousesehotel.co.uk

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

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

THE COUNTRYMAN’S INN A traditional country pub, with three well-equipped, comfortable en suite bedrooms.

You are assured of a warm welcome, with good beer, good food and a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The restaurant offers a wide selection of locally-sourced and freshly prepared food to suit all tastes and budgets. The bar offers four caskconditioned ales, three of which are brewed within ten miles of the pub.The Countryman’s is an AA three star inn and holds an AA diners award.

The Countryman’s Inn, Hunton, near Bedale. tel: 01677 450554 www.countrymansinn.co.uk

STONE HOUSE 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 129

THE GEORGE AT WATH

HENDERSONS BAR & RESTAURANT

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

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 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

SWINTON PARK HOTEL An elegant, 30 bedroom luxury castle hotel. With four Red Stars (Inspector’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 hotel’s four acre walled garden and surrounding estate.

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

THE BAY HORSE Right in the heart of Masham, The Bay Horse is a great place to stay if you’re visiting the Dales. It’s a traditional cosy, welcoming country inn serving delicious homemade pub food and, in the evenings, a variety of seasonal specials; ingredients are locally sourced whenever possible. There are two bars with a choice of cask ales. All six bedrooms are en suite and have flat screen TV. For self-caterers there’s a deluxe holiday cottage five minutes walk away. Children and dogs welcome.

The Bay Horse, Silver Street, Masham. tel: 01765 689236 www.bayhorsemasham.co.uk 130

THE OLD DEANERY The Old Deanery is situated opposite the Cathedral in the heart of Ripon, with its own car park and a huge garden at the rear. The restaurant’s set lunches — superb home-cooked food using the best of local produce — are great value for money. Or you can enjoy The Deanery’s ‘Classics’, such as beer-battered fish and chips or whole-hog sausages and mash. In the evening, choose from a full dinner menu or The Deanery’s ‘Classics’ and enjoy an exceptional meal in the relaxing atmosphere of the candlelit dining room. With friendly staff and a log fire in winter you’re sure of a warm welcome. Accommodation is available in 10 delightful individually designed rooms. Children and dogs welcome.

The Old Deanery, Minster Road, Ripon. tel: 01765 600003 www.theolddeanery.co.uk

THE GREEN DRAGON The Green Dragon is a charming family run country inn with oak beams and roaring log fires, set in picturesque and tranquil surroundings at Exelby, near Bedale. The bar serves a range of real ales and carefully selected wines, and the large restaurant (open seven days a week) serves greattasting, well-presented food made with the best and freshest of ingredients from local suppliers. It’s an ideal place to bring the family — there’s something to suit everyone, from delicious filled baguettes through to classic mains and indulgent desserts — and you’ll find a number of special deals, including Early Bird menus and Senior Citizens’ lunches. There’s a private room for conferences or parties, and ensuite accommodation is available.

The Green Dragon, High Row, Exelby, Bedale, tel.

01677 422 233 www.thegreendragonexelby.com

Family Law expertise in Yorkshire.

Stowe Family Law is one of the UK’s largest and bestknown family law firms. We specialise in all types of family law issues including divorce, financial settlements, international cases and children’s issues.

Our specialist in-house forensic accountancy team can also give clients a swift, measured opinion that will help them to make considered decisions about their case from an early stage.

Marilyn Stowe. With more than 25 years’ experience handling divorce cases, our Senior Partner is regarded as one of the country’s most sought after divorce lawyers.

Her award-winning family law blog, www.marilynstowe.co.uk, has a loyal following.

It is a strong team with an insuppressible style and a fantastic practice.

‘‘

Julian Hawkhead. Specialising in high net worth family law cases, Julian is the Managing Partner of our Harrogate office. A trained collaborative lawyer, Chambers Leading Lawyers 2011 says "he is constructive and committed to resolving matters in the best interests of his clients".

Stephen Hopwood. As head of the Children’s Department at Stowe Family Law, Stephen specialises in difficult child law cases that involve resolving long-running disputes, as well as those that concern child abduction.

Frank Arndt. A qualified Solicitor, registered European Lawyer and a member of the Bar in Germany, Frank is the head of Stowe Family Law’s International Family Law Department.

If you have a family law issue, early advice can be essential.

Stowe Family Law can help.

Contact 01423 532 600 or email chiefexecutive@stowefamilylaw.co.uk The Old Court House, Raglan Street, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 1LT www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk www.marilynstowe.co.uk

’’

Chambers Leading Lawyers 2011