SOT W
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
so MERRY CHRISTMAS
Tunbridge Wells
HAV E YOU RS ELF A VERY M ERRY C HRISTM AS
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FESTIVE FEASTS
TOP CHEFS REVEAL KITCHEN SECRETS
ROYAL AFFAIR THE NIGHT DIANA STOLE THE SHOW
HOMES WHY LOCAL PRICES ARE SET TO SOAR
GREAT IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
WIN £1,000 NEW YEAR BREAK
Katherine Jenkins ISS UE 21
£1.50
EXCLUSIVE: WHY THE MEZZO-SOPRANO IS MAKING WAVES
Dec 2OO9
Hello... Merry Christmas to all our readers and we hope you’re feeling as festive as we are. This month we kick off with some fantastic seasonal things to get up to with the family and we’re not just talking mince pies and carol singers. One singer we do get involved with though, is the stunning mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins who talks to us about her links with Tunbridge Wells, plans for the holidays and, of course, that drug taking confession to Piers Morgan. While it might be cold outside, it’s hotting up in the kitchen as we catch up with some of the best chefs in town to find out exactly what it will take to make your Christmas dinner a truly memorable meal. So, no excuses! Talking of memorable, we pin down celebrity party planner, Nathan Homan, and hear about some of his magical red carpet moments. Like the time he came face-to-face with Sylvester Stallone in a dark alley and how Princess Diana silenced an entire room dressed in a sari. And if you feel like pulling off that ‘show-stopper’ look yourself, check out our fashion pages this month, where we focus on some of the best styles for the party season. If that isn’t enough we also take a spin in the new Lotus Evora, uncover an inspiring secret about Skinners’ school and WW1, and give you the chance to win a New Year luxury weekend break for two, complete with spa treatments. So, throw another log on the fire, pour the mulled wine and indulge in the Christmas issue of your favourite local magazine.
SoTW
info@sotunbridgewells.co.uk For full contact details see Page 12 december 2009
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CLIVE CHRISTIAN
C L I V E C H R I S T I A N TUNBRIDGE WELLS, 7 LONDON ROAD, TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT, TN1 1DG TELEPHONE: 01892 619 550
CLIVE.COM
NEW SHOWROOM OPENING IN HARRODS ON DECEMBER 1ST, CONTACT: 0207 893 8325 HARRODS@CLIVE.COM
SO
D ecember
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
INSIDE YOUR
ISSUE…
THIS CHRISTMAS YOU SHOULD…
Consider some of our great ideas for things to do including a visit to the Giving Tree.
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SO TELL US…
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NOW FOR THE NEWS
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ROYAL TITLE
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CHARITY COUTURE
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What you think about the town in which we live and its beloved inhabitants.
A good month for our very own rap duo, but not so hot for The Pantiles Players. Read all about it!
The great and the good turn out to greet HRH The Duke of Kent as we mark an important centenary.
TW fashionistas raise a smile and £5,000 to help fight breast cancer. Find out how.
SPORTING GESTURE
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CELEBRATE IN STYLE
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LOCKING GOOD
Birthday celebrations of a sports car specialist as they gear up for the New Year.
36 COVER
FEATURE:
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KATHERINE JENKINS We talk exclusively to the Welsh singer about being a target for Iraqi insurgents, her drug taking confession and, of course, her links with Tunbridge Wells.
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FASHION INSIDER Creating a signature scent plus there’s a sneak peek at some exciting new TW jewellery.
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DECEMBER 2009
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WIN A NEW YEAR GETAWAY
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CHRISTMAS AT HOME
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OAST WITH THE MOST
Outfits guaranteed to dazzle as they take you in to 2010.
How to achieve perfect party hair as everything goes glam, glam, glam.
INSIDE LEG Pointed toes, stripy scarves and men’s designer style online. It’s all here.
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FASHION WEEK We follow in the catwalk footsteps of London, Paris and New York with the most exciting fashion event in decades.
Beat the winter blues with a romantic weekend escape to a top hotel and spa – Rowhill Grange.
The halls are decked with bells and holly at the TW home of interior expert Katy Guy who invites us inside.
Harriet Louvelle is out in the sticks this month helping to redecorate a stunning country abode.
Cover and article images: Katherine Jenkins courtesy of Warwick Saint
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CONTENTS
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91 103 IT’S PARTY TIME
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PROPERTY PRICES BOUNCE BACK House values in the area are set to return to the pre-recession highs of 2007, says the man who should know.
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THE GALLERY Oils, sculptures and mixed media work all feature in our gallery this month. Will any end up on your wall?
SO LOCAL Meet the winemaking family hitting gold and attracting 20,000 visitors.
A MEAL YULE REMEMBER Top town chefs reveal the kitchen secrets that wil help make your Christmas dinner truly memorable.
Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela and Sylvester Stallone are all recalled with affection by celebrity party planner Nathan Homan.
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106 THE
GREAT CONTENDER Lotus is snapping at the heels of the likes of Aston Martin and Porsche with their latest offering – the Evora. But, just how good is it?
115 LIFE & STYLE
Giant statues, Italian dining, beauty care and healthcare, all feature this month.
119 THE
CHRISTMAS TRUCE An old magazine reveals another tale from our past, one involving Skinners’ school and WW1.
DECEMBER 2009
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SO
tunbridge wells
3 Cumberland Walk, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 1UJ Tel: 01892 616103 www.sotunbridgewells.co.uk info@sotunbridgewells.co.uk Publishing Director Nick Moore nick.moore@sotunbridgewells.co.uk
Sales Director Sharon Lacey sharon.lacey@sotunbridgewells.co.uk
Editorial Director Richard Moore FRSA richard.moore@sotunbridgewells.co.uk
Art Director Lee Smith Designers Claire Hawkes, Ian Flynn Senior Writer Melissa Woodland melissa.woodland@sotunbridgewells.co.uk
Publishing Assistant Dan Smith dan.smith@sotunbridgewells.co.uk
Account Managers Peter Mackay peter.mackay@sotunbridgewells.co.uk
Derrick Bennett derrick.bennett@sotunbridgewells.co.uk
Contributors Valerie Thacker Hayley Chelsom Mark Turnbull Mirror Image Zoe Storey Nick Carter Published by The Magazine People Ltd. Designed by SCW Design & Publishing Ltd. www.scw.uk.com Printed by Headley Brothers Ltd.
All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit.
Subscribe to SoTW for just ÂŁ1 per issue! For details visit www.sotunbridgewells.co.uk or call 01892 616103
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www.magazinepeople.co.uk
december 2009 See page 25 for full details
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TUNBRIDGE WELLS
This Christmas you should…
Wonder...
Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is simply an incredible spectacle. Set in more than 32 acres of London’s biggest parkland it’s the UK’s largest free Christmas event. Last year celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, the Beckhams and Hugh Jackman turned up to enjoy the mix of Germanstyle festive stalls, fairground rides and the stunning observation wheel (which looks just like a little brother to the London Eye). Winter Wonderland runs from now until January 3 and is open 10am-10pm every day. Entrance is free; attractions start at £2.
Impact...
Admire... This year you don’t have to stray out of the county to find an enchanting winter wonderland. Hever Castle is celebrating Christmas in style by illuminating the grounds with an array of stunning lights and effects. Storytellers, carol singers and Father Christmas, along with a band of elves, will also descend on the 13th Century castle, between December 3 and 20. The special illuminations take place on December 17 and 18 and you must book in advance; children £5, adults £10. 01732 861701.
Here’s an opportunity to make a real impact on the life of a needy local child this Christmas. The ‘Giving Tree’ is a community project that means you can help a less fortunate child enjoy the festive season. Just visit one of the trees around town and pick off the details of a local child who needs a gift this Christmas. It’s then up to you to find a suitable present and return it to the tree from where it will be distributed by volunteers, to your child. The trees are already up at Royal Victoria Place, the Assembly Halls, Trinity Theatre, Hotel Du Vin and Tunbridge Wells Gateway, so no excuses!
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DECEMBER 2009
THIS CHRISTMAS
SO
Relish...
It’s being billed as one of Trinity Theatre’s “most ambitious” affairs and the “big show” of the season; a 28 performance production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol featuring local professional actors. Behind it is the same team that last year brought us Worzel Gummidge The Musical at the Tunbridge Wells theatre. Taking the part of Scrooge, visited by those three ghosts, is Michael Elliott (pictured) who has more than 500 West End performances under his belt. A Christmas Carol, adapted by Neil Bartlett, runs from December 10 until January 3 with tickets starting at £10.50. Call 01892 678678 or visit trinitytheatre.net
Pull...
With 200 Swarovski crystals embedded in the body, this corkscrew is the ultimate combination of style and function. The special edition bottle opener is specifically moulded to fit in the hand and its “sensuous design” (we’re told) means that opening a bottle of wine becomes an elegant motion, rather than a struggle. The Atelier du Vin Chic Lady Corkscrew, Divine Night edition, might have an ungainly name, but it’s about as sleek and sophisticated as a corkscrew can get. £89.99 from amara.co.uk
Visit...
Around £1million has been spent setting up a new home for Father Christmas at The Hop Farm Family Park in Paddock Wood. And it’s all a bit special. Santa’s Magical Kingdom includes snow covered trees, a decorated village square, ice rink, market and Victorian carousel. It’s an indoor attraction that Santa promises will provide a “two and a half hour, fun filled family experience.” He’s at home from now until December 24 and is expecting some 50,000 visitors. Tickets from £25 are available at santasmagicalkingdom.co.uk
Watch...
Find out what every man and his dog have been raving about and get hold of The Wire DVD box-set to while away a few hours. The hit US crime show has kept audiences gripped the world over since 2002 and now (with all seasons completed) is the best time to immerse yourself in the gritty world of police, drugs, politics and business. Hard-hitting, intelligent and funny, this series is the pinnacle of television, with excellent scripts, realism and production values. Expect profanity. £124.09 from amazon.co.uk DECEMBER 2009
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View...
Clive Christian’s new style of furniture – the Architectural Collection – has just been unveiled at Harrods. Behind the launch is Christine Saladas who owns Clive Christian in Tunbridge Wells where it’s still business as usual. For her new venture, she’s taken 1,500 square feet of prime floor space in the most prestigious and celebrated retail store in the world. “It makes complete sense for us to be there,” explains Christine whose career began designing kitchens more than 25 years ago. For more information visit clive.com
Savour... This festive season Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on Southbank is opening its doors for a very special production. From December 22 to January 3 Christmas Cracker by the surreal theatre company Footbarn will be showing in the famous openair amphitheatre.
The eccentric show will introduce such characters as the three-headed, wordinventing ‘Shakespeare’, the tightrope-walking ‘Juliet’ and the Lord of Misrule, who reigns over a kingdom where all rules are hedonistically broken. Family tickets from £42: 020 7401 9919.
THIS CHRISTMAS
SO
Cook...
2009 has been a strange year for Heston Blumenthal, who shot to fame as the ‘weird science’ chef behind The Fat Duck restaurant in Berkshire. His most recent release is entitled The Fat Duck Cookbook, which is a far from imaginative title when you bear in mind that it’s a condensed version of The Big Fat Duck Cookbook. The recipes, on the other hand, are imaginative and the book proves an excellent platform for the self-taught chef to display his eccentricities with interesting illustrations and photographs. This is way more than just a cook book. £28.00 from waterstones.com
Wear...
With a multitude of can’t miss festivities happening this month, every girl needs a failsafe Little Black Dress in her wardrobe. Ensure you avoid that “I have nothing to wear” moment – treat yourself to something like this glamorous embellished mini dress from La Belle Femme (£225) in TW High Street and make your big entrance in style. La Belle Femme: 01892 614000. DECEMBER 2009
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0800 652 0102 • www.lincolnfurniture.co.uk
THIS CHRISTMAS
SO
Skate...
Ice-skating at Somerset House is fast becoming one of London’s favourite seasonal traditions, and deservedly so. Take the whole family and enjoy an early morning skate with the Breakfast with Tiffany package which includes hot drinks and muffins for all, as well as a cheeky glass of champagne post-skate for the adults. Particularly delightful is the Tiffany Tuck Shop, housed in a giant version of the iconic Tiffany & Co. blue box. The rink is open through ‘til January 24. Skating from £7.50 for children and £10.50 for adults.
Listen...
Jamie Cullum’s most recent work, The Pursuit, is a further feather in the talented musician’s cap. Cullum has seemingly gone for an ‘if it ain’t broke…’ mentality on this record and gives us his familiar spin on Sinatra-esque jazz pieces as well as a few more pop-focused tracks. A great album for concentrated listening or just to pop on in the background and let his smooth vocals create a relaxed mood. £8.99 from hmv.com.
Peruse...
Get in the Yuletide spirit at the Penshurst Place Christmas Farmers’ Market. As well as good old-fashioned stalls selling local produce such as jams, chutneys and Meopham wine, there’ll also be carols sung by
the local choir, mulled apple juice and a certain jolly chap dressed in red. The market will run from 9:30am until noon on Saturday December 5 in the stunning grounds of Penshurst Place. Entrance is free.
Freeze...
We might be more used to enjoying a glass of Rémy Martin VSOP by a roaring fire in the comforting hold of a wing-backed chair. However, Rémy tells us that this season it’s not the only way to sup their legendary cognac. Chill your bottle to below zero in the freezer and pour the ice-cold drink into a frosted glass and you’ll find the spirit takes on a whole new character, revealing a smoother velvety taste accentuating its delicate floral aromas. Or so they say. But we’re not just taking their word for it; the Ritz in London is leading the way on this one. From all good off licences, £28.99. DECEMBER 2009
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T U N B R I D G LE EW T TE EL R LS
SO tell us... YOUR LETTERS PAGE
SOTW WINNING LETTER OF THE MONTH:
Sir, In a blatant attempt to win a £75 massage (Letter of the Month) I just want to say: I love So Tunbridge Wells and I love Tunbridge Wells itself. The Royal Victoria Place is amazing, as are Calverley and Dunorlan Parks. The Pantiles are
Is there a connection? Roy and Pamela Stone (Langton Green) Ed: There certainly is. We’ve teamed up with KOS Media to bring even more quality journalism to the town.
If your letter is chosen by the Editor as the Letter of the Month, you’ll win a Bespoke Aromatherapy Massage at THE CHAPEL worth £75
brilliant and I’d even go as far as to say that I love Tonbridge. Ah, actually I’m not prepared to go quite that far! Sarah Follows (Tunbridge Wells) Ed: For sheer cheek you deserve a rub down. Sir, My husband and I, plus our two children, just moved to Tunbridge Wells from a place outside Peterborough. I was delivered your magazine the other day and wondered if this is standard practice down here? A lovely glossy magazine through the door. The best we got up there was leaflets for supermarkets.
Sir, We were intrigued to pick up a copy of the new weekly paper Tunbridge Wells on Sunday and read on the front page: “The newspaper that’s just SO Tunbridge Wells.”
SO
Laura Simms (Tunbridge Wells) Ed: It’s different down here, ‘So’ different. Sir, We read with interest the interview (November) with the new police commander Chief Inspector Martin Wilson and of his fascination with hand made mechanical watches. Thank you for resisting the opportunity to use the headline ‘Crime Watch’. Roger Thornton (via email) Ed: Oh, you’ll never know how close we came.
Sir, I wonder if your interiors writer Harriet Louvelle would like to come over to my house and redesign it as a slick town penthouse. My wife has just decorated the lounge in a rather salmony pink colour. Not a pleasant sight to return to after a week away on business. I’m currently devising a design counter-attack. Any ideas? Hamish Shrew (Via email) Ed: Yes, don’t go away quite so often.
We accept Letters to the Editor by e-mail (info@sotunbridgewells.co.uk) or post (SoTW 3 Cumberland Walk, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1UJ). Letters must carry full names and contact details. Letters may be edited for publication. DO EC C ET M OBER 2009
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SO
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR.
Festively du Vin. Christmas & New Year can get complicated, this year make it simple. Whether with relatives, friends old & new, or colleagues get together at Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells. Allow us to pour you a great glass of wine as you rela x & enjoy simple classic food complemented with our unique rela xed style of hospitality. Come join us for the New Years Eve Par ty of all par ties just £130 per person inclusive of Champagne & Canapes on arrival, 5 course meal & another glass at midnight plus a piper and a band for your enter tainment to dance the night away. If food isn’t par t of your plan why not come along at 10pm for the par ty at just £40 per person. To book please call 01892 526455 Hotel du Vin, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN1 2LY events.tunbridgewells @ hotelduvin.com I think. Therefore I du Vin.
CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR.
Festively du Vin.
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DECEMBER 2009
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
SO
And now for
the news…
OUR PICK OF THE STORIES, BOTH SERIOUS AND LIGHT HEARTED, MAKING HEADLINES IN AND AROUND THE TOWN Good News for:
APPLE LOVERS
Sales of a new Kent apple, the rosy-red Rubens, are set to soar after a mention in the Sunday Times “going up” list which the nation’s fashionistas monitor for trends. Sarah Calcutt of the Paddock Wood fruit marketing company, Norman Collett, says: “It’s sweet and crunchy, good for the growers and light on the environment.” The Rubens (Latin for red) figured higher in the newspaper’s list than the decision by former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson to appear in panto this season.
POSH RAPPERS
A tongue-in-cheek rap video extolling the virtues of Royal Tunbridge Wells has received nearly 10,000 hits on You Tube. Friends Nathan Whiting and Tom Adolph put together Golly Gosh as an “honest approach” to how they see the town. It includes the line: “Welcome to Tunbridge Wells where people think we’re posh, in fact we’re nothing of the sort, we just have loads and loads of dosh.” The pair say it’s just a “silly thing that has escalated.”
MAGAZINE PEOPLE
The Magazine People Ltd has been named Best New Business at the finals of the West Kent Business Excellence Awards 2009 held at the Spa Hotel in Tunbridge Wells. Publishers of So Tunbridge Wells and Royal Victoria Place, The Magazine People had to demonstrate that despite the difficult economic circumstances it has grown sales faster than projected. Managing Director Nick Moore says: “It’s been a fantastic couple of years for us and the award is the icing on the cake. Our thanks to all those who have supported the magazines and, in particular, our readers and our advertisers.” The Hop Farm Family Park in Paddock Wood won the title West Kent Business of the Year. Now in their second year, the awards are organised by the Courier Media Group and the West Kent Chamber of Commerce.
Bad News for:
BETTER-OFF
Recorded figures for crime across West Kent have fallen overall for the second
CRACKER BUYERS
If you’re under 16 years of age and want to buy Christmas crackers don’t bother going to British Home Stores in Tunbridge Wells… they won’t serve you. Under the 1875 Explosives Act, the shop is enforcing a ban on youngsters buying crackers. A
quarter to 4,076 which is a drop of just over 12% on the same period last year. Burglaries, however, were up almost 14% with thieves targeting the homes of the well-off. Deputy Area Commander Supt Tony Thomas says: “We were disappointed to see the increase as we ended the previous three financial years with decreases.” spokesperson says crackers are “classed as explosives because they contain a tiny amount of gunpowder.” Peter Vincent (64), who discovered the ban when buying his own crackers, says: “It’s totally daft. Are they going to stop selling balloons because they make a bang?”
PANTILES ACTORS
The final curtain has come down for The Pantiles Players. They’re calling it a day claiming that rowdy drinkers now make it impossible to perform open air productions. Men and women, apparently the worse for wear, swore and laughed at actors during a recent performance on The Pantiles. The Players say their front of house and sound crew were subjected to “appalling abuse night after night”, while actors were drowned out by people talking outside bars and restaurants. The Pantiles venue has been used by the players for more than 50 years. The troupe now intends to perform in the courtyard at Salomons in Southborough.
DECEMBER 2009
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SO SO
NGB ER IW DE G LE LW T U N BTRUI D SELLS
ROYAL TITLE…
Photography: Mark Turnbull
T
he great and the good were out in force for the visit of HRH The Duke of Kent (centre top left) who unveiled a commemorative plaque in Tunbridge Wells Council Chamber marking the centenary of the town being granted the ‘Royal’ prefix. Following a petition from local businessmen, Edward VII gave permission for the title on the grounds TW had historical associations with Royalty; his mother Queen Victoria visited in her youth. The only other town to be granted the honour is Leamington Spa. The Duke also looked round Tunbridge Wells Gateway, a onestop-shop offering residents access to a range of public services.
DECEMBER 2009
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TUNBRIDGE WELLS
SPORTS & PRESTIGE CARS
AT BIRCHWOOD GARAGE IN SOUTHBOROUGH
(BEHIND TEXACO)
MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE AUTO SPORTIVA TEAM CARS ALWAYS REQUIRED - Please call us for a polite and friendly response Birchwood Garage, 13-17 London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 0RJ TEL: 01892 548889
www.auto-sportiva.com
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DECEMBER 2009
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
DECEMBER 2009
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TUNBRIDGE WELLS
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Charity Couture
Photography: Mirror Image
A
fantastic £5,000 was raised at the first annual charity ‘Fashion & Fundraising’ event in aid of Breast Cancer Care UK at The Old School House in Tunbridge Wells. The night was organised by Amie Bradley, the owner of Blush Clothing, together with Victoria Genevieve of The Wardrobe Fairy, Holly Greenaway and Natasha Nissan of The Chapel, Hoopers for Men and The Brew House team. Catwalk models showed off the latest in Autumn/Winter collections from both Blush and Hoopers. Afterwards there was a charity auction hosted by John Stockey of Clive Emson Auctioneers plus music from Funk Fanatics and The 38’s.
DECEMBER 2009
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TUNBRIDGE WELLS
SPORTY THANK YOU
Photography: Zoe Storey
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DECEMBER 2009
irthday celebrations the other day for the only independent pre-owned sports car specialists in town… Auto-Sportiva. More than 100 guests went along to the Southborough showrooms to toast the first anniversary of the company and its recession beating performance. Among the entertainment was a live performance from local dance music singer Janice Kay. Owner Dominic Palacio, who has a passion for Maserratis and has been involved in selling them for 10 years, explains: “We’re over the moon to have got through these unprecedented trading conditions and wanted to thank our customers and suppliers for their support during these difficult times.”
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tunbridge wells
“I’M ON A MISSION” LABELLED THE FORCES’ SWEETHEART, WITH STUNNING GOOD LOOKS AND A VOICE TO MATCH, KATHERINE JENKINS SEEMS TO HAVE EVERYTHING; THE WHOLE PACKAGE. BUT IS SHE JUST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? WE DECIDE TO FIND OUT words Dan Smith
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december 2009
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atherine Jenkins is currently hot property. Very hot property. The mezzo-soprano is riding a publicity wave, fuelled by a new album and a spectacular PR recovery following last year’s drug confession. We caught up with the 29-year-old in an effort to discover what all the fuss is about. Negotiations with the PR team behind the lady herself began several weeks ago but we knew getting a bit of time with the Welsh singer would be difficult; remember we’re talking about one of the biggest names in the world of classical music right now. But the PR machine stays true to its word and tonight, on a cold wintry evening, the call finally comes through. Katherine’s just finished at a photo shoot and grabbed half an hour to talk with us here at SoTW. Frankly, we’re not sure what to expect from the interview. Recently on Piers Morgan’s TV talk show she broke down in tears midway through an answer, but within the hour was involved in some cheeky banter with Piers about her breasts. We’re hoping for some kind of happy medium… She calls us from the back of her chauffer-driven car, while being taken home after “a bit of a manic day.” Following meetings all morning, Katherine had an interview at lunchtime and has since been in front of the lens for Now magazine. It’s close to 7pm at the end of a long day. “At the moment,” she says in her friendly Welsh lilt, “I’m going to bed at around midnight and getting up at five. It’s constant, but it’s always like this towards the end of the year when you’ve got an album out.” It’s a subtle plug for her current album Believe, which has been released in time for the Christmas rush (there you go Katherine!). Her seventh studio effort, it’s one which all involved hope will project her further into the mainstream and bring a bigger audience to classical music. “I’m on a mission to convert the masses to classical,” she admits, “I don’t ever want people to think that classical music is intimidating or just for posh people, or wealthy people, or old people. “It’s for everyone and that’s why I wanted to work with David Foster and make an album which is my most crossover one to date and accessible to anyone, whether they’ve bought a classical album before or not.” David Foster is the producer behind songstresses Celine Dion, Whitney Houston and Barbra Streisand, so he’s the perfect person to have onboard for Katherine’s stab at world domination. Katherine and David “got round the piano and both chose songs for the album” without any record company interference. The result is a mixed bag of contemporary covers, a number of duets and some old favourites. In places the choice of tracks are a little odd (most notably the cover of Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry), but everything on the album pays testament to Katherine’s amazing voice and incredibly powerful delivery. ➢
K at h e r i n e J e n k i n s
December 2009
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2010
SO With time Katherine’s mezzo-soprano voice will fully mature and she’ll be able to perform opera, although currently she’s a year or so from being in that position. “I’d love to do Carmen,” she says. “That’s something that’s definitely on my list of ambitions, whether it’s spending six months doing opera and then coming back and doing my touring. I like the fact that at the moment I can mix it up a bit.” And mixing it up a bit is something very much at the heart of her new album which is an obvious attempt at breaking into the US market. “All artists want to do well out there,” she admits, “because it’s such a massive place and it does seem to be that once you’ve cracked America, the rest of the world follows. If it works out then brilliant, if not, then I’ll feel very lucky that I get to do what I do here anyway.” She’s already achieved a great deal. With around 5,000,000 albums sold, Katherine is the only person to hold the No.1 and No.2 spots in the Classical Charts simultaneously and obviously has no shortage of fans. But who would she queue up in the rain to see? “Ooh, that’s a good question… I would have said Barbra Streisand, but I actually got to sing to her at her birthday party when I was in America making the album, so I feel I’ve met her now.” She’s certainly moving in the right circles then. Mid-way through our next question the phone line crackles and goes dead. Was it something we said? But just as we’re thinking our little chat might be over, the phone rings. It’s Katherine. She apologises for the disappearance and we chalk it up to a loss of reception on her route home. Time is of the essence so we move on to her 2010 tour for Believe. Rumour has it that Katherine doesn’t speak between performances and venues which sounds a little eccentric and difficult to believe. “Yes, that’s true,” she declares. “It’s to rest my vocal chords. I text, or people say, ‘can you give us a clue?’ or I write things down on a piece of paper. The longest I’ve been silent is 36 hours. You get used to it.” The tour takes her to the Brighton Centre on March 10 and the London o2 Arena on March 13 . “I’m really looking forward to Brighton,” Katherine offers. “I’ve been lucky to have played that venue a few times and they’re a lovely audience.” We’re on the verge of asking about our town when she preempts us: “I’ve done a concert actually in Tunbridge Wells. It was at the Assembly Halls back in 2006. It was during the summer, it was so hot and it was lovely.” And then she reveals another link with TW: “My hairdresser is from Tunbridge Wells and her family still lives there! Her names is Zoe Irwin and she’s on the road with me most of the time. I love her – she’s brilliant.” Apparently Zoe followed Katherine to the Middle East when she went to entertain the troops on the back of her media nickname, the New Forces’ Sweetheart. The moniker came after the 60th Anniversary of VE Day when Katherine sang We’ll Meet Again with the original Forces’ Sweetheart, Dame Vera Lynne, who urged her to visit our boys. “I was given that label before I’d actually been out to see the troops. I’d done a few small things at home and just thought, ‘Actually, you know what? I really want to earn this title, rather than just be given it.’” ➢ D ecember 2 0 0 9
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tunbridge wells
Specialist in Fine Hand Made Jewellery Over 40 years creating individual, beautifully designed and expertly made engagement, wedding and eternity rings. Certificated diamonds.
- come direct to the craftsman 43 The Pantiles Tunbridge Wells 01892 521796 www.peterjenner.com
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DE C E M B e r 2 0 0 9
K ath e rin e J e nkins
On her first visit to Iraq in 2005, Katherine came face-toface with the reality of war. A helicopter in which she was travelling became the target of a missile attack by Iraqi insurgents. “You’re always aware of noise in a helicopter,” she explains. “But then suddenly there was this incredibly loud noise and the helicopter just dropped out of the sky. There was an unbelievable sensation of falling. Someone shouted that we’d been hit. It was a ground-to-air missile and it was being fired at us. All I could think was, ‘This is it... I’m done.’” Luckily, she and the crew escaped unharmed. But has it put her off going back to the conflict zones? Her answer is firm and fast, more so than with many of the earlier questions: “No, because the Ministry of Defence do their absolute best and they look after you. It’s about going out there for 24-hours or 48-hours and experiencing what they deal with on a daily basis for six to nine months.” And to hammer home her point she tells us: “I’m hoping to go to Afghanistan before Christmas but I’m not sure if it’s going to happen yet. It’s down to the MoD and whether they can get me in and out within a certain timeframe.” Media coverage for Katherine reached a crescendo in November 2008 when, racked with guilt, she admitted to journalist Piers Morgan that she’d taken class-A drugs at university. It was something she had previously denied. This was a dangerous revelation considering her (until then) flawless reputation. But Katherine remains adamant that coming clean was the right thing to do. “It was really important and I’m glad I did set the record straight because it didn’t sit well with me and it was bothering me. Since then the reaction to it has been practically 100% positive; everyone has come forward and said, ‘We’ve all done silly things when we were younger and no-body’s perfect, so thank you for coming out and speaking about it.’ “It’s definitely something I regret doing in the first place (taking drugs) but I certainly don’t regret talking about it.”
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Click. Beep. The phone line breaks up and she’s gone again. Surely she won’t call back now? We’ve been talking for longer than agreed but it’s a shame as we weren’t able to thank her for her time. But once more the phone rings and we’re patched through to an apologetic Katherine. Prior to the interview we ask her PR team what’s off limits. “Only her private life”, they tell us. Which means we want to talk about her private life (although not the details of her romantic link to Welsh TV presenter, Gethin Jones, of Strictly Come Dancing and Blue Peter fame, who thinks she’s “lovely and a typical Neath girl”). Avoiding that, we ask if Katherine thinks that these days you can be a celebrity and still have a private life? “You have to really fiercely defend it… people seem to want to know stuff that it just baffles would be of interest to anyone else. I’m just really protective of it because you can’t say one minute, ‘I invite you into my private life’ and the next minute say, ‘well, actually I want privacy at this point.’” It’s a fair observation and underlines something we’ve come to believe since starting to research the singer. Katherine is famous and successful because she’s got a great voice and people love to watch and hear her perform, not for affairs, outrageous behaviour or falling out of nightclubs in the wee hours. Despite all her fame and success Katherine still claims to be a ‘working-class girl from Wales’ and reinforces the point by telling us: “I’ll be spending Christmas Day with my Mum and niece back in Wales but before that, I’ll be out in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Australia so it’s going to be a bit of a weird build-up to Christmas, being in the sunshine.” Our session is drawing to a close, way past the allotted time frame, when the phone connection goes for the third time. Surely the interview is over? But no, Katherine rings back (she really is very polite!) and we take the chance at getting a (compulsory) cheesy closing comment. “So Katherine, any Christmas message for the people of our beloved town?” She thinks for but a moment and then wishes “everyone in Tunbridge Wells a happy and peaceful Christmas and a fabulous, fun and healthy New Year.” Similar wishes to you Katherine Jenkins… and may you always stay the same. SO
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Festive wear, shoes, accessories and jewellery that make the perfect christmas gift
40 Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RB Tel: 01892 519519
1 High Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1UL Tel: 01892 513613
www.kitchclothing.co.uk
New Catwalk Collection Now In Tunbridge Wells - 0 1 8 9 2 6 1 4 0 0 0 Chislehurst - 02084 676 661
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MELISSA WOODLAND PRESENTS THIS MONTH’S STYLISH PICKS AND FASHION NEWS
this month... Paris In The Pantiles
Bold, sassy and edgy. UBU Jewellery is inspired by current multi cultural fashion, textiles and primitive art and is designed and made in the stylish Marais district in the heart of Paris. Already sought after by fashionistas in mainland Europe and the United States, the range is now available in the UK with The Pantiles based jewellery store Glitterati being announced as the exclusive stockist. Natural materials such as leather are carefully sourced and what looks like bone, ivory and horn is actually a cast resin reproduction, so you can wear each piece with a clear conscience. Bangles start at £24.50, rings at £34.50 and pendants at £74.50. 01892 518024.
Pre-Loved
Running out of space in your wardrobe? Adore shopping, but have more clothes than you’ll ever get to wear? The Love is…Boutique opening this month at 26 Church Road, TW is the solution to your dilemma. The idea is that you take in those clothes, bags and accessories that you just don’t use any more and they’ll sell them on your behalf. And while you’re in the shop, you can browse the rails for individual vintage pieces (a great way to ensure no-one else is wearing the same as you) and choose from the exclusive range of jewellery from up and coming designers. Owner Paula Fry explains: “I was inspired by the state of my own wardrobe. After years of buying designer clothes, bags and shoes, my cupboards were full of things I just didn’t get time to wear or enjoy. I realised there must be hundreds of women with the same issue.” So have a clear out. You’ll end up with space in your closet and money in your purse, so you can hit the shops again and someone else can enjoy your old favourites. loveisboutique.co.uk
Signature Scent
The name Jo Malone inspires thoughts of heady fragrances and the soft glow of a scented candle. The doyenne of modern perfume is the expert in her field. So when she launched her “Fragrance Combining Philosophy”, we knew not to turn our noses up. The concept is simple enough, spray one cologne, let it dry, then spray a different fragrance over the top. Or layer the different scents of bath oil or shower gel and a luxurious body crème. It’s the ideal way to create a scent that’s unique to you, or to change your fragrance to suit the occasion. Call Jo Malone Express to book a Fragrance Combining Consultation over the phone or visit the store in Sloane Street, London. 0870 034 2411.
Well Heeled
If your social calendar is half as busy as the team at SoTW’s, you’ll need a decent pair of heels to get you through to January. Luxury shoemaker Terry de Havilland’s signature wedge heel is just perfect for flitting from party to party. Though the Margaux heels are high enough to make even the most diminutive girl look statuesque, the wedge is perfectly balanced, so you don’t have to worry about teetering. And in suede and patent leather, the shoes go with most looks. £399, exclusively available in Tunbridge Wells at Kitch on the High Street: 01892 513613.
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WORDS ADAMS REBECCA
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OUT IN G N I P P E FOR ST FEW OUTFITS N O S A E S A ‘TIS THE E’VE SELECTED E DAZZLE O T D E W GUARANT STYLE, SO
hair Sparkle 5 3 £ d ban t s a o C k at Fenwic
a clutch Pollyann Lulu bag £150 at s s Guinne rs e Hoop
boots Gravitas vela at r a C £130 Hoopers
gings Black leg oyal R S £15 M & ce la P ia Victor
ss £260 Spirit Dre ection onn French C ce toria Pla ic V l Roya
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ress Amaya d st £115 Coa or o fl Office k ic w n at Fe
o t r o o l f Officee floor danc shoes Ambrosia v r ela at £120 Ca rs Hoope
FA S H I O N
t t big even lways tha ht ig a tr s There’s a to to go d e e n ly u e o it that y l defin . So, you’l rk the o w in s m fro work utfit that o ’s n w a a d s e ig e n ar. J d at the b hirt and office an s k purple sil stunning skirt is d e il ta e d k black bac ts give it o o B . d chic urts – we classy an k than co o lo m r ie g boots fro an ed uel shoe q e k S o e lo th is love lete th er. Comp er gloves ig e G rt u K ath e black le with thes . aw from Jigs
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blouse Pure Silk aw igs £75 at J leasant, P t n Mou e Wells Tunbridg
Leather gloves £65 Jigsaw Mount Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells
coat Kamryn ast o £160 C k ic w n at Fe
Aubergine 40 Denier tights £13 Jigsaw Mount Pleasant, Tunbridge Wells
ack Ruffle B irt k s il c n pe igsaw J £110 at asant, le P t Moun e Wells Tunbridg hoe Sequel s purple boots (in £150 ) k or blac er at ig e G Kurt Fenwick
ther Long lea 109 gloves £ t Dents a Hoopers
: s p i t s ’ a Rebecc
r it u like, tea gazine yo a ks. o m lo a in te outfit favouri n r a u e o e y s f o u e going oard When yo a mood b look you’r e te a th r re e c b d out an remem t. it easier to r that special outfi It’ll make fo g searchin be for when going to er 2010 is p m u m p u a n /S s g d end an d, Sprin a tr e e h a th g f o in Look t ahead bows. Ge es now. all about accessori d e ti y tl n a any eleg nt at Consulta n Image a is s m a Ad Rebecca el. p a h C e Th DECEMBER 2009
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IT’S HERE! OH YES, THAT LITTLE THING CALLED “THE PARTY SEASON” HAS ARRIVED AND YOUR HAIR IS IN FOR A TREAT BECAUSE THIS YEAR IT’S ALL GONE GLAM GLAM GLAM. SCOTT PERKINS, STYLIST EXTRAORDINAIRE AT THE CHAPEL HAS THE LATEST IN HAIR STYLE
Good look Recommended for… …Hold Quick Dry hairspray by Redken
…Shine Chroma Reflect Thermique heat protect by Kerestase
…Texture Redken rough clay or Redken Electric Wax
…A New Look GHD Straighteners, Babyliss Pro hot styling wand or Babyliss Pro heated rollers
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hink Dynasty and all its excesses, big rolling curls, bobs that swing even when you’re standing still, everything has width height and lots of shine. It may look like a vintage revival but the products you will need to achieve these looks are bang up to date. Use what your Mamma gave you! Curls are very cha cha this season you’ll be bang on trend if you’re boosting them with Heated Rollers, Hot Wands and Velcro’s. Build your look by back-combing and reinforcing height and width with a good flexible hair spray. It’s important to move with the seasons, so don’t be afraid to try out these new tools. You can always ask your stylist to show you how. If straight hair is your thing then it’s all about the swish! Get that gloss to be glam with a product that adds shine while protecting your hair, straighteners are as much for finish as effect. Just run them lightly through the hair to revive shine and protect your tresses from any moisture during these damp December nights. Are you sporting a crop? Then exaggerate the texture, building as much movement as possible. Fibre fuelled paste and putty products are your ticket to success. Rule of thumb this season is extreme excess! Take everything to the max and remember it’s not what you wear it’s how you wear it.
thechapel.co.uk
pa rt y h a i r
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THE
beauty box all your Beauty needs in a box
by a team of highly qualified professionals
eyelash extensions • threading • acrylic nails bio sculpture • manicure / pedicures waxing • facials • spray tanning alternative therapists • wedding packages eyelash extensions by:
Luscious, thicker, fuller lashes Water resistant Last up to 2 months Natural look and feel Relaxing and comfortable treatment
The Beauty Box 5 High street, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 8RL tel: 01892 535010
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WORDS MELISSA WOODLAND
RED HOT Austin Reed resurrected their contemporary capsule collection AR Red earlier this year to much acclaim. With a strong focus on design and attention to detail, the Autumn / Winter offering looks to be just as popular. Featuring versatile knits in luxurious merino wool, colourwashed jeans and formal shirts, plus a chic funnel neck mac, the range is easy to wear and stylishly simple. Selected items from AR Red are available at Austin Reed on the High Street, Tunbridge Wells. 01892 544009. Coat £325, Trousers £100, Jumper £60 Austin Reed Red.
BE BOLD
MAXIMUM STYLE, MINIMUM EFFORT With so many high-fashion retail sites catering solely for the ladies, men understandably feel a little left out. But Men à la Mode is changing all that. The world’s first online boutique to give consumers access to the most exclusive menswear labels, MALM sources the best looks from designers such as Sonia Rykiel, Paul & Joe, Westwood and Ungaro. Plus they only stock the current season’s collections, so you’ll always be on trend.
menalamode.com
WE HELP YOU EARN YOUR FASHION STRIPES
With this year’s outerwear sticking predominantly to the traditional hues of navy and black, the introduction of colour through scarves is essential. Avoid being drab with a winter warmer from the range of woven tartans, checks and block colours available. We love these striped numbers in a merino wool and cashmere blend from Paul Smith at Hoopers for Men. Prices start at £65. 01892 529223.
STRAIGHT TO THE POINT Pointed toes are here to stay, especially in men’s footwear. As easy to wear with your work suit or a pair of casual jeans, they instantly mark you out as fashion forward. Leading the way with this look are the designers at Kurt Geiger. Their Point Blank lace-ups intertwine elegance with formality to create a perfect piece for this season. £150 Kurt Geiger at Fenwick. 01892 516716.
OFF THE CUFF Kick-off the party season with these quirky cufflinks. Inspired by the traditional Subbuteo figures (which were invented right here in Tunbridge Wells) these brass cufflinks will be a nostalgic trip down memory lane for many. Revisit your childhood: Subbuteo cufflinks £12 Marks & Spencer 01892 511 466.
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herecome the girls… LONDON, PARIS AND NEW YORK ALL HAVE THEIR OWN FASHION WEEKS. NOW TUNBRIDGE WELLS IS SET TO FOLLOW IN THEIR CATWALK FOOTSTEPS
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ome of the biggest names in the town – Hoopers Department Store, Brew House Hotel and So Tunbridge Wells magazine – have teamed up to launch the first Tunbridge Wells Fashion Week. It will take place between February 23 and February 28 next year and promises to be the most spectacular event of its kind to be staged in the borough. “The idea is to showcase the very best of local designers, boutiques and models, including those who aspire to become models,” said the Managing Director of Hoopers Anne Horton. “It will be an absolute must for every fashionista.” Between February 23 and February 26 there will be fashion shows at Hoopers and the Old School House (Brew House Hotel), one every noon and evening. Models will be able to strut their stuff and local boutiques will reveal the latest designs and fashions. There will also be a Wedding Fair at the Old School House on February 28. Among the highlights will be a Gala Charity Dinner on February 26 featuring the Swinging Little Big Band and the unveiling of the Face of Tunbridge Wells. “This is a chance for aspiring local models to raise their profile, gain experience of the catwalk and start making a name for themselves,” said Anne Horton. To put themselves forward for consideration aspiring models, male and female, should send a recent photograph, together with details of relevant experience, age, measurements and contact details to: Kym Hammond, The Brew House Hotel, 1 Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells TN1 5TA. They should also, in no more than 50 words, explain why they think they should be selected as a model for Tunbridge Wells Fashion Week. Applications must be received by January 1 2010. Successful applicants will be profiled in the Fashion Week guide and website as well as being entered for the Face of Tunbridge Wells competition, the winner of which will go on a fashion shoot for So Tunbridge Wells magazine. Once the shoot is complete the model will be able to keep the shots for their portfolio and will be featured in the fashion pages of SoTW. To get involved in Tunbridge Wells Fashion Week as a boutique, model or designer visit tunbridgewellsfashionweek.com or contact Kym Hammond on 01892 520587. SO
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THE
GALLERY HAIR & BEAUTY
I n d i v i d u a l C r e at i v e Cutting and Colouring Full Range of Beauty T r e at m e n t s F o r Women and Men
0 1 8 9 2 5 1 4 9 0 0 / w w w. t h e g a l l e r y. m e 63-67 LONDON ROAD SOUTHBOROUGH ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS KENT
T u n b rCi o dm ge p ewt ei tlilosn
win A TWO NIGHT STAY WORTH £1,000
KICK OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH A ROMANTIC WEEKEND ESCAPE TO THE AWARD WINNING HOTEL AND UTOPIA SPA THAT IS ROWHILL GRANGE
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abeled ‘Kent’s hidden secret’, Rowhill Grange near Dartford, provides luxury manor house accommodation with indulgent spa treatments, fine dining and fresh, country air – the perfect mix for a great weekend retreat. The hotel offers 38 individually styled bedrooms with modern amenities, plus two restaurants, including the 3AA RosetteTruffles, and access to the award-winning Utopia Spa with its indoor swimming pools, sauna, steam room, gymnasium and a selection of luxurious spa treatments. Guests can enjoy stunning countryside views along with 15 acres of private grounds, rolling lawns and manicured gardens. There’s even a small lake with a family of ducks. What’s more, Utopia Spa has just introduced a whole new treatment and product range called Temple Spa. It’s influenced by the Mediterranean and is an exclusive product found only in places such as niche spas and stores. Rowhill Grange is now offering readers the chance to win two nights bed and breakfast in a Master Suite (for two people), which normally costs £470 per night, along with temporary membership of the Utopia Spa. The winner and their guest will also receive a new Prescription Facial, each worth £62, that includes a skin analysis and preparation of an impressive menu of treatments individually tailored to their skin type. All you have to do to enter is send your name, address, phone number (and email address if you have one) on a postcard to: SoTW Rowhill Grange Competition 3 Cumberland Walk Tunbridge Wells TN1 1UJ Or you can email details to: info@sotunbridgewells.co.uk Closing date is midnight January 1 2010, after which the winning name will be drawn at random. All standard competition Terms and Conditions of The Magazine People Ltd apply. One entry per household. Entrants must be 18 or over. No cash or alternative prize can be selected. The Editor’s decision is final.
To find out more about the hotel and spa visit rowhillgrange.com or call 01322 615136
december 2009
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PROPERTY
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THE PORTFOLIO AN EXQUISITE COLLECTION OF PROPERTY, HOMES AND INTERIORS
DECEMBER 2009
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Dallington East Sussex £975,000
freehold
A grand oast house, dating back to 1850, renovated to a high standard. Reception hall, 3 reception rooms, cloakroom, kitchen/breakfast room, 7 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, en suite bathroom & en suite shower room. Detached studio, swimming pool & gardens.
Boyne Park Tunbridge Wells £499,950
share of freehold
Hurst Green East Sussex £695,000
freehold
A delightful 18th Century, Grade II, listed family house (possibly with earlier origins) and still retaining a retail / commercial element. Five bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen/breakfast Room, utility room, gardens, parking and outbuildings.
Gloucester Place Tunbridge Wells £435,000
leasehold
An impressive first floor apartment within a detached Victorian house, with views over the town and approx 2,000 sq ft of accommodation. Four double bedrooms, large reception, kitchen/dining room, bathroom, shower room, garage and parking.
A first floor, three bedroom apartment set in this prestigious, two year old development just off Linden Gardens and within walking distance of the mainline station and town centre. Fully integrated kitchen, open plan living, 3 bedrooms, bathroom and en suite, 3 balconies and 2 allocated car parking spaces.
Inner London Road Tunbridge Wells £235,000
Groombridge East Sussex £245,000
share of freehold
An elegant garden apartment in a Grade II Listed Regency townhouse just five minutes walk from the train station. Reception hall, reception room, sitting room, double bedroom, kitchen, with useful cellar storage and bathroom.
freehold
An attractive Victorian cottage in the heart of Groombridge village and within walking distance of all local amenities. Reception room, dining room, fitted kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom, cellar and garden.
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TUNBRIDGE WELLS
ballards ■ Specialist in Traditional, Antique &
Modern Re-upholstery
■ Curtain Making ■ Upholstered Furniture made to order ■ An Extensive Range of Fabrics from all
leading suppliers
■ Free Measuring & Estimating Service
ESTABLISHED FAMILY BUSINESS WITH OVER 35 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE
Call: 01892 890033 Unit 1 Bayham Farm Buildings, Little Bayham, Lamberhurst TN3 8BD
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ONsite ontime Onbudget Design Build offer the complete building development package. From the architectural planning phase right through to the completion of the build, we’ll be there with commitment, dedication and the highest quality workmanship. Already with an extensive and impressive portfolio, Design Build are the perfect team to undertake commissions for residential and commercial projects. Call us or visit our website to find out why we’re ideal for your new build, renovation, extension or conversion.
www.designbuildtunbridgewells.com Telephone - 01892 863895 / Nick Drees - 07763 383409 / Paul Baitup - 07711 074721
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Celebrating IN REAL STYLE
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INSPIRED BY A PASSION FOR CHRISTMAS AND A LOVE OF FRENCH AND SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRY STYLE, KATY GUY HAS CREATED THE PERFECT TUNBRIDGE WELLS RETREAT FOR FAMILY CELEBRATIONS
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The racing green Aga was inherited by Katy and provides a cosy welcome to the family’s main living space. The shelf above was original to the house and is decorated festively with an array of garden foliage, candles and decorations from Maison.
STYLING AND WORDS: ALI HEATH PHOTOGRAPHY: NICK CARTER
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his month we’re invited to the home of Katy Guy joint owner of Maison, the French and Swedish painted furniture shop in Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells. She shares the home with husband Charlie who works in the city and their three children; Daisy (15), Molly (13) and Hope (11). In February 1998 they moved from Paris to their 1920s Tunbridge Wells property which consists of a sitting room, family room, kitchen/conservatory/dining room, utility room, study, five bedrooms and three bathrooms. So, what do they love most about living in the place? “The pretty architectural structure and the beautiful gardens that surround our home have enabled me to express my creativity,” says Katy. “It works perfectly for us as a family as it is spacious yet still cosy and relaxing.” And their biggest decorating disaster? “Our builder knocked down the outside wall for the kitchen not realising Hope was asleep in the room above. We ran to get her very quickly!” Christmas always starts early for the Guy family. Each year on the first weekend in December they go to Langton Green to choose their Christmas trees. “It has become a time honoured tradition,” explains Katy. “We choose one for the conservatory and one for the sitting room, and there is usually much debate! “The girls have a keepsake box full of old decorations that have been lovingly chosen, displayed and stored since they were small and they decide how they want to decorate the tree in the conservatory each year.” Against a calming backdrop of off-whites and soft grey hues; ivy, holly, pine cones and greenery are gathered from the garden and used to decorate the house along with scented candles, lanterns and stunning accessories. Once the trees are transformed the wreath is hung on the front door, metal Father Christmas shoes placed on the steps outside and charming red and white advent garlands pinned up over the family room fireplace in eager anticipation. ➢
Opposite page: A festive frosted wreath from Maison provides a welcoming entrance to the home
Daisy, Molly and Hope enter the Christmas spirit as they write cards to their friends. Charming decorative ice skates from Maison hang at the windows, adding a Shaker style simplicity to the festive charm of the conservatory.
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“We all love Christmas at home,” says Katy. “The girls get excited baking biscuits for the tree and there is a constant flow of friends dropping in. It is my busiest time of year at work but coming home to such inviting festive smells and sounds just intensifies the excitement, fun and buzz of it all.” The Guys found their home 11 years ago when the couple moved back to England from Paris. They wanted their children to live in a more rural setting, accessible to London, yet close to a thriving local community, in order to fulfil Katy’s ambition to establish her own home interior shop, inspired by her Paris experience. They both felt an immediate affinity with Tunbridge Wells and after much searching they viewed their home on a grey November day. “We nearly didn’t go in as the house was located off a main busy road, but as soon as we drove down the driveway and saw the pretty house surrounded by stunning gardens we knew we had found our dream home,” says Katy. Dating back to 1923, the house was built in sympathetic Georgian style, by a local builder. “Having had only four other owners, we knew instantly that this home had been loved and despite our own desire to make changes structurally and decoratively we knew that as a family we could evolve here too over time.” ➢
The light filled conservatory plays host to a chic and festive display in gentle tones of white and soft grey. An abundance of greenery and foliage from the garden dressed with sparkly tealights, candles and lanterns from Maison create a dramatic table setting.
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“I DO NOT EVER IMAGINE WE WILL LEAVE, IT IS A VERY TREASURED PLACE FOR US ALL”
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The cosy sitting room is painted in warm tones of Dulux Rum Caramel 5 and provides a relaxing retreat for Katy and Charlie. The original fireplace is decorated with simple greenery and red baubles from Sia at Maison along with stockings and twig garlands from Birchcraft.
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R O O F I N G C O N T R A C T O R S LT D
Kent Peg Tiling & Listed Building Specialists
For further information or to arrange a FREE home visit please contact us on
01797 270268
or visit
www.kentpegs.com Winners of the 2006 NRFC Heritage Award
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The main thing they embarked on was to create an open plan kitchen/dining/family room which has become the main hub of the house. “We knocked through the original kitchen wall, built a large conservatory onto the side of our home and installed a new kitchen from Harvey Jones. With doors opening directly out onto the gardens, it has become a light-filled room that we all gather in,” says Katy. At the same time they created a separate utility/boot room; and transformed an old downstairs bathroom into a study and shower room. “In 2000 we converted the third floor attic and added a fifth bedroom and en-suite bathroom, which is fabulous for guests,” says Katy. More recently they finished redecorating the girls’ bedrooms and former playroom into a more grown up family room. As the children are getting older Katy let them decide how they wanted their rooms to look and they were clearly delighted. As Christmas Day arrives extended family gather around the dining table to celebrate. “It is fantastic having everybody together,” says Katy contentedly, “our home seems to sparkle and we are reminded of just how strong our emotional attachment is here. I do not ever imagine we will leave, it is a very treasured place for us all.” SO
SO
A Gustavian style bench from Maison has been used to display simply wrapped presents ready for the arrival of family guests. The spotty and floral cushions add an inviting Scandinavian touch.
Katy gets into the festive spirit and cooks with the girls in preparation for their guests arriving. Mini Christmas puddings decorated with holly from the garden are made using an old family recipe.
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tel: 01892 531727 mob: 07736 842954 info@moliorhomes.com
your local audio and visual specialists
LD U O H S MS E T S Y S EEN S T O SOUND N AND D R A E BE H Your entire music collection, accessible anywhere in your home, all at the touch of a button Contact us today for a demonstration and free site-visit:
01892 860801 www.progressive-av.com
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WORDS HARRIET LOUVELLE
Oast with the Most ROUND ROOMS, STABLE DOORS AND VAULTED CEILINGS. THE TRADITIONAL KENTISH OAST HOUSE IS A TRICKY CUSTOMER WHEN IT COMES TO RENOVATION
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ever one to shy from a challenge, this month I’ve travelled to the countryside to breathe new life into a Victorian Oast House. The building has been converted so it is habitable, but it is lacking the charm and personality that a historical home can offer. My clients are looking forward to retiring from the rat race and enjoying village life, so it’s important that their new residence blends authentic details with modern comforts. We’re aiming for an inviting and cosy home, decorated in warm, earthy colours that are appropriate for the building, but complement the light from the cottage-style windows.
The Reception Hall Top of my clients’ wish list is an imposing, atmospheric hallway. The main entrance is situated between the two roundels, and leads into a large rectangular room with doors off to the rest of the house. It’s a big space and it’s vital that we balance the detail of the building with the practicalities of modern living. We need an expert in Oast renovations, so bring in Trevor Weeks from Vernacular Homes in Ashford. Firstly, his team repaired and cleaned the damaged brickwork and restored the lime pointing on the partition walls, exposing the beautiful red brickwork. They then use handmade bricks and specialist mortar to brick up the small doorway in the middle of one of the roundels – it’s just too low for everyday use, but makes an interesting feature in the curve of the wall and a place to display trinkets. The flooring is a hardwearing natural stone as the hallway will get a lot of traffic. The structural exterior walls are painted in a rich cream and Victorian-style beaded boarding adds authenticity to the period feel. Finally, a stable door is fitted to the main entrance doorway as a nod to the building’s agricultural past. The top half can be left open during the warmer months so my clients can enjoy the view over the Kentish hills. ➢
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The Kitchen My next task is the kitchen. Situated in one of the gorgeous roundels, it’s not going to be your average galley kitchen. We need to have cabinets made to fit the exact specifications of the uneven walls of the circular room. Woodwork THF in Southborough have made many such a kitchen and supplied us with simple yet stunning hand-painted (in Farrow & Ball’s New White) cabinets that match my couple’s specification exactly. The units feature rounded corners to echo the shape of the room and a beautiful Star Galaxy granite worktop gives us that wow factor. The sink is placed to overlook the garden for pleasant views while washing up and we have, of course, installed a traditional Aga to retain the country feel of the property. It’s a lovely light-filled room.
The Bedroom The final room that I’m waving my magic wand over is the master bedroom. It’s on the first floor and the attic space has been removed to open up a vaulted ceiling. This gives the room a spacious feel. Crabtree Designs in Charing pitch in to help me create a warm atmosphere. They suggest using Farrow & Ball’s Pompeiian Red on the walls to create a rich yet earthy feel befitting the country setting. They instantly understand the need to be sympathetic towards the setting and heritage of the property. The iron curtain rails and tartan throw add to the country cottage effect. The deep colour of the mahogany four poster bed gives the room an opulent feel and the antique painting above the bed was sourced at auction to complement the rich tones. The look is given a contemporary twist with the addition of the cushions in bold, block colours. It’s an inviting room perfect for relaxing in. SO
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PREFERRED SUPPLIERS: Vernacular Homes 01233 861177 vernacularhomes.com Woodwork THF Ltd 01892 871318 wwthf.co.uk Crabtree Designs 07789 863 488 crabtreedesigns.co.uk
F R Ca E E ll c o now ns f u l or ta a tio n
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Classic Interior Design & Decoration
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■ KAREN JACKSON INTERIORS ■
WE OFFER A COMPLETE AND PERSONAL INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE Please call for an informal discussion about your requirements Tel/Fax: 01892 618 619
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“THERE WERE ONE OR TWO TIGHT PATCHES, A THREE MONTH PERIOD WHEN THINGS WERE VERY DARK” december 2009
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PROPERTY PRICES BOUNCE BACK words Richard Moore
House values in Tunbridge Wells are set to return to the pre-recession highs of 2007 according to John Elliott. And he should know. He’s Managing Director of Millwood Designer Homes, one of the leading house builders in the region.
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ohn Elliott is a self made man. He was born on a council estate in the St Paul’s Cray part of Orpington and in 1975 found himself looking for a job when the property company he was working for ran into trouble. He had £2,000 in the bank and a determination to succeed in life. It was not a fortune but enough to enable him to build a pair of semi-detached houses in Millwood Road, Orpington. Today the father of four is settling in to his new family home at Frant on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells. It’s worth up to £10million and, of course, was built by the Tonbridge based company named after those semis, Millwood Designer Homes. Few people know the property market in the south-east as well as Managing Director John
Elliott (60) and his brother Jeff Elliott (55) Deputy Managing Director. The pair are sole share holders of Millwood, set up in 1992, which has a reputation for high end properties but actually builds across the market range. “We’ve sold one bed apartments in Thanet for £150,000 and detached houses in Langton Green, with all the bells and whistles, for £2.5million,” explains John as he talks to us in the oak panelled study of his new home. The oak panelling alone in the six bed property cost £600,000; he stresses the fact it all comes from sustainable sources i.e. managed forests. We’re here to talk about the recession, its impact on the housing market and where it’s heading… things that touch all of our lives! “I’ve been through three previous recessions in ‘75, ’81, 89-92,” he recalls, “and this is the worst by far, really nasty. It’s also different in as much as this has been caused by the banks themselves, their involvement in loans, and not by any housing market overheating.” John Elliot is unhappy with the banks. He’s also “angry” with the media both print and broadcast. He believes they only report bad news and are responsible for talking down the market. “They failed to make it clear to the public at large that the 20% plus quoted reductions in values are predictions from the economists from the absolute peak to the absolute trough. “They appear to be content to let the public believe that house values have continually fallen since the recession began. The net reduction in values in our region at the present time is more like 12-15% from peak and it is important that this news is conveyed properly to the buying public. ➢
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“During the worst period of this market we could market new homes at their current value i.e. after reducing by the relevant percentage from peak. However, it didn’t matter what the asking price was since the public interpreted the media reporting as meaning 20% from current values and so made their offers based on that erroneous information.” He says the housing market has “been hammered”, which prompts us to ask how bad it’s been at Millwood. He pauses and then rattles off the figures. ■ At its peak the company was turning over £40million, that’s down £10million. ■ It was building 140 homes a year; that’s down to the 60 mark for the current year. ■ It employed 75 people; that’s been cut to 35. “That was the hardest thing, letting people go,” he recalls. “Your heart tells you to keep all the staff, keep everyone, but your business head tells you if reductions are not made the company will suffer in the long term.” But what about the two brothers who own the company? Both, we learn, have taken pay cuts – “a two thirds reduction in our income.”
How close then did Millwood come to the edge? “There were one or two tight patches, a three month period when things were very dark,” admits John Elliott. “Buyers just disappeared, deals fell through, people started to panic and we got a self-propelling downwards spiral. “But at no point did I think Millwood would not make it. And we did make it through, thanks to good solid management. “We didn’t breach one bank loan covenant, not one and we completed building at all the sites where we were working. Not one property was left unfinished. “You just can’t suddenly turn off the taps in this business. It can take two or three years from buying a site to selling homes. “Prices though were plummeting, land was 50% over valued but still we sold homes. We were not precious on our prices. If Mrs Jones came along and had hard cash we sold to her.”
Does this mean some people picked up bargains?
Photography: Mark Turnbull
“One Tunbridge Wells property sold for just over £2million when it should have been closer to £2.5million but they had the cash and could move fast.”
If all this portrays John Elliott as a ‘gloom and doom’ merchant, he is not. Far from it. “There’s no doubt we are through the recession,” he declares. “Some say there’ll be another dip, what they’re calling a ‘W’ dip, but it’s difficult to see that happening in the light of current evidence. If there is a further dip it might take the form of a small slow down in the Spring.”
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His rationale is simple. “There’s a chronic under supply of homes at all levels. The Government says we should be building 240,000 new units a year to meet demand. Last year it was closer to 60,000. “Today you can buy new or older homes in this region and know with certainty that they will go up in value. We will see, in the next few years, a return to the pricing levels that we had in 2007 prior to the recession.” During our chat it becomes clear that John Elliot, who works a 55 hour week, would rather not be labelled a property developer. In fact he “hates” being called a “developer.” “A developer acquires land, hires an architect to design homes then brings in a building contractor to build them. He’s a facilitator. “We are house builders. We buy a site, our raw material so to speak, then our own people design the homes, build them and sell them… just like any other manufacturer of a product.” One “product” we have not touched on is the new home that he shares with his wife Gill, daughters Becky (20), Samantha (22) and Carrie (24), plus Ben the labrador. His son Richard (31) has his own home. Set in 56 acres it has an indoor pool that would not disgrace the local council and a tennis court most pros would die for. So, what is this house? His very own dream home? A showhouse for his company? Or simply a tribute to Millwood Home Designs which has won a raft of top awards for its work. “I suppose it’s all of those things,” says the man whose hobby involves a 76 foot motor cruiser berthed in Spain. “It does, though, epitomise Millwood at its very best.” Which suggests that Millwood Designer Homes is a quite exceptional builder. But we’ll let you make up your own mind on that one. Next month we’ll take you on an exclusive guided tour of the place. Prepare to be impressed! SO
mdh.uk.com
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THE GALLERY
on this page: Loving you by Robina Yasmin (oil on canvas) 70 x 100cm £2,250 Compton Avenue by Shaun Ferguson (acrylic on board) 41 x 30cm £1,800 Pool 4 by Nicholas Archer (oil on black sandpaper) 35 x 39cm £650
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on this page: The Dress by Dorion Scott (oil on panel) 152 x 91cm £3,300 Floating by Elaine Jones (oil on canvas) 100 x 120cm £2,000 Houses and Wellies by Ciara Healy (gouache on paper) 40 x 63cm £560 Perchance to Dream 2 by Helen Sinclair (bronze) 152cm £11,200 All works featured can be viewed at the Fairfax Gallery Christmas exhibition which runs until January 15 2010. Fairfax Gallery, 23 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells. 01892 525525 fairfaxgallery.com D E C E MJBUENRE 2 0 0 9
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Change a r t & A nti q u e s
time for
JAMES BRAXTON IS FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE FINE AUCTION GROUP DREWEATTS AND ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN ANTIQUE FACES ON TV. HE HAS HIS OWN VIEWS OF CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
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ewellery for women and socks for men are supposed to be the traditional presents at Christmas. But like fashion, traditions change and men are more likely to want the latest offering from Apple, a watch or another luxury good. Not that many men ever wanted socks in the first place! Where we buy presents is also changing. If you walk into Aspreys in Bond Street and buy a leather-cased travel backgammon set it will cost you over a £1,000. Walk into an antique centre or auction room looking for a backgammon set and you may not find one, but you will see something as good if not better because many antiques were the luxury goods of yesterday. And those luxury goods have lasted because it’s the quality of materials used and the fitness of design that improve a good’s life. Items made of plastic and glass are more likely to be thrown away, where as the silver propelling pencil is rarely thrown, and more likely to be re-sold. The humble saucepan is a good example. One of copper stamped from Harrods is more likely to be saved than the anodised aluminium pan stamped Greg Wallace, all hail to Masterchef’s great pudding taster. ‘A lovely plate of food,’ maybe a catchphrase for the next five years, but in the passing of time the saucepan will be appraised on material and design, long after the promotional packaging has been discarded. The Harrods’ copper pan will have both the reassurance of name and material whereas the anodised aluminium pans only chance of longevity is it’s promotional packaging. SO
A selection of luxury goods are actually on offer at our December 15 sale. See dnfa.com
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Fresh Local Free Range Turkeys English Christmas Gammon English Free Range Pork, Chicken and Beef Festive Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Seasonal Game Available
Xmas orders now being taken
Wine Tasting Evenings Wine and food matching evening hosted by the Wine-maker
Wednesday 2nd December 2009 @ 7pm £15 per person Festive Wine Tasting
Tuesday 8th December 2009 @ 7 pm £15 per person *Booking is essential *Both Evenings include a cold buffet
Christmas Gift Weekend
Friday 4th to Sunday 6th December from 10am to 5pm Free Wine Tastings and Refreshments available.
Carr Taylor Vineyards, Westfield, Nr Hastings, TN35 4SG
Ashford Road, St. Michaels, Tenterden
01580 762579
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Tel: 01424 752501 Email: sales@carr-taylor.co.uk
www.carr-taylor.co.uk
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AWAY WITH WINES
DOWN THE ROAD IN WESTFIELD YOU CAN FIND CARR TAYLOR WINES… ONE OF THE LARGEST, MOST SUCCESSFUL VINEYARDS IN THE COUNTRY. IT ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF VISITORS, HAS WON PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS AND IS RUN BY HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM DAVID AND LINDA CARR TAYLOR WHO TAKE TIME OUT TO TALK TO US
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HOW DID YOU COME TO SET UP A VINEYARD IN THE HEART OF EAST SUSSEX? We acquired the site and the various farm buildings in 1969 and, after a lot of consideration, decided that planting a vineyard would certainly be a great deal more fun than garlic or roses. We planted the 21 acre farm site with vines in 1971, converted part of the farm buildings into a house and the rest eventually became the winery, shop and bonded warehouse. In 1990 another 16 acres were planted.
WHAT ARE YOUR BETTER KNOWN WINES? We’re probably best known for our Méthode Champenoise Sparkling wines and were the first vineyard in England to produce these commercially. We’ve won many awards both nationally and internationally for our Sparkling Wines over the past 20 years. This year, for instance, we were awarded Bronze Medal in The Challenge International du Vin in France for our Brut Sparkling Wine.
AND THE AWARDS YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF? Out of more than 130 awards we’re most proud of winning two Gold Medals in France. In 1988, the first year’s production of sparkling wine, the Vintage Sparkling Wine was awarded a Gold Medal at the prestigious Concours National des Grands Vins de France beating 1,800 traditional method wines from around the world. Then in 1999 the Vintage Sparkling was awarded Gold in The Challenge International du Vin, this time out of 4,300 entrants!
David and Linda Carr Taylor with Alex their son and winemaker
JUST HOW VULNERABLE IS YOUR BUSINESS TO OUR WEATHER? After 37 years of producing wine we have never had a crop failure. However, over the last two years crop production has been a lot smaller than usual because of too much rain during the flowering period in June and also having a very wet July. So much for global warming! The vineyard itself is well sheltered by surrounding hedges and trees along with windbreaks which all help in creating a warmer vineyard climate.
HOW MUCH OF YOUR WINE IS SOLD LOCALLY? We have about 20,000 visitors to the vineyard each year and about 70% of our wine is sold from the vineyard shop. Most of the rest goes to pubs, restaurants, farm shops locally and is also available on-line.
HOW COMPETITIVELY PRICED IS YOUR WINE? Very! For example our Brut Sparkling Wine, the one awarded the Bronze Medal in France this year, is only £11.95 a bottle.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE ENGLISH VINEYARDS? Winemaking is now considered main stream agriculture in the UK and also many people are now looking to buy local produce.
REMEMBER: Every £10 spent supporting an independent outlet is worth £25 to the local economy which helps keep our towns and villages alive.
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MAKING A MEAL YULE WORDS RICHARD MOORE
FOOD COMES TO THE FORE THIS MONTH AS WE FOCUS ON WHAT TO SERVE FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER… ONE OF THE BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT MEALS OF THE YEAR. SO, WE ASK TOP LOCAL CHEFS FOR THE INSIDE TRACK ON HOW TO MAKE IT A TRULY MEMORABLE EVENT.
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usiest people in town right now are restaurant chefs producing countless thousands of Christmas meals which, it’s fair to say, makes them experts on delivering culinary yuletide delights. What better people, then, to ask about those little tricks of the trade that will help us ensure our Christmas Day sit-down becomes a meal to remember. Here are just a taste of their tips.
KICK THE DOG AND CHILDREN OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND CLEAR AWAY CLUTTER. COOK ONLY WHAT YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LIKE AND EAT. IF THINGS TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED, DON’T PANIC – DRINK MORE WINE. PREPARE AND COOK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE THE DAY BEFORE. SERVE CANAPÉS TO YOUR GUESTS INSTEAD OF A STARTER. TRY ROAST TURDUCKEN, A TURKEY STUFFED WITH A DUCK AND A CHICKEN. DEGLAZE THE COOKING TRAY WITH SHERRY AND USE AS A STOCK. COOK TURKEY LEGS AND BREAST SEPARATELY SO THEY DON’T DRY OUT. CRUMBLE CHRISTMAS PUDDING INTO GRAVY TO MAKE A RICH FRUITY SAUCE. AND IF YOU’RE DOING THE COOKING – LET OTHERS DO THE WASHING UP!
While we had the attention of our noble band of culinary knights we thought we’d turn the tables on them and ask about their own Christmas fare likes and dislikes. We posed the question: If someone else was cooking for you on the big day, what would be your dream Christmas dinner? The answers will surprise you. Their starters cover everything from Whitstable Native oysters to rose of slow oak smoked organic salmon and scallops with Tahiti vanilla and cauliflower puree plus winter truffles. For mains, there’s roast fore rib of Sussex Red beef, slow roast belly of pork with cobnut stuffing and beef Wellington with wild mushroom jus. And for desserts, how about melting chocolate pudding with candied Clementine and Cointreau cream or citron panna cotta with homemade almond biscuits. For the full low down on how to ensure the perfect meal, read on… ➢ DECEMBER 2009
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Anderida Restaurant Awards: Two AA Rosettes Location: Ashdown Park Hotel and Country Club,
Wych Cross, nr Forest Row Web: ashdownpark.com Name: Roger John Gadsden, Executive Head Chef What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
Starter, pan fried diver scallops with Tahiti vanilla and cauliflower puree plus winter truffles. The flavours go together like a perfect marriage. For mains it’s Mrs Chef’s roast rib of beef with Yorkshire pudding, roasted root vegetables and red wine gravy. My wife rolls the beef in chopped herbs, crushed garlic (loads) and grain mustard, then sears the meat and slowly cooks it basting it until it’s just medium. The dessert is tricky. Although I’m a trained pastry chef I don’t have a sweet tooth so I would go with fresh walnut bread, a very mature and creamy Colston Bassett Stilton, homemade chutney and a large glass of LBV Port. Perfect. And three tips to make it a memorable meal?:
1) Ensure plenty of time beforehand to prepare the meal. If you have all your mise en place done then you will not have to run around on the day. Prepare the vegetables the day before, make the stuffing, perhaps even cook the meat to slice and re-heat on the day in rich homemade gravy. 2) Only cook what you know everyone is going to eat and like. There’s no point making loads of different dishes that your guests (especially children) will turn their noses up at. All your effort and time will be wasted. And remember Christmas Day is a time for families. In my house it’s about getting together to enjoy each other’s company. 3) Relax, enjoy the day and best of all, if you cooked you do not have to wash up!
The Beacon Location: Tea Garden Lane, Tunbridge Wells Web: the-beacon.co.uk Name: Scott Mckenzie, Head Chef What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
No starters because I want more room for my main course which would be roast beef, roast lamb, Yorkshire puds, stuffing, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and a selection of veg. Anything other than turkey, as by Christmas day I have seen enough turkey to last me until next Christmas! Pudding has to be a selection of good quality cheeses washed down with a nicely aged port. And three tips to make it a memorable meal?:
1) If you have any Christmas pudding left over, crumble it into some gravy. This makes a really nice rich fruity sauce that goes well with duck or pork. You may have to add a pinch of sugar or dash of port according to your taste. 2) Think about your oven space, always ensure you leave a sufficient amount of time to cook your vegetables and potatoes as your turkey or joint may may take up your whole oven. 3) Why not part boil your potatoes and veg the night before as it will give you more time to enjoy Christmas day with your family and friends.
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Sankey’s Seafood Brasserie & Oyster Bar Location: Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells Web: sankeys.co.uk Name: Matthew Sankey What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
For starters it’s got to be oysters, lots of them, washed down with nice bubbly. I’m not a big fan of turkey, too dry. If we were to go down a roasted route it would be leg of lamb stuffed with garlic and rosemary, served with proper roast spuds and some garlic flageolet beans (a bit of chilli jam from the farmers’ market is spectacular with these). Never been a big sweets fan, but I won’t pass on a crème brûlée. You can keep your Christmas pudding on the shelf or wherever it’s been since you bought it in August from the supermarket. Finally, a good cheese selection, plenty of stilton and some of the gooiest, smelliest cheese you can possibly find on that trip to the hypermarche in Calais. Plenty of port to go with it plus good company and someone else to clear up. And three tips to make it a meal to remember?
1) Forget the Turkey. 2) Don’t buy or bring cheap wine! 3) Get everyone involved. Christmas lunches with family have always been about everyone digging in. Auntie Pinky cooks the roast, Cousin Sebbie makes a cracking salad dressing, Dad and I open as many oysters as we can, while Adam and Alex see how many of those little French lagers they can drink before the meal. Everyone brings something to the table. It’s great fun and you end up with far too much food, but somehow it all disappears. It’s a great way of spreading the workload and costs.
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ONE Restaurant Awards: AA Rosette Location: Nr The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells Web: thebrewhousehotel.com Name: Andrew Giles, Head Chef What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
When it comes to Christmas I’m a real traditionalist. Every year about 15 of my family get round the table and I wouldn’t change it. I do a lot of the kitchen prep, especially the meat, and my mum does the cooking. You just can’t beat your mum’s cooking. To start we have smoked salmon stuffed with cream cheese and herbs, followed by full roast turkey with all the trimmings. This always comes with loads of vegetables, stuffing, potatoes and gravy. For dessert it’s homemade Christmas pudding, courtesy of mum, with plenty of brandy sauce. Even though I’ve prepared around 2,000 dinners in the lead up to Christmas, I still love having that traditional turkey. It’s the one meal that always reminds you of your childhood, at home with your family. Christmas just isn’t Christmas without a turkey! And three tips to make it a memorable meal?:
1) The best tip is preparation. Get everything ready the day before. Peel potatoes, cut vegetables and soak them in water overnight. Also tray-up your meat so that on the day itself all you need to do is cook. 2) Get the best meat you can; you can tell the difference between high quality and low quality meat. I always cook the breasts and legs separately so I can make sure both are cooked correctly, without getting dried out. If the legs get done sooner, whip them out and cook the crown until perfect. 3) Finally, don’t rush the cooking. If things take longer than you plan, don’t panic, just have another glass of wine and slow it all down. It’s better to wait for a nicer meal.
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We’re the only place in Kent to offer the authentic Flamigni Pannetone, from the finest pannetone producer in Italy. It’s a delicious and lighter alternative to Christmas cake. Also available are specialist Christmas hampers full of wine, biscuits, chocolates and olive oil.
1 Chapel Place, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1YQ www.artebianca.co.uk tel: 01892 510554
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The George & Dragon Awards: Michelin Guide Entry, Alastair Sawday’s
Local,Organic Seasonal Award 2007 Location: Speldhurst Web: speldhurst.com Name: David Friend, Chef What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
A couple of dozen Whitstable native oysters with a glass of Lewes finest Nyetimber Blanc de Blanc – creamy, irony and salty, a great start. Mains, roast fore rib of Sussex Red beef. Make sure it is aged at least 34 days. It may be big and pricey but it’s Christmas and it’s really delicious. For desserts, melting chocolate pudding with candied clementine and Cointreau cream – a real crowd pleaser. Dark rich chocolate with cool boozy cream. Yum yum. And three tips to make it a meal to remember?
1) Preparation, preparation preparation – do as much in advance as possible such as making the cranberry sauce and bread sauce, etc, so on the day you have more time to spend with your family and friends. 2) Go for a cold starter – today is not the day to attempt a cheese soufflé for the first time. 3) Don’t forget to turn the oven on! (Trust me it’s easily done.)
Newick Park Hotel & Country Estate Awards: Three Red Stars and Three AA Rosettes Location: Newick, near Ashdown Forest Web: newickpark.co.uk Name: Chris Moore, Chef What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
Simple traditional dishes cooked well. There can be too many frills with a Christmas Day luncheon but it’s all about quality, not quantity. Save your pennies by not doing all the trimmings and pay a little more on good quality produce. Try starting with sauté diver scallops followed by roast loin of venison with seasonal vegetables and a venison jus plus a Christmas pudding with brandy sauce to round it off. And three tips to make it a meal to remember?
1) Try and prepare as much as possible the day before so you get to enjoy the day and not spend all your time in the kitchen. 2) Choose a menu that doesn’t require too much work on the day. 3) Serve canapés to your guests instead of a starter.
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Montrose Location: Southborough Common,
Tunbridge Wells Web: montroserestaurant.co.uk Name: Richard Hards, Chef/Co-proprietor What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
Rose of slow oak smoked organic salmon, freshly baked brown bread buttered with proper butter, a wedge of lemon and creamed horseradish. A simple but decadent starter, keeping away from anything meaty or filling (the turkey’s job). Salmon is smooth in texture with a light delicate flavour. With a squeeze of lemon “mmm heaven”. Roast turducken, honey roast parsnips, goose fat roasted potatoes, thyme steamed chantenay carrots, brussels sprouts fried with crispy pancetta (the only way to enjoy the dreaded things) silver skin onions and whole grain mustard sherry turducken jus. Turdurken, a portmanteau name for turkey stuffed with a duck and a chicken, is an amazing piece of meat. The duck flavours and keeps the turkey moist, and when carved presents a mosaic. Once it’s cooked deglaze the tray with sherry and use this as stock. Then steamed Christmas plum pudding with a sixpence and brandy butter; the only way to finish Christmas dinner. And three tips to make it a memorable meal?
1) Ensure you’re ready and prepared. Kick the dog and children out of the kitchen, tidy away unnecessary clutter, gather all your ingredients and if using recipes read three or four times and during cooking. Work clean and tidy, a messy kitchen is asking for trouble 2) Relax, breath and enjoy. Don’t rush, take one thing at a time, remember how long things take to prepare and cook and don’t leave the turkey until last. Have a glass of wine, listen to some music. 3) Get someone else to do the washing up; you’ve probably done enough for one day.
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Bistro du Vin
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Location: Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells
The Black Pig Pub and Dining Room
Web: hotelduvin.com/tunbridge_wells/
Location: Grove Hill Road, Tunbridge Wells
Name: Craig Wales, Senior Sous Chef
Web: theblackpig.net
What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
Name: Graham Overall, Head Chef
To start I would have a lobster cocktail. It’s a little bit more special than your common prawn equivalent, perfect for Christmas day; elegant, impressive and a delightful starter. The main course would be beef wellington with a wild mushroom jus. In this business I have seen enough turkey leading up to the day to last me a lifetime and beef is a nice change for my perfect Christmas meal; it’s a classic party dish and so ideal for the ultimate Christmas gathering with the family. To finish it all off it has to be a good old traditional Christmas pudding with brandy butter/ sauce. You only get to eat it once a year, so it’s worth the wait.
What’s your dream Christmas dinner?:
And three tips to make it a meal to remember?
1) Be organised – this is essential. Preparation before the day and on the day is key to a stress-free meal. It also ensures everything goes smoothly and to plan.
For openers, just having someone cook for me would be a dream Christmas. Scallops for a starter; they might not be that Christmassy but the cold winter seas produce the sweetest and best scallops. Seasonally they are at their peak. Mains, I’m not that keen on turkey (why do you think we only eat it once a year?). Slow roast belly of pork with cobnut stuffing and loads of crispy crackling is my favourite. For dessert, something lovely but not too heavy, probably citron panna cotta with homemade almond biscuits, plus something in heels in my stocking, if I’m very lucky. And three tips to make it a meal to remember?
1) Get your prep sorted. You don’t want to be outside Sainsbury’s on Christmas morning looking for the Paxo. 2) Duck fat roast potatoes, parboiled and shaken in seasoned flour, to get that extra crisp finish to a roast spud. 3) Use organic local pork. If the meat starts off tasting good then the chances of it finishing off great, are better. And that goes for most things. Buy local. Buy seasonal. Buy organic. Buy known provenance.
2) Presentation – after all that preparation and hard work in the kitchen you have to make it look the masterpiece. Hours of work can’t just be put on a plate; it needs to look its best to finish off the meal of the year. 3) Finally, the timings! These are everything! This goes hand in hand with organisation, plan each dish/ course/veg to the minute.
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ALWAYS A PROBLEM – WHAT WINES TO OFFER GUESTS ON CHRISTMAS DAY. EXACTLY WHAT GOES WITH WHAT? WE ASK SOMEONE WHO SHOULD KNOW: AMY GLEADOW, MAÎTRE DE MAISON AT GRAVETYE MANOR, NEAR SHARPTHORNE, WHICH HAS ONE OF THE MOST EXTENSIVE WINE LISTS IN THE BRITISH COUNTRYSIDE WITH A CHOICE FROM MORE THAN 500 BINS
Dine for Wines to
FOR FRIENDS WHO POP BY BEFORE LUNCH…
Ripples of smoked salmon on freshly baked brown bread with lemon juice and cracked black pepper accompanied by a cool crisp glass of champagne. Billecart Salmon NV is superb for this occasion with its crisp fresh nose and creamy finish complementing the silkily smoked flavours of the salmon.
FOR CHRISTMAS LUNCH ITSELF… Sumptuous roasted goose with a thyme and honey glaze stuffed with prune and chestnuts is a wonderful excuse to enjoy a truly opulent wine. I would recommend an old Bordeaux or perhaps even a Barolo. Big, jammy wines do not tend to work in spite of the fruit and honey within the dish, so with this in mind, two of my favourites would be Chateau Leoville-Barton 1988 and Barolo Vigna dei Pola 2003, Ascheri. The Chateau Leoville-Barton 88’ has a wonderfully evocative traditional nose of cedar, blackcurrant and leather with excellent supporting acidity and great length to the finish. Perfect for balancing out the fats in the goose while not overwhelming its delicate taste. With rich bramble and cherry notes the Barolo Vigna dei Pola 2003 is definitely less ‘earthy’ than the Leoville-Barton although the leather and firm tannins on the finish are very similar characteristics. Ascheri describes this as an ‘austere’ wine and I’d have to agree. Of course, no Christmas lunch is complete without Christmas pudding, brandy butter and a really sticky wine! Two slightly unusual wines are Stanton and Killeen Rutherglen Liqueur Muscat and Pedro Ximenez Extra Rich NV, Barbadillo. Rutherglen in Victoria is the source of Australia’s unique Liqueur Muscat. Made by the Solera system (like Madeira and Sherry) the wine is of extraordinary depth and interest; unctuous and complex all at once. This wine has many virtues and uses and is also lovely for sipping after dinner. The Pedro Ximenez grapes are dried on mats in the sun for up to two weeks to concentrate the sugar levels and are then seasoned in oak casks for almost 20 years. Resulting in an extremely rich raisin flavour it’s persistent and long on the palate.
FOR EARLY EVENING IN FRONT OF THE FIRE… Having been convinced that I’m unlikely to be able to eat again until Easter I am usually tempted by a mince pie and a roasted chestnut in the early evening. Curled up on a big comfy sofa with a glass of rich spicy Shiraz it makes for a perfect end to the perfect day. With so many delicious New World Shiraz wines to choose from I would strongly recommend St Hallett “Old Block” 2005 from the Barossa Valley in Australia as one not to be overlooked. Powerful pungent aromas of coffee and dark chocolate, entwined with soft, underlying sweet milk chocolate shows a restrained elegance and persistence with textured, seamless tannins. Whatever you decide – enjoy. SO
gravetyemanor.co.uk
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ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS
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It’s
PARTY TIME
THINGS GET REALLY INTERESTING THIS TIME OF YEAR FOR THOSE WHO PLAN CELEBRITY PARTIES, PEOPLE LIKE NATHAN HOMAN. WE ASK THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EVENTS COMPANY, THE ROUGE PARTNERSHIP, TO TAKE US ALONG THE RED CARPET FOR A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES AT SOME OF THE STAR GATHERINGS HE’S ORGANISED
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ou may recall reading about British interior designer Nicky Haslam’s birthday party, branded “party of the decade” by the Telegraph and “the best party anyone can remember in years” by Tatler. But did you ever consider the organisation and happenings that go on behind the glitz? While all the guests were enjoying themselves, we not only had to ensure media exclusivity for Vanity magazine, but also the security of the high profile guests which included a host of Hollywood celebrities, a US Ambassador and several major Royals. The location was Parkstead House in Roehampton and, while it’s a gorgeous setting overlooking Richmond Park, it’s not the safest of London neighbourhoods! ➢
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In addition, we were only given a few days’ notice of the Royal attendees which, although standard practice, means rapid planning is required. Quite literally 1,000 of the great and the good were invited, with strict instructions in advance that no unexpected guests would be allowed entry. Needless to say this didn’t stop quite a few guests trying to get their entourages in as well. Handling this firmly but diplomatically is one of the many challenges of my job. The press conference that was held when film legend Elizabeth Taylor marked her first visit to London in many, many years was not only insane but a media scrum. Ms Taylor had chosen the Dorchester Hotel to speak to the press as she had previously lived there with Richard Burton. I quite literally had to link arms with staff from the hotel to provide her with a safe route into the hotel. Once the press conference was over, Ms Taylor surprised hotel staff by asking if she could take afternoon tea in her old suite, which was fortunately unoccupied, with her former maid who had since become head housekeeper. The two of them then went off together to reminisce about times past. A really touching reunion to witness and I am sure the highlight of the head housekeeper’s career.
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Talking of touching, at a state banquet in his honour, I was delighted to note that after lunch President of South Africa Nelson Mandela (who was staying at the Dorchester) wanted to spend time personally thanking his chambermaid, rather than the general manager. Being behind the scenes means you often see things no one else ever does. Take, for example, the time I watched Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell receive an award only to be practically knocked unconscious a few moments later by a waiter, as he came through a kitchen service door the wrong way. It also means you get all the awkward jobs, like having to explain to one Royal prince, very politely, that it really was time to let the band go home after a high society wedding. On a personal level I have endured a few odd experiences myself, such as being thrown in the pool by the lead singer of a world famous rock band after successfully organising his very special day. Another time I nearly jumped out of my skin as Sylvester Stallone came up behind me around the back of an event, asking for a light for his cigar... he’s a big guy. But surely seeing Princess Diana bring a packed reception room to a halt with a stunning sari outfit at the Imran Khan Foundation fundraiser will stay with me for a very long time. SO
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THE GREAT C L LOTUS HAS HIGH HOPES FOR THE EVORA AS IT LOOKS TO UNSETTLE THE BIG PLAYERS IN THE SPORTS COUPE MARKET WORDS NICK MOORE
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otus has always been able to deliver driving enjoyment as well as anybody else, though recently this has taken the form of the fun and sure-footed Elise along with the ludicrously sharp Exige. But what if you’re after something a bit more mature? What if you’re after a car that maintains those stunning driving credentials, while looking just as at home outside the Dorchester as it does on the Nürburgring? Well Lotus believe they have the solution. Meet the Evora, a car which the British firm hopes will project Lotus into the mainstream sportscar market, where quality and image are just as important as handling and performance. Should the likes of Porsche and Audi be concerned? Well, let’s think about that for a minute or two. There are plenty of car manufacturers that would kill for a little bit of what Lotus has. The Norfolk-based company oozes credibility with their sportscars beloved of enthusiasts and, in this era of spiralling fuel costs and environmental pressures, its philosophy of performance through feather-weight design seems as prophetic as ever. Realising this potential fully has been the problem for Lotus, but we could be seeing the beginnings of a more concerted effort to challenge the big players in the performance car market with the Evora. The Evora’s debut at the British International Motorshow last year came a full 13 years after Lotus unveiled its previous all new car. That was the iconic Elise that spawned Exige, Europa and 11 models in the intervening years, all sharing the same basic underpinnings.
MOTORS
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T CONTENDER The Evora, however, is original from the ground up. It’s a highly significant car also because it sets out to broaden the appeal of the Lotus brand. With its upmarket interior and 2+2 layout, the Evora is targeting the customers who would otherwise have turned to leading sports coupés like the Porsche Cayman and Audi TTS. It’s a very different market from the track-day regulars and driving enthusiasts, who would opt for the hardcore Elise or harder-core Exige. Like the Elise, the Evora relies on Toyota for the contents of its engine bay, a 3.5-litre V6 that has previously seen service in the Lexus RX350 luxury 4x4. It’s not the kind of engine you’d instantly associate with Lotus but the 276bhp unit has been thoroughly revised to give it the edge that Evora customers will be looking for. The maximum power output arrives at 6,400rpm catapulting the Evora to 60mph in less than five seconds. The six-speed manual gearbox also comes courtesy of Toyota and the braking and suspension systems draw on the know-how of some of the biggest names in motorsport. The Evora sits on purpose-designed Yokohama tyres that are supported by a special ABS and traction control system that allows the Evora’s performance capabilities to shine through without intervening too early. But it’s the handling that really impresses us. ➢
“THE CAR WE BORROWED COMES IN AT £60K ALTHOUGH IT DOES INCLUDE MORE EXTRAS THAN A REMAKE OF BEN HUR”
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You can throw the Evora into corners and it’ll conquer them like it’s on rails and, unlike some cars in this class, you don’t need to be Jensen Button to be able to get the most out of the vehicle. In terms of curb appeal, the Lotus team has achieved an elegantly proportioned car that lacks the curvy aggression of the Elise but still manages to look stylish and purposeful. The car’s wheelbase is only 275mm longer (about a foot) than the Elise but it manages to cram in its V6 engine along with rear seats that, Lotus insists, are large enough for passengers of up to five feet in height. There’s also a 160-litre boot that’s said to be capable of carrying a set of golf clubs, not that we had the time or weather to find out! Stepping into the machine, one is instantly aware that the minimalist aspect of Elise’s life has been banished. It’s amazing what a little leather and carpet, and a splash of sound-deadening material, will do for perception. Along with the cabin’s extra width, which allows your shoulders to be on less intimate terms with your front-seat passenger, bigger doors mean you no longer require the skills of a contortionist to get in or out. This instantly makes the Evora a car more suitable than the Elise for daily use. How much does all this cost, I hear you ask? Well, the Evora starts at £49,875, however, the one we borrowed comes in just north of £60K although it does include more extras than a remake of Ben Hur, and with running and servicing costs at a fraction of its nearest rivals this car suddenly becomes even more attractive. So, can the Lotus Evora really compete with the big boys? We believe it can and that’s a view shared by Autocar magazine which has awarded it the title of ‘Britain’s Best Driver’s Car’. Other manufacturers in the running included Aston Martin, Nissan, Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini and Jaguar. However, if you want to own a little piece of motoring history you’d better get your name down early. Lotus will only be releasing 2,000 Evoras every year. SO
MOTORS
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FACTS AT A GLANCE: PRICE: From £49,875 WEIGHT: 1,350kg ENGINE: 3.5-litre V6 TOP SPEED: 159mph 0-62MPH: 4.9 seconds
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Promotional Feature
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IT’S NEVER TOO LATe
to Learn
Each year thousands of people across the county sign up for courses with Kent Adult Education. For many it’s a life-changing decision and a chance to meet new people and learn new skills
F
rom tai chi to theatre design, spreadsheets to sculpture, Portuguese to painting, Kent Adult Education offers it all. Whether you’re driven by a desire for selffulfilment or are keen to improve your employment opportunities, there’s something at one of their centres to suit you. Perhaps you’ve developed a deep-rooted passion for a particular subject or maybe you’re looking for new friendships or are keen to join social networks. If that’s the case you could become part of a group of enthusiastic learners who are remarkable for their energy, commitment, talent and determination to succeed. Whatever you’re looking for, Kent Adult Education programmes can provide you with the right opportunities and now is the time to think about what new things you’d like to learn in 2010 or which of your talents you’d like to develop. They’re offering a wide variety of long and short courses and tasters that will help you learn new skills, improve old ones, inspire you to take up a new hobby or follow the career of your dreams. There are plenty of options to suit everyone no matter how much time you have to spare or where you live. Take Elaine Grayling for example. Earlier this year she took ‘creative’ advantage of her employer’s Personal Development support package. As a primary school Teaching Assistant, she was awarded £200 to spend on her personal development. “It could be anything for my own development,” she says, “so I decided to spend it on a creative course with Kent Adult Education.” Elaine relished the opportunity to “do something creative” after spending busy mornings in the classroom. There are a whole range of creative courses running in Tunbridge Wells next year including beading, sculpture, botanical drawing, craft summer schools and hand knitting. ➢ December 2009
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“KENT ADULT EDUCATION ENCOURAGES THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EVERY YEAR, WHATEVER THEIR AGE OR BACKGROUND, TO GIVE LEARNING A GO.”
Those who prefer the outdoors and still want to be creative can join the ever-growing number of gardeners and “grow your own” on one of the many gardening courses. You can learn how to tend beds and borders, grow fruit and vegetables and even make your own garden pond. A course with Kent Adult Education can certainly change your life. Perhaps you’re looking for a change of career or a promotion opportunity is on the horizon; maybe you want to develop yourself as a person, one of the most common reasons for taking a course. In 2010 Kent Adult Education is offering innovative courses and training opportunities to help you gain the skills you need for the job you want. Carlie Edwards is another good example. Finding herself with time on her hands after her little boy started school, Carlie decided she wanted to gain a qualification which would enable her to go back to work. Keen to learn more about the world of beauty, she enrolled first on a Nail Technology course, later progressing to a Beauty Specialist course. She was delighted the course ran during the day so she could attend while her son was at school. Carlie enjoyed meeting new people, making friends and having something constructive to do which was helping her to build a new future. If you’d like to develop your own opportunities you should take a look at the Kent Adult Education website which details self-development courses including, coaching and mentoring, counselling, accounting and first aid. Or maybe you’d like to be your own life coach. Kent Adult Education encourages thousands of people every year, whatever their age or background, to give learning a go; whether it’s catching up on skills missed out at school or getting a new job or promotion. Open to everyone, the service plays a vital role in widening access to lifelong learning opportunities in our community. Next year you can choose from a wide selection of subjects including a language programme with opportunities to learn Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian. There are bite-sized and taster courses so whether you’re a beginner or want to develop your fluency there’s a course for you. For those who want something more active why not try belly dancing or boxercise or join one of the many Walking Kent courses. You could even find yourself part of the ‘Strictly’ dance fever and try out some new dance moves! Or you could take it easier and relax on one of the popular tai chi courses or impress your friends with your newly learned yoga techniques. Why not make 2010 your time to learn something new! However you want to change your life you can create a new you at Kent Adult Education. Reaching learners across Kent and with over 4,000 courses there is sure to be something that will motivate you. SO
You can book your course online at kent.gov.uk/ adulted, call 0845 606 5606 or visit any one of the Kent Adult Education centres.
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LIFE &
Style
LIFE & STYLE
ROUND WOOD TRADING If you want to give big this Christmas, you might want to consider the Home and Garden Features on offer from the Mayfield company Round Wood Trading. Their statues are particularly eye-catching. Many are classically inspired, such as life size cast iron stags and bulls. Topping the food chain though, are the Mega Easter Island Heads at a whopping 2.05 metres (6.7 feet). Unlike those on Easter Island itself, which boast an average weight of almost 14 tonnes, these can be handled in to position. This has been achieved through casting and sculpting with a frost-proof, malleable stone and fibreglass composite that allows for a thick layer to be crafted around a hollow mould. This process retains both durability and that solid, authentic feel. Round Wood commissioned the exclusive Mega Statues following the success of the 126cm (49ins) model they developed in 2008. They succeed their
PALIO RESTAURANT Celebrations were the order of the day at the Palio restaurant in Tunbridge
HEARTSCREEN Early diagnosis and treatment of cardiac conditions can save lives which is why it makes sense to take advantage of health care programmes such as HeartScreen.
THE BEAUTY BOX Whether you want to top-up your ailing winter tan, or just fancy having a bit of a make-over for the party season, the place to be for cosmetic treatments is The Beauty Box. Since being opened by the Mayor Cllr Mike Rusbridge in May 2009, the team of seven has already picked up a loyal following of yummy mummies and metro-men who want to stay looking and feeling sharp. Based in Rusthall High Street, The Beauty Box accommodates all budgets; eyebrow waxes are £8 and Extreme Lashes extensions
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smaller brothers as the largest reproduction Easter Island Heads available anywhere in the world on a nonbespoke basis. Smaller versions are also on offer. Mega Heads are available in Basalt Black, Granite Grey and White Rock at £1,150 each. Delivery to SoTW readers throughout the month of December is free. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT ROUNDWOOD.COM OR CALL 01435 860 888.
Wells when customers joined staff in toasting the third anniversary of the opening of the Italian eaterie. Proprietor Renzo Meda and Manager Riccardo Bertoni moved to the premises in Grosvenor Road after 30 years running their highly successful restaurant at the Elephant and Castle in London. “Tunbridge Wells is much more relaxed and enjoyable which means you get to know your customers better,” explains Renzo. He says they pride themselves on offering “excellent wines and authentic Italian dishes prepared with quality ingredients from the best local suppliers.”
This is a new cardiac specific screening programme available through the West Kent Cardiology Partnership in Warwick Park, Tunbridge Wells, that gives a detailed assessment of every aspect of the heart’s function. Behind the partnership, set up in 2006, are Drs Clive Lawson and Derek Harrington, Consultant Cardiogolgists at the Kent and Sussex Hospital. Consultant Cardiologist Dr Vinay Bhatia also works at the Private Consulting Rooms. Dr Lawson tell us: “The screening takes just under two hours and includes a detailed medical examination and variety of cardiac investigations.
Renzo comes originally from the town of Asti which is in the Piedmont region of north-western Italy and home of the famous sparkling wine Asti Spumante. It’s also well known for a bare back horse race called the Palio di Asti – hence the name of the restaurant. Palio caters for customers across the board from business lunches to family dining and children are always welcome. Two course Christmas luncheons are £19.50 while in the evening the two course meal is £23.50. YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE FULL MENU AT PALIO-RESTAURANT.COM
“Patients leave with a detailed folder summarising their investigations and the current state of their heart. Recommendations and advice are given if abnormal results are detected.” People who would benefit from screening include current and past smokers, those with a family history of coronary disease, those with high cholesterol and those with a history of hypertension. HeartScreen normally costs £695 but is available at a special introductory offer of £550 until January. You can also buy HeartScreen vouchers to give as a Christmas gift. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WKCARDIOLOGY.CO.UK OR CALL 01892 526726.
cost £75. Proprietor Jane Preston tells us: “Eyelash extensions are really popular this time of year to keep the ladies looking stunning throughout the party season. Those feeling the toll of harsh winds and central heating on their skin can benefit from facial treatments from top brands such as Dermalogica and Dead Sea.” For Christmas ideas at this time of year The Beauty Box, where there’s free parking, offers vouchers for their facial masks, spray-tans, waxes, manicures and pedicures. FOR ALL THE DETAILS CALL: 01892 53510. DECEMBER 2009
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Secret TunbridgeWells
The Great Christmas Truce
Soldiers celebrate with hats from crackers while a sentry keeps watch with a mirror on his bayon et, 1914.
10TH FIELD AMBULANCE, IVTH DIVISION, B. EXPED. FORCE, 5.1.15
Dear Sir, …At present I am in charge of an advanced dressing station a mile behind the trenches, and as there is practically no fighting going on (just the usual “sniping” and big gun fire), I am having a pretty slack time. On several occasions we have been shelled out of our dressing stations, and on one occasion were subjected to an eight hours’ bombardment, with the place full of wounded – a somewhat trying experience. Christmas day, as everyone now knows was a day of peace, and, with others, I had the rather strange experience of going out between the trenches and chatting, or rather gesticulating, with the enemy in front of their trench, and exchanging cigarettes, etc. The weather is atrocious, and it is mud everywhere, but I am looking forward to eight days’ leave in February, so will not grouse till after that is over. Yours etc.,
OWEN HAIRSINE,
Lieut., R.A.M,C.
WORDS DAN SMITH
ONCE MORE INTO THE ARCHIVES, AS THIS MONTH WE UNCOVER A FESTIVE SECRET LINKING SKINNERS’ SCHOOL, WW1 AND THE GREAT CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914. IT’S AN INCREDIBLY INSPIRING, ALMOST FORGOTTEN, TALE FROM OUR PAST
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he Skinners’ School in Tunbridge Wells has a long and impressive history of giving. These days it’s involved in annual World Challenge expeditions that send pupils to developing countries to help with aid work and conservation and, of course, to learn about foreign cultures. The other day, something of a rare document was lifted from a dusty shelf deep in the belly of the school and handed to SoTW. It reveals that 95 years ago Skinners’ was involved in a very different kind of philanthropy when the school started sending presents to soldiers fighting in the First World War (1914-1918). By December 1914 it was evident that the war would not be over by Christmas. So, to aid in raising morale, it was decided by the Old Boys of Skinners’ School that waterproof tobacco pouches should be dispatched as presents to our boys in the trenches. The recipients of these pouches wouldn’t just be regular infantry serving their country across the Channel; the gifts were to be sent specifically to exSkinners’ pupils. ➢ DECEMBER 2009
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“THE SING-SONG MADE US QUITE FORGET WE HAD BEASTLY COLD FEET AND WERE STANDING IN SEVERAL INCHES OF WATER.”
18TH FIELD AMBULANCE, 6TH DIVISION, BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, Feb. 19th, 1915
My dear Boreham,
…I must not say where I am or I shall get into trouble with the Censor, but I am right up at the front, and have been in this same village for the past three months. The work in a Field Ambulance is very interesting but intensely sad, as we see all the worst side of war. We are in the flattest and ugliest bit of country that it has ever been my misfortune to see, and there are too many shells flying about to make it exactly a health resort! I am sorry to say that I am about to be invalided, probably for about a month, in order to undergo a slight operation. It is not yet settled where I shall have to go. It will either be at the Base or possibly in London. Yours very truly,
R.E. VERNON HANSON,
C,F. (Calverley Park, Tunbridge Wells)
The band of Skinners’ O.T.C, 1912
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Officers and men of the 26th Divisional Train, Army Services Cor p, Christmas Day 191 4.
The school has always had strong ties with the armed forces through its Officers Training Corp (O.T.C). Even today, the school cadet force train regularly, has an O.T.C band and takes part in field trips and camps. Things were much the same at the start of the last century and it’s likely that some of the Skinners’ boys pictured on these pages, posing with their band and at camp, went on to serve in WW1. At the time the pouches were sent, the Old Boys’ group of Skinners’ was called the Guild of Leopards, the leopard being the school’s emblem. The Leopard was the periodical magazine of the Guild in which it recorded the various activities of both current and former students. It is the April, 1915 issue of The Leopard which has come into our temporary possession. The magazine is fragile, with yellowed pages but in surprisingly good condition for a document nearing it’s 100th year. As well as offering rather quaint depictions of sports events long forgotten, the magazine gives us an insight into the thoughts of a number of former Skinners’ boys fighting in Europe. Letters addressed to ‘Boreham’, the Hon. Secretary of the Guild, are printed in the back of the magazine (and published on these pages) giving thanks for the waterproof pouches. Some of them mention the famous 1914 Christmas truce in which soldiers from both sides met in no-man’s land, exchanged souvenirs and, in some instances, enjoyed a game of football. We’re privy to the terrifying nature of the war; the mud, the shelling and, of course, ➢
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the death. But the letters also give us a glimpse of the incredible character of many of the men fighting in France, some of whom were just 18 or 19 years of age. One note mentions how the author shouldn’t ‘grouse’ (complain) and many others are humorous. A paragraph in the ‘Odd Jottings’ section of the magazine states how one non-smoking recipient Inspection of Skinners’ O.T.C intended to use his tobacco pouch, by Princess Alexandra, 1913 “as a waterproof Balaclava helmet.” It’s noted that the Guild, “commend this idea to other non-smokers who received the pouches.” The April, 1915 issue of The Leopard throws a spotlight on to the lives of Tunbridge Wellians – both home and January 6th, 1915 abroad – of the early 21st Century. Recognition should Dear Boreham, be given to the Editor, a Mr. W.H Temple, for how the magazine respectfully notes the Old Boys killed in …I am glad to say I had quite a happy Christmas, Christmas action on one page, while on another offers a humorous Eve being spent in trenches, and Christmas day in the only congratulation towards a former pupil whose safety remaining room of a very much shelled farm just behind razor saved his life by deflecting a piece of shrapnel that the firing line. At one point the German trenches were would otherwise have meant his demise. only 80 yards away, and hearing the Christmas greetings For now though, we’ll hand the magazine back to bawled from one enemy to another, the sing-song made us Skinners’ to be kept safe in a dark room and taken quite forget we had beastly cold feet and were standing in out every now and again to remind us of the men of several inches of water. A truce was arranged at our part Tunbridge Wells who fought in Europe over the festive of the line, and Germans and English walked each as far period nearly 100 years ago in order that we might enjoy as the barbed wire of the other and exchanged souvenirs. Christmas 2009. SO The opportunity was also taken of burying dead in between the lines.
With many thanks to A.J Lennon Deputy Headmaster, The Skinners’ School
Yours very sincerely,
FRANK PROVIS
My dear Boreham
December 27th, 1914
…It is good to be remembered by the Guild just now, for although we are not abroad yet, it seems a long way from everyone. In spite of the conditions we had quite a jolly Christmas…. After dinner Williams and I drank the health of the Guild. After that various troops were “At Home” in their huts and we had a jolly time till “lights out”. I don’t think I shall ever forget this Christmas.
Skinners’ Officer Training Corp at Public Schools Camp, 1910
Yours sincerely,
A Leslie Taylor
(Camden Park, Tunbridge Wells) Sponsored by ‘discretion assured whatever the secret’ www.warners-solicitors.co.uk
122
DECEMBER 2009
SOT W
TUNBRIDGE WELLS
so MERRY CHRISTMAS
Tunbridge Wells
HAV E YOU RS ELF A VERY M ERRY C HRISTM AS
15
FESTIVE FEASTS
TOP CHEFS REVEAL KITCHEN SECRETS
ROYAL AFFAIR THE NIGHT DIANA STOLE THE SHOW
HOMES WHY LOCAL PRICES ARE SET TO SOAR
GREAT IDEAS FOR THE HOLIDAYS
WIN £1,000 NEW YEAR BREAK
Katherine Jenkins ISS UE 21
£1.50
EXCLUSIVE: WHY THE MEZZO-SOPRANO IS MAKING WAVES
Dec 2OO9