Sussex Style August 2014

Style Joanna Lumley

On her Sussex schooldays

SALLY GUNNELL Talks health and happiness

Plus JULIE PEASGOOD MICHAEL MORPURGO TOP TRAVEL TIPS BOOK CLUB

Summer house

Living the good life

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S U S S EStyleX August 2014

CONTENTS REGULARS 08 Editor’s letter 14 News 72 Mum on the run 89 Comment 90 Last word

FEATURES 12 The great outdoors 16 Julie Peasgood on life in Brighton 20 Joanna Lumley – exclusive interview 22 War Horse author Michael Morpurgo FOOD & DRINK 27 Food news 28 Rachel Khoo’s summer salad 30 Ice-cream special 32 Cooking for Chaps: Gustav Temple FASHION & BEAUTY 36 Sophie Corbett on her new label Maud 40 Cracking the code of special occasion dressing 47 Beauty notebook 48 Summer holiday beauty 51 Health news 54 Seven steps to your best beach body ever 56 Me and my health: Sally Gunnell

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HOME & GARDEN 60 Blue sky thinking: summer’s breezy homewares 62 The Fabric Lady: zig-zag pattern LIFE & STYLE 76 Mum on the run 78 How to survive the school holidays 80 Hotel review: The Spread Eagle in Midhurst 84 My Sussex: what to do, where to go this August 87 Book club: beach reading

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ABOUT OUR CONTRIBUTORS Matt Guy Wright Our Health and Fitness Editor has been a personal trainer and nutritionist in Sussex for 14 years. Matt has trained many celebrities from the worlds of literature, fashion, stage and screen, and also regularly writes for the likes of Esquire magazine, the Daily Mail, Daily Express and many health and fitness publications. ‘Seeing the change in my clients through their training on so many levels – physically, psychologically, emotionally – is the best part of my job and why I love doing it,’ he says. Find out more about Matt at mattguywright.co.uk, call 07814 765 054, or find him on Facebook as Matt Guy Wright Personal Training and Nutrition, and on Twitter: @MattGuyWrightPT.

Laura Lockington Laura Lockington is all things bookish and we’re delighted to welcome her to Sussex Style. She’ll be bringing you news of the latest releases and some old favourites, too. As well as being an author, Laura co-hosts the fabulous Bookish Supper Society in Brighton every six weeks, where she interviews two bestselling authors and cooks for up to 60 people. ‘It’s my two favourite things, books and food! I’m thrilled to be part of the exciting literary and foodie scene in Sussex, so writing for Sussex Style is the perfect pairing,’ she says. ‘I hope to be introducing you to authors that will charm, entertain and transport you – and I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say about our new Book Club.’

Lizzie Enfield Turn to our Life & Style section to read all about Lizzie’s trip to explore the historic Spread Eagle Hotel in Midhurst. Lizzie has lived in Brighton for more than half her life and is a regular contributor to national newspapers, magazines and radio. She has written three novels and has had short stories broadcast on Radio 4 and published in various magazines. Her latest book Living With It (Myriad Editions) is out now, and was named ‘novel of the week’ by the Mail on Sunday, who called it ‘a page-turner with an extraordinarily haunting conclusion’.

Olivia Greenway Based near Chichester, but hardly ever home, Olivia Greenway writes food and travel articles for a range of national newspapers and magazines, although her friends think she is permanently on holiday.

She has visited more than 75 countries and has lived in both Hong Kong and South Africa. Later this year she has trips planned to India, Rwanda and Nigeria. Olivia claims she has yet to visit her favourite place. Read more of her inspiring travel writing at oliviagreenway.com

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DISCOVER THE SUMMER COLLECTION

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editor’s style

Editor-in-Chief sarah Drew Jones Deputy Editor Katie Wyartt Food & Drink Editor sam Bilton

Get in touch

We’d love to hear your comments, views and suggestions for Sussex Style so please email me: sarah@sandrpublishing.co.uk

Contributors laura Jandac, Daniel Raven, matt guy Wright, laura lockington, lizzie enfield, olivia greenway, Natalie courtois, melody Foreman, gustav temple Creative Director tommy Rockett Head of Finance Richard Judd Publisher seán Kane Intern millie Player Published by s and R Publishing ltd

Welcome to the August issue of

S u S S eStylex Welcome to August, the month of long, carefree days and balmy nights. If you’re escaping on holiday soon, be sure to pack this copy of Sussex Style, because we’ve got plenty to keep you entertained.

Joanna Lumley shares a few poignant memories of her schooldays in Sussex, and talks movingly about her deep connection with the Gurkhas. Those brave men have, of course, fought as part of the British Army for more than 200 years, a fact worth remembering as this month marks the centenary of World War I. In this issue, we hear from celebrated War Horse author Michael Morpurgo on the beauty of war poetry and the lessons conflict can teach all of us.

Now, what would high summer be without a little al fresco bread-breaking with loved ones?

Turn to our food section for some truly delicious ideas, and – our favourite – an in-depth look at

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Sussex Style™ copyright 2014-07 IssN 2049-6036 Summerhill House Hythe Road, Kent tN24 0Ne 01273 358850 sussexstyle.com Sussex Style Magazine facebook.com/sussexstylemagazine SussexStyleMag twitter.com/sussexstylemag Cover image: Neptune Design centre North street, Hailsham east sussex BN27 1DQ Neptunehailsham.com

ice-cream: how to make it, where to buy it and the best flavours to try!

Special occasions can strike fear into the heart of even the most ardent fashionista so we ask a stylist for her top tips on what to wear to summer events in Sussex. To help you look and feel your best, we’ve packed our health and beauty section with easy exercises and summer make-up, and Steyning resident Sally Gunnell argues that healthy eating and a daily run on the South Downs are the key to happiness!

Looking for a brilliant beach read? You’ll enjoy our new regular book club page where you can rediscover classics and explore new novels. We’d be curious to hear your suggestions, too. In fact, email, tweet or tell us on facebook what inspired you this issue, whether it’s beauty, recipes, travel or ideas for your home… we’d love to hear from you!

Sarah Editor, Sussex Style sarah@sandrpublishing.co.uk

all RIgHts ReseRveD. excePt FoR NoRmal RevIeW PuRPoses, No PaRt oF tHIs magazINe may Be RePRoDuceD WItHout WRItteN PeRmIssIoN oF tHe PuBlIsHeRs. No aRtWoRK oR eDItoRIal coNteNt may Be useD IN aNy otHeR FoRm oR PuBlIcatIoN WItHout tHe PuBlIsHeR’s coNseNt. eveRy caRe Is taKeN IN tHe PRePaRatIoN oF tHIs magazINe, But tHe coNteNts aRe oNly meaNt as a guIDe to tHe ReaDeRs. tHe PRoPRIetoRs oF tHIs PuBlIcatIoN aRe PuBlIsHeRs , Not ageNts oR suB ageNts oF tHose WHo aDveRtIse tHeReIN. tHey caNNot Be HelD lIaBle FoR aNy loss suFFeReD as a Result oF INFoRmatIoN gaINeD FRom tHe PuBlIcatIoN. coPyRIgHt 2014 s aND R PuBlIsHINg ltD - sussex style tm

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make the most of sunny days and school holidays with a trip to one of the many special events taking place at National trust venues around sussex this summer

The great NymANs, NeAr HAywArds HeAtH The Special Ten ’50 things’ Summer Challenge: 26th July to 31st August This summer, Nymans is setting kids a special ’50 things’ challenge, in return for a special scrapbook and certificate. Nymans’ extensive gardens and picturesque woodland make it a great place to get cracking on outdoors adventures, but how about completing 10 of the National Trust’s ‘50 things’ tasks in one day?

From geocaching to bug hunting, den building to animal tracking, kids will be given a list of 10 challenges to complete, before they set off on their own adventure across Nymans’ varied landscapes and terrains.

Normal admission price only

The Great War Explorers Trail: 26th July to 31st August There are lots of amazing stories about Nymans and World War I. Children can find out more about them on this trail that will see them solving soldiers’ secret coding, trying wartime games and making their very own poppy.

Normal admission price plus £1 Alice Through the Looking Glass: 3rd August, 5-7pm; Romeo & Juliet: 17th August, 6.30-8.30pm Nymans is also hosting outdoor theatre performances in its worldfamous gardens. The action takes place in a super-picturesque part of the grounds, next to a large wildflower meadow. The brand new adaptation of Alice Through the Looking Glass by Quantum

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Theatre Company features live music and the full array of Carroll’s wonderful characters, and is full of quirky British charm and comedic poems, creating a theatrical treat for all the family.

Prices for all theatre performances: adults £15/£12, children £8. To book, call 0844 249 1895. Gates open an hour earlier for picnics.

sliNdoN estAte, NeAr AruNdel Bats in the Belfry at Slindon: 6th August, 8-10pm This event not only gives kids a great reason to stay up late outside, but it offers families the chance to encounter some rather exciting and elusive creatures of the night. Discover how Slindon’s bat expert uses

sophisticated detectors to identify which species are flying right over your head! You’ll also get a great insight into the lifestyle and habits of these flying mammals.

Adults £3, children £2. To book, call 01243 814730

eAst HeAd, NeAr west witteriNG Beach Safaris with the Dune Bug, weekends and Wednesdays during the summer holidays If the crowds at West Wittering are too much to contend with, walk a little further and you’ll find the beautiful sand dunes (and a quieter vibe) at East Head.

The ranger team are bringing their Dune Bug vehicle down to the beach this summer, where they’ll be introducing families to East Head Safaris and all the

News style

t outdoors ’50 things’ challenges kids can attempt in the dunes, from bug hunting to wild art.

Petworth Has Lost its Marbles: 10th to 12th August, 11am-3pm

Call 01243 814730 for more information. Park at West Wittering Estate car park

Join Petworth’s conservation assistants and get stuck into all sorts of fun conservation activities to help look after the amazing sculpture and marble collections in the mansion.

Petworth house and Park Adventure Ahoy! Until 31st August, 10.30am-4pm Set sail on a stormy seaside adventure. Discover a story about scary sea monsters, pesky pirates and magical mermaids on this interactive summertime trail that takes you around the Pleasure Grounds of this great estate.

Once ‘adventurers’ have made it safely to dry land they’ll find out how to turn their trail sheets into 3D pirate ships. £3 only (no admission charge) Treasure Trove: dates throughout August

uPPark house and garden, south harting Summer quiz trail: until 2nd September, Thursday to Sunday, 11am-5pm Hunt for the answers to clues on this new summer trail, which takes children around the splendours of this Georgian mansion and into the gardens.

Punch and Judy: 24th and 25th August, 12.30pm, 1.45pm and 3pm

Join this pirate workshop and find out how to make a pile of glittering treasure to take home.

Come dressed in swashbuckling finery if you can.

Indulge in a spot of traditional holiday comedy and find out how Punch and Judy are getting along these days! This familiar stripey ‘mini theatre’ guarantees great entertainment for all ages.

£5. To book, call 01798 342207

Normal admission price only

For more information about things to do this summer around sussex, and to download a local ’50 things’ planner visit nationaltrust. org.uk/southeast

august 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 1 3

News style

News

If you’ve got news from around sussex, let us know! saRaH@sanDRpuBlisHing.co.uk

Sink in

open Dome Brighton Dome and Brighton Museum will celebrate the history and heritage of the magnificent Grade I-listed building on Saturday 13th September in a familyfriendly day of fun. Visitors to the Dome will enjoy live music and a chance to hear the historic organ, and backstage tours will also run throughout the day.

At Brighton Museum there will be a special Military Ancestry Research Panel with historian and author Andrew Robertshaw, where visitors can ask experts and enthusiasts all about people’s experiences during World War I, from what it felt like to wear a military uniform to the music people listened to and the food they ate.

Get baking 14 | s u s se x st y l e . c om | august 2014

What’s more, staff from Brighton Dome and Brighton Museum will be on the lookout for your memories and memorabilia from days gone by. Whether it’s personal stories, ticket stubs or old photos, staff will be on hand to hear and record visitors’ recollections to add to the building’s growing ‘memory bank’ archive.

From 11am-4pm, free. Tours bookable from Monday 1st September 2014, brightondome.org; 01273 709709

Breakthrough Breast Cancer is once more calling on bakers across Sussex to bake cakes and help save lives for this year’s super-sweet Breakthrough Bake Off. An estimated 1,050 women are diagnosed with the disease each year in Sussex, so do your bit to help raise much-needed funds. Whether you’re a master baker or a practising pâtissier, all you need to do is gather friends, family and colleagues to share some home-baked goodies and raise some cash. This year’s Bake Off day is 17th October: to receive a fundraising kit with tips and recipes visit breakthrough.org.uk/bakeoff.

the beautiful sunken garden at West Dean has won the sussex Heritage landscape & gardens awards 2014.

Recently reopened after a six-year period of restoration using original materials and stone, the garden is thought to date back to the late 19th century. ‘the restoration was one of the most demanding projects that the gardens team has undertaken in the last two decades and it is very gratifying to see that effort and commitment on behalf of all the team rewarded with the award of a sussex Heritage trust award in its landscape and garden category,’ gardens manager Jim Buckland told sussex style.

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Life’s a beach

interview style

lovely Julie Peasgood is back on our screens with a tV show filmed in Brighton, her adopted hometown. she talks to sarah Drew Jones about the fun of a new challenge…

She and her husband Patrick divide their time between London and a ‘lovely but small’ flat in Brighton, and spend a lot of time exploring the globe, in her role as a travel reviewer for TV and magazines. Right now though, Peasgood is focusing on an exciting new venture: this autumn, she fronts – and produces – a new type of show about craft that was filmed in and around Brighton.

Career renaissance? Maybe, she admits…

My career has been so varied and I know how lucky that makes me. I didn’t start with the intention of having a ‘portfolio career’ but it’s something that’s happened almost organically. I’ve been very fortunate in having lots of opportunities come my way and I have just gone with the flow and very rarely turned down the chance to try something new!

Acting led into presenting when I was asked if I’d like to review the week’s television on the

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Good Morning Britain breakfast show many years ago. I had been interviewed by Anne Diamond about my role in Brookside and the show’s producer, Mike Hollingsworth, felt I might be good at presenting – and I loved it from the word go.

I wrote a factual book about sex. I’ve always admired the iconic American Dr Ruth Westheimer (now in her mid-80s and still going strong!) and how she always manages to make the subject of sex accessible and not sleazy in any way. After my book won an award, I put in three years as a regular relationships advisor on The Alan Titchmarsh Show – and five separate magazine and newspaper columns as an agony aunt. I now have my own range of pleasure products in Boots. My husband, Patrick, and I designed the range together – it’s called Swoon and it’s tasteful, well-made and discreet, which is very important to me.

I never get bored and I plough my energies into several different projects, which, as a typical Gemini, is fulfilling for me. My favourite job? I relish presenting, but I have actually really enjoyed putting my acting hat back on recently – I did panto last year for the first time and have just appeared in Casualty. I also love doing voice-overs: I have

extolled the virtues of various products for about 30 years now!

My latest project is Crafty Beggars, a new show that puts the competition into crafts.

My business partner, Wendy Turner Webster, and I co-present, and our company, Good Turn Productions, is also producing it, so to have a brand new venture is very exciting!

We filmed it all in Brighton in the spring of this year, and we were blessed with good weather, fabulous locations and very talented contestants.

I have plenty of ambitions left. I regret that I never played Peter Pan (as I would have loved to fly!) and it’s still on my to-do list to play a really nasty, dark character on TV. I’d absolutely love to do another soap – I’ve done three (Brookside, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks) and although the schedules are often fast and furious they were all fun times with lots of camaraderie.

I have always loved travel and I get excited just fishing my passport out of the drawer!

I’m lucky to do some travel writing for newspapers and magazines and recently presented Cruise Today for the Travel Channel. River cruising has been inspiring me lately: it’s the fastest growing sector ››

PhotogrAPhy by CArl ProCtor

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ctress, television presenter, relationships agony aunt, awardwinning author, travel expert, executive producer, businesswoman: Julie Peasgood is all this and more. The former Emmerdale, Hollyoaks and Brookside actress juggles a busy and challenging career, and that’s the way she likes it.

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I split my time between my home just outside london and a flat in Brighton, but I have several connections with sussex. We also have a lovely beach hut in Brighton, and I try to spend as much time there as possible

august 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 1 7

Fast five

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on tV recently, I loved Broadchurch, silk and Rev. Patrick and I are completely hooked on Gogglebox and will be glued to strictly come Dancing and I’m a celebrity… as usual this winter!

2

Books for beach reading this August? Anything by Dawn French – I’m just in the middle of oh Dear silvia. she’s such an insightful writer and she makes me laugh out loud.

3 4 5

my travel packing essentials are olay skincare, Bio-oil, my magnifying mirror and tweezers and comfy shoes!

Julie with Wendy Turner Webster, filming Crafty Beggars in Brighton

of the cruise industry and I’m about to go on a river cruise down the Mekong to Vietnam and Cambodia.

Bali is my favourite place in the world and Patrick and I plan to go back there again next spring. My idea of the perfect holiday is sunbathing, swimming, shops and sights by day and delicious food in lots of different restaurants at night. I would love to go to Machu Picchu sometime - that’s top of my wish list.

I split my time between my home just outside London and a flat in Brighton, but I have several connections with Sussex.

We also have a lovely beach hut in Brighton, and I try to spend as much time there as possible. I love the place: it’s so creative and non-judgmental and it does seem to have its own sunny microclimate! We’re hoping to base our second series of Crafty Beggars

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in and around Brighton too. Sussex has some fantastic treats to offer, including some wonderful restaurants, such as 24 St Georges in Brighton and Java and Jazz in Forest Row. My favourite way to spend a day in Brighton is to start with an early morning walk on the beach (hopefully collecting some driftwood to make things with) followed by breakfast at Sam’s in Kemp Town. Then I’d head to the North Laines for a browse – Get Cutie and Utility are just two of the fabulous, unique shops there. Lunch would be a fresh seafood snack from Jack & Linda’s Smokehouse on the promenade, or fish and chips at Bardsley’s or The Regency. Then to my beach hut, where I’d have a quick swim in the sea if the weather was good enough, or I’d just potter about and read. Then a slow walk back to sit on my tiny balcony with a gin and tonic, followed by supper at home and a DVD.

I’ve got rather old-fashioned taste in music - right now I’m listening to Al Bowlly, Billie Holiday and ella Fitzgerald!

the last thing I bought was a fantastic simulated diamond solitaire necklace from tru Diamonds (www.trudiamonds.co.uk). everyone comments on its sparkle and beauty.

crafty Beggars – sponsored by Hobbycraft – will air on both Discovery tlc and Home and Health in the autumn.

If you would like to take part in the second series, go to craftybeggars.tv.

Julie is also a contributor to silvertraveladvisor.com

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interview style

Left: gurkha memorial Fund’s Dhan gurung, Joanna, Deputy ambassador of Nepal tej Bhadur chettri, mayor of ashford cllr John link.

Above: Joanna with gurkha soldiers, on the right of the picture is everest Inn’s yadav Bhandari.

A noble woman

When goddess of the gurkhas Joanna Lumley held court at a fundraising event, we were there to meet her, as melody Foreman reports

I

t’s a beautiful summer’s day, and a very regal Joanna Lumley OBE steps from her chariot to greet her welcome party.

‘Namaste, namaste!’ she says, in her trademark velvety voice. ‘Lovely to see you all,’ she adds and then bows her head. The fingertips of both hands meet in a prayer of respect and she smiles at her Nepalese hosts, Pashupati Bhandari and Dhan Gurung, before waving to the 200-plus adoring subjects waiting patiently in the sun.

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It is an important day for the Gurkhas. The red carpet is out, the regimental piper is playing, and great homage is paid to their goddess, who is as revered as the noble Ayesha in H Rider Haggard’s Imperialist novel, She. Former East Sussex convent girl Lumley was first anointed as goddess of the Gurkhas in 2009 during a tough battle to win them the right to live in Britain. When her forthright sense of justice made headlines across the

world, the British government had to sit up and listen.

‘Gurkhas fight for our country and our freedoms,’ she proclaimed at the time. ‘So they should enjoy the same choice as British citizens. We are only asking for fairness.’

Today, elegant in black with a silk yellow scarf flowing from her neck, she is at the Everest Inn, Ashford, Kent to support a

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW fundraising appeal for a Gurkha statue.

The monument is to be erected near the Gurkhas’ regimental base in Folkestone and will be a tribute to all the Nepalese warriors whose gallant contribution to the British Armed Forces has lasted for 200 years.

Lumley’s father Major James Lumley fought with the 6th Gurkha Rifles during World War II and a Gurkha saved his life during a dangerous mission. Born in the sweltering heat of Kashmir, India, on May 1, 1946, Lumley, as we know, went on to excel as an actress, writer, campaigner, documentary-maker, style icon and charity worker.

Dhan Gurung, Gurkha Memorial Fund project director and a soldier with 18 years of combat experience to his name, remains her constant companion on this special evening of Anglo-Nepalese goodwill. Taking the stage, Lumley ignites special memorial lanterns before we watch a regimental dance by two young Gurkha riflemen skilled in the art of khukuri.

Introduced as ‘a daughter of Nepal’, Lumley addresses the assembled guests.

‘Distinguished friends, distinguished people…givers,’ she says. ‘This statue is going to be launched, it’s going to be made and erected, and it’s going to be unveiled next March. Now we in this room are going to make that happen and I am so proud to meet you all. Let’s make this happen. Thanks to all of you here and all of the extended community around Britain.’

Of the commemorative statue, she adds: ‘This is one of the finest and loveliest statues, a thing of great beauty and spirituality, which forms a symbol of the close and unbroken friendship that our two countries have had.’

JOANNA ON… THE GURKHAS Being ‘goddess of the Gurkhas’ has meant the world to me and has been so rewarding.

I have always been part of the extended Gurkha family because of my father’s lifelong involvement with them, but to be called a daughter of Nepal is a name I wear with pride. To be thought of as a goddess makes me extremely humble.

The UK is doing a mass of wonderful events to remember the Great War this year. I have written a letter to an ‘unknown soldier’ for the 14-18 NOW project (1418now.org.uk).

Look around you: everywhere there is a new way of remembering that always terrible but sometimes glorious conflict.

JOANNA ON… SUMMER This year my summer is work followed by work, but my husband and I shall get up to our small cottage in Scotland for a week. We walk on the hills, and look at the stars, and see the bats and buzzards, hares and skylarks, and read and eat and sleep. It makes me so

happy to see families in the parks or by the sea, or travelling in cars towards the great adventure of summer holidays!

JOANNA ON… SUSSEX I went to St Mary’s Convent School in St Leonards-on-Sea in Sussex. My time at school was extremely happy. The school is closed now, and has been converted into flats and houses, but every time I go to Sussex I think of happy things... Kipling, Glyndebourne, beautiful Rye and my dear school friends.

JOANNA ON… WHAT’S NEXT I appeared in The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio and would love to do another film. Leo was completely marvellous.

We kissed plenty! I am longing to direct my first feature film, which may happen next year, and I would love to visit Buenos Aires.

Oh and Iran, and Paris again, and I’d love to do more comedy. We can never have enough laughter in our lives. Fingers crossed that there may even be an Ab Fab movie... now that I would LOVE! AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 2 1

WAR STORIES

August sees the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. To mark the occasion, Sam Bilton talks to Michael Morpurgo, celebrated author of War Horse

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IntervIew style

T

here is something compelling about war poetry.

You can’t help but feel the loss, grief and futility of war when you hear it, no matter what your age, particularly when it is being read by acclaimed author Michael Morpurgo. Barring the gentle birdsong outside there isn’t a single sound inside the marquee as Morpurgo begins reading The Soldier by Rupert Brooke. He is appearing at the Charleston Festival and I am here with 15 children from Great Walstead School who are eager to hear the author of War Horse – the classic novel that became an Academy Awardnominated film and hit West End play – discuss his work.

Morpurgo has a strong, commanding voice – a remnant from his teaching days in Kent – and the children are enthralled.

Despite having written more than 130 books aimed at the younger reader, Morpurgo is a little dismissive of the ‘children’s author’ label. ‘I don’t write for children, really,’ explains the former Children’s Laureate. ‘I just write stories. Although I do tend to write stories where children are involved.’

Morpurgo is no stranger to Sussex. Part of his early education was spent at the Abbey School in Ashurst Wood.

It was during his time as a teacher that he discovered his knack for storytelling. He explains that children have always been at the centre of his professional and personal world (he has three children and is a grandfather eight times over).

‘I am interested in children and their response to the world. The way they live with it and come to terms with it.

It fascinates me, so that is why there are children in my books,’ he says. ‘When you write about children you are inevitably going to be called a children’s writer. But I don’t mind that at all, I’m honoured by it.’

My nine-year-old son is a big Michael Morpurgo fan but says his books are always sad. To find out just how sad I read Private Peaceful prior to our meeting. It is a powerful story about two young brothers who end up as soldiers during World War I and one of them is shot for desertion. Even as an adult I find it quite upsetting so I ask Morpurgo if he thinks that war and its consequences make suitable reading material for a child. ‘Whether we like it or not, children now are exposed to the world of adults and all its complexity, its beastliness and its cruelty,’ he says. ‘Thanks to modern

❝

The whole point of the war is that there was massive loss and grief on both sides

technology it’s available to them the whole time.’

With the anniversary of Britain’s entry into the Great War this month, children across the country have spent months learning about the conflict. Morpurgo points out that the staggering loss of life on both sides is incomprehensible to most adults, never mind a child. In order to help children make sense of it he believes you need to personalise the experience.

‘I can’t get my head around 10 million people being killed in the war but what I can do is tell the story of one of them,’ he says. ‘So in a way, that’s why Private Peaceful was written.’

Morpurgo has recently edited Only Remembered, a diverse mix of fiction and non-fiction, poems and songs, personal accounts and images, which commemorate the centenary of the war. Around 100 contributors including HRH The Duchess of Cornwall were asked to nominate a piece of writing or a picture about the war, together with a personal explanation of their choice. Fifty per cent of the royalties from the book will be split between The Royal British Legion and the SSAFA. ‘The whole point of the war is that there was massive loss and grief on both sides,’ explains Morpurgo, whose own grandfather was the Belgian War Poet Émile Cammaerts. ‘It’s important not to simply consider our own narrow point of view on this and Only Remembered does that.’

Morpurgo is about to release his longest book of fiction to date, Listen to the Moon, which centres on the sinking of the passenger liner The Lusitania in May 1915. The story concerns the discovery of a traumatised girl who finds herself on an uninhabited island in the Isles of Scilly, with absolutely no memory of who she is or how she came to be there. With the war raging on, the islanders become suspicious that she may be a German spy. He describes the book as ‘pretty heartwrenching stuff’ so I’m guessing it won’t have a happy ending.

‘We all grasp what loss and grieving is about because we’ve all experienced it. I think it’s rather cathartic and good for us,’ he muses. ‘By living through it in our imagination I think it helps us cope with it in real life.’

Listen to the Moon (Harper Collins, £12.99) will be published as an audio CD on 25th September. Only Remembered (Jonathan Cape, £14.99) is available now. Michael Morpurgo will be appearing at the Arundel Festival on 16th August August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 2 3

likE drinking your firsT day of Holiday Tequila evangelist Cleo Rocos created AquaRiva® Premium Tequila and Organic Agave Syrup in 2011 after working with a Master Blender in Mexico for 10 months.

Being featured in the Virgin Atlantic inaugural flight to Mexico in 2012 with Richard Branson, we are proud that AquaRiva® is now available in Virgin Clubhouses.

AquaRiva® Tequila is a double gold medal winner in the UK and voted ‘Best of the Best’ in the USA. Available in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, on-line; DrinkUpNY, thedrinkshop.com, Amazon and in clubs and bars nationwide.

THE PErfEcT MargariTa rEciPE:

aquariva.co.uk

1.

35 mls AquaRiva®Tequila

2.

25 mls fresh squeezed lime juice (juice of one lime)

3.

15 mls AquaRiva® organic agave syrup

4.

Shake with plenty of ice and serve in a rocks glass with more ice. Garnish with an orange zest.

@cleorocos1

aquarivatequila

Food drink

&

The perfect rosÊ wines for August Rachel Khoo shares a summer salad We cherry-pick the season’s best berries We all scream for ice-cream: check out our cold scoop special!

Autumn Harvest 4 - 14 SEPTEMBER 2014 Sussex & The World Market FREE ENTRY Brighton Wine Festival Sussex Gourmet & Wine Bus Tours International Chef Exchange Roots of Silo: A Taste of Western Australia Eats, Beats & Leaves Food & Drink Masterclasses Chefs Cookery Theatre London Road Food Trail Children’s Food Festival FREE ENTRY The Three Chefs Live Food Show FREE ENTRY Big Sussex Market FREE ENTRY Bitter & Twisted Make Your Case A Taste of Sicily Food Lab & lots more!

www.brightonfoodfestival.com

brightonfoodfestival

brightonfood

TASTE STYLE

FOOD NEWS

Sussex Style’s bon viveur Sam Bilton on this month’s tastes and treats

Cherries

LA VIE EN ROSE

IN SEASON:

Waitrose has recently launched a new wine site, Waitrose Cellar.

With more than 1,200 wines, spirits and Champagnes to choose from, you can mix your own cases of six bottles and have them delivered free within three working days. Here’s a selection of the summery rosé wines on offer.

El Guia Rosado 2013, Utiel-Requena, Spain, £4.79 A friendly, fruity little pink number from the east coast of Spain, with grapefruit and sweet strawberry flavours.

This is a wine made for summer sunshine, picnics and lying on warm grass watching the day go by. Serve very chilled.

Rosamore Rosato NV,

T

Italy, £9.99

here is something intoxicatingly attractive about summer berries, and plump, curvaceous cherries are the most seductive of all. I covet these deep crimson succulent globes at this time of year. As a dessert they marry well with rich dark chocolate in a gateau (dare I mention the Black Forest variety?) but are equally delicious as a stand-alone fruit, or perhaps paired with a young

goats’ cheese. The less sweet varieties make great companions to rich meats such as duck and can withstand the rigours of the pickling process with delicious results (see recipe overleaf ). They’re packed with vitamin C and potassium and are even believed to help reduce the effects of jet lag. We should get a bumper crop this summer, thanks to the mild spring, so let the pitting begin!

A deliciously fresh, crisp and fruity Italian rosé fizz with ripe summer berry flavours. It makes an excellent aperitif and goes well with light pasta dishes, vegetable risotto and seafood.

Esprit de Buganay

FARMING TALES

Rosé 2013, Côtes de Provence, France, £10.49

Former Sussex resident and original Genesis drummer Chris Stewart may have turned his back on the rock’n’roll lifestyle more than 20 years ago, but he still has plenty of lust for life, as his latest book, Last Days of the Bus Club (Sort Of Books, £8.99) amply demonstrates. Stewart recounts his many gastronomic adventures on El Valero, his sheep farm in Andalucia, which include everything from encounters with Rick Stein and a wild boar to some virtual chickens.

It follows on from his bestselling books Driving Over Lemons and A Parrot in the Pepper Tree, and would make a fun foodie read for the holidays.

A full-flavoured wine, Buganay has the fruit and character of the famous southern French area. This perfect as an aperitif and will partner most light foods.

waitrosecellar.com

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 2 7

taste style

Tips: try substituting the feta with a creamy burrata or mozzarella. the pickled cherries make a great accompaniment to a cheese board. they can be kept in the fridge for a few days, which will intensify their flavour

Rachel Khoo’s

Summer Salad with feta & pickled cherries Ingredients (Serves four as a starter) Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Cooling time: 30 minutes

C

elebrity chef Rachel Khoo says: ‘I love sweet, salty and sour combinations; it really livens up a plate of food to have all the different flavours going on. Cherries are perfect for pickling. They have a sweet note that pairs perfectly with a simple red wine pickle. Throw them together with some melon, courgette and some salty feta for a surprisingly refreshing summer salad.’

28 | su ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

• 50ml red wine vinegar • 1 tbsp sea salt • 150ml water • 100g caster sugar • 200g cherries, halved and stones removed • 1 medium courgette, stalk removed • ½ firm cantaloupe melon, skin and seeds removed • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • pinch of sea salt • small handful mint leaves • 100g feta

Method 1) Place the red wine vinegar, salt, water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

Boil for 2 minutes, stirring to make sure all the salt and sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat, pour into a bowl or container and leave to cool for five minutes. Add the cherries and leave to cool to room temperature (if making ahead of time, place in the fridge to chill).

2) Use a speed peeler or mandolin to make courgette ribbons the length of the courgette.

Thinly slice the melon into long strips. Toss the melon in a bowl with the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Spread onto a large platter. Sprinkle on the mint, crumble on the feta and scatter over the cherries. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of the pickling liquid over the top.

WEDDINGS / RESTAURANT / BEDROOMS / MEETINGS

Dining at Pelham House ~ Delicious and seasonal Pelham House focuses on simple and delicious food, using good quality seasonal and locally sourced produce. We offer a variety of regularly changing menus.

The restaurant is the perfect setting for a special lunch or dinner. We also have several additional dining rooms which seat between 4 and 120 guests private dining.

Pelham House has a carefully selected list of wines and cocktails to complement our menus.

Diners can choose the historic Panelled Room, the charming Garden End Room or to dine alfresco on the stunning south facing Terrace.

Our Gallery menu is available from 10:00 until 22:00 for brunch, bar snacks, light meals and pre-dinner drinks and afternoon tea between 3pm and 5pm.

The Restaurant is open daily from 12:00 for lunch, and 18:00 for dinner.

To Book, or for any enquires please contact Pelham House: p: 01273 488600 e: reception @pelhamhouse.com

TASTE STYLE

Ice Cream Special

THE BIG CHILL

I

t’s a brave man who ventures to Italy – a country revered for its ice cream – with his own frozen creations. Braver still to introduce these ices during a world-renowned granita festival.

Seb Cole from Brighton’s Boho Gelato has recently returned from the Niravata Granita Festival in Sicily where he stood his ground among some of the finest granita makers in the country.

Cole visited Nivarata as part of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival’s International Chef Exchange.

The exchange takes top chefs from Brighton and around Sussex to destinations across the globe with an aim to promote gastronomic tourism, international trade in quality food and drink and to share best practice in the hospitality industries.

‘Experiencing an Italian audience going wild for my gelato and granita has been the pinnacle of my career to date,’ says Cole. ‘Hopefully this is the start of a new bridge of culinary understanding between the UK and Italy.’

Brighton will be welcoming back the winners of the granita festival during the Autumn Harvest Festival in September.

A Taste of Sicily will be held on Friday 5th September to coincide with the first day of the Sussex & The World Market event on Hove Lawns.

WIN! WIN! WIN! As much as I love artisan ice cream you can’t beat the freshly churned stuff you can make at home. Now it’s even easier to try out new flavours, thanks to The Ice Cream Machine Book (Apple Press, £9.99)

by Sussex food writer Rosemary Moon. Recipes range from luscious chocolate fudge ripple to the more healthy-sounding minted pineapple frozen yoghurt.

We have five copies of this book to give away. Just email your name and address to comps@sussexstyle.co.uk with the title ‘ICE CREAM’ to be in with a chance of winning.

Guests can enjoy wines from a host of Sicilian vineyards alongside typical dishes and artisan produce, as well as a demonstration of the craft of granita making. Tickets cost £38 and are available from brightonfoodfestival.com

JAVA & JAZZ, The Square, Lewes Road, Forest Row, East Sussex, RH18 5ES, 01342 826699

O

rdinarily, I wouldn’t choose a pizzeria as a venue for a coffee, but Java & Jazz in Forest Row comes highly recommended by Ben Elton and Ronnie Wood (well according to the Java & Jazz website at any rate).

Fortunately, the full-bodied flat white with its decorative fern frond flourish did not disappoint.

Like cafés of old, Java & Jazz still offers an amiable table service but it retains a laid-back and

contemporary vibe. Cakes on offer range from the exotic Tunisian Orange to the indulgent Chocolate Fudge, although on a warm day I’d veer towards its Italian-style gelati and sorbetti.

With names such as Fior di Panna and Nocciolata they promise far more sophistication than your average Mr Whippy and I’m sure they’d make an excellent companion to that other great Italian import, the espresso. javaandjazz.co.uk

30 | SU SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | AUGUST 2014

Coffee break of the month

Which is your favourite café in Sussex?

LET ME KNOW VIA TWITTER @SJFBILTON

TASTE STYLE

WEAK AT THE KNEES

3 of the best…

ICE CREAM MAKERS

Carrying a health warning isn’t

Make it easy on yourself by investing in an ice cream maker

usually seen as a positive thing for a product. But award-winning Sussex company Caroline’s Dairy proudly declares that its range of ice creams and sorbets exploit human weakness! With seasonal varieties such as fresh raspberry, lemon meringue and

1

rhubarb, all made from milk and cream produced on the firm’s own farm near Chichester, it’s FREEZEEZ, £12.99

not hard to see why.

Freezeez is a simple gadget

carolinesdairy.co.uk

that promises to deliver delicious ice cream in two minutes, with no arduous preparation required. Just grab some ingredients from your fridge and pop into the cone and the base and get shaking, letting the

2

science do the rest.

worldsapart.com

CUISINART ICE CREAM DE LUXE, £69.99 Less cumbersome than some ice cream machines on the market, this machine is capable of producing two litres of delicious homemade ice cream or refreshing sorbet in less than half an hour. Just freeze the bowl overnight, then add your ingredients and let the machine take care of everything else.

lakeland.co.uk

3

SAGE BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL THE SMART SCOOP ICE CREAM MAKER, £349.95 This machine has 12 settings to choose from and automatically senses the hardness of your mixture according to your selection. It will keep it ready until it’s time to serve, and can even play an ice cream van t une when it’s ready! Definitely one for the diehard ice cream fan. johnlewis.com

NEXT MONTH

All you need to know about The Brighton & Hove Food Festival

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 3 1

taste style

gentleman’s relish It’s time for modern men to take back the kitchen, says the co-author of new cookbook Cooking for Chaps, Gustav Temple

I

n the film Withnail & I, set in 1969, the two out-of-work, permanently drunk protagonists rarely enter the kitchen, and on the one occasion they do, it is to prepare a soup bowl of instant coffee because every other bit of crockery is in the filthy sink. We have come a long way since then, and now most men possess at least one cookbook, and several expensive kitchen gadgets, with which they will whizz you up a skinny mocha latte.

Chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal have turned cookery into a hip, cool, masculine activity, replacing the slightly effeminate, fussy image it used to have. In Cooking for Chaps, however, we argue that men have always been just as comfortable in the kitchen as they were in the garage or the workshop. We looked back at the recipes of Colonel Kenney-Herbert, for example, who set up the Commonsense Cookery Association in London in the Twenties, following a decade of working in the kitchens of British-owned India. We liked the Colonel’s no-nonsense approach and felt this tone would be appropriate for a modern cook book aimed at men.

As well as looking to the great cooks of the past for inspiration, we consulted fictional gourmands too, principally Harry Palmer, James Bond and Bertie Wooster. Those quintessentially English characters’ love of fine dining reflected that of their authors.

The creator of Harry Palmer even wrote his own cookbook, Len Deighton’s Action Cook Book. This was long before the dawn of the male celebrity chef and his macho approach to the pestle and mortar, and the very title of Leighton’s book sounded like an apology for being a cookbook aimed at men. We have included one of Deighton’s omelettes in Cooking for Chaps, the one that Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) cooks for Courtney (Sue Lloyd) in The Ipcress File. ‘That was the most delicious meal,’ says Courtney afterwards.

‘Tell me, do you always wear those glasses?’

‘Always,’ says Harry, ‘except in bed’. At which point Courtney reaches for the spectacles…

32 | su ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

Not for a moment are we suggesting that our cookbook could double as a seduction tool (although we do offer a couple of recipes for breakfast in bed, both the optimistic and the pessimistic version), but we hope it will reignite enthusiasm for British cookery – something that has fallen by the wayside since the mania for southern European cookery swept the nation in the Sixties, thanks mostly to Elizabeth David. Rustic Tuscan and Provençal cuisine is now so commonplace that guests at dinner parties almost expect to be served something that the host ‘once ate in a marvellous roadside café in Aix-enProvence.’ However, serve your dinner guests brown Windsor soup followed by lamb cutlets with Reform Club sauce, and you will be marked out as a true eccentric.

Rustic tuscan and Provençal cuisine is now so commonplace that guests at dinner parties almost expect to be served something that the host ‘once ate in a marvellous roadside café in Aix-en-Provence We believe that British cookery has itself become an exotic forgotten cuisine, ripe for rediscovery. Our cuisine’s reputation abroad seems to rest on a couple of dishes principally associated with working men’s fare – if you are able to find a restaurant abroad serving British food, they will almost certainly offer you bangers and mash, fish and chips and a variety of pies.

Food at the other end of the social spectrum has recently seen a revival, but only within the props department of popular television period dramas such as Downton Abbey. The food, though present at countless formal dinners, rarely gets a mention, and this can only have compounded the misplaced notion that ‘posh’ food is always exorbitantly expensive and composed of things like roast swan and rhinoceros horn soup.

Food served in country houses in the early 20th century was actually simple, locally sourced and surprisingly healthy. Yes, a swan might have been slaughtered when a Malay prince was due to stay for the weekend, but day-to-day cookery would have been much more palatable to today’s tastes. The meat would have come from the house’s own livestock, the vegetables and herbs from its own gardens and everything else would have been kept in the larder. Which is why our first instruction in Cooking for Chaps is to assemble a list of larder essentials.

Aware that men of all stripes generally shy away from certain key kitchen processes, such as rolling pastry, making soufflés (which we fear will wilt as soon as presented to one’s ladylove, like in a Seventies sitcom) and anything involving a balloon whisk, we have kept such activities to a minimum. Where possible, we have suggested easy or cheat’s ways of achieving impressive results. Haven’t got any cake tins, because buying a cake tin is not something men ever get around to?

Fine – just make the cake in an old biscuit tin, relieving you of the bother of taking the baked cake out to store it. Haven’t got the time or the patience to make a slow-cooked butterscotch sauce? No problem – just melt half a packet of Werther’s Originals in a pan of single cream and you’ll have the most delicious butterscotch sauce your guests have ever tasted.

Cooking for Chaps aims to keep modern men in the kitchen, where they are much more relaxed than they were 100 years ago – but by updating the recipes of 100 years ago, rather than travelling half way around the world merely to find a substitute for perfectly delicious British food. And we’ll show you how to make a nice cup of tea instead of a skinny mocha latte.

Gustav Temple is the editor of The Chap magazine. Cooking for Chaps: Stylish, Practical Recipes for the Modern Gentleman by Gustav Temple and Clare Gabbett-Mulhallen (Kyle Books, £11.99) will be published in September

Real Chap’s Salad – steak with truffles and anchovy oil The only compensation for eating salad is the pleasant surprise of finding interesting, weighty, salty and, yes, tasty ingredients among all the green stuff, and this salad delivers on all such fronts. The seemingly odd bedfellows of beef and anchovies were once used together much more frequently, partly because one would always have a can or two of anchovies knocking about the store cupboard (as you should).

Ingredients (Serves 6-8) • 50ml red wine vinegar • 1kg beef skirt (trimmed weight) • 6 anchovies • 4 tbsp truffle oil (or rapeseed or sunflower oil) • 1 tsp crushed black peppercorns • For the salad • 3 bunches watercress • 3 bunches hot radishes • a little oil • a squeeze of lemon • salt and freshly ground black pepper Method 1) Put the piece of beef into a large freezer bag and massage the anchovies, oil and peppercorns into the beef.

Seal and allow to marinate for 3 hours at room temperature, or for 24 hours in the fridge.

✂ SUSSEX STYLE – RECIPE SHEET

2) When ready to serve, preheat the grill to very hot. Take the beef out of the bag, place under the grill and cook quickly – a couple of minutes on each side. Remove the beef from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into strips or slices.

3) Meanwhile, prepare the salad. Wash and pick over the watercress, removing most tough stalks. Slice the radishes as thinly as you can. Just before serving, put into a bowl and drizzle over oil, a squeeze of lemon and a little salt and pepper. Stir well, making sure you coat every leaf and slice.

4) Arrange on a plate, top with slices of the hot beef and serve immediately.

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 3 3

&

Fashion beauty

Cracking the code of occasionwear for special days out in sussex August’s hottest beauty buys Seven simple steps to your best beach body ever steyning girl Sally Gunnell shares her secrets of good health

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 3 5

‘W

hat is Maud all about? It’s a new label inspired by my love of clothes and the fact I love making people

36 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | AuG u st 2014

feel the best they can. Being bought up in the theatre world - my godfather was Danny la Rue, my mum is the most glamorous woman

Fashion style

This page: tribal influence: sophie corbett

PhotogrAPhy: mArk BAder / stef kerswell

Clockwise from top: tapango t-shirt by maud and sam ubhi jewellery; taffeta evening skirt with rock and toll twist, 100 per cent Italian wool, winter warmer made to order on request, tapango After glo

I have ever met and not forgetting my dad Ronnie’s legendary love of great fabrics, brave colours and an immaculate look - how was

fashion ever going to bypass me? As a family we are all very close and my mum is my Maud inspiration: Maud is her middle name.

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 3 7

I love everything simple and stylish but slightly larger than life. So I believe I am bringing a bit of my great history with me 38 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | AuG u st 2014

everywhere I go. I love Maud and I hope you will too.’ SOPHIE CORBETT

Fashion style

This page: skinny Dip long 100 per cent cotton jersey, made to order in any colour on request Right: marvin and maud (sophie’s grandad with the Fabulous maud backstage at the Palladium)

Clockwise from top: evening gown in devore, sourced by sophie corbett, available to order on request; studio 54 in fine Italian knit or jersey; the Four candles Boutique

Book a styling appointment with Sophie at Four Candles Shop at 2 Victoria St, Brighton, BN1 3FP by calling 01273 757258 Maudbysophiecorbett.com - Fourcandlesshop.com

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 3 9

BIG DAY OUT

Attending an outdoor event in Sussex this summer? Stand out from the crowd with these top picks from fashion stylist Natalie Courtois

Embellished clutch, £45, Accessorize

Fedora, £29, Accessorize

Leather belt, £40, Jaeger, Brighton and Chichester

Studded bag, £395, Michael Kors at House of Fraser

Dress, £125, Biba at House of Fraser

Jumpsuit, £125 jewelled belt, £60, both Biba at House of Fraser

Leopard-print boots, £149, Mint Velvet, Chichester

RYE JAZZ FESTIVAL Perfect day to night dressing for the Rye Jazz Festival (21-25th August) which is all about laidback glamour.

Find inspiration in Marc Jacobs’ final summer show for Louis Vuitton with sheer black and sparkling jet

Fringed kimono, £89, Mint Velvet, Chichester

Sheer top, £39.50, Marks & Spencer Pony skin satchel, £35, Dorothy Perkins 40 | S U SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | AUGUST 2014

Necklace, £39, Mint Velvet, Chichester

FASHION STYLE

Lace jacket, £350, East Daria butterfly shoes, £120, Our Daily Edit, Brighton

Dress, £169, Hobbs

Earrings, £8, Accessorize

Dress, £179, Hobbs

Black fascinator, £85, Stephen Jones at Debenhams

LADIES’ DAY

Whether you’re attending Glorious Goodwood, Brighton or Fontwell Park Racecourse, take a sleek, modern approach to race day dressing and avoid the obvious wardrobe clichés, with tailored yet feminine twists and minimal details

White hat, £55, Principles by Ben de Lisi at Debenhams

Ring, £6, Accessorize

Bag, £35, Hybrid Boutique, Brighton

Skirt, £129, Monsoon AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 4 1

Dress £89, COS, Brighton

Brushstrokes scarf, £60, Jaeger, Brighton and Chichester

Orange coat, £159, Per Una at Marks & Spencer

Trousers, £45, necklace, £15, bag, £29.50, shoes, £19.50, all Autograph at Marks & Spencer

Shirt, £25, Dorothy Perkins

ARUNDEL FESTIVAL Skirt, £89, Linea at House of Fraser

Art influences were a huge theme on the spring/summer catwalks, with everyone from Celine to Chanel referencing the paint box with bold colour clashes, brushstrokes and illustration. The Arundel Festival (16th-25th August), is the perfect place to make your own painterly splash Colour-mix shoes, £79, Moda in Pelle

42 | S U SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | AUGUST 2014

Leather Purse, £45, Jaeger, Brighton and Chichester

Wooden sunglasses, £120, Finlay & Co, Our Daily Edit, Brighton

FASHION STYLE

Camo-print shirt, £120, Gresham Blake, Brighton

Tropical backpack, £28, Burton

Pineapple-print tie £75, Gresham Blake, Brighton

Straw hat, £26, Debenhams

Shirt, £50, shorts, £37.50, both Debenhams Shorts, £37.50, Debenhams

BRIGHTON DANDY Summer fashion for men is all about a cool and colourful aesthetic. Choose bold colours and prints for a punch of style at garden parties, galas and more

Anorak, £35, Burton

Blue brogues, £89, Dune

Striped socks, £10, Burton

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 4 3

Merlin & ellis 44 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | AuG u st 2014

Fashion style

M

erlin & Ellis opened this summer, a fabulous new shopping destination tucked away on Manchester Street, just off St James’s Street in Kemp Town, Brighton. It’s a design-led shop packed with exciting new designer, pre-loved designer and good vintage

clothing, as well as high-end cruelty-free cosmetics including Arran Aromatics, colognes and grooming products. You’ll also find industrial lighting, home accessories, art books and more, in this quirky space with chipboard shelving, its own industrial lighting and an

unusual but amazing garden shed as a changing room! Ellis, the owner, also runs a clothing agency where you can sell your surplus pieces on a 50/50 basis.

With an on-site bespoke alterations and design service and a dazzling array of seriously

gorgeous must-have pieces, Merlin & Ellis should be on your list to visit next time you are by the seaside…

9a Manchester Street Brighton BN2 1TF Tel: 07595 398319

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 4 5

Feeling the pressure to put your ‘best face’ on for the photos?

with sustainable, cost effective heating systems

Susie helps brides find a wedding day makeup look that’s gorgeously true to you.

Hiring a professional makeup artist is one of most valuable things you can do for yourself on your big day.

Susie trained at the London of College of Fashion and works one-on-one with each bride to help you find a look you love.

Susie’s approach to makeup artistry is to emphasize the power of your natural features as well as your individuality.

www.bridalmakeupbysusie.co.uk Tel: 07773 509496 Twitter: @BridalMUBySusie Instagram: @bridalmakeupbysusie Pinterest: BridalMUBySusie

BEAUTY STYLE

BEAUTY NOTEBOOK

Summer’s beauty story is all about glow, glamour and glorious fragrance

Want, love

Sun-stressed skin? Darphin Stimulskin Plus Reshaping Divine Serum will fight fine lines. It may be pricey but it’s a spa in a jar. £159, House of Fraser

Top kit

Girl’s best friend Invest in Redken Styling’s new Diamond Oil to tame hair in hot weather, £31.99, visit redken.co.uk for Sussex stockists

Even skin tone with Eve Lom Radiance Perfected Tinted Moisturiser SPF 15, £48, evelom.com

Star style Jennifer Lawrence knows that hydration is the key to superstar skin. Step forward Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Cream, £24, a luxuriously fragrant treat

NEW IN!

‘The best way to match a nude lipstick is to understand your skin’s undertones,’ says Illamasqua’s make-up expert, Daniel Busuttil. ‘Try matching your lipstick to your natural nail bed colour. This will offer an accurate gauge of what nude will work. If you have a cooler, rosy undertone to your skin, opt for a rosy nude. If your undertones are more golden, an earthy nude is right for you. Illamasqua has launched seven new Glamore Nude lipsticks, £18.50, illamasqua.com

Summer scents Davidoff Cool Water Woman Coral Reef Edition EDT, £35 Roberto Cavalli Exotica EDT, £58

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 4 7

BEAUTY STYLE

Michael Kors SEXY nail lacquer in Scandal, £15, House of Fraser Heidi Klein swimwear, heidiklein.com

Moroccanoil Shimmering Body Oil, £37, lookfantastic.com

Glisten good Make holiday skin shimmer with touches of gold and bronze, highlighted with shades of rose and aqua

Shiseido UV Protective Compact Foundation SPF 36, £35, John Lewis and House of Fraser Kelly Osbourne for MAC lipstick in Kelly Yum Yum, £16.50

Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara, £18

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight EDT, £52, Boots, Debenhams, The Perfume Shop Bobbi Brown Surf Eye Palette, £48

48 | S SU U SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | AUGUST 2014

Soleil de la Mer The Reparative Face Sun Lotion SPF 30, £85; The Reparative Body Sun Lotion SPF30, £65; The Face and Body Gradual Tan, £65, cremedelamer.co.uk

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HEALTH STYLE

[health update] Health and fitness tips to keep you looking – and feeling – good this summer

CABIN FEVER

Zaggora is a British brand, much loved by celebs for its clever and colourful workout gear. Developed with scientists,

Cabin air will dry out your nose and make you more susceptible to picking up bugs when you’re on a plane. A few pumps of Stérimar Sea Water Nasal Spray (£7.49, Boots) helps keep your nose moisturised and blocks viruses from entering your body – and it’s fine for babies and children too.

Zaggora uses fabric that boosts the metabolic rate during exercise by up to 18 per cent, so you burn more calories.

Find stockists at zaggora.com

ALL WORKED OUT BE SUN SAFE 1

**TOP TIP**

‘Flip-flops don’t provide support for your feet and can give you arch and heel pain if you wear them for too long’, warns the Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists.

Ditch the cheap, flat versions and invest in muscle-boosting FitFlops instead.

Pictured above are Keiko sandals in Mazarine Blue, £75. fitflop.co.uk

Consultant dermatologist Dr Sue Mayou has some expert tips to help you stay safe in the sun Know your limits: Use a high-factor sun protection at all times, and top up liberally and frequently throughout the day, making sure you cover all areas including ears, hair parting and the soles of your feet. We rate Eau Thermale Avène Very High Protection Emulsion SPF 50+, £16, and Piz Buin Wet Skin Transparent Sun Spray in SPF 15 or 30, £17.99 (Boots).

rays penetrate skin more deeply 2 UVA than UVB and cause wrinkles, sagging and dark patches on the skin. Choose sunscreens that are ‘broad spectrum’ as they protect against both UVA and UVB. Pack a wide-brimmed hat, loose cotton cover-ups and sunglasses with UV filters. use your leftover sunscreen from 3 Don’t last summer. The active ingredients in sunscreens lose their effectiveness after one year, so check the expiry date or use within the period indicated on the label.

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYL E .C O M | 5 1

Be beach ready Don’t let a holiday undo all your hard work: personal trainer Matt Guy Wright has seven easy exercises you can do to stay trim and toned while you’re away

S

ummertime – and the livin’ is easy, apparently.

But summertime can be anything but easy, as this is August, the ultimate month of leisure, vacations and fun in the sun – and we’re forced to get our flesh out. Perhaps you have the body you deserve, and now it’s on full show.

I know the words ‘workout on vacation’ may sound blasphemous to some of you, but taking a quick 10-20 minutes out of your morning to break a sweat will leave you looking that bit more toned as well as feeling that bit more energised for the rest of the day (and less guilty when you tuck into those countless wines, beers, mojitos, and loaded plates later).

You know you’re going to be exposed every day in front of

strangers, with only a skimpy swimsuit to camouflage your birthday suit. But panic not.

Here are my top seven travel exercises, designed to hit every part of your body – and the beauty of these exercises is that you can do them anywhere.

No gym required!

1. THE PLANK Targets: your core strength from head to toe, abs, back and waistline.

Lie on the floor face down.

Cross your hands, keeping your forearms and toes on the ground then elevate yourself up. Pull in the abs and hold very still for 60 seconds. Repeat five times a day.

Top tip: raise one leg high for 30 seconds each side during the plank to work your abs a little harder.

54 | S U SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | AUGUST 2014

2. MARCHING LUNGES Targets: thighs, butt and core.

Standing bolt upright, lift one foot high and in one large stride, plant it on the ground as far in front of you as possible. Establish your balance then vertically descend until your back knee touches the ground. Hold for five seconds then stride forward, powering yourself with your rear leg. Each lunge moves into the next without the moving foot touching the ground until you’re into the next position. March for ten lunges per set, and do four sets in total.

Top tip: think like a soldier – keep your upper body standing to attention throughout this set and never let your knees protrude over the front of your toes.

3. PUSH-UPS Targets: chest, biceps and core strength.

A few push-ups will pump up your chest and arms in no time at all so do these often, several times a day.

Top tip: the slower you go, the harder you work your muscles. Do one push-up in 30 seconds if you want to make it intense!

4. PUSH-UPS (DECLINED DIAMOND)

Targets: centre of the chest, triceps and shoulders.

Place your feet on a bed, low wall or sturdy chair. Place your hands on the floor so you’re at a declining angle. Push only your forefingers and thumbs together so they form a perfect diamond

HEALTH STYLE

shape, now push down, pushing your elbows out. Again, the slower you go here, the more intense the workout.

Top tip: look ahead throughout these push-ups, not down. This will engage your abs.

sets. Bingo wings, be gone!

Top tip: keep your body like a capital letter L throughout – don’t curve.

6. BOOK FOLDING CRUNCHES

5. TRICEP DIPS

Targets: abs and core strength.

Targets: triceps, funnily enough.

Lie on the floor on your back with your arms and legs out straight. Inhale, and then as you exhale, lift both your upper and lower body together, so from the side view you’re mimicking a book opening up and closing.

Don’t touch the floor with your feet and arms when you return to the starting position. Try holding a bottle of water in both hands to intensify the ab crunches.

Using two sturdy chairs, place your hands (facing forward) on the seat of the chair behind you.

Now rest your heels on the seat of chair in front of you so that your legs are straight and your upper body is upright. Now descend as low as you possibly can by simply bending your elbows, then power yourself back up to the starting position and repeat 10-15 times, for five

Top tip: push a cushion under

the small of your back for added support if it arches too much.

7. GLUTEUS KICKBACKS Targets: the top of the butt and lower back.

As we age, it’s not just our travel plans that head south. So does our muscle tone – and nowhere more so than the butt. There’s a small muscle called the gluteus medius that sits atop the main part of the buttocks, the gluteus maximus. Simply stand very straight, resting your hands on a mantlepiece, shelf or wall for balance. Now subtly raise your right foot an inch off the ground, turn your foot to three o’clock and now move your right leg as far back as possible directly behind you. Squeeze

that position for a moment and return, keeping your foot of the ground. When switching legs, turn the left foot to nine o’clock.

Do 20 reps each side, five sets every day.

Top tip: don’t lean your upper body forward when extending your leg behind you. Stay facing forward throughout the set, and don’t twist at the hips.

Health and fitness editor Matt Guy Wright has been a personal trainer in Sussex for 14 years.

For more details: info@mattguywright.co.uk Matt Guy Wright Personal Training & Nutrition, @MattGuyWrightPT or call 07814 765 054.

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 5 5

Me my & health

This month, we’re talking health and happiness with former top athlete Sally Gunnell OBE, who lives in Steyning with her husband Jonathan Bigg and three sons I knew athletics would be my future when I was 12 years old. I joined a local club in Essex, got spotted by a top coach at 14, and then the real commitment started, travelling an hour to training four times a week.

As a child I could never sit down, and I’m still like that today. I grew up on a farm and we were outdoors all the time. My two brothers and I were always riding bikes or haring around the fields on the tractor.

I was one of those children who annoyed everyone with handstands and cartwheels!

At the height of my athletics career, I was training twice a day for a total of about six hours. But at that level, you never really stop because it dictates what you eat, the hours you sleep, your recovery time, whether or not you go out in the evening.

The thought was always: will this affect my training and performance?

I chose a life of sport, and I loved every moment but I don’t miss the 24-hour commitment. Although I am still disciplined and like to structure my day, planning in my exercise and work. Do I ever look back at my athletics career and think ‘how did I do that?’ Yes, all the time!

It’s no shock that I’m nowhere near as fit or active as I used to be, but I still believe that I’m a better person if I’ve exercised.

Going out for a run is my thinking time and is great for my sanity, plus I shout at the kids less! Exercise is about the health benefits too, but I don’t beat myself up if I haven’t been out for a bike ride for a day or so. I’ll plan in as much activity as possible 56 | S U SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | M O N T H 2014

but inevitably it works out as five times one week and only two the next.

Maintaining a positive attitude in life is everything to me. It’s the most important thing I learned from my running career. Performance and achievements at the highest level are all about thinking positively, no matter what the setbacks, and you can apply that to anything in life. It’s very easy to talk yourself out of things, especially when it comes to healthy eating and regular exercising, but thinking positively can really help you out of that.

I understand why parents worry about the obesity crisis. We can’t always let our kids run around outside like we did in our own childhood, so structuring exercise into their week is essential. As a parent, I know that’s my responsibility; you can’t rely on schools to do it all for you.

It’s fun seeing my three sons getting into sport like I did. The eldest, Finley, is 16 and a great footballer. He has recently got into running, so now we’re travelling to school and county championships every weekend! I’m doing all the same things with him that my mum and dad went through

with me, which is strange but nice because that was all so key to the athlete that I went on to become. The middle one, Luca, loves skateboarding and mountain-biking and anything challenge-based and the youngest, Marley, is into everything!

When it comes to cooking, I’m very much a mum on the run! I enjoy it but I wouldn’t say I’m a flamboyant cook: it’s about healthy meals that are quick to prepare. I’ll make smoothies with fruit, coconut water and Quark or whip up a batch of spaghetti bolognese that’s full of hidden vegetables!

I want to be a role model for my sons.

My attitude is to join in, so you can lead by example as well as having fun with them.

If they see us eating well and being active, it’s teaching them a good lesson.

We’re very happy living in Steyning, which is a lovely part of the county. I work a lot in London so it’s fantastic to come home to Sussex and feel like I can breathe again. In summer, there’s nowhere better.

Sally is the ambassador for the Lake District Dairy Co. Quark, the naturally fat-free dairy ingredient. lakedistrictquark.co.uk

HEALTH STYLE

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Your LocaL Independent KItchen StudIo

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Summer nights: dress your garden for alfresco dining take inspiration from the Sussex coast Why botanical prints are on our wishlist outdoor rooms: invest now, love forever

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 5 9

All products by H&m Home 60 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

INTERIOR STYLE

BLUE-SKY THINKING Ease into August with shades of calming blue, and let yourself be transported to an island paradise

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Left to right from top: Cushion, £12.95, H&M | Miami chair, £65, Next | Bamboo lanterns, from £40, House of Fraser | Steamer chair, £399, John Lewis | Cushion, £29.50, Marks & Spencer | Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Home Candle 200g, £39, Jo Malone boutique, Brighton | Resin coral tree, £55, Kelly Hoppen, kellyhoppen.com | Waffle throw, £25, BHS | Flamingo, £17, Debenhams AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 6 1

interior style

Between the lines

This season’s trend for zigzag and chevron patterns is bringing out the inner traffic warden in Laura Jandac

w

hen we first went to look at the site for our shop, before signing the lease, I remember a big selling point was the fact that there were zigzag lines on the road right outside. I decided that this meant that at all times our shop would be in full view of every pedestrian and car driver that went past, because parking there would be illegal. Perfect.

Five years later and my husband describes me as a grumpy old lady as I sit behind my desk, muttering to myself as car after car blocks the window. In a Tourette’s-like fashion I can be heard grunting, ‘where are the traffic wardens?’ and ‘shouldn’t be allowed’, followed by, ‘I’m going to go out there in a minute!’

Obviously I never would as I am far too much of a wimp. I would rather sit behind the safety of my desk, barking at road users that can’t actually hear me.

When being accused by my husband of being a moany old nag I have always vehemently denied this, claiming that it was 62 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

only the odd comment every now and then.

That was until my five-year-old son recently shouted out of the window at a car on the zigzags, saying, ‘you can’t park there, you lazy old car driver!’ I gave him THE look to which he replied, ‘you say it!’ Whoops.

From then on I vowed to only verbally abuse people under my breath.

The zigzag and chevron theme is clearly still with me though because wherever you look, whether it’s online, in magazines or shop windows there is strong evidence that I am not the only person obsessed with these lines. As we come into summer the bright colours are all around us and bold chevrons are to be found both in fashion and interiors.

A bold statement cushion can make a fantastic highlight to any room, or for the more brave out there why not introduce the chevron on a piece of furniture such as the wing chair shown here (above, inset).

The fabric is from Clarke & Clarke and is called Lagoon. It is available in a range of

bold colours from pink to turquoise and is priced at £32 per metre. Today Interiors (today-interiors.co.uk) has a new collection of wallpapers called Madison Geometrics featuring a zigzag pattern, with prices from £82.50 per roll. Tesco even do a chevron bedspread for only £29.99!

The Aztec 100% wool rug (above) would turn a bland room into a striking space and can be found at Rockett St George (rockettstgeorge.co.uk) at £150 plus delivery.

The smaller accessories featured here are also Rockett St George and may be the way to dip your toe in the water of geometrics.

I found myself doodling zigzags while on the phone recently, so I am definitely a fan, even if it does want to make me moonlight as a traffic warden. But before I download the application form I will hit the high street because there really is something for everyone. grumpy old ladies.

Style, design & innovation in tiles & bathrooms Huge collection of tiles, mosaics and bathroom products in stock.

20% off all stock tiles with this voucher code SUAUG14

Biggest stockist in the area | Free local delivery | Free parking Eurotiles & Bathrooms Rustington: Unit F, Brookside Ave., Brookside Ind. Estate, Rustington BN16 3LF Email: rustington@eurotilesandbathrooms.com Phone: 01903 785226 New Brighton showroom opening soon.

Other branches in Braintree, Guildford, Stevenage and Twickenham

SHINE ON

Add shimmer to your summer with a host of dazzling furniture, jewellery, textiles and accessories

Brass Ganesh £69.95 Blue/gold beaded evening bag £15 Silver votives on tray £45

Tribal chair with brass detail £175

Wood frame mirror with small mirror-work detailing £125

Silver vase with cut-out detail £45 Eastern-style embossed silver lantern £95

Gold-plated gemstone rings and necklaces from £32

Cushion £17.50 Velvet and sari border throws from £75

‘Cart’ table with gold and brass detail £395 Silver rings from £14.50

Cushions from £14.50

Vintage silver-plated embossed spoon £12.50

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Lamp with brass base £90 – Gold votives from £2.95 – Jersey 3-seater sofa £795 Acacia wood nest of tables (one shown) £179 – Silk cushions £14.50 – Recycled tyre umbrella stand (used as plant pot) £135

Arches II limited edition serigraph by Roger Dean £1,390 Dragons Garden III limited edition serigraph by Roger Dean £1,390

Malmo sofa in Mystic Gold £695 Silver detail banjara bag £85 Gold detail banjara bag £95

Indian almirah cabinet with brass peacock detail £995

Antique brass chapati box £185 Brass dish £20.00

Silver Buddha £75

TRADING BOUNDARIES Sheffield Green, Nr Fletching, East Sussex, TN22 3RB 01825 790200 www.tradingboundaries.com

Take shade lAte summeR’s DININg stoRy Is WRItteN IN cAlmINg colouRs, NAtuRAl WooD AND soFt lINeN

1 66 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

InterIor style

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Add a touch of timeless elegance to your dining chairs with linen covers in a soothing shade. Long Island linen chair, £195

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Button-backed armchairs are statement pieces in themselves: chic, comfortable and always in fashion. Sheldrake upholstered dining chair, £195

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Throw open the doors of your home to friends and loved ones: an extending dining table will be an investment for your family for years to come. Sheldrake extending oak table, in oval or rectangular shapes, from £895

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If a chalk-lined wine cellar is too much to hope for, splash out

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Chichester wine rack, in two sizes, from £695

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Declutter your dining space with a sleek sideboard that keeps everything you need to hand.

Choose a shade that blends with the background to maximise the

feeling of space. Suffolk sideboard with drawers, in three sizes, from £695

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Dress your table with raw linen napkins, crystal and exquisite white china for a style-led look.

Add a scented candle or two to help set a serene mood.

Henley upholstered linen dining chair, £295

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August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 6 7

Personal

Service the upholsterer prides itself on its friendly, quality-focused service, which is why it has become a haven for those looking for furnishings with a personal touch

T

he success of The Upholsterer would, according to Mary Portas, appear to

go against the commonly held perception of what is happening on Britain’s high streets.

This personalised, qualityfocused, and independent supplier of upholstery services, individually tailored curtains, fabrics and bespoke furniture,

abilities enable her to help clients

as well as interior design services

find exciting solutions to their

has not only survived the

design and fabric needs.

recession but has moved from

Above: upholsterer milos Jandac at work

A full upholstery service is

consultancy service, which includes design advice, measurement, finish and trimmings guidance so as to

offered, including advice and

match the customer’s budget

consultancy on a range of

and style requirements. Similarly

in October 2009 by the husband

options such as piping finish,

with blinds, where the sheer

and wife team of Laura and Milos

deep buttoning, padding, and

volume of blind types and

Jandac. Milos is the upholsterer

replacement springs. A choice

operating mechanisms can

and brings more than 20 years’

of more than 2,500 fabrics is

be difficult to fathom, tailored

experience to the craft he cares so

designed to meet the needs of

consultancy and guidance is

much about. Laura is a graduate

most clients and their varied

offered with The Upholsterer’s

of Leeds University having

demands and budgets from

compliments.

studied Textile Design, which she

conservative to more eclectic

supplemented with a diploma

or contemporary tastes.

strength to strength.

The Upholsterer was opened

in Interior Design at the world-

In line with The Upholsterer’s

renowned KLC School of Design

philosophy of tailoring their

in Chelsea Harbour. Fabrics are

services to meet customer’s

Laura’s passion, which when

specific needs, all curtains

combined with her creative

are handmade locally. A free

68 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | august 2014

The space in which we live has a vital influence on our state

❝

of being. The Upholsterer is

The Upholsterer has become a haven for anyone wishing to steer away from commercially produced furnishings

advertising feature

happy to offer decoration advice

that is based totally around

on transforming a blank canvas

the customer and their needs.

into a finished living area. Its

Their shop is run with a relaxed

samples service ensures that you

ambience and style that enables

are able to colour match and

the best choice for the customer

compliment existing features,

to come to the fore.

shades and fabrics.

The Upholsterer has become

For those who cannot find

a haven for anyone wishing to

the exact design or shape they

steer away from commercially

really want Milos has years of

produced standard furnishings

experience in designing and

so as to create their own personal

creating bespoke furniture

touch. The workshop is on

that meets a customer’s exact

site and potential and existing

requirements. From sofas

customers are encouraged to

and chairs to upscale

view the high quality of

children’s furniture, Milos offers

workmanship for which the

a personalised approach to

business has become known.

meeting a customer’s needs.

At The Upholsterer, Laura and Milos have created an approach

Above and right: furniture restoration and re-upholstery can have a stunning impact on your interior space

The Upholsterer, 15 North

For guidance or a Free consultation

Call Laura on 01730 810284 or email her at laura@theupholsterermidhurst.co.uk.

Alternatively pop in to the shop anytime between Tuesday and Saturday.

Street, Midhurst, GU29 9DH august 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 6 9

ProtEct DEfEnD &

Protecting your beautiful kitchen and bathroom and keeping the style you’ve lovingly chosen can be difficult, but now there’s no need to compromise. as for keeping it clean – we’ve got just the answer for you!

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nduroShield is a revolutionary product that will save you both time and money. It provides a permanent*, non-stick, invisible coating which is ideal for glass, tiles and grout and stainless steel.

Cleaning time is reduced by up to 90% and money is saved on cleaning agents. And it has great green credentials too, as it eliminates the need for harsh cleaning and chemicals.

Glass Firstly, let’s look at the glass. Enduroshield for Glass is a revolutionary invisible coating that repels water, grime and soap scum, allowing for much easier cleaning… less often.

Not only does this save time and money, the treated surfaces

splashbacks

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Enduroshield is great for use on glass or tiled splash backs,

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panels. Untreated glass is porous and as a result it absorbs pollution and contaminants, including salt, bird droppings,

stainlEss stEEl

pollution and acid rain, but EnduroShield seals the porosity

Stainless steel is very popular but sometimes difficult to keep

of the glass. And if you needed further proof, three police

pristine. Surfaces treated with Enduroshield for stainless

forces in the UK are using the product on their vehicles for

steel are much easier to clean. The product seals the surface

much improved visibility in heavy rain!

of the stainless steel, helping to resist the deterioration

There is a 10-year warranty on new glass when applied

caused by etching and corrosion. As a result the time and

by spear & shield ltd, and up to three years on existing

frequency of cleaning the surface is reduced. EnduroShield

installations, depending on the condition. Enduroshield

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products are also available as DIY kits.

Ideal surfaces include kitchen range hoods, fridges, cooker

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tops and barbecues. The protective coating seals the surface,

A wipe down with a damp microfiber cloth will usually suffice.

eliminating the need for harsh chemicals. Fingerprints and other marks are also much easier to remove.

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Spear & Shield Ltd is based in Cowfold, West Sussex.

can be applied to most tiled floors. The superior protection

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life style

&

laura Jandac on the fun of filling the school holidays Welcome to our new Book Club: what will you read on the beach? exploring Royal history at The Spread Eagle Hotel in midhurst

John leWis

My Sussex: the best spots for vintage fashion, cocktails and chocolate cake

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 7 5

MuM on the run As the school holidays get underway, laura Jandac takes a deep breath, suits up, gets ready for battle, and tries to remember how precious this time is...

A

s I plant a goodnight kiss delicately on my son’s forehead he asks, ‘Can we go again tomorrow mummy?’ I wince.

He is referring to Legoland. It is 8.30pm and my husband and I are also going to bed, completely exhausted and still reeling from the day. The thought of doing it all again tomorrow fills me with horror. The expense, the early start, the queuing, the fast food... the list goes on. I had thoroughly enjoyed my day out, as had my husband, but as far as repeating it – forget it.

We had left the house in what felt like the middle of the night as I wanted to get there as soon as it opened. I had, on a hunch, allowed nearly three hours to get there, so we arrived 76 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

ridiculously early, as the journey time is in fact 45 minutes.

Do not fear though, the shops at Legoland are open before the park so having spent nearly £100 getting us in (that was with a voucher for a free adult) there was plenty of time for my son to make unreasonable demands for this Lego set, that T-shirt or these mini-figures before we had even set foot in the park.

I haggled hard and told him that as it was his birthday we would come back to the shop on our way out and he could choose one thing. I was not as clever as I thought, because he spent the first two hours of the day asking if it was time to go home.

When we eventually got into the park

the sheer size of the place became apparent.

My husband is not the greatest map reader at the best of times so we must have walked the equivalent of a marathon during the day simply getting from one themed area to the next. They all look almost exactly the same but not quite. As a welcome break from walking we spent an hour at a time queuing.

Not easy for a five-year-old with the attention span of a gnat.

❝

I am going to have to be creative and find something to entertain his lordship for 42 days

family style

Having queued for more than 45 minutes on one particular water ride my son announced, when we were only two log flumes from the front, that he needed a wee.

No chance. We had waited this long and, come what may, we were going on the ride.

We were about to get soaked so I figured that any small accidents would be easily disguised...

son ate five chips then asked if we were going home now.

With disaster averted, my son went off to the loo and I ordered food and – having handed over enough cash to have bought us all lunch at The Ivy – the food duly arrived.

The marvellous experience of lunch seemingly over, we steeled ourselves for an afternoon of fun. It was effectively more of the morning’s ‘fun’. There was a lot more queuing and a lot more walking, then we got ourselves soaked a couple more times and gave in and headed for the car park, only to queue for another 20 minutes to get out. An epic day but one I don’t want to repeat in a hurry... or so I thought.

Forget any notions of idyllic sun-dappled picnics, with all members of the family in harmony, gingham napkins at the ready, and a Heston Blumenthal-style feast laid before us. This was lunch... at a theme park. My

As my head hit the pillow that evening the realisation that the school holidays are upon us in a matter of days sent shivers down my spine. I am going to have to do this for the next six weeks. I am going to have to be

creative and find something to entertain his lordship for 42 days. I will have to keep him occupied and amused for 1,008 hours.

A friend of mine has already stuck a countdown calendar for the summer holidays on her fridge so she can cross days off one by one. That way she knows exactly when her little darlings will go back to school. Another friend has already booked two separate weeks with each set of grandparents for a residential stay. For me though, I will entertain as best I can, reminding myself that we don’t get these days back and that I am lucky to spend the kind of time with my child that some parents don’t get.

Who needs a bank account in the black and a sane mind anyway?

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 7 7

BON VOYAGE All ready for your summer holiday?

Follow these 10 terrific travel tips from globetrotting travel writer Olivia Greenway and avoid having a holiday horror story

1

Health comes first

Plan for a healthy holiday but prepare for problems. If you need vaccinations or malaria tablets, arrange these in plenty of time. Don’t be tempted not to bother taking precautions – even if mosquitoes or insects don’t usually bite you, they can be deadly. Invest in a good – but compact – travel first aid kit.

2

Prepare the paperwork

Photocopy your passport and travel insurance documents and keep them in your cabin bag. Annual travel cover is usually more cost-effective than getting cover for individual trips. Make sure you are medically insured, even if you are holidaying in the UK. Transfer important information from your phone to somewhere else in case you lose it or it won’t work. Finally, don’t have luggage labels on the outside of your suitcase – you’re just advertising the fact that your home will be empty.

78 | S U SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | M O N T H 2014

Tr avel style

3

Be money smart

Get your foreign currency from the Post Office or buy online – never at the airport. Plan to pay for everything you can with a credit card in the currency of the place you are visiting. Always let your bank know you are going away, and take two cards in case one is refused.

4

Start packing

bag. And forget the supermarket for ziplock sandwich bags: you can find them cheaper in most pound shops.

service. This is particularly useful for items you don’t want to struggle onto the plane with or don’t need on holiday.

6

8

Sort out your communications

Before you go, check with your provider for European and overseas mobile call deals. Consider taking a cheap phone and buying a SIM at the airport on arrival, for use in that country. Choose a hotel with free Wi-Fi if you think you will need it. Both Skype and WhatsApp are free.

Don’t try to cram everything into a case that is too small.

Pack a large case and leave some room, as you’ll come back with more than you took. Unless you enjoy standing around the carousel, try not to have a black suitcase. If you do, put Mix a lot a bright ribbon around the handle for of neutrals easier identification. with a Leave all valuable non-essentials at home. Expensive jewellery, designer few pops handbags and iPads are magnets for of colour thieves. Be very strict about shoes – so that sorry, ladies – as they make up the everything bulk and weight. mixes and Don’t take anything that creases easily. Do you really want to iron on matches holiday? Choose wonderful crushable fabrics for your holiday wardrobe, and mix a lot of neutrals with a few pops of colour so that everything mixes and matches. Roll your clothes and put heavy items at the bottom, and use drawstring bags for underwear, socks and small items so you can find them easily.

Paint a cross in bright nail polish on your travel adaptor plug so you are less likely to leave it behind. FlipHanging around flops can double as slippers and are useful at the airport for visits to the spa and swimming pool.

If you have a long wait, do Slip a cotton shopping bag into your consider paying for a lounge. suitcase just before you close it, so you There are plenty of seats, complimentary can head out as soon as you arrive: food and drink, showers, Wi-Fi, throw a guidebook, sunglasses and newspapers and magazines and even water bottle in there, and off you go.

PlayStations and games. The pre-booked adult rate is around £19-25, depending on the lounge, and children pay a reduced Savvy shopping list rate. Both terminals at Gatwick have free Next, your washbag! Buy solid play areas for children. shampoo, a deodorant stick Travelling within the EU? You can buy and block foundation, so you items at the airport for collection on your can keep messy liquids to a minimum. If return, using the free Shop and Collect you must pack liquids, wrap in a plastic

❝ 7

5

Short haul tips

Don’t upgrade. For short flights, economy is perfectly acceptable on most airlines.

Many budget airlines charge for drinks and food but you are entitled to a free glass of tap water, so just ask.

9

…and long haul tips

If you can afford it, and the plane has four classes, fly one up from economy. Those extra inches make all the difference and the cabin is generally quieter.

Booking several months ahead with British Airways may get you a premium economy seat cheaper than an economy seat booked a week before the flight.

If you have a choice, always try to fly overnight on a long haul, and sleep.

Set your watch to the destination time as soon as you take off. Even though it’s free on long haul flights, try to avoid drinking too much alcohol: it makes the jet lag worse.

Prioritise comfort: an inflatable neck pillow is a good investment. Take off your shoes and ask for socks if they are not provided (no one wants to walk barefoot in aircraft toilets). Ordering a special meal – kosher, vegan, coeliac – means you get to eat before everyone else.

10

Car hire insider

Always shop around online for the best deals.

Pick the car up from the airport to save the taxi fare to your hotel, and return the car with a full tank.

Make sure you take out insurance to cover the whole collision waiver excess.

This avoids huge withdrawals against your credit card, even if you have a tiny shunt. Regular travellers should get annual collision waiver insurance, which is only around £50.

Take your satnav with you and download your maps before you go.

It’s usually cheaper than paying for satnav from the car hire company.

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 7 9

Queen Fit for a

I

lizzie enfield finds the lingering spirit of her Royal namesake in a luxurious hotel that isn’t afraid to celebrate its history

t’s not uncommon for a hotel to reel off a list of impressive clientele: to be told Bono was a previous guest or that Madonna always has a certain suite. But in a quiet, unassuming way, The Spread Eagle Hotel in Midhurst can trump them all.

Dating back to 1430, and once a staging post between Portsmouth and London, anyone who passed through the West Sussex town probably stayed here – and the list of ‘anyones’ is impressive.

‘So this is the King Edward VII Room,’ I am told, as we pass en route to my room – well, rooms actually – through an impressive beamed lounge, where Edward VII held court (it’s not often I get to use that phrase literally) after opening the nearby sanatorium that bears his name.

‘And this is the Queen’s Suite.’ I am led into a small antechamber – all dark oak beams and leaded windows – before a step up to another door that opens into a huge room, dominated by a carved four-poster bed with an embroidered canopy and spread. It’s not hard to imagine this room’s most illustrious occupant, Queen Elizabeth I, in situ.

The monarch is said to have stayed here in 1591, and I can almost glimpse her, sitting in one of the armchairs by the inglenook fireplace or looking out of the windows onto the historic market town.

And if the suite wasn’t already imbued with enough Elizabethan authenticity, such as slightly disconcerting sloping floors and the constant creaks of an old building, it also boasts a wig room! In reality, it’s a small walk-in cupboard containing a dressing table, mirror and a few wig stands where guests from 80 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

previous centuries would rest their headpieces for the night.

But although the hotel dates back to the 15th century and retains many original features, it provides every 21stcentury comfort. If you want a taste of original Tudor bedrooms, one of the many nearby visitor attractions, The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum at Singleton boasts a Tudor house complete with horsehair mattresses and, I suspect, bedbugs, given that Elizabeth was almost as famous for her annual bath as her queenly virginity. I am thankful for my en-suite, which has both a shower and roll-top claw-footed bath – and enough toiletries that I emerge smelling of Tudor roses.

The Spread Eagle is one of three family-owned hotels in the small Historic Sussex Hotels chain. This also includes Ockenden Manor near Cuckfield and Bailiffscourt at Climping, both also historic buildings refurbished to a high

❝

standard of contemporary luxury. The Spread Eagle attracts a mix of corporate clients, families and couples, as well as crowds from the nearby Cowdray Park Polo Club and Goodwood Racecourse.

For some, the hotel is regarded as a good luck charm and guests whose horses have won return to the same rooms year after year, hoping their luck will hold.

Directly below the Queen’s Suite is the hotel bar; cosy and fire-lit in winter,

Queen Elizabeth I is said to have stayed here in 1591, and I can almost glimpse her sitting in one of the armchairs, looking out of the windows onto the historic market town

Hotel style

From left: the spread eagle’s cosy bar; the hotel’s beautiful exterior; the private dining rooms offer modern dining in a historical setting

with doors opening onto an interior courtyard in summer. It’s the perfect spot for a drink and a bowl of crispy fried whitebait before dinner in the adjoining restaurant, where the menu offers modern classic British cuisine.

I am tempted by the grilled scallops with chorizo, apple, hazelnuts and spinach but, having already nibbled on whitebait and with an eye to the sea bass for my main course, I plump for the asparagus soup for starters and lean upon my dining companion to have scallops, so I can try one – with success!

They are every bit as good as I thought they would be, as is my sea bass, with

potatoes and marsh samphire. Again, I force my second choice upon my guest and, while I am clearly being annoying, I nab a bit of mouth-watering, cooked to perfection, lamb rump with mashed potatoes and tomato salsa.

My friend’s patience has worn thin by the time the dessert menu arrives so I am on my own, wondering whether to opt for lemon posset with rhubarb and crumble, passion fruit pavlova, Baileys crème brulee or the ubiquitous chocolate mousse. The latter feels like a dull choice but I find it hard to resist chocolate and I’m rewarded with a version so light it almost floats alongside an arrangement

of caramel bananas and coconut sorbet.

Breakfast the following morning is classic British and Continental; a buffet of fresh fruit salads, stewed fruits, homemade muesli and local hams and cheeses. It’s enough to set me up for the day but there is also a range of cooked breakfasts, from the traditional full English, grilled kippers and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon to waffles with maple syrup.

The Spread Eagle takes its name from a heraldic depiction of an eagle and various representations are to be found around the building. A tiled version spreads its wings across the ›› August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 8 1

Hotel style The Spread Eagle midhurst West sussex gu29 9NH 01730 816911

bottom of the swimming pool, two stone birds watch people taking tea in the conservatory and the entrance to the hotel itself is guarded by an ornate wooden carved eagle that once adorned the chair of Hermann Goering.

Goering dined at the hotel in 1939 after attending Goodwood races along with Joachim von Ribbentrop, Hitler’s minister for Foreign Affairs. The ‘alien’s register’ that guests were required to sign, and bearing Ribbentrop’s squiggle, is now on display in the bar.

On the nearby South Downs, you are more likely to spot kite-flyers than birds of prey and junior guests are given a kite on arrival at the hotel along with instructions to the nearest suitable hill.

If that doesn’t appeal there are plenty of family-friendly attractions nearby, including Fishers Farm Park, Bignor Roman Villa and Fishbourne Palace, 82 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

as well as the nearby seaside resorts of Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

It would be quite easy to stay here and not leave the comfortable environs of the hotel. The spa is open seven days a week and offers day-packages for nonresidents. As well as the pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, there’s a wellequipped gym and therapy rooms with a menu of treatments that rivals the dinner menu! The Champagne and Truffles De-Luxe facial promises to leave you ‘radiant, more youthful and instantly wonderful’.

In summertime the doors of the hotel are opened onto walled gardens, dotted

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It would be quite easy to not leave the hotel. The therapy rooms have a treatment menu that rivals the dinner menu

with sun loungers and stone terraces, where you can take tea. In winter, raging log fires make you want to curl up in a leather armchair with a drink and book and let the weather outside get on without you.

My regal namesake only passed through Midhurst briefly and her stay at The Spread Eagle was short, but her spirit lingers – and I am tempted to linger here too.

The Spread Eagle is part of Historic Sussex Hotels: hshotels.co.uk. Standard rooms at the Spread Eagle Hotel start from £139 for dinner, bed and breakfast for two people sharing.

Lizzie Enfield’s latest novel Living With It (Myriad Editions), a Mail on Sunday Novel of the Week, is out now.

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School’S out > What better way to celebrate the end of your exams than a weekend away in Brighton, says Millie Player

S

ummer is finally here, and while my friends and I are sad to be leaving our 140-acre campus at Hurstpierpoint College, we don’t all share the same opinion about where to spend our long summer holidays. I might be leaving school, but I definitely won’t be parting ways with Sussex.

In fact, I now have more time to discover the fantastic range of experiences and activities (and by that I mean cocktail bars) that Sussex has to offer. And the best thing of all? My parents no longer need to supervise me.

First on my list of things to do when planning my perfect weekend is to find a stylish hotel, and the futuristic-looking myhotel Brighton, with its large glass windows and minimal design, fits the bill perfectly. In keeping with the hotel’s exterior the rooms are mainly white, minimalistic

84 | s u ss e x st y l e . c om | August 2014

and modern, but are brought to life with the vivid bursts of colour from the circular patterns behind the impeccably made beds. It is not until you go downstairs that you notice that the unique patterns in the rooms are actually a link to the hotel’s fabulous Indian restaurant, The Chilli Pickle.

The first thing I’d do after checking in is to visit Electric Hair on Ship Street and treat myself to a fabulous blow-dry for the night ahead of me. The salon has styled hair at London Fashion Week, which makes my hair feel all the more swishy and beautiful on the five-minute walk back to the hotel afterwards, where I would head straight to the Michelin Bib Gourmand-awarded Chilli Pickle for dinner.

Having eaten, I would head to a cocktail

bar, but luckily I wouldn’t have to venture too far as Merkaba is located on the ground floor of the hotel, and it is one of the largest and most popular bars in Brighton. Like the rooms of myhotel, the décor in the bar does not disappoint, with its curved, crystalencrusted blue and gold striped walls. Blue spotlights underneath the coral coloured seats shimmer as you walk in front of them, as if you’ve dived to the bottom of a funky mermaid bar. Aside from the chilled cocktails, one of my favourite things about Merkaba is the photo booth – you can wake up the next morning and discover piles of hilarious photos that you won’t even remember taking.

After a late Saturday night I deserve a lie-in on Sunday morning. Most of the shops here don’t open until 10am anyway, so this is the perfect chance to doze the morning away.

YOUNG WRITERS style

Out and about in Sussex: from the iconic pier to choccywoccydoodah, just some of millie’s favourite places to while away a weekend in Brighton

First, I would head down to the Lanes for a bit of exercise – in other words, powerwalking among the vast number of boutiques.

One of my favourites is House of Hoye on Ship Street – I adore its textured bangles and love browsing through its range of expensive trinkets. A two-minute walk away is Mottoo, on Duke Street, which sells clothing that is smart and yet still fun and easy to wear.

It allows me to be the smart, sophisticated grown-up that every 18-year-old longs to be, but still feel like a teenager.

My teenage style really comes out when I head to Beyond Retro on Vine Street, about seven minutes away; this is my go-to shop for summer clothing. I always come out with something, because its vintage stuff is so easy to wear, and you don’t feel as if you’ve just raided a forgotten, lonely charity shop. I love searching for cute shoulder bags that are perfect for a night out, and there’s no danger of walking into a bar and seeing five people wearing the same outfit as you. Its cropped

denim dungarees are perfect for that trendy, bohemian look that everyone strives for when trooping off to festivals after exams. And for more practical festival gear, I’d head to Aston Bourne on East Street for Hunter wellies and a Barbour jacket, perfect for the unreliable British summer weather.

All that shopping would definitely make me hungry, and a trip to Sussex is not complete without a visit to the famous Choccywoccydoodah, now located in the Lanes. After walking around in the sunshine with my heavy shopping bags and a slight hangover, the Bar du Chocolat above the store is a just what I need. I would reward myself with a to-die-for, brick-like slab of chocolate cake, drizzled with hot chocolate sauce that seeps into the dark depths of the sponge.

After that wonderful pitstop, I would have to go over to the Royal Pavilion and take a gentle wander around the oriental rooms, admiring the incredibly detailed décor. A leisurely stroll through the gardens

would then take me to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, a visit that would make me seem relatively cultured if it weren’t for the chocolate on my chin and my huge pile of shopping bags.

Later that evening, I would probably be feeling quite hungry again, so I would head to one of my favourite restaurants, The Coal Shed. This is the best place for deep, smoky meat and fish in Brighton, and I would have both, choosing the surf and turf option on the menu, accompanied by a plentiful supply of beef dripping chips, which are so fat and chunky you almost daren’t dunk them into the ketchup for fear that they will explode and erupt mashed potato fluffiness.

And if I have any room left after all that, I would treat myself to the scrumptious – and gloriously large – Snickers sundae. As all of this delicious food is available on the pretheatre dinner menu, so it almost seems rude not to head over to the Theatre Royal for a guaranteed great ending to a perfect weekend that didn’t even involve getting on a plane.

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 8 5

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BOOKS style

The

Book Club

Welcome to the sussex style Book club! each month, our literary editor laura lockington will recommend inspiring reads, classic novels and exciting new authors

Cold Comfort farm by Stella GibbonS (Penguin Classics) I thought I’d kick off the Book club with an old favourite. this is a comfort re-read for me, and it’s as fresh and funny and familiar as my favourite dressing gown. Flora Poste is the wonderful woman who dominates this comedy set in Howling, an imaginary village deep in the sussex countryside. It’s written in the thirties and is a parody of the purple prose and wild romance of those times. the catchphrase ‘something nasty in the woodshed’ springs from here, and is muttered by the matriarch of the family – Aunt Ada Doom, who rules the wonderfully named starkadders from her bedroom.

Rumour has it that the countryside around Brighton still gets tourists looking for Howling and cold comfort Farm, and I’m sure many an enterprising farmer has made a few pounds showing gullible holidaymakers around. I overheard two very well-dressed women cooing ‘my dear, it’s just too cold comfort for words...’ when I was in Ditchling village a few weeks ago (to be fair, Ditchling is quite cold comfort), but that’s the joy of the book. dark aemilia by Sally o’reilly (myriad editions) they say that you should never judge a book by its cover. Well give ne copy to I disagree. you can sum up if a book is for you or not with one swift We have o ls l your detai away. emai glance. Pretty pastels and a woman reclining in the arms of a . le y sussexst to comps@ Regency buck tells me exactly what’s going on inside. or a soldier ct the subje co.uk, with cradling a semi-automatic. that’s why book designers spend so ilia’ a ‘dark em much time and money getting it just right. And my goodness, they got it right with this one: beautiful, literary and quite, quite covetable. the book is about the life and times of Aemilia lanyer, the ‘Dark lady’ of shakespeare’s sonnets, the playwright’s muse and his one true love. It’s a very romantic and erotic book that makes you believe that this simply must have happened. the research and detail is immaculate, but done with such a light hand that it appears effortless. there is a wonderful scene about the writing of macbeth that had the hairs standing up on the back of my neck, and had me cheering our heroine on. Aemilia is everything you could possible want in a heroine, too. Passionate, intelligent and happy to have some shady dealing to fulfil her dreams. sheer bliss!

Do you have a suggestion for our Book Club?

Email sarah@ sandrpublishing.co.uk

me talk Pretty one day by david Sedaris (abacus) If you haven’t heard of him (where the hell have you been?) he is, unquestionably, a star. sedaris makes oscar Wilde seem dull. Any writer that you thought was witty and funny and hilarious will pale by comparison. the only slight (and it is oh so slight) doubt that I have, is that you have to hear him, as well as read him. But you only have to hear him once to capture the idiosyncratic timing and pitch, and then you will forever have his voice in your head when you read his books. sedaris is slightly unhinged, of that I have no doubt. Deadpan. Vitriolic. Dysfunctional.

All of these words can be applied to him. His santaland Diaries take us to the time when he worked as an elf in santa’s grotto in macy’s department store, and had me quite literally weeping with laughter. In me talk Pretty one Day he is at his ironic, sarcastic, deadpan best.

August 2014 | sussexstyle .c o m | 8 7

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SHOREHAM AIRPORT THE FUTURE OF FLIGHT THE SEASON POSH FROCKS AND HATS

Tracy-Ann Oberman On her Sussex childhood

How lovely to read your interview with Tracey-Ann Oberman in the July issue.

So many actresses are either arrogant or crashingly dull that it made for a refreshing change to find Ms Oberman is funny, modest and warm. Like her heroine Angelina Jolie, it sounds as if Tracy-Ann has many more strings to her bow than just acting. I wish her all the best for the future.

Lisa D, Brighton

TURN UP THE HEAT

As the weather turns warmer, Sam Bilton catches up with chef and cookery writer Yotam Ottolenghi and discovers the secret of a great barbecue

T

here are very few things,

brave and take the barbecue plunge, so

in my book, which are not

I ask Ottolenghi for some tips (see box).

improved by the addition of some strong, black chargrill

markings,’ says Yotam Ottolenghi.

The Israeli-born chef, cookery writer

‘It’s really not that hard,’ says Ottolenghi. ‘As is often the case with cooking, the key is in the preparation.’

With this expert advice I now feel

and restaurant owner is appearing at

more confident about cooking outside

Sarah Raven’s Perch Hill Feast in East

this summer (although the barbecue

Sussex this month. Ottolenghi’s bold,

itself may take a while to resuscitate).

colourful and delicious food is heavily

So what does he have in store for the

influenced by his Middle Eastern roots.

lucky guests at the Perch Hill Feast?

There is talk of squares of halloumi

‘Perch Hill is the perfect place to

cheese, squash or sweet potato wedges,

cook tons of seasonal vegetables,’ says

meat koftas on skewers, whole sea

Ottolenghi. ‘It’s going to be a delicious

bass, quesadillas and even stone fruit

feast, drawing inspiration from my

wedges getting the chargrill treatment.

next book, Plenty More.’

It’s enough to make a barbecue-

NEW SEASON STYLE: translating the autumn trends, straight from the catwalk

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You can see back copies of Sussex Style and find out what we’re up to this month by bookmarking sandrpublishing.co.uk

SUSSEX COMEDY CLUBS: we meet the comedians who are bringing the funny to our county

This month we’re loving Give up chocolate in high summer?

Not us: we just add fruit! Green & Black’s Organic, the pioneering chocolate company that began in Hastings 20 years ago has these beauties: Lemon with Dark Chocolate and Orange with Milk Chocolate, £2.09 each.

Apparently the highlights include a

phobic girl like me salivate. ‘I’m totally

tomato and roasted lemon salad; beet

indiscriminate on this one,’ he says.

puree with yoghurt and za’atar and a

I have an expensive and cumbersome

Look out next month for our jam-packed September issue.

Highlights include:

THE CHICHESTER FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL: all you need to plan your visit

Be Inspired / July 2014

Dear Sussex Style,

In our September issue

deconstructed cheesecake with stewed

barbecue sulking in my garden. It has a

berries and orange oil. I’d be at this

right to be sullen as it has been largely

intimate celebration of seasonal food in

ignored for the past couple of years

a heartbeat, but unsurprisingly the 120

and is now rusting away in a corner.

tickets available for this event sold out

And the reason for this neglect? Fear.

in a flash. It looks like I’ll have to put up

I’m not a fan of barbecued food. The

with my own barbecue efforts until his

combination of scorched skin and the

new book comes out later this year.

risk of food poisoning just doesn’t work

Plenty More will be released in September

for me. But this year I feel I should be

2014. www.ottolenghi.co.uk.

30 | WWW.SUSSEXSTYLE.COM | JULY 2014

Dear Sussex Style Barbecuing has always been my husband’s favourite summer pastime, but he’s upped his game since reading the tips from chef Yotam Ottolenghi in your last issue. It may seem obvious, but his advice to keep things simple and barbecue just two or three types of food rather than filling the grill with lots of choice has made our family barbies easier, faster and with much less fuss! Thanks for the interview!

M Williams, East Grinstead

GET IN TOUCH

Got something to tell us? Email our editor Sarah Drew Jones at sarah@sandrpublishing.co.uk

AUGUST 2014 | SUSSEXSTYLE .C O M | 8 9

LAST WORD

Foul play Dan Raven is left cold by the hot summer of sport

‘Y

our big summer of sport’ – that’s how they described it on the telly. Why they’d attribute ownership of all this sport to me, when I’ve always maintained that sport is basically just Dungeons & Dragons for people with no imagination, I’ve no idea. But big it most certainly was, what with the World Cup in Brazil, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Tour de France in Yorkshire, high hopes for Andy Murray at Wimbledon and all that Test cricket… zzzz. What’s that? Oh sorry, must have dropped off for a moment.

football pitch in the teeming favelas of Brazil, so the children there have to play in the street – and frequently grow up to be among the best players in the world. And the success of the Eastern Bloc countries at gymnastics, tennis and a good many other sports is not so much due to an abundance of facilities as it is to incredibly harsh training regimes that, in some cases, kick off almost as soon as the poor little kids can make a fist. In each of these cases, the thing that makes the child so good at their sport is a sense of grinding necessity: poverty or parental pressure has made them feel as if they have literally no other option than to get good at it.

❝

I’m writing this in July and we’ve only just scratched It would seem, then, that the best way to ensure the surface of the summer’s bigness, but already that a child will grow up to be good at football is the signs for Team GB are not good. England gave It would seem, then, that to take away his shoes. British children tend to their worst World Cup performance for 58 years, the best way to ensure that have their own shoes (sometimes they even have Andy Murray got knocked out of Wimbledon a child will grow up to be special ones just for football!) as well as access to after a few rounds of strikingly abstract swearing, and the first of what will likely prove to be several good at football is to take a wide range of sporting facilities, and very few of them have to grow up in the certain knowledge British cyclists has just had to pull out of the Tour away his shoes that sport will be their only chance of ever making any de France. And, as sure as night follows day, here comes money – and that’s why they’re so rubbish at it! Is that really the inevitable deluge of hand-wringing editorials about how we need to invest more public money in sport for schools, and build something we should feel sad or ashamed about? Shouldn’t we kind of more facilities for the wee ones to practise in – because that’s the only want to live in a country where the slums aren’t as big as the cities, and possible explanation for why we, as a nation, should be so rubbish at the pre-schoolers go to Tumble Tots instead of bone-warping infant gymnastics academies? sport when we basically rock at so much other stuff, right?

Well, no. There was no local leisure centre in the little town where Usain Bolt grew up, so he ran on dirt roads. There’s no room for a 90 | S U SS E X ST Y L E . C OM | AUGUST 2014

Next time, I propose we wait until after England loses to get our flags out – because that’s the part that should make us the most proud.

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