VantagePoint Magazine March 14 - Guildford & Villages by VantagePoint Magazine

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Guildford & Villages • March 2014

VANTAGEPOINT YOUR COMMUNITY  YOUR VIEW

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Getting out with the children around the Guildford area

MAGAZINE

Also inside: JOTTINGS COMPETITIONS GUILDFORD CHORAL SOCIETY GUIILDFORD SOCIETY

TO THE POINT

find it hard to believe that April 2014 sees the fifth anniversary of Vantage Publishing’s first local community magazine, which covered the Godalming area and came out in April 2009. Farnham came out later that year, Haslemere was introduced in 2010 and Guildford followed in 2011, the same year in which we added Cranleigh to our Godalming edition. This year, with our new magazine VantagePoint, we have added Midhurst and Petworth to our Haslemere edition and we launch

a brand new Dorking edition next month. All these magazines are still produced by the same local team, which is something that has major benefits, at least according to one of our regular contributors. He writes: “I am, as ever, grateful that you carry my information and help to get the word out there via your Jottings and hope that as readers read more closely what is actually written, so they will detect a more insightful and accurate turn of phrase in VantagePoint when it comes to local events. There

is nothing like being part of a community, in order to get a better feel on the ground for what really makes people tick. An outside observer just doesn’t seem to achieve the same authenticity or authority, in my humble opinion”. I have worked out that between us all, we have lived in this area for a combined total of around 170 years and would wager that no other local magazine can boast that. Mind you, that does make us all sound very old, which as you can see below is completely untrue! SR

VantagePoint is the local magazine produced by local people for the local community, and is published by Vantage Publishing, a Godalming based magazine business established in 2009. We publish four magazines which are currently delivered monthly by Royal Mail to 88,127 homes across the South East. From Spring 2014, we will be launching a new Dorking edition which will take our circulation to 107,277 homes. Please visit our website or contact any of us below if you need any more information.

Vantage Publishing Limited 6 Chestnut Suite, Guardian House, Borough Road, Godalming, Surrey GU7 2AE.

For more articles and Jottings, visit it us online at

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T: 01483 421601 W: vantagepublishing.co.uk

THE VANTAGEPOINT TEAM Stefan Reynolds Editor & Publisher 01483 421601 stefan@vantagepublishing.co.uk

Carol Martin Sales Executive 01483 418141 carol@vantagepublishing.co.uk

Marcus Atkins Sales Director 01483 420173 marcus@vantagepublishing.co.uk

Angie & Nick Crisell Jotters 01483 421601 jottings@vantagepublishing.co.uk

Contributors: Caroline Boucher, Elizabeth Carlos, Andrew Crisell, Carol Farley, Nick Farley, Andrea Pinnington, Matthew Pottage, Paul Robinson, Kirstie Smilie Print: Polestar Stones

The contents of this magazine are protected by copyright and nothing can be reprinted without prior permission of the publisher. The publisher has tried to ensure that all information is accurate but does not take any responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We take no responsibility for advertisments printed in the magazine or loose inserts that might be delivered alongside it. © Vantage Publishing Limited.

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Smart Casual or Casual Smart?

For some, ‘smart casual’ has brought with it a mild panic particularly with men. Gone are the simple days of just a suit and tie, unless ‘city smart’ is required, as now a personality is also going to be on show. But, developing a relaxed, smart vibe can be confusing, so working with Kirstie, an expert stylist, will save time and add confidence to try something new. Sales Director at VantagePoint magazine, Marcus Atkins forty(ish!), was keen to try a personal styling appointment. Being just over 6ft, and a standard large in most shirts and knitwear, he generally asks his wife, Sarah, to buy his clothes. Apart from his ‘loud’ shirts, which the whole family dislike, he admitted to rarely going clothes shopping besides a brief, 30 seconds decision shop - although he had recently bought twelve shirts in a multi online deal (mostly stripes!). We discussed his requirements for a working wardrobe. Smart casual definitely fits Marcus’s brief as he needs to be comfortable in the Godalming based office, but smart enough to visit clients throughout the day. My selection for Marcus needed to fulfil his love of bold statements which are usually stripe shirts and also offer options for trousers apart from casual loose jeans. So I chose smaller

Above: Before Right: After - Slim ﬁtting jeans and jacket; Classic brogues, £185, Barker Top right: Kirstie and Marcus chat in the Tea Terrace.

“

…it was ﬁnding those dark blue Paul Smith jeans that opened my eyes to what style of clothing I need to go for in the future, so thanks for that!

”

Add colour Left: Teal sweater, Diesel, £80; worn over ﬂoral shirt, £100, Diesel Right: Coral sweater, £110; tan belt, £45, both Ralph Lauren; stripy T-shirt, £18, Jack & Jones. vantagepointmag.co.uk

FASHION print shirts, mini checks and soft colours, with stronger highlights for fine knitwear. I selected the waistcoat and jacket from Ted Baker to offer the smart but trendier option of layered suiting to wear with dark jeans or chinos, and printed t-shirts for a more casual look. Marcus looked sharp but relaxed in slim jeans and tailored jacket combo, and fresh with the bright knitted accent colours. He loved the waistcoat but I suggested he wore it with smaller prints and soft pastel shirts instead of bright stripes. I advised that he should invest in a timeless classic brogue and a quality leather belt as male dressing is all about the small details, not over the top design details, and to choose classic colours highlighted with brights in knits and accessories. So, what does Marcus think? “I really enjoyed the experience, despite being a bit apprehensive at the beginning simply because I was so much out of my comfort zone. But it didn’t take long after trying clothes on, to get into the swing of the whole experience. I would definitely do this again, and I’d recommend Kirstie to my friends; if they can get past the slightly prissy image of going for the service, then everyone really would benefit, that I am sure.”

The Hair Cut The day before his personal shopping experience, Marcus had his hair cut at hip barbers, Hairosmith, 1 Church Street, Godalming. Owner, Adam Smith, oﬀered some top tips: * do not use too much product * visit a barber every 2-4 weeks to keep your cut looking sharp * as men mature and hair thins a regular hair cut will keep hair looking fuller March 2014

Top left: Waistcoat £120, Ted Baker; Pink shirt, £110, Paul Smith. Top right: Jacket £250, Ted Baker; T-shirt, £15 Jack & Jones; Slim dark jeans, £100 Paul Smith. Bottom left: Claret chinos, £36, Raging Bull; Mini check red/white shirt, £85 Ted Baker. Bottom right: Tobacco chinos, £79, Ted Baker. Left: Have fun - Scarf, £45, Glen Prince. FIND OUT MORE

Kirstie is an experienced fashion stylist to both men and women

Shopping and The Tea Terrace restaurant at House of Fraser, call 01483 307400.

For one-to-one shopping and styling appointments, tailored to your own requirements, call her on 07773 234947 or email kirstie@kirstiesmillie.com.

Photographs by Anna Saverimuttu, a Guildfordbased commercial and corporate photographer. For more details of her work, visit annasaverimuttuphotography.co.uk. Email anna@annasaverimuttu. co.uk.

All clothes from House of Fraser, Guildford. Personal

The

GREAT OUTDOORS

Andrea Pinnington offers some things to do and to see with the children. They’re fun and they’re free... Do you have children of varying ages who all seem to want to do different things with most of them involving screens? Are you worried that they might grow up not knowing the difference between a blackbird and a blue tit? Or do you find that you just lack inspiration of what to see outside and where to go? South-east England is packed with an amazing number of nature reserves and areas of special scientific interest, but most things you can see and do on your doorstep. Now, with the whole of the spring and summer ahead of us, here are some ideas for outdoor family activities: March: listening for birds The days are beginning to become significantly longer and the birds are in full song from about an hour before dawn to about an hour afterwards. The birds that feed on worms strike up first (blackbirds, robins, thrushes) followed by the insect feeders (wrens, blackcaps) with the seed feeders being the last to get their early morning act together (finches, sparrows). Learning how to recognize just a few bird sounds can make nature walks extremely gratifying and can spark some heated family debates. Some of the easiest 14

birdsongs for children to identify are the blackbird, wren, wood pigeon, crow, great tit, chiffchaff and skylark. You can hear them all at www.rspb.org. Another March spectacular is the sight of toads heading for breeding grounds. The numbers on the move in one night can be incredible. If you do come across them (and there are plenty in the area) the females are the bigger ones, who are usually giving a lift to the smaller males. If you don’t get to see them, then just listen out for the croaking sound of frogs and toads calling out to find a mate. April: butterfly spotting With the Easter holidays comes more time for nature-based activities. As long as the weather is reasonably fine, it can be rewarding and fun to go butterfly spotting. Look out for brimstones, peacocks, commas, small tortoiseshells and holly blues in particular. The best places to see these butterflies are often gardens and parks, so there is no need to travel far. If you can’t tell a painted lady from a peacock, then you can find a handy guide at www. finefeatherpress.com. You may be lucky when you are out and about to happen upon the first spring baby animals such as rabbits and ducklings and vantagepointmag.co.uk

keep a look out for frog and toad spawn in nearby ponds. Frog spawn is found in large gelatinous clumps, while toad spawn lies in long strings that usually wraps around reeds. Now is also a good time to watch for the first swallows, swifts and house martins. These birds have come a long way and deserve a round of applause. Many are returning to original nesting sites whilst last year’s brood need to build their nests from scratch. May: pond dipping May carries with it the promise of summer. Cow parsley is in full froth on the roadsides and the sweet smell of bluebells fills the air. A forest walk is a May must, not just for the heavenly scented wild flowers but also for spotting some fabulous birds, such as the great spotted woodpecker, small treecreeper and the even tinier goldcrest – one of Britain’s smallest birds. If you listen hard, you can hear their tiny chirruping high up in conifer trees, but don’t ask your grandparents if they can hear them as they may well be outside their hearing range! My favourite May activity is pond dipping. All you need is a net and a jam jar or a shallow plastic tray. Every dip yields something new and you might be lucky enough to find frog, toad and newt tadpoles, damselfly and dragonfly nymphs, water boatmen, pond skaters and possibly a stickleback or two. You may be treated to the dazzling display of carp spawning, which also happens around this time or see the air thick with May flies – an insect that is born with no mouth parts and destined to fly for just one day. June: night-time safaris Dawn and dusk are the best time to see most mammals. Look in gardens or head out to woodland edges and you’ll probably be rewarded with the sight of hedgehogs, badgers, foxes and March 2014

bats, not to mention many different types of insects. Many local societies organise bat walks, which can be great fun to take the kids on. There are 18 species of bat in the UK but you can guarantee that it won’t just be the bats you see. As the sun sets, the air can be alive with alarmingly large insects: large, brown cockchafers become active in gardens, parks and woodland edges as well as the rather more aggressivelooking black stag beetles. Look out for glow worms, too. These are actually beetles and it is the female that glows brightly in order to attract a male. If it is night-time birds you are after, then June is the ideal month and the extensive heathland areas nearby are the perfect place to find them. Listen for the chirring whirr of the nightjars or the nightingale’s melodious call. Among the best places to hear these birds are Puttenham Common, Farnham Heath, Hankley Common and Bookham Common. July: peaceful picnics What’s not to love about July? For most, the long holidays are yet to come and days of picnics, bike rides and dusk-time adventures beckon. Sounds of skylarks fill the air and many animals are preoccupied with bringing up their young. It’s fun to find a spot in a meadow or on grassland just to sit and watch or listen. Ask the kids to write down all the animals they 15

can see or hear in a 15-minute interval. The more you look, the more you see and you may be surprised by the number of species you record. Particularly vocal at this time of year are grasshoppers and crickets leaping in front of you as you walk through the long grass. It’s also fun to spy the laden pollen sacs on the legs of bees and bumblebees. Become an animal detective: see if you can find signs of any animal tracks and look under large oak trees and conifers for owl pellets. These are the regurgitated lumps of undigested food that owls bring up. They are fascinating to dissect (they are quite dry and powdery) as you often find tiny animal bones in them belonging to mice and small birds – gruesome but really interesting! August: reptile hunting August is a great month for reptile spotting. Surrey and Sussex have many areas of heathland where native snakes and lizards can be found. The best time to see them is basking in the sun to warm up in the morning. Excitingly, the rare sand lizard (below) has been reintroduced to Farnham Heath – the male is particularly dashing with its bright green sides during the mating season. Keep an eye out for shedded snake skins – a handsome trophy to return home with for a windowsill nature table. Heathlands are also good for certain species of butterflies such as small coppers, common blues and walls. In fine weather, why not try camping out with friends? Lying looking up at the stars is magical and there are some amazing smart phone applications that tell you what constellations you are looking at. On a clear night from mid-July to mid-August you may be treated to the fabulous showers of Perseus, when you could see up to 50 meteors (shooting stars to me and you) an hour. If you’re not convinced by the powers of nature watching, then I’d recommend spending two minutes watching the trailer for Project Wild Thing at www.projectwildthing.com. It’s hilarious.

Andrea Pinnington writes nature activity books for children. Her latest guides – Let’s Look for Butterﬂies; Garden Birds; Wild Flowers and Garden Wildlife – are available from www.ﬁnefeatherpress.com.

Things to do

LOCALLY

The North Downs Way runs through Guildford and there are many spots to stop for a picnic, listen for birds, spot butterflies and wild flowers and see deer. Try Pewley Down, Chantry Woods and Newlands Corner, or in the summer holidays, put on a backpack and make a day of it following the Way’s acorn signs. The Wey Navigation is one of the area’s great natural resources and the towpath is a fantastic location for spying the first ducklings and cygnets, watching dragonflies and damselflies, pond dipping and discovering a whole host of other river wildlife. If you want to travel a bit further afield for some great butterfly spotting, then head for Denbies Hillside near Dorking in July to catch the chalkhill blues or, for the more dedicated, make for Bookham Common to track down the purple emperors, white admirals and silver-washed fritillaries. Chinthurst Hill is a good place for a nature walk especially when the bluebells are out. The Surrey Wildlife Trust do a good self-guided trail that you can download for this and many other reserves, as well as organising a range of great activities for all the family. For night-time adventurers, not much can beat the spectacle of glow worms shining in the dark and last year there were some sightings in the Shalford and Gomshall area, so if you live around there, keep your eyes peeled around July. You may see signs up locally, alerting you to summer evening bat walks, if not look online for them at the websites listed below, then record any sightings at www.bigbatmap.org. Here are some other websites that have a whole range of useful resources both for places to go and organised family activities: www.nationaltrust.org; www.visitsurrey. com; www.naturalengland.org.uk; www.forestry.gov.uk.

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Seed Going to

Growing your own vegetables could not be easier. Locally based Paul Robinson from SeedPod oﬀers some tips...

s we approach spring, and say goodbye to frosts and those horribly short days of winter, many will be turning their thoughts to the garden and how to get the most out of a patch of soil – however large or small. Whether it’s just a few window boxes, a small garden, or a boastful allotment, more and more of us are looking to reconnect to the food we eat by growing it ourselves. The activity of sowing seeds, nurturing plants and enjoying the vegetables, fruit, herbs and all the bounties of a garden, is one that is (ahem…) growing in popularity, and it’s clear why. Undoubtedly the steady stream of negative stories in the press relating to food scandals is one reason, but there are also a huge number of positives around growing food that should appeal to us all: eating food that is fresh and in season is certainly at the top of my list, but it’s also great knowing

“

Getting started with home growing really isn’t as hard as you might think

”

that you’ve been able to reduce your food miles and your carbon footprint, learnt some new horticultural skills, and have cut those big shopping bills down to size. Besides which, having an additional reason to spend time outside will always get my vote. Living in this part of the country we are extremely fortunate both with the amount of green space we have available, and the welcoming and amenable climate that allows us to grow such a wide range of herbs and vegetables. The choice really is considerable and limited only by your tastes: whether you fancy juicy and sweet tomatoes, crisp cool cucumber, beautiful sweetcorn, refreshing salad leaves, or hearty root vegetables to take you through the winter months. There really can be something for everyone to enjoy in a vegetable garden. And getting started with home growing really isn’t as hard as you might think. So now that warmer weather is on the horizon, here are a few tips to encourage you to venture outside, and help you get started with your own veg patch. 20

• Your ﬁrst task should be taking stock of what you’ve already got. Have a think about the size of your garden, and how much of that space you would like to set aside for your vegetable patch. You don’t have to turn every last inch of your garden over to rows and rows of veg, so try to get the right balance of proportions between other beds, your lawn or patio area for relaxing and entertaining, and the other structures within your garden. Ideally you’re looking for a space that is sheltered, and in partial shade. But no matter the size, most of us can ﬁnd somewhere to build a raised bed, or to dig over some turf for a few short rows of growing space. And of course no matter where or how large you start, you can always add and adapt your space each year as your needs change, and as you learn more. • Having established how much space you want to set aside, take some time to clear it of weeds and tired plants that have perhaps passed their best, and dig over the ground. Next, and this is really important, add some organic, peat-free matter to inject some nutrients and to improve the ability of your soil to retain moisture. If you have a particularly clay-heavy soil then adding some sandy material will also help to break up the soil, and to improve drainage. Continuing to add compost and natural organic matter will be important to the health of your vegetable garden. • Start your own compost. It’s something you should be doing all year round, but there’s no reason not to start right now. Certainly as the months get warmer you’ll be able to produce a lot more – particularly if you turn it over regularly. To get started you can either buy a vantagepointmag.co.uk

plastic tub from your local garden centre, or you could quite easily make one yourself with a timber kit. There really isn’t any reason to waste your lawn and green hedge trimmings, or the green waste from your kitchen, so make sure you put it all to good use. Your garden will love you for it. • Now we’re in March it’s an excellent time of year to get sowing. If you’re planning on sowing outdoors, you should either have covered and warmed the soil in preparation, or be prepared to use cold frames or cloches to keep any further frosts out. There are of course some hardy varieties you could sow, but most plants will appreciate the additional protection provided by the cover. There’s quite an extensive selection of seeds that can be sown this month, but here are some of my favourites that are incredibly easy to grow and get you started: I love the taste of broad beans and they are really simple to grow and care for, particularly if you choose a variety that requires less support. Sow your beans individually about 20 cm apart, and 5 cm deep. Be sure to maintain approximately 40 cm between each row. If you do choose a variety requiring a frame, some vertical bamboo canes connected by horizontal rows of garden twine should suﬃce. Carrots are great if you’re just starting out, as they aren’t so keen on wellmanured soil. Take care though, as they will need to be grown undercover this time of year. Simply sow the seed into a drill 1 cm deep, and keep each row 30 cm apart. You will need to thin out your carrots as they grow larger, so it’s best not to be too generous as you sow the seed. The less you have to disturb the plants later – which can attract pests – the better. Rocket is also incredibly easy to grow, but will likewise require some protection March 2014

until later in the spring: sow in drills just 1 cm deep and you should see a crop fairly quickly. If you stagger your sowing, and regularly pick the leaves as they grow, you should enjoy a great crop. There are so many other things to try including hot and sweet varieties of peppers which can be grown inside. You could also try your hand at growing cabbage, leeks, onions, parsnips, sprouting broccoli, asparagus, peas, onions, and radishes etc. March is one of those months where you are spoilt for choice. There’s certainly a lot to think about, but don’t let that put you oﬀ. Getting out into the garden and shaping it into something that suits your own tastes is hugely rewarding. And you’d be amazed at the speed at which your vegetable plants start growing and providing you with a beautiful space to enjoy. If you feel as though you would like some additional help then there are plenty of books and online resources out there to oﬀer you support. Your local garden centre will also have a team of experts who can point you in the right direction, and give you all the latest advice. Alternatively you can let us help by sending you monthly packets of organic vegetable seeds. Each month our members receive all the information required to sow and grow vegetable plants within the members-only section of our website. We also continue to hold your hand all the way through the year. No prior knowledge or experience is required – it really couldn’t be simpler. FIND OUT MORE

For more information, visit getseedpod.com, or drop them a line at greetings@getseedpod.com.

Guildford Choral Society

uildford Choral Society has a long and proud history. Founded in 1839 at the beginning of Queen Victoria’s reign (she had been Queen for only two years), it is one of England’s longest established amateur choral societies with an unbroken record of performance. The choir had some illustrious founding Patrons and connections, amongst whom were Lady Noel Byron, (wife of England’s controversial poet, George Gordon, Lord Byron) and the Earl of Lovelace. He was created Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey in 1840 and was married to Ada, Lord and Lady Byron’s daughter, who was a mathematician and writer and is widely recognised as being the world’s ﬁrst computer programmer and after whom the computing language, ADA, is named. Guildford Choral Society will soon be celebrating 175 years of glorious music-making in Guildford, at Guildford Cathedral and at G Live, Guildford’s new Concert Hall, where it was the ﬁrst choir to perform after the Concert Hall was opened in 2012. The choir also provides regular opportunities for singers to perform in London venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, where it appeared most recently as part of the BBC Big Sing Top 10 Hymns and Carols recordings and Beethoven ‘s Choral Symphony in June 2013. Guildford Choral Society has a long-standing relationship with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and will perform again with them at the Royal Albert Hall on March 19th 2014. The Choir will perform Edward Elgar’s masterwork, “The Dream of Gerontius” with the City of London Choir, under the direction of Hilary Davan Wetton. Readers will be pleased to learn that they can hear this stupendous work performed by Guildford Choral Society, Brussels Choral Society and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jonathan Willcocks at Guildford Cathedral on March 15th 2014.

Jonathan Willcocks was appointed Music Director to Guildford Choral in April 2012 and the Choir is overjoyed to have captured such a prize. Jonathan has an international reputation as a composer and choral director and is in great demand, at home and abroad, as a guest conductor. In addition, Jonathan also conducts Southern Pro Musica, a professional chamber orchestra that has recently won funding from Guildford Borough Council to become the major provider of classical music in the Guildford area and he is music director of the Chichester Singers, with whom he has a long association. Despite his punishing schedule of engagements, Jonathan conducts rehearsals with Guildford Choral every Thursday evening with an irresistible abundance of dynamic energy and enthusiasm that sweeps all before it. What is the reason for Guildford Choral Society’s enviable longevity, do I hear you ask? Have they discovered the Fountain of Youth? Will they share their secret? Apart from the great pride the Choir has in being part of Guildford’s history and the rejuvenating power of singing great music, it has the abiding characteristic of friendliness. It is imbued with good spirit: between the singers themselves, between the singers and Léon Charles, the Choir’s esteemed accompanist and between the singers and their Music Director. Guildford Choral Society is always delighted to welcome new members and invites prospective singers to attend rehearsals to enjoy what it feels like to sing with over 140 other singers. Membership is by auditions, which are sensitively and good-humouredly taken by Jonathan. Rehearsals take place every Thursday evening from 7.30pm to 9.30pm at Queen Eleanor’s School, Queen Eleanor’s Road, Onslow Village, Guildford, so if any readers are interested in joining, please contact Catherine Wands on 01483 452593 and make a date to join a rehearsal. FIND OUT MORE

For more details, please visit the website at www.guildfordchoral.org.

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A revealing past Inside the private apartment of Polesden Lacey’s illustrious owner

olesden Lacey is a magniﬁcent house and gardens in Great Bookham, Surrey, which is looked after by the National Trust. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mrs Greville, the woman who owned Polesden Lacey and left it to the National Trust in her will. In March a new display opens at her former home revealing the interior design secrets of her private apartment, along with some surprising stories. In her early 20th century heyday, the formidable society hostess, Mrs Ronnie Greville, boasted that in one morning three kings had been sitting on her bed. Mrs Greville undoubtedly attracted controversy. She was described by some as: “one of the greatest of all hostesses” but also as “a galumphing, greedy, snobbish old toad.” In 1906 society couple Maggie and Ronnie Greville bought Polesden Lacey. The newly remodelled house was just what they were looking for, a relaxed country villa ﬁtted out with every modern luxury. The house had been substantially re-built between 1903 and 1905 by the architect Ambrose Poynter for Sir Clinton Dawkins. Poynter’s new building contained all the specialised rooms needed for entertaining and family life. This house was a machine of Edwardian hospitality; luxurious guest suites were served by a skilled army of staff.

Left: Mrs Greville. Above: Polesden Lacey from the front. Right: Conservation work in the bathroom of Mrs Greville’s apartment, with the bathroom shown above.

On the surface Maggie and Ronnie left the house much as it was, only extending and improving several of the bedroom suites and creating bow fronts on the eastern wings. Under the surface however there was a thorough re-working of the interiors. Both the purchase and the improvements were funded by Maggie’s father, William McEwan. With his ﬁnancial help Maggie and Ronnie employed the architects Mewès and Davis architects of the Ritz Hotel. They worked with society decorators White Allom & Co who specialised in the use of architectural salvage. This partnership would turn Polesden Lacey into the glittering power house of one of the greatest hostesses of Edwardian high society, ﬁt to entertain kings and maharajas. vantagepointmag.co.uk

A reporter from The Onlooker in 1910 gushingly described Maggie Greville, who was now widowed and known to her friends as ‘Mrs Ronnie’, as ‘one of the leading and most successful London hostesses’. Polesden Lacey, they said, reflected ‘her own striking personality’. By 1910 Mrs Greville had transformed the interior of the house and extensively remodelled the gardens. Her apartment was one of the few which also had a physical extension. Throughout the first floor rooms, Mewès and Davis had used their considerable skill and experience to bring Ritz style to the country. In her own apartment Maggie Greville chose a fusion of styles from Mewès and Davis’s repertoire. The bedroom took inspiration from the 18th century designs of Robert Adam, but was furnished in the chinoiserie style. The boudoir was Jacobean in style, and the bathroom was decadent, marble-clad Edwardian elegance. Mrs Greville was pleased and used the firm again when redecorating her London town house. She wrote to Davis in 1915: ‘I do not think it would be possible to find an architect more courteous, more obliging and clever than you.’ She also apologised for being late with her bills, so may have felt a bit of flattery was in order. When Mrs Greville died in 1942 one of the greatest bequests was all her major jewels to Queen Elizabeth, who we know today as the Queen Mother. This included an incredible Boucheron tiara and Marie Antoinette necklace. Today they are in the royal collection and on state occasions can be seen worn by Camilla Parker Bowles or the Queen. At the time of the announcement, James Lees-Milne, secretary of the National Trust is noted to have said: ‘Everyone in London is agog to learn the terms of Mrs G’s will’. James Lees-Milne was one of the first to hear that Mrs Greville had left Polesden Lacey and her valuable collection to the nation. Around the same time the news was broken to the royal family. In 1914 Mrs Greville had promised to leave Polesden Lacey to Prince Albert, now King George VI, and the royal family were still expecting the legacy. Queen Elizabeth, said in 1942: ‘I’m not sure that this isn’t a very good idea because it is a very difficult place to keep up.’ In the midst of war the relatively young National Trust needed to make decisions about how to use this generous bequest. This Spring, visitors are invited to see Mrs Greville’s private apartment for themselves. It is a fascinating Edwardian interior and includes a rare surviving marble bathroom. Thanks to a two year research project, the unfurnished March 2014

apartment can be seen, along with personal items that have been tracked down. There will be digital graphics and an interactive display showing how the apartment used to look, based on inventories and photographs in the archive. “The funds for this project were raised by our visitors, and we hope our work casts new light on the private world of Mrs Greville,” says Vicky Bevan, House and Collections Manager. FIND OUT MORE

These and many more surprising facts about Mrs Greville are revealed in a new book by Sian Evans called: Mrs Ronnie: The society hostess who collected kings, published by Anova and available from the gift shop at Polesden Lacey. Mrs Greville’s apartment at Polesden Lacey is open from 1 March 2014, seven days a week. Open 12.30pm to 5pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 5pm weekends. Normal house admission fees apply.

The

Book REVIEW

Our pick of some good reads, both new and old. For more information, please contact carol.farley@farleypart.com

A272 - An Ode to a Road If you need to go west from this part of the world - and let’s face it, we can’t go too far east - you will almost inevitably at some point ﬁnd yourself on the A272. You’ve used it a million times, I’m sure, and probably been quite unaware of it. Put simply, the A272 is the road that runs the 90 miles from Poundford in East Sussex to Winchester in Hampshire. However, to a Dutch couple, Pieter and Rita Boogaart, it means so much more than that and they have been travelling along this road on holiday for many years. What Pieter and Rita truly love about the road is the fact that it “epitomises England”. Of course, you may feel that, as you live in England, you already know what epitomises England thank you very much and that you don’t need two Dutchmen to tell you about it; but I think you’d be wrong. Because the road means so much to them they have taken an interest in its buildings, people and landscape that we, as natives, take for granted and

ignore. This, the third edition of this travel classic, opens our eyes. Rita and Pieter follow the A272 from east to west celebrating the good, the bad and the ugly, the beautiful, the trivial and the glorious. Past Uckﬁeld and Cuckﬁeld, Wineham and Twineham, past Littleworth and Fittleworth towards Pittleworth. Past Ovington and Avington. And in the distance they look at places like Lewes, Brighton and Chichester, at Barcombe and Balcombe, Duncton, Runcton and Buncton, Havant and Lavant, Walderton, Walberton and Warbleton. What is just a road to us is a joy to them. We can share their enthusiasm: this book encourages us to explore, by giving fascinating insights to the landscape, the places, the people and their stories. I can guarantee that you will discover so many fascinating things in this book; things about places that you have probably passed by, or through, many times without ever really ‘seeing’. It has taken this Dutch couple to

By Pieter and Rita Boogaart Published by Pallas Atheness Non-ﬁction Paperback £19.99

make me take the time to open my eyes and properly to ‘see’ the very special places and people along this ordinary road. This is an original and fascinating book that is particularly special to we who live here and will inevitably be users of the A272. Nick Farley

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck Greg Heﬄey’s on a losing streak. His best friend has ditched him and taken up with Abigail, and Greg’s discovering that ﬁnding new friends in middle school is a bit trickier than he’d imagined.

hook on my project. “My Sources Say No.” See, THIS is what’s been missing my whole life. Now that I’ve got something to help me make all the LITTLE decisions, I’m free to focus on the IMPORTANT stuﬀ.

To change his fortune, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things round, or is Greg’s life destined to be just another hard-luck story?

This is latest edition in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by American author Jeﬀ Kinney. If you don’t know these books they are part comic strip, part novel and are very funny. Boys, who apparently do much less reading than girls these days, in particular seem to love them – so much so that the series has sold over 115 million copies worldwide. I liked it even though I’m not a boy.

Extract: I started by asking the Magic 8 Ball if I should take a shower and if I really needed to ﬁnish the outline for my Science Fair project. I got a “Yes” on the hygiene issue, but the Magic 8 Ball totally let me oﬀ the 30

Carol Farley

By Jeﬀ Kinney Published by Puﬃn in November 2013 Fiction, hardback For age 9+ years £12.99 vantagepointmag.co.uk

BOOKS The Cazalet Chronicles

The Light Years, Marking Time, Confusion, Casting Off You might have caught an abridged version of these books on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. I heard a snippet and was intrigued: not sufficiently intrigued to go out and buy volume one, but to order it from the library (it took ages to arrive and I’d forgotten all about it) and I’ve been hooked ever since and bought them all, including volume five in hardback – I couldn’t wait until the paperback release this month. The Cazalets are a well-heeled family who live in scruffy grandeur in London and, at weekends, in Sussex, near to Tunbridge Wells. (Note that these fictional Cazelets are nothing to do with the real Cazelets who live at Fairlawne House near Tonbridge.) The tale starts in the late 1930s with three generations of Cazalets. The patriarch and two of his sons are timber merchants in London. These two – both married and with children – have been through the First World War, Hugh still suffering from shellshock and the loss of a hand, his womanising brother, Edward, unscathed both mentally and physically. The youngest son, Rupert, is an artist, who was too young to have been called up and is married for the second time (his first wife having died giving birth to their second child) to a flibbertigibbet, Zoe, who largely ignores her stepchildren.

As the family gather in the rambling Sussex house, calmly run by Mrs Cazalet senior (‘the Duchy’) and an army of servants, they await the outbreak of the Second World War, their numbers swelled by cousins, aunts, family friends and their old governess. The narrative focuses on each character in turn; long, boring summer afternoons captured so perfectly through the eyes of the children; the bone-numbing cold of winters with prewar lack of heating and not very plentiful hot water (queues for baths), the helpless inertia felt by the women as the war looms and rationing, clothes coupons and lack of domestic help start to take effect. The adults all smoke and drink a great deal, dress for dinner and go dancing in London whenever the opportunity arises, often clad in dresses made from curtains. Howard’s eye for detail is delightful and her tone uncensorious. Edward’s daughter, Louise, is undoubtedly based on her – beautiful, unhappy in her first marriage (Louise to a society portraitist, Howard herself to naturalist Peter Scott), a total lack of maternal feelings, unfulfilled ambitions. The books track the family through the war, into the austere Fifties and onwards. The younger generation largely migrate to London - the homeschooled girls totally ill-equipped

By Elizabeth Jane Howard Published by Pan Fiction Paperback £8.99 Final volume, All Change to be released in paperback April 10 2014

to find any interesting work. By this time the characters are so familiar the reader is immersed in, and intrigued by, their different problems. Howard wrote these wonderful books at the end of her life – she died recently aged 90 having only just completed the fifth volume. They are a fitting memorial. Caroline Boucher

Squeezing the Orange

By Henry Blofeld Published 2013 by Blue Door Non-ﬁction Hardback £20

January 2014

Henry Blofeld is a bit of a gem. In a world of bland people, Blowers is an eﬀervescent and convivial companion, both on air and in print. A long-time and popular commentator on Test Match Special (TMS), his melliﬂuous tone radiates bonhomie and a deep knowledge of his subject, alongside his famous observations of passing buses and the everyday goings on beyond the cricket pitch. Blofeld was a schoolboy cricketer, but his exceptional career was cut short by a serious accident in his late teens, although he did go on to play for Cambridge University.

A relative managed to get him a job in merchant banking which was not to his taste and he soon drifted into sports journalism for both local and national newspapers. In 1972 he was invited to join TMS where he remains a favourite for his legion of fans. While I’m not a great follower of cricket (I blame my French genes), I enjoyed this book immensely. Blofeld is such a joyously optimistic adventurer that you cannot help but be seduced by his exuberant tales of a life well lived. Stefan Reynolds 31

Three Foraged Starters for Spring Peter Sibley from Forest Foragers offers us three starters mixing wild and farmed ingredients After the wettest winter I can remember, how will spring turn out? I am hoping for a good one. For the forager, winter is a slack season, few foods are available to be collected on land, but the seashore is a different matter, with ﬁsh, shellﬁsh, seaweeds and some seashore plants always present. Make the most of fresh spring ingredients, both wild and farmed; spring doesn’t last long, so enjoy its bounty while it lasts!

Crayfish Cocktail Freshwater can produce something too – it’s delicious and you can eat it with a clear conscience, as you will be helping our native wildlife – it is the introduced American Signal Crayfish. This escaped from captive stocks in the 1970’s and has now established itself in many places. It is voracious, competes with our native White Clawed Crayfish and worst, carries a disease called crayfish plague, to which our native crayfish is very susceptible. So, eat as many of this alien invader as you can! Catching it yourself in traps is possible, though you need a permit from the Environment Agency, but it can also be bought from online suppliers. Here is a recipe for Prawn Cocktail, but using crayfish instead of prawns.

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together and refrigerate. 2. Peel 8 of the crayﬁsh, discarding the black line that runs down the back of the tail section, (this is the gut) and chop up. (Keep the remains to make soup). 3. Line 4 cocktail glasses with cucumber slices.

remaining cucumber and sauce and divide between the glasses, sprinkle a little paprika on, put the tomato halves and the unshelled crayﬁsh on top and serve.

Ingredients 12 large Signal Crayﬁsh 24 baby plum tomatoes, halved ½ a small cucumber, sliced thinly, peeled or not as you prefer Cos lettuce, chinese leaf or Bok choi, shredded An avocado, peeled, stoned and diced Paprika The Sauce. 4 large tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise 2 large tablespoonfuls of Tomato ketchup Some lemon juice A teaspoonful or two of Brandy (optional) A sprinkle of Tabasco sauce Serves 4

4. Combine the chopped crayfish with the shredded salad leaves, avocado, Peter Sibley and his business partner Clifford Davy run Forest Foragers, which was formerly called Wild Harvest, and run regular foraging courses locally near Godalming, Surrey. You can join them for a full-day course, or an afternoon foray, in recognising, collecting, preparing, preserving and cooking edible wild plants and mushrooms. The full-day mushroom picking course will consist of a morning identification session, covering the principal edible plants and fungi, (notes provided), followed by a substantial lunch featuring some of these. The morning session will also cover hazards to be avoided when collecting. They will be running courses this year in Surrey based in the Chichester Hall, Witley, during September and October and the cost will be £115 per person. For more information, please contact Peter at wildharvestcourses@gmail.com.

vantagepointmag.co.uk

FOOD Nettle Soup Alternatively, for a good vegetarian starter, try Nettle Soup. Nettles are young, tasty and not too stringy at this time of year. 1. Place the potatoes in a pan of cold, salted water, bring to the boil, and cook for 20 minutes until tender. Drain. 2. Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the shallots, celery and wild garlic leaves over a low heat with a lid for 10 minutes, adding the wild garlic towards the end, until the shallots are soft but not too brown.

4. Whizz in a blender, (any ďŹ bres should get wound around the blades), return to the pan and reheat. Check the seasoning, then serve, with a drizzle of cream, (optional, but it does enhance it), and some crusty bread.

Ingredients 4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped 450g young nettle tops 50g butter 4 shallots, roughly chopped 2 celery sticks, chopped 1 litre vegetable stock 3 tablespoonfuls cream, (optional) 8 wild garlic leaves, torn Serves 6

3. Rinse the nettles and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute. Add the stock, potatoes and blanched nettles to the pan. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 5â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 minutes, until the nettles are tender.

Asparagus, Duck Egg and Spring Leaf Salad As the asparagus season is beginning, here is a third starter, combining farmed seasonal ingredients with wild ones.

Ingredients 750g English asparagus 6 Duck eggs

1. Trim any tough ends of stem from the asparagus and steam for 5 minutes or until tender. 2. Place the duck eggs in a large pan of boiling water and cook for 5 to 6 minutes depending on size. This should make the yolks half set. Remove the eggs from the pan and cool under cold running water. Once they are cold, peel them. 3. Combine the mustard, seasoning, wine and Balsamic vinegars and the olive oil in a lidded jar. Shake vigorously. Wash the wild leaves and add them to the sorrel, watercress or bittercress and dandelion leaves in a salad bowl. Pour half the dressing over the salad and toss lightly. Serve in 6 bowls. March 2014

4. Place the asparagus on top of the salad leaves and drizzle the remaining dressing over them. Cut the duck eggs into halves and put 2 halves into each salad. Sprinkle some chopped chives onto the eggs. Serve immediately.

The Salad. 50g mixed salad leaves Small bunch of garlic mustard leaves A handful of large sorrel leaves, torn 30g watercress or bittercress A few dandelion leaves Some chopped chives. The Dressing. 1 teaspoonful grain mustard Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoonfuls wine vinegar 6 tablespoonfuls extra virgin olive oil. A teaspoonful of Balsamic vinegar Serves 6

GARDEN

What to do in

March

With Matthew Pottage, Garden Manager at RHS Garden Wisley

Sharpen the saw and deﬁne the look of your borders! March is a great time of year for assessing the overall aesthetic looks of your garden plants. By this, I mean assessing how plants are growing, what needs pruning, what you can see from your house and the general deﬁnition of plants. It is all too easy to allow shrubs to grow into each other, perhaps into the lower branches of trees and even to allow them to creep over path edges or intrude into pleasant views. Towards the end of the month is a good time to hard prune or stool shrubs that have generally become too big for their space. We often do this at Wisley with bulky evergreens such

as Mahonia, Viburnum tinus and Berberis. Other options with shrubs such as Camellia can be to clear away all the lower stems and branches to make the shrub look like a small tree, so you can then appreciate the stems and garden underneath it. Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to make these decisions, so invite over a gardening friend, and ask them for some honest opinions – sometimes less can be more and seeing the same garden everyday isn’t always helpful in being bold with the pruning saw! Do remember though, if you are going to hard prune a shrub, give it a feed or

mulch to compensate for the loss of its leaves and stems, as you are taking away years of its productivity.

Left: RHS gerdener pruning Mahonia x media by cutting back stems to around a third of their original length. Above: Berberis thunbergii ‘Golden Torch’. Below: Lifting and dividing Agapanthus.

Hair cuts and crown divisions Now that we hopefully have the worst of winter behind us, it is time to carry out any annual maintenance work on what we call ‘warm season’ plants. These are plants that come from typically warmer climes such as South Africa and resent disturbance during the colder months. Common garden examples are Kniphoﬁa (Red Hot Poker), Agapanthus and Dierama. Now is the time to comb through evergreen foliage to remove old leaves and trim off any dead or dying foliage. It is also prime time to gain plants for free, so if the clumps are becoming old, large or lacking in vigour, it is time to lift the crowns and divide them, keeping the outer parts (the youngest) and disposing of the inner most weaker parts. 36

With some plants this can be done by hand, or by placing two garden forks back to back and prising apart the crowns. With enormous old Agapanthus clumps I tend to grab a spade and slice them apart with brut force. Evergreen grasses can also have a good clean up, removing old ﬂowers and raking through them to improve their look and set them up for the season ahead. FIND OUT MORE

RHS Garden Wisley is the ﬂagship garden of the Royal Horticultural Society, the world’s leading gardening charity. RHS Garden Wisley, Woking, Surrey, GU23 6QB. Visit rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley to ﬁnd out more. vantagepointmag.co.uk

Puttenham walk Puttenham lies on the dividing line between the chalk downs to the north and greensand to the south, and was referred to in the Domesday Book of 1086 and called Reddesolham. To the west of the village is Puttenham Common, the remains of what was once a large area of lowland heath. Heathland shrubs such as ling, bell heather, and gorse remain in the more open areas. Puttenham Common is of high archaeological interest. Substantial ﬁnds have been recorded from every period except Saxon. The main feature is the Hill Fort at Hillbury which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, probably dating back to the Iron Age, but with greater evidence of occupation during Roman times. The reserve was extensively used by the military during WWII with evidence including slit trenches and riﬂe range butts – a searchlight was situated in what is now the middle car park. The common now forms part of the Hampton Estate. See more at surreywildlifetrust.org. Go online to vantagepointmag.co.uk for a Lurgashall walk in our Haslemere edition.

The walk 1. With your back to the Good Intent pub go right along the village street where you pass a good variety of houses. At a road junction with a row of white cottages go ahead along Lascombe Lane signposted ‘North Downs Way’. At a fork keep to the right and press on up a rise to reach a couple of houses. Ignore the footpath on your left and keep ahead on the narrow downhill path where soon you will be amongst the bracken and birch of Puttenham Common. 2. At a well deﬁned fork in the path bear left and leave the North Downs Way. In 100yds at a crossing track you should turn left and maintain direction along this path and press on ahead as it changes into a cart track. No further instruction is needed until you reach a road. If you take the path to the right there is a picnic area, car park and view point with panoramic views over the countryside.(This is an alternative start point for the walk just off Sufﬁeld Lane, middle car park.) 3. Cross the road and pass by the front of Rodsall cottage. Turn left on the narrow path at the side of the garden. At the foot of a quite steep slope with 38

two steps a wonderful almost subterranean path is met. Go right here to pass Rose Cottage and meet the outbuildings of Rodsall Manor. Press on ahead and pass the beautifully mellow sandstone galleted frontage of the manor house and turn left on a stony path immediately at the end of the garden. Soon the route enters majestic woodland and climbs a slope to meet a T junction by a post. 4. At this T junction turn left and continue up the slope. Just before the summit is reached the path joins a farm track. Turn left along the track as it now follows the edge of fields and later narrows. Fine views across the valley will be seen from parts of this path. Finally after going downhill and joining a farm track we pass the exceptional farmhouse of Lydling Farm and its perfectly restored barn, now finding new use as offices. (If you wish to make a detour here and turn right down the road the village of Shackleford has a pub, the Cyder House, which serves food) 5. Keep ahead to reach a lane beside a lily covered pond. Turn left along the lane and ignore a footpath with stile and gate to your left on a bend. Just before a second bend in the road bear left over a stile beside a field gate and press on ahead through a field. Keep to the left side of this field to reach a stile in the left corner at the top of a steep rise ahead of you. Cross the stile and now look towards a line of oak trees on top of the next ridge. Aim for the tree on the left end of the line and cross the stile beneath it. Maintain vantagepointmag.co.uk

WALK

Winkworth by Sarah Lemarié

direction ahead along the left-hand edge of the ﬁeld. Cross two further stiles WALK: in quick Puttenham succession Walk and continue along a fenced path. Cross a further stile and

keep ahead, now with the wonderful 1760s Palladian frontage of the privately owned Puttenham Priory in view. Finally cross a stile and ahead along the lane for a few yards to return to the Good Intent. DISTANCE: 4.5 miles OS MAP: Landranger 186 GRID REFERENCE: SU 933478 GETTING THERE: Puttenham is close to the A31 Hogs Back, just off the B3000. Parking is on the roadside in the village, albeit limited, so you might prefer to park at Puttenham Common top car park just off Suffield Lane, between Puttenham and Elstead. If you do, start the walk from point 3. REFRESHMENTS: The Good Intent Public House in Puttenham is conveniently located at the beginning of the route. The Cider House in Shackleford is a slight detour from the route but offers good food. This walk is a Surrey Hills AONB walk and used with kind permsision. The Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers some of South East Englands most beautiful and accessible countryside. Visit surreyhills.org for more information.

Neither the publisher nor the author can accept any responsibility for any changes, errors or omissions in this route. Diversion orders can be made and permissions withdrawn at any time.

March 2014

www.surreyhills.org.uk

Guildford Spring Music Festival 2014 Hon Patron, The Mayor of Guildford - Councillor Diana Lockyer-Nibbs Hon. President: Michael Collins

Programme details on www.gsmf.org.uk and in the Festival Brochure

The Guildford Spring Music Festival Rock Choir celebrates this month Sunday its 10th Anniversary Rock Choir, the phenomenon of the decade, opens the 2014 Festival with rd with outstanding week of musical three performances from 4pm to 8pm 23 an March performances at the Electric Theatre The from refreshment bar will be open for food and drink 23rd to 29th March.The Festival week opens with three performances from Rock Choir (to Jazz Lunch The Will Todd Ensemble include debut items from a local school) on Monday Jimmy Hastings and his Quartet Jazz of a different kind th Sunday 23rd March. 24 March 12.30pm – 2pm