MARCH/APRIL 2016 • ISSUE 40
FREE
The
South Wilts magazine
WIN
A COPY OF MATT JAMES’ NEW BOOK, HOW TO PLANT A GARDEN
+ SEASONAL RECIPES LONDON SWING ORCHESTRA LOCAL LISTINGS & MUCH MORE
HOMES & GARDENS AN 8-PAGE SPECIAL
MATT JAMES READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE GARDEN DESIGNER & HORTICULTURALIST FOOD & DRINK // INTERVIEWS // PROPERTY // LISTINGS // COMMENT
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contents Published by Wired Publishing Editor Lisa Rockliffe Contributors Craig Gates-Mutton, Phil Rockliffe, Andy Diffey Advertising Enquiries Lisa Rockliffe e: lisa@wired-publishing.co.uk t: 01225 807775 General Enquiries e: info@wired-publishing.co.uk t: 01225 807775 www.wired-publishing.co.uk Address 20 Azalea Drive, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 9GG This magazine is printed on paper sourced from sustainable forests. Please recycle it when you are done, or pass it on! The publishers shall not be held liable for any loss occasioned by the failure of an advertisement to appear, or any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions or misprints. Reproduction of this magazine in whole, or in part is strictly prohibited wihout prior permission of the publishers. Front Cover: Matt James, How To Plant A Garden
March/April 2016 // issue 40
W
elcome one and all to our March/April edition of The South Wilts Magazine. It’s our 40th edition of the magazine, and it’s crammed full of seasonal delights, starting with home and gardens. With a new season on the way, many of us are spring cleaning, heading outside to start a new gardening year or looking to make some important home improvements - if that sounds like you then you’ll enjoy our 8-page special this edition. As well as a list of some helpful local businesses we have an exclusive interview with designer Matt James about his new book ‘How to Plant a Garden’ (with copies to give away too!). We’ve also enlisted Northwood UK to give us some tips on selling your home if you are looking to move to pastures new. Foodies should head to our eggcellent recipes on page 16, and read up on places to head for Easter and beyond (page 18). With that to tuck into and all your usual favourites, this issue has plenty for you to get your teeth into. Enjoy!
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See you next time. Lisa Rockliffe, Editor Follow us on Twitter... @wiredpublishing Read online... www.wired-publishing.co.uk
in this issue... LOCAL LISTINGS What’s on in March/April
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LOCAL NEWS The Great Tisbury Brocante School Open Days & Events Orchard Park Easter Egg Hunt Relationships by Sophie Ryder
10 12 14 14
FOOD & DRINK Eggcellent Recipes Food & Drink News
16 18
FEATURES Graham Dalby Interview
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23 Matt James Interview
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HOMES & GARDENS Beautiful Homes & Gardens Northwood Sales & Lettings
23 26
HEALTH & WELLBEING Avonbourne Care Centre now open! 27 PUZZLES Quiz, wordsearch & sudoku
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COMMENT The Last Word
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| events
local
listings MARCH & APRIL
CITY HALL SALISBURY
Malthouse Lane, Salisbury, SP2 7TU Box Office: 01722 434434 www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk For full listings go to the website. SALISBURY AREA YOUNG MUSICIANS 12/13 March, various times
Tickets: £7 A spectacular weekend of music including wind bands, jazz, orchestras, recorders and choirs with an amazing array of musical styles for you to enjoy! THE KAST OFF KINKS 18 March, 7.30pm
Tickets: £20 The Kast Off Kinks are former members of the legendary band ‘The Kinks’, back together to relive the good times. SALISBURY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 19 March, 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 & £18 Sponsored by Wessex Tubas, in association with Naomi House
Adagio for Strings (Barber), Peer Gynt Suite No 1 (Grieg), Symphony No 7 (Bruckner)
to the UK to launch its stunning new stage production. HAIRY MACLARY & FRIENDS 31 March, 1.30pm
THE STRANGLERS 21 March, 7pm
Tickets: £27 The Stranglers’ full UK tour sees them showcase their legendary Black & White album both chronologically and in its entirety plus additional material new and old. LET’S HANG ON 26 March, 7.30pm
Tickets: £21 & £22.50 This award-winning production is a musical journey through the prolific career of one of the most successful bands of all time - Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC 30 March, 7.30pm
Tickets: from £22.50 Rumours of Fleetwood Mac returns The Stranglers, City Hall
Tickets: £9, Family Tickets £32 Hairy Maclary and his friends are springing off the page this Easter. MAGIC OF MOTOWN 2 April, 8pm
Tickets: from £23.50 The music of the Four Tops, Supremes, Temptations, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie and more. THE LONDON SWING ORCHESTRA 3 April, 3pm
Tickets: £22 Graham Dalby and his orchestra chart the amazing story of the rise of jazz and swing from Scott Joplin in 1900 to Frank Sinatra in 1965. A treat for connoisseurs and a revelation to beginners raising funds for the Trussell Trust and Salisbury Trust for the Homeless. YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND 7 April, 7.30pm
Tickets: £17.50 A brand new theatre experience celebrating two of the world’s greatest songwriters of all time - James Taylor and Carole King. BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS 9 April, 7.30pm
Tickets: from £25 Towler Made brings an evening of white collar boxing to City Hall.
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| events ED BYRNE: OUTSIDE, LOOKING IN 20 April, 8pm
Single Spies, Salisbury Playhouse
Tickets: £20.50 The new show from Irish comedian Ed Byrne. SABA DOUGLAS-HAMILTON 22 April, 7pm
Tickets: £18.50 Join Saba Douglas-Hamilton, the highly acclaimed elephant conservationist and wildlife presenter for an evening of exciting animal stories and behind the scenes tales of life in Kenya with her young family. HUNDRED WATT CLUB 23 April, 8pm
Tickets: £16.50 Hundred Watt Club is pleased as punch to be returning to City Hall with another spectacular burlesque and cabaret show. THE YOUNG ‘UNS 24 April, 7.30pm
Tickets: £12adv Voted ‘Best Group’ at the 2015 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, The Young’uns have fast become one of the foremost groups on the UK folk scene. FISH: FAREWELL TO CHILDHOOD
30 April, 7pm Tickets: £27
Following a sold out UK tour in December, Scottish singer, ex-Marillion frontman Fish has announced a run of shows playing
Marillion’s 1985 chart topping album Misplaced Childhood in full for the last time.
SALISBURY PLAYHOUSE Malthouse Lane, Salisbury SP2 7RA Box Office: 01722 320333 www.salisburyplayhouse.com For full listings go to the website. I AM THOMAS 8 – 12 March, 7.30pm + matinees
Tickets: £9.50 - £25 A wildly comic and provocative piece of music theatre - the show has been named in The Guardian’s ‘Most Unmissable Culture of 2016’. HEDDA GABLER 17 March – 2 April, 7.30pm + matinees
Tickets: £8.50 - £25 Newly married and returning from her honeymoon, the free-spirited Hedda already feels trapped by both her marriage and life. Feeling captive in her own home, she soon begins to manipulate those around her, with shocking consequences. TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT 5-9 April, 7.30pm + matinees
Fish, City Hall
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Tickets: £9.50 - £25 Henry Pulling is a retired bank manager with a penchant for dahlias. He meets his eccentric Aunt Augusta at his mother’s funeral. She persuades him to abandon his dahlias and travel
with her across the world to Paraguay. THE ODYSSEY 15 & 16 April, 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 - £19.50 Homer’s epic poem is retold in this extraordinary production. SINGLE SPIES 18 – 23 April, 7.30pm + matinees
Bennett’s Olivier Award-winning Best Comedy explores our fascination with Russian spies and royalty. Chronicling the lives of two members of the notorious ‘Cambridge Five’ spy ring in the 1950s. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN 5 – 28 May, 7.30pm + matinees
Tickets: £8.50 - £25 Featuring all your favourite songs from the MGM film, including Good Morning, Make ‘Em Laugh, You are My Lucky Star and the title song Singin’ in the Rain.
SALISBURY MUSEUM
65 The Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EN Tel: 01722 332151 www.salisburymuseum.org.uk For full listings please go to the website. Normal admission charges apply unless otherwise stated RELATIONSHIPS: AN EXHIBITION BY SOPHIE RYDER 20 February – 9 July An exhibition of the workings of
events | acclaimed sculptor Sophie Ryder, well known for her sculptures of mythical creatures. The exhibition itself will re-create Sophie’s workroom and give an insight into how her work is made. MARCH MADNESS AT THE MUSEUM 26 March, 10am – 4pm
SUFFRAGETTE (Cert 12A) 19 March, 7.30pm
Tickets: £8 Cary Mulligan leads a fantastic cast in the moving story of the early feminist movement in early-20th-century Britain.
The Easter Bunny is visiting the Museum chaperoned by a friendly but slightly bonkers character ...The Mad Hatter. Try on bunny ears, practice hopping and maybe have your photo taken with the Easter Bunny.
SALT OF THE EARTH (Cert 12A) 22 March, 7.30pm
LADY M. SEX, SMALLPOX & THE SALISBURY CONNECTION 6 April, 6.30pm
BARNSTORMERS COMEDY: MARCH 25 March, 8.30pm
Tickets: £8 An Oscar-nominated documentary portraying the awe-inspiring works of Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado.
Tickets: £8 (Members £6) A talk by Mary South on the subject of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu – known as Lady M. Married to our Turkish Ambassador, her candid letters home caused a stir in the 18th century.
Tickets: £12adv It’s festival time so that means it’s time for a West Country spesh; all acts emanating from the West Country. Compere for the evening will be David Whitney with acts Matt Price and Andrew Watts. Over 18s only.
SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE
EMPATHY 29 March, 8pm
Bedwin Street, Salisbury, SP1 3UT Box Office: 01722 321744 www.salisburyartscentre.co.uk For full listings go to the website.
Tickets: £12 (Concs £10) A touching and emotionally charged performance from Neon Dance bringing art and science together.
YVES LAMBERT TRIO 11 March, 8pm
NEL 1 April, 8pm
Tickets: £15 (Concs £13) Bluegrass meets Celtic songwriting as Québec natives Yves Lambert Trio hit the road once more after wowing audiences worldwide in 2014.
Tickets: £12 (Concs £10) Nel is a beautifully crafted mix of Foley artistry, live music and dynamic movement examining identity, friendship and what it means to be an introvert.
NIGHT AT THE THEATRE 12 March, 11.30am
Tickets: £7.50 (Concs £6.50) A fun, family adventure that celebrates the creativity in all of us! PHIL BEER BAND 17 March, 8pm
Tickets: £18 (Concs £16) A lively cocktail of folk, rock, country and blues from one half of the popular duo Show of Hands and his band.
MET LIVE: PUCCINI’S MADAME BUTTERFLY 2 April, 5.55pm
Tickets: £17 (Concs £15) A live screening of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly screened live from The Metropolitan Opera in New York. BELLA HARDY 3 April, 8pm
Tickets: £15 (Concs £13 An intimate evening of stunning
Barcelona Gipsy Klezmet Orchestra, Salisbury Arts Centre
compositions from BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of the Year 2014. MARK WATSON: I’M NOT HERE 8 April, 8pm
Tickets: £17 (Concs £15) Mark Watson (multi-award-winning star of numerous TV shows and his own cult Radio 4 series) returns with the follow-up show to his highly celebrated and successful ‘Flaws’. BARCELONA GIPSY KLEZMER ORCHESTRA 15 April, 8pm
Tickets: £13 (Concs £11) Comprising six musicians from around the world, the band connected in Barcelona over their passion for Balkan music. MET LIVE: DONIZETTI’S ROBERTO DEVEREUX 16 April, 5.55pm
Tickets: £17 (Concs £15) A screening of Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux live from New York. THE IMAGINATIONS 22 April, 7.45pm
Tickets: £12 The Imaginations invite you to join them for one night only as they bring their hugely popular show to Salisbury Arts Centre. MACBETH (Cert 15) 23 April, 7.30pm
Tickets: £8 The best screen adaptation yet of Shakespeare’s famed Scottish Play stars Michael Fassbender as the ruthless warrior who kills his king. THESOUTHWILTSMAGAZINE
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| events
SHAFTESBURY ARTS CENTRE
Macbeth (Cert 15), Salisbury Arts Centre
13 Bell Street, Shaftesbury SP7 8AR Box Office: 01747 854321 www.shaftesburyartscentre.org.uk For full listings go to the website. THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES 8 March, 7.15pm & 9pm
Tickets: £15 Glorious, deeply poignant, warm, exciting, and hilariously funny, Eve Ensler’s ‘Vagina Monologues’ introduces a wildly divergent gathering of female voices. JUAN MARTIN 26 March, 8pm
SPECTRE (Cert 12A) 2 May, 2.30pm & 8pm
Tickets: £7 A rich Italian family become caught in a tangled web of deceit after a hit-andrun incident.
Tickets: £16 A performance from this celebrated virtuoso of the Flamenco guitar who has been voted into the top three guitarists in the world.
Tickets: £7 Another chance to see the latest Bond film in the franchise.
A ROYAL NIGHT OUT (Cert 12A) 15 March, 2pm
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS 13 – 16 April, 7.30pm
39TH ANNUAL ANTIQUES FAIR 2016 4 – 6 March FREE Wilton House This is an independent, vetted, dateline fair with an excellent reputation. The 2016 catalogue, is downloadable now. www.wiltonhouse.co.uk
HUMAN CAPITAL (Cert 15) 11 March, 8pm
Tickets: £3 The future Queen of England and her sister hilariously go out on the town to celebrate the end of the Second World War on VE Day. THE FALLING (Cert 15) 18 March, 8pm
Tickets: £7 A mysterious fainting outbreak spreads rapidly amongst the pupils in a rural British girls’ school in 1969.
Tickets: £10 - £12.50 A motley set of two pairs of identical twins are mixed up in an endless series of misunderstandings. THE LADY IN THE VAN (Cert 12A) 23 April, 8pm, 25 April, 2.30pm
Tickets: £7 It tells the true story of Mary Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on Alan Bennett’s driveway for 15 years. Spectre (Cert 12A), Shaftesbury Arts Centre
OTHERS
LANDSEA Until 21 March
FREE Waterstones Bookstore, 7-9 High St, Salisbury SP1 2NJ An exhibition of artist Dan Bilton’s paintings and mixed media. danbilton.co.uk SALISBURY MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION 2016 7 & 8 May
Admission: £4, (Child £2) Under 5s free Michael Herbert Hall, Wilton, SP2 0JS Layouts in OO, EM, 009, 12mm, 2mm FS and N gauge, trade support and demonstration stand, garden railway open (weather permitting) short walk from hall. See SSWRS website for further exhibition information. www.sswrs.org.uk
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interview |
ALL THAT JAZZ... Ahead of their performance at City Hall in Salisbury, LISA ROCKLIFFE caught up with leader of the London Swing Orchestra, Graham Dalby. Your band, the London Swing Orchestra, is coming to City Hall this April. What can people expect from one of your shows? People can expect, and will get, a world class orchestra and an amazing storybook of how ragtime took America by storm and then just grew via wild jazz dance through the Roaring 20’s into the Swing explosion with Benny Goodman in the 1930’s. There’s wartime nostalgia with Glenn Miller in the second half and crooning legends of Bing Crosby, Bobby Darin and of course Frank Sinatra - who could ask for anything more!! What are your favourite songs to perform in your repertoire and which are audience favourites? I love all my songs but I really love to interact with the audience and get them singing the hi-de-hi chorus in Minnie the Moocher. The audience always go mad for In the Mood! And who are your favourite artists? Bing and Louis, Duke Ellington and Jack Hylton, Noël ‘The Master’ Coward and Cole ‘You’re the Top’ Porter - all of whom will feature in our concert. You have performed alongside the likes of Miles Davis and Gloria Gaynor. What was that like? Well, Gloria was headlining at the Congressehalle, Berlin at a ball for 5,000 transvestites (“at first I was afraid…”) and Miles Davis was in Norway with Manhattan Transfer . What a great buzz it was for me to meet them and be part of the same jazz festival.
You tour all over the world, which are your favourite venues to play? The band love playing in Hong Kong - we have been there many times and Monte Carlo was fun last year. Eating kedgeree in the Throne Room, Buckingham Palace at 2am after our set was somewhat surreal too! Of course, nothing beats Salisbury - for me it’s a home game! What have been your career highlights? The Queen Mother’s 90th and (very honoured to be asked back) 100th birthdays (Windsor), The Hong Kong Handover, Valentino’s 75th with Annie Lennox in Rome, Royal weddings in Jordan and Monaco, in a 16th cent fort built by Magellan in Cebu…Venice, Shanghai, so many great memories… The concert at City Hall is a fundraiser for The Trussell Trust. Can you tell us a little more about the charity? The Trussell Trust runs a network of over 400 foodbanks, giving emergency food and support to people in crisis across the UK. 13 million people live below the poverty line in the UK and 1 in 5 mums skip meals to feed their children. Every day people go hungry for reasons ranging from redundancy
to receiving an unexpected bill on a low income. In 2014-15, their network of foodbanks provided 1,084,604 three day emergency food supplies to people in crisis, with almost 400,000 of those having gone to children. Foodbanks also offer a lot more than food. Trained volunteers provide a listening ear to clients over a warm drink, as well as signposting people to other charities and agencies who can help resolve the underlying cause of the crisis and help people to break the cycle of poverty. As well as City Hall, where else are you playing over the coming months? We are playing at Blenheim in April and many festivals and theatres including Chalke Valley History, Upton Jazz, a big awards ceremony in London, Salute the 40’s, Chatham and a new programme at Salisbury Playhouse “Noel & Cole” in January 2017. Tickets are £22 and are on sale now from cityhallsalisbury.co.uk.
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| local news
The Great Tisbury Brocante This May day Bank Holiday head to Tisbury for a festival of antiques and vintage finds…
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veryone loves a bargain so make a firm date in your diary and plan for a trip to Tisbury on Bank Holiday Monday 2 May for the 2nd Great Tisbury Brocante – Tisbury’s biggest antiques, vintage and flea market. After the triumph of last year’s first “Great Brocante” Tisbury will again host a great day out for all those who love to rummage and find themselves a bargain or two. As well as professional Antiques dealers who will set out their wares in the village halls, or marquees on the recreation ground, local residents will be encouraged to ‘clear their clutter’ in a village-wide fun Bank Holiday of ‘Vide-Greniers’ all around the village, in front gardens, on driveways, in garages, pergolas and garden sheds. In 2015 Tisbury was buzzing - full of visitors chatting to traders and
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residents, finding amazing bargains and generally enjoying themselves. So, once again, householders all over the village are busily rummaging through their lofts and turning out their cupboards, garages and sheds in preparation for this fun Bank Holiday of vintage fairs; ‘vide-greniers’ (mini-attic sales) and antiques’ markets. It is great fun – an opportunity to explore Tisbury to find a rich supply of everything you ever wanted, but really didn’t know you ever needed. Tisbury’s village halls and marquees will be hosting vintage and antique fairs with many professional antiques traders visiting Tisbury, bringing with them their unique and stylish wares, many of them sourced from Central France and being shown for the very first time in Tisbury. Entry is free, as is the parking. There will be additional ‘event’ parking available and a free
Tisbury will again host a great day out for all those who love to rummage and find themselves a bargain or two. shuttle bus, provided by TisBus, will take you around the village, picking up and dropping off at strategic locations. If clearing your own clutter is more your priority, then you are most welcome to join in. There will be a flea market on the Recreation Ground, 2 minutes’ walk from the station – first come, first served – pitches priced at £30 will be available from 7am. For more information on any aspect of the day visit the website, organisers look forward to seeing you! • tisburybrocante.co.uk
| local news
Dauntsey’s School Open Morning
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auntsey’s is a leading co-educational boarding and day school for 11-18 year olds. The school sits in an estate of 100 acres of idyllic countryside on the northern edge of Salisbury Plain and offers some 780 pupils
challenge and inspiration inside and together with a culture of mutual outside the classroom. support, means pupils are open and ready for new challenges. Dauntsey’s is a lively community, defined by warmth and friendliness. While the school is academically The strong spirit of adventure ambitious and expects pupils to that runs throughout the school, leave with strong examination results, they aim above all to instil a love of learning and a curiosity that endures. To find out what it’s really like, just visit – they are hosting an Open Morning on Saturday 7 May. You’ll find open spaces, open minds and innumerable opportunities. Call 01380 814500 to book your place. Alternatively, if you can’t make the Open Morning, individual appointments are offered on most days of the school week, including Saturday mornings. • dauntseys.org
Sandroyd Easter Exploration Event demands and expectations of new generations and built on a heritage of achieving excellence.
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androyd School, in Tollard Royal on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, is very much a forward-looking co-educational prep and pre-prep school with a firm grip on tradition, well-placed to respond to the ever-changing
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Sandroyd offers a wide and varied curriculum that utilises specialist teaching staff to inspire and achieve academic success. The usual school timetable is enhanced with opportunities to learn key life skills, problem solving in real life situations and wider knowledge of the modern world. They also ensure they utilise every inch of their extensive and beautiful grounds. The thriving pre prep department, The Walled Garden, caters for their youngest children from 3 years to 7 years old in a specially designed building nestled within the extensive grounds of the Prep school, which provides a secure
and familiar environment in which each young child can develop in confidence, at their own pace, supported by a team of specialist staff. The Walled Garden are inviting all children to come along to their Egg-citing Easter Exploration Event. Children will be able to meet their chickens, enjoy an Easter trail, take part in arts and crafts and have a go at some super Science challenges. The event will run from 9am until 11.30am and is open to all pre-school and Key Stage 1 families. This is a free event but please contact the school to book your place. kblomfield@sandroyd.com or 01725 516264. • sandroyd.com
| local news
Easter Egg Hunt at Orchard Park
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rchard Park Garden Centre will be hosting a charity Easter Egg Hunt between Good Friday 25th March and Thursday 31st March to raise funds for Greenfingers Charity, creating gardens and useable outdoor space in children’s hospices. The Easter Egg Hunt costs just £1 to
enter with all money raised going directly to Greenfingers. Every participant in the hunt will get a chocolate on the day as well as a chance to win a delightful hamper packed with delicious Easter treats! Greenfingers is a small national charity
which is dedicated to supporting children who spend time in hospices around the UK along with their families, by producing inspiring gardens for them to relax in and enjoy. The charity is devoted to creating beautiful, well-designed outdoor spaces for children to enjoy with family, friends and siblings, through play and fun or therapeutic rest and relaxation. Once little ones have finished at the egg hunt, take a little time to explore the centre. There is a host of beautiful plants arriving with the start of a new gardening year, the florists is packed with spring colour and you could even pick up your Easter roasting joint at the award-winning farm shop. And once you are finished with that, the café can help you recharge the batteries. • orchardpark.biz/events
‘Relationships’ by Sophie Ryder
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here’s a monumental treat in store for visitors to Salisbury Cathedral, who’ll encounter the latest exhibition by internationally renowned sculptor Sophie Ryder. Life-sized Minotaurs and Lady Hares can be seen on the Cathedral lawn and in the cloisters, a 20ft high arch
formed by massive clasped hands and called The Kiss looms on the Cathedral’s North side, and Rising, a gigantic Lady Hare with a small hare protected inside her, crouches on the grass adjacent to the West Front. These enormous works are part of a major two stage show, Relationships: An exhibition by Sophie Ryder, which runs until 3 July. Even better, this May you can get involved yourself! Mixed Media 2D £40 per person Saturday 30 April, 10am to 4pm Create a portfolio of work inspired by the intriguing Sophie Ryder sculptures using a variety of mixed media. Experiment with a range of material to create linear responses to the ‘Relationships’ pieces on a 2D plane noting the exquisite interplay of the animal figures.
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Mixed Media 3D £50 per person Saturday 14 May, 10am to 4pm Take home your 3D response to the Sophie Ryder sculpture exhibition. Spend a day producing your own maquette using a variety of materials from different wires to plaster, paper and even wood. You may wish to bring some of your own ‘found’ objects to impress into the plaster as Sophie has done. Special deal, book both courses for £75! It is not a requirement to attend both days, either may be booked. If you are attending both, do bring your own portfolio to the second day in order to use it as a stimulus for your 3D work. All materials provided. No prior experience necessary. Book your place online now! • www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/events
| recipes
Eggcellent
Recipes
Healthy, cheap and super versatile, eggs can provide the basis for some fantastic dishes. Here are some great ideas to get you started, and as usual the recipes come courtesy of Waitrose.
Piperade with Eggs, Tomatoes, Pepper & Chorizo Serves 4
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Method Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium frying pan and add the onion, garlic, pepper and chilli and cook for 8–10 minutes on a low heat until soft and golden. Stir in the tomatoes (and chorizo, if using) and season. Cook over a high heat for 3–4 minutes until any
moisture evaporates. Set aside and keep warm. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a small non-stick pan and add the beaten eggs and seasoning. Stir over a low heat until curds form and it is soft and creamy and not quite set. Stir the egg into the pepper mixture, scatter with chopped parsley and serve with sliced baguette and a green salad.
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Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp 1 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 red romano pepper, thinly sliced ½ red chilli, deseeded & chopped 2 vine tomatoes, quartered & chopped 4 medium eggs, beaten 70g chorizo, diced (optional) Chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish
1 tbsp plain flour 150ml semi-skimmed milk ¼ tsp grated nutmeg 4 medium free range eggs, beaten 2 tbsp half fat crème fraîche Grated vegetarian Cheddar, to serve (optional) Method Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cook the spinach in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and refresh under cold water. Squeeze out all the water with your hands and chop finely. Heat the butter in a small pan, add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the milk a little at a time, then bring to the boil and stir until thick and smooth.
Fresh Pea & Ricotta Frittata Serves 4 Ingredients 6 medium free range eggs, beaten 50g soft white breadcrumbs 500g frozen peas, thawed 25g pack chives, cut into 1cm lengths 2 garlic cloves, crushed 4 tbsp freshly grated parmesan 6 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped 250g ricotta cheese 1 tbsp olive oil 110g rocket, to serve Method Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil. Meanwhile. mix together the eggs, breadcrumbs, peas, chives, garlic, parmesan and
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recipes |
tomatoes. Finally, fold in the ricotta but don’t worry about beating out all the lumps. Heat the oil in a 23cm non-stick frying pan and pour in the mixture. Cook very gently for 10–12 minutes until almost completely set. Place the pan under a medium grill for a further 5 minutes until golden and completely cooked through. Slide the frittata out on to a board, slice and serve with rocket.
Stir the chopped spinach into the sauce and add nutmeg and seasoning. Spoon into the base of 2 large ramekins (250ml ramekins or larger) or shallow gratin dishes. Make shallow wells in the spinach, then break 2 eggs into each. Spoon over the crème fraîche and scatter with the grated Cheddar if using. Place in a roasting tin filled with hot water and bake in the oven for 12–15 minutes until the eggs are set. Serve with crusty bread.
Baked Eggs with Creamy Nutmeg Spinach Serves 2 Ingredients 250g spinach 25g butter THESOUTHWILTSMAGAZINE
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| food & drink
Enjoy Easter at The Benett Arms
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ull of character, complete with charming snug bar, wood burning stove and cosy seating area, The Benett Arms in Semley is the kind of place you want to pile into to enjoy a pint of good ale and a read of the papers.
Over the last few years this place has been lovingly restored inside and out, making it a real gem of a local pub. A regular in the Good Beer Guide, and winner of Heart of Wessex CAMRA Pub of the Year 2015, The Benett Arms was also voted by CAMRA as one of the top 100 local pubs in the country! Landlady Amy and her team are very proud of their real ales, and there are at least three to choose from at any one time including their regular Ringwood Best Bitter. If beer isn’t your thing then they also have a fantastic selection of other drinks including farmhouse cider from Bridge Farm in Somerset and a select
wine list where you are sure to find the perfect accompaniment to your meal. If you have come for food, their delicious and extensive menu is served seven days a week and offers something for everyone, whether you are after a light meal, a quick sandwich or a scrumptious three-course feast. All food is cooked to order using fresh local
ingredients wherever possible. Make sure you leave room for their puddings, they’re a real treat. If that is too much there is also a selection of ice creams from Buttercup and Daisy, made just down the road. They still have a few spots available over Easter, call 01747 830221 to reserve your table. • www.benettarms.co.uk
New menu at The Boot Inn
F
or those in the know, The Boot at Berwick St James, run by Giles and Cathy Dickinson, is an important fixture on the local dining scene. Upholding the traditions of a British country inn, it proudly serves proper British food and ales. In doing so, it has been the recipient of many awards, including a Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for 2014 and 2015. It has also been included in Waitrose Good Food Guide for the seventh year running, testament to the consistency of quality and service it delivers to customers. Not only that, but the locals love it too. It’s dog friendly – so perfect for popping in for a mid-walk pint – and they host a popular Sunday evening quiz night that has raised more than £3500 for charity at the last count. The Boot has just launched a new styled spring menu. It changes daily but has
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been slightly pared down to ensure head chef Giles can make each dish even fresher and even more seasonal. The kitchen offers traditional British fare made with care and attention to detail - in skilled hands even simple dishes like sausage and mash and rhubarb crumble become real treats – especially
when coupled with excellent ales such as 6X, Henry’s IPA or Corvus. This is pub dining at its best. Call on 01722 790243 to reserve your spot – there are still a few tables left for Easter, but they are filling up fast! • www.theboot.pub
The
Benett Arms
HEarT of WEssEx camra LocAL Pub oF thE YEAR 2015
We love Real Ale! Find us in
THE Good bEEr GuidE Excellent homecooked food incl
sunday roasTs from £8.95 accommodaTion availablE Rooms from only £50 / night
High Street, Berwick St James, Salisbury Wilts SP3 4TN
t: 01722 790243 e: cathy@theboot.pub w: www.theboot.pub
Giles & Cathy welcome you
• Great British, locally sourced, food • Included in the Good Food Guide for the last 7 years • Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence 2014 & 2015 • AA Good Pub Guide 2014 • Home smoked meat & fish platters • Daily changing menu • Great local ales • Children welcome and dog friendly • Large Beer Garden
oPEn Mon - Fri 12-3pm & 5-11pm, Sat 12-3pm & 5.30-11pm, Sun 12-3pm & 5.30-10pm www.benettarms.co.uk | 01747 830221 Semley, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 9AS
SOUTH WESTERN You are assured of a warm Wiltshire welcome at The South Western Hotel, Tisbury, which has recently undergone an extensive renovation. We are located right opposite Tisbury railway station on the edge of the village, with ample parking and a large garden.
Midweek Lunch Served from Noon until 3pm Enjoy a great value lunch starting at £6.95 for two
2 Meals for £11.95 Served from 6pm until 9pm daily A choice of freshly cooked meals catering for all tastes
Sunday Lunch Served from Noon until 4pm
Offering a choice of locally sourced roast meats with a selection of potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The South Western Hotel also has 5 fully equipped and tastefully decorated ensuite double rooms.
01747 228010
Station Road, Tisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6JT www.south-western.co.uk | southwestern@mossman.org
| interview
Plant Plans
Lisa Rockliffe spoke with MATT JAMES about his new book, How To Plant A Garden, its appeal for novices and keen gardeners alike and the importance of our outdoor space. 20
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H
ow To Plant A Garden is the new book from designer, horticulturalist and senior lecturer Matt James, who is perhaps best known to the gardening public as The City Gardener, which aired on Channel 4 from 2002 to 2006. We speak after Matt has had a busy morning, helping his students at the Eden Project in Cornwall finalise their show garden designs “The deadline for submissions is this afternoon so, as you can imagine, there’s been a
matt james | will hopefully inspire people as to how they want to proceed.” It is easy to get carried away by the beauty of plants – to simply pick all the ones you think are wonderful and just try to cram them into your patch wherever you see a spot of bare earth. And this isn’t always terribly successful. “There is a real process to designing with plants, and there are so many options available that very careful editing is required. There are certain things you need to do to get
"There is a real process to designing with plants, and there are so many options available that very careful editing is required." mad panic this morning. Hopefully they are all ready to go though.” It’s fitting that James, who has a great deal of experience in teaching (he spent five years teaching on the award-winning Garden Design degree course at Falmouth University) should write a book that seems to be based at introducing novices to gardening. Accustomed to teaching would-be designers, he’s on very solid ground. “Yes hopefully it will help those new to gardening, but I think there’s plenty there for experienced gardeners too. If they already know how plants work, and enjoy working with plants but don’t necessarily know how to combine those plants to create a pleasing composition, this book will hopefully prove really useful. A lot of people are very good gardeners but are less certain, and feel they need advice, on how to design with beautiful plants. For beginner gardeners, or for those who want to learn to think like professional gardener, the book takes you on a logical journey through the plant and design process from analysing space, through choosing a style to putting together the composition to understanding how many plants you need to buy and grow. It’s also bursting full of beautiful images that
to that beautiful end design. You need to adhere to the principles of art and design; you need to be aware of your conditions; you need consider the role of plants in your design and that means choosing plants that suit the style of garden you want. The book gives you a series of tests to help you zero in on the best choices. There are thousands of plants that might work, it just isn’t practical to sit down with the RHS Encyclopaedia of Plants and work out what you want. Instead, you say ‘my soil type is this, my preferred aesthetic style is this, my climatic condition is this, the functional role of my plants is this’ and you end up with a brief. Once you have that you have narrowed down your options from that initial encyclopaedia to just 3 or 4 pages of plants that would actually work, and then you can start putting your favourites together in a manner which is beautiful. That is what the book is all about.” The book promises to work just as well on small projects as large ones, and with new homes now offering smaller gardens than ever, this has never been more important. “The book
is called How To Plant A Garden, not How To Plant A Landscape, and it’s very much focused in on how to apply the principles to smaller gardens. There are lots of images in the book of gardens of different sizes, urban backyards up to large suburban gardens. That’s an important distinction. There are lots of garden books out there that will help you plant a meadow on a huge scale, but the majority of us just don’t live like that, we have a small back garden and there is inspiration aplenty, even if all you have is a small roof terrace, with room for just a few pots. The design principles are the same, they just need to be tweaked accordingly. I’m sort of renowned for tackling smaller gardens, the majority of the clients I work for have them, and I think it’s tremendously important that we take full advantage of any outdoor space that we have. Hopefully this book will help people do that.” RHS How to Plant a Garden (£25) is published on 3 March 2016 by Mitchell Beazley
COMPETITION TIME We are lucky enough to have 5 copies of Matt James’ How to Plant a Garden to give away to our readers. If you would like to be in with a chance of winning one just email your answer to this easy question to comp@wiredpublishing.co.uk and please include your contact details with your entry.
WHICH HUGELY SUCCESSFUL GARDEN SHOW DID MATT JAMES PRESENT FROM 2002-2006? Was it:
a) The City Gardener b) The Country Gardener c) The Clever Gardener Email your answers now. Good luck! Closing date for entries is 31 March 2016. Ts & Cs apply.
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• EXTENSIONS & CONVERSIONS • PROPERTY REFURBISHMENT & MAINTENANCE • RENOVATIONS • NEW BUILDS • KITCHENS & BATHROOMS
_______________ “For all your building requirements”
_______________ t: 01747 820422 e: info@pfparsons.co.uk w: www.pfparsons.co.uk Unit 1, Wylye Road, Hindon, Salisbury SP3 6ER
homes & gardens |
Beautiful Homes & Gardens
From new flooring and odd jobs to extensions and even new builds, if you want to improve your home and garden this year, you’ve come to the right place. Arbaro Electricals
Arbaro Electricals
Maybe you are giving one of your rooms a refresh and need to improve the lighting. You might want to make the most of your outdoor space with some beautiful uplighting. You may require a whole house rewire. Whatever your reason for needing an electrician, speak to Arbaro Electricals. Run by Mark Derbyshire, a Part P and IET 17th Edition certified electrician, and certified by Benchmark as part of the Government backed Competent Persons Scheme, they can provide you with a wide range of electrical services. So whether you want a new socket installed, changes to your indoor outdoor lighting or PAT Testing, installations or rewires, Mark can help. Call for a free quotation or email mark. derbyshire@arbaroconsulting.co.uk 07799 867482 | arbaroconsulting.co.uk
Gray’s Carpets
If you are in need of some beautiful new flooring (not just carpets!), pop over to Gray’s Carpets at Crockerton Shopping Centre. Run by Kelvin and Jayne Gray, they have recently revamped their showroom to include new brands such as Amtico, Natural Solutions and Quickstep. Gray’s are happy to give advice on installations and even offer a call-out consultation and a free measuring and estimating service. You can also take advantage of their free furniture moving and old carpet disposal service. Their fitters will
come in and carefully remove your furniture, lay the new carpet and put everything back in place – all as part of the service. They also provide a full flooring aftercare service should any problems arise. Gray’s Carpets is located just off the A350, with free parking and disabled access. The showroom is open Monday to Saturday, 9am-5pm. 01985 219916 | grayscarpets.co.uk
LawnTender
Creating the perfect lawn that is the envy of your neighbours is actually quite straightforward. The solution
Gray’s Carpets has a new range of laminate and engineered wood flooring
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| homes & gardens to meet the ducks and geese that have settled there. 01985 217413 | www.fonthill-lakeside.com
P F Parsons Ltd Lawn Tender - Before
is to get someone else to do it for you! Kevin Maul and Sue Jacobs are just the people you need. They run the South Wilts and East Somerset office of LawnTender. As a company, LawnTender cares for thousands of lawns throughout the south of England, ranging from small town and cottage gardens to large country houses and estates. Kevin and Sue’s area covers Andover to Bath, taking in the city of Salisbury and its surrounding areas plus the towns of Westbury, Warminster, Frome, Trowbridge, Bradford on Avon and all their surrounding villages and hamlets. In what is a competitive market, LawnTender has always placed high focus on customer service and care. They provide personal ongoing advice, feedback and support throughout the season. This has resulted in strong customer loyalty from year to year. It all starts with a FREE, no obligation lawn assessment and quotation - all you have to do is give them a call. 01980 654800 | www.lawntender.co.uk
Lakeside Garden Centre
Lakeside Garden Centre is a family run business that has been serving gardeners in the West of England for over forty years. The centre is based near Warminster at Crockerton Shopping Centre. You can be assured of a warm, friendly welcome, top-quality products and knowledgeable advice for everyone from the novice to the expert -
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Lawn Tender - After
perfect if you are looking to spruce up your garden this spring. In addition to the wide range of trees, shrubs, patio plants and
"You can be assured of knowledgeable advice for everyone from the novice to the expert perfect if you are looking to spruce up your garden this spring" Lakeside Garden Centre
perennials, you will also find a select range of quality garden furniture, barbecues and gift items. Lakeside is situated on the edge of the Longleat Estate. What really marks this garden centre apart is the beautiful setting - no visit to Lakeside is complete without a stroll around the lake and a chance
P F Parsons Ltd Building Contractors are based in Hindon and have been established for over 30 years. The company carries out all types of building work including extensions and refurbishments, property maintenance, garden rooms, conservatories, and patios. If you are looking to invest in your home and garden then be sure to discuss your project with P F Parsons Ltd. With so much experience they can help with all manner of works, whether you want an extension or conservatory – perhaps with doors that open out onto a beautiful new patio – or maybe you’d like to update your porch or the entrance way into your garden. Whatever your plans call P F Parsons Ltd to talk over your ideas. They have an extensive portfolio of photographs available that can provide inspiration – which can also be viewed on the projects page of their website. 01747 820422 | www.pfparsons.co.uk P F Parsons Ltd can help with a huge range of projects
“YOUR PRIDE IS OUR PASSION”
MOTORCYCLES
NEW & USED SALES Service & Repairs | All Makes Parts
SALISBURY’S INDEPENDENT MOTORCYCLE SPECIALIST For more information about advertising in this magazine please call
01225 807775
Tel: 01722 337999 Mob: 07767 364833
www.sjsmotorcycles.co.uk Unit 3, Norton Enterprise Park, Whittle Rd, Churchfields Ind Est, Salisbury SP2 7YS
| house & home
Selling your home this spring MARYAM COLVERT from Northwood Salisbury gives her top tips on selling your property this springtime.
A beautiful kitchen can seal the deal on a house can you make yours a feature that stands out?
CHEAP & CHEERFUL UPDATES
The kitchen is the most valuable room in a house. It is worth the most per square foot and can make the difference when buyers are unsure. If your kitchen isn’t a strong suit in your property could you paint the cupboards and tiles or maybe change your handles to give it a lift?
MAKE IT LIGHT & AIRY
S
pring always comes out on top as the best time to sell, probably because people aren’t away on holiday or busy with Christmas. Decent weather also means the garden is likely to look nice and bright. If you have decided to put your house on the market this spring here are some key things to bear in mind.
DECLUTTER
Get rid of all the excess ‘stuff’ that has accumulated over the years; put it in storage or if you can, give it to a friend or relative. People need to be able to envisage what the property would look like if they were living there make it easy for them to see all the fantastic living space you’re offering. Show off signature pieces and keep all your essential items nice and tidy. Also
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bear in mind that buyers look inside wardrobes and garages so don’t just cram things away!
REDECORATE
Giving your walls a fresh lick of neutral paint will make your home seem lighter and bigger. It will enable viewers to more easily imagine how they would adapt the rooms to their needs and also means they won’t have to redecorate immediately if they don’t want to.
FIX & CLEAN
Make minor repairs – holes in walls, broken door knobs, cracked tiles, torn or threadbare carpets. Clean everything until it sparkles. Get rid of limescale, clean and repair tile grout, get rid of odours, hang fresh towels. This will make the place more appealing. Tidy up the garden and clean outdoor furniture if you need to. Cut the lawn, pull up weeds. This doesn’t add value but it makes it more likely to sell as people visualize themselves using the garden - it is valuable square footage, make the most of it!
Mirrors make a room look bigger and brighter – put them up if you can, especially in small rooms or hallways. Clean windows inside and out, and replace broken light bulbs. Making the place feel light and airy makes rooms feel bigger and the property more attractive.
MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY
Plants and flowers bring colour, life and light to a room and also smell delicious. So does a fruit bowl on your kitchen counter.
SHOWING THE PROPERTY
Every homeowner wants to achieve the best price, with the least amount of stress. At Northwood, we strive to make that a reality for you. We apply our intimate knowledge of our area’s market conditions and active database of buyers to recommending an asking price and strategy that will maximise viewing activity and the level of offers received. Contact Northwood to find out more on 01722 330066 or pop into the office at 56 Castle Street, Salisbury. • northwooduk.com
health & wellbeing |
Introducing... Avonbourne Care Centre The Orders of St John Care Trust has just opened a brand new state-of-the-art care centre in Old Sarum, Salisbury.
A
AVONBOURNE CARE CENTRE OFFERS:
s a leading provider of high quality care for older people The Orders of St John Care Trust has years of experience creating caring and comfortable environments for people in later life. Their new home, located in a quiet residential area close to Old Sarum, Salisbury, has been designed and built to the highest possible standards, with comfort and wellbeing the top priority. Communal areas include cosy lounges, smart dining rooms and lovely landscaped gardens where you can relax and get to know people. All bedrooms have modern en suite facilities and
• • • • • have been carefully designed for comfortable living. As well as offering excellent accommodation the new care team is absolutely committed to providing the highest standards of care with highly trained teams on call 24 hours a day to offer the support residents need, when they need it.
Expert around the clock care Personalised dementia support St John Admiral Nurses Private en suite bedrooms On site hairdresser, café, bar, shop and cinema • Freshly home cooked food • Laundry service included • Regular resident & relative forums To find out more about living, working or volunteering at Avonbourne Care Centre call 0800 988 8133 or email marketing@osjct.co.uk • www.osjct.co.uk
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| puzzles
Tea Break Teasers MIDDLEMARCH WORDSEARCH
What/who is missing from the grid? BROOKE LYDGATE CASAUBON GARTH CHETTAM
SUDOKU
EASY
VINCY LADISLAW CADWALLADER FAIRBROTHER BULSTRODE
FEATHERSTONE WAULE HAWLEY MAWMSEY RAFFLES
WIN A £10 NEXT VOUCHER! Email your answers to these trivia questions to comp@wired-publishing.co.uk by 15.04.16 to be in with a chance of winning a £10 Next Voucher. Good luck!
Q1: Who wrote the novel Middlemarch? Q2: Who had a hit in 1964 with ‘March of the Mods’? LAST MONTH’S SOLUTIONS
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Q3: What foodstuff used to be called Marchpane?
Wordsearch missing word: BULA
Q4: On what dates is the Glasgow International Comedy Festival in 2016?
Quiz answers: 1: Ianuarius 2: January 6th 3: 24 4: Michal Bogdanowicz 5: Gigi Hadid
Q5: Who founded The March of Dimes Foundation, in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis?
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Be sure to include your contact details so we can get in touch with you if you are our winner!
| last word
Getting the drinks in
A
nd so a new gardening year has arrived. My wife’s already started with the seed trays, sowing her sweet peas and annuals undercover and getting strangely excited as they show signs of sprouting into life. Our conservatory has taken on the guise of a greenhouse, as is now customary in springtime given my wife’s greenfingers and our lack of an actual greenhouse, and I can tell she’s trying to coax me back into the garden once again. I have to hand it to the woman, she’s nothing if not persistent. Truth is, I’m not a gardener. Perhaps it was one too many weekends spent ‘helping’ my dad with weeding and digging and all the other man jobs in our family garden as a child. Perhaps it’s down to spending 20 odd years
herself in the ‘greenhouse’, weeding, mowing lawns, pruning or (from what I can tell) digging up a perfectly good plant and moving it somewhere else for no apparent reason, she seldom seems more content than when out in the great outdoors. Don’t get me wrong, I like the great outdoors as much as the next man, though I prefer to admire it with drink in hand whilst being quietly impressed with skills of the plantsman or woman who has created it. Last year my wife came closer than ever to winning me over. She bought me a raised bed so I could grow some vegetables. “It doesn’t require any digging, you just plant some seeds, water it when it gets dry and you get to eat the produce. I’ve even bought these seeds for you that all thrive in small spaces”. I won’t lie, I was taken in by the smart look of the raised bed and
My wife loves gardening enough for the both of us. Whether she’s busying herself in the ‘greenhouse’, weeding, mowing lawns, pruning or digging up a perfectly good plant and moving it somewhere else for no apparent reason, she seldom seems more content than when out in the great outdoors. living in the centre of a city with no outdoor space to call my own. Perhaps it’s that it seems to involve so much damn digging, invariably in inclement weather, or perhaps it’s just that so many things can go wrong despite proper planning. No, I just can’t get into gardening, not for any length of time at any rate. My wife though, loves it enough for the both of us. Whether she’s busying
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the neat spaces where I could do my so-called ‘square metre gardening’. She bought me a few plug plants to get it going and I duly planted the seeds, which sprouted and which I thinned and it was all going so well. In fact, it was all going too well. The slugs were apparently the first to wise up to the juicy bounty I was developing and started chewing on my lettuces. Then the cabbage whites started flitting round my brassicas. Before I knew it
blackfly had taken a liking to my runner beans. I was under a three pronged attack. Within days my beautiful raised bed had been ransacked, and with it my spirits went. All that hard work to be undone by plagues of insects, not for me I’m afraid. She took over, removing the blackfly, netting the brassicas, and erecting slug barriers, giving it a water, a feed (who knew crops needed food - I thought that rather went against the spirit of growing your own food) soon getting things back on track. Within weeks we were having our first home grown suppers. Or should I say supper - no one ever became self-sufficient doing square metre gardening I would suggest. I should have been reinvigorated, but to be honest I was just struck by the fact that having emptied the square, we’d have to put something else in and start a new cycle. It all seems far too much like hard work to me, I think I’ll just leave the wife to get on with it after all, despite her earnest intentions to get me involved. By my reckoning though, if I keep her regularly refreshed whilst she works, she’ll let me share the produce without me having to do anything. Yes, drink’s carrier – that’s a role I see myself fitting into rather nicely.
Phil Rockliffe