Absolutely Sussex June 2023

JUNE 2023 / £3.95

Over 20 pages of inspiration and insight

Heat IS ON

COOL SUMMER VIBES FROM OLIVER BONAS IN BRIGHTON

PLUS

ROY STRIDE On Scouting for Girls' resurgence and love for Rudgwick RIDING THE WAVE How The Seadog won over Hastings' pub goers CUT ABOVE The best laughs heading to Chichester Fringe

FEEL CONFIDENT THIS FATHER’S DAY

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The Transformation FaceliftTM is a bespoke treatment from Doctor Nyla, unique to her clinics and combining a variety of incredible anti ageing treatments to make you look and feel 10 years younger in the space of only six weeks!

EDITOR

MARK KEBBLE

ART DIRECTOR

PAWEL KUBA

SENIOR DESIGNERS

MIKE ROBERTS

SUZETTE SCOBLE

MIDWEIGHT DESIGNER

CARMEN GRAHAM

JUNIOR DESIGNER

JOE MUNSEY

PRODUCTION MANAGER

DANICA BRODIE

GROUP SALES MANAGER - SOUTH

ABIGAIL GARDNER

FINANCIAL DIRECTOR

JERRIE KOLECI

CREDIT CONTROL MANAGER

ALEXANDRA HVID

DIRECTORS

CRAIG DAVIES, LEAH DAY, JAMES FUSCHILLO

NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

ALEXANDRA HUNTER

MANAGING DIRECTOR

SHERIF SHALTOUT

For editorial enquiries please email: mark@zest-media.com

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LETTER Editor’s

ABSOLUTELY’S June issue highlights

1

Absolutely Home

The best in interiors and design (p51)

Iwas never musical. I remember one school music project where I had three months to work on a song, which resulted in me on a keyboard playing three notes and using the pre-recorded background music as the key part of the ditty. I failed that particular assignment. But I do love music. Being a journalist has seen me go behind the scenes at some amazing gigs, but step back further and I was the number one fan of a band set up at my senior school (so much so, I can't even remember what they were called). I lived my ambitions to make it in music through them and they were really good – but then university got in the way and the band split up.

If only they were like Scouting for Girls. The band have been mates since childhood and are still going strong today, as lead singer and Sussex local Roy Stride tells us this month. If only my mates stuck at it. Anyway, going to gigs is probably the last thing I want to do these days, I'd much rather spread out on the sofa and whack on Netflix. It's why our Absolutely Home special is always a fun one for me to put together and inside we have over 20 pages of interviews, tips and local experts to drum home some of the latest in interiors. Rock on.

Jewellery

Why we love a spot of doll's play this month (p36)

Stately Gardens

Our pick of the grandest green settings (p66)

3

Roy Stride The Scouting for Girls frontman on his Sussex loves (p18)

5 The Shoot Summer vibes at Oliver Bonas (p38)

MARK KEBBLE EDITOR

Wish LIST

VIOLET VESSEL

Featuring generous cups, bubbled stems and bold colour, wine glasses from Ornamental by Lameice come in a variety of bright shades, £95. koibird.com

ALIEN SUPERSTAR

Balmain's Beyoncé collaboration features 16 looks, each inspired by a track on Beyoncé’s Renaissance album. This is Cozy. balmain.com

MAUVE APPEAL

The Curve vases in gorgeous pastel tones of blush pink and lilac will inject your home with a pop of colour and curve appeal, £68. luxeology.co.uk

PURPLE HAZE

A collaboration between Barton Perreira and beauty brow stylist Kelley Baker has resulted in these stylish Brow Babe shades, £430.

farfetch.com

BRIGHT SPARK

Copenhagen-based jeweller Sif Jakobs' collections are simple and stylish – we love this pink zirconia pendant, £99. si akobs.uk

PLUM CONDITION

This pure silk hair wrap shields hair against the nightly friction and moisture absorption of bed linen that causes breakages, frizz and split ends, £50. silkelondon.com

LILAC TIME

Primadonna's Palace Garden set features all-over embroidery that runs all the way to the straps, making it as stylish as it is comfortable. ameliesfollies.co.uk

TWO TONE

Colour experts Caran d'Ache and Paul Smith have teamed up for a new special edition of the iconic 849 pen in fi ve new colour variations, £55. carandache.com

LAVENDER LIGHTING

Beautifully so and tactile feathers combine with brass ball chain and a bouclé trim in the showstopping Juliette light, £445. coldharbourlights.com

ENGLISH

ROBE

Image created by Jessica Galbraith BA (Hons) Make Up & Hair for Theatre & Media

CULTURE

SOUTH OF ENGLAND SHOW

9-11 JUNE, SOUTH OF ENGLAND SHOWGROUND

The South of England Show offers visitors the chance to connect with the countryside and enjoy a fantastic day out. With a non-stop programme of agricultural and equestrian displays, country pursuits, live entertainment, rural crafts, horticulture, and a variety of food, drink, and shopping opportunities, there is something for all ages. This year's show promises to be bigger than ever. seas.org.uk

The Agenda

THE BEST EVENTS IN SUSSEX

ART

Planet Wakehurst

Ongoing WAKEHURST, KEW

Artist Catherine Nelson’s Planet Wakehurst is a masterful photo montage of the gardens’ world-leading plant collections. Nelson’s installation blends her art background with her experience in film visual e ects, having worked on productions including Harry Potter, Moulin Rouge and 300. A built-in viewing platform 33ft high will o er visitors a phenomenal outlook. kew.org/wakehurst

MUSIC

Pet Shop Boys

26 JUNE, BRIGHTON CENTRE

Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live tour is Pet Shop Boys’ first ever greatest hits tour and has seen them receive ecstatic reviews for the shows in the UK and across Europe. As well as the success of the tour, Pet Shop Boys performed a rapturously received headline set this summer on The Other Stage at the Glastonbury Festival, closing this year’s 50th anniversary of the event.

brightoncentre.co.uk

THEATRE Assassins

3-24 June

CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE

Audiences will be catapulted into the American political arena where music, folklore and showbusiness collide head-on with the American Dream, for the first major production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Assassins since the composer’s death in 2021. Assassins is full of high drama, with musical influences ranging from The Carpenters to Scott Joplin. cft.org.uk

PHOTO: GRAHAM MICHAEL

EVENT

Independent Bookshop Week

17-24 June

THE QUEERY

Independent Bookshop Week will see bookshops across the country hosting events and celebrations. The Queery opened its doors in Brighton last year. It is a wheelchairaccessible sober space that’s home to a radical and queer bookstore, a small library, and a small vegan café - and is sure to host some great events during this special week. thequeery.co.uk

SHOWS

GO ON

Three not to miss at The Hawth Crawley this month

6 June SUN

RECORDS

ROCKY HORROR SHOW

MUSICAL 13-17 June

CONGRESS THEATRE

Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical comes to Eastbourne as part of its sell-out tour. The Rocky Horror Show is the story of two squeaky clean college kids – Brad and his fiancée Janet. When by a twist of fate, their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion whilst on their way to visit their former college professor, they meet the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter. It is an adventure they’ll never forget. eastbournetheatres.co.uk

This Month’s Must See

JACK WHITEHALL

Award-winning comedian, actor and writer Jack Whitehall has announced a brand-new tour. Upon announcing, Whitehall said:

“This is my most personal show yet, with plenty of material about the big changes that have happened in my life. It’s about my struggle to settle down gracefully. I’ve got a long-term partner, a ridiculous dog and am now hurtling towards middle aged without a clue. It’s about a foppish manchild’s cack handed attempt at adulting!” jackwhitehall.com

On 18 July, 1953, Elvis Presley first walked through the doors of the Memphis Recording Service at the Sun Record Company, now commonly known as Sun Records, paid $3.98 and recorded a double-sided demo acetate, My Happiness and That’s When Your Heartaches Begin. The rest became Rock ’n’ Roll history!

8 June

THE MAKINGS OF A MURDERER

Join the Scottish Detective, David Swindle, for a chilling, thrilling, night at the theatre. True crime fans, and those with a curious mind, can explore cases, the circumstances and the detective’s perspective on what really went on, the early warning signs and the clues.

13 June

WALK RIGHT BACK

From the producers of smash hit show That’ll Be The Day, this phenomenal production tells the story of the most successful musical duo of all time – The Everly Brothers. Featuring hits such as Bye Bye Love, All I Have To Do Is Dream and Cathy’s Clown, this unique concert-based musical entwines their wonderful, sad, yet glorious story.

See more at parkwoodtheatres.co.uk

13-15 JUNE, BRIGHTON CENTRE

SCOUT’S HONOUR

West Sussex’s Roy Stride , lead singer of pop trio Scouting for Girls , on the joys of flying over the county and welcoming the band’s resurgence

By NATALIE LI

Roy Stride is in a rush, but he still has time to warmly apologise for being late for our interview. We’ve only got 10 minutes to chat, he tells me, before he’s live on the BBC.

It’s easy to see why he’s often described as the “nicest man in pop” – a term the 44-year-old Horsham local chuckles at. “I am very flattered to be described as that. It’s funny, but I’ll take it. They obviously haven’t spoken to my wife!”

Upbeat, charming, and unassuming, Roy epitomises the breezy tunes that he and his childhood friends – Greg Churchouse, bass guitarist, and drummer Peter Ellard – rose to fame with back in 2007. They became the sound of the summer with their infectious breakthrough hit She’s so Lovely and their self-titled album reached number one in the UK albums chart in 2008.

The three-piece band, who grew up in Harrow, knocked Lady Gaga o the top spot in the o cial charts with their 2010 hit song This Ain’t a Love Song. “That was massive for us,” remembers Roy, “it was the accumulation of 20 years of work; we started playing music together when we were 12-years-old and now we were number one.

“The Britpop era was a big reason why I got into a band. I’m a huge fan of Oasis and it was the first gig I ever attended. It made me realise that I need to be in a band. I love the music from that era. To play in venues like the Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena are highlights of our career.”

After a string of feel-good hits, Brit Awards nominations, and one Ivor Novello to their name, it seemed the band faded into obscurity. Over the last few years they’ve made a comeback with plenty of summer gig dates booked as well as supporting Olly Murs on

tour. “Last summer every gig was so good, the band has had a real resurgence in the last few years through Spotify and it feels like we’re on another big run and we’re just enjoying it.

“I love everything about going on tour, being a tourist, travelling – we get a massive kick out of playing live and engaging the crowd,” Roy adds. “You’re part of the band when you watch a Scouting for Girls gig.”

As for fame, the trio have seemingly gone under the radar and escaped intrusive press coverage. “We’re a band that everyone has heard of and knows the songs, but they don’t necessarily know who we are and to be honest it’s a lovely way of being,” Roy smiles. “There is nothing worse than people constantly judging you.”

Dodging showbiz is Roy’s preference and writing songs for other artists, including the likes of One Direction, from his home in the village of Rudgwick where he lives with wife,

“We started playing music together when we were 12 and now we were number one”

Lucy, and children Freddie, 13, and Rosie, 12. “I love Sussex and it’s funny how we came to be here. Lucy and I lived in South London for some time, but her parents were living in Putney, so she drew a circle an hour from where they live and picked Sussex! Now we live in the middle of a wood in the countryside.”

The couple often frequent the Fox Inn – a place that has seemingly provided some inspiration. “I love the sign on the pub – one side it says it’s the first pub in Sussex, and on the other side it says the last pub – it always makes me laugh. I wrote our song We Still Believe with one of the dads from the school at the Fox. It was for our uno cial World Cup track in 2018.”

When Roy isn’t visiting his local he likes to head further afield. “Brighton is the best vibe in the world for a creative person – there are

so many studios, I go there once a month. We go to Worthing a lot and I absolutely love The Pig, our new favourite place to eat out, followed by a walk along the South Downs. My plan is to do the South Downs way, I am hoping to do it with the kids. I did it with my dad, so I just need to drag them o the Xbox.”

Another childhood dream was realised in lockdown for the modest songwriter when he took to the skies and learned to fly. “During lockdown I had the time, so I learnt to fly at Goodwood Aerodrome in Chichester, and I am going to restart my lessons this summer as I ran out of time, the band got busy. Goodwood is such an amazing place and to fly over Sussex, down to the coast, over Brighton and the Downs is incredible. They have spitfires at Goodwood

WORTHING

so sometimes you land after a spitfire. It really is a childhood dream come true.”

His passion for aviation led Roy to launch a regular podcast all about flying and aircraft. He teamed up with three Sussex residents: TV presenter Rob Curling and his brother Jeremy Curling, plus former RAF pilot James Cartner. “Top Landing Gear is an aviation podcast for everyone, it’s slightly irreverent and fascinating to experts and aviation enthusiasts,” he says.

This summer brings more flying and touring with Olly Murs. “We’re excited to be heading on tour with Olly. I have written for him and it’s amazing that years on from when I did that, we’re supporting him.

“The best thing about this band is that we’ve been friends since we were kids, and we did it together and we’re still together,” he smiles. “Our drummer would love to have another hit record! But we just want to keep doing what we’re doing, we’re so grateful for what we’ve got.”

scoutingforgirls.com

“Goodwood is such an amazing place and to fly over Sussex is incredible”

THE BAND HAVE BEEN FRIENDS SINCE CHILDHOOD

GOODWOOD AERODROME

THE FOX INN IS A LOCAL FAVOURITE

Get to know… BECCA THURSTON

THE 25-YEAR-OLD FOUNDER OF SEWN LONDON DISCUSSES HER SUSSEX ROOTS

By REBECCA PITCAIRN

Q Whereabouts in Sussex are you from?

A I grew up in St Leonards-on-Sea in East Sussex and my family still live there. I went to St Paul’s School and Filsham Valley (now St Leonards Academy) before crossing the border to Chichester in West Sussex, where I went to university and studied Dance. I now live in London with my boyfriend, Harry, but his family live in Kirdford so we spend a lot of time there. I love being able to get out of the hustle and bustle of London and escape to Sussex.

Q How did you end up in the world of interiors?

A I guess I’ve always had an underlying love for interiors. As a young girl, I was constantly moving my room around and I remember watching my Granny being able to make everything from scratch and being inspired by her creativity. When Harry and I decided to move from Sussex to London together, my love for interiors began to develop further. However, one of the things I really struggled to find for our first home was the style of cushions I was after at an a ordable price. Having studied Textiles at A-level, I was confident experimenting with fabrics and designing products so I decided to make my own and, very quickly, I found a real love for designing and making cushions while I decided what my long-term career goals were.

Q What was the turning point that made you realise Sewn London was more than a side hustle?

A Within months of launching Sewn,

SOME OF SEWN LONDON'S PRODUCTS

influencer Lydia Millen purchased and posted about my products to her 1.2M followers. I couldn’t believe it when I saw her follow me on Instagram and within the hour she had purchased four of our Ayla cushions. Within hours of her sharing on her social channels, I had thousands of orders. I felt such relief that finally, I was going to be able to support myself.

Q Any other high-profile customers?

A Victoria Magrath, the woman behind fashion, travel and beauty blog, ‘Inthefrow’, has purchased from me, and Frankie Ga and Ti any Watson from Made in Chelsea. One of my favourite influencers I have an ongoing collaboration with is Chloe Rose. She has worked with us on a gifting basis from the beginning and is such a lovely person to work with.

Q Where do you find inspiration?

A I think Pinterest is my main source of inspiration. I spend hours scrolling and have so many di erent boards for

upcoming projects! I also get inspired by discovering new fabrics, I am constantly ordering fabric samples.

Q How would you describe the style of your products?

A I would say my style is modern country, with a love of neutral fabrics following textures and tones. Our range of products is very versatile and suits all sorts of homes, from trendy modern homes to quintessential country homes. I try to avoid trends and stick to fabrics and designs I know customers will love for many years to come. Hence the stripes: a stripe is such a timeless and versatile print.

Q What are your most popular products?

A Our cushions are the core of the business. Our Ayla striped linen cushion was the favourite for many years, but now our Sienna textured linen with fringing is starting to take over. My current favourite is one of our new cushions we have just launched, called Fern – it’s a beautiful linen cushion with green stripes.

Q What else is new this year?

A We have just launched ‘Sewn small’, our very own children’s range of homeware and soft furnishings. I had my nieces, Poppy and Ayla, both 3 and nephew Ezra, 5, help me with the shoot. That was lots of fun.

Q How do you spend your spare time?

A I absolutely love travelling and we go away quite a few times throughout the year. I think one of my favourite places we have been to was Positano last summer. And I love a staycation, we recently stayed at Wilderness Reserve and absolutely loved it there.

Q When you’re back in Sussex, where are your favourite places to go?

A Petworth is a lovely place to visit, with lots of nice antique shops, homeware shops and pubs. I love The Half Moon

pub in Kirdford, West Sussex, and in East Sussex I love The George in Rye. Rye is such a gorgeous place to potter around, there are lots of independent shops and restaurants, but The George is one of my firm favourites. I actually spent a few years working as a hotel receptionist there for a few years when I graduated from university, so it seems rather special to me.

sewn-london.com

THE GEORGE IN RYE

BECCA GREW UP IN ST LEONARDS

“My style is modern country, with a love of neutral fabrics”

LINEN BUNTING FROM SEWN LONDON

A relaxed yet refined restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge, serving a seasonal menu of elevated British classics.

Championing locally sourced cuts from the rotisserie on a Sunday, along with a Menu du Jour offering two courses for £39.50 and three courses for £47.50. A pre and post theatre menu is also available alongside a range of bar snacks.

A Champagne trolley called ‘Georgie’ is on hand to ensure all occasions are suitably celebrated.

KERRIDGE’S BAR & GRILL

Corinthia London

FOOD & DRINK

GOING IT ALONE

Furna is the first solo venture for Yorkshire-born Dave Mothersill, who has been cooking for over two decades in some of Brighton’s most lauded restaurants and is one of the city’s most consistent and well-respected chefs. With a capacity of 26, the focus is on the customer experience and showcasing the very best in seasonal produce through an ever-evolving set tasting menu. The full 8 course menu can be enjoyed for £90 Wednesday through to Saturday, paired with a carefully curated wine selection for £65. For bookings call 01273 031 594 or email bookings@furnarestaurant.co.uk

FURNA

WHAT TO DRINK GRAPE news

Wine recommendations for the month

By EATALY

The Pantelleria estate, a small island o the coast of Southern Italy, is home to Ben Ryè wines. This 2020 wine uses Zibibbo grapes and provides an extraordinary rich bouquet with outstanding aromas obtained from the dried grapes.

NOTES TASTING

The latest food news and most exciting openings in Sussex

By MARK KEBBLE

This vineyard is located in the north of Italy, which allows for varying climates between day and night. This fresh, subtle wine is light yellow in colour and soft on the palate, o ering a creamy softness with a hint of herbs and spices.

Borgogno - No Name

Borgogno is one of the oldest continuously operating winery in Barolo, Piedmont in the North of Italy. Ethereal, persistent with violet, rose, fresh fruits and spicy hints on the nose this dry, velvety, full-bodied wine is our top pick this season.

EATALY

Eataly hosts intimate guided tastings led by resident wine experts where you can discover the very best Italian wineries and distilleries. eatalyvino.com

Fiesta time

ESTRELLA GALICIA .

Estrella Galicia once again brought its month-long celebration of Spanish food, Gastronomy Month, to the county in May. Hungry guests got a taste of Spain, as Gastronomy Month o ered over 22 masterclasses, tasting menus, tapas tours, Spanish Fiestas and enticing o ers to bite into. In Brighton, guests kicked o their feast in the heart of the city at The Coal Shed, followed by Burnt Orange and Tutto. estrellagalicia.com

Ben Ryè – 2020

Kellerei Cantina TerlanTerlaner Cuvèe Riserva, Nova Domus 2020

DADDY OF THEM ALL

Three Sussex treats for Father’s Day

THE B KNEES

RATHFINNY WINE ESTATE

Middle ground

ZARQA

Selina, the fast-growing experiential hospitality brand targeting millennial and Gen Z travellers, is proud to launch its brand new restaurant, Zarqa, within its unique Brighton hotel, Selina Brighton, o ering a modern take on Middle Eastern flavours with international influences, using only fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The menu includes Turkish Eggs, slow cooked Skakshuka, and Balkan Toasties. instagram.com/zarqa.brighton

THE BEACHY HEAD

On Sunday 18 June for £26.95, treat dad to a celebration just as wonderful as he is. From the tempting seared fillets of sea bass and familiar comforts of a traditional sirloin of beef roast, ending with a luxurious pink lemonade posset. vintageinns.co.uk

Rathfinny, one of the largest independent grower-producers of sparkling wine in England, has joined a growing list of over 1,600 UK businesses that have achieved B Corp status, the gold standard for ethical and sustainable business practices, verified to high standards of social and environmental performance. Rathfinny is the first grower-producer of sparkling wine in the world to achieve this. rathfinnyestate.com

ASHDOWN PARK

A special three-course Sunday lunch in the award-winning Anderida Restaurant offers a welcoming and family-friendly ambience, with beautiful views across the parkland and sets the scene for a lovely, relaxed a ernoon together. ashdownpark.com

Beautiful game

THE AMEX

MasterChef: The Professionals winner and Hove-based chef Steven Edwards has been chosen to create menus for a new immersive hospitality experience at The Amex with Brighton & Hove Albion FC. The Premier League team will launch The Tunnel Club at The Amex in time for the 2023/2024 season, with Steven in charge of the menus for members. The one-way glass walled restaurant will see through to the players’ tunnel with an ever-changing menu. brightonandhovealbion.com

BROWNS BRIGHTON

Treat dad and the family to a traditional Sunday lunch on 18 June. Alongside freshly carved roasts with all the trimmings, they’ll have their decadent Sunday sharing Chateaubriand, great wines, hand-cra ed cocktails, indulgent desserts and even little roasts for the kids. browns-restaurants.co.uk

GIN O’CLOCK

THE GRAND EASTBOURNE

The Grand Hotel, Eastbourne, has revealed its timely bespoke new gin, “The Grand Gin”, created in partnership with Hawkridge Distillers. Its unique flavour profile comes from a delicate fusion of locally sourced botanicals including honey, wild gorse, and samphire, handpicked from the coastline just a stone’s throw from the hotel. The carefully crafted spirit is made using a Victorian method, rarely seen today, capturing the very essence of The Grand Hotel. grandeastbourne.com

WIND in its SAILS

From a stressful opening day to being a much-loved Hastings pub, The Seadog recently celebrated its first anniversary. We chat to owners Joseph Ryan and Holly Murdoch to see how the journey has been

Q Can you give us a potted history of The Seadog?

HOLLY: From the info we have gathered, the pub, originally named The Royal George, first opened its doors in 1853 and was originally under the patronage of the historical brewery, Watney’s. It operated as a traditional railway beer house. The pub took on many guises over the years, including Grace’s Wine Bar, The Priory, The Bat and Ball, and Frank’s Front Room. In more recent years, it had a close call with a planning application to convert it into flats.

Q What attracted you to taking it over?

JOSEPH: I really like the town of Hastings, the mixed bag of people that call it home and its historical past make it a very unique place. We bought The Seadog because we were toying with the idea of getting a pub in the area, as we had moved down from London to renovate our house. It started as a joke really. We drove past the then Royal George one day and saw the for sale signs outside and went and did a viewing for the craic.

I immediately liked the lay out of the bar downstairs, and the location, in close proximity to the station and town. I saw a lot of potential for the upstairs too. The building is a bit of a Tardis. It looks relatively small on the outside, but it is a beautiful, spacious Victorian building.

Q And why was Hastings the perfect place for a new venture?

JOSEPH: There is a lot of opportunity in Hastings to do something cool. It’s a lively little town, with a great music and art scene, as well as a good crowd of people down here. There is already some exciting stu happening in hospitality here which attracted us to open a business. The first

pubs I went to here were The Crown and Brewing Brothers, two very di erent, very good pubs that made me think this town is somewhere I could live. We also love the Jolly Fisherman, which always has a great selection of beer, along with Eel and Bear. The Cove, up in Fairlight, Heist and Farmyard are all very good at what they do. The amazing co ee (and people) at Stooge or Café La Mer got us through the months leading up to opening our pub. There are honestly too many great venues and people to mention. HOLLY: Maybe it’s New Town’s time to shine now – with Eel & Bear, Brewing Brothers, and newly re-opened Prince Albert, New Town could be crowned the Hastings’ Beer Mile!

JOSEPH: But the real reason we ended up setting up shop in Hastings is a bit of an o beat love story. Holly and I broke up for a bit, and during this time I bought a house on auction and moved down here parttime with a buddy. I knew East Sussex and Hastings, as Holly is from Robertsbridge, and we had good times exploring Hastings and the surrounding area in our campervan. When we got back together, we moved down here full-time and we both love a project, hence The Seadog was born.

Q What challenges did you face?

JOSEPH: Many! We got the keys for the pub on the first week of January and set a deadline to open the pub on 15 April for Holly’s birthday. Because the building had sat empty for so long there was a lot of work to be done to get it open in time. We had to pull out the old décor, put in floors, fix roofs, build a kitchen, redo electrics – the list was long, and problems kept cropping up. Getting beer pouring was the least of our worries. We were also living upstairs at the

time as our house was unliveable and being renovated at the same time. The upstairs of The Seadog is a mixture of a student flat meets Trainspotting. We can now look back at that time and laugh.

The day we opened was chaotic. We had electricians working until 3am the night before we opened, friends and family came in to help us clean up tables and put them in place on the day, wires were hanging from the ceiling, all power went out 30 mins before opening – it was mental. By some miracle we served our first beer at 6pm on 15 April and had a great opening night.

Q You are approaching your year anniversary – how have things gone?

HOLLY: It’s been an incredible year. Nerve-racking, stressful, full-on, but hugely rewarding, and most of the time, great fun. It’s a great little pub, which is going from strength to strength. The

pub is busy, we have a great crowd in, and our team are fantastic.

Pubs take time to evolve and begin to breath their own kind of character. The Seadog is constantly evolving. It is such a di erent pub to the opening night. It needed to grow some barnacles, get worn in a little. We are proud of what we have created, but it is important to say how incredibly blessed and grateful we are for the love and support we have had from everyone. The community, customers, the team, and friends and family have all played a part in building The Seadog.

Q What do you look to o er with drinks at The Seadog?

JOSEPH: We have always led with quality craft beer in my pubs, I like to keep up with what is happening with beer and constantly on the lookout for cool breweries that are producing outstanding beer such as Floc from Canterbury and Beak in Lewes. Holly is

very keen to step-up the game on our wines, so they are as good as the beer line-up.

Q And how have you approached the food?

JOSEPH: Most publicans will tell you that the kitchen has a reputation for being di cult. Whilst we really haven’t had any major setbacks, the hardest thing for us at The Seadog was getting the kitchen running exactly how we wanted it to. The food side of a business is highly demanding and an area in which you have little space for error and where customers are probably the most discerning.

Recently, I have leased out my kitchens to chefs. For me it works well. I like the collaborative aspect of it, and it also leaves me to focus on the operations of the pub overall. It is beneficially positive for both sides.

We are delighted to be working with Becci & Rob from Orchard Road, who took over the kitchen residency at the beginning of January. We work very well together, the food fits perfectly with what The Seadog is about, and the guys are smashing it.

Q What are your hopes for the future?

HOLLY: First and foremost, our biggest hope for the future is that The Seadog will continue to grow into the best pub it can be.

We would love to start doing more in the way of events and are also excited to say that we will be launching a very exciting brunch menu this summer, so look out for that.

Lastly, we are finalising plans for what to do with the upstairs of the pub, so lots to be done, and lots to look forward to.

theseadogpub.com

“It’s been nerveracking, stressful, full-on, but hugely rewarding”

Wednesday & Thursday: 18:30 - 23:00

Friday & Saturday: 12:30 - 16:00 | 18:30 - 23:00

01273 031 594 | bookings@furnarestaurant.co.uk

FASHION

Suits you

PEARL LOWE

Handmade in Somerset by local seamstresses, Pearl Lowe's swimwear and hats are all vintage inspired and made to flatter and accentuate the feminine figure. Drawing inspiration from the 50s with vintage inspired patterns, Pearl Lowe designs are feminist masterpieces, celebrating everything that’s sexy about women. pearllowe.co.uk

Jewellery 36 • The Shoot 38

Doll's Play

Cute and kitsch pieces to take you to Barbie land...

By CARLY GLENDINNING

MELISSA KAYE

18K Pink Gold One-of-a-Kind Lenox Ring, £19,500 melissakayejewelry.com

JENNA BLAKE

18K Yellow Gold Nautical Link Bracelet, £POA jennablake.com

MARLO LAZ

14K Yellow Gold Gemma Ring with Alexandrite and Rubies, £5,750 marlolaz.com

LOQUET

14K Diamond Amate Heart Locket, £1,800 loquetlondon.com

CRYSTAL HAZE

Nostalgia Bear Hoop in Lollipop, £35.99 crystalhazejewelry.com

POMELLATO

Nudo 18K Rose and White Gold, Topaz and Diamond Necklace, £3,150 net-a-porter.com

MOUSHE Flowing Love Set, £43 moushedesigns.com

LAUREN RUBINSKI

BFF Lurex and Bead Bracelet, £65 net-a-porter.com

EMILY P. WHEELER

18K Yellow Gold, Amethyst, and Enamel Elsa Ring, £1,530 emilypwheeler.com

SUMMER READY FOR

The latest from Oliver Bonas will help you embrace the sun, found at their Brighton and Chichester stores OLIVERBONAS.COM

HEALTH & BEAUTY

RAHUA

Hair styling tools including straighteners, curling irons, and blow dry brushes can cause hair to become fragile over time. Rahua's new Heat Protectant Shield creates an invisible barrier against heat damage, keeping hair healthy and strong without weighing it down with chemicals and synthetic ingredients.

rahua.uk

Vanessa Cuddeford

Q&A

STAGE MIGHT

Brighton-based Vanessa Cuddeford on how anxiety nearly derailed her broadcasting career and how she’s using her experiences to build confidence in others

Q When did you first notice nerves creeping into your work?

A The first time I ever read a news bulletin I was a little nervous – but that’s only natural, I also felt excited. The crippling nerves kicked in a number of years later, when I’d become the main news anchor of one of ITV’s regional news programmes. You come under a good deal of scrutiny in that position, TV producers and viewers aren’t shy to voice an opinion on your performance. I found myself becoming more and more afraid of messing up and doing or saying something wrong. There was one particular incident when I choked while interviewing a high-profile politician. I literally couldn’t speak and my co-presenter had to step in.

Q How serious did this get?

A After the choking episode I became terrified it would happen again. I started to dread going into work, feeling panicked every night before going on air. That’s when I decided to do something about it. It was either that, or quit!

Q How did you eventually overcome this stage fright?

A With di culty! There wasn’t really anything out there that I could find to help me. There were plenty of courses on how to deliver presentations, but I was already an experienced TV presenter, and didn’t need that training. Instead I had to create my own tool kit to help myself get over my fears and feel confident on camera again. I did this through a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy, reading self-help books, talking to other colleagues in the industry and working with a performance coach.

Q When did you decide you wanted to help others?

A It was that experience that led me to develop my own 12-week course to help professional women like me. Over the past five years we’ve helped more than 500 women overcome their speaking fears.

Q What happens on your courses?

A It’s a combination of mindset training and speaker coaching. We examine what clients are afraid of when speaking in public and help them put their fears in perspective. It’s always the case that they’re overestimating what might go wrong and underestimating their ability to cope. Then we teach them how to structure their content so they can present and speak in

meetings and interviews with impact. We teach them how to persuade, build rapport and perform. By the end of the programme they not only feel confident, but they’re getting results from their speaking and saving time preparing. It’s win, win! We work in small groups so clients also get to interact with other high-achieving professionals who struggle with the same speaking fear, and that provides a really safe environment in which to practice.

Q Do you think we know enough about things like anxiety and panic attacks?

A Sadly not. When I was struggling with stage fright, I thought I was unusual or odd. In actual fact public speaking fear – or Glossophobia as it’s correctly called – a ects between 50 and 70% of people. Within that number there’s a range of severity. Some people are terrified and avoid presenting at all costs, others do it, but just don’t enjoy it! In all cases, the speaker’s discomfort is rooted in fear of negative judgment from their audience and the impact that judgment might have on them. The good news is you can learn to reframe those fears, put them in perspective, and build your confidence so you don’t go into speaking events feeling like an imposter.

Q What success stories do you have?

A So many! We’ve had clients who were so terrified of speaking that they’d do anything to get out of it including one who engineered

a minor car crash in order that she could avoid a work presentation. Many clients have had to resort to Beta Blockers before working with us. In terms of successes we’ve had clients go on to deliver TED talks, address parliamentary committees and even the UN. But the majority simply want to feel comfortable speaking up at work and not waste hours preparing and stressing in advance. I love knowing that something that previously felt like a big hurdle for them now just comes naturally!

Q How long have you lived in Brighton?

A I was grew up here and then moved away for 20 years working as a journalist. I then returned to Brighton when my son started school seven years ago to be close to family. It’s such an eclectic place. You meet all sorts of people from all walks of life and it caters to every taste. There’s a great arts scene, fantastic shops and restaurants, and beautiful nature all within walking distance.

Q What does the future hold for you?

A I want to continue to grow the business and help more people to become confident speakers so they can advance their careers. There's no better feeling than knowing you've helped someone overcome an obstacle that was holding them back, freeing them up to excel in whichever field they choose.

vanessacuddeford.com

“We have had clients go on to deliver TED talks, address parliamentary committees and even the UN”

TOP PICKS

THE BEST SUPPLEMENTS FOR WOMEN

FITNESS NOTES

By CARLY GLENDINNING

IRON BOOST

Women tend to be more susceptible to iron deficiency. Dome’s Iron Assist vitamins contain 12mg of iron in a polyphenol-rich chocolate capsule, £21. domevitamins.com

FEELING APPY

ONE A DAY

Together Health’s Women’s Wholefood Multivitamin delivers a complete vitamin and mineral formulation in a one-a-day capsule. Contains 22 essential nutrients, £10.99. togetherhealth.co.uk

Hypnotherapy app Clementine has meditations and coaching sessions for everything from confidence to sleep

HORMONE SUPPORT

Wild Nutrition’s award-winning daily multi nutrient offers a fullspectrum of vitamins, minerals, and herbs, designed to support healthy hormone cycles, energy, and immune system, £33.50. wildnutrition.com

Like many busy working mums, I find it hard to build in any ‘me moments’ into my day. So the first time I log on to Clementine is a Monday morning, after a stressful nursery drop o (my toddler didn’t want to say goodbye), and before I face a mountain of emails in my inbox. The app’s cheerful interface instantly makes me smile. I choose the ‘My day, my way’ meditation, and immediately feel calmer as I spend a few minutes ‘hugging’ myself and gently tapping my forearms, breathing through the positive a rmations.

Founded by Kim Palmer, Clementine has an extensive menu of meditations to choose from – covering everything from sleep (‘I can sleep deeply at night’) to stress and anxiety (‘My f*cks are mine to give’). There’s also meditations for menopause, including ‘mind-skin rituals’ created in collaboration with No7. Sessions, and are led by a brilliant panel of four di erent therapists, including Hazel Gale, who is the app’s lead cognitive hypnotherapist. It isn’t long before I’m hooked, looking forward to having a moment to try a new meditation. And once you’re into it, there’s plenty more to explore. Clementine has

some great coaching courses, including ‘Become a more confident person’ and ‘Become more body confident’. There’s also free online workshops, including a ‘Collective hug event’, a session that includes face massage, tapping, a rmations and visualisation. The app’s thoughtful design makes it easy for me to build meditation time into my day. There’s a ‘walking’ section that I can listen to whilst my daughter naps in the pram, and the ability to set reminders. And the more time I spend on Clementine, the more I realise how much better I feel for it.

clementineapp.com

Sussex and Yorkshire showroom by appointment only

inside this section

DESIGN NEWS, THE LATEST LAUNCHES p52

BEHIND THE SCENES OF A HOVE HOME p58

SUSSEX’S MOST STATELY GARDENS p66

TOP 5 OUTDOORS FURNITURE p71

NATURE’S WAY

CLARISSA HULSE

Launching recently, artist Clarissa Hulse’s latest luxury wallpaper and mural collection is an invitation to wander into a magical world where wildflower and seedheads glow against luminous, open skies. p55

NOTES INTERIORS

Ideas, designs and styles for your home

By PENDLE HARTE

COLOUR WAYS

HOUSEOF. X EMMA GURNER

Houseof has teamed up with interior designer Emma Gurner to create The Contrasting Colour Collection of table lamps, ceiling lights, floor lamps and wall lights.

Emma’s designs are notable for her playful use of colour and incorporating modern style with hints of nostalgia. Alongside houseof’s bold colour palette and retro shapes, the collaboration feels a natural fit. houseof.com

VIENNESE WHIRL

GEBRUDER THONET

Invited to design for Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, India Mahdavi extended the Loop family, which already included a lounge chair and a banquette, with a newly designed dining chair and a lounge chair, called Mickey for its characteristic ears that recall those of a mouse. gebruderthonetvienna.com

TAKE FIVE

Vases

DARTINGTON CRYSTAL

Little Treasures

Amethyst Optic vase, £22 dartington.co.uk

NEW SHADES

GRAPHENSTONE

Graphenstone, the world's most certifi ed eco paint, has launched two new colours for spring/summer 2023 – Serpentine blue, a so chalky blue inspired by the trend for wild swimming, and Baked Clay, a deep oxide red reminiscent of sun-baked Moroccan earth. graphenstone.co.uk

BERGS POTTER Willow vase, £73 nordicnest.com

MODERN HISTORY

Nature vase, £20 modern-history.co.uk

CONRAN SHOP Wide Block Sgraffi to vase, £160 conranshop.co.uk

DROOL ART

If you’re looking to jazz up your interior and support earlycareer artists, try Drool. With a selection of prints ranging from bold and contemporary, to muted and abstract, Drool offers artists exposure, allowing vibrant, quality giclée prints to be shipped worldwide. drool-art.com

IN THE FRAME TIME PLEASE

HAY

The iconic Wall Clock is a result of a collaboration between HAY and designer Jasper Morrison. It embodies Morrison's talent for creating relevant and straightforward items that fit seamlessly into everyday surroundings, £105. twentytwentyone.com

FERM LIVING Verso table vase, £95 fermliving.co.uk

FREE DESIGN CONSULTATION

NATURAL

JUST

We immerse ourselves in the latest wallpaper and mural collection from Brighton Art College graduate, Clarissa Hulse

Artist Clarissa Hulse’s latest luxury wallpaper and mural collection is an invitation to wander into a magical Wiltshire garden where wildflower and seedheads glow against luminous, open skies. This collection is the culmination of over 20 years spent hand printing botanical designs and is a celebration of the timeless beauty of the natural world. Every leaf, stem, bud and flower was collected by Clarissa in the wilds of the Wiltshire, and photographed back in her studio. Turn any room of space into an enchanting meadow wilderness, with the Serendipity Mural. Delicate layers of foliage in shades of olive, chartreuse and peacock draw the eye into this magical world. This large-scale pattern is available

SERENDIPITY GREENHOUSE

as a made-to-measure bespoke wall mural, making it unique to each space, and it is available in three evocative colourways.

The combination of delicate shell pinks and luxuriant Verdigris work in harmony to offer the perfect example of how to layer colour, texture and pattern to create a striking yet elegant scheme. Golden Meadow grasses arc gracefully against the pink ombre background of this gorgeous new printed design. Clarissa created this signature design after spending a summer's evening photographing grasses in the fading light.

Biophilia is no longer just a trend but a lifestyle, and one that Clarissa has long been championing

through her designs. Her new Summer Border design is a portrait of a meadow wilderness, in luminous teal, turquoise and chartreuse palette. The design was inspired by one of Clarissa’s favourite haunts; a magical garden belonging to her friend and renowned garden designer, Tania Compton. The abundant tangle of grasses, teasels, dill seeds heads and verbena capture the essence of wild and natural beauty.

Bring the outside in with her exquisite mural of wildflowers in full bloom. The soft teal and blush shades of the Willowherb stems and flowers catch the light in a misty meadow moment.

Clarissa studied textiles at Brighton Art College and moved up to London to start her business making hand-printed scarves. After being spotted early on by a buyer from Barney’s department store, the orders started flooding in, from Liberty of London to Neiman Marcus in New York. Before long she was handprinting and dyeing scarves day and night.

In the early 2000s, Clarissa started designing homewares and has been making colourful, natureinspired designs ever since. She has built a reputation for creating luxurious fabrics and wallpapers, in distinctive ombre palettes featuring graceful botanical silhouettes. “Whether I'm scouring the countryside for beautiful seedheads, hand printing designs in the studio or packing up orders with the team, I am lucky to be able to do a job that I am so passionate about,” she says. “I hope to bring some of my deep love of the beauty in nature into your homes.”

The wonderful, bright and bold collection of new wallpapers has been produced in collaboration with Graham & Brown. All wallpapers are available in a wide selection of shades.

All available to purchase via grahambrown.com

“I hope to bring my deep love for the beauty in nature into homes”

CLARISSA HULSE

WILLOWHERB MURAL SPRING

SUMMER BORDER VERDIGRIS

Guest

RELATIONS

Lansdowne House is a Regency guest house recently launched in the East Sussex seaside resort of Hove, located just three minutes from the beach. Having opened in May 2022, the townhouse offers four guest bedrooms and a self contained two bedroom apartment, situated in a Heritage Conservation area designed by the renowned architect, Charles Busby.

Owners Tom and Natalie Sargent met in the art world working as specialists at a London auction house. Keen to embrace the seaside lifestyle, they decided to move with their son Max from East London to the East Sussex coast. The move coincided with the nation entering the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic on the day that the housing market came to a halt. They spent the next 18 months renovating the house into a beautiful home, filling each room with the collected antiques and design pieces they have amassed during their careers. Greeted with refreshments upon arrival, guests enter the house into a beautiful hallway with the original sweeping staircase and cast iron balustrading. Each room has been designed with relaxation in mind, with the use of calming pastel colours and stylish interiors that highlight the period features of the home. Taking inspiration from the heritage of the building, art and antiques can be found throughout.

Natalie and Tom’s passion for good food is evident in the sourcing of local produce for

breakfast. Guests can relax with breakfast in bed or venture down to the garden room where double doors open out onto the walled garden.

Step outside Lansdowne House and you will immediately be hit by the salty sea air from the seafront. Hove is widely considered to be Brighton’s more relaxed sister where visitors can enjoy numerous independent shops, cafes, wine bars, bakeries and award-winning restaurants without the crowds. Those who want the best of both worlds can find Brighton a short 15 minute walk away.

With business booming, Natalie takes us on her own guided tour of Lansdowne House.

Q Were you always planning on moving to Sussex?

A We were always looking to move to Brighton & Hove, we knew the city well and loved the idea of living by the sea after 20 years in London. We fell in love with the Regency architecture and the independent restaurants, cafes and shops.

Q What was it about this property?

A Lansdowne Place is in a conservation area and so much of the character has been preserved. We could see the potential of opening up the large original rooms and the beautiful courtyard walled garden was the icing on the cake.

Q You moved as we all went into the first lockdown - how did that impact on your plans for Lansdowne House?

A The lockdown gave us time to really think about the best way to use the space. We could

Heard the one about the couple who used lockdown to transform a property close to the Hove coastline into one of summer’s must visits?

see that when the restrictions were lifted people would want a break from confinement so we reduced the number of rooms to give larger spaces.

Q What challenges did you face?

A It was a challenge to keep the original character whilst installing a sense of modernity. We didn’t want to create a museum from the past, more of a contemporary boutique feel.

Q How did you aim to make Lansdowne House have a relaxing feel to it?

A We used warm colours and soft furnishings to make our guests feel relaxed. We have two sofas in our two largest bedrooms to bring a comfortable home from home feel to the rooms.

Q How did you use your artistic backgrounds to accessorise the property?

A We were lucky to be able to use our knowledge and contacts to source furniture, mirrors and artworks for the property.

Q Looking at the bedrooms, can you suggest one feature in each that you love for whatever reason?

A The Green Room: Originally the drawing room of the house, the space in this room is amazing with its tall ceilings, original cornicing and amazing floor to ceiling picture windows. The large bathroom with freestanding bath also has the wow factor.

The Palm Room: We love this room – the Cole and Sons Palm Wallpaper really is the highlight of this room, as is the picture window overlooking the garden. The wallpaper is a nod towards the Royal Pavillion.

The Wick Room: The ‘So to Bed’ bed is a real talking point and reflects the Equestrian Hermes scarf that hangs above the fireplace. This room is at the top of the house, but really gets the afternoon sun.

The Gray Room: This would have originally been the dining room and the original marble fireplace is the main focal point in this room.

The Old Pantry: Originally the kitchen and house-keepers living quarters, we are regularly told by guests how surprised they are about how much space this part of the property has. It also has a period marble fireplace in the living space and a small outside courtyard.

Q What are your hopes for the summer?

A Brighton & Hove has a packed summer schedule, from the Brighton Festival and Pride to a number of sporting, music and cultural events, so we look forward to welcoming guests for all these events and also people looking for a weekend or a few days away and some vitamin C by the sea. If we have a summer like last year weather wise even better!

Keep up-to-date with Lansdowne House at @lansdownehouse_hove or visit their website lansdownehousehove.co.uk

“We used warm colours to help guests feel relaxed”

TO THE MAX

How Alice Temperley and Emily Mould joined forces to create a world of floral maximalism

Words EVE HERBERT

When Alice Temperly and Emily Mould teamed up with a mutual desire to fill the world with beautiful things, it was clear that pairing their design houses would cause a stir. Temperley London’s founder and creative director, Alice Temperley MBE, and the Romo Group’s director of design and excellence, Emily Mould, share a passion for design and ethos for quality that has reulted in a unique partnership.

Inspired and excited to experience each other’s worlds, the two studios delved into the Temperley design archives that span the last two decades and found an abundance of handpainted prints, intricate embroideries and delicate detailing. After much deliberation a selection of pieces were chosen and the reimagination began. Working together,

the two studios maintained the essence of a Temperley fashion piece and translated it into an interior masterpiece, capturing the intricacies of shimmering beads and sequins with glimmering metallics and recreating delicate embroideries as large-scale works of art.

The five new collections narrate a fantastical story in striking wallcoverings, indulgent velvets, fluid satins and luxurious weaves adorned with leaping leopards and swinging monkeys. Opulent palms, bursting blooms of colour, and swirling seas of marble create an evocative and heady landscape, decadently embellished by extravagant, bohemian trims. The Temperley love of leopard print makes its mark in a plethora of finishes, scales and colours. A luxurious plain velvet in a rich colour palette complements the collections, adding an equilibrium to the partnership’s maximalist aesthetic.

Inspired by the Temperley archive, a haberdashery of trims includes classic passementerie brush fringes, twist cords and key tassels as well as embellished flat weave trims. Taking a maximalist approach, the eccentricity continues with an offering of cushions, where luxurious qualities and bold prints have been perfectly paired with grandiose fringes.

This partnership brings a new lease of life to much-loved designs that will live in people’s

homes for years to come. “There’s something for everyone in the collection – from the ‘neutral’ leopard which goes with absolutely everything or the bolder prints that are evocative and heady, each design can stand alone or be layered together to create depth and atmosphere in a room,” says Alice. Emily adds: “It was like being a child in a sweet shop, seeing all these beautiful fabrics and intricate details that had been carefully hand stitched. There were a couple of designs that instantly stood out to me, the Euphoria monkey print being one of them, I could just see it being a perfect fit for the Romo customer.”

Alice Temperley MBE founded her eponymous label Temperley London in 2000, a year after graduating from the Royal College of Art. With a modern elegance shaped by virtuoso craftsmanship, extraordinary fabrics and a resolutely British bohemianism, Temperley London is a lifestyle, with a transportive power to another world. Meanwhile, Romo is renowned for its assorted library of classic and contemporary designs.

“A fantastical story in indulgent velvets, fluid satins and luxurious weaves”

AFFAIR STATELY

Exploring ten Sussex large country house gardens opening for the National Garden Scheme in June and July

FITTLEWORTH HOUSE, PHOTO BY JULIE SKELTON

THE BEECHES BARCOMBE, BN18 5TS

The Beeches features a C18 walled garden with cut flowers, vegetables, salads and fruit, with a separate orchard and rose garden. There’s herbaceous borders, a hot border and extensive lawns. A hazel walk is being developed and a short woodland walk. An old ditch has been made into a flowing stream with gunnera, ferns, tree ferns, hostas and flowers. The stream leads to a pond. The Beeches is open for the National Garden Scheme on Sunday 9 July (1pm-5pm).

GROVE FARM HOUSE, TURNERS HILL, RH10 4SF

A welcome return to the NGS for this gorgeous, four-acre classic terraced garden with views of the South Downs. The garden features a spectacular circular yew maze, ha-ha, lime walk, herb and vegetable gardens, shrub and herbaceous borders, and a pond in a woodland setting. Open for the National Garden Scheme on Sat 17 June (2pm-6pm).

HOLDFORD MANOR & CHAILEY IRIS GARDEN, NORTH CHAILEY, BN8 4DU

This is a five-acre garden and features the largest iris nursery in the UK, Chailey Iris Gardens. The manor house gardens feature herbaceous borders, iris beds and formal parterre

rose garden. There is a secret Chinese Garden, tropical beds, cutting garden and a wildflower meadow, as well as an ornamental pond, landscaped ‘horse pond’ with water lilies and a two-acre lake and swamp garden. Holford Manor & Chailey Iris Garden is open for the National Garden Scheme 16-18 June (11am-4pm).

RINGMER PARK, RINGMER, BN8 5RW

The garden at Ringmer Park has been developed over the last 36 years as the owner’s interpretation of a classic English country house garden. It extends over approaching eight acres and comprises 15 carefully differentiated individual gardens and borders. Ringmer Park is open for the National Garden Scheme 11 June (2pm-5pm).

LORDINGTON HOUSE, LORDINGTON, PO18 9DX

This early C17 house (not open) and walled gardens is located in South Downs National Park. It features clipped yew and box, lawns, borders and fine views, and vegetables, fruit and poultry in the kitchen garden. There are 100+ roses planted since 2008, and trees that are both mature and young. The gardens overlook Ems Valley, farmland and wooded slopes of South Downs, all in AONB. Lordington House is open for the National Garden Scheme 10-11 June (2pm-5pm).

THE OLD VICARAGE, WASHINGTON, RH20 4AS

Here there are gardens of 3½ acres set around a 1832 Regency house (not open). The front is formally laid out with topiary, wide lawn, mixed border and contemporary water sculpture. The rear features new and mature trees from C19, herbaceous borders, water garden and stunning uninterrupted views of the North Downs. The Japanese garden with waterfall and pond leads to a large copse, stream, treehouse and stumpery. The Old Vicarage opens for the National Garden Scheme every Thursday until 12 October (10.30am-4.30pm).

GROVE FARM HOUSE

THE BEECHES

THE OLD VICARAGE, PHOTO BY J WALTERS

PARSONAGE FARM, KIRDFORD, RH14 0NH

A stunning garden in a beautiful parkland setting developed over 30 years with a fruit theme and many unusual plants. It is formally laid out on a grand scale with long vistas. There is a C18 walled garden with borders in apricot, orange, scarlet and crimson. Features include a large lake, turf amphitheatre, informal autumn shrubbery, yew cloisters and jungle walk. Open for The National Garden Scheme on Friday 23 June and Sunday 3 September (2pm-6pm).

SELHURST PARK, HALNAKER, PO18 0LZ

Stunning gardens surrounding a beautiful Georgian flint house (not open) and approached by a chestnut avenue. The flint walled garden has a mature 160ft herbaceous border with unusual planting along with rose, hellebore and hydrangea beds. Other highlights include a pool garden with exotic palms and grasses divided from a formal knot and herb garden by espalier apples. Selhurst Park is open for the National Garden Scheme on 18 June (2pm-5pm).

FITTLEWORTH HOUSE, PULBOROUGH, RH20 1JH

Fittleworth House was built around 1720 from locally quarried stone as a home for the squire of the village. The house (not open) is a full-time home and has been in the same family ownership for over 50 years. The croquet lawn in front of the house is bordered on its southern edge by a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon and its northern edge by an imposing Holm Oak, both very tall and grand for their type and both planted around the 1740s. Near the Cedar sits a natural looking stream, built using locally quarried stone and planted with many shade and moisture loving plants. The garden then gently slopes down to the fountain garden

with its mixed flower borders, topiary and globe fountain with an established Yew hedge as backdrop. Fittleworth House is open for the National Garden Scheme on 7, 14 and 21 June, 12 and 19 July, and 9 August.

WISTON HOUSE, WISTON, BN44 3DD

Nestled at the foot of the South Downs within a landscaped park, Wiston House has a Victorian garden under restoration. Features include a conservatory, terraced lawns with herbaceous borders, a cascade, woodland garden, Italian parterre, wildflower garden, walled vegetable garden and Victorian greenhouses. Wiston House will be open for guests to walk through the ground floor, and St Mary’s Church will be open, on 1 July.

Other country house gardens you can visit this summer include Hollymount, Bradness Gallery, O am House, Kitchenham Farm, Penns in the Rocks and Fairlight Hall in East Sussex, and Bignor Park, Colwood House, Dale Park House, Durrance Manor and Thakeham Place Farm in West Sussex.

For more information and booking visit the National Garden Scheme website at ngs.org.uk

“Features include a large lake, yew cloisters and a jungle walk”

SELHURST PARK

WISTON HOUSE

PARSONAGE FARM

OPEN AIR

SITTING PRETTY

SAZY

Stylish furniture is a must. We love this curved wood and metal Manila set, which is comfortable and hard-wearing with waterproof fabric and a sturdy feel. £1,200. sazy.com

SQUARE DANCE

HAY

Hannes & Fritz’s Weekday set was inspired by the idea of bringing people together. Combining a solid, robust presence with so ly rounded joints, it evokes a sense of warmth and familiarity. Table £819 scp.co.uk

LIGHT UP HOUSEOF.

Houseof's new outdoor lantern is an update to the traditional lantern style, with deconstructed walls and an illuminating glass globe. This IP44-rated wall light is waterproof and robust. houseof.com

IN THE ROUND

DANETTI

Round tables are perfect for entertaining as they create a more sociable and intimate feel. The Lochlan's eucalyptus solid wood top is durable and the integrated parasol hole means you can add an umbrella. £999 danetti.com

PRINT RUN ANTHROPOLOGIE

Cra ed from lightweight gauze, Ellen Merchant's throws are inspired by a love of antique textiles and botanical forms. Each hand-drawn print from her studio showcases original patterns and colourful designs. £98 anthropologie.com

IT'S TIME TO GET YOUR GARDEN READY FOR SUMMER

WALLSAUCE

Wild Flowers Floral Wallpaper by Marina Stupakova, from £37 per m2 wallsauce.com

FLOWER POWER

By PENDLE HARTE

WALTON & CO

Pastel Floral Runner, £2 waltonshop.co.uk

MINDTHEGAP Woodstock Midsummer Floral Fabric, £139 per metre mindtheg.com

POOKY

Double Insignia Wall Light with Archive By Sanderson Design Shades in Hyacinth Cosmo, £29 pooky.com

SOFAS & STUFF

Mulberry Floral Pompadour Spice Sofa, £6,288 sofasandstuff.com

ANTHROPOLOGIE

Ellen Merchant Tray, £32 anthropologie.com

SUMMERILL & BISHOP X FLOWERBX

Tulip Tablecloth, from £295 summerillandbishop.com

PRETTY TIFFIN

Tiffi n Lunchbox, £35 prettytiffi n.co.uk

OHPOPSI Floral Riot Wallpaper in Citrus, £79 ohpopsi.com

BOBBI BECK Tremonti Floral Mural, £29 bobbibeck.com

SLEEP TIGHT

COOL DOWN

BED THREADS

Buttery so , pre-washed, and designed to last, Bed Threads' pure 100% French Flax Linen Bedding Set in Limoncello makes the whole bed feel like the cool side of the pillow, from £220. bedthreads.com

SUMMER NIGHTS

SECRET LINEN STORE

Kitty McCall’s joyful and vibrant Summer Garden designs enhance this European 100% linen bedding. Pair with gorgeously green coordinating throws and cushion covers for bedtime perfection, from £199. secretlinenstore.com

SWEET DREAMS

SCOOMS

This is the ultimate Hungarian goose down duvet. Sleep under a cloud all year round thanks to the clever four season approach: a 9 tog duvet and a 4.5 one can be used together or separately to ensure the right temperature at all times. Dreamy. From £250. scooms.com

COUNTING SHEEP

THE WOOL ROOM

Wool is a fantastic material for bedding – and not just in winter. Year-round comfort comes from its naturally cooling properties – try a wool mattress topper or a wool duvet and you'll soon be converted. thewoolroom.com

STITCH UP ANTHROPOLOGIE

Ellen Merchant's beautiful printed quilts are inspired by her love of antique textiles and botanical forms and fi nished with delicate, hand-stitched kantha, from £198. anthropologie.com

EDUCATION

NEW HORIZONS

BRIGHTON COLLEGE PREP KENSINGTON

Brighton College is expanding its provision with a new prep school in Kensington, set to open in September. Princes Garden's Prep will formally become Brighton College Prep Kensington, the ninth prep school in the family. brightoncollegeprepkensington.co.uk

Engineering a SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

Absolutely Sussex finds out more about environmental success stories at Mayfield Girls

Three Sixth Formers from Mayfield Girls have won a national engineering accolade for their plan to reduce carbon emissions and make Mayfield village more sustainable, placing second out of 140 schools from across the UK in this year’s hotly contested ICE CityZen Competition.

Budding engineers Megan, Elizabeth and Isabella wanted to come up with a solution to tackle the problem of rising energy costs for the residents, local businesses, and their school in Mayfield. The challenge they faced was how to reduce the energy costs required to heat the historic school and local buildings – many of which are listed – whilst at the same time cutting carbon emissions. The solution? Using geothermal energy, which is renewable, in the form of ground source heat pumps, providing an innovative and non-invasive solution to the problem. The girls’ proposal involved pumps being installed, with excess energy sold to local residents and businesses, improving the sustainability of the village in the process.

CityZen is a UK-wide competition in which student teams learn about civil engineering through completing virtual game challenges. They then take the lessons they’ve learned and apply them to their own civil engineering proposal and submit a video entry explaining their idea.

Mayfield’s Head of Physics, Dr Darragh Corvan, says: “We are delighted Megan, Elizabeth and Isabella have been recognised for their innovative project proposal. At Mayfield, we encourage all our students

to pursue their passions and we actively encourage girls to study STEM subjects and pursue careers in engineering, which have traditionally been male dominated. We aim to break the stereotype by providing a range of activities and projects to support the girls’ learning within an environment in which it’s encouraged to experiment and make mistakes, in order to learn and progress. We congratulate the girls on their achievement.”

At Mayfield School, their motto – Actions not Words – could not be more appropriate when it comes to caring for the environment. From Farm Club to Earth Hour, from recycling to the hive of Buckfast bees, the school encourages a number of important environmental initiatives to ensure the girls are educated about climate change and encouraged to develop and support initiatives to address this important issue.

MESSY

MESSy – Mayfield Environmental and Sustainability Society – is at the heart of the school’s environmental e orts. Run by the girls, MESSy works hard to educate their peers, sta and parents alike.

MESSy runs a number of projects with a local theme, including looking after the school's very own bee colony. As well as providing honey, which is sold to raise funds to maintain the bee colony, the girls can learn about the bees’ life cycle and gain a greater understanding of these amazing insects. The bees also pollinate lavender, which is used to make lavender bags, which are sold to support the bee colony, creating a virtuous circle.

Alongside this, 'the plant a tree' project has involved girls growing trees from seed, selling them locally, and as the trees mature they capture and store carbon, as well as improve bio-diversity locally.

MAYFIELD'S BUDDING ENGINEERS

MAYFIELD EARTH HOUR

MESSy also promotes Mayfield Earth Hour around the school, to coincide with the global WWF Earth Hour in March. All non-essential electrical items, including lights, are switched o for an hour to save electricity and demonstrate how it is possible to dramatically cut energy usage. For many years, the school has been using low energy and LED light bulbs, there are light sensors in areas of low footfall, and double and triple glazing has been installed in Mayfield’s historic buildings. A recent project involved the girls scanning the school's buildings with infrared cameras that detect heat loss and plans are now in place to address this.

ZERO FOOD WASTE

Promoting recycling is at the heart of MESSy’s activities and the school has worked hard to reduce waste and recycle where possible. An ongoing initiative is Mayfield's zero food waste project that aims to minimise food waste. Food waste is weighed daily, in order to monitor waste levels, and is used to make bio-fuel.

In the kitchen, the chefs aim to reduce waste by re-purposing the food. Broccoli stalks are used for salads and unwanted peas are used to make pea guacamole. Ketchup is

sourced from tomatoes that would otherwise have gone to landfill. Other initiatives in the pipeline include a locally sourced school lunch, where all the food is sourced from within a 30 mile radius of the school.

BUILDING WITH SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND

Sustainability is also a key component of school projects and this is true of the new Health and Wellbeing Centre, currently under construction. The building utilises e cient

and sustainable cross-laminated timber (CLT) for its structure. The elevations of the centre will be constructed from limestone, in a new product based on brick dimensions and matching the limestone of the Old Palace, the earliest school building, dating back to the 14th Century. The natural stone bricks are low in embedded carbon, with 55% less embodied CO2 than clay bricks and are fully reusable and recyclable.

mayfieldgirls.org

A fresh START

Brighton College is heading to London: Brighton College Prep

Kensington opens September 2023

Brighton College and leading education provider Cognita are joining forces to establish an exciting preparatory school in Kensington for boys and girls aged two to 13, opening in September 2023. The beautiful campus, currently Princes Garden’s Preparatory School, will be known as Brighton College Prep Kensington. This exciting venture builds upon the terrific success of Brighton College Prep Singapore, a similar partnership between Brighton College and Cognita. Brighton College, recently named ‘United Kingdom School of the Decade’ by The Sunday Times, has eight prep schools in the Brighton College family of schools. Brighton educates children from three to 18 and is consistently one of the highest achieving schools in the country.

Richard Cairns, Headmaster of Brighton College, believes the partnership o ers something totally unique: “Brighton College has demonstrated that children can get superb results without hothousing, in an environment that values kindness and mutual respect above all else. It is this approach that convinced The Sunday Times to name Brighton ‘School of the Decade’, and it is one we know will resonate with London parents.”

Lois Ga ney, Head of Prince’s Gardens Preparatory School, will continue in her role as Head when the school formally becomes Brighton College Prep Kensington, and believes the coming together of two great educational organisations is truly exciting for their children: “All the values we hold dear will only be strengthened by becoming part of the Brighton College family of schools. Having previously been Senior

Deputy Head at the award-winning Brighton College Singapore, I witnessed first-hand the tremendous impact of such a partnership. I am delighted to be Head of Brighton College Prep Kensington, a school that will not only continue to build a community of academic excellence, but one that will develop a love of learning and provide our pupils with the greatest opportunities to become the best version of themselves.”

To learn more about Brighton College Prep Kensington email admissions@ brightoncollegeprepkensington.co.uk or register to attend their upcoming Open Morning: brightoncollegeprepkensington. co.uk/open-mornings

“A community of academic excellence”

why everyone is talking about…

Chichester FRINGE

The Fringe is heading back to Chichester, where you can expect 50+ performers over 30 shows, all packed into 18 days

Don’t fancy travelling up to Edinburgh Fringe this year? Well, don’t worry, Chichester Fringe has a wide selection of shows. You may even get a sneak preview of a comedian's stand up show before it hits Edinburgh.

This year’s Chichester Fringe takes place from Thursday 1 June until Sunday 18 June. It will feature an exciting range of shows, with theatre, comedy, music, dance, musicals, variety, cabaret and other events all included.

This year’s fringe programme includes stand-up shows at Chichester Canal Cafe from Phil Green’s Millennial Bug (13 June), Lulu Popplewell’s Actually, Actually (16 June), Matt Hutchinson (16 June) and Charlotte Cropper’s Good Girl Gone Rad (13 June). There is the return of Comedy on the Canal after a sell-out show during last year’s fringe. Chi Fringe takes over Draper’s Yard (7 and 14 June) for summer evenings of music, poetry and drama. Collaborating with the businesses in the yard, it will be a night of entertainment, food and drink. The Novium Museum makes its debut at Chichester Fringe, hosting a free event Ovid with Reverb (2 June) during Roman Week.

Graylingwell Chapel will host a series of fringe shows between Friday 16 and Sunday 18 June, including free performances on Saturday 17 from Simon & Enfys Horner, indie band Electrical Fault, The Rosemary Bell Academy of Dance, Figure 23 Dance, the TADDA musical show, as well as a new children’s show The Mousehole Cat.

Carol Webb, Fringe producer, says: “I’m excited to see how the Fringe has developed since it was founded two years ago. We received a fantastic response from a variety of performers applying to take part, and as a result we’ve got an exciting programme of live shows. I can’t wait for everyone to enjoy these performances.”

Something new for 2023 is the ‘Fringe in a day’ event. Buy a £15 day pass for a day of theatre at Chichester City Arts Centre and 104 The Hornet, to access all the shows on that day. These events take place on Thursday 1 June and Saturday 10 June.

They are also hosting The Chichester Fringe New Comedy Act of the Year Competition. Epic Comedy is proudly collaborating with Chichester Fringe to provide an excellent opportunity to see new comedy acts. Twenty comedians will be competing to become Chichester Fringe's New Act of the Year. The competition will be run over two heats (on 7 and 8 June) and one grand final (14 June), with the winner performing on the pro Chichester Fringe show on 15 June, alongside some of the top names on the UK comedy circuit.

chichesterfringe.co.uk

ALICE APPLEWOOD

POETRY TAKE OFF

MATT HUTCHINSON