Absolutely Sussex June 2022 by ABSOLUTELY Magazines

SUSSEX

Sussex JUNE 2022 / £3.95

JUNE 2022

SPECIAL

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Over 30 pages of inspiration and insight

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ABSOLUTELYSUSSEX.CO.UK

THE WORK OF BRIGHTON'S MISS ANIELA LAUNCHES A BOLD NEW MAGAZINE FOR SUSSEX

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PLUS RACHEL WATKYN The Crowborough local on taming the Dragons' Den CITY LIGHTS The people and places that make Chichester special 50 YEARS VINTAGE Champagne moments at Wiston Estate

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2-3 East Street, Chichester, West Sussex. PO19 1HE Tel: 01243 782135 www.austenjewellers.co.uk

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Visit us to discover our premium range of luxury gazebos: Old Barn Garden Centre South Downs Nurseries Horsham, RH13 8NR Hassocks, BN6 9LY

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ABSOLUTELY

Contents JUNE 2022

90 16

C U LT U R E AGENDA

Rounding up the best events in Sussex

RACHEL WATKYN

From adversity to Dragons' Den success

28 NATALIE LENNARD

The colourful world of our cover photographer

60 THE SHOOT

New at Stephen Lawrence Ladieswear

HOMES SPECIAL 78 FIONA HOWARD How nature inspires her stunning wallpapers

83 F&P INTERIORS

Introducing our new columnist

FOOD & DRINK 42 KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

88 TREND

44 WISTON ESTATE

90 BOCONCEPT

48 RECIPES

E D U C AT I O N 110 SIGN LANGUAGE

Foodie news from around the county

50 years of evolution at the Sussex vineyard

Seafood inspiration from Mitch Tonks

FA S H I O N & B E AU T Y 56 SUGARHILL BRIGHTON

How it all began in Barcelona 20 years ago

Four of the best for kitchens

A B S O L U T E LYS U S S E X .C O. U K The online guide to inspirational living that helps you stay one step ahead of the crowd and gives you the chance to win exclusive prizes.

Design inspiration in Chichester

Communication skills in schools

112 CRESSIDA COWELL On her Sussex influences

O N T H E C OV E R Tusk by MISS ANIELA, aka Brighton-based Natalie Lennard missaniela.com

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EDITOR MARK KEBBLE ART DIRECTOR PAWEL KUBA SENIOR DESIGNERS MIKE ROBERTS SAMANTHA SCOTT MIDWEIGHT DESIGNER CARMEN GRAHAM JUNIOR DESIGNER KAI NICHOLLS MAGAZINE MANAGER MICHELE STOCK 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 For advertising enquiries please call 07883 766050 or email: michele.stock@zest-media.com

Studio G06, Wenlock Studios, 50-52 Wharf Road, London N1 7EU; 020 7704 0588 Zest Media Publications Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Zest Media Publications Ltd. take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved. Social icon

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F&P Interiors – Inspiring Your Design –

Picture courtesy of Osborne & Little

High quality fabrics, wallpapers, lighting and furniture from all the leading design houses, as well as made to measure curtains, blinds and soft furnishings.

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Stockists of Andrew Martin, Christopher Farr, Cole & Son, Designers Guild, GP & J Baker, Jean Munro, Lewis & Wood, Morris & Co, Nina Campbell, Osborne & Little, Sanderson, Zoffany and many other luxury brands. F&P Interiors Showroom, Catsland Farm, Henﬁeld, West Sussex, BN5 9TG 01273 495500 • www.fabricsandpapers.com 18/05/2022 15:52

L OV E A T F I R S T S I G H T ? With our comprehensive and free interior design service, our skilled, friendly and professional interior designers can co-create your dream home and help bring it to life. Let’s start a conversation today.

BoConcept Chichester

The Corn Exchange, Baffins Lane, Chichester, PO19 1BF chichester@boconcept.co.uk 01243 786555

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Editor’s

LETTER THE EDITOR’S June issue highlights

Natalie Lennard From Surreal Fashion to Birth Undisturbed, meet this Brighton talent (p28)

t all started in Worthing. Some 20 years ago, when I was a fledgling journalist based in London, I was invited out to the 'sticks' (as I presumed Worthing was) to meet with colleagues who worked across county titles at my company. Being a typical Londoner, I was all high and mighty – but that first meeting opened my eyes to not only Sussex, but also the possibilities of creating a stand out magazine for the county. Plenty has happened since, and my career has taken me all over the UK, but there have always been little reminders about Sussex. The family living in Eastbourne; the friends who transferred a successful business from North London to Hove; my best pal, an avid Brighton & Hove Albion FC fan who has got me down the Amex countless times. Then, finally, the opportunity to create Absolutely Sussex here at Zest Media with a wonderful team, including Miss Sussex herself (as I like to call her), Michele Stock. So here we have it, our first issue. We have quite a cast for the opener – Dragons' Den success story Rachel Watkyn, photographer extraordinaire Natalie Lennard, the Goring family at Wiston Estate, plus an Absolutely Home special to kick things off. You could say this has been two decades in the making. Enjoy the first issue of Absolutely Sussex.

MARK KEBBLE EDITOR

Luisa Cerano

The latest collection at Stephen Lawrence Ladieswear (p60)

Monkey Magic

Why metallics - and this little chap - will make your interiors sing (p95)

Home Special

Featuring everything from Sussex designers to hot trends (p75)

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Wish LIST 10 things we Absolutely love COMPILED BY

PENDLE HARTE

CLUB TROPICANA niLuu is a PETA-approved vegan silk and cruelty-free loungewear brand. This silk Monroe kimono is sustainably made using washable vegan silk. Its classic fit features a wrap front silhouette with a matching detachable sash, and voluminous wide sleeves. £774 wolfandbadger.com

NEON LIGHT Brodie's cashmere collection includes a ﬂuoro range for spring. We love this electric zip top (£249) and jogger (£210) set. brodiecashmere.com

TO P C R O C Bovenue's uber luxe collection of leather bags includes the Noura in Royal Green in smooth Vernis calf leather. £777 bovenue.com

NAIL IT Revlon's new Ultra HD Snap! is not only vegan, but it's also super quick to dry. A caring and strengthening complex leaves nails feeling strong, smooth and protected. Available in 12 shades. £7.99 revlon.com

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ABSOLUTELY • LOVES

SPRING GREEN The Carnival cushion combines the best selling fabric of the same name with Kit Kemp's "Peace & Love" colourful stripe, both in a complementary palette of green, blue and cream. £190 fabricsandpapers.com

EDITOR’S PICK

MOCHI MOCHI Yuzefi's Large Mochi bag in soft leather is large enough to work as an overnight bag, yet stylish enough for a handbag too. £520 yuzefi.com

PERFECT MIX This stunning bracelet from Austen Jewellers in Chichester is made up of 18ct white gold, emerald 0.83ct, and diamond 0.56ct. £3,630 austenjewellers.co.uk

TWIST OF LIME

FULL OF VO I C E

This set of six Twisted Moss green candles will add a pop of colour to your décor. £30 rockettstgeorge.com

Birdsong wallpaper in Forest is a latest design by Sussex-based Fiona Howard wallpapers. It features all the greens of a fresh morning forest walk with pretty songbirds nestled in branches of fresh white blossom. £79 per 10m roll fionahoward.com

PEAR SHAPED This elegant pear-cut emerald cluster design is part of Horsham-based Wakefield Jewellers’ new birthstone collection in store. Pictured is the 9ct Yellow Gold Pear Cut Emerald & Diamond Pendant (chain included). £635 wakefieldsjewellers.co.uk

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D R I V I N G

E X P E R I E N C E S

AT G O O D W O O D

G O O DWO O D . C O M

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C U LT U R E

FESTIVAL OF SPEED 23-26 JUNE • GOODWOOD

Goodwood has announced that five current Formula 1 teams are already confirmed to attend the Festival of Speed. Following an exciting start to the 2022 season, the teams will travel to Goodwood to run and display some of their most iconic race cars. Attendees will be afforded a rare opportunity to see legendary cars from across the decades close-up and explore the different innovations that facilitated incredible leaps in performance. goodwood.com

Agenda 16 • Rachel Watkyn 22 • Natalie Lennard 28 A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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The Agenda THIS MONTH'S BEST EVENTS IN SUSSEX

DAVID HOCKNEY, 'TWO LEMONS AND FOUR LIMES', 1971. COURTESY THE KATRIN BELLINGER COLLECTION; PHOTO BY MATTHEW HOLLOW

ART

Absent Artists Until 29 August C H A R L E STO N , L EW E S Curated by Langlands & Bell, Absent Artists explores artists’ studios devoid of the physical form of the artist themselves. The exhibition includes works by Phyllida Barlow, Annie Leibovitz, David Hockney, Michael Craig-Martin, William Hogarth and James Ensor through a range of different mediums including paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture and print. charleston.org.uk

LUCY WERTHEIM BY LAFAYETTE, C.1938. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LUCY WERTHEIM ARCHIVE

F I L M

Jurassic World 10 June T H E D O M E C I N E M A , WO RT H I N G

Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live - and hunt - alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance in Jurassic World: Dominion will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures in a new era. domecinema.co.uk

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A Life in Art 11 June-25 September TOW N E R E A ST B O U R N E A Life in Art and Reuniting the Twenties Group - two complementary shows that will be presented simultaneously at Towner Eastbourne – will showcase Lucy Wertheim’s vast contribution to mid-20th century modern art, reuniting works from her collection and telling her own story and of the artists that she fervently championed. Over 150 works will be shown across both exhibitions. townereastbourne.org.uk

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CULTURE • DIARY

SUSSEX’S

EV E N T

Festival of Speed

FI N EST

DOMINIC JAMES

23-26 June G O O DWO O D As well as announcing the Formula One teams involved in the Festival of Speed, Goodwood is proud to announce that the Central Feature at the 2022 event will celebrate BMW M. The sculpture will pay homage to ﬁve decades of the division and showcase some of its most iconic models. Held in the beautiful parkland surrounding Goodwood House, this event is motorsport's ultimate summer garden party, an intoxicating celebration of the world's most glamorous sport. goodwood.com

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11 June-10 July T H E L I T T L E A R T G A L L E R Y, CHICHESTER This gallery in West Wittering has been open for ﬁve years, during which time they have featured large and small paintings, ceramics, glassware and silver jewellery. Their featured artists this year for the Festival of Chichester will be Deborah Richards and Sue Green with artwork that expresses their interpretation of the subject “From the Downs to the Sea”. It promises to be an interesting display of work by these two popular artists. thelittleartgallery.online

SUMMER EXHIBITION U NTI L 25 JU NE , MON CRIEFF-BRAY GALLERY, EGDEAN

he Moncrieff-Bray Gallery presents its Summer Exhibition, featuring over 50 artists and sculptors drawn from all corners of the British Isles. The work is selected with a commitment to quality, integrity and originality from established and emerging artists alike. Sculpture ranges from smallscale intimate works for interiors to stunning large pieces for the garden. The Summer Exhibition is a highlight in the West Sussex art calendar.

moncrieff-bray.com

JILLY SUTTON, WISTFUL WOOD

This Month’s Must See

DEBORAH RICHARDS, COBNOR DUSK

FESTIVAL OF CHICHESTER

Joanna Myles on a bold new show for the county, The Sussex Contemporary

As we head into summer in Sussex, artists from across the county are preparing to show their work at various events such as Artist Open Houses in Brighton, Chichester Art Trail and Artwave across Lewes district, to name just a few. With such a vibrant arts scene spread across the county, it is slightly surprising that there isn’t a major exhibition that just showcases the best of Sussex talent. Well, that’s about to change. The Sussex Contemporary is the new kid on the exhibition block and will be a celebration of artists connected with our beautiful county. The Sussex, as it is affectionately known, will be at the county’s most contemporary building, the British Airways i360, in October this year. It will be free to view and is expected to attract over 12,000 visitors. Promising over 200 artworks from artists that were either born in Sussex, educated here or currently live in the county, The Sussex will be the biggest celebration of Sussex art that we can remember ever happening. And you can be part of it. The call is out for both amateur and professional artists to submit work for consideration for inclusion in the exhibition. Submissions will go before a panel of esteemed independent judges. Deadline for submissions is 31 August, so there is plenty of time to get creative. Full details can be found at thesussexcontemporary.co.uk

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CULTURE • DIARY

R OYA L

KN EES U P

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SEAFARING

3 events in Sussex marking the Queen’s Jubilee – with a twist THE QUEEN’S KNICKERS

RICHARD EURICH SURVIVORS FROM A TORPEDOED SHIP 1942 © TATE

26 JUNE • PAVILION THEATRE, WORTHING

Until 25 September HASTINGS CONTEMPORARY Seafaring brings together more than 50 works by (predominantly) British artists from 1820 to the present day, exploring in diverse media and a range of artistic styles the drama, beauty and strangeness of life at sea. At the heart of the exhibition is Lost at Sea, a showwithin-a-show featuring three oil paintings by eminent contemporary artist Cecily Brown (b.1969): Oinops, 2016-17, Shipwreck (Papillon), 2017, and Untitled (Shipwreck), 2017. hastingscontemporary.org

CARFAX JUBILEE STREET PARTY

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Two Points of View Until 18 June F I T T L E W O R T H G A L L E R Y, PULBOROUGH This exhibition explores how two acclaimed and widely exhibited artists create arresting and dramatic paintings from initially unremarkable household objects and plants. Both Karin Moorhouse and Andrew Churchill are remarkably talented artists and, although their techniques and perspectives are different, they both relish the challenge of viewing an object, be it a frond of a fern or an egg on ﬂoorboards, close up to create a powerful image. Moorhouse uses pattern and unusual viewpoints to emphasise the colour and form of her subjects, whereas Churchill creates strong images from dramatic cropping and texture. ﬁttleworthgallery.co.uk

IT WASN'T ME BY KARIN MOORHOUSE

TaleGate Theatre Productions are working with Bafta winning author, Nicholas Allan, on the new musical adaptation of his best-selling, hilarious book The Queen’s Knickers. wtm.uk

3 JUNE • THE CAPITOL, HORSHAM

Here's a chance for a proper celebration, with delicious street food on offer and freshly brewed local beer to enjoy, as well as lots of activities to keep the little ones busy. thecapitolhorsham.com

T H E AT R E

HAMLET (THE COMEDY) 9-11 June B R I G H T O N O P E N A I R T H E AT R E Hamlet (The Comedy) ﬁnds the eponymous royal student returning home for the summer holidays to ﬁnd something rotten in the state of Denmark. Mum’s married Uncle Claudius and Dad’s dishing the dirt from his grave – it’s enough to make a teenager mad. Shakespeare’s famous tragedy is performed as you’ve never seen before with lots of laughs and music. brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk

PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS 5 JUNE • THE HORSE & GROOM, EAST ASHLING

Ideally located just four miles west of Chichester, the Horse & Groom has been East Ashling’s public house for more than 200 years. Such a history means it’s perfect to mark the Queen’s Jubilee. thehorseandgroom.pub

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CULTURE • DIARY

MU S I C

The Illegal Eagles 19 June PAV I L I O N T H E AT R E , WO RT H I N G Celebrating over 50 years since the formation of legendary band The Eagles in 1971, The Illegal Eagles make a welcome return to Worthing with a new show, promising more of their trademark acute attention to detail and incredible showmanship. This critically acclaimed show features the very best from The Eagles’ catalogue of classics including Hotel California, Desperado, Take It Easy, New Kid In Town, Life In The Fast Lane and many more. wtm.uk

A RT MU S I C

Ansell’s Les Musicals

6 June T H E H AW T H C R AW L E Y Jonathan Ansell (G4) and Jai McDowall (Britain’s Got Talent winner) have joined forces to create a dramatic and spinetingling concert. This vocally dynamic evening showcases smash-hit songs from the West End and Broadway, brought to you by two of the world's ﬁnest voices. You will be immersed into the world of musical theatre with classics from Les Miserables, Phantom Of The Opera, Hamilton and many more. parkwoodtheatres.co.uk

Celia Cook Until 4 June C A N D I DA S T E V E N S G A L L E R Y, C H I C H E S T E R

Ostinato 1-38 is a series of unique woodcuts by Celia Cook inspired by musical improvisation or the jam session - a process both structured and intuitive. An ostinato (an Italian word, meaning obstinate) is a melodic phrase or rhythm continually repeated throughout a composition. This series of woodcuts reuses the same woodblocks in repeated, but varied ways, creating a series of rhythmic patterns, all different but sharing the same roots. candidastevens.com

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“I was a ﬁercely independent child because I had to be”

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CULTURE • INTERVIEW

B OX C

Rachel Watkyn, founder of the Tiny Box Company, is no stranger to adversity. The Crowborough local tells Absolutely Sussex how trauma has led to triumph B y N ATA L I E L I

o say Rachel Watkyn has been through the wringer is an understatement. A brief read through her biography – childhood trauma, battling cancer, floods, fire – it’s the stuff of nightmares. I can’t begin to imagine how anyone could survive these knocks. But this wildly successful 50-year-old eco-entrepreneur, who now lives in a six-bedroom mansion in Crowborough, Sussex, has created a company with a £10million turnover and 100 staff. Survival is seemingly Watkyn’s modus operandi. “It was all about survival,” she nods. “As a child whenever I got home, I never knew whether my dad was going to be drunk or if my mum was going to kick off – there was constant instability.” Watkyn, who was born in Devon, was taken into care when she was just eight months old. “I had three parents,” she says. “I was the result of an affair – I lived with my mum and stepdad, and it became apparent that I wasn’t my stepdad’s. It all came out and I was put into care.”

After two years, her parents asked for Watkyn and her siblings to be returned from care and relocated the family to Suffolk. “I had a nomad childhood, educated in nine schools and on the move a lot. It was so extreme – one minute we were living in a caravan, and next in a great mansion that we couldn’t afford. It was all an illusion,” Watkyn explains. “I was a fiercely independent child because I had to be. When I was five-years-old, I was given a chessboard, but I had no idea how to play and no-one to play with, but I remember lining up the pieces like they were employees and telling them what to do. By the age of seven, I was picking strawberries and working all day long because I wanted the money.” Undeterred, Watkyn completed her A-levels and went to university to read Business Studies. She started her career on a graduate scheme at John Lewis, but left to join a large software company selling financial systems. It was this job that took her to war-torn Sierra Leone where she spent weeks implementing a high-tech payroll system for the national government. Moved by the poverty she had witnessed, Watkyn began a fairtrade business selling

jewellery made by women there. But finding sturdy recycled packaging to house the jewellery was impossible and so the rest is history – Tiny Box Company was born in 2007. With £60,000 investment from Peter Jones and Theo Paphitis, who backed her during an appearance on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den in 2008, her world was about to change for good. “I was living back home after I lost everything; I was bedridden for nine months after a failed routine appendix operation. I set up Tiny Box Company from my parents’ back bedroom, eventually ending up with offices outside East Grinstead. Over the years we seem to have followed the Bluebell Railway – today we have a warehouse in Sheffield Park.” Recalling her nerve-racking time in the Den, Watkyn begins to laugh: “Peter and Theo must have invested in me because they felt sorry for me. They didn’t see me as a slow running horse, but as a broken donkey! It shook me a bit when they became silent partners. I wasn’t expecting that. I thought they would be around to tell me what to do.” Jones and Paphitis are still on hand for advice. “When our website was hacked in 2019 and I didn’t know what was wrong, A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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CULTURE • INTERVIEW

WATKYN IS A FAN OF THE FOOD AT THE RED LION, CHELWOOD GATE

I panicked and cried. After five minutes I rang Theo’s head of e-commerce, and we were up and running in five hours.” Despite the adversity she has experienced in her business and personal life, Watkyn bounces back with every blow. “The way I deal with it is by focusing on a problem bigger than myself. Once I focus on the outside it takes away my insecurities – it’s about solving that bigger problem. “I was talking to a psychologist recently and discovered that my thinking process isn’t the same as other people’s,” she adds. “Throughout childhood I visualised all the possibilities of what could happen and all the outcomes – and how I would survive it. In business I do the same. Some people are taken up with stuff like ‘are people going to like me’. I never had the headspace to develop those insecurities. When I had lung cancer that started to tip me over the edge as I didn’t know whether I would survive. I had responsibility for 100 employees. I had to get on with it.”

Her early experiences have spurred Watkyn to write a book with her eldest sister about their formative years. “My sister, unfortunately, was more affected than me. She was left to live with her dad, my stepdad, who later decided to become a woman. It has been a cathartic experience for her.” Today, life is good. Watkyn, who won the NatWest Everywoman Award in 2020, works with her husband Steve, whom she met nine years ago, and her three stepchildren Vicki, Mikey and David have since joined the business. Imparting her knowledge and experiences remains a passion. “I have been so lucky to have had some fantastic opportunities and experiences. I love helping other people succeed through my weekly business clinics. Brainstorming and sparking ideas are what I love most.” Watkyn shows no plans of slowing down. “I would like to reach £30million turnover in the next five years and focus on my sustainable activewear brand, Chief and Turtle, which is less about profits and more about raising awareness. You learn a lot as a business owner and my only regret is that I should have had more confidence. If I had been more ballsy, I could have grown the business a lot faster.” If slow and steady is the way to go it’s been a winning formula in Watkyn’s story – we can only imagine where her journey will take her next. tinyboxcompany.co.uk / chiefandturtle.co.uk

SHE HAS LAUNCHED A SUSTAINABLE ACTIVEWEAR BRAND, CHIEF AND TURTLE

Watkyn’s walkabouts The Tiny Box Company founder picks out her Sussex highlights

As h d own Fo r e st

ASHDOWN FOREST HELPS HER GET AWAY FROM IT ALL

Celebrated as the home of Winniethe-Pooh, Ashdown Forest is situated within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This is one of our favourite spots. It’s so beautiful here. You can walk for miles and not see anyone; getting head space from work is important to me.

•

B e ac h y H e a d

Beachy Head is the highest chalk sea cliff in England. You can enjoy magnificent views on a clear blue day – it’s stunning.

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Red Lion C h e lw o o d G at e

There’s nothing better than walking to Ashdown Forest first, burning some calories and enjoying some lovely pub grub!

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AN ACTION PACKED 2022 SEASON AT COWDRAY PARK, BOTH ON AND OFF THE FIELD… Cowdray Park Polo Club is delighted to welcome visitors to it’s beautiful Club from 23rd April through to Sunday 18th September. Enjoy a relaxed day at the polo with family, friends and a picnic at one of our 500 matches played during the season, or come along to one of our key events, all held to celebrate the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup in June and July.

THE MIDHURST TOWN CUP SUNDAY 26th JUNE A fun family polo day held on the opening Sunday of the Cowdray Gold Cup tournament, featuring high-goal polo and a range of entertainment off the pitch including demonstrations, mini funfair, shopping village, street food, public bar and more. Entry Tickets: £10 / U12s free

COWDRAY GOLD CUP SEMI FINALS WEDNESDAY 13th JULY With two thrilling Gold Cup matches played to decide the teams competing in the Final a few days later, this is a day loved by true polo aficionados. Offering VIP hospitality and pitch-side entertaining, as well as luxury shopping, pop-up bars and artisan food. Entry Tickets: £25 / U12s free

NO.3 GIN & JAZZ EVENING FRIDAY 15th JULY The inaugural No.3 Gin & Jazz event will be a stylish evening combining the best live jazz acts with exclusively curated No.3 Gin cocktails and delectable food by The Naked Food Company. Held in the picturesque setting of the Lawns polo grounds overlooking the iconic Cowdray Ruins. Unwind after a long week and dance into the sunset. Tickets: £30 / U12s free

IBIZA NIGHT SATURDAY 16th JULY Our ‘Old Skool’ music night is held on the eve of the Gold Cup Final. Partygoers are invited to “paint the town yellow” as they are transported back several decades. Let your hair down and put your dancing shoes on as 90’s and 00’s classics play out across Lawns only on vinyl. Tickets: £15 / U12s free

COWDRAY GOLD CUP FINAL & AFTER PARTY SUNDAY 17th JULY Our flagship event, attracting up to 10,000 spectators to enjoy luxury shopping, bars, artisan food, live music, pitch-side hospitality and picnics, and the most prestigious polo match in Europe featuring the world’s best players competing for the coveted Gold Cup trophy and the British Open title. Celebrations commence post-match as the DJ ramps up for the After Party. Entry Tickets: £28 / U12s free For further information and to book tickets visit www.cowdraypolo.co.uk @cowdraypolo #CowdrayGoldCup COWDRAY PARK POLO.indd 25

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THE ART OF POLO

Q How young were you when you first played polo? A I started playing in the Pony Club when I was 12-years-old. I started playing in adult polo when I was 14, playing at Rhinefield Polo Club in the New Forest.

Get to know…

JAMES HARPER

P R O F E S S I O N A L P O LO P L AY E R A N D C OW D R AY PA R K P O LO C LU B C O M M I T T E E M E M B E R

Q What have been the highlights of your polo playing career to date? A The highlights have all come quite late on in my career! I’m not from a polo background so I’ve done it the hard way. I started with getting a run in the high goal with Black Bears polo team after leaving school at 16, although we didn’t win anything. More recently, a big highlight was winning my first Cowdray Gold Cup with El Remanso in 2018. We were an all-English team of friends and possibly the underdogs. Winning the final felt like something out of a Hollywood movie. Another would be winning the Queen’s Cup with Scone at Guards Polo Club in 2019, which was an amazing feeling as we really didn’t expect it. It’s those moments that are the most special. The last few times I’ve played the big games for England have been proud moments. Winning the Westchester Cup (England vs USA) was big, and winning The International for the Coronation Cup was massive. Hopefully we can do it again this year! Q What do you love about playing at Cowdray Park Polo Club? A Cowdray feels like home. I’m from Chichester, just down the road so I feel like a local, and my father and his family were originally from Midhurst. Cowdray is different to anywhere else. There

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may be some bigger, flashier clubs, but everyone has a true passion for polo at Cowdray and the whole town supports it. I’ve played polo all over the world and I’ve never found a more special place to play polo than Cowdray. We love it. Q Why were you keen on joining the Polo Club Committee? A I was quite surprised to be asked if I’m honest and a little nervous of accepting as I had never done anything like that before, but now I love being involved as I want to help keep pushing Cowdray forward. I live just down the road in Heyshott with my family and we want to help the Club keep on improving, we have a huge passion for it. Whenever we have down time, we spend as much of it as possible at the Club.

CHRIS ORANGE

Q What can we look forward to at the Polo Club this summer? A Obviously the British Open Polo Championship for the Cowdray Gold Cup

COWDRAY RUINS ADDS TO THE WONDERFUL SETTING

IN ACTION IN THE GOLD CUP

is a major highlight, however the Club is always trying to add in extra events and big days to encourage people to visit, such as the Midhurst Town Cup, the No.3 Gin & Jazz Evening and Ibiza Night. There are a lot more teams playing polo now, so even on a regular weekend when the weather is good, Cowdray is a brilliant place to come and hang out. It has a great family feel. But the Gold Cup Final is the biggest event. There are lots of teams competing this year, all with a big chance of winning. I’m playing for King Power and I can’t wait. Q You grew up in Chichester, but spent a lot of time in Midhurst – what are your childhood memories of the area? A We used to go and ride around Midhurst Common all the time. I can remember whizzing around those lovely sand tracks on my New Forest pony, out of control but trying to keep up with my sister on her horse! We also used to go on long family walks around the Cowdray Estate when we were younger. The Polo Pony Club camps at Cowdray were always amazing fun too. It’s how I caught the polo bug. I enjoyed playing polo, but I also made some great mates. We had the best three or four days and I think that’s what gets a lot of youngsters hooked on the sport. After I left school at 16, I went to live in Heyshott and worked at the Unicorn Inn pub doing a bit of waiting and washing up and got to know the locals. I loved it here and still do, and definitely call it home. Q The Polo Club aside, what other places do you love visiting in the area? A We are away in Australia for polo in the winter, and in the summer we don’t

MARK BEAUMONT

“I've played polo all over the world and I've never found a more special place than Cowdray”

MARK BEAUMONT

ARUNDEL CASTLE IS GREAT FOR FAMILY VISITS

JAMES HARPER WITH HIS FAMILY AT COWDRAY PARK POLO

have much time outside of polo. However, Midhurst as a town has such a welcoming, country feel, and we love to visit the Cowdray Farm Shop Café and then head down to polo. I catch up with a lot of friends on the Cowdray Park golf course. There are also lots of lovely local country pubs that we spend a bit of time at and a walk around the Cowdray Ruins is always nice. Petworth Park and Arundel Castle are great places to take the kids. We also love long family walks with the dog up on the South Downs above our house in Heyshott. The views are incredible. We love the village of Heyshott and we feel very happy there. It’s a very peaceful, safe and quiet area. It’s definitely where we’ll end up retiring. cowdraypolo.co.uk / cowdray.co.uk A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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STORM DOOR

LIFE D WN the lens Since her Surreal Fashion series in 2011, Natalie Lennard’s photography has transcended mediums. Here the Sussex local shares an insight into her working process and why her latest project is a scream By MARK KEBBLE

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NATALIE LENNARD AT WORK

atalie Dybisz began her career as Miss Aniela, the name under which she created her Surreal Fashion series. It’s a body of work that is beautiful, intricate like paintings – it’s easy to forget it’s a photography collection. In 2017 she branched off a separate persona as Natalie Lennard to work on her Birth Undisturbed series, which is something else entirely, graphic in nature, but impossible to pull your eyes away from. As she says, she wanted the work to “scream something” and, after five years, July sees the final instalment of the series. Here the Brighton native takes us deeper into her thought processes and what she intends to do next.

A SURREAL BEGINNING “Surreal Fashion began in 2011 when I created an image called ‘Storm Door’ at Weston Park in the UK. Inspired by the paintings on the wall, I photographed one painting of ships and found myself fusing it into a portrait of a fashion model.

“I, at first unconsciously, had a desire to make something more than fashion, something that would stand out and hark back to the ages of laborious craft in art history. It is a way of celebrating my love for costume and history, and for stately houses through England, Europe and the US, that I use to stage the photos. “I have always been inspired by femininity, colour, boldness, surrealism. Surreal Fashion is a celebration of opulence, theatricality and prestigious locations; a party of colour, beauty and escapism. And in my Faces Series, such as Kai Face, I wanted to concentrate the beauty and intricacy of art history into one canvas of a face, for a large-scale piece that the viewer could lose themselves in exploring every detail. “I am about crafting something laboriously beautiful. I most enjoy paintings of the past, for its intricate and skilled craft that brings history and concept to life, in a way that modern art doesn’t do as much. I love to see art that has taken time and consideration, not just some quick easy technique to piggyback off trends and hype in the art world.”

"I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INSPIRED BY FEMININITY, COLOUR, BOLDNESS, SURREALISM"

A BEAUTIFUL OUTCOME “I want to create bold, unforgettable images. I like to think my work goes beyond photography into the realm of painting, to evoke a feeling of nostalgia and cinematic flair. I want to create standalone works that stand the test of time as art pieces, that are inspired yet original, beautiful visual experiences. “In my earliest self-portraits I used only natural light, whereas from Surreal Fashion onwards I always use lights, and may often use high-speed-sync strobes to almost cut out natural light completely and carve the light from scratch. It is not easy to make a photo look like a painting – I am often asked how to do it and I am never quite sure how to answer. It is a mix of the lighting technique, the location and posing, and the subtle colour enhancements in editing. “Some images are shot all in-camera, using for example the taxidermy collection of Aynhoe Park and the 500-year-old golden gilt of the Elizabeth Room in Belvoir Castle. Sometimes I will directly insert pieces of classical art, or a stock photo from nature. For example, one image of a model is fused with the sea of the Big Sur to create an almost sculptural surrealism of the model’s dress turning into waves of the ocean. Whilst most images take only a couple days’ post-production, images in my Faces Series took months collaging a face with hundreds

WHITE WITCH AWAKENING

PORTRAIT WITH PIGEON & POULTRY

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Natalie Lennard’s 3 favourite images from Surreal Fashion <P O K E R F A C E I love Pokerface, because it was shot all in-camera with huge playing cards (all sellotaped together and knocked over by a ghost on the day), and I like the nonchalant and wistful, almost effortless appearance of the model. POSTER & PLUMAGE

of paintings, to make a digital tapestry that blends ancient and contemporary in intricate detail specially for large-scale viewing. I want my viewers to be able to lose themselves in the detail of my work.”

<S WA N L A K E Swan Lake, by contrast, has a great deal of processing to achieve the surreal illusion of the sea. This was shot in a ballroom in Seattle and blended with the waves of the Big Sur.

>E N T E R T H E GOLDEN D R AG O N

The third would be Enter the Golden Dragon, for being a party of decadent golds, combining a model shot in Beijing, with a sumptuous setting in Gdansk.

BIRTHING A NEW SERIES “In Birth Undisturbed (see images at birthundisturbed.com) I have explored a deeper topic in my work beyond simply superficial glamorous images as in Surreal Fashion, but for me, substance never comes as a substitute for style. I still want to serve a highly aesthetic and visually exciting vision. “Around 2017 I became fed up of only shooting pretty pouting models. I’d given birth and experienced the most amazing thing a female body could do, and I wanted my work to be able to say something – or rather, scream something. I felt called to bring birth into art, and throw a pot of maternal gorgeousness into a culture that sidelines birth as a mere footnote. Could I place birth into the genre of narrative photography, where we normally see plenty of beautifully deadpan characters hanging around, doing nothing? Could I make beautiful art out of the 'disgusting miracle of nature'? Make it look powerful, even exciting, place it in different locations than just the hospital setting we see

"I WANT MY VIEWERS TO BE ABLE TO LOSE THEMSELVES IN THE DETAIL OF MY WORK"

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C O N T E M P O R A RY A R T G A L L E RY In the heart of the Southdowns

The Fittleworth Gallery aims to provide a unique hub for Art and Artists from the South Downs, away from the bustle of the busy high street, valuing both traditional and historical art as well as the creativity and originality of more contemporary work. We offer an exciting mix of contemporary paintings, fine art, sculptures and prints in a bright, creative space.

David Sawyer

Jon Edgar

Piers Ottey

Malherbe

Michael Jevon

FITTLEWORTH GALLERY The Fittleworth Gallery, Lower Street, Fittleworth, West Sussex, RH20 1EJ Tel: 01798 865437 • info@fittleworthgallery.co.uk • www.fittleworthgallery.co.uk Opening hours: Weds-Sat 10am – 5pm @thefittleworthgallery

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MIGRATION SEASON

on TV and in movies? Inspiration has come from my own motherhood and I wanted to share what I'd learned about birth through my art in some way.”

GENERATING A RESPONSE “When I first started out, I thought the whole series would be about homebirth, but it became a lot more historically and culturally diverse. I created something I have never seen before: a picture of the Virgin Mary in the act of giving birth to Christ. It was a controversial move, but has been hands-down the most wellreceived image of the whole series, the most talked-about, and most sold as a print. I’ve had a massive positive reaction even from Christian mothers who have ‘waited all their lives for this picture’. In the most flattering moment probably of my entire career, a man paid me for this print in advance when he learned I was taking on the Nativity – before I even made it. “When I began the series, I was keen for birth to be seen in a certain ‘powerful, natural’ way, and I crammed my videos with rather didactic speech. Five years later, I think the stories alone speak for themselves without the need for it. I’m happy for viewers to think what they want; after all, art is a litmus test that exposes you to your own feelings. “For the last in the series, I have recreated Adam and Eve as you have never seen them before. It has not yet been released, but I aim to unveil it this July.”

FAMILY LIFE IN SUSSEX

AGEING WELL

“Over the years we’ve lived in London, Kent and Exeter, and returned to the best place to be – Sussex. We love the proximity to city, sea, ports, airports and London, and of course the sheer national uniqueness of Brighton. The best of all worlds here! “When we had our first daughter we continued doing plenty of photoshoots; after our second daughter, we wound down and focused on finishing and marketing all the material we’d shot. So it works well that I have lots of time at home to attend to two wild growing daughters, and our photoshoots are few and far between – long-planned and considered with plenty prep time to produce.”

“Child Undisturbed is a new body of work that continues on from Birth Undisturbed – moving onto childhood and similarly the idea of how we avoid ‘disturbing’ the growing of a person. The first piece ‘The Free Child’ is based on A.S Neill, a headmaster of the controversial school Summerhill, where I recreate a scene from his book where a 14-year-old boy smokes a cigarette with the headmaster in his 1960s office. “It might sound funny to say that now I’ve done birth, next comes sex and death. But I’d only be half joking. Next I would like to explore topics including trauma and the unconscious, which brings with it a gamut of contentious imagery that I am aching to create. I guess you’ll have to watch this space!”

ELEGANT ELEGY

THE GOVERNESS

"I WANTED TO SHARE WHAT I'D LEARNED ABOUT BIRTH THROUGH MY ART IN SOME WAY" Buy work through Zeno Fine Art at zenofineart.com/collections/ miss-aniela and see more at missaniela.com and birthundisturbed.com A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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CHARMING

C H I C H EST E R The West Sussex city is one that doesn’t disappoint on any level as we head back in time and look ahead to a year full of special celebrations

et between the rolling hills of the South Downs and the unspoiled waters of Chichester Harbour, lies the cathedral city of Chichester. Founded by the Romans in the third century AD, Chichester has been loved by artists, actors and poets throughout the centuries thanks to its magnificent cathedral, romantic Pallants and glorious gardens nestled within its fine flint city walls – and the 21st century version is equally loved by locals and visitors alike, offering a whole host of attractions.

A WALK BACK IN TIME

Chichester is a city best explored by foot. Weaving your way around the narrow Pallants and historic cobbled paths is the perfect way to get your bearings and take in the stunning architecture, as well as

By R AC H E L S O OT H I L L

the quirky street art. A walk around the city walls will also enable you to gain a true insight into Chichester’s rich culture and heritage. If you want to delve deeper into the city’s fascinating history, visit the award-winning Novium Museum on Tower Street. More walking trails are available to follow on the LoyalFree App, which can be downloaded to your phone for free.

TRANQUIL GARDENS AND GREEN SPACES

Chichester boasts plenty of beautiful parks and gardens including Bishops Palace Gardens, a hidden gem in the grounds of the Cathedral. Priory Park is also a popular spot with its fantastic playground, cricket pitch and historic monuments. If adventure is what you seek, head to the Canal Basin where you will discover a buzz of activity including rowboat hire, canal boat trips, paddle boarding, wildlife, cafes and more.

THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE TO THE WATER ON THE CANAL BASIN

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ENJOY A BURGER AT BILL'S

THE IVY IS COMING TO CHICHESTER

VIBRANT VISUAL ARTS AND RICH CULTURE

THE UNFRIEND AT CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE

No visit to Chichester is complete without going to the iconic Chichester Festival Theatre, which is this year marking 60 years since it first opened under the artistic directorship of the legendary Sir Laurence Olivier. Today the theatre continues to put on a myriad of musicals, significant new plays and classic revivals that often go on to be performed at the West End and beyond. The equally renowned Pallant House Gallery is set in a beautiful Grade I listed 18th century townhouse. It has been acclaimed by The Guardian to rank second only to the Tate for Modern British art. For a more local vibe, Oxmarket Contemporary is a hub for local artists, designers and makers, and The Little Art Gallery often hosts some of the finest artists in Sussex. Chichester is also home to New Park Cinema, an independent cinema showing a wide range of film and

performance events. They also run the popular Chichester International Film Festival each summer. The festival kicks off on 5 August with three open air screenings at Priory Park.

SHOPPING AND EATING EXPERIENCES

Chichester has a wonderfully eclectic mix of high street stores, charity shops and independents including Draper’s Yard and Almshouse Arcade, which are both home to a thriving community of talented entrepreneurs and retailers. CHICHESTER CATHEDRAL DOMINATES THE SKYLINE

“There's an eclectic mix of high street stores and charity shops” A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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R L Austen jewellers is one of the oldest family businesses in Chichester, being in operation since 1794. For all your branded watches and jewellery requirements, this is a traditional jewellers in the heart of the town centre that offers exceptional customer service. For the best in tech, BoConcept on Baffins Lane has the latest in home innovation. Fashion and beauty also are not in short supply. Stephen Lawrence Ladieswear, featured in this issue with a look at their latest Luisa Cerano collection, offer all the top brands that any fashionista desires. For anyone in need of a little spruce up, it’s worth popping into Chichester Aesthetics and experiencing their friendly service, where they will put you first when discussing any potential treatments. It’s well worth checking out Chichester BID’s website, which brings together more than 625 local businesses and organisations, and is dedicated to delivering an innovative programme of projects and services to support the city centre and local economy. There is also a fantastic choice of cuisines in Chichester as well as a number of independent restaurants and cafes with lots of local flavours on their menus. Bill’s Restaurant in the Buttermarket never disappoints with its crowd pleasing menu, and we have a new Ivy to look forward to in the summer months. When it comes to drinking establishments, you can find a great mix of cocktail bars, traditional pubs, artisan bars and a micro pub.

A SUMMER OF CELEBRATIONS

As part of the Jubilee celebrations, Chichester will be looking resplendent throughout the summer with a wonderful display of flags, bunting and flowers. There will be a plethora of special summer events including Jubilee picnics, street parties, family trails and much more. Chichester has even more reason to celebrate than most this year: 2022 marks an array of significant milestones among several of the city’s iconic institutions including Chichester Festival Theatre, Pallant House Gallery, The Chichester International Film Festival and The Novium Museum. Inspired by these anniversaries, Culture Spark 2022 has been launched, a special season of culture that will encompass a series of spectacular cultural events across the city and surrounding district. THE ARTS SCENE IS FLOURISHING

Don’t miss in JUNE

Jubilee Beacon Trail Until 11 June 

Jubilee Picnic, Cathedral Green 4 June 

Farmers’ Market 3 and 17 June 

Festival of Flowers, Chichester Cathedral 8-11 June 

Culture Spark’s Carnival of Lights 10 June 

Festival of Chichester Starts on 11 June 

Art of Chichester Exhibition, The Novium Museum 25 June 

Together We Rise, Chichester Cathedral 27 June

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A gem in the heart of Chichester Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Independent jewellers since 1794, we’ve supplied generations of Chichester families with cherished precious items. Today we specialise in ethically-sourced coloured gemstones and diamonds, pearls, luxury watches and clocks. We offer a carefully curated selection of vintage jewellery and are experts in finding rare pieces and future heirlooms. Visit instore or online to discover our comprehensive range. In celebration of the Queens Platinum Jubilee

10% OFF

all platinum jewellery ordered in June 2022

2 - 3 East St, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1HE

www.austenjewellers.co.uk 01243 782135

you’ll get a free bottle of bubbly with every purchase.’

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Celebrations A SUMMER OF

Visit Chichester city centre this summer to enjoy street parties, Jubilee picnics, vibrant flag and flower displays, free family trails, wonderful shopping and eating experiences plus much more. Visit chichesterbid.co.uk to find out more.

. the little art gallery ....

A Coastal Contemporary Gallery West Wittering West Sussex, PO20 8LT 01243 512218 | www.thelittlegallery.online LITTLEARTGALLERY_HP_ABS_SUSSEX_JUNE22.indd 1

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ABSOLUTELY

ATTENDS GOODWOOD’S MEMBERS’ MEETING

A DRIVER PREPARES TO RACE, PHOTO BY DREW GIBSON

BRUNO SENNA PREPARES TO TAKE PART IN THE V10 F1 PERFORMANCE DEMONSTRATION, PHOTO BY MICHAL POSPISIL

PROFESSOR GORDON MURRAY AND THE DUKE OF RICHMOND, PHOTO BY DOMINIC JAMES

oodwood’s Members' Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport was a thrilling weekend of epic motor racing, high speed track demonstrations and fun-packed festivities on 9-10 April. Uncrowded, intimate and access all areas, it was exclusively open to members of the Goodwood Road Racing Club community. One highlight was a celebration of Porsche’s legendary 956 and 962. Achieving near-total domination in the 1980s, the 956 secured Le Mans victories in 1982, ’83, ’84 and ’85, with the follow up 962 continuing Porsche’s winning ways in ’86 and ’87. Marking 40 years since the 956’s first Le Mans win, the Members’ Meeting demonstration recreated the iconic setting of the Circuit de la Sarthe. Also wowing the crowds was a celebration of the V10 era of Formula 1. Featuring approximately 20 Grand Prix cars from 1989 to 2005, the performance demonstration showcased the V8, V10 and V12 engines, which provided Formula 1’s iconic soundtrack throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. Home to the non-championship Glover Trophy race before it closed its doors in 1966, the Goodwood Motor Circuit once again came alive with the sound of Grand Prix cars as examples from the powerhouses of the era – including Ferrari, McLaren and Williams – took to the track alongside a variety of mid-field models and backmarkers across the weekend. The 79th Members’ Meeting saw Goodwood reunite some of the star drivers of the V10 era with cars from their careers, as well as giving modern racers their first experience of these mighty machines. goodwood.com

ROWAN ATKINSON DROVE HIS WAY ONTO THE PODIUM IN THE SOPWITH CUP, PHOTO BY MICHAL POSPISIL

DRIFT DEMONSTRATION, PHOTO BY DOMINIC JAMES

FIREWORKS AND FESTIVITIES, PHOTO BY DREW GIBSON

OLLY BRYANT CELEBRATES VICTORY IN THE SURTEES TROPHY, PHOTO BY DREW GIBSON

KATERINA KYVALOVA PREPARES TO RACE IN THE PETER COLLINS TROPHY, PHOTO BY TOM BAIGENT

THE HAILWOOD TROPHY, PHOTO BY DOMINIC JAMES

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Now is the time for walking, wine, and nature lovers. A guided country hike or a leisurely walk, stopping for a refreshing drink and a Sussex produce lunch in a lovely country pub, followed by a vineyard tour and wine tasting. This is a well deserved treat for you, your clients, friends or work colleagues.

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FOOD & DRINK

YEAR IN THE LIFE CAMELLIA

Camellia restaurant appointed head chef, Josh Mann, in June 2021, and he has achieved plenty in the 12 months since at the South Lodge destination. Only eight months after his arrival, Mann and the team were awarded three AA Rosettes. Inspired by the hotel’s incredible grounds and walled kitchen garden, which supply as much of the restaurant's produce as possible, the menus reflect the seasons, featuring fresh, local ingredients. camelliarestaurant.co.uk

Tasting Notes 42 • Wiston Estate 44 • Recipes 48 A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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WHAT TO DRINK

GRAPE news Three top picks from Sussex’s wonderful vineyards

TASTING NOTES

The latest launches and news from across Sussex By MARK KEBBLE

Tinwood Estate Rosé  £31 Tinwood Estate Rosé is a blend of 20% Chardonnay, 60% Pinot-Noir and 20% PinotMeunier grape. Delicate pale salmon colour with an abundance of bubbles with a beautifully creamy mousse. Chardonnay dominance brings freshness and ﬁnesse, whilst the pinots simply hint at the classic red fruits for which England is so acclaimed. tinwoodestate.com

Tinwood Estate Brut  £29 Tinwood Estate Brut is a blend of 50% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot-Noir and 20% Pinot-Meunier grape. Pale gold in colour with a lovely mousse and a fine stream of bubbles. Aromas of citrus melon fruits with hints of toast and honey. Fresh fruit flavours continue on the palate with depth and refinement added by the pinots. Chardonnay dominance brings finesse. tinwoodestate.com

Wiston Estate Cuvée 2017  £42 From Wiston’s original vineyard planted in 2006, this is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The nose is a fragrant mix of English orchard fruits, nectarines, honey, toasted hazelnuts and brioche, while the palate has classic citrus freshness and a touch of saline minerality, giving it a mouth-watering, long ﬁnish. wistonestate.com

Sleep on it L E O N A R D S L E E L A K E S A N D GA R D E N S

Nestled in the heart of West Sussex is an all-round gastronomic experience in the stunning Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens, which now features beautiful bedrooms alongside its Michelin-starred restaurant and stunning Grade I listed 240-acre gardens. Estate owner Penny Streeter OBE says: “We’re delighted to see the launch of the new accommodation as it allows visitors from afar to stay and enjoy the full Leonardslee experience.” leonardsleegardens.co.uk/leonardslee-house

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FOOD & DRINK • NOTES

DAD DINNERS Three venues to mark Father’s Day

GIVE ME SHELTER SHELTER HALL

Located on Brighton’s seafront, acclaimed food hall Shelter Hall is delighted to announce that it has completely refreshed its chef-led food offering. Four exciting new brands are now available: Patty Guy, from 2018 MasterChef winner Kenny Tutt, modern Korean brand Tiger and Rabbit, Sear by Salt Shed, and Chick Chick Crew by Tomas Samandi. shelterhall.co.uk

A S H D O W N PA R K

Reasons to be Curious

The 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 afternoon together. Every dad will also receive a free Harvey's brewery gift too. ashdownpark.com

T H E C U R I O U S P I G I N T H E PA R LO U R

It all starts in the kitchen as The Curious Pig in the Parlour, in Copthorne, unveils its new spring menu, featuring elevated, seasonal plates, alongside the pub’s signature steaks and hand-stretched pizzas. Taking its menu to new levels, executive chefs Paul Jarvest and Jon Mahoney have transformed the pub’s offering with new contemporary dishes that showcase the best of seasonal produce. thecuriouspigintheparlour.com

A N D

M E AT

GR E E T

SOUTHERN DAIRIES

THE GARDENERS ARMS Situated in the heart of the South Downs, the Gardeners Arms is a traditional and homely pub restaurant. Dating back to the 17th century, the pub is glorious in the summer with its beautiful garden. Book a table for Father’s Day and receive a special Badger Beer gift. gardenersarmsardingly.co.uk

Southern Dairies are now offering traditional suet meat puddings, with prime cuts of hand-diced British farm beef steak and kidney, slow cooked in a traditional gravy recipe and steamed in fresh beef suet pastry, all locally sourced from independent suppliers and delivered directly to your door. southerndairies.co.uk

Put to the test I S A AC AT

Award-winning Brighton restaurant Isaac At is excited to announce the launch of its new test kitchen series. Taking place once a fortnight, the intimate dinner allows two pairs of diners the chance to sit at The Pass and try an exclusive, never-before-tested selection of dishes. The series enables the Isaac At team to capitalise on the seasonal foraged produce that is fresh on the day whilst championing experimentation and new techniques. isaac-at.com

G O O DWO O D Farmer, Butcher, Chef is Goodwood’s exciting, flagship restaurant. Goodwood has been farmed by the family for over 300 years and is one of the only self-sustaining organic farms in Europe. These principles enable their farmer to produce the best-tasting beef, pork and lamb. goodwood.com A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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HARRY, PIP, KIRSTY AND RICK GORING

Realising the

DREAM

Pip Goring’s ambition when she ﬁrst arrived at Wiston Estate in 1972 was to create a Sussex food and drink destination. Here’s what happened over the next 50 years By MARK KEBBLE

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FOOD & DRINK • INTERVIEW

“Within a few years, the wines from the original vineyard were receiving international plaudits”

JO HUNT

WILL SCOTT

WINES FROM THE WISTON ESTATE

MATTHEW J THOMAS

INSIDE CHALK

iston Estate is situated in the South Downs in West Sussex and has been under the stewardship of the Goring family since 1743. The Sussex landmark Chanctonbury Ring – a popular viewpoint for bikers and walkers on the South Downs Way – was planted by Charles Goring in 1760. The estate has always focussed on land management and farming as its main priorities, but when Harry Goring brought his South African wife Pip to the estate in 1972, it was the start of a hugely transformative period. “When Pip arrived, she was very homesick for South Africa and felt that planting a vineyard would remind her of home,” Tori Eeles, from the Wiston Estate, takes up the story. “She wanted to create the welcoming world of South Africa’s ‘padstals’, where produce from the farms was sold directly to local people. She was also certain the area and climate would be perfect for growing grapes for wine production.”

Sometimes, though, you have to be a little patient to fulfil your ambitions. “It took a while!” Eeles exclaims about how long it took Pip to create a vineyard. “But in 2006, Harry and Pip finally planted a vineyard on a chalky south-facing slope they had selected on the estate. Within a few years, the wines from the original vineyard were receiving international plaudits.” By this stage, Harry and Pip’s son, Richard, had moved back to the estate along with his wife, Kirsty. “Richard took on the property and farming side of the estate, while Kirsty focused on promoting and selling the wine,” Eeles explains. “Both saw how the vineyards and wine generated a real interest in the land and its produce in a way that other arable crops had not. For the Gorings, this connection back to the land is absolutely central to what they are trying to do at Wiston Estate. Fifteen years ago, the Gorings may not have believed that Wiston would quickly become one of the UK’s most highly respected wine producers. A huge amount has evolved, but the estate’s core purpose remains unchanged: to foster a place where people, nature and enterprise can all co-exist and flourish.” A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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FOOD & DRINK • INTERVIEW

JO HUNT

“We want to be a welcoming space where you can discover the Sussex produce”

CHEF BRADLEY ADAMS

JO HUNT

A TASTE OF SUMMER

Today, Wiston Estate hosts tours so the public can experience everything the vineyard has to offer, including the opportunity to taste the wines created. “Our main production is traditional method sparkling wines, the same method and grapes as Champagne,” Eeles explains. “We make three ‘non-vintage’ wines and a selection of vintages from good quality years. We also make a couple of still wines and a gin in small quantities. Our benchmark wine is our Brut Non-Vintage. It combines mouth-watering green apple and ripe lemons with traces of honey and brioche, orchard fruit and a touch of toast. Our flagship wine is our Estate Cuvee, currently the 2017 vintage – all the grapes come from the original vineyard planted in 2006. It shows notes of nectarines, toasted hazelnuts, ripe red apples and buttered sourdough, while maintaining elegant citrus notes and a creamy finish.” As well as the vineyard, the creation of Chalk Restaurant and Tasting Room is an extension of Pip’s original ambition for the estate. “The focus of the food offering is sourcing locally, seasonally and supporting regenerative farming,” Eeles says about the menus. “We source as much as we can directly from the estate and its farms and fields, and from other local producers such as Calcot Farm and Springs Smokery for smoked salmon. The dishes are a mix of small plates – things like thyme roasted leeks with smoked Tunworth cheese, gin

cured trout (cured with our own gin), beef carpaccio (from cattle grazed on the estate) with capers and relish, and main courses such as day boat fish, Jersey royals, sea herbs and roe, or roast celeriac steak with cavolo nero and cured egg yolk. “Sourcing local ingredients is integral to how we build the menu,” Eeles adds. “We also use as much material from the estate as possible. Barrels from the winery that are no longer useful for winemaking are used to smoke ingredients, hay from the farms is used to bake carrots to give added sweetness, and our chef Bradley Adams is a keen forager and often uses foraged ingredients in his dishes.” Wiston Estate has certainly come far in the 50 years since Harry and Pip Goring arrived, but what the latter dreamed of offering is very much in evidence. “We want to be a welcoming and relaxing space in which people can discover the amazing produce of Sussex,” Eeles says, “whether that is world class sparkling wine, delicious locally grown fruit and vegetables, or estate reared beef. Chalk’s Courtyard really comes into its own when the sun shines – it’s a real sun trap and a great place to while away the afternoon with a chilled bottle of sparkling rose and some nibbles from the restaurant. “As well as our wine tours, we like to share the wider estate with visitors,” Eeles adds. “We run landscape and nature tours, which take place throughout the summer. These take on varying themes – woodland management, farming, resident flora and fauna – and educate guests about how we manage the estate, which comprises of beautiful natural spaces with essential enterprises. For the energetic type, we also partner with Marmalade MBT to offer guided mountain bike tours around the South Downs. Our aim is to make Wiston a hub for people – both locals and visitors, a safe place for nature and somewhere enterprises like our farms, forestry, winery and Chalk can exist and contribute to building a sustainable rural economy.” wistonestate.com

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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ESCAPE TO ENGLAND'S LARGEST LAKE.

Relax… unwind. Indulge in simply great food. Explore one of the most beautiful places in the world.

storrshall

storrs_hall

Storrs Hall, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria LA23 3LG Tel. 015394 47111 | Email. reception@storrshall.com | www.storrshall.com AA 2 Rosette Culinary Excellence | AA 4 Star Hotel

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Seafood at

HOME Recipes from an online ﬁsh market

Wo r d s M I T C H T O N K S ; T H E R O C K F I S H . C O . U K

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FOOD & DRINK • RECIPES

Seared scallops

with buttered winter cabbage, champ and parsley sauce Serves 2

INGREDIENTS • Half an onion • 2 bay leaves • 6 cloves • Few peppercorns • 50g soft butter • 2 tbsp flour • 450ml milk • Handful of parsley leaf, finely chopped • 500g potatoes, mashed • 200ml double cream • 6 spring onions, finely chopped • Sea salt and black pepper to season • 8 scallops • 1 small cabbage, finely chopped and blanched

METHOD 1 Add the onion, bay leaf, cloves and peppercorns to the milk. (You can, if you wish, cut the onion, insert the bay leaves and then stick in the cloves, thus making it easier to remove later.) Bring to the boil and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Strain and set aside, discarding the onion and aromatics. 2 Melt 25g of the butter in the pan and sprinkle in the ﬂour until you have a smooth paste – it should be of double cream consistency. Gradually pour on the milk until you have a sauce that coats the back of a spoon. Add the parsley and season to taste. 3 Warm the cream with the spring onions and then whisk into the mashed potato with the rest of the butter until luxuriously creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside and keep warm. 4 To cook the scallops, brush lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper, and pan fry in a hot pan for 2 minutes or so on each side until caramelised and golden. Transfer to serving plates. 5 Finally, add a little butter to a pan, toss in the cabbage and swirl around and serve along with the champ, coating the dish with the parsley sauce.

Smoked haddock

with potato, leek & egg salad Serves 4

A really nice way of using smoked haddock. Always use the best quality you can and look for naturally smoked. The finest I have ever tasted comes from Grimsby, where the old methods have earnt them protected status; Alfred Enderby who in my opinion make the finest in the world.

INGREDIENTS • 1 ﬁllet of smoked haddock skinned and pinboned

• 200g jersey or salad potatoes washed and boiled and cool to room temperature • 1 tablespoon fine chives • 1 small leek very finely shredded, white part only • 2 boiled eggs separated and finely chopped • 6 tablespoons good mayonnaise • 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard • 1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in a tablespoon water

METHOD 1 Warm some milk and poach the smoked haddock for 5-6 minutes until moist and cooked, flake the fish into a bowl and leave until just warm. 2 Place the leeks, potatoes and mustard in a bowl and stir together, lastly fold in the fish, and herbs and season. 3 Sprinkle with the chopped egg and serve.

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FOOD & DRINK • RECIPES

• 6 cloves garlic, peeled • 12 roasted pequillo peppers (or 6 roasted and peeled peppers) • 1 tsp sweet paprika • 1 tsp smoked paprika • ¼ tsp hot smoked paprika • 100ml olive oil • 25ml sherry vinegar • Salt

METHOD

Hake cooked in the Basque style with garlic & sauce Romesco Serves 4

San Sebastian is the place to eat hake. In Bar Ganbara we enjoyed a simple preparation of hake split through the head and roasted over a fire, it was dressed with olive oil, vinegar and sliced dried

peppers, a garnish we would see all along the coast at various fish restaurants and one which we now use at The Seahorse a lot and has encouraged us with the use of more and more vinegar in our cooking.

INGREDIENTS • 4 x 180-200g hake ﬁllets • 4 cloves garlic ﬁnely sliced • ½ dried Nora/Choricero chillies (soaked and deseeded) • 100ml olive oil • 20ml good agrodolce vinegar • 1 tsp chopped parsley • Salt Sauce Romesco • 100g whole blanched almonds • 4 dried Nora/Choricero chillies (soaked and deseeded)

1 Begin by making the sauce Romesco, put the almonds and soaked chillies in a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Add the garlic, peppers and spices, and pulse again to combine. 2 Add the vinegar, olive oil and pinch of salt, pulse again to produce a thick sauce that is neither too chunky or too smooth. 3 Fry the hake fillets skin side down until lightly golden, turn and transfer the pan to a hot oven. Roast the fish for about 5 minutes until just cooked through. 4 Whilst the hake is roasting put the garlic, olive oil, finely sliced dried chilli and pinch of salt into a small pan and put on a medium heat. 5 Cook gently stirring occasionally to distribute the garlic and chilli, as soon as the edges of the garlic begin to turn golden remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, add a splash of sweet vinegar and the chopped parsley. 6 Remove the hake from the oven, put a fillet on each plate and peel away the skin. Immediately spoon a little sauce over each piece of fish and serve with a spoon of Romesco sauce.

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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18/05/2022 15:58 09/05/2022 13:34

A Vineyard in the heart of Chichester, West Sussex WINE TASTINGS | ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE | LUXURY LODGES

Discover a world of English Sparkling Wine with our daily tour and tastings, escape to West Sussex and stay in a luxury lodge overlooking the vines

info@tinwoodestate.com 01243 537372

www.tinwoodestate.com /tinwoodestate

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FOOD & DRINK • WINE TINWOOD ESTATE ARE OFFERING AN AFTERNOON TEA EXPERIENCE

Time to SPARKLE Head to Tinwood Estate in West Sussex for an afternoon tea with a twist

he Tinwood Estate’s vineyards are situated in the heart of West Sussex at the foot of the South Downs National Park. Since the first planting in 2007, Tinwood has quickly established a reputation for producing the very finest English sparkling wines. As a result of this, they have become well-known for their quality English sparkling wine. This includes The Estate Brut, the Blanc de Blancs and an exquisite Rosé – and for those interested in sampling some of these, Tinwood Estate have announced a new tour with a twist to whet the appetite. Afternoon tea is one of the finest English traditions, so what better way to enjoy it than with three glasses of fine English sparkling wine? With a choice of teas or coffee available upon arrival, learn how Tinwood’s selection of English sparkling wines are created, from grape to glass. During a special one hour, 45 minute tour, your host will guide you into the vines and walk you through the story of Tinwood Estate and give you great insight into how they grow their grapes at the Vineyard. Afterwards, relax in their tasting room for a tutored wine tasting and explanation of the traditional method of the sparkling winemaking process, while indulging in a carefully crafted afternoon tea – and you are welcomed by the family to stay a little longer to enjoy the bar. The afternoon tea tour is priced at £49 per person. In addition to this, Tinwood run a host of fun wine tasting events that everyone can enjoy. It’s a great day out, enjoying the sun and a glass of bubbles after seeing the vines on a walk around the vineyard. The Vineyard Tour & Wine Tasting is £21 per

person and takes one and a half hours. This includes three glasses of sparkling wine and a tour around the estate, and after the tour you are welcome to stay for an extra glass or a cold bottle of wine of your choice. Fancy prolonging your stay? The Vineyard Lodges are designed from the ground up with the sole purpose of providing unparalleled comfort to Tinwood’s guests, perfectly matched by their beautiful surroundings, and the idyllic calm of rural West Sussex. Amenities include a twoperson Jacuzzi bath, huge walk in shower, barrel sauna, free use of mountain bikes to explore the surrounding area, a private decked terrace, an extra large king size bed with the finest Egyptian cotton – and of course a fully stocked wine fridge! tinwoodestate.com A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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1 Magnus Court, St. Martin’s Street, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1AF Tel 01243 784 486 | Mobile 07961 670 364 Open Monday- Saturday, 10 am- 5 pm

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FA S H I O N

FOR ALL SEASONS STEPHEN LAWRENCE LADIESWEAR

The family-owned boutique Stephen Lawrence Ladieswear has been in the historic city of Chichester for over 20 years. Specialising in friendly, personal customer service, they do their best to help customers build a timeless and stylish wardrobe, suitable for any occasion. Working with designer labels from across the globe, such as Luisa Cerano (pictured), SLL showcase new and established brands to find the right mix of beautiful clothing for all. See more on page 60.

Sugarhill Brighton 56 • Jewellery 59 • The Shoot 60 A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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Q&A

Sweet like

SUGAR

It’s two decades since Sugarhill Brighton ﬁrst opened – in Barcelona. Managing director, Pawel Przedpelski, explains how they arrived in Sussex By MARK KEBBLE Q Is it correct that it’s 20 years since you first opened a pop-up shop in Barcelona? A It is! Sugarhill’s journey began in 2002 in Barcelona. Fresh out of university, my sister Aleks joined the store and inspired by our love of travel, we designed and produced clothing for it in Bali, Indonesia. These hand-finished styles were a big hit with customers and so in 2006, Sugarhill Boutique was created with Brighton as its new design base. In 2018 we rebranded to Sugarhill Brighton. Q What did you offer then? A Our first collections were dresses using

Batik produced in Bali. It’s a printing process we still use in our collections today – Batik is made by printing the wax design onto fabric using a copper stamp called a cap. The applied wax design resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in one colour, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if multiple colours are desired. Due to the artisan nature of this process every Batik printed item differs slightly, making each print unique. Q Why is Brighton the perfect base for you? A We’re a small business with all of our

prints hand-drawn and digitalised in house, and Brighton has always exerted a strong influence over Sugarhill’s design philosophy. The inspiration behind many of our bestselling pieces come directly from iconic locations such as Brighton Pier. It’s one of the reasons we rebranded to celebrate our roots and reflect on our focus on a wider initiative to move Sugarhill Brighton into a socially and environmentally conscious business. Q How has Sugarhill Brighton evolved since first opening in Sussex? A Sugarhill’s philosophy has stayed the same since we began, to design fun, joyful clothing that our customers love to wear;

ARABELLA LEOPARD LOVE SHIRRED SMOCK DRESS, £75

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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FASHION • Q&A

MAGGIE HELLO SUNSHINE TEE, £30

we still print using Batik and have seasonal collections of dresses that we’ve become renowned for. But, our collections are constantly evolving, each year we introduce new styles and shapes that nod to trends, but still have the signature Sugarhill look. Sustainability is now more of a driver to the business than ever, from our #WearAndCare initiative (where we donate 10% of profits to our charity partners) to the introduction of new sustainable fabrics including LENZING™ ECOVERO™, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional viscose that generates 50% less emissions and water consumption than standard viscose and is fully biodegradable. Q Why do you donate 10% of your profits to charitable organisations? A Sugarhill have always worked with charities as part of our CSR programme, but we wanted to come up with a way to do more, so in 2017 we began our #WearAndCare initiative, partnering with three UK charities. It has since grown and we now work with several charities across the UK and internationally including Rainforest Trust, Plan International UK, SEA LIFE

“Brighton exerts a strong inﬂuence over Sugarhill's design philosophy”

MATILDA CORAL ANIMAL LOVE SMOCK DRESS, £72

LORNA CLOUDY SKIES SMOCK DRESS, £64

Trust, Give Directly and local Brighton charities; Whoopsadaisy who provide free conductive education for children with cerebral palsy and other motor disorders, helping them reach their full potential; and The Clock Tower Sanctuary, who support homeless young people in Brighton & Hove. Our whole team is incredibly passionate about #WearAndCare and since launch we’ve donated over £135,000 to charity, which we couldn’t be more proud of! Q What’s new for spring/summer22? A Our SS22 collection encompasses all the

KERRY LOST DINOSAURS SMOCK DRESS, £72

playful elements, easy to wear shapes and fun colour palette that Sugarhill customers love. In 2021 we decided to move our collections away from strict seasonal designs, so our bestselling print motifs including rainbows, lightning bolts, dinosaurs and colourful stripes have all been given a refresh with vibrant new colourways and styles. Print stories include Radiate Love, Blue Skies Ahead and Animal Magic, with heart prints adorning lots of our styles including the Floral Animal Patchwork print that is very popular, combining hearts, flowers and leopard print into a meadow. We have a stunning sundress range launching in June too, which we can’t wait for. sugarhillbrighton.com A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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Promises and vows made to each other

11 West Street, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1PF 01403 264001 | wakeﬁeldsjewellers.co.uk WAKEFIELD 2.indd 58

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FASHION • JEWELLERY

Heart to heart Show some affection for your loved one By ABBIE SCHOFIELD

HANNAN

AUSTEN JEWELLERS

AISHA BAKER

Another Day On The Terrace earrings, £59 shophannan.in

18ct white gold ring, purple sapphire 0.67ct, diamond 0.30ct, £3,780, austenjewellers.co.uk

All You Need earrings, £2,775 shop.aishabaker.com

DINNY HALL

WILHELMINA GARCIA

WAKEFIELDS JEWELLERS

Bijou folded heart bracelet, £110 dinnyhall.com

Red heart earring, £57 wilhelminagarcia.com

Shaun Leane rose gold vermeil heart bracelet, £195 wakeﬁeldsjewellers.co.uk

TADA & TOY

ANNOUSHKA

ANNI LU

Amelia Windsor bleeding heart earrings, £285 tadaandtoy.com

18ct gold & sapphire heart lovelock, £1,140 annoushka.com

Love earrings, £120 annilu.dk

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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R e a ch th e

f or

SKY

The latest collection from Luisa Cerano, a brand stocked at Stephen Lawrence Ladieswear in Chichester, will set you up for summer

L U I S AC E R A N O.C O M S T E P H E N L AW R E N C E C LOT H I N G .C O. U K

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Is your weight affecting your health? Rachel Ricketts Personal Weight Loss Consultancy

No matter how hard you have tried in the past, The Metabolic Weight Loss Programme could be the answer to losing your weight and keeping it off once and for all!

can be soul destroying when you just can’t lose your unwanted weight, no matter what you do. If you have reached the stage where putting on any more weight is simply not an option for you, then read on!

combinations, to help increase your metabolic rate and give you the best opportunity for losing weight. The four stages of the programme are planned to stop you from having cravings and always feeling hungry.

We are here to help

This successful, tried, and tested programme is straight forward to follow and more importantly, it works!

Rachel and her team have helped over 8,000 clients of all ages, to lose weight with the highly successful Metabolic Weight Loss Programme. Many come to her as a last resort and are delighted to have achieved and successfully maintain, the weight they want to be.

The Metabolic Weight Loss Programme The Metabolic Weight Loss Programme is designed to get you from where you are, to a slimmer, healthier version of yourself. It is a long term solution to losing weight and keeping if off! There is nothing faddish about the programme, no diet pills, diet shakes, meal replacements etc. just healthy foods. Step-by- step, we help you make any necessary changes to your eating and lifestyle habits. Alongside this, you will be eating food in specific quantities and

Motivating weight loss Factors, such as, an under active thyroid, pregnancy, menopause, medication, lack of sleep, physical or mental stress or simply just ageing, can all slow down the weight loss process! The expected average weight loss of The Metabolic Weight Loss Programme is 7-14 lbs a month. As you can imagine, this kind of weight loss is very welcomed, especially those who have struggled with the factors that can slow down weight loss.

Feeling and looking better As the weight falls off, time after time clients remark how their health, selfesteem and confidence has improved. Not being happy with the way one looks in clothes is no longer an issue! Many health reports are received which include improvements in fitness, energy, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and aches and pain.

One-to-one support Face-to-face or phone consultations are available every 7 days, with daily email support as needed. Time and again, clients comment that they couldn’t have lost their weight without the non- judgemental and caring support of Rachel and her team. For those who are not able to visit, a successful remote support service is provided throughout the UK and overseas.

Clients often comment on just how impressed their doctors /consultants and other medical professionals are with their weight loss. One reported that their doctor said, ‘All my lady patients on thyroid medication are struggling to lose weight, but you’ve lost 2 ½ stone despite being on thyroxine – well done!’

CALL NOW FOR A FREE CONSULTATION : 01342 327396 www.rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk | info@rachelrickettsweightloss.co.uk WEIGHT LOSS CENTER.indd 64

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

FAC E TO FAC E CHICHESTER BEAUTY AESTHETICS For the launch issue of Absolutely Sussex, we introduce a new, regular column from Chichester Beauty Aesthetics. In every issue, they will tackle subjects that challenge the beauty industry and offer their top advice on the beauty decisions many of us need to make. From fillers to facials, via laser treatments and skin boosters, they will offer everything you need to look and feel good. Turn to page 69 to find out a little more about our new columnist. chichesterbeautyaesthetics.co.uk

Revolution Personal Training 66 • Beauty Notes 69 • Surfing 73 A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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MAKE IT PERSONAL

The pandemic cut a swathe through most industries, with leisure in particular being hit hard. As life continues to deal with the new normal, are we yearning for one on one training? By MARK KEBBLE

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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HEALTH & BEAUTY • PROFILE

EXPECT A WARM - AND INSPIRATIONAL - WELCOME FROM THE REVOLUTION BRIGHTON TEAM

PHOTOS BY JOHN ISAACSON

s a regular gym-goer, when lockdown arrived I was hit hard. Suddenly I was spending an inordinate amount of money on a flashy exercise bike, which I then could not put together. Then I moved on to kettlebells, nice and easy to store and possible to use inside the home – or so I thought until one sweaty session saw a 20kg cast-iron weight slip out of my hands and smash a wall socket. Banished to my crumbling garage, I was forever ducking under spiderwebs. It’s fair to say I hated every minute of it. Yes, first world problems perhaps, but going to the gym is crucial for many. That’s something I have seen since doors to leisure centres opened again post-lockdown, with the same faces working out at the same time as me. But what of personal training? COVID-19 made many us distrustful of being in close contact of someone else, but with one personal training business

celebrating 17 years this month since launching – and also the site of my first experience of one on one training – it was timely to take a trip down memory lane. Today, Revolution Personal Training have three sites in Sussex – in Brighton, Hove and at the Withdean Stadium complex – but it all started in North London in 2005, when brothers Rob and John Grim, and friend Giuseppe Di Credico, opened a small studio in Islington’s Business Design Centre. As a fledgling editor of a magazine dedicated to that area, I was soon invited down after admitting my scepticism of the benefits of personal training, considering I was in pretty good shape at the time. It was a real eye-opener. Back then – as they do today – they offered a 12-week transformation programme unique to them, and I took it on. What was so beneficial to me was the nutritional advice I received, being encouraged to keep a food diary, which we then analysed and suggested different foods that would help my training. The actual workouts themselves were never boring, and the studio was always a lively place to be. My results were hugely impressive. I stayed in touch with the team and was delighted to hear that the business was franchised out to Sussex. What, though, was the impact of the various lockdowns? “It was brutal,” says Rob Grim, the company CEO and a Hove native. “We have been through a lot with the business. It was hard launching it 17 years ago, but the three of us were young and had energy and we got things going. Then we had the banking crisis [in 2008], but we actually grew through that. The pandemic, though, nothing came even close.” Forced to shut their doors, the team created a dedicated Facebook page where they held sessions for the public. “I did one with my daughter,” Rob chuckles, “it was our own version of Joe Wicks. It was just for the community really, but it worked really well.” Their regular clients, too, were not forgotten as sessions moved online. “Our clients were great

“OUR CLIENTS WERE GREAT AND TRANSITIONED REALLY WELL TO ZOOM TRAINING SESSIONS”

and transitioned really well to Zoom training sessions,” Rob says. “Our longstanding clients helped keep us afloat.” As lockdown started to be eased, gyms were ludicrously behind pubs to open their doors again. “That made me so angry,” Rob admits, unsurprisingly so. There were plenty of stats doing the rounds about how safe gyms were, but as hospitality was re-opened, leisure continued to take a back seat. Now, though, with life continuing with the new normal, businesses like Revolution are starting to pick up the pieces. I never want to go back to the lockdown days of broken equipment, smashed appliances and angry spiders, but others may still be a little wary of being indoors with strangers – but the personal training route could be the answer. “There are dozens of other people crammed into one space [at a gym], whereas here it’s just you working with your own personal trainer,” Rob points out. As I realised 17 years ago, the Revolution team are well worth listening to. For more about Revolution Personal Training’s three Sussex sites, and how you can enjoy a first session free, visit revolution-pts.com

A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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dvanced esthetics ractitioner

cne pecialist

Book an appointment call - 01243 697979 ar et d, hichester .chichesterbeautyaesthetics.co.u ollo us

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HEALTH & BEAUTY • NOTES

BEAUTY NOTES

The latest in luxury makeup and skincare B y EVE HERBERT

BROW

FOCUS

MEET THE EXPERT

perfection B O B B I B R OW N

Introducing our new columnist, Tanisha Allen of Chichester Beauty Aesthetics

The new Micro Brow pencil is ultra precise, with 24-hour, brow-true colour. Designed to effortlessly draw hair-like strokes to pinpoint sparse spots, extend tails, and add detailed definition, it blends emollient oils and waxes for a creamy glide and lasting, waterproof, humidity- and sweatresistant wear. £23.50 bobbibrown.co.uk

Colour ways H E A D M A ST E R S

Headmasters has always been a go-to for top hair advice. To give your hair a luxury look, Colour Ambassador Sian Quinn recommends the new L’Oreal Professional Metal Detox treatment, which will help to remove build-up caused by minerals and copper in hard water. The in-salon treatment makes hair healthier, prevents breakage and helps colour last longer. headmasters.com

SCANDI SCENTS M AYA N I J E

Independent perfumer Maya Nije’s gender neutral collection is inspired by her Scandinavian upbringing and West African heritage. From the sweet Vanilj to the smoky Tobak, each evocative fragrance is inspired by a family photo from the 1970s. £85; libertylondon.com

EDITOR’S PICK

anisha Allen had the passion and desire to invest all of her time, money and resources into researching, practising and now mastering her trade within the aesthetics industry. As a company, they have spent thousands of pounds on training, including advanced aesthetics courses, complications courses and masterclasses. With her love and talent for what she does, Tanisha truly wanted to master her work and be the absolute best she could be. From opening her company Chichester Beauty Aesthetics back in 2020, to now owning two amazing clinics in Chichester, West Sussex, and having her husband Michael work alongside her and having a further two incredibly talented members of staff join her team, the business is ﬂourishing. Building her brand and gaining the trust and respect of all of her clients has allowed her company to expand and grow with numerous returning clients. From this, it has allowed her to grow the visibility of her brand within the aesthetics industry and help them to help you – and every month Tanisha and her team will be on hand to offer advice and solutions to all manner of body issues. TANISHA ALLEN 07537 964586

chichesterbeautyaesthetics.co.uk

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HEALTH & BEAUTY • TREND SMART ASS Wrinkle Rewind Mega Moisture, £39.95 smartassbeauty.co.uk

UPCIRCLE Cleansing balm, £18.99 upcirclebeauty.com

BY SARAH Ally Blemish Recovery Oil, £34 bysarahlondon.com

SWEAR BY SKIN LookLit LED Mask, £75 swearbyskin.com

MONOSKINCARE Ultra Gentle Face Cleanser, £29 monoskincare.com

INLIGHT Face Oil , £49 inlightbeauty.com

FRESH FACED

AURELIA LONDON Probiotic Blemish Hero, £18 aurelialondon.com

Purify, cleanse and perfect with these hero products

ELEMIS Pro-collagen Rose Hydro Mist, £43 elemis.com

COMFORT ZONE Sublime Skin Lift & Firm Ampoules, £45 lookfantastic.com

EVE LOM

EDITOR’S PICK

AESOP Parsely Seed Antioxidant Serum, £63 aesop.com

Cleanser, £85 spacenk.com

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HEALTH & BEAUTY • FITNESS

TOP

FITNESS NOTES

PICKS

By RACHEL HOGG

EXERCISE-FRIENDLY MAKEUP

PLUMP-IT LIP BALM Enriched with a blend of natural oils and shea butter, this is the perfect lip balm for a deeply hydrated and protected pout, £17.

BLEND-IT CONCEALER A high-performance concealer that stretches and flexes with your skin and will stay put through even the most gruelling workouts, £16.

LIFT-IT MASCARA Say goodbye to panda eyes! This waterproof mascara will lengthen and lift your lashes and won’t budge no matter how much you sweat, £20.

S K I N I N M OT I O N The innovative beauty brand that formulates sweatproof makeup you can move in. skininmotion.com

SURFING CHAMPION STEPHANIE GILMORE

S URFS -UP You can enjoy the ocean without damaging it, with Roxy’s new sustainable swimwear collection

ow the weather is warming up, it means it’s nearly time to brave the sea again. Exercising in saltwater has a variety of benefits for your health besides improving your fitness, including boosting your skin’s health and mental wellbeing. These benefits are enhanced when the water is on the colder side, but before you dive in, it’s important to make sure you’re wearing the right thing for your safety and comfort. Heritage surf brand Roxy has been making high-quality surf and swimwear for over 20

years and is a favourite amongst professionals surfers, including seven-time world champion surfer, Stephanie Gilmore. Gilmore is the ambassador for Roxy’s flagship sustainable range, POP Surf, which is a collection of environmentally considered products. This range is just one part of the company's larger commitment to minimising its impact on the environment and making its manufacturing process cleaner and less wasteful. Pop Surf has launched a colourful new collection just in time for spring, that features brightly coloured neoprene wetsuits made from recycled rubber tyres and bottles

and swimwear made from 100% regenerated nylon. What's more, the light colours and floral patterns have been created using dope-dying techniques, which use less water than traditional dyeing methods. These changes to the manufacturing process have occurred without compromising performance, and all the pieces are twice as resistant to chlorine, sun cream and oils and are built to last longer and stay out of landfills. So whether you are a first-time surfer or a seasoned pro, you can venture into the Sussex sea wearing something that you know is helping protect it for future generations to come.

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Fitzherbert Road, Farlington, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 1RU Telephone: 0800 975 11 99 www.conquest-uk.com

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HEART OF THE HOME ASHLEY JAY KITCHENS

The kitchen has long been known as the heart of the home, and when it comes to design, the trends seem to come at us nonstop. For this special, Ashley Jay Kitchens pick out four we should consider and what they will add to the home. p88

inside this section: F I O N A H OWA R D WA LLPA P E R S p7 8 F&P INTERIORS p83 BOCONCEPT CHICHESTER p90 KIT KEMP DESIGN TIPS p104

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SHELF LIFE 10 of the best... patterns COMPILED BY PENDLE HARTE

GREEN SCENE

All Tomorrow’s Futures is a multilayered depiction of the natural world in a beautiful, highlytextured fabric made from a carved lino cut pattern. £147 per metre. themonkeypuzzletree.com

FUN TIMES From the Woodstock collection, Mindthegap’s Festival Memories wallpaper is full of detail and designed with both light and dark backgrounds to suit all spaces. £195 mindtheg.uk

FOLK TALE ANIMAL MAGIC

The extra large scale Glasshouse design uses an on-trend colour combination of sage and lilac, accompanied by a light grey backdrop, and is available as fabric and wallpaper. grahambrown.com

Alice Meadow wallpaper has a folk-inspired summery colour palette of reds, pinks, and greens with blue accents. The original design was painted by hand, then scanned onto the computer to add colour. £139 olenkadesign.co.uk

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H O M E | TOP TEN BOLD BOTANICALS

Supernatural botanicals and boldly-scaled florals sit alongside simple geometrics, stripes and plains, all designed and proportioned especially for outdoor use in Liberty’s new collection of garden fabrics. libertylondon.com

DOWN UNDER

LINEN LOVER

This abstract, ikat-inspired linen depicts the foxglove flowers which come in beautiful clusters of tubular shaped blooms. £125 eloisehome.com

Melita is the prettiest pastel reinterpretation of a glorious floral aesthetic from Aboriginal Australian heritage. The brand supports Aboriginal communities by ensuring a proportion of each sale goes back to the artists. £150 telescopestyle.com

BLONDE AMBITION

Atomic Blonde was a best-selling dress fabric before 20th Century Cloth lauched it as an interior weight fabric. The pale yellow background with a boomerang motif makes for stylish wallpaper too. £72 20thcenturycloth.com

IN A SWIRL

The pretty Baxter Swirl wallpaper design was inspired by a decorative fashion fabric. The ornate pattern was reimagined and painted with watercolours and pencils by John Lewis’ design team. £30 johnlewis.com

LIBRARY WALL

The Art Nouveau-inspired Lotus design brings a touch of 19thcentury elegance. Each sweeping bloom is printed with real Farrow & Ball paint, creating tactility and a sense of movement. £137 farrow-ball.com A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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FIONA HOWARD

I F WA L L S CO U L D TA L K The eponymous founder of Fiona Howard Wallpapers writes about Sussex inspiration, her intricate working process and a creative DNA By F I O N A H OWA R D

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H O M E | PROFILE

HENLEY GRASS

would spend hours in my room, making things, sewing, gluing, drawing, knitting. My mum was amazing and used to take us on walks in the countryside, collecting leaves, seeds, teasels etc, which we would paint or shells which we glued onto boxes. We didn’t have the money to go on fancy holidays, but I don’t remember ever being bored. She once let me break up tiles and mirrors to create a crazy mosaic above the sink in our bathroom! I don’t think I realised that art or design could be a career until I met my American aunt Kate when I was 12. She came to stay with us and brought with her stories of her CORNFLOWERS GRASS

life in California. She was an occupational therapist and a huge inspiration to me. I had never realised that art and craft could help rehabilitate people and that this was a job! I started taking the bus to pottery classes at the weekends when I was a teenager and applied to art college when I was 18. It was a dream come true, spending all day ‘doing art’, which had been my favourite lesson at school. I never looked back. I have been surrounded by wallpaper from an early age. In the 70s my parents wallpapered our house from top to bottom. William Morris in the sitting room, pretty florals completely covered my bedroom (even on the ceiling), and my dad’s study was decorated in a very groovy 70s orange, brown and gold stripe. I think wallpaper is in my DNA. I launched Fiona Howard wallpapers in 2018. Since leaving art college in 1987 I have been designing freelance for many clients worldwide in the interiors industry, from John Lewis to Colefax & Fowler, Pierre Frey to Crate & Barrel. I have many wonderful clients and designed the patterns on anything and everything from furnishing fabrics and wallpapers to bedlinen, rugs, china, kitchen textiles and stationery. I wanted to create a very beautiful contemporary British style, which has the hallmarks of handcrafted, traditional design, inspired by the woodblocks of

William Morris and the freedom of the Bloomsbury Group, but with my own hand and style. Wallpapers that will stand the test of time, printed in the UK using environmentally friendly inks and papers. While my style has evolved and refined over the past 30 years, I am still constantly experimenting with pattern. I think these days I have less ‘artist’s block’, but with numerous concepts. It is more about editing and refining ideas to create something unique. I start with an inspirational pin board, collating anything and everything which has caught my eye or might be useful, pages from my sketchbooks, things I might have picked up in a junk shop, postcards, colour swatches etc. Then I start sketching ideas. I work to the size of the lino piece I will be using. Once I have the rough drawing of the design, I work it into a repeating pattern, which will flow seamlessly across the wallpaper. The design is then traced and drawn onto the lino. I create a different tracing and lino for each colour. I then carefully carve out the lino pieces with my lino gouges, working with the negative and only leaving the areas which will print. This is a careful process, the smallest slip can remove an intricate detail. However small anomalies or mistakes can also add to the charm and character of a design. Once cut, each lino is printed in turn, leaving at least a day between each colour for the oil paints to dry. The paper must be

WISTERIA CHARCOAL

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H O M E | PROFILE

Nature has more designs and patterns than we could possibly imagine registered exactly for each colour to fall where it is supposed to. With the printing of each colour the pattern builds until the final magical moment of pulling back the paper to reveal the finished design. I never get bored of this process, it is enchanting. The natural world is my biggest inspiration. I am fascinated by the endless varieties of flowers, seeds, leaves, seaweeds, shells, insects etc. Nature has more designs and patterns than we could possibly imagine. I find a trip away from home always has inspirational benefits as well. Whether it’s to an exhibition, or just wandering the streets of a city, I see things I wouldn’t normally come across and collect ideas, perhaps of unusual colours or shapes which inform ideas for my designs. The wallpapers that everyone loves are the ‘Harbour’ and ‘Birdsong’ ranges. ‘Harbour’ is based on seaside holidays in Cornwall watching the fishing boats

BIRDSONG FOREST

SWAY CHARCOAL

coming into harbour with their daily catch, and ‘Birdsong’ was designed in lockdown when we all had more time to wonder at nature, watching the birds in the apple blossom trees outside my studio window. Panelling the bottom half of a room and wallpapering above it creates a lovely balance, picking out one of the colours in the wallpaper for the panelling. If you’re nervous about how wallpaper will look, start in a bathroom or the downstairs loo where you can be experimental and really have fun. Once you see how fabulous it can make a room you will have the courage to play in other rooms. Bathrooms look wonderful wallpapered and you can seal with a couple of coats of matt decorators varnish to keep moisture out. I’m not sure I have a ‘style’ at home – eclectic or quirky perhaps! We have a 400-year-old cottage by the sea and have just finished wallpapering the downstairs loo and utility room in ‘Rockpools’, which was inspired by the low tide on the beach here. I really enjoy doing the laundry

now! Our house is a work in progress at the moment. We live in a flint cottage two minutes’ walk from Climping Beach on the south coast in Sussex surrounded by fields, trees and the beach. We can hear the waves and see the harbour lights of Littlehampton from our bedroom at night. We moved here two years ago and built my studio during lockdown. Every morning we run across the fields and out along the beach before breakfast to brush away the cobwebs before starting work. The beach evolves through the year, sometimes sandy and at other times exposing rockpools full of crabs, shells and floaty seaweeds. In the summer we swim as well. With the sea so close and a garden full of fruit trees and wild places, I have all the inspiration I need at my fingertips. The future of Fiona Howard Wallpapers? I am steadily building the brand to create a comprehensive range of eco-friendly wallpapers in our signature colour range. I have many new designs waiting in the wings and am also introducing a range of wallpaper borders, which are a fabulously quick and economical way of transforming a room. I want to make it easy for our customers to create their style, to mix and match wallpapers, borders and paints – using products that won’t harm the planet. fionahoward.com

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T H E D E S I G N LA B Interior Design ♦ Refurbishments ♦ Kitchens ♦ Bedrooms ♦ Sofas 6,000 sq ft showroom | Viewing by appointment only The Complete Design Lab Marthas Barn, Wheatshead Road, Henﬁeld, BN5 9AX Tel: 01273 492988 | E: elyse@thedesignlab.uk | thecompletedesignlab.co.uk

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H O M E | TREND

Dress to impress In her debut column, the founder of Henfield-based F&P Interiors looks at the influence of the catwalk on the interiors industry By E M M A VA N S AG N E W

he links between fashion and interior design industries are as powerful as ever, with inspiration striding from the haute couture runways to the fabric books of the leading design houses in double quick time. Just as we see all the pretty floral dresses in the shops, we are seeing a mass of blooms in the interior design showrooms, giving us all a much-needed lift from the dreary days of lockdown. Sanderson, the home of florals and a warrant holder since 1923, has “blown the doors off its design library” with its Watergarden collection highlighting beautiful

OSBORNE & LITTLE BEACH HOUSE FABRICS

SANDERSON’S BAMBOO AND BIRDS WALLPAPER

floral designs brimming with new and exotic plants with Eastern influences. Imagine garden scenes, but in vibrant, almost acidic tones that spice up the flower beds and move, boldly, from the classic greens and pinks, to Chinese yellows and lacquer reds, mixed on otherworldly backdrops of inky skies and ebony grounds. Baker Lifestyle is offering something a bit more relaxed and fresh. Its Bridport collection combines illustrative, printed designs with smart checks and stripes, perfect for creating informal, contemporary rooms. Bridport has been shaded to match colour themes of classic blue and white, infused with indigo and red, pretty pink and chalky aqua, soft blue and delicate leaf green, all a little muted, giving a wonderful relaxed feeling, perfect for today’s hectic lifestyle. Closer to home, Sussex-based Design Archives launched its Shala collection, which draws inspiration from ancient mythology and is named after the ancient Sumerian goddess of both grain and compassion. Each design incorporates an element from the natural world in each fabric, such as a head of grain in Albertina and an intricate Indian flower pattern in Shala.

You don’t need to keep your floral fabrics in the home, with the ever-expanding collection of indoor/outdoor fabrics on the market, there are the exciting new collections from Osborne & Little, Designers Guild and Liberty. Osborne & Little’s Beach House collection includes vibrant Peonia floral, Malabar Palms and beautiful Magnolia branches with exotic birds. Designers Guild has included Tulip Garden design, a bamboo print and a more contemporary Shaqui design in ever popular blues and green. Liberty has expanded their fabric and wallpaper collection with the addition of The Liberty Garden collection of 13 designs, many inspired by a collection of archival hand-painted shawl designs dating from the mid-19th century, Persian Voyage is the latest interpretation of a much-beloved Liberty classic. This striking version is reengineered as a sumptuous heavyweight weave – woven in Italy using the highest quality yarns, to bring sumptuous texture and surface effect to the collection. The outside can now be every bit as beautiful as the inside. fabricsandpapers.com

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INTERIORS N OT E S Ideas, designs and styles for your home By PENDLE HARTE

COVER UP OMEXCO

Moonstone is a lavish collection of textured and softly iridescent wallcoverings. These luxurious 3D textures subtly reﬂect light to dazzling effect. This Belgian company makes exquisite wall decorations to dress your rooms in tactile beauty. There is a wide range of prints and colours too. omexco.com

IRON MAN CASTRADS

You don't notice how ugly your radiators are until you see a stylish cast iron one, painted either to match or stylishly contrast with the wall behind. At Castrads there's a vast selection of styles and colours. castrads.com

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H O M E • NEWS

TA K E FIVE Bed linen LOAF Lazy Linen bed linen range, £45 loaf.com

MOOD INDIGO

V I N TAG E CO LO U R MAROC TRIBAL

Maroc Tribal sells authentic and rare vintage Berber rugs. The team travels through remote rural Morocco to select original handcrafted carpets created years ago. These beautiful and unique textiles have a deep history, with unique variations and graceful imperfections. maroctribal.com

THE FINE COTTON COMPANY White Egyptian cotton sateen, £32 thefi necottoncompany.com

GRAHAM & BROWN

Very Peri is Pantone's official colour of the year and the look is easily translatable into home decor schemes. Graham and Brown's Tanzanite paint is a striking blue with red undertones. This stunning royal colour looks purple in brighter lighting, or deeper blue in dimmer closed spaces. Create a softer space by pairing it with the Baked Cheesecake neutral. grahambrown.com

TOM TAILOR Satin painter bed linen, £64.99 tomtailor.eu

DIP & DOZE The blue stripe set, £75 dipanddoze.com

IN THE FRAME MCKAY WILLIAMSON

SOAK AND SLEEP French teal linen, £30 soakandsleep.com

McKay Williamson offers a range of beautiful, luxury, hand-crafted bespoke fabric frames, made with craftsmanship and finesse. Using responsibly sourced timber materials, the framing is custom-made to art gallery and museum quality level of framing standards. mkwcreative.com

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Make a splash Looking at the many reasons why Leisure Pools will ensure improvements to your home life go swimmingly

A A swimming pool is a great investment for both your family and the value of your property

swimming pool is a great investment for both your family and the value of your property, and Leisure Pools is one company who can ensure the highest standards of safety and quality to ensure you enjoy the attraction. First, the quality. Leisure Pools has a patent pending to be the only composite fiberglass swimming pool manufacturer to use Vinyl Ester Resin for each layer after the gelcoat colour layer. Standard fibreglass swimming pool manufacturers may use one layer of Vinyl Ester Resin and then multiple layers of cheaper polyester resin in order to reduce overall build costs. The pool arrives as a one piece seamless moulding that gives the best assurance against leaks over any other type of pool – as it has no seams or joints to fail. The outer gel coat has a luxurious smooth finish and because it is impervious, bacteria and algae have nowhere to gain a foothold. If you’ve perused the Leisure Pools website, you’ve probably seen that one of their wonderful swimming pool features is a safety ledge. What is this exactly? It’s a feature that every Leisure Pools swimming pool has: a ledge running the perimeter of the swimming pool. At Leisure Pools, they seek to design pools that are beautiful with timeless, aesthetically pleasing designs and

stunning lines and curves, but their pools go beyond beauty and also have functional features – the safety ledge being just one of them. When owning a pool where children will be playing, safety is a major concern. The safety ledge allows children to stand on the ledge and grasp the side of the pool. Also, for those who are not strong swimmers, or are recovering or suffering from an ailment, the safety ledge provides an easy way to grasp the side of the pool. Surprisingly, the safety ledge provides more than safety – it also provides added structural strength to the pool. This, combined with features like Leisure Pools Vinyl Ester Resin construction, Composite Armour, and SMART Colour Range, allow them to offer a lifetime structural warranty and lifetime structural osmosis warranty – which means you can enjoy your pool worryfree for many years. The full range can be seen at swimpools.co.uk A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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F O U R

S I G H T

FEATURE SPLASHBACKS

Absolutely Sussex, with a little help from Worthing-based Ashley Jay Kitchens, takes a look at a quartet of hot trends for the heart of the home

For many, the splashback is an extension of their worktop, but for some it can inspire a more dramatic feature. Splashbacks are a great way to add personality and have a little fun. They are also an easy way to inject new life into an existing kitchen. If colour is your thing, why not go for a glass splashback; we suggest breathing new life into this trend with a satin finish for a luxe, contemporary version of this classic. Antique mirror splashbacks are great for reflecting light around a room to brighten up a space and make a room feel larger. A foxed pattern adds subtle detailing and a vintage feel, or you can even experiment with a smoked bronze or graphite mirror for something more unusual. If you want to go truly bespoke, we love this unique window splashback created by Ashley Jay Kitchens. Ashley Jay designer Sarah Lowrie worked with their client and the builders to specify and create a seamless glass opening, framed all round by the kitchen cabinetry, blurring the boundaries between inside and out. The effect is truly stunning.

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H O M E | TREND

STORAGE

Whatever the size of your kitchen project, we all want to maximise our storage. Hidden integrated appliances, pullout drawers, internal mechanisms, secret bars or pantries with worksurfaces to keep mixers and other appliances hidden when not in use… whatever your choice, it’s clear that storage is crucial. There are so many ways to achieve this from off-the-peg internals through to completely bespoke built-in cabinetry. You can even look to incorporate ‘secret storage’, like the example here: a bi-folding work-mounted dresser reveals a hidden TV with drawer storage below to hide remote controls, chargers and more.

MIXED MATERIALS AND TEXTURES

Modern kitchen design is all about balancing mixed materials and contrasting styles, and 2022 is the year for eclecticism and texture: timber, concrete, stone, slate, burnished metals and more. The key is harmony, achieved by having an overall palette and mixing finishes within this; pairing richly textured elements with simplicity, such as white walls. Think paired-back maximalism. The design featured here from Ashley Jay Kitchens highlights this look with real aplomb. Real slate doors are combined with copper-oak veneered cabinets and an industrial Dekton Trilium worktop, resulting in a dramatic and bold palette.

WORKING FROM HOME

The pandemic changed how we all shaped our professional and home lives and our domestic spaces have had to adapt to these changes – the kitchen is no different. Now a place for work as well as leisure and family life, our kitchen diners have had to perform harder for us than ever. One example from Ashley Jay Kitchens truly caught the eye. Here, a bespoke curved table booth is embedded into the client’s island to create a comfortable nook to work at or eat in. Never has the idea of working been so enticing. A S H L E Y JAY K I TC H E N S Vale Studios, Findon Road, Findon, BN14 0RA 01903 874198 ashleyjaykitchens.co.uk

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HOUSTON, UPHOLSTERED BED WITH SLATS, £2,827; LUGANO DOUBLE DRESSER, CARVED FRONTS, £1,689; EDEN FOOTSTOOL, £425; LUGANO NIGHT STAND, £399

T H E O F

T R E N D S 2 0 2 2

Explore the style landscape of tomorrow. From colour trends to materials, this is what BoConcept Chichester see trending this year THIS SEASON’S CORE PALETTES Two themes, endless possibilities. Think of these as your reliable, go-to colours. They are mood-makers, defining the feeling of a room with their perfectly paired tones. Whether you’re more Calming Neutrals or Quiet Luxury is entirely down to your life and style. For light and uplifting spaces, our Scandi-inspired palette will work wonders. For city sophistication, Quiet Luxury has your name on it.

CALMING NEUTRALS There’s a reason why so many people,

all around the world, crave an authentic Scandinavian aesthetic for their space. From muted colours to minimalistic designs, a modern Nordic interior is somehow both calming and homely while grand and impressive. This core palette will help you achieve an authentic Scandinavian base, to which you can add pops of your own personal style. It also pairs perfectly with blonde oak, stony ceramics, and accents of cement. Think of this palette as a deep ex ha lation. A midsummer sunset. Shady sand. Chai latte. Artisan pottery. Everything about it is designed to soothe and calm.

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KINGSTON TABLE WITH SUPPLEMENTARY TABLETOP, £1,289; BORDEAUX CONSOLE TABLE, £589; PRINCETON CHAIR, £458

QUIET LUXURY This colour palette is a cosmopolitan love letter to the world’s great cities. Those you live in and those you long for. Indeed, the Quiet Luxury palette is a metropolis of inspiration. It arrives rooted in deep, saturated earthy tones – an amplified response to our desire for the natural. Its base of black now veers into subtly brown and blue territories as well. Expect dark oaks, natural leathers, and plush fabrics for a touch of moodiness.

INTERIOR TRENDS: THE EVOLUTION OF THE HOME Quite simply, our homes have never been more important to us. No longer just a place to live, but to work and workout, raise families and host friends. We’ve never expected more from them, as we continue to adapt to an ever-changing world. Below you’ll find the latest interior trends: the movements that we see moulding the evolution of the place we call home.

AUTHENTIC SUSTAINABILITY Green is not a trend. It isn’t something that will (or should) come in and out of fashion. It’s a commitment to an ongoing journey of respect and accountability. Always reassessing processes and finding ways to improve. The appetite for respectful quality will, however, impact style trends. In 2022, we will want the aesthetics of our chosen materials to reflect our “green” mindset as well. This clean, natural look serves as currency for our conscience. So now, lightly treated natural materials will become ever more popular. In contrast, high-pop hues of digital, synthetic nature will mostly serve as occasional accents.

H O M E | TREND

With pieces marked by the hand that made them, our homes become a testament to our innate creativity. And they help us dress a space with genuine authenticity.

NEWSTALGIC SPACES

We’ve never expected more from homes, as we continue to adapt us to come together in celebration of craftmanship. Techniques that require time, skill, and patience. Considered lines. Pieces made with love. Materials plucked from the earth. Think: ceramics, leather, and natural wood. Creating spaces that are immediately grounding.

MARK OF THE MAKER Perfection is an illusion. So, this trend makes imperfections the hero. A reminder that an individual lovingly designed that sofa or handcrafted that vase.

Introducing a new kind of nostalgia, experienced through a contemporary lens. It’s comfort through familiarity, mixed with modern design. Adding personal touches to a home is nothing new. But spaces designed around the principle of calling to mind fond memories is. It’s comfort through familiarity, and all with a contemporary lens. It’s also just what’s needed to remedy uncertainty and ongoing change.

LET’S CREATE YOUR EXTRAORDINARY Through changing seasons, one thing has proven to always be on trend. Being true to yourself. That’s why we encourage your self-expression, helping you to adopt new trends with your own personal spin. Our talented teams are here to help you co-create your personal space with our any-project-size interior design service. It’s free styling advice in store, at home or virtually. The Corn Exchange, Baffins Lane, PO19 1BF 01243 786555 / boconcept.com

CARMO SOFA - CUSTOMISED; LUGANO WALL MOUNTED CABINETS, £2,539; LUGO COFFEE TABLE, £1,119

BACK TO BASIC S A modern-day truth: we’ve never craved simplicity more. With a human desire to go back to basics, we are collectively moving away from over-consumption to considered selections. The trends take its cues from democratic design that is both durable and lifeenhancing. Supporting the ever-growing need for genuine mindful options and a desire for a transparent production system.

HERITAGE AND CRAFT Rustic materiality meets the refinement of the human hand, with works of art paying homage to the past. This trend beckons A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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In the

GARDEN Five plants to grow in June By LUCY BELLAMY

ature has a way of effortlessly arranging itself into beautiful and harmonious patterns This latespring plan adopts a pointillist approach, with points of colour working together to create bolder shapes. Allium ‘Miami’, Cirsium rivulare ‘Atropurpureum’ and the tall grass, Stipa gigantea, all have flower heads made up of lots of minute flowers. The fennel leaves provide a background foil for the bulbs and perennials, while Iris ‘Sable’ in rockand-roll purple roves gently through. This meadow-esque design feels unexpected in a small city garden and has even more impact as a result. In summer the fennel has yellow flowers.

Method

1 Use a spade to dig over the soil to a crumbly consistency, breaking up any big lumps. 2 Gather together all the plants.

3 Starting with the Stipa gigantea, space the plants out on the soil, still in their pots.This is a tall, airy plant, so consider how it will look in different spots, including when you view the scheme through the windows of your home. 4 Ad d t h e C i r s i u m r i v u l a re ‘Atropurpureum’ and Foeniculum vulgare, in ones and twos, so that the flowers and foliage mingle at the tips. 5 Dot the Iris ‘Sable’ at random among the other plants. Make sure not to place them too close together as they will grow to be quite hefty plants. 6 When every plant has a spot, dig a hole for the Stipa, Cirsium and Foeniculum. Tap each plant from its pot and winkle out a few of the roots using your fingertips. Dig a hole for each plant to the same depth it was in its pot before planting and firming the soil down gently with your hands. 7 Next, plant the irises. Take care not to plant them too deeply, as the top of the rhizome (the woody stem that looks like a root) needs to stay above the soil. Water thoroughly.

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H O M E | GARDENS

The ﬁve plants 1 ALLIUM ‘MIAMI’ ORNAMENTAL ONION Geometric spheres of violet flowers thatare good for bees. Architectural seedheads in winter. • bulb • height 80cm (32in) • 5 per m2 (10ft2) • flowers from late spring to early summer

2 CIRSIUM RIVULARE ‘ATROPURPUREUM’ PLUME THISTLE A colourful cultivated form of the wild thistle, with jagged, dark green leaves and toasted-pink flowers. • perennial • height 1.5m (5ft) • 1 per m2 (10ft2) flowers from early summer to early autumn

8 Alliums are best planted as dormant bulbs in the preceding autumn. Bury the bulbs, 10–15cm (4–6in) deep, with their pointy ends facing upwards, tucking them between the other flowers. You can also buy them as budding bulbs in early summer, if you prefer. Note: The flowers in this display shed their petals discreetly, which is useful in a small space.

FOENICULUM VULGARE FENNEL Feathery, bright green foliage and chartreuse, umbel flowers. Edible, from root to flower. • perennial • height 1.8m (6ft) • 2 per m2 (10ft2) • flowers from midsummer to late summer

4 IRIS ‘SABLE’ BEARDED IRIS A scented iris in vibrant purple. Elegant and not too big. • perennial • height 90cm (36in) • 1 per m2 (10ft2) • flowers from late spring to early summer

5 STIPA GIGANTEA GOLDEN OATS Ribbon leaves and tiny, papery flowers on stems 2m (6ft) tall. The delicate seedheads last all winter. Semi-evergreen. • grass • height 2m (6ft) • 1 per m2 (10ft2) • flowers from early summer to mid-summer

GOOD FOR...

Extract taken from Grow 5 by Lucy Bellamy, published by Mitchell Beazley, £22

bumblebees solitary bees hoverflies butterflies damsel bugs shield bugs ladybirds hibernating lacewing larvae

O TL E U LY T E LY. A B SAOB LS U m aLgOaNzD i nOeNs

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FOR OUR 70TH ANNIVERSARY, ENJOY

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H O M E | TREND BEAUMONDE Flora Terrarium Gold Pendant Lamp, £97 beaumonde.com

COX & COX Two Textured Standing Planters Antique Bronze, £145 coxandcox.co.uk

ANTON STUDIO Set of two bronze wine glasses, £26 notjustjugs.com

DOWSING & REYNOLDS Connaught Ceiling Light, £539.99 dowsingandreynolds.com

BEAUMONDE LED Cordless Table Light, £145 beaumonde.com

BOCONCEPT Tone Mirror, £239 boconcept.com

EDITOR’S PICK

AUDENZA Gold Helix Side Table, £234 audenza.com

FRENCH BEDROOM COMPANY

BOBBI BECK Mystica Occult Pattern Wallpaper Gold, £75 bobbibeck.com

ICONIC LIGHTS George Monkey Table Lamp In Metallic Gold, £52 iconiclights.co.uk

M E TA L GURU

Versailles Gold Bedside Table, £445 frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

Metallics for every room

VON HAUS Metallic Cowhide Pouffe, £119 vonhaus.com

By P E N D L E H A R T E

FRENCH BEDROOM COMPANY Versailles Gold Gilt Dressing Table, £1125 frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

F&P INTERIORS

FRENCH BEDROOM COMPANY Brass Bronze Drum Pendant Light, £95 frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

PRODUCTS METALLIcs.indd 95

DOWSING & REYNOLDS Triple Dimmer Switch in Copper Gold, £96.99 dowsingandreynolds.com

Deco Scallop Wallpaper, £130 per roll, by Liberty London available from F&P Interiors fabricsandpapers.com

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H O M E | TREND CULT FURNITURE Kalimantan Pendant Light Bamboo, £159 cultfurniture.com

F&P INTERIORS Andalucia Paloma Footstool, £199 fabricsandpapers.com

EDITOR’S PICK

BEAUMONDE Freja Black Recycled Cushion Cover with Tassels, £24 beaumonde.co.uk

MODISH LIVING Canford Sustainable Mango Wood Console Table, £449 modishliving.co.uk

HEAVENLY HOMES

PLANET EARTH

PEPPER SQ Sustainable Pendant Lamp, £449 peppersq.com

SPICER AND WOOD Recycled Glass Jug Green, £42 spicerandwood.co.uk

Recycled Green Glass Vase, £9 heavenlyhomesandgardens.co.uk

Sustainable solutions for the home By P E N D L E H A R T E

ROSE & GREY Recycled Teak Dining Table, £450 roseandgrey.co.uk

ZERO ZEN STORE Compostable Food Waste Paper Bags, £7.50 zerozen.co.uk

MINT MAY Square Bamboo Storage Basket, £18 mintandmay.co.uk

WALTON & CO Recycled Cotton Throw, £18 waltonshop.co.uk

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H O M E • KITCHEN KIT

C O O K A L O N G ESSENTIALS FOR A WELLEQUIPPED KITCHEN

IN THE MIX KITCHENAID

The iconic stand mixer is an invaulable addition to any kitchen, and the new Dried Rose shade is certainly one to covet. £499 kitchenaid.co.uk

T I N P OT

FA L C O N E N A M E LWA R E

Enamelware is versatile: put it in the oven or on the hob, serve salads, bakes and pies in style and take the unbreakable plates on picnics. We love the red and white. falconenamelware.com

SW I TC H U P IKETTLE

Waiting for the kettle to boil is so 2020. With the smart iKettle, you can switch it on from upstairs or even from the end of the road, using your phone. Why wait? £99 smarter.am

FINE FIZZ AARKE

Aarke's stylish carbonators look good in any kitchen, and make an environmentally friendly alternative to buying endless plastic bottles of San Pellegrino. £179 aarke.com

G R AT E N E W S MICROPLA NE

The new bowl grater easily and efficiently grates vegetables, fruit and cheese directly into a bowl. Genius. Beware, though: it's very sharp. £19.95 johnlewis.com A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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H O M E | FOCUS

W H AT ’ S IN STORE Why fitted wardrobes can be a real investment piece

e a ll k now that a trench coat is a n investment piece, a coat to see you through years of changing seasons. But many may not have considered a walk-in or fitted wardrobe to be a true fashion investment piece. For a lot of us, how to store clothing is an afterthought when designing a home. But investing time in the design and layout of your wardrobe now will pay dividends for years to come. Fitted wardrobes are much more than pieces of furniture to store clothing. They can be a stylish addition to your home, providing greater storage than a traditional wardrobe, while also taking up less space. A bespoke fitted wardrobe is designed

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It can make choosing your outfits feel like an indulgent shopping spree specifically to make the best use of your available space, from floor to ceiling. Fitted wardrobes are built to last in a way that most stand-alone wardrobes aren’t, and whilst they may cost more initially, the investment will last. Fitted wardrobes can be tailored to suit your needs for both design and practical storage. Every last detail can be adjusted to suit your personal preferences, and the professional designers at Conquest Bespoke Furniture can advise you every step of the way, bringing your dream wardrobe to life. Having plentiful wardrobe space is a luxury providing a clear view of your entire clothing collection. Shelving and lighting can be incorporated to make choosing your outfits feel like an indulgent shopping spree, whilst bespoke length hanging rails show off your long dresses’ style and keep them in much better condition. If you have a guest room to spare, why not use that space more productively and transform it into a glamorous dressing room. Don’t have a guest room? Don’t worry, an

experienced bespoke furniture designer can always spot the perfect location within your home. To add an additional element of glamour to your walk-in wardrobe, you can add a focal point such as a dressing island that also adds additional storage and an extra surface. An important final touch is bespoke seating that provides a place to relax and contemplate your next outfit. Wonky floors, ceilings or walls won’t be a barrier to the perfect fit, and the final product will be unobtrusive no matter how little space you have. A fitted wardrobe will have none of the unsightly gaps that are common with freestanding furniture; they can be designed to suit any room. Like fitted wardrobes, walk-in wardrobes can also be custom-designed and built to fit rooms that are awkwardly shaped. As with many things in life, doing things properly the first time around, even if it means investing a little more, always saves money and effort in the long run. Fitted and walk-in wardrobes can also be considered an investment in the property itself. If you do have space for a walk-in wardrobe, there are other benefits, such as increased ventilation that helps prevent mould and mildew. And because everything isn’t jammed into a small space, creases and folds are less likely to appear. Ultimately, while fitted and walk-in wardrobes are an investment, they are also sustainable, as they are built to last, and provide many benefits to your home both visually and functionally. conquest-uk.com

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H O M E | GARDEN

Space age Malvern Garden Buildings show how you can create the perfect work/life balance at home

S A garden building adds to your property’s value and is away from all the distractions of the house

ince the shift to home working over two years ago, 56% of us report increased levels of happiness. This newfound flexibility has allowed many of us to spend more time with families and find time for exercise. However, remote working has its drawbacks. Nearly one in three of us put in more hours and feel under pressure to be always available. Who knows whether there will ever be a return to the pre-pandemic way of working? Some companies have decided to go fully remote. Others are adopting a more hybrid approach. The next big experiment is the 4-day working week trial. Whether you’re craving a return to the office as it was, or you have no intention of giving up remote work privileges, a garden office is proving to be a very popular choice. Jason Preece, general manager of Malvern Garden Buildings, says sales of garden offices have tripled: “Companies spend huge amounts bringing nature into the office to improve productivity and creativity, but what’s better than putting your office into nature? A garden building adds to your property’s value and is away from all the distractions of the house.”

As you work more from home, are you struggling to keep a healthy work/life balance? We all know we should set boundaries for the good of our health, but most of us worry we’ll look less committed. Yet when you establish boundaries, your worth rises. When you value yourself and your own time, your company will follow suit. Set yourself up for success with a dedicated garden workspace to give you the mental and physical separation between work and home life you deserve. The remote work revolution means we have more control than ever before over our work environment. Call time on making kitchens, bedrooms, and sofas places of work. Regain focus and motivation to do your very best work in a garden office with nature breaks to lower stress and super-charge creativity. M A LV E R N GA R D E N B U I L D I N G S Old Barn Garden Centre, RH13 8NR westsussex@malverngb.co.uk, 01403 907377 South Downs Nurseries, BN6 9LY brighton@malverngb.co.uk, 01273 847714 malverngardenbuildings.co.uk

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Style doesn’t mean you have to compromise on comfort.

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H O M E | DESIGN

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Charlotte Street Hotel drawing room featuring a chairs in EDIT’s Harlequin fabric

EDIT’s ‘Vanessa Bloom’ fabric, named after Vanessa Bell

BOHO

DESIGN Get the look: how to create a Bloomsbury-inspired interior By KIT KEMP

t’s no secret that I have long been inspired by the work and creativity of the Bloomsbury Group, a set of artists and intellectuals including Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant who lived and worked in Bloomsbury during the early 20th century. The group believed in creativity, innovation and beauty, but it is their sense of fun and freedom that I am most drawn to. Charlotte Street Hotel sits in the heart of Bloomsbury and the interiors for the hotel make specific reference to the Bloomsbury Group. There is much to learn from this fascinating group of artists – here are some ideas for how to create a Bloomsbury interior of your own. When creating your own Bloomsburyinspired interior, there is no better way to seek inspiration than by visiting the Charleston farmhouse near Lewes, in East Sussex, where the group’s interior style can be most distinctly seen. Vanessa Bell, with artists Duncan Grant and Roger Fry, wanted art to be democratic and thought that furniture, ceramics and textiles should be given as much attention as fine art. So

here they filled the home they shared with beautiful things and painted every surface. Another place from which to draw Bloomsbury inspiration is Monk’s House, also in East Sussex, where the spirit of not only Virginia Woolf, who lived here with her husband Leonard, but also of the Bloomsbury Group and the many artists, writers and thinkers who visited, fills the rooms. The Bloomsbury Group truly loved colour. Their interiors and paintings were a riot of dusky blues, artichoke greens, damask rose, burnt orange and aubergine. It is a totally unique colour palette that can be both moody and uplifting. Annie Sloan, the chalk paint specialist, has collaborated with the Charleston Trust to create a unique range of paint colours inspired by these distinctive hues. In the Drawing Room and Library at Charlotte Street Hotel, the curtains have been made up in Duncan Grant’s ‘Queen Mary’ fabric, which was intended for use in the First Class Lounge aboard the RMS Queen Mary ocean liner in 1935. This is available from Charleston’s shop. Sydney-based fabric house EDIT offers a A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N

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H O M E | DESIGN

Charlotte Street Hotel

selection of incredibly colourful and vibrant fabrics which take the Bloomsbury aesthetic into the 21st century. I have used EDIT’s ‘Harlequin’ fabric on occasional chairs at Charlotte Street Hotel in both the Library, positioned below a painting by Roger Fry, and the Drawing Room. I have also used EDIT’s ‘Vanessa Bloom’ – named after Vanessa Bell – on a comfortable fireside armchair in the Drawing Room. This fabric evokes the spirit of the Bloomsbury Group with its rich, painterly forest green, pink and blue florals. A great way to update a room is to paint the furniture in it. The Bloomsbury Group loved breathing new, colourful and witty life into everyday items by painting them with decorative motifs and geometric patterns. At Charlotte Street Hotel, there is a small desk that was hand-painted by The Omega Workshop, over which hang paintings by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell. The Omega Workshop was founded by Roger Fry in Bloomsbury’s Fitzroy Square in 1913, with the aim of selling furniture, fabrics

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A great way to update a room is to paint the furniture in it and household accessories designed and made by the Bloomsbury Group’s unconventional group of artists. They had an eclectic set of influences, where Cubist design would sit next to Italian frescoes and neoclassical pieces rest against English Arts & Crafts designs. In the same way, be inspired in your own home by mixing different styles and eras, displaying things you find both useful and beautiful, but most importantly things that you really love. In the Library at Charlotte Street Hotel, Vanessa Bell’s painted panels set the Bloomsbury mood, teamed here with a wing chair covered in a modern Bloomsbury-inspired fabric.

Extract taken from Design Secrets by Kit Kemp, £25, Hardie Grant kitkemp.com

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Luxury Holiday Rentals at Glenmor Make yourselves at home in the heart of Gleneagles The Gleneagles experience is one of a kind – you can now enjoy it from the comfort of a Glenmor luxury holiday home, located in the heart of Gleneagles. On your stay you can enjoy complimentary golf for one person, plus access to all of the leisure, dining and pursuits of the 5 star estate. We have 2, 3 and 4 bedroom properties available, perfect for all the family. With prices starting from £3,500 for a 2 bed, £4,410 for a 3 bed and £4,840 for a 4 bed for 7 nights.

Find out more: GLENEAGLES.COM/GLENMOR +44 (0)1764 694321 OWN@GLENEAGLES.COM

The Timeshare, Holiday Products, Resale and Exchange Contracts Regulation 2010 requires Gleneaglesto provide you with certain key information in relation to the proposed seasonal ownership contract. A standard information form which contains this key information in relation to that contract may beobtained by contacted us via the above methods.

The Planter Specialist

From window boxes to tree planters, choose from wide range of stocked designs or custom-made to suit your space

www.iotagarden.com

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Family Law Specialists Call us on 0800 84 94 101 Offices across Sussex

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk

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E D U C AT I O N

CASTING A SPELL COTTESMORE SCHOOL

Children from Mid Sussex and the Horsham area congregated at Cottesmore School near Colgate for the ‘Cottesmore Quidditch Festival for Sussex Primary Schools’. The children arrived for a training lesson given by four professional Quidditch coaches from activity company Enrich Education. These sessions were interspersed with owl-training displays.

cottesmoreschool.com

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SIGN of

things to come The pandemic has, if anything, taught us that communication between humans is vital. But what about those whose struggles continue beyond lockdowns? By S U E L A I D L AW

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EDUCATION • FEATURE

f there is one thing that we have all realised over the past two years, it is the absolute need for all of us to find new ways of communication. In those early days of spring 2020, we had very little option but to embrace Zoom and certainly our home diary was scattered with invitations for “Virtual Meetings down the Pub!” and family get-togethers on screen. At Laidlaw Education, we are constantly exploring ways to communicate with children in our teaching – not always just by speech and voice. However, it became very clear that, when face masks were required to be used, for many children and adults, communication became harder; facial cues were hidden as well as the ability to watch the articulation of a teacher, particularly for younger children and those with specific needs. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists also underlined how much harder it was for those with hearing loss to communicate as lip-reading was clearly impossible. Face masks with transparent panels over the mouth are now used. We have all come to understand even more how important it is to explore new ways of communicating with each other. Against this backdrop, the annual Deaf Awareness Week, which takes place from 2-8 May, has caused me to reflect. This special week aims to promote an understanding of the importance of social inclusion around the deaf community.

“There are over ten million people in the UK with hearing loss” It highlights all the positive aspects of living with deafness, but also raises awareness of the isolation that deaf people can sometimes experience. Indeed, you may not be aware that there are over ten million people in the UK who are living with some form of hearing loss. If your autumn Saturday evenings included snuggling up on the sofa to watch BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, you, like me, will have shared the joy of watching EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis’ wonderful dancing and perfect rhythm, knowing that she was the first deaf contestant on the show. She and her professional partner, Giovanni Pernice, won the show but have, more importantly, shone a very bright, creative and positive light on promoting the positivity of the deaf community. Ayling-Ellis’ inspirational personality led to a significant increase in people wanting to learn Sign Language, for example. Equally moving is this year’s Oscar winning movie, CODA. Coda stands for Child(ren) of Deaf Adults and the film tells the story of 17-year-old Ruby Rossi (Emilia Jones) as the only hearing member of a deaf family in Massachusetts. The film's exploration of the deaf community is real and authentic, even though the plot is fictious. Alongside Emilia Jones, who spent many months learning to sign for the part, deaf actors Daniel Durant, Troy Kotsur, and Academy Award-winner Marlee Matlin star as the rest of Ruby's family. Troy Kotsur has made history as the first deaf man to win an Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. So, as Deaf Awareness Week dawns, let’s be more aware of our means of communication. You may not want to learn Sign Language yet, but we can all be more aware of what we can do to embrace everyone in the way that we communicate.

Sue Laidlaw is founder of Laidlaw Education LLP, who offer educational advice, lessons and courses for children of all ages through their centres, including Laidlaw Hall supporting children with special needs, and the Laidlaw Virtual Academy. Call 020 8487 9517 or find out more at laidlaweducation.co.uk A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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Making

M AG I C

As Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell champions reading for the pure joy of it. She talks to Absolutely Sussex about her own magical childhood and the power of words on page By LIBBY NORMAN

ressida Cowell MBE needs no introduction to her vast global army of readers, transported into magical universes via her bestselling series’ The Wizards of Once and How to Train Your Dragon. She is also champion of younger readers everywhere as the 11th Waterstones Children’s Laureate – a role given to a distinguished author or illustrator every two years. Cowell has the distinction of being both writer and illustrator. Her 2019 tenure – extended to 2022 due to Covid – is an opportunity for her to continue her good work. She is, quite simply, passionate about getting young people into reading – and her passion is infectious.

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What she believes in is the discoveries – the connections – created by the books children love. “Words are the pathways of thoughts,” she says. “The more interesting and complicated, and the wider the vocabulary of the child, the more interesting the thought paths they can take. So that’s why we want to get them reading because they unconsciously absorb, in the form of joyful stories, so many words, so many connections.” This joy of reading – and of finding connections – is something that Cowell experienced in her own childhood, split between London and a remote Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides. It’s a childhood that sounds delightfully Famous Five from the outside, but she says J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is a better match. “The Darlings’ house always

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EDUCATION • PROFILE

CRESSIDA COWELL’S CHILDHOOD INCLUDED MAGICAL FAMILY HOLIDAYS IN SUSSEX (PICTURED) AND A REMOTE HEBRIDEAN ISLAND

“MY STORIES ARE ALL FANTASY STORIES, BUT THEY DEAL WITH PROBLEMS MODERN CHILDREN FIND VERY RECOGNISABLE” felt like our London house, and then Peter Pan comes along and they go to this magical island Neverland. I identified with Peter Pan very much – it’s a touchstone book because it felt very much like my childhood,” she says. On the island, the family were without television or, indeed, electricity (before they built a house, they camped), so entertainment was self-generated. “In many ways it was a classic 1970s childhood,” says Cowell. “In all 1970s childhoods there was an element of freedom – we were just told to come back when we were hungry.” It sounds idyllic, and what harm could small children possibly come to on their own on an uninhabited island? Actually, in true Famous Five fashion, it had its perils. “Scrambling over rocks, exploring caves, going out on our own in rubber dinghies,”

she says. “When I look back, climbing the cliffs and investigating the caves completely unsupervised was incredibly dangerous!” There were more practical and necessary activities when adults were involved. “Catching food and making it was a big deal – this was often cooked on a barbecue or open fire.” Cowell was head of entertainment, tasked with keeping the younger cousins and siblings amused – a role she threw herself into. “I put on plays, I was very bossy. I had to be because otherwise they wouldn’t listen to what I said. I made up the scripts, I designed the costumes – there was a lot of imaginative life in which I was in charge,” she says. Again, this sounds delightfully innocent in a very 1970s way, although, as she points out, this style of childhood has a far longer history. “Really I’m talking for all of human history – it’s how it was until now!” Books featured heavily throughout Cressida Cowell’s childhood. “I was mad about books,” she says. On the island you could only read what could be carried on the boat. But what got left on the island was often revisited. “There were a lot of books left on the island – spotty, damp books that I read and reread,” she adds. When children’s fiction ran out she read what was left. “I was reading Dickens and other adult books way younger than normal.”

As part of her role as ‘Ents Officer’, Cowell would read aloud, and she can still recall the sense of power this gave her. “When I was about nine or ten I had a book I absolutely loved called The Ogre Downstairs. I remember reading it to my little siblings and cousins,” she says. “And I remember the feeling when they got so excited – ‘read me another chapter, don’t stop there’ – or I made them laugh. I think that was the ‘oh wow’ moment, the beginnings of me wanting to do what I do now.” Second hand bookshops and libraries were a source of endless discovery. “Like a lot of children in the 1970s, we went to the library once a week – that’s just what you did. They were like sweetshops, and so well stocked back then.” She remains convinced of the importance of libraries, both as a route to get children reading – and to help them find the authors and the genres that inspire them to carry on. “In order to create a reader, we need to give children opportunities to try things and find what books they love.” Like her childhood, Cowell’s schooling was split between city and country. She attended St Paul’s, moving on to Marlborough because she wanted art in the mix at A-level. St Paul’s had said she might be better off doing Latin. She proved them very wrong, since her Art and History of Art A-levels meant that after studying English Literature at Oxford she got into Central Saint Martins (then plain Saint Martins) and then University of Brighton to study illustration. “I use every single part of my education now,” she says. She is critical of the attitude, still prevalent in some sectors, that creative subjects are lesser subjects. “I think that’s not very forward thinking,” she says. “To treat arts subjects – art in particular – as if they are on the edge rather than at the beating heart of our economy, as well as part of happy, wise and thoughtful lives, seems strange.”

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“I REMEMBER READING ALOUD TO MY SIBLINGS – THE FEELING WHEN THEY GOT SO EXCITED OR I MADE THEM LAUGH. I THINK THAT WAS THE ‘OH WOW’ MOMENT” When it comes to the value of art in engaging young readers, Cowell has no doubts at all. “We are competing against the best screen ever.” She believes children’s visual literacy now runs so far ahead that illustrations have become more important than ever. “They are a way in for highly intelligent children who look at a book and find it a bit baffling. And especially if children have a learning difficulty, books can make them feel stupid – and how can you love something that makes you feel stupid?” Cowell has personal insight into learning difficulties. Her sister is dyslexic, so she has a profound sense of how this can affect children’s sense of themselves. “So often, and I thought this with my sister, children were written off.” While things have improved since the 1970s, it’s no coincidence that dyslexia features in Cowell’s stories: in The Wizards of Once, Wish is dyslexic. While Cowell wasn’t dyslexic, she was, she says, “profoundly disorganised” – something that meant she was often in trouble. “I was very well meaning, but I couldn’t do things that other children seemed to find easy. I couldn’t get my homework in on time, I didn’t know what the homework was. I didn’t know where my books were. I was in a constant state of bewilderment!” Again, this chimes with her approach to characters in her stories. “My heroes don’t fit in in different ways. Wish is dyslexic. With Xar, the other hero of The Wizards of Once, his inability to fit in results in defiance. These are behaviours children develop because they struggle to

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fit in. Hiccup in How to Train Your Dragon is a child who is bullied. My stories are all fantasy stories, but they deal with problems modern children find very recognisable.” Both The Wizards of Once and How to Train Your Dragon draw on Cowell’s most familiar childhood landscapes – not only the Scottish island of secret caves and rugged cliffs just made for dragons, but the Sussex countryside where many happy holidays were spent at her grandparents’ house on the South Downs. Writing for her young fan base, she has described that Sussex landscape as the place where you could almost imagine bumping into a Roman soldier. She has no doubts about why battles between good and evil continue to be among the most treasured elements of children’s fiction. “They are the most important things that we should all be thinking about and talking about. That’s also what has attracted many adults to children’s literature – we know in our hearts that we’re all still struggling to work out what makes a hero, what is our responsibility to our family, to our loved ones, to our wider tribe and the whole world.” Here, she says, younger readers have a very clear vision: “Children are interested in the truly important things in life.” Beyond helping their development as people, Cowell sees reading as the gateway to so much more for children – which is why she takes her role as Children’s Laureate so seriously. “The two key factors in a child’s later economic success, let alone their happiness, their educational success and all the other things, are

parental involvement in education and reading for the joy of it. And that’s the really key thing – for the joy of it – not because somebody says so,” she says. “Children who read for the joy of it are just imbibing words. They are just taking them on without having to have a spelling test.” Cressida Cowell writes about magical places, but she is as intrigued – both as author and Children’s Laureate – by the magic created when children discover reading for joy. “There are three magical powers that reading brings out in children – intelligence, creativity and empathy. Intelligence is the words. Creativity, often through illustration, is the jumping off point for them to create their own worlds. And the empathy is inside a child’s head – they are that hero with magic powers.”

C R E S S I DA C OW E L L The Wizards of Once, Never and Forever, is now available in paperback (Hodder Children's Books, £7.99). Find out more at cressidacowell.co.uk

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EDUCATION • SPOTLIGHT

In conversation with

MARK BAILEY As former High Master of St Paul's, Professor Mark Bailey brings top-ﬂight experience to his new role at Dukes Education. Absolutely ﬁnds out more

rofessor Mark Bailey became managing director at Dukes Education last November, tasked with the day-to-day running of a number of its schools. Here was interesting news for anyone with more than a passing interest in the world of independent education. As High Master of St Paul's from 2011-2020, Bailey held one of the top 'premiership' roles. Prior to that, and also for around a decade, he successfully steered hallowed Leeds

By LIBBY NORMAN

Grammar through the choppy waters of a merger with the city's beloved girls' high to create The Grammar School at Leeds. Throughout a top-flight career in independent schools, he stayed true to his first love – medieval history – and he's no dabbler. Having found his muse during his schooldays he went on to obtain a First in Economic History at Durham and then a PhD at Cambridge, where he stayed on as a lecturer and Fellow of two colleges (Caius and Corpus Christi) before heading to Leeds Grammar. He joined UEA in 2010 and, unusually, stayed in post throughout his tenure at St Paul's – he remains there still as Visiting Professor of Later Medieval History.

In 2018-19, Bailey was James Ford Lecturer in British History at the University of Oxford (previous incumbents have included V.S. Galbraith and A.J.P Taylor) and he's just published a book on the Black Death. With all of that, Bailey's Wikipedia page leads on the rugby. He was capped seven times and played for the Barbarians. He could have been a cricketer, having played both sports exceptionally well during his time at Ipswich School and beyond. So, the CV has everything you could want from an inspiring educator and school leader. What it doesn't reveal is Bailey's dry Yorkshire humour and self-deprecating spin. He really doesn't warm to my summation that he's

A SCIENCE LESSON AT KNIGHTSBRIDGE SCHOOL

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a heavy hitter, preferring to describe his career as "stumbling my way through". At Dukes Education, as one of four managing directors, he's bringing all this experience to an innovative group stewarding some of the most distinctive independent schools in Britain. His appointment grew out of a conversation with Dukes' founder and chairman Aatif Hassan while he was at St Paul's School. Governor roles followed and then he joined as Chair of the Dukes Advisory Board in 2018. He becomes an MD at an interesting time because the Dukes family is expanding – now numbering 12 schools in London and five outside the capital. Three London schools joined the fold in March. Then there are the nurseries under the 'Little Dukes' umbrella and the summer schools

and consultancies offering guidance with university applications and career pathways. Inevitably, the big question is what attracted him to this new leadership role. "Dukes is really interesting," he says. First up, he finds the story behind Dukes "compelling". It was started by Aatif Hassan after he founded Cavendish Education (separate, and now numbering 11 schools for young people with dyslexia and autism). Bailey likes the flat structure of Dukes, the warmth of the team but – most of all – he likes the ambition of what they are doing. "Dukes is in it for the long term. It is backed by private investors, and there are a number of stereotypes associated with that, but the reality is that Aatif has an unusually eclectic background. He's a former British Army Paratrooper. He

is also dyslexic and he started Cavendish Education with a particular purpose. It is values led and quality led and he wanted to bring the same things into mainstream education through Dukes." There are other points of difference about Dukes, he says, not least that it is underpinned by the pensions might of USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme). "USS looks for long-term growth and believes in education, so Dukes' institutional backers are not that conventional and they are in it for the long term," says Bailey. "Dukes are also in it for the long term. What they do is identify a great brand, a school that has earned a really good reputation." This has been central to the whole approach. At first glance, the schools appear disparate geographically and

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culturally – from Sancton Wood in Cambridge to Knightsbridge School to Cardiff Sixth Form College. Look again and you see a linking thread. For instance, Knightsbridge is ranked among the top preps in the country, Cardiff 's exceptional results make it a 'destination school' for overseas students and locals alike. Then consider Hampstead Fine Arts College's reputation for fostering creativity and Eaton Square's success in growing from a small prep into a highly regarded allthrough school for over 600 pupils. "With Dukes' approach, there's always the question: 'what can we add?'" says Bailey. "We have a very strong leadership programme, also expertise in getting the back and middle office support services absolutely right. We bring skills in marketing, skills in safeguarding – all that slightly hidden but important stuff that takes up increasing amounts of time and specialist knowledge for all independent schools." Bailey sees the back office "stuff" as a key issue for the whole education sector. "The pressures of being a headteacher have increased dramatically over the past 20 years," he says. "You are increasingly the CEO of a very complex organisation." It's something Bailey understands from experience. His own respite was to down his (virtual) mortar board and put on his historian hat. "When I had time for me in the holidays it was just straight into medieval history," he says. For parents questioning the welldocumented school fee inflation of recent decades, compliance is one huge factor. But Bailey says there are other drivers – notably swelling pensions obligations.

KNIGHTSBRIDGE SCHOOL PUPILS

MARK BAILEY

Also, salaries come into play because schools compete on the open market for talent. "If you want a top mathematician or physicist to be put in front of really bright kids you go to top universities or to the City and you pay attractive salaries." Compliance, pensions obligations, salary inflation, and now Covid. Unsurprisingly, the medieval historian has the long view on this. "Pandemics accelerate or intensify existing tendencies," says Bailey. "The independent sector in terms of pupil numbers hasn't

changed very much, but the tendency is towards fewer bigger schools – they can control costs because there's an economy of scale." This, of course, has parallels to what Dukes Education is able to do for its family of schools. "At Dukes, we're all working for the same thing – to take some of that back-office load and enable our schools to do what they do best," says Bailey. He is extremely optimistic about the long-term future of UK independent schools and says the international appeal is clear – temperate climate, transport links, stability, culture and the ability to buy into high-quality education. "London and the south-east have always been attractive for people globally who can work in any number of cities". So what about the many parents up and down the land who want the best for their child? During his years at the helm, Bailey says what parents want from a school has remained constant. He says it comes down to three core elements: "values, results, culture". Timing is all and Bailey's book reappraising the Black Death, published back in February and based on his Ford lectures, has attracted – if not a groundswell – significantly more interest than he expected. Back to the self-deprecating humour: "There would normally be zero interest in it outside of about ten university departments. Because of this there is zero plus one". That “plus one” included a guest spot on the Knickerbocker Club's 'author of the month' slot. When the call came it was not, as he originally suspected, a mate pulling his leg, but an invitation from one of New York's most exclusive gentlemen's clubs. "Before Covid, telling people you were writing about the Black Death was a conversation killer. But now people are curious and ask about parallels. Thankfully, I can tell them there are very few," he says. After the Black Death: Economy, society, and the law in fourteenth-century England, by Mark Bailey, is published by Oxford University Press.

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EDUCATION • FOCUS

Grown up problems The head of Windlesham House School in West Sussex on why parent wellbeing should be a focus for schools B y B E N E VA N S

e are constantly bombarded with information and statistics around pupil wellbeing and the strain on the mental health of young people today. While this is a very real and concerning issue, there is far less reporting around parent wellbeing and how this can exacerbate the anxiety children face. Throughout the pandemic, there have been growing concerns that many pupils are struggling with their mental health as a result of COVID and past lockdowns. Interestingly, what many schools fail to recognise is the wellbeing of parents, even though this has a direct impact on their pupils. Many parents have been under huge strain, both mentally and financially.

WHY SHOULD SCHOOLS CARE?

Unless schools support parents who face these issues, they are ultimately not doing the best for their pupils. Schools pride themselves on being close knit, supportive

Parent wellbeing is not something that can be ignored, it has to be non-negotiable communities. As such, school leaders have a duty of care to everyone in that community. Whilst it is absolutely right that children and staff are the priority, parents, extended family members and carers should also be part of our focus. Schools want and expect parents to support the school in all areas of teaching, learning and pupil development; they cannot operate successfully in isolation. Close relationships with parents is a must as is a true open-door policy in school. We must be more supportive of parent needs. School exist to teach children, so it is easy to overlook the wider community despite it being instrumental to pupil development,

WINDLESHAM HOUSE SCHOOL

drop off and pick up times, something my own school is opening this September. These activities and social facilities allow for relationships between parents and the school to be strengthened, for any issues to be raised, and for the establishment of a cohesive community.

SURELY THIS MEANS MORE WORK AND MORE COST FOR SCHOOLS?

accomplishment and success. We need to provide a robust support structure that works because, ultimately, we are all working towards a common goal: ensuring our children are happy, safe and making good progress in their learning.

WHAT CAN SCHOOLS OFFER PARENTS TO BOOST THEIR WELLBEING?

Independent schools are particularly well placed to boost parental wellbeing and provide support and mentoring. Parents should feel the school cares about them and that they are always welcome onsite. This aspect has certainly changed drastically since the start of the pandemic, and we must strive to rekindle elements of the community, which were so highly valued pre-COVID. Mutually beneficial parenting workshops are an obvious starting point. They allow schools to explain how they manage child development and how parents can support their work, while providing much-needed continuity between home and school. Teaching and learning workshops give parents the opportunity to see how schools teach during periods of lockdown and blended learning. Parent and staff choirs, onsite swimming sessions, and tennis and netball clubs are also great ways to engender a feeling of community, as is an onsite parent café at

Initiatives such as in-house parenting workshops will be relatively inexpensive. In the case of professional support and sports clubs, parents will usually be happy to contribute towards these kinds of activities if necessary. The biggest cost to schools will be staff time and this may be insurmountable for small schools, while perfectly manageable for others. There will always be issues in busy schools when extra work is suggested. Parent wellbeing is not something that can be ignored, it has to be non-negotiable with additional resources provided by the school to make it work for everyone. This might include extra funding and extra time from staff to support various initiatives. Provision around parent wellbeing may be relatively small to begin with, but every little step helps.

B E N E VA N S is head of Windlesham House School, Washington, Pulborough, RH20 4AY 01903 874700 windlesham.com A B S O L U T E LY m a g a z i n e s

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PROPERTY • FOCUS

“There are vast landscaped gardens that surround the property”

O N E O F A K I N D

ichael Jones are currently selling this beautifully presented detached thatched character cottage located in a highly prestigious private estate, occupying a prominent position overlooking the 17th green of the Ham Manor Golf Course. It is offered in exceptional condition throughout, having been lovingly refurbished by the present vendors to a high standard. Angmering is a pretty English village situated on the southern edge of the South Downs National Park, with roots that date back to the Bronze Age. It has a lovely collection of period houses, parish church, medical centre, library, post office, good schools, a bistro pub, excellent golf club, and local convenience and speciality shopping, together with many community activities. Not to mention the beautiful local

Visiting a stunning thatched cottage overlooking Ham Manor Golf Course beaches and wider amenities in Arundel, Worthing, Brighton, and Chichester. With versatile accommodation, stunning landscaped gardens and heated swimming pool, the house is one of the original 31 built on the estate during the 1930s and has undergone significant improvements including the renewal of the thatch in recent years. The main house has a lovely entrance hall giving an initial feeling of space, which leads to a pleasant dining room, presently

used as a snug with real oak floors, which continue into the lounge and feature panelled walls, plus multi fuel burner. The feature kitchen with marble worktop and several integrated appliances has a pleasant, seated area enjoying views over landscaped gardens and swimming pool. The stunning dual aspect lounge with feature fireplace enjoys views over the golf course and landscaped gardens to both side and rear. The property also offers an outside sunroom with further views over the extensive gardens. There are vast landscaped gardens that surround the property to all sides, plus heated swimming pool, and a sweeping driveway with off street parking for many vehicles, garage and carport. MICHAEL JONES The property is on the market for £1,350,000. For more information, contact Michael Jones Rustington on 01903 850 850 or visit michaeljones.co.uk

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PROPERTY • FOCUS

School’s IN A closer look at a ﬁve-bedroom home in Nutley, Uckﬁeld, on the market with Savills

uilt in the early 1990s, Nutley Place, School Lane, is a handsome modern country house characterised in a Tudor style, with black and white timbered elevations under a tiled roof. The spacious and well-presented accommodation is arranged over two floors, extending to a generous 4,350 square feet with features of note including very wellproportioned rooms, high ceilings with timber beams, and wooden framed double glazed windows with leaded light panes. A solid wood front door under a stone archway opens to the impressive part-vaulted dining hall, from which a turned staircase rises to the first floor galleried landing overlooking the hall. Double doors open to the elegant triple-aspect drawing room which features a brick inglenook fireplace with heavy oak bressumer and hammered iron canopy as its focal point; three-quarter height windows and French doors frame the views over the gardens. The drawing room adjoins the games/family room, a more informal reception room ideal for entertaining.

The kitchen and breakfast room is wellappointed with a range of wooden units, granite worktops and space for a range oven and central breakfast table. A wonderful south-east facing conservatory, a study with fitted desk and shelving, and a cloakroom complete the ground floor accommodation. There are five spacious bedrooms and a shower room lying off the galleried first floor landing, including a generous principal suite with dressing area and en-suite shower room, and an equally large guest bedroom with en-suite bathroom. Nutley Place is situated at the end of a private lane, accessed via electronically operated wrought iron gates mounted on brick pillars, which open to a gravel parking and turning circle ahead of the house and triple garage. The gardens and grounds are of particular note, the formal gardens lying predominantly to the south and west, sloping gently down away from the house enhancing the view over the rural landscape beyond. A detached outbuilding is currently used as a gym. Steps descend from the terrace to the swimming pool, which has a paved surround and a timber cabin housing the pool equipment. Beyond the swimming pool, the garden is laid to level lawn, dotted with spring bulbs and mature trees, and enclosed by post and rail fencing. A fenced paddock lies to the north of the house. In all, there are approximately 2.1 acres. SAV I L L S Savills are quoting a guide price of £2,500,000. Find out more by calling 01444 446 004 or visiting savills.com

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