Absolutely Buckinghamshire September 2022 by ABSOLUTELY Magazines

AUTUMNAL FASHION FROM JANE ATELIER AT FLUIDITY IN HENLEY-ON-THAMES SHADE In the STYLISH / INTELLIGENT / ELEGANT Buckinghamshire SEPTEMBER 2022 News and views from the best Bucks schools SPECIAL PLUS MODERNTOUCH Exploring a home ﬁt for the 21st century in Leighton Buzzard • COWLEYOLIVIA The ballet soloist on how inspiredAylesburyher • JOIN REBELLIONTHE Insideever-growingMarlow'sbrewery

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*The Help to Buy scheme is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time without notice. Not to be used in conjunction withany other offer. YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IFYOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR ANY OTHER DEBT SECURED ON IT. For full terms and conditions speak to a sales advisor †Times and distances are taken from Google and will change depending on the time and date of travel, and so should not be relied upon. 01628 fabric@hamptons.co.uk622131 To find out why we’re different, arrange your viewing today: SHOW10.00OPENAPARTMENTDAILY:am-5.00pmAVAILABLENOW 2 bedroom apartments from £360,000 COMING SOON Further 1 bedroom apartments APARTMENT LIVING WITH A DIFFERENCE

The latest addition to Oakford’s superb collection of new homes, Fabric delivers contemporary apartment living with all the comfort and convenience you could hope for. These one- and two-bedroom apartments are set in six individual buildings, o ering an inspired specification. Each home is finished to an exceptional standard, with features such as underfloor heating, dedicated outside space, and integrated appliances. Set in the Thameside town of Maidenhead, Fabric is a convenient location, with fantastic transport links for both road and rail, including the advent of Crossrail’s new Elizabeth line, which will connect you directly to London’s underground network. With a direct train to London Paddington in under 30 minutes†, it’s the ideal choice for those wanting the perfect work-life balance. With easy access to the city and capital, you can still enjoy the more relaxed atmosphere o ered by the natural open space of the countryside, which is just a stone’s throw away. The best of both worlds: living on the fringes of town and edge of countryside, you get both a riverside town with idyllic walks and a thriving social scene. Delectable restaurants and pubs are in abundance nearby with Bray and Marlow boasting serious gastronomic credentials.

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EDITOR MARK KEBBLE ART DIRECTOR PAWEL KUBA SENIOR DESIGNERS MIKE SUZETTEROBERTSSCOBLE MIDWEIGHT DESIGNER CARMEN GRAHAM JUNIOR DESIGNER KAI NICHOLLS GROUP SALES MANAGER - SOUTH ABIGAIL GARDNER MEDIA CONSULTANTS LOUISE PEARSON, STELLA ADAMS, ANABELA KOLECI 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 Follow Us On Facebook @ABSOLUTELYBUCKINGHAMSHIRE Twitter @ABSOLUTELYBUCKS Instagram @ABSOLUTELYBUCKSANDBERKS Website absolutely-buckinghamshire.co.uk For editorial enquiries please email: mark@zest-media.com For advertising enquiries please call 07977 195732 or email: abi@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.

SEPTEMBER 2022 CULTURE 20 AGENDA The best events across the county in September 28 OLIVIA COWLEY We meet the Aylesbury-born ballet soloist 33 ALLEGRA Pop music's next big thing from Newbury FOOD & DRINK 44 FOOD NOTES The best bites in your local area 46 REBELLION BREWERY The beer creators with Marlow at its heart 52 RECIPES A little Sri Lankan inspiration for the home FASHION & BEAUTY 58 ODETTE LINGERIE On re-opening in Old Amersham 62 THE SHOOT AW22 vibes from Jane Atelier 68 BACK IN ACTION How to look after your WFH wellbeing EDUCATION SPECIAL 108 BACK TO SCHOOL Why there's nothing to worry about 113 TALKING HEAD The inside story at St John's Beaumont 116 SPORTING CHANCE How our schools are creating tomorrow's stars BUCKINGHAMSHIRE.CO.UKABSOLUTELYThe online guide to inspirational local living. ABSOLUTELY Contents 62 ON THE COVER Jane Atelier AW22 (janeatelier.com)collection 108 52 13ABSOLUTELY magazines

Go Island Hopping, Go Olympic call 020 8492 6840 visit olympicholidays.com/island-hopping One island is never enough Tailor-made island hopping with Olympic Holidays. Use code ISLAND200 to save £200pp* This is our specialiststhebestexperiencehome;theofGreecewithislandhopping Every Greek Island has its own unique personality, so sometimes one just isn’t enough. And because no one knows the islands quite like we do, you can expect a little more from an Olympic Holiday. Tailor-made island hopping  Family-owned, arranging holidays to Greece and the Greek islands for more than half-century  Flights from 26 UK airports  Choice of accommodation,islands,length of stay and more  Low cost to luxury, simple to special occasion  British Travel Awards winner for nineconsecutive years,with votes submitted by the public Terms & Conditions: ISLAND200. Save an extra £200 per person on all new Island-Hopping holidays for two people or more with no minimum spend. Can only be booked through the call centre and cannot be used in conjunction code must be added at time of booking and cannot be added post transaction.

Rather conversely, I have an inadequate teacher to thank for me writing this welcome letter. You see, at school I loved history and heading into my A-levels, the plan was to study just that at BristolHowever,University.myA-level course was nothing like the global history and world war focuses of my GCSE that saw me come away with an A grade. It was based on economic and social history, which was fine, but was delivered in such a dry way that I found myself bored rigid in pretty much every lesson. Unsurprisingly I flunked my A-level exam and my plan to become the next Dan Snow was put on hold. It was then that I recalled my English teacher from Years 9-11, who was frankly a bit strange, but a mighty fine orator. He always said I'd make a good writer, but I shrugged it off – then in my 'clearing' desperation I decided that I'd give it a go and enrol in a journalism course. The rest is, indeed, history. This means the education special we have created for this issue is important to me, and I am sure to many others, featuring the best the county has to offer. Happy teaching. LETTER Editor’s Olivia Cowley Meet the Aylesbury-born Royal Ballet soloist (p28) 1 Rebellion Beer The brewery at the heart of the Marlow community (p46) ABSOLUTELY’S Septemberhighlightsissue 32 5 Education Special Over 30 pages of the best from schools across the county (p105) Beauty Buys The latest mustbuys for you (p73) 4 MARK KEBBLE EDITOR Interiors Trend How to bring tartan into the home (p95) 15ABSOLUTELY magazines

Wish LIST COMPILED BY PENDLE HARTE 10 things Absolutelywelove RAINBOWMAGIC Iris means rainbow in Latin, and this necklace has a rainbow of precious stones featuring Aventurine, Blue Jade, Green Jade, Rose Quartz, Amazonite, Iolite, Carnelian, Dyed Ruby and Peach Moonstone, all strung on a recycled sterling silver necklace. £100 nuehoops.com FRESH STRIPE Desmond & Dempsey's Medina striped pyjama set in bright shades of coral, blue and red is a joy to wear. £120 selfridges.com NEW WEAVE For a twist on the classic French market shopper we love this Cella bag with neon orange trim by Kuwaiti designer Folklore. £457.39 folklorethelabel.com ORANGE CRUSH Nail Kind is a new Danish nail polish brand that's not only vegan and cruelty-free – but it's also long-lasting and easy to apply. nailkind.com EDITOR’SPICK 16 ABSOLUTELY magazines

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FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER SATURDAY 17 INTERNATIONALSEPTEMBERWEEKEND BOOK TICKETS NEWBURYRACECOURSE.CO.UKNOW FLAT NEWBURYRACECOURSE.CO.UKSATURDAYFRIDAYSEASONFINALE21AND22OKTOBERGETGOINGBOOKNOWWITH

Agenda 20 • Olivia Cowley 28 • Allegra 33 CULTURE 16-17 SEPTEMBER, NEWBURY RACECOURSE Celebrate the end of summer in style, with top racing and off track entertainment. This includes family activities, live music, tours, and a chance to visit the stalls. Book tickets now at the best possible price as this is a fabulous weekend you won’t want to miss. newburyracecourse.co.uk DUTYDUBAIFREE INTERNATIONALWEEKEND 19ABSOLUTELY magazines

GREENLANDS HENLEY-ON-THAMESPARK,

britishchampionsday.com22-25September

EVENTEVENT THIS MONTH'S HOTTEST EVENTSAgenda Henley Decor Fair

20 ABSOLUTELY magazines

This is your lifestyle event of the year. Whether you are planning a redecoration project or looking for inspiration, you will ﬁnd that wow factor item for your home and garden. Trend setters from TV shows, Restoration Workshop to Salvage Hunters: The Restorers, will be showcasing their products alongside 150 of the UK’s top leading decorative dealers. This fair has everything with one-o s that will make your home unique. henleydecorfair.com

15 October ASCOT QIPCO British Champions Day is the ultimate raceday and the ﬁnale of the British ﬂat racing season. Whether you’re a racing guru or you are just after the ultimate day out with friends, Champions Day has something for everyone. World class racing, the fanzone, music after racing – don’t miss racing’s biggest celebration.

John Rutter windsorfestival.com

The

MUSIC 25 SEPTEMBER, WINDSOR CASTLE

Conducted by John Rutter himself, this performance with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra celebrates two of his pieces with works by another great British composer Vaughan Williams. Williams’ haunting Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis takes inspiration from Tudor polyphony, whereas Rutter’s Mass of the Children was written in response to a desire to compose a work that would bring children and adults together.

QIPCO ChampionsBritishDay

With travel restrictions lifting, there's no better time to enjoy Asia's art scene

ARTIST CALVIN HO PAINTING AT HKWALLS. PHOTO BY KYRA CAMPBELL ADRIAN CHENG Adrian Cheng is contemporary Chinese art’s biggest supporter. A true innovator, he created the ﬁrst ever ‘K11 Art Mall’, a new museum model bringing the best of international and native Asian art to public shopping malls.

ART FOR LIFE

EVENT 21 CULTURE • DIARY ABSOLUTELY magazines From 8 September NORDEN FARM ARTS CENTRE In an exciting new collaboration with the team at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead, Readingbased illustrator Helen Ridley will be hosting a new inspiring and beautifully mindful Studio Art Club every two weeks from 8 September. During each session, you will be invited to explore your inner artist, using a range of materials from watercolours and gouache, to pencils and pastels. helenridley.com 3 SEPTEMBER, THE VACHE, CHALFONT ST GILESMonth’sThis SeeMust ArtStudioClub A HISTORY OF SOUND OTHELLO THEATRE 16 September-15 October WATERMILL THEATRE This September, The Watermill Ensemble bring a bold new reimagining of William Shakespeare’s Othello to the stage. This searingly relevant production will feature a fusion of modern and soulful music underscoring the action and performed in the theatre’s inimitable style by a company of actor musicians. Tickets from £15, with discounts available for under 30s. watermill.org.uk The ever-creative team at Vache Baroque Festival have announced the ﬁrst performances of a brand new interactive family show, A History of Sound. The event will explore sounds on planet earth from 4.5 billion years ago right up to the time of Bach. What was the ﬁrst ever rhythmic sound? What's the di erence between 'sound' and 'music'? Vache Baroque will answer all these questions and more... vachebaroquefestival.com

After the return of Art Basel Hong Kong, all eyes are once again looking to Asia’s vibrant art scene.

THIERRY CHOW Daughter of one of Hong Kong’s most esteemed feng shui masters, Thierry Chow takes a distinctly modern approach to demystify and celebrate the ancient art for a new generation. She makes feng shui accessible and she might just change your life.

JASON DEMBSKI AND MARIA WONG Jason Dembski and Maria Wong co-run HKwalls, a non-proﬁt arts organisation that holds an incredible annual street art festival during Hong Kong’s March art month. They aim to create opportunities for artists to showcase their creativity.

THIERRY CHOW ARTIST ANHZ PAINTING AT HKWALLS. PHOTO BY REN WEI

TICKETS ON SALE - BRITISHCHAMPIONSDAY.COM QIPCO British Champions Day is the Ultimate Raceday and the finale of the British Flat racing season. Whether you’re a racing guru or you are just after the ultimate day out with friends and family, Champions Day has something for everyone. Worldclass racing, the fanzone, music after racing – don’t miss racing’s biggest celebration. THE RACEDAYULTIMATE SATURDAY 15 ASCOT RACECOURSETICKETS BRITISHCHAMPIONSDAY.COM THE ASCOTSATURDAYRACEDAYULTIMATE15OCTOBERRACECOURSE

he Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was ﬁrst published by Frederick Warne & Co. (now part of Penguin Random House UK) in 1902. In celebration of the anniversary, Frederick Warne & Co. are pleased to present The World of Peter Rabbit™ Storytime Trail, a walk-through exhibition where visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the classic storybook. Little bunnies will be able to crawl under the garden gate, hide behind a watering can and see their reﬂection in a mirror pool, just like Peter Rabbit. During the trail there are Peter Rabbit themed craft activities to enjoy and many perfect photo opportunities for families to get involved with, and create memories with this beloved childhood character.

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Alongside this exciting anniversary event in the Gallery at The Base are a variety of workshops for young people to take part in. Little ones with big imaginations can immerse themselves in special Saturday morning Peter Rabbit and Friends Storytime Sessions on Saturday 10 and 24 September with Merry-Go-Round Storytelling, where characters will be brought to life through magical songs and interaction – plus, they’ll have a chance to join in with the storytelling themselves. Children aged 7–12 years can take inspiration from Beatrix Potter’s beautiful illustrations and participate in the Create Your Own Storybook Character workshop on Saturday 3 September. The workshops will be led by Base Resident Artist Ellie Kerr-Smiley, where using games to inspire characters, they will create watercolour paintings to bring their characters to life. So, hop on over to The Base at Greenham and read along with this classic tale; re-enact your favourite moments with your little ones and get crafty, just like Peter Rabbit in this charming walk-through experience. Open until Sunday 25 September (Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm), tickets are £5 for under-16s and £6.50 for adults (£6 concs, £5 schools/student, under-1s free). To book tickets or for more information, visit thebasegreenham.co.uk or call 01635 522733 Families are invited to The Base Greenham to help celebrate a special rabbit's 120th birthday as The World of Peter Rabbit™

“It is a chance to create memories with this character”childhoodbeloved

Storytime Trail takes over the gallery space

Classic EXPERIENCE

Luxury Holiday Rentals at Glenmor Find out more: GLENEAGLES.COM/GLENMOR+44(0)1764694321OWN@GLENEAGLES.COM 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. 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. 16 September to 15 October The critically acclaimed Watermill Ensemble weave live music into a powerful reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic The Watermill Theatre & Restaurant, Bagnor, Newbury RG20 8AE Tickets from £15 Principal Sponsor U30

“With a seven-race card, it promises someliveexhilaratingaction” Finish with a

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Back for another year, Dubai Duty Free International weekend will be back on 16-17 September promising a dashing time. With a seven-race card, both days promise some exhilarating live racing action. Alongside the brilliant races that are lined up, Dubai Duty Free and Newbury Racecourse are pleased to say that their 360° camera is back, ready to capture every angle of the fun. And don’t forget, they want to see the whole family. On Saturday you can expect to see horse hopper inflatables, live music and other fun-filled activities to keep the younger ones captivated This year, National Racehorse Week also ties in perfectly with Dubai Duty Free International Weekend, and they will be holding a range of exciting events to bring you closer to the action. There will be a chance to visit the start stalls, behind the scenes tours and even a meeting with Newbury Racecourse’s equine ambassador and retired racehorse, Ouzbeck. Upgrade your day and get that regal feeling at Lounge 303, which is where the royal box was formerly housed, o ering breath-taking views of the final straight and the finish line. This highly exclusive experience includes your Premier ticket for the day and your racecard, along with a two-course bowl food option and a private bar facility. Or why not try the Parade Ring Lawn. Enjoy a private outdoor space for the day overlooking the parade ring and directly adjacent to the Owners Club, with views of the big screen. It’s the perfect space on a sunny afternoon with an artisan picnic box and table service for your drinks. With proximity to betting facilities and a short walk to the live action in front of the Grandstand, there is no better spot for watching the races. Following this, they look ahead to October where they will see the return of Oktoberfest at Newbury across the Flat Season Finale Weekend on 21-22 October. With Bavarian beers on o er, traditional food and a live oompah band, get involved with a fun-packed day out with friends with thrilling live horseracing action on course and celebrations o course. The o ering will be included as part of both Premier and Grandstand tickets and it’s a great opportunity to get the whole gang together as there are brilliant discounts available for group bookings. Tickets are on sale for both events and available at newburyracecourse.co.uk

Dubai Duty Free and Newbury Racecourse invite you to celebrate the end of summer in style

FLOURISH

OKTOBERFEST AT NEWBURY

Christmas at De Vere Wokefield Estate From Christmas party nights to Festive Family Afternoon Tea, Wokefield Estate has plenty of magical events taking place to get you in the Christmas spirit. JOINER PARTY NIGHTS The ideal celebration for smaller groups of colleagues and friends. Start with a glass of fizz, then enjoy a 3 course festive meal. Try your hand on the casino tables or dance the night away to entertainment from our live band. DATES: 9th, 10th, 16th & 17th December PRICES: £59 per person Private Christmas Parties are also available. FESTIVE FAMILY AFTERNOON TEA On 11th December, enjoy live entertainment from Encanto’s Mirabel and Marvel’s Captain America. On 18th, we’re joined by none other than The Grinch and The Who alongside a delicious afternoon tea. DATES: 11th & 18th December PRICES: £26 per adult, £18 per child, (3-11 years), (0-2 years) free wokefield.diaryteam@devere.com | 0118 933 4030 Goodboyswww.devere.co.uk/wokefield-estateLane,Mortimer,Reading,RG7 3AE

Coming up on 29 October, there will be plenty of things going bump in the night at the Ascot createdFamilyFireworksRacecourseSpectacularRaceday,withthelocal community in mind. The Ascot Round Table joins forces with the racecourse to produce what has been described by many as the “best firework display in Berkshire”. The magnitude of the display will not disappoint as guests can enjoy this breath-taking pyro-musical show featuring over 20,000 fireworks launched from the centre of the track. This event falls just before all Hallows Eve and is sure to get you in the mood for a frightfully fun Halloween. Racegoers can expect an abundance of spooky Halloween themed activities and fairground rides to enjoy throughout the day alongside all of the thrilling racing action, such as a slime workshop, a creepy crawly experience, a wizarding class teaching spell writing, and pumpkin carving, to name a few. After the last race comes to an end and before the start of the fireworks spectacular, there is plenty of time to enjoy the fairground rides and bumper cars, and sample the many food and drink outlets. For those that want a seat in the warmth, the Ascot Pavilion will be open with an array of spooky Halloween cartoons on a Pop-Up Cinema to keep you and the whole family entertained. Fairground rides are free during racing, then from 4pm they are charged at £1 with all proceeds from the rides and profits from the day donated to local charities. The Fireworks Spectacular is also the return of the thrilling Jumps Season, and the day is built around a high-quality card featuring the Bateaux London Grade 3 Gold Cup Handicap Chase, so this is set to be a full day of fun on and o the track before the fireworks bring the curtain down. Whether it is the excitement of the Jumps racing, the spooktacular activities, or the fantastic fireworks, the Ascot Racecourse Fireworks Spectacular is surely one to not be missed. ASCOT RACECOURSE Tickets from £30pp. Fine Dining from £199+VAT per person with Private Boxes available. For further information and to book visit ascot.com

Get set for The Ascot Racecourse Fireworks Spectacular Family Raceday, returning in October The big BANG “The magnitude of the display will not ﬁreworks”withdisappoint20,000

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28 ABSOLUTELY magazines Dancing QUEEN Aylesbury-born Royal Ballet soloist Olivia Cowley has performed across the globe, but she tells us that Buckinghamshire will always be home By NATALIE LI

A QUIET MOMENT TO REFLECT OLIVIA REHEARSALSIN

“Ballet made me feel equal to my peers for the ﬁrst time,” Olivia continues.

“There was such a calmness, and it was a release for me. My parents were happy that I’d found dance. I am very shy, so I am happy to be mute on stage and Leaving the cast of the musical fantasy film Cats during filming in 2018 is something Olivia Cowley doesn’t regret. “It wasn’t my cup of tea; I didn’t love the choreography or the film, so I decided to leave,” she shrugs. “I was missing the shows at the Royal Opera House.” Her quiet determination is apparent as soon as we speak over the phone during her maternity leave, weeks away from expecting her second child. Eloquent and composed, Olivia discusses her profession with genuine fervour. “I really love my job. One of my favourite roles includes Countess Marie Larisch in Mayerling – I loved dancing with [now retired] principal dancer Ed Watson. He had so much charisma and energy on stage. Working with Wayne MacGregor on Woolf Works was the most incredible experience. I didn’t feel like I was on planet earth when I was

29ABSOLUTELY magazines simply dance. It’s a comfort blanket for sure,” she bursts out into a big smile.

“My parents saw me dancing to Michael Jackson and found a dance class in Aylesbury”

Olivia became a soloist in 2013, with a mix of principal dancer work, for the Royal Ballet. Her illustrious dancing career spans 20 years under her belt with roles in almost every iconic ballet from The Nutcracker to Swan Lake, working with top choreographers such as Cuban dance star Carlos Acosta. It’s a dream come true for Olivia after a tough start in life su ering from speech di culties at primary school. Aged eight, she began dancing for the ﬁrst time.

“Mum had worked hard later in life to become a nurse and she always said that ‘you’ll do it when you do it’. There was never a pressure on me. When I heard I had made it into the Royal Ballet School it was a big moment. The idea of dancing from 9am-6pm – I ﬁnally had the opportunity to do what I loved.”

CULTURE • INTERVIEW

Born and raised in Aylesbury, where her siblings still reside, Olivia left aged 16 to performing. You feel like you are being transformed into another world on stage.”

Olivia became a Junior Associate of Tring Park School for Performing Arts. From the age of eight to 16 she had one teacher, Nicola Bowden. But the traditional path through to the Royal Ballet Lower School at White Lodge was not to be for her. Instead, she continued with her evening ballet classes until she auditioned for the Royal Ballet Upper School.

SHE HAS OFTEN PERFORMED AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

“Having a speech impediment meant that I couldn’t always ﬁnd my words,” she recounts. “My parents saw me dancing to Michael Jackson and they found a dance class in Aylesbury High Street, so I started classes to help with my conﬁdence. My speech and language impediment meant that I needed therapy so I attended the Grange School in Aylesbury, which meant that I could continue with ballet.

Olivia’s growing passion for dance was encouraged by her parents who quietly applied for grants and scholarships to nurture their daughter’s growing talent. “I wouldn’t stop practising, class meant so much to me,” enthuses Olivia. “We didn’t have much spare cash. Dad worked in Sainsbury’s for 40 years and mum was a nurse at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.”

But leaving dance to become a mum hasn’t always been easy, she admits. “Every season brings something new and it’s hard for a dancer to part with that. When I had my beautiful baby boy it was tough to return. “I took six months maternity leave and started building up with Pilates and private coaching. That mobility and strength returns, and this is what I hope for with my second child. You need discipline and mental strength because it can be tough. Your body experiences so much change through pregnancy. There’s been a lot of dancers having babies at work so there’s a great community to share motherhood with.”

Now 37, Olivia lives with her partner Henry St Clair, a former dancer-turned agent, and their two-year-old son Forrest. “Henry and I danced together, were good friends and I realised I loved this man. We’ve been together ever since.”

WITH

“You need discipline and mental strength because it can be tough” pursue her dream in London where she has remained. However, her Buckinghamshire roots still stay with her. “I had lived in Aylesbury my whole life and even though I live in London and have done for 20 years it still feels like home. I’ll always have a close connection, it’s like another comfort blanket for me,” she says. “We grew up near the railway so whenever I hear the rumble of trains, I get this comforting feeling. I have fond memories of traipsing down Aylesbury High Street and lovely walks in the Chilterns and Wendover Woods.”

CULTURE • INTERVIEW

Documenting her life as a dancer is another passion. Olivia’s blog, ballet.style, looks at her life with a fashion focus, both on POSE

STRIKING A

SHE GREW UP IN AYLESBURY HER SON FORREST and o the stage. “People don’t understand the nature of the job and I wanted to provide an insight,” she explains. “The response to the blog has been amazing, but I had to leave it while concentrating on motherhood.

When asked about what the future holds, Olivia replies quickly: “I still have that fire in my belly to perform so it’s not out of my system! It’s hard to think that ballet won’t be the subject of my job. I’ll always return to ballet. “I’ve had an amazing life and career. There is a form of meditation in dance, and I’d love my son to experience it. I appreciate what I have, and I will continue to work hard, stay in shape, and keep my stamina and fitness up. Whatever comes my way I’ll be ready and fit to go.”

“A typical day starts with Pilates, a ballet warm-up class followed by a full day of rehearsals and a show in the evening. A corps dancer, how I started out, performs most nights, and they won’t know which section they will perform. The life of a corps is exciting, but you are constantly grinding. You train in the day and do a show in the night. A principal has time to recover and rest. A soloist falls in the middle.”

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ALLEGRA

Get to know…

Q How does the charity’s work chime with your own personal experiences?

ABSOLUTELY magazines 33

A When I was at school, I got diagnosed with dyslexia. It was a really di cult time for me, especially when the school couldn’t really help or o er me the support that I needed. This then just ended up having a big impact on my mental health. But, in the end I found music, it came into my life and o ered me the escape that I needed. They use horses to help children that struggle at school and let them develop another skill away from the classroom, which I believe in heavily; not everyone can work within a classroom, everyone’s mind works di erently.

Q Why were you keen on being a patron?

A I think ﬁrstly it was for how much it resonated with me and my own personal experiences growing up, coming from a place of understanding felt like I could really help out. I also love animals, especially horses. They’re incredible creatures and they are so good at being able to read emotions. It can o er so much help for children that need a hand in showing, expressing and understanding their own emotions and horses are amazing at o ering that.

Q When did you ﬁrst come across Strength and Learning Through Horses?

I’ve also always loved supporting charity work, ever since I was a little girl. When I was young, I would get together with all my Pop star from Newbury and patron of Strength and Learning Through Horses

CULTURE • PROFILE

By MARK KEBBLE

I understand how much activities outside of the classroom can help a child’s mental wellbeing and the support it o ers. I hope that by supporting this charity I can help children ﬁnd the support they need and deserve.

A I think it was back in April. My team got approached with the idea and I just knew I had to get involved! It’s such a good cause, it’s something I really believe in and it also resonated with my own personal experiences.

A It’s so hard to single any one highlight out as I am literally living out all my dreams and fantasies, but I think it has to be performing with Leona Lewis a couple of years back, when I was still so young. She is an incredible artist and someone I aspire to, so having that opportunity was incredible.

A Well, my earliest musical memories were from those performances in front of all our family. I was always the bossy one,

A It’s just beautiful countryside, and scenery, and the country air is so clean. I can literally feel my shoulders drop as I travel out of London to the house in Newbury. We live in a village and everyone is so friendly and happy to just chat in the street, it’s the perfect remedy to a stressful, busy week in London.

Q When did you ﬁrst discover you had a talent for music?

Q Do you have plans for where you’d like to take your musical direction in the future?

34 ABSOLUTELY magazines

NEWBURY IS WHERE SHE FEELS RELAXED SHE'S A PATRON OF STRENGTH AND THROUGHLEARNINGHORSES

Follow on Instagram @allegraworld and for more on Strength and Learning Through Horses, visit strengthandlearningthroughhorses.org

A The last two years were very challenging years due to the pandemic and the restrictions that brought. This year has been about getting back on the horse and gaining conﬁdence and growth again, so to speak. I am just so grateful to be out there doing what I love. By the end of 2022 I hope to have regained momentum and ready for an exciting bumper year next year.

Q What are your hopes for the end of 2022?

Q What do you love about the area?

organising everything and making sure they went ahead. These performances weren’t short two-minute things… they were hours long! Then at 14, I started creating and recording my own music.

A The next part of my journey is live performance, so I am busy preparing myself for that. I have done a number of performances already, and they have all been so exciting. These have all fed my hunger and I cannot wait to get out there and do more. I cousins and siblings for the holidays. We would always put on these little performances for our parents and aunts, we would make them pay to watch so we could give it all to charity. So, I’ve always been into charity work, I guess, and I’ve always said to my team that I’m up for it if there’s an opportunity for me to help a charity and I’m really excited about it.

Q What has been the highlight of your music career so far?

NEWBURY IS HOME am also ready to release an EP, which I hope will give a more broader insight into where I am going with my music. I started with pop/ dance, but I have also grown up since I ﬁrst started and this has naturally reﬂected in my music, which has started to cross over a bit.

A My family have a house in Newbury, which we spend a lot of time at. I also live in London, but I just love jumping in the car and leaving the big smoke and heading out to the countryside for a bit of R&R.

“I have grown up since I ﬁrst started and this is reﬂected in my music”

Q What are your connections to Newbury?

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Located on the river at Wargrave, just one lock from Henley-on-Thames, Val Wyatt Marine is an established, independent marina that is passionate about helping its customers to ﬁnd the perfect boat. Val Wyatt o ers an extensive range of quality services – from a thriving brokerage for new and used boats, to a dedicated, privately owned ﬁve-acre marina, where they provide moorings and storage, as well as a full suite of professional cleaning, maintenance and repair services. Meanwhile, both customers and visitors alike are encouraged to enjoy the on-site facilities, including the fantastic new co ee shop, Velolife. However, it is the marina’s commitment to developing long-term relationships that sets it apart. Val Wyatt’s team of experts are dedicated to delivering the best possible experiences once its clients take to the water – from how to maintain their boat, to ideal locations to explore.

ABSOLUTELY magazines 37 CULTURE • PLACE

he ancient River Thames is one of the most iconic rivers in the world. Measuring 215 miles, the famous waterway weaves its way from Kemble in Gloucestershire, through to the Thames Estuary, where it meets the North Sea. However, it is throughout Berkshire and Buckinghamshire where it is, arguably, at its most beautiful – rolling through the tranquil countryside, picturesque towns and quaint villages.

Why

is perfectly placed to enable us all to enjoy the county on the water Take me to THE RIVER “It is Val thattermdevelopingcommitmentWyatt'stolong-relationshipssetsitapart”

Local boat owners have access to an abundance of beautiful locations via the river, from Henley-on-Thames, home to the world-renowned regatta as well as several festivals, to Marlow, where Tom Kerridge has several eateries. Further down the Thames, the historic Windsor provides day boaters with a sense of grandeur.

Lisa Anacora, Managing Director at Val Wyatt Marine, says: “We understand the signiﬁcant investment our customers make when it comes to purchasing a boat, not just from a ﬁnancial perspective, but emotionally too. That is why we are dedicated to supporting potential buyers with sound and professional advice at every stage of the journey and, most importantly, at their own pace. We take the time to better understand individual needs - not just for the short-term, but the long-term too.”

By NATALIE BACK

IN THE WILDE

ABSOLUTELY magazines 39

Iwant to have my good life!” exclaims Kim Wilde, the 80s pop star-turned gardener and radio presenter. She’s describing her admiration for happygo-lucky, self-su cient Barbara Good, played by Felicity Kendal, in the muchloved 70s sitcom, The Good Life

“I remember thinking this is great, you know, what she's got,” she smiles. “There’s something lovely about being connected to the outdoors. I always thought I want to have my good life, just like her.” It certainly strikes me that Kim has, and is, living her best life. The 61-year-old pop singer is still belting out hits and touring across the globe. Once one of the most adored female pop artists in the 1980s, Kim shot to fame with her hit Kids in America in 1981, written and produced by her brother Ricky and dad, British rock 'n' roller Marty Wilde. Singles followed such as You Keep Me Hangin On and Chequered Love. Swapping pop for a quieter existence, Kim moved to Codicote across the border in Hertfordshire, converted a 16th century barn, married the actor Hal Fowler in 1996, had two children and pursued her passion for gardening. The latter scooped her a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2005 Pop icon Kim Wilde on the buzz of touring, her call back to nature, and why home is where her heart is

Wilde’s local haunts Hitchin Lavender, Cadwell Farm in Ickleford “An incredibly inspiring place to visit.” Waste Not Want Not, Stevenage “I am patron of this social enterprise, which uses gardening as a therapeutic tool. I am often there doing bits and bobs. It's been a great privilege to be a part of this project. It's got a great reputation and there’s something very rock ‘n’ roll about the enterprise – it kind of does what it wants to do on its own terms.”

HITCHIN LAVENDER

GARDENING PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN HER LIFE NOW

To feel the energy of a bunch of people who all turn up to see you, it's a beautiful feeling.”

SHE IS KEEN TO EXTOL THE VIRTUES OF BEING IN THE OUTDOORS

Kim is charismatic, but possesses a quiet thoughtfulness. I can’t help but wonder what kind of ﬂower or plant she’d compare herself to. “I am the plant nurturer and the quiet dog walker who likes solitude, but I love the

Performing may be in the family blood, but for Kim the experience of supporting music legends like Michael Jackson and David Bowie in the 80s was a steep learning curve. “Michael Jackson’s Bad Tour involved more than 33 shows,” she remembers. “I learned what it was like to be a live performer. It raised my own personal bar, and it changed the way I saw myself as a performer. Michael Jackson at the time was just an astonishing performer to watch.

“He was a very elusive character, as we all know, but it didn’t surprise me. There were a lot of people who were trying to get to Michael all the time, so I didn't blame him for being cautious and careful. That kind of isolation is not good for anyone. Separation from reality and the people you know is too big a price to pay. I made an absolute promise to myself that would never be a price that I would pay.”

CULTURE • INTERVIEW 40 ABSOLUTELY magazines for her Cumbrian fellside garden – one of her proudest career moments. “It was such a beautiful journey,” she smiles. “Meeting Richard Lucas, who I designed the garden with, and making a bid for Chelsea – the entire process was so astonishing. When I think about it, I just break into a big, beautiful smile. It was one of the happiest periods of my life.” Reconnecting with nature came after a decade of pop stardom left Kim spinning. “I spent most of the 80s making videos, records, and travelling the world. When the merry-goround slowed down it took some getting used to, and I was still only 30-years-old. I’ve always been a real nature girl at heart. I think that disconnect from nature took its toll on me and nature called me back. It's taken years, but now I feel I can really call myself a gardener. It's profoundly changed the way I live my life.” Thirty years on and Kim is ﬁrmly settled in Codicote. “I've got very deep roots here and I don't intend to move anywhere,” she states. “Codicote is home to Goatfest and has beautiful surrounding countryside. My brother lives down the road in Welwyn Garden City and my parents live in Tewin, so I’m surrounded by family. “We have a very strong a ection for Hertfordshire,” she continues. “We are incredibly well-connected here and its

KIM DESCRIBES HERSELF AS A "QUIET DOG WALKER"

razzmatazz of being on stage,” she says. “I can’t think of a particular plant that makes a big noise, but has a quiet quality to it. All plants have their roots in the soil and all the work is going on underneath. So, in that sense, I'm like all plants, you know. I need my dormant time. I’d deﬁnitely say I am more of a perennial than an evergreen.”

proximity to London has been great as I spend a lot of time getting on planes. I love to walk the dogs and my favourite place is on my doorstep – I head into the fields and I'm in this kind of parallel world. I put on some music, and I'll wander and watch the landscape changing and how the wheat is popping. For me, it's the most beautiful place in the world.” But Kim’s unrelenting passion for pop music draws her back to the stage. We speak ahead of her Greatest Hits tour in September after dates were postponed due to Covid. She filled the void by performing with her 83-yearold father, who had a string of hits in the 1950s and 1960s with songs such as Teenager in Love “I was kicking around a bit, but when gigs were allowed to begin my dad's were among the first. I phoned him up and said, ‘can I come and do some gigs with you?’ I absolutely loved it; it was a wonderful way to get back into the land of live performance. My dad’s voice has never been stronger. He has a beautiful gift. The idea of starting my September tour in Newcastle fills me with so much excitement.

Kim Wilde’s Greatest Hits Tour, September 2022, various locations – see more at kimwilde.com

Food News 44 • Rebellion Brewery 46 • Recipes 52 DRINKD&FOO R S TROUTT & CO R S Troutt & Co Fine English Butchers is a family business which was started in 1965 by Roger Troutt in West Wycombe village. The business is now run by Roger’s son Richard. Troutt's made a name for themselves by providing only the very best quality produce and a service that is second to none, established and set by Roger from the start. Over the years Troutt's have continued this policy, providing top quality produce delivered by knowledgeable and skilled butchery staff. rstrouttbutchers.co.uk THEONLYBEST ABSOLUTELY magazines 43

North-EasternProsecco,Italy

Full of flavour

44 ABSOLUTELY magazines NOTES TASTING

This sparklerdelightfulisthe perfect seasonal treat. It is made from an exclusive selection of Glera grapes, is ﬂoral on the nose and delicately fruity on the palate. This is a well-structured, slightly sweet treat that Prosecco lovers will adore. coop.co.uk Corte Molino  £7.50

North-EasternProsecco,Italy

This month brings some delightful new dishes to Harry’s Bar & Kitchen menu at Horwood House Hotel. Open to hotel guests and non-residents alike, Harry’s is a contemporary restaurant ﬁlled with countryside chic style, as well as a relaxing terrace with rural views. The new menu launched by Executive Head Chef Will Dimartino is bursting with ﬂavour from the Grilled Tiger Prawn Skewer with Harissa Mayo or Lamb Kofta with Courgette and Carrot Salad, to the colourful Superfood Salad. horwoodhouse.co.uk

The latest food and drink news from across the county This month we're popping open Prosecco TOWHATDRINK GRAPE news

Della Vite is launching its first vintage Prosecco Rosé- and just in time for autumn. This wine has an aromatic nose of crushed wild berries and rhubarb, which gives way to a bright, fresh palate of delicate fruit flavours and a long-lasting finish. dellavite.com Della Vite Rosé Prosecco, North-Eastern Italy  £24.95

HORWOOD HOUSE HOTEL

By MARK KEBBLE

This stylish Prosecco is perfect for any occasion. As distinctive as it is delicious, it has the lively e ervescence of ripe lemon, with hints of green apple and grapefruit. With a light and fresh ﬁnish, this wine would pair perfectly with shellﬁsh, light meats or desserts. waitrose.com Freixenet  £10

Garlands is Berkshire's premier wholefoods shop and has been selling organic foods for over Family-run, oﬀer a whole host from authentic

DRAGON’S

THE PANTRY

REFILL

Bring your own containers to the store and reﬁll from a wide range of whole foods. All their products are ethically sourced, local, or organic goods, so as well as avoiding singleuse plastic, you can feel great about the products themselves. thereﬁllpantry.co.uk

they

of food to buy,

THE ROLLING OATS Rolling Oats a wide villages in Buckinghamshire. Their aim is reﬁll easy, accessible and aﬀordable.

bring

dorchestercollection.com togetherKnitted FOOD & DRINK • NOTES

ten years.

bread and sweet snacks, to Japanese Arame. garlandsorganic.co.uk

The

GARLANDSORGANICS

Feel the heat FARM TO FORK Three to mark Organic September

WOVEN Dorchester Collection’s luxury country house hotel and spa, Coworth Park, has announced the opening of new restaurant: Woven by Adam Smith. Due to be unveiled on 8 September, the new restaurant will o er diners an unforgettable culinary experience, in a stunning new space created by Martin Hulbert Design. At Woven by Adam Smith, the stunning setting and interior design, exquisite food, and warm service will all come together to create an extraordinary dining experience.

therollingoats.co.uk

WADDESDON

to make

BURNHAM BEECHES HOTEL End summer in quintessentially English style by making the most of Burnham Beeches Hotel’s Midweek Afternoon Tea O er. The Georgian hotel is o ering afternoon tea for just £25 per person until 30 September. The o er is available Monday to Thursday. CAUSING A STIR burnhambeecheshotel.com ROAR BREWERS FAYRE Brewers Fayre has opened its ﬂagship site by Willen Lake, aptly named The Willen Dragon. Expect a great value, allday dining menu of hearty pub classics and indulgent roasts, alongside a crafted selection of drinks and expansive garden, complete with beach huts and kids’ play area. The Willen Dragon is set to be a hit family restaurant. brewersfayre.co.uk MANOR It’s the ultimate chilli experience, as the annual Chilli Fest returns to Waddesdon Manor from 2-4 September. With handpicked exhibitors, all passionate about chilli, this festival guarantees to bring you the best of local artisan producers as well as some of the nation's best loved independent traders from across the country. Throughout the long weekend you can also enjoy live music, salsa dancing and family fun as well as the opportunity to walk around the gardens and explore the house. waddesdon.org.uk

ABSOLUTELY magazines 45

shopping

selection of ethically sourced dried foods, eco-friendly household cleaning products and plastic free toiletries to

By MARK KEBBLE friends Tim Coombes and Mark Gloyens launched Rebellion Beer in 1993 – and nearly 30 years later, they have grown exponentially whilst staying close to their roots

Marlow

46 ABSOLUTELY magazines THE PERFECT BREW

THE TAP YARD

As well as creating the ﬁnest tipples, plenty also happens in and around the brewery in the 21st century. Firstly, there’s the Tap Yard. “It’s where you can sit, relax and enjoy the freshest beer 100m from where it was brewed,” Stu explains. “We also have our shop, which is jam packed with lovely produce. There is fresh draught beer ready to take home and drink, plus bottled beers in single variety and mixed cases. But we also stock a huge wine selection, ciders, spirits and artisan food produce.”

THEIR

d. Small Retail Pack. Draught beer sold through our shop is sent to a holding tank where it’s ﬁ lled into 1, 3, 5 litre containers to be taken home and enjoyed.

rebellionbeer.co.uk

Despite everything that’s happened in 30 years, Marlow remains incredibly close to the heart of Rebellion Brewery. “Though we’ve grown a lot since our beginnings, we still only deliver within a 30-mile radius of the brewery,” Stu says. “We really feel that keeping our product local is not only better for the quality of the beer and service, but also helps lessen the environmental impact of the business. Though the business has evolved, our values haven’t.”

The size of the operation isn’t the only thing to have changed. “The beer range has evolved,” Stu explains. “We now produce a wider variety of ales, SHOP STOCKS RANGE

• 7. Packaging a. Bottled Beers. The beer is sent through a fi ne fi lter before it’s bottled. b. Traditional Casks. Beer with some yeast remaining is fi lled into the casks with the addition of fi nings and isinglass to help the beer settle once in a pub’s cellar. The small amount of yeast that makes it into the casks allows a secondary fermentation to take place within the cask. This adds to the beer’s condition, fl avour and body. c. Kegs. Beer to be fi lled into kegs and 12 litre mini barrels is fi ltered to improve clarity before being fi lled into the kegs.

• 2. Boiling The wort is sterilised by boiling for one hour in a vessel called a Copper/Kettle. Hops are then added to the boil to give the beer its bitterness, ﬂ avour and aroma.

What’s in a brew

f you fancy a drink somewhere in and around Marlow, chances are you will happen upon a watering hole with a Rebellion Brewery creation waiting to quench your thirst. In an age where many claim to be a “local” business, this is one that can truly back it up. As Rebellion Brewery’s Stu Sutherland recounts to me, founders Tim Coombes and Mark Gloyens were childhood friends who went to school together in Marlow and, years later, were inspired to start a new era in the face of one ending. “They discussed the possibility of a joint business venture and with the closure of the Marlow-based Weathered Brewery in 1987, the idea of starting a new brewery and reviving Marlow’s brewing tradition was born.” Rebellion Brewery started creating its ﬁrst concoction in 1993. “To begin with, we were producing a few traditional cask conditioned ales from the Rose Industrial Estate in Marlow Bottom,” Stu looks back. “It was a very small brewery in 1993, producing about 500 pints a week. We moved up the road to Bencombe Farm in 1999, where we currently produce over 100,000 pints a week.”

1. Mashing Malted barley, cracked open using our mill is mixed with hot water into a large vessel called a Mash Tun. This process extracts sugars from the malt into the water creating a hot, sweet, sugary liquid known as wort.

• 6. Filtering Once ready for packaging, the beer is sent through a centrifugal ﬁ lter which separates the solids and beer, improving clarity and quality of the ﬁ nal product.

Stu Sutherland explains how Rebellion Brewery creates a traditional ale

• 4. Fermentation Now in a fermentation tank, yeast is added to the wort and it now becomes known as beer. The live yeast converts the sugars to alcohol, producing a complex mix of ﬂ avours and aromas.

47ABSOLUTELY magazines FOOD & DRINK • INTERVIEW

The temperature is controlled between 19°c and 24°c and this primary fermentation period lasts 3 to 5 days.

Interest continues to grow in Rebellion Brewery, particularly if their membership scheme is anything to go by. “That was set up to thank our customers for their support,” Stu says, “and now we have almost 5,000 active members. It’s a 12-month membership that gives members a 10% discount on beer, joining gifts and entrance to our monthly members’ social nights.”

• 5. Conditioning Towards the end of the primary fermentation, a er most of the sugar is converted to alcohol, the beer is cooled to 6°c, slowing fermentation down. The tank is sealed for 3 to 4 days to add condition to the beer, as fermentation continues slowly the sediment settles to the bottom of the tank. Beer destined to be bottled into 500/330ml bottles may be le for a few additional days to increase its condition and to improve its clarity.

OF PRODUCE

using exciting new world hop and malt varieties. The brewery has also moved into brewing a more diverse range of beer styles including lager, porter, wheat beers and recently more craft beer styles such as hazy, hoppy American Pale Ales.”

• 3. Late Hopping The wort is transferred from the Copper to a vessel called a Hop Back, where it is sprayed over a bed of hops, soaking through them and giving the beer additional aroma. Each hop variety is chosen for its aroma characteristics, which can range from fresh citrus or tropical fruit, to spicy, ﬂ oral or piney. The wort is then cooled quickly to 21°c through a heat exchanger on the way to the fermentation tank. Air is mixed with the wort to help the yeast during fermentation.

A WIDE

Our passion is quality meats & service So why use a traditional butcher instead of a supermarket? Richard explains why customers repeatedly use RS Troutt & Co. “Customers like to select their meat and to have it butchered in front of them. We can give them EXACTLY what they want from single portion to large joint for that special occasion” • 28 day dry aged beef • Free range pork and English lamb • Free range additive free chickens • Home cured dry aged bacon • Kebabs Aberdeen House | Hazlemere Crossroads | Hazlemere | HP15 7LG | 01494 711803 Tudor House | High Street | West Wycombe | HP14 3AE | 01494 526880 WE ARE NOW SERVING HOT AND COLD FOOD ALL DAY X • Fresh home cooked meals • Selection of cheeses • Rolled belly pork stuffed with haggis & blackpudding • Sausages - a multitude of flavours • Home-made plain or spicy burgers R.S. TROUTT & CO FINE ENGLISH BUTCHERS www.rstroutt.co.uk NOW STOCKING OUR FULL BBQ RANGE OF PRE-SEASONEDMEATS,ANDREADYTOCOOK

dry gin and

pepperoni, the South East scoops 665 Great Taste awards FOOD & DRINK • FEATURE

From sourdough classic vegan

cake to

Great Taste 1-star – Vegan Pepperoni from Popsis (28.7% of the 14,205 2022 entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic ﬂavour”). The full list of this year’s winners and where to buy them across the county can be found at greattasteawards.co.uk now and a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

ABSOLUTELY magazines 49 PALATE PLEASERS

The region takes home an impressive 27 x 3-star awards, 104 x 2-star awards and 534 x 1-star awards this year including the following: Great Taste 3-star – Sourdough Chocolate Orange Cake from Dorabella (only 1.7% of the 14,205 2022 entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”). Great Taste 2-star – Henley Gin - Classic Dry from The Henley Distillery (only 8.7% of the 14,205 2022 entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”).

ecently, thousands of artisan food producers from across the globe discovered if their products scooped a prestigious Great Taste award, after being blind judged by more than 500 judges. The South East wins not one, but 665 awards in the world’s largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste.

“I was extremely impressed to see that many of the entries have come from businesses which started trading in the last year or two, these are companies who incorporated in the middle of the most challenging period in economic and social history. And they’re thriving.

“Bray Cured use exceptional British rare breed meat, experiment with new techniques and put twists on old favourites” who incorporated in the middle of the most challenging period in economic and business and a brand in the food industry has so many variables to consider from standards, to policies, learning to sell and

THE BRAY CURED PRODUCTS THAT HAVE WOWED JUDGES

50 ABSOLUTELY magazines

WHAT IS GREAT TASTE? “Whenever I see a black and gold Great Taste sticker on a product, I just have to buy it. Especially if it’s a 2- or 3-star, I know how hard it is to get that rating, and how good it will taste. Even if it’s something random like anchovy paste, you can bet it’s the best tasting anchovy paste you’ll ever have tasted!” says a regular Great Taste judge.

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food, comments: “We are chu ed to be unveiling the list of award-winners for 2022. It’s been another exceptional year of high quality, innovation, and creativity. We’re seeing a steady increase in plant-based products year-on-year and the fermented and functional foods are really starting to hold their own in terms of taste.

BRAY CURED From the spiritual home of fine British food in Bray, Berkshire, Bray Cured handcrafts British charcuterie and delivers cured meats throughout the UK. They call it New British Charcuterie, because alongside the other great artisan cured meat producers across the country, they’re making Britain’s mark on the traditional world of charcuterie. They use exceptional British rare breed meat, experiment with new techniques, put twists on old favourites, and create new flavour profiles from British food influences, especially the things that grow around us locally.

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind-tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identiﬁed, before entering a robust, layered judging process. This year, the judging took place over 90 days across two judging locations (Dorset and London) with a panel of more than 500 judges. This year’s line-up saw food and drink products submitted from a staggering 110 di erent countries from across the world.

Great Taste’s prestigious judging panel is made up of over 500 food and drink professionals, including critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, journalists, broadcasters, and experts in the ﬁeld. This year’s judging line-up included head buyers from Selfridges, Whole Foods, Fortnum & Mason and Waitrose, BBC Good Food editor Keith Kendrick, delicious. editor Karen Barnes, Bake O contestant and author Chetna Makan, MasterChef Professionals ﬁnalist Santosh Shah, food and drink consultant Mallika Basu, BBC’s Nigel Barden, national television presenters Lotte Duncan and Juliet Sear, restaurateurs Kavi Thakrar (Dishoom) and Amy Poon (Poon’s), journalists including Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman (multiple national titles), as well food writers Gill Meller, Melissa Thompson, and Georgina Hayden among many others. This experienced panel, each with trusted palates, have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winning products to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners as well as the Great Taste 2022 Supreme Champion.

Two to try Recognised on the list were Bray Cured and 137 Gin, and both o er up very di erent, but enticing products…

“It isn’t easy doing what these producers do, neither for the start-ups nor the established businesses. Growing a business and a brand in the food industry has so many variables to consider from standards, to policies, learning to sell and market your products, and that’s before you think about aiming for excellence in the taste and ﬂavour of your products. I have the utmost admiration for them all.”

ABSOLUTELY magazines 51

• Berkshire Salami Their statement salami brings the best of Berkshire. Village Maid's Heckfield cheese, Stanlake Park winery's Dornfelder and heritage-breed Middle White pork, finished with a touch of smoke. Bold flavours designed to be enjoyed with lager or red wine, alongside your favourite onion or tomato chutney.

• Cacao Spiced Venison Bresaola Inspired by the ﬂavours of Marlow's landmark Indian eateries, a rich and fragrant curing of sustainably sourced, wild, in-season deer. Taste fruity cacao, citrussy cardamom and spicy ginger. Try it with a lager, Indianstyle, a riesling or Gewürztraminer.

• Flower Meadow Hogget Bresaola A lean, serene dream of rich, tasty hogget, cured in herbs the animals graze in the ﬂower meadow. The natural alchemy of ingredients, place and space create an eating experience that is simply right: the way things should be. Soft-textured, low fat, a great partner for sheep's cheese and a pinot noir or a BBQ wine.

• Venison Old Fashioned Salami A salami born of a craving for cocktails. Wild fallow deer from around Marlow and High Wycombe is combined with brown sugar, whisky and bitters. The whole thing is smoked, because why wouldn't it be, and a twist of citrus completes a thoroughly unusual, thoroughly sophisticated proposition.

• Berkshire Pestle A perfect accompaniment for Bresaola, this rocket pesto is made with two local Berkshire cheeses and Buckinghamshire cold pressed rapeseed oil. Spread on a luxurious sandwich, spoon on any charcuterie board that features beef, or dress salad and pasta with it. 'Pestle' is their British pesto, taken, like the word pesto, from the pestle and mortar it was originally made in. braycured.com 137 GIN A year in the making, the Navy Royal designed and handcrafted in Royal Berkshire is the ﬁrst of 137 Gin’s superior range. From the 24-hour maceration of botanicals, the multi-distillation, through to the thrice cut ﬁnal product – this navy strength gin weighing in at 58% ABV is a huge labour of love.

137 Distillery o ers a core range of four gins – London Dry, Country Garden, Berkshire Dry and Navy Strength – with each o ering something slightly di erent to the next covering the bases of traditional, contemporary, ﬂoral and spiced spirits. During lockdown in 2020 saw the introduction of the 137 bottled cocktails – Berkshire Negroni, Newbury Martini, Ginoncello, Queen Mother and Royal Negroni – making it really easy to enjoy a variety of 137 cocktails at home. Last year saw the launch of the ﬁrst 137 botanical vodka, the Ivy Vodka, which in under a year since launch is already an award winning spirit too.

137gin.com FOOD & DRINK • F EATURE 137 GIN'S NAVY ROYAL THE GREAT TASTE AWARDS ARE HOTLY JUDGED

Spice GIRL Recipes and stories celebrating authentic Sri Lankan cooking Words CYNTHIA SHANMUGALINGAM 52 ABSOLUTELY magazines

•

2 In a bowl, whisk the eggs together with the salt and turmeric until frothy. Set aside.

METHOD 1

4 Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, wait 30 seconds for the oil to get hot, and then pour in the eggs. Keep cooking over a medium heat and use a spatula to pull the edges in as they set, tilting the pan to spread the uncooked egg around. Continue this motion of pulling the edges in and tilting all around the pan, until the omelette is almost set, which will take around 2–3 minutes.

5 Fold in half and serve, dusting generously with peppercumin and a little extra salt.

INGREDIENTS For the dal • 300g red split lentils or toor lentils 3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved lengthways 1 lemongrass stalk, bruised • 1½ tsp salt, or to taste • ½ tsp SL curry powder Optional: 4cm piece of pandan leaf • 1 tsp ground turmeric • 100ml coconut milk • 3–4 small handfuls of kale (approx. 200g) ½ lime • Optional: 1 tsp chilli ﬂakes For the temper • 1 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil 1 small red onion, peeled and ﬁnely sliced 10 fresh curry leaves tsp mustard seeds tsp cumin seeds Pour the lentils into a saucepan and rinse loosely under the tap then drain well. Cover the lentils with water until they’re submerged by about 5cm. Add the garlic, lemongrass, salt, SL curry powder and pandan leaf, if using. Bring to a boil over a medium-high heat. Skim o any scum and turn the heat down, so the lentils are simmering. Add the turmeric and simmer for 12–15 minutes until the SriturmericLankanomelette Serves 1-2 lentils are tender. There’s no need to stir here, you can basically forget about them except to check they’re not bubbling too vigorously.

4 Stir in coconut milk and kale and allow to simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until the kale is bright green. Take out a little kale to try; it shouldn’t taste raw, but should be soft with a ﬁrm bite. Remove from the heat and transfer to your serving bowl.

• A pinch of cumin seeds • A pinch of black peppercorns • 3 large organic or free-range eggs • 1 tsp salt, or to taste, plus more to serve • ¾ tsp ground turmeric • 2 tbsp coconut or vegetable oil • ½ red onion, peeled and finely sliced (or a nice alternative is 2–3 spring onions, chopped into 2cm pieces)

• 1–2 green chillies, sliced • 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced • 7 or 8 fresh curry leaves METHOD 1 For the pepper-cumin salt, toast the cumin seeds and peppercorns in a small dry frying pan over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl to cool, then blitz in a spice grinder or mini food processor until ﬁne, and keep aside for later.

3 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan around 20–25cm wide over a medium heat. Add the onion (or spring onions), green chillies, garlic and curry leaves. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4–5 minutes, so that the onion softens; don’t allow it to crisp, and don’t cook past the point that the chillies and curry leaves are still bright green.

5 In a small frying pan, make the temper. Heat the oil over a mediumhigh heat (careful, it will splutter a little). When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 3–5 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. Add the curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook for a couple of minutes until the curry leaves are bright green. Be careful not to burn the spices!

Coconut dal with kale Serves 4 In war or other times of national crisis, dal is rationed out by the Sri Lankan government as one of life’s essentials. Cooked with lemongrass and, if you can get it, pandan leaf (which adds a warm, vanilla ﬂavour) as well as coconut milk, turmeric, curry leaves, garlic and lime, this dal is distinctively light and restorative, and is worlds away from its Indian counterparts like black dal makhani made with cream, or tarka dal made with butter. There is no other dal quite like it, and I encourage you to try adding roasted squash or pumpkin or roasted sweet potato. This one is one of the ways my mum would cook it when she was too short on time to make a separate kale curry. She’d simply stir the leaves in very close to the end of cooking so they retained their bright green ﬂavour and nutrients.

•

INGREDIENTS

•

6 Pour the whole temper, oil included, onto the cooked dal. Squeeze lime over it and sprinkle over the chilli ﬂakes, if using, just before serving, and black pepper. This is a favourite breakfast dish; one my mum cooks when she’s taking orders for breakfast at the weekends from her grandson, Thierry, who may be only six but knows what’s up. You can have it on its own with something fresh like a little dill, lime and watercress salad, perhaps with some so white bread, too. It’s very easy and quick: just so ened onions, a little garlic, curry leaves, turmeric and green chillies. Don’t skimp on seasoning, with plenty of salt, black pepper and cumin – an amazing mix called milagai seeraham in Tamil.

• ½

3 Drain o about 80 per cent of the liquid. You don’t want it to be too wet and soupy because you’re adding coconut milk.

53 FOOD & DRINK • RECIPES ABSOLUTELY magazines

•

METHOD

6 Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack still in their tins.

• 2 large organic or free-range eggs, lightly beaten For the icing and filling • 250g coconut butter or coconut ‘bliss’

Extract taken from Rambutan by Cynthia Shanmugalingam, £26, Bloomsbury

• 500g icing sugar • 250g fresh strawberries, green tops removed, halved • 150g coconut ﬂakes

3 Brew the co ee and pour it into a large jug. Allow to cool for a minute or two, then stir in the 125g coconut oil and let it melt. Then mix in the kithul jaggery syrup. Slowly pour the coconut co ee into the well you made in the ﬂour mixture and whisk together until everything is combined.

5 Divide the batter between the two cake tins. Although this feels weird, drop the tin a couple of times onto your kitchen counter from a height of about 30cm. It forces the air in the mixture to come to the surface.

FOOD & DRINK • RECIPES

1 Preheat your oven to 180C/ fan 160C/Gas mark 4. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins with coconut oil and line the bottoms with greaseproof paper.

Ravana cake Serves 10-12 54 ABSOLUTELY magazines

2 Put the ﬂour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate into a large bowl and whisk to combine and add air to the dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle.

7 While the cakes are cooking, make the icing. Beat the coconut butter until softened and then whisk in half the icing sugar. When smooth, add the rest of the icing sugar and whisk again, until all the sugar is combined and it’s nice and thick and smooth. Add a little more icing sugar if it’s too loose or a little more coconut butter if it’s too thick for your liking.

8 When the cakes have cooled completely, carefully turn them out of their tins and peel o the paper.

•

I love chocolate devil’s food cake and for a Sri Lankan chocolate cake, I didn’t just want a devil like any other. I wanted the King. Ruler of Ancient Lanka, the demon-king Ravana wasn’t just a garden variety devil with a red trident and fire, hopping from foot to foot like he needed the toilet. Ravana was the kind of hot demon your husband is stressing out about you meeting for lunch. He did have ten heads which is a little freaky I’ll concede – but he was also a magnificent musician, a warrior, a scholar and, by the rhapsodical account of ancient Tamil poet Kamban, a very good-looking guy with a lot of cool statement jewellery. Ravana wrote: Eating beef causes to infect ninety-eight new diseases to human beings’ and if this bit of 2000 BC veganism wasn’t ahead of its time, I don’t know what was. King Ravana was a lover and a fighter, most famous for kidnapping the beautiful married Princess Sita (under the pretext of asking her for lunch) and keeping her in Sri Lanka trying to persuade her to cheat on her husband. And

INGREDIENTS For the cakes 125g coconut oil, plus extra for greasing • 250g plain ﬂour • 225g caster sugar • 50g cocoa powder • 1 tsp salt • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda • 350ml freshly brewed strong co ee • 2 tsp kithul jaggery syrup (or maple syrup if you can’t ﬁnd it)

4 Add the lightly beaten eggs a little at a time, whisking until it’s all used up and you have a thin batter.

9 To assemble, spread just less than a quarter of the coconut icing on top of one of the cakes. Cover in fresh strawberry halves. Place the other cake on top and spread with a layer of icing then cover the sides as well. Coat with coconut ﬂakes. so this recipe is an imagining of a devil’s food cake with Ravana’s kind of irresistible sexiness, the kind designed to tempt the most loyal of wives. Strawberries for passion, chocolate for hotness, coﬀee for the late night musician and coconut for an island boy environmentalist with a love of plants.

To book please call us direct on 01189 798 805 or email us at enquiries@chalkrestaurants.com Chalk Restaurant, 31 Broad Street, Wokingham, RG40 1AU SATURDAY 29TH OCTOBER “HALLOWEEN HOUSE PARTY’’ Celebrate Halloween at Chalk, a wicked night of devilish entertainment. Themed inside and out with ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night. With live performance and music, there is something to capture the interest of everyone. Our guest DJ will keep the horrifying party going until early hours, and we would ask the guests to dress to impress! No costume is necessary but loose interpretations of the characters are commended. Mad Eye Martini on Arrival Five-Course Tasting Menu Stilt BurlesqueCaricaturistWalkersShowMagicianDJ There are two sitting options, at 5.30pm or 8.30pm . Family Early Seating – Ticket at £39.95 per adult Face Painting, Magician, Caricaturist (Kids menu available) Party Late Seating – Ticket at £74.95 per adult Dinner and Full Entertainment

Visit our stores: 01189MidghamRG75UX712666 01189RG41Winnersh5HG797355www.pine-oak.co.uk01962WinchesterSO237RU865775Create a beautiful home deliveryImmediateavailable One of the south’s largest furniture retailers Well storesstocked

Odette Lingerie 58 • Jewellery 61 • The Shoot 62 FASHION BERRY’S JEWELLERS Created by a woman for women, Messika jewellery creations are a subtle balance between strength, elegance and determination. Founder Valérie Messika has a simple goal: “I want diamonds to accompany women every day and also during the most beautiful moments of their lives. I encourage them to become who they actually are – brilliant, free, sensual, dazzling, audacious, glamorous, classic, strong, elegant... without limit.” Browse the Messika range at Berry’s Windsor or berrysjewellers.co.uk OUTLOOKSPARKLING 57ABSOLUTELY magazines

A Evolved and adapted and survived the pandemic! I had to sadly leave my original shop in Old Amersham as my lease came by MARK KEBBLE

“I focus on the fit in particular and I like to always include some exclusive brands” up for renewal just after the first lockdown and, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to negotiate a reasonable deal in the circumstances. So, for the past 18 months I kept going with several temporary pop-ups and also private fitting appointments at my home studio. I have a very loyal clientele who supported me throughout. Then this amazing opportunity came up at the beginning of the year to go back into a permanent retail space back in Old Amersham and I re-opened to much excitement in June.

A I trained in fashion design and textiles for four years at St Martins School of Art and became focused on lingerie whilst working in Italy for three years in the mid-80s. I then went on to have a 360 degree career in the lingerie industry from designing to manufacturing, sales and retail. In all, over 30 years of experience.

A The original boutique was launched in November 2015 after I had moved up to the Chilterns from London. Part of my grand plan was to open a boutique again, but with a multi brand o ering based on my years of experience in the ﬁeld.

A I wanted to o er the best ﬁtting lingerie and swimwear, but in beautiful surroundings which would showcase the exquisite pieces and where the whole experience would be a treat.

Q From day one, what did you want to o er?

58 ABSOLUTELY magazines

Q Have you evolved in the time since?

Q How do you choose the brands you stock?

A From my vast experience and A Liz Brighton, the founder of Odette Lingerie, on bouncing back post-pandemic, o ering the personal touch, and why it’s wonderful to be back in Old Amersham

Q What is your background in fashion?

Q &

The LIZ BRIGHTON Ideal fit INSIDE THE OLD AMERSHAM BOUTIQUE

Q When did you launch Odette Lingerie and what originally inspired it?

Q How does your ﬁtting service work?

A Customers seem to be excited by the rich autumnal colours that are coming along. After stocking up on their basics after the pandemic, they are now ready for something more colourful and fun.

Q How would you describe your setting?

Back after three years, we have the UK Lingerie Awards in November and I have been nominated again for an award, so ﬁngers crossed for that. I also have some interesting ideas for putting my previous design and manufacturing skills to good use so let’s hope I can carve out some time for that. I am always evolving – always having something fresh is a key element. odettelingerie.co.uk

59ABSOLUTELY magazines knowledge of good design. I focus on the ﬁt in particular and I like to always include some exclusive brands.

A Customers can just walk in and be fitted for a bra, but I have now also added a private fitting service, which is by appointment. I have five appointment slots per week at 10am Tues-Sat where they will have the boutique to themselves and my undivided attention for an hour at no extra cost. It is proving to be a very popular service.

Q Whereabouts in Buckinghamshire are you based and what do you love about it?

Q What’s hot as we head into the AW22 season?

FASHION • Q&A

Q What’s to come from you in the future?

A It is now smaller than my previous shop, but equally chic, pretty, feminine and above all has a warm and welcoming ambience. I have brought along a lot of the special touches from the old shop so that it is recognisable as Odette and feels familiar.

A Well, I want to rebuild my business and continue where I left o and continue to spread the word about well ﬁtted lingerie.

A I am now based right in the centre of Old Amersham High Street, right under the imposing Market Square building in one of the original, historic cottages. I love the history of Old Amersham, the eclectic mix of businesses and of course my customers who travel from far and wide.

New Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-5pm | New Private Appointments Tues -Sat at 10am T: 01494 725711 | E: info@odettelingerie.co.uk | www.odettelingerie.co.uk 21 Market Square, Old Amersham HP7 0DG ODETTE_HP_ABS_BB_SEPT2022.indd 1 18/08/2022 14:30 Unit 1, 23 Salisbury Street, Amesbury SP4 7AW 01980 874242 Unit 9 Wyevale Garden Centre, Bath Road, Thatcham RG10 3AN 01635 897665 1 and 2 Windsor Drive, Devizes SN10 2TH 01380 887943 The Wendy House, 3 Farrell Close, Cirencester GL7 1HW 01285 897426 62/64 High Street, Shirehampton BS11 0DJ 0117 233 www.elitebedsandmattressesdirect.co.uk8777

Jewellery from the depths of the ocean

IRENA CHMURA Mermaid Pearl Choker, £385 wolfandbadger.com

Pretty Pearls

LILY & ROO Gold Baroque Pearl Shard Hoop Earrings, £89 lilyandroo.com

BAKER BROTHERS DIAMONDS 18ct White Gold 18” Cultured Pearl Necklace, £1,450 bakerbrothersdiamonds.com

THE ALKEMISTRY Pearl & Bead Anklet, £395 thealkemistry.com

By RACHEL HOGG BAKER BROTHERS DIAMONDS Marco Bicego Lunaria 18ct Yellow Gold and Mother-of-Pearl Earrings, £995 bakerbrothersdiamonds.com

FASHION • JEWELLERY ABSOLUTELY magazines 61

MONICA VINADER Keshi Pearl Bracelet, £170 monicavinader.com

JESSIE THOMAS Double Gold Pearl Small Baroque Earrings, £1,000 jessiethomasjewellery.com

MARIA BLACK Baroque Twirl Single Earring, £44 maria-black.com MISSOMA Baroque Pearl Beaded T-Bar Necklace, £325 uk.missoma.com

JANEATELIER.COM Jane Atelier, stocked at Fluidity Henley-on-Thames, is a brand specialising in luxury pieces made from the ﬁnest cashmere, silk and wool – as seen in the AW22 collection GIR L Material

Code expires 9th October 2022. Prices may vary, see website for current price. † Subject to age and status. *Subscription required. LIST PRICE £1,599 OUR PRICE£799 800IC INDOORCYCLE ABNORTH0922 Try Before You Buy Expert In-Store Advice Never Beaten on Price 0% Finance Available † DISCOVER OUR RANGE OF TREADMILLS, BIKES, CROSS TRAINERS, RACKS, WEIGHTS & BARBELLS Head to Fitness Superstore Northampton today to ﬁnd your favourite racer bike!

Back In Action 68 • Travel 71 • Products 73 HEALTH & BEAUTY SLEEPBEAUTY SLIP X ALICE + OLIVIA You’ll have the most luxurious sleep of your life thanks to this whimsical collaboration between Slip Silk and Alice + Olivia. Some of the beauty brand’s multi-award-winning products, including the eye mask, a hair wrap, scrunchies, and a pillowcase, have been decked out in the designer's Spring Paisley print, from £39. slipsilkpillowcase.co.uk 67ABSOLUTELY magazines

Now that home working is commonplace, it’s important to carve out a workspace that truly works for you. Not only in terms of housing your ﬁles, stationery, and tech, but also a desk and chair that is comfortable and encourages movement: aiding health and productivity. When it comes to creating this space, think about how you work – do you take calls all day and prefer to be standing, or are you sat behind multiple screens with lots of paperwork? The more static your work, the more you are going to need a set up that allows low level easy movement throughout a working day. Poise and posture are so important to our health and a bog standard dining chair just won’t cut it for eight hours a day. Opt for a ﬁrm chair that encourages an ergonomic seating position and supports the pelvis by stopping your hips rolling backwards and creating the slump. Better still, consider a kneeling chair which promotes active sitting – improving your core and posture overnight. Most people start with a chair, but there

68 ABSOLUTELY magazines

The Stores Director of Back in Action, with locations in Amersham and Marlow, writes about simple changes with long lasting health beneﬁts By LUCINDA NEWBOUND MOLL T7 STANDING DESK, FROM £3,186 Sit up and take NOTICE

VARIER VARIABLE PLUS, £649 COMPACT

HEALTH & BEAUTY • FEATURE

Q Why choose a sit-stand desk?

A Humans are designed to move and to stand – yet we spend so much of our life sitting. Going from the car to the o ce, to the sofa and then to bed, as a result so many of us su er from back related problems.

Q What are the beneﬁts of a kneeling chair? A Kneeling chairs help to promote active sitting, meaning that you can improve your core, balance and posture. Stimulating movement and keeping joints and muscles active while sitting, kneeling chairs really are a workout whilst being sat down! The key to all good chairs is movement, forwardsand-backwards, side-to-side, up-and-down, the more movement the better – and this is exactly what a kneeling chair o ers. The rock of a kneeling chair is exceptionally good at helping you to keep good posture even when you are tired and would be more tempted to slump into your seat.

69ABSOLUTELY magazines is huge benefit to changing your desk too. Available in smaller sizes for compact spaces and larger ones for those who have a dedicated space to work in. Benefitting health, calorie burn, fitness, our hearts, and energy levels, a sit to stand adjustable desk is an easy win. Combining the ability to both sit and stand while working has huge benefits.

HAG

Combining the ability to sit and stand has huge benefits, and by alternating your work between sitting and standing, your body will be encouraged to get fitter. We live in the body of a Hunter-Gatherer, yet spend most of each day sitting still. Not surprisingly we experience reduced circulation. In particular, our blood and lymph systems work slower. By alternating your work between sitting and standing your body may at first feel a little tired, but it will be encouraged to get fitter, and after a few weeks, those who mix sitting and standing in a balanced way report decreased back problems, extra vitality, and less illness compared to those who work purely sitting down or purely standing. There has been a significant lack of “SIMPLE STEPS LIKE CHOOSING A CHAIR THAT MOVES WITH YOUR BODY CAN HELP INSTANTLY” understanding of the value of movement in all areas of life. The wellness movement has been great for home workouts, walking more, staying active and eating healthy – but the importance of movement while we work, sit and sleep sometimes gets forgotten. We have been so lucky to be in a position over the last two years to make huge changes to the way thousands of people are working. We are motivated by creating lasting positive change by adjusting the way people use their bodies through a working day. We also know that changes have to be easy – so easy that you don’t have to remember to do them and barely notice them. Otherwise, they simply get added to the long list of things we are already struggling to do or remember. So, while keeping your spine safe through movement is essential to wellbeing, it’s important that progress is achieved without you needing to think about it. Even changes like adjusting the height of your chair can help to preserve and protect your spine. Simple steps such as choosing a chair that moves with your body can help to instantly enhance your wellness. Opting for a sit-stand desk is another easy win: great for health, productivity, calorie burn, energy levels, fitness and overall wellbeing. The idea isn't that you sit all day or that you stand all day – neither are great for you if it’s all you do – the idea is that you create variety. backinaction.co.uk DESK, FROM £645, WITH VARIER MOVE STOOL, £42 CAPISCO PULS SEAGREEN, FROM £310

Exploring Olympic Holidays islandhopping trips, from Rhodes to Halki, and Skiathos to Skopelos

• SKIATHOS & SKOPELOS A 7-night Island Hop package starts from £755pp* including return ﬂights with baggage, accommodation, all ferries and private car transfers between the ferry ports

HALKI HARBOUR

THE ACROPOLIS OF RHODES Get Going Olympic Holidays have an awardwinning, dedicated island-hopping team to plan your trip

ABSOLUTELY magazines 71

• olympicholidays.com

TRAVEL • PARTNERSHIP

THEDOUBLEFUN

Skopelos, known for its starring role in the ﬁlm Mamma Mia and its breath-taking scenery, is adored by artists, walkers and hikers. With a more laid-back atmosphere and beautiful architecture, Skopelos has over 100 tiny chapels that are dotted around Skopelos Town. Combine Skiathos and Skopelos for a holiday that reﬂects the contrasting characteristics of Greece. These pairings of island hops are just a taster of what is on o er when booking an island-hopping holiday.

SKOPELOS ISLAND

There are so many island combinations to choose from and Olympic Holidays can help create that perfect contrast; tailor-made to suit your needs.

RHODES & HALKI A 7-night Island Hop package starts from £639pp* including return ﬂights with baggage, accommodation, all ferries and private car transfers between the ferry ports

*Terms and conditions apply

hen it comes to Greece and its islands, it can sometimes be di cult to decide where to spend well-deservedthat break. Although some islands might be similar in many aspects, there are also those that di er signiﬁcantly in terms of size, atmosphere, popularity, and scenery. Maybe it’s an action-packed itinerary with the wild nightlife you are after, or perhaps a quest for authenticity, hidden gems, and deserted beaches for a more relaxing retreat. Olympic Holidays can provide fantastic bespoke island-hopping itineraries that showcase the contrasting characteristics of the Greek islands. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Islands. A luxurious, cosmopolitan feel engulfs the island while it still stays true to its fascinating history with a multitude of cultural attractions and a mesmerising UNESCO-protected Old Town. As one of the most popular Greek islands, there are plenty of great restaurants selling the freshest local and international cuisine and resorts with a buzzing nightlife. Halki promises a little more peace and relaxation and is where time really has stood still, a place to discover “authentic Greece” and where friendly locals welcome visitors like long-lost friends. With a few beaches and minimal transport, Halki is perfect for those looking for an insight into the Greek way of life. Rhodes and Halki make for the perfect pair on an islandhopping holiday, ideal for those wanting to experience two di erent sides of Greece.

Skiathos boasts more than 50 sun-kissed sandy beaches which are among the best in Greece. The charming capital of Skiathos Town has chic nightlife, a lovely old town with charming shops in a maze of alleyways and a beautiful waterfront o ering an array of bars, boutiques, and restaurants.

•Specialist in injectable treatments delivering natural, rejuvenating results •Trained by world renowned cosmetic surgeons on London’s Harley Street •14 years experience Treatments perfomed by Clinic Nurse Director - Emma York (RGN, INP) ••• Treatments available: •Dermal ﬁllers •Anti wrinkle treatments •Medical grade skincare & treatments (See website for full list of treatments) Emma York Clinic of London - now open in Beaconsﬁeld The unique experience of the Harley Street service in a more relaxed, boutique se ing. BOOK CONSULTATIONCOMPLIMENTARYYOURNOW. Visit www.emmayorkclinic.com or contact: info@emmayorkclinic.com

ABSOLUTELY magazines 73 HEALTH & BEAUTY • TREND These products will have your skin looking summerholiday ready in no time BRONZEBOTTLE CHANEL Les Beiges Illuminating Oil, £70 chanel.com EDITOR’SPICK JAMES READ Click & Glow Gradual Tan Drops, £25 jamesreadtan.com BY TERRY Tea to Tan Face and Body Bronzer, £59 byterry.com OSKIA Adaptive Tan Mist, £57 oskiaskincare.com FENTY BEAUTY Body Lava Body Luminizer in Who Needs Clothes?!, £46 fentybeauty.com JAMES READ jamesreadtan.com NARS Laguna Bronzing Creme in Laguna 2, £32.50 narscosmetics.co.uk SKINNY TAN Wonder Serum Gradual Tanner, £24.99 skinnytan.co.uk DR. HAUSCHKA BronzingTranslucentTint, £20 drhauschka.co.uk

Let us be your expert designer to help make YOUR GYM look and feel so good that you WANT to go back to all the time! Create Your PerfectHome Gym Gym Design & Supply offers 20 years’ of experience with an exclusive personal service and a wide range of options helping you create your dream gym space. • Private Homes • Property Developments • Hotels • Schools, Colleges and Universities. 01483 904073 | @GymDesignSupply | #GymDesignSupply hello@gymdesignsupply.com | www.gymdesignsupply.com We will come and meet you to discuss your options as well as measure up the space you have to make sure it all ﬁts all the equipment you need and looks great! • Health and ﬁtness goals discussed • Best equipment chosen for your needs and budget • Gym tailored to the look and feel you want • Installed over 100 gyms and spas including: Gym Design & Supply gives you 20 years’ of experience with an exclusive personal service, offering a wide range of options as well as an online price match guarantee Let us be your expert designer to help make YOUR and feel so good that you WANT to go back to 07976 hello@gymdesignsupply.com@GymDesignSupply237907#GymDesignSupply www.gymdesignsupply.comContactusnowforaFREECONSULTATIONifyouquote“SurreyHomes”inyourenquiry! GymDesignSupplyWT241.indd 1

The Stoke Poges clinic is a stone’s throw from Gerrards Cross and Beaconsﬁeld, discreetly located with multiple treatment rooms and ample on-site parking.

ith Cosmeticartistry,andapproach‘lessexpertise,unparalleledtheirismore’technicalThe Skin Clinic team of medical practitioners are some of the most expert cosmetic doctors, advanced medical practitioners and high-level medical aestheticians in the aesthetics arena today. When a woman not only looks utterly beautiful, but also appears that she has had no treatments, it is conceivable that she has indeed, had nothing done – such are the lucky few. However, any woman, or man, may also wish to beneﬁt from the aesthetic wisdom of the highly skilled team of the multi-award-winning Cosmetic Skin Clinic. Known for their superlative facial enhancement work, The Cosmetic Skin of The Cosmetic Skin comes

THE ART OF FLAWLESS BEAUTY Exploring the work

ABSOLUTELY magazines 75 Clinic use only premium FDA-approved dermal fillers. These fillers are specifically developed for volumising, smoothing and re-contouring the natural contours of the face. The aim is to create a natural, soft, airbrushed look that everyone will notice, but only you will know why. From restoring hollow temples to redefining a jawline and restoring facial volume, The Cosmetic Skin Clinic’s practitioners are experts at complex and corrective treatments. But what The Cosmetic Skin clinic does best is combining injectable treatments with high-level innovative technology, which is why they have been awarded the UK’s No 1 clinic for Ultherapy (a skin tightening and lifting treatment) for the ninth consecutive year.

Clinic: when it

to your face, experience matters “The Cosmetic Skin Clinic team of arenathemostarepractitionersmedicalsomeoftheexpertinaestheticstoday” HEALTH & BEAUTY • PARTNERSHIP THE COSMETIC SKIN CLINIC 84 Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, SL2 4LF 01753 942 347 cosmeticskinclinic.com

BODY BEAUTIFUL Treating not just the face, The Cosmetic Skin Clinic is also the go-to destination for body transformations. With all the latest technologies at their disposal, the practitioners combine bespoke state-of-theart treatments to reduce fat, build muscle and tighten the skin. A particularly e ective approach couples CoolSculpting (proven to destroy fat cells via controlled cooling) with EMsculpt Neo (electromagnetic stimulation, which works to build muscle and reduce fat).

The Cosmetic Skin Clinic team take a uniquely holistic approach to all their patients, combining individual ﬁnesse with an innate understanding of the face and body which can only be achieved through their unrivalled knowledge of medical aesthetics. Along with an extensive reception team, it all adds up to a trusted, highly experienced group of specialists dedicated to providing the very best innovative techniques, cuttingedge technologies, and patient care that non-surgical cosmetic medicine can o er.

Reading, 0118 932 6060 Chesham, 01494 398472 Ask in store for full details, or visit neptune.com/designo er GIFTFREECARD worth up to £2,000 with home and kitchen design projects this September Some furniture is made for the here and now. Some is built to stand the test of time. At Neptune, we believe that the best can do both. Good design never grows old.

INTERIORS Interior News 78 • Sustainability 80 • Trend 89 OFF WALLTHE CURIOUSA & CURIOUSA Curiousa & Curiousa have added new designs to their Siren wall light range, layering colourful hand-blown glass with luxury UK vintage chinaware. Based on a selection of vintage pieces that work beautifully with their hand-blown glass, each combination is truly unique. curiousa.co.uk 77ABSOLUTELY magazines

By PENDLE HARTE

78 ABSOLUTELY magazines NOTES INTERIORS Ideas, designs and styles for your home

SHEET TABLEMUSIC TALK

JOHN LEWIS HOME

UDALL Rebecca Udall has collaborated with textile designer and illustrator Isla Simpson to create a limited-edition collection of bed linen. Italian woven cotton sheets feature ruﬄe borders and ribbon-tie closures to add a touch of the whimsical. rebeccaudall.com

This stylish Trestle Table (£599) has a central, pedestal base made with spindle rods, giving the table a tactile edge and adding a sense of light. The Motion dining chairs are sleek, with a streamlined metal frame and a curved back rest that's shapely and supportive; the back rest and seat are upholstered in corduroy velvet for a tactile ﬁnish. Set of 2, £199. johnlewis.com

79ABSOLUTELY magazines MINI MODERNS Mini Moderns have created their fi rst ever range of towels, each design created with a strong narrative based on personal memories, their passion for mid-century design, and popular culture. minimoderns.com STORY TIME Carafes TAKEFIVE MIMMO STUDIOS Recycled Glass Carafe, £22 mimmostudios.com DIPTYQUE Designed to cleanse, degrease and descale, this versatile solution delivers a thorough clean while enveloping your space with the French Maison’s delicate perfume. Combining effectiveness with a respect for nature, it’s housed in a refillable glass bottle. £32 libertylondon.com CURIOUSA Curiousa & Curiousa have added new designs to their Siren wall light range, layering colourful hand-blown glass with luxury UK vintage chinaware. Each combination is truly unique. curiousa.co.uk FANCYFRESH SEE THE SIREN TRUFFLE TABLESCAPES Emerald Dappled Carafe, £90 truffl etablescapes.co.uk INTERIORS • NOTES ROSE & GREY TortoiseshellCarafe,Glass£32 roseandgrey.co.uk SOFT STORE CO Green Tortoise Jug, £32.99 so store.co JOHN LEWIS ANYDAY Colour Pop Glass Carafe, £12 johnlewis.com

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Currently, when a purchaser comes to buy a new home they may focus on the fact that because it is more energy-e cient they will have lower bills. The narrative would need to change to purchasers choosing homes that are more sustainable and use less energy overall and therefore they will have lower bills. The cost saving aspect needs to become an outcome rather than a driver. That’s why I think the sustainability carrot will be more beneﬁcial than a sustainability stick.

THE FUTURE Planning for How Beaconsﬁeld's Kebbell are tackling the issue of sustainability in the creation of their new developments

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By ANDREA FAWELL

There is growing interest in urban sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social and lotCOP26,industry,Governance)Corporateinthebuildingmoresosincebutthereisstillaofgreenwashing.We need to be much more sustainable and catch up with other industries if we are going to play our part in becoming net-zero by 2050. The good news is sustainability is increasingly important to house buyers, particularly first-time buyers who are progressively driven by the sustainability and environmental credentials of their purchases. I don’t think it will be too long before house buyers will be choosing eco-friendly sustainable homes because it’s a dealbreaker for them. Housebuilders are foreseeing this and progressively futureproofing new homes including the addition of air source heat pumps, electric car chargers, underfloor heating, solar panels, super energy-e cient utilities, and excellent insulation, which will all begin to come as standard, in addition to innovative water-saving and recycling systems.

INTERIORS • FEATURE

I have just completed an online Leading Sustainable Corporations course. I was motivated to do this after seeing first-hand the detrimental impact of climate change and global warming on the Vatnajokull glacier, the biggest glacier in Iceland, during a training exercise for my forthcoming scientific expedition to ski the Last Degree to the North Pole as part of an all-female scientific expedition collecting samples of the sea ice for research into black carbon, microplastics and other studies.

There may also be changes in the future to mortgages connected with energy e ciency. I think at the moment house buyers are reluctant to pay more. One competitor of ours spent 10% more on added eco-friendly features in an endeavour to create a much more energy e cient house and wanted to pass that cost on, but then found it harder to sell as buyers just weren’t ready for the extra cost. But it may well not stay that way. The narrative needs to change.

The beneﬁts of sustainability are endless.

At one of our new developments, Alderbrook in Petersﬁeld, part of the planning permission requirements was ensuring the inclusion of solar panels on the social housing; we have decided to go over and above where the planners want us to be and are providing solar panels to all the private homes too. Interestingly as our summers are getting hotter, some new home buyers have asked us for the ability to ﬁt their own air conditioners which use a considerable amount of energy. It is a di cult balance.

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“I thechangetocommittedameectforbetter” INTERIORS • FEATURE MISBOURNE HOUSE IN GERRARDS CROSS A BEDROOM AT OSBORNE HOUSE A KITCHEN AT MISBOURNE HOUSE EXTERIOR OF OSBORNE HOUSE

Andrea Fawell is sales and marketing director of award-winning property developers Kebbell, based in Beaconsﬁeld. See more at kebbell.co.uk

The North Pole is an extremely di cult and treacherous place to reach. There is only a 3-4 week window in the year when the conditions are such that it is possible to set up a temporary base camp on the ice and ski from 89 degrees north to 90 degrees north. It is possible that changes in the conditions of the ice on the polar cap caused by global warming means that no one will be able to make this journey by foot ever again. In 1969 the first person skied to the North Pole and the last people skied there in 2018. That would mean that I have seen the first and last person ski to the North Pole in my lifetime. It is terrifying. As we were unable to travel to the North Pole in 2022 we instead went to Svalbard, a remote Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole to collect samples of the sea ice. These are being analysed at the National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton for the presence of microplastics lead and mercury. Samples are also being sent to NASA for critical research into the presence of black carbon and the impact of LAPs (light absorbing particles) on the rate of glacial melting. Seeing their destruction as a result of global warming and climate change was shocking. I came away committed to use my position of influence within the housebuilding sector to e ect change for the better. The issue with tackling global warming is the problems are so huge that companies don’t always know what to do, so we avoid making a voluntary start. Instead, we need to ask how we can behave in ways that mitigate or avoid making a detrimental impact on the environment and nature, so we can safeguard the planet for future generations, as well as try and reverse the damage. Improving our understanding of our own impact will give us the ability to make more informed decisions.

FOREVERFAMILY

By MARK KEBBLE

84 ABSOLUTELY magazines HOME

Charmaine White, founder and creative director of The White House Interiors, on how she brought this Leighton Buzzard home up to design speed

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A We began building works in the middle of the pandemic and so whilst restrictions were being lifted, we still had to overcome delays in supplies and materials being delivered. Thankfully it wasn’t too bad and were able to get the house ready in time for the homeowners’ milestone birthday celebration at the end of that summer.

Q What was important to implement given the fact it’s a family home?

Q What was the starting point for you on the project?

Q Were there any major hurdles to overcome?

A The home is in a village at the edge of Leighton Buzzard, straddling the Buckinghamshire/Bedfordshire border. Set back from the road, with mature front and rear gardens backing on to woodland, it’s a sizeable 4,000 square foot four-bedroom detached home. It belonged to an older couple who built it 40 years ago, however when they became empty nesters decided they were going to pass it on to another family to grow and create memories in.

Q What was your original brief? A Whilst my clients were drawn to the traditional features they had seen when they viewed the property, the décor was very dated. They have a young family and love to entertain and so the brief was to create a light yet comfortable and modern aesthetic with lots of texture and sumptuous ‘family friendly’ ﬁnishes.

A When designing homes for busy families it is important that all of the materials and ﬁnishes we choose can withstand a hardworking household. All the furnishing fabrics are stain repellent and washable, the paint on the walls is scrubbable and most importantly the ﬂooring needed to be tough and easy to maintain. They have a beloved family dog, a cinnamon hued cocker spaniel.

Q Where is the home located and did its setting inﬂuence the design scheme in any way?

“The brief was to create a light yet comfortable and modern aesthetic”

INTERIORS • FEATURE

A The hotel blue carpet, it was everywhere, including the bathroom! It had to go, which meant replacing it with a beautiful yet durable engineered timber option. I have been using Havwoods products for years and went straight to their product catalogue. I knew once we had the right ﬂooring – I always design from the ground up – the rest of the schemes would be easy.

Q You have used Havwoods ﬂooring throughout. Why did that work perfectly?

Q What is your favourite room? A I would have to say it’s the living room. The oversized bespoke squishy velvet sofas are so comfortable and perfect for curling up with a glass of something ﬁzzy solo or family movie nights with roaring ﬁre going. thewhitehouseinteriors.com

A Each room has its own scheme with a common thread that ensures they all ﬂow o from one another. The palette in the living room was inspired by a painting of the Rouen Cathedral by Claude Monet, which is our clients’ favourite artist. The sumptuous cinnamon velvet sofas really help ground the space and we painted the window frames and French doors black, which draw the eye outward to the beautiful mature gardens outside.

Q Did you adopt a particular colour code?

Q How would you describe the style?

A We fused the traditional features such as the ornate cornicing with a contemporary palette with black and white, softened up with the smoked oak ﬂooring, velvets, linen and brushed brass metallic accents. So, modern with an eclectic twist.

Q How key was lighting? A There were no overhead spot lights in the main family spaces of the ground ﬂoor, which is a designer's dream. This meant that I was able to implement a layered lighting scheme with more lower-level lighting, table lamps and decorative wall lights. We kept the traditional style statement chandeliers in the hallway that my clients loved.

Q How did you go about accessorising the property?

“Each room has its schemeownwith a common thread”

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A The majority of the accessories used in the styling of the home are from our ‘Living’ homewares collection with some online and high street ﬁnds as well as our clients' collected items and treasures. All of the antique furniture was purchased from the previous homeowner.

A The Fendi ﬂooring range has been a ﬁrm favourite of mine for a while. The tones and the texture are incredible, I knew when I received the mocked-up large sample panel that it was THE one!

Contemporary and traditional styles designed for modern living Celebrating 40 years of aff ordable luxury, quality & style... 01494 677727 Call us now for a no obligation consultation www.kbstudios.co.uk 43-45 Mayflower Way, Beaconsfields, Bucks HP9 1UG

How to use autumnal patterns to warm up your home

SET FOR A NEW SEASON

t’s time to get into the autumn mood. Think soft cosy fabrics, warming colours, and memorable patterns. Our favourite way to do this is by including warm autumnal patterns in our interiors through accessories like throw cushions, blankets, or rugs. There’s the benefit of adding a calming autumnal aesthetic as well as warming up your home for the colder months ahead. Maybe you’re not ready to let go of summer quite yet, in that case you can look at adding rich floral patterns to your space with cushions or throws. Dark floral patterns can remind you of spring, but with a range of burgundies or oranges, these patterns capture the essence of autumn. There are so many di erent options when it comes to choosing floral patterns as they can range from large to small flower sizes. Brocade patterns add an elegant yet cosy twist to a space. The ornate swirls in this pattern can add both texture and movement. Brocade patterns are a great choice for throw cushions in both the bedroom and the living room. They encourage comfort and add a sense of luxury. In one of our projects, we used silvery brocade patterned throw cushions to add a cosy touch to a modern bedroom. It’s a versatile pattern in that it comes in a wide range of styles and colours. Geometric patterns are fun to mix and match to create a warm autumnal aesthetic. These patterns can be used for a variety of accessories from cushions to rugs. Many geometric patterns have sharp angles and lines that come together to

“Oranges and reds combined with blues and purples can create the perfect balance betweenandsummerwinter”

BARCLAY INTERIORS Sarah Barclay is the founder of Barclay Interiors based in Ascot – for more information, visit barclay-interiors.com

By SARAH BARCLAY form a close-knit and cosy design. If you choose multi-coloured geometric patterns for your space, try using an autumnal colour palette to add warmth. Oranges and reds combined with blues and purples can create the perfect balance between summer and winter in your home. You can’t go wrong with striped patterns. Stripes are as ﬂattering to spaces as they are in fashion. Although they may seem like a simple choice, they are customisable in terms of line spacing and thickness, as well as whether they’re diagonal or vertical. You could get a monochromatic pattern with one or two autumnal colours, or you can go all out with the autumn aesthetic and choose a wider range of colour. Keep in mind that the colour you choose should complement the colours you have in your room to bring the design together. Remember that the right pattern for your space will be determined by the size of the pattern, colour combination, and texture of the fabric. If you’re not sure where to start, an interior designer will be able to help.

ABSOLUTELY magazines 89 INTERIORS • TREND

TROPICAL TILES FOR WET ROOM GLAMOUR e Old Firestation, 67 High Street, Ascot SL5 7HP | 01344 620211 www.hyperiontiles.co.uk Embrace shower luxury in your home with our new Ca’ Pietra & artist Clarissa Hulse Jungle Hexagon porcelain matt tiles Visit our boutique one-stop destination & check out our stunning, new website to peruse more of our comprehensive tile collections ranging from Ca’ Pietra and Bert & May to Minoli and Original Style

91ABSOLUTELY magazines By PENDLE HARTE INREDTHE Homewares in crimson, scarlet and cherry INTERIORS • TREND RIPPLES Berry-red rolltop bath in bathroom designed by Ripples, £POA 51a London Road, Newbury, ripplesbathrooms.com THE WISTERIA TREE Glass Candle Holder, £14 thewisteriatree.co.uk EDITOR’SPICK CUCKOOLAND New York Metal Kids Bed, £245 cuckooland.com MINDTHEGAP Tribal Ikat Wallpaper, £135 mindtheg.com BEN HEATH Ben Heath bespoke traditional painted oak kitchen, stone worktop, and bespoke splashback benheath.com NATALIA WILLMOTT Zulu Bowl, £20 nataliawillmott.co.uk NEDGIS Terracotta Ball Light, £78 nedgis.com FY Rialto Tumblers, £70 iamfy.co POOKY Dangly Wall Fitting with Red Silk Shade, £96 pooky.com FY Woven Round Placemats, £57 iamfy.co

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METAL WORK SCP From Maarten Baas' Aligned collection, these dining armchairs put a childlike twist on the conventional metal frame with slats design by mimicking roughly drawn lines. scp.co.uk LAID OUT JOHN LEWIS Create a beautiful summery tablescape with John Lewis's outdoor dining collection in colourful melamine. johnlewis.com SIMPLE STYLE CARL HANSEN Børge Mogensen conceived the Deck Chair Series of functional outdoor furniture in the late 1960s. Simple, slatted lines and solid teak construction provide durable functionality. carlhansen.com COOK OUT GARDENCHESSINGTONCENTRE The innovative, unique barbecue and smoker range at Chessington Garden Centre oﬀers solutions for outdoor dining, whether you prefer cooking on gas or something more traditional. chessingtongardencentre.co.uk HOUSE PROUD HARTLEY BOTANIC A Hartley Glasshouse allows gardeners to spend time savouring their plants. But in its role as a garden room, gardeners can curate the space – to indulge in a hobby, enjoy al fresco dining, practice yoga, or simply relax. hartley-botanic.co.uk 4315 1 2 3 2 4 5 INT E RIORS • GARDENS ABSOLUTELY magazines 93 PREPARE YOUR GARDEN FOR AN INDIAN SUMMER OUTDOORLIVING

QUINCE COOK Gingham Mug, £13 quinceandcook.co.uk 95ABSOLUTELY magazines By PENDLE HARTE CHECKCROSS Gingham, tartan and other squares INTERIORS • TREND WEAVER GREEN Madras Check Pink Throw, £55 weavergreen.com GABRIELLA JAMES Ella Chair upholstered in Chubby Check by Kit Kemp, £845 gabriellajames.co.uk DIBOR Gingham Table Cloth, £42 dibor.co.uk TRUFFLE TABLESCAPES Gingham Ruﬄ e Placemat, £20 truﬄ etablescapes.co.uk ERCOL Marino Armchair in Forest Green Check, £1,650 ercol.com TORI MURPHY Woodhouse Check Frilly Cushion, £75 torimurphy.com TARTAN BLANKET CO Lambswool Blanket in Seagrass Cottage Check, £135 tartanblanketco.com EDITOR’SPICK TORI MURPHY Woodhouse Check Bow, £48 torimurphy.com SECRET LINEN STORE Magnus 100 Linen, from £22 secretlinenstore.com

*Offer valid for openings up to 2.4m wide & including 2 remote controls, 55mm white slats, internal manual override. Garolla garage doors are expertly made to measure in our own UK factories, they’re strong and solidly built. The electric Garolla door rolls up vertically, taking up only 8 inches inside your garage, maximising valuable space. Our expert local installers will ﬁt your new door and they’ll take away the old one too, so there’s no mess. Give us a call today and we’ll come and measure up completely FREE of charge.•••••WHAT’SGottagarageﬁfor£895Fromafullyttedelectricdoor.getaGarolla.INCLUDEDWITHEVERYDOOR:EXPERTMEASURING&FITTING2REMOTECONTROLSACOUSTIC&THERMALINSULATIONFREEDISPOSALOFYOUROLDDOORAVAILABLEIN21COLOURS CALL US TODAY ON: 01296 200 091 MOBILE: 07537 149 128

EDITOR’S By PENDLE HARTE ON COUCHTHE All the best sofas for sinking in to INTERIORS • TREND MINDTHEGAP Truman Sofa in Monterey£2,500Plaid, mindtheg.com LOAF Truﬄ e sofa in Jam Sandwich clever velvet, £1,745 loaf.com SNUG The Cloud Sundae in Midnight Blue, £1,599 snugsofa.com PENNY MORRISON Sofa, footstool and cushions in Penny Morrison fabrics pennymorrison.com ROSE & GREY Jessica Pebble Linen Two Seater Sofa, £875 roseandgrey.co.uk SWYFT Model 05 Linen 3 Seater Sofa, £1,195 swy home.com BRIDGMAN Sunbury Chaise Corner Sofa, £4,459 bridgman.co.uk SWEETPEA & WILLOW Casper Sofa, £1,070 sweetpeaandwillow.com MINDTHEGAP Abigail Sofa in Newport Stripes, £2,500 mindtheg.com

It all started with a friendly dispute over which of their home counties was best: “I grew up in Buckinghamshire and Oli in Bedfordshire and we’d always tease each other about which county was best,” explains Hannah, who previously worked in events management and marketing. “Then when we moved to Hertfordshire together, I would travel into Oxfordshire for work and it struck Hannah Goundry on how her awardwinning Home County Co.’s fragrances have the power to transform home

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W hether it’s the delicious scent of freshly baked bread, salty sea air or transportsportal,canlavender,soothingasmellactlikeawhichus back to a place, reviving powerful memories.

INTERIORS • INTERVIEW

For couple Hannah and Oliver Goundry, the smells of their individual home counties were so evocative that they decided to bottle them up and pour them into a candle for their home. It was a decision that led the pair to start a home fragrance brand together that is literally sweeping the nation.

your

Words REBECCA PITCAIRN SMELL OF SUCCESS OLIVER AND HANNAH GOUNDRY

We provide a full service offer, from the site survey, consultancy, 3D modelling, installation and after sales care. Our experienced team listen to your requirements, provide knowledgeable advice and a complete interior design solution that bring dreams to life. Our engineers are qualified to supply and fit any solid fuel and electric appliance from traditional free standing stoves to highly contemporary inset and free standing fires, offering a bespoke service to meet your requirements. We have built our reputation on honesty and integrity, always offering clear advice to ensure you get the right solution for your home and lifestyle. Whateverproject,your call us or visit our showroom Marlow Stoves 01628 290 info@marlowstoves.co.uk142marlowstoves.co.uk yourWarminghome is our Passion

While the pair are now travelling the world with their Home County Co fragrances, it all started from the kitchen table of their onebedroom house, in Tring, four years ago. “Oli and I had always talked about setting up a business together and so when he was unfortunately laid o from his job in January 2018, we bought a home candle-making kit to see if we could make some candles that represented the home counties closest to us: Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire,” explains Hannah, who chose to base The Buckinghamshire candle on her memories of blackberry picking with her sisters in Wendover Woods and The Hertfordshire, which remains the company’s bestseller, on the bluebells that can be found on the National Trust-run Ashridge Estate. Not long after they developed their ﬁrst candles, initially under the brand name Home County Candle Co, the couple began supplying National Trust shops, which Hannah describes as a real ‘pinch me’ moment. “The National Trust shops in Hughenden, Ashridge and Stowe have been amazing supporters of our products over the years,” she adds. “Since then we've celebrated opening accounts with English Heritage, Notcutts Garden Centres and, more recently, Klondykes Garden Centres in the North of England and we always view accounts with national chains as big pinch me moments. But we’ll never forget those retailers who helped us right at the beginning. The local support in Hertfordshire has been overwhelming.”

MIXING THE INGREDIENTS

101ABSOLUTELY magazines me that each county has its own very distinct character that could be packaged up in scent.”

I am interviewing the 30-year-old entrepreneur while she and Oliver, 34, are in Atlanta, showcasing their hand poured, natural soy wax, biodegradable and vegan-friendly candles at their ﬁrst international trade show. “When people move away, having something that reminds them of home is often really important and so we’ve found there’s a great market among ex-pats in the US, as well as with companies that sell much-loved British brands that aren’t so easy to get here, like Marmite and Cadbury’s,” she says. “It’s a market that is strong in Australia too, so we expect to head there next.”

To that e ect, the company recently moved to a new warehouse across the border in Buckinghamshire and is currently undergoing a rebrand that will see it diversify into other products for the home, such as linens and kitchenware. However, Hannah says candles will always be at the heart of the business.

“The local support has overwhelming”been

With a number of awards under its belt, including Best Customer Service Award at the 2021 SME National Business Awards, as well as endorsement by Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday initiative, the company is set to

“I'm a real lover of British lifestyle brands with inspiring founders – brands like Emma Bridgewater, The White Company, Joules and Sophie Allport,” Hannah admits. “We'd love to become a real Great British Heritage brand one day, and so we really look up to other brands who have made a name for themselves in just one generation.”

“Scent can often be overlooked when we're thinking about making a house feel like a home, but scents are so closely linked to our memories and emotions that it's really important to choose fragrances that mean something to you,” she says. “Lighting a candle is about so much more than simply burning wax with a wick, it's about the act of taking some time to make your home feel more homely – to me there is something magical about ﬁlling your space with a beautiful scent and the glow of candlelight.”

The type of scent that represents each county is also something Hannah and Oliver put out to the public. “We try to really throw ourselves headﬁrst into the culture and history of the county we are creating and speak with the locals to discover their 'scent stories’ so we can create products powerful enough to transport people back to that place,” Hannah says.

follow in the footsteps of some of the country’s most successful modern lifestyle brands.

INTERIORS • INTERVIEW

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From The Cambridgeshire to The Cornwall and The Somerset to The Surrey, there are currently 27 Home County candles and di users with plans to eventually launch a fragrance to represent each of the 48 ceremonial counties in England. So, how do they decide which county to work on next? “We're currently running a poll on our website and via social media to allow our customers to choose which counties we should launch next,” explains Hannah. “So far Worcestershire is winning, so that's next on the list and we've got a beautiful scent planned. We also have some really exciting plans to introduce Scottish scents this year too.”

homecountyco.com OLIVER ADDING THE FRAGRANCE

Excellence, integrity and distinction since 1561 For boys 3 - 18 www.mtsn.org.uk Tel. +44 (0)1923 845514 Email. admissions@mtsn.org.uk Merchant Taylors’ School, Sandy Lodge, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 2HT Coaches: Beaconsﬁeld, Gerrards Cross, Chalfont St Giles & Denham Moor Park (Baker Street 35 minutes) Open Morning for 11+ & 16+ Saturday 24th September 10.00-12.30 Scholarships and bursaries available

SPECIAL BACK TO SCHOOL p106 NEWS & VIEWS p109 TALKING HEAD p113 SPORT IN SCHOOLS p116 WORLD OF DRAMA p121 BOARDING BENEFITS p127 Insidesectionthis ST GEORGE’S ASCOT Georgians benefit from an array of big school facilities, yet they are small enough for pupils to develop strong relationships across the community. Set in 30 beautiful acres near Windsor Great Park, SGA is widely accessible via regional private bus routes, including a stop at Ascot train station. stgeorges-ascot.org.uk BIG AMBITIONS 105ABSOLUTELY magazines

The ﬁrst day of a new academic year means di erent things to parents all across the county – but you are not alone

MEMORY TEST

SUE LAIDLAW 106 ABSOLUTELY magazines

EDUCATION • FEATURE

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My youngest daughter finally graduated this week (it was delayed one year due to the pandemic), but this graduation proved to be a significant milestone. Our little girl properly launched into the real adult world. Reflecting on this moment, I realised, with a degree of surprise that, as parents, we have had a full stretch of over 80 terms of school years non-stop. As young parents, people always said to us, and no doubt have said to you too, “enjoy the moment – it will go in a flash”. We accepted the comment, but perhaps didn’t really believe as we carried on wrangling our tired and squabbling children or wiping yet another runny nose. Realistically it is obviously di cult to enjoy every single moment. The moments when you say to each other that one day we will look back and laugh at this, but actually this really has proved to be true. I ran the film of the last 26 years through my mind as each graduate walked across the impressive stage. I saw our first daughter standing at the front door, school bag in hand, ready to go to big school; I saw again the moments when our children constantly surprised us – the solo singing that we didn’t know about until the Carol Service; the day that one of them mentioned that she had told the Ofsted lady what she thought of her school (I hope it was complimentary); the little 10-year-old who was always running around like a headless chicken and then we saw her standing on the start line at the borough sports day in the middle of the pitch in Twickenham Stadium. It’s not just about successes, there are plenty of big learning curves, nights pondering and worrying that starred in my memory film too! But now, with the wisdom of hindsight, I feel able to reassure the many parents that we speak to each week at Laidlaw Education. However di cult, joyful, successful, stressful things may seem at the time, they really do work out. Loving parents find a way. It is rather like looking out of an aeroplane window over the patchwork of fields that we see coming into Gatwick. Everything meshes together and, oh what a ride it is! Reflecting this week, I have felt a little melancholy –how lovely it would be to do it all again.

Sue Laidlaw is founder of Laidlaw Education LLP, and her team o er 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. Book courses and ﬁnd out more by calling 020 8487 9517 or visit laidlaweducation.co.uk

“However di cult things may seem, they really do work out”

September is here again! A new academic year, and new changes of class, of school and even of family routine. There is excitement, apprehension and that feeling of another new start. New academic years have been like punctuation marks throughout my life – school days, university days, teaching days, days on the school run and teaching days again – and so it all keeps turning. Throughout the past decades, I have written countless articles about the return to school in September. There have been articles about new starts, settling your children into their new routine, embracing new opportunities, letting them go and so much more – but this year is di erent. For this new academic year, it’s time to write as a parent who has probably felt every emotion that every parent reading this will have felt or will feel in the future. This time, it’s time to share my reﬂections.

So, at the start of another academic year, I, too, will whisper in your ear, whatever stage of education your child might have reached – starting Nursery, o to Senior School, Sixth Form or stepping in to University life – fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. Even the bits that are di cult, worrying or where you simply don’t know what to do for the best, when you look back, you will see a bigger picture – and you probably wouldn’t want to change too much, after all. Have a wonderful new term, combine the work and the play – and enjoy all the small and precious moments that you will share with your children.

Co-Ed Nursery ❘ Girls Prep Open Event 1 October heatherton.comBook a place

topperTable

EARLY MEMORIES Jubilee Day Nursery’s pre-school, ‘Treetops’, provides a unique and very special experience for children aged 3-5 years old. Their highly skilled and extremely well qualified staff provide a safe, kind and caring environment for your child to thrive. ‘Treetops’ helps to lay the foundations for one of the next major stages in a child’s development as they prepare for school. With a small group learning programme, every child will spend a year gently transitioning to school readiness, while enjoying all the play, fun and child-centred benefits that you have come to expect from the Jubilee experience. In line with the EYFS framework, their preschool encourages children to explore their own interests. There is a great mix of fun and creative play and learning activities to help develop their skills. In ‘the hub’ the Early Years

Teacher Lizzie introduces letters and the phonetic sounds they make, with lots of storytime and sing songs. They also enjoy regular trips to Jubilee’s 60 acres of private land throughout the year. Whether it’s adventures to the woods, learning about nature and gardening in their sensory garden with their gardener Sonja or feeding the animals on their working farm, no day is the same!

jubileedaynursery.co.uk

opportunitiesGrowing Reading Blue Coat is excited to extend its co-ed provision to welcome girls into Year 7 from September 2023, and to have girls in every year group by 2027. The Adventure Education programme is ﬂourishing and pupils are already achieving instructor qualiﬁcations in climbing and sailing, while plans to develop their new Performing Arts Centre are soon to get underway. At Reading Blue Coat, pupils have unrivalled co-curricular opportunities in music, drama, public speaking and sport, as well as in the community – all of which celebrate their values of aspiration, courage and integrity – while such projects as their Community Garden and Primary Placements underpin the school’s ethos of service. If you have a daughter, currently in Year 5 or Year 6, they strongly recommend attending their Open Morning on Saturday 8 October 2022. Please register online at rbcs.org.uk

EDUCATION

NEWS

109ABSOLUTELY magazines EDUCATION • NEWS The latest from schools across Berkshire and Buckinghamshire

Leighton Park was founded in 1890 and is a day and boarding school for girls and boys aged 11-18 set in 65 acres of beautiful parkland in Reading. Winner of the Best Co-educational School 2021, South East England, the school has been fully co-ed since 1993 and has a 50:50 ratio of girls to boys at its Year 7 entry point. The UK Government’s latest Sixth Form league tables reveal Leighton Park to be the best performing school in Berkshire – their A-level students achieved 72% A*/A last year. The Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) awarded Leighton Park a ‘double excellent’ standard in January 2022, the highest possible attainment for an independent school. leightonpark.com

students“A-levelhavesurpassedexpectations”

crosﬁelds.com

Adam Mallins, Deputy Head of the Senior School (Pastoral), says: “Students and staﬀ have beneﬁted from the spacious classrooms with full length windows and state-of-the-art technology. There is a calm and inspiring feel and the students have commented that they feel like they are in the ‘Headquarters of a Cool’, rather than a school. They feel inspired to learn.”

expectationsExceeding Students at independent day and boarding school LVS Ascot, where young people are inspired to excel, have done just that, with the Year 13 Class of 2022 celebrating a fantastic set of results, with an amazing 39 students being offered their first choice of university. A er a very challenging few years, with exams and teaching being affected by the pandemic, LVS Ascot A-level students have surpassed expectations. Despite a record drop in top grades nationally, LVS Ascot increased the number of A* grades by 50% from 2021. Principal, Christine Cunniffe, says: “We are so proud of all our pupils who have shown such resilience a er not taking formal exams for two years, each and every one of them should be so proud of their outstanding results. We are so delighted that our results this year are the highest they have been in a decade, this is a testament to not only our students but our staff.” lvs.ascot.sch.uk PURSUE THE PASSION Established in 1907, Downe House is a traditional boarding and day school with a modern approach for girls aged 11-18. Situated in a beautiful Berkshire 110-acre woodland estate, Downe House offers family-friendly boarding balanced with an exceptional range of opportunities. Upon stepping through the school gates, every pupil is treated and celebrated as an individual. Whether she is an artist with an aptitude for mathematics, a scientist with a love of music, or an athlete with an interest in politics, Downe House will introduce, nurture and encourage every pupil’s passion. Their Open Mornings are a great opportunity to find out about the school in more detail and meet key members of staff. You and your daughter will also hear from and meet current pupils who will give you a real sense of what it is like to be a pupil at Downe House. Their next Opening Morning is on 12 November. Visit downehouse.net to reserve your place or call the Admissions team on 01635 204701 to arrange a personal tour at a date and time that is suitable for your family Building for the future Crosfields School has been awarded ‘Building Project of the Year under £10m’ by the Construction Excellence Awards for their new Senior School Building. They have received two further shortlisting nominations by the British Construction Industry Awards to be announced in October. The focus on investment to provide students with exceptional space to flourish is evident with this award.

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To book a visit, please email our Registrar via ofﬁce@oratoryprep.co.uk call 0118 976 6924 or visit www.oratoryprep.co.uk Rated 'Excellent' in ISI Inspection December 2021 Independent Catholic day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 2 to 13 Discover our full, weekly and ﬂexi-boarding options for children in Year 3 upwards

A St John’s Beaumont is a very special place for boys to work and learn. Our 70-acre estate, with its superb facilities, provides endless space for exploration, sports and play. It’s a place where boys can be boys. They are o ered every possible opportunity to excel in a wide variety of areas both academically and, importantly, in the wider curriculum. At St John’s, we take our pupils on a unique journey that will nurture, challenge and prepare them to ﬂourish in this rapidly evolving world.

EDUCATION HEAD

Head of Windor-based St John’s Beaumont, Giles Delany, on the Catholic faith, introducing a love of learning, and Tigers, Yaks and Emus By MARK KEBBLE THE GROUNDS OF ST JOHN'S BEAUMONT

welcomes families of all backgrounds who recognise our Jesuit values and approach to education as something they wish to nurture in their own lives.

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Q The age range, 3-13, is a key time for a boy’s development. Is it a privilege to help introduce a love for learning?

• TALKING

Q How does the Roman Catholic faith ﬁt in with your ethos?

A We are proud to be a part of the spiritually and culturally rich tradition of Jesuit education and live by the values defined in the Jesuit Pupil Profile. These values include being compassionate, grateful, curious, loving, generous and faithfilled, among other qualities that many of us seek to foster in our own families. These characteristics provide the framework for our ethos and daily life at school. As a school, we strive to create a generous and supportive Christian community that

LIFE

Q What curriculum do you follow at St John’s Beaumont? A We follow the National Curriculum. However, being a Jesuit school, our education is rooted in the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. This approach centres around o ering a challenging curriculum, reﬂecting on a boy's own experience and transforming this knowledge into understanding, with the ultimate goal of helping these boys to turn into critical, compassionate and reﬂective young men. LESSONS

A Absolutely! Since 1888, we have developed the environment, pastoral support and learning tools that enable young men to thrive. Whether in art, sport, music or drama, we open our boys’ minds to their innate potential. Within the safe environment of St John’s, they are constantly encouraged to try something new which will challenge them and in which they may not succeed. We are encouraging our pupils to accept that failure is not the opposite of success, it is a part of it. By understanding this principle, the boys develop a life-long love for learning.

Q What does St John’s Beaumont o er?

Q What opportunities do you o er outside of the classroom?

In Middle School (Years 3 to 5), where the focus is on developing organisation and independence, you might ﬁnd boys at the front of the class, giving a presentation to their peers or listening to each others' poetry recitals in the outdoor theatre. We teach them to see a challenge as a positive and aim to build their conﬁdence by making the boys proud of their achievements.

squads are formidable competitors who go through many seasons unbeaten. Each boy plays an integral part in his team, whatever his ability, where friendships and trust are cemented through the joint endeavour.

A Our unique house system empowers the boys to build relationships with peers from across all year groups. They are assigned an animal (a Tiger, a Yak or an Emu) from the moment they join the school and meet weekly to count up the TYE points that they receive for good conduct, commitment or e ort. As a team, they celebrate their successes and support each other when needed. St John’s is also proud of its strong sporting reputation. Be it rugby, cricket, football, tennis rowing or athletics, our

In Upper School (Years 6 to 8), our specialist subject teachers encourage the boys to become independent learners and considerate young men. This might be during a science lesson in the lab, when they dissect a sheep's heart or during RE when they passionately discuss a philosophical question of faith.

In all opportunities that we create for our boys, we aim to foster a growing awareness of their capacity to be leaders.

EDUCATION • TALKING HEAD

Q Can you describe a typical classroom scene?

Q What are you looking forward to as the new school year comes around?

A A new Head of Drama, Scott Jenkins, has brought a touch of West End glamour to the school. His ﬁrst production at the school was the much-loved Lion King Jr musical, which took centre stage earlier this year.

After the great success of the show, we are now looking forward to two brandnew productions for the coming school year. Our Middle School boys will go on an adventure to Neverland for their Peter Pan Jr performance and the Upper School boys are looking forward to some fun in the swamp with Shrek Jr. Let the shows begin!

A This varies widely, depending on the part of the school you would be visiting. In Pre-Prep (Nursery to Year 2), you might ﬁnd the boys counting eggs with our resident chickens, hunting for mini-beasts in the forest or mastering the front crawl in the pool. Our teachers are dedicated to ﬁnding and igniting the spark in each boy that is waiting to be unlocked.

In addition, we will see the return of some much-anticipated residentials, including a skiing trip to Austria about which the boys are very excited. And, of course, we can’t wait to hold our traditional carol service in our own beautiful chapel again at Christmas. sjbwindsor.uk

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Independent schools go way beyond the classic team sports, to bring on the champions, and also help every pupil ﬁnd their sporting spirit Fantastic GAMES By LIBBY NORMAN 116 ABSOLUTELY magazines BRIGHTON COLLEGE STUDENTS PLAY BEACH VOLLEYBALL ON SUSSEX'S MOST FAMOUS SEAFRONT

n the foreword to the 2014 Ofsted report ‘Going the extra mile: Excellence in competitive school sport’, the then Chief Inspector of Schools Sir Michael Wilshaw namechecked Alan Wilkinson, PE teacher to a keen would-be footballer called Mo Farah. Wilshaw noted that it was Wilkinson who steered the Olympic legend away from the beautiful game based on a hunch that the lad would go much further on the running track. No-one can have any doubt of the positive inﬂuence that a steer in the right direction has on potential elite sportsmen and sportswomen, but the Ofsted report was highlighting the broad opportunities independent schools o er, how this impacts whole-school culture as well as sporting success – and also considering how all schools might improve sporting achievement.

Dulwich College may not be on the waterfront, but its students also love water polo. Boys are introduced to it as a lunchtime club in Years 5 and 6 – provided they can swim well in deep water – and it’s become a really popular sport, with six friendlies against local opponents each year. When they get to senior school, there’s the opportunity to compete in all age groups within the

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The tendency still when we talk about school sport is to think of the classic team games – rugby, hockey, netball, cricket, and so on. While these remain core, the menu of sports opportunities in independent schools is far richer and broader, and ultimately feeds into success at national and international events. Sports directors recognise that not everyone is a natural for mainstream team games, and it could be the individual tests and endurance challenges – or the less usual team sports – that ignite a student's enthusiasm. A drive for excellence is really important here, but so too the fun factor. For instance, Brighton College makes full use of its beach access by hosting the annual Independent School Beach Volleyball Competition. O season, the school hones team skills in its double-height sports hall, but once the summer comes, students head down to Sussex’s most famous seafront for proper play. Brighton is deadly serious in its endeavours – the school is current Independent School champion. The College also has highly active sports clubs in fencing (one female pupil was recently selected for the U17 GB squad in Cade Sabre) and in water polo, where it regularly competes in tournaments.

WATER POLO IS A DULWICH COLLEGE STRENGTH

MERCHISTON OFFERS A RICH CHOICE OF SPORTS, INCLUDING SHOOTING Schools League and the English Schools Swimming Association national event. Teams are coached by former international competitors and have been on overseas tours. As it happens, Team GB remains one of the most successful competitors in Olympic Water Polo historically, but the last time we carried home gold was 1920, so there’s plenty for young people to play for. Like Brighton College, Dulwich also has form in fencing. Recently, it celebrated

118 ABSOLUTELY magazines EDUCATION • FEATURE

the achievements of Old Alleynian Oliver Lam-Watson, who was part of the silver and bronze-medal winning GB wheelchair fencing teams at the Tokyo Paralympics.

Morrison’s Academy in Crie ) brought home gold. These were the only two medals for the nation from Beijing, and so all the more likely to generate interest and enthusiasm for the sport of curling among young people over the next few years.

Merchiston has a great tradition in another Scottish sporting invention, with a highly regarded Golf Academy that enables talented players to pursue their sport without compromising on their education. The school approach is broad – it has a winning reputation in many individual and team sports – and with a clear focus on bringing on all the talents. It is fortunate in its facilities and location, so sailing (at a club on the Firth of Forth) and shooting on its own range and within the grounds are both popular. These are two sports in which Team GB has an excellent track record at international events.

FENCING AT BRIGHTON COLLEGE

Sports sta at Merchiston and every school work hard to bring on the most able and rightly celebrate each win by a student or former student, but it’s a lesser, albeit vital, part of their remit. All research points to the same thing – if students leave school with an enjoyment of physical activity, they are more likely to stay active into middle and later life. Medals apart, this is why the rich diet of sports and the quest for excellence in many competitive arenas is a positive thing. After all, most young people hang up their rugby boots and hockey stick when they leave school. But a spot of sailing or beach volleyball on holiday or a round of golf or clay pigeon shooting at the weekend is there to be enjoyed for many years to come “O season, Brighton College hones team skills in its double-height sports hall, but once the sun comes out, students head down to Sussex’s most famous seafront”

Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh honoured a win in the Olympic arena even more recently. Merchistonians Hammy McMillan and Grant Hardie won silver for curling at the Beijing Winter Olympics. Notably, the women’s curling team led by Eve Muirhead (alumna of the independent

Find out more independentExtensivewww.leightonpark.com/visit-leighton-parkschooltransportnetworkavailable•co-educational•day/boarding•11-18years•Reading,Berks www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk Best Academic Progress in Berkshire // Fully Co-Ed Since 1993

AYLESBURY WATERSIDE THEATRE Book early for the best seats at the best rates, with group oﬀers available on selected performances. A Signed performance is available as part of the theatre’s commitment to theatre for all. atgtickets.com/Aylesbury

An Inspector Calls is heading to the stage at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, the perfect showcase for drama students in the county

KENTONTRISTRAMPHOTO:

EDUCATION • DRAMA

“The analysetoenablesproductionstudentsdiscussandthestory” cruelty, complacency and hypocrisy. Now world-renowned as one of Britain’s leading theatre and ﬁlm directors, Stephen Daldry has received Academy Award nominations for his ﬁlms The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. His multi award-winning production of Billy Elliot The Musical ran for 11 incredible years at the Victoria Palace before embarking on a national tour. The production boasts costume design, set design and sound design talking points. Featuring Ian MacNeil’s ingenious designs, music by Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love) and atmospheric lighting by Rick Fisher, this landmark production is guaranteed to have old fans rushing back and new theatregoers being swept away into the mysterious world of Inspector Goole. This is a must-see for a whole new generation.

THEATRICAL FLOURISH

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Stephen Daldrey’s multi awardwinning National Theatre production of J.B Priestley’s classic thriller An Inspector Calls is taking to the stage at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre next year from 14–18 February 2023. The gripping production is winner of 19 major awards and has been hailed the theatrical event of its generation –seen by over ﬁve million theatregoers worldwide. The production is the perfect companion for students studying the play either as a literary masterpiece or in drama and theatre studies. The play revolves around the apparent suicide of a young woman called Eva Smith. When Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at the prosperous Birling family home, their peaceful dinner party is shattered by his investigation into the death of a young woman. Themes explored within the play include social responsibility, class, gender and age. The production enables students to see the text in practice allowing the opportunity to further discuss and analyse the story, characters and subtext. It also highlights Priestley’s use of dramatic irony whilst inviting the audience to critique the behaviour of the characters and how they interconnect within the story. Written at the end of the Second World War, An Inspector Calls is a compelling and haunting thriller. The social and historical context of the play portrays a time when there was no form of welfare from the government to help underprivileged and vulnerable members of the community. It’s 30-years since its ﬁrst performance at the National Theatre in 1992, yet it remains more relevant than ever, a brilliantly constructed masterpiece powerfully illustrating the dangers of casual capitalism’s

ST GEORGE’S SCHOOL WINDSOR CASTLE St George’s School Windsor Castle SL4Windsor1QF Follow01753enquiries@stgwindsor.org865553us@stgwindsor www.stgwindsor.org School reimagined Join us at ouropen event on Saturday 1 October Discover an education that will make your child real-world ready at our leading independent preparatory day and boarding school for ages 3-13. Real World Ready! STG Open Day ad (190x134mm plus bleed).indd 1 05/04/2022 22:33

“I'm hugely loyal to my workplace and proud to have been part of the school for nearly 20 years”

A look at the past and present with

Christine Cunni e, Head of LVS Ascot

Q Can you give us an overview of your career in education…

A Our school is an all-ability school; all we ask is that children can access our broad and balanced curriculum, grab every opportunity from our vibrant and exhaustive list of co-curricular opportunities and beneﬁt from our wellbeing practices. We want every child to be happy, to light a spark in their eyes and keep that light burning into the further education and/ or the workplace. LVS Ascot is a beautiful site set in 26 acres of parkland half a mile from the famous Ascot Racecourse. Being so close to Heathrow and central London, our on-site and o -site activities programme enhances a ﬁrst class academic education.

Q What do you enjoy most about your job?

A I am humbled to do my job! I enjoy the fact that you don't know what today or tomorrow brings; I enjoy the challenge of responding to the world and leading a dynamic team to deliver the very best for our children. Mostly, I enjoy hearing the laughter and happiness of our community on a daily basis.

Q How long have you been Head of your current school and, initially, what attracted you to the role?

A I have been Head since 2010 and was an internal candidate. By the time I had reached Assistant Head Academic, I knew the school warts and all and knew what the school needed to propel it into the next phase of excellence. Put it this way – if I didn't apply, someone else would and I felt too passionate about this wonderful school to not give it a go. I'm hugely loyal to my workplace and proud to have been part of the organisation for nearly 20 years.

Q What does your school o er?

Q What plans are in place for the new school year?

A I am a second career teacher following six years as a professional pianist predominantly working in the West End. I took a last-minute decision to undertake a PGCE in Music as I was feeling that I needed to have a longer lasting and rewarding career – although I would have taken the PGCE in History if they had a place! I started my career as Head of Music in a state comprehensive school in Stevenage. It was a demanding school in many ways, but a great place to really learn your trade. In Hertfordshire at the time, children who received free school meals were also entitled to half an hour free music lesson. So, ﬁrmly backed by the local music centre, our music department was a vibrant and exciting place to be. Highlights were the trips to London musicals on really discounted tickets on a regular basis giving some children their ﬁrst experience of a live MEET THE HEAD West End show. From there, I spent seven years at a state grammar school in Slough where again, I had an amazing educational experience in a wonderful school. Having moved up the pastoral ladder and having three children under the age of six, my move to LVS Ascot was to take a step back and focus on music in a school with amazing facilities and the autonomy to make real change and progress. However, my inability to stay quiet and get involved in all aspects of school saw me promoted to Assistant Head in 2007 and then Head in 2010.

lvs.ascot.sch.uk

EDUCATION • TALKING HEAD

A Hopefully, the ﬁrst normal year in three years! The world has changed, so apart from getting the school back to 100% capacity in terms of trips, activities, shows and dinners etc – it will be responding to education changes, looking for innovation and entrepreneurship in our curriculum and ensuring everyone know what an amazing place LVS Ascot is to be!

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More than a day at school Discover a world of opportunities on your doorstep Independent school for girls aged 11 to 18 years Downe House, Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9JJ T: 01635 204701 | E: registrar@downehouse.net | www.downehouse.net Podcast streaming on all channels up to DAYCENTENARY100%BURSARIES for 2023 Entry OPEN EVENING FOR DAY PUPILS Tuesday 11 October Scan to book or visit www.downehouse.net All the flexibility of a day school, all the beneﬁts of a boarding school Extended school days with flexibility to suit every family Outstanding academic & pastoral support with weekly one-to-one tutorials All pupils enjoy an outstanding array of extra-curricular activities Every pupil has access to our global School community••••

“Downe House really is a oneof-a-kind place. I have learnt so much over the past seven years”

for local pupils MORE THAN A DAY AT SCHOOL

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DOWNE HOUSE Visit Downe House to discover more – book for their Open Evening for Day Pupils at downehouse.net Downe House is welcoming more day pupils and o ering Centenary Day Bursaries

Downe House o ers a worldclass girls’ education with innovation and change at the heart of their ethos. They recognise that family life has changed greatly over the past decades and, in response to growing demand, they are delighted to welcome more day pupils into their community from September 2023. They are also celebrating 100 years at their campus in Cold Ash by o ering Centenary Day Bursaries for local pupils, up to 100% of fees. Book to attend their Open Evening for Day Pupils on Tuesday 11 October to find out more. Day pupils benefit from a full boarding education, but with the added benefit of sleeping in their own beds at home. They are fully integrated members of their boarding house, enjoying an extended day, with the flexibility of choosing to start as early as 7.30am for breakfast and staying to enjoy activities once lessons finish. Many of their day pupils take advantage of enrichment opportunities until 8.30pm and, occasionally, beyond! Girls have workspaces, storage and social spaces alongside boarders, and are given the same bespoke pastoral and academic support, including weekly one-to-one tutorials. Evenings at Downe House o er an outstanding range of opportunities, such as talks by visiting speakers, supervised prep (homework) sessions, clubs and societies, drama, dance and music rehearsals, sports training and the chance to have supper and socialise with friends. All girls attend Saturday morning school, after which there are sports fixtures; the rest of the weekend is jampacked with activities and trips which day pupils can choose to join in. Downe House takes great care to ensure their day pupils are fully involved in all aspects of school life and they play an integral part in their thriving global community; inclusivity is at the centre of school life and they are proud that their pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds, nationalities and faiths.

“We are lucky to have children from all over the UK, but also from over 30 di erent countries” by subject-specialist teachers who see themselves very much as enablers. The pastoral welfare of children is excellent: at Wellington, for example, small ‘House’ sizes allow for pastoral year groups no bigger than 14, and with every child assigned a personal tutor as well as a House parent in overall charge, the needs of each individual are easily catered for. Throw in House matrons and Housekeepers and the safety net of a professionally sta ed 24/7 Health Centre

LIFE &TIMES

The Deputy Director Admissions and Marketing at Wellington College writes about the excitement of boarding

For many children, boarding schools conjure up images of a magical Hogwarts world, full of joy and laughter. For their parents something more austere may spring to mind: cold showers, Latin and Greek before breakfast, and interminable cross country runs. Whatever your generation it seems that stereotypes abound. And yet, despite the challenges of the 2020s, boarding schools, and in particular co-educational boarding schools, have never been more popular. At Wellington College, we are lucky to have children from all over the UK, but also children from over 30 di erent countries on our roll, who in turn make up about 20% of our total school population of nearly 1,100. So, what really does characterise such schools these days, and what do they o er that make them such an attractive choice for both parents and children?

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First and foremost would be an internationally recognised world-class academic education with a wide range of syllabus choice. At Wellington, we o er GCSEs, IGCSEs, A-levels and the IB Diploma: the excellence of the teaching and the work ethic inspired in the children ensuring that these qualiﬁcations are a natural springboard to both UK and USA universities. Small class sizes (typically 20 for GCSE, 10–12 for A-level and IB) allow for careful and personalised teaching, and although these days rote learning is a thing of the past, independent discovery is carefully structured and monitored

By TIM HEAD

Boarding schools are preparing young adults to take their place in the world, and it is quite clearly a co-educational world that they will be entering. The lessons that boys and girls learn about working alongside each other at school are really important, because they learn to respect and embrace the di erent qualities that men and women can often bring to the table. Perhaps even more importantly they can see that these qualities do not always need to be mutually exclusive, do not always need to be divided into male and female. It is perhaps true that girls can teach boys to work harder for longer, to take things more seriously, to care (in every sense of the word) a little more – but it is also true that by working alongside boys, girls can learn to be more adventurous, to take more risks, to challenge received opinion. I am sure that it is because they are doing all this in such a natural and normal co-educational environment that they are also learning to be properly and uniquely themselves, which to me is the most important thing any child can learn. And I haven’t yet mentioned how much fun the children have, so I ought to leave the last words to a couple of Year 9 pupils: when I asked them what they had liked best about their ﬁrst few months, their reactions were immediate: “It’s brilliant, it’s so much fun, it’s like a gigantic sleepover with millions of friends and so much to do all the time: honestly, it’s been the best time ever.”

Music, art, dance and drama, with West End quality productions a feature of most schools, and enrichment activities such as pupil-run TV and radio stations, MUN, debating and creative writing clubs allow for the development of the whole child.

128 ABSOLUTELY magazines and it’s easy to claim that children at our boarding schools are probably better looked after than anywhere else in the world. However, it is perhaps the co-curricular provision at boarding schools that is their most obvious attraction. Sport for all, but with the very best coaching and facilities for the elite athletes, and a dizzying range of options (at Wellington over 40 sports are available, with golf, triathlon, real tennis and clay pigeon shooting backing up the more familiar o erings) ensure that there is literally something for everyone.

Maybe, just maybe, UK boarding schools are magic after all. wellingtoncollege.org.uk

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ABSOLUTELY magazines 131 or satisfy their thirst for knowledge. In the busy worlds of adulthood and parenthood, it can be di cult to ﬁnd time to attend in-person classes. Learning online in your own home solves this problem by removing the commute and making sure all the materials you need can be accessed at the click of a mouse.

As we saw during the national lockdowns, E-learning can save countless hours of lost schooling. External factors that once may have prevented children from attending lessons such as snow or ﬂooding are now a thing of the past. E-learning means no one ever has to miss out on their education due to factors outside of their control. Of course, E-learning isn’t completely infallible. To learn online you need a fast, reliable broadband connection – one that won’t cut out during a class discussion on Zoom or bu er during a streamed lecture. With Swish Fibre you can get lightningfast Full Fibre broadband directly to your home, no matter how many devices are connected. So you can be learning online while others in your home are watching TV or gaming – you'll still be able to work and learn without disruption or delay.

IT REMOVES BOUNDARIESGEOGRAPHICALANY

IT PREPARES YOUNG PEOPLE FOR REMOTE WORKING Just as children have always been taught how to dress for job interviews and behave in an o ce environment, they now need to be coached on how to act in a remote working environment. Zoom meetings may be new, unfamiliar territory for those already in the work force, but for people who’ve grown up with E-learning, the challenge of meeting and working with people through a camera is a familiar one.

Visit SwishFibre.com to ﬁnd out moreE-learning – it's a phrase that few of us had even heard of a couple of years ago. But since a global pandemic forced schools and universities to move online, E-learning has become a mainstay of education for people all over the world. Like most sudden changes in education, E-learning has been met with some scepticism. But rest assured, as the world continues to change, learning online is here to stay. Rather than trying to deny it, we should be embracing it as a tool which makes education easier to achieve for many people. Here’s why.

NO MORE SNOW DAYS

IT FITS AROUND YOUR LIFE

EMBRACING

Sitting in the classroom isn’t the only way to improve yourself...

Found the perfect course, but it’s only taught at an institution hundreds of miles away? This is no longer a problem with E-learning. By moving online education has become accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live. This isn’t solely an issue of convenience either. People from developing countries can now access education online that wasn’t previously available to them. All they need is a laptop and an internet connection.

Remember, E-learning isn’t just for school children. Plenty of adults have turned to online classes to earn qualiﬁcations E-LEARNING

EDUCATION • PARTNERSHIP

OPEN MORNING Saturday 24 September Booking essential. Please register at: pangbourne.com/visit Contact the Admissions Team: admissions@pangbourne.com 0118 976 7415

• Connected to themselves and the world around them, St George’s girls know how to use their skills and talents to look upwards and outwards and make a positive impact.

Complementing their day girl places where pupils can select from a comprehensive private bus service are their boarding facilities, which range from ﬂexible to weekly to termly. Boarding is homely and comfortable, and an experienced team of House Sta organise an array of evening and weekend trips and excursions ranging from theatre and museum visits, as well as the frequent boarders’ ﬁre-pit nights with the new pizza ovens and ‘come dine with me evenings’. Socially all the girls regularly mix with other young people at Eton College, Winchester, and Harrow.

• Conﬁdence is fostered through learning in an all-girls environment, trying new things and developing a strong sense of self through their time at the school.

Finding BALANCE

The school runs a series of open events every term. Email Admissions@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk to arrange your visit ABSOLUTELY

EDUCATION • FOCUS

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ST GEORGE'S ASCOT

There is no such thing as a typical St George’s girl as each of their pupils arrives with her own set of talents and interests; what binds them are their values and vision. It is their privilege to encourage every Georgian within their strong community to develop a genuine understanding of who she is and support her to achieve the future of her choice. The alumnae community continues to make the school extremely proud of the impact they have in the world, and regularly feedback that their experiences at SGA helped them to shape, define and find their own pathway in life. St George’s girls are ‘Confident, Capable and Connected’:

t George’s Ascot provides an ambitious, connected, relevant and future facing education designed for girls between the ages of 11-18 years. It is a place where girls ﬂourish academically, creatively, physically and morally; a place where risks can be taken, lessons are learnt, and challenges are welcomed.

Recent alumna Grace says: “There’s something our Head, Mrs Hewer, really focuses upon, and that’s the idea of balance. When you go out into the real world, life isn’t just about your work, your job. You do need to have that balance, you need to connect with people, see your family, see your friends, do sport and do the things you love as well. That balance is something you learn from a young age at St George’s.”

• Capability is harnessed through exposure

Whether it’s through their teaching, pastoral support or boarding, St George’s Ascot go above and beyond to a plethora of opportunities, allowing for excellence in academic studies, sports, music, drama, artistic and creative pursuits.

An Independent Day School for Boys and Girls 11 18 With 40 years’ experience teaching girls, Reading Blue Coat is excited to extend its Co-Ed provision to welcome girls into Year 7 from September 2023. Open Morning: Saturday 8 October 2022 Register your attendance at rbcs.org.uk Welcoming girls into Year 7 from 2023 ST GEORGE’S HARPENDENSCHOOL A non denominational Christian day and boarding school 11-18 coeducational boarding at one of the UK's top performing non-selective schools forless than £5,000 per term En suite study bedrooms for every sixth form boarder Total flexibility over full or weekly boarding Herts AL5 4TD | boarding@stgeorges.herts.sch.uk | 01582 765477 www.stgeorges.herts.sch.uk

ABSOLUTELY magazines 135 EDUCATION • TALKING HEAD

Q What has tempted you away from London to take over The Beacon?

Q What do you think you learnt during your time at Wetherby Prep and Senior?

Q The age range at The Beacon, 3-13, is a key time for a boy’s development. Is it a privilege to help introduce a love for learning?

A Wetherby Senior is now the largest of all the Wetherby schools so a big success story – I’m very proud of what those boys and my past colleagues have achieved there. After 14 very fulﬁlling and enjoyable years in Central London, the draw to come back ‘home’ (I was brought up and went to school in Amersham) was too strong. I know the area very well and have always known The Beacon to be one of the largest and best all boys’ prep schools in the UK. I was delighted to be appointed.

A London is an ever-changing environment for education. Schools changing entry and exit points, new schools starting up, existing schools closing down, logistical issues relating to transport and use of external facilities – as a management team and at governance level you need to be nimble and adapt and develop your setting accordingly, be quick to solve problems and grasp opportunities. I would say though that I continue to learn every day and have done from all of the schools I have worked in, whether that be North London comprehensives, Hertfordshire Middle Schools, country and urban Prep Schools and Central London Independent Senior Schools. They all bring their own challenges and work in di erent ways; I constantly draw on all those experiences to reﬁne my own practice.

NICK BAKER

A Having worked in schools in all age ranges, this is by far and away my favourite. Children at this age are into everything and you have the opportunity to throw them so many balls in terms of sport, music, drama and creative studies. They are endlessly enthusiastic and it’s a ‘hands up’ attitude. Once ‘teenage apathy’ sets in, this becomes much more di cult for our senior school colleagues, but if they respond at prep school age, there is a far better chance they will continue and pursue those interests throughout their later schooling. You can also track tangible Nick Baker launched Wetherby Senior School in London to huge acclaim, so what has enticed him to Amersham to take over The Beacon?

Shining LIGHT

“Children at this age are into everything and are enthusiastic”endlessly

Q Can the ﬁrst day of the new school year come soon enough?

A I may be in a minority of teachers here, but I always feel the summer holidays are too long! I have been in and out most of August, but a school is only a school when the children are there – I am really looking to seeing everyone in September. beaconschool.co.uk

A To be honest, even though I have only been formally contracted from July 2022, since I was appointed in July 2021, Will Phelps (my predecessor) and Simon Detre (Deputy and Interim Head) have been absolutely ﬁrst class in terms of inducting me into the school and introducing me to sta , parents, and all stakeholders. I have really felt part of The Beacon for over a year now and the welcome and ease of transition speaks volumes in regard to the warm culture and professionalism of this school.

Q What would you say The Beacon already gets very right?

Q How enjoyable has it been to have had the chance to join The Beacon in July ahead of the new school year?

Q What are you looking forward to most in your day to day role?

“The future for The Beacon is ambitious, but very achievable”

A Having come from a school that has no car park or on-site playground or games field, the opportunities that those basic facilities a ord is such a luxury! I love school sport and never had the opportunity to watch fixtures as the games fields were five miles away. I’m really looking forward to cheering the formidable Beacon rugby teams on from the touchline next term.

136 ABSOLUTELY magazines EDUCATION • TALKING HEAD progress through this age group; seeing a child go from learning to write his own name to composing considered, interesting and intelligent essays is so rewarding from an educational point of view. My favourite conversations with parents are those in Year 8 when they start, “Do you remember in Year X when we couldn’t get him to… now look at him!” I’ve loved that as a teacher and as a parent to my two boys.

A Well, I wrote to the sta at the end of last term saying how much I was looking forward to working with them and reassuring them that there was no big shake-up coming as it was already a superb school. In February, they secured ‘Excellent’ judgements and flew through their ISI inspection, so there is no ‘revolution’ that needs to occur here. That said, all schools, even the very best ones like The Beacon, benefit from di erent eyes on them from time to time and must always be ‘in development’. The Governors and senior colleagues have identified a number of areas of the school that can evolve in the coming years and we had a very successful and exciting Strategy Day last term to map out where we are headed as a school. The future for The Beacon is ambitious but, I think, very achievable – it will be a very exciting period in the coming years for our school.

Enjoy the journey Based in the heart of Windsor, Upton House is a thriving Nursery, Pre-Prep and Prep School for boys and girls aged 2-11 years With high academic standards, high calibre staff and excellent pastoral care, Upton House children blossom and have a zest for life, continually learning and developing their abilities, interests and talents within a caring and supportive environment. Our children thrive in the modern world and we invite them to think outside the box. Call 01753 862610 or email registrar@uptonhouse.org.uk

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“I am extremely proud of all our 2022 leavers and how they have performed in these public exams,” comments Martin Walker, Headteacher of Berkhamsted Sixth. “Their results are all the more impressive when we take into account the adversity they have faced in recent years and the fact that they did not have the opportunity to sit their GCSE examinations in 2020. The students’ hard work, determination, and mutual support have paid o with 90.1% achieving A*B. They can now reﬂect on their school education with a sense of completion.”

Richard Backhouse, Principal of the Berkhamsted Schools Group, states: “This cohort have demonstrated how they are developing and growing to be remarkable young adults who we expect to go on and continue to learn and make a di erence in our world. The results today are just one element of their personal development, but the skills and knowledge of how to use this success for the better is one that we hope these former Sixth Formers will demonstrate in the next stage of their career development.”

determinationhardstudentswork,andmutualsupporthavepaido”

STORIES

Students from Berkhamsted Sixth are looking forward to starting their new paths later this year at universities in both the UK and US; starting on apprenticeship schemes with JP Morgan; or taking the time to learn more about the world around them whilst travelling. Whatever path they have taken, many will be displaying their remarkable character and their school values of ‘Aiming High with Integrity’, ‘Being Adventurous’ and ‘Serving Others’ on the next step of their life journey.

Why it’s about more than just results at Berkhamsted

In all, 28 students achieved straight A*s in their chosen subjects, whilst 121 students of this year’s cohort achieved three A grades or better. One third of A-level grades awarded to their students this year were A*, more than two thirds were A* or A grades and more than 90% of A level grades were at A*, A or B. In addition to achieving their best ever results achieved by pupils at Berkhamsted, these remarkable students have fulﬁlled the school’s value of ‘Serving Others’ by dedicating time: over 270 hours of volunteering, to support and raise funds, nearly £41,000, for charities who needed the additional support following a di cult couple of years. Students in the Sixth Form have taken part in additional co-curricular activities to enhance their studies and develop their knowledge by undertaking a broad range of experiences from Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards, to Student Consultancy – providing the opportunity to develop commercial solutions for local businesses through to introducing new initiatives at Berkhamsted to help improve the education of their younger classmates.

SOME OF THE SUCCESS

I t takes character to achieve under adversity: by that deﬁnition, this year’s Berkhamsted Y13 leavers have demonstrated their character to great e ect in their record-breaking A-level results. Berkhamsted saw their students work hard to continue their studies throughout Covid-19, and, as these results show, they have certainly developed resilience and the ability to persevere through di cult times.

A-LEVEL

ABSOLUTELY magazines 139 EDUCATION • FOCUS

Making a DIFFERENCE

“The

BERKHAMSTED

Find out more about Berkhamsted and the new Sixth Form opening in early 2024 at their upcoming open event on Friday 16 September. Book a place on their website at berkhamsted.com

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H urst Place is a unique period house set on an expansive 7.25 acre plot o ering a wonderful double reception room, bright and airy kitchen, o -street parking and an ideal location in the popular village of Cookham. There are six spacious bedrooms and six wonderful bathrooms, and there is a newly renovated Coach House o ering guest accommodation and gym. BERKSHIRE foxtons.co.uk

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IF YOU THINK YOUR LAND OR PROPERTY HAS DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, THEN GIVE US A CALL WITHOUT OBLIGATION AND IN CONFIDENCE. Many of our clients retain our services and, in the majority of cases, pay our fees saving property owners significant costs. For more information contact Stephen Donnelly on: 07739 514350 01892 steve@sjd-projects.com579937 We are always on the lookout for land and property with developmentpotential PROPERTY WITH DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL Contact Stephen Donnelly on 07739 514350 or 01892 579937 website: sjd-projects.com email: steve@sjd-projects.com For regular updates, visit us at twitter.com/projects Commercial buildings for residential conversion, former public houses, redundant buildings for redevelopment, buildings for conversion or replacement, houses for improvement, large sites on the edge of town, barn conversions, large gardens in residential areas and major regeneration projects. sjd-projects.com ORPLOTNOT?

At the heart of each residence sits Millgate’s signature ‘super-room’ – an expansive open plan living, dining and kitchen space o ering ultimate flexibility for modern life, whilst en-suite bathrooms and dressing rooms to principal bedrooms provide the best of luxury living. Mixing classical elegance and modern touches, the finest craftsmanship feature throughout, including Shaker-style kitchens with stone worktops, Villeroy & Boch in the bathrooms and herringbone engineered oak timber flooring. Each apartment also boasts a private balcony or terrace. The jewels in the crown of Beechgrove are two exceptional penthouses, each spanning an impressive 3,000 square feet. With two private terraces to both the front and rear of the building, including an expansive L-shaped terrace that maximises views over the garden, the penthouses feature three generous bedrooms.

ABSOLUTELY magazines 143

AN OASIS OF NATURE

Prices at Beechgrove start at £1,150,000. For further information visit millgatehomes.co.uk or call 01189 343344

Anew collection of exclusive apartments have come to the market in the charming village of Sunninghill. The latest o ering from renowned home counties developer, Millgate, Beechgrove introduces just 14 luxury apartments and penthouses set within nine acres of charming private landscaped grounds. Located in a secluded position, yet just moments from the heart of the characterful village, the beautifully appointed homes sit within an impressive, traditionally inspired building – combining classic yet contemporary design with the finest craftsmanship and spacious, flexible layouts alongside much-desired private outside space to each home. A brand new two-bedroom show apartment has now opened at Beechgrove. Designed by Alexander James Interiors, it provides the first opportunity to look inside this exclusive gated development. MILLGATE HOMES

PROPERTY • FOCUS

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A SENSE OF GRANDEUR Set behind private gates, Beechgrove’s impressive architecture echoes Berkshire’s historic stately homes, with an impressive and symmetrical façade and entrance portico and columns. The notable design features continue inside, with a double height entrance hall which nods to 18th century style with marble tiling, bespoke wall panelling and bronze features. With nine acres of private gardens, the landscaping at Beechgrove blends existing, well-established planting with thoughtful new additions. The expansive lawned area is complemented by mature trees, alongside new beech and white Himalayan birch, as well as Yew and cedar hedges. Residents also enjoy a unique lifestyle o ering, with a tennis court and swimming pool set within the gardens for their exclusive use.

Part of the FABRIC Why the new development from Oakford Homes in Maidenhead is the perfect addition to the beautiful Berkshire town

Award-winning Oakford Homes has brought an exciting new development to Maidenhead. Fabric is an impressive collection of luxury one- and twobedroom apartments, perfectly located on the outskirts of the town – and for firsttime buyers, the apartments are available with just a 5% deposit with Help to Buy. This brand-new development of highly specified apartments is set within six individually designed apartment buildings and features an attractive central courtyard of landscaped green space. Each of the 51 apartments has been created with a great attention to detail, with each home benefiting from premium materials, fittings and appliances. The elegant, fully-fitted kitchens include integrated Smeg appliances, while the bathrooms and en-suites feature contemporary Roca and Hansgrohe fittings and sanitaryware. All bedrooms come with fitted wardrobes, and a combination of Minoli floor tiles

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PROPERTY • FOCUS

145ABSOLUTELY magazines FABRIC BY OAKFORD HOMES

Available now are two-bedroom apartments from £360,000. Find out more by calling 01628 622131 or emailing fabric@hamptons.co.uk and carpeting is provided throughout, along with underfloor heating to all rooms. Furthermore, the majority of apartments benefit from their own private outdoor space in the form of a balcony or terrace, and each apartment boasts at least one parking space, with provision for an electric charging point. Located just two miles from the town centre, the sought-after Furze Platt area of Maidenhead o ers residents the best of everything, along with access to a number of local amenities, shops and schools, plus a mainline train station with direct access into London Paddington. The development is surrounded by charming villages, including the foodie haven of Bray and traditional Cookham, which is well-placed for walks across National Trust land, including the grounds of the stunning 17th century Cliveden House. The popular town of Marlow is also just over four miles away and boasts boutique shopping, restaurants, and high-end cafés and bars. Maidenhead’s high street and Nicholsons shopping centre have much to o er, with a diverse mix of restaurants, cafés and pubs, from independent traders to high street favourites, such as Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and H&M. Other local amenities include several post o ces, a library and a multiplex cinema. Further afield, extensive shopping facilities can be found in High Wycombe and Reading, which host big name brands such as Next, Apple, John Lewis, House of Fraser and many more. The extensive sporting and leisure facilities in the area include an indoor swimming pool and fitness centre, golf at The Berkshire, horse racing at Ascot and Windsor, and rowing at Dorney Lake and Swinley Forest. Covering more than 3,000 acres of woodland, running across gently sloping hills, it is the perfect destination for long walks or mountain biking. Long considered one of the most popular commuter towns, Maidenhead is ideally positioned to benefit from strong transport links. Maidenhead railway station provides regular direct services to London Paddington in around 30 minutes, and the arrival of Crossrail will further enhance commuting to the West End and the City. The M4 and M40 are easily accessible, providing access to the M25 motorway network.

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