9 minute read
THE BULLETIN
A glimpse of Roman Britain, Richard III remembered, and a festive display
OPENING
Rome in a day
One of Britain’s finest hotels, The Newt, a Georgian manor set in a magnificent 1000-acre country estate, has upped its offering with the opening of a reconstructed RomanoBritish villa found on the estate, dating back to 351 AD. Villa Ventorum, translating to ‘Villa of The Winds’, is the most ambitious reconstruction of a Roman villa ever undertaken in Britain. Visitors will enjoy a sensory experience of life in a Roman Britain household, including the sights, sounds and smells of its daily rituals, and you can even book a Roman food tasting to complete the experience. thenewtinsomerset.
ANNIVERSARY King in the car park
In 2012, having been lost for more than half a century, the remains of King Richard III, who was killed at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 but whose body was never found, were finally discovered in a car park in Leicester. Ten years on, a new comedy-drama film The Lost King, starring Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan, tells the story of Phillipa Langley, who took on the country’s most eminent historians and whose persistence resulted in one of the most important archaeological discoveries in British history. The Lost King also aims to tell the story of the controversial King Richard. Villainous or misunderstood – that’s for you to decide… The Lost King will be in UK cinemas from 7 October, and in US cinemas later in the year.
SHOPPING
Garden Pottering
Gardening enthusiasts, animal lovers and Beatrix Potter fans alike will adore these charming fine bone china mugs from the V&A museum shop (£10). Celebrating the museum’s recent exhibition Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature, in collaboration with the National Trust, the whimsical watercolour depicts a group of busy guinea pigs dressed to the nines, and hard at work in the garden. Perfect for enjoying a cup of tea outdoors, just as Beatrix would have done. www.vam.ac.uk/shop
EVENT
Winter wonderland
This Christmas, Winchester Cathedral’s light and sound show Star of Wonder is set to be a mesmerising experience of light, colour and music inside the beautiful and historic cathedral (13-18 December). The award-winning artistic collaboration Luxmuralis will take visitors on an uplifting and magical journey as they immerse themselves in a sky full of stars, walk through stunning light projections, and hear bespoke music installations, filling the sacred space and transforming the architecture of the majestic building. What better way to get into the Christmas spirit? www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk
ART
Life’s rich tapestry
A set of rare 18th-century tapestries which had been cut up by their Victorian owner have recently returned to their historic home, Tudor mansion The Vyne, in Hampshire. The tapestries are believed to have been created by John Vanderbank, the leading weaver of the time, and reflect the period’s romanticised view of Asian art and culture, with monkeys, wild cats and fantastical deities. In the 19th century, The Vyne’s owner cut up the tapestries to line the walls of his new billiard room and, years later, they were removed from the house when a leak threatened to damage them. After extensive conservation, the tapestries are back in their rightful place, showing their vivid colours and designs more clearly than ever. www.nationaltrust.org.uk
EXHIBITION
Richard, reimagined
Set between the two buildings of the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, the Queen’s House was England's first To mark the ten-year anniversary of the discovery of Richard III’s classical building, built in the 17th-century by architect Inigo remains, an exhibition at the Wallace Collection will explore how Jones for Anne of Denmark, as a gift from her husband, James I. Richard has been imagined through history. One of history’s most Four hundred years later, the splendid royal villa is due to notorious villains since the 16th century, he has been portrayed as reopen on 11 October following extensive renovations, which a usurper and a murderer, his physical deformities exaggerated to have seen an overhaul to the galleries housing its famous collection of art – including key works by Gainsborough and Hogarth – and original features, such as the Tulip Staircase. further disdain his memory, but modern scholarship has shown If that’s not reason enough to visit, it is likely to be the home that in many ways he was a capable and compassionate monarch. of the historic Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth I (pictured The exhibition (until 8 January 2023) will use objects to explore above), one of the most iconic images of any British monarch. what we know of the king and why history has treated him so badly. The painting has been the subject of intensive fundraising www.wallacecollection.org to save it for the nation since it was put up for sale. With the
These little rolls are perfect for using up the flesh of a scooped-out pumpkin lantern RECIPE Pumpkin Rolls
Britain’s favourite TV cooking show, The Great British Bake Off (The Great British Baking Show in the US), returns this autumn. Why not join in with a recipe from A Bake for All Seasons (£22; www.littlebrown.co.uk)? The book includes recipes from Prue, Paul and the 2021 bakers, so you can create your own culinary masterpieces at home.
Ingredients: 500g strong white bread flour 7g fast-action dried yeast 2 tsp caster sugar 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground turmeric 225–250ml whole milk, plus 1 tbsp to glaze 150g pumpkin purée 2 tbsp olive oil 1 egg, to glaze 6–7 walnut halves, cut in half 12–14 pieces of fine kitchen string, each about 60–70cm long (1 per dough ball) 2 baking trays, lined with baking paper
Method:
Tip the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast, sugar, salt and turmeric and mix to combine. Warm the milk until lukewarm and add it to the bowl with the pumpkin purée and olive oil. Mix on low speed until combined, then increase the speed slightly and knead for a further 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and cleanly leaves the side of the bowl. Shape the dough into a neat ball. Lightly oil a mixing bowl and place the dough inside. Cover and leave in a draught free place at room temperature for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead lightly for 20 seconds. Divide into 12–14 portions – it doesn’t matter if they’re not the same size. Shape each into a tight, smooth and neat ball.
Lay a length of kitchen string on the work surface. Place one dough ball in the middle of the string, then bring each end up and cross them over the dough ball as if wrapping a parcel. Without tightening the string around the dough, carefully turn the dough ball over. Repeat this wrapping with the string so that it marks out 8 sections of the dough ball. Tie in a knot to secure and place the ball on a lined baking tray with the knot underneath. Repeat with the remaining balls. Cover loosely and leave to prove at room temperature for about 45 minutes, until nearly doubled in size.
Meanwhile, beat the egg with the 1 tablespoon of milk and heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Brush the rolls with egg wash and bake for 25 minutes, until risen and deep golden brown. Leave to cool for 2–3 minutes, then snip off the string. Press a piece of walnut into the top of each pumpkin for a stalk. Leave to cool.
READING CORNER
Take inspiration for your British adventures from these great reads
The Game of Hearts: The lives and loves of Regency women by Felicity Day (£22, Blink Publishing). Follow six leading ladies from matchmaking to matrimony in Regency London.
The Anglo-Saxons by Marc Morris (£10.99, Penguin). The renowned medieval historian tells the extraordinary history of England’s foundations after Britain left the Roman Empire.
Queens of the Age of Chivalry by Alison Weir (£25, Penguin). In the third volume of her history of the medieval Queens of England, Weir uses personal letters to tell a remarkable story.
Secret Gardens of the South East: A private tour by Barbara Segall (£22, Quarto). A stunning photographic tour of the beguiling gardens of Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
Queen of our times: The life of Elizabeth II by Robert Hardman (£20, Pan Macmillan). A touching tribute to the inspirational life of Britain’s longestreigning monarch, by the celebrated royal biographer.
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