Places & Faces 162 - June 2024

Perfection picnic

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One of the most recognisable ‘cottages’ in Aldeburgh. Its unique Scandinavian-inspired design is a haven of free-flowing light and airy open space. Enjoy sea views and spectacular sunrises.

A beautiful, Victorian terraced home just a short 5-minute walk from the high street and beach. This newly renovated property, ideal for those looking to explore the Suffolk Heritage Coast.

One of the most recognisable ‘cottages’ in Aldeburgh. Its unique Scandinavian-inspired design is a haven of free-flowing light and airy

One of the most recognisable ‘cottages’ in Aldeburgh. Its unique Scandinavian-inspired design is a haven of free-flowing light and airy open space. Enjoy sea views and spectacular sunrises.

A newly updated holiday home with views over the sea from the roof terrace, that has been designed and refurbished with careful attention to detail to create a calm and chic space.

This contemporary three storey holiday home

A newly updated holiday home with views over the sea from the roof terrace, that has been designed and refurbished with careful attention to detail to create a calm and chic space.

In the heart of town, this boutique hotel style home is ideal for a seaside break at any time, with its sunny courtyard for the summer and wood burner to keep you cosy in the winter.

A beautiful, Victorian terraced home just a short 5-minute walk from the high street and beach. This newly renovated property, ideal for those looking to explore the Suffolk Heritage Coast.

This contemporary three storey holiday home has a large garden and uninterrupted sea views of Aldeburgh beach. Interiors are contemporary and well-equipped for self-catering.

In the heart of town, this boutique hotel style home is ideal for a seaside break at any time, with its sunny courtyard for the summer and wood burner to keep you cosy in the winter.

keep you cosy in the winter.

An accessible ground floor studio apartment designed with fantastic taste and extremely comfortable. With a spacious elegant feel, perfect for a seaside break in the centre of town.

Seahorse Cottage

Cottage

Sealoft

The Picture House

Swn-y-Don

Seahorse Studio

Sealoft

The Picture House

Seahorse Cottage

Tapp Cottage

Seahorse Cottage Tapp Cottage

Seahorse Studio

Sealoft

THE PLACE TO BE

roll into June with the exuberance of a Kevin Clifton quickstep, I’m delighted to welcome you to the latest edition. Summer is finally here, and just like Ron Burgundy, we're kind of a big deal! This month, we’ve curated a veritable smorgasbord of events, stories and features to keep you entertained and informed.

For theatre lovers, our musicals section (page 12) will have you humming show tunes long after you’ve closed the magazine. And wine enthusiasts, get ready to sip and swirl your way through Norwich Wine Week (page 14). Cheers to that!

Bookworms, rejoice! “Fully Booked” (page 26) is back with must-reads that will keep you turning pages by the pool. Gamers can find the latest updates in “Level Up” (page. 27).

For foodies, our culinary delights range from Truffle Pinsa & Figs (page 28) to Chinese Steamed Ravioli (page 31) and Sunrise Marmalade Ice Cream (page 33) that will make your taste buds dance.

And for those with a penchant for the outdoors, we have “Picnic Perfection” (page 38) and “Happy Hampers” (page 41) to help you create the ultimate alfresco dining experience.

As Ferris Bueller wisely said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." So, take a moment to soak in all the wonderful offerings of this month's magazine.

Andrew Hirst EDITOR

@PlacesandFaces

@PlacesandFaces

@PlacesandFacesMagazines

CONTRIBUTORS: Andrew Hirst, Jade F Soanes, Mel Cook, Polly Coleman, Tom Strowlger, Francesca Armour-Chelu, Charlie Smith-Knight, Rebecca Bishop, Gemma Mathers

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First Light Festival 22-23 June 2024, Lowestoft South Beach

First Light returns for its 4th year in Lowestoft for a weekend packed with fun for all the family. With performances from around the world and, of course, our sparkling locals, First Light hightlights the very best. Looking for an early start? Why not check out the Dawn Programme - nothing says Summer like yoga on the beach, or snap up those cheeky tickets and get yourself to the silent disco. www.firstlightlowestoft.com

Outdoor Cinema 7-9 July

The days are finally longer, the sun is out past its bedtime and outdoor cinemas are thriving. This time of year there's nothing better than ditching your sofa for the fresh outdoors to watch an absolute classic. Holkham are bringing you a delightful selection of films to watch as the sun goes down. From Top Gun, Back To The Future and Pretty Woman, there's something for everyone.. So get the picnic basket out, break out the deck chair and have the date night of the summer under the stars! www.adventurecinema.co.uk www.holkham.co.uk

out

Norwich Pride 27 June

It's Pride Norwich's 16th birthday and you're all invited. On 27th June, Pride is making a come back to the streets of Norwich for a day full of love, celebration and embracing who you are! Organised by a team of over 150 volunteers, Norwich Pride paints the city in colour and offer a friendly, safe and proud environment for everyone in attendance. So this June get ready to express your best self and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community!

Latitude Festival

25-28 July

Henham Park, Suffolk

Latitude Festival is back and better than ever this July, with the incredible tunes of Duran Duran, Keane, Rag 'N' Bone Man, The Zombies and upcomer Caity Baser. There's fun for all the family with the Enchanted Garden and Camp Greenpeace for the nature lovers out there!

www.latitudefestival.com

WIN WIN WIN Competition Weeting Steam Engine Rally & Country Show

The first show back in 1968 was started by Richard Parrott who today is Rally Chairman. The show has grown over the years and is now a three day event held across 170 acres!

There’s plenty for all the family to enjoy, whatever your age, from the large range of steam engines to the fairground, model train rides to tractors, there's something for everyone, whatever your age.

We have working steam demonstrations including ploughing, wood sawing, thrashing and stone crushing, showing how the steam engines worked back in their day.

How to enter?

There is a large trade area with over 80 stands, a craft and food marquee, bars, a restaurant and plenty of food options to keep you fuelled during your visit. So why not join in for a fun day out filled with lots of nostalgia of steam. This year the show will be showcasing a variety of 1940s vehicles, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

As a charity, their main aim is to help educate on the history, use and conservation of all types of vintage steam driven engines and vintage vehicles... and you’ll see a vast array of these at this amazing show. Find out more at www.weetingrally.co.uk

To be in with a chance of winning Family Tickets for either the Saturday 20 or Sunday 21 July 2024, simply complete the form with your contact details at: www.placesandfaces.co.uk/competitions or enter by post sending your contact details to:

WEETING STEAM ENGINE RALLY & COUNTRY SHOW Places&Faces Magazine, Micropress Printers Ltd, Fountain Way, Reydon Business Park, Suffolk IP18 6DH.

Competition closes 7 July 2024

Terms & Conditions:

Prize details: 2 x Family Tickets for either the Saturday 20 or Sunday 21 July 2024 (2 adults and all under 16s FREE, value of £30 each). See page 5 for full terms & conditions, or visit www.placesandfaces.co.uk/competitions.

Stephenson Smart

Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors

“A career in accountancy doesn’t always need a university degree,” says Stephenson Smart’s new Associate Director Jake Groom.

With seven offices across Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, there’s a clear focus on recruitment, providing opportunities for trainees and apprentices, who are looking to pursue a career in the field.

“We have taken students straight from A Levels at school, or college, others who are graduates, and also people who are switching careers from doing something completely different.

“The thing with accountancy is that the scope is very broad, many types of qualifications and various specialisms to consider. Everyone in the business brings a unique skill and there’s frequently new challenges and something to learn and adapt to with the changing world around us.”

As Associate Director at the Gorleston office, Jake joins Alex Salmon in the role, and together the duo are keen to broaden the appeal of accountancy.

“I think the days of seeing an accountant in a suit behind a desk are over. Our ethos at Stephenson Smart is being friendly, open, approachable and immersing ourselves in the community.”

Holding charity events, taking part in football matches and engaging with local students through work placements are just some of the firm’s external activities in the ever-growing team.

Jake has also become a trustee of East Norfolk Sixth Form College, providing advice and expertise to its Finance Committee, which has

Downham Market

opened some new doors for recruitment.

T-Levels are the newest qualification available to students, which sees them undertake a two-year qualification at a college in collaboration with an employer.

They are designed to help students hone their skills, knowledge and how to thrive in the workplace.

“We had our first T-Level student last year – Toby Lockyer, who has now joined us in a full-time job as a trainee and is studying for his AAT. We will be welcoming another T-Level student on a work placement next month.

“This is a win-win situation for us because the student is completing all the necessary qualifications while learning on the job and at the end of it we are doing our bit to help the skills shortage and find new staff who understand how we work.”

Jake completed his own education at East Norfolk Sixth Form College and began studying for his ACCA qualification at a firm in Lowestoft, qualifying in 2016.

He joined Stephenson Smart five years ago and awarded the Fellowship to The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in 2021.

Specialising in providing tailored financial solutions for smaller, owner-managed businesses across various sectors, including construction, farming, medical, hospitality and legal services, Jake’s understanding of the intricacies of these businesses helps him offer strategic advice and support that drives sustainable growth and success.

E: kingslynn@ stephenson-smart.com

2 The Crescent, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, PE13 1EH Mon-Fri 9am-5pm T: 01945 463383 E: wisbech@ stephenson-smart.com

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Fakenham 10 Oak Street, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 9DY

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March 23 Dartford Road, March, Cambridgeshire, PE15 8AN

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Kevin Clifton Everybody’s talking about…

Among all the stars at the WhatsOnStage theatre awards in February, no one stood out more than Kevin Clifton – thanks to the pair of vertiginous high heels he was wearing. This wasn’t just a daring style choice for the ex-Strictly professional, however, but preparation for his new role as Hugo, aka drag queen Loco Chanelle, in hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie heading to Norwich Theatre Royal 24 – 29 Jun.

After practicing striding around in heels at home, Kevin says he wanted to test his sashaying abilities with a public outing – but most important was the walk he did through the London streets before the ceremony. “I wanted to do that because I wanted to feel the judgment of people, and hear the comments as I went past,” he says, noting that it helped him understand Hugo by showing him the kind of prejudice that he would have had to put up with over the years.

Jamie is Kevin’s latest high-profi le musical theatre gig since he offi cially left the hit BBC show to concentrate on acting just over four years ago. He says the role of Hugo, who is a mentor to the show’s titular hero as he makes his fi rst steps in drag, appealed to him because it was something truly outside his comfort zone. “I’ve never done drag before, and I knew that would be a big challenge, and it was a character I could really just throw myself into and look diff erent and be diff erent.”

Saying that, in digging into Hugo’s character, Kevin has found ways he can easily relate. Not only did he grow up relatively close to Sheffi eld, the play’s setting, in Grimsby, but like Hugo, he

Going out

I’ve never done drag before, and I knew that would be a big challenge, and it was a character I could really just throw myself into and look di erent and be di erent.

started out in a creative fi eld, ballroom dancing, which was “considered sort of feminine”, he says. “I would turn up to school with an orange neck from the fake tan, and I had a perm to make me look taller, and all of that stuff – and just the way people would comment, and perceive me, that I can latch on [with this character].” He has found getting into Loco Chanelle’s costume an empowering experience: “I love it… they talk about this within the show but [getting into drag] is like putting armour on. You feel transformed.”

After this latest, unexpected turn, it will certainly be exciting to see where Kevin’s career goes from here. Quitting Strictly in March 2020 felt “quite bold at the time”, he says – and his move into acting hit a snag almost immediately when the pandemic caused the theatre world to shut down. But since then he has fl ourished, impressing in everything from Singin’ in the Rain to Rock of Ages and Strictly Ballroom. Another more personal achievement he’s celebrated recently is becoming a dad to daughter Minnie with his partner, documentary-maker Stacey Dooley, who he met when they waltzed to victory on Strictly in 2018. Now in his early 40s, he has been totally changed by the experience of parenthood. “I feel like I've grown up, and become an adult,” he says. “With every decision now, the fi rst thought is about Minnie, thinking ‘ok, do I want to take this job?’ and ‘how long will it take me away from home’?”

As for the future, he says he’d love to do a straight, non-musical play at some point soon, and also try more screen work, having recently got his first TV acting credit with a cameo in the BBC’s Father Brown. The ultimate dream, he explains, is that “one day people will just think of me as an actor first, rather than as a dancer from Strictly – in the same way that Billie Piper started out as a pop star, but people don’t see her as that now.” And his latest act of transformation should certainly help that process along.

Everybody’s Talking about Jamie is at Norwich Theatre Royal between 24-29 June

For more information or to book, visit norwichtheatre.org or call the Box Office on 01603 630 000

Going out MusicaLS

Norwich Theatre is excited to announce three brand-new musicals, which will preview at Norwich Theatre Playhouse in July before heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Come Dine With Me: The Musical; I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical; and SILENCE!

The Musical ; are all Paul Taylor-Mills ( Heathers, My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) and Cake: The Marie Antoinette PLAYlist ) produced musicals and go on sale today.

These cheeky and hilarious musicals are just an hour long and scheduled to allow audiences to see all three! Musical fans wishing to see them all can book all three shows at a special

starts at Norwich Theatre Playhouse

Sam Bain, Head of Programming & Producing at Norwich Theatre, said: "You don't have to go to Edinburgh to see the very best fringe theatre in the UK today. Norwich Theatre's Playhouse and Stage Two venues have you covered, bringing you the best new shows to your doorstep.

"These musicals are an absolute riot and have the feel-good factor that is perfect for summer. Trust us, you won't want to miss them!"

For a bit of celebrity gossip, try I Wish You Well – The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical (23 – 28 July), which tells the (mostly) true

history: Gwyneth vs Terry. The show is choreographed by former BBC Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips and stars X Factor contestant Diana Vickers as Gwyneth Paltrow.

Packed full of iconic moments, the questions about Taylor Swift, and the now famous whisper of 'I wish you well' – this is a fast-paced parody that sounds as good as Gwyneth's candle smells. Throw in some jade eggs and future classics such as 'Do You Know Taylor?' and 'I'm Gwynnocent', and you have yourself a hilarious musical bursting with heart. We will ski you in court!

SILENCE! The Musical (24-28 July) is the unauthorised musical parody of the Academy Award-winning fi lm The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Christopher Gattelli, who won a Tony Award for Best Choreography for Newsies on Broadway.

As rookie FBI agent Clarice matches wits with the brilliant but insane Dr Hannibal Lecter to catch the serial killer known only as Buff alo Bill, a chorus of singing lambs breaks out to show tunes about the most horrifi c of subjects. Complete with singing serial killers, songs with unprintable titles and a chorus of lambs, SILENCE! The Musical comes charging at you with gleefully unstoppable bad taste.

Come Dine With Me: The Musical (23-28 July) takes a bunch of tuneful strangers, mixes in a dollop of behindthe-scenes skulduggery, a Sound Man playing detective, a sprinkling of star-crossed love, and plenty of juicy arpeggios. Marinade, cook for 60 minutes... and serve hot. The result is a mouth-watering fusion dish, combining the beloved TV show and a sumptuous original score to form a winning recipe that will delight even the pickiest palate! You can mix and match the musicals, seeing all shows on separate days or make a day of it and see all of them at once! See all the musicals for £35 by booking online at norwichtheatre.org or contacting the Box Offi ce on 01603 630 000. All shows must be booked at the same time.

Norwich Theatre thanks its volunteers

This June, we celebrate volunteers and the amazing contribution they make to our communities across the UK during Volunteer’s Week. The celebration starts on the first Monday in June every year, and it is a chance to recognise, celebrate and thank the UK’s incredible volunteers.

Norwich Theatre, a registered charity, is powered by a dedicated team of around 160 volunteers who serve in diverse roles across its three venues. Each volunteer brings a unique contribution to Norwich Theatre. James MacDonald, Head of Visitors Services at Norwich Theatre, said: “Our volunteers are the backbone of Norwich Theatre, ensuring our customers have an incredible theatre experience.”

On any given show day at Norwich Theatre Royal, you’ll encounter 16 volunteers manning the eight auditorium doors. At Norwich Theatre Playhouse, six volunteers are present at each performance. James explains, “Our volunteer stewards are more than just ticket-checkers. They are the warm, welcoming face of the Theatre, assisting guests with access needs and escorting them to their seats. They ensure a seamless experience and are there to answer any questions from our audience members.”

Last year alone, the Norwich Theatre volunteers gave up 21,800 hours of their time to support the smooth running of the theatre. With one person donating 121 hours of their time.

They work on more than just performance; they support Norwich Theatre’s take-part activities and help with access performances. “They guide guests on touch tours, hand out audio loops, and assist their use for audio described performances. During our relaxed performances, they look after our chill-out zones,” added James.

Norwich Theatre’s biggest day of the year is its annual Open Day. “Last year, 51 stewards volunteered to help with Open Day, either leading tours, holding static positions front of house and backstage to answer questions, or showing off the archive with our volunteer archivist,” comments James.

It is not all work and no play for our team, with them fully embracing the shows on the stage and dressing up in fancy dress at any moment, including fairy wings, Dorothy’s red shoes, and even ogres!

Being a member of the Norwich Theatre team means a lot to volunteers. “It’s a lifeline”, being at the theatre, said Maria, especially after the pandemic. The theatre is an “important part of Norwich”, said volunteer Paul, “I would recommend it to anybody.” “When I retired seven or eight years ago, it gave me the opportunity to give something back.”

“It is a great privilege to work alongside this amazing team of volunteers who all give their time so selflessly. During this volunteer week, we would like to extend a massive thank you,” said James.

Find out more at norwichtheatre.org

Give us a clue?

Cluedo has been a part of family life since the Hasbro board game was launched at the end of the 40s. Since then it has been a movie and a stage production. Now comes Cluedo 2 and it couldn’t be in better hands with BAFTA Award- winning TV writing duo, Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. We sat down with the pair to see how it was going.

Where did you start with this play?

Maurice: “We remembered that rock stars were moving into big country houses in the late-60s so we dreamed up a rock ‘n’ roll superstar with a Mockney accent and then constructed a cast with colourful names. The challenge was to make audiences laugh, make them keep guessing and make them occasionally gasp out loud.

How do two people write one script?

Laurence: We both sit at a keyboard, side by side trading lines. By that stage, we pretty much know what we’re going to write. There have been endless arguments along the way but they’ve mostly been resolved by the time we start tapping away.

You wrote Birds of a Feather; what is the difference between a sitcom and a play?

Laurence: Although we were getting 17 million viewers watching Birds, we never saw any of them. But there’s nothing to beat the feeling of sitting in an audience of 700+ people and they’re all laughing.

What should the audience expect?

Maurice: “Well, it’s a good, funny script with elements of farce. It also ticks the boxes in that lots of people die in lots of interesting ways. We’ve managed to find inventive uses for the weapons associated with the board game – the spanner, the lead piping, the candlestick and so on.

Cluedo 2 is a riotous spoof, a comedy thriller set in the Swinging Sixties, featuring all the Cluedo favourites including Miss Scarlett, the candlestick and the library! See it at Norwich Theatre Royal between 2 – 6 Jul. For more information or to book, visit norwichtheatre.org

Ready,Steady,

In a bigger event for its second year - Norwich Wine Week returns celebrating wine from near and far (with the emphasis on near) says Melanie Cook of VisitNorwich.

www.VisitNorwich.co.uk

Norfolk is a great county to grow grapes. Fact. The terroir and climate create wonderful conditions for the vines with winemaking becoming a fast-growing industry for the region.

Norwich Wine Week launched last year as an opportunity to celebrate the culture of wine from some of our best local winemakers. Taking place during English Wine Week, the week has two elements to it - The Festival and The Showcase.

The Festival is a big, social 3-day event with wine tasting, live music from Norwich Summer Sessions, and the opportunity to meet and chat with the county’s vineyard owners in the delights of Chapelfield Gardens. There’s also a full bar (you don’t have to stick to wine), local food to purchase, and the Festival is wheelchair accessible.

NORWICH WINE WEEK THE FESTIVAL

14-16 June, Chapelfield Gardens, £15 with wine tasting & live music

Split into 5 sessions over 3 days, you can book Friday 14th, Saturday 15th, or Sunday 16th June between 1pm – 4pm or evening sessions from Friday 14th and Saturday 15th between 5pm – 8pm.

Tickets are £15 which includes up to 10 samples of wine (30ml each) from a host of Festival exhibitors. This is your chance to meet local vineyardsBurn Valley, Burnt House, Chet Valley, Shotley, and Flint, and chat about not only how their wine tastes but how their wine is made. Each vineyard owner has their own unique story to uncork, and they are all passionate about what they do and the excellence with which they produce their high-quality fine wines.

Sitting at a picnic table, in the throng of happy festival goers, live music playing in the background, drinking

very good local wine. Now that, to me, sounds like an ideal way to spend a weekend. Last year at the inaugural Norwich Wine Week the sun was shining and there was a buzz in the air. People like wine. And they love wine produced in this region.

The Festival brings together likeminded folks. It’s a place to taste and learn about new wines, to expand our knowledge. There’s huge talent in

Circolombia Corazon

our Norfolk and Suffolk vineyards, run by small teams and families who have honed their skills over the decades. They are doing it rather well.

Other exhibitors making an appearance includes Anglia Wines, Adnams, CH Wine Merchants, Substrata, Via Vigna and Virgin Wines. Great local food is also represented so look forward to seeing what Chilli Willy’s chilli oil off ers and Marsh Pig’s artisan award-winning British Charcuterie, who are one of the oldest of its kind in the UK.

If you fancy diving deeper and topping up your knowledge, then embrace the prospect of a 30-minute Tasting Tent session for an extra £10.

Led by a wine expert from Norfolk Local Wine School and some of the merchants and vineyards themselves, you’ll be guided through a selection of wines perhaps pairing them with

cheese and food - depending which session you go for. The various topics are hard to resist, who cannot take up the chance to be challenged at ‘Posh vs Ponk’, one of the most popular tasting sessions on offer?

Last year I caught the local wine bug. The festival piqued my interest and not just my taste buds and I had a strong desire to find out so much more. Over the summer I visited both Flint Vineyard and Chet Valley Vineyard and I was not disappointed. Times are changing, you no longer have to travel to the foothills of vineyards in France and Italy - there are amazing wine growing regions right here on our doorstep.

The vineyards at Flint (Earsham, Bungay) grow over gentle rolling hills, and on the warm sunny day I was there it was hugely pleasurable soaking up the sun with the view of the vineyard

➤ continued on page 16

Chet Valley Vineyard

just beyond whilst sipping a glass of Bacchus 2022. On this occasion I didn’t take a tour, but they are available starting at £25.

I spent an equally delightful time in South Norfolk at Chet Valley Vineyard where I joined a tour and tasting session (£30). Chet Valley is one of the oldest vineyards in Norfolk having been planted in 2010 with its first vintage available in 2014. In this time, they have grown from producing hundreds of bottles of wine to 29,000 a year, increasing to a range of ten wines.

This is award-winning wine having earned gold medals for wine quality by regional and international bodies and innovation awards too. John Hemmant and his wife Bridget run the vineyard using sustainable growth methods, part of which includes allowing grasses and wildflowers to grow to maintain diversity.

They use several grape varieties such as Cabernet Noir, Solaris, Regent, Phoenix and Seyval Blanc. In addition to Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Their wine is white, rosé, red, and sparkling including sparking red – Red Kite – made from the Regent grape. Having tried all of them, hand on heart they are all really wonderful – but if pushed my favourites would be their white wine – Swift and their House of Hemmant Blanc de Noirs - sparkling.

NORWICH WINE WEEK THE SHOWCASE

The Showcase takes place between Friday, 14 - Saturday, 22 June. This is when stores, bars, eateries, and wine merchants across Norwich create their own bespoke wine tasting events, talks, offers and dining experiences. From film screenings with wine and food at Bowling House and wine cocktails at Sir Toby’s Beers, to grazing and wine at Yalm. There are also special menus and wines at Benedicts, The Britons Arms, Farmyard and The Last. In fact, there are over 20 really wonderful events and offers to choose from ranging in price from free to £85+.

My time at Norwich Wine Week last year was invested well. And I loved coming away from it not only having had a great evening but also having learnt so much about our local wines. Wines that I probably wouldn’t have taken much notice of otherwise or perhaps have known they existed. But it was more than even that. The event made me consciously aware that great wines do not have to come from overseas, that I can have a vineyard experience right here in Norfolk and that I can pop out to see the winemakers themselves in-situ or buy bottles at places such as Jarrolds and St Giles Pantry in Norwich.

For your Norwich Wine Week tickets, full details about exhibitors and The Showcase events go to norwichwineweek.co.uk.

For ideas of where to shop, eat, stay and visit in Norwich and Norfolk go to www.visitnorwich.co.uk

Going out celebrates Cardinal Wolsey Heritage project in Ipswich

Alottery funded project in Ipswich is using the story of a great man born 550 years ago to inspire a new generation of young people and bring a sense of pride in heritage back to the town.

Cardinal Thomas Wolsey was a man from humble beginnings who climbed the social ladder to become Henry VIII’s right-hand man and one of the most powerful ambassadors in Europe. Not bad for an Ipswich lad whose father was a ‘grazier’, fi ned more than once for dodgy dealings!

In 21st century Suff olk, Wolsey’s story is perhaps less well-known and the sense of shared pride in how he came to be one of the most powerful men in Europe long forgotten.

The Thomas Wolsey 550 programme isn’t just about history, it set out to engage young people about Wolsey in new way.

Ipswich Central, Business Improvement District leaders for the town centre, with a small but determined group of supporters around the town, realised that Wolsey’s story is one that can still inspire a generation and help build back local pride, and what better time than 550 years since Wolsey’s birth?

Together with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Thomas Wolsey 550 project was born. The 18-month, 550-day, project launched in March 2023 with a presentation at Ipswich Town Hall attended by over a hundred people. To celebrate the launch, Briarbank Brewery created a special Wolsey 550 ale, and a fi lm was made introducing the buildings that would

have surrounded Wolsey’s proposed college.

A ‘Wolsey’s hat’ event involving local schoolchildren saw a parade alongside the Mayor of Ipswich and Cardinal Wolsey from Ipswich Waterfront to Suff olk Archives, The

on page 20 ➤

Hold, to offi cially open an exhibition about this important man (and of course his hat!)

The Thomas Wolsey 550 programme isn’t just about history, it set out to engage young people about Wolsey in new way. Thanks to the project, at least 80 per cent of the primary schools in Ipswich have so far been engaged in some very creative ways, with young people designing their own re-imagined Tudor Ipswich using computers and gaming software!

Teachers enjoyed a CPD session about Tudor music, learning songs and how to make period percussion instruments. Young artists have created a mural in the town centre and over £30,000 in grant funding has been given to local community groups for activities celebrating history and heritage.

Events so far include Tudor Christmas festivities, a quill and ink workshop and medieval beer tasting at the aptly named local pub The Thomas Wolsey.

Read more about the Wolsey 550 Project and events coming up at: www.thomaswolsey550.co.uk ➤ continued from page 19

Medieval history expert Dr Eleanor Janega (co-host of Going Medieval available on History Hit online) visited Ipswich at the start of June to give a talk at the University of Suff olk about philosophical and theological ideas about sexuality. And, looking forward there are even more events this

Thursday 4 July will see the biggest event in the Thomas Wolsey 550 Project schedule –a huge parade involving hundreds of local primary school pupils and Su olk Music Hub.

summer including walks, further talks and a fi nale parade...

On 23 June a guided walk around the town explores the man behind the King, where Wolsey was born, the places he knew as a boy and the plans he had for his hometown that were only part realised.

Also this month, at least 150 high school students from fi ve diff erent Ipswich schools will meet young professionals working in creative jobs in art and theatre production. The hope is to inspire young creatives to think beyond the jobs they know about and open their minds to new opportunities and ideas and ‘behind the scenes’ jobs possible today.

Thursday 4 July will see the biggest event in the Thomas Wolsey 550 Project schedule – a huge parade involving hundreds of local primary school pupils and Suff olk Music Hub.

Students will sing four period songs accompanied by musicians in period costume walking along a new Cardinal Route between the Waterfront and the Cornhill. At the end of the parade, Gecko Theatre Company and a local school will showcase a wonderful spectacle they have been working on too!

Ipswich Central, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and local businesses have enabled the Thomas Wolsey 550 project team to establish a new legacy for Ipswich’s most illustrious son, 550 years after his birth. That’s something for Ipswich to be proud of!

Why Choose a Professional Solicitor for Your Will: Ensuring Security and Peace of Mind

In today’s world of convenience, it’s easy to be drawn to quick and cheap online will writing services. However, the risks they pose often outweigh the apparent benefits. Here’s why trusting a professional solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation

Authority (SRA) is paramount:

The Dangers of Cheap Online Will Writing Services: Limited Legal Expertise: Generic templates may not address your unique circumstances, leading to errors that render your will invalid or open to challenge.

Inadequate Support: Online services lack the personalised guidance provided by qualified solicitors. Potential Inaccuracy: DIY wills are prone to mistakes, which may only be discovered after it’s too late to rectify them.

The Assurance of Professional Solicitors: Legal Expertise and Guidance: Solicitors offer tailored legal advice, ensuring your wiswhes are accurately reflected in your will.

Regulatory Oversight: SRA-regulated solicitors adhere to strict standards, providing additional protection through professional indemnity insurance. Personalised Service: Solicitors provide individualised support throughout the process, addressing your concerns and ensuring your final wishes are legally sound.

Peace of Mind: Trusting your will to a professional solicitor offers confidence in its validity, providing reassurance for you and your loved ones.

While online services may seem convenient, the risks they pose to your final wishes are substantial. Investing in a professional solicitor ensures legal expertise, regulatory oversight, and personalised support, safeguarding your legacy for generations.

Choose wisely; choose a qualified solicitor for peace of mind.

Lauren Cotton - TEP Legal Director – Hansells

Gardens • Café • Events • Weddings & Parties

Walks open daily with boardwalk and arboretum

Gardens and Tearooms 15th May - 1st September

Wednesday, ursday, Friday and Sunday Nature Walks and Art Exhibitions

Many events include:

8x8 Art exhibition May 25th-June 2nd every day June 15th Wild About Mannington with Bioblitz July Music Weekend

For updates, please see website: www.manningtonestate.co.uk admin@walpoleestate.co.uk • 01263 584175 • NR11 7BB

excited to be celebrating our 100 years anniversary Take a look at some of the special trips we have lined up

Upcoming Tours

Daily parades and working steam demonstrations, classic,

and

and so much more to

D-Day

80 Years

by Charlie Smith-Knight

June

6th 1944. As the clock ticked past midnight at the start of that ominous day, Operation Overlord began on a 50 mile stretch of the French coast. The largest seaborne invasion ever attempted, the operation saw 24,000 British, American and

the shoulders of the men, crowded on boats and planes, steadfast against the cold, moving silently forward in those early morning hours. It is something we simply can not imagine 80 years on. Instead, we vow to remember them because they were our fathers,

It is something we simply can not imagine 80 years on. Instead, we vow to remember them because they were our fathers, brothers, uncles and grandfathers.

Canadian troops storm the beaches in a combined aerial, naval and amphibious assault. In what became known as the Normandy landings, or D-Day, June 6th marked the beginning of the end of World War II. The importance of it for the British and their allies in Western Europe can not be understated and the truth is there are very few people left who have a lived experience of that day. Thanks to the sacrifi ces made by those fl ying and wading their way across French waters, many fathers, uncles, sons and brothers were able to come home. Women and children suff ering on home soil would soon begin to feel the pressure of being left behind ease. And whilst the fear and uncertainty of the years that led up to it would start to lift, the weight of the untenable loss of life would also settle across the nation. For the majority of us, this is history. For the majority of us, we can never know the responsibility that sat heavy on

brothers, uncles and grandfathers. Our mothers, sisters, aunts and grandmothers. Our families and we are their legacy. They fought for us.

To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, there will be commemorations taking place across the country. A remembrance service held in Portsmouth on June 5th is due to be televised live by the BBC, allowing you to tune in from the comfort of your own home and witness the gathering of our remaining WWII veterans. A Tribute to the Fallen is also scheduled to be broadcast from the Bayeux War Cemetery in France and will include live music performances.

Closer to home, Royal Pageantmaster and Gorleston native, Bruno Peek is leading the way with a series of events including the ‘Lamp Light of Peace’. A traditional oil lamp was lit on Monday 13th May at Great Yarmouth Minster and

continued on page 24 ➤

will make its way across the English Channel on June 6th, following the same path as the Allied Forces, where it will be used to light beacons on the 5 beaches involved in the original operation. Offi cial lamps can no longer be ordered but individuals are encouraged to join the unique initiative by lighting a lamp of their own. The lamps will signify the ‘light of peace that emerged from the darkness of war’. Mr Peek is also spearheading a proposal for fi sh and chips, which were not rationed during the war, to be eaten for supper on the day.

If you wish to celebrate in the community, Ipswich town centre will be host to a parade on June 8th in honour veterans. A block party has also been announced to take place on Market Street which will include a beer garden and live music. Crowds will be treated to classic cars, a World War II Sherman tank and music from the North Shore Pipe Band, amongst others.

I am sure that most of you reading this has a family tree with branches cut short by those Wars. Each family has its stories, handed down through the generations, the most precious of our family heirlooms.

Alternatively, you can organise your commemoration, whether that be an all-out party or a personal, quiet memorial. Be proud in red, white and blue. Hang the bunting high and blast some Vera Lynn. Indulge in a pot of tea and an M&S cream bun. Or if you want to make something authentic, check out the1940sExperiment.com, for some well researched recipes that will provide you with a taste of the time. Take a look at the Glory Buns, in particular. Nothing says good living like cake.

However you choose to honour them, our greatest responsibility is to keep the memory of their bravery and sacrifice alive. I am sure that most of you reading this has a family tree with branches cut short by those Wars. Each family has its stories, handed down through the generations, the most precious of our family heirlooms. My grandmother, Annie, was a year old when World War I erupted into her young life sweeping her father, Joseph, off to France where he perished

aged just 21. A boy in a brigade with a bayonet. When World War II came, Annie was 22 years old and in love with Alexander. When he too was summoned away to fight for his country, Annie waited for Alex and this time she was lucky. He returned home, they built a beautiful life together and had three children, one of whom is my father. Alex lived until June 4th 1985. I was born two days later, on D-Day. Two days too late to meet the man who helped to make my birth date a day of national liberation. This June 6th, the day my life began, I will remember him. For without him, I wouldn’t have a life at all.

Thank you to all veterans. Past, present and future for your service to us. We will remember you.

FullyBooked

by Gemma Mathers

In the great words of High School Musical 2: Summer time is finally here! Inspired by the heat that’s currently suffocating our office, I’ve got some of the best upcoming releases and some downright great books that really bring the summer vibe. It’s the season for a great book, an iced coffee in the garden and slathering on the SPF. Happy Summer!

Daydream

by Hannah Grace

For anyone who escaped the clutches of Hannah Grace’s debut novel Icebreaker which had the entire internet in a chokehold; congrats I’m here to drag you down with the rest of us. Daydream is the third installment of Hannah Grace’s Maple Hill series, a hilariously romantic interconnected series following members of the Maple Hill hockey team and their respective love interests. The third novel is set to follow Henry, my favourite of the hockey boys, and his counterpart Halle. The best thing about Hannah Grace’s novels is the accessibility, you don’t need to read the others in the series to understand Daydream but you’ll fall in love with the characters regardless! They’re so alive on the page it feels like they’re right next to you.

Funny Story

by Emily Henry

If you cast your mind back to our Jan/ Feb edition I may or may not have already recommended Funny Story by Emily Henry, but when the book finally released in April I got my hands on it and oh my what a book!

I’ve never been so encompassed with rage so quickly as Daphne’s fiance forcing her to move out of the first place she’s ever called home so he can move his best friend and new fiance in - on the night of his stag do no less.

This book is more than a romance, it’s a love story to finding oneself, standing up for what you deserve and re-connecting with the things that make you happy. That’s not to say the romance wasn’t incredible because it was - Miles is my new favourite and the connection between him and Daphne was so good! As always the characters Henry writes feel so real, so rich and utterly human.

Carrie Soto is Back

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It’s 2024 and Zendaya has just played a tennis powerhouse in Challengers, so we must talk about the iconic tennis player Carrie Soto. In 2022 Taylor Jenkins Reid released Carrie Soto is Back and I’ve made it my mission to re-read it every summer since, (well that’s only two but you get my point).

By the time Carrie Soto retires, she is the best player the world has ever seen. The holder of twenty SLAM titles and has broken every record ever set. So when she’s sitting in the stands watching her record be taken by a brutally stunning tennis player, it’s time to return to the game. Carrie Soto is Back is the tale of family, unwavering determination and the unparalled relationship between a father and daughter.

The Night Ends with Fire

by K.X Song

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father is refusing the imperial draft. Determined to escape her father and the ill-tempered husband he’s chosen for her, Meilin enlists in his place. In the army, Meilin’s relentless training brings her recognisition and an ever growing friendship with Sky - a prince turned training partner. But as her kingdom barrels towards destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spitirt that offers her true power and freedom but at a deadly cost.

The Night Ends with Fire is a sweeping new romantic fantasy debut by K.X Song inspired by the legend of Mulan.

Release: 2nd July 2024

This Summer Will Be Different

By Carley Fortune

Every summer forces Lucy and Felix back to the shores of Prince Edward Island where their romance blossomed, and quickly wilted when Lucy found out Felix was in fact her best friends brother. Every year the two fight the chemistry ever growing with their friendship and vow never to fall for each other again. But when Lucy’s best friend Bridget flees her wedding in Toronto, Lucy and Felix are bound for Prince Edward Island where this summer everything will be different. Left alone to pick up the pieces of Bridget’s escape, Lucy and Felix find themselves barrelling towards each other like never before.

Carley Fortune is quickly making a name for herself in the romance world as one to be watched and This Summer Will be Different is dominating the romane scene.

Level up

by Harrison Hirst

Get ready for a gaming extravaganza!

On this page, you'll find five soon-to-bereleased games that are sure to delight you and your friends. At least one of these gems will hit the sweet spot of your gaming standards. Plus, we've got every price range covered, so you can score an awesome game without breaking the bank.

Prison Architect 2 by

Double Eleven

Get ready to take control of a prison like never before! This latest instalment in the series takes a bold leap into the third dimension, bringing you detailed designs and immersive gameplay. The lifeless AI prisoners are now full of personality, forming relationships and adding a new layer of realism. With the all-new career mode, you'll progress through various prisons, tackling different objectives as the prisoners get angrier and more dangerous. Plus, the management system has received a massive upgrade, giving you more control over every aspect of your prison empire.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

by Team Cherry

Anticipated since its 2019 announcement, fans are on the edge of their seats for this eagerly awaited sequel. Following the footsteps of the masterpiece that was Hollow Knight, this next instalment from the small indie team at Team Cherry promises to be a labour of love. With just three dedicated souls behind the scenes, they're tirelessly crafting a world that expands on the original, introducing vibrant villages previously absent. The artwork is nothing short of fabulous, with each delay likely attributed to the team's pursuit of perfection. And once again, the impeccable sound design sets the perfect ambiance, just as it did in the first instalment.

Star Wars Outlaws by Ubisoft

Step into the boots of an outlaw traversing vibrant forests, bustling cities, and a vast outdoor expanse in this upcoming adventure. Engage in battles against a myriad of adversaries, ranging from the formidable empire to roving gangs.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows by Ubisoft

Get ready for a thrilling new chapter in the Assassin’s Creed saga, now set in Japan! This exciting instalment features two playable characters: Naoe, a fierce female ninja, and Yasuke, inspired by the real-life "African samurai." With these diverse heroes, you'll have multiple play styles at your disposal. The game boasts a vast open world, similar in size to Assassin’s Creed Origins, and dynamically changes with the seasons, affecting gameplay with frozen lakes in winter and blooming flora in spring. Missions are non-linear, letting you hunt down targets your way. Unlike previous games, vantage points now highlight areas of interest without cluttering your map with objective markers.

Embrace the thrill of thievery as you pilfer valuable information and items from the empire, but be prepared to make a swift escape in your trusty ship if you're caught. With gameplay reminiscent of both GTA and Star Wars, navigate the complexities of gaining a wanted level from the empire while cultivating relationships with various crime syndicates across the galaxy. Mark your calendars for the game's release on August 30th, available in three tantalizing editions: Standard: £60; Gold: £95 (includes the season pass and three days early access); Ultimate: £115 (enjoy all Gold rewards plus two exclusive outfit packs for that extra cool factor on day one)

Marvel Rivals by Net Ease Games

Prepare for the ultimate showdown in Marvel Rivals, a forthcoming six versus six team shooter featuring your favourite Marvel characters! While the game is slated for PC release, console availability remains unconfirmed. Drawing inspiration from the acclaimed Overwatch series, Marvel Rivals enters a fiercely competitive arena. From Spider-Man to Mantis, an array of beloved characters await, each boasting unique abilities to set them apart. However, eager players must exercise patience as the game's release date remains shrouded in mystery. Stay tuned for updates as you gear up for epic battles!

Truffle Figs Pinsa&

INGREDIENTS:

Serves: 4

For the dough:

• Pizza dough

• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

• 12 fresh figs

• 100g sweet gorgonzola

• 16 pecans

• 10g ground coffee

• Microgreens

• Flakes of black salt to taste

• 80g black truffle honey

METHOD:

Roll the pizza dough to 1cm thick. Using a 15 cm diameter pastry cutter, cut out 4 discs of dough (“pinsa”); sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil, and bake for 13-15 minutes at 180°C in a preheated oven.

On a plate, place a disc of cooked dough in the centre; cut the figs into slices and arrange them on top then add about 25g of gorgonzola cheese (4-5 pieces), 4 pecans, and sprinkle with ground coffee.

Decorate with the microgreens, add a drizzle of olive oil and black salt flakes. Finish with a drizzle of black truffle honey.

u f fl e Ramen

TINGREDIENTS:

Serves: 4

For the meat:

• 300g pork loins, sliced

• 5g salt

• 10ml sesame oil

• 20g fresh ginger

• 1 spring onion

• 100ml sake

• 100ml soy sauce

• 20g sugar

• 100ml water

For the marinated eggs:

• 4 eggs

• 200ml water

• 50ml soy

• 50ml mirin

For the ramen:

• 50ml sesame oil

• 1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed

• 1 spring onion, finely chopped

• 5g ginger, grated

• 2l dashi broth

• 20g kombu seaweed

• 100g black truffle pate

• 150g miso paste

• 100ml soy sauce

• 40g oyster sauce

• 25ml sake

• 25g sugar

• 320g noodles

METHOD:

First prepare the meat by putting all the ingredients in a pot and letting everything cook slowly for about an hour. Leave it to rest covered for another 2 hours.

For the eggs, cook the eggs in boiling water for about 6 minutes. Cool them in chilled water and peel them. In a bowl, mix the water, soy and mirin and put the peeled eggs in it and marinate for about 2 hours.

Now make the ramen. In a frying pan add the sesame oil. Once hot, cook the garlic, spring onions, grated ginger and add the dashi broth, the kombu seaweed and the black pate. Stir together the miso paste and soy sauce. When everything is boiling, stir the soy and miso paste into the ramen along with the oyster sauce, sake and sugar and turn off the heat.

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and place in four bowls, top with the broth, pork slices, and eggs and serve.

Steamed CHINESE Ravioli

INGREDIENTS: Serves: 4

For the dough:

• 200g flour

• 100-150ml warm water

• 9g truffle powder

For the stuffing:

• 17ml sesame oil

• 200g ground pork

• 8.5g grated ginger

• 40ml concentrated chicken broth

• 8.5g sugar

• 50g sliced truffle carpaccio

• 5ml soy sauce

• Salt and pepper

METHOD:

First make the dough by placing all the ingredients in a bowl and knead until fully combined.

Let the dough rest by covering it with a cloth so it doesn’t dry out. Once ready, roll out the dough and cut into discs of about 10 cm diameter.

Now make the stuffing. In a pan, put the oil and ground pork, let it cook for about 5 minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients, stir and turn off the heat and let cool.

To serve, place a spoonful of stuffing in the middle of each disc of dough.

Close them as if they are bags and place them on a bamboo steamer, resting on a piece of paper. Steam for about 8 minutes.

Alice Rebecca Talbot owner of ART’s – Craft Kitchen

ThisIce Cream WITH LEMON-DROP BISCUITS

recipe celebrates two of the marmalades from my range, chosen specially to reflect the increasingly warm and sunny days of summer.

Sunrise Marmalade… living on the most easterly coast in Britian my bright orange and lemon marmalade is an uplifting citrus sensation. Thinly cut peel is dispersed throughout, with every portion bringing a ray of sunshine to your plate.

Hand-cut Lemon Marmalade celebrates lemon in its full glory. The vibrant yellow fruit with elegant strips of rind fills each jar. Every mouthful is fresh, with zesty and zingy notes of citrus delighting your taste buds.

Marmalades can obviously be enjoyed served on toast, but are equally exciting to use in baking.

Lemon drop biscuits

INGREDIENTS:

• 175g unsalted butter, softened and cubed.

• 150g caster sugar

• Rind of a lemon

• Rind of an orange

• 2 egg yolks

• 50g ground almonds

• 225g self-raising flour

• A 226g jar of ART’s Hand-cut Lemon Marmalade

• Flaked almonds to finish

Sunrise Marmalade Ice cream

INGREDIENTS:

• 960ml whipping cream

• 400ml sweetened condensed milk

• 2 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 8 tablespoons ARTs Sunrise Marmalade

METHOD:

Place the whipping cream in a large bowl and beat until thick and stiff peaks form.

Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract and beat gently until combined.

Add the ART’s Sunrise Marmalade and combine well.

Transfer mixture to a freezer-safe container with a lid and freeze for at least 2 hours. Freeze for longer for a more solid ice cream.

Serve the ice cream in decorative dessert bowls accompanied by the Lemon drop biscuits. Alternatively you break-up the biscuits and mix them through the ice cream.

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 160˚C/Gas mark 3. Line two baking trays with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then stir in the citrus rinds.

Stir the egg yolks into the butter mixture, then add the ground almonds and mix well.

Divide the mixture into 20 pieces and shape into balls. Place on baking trays. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the centre of each cookie. Put ½ tsp of ARTs Hand-cut Lemon Marmalade (omitting the rind) into each hole and pinch the hole to semi-enclose the marmalade.

Brush the tops of each cookie with milk and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Bake for about 20 minutes until pale brown. Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheets to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

A delicious accompaniment to Sunrise Marmalade icecream.

Lowestoft porcelain ’Trifle’ inkwell, sold for £4,050

Eloise Harriet Stannard: one of a pair of still lifes, sold for £3,300

Rolex Datejust 36, sold for £5,000

by Rebecca Bishop

I’m Rebecca Bishop of The Next Loaf Baking School in Wenhaston, Suffolk. I teach fun, informative, hands-on baking classes that’ll leave you feeling inspired and eager to get back to your kitchen and practise what you’ve learnt! I’m also the author of the baking book ‘Two Magpies Bakery’ and founder of Two Magpies Bakery in Suffolk.

New Classes for 2025!

If you’ve been on my website recently, you’ll have noticed that due to their popularity, many of 2024 classes are full so you'll be pleased to know there are now classes for 2025 available to book on my website.

BAKING KNOW-HOW: working with unfamiliar ingredients

with and introduce the new ingredient as a replacement for one of the known components e.g. the flour

• Don’t use more than one ‘unknown’ ingredient in a recipe. This way you can isolate any changes and understand the effect they are having on the final outcome.

I recently had the opportunity to spend some time baking in Norway, working one to one with a student I met last year. The brief was for her to gain confidence with her bakery oven and learn to use a range of local Norwegian flour to create regional breads for the guests at her luxury lodge. Though it was a wonderful week in a beautiful location I also had the challenge of working with flour I was unfamiliar which we milled every day from local wholegrains…

My learning curve was steep and it made me realise how important it is to keep things simple when you're figuring out how a particular ingredient behaves.

So some simple guidelines when working with something new:

• Start with a recipe you're familiar

• Keep notes about what you observe and any changes in method you have made.

• Review the notes at the end whilst taste testing and immediately make a plan for what you will do next time while it's fresh in your mind!

WHAT I'M READING

This month I’m excited to tell you about ‘Piglet’, the childhood name of the food writing gourmand at the heart of this novel. Piglet works as a food editor and her world revolves around food. As we see her embarking on marriage and a new home the novel begins with mouth-watering descriptions of a dinner party she throws for friends amidst the chaos of a recent house move. Whilst most people would be reaching for the takeaway menu Piglet roasts chicken (‘because a house doesn’t feel like a home until you’ve roasted a chicken’) and serves it with tender new potatoes, bowls of buttery steamed vegetables and a coffee custard semi freddo with shards of hazelnut praline to finish! With mouthwatering descriptions of menus, food

and cooking the novel timeline moves through the month before her wedding during which time a secret is revealed (no spoiler alert) and we watch in fascinated (often hungry) horror as her life unravels with food remaining front and central to the drama. Highly recommended.

BAKING CLASSES

The Next Loaf baking school is in Wenhaston, Suffolk. Classes are small so there’s lots of personal attention. They’re suitable for beginners or bakers looking for more consistency and challenge so we’ll be mixing, shaping and baking our way through an exciting range of classes including Scandinavian baking, Easter baking, Sourdough, parent and child baking and sourdough pizza – to name a few! Classes (and gift vouchers) are now available to book on my website www.thenextloaf.co.uk

UPCOMING CLASSES

15 June Sourdough pizza baking class

17 June Introduction to baking class

22 June Sourdough pizza masterclass (evening)

2 July 'Fika - Scandinavian Sweet Baking

3 Aug Sourdough pizza masterclass (evening)

PRIVATE BAKING CLASSES

Planning a special get-together, hendo or just love to bake with friends and family? If you’re interested in a bespoke classes in your own home for a maximum of 6 people get in touch with

rebecca@thenextloaf.co.uk

ALL THE GEAR: Dough Scoring Knife

No, this isn’t for scoring your loaf out of 10 to judge how good it is – though this way could be a fun activity! Scoring your dough with a sharp knife, technically called a lame or grignette, enables your loaf to reach its full expansion potential as it bakes. Learning to use this knife is an important part of artisan bread making. To mix a dough, flour and water are combined with either bakers or sourdough yeast. As the dry flour is hydrated the yeast microbes are activated and start feeding on the available starch and sugars. This is known as fermentation and a byproducts is carbon dioxide bubbles, a gas that expands the loaf as it proves. When the dough is placed in the oven these bubbles expand rapidly in size and so does your loaf. When you score (cut) your loaf just before placing it in the oven the dough can expand in a controlled manner in the part of the loaf you have chosen – rather than a uncontrolled burst. A Lame knife is usually very sharp, often using a disposable razor blade, and can cut through the dough cleanly and quickly to score your loaf just before baking.

To get the latest information sign up for my newsletter www.thenextloaf. co.uk or follow me on Instagram @thenextloaf

Rose Jam Strawberry

I firsttastedrose petal jam in Turkey about 10 years ago - unable to resist anything with a floral twist. Though not essential for this recipe if you have some beautifully scented roses in your garden feel free to add them to the pot, tearing them in half and adding them to the jam towards the end of the cooking time. Use the smallest, sweetest strawberries you can find!

INGREDIENTS:

• 500g Strawberries, ripe and flavourful

• 450g Granulated Sugar

• 1tsp Powdered pectin or use pectin jam sugar

• 1/2 Lemon, Lemon juice

• 3 Tsp Rose Water

EQUIPMENT:

• Digital Thermometer

•Slotted Spoon

• Lidded Jam Jars

• Baking parchment/cellophane discs

METHOD:

The day before quickly rinse the strawberries in cold water then hull them, slice any that are very large into 2 but keep the majority whole if possible. Place the strawberries, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice into a large pan and bring this mixture to a brief simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and leave to macerate overnight. The next day thoroughly wash your jam jars and lids and place in the oven at 160°c for 20 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the jam jars inside so they stay warm. Place a saucer in the fridge for the wrinkle test later.

Strain the macerated strawberries through a sieve and pour the juices into a large heavy based pan. Retain the fruit until later. Bring the juices to the boil, stirring regularly to eliminate hot spots. Skim the surface as required with a slotted spoon and continue until the temperature reaches 105°c, then add the strawberries to the pan.

Return to the boil until 105°c is reached again then start doing the wrinkle test. Place a small spoonful of jam on the cold saucer and push gently with a finger after 30 seconds. If the jam wrinkles, it's reached setting point. Once the jam is sufficiently set add the rose water, remove from the heat, and ladle into the warm jam jars then seal and lid.

PicnicPerfection

1 Sandringham Estate

Sandringham is the much-loved country retreat of Her Majesty the Queen, and has been the private home of four generations of British monarchs since 1862. The garden is superb, and an easy stroll around in a circle with the house being the central focus. The lake leading up to the West Lawns is surrounded by the most spectacular flora. Take a picnic and eat at the woodland around the nature walks and adventure playground. Or go for a wander through the woods, and then walk over to the Visitor Centre.

2 Blickling Country Park

With a shimmering lake, shady woodland, colourful garden and rolling green parkland, you’re never far from an idyllic picnic spot. Take a stroll around the grounds to find your ideal picnic spot and after tucking in, let the kids explore the secret garden and ancient temple, and smell the citrus trees in the orangery. The whole family can also hire bikes and segways to ride around the park.

3 Winterton

The beach at Winterton-On-Sea is truly one of the jewels of the Norfolk coast. The wide and gently sloping sandy beach is ideal for picnics, sandcastles or just relaxing. A colony of around 30 to 40 seals also lives just north of Winterton so take your binoculars for a sighting.

4 Cley Beach

The beach at Cley-Next-The-Sea is about a mile away from the town and is accessed via beach road. It is a quiet beach backed by the nature reserve, which has been designated an area of outstanding natural beauty. Mostly made up of shingle Cley-Next-The-Sea beach is ideal for sunny summer evening picnics, sea fishing, early morning coastal walks and peace and quiet.

5 Whitlingham Country Park

At the eastern end of the country park you will find a children’s play area. There is also a large grass area for picnics on warm sunny days. The spot offers great views of the river Yare. Moving down to the Great Broad, fantastic views continue over the water with the Norwich skyline as a backdrop. This woodland and water park just southeast outside Norwich at Trowse is a great place to walk, cycle or bird watch. Built on the site of a quarry whose gravel was used for a number of major local construction projects, Whitlingham offers a full range of water-based activities, including sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, rafting and canoeing.

6 Holkham Hall

The sweeping park that surrounds the hall is home to a large herd of Fallow Deer and a small herd of Red Deer that roam freely. The evergreen oaks (Quercus ilex) that are such a feature of the park, they are Mediterranean in origin and were brought to Holkham from Italy. Sit back and relax in the dappled sunlight and enjoy an Italian inspired lunch, you could be in the midst of the Tuscan Hills. There are designated walks which allow visitors to explore the 3,000-acres grounds and take a closer look at prominent landmarks, such as the monument to Coke of Norfolk and the obelisk.

7 Castle Rising

One of the largest, best preserved and most lavishly decorated keeps in England, surrounded by 20 acres of mighty earthworks. In its long history, it’s been a hunting lodge, a royal residence and even housed Queen Isabella following her dastardly part in the murder of her husband, Edward II. Kids can explore the ramparts and search the horizon for enemy hordes. Then when the perimeter is safe, they’ll love tumbling down the grassy moat slope or listening out for the local grasshoppers. It’s a great spot for a picnic and watching the sun go down.

8 Heydon Village Green

One of the prettiest villages in Norfolk and is set in a corner of Heydon Hall Park. It is one of less than a dozen privately owned villages in Great Britain and became Norfolk’s first conservation area in 1971. Heydon is also currently home to six County Wildlife Sites. Every summer the village hold a tug of war on the green which is not to be missed. Enjoy a picnic on the green surrounded by many historical buildings; why not take a pint out onto the green from The Earle Arms Pub too!

9 Coltishall

Coltishall Common is one of the most picturesque spots in the whole of Broadland, also a great place to moor your boat. The staithe has a large area of grass that sweeps down to the River Bure and is an ideal place for a picnic.

10 Happisburgh

Happisburgh (pronounced Haysbrough) is most well-known for its striking red and white lighthouse. It is open at various times of the year and is the oldest working lighthouse in Britain. From a beautiful picnic spot on top of the cliffs you get an unspoilt view along the coast to Sea Palling.

11 Southwold

Famous for its picturesque beach huts and charming pier, Southwold offers a delightful seaside picnic experience. The sandy beach is perfect for spreading out a blanket and enjoying a meal with views of the North Sea. After your picnic, take a stroll along the pier, visit the lighthouse, or explore the bustling town center.

12 Thorpeness Meare

Thorpeness Meare is a man-made boating lake inspired by the stories of Peter Pan. The shallow waters are safe for children, making it an ideal family picnic spot. Hire a rowing boat or canoe, and enjoy your picnic on one of the many small islands within the lake, each named after a place in the Neverland.

13 Rendlesham Forest

Rendlesham Forest is a vast woodland area perfect for a countryside picnic. With miles of walking and cycling trails, you can find a peaceful spot amidst the towering trees. The forest is also famous for its alleged UFO sightings in the 1980s, and there is a special UFO trail that you can follow to learn more about the mysterious events.

14 Ickworth Park

Part of the National Trust, Ickworth Park features an impressive Rotunda and expansive gardens. The beautiful parkland provides numerous spots for a picnic, whether you prefer a shaded area under ancient trees or an open field with views of the estate. After your picnic, explore the Italianate gardens, woodland walks, or even take a guided tour of the Rotunda.

15 Flatford Mill

Immortalized by John Constable’s paintings, Flatford Mill is a serene spot on the River Stour. The picturesque landscape is perfect for a leisurely picnic. You can enjoy the view of the historic mill and surrounding countryside, then take a boat trip on the river or follow the walking trails that inspired Constable’s famous works.

16 Thetford Forest

As the largest lowland pine forest in Britain, Thetford Forest offers a range of activities alongside its scenic picnic spots. With areas designated for cycling, walking, and even high rope adventures, there is something for everyone. Find a peaceful clearing to lay out your picnic and enjoy the tranquil forest atmosphere.

17 Orford Castle

Orford Castle, with its unique polygonal keep, offers stunning views over Orford Ness and the River Alde. The grassy grounds around the castle are ideal for a picnic, and you can explore the well-preserved interior of the castle afterwards. The charming village of Orford, with its historic buildings and riverside walks, adds to the appeal of this picnic spot.

18 Aldeburgh Beach

Aldeburgh is a traditional seaside town with a shingle beach that is perfect for a relaxed picnic. The beach is known for its fresh fish, which you can buy straight from the boats. Enjoy your picnic with views of the sea and the iconic scallop sculpture, a tribute to composer Benjamin Britten. The town’s vibrant arts scene and historic buildings are worth exploring too.

19 Christchurch Park

Located in the heart of Ipswich, Christchurch Park is a beautiful green space with a rich history. The park features rolling lawns, ancient trees, and ornamental gardens. There are plenty of spots to lay out a picnic, and you can visit the Christchurch Mansion to see its art collections and period rooms.

20 Dunwich Heath

Dunwich Heath, managed by the National Trust, is a haven of tranquility with its heather-covered heathland and dramatic coastline. The heath is home to a variety of wildlife, and you can choose a picnic spot with breathtaking views of the sea or amidst the vibrant heathland. After your meal, explore the walking trails and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

Happy Hampers

Ah, the picnic hamper – the unsung hero of outdoor dining, the treasure chest of al fresco feasting. Whether you’re unfurling a blanket in a sun-dappled meadow or claiming your sandy throne by the seaside, the contents of your hamper can make or break your pastoral adventure. One must remember that a truly splendid picnic demands more than just a couple of sandwiches and a hastily packed packet of crisps. To elevate your outdoor dining experience to its zenith, the inclusion of good local produce is not just a recommendation, but an absolute necessity. After all, why settle for the mundane when you can savour the exceptional? So, let’s delve into the art of crafting the perfect picnic hamper, where every bite is a taste of the local terroir, and every nibble brings a smile of satisfaction.

Jarrolds Own Label Collection £100

Jarrolds have lovingly packed their wicker basket full of the finest produce from their Own Label food and drink range. A beautiful gift of truly wondrous products that are so delicious, they're proud to put their name on them.

Filled with an assortment of specially crafted food and drink made exclusively for Jarrolds by local, independent artisans, each a taste sensation. And, long after they're gone, there will be a lovely wicker basket to use over and over again, perhaps to take on picnics or to safely store those treasured possessions.

Norfolk Wines 6 Bottle Hamper

£120

A delightful collection of six Norfolk wines nestling in a signature Jarrolds wicker basket. Jarrolds have included a sparkling Charmat Rosé from Flint Vineyard, a light Pinot Noir Rosé from Cobble Hill, Humbleyard's Baccus Dry White Wine, and three Winbirri wines: their iconic Baccus, their Solaris Dry White, and their Signature Red Wine, which has been aged to perfection in oak barrels.

Flint Vineyard Charmat Rosé, 12.5% 70cl

A delicate pink sparkling wine full of red berry fruits with a lightly caramelized aroma. It has a zippy, sassy palate with a soft, creamy mousse from slow, cool fermentation.

This special hamper includes:

Jarrolds 18" wicker basket

Jarrolds heritage amber ale 4% vol 500ml

Jarrolds apple juice 227g

Jarrolds salted caramel chocolates 210g

Jarrolds raspberry & gin jam 227g

Jarrolds spiced plum chutney 200g

Jarrolds chilli tomato & red pepper ketchup 300g

Jarrolds english breakfast tea 45g

Jarrolds demerara shortbread biscuits 200g

Jarrolds chocolate peaberry coffee beans 120g

Jarrolds house blend coffee 227g

Jarrolds gold chocolate coin 58g

Winbirri Bacchus White 12% 75cl

An iconic Norfolk wine with a fresh, fruity palate and a long finish. Features grapefruit, passion fruit, and floral aromas, with tropical fruits and a clean, crisp finish.

Cobble Hill Pinot Noir Rosé 11.5% 75cl

A light 2021 Rosé with red fruit flavors and a hint of citrus. Perfect with a charcuterie board or a light, crunchy salad.

Winbirri Vineyards Solaris Dry White 12% 75cl

An elegant dry white from Solaris grapes, featuring juicy yellow fruits, apples and a crisp balance.

Humbleyard Bacchus Dry White 11% 75cl

An off-dry white with floral aromas of elderflower and apple blossom, followed by delicate citrus notes. Made from 100% Bacchus grapes, it is pale yellow and light-bodied.

Winbirri Signature English Red 12% 75cl

Made from 100% Dornfelder grapes, this wine has notes of coffee and blackberries, with plum and vanilla on the palate.

Aged in oak barrels, it pairs well with poultry and soft cheeses.

More vicar? tea

If you fancyputting together an afternoon tea at home or taking it on the road for a fancy picnic, you need to start with the star of the show – tea. Do you know your rooibos from your oolong, your Assam from your ceylon? If not, these local, independent tea specialists certainly do, and can provide you with some of the finest and most extensive selections from around the globe.

JARROLDS, Norwich

For all tea fans you can't go wrong with starting your tea adventure in the Food Hall at Jarrolds where you will find a vast selection of teas (and tea related products) on offer. You will also be able to find a large selection of other goodies to make your afternoon tea, at home or to build your own hamper for an afternoon tea road trip. Quite litterally an Aladin's cave of Scrumptiousness.

www.jarrolds.co.uk

THE T JUNCTION, Norwich

Offering a dizzying selection of loose leaf teas and teabags alongside a range of gourmet coffees, The T Junction is a long-established, family owned business situated in Castle Mall. For tea connoisseurs, there’s green, white, black, herbal and every fruit flavour imaginable, as well as a range of related accessories such as tea infusers, teapots and of course, biscuits. Whatever your preference, the shop invites you to ditch the PG Tips and join its ‘Real Coffee and Tea’ campaign to transform your taste experience. www.thetjunction.co.uk

PICKWICKS OF IPSWICH, Ipswich

Housed in a building dating back to the 15th century, Pickwicks Coffee and Tea House is full of olde world charm. Their merchant counter offers a superb selection of over 40 varieties of loose leaf tea and special blends, which can be sampled within the shop before you buy. Their mission is also to persuade teabag users to give flavoursome loose leaf a try, and with one of the largest selections of tea in Suffolk you’re sure to find one (or several!) you love.

www.pickwicksipswich.com

BUTTERWORTH AND SON, Bury St Edmunds

Established in the 19th century, Butterworth and Son have been in the tea smith business for generations and stock a wide range of loose leaf and bagged teas, ranging from daily household staples to the more exotic. Thought to be the last tea company in England to include a collectible picture card with each box, the packaging is as much of a treat as the tea itself.

www.butterworthandson.co.uk

Did you know...

The bread-enclosed convenience food known as the “sandwich” is attributed to John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), a British statesman and notorious profligate and gambler, who is said to have invented this type of food so that he would not have to leave his gaming table to take supper.

Known for our insatiable thirst for the aromatic brew, the population of Britain collectively consumes 165 million cups daily or 60.2 billion cups per year. On average, this works out to around two bathtubs full of tea per person each year.

According to an old English superstition, putting a fruit cake under your pillow would make you dream about the person you will marry.

National Afternoon Tea week occurs from the 14-20 August 2018 to celebrate this beloved tradition. Look out for events and discounts occurring at a tea room near you during this time.

The controversial debate surrounding scones and the ‘proper’ order of their clotted cream and jam filling was settled by the Queen herself - with a Buckingham Palace chef reporting that garden parties always involved jam-first, cream-second scones.

referred“Low”and“high”teatotheheightofthe dinnertable.Highteawasservedat tablesandtendedtobeormoresubstantial,whereaslow aafternoonteawasservedin morerelaxedsettingon acoffeetable.

Andrew Hirst

The revival of

terracotta is on the horizon, under a new name - burnt umber. It brings a sense of warmth and embraces a rustic essence to any contemporary/ historic space. Pairing these warm tones with blissful blues creates a cosy and comforting atmosphere.

We have chosen some fantastic key pieces, from our lovely modern sculptured blocky chair in a soft, deep navy velvet to our new in baked clay corded cushion. Lots of layering and texture can help you achieve this look, contriving this summery feel.

Coat paints have some amazing colours to choose from including ‘Baked’ an inviting tone that looks great in the day and enveloping in the evening.

Pattern is essential for adding interest and helping to bring a scheme together. We have featured our ‘narla’ lampshade which comes in various sizes to suit a nice lamp base such as the one featured here from Matthew Williamson in terracotta.

We at John Lewis Norwich Home design would love to assist you with your home styling journey with our free service. Whether you're refreshing a room or rethinking your whole home, we can help you create a look you’ll love. For more information look head to www.johnlewis.com/our-services or you can follow us on Instagram @jl_lucyandanielle for more inspiration.

Trending Colours

1. Woodland Floral Glazed 450ml Stoneware Mug, £7

2. Blocky Armchair Rush Velvet in Navy 118, £499

3. Bolton Aztec Square Outdoor Pouffe in Natural, £160

4. Corded Square Cushion in Baked Clay, £40

5. Curved Ceramic Lamp Base in Terracotta, £85

6. Drift Throw in Tuscan Clay, £35

7. Mini Moderns Darjeeling Cushion, £45

8. Narla Lampshade, £50-£70

9. Set of 2 Cotton Rope Storage Baskets, £25

10. William Morris - 'Cotton Prints' Exhibition Poster Framed Print, 104.5 x 78.5cm, £250

Interior Trends

Interior designer Laura Ruddy, owner of the stylish Norfolk Luxury Furniture, gives us advice to keep our homes on trend this year.

Norfolk Luxury Furniture specialises in supplying on-trend, desirable items of furniture and furnishings. The owner, Laura Ruddy, set up the business after spending many hours searching the internet for quality, luxurious items at competitive prices.

@norfolkluxuryfurniture

www. norfolk luxury furniture .com

Interior tips for June

Summer officially begins June 21, but why wait until then to get into the summer spirit? Here are some tips to make the most of this short-lived season!

Green is good:

Incorporating greenery is the simplest and easiest way to make your home feel like summer is officially upon us. If you don’t have a green thumb, fret not. Picking eucalyptus branches and placing them in a simple vase can transform a space in an instant.

Prep your kids’ play space:

The long, lazy days of summer are even longer if your kids can’t keep themselves entertained. Put books, activities and toys within easy reach - baskets on the floor work especially well. Baskets are especially ideal because they can be easily moved anywhere inside or outside your home.

Organise your garage: There’s no better time to do this dreaded job than the summer. The best place to start? Purge anything you no longer need. Maximise the space by storing as much as you can on or along the walls. Use a combination of hooks and shelves to organise your most frequently used tools and items, while storing away lesser used items in durable boxes that can be stacked or placed on upper level shelves.

THE NOOR COMPANY

The Noor Company is an independent boutique based in North Norfolk. All their candles are hand-poured in small batches using the finest quality soy, coconut wax and fragrance oils. They use natural soy and not paraffin wax, which is important to our health, meaning their candles are non-toxic ensuring a long lasting and clean burn. My favourite candle fragrance is the Mandarin & Tonka Bean. Available at www.thenoorcompany.co.uk and showcasing a small collection at Black Barn Farm, Salhouse, Norwich.

The ICONIC Gluggle Jug

Introducing the one-of-a-kind Gurgly Glug Jug. The perfect addition to your table for a touch of sophistication. Hand-crafted from durable earthenware with a glossy finish, these jugs are versatile and can be used for various purposes. They also make for great gifts! Don’t miss out on this must-have item for every household! Available in a large variety of colours at: wwww.norfolkluxuryfurniture.com

Black Barn Farm, Salhouse, NR13 6QG

We showcase a small collection of home accessories in the Farm Shop at Black Barn Farm. A stunning barn, in a tranquil setting. Downstairs you’ll find independent shops including Woven Anew (selling preloved designer pieces), Quirky Art (Jo Forster), Salhouse Farm Shop and many more unique businesses. Make sure to visit the very popular café upstairs too!

Gardening

with

Tom Strowlger

Tom Strowlger

@garden_with_tom

We are in June, the month us gardeners enjoy sunny, warm and long days in our gardens. June is the halfway point of the gardening calendar, to now we have seen the garden progress from a state of dormancy to a colourful and lush green space. The garden is at its lush green peak and although a gardener’s work is never really finished we should not feel guilty for

spot any jobs to maintain and improve the beds and borders. We may notice that floral arrangements are getting overcrowded, if so we can thin them out and put the flower cuttings into a vase for indoor arrangements.

The lawn grass will be growing quickly if the weather is rainy and warm and slower if the weather is hot and dry. If the grass is growing quickly and is lush green, then we can cut it once per week. During very hot and dry spells grass can become straw like so we should cut the grass less often and on the highest setting to reduce stress and the risk of disease. We should also trim the edges of our lawns to keep them looking neat and tidy.

We can encourage bees and butterflies into the garden by letting a patch of grass grow to its natural height. If we want to create our own wildlife area in the garden, whatever the size, then we can choose a space to be a natural patch. The position should ideally be at the back of the garden and in part shade, this will encourage wildlife into the patch and prevent too much disturbance whilst enjoying the garden.

If entering the summer planting a little late then don’t worry we can still plant out nursery grown Begonia, Petunia, Aster, Salvia, Rudbeckia, Zinnia, Verbena, Dephinium, Pansy, Geranium, Lobelia and Thunbergia. Once planted into your borders, beds, pots and tubs the

June is the halfway point of the gardening calendar, to now we have seen the garden progress from a state of dormancy to a colourful and lush green space.

putting down our garden tools and simply enjoying the garden. We should get amongst our plants and flowers as much as we can, being outside is both good for our wellbeing and allows us to

established plugs will grow bigger and give you a summer of bright floral colour. We must remember to regularly water our plants and flowers to get the very best displays from them.

The rose flowering season is here and many will have had a first bloom in late spring continuing into early summer. We should deadhead the faded and spent rose flowers by pinching and pruning to ensure the plants energy is preserved for future buds and blooms. We need to look out

for Aphids amongst the new growth and ideally remove them with a soapy spray or the gentle stroke of a clean and unused soft paintbrush.

June is a superb month to take a step back from the gardening jobs and admire what we have created so far, whilst also taking note of what we want to see in the garden next summertime. The sun never completely sets on our gardening jobs and projects but whilst the sun is shining we really should choose a peaceful spot for our deckchair.

TOP TIPS

• Keep the water topped up for the birds

• Pick out Sweet Pea buds to encourage more flowers

• Stake out any tall plants to reduce wind damage

• Open the ventilation in your greenhouse

• Keep weeding the garden

COOL COMFORTABLE & Must

have Summer pieces

Summer is upon us! Time to refresh your wardrobe with this season's classic prints, breezy fabrics, and versatile styles. From pretty sundresses to chic sandals and statement sunnies, here are my must-have pieces to keep you stylish all season.

by Polly Coleman

MARC JACOBS Medium Leather Tote Bag in Cement, £495

House of Fraser

Crocs Brooklyn Low Wedge Sandals in Latte Mushroom, £50, OFFICE

Ramie Blend Longline Stripe Waistcoat (tucked in) , £45 & Matching Ecru Premium Ramie Blend Stripe Boy Shorts, £35 , NEXT

Gold Ombre Oversized Sunglasses, £18, River Island

Rosalie

Blue V-Neck Frill Dress, £79.95, Joules

Lana Seahorse Gold Stud Earrings, £12.50, Oliver Bonas

Jon Richard Cubic Zirconia & Pearl Bow Earrings, £18, John Lewis

Totes Ladies Double Buckle Sandals, £25, NEXT

by Polly Coleman

As the warmer weather finally graces us with its sunny presence, I've scoured the shelves and curated a collection of June's must-have newest, nicest sandals, perfect for every occasion - from beach days to brunch dates. Get ready to strut your stuff in style with my top picks that blend comfort, elegance, and trend-setting designs. Dive in and discover your new favourite summer sandals!

Wide Fit Tan Suedette Espadrille Wedges, £27.99, New Look

Birkenstock Milano Big Buckle Sandals, £130, OFFICE

Beige Knit Flatform Sandals, £25, River Island

Toms Sloane Sandals in Off White Multi, £70, Schuh

Leather Meldon Flatform Teal Blue Sandals, £49.50, FatFace

Sivanne Walk Orange Leather Clog, £80, Clarkes

Mauritius White Leather T Bar Sandals, £65.99, OFFICE

Reiss Melissa Raffia Stitch Leather Flatform Sandals, £158, John Lewis

Ugg Golden Star Sandals, £109, Sole Trader

Black Chain Front Square Sandals, £14, George at ASDA

KG Kurt Geiger Sofie Sandals, £99, NEXT

Flat Strappy Slider Sandals, £59.99, ZARA

Cream Rope Knot Chunky Sandals, £29.99, New Look

Springing Forward

Networking, Beauty & Business Ventures

For those of you who read my monthly column, you will know I am a mummy to beautiful Penelope and often share my tales of business and mum life. However, this month is all about the beauty of networking. Recently I hosted my very first event, the Spring Collective, alongside the very talented colour theory specialist, Evangeline at Vivaldi, and print scarf designer, Bella Singleton. Following such a positive response from attendees, we are aspiring to bring another seasonal collective in the near future.

In the full flow of networking, last month I also headed to ‘The Big Smoke’ to attend an incredible networking event; Beauty and the Brand, located at The Strand Hotel London. Hosted by Brand Strategist, Fiona O’Sullivan and Roxy Resali, this was an opportunity for beauty professionals to explore how to elevate, align, and affirm their branding in today's modern world. Listening to expert panellists

As well as curating my first event, I am also enjoying attending other female networking events and continuing investing in myself. A highlight last month was jetting to Milan for a Biotek Permanent Makeup Conference

Since having Penelope, I’ve been really focused on diversifying my skill set as a businesswoman. With more than a decade of experience within the permanent makeup industry I love sharing my knowledge with other aspiring females, hence the creation of my business consultancy, Polly Means Business.

As well as curating my first event, I am also enjoying attending other female networking events and continuing investing in myself. A highlight last month was jetting to Milan, Italy for a Biotek Permanent Makeup Conference - the home of where our equipment and pigments are manufactured.

definitely gives you long term energy and inspiration to take action within your own business.

These types of networking events can be daunting to show up to alone, however are important for all businesses, whether you are in the embryonic stage of an idea, to owning a fully flourishing company, it’s great to hear everyone's entrepreneurial journeys. We can all learn from each other. Connecting with other women who are investing and shining a light on their passions sets a strong standard for us all. My personal interest is uplifting females and giving them a voicethese meet ups really inspire me as a

business consultant. If you are looking for some business nurturing, head over to Polly Means Business on Instagram and say hello!

Also I’m excited to announce that for the first time ever, we have introduced a makeup brand into the clinic. The award winning delilah makeup has exclusively launched at Enhance Cosmetic Clinic… ta dahh! delilah sits perfectly alongside our existing Alumier skincare range. delilah principles are that they are proud

to be certified by PETA as an animal cruelty-free brand - this means no animal testing is conducted, and they don’t sell their products in markets that require animal testing - so that is really positive in today's world. A company who is committed to environmentally friendly packaging, hoping that in the future everything will be sustainable - looking ahead to achieve fully recyclable and degradable status.

For years at Enhance Cosmetic Clinic, we’ve offered permanent makeup, our signature touch - artistically applying micro droplets of colour to create stunning makeup for eyes, brows, and lips that last. delilah is the perfect compliment to those who want to amplify their PMU, updating an already

established look for an evening, a wedding or an event. The delilah range has an array of options, there are creamy weightless foundations, radiant skin tints, and their latest bestseller product: Lip Saviour - Colour Enhancing Lip Oil, a close rival the hot right now Dior lip oil, at only a fraction of the price.  So much more than a lip oil, this advanced multi-functional magical oil is unique, with its custom personalised staining pigment making it adaptable to all lips. The personalised pigment gently enhances your natural lip colour and perfectly compliments our very popular Lip Blush enhancement.  Talking of lip blusher, we recently welcomed Norfolk based influencer, Alex in Colour into the clinic. Since her treatment Alex has been raving about the results of her Lip Blush, blowing up our socials with her initial outcome and documenting her healing process. Lip Blush not only adds to your lips a beautiful flush of colour, it also gives an illusion of fullness and is great for anyone who prefers a no-filler approach.  delilah makeup has seamlessly blended into the clinic with the whole team embarking on training with James McKnight to sharpen our

conventional makeup know-how to implement into our growing repertoire of skills. Another fantastic delilah hero product is their luminous primer called - Underwear.  Interested in vamping up your makeup bag?  As a certified delilah stockist you can purchase all products via our website or you can collect in person at the clinic, our experienced and friendly team are happy to assist and help you with testing any new shades or products before you buy.

To keep in the loop about all things makeup, events and more, head to www.pollyvincent.co.uk and sign up for our monthly newsletter, every correspondence with us will be filled with exciting news and offers, about upcoming treatments here at our clinic in the heart of Pakefield.

On a personal note, Penelope has reached a milestone by learning to roll over, while my partner Sam has been an incredible source of support as I manage my work commitments. Having my family close by adds a sense of comfort and joy to my life. It was heartwarming to have both Sam and Penelope with me at my Collective event, we try to support one another in all aspects of our relationship. I want to express my gratitude to all the remarkable women who I have connected with recently. Many of you I have met, we have only had correspondence online, yet we come together as a unified force.

Additionally, as we step into June, summer holidays and packing for the poolside comes to mind! If anyone requires last-minute pre-holiday pampers, smoothing skin treatments or body boosters, feel free to visit us at the clinic. We are ready and waiting to get you looking bikini ready and glowing for the summer season! I eagerly anticipate connecting with more wonderful women in the days ahead..

ENHANCE COSMETIC CLINIC

4 Ashhurst Place, Pakefield, Lowestoft, Su olk NR33 7AE

Instagram: @enhance_cosmetic_clinic www.pollyvincent.co.uk