Chigwell Life Magazine September 2011

CHIGWELL LIFE

CHIGWELL LIFE EPPING, LOUGHTON, BUCKHURST HILL, BRENTWOOD, SOUTH WOODFORD, WANSTEAD & THE BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDING AREAS www.thelifemagazines.com T H E

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M A G A Z I N E

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I S S U E

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S E P T E M B E R

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AUDLEY END HOUSE

WE EXPLORE THE GARDENS & THE FASCINATING HISTORY

WWW.THELIFEMAGAZINES.COM THE QUALITY LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2011

ENCHANTING BEAUTY OF HUTTON MOUNT PHILLIP LEIGH’S PROPERTY MARKET FIAT 500 BY GUCCI ARRIVES IN BUCKHURST HILL LOCAL LIFE | BEAUTY | FASHION | EVENTS | HISTORY | PROPERTY

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Building on water Some of the country’s foremost house builders, architects and surveyors throw caution to the wind, quite literally, when taking part in their exclusive industry event, the Little Britain Challenge Cup, Europe’s largest commercial sailing regatta, which takes place every September in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.

This year’s event, taking place 8th-11th September, received a record number of firm entries during the first week of opening their on-line booking service, something that particularly delighted the Little Britain Chairman, David Smith, from Surrey-based luxury house builders Octagon who comments,

“We see the LBCC as the perfect mix of a wonderful few days’ racing combined with some great networking opportunities. Anybody who is anybody, is here for the four day extravaganza, either bringing down company members to crew, or inviting clients who love to join in for both the racing and partying afterwards. We forsee this being a sell out year, so are urging regulars and newcomers alike, who have yet to register, not to delay, so they can be assured of place in September.”

Both those wishing to actually compete, or simply join in from the quayside, there is a jam packed programme of events which will take 1500 guests through from sunrise to the early hours throughout the regatta period.

Everyone is invited to join in the evening parties held at Cowes Yacht Haven. This year, the Friday night extravaganza is Viva Las Vegas, giving guests the chance to dress up in theme, and take part in a fun filled programme of entertainment.

This includes getting hitched in the Little White Wedding Chapel, and special guest appearances from ‘Elvis’, ‘Frank’, and the lovely ‘Vegas Show Girls’.

The LBCC is more than just a jolly, as it continues to support a number of charities, which, more than ever, need help and support. Not least the GBR Paralympic Sailing Team. This is the LBCC’s last big chance to raise funds for these most magnificent of sailors, to ensure they enter the 2012 Olympics in winning style. Already well into serious training on the Olympic waters of Weymouth, the seven young individuals are determinedly gearing themselves towards victory, despite their varying degrees of disability which range from cerebral palsy through minus a right forearm to a double below the knee amputee.

The LBCC money really does make a huge difference, as these sailors, all professionals and regatta champions, get nothing in the way of handouts from government or councils. This is the time that costs start to soar, as the team require more boats, which come hand in hand with higher maintenance bills.

As well as actively overturing sponsors themselves, to help keep their boats in prime condition and in the water, they rely on the generosity of people like the contestants and guests who attend the Little Britain Challenge Cup.

Join the Race Contact: Mary Scott-Jackson 01983 248140 info@littlebritain.co.uk www@littlebritain.co.uk

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Join the Race 8th-11th September 2011 www.littlebritain.co.uk An invitation to sail in Europe’s largest commercial regatta, the 24th Little Britain Challenge Cup. If you have a connection with the building industry you are probably eligible to join in this fantastic annual event taking place 8th-11th September at Cowes. Attracting around 150 yachts across 10 classes, with over 1500 competitors and quayside guests, the LBCC is the construction and property industry’s premier event for high level networking and socialising.

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Welcome to our September issue.

Hopefully you are rested and relaxed from the extensive, summer holidays.

September is an exciting new phase in the year, but essentially, it’s back to the grindstone! Whether returning to school, work, college or starting university, September is a month of change. e sultry and sensuous swing, reminiscent of a blues, New York jazz bar can be found locally – Buckhurst Hill! In recent years, jazz has recently become far more popular because of artists such as Jamie Callum, Jools Holland and Amy Winehouse. Every Sunday night at 8 p.m. at the Buckhurst Hill, Sports and Social Club, jazz enthusiasts gather to listen to music and even take turns to ‘jam’ with the resident band, Infusion. ey have a very contemporary ‘take’ on jazz, and play their own arrangements of jazz ‘standards’: their own compositions, arrangements and a recently recorded jazz version of "Californication". is dream team of talented musicians consists of Chris Neill, Jack Polley and Josh Law – we take a closer look at a great local night out.

One of Brentwood’s best residential areas has to be Hutton Mount.

Epitomising the most elegant of Essex mansions, detached homes worth in excess of £1 million, sit regally in the property’s surrounding land and exquisite gardens. Quiet roads, meander into sumptuous turnings, where each street offers aesthetic beauty and fabulous, individually styled, grand properties. Some could easily be the setting for a televised period drama, or floor plans that read like a Cluedo board! Most of the properties have the perfect gardens to enjoy a relaxing summer’s day or party: or nocturnal soiree with friends and/or family.

For those looking to move into this beautiful area, various estate agents such as Beresfords, Hilbery Chaplin and Meacock & Jones, are currently advertising some great properties for sale. Having scanned through available residences, probably the best available home is an incredible 14 bedroom mansion worth in excess of £4 million. An elegant, sweeping carriage driveway, outhouses, cobbled courtyards and palatial interior, with a little imagination and a dollop of romanticism, you could easily imagine Colin Firth appearing (with obligatory sideburns) from a back room, with a pretty but feisty damsel, on his arm! So for those with a team of staff to support its maintenance, this is probably the ultimate dream of dreams residence! – our very own Michelle Harris takes a look at this hidden gem. is month we have the next installment on PALS for Dalits, the Loughton Methodist Church group which is made up of members of the congregation who fundraise for third world projects over a period of two years. e aim is to raise vital funds but also awareness regarding issues.

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Editor Faye Manning Editor’s Assistant Katie Miller Sub Editor Alexandra Lux Fashion Editor Hazel Englander Design & Production Claire Stone Art Editor Kathleen Barbour Account/Admin Kathy Manning Ken Fleet Sales Patrick Smith James Marshall Lisa Westerman Directors Patrick Smith Rory Smith

Last year the group was inspired by Kasta Dip, Desk Officer for JustIce, Peace & Reconciliation at the Church of North India. He is firmly opposed to casteism; the term used which defines people’s status in life by caste into which they are born. Dalits lie outside the caste system and are often treated as sub-human, unfit to live in decent surroundings, do the same work, eat the same food and even drink the same water, resulting in a constant diminishment of their humanity – we have a 2 page article on this touching subject.

As always, we have a property update from Phillip Leigh, a look at the wonderful world of antiques with the BBC’s John Bly, a dental Q&A from Ash Parmar and many local success and topical articles.

Until next month…

To advertise please call

Faye Manning, Editor

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SEPTEMBER2011

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Fishpools has grown over the last 112 years and today we are the largest quality furniture store in the south east. Our 60,000 square feet showrooms feature over 200 room sets from classic to contemporary, minimal to vintage and rustic to romantic all designed to help you make your home unique. There are over 200 sofa collections, 120 dining ranges, 100’s of beds, 75 bedroom ranges, and a large carpets & rugs department. Choose from a wide range of linens, softs, pictures and mirrors plus cookware and gifts from our Home Accessories department.

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c o nt ent s

Editor’s Letter

8

Contents

10

What’s On…

12

Local Life

14

Welcome Back!

Singing The Blues in Buckhurst Hill Get More Out Of Your Life Magazine!

Phillip Leigh’s Local Property Market To India With Love A Man Less Ordinary Local Group Is Open For Business History Of Hutton Mount

Local Business

32

Luxury Home & Leisure Show

Cover Story

35

Audley End House – Exploring The Gardens & History

Health & Beauty

38

Look Good, Feel Great Beauty Tips Q&A With Ash Parmar Walking With Heather A New Smile For Candice

Fashion

46

Suit’s You Sir!

Home Interest

51

A Contemporary Orangery In Rural Essex A Jewel In The Crown Antiques With John Bly Improve, Don’t Move!

Simple But Effective Tips

Travel

56

Discover The Magic Of Malta

Motors

59

Fiat 500 By Gucci Audi A1 Awards

Property Life

61

Free your imagination...

Whatever your dream scheme for the perfect garden building, the experienced designers at Crown Pavilions can put it all together to create the ultimate outdoor room.

Bring your ideas to life at www.crownpavilions.com or call 01491 612820

WHAT’S ON STARLIGHT WALK St Clare Hospice would love you, your friends and your colleagues to be stars for a night at our Starlight Walk in Loughton.

Walk 5 miles around Loughton and Buckhurst Hill in memory of a loved one you’ve lost, walk for someone you know who has been helped by St Clare Hospice or just walk for fun and fitness.

Whatever your motivation, we want you to be part of our Starlight Walks! St Clare events are always so much fun with people dressing up and getting fully involved in creating a really lively atmosphere. It really would be fantastic to see as many people there as possible, so ask all your family and friends to sign up with you – you may just need their help with getting up the hills!

Call 01279 773750 for more information. e walk starts at 8pm. Entry costs £15 each and is open to everyone aged 12 years and over. ose aged 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult. Trap’s Hill car park, Loughton Essex IG10 1HD Saturday 24 September. www.stclarehospice.org.uk/starlig htwalk.html STAMP CLUB MEETING Details of this event were not available at the time that this entry was inserted. All welcome.

Organised by Epping Forest Stamp Club.

19.30-22.00. Contact Keith Lillywhite (020-8504 9265).

Roding Valley High School, Brook Road (entry from Alderton Hill), Loughton Essex IG10 3JA. Tuesday 13 September CANNONS BROOK GOLF COURSE WEDDING SHOW. Come and visit this wedding venue and some of the best wedding suppliers in Essex.

10.30 am - 3.30 pm FREE ENTRY. Canons Brook Golf Club, Elizabeth Way, Harlow Essex CM19 5BE Sunday 11 September

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www.mainweddingsandevents.co.uk MARIGOLDS BLUES CLUB PRESENTS ’THE FUGITIVES’ e Fugitives: www.thefugitives.co.uk Terry Boon bass/vocals Keith Harris guitar John Andreotti guitar and Ken Shillingford drums. e Fugitives have been on the run in the lowland swamps of Essex for years now. Evading the hounds they have hold up at Marigolds on several occasions in the past. ey draw on numerous blues influences. Now out on parole and back at Marigolds the Fugitives are not a rock band that play the odd blues but are a blues band that gives the audience a great night out £6 in advance or £7 on the door.

DOORS AND LICENSED BAR OPEN AT 7.30PM ENQUIRIES 01279 414174 / 421763 Harlow Cricket Club, Chippingfield, Old Harlow, Essex CM17 0DJ. Friday 16 September www.musicatmarigolds.co.uk NAZEING FESTIVAL e Nazeing Festival and Fun Day on 10th September 2011 12pm - 7pm at Clayton Hill, Nazeing, Essex EN9 2HX. A great day out for all the family BBQ, Refreshments, Bouncy Castles, Rides, Dog Show, Entertainment, Cream Teas, Live Bands, Stalls and much more. To book a stall, become a sponsor or advertise, contact Carol Byatt on 01992 652682 or go to www.nazeingfestival.org and complete a booking form.

12pm - 7pm Clayton Hill, Nazeing Essex EN9 2HX. Saturday 10 September. www.nazeingfestival.org BIG DRAW: CURIOSITY CABINETS - INSPIRATION FROM THE WILD At the Visitor Centre, we'll be focussing on found objects, leaves, nuts and grasses from the Forest to make your own "Curiosity Cabinet" or scrapbook to remind

you of what lives and grows in the Forest today. Free drop-in event.

020 8508 0028 Free drop-in Event 12noon-3pm Visitor Centre, High Beach, Loughton Essex IG10 4AF Saturday 8 October to Sunday 9 October JAZZ JAM IN BUCKHURST HILL An open-mic jazz jam session for instrumentalists and vocalists, or just come along and listen to some great jazz! If you are playing "Real Books" are available, but if you want to bring your own music please make sure you bring two copies of the chords (and if you are playing a transposing instrument, make sure they're in C please!).

Please see our website or call or text Keith on 07970 910080.

Starts at 8.00pm every Sunday evening. Admission £3 Buckhurst Hill Sports and Social Club, 50 Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill Essex IG9 5BY Sunday 18 September www.jazzjam.co.uk THE CRUCIBLE Arthur Miller's powerful play about the Salem witch hunts.

Our intimate theatre has raised seating for a good view. Licensed bar at all evening performances.

Senior prices on the Saturday matinee (at 2.30 pm) and Weds evening.Tickets £ 9.50. from 020 524 4380 or cadoschingfordbox@hotmail.co.uk Curtain up 7.45 pm evgs. 2.30 pm Saturday matinee Senior discounted price on Weds eve and Saturday matinee : £8.50 Reductions for groups of 10 and over. Competition in the programme to win back the cost of your tickets (max.2) Mornington Hall, e Green Walk, North Chingford London E4 7EN. Wednesday 5 October to Saturday 8 October

DAMINIS CHARITY FASHION SHOW AND DINNER AND DANCE DAMINIS PRESENTS a spectacular evening of fashion and entertainment in support of e Dream Factory Making Cherished dreams come true for Children! Saturday 24th September Fabulous Indian Cuisine, Fashion Show, Raffle, and Dancing Reception 7pm – 7.30 Carriages – 12.30 £50 per Ticket For tickets please contact Belinda on 07951154967 or Daminis on 020 8503 4200 or email belinda@daminis.com IN SUPPORT OF THE DREAM FACTORY CHARITY At Metropolitan Police Club, High Road, Chigwell, Essex IG7 6BD 7pm - 12.30am £50 a Ticket Saturday 24 September to Sunday 25 September www.khanakhazanarestaurant.co.u k/index.php EXHIBITION - WITCH HUNT Find out about strange phenomenon of Tudor and Stuart witch hunts. what did people really belive and why did witch hunts happen?

020 8508 0028. Free Drop in event during normal opening hours.

Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge London E4 7QH. u 8 Sep to Sun 11 Sep. FAMILY HISTORY TALK A talk by Patricia Melville entitled "London Life in the 17th Century" Doors open 7.00 pm for 7.30 pm start Free entry; Visitors welcome; Help Corner; Bookstall; Refreshments. Wanstead Library, Spratt Hall Road London E11 2RQ. Wednesday 28 September www.eolfhs.org.uk PAST & PRESENT ANTIQUE & CRAFT FAIR Collectibles, antiques, vintage jewellery, clothes and other items, perfumes and handbags, household items, curios, home made preserves, plants, greeting cards, candles, buttons and lots more. In 2 halls, lots of stalls, great friendly atmosphere. Come and find a unique item or gift. A good place to pop in for a coffee, have a drink or lunch with a

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10:00 - 16.30 Admission £1 Christchurch Hall, Wanstead Place (off Wanstead High Street) London E11 2SW. Saturday 17 September STAMP CLUB MEETING Jeremy Gaskell of the Sarawak Specialists' Society display "British Borneo". All welcome.

Organised by Leytonstone, Wanstead & District Philatelic Society.

19.15-21.30. Contact David Pashby (020-8491 6235).

Wanstead House, 21 e Green, Wanstead London E11 2NT Monday 26 September www.lwdps.org GLOWALK 2011 Event: GLOWalk 2011 Date: Friday, 30th September Timings: Registration from 6.30pm, walk begins at 7.30pm Place: Starts and finishes at Haven House Children’s Hospice, e White House, Mallinson Park, Woodford Green IG8 9LB e event: A 10k sponsored walk in the dark Entrance costs: £15 for adults, £12 for under 16s (must be accompanied by an adult) Cost

includes an event t-shirt, goodie bag and a complimentary drink.

To Book: Email events@havenhouse.org.uk Tel: 020 8506 3637 More information: Help us raise funds for the very special children and families at Haven House Children’s Hospice by joining us for our annual GLOWalk. is exciting 10k walk in the dark can be a leisurely stroll or a fitness challenge – it’s up to you! So take a step in the bright direction and call or email today.

Start time 6.30pm to 7.30pm Entrance costs: £15 for adults or £12 for under 16 year olds (must be accompanied by an adult) Haven House Children’s Hospice, e White House, Mallinson Park, Woodford Green, IG8 9LB Essex IG8 9LB. Friday 30 September www.havenhouse.org.uk MUSEUMAKER EXHIBITION Museumaker was a nationwide project involving 16 partner organisations nationally, funded

by Arts Council England and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. Find out more about the project and the community

www.roydonmarinavillage.co.uk

groups involved in our special museumaker exhibition.

Time: During normal opening hours (Tuesday - Wednesday 10am - 5pm and Sundays 11am to 4pm) Age: Open to all Price: Free, no need to book, just drop in Valentines Mansion & Gardens, Emerson Road, Ilford Essex IG1 4XA. Until Wednesday 14 September www.valentinesmansion.com FORGET ME NOT CHARITY WALK Charity Walk in aid of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research organised by Brentwood, Hutton and Billericay Branch. e four mile route (most of which is on surfaced tracks) takes in woodlands, a circuit of the lake and includes great views of surrounding countryside. ere is also a shortcut to the finish at the halfway point, which gives walkers the option of a two and a half mile alternative if they so wish. Suitable for all - including children, pushchairs, wheelchairs, dogs etc. etc. Good picnic area so make a day of it.

Tel: 01279 792777

10.30 a.m. start. Pre-registration on web-site. £7.50 for adults, £5.00 for children (or £20.00 for family of four - 2 adults and 2 children). Can also turn up on the day and prices will be £10.00, £5.00 and £25.00.

All entrants receive a Walkers Pack and Forget Me Not T shirt. orndon Park South (off A128), Brentwood Essex Sunday 18 September www.beatbloodcancers.org or www.forgetmenotwalks.com BRENTWOOD NCT NEARLY NEW SALE ousands of high quality baby & children's clothing, toys, nursery equipment, books, DVDs and more for sale. Money raised goes to NCT charity. £1.50 entry (in aid of NCT charity). 10:30am -12noon (10am early entry for NCT members who bring their membership cards). Cafe onsite serving hot & cold beverages and food. Baby feeding & changing facilities onsite. Toilets onsite.

Brentwood School Sports Centre (Courage Hall), Middleton Hall Lane, Brentwood Essex CM15 8EE. Sunday 18 September www.nct.org.uk/brentwood

SEPTEMBER2011 13

Lo c aL Life

Welcome back from the summer holidays!

WORDS: MICHELLE HARRIS

H

opefully all our readers are rested and relaxed from the extensive, summer holidays. September is an exciting new phase in the year, but essentially, it’s back to the grindstone!

Whether returning to school, work, college or starting university, September is a month of change.

To families with great A-level and GCSE results, Congratulations! For others – hopefully August wasn’t too stressful within the family dynamics. I remember when my children were expecting A-level and GCSE results; it felt like the world would stop, on either that infamous second or third, ursday in August. It’s stressful for the students: it’s also very stressful for the parents. For students looking to go to university, going through clearing is an efficient process and many students find acceptable alternatives to their first choice. For parents, preparing to send children to university, it is like venturing into a world of e Bottomless Pocket!

It’s a costly enterprise but

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so worth it, when you see them graduate. Beaming with delight in their final hour at university and just before that important transition into the real world and hopefully, independence!

For those who have left university and are about to embark upon a new job, my son Joshua has written a feature on wearing suits. It is amazing how many men wear ill-fitting suits but more importantly and especially within the corporate world, how we are judged by the quality of our clothes and how we look. I hope that for young men looking to buy their first suits, and for those who are perturbed by the suits in their wardrobes, this feature will be of interest and help with important decisions about fashion, length, style and quality.

September really is a great month. Although the weather has been rather varied during the summer, either extremely hot (when least expected) or cold and rainy (when expecting a sultry, summer’s day!) but going into the autumn is

refresher and cooler. Also from an aesthetic point of view, I feel autumn is one of the prettiest seasons: leaves turn rustic auburn, golden and tawny brown, and the scenes across forests and parks are exquisite. As we witness nature and the environment easing its way into a peaceful and wintery slumber, resting until revitalised and ready to awaken during spring’s rebirth, blossom and new life. But for the rest of us, September enters the last quarter of the year and first list preparations for Christmas, parties and presents.

So thank you to everybody who has been writing into the magazine and to those who have written to me personally. It is great to hear from you and especially that we can deliver the editorial, advice and information needed to keep our Essex magazines, fresh and interesting and

Michelle Harris

more importantly, exactly what our audience enjoy reading.

Hopefully, there are more celebrations than commiserations in the area, excitement for new academic horizons and business opportunities. We look forward to working with you and maintaining our high standards for a great journal.

Happy Reading!

Michelle If you have any comments on this feature, please email: Michelle@starcopywriting.com www.starcopywriting.com

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lO CAl lIFE

SINgINg tHE BluES IN BUCKHURST HILL WORDS: MICHELLE HARRIS

T

he sultry and sensuous swing, reminiscent of a blues, New York jazz bar can be found locally – Buckhurst Hill! In recent years, jazz has recently become far more popular because of artists such as Jamie Callum, Jools Holland and Amy Winehouse. Every Sunday night at 8 p.m. at the Buckhurst Hill, Sports and Social Club, jazz enthusiasts gather to listen to music and even take turns to ‘jam’ with the resident band, Infusion. ey have a very contemporary ‘take’ on jazz, and play their own arrangements of jazz ‘standards’: their own compositions, arrangements and a recently recorded jazz version of "Californication". is dream team of talented musicians consists of Chris Neill, Jack Polley and Josh Law. ey also perform as a trio.

Guests range from amateurs performing in public for the first time, through to professional musicians who play for fun and who enjoying chatting with fellow musicians. Jazz is probably the most challenging musical style to play. As a musician once commented, a rock guitarist plays four chords to a thousand people, a jazz guitarist plays a thousand chords to four people!

Keith Neill (Chris Neill’s father) stated: “It’s a very good night.

And it gives us jazz enthusiasts, a venue which is local. ere’s a big scene in London and Southend, but not much here.”

Speaking about JamJazz, he added: “We have also been incredibly lucky to have found a venue supportive of us getting the jam night running.

ey really have done everything to support us.” e events were originally set up to provide a place for jazz musicians, to get together and play. It has become very successful, and attracts musicians from Southend to local residents. It is a great opportunity for the jammers to hone their jazz skills and gain experience of playing with other musicians, in front of a live audience. Buckhurst Hill’s jam is friendly and the audience are genuinely interested in the music and being part of the scene. Allegedly, no egos are allowed – just jazz fun… Music varies from obscure jazz ballads to rocking versions of songs such as Amy Winehouse’s Valerie and

David Nathan - NJA Courtesy of NJA

Stevie Wonder’s Superstition.

Whenever popular music is played, rather than listen, the audience prefer to show their appreciation by dancing.

Jazz is very important in Essex and the National Jazz Archive Library is based in Loughton and supported by the Essex County Council. e archivist, David Nathan confirmed: “We are the UK’s research and information centre for jazz, blues and related music available to the media, researchers,

Various jammers playing at Buckhurst Hill

Infusion with Sheila Earl singing at Buckhurst Hill

writers, discographers, students and the general enthusiast. Also we specialise in printed material.

Our mission is to inspire and share the story of jazz in the United Kingdom. Visitors are kindred spirits and I thoroughly enjoy helping people with their enquiries be it in person, by post, telephone or email.” e National Jazz Archive also holds events. e next exciting date will be an afternoon with Paul Jones, legendary singer, broadcaster, actor and rock icon.

He will be talking about jazz and the blues; the event will then continue with live music.

Date:

ursday 6th October 2011 Guest: Paul Jones Venue: Loughton Methodist Church, 260 High Road, Loughton, Essex.

Time: 1.30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Tickets: £10 (to order) Contact: 020 8502 0181 Email: david.nathan@essex.gov.uk For more information: National Jazz Archive Library, Loughton Library, Traps Hill, Loughton IG10 1HD Tel: (020) 8502 0181 Opening Times: Mon/Tues/Wed/Fri – 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

(Closed on urs/Sat/Sun) www.nationaljazzarchive.org.uk Jazz Update weekly newsletter (www.jazzupdate.co.uk). www.chrisneill.co.uk / www.infusionband.co.uk / www.jazzjam.co.uk Venue for Sunday night jazz sessions: Buckhurst Hill Sports and Social Club, 50 Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex IG9 5BY.

SEPTEMBER2011 17

Lo c aL Life

GET MORE OUT OF YOUR LIFE MAGAZINE

W

hen you read about the fascinating stories concerning local people, local businesses, good causes and the countryside, towns and villages that you are part of, don't you sometimes think that there are other topics that would look good in print?

Our "Life Series" of magazines cover Epping, Loughton, Chigwell, Buckhurst Hill, South Woodford, Wanstead, Brentwood and the beautiful surrounding areas.

So, if you are a new business in Epping, a fund-raiser in Loughton, a charity organiser in Wanstead, a life-style coach in South Woodford or a successful community group in Chigwell, we would love to hear from you. Or perhaps you are a keen amateur photographer producing shots taken in the immediate area that would complement and enhance the articles in the magazine. Now's your chance to see your name, or that of your organisation in print!

18

SEPTEMBER2011

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS WRITE AN ARTICLE (SOMETHING BETWEEN 1000-1250 WORDS), WITH PHOTOS, AND EMAIL IT TO: PATRICK @FISHMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK OR CALL 07932 608 797.

You'll get the idea of the sort of thing we are looking for by browsing through this edition of the magazine. Don't worry too much about perfect grammar or spelling - we will check it before it goes to print!

So how about it? Why not get those creative juices going, sit down and start thinking of ways in which you could publicise the part of your Local Life that is most important to you? If you want to talk about what you have in mind, or would like some advice as to how to get the best from the topic you want aired, then please include a contact number so that we can help you.

Remember, "Life Series" set of magazines publishes articles

about stories of general local interest, so please don't send us the account of great-aunt Maud's wedding or your precious ospring's coming of age!

We would also be delighted to receive photographs relating to the area, illustrating aspects of local life, commerce or nature.

Again, please send your ďŹ les to the above e-mail address sorry but we are unable to accept printed media for inclusion in the magazine. In all cases, material should be original and the work of the author/sender. Fish Media Group reserves the right to edit and/or amend any material and accepts no responsibility for errors or inaccuracies, however caused.

Origination and copyright will be acknowledged where appropriate. Usual terms and conditions apply, and are available upon request.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!

LO CAL LIFE

Phillip Leigh PHILLIP LEIGH 'S LOCAL PROPERTY MARKET RECOMMENDATIONS – EVERY GOOD BUSINESS MUST HAVE THEM !

Have you ever taken a close look at how much Companies are spending on advertising? I have with my own business, and it is quite frightening!

As with every service industry we all seem to talk a good job.

However, unlike most businesses, the clients of every service industry can only assess the ability of the firm after they have experienced it. Until then they only have two guides. ese are how the Company presents itself or by speaking to people who have benefitted from the service they receive.

For those of us like myself, who are foodies, and eatre buffs, we can if we trust the Reporters, take the advice of the critics.

My favourites have always been the doyen of restaurant critics, Faye Maschler, who my wife and I have recently had the pleasure of dining with, and I am delighted to say have developed a firm friendship along with her charming and entertaining husband Reg Gaffney. Along with, again from my reading of the Evening Standard Newspaper (which I am sad to say is no longer available anywhere east of Stratford E15 – shame!) Nicholas de Jongh who recently for reasons undisclosed, parted company with that excellent London Rag some two years ago, after 18 years of honest, but sometimes brutally honest, reporting.

Similarly, advice and recommendation from a trusted friend or respected informant is in my opinion a good form of

recommendation for any one seeking property advice.

Providing of course that the opinion given is first hand and not anecdotal, and it is of recent experience. I stress recent for as with all businesses (and especially restaurant and theatre) you are only as good your last performance.

Needless to say, and trying not to be too self congratulatory, my company has over the past forty years or so received countless letters of thanks and praise from satisfied clients who have received our advice when selling or letting. is thankfully has resulted in an enormous amount of recommendations, which now represents the backbone of our business.

Having spent much of our time advising Family Trusts, Banks, Building Societies and many major Law and Accounting firms, we are now regularly accepted as the first and invariably the only port of call for Developers looking to purchase and land market new homes in the area. is being mainly due to our involvement of marketing practically all of the area’s new developments that have been constructed over the last twenty years or so.

Now in the footsteps of Mr de Jonge I too am going to demonstrate my reputation of honesty and straight talking by holding up my hand and admitting recent failures in our own quality control.

Having some seven years ago seen the early signs that a trend was developing away from purchasing to renting local homes we became the very first

local agent to form an in-house rental division.

Now like all new ventures, despite faultless knowledge of estate agency, property rental presented a major learning curve. It has, I regret, on a few occasions cost us dearly both in time and money, due to the fact that rentals require a much greater attention to detail than that of selling homes. I used to think that selling agents were the greater of the two professionals. Not now. To service the needs of the Landlord,who are in the main very inexperienced and demands of today’s tenants, who are most demanding having paid top dollar to rent premier homes exclusively on our books, takes more than a lot of dash and flash and endless small talk chat.

It requires in depth knowledge of current legislation and endless attention to detail. It also requires the ability to give sound advice for presenting the property to the market and a lot of time in “hand holding” particularly if the Landlord and tenant are new to the game.

We have now totally revamped our rental team by bringing in two top young people that have until now been steeped in the business of letting and managing some of Central London’s top quality homes Craig Mervish and Emily Pomroy-Smith have until now worked in tandem for several years in Chelsea and Kensington despite knowing our area like the back of their hands, having been born and bred locally.

We welcome them both to Phillip Leigh and invite you to call or pop in to see them

Craig Mervish

Emily Pomroy-Smith

whenever you are passing to experience a “breath of fresh air” from the standard clap trap you may have previously experienced from run of the mill property rental people. With Craig and Emily all good quality homes from as little as £1000 per month to £8000 per month or more receive the same Five Star treatment. Although young and enthusiastic they are not just interested in the deal they are doing today, they want to create firm bonds with Landlords and tenants alike thereby always striving for Phillip Leigh Associates to be a centre of excellence within the profession for long time service and loyalty.

Phillip Leigh is principal of Phillip Leigh Associates Tel: 020 8501 2424 E-mail: info@phillipleigh.com

SEPTEMBER2011 21

Lo C AL Life

TO INDIA

WITH LOVE This is the next installment on PALS for Dalits, the Loughton Methodist Church group which is made up of members of the congregation who fundraise for third world projects over a period of two years. The aim is to raise vital funds but also awareness regarding issues.

T

his is the next installment on PALS for Dalits, the Loughton Methodist Church group which is made up of members of the congregation who fundraise for third world projects over a period of two years. e aim is to raise vital funds but also awareness regarding issues.

Last year the group was inspired by Kasta Dip, Desk Officer for JustIce, Peace & Reconciliation at the Church of North India.

He is firmly opposed to casteism; the term used which defines people’s status in life by caste into which they are born. Dalits lie outside the caste system and are often treated as sub-human, unfit to live in decent surroundings, do the same work, eat the same food and even drink the same water, resulting in a constant diminishment of their humanity.

We are all aware of India’s global profile and its economic success story but not everyone enjoys the boom times. e film “Slumdog Millionaire” summed up a rags to riches story but the term “slumdog” is one of many derogatory names, as well as “untouchables”, used in India and other parts of the sub-continent for a group of people who prefer to call themselves Dalits. ere are 200 million of them which represents 20% of India’s population. ey are the most exploited section of the population and throughout history the Dalits have been compelled to perform the lowliest, most menial, dangerous and degrading forms of labour in this caste based society. is includes jobs such as the horrific practice of manual scavenging which is the cleaning of human excrement with bare hands. ere is a 4- fold varna caste system, but a fifth group, the Dalits, lie outside this formal caste system. Unlike a class system, the caste system has developed in such a way that there is no possibility of upward mobility, since status is fixed at birth.

“Untouchability”, as such, is banned in the Indian constitution 22

SEPTEMBER2011

Dalit youth

but the everyday reality is different as they are still treated as unclean, or often discriminated against in terms of others getting jobs by “higher” castes.

So what does it mean in practice to be a Dalit today?

Every hour: • two Dalits are assaulted • two Dalits murdered • two Dalit houses burned • three Dalit women raped (courtesy of the Human Rights Education Movement of India) • if they go to the Police, only one percent of those who commit crimes against Dalits are ever convicted.

IN CASES OF SEXUAL ABUSE, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ATROCITIES GO UNREPORTED BECAUSE OF THE STIGMA ATTACHED TO THE CRIME.

So what could PALS do to help? e group has been working in partnership with the Church of North India and in particular Kasta Dip. As a Dalit himself, he knows at first hand the discrimination and injustice that a Dalit can face. With everything weighted against the Dalits it would be easy to give up, but in this dispiriting situation the Church of North India saw both hope and opportunity. When we asked Kasta Dip what we could do to help he said computer skills and English are essential in the new India and it has the benefit that someone’s caste is hidden over the Internet.

So using the 25 computers that have been sent he is setting up computer classes as well as English classes for young Dalits in

Lo CAL Life

Rural village

two centres with Indian Christians offering their time free to enable the classes to start quickly.

THESE CLASSES WILL PROVIDE YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MARKETABLE SKILLS TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR THEIR FUTURE. ALSO CRUCIALLY IT PROMOTES THE SELF ESTEEM OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR CONFIDENCE GREATLY UNDERMINED BY THE HARSH TREATMENT METED OUT TO THEM

BY OTHERS.

PALS has arranged for Kasta Dip to come to Loughton for a month and also set up meetings for him to talk to schools and the local community about life as a Dalit and the difference the PALS computers are making to young Dalits back in India. While he is in the UK Kasta will also visit Oxford, Derby and Southall in London to say hello to Savio Mahimaidass and Vijay Bagha who visited Loughton Methodist Church in October last year for a special Dalit Liberation Sunday service.

Kasta Dip is staying with members of the congregation and his visit starts on Sunday 11th September when he will be welcomed to Loughton Methodist Church for the 10.30am service ‘Racial Justice Sunday’, followed by a Bring ‘n Share lunch.

On Wednesday 14th September there will be a question and answer session with Kasta in the Welcome area at LMC from 8.00pm. is is a great chance to hear at first hand how the Pals for Dalits project is progressing and about the bigger picture of Dalit oppression.

Hall at 2.30pm to talk to a newly formed group ‘Methodist Women in Britain’ talking particularly about Dalit women issues.

PALS fundraising for Dalits Kasta Dip Fam ily Contact ejillbaker@btinternet.com for further details.

On Saturday 20th September Kasta will visit Trinity Church, Mannock Drive, Debden and later in September he will be speaking to local secondary schools to raise awareness. Sunday 2nd October Harvest Sunday at LMC when the Church will bid a fond farewell to Kasta.

PALS organiser Gill Webster said “In India today where e-media is used so widely, young Dalits without basic computer skills are considered to be almost illiterate. As most of them do not have access to English classes these will be provided alongside the computer skills training. As our fundraising has now reached £5,500 we will be able to continue to support Kasta’s plans to develop the project. We are looking forward to hearing about the real difference this training can make to the lives of young Dalits.”

For further information email gill_webster@sky.com

On Sunday 18th September Kasta will visit Westminster Central SEPTEMBER2011 23

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Lo caL Life

A MAN

LESS ORDINARY ONE MAN’S JOURNEY THROUGH 91 YEARS Words by christine Baker James Stanley White was born in West Ham on 10th September 1920 which makes him 91 on his birthday this year. James has led a fascinating life including a long association with St John’s Ambulance Brigade as a young cadet; a member of the Casualty Service of the Civil Defence during the war; a marriage to Doris that lasted 61 years and one month; loss of sight; two knee replacements and a house n Buckhurst Hill he has lived in for over 50 years.

James was born an identical twin to his brother Sidney but according to the Doctor who delivered them, Mother would not be able to look after the boys and their elder brother Charles, two years older. e Doctor’s advice, who in those days was paid a shilling a visit, was to send one of the twins away. So it was that James found himself living in a Roman Catholic Home in Brighton for the first nine years of his life with no contact whatsoever with his parents or siblings living far away on a farm in Pitsea in Essex.

“In those days” said James “they took you as far away as possible to discourage any contact and anyway the cost of coming to see me would have been horrendous.” It was at the home that James was baptised and christened.

It was the nuns at the St Joseph Rest Home who taught James to read and write. “I had to read the bible if I was naughty” said James “and as I was naughty quite often I read an awful lot of it.” By naughty James explains this could be sliding down the banisters or forgetting to put his fingers in the holy water before mass, and they went to mass several time each day.

One day, he recalls, the music being played really got to him and he wanted to sing, so he asked Mother Superior if he could sing in Church.

She was a stern faced woman who called him Jimmy but on this occasion she smiled and asked him if he knew any Latin. When he shook his head Mother Superior took pity on him and announced that he would have one hour of singing each day followed by a one hour lesson in Latin.

“I’m not complaining mind” says James “I really liked it there. We were close to the seaside and would often walk there and throw stones in the sea, all 48 of us. ere was a lovely house mother who used to tuck me up in bed and kiss me on my forehead…it was alright really.” en, aged 9, he was told he was going home, just like that. He didn’t

James and Doris wedding

want to go home. When he got home he met his older brother Charlie, he shook hands with his father Lewis, Mum Henrietta, known as Nell, cried and then he found himself looking at someone who looked just like him.

He couldn’t make it out at first but after a while he says he got used to it.

Lewis ran a small business as a steeplejack and James used to take his Dad to the station in a pony and trap. James was to join his Dad’s firm as an apprentice when he was 14 after he left school.

Two years after he returned to the family it was decided that they would move to Leytonstone which was felt to be a better environment for the boys. James went to a new school and stood before the Headmaster who declared that James didn’t know much. But James did know Latin, not that there was much call for it.

In 1932, aged 11, James joined the St John Ambulance Brigade as a cadet and he stayed with that organisation until he was 70. He went right through the ranks, learning all there was to know about first aid and emergency medical help, became the youngest officer and eventually ran his own division (C22) with 120 members.

James’s apprenticeship as a carpenter and joiner was never completed due to the start of World War Two. “I was at the Baptist Church in Leytonstone when Rev Stokes told us that War has been declared. We were told to go home as there would be an air raid. We lived close by and

SEPTEMBER2011 25

James and his brothers

James, left, with some of his work mates

anyway all uniformed organisations were told to report to the local town hall. I went home, changed into my uniform and later reported for duty at St John’s Ambulance. I was allocated to the last of the three depots which were empty for us to supervise casualties. e first depot got hit during the air raid and everyone in it was killed.” ere would be many instances where people nearby died but not James.

“I was fortunate” he said “or just lucky.” Like the time when he went round the area following another aid raid and a bomb had killed eight men, all Canadians and there was a wall of fire with three men in flames. James pulled them out, wrapped them in blankets and got them to Whipps Cross hospital. roughout the war, and by virtue of his status in the St John’s Ambulance Brigade, James was to administer to serious casualties, giving injections where necessary, and putting to good use the training he received aged 16 when he ambitiously wanted to be a male nurse. But after two years of intensive evening study at both Whipps Cross Hospital and Bart’s he gave it up because the pay was lousy. He decided to go back to his Dad’s firm.

James spent over five years in the war including being directed to the South Coast, aged 20, as a Supervisory Officer of Casualties for the Civil Defence. He headed up a unit of 50 men, all supervisory, 50 green line amubulances, 15 stretchers, 30 blankets, a driver and some army trucks.

When the boats returned from Dunkirk it was their job to lasso the boat and hold the ropes while helping the exhausted soldiers off the vessel. It was James’s job to send them either to hospital or to the barracks. One of the little boats that had gone to help out in Dunkirk had come from Buckhurst Hill - it got bombed.

James then found himself on his Uncle’s disused lifeboat, previously used for fishing, on its way to Dunkirk to help. He says they did three trips and saved 50 soldiers. When it was all over he went across to France to collect dead bodies and bring them back. “It was gruesome, exhausting work” said James, and it lasted four days and four nights with no sleep.

It was only shrapnel wounds he picked up during the Blitz that meant the war was finally over for this remarkable man. Of the many war stories recounted by James he tells of rescuing a 14 year old boy from a shelter that had collapsed on top of him. James tunnelled his way into the building and as he got near a bomb dropped, seems that prayers did the trick and James got them both to safety.

Sadly, aged 22, James’s twin brother Sydney died in action. His older brother, who was in the Medical Corp, was sent to Ireland. In 1942 his brother Charlie died while on active service in North Africa. He had made James his next of kin so the telegram went to him instead of their parents.

26

SEPTEMBER2011

The house where James spent the first 9 years of his life

One good thing about the war was meeting Doris. ey met at a dance at the Roebuck Hotel in Buckhurst Hill, now a block of flats. ey started courting and got married; both aged 22, on 18th October 1942, less than one year after going out. James had three days leave and they got married on a Sunday at Holy Trinity Church in Leytonstone, even though he was originally told that the Church didn’t do weddings on a Sunday JAMES WAS DETERMINED. HE FIGURED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DIE ANYWAY SO THEY BETTER GET ON WITH IT. THEIR HONEYMOON WAS SPENT SLEEPING IN THE CELLS OF A POLICE HOUSE OWNED BY FRIENDS.

Married life began in a flat in Leytonstone until a flying bomb hit it.

Luckily, Doris’s Mum moved to Wanstead and they took over her flat, also in Leytonstone. During the war Doris was a glazier for the Army.

James considers himself very fortunate not to have been killed. “ere were many times when it could have happened” he said “but I began to believe that someone up there was looking after me.”

After the war James went back to his trade and studied at West Ham School for five years from 7.00-10.00pm every night in order to get his City & Guilds of London Certificate. en he worked for his Higher National Building & Construction Diploma at Walthamstow College,

James seated next to uniformed man

always doing paid work during the day and studying at night. If hard graft is the secret to a long life, James deserves every year of his.

James moved on to work for many years at a school near Exmouth market in London’s Clerkenwell.

Incredibly it’s the only name he can’t remember! Eventually he qualified with teacher status and in 1960, aged 40, he went into teaching. He got a job at St Barnabas School in Woodford where there was a vacancy to teach woodwork. He was put on probation for one year and earned £3 per day with no holiday.

Although James and Doris did not have any children literally hundreds of them went through his kindly hands in the twenty three years he James White taught at the school.

James and Doris found themselves living in Buckhurst Hill after a visit from Waltham Forest Council with notice that their flat in Leytonstone would be demolished. “ey said they would re-house us but I had a drive around and found out that this house was empty. I fetched up at local estate agent Heather irtle in Queens Road and asked her advice about getting a mortgage. In those days there was a Government block on mortgages so Heather sent me to the Epping Forest Council office which was then in Station Road, Loughton. I filled in a form and when they saw my occupation was a school master, one week later I heard I had a mortgage. It was a bit over 7% which was a bit of a struggle but I was delighted.”

It was James’s Head Teacher who was more worried about his ability to pay the mortgage. James said “e repayments were very high and we lived on bread and cheese but lucky for me, my head teacher gave me a salary rise and it got easier as time went on.”

During their long years together James describes Doris as a kept lady who loved her dogs. ey were married for 61 years and one month. Sadly, after a series of strokes, the loss of her sight and the onset of Alzheimer’s, Doris went into hospital when James could no longer look after her. He recalls plaiting her hair and doing everything for her at home and then visiting the hospital every day for six weeks, until she died, sitting eight hours a day in the ward. “I needed to do something so I volunteered and they had me making beds and I held the hands of many patients. Doris was 83 when she died on 12th November 2003.

Proud Officer James in St John's Ambulance Brigade uniform

James took himself to St John’s Church in Buckhurst Hill where he worshipped for many years. Earlier this year he fetched up at Loughton Methodist Church where I had the privilege to sit next to him during a service one Sunday. Over tea he started to tell me his story and later, over another cup of tea in his house, he put more colour into the picture. I am very glad to have met this amazing and unassuming man who has an indomitable spirit. I just hope I have done his story justice.

Four years ago James lost his sight – he was out driving one day when he had a bleed in one eye and went blind. He took himself to hospital and they couldn’t explain it but said he could continue to drive. Not long after that he had a bleed in the other eye and lost the sight in that one too. “I would be driving now if I could” says James. Instead, he goes everywhere by bus. is fiercely independent man gives talks about the London Blitz; attends Fellowship meetings at St John’s Church, Buckhurst Hill; Age Concern at St James Church in Palmerston Road and the British Legion Club in Loughton.

James refused to talk to me about whether he had been decorated for his many exploits during the war. “No” he said “I don’t want to appear a hero. I wasn’t, I was just doing my job.”

James is always well dressed, brown suite, white shirt and cane. Despite the two knee replacement operations in the last six years, a stair lift and the loss of his sight, James enjoys the help and support of his neighbours who he referred to as Heaven's Annexe at Doris’s funeral. Indeed James is determined to wring out the very best of his time left however long it may be…!

When I left him he was looking forward to a holiday in a hotel in Frinton-on-Sea which caters for blind people. One can only imagine they will know that James has visited. Happy birthday James.

After some local research by the author, two former students came to light who remember “Chalky” White as he was known. Dave Callaghan, now in Grays in Essex writes that when he was there “Chalky” White taught the lower set. Chalky liked a bit of a joke. “I was in Mr Newton's class and can still cut a straight line, but I joined Chalky’s evening class where I built my first guitar and so learned to cut wiggly lines with him. e evening class with Chalky was always good fun as he was a bit of a ladies man and it was always very entertaining watching him. Chalky wore a white overall, obviously.

Peter Limmer, now in Cambridge writes: “Chalky White was my woodwork teacher and also taught first aid lessons, up the stairs from the four science labs, beneath the hall. He also taught technical drawing – nice guy and quite kind – but I still can’t cut a piece of wood straight!

SEPTEMBER2011 27

Lo c aL Life

LOCAL GROUP IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

T

oday’s business environment is challenging for everyone and with marketplaces becoming even more competitive it’s getting harder to find and win new business.

e prime purpose is to generate qualified business leads for each other that are reliable and trustworthy referrals.

profession is accepted which enables the Group to work together as a team with no internal competition.

But on Tuesday 20th September at eydon Bois Village Hall from 6.00-8.30pm, Epping Forest Business Group (EFBG) is inviting business people to find out how easy it is to get new business.

Established for over three years, EFBG has developed trust and understanding of each of the businesses represented and its members. It meets every ursday morning from 7.30am at the Queen Victoria pub in eydon Bois where business gets done over breakfast.

EFBG is not just another networking group with spurious claims and a drain on budgets. is group enjoys jovial, relaxed but structured meetings that provide an effective way of gaining quality new business. No stringent rules, no rigorous qualifying and definitely no pressure.

EFBG is a strong network of trade and professional people that meet weekly.

A strict policy is operated whereby only one member from each trade or

e group has decided to open its doors to more business people who can

A unique opportunity to own a Luxury Holiday Lodge in the beautiful grounds of Roydon Marina Village

Roydon Marina Village

benefit both themselves and the members by getting and giving more business leads. e meeting is free and runs from 6.00-8.30pm with food, wine and networking plus a presentation. e Hall is situated on Coppice Row, CM16 7ER, opposite the Village Green.

Come at whatever time suits.

To book visit www.efbg.co.uk or call 0845 505 5900.

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Roydon Marina Village, Roydon, Essex, CM19 5EJ

28

SEPTEMBER2011

sales@roydonmarinavillage.co.uk

www.roydonmarinavillage.co.uk

Tel: 01279 792777

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Proof of pricing required by an official quotation. Excludes all internet site prices. Price promise valid till 30th September 2011. All trademarks are acknowledged. E&OE. Images are for illustration purposes only.

Lo c aL Life

Hutton Mount OUTSTANDING PROPERTIES AND A GREAT LOCATION WORDS: MICHELLE HARRIS

B

rentwood’s best residential area has to be Hutton Mount.

Epitomising the most elegant of Essex mansions, detached homes worth in excess of £1 million, sit regally in the property’s surrounding land and exquisite gardens. Quiet roads, meander into sumptuous turnings, where each street offers aesthetic beauty and fabulous, individually styled, grand properties. Some could easily be the setting for a televised period drama, or floor plans that read like a Cluedo board!

Most of the properties have the perfect gardens to enjoy a relaxing summer’s day or party: or nocturnal soiree with friends and/or family.

For those looking to move into this beautiful area, various estate agents such as Beresfords, Hilbery Chaplin and Meacock & Jones, are currently advertising some great properties for sale.

Having scanned through available residences, probably the best available home is an incredible 14 bedroom mansion worth in excess of £4

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million. An elegant, sweeping carriage driveway, outhouses, cobbled courtyards and palatial interior, with a little imagination and a dollop of romanticism, you could easily imagine Colin Firth appearing (with obligatory sideburns) from a back room, with a pretty but feisty damsel, on his arm! So for those with a team of staff to support its maintenance, this is probably the ultimate dream of dreams residence!

Brentwood is certainly synonymous for beautiful properties, so it is not entirely surprising to learn there are two Brentwoods! e other Brentwood is situated in Los Angeles, California. e US namesake is situated near the prestigious Wilshire Boulevard, Bel-Air and Pacific Palisades!

But back to reality and practicality, Brentwood is only 18 miles from London, so convenient for commuters using rail links, the motorway or main roads. Also for those travelling abroad for recreation or business, Brentwood is

strategically located within an hour of main and local airports. Yet despite its close proximity to the city and a bustling town centre and industrial parks, residents can also enjoy the benefits of living within an area, which has many beautiful villages, parks and farmlands.

CULTURALLY, THERE IS BRENTWOOD CATHEDRAL, THE RUINS OF ST. THOMAS A BECKET CHAPEL, AND BRENTWOOD MUSEUM WHICH HAS FABULOUS EXHIBITS AND OBJECTS WHICH DATE FROM 1840-1950. PLUS SO MANY PLACES OF INTEREST SUCH AS HUTTON COUNTRY PARK AND THORNDON COUNTRY PARK.

Recreationally, Brentwood town centre has a terrific array of shops from multiples like Marks & Spencer and Currys, with a varied and exciting array of restaurants. e parades and hidden back streets off the main high road have specialist shops which are a delight to meander, and to look for unusual treats either

personally or for the home.

Most recently, it has been reported that new traders are moving into the area, and other established businesses are renovating their interiors. e leisure centre offers regular events, great facilities such as clubs, fitness studios, therapy rooms and also as a venue for access to festivals and great nights out. Whether it’s to see e Not So Royal Variety Performance on 17th September which will include a whole host of talent, including one of my favourites, Stavros Flatley! (Note all proceeds will be going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity). Or for those who prefer rather more aggressive entertainment, CFC Cage Fighting on 24th September.

Brentwood is truly one of Essex’s beautiful gems, a great place to live, a fascinating town to visit with so much to offer from outdoor recreation for all the family, to cultural pursuits, shopping and dining…

Highly desirable, highly affordable

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that contain the biggest ideas and the Audi A1 is no exception.

Solutions representitive example from Audi Finance based on 10,000 miles per annum^ for the Audi A1 1.6 TDI Sport.

Duration

This remarkable new car is a distillation of all the great Audi technology that came before it – which means it has already won no less than six industry awards.

Now available with a low initial deposit and monthly payment, the Audi A1 is even more affordable than ever before.

23 monthly payments of Customer deposit Recommended on-the-road price Total amount of credit

£225.00 £2,382.09 £16,320.00 £13,9373.91

Optional final payment

£10,714.66

Total amount payable by customer

£18,331.75

Acceptance fee*

So if you feel that the time has come to trade up to the car you always promised yourself, call your nearest Essex Audi Centre today.

2 years

Option to purchase fee** Rate of interest Representative APR

£125.00 £60.00 7.6% fixed 8.4%

Stansted Audi

Southend Audi

Start Hill, Bishops Stortford CM22 7DW Telephone: 0844 247 4391

Claydon’s Lane (A127), Rayleigh Weir SS6 7UQ Telephone: 0844 247 4394

Chelmsford Audi

Docklands Audi

Montrose Road, Chelmsford CM2 6TE Telephone: 0844 247 4392

Marsh Wall, South Quay, Docklands E14 9SL Telephone: 0844 247 4395

Harold Wood Audi

Chingford Audi

A12 Colchester Road, Harold Wood RM3 0YD Telephone: 0844 247 4393

Cork Tree Way, Hall Lane, Chingford E4 8JA Telephone: 0844 247 4396

www.Essex-Audi.co.uk Official fuel consumption figures for the A1 range in mpg (l/100km) from: Urban 41.5 (6.8) – 60.1 (4.7), Extra Urban 61.4 (4.6) – 78.5 (3.6), Combined 53.3 (5.3) – 70.6 (4.0). CO2 emissions: 124 – 105g/km.

Retail sales only: *Payable within first payment. **Payable with optional final payment. Further charges may be payable if vehicle is returned. Indemnities may be required. Subject to status. Available to over 18s from participating Essex Audi Group Centres only (subject to availability) for vehicles ordered before 30 Sept 2011 and delivered by 31 Dec 2011. Offers may be varied or withdrawn at any time. ^7.20p (inc. VAT) per mile excess mileage charges apply. The quoted ROTR prices and finance examples shown are at the current 20% VAT rate. For more information please speak to your nearest Essex Audi Centre. Audi Finance, Freepost Audi Finance.

Lo c aL BU SINESS

The Luxury home & Leisure show VAN HAGE 1ST AND 2ND OCTOBER 2011

T

he Luxury Home & Leisure Show is Hertfordshire’s premium lifestyle show. It is actually three shows in one for home enthusiasts, car enthusiasts and people who love their sport and leisure activities. It showcases some of the very best products and services to be found in one place at one time and it all takes place at the award winning Van Hage Garden Centre in Great Amwell.

NOW IN ITS SECOND YEAR, THE SHOW HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE. FEATURES AT THE SHOW INCLUDE A PREMIUM AND SUPERCAR GALLERY WITH A RIDE AND DRIVE EVENT, THE LUXURY HOME ROOM SET FEATURE AREA, THE ULTIMATE HOME CINEMA DEMONSTRATION AND A PRESENTATION FROM DAVID BATTIE FROM THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW ON SATURDAY 1ST.

ere are also competitions, jewellery making demonstrations, plenty of very interesting exhibitors covering everything from fine chocolates to fabrics and home furnishings to the latest cosmetic treatments and even the latest Glastron sports boat to whet your appetite!

As you would expect from the title, this is the show to visit if you are looking for the best suppliers for your home. German kitchens from Mark David, contemporary interior designs from Steven rone Design, art from Gallery Rouge, hand made rugs from the Rug Gallery, the latest audio visual products from Bang & Olufsen and antiques from one of the largest antique dealers in the country, Bushwood Antiques are all on display. If you are looking for great ideas, inspiration and beautiful products from local suppliers then the Luxury Home & Leisure Show can help you with your longer term projects or impulse buying for items on sale at the show.

Leisure and sporting activities from the local region are represented at the show with golf demonstrations, a tennis 32

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challenge from Legends Tennis, the latest hot tubs from Jaccuzi UK and a great competition to experience Brocket Hall, one of the UK’s foremost country estates. e show is located in two very large heated marquee structures with additional outside display areas and parking for the demonstrator cars used for the ride and drive event. is is the perfect opportunity to come and see, try and buy some of the most respected prestige car brands including Ferrari, Maserati from H.R. Owen in St Albans, Mercedes-Benz AMG from Mercedes-Benz Hertfordshire, Lotus from Castle Sports Cars and classic cars from Hilton & Moss. e cars will all be on display in a dedicated gallery that joins the main home and leisure themed marquee. External car displays will also include the latest products Chrysler Jeep and Smart. Bookings for the ride and drive event are limited and must be booked prior to the show. Please see the website for further details. e Luxury Home & Leisure Show is held at Van Hage which is recognised as one of the UK’s foremost garden and lifestyle destinations. Van Hage will be launching their widely anticipated Christmas displays on the same weekend with a circus theme which promises to be lots of fun for everyone.

With features such as the miniature railway, animal gardens, the excellent VH Café and parking for over 800 cars, Van Hage is the perfect venue for the show. e show is open from 9am - 6pm on Saturday 1st October and 10am - 4.30pm on Sunday 2nd October. Tickets are £6 per person and kids go free. However, we are delighted to offer a special 2 for 1 reader offer as Life Magazines is a media partner to the Luxury Home & Lifestyle event. All you have to do to book your ticket is visit www.luxuryhomeshow.co.uk where you will find further information about the show and a link to the Van Hage ticket purchase section where you need to enter life01 to benefit from the discounted reader offer.

Lo caL BU SINESS

EXHIBITOR LIST HOME Rug Gallery Bushwood Antiques Zelley - Jewellers Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers Gallery Rouge Morley Stoves Modo – Showcase Books Andrew Charles Clocks Easy Chair & Sofa Co Steven Thorne Design Van Hage Jacuzzi UK Mark David Kitchens Bang & Olufsen Cambridge Paradise Wildlife Park Barker & Barker

LEISURE Essex Boatyards McMullens Brocket Hall Legends Tennis Herts Business Independent le Spice Merchant – Indian Restaurant e Perfect Smile Luxury Chocolates Modo – showcase books David P MacDonald – photography Paradise Wildlife Park – animal experiences

PREMIUM & SUPERCARS Mercedes-Benz Hertfordshire Mercedes-Benz, SLS AMG, Chrysler Jeep, Smart H.R. Owen Sports Cars Maserati & Ferrari Imperials Prestige cars & 4x4 specialists Castle Lotus Lotus sports cars Hilton & Moss Classic cars

SEPTEMBER2011 33

cover sto ry

AUDLEY END HOUSE IMAGES ENGLISH HERITAGE PHOTO LIBRARY

SEPTEMBER2011 35

c over sto ry

T

he unmistakable style of two of England’s most celebrated designers has left a distinctive imprint on the lovely lines of a grand Jacobean mansion to make Audley End House & Gardens one of the most exquisite historic houses in the country.

Inside, the hand of master architect Robert Adam has added a timeless elegance to its richly decorated and furnished rooms; outside the extensive landscape has been painted with the pastoral brush of landscape designer Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to tame it into a quintessentially ‘English’ setting. e combination is magnificent and one which visitors cannot fail to find breathtaking. With more than 30 beautiful rooms to view each containing period furnishings and works of art - pretty gardens and expansive grounds to roam in, Audley End House is an amazing place to explore.

Starting life as Walden Abbey, a Benedictine priory, the estate was given to Sir omas Audley in 1538 by Henry VIII as a reward for his part in the dissolution of the monasteries - and most probably for his previous ‘handiwork’ in his capacity as Lord Chancellor. Sir omas had not only facilitated the King’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn, he also arranged her subsequent demise. Just three years after her wedding, poor Anne was beheaded after her trial, presided over by Sir omas, on trumped up charges of treason.

A portrait of Sir omas still hangs at Audley End today, but the house he created from the abbey walls was re-built on the scale of a royal palace between 1603–1614 by his grandson omas Howard who, like his grandfather, also seems to have been keen to ingratiate himself with his King!

Speculating to accumulate, Howard, the first Earl of Suffolk, dug deep in his pockets to the tune of a reputed £200,000 to create an impressive house, giving him the status he needed to help him achieve the political power and royal patronage he craved. Like other Jacobean ‘prodigy’ houses, it was built specifically to accommodate visits by the monarch and his court. And the vast amount omas spent on it is testament to the strength of his ambition – another ‘prodigy’ house, Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, cost only £12,000! His tactics clearly worked and in 1614 he became Lord Treasurer of England.

But his extravagance led to debts which outlived him on his death in 1626 by over 100 years – it was the tenth earl, Henry who returned the family to solvency in the 1730s. After omas, subsequent generations of the 36

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Howard family struggled to make ends meet and in 1666 King Charles II bought the property and turned it into a real royal palace which he occasionally stayed in, whilst indulging his passion for horse racing at nearby Newmarket. Its upkeep was vast and in 1701 King William III returned it to the Howard family. Despite their efforts during the early part of the18th-century to economise by scaling down the buildings and its staff, the house continued to drain the family coffers and its condition deteriorated. By marrying the daughter of a wealthy brewer who came with a dowry of £25,000, Henry, the tenth and last Suffolk earl to live at Audley End was able to inject funding for some improvements to the house and after his death, its new owner Elizabeth, Countess of Portsmouth continued to modernise the property. But it was her nephew, Sir John Griffin Griffin, the first Lord Braybrooke, who inherited the estate in 1762, who had the foresight to engage the two great designers of the day to work their magic on the house and its grounds.

A man of fashion with a love of the arts, Sir John instructed Robert Adam and Capability Brown to collaborate on giving the house and its parkland a thoroughly modern makeover. eir grand design returned Audley End to its position as one of the finest houses in the land – and started to shape it into the elegant property set in the wonderful landscape visitors enjoy today.

cover sto ry would have been produced using the milk of the cows on the Home Farm.

Explore the wet and dry laundries where the weekly wash was sorted, washed by hand and dried and starched in a never ending cycle. At special times throughout the year, you can even witness the ‘Service Wing at Work’, when you will be able to see and hear from a host of characters who once lived and worked at Audley End. THE PARKLAND AND GARDENS Outside, there are 100 acres of 18th-century parkland as well as a restored Victorian parterre garden at the back of the house, which is full of pretty scented flowers in the summer months. e changes made to the gardens

by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 1760s are very much with us today.

In 1763 the River Cam was remodelled to provide the illusion of a vast natural lake. e classical Temple of Concord was built in 1790 to celebrate George III’s return to health after his first attack of ‘madness.’

Many of the other ornamental garden buildings were designed by Brown although construction did not begin until the following decade and include Lady Portsmouth’s Column and the ‘Tea House’ Bridge.

For garden enthusiasts, a walk along the box-edged paths which lead through the restored 12-acre Victorian kitchen garden is essential. is is planted with traditional Victorian fruits, herbs and vegetables and has its original 52 metre vine house still intact.

APPLE WEEKEND SAT 17 & SUN 18 SEPTEMBER Visit Audley End's thriving organic Kitchen Garden and enjoy a variety of apple themed activities, stalls and refreshments throughout the day. Pick up useful gardening tips and indulge in some of the yummy apple based treats!

Visitors arriving at Audley End House today are immediately wowed by its lovely setting and the landscape created by Capability Brown, which draws the eye across sweeping lawns to the house, reflected in the lake to the front. Views take in the Tea Bridge and Temple of Victory designed

by Adam to act as focal points in the natural landscaped tamed by Brown.

Inside a treasure trove of more than 30 rooms can be discovered, including Adam’s suite of connecting reception rooms, designed for entertaining, which bear his trademark understated neo-classical stamp. Other rooms reflect the taste of the third Lord Braybrooke who, with Lady Braybrooke, made alterations in the late 18th and early 19th-centuries - in particular, retrieving the Jacobean character at the heart of the house. eir changes are clear in the original Jacobean Great Hall, lined with wooden panelling and with heraldic emblems picked out on its high plaster ceiling and the Saloon, comfortably redecorated by them in the 1820s, but retaining the elegant white gilded walls created by Sir John Griffin Griffin.

GAME WEEK: FROM THE SKY TO THE SKILLET WED 26 - SUN 30 OCTOBER is half term come to Audley End and watch Mrs Crocombe - Audley End's resident cook - make the most of the hunting season with her amazing recipes.

EVERYTHING BUT THE SQUEAK WEEK! SAT 11 & SUN 12 FEBRUARY 2012 is weekend come to Audley End and watch Mrs Crocombe - Audley End's resident cook - prepare a whole host of traditional Victorian pork recipes as she includes everything but the squeak in her unusual recipes!

For further information on Audley End and all the events there, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk

Other highlights to look out for include the Library, gothic Chapel, Howard Bedroom with its embroidered four poster and Lady Braybrooke’s chintzy Sitting Room. roughout, the walls are hung with stunning paintings, including family portraits and important works by Canaletto and Van Goyen.Curiosities include a dolls’ house which belonged to the third Lord Braybrooke’s children, decorated in fashionable 1830s style and the fourth Lord’s extensive natural history collection.

Watch out for a rare set of 18th-century tapestries by Soho weaver Paul Saunders, conserved and on display in the Tapestry Room after 30 years in store.

THE SERVICE WING Visitors to the Audley End estate can also now wander through a world that was never intended to be seen – e Victorian Service Wing.

Carefully restored to its former heyday and opened in spring 2008, the functional heart of the house represents both prestige and opulence.

Experience the reality of life for servants at Audley End and the extensive range of tasks they carried out to cater for the demands of the Braybrooke family and their retinue. Immerse yourself in the past as you experience the sights, sounds and smells of life in the service complex of this bustling country estate,with film projections, introductory wall displays and even original food from the era.

Step inside the kitchen and get a flavour of the tasks that would have been carried out by the cook to feed the family, the guests and all the members of the household. Enter the coolness of the dairy where butter and cream

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Ash Parmar Q&A WITH “THE EXTREME MAKEOVER” COSMETIC DENTIST ASH PARMAR PORCELAIN VENEERS is month, I would like to focus on porcelain veneers.

Where appropriate, this treatment can offer the most natural and beautiful smiles possible. e treatment is minimally invasive, and takes a matter of couple of weeks to carry out.

What are porcelain veneers?

Porcelain veneers are thin facings made from porcelain. ey are custom made by the ceramist technician and bonded to the front surfaces of teeth.

Who can benefit from porcelain veneers? ere are a number of indications for using porcelain veneers: • Gaps between teeth • Mild crowding of teeth • Discoloured teeth (e.g. when teeth have been darkened internally with tetracycline antibiotics) • Teeth that are wearing down • Small teeth with a gummy smile It is important that the dentist advises on all the alternative treatment options, which include braces, teeth whitening, cosmetic contouring and bonding (use of white fillings instead of porcelain). It is also essential to have a healthy mouth and an excellent standard of oral hygiene before this type of cosmetic treatment is provided.

How do you ensure the final result will be what the patient really likes? is is a really good question. It begins with a thorough initial assessment and consultation to really find out what the person wants. We use digital photographs and replica models of the teeth

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BEFORE VENEERS

VENEERS AFTER

to plan everything carefully. I then carry out a “mock up” or trial simulation in the mouth.

Using white filling material, I artistically sculpt and shape white filling material over the teeth to create a simulated end result. is is often a “WOW” for the patient as they can actually see in their mouth how a whiter, fuller smile will look.

Records are then taken and the technician makes wax ups which are a blueprint of the new smile.

On the day of the veneer preparations, we use the wax ups to make ideal temporary veneers (the “trial smile”). e patient then returns a week later to complement the new trial smile or request minor changes to get the perfect look. Once we know the temporaries are perfect, accurate measurements are taken to 0.01mm level of accuracy. e technician then personally meets the patient and selects the shade.

Because of this very precise sequence of patient care, there is no guesswork resulting in beautiful and long lasting smiles that the patient is happy with.

How important is the choice of dental technician? e key to achieve a natural and attractive smile is to use an

outstanding ceramist technician. e technician needs to have mastery in layering the porcelains and also have a thorough understanding about occlusion (i.e. the way the teeth are shaped and bite together). I use a technician called Rob Storrar at Amdecc laboratory in Basildon – he has over 30 years experience and is truly one of the best in the country. Together we have attended some of the most advanced dental courses by the best dentists in the USA and Europe. Rob pays special attention to create the right

VENEERS CLOSE UP

shape of each tooth, as well as getting the shade, luster and surface characterization matched correctly. All the porcelain build up is done by wearing magnification loops that enables the technician to achieve very accurate fitting of the porcelain restorations for the longest lasting results.

How long do they last, and what is the maintenance involved?

If an experienced dentist and a skilled technician make veneers using the finest materials available, and the bite is accurately verified, then veneers are a definitive, long lasting treatment solution (up to 95% success over 15 years). However, they need to be maintained just like natural teeth i.e. correct tooth brushing twice a day, and

flossing. Regular hygienist maintenance will also ensure optimum gum health around the teeth. Some patients need to wear a protective mouth guard at night if they tend to grind their teeth whilst sleeping.

What is your background in cosmetic dentistry and porcelain veneers?

I was one of the first dentists in the UK to achieve the Masters level in training with a leading US teaching academy in cosmetic dentistry. Now I also have a teaching academy and train dentists from all over the UK and Europe in the art of Smile Design with porcelain veneers. I also teach laser dentistry and use two different state-of-the-art dental lasers in my Practice.

Due to my skill and experience, I was selected as one of the main dentists on the three series of the popular TV Programme Extreme Makeover UK. I was privileged to carry out many life-changing Smile Makeovers using porcelain veneers. I am a perfectionist by nature, and aim to create a perfect smile individually designed for each person.

Next month, I will be presenting a case study illustrating the use of veneers as well as bone grafting and implants to replace missing teeth. In the meantime, if you require any advice on cosmetic dentistry or porcelain veneers, please email them to me at ash@smiledesignbyash.co.uk and I will personally respond to you. Also, to discover how to actually have an enjoyable dental experience, visit the informative website www.smiledesignbyash.co.uk, or telephone 020 85000544.

Sponso red

3km

dog wa lk

Sunday 25th September

WAGS

&TAILS

Booking is essential Ingatestone Hall, Essex. ÂŁ5 per person. Dogs receive medal & goody bag. call 01708 771405 email fundraising@sfh.org.uk visit www.sfh.org.uk Registered charity no. 275913

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long term health and wellness

H

ello to all of you out there and welcome back. I hope many of you have had a wonderful summer, though if you like to have sunshine I do hope you managed to escape our shores and find yourself the golden rays somewhere else. Oh well, perhaps we’ll have an Indian Summer? My fingers are crossed.

For many of you not tied by the school holidays perhaps you are now planning trips away and if walking is your thing revisit my past articles to get some tips as to where you might go. Whether looking to have a short walk or planning more of a trek, there are so many places you can visit and so many types of walks available.

Just yesterday my attention was drawn to a Lonely Planet email regarding the world’s best long walks, here is the link should you wish to have a look http: //www.lonelyplanet.com /turkey/travel-tips-and-articles/76736?affil=lpemail As you can imagine some of these now feature on my plan.

So let me return from major treks and let’s see how we can more forward at this time of the year taking what’s best from the summer and the opportunities that our surroundings can give us, to plan for a fun and active September.

When on holidays there is a general tendency to do one of two things, one is to completely vegetate and lie by the pool or on a beach, eat and drink too much and ‘chill’. e other is to be active, get involved in new things, take advantage of opportunities and explore. ose of you who did this may have done some walking and in doing so discovered many things. One of the things I love about walking is the pace, because even if a brisk one, it can be slowed fairly quickly to allow a change of direction or a look at something spotted. You are also able to look up as you walk and look around taking note of nature, architecture etc. I was out on a training walk with 5 others on Sunday and at one point we were able to stop, look up and see a number of parakeets flying above us!

If you have been one of the group taking more exercise wouldn’t it be great to keep that going and even increase it? If your chosen exercise isn’t walking, I’m not offended, just keep doing it as any activity at all is of great benefit to us and our long term health and wellness and it gives you a head start on next year’s beach body!

In the July/Aug edition of this wonderful magazine I gave you lots of tips for walking with children, dig that out and put it into practice. Harness your children’s energy and enthusiasm and get them into the forest. Take them up to High Beach where the Forest Centre is and where there are activities to take part in, displays to see, maps and books about the walks and the area and events to get involved in. I believe there is also a bus service now that runs from Loughton so you could get the bus up and walk back or walk up and get the bus back. ere are tea huts and pubs for refreshment and you could take your sandwiches if you want the entire outdoor experience. I recall great days flying kites up at

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AN UNDULATING PATH IN THE FOREST

High Beach too when my daughter was small so if you have a whiff of a windy day pack the pocket kite or the frisbee, there’s plenty of space up there for both.

As I was planning this article I was thinking of a number of my favourite walks which can be shortened or lengthened as you feel like it. A walk along the River Roding can be started from opposite Tesco near Charlie Browns or from the bottom of Snakes Lane and continue to Buckhurst Hill, Loughton or Debden or for a circular route come off at Spurs training ground and walk up Luxborough Lane returning by pavement through Woodford Bridge. Of course when you know the area, you can make up your own routes.

In the forest drive to Jacks Hill Car park and from the car park on the left you can do a lovely circuit that takes about an hour or if wanting something longer you can walk into Epping, have a coffee or pub lunch and walk back. From the car park on the right there are again a choice of routes. Get yourself a map from the Forest Centre or an Ordnance Survey one and you will easily be able to plot a route. As you get more familiar and more adventurous you’ll have fun looking for variations and extensions.

I was pouring over a map of walking trails in Burgundy in France the other day as I’m taking 8 of my walking group out there next

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CANAL WALKING

SOUTHWOLD'S BEACH HUTS

week to celebrate 5 years of walking together. e possibilities are endless and I look forward to sitting planning next Monday evening over a glass of wine, perhaps in the evening light in the garden.

We are very lucky in the area in which we live as we have access to rivers, parks, forest and not too far away, the coast so if you have a day or a weekend free, how about venturing a little further away and heading to the seaside. If you google something like ‘Essex Coastal walks’ or ‘walks by the sea in Essex’ you’ll find lots of suggestions and if you go to www.visitessex.com and click on the ‘see and do’ link and you will find walking and cycling information in different parts of the county.

A little further afield, but one of my favourite walks which I tend to do in June or September is from Warbleswick in Suffolk and back via Southwold. It’s a walk that in it’s entirety takes you away from Warbleswick along the river then inland across moorland, back across the creek approaching Southwold from the Golf Course and then of course you can spend time in the town itself and after coffee, beer, fish and chips or ice cream (or all of it if you’re so inclined) you can walk back along the beach admiring the beach huts and if you’ve missed the row boat ferry can walk up the creek to the bridge and down the other side to where you’ve parked your car. It’s a great day out. For some guidance google ‘Southwold to Walberswick via marshes’.

ALAN IN WARBLESWICK

I’d really love to hear about your summer experience and what you discovered and explored. Also what are your favourite walks in the area? It would be great to get some to share with the other readers.

CREEKSIDE PATH IN WARBLESWICK

HAPPY WALKING BUNCH

e other thing that these walks do is they can keep those memories of summer alive and enable us to bring some of it home. e sounds, the smells, the sensations like the wind in your hair, the sun on your skin etc can all take us back to summer times and enable us to relive what energised and relaxed us.

And don’t forget the past tips on what to wear and layering. At this time of the year we can experience a range of different temperatures so layers allow us to take off and put on as we need and always keep us comfortable. Some of the sales are still on, get to the outdoor shops and snap up a bargain.

Happy Walking.

BREAK NEAR BUTLER'S RETREAT

RIVER RODING PATH

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A NEW SMILE FOR CANDICE C

andice Evans found herself permanently smiling following her session with Smile Design By Ash as she was so happy with her new look. Candice, aged 34, from Chigwell had finally got new front teeth after a lifetime of low self esteem about her smile.

“I CAN’T BELIEVE IT” SAID CANDICE “I HAVE NEVER BEEN HAPPY WITH MY FRONT TEETH SINCE I WAS A GIRL AND EVEN THOUGH WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON THEM, I WAS STILL VERY CONSCIOUS OF MY LOOK.”

Candice thought that work done previously on her front teeth would make her happier “and I was for a while” she said. at work had consisted of composite veneers on top of her front four teeth that were not an ideal shape and over the years had become discoloured leaving her with a dingy and unattractive look.

“Finding Ash was great timing” said Candice. “I saw his advert in this magazine and kept reading about him and his newly opened practice and decided to make an appointment with Ash. I am so glad I did and I haven’t looked back.”

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Initial Assessment Candice thought she had a good standard of dental hygiene, but she now has a much better understanding of what more she can do for herself to maintain a healthy and attractive smile and avoid dental problems and professional fees in the long-term.

“Ash’s initial detailed assessment really opens your eyes” she recalls “and makes you realise how important your teeth are particularly after Ash explained what he could do for me. I gained so much knowledge from that session alone.” at was followed by a session with Jessica, the dental hygienist, who helped Candice to get her gums to perfect health. is is very important before the start of any dental treatment.

Teeth whitening followed to improve the colour of all her teeth. Ash uses the ZOOM whitening system which he rates as no.1 in the world and is safe, effective and easy to do.

Candice and her winning smile

“He believes that a new smile should look natural rather than dazzle like you see on some celebrities. He’s a perfectionist.” “e whole customer experience has been excellent from start to finish. e staff are all very kind and considerate and take time to reassure you. Let’s face it most of us think that a visit to the dentist is stressful. Not at this place. Plus one of the most important things to stress is that it was all pain free. I never knew you could visit the dentist without pain either during treatment or afterwards.”

Candice's smile before treatment

Candice and her perfect smile

Next came work on the teeth themselves where the discoloured composites were replaced with four beautiful porcelain veneers. Porcelain is stronger, longer lasting, more aesthetic and does not discolour in any way.

Candice is mother to Billy, aged 8, and she is keeping a watchful eye on his dental hygiene. “I plan to take him to see Ash and the team as I know they are very good with children too.”

“Ash was very particular about the colour match for the new front teeth” said Candice.

Candice says she is delighted, she smiles more and regularly catches herself in the mirror.

She feels her mouth looks a better shape and that she looks younger. “I don’t want to sound vain but I do think I look younger and with a touch of lip gloss for an evening out, the look is perfect.”

Decide for yourself – the pictures tell an important story.

Candice is delighted with the photo shoot that followed her dental work. Capture Photographic Studio in Chigwell sorted out her hair and makeup and with four different outfits Candice felt like a Princess with pictures to keep. “It was great fun and now my confidence is overflowing - the final results are worth every penny. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.”

To book a complimentary initial consultation to meet Extreme Makeover cosmetic dentist Ash Parmar, phone 020 8500 0544 and visit the informative website www.smiledesignbyash.co.uk

fashio n

HOW TO BUY A TAILORED BUSINESS SUIT

Joshua Harris

“CLOTHES DON’T MAKE THE MAN… BUT THEY GO A LONG WAY TOWARD MAKING A BUSINESSMAN” Thomas Watson Snr WORDS: JOSHUA HARRIS

R

egardless of profession, a premium, tailored business suit speaks an international language and demands respect. It signals power and integrity whilst being aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically comfortable. Taking this into account, this feature will gloss over the various options available in purchasing a suit, offering recommendations by body-type, and finally summarising some tailoring tips in order to complete the fitted look. ere are three options for purchasing a suit; bespoke suits start with the needle and thread and are entirely customised by you, but these come with a hefty price tag.

Made-to-measure suits are premade fabrics which are then altered to fit you which are more reasonable in price. Finally, an off-the-peg suit, which is the most cost-effective, describes that which has been cut and finished in a variety of sizes for you to choose from – in order to purchase this, you will need to know; waist, collar and chest measurements. is feature will assist you purchase an off-the-peg or made-to-measure suit, as these can be adjusted by a tailor.

Purchasing a suit is not a simple task. First, one must make decisions of appropriateness, for example whether the jacket should be single or double breasted, or have 1, 2 or 3 buttons.

Most gents overlook the available choices and decide to take the easiest option, however, from a professional point of view, and what is widely proposed in business, is that a tidy, formal business suit scores points for first impressions – which is crucial for sales roles or any other client-facing responsibilities. ey are a reflection of you and your business, and even if it does not mean much to you, it means a lot to your clients. is importance similarly transpires to an interview situation, whereby it demonstrates understanding of the business dress code and makes a statement about you. Recruiters use appearance as a means of judging if you are a viable candidate

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for a job role, so please take into account the following advice to help you look sharp and dapper.

Wearing a suit is not an exact science. Although there are some ground rules such as showing a quarter inch of shirt cuff under your jacket sleeve or that the shirt collar should rise an inch above the back of the jacket, the most important thing is comfort. Feeling comfortable induces confidence, which may be beneficial in your daily routine. erefore, when deciding which colour suit to purchase, or where your trouser waist line should hang, this should predominantly be determined by what makes you feel confident, comfortable, and ready for the corporate world. e intricate rules are amerely a helpful guideline.

For a few starting points, first, you should own 5 suits, preferably different colours/styles so that you do not look like you wear the same clothes every day. For year-round flexibility, it is recommended that for a business suit, it is best to start with a smart, black or navy 2-button – this is a very popular option in the corporate environment, and is compatible for all body shapes. e purpose of the business suit is not to stand out flamboyantly, but to ‘fit in’ the environment. So being generic is actually a positive in this sense. erefore, it is essential to understand your company’s dress code and generally, less formal equates to fewer accessories. So if your colleagues adopt a formal shirt and suit outfit without a tie, it is best to avoid resembling Gordon Gekko. However, it is tasteful to have the odd accessory which demonstrates that you take care of yourself and are aware of appearance, which is an asset in the corporate world. Another by-product of environment is weather. For autumn/winter you will have more flexibility with your options with respect to fabric, but a word of advice, suits made of worsted wool are a cost-saver as they can be worn year-round.

The core advice with respect to body shape is to accentuate the positive, and play down the negative.

Tall. For the taller gent, the key trick is to get the suit jacket tailored around the waist, ridding the vertical lines down your sides and creating a V-shape on your torso. Another issue for taller men are long legs, so when getting trousers fitted, opt for ample break in the trousers, which will even out your upper and lower body. Additionally, taller men may benefit from a double-breasted jacket, as it broadens your torso.

ShorT. For shorter men, going for vertical pin striped suits can elongate your physique. Similarly, showing a quarter inch of cuff (with the suit jacket falling at the hinge of your wrist) makes your arms look longer. aThleTic. Athletic body shapes have flexibility of fit – just keep the suit trim and fitted (especially at the waist) and avoid double-breasted jackets as the extra material can make you look stocky.

Slim. For slim men, keep the suit fitted. Oversized shirts and suits will look untidy and will crease easily. For tall and slim gents, take into account that suit jackets with peaked lapels extend your torso and give you a broader look. Leaner frames may also benefit from a 1-button jacket for a trendy finish.

Full-Figured. For plus-size men, accessories can be used to attract attention. For example, a pocket square or handkerchief diverts attention towards your chest. Also, wearing the suit buttoned up is slimming, especially for dark suits. For shirt choices, I recommend combining the wide collar range such as the Windsor with a thick knot tie.

Whatever your body shape, you should be able to button the jacket comfortably (in a 2-button suit, only fasten the top button), without too much gap between chest and buttons or space outwards from the abdomen. When getting a suit tailored, check for the following points and, if required, request some adjustments.

JackeT. Ensure that the sleeves fall at the hinge of your wrist with room for a quarter inch of shirt cuff. Keep the waist and sides trim and ensure that when buttoned, it feels comfortable on your silhouette without too much extra space and fabric folding or stretching, as this can erode the quality of the jacket. If the shoulders have excess material and are not hugging yours, then an adjustment would be needed from the back of the suit to bring them in tighter. With your arms straight down by your sides, you should be able to cup the bottom of your suit jacket with your hands – this is where the jacket should fall. Also ensure for slim jackets, or those to be tailored that there should be some space under your shoulders as your latissimus dorsi (back muscles) expand when your arms are raised. Also note that waist, sleeve and collar adjustments can be done to shirts if required.

TrouSerS. For the trousers, ensure that they fall straight and avoid the common rolling effect at the base when they are too long. If the trousers are too wide, request that the tailor take in the width, for a slimmer finish. With respect to trouser fit, ensure that you can wear the trousers without a belt, as a size-too-large will fold the waistline of the trouser. e total cost of a suit’s adjustments should not cost more than £50, however, this will vary greatly with the experience and location of the tailor, and the adjustments required. With respect to off-the-peg or made-to-measure suits, a very good quality suit should cost around £200-£250.

Today’s suits are yesterday’s ‘suits of armour’. ey help prepare you for battle in the corporate world and afford extra confidence in your working life, and more especially, how competitors, clients or superiors view your appearance, style, and how you want to be perceived. e only control you have for that essential first impression, is how you look and how seriously you take your image.

Understandably, the broadness of this topic is very wide, however, if you have any questions or request further information please feel free to contact me - Joshua Harris - enquiries@starcopywriting.com. ank you.

SEPTEMBER2011 45

ho me int erest

A ContemporAry orAngery in rurAl essex

A

pproached by Mr & Mrs Lamb, owners of a traditional ‘farmhouse’ styled building in rural Essex, Westbury Conservatories Ltd, specialists in providing bespoke timber garden rooms to the Home Counties, were initially requested to create a fully glazed “conservatory” on the rear of the property where a rarely used patio area sat.

Architectural Designer, Ian Harrington of Westbury needed to understand the home-owners ideal use and function for the building in order to best design and specify the most functional and aesthetically pleasing design. In conversations with Mrs Lamb, she expressed a desire for a room that was multi-functional; a place for informal relaxation or formal entertaining, a room that can be used by their young children to play and enjoy television under her watchful eye. Mr Lamb wanted a design that was both in-keeping with the architecture of the building, but also made a considerable improvement to the properties look, function and add to the overall value of their property investment.

During the initial site visit Ian Harrington was able to quickly ascertain that an “Orangery” style of building could be integrated into the space using brick and timber construction, allowing connection of both the kitchen and living room areas. is would be a much more substantial extension to the home than a conservatory, as well as being far more functional due to a more steady temperature provided by a lesser glazed building.

creating planning drawings and a watercolour illustration in order to gain Mr & Mrs Lamb’s approval.

Approval granted, the project began and upon gaining planning permission; working drawings were created, scheduling planned and building commenced. e timber Orangery is sympathetically designed to nestle within the traditional exterior of the farmhouse style but with a contemporary twist. e roof lantern, a stunning architectural feature, provides masses of natural light, as well as ventilation via automated windows featuring rain and temperature sensors that open and closes according to conditions.

Ian’s recommendations would allow, what was the exterior wall to be knocked through to the kitchen, providing an open plan living area with a continual ceiling level, conducive to the modern style of living embraced by many families. is met the ideal scenario of Mrs Lamb, allowing her to watch over her children during meal preparation time. e living room was proposed to be connected with a partially walled expanse with bi-folding doors, allowing the home-owners either open access to, or privacy from the new room.

e Orangery structure is made up of both brick and timber elements connecting to the building. e specialist timber joinery of tall double-glazed casement windows and large bi-folding double-glazed doors, open the room out into the garden. Both windows and doors feature a contemporary four pane glazing bar design.

Ian Harrington proceeded to design the building using his brief,

Tasteful lighting integrated into the ceiling and internal shelf of

the roof lantern brightens the room at night and creates an amazing illumination when viewed from the garden. e roof lantern design provides a beautiful view of a starry sky on clear nights, whilst sunlight brightens, without dazzling, in the day due to the tinted solar protective glazing requested as an option.

An additional storage room was incorporated which has become the ideal “toy cupboard”.

Finally, the Orangery is connected to the garden via three deep set brick and slab steps to the new stone slab patio.

A large light and contemporary family room has been created by this extension, giving the owners and their young family a functional room that has become the hub of the home. e architectural design has improved and given more interest to the rear of the house.

For further information on this and many other similar projects contact Westbury Conservatories Ltd. Telephone: 01371 876576, info@westburyconservatories.com www.westburyconservatories.com SEPTEMBER2011 51

HO ME INT EREST

The Jewel in the

Crown

“W

e first met our latest client, a Kent property developer, when he called in at our stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower show,� explains Crown Pavilions’ in-house Garden Designer, Carl Hooper. “He explained that he had admired our products for some time - and browsing our website noticed we have our own landscaping company (which, incidentally, was awarded the much coveted Merit Award for Outstanding Presentation),� he adds. “He wanted a beautiful garden complete with spacious gazebo, all of which would reflect the unique character of the main house. All elements had to work together in harmony as well as forming a sumptuous back-drop for relaxing and entertaining.

Day or night, winter or summer, rain or shine‌ he wanted a year-round sanctuary where he could work, rest and play.�

Unfortunately ‘sanctuary’ wasn’t the first thing that came to mind when Carl and the design team arrived on site one cold, damp March morning. “We had to clamber across rubble, weeds and rubbish,� he recalls. “The soil was poor and the drainage atrocious. However to our landscapers it was the perfect blank canvas and at the heart of this canvas would be the jewel in the crown: a bespoke 12-seater cedar gazebo with luxury dining, seating and lighting, fully wired for media and internet – an ‘escape’ that could be a haven of relaxation one minute and a glorious pleasure zone the next.�

Crown Pavilions and its sister company Crown

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/A / >@=>3@BG 23D3:=>3@ G=C 53B CA32 B= 0C7:27<5 A7B3A 0CB E63< B6/B 0C7:27<5 A7B3 7A G=C@ =E< ¡5/@23<¸ 7B¸A ?C7B3 /<=B63@ ;/BB3@ /<2 E63< B63 ¡0C7:27<5¸ /B B63 63/@B =4 B6/B 5/@23< B63 83E3: 7< B63 1@=E< B= 03 7A :7BB:3 ;=@3 B6/< / >7:3 =4 @C00:3 G=C <332 / A>317/: 97<2 =4 :/<2A1/>3@ B= >CB 7B @756B Gardens (responsible for the landscaping) arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;your averageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; landscape designers or gazebo manufacturers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d started life as a manufacturer of high-end gazebos and garden rooms,â&#x20AC;? Carl explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But, increasingly, we were finding people wanted us to handle the landscaping too â&#x20AC;&#x201C; after all, when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re investing in a state-of-theart gazebo you want a setting that does it justice!â&#x20AC;?

So Crown Gardens was born to work in parallel with its sister company - and scores of sumptuous gardens-and-gazebos later, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve attracted the attention of some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most discerning clients â&#x20AC;&#x201C; people like Duncan Bannatyne for his Bannatyne Spa Hotel in Hastings and Canadian businesswoman Gabriella Atkinson for her home and riding centre at Bedgebury Park (to be reported in the next edition). â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also created stunning sanctuaries overlooking the Mediterranean where the gazebo is more about sheltering from the heat than the rain or snow,â&#x20AC;? says Carl.

HO ME INT EREST But wherever the location, the accent is firmly on creating the perfect haven to relax and entertain, and which requires minimum maintenance.

“It’s important that everything - from the smallest exotic shrub to the most intricate cascading rock waterfall, from the plump feather-filled cushions to the siting of the gazebo itself - must work in complete harmony.”

But unlike a painting on a canvas, a garden never looks the same. “Not only does it change dramatically according to the season, it must look amazing from every angle.”

From the house to the garden room and back again, it’s a 360 degrees 3-dimensional entity that needs to look stunning and serve a multitude of different purposes “whether you’re putting your feet up at the end of the day or welcoming guests to a glittering celebration.”

Then there’s the weather to contend with. “Soft furnishings must be fade and insect-resistant for the summer and mould-resistant in the wet season. Structures must be sturdy and low maintenance. Lighting must complement each other. And, of course, you need heat so you can get the most from the garden room all year round.”

Inspired by a string of triumphs “which includes the transformation of our property developer client’s ‘building site’ into a breathtaking garden retreat”, Crown is now setting its sight on making clients’ outdoor spaces even more versatile.

“These days, people want a garden in which they can do everything,” says Carl “We already have a popular range of gazebos with hot tubs. Now we’re about to introduce a range of bespoke garden offices and outdoor kitchens, vastly extending the scope of how you use your garden.”

Contact: Rees Gidley or Barbara Anne Barber Tel 01491 612820. Crown Pavilions Ltd, 6B Lys Mill Farm, Watlington, Oxfordshire, OX49 5EP

1 1 5 & 3 S E P T/ EC M5BCEARB2 0

Ho me int erest

W

Well what an interesting month since I last addressed these pages. I’ve had more enquiries from readers than the previous three months put together, which reminded me of the writing load I used to have when I was the ‘Silver Editor’ of an American newspaper called “e Antiques Monthly” and questions with photographs poured in from all over the States. Anyway the recent batch of enquiries was so diverse that thought I would print just a couple for you to illustrate the range of items that people have. e first is one of a pair of vases, each bearing the stamp of Carlton Ware, but the owner could find no further information. e vases are extremely - what is known in the trade as ‘showy’; lots of shape and lots of colour with big classical scenes on the front and back. is was because the Victorians of the late 19th century loved mirrors over their fireplaces, at the back of sideboards and anywhere else they could stand ornaments, and so they had to be decorated on the reverse side as well as the front. is practice did not cease with the end of the century and continued well into the next, when in fact these vases were made. Carlton Ware was one of many products from the company formed by the partnership of Laurence Arthur Birks and Adolphus Joseph Rawlins in the 1890's, which continued until1932 at the Vine Pottery at Stoke. e company was still in production in 1957. ey made china in addition to their earthenware products the latter of which these vases are a fine example. For something so decorative it is surprising that these wares do not have great commercial value. ey were made in vast number and,

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John Bly

being available to the masses of middle class families were considered ‘old fashioned’ by the following two generations, and are only just being collected.

and periods when they tried to create revival pieces of an earlier period. But sometimes even this can defeat an old hand like me. A case in point is the slope-top box illustrated. ese boxes are often referred to as bible boxes but that more correctly describes a straightforward box with no slope. is is actually a desk, of a type not much referred to before the Tudor period but universally popular by the end of the 17th century when more people could read and write.

One early record is in an inventory of Sir William More of Loseley who owned ‘a deske (sic) of chestnut tree’ and ‘another little deske to wryte (sic) on. e latter was valued at 3d by the valuer.

e name of the country of origin marked on any item will indicate that it was made after 1891 when the ‘McKinley Tariff ’ as it was known was brought in by the future President of e United States of America as an import protectionist measure. e addition of the words ‘Made In’ will indicate after 1904. ere are very few rules in the antiques business but that is certainly one of them. Dates inscribed, engraved or carved on antiques can be very difficult to authenticate; the typeface and quality of writing are key factors. It is too complicated to put briefly but a guide rather than a rule is to visit and take note in a cemetery of the dates and lettering on gravestones. It was rarely if ever done to put old-fashioned lettering on a headstone, and of course a date before the lettering was invented would be equally wrong. e forms of decorative borders and frames, particularly around crests, coats of arms and presentation inscriptions are also indicative of age. e Victorians loved to mix designs

Now part of the carving on this desk is a mystery to me. e scrolling designs is common enough and typical of the mid to late 17th century which would tie up nicely with the construction and the iron work and it is good Baltic oak, the stable timber for good solid furniture at the time. But to my knowledge the diagonal lines do not fit to any known pattern in the UK, nor am I sure if they are contemporary. It could be Scandinavian or even more romantically, it could have been done by a sailor on board ship after he had visited some exotic island and picked up some native designs. So I’m stuck on this one and ask if anyone recognises this pattern, and has the sort of ”Oh I know where that came from” reaction please write and tell me. One of the most interesting pieces of American silver I have ever dealt with came to light after an enquiry from an English reader of ‘e Antiques Monthly’. It was a large bowl with two cast side handles and a presentation inscription over a coat of arms. It read

”Valentine and Louisa D. Mott”. Back in the 1970’s this meant nothing to me and there was no Google, but the lettering of the inscription was typical of the 1850’s, so we had an approximate date.

Underneath were the stamps ‘Jones,Ball & Co’ ‘Boston’ and most interestingly ‘Pure Silver Coin’. Armed with this I flew to my copy of Encyclopedia of American Silver Manufacturers by the delightfully named Dorothy T. Rainwater. Here I discovered that Jones and Ball registered their mark in 1852 as part of a huge conglomerate with the equally engaging name of ‘Shreve, Crump and Low, Co. Inc. ey certainly know how to come up with catchy titles. So now we have date, maker and material. But who were Valentine and Louisa Mott? e shield of the coat of arms was divided in three; in one third was a hand with a scalpel, another was a ribbon around a tube and the last was a crescent. e latter is a device with many meanings but the scalpel was a clue. By now I’m sure the suspense is almost too much to bear so I will cut to the chase and tell you that via e New York Historical Society, Rosary College Library, Chicago and the Milwaukee Museum of Fine Art I found that Valentine Mott was a hugely important American surgeon (1785 – 1865) who performed over one thousand ground-breaking operations including the first successful amputation at the hip. e bowl went on tour from New York to the places just mentioned and now rests on display In the Milwaukee museum. So you never know what might happen when you write to me. I hope someone will re the Desk.

18/8/11

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T RAVEL

AT THE PHOENICIA HOTEL

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he charming Mediterranean island of Malta boasts an enthralling combination of cultural flavours, thanks to its fascinating history spanning over 7000 years. Stay at the fabulous five-star Phoenicia Hotel by the gates of capital city Valletta and you’ll be in prime position to enjoy the many delights this captivating country has to offer.

Dating back to 1939, the Phoenicia was Malta’s first five-star hotel and remains one of its finest, offering an historic charm that you simply won’t find elsewhere, yet all the amenities that today’s discerning global travellers have come to expect. The standards of service are second to none and guests return again and again.

General Manager Charles Azzopardi comments; “We’re very proud of our heritage here at the Phoenicia Hotel as we can offer something totally unique and give our guests an authentic Maltese experience.”

The original features of this magnificent hotel have been carefully preserved and enhanced in the recent art-deco inspired makeover and many of the 128 rooms and eight suites offer stunning views across the Grand Harbour. The resort also boasts acres of exquisite mature gardens; an unexpected delight given its city location, which lead to the impressive Bastion Pool Deck carved into the city walls - an idyllic hideaway for a spot of secluded sunbathing.

With Valletta just a short stroll away, guests can do as much or as little as they like. The Maltese capital offers an abundance of sights, alongside a vibrant café culture and some great open air markets.

For those who prefer to sit back and enjoy a spot of pampering, the Phoenicia offers a selection of spa and holistic treatments, whilst the more adventurous will find plenty of activities on offer nearby; from scuba diving with local experts to yachting in the crystal-clear waters.

Beach-lovers, meanwhile, will be spoilt for choice, with the likes of Mellieha or Golden Bay within easy reach and the islands of Comino and Gozo just a ferry ride away, where you will find the famous Blue Lagoon and some of the best beaches in the Med. Malta also prides itself on a thriving music and arts scene so check for events when planning your trip as you’ll find something to suit all tastes, including open-air concerts, festivals, opera, theatre and much more.

Back at the hotel guests will delight in the many wining and dining options which include the award-winning Phoenix restaurant with its outdoor terrace and spectacular views of the beautiful Marsamxett harbour, the informal Pegasus Brasserie, the 56

SEPTEMBER2011

T RAVEL

relaxing Palm Court Lounge and the regal Club Bar. In the Phoenix Restaurant you will sample the delightful Mediterranean-based international fusion cuisine of head chef Bernd Maier and his team, with mouth-watering dishes such as salad of smoked pigeon, crème brulee of foie gras, wasabi risotto with grilled tuna, and an excellent selection of fresh local fish.

With outstanding facilities and exceptional service, the Phoenicia Hotel has long been a favourite haunt of famous faces, with previous guests including the likes of Pierce Brosnan, Rachel Weisz, and even the Queen - who danced in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom in her younger years and has visited on several occasions since - and you’ll certainly feel like royalty during your stay. From the moment you step inside, you’ll find an air of elegance and understated charm that make this a truly enchanting hotel.

Enjoy luxury accommodation in an Executive Room at the five-star Phoenicia Hotel from £210 per night, based on two sharing and including breakfast. To book visit www.phoeniciamalta.com or call 0808 238 1710.

Fly to Malta, in just three hours, from a choice of three London airports or more than 20 regional airports across the UK.

SEPTEMBER2011 57

Fuel consumption for Fiat 500byGucci range: mpg (l/100km) and CO2 emissions: Urban 49.6 (5.7) – 57.6 (4.9), Extra Urban 65.7 (4.3) – 76.3 (3.7), Combined 58.9 (4.8) – 68.9 (4.1). CO2 emissions 113 – 95 g/km. At participating dealers or online.

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I

n the year marking the celebration of both the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy and Gucci's 90th anniversary, Gucci and Fiat are proud to unveil the 500 by Gucci, a special edition of the iconic Fiat 500 customised by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini in partnership with Fiat's Centro Stile. is unique collaboration between two of Italy's most respected brands represents the perfect combination of craftsmanship and style.

Launched on the opening day of Milan Fashion Week, the 500 by Gucci was also presented at the Geneva International Auto Show in a dedicated Gucci pop-up store within the Fiat stand. e black and white colours of the 500 by Gucci, in unique eye-catching glossy pearl glass paint complement one another: black, with detailing in shiny chrome paired with interiors that contrast sharp black and white, for a contemporary and racy feel; white, with satin chrome detailing and ivory and black interiors for a softer, sophisticated look.

by Gucci will enlarge the audience for the already successful Fiat 500, reaching those fashionista customers who want to have a unique car to distinguish themselves.”

Fiat’s designer Lapo Elkann adds “As a creative, I feel an affinity with the UK, like Italy, Britain is a nation that embraces and nurtures innovation, design & individuality”. e Fiat 500 by Gucci, in both limited edition colours, is on display and available to test drive at Glyn Hopkin in Buckhurst Hill.

Call 020 8506 6272 or visit GlynHopkin.com.

Just arrived, exclusive to Glyn Hopkin, are also a massive choice of nearly new Fiat 500s with a choice of colours, Pop & Sport models, many with very low mileage from only £6995, saving over £2500 against price when new. Many of these vehicles are now equipped with the innovative Start Stop technology. Glyn Hopkin are expecting high interest in these vehicles so don’t miss out, when they’re gone, they’re gone!

500 BY GUCCI SPEC CHROME KIT The chrome kit features chic bonnet and bumper inserts, chrome door mirrors, door handles and boot handle – in a glossy finish on the black and a satin finish on the white.

IRIDESCENT BODYWORK Choose from White or Black with glitter - both shining examples thanks to the tiny glass beads that comprise the glittering paint finish.

SIDE RUBBING STRIP A stylish side rubbing strip runs down both sides of the car, featuring the Fiat 500 logo badge.

GUCCI WEBBING The Gucci red and green stripe outlines the silhouette of the Fiat 500 and continues inside over the seats and seatbelts, whilst ivory and black interiors with bi-colour steering wheel and two-tone leather seats sport the iconic ‘Guccissima' print.

DIAMOND ALLOYS 16" diamond cut alloy wheels with a retro cool spoke design are coloured to match the bodywork whilst the centre caps are embellished with the interlocking 'GG' logo.

DETAILS The elegant Gucci signature features on the rear and side doors.

THE FIAT 500C BY GUCCI WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN BOTH THE 1.2 69BHP AND TWINAIR ENGINES, IN 2 UNIQUE GLOSSY PEARL PAINTS

Alongside the car’s launch, Gucci has also created a fashion collection, which includes travel accessories, leather goods, clothes, sunglasses and a watch, which are available in select Gucci stores.

Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK said “e 500

SEPTEMBER2011 59

MOTO RS

SIXTH AWARD FOR NEW AUDI AI Top accolade makes it six awards in less than six months months for Essex Audi’s new hot hatch Since its launch the new Audi A1 has received no less than six of the industry’s most prestigious awards and doing so to firmly stamped its authority on the prestige supermini market.

Immediately after its launch the Audi A1 won the What Car Reader Award for the most Exciting Car of 2010, “Overall Car of the Year” and “Best Supermini” awards at the prestigious 2011 What Car? Awards ceremony. e Car Buyers “Best Luxury Small Car” swiftly followed, to be joined by the Parkers “Best Small Hatchback” award.

Now the latest trophy to join the growing collection is the prestigious Fleet World’s “Best Small Car” award bringing the A1 running total of awards to an unprecedented six. e price of progress in the 60

SEPTEMBER2011

Audi A1 1.6 TDI has also fallen even further as an even more fuel efficient version shrugs off road tax and the London congestion charge through a lower 99g/km CO2 output. is has been made possible by further optimisation of the fuel system and engine management unit which has reduced the CO2 output of the A1 1.6 TDI from 105g/km to 99g/km, and boosted its official combined economy figure from 70.6mpg to 74.3mpg. e A1 range includes both diesel and petrol models, all of which offer impressive fuel economy and low emissions across all models.

Prices start at just £13,420, rising to £20,705 for the latest in the range, the red-hot turbo and supercharged 1.4 TFSI, which is capable of 141mph!

All models are of course available for test-drive from your nearest Essex Audi Centre.

The partner run firm where you deal direct with the partner

www.phillipleigh.com

Official property advisors to Tottenham Hotspur we are also affiliated with West Ham United

SPEARLEAZE HILL, LOUGHTON

COURTLAND ESTATE, CHIGWELL

This excellent property occupies a fine position in the best part of this popular road. Having been comprehensively extended and improved by the present owners who have created an enviable home covering an area of approx 3500sq ft. The house has been professionally extended to the side and into the roof space to provide six excellent bedrooms.

The ground floor is exceptionally spacious with intercommunicating rooms for entertaining on a grand scale. There is a fabulous new kitchen

by Miele, large pool house and gym, heated pool and garden approx.

140’ deep.

Situate in a commanding position on the very popular Courtland Estate we are pleased to offer this fully detached property with excellent potential to extend. Built as a three bedroom house but currently in use as a two bedroom plus a dressing room, the property offers excellent ground floor accommodation and has superb views over open farmland.

£1,495,000 FREEHOLD Only Through Phillip Leigh

£950,000 FREEHOLD

Only Through Phillip Leigh

CHESTER ROAD, CHIGWELL

RODING LANE, CHIGWELL

This extremely attractive detached house is beautifully presented and ideal for the larger family that enjoys entertaining. Situate in one of Chigwell's premier roads within a short walk of local shopping and Central Line Station. All of the bedrooms are doubles with en-suite facilities to the two main bedrooms. The home covers an area of approx 2500 sq.ft. and the garden extends to approx 80’ in depth. An ideal opportunity to acquire a true family home at a most realistic price.

A detached cottage with a total floor area of approx.1500 sq.ft. suitable for occupation or redevelopment by a party operating or employed in an agricultural business within a 6 mile radius of Chigwell Village.

£850,000 FREEHOLD

£600,000 FREEHOLD

Only Through Phillip Leigh

Only Through Phillip Leigh

Chigwell 020 8500 1234

The agents that BRING THE BUYERS to your door www.phillipleigh.com

Official property advisors to Tottenham Hotspur we are also affiliated with West Ham United

FAIRVIEW ROAD, CHIGWELL

HIGH ROAD, CHIGWELL

Built circa 1900 this imposing three/four bedroom detached property is ideally located with easy reach of Grange Hill Underground Station and local shopping. The home has been maintained to the highest standard and offers the advantages of a basement room with its own independent access which would make an ideal “granny annexe”. The accommodation also includes an excellent lounge, dining room, and superb kitchen/ diner and there is an integrated sound system throughout the property.

This exceptionally spacious and attractive six bedroom detached house has an overall floor area in excess of 3000sq.ft, having been intelligently extended some years ago. Situate in a prime position facing the grounds of The Metropolitan Polices Sports grounds.

Chigwell Central Line Station and village shops and restaurants being in easy walking distance. The property is being sold by the executors with immediate vacant possession and no onward chain.

£595,000 FREEHOLD

£1,550,000

Only Through Phillip Leigh

Only Through Phillip Leigh

DOLPHIN COURT, CHIGWELL

ST MARYS WAY, CHIGWELL

A delightful and spacious first floor apartment in this popular development in the heart of Chigwell within just a stones throw of Chigwell Tube Station and shops at Brook Parade. The well planned accommodation provides two excellent reception rooms, three double bedrooms, two bathrooms and a guest cloakroom. There is a large terrace off the lounge, beautifully landscaped communal gardens and secure underground garaging for two vehicles as well as a useful storage room. The property is in need of general remodernisation.

This attractive detached four bedroom house is situated in a quiet cul de sac in the heart of Chigwell, within a stones throw of West Hatch school and within easy reach of Chigwell’s Central Line Station and Shopping at Brook Parade. The property features four bedrooms, the master with en-suite shower room. The beautifully kept garden features an attractive ornamental pond. There is also a large garage with its own driveway. This home is perfect for a family looking to settle in the area offering excellent value with little work required.

£615,000 SHARE OF FREEHOLD

£540,000 FREEHOLD

Only Through Phillip Leigh

Only Through Phillip Leigh

Loughton 020 8502 7070

Advising local people Regarding local property Since 1966 We offer guaranteed rents

www.phillipleigh.com

Official property advisors to Tottenham Hotspur we are also affiliated with West Ham United

CHIGWELL

CHIGWELL

Modern four bedroom house available to let in the heart of Chigwell just a short walk from Chigwell village and Chigwell underground station. The property benefits from a large through lounge and breakfast room downstairs with wood floors throughout. Separate fully fitted kitchen with integrated appliances. Four bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs. Three of the bedrooms have built in storage and the other can be used as a study if needed. Access to a garage directly from utility room with space for a small car or extra storage. Good size garden at the rear with large patio with lots of space for entertaining. Property available unfurnished Now

Stunning seven bedroom, five reception gated room family home available to let in a secluded location in Chigwell. A rare opportunity to rent a magnificent detached house in the heart of Chigwell. Set in grounds of over an acre this home benefits from Seven bedrooms, all of which are doubles and five receptions rooms. The house has four bathrooms as well as a shower room and guest cloakroom downstairs.

The property also boasts a conservatory, study and detached garage with space for up to four cars. Parking in front of the house is abundant with space for approximately 10 vehicles. Property available with notice

£2,250 PCM

£8,000 PCM

REPTON PARK - £2350PCM

CHIGWELL - £1250PCM

REPTON PARK - £2500PCM

REPTON PARK - £3000PCM

< Penthouse apartment < Three bedrooms < Fully furnished

< First floor apartment < Two double bedrooms < Balcony

< Three bedroom apartment < Beautiful furniture throughout < Available now

< Split level Penthouse < Four double bedrooms < Three bathrooms

CHIGWELL - £5500PCM

ABRIDGE - £3750PCM

LOUGHTON/THEYDON - £3950PCM

CHIGWELL - £3750PCM

< Exceptional detached family home < Five bedrooms < Prestigious location

< Exceptional family home < Five double bedrooms < Fully furnished

< Gated family home < Four double bedrooms < Outdoor swimming pool

< Four bedroom family home < Beautiful period features < Three reception rooms

Lettings 020 8500 1234

Last 6

Remaining

The masterpiece is complete... and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve saved the best until last.

FINAL PHASE RELEASE Fabulous 2 & 3 bedroom apartments from ÂŁ400,000

Lea Bragagnini 0208 498 0960 07956 365315 email:lea@bragagnini.co.uk www.bragagnini.co.uk

pro pert y life

SEPTEMBER2011 69

LOUGHTON

£1,250,000

A most attractive four bedroom detached house in prime location close to Loughton town centre. The property enjoys a carriage driveway providing parking for several vehicles and a pretty rear garden with swimming pool. Accommodation comprising four bedrooms, en-suite bathroom, family bathroom, two reception rooms, kitchen, utility room, ground floor wc/shower room and garage.

Apply Loughton 020 8508 5424

LOUGHTON

£649,000

WANSTEAD

£1,275,000

A detached home situated in a sought after location. One of the fine features of this property is the 200' rear garden. The large driveway serves garaging and off-road parking. Planning permission has been granted for a three storey seven bedroom house. The existing property comprises of four bedrooms, bathroom, reception room, kitchen and ground floor cloakroom.

A fine detached spacious family home beautifully presented situated on the prestigious Warren Estate. Accommodation comprises five bedrooms, two bathrooms, separate toilet, three reception rooms, conservatory, kitchen, ground floor cloakroom, cellar, double garage’. Garden measures approximately 112ft.

Apply Loughton 020 8508 5424

Apply Loughton 020 8508 5424

STANFORD RIVERS

£1,250,000

An impressive five bedroom detached house with attached and totally self contained double storey one bedroom annex, set on a lovely mature half acre plot backing onto open countryside with delightful views. The property offers well planned and adaptable accommodation. This spacious family home is set well back from the road behind electric security gates and screened by tall willow fencing leading to a sweeping carriage drive providing extensive private parking.

Apply Theydon Bois 01992 815314

ABBESS RODING

£950,000

THORNWOOD

£1,100,000

A detached grade II listed former rectory standing on its own with no near neighbours in grounds of approximately 1.4 acres. Outstanding views over glorious countryside. Four bedrooms, en-suite, beautifully proportioned drawing room plus three further receptions, kitchen and utility room. Externally, there are formal gardens, a paddock, triple garaging and an office.

Beautifully appointed double fronted detached house in a small private gated development. Impeccably appointed throughout.

Five bedrooms (two having en-suites), family bathroom, galleried landing, entrance hall, cloakroom, three receptions, superb fitted kitchen and utility room. Secluded rear garden with south-westerly aspect. Double garage plus an "in and out" carriage drive.

Apply Theydon Bois 01992 815314

Apply Theydon Bois 01992 815314

huTTon

offers over £1,150,000

LAmbourne end

Price guide £1,300,000 to £1,500,000

Set within a private estate and occupying a cul-de-sac location, this substantial residence offers exceptionally spacious accommodation featuring five double bedrooms with an en-suite to the master bedroom. To the ground floor are four reception rooms and to the outside the property enjoys a corner plot position and double garage, located only 0.4 miles from Shenfield station.

Laying well back from the road and approached via an electric gated entrance, this five bedroom detached residence offers well proportioned family accommodation, a double garage and ½ acre plot (STLS) with stable block. The location provides a sense of being in the countryside with some great local walks.

ChIgweLL

LoughTon

Price guide £1,175,000 to £1,275,000

A handsome grade II Listed detached georgian residence believed to be dating back to the early 18th Century and one of the oldest properties in Chigwell. Internally the home offers a blend of traditional features and modern day living. The accommodation provides 5 bedrooms, 2 bathroom, 4 receptions, study hall, kitchen and utility room, due west facing garden.

Price guide £880,000 to £1,000,000

This four bedroom detached residence in enviably situated within a most sought after road occupied by only nine properties and located directly opposite forestland. The home provides well-proportioned accommodation and features a sitting room with an open plan arrangement to the dining area, whilst to the outside the rear garden extends to approximately 95ft.

Theydon boIS Price guide £1,750,000 to £1,950,000 rare opportunity to acquire a pair of detached properties being a short walk from the village green and 0.4 miles from shops and the underground station. This arrangement would ideally suit those families wishing to live next to each other. The homes are a mirror image, apart from the one providing 4 bedrooms with bathroom and en-suite bath/shower room whilst the other has 3 bedrooms and 3 en-suites.

ChIgweLL Price guide £1,200,000 to £1,400,000 Set on the edge of the Courtland estate enjoying views to the front and rear over fields. This detached residence boasts four bedrooms with en-suite dressing area and bathroom to master bedroom, whilst to the ground floor is a lounge area linking with a dining area, family room, sitting room and kitchen with breatkfast area. Situated only 0.7 miles from Chigwell station.

With over 30 years of experience in the development of prestigious award-winning properties, who better to choose than Octagon Bespoke to design and build the new home of your dreams.

For more information call John Pope on 020 8481 7500 or visit

www.OctagonBespoke.com

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The device that started it all now leaps further ahead. iPad 2 is thinner, lighter and even faster than the original, with the same 10-hour battery life.1 The new front and back cameras let you make FaceTime2 video calls and capture HD video on the beautiful, 9.7-inch Multi-Touch display. And the optional iPad Smart Cover3 attaches magnetically and aligns perfectly. Discover the amazing iPad 2 at Solutions inc..

Solutions inc 32 The Meadow Shopping Centre, Chelmsford, CM2 6FD www.solutions-inc.co.uk Tel: 01245 255526 1 Compared with previous iPad. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See www.apple.com/uk/batteries for more information. 2 Requires a FaceTime-enabled Mac with an Internet connection or a FaceTime-enabled iOS device with a Wi-Fi connection. Not available in all areas. See www.apple.com/uk/mac/facetime for more details. 3 iPad Smart Cover sold separately. Some colour may rub off leather covers during use. TM and Š 2011 Apple Inc. All rights reserved.