Kudos issue 29

Your free lifestyle magazine for Kent and East Sussex

Issue 29

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WELCOME TO KUDOS

Hello

Welcome to the July/August issue of Kudos It’s been a busy time here at Kudos, not least because on 13th June, I gave birth to baby Evie! However, a publishing schedule stops for no man (or baby), so I hope you enjoy this issue – produced between feeds and sleepless nights!

Summer is always a busy time anyway, and there’s certainly plenty happening around the region over the coming months, as you’ll see from our events pages. We look in particular at the Neverworld Festival at Hever Castle in August. Based around Peter Pan, there are themed stages – the Lost Boys Fortress, Wendy House – plus Tinkerbell’s Tap House for food and drink, and Pan’s Playground for little ones. You get the idea. Impressive acts include Bastille, Clean Bandit and New York band We Are Scientists, who we caught up with for a chat.

Flowers are a huge part of summer, and we talked to women who have created successful businesses from blooms. Juliet Sargeant, who runs the Sussex Garden School, has teamed up with Pavarotti’s former chef to create seasonal garden talks accompanied by dishes made from edible plants.

Homeopath and herbalist Amanda Saurin, owner of A S Apothecary in Lewes, talks about creating her skincare range from plants – and her spin-off Fierce Botanics Tonic no.1, made from roots, seeds, leaves, fruit and blossom.

Cousins Jen and Bek reveal how a chance remark led to them starting a pickyour-own business on their flower plot.

From flowers to food, our Great Summer Food Guide features some of the tastiest places to eat, from cafés and pubs to more sophisticated dining.

Summer’s the time for weddings, too, and we’ve found a couple of perfect venues for your big day. Plus read why you should visit Chris Thurlwell at his jewellery shop in Tunbridge Wells for that special ring (and his story about Miss World)!

All this and more in your copy of Kudos. Enjoy!

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Hannah Tucek Publishing Director

Contents

kudoskent Web: www.kudoskent.co.uk

8 Kudos loves...

Managing Director: Robin Tucek Publishing Director: Hannah Tucek Editorial Director: Ann Wallace Creative Director: Neil Constant Sales Director: Meral Griffith Fashion Editor: Sally-Ann Carroll Photographer: Matt Harquail

10 News & events

Advertising Sales:

sales@badbettymedia.co.uk

26 Pets corner 29 Love celebrity 33 Love fashion 34 Love health & beauty 36 Men only 39 Love food and drink

Kudos is published bi-monthly by:

56 Love home 68 Love garden

While every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. All rights reserved. Prices and details correct at time of going to press.

No part of this publication may be produced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should be made to the publisher. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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76 Love education 86 Love family 94 Love business 96 Love charity 98 Love heroes

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Groombridge Hill

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6pm

Taken by Matt Harquail

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K U DOS LOV E S

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Things we love this issue

1. W hether it’s a weekend away or a summer holiday, this special edition Psychotropical Spinner case by Lipault is your perfect travelling companion. It can fit as cabin luggage if you want to avoid those pesky queues at the airport! £199 www.lipault.co.uk 2. Enjoy the authentic taste of charcoal cooking home or away with the Everdure By Heston Blumenthal Cube BBQ. This super-stylish portable barbecue is perfect for any al-fresco occasion. Designed to make barbecuing simple, it can be used on the ground or on top of a table, can be easily stored, includes a handy storage tray for either food or BBQ tools, and the bamboo lid makes a perfect food prep board. From £149 www.steamer.co.uk 3. For too long, ice cream that’s kind to the waistline has remained a distant dream, but Breyers Delights now makes the impossible possible. Tapping into the rapidly growing health and wellness trend, each tub contains as little as 290 calories and up to 20 grams of protein, making it ideal for the health conscious looking to lower their calorie intake without compromising on taste. The four deliciously creamy flavours include Cookies & Cream, Creamy Chocolate, Smooth Vanilla and Mint Chip. RRP £4.99 www.breyers.co.uk 8

4. The creators of Infinity had a mission to make a beverage that is better for the planet and the people who drink it. The result is Pod, which contains a unique combination of dry and liquid ingredients, packed into a dual chamber, giving you the power to upgrade your water, with no artificial flavours and only sweeteners from a natural source. Start with one of their bundle packs, with a vessel and a selection of pods including blackberry acai, mandarin orange, mango oats, pineapple coconut, white peach and lemon spirulina. It’s the tastiest way to keep refreshed this summer. From £30 www.drinkfinity.co.uk 5. Batch Organics supply you with flash-frozen, organic and unrefined ingredients crafted by chefs and balanced by nutritionists direct to your door in the form of smoothies and breakfast bowls. By cryogenically freezing produce at the farm (through a process called IQF), they lock in all its goodness (think taste, vitamins, antioxidants, minerals) that would otherwise deteriorate rapidly before reaching your local supermarket, let alone your homemade smoothie. Delivered across the UK, you just pop your Batch Organics cups in the freezer so they’re ready when you are. Just add liquid and blend. No prep, no mess, no waste! If you opt for Subscribe & Save, prices from £2.83 per cup with free delivery. www.batch-organics.com K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

LOV E N EWS

Upfront What’s new and happening Creative courses for the curious Spark your imagination for a day

If the raft of television programmes featuring arts and crafts has whetted your appetite, retreat to Curious House for a day, spark your imagination in beautiful surroundings and create your own.

It’s common knowledge that creativity helps improve health and happiness, which is the aim of Philippa King, who has launched Curious House. Guests will collaborate with some extraordinary teachers; enjoy a great day with tea, chat, delicious lunch and something wonderful to show for it.

Upcoming courses include: The Good Life with Jane Howard on 6th September, which covers thoughts on self-sufficiency for beginners – a fundamental creative endeavour; Create Your Own CharlestonInspired Lampshade with Jane McCall on14th September shows you how to emulate the distinctive, decorative style of the Bloomsbury set; Explore Your Creativity Through Writing with Mandy Wheeler on 21st September is a cheerful, light-hearted day in which you will undoubtedly uncover a taste for words and a talent for writing; and Traditional Willow Weaving with Emma Purcell on 27th September will teach you the ancient art of making practical vessels from what nature offers.

If you’d like to discover the best of Curious House but don’t live close by, The Bell in Ticehurst, just two miles down the road from Curious House, is offering exclusive course-related room rates. So, you or friends from further afield can enjoy this beautifully-quirky pub with fabulous rooms and stay in the zone for a little longer. www.curioushouse.net

Splash out

Time to give your bathroom a new lease of life Classic Tiles & Bathrooms, a new tile and bathroom business based in Cranbrook, has opened its showroom. The company embraces the very latest bathroom design and planning software and offers state-of-the-art, 4D virtual reality theatre from the market leaders, Virtual Worlds, which helps to create a uniquely immersive and informative experience.

With many fully-working baths, showers and water softeners on display, customers can check out product performance and available accessories to see what works for them and their budget long before they purchase.

Supply partners have been carefully chosen for their experience, heritage and reputation for quality. They include bathroom brands Aqualisa, Bisque, Roca, Pura, Vado Taps & Brassware, Arcade & Burlington, and Clearwater & Britton. Specialist digital shower, toilet and bathroom products from world-renowned makers Laufen & Geberit are also on display, along with beautiful showers from Matki, and products from Kaldewei, Ashton & Bentley Baths, Utopia Bathrooms, and Ambiance Bain bathroom furniture.

Classic Tiles & Bathrooms’ dedicated tile studio has ranges from Porcelanosa, Original Style, British Ceramic Tiles with brands such as Ted Baker, Laura Ashley and V&A, Domus Tiles, Italian Style and Dune Tiles & Sinks.

If you’re looking for a new bathroom, Classic Tiles & Bathrooms is the place to go. www.classictilesandbathrooms.com

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Out and about with Kudos

Neverworld A brand new concept festival from the team behind the worldfamous LeeFest. Turn the page for more details...

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Get set to party

Neverworld festival promises the best weekend Neverworld, a spectacular immersive festival of music, party and wonder from 2nd5th August, is set in the grounds of a beautiful forest in Hever. This unpretentious party is made up of three magical realms; The Neverwoods, Skull Ridge and Mermaids Lagoon. With 11 stages and 24 hours of music and partying, you are guaranteed the best weekend of your life!

Alternative rock-pop band Bastille will headline Neverworld for a rare festival appearance this summer. After playing LeeFest in 2012, the BRIT Award winners and Grammy-nominated four-piece are set to return to the newly-evolved Neverworld.

Also headlining are chart-topping trio Clean Bandit, preparing to wow audiences with fan favourites, as well as tease brand new tracks from their upcoming album.

With a genre-defying array of talent on offer in the Kent countryside, Neverworld promises non-stop delight. The festival will feature everything from Found What I’ve Been Looking For hitmaker Tom Grennan and rising prodigy Declan McKenna, to New York rock veterans We Are Scientists and pop songstress Rae Morris.

For those festival-goers looking for a dance-orientated weekend, Neverworld have announced huge sets from genre-bending dance duo My Nu Leng, plus rising talent Bushbaby and Barley Royal. With parties from Percolate featuring Denis Sulta and legendary D&B label RAM Records with Sub Focus, there’s undeniably something for everyone.

Across the weekend, some of the UK’s most exciting new artists and bands will take to the BBC Music Introducing in Kent stage, giving partygoers a chance to revel in the up-and-coming, as Neverworld’s dedication to championing emerging talent continues. Unruly rap-pop star GIRLI will also take to the stage, with reggae pop force Hollie Cook sharing the bill with folk and country wonders Hudson Taylor and more. Neverworld is the unmissable immersive experience of the summer. www.neverworld.co.uk

Be king and queen of the castle

Enjoy a summer of family fun at Hever

Image credits: Hever Castle & Gardens

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Visit Hever Castle & Gardens this summer to enjoy an entertaining programme of events and activities. Begin by discovering 700 years of history in the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. The splendid rooms of the double-moated castle contain fine furniture, tapestries, antiques, an important collection of Tudor paintings and two prayer books inscribed and signed by Anne Boleyn herself.

The Knights of Royal England will once again delight crowds with the annual Summer Jousting Tournament beginning on 14th and 15th July and continuing throughout July and August. Join the procession from the castle forecourt as Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn and the Knights make their way to the jousting arena.

Discover what life was like when English archers ruled the battlefield, learn about the history of the bow and its use in Tudor times and wander among the encampments as part of Tudor Tales on 28th and 29th July.

Kids can experience what it was like to grow up and serve in a royal household in medieval times during Knights & Princesses School (from 21st July). Knights in training will learn how to prepare and protect armour and discover the best way to arm and disarm their master before battle.

Princesses are shown the correct way to give a proper and perfect curtsey.

Enjoy a weekend dedicated to our four-legged friends on 4th and 5th August with Castle Canines. With informative displays and entertainment on offer, you can also enter your pooch into a dog show, complete with rosettes for the winners in each category.

There is also the 100-year-old Yew Maze (how long will it take you to get out?), the popular Water Maze and the thrilling Tudor Towers adventure playground, as well as Have-a-Go Archery* and boating* on the 38-acre lake (*additional charge, only available during weekends and school holidays). www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-on K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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Enter, stage left...

See what’s coming up at the Assembly Hall Theatre in Tunbridge Wells Dan Snow – An Audience with the History Guy, 9th July at 7:30pm

The well-known historian, broadcaster and BBC TV presenter recounts anecdotes of memorable experiences from his very successful career.

Otherwise known as ‘The History Guy’, Dan will also research and include historical facts relating to Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding area and region and will be aided by the use of digital screens. The show will be an undoubted success amongst historians, academics, students (schools and universities), families (young and old) and all those interested in the historical facts, legends and myths of their own region and town. The show will conclude with a 20-minute Q&A session. Dan Snow presents history programmes for the BBC and other broadcasters, has a history slot on The One Show and hosts the podcast, Dan Snow’s History Hit. He is the son of BBC broadcaster Peter Snow, nephew of Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow and the great, great grandson of British Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

Fame – The Musical, 20th-25th August

Selladoor Productions have announced that Keith Jack, Mica Paris and Jorgie Porter will star in the stunning new UK Tour of Fame – The Musical for a brand new 30th Anniversary Tour.

Based on the 1980 phenomenal pop culture film of the same name, Fame – The Musical is the international, smash-hit sensation following the lives of students at New York’s High School For The Performing Arts as they navigate their way through the highs and lows, the romances and the heartbreaks and the ultimate elation of life. This bittersweet but uplifting triumph they face explores the issues that confront many young people today: prejudice, identity, pride, literacy, sexuality, substance abuse and perseverance.

Keith Jack, who plays Nick Piazza, is best-known as runner-up on BBC1’s Any Dream Will Do, but has since had a busy theatre and concert career.

Mica Paris, who joins the cast as Miss Sherman, is one of the UK’s most respected female singers, with top 10 hit singles and albums worldwide spanning her 30-year career. Jorgie Porter, playing Iris Kelly, is best known for her role as Theresa McQueen in the Channel 4’s Hollyoaks. She played the role of Miss Croft in BBC1’s highly-acclaimed remake of Are You Being Served and has appeared on ITV’s Dancing On Ice and I’m A Celebrity...

Get Me Out Of Here!.

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Carmen, 29th August at 7:30pm

Featuring an impressive cast and accompanied by a large, live orchestra with over 30 musicians, the Russian State Opera presents Carmen.

After a successful opera season of Madama Butterfly and Tosca last year, Russian State Opera is back to delight you with this powerful and dramatic production of Carmen, sung in French with English surtitles. Feel the thrill and passion of love, and the jealousy and violence of 19th-century Seville, in one of Bizet’s most popular pieces.

Carmen tells the story of the downfall of Don José, a naïve soldier who is seduced by Carmen, a seductive, free-spirited femme fatale. José abandons his childhood sweetheart and deserts from his military duties, yet loses Carmen’s love to the glamorous toreador Escamillo.

The music of Carmen has been widely acclaimed for its brilliance of melody, harmony, atmosphere and orchestration, and for the skill with which Bizet represented, musically, the emotions and suffering of his characters. The Toreador Song is among the best known of all operatic arias.

The rich and colourful vigour of the gypsies’ scenes will have you on the edge of your seat, and the vibrancy, enthusiasm and intensity of the performance will reverberate long after the final curtain. Love, treachery, passion and betrayal, Carmen has it all.

Legend – The Music of Bob Marley, 14th September at 7:30pm

A timeless vocal of a legend that will never be forgotten. Celebrate the music of Bob Marley, with the perfect combination of superb vocals and flawless musicianship. Journey through his career, from his ska roots with The Wailers with hits such as Stir It Up and Get Up, Stand Up to his iconic hits of the ’70s and ’80s that are still sung and used today, such as Could You Be Loved, No Woman No Cry, One Love, Is This Love, Jamming, Buffalo Soldier and many more reggae classics.

Enjoy the authentic taste of Jamaican sunshine in a two-hour treat, filled with the magic of Marley’s music with a truly talented cast that have performed with Desmond Decker, Dennis Brown, The Mighty Diamonds, Errol Dunkley and Burning Spears. Prepare for a legendary night of happy vibes. www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk 17

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Let’s go wild Discover a wild summer with Kent Wildlife Trust Kent Wildlife Trust have three family-friendly visitor centres at Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Romney Marsh and this summer they are hosting a fantastic variety of outdoor events where you can enjoy a really wild summer.

Kids can learn lots about wildlife and enjoy the great outdoors at one of the ‘Discover’ events: forest skills, pond dipping, bugs, birds and wildlife gardening. And there’s lots more. You can discover all about owls and get to see live owls fly around Tyland Barn with Kent Owl Academy on 18th July. Book early as this event sells out really fast! Or if you’re feeling ‘crafty’, you can paint pebbles at Romney Marsh and discover a garden pebble trail.

Why not come and be entertained at an outdoor theatre production, as the critically-acclaimed Pantaloons Theatre Company perform The Importance of Being Earnest at the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve on 13th July and As You Like It at Bough Beech on 17th August. Bring a picnic and a group of family and friends and make it a night out with a difference! Or discover the new fun family show Pirate Pearl and the Big Blue Monster from Little Blue Monster Productions on 26th August at Sevenoaks.

Booking is essential for most events as places are often limited.

For information about dates, times and prices or to book online, go to

www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk

Image: Pirate Pearl and the Big Blue Monster

Summer at the castle Chiddingstone Castle presents summer festivals of vintage, Egypt and country life On Sunday, 1st July, from 11am-4.30pm, Chiddingstone Castle invites us for a festival of vintage for all the family in its grounds. You can shop from a vast array of vintage stalls, enjoy singing from Miss Vintage and dancing with the Medway Lindy Hoppers throughout the day. And when you’re feeling peckish, you can picnic in the grounds with delicious food sourced from local food providers. Entry is £6 for adults and £2 for children.

On Sunday, 5th August, from 11am-4.30pm, experience a celebration of Ancient Egypt for all the family set throughout the castle. Come and visit the Fields of Eternity, take part in gallery tours, handle 3,000 year old objects, experience a variety of activities and hear from international experts on Egyptology. Entry is £10 for adults, £5 for children and £26 for a family (2 adults, 2 children).

Then on Sunday, 9th September, from 11am-5pm, enjoy a festival of Country Life. There will be the annual family dog show, shopping, music, terrier racing, country displays and this year, a Food and Drink Festival. www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk

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Kids’ stuff It’s fun all the way with Sencio Community Leisure this summer holiday Sencio Leisure Centres at Edenbridge, Sevenoaks and White Oak have plenty of NR-Gize activities for children over the summer holidays from 25th July-31st August. They include Nerf battle, roller disco, children’s Pilates, dinosaur workshops, teddy bears’ picnics and more.

You can collect loyalty stamps for each activity booked to earn prizes, plus get up to 50% off swimming courses this summer! It’s a great opportunity for children to learn to swim in a fun, friendly environment and, more importantly, come away with a valuable and potentially lifesaving skill.

Each centre also offers an on-site crèche for children up to five, so you can let Sencio look after the kids while you enjoy time in the gym, an exercise class or simply time out with a hot drink in the Refresh coffee shop.

For more information on holiday activities, download a programme at www.sencio.org.uk – or contact your local centre: Edenbridge Leisure Centre, 01732 865665, elc@sencio.org.uk Sevenoaks Leisure Centre, 01732 470700, slc@sencio.org.uk White Oak Leisure Centre, 01322 662188, wolc@sencio.org.uk

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All the fun of the fair St James’ School takes you back in time St James’ Church of England Infant and Junior School in Tunbridge Wells will hold their annual summer fair on 14th July, from 1pm-6pm. Come down and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon for all the family.

The theme this year is vintage chic with the headline act, The Swinging Little Big Band, opening the fair. There will also be a vintage tea room with the best sweet delights from local cafés Juliets, Basil, Finch’s and more. Of course, there will be all the normal family fun, from bouncy castles, funfair rides, Tutt’s games emporium and a coconut shy, to an amazing Magnum ice-cream parlour and a sizzling BBQ, sponsored by Fullers. There will also be a dazzling display from Tiger Gymnastics.

This year, St James’ PTA is raising money for Smart boards. John Tutt, Executive Head Teacher, says: “The biggest benefit with the new Smart boards is they support different learning styles, are compatible with a wider range of learning resources and are clearer and more easily seen by the children. We can’t wait for all our classrooms to be kitted out with them to give our teachers the latest technology to support the children’s learning.”

Singing for charity Uckfield Singers support people with brain injuries

Ding dong!

Celebrating the music of life Just as the schools break up for summer, The Bell in Ticehurst is hosting a free music festival, featuring great local bands and artists.

Staged on the amphitheatre in The Bell’s gardens on Sunday, 22nd July, from 1.30pm-8pm, it promises to be the perfect laidback summer afternoon of great music featuring some amazing talent.

The afternoon will kick off with some chilled jazz from eminent musician Nils Solberg and his trio. Sean de Burca, listed as one of the 30 greatest acoustic guitarists by Guitar Magazine, is bound to delight especially when he plays his double guitar.

The gorgeous Kitty Montague will entertain with her powerful covers of artists such as Amy Winehouse, as well as original material. Taking inspiration from Bob Dylan and David Grey, Kent-based singer/ songwriter Steve Hewitt’s moving songs about love, life, hurt and hope will make for a melodic backdrop to all that is good about being in a pub garden in the summertime, and Tunbridge Wells-based Blackadder, who have been playing together for years, will pick up the pace. The festival will ramp up with the fantastically youthful and energetic Meraki, all local lads studying music and living their passion.

All this and an entertainer to keep the kids happy, as well as fabulous street food from Oscar and his team.

For more information, call 01580 200300 www.thebellinticehurst.com K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

The Uckfield Singers Summer Concert will be on Saturday, 21st July, at 7.30 pm in the Uckfield Civic Centre. As usual, they will be singing a variety of music old and new from musicals and pop classics to folk and choral.

Proceeds from the raffle will be supporting the Newickbased Headway East Sussex charity, which offers rehabilitation and support services for people with acquired brain injuries, their families and carers.

Tickets, £8 each, are available from Gale & Woolgar Jewellers, High Street, Uckfield. www.uckfieldsingers.co.uk

Celebrating Shakespeare Canterbury festival for the bard Canterbury has long been associated with one of England’s finest literary talents, and the city rightly celebrates the fact that the characters from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales finish their pilgrimage there. Another literary talent is celebrated in the Canterbury Shakespeare Festival from 27th July-18th August, after the huge success of the two shows last year, Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In fact, last year was so successful that this year the number of productions has doubled.

Come and join in the Shakespeare celebrations in the city’s open spaces this summer. www.canterburyshakespeare.com

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Summer fun for kids at Bore Place From a Teddy Bears Picnic to hunting for minibeasts…

Situated in Chiddingstone, near Edenbridge, Bore Place has a variety of courses throughout the summer for your children to enjoy. And if you fancy a break, for the first time children can be left unaccompanied on some of the activities!

If you go down to the woods today… well, head down to Bore Place on either 8th, 21st or 28th August, 10am-1pm, for their Teddy Bears’ Picnic.

Children will have a wonderful morning exploring the vegetable garden to spot the hiding bears amongst the seasonal produce, and harvest some cucumbers and tomatoes.

To prepare the picnic, they will make fresh sandwiches with the harvest (or even with some Bore Place honey, bears love honey!) and bake delicious scones. While the scones bake they will meet the herd of dairy cows and then enjoy the picnic together with their bears (and a story or two) in the Green Man Glade.

Who doesn’t love bread and butter – and it’s even better when you have made it yourself! The Organic Bread and Butter course on 9th and 23rd August, 10am-1pm, invites children to explore the organic vegetable garden to harvest some herbs for flavouring their butter.

Back in the kitchen they will learn how to make bread and even grind some of their own flour for their rolls. They will also make their own butter and use what they have harvested to flavour it.

While the bread bakes there is the opportunity to have a tour of the farm and meet the dairy cows, before enjoying the fresh bread and butter in the gardens.

The Magic of Minibeasts on 14th August, 9am-4pm, is a funfilled day that involves checking the moth trap, chasing butterflies through the wildflower meadows, catching grasshoppers, turning over logs, and dipping nets into one of the many ponds at Bore Place. Children will then get crafty in the Green Man Glade around the campfire, making hotels fit for solitary bees and fashioning their 22

own model minibeasts from green wood using simple hand tools.

There’ll be plenty of fun and games, too!

A Small Mammals Day on 15th August, 9am-4pm, involves searching for the small, furry creatures that make the farm their home. Children will check humane small mammal traps to see mice and voles close up and learn how to tell them apart before releasing them safely back into the wild. They’ll also head out across the farm in search of the elusive brown hare and practice field craft to pick up the tracks of larger mammals such as deer, foxes and badgers.

They’ll then retrieve the trail camera to see what’s been captured on film when people are not about. There’ll be plenty of fun and games too!

A Day on the Farm on 16th August, 9am-4pm, will see your children spend a day exploring the organic dairy farm and learning about where their food comes from.

There’ll be a walk across the fields to find the cows grazing in the pasture, and a chance to watch them at milking time. They’ll also make pizzas from scratch, using ingredients harvested from the market garden.

Den Building & Campfire Fun on 20th August, 10am-1pm, is a morning of healthy outdoor fun! Children will make a shelter and then test it so see how waterproof it is. They’ll learn how to make a campfire and make some goodies to cook on it, before heading outside to meet the herd of dairy cows. It’s a perfect session to get your little ones away from their screens for a while!

Minibeast Fun on 29th August, 10am-1pm, is a fascinating morning exploring the nature areas and ponds to discover the wealth of life they support. Children will then enjoy some minibeast crafts and have a tour of the organic dairy farm to see what’s going on, and visit the cows.

Tickets for the above courses range from £15-£35. A suitable age range is suggested for each course but younger and older children are always welcome. Accompanied sessions are open to all ages (adults go free), the unaccompanied sessions do require children to be of the appropriate age. Check the website for further details. www.boreplace.org K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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That’s entertainment Latest releases on screen

Make the most of summer with screenings under the stars during July and August at Moonlight Drive-in Cinema

Jurassic World: Fallen Ocean’s 8 Five years, eight months, 12 days Kingdom Three years after the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, Owen Grady and Claire Dearing return to the island of Isla Nublar to save the remaining dinosaurs from a volcano that’s about to erupt.

They soon encounter terrifying new breeds of gigantic dinosaurs, while uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the entire planet.

and counting – that’s how long Debbie Ocean has been devising the biggest heist of her life. She knows what it’s going to take – a team of the best people in the field, starting with her partner-in-crime Lou Miller. Together, they recruit a crew of specialists. Their target – a necklace that’s worth more than $150 million.

Incredibles 2

Mamma Mia: Here we go again

Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back but this time Helen is in the spotlight, leaving Bob at home with Violet, Dash and baby Jack-Jack. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone must find a way to work together again – which is easier said than done, even when they’re all Incredible.

Get ready to sing and dance, laugh and love all over again. Ten years after Mamma Mia! The Movie grossed more than $600 million around the world, you are invited to return to the magical Greek island of Kalokairi in an all-new original musical based on the songs of ABBA.

Sicario 2: Day of Saldado

The First Purge

FBI agent Matt Graver calls on mysterious operative Alejandro Gillick when Mexican drug cartels start to smuggle terrorists across the US border. The war escalates even further when Alejandro kidnaps a top kingpin’s daughter and when she is seen as collateral damage, the two men must determine her fate.

To push the crime rate below one per cent for the rest of the year, the New Founding Fathers of America test a sociological theory that vents aggression for one night in one isolated community. But when the violence of the oppressors meets the rage of the others, the contagion will explode from the trial-city borders and spread across the nation.

Mission Impossible: Fall Out

Antman and The Wasp

When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences.

As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to fulfill his original briefing, the CIA begins to question his loyalty and his motives. Hunt finds himself in a race against time, hunted by assassins and former allies while trying to prevent a global catastrophe.

Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices as both a superhero and a father. He must once again don the Ant-Man suit and fight alongside the Wasp. The urgent mission soon leads to secret revelations from the past as the dynamic duo finds itself in an epic battle against a powerful new enemy.

Moonlight Drive-in Cinema is at The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6PY Book on-line and print your tickets. Then park up (15-30 minutes before start time), turn lights off and get comfy.

Order some food, if you wish. Tune FM radio to 106.1, adjust the volume and enjoy the film!

Price: £25 + 90p booking fee per vehicle. www.moonlightcinema.com

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LOV E PETS

Pets corner

It’s time to turn the spotlight on your best friends!

A treat for your hot dog Frozen Yogurt Pupsicles Prep Time: 5 minutes Makes 2-5 pupsicles Ingredients 100g chopped strawberries 100g blueberries ½ banana, thinly sliced 250g plain yogurt ½ pretzel stick per pupsicle Directions 1. Combine all ingredients until mixed 2. Add pretzel stick and pour mixture into molds 3. Freeze for at least 4 to 5 hours before serving For more frozen treat ideas, visit www.rover.com

How to keep your pooch cool this summer

• Offer an ice pack or wet towel to lay on • Add ice cubes to the water dish • Offer access to a wading pool with shallow, cool water • Offer access to cool shade by stringing up a cloth, to create shade • Take a collapsible water dish on your walks • Replace a portion of their regular diet with canned food • Avoid walking on hot pavement, and consider booties to insulate their toes • Early morning or evening playtimes, exercise and walks are best • Give your dog some homemade frozen treats

Heatstroke in dogs: know the signs • Raised temperature (101.5° is normal) • Rapid breathing and panting • Excess salivation and thickened saliva • Fatigue or depression • Muscle tremors • Staggering

Dehydration in dogs: know the signs

• Sunken eyes • Lethargy • Dry mouth • Depression • Gently pinch a fold of skin at the top of the neck. Is it slow to snap back?

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Our star pet

Say hello to Roo, from Hailsham At just eight months old, she’s already proving to be a mischievous little kitten. No object is safe as she likes to knock things off tables, window ledges... you name it! And she’s working up to auditioning for a girl band as she likes to make herself heard and has a very loud meow!

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LOV E CEL EBR I T Y

Science lesson

As We Are Scientists headline at the Neverworld Festival, they talk about a rebellious childhood and identifying with Peter Pan’s Michael Words: Cheri Amour

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LOV E CEL EBR I T Y

‘I guess that’s why JM Barrie is such a genius, because he made the heroes of the story the ones you identify with’ Described as a mini Glastonbury, Neverworld is a festival that celebrates never growing old. Says founder Lee Denny: “So many people seem to stop growing because they grow old. We believe that festivals can be life-changing experiences, because of the sense of curiosity and wonder they inspire in anyone attending.

This year, Neverworld – previously called LeeFest – takes place at Hever Castle from 2nd-5th August. Said Lee: “Since the first time we had camping at LeeFest we have been dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of the festival we create. The sight of the wasted tents left behind that year broke our hearts. Since then we have been choosing a target area every year in order to reduce our environmental impact. Our shuttle buses now run on used chip fat, and we’ve completely outlawed plastic cups.

“We also invest heavily in new music, new artists, new ideas.

This requires us to take a lot of risks with the festival budget but we believe that new ideas need a lot of support and encouragement; we stand to benefit from both the successes and the failures.”

This year’s Neverworld promises to be an even more amazing affair. One of the headline acts is We Are Scientists – guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray and guitarist Chris Cain – and if you’ve never seen them live then you’re certainly in for a treat, as the We are Scientists experience is legendary.

And that name? The story goes that they rented a truck and when they returned it, the inspector, after looking them up and down and assessing their wardrobe, asked if they were scientists.

The New York-based band exploded onto the UK scene with one of 2005’s iconic indie dance rock records, Love & Squalor. Years of touring followed, along with a second hit album, Brain Thrust Mastery, that spawned the now-classic nightlife anthem After Hours.

Main stage slots at Reading & Leeds, Glastonbury, T In The Park, and festivals all over Europe, as well as appearances on Later with Jools Holland, and their own series of comedic MTV shorts (Steve Wants His Money), followed by album Barbara, all served to cement their legacy.

Since then, they’ve released albums TV En Français, Helter Seltzer and their latest, “fun-bomb” of a sixth record Megaplex, and toured relentlessly around America and Europe.

With nearly two decades of music-making under their belt, they would be forgiven for slowing down but, in fact, they’re doing the complete opposite.

Drawing on the always fun friendship between Keith and Chris and a drive to continue making music that delights and challenges them, the pair are as excited and enthusiastic about their music and current tour as ever.

Neverworld is just one stop on a trip that sees them on the road until November. It’s just as well they like travelling, and especially being in the UK. “I love it,” says Keith. “Unfortunately my wife 30

Last year’s Neverworld

lived in the UK for a while so every time I fly the notion of moving to London to her she rejects it because she spent so much of her twenties here. She just wants to enjoy New York City now. But I do love it here, we have so many friends and we come here so often that it sort of feels almost as familiar as New York to us now.”

With a huge back catalogue, this pair have a knack for bashing out a buoyant pop song .It’s no mean feat, nor is Megaplex. When the NME heard Brain Thrust Mastery, they dubbed it “flopped-fringed Foo Fighters meets a dive bar Duran Duran”: so which two bands do we find merging in Megaplex? “One Direction and (American heavy metal band) Gwar”, Keith is quick to respond.”

Conversation turns to rebellious childhoods in honour of Neverworld’s humble roots, back in founder Lee Denny’s back garden. At first, both band members seem reserved, adamant they were fairly tame in their teens until Keith fondly remembers the A-frame structure outside his bedroom overlooking the pool.

“I would consistently put slip and slide situations on our roof and encourage our friends to slide off of it. In retrospect, it was pretty dangerous; because the lip didn’t really go quite to the pool, you had to make sure your body was flipped towards it.”

With all these watery capers rising to the surface, you’d assume when it comes to their Neverworld slot that you’d find We Are Scientists deep in the festival’s Mermaid’s Lagoon, but they’re good guys at heart. “I’m more of the kid that’s in his PJs with his Teddy bear…”, Keith trails off as Chris interjects: “Michael”. He’s pensive for a while before he adds: “I guess that’s why JM Barrie is such a genius, because he made the heroes of the story the ones you identify with.”

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*Valid until 31st July 2018

Our deodorants will deodorise, soothe, detoxify and nourish while boosting your confidence. Suitable for adults, teens and children. Its formula is rich in minerals, vitamins, essential fatty acids and easily absorbs into skin cells without blocking the pores. So let’s chat anti-perspirant and conventional deodorants. They aren’t great. Here’s why…

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L OV E FA S H ION

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Some like it hot

Sizzle in our selection of summer style 1. Cleverly-designed and expertly-handmade, Soi 55 Lolita beach bags are handwoven from 100% recycled plastic, super strong, waterproof, durable and extra light. And they come in a range of seriously bright colours. A beach bag for life, you might say. £79 www.soi55lifestyle.com 2. T he bold, angled shape of these Zola sunglasses, with iridescent pink marble frames and round silver flash lenses, creates a confident style statement that will stand out in the festival crowds. £75 www.palaeyewear.com 3. T his Market Garden jersey tee ticks all the boxes. Made from 100% cotton, it has a crew neckline, short sleeves and all-over colourful embroidered plants. £35 www.whitestuff.com K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

6 4. T he Original Universal Sandal stands as a testament to timeless comfort and utilitarian style. They come in various colours – not surprisingly, our Coral Queen Publishing Director loves the Moxie Textured Fusion Coral. £35 www.teva.co.uk 5. T he Formosa dress features a random stripey colour print and has a chest pocket, drawstring waist and side pockets. £39.99 www.protest.eu 6. Crochet trims and self-tie strings with plump tassels make this dusky pink, short cotton Melissa Odabash dress a cool and feminine cover-up. £159 www.stylebop.com 33

LOV E BE AU T Y

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6 Beauty notes The latest products and news

1. Bioderma Photodtexture is as light as water. It offers a very high antishine protection, with a dry-touch finish, ideal for all skin types, even combination to oily skin. £13.20 www.feelunique.com 2. Luxury lip balm brand, Bali Balm, has launched in the UK. Each longlasting balm contains an ethical and bee-friendly formula of coconut, castor and kukui nut oil, combined with candelilla leaf wax and sugar cane extract. The blend of vitamin-rich essential oils ensures lips are left moisturised, healed and revitalised. The collection includes Bergamot & Grapefruit, Lemon & Black Pepper, Cinnamon & Burnt Orange and Sandalwood & Ginger. £19.99 each www.balibalm.com 3. T his is a firm favourite at the Kudos office. Ginzing SPF40 energyboosting tinted moisturiser is an amazing multi-tasker with coffee beans and panax ginseng to give your skin a boost of moisture and energy. It helps protect from harmful UV rays, while giving you a flawless-looking finish. £30 www.origins.co.uk 4. I f you are loco for coco, try Philip Kingsley’s Body Building Shampoo, Moisture Balancing Conditioner and Elasticizer, all infused with the

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exotic scent of Coconut Breeze. The collection captures the vibrant scent of sunshine and pure white sands with warm notes of coconut, jasmine and almond. Available exclusively to Feelunique, this unique trio is worth £105. £51.50 www.feelunique.com 5. Blurring the boundaries (beautifully!) between make-up and skincare, the innovative LXMI hydrating illuminator imparts subtle radiance to your complexion while moisturising skin with organic nilotica nut butter – it’s sky-high in essential fatty acids to moisturise, nourish and heal skin.

Adding subtle rose-gold pigments, its luscious formula highlights as it hydrates, lending a gorgeous, lit-from-within glow. £39 www.cultbeauty.co.uk 6. Summer Fridays’ Instagram superstar, Kim Kardashian West-approved Jet Lag Mask hydrates and transforms the skin, whether you’re a timezone-hopping jetsetter or just having a night in. Thanks to a nourishing combination of vitamins, ceramides, antioxidants and gently exfoliating extracts, this soothing formula leaves your complexion uber-dewy, radiant and ready for anything. £42 www.cultbeauty.co.uk

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M E N ON LY

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Look sharp and stay safe in the sun 1. T hese Mocha Salt tailored swim shorts are hand-dyed and cut from high-quality Spanish microfibre polyester that softens with use. Light in the water and quick-drying out of it. Pictured is Bamboo Indigo. £110 www.wolfandbadger.com 2.

T he Neo pale-blue, crystal-frame sunglasses with mirrored cobalt polarised lenses provides both style and substance. £65 www.palaeyewear.com 3. T he minimalist and fun Compton slim-fit T-shirt by Protest features an all-over mini print figure pattern. £29.99 www.protest.eu 4. I nfused with pumice, jojoba meal and crushed olive seed, Baxter of California’s Exfoliating Body Bar forms a rich lather to effortlessly buff away dead skin cells, scrub away dirt and smooth roughness, without 36

over-drying skin. Suitable for all skin types, and for daily use, it has a masculine fragrance of cedarwood and oakmoss. £16 www.lookfantastic.com 5. Formulated for everyday use, Jack Black’s Double Duty Face Moisturiser has an SPF of 20 and provides lasting hydration without oiliness or heaviness. The emollient formula contains potent antioxidants and vitamins to visibly improve skin’s overall appearance, as well as helping to shield the skin from premature ageing due to sun exposure. £29 www.mankind.co.uk 6. L izzB espadrilles are designed in London and then handmade in Spain, preserving the traditional process of espadrille production. The Bee espadrille is a timeless classic – a wardrobe essential season after season. £148 www.lizzb.co.uk K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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The Kudos Great Summer Food Guide Where to enjoy fantastic food around the region

Image credit: Rachel Warne

Misfits welcome There is a Jack Kerouac quote beautifully signwritten on the wall on one of the gents’ loos at The Bell in Ticehurst which neatly defines what they are about.

Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels. The troublemakers. The problem child. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you cannot do is ignore them. Because they change things.

They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that has never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

The Bell – changing the world a little bit in East Sussex with extraordinary food and a side of world-class comedy.

High Street, Ticehurst TN5 7AS Tel. 01580 200300 See what’s happening at www.thebellinticehurst.com K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

A taste of the country Summer at The Curlew means fresh, seasonal dishes and a beautiful terrace that’s the perfect place for diners to bask in the sun. It’s surrounded by The Curlew’s own kitchen garden, lush with some of the ingredients used in the dishes you enjoy.

As summer unfolds and more British produce becomes available, singing with fresh flavour and beautiful colours, it’s a chef’s dream to see what delights they can produce.

At The Curlew, it means vibrant summer dishes on the menu such as Heritage Tomatoes, Black Olive, Basil and Consommé, Halibut, Peas, Groombridge Asparagus and Bacon, Gurnard Bouillabaisse with Fennel, Carrot and Coriander, and English Strawberry, Champagne and Vanilla.

The cocktail menu is full of vibrant summer concoctions, and has an alcohol-free selection to cater for everyone.

With an ever-changing menu of great British seasonal produce, why not take the beautiful country drive and come and sample The Curlew for yourself.

Junction Road, Bodiam TN32 5UY Tel. 01580 861394 www.thecurlewrestaurant.co.uk 39

LOV E FOOD & DR I N K

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A room with your meal?

Smoking hot!

The Mount Edgcumbe is a bar and restaurant with rooms situated on Tunbridge Wells’ Common.

Their new Summer Menu, launched in June, is packed with bright, fresh dishes and has something for everyone. Favourites include Chilli Salted Squid, Harvey’s Beer Battered Haddock & Chips and Edgcumbe Steak Burger. You’ll be able to enjoy these dishes all summer, whether you’re soaking up the sun in their newly-renovated garden or enjoying some quality time in the restaurant – because you never know quite which way the great British weather is going to go!

Joining these popular picks are some tasty new dishes including Sesame & Harissa Glazed Salmon with Samphire & Radish Salad, and Summer Duck with Pea Purée, Cider-pickled Apples, and Courgette & Butternut Squash. They’ve made sure to cater for a variety of diets and offer a range of gluten-free and vegetarian items. Why not try their new Eton Mess, which is both gluten-free and vegan!

To accompany the new menu, there are some exciting changes to the line-up of beers and ciders you can find at the bar. Strawberry and Lime Rekorderlig Cider, for example, is now available on tap, and is the perfect summer drink for relaxing in the sunshine! They are also excited to announce that Curious Brew has joined their lager line-up and their delicious Apple Cider will also be available in bottles. Don’t forget to check out their garden bar too!

Their six boutique, individually-designed bedrooms are already filling up fast over the busy summer season, so check them out and book directly via the website.

To make a restaurant booking, give them a call on 01892 618854 or email hello@themountedgcumbe.com and the team will be happy to help with any enquiry.

They look forward to seeing you this summer.

The Mount Edgcumbe, The Common, Tunbridge Wells TN4 8BX www.themountedgcumbe.com

Whether it’s breakfast, brunch or lunch, The Weald Smokery, tucked away on the Flimwell-Hawkhurst road, has a tempting menu – and a new terrace for eating al fresco on sunny days. They produce traditionally-smoked foods, choosing everything, from the raw ingredients to the oak they burn in their kilns, for the authentic flavour it imparts to their award-winning smoked meats, fish, and cheeses. If you’ve got a big appetite, start the day with The Smokery Breakfast – smoked back bacon, sausage, egg, black pudding, mushrooms, tomato, baked beans and toast! Or how about smoked kipper or smoked salmon with scrambled eggs? Light bites include smoked fish pâté, smoked salmon pâté, soup, griddled goats cheese and avocado salad and a range of sandwiches. Lunch ranges from warm smoked duck salad and hot roast salmon jacket potato to sharing platters of smoked fish or a meze selection. And when you’ve finished eating, you can stock up in their shop and take a taste of The Weald Smokery home with you.

The new terrace area was created by Kibblewhite Gardens.

Says owner David Kibblewhite: “The brief was for us to create a contemporary terrace area that would complement the new café and provide a pleasant area in which to sit outside on sunny days.

“We designed the terrace to sit under the new bi-fold doors threshold to create a comfortable and easy access from indoors to out. It was constructed using natural Indian Sandstone, which complements the new extension perfectly.”

Andrew Wickham, owner of The Weald Smokery says, “It was good to work with Kibblewhite Gardens again. They created our previous terrace and were very helpful with the design and had the work completed in time for Easter, as planned. We are very happy with the result.”

Mount Farm, The Mount, Flimwell TN5 7QL Tel. 01580 879601 www.wealdsmokery.co.uk

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The true taste of America Live the American Dream in Halstead, near Sevenoaks, at the family-run 7 Hotel Diner, where you’re guaranteed the warmest welcome along with your Steaks, Ribs and Wings.

Cheryl Leadbeater, Managing Partner, and her team show genuine passion for the family businesses that her father started back in 1980.

“The heritage and legacy that my father gave us has meant that 7 Hotel Diner has been a success from the day we opened,” says Cheryl. “We have built our reputation on the highest quality and service, ensuring guests at both the hotel and diner enjoy a fun, relaxed 1950s atmosphere.”

The authentic American Diner serves food all day, including freshly-cooked Chargrilled Steaks, Burgers, Chicken, Ribs and Salads followed by delicious Sundaes, Pancakes, Waffles, Ice Creams and Milkshakes. It’s the perfect place for family, friends and local businesses to meet and enjoy breakfast, coffee, lunch or dinner.

The 7 Hotel Diner team also loves to entertain, with themed party nights, classic car meets and custom-built corporate events on the menu.

And if you can’t bear to leave, their boutique hotel boasts 26 stylish, en-suite rooms, with all the comforts you would expect from a four-star (AA ranked) establishment.

London Road, Halstead TN14 7AA Tel. 01580 879601 www.7hoteldiner.co.uk

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A brasserie with style Independently-owned brasserie Rendez-vous is now in it’s fifth year. Situated on popular Camden Road in Tunbridge Wells, the restaurant has established itself as one of the go-to dining establishments in the area.

Providing quality food at very reasonable prices, it’s not surprising that it has consistently received good reviews on TripAdvisor, on which it is ranked highly with over 80 per cent saying it’s excellent.

The restaurant has a great atmosphere with a flexible layout, depending on your mood. There are three different areas to dine in: the upstairs section is more intimate with deep burgundy walls, whereas the mezzanine area, which seats 12 to 14 people, is slightly livelier. There is also a lower area with a bar, which is where lots of the regulars like to sit and chat.

So what’s in store this summer? Says owner Mark Harper, “We produce everything ourselves, with an emphasis on the best of local produce. Menus are seasonal, so dishes are regularly updated.

During the summer months, expect to see a lot more fish on the menu. We’ll try anything that’s available, such as crab from Hastings and Rye. When it’s seasonal, it’s inexpensive and that’s reflected in the prices.

“My wife is French and our chef John is classically trained, hence the French influences, but we don’t present ourselves as a French restaurant. The French gastronome style is what I like to do and there will always be that element, but we prefer to describe ourselves as a brasserie with French influences.”

If you’re looking for a great lunch deal, then make sure to pop in.

You can enjoy the lunch dish of the day with a glass of wine (or drink of your choice) for just £9.99.

If you haven’t visited yet, you should get down there to see what all the fuss is about. Just make sure you call before to ensure you get a table.

86 Camden Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2QP Tel. 01892 525830 43

LOV E FOOD & DR I N K

Medieval charm

Gluten-free and delicious Named after their English Springer Spaniel, Radley, the husbandand-wife-team of Murray and Briony Bridgmount who run Radley’s Bistro & Bar in George Street in Hastings Old Town have added an extra-special ingredient to the menu. All their food is gluten-free, and the restaurant has been awarded Coeliac UK accreditation as a safe place for coeliacs to eat. This means that the premises, kitchen, stores and processes have been audited and found to be safe and secure for those that have even the most severe reaction to gluten.

Mistakes can occur when providing gluten and gluten-free meals from the same kitchen, which is why Murray and Briony decided to make all their food gluten-free.

“Adapting recipes to be gluten-free has been a challenge,” says Briony. “We use only the highest-quality ingredients including locally-sourced meat, and game, which we supply ourselves. We have found some really good gluten-free rolls for hamburgers, and we produce our own sweet and savoury gluten-free pastry.”

Radley’s starters include Garlic Mushrooms with a Cheese Sauce and Cheese Scones, Crab & Chilli Tart, and Tempura Battered King Prawns. Mains range from a Half (or full) Rack of Barbecued Ribs, Fish and Chips and Leek, Mushroom, Walnut & Butter Bean Hotpot, to Rib-Eye Steak and Boeuf Bourguignon. There is also a Fish of the Day dish and a Pie of the Day. Coeliac or not, you’ll find delicious food and a cosy, relaxed, welcoming atmosphere at Radley’s.

9 George Street, Hastings TN34 3EG Tel. 01424 436297 www.radleysbistro.com 44

The Queens Head in Sedlescombe dates back to the 14th century and was reputedly a haunt of the infamous Hawkhurst Gang – the smugglers tunnel can still be seen from the cellar. This lovely village pub was taken over by James and Gilly Wheatley and their family in 2013 and although it must have been through many changes in the last 600-odd years, it is now looking at its best with the garden and hanging baskets in full bloom.

A substantial beer garden overlooks the village green and there are plenty of tables for al-fresco dining, whether from the barbeque or the main kitchen. Welcoming staff make your visit a pleasure, as visitors both local and international, point out on Trip Advisor, where the pub has managed to earn a certificate of excellence for the last two years.

The Queens Head exudes character and charm, with exposed beams and a large inglenook fireplace. There are two main dining areas to the front of the pub and a gallery/function room in the Victorian rear of the premises where several local artists exhibit.

The menu and specials boards change regularly, and everything is home-made and freshly prepared. Dishes may include Lamb Rump, Pan Fried Sea Bream or Roast Guinea Fowl, and the fillet steak is of the best quality, as you would expect.

There are always several vegetarian options and salads on the menu, created by the wonderful kitchen staff. A good selection of local Real Ales and quality lagers are always available, with an interesting wine list to accompany your meal.

The Green, Sedlescombe TN33 0QA Tel. 01424 870228 www.thequeensheadsedlescombe.com

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Mediterranean magic

A taste of Latin America Coming soon to Wadhurst, an exciting new destination restaurant specialising in Latin cuisine. Galapagos is the concept of Andres Villamagua, who in partnership with Kate Edom has a vision to deliver the height of authentic South American dining in the heart of Kent.

Andres has an extensive career as a chef, having travelled around the world and been captivated by the hand-crafted techniques of local culinary artisans. These methods and flavours have become the blueprint for his own style of cooking. This is a new adventure for Kate, whose corporate background and experience perfectly complements Andres’ restaurant skills leading the friends to realise this would work well with a pub/restaurant project. So, Galapagos @ The Old Vine was born.

Guests can expect to enjoy a blend of Latin-American ingredients along with fresh, locally-sourced produce, with a flavour that they won’t find elsewhere. The Galapagos experience will be informal and unpretentious yet thorough in the attention to detail that elevate the dining experience to something exceptional.

The menu will feature a variety of dishes from across all of South America, especially Argentina, Peru, Brazil and Ecuador.

Expect starters such as Ecuadorian Cerviche – a South American speciality of marinated prawns with lime juice, onion, coriander and fresh tomatoes, and Causa Peruana – a Peruvian dish of potato layered with a variety of fillings. Argentinian beef is a feature of the mains, including a grilled rib-eye with chimichurri sauce; and Lomo Saltado – a Peruvian flash-fried fillet of spicy steak with rice and chips.

Andres’ father, Alyvar Villamagua, is a highly-respected Ecuadorian artist who has exhibited around the world, from South America to London and China. His artwork will be on display and for sale in the restaurant.

“We intend to open up the rear garden and the courtyard area,” says Kate, “and create an area for al-fresco dining. Inside, we want to create a warm, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere with delicious food, so guests leave feeling satisfied having been incredibly well looked after by attentive and knowledgeable staff, and already planning their next visit.”

The Old Vine, Cousley Wood, Wadhurst TN5 6ER Tel. 01892 782271 K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

Based on Orpington High Street, Scala Bar and Grill brings a taste of the Mediterranean and a unique dining vibe to the town.

The restaurant’s impressive a la carte menu takes the diner on a journey across the Mediterranean – from Italian pastas and pizzas cooked in the traditional oven, through to delicious Greek meat and seafood dishes, with a dash of sunny Spain thrown in, too.

The bespoke charcoal grill gives meat dishes a unique flavour by cooking over the embers, and the team are passionate about using top-quality, local ingredients to create a dining experience to remember.

With luxurious seating and a vibrant, polished interior inspired by the colours of the Med, there is also a sophisticated menu of world-class wines and elegant cocktails.

132 High Street, Orpington BR6 0JS Tel. 01689 871111 www.scalarestaurant.com

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Double delight It was a busy month of May at The Kentish Hare as they treated guests to two very special Tasting Evenings

Food images taken by Russell Brown www.CreativeAboutCuisine.com

Tasting Evenings at The Kentish Hare in Bidborough are always a treat, and May was no exception, with not one but two events.

First up, Tanner brothers Chris and James, who run The Kentish Hare, were joined by Michelin-starred guest chef, Russell Brown.

Of course, Head Chef Bobby Brown and his team of skilled chefs were in the kitchen with them.

Russell Brown didn’t start his working life as a chef. Photography was his first passion and, for a while, he ran his own photography business. He’d always cooked at home but it wasn’t until he quit smoking and his taste buds returned that he started to take it more seriously. At the age of 27, he began his cooking career which eventually led to opening his own restaurant, Sienna, with his wife Eléna in April 2003, in Dorchester, Dorset.

The tiny eatery, which seated just 15 diners, was awarded a Michelin star in 2010, making it Dorset’s only Michelin-starred restaurant. In April 2015, 12 years to the day after opening and with the lease running out, the couple decided to sell the restaurant as they felt it was time to move onto something new. Russell now combines his love of photography with his passion for food, taking brilliant food photographs. In addition, he develops recipes, gives demonstrations and cookery courses, writes and blogs – so food is still very much in his veins.

The launch of his latest book, Well Seasoned: Exploring, Cooking and Eating with the Seasons (published by Head of Zeus), which he co-wrote with Jonathan Haley, was perfect timing for the Tasting Evening, as Russell explained on the night.

“Chris, James and I first met at a charity event in London about six years ago. We cooked together then and have been friends ever since. We’ve been talking about doing a tasting evening for a while, K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

and with my book coming out, it seemed like the right time. The book is all about seasonal British food, which is reflected in the menu tonight.”

The menu started with Kentish Asparagus with a slow-cooked duck egg, blackened onion powder, dehydrated wild garlic leaves and hollandaise.

This was followed by Devon scallops baked in the shell, with Julienne shallots, ginger, a touch of coriander and vegetable stock then wrapped in pastry. They steam in the shell as they bake, so the timing is crucial.

Then it was on to Kentish lamb rump with lamb bacon (cooked for 36 hours at 73 degrees), honey Jerez, peas, morels and Pommes Anna potato terrine.

To finish was a white chocolate mousse with English poached rhubarb, ginger crumb and a rhubarb sorbet.

Said Russell, “This menu is a celebration of spring. It’s about some of those iconic spring ingredients, like English asparagus, spring lamb and outdoor rhubarb – people often focus on the forced rhubarb and forget how good the outdoor rhubarb really is.

“I like this time of year for cooking. Produce-wise, you are at the end of what’s called the hungry gap, which goes through to the end of May, and then things really kick off.

“Asparagus has such a short, defined season in British cooking and if you can resist until the season officially starts on St George’s Day, then it’s really exciting. Wild garlic is really beautiful at the moment as well, and the lamb on the menu is superb. At this stage, everything really is starting to show at its best and tonight is a wonderful example of what the current season has to offer.”

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It was Pub in the Park (held at Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells on 6th-8th July) that prompted the second Tasting Evening. The guest chef was Robert Taylor, who started his catering career working in his parents’ restaurant as a teenager, eventually leading to the Royal Horse Guards Hotel, followed by the Royal Garden Hotel, then two years cooking in Australia, the homeland of his wife, Donna. Within a couple of years of returning to the UK, they took over The Compasses Inn in Crundale, Canterbury. Since then, Rob has not been short of awards. Last year, the Compasses Inn was awarded two AA Rosettes. It was also Michelin Recommended for the second year running, won The Great British Pub Awards, Food Pub of the Year and debuted in The Top 50 Gastro Pub list at number 17, and Robert was also named their Chef of the Year.

Said Rob, “We are part of Pub in the Park and sharing a tent with The Kentish Hare. We were chatting amongst ourselves about the event and spoke about doing one of these evenings just to get to know each other before the event itself.

“Tonight, there are six courses – three are mine and three are Bobby Brown’s. I’ve done the rabbit-filled brioche bun starter, the Kentish lamb dish with potato terrine, goats curd and wild garlic, and a very indulgent chocolate mousse brownie terrine with salted caramel ice cream. I am running elements of the lamb dish at the Pub in the Park so I thought that would be a good way into it. The other two are favourites at the pub that I run. My style is quite rustic but it’s all about the flavour and sourcing good-quality ingredients. I try to keep my dishes simple, which you will see this evening when you get to taste the food.”

Said Bobby, “The amuse bouche is beetroot and feta. I love beetroot and its earthiness goes really well with the saltiness of the feta. It’s served with a granola of sunflower seeds and black onion seeds, mixed with a bit of maple syrup and honey. So it’s an earthy, sweet, salty dish that works well to get your tastebuds going.

“The fish course is stone bass sashimi, which is sliced really thin and salted with smoked salt, and served with fresh peaches, braised fennel, fennel cress and some fennel pollen, along with a little bit of Kentish rapeseed oil.

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“The pre-dessert is a set elderflower custard and Kentish strawberries, served with Kentish rapeseed-oil biscuits. It cleanses the palate perfectly after the lamb, leading onto Rob’s chocolate dessert.”

Another two fantastic nights at The Kentish Hare, celebrating all that’s seasonal and the best of what the area has to offer. You can’t get much better than that. If your tastebuds are tingling, keep an eye on their website for news of their next Tasting Evening. www.thekentishhare.com K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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Drink of the gods When William Boscawen was looking for a business venture, he decided to try his hand at making mead. Now The Taste of Kent Awards have crowned his Marourde Craft Mead with Goldings Hops the Kent Food Product of the Year 2018

Tell us a bit about your background.

After working in marketing and latterly in finance in Asia, an opportunity came up to be involved with our family farm here in Kent which seemed like a fantastic opportunity for my family and I to move back to the UK. I didn’t know much about Kent, but I’ve since discovered it’s a phenomenally dynamic county steeped in masses of agricultural history, close to London and filled with, as my grandfather says, extraordinarily capable people.

What made you decide to start producing mead?

When I moved back I immediately wanted to see if there were any business opportunities I could look at. We have some very good growing conditions for vines on the farm, so we planted up our vineyard and I set up our company Mereworth Wines. It’s been a fantastic journey, but the only question I had was that although we’re going to have 5,000 bottles of sparkling wine in the not-toodistant future, there are a lot of people doing the same thing. What could we do that’s different; what can open up a conversation with our potential customers to allow for innovation? There’s a lot of fruit and honey on the farm and I thought, why is nobody using that? I had a quick look at America and found that mead was the fastest-growing drink sector. There are three meaderies opening up there every week, but very, very few in the UK. I took it as a hint, as events in the USA are often a precursor to ideas happening in the UK, and set about having a go myself.

Describe mead for those who have never drunk it.

Most people think that mead is a sweet, syrupy, old-fashioned drink that maybe our grandparents used to like occasionally. Our mead is a world away from that image. It’s extremely palatable, 52

not too sweet, with a dryness to it. It’s technically a medium and we’ve put some sparkles in it to make it delicate and give it that little crisp edge to make it pop. I want our mead to be the fourth option in a restaurant, after beer, wine and cider. We’ve created a very delicate, lightly sparkling mead that I hope people will enjoy as an alternative to drinks such as Prosecco.

Why the name Marourde?

Our wine is called Mereworth Wines after the village we live in, and when looking for an alternative name for our mead, I took a nod from the historic name for this lovely village, which is Marourde. When you find the right name you just know, and Maroude has a lovely symmetry to it.

What is the mead-making process?

History would suggest that some enterprising chap 7,000 years ago went to drink from his water vat only to find that a bee’s nest had fallen into it and the honey had fermented into what we now know as mead. So it can do its own thing, as the yeast in honey will ferment naturally. We didn’t want to do that, of course, because it’s open to risk and off flavours. But mead-making is very much like making wine in that it can take a month to ferment. We decided that we didn’t want to use sulphites wherever possible, so we gently pasteurise the honey at the start of the process to remove any unwanted bacteria and natural yeasts so that we can pitch the correct amount of yeast. Over the period of the ferment we just have to make sure that there’s a careful consideration of the necessary nutrients so that the yeast remains happy throughout the process.

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The alcoholic content of mead can range from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20% – where have you pitched yours?

The meads that are out there are all quite strong and I decided that if I was going to change peoples’ ideas about it, I needed to do something different. So rather than go and make another 12% very honey-based drink, we would make it a lot lighter to sit alongside a sparkling wine with confidence as a very attractive product. I made quite a few different iterations and talked to a lot of people.

I have to say a big thank you to my wife who steered me down this route. We opted for about 5.5%, which is between a light wine and a strong beer. And that really embodied what I was a looking for: a fourth option in a pub. A very different, more natural, botanical product, that we could all easily approach at that alcohol content.

And it works delightfully at that level because I want people to enjoy it slowly. After all, drinking is a very social pastime and we should be looking towards lower alternative alcohol.

Do you use local products in your mead?

Absolutely. In fact, we’ve just won food product of the year 2018 for our mead made using Kent Goldings hops that we grew on our farm.

I think it’s absolutely essential that we use produce from around us, to ensure quality and provenance. We also use honey from our farm.

We have about 70 hives and it’s been an absolute joy to learn about how to cultivate the colonies and make sure they’re looked after carefully. We also found that because there is such a pronounced season here, you could actually get very different flavours from one month to the next. We’ve had to work around that to make sure we have a consistent product that tastes the same year in year out, so we now have to source ingredients from further afield.

And what is your current range?

When I started this, I thought there is no end to the possibilities – we can make it from fruits or herbs and flowers and any type of foraging, a fantastic way of making alternative products. However, after my initial over-enthusiasm, I decided to focus on just three varieties: our original mead which is just honey; the awardwinning hopped variety with Goldings hops added to give a bit of astringency and draw in beer drinkers; and one made with Kent Bramley apples.

Do you intend to expand it?

Absolutely. At some point we’ll try making 10% and 20% versions.

And when we’re a little bit more established, processes are a bit more refined and we’ve got a following that can buy directly from us, I can’t wait to try some really exotic ideas. People have suggested using ginger or chilli, and making a 20% traditional method mead champagne. Of course I’m going to give it a go. I can’t wait. It’s going to be really exciting.

Mead has long been perceived as a bit of an olde-worlde beverage. How are you marketing it for today’s drinkers?

You’re quite right. We’ve been doing a lot of events just to try to engage with the consumer, to find out what they think about it so we can confidently take it to restaurants and bars knowing exactly what people are looking for. When people say to us, ‘Oh craft mead, I don’t like that’. I say to them, ‘I guarantee you if you try this you will like it’, and they do! It’s so rewarding to see the look of surprise on people’s faces when they try it and ultimately love it, and there is nothing more reassuring than seeing them walk away with some of our product. Our mead is really versatile and appeals to just about everybody. It’s about breaking down those preconceptions and encouraging people to give it a try. Everyone has really jumped on board and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, so over the summer I’m very much looking forward to opening up the conversation to wider audiences.

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Gin’s the thing Forget plain gin. Now it comes in a variety of favours...

1. British Lavender Colour Changing Dry Gin and British Rose Colour Changing Dry Gin are lavender/rose scented gins infused with juniper, coriander, angelica root and winter savoury. Made at the Old Curiosity Distillery in Edinburgh, the lavender and rose is hand-picked from the Secret Herb Garden by their gardener, Hamish. £25 each www.marksandspencer.com 2. I f you like your tea but fancy something a bit stronger then The Teasmith Original is the perfect alcoholic cuppa. A careful blend of finely-curated botanicals, including juniper, coriander, grains of paradise and orange peel, are combined with hand-picked tea. £38.95 www.teasmithgin.com

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5. Adnams Rising Sun Gin is made from rye grown by Jonathan Adnams at his farm in Reydon on the Suffolk coast. Japanese matcha tea and lemongrass, as well as a special blend of botanicals, create this refreshing gin. £28.99 www.cellarandkitchen.adnams.co.uk 6. J inzu is a marriage of British gin with the delicate flavour of cherry blossom and yuzu citrus fruit, finished with smooth Japanese sake.

Best enjoyed with tonic and garnished with a slice of green apple. £30 www.ocado.com

3. Cambridge Truffle Gin is made using black truffles and distilled in batches of just a litre at a time. £72.45 www.thewhiskyexchange.com

7. W hitley Neill’s Rhubarb & Ginger Gin is a handcrafted gin inspired by the glory of the English country garden. The essence of rhubarb adds a tart, crisp edge to the smooth English gin base, whilst the real ginger extract warms the palate. £26 www.ocado.com

4. Bullards Strawberry & Black Pepper Norwich Gin is initially sweet to the taste, thanks to the infusion of strawberries. The addition of black pepper adds a slight kick, rounding off each sip with a pleasantly dry finish. Summer in a bottle. £38 www.bullardsspirits.co.uk

8. P inkster Gin is deliciously dry with a hint of Cambridge-grown raspberries and an exceptionally smooth finish. If you’re enjoying it as a G&T, be sure to add fresh mint that’s been bruised to release the flavour. £31.50 www.ocado.com K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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Surprise package When Gaby and Alex Clarke bought an old house in the country, they got more than they bargained for

Owners: Gaby and Alex Clarke and their son Sam, 12, plus Purdey the Labradoodle Location: Kent The property: 1840s drovers’ cottage with recent extensions Rooms: Hall, sitting room, kitchen-diner, workroom, cloakroom, utility room, den, three bedrooms (two en suite), bathroom Purchased: 2010 Previous property: ‘We moved here from an apartment in west London,’ says Gaby.

Feature: Seán O’Connell Photography: Bruce Hemming Additional credits: Gaby Clarke Soft Furnishings (01580 852698) and architect Richard Gill

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A desire for the rural idyll was one of the factors that attracted Gaby and Alex Clarke to Kent. In 2011, just over a year after moving down from London, the couple found a small cottage that had been part of an old farm estate. It was badly rundown but clearly had the potential to be extended, and it soon had new owners.

“One of the first priorities was to call in an architect, Richard Gill, to provide plans for a small extension at the front,” says Gaby. “The interior felt cramped, with rooms illogically placed, so we decided to open it all up and move the staircase to a better position.”

With planning permission granted, and some great ideas from Richard, the work should have been straightforward, but even the best-laid plans can go awry.

During building work, the house was found to be structurally unsound, with a roof that needed completely replacing. The weatherboarding that looked in good condition from the outside was found to be rotten on the inside, plus the foundations were deemed insubstantial. Very little of the original house was untouched and a lot more money was needed than originally intended.

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“To economise I did most of the painting – inside and out,” says Gaby. “The new weatherboarding needed two coats before fitting, plus another after it was in place – a huge task. Basically, the original house was stripped so that all that remained was, as Alex put it, ‘sticks in the mud’.”

Even though the result was a wonderful family home for Gaby, Alex and their son Sam, three years later the need for more space became apparent and an extension at the rear was added, providing a room purposely designed for Gaby’s soft-furnishings business. “We also built a spacious hallway and a new boot room for coats, muddy wellies and sports kits,” she says, “and these additions somehow made the whole house seem much more grown-up.”

The area that particularly came into its own, as a result of the update, was the kitchen-diner. “This space works so well,” says Gaby. “One of our key aims was to be able to move easily between the house and the garden – in effect, bringing the outside in.” To maximise the light and open feel, this space was painted white, with wood accents. “Some of the timber beams and pillars are 57

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‘The kitchen-diner is very much the heart of the house, where everything goes on’

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aesthetic,” says Gaby, “but we also found that guests love them for their tactility.”

Having a living space they can call their own has also made a big difference to the family’s lives. “The TV used to take pride of place downstairs, but now that Sam is older, he prefers to watch telly in the den upstairs,” says Gaby. “So the sitting room has become the adult space, where we can sit and relax – particularly in winter when we can enjoy the roaring woodburner.”

Upstairs, a similarly simple colour scheme was employed. Because all the bedrooms are built into the eaves, it was important to keep them as light as possible, so the walls are painted in the same Farrow & Ball All White that was used downstairs, and the pale furnishings – mostly made by Gaby – are suitably coordinated. The linking theme continues in the bathroom, where smart wooden surfaces allude to the timber on show elsewhere in the house.

The Clarkes rightly feel they have achieved great things in their seven years here and that any other changes are likely to be of a more cosmetic nature. “We’re definitely not planning any more building work,” says Gaby. “But the decor of the house is very much based around the objects that we’ve either acquired or inherited over the years, so I imagine the interior will continue to evolve for many years to come.”

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Home notes

Fresh ideas and style tips on the home front

Light up your home We are totally loving neon artwork right now, and global design brand Andrew Martin has an amazing new collection. Perfect for an open-plan space or an industrial look, add a fun focal point of light and colour to your décor with their new iconic designs.

“A room isn’t complete without art,” says Martin Waller, founder of Andrew Martin. “The current trend for neon lighting highlights the rise of maximalism as a luxury lighting trend.”

Follow Andrew Martin’s top tips on how to hang artwork in your home: • Hang artwork at eye level or just above and never underestimate the importance of framing. This is a cost you should never hold back on. The right frame can transform a picture and is critical to the overall feel of the artwork.

• Create shapes and patterns with multiple pieces to form a gallery wall, remembering also to keep uniformity and structure in the final shape. If you have two portraits, face them towards each other as if they’re having a conversation and make themes, like putting all your pictures of animals together, even if they’re of different styles and eras. The important thing is to tell a story with your wall.

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• Play with colour by using all monochrome pieces then one vividly colourful work in the middle.

• Don’t be afraid to put very contemporary art in a traditional space, or vice versa. It is often the merging of seemingly incongruous styles that creates beauty through surprise.

• W hen thinking about matching to a colour scheme, pinpoint one or two of the boldest colours in your room and reflect them in your chosen artwork. Or working inversely, pick out a colour in your artwork to highlight by using the same tone in cushions and other soft furnishings. This works similarly with shapes, mirroring a circular shape in an image with a spherical vase or sculptural lamp for example.

• A nd finally, only ever buy something you like. Art, above all else, should always be personal.

Sized at 182cm x 122cm. £2,195 each www.andrewmartin.co.uk 63

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Bedroom bliss Turn it into a luxury haven One of the most cherished rooms of the home is surely the most deserving of luxury. The bedroom is our haven of peace and relaxation, where we unwind from our chaotic, busy lives and as such it deserves as much attention to its design and décor as any of our main living rooms. This is also the one room where it’s essential to be clutter-free and create as much efficient storage as possible.

Chamber Furniture design and handcraft stunning freestanding pieces and fully-fitted furniture with exactly this in mind to ensure your bedroom is the haven you desire. The key to the success and continued demand for bespoke bedroom furniture is Chamber Furniture’s ability to add character and individuality to each freestanding piece, with tailored textures and finishes reflecting your own unique style and personality.

Bigger, bolder, tucked away or proudly displayed, Chamber Furniture have the insight, knowledge, expertise and innovation to create exceptional statement furniture to not only delight, but to exceed your expectations. www.chamberfurniture.co.uk

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Sleeping beauties You can’t beat a bespoke bed for a good night’s sleep We’ve woken up to the fact that the bed is the most important piece of furniture in the house. Sleep is imperative for our health and wellbeing and we are now willing to invest more on our beds – after all, we spend a third of our lives in them.

According to Nikki Mitchell of Sofas & Stuff in Tunbridge Wells, an increasing number of homeowners are kicking back against mass production and embracing bespoke home furnishings. They want to create their own style, choosing the colour and fabrics, knowing they will have something distinctive that’s perfect for their home.

Sofas & Stuff have experienced staff to help you create the ideal bed for you, no matter what style you want. Don’t miss their summer sale throughout July and August.

Visit Sofas & Stuff at their Tunbridge Wells showroom at The Estate Yard, Eridge, near Tunbridge Wells TN3 9JR K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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Garden notes All you need for your outside space

Flower power

The Plant Pot Speaker is the perfect gadget for the green-fingered music lover. At the touch of a petal or leaf, the LED lights will shine and the song notes will play. Create an amazingly fun and unique music experience, every day. However, if you prefer to do your own thing, then you can play your own tracks from your Bluetooth device. Features include touch control, seven built-in songs and seven multi-coloured LED lights. £14.99 www.iwantoneofthose.com

Chelsea success for Chilstone

Chilstone are proud to have won a 5-star award at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the highest award for a trade stand. This is their second win in consecutive years. The makers of handcrafted architectural stone and garden ornaments in Tunbridge Wells worked hard to create the stand with designer Ali Dempster, filling it full of fantastic plants grown by local supplier How Green Nursery.

Following the success of their sleek statue, Leda and the Swan, released at Chelsea 2017, this year Chilstone unveiled two new sculptures: The Birth of Helen, celebrating Helen of Troy, and Aquila, an eagle. The stand also featured their best-selling, handcrafted cast stone garden ornaments and architectural components, representing the smart front of a property, with striking architectural stone features to complement the formal landscaping of a compact courtyard garden.

Their Kew fountain stood serene in the centre as a classic and tranquil water feature.

Chilstone are commemorating 65 years in business with a new sundial plinth called the Chelsea Sundial, released at the Flower Show.

This curvaceous piece is the largest single baluster shape they’ve ever made. At an impressive 108cm high, this is a statement sundial plinth, ideal for large armillary spheres. www.chilstone.com 68

Best for garden treasures

Head to Best Reclamation on Burwash Road, Heathfield, for some inspiration for your garden this summer. It’s a treasure trove of reclaimed materials, from stone and brick to an array of garden items, including statues and animals (they have new, locally-made ones, too), urns and planters, water features, garden furniture, gates and railings. www.bestreclamation.co.uk K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

10 Summer jobs for your garden Tim Sykes of Gardenproud’s seasonal tips 1. Make sure you are wearing sunscreen and a hat, and have a glass of water (or elderflower cordial) to hand if you are outside for long 2. Water plants when it’s coolest, either early morning, or better still late afternoon/evening 3. Try using a mulch around thirsty plants to help retain moisture 4. Now’s the time to prune magnolias 5. Deadhead perennials and annuals to optimise flowering 6. Don’t mow the grass too low for fear of scorching, and water if necessary after dusk 7. Give the lawn a summer feed 8. Cut back and feed any hanging baskets to lengthen flowering period 9. Clear any algae and weed from ponds 10. Keep the beds weeded – best to hoe them out Enjoy the Summer sun!

For further advice or help with your garden, see www.rhs.org.uk Contact Tim Sykes at Gardenproud on 07725 173820, or visit him at www.reallygardenproud.com

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The power of flowers From lifting the spirits to promoting healing, flowers are a powerful force of nature. We talk to women who have harnessed this power and created companies that are blossoming

Photo taken by Matt Pitts for Blooming Green K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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The magic of plants

Plants are Amanda Saurin’s passion. Owner of A S Apothecary in Lewes, she is a qualified homeopath and a herbalist, and has created a range of therapeutic skincare products that has grown from her work with patients at her homeopathic practice “I’ve worked with plants for over 30 years,” she says. “As part of my work, I saw many people with skin complaints such as eczema and psoriasis and realised that there must be an alternative to conventional steroid treatment. With this in mind, I started making balms and creams for my patients from remedies and herbs. They worked really well and so I began making other products and gradually a range developed. From there it was a small step to thinking that I should make products available for everyone, made with the same love and therapeutic intention, and so A.S Apothecary was born.”

Amanda distills many of the plants she uses in her products herself, a skill she learnt while living in Cyprus for seven years.

“To say I love distilling is a complete understatement,” she says. “There is nothing like filling the Alembic Still with plants we have grown ourselves or wild gathered, adding the water, assembling the Still, turning on the heat and waiting for the first drops of flower water and essential oil. I learnt to distil over several years whilst living in Cyprus, guided by Mariam, a Sufi friend.

“Distilling is as much an art as a science; it is a means of coaxing the therapeutics out of the plant and every distillation is different. Each essential oil requires a lot of plant material and so I am respectful of my oils. I formulate the combinations mindfully and use the oils wisely.

My aromatic waters are not a waste product of essential oil production as they are when made on a commercial basis. I distil them as carefully as the essential oils – if done correctly, the aromatic water should still contain some oil within it, creating a powerfully complex therapeutic product.”

Ask Amanda her favourite plants to work with and she struggles.

“That is such a difficult question. When I’m picking in Cyprus it’s the labdanum, orange blossom and geranium that make my heart sing. When on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides it’s the thyme, meadowsweet and honeysuckle. At home, it’s the roses, lavender, clary sage, calendula and chamomile that leave me joyful at harvest.

My favourites are those I grow or forage for; they all have a special place in the A.S Apothecary products.”

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Sourcing ingredients isn’t a problem, either.

“I always start with who I know. I’m very fortunate that as a therapist I have really good contacts who care as much as I do about ingredients, and they are usually my first port of call. Beyond that, through my links with the Sufi community in Cyprus, I have fantastic access to specialist oil suppliers all around the world. I prefer to buy, where I can, from people who can tell me as much as possible about the product. I’m currently very excited because I have invested in a cold oil press, so I can press my own borage, pumpkin, castor and other oils.”

Amanda’s workshop is often busy, always with music playing, frequently with singing and sometimes dancing, too.

“This is great,” she says, “but my favourite part of the job is when everyone has gone home and it’s just me and the plants. I walk round the drying racks turning the petals over in my hands, I shake the jars of macerating herbs, I might re-smell an oil combination I made earlier and after all that, I wander through the flower beds outside and if it’s sunny I sit on the bench and marvel at the wonder of it all.”

As for the future, Amanda intends to expand the range this year. “Not a day goes by without a new idea for a product – many go into the ‘flight of fancy’ book to be returned to at a later date, whilst others are already in process. It has been a wonderful start to 2018 and with our team of 12 fantastic women, we hope to keep on singing, dancing and joyfully making products well into the future.”

While A S Apothecary flourishes, Amanda has another project close to her heart – Fierce Botanics. From distilling aromatics, she has gradually developed products for drinks companies, like Sugar Kelp Aromatic Water for the Isle of Harris distillery, which gives an incredible pop of the sea both to gin and seafood. She is also making vermouth for another company, as well as a pink gin.

“I founded Fierce Botanics as I love the challenge of creating exciting, complex drinks from plants without adding colourings or preservatives. It’s thrilling bringing together roots, seeds, leaves, fruit and blossom into delicious drinks. Fierce Botanics Tonic no 1 is our first creation and we’re very excited about it.

“It tastes great by itself, but I have included botanicals that make it fit beautifully with vodka, gin and, amazingly enough, rum with a generous squeeze of lime.

“The tonic business is dominated by a few really big players who are really calling the shots in terms of controlling the market. As a small business, we will have to be fierce to succeed – hence the name.

“In the next two years, I’d like to see the tonic available in good-quality gastro pubs, restaurants, eateries and at specialist events.” www.asapoth.com www.fiercebotanics.com

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How tasty is your garden?

Foraging has become all the rage over the last few years, but have you ever thought about what you can forage from your own back garden?

Many of the pretty plants and flowers that we all grow at home are actually edible and taste as good as they look.

Sussex-based Chelsea Gold medallist and BBC TV garden presenter, Juliet Sargeant, has teamed up with former chef to Pavarotti, Samantha Mathews, to create three seasonal garden talks with a taster menu – Spring Flavours from your Garden; Sunny, Summer Flavours and A Taste of Autumn.

Said Juliet: “I have long thought that we are missing a trick by not eating the many tasty plants that we all grow in our gardens… dahlias, hostas, magnolias, tulips, sedums, toona. They are all edible and taste great!”

In the illustrated talks, Juliet will introduce each plant, its folklore, edible history and how to grow and harvest it.

Then Sam, who trained in Italy before exploring the exotic flavours of South America, will introduce her original dishes for a tempting taste of what can be achieved with common garden plants. You can expect the likes of Hosta Leaf Maki Roll, Orpine & Tomato Salad Bruscetta with Sedum Pickle, Acor Burgers, Dhalia Rostis, Birch Twig tea and Hawthorn Blossom wine.

After 20 years of teaching planting and design to professionals and amateurs in various colleges, Juliet started the Sussex Garden School to share her passion for plants with garden enthusiasts throughout Sussex. She is an RHS Chelsea gold-medal winner and has won many awards as a garden designer. Based in Brighton, with offices in Alfriston and Hurstpierpoint, Juliet designs country gardens, particularly on challenging sites. She also appears regularly on TV in programmes including BBC Gardeners World, BBC Inside Out; Ch4’s Operation People Power and most recently Ch4’s Village of the Year, and provides coverage of The RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

The next Tasty Talks are Sunny, Summer Flavours on 27th July at Field Place Manor House in Worthing; A Taste of Autumn on 27th September at South Downs Nurseries in Hassocks, and 4th October at Sussex Prairie Garden in Henfield.

To book your place, visit www.sussexgardenschool.com 74

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Blooming gorgeous

Run by cousins Jen and Bek, Blooming Green are ‘green’ florists who grow flowers in the middle of a fruit farm in Kent. But they offer something a little more unusual: the chance to pick your own blooms on Friday afternoons until October Says Jen: “When we first offered or, more accurately, were asked for pick-your-own flowers, we were happy to oblige. A lovely group had come up from Somerset for a wedding nearby and it was a lady among this group who gave us the idea. Many others have since come to love doing ‘pick our own’ on our flower plot — from brides, to mums and dads on the school run. Amusingly, more than one bride has said that it would be hard for her wedding day to compete — something we suggested, politely, they might not want to share with their future husbands! Many have said that it was the best part of their wedding preparations.

“Although we are lucky enough to spend many hours on our flower plot, and may sometimes take for granted what a wonderful and calming place it is to be, we are constantly reminded by visitors. Plus, the actual process of picking flowers, in such a lovely spot, alongside a few buzzing insects and surrounded by orchards is something you can’t put a price on.

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Photos taken by Matt Pitts

“As well as picking flowers, it’s an intriguing and mesmerising thing to watch too. We love to see the different flowers, styles and arrangements that people come back to the shed with on our pickyour-own sessions — no one container is ever the same. It’s also lovely to hear the positive comments. We feel very lucky indeed to be involved in a business that makes people happy and gives us such positive feedback.”

Jen and Bek also run flower-arranging courses and workshops that cover everything from growing your own flowers to putting together a hand-tied bouquet for a wedding. The atmosphere is always relaxed and fun and they cater for all levels. Materials, tools and refreshments are provided — so all you need to bring is yourself.

Forthcoming courses include: September 13th – Rose-hip wreath workshop October 12th – Grow your own flowers (Part 4) November 30th – Winter wreath workshop December 1st – Winter wreath workshop Blooming Green are open for ‘pick your own’ on Friday afternoons, from 12-4pm until early October. They will also be opening for monthly Saturday morning PYOs… Follow them on social media for up-to-date announcements. www.bloominggreenflowers.co.uk 75

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Heads up!

Top local head teachers give their views

One in five children are obese by the end of primary school. There are suggestions that the government could force both primary and secondary schools across England to weigh and measure their students, imposing extra gym classes and a school-led programme of weight loss on any that are found to be overweight. How do you feel about this, and what measures does your school implement to encourage students to have a healthy attitude to food and maintain a healthy weight?

Maria Maslin, Prep School Headteacher

Battle Abbey School, Bexhill and Battle Independent co-educational day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3 months-18 If we believe we are a nation growing in obesity then the answer is not to run boot camps in our schools. This would be reactionary and would not address the issue at its root. We work with children, each with their own vulnerabilities. Singling children out, labelling them, conjures up negative and destructive images from history, a past from which we must learn.

To tackle obesity, schools need to educate. A proactive approach, an education rooted in healthy lifestyles, will have a lasting impact.

Lunchtimes give our pupils access to nutritious meals. Staff sit “family style� to encourage and support children to choose a balanced meal. Physical activity takes place daily. We know the benefits of swimming are huge, so every child from Reception to Year 6 enjoys two swimming lessons a week in the school pool, a modern 25-metre facility. After-school clubs allow pupils opportunities to engage in sports and activities, including tennis, football, roller dance, water polo and ballroom dancing. If they find physical activities they enjoy, these habits will continue into their adult lives.

The answer to childhood obesity is not to ridicule or drive short-lived programmes of weight loss. It is to educate.

Abra Stoakley, Prep School Headteacher

Claremont School, St. Leonards-on-Sea and Bodiam Co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 1-18 Weighing and measuring and imposing mandatory exercise regimes on pupils seem like retrograde steps for any educational institution. At Claremont, our focus is on educating, rather than humiliating, the children in our care. The children are taught about healthy eating from an early age, which is embedded throughout the science curriculum, rather than as a discrete topic bolted onto PSHE sessions. For example, Year 3 children conduct a two-week experiment, in which they put an egg into different liquids (cola, water, orange juice etc.) to see how sugar can affect their teeth. The results are visually staggering and lead children to make healthier lifestyle choices independently.

At Claremont, we relish any opportunity to go outside and make the best use of our glorious 100-acre site. We use the grounds as a teaching tool every day, for lessons which are both mentally, and physically, beneficial. Nine of the forty-five lessons every week are dedicated to sport; that equates to six hours exercise for every pupil.

Our kitchen prepares delicious, healthy food from scratch and, under the auspices of the Balanced Food Company, we plan to further enhance our offer. Ultimately, I feel that teaching children how to think about food and exercise in a positive way, rather than telling them what to do, is key to effecting genuine behavioural change.

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Mike Piercy, Headmaster

The New Beacon, Sevenoaks Independent preparatory school for boys aged 4-13 Education extends beyond the classroom. Pastoral care, emotional and personal development, healthy living (including mental health) are intrinsic elements of a good education.

Knowledge of each individual pupil is the key to pastoral care. A child who is less active, who doesn’t have a healthy diet, will put on weight and this should be identified by teachers who must then work with the family. A child will have only five meals a week at school: a balanced, healthy diet should be implemented at home with school advising and supporting.

Within school, PE, exercise and sport should be part of the core curriculum. At The New Beacon we believe in sport for all. There is rarely a day when boys (we are a boys’ school!) will not participate in some form of physical activity. From Reception upwards, they will have two swimming sessions a week as well as PE and games lessons.

In Year 4 we start competitive matches against other schools in football, rugby and cricket, while the older boys also learn hockey.

They all get the chance to represent their school in matches when etiquette and sportsmanship play an important part – learning both how to win with humility and how to lose gracefully. Meanwhile, after school they can choose from sailing, judo, fencing, athletics, cross country, tennis and more. If sport and exercise are regarded as a part of normal life, children will participate.

Hilary Blake, Headmistress

Sacred Heart School, Wadhurst Independent Catholic mixed primary school for 2-11 A solution to the problem of childhood obesity requires an investigation into the causes which too often appear to be a consequence of modern life: inexpensive fast food; the explosion of the confectionery and soft drinks market; ‘time-poor’ parents opting for processed or ready meals and the decline of families eating together, coupled with ‘inactive’ leisure time are all contributory factors. I do not believe that school is the place for monitoring through weigh-ins given the connection between obesity and mental health, however the statistics cannot be ignored. Education around food and exercise has never been a greater priority. This is something schools are well positioned to deliver.

Alongside active playtimes, we ensure that all children are involved in additional daily exercise, either as part of a structured PE programme or participation in the ‘Daily Mile’. We offer an extensive extra-curricular sports timetable which is always popular. Healthy children are pre-disposed to be active – that much is obvious to any casual observer! The lesson that exercise is fun, the impact of exercise on the body and the importance of making healthy food choices is part of our daily ‘diet’. Our midday lunch menu is designed by a nutritionist in accordance with the Children’s Food Trust guidelines. Our position has been strengthened by participation in the East Sussex HALO initiative: Healthy Active Little Ones – an educational programme for parents, carers and our youngest children about establishing and maintaining a balanced diet, physical and mental health.

We have a duty to lead by example, to make healthy food choices, reinvest in food technology and PE to ensure that all children develop a life-long love for sport, healthy eating and ultimately healthy lifestyles and brighter futures.

Complacency is never an option and the latest shameful statistics about childhood obesity should serve as a call to action for us all.

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Andrew Webster, Headmaster

The Mead School, Tunbridge Wells Co-educational preparatory school for boys and girls aged 3-11 I’m not sure where to start on the ills of this policy proposal. It deals with the consequence rather than the cause; it shames children and will inevitably lead to eating disorders; it promotes the social media sickness called ‘perfectionism’ infecting our society; it ignores the fact that being underweight is equally unhealthy… need I continue? To compound this issue, there is now also a growing trend to oppose such archaic proclamations by going to the other extreme and championing a positive body image, regardless of one’s weight. Obesity is just as damaging to your health as smoking or excessive drinking and so we must avoid any drive to normalise it (or even champion it) at all costs.

So, where’s the middle ground? As I’ve said before, the answer always lies in empowering schools to invest all of their time, energy and resources into educating children and not appeasing bureaucrats. Fostering a healthy attitude to food is just one strand of the robust and comprehensive mental and physical health curriculum we teach at The Mead. Much like sex education, you begin with the science and allow children to understand the processes and genetics that dictate our physical development. The aim is for children to then develop a positive relationship with food where they understand the importance of a broad and balanced diet, but also the joy of occasional indulgence.

Alison Cordingley, Headmistress

Fosse Bank School, Hildenborough Independent school for boys and girls aged 2-11 Arriving at Fosse Bank four years ago, I did notice that there were no overweight children and put this down to the care of their parents, and also the amount and quality of the physical education that the children receive at school as part of the curriculum. We are lucky to have tremendous facilities, including a swimming pool and acres of land for sports lessons, matches and athletics. Children have two hours of PE each week plus active Forest School sessions and a busy extra-curricular programme of sport and dance.

We have also made changes, both large and small, to the provision of food for our pupils. The big change was moving away from traditional school catering to an excellent chef and catering team so the quality and presentation of food is now second to none.

A recent small change is allowing our little two- and three-yearolds to help themselves to the choice of vegetables on the table, and to pour their own water to drink. The result is that the children are trying more different foods, and eating and drinking more. And yes, accidents do happen, but remarkably few and after all, teaching independence is part of what we do.

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In the spotlight Quickfire questions for Scott Carnochan, Headmaster of Holmewood House School, Tunbridge Wells, an independent preparatory school for boys and girls aged 3-13

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Sum up your own schooldays Fun, fulfilling, friendship, great memories.

Which teacher most inspired you in your schooldays?

I went to a boarding school so teachers played a key role in guiding me through my adolescent years. An inspirational man called John Foster had a staggering impact on me. I will be forever grateful to him.

What makes you smile?

Children being children.

What frustrates you?

People who prefer to identify the challenges, rather than the solutions.

What’s your favourite book and why?

Winnie the Pooh, The Complete Collection because of the fabulous Poohism’s, many of which are reflective of society today and some of our behaviour, e.g. Piglet: “The things that make me different are the things that make me.”

Where would you like to see your school in five years?

To remain as a school where pupils achieve great things whilst never losing sight of the fact that they are young children. At the same time, developing a progressive educational provision which suitably prepares our pupils for the ever-changing challenges which they are likely to face.

What do you hope that your pupils say about your school when they leave?

The adults genuinely cared about us and did everything they could to ensure that we both enjoyed our childhood and prepared us for our future.

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Viewpoint – Boys will be boys From sportsmen to artists, the boisterous to the gentle, why Mike Piercy, head of The new Beacon, thinks that single-sex schools work for all boys, whatever their temperament

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There is a mistaken preconception that a boys’ school must be testosterone-driven, rough-tough, and rugby mad. It is not necessarily so. Recently, seeing the Year 4 boys at play on our grassy fields, I spotted tennis rackets, tennis balls, cricket bats, French cricket, chase and catch – and two boys reading peacefully on a bench in a quieter corner. What really caught my eye was the half a dozen or so boys who had gathered the cut grass to make an enormous birds’ nest. The next day I walked past to see it had been cleverly transformed into about nine smaller nests. Wonderful, creative, imaginative, gentle play.

Having led two co-educational schools, I became a convert to single-sex education, discarding what I had always thought to be conventional wisdom. A number of boys from my previous school went on to a well-known boys’ school. I saw how they thrived within a culture which was tailored to boys’ needs and learning styles.

An all-boys school can be liberating. Boys are allowed to be boys – they are less inhibited, happy to play girls in drama, and happy to roll in the mud if that is what they are inclined to do, without appearing to be ‘uncool’.

I am often asked about the differences between my previous school and The New Beacon. I struggle to identify anything glaringly different because it’s all about the culture and ethos of a school, boys, girls or co-ed.

Take choirs and singing. In my previous two schools we had wonderful (auditioned) choirs. In each case there were about twenty girls and just five rather embarrassed boys, often there through their parents’ insistence – as opposed to encouragement.

At The New Beacon, where all boys sing as a matter of course, we have a choir comprising boys from Year 5 and 6, aged 10 and 11 years old. It’s a choir of about 50 boys which may, in some ways, herald the terraces of Twickenham in years to come, but the fact is they all sing – and they really go for it! Our senior Chapel Choir is auditioned, and is genuinely selective, with boys singing solos weekly and, later this year, singing in St Peter’s at The Vatican.

These are opportunities and experiences which would happen for few boys in a co-ed school.

Pastoral care is key – in any school – as is knowledge and acceptance of the individual. At The New Beacon we recognise, respect and celebrate ‘difference’ – of background, race, gender, belief, character. Yes, we have bouncy boys but, equally, we have the gentle and shy. Yes, the ebullient need sometimes to be subdued, the restrained and reticent encouraged, but knowing each individual is the key to unlocking confidence. There is no ‘type’ and it should not be said that a boys’ school suits a particular kind of boy.

While a human, social education is a central function of schools, in learning to get on with others, to respect difference, to accept rather than to tolerate, it seems sometimes the classroom comes second. The age group we educate at The New Beacon, 4 to 13 K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

year olds, is the time when the fundamentals of learning must be embedded; work habits made secure. This is where a boys’ school comes into its own. Neuroscience is now providing evidence to support what we instinctively knew: the male brain is different to that of the female; boys learn differently to girls.

Teachers have a subconscious but understandable tendency to teach to the compliant – who tend to be girls more often than boys. Girls, more emotionally and conceptually advanced than boys in the younger years (some may say at all ages!), will put up their hands more often in class. Boys, generally speaking, are less confident, more reluctant to volunteer their ideas, especially when mixed with girls. Girls will generally meet deadlines – boys need to learn this skill. Ask a class to write a page on Hamlet: the boys will finish with the last full stop on the last line; the girls will overspill.

A boys’ school tailors teaching to the developing boy’s brain: clear boundaries, frequent assessment, deadlines, movement (our day is divided in to 20 minute ‘blocks’ giving, say, a 20-minute mental maths test and an 80-minute science lesson in the lab).

A final anecdote. Amongst the older boys at morning break, a ‘dance off’ is taking place, two boys putting dance moves together.

Completely uninhibited, oblivious to all the games taking place around them, immersed in their own choreography, they’re having a great time. A few stop to watch, laugh (with, not at) and cheer.

Meanwhile, nearby, the boys in the cricket nets are preparing for the next round of the Kent Cup, the philosophy group is meeting to discuss the weekly ‘thunk’, the ‘fractions clinic’ is at work, the Big Band practises in the music block and the art group is creating its next masterpiece.

The New Beacon in Sevenoaks is an independent preparatory school for boys aged 4-13 www.newbeacon.org.uk 81

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School report

A round-up of what’s happening in the world of education

The Mead pulls it off Top drama prize in national competition The Mead School, a thriving co-educational preparatory school in Tunbridge Wells, has won a top prize in a national drama competition.

The ISA Drama Festival is the annual Independent Schools Association’s celebration of the dramatic arts. ISA member schools from across the country perform in the competition, and each performance is assessed by an independent judge against set criteria and over a variety of categories.

This year The Mead School’s Year 6 won The Hydesville Tower Prize for best musical production with their performance of Daisy Pulls it Off, a parody of life in an English boarding school set in the 1920s.

Parents, friends and relatives were treated to a viewing of the winning performance at Tunbridge Wells’ Trinity Theatre last month.

Andrew Webster, Headmaster of The Mead School, said: “For a cast of 10- and 11-year-olds to put on such a professional production is quite incredible. Everything, from the costumes to the staging to the acting and singing, was of the highest calibre and everyone involved thoroughly deserves recognition. It was a period play and the script was breathless; I was therefore staggered with how our

young actors managed to deliver with such good timing and emotion.

Yet another fantastic entry into the Mead’s production catalogue.”

The Mead has won top prizes at the national competition for the past two years, with Best Junior Production 2016 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Best Junior Boy 2016 – Sam Tavares; Best Junior Production 2017 – Peter Pan; and Best Junior Girl 2017 – Amelia James.

100 not out Battle Abbey Prep School hits a record high Battle Abbey Prep School in Bexhill are delighted to announce a new record – over 100 pupils on roll for the first time in their history!

Maria Maslin, the Prep School Headteacher, said: “We have welcomed many new pupils from across all year groups this academic year, with waiting lists for some classes now in operation. Wherever children join and whatever time of the year, our superb pastoral care ensures every single child settles remarkably quickly and becomes part of the school family.

“At Battle Abbey Prep every child is treated as an individual. Staff work tirelessly to enrich their lives in a holistic way, providing opportunities to find the flames within them that ignite their interests and build confidence.

“Our place in The Times Top 50 Independent Schools highlights our strong academic success and is recognised by parents both locally and those moving into the area from London, Brighton and further afield.

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“A record number of year 6 pupils will leave this summer to continue their education at Battle Abbey Senior School.”

These are exciting times for Battle Abbey School, with record numbers on all three sites.

The Prep School site in Bexhill is destined to grow further in September with the opening of the brand new Early Years facility currently under construction. This will house both the Nursery children and Reception class and so expand the age range of the children from three months to five years.

Mrs Maslin said, “We have already seen huge interest in our new Nursery, with only limited spaces still available in our brand new Baby Room. In fact, we have had several babies enrolled who are yet to be born!”

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Rosehill celebrates wellness...

A week of caring for mind, body and soul Rose Hill School recently held its first-ever Wellness Week, a week where pupils, parents and staff looked at the benefits of caring for mind body and soul. As part of the packed timetable, parents learnt about wellbeing, online safety and emotional health from visiting speakers. A number of parents also gave their time by hosting sessions on nutrition, yoga and Pilates. The school opened up its new indoor pool to parents, and the highlight of the week was a screening of the film Embrace, a documentary looking at the issues surrounding body image.

Pupils have been involved in online safety, mindfulness, meditation, zumba, healthy eating and zorbing, as well as getting in touch with nature in the school’s 15 acres of woodland and outside space.

Head Emma Neville said: “Wow. What a week we had!

The whole school community has been involved in so many activities. For me, the highlight was seeing the film Embrace which I found incredibly moving. This is just the start for Rose Hill School and Wellness Week will be an annual event set to get bigger and better every year.”

... and an international art prize Recognition for Year 6 pupil A pupil from Rose Hill School has won second prize in an international art competition run by the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS).

The judges said the standard of competition was extremely high this year and congratulated Year 6 pupil Will on his prize.

Will’s piece is entitled The Wave and all the winning artwork can be seen on the IPAS Facebook page.

Head Emma Neville said: “We are very proud that Will has been recognised in this way as I know that a lot of hard work went into The Wave.”

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Celebration time St Michael’s Prep School secures a record number of scholarships There has been celebration in the air at St Michael’s in Otford this year as the pupils have secured a record number of scholarship offers to senior schools. This reflects the hard work, dedication and commitment that the pupils have shown to their chosen field of expertise. The school is also delighted to have 10 children accepting scholarships into Years 7 & 8 at St Michael’s.

Being a scholar exposes the children to unique opportunities and experiences. The school’s own scholars recently attended a celebration dinner where everyone enjoyed stunning music, drama performances and interesting speeches about the scholars’ experiences. They also listened intently to keynote speaker, Kim Wells (Deputy Head at Caterham School), who spoke passionately about why being a failure has made him a success. This aligns with St Michael’s beliefs where children are encouraged to push themselves, take on challenges and accept that failing is a valuable part of the learning process, enabling you to be better than you were before.

Having a growth mindset and believing that you are responsible for maximising your own development and growth has certainly enabled the children to achieve. Twenty five per cent of Year 8 cohort are progressing to prestigious schools with scholarship awards including academic, drama, music and sport success.

The school is very proud of the individual way that they tailor the curriculum and the opportunities available to ensure that St

Michael’s children are ready and prepared for any challenges they face on their own learning journey. The scholarships that are offered in Year 7 and 8 for academic, all-rounder, art, drama, music and sport provide additional, personalised learning opportunities to stretch and challenge the children.

In the words of a current Year 8 scholar: “The end result didn’t actually matter because I knew that I had grown and developed through the process and I am so proud of the work that I have produced.”

Saving lives Claremont students raise over £1,200 for defibrillators Claremont student, Ross, ran the Hastings Half Marathon with six other Year 13 PE students and two members of staff to raise over £1,200 to buy the school a defibrillator and potentially save lives.

The school agreed to match the runners’ efforts and buy a second defibrillator for the Prep School. Ross is pictured presenting the defibrillator to Mr Dickie, Deputy Head.

When asked about his motivation to raise the money, Ross said, “I was shocked to find out while studying PE that 270 children die at school each year in the UK having suffered a cardiac arrest.

However, evidence shows that if a defibrillator is used within the first five minutes of a cardiac arrest it can increase survival rates by up to 68 per cent.

“These stark statistics have encouraged me to research more into defibrillators and, in doing so, I believe a great way to give back to the school that I have been at for six years is to fundraise for a defibrillator to keep future students safe.”

From the Claremont School, we can’t thank you all enough for your efforts and incredible achievement!

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L OV E FA M I LY

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4 5 Yummy mummy corner Whether you’re a yummy mummy, a loving partner or a doting grandparent, this is for you...

1. This Happy Hour Clock is colourful and educational, perfect for helping children aged three years and older to tell the time. £13.99 www.amazon.co.uk 2. T he Nuna Demi Grow can transform from a single pushchair into a double – for two siblings or double trouble twins – with 23 configurations.

Nuna is very popular with celebrities – recent fans include Beyonce, Serena Williams and Jessica Alba, to name a few. From £600 www.pramcentre.co.uk 3. T he Udderly Gorgeous Maternity Gift Set has been designed especially for expectant and new mothers. It contains a trio of products that are specifically formulated to care for precious bodies as they grow. Stretch Mark Oil, Leg & Foot Treatment and Bath & Shower Gel contain sea buckthorn oil to pamper skin. £40 www.cowshed.com 86

4. K inetic Sand is a squeezable sand you can mould with your hands – you’ll never want to put it down, let alone your kids! It never dries out so you can use it again and again, and flows through your fingers, leaving them completely dry. For some summer fun, how about the Kinetic Sand Ice Cream Truck, which comes with all the accessories and moulds you need to create and display ice cream cones and sundaes. £14.99 www.smythstoys.com 5. Worry Eaters make a perfect cuddly companion in good times and bad for all ages. They have been proved to give comfort and reassurance, which can help enable a restful night’s sleep. Feed the Worry Eater with your concerns and in no time at all they will be chewed up never to bother you again! Just write or draw your troubles and zip them away.

Schmidt Junior Schnulli Worry Eater Soft Toy, £13.49 www.amazon.co.uk K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

L OV E FA M I LY

Stay safe in the sun

Make sure you use 5* protection for all the family Figures released by Soltan suncare brand show that over half (51%) of parents choose a sun cream based only on its SPF rating to prevent sun burn, without realising the significance of the star rating that indicates protection against long-term, permanent skin damage caused by UVA. The research has been released as Soltan launches a controversial and thought-provoking campaign that aims to help parents understand the risk of exposing their family to UVA damage that is as permanent as a tattoo, if they use a sun cream with less than 5* UVA protection.

The survey of 1,000 parents of children aged 14 and under revealed that while 87% of parents understand that it is possible to get permanent skin damage from the sun, 40% believe that UVA damage is short term and lasts no longer than a week.

The lack of parental understanding comes despite previous education campaigns by brands, charities and the public sector. In fact, Soltan’s research showed that:

• Just 14% of parents consciously choose a sun cream based on its UVA rating • Over a third (39%) of parents with primary school aged children do not consider UVA rating at all when choosing a sun cream • Over half (55%) do not even know what the UVA rating is The research shows that whilst parents do all they can to protect their children from the sun, with 2/3 reapplying sun cream every time their children have been in the water and 80% making sure their children wear a hat as well as sun cream, the lack of awareness of the need for 5* UVA protection means they are still at risk of permanent skin damage. Combined with the fact that nearly a quarter of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is acquired before the age of 18, there is a real need for regular and effective sun protection.

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Deep sea for the boys and pretty florals for the girls 1. F loral print sleeveless playsuit with frilled shoulders, £12, and leggings in this season’s gorgeous botanical floral pattern, £12 www.newbiestore.com

4. Made in delicate aqua tulle layers, this smocked dress by Mayoral has pretty embroidered designs of flowers and butterflies. Also available in pink or white. £32 www.childrensalon.com

2. I nspired by sailboats and the sea, this T-shirt is perfect for little adventurers, £8, whilst this long-sleeve sweater features a super-cute fish print, £12 www.newbiestore.com

5. T hese Mini Boden Boys’ Adventure Shorts are perfect for a day at the beach. £28-£32 www.johnlewis.com

3. Patachou Girls gorgeous blue-and-white stripe poplin cotton top with loose-fitting body and knotted shoulder straps features a pretty bird and floral print on the front and buttons up at the back for easy fitting.

From £36.99 www.panachekids.co.uk

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6. L ittle Joule Children’s Goodway Folk Ditsy Mary Jane shoes are a comfy choice for warm-weather dressing. £19.95 www.johnlewis.com 7. T he shark theme on Sea Spray’s Riptape Canvas will add excitement to the playground. £28.99 www.startriteshoes.com

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LOV E W EDDI NG S

A wedding has been arranged...

Our pick of venues for your special day Perfect packages in a historic setting Set in the heart of Kent, the Mercure Tunbridge Wells Hotel provides a stunning location for your dream wedding.

This 84-bedroom hotel was built around an original Georgian Dower House and adapted in the style of an oast house to create a charming four-star venue. Choose from the contemporary Parkside Suite which caters for ceremonies and receptions for up to 150 people and has its own private courtyard and bar, or make the most of the building’s historic, Georgian charm with Park Avenue for more intimate gatherings and ceremonies of up to 60 guests.

This year, the hotel has launched brand new, all-inclusive wedding packages that start from only £2,000 for a reception for 70 guests!

They include options to have an Afternoon Tea or BBQ-style meal instead of the traditional three-course wedding breakfast.

Book your 2019 or 2020 wedding with Mercure Tunbridge Wells by 30th July 2018 and not only will you pay 2018 package prices, you will also get an extra ‘Pick Your Perk’*. Choose from a disco, sweet table, starlit backdrop, centrepieces, ceiling drapes or a photo booth, with potential savings of up to £1,100!

If you’re looking to tie the knot this year, then the all-inclusive £2018 wedding package* is for you. This package is fully inclusive for 50 day and evening guests and includes ceremony and function room hire, drinks package, three-course meal, evening snack, private bar

until midnight and complementary chair covers and sashes. You will also receive a complementary bedroom for the wedding night, with breakfast – and a complementary meal for your first anniversary.

The Mercure team know that every wedding is different and specialise in turning your ideas into a reality. The hotel is a flexible venue and they are happy to discuss all the little details that will make your day so memorable and personal to you. Whether it’s a BBQ or hog roast you desire, or even a bouncy castle to keep the little ones amused, Mercure are more than happy to discuss your ideas and help to turn your dreams into a reality! *Terms & conditions apply. Subject to availability. Minimum spend required.

www.mercuretunbridgewells.co.uk

King and queen of the castle The historic village of Chiddingstone and its beautiful GradeII listed castle set in 35 acres of Kentish countryside is the perfect setting for a wedding. You can have exclusive use of the castle and its grounds, giving you control of timings and an opportunity to prepare at leisure in the bride’s suite.

You can lead your guests through the grounds, across the threshold of the village gates, to the Tudor high street and St Mary’s church, or one of the other local churches, or stay on site for a civil ceremony in the Orangery, or in the castle rooms.

Chiddingstone’s caterers will design the perfect menu for you, and serve your drinks throughout the day, corkage free.

An evening bar service is run by your appointed caterer, or Chiddingstone can offer a mobile bar service.

Whether you plan relaxed festivities, a formal cocktail party, or a more traditional ceremony and reception, Chiddingstone will be delighted to help you create the perfect day.

No matter what size your wedding, formal or relaxed, Chiddingstone have a wealth of experience to help tailor a day to suit you. It’s a beautiful canvas for you to create a distinct and personal wedding day.

Contact weddings@chiddingstonecastle.org.uk K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

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LOV E W EDDI NG S

Diamonds are still a girl’s best friend…

Designer jeweller Chris Thurlwell reflects on his early days in the business, and making a crown for Miss World…

When did you decide to make jewellery your career?

Where do you find the inspiration for your pieces?

Around 1960, when I was about 12 years old. Combining technical drawing, arts and metal craft – it all really appealed to me.

I have to be honest – mostly from my customers.

What was it about jewellery that fascinated you?

Creating something of beauty.

Where did you train?

I don’t think there’s one particular item. The more challenging, the better!

I went to the Central School of Arts and Crafts and was head-hunted from there at the delicate age of 15.

Do customers generally know what they want when they come to your shop, or do they rely on you for guidance?

Where did you begin your career?

They may have an inclination and we take it from there with initial sketches and designs, moving on to different materials and stones.

Any ideas they have give me something to work from. I’ll then produce a design from that.

I started an apprenticeship in 1964 with a very notable jeweller in Hatton Garden, where I was earning three pounds and ten shillings a week. I had to give ten bob to my mum.

What qualities make a good jeweller?

A crazy desire to produce close to perfection!

When did you decide to open your own shop, and why Tunbridge Wells?

I was a qualified master, maker and diamond mounter for the trade until 1974 when I became involved in a casting company until 1988, moving from North Essex to Kent. Unfortunately, it wasn’t paying much and so for that reason, I was looking around to re-establish as a designer jeweller. I eventually found Tunbridge Wells as the ideal solution.

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What’s your favourite piece of jewellery to make – a ring? Bracelet? Necklace?

What’s the piece of jewellery that you get asked to make the most?

That’s an easy one – rings.

What’s been your most unusual request for a bespoke piece?

Way back when I was working with another company, I made a coronet for a prince’s future wife. The piece was quite involved and rather beautiful. It was a bit like a Meccano set in that you could convert it: you could unbolt it from the basic coronet structure and wear it as a necklet, and reduce it further to make two bracelets.

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Also, rather obscurely, I had a hand in making the crown for Miss World – using diamanté, paste and base metals. It was actually designed by someone else but I was proud to be involved in making it and I think they are still wearing it!

Are young people today interested in a career as a jewellery designer and maker using traditional techniques, or is it a dying art?

a wedding ring, more and more people are choosing half-eternity rings and they can sometimes be fitted and snuggled up to the shape of their engagement ring – I’ll often design both so that the two work together. Or a customer might come along with Grandma’s jewellery and just for sentimentality, she’d like it incorporated into her wedding or engagement ring.

Are diamond’s still a girl’s best friend?

What timescale should someone allow for wedding rings?

Sometimes birthstones come into it but it’s good old diamonds that are still the most popular – white and sparkly! Some customers are looking for something more unusual, so I keep a cross-section of what used to be semi-precious stones, although that’s changed because there are so many rare stones these days, some of which out-price diamonds. They’re all called gemstones now. Certain sapphires, tourmalines and even some garnets are extremely rare. Gemology is a fairly new science. It was only established in the 1940s and they are still discovering things every day. In fact, the ruby in the Queen’s crown is not a ruby at all, it’s a red spinel. It’s red and rubies were all they knew of in those days – but it’s still priceless!

For a wedding, it’s always good to have at least a month to play around with, and for something more complicated, six weeks. For

www.thurlwells.com

A high percentage of jewellery nowadays is produced by computeraided skills and it’s all CAD-CAM, three-dimensional printing and casting and such like. So alas, what I do is slowly going out the window. But for a one-off, it’s uneconomical to go through the procedure of producing sketches on the computer, so they have to be handmade, although that’s very limited now. That particularly includes ring mounting, which I am doing more and more of – making a piece of jewellery from materials supplied by the customer, maybe something they have inherited.

LOV E BUSI N E SS

Business notes A round-up of local business news

To have and to hold

Hever Castle judged best wedding venue in the country Hever Castle & Gardens was named Best Wedding Venue at the recent inaugural National Venue Awards at The Point Emirates Old Trafford, beating off competition from Blenheim Palace and the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh.

Hever Castle House Manager Roland Smith said: “We are honoured to have won a national award for our weddings. Our staff work tirelessly to offer an extremely high level of customer service to our brides, grooms and guests, so to have this hard work celebrated on a national stage is fantastic news.”

Rory Ross-Russell, joint-founder of GCN Events, commented: “We have been delighted by the venue industry’s enthusiasm and response to these the first National Venue Awards. Awards are a great benchmarking tool for venues and the ceremony was a fantastic showcase of all the many examples of award-winning innovation and creativity that occur in this fast-paced and versatile industry.”

Image credit: Hever Castle & Gardens

For the love of Henry

Local mum helps raise autism awareness

The Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Tunbridge Wells, Cllr Len Horwood and his wife Judy, with Trish O’Dwyer, founder Autism Threads

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A new online business set up by a Tunbridge Wells mum to raise autism awareness held its official launch event on 15th May at The Mount Edgcumbe Hotel & Restaurant in Tunbridge Wells. Autism Threads is a range of T-shirts, clothing and accessories with a distinctive logo and subtle, positive and uplifting captions both autism-specific to support families living life with autism, and generic for anyone to wear or use to help raise awareness. Trish O’Dwyer, the founder, explains: “My seven-year-old son Henry is nonverbal. He can talk, he just can’t communicate socially, and is so often judged for this and his behaviour when we are out in public. Autism is not visually recognisable, so our Autism Threads products have been designed to give others that split-second visual cue allowing them to adjust their expectations and learn to understand and accept. I hope our products will give people the confidence to ask questions and start conversations.” Trish was delighted to welcome the Deputy Mayor Cllr Len Horwood among other guests, including local business owners, parents, and professionals who work with ASD children. Find out more about Autism Threads at www.autismthreads.co.uk K U D O S J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

LOV E BUSI N E SS

Do I have to share my inheritance with my soon-to-be ex?

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That all depends on need, as Sarah Haywood of ThomasHaywood Solicitors explains

The treatment of inherited wealth or other non-matrimonial property has been the subject of considerable contemplation by the courts and the situation remains far from clear. The case of Mr and Mrs White was considered by the House of Lords in 2000 and laid down guidelines which can be summarised as follows: • In reaching decisions about the redistribution of assets, the court has a duty to be fair and not discriminate between husband and wife, especially not in favour of the breadwinner as against the homemaker.

•T he Judge should always check his views against the yardstick of equality which should only be departed from if there is good reason for doing so.

This concept was expanded in the subsequent cases of Mr and Mrs Miller and Mr and Mrs McFarlane, which were heard together in 2006. The House of Lords confirmed the guidance it gave in the case of White and clarified three further principles: • The needs of the parties should be met, and fairness required that the assets of the parties should be divided so as to meet their housing and financial needs.

•T he concept of compensation was introduced, such to be aimed at redressing any significant prospective disparity between the parties rising from the way in which they had conducted their marriage. This has been referred to as “relationship generated disadvantage”. Put another way, needs may arise as a result of one party having been a homemaker and those needs are perfectly sound rationale for adjusting the parties’ respective resources.

•M arriage is an equal partnership and the concept of sharing is derived from that.

This raises the question of when would the court be able to depart from equality but still be fair? The judge who heard the case of Mr and Mrs Charman in 2007 tried to clarify this and said “the yardstick of equality reflected a modern, non-discriminatory conclusion that the proper evaluation of each party’s different contributions to the welfare of the family should generally lead to an equal division of their property unless there was good reason for the division to be unequal.” It also tallied with the overarching objective: “a fair result.” In this case, the court also made clear that, to the extent that property is non-matrimonial which would include inheritance, “there is likely to be better reason for departure from equality.”

Inherited assets are not normally considered to be matrimonial property but just one of the circumstances of a case, representing a contribution made to the welfare of the family by one of the parties to the marriage. The Judge should decide its importance on a case by case basis and will need to consider the nature and value of the property and when and how the property was acquired. This is particularly relevant to inheritance.

The overriding message is that non-matrimonial property including inheritance is more likely to be shared out between the parties if it is necessary to meet the parties’ needs ­and needs trumps all. Needs vary according to the facts of each case and the way the parties have lived during the marriage. So there is no clear, definitive answer whether an inheritance has to be shared with a soon-to-be ex. Some principles have evolved through case law, but the situation is still very much discretionary.

At ThomasHaywood we can advise you on this and all other financial issues arising as a result of relationship breakdown. www.thomashaywoodsolicitors.com

LOV E CH A R I T Y

Helping hand

A round-up of local charity news For the love of Silas

Faversham author wins brain tumour charity special recognition award Sarah Pullen was determined to help save other parents heartache after losing her son, Silas, to brain cancer at 11. After helping to raise over half a million pounds for research to save more children’s lives, Sarah has won a special recognition award in The Brain Tumour Charity’s first Celebrating You awards.

Across nine categories, they recognise achievements ranging from fundraisers to socialmedia influencers and researchers – united by the mission to find a cure for brain tumours, the biggest cancer killer of children and under-40s in the UK. “I was surprised to win as everyone was amazing,” said Sarah from Faversham. “I feel honoured that people voted for me and grateful for the support we have had since Silas died.”

Silas was a happy, sporty 10-year-old when he was diagnosed with a highly-aggressive brain tumour in August 2012. An MRI scan revealed a tumour the size of a tennis ball. Surgery removed 80% of it, but doctors told Sarah and husband Ben the devastating news that Silas had 12-18 months to live. After gruelling radiotherapy and chemotherapy, followed by six months of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, Silas sadly died at home just after Christmas at the age of 11.

After his death, the shattered couple needed a focus, so set up The Silas Pullen Fund with The Brain Tumour Charity in their son’s memory, which has so far raised over £550,000.

Sarah has told Silas’s story in her book A Mighty Boy (www.unbound.com/books/a-mighty-boy).

Now she is driven to help save other families their heartache. “It is hard to accept your child is going to die, but eventually you do because you have to,” she said. “But what’s impossible to accept is that your child’s death was in vain. We want to help make a difference.” www.thebraintumourcharity.org

Boost for Nourish

Local emergency food charity wins support from Assembly Hall Theatre This year, Tunbridge Wells’ Assembly Hall Theatre will be supporting Nourish as its annual charity partner. Nourish is a registered charity, providing short-term emergency food provisions and support to individuals and families experiencing crisis in the borough of Tunbridge Wells, South Tonbridge and surrounding areas. The charity’s dedicated volunteers deliver food parcels to clients 365 days a year and are available overnight to respond to emergency calls prompted by domestic violence or sudden traumatic events, such as family relocation.

Over the last financial year, Nourish provided emergency food for 4,614 people in the local area, over 46% of whom were children under the age of 18.

It’s not just about food, though. The consequences of food poverty can be far-reaching, including increased crime, loss of tenancies, mental health problems and family breakdown. Nourish can help provide more positive outcomes by offering a period of respite and an opportunity for change. The charity is different from other foodbanks in that it delivers food parcels to beneficiaries, currently running four storage units at Big Yellow Self Storage in Tunbridge Wells, one of which is fully funded by Big Yellow.

Assembly Hall Theatre’s contributions will go directly towards the dedicated volunteers. The charity relies on the generosity of the local community for financial and food donations so that they can work towards their mission statement of “No one need be hungry in Tunbridge Wells, 96

South Tonbridge and the surrounding areas”. To ensure that any need is genuine, the charity operates on a referralonly basis, with referrals from frontline professionals, such as health and social workers, family liaison officers, housing support workers, police and voluntary agencies such as CAB and Age UK TW, amongst others. Working closely with the referral agents, the charity aims through support to identify and hopefully eliminate core issues, while discouraging a culture of dependency, helping families and individuals in crisis until they can move on. It also provides guidance on developing better core life skills, such as cooking and budgeting, as well as advice on employment and training.

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LOV E CH A R I T Y

Midsummer Night’s dream

Local charity ellenor raises over £44,000 at its first ball Thanks to the support and generosity of the Kent community, ellenor hospice has raised a staggering £44,180 at its Midsummer Night’s Ball, the first of its kind for ellenor.

Guests were treated to an unforgettable evening of fine Kentish wine, gourmet food and top-class entertainment. Clive Emson, honorary auctioneer from Clive Emson Local Land and Property Auctioneers and a regular on BBC1’s property programme Homes Under the Hammer electrified the room and encouraged full guest participation and bidding on items during the event’s live and silent auctions. Items included a finedining experience stepping back in time on board one of the world’s most luxurious trains, the Belmond British Pullman, sister to the world-famous Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, tickets for comedian Michael McIntyre at the O2 and Leda and the Swan, a stunning piece of modern art designed and made by Kent-based stone makers Chilstone and shortlisted for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017 Product of the Year. ellenor Chief Executive Claire Cardy said: “A very big thank you to everyone for giving so generously. Thank you to Clive Emson for providing his auction services free of charge and to everyone who donated prizes for our silent and main auctions. The money raised at the ball and other events will make such a difference to those we care for across Kent. The evening raised £44,180 which could pay for 11 children to receive two hours of respite care a week, for a whole year from an ellenor Children’s Healthcare Assistant. Without the support of the local community, ellenor could not run its services and make a difference to local families.” www.ellenor.org.

Clive Emson announces that dinner is served! Photo by Darryl Curcher

Childrens’ counselling charity is tops John Lewis customers vote for Fegans

John Lewis customers have raised £1,220 by choosing Fegans as their preferred charity when placing their green tokens into one of the three Community Matters boxes at the front of the Tunbridge Wells store between February and April this year.

Fegans provides counselling for around 400 children a week, as well as practical and emotional support for parents and carers who are finding it difficult to cope. Combining these disciplines gives Fegans the opportunity to work with families holistically.

All of Fegans’ counsellors are registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. Working both in schools and from Fegans offices across the South East, the many issues they deal with include abuse, anger, anxiety, bereavement, bullying, depression and self-harm. Despite doubling in size in the last six years and seeing more children year on year, the charity’s waiting lists never go down, and demand for its services is greater than ever before.

“We are so grateful for the support shown by John Lewis At Home Tunbridge Wells. Community Matters ensures more local families are aware of the services Fegans offers and also helps to fund this valuable work. The money raised will enable Fegans to counsel more children through trauma and support more parents struggling to cope,” says Ann-Marie Fisher, Head of Communications and Fundraising at Fegans, whose Head Office is based in St James’ Road in Tunbridge Wells.

Tracey Odell, Branch Manager at John Lewis At Home Tunbridge Wells, said: “We are delighted our customers showed such great support for this fantastic charity. I hope our charitable giving scheme not only raised muchneeded funds but also raised the profile for Fegans.”

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LOV E LOCA L H EROE S

Vision for the future A Brighton-based company is producing stylish, affordable sunglasses that are funding eye care to African communities, helping to alleviate poverty

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Pala is the brainchild and long-held dream of founder John Pritchard.

Prior to setting up the eyewear brand, John’s career had been in digital media, however he had always harboured a desire to do something more purposeful with his life than simply moving advertising budgets around. Pala was the antidote, a business that truly gave back and would make a genuine difference to peoples’ lives.

As a glasses wearer himself and inspired by other like-minded mission-led brands, John had become familiar with the problems surrounding the lack of eye care in low-income countries, notably in Africa, a continent he had visited on several occasions.

“We take spectacles for granted, but more than 10 per cent of the world’s population is unable to access eye care, says John. “A pair of glasses is an invaluable economic tool, providing empowerment for the wearer. They enable reading, learning and access to better education, along with improved job prospects whether that be to operate machinery or more simply to thread a needle.”

Here Pala had found its cause. Pala would act as a vehicle to funding eye-care projects in Africa – it would be at the very heart of the business model.

Says John: “Through the sale of our eyewear, we provide grants directly to eye-care projects in Africa. This might be a new Vision Centre, dispensary, equipment or supporting an outreach programme in a rural community.

“From the funding of these projects we can calculate a cost per patient helped and it is that cost that you provide through buying our eyewear. This is how we square our proposition that buying a pair of sunglasses equates to a pair of spectacles for a person who needs them.”

The name Pala comes from the impala antelope. Renowned for their superb eyesight, their main survival tool, this native African species reinforces the connection to the brand.

The Pala range is targeted to both men and women. Styles are a mixture of classics and seasonal trends and made from highquality materials, built to last.

John also felt the sunglasses cases needed to tell a story, too.

Following a chance meeting with Jib Hagan, from Worthing, who runs an NGO in Ghana working with the talented basket weavers of Bolgatanga, they worked together on creating the cases from recycled plastic waste.

Access to more traditional straw material was limited to just one season in terms of availability and, coupled with the endemic issue of plastic waste, this was a win-win solution for both planet and weaver alike. Year-round production, recycling waste destined for landfill, creating training and jobs, and protection for your new sunglasses – the handmade cases that come with every pair of

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Pala sunglasses are unique. Each one can be traced back to one of three rural communities that produce them by the colour stripe that is woven into the case.

Says John: “As we grow, we will innovate and look to achieve even more and continue to help create change where it is needed most.

It’s an exciting journey and I love every second of it.”

www.palaeyewear.com

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