Shropshire Magazine July 2023

ESTABLISHED 1950

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

Martin Wright

EDITOR

Caroline Jones caroline.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

FEATURES EDITOR

Vicki Jones vicki.jones@mnamedia.co.uk

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION

Deborah Clay deborah.clay@mnamedia.co.uk

NEWS EDITOR

Andy Richardson

FEATURE WRITERS

Heather Large heather.large@mnamedia.co.uk

Daniel Morris daniel.morris@mnamedia.co.uk

Matthew Panter matthew.panter@mnamedia.co.uk

EDITORIAL AND SOCIAL DIARY heather.large@mnamedia.co.uk

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CONTRIBUTORS

Megan Jones Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley

Christina Albon

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When it comes to packing for summer getaways, swimwear is of the utmost importance. Check out these bikinis and swimsuits 115

Josie Clarke visits aMalaysian resort doing its best to nurturea little slice of paradise

ANOBLE CAUSE

ANDY RICHARDSON CHATS TO ROSS NOBLE AS HE RETURNS TO THE WORLDOFLIVE COMEDY

Acclaimed comedy legend Ross Noble has returned to his first love– live comedy.The supreme master of streamof-conscious freewheeling stand-up is back with his 21st tour -Jibber Jabber Jamboree, with Noble inviting audiences to join him for an evening of nonsensical improvised comedy –which may or may not feature atheatrical tribute to Mr T.

On what audiences can expect from his new tour,Ross said: “It will be aplayful experience for young and old. Imagine watching someone create amagic carpet on an enchanted loom. Oh, hang on… magic carpets fly, that would smash the loom as it took flight Ihaven’t thought that through… That’s what people can expect. Razor sharp observations on things Ihaven’t thought through.”

Ahead of the brand new 57-date UK tour,running from October 25 to March 17 –with three shows in Shropshire –we caught up with the comic to find out why fans imagine him as acentaur, whyLord Sugar fears working with him and how comedians who sit down onstage need to ‘get up and put some effort in’!

He opens with ajoke, of course,

comparing the forthcoming tour to his first outing, all those years ago.

“I’ve got significantly better hotel accommodation. That’s themain thing. Also, there are people coming to see me now who came with their parents when they were kids. That messes with your head alittle bit. Istill think of myself as being like 22 or 23 years old, and now I’ve got grown men going, ‘I saw you when Iwas 15. And now I’m aprofessional comedian!’ Not even people going, ‘I want to be acomedian’ –like actual, established performers.”

He deflects notions that he’s now one of Britain’s elder statesman of comedy

“I wouldn’t go that far! Also, the people that get described as elder statesman… some of them are alittle bit too confident in their opinions,you know? They start going: ‘Well, the thing about comedy…’ No! Shut up!”

About fifteen years ago, Ross claimed that the planning for ashow was “about four words on apiece of scrap paper”.

Over the years, that’s changed.

“That was actually taken slightly out of context. What Iwould do is go on and improvise, and then afterwards, Iwould write down things Icould do again. I

didn’t sit, think of four things and write them down. It’s the same today,really Except Ijust don’t write them down.”

Noble is known for his lengthy shows –and he’s more than happy to put in the graft to ensure his gigs provide fans with value for money

“During Covid Iwas doing an hour and half straight through, and Ireally liked it. The thing that gets me is comics who sit down. Whenever Isee acomic with achair on stage, Ijust think ‘If you need that chair,doa shorter show!’”

The title of Noble’s tour is Jibber Jabber –anod to his usual freewheeling stream-of-consciousness approach?

“For asecondthere, Ithought you were going to ask if it’s atribute to Mr B.A. Baracus, given it’s oneofhis famous sayings. That would be great, wouldn’t it? Imagine if it was just avery in depth, oneman show about the life of Mr T. That would be brilliant: areal black box type theatre show,just with asingle spotlight. Istart off as the young Mr.T– like when he was ‘Master T’ –and he’s just got one single, small gold chain. And then as the show progresses you put on moreand more gold until he’s at the height of his fame and he’s covered in chains.”

Noble is well known for his love of crowd interaction and flights of fancy That means no two gigs are ever the same. In fact, theshows are so different, that some die-hards travel to see every show to get the full experience.

“I did shows in Sydney recently and there was this couple that came three nights running andsat in the same seats. I did adifferent show every night.”

Noble is as whimsical off-stage, as he is on-it. When he plays gigs, fans get to hear his working out, as he branches off into whimsical tangents.

“The difference between me onstage andmeoffstage is thatwhen I’m on stage Ishow my working out. As I’m talking, my brain is constantly interrupting itself, so I’ll be saying something and then that’ll spark another thing, and then something else will come in –and Iexplain all that as it happens. Those thoughts still happen when I’m offstage, but Idon’t say them all out loud, so if you meet me in the street, Ican seem kind of distracted. I’ll often get halfway through asentence andjust stop –it drives my wife up the wall.

“I really like being able to let the audience into the way my mind works. That’s also one of the thingsthat was great about havingkids. The way they think is theway my head is most of the time. It was perfect. Well, Imean, terrible for actually looking after them… but you know,they’re having afun time.”

It’s atradition that fans leave items on stage during the interval for Noble to use in the second half of his set. There have been plenty of occasions when that’s led to people leaving really strange items for him.

“Oh, Lord, yeah

–heaps of stuff

Somebody left apin from aten-pin bowling alley and then afew nights later, somebody left another one. So Itweeted about it, and over the course of thetour, Igot all ten and we set up abowling alley in thedressing room. Somebody did an oil painting of me as acentaur– full horse body,long flowing hair,rippling muscles like Fabio. Then abovemyhead, there’s a Mr Kipling French Fancy with arainbow coming out of it. Thatblew my mind.”

On Noble’s YouTube channel, he’s doing aspoof nature documentary series, The Unnatural History Show with Ross Noble –which is like Winterwatch, if it had vengeful alien co-hosts and wildlife that candevouraperson whole. Does that tell us that he’s afan of nature shows, or that he wishes they featured more risk of people dying?

“A bit of both, really.Ilove Winter/ Springwatch and Countryfile, but there’s

The Unnatural History ShowonYouuTube.

avery British, very cosyway that people like Michaela Strachan andJohn Craven present –it’sall people in jumpers and Berghaus jackets sitting around being very ‘Well, isn’tthismarvellous seeing these mating chaffinches!’ Ijustthought:‘This would be alot better if some of these animals could kill you’.”

The tour is billed as achancetosee Noble “in his natural habitat”. He’s done quite abit of TV/radio work –soshould we takeitthat he prefers being on stage to TVand radio?

“Stand-up is just somuch fun because you’re the writer,the director and the performer –everything’s under your control, and it’s instant. So being a regular on some TV show hasnever really appealed because Ijust go: ‘Well, that’s a compromised version of onstage’.”

There are, however,more strings to his bow and in recent years Noble has branched out into musical theatre, winning awards for performances in shows like Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. There are lessons that he’s learned from that, which he applies to his stand-up.

“Previously Ithought that the best thing about stand-up was thatyou didn’t have to deal with other people messing up what you want to do. But then you do something like Young Frankenstein, with the greatest comedy legend of all time, and the best Broadway director that’s working and you go: ‘Oh, no, it’s not that

Idon’t like working with other people. I just wanttowork with the absolute best people’.”

Noble has plenty of heroes and would like to work with some of them before he’s through.

“Oh yeah, tonnes. Ididn’t getto meet Robin Williams before he died. I was supposed to do aTVthing with him and then my visa to get into America was delayed. So Iwas on adifferent episode and Inever got to work with him.”

The comedian famously went into stand-up because his dyslexia made him think he should avoid amore academic career.But in 2020, he came second in The Celebrity Apprentice Australia. Did that make him wonder if he could’ve been atop businessman after all?

“In the final, LordSugaractually said in the boardroom that he’d love to give me ajob. But that it would be really entertaining for afortnightand then he’d be out of business. Ithought:‘Fair enough.’

“I just couldn’t get fired. There was one week where they gave us this big pile of sand and Ihad the idea to sell it by pretending it was cursedsand from the tomb of Tutankhamun, that you could sprinkle onto your enemies. Afterwards, parents kept coming up to me in the street askingwhere they couldbuy it, so I made up these cursed sand envelopes and started selling them after gigs.Iended up making more money for the Red Cross

than the TV show was giving away as prize money!”

Noble plays shows around the world and spent the early part of this year touring Jibber Jabber Jamboree in Australia.Whatdifferences were there between audiences there and in the UK?

“The UK audiences look alot paler –you can almost sense the lack of vitamin Dinthe room! But also, they’re really committed –just getting to shows nowadays is so difficult with everything being so expensive and the transport being so difficult. Audiences are like: ‘Weare seeing ashow,it’shappening!’ It’s not just seeing ashow,it’shaving anight out.”

n Ross Noble will open his tour at Telford’s Oakengates Theatre on October 25 before playing Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn and Birmingham Symphony Hall in early 2024. Fortickets to theshows visit www.rossnoble.com

Ross Noble, right, in Young Frankenstein

ChildArrangements

Oneofthemostdauntingchallenges thatariseswhenacoupleseparatecan beagreeingthearrangementsfortheir children.

HowdoIlookaftermychild’sbest interestsduringorafterseparation?

Itcanbeverydifficultforparentsto preventtheissueswithaformerpartner frominfluencingtheirresponsibilities totheirchild.Thiscanoftenmake thediscussionsaroundthefuture arrangementsforthechildevenmore fraught.However,thepriorityinany separationisthechildandtheirwelfare. Therefore,despitetheanimositytheremay bewiththeotherparent,itisalwaysbest toshieldthechildrenfromthis.Exposing childrentonegativeviewsoneitherof theirparentswillimpactontheirabilityto havestableandsecurerelationshipswith theirparents.

Itisalsointhechild’sbestintereststo havearelationshipwithbothoftheir parents.Anydramaticchangetoachild’s life,suchasnolongerhavingcontact withoneparent,willhaveasignificant emotionalandpsychologicalimpact bothatthetimeandontheirfuture development.

DoIneedtohaveaformalcourtorder?

Whereseparatedparentsareabletotalk openlywitheachotherandcometoan informalagreementbetweenthemselves, itisnotnecessaryforthetermsofthis agreementtobeformalisedintoacourt order.Infact,thecourtwillnotmake anorderforchildarrangementsunless

itisnecessary,asitisintendedthat theresponsibilityisupontheparents themselvestomakethedecisionsabout theirchild.

Whereparentsarefindingitdifficultto cometoanagreement,thenextstepisto attendmediation.Amediator,whoisoften legallytrained,willactasanindependent guideandwillassistthediscussions betweentheparentsinaidingaresolution tobereached.

Mediationhasnotworked,whatdoIdo now?

Wheremediationhasnotbeensuccessful, thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanthata courtapplicationisneededstraight away.Insomecases,throughadviceand negotiationswithsolicitorsanagreement canbereached.

However,asalastresortyoucanmake anapplicationforaChildArrangements Order.Thiscaneitherbeinrelationtoa specificissue,suchaswhereachildgoesto school,ortheday-to-dayarrangementsfor thecareofyourchild.

DoIneedtopaychildmaintenance?

Bothparentsareresponsibleforthecosts ofraisingtheirchild.Ifachildliveswith oneparent,therewillbeanobligationon theotherparenttopaymaintenance.The amountofmaintenancepaidtowardsa child’slivingcostscanbeagreedbetween separatedparents.Ifthepayingparent’s incomeislessthan£156,000grossper annumitcanbecalculatedusingtheChild MaintenanceServiceonlinecalculator, whichisahelpfulguideIf,however,an

agreementcannotbereachedtheChild MaintenanceServicewillinterveneupon requestofeitherparentandcalculate andenforcethepayments.Ifthepaying parent’sincomeisabove£156,000gross perannumthestartingpositionwouldbe tousetheformulaascribedbytheChild MaintenanceServiceandconsideratopup award.Specialistadviceshouldbesought inthiscase.

Inallcases,thewelfareofchildrenis paramountandthemainconsiderationis toensurethattheirneedsaremet.

VictoriaSyvret, FamilyLawPartner

ALIFE DEDICATED TO THOSE IN NEED

HEATHER LARGE CHATSWITHALDERMAN PAULINE DEE WHO SERVED ON WEM TOWN COUNCIL FOR 40 YEARS, HELPING NUMEROUS CAUSES AND PEOPLE ALONG THE WAY

When Alderman Pauline Dee is out and about in her home town of Wem, she always makes apoint of saying hello to any unfamiliar faces.

“If Isee somebodyIdon’t know,Isay ‘hello’ or ‘good morning’. Afew people have even told me later that Iwas the first person who spoke to them in Wem,” says the former councillor of 40 years.

As well as being agood neighbour, it’s also her way of repaying her gratitude to all those who made her feel welcome when she first arrived in the town in 1976.

Her late husband Terryhad been promoted to fire officer for North Shropshire when the couple and their four children moved to Wemfrom Shrewsbury

“I remember the first event Iattended was the firemens’ Christmas do at the

castle. The firemen and their wives were all so welcoming that Ithought ‘we’llbe alright here’.”

Little did Pauline know at the time that she would go on to represent the town at all levels of local government and have the honour of being mayor,not just once, but three times.

Although she had never dreamed about getting involved in localpolitics, when the opportunity to stand for the town council arose, she believed she could make adifference.

“In 1978, Wemwas twinned with Fismes in France. There was atwinning visit to France and my husband wasn’t able to go.

“He said Icould go in his place and he would look after the children.

“I got to know some of the town councillors and themayor.Whenthere

wasa vacancy onthe town council, in 1981, Iwas persuaded to apply.

“I wrote aletter explaining that I had moved to Wemand Iwanted to give something backtothe town. Nobody else applied. Iwas the only female councillor –there were 11 men and me. Iwas 39 and the second youngest,” explains Pauline.

At her first meeting, she alerted fellow councillors to aproposaltobring the bypass along Pyms Road having heard talk of it while accompanying her son Jonathantoameeting of the Liberal Party

“People had always wondered why the road was so wide. Itold the council about the plan but they didn’t know anything and neither did the county councillor

“It was just ridiculous and would have been so dangerous. Luckily,the council were of the same mind and were able to get it stopped,” she recalls.

Twoyearslater,Pauline, who is originally from Ballymena, Northern Ireland, decided to stand as an independent member on North Shropshire District Council.

“People kept asking me about housing and environmental issues and Icouldn’t help them because they weren’t the town council’s responsibility

“I was persuaded to stand for the district council. Ididn’t think Ihad a chance, but Iwon by 12 votes,” she recalls.

In 1985, she became the town’s first female mayor and her year in office saw Wembecome afocal pointfor the 900th

CLOCKWISE FROM TOPLEFT:

Pauline Dee (front) as Chairman of Wem Economic Development Forum, opening the Treacle Miner sweet shop with owners John and Christine Murray; Pauline with her close family and friends at the BEM Presentations at WemTownHall, presentedbyShropshire LordLieutenant Anna Turner; The Prince of Wales chatting to Pauline at Buckingham Palace; Pauline with acardrecognising her 30 years’ serviceonWem Town Council; Pauline and her husband Terryenjoy aridein a1941 De Havilland Tiger Moth at Sleap Air Show; opening the newly refurbished Market Drayton Post Office in Queens Street, watched by Mayor Barry Brookes and Proprietor Maroof Shah; Jane Chandler,Kerry Foster, Mayor Douglas Cooley and Councillor Pauline at the 1st WemScout’srelaunch in 2010.

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BEM Presentations at WemTownHall, presented by ShropshireLordLieutenant Anna Turner,toPauline Dee, in April this year

anniversary of the Domesday Book.

This included the town featuring in a BBCdocumentary after it was discovered that two Wemfamilies could trace their ancestry back to before the Norman Conquest.

“It was so exciting. Hundreds and hundreds of people turned out for it and lots of different groups got involved. They always do in Wem, one group doesn’t have to do everything by themselves, other groups will always support them,” says Pauline.

During her time on thedistrict council, she served as chairman twice and served as president of the Shropshire Association of Local Councils (SALC), between 1998 and 2008,chairingmany meetings on the county’s move to a unitary council system.

Pauline went on to win one of the two Wemseats on the newly-formed Shropshire Council in 2009 and became leader of the Independent group for Shropshire.

One of her proudest achievements as councillor has been boosting the town’s economy through the creation of WemEconomic Forum in 1994, driving forward improvements to the town centre and helping to develop major employment sites.

“Wem wasn’t in the Rural Development Area, so we were not entitled to the grants thatother towns in

North Shropshire were. Through Wem Economic Forum we managed to get £1.3 million into the town from Advantage West Midlands and other European sources.

“There was alot of house building going on and if you are going to get grant money,you need more houses so we were able to tap into this

“Weinvested in WemIndustrialEstate and we turned the old brewery site into WemBusiness Park. We converted the premises above the shops intohomes. The Economic Forum also gave grants to people who wanted to improve their businesses or set up new businesses,” explains Pauline.

As councillor,she also travelledall over Europe, representing Shropshire and the UK in the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), Local Government International Bureau

and European Observatory for Crime Prevention.

In this role she was on committees for culture, education and social cohesion as well as one working to prevent the trafficking of women andchildren. “Hearing about whatsome of the victims had been through made me want to stand up for women and children,” says Pauline.

In the early 2000s, her work also took her to Serbia and Moldova where she took part in election observation sessions.

“These were some of the first democratic elections. People in Moldova were so excited about voting, we’re quite blasé about it here. By4.30pm, 95 per cent of the population had voted –I couldn’t believe it. It was amazing,” recalls Pauline, who was awarded the title of Alderman in 2009.

“Asa councillor,Ialways felt Iwas an ambassador for Wemand North Shropshire. It was my job to tell people how good it was to live,work and invest here.”

Twoyearsago, at the age of 80, Pauline retired from both Shropshire Council and WemTown Council. The sudden death of her beloved husband, Terry,inNovember 2017, along with some recent health issues, meant she felt the time was right to step aside.

“It was atough decision. Terrywas always my sounding board and would help me with my leaflets. Ifounditharder to do without him.WhenIretired Igot so many cards and messages from people in Wem, it was so lovely and meant so much to me.”

At the same time, Pauline announced

she would also step down as co-chair of WemYouth Club alongside Sue Challis after more than 20 years’ service to the organisation.

Over thattime she has raised funds for anew club kitchen, roof,equipment and trips. “When you’re acouncillor,you can persuade people to donate their time, money or goods just by telling them the needs,” she explains.

“It’s good for things to change because it keeps things moving,The club is thriving now,we’re leaving it in agood position,” says Pauline, who received an Honorary Townsman Award from Wem Town Council in 2022.

She has also been akey member of Shropshire Scouts for more than 20 years in avariety of roles, including serving as president since 2006. Pauline is chairman of 1st WemScouts and vice president of GirlGuiding Shropshire.

“It’s exciting working with people looking after young people. They work so hard and they give these children such agood quality of life. Ihave always been interested in anything to do with young people. We need to look after them –they areour future.

“I was involved in the North Shropshire Furniture Scheme, the first of its kind in the county.Wehelpedyoung people to set up their home and this was important to me because Iremember how hard it was to make ends meet and survive on a fireman’s wage,” says Pauline, who is currently agovernor at Whixall Primary School and atrustee of the Adams School Foundation.

In April this year,Pauline received aBritish Empire Medal(BEM) for ‘exemplary’voluntary service to the community of Wemover 40 years.

It was presented by Shropshire’s LordLieutenant Anna Turner at WemTown Hall in front of members of her family and close friends.

Pauline, and fellow recipient Graham Furber,who was honoured for his dedication to the world of cricket and disability sport, asked for the presentation to be in Wemrather thanatthe Shirehall in Shrewsbury because of how much the town means to them.

Her four children –Jonathan, Jacqueline, Julian andJoanne –and nine grandchildren are all very proud of her achievement, she says.

“I was so delighted that it was for services to Wemand that somebody from Wemhad put me forward. There is

something very special about Wem.

“It would have been so lovely if my husband had still been here because he had helped me so much over the40years and so had my family

“It was always ajoke thatassoon as we sat down for ameal as afamily, someone would knock on the door or the phone would go. Iwould always go to see if someone needed help and my tea would go back in the oven,” says Pauline.

In May,she was invited to a Coronation Garden Party at Buckingham Palace where she chatted to the Prince of Wales about his time stationed at RAF Shawbury

“It was so lovely to meet Prince William. Itold him that people still remember him coming into Wemand doing his shopping when he was at RAF Shawbury,” she says.

Throughout her years of community work there has been one thing that has remained unchanged –her desire to help people.

“It’s always been about thepeople. It’s nice to be able to help and put asmile back on somebody’s face. Sometimes I couldn’t help, if it was something out of my hands, but Iwould always point them in the right direction.

“I think people trusted me and that’s why Ikeptgetting re-elected. Icould never have imagined everything that has happened over the 40 years. It’s been amazing.”

Terryand Pauline celebrating their golden wedding anniversary at their home in Wem; below, Pauline with an aerial photo of Wemand her dog Gigi in December 2022.

Substantial farming estate

Cockshutt, Ellesmere

Ellesmere: 4.2 miles, Oswestry: 11.8 miles, Shrewsbury: 13.5 miles

Significant commercialfarmingestate. 2equipped farms, 2farmhouses in need of renovation, 2cottages, extensivetraditional farm buildingswith development potential (subject to planning), productive arable land, pasture, woodland, sporting potential Predominantly vacant. Availableasawhole or in 6lots.

Freehold |Council TaxBand =B-G |EPC =E-G

About 1,491 acres | Guide £16.5 million

Louise Harrison

Savills National Farms and Estates

02070163780

lharrison@savills.com

TomDavid

Strutt &Parker Chester 01244354 877

thomas.david@struttandparker.com

BARN CONVERSION WITHPADDOCK

Afantastic grade II barn conversion, Berrington Farm is abeautifully designed house with modern interior Savills is marketing the property with aguide priceof£1,600,000.

Berrington Farm is an extremely attractive grade II curtilagelistedbarn conversion which dates back to 1670 and has undergone multiple extensions, creating aperfect six-bedroom family home. It offers awonderful spacefor family and entertaining whilst retaining some original character features.

The downstairs accommodation includes adrawing room, dining room, akitchen with its bespoke design, arear hallway,snug, downstairs bedroom and a great utility.There is aseparate large office and cloakroom.

The main staircase rises to the first floor where there are afurther five bedrooms, one en-suite and two modern family bathrooms. The principal suite is an impressive size with vaulted beams, built-in storage, adressing room and en-suite.

Outside, there is acourtyard, a generously-sized heated workshop and private gravelled driveway with parking for ample vehicles. The front lawn has a large variety t of trees and shrubs

There is a fenced coppice with a wood store and a paddock with beautiful views

Berrington Farm is set in the heart of Berrington, a beautiful countryside village just outside Shrewsbury

CHARMING COTTAGE

Acharmingthatched property, Bank CottageinKenley,near Shrewsbury,isoffered for sale by private treaty through Savills with aguide price of £900,000.

Believed to date back to circa 1780, Bank Cottage is an enchanting, quintessentially English country cottage, set in beautiful Shropshire countryside.

The accommodation is arranged over two floors. There aretwo welcoming reception rooms and asnug, plus a fantastic conservatory.The kitchen has aStanleyrange cooker and integrated appliances. Astudy,utility and cloakroom/WC complete the downstairs accommodation.

On the first floor, the principal bedroom has built-in wardrobes, a separate family bathroom, adouble guest room with en-suiteshower room and a further bedroom.

The annexe was converted in 2010 and has an oakand glazed connecting hallway to the main house. It contains aone-bedroom studio apartment and a one-bedroom ground-floor apartment, each with their ownkitchen, bathroom and living space.

Underneath the annexe is auseful

potting and storagearea with agardeners’ W/C.

Outside, the mature gardens are predominantly laid to lawn and there is arockery area. Agravel pathleads into afurther lawnarea with an orchard and athatched gazebo. There is aseparate vegetable garden and access to the double garageand rear driveway

Kenley is acharmingvillage located approximately five miles from the market town of Much Wenlock and about 10 miles from Shrewsbury

3Severnbanks

SOLD: Mytton, Shrewsbury, SY4

Guide Price: £2 million

Atruly remarkable,architecturally designed contemporary 5bed family home. Offeringwaterside living,a large detachedgarage,games room &gym.

Council TaxBand and EPC to be determined

One plotstill remaining

*Computer generated image is indicativeonly and subject to change

Berrington Farm

Berrington, Shrewsbury, SY5

Guide Price: £1.6 million

Abeautiful home in the heart of the Shropshire’sGolden Triangle with 6bedrooms,woodland andpaddock, alongside an outbuildingwith storage/workshop

Fantastic location forcommutingwith the A5 and M54 all within easyaccess

Council TaxBand: G| EPC:F

TheOld Nook

Soudley, Market Drayton, TF9

Guide Price: £1.15million

Acharming detached character4bed home with substantial outbuildings with potential forsecondary accommodation or holidaylets. Striking views overthe surrounding countryside

Council TaxBand: G| EPC:E

PeterDaborn

Head of Residential Sales

+44 (0) 1952 239 511 peter.daborn@savills.com

Beccy Theodore-Jones

Residential Sales

+44 (0) 1952 239532 btjones@savills.com

Bank Cottage

Kenley, Shrewsbury, SY5

Guide Price: £900,000

An utterly charming thatched property in the golden triangle of Shropshire,witha linked annexe whichhas twoseparateapartments, offering incomepotential. Within 9miles of the A5 to access theM54 to the East or Shrewsburytothe West

Council TaxBand:D |EPC: F

AmyMeldrum-Beechey

Residential Sales +44 (0) 1952 239 513 ameldrum@savills.com

45 Morda

Morda, Oswestry, SY11

Guide Price: £850,000

Areal lifestyle property with versatile living accommodation, 5bedrooms, countryside views,triple garage and gym.

Council TaxBand: G|EPC: C

Cherry Blossom

Kynnersley, Telford, TF6

Guide Price £845,000

Abeautifully presented newbuild in acharming village setting, 4bedroom, detached garage with home of�ce above.Convenient forcommuting.

Council TaxBand: E|EPC: B

TheWhite Cottage

Little Wenlock, TF6

Guide price: £695,000

Idyllic Grade II listedcottage in asought after village, 4/5 bedrooms, rural views towardsthe Ironbridge Gorge,planning permission foragarage

Council TaxBand: F|EPC: E

Oaklands Cottage

Leighton, Welshpool, SY21

Guide Price: £475,000

Aquintessential country 3bed cottage,with fabulous gardens, surrounded by estate farmland and abackdrop of Long Mountain, paddock &outbuildings.

Council tax band: G|EPC: E

PeterDaborn

Head of Residential Sales

+44 (0) 1952 239 511 peter.daborn@savills.com

Beccy Theodore-Jones

Residential Sales

+44 (0) 1952 239 532 btjones@savills.com

AmyMeldrum-Beechey

Residential Sales

+44 (0) 1952 239 513 ameldrum@savills.com

RENOVATED DELIGHT

This charming renovated farmhouse enjoys excellent equestrian facilities andfantastic views of the surrounding countryside and is set within 20.89 acres.

Jackson Property is marketing Northwood Grove, Northwood, Ellesmere, with an asking price of £1,500,000.

The former farmhouse is positioned in arural,yet accessible position, enjoying apicturesque settingsurrounded by beautiful countryside. Penley village is just 1.5 miles away and has excellent amenities and the property also benefitsfrom excellent road links.

Northwood Grove is acharming, detached dwelling which has seen a

fantastic renovation by the existing owners. The accommodation is well laid out with the principal space being the large stylish kitchen/diner.Off the kitchen is auseful snug/office/playroom.

The dining area is within an oakframed conservatory,while the large living room benefits from an open feature fireplace. There is also atiled utility room.

The first floor consists of aspacious master bedroom with awalk-in wardrobe and en-suite. There are then two further double bedrooms and afamily bathroom.

The attached two-bed annex has a separate access and parking facilities. It includes akitchen andliving room with two double bedrooms and en-suites to both.

Outside, the drive leads to thedouble garage. The gardens include extensive lawns and apond. To the side of the property is an orchard with arange of timber stables.

Most of the equestrianfacilities and land are located on the other side of aquiet country road. There is alarge parking area with apurpose-built lorry stand.

The main building is asteel portal frame construction and houses ten, 12x12 Monarch stables, all with rubber floors and automatic water feeders.

Adjacent to thestables is a30m x60m outdoor arena. There are anumberof turnout paddocks. The remaining land is alarge field used to make hay

Ellesmere, Shropshire

Acharming,renovated farmhouse with excellent equestrianfacilities andfantastic views of the surrounding countryside.

4-bed farmhouse |2-bed annex |Double garage &workshop |Steel portal framedbuilding withlean-to |10Monarch boxes|Securetack &feed rooms |30m x60m outdoorarena |20.89 acres |EPC rating F £1,500,000

Malpas, Cheshire

Beautiful 4-bed familyhome with immaculate gardens,paddock andstable block.

GF:entrance hall, kitchen/breakfast room, sitting room |Study / bedroom 5, utility, shower room |FF: 4double bedrooms, family bathroom&en-suite|Double garage &studio |Orchard andlarge pond |Paddock with stabling |Approx. 1.65 acres|EPC rating D

£975,000

Norley, Cheshire

Asuperblysituated, 6-bed detachedperiod propertywith equestrianfacilities and2.43 acres, locatedinamostdesirable area.

Idyllic familyhomeset on the outskirtsofDelamereForest Extensivelawnedgardens with entertaining areas|2paddocks 4brick stables on concrete padwithhay barnadjacent £1,250,000

Market Drayton, Staffordshire

An opportunitytopurchasea unique and established fish farm,with 11.32 acresand PP to erecta3-bed dwelling.

Registered fish farm |16spring-fedrearing pools |Steel framed general- purposebuilding |Planning permission to build a3-bed dwelling |Stockproof fencing |Securegated access from TyrleyRoad

£385,000

RIVERSIDEDWELLING

River frontage, four bedrooms and more than five acres are among the assets of this idyllically situated country property in one of South Shropshire’s most sought-after villages.

Ashford Court Farm, Ashford Carbonel, is just four miles from Ludlow, with the county towns of Shrewsbury, Hereford and Worcester all in commuting distance. On the market with Balfours, other local assets include aprimary school, village hall and green within walking distance, generating avibrant community

Clever design offers aboot room and cloakroom either side of the entrance

porch, which opens into the reception hall and directly intothe kitchen. Here a picture bay window offers awow factor and first glimpses of the stunning views over the terrace garden and into open countryside. The kitchen is light and airy with glazing to two aspects.

Across the hallway agenerous sized living room features similar views to the garden and a fireplace with woodburning stove. There’s asecond reception room with large bay window.Anintegral double garage completes the ground floor space. Each of the bedrooms on the first floor enjoy the fabulous views. There are three doubles, two of which benefitfrom fitted wardrobes, plus asmaller bedroom and a

large family bathroom with bath, shower and walk-in airing cupboard.

Balfours Ludlow sales manager Scott Kemsley says: “The size and layout offer the mostfabulous family home, with potential for guests, holiday lets or multigenerational living,subject to planning. There are agricultural outbuildings, including aDutch barn, ideal to continue as asmallholding or subject to planning to convertfor home working. The icing on the cake is fishing rights on the river.”

Ashford Court Farm, which comes with 4.5acres of paddocks, plus an option on additional land, is marketed with aguide price of £910,000. Formore information call 01584 707100.

StourbridgeRoad Wombourne

Guide Price £1,800,000

A64Acre (25.9 Ha) Estate set in an Elevated Position with Glorious Far-Reaching Views adjacent to Himley Park. �aturalCapital Bene�ts, Environmental Haven, Annexe, Stables, Former Cattle Shed with Full Planning ��/�����/F�L, EPC:F

Lyth Hill Shropshire

Guide Price £1,250,000

ASpacious Family Home situated on Lyth Hill with Two Charming Buildings with Planning Permission.

Far-Reaching Views, Desirable Location, Planning Permission, Master Bedroom withBalcony, Mature Private Garden, EPC: C.

Kington Herefordshire

Guide Price £775,000

ASix-Bedroom Lake Fronted Contemporary Residence Set within Approximately 1Acre (0.40 Ha) of Gardens.

Edwardian Property,Sought After Location, Idyllic Setting,Investment Opportunity, Flexible Accommodation, EPC: D.

Oldwood Worcestershire

Guide Price £500,000

AThree Bedroom Edwardian Country Property, Set in 0.5 Acres (0.2 Ha) of Gardens,Pasture and Orchard.

Sought-After Location, Country Views, Potential Development / Extension /Investment Opportunity, EPC:G

EXTENDED HOME IN VILLAGE LOCATION

Internal inspection is essentialto appreciate the outstanding merits this stunning extended family home offers.

Prestige by Mannleys is seeking offers in the region of £750,000 for 42 Crudgington.

The property occupies asuperb tucked away plot with electric gated entranceand is located in this highly sought-after village location that has good local amenities and great road links.

The property has been extended to create asuperb individual home that offers both modern andcharacter features throughout and offers fantastic flexible family accommodation.

The ground floor features areception hallway,outstanding open-plan kitchen/ dining room/sitting room with feature island, sitting room area with log burner, two sets of bifold doors, dining room with stunning roof lantern, separate family room/study and aground floor WC/utility room.

The first floor offers astunning main bedroom with Juliet balcony,four further good-sized bedrooms, family bathroom and aseparate shower room.

The property benefits from alovely, landscaped rear garden, having alarge entertaining patio area, lawned garden with open-views andgarden room/gym, extensive gated driveway parking, 40ft garage/workshop, further useful garden store room,gas central heating and double glazing.

BOOLEY HOUSE BARNS

BOOLEY, SY44LY

OIEO £1,000,000

Fantastic Development opportunitywith planning and Grade II listed consenttoconvert these beautifulbarns in to fiveindividual homes.Booleyisasecluded hamlet and standsinthe lovely Shropshirecountryside,with viewstothe south towardsThe Wrekin and Hawkstone Park to the north. Thebarns areexisting having been constructedinthe mid-nineteenth century. Allofthe conversions will benefit from anewly formed access separate to the existing access to Booley House

WHITE ROW

HORTON, TF6 6DU

OIRO £699,950

Stunningfivedouble-bedroom detached executive home situatedinasemi-rural location. 29ftopen-plan kitchen/breakfast room with centralisland &bi-fold doors.Dining room &21ftloungewith bi-fold doors

Main bedroom with en-suite, guest bedroomwith ensuite, twofurther double bedrooms &stylish family bathroom. 2nd floor,31ftbedroom suitewith en-suite. Private& enclosed rear garden. Double garage with flexible room above & rear driveway EPC B

7SIMPSONS WALK

HORSEHAY, TF4 2PA

OIRO £650,000

Superbly spacious and greatly improved four bedroom detached executivehome thatoffers afantastic additional twobedroom annexe.Located in thehighly sought-afterVillage of Horsehay, this family home has good local amenities and greatroad links with the M54 motorwayonly minutes away.The property offers extremely well planned and flexible accommodation.

EPC C

12 COTTAGE GARDENS

WELLINGTON,TF1 2BJ

OIRO £399995

Number 12 will be athree bedroom ground floor property with over 1480sqftofliving accommodation, comprising; 27ftopen-plan kitchen/dining/sitting room with French doors to the gardens,main bedroom with en-suitebathroom, further double with en-suite shower, 3rdbedroom, utilityroom and aseparatewc. Privateenclosed gardens and allocatedparking.The buyer will have input into the finish with achoiceof kitchens, bathrooms and flooring

mannleysproperty.co.uk

SUPERIOR DETACHED

This is an immaculate, wellappointed, superior detached residence, set in stunning landscaped well-stocked gardens.

Miller Evans is seeking offers in the region of £750,000 for Lythstow,98Lyth Hill Road, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury

The property is presented throughout to an exacting standard and provides comfortable accommodation.

On the ground floor,a spacious and attractive entrance hall serves the generous reception rooms –including living room, dining room andsitting room, together with asnugand the kitchen/breakfast room,laundryroom and cloakroom.

On the first floor there are five double bedrooms, afamily bathroom and a separate shower room.

The property is divided from Lyth Hill Road by an attractive and generous forecourt, approached through apillared and gated entranceover agravelleddrive, providing ample parking, serving the garage andthe formal reception area.The gardens to the front have been landscaped to provide shaped pleasure lawns with shaped floral and shrubbery displays.

To the rear there is an extensive paved

patio and terrace, neatly kept lawns with shaped borders, and an area of formal garden with acentralpathway flanked by further well-stocked borders.

The property benefits from gas-fired central heating and double glazing.

Well placed in this popular residential area, the property is close to the Lyth Hill local nature reserveand is well placed within easy reach of the nearby town centre with all its major shopping, transport andsocial facilities.

Condover, Shrewsbury

Guide £1,500,000

Woodsideisa supremelywellappointedand well presented five bedroom countryresidenceset in extensive and stunninglandscaped gardens with unspoiltand unrivalled viewsofthe rolling South Shropshire Countryside,occupying asecluded location in the popularvillage of Condover,close to good local amenities and the nearby town centre.The house has aperfectly symmetrical façade and has beengreatly improvedby the currentownerstoinclude; superbdiningkitchen, sitting room, diningroom, drawing room and garden room.Three car garage,ample parking and turning space.

Picklescott,NrChurch Stretton

Guide £1,200,000

This stunningfourbedroomdetached familyhome provides high qualityand extremely spacious accommodation, set in beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds extendingtoapproximately 2.5 acres to include; Oakframed double car portwith ahome office over andanattachedtwo storey Annex/holidaylet Detached cottage.Thereare three stables,a feed room,enclosed yard and fenced paddocks.All surrounding by open farmland and boasting superbviewsofthe South ShropshireCountryside

AGREENER WAYOFLIVING AT LAWRENCEPARK

Shropshire Homes have been building homes with quality and character for more than42years. The latest development to launch is Lawrence Park, situated in the beautiful village of Pontesbury

Lawrence Park boasts38two,three and four-bedroom homes from ShropshireHomes’ Legacy and Classic Collections. The homes are designed with modern individuals, couples and families in mind, offering high-quality design features and greener living solutions,including solar panels, electric vehicle charging points andlow energy ratings.

All of the homes come with low Energy Efficiency &Environmental Impact (CO2)ratings,meaning they are kinder to the environment and cheaper to run. Materials used are sourced from sustainable organisations and, where possible, supplied by local companies –meaning home buyers can restassured Shropshire Homes use the highest quality with the lowest carbon footprintand environmental impact.

Each of the homes come with an electric vehicle charging

point, preparing for thefuture of transportation and encouraging agreener way of living.The collection of homes atLawrence Park also includes solar panels, which create an Energy Efficiency Rating of ahigh B. Solar panels are arenewable energy source and reduce carbon emissions, which is better for the environment. Not only this, they also reduce your electricity bills and provide low maintenance costs.

In addition to the greener solutions offered, the homes comewith high specifications, and for those looking to add little extra, Shropshire

Homes provides an extensive Personal Touches brochure, in addition to their eight-step guided customer journey

Location, location, location…

Located in the village of Pontesbury,just eight miles from the market town of Shrewsbury,Lawrence Park offers amixture of countryside living and the bustle of town life.

Pontesbury provides numerous amenities, featuring two local pubs, asmall supermarket, local produce stores, the famous Hignetts Butchers &Bakery,a library,dentist, florist, medical practice, post office, Chinese restaurant, pharmacy and various takeaways. In addition, Pontesbury benefits from Mary Webb Secondary School which has an Ofsted rating of ‘good’ and Pontesbury CofE Primary School with an Ofsted rating of ‘outstanding’. The villagealso has asports ground, perfect for anyone who enjoys fitness.

Earl’s Hill and Pontesford Hill sit at theedge of Pontesbury and offer beautiful scenic views across thevillage and over to Stiperstones National Nature Reserve. Just ashort driveaway are the Shropshire Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,and the National Trust’sAttingham Park.

Shrewsbury,home of Britain’s favourite market, is eight miles away and has all theamenities you could need, including ashopping centre,plenty of restaurants, bars, clubs andmuch more! The Quarry Park in Shrewsbury runs along the River Severn and hosts many events throughout the year

Make our house your home with Shropshire Homes.

Earls Hill.

The Chesterton.

FANTASTIC INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

Anhistoric town centre development and investment opportunity in theheart of Ludlow has been brought to the market for the first time in nearly 160 years.

Nestled within Ludlow’s famous medieval market streets, No. 6&7The Bull Ring is Grade II listed and provides around 5,300 sq ft of space over three floors. It includes aseparate building, The Courtyard, which has the option of independent access onto Corve Street. The property has tremendous potential for conversion, including the opportunity to convert the two upper floors of the main building and The Courtyard into stunning two or three-bedroom apartments.

Ludlow is one of the finest historic towns in England, welcoming thousands of visitors eachyear.So, as well as appealing to the residential market, theproperty presents an ideal opportunity to take advantage of Ludlow’s booming tourist trade by utilising the apartments for tourist accommodation.

The shop floor is teeming with character and hosts a magnificent display of traditional drawers and counters. The layout lends itself to many opportunities, including acoffee shop where customers could take advantage of seating in the courtyard. Of course, there is also the potential to continue the retail arm of themuch-loved hardware store, Rickards &Son Ltd, which has occupied the site since 1864.

Carter Jonas is marketing theproperty as freehold and is

No 6&7 TheBullRing

•Historicfreeholdproperty totalling 5,300sqft

•Ground floor retail(c. 1,500sqft), twostoreys of accommodation(c. 2,500sqft),separatecourtyard building (c.1,300sq ft)and cellar

•Developmentopportunity fora rangeofuses(subjecttoplanning) including coffee shop,winebar, holidaylets, residentialapartments and more!

Guideprice £595,000

Shrewsbury

01743295444

shrewsbury@carterjonas.co.uk

Ludlow SY8 1AE

confident that No. 6&7offers prospective investors achanceto reimagine the space for both retail and residential use and drive it towards anew future.

View from the property

Street frontage.

Tel: 01686 626465

Craven Arms: 01588 673133

Knighton: 01547 520821

BRIGHT

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO LIGHTEN UP YOUR SPACE WITH THESE COOL PICKS

Creating asummery scheme with bright whites, creamy woods and natural decos signals carefree summer living –and feels right, right now

With warm days ahead and apossible heatwave on the cards, these brilliant white accessories and bleached-out homewares are just the ticket for a summer refresh –and relaxed lifestyle when you want to chill out…

Habitat Korarattan effect garden egg chair,£230, Habitat

When it’stime to invest in achic, comfy seat, this egg-shaped pod pushes all the right buttons. With curvaceous steel frame, rattan detailing and four soft cushions to snug into, it can be upgraded to an accent chair with aluxurious snowwhite throw

WHITES

Dorma Purity Chiltern bedspread, £120-£140, Dunelm

Summer bedding signals aseasonal switch to an all-white theme… and fresh white bedspread to top your crisp, clean sheets.

Cotswolds Essentials purewhite clothes rail, £99, Cotswold Company

Portland storage box, £22, Garden Trading

Stylish storage comes into its owncome summertime, especially when you want to put the lid on foodie treats which might attract unwanted visitors. Versatile,easy to stack and pack, what’snot to love?

If you’replanninga capsule wardrobe and switching out transitional pieces for something lightweight and fluid, you can’t go wrong with adedicated clothes rail. With its sleek design and storage shelf, this will fit into the smallest of schemes.

George white large solar candle lights, £8 each, Direct.asda

Decorativegarden lighting is one of the cleverest tools for highlighting unexpected nooks and crannies, nurturing trailing greenery.

Moreton whitewashed Kubu rattan trolley, £425, Marely vase medium, £28, Marely vase large, £48, white bamboo round lantern, £65, The White Company

Aheropiece with timeless appeal, this beautiful bar cart will style up any indoor or outdoor space. Ideal for entertaining al fresco, it’seasytowheel around and the removeable top tray can be used to proffer canapés and cocktails. With aside caddy for magazines or place settings, it can also be dressed up with artisan decos aplenty.

White 100% combed Egyptian cotton towels, 500 GSM, £4-£25, Homescapes

Nothing channels aboutiquehotel vibe likeabundle of white fluffytowels to pat yourself dry after arefreshing shower. Made from Egyptian cotton, these are soft and absorbent without being spendy.

Off white shell vase, £38, Rose &Grey

Ago-to for coastal decor aesthetic, this shell vase with aseashell-like surfacefinish is a must-havefor pampas grasses and natural driftwood branches.

Roberts Play 11, £50, Roberts Radio

One to add to your summer playlist with its streamlined tailoring, this new release from Roberts marries form and function with 20 station presets, DAB/DAB+/FM wavebands and portable battery powerorvia USB-C.

White Pearl Tableware: white pearl stoneware side plate, £7, dinner plate, £15, salad plate, £14, pasta bowl, £14, rest of items from a selection, Rose &Grey Amust for summer tablescapes, this crisp white tablewaresuits every occasion; and works likea dream with rainbowsalad recipes to showoff those vibrant veggies and peppers.

Lucerna cream tassel solar lanterns trio, £35, Lights4fun

Setting the scene for asummer soirée? These luxe boho solar lanterns will steal the spotlight when the sun goes down. Finished with decorativetassels andeasy to hang from abranch, parasol or garden wall, simply pop them outside when the sun’s up and six to eight hours of sunshine will rewardyou with awarm, white, LED glow.

Teddy bear rattan easy fitshade, £57,Next

This teddy shade lovesthe spotlight and will add charm to any ceiling.

Kids grey stars bean bag, £32, Habitat

We alllove stars and this brilliant bean bag is perfect for cosying up with in front of their screen.

STYLISH WAYS TO KIT OUTKIDS’ BEDROOMS

FROM PLAYAREAS TO BEDTIME BLISS, CHECK OUT THESE CUTE IDEAS FOR CHILDREN’S ROOMS, SAYS SAM WYLIE-HARRIS

Everyone loves asummer refresh, especially tots and tweenies with playtime high on theagenda.

Vipack kiddy tipi desk, £209,Cuckooland Acentrepiece and workstation with asense of wonder,think howmuch fun your little one will havelaying out their favourite things. With two open compartments for consoles, colouring pens and books.

To capturetheir hearts and set the scene for after-schoolprojects, reading hour,bedtime stories and imaginary beings, here’s what’s on our kiddies’ wish list…

night light, £17, Lights4fun

Kids Prehistoric Dinosaursand Friends reversible duvet cover and pillowcaseset, from £24, Next

When they knowtheir brontosaurus from their T-Rex, and want to learn more, this larger-than-life bedding is just the thing.

Bear basket, £15; Simply Everyday throw in sage, £5; plush lion, £6, B&M,in-store

Abest-lovedbear basket deserves their herotoys.

Dino alphabet wallpaper in multicoloured, £12 per roll, ILove Wallpaper

Afeaturewall full of wonder,look alittlecloser and this alphabet wallpaper is ariotoffun with teeth, scales and claws to up their learning skills.

Bloomingville kesa stora e

g box, £135, Sweetpea & Willow

Wheels of fun, this charming crate can be stacked high with goodies and parked in their special play space.

Bella bedding, from £25; rest of items from aselection, Camomile London

Alittlebit special, this cottagecore-inspired vintage rose print imbibes thoughts of Little House On The Prairie. With sprigs of pastel blue and green flowers, it can be mixed and matched with other favourite finds.

Kids C mamm

Conceptneo

mammoth animal head wall decoration, £29.95, rest of items partofroom set, Cuckooland

This handsome fellowwith curved tusks brings wall art to life –and who wouldn’t want to strokehis soft fur if you can reach? One to stand the test of time, you’renever too old for afurry friend.

Kids mermaid bookends,£18, Habitat

Ideal for kids of all ages –and child-likeadults –this sweetmermaid has found aplace in ourhearts. Beyond the bookshelf, she’d look just as enchanting bookending dolls and soft toys.

The only light to launch, every spaceman dreams of arocket.

i h li h

HOWTO GROW DAZZLING IRISES

Irises are often the colourful stars of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show,not just in deep blue hues, but in yellows and rustic oranges too.

Renowned garden designer Sarah Price (left) designed the show’s Nurture Landscapes Garden, which featured a plethora of irises in

avariety of moody pastels, purples and deep yellows –inspired by the artist and plantsman Cedric Morris and his naturalistic garden at Benton End, Hadleigh, in Suffolk, where he bred and planted 90 different varieties.

“Irises are always afavouriteat Chelsea, because it provides anatural moment when they bloom and you are really seeing them at their peak,” Sarah enthuses.

Apot of Iris reticulata.

Bearded iris ‘Benton Menace’.

Bearded iris ‘Benton Susan’.

ENJOY THESE SHOWSTOPPING PLANTS IN YOUR OWN SPACE, SAYS HANNAH STEPHENSON

Want to grow your ownirises?

Sarah Price offers this step-by-step guide…

What types of iris might you plant?

“Cedric experimented with plant breeding but the iris are astrain of Iris germanica, bearded irises. Those we are used to seeing today are highly bred, so maybe slightly shorter but flower for longer.But there is something particularly beautiful about the Benton iris.”

Sarah’s favourite is the ‘Benton Olive’, ayellow-olive Iris with drooping outer falls delicately streaked with purple.

Youcan also grow our native Iris pseudacorus in ponds, where their roots and crowns can be covered by water, and Iris xrobusta ‘Gerald Darby’, with purple flower stems which carry blue flowers in midsummer and will grow in shallow water

Which situation do they need?

Most irises are happiest in full sun, although the variety Iris foetidissima (stinking iris) will grow to around 80cm in deep shade, producing purple flowers followed by orange berries.

When do you plant them?

“The planting season is generally April to October.Iusually buy them in apot or in divisions from other gardens,” says Price.

What about soil?

“They need neutral free-draining soil, and never feed with nitrogen, because it will just produce leaf growth.”

Howshould you plant them?

“Their rhizomes (like bulbs) are baked in the sun so thattheycan create the flower cells to ensure good flowering the following season,” explains Sarah. “So if you have asun trap in the garden, plant the iris so their rhizomes are on the top of the soil or the gravel, so that they get a good baking.

“It’s really important that they have space around them to thrive. Irises will form dense colonies, but the more space you give them, the more they will flower for you. They bulk up quickly,so plant the plants around 20-30cm apart so there’s agood air flow between them.”

Can you plant them in pots?

“Yes, Iris reticulata are great for pots. They look like little bulblets, which you’d just plant afew centimetres below the soil.”

Do you need to protect them from the wetand cold?

“Provided they are in free-draining soil, they should be fine. Ilive in Wales and Idon’t protect mine, although the worst thing for them is winter damp,

but if you plant them in asunny spot in free-draining soil or add grit to heavier soil, they should be ok.”

Howdoyou maintain them?

After flowering, removethe spent flowers at the base of the stem, so the plants can concentrate their energy into producing anew rhizome, Sarah advises. They should be divided every four to five years, after flowering, usually in July.It’s good to replant them as soon as possible, and cut back the leaves into afan shape to prevent wind rock, she suggests.

Can you extend the flowering period?

“No. They are fleeting (they may just flower for acouple of weeks, depending on theweather) but when they are flowering, they are magnificent. Some strains are hardier and don’t get rust, such as ‘Jane Phillips’, avery dependable iris with apale lilac-blue flower,” Sarah adds. “It’s very easy to grow and has beautiful fragrant flowers in May and June.”

n Visit rhs.org.uk

Iris foetidissima.

Berries of Iris foetidissima.

AWANDER IN THEWILD

BY ANDY RICHARDSON

Asthe weather improves, so too do opportunitiestohead deeper into the countryside.

The Long Mynd is ajewel in Shropshire’s crown and given its elevation at 1,693ft, now’s thetime to enjoy it.

The Lond Mynd is common land and designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,lying between the Stiperstones range to the west and the Stretton Hills and WenlockEdge to the east. Much of it is owned by the National Trust. It is around seven miles long by three miles wide with steep valleys on its eastern flanks. It’s within easy reach of Church Stretton, Little Stretton and All Stretton, Pulverbatch,Smethcott, Woolstaston, Asterton, Myndtown, Wentnor and Ratlinghope. The highest point is Pole Bank (1,693ft); this and the adjacent hill of Caer Caradoc (1,506ft) are classed as Marilyns –peaks with a prominence of 150 metres.

The Long Mynd Circular provides an exceptional way to see the best of it, covering 13km and usually taking between four and five hours to complete.

The trail has something for everyone and is agreat wayto see some of the Shropshire Hills. There is agood climb up from Carding Mill to thewaterfall, which can be quite challengingand rocky in places, but leads to great views.

There are also ponies, sheep and

wild horses in thehills and great views throughout.You may also see yellowhammers, stone chats, skylarks, red kites and dippers. In summer,there is no mud and there are nice paths. It’s important to keep an eye on the routeso as not to miss theforks in the path –and mid-week is agreat time to enjoy it, when it’s less busy

The walk is notable for its association with the Revered Carr,who battled a snowstorm back in 1865.

In January 1865, the Reverend Carr spent anight out on the Long Mynd, battling against one of the fiercest snow storms to hit 19th-century Shropshire.

This 21-square mile expanse of windswept heather moorland can be notoriously wild in winter.The Burway, the single-track lane that snakes up to altitudes of 475m, is frequently closed in winter,addingasense of adventure for hikers out exploring this vast plateau in the colder months.

Reverend Carr regularly crossedthe Long Mynd to deliver Sunday services at Woolstaston and Ratlinghope churches. On this occasion, after his morning service at Woolstaston, he trekked four miles through deep snow to preach the afternoon service at Ratlinghope. But on his return journey for Woolstaston’s evening service, the weather worsened. Carr became disoriented by fierce

blizzards, got stuck in chest-deep snowdrifts and plummeted down the sides of steep, frozen valleys.

Carr was ultimately rescued, 22 hours after setting out and five miles off-course. Blinded by his frozen eyelashes, he heard children’s voices and called for help. In one of the cottages there, he was given warm soup, his firstrealsustenance for hours.

Today,the National Trust’sChalet Pavilion offers similar restorative refreshments to weary Long Mynd walkers.

Take the main track, past the pavilion, to the top car park, and continue climbing through the ever-narrowing valley, following the paths carefully

Awelcome rest at the pavilion.

GIVE WILDLIFE AHELPING HAND

ou may think you can’t really make adifference when it comes to helping our wildlife –but even if you live in atiny urban space, you can make an impact.

Just one action –whetherit’s filling a bird feeder,puttingout water, or creating acorridor to enable wildlife to access a variety of gardens –can be beneficial, helping declining pollinators and other garden creatures to thrive.

Here experts suggest one thing you can do to help some of our regular garden visitors…

Birds

“Birds will come into your garden looking for food –and keep coming back if they find some,” sa Helen Moffat from the RSPB. “Through the right planting, you can provide a natural year-round source. Choose native plants –you’relooking for plants which produce lots of berries and seeds and/or attract insects. Shrubs such as cotoneaster,pyracantha, rowan and holly are great, along with climbers like ivy and honeysuckle.”

ees

fyou only have asmall outdoor space, create versatile containers for ees emerging from ernation, using early bulbs such as snowdrops andcrocuses to tempt them in, adding drought-tolerant herbs such as lavender,rosemary and hyssop to provide nectar later on

Butterflies

With more than half of all British butterflies placed on the UK Red List of species, it is vital to protect these garden visitors –not just becausethey areanincredibly important part of our ecosystem, but for the joy and beauty they bring us,urges UK reforestation and conservation charity,The Heart of England Forest.

Leave sections of your lawn uncut until late summer,let hedgerows grow out and plant different types of flowers and shrubs that will provide food and shelter for butterflies, including common birds-foot trefoil, green alkanets, buddleia, nasturtiums and common knapweed.

Hedgehogs

We have lost athird of our hedgehogs since the millennium, although the most recent data showsurban hedgehogs might be recovering, according to The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2022 report from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People’s Trustfor Endangered Species.

Log piles can provide asafe,secure site for breeding or hibernating, advises campaigning group Hedgehog Street. They also attract insects, providing ayearround food supply for hedgehogs.

Collect any old dead wood from your garden or,ifyou don’t have any, ask the local park or wildlife reserve for permission to take some from their supply.Then pile it up in aquiet cornerof your garden and leave the hedgehogs and insects to find it, replenishing the wood occasionally when it starts to rot down.

Amphibians

The most obvious measure is to create apond in your garden, but make sure you allow easy exit for young frogs by gradually sloping one side up to dry land.

In summer,create awater lily pad or position afew rocks half in and half out of the water,toallow frogs apoint above the surface on which to rest or breathe.

ats

Plant night-scented plants to attract insects, ncluding moths and ultimately bats looking raninsect meal in the garden. Night-time nectar providers include evening primrose, honeysuckle, common jasmine, hebe and nicotiana, the tobacco plant,The Wildlife Trusts suggests.

Beetles

Log piles make great hiding places for various beetles, including the stag beetle and the devil’s coach horse, which eats invertebrates and garden pests including vine weevil.

If you don’t have enough space for a log pile, you could build abeetlebucket, The Wildlife Trusts suggests, by cutting small circular holes in the base and sides for the beetles to access, then filling it with rotting wood and leaves and dig a hole slighter bigger than the bucket to sink it into the ground.

MOWLIKE APRO

KEEP THOSE GRASS SHOOTS FLOURISHING WITH THESE LEADING EDGE LAWNMOWERS,SAYS SAM WYLIE-HARRIS

Assummer heats up, it’s important to look after the health of your lawn –namely cutting the grass.But knowing which lawnmower will give you that flawless finish cansometimes be tricky…

An electric lawnmower is ideal for smaller lawns but it’s crucial to make sure the cable canreach all the corners of the garden. Secondly,the lawnmower’s cutting width can determine how long it takes you to cut your lawn. Lawnmowers with larger blades mean you canmow

more grass in less time. Dobbies’ head of gardening, Liz Brennan, says batteryoperated cordless mowers are becoming popular,thanks to the fact they’re environmentally friendly,simple to use and easy to manoeuvre.

The interchangeable battery in cordless lawnmowers is afantastic innovation that not only helps gardeners save money,but frees up storagespace thanks to its compact nature

Readytocut the grass? Here’s what you need to mow like apro

propelled petrol Dobbies

ome might argue you er.Along with the heights, they have the most unruly of gardens, results. The new Webb boasts seven cutting options –from 25mm to 75mm –generous 55-litre grass collector with four-in-one function for rear discharge, side discharge, collection or mulch.

Husqvarna LB 144i with battery and charger,from£569

Making amowing statement, this mid-range model showcases the brand’s innovation and craftmanship with aspecialised mulching deck andbuilt-in controls to cope with uneven landscapes. Along with its lightweight design and minimal noise, it offers smart features such asSavEand Power Boost to better running time and efficiency

Flymo EasiStore340R kit (2 batteries & chargers), £300, Very

Suited to medium-sized and larger lawns, the interchangeable batteries can be used to power lawnmowers, along within the POWER you space, money and With aclose-edge cutting system (lessening the need for trimming), a rear roller feature for professional striped finish, the dual handles can be folded downfor easy storage.

Husqvarna AspireLC34-P4A with battery and charger,£359

In terms of style and performance, this is your go-to for small gardens and limited storage space. Quiet –so no worry of upsetting the neighbours –it’s lightweight andeasy to guide across your greenery,features the POWER FOR ALL

Flymo SimpliGlide 360 hoverlawn mower, £117, Amazon

Ideal for small to mediumsized gardens, this electric hover mower floats effortlessly across thegrass while cutting your turf to perfection. With four cutting heights, it can get through heavy grass and puts the clippings backintothe lawn for much-needed mulch. Folds flat and easy to carry.

REMEMBERINGTHE HEROESOFRAF No.617 SQUADRON

BY MEGAN JONES

RAF Cosford Museum curator, TomHopkins says it has been aprivilege to puttogether the exhibition about the daring efforts of bomber crews.

There were commemorations in May to mark the anniversary of the Dambusters raid, including amemorial flightofaLancaster bomber across significant airfields in Lincolnshire.

Tomsays the significance of the No.617 Squadron raid should not be under-estimated. As alogistical exercise it was amassive achievement andwas a blow right in theheart of Germany as well as displaying the enemy’s frailties

in not being able to defend its vital infrastructure.

“There were three dams in western Germany,” Tomexplained, “and the British realised if they could breach the dams it would do an awful lot of damage to the German economy.Ontop of the general damage, it would deprive the Germans of water and damage their industry,including the German canal systems and the resultant loss of hydroelectric power.”

Forsuch abold venture, theRAF would need to think outside the box. Tom continued: “From above thetarget is very small. In addition, from above abomb

won’t do too much damage –ideally, you want to attack it from theside and from underwater.To deliver that in 1943 required some really creative thinking.”

Enter Sir Barnes Wallis, an engineer and inventor of the revolutionary bouncing bomb.

Tomexplained: “Just like when you skim stones, thebomb would skip across acalm body of water.Itrequired very precise height and speed to ensure the bombs would hit their target.”

Ensuring the trajectory of the bombs meant flying dangerously low,atpoints being just 60 feet above the water,less than the wingspanof the Lancaster bombers.

Atotal of 19 Lancasters took off on the raid 80 years ago. Of those, Tom explained, eight didn’t return and 53 members of the aircrew died, while three were captured. It was around a40per cent loss of crew.Bythe endofthe raid,two of the three dams were breached. The strategic success of theraid is still under some historical debate.

Within weeks or months, the Germans were back on their feet and around 1,600 causalities, mostly slave labourers from Poland, Russia and Ukraine, drowned in the flooding.

Commander Gibson himself later wrote of the event: “The fact that people… might drown had not occurred to us…No one likes mass slaughter and we did not like being the authors of it.”

But news of the success of the raid proved amorale booster to those back in Britain. Commander Gibson was awarded the Victoria Cross and many of the air and ground crew were also honoured with awards.

Commander Gibson embarked on apublicrelations-style tour of Canada and the US and even featured on Desert Island Discs with Roy Plomley in February 1944. He returned to action, but died when his aircraft crashed in the Netherlands in September 1944 on the return from abombing run in Germany

CLOCKWISE FROM TOPLEFT:

Adamaged section of aShort Stirling Mk III; RAF CosfordMuseum curator TomHopkins; Commander Guy Gibson’s Victoria Cross and medal bar; the exhibit features many interactivedisplays; V-1 ‘doodlebug’ and V-2 supersonic ballistic missle; aBristol Blenheim MK IV

PREVIOUS PAGE FROM TOP:

The

newly finished Wellington bomber at RAF Cosford; Guy Gibson who led the Dambusters mission.

‘Just likewhen you skim stones, the bomb would skip across a calm body of water’

MANSION TEAM ARE ON AMISSION

MORE THAN JUST AWEDDING VENUE, HAWKSTONE HALL &GARDENS ARE OPENING UP TO THE COMMUNITY SO THATEVERYONE CAN ENJOY THE STUNNING ESTATE, WRITES MATTHEW PANTER

The gates opened after Iwas greeted by awelcoming voice on the intercom. On apleasant Tuesday morning, Idrovepast several golfers busy plotting their next shots, while others lookedfrustratedtobe stuck in abunker

An avenue of trees lined the route as Icontinued and, after agood drive, I spotted ashimmering body of water with lilies floating on thesurface.

It was an idyllic setting as Imade my way along the narrow road to Hawkstone Hall and Gardens.

But, although the sights were beautiful around me, the real ‘wow’ moment came as the flawless façade of the 18th centurymansion came into sight.

As if you belong in aJane Austen novel, you can instantly understand why loved-up couples choose suchastunning backdrop for their dream wedding. Treasured memories to last alifetime are made here

Hawkstone Hall &Gardens.

The Snug.

And yet, with all its grandiose, the team at Hawkstone Hall is on amission.

One aim is to let people know that the venue is more than just an incredible wedding location. The other is to welcome the Shropshire community in so they can enjoy the breathtaking surroundings as well.

As General Manager Angela Billings shows me around the hall’s serene gardens, she says: “The hall and grounds are open to the public and we are dog friendly.For those staying, we even have dog-friendly bedrooms, so if you don’t want to leave your pet at home, you can bring them here.

“Wewere, in fact, in anational publication for being one of the best hotels for being dog friendly.And we were in the top ten venues for afternoon tea outside London, according to The Times.

“But, as muchasit’s lovely to have the national coverage and such recognition, I want people in Shropshire to appreciate what we have as well.

“Hawkstone Hall is on their doorstep. They don’t have to go far.Wehave this beautiful spot, in the middle of nowhere, which is ready to welcome them. It’s so secluded and you just have to buzz to be let in and enjoy awalk around the gardens. If there’s no exclusive event on, everyone is welcome.”

Before you even contemplate the internal beauty of Hawkstone Hall, the surroundings are areal picture.

They are also at theheart of plans for amore sustainable future.

During awalk, you come across the kitchen garden where gardener Steve

Stott is busy pottering away,making sure plants, fruit and vegetablesare all cared for.Delicious strawberries, rhubarb anda host of greensalad leaves are visible and, Angela says, there are big plans.

“The kitchen garden is something we started in the last lockdown,” she says, enthusiastically.“We hope to be as selfsufficient as possible by 2025. We have taken delivery of 80,000 bees so we will be producing our own honey,which we will sell and also use in our kitchen and on our breakfast tables. So we are planting seeds from which the bees will be able to collect pollen and ensure we get agood batch of honey

“Our chef Jerome Turpin comes up and foragesevery morning. Everything we can possibly use in the kitchen we do.

“This can be anything from mixed leaves and spring onions in our salads to rhubarb which is pulled for our crumble or compote and even mint which we pick for our cocktails.”

The outdoor surroundings are also the venue for Hawkstone Hall’s Summer Garden Party,which returns on Bank Holiday Monday,August 28. Visitors will be able to enjoy quintessentially English garden traditions with music, entertainment, treasure hunts and more.

Forfood and drink, you can expect delicious barbecues, street food, an ice-cream van,Pimm’s and fizz stations, and even takeaway afternoon teas. There will be stalls run by florists as well as traders selling candles and perfume, food, jewellery and fresh produce.

The gym has Peloton bikes and Nord equipment; The Caveisa place for the groom to relax beforehis bigday; The Winter Garden; donkeys at Hawkstone Hall &Gardens.

“Atour garden party last year we had 1,200-plus people in attendance,” Angela explains. “Wehad live entertainment all day and ahost of stall holders. We held raffles forcharity and there were garden games for children. It was awonderful day and we are looking forward to this year’s event.”

As we take aleisurely stroll back to the hall, passing an impressive new orangery gym –comprising Peloton bikes and Nord equipment –onthe way,which was built during lockdown, members of a wedding party are getting ready to depart, full of smiles.

The hall itself is truly stunning –from thegrandeur of The Chapel andbeauty of the Winter Garden to the new Cave, a place for the groom to relax with family and friends before his big day

It is like stepping into history,which of course you are. The house was built in around 1701 by Richard Hill of Hawkstone and remained in the Hill family until Rowland Clegg-Hill, the3rd Viscount Hill’s death in 1895, forced the sale of the hall’s contents and thesplit up of the estate by 1906.

The house was sold to the Liberal politician George Whitely and was later acquired by the Roman Catholic

FROM TOP:

Redemptorist Order and, until 1973, was aseminary

While weddings are very much a major draw,there is so much more on offer,Angela explains.

And the experiences mean you will always feel like you are enjoying aspecial occasion.

“There is so much on offer here, aside from weddings,” Angela adds. “Wehave floristry workshops, for example, and a local historian –John Ruscoe –comes and does atalk while people enjoy an afternoon tea.

“What he doesn’t know about the history of Hawkstone and surrounding areas, you can write on theback of a postage stamp. He is fantastic.

“Our afternoon teas are popular and we have started doing murder mystery events in the ballroom. They are brilliant. It’s so dramatic and the actors put their heart and soul into those nights.

“There are alot of things goingon and we think up different things all the time such as baby showers, and we have plans for more corporateevents.

“And Christmas is always awonderful time. We do afestive afternoontea with carols –aWelsh male voice choir comes in and sings in the chapel, which is beautiful.

“There’s also wreath making and we have afestive staycation, where people check in on Christmas Eve.

“There’s awonderful ChristmasDay

breakfast, lunch and entertainment, such as falconry and aquiz in the snug.

“Wehave cocktail masterclasses and tasting sessions andwehave had chocolatier classes in the past as well.

“Wetry to encompass as much of the building as we can and use our staff and their expertise.”

It’s such awide variety of events which, Angela says, ensures she and her fellow staff love their jobs.

“Wehave asmall team here but everyone is so dedicated and we all love what we do,” Angela adds. “Every wedding is different and every nonwedding day is different. It’s alovely place to work and it’s all about delivering the perfect day,whatever theoccasion.

“Wejust hope to see more of the wonderful community around us come and visit and experience more of the beauty they have near them.”

Mr Mitfords Kitchen Garden.

The Rose Garden.

General Manager Angela Billings.

MAKING THE DAYS COUNT

AFTER ADEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS, ONE COUPLE SHARE THEIR STORY WITH HEATHER LARGE

Don’t count the days, make the days count”, reads thesign hanging on the fridge in Clive and Barbara Rogers’ home in Shrewsbury

The saying has special meaning for the couple who are adapting to life in the wake of Clive’s dementia diagnosis six years ago.

When they aren’t spending quality time together,they both play an active role in promoting awareness of the condition across Shropshire.

Clive, aformer Flight Lieutenant at RAFShawbury,was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia and vascular dementia in June 2017.

He went to see his GP after struggling with his memory,which was out of character,and said he had agut feeling that something was wrong.

“I knew something wasn’t right. I used to pick Barbara’s dad up and bring him back to ourhouse for tea and one day Iwenttodothisand Ifound myself in Morrisons car park.

“I called Barbara to ask what Iwas picking up from Morrisons and she said: you’re not picking up anythingfrom Morrisons, you’re pickingmydad up,” recalls Clive.

He underwent memory tests, which confirmed there might be aproblem butascanof his brain revealednothing untoward. “They said ‘something’s wrong but we might never know what it is’, which wasn’t much help.”

But 12 months later he was referred for another scan which confirmed evidence of the condition.

“When Igot adiagnosis,itwas almost arelief because Ihad something Icould hang this problem on. There was very little Icould do about it, but at leastI knew what it was,” says Clive.

At the time, the couple said there wasn’t as much support available for people living with dementia and their loved ones as there is now

“When Iwas diagnosed, we got half a rainforest of paperwork and if two pages of it it were of any use, that was it,” says Clive.

“The only good thing that came out of it was aleaflet forthe Shropshire Dementia Engagement and Empowerment Project, which was the first group Iwas part of

“There was very little else that we could find at the time. Forthe likes of Barbara asa carer,there was nothing out there.”

Over time, the couple were able to access more support thanks to the Alzheimer’s Society and other local groups.

They are currently supported by David Latcham, who is one of Alzheimer’s Society’s nine dementia link workers covering all parts of Shropshire and Telford.

“Dementia link workers support those with adementia diagnosis directly to stay active and involved with thethingsthat aremost importanttothem,” says David.

“This mightinvolve supporting access to groups, peer supportopportunities, or other services in their community

“Wework as part of alocalnetwork of dementia support services including DASS (Dementia Assessment and Support Service), Admiral Nurses, as well as other health and social care professionals.”

Alzheimer’s Society also run regular Singing for the Brain groups in Shrewsbury and Market Drayton, which Clive has attended.

The charity also runs the Shrewsbury Carers Peer Supportgroup, which

Barbara, who is amember, believes is a lifeline to carers.

“Wesupport each other because being acarer does take alot out of you and it helps to talk to other people who are going through it all too.”

The couple say they are constantly making adjustments to daily life as Clive’s condition progresses.

As well as his memory dementia has affected his vision and balance and he relies on a walking stick and Barbara’s arm inopen spaces.

“There are so many facets of life that change when somebody is diagnosed with dementia. It’s been ahugelearning curve,” says Barbara.

“When we first met 18 years ago,

Clive was the one getting up early and I was the one staying in bed, now it’s the other way around. We have to adapt and change and do what works for us,” she adds.

Fighting the stigma that still surrounds the disease is also important to the couple who have been married for 16 years.

“There is still stigma out there. I’m not ashamed. Ioften makea joke of it and say to people: Iprobably won’t remember your name, I’ve got dementia.

“But theone thingthatwinds me up is when people say: you don’t look like you’ve got dementia. What does somebody with dementia look like?,” says Clive, who was abee inspector for Shropshire.

Barbaraand Clivewiththe Alzheimer Society’slinkworker David Latcham.

Clive uses his experiences to benefit others in asimilar position through peer support andbygetting involved in focus groups andstudies.

He has been part of Dementia Voice, an Alzheimer’s Society programme to get people affected by dementia using their voice and experience to shape decisions.

And he has shared an honest account of living with dementia through the Dementia Diaries project, which is supported by Innovations in Dementia.

Clive is always happy to speak to anyone who has recently been diagnosed and needs some advice or just alistening ear

“I speak to people who have been diagnosed and want to talk to somebody with dementia. Ispoke to one man who didn’t want to tell anybody but I said the best thing you can do is talk to people, tell your family and friends.

“If they are true friends, they will stick with you. After he told them, he said it was ahuge weight off his shoulders,” he explains.

Both Clive and Barbara are also keen

to raise awareness of the importance of getting imely diagnosis which unlocks the door to treatments, support andadvice.

“Both of my parents and Clive’s mum had dementia but none of them had adiagnosis. We knew something was wrong but

we thought they’re getting older but it’s dementia on their death certificates.

“The most important thing is to get an early diagnosis because adiagnosis gets you the support you need,” says Barbara.

David says there is often confusion between the symptoms of dementia the normal signs of ageing.

“You can’t say that people with dementia are like this or people with dementia are like that. We always ask: what’s weird for you? What’s weird for one person may not be weird for someone else. If someone is usually on top of their birthday card list, but then starts sending outtheir cards for June in January,then that’s weird for them,” David explains.

n Anyone can call Alzheimer’s Society’s support line to access answers to questions and local help by calling 0333 150 3456,or by emailing the local team on shropshire@alzheimers.org.uk

EVERY person experiences dementia in their ownindividual way. However, thereare some common early signs and symptoms. These include:

l Memory loss –for example, problems recallingthings that happened recently.

l Difficultyconcentrating, planning or organising –for example, struggling to makedecisions or followaseriesofsteps

such as cooking ameal.

l Problems with language and communication –for example, difficulties following aconversation or finding the right wordfor something.

l Misunderstanding what is being seen –for example, problems judging distances such as on stairs or perceiving the edges of objects, and misinterpreting patterns or reflections.

l Being confused about time or place –for example, losing track of the time or date, or becoming confused about where they are.

l Mood changes or difficulty controlling emotions –for example, becoming unusually anxious, irritable, sad or frightened, losing interest in things and personality changes.

LIFE THROUGH ALENS

NEWPORT PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB

MEMBERS HAVE BEEN SHOWING OFF SOME OF THEIR FINEST WORK FOR A COMPETITION. MATTHEW PANTER TAKES ALOOK

Early Sun GlowbySteveRex

Hurrying HomebyColinMacklin.

Duckling catching aflybyStephenHaycock.

Talented photographers from Shropshire havebeen showing off some of their finest work for acompetition.

Newport Photographic Club held an open competition and there was agood entry of prints and Projected Images.

The competition was judged in two categories –Advancedand Intermediate.

In theAdvanced Prints section, the winner was Bob Colman with Girl in Bus.

The top five wasmade up of Fran Hartshorne, with two pictures Bag& Boater and Momento Mori, Michael Warrender with Your Song and Norman

O’Neill with Kingfisher with Fish.

In the Advanced PDIs, the winner was Phil Green with He’s Late followed by Maria Macklin and Canada Place, London.

Steve Rex –Early Sun Glow –and Fran Hartshorne with Clematis made up the top four

In the Intermediate Prints section, first was Caron Malcolm with Rome on aVespa, followed by Roger Walford with Dave.

Caron was also thirdwith The Morning Steals upon the Night.

Fourth was Brian Kerrison– Stalking

Grey SquirrelbyAlanGripton.

DavebyRogerWalford. Below, He’s LatebyPhilipGreen.

The Morning Steals upon the NightbyCaronMalcolm.

Stalking the Mayfly byBrianJKerrison.

Rome on aVespabyCaronMalcolm.

Girl in BusbyBobColman.

Kingfisher with Fish byNormanO’Neill.

the Mayflyand Colin Macklin, with Wandering on Weaver Street was fifth while Jann Wassell took sixth with The Lovers.

In the Intermediate PDIs section, the winner was Ian Garnham with Alone or Lonely,followed by Colin Macklin with Hurrying Home and Brian Kerrison with Time Out with Flags of the Fallen.

Fourth was Jann Wassell with Red Squirrel.

In the Advanced league, Photographer of the Year went to Norman O’Neill and he also won the printtitle.

Projected Image Photographer of the Year was Fran Hartshorne and the Roger Price Shield was awarded to Howard Broadbent

In the Intermediate league, Photographer of the Year went to Jann Wassell, who also won the print title.

Projected Image Photographer of the Year went to Brian Kerrison andthe Warrender Trophy was awarded to Colin Macklin.

n The club meets every Tuesdayat 7.30pm at Weston Hall at Harper Adams University and for details of theclub visit www.newportphotoclub.com

Canada PlacebyMariaMacklin. Bag and Boater byFranHartshorne

Red SquirrelbyJannWassell.

Alone or LonelybyIanGarnham.

Your SongbyMikeWarrender

Bellowing Stag byJasPardesi

THOSEGOING ABOVE

Acharity is nothing without the support of the community behind it. And at Lingen Davies Cancer Fund thereisanincredible community of hardworking, dedicated individuals all going above and beyond to get involved.

Emma Backhouse, Acting CEO of the44-year-old charity, explains why people really are at the heart of what we do:

“It’s aphrase often said but we really couldn’t do what we do without the support of every single one of our fundraisers, volunteers, committee members, event organisers and trustees. Every person who donates to us –whether that’s financial, time, or advice and support –is verymuch apart of our community

“Weexist to enhance cancer services for people living throughout Shropshire, Telford &Wrekin and Mid Wales. We fund exciting new equipment and technology for use across the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, as wellas delivering little extras for patients like teas and coffees, Smart TV screens, and radar keys for use by those readjusting to life during and after treatment.

“Wealso deliver our own LiveLife Cancer Awareness programme, encouraging people to take up NHS screening opportunities and increase early diagnosis,having conversations, and handing out free sunscreen at public events across the region.

“But without thesupport of many thousands of people we would not be able to continue our work to benefitcancer patients.

“Whether someone wants to fundraise for us, give up their time to support our events or work in the office,has an interest in becoming aCancer Champion to spreadawareness in the wider community,or would like to join us as aFriend of Lingen Davies and make amonthly donation to the charity,wewould love to hear from you.”

LILYChilds, 17,from Dorrington, is training to be anursebut gives her spare time to volunteer in the office –alongside her mum Lou Childs, Lingen Davies’ Charity Administrator.

Lily volunteers to help with various administrative tasks, lends ahand at events, and has even gone so far as to don the charity’s 5ftmascot costume –Sunny

Lily said: “Volunteering is such awonderful thing to do, Iwould love to be able to give lots of money to this veryworthwhile charity but I’m not able to. Ican give up my time though and Iknow how much it means freeing up staff to do other things.

“People often think volunteering is just something for older people to do when they retire but that’s not the case. It’s averyrewarding thing to do, Iget alot out of it, and I’m learning new skills that will benefitmein later life as well.”

One of the people who has benefited others throughout Shropshire, Telford &Wrekin and Mid Wales is Sarah Cope, from Whixall.

She was diagnosed with stage three cervicalcancer at the age of 33 and underwent treatment which included an ephrostomy, 25 sessions of radiotherapy, five of chemotherapy and around of bracotherapy at Stoke. Sarah knew what to expect at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre because her mum had been through breast cancer

She says: “It was very intense. Radiotherapy took place every day for five days, for five weeks. It was atoughtime but it’s alot worse for many others. It really helped me meeting alot of other people going through cancer last year

“I must remember there is atreatment and acure. Life has changed for me in lots of ways, but it’s also brought lots of fab people into my life. The support Ihad from Lingen Daviesand Macmillan was amazing and still is.”

Sarah decided to do something positive for 2023 and so is undertaking 12 fundraising events over 12 months.

So far,she hascompleted amarathon where she did a combination of swimming, biking and running, agym class aday throughout February,pudding and prosecco evening in March, a 100km walk in Northumberland over the Easter Weekend, and is working on a10peakschallenge, atractor run for thesummer, as well as planning her own wedding, and other events to complete her fundraising feat.

Her Just Giving page currently stands atover £3,500.

Sarah Cope with the cheque for £3,200.

Lou and Lily Childs

&BEYOND

London Marathon runners

In April, 11 runners took to the streets of London to complete the iconic 26.2-mile course after months of gruelling training and fundraising. And they didn’t let us down raising an incredible £42,000 between them. We are so proud of everyone and so grateful for the money raised which will go directly into enhancing cancer services in ourregion.

Events Diary

Another way to get involved with the charity and havefun while fundraising to benefit others is to attend one of the many, varied events organised and managed by the fundraising team.

Peak District UltraChallenge –July8and 9

Run, walk or jog your way along this beautiful 100km route. Pedal the Borders cycling challenge –September 10 With a25km, 60km and 100km route to choose from, this offers something for even the most fair-weather cyclist to get involved with. Routes start from Aico’sflagship headquarters in Oswestry and takeinthe pretty borderland. Children can takepart from 12 yearsofage.

Camino de Santiago Trek –October 4-8

Take on this world-renowned pilgrimage to discoverthe local traditions and unique atmosphereofthiscorner of rural Galicia.

The BonfireBall, EllesmereCollege –November 4 This promises to be anight to remember in the Grand Hall of this prestigious building. Join us for asparkling drinks reception, three-course dinner,livemusic and auction. Tickets can be bought individually or in tables of 10.

n To findout moreabout howyou can get involved with the work of Lingen Davies or takepart in our events visit the website www.lingendavies.co.uk or call the office on 01743 492396.

Lingen Davies Cancer Fund

SHROPSHIRE’S LEADING INDEPENDENT TIMBER MERCHANT

•Railway sleepers treated and untreated

•Oak untreated sleepers now available New Oak Beams

•Fencing materials and accessories Wooden Gates

•Qualitydecking Stocks of sawn timber &plywood

•Trellis Posts Roofing materials &crash barriers

•Eco Wood Pellets Available

Railway Sleepers

Garden Fencing

Firewood

Farm Gates

EQUALITY IN ART

HEATHER LARGE MEETS AVISUAL ARTIST WHO USES HER EXPERIENCE OF BEING PARTIALLY SIGHTED TO INSPIRE POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE ARTS, HERITAGE AND CULTURE SECTOR

From supporting museums and galleries to meet the needs of disabled visitors to training architects on building design, Zoe Partington is helping to make art accessible to all.

The contemporary visual artist is partially sighted and has been living with achronic condition for 50 years. As a creative consultant and international advisor,she workswith cultural attractions to develop their skills and experience for meeting the needs of disabled visitors.

Working from her studio in Cleobury Mortimer,Zoe’s own artwork encompasses multi-media visual arts, light and sound installations and sculpture.

She specialises in disability art, which is creating art unique to herself as a disabled person with her life experiences. “It can be quite political as well,” says Zoe. “My job is getting people to think

differently and it’s about reframing how they think about disability and disability art. It’s done in an equality framework, which means it ensures that you are treating people in aproper manner and you are supporting their human rights too.”

Being creative has always been something that has come naturally to Zoe, who studied at Ludlow Sixth Form College. “I had areally fantastic art teacher there who taught me to paint

“Then Idid an Art Foundation course and Iwas completely bowled over by their history of art teachers, because they had such huge knowledge of the history and heritage of art and architecture.”

Zoe went on to study for aBA (Hons) degree in media and design at the University of Portsmouth. “That’s when I started thinking about my uniqueness in a disability art perspective,” she explains.

“Then Isaw the work by Jo Spence,

an artist who had quite aserious health condition, and we met and she talked about how she mapped experiences she was going through. Looking atgender issues, part of my dissertation was about women and representation in the media, but my final art piece was about being a disabled female.”

Her art journey then took her to Birmingham City University where she studied for aPost Graduate Diploma in the history of art, design and architecture.

“Wehad incredible lecturers, who took us on museum and gallery visits all over the place, including New York.

“My tutor,George Nzlopy,was very highly and artist

Zoe Partington, apartially-sighted artist, activist and educator whose 30-year career in disability arts and disability access has been celebrated across the world, pictured hereather Studio in Cleobury Mortimer

Mother-of-three Zoe, who has diabetes, was in her early 20s when she lost her sight.

“The 20s are usually asignificant time when you’re developing your life and networks,” she says. “It was challenging for me because Iworried that was all taken away and it took me some time to catch up,”she explains.

“I thought I’dnever be able to work in the arts, because Ibelievedall the myths that you aretaught (that it’s the end of the world to be disabled). This is one example where my instincts to challenge perceived wisdom and conventional ideas have stood me in good stead.”

Zoe says she was inspired to pursue a career in the arts after immersing herself in the disability art movement.

This included the work of disability activist and equality trainer,Barbara Lisicki, who has become agood friend.

“She’s told me alot about thehistory of the disability movement and disability arts, andshe was acomedian originally, so she lay the path for other disabled comedians that are there now,” says Zoe.

“She has given me strength and courage to empower my identity as a disabled person and not to reject it.”

Since then Zoe has become aspecialist in creative audio description and inclusive approaches in the arts as well as working as acurator,writer,researcher andcreative equality trainer

Her previous projects have taken her to consult in Australia, Tasmania, Singapore, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Italy, Germany,Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands. She also advised Brazil and Japan on the inclusion of disabled audiences prior to the Cultural Olympiads.

Zoe has been supported on her journey by Arts Council England and has also advised them on equality provision.

Part of her work involves working with arts organisations to improve their audio description offer so thatit’sa richer and more engaging experience.

“When Iwork with cultural and education teams, Iask them to describe themselves to me when Imeetthemso Iknow what they look like. Describing yourself is probably the hardest thing to do.”

When it comes to describing works of art, Zoe says: “It’s about describing it in away that makes sense to ablind person. It’s thinking aboutthe composition and what is the wow factor in the painting. It’s the type of language used. It can be very atmospheric and emotive. If it’s an industrial landscape of the Black Country, it might have a fiery red sky.”

Whispering storm.

Papermill.

In 2008, Zoe founded the DisOrdinary Architecture Project alongside researcher and educator Jos Boys.

They have brought disabled artists together with architects to find new ways of improving building and urban design practices so that spaces accommodate and engage with everyone.

Zoe says they want to improve the design of the built environment to accommodate the needs of those with disability right from thestart.

Much of her own artwork uses sound and light including her visceral installation artwork Decoding Difference, which was selected for exhibition at London Design Biennale 2023 last month.

The biennale is the global gathering of the world’s most ambitious and imaginative designers, curatorsand design institutes and took place at Somerset House.

Decoding Difference uses light, and sound mirrors the physiology of Zoe’s glucose levels and heartbeat, as live captured data is transmitted directly from asensor implanted within her arm.

“With Decoding Difference, Ireflect on how my inner health may fluctuate daily,but the technology empowers me to continue navigating my own full life alongside the discriminatorybarriers I experience to everyday life.

“Asa disabled artist Ihave always known that having arich, creative and inner life was not dependent on being able to see or to navigate the world

in aconventional fashion. During the pandemic, non-disabled people began noticing this too, with afresh appreciation of their own physiology,and of the emotional impact of non-visual experiences, such as birdsong or the scent of cut grass,” she explains.

When she needs to relax and unwind from her busy working schedule, Zoe also enjoying painting landscapes.

“It’s an escapism and it focuses your mind. Youdon’t have to think about anything else,” she says.

Earlier this year Zoe was also one of three female disabled artists featured in a series of Tate Modern Late Talks exploring tactility and connection as part of the London gallery’s celebration of women in the arts

She was joined by printmaker FaeKilburn and tactile painter Bianca Raffaella to talk about artworks created by and for visually impaired and blind audiences, and artworks that centre disability rights at their core.

“Being invited by Tate Modern to talk about my work as afemale disabled artist is something Ifeelreally proud of.Ihave spent 30 years supporting and exploring the work of other disabled people and disabled artists, trying to changepractice in the arts, creative and architecture sectors. Now I’m getting more positive reactions which suggests thatthe times are ready for change,” says Zoe.

n Formore information about her work, see www.zoepartington.co.uk

Traces

Bubblegum.

Azureessence.

PICNICTIME P

icnics began in medieval times as sumptuous outdoor feasts and were mainly traditions of the wealthy

The Victorians were the picnic experts, where tables would be laid with white cloths and groan with an array of foodie delicacies. Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management from 1861 states that Victorian picnics would be a‘family feast’ and suggested taking the following for alargefamily gathering: ajoint of cold

roast beef,a joint of cold boiled beef,two ribs of lamb,two shoulders of lamb, four roast fowls, two roast ducks, one ham, one tongue, fresh veal/pigeon pies, thick cut sandwiches –salad, meat or cheese, cheesecake, steamed puddings, jam puffs, fruit turnovers, ginger beer and ale.

At Maynards we still think that packing apicnic is quite an art, although these days we like to keep it abit more simple. There are key things you need to include in our opinion and then its down to the location you pick and, of course, the weather

Pack ablanket and lots of napkins. Go enamel on the plates if you can –itlooks lovely and won’t break. Hard plastic reusable wine glasses are brilliant too and all better for the environment. Bring bats and some balls and perhaps aboard game. Oh,and don’t forget the corkscrew!

Pack your food into Tupperware

boxes to keep it sand or dust free.

Sliced Maynards ham, cooked cold sausages, pork pies, cherry vine tomatoes, delicious fresh bread sliced thinly with one of our amazing Jonobread knives, some local cheese, hummus, tatziki, TwoFarmers wild garlic and mushroom crisps, greaseproof paperwrapped chocolatebrownies or rocky road, lashings of ginger beer,perhaps a local ale or two and anice bottle of rosè.

Pack it all in one of our lovely French baskets or wicker hampers and off you go!

Burger Vanavailable to hire. Check out our websitefor details. ButcheryCourses available

GORDON RAMSAY: OFFTHE BEATEN TRACK

THE LEGENDARY CHEF HASRELEASED ANEW COOKBOOK TO GO WITH HIS ADVENTUROUS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TV SERIES.

BY PRUDENCE WADE

While we might be most familiar with seeing Gordon Ramsay cooking up astorm in agalley,he says he loves to “get out of the kitchen and get my hands dirty”.

That could explain why he’s filmed three series of Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted on National Geographic, giving him the opportunity to explore different experiences and dishes from all over the globe.

From snacking on alpaca meat 11,000 feet above sea level in the PeruvianAndes, to eating fish curry in Kerala,south India, Ramsay,56, hasbeen on aculinary tour of the world.

“I always love to get out of the kitchen and get my hands dirty,” he says.“It gives me time to embed into local food communities and get inspired.”

In the series, Ramsay switches positions –inmany of his previous shows, he’s the teacher,but he’s very much the student in Uncharted. He says this “definitely made me more humble, especially when the locals don’t love my dishes”, but ultimately “experience helps me become abetter chef ”.

Now,the chef has released a cookbook-meets-travelogueas an accompaniment to theTV show,with the recipes reflecting the diversity of his travels.

Dishes include spicy grilled lobster with coconut and breadfruit from Hawaii,

Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted. Photos:NationalGeographic

chicken pepper pot from the jungles of Guyana, New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp and spice-rubbed steaks with pele

Ramsay breaks down his approach to travel and food…

Howimportant is it to have an open mind when travelling?

“Having an open mind really helps you to bed in with the local community.For me, Iget to better understandthe importance of each dish and ingredient.

“It really helped me to craft some of the incredible dishes at our final cooks and now this amazing book. And trust me, I’ve taken all that knowledge and used it in my dishes at my restaurants around the world.”

Howcan adventurehelp you understand aregion’s cultureand cuisine better?

“If you want to go off the beaten path, you’re not getting on the tube or M5 to get there. Youhave to have some adventure involved! And as Ilearned in Peru with the mango tree, some of the best ingredients come from being out of your comfort zone.”

Has travel always been apart of your food ethos?

“When Iwas ayoung chef,Iwanted to have all the experience and knowledge to help me be the best. Iwasn’t going to places like Laos or Tasmania,but Iwas

travelling and taking in everything Icould get from every city Iwent to.

“I may not have been rappelling acliff or diving while learning in France, but trust me, some of those kitchens were just as intense!”

What dish in the book took the most effort to master?

“I’d have to say the Pandi curry in India. I’ve made many curries in my time, but this one was truly unique sinceitused pork. I’vebeen to India many times, but never to this region and getting in so indepth with the localpurveyors.

“I learned so much from the curry

–tothe coffee liquor to those spicy pickled vegetables –that said, the biggest challenge for me during that trip had to be getting the ants we used for the ant curry outofmyhair!”

Did you fail at anything?

“Of course I’ve failed. I’ve lost fires, burned protein, disappointed the locals –but I’ve always picked myself up and tweaked and finessed my mistakes.

“Mistakes aren’t bad when it comes to cooking, it’sthe perfect learning experience. So if you fail with any of the recipes, just learn and adjust and keep trying.”

Gordon Ramsay’s coffee-spiced pork shoulder

pele sauce from South Africa.

What was the most memorable destination you went to?

“That’s so tough, that’s like choosing a favourite child. They were all so unique and beautiful, but Ithink Tasmania was really memorable to me. The culture of bartering and the incredible seafood really opened my eyes to the incredible bounty that island has.”

What’sthe biggest lesson you learned from filming Uncharted and writing the cookbook?

“Resourcefulness and making sure that we only take what we need. Those principles are very similar to what we are running and doing in restaurants, use what you need, take what you need. And making sure it’s seasonality at its best.”

n Gordon Ramsay’s Uncharted: A Culinary Adventure With 60 Recipes From Around The Globe, is published by National Geographic,priced £25. Youcan stream all episodes of National Geographic’s Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted exclusively on Disney+

Burnt sugar steamed pudding

This recipe comesfromNew Zealand, whereGordon Ramsay went divingfor paua (abalone) and foraged for edible wild plants. The burnt sugar steamed pudding is inspired by chef Monique Fiso, who shines alight on Maori cuisine at her restaurant Hiakai in Wellington.

Ingredients

(Makes 2loaves)

67g, plus 250g granulated sugar

237ml boiling water

303g all-purpose flour

2tsp ground mixed spice or pumpkin pie

spice

1tsp baking soda

¼tsp kosher salt

216g unsalted butter,chilled and cubed

3large eggs, beaten

Method

1. Preheat your ovento149C.

2. Fill aroasting pan with two-and-a-half centimetres of water and place in the centreofthe oven to heat. Lightly coat two one-pound loaf tins with non-stick spray.

3. In amedium heavy-bottom saucepan overmedium heat, add 67 grams sugar and cook, stirring gently and constantly, until it completely melts and turns adeep amber color,about 10 minutes.

4. Remove the saucepan from the heat and carefully pour in the boiling water.Stir the mixtureuntil it thickens and becomes asyrup. Set aside.

5. In alarge mixing bowl, combine the flour,250g sugar,mixed spice, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and use your fingertips to press the dry ingredients into the butter.Continue pressing and mixing until the mixtureresembles coarse sand. Add the eggs and stir with awooden spoon to combine.

6. Slowly add syrup to the pudding mixtureand continue stirring until athick batter forms. Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf tins and covereach with aluminum foil.

7. Place the loaf tins in the roasting pan with water in the ovenand cook for about two hours, until atoothpick inserted in the middle of the loaves comes out clean.

8. Remove the pudding from the pan and allowtocool on arack.

9. To serve, cut into individual slices and servewarm or at room temperature.

Gordon Ramsay’schicken andouille gumbo.

BARBECUE BOOKSTOGET YOUFIRED UP

FIRE UP THE GRILL, BECAUSE BBQ SEASON IS UPON US, SAYS PRUDENCE WADE

Few things are more satisfying than cooking up astormon the barbecue. Whether you’re catering for acrowd or firing up for aquick midweek dinner –asthe weather hots up, so do our grills.

Barbecuingused to have a somewhat basic reputation for chucking unseasoned steaks on the grill and calling it aday.However,there are

worlds of possibilities when it comes to cooking over fire –for example, did you know you could even whip up abatch of chocolate chip cookies outside?

New barbecue cookbooks released this summer take us all over theworld with their recipes, andcould even convincetoyou to build your own grill from scratch

DJ BBQ’sBackyardBaking: 50 Awesome Recipes For Baking Over LiveFire

By David Wright, Chris Taylor and Christian Stevenson Quadrille, £20 Photography by David Loftus

Think BBQs are just for hunks of meat? Think again DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking proves baking doesn’t have to be an indoor, rainy day pursuit – and can be just as delicious and as much fun over the open fire outside

This book is a collaboration from three foodies –Christian Stevenson (better known as DJ BBQ), his regular co-author Chris Taylor and baker David Wright

The trio argue both cooking over fire and baking are often seen as overly complicated pursuits that are easy to get wrong – but in this book, they set out to prove this misconception wrong

The book starts with the basics – the equipment and setups you’ll need, with a baking focus – and then launches into a host of technicolour recipes

Dishes range from simple crowdpleasers, such as campfire bread and chocolate chip cookies (which yes, you can bake on a BBQ, you’ll discover) to the more adventurous, including lamb kofta sausage rolls and a full Moroccan-inspired chicken dinner.

There’s even a recipe for charcoal ice cream – which isn’t black like you might see on Instagram, but is full of those beautiful, smokey flavours

With DJ BBQ’s signature brand of wit and irreverence, this book will open up the worlds of possibilities within outdoor cooking

Chocolate chip cookies from DJ BBQs Backyard Baking

Big Green Egg Feasts: InnovativeRecipes To Cook For Friends And Family

By TimHayward. Quadrille, £30. Photography by Sam Folan.

Wh W ile this book is predominantly geared towards people with Green Eggs –aspecificty t pe of ceramic BBQ –don’t be put off,because the recipes will suit anyone, with any ty t pe of BBQ.

The beauty t of aGreen Egg is it covers so many different types of cooking –you can slow-roast, wok-fry and cook pizzas on there –but you’ll just as easily be able to do that without one, be it on stove or in your oven, if it’s not arecipe that specifically calls for BBQing.

If you’ve got aGreen Egg, food writer TimHayward will take you through the best ways to use it, making sureyou get the most out of this (admittedly exp x ensive) piece of kit. But thereal strength of this cookbook lies in the sheer range of recipes included from all over the world. You’ll get step-by-step guides on how to make lobster rolls from the US, Indian chicken curry, a whole rack ofspiced lamb from the Maghreb region in north-west Africa and Mexican taco recipes to feed a crowd Dishes are vibrant, colourful and will be everything you want to make this summer – with or without a BBQ

The DIY BBQ Cookbook: How To BuildYour Own BBQ And Cook Up AFeast

By James Whetlor. Quadrille, £20.

This is one for the DIY enthusiasts –anyone who really wants to get their hands dirty when BBQing, from start to finish

While it’s all very well and good to use a regular, shop-bought BBQ, food writer James Whetlor is a huge proponent for making your own Why? Because shop-bought versions are often expensive, and near-impossible to cart with you on a jaunt to the beach or a day in the park

But Whetlor predominantly highlights how fun it is to make your own BBQ You don’t have to be a DIY wizard or a building maestro to do so – some of the simplest set-ups will be hugely effective

You’ll need a few basic bits of kit for a DIY BBQ – including breeze blocks, pots, planks and chains – all of which Whetlor says is available at your local DIY store He also urges safety – wearing work gloves and goggles when building Whetlor gives a comprehensive guide on building your own BBQ – covering all the different options, from small versions to one that can

smoke a whole pig – and there’s even an ingenious step-by-step guide for building your own tandoor oven out of a flowerpot

If you ’ re tentative about building your own BBQ, Whetlor’s guide is so comprehensive he’ll put any nerves at rest – and then he follows up with the best bit: what to cook on your new creation

Dishes range from vibrant veggie options – mushroom tacos and misomarinated aubergine steaks – to meaty dishes (coconut hot wings, tandoori quail, spicy pork ribs and more)

Coconut hot wings from The DIY BBQ Cookbook by James Whetlor

Grilled artichokes with hollandaise from Big Green Egg Feasts.

Photography by Sam Folan

STAR QUALITY ON AVILLAGE SCALE

ANDY RICHARDSON CHATS TO THEOWNERS OF BAKER &COOK ABOUT THEIR THRIVING BUSINESS IN MUCH WENLOCK

Baker &Cook’sBreakfast Pattie.

They cut their teeth at some of the busiest, most successful, and, we ought to say,toughest restaurants in Britain. Husband and wife team Andrew and Jane Smyth brought aremarkable pedigree to Shropshire when they opened their delightful bakery-cum-café-cumrestaurant, Baker &Cook, in Much Wenlock, last July

Both had worked at thehighest level, retaining jobs for manyyears for some of the biggest names in gastronomy,while working to Michelin star level, day-in, day-out.

The lure of adifferent way of life, however,helpedthem to make the switch from London to sleepy Much Wenlock –and they couldn’t be happier.

They now find themselves fully booked each and every lunchtime, as the response from locals has been exceptional.

Andrew says: “Weopened here in Much Wenlock lastJuly.Wedeliberately didn’t advertise because we just wanted to do aword-of-mouth thing, where people found out about us and gradually came on board.

“Asmore and more people told their friends, we got busier and busier and then in the run-up to Christmas we were absolutely full. Since then, we’ve found ourselves full pretty much every lunchtime. We’re glad that people really like what we do.”

Andrew and Jane have worked hard achieve the skills that are on display at Baker &Cook. And it’s no surprise that their venue is so popular.The menu is asmorgasbord of delights, from aKing Charles III Coronation Quiche served with awarm salad of baby potatoes, tender stem broccoli, asparagus, pea, mint and whipped feta, to aclassic Cornish cream tea or an indulgent take on aCroque Madame, their food is delightful. Locals get to eat Michelin-star quality breakfasts, lunches, and baked goods without having leave their village.

Andrew says: “Wewere in fine dining restaurants in London and we moved up last July to open up an artisan café and bar.Weserve breakfast and lunches and events and private functions. There’s been agreatresponse from locals.We didn’t really advertise. We just wanted to let word of mouth get out and by Christmas we were inundated by people trying to book in. It’s pretty much full all the time.”

Andrew’s wife, Jane, nee Jane Huffer, was Gary Rhodes’ head pastry chef for eight years before working at The Square, with Phil Howard, an iconic London restaurant that held two Michelin stars.

King Charles III Coronation Chicken Quiche.

She ran the Tate Modern while also working at other exceptional restaurants in London.

Andrew,meanwhile, worked for many years with Antony Worrall Thompson before becoming general manager of Quo Vadis, in Soho. Between them, they have quite literally the strongest pedigree and best CVs of any restaurateurs in the county

The plan was to live life at aslower pace. “But, we’re so busy that we end up working the same hours now,” laughs Andrew.Except they don’t, really.They have family in the area, in Cressage and Shrewsbury,and get spend more time with relatives, whom they missed while in London.

Andrew says: “Working at that high level for so many years means those high standards are really drilled into you. Youalways make sure the last plate is as good as the first. And we also make sure we give our staff as much guidance and training as possible. We’re striving to get the best we can out of people.”

The couple make best use of local produce, with supplies of meat from Aldersons, in Bridgnorth, and of sausage and bacon from the brilliant Wenlock Edge. They are in discussion with the owners of The Bridges pub, at Ratlinghope, which has awalled garden, for vegetables. “They really are exceptional. They supply alot of our

friends in London and we’re hoping to work more closely with them.

“Wehave people looking to grow stuff for us very locally andwe’re looking to keep plastic consumption down to a minimum.”

When Baker &Cook opened, the plan was to keep things simple. Soon, however, more adventurous flavours began to appear.“We change the menu quite regularly.It’s not the basic that you’d find in anormal café. There are some complex and sophisticated dishes. Harissa chicken wraps and pastel de nata are very popular.”

It’ll soon be couple’s first anniversary since escaping to the countryside and the experience has been such adelight that they wish they’d done it 10 years ago. “We’re pushing on abit now and the quieter pace of life is great. We’ve got a 12-year-old son as well and we’ve really been welcomed to the community.It’s been easy to get to know people and meet people. We have asmall dog and she seems to be the star of the show

“Coming back here means we’re not working every night.It’s adaytime operation, so we have abit of life to ourselves. There are lovely places to visit and the people are so, so friendly It takes 45 minutes to gettothe shop, even though it’sonly five minutes away, because so many people want to talk. There’s abrilliant deli,there’sPaddy

Ryan’s butchers, and there are lots of places locally.There’s such afriendly community spirit and we love that.”

As well as great service, Andrew and Jane also offer great food. They use Iron and Fire coffee while their breakfast muffins have already become the stuff of local legend. Afullrangeof cakes, including manythatare gluten-free, are quickly sold each day and their 32 seats are habitually full. Typically opening from 9am until 4pm, they plan to keep the doors open later in the summer,as touristsand day-trippers start to arrive.

“It’s blissful,” says Andrew.“Yes, there’s alot of hard work, but that’s all worthwhile because people enjoy what we do and because we’ve been made to feel so welcome. We do reallywish we’d moved here years ago.”

Dunked Smoked Salmon on Toasted Crumpet.

Roasted portobello mushrooms tartine and buttermilk onion rings.

BRILLIANT REDSFOR BARBECUE SEASON

Whether it’s acasual cookout or bonzer barbecue, sizzling season is in full swing and now’s the time to stock up on essentials –not forgetting the wines.

After all, if you’ve been labouring over those tasty marinades and cooking techniques and whipping up super sides, you’ll want to make sure your drinks bring something to the table, too.

These lip-smacking reds will get the juices flowing while you flame the food…

TorreDeFerro Reserva 2019, Dão, Portugal, £7, Lidl

Defo one for your barbecue bucket list, there’s lots to love about this easy, approachable plummy red from Portugal’s famous Dão region. Aromasand flavours of floral damson fruit taste perfectly poised (especially at this price), with touches of red cherries and warm spice

lingering on the finish. Asmooth ride all the way,one for grilled lamb chops, chicken thighsand chargrilled veggies.

Waitrose Côtes du Rhône Villages

2020, France, £8, Waitrose

The definition of atop value red, this grenache blend and southern Rhône star is packed with the region’s rich black fruits. Delicious from the word go, the dark cherry,raspberry and herby character supported by hints of spice offers freshness on the finish –and enough structure to pair perfectly with all your favourite classicbarbecue dishes.

Co-op Irresistible Bio Bio Valley

Malbec 2021, Chile, £8, Co-op

Youknow you’re onto awinner with a Decanter silver medal winner at the 2022 World Wine Awards (90 to 94 points). Plush with impressive depth of flavour, scents of violets and savouryblack fruits

unfold with mouth-filling blackberry fruit balanced by adry,peppery note and hint of saddle leather.Bring on the steak.

TTD Western Australian Shiraz 2021, £8.50, Sainsbury’s Apalate primer,this smooth shiraz proves how Australia’s signature red grape wildly over-delivers with its sunny personality and sun-drenched juiciness. Think vivid blackberry notes and perfect parcel of spicy,sweet black fruits, raspberry notes and lingering velvety finish. Oneto complement the tenderness of awell marbled flat-iron steak.

Adnams Carmenère2021, Central Valley, Chile, £9, Adnams

This impressive own-label red is a crowd-pleasing fruit bomb lacedwith spiced cherries, bell pepper,herbs and smoke. Fabulously fruityand layered, secondary notes of earthy blueberries and blackberries are accompanied by hints of mocha with alasting, smoky finish. Versatile and food-friendly,it’syour go-to with flame-grilled meats, lamb, chicken and spicy sausages.

Southern Right Pinotage 2020, South Africa, £19.50, The Champagne Company

Aknockout red and beautiful introduction to South Africa’s signaturegrape. Pinotage hints at plummy flavours, with complex dark berry fruits, delicious ripeness and exotic spice, and you’ll be smitten from the first sip with this one. Awine to linger over until the last dying embers –if you can make it last that long!

IT’S TIME TO GET YOUR GRILL ON, SAYS SAM WYLIE-HARRIS

SUMMER SIPPING IN BORDEAUX

NOT

With summer in full swing, long lunches and balmy evenings call for chilled glasses of crispwhite wine or stylish rosé.

Forsuch wines, one might reach for avibrant New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or afresh Provence pink. But did you know that alongside the classed growth vineyards of Bordeaux, rich with

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, lie swathes of Sauvignon Blanc vines?

It may surprise many that up until the 1970s white wine production far outweighed red in the region. So, what changed? As clarets continuedtorise in price and prominence, white vines were pulled up to make way for the more lucrative red, and with this, less care and attention was given to the whites being

made, so it was no surprise they began to languish. Fast forward 50 years and Bordeaux whites are onceagain on the rise. Anew generation of wine growers has begun to invest time, energy and capital into producing world-class white (and rosé) wines. Whilst these wines have always found favour with merchants in the UK, it’s now time for us to giveyou the inside track on how to decode these wines.

It is well-known that the French appellation system likes labels to remain cryptic, meaning grape varieties arerarely stated. Therefore, the biggest pointer we can give you is the grape varieties used. There are eight permitted grape varieties within the region,but dry whites are dominated by two, both of which are known internationally –Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon –each bringing with it a different style.

The fresh, fruity and lively style tends to be SauvignonBlanc dominated often with flavours of lemons, grapefruit and honeysuckle. Stylistically these sit somewhere between the full-on intensity of New Zealand Sauvignon and the more mineral, complex style of aSancerre –perhaps combining the best of both. They

Château Tour de Luchey

USUALLYKNOWN FOR ITS REFRESHING WINE STYLES, TANNERS’ CHRISTINA ALBON LOOKSATBORDEAUX WINES THAT AREPERFECT FOR SIPPING IN THE SUNSHINE

are perfect as an aperitif,orwith fresh shellfish or agoat’s cheese salad. Awine that stands outis Château Tour de Mirambeau, owned by the Despagne family,they are at the cutting edge of modern Bordeaux winemaking. There’s no oak, the focus is aromatic, lively wines and this has an enticing lick of freshly made lemonade. They also make an equally appealing rosé which has wonderful strawberry and red cherry notes with a mouth-watering freshness –most definitely one for long summer days (it is abeautiful, fashionable, pale pink colour too).

ABordeaux white that also tops this category is Château Marjosse Blanc. It is bright, crisp and impressively aromatic, packed with grapefruit andhoneysuckle, very elegant. Marjosse is the home estate of winemaking virtuoso Pierre Lurton, who

is also in charge at two of Bordeaux’s greatest Châteaux: Cheval Banc and Yquem.

The second style to look out for is for more generous, structured wines, the sort one drinks with asmart lunch or evening meal. They are still lively and dry,but have agreater proportion of Semillon, which adds weight and complexity to the palate. Exotic fruits areusually more prevalent, along with citrus and boxwood aromas.

Château Argadens is my top recommendation. It is an historic estate owned by the Sichel family (who also make Tanners Claret). It is wonderfully enticing with pineapple, lemon and rose petal. There is agreat texture and weight to this wine making it an ideal partner for food.

There are some summer occasions, though, when white or rosé just won’t cut it, at this point its time to call up alighter,fruity red. This is not the style found classically in Bordeaux, where Cabernet Sauvignon with its high acidity and full-bodied nature makes

wines designed to age for many years, but alittle searching can yield asurprise or two. Merlot dominated wines, such as Sarmentine 2021, can have more of asoft, fruity,forward nature about them. It has a lovely herbal edge and is made organically too. Drink it at acool cellar temperature and you’ll find it aromatic and enchanting. With soft raspberry and fresh redcurrant Tour de Luchey 2020 is another on the list. Despite its soft, fruit-driven nature, it’s averyclassy wine with bags of appeal, it comes in ahalf bottle too.

So, next time you head down to the wineshop in need of alight, fresh and affordable wine, don’t look past Bordeaux and her myriad styles –there couldbeone perfect for summer sipping.

Château Argadens.

‘A new generation of wine growers has begun to invest time, energy and capital into producing world-class white and rosé wines’

BEAUTYATTHE FOREFRONTOF ROMANLIFE

FROM

WONDERFUL ARTEFACTS TO PAINFULHAIR-REMOVAL TOOLS,THERE’S SO MUCH TO SEE AT WROXETER ROMAN CITY,AS DANIEL MORRIS DISCOVERS

From wince-worthy waxes to painful precision plucking, we can in fact trace our modern obsession with hair removal back to the Romans –and the evidence is right here in Shropshire.

Historical preservation charity English Heritage has recently completed arevamp of its museum at Wroxeter Roman City, and is now proud to be showcasing an impressive collection of ancient tweezers that would have brought atear to the eye of even the toughest battle-hardened Centurion.

Aquaint village five miles south-east of Shrewsbury,Wroxeter (or ‘Viroconium Cornoviorum’) was once abustling town as big as Pompeii, and the fourth-largest settlement in Roman Britain. As such, the English Heritage site at Wroxeter Roman City has long been considered one of the country’s great treasure troves of Roman history,and is one of the most important historical sites that Shropshire can boast.

Following its revamp, Wroxeter Roman City now features previously unseen exhibits and brand new interpretation panels designed to stoke the flames of joy of our exciting pastinall whovisit.

“The museum has been completely re-done,” said English Heritage curator Cameron Moffett. “Wegutted the existing museum and started from scratch. All the graphics, all the interpretation material andthe cases are brand new, as is the selection of objects. There are loads of exciting interactives for the younger audience. And then when you go outdoors on the site, all theinteractives are new,and the site team have purchased some Roman-themed games that anyone can come and use. There’s lots on offer!”

Among over 400 artefacts that can be seen at Wroxeter,ancient hygiene products such asthe aforementioned tweezers feature prominently.Other objects related to Roman cleanliness and beauty practices include astrigil (skin

scraper), perfume bottles, jetand bone jewellery,and make-up applicators

Beauty can often mean pain –and it certainly did for the Romans. They were apeople devoted to communal bathing, with many citizens attending the baths daily.Whentheydid, they would bring their own personal cleaning sets –replete with ear scoops, nailcleaners and tweezers. Said tweezers however were not only used to remove eyebrow hair,but all unwanted body hair

Following the fashions in Rome, and to distinguish themselves from ‘barbarians’, Roman Britons preferred acleanshaven appearance. But hair plucking (often performed by slaves) was apainful business. Roman author and politician Seneca once wrotea letter to his friend complaining about the noise from the public baths,noting “the skinny armpit hair-plucker whose cries areshrill, so as to draw people’s attention, and never stop, except when he is doing his job and making someone else shriek for him”.

“AtWroxeter alone we have discovered over 50 pairs of tweezers, one of the largest collectionsof this item in Britain, indicating thatitwas apopular accessory,” said Cameron. “The advantage of the tweezer was that it was safe, simple and cheap, but unfortunately not painfree.

“It may comeas asurprise to some that in Roman Britain theremoval of

Photo:English Heritage

Photo:EnglishHeritage

body hair was as common with men as it was with women. Particularly for sports like wrestling, there was asocial expectation that men engaging in exercise that required minimal clothing would have prepared themselves by removing all their visible body hair.It’s interesting to see this vogue for theremoval of body hair around again after millennia, for everyone, although luckily modern methods are slightly less excruciating!”

One of the best-preserved examples of aRoman settlement in the country,it is easy to step back in time at Wroxeter and breathe in what was once athriving

metropolis of the ancient world. Archaeological excavations datingback to 1859 have uncovered the monumental buildings at its heart; the forum, the market, the bath-house basilica, the bathhouse itself and, finally,Wroxeter’s town houses.

“Wroxeter is well-known for being the Roman site that school groups come to,” said Cameron. “The demand is extraordinary –Idon’t thinkthere’saday in the next six months when we haven’t got school parties in.

“The ancient population was maybe 8,000-10,000 at its peak, which for Britain during the Roman period is large.”

Alongside Wroxeter’s surviving ruins, areconstructed Roman town house gives visitorsa taste of what some of the buildings at the site may have looked like in their prime.

Back in 2010, ateamofbuilders were setachallenge to construct said ‘villa urbana’ for aChannel 4TVproject entitled Rome Wasn’t Built In ADay.In building the town house they were only permitted to use crafts, tools and building

materials that would have been available to the people of the time. The result is still standing strong at Wroxeter,and –situated opposite the ruins of the old Roman city –itcreates abeautiful contrast of the then and the now

While having for many years been a jewel in Shropshire’s historicalcrown, with its new collection of artefacts Wroxeter boasts an historical experience that canimpress even the most devoted scholar

Afew of theremarkable items on display in the new museum –aswell as the tweezers –include figurines of deities, aRoman water pipe which would have served the bathhouse, and poignant amulets relating to the health of women and fertility.These objects discovered at Wroxeter show the rich daily experience of the people who once lived there –from their business enterprises to their vibrant social lives.

“I think people will be surprised and really charmed by the display of objects that we have provided because people who don’t have an archaeological

Aconservationist at Wroxeter Roman City examines apairoftweezersused to remove armpit hair from Roman men and women.

TV historian Dan Jones with Wroxeter Roman City site curator Cameron Moffett.

Wroxeter Roman City.

Photo:EnglishHeritage

The reconstructedRoman town house.

background may come to an historic monument thinking that maybe these are primitive people and will then be surprised by the complexity of historic objects that they see,” said Cameron. “The new display at Wroxeter shows very clearly that these are wealthy,sophisticated people who have expensive taste and are in aposition to satisfy their wishes for exotic jewellery and fantastic ornaments and that kind of thing. They really were very well-off,the residents of Wroxeter.”

And from August 5-6, visitors have the chance to meet said residents themselves. The Romans Return at Wroxeter Roman City will once again see Viroconium Cornoviorum come alive with its ancient populace as magistrates don their togas and legionaries buckle their armour for an immersive weekend of family-friendly Roman fun.

Actors are set to entertain the young and old alike with tales of daily life in Roman Britain’s fourth-largest city,and all visitors will be able to take in thesights and smells of the site’s fascinating past.

But whether you can make that special weekend or not, so far it seems, the revamped site is nothing less than atotal hit and agrand day out for all.

“The visitor numbers are extraordinary,” said Cameron. “Everyone has been really appreciative and enjoyed the museum and enjoyed the new interpretation. Ithink it’s proving to be a great success.”

n To book tickets for The Romans

Return at Wroxeter Roman City,visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/ wroxeter-roman-city/

FROM TOP:

James Rochester of Penkridge with Ermine Street GuardmemberJohn Burdon, dressed as aRoman legionary;Ermine Street Guard member Hilary Fleming taking part in the Roman Weekend; part of Wroxeter Roman City from above;Ermine Street Guard.

ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE

MATTHEW PANTER CHATS TO THE OWNERS OF WONDERDAYS, WHICH IS FAST BECOMING A MARKET LEADER IN EXPERIENCE DAYS IN THE UK

Matt and Bronwen Jones

You had probably tidied every inch and corner of thegarden possible, while those fiddly DIY jobs, which you might have put off time and again, were finally done and dusted.

Every boxset you wanted to binge watch had reached its satisfying or disappointing conclusion and parents had, without doubt, seen and heard enough of home schooling –fronted adverbials, fractions and all.

And, so, as we all emerged from lockdowns and the pandemic, there was a strong desire among families and friends to start enjoying life again.And as aresult, perhaps it’s no surprise that acompany such as WonderDays started to thrive.

The Telford business was set up by Matt and Bronwen Jones, launching fully last year,asthe country was getting back to normal following months of restrictions sparked by Covid.

“A living, breathing partnership through marriage and work,” Matt says, the pair’s work has taken off to the point where the business has just completed a ‘game-changing deal’ whichwill make it the largest hot air balloon flight operator in the UK.

Amind-shift since the pandemic has, without doubt, played akey role in such success, alongside an incredibly strong work ethic, according to Matt.

“The pandemic was atesting timefor every business and every attraction,” Matt reflects. “WonderDays was in amarket sector which got affected. We hadjust startedthe business –the grassrootspart of it –in2019.

“Obviously thepandemic then happened and so we just focused on the background work. Ourpartnership manager,Abi Sadler,was contacting suppliers, which we term partners. We were building those relationships andwe

did alot of work, developing the website, nailing things down and making sureall of our tech was resilient

“Aswethen came out of the pandemic, the team spotted anoticeable shift in things. There was an appetite coming out of the pandemic where people were enjoying staycations. That’s something thatdoesn’t feel like slowing down.

“For example, the search volume for things to do in Shropshire is up according

Matt, Abi Sadler,Wonderdays partnership manager and Sarah Cartright from Hoo Farm

Thesky’sthe limit for WonderDays

to our analytics. People wanted to do more and look for more opportunities and places to go in the UK.

“They really embraced the places and sheer beauty of what the UK has to offer. And we were fortunate enough to be in a position, with our partners, to offer things to do in such locations. There’s so much happening in the UK, so manythings to do and we want to bring those unique experiences to everyone.”

Part of what makes the business unique, Matt says, is it has‘broken the mould of the ‘experience day for two’ model, widening it out for families.

Designed to make buying an experience day gift as simple as it should be, the company now offers hundreds of different experiences across the UK.

It has more than doubled activities on offer in Shropshire since itslaunch in May last year,with anything from afternoon teas to adrenaline-fuelled supercars or goingdown the Thames in a powerboat.

It offers driving experiences which anyone from 10 upwards can enjoy,from luxury supercars to off road 4x4sand truck driving. Spa getaways, escape rooms and stadium tours are also popular

And it continues to expand its offering both in the county andacross the rest of the country

“Over the past12months, we have seen WonderDays enjoy some fantastic growth,” says Matt. “It’s pretty normal in astart-up phase where we know the industry and we have got agood

platform. We built partnerships during the pandemic before we went live to market. Now,wehave just had our oneyear anniversary and things are massively positive.”

And, as well wanting to staycation, Matt says there’s another very clear reason why WonderDays has proven so attractive.

“People are trying things they would never have even imagined they would have tried,” he says. “I think people have come out of the pandemic and, for example, wanted to try ahot air balloon flight or amotor racing day.They have wanted to give it ago.

“People considered their mental health –trying new things is incredible and so is being in the outdoors as well. Most of the experiences are tailored to outdoor space so it’s allpositive.

“And we have also seen, with people, there’s been ashift towards making more memories, with friends and families.

“People want to enjoy experiences that will last forever,moments you can talk about over the dinner table and that’s really important.

“Wesay ‘give it agooryou’ll never know’.That’s not something we termed specifically for WonderDays itself,it’sjust

something we feel is true.”

And as families plan their next experience, the future is one of excitement for WonderDays.

The company has underlined growth plans by welcoming Fred FitzGerald as its new Head of Marketing.

And it has just acquired Balloons Over Britain in amove which enables the company to offer balloon flights from more than 110 separate locations.

“This is agame-changing deal, not just for us but for the industry as a whole,” adds managing director Matt.

“From the very beginning we set out to disrupt the experience industry and this acquisition shows we mean business.

“Wehave more balloons, more pilots and more locations thananyone else. Add into this our market-leading flexibility on booking and unrivalled customer service and it’s no wonder this has made others sit up and take notice.

“Wehave put alot of hard work in plus reinvestment into thebusiness. We are expanding and trying to build more partnerships and get abigger range of providers.

“Wewant to continue to offer the best experiences in the UK.”

Jon Rudoni and Matt Jones.

POTLUCK

BY HALLS FINE ART JEWELLERY AND

SPECIALIST

It’s everybody’s dream to find an extraordinarily valuable item gathering dust in adark corner, apacked drawer or the scarcely visited loft. That ‘Only Fools and Horses’ moment of realising you may have something that would be given prime spot in an Antiques Roadshow line-up.

Indeed, the media is full of stories where apriceless object is found in granny’s old umbrella stand, sitting unnoticed for decades. Formany,these may seem like tall tales. However,atHalls Fine Art we can attest to their truth. One such moment was on aroutine

valuation day at our head office at Battlefield. Alexander Clement, our Asian art specialist, was called down to an appointment with alady who had an inconspicuous bag placed on the reception table. Following the usual pleasantries, the customer delved into her bag and pulled out an intricately carved pot. The lady reported that the pot had been purchased by her mother in Oxford back in the 1950s and that she had bought it along on the off chance it may be worth selling.

Immediately,Alexander knew this piece was exceptional. It’s deep red colour and waxy lustre was instantly recognisable as cinnabar lacquer,a distinctive form of decorative ware, originating from China.

Alexander knew this piece was special but it would take another few weeks of research to discover just how special it really was. When looking through a reference book he discovered an identical example on display in the National Palace Museum in Beijing. Placing apre-sale estimate of £20,000-£40,000 on the pot, it went on to realise ahammer price of £155,000 +bp, alife-changing sum of money for the delighted vendor

Another great find was discovered by Hall’s picture specialist Abigail Molenaar Following the delivery of house contents from adeceased estate she was presented with atatty box full of old prints and paintings. Twoprints caught Abigail’s

eye, and rightly so, as she soon discovered they were from Picasso’s Vollard Suite. Both were signed by Picasso andwere limitedto260 editions. They realised a total of £12,300 +bp, afantastic result considering they were potentially enroute to the skip.

As the jewellery and silver specialistat Halls, Itoo have had my share of exciting finds. One particularly remarkable result was achieved through the sale of an unassuming item. Following the valuation of acollection of jewellery at aclient’s home, Iwas presented with alarge amber bead necklace. The client presumed that the necklace would be considered ‘costume jewellery’incomparison to the beautiful collection of diamond set pieces Ihad been called to peruse. Their size and rich butterscotch colour set them apart from the usual amber set jewellery Itend to see. Idecided that they required alittle bit of extra research, as similar examples were making afew thousand on the auction market, so Iplaced atentative estimate of £3,000-£,5000 on the piece, much to the surprise and delight of my client. However,both of our expectations were blown away when the string of beads realised £22,000 +bp. This fantastic result was arecord for amber beads at the time and was acatalyst for the market all over the country

ForusatHalls, these sales are one of the reasons why we love what we do. The thrill for us is that any one of the hundreds of valuations we do could be life changing for our client. They are also important reminders to everyone that you never really know what treasures could be hiding in plain sight,just waiting to be discovered.

Halls hold free valuations by appointment. If you’re interested in getting avaluation please contact Halls fine art on 01743 450700oremail fineart@hallsgb.com

This Chinese pot fetched aprice of £155,000.

The prints signed by Picasso.

Amber bead necklace sold for £22,000.

SILVER

MARYANNE LINEKER-MOBBERLEY

SPARKLING SUCCESS A

rare and unique ring won the hearts of bidders at Trevanion’s May Fine Art & Antique auction. Lot 160, a mid 20th centurycertified colour change sapphire cluster ring, attracted bidding from around the world, selling for £4,200 plus buyer’s premium.

Speaking after the sale, jewellery valuer Amelia Tomkinson said: “Not only is this abeautiful cluster ring, but there is also the added excitement that comes with acolour change sapphire. This is arare gemstone from Sri Lanka which owes its unique properties to the unusual trace elements found within the stone. These elements cause the oval cut sapphire to change from arich blue in daylight to astunning purple in incandescent light.”

Also sitting pretty at theauction was Lot758, a19th century Victorian club armchair by Howard &Sons, which caused astiramong bidders on the phone, online and in the room. “Howard &Sons are the gold standardof19th century British furniture makers, andtheir pieces are highly prized as aresult” commented furniture specialist Ian Woodward.

“Howard pieces offer agreat combination of quality,style and comfort which appeals to furniture buyers today just as much as it did to the Victorians.”

After a fierce bidding battle, the chair sold for £3,600 plus buyer’s premium.

There were strong results in the art section too, with asingle owner collection of works by Charles FrederickTunnicliffe R.A. (British, 1901-1979) selling out.

“Tunnicliffe is one of Britain’s best loved artists, and this wonderful collection showcased his amazing skill acrossseveral mediums,” said art valuerSimon Grover

“It was also pleasing to see that alongside more traditional Tunnicliffe workslike Lot 265, an etching titled ‘Mowing Bullocks Meadow’which sold for £900 plus buyer’s premium, his figurative works like Lot 262, an etching titled ‘Fruit Of The Tree’depicting Adam and Eve, sold for the same price.”

The collection was sought after by numerous collectors, and sold for atotal of £7,260 plus buyer’s premium.

“It was lovely to see our May auction attract so muchinterest,” commented managing partner Christina Trevanion.

“Our next Fine Art &Antique Auction will be held on Wednesday, August 2.

“If you have items you are considering selling, or are curious to find out what your items could be worth at auction, speak to amember of our valuations team on 01948 800202 or email info@ trevanion.com”

Charles Fredrick Tunnicliffeetching titled ‘Mowing Bullocks Meadow’.

Charles Frederick TunnicliffeR.A. (British, 19011979), etching titled ‘Fruit Of The Tree’).

The19th century Victorian club armchair by Howard&Sons.

Wednesday 2nd August

Public Viewing: Monday31st July &Tuesday 1st August from9.30am -5pm

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Prestigious UK andinternational university destinations

Co-educational Dayand Boarding 13-18yrs

ConcordCollege, Acton Burnell Hall, Acton Burnell, Shrewsbury, SY57PF www.concordcollegeuk.com enquiries@concordcollege.org.uk

SIXTH FORM SPACE DIPLOMATAKES OFF S

hrewsbury High School Sixth Formers with apassion for space and computing now have the chance to study for the GDST’s Space Technology Diploma.

The diploma allows Sixth Formers in GDST schools, such as Shrewsbury High, interested in pursuing acareer in computer science or space-related studies to further develop the software skills and knowledge involved in the space sector Space agencies around the world have recognised that attracting more women into the space industry is of vital importance, with The European Space Agency setting the target of employing women in at least 40% of all STEMroles by 2025.

The GDST’s Space Technology Diploma is specifically designed to upskill girls across their schools so thattheyare well placed to consider careers in the industry

Shrewsbury High alumna Dr Alice Bunn OBE was International Director at the UK Space Agency and has returned to the school to speak to current students about her career in the space industry, as well as formally opening Shrewsbury High’s state-of-the-art junior school in its new home on Town Walls.

Digital Leader at SHS Andrew Petford explains how the diploma works: “The Space Technology Diploma combines computer science and physics and

explores the use of Python coding and planetary science. This programme is comparable with an undergraduate university module and is an exciting opportunity to gain independent and collaborativelearning skills ready for university.This diploma addresses the gaps in boththe A-level computer science and A-level physics syllabuses and provides students with an exciting insight into the use of technology in Space research.

“Our course has been designed by Nicola Jane Buttigieg, the Head of Computer Science at oneof our sister GDST schools, Sutton High School, alongside the UniversityofHertfordshire, and our students attenda range of

blended online lectures, in person seminars, and cross-school collaborative learning to develop their skills.”

Year 12 Space Technology students from ShrewsburyHigh recently joined fellow GDST diploma students at GDST Head Office in London to tackle real-life space technology coding problems, and they are looking forwardtoreturning to London to collaborate with Amazon Web Service control at Amazon’s headquarters in Shoreditch

Mr Petford is excited at the opportunities this SpaceTech diploma provides for SHS Sixth Formers: “Students areusing technologies such as motion sensor and data classification, matrix programming, anddata science. They are using dataprovided by NASA to identify patterns and visualise interplanetaryreduced-concept images. Such techniques are used in space exploration to detail parts of images from space telescopes like theJames Webb.

“Students will use their new knowledge of stratospheric data analysis, Python coding and planetary science for a final viva-style presentation of their own independent space engineering projects at GDST TrustOffice.”

To find out more about theSpace Technology Diploma and life in the Sixth Form at Shrewsbury High School, email admissions@shr.gdst.net or visit www shrewsburyhigh.gdst.net

Former Shrewsbury High School pupil Dr Alice Bunn OBE.

SHS Sixth Formers studying for the Space Diploma.

Expert, girl-centred pastoral care to give every pupil asense of belonging. Join us at our Open Day to find out how we educate girls for aworld without limits.

Open Day Saturday 30th September

All through, all girl ages 4-18 Girls first. Always.

REDHILL NURSERY

Nurturinganddedicatedteachersprovide anenrichedcurriculumandsupportforallchildren. Opportunitiestolearnthroughplay,developingthe keycharacteristicsneededfortheirnextsteps.

Ourenvironmentisdesignedforindividual explorationanddiscoveryacrossallareasoflearning.

15-30hourfundedplacesavailableduringtermtime forrising3sand4yearolds-fullyflexibleprovisionwraparoundcarewithbreakfastandafterschoolclub

Feepaying places available

Comeandvisitournewstateoftheart,purpose-builtnurseryoneither Tuesday12thandThursday14thSeptemberfrom4pm-7pm

Redhill PrimaryAcademy, Gatcombe Way, Priorslee,Telford, TF2 9GZ

Tel: 01952 327170

Email: redhill@redhillprimary.co.uk

Redhill NurseryispartofRedhill Primary Academyand is situated in Priorslee The Nurseryand School is also partofthe Thomas TelfordMulti AcademyTrust.

Amoderncampus withtop-of-the-rangenew facilities which includes:

Plumbing &electricalworkshops, hair &beauty salon &sciencelab

To find out moreand applynow visit:www.hlnsc.ac.uk

2.1m Investment

Walfordprovides some of thebest facilities in theregion:

Equestrian centre, exoctic species and farm animals, motorvehicle centre andstudent accomodation onsite.

To find out more andapply now visit: www.hlnsc.ac.uk

Currently ranked 10thout of 290 ALevel providersinthe country, we offerall the ‘facilitating’ subjects favoured by theUK’s eliteRussell Group universities.

Teaching ratio 11:1byexperienced tutors

To find out moreand applynow visit:www.hlnsc.ac.uk

98.9% Pass rate

220 Acre Working Farm

IT’S SHOWTIME! GETSET FORTHE ROYALWELSHSHOW

The pinnacle event in the British agricultural calendar,the Royal Welsh Show takes place at the showgroundinLlanelwedd, Builth Wells from July 24- 27, 2023.

Each year the Royal Welsh Show attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors

to the heart of Mid-Wales to come together and celebrate the very best of Welsh and British agriculture.

The show is an action-packed four-day event of exciting competitions, livestock, forestry,crafts, countryside sports, shopping, food and drink, a12-hour programme of non-stop entertainment, displays and much more.

New for 2023, theamazing equestrian artist, Santí Serra will be joining us in the Main Ring. Acclaimed as the ‘Spanish Horse Whisperer’, Santí will perform his mesmerising choreography act with his Arabic horses every day of the show

Not to be missed are the Bolddog FMX Team. As the UK’s numberone motorcycle display team, Bolddog Lings base their show around the world’s largest and most sophisticated mobile landing system.

The Food Hall, along with the new Welsh Food Village, will be ahive of culinary activity,showcasingthe very best produce that Wales has to offer Formore information about this year’s Royal Welsh Show,or to purchase tickets visit www.rwas.wales or www.cafc. cymru

Sioe Frenhinol Cymru Royal Welsh Show

24 -27Gorffennaf

July 2023

Royal WelshShowground LlanelweddLD2 3SY

cafc.cymru rwas.wales

Tickets

FUNDRAISING LUNCH Stapleton

Around 170 guests gathered for asummer lunch in aid of Lingen Davies Cancer Fund. Organised by the Shrewsbury fundraising committee, it took place at Upper Shadymoor Farm in Stapleton, near Dorrington. Committee member Caroline Francissaid the event was agreat success and they expect to haveraised morethan £10,000 for the charity. Therewereinspirational speeches from interim Lingen Davies CEO Emma Backhouse and Louise Bristowwho spokeabout her very moving cancer journey and treatment through the Lingen Davies Treatment Centre.

“Weenjoyedadelicious lunch provided by Get Gourmet Catering and the weatherand settingwereboth idyllic. We had an incredible auction which raisedover£6,500 alone, all from donated lots, and although we have yettodoall the final calculations we hope to havemade over£10,000 in all. We aresograteful to our hosts Joyand KevanFox, who gaveusthe opportunity following afamily wedding.”

Photos: TimSturgess

Guests enjoying the summer lunch at Upper Shadymoor Farm

Guests arriving for the summer lunch.

Summer lunch and auction at Upper Shadymoor,Stapleton, organised by the Shrewsbury fundraising committee for Lingen Davies Cancer Fund.

Emma Backhouse, Colin Bore, Louise Bristow.

Diana Thomas, Louise Bristow.

Angela Tracey, Mark Jones.

Lou Childs, Charlotte Everell.

Norma, Rowson, Michael Rowson, Pat Kearns.

Jacqui Bore, Ruth Griffiths, Caroline Francis, Charlotte Everell, ClareRowson, Angela Barton.

MikeOakley, Carol Hill, Jane Preece, Davina Oakley, Kevan Fox, Kelly Hill.

SteveBristow, Louise Bristow.

Teresa Corner,Janet Gibbs, Tracey Johnson.

HIGH SHERIFF’S DIARY Shropshire

“It’sbeen awhirlwind start to my year as High Sheriff –and an absolute joytomeet so many people across Shropshirewho aregoing the extramile to makethis fantastic county an even morespecial place in which to liveand work,” writes Mandy Thorn MBE DL.

“I’vebeen fortunate to attend events in all corners of the county, including visiting Newcastle-onClun to present Coronation Medals to the primary school children there, amemorable Coronation community lunch party at Telford’sChinese Arts and CultureCentre, atruly fabulous Coronation Concert by WemJubileeBand, awellbeing event in Market Drayton, the relaunch of the vitallyimportant ShropshireMental Health Forum, EllesmereTownCouncil’sannual meeting and then, afew days later,the centenary celebrations for EllesmereGuides.

“Myyearinoffice started when Iwas asked to perform the opening of the new 7Academy of Performing Arts in Madeley. Iwantmyyear to focus on volunteers and community projects which add real value to our communities –and Icouldn’t havechosen abetter start.

“The academy is all about giving its members the confidence to followtheir dreams, inspiring new generations and giving local talent the opportunity to shine. It was apleasuretoplayasmall part in such awonderful venture.”

Grace Tong, Mandy Thorn, Faye Li-yip at the Chinese Cultural Centre.

Mandy with Councillor Raj Mehta at the Chinese Cultural CentreCoronation Big Lunch.

Mandy at the Shrewsbury Drapers Coronation celebration.

Photo:ShrewsburyDrapers

High Sheriff Mandy Thorn MBE learning about the plight of the Red Squirrel, with Alastair Hughes-Roden from the Woodland Trust at Festival Drayton Centre.

Photo:SteveLeath

WemJubilee Band director Cathy Rutherford, Mandy Thorn, Mayor Geoff Soul. Photo:WemJubileeBandconcert

Newcastle CofE Primary School, Clunbury CofE School and St Mary’sSchool come together for aCoronation party. At the front is Maja Sharp, 11.

Photo:SteveLeath

Mandy Thorn with Thomas Richards, 9, Darcy Perry, 8, and Amie Grant, 8, at the Newcastle CofE Coronation Party.

Photo:SteveLeath

FLOWER CLUB AFTERNOON TEA Dorrington

Shrewsbury FlowerClub celebrated its 65th anniversary with asapphire afternoon tea at Dorrington Village Hall.

Morethan 90 guests attended the event which raised £1,300 for The League of Friends of the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Chairwoman Jane Williams said: “Wewerewell looked after by Jenny’s Catering. We hadProsecco, sandwiches, cakes, scones and macaroons, with lots of tea in vintage cups and saucers. English garden flowers adorned every table, and we decorated the hallway with pedestals of only garden foliage, they looked stunning. Twowell-known and very talented flowerarrangers,Jackie Charnock and Jane Pugh entertained us by creating several beautiful floral designs. Their title was ‘flowers through the decades’. Jackie explained howdesigns havechanged since 1940.

“Jane Pugh sang throughout the afternoon giving afinale of Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’. Our birthday cakewas created by our member Wendy Oakley and our two longest-standing members from ‘1972’ cut the cake, Thelma Hall and Anne Flint.”

The club was founded in 1958 by Muriel Tipton who ranaflorist shop in Shrewsbury at the time. She was helped by close friend Percy Throwerwho waspresident of the club for awhile.His daughters Margaret Throwerand Ann Kirkham areboth life members of the club.

Photos: Jamie Ricketts

Florist Jackie Charnock.

Florist Jane Pugh.

Guests enjoying Shrewsbury FlowerClub afternoon tea.

Jackie Charnock, BarbaraRaybould, Jane Williams (chairman), Debbie Wellington, Gay Bream, Thelma Hall, BarbaraEvans (president).

FROM NEWS CAREER CHILD ERAPY

FORMER BBC NEWSREADER KATE SILVERTON TELLS LISA SALMON WORKING IN ASCHOOL HER ‘LIFE’SPASSION’

Most people know Kate Silverton from her timeas a BBCnewsreader,or possibly from when she took part in Strictly Come Dancing.

But that’s the old Kate Silverton. The new Kate Silverton is aqualified child therapist –so what made the mum-of-two swap suchasuccessful media career to help children instead?

“TThe love of it! My academic background is in child psychology,and becoming amum really inspired me too,” she says.

She’s worked with anumber of children’s mental health charities over the years, and explains: “My journey has really been decades long, both in understanding more about children’s mental health, and as aparent really benefiting from all the interviews and access to advicethat Iwas given by incredible people.”

Currently working in aprimaryschool supporting young children with complex needs, Kate, 52, admits that when she competed on Strictly in 2018 (she was paired with professional dancer Aljaž Škorjanec and finished eighth), it was with aview of leaving journalism to train as achild therapist. “And that’s what I did,” she declares proudly

“My interest has been long-held, and I’ve now qualified, and it’s absolutely my life’s passion. So I’ll be using journalism and all my presenting experience to raise awareness around children’s mental health and really to support parents.

“I’ve had an incredible life in journalism [presenting BBC News at One andBBC Breakfast, among other high-profile TV and radio roles], and many,many years that have been really fulfilling. Ithink you’re always drawing upon theexperiences you’ve picked up before, but as amum especially,for me, this is now where home is, and will become my life’s work.”

Kate’s two children, Clemency and Wilbur,are now aged 11 and eight, and were conceived naturally after Kate and her husband, Mike Heron, tried IVF but it wasn’t successful. She continued to work as ajournalist after Clemency was born, but took two years off when she had Wilbur in 2014.“Iwas freelance, but it got to the point where Ithought Ican’t physically do this –you know,I’m an older parent as well.

“I had to make ajudgement call –and Ican only ever speak for myself,there’s no judgement for others. But Itook two years out because Ijust couldn’t see any other way of doing everything, and doing it the way Ihoped to.

Kate Silverton with her children

“It’s really,really hard for parents now,and Isay to alot of the parents Ispeak to in my clinical work, ‘Please, please, please do not berate yourself,weare living in avery challenging time’. We’re pulled in so many ways, we’re still doing alot of workat home, and we’re expected to be present either at work, and/or at home. So there’s no easy answer.But Ithink we owe it to our children to start asking, is this really working for us as parents? And is it working for our children?”

Wasshe worriedthat taking two years out might affect her career?

“I was themain breadwinner,” she says, “And my husband and Imade adecision between us that things would change. And Ithink alot of families do that –they haveto find themselveshaving really difficult conversations. And certainly,there are no easy answers.

“But what Ifound is I’ve changed my career, and Isee it as asecond act, if you like, and maybe that’s thanks to having children. So sometimes, what can seem areally difficult decision and one that we might worry about, you kind of think, actually,maybe it wasn’t the right place for me, after all.”

She returned to journalism after her two years out, but was working at weekends doing the Saturday night news while her husband looked after the kids. “Ultimately,Ithought Idon’t want to be doing this, Idon’t want to be in the newsroom on a Saturday night when my children are at home with my husband,” she says.

“Weall make these decisions based on our own personal circumstances, and for me at the time, Iwas ready to follow my heart and retrain, as that had been in my mind for averylong time. So Iguess thedecision made itself,really.”

Kate is now determined to help make family life work not only for herself,but for other parents, and as well as her work in aprimary school andwriting the book There’s No Such Thing As ‘Naughty’(Piatkus, 2021) –a parenting guide which explores how children’s brains develop and how it influences their behaviour –she’steamed up with the children’s furniture brand Stokke to explore parents’ worries aboutchild development in the under-fives.

New Stokke research has found 29%ofparents of children aged zero to five years are concerned about their child growing up shy,and nearly athird (31%) of parentsidentifyconfidence as the most important characteristic for their child to gain.

“First andforemost for children, especially under five, we want to ensure the foundations being built in their brain are strong,” explains Kate. “And parents are the best people to build those foundations for future mental health.”

In practical terms, whatdoparents need to do to help their children learn to be confident and mentally strong?

“Be with them,” advises Kate. “Our presence is crucial, because when our children inevitably navigate more challenging experiences, having us nearby to model the behaviour that’s appropriate can give them the confidence to know they can eventually go off alone.

“I’d love parents to feel more confident to follow their instincts when it comes to being with their children. Our

children don’t necessarily need to be doing in these early years, they simply need to be. And by that I mean being with and alongside us as their guide. Because parents really aremore powerful than they know.”

She stresses it isn’t about buying young children expensive educational toys or doing anything complicated. “It’s the little things thatmean so much –putting thephone down and actually engaging with our children face-to-face, getting down on the floor and playing with them, spending time with them, letting them know we value them and we want to spend time with them, we love and we delight in their presence. These are the things thatbuild confidence, because they’re building asense of self-worth.”

Although she’s stepped back from her high-profile broadcasting career,Kate’s still very busy with child therapy and writing her second book, which she hopes will be published in the autumn. But, as she says herself,“We’re told we can have it all –well, actually,you can have it all, butnot at the same time.”

“Being abusyparent who’s also trying to work, Isuppose thevictim is my own wellbeing,” she reflects. “It’s not like I’m terrible, but it does get squeezed more than I’d like.”

However,she does find some time to look after herself. “Whether it’s bouncing on alittle trampoline, or goingtowalk your dog or doing yoga, anything that’s patterned, repetitive, rhythmic, is actually very soothing for our brain stem, and absolutely vital for our health,” she explains.

“I am really mindful of my health, and I’d love to carve out more time, and certainly when I’vegot book two finished, Iwill be doing alot more of it. But Ipretty much keep in balance, and I’m fairly good at recognising when my body’s out of kilter and then doing something about it. So Ihaven’t learned this much without applying afew goodprinciples myself!”

‘I’dlove parents to feel more confident to followtheir instinctswhen it comes to being with their children’

Left,KateSilverton andAljaz

Skorjanec.

n Kate Silverton is supportingStokke to explore parents’ worries about child development and the early years.

LIGHTWEIGHT SPFs YOUR SKIN WILL LOVE

ADD ONE OF THESE INNOVATIVE FACE CREAMS TO YOUR ROUTINE FOR EVERYDAYPROTECTION, SAYS KATIE WRIGHT

Dermatologists and beauty buffs alike agree that protecting your face from harmful UV rays –while simultaneously preventing wrinkles – should be a priority for everyone

“Skin is the body’s first line of defence from everyday external aggressors which damage your skin such as UV rays, ” says Prof Christian Aldridge, consultant dermatologist for LifeJacket Skin Protection

“The damage from these can have cosmetic, physical and long-term health consequences At best, it can age your skin and cause you discomfort but at worst, can give you a skin disease ”

That’s why daily protection of your skin is critical, particularly on those areas that are exposed to the sun regularly, such as your face But in spite of all the warnings we receive, the message isn’t getting through to everyone

To make it more likely you’ll stick to a daily habit, finding a product you love can be a huge help

The good news is, facial sunblocks have come a long way, and there’s a whole new batch of lightweight but effective lotions, serums and gels that are a delight to use

Here’s our pick of the best face sunscreens for everyday use

Eucerin Sun Face hydro protect ultralight fluid SPF 50+, £20, Boots

The newest face sunblock in Eucerin’s high-tech line-up not only protects against UVAand UVB rays, it boosts skin repair with glycyrrhetinic acid, and the nongreasy fluid is fast-absorbing.

Sun Bum Glo

30 moisturising sunscreen face £20, Cult Beauty

The latest addition Sun Bum family, this lotion comes with dose of glow-boosting plum extract, which contains on average morevitamin Cthan

Garnier AmbreSolaire SPF 50+ Super UV invisible face serum, £14, Boots

Amorefluid texturethan any existing Garnier sunblock, Super UV Invisible Face Serum is designed for even the most sensitiveskintypes

Thevegan factor 50 serum sinks in quickly, meaning it’ssuited to men with facial hair or for wearing under make-up.

Hello Sunday The Illuminating One wprimer SPF50, £22

Defending skin against UVA, blue light and pollution, highly protectiveprimer formulated with lightilluminating particles to enhance your complexion.

LifeJacket daily protection moisturiser,£20

Agreat all-rounder, LifeJacket’sfragrancefree face cream provides factor 30 protection and hydrates with glycerin.

acid, squalane and glycerin. Designed to prevent any white cast (no matter howdark your skin tone), this dewy-finish fluid is what you need if you’reafter the trendy ‘glazed donut’ skin look.

Coco &Eve daily water gel SPF50+ sunscreen, £23

The first suncarerange from selftan specialist Coco &Eve does not disappoint.

With hyaluronic acid to moisturise, the factor 50+ Daily WaterGel is as lightweight as it sounds, and the agrance-free formula is suited to sensitiveand oily skin types alike.

Chanel UV Essentiel, £48

The newly reformulated Essentiel provides SPF50 protection alongside a duo of skin-strengthening tts–blue ginger tian gardenia –t ardagainst pollution dprematureageing.

Suqqu protectin day cream SPF50+, £48, Cult Beauty

This innovativedaily moisturiser from Japanese skinbrand Suqqu offers factor 50 protection, botanical extracts and aglowy, light-reflecting finish perfect on its ownor under make-up.

Skin Proud Serious Shade lightweight hydrating SPF 50+ skin serum, £16.95

Intended to provide asmooth base for make-up with no white cast, Skin Proud’s first sunscreen comes with extrabenefits: ceramides to protect the skin barrier and cherry extract for avitamin Cboost.

Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Vitamin Cmineral SPF30, £28

you prefer amineralsuncreen that provides a physical barrier on the skin (as opposed to chemical, whereitworks belowthe surface), Ole Henriksen’s Banana Bright is an excellent option.

The zinc oxide-based formula also contains vitamin oincrease skin luminosity overtime and banana wder-inspired pigments to add instant brightness.

YOUR BEST-EVER FAUX GLOW

KATIE WRIGHT ROUNDS UP THE BEST NEW FAKE TANLAUNCHES

Every fake tan devotee has their Holy Grail formula – the one that glides on like a dream and leaves you with the perfect, streak-free, naturally bronzed glow

While it’s tempting to stick with a trusty favourite, with skincare innovations happening all the time you could be

missing out on an even better bronze if you don’t deviate from your usual routine

Right now, there’s a host of hot new sunless tanning lotions, mists and foams that beauty buffs are loving

Here are six self-tan launches that could become your next go-to

Skinny Birthda whip, £ Celebrati

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t £20

Skinstant Instan tanning spritz, Left it too late to do an overnight tan? This spray gives you glowing skin in minutes, drying quickly to leave a bronzed hue that washes off in the shower

Simply spritz on and blend with a tanning mitt o the Rose & Caramel Blend Brush (£13) to ensure a free finish

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Xen-Glow dark lotion, £30, Beauty Flash

Celeb-approved Xen-Glow

(previously known as Xen-Tan) is back after a rebrand, with reformulated products

Tan-aholics will love the Dark Lotion, which comes with an olive guide colour and develops in three hours Leave it on overnight for an even deeper bronze

Retroflorals

The groovy Sixties and Seventies fashion trend spills over into beachwear with flower-powered swimsuits and bikinis. Amp up the vintage vibes by teaming yours with cork wedges, a floppy sun hat and acrochet cover-up.

THIS SUMMER’S HOTTEST SWIMWEAR

THESE BIKINI AND SWIMSUIT STYLES WILL BE EVERYWHERE, SAYS KATIE WRIGHT

Holiday season is here – and when it comes to packing for summer getaways, swimwear is of the utmost importance

Whether you ’ re jetting across the globe or staycationing in the sunshine, a stylish swimsuit or two-piece is a must-have – and there are plenty of incredible pieces to choose from this season

From vintage-inspired prints to bold colours and figureflattering shapes, these are the five key swimwear trends to know about now

One shoulder

Asymmetrical designs combined with cut-out detailing make for one of the sexiest swimwear trends of the year –and it’s alook celebs and fashion influencers are loving. Go for Grecian glam with awhite one-shoulder bikini or jazz it up with acolourful print.

Boux Avenue Java textured crop bikini top, £25; bikini briefs, £20

TedBaker Telisea cut-out detail bikini top, £45; Tiffnei bikini bottoms, £40.

Matalan Be Beau multicoloured wiggle oneshoulder swimming costume, £21.

Orla Kiely XRegatta seagrass passionflowerswimsuit, £27.95.

SimplyBe crinkle plunge swimsuit and scrunchie,

Barbie pink

After what feels like years of anticipation, Greta Gerwig’s live-action Barbie film lands in cinemas right in the middle of vacation season –onJuly 21 –and the all-pink-everything trend is still going strong. With aplethora of pink swimwear on thehigh street –everything from string bikinis to sporty suits, in every shade from pastels to fuchsia –everyone can live their best Malibu Barbie life this summer

Ring details

Bring vintage glam to your poolside look with a ring-detail bikini or bathing suit

Tap into the Seventies trend with paisley or marble print, or go au naturel in caramel and coffee tones

Bandeau

After several seasons of lingerieinspired multi-strapswimwear that leaves you, more often than not, with very weird tanlines (we’re blaming Love Island), minimalist styles areback. Strapless swimsuits and bikinis are sleek and chic. Mix and match block colour separates for asporty look or make astyle statement with aprinted twopiece.

Jets Australia Oia Sunset bandeau one piece, £177.

Seafolly On Vacation clip back bandeaubikini top in azure/ multi, £55; Seafolly On Vacation high waist bikini bottoms, £65, John Lewis &Partners.

And/Or shirredbandeau bikini top, £24; side shirred bikini bottoms, £18, John Lewis and Partners.

Very Lucy Mecklenburgh ring detail halter-neck bikini top in orange, £18; high-waisted bikini brief, £15.

Monsoon lace trim bikini top with recycled polyester,£40; lace trim bikini bottoms, £35.

£32.40.

SHADES OF SUMMER

1 ink

The quintessential summer accessory, sunglasses are the perfect finishing touch for any outfit – whether you ’ re hanging out at home or jetting off on holiday

When it comes to eyewear, trends move fast, so what frames are in fashion this season?

As we bask in h sunglasses to know

3 4 5 6 7 8 112 JULY2023SHROPSHIRE MAGAZINE

1. Dune London Gracies tortoiseshell oversized sunglasses, £40; 2. Arms of Eve Jagger sunglasses, £126, Wolf and Badger; 3. Poppy Lissiman Caidyn mint green sunglasses, £85; 4. CHPO Anna recycled plastic sunglasses, £30, National Trust Shop; 5. Thomas Sabo Kim slim rectangular pale orange sunglasses £179; 6. Oliver Bonas teal crystal square sunglasses £55; 7. River Island black angled sunglasses, £148; 8. Murielle Amalfi sunglasses, £90

Claire sungla Olivia , £59, FatFace

Salon XV aBeautiful award winning Salon in Oswestry

Sam and Martyn Lewis-Evans areboth partners in life and forthe last14months arenow partners in business and whatawhirlwind those 14 months have been.

Having both beeninthe industry forover20years they have worked forsome of the tophair franchises in not only Shropshire but the country.

Sam has worked forItaly Hair Fashion, Vidal Sasoon andthen forvarious franchises of Toni &Guy for17years starting in Shrewsburywith ashort stint

in Telfordand as amanager for the Oswestry branch for14 years. Martyn didhis training with Francesco Groupand once qualified worked at forMartanne Hairdressing.

Martyn worked forthe Wowfranchise in Wolverhamptonand then went back to his hairdressingroots to work for FrancescoGroup Telfordfor 5yearsas their technical director and then for 5years as amanager at Black Orchid Salon apremium Telfordsalon.

Both Martyn and Sam areWella Master Colour Experts, theyalsospecialise in smoothingtreatments, excessively curly hair, multipleaspects of balayage techniques and Sam is an artist when it comes to wedding hair andupdos.

We offernot onlyaloyalty cardservice butalsoa product loyalty card

We arenow heading forthe national title

As aSalonweaim to be as sustainable as possible, obviously the one thing we use alot of is water so by having biodegradable towels,

tissue products made of bamboo. Thegiftsbags we provide aremade of either 100% recycled plasticor hessian. Our recycling seems too be morethan our actual rubbish disposal.

We have adelicious rangeofdrinks available, one of which being coffeesourced from alocal business Tired Moms Coffee.

Salon XV offersnot onlyone but twopremium productbrands being Sebastian and MariaNila which is a Swedish brand offering cruelty free, 100% veganand sustainable packaging. SalonXVuse oneofthe worldsleading colour brandsWella Hair UK.

We were recently nominatedby someone anonymous forBestSalon In Shropshire to which ourclients then votedwhich led to us winningwhich currently makes us the BestSalon in Shropshire.

Come with us and make memories!

HolidaysByCoach

Gems of Guersey

11th September 2023

5Days half board £799pp*

NB brochure error, correct price of this holiday £799pp*

Single room supplement £72pp

Insurance £40

Harrogate & The Yorkshire Dales

2nd October2023

5Days half board £419pp

Single room supplement £64pp

Insurance £32

Isle of Wight

25th September2023

5Days half board £469pp

Single room supplement N/A

Insurance £32

North Wales Highlights

23rd October 2023

5Days half board £449pp

Single room supplement £24pp

Insurance £32

RAINFOREST RESORT AIMINGTOBEECO

MALAYSIA’S DATAILANGKAWI HAS ITS WORK CUTOUT,BUT IT’S DOING ITS BEST TO NURTURE ITS LITTLE SLICE OF PARADISE, SAYS JOSIE CLARKE

It’s 6am and I’m cocooned in absolute luxury amid the trees in a10-million-year-old rainforest.

Quietly sipping acoffee high on the balcony of my villa, all Ican seeis every shade of green, shot through with the occasional riot of feathered colour swooping past.

Ican hear the dawn chorus,gently backed by the sound of astreamatthe bottom of thevalley below.Relaxation drifts down like asoft blanket.

Playful dusky langur monkeys lark about high overhead. Less than 50 metres away,anoriental pied hornbill flies to and from its nesting partner and chick, supplying figs plucked from atree near the hotel’s main pool. There’s asuspicious rustleinthe leaves below but Ikeep my eyes up.

Nestled under the forest’s ancient canopy and edged by white sands, the Datai Langkawi resort is ahaven for nature lovers, just an hour’s flight from the concrete metropolis of Kuala Lumpur And while the Datai prides itself on its “unparalleled luxury”, it unapologetically places thewellbeing of the jungle and the creatures that live in it first andforemost.

Even before they enter through the sleek gates, guests are politely warned that they will be sharing the space with awide array of enigmatic animals and are advised to keep the doors and windows of their rooms locked at all times or riskacheeky monkey helping itself to themini bar

The lily and frog-filled pool in the lobby –that bursts into anoisy cacophony when night falls –isthe first indication that this is to be no ordinary hotel stay

From there, the main pool and its figtree bustling –particularly at dusk –with birds and monkeys lead on towards the beach, via the resort’s open air “grand staircase” –atitle that somewhat underplays an experience that surrounds you with the smells and sounds of the jungle.

One guest, awoman from England who tells me she has visited the Datai 12 times over the years with her extended family (she is one of many repeat visitors I meet during my stay), reveals: “Whenever I’m facing any troubles in my life, Ithink of walking down the grand staircase. It’s my therapy.”

Further down, the path leads through the ButterflyWalk, bordered with specially-chosen nectar plantstoattract more than 530 speciesofbutterflies on the island down from the jungle canopy

Datai Langkawi resort.

The resort’s purpose-built nature centre houses ateam of naturalists and marine biologists where resident –and renowned –naturalist IrshadMobarak developed the resort’s responsibility for protecting itsenvironment into“The Datai Pledge”.

The programme of practical initiatives aims to create asustainable future for the resort, while offering guests avariety of experiences, in order to better understand their fascinating but fragile surroundings.

The resort has partnered with local NGOs and social enterprises, including marine mammal conservationists MareCet, whose scientists take us out for amorning on the waters around Langkawi, to observe their research work into the Indo-Pacifichumpback dolphins and finless porpoises.

MareCet guide Sherlynn Ng describes the Datai’s efforts as “really impressive”.

“Nine in 10 Malaysians probably wouldn’t even know we have dolphins out here, but theDataiisgiving its guests the opportunity to find out about them and spread the word that they’re here and they need protecting.”

The resort is also working to regenerate the bay’s reef with five large artificial steel frames “planted” with rehabilitated corals from the resort’s nursery within thenature centre, where they are cared for until they are healthy enough to be returned to the sea.

It is working with Malaysia’s Department of Fisheries to reach local people and encourage them to fish sustainably,with the hotel operating a buy-back scheme for their catch.

Back on land, we join an evening walk guided by nature centre manager Dev Dass, serenaded by cicadas so loud that guests have mistaken them for car alarms. Devhalts afew metres in and says: “Hear that! That’sthe sound of ahealthy forest.” Agreathornbill calls out above us.

Another 100 metres in, though, and he stops again. He points out an aquilaria tree, highly prized for its use in perfumes, although most of its resinous agarwood has been scraped away by poachers. “We’re not going to be able to savethis one,” he says, crestfallen.

The Datai now employs 35 rangers to secure the perimeter of theresort’s 1,800 acres from poachers.

It has also heavily invested in cutting the resort’s waste, with itsown glass water bottling system. Single-useplastic is practically outlawed, and even the boutique’s assistant apologetically refuses to let me keep the manufacturer’s plastic wrapping on ashirt that I’mbynow

ashamed to say would have been quite handy for the flight home.

Nothing leaves the resort bound for landfill. Food waste is sorted, drained of liquid and donated to local chicken farmers and dog homes. Crushing machines turn glass into fragments to be mixed in to concrete and polystyrene into filling for bean bags, while the team’s pride and joy is “the Asher”, an incinerator producing only steam and neutral ashes, which can be used to improve the forest floor

Guests can tour the permaculture kitchen garden and pick herbs and vegetables to use in acooking class, or participate in craft sessions using leftover coffee grounds from the kitchen and burned-down candles from the rooms, to create their own unique memento.

The focus on agentle, relaxing stayat one with the environment extends to the evening, when you might catch the sound of the piano floating from the bar.This is no party resort, andthe lights are kept as low as possible overnight, because the forest’s nocturnal creatures need it to be dark.

Our farewell experience is “Mandi Embun”, an early morning leisurely walk into the forest, culminating with immersing ourselves under thewaterfall of apristine stream. It’s aritual long practised by the Malay people to achieve wellness and longevity

Irshad, who is guiding us, speaks of his pride at the Datai’s efforts to turn a guest’s stay into alasting appreciation of the glories of nature.

“When you’re breaking new ground, you can see other hotels tucking their shirts in, pulling their socks up.

“May this be the startofsomething bigger.”

FACTFILE

Stay sevennightsinaCanopyGarden Room at TheDatai Langkawiona bed andbreakfastbasis,includingeconomy flights from HeathrowwithMalaysia Airlines,private transfersand UK airport lounge passes from £2,210 perperson with ElegantResorts(01244897581; elegantresorts.co.uk)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOPLEFT: Josie Clarkeenjoying the Mandi Embun experience; abeach villa at the Datai Langkawi; Josie on aCanopy Walk at the Datai Langkawi resort; Butterfly Walk at Datai Langkawi; the resort’sopen-air‘grand staircase’; arainforest villa at the resort.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

JEEP’S FIRST EV IS AVERY IMPORTANT MODELFOR THE BRAND –BUT CAN IT DELIVER? JACK EVANS FINDS OUT

There’s little way of avoiding the electrification shake-up that is currently taking over the motoringindustry.Even manufacturers rooted in petrol and diesel like Jeep have to make the change too. It’s why we’ve got this –the new Avenger–which arrives as Jeep’s first fully electric vehicle.

Underpinned by some familiar Stellantis hardware but redesignedtotake in that more go-anywhere feel that people expect from Jeep, the Avengerisarguably one of the most important models for the brand to date. But, in amarket as

congested and fought-over as this, canthe Avenger stand out from the crowd? We’ve been finding out.

As we’ve touched upon, theAvenger sits on the same platform as the one you’ll find being used on other Stellantis vehicles like the Vauxhall Mokka Electric. As such, it’s pretty tried-and-tested, but Jeep has made some serious tweaks to make it more of acar in itsown right. The front and rear overhangs have been shortened to improve the car’s ability to handle steep climbs and descents, while there’s more plastic cladding to help make repairs cheaper should accidents happen.

FACTFILE JeepAvengerSummit

Priceastested:£39,100

Powertrain:Singleelectricmotor

Power:156bhp

Torque:260Nm

Maxspeed:93mph

0-60mph:91seconds

Range:248miles

It’s also impressively compact. Despite its chunky proportions, the Avengeris in fact shorter than Jeep’s Renegade. However,there’s been plenty of work put in to making it as practical as possible despite its small size.

At present, the Avengeruses asinglemotor setup –there’s adual-motor version in the works –with 156bhp and 260Nm of torque being produced and sent through the front wheels only They’re relatively modest outputs for this type of vehicle, but thankfully the Avenger’s range is on-par with rivals. With a54kWh battery,Jeep says you should be able to get up to 248 miles of range from acharge or even moreif you’re just doing city driving.

It’s also got ahandily rapid charge speed of 100kW,which means that a0-80 per cent charge could take just under 30 minutes. Hooked up to an 11kW home wallbox and you’ll see afull charge in five and ahalf hours.

The Avenger’s dinky proportions are immediately noticeable from behind

the wheel and this makes this carideally suited for city or urban drivers.The turning circle is good, too, so those U-turns can be done without any hassle while up and running the Avengeris quiet, with only asmall amount of wind noise being generated at speed by the forward pillars. Performance is justabout right, though we feel like the Avenger could do with atiny bit more shove. Plus, the front wheels do sometimes struggle to deploy that power without afuss. Particularly during tighter bends, you can feel the front wheels fighting to bothsteer and put down the power.This is only a slight niggle, mind you, as for much of the time the Avengerfeels predictable in its driving style.

Though design is avery personal thing, we feel like the look of the Avenger hasbeen nailed. It’s got that chunky appeal that you’d expect from Jeep, but this also means that this little car has quite alot of presence despite its small size. There are some nice nods to the past, too, such as the seven-bar grille motif (taken from the original Willy’s Jeep) applied to each. The rear lights, with their ‘X’ design, reference the fuel cans from the Willy’s, too.

There are agood number of colours to choose from with theAvenger,too, which is quite refreshing in amarket

where greys and blacks dominate. The grille and bumpers contrast these shades nicely as well.

Jeep has done well to extract as much space as it can from the Avenger’s interior.Its tall, boxy shape means there’s bags of headroom for both front and rear passengers, while those in the rear are adequately catered for in terms of legroom. There’s plenty of storage up front, too, with agood variety of cubbies, pockets and bins. It’s ashame this isn’t continued to the rear,mind you, where it becomes abit sparse–you do get some USB-C sockets for charging devices, however

At 380 litres, the Avenger’sboot is slightly larger than the one you’d get in the Hyundai Kona Electric –one of this Jeep’s main rivals –and there’s a handy split-level design so you’ve got somewhere to store the charging cables. Plus, the use of hard-wearing plastic on the boot lip itself is asmart move, as it means you don’t have to worry about scratches or dings when loading heavier items inside.

At £34,800, the Avengerlies slap-bang in the middle of the EV landscape. Rivals like the MG ZS EV are cheaper,but the Avenger does strengthenits case with good materials and plenty of on-board tech. The 10.25-inch infotainment is

handily located, while there’s either a seven- or 10.25-inch driver display ahead. Ours hadthe latter and it was clear and easy to read.

There’s agood blend of physical buttons and screens, too. The heating and ventilation buttons are smartly placed on a bar underneath the screen and this makes them easier to operate when you’re on the move. The buttons for the gears, however, feel too far away to be used intuitively, while the folding cubby cover placed ahead of it might be abit of apain over time –you can removeitand, after only a little while with the car,we’d opted to pop it to one side rather than keep it in place.

It’s abusy crowd to try and enter, the electric car segment, but Jeep has definitely made an entrance. What the Avenger really brings is character and that’ssomething which is all too easily lost on many EVs. However,Jeephas also backed it up with good levels of equipment and anicely proportioned cabin.

We’d like alittle more power,but for everyday driving it’s goingtoprove morethan enough. Plus,if you do want abit more punch then theupcoming dual-motor version will scratch that itch. However,even in this ‘regular’form, the Avenger is acar you’d really want to own –and we expect that plenty of people will.

ASUMMEROF CARNIVALS

BY HEATHER LARGE

It’s that time of year when towns and villages across the county are getting ready to host awide variety of carnivals and fetes.

Organisers will be keeping their fingers crossed for good weather for their events, which can range from large-scale celebrations with colourfulparades and fairground rides to tombolas and cake stalls in aid of the local church.

Members of the local community and many people from further afield can always be counted on to turn out to soak up the atmosphere, show their support and enjoy the likes of games, cake stalls, cream teas and raffles.

As schools wind down for the summer and pupils count down the days until they break up for the holidays, many will be hosting their annual sportsdays.

Featuring traditional activities such as the egg and spoon race, they encourage children to have fun, to get active and to work together to achieveagoal.

Aclose finish in the senior girls relay race at Coalbrookdale High School sports day on June 9, 1937.

Jane Norton (12), with Titch, Tracy Lloyd (13) with Lady Jane Grey, and Alison Norton (15) with Shady, readyfor the ring at Wistanswick fete and gymkhana in 1978.

Aworking dalek, made by people of the parish, had its first airing at afete at St Patrick’sPrimary School, Wellington, in 1978.

Ken Dodd leads the countdown to the grand opening of the ShropshireOrthopaedic Hospital League of Friends’ annual fete held in the hospital grounds on July 2, 1987.

Mrs SMayallofLea Hall, Harmer Hill, whose husband, pictured right, supplies the wheat with which she makes her ownbread,inJuly 23, 1960

Church Aston May Queen Vicky Paterson and her two attendants with acuddly toyatthe showinAugust 1986.

The Rev Michael Pope at St Giles Church fete in Shrewsbury in July 1969

Competitors takepart in arace at TelfordSuper Saturday on September 8, 1979.

Newport pop singer,LouisaJane White, opens the annual Audley House fete in July 1969.

WemParish Church garden party, at the Rectory gardens, Wem, was opened by the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Shrewsbury, Councillor and Mrs Dennis Pursell in 1968.

Helen Fortescue, Marie Candlin and Caroline Whittall at Wrockwardine village fete on July 12, 1986.

FOUR WS SUDOKU

REMEMBER WHEN

1. Muhammad Ali was born

2. Britons were encouraged to bathe in no more than five inches of hot water

3. Noël Coward starred in In Which We Serve

4. The government announced it would take over Britain’s coal mines

1. Actor Rex Harrison died

2. KevinCostner starred in Dances With Wolves

3. Stefan Edberg won the men’s singles title at Wimbledon

1. Ben Kingsley starred in Gandhi

2. Sophia Loren was put in jail for tax evasion

3. Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder had ahuge hit with Ebony And Ivory

1. David Bowie and Mick Jagger had aU.K No.1 with Dancing In The Street

2. EastEnders made its debut on British television

WHO… servedasBritish Prime Minister from1841-46?

WHAT… is thename of TomCruise andKatie Holmes’ daughter?

WHERE… in Europeisthe city of Zaporizhia?

WHEN… didthe BBCTVshow Grandstand firstair?

WHO… played the titlerole in Miss Potter,the 2006 biopic about Beatrix Potter?

WHAT… general is mentioned in thefull versionofthe French national anthem, La Marseillaise?

WHERE… in Europe wasTraianBasescu President from2004 to 2014?

WHEN… didQueen Victoria die?

WHO is thesubject of thePhilipGlassmusic-drama The Photographer?

WHAT… arethe twoofficial languages of Finland?

WHERE… in Africa is the Rufiji River?

WHEN… didSwitzerland becamea fullmemberofthe United Nations?

WHO… won the gold medal forthe women’s floor exercise at the 2009World Artistic Gymnastics Championships?

WHAT… lake are theSwiss towns of Rapperswil and Richterswil situated on?

WHERE were the 2016European Capitals of Culture?

WHEN… wasthe Duke of Edinburgh’sAward scheme inaugurated?

AYEAR IN LIVING MEMORY.CAN YOUGUESS WHICH ONE? 1 2 3 4 5 6

1. Kurt Cobain died

WHO… was the firstAustralian since Eddie Charlton to reach the quarter-finals of theWorld SnookerChampionship?

WHAT… rapstar plays Skinny Blackinthe film Hustle&Flow?

WHERE… did NapoleonBonaparte die in 1821?

WHEN… was Stanford University in California founded?

1 2 3 4 5 6

WHO wasthe rock singer featured on the27October 1975 covers of Time and Newsweekmagazines simultaneously?

WHAT… is thecolour of the five-pointed star on the flag of Cameroon?

WHERE… is theunoccupied KilmainhamGaol?

WHEN… wasthe Festival d’Avignon arts festival founded?

WORDWISE

1. CAMIS

A Vaulted room. B Loose, light robe.

C Plant akin to the chrysanthemum.

2. DOMAL

A Building material of clay and cow dung.

B Having theform of adome. C Title given to Catholic dignitaries.

3. EXOGAMY

A Marrying only outside one’s group.

B Total banishment. C Secondary form of osmosis.

4. FRUMENTY

A Hulled wheat boiled in milk.

B Dowdy woman. C Use of possession.

5. GENUFLECT

A Cast aside. B Ripen fruit underground.

C Bend the knee in worship.

6. HIRSUTE

A Nobel bearing. B Hairy C Pertaining to worms.

4. New Order and the England football team hadaU.K.No.1 with World In Motion

4. Italy beat West Germany in the World Cup final

3. Coca-Cola launched anew formula

4. U.K. blooddonors were to be screened for AIDS

2. ABritish Sea Harrier was shot down by Serbian Forces

3. Hugh Grant starred in Four Weddings And AFuneral

4. Blur released the album Parklife

1. Jack Nicholson starred in Chinatown

2. The Three Degrees had aU.K. No.1 hit with When Will I See YouAgain

3. Robbie Williams was born

4. West Germany won the World Cup

THE FOLLOWING EVENTS ALLOCCURRED IN

THE WORD MAYSOUND FAMILIAR, WHATDOES IT MEAN?

CROSSWORD

QUICK CLUES

Across

1. Shortly (4)

3. Estate (8)

9. Deflect (7)

10. Happen (5)

11. Varied (12)

13. Alliance (6)

15. Wood-facing (6)

17. Aligned (12)

20. African animal (5)

21. Applause (7)

22. Rebel (8)

23. Withered (4)

Down

1. Clamber (8)

2. Entrails (5)

4. Rite (6)

5. Very lucky(12)

6. Hermit (7)

7. Tale (4)

8. Surrender (12)

12. Sagacity (8)

14. Draw (7)

16. Neglect (6)

18. Sound (5)

19. Spume (4)

CRYPTIC CLUES

Across

1. Girl got up (4)

3. Panic if plants disturbed (4,4)

9. Unusual sensitivity makes everything strangely grey (7)

10. Sacred writings in one book or another (5)

11. Jaunt that could result in fall? (8,4)

13. The business of avery loud tune (6)

15. Not ahappy break from duty? (3-3)

17. No short boundary in arithmetic process (4,8)

20. Chap has to leave to get fruit (5)

21. Has laid out flowers (7)

22. Plants produced by less experienced youth leader? (8)

23. What we have here is abit of ancient history (4)

Down

1. Emerge again to harvest fruit (8)

2. Find the answer,the only one with 5in(5)

4. Egg-producing strata? (6)

5. Run away to find enjoyment in air travel? (4,2,6)

6. Warded off rider mistakenly chasing father (7)

7. Anumber of men in exile (4)

8. Ascolding because the bandage has slipped? (8,4)

12. Spy on his state of trance (8)

14. Sudden angry move reveals ornamental strip on dress (7)

16. Obstruct nearer the back (6)

18. Girl with hot head from the Emerald Isle (5)

19. Gums up through being complacent (4)

1 2 3

Amodel, Iwas born in London in 1949. My real name is Lesley Hornby and Iwas ajudge on thereality TV series America’s Next TopModel. Ifound fame as the face of London during the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and gained my professional name as aresult of my stick-thin figure.

Afootballer,Iwas born in Buenos Aires in 1960. Imade my footballing debut at the age of fifteen, and secured my first league title with Boca Juniors. Ibecamethe star of SSCNapoli during the 1980s, and led the Argentine team to World Cup glory in 1986.

WHAT’SMY NAME?

An author,playwright and literary critic, Iwas borninOhio in 1837. Iworked as an editor for Atlantic Monthly and was abiographer for President Lincoln. Iwas astrongadvocate of realism in literature, and my most famous novels, A Hazard of New Fortunes and The Rise of Silas Lapham, reflect this idea.

4 5

An occultist, Iwas borninIllinois in 1930. Much of my life as documented in my biography is now thoughttohave been fiction, including an affair with Marilyn Monroe. In 1969 Iwrote The Satanic Bible and was credited thereafter with the founding of the Church of Satan

An actress, Iwas born in Alabama in 1902. The daughter of a congressman, Idecided to become an actress at the ageof 15. Iwas deemed too old to play the lead in Gone With The Wind but had success in films such as A Royal Scandal and Hitchcock’s Lifeboat.

WORDSPIRALS IMPOSSIPUZZLES

STARTING FROM 1, FILL IN THE GRID IN ACLOCKWISE DIRECTION WITH FOUR-LETTER WORDS. THE LAST LETTER OF EACH WORD BECOMES THE FIRST LETTER OF THE NEXT WORD. IF YOUHAVECORRECTLYFILLED IN THE GRID THERE SHOULD BE ASEVEN-LETTER KEYWORD READING ACROSS FROM 8.

1. Touch with the lips 2. Painful 3. Peepers 4 Buy goods

5. Conspiracy 6. Tryout 7. End part 8. Touch down 9. Podium 10. Drinks delicately 11. Opening for coins 12. Upper-class person 13. Unbiased, impartial 14. Impetuous 15. Parsley,say 16. Blessing, benefit

Key word clue: Female mammal

1. Dog sound 2. Door handle 3. Defeat 4. Atinge

5. Small branch 6. Sport 7. Unwanted fat 8. Floating marker

9. Egg part 10. Japanese instrument 11. Rowing blades 12. Card game 13. Lubricates 14. Injure with aknife 15. Annoyance, informally 16. Amammal

Key word clue: Famous aviator

“You remember that teaser aboutdividing abig number, Dad?” Steve asked. “I’ve got another one with this serial number.”

Tomlooked up. “So you’ve got an eight-digit number now.What’s theidea?”

“A good one,” the boy replied. “Todivide it by 68 you just add one, and then remove the first pair of digits.”

As simple as that! What was Steve’s number?

“Long time, no see,” said Susan. “Do you still go to that Youth Centre?”

Betty shook her head. “No, it was only open afew weeks, 28 days, to be exact, and not very strenuous,” she replied. “There were three of us on duty every day,and each did six days.”

How many kind people did that entail?

Tomemptied his wallet. “I can donate £14,”hesaid. “Wonderful!” exclaimed Elsie, noting the amount on her list. “I hadcollected an average of £2.22 per donor,but now you’ve raised the average to £2.41. Thankyou so much.”

1 2 3 4

How much was the new total?

“He had twenty-three on sale, just three varieties,” said Doug. “I didn’t take all but Igot all three sorts. Five hundred pounds the lot.”

Glen gasped. “Wow! But Isuppose it costs plenty to bring fancy fish in from Venus.How many of each did you buy?”

“Work it out,” replied Doug. “A pletzy was two-thirds the price of agryva. Igot twice as manyimlacs as gryvas, and at £6 each less than apletzy.”All prices exact pounds.

Well?

1. Perceivesounds 2. Shabby clothing 3. Ditty

4. Soft steady light 5. Paid job 6. Brown seaweed

7. Smoke hard 8. Flippers 9. Takes aseat 10. Complete extent 11. Body part 12. Retain 13. Couple 14.

Key word clue: Popular activity

ANSWERS ON PAGE 128

Ridge of coral 15. Locate 16. Money,slang

1Regarded by many as the best and most consistent ‘public subscription band’ in the world, The Brighouse & Rastrick Band embark on aspecial concert tour this year with the Tacoma Concert Band.

The Brighouse &Rastrick Band have developed aformidable reputation for highly entertaining concerts for both the general public and brass band connoisseurs, and more recently,‘Briggus’ became NationalChampion Band of Great Britain in 2017.They also boast anumber of very successful music collaborations, outside the brass band tradition, including with Kate Rusby, The Unthanks and classical actor Simon Callow

The Tacoma Concert Band has achieved astellar regional, national, and international reputation as the Pacific Northwest’spremier symphonic band. The band provides the Puget Sound community with aprofessional quality wind ensemble and performs awide array of musical styles ranging from classical to contemporary, and from Broadway to the cinema.

Venue is Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, with tickets costing £20

Formore details visit the website at www.theatresevern.co.uk 6

Look forward to awelcome return to Telford Theatre for stunning power trio Voodoo Room, featuring some of the UK’s finest musicians.

Paying tributetosome of the greatest names in rock history,Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Cream, the group have forged awell-deserved reputation as one

of the finest live bands in Europe.

Hear all the classicsincluding Strange Brew,Hey Joe, Sunshine Of Your Love, Fire, Layla, Purple Haze, etc.

This is aworld-class show,put together in total appreciation of these massive pioneers of classic blues androck. Selling out theatres and clubs alike on their ascent to the top of the live circuit, their members have played with Massive Attack, Ben E. King, Duran Duran, Stevie Winwood, Thunder,ArthurBrown and Fish, to name afew

Voodoo Room are at Oakengates Theatre, Telford. Tickets £17. Visit www.telfordtheatre.com

6

The UK’s biggest retro festival Let’s Rock is hosted at multiple locations, including Shrewsbury’sQuarry Park on July 6, bringingfamily fun and memories of the 1980s.

This year’s line-up will feature Soft Cell, The Boomtown Rats, Soul II Soul, Midge Ure, Heaven 17, The Undertones, T’Pau, Neville Staple, Hue &Cry,China Crisis,Five Star,Blancmange, Living Joy, and Odyssey.

Formore details andtickets costing £59, visit www.letsrockshrewsbury.com

19Shakespeare meets royal romcom in ahilarious new production of Much Ado About Nothing, from Oddsocks.

Set in theluscious gardens of an Italian villa in the heightofsummer,love is in the air.A respected prince turns cupid for his friends whilst they party and relax, but lurking in the shadows is

ayounger prince, his brother,(aspare perhaps?) who bears agrudgeand is keen to “rain on everyone’s parade”.

The play comes to Oakengates Theatre, Telford, with tickets priced £18 Visit www.telfordtheatre.com

7&8After athree-year hiatus. the Bishop’s Castle Real Ale Trail, aworld-famous celebrationofall things real ale and proper cider,isback. Hundreds of real ales and ciders will be available along with live music, fantastic local food and all-round merriment and cheer.

Entry is free. Fore more details go to www.bishopscastleandbeyond.co.uk

8

The next Telford Stamp, Postcard and Coin Fair returns to the Belmont Community Hall, Wellington Centre, Telford, this month, from 10am to 2pm. Agood range of stamps, postcards and coins will be available, items bought and sold, and free entry

See arange of material before buying and talk to the dealers. Bring in spare material and discuss selling to adealer if you wish. Masks and social distancing are optional or justbrowse at your leisure.

Freshly cooked light refreshments available. Any enquiries to Richard Camp on 01952 405458.

8&9Oswestry Food and Drink Festival takes to the streets of Oswestry for two days on July 8and 9. On the opening day,the usual market stalls rub shoulders with food and drink from all over Shropshire and North Wales. Get your taste buds ready to try all

The Brighouse &Rastrick Band perform aspecial concertatShrewsbury’sTheatreSevern; powertrioVoodoo Room perform the music of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Cream at Oakengates Theatre, Telford, on July 6.

sorts of new flavours.Watch out for the street entertainers and take afew minutes to enjoy them. Sample the flavours from the local brewery or distillery and don’t miss the totally scrumptious cake stalls. Street food of all kinds is just waitingto be enjoyed and it isn’t agood weekend for calorie counting. The second day is more laid back and just theday to take your foodie goodies and enjoy them in Cae Glas Park. There’s usually ice cream on sale and it’s agreat place for all the family.You could work off some of that scrumptious food with agame of crazy golf or crown green bowls and the smaller childrenwill love the playground. It’s a great weekend for getting to know the local pubs and cafes too. They often have something new going on and what could be better to end the day than apint and listening to some of the localmusic talent.

Entry is free. Formore details see www.visitoswestry.co.uk

9&23

Weston Park continues its series of Behind the Scenes Tours this month, giving visitors the opportunity to learn some of the royal secrets of the Bradford family,including who was Master of the HorsetoQueen Victoria, which royal honeymooned at Weston and why Queen Mary was such a frequent house guest.

This month’s tours, at 2pm on July 9and 23, areconducted by Weston’s knowledgeable volunteer guides and explore areas of the house thatare not normally open to visitors.

Tours cost £20per person and include admission to the house, park and gardens.

All proceeds from the walks and tours

go directly to supporting the work of the Weston Park Foundation.

Formore details visit www.westonpark.com/behind-the-scenes-tour/ Formore information about Weston Park, visit www.weston-park.com

15,20&21

This year the life of dance master John Weaver is being celebrated to mark the 350th anniversary of his birth.

John was born in Shrewsbury in 1673, and was educated in the town. He returned to Shrewsbury from London to establish his own dance school, continuing as adancemaster until late in life, dying in 1760 at the grand age of 87. John Weaver’s impact on thedevelopment of dance was significant and many people attribute to him the title ‘Father of English Ballet’. After studying ballet, and teaching at the London Contemporary Dance School, Maggie Love of Shrewsbury is co-ordinating afestivalofevents titled the John Weaver 350 Celebrations.

Saturday,July 15, will see adance showcase in St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury,from 11am to 3pm, with performances by the finalists from the John Weaver Dance Festival. The 14th-century stained-glass East Jesse window was originally in the Old St Chad’s church where John Weaver’s family worshipped and John Weaver was buried in the south aisle in 1760 (before it collapsed in 1788). Admission is free.

On Thursday,July 20, at 2.30pm, dance historian Moira Goff will talk about Hester Santlow,England’s first ballerina, who danced with John Weaver.Moira’s

talk is at the Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery

The renowned dancing group The Weaver Ensemble will perform ‘Mr Weaver Presents’ –aperformance of The Loves of Mars and Venusand The Loves of Pygmalion, at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury,at7.30pm on Friday,July 21.Membersofthe ensemble will also be delivering aworkshop on Saturday, July 22, titled ‘Movement with Meaning’ at The HIVE, 5Belmont,Shrewsbury, between 10am and 11.30am. This will be agreatopportunity to experience some of the dance gestures that John Weaver would have performed and taught. The workshop is followed by the final event of this special weekend, with awreath-laying in Old St Chad’s Churchyard.

Tickets available from www ticketsource.co.uk

17The Shropshire Love Nature Festival is back for 2023 highlighting events across the county aimed at bringing more people closer to nature.

This year’s festival will run for three weeks from July 17 to August 6celebrating the wildlife, nature and biodiversity of the county.Itissponsored and organised by the Shropshire Good Food Partnership.

All events are run by local organisations andbusinesses aiming to share their skills and knowledge to help protect Shropshire’s naturalbeauty

The festival aims to showcase the incredible work that is already going on in Shropshire to safeguardthe natural environment as well as encourage the

The ShropshireLove NatureFestival is back for 2023. Photo:RickAdaway;the artgroups at Wellington Methodist Church with their display of artwork for the summer exhibition.

staging of new events.

The Shropshire Love NatureFestival team would like to hear from any groups interested in joining the festival by staging nature-led events during the three weeks of the festival.

Paul Newman, of the Shropshire Good Food Partnership, said: “Research shows that the closer we gettonature, the happier we are, the more worthwhile life seems, and the more we are willing to take action to protect our wildlife and the environment.

“That’s why one of thesix focus areas of our Shropshire Good Food Partnership is ‘Nature Connection’,and why we are so pleased to be the lead sponsor of this year’s Love Nature Festival.

“This year’s events will offer opportunities to learn new skills, explore new places, and enjoy more of the natural beauty of Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Hopefully,we’ll all be inspired to take alittle more care of the natural world around us.”

Further information on how to run an event as part of the

Shropshire Love NatureFestival can be found through thewebsite at www.shropshirelovenaturefestival. org/ or by emailing the organisers at shropshirelovenature@gmail.com

21The lunch-hour concerts at Shrewsbury’s St Chad’s church continue this month with aharp recital by rising star Gina Taylor Concerts begin at 12.30pm, are free of charge, and there is lunch afterwards in the church hall.

Visit www.stchadschurchshrewsbury com for details of this andother events.

21&22

The art groups at Wellington Methodist Church have produced awonderful display of artwork in preparation for the summer exhibition at the churchJuly 21 and 22, 10am-3pm. Refreshments including home-made cakes will be served. Call Barbara Murray for more information on 07592 881108.

ANSWERS TO PUZZLES ON PAGES 123-125

REMEMBER WHEN: 1.1942. 2.1990. 3.1982. 4.1985.

5.1994. 6.1974.

FOUR Ws: 1.Robert Peel;Suri; Ukraine; 1958. 2.Renée

Zellweger; Bouillé; Romania; 1901. 3.Eadweard Muybridge; Finnish and Swedish; Tanzania; 2002. 4.Beth Tweddle; Lake Zurich; San Sebastián, Spain and Wroclaw,Poland; 1956.

5.NeilRobertson; Ludacris; SaintHelena; 1885

6.Bruce Springsteen; Yellow; Dublin, Ireland; 1947.

WORDWISE: 1.B 2.B 3.A 4.A 5.C 6.B

CROSSWORD: QUICK SOLUTIONS: Across: 1 Soon;

3 Property; 9 Refract; 10 Occur; 11 Multifarious; 13 League;

15 Veneer; 17 Straightened; 20 Okapi; 21 Ovation; 22

Mutineer; 23 Sere. Down: 1 Scramble; 2 Offal; 4 Ritual;

5 Providential; 6 Recluse; 7 Yarn; 8 Capitulation; 12 Prudence; 14 Attract; 16 Ignore; 18 Noise; 19 Foam.

CRYPTIC SOLUTIONS: Across: 1 Rose; 3 Flat spin; 9 Allergy; 10 Koran; 11 Pleasure trip; 13 Affair; 15 Off-day; 17 Long division; 20 Mango; 21 Dahlias; 22 Greenery;

29-Aug12

An exceptional community event, the Church Stretton Arts Festival features a range of performance arts to suit all tastes, and an art exhibition which attracts well over ahundred exhibiting localartists.

Among the attractions are classical music concerts, contemporary music concerts, drama, speakers, free coffee concerts, free organ recitals,anart,crafts and photography exhibition, and artrelated workshops. The event will be launched at St Laurence’s Church by The Katona Twins, guitar duo Peter and Zoltán Katona. Transferring from classical to popular genres, their style combines classical, flamenco and finger-picking techniques with the stage presenceof lead guitarists. Their latest programme Hollywood &Swing features popular film music themes balanced by more serious but little-known works by CastelnuovoTedesco, closing with themusic of Django Reinhardt –the king of gypsy jazz.

Formore details and ticket prices visit www.strettonfestival.org.uk

Gina Taylor performs aharp recitalatShrewsbury’sStChad’sChurch; aperformance of Mr Weaver Presents at TheatreSevernonJuly 21.

Photo:VerdouxlensPhotography