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DECK THE HALLS

Annabelle Hunt, Colour Consultant, Bridport Timber & Flooring

As we hurtle towards the end of another peculiar year and the days grow shorter and darker, festive rituals and traditions bring some much-needed brightness. Whether your tree cannot have too many baubles, or you prefer a more restrained vignette of rustic twigs, putting a bit of holiday cheer into your space can certainly help lift the mood.

When our children were very small, I learnt to relinquish all control over the tree. This was their dominion, and I would (and still do) step back, pour myself a glass of something festive and let them get on with it. I say relinquish all control, but I do admit to a little surreptitious ‘filtering’ of the more battered or bizarre decorations. And perhaps just a tiny bit of rearranging here and there. Just to even things out.

Whatever your festive style, we all want our homes to be relaxed and welcoming. Whether you prefer neutral schemes or bold statements, contemporary spaces, or a more nostalgic style, at this time of year we all share a common need for comfort and cosiness.

If you have a neutral scheme, build on it with delicate blues and greys or add warmth with soft pinks and browns. Introduce texture by layering up cosy throws, cushions, knits, and faux furs in earthy, muted tones and add stronger accents of mossy greens and blues. Farrow & Ball are famed for their subtly shifting shades which are perfect for achieving this look. Try Smoked Trout for warmth, or Green Smoke, Pigeon or Inchyra Blue which are all beautifully muted and change as the light moves throughout the day. This year, when it comes to decorations, natural wood, feathers, pinecones, and even dried fruit and flowers will be the stars of the festive show. Leave the glitzy, glamorous decorations in the loft and go for a more subtle, pared-back style.

For those who prefer a more dramatic and sophisticated look, glowing shades of raspberry, plum and grape decorated with gold details is a stylish twist on the classic red and gold festive scheme. For attention-grabbing shades that will add drama to any room, the jewel-bright tones of F&B’s ‘Colours of Nature’ palette are perfect. ‘Lake Red’, which appears red to some and pink to others, is perfect for this updated Christmas look but for a deeper, darker scheme, try ‘Preference Red’ or ‘Brinjal’. Any of these highly saturated shades will create a gorgeously decadent atmosphere, perfect for the season. A well-chosen group of festive baubles against such a bold backdrop is strikingly elegant.

For hopeless sentimentals like me who laugh and cry over the same well-loved decorations every year, a simple bowl of baubles makes a quick and effective display, and a few favourite festive trinkets placed artfully on a shelf or side table make a cheerful tableau, capturing the joy of the season perfectly. Oh, and twinkly lights everywhere. Preferably on a timer so you don’t spend an hour or so turning them all off before bed each night.

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A NEW BREED OF LAND BUYERS?

Sophie Clotworthy, Rural and Farm Agent, Woolley & Wallis

The recent pandemic has caused a huge review of people’s aims and aspirations as well as a change and a widening of the audiences of potential buyers. My colleagues and I are witnessing the start of an urban exodus, with heightened demand for homes with land. But what of the agricultural land market?

Traditionally, blocks of agricultural land and paddocks have been purchased by farmers, landowners and investors, often driven by the benign Capital Tax regime that is afforded to the agricultural property.

But now the market has seen the emergence of a new type of buyer. There is a growing demand, backed by substantial funds, for rewilding land - planting trees to off-set carbon and create Biodiversity Net Gain.

There is a growing and powerful lobby to ensure that agricultural land plays its part in reducing the impact of climate change. Larger parcels of bare land are becoming highly sought-after for buyers seeking to use the land for this purpose. Rewilding has the opportunity to aid in reversing the extinction of some species as well as tackling climate change.

I am seeing growth in demand from charities, individuals and some companies all wanting to buy land purely to plant trees – not necessarily with a commercial outcome but with the aim of creating wildlife habitat and broadening the diversity of habitat for a speciesrich environment. These buyers are well-funded, welladvised and are taking a long-term view.

A change in property development and housebuilding has forced a number of developers to become buyers of land in order to offset nitrogen or phosphate pollution. As an example, there is a collective hiatus in residential development on land within the water catchment leading into the Solent. This is forcing developers to purchase agricultural land to be dedicated as Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to mitigate any discharge. Developers are buying land and at high prices. They are required to make a long-term commitment to maintain the ground - up to an 80-year tie-in! This will undoubtedly replicate itself across the country and your Local Planning Authority soon.

The volume of potential buyers will only maintain and strengthen the future value of agricultural land. The advent of these new types of buyer will support the value of the poorer land and possibly narrow the gap between it and the better ground.

For those who are contemplating a sale, I have never seen a better time to sell agricultural land into a market that is cash-rich and robust, supported by a benevolent tax regime (which may soon change) and the widest audience of active potential buyers.