Aprilmay2014

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CGA MAGAZINE APRIL/MAY 2014 ISSUE 121/2

THE WILD WEST

Simon King opens his heart and his home

BER MEM ITS F BENE SIVE U EXCALF Club R

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A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 4

F I C T I O N B E C O M E S FAC T : A B E W I T C H I N G N E W C O N TAC T S P O RT H E A D F O R H AY- O N - W Y E • T H E R O A D A H E A D I S E L E C T R I C

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Chairman’s comment CGA Chalke House, Station Road, Codford,Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 0JX Telephone: 01985 850706 Fax: 01985 850378 Email: enquiries@thecga.co.uk Website: www.thecga.co.uk For more than a century, those in the know have enjoyed the remarkable collection of benefits that come with CGA membership. Membership includes a magazine, exclusive events, numerous privileges, a wide range of retail discounts and much, much more.

CGA Financial and Investment Services Specialists in investment strategy and inheritance tax planning, incorporating trusts and wills. Providing advice on a diverse range of financial matters - both large and small - including PEP transfers, ISAs, offshore investments, best deposit rates, unit trusts and investment bonds. Advice on pensions, mortgages and school fees planning is also provided by experienced consultants nationwide.

Representing only the St. James’s Place Group for the purposes of advising on the Group’s investment management, risk management and banking products and services. Members of the St. James’s Place Group are authorized by the FCA. The St. James’s Place Partnership and the title ‘Partner’ are the marketing terms used to describe the representative of the St. James’s Place Group.

CGA Insurance Services Exceptionally competitive terms combined with the best possible level of service from the CGA’s highly respected insurance arm. Cover is arranged for both private and commercial clients and we possess a long-standing reputation for quality home, contents and travel insurance.

CGA Insurance Services Ltd, Chalke House, Station Road, Codford, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 0JX is authorized and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Our FCA Register number is 307262. Our permitted business is advising on and arranging general insurance contracts.

CGA Legal Services To complement the investment, financial and insurance services offered, the CGA is also able to assist and advise on private client legal matters Telephone: 01985 851300 Email: james.baker@cgalegal.co.uk Website: www.cgalegal.co.uk CGA Legal Services Ltd is licensed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to provide private client legal services. Our professional team advises on all areas of private client law, including Wills and Estate Planning, Probate, and Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Cavendish Equity Release Suite 4, Chapel Allerton District Centre, Town Street, off Harrogate Road, Chapel Allerton, Leeds LS7 4BN Telephone: 0113 228 4488 Fax: 0113 228 4489 Email: info@cavendishequityrelease.co.uk Website: www.cavendishequityrelease.co.uk

hen I was writing my note for the last issue, I scarcely imagined that the floods which were becoming more and more prevalent across the country would still be present in many places two months later.

Television reports show them receding, but because so much of the land is saturated water is still running off hills and fields into rivers, streams and ditches, slowing the rate at which the flood water is disappearing.

The impact of that flooding is going to be felt for months to come, possibly years in some places like the Somerset Levels. All we can do at the moment is hope that the prevention measures now being talked about, often in a “wise after the event” tone, do the job properly in future years. Perhaps we should also keep our fingers firmly crossed that these “once in a hundred years” events are just that.

Last weekend was a complete contrast, with temperatures soaring to as much as 20 degrees in the south east – we’re still in mid-March as I write, remember.We are enjoying displays of snowdrops and daffodils on a scale I haven’t seen for a long time, so perhaps the meteorological tide has turned at last.

All of this has me looking forward to the summer, and to some of the brilliant events we’ve got lined up for you. For instance, there are two great golf days – one at the New Zealand Golf Club in Surrey in May and the other at Trevose near Padstow in September.There are more events in the pipeline so, as they say, watch this space.

It’s not long now till we reach the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.The CGA is to mark that centenary by throwing its support behind the RAF Benevolent Fund as a mark of respect for those who flew not just in that war but in every conflict ever since.We recognise their bravery, we remember their sacrifice, we sympathise with their families: we salute them all.

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The longest established Equity Release specialist in the UK. Trusted market advice is available to homeowners who are considering the benefits of raising funds from the equity tied up in their home.

Equity Release comprises Home Reversion Plans and Lifetime Mortgages.

To understand the features and risks, ask for a personalized illustration.

The Country Gentlemen’s Association (CGA) accepts no liability for any insert, display or classified advertisement included in this publication. While all reasonable care is taken to ensure that all advertisers are reliable and reputable, the CGA cannot give an assurance that they will fulfil their obligation under all circumstances. The views expressed are the contributors’ own and do not necessarily reflect CGA policy. All rights reserved. No part of CGA Magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Marketing Director of the CGA. © CGA, 2014

Editor Lucille Parker - lucillep@thecga.co.uk Senior Designer Kelly Roberts Designers Katrina ffiske Staff Writer Peter Corbett Advertising Susan Anslow 01985 850706 - susana@thecga.co.uk Front Cover Photo credit Simon King Contributors Elisabeth Luard, David Walsh, Nicholas Fogg, and Dennis Furnell.

Photography and illustrations Creative Commons, Dennis Furnell, Rex Features

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William Harrison-Allan Chairman William Harrison-Allan Legal Counsel James Baker CGA Group Business Manager: Neil Simmons Cultural Events Sylvia Cotterill Marketing Manager Emma Rice Marketing Assistant Helen Huett Special Projects Manager Hanne Holm Web Developer Sam Webb Receptionist and administrator Natasha Marlow Chartered Financial Consultant Ian Finn Financial Consultants Neil Bedford Mark Beverley Keith Wyatt Head of Management Information Barbara Moulds Technical Pensions Consultant Robert Gaines

Cavendish Property Investments Richard Perry Technical Finance Assistants Louise Glasby, Robyn Harding Tamzin Rose, Anna Shawcross Duncan Bailey, Chloe Abrahamowicz Consultant Support Anita Gomez Insurance Manager Julie Hillier Insurance Team Linda Chisholm-Urvoy Emily Hards Bertie Mayall Robert McKinlay Hayley Perkins Abi Spratt Lucy Ward Group Accountant Harvey Clark Accounts Assistant Vera Webber

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 3

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E USIV L C EX MBER N ME TITIO PE th O C M 0 word 5 2 £ Win actor Te of Tr ods! go

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28 Upfront

Features

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20 Cover Feature Naturalist, TV presenter and cameraman Simon King OBE talks to Lucille Parker about his wild days

44 AGA Your old Aga cooker may be as cosy as an old friend, but you may be tempted to upgrade when you find out what’s available

28 National Treasure Meet the man who swans around the Thames and its tributaries in a scarlet jacket upholding an old tradition

48 Sport Unravel the mystery of a magical new sport that is sweeping the world

CGA News Keep up to date and up front with all the goings-on at the CGA

12 Cultural Events The chance to meet, greet, eat and peep at some of the best of British stately homes and institutions 14 Events Diary Spring has sprung, so fill up your calendar with plenty of sunny events around the country 16 Countryside News A round-up of the latest issues under the spotlight of countryside organisations

30 Tractor Ted Life down on the farm in Somerset is child’s play for an enterprising partnership 32 Motoring Electric vehicles are generating a great deal of excitement as the Government offers incentives to join the EV revolution 36 Market Town Hie thee down to Hay-on-Wye, arguably Britain’s most literary town, where books are not the only thing that beckon 40 Fine Art Tom Merrifield captures the grace and glory of the dance in his stunning sculptures

48 Nature Notes Creatures great and small are shaking off their winter somnolence 51 Men’s Fashion Tips from a top tailor on how to dress to impress 52 Food Picnics that pack a punch are on the menu from Elisabeth Luard 56 Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund Peter Corbett introduces this vital military charity which, quite literally, has helped thousands of servicemen to get back on their feet 70 Travel Katrina ffiske shares her journal of a heart-felt journey to Nepal

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April/May 2014

Contents 72

30 Financial & Legal

Regulars

35 Secure your roof Find out how to arrange specialised insurance cover for your thatched roof

24 Fogg’s Focus Nick Fogg comes to grips with some startling statistics

55 Budget Briefing Highs and lows of the recent budget

26 Walsh’s World David Walsh navigates his way around some marvellous maps

68 On the up Property analyst Richard Perry reflects on the Mortgage Market Review

62 Ynyshir Hall Hotel A review of this hideaway in a Welsh valley

70 Coffee House Tried and trusted financial advice from Cheviot Asset Management

79 Llangoed Hall Hotel The AA Hotel of the Year 2014, is the pride of Powys

71 The Legal Legacy CGA solicitor takes the pain out of probate

84 Wine Cellar David Porter discusses the merits of organic wines

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86 Book Club A bumper book selection at a special price 88 Offers & Wants Look for interesting bargains in the members’ marketplace 90 Last Laugh Raising the ghost of a smile we look at the silly stuff of days gone by

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News There’s never a dull moment at the CGA! Here’s the latest news and views emanating from our home in Wiltshire

Youth in Sport Sponsorship

JOHN IS PULLING AHEAD

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ith the competitive rowing season for 2014 about to get under way CGA-supported athlete, John Collins of Leander Club, is relishing the chance to shine on the international circuit.

After his third successive win at Henley Royal Regatta John, 25, has earned his place in the top sculling group among the senior GB squad, with whom he has spent recent weeks at a long-distance training camp in Portugal.

Far away from the flooded conditions back home the athletes have enjoyed balmy weather and four-star accommodation at the purpose built Aviz Acqua training centre.

Not that there has been much time to enjoy the scenery. John and his fellow athletes have notched up valuable distance on the water, covering a total of 470km during their twelve day stay. And indoor assessments have brought their own success, as John recorded a personal best over 5000m on the ergometer, which he finished in just 15 mins 57 secs.

The next milestone for the promising sculler will be final GB trials this month, which help determine crew selection for

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the season ahead. Now 6’ 4” tall, and tipping the scales at 95 Kg, John is one of the country’s top scullers and relishing the chance of a possible seat in the GB double, where his clubmate Jonny Walton might secure the other seat.

The first major competition this year will be the European Championships in Belgrade at the end of May. Three weeks later comes the World Cup regatta at the scenic Lake Aiguebelette in the French Alps, followed by the next in Lucerne, Switzerland. If everything goes according to plan John will have earned himself a place at the senior World Championships, to be held in Amsterdam at the end of August.

Meanwhile his parents, Philip and Kathy, are looking forward to travelling abroad as members of the GB Supporters Club.

Home water at Henley remains John’s favourite venue, and another chance to race at the Royal Regatta would be the icing on the cake this year for the Twickenham-born athlete.

“CGA support is making a significant difference to my life. To train this hard to achieve my ambitions makes having a job virtually impossible and extra funding in this way is very welcome” he said.

IN THE RUNNING In between writing wills and handling probate for CGA clients, our Legal Services manager, James Baker, is a man of action! When he’s not behind his desk he’s out hiking or running for charity.

Readers may recall that in our last issue James was heading off on a sponsored trek through the Arabian desert. With that expedition successfully under his belt his next mission is to run the London Marathon.

The 34th (Virgin Money) London Marathon takes place on 13th April, and James has been training hard, hoping to complete the 42,195kms and raise his target of £3,000 for Debra – the organisation which supports victims of a rare and devastating skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).

James says he first heard about EB when he was invited to a charity fundraiser at the Boyal Berkshire Shooting School, and decided he would run the marathon this year in aid of this worthy cause.

EB affects 1 in 17,000 live births, and it is estimated 5,000 people in the UK currently have the condition. It results in fragility of the skin, and, in some cases, other internal membranes and organs. It can be fatal in infancy, or at best severely life-limiting.

To help James reach his target (at the time of writing he is 85% of the way there!) or, even better, exceed it, visit his fund-raising page at www.justgiving.com/jpsbaker. To find out more about EB see www.debra.org.uk.

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CGA News

CLUB TOGETHER ON THE LINKS A reminder that the CGA is hosting two great golf days this year, and the first one is happening soon!

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oin us for an 18-hole extravaganza at the famed New Zealand Golf Club in Surrey on 22 May, fuelled by delicious bacon rolls before you tee off at 9am, and fortified by refreshments at the Pimm’s bar when you reach the 9th hole. After the action sit down to a delectable three-course lunch while you indulge in a post-mortem of the game.

There are still a few spots open for this fun day – sign up as a team of three or as an individual (in which case we will be happy to allocate playing partners). The cost is £145 all inclusive.

The second sensational CGA golfing experience for 2014 is the regular two-day break at Trevose in Cornwall, which has become

one of the most popular features on the CGA events calendar.

This year’s dates to diarise for Trevose are Thursday and Friday 11 & 12 September, and the cost for the entire event is £269 per person (prices held from last year!).

For this fee you will enjoy two rounds of golf on the scenic Trevose course, lunch, dinner, guest accommodation for the night and breakfast – along with all the essentials like wine and refreshments.

To join us at either of these events contact Emma Rice on email at emmar@thecga.co.uk, or call her on 01985 850706.

CGA Charitable Foundation

CGA furnishes support for hospice ichard Perry (left in the picture) recently handed a cheque for £1,149 to the Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne on behalf of the CGA Charitable Foundation. The donation was gratefully received on behalf of the Hospice by head of fundraising, John Fellowes (right).

Hospice CEO Karen Houlston said the donation covered the cost of a new settee and chairs in the new bereavement lounge – “an area where families who have recently lost a loved one, and who are coping with the initial stages of bereavement, can have time together with their thoughts and a place where they can share their grief in private”.

CGA Chairman, William Harrison-Allan, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to support those who benefit from Willow Wood Hospice. They clearly do a fantastic job and impact on the lives of many people. The Hospice plays such an important role in the community and makes a huge difference to individuals and families who are dealing with extremely difficult circumstances.”

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He explained (and we repeat this here for members who may not be aware of this arm of the CGA) that the Charitable Foundation makes relatively modest but specific financial grants to carefully selected worthwhile causes which are brought to our attention by members.

The foundation originated back in 2001, following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease which left many farmers and country

folk in distress. Within two weeks of making an appeal to help those affected, CGA members generously donated more than £45,000 for the cause. Since then the CGA has continued to accept donations for our Charitable Foundation, and making grants where requested if deemed appropriate. The causes supported are generally of a small and local nature, anywhere in the country.

Examples of some of the grants made are £500 for the purchase of angling equipment for a fishing project for disadvantaged children, and a similar sum for the ongoing maintenance of an historic World War II torpedo boat.

The CGA Charitable Foundation is dependent on the special fundraising events and the ongoing generosity of CGA members.

Donations help ensure that the Foundation can continue its work across the country.

Contact the CGA by telephone 01985 850 706 or email enquiries@thecga.co.uk to arrange a regular contribution or one-off gift, or visit our website at www.thecga.co.uk/about for further information.

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 7

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CGA Foxhunter Chase

The fantastic CGA Foxhunter’s Final It was a case of “the wearing of the green” as nine-year-old Irish mare Tammy’s Hill, ridden by James Smyth, won the exciting CGA Foxhunter’s Chase Challenge at the Cheltenham Festival – not quite on St Patrick’s Day, but close enough.

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myth timed his challenge just right and pushed Tammy’s Hill to a three and a quarter lengths win over 40/1 outsider Carsonstown Boy (owned by J T Monaghan), with On The Fringe (owned by John P McManus) coming in third. The front-runners were visitors from the Emerald Isle, and were fittingly sporting their green CGA saddle cloths.

There was jubilation all round! A smiling William Harrison-Allan, Chief Executive of the CGA, was there to watch the action, but was cagey about admitting which horse he’d put his money on!

Trainer of the winner, Liam Lennon, was quick to tell the assembled press that the victorious horse “now deserves a shot at a big pot – probably the Irish Grand National”.

Tammy’s Hill is owned by the Smyth family, who were overjoyed by the win, having bred the horse themselves. Patsy Smyth from Newry in County Down is the owner and breeder, while his son, James, was in the saddle. The win was a remarkable achievement for James too: he is aged 35 and regards himself – he told interviewers – as being “in my twilight years”. He said that he had once run a race on Tammy’s Hill’s mother.

It was touch and go whether Tammy’s Hill would even take part in this illustrious race – the sequel to the legendary Gold Cup, across the same course. The horse is a smart hunter, but apparently doesn’t travel well, and Smyth had considered keeping him in Ireland and going handicapping instead.

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CGA Foxhunter Chase

Over the years six horses have made their mark by winning the Foxhunter Chase on two occasions. The first dual winner was The Callant in consecutive years in 1956 and 1957. The most recent double champion was Salsify, who took the honours in 2012 and 2013. If not for the fact of sustaining an injury a few weeks prior to this year’s race, Salsify may well have been defending his title again! As it was, the field was left open for Tammy’s Hill to claim the day from the favourite, which was Harbour Court at 5/1.

The CGA Foxhunter Chase is contested over the same course and distance as the Cheltenham Gold Cup, and it is sometimes referred to as the “amateur Gold Cup”. Qualification for entry in the Foxhunter Chase is based on a horse’s previous performances in certain types of race within a specific period. To be eligible a horse must have finished first or second twice in hunter chases, or have won two open point-to-point races, or have won one open point-to-point race and finished first or second in a hunter chase.

The lead-up to this year’s final CGA Foxhunter’s Challenge at Cheltenham saw two months of thrilling racing taking place from Kelso to Wincanton, and many racecourses inbetween. Representatives of the CGA were at each race to present trophies and congratulate the worthy winners.

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 9

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Stay in touch

Stay in touch

Find us on Facebook, give us a tweet, drop us an email or do it the good old-fashioned way by post – the method matters not, but we’d really like to hear from you!

Face it!

Members who use Facebook and don’t visit the CGA page regularly are missing out! The facebook.com/CGA1893 page is updated daily and is the place to find out the very latest CGA news, from membership benefits to discounts and special offers. It is also a forum where our members and friends are encouraged to share their views and comment on all sorts of things, from the weather to the latest cricket score. You can tell us what we’re doing wrong, and praise us if we do something right. Like us on Facebook and you’ll like what you find there!

The luck of the Draw

CGA member Mr A J Caig has a fishy tale to tell – he won the tasty hamper of mixed fish products worth £60 in the DelishFish lucky draw in our February/March issue. Well done and bon appetit!

Ten lucky readers won a pair of tickets each to the Cruise Show at Olympia (yes, that was the correct answer to the competition question) in London: Mrs M P Wildman (Cheshire), Dr C White (Cambridge), Mr M J G Smith (Shipston-on-Stour), Mr H D T Helps (Pewsey), Air Vice-Marshal Barry Newton (Reading), Mr J B Morrell (Tenbury Wells), Mr R A Welch (Gravesend), Mrs M Whittell (Tring), Mr J H Lane (Dorking) and Mrs J R Hocking (Shrewsbury).

Last, but by no means least, Mr G Rowland of Altringham is enjoying his prize – a copy of the beautifully illustrated “Lord Byron’s Best Friends” by Geoffrey Bond, which he won in our book draw.

This issue’s competitions include a treat for the little ‘uns - £250-worth of Tractor Ted merchandise of your choice. There’s also another chance to win a DelishFish hamper, and some super-special memory boxes.

Well done to everyone!

Offers & Wants revamp

How to keep 8 : ( +

in touch

enquiries@thecga.co.uk www.thecga.co.uk 01985 850706 The CGA, Chalke House, Station Road, Codford, Warminster, BA12 OJX @TheCGA

facebook.com/CGA1893

Sign up for the Market Bulletin

Our members’ marketplace, Offers & Wants – the free classified advert pages offered in each issue of the CGA Magazine – has become increasingly popular of late, and the volume of ads we receive has made it necessary to revamp the terms and conditions slightly. The idea of O&W is to give members a few columns where they can buy and sell items of interest – perhaps a painting for which there is no longer room after downsizing; a china tea cup to replace one lost from a set; a good quality coat no longer required. We have, in the past, been happy to even advertise cars and property if space permits. Unfortunately, though, we have to draw the line at adverts for commercial enterprises, or else, obviously, we would be swamped! The O&W in this issue (pages 88 and 89) does contain one such ‘commercial’ advertisement – for a B&B establishment – which we agreed to after the member concerned argued that our terms and conditions did not preclude it. So, we accepted the advert and have now amended the rules to allow us greater discretion – and you, the members, a more fair opportunity for having your adverts placed. Space is at a premium, so keep your ads short and sweet – but keep them coming!

Meet a member...

CGA member Mr A Gilby of Liverpool enjoyed a shooting trip to an estate near Dunbar in Scotland – seen here in a photograph with seven other guns from all around the world who joined him on the experience. The picture was sent in by his son, William, who thought his Dad would be chuffed to see himself in his favourite magazine.

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Use the scanner app on your smartphone or tablet computer to scan this QR code and be directed to the CGA website where you can sign up for our weekly Market Bulletin.

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 11

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CGA Cultural Events - Short Break

CGA Members Exclusive Short Break – a two night break based at the Meon Valley Marriott Hotel and Country Club **** Private Viewing of the Mary Rose Museum and The Palace House Beaulieu with luncheon at Bucklers Hard Sunday 28th – Tuesday 30th September 2014

he Mary Rose, Britain's great Tudor warship, is the centerpiece of a stunning new museum in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. After a private viewing and tour, enjoy a glass of wine on the Balcony Deck overlooking HMS Victory. The maritime theme continues with some free time in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard to visit ships and museums of your choice and the Spinnaker Tower and a visit to the Palace House Beaulieu the following day will include luncheon at The Master Builders Hotel, an historic riverside hotel in Bucklers Hard. The 18th century maritime village of Bucklers Hard sits on the western bank of the Beaulieu River and played an important part in Britain’s shipbuilding history.This two night break is based at the four star Meon Valley, a Marriott Hotel and Country Club near Southampton.This hotel has a pool, spa, gym, championship tennis court and is set in acres of beautiful Hampshire countryside with good motorway access.

After making your own way to the hotel on Sunday 28th September 2014, meet fellow members, your CGA host and your tour leader/guide at a welcome reception before dinner (included).

After breakfast on Monday 29th September, we travel by executive coach to the small and thriving market town of Romsey to tour Romsey Abbey and St Johns House. Romsey Abbey is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture in Europe and the small but delightful medieval St John’s House has three fascinating rooms, a tearoom and gardens to explore. After

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some free time for sightseeing and lunch (not included) we return to the hotel with time to freshen up before departing for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

We arrive at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for an introduction and orientation before exploring independently. A boat tour of Portsmouth Harbour and visits to the most famous warships in the world, HMS Victory and HMS Warrior are optional inclusions. At the end of the afternoon, we make our way to the Mary Rose Museum to see the hull of the Tudor ship with its preserving sprays switched off for the first time, through windows into a “hotbox”, as up to 100 tons of water are removed from the timbers. Genuine artefacts displayed in the galleries running the entire length of the ship and themed galleries telling the personal stories of the crew onboard, can be explored. Our visit and tour is exclusive with a chance to enjoy a glass of wine on the Balcony Bridge and enjoy the view over the harbour and HMS Victory. We then make our way back to the hotel for an overnight stay with dinner.

After breakfast on Tuesday 30th September 2014 we drive to Beaulieu and the Palace House, formerly the 13th century Great Gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey. The Palace House is set in glorious grounds overlook the Beaulieu River.We tour the fascinating rooms with fine furnishing and artwork before a two course lunch at nearly Bucklers Hard.The tour finishes at approximately 3.30pm on Tuesday afternoon.

Tour costs: Cost per person: £379 Single Supplement:£75 subject to availability and extra night rates on application Non-refundable deposit: £120 Final Balance due 8 weeks prior to the tour date

What’s included: • Two nights en-suite half board accommodation • Executive coaching where required • Professional guide, all visits as indicated including private tours • Refreshments and a two course lunch with wine at Bucklers Hard Day 2, as mentioned.

To book and for further information please contact Sylvia Cotterill on 01763 288277.

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CGA Cultural Events

15 May 2014

Deene Park,

Northamptonshire

Exclusive private opening and luncheon hosted by Mr and Mrs Robert Brudenell, direct descendants of the late the Hon. Mrs Brudenell.

11.00am start £67 Deene Park has belonged to the Brudenell family since 1514 and was the seat of the Earls of Cardigan, of whom the most notable was the 7th, who led the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava. There is a large and interesting collection of family portraits and possessions.

CULTURAL CALENDAR 15 May 2014 DEENE PARK, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Exclusive private opening and luncheon which will be hosted by Mr and Mrs Robert Brudenell 11am start £67 3 June 2014 HOUGHTON HALL KINGS LYNN, NORFOLK The home of the Marquess of

3 June 2014

Cholmondeley and his family.

Houghton Hall,

Exclusive private opening, guided

Kings Lynn, Norfolk

tour and luncheon.

The home of the Marquess of Cholmondeley and his family.

Exclusive private opening, guided tour and luncheon 11.30am start £67 Built in the 1720s by Sir Robert Walpole, our de facto first Prime Minster, Houghton is one of England’s finest Palladian houses. To realise his dream for a truly magnificent house that would justly reflect his considerable power and status, Walpole employed the architects James Gibbs and Colen Campbell to draw up plans for the house whilst William Kent took charge of the interiors. No expense was spared and each room was lavishly decorated using the finest craftsmen of the time. It was to become a place for political entertaining on a grand scale as well as family living.

11.30am start £67 8 July 2014 BERKELEY CASTLE, BERKELEY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE We are privileged to have Charles Berkeley, eldest son and heir to the castle, as our guide. Luncheon will be served at the prestigious Thornbury Castle Hotel prior to our guided tour.

12.30pm start £67

8 July 2014

Berkeley Castle

Berkeley, Gloucestershire Guided tour by Charles Berkeley, eldest son and heir to the castle.

Luncheon at 12.30pm at the prestigious Thornbury Castle Hotel prior to our guided tour £67 Home of the Berkeley family who have lived there since their ancestor Robert Fitzharding completed the Keep in the late 12th Century. Berkeley Castle is one of the most remarkable buildings in Britain and possibly the most outstanding example of medieval domestic architecture in the country.

Where other castles were romanticised or ‘modernised’ by the Georgians or the Victorians, Berkeley quietly survived as it is: a Norman fortress with an enclosing curtain wall, built and enlarged through the medieval period and beyond into a secure, comfortable, substantial home.

RETURN VISIT DUE TO UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND 5 September 2014 HIGHGROVE HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES’S PRIVATE GARDEN Near Tetbury, Gloucestershire Exclusive private guided tour followed by Champagne afternoon tea at the prestigious Calcot Manor Hotel 11.15am start £72 9 September MANSION HOUSE, LONDON Private opening, guided tour

5 September 2014

followed by luncheon.

Highgrove HRH The Prince of Wales’s Private Garden

11am start £67

Near Tetbury, Gloucestershire

Exclusive private guided tour followed by Champagne afternoon tea at the prestigious Calcot Manor Hotel 11.15am start £72

28 – 30 September MEON VALLEY SHORT BREAK From £379 – see opposite page for details

Cancellations will be refunded only up to two weeks before any day event (conditions apply).

To book, and for further information, please contact Sylvia Cotterill, CGA Events Organiser, on 01763 288 277, or at Garden House, Rushden, near Buntingford, Hertfordshire SG9 0SZ. (Cheques made payable to CGA Events)

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 13

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Events

EventsDiary

There is plenty that is hot and happening all around the country as the weather warms up

The place for faces

The

Lions roar A rare rugby reunion which promises hilarity and plenty of relaxed camaraderie is being organised to draw together the 1974 British Lions squad, known in the sport as the legendary “Invincibles”, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their remarkable and unbeaten tour of South Africa.

Man of the moment at the gathering will be the 1974 team captain, Willie John McBride MBE, who with key members of the super squad will be reminiscing and recalling all sorts of aspects from the tour over a delicious three-course lunch at the five-star Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, Mayfair, London, on 16 May 2014. Others who will be sharing their memories include Phil Bennett OBE, Gareth Edwards CBE, Fergus Slattery, Fran Cotton and guest of honour Dr Syd Millar CBE. The event is being organised by The Rugby Business Network and Sports Greatest. For more information and to book tickets see : sportsgreatest.co.uk or telephone ( 01590 615095.

If you are planning to immortalise yourself on canvas take a good look at the work of more than 100 top portrait artists at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition, to be held between 8 and 23 May 2014 at The Mall Galleries, The Mall, London. This is an opportunity to admire the work of today’s best painters. Antony Williams, for example, will exhibit two of his penetrating studies (Antonia Looking Up (pictured below) and Emma Leaning on her Hand); June Mendoza’s quirky, challenging portrait of veteran actor Trader Faulkner will be there to excite comment and Melissa Scott-Miller will show a portrait of her son. The diversity of works on show cover styles from photo-real to painterly, traditional to challenging, and the sitters are just as diverse, from citizens to celebrities. The exhibition is the perfect place to gen up on contemporary portraiture before commissioning a work. The Royal Society of Portrait Painters will have a consultant on hand to assist with commission enquiries. For more information visit : therp.co.uk

WHAT’S ON APRIL The Observant Eye Exhibition of new work by Bridget Lansley & Fiona Millais 12 – 30 April The Jerram Gallery Half Moon Street Sherborne Dorset DT9 3LN : jerramgallery.com Giant Chester Food, Drink & Lifestyle Festival 19 – 21 April Chester Racecourse CH1 2LY : Chesterfoodanddrink.co.uk

14 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

Chipping Norton Literary Festival (featuring John Lloyd) 24 – 27 April Various venues in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire Box office telephone: 01608 642350 : chippingnortontheatre.com Folk Weekend Oxford 2014 25 – to 27 April Various venues around Old Fire Station Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 2AQ : folkweekendoxford.co.uk

Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday Celebrations 26 & 27 April Stratford-upon-Avon Warwickshire : Shakespeare.org.uk Peak District Walking Festival 26 April – 11 May Various locations : Visitpeakdistrict.com Cheltenham Jazz Festival 30 April – 5 May Various venues in Cheltenham Gloucestershire : Cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz

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Events

Down in the Deverills The beautiful Deverill Valley in Wiltshire boasts a set of delightful villages along the banks of the Wylye River. Small and quiet they may be, but for four days at the start of May these quaint rural hamlets become alive with the sound of music, drama, comedy and all manner of entertainment. The Deverills Festival of Performing Arts promises to be bigger and better than ever this year, when it draws delighted crowds between 2 and 5 May. Church and village halls, local inns and even a barn are pressed into service to accommodate the diverse and full programme of events, which ranges from chamber music concerts to bell-ringing, ceilidh to jazz sessions, and theatrics to mummery.

For the full programme and to book tickets visit : deverillsfestival.com, email 8 info@deverillsfestival.com or telephone ( 01985 219476.

SPORTS DIARY RUNNING 13 April London Marathon From Blackheath to Buckingham Palace : Virginmoneylondonmarathon.com HORSE RACING 3 & 4 May The QIPCO Guineas Festival The Rowley Mile Newmarket : Newmarketracecourses.co.uk

Wild nights in the woods Back in 2001 the Forestry Commission made a wise decision when it decided to bring four of its sites alive with a series of concerts by Jools Holland and the Levellers, which proved an enormous hit. Since then the concept has grown both in stature and size – by 2013 over a million concert goers had attended a Forestry Commission gig in a forest. This year’s Forest Live programme is probably the best yet, with a brilliant line-up of artists and seven locations across the country.

Getting into the groove in the woods this year will be Little Mix, Suede, James Blunt, Katherine Jenkins, Paul Weller, Boyzone and Jessie J. The venues included in the programme are Bedgebury Pinetum, Cannock Chase Forest, Dalby Forest, Delamere Forest, Sherwood Pines Forest, Thetford Forest and Westonbirt Arboretum.

Pick your favourite performer/s and visit : forestry.gov.uk to find out when and where they will appear. You can book online too, or call the box office at ( 03000 680400 (local rate call), email 8 boxoffice@forestry.gsi.gov.uk. Ticket prices vary.

Concert-goers are welcome to bring picnics, deck-chairs and rugs, but a full licensed bar and a variety of hot food and drink outlets are available at all the venues (cash only). See the website for terms and conditions to make sure you don’t inadvertently bring items that are prohibited for safety/security reasons, such as glass of any kind, umbrellas or tables.

MAY Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival 1 – 5 May Various locations in north-east Scotland centred on Aviemore : Spiritofspeyside.com Harrogate Antique & Fine Art Fair 2 – 5 May Harrogate International Centre Ripon Road Harrogate HG1 2RD : Harrogateantiquefair.com

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RHS Chelsea Flower Show 20 – 24 May Royal Hospital, Chelsea London, SW3 4SL : Rhs.org.uk

Burns an’ a that! 2014 Festival 23 – 25 May Ayr Town Hall, Ayr Ayrshire, KA7 1DA : Burnsfestival.com

Hay Festival of Books 22 May – 1 June Across Hay-on-Wye, Wales : Hayfestival.com

JUNE Royal Three Counties Show 13 – 15 June Showground, Malvern Worcestershire, WR13 6NW : Threecounties.co.uk

Chippenham Folk Festival 23 – 26 May Various venues : Chippfolk.co.uk

7 June Epsom Derby Epsom Downs Racecourse Surrey : Epsomdowns.co.uk EVENTING 7 – 11 May Badminton Horse Trials Gloucestershire : Badminton-horse.co.uk CYCLING 7 – 11 May Women’s Tour of Britain : Tourofbritain.co.uk CRICKET 20 May England vs Sri Lanka T20 The Oval London : Kiaoval.com FOOTBALL 17 May FA Cup Final Wembley Stadium London thefa.com Scottish Cup final Celtic Park Glasgow : scottishfa.co.uk DIVING 25 – 27 April FINA/NVC Diving World Series Aquatics Centre Stratford London : Fina.org

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Salisbury Racecourse Come & ENJOY THE FUN WITH Racing at Salisbury this summer!

SUNDAY 4 MAY (BETFRED FAMILY RACE DAY) THURSDAY 15 MAY THURSDAY 22 MAY (EVENING RACING) TUESDAY 10 JUNE SUNDAY 15 JUNE (FATHER’S DAY RACING) WEDNESDAY 25 JUNE SUNDAY 29 JUNE (BATHWICK TYRES FAMILY RACE DAY) SATURDAY 12 JULY (LADIES’ EVENING, FOLLOWED BY KILLERS TRIBUTE)

SATURDAY 26 JULY (EVENING RACING, FOLLOWED BY THE CHAPEL DOES 90S TO NOW!)

WEDNESDAY 13 AUGUST THURSDAY 14 AUGUST (FEATURES THE £75,000 GROUP 3 ‘TOTEPOOL.COM SOVEREIGN STAKES’ - THE BIG RACE OF THE YEAR!)

FRIDAY 29 AUGUST (EVENING RACING, FOLLOWED BY QUEEN TRIBUTE)

THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER (FEATURES THE £42,500 GROUP 3 ‘CGA DICK POOLE FILLIES’ STAKES’)

FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER (TWILIGHT RACING, FOLLOWED BY COLDPLAY TRIBUTE)

WEDNESDAY 1 OCTOBER MONDAY 13 OCTOBER (BATHWICK TYRES REDUCED ADMISSION RACEDAY) NORMAL ADMISSION - £22, £14 or £7 (Children under 17 get in free!)

For more details: 01722 326461 office@salisburyracecourse.co.uk www.salisburyracecourse.co.uk

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Technology

BUTTON ON THE

A Website, an App and a Gadget

WEBSITE SmartKit This is one of those delicious spots on the web where you can pursue all sorts of puzzles and intelligent games to make sure you keep those little grey cells active. Smartkit offers everything from jigsaw puzzles and Sudoku to brain-teasers and tests of logic. It’s billed as “school safe” and educational, but adults will find plenty of challenges too.

Smart-Kit.com

APP Boutique Tent Finder Planning on going “glamping” this summer, or perhaps hitting a festival field or two? Then the Boutique Tent Finder App will be a boon – not only will it use GPS and images to make sure you never lose track of your tent/caravan/car, its many other useful features like a compass, torch light, real time weather updates and maps make it an essential tool for happy campers.

Free to download at the App Store

GADGET Digital Tyre Inflator This nifty motorists’ standby has received rave reviews online – it’s simple to use to easily inflate your tyres, no matter where you are, packing into a convenient carry-case you can store in the boot. Use the digital gauge to check the pressure, set the target pressure you require, and push the button. The unit is powered by plugging into the car’s cigarette lighter, with a 3.5 metre long lead so it is easy to reach all the tyres. It even comes with adapters for inflating air mattresses, dinghies and balls.

£29.95 from gizoo.co.uk

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News & views from the major countryside organisations

Countryside Rural Services Network

Green space

Your park needs you!

Lottery funding has enabled the recently announced launch of the ‘Love Parks’ project, designed to set up a nationwide network of trained volunteers to help conserve “vital” local parks and green spaces.

GreenSpace – the registered charity behind the project – says parks are at risk of decline due to significant funding cuts of up to 40% in some areas.

GreenSpace also runs the annual ‘Love Parks Week’, which this year falls between 25 July and 3 August, having started in 2006 to raise awareness of parks by encouraging people to organise and attend events during the summer holidays. Last year 1.4-million people enjoyed 1,200 events across the week.

delivering environmental benefits. As a result £3.1-billion will be available for environmental schemes in England.

The announcement was welcomed by the Wildlife Trusts, who stated that “farming with wildlife, not against it, is essential to our food security”.

Stephen Trotter, Wildlife Trusts’ Director (England), said: “England’s wildlife is in trouble and we need to encourage farmers to do the right thing to look after what we have and to restore wildlife wherever possible .”

A national Rural Crime Network set up to tackle countryside crime has been endorsed by 18 of the UK’s Police and Crime Commissioners.

The 18 Police and Crime Commissioners involved are from Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Suffolk, Thames Valley, Warwickshire and West Mercia.

As this issue of the CGA Magazine went to press, a further eight commissioners were considering joining the group, which could bring the total to around two thirds of PCCs. The initiative was launched by the Rural Services Network, a ‘not for profit’ organisation which represents a diverse range of rural service providers in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The PCCs have met with representatives of numerous rural stakeholders to explore the concept.

Rural Services Network officer Nick Payne said: “There is a common perception that rural crime is less significant than that occurring in cities and towns. The impact of rural crime is just as serious as it is elsewhere, which is becoming an increasing problem as austerity bites and as police resources are stretched thinner.”

Mr Payne added: “There are also strong links to serious organised gangs in relation to some classifications of rural crime, for example, theft of agricultural plant and machinery as well as the availability of drugs, alongside more conventional issues such as wildlife and heritage crime.

“There is good collaborative work already occurring in some localities but it is widely acknowledged that sharing of best practice is patchy and urgently needs to be improved.”

The network will also develop strong links to academic research resources and promote successful techniques to encourage rural communities to become more self -resilient.

Find out more at : defra.gov.uk

Find out more at : rsnonline.org.uk

“Parks need a voice, and this is it,” says Paul Bramhill, CEO of GreenSpace. He explained that the ‘Love Parks’ project will build on the existing community-based volunteer corps who are committed to protecting their local green spaces, providing essential training.

GreenSpace points out that according to NHS research people living close to green spaces are more physically active, less likely to be overweight and have lower risk of heart disease. It’s also been shown that environmental volunteering can be as effective as aerobics in improving fitness.

If you are interested in getting involved in preserving your park visit the website.

Find out more at : green-space.org.uk

Defra

ENVIRONMENTAL ENCOURAGEMENT Farmers and land managers who deliver benefits for wildlife, improve water quality and create woodland could receive Government funding in a new scheme, Farming Minister George Eustice announced recently. The new environmental land management scheme announced by Mr Eustice will prioritise promoting biodiversity, and be more targeted than stewardship schemes of the past.

Mr Eustice said: “From 2016 the new environmental land management scheme will be targeted so that farmers can help deliver environmental priorities specifically related to their local area. For example, if one area is home to rare farmland birds, farmers will be reimbursed for enhancing this habitat.”

Mr Eustice explained that during EU negotiations on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the UK pressed for each country to have the option to channel a greater proportion of CAP funding into

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Country Crime-fighters

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Countryside news

NEWS BRIEFS:

Countryside Alliance

EU Urged to Connect with the Countryside

The Woodland Trust has launched its £12-million First World War Centenary Woods project which involves millions of trees to be planted across the UK, and the creation of four flagship woods covering 1,000 acres in total in Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales. The new woods will stand for hopefully hundreds of years as a lasting legacy for victims of the war.

A report entitled Are We Fit to Frack? Was recently issued jointly by The Angling Trust, the National Trust, RSPB, the Salmon & Trout Association, The Wildlife Trusts and the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. It contains ten recommendations for making fracking safer, as the Government continues its push to encourage companies to apply for licences to explore and drill for shale gas.

Candidates in this year’s European elections have been urged to champion rural issues.

The Countryside Alliance has written to more than 500 British candidates who hope to become MEPs, asking them to champion four key rural issues: digital communications, including broadband and mobile phone signal coverage; country of origin food labelling; animal welfare; and firearms and shooting.

The UK component of the 2014 European Parliament election is scheduled to be held on Thursday 22 May 2014.

Countryside Alliance head of policy Sarah Lee said: “We want to ensure that prospective MEPs are aware of the vitally important issues facing rural communities across Europe.”

It was important that candidates campaigned to ensure that British farmers, communities and consumers were at the heart of what they did in parliament.

“For too long European policy has focussed on doing something to the countryside rather than for the countryside,” she said. “We believe rural communities need fairer representation in Brussels.”

There is increasing demand for, and reliance on, digital connectivity across Europe, says the Alliance’s manifesto.

The EU’s desire for a connected continent is underpinned by ambitious targets to boost ultra-fast broadband by 2020, but it fails to address mobile connectivity.

With mobile broadband traffic increasing by 66% a year, the manifesto calls for networks and coverage to meet demand, while educating consumers about the benefits.

“Digital growth will drive the EU and UK economy forward, which is why policies are needed both at European and UK level to meet this demand for digital connectivity,” says the document.

“We must ensure rural communities are not forgotten.” :countryside-alliance.org

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The Canal & River Trust reports that Foxton Locks – the popular Leicestershire visitor attraction with one of the largest flight of staircase locks on the English canal system – has won a major Arts Council funding bid. The Arts Council Renaissance Strategic Support Fund is contributing towards a project involving trails, guides, audio and digital enhancement, an interactive website, improvements to the museum, and installing a local wi-fi network.

One of the most ambitious restoration projects undertaken

by English Heritage in the east of England – the conservation of the medieval gatehouse at Pentney Priory in Norfolk – is now complete. The 3-storey, 14th century gatehouse is the only surviving monastic building from the original priory at the site.p the nation hooked on climatechanging fossil fuels.”

Scottish Natural Heritage reports that mink – originally fur farm escapees – have all but been eradicated from the islands of Lewis, Harris and Uist, after a successful campaign by the Hebridean Mink Project. Using ‘mink police’ – small units attached to live catch cage traps – the HMP has removed 2,200 mink from the islands since 2001 to protect populations of wader birds which fall prey to these predators.

Have your say on issues affecting the countryside – find us on Facebook (facebook.com/CGA1893) and join the debate.

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Cover story

King of the world wild web Lucille Parker badgered natural history film-maker Simon King for his views on British wildlife issues, took a peek behind his wild web cams, and found him refreshingly candid and unequivocal.

T

improving quality and safeguarding the environment. ucked away down a narrow lane in rural Somerset is the “I believe that just after the war the average household spend on comfortable family home of Simon King OBE – naturalist, food was roughly 50% of its income – now it is between 10% and wildlife cameraman and TV presenter – set in 10 acres of 11%, and we still think it’s too expensive. That’s quite terrifying. We former pastureland. think we have a right to eat meat three times a day – and three Simon has not intentionally been hiding away since his familiar different types of meat too! face last appeared on the popular Spring/Autumnwatch BBC2 series “When I grew up it was a big deal to roast a chicken at the end of in 2010, but he has been (largely) home-based and extremely busy the week – and then it would last the family through the next couple turning his property into a wildlife haven, transferring much of his of days until it ended up making soup stock. That’s how we should attention from television to the internet. still be thinking. We don’t have a right to cheap food.”

Anyone is welcome to become a voyeur to spy on the goings-on at Simon is not a vegetarian, but he does ensure that when he buys Simon’s home, “Wild Meadows” – simply access the website at groceries they are organic, free-range and sustainably sourced. “Sure, www.simonkingwildlife.com, or tune in to Simon King Wildlife TV it’s more expensive, but it just means having a bit less.” on You Tube.You won’t see much of the rather self-effacing Simon He goes on to speak eloquently about why we need to conserve himself, but you will be able to watch the doings of many of his furry our precious wild resources and appreciate the intrinsic value of the and feathered friends on live webcams – from badgers, foxes and natural world. otters to tawny owls and “Imagine nature as a kingfishers. (Try it – it’s very “It’s all very well having financial austerity pyramid – if we regard addictive!) ourselves as occupying a spot I sought Simon out in his measures, but we have to think the same near the top then the homely haven to chat about is made up of the the state of the nation – in way when it comes to managing our land foundation tiniest of organisms, with more natural terms. He’s certainly a complex forms of life rising man most qualified to be and natural resources” above it. Erode that foundation, opinionated on the subject, and the layers above, and being President of the Wildlife humanity will fall down with everything else. This has been illustrated Trusts and involved with a string of other conservation organisations. countless times around the world in microcosm.

Simon radiates a calm, quiet aura – understandable as he has spent “If we don’t acknowledge this then we might go on to blunder our so many hours in the great outdoors patiently waiting for, and way through this generation, and possibly the next, but eventually the watching, wild creatures – but he is passionately voluble when it bubble is going to pop.” comes to the “finite resources of nature”.

Education is crucial, and Simon plans to use “Wild Meadows” – “I was astounded last year when the first State of Nature Report which is still very much a work in progress – for school visits, once he revealed that 60% of the wildlife in the British Isles is in decline, feels the sanctuary is ready. Children, he believes, have a natural and a huge proportion of declining species are under threat of affinity with nature. It is only as we grow that we begin to arrogantly extinction. This is happening on our watch – we are letting it all fall believe ourselves superior. Essentially, though, the haven he is creating apart for a variety of fundamentally unpleasant reasons; essentially will remain the domain of himself, his family and whatever wildlife greed,” says Simon. chooses to settle there, and not be open to the public – except for the Simon believes that we – the consumers of Britain – are “sucking range of the live webcams he has placed strategically around the the system dry” by demanding ever more produce from already overgrounds. So far he has planted 2,500 trees and created a still-water stretched land. We do not pay the real value of the food we eat. lake to complement the river which runs through the property, so “Our politicians need to stand up and be counted for that. It’s all ultimately the land will become home to a wide biodiversity. very well having financial austerity measures, but we have to think the “I will never see those spindly oaks I have planted reach maturity,” same way when it comes to managing our land and natural resources. he says wistfully, gesturing at the view of a field of staked saplings Gargantuan subsidies are paid to land-owners to continue with visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. “But it is good to think unsustainable practices.” that in 100 years’ time there will be a tawny owl nesting in a tree that Simon advocates supporting small-scale producers who are I planted.” prepared to work the land organically, producing lower volumes but

20 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

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Simon King

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Cover Story

Simon’s confidence in stating his forthright views on nature conservation in general becomes even more vigorous when we turn to one of the most topical issues on the wildlife scene at present – the culling of badgers to prevent the spread of bovine tuberculosis.

For those readers who may not have followed the twists and turns of the regulated badger culling trail in England, here’s a synopsis: Back in 2008 an all-party committee of MPs decided controlled badger culling might take place in England to control the spread of bovine TB. In 2010 the Government announced plans for a cull. At the start of 2012 Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman announced that culling would go ahead in pilot areas in Gloucestershire and Somerset, and a legal battle between conservation organisations and the Government ensued. In mid-2012 the high court ruled badger culling legal in England, and by September the first culling licence was issued. After the Badger Trust mounted a legal challenge about the validity of the licences, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson announced that culling would be postponed until the summer of 2013. Trial culls began in Gloucestershire and Somerset in August 2013, the tension between various conservation and animal rights organisations and Government agencies reached boiling point. In September some protesters were arrested in the Gloucestershire cull zone.

In October Owen Paterson admitted the culls were falling short of targets, and the Somerset cull was extended by three weeks.

The Gloucestershire cull – where marksmen only killed 30% of the target number – could also perhaps be extended, it was announced. This prompted legal action from the Badger Trust.

By November 2013 the extended trial cull in Somerset had failed to reach its target, and the Gloucestershire cull was abandoned.

Just recently the results of an independent expert assessment of the pilot culls was “leaked” to the BBC, which allege that the culls failed on the grounds of both humaneness and effectiveness.

22 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

Simon describes the Government’s implementation and handling of the badger culling trials as “sickeningly flawed” and a proven failure “despite extending the period and breaking every rule in the book”.

He believes that if culling is rolled out to other parts of the country – as may happen – “it would be perpetrating a serious wildlife crime that will draw in legal challenges from major international bodies”.

He eschews the term ‘cull’ – “we are simply killing them”.

Simon does not disagree that badgers are a reservoir in some locations for bovine TB, but destroying them is not the solution to controlling a disease that found its way here in the first place through poor regulation of cattle movement.

“The bacillus can live in the soil for up to two years or more, so the disease is going to linger even if we get rid of ALL the badgers – it will be there in deer poo, in rats and other species.

“The biggest losers in this whole debacle are the dead badgers, but it has also severely impacted on the farming community and is not helping them at all.” Simon believes – along with many other experts and scientists who have studied territorial badger behaviour – that destroying individuals in a community of the animals simply allows badgers from neighbouring communities to move in to fill the gap, exacerbating the spread of TB. This is known as the “perturbation effect”.

“The biggest losers in this whole debacle are the dead badgers, but it has also severely impacted on the farming community and is not helping them at all” Simon says the solution to controlling bovine TB lies in fasttracking vaccination – of both cattle and badgers – and stricter controls on cattle movement and contact between cattle.

He accuses the Government of indoctrinating the farming community – and the public – with myths, propaganda and fatuous arguments to push through their culling policy, which has been imposed for political reasons.

He said Lord Krebs (leading expert on bovine TB who opposes badger culling) had “heard in the corridors of Westminster that the pilot culls were authorised to give the farmers a carrot and keep them happy”.

“It makes me weep that that’s the way it has gone – that many in the farming community have bought into the propaganda and rhetoric so that they now vigorously believe it.”

Simon’s foremost concern with the badger culling issue, however, is the humane aspect.

“Science should prevail first, but then we must also bear in mind that this is a humane issue. We are not talking about inanimate pebbles here, but sentient, close-knit communities of creatures that are very bright and have family lives. We are treating them like they are some sort of expendable item, which they are not.”

He says that with Britain’s apex predators such as the wolf and lynx having died out, badgers now represent the top of the food chain. “We would see terrible consequences for their demise and loss.”

Badgers are among the wild visitors that Simon welcomes into his extensive Somerset garden – and watching them, and other creatures, both on live webcam and in person, is one of the pleasures he rates most highly.

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Simon King Simon’s Wild Web @ : simonkingwildlife.com

It is wanting to share this experience and his knowledge base that has motivated him to start his website, because he believes the internet has a key role to play as more and more people are finding and sourcing their entertainment online. “In the near future it will be the norm to have a smart TV in the living room.”

The website and YouTube channel, he says, is designed to help people identify and appreciate the nature that is on their doorstep, and hopefully encourage them to go outdoors and seek it for themselves.

“We even have all the equipment available on the site to enable them to do so,” he says.

Watching birds and otters seems rather tame in comparison to some of Simon’s past exploits, like making the dramatic “Big Cat Diary” series for BBC1, filming killer whales hunting sea-lions and great white sharks leaping out of the sea.

When you ask Simon, though, what the highlight of his career has

been he runs through those obvious memorable moments that most of us shared with him on the TV, then trails off … and settles on: “Broadly speaking, for me the best possible day is sitting and watching an otter on the coast of the Shetland isles.”

In 2010 Simon, his wife Marguerite and little daughter Savannah spent a year in remote Shetland, and his expression softens as he recalls what he describes as “a very special time shared with the family”. It was shared with the BBC television audience too as a documentary, Shetland Diaries, but obviously remains one of Simon’s favourite experiences.

“Shetland is a place with no immediate or obvious beauty, but it gets under your skin”.

On this note I leave Simon to enjoy what he terms “benign conservation” – creating a home for himself, his loved ones and whatever wild things are lucky enough to find his hospitable sanctuary.

A brief bio Simon King was born in Nairobi, Kenya, where his father, John, worked with the British Forces Broadcasting Service. The family moved to Bristol in the 1960s when John King joined the BBC’s Points West news programme (and later produced the antique show, Going for a Song).

Growing up with a nearby woodland as his playground in Bristol stirred Simon’s interest in natural history, while he attended Henbury School. Meanwhile his father’s projects put him on the small screen from the tender age of ten, when he acted in films such as The Fox and Secret Place. In 1976 he starred with naturalist Mike Kendall in the BBC series Man and Boy, travelling the country in search of wildlife.

In the 1980s Simon started making his own television films – to date he has hundreds of natural history films under his belt in which he was either director, producer, presenter, cameraman (or all of the above!).

Besides being a film-maker and presenter, Simon has also written three books (Wild Guide, Wild Life and Shetland Diaries), numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and scripts for some of David Attenborough’s films.

He’s won BAFTA awards for his camera work on Life in the Freezer and Planet Earth, and was awarded the Royal Geographical Society’s Cherry Kearton Medal in 2009. He was named in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List and received an OBE for services to wildlife photography and conservation, and awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2011.

He is married to Marguerite Smits van Oyen, also a wildlife film-maker, and the pair often work together, travelling with their eight-yearold daughter, Savannah.

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FOGG’S

FOCUS

Vital statistics

Nick Fogg uncovers a demographic disaster in the making when he extrapolates some startling statistics from his county to country-wide

I

n my capacity as the local County Councillor, I was recently asked to speak to a newly-formed poverty action group in the area. This is a small group of people who wish to do something about the pockets of deprivation that exist even in the most affluent areas. It was not surprising that such a motivated group of people should meet in the Friends Meeting House. There turned out to be just four of them, but I found the effort worthwhile. Whereas I may have merely scanned the relevant statistics with interest, having to speak about them made me examine their wider implications.

The population of the district is only some 17,500, but despite this small sample, I realised that I was looking beyond the parochial at national trends, on which politicians are not all that focussed.

The life expectancy in the area is 79.6 years for men and 82.9 for women. I’d never wondered why women lived longer than women before, but I made a discreet enquiry of those who’d compiled the statistics. It was revealed that it’s not really known why women have lived longer than men historically, although it’s possible to make intelligent guesses: men, in their working lives are subject to more stress (although women have the stress of those men); men may also be more prone to violent deaths. Let’s face it, the appellation of ‘the weaker sex’ may be a misnomer, although things seem to be squaring up.

New life expectancy forecasts from Public Health England show that, in more than 100 areas, men are expected to outlive women. It is suggested that the trend is due to the decline of heavy industry and the falling popularity of smoking. If any of you chaps out there are fortunate enough to live in Crawley in East Sussex, I can reveal that your life-expectancy now outstrips that of the fairer sex by up to 13 years.

Of course, it almost goes without saying that economic deprivation can reduce life expectancy. In this county, it’s six years lower for men and four years lower for women in the most depressed areas.

The area has the highest percentage (22%) of the population under 16 years old in the

24 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

county, but it also has the second highest percentage of people of retirement age – 22.7%. The implication of this is clear. Just over half the population has the potential to support all the others, and if one takes away such people as housewives, those who can’t work and the unemployed, the total may be no more than half that. This is compounded by the fact that the working age population (16-64) is in significant decline. The projected population increase between 2010 and 2016 will be entirely accounted for by the increase in the retirement-age population. The biggest increase will be in those aged 85 or over. The working age population is projected to decrease from 55.3% of the total to 46.5%. If these trends are repeated nationally, which I suspect they may well be, then a number of conclusions may be drawn.

The first is that the UK is sleepwalking into a demographic crisis which politicians seem unable to consider, let alone address.

A decreasing percentage of people will be supporting an increasing number of dependents. The strain on the Health and Social Services will grow as the population ages and there could be fewer workers to sustain them. It also sheds a little light on the great and never-ending immigration debate. Unlike countries like New Zealand, Australia and Canada, where potential immigrants are assessed by a points system in terms of what they might contribute, there has never been a coherent policy on the issue in the UK. It’s always been a muddle. Nevertheless, in the light of the above, immigration may be absolutely necessary in order to sustain the wider

society. The cost may be that this society will change beyond recall, but that may be the price we have to pay. Under these circumstances, David Cameron’s attack last year on stay-at-home mothers seems entirely inappropriate, as is the Government’s scheme to subsidise childcare support to families with young children where both parents are working. Obviously it’s up to mums to decide whether they want to stay at home or go out to work. In many cases the latter may be an economic necessity, but surely Government should recognise the contribution of stable families to the wider society.

At the other end of the scale, the trend towards kids of working age being unable to afford to leave the nest is apparent. Of 617 people who were seeking affordable housing, over half (374) were looking for one-bedroom properties.

The level to which the local community is dependent on consumerism and jobs provided by the state is also alarming. It may not be typical of the nation as a whole, but I suspect it’s a significant trend that less than 4% of the employed population have jobs in manufacturing. Admittedly, we are a largely rural area (although less than 1% are employed in agriculture), but we have a number of large industrial centres on our doorsteps. Manufacturing industry is surely the key to a proper economic recovery. In fairness, the Government has been making noises in that direction, but if the trend is repeated nationally, it shows how far they are from achieving that objective. For the record, the biggest employment sector is in education, which provides 16% of all jobs.

Accommodation and food provide 12.9%, retail 12.3% and health services 9.5%.

I had to look up whoever it was who said that “there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics” (the answer is that no-one seems to know, but Disraeli and Mark Twain are front-runners), but it does seem to me that it would advance the political debate if it were based on the kind of data recorded above. Will it happen?

Don’t hold your breath.

Nick Fogg is the organiser of the Marlborough International Jazz Festival

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26 Walsh_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:38 Page 1

WALSH’S WORLD The Lay of the Land

David Walsh maps out why he finds comfort in cartography

I

have adored looking at maps for as long as I can remember – whether it be looking at Ordnance Survey maps of one’s home environs, opening up a new map of an unfamiliar area to be visited for the first time or planning a route through France and Italy.

Certain OS maps begin to wear and fall apart and have to be carefully restored, but this only gives more satisfaction in making them last. I somehow cannot bring myself to encase them in plastic – that seems to create a barrier against the nature of what they represent.

Our local map is idiosyncratic in that we have two sets of chalk downs running eastwest, which are north and south of our valley, so there are plenty of villages along the river but large areas of tight contours on either side with not much else. In fact, when you look at a light pollution map of England, this area and the land running along the north Norfolk coast are the darkest. This does mean that we are able to enjoy the stars to the full, and it is a joy to study the night sky map or app.

A few years ago I wanted to paint in a new place. I chose to go to North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. Nothing could have prepared me for opening that map. It has more small lakes, ponds and other areas of water on it than land area. I can only describe it as being like one of those doilies so familiar to us in particular bed and breakfast establishments.

We all spent many happy hours in geography classes studying the world atlas, not just for continents and countries but also for winds, rainfall and geological formations. All of which had a degree of permanence about them. With OS maps it was a different story. I was in the era where the change happened from the imperial one inch series to the metric 1:50,000 series, which at first was painful. Having spent most of my life knowing that Butser Hill – such a prominent feature in the distance across our school playing fields – was the highest in Hampshire at 888ft, it did not seem so interesting to see it marked on the new map at 271 metres. However, it has to be said that getting used to the change in

26 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

maps was one thing, but having the actual roads modifying a map is something else altogether. Knowing, as I do, every country lane intimately in the countryside surrounding Petersfield, with the building of the A3 bypass I have never been able to sort out revised routes around the villages of Steep and Sheet. My old ways down Stoner Hill and from Hawkley end up as dead ends, abutting the not so new A3!

When it comes to London I have always been partial to using my Bartholomew 1948 hardback Reference Atlas of Greater London! This amazed and horrified my wife when we first met, as I thrust it into her hand whilst driving into town along the Cromwell Road to find our destination.

My wife has since tried to update me with a modern map; the app will come much later!

Lewis Carroll once came up with the idea of a map of a scale of 1:1 so that one would always know where one was, which creates a wonderful image. I find taking directions over the telephone it is much easier and more logical to draw them rather than write them, and this practice has the added interest of creating a map.

I never tire of the excitement of driving through Europe, planning a route through France to Italy. Whether to go through the Mont Blanc tunnel or drop down to the Frejus Tunnel; or go via Switzerland over the Simplon Pass or the Gothard pass. Apart from the joy of the motorways being empty in northern France, the fact one is heading south gives the sensation that it is essentially downhill, and therefore easier, when in point of fact the opposite is true. I think it is more a case of heading for the sunshine that helps the journey. In addition to this,

kilometres pass by substantially more quickly than miles. My wife also takes a keen interest in the the map book; we derive pleasure in identifying landmarks we pass, and indeed research cathedrals or abbey ruins to visit en route. I love the fact that the motorways have names: Autoroute des Anglais, Autoroute du Soleil, Autostrada del Sole, Autostrada della Valle d’Aosta, Autostrada dei Laghi.

I used to take walking tours in Italy for the excellent ATG Oxford company for a few years during the late ‘eighties.The best maps for researching routes were, and still are, the military maps 1:25,000.They are quite different from our OS maps and require a different learning approach: there are no footpaths as such, but cart tracks; mule tracks together with old farmhouses and height measurements. A compass is an essential piece of equipment in that hilly and mountainous land, but one advantage is the lack of fences. Sheep always have a shepherd with his maremani sheep dogs tending to them.

The sun and moon make useful compasses too. One evening years ago I was driving around Paris, but missed the ring road, and found myself heading into the city.

I noted the moon at SSE, the direction I ultimately needed, so not knowing Paris I simply drove towards the moon until I was out the other side and re-established my required route for Macon.

City maps are the first thing I acquire from tourist offices, and how quickly they help one get a feel for a place: Rome surrounded by hills and the River Tiber flowing through the centre, Bologna’s distinct octagonal pattern, Perugia’s Corso Vannucci on an upper plateau with streets dropping steeply from it on all sides.

Place and landscape are strong means of shaping memories and giving forms to thought. Maps are often the forerunners to such adventures and we keep them on our shelves as references and reminders. We think of landscapes affecting us most powerfully when we are in them, but there are many that live on long in the memory; many are the moments that just looking at the map returns us right there, and we feel them profoundly.

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28-29 National Treasure_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:40 Page 1

National Treasure

A white feather in his cap The keeper of the Queen’s swans was featured in the New Year’s Honours List, recognised for his dedication and devotion to caring for these beautiful birds, writes Lucille Parker.

W

e need be in no doubt that the elegant Mute swans that cruise regally along stretches of the Thames are national treasures – after all, they are owned and protected by the Queen herself. Her Majesty even employs a special guardian to see to their welfare. The Queen’s Swan Marker is an office that is currently proudly held by David Barber. David has been doing the job for 21 years, but this traditional responsibility harks back around 900 years.

The fact that David – and his work – is highly valued by Queen Elizabeth II was proven when the 2013/14 New Year’s Honours List was announced and he was named an MVO (Member of the Victorian Order).

Before we delve into what exactly David’s task as Swan Marker involves, it helps to know the background.

It is not entirely clear how long ago the kings and queens of England first claimed ownership of the mute swans: the first written record of royal swans dates back to 1186, and suggests the custom of swan ownership had already been around for many years by then.

28 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

The Royal Victorian Order was established in 1896 as a dynastic order of knighthood that recognises distinguished personal service to the currently reigning monarch. Membership is conferred by the monarch as a personal gift.

There are several ranks in the order: Knight/Dame Grand Cross, Knight/Dame Commander, Commander, Lieutenant and Member.

The reason why the sovereign of the day was keen to own swans was simple: in the days before domestic poultry was farmed, swans (especially cygnets – young swans) made for a jolly good meal!

The monarch was not selfish enough to keep all the swans for his/her own use – some privileged families were given rights to certain of the birds, and to establish which swans could be claimed by which owners, a system of beak marking was

utilised for identification purposes.

Of course swans breed each year (by the way, they mate for life) so the new crop of youngsters had to be marked accordingly, and this gave rise to the now ancient event known as “Swan Upping”. The Swan Marker and his assistants would round up the parent birds and their offspring, sort out whose were whose, mark some of the new cygnets and leave them as breeding stock, then take some away for eating. This event was held in late July for convenience sake because that is when the adult birds are in moult, and the cygnets still too young to fly.

Over time swans became less palatable as people started rearing tastier poultry, so the number of people with rights over swans diminished, and Swan Upping became more of a way to count and check on the health of the swan population, rather than a means of ornithological husbandry.

Today there are only three other bodies allowed to own mute swans, besides the Queen. Those are the London Livery Companies of Vintners and Dyers (whose rights to the swans go back to the mid-15th century), and the Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset. The story with Abbotsbury is unique

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28-29 National Treasure_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:40 Page 2

The Queen’s Swan Marker and interesting – Benedictine monks who established a monastery there in the 1040s farmed swans to eat at their lavish banquets.

After the monastery was destroyed in 1539 during the dissolution, the swans hung on and have become a large colony, now a tourist attraction under the stewardship of the Ilchester Estates.

Back to David Barber and his role of Swan Marker.

Nowadays David takes charge of Swan Upping each year, just as did his antecedents, but it’s all a rather jolly affair, done with ceremonial spirit, serving the purpose of keeping alive one of England’s beloved old Royal traditions. It is also – still after all these centuries – a practical way of assessing and recording the mute swan population along a 79-mile-long stretch of the Thames between Sunbury in Surrey and Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

The Swan census draws a great deal of public interest, with David and his band of Royal Swan Uppers clad in their traditional bright scarlet uniforms, working from a fleet of six rowing skiffs adorned with flags and pennants. They are joined by “uppers” from the Vintners’ and Dyers’ livery

companies. It takes five days to make the journey up the river, and children from local schools are invited to watch.

The official website of the British Monarchy (: royal.gov.uk) describes the progress of Swan Upping as follows: “When a brood of cygnets is sighted, a cry of ‘All up!’ is given to signal that the boats should get into position. On passing Windsor Castle, the rowers stand to attention in their boat with oars raised and salute ‘Her Majesty The Queen, Seigneur of the Swans’.

The cygnets are weighed and measured to obtain estimates of growth rates and the birds are examined for any sign of injury (commonly caused by fishing hooks and line).

The swans are also given a health check and ringed with individual identification

numbers by The Queen’s Swan Warden, a Professor of Ornithology at the University of Oxford’s Department of Zoology. The swans are then set free again.”

After the event the Swan Marker produces a report, providing data about the swans involved in the count – this is used to further the conservation and protection of the birds.

David’s work as Swan Marker continues year-round. He works closely with swan rescue organisations, not only assisting in their work but also co-ordinating the operation to move swans out of harm’s way from stretches of the Thames when scheduled summer rowing regattas take place.

In between all this David sees to his own affairs, as owner of the DB Marine Boatyard at Cookham-on-Thames. He also has a particular interest in educating the youth about mute swans and their welfare, to which end he does a great deal of work with the River and Rowing Museum at Henley.

Far Left: David Barber with Mute Swan Credit: River & Rowing Museum Left: Skiffs encircling a family of swans to be marked. Credit: River & Rowing Museum. © David Barber Below: Swan Uppers toast Her Majesty Credit: River & Rowing Museum © Sue Milton

The River & Rowing Museum at Mill Meadows, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1BF, currently has a special exhibition in its Treasures Gallery dedicated to Swan Upping.

The exhibition closes on 18 May, 2014. For more information about the museum see : rrm.co.uk.

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 29

30-31 Tractor Ted_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:42 Page 1

Tractor Ted

Peter Corbett travelled to Tractorland HQ in Somerset to find out more about an animated agricultural star of the small screen who is both a big brand and big news among the little ‘uns.

Tractor Ted’s Healthy Harvest Y

ou have probably experienced the scenario: As you drive through the countryside the children spot a tractor, or a combine harvester, or a digger, or – well, anything that is big, mechanical and noisy – you have to stop or slow down for them to “ooh” and “aah” over it.

This happened all too frequently to Alexandra (Ally) Heard when her children, Henry, William and Amelia, were a trio of lively toddlers. Appropriately for someone who lives in, and loves, the countryside, the children’s fascination with agricultural machinery sparked an enterprising idea.

Why not use their natural curiosity, she thought, to help them understand more about farming and healthy food production, and encourage them to appreciate the great outdoors. The aim was to educate and entertain at the same time. But, how to do it?

While pondering the problem, she took note of the fact that the children were just as enamoured with farming implements when they saw them on the television screen, and would always want to re-wind to watch those segments again. She chatted about her fledgling idea with farmer friend David Horler, and slowly it all co-alesced into the birth of an animated cartoon character, Tractor Ted. Ally and David joined forces as business partners, and launched Ted in his first DVD in 2005. Since then 16 more DVDs and a series of 10 books have followed, and the smiling little green tractor has built an enthusiastic international following, complete with a range of branded merchandise to rival any Disney character.

Unlike most regular animated series beloved by children, Ted lives in the real world. He goes on his merry way super-imposed on real farmyard and

30 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

country scenes, not cartoon backgrounds. Each of the Tractor Ted DVDs is a 40-minute long documentary about some aspect of country life down on the farm, with Ted making an appearance now and then as narrator. It’s a winning combination of information, light-heartedness and a voice over that’s carefully scripted to suit an audience of under-sevens, accompanied by some catchy songs.

Children play a major part in the films (David’s own children featured in some of the early episodes), either working alongside their parents on the farm, or watching on as the chores are done. The locations are real too – genuine muddy farmyards, barns and fields, depicted “warts and all”. The topics covered are true to life, with non-gimmicky, plain and simple titles such as “All About Tractors” (the latest), “Tractor Ted Grows Potatoes”, “Mighty Maize Machines” and “Tractor Ted Meets the Horses”.

Tractorland, the company behind Tractor Ted, has its headquarters in a newly converted barn at Highworth Farm, Hemington, not far from Bath. Highworth is owned and enthusiastically run by David Horler, so it was there I went to meet David and find out more about the cheerful little Field of activity: character who has inspired David Horler on the farm thousands of children to connect with the countryside and farm life.

“Is having the business based on a farm important to you?” I asked him.

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30-31 Tractor Ted_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:42 Page 2

Tractor Ted

latest s now: the t In the shop , ‘All Abou le tit d Te r r Tracto the numbe gs in br ’ rs Tracto Tractorland e th in ’s of DVD to 17. catalogue

“Yes,” said answered David unequivocally. He is “It can take up to three months from the time we convinced that having Tractorland set on a working come up with a storyline to final production,” he farm rather than, for example, in a clinical, went on, “but obviously, because we’re dealing with anonymous building on an industrial estate, helps to farming, we have to take not only the weather into underline the all-important “educate and entertain” account but also the time of year if we’re working on ethos. It also helps to maintain the rural focus. a film with a seasonal theme.”

David and Ally were recently joined as directors of All of the filming is genuine, he stressed, all shot on Tractorland by Alexandra Beeley, who is responsible working farms. Initially it was done at Highworth and for PR and marketing. Tractor Ted has become a other local farms, but as the number of story lines has burgeoning million-pound international developed John Samuels, the professional cameraman entertainment enterprise, but still down-to-earth who has captured the scenes for all but one of the farmer David is never sure when he answers the Tractor Ted DVDs, has travelled to many different phone whether it will be a call from a UK retailer parts of the country, reflecting the way farming wanting to stock Tractor Ted merchandise, or someone changes from county to county. ringing to tell him some of his cattle have escaped.

It’s not just on DVD that youngsters have the Ted has proved useful for David’s own farming chance to meet their agricultural hero – there are two interests – six years ago he switched the 600-acre visitor attractions which attract more than 200,000 mixed beef and arable Highworth Farm to organic Ted fans a year. They can find him at Bowood House methods after being impressed with what he learned in Wiltshire, and at the Active Kids Adventure Park in producing “Tractor Ted Goes Organic”.

Perthshire. There are Tractor Ted Farm Parties at real The Tractorland team at Highworth is now ten farm locations in Devon, Hampshire and Wiltshire, strong (plus the odd dog or two that come to greet Tractor Ted Farm Shows are staged at a wide range of you on arrival). They are kept busy overseeing locations, and there’s a Tractor Ted activity page every some 450 outlets, mainly farm shops and country month in Farmer’s Weekly magazine. stores, throughout Britain. In addition there are Now that Tractorland is big business, has Ted lost ten UK-based Tractor Ted agents, a distributor some of his charm for his creators? based in Southern Ireland and one in the USA. “It’s still fun,” David assured me. “What started off The internet plays an increasingly important role as a hobby is now a very enjoyable business and a very in developing sales worldwide. Last year more satisfying one, too, knowing that what we do helps than 60,000 copies of Tractor Ted DVDs were children learn about the countryside, about farming, sold, and over 30,000 books. and about where their food comes from.

So with 17 titles already in the can, what’s next on Tractor Ted is unique the DVD front? in that. No-one else has “This year we’re working on two created anyone or more to follow ‘All About Tractors’ anything like him.” which has been one of our best sellers,” he told me. “These will be about diggers and combines, and will bring us close to our aim of having 20 by 2016.”

Where do ideas come from?

“From discussions here,” he said, “but we do get farmers getting in touch with ideas, especially if they’ve Tractor Ted Little Day one for the got some new kit which we could Open for business: Estate owners e. hir lts House, Wi Farm at Bowood the farm’s first me feature. lco s, dy Lansdowne we Lord and La me of his friend th Tractor Ted, so young visitors wi rler, Alexandra Ho directors David and Tractorland . ard He Beeley and Ally

Win a tractor-load of prizes worth £250 One lucky CGA member stands the chance of winning Tractor Ted merchandise of their choice up to the value of £250 in our lucky draw.

Just complete and return the reply slip between pages 82 and 83 of this magazine, and if your card is drawn as the winner you will be invited to select your prizes from the range of Tractor Ted story and activity books, DVDs, toys, clothing and accessories on offer. See the range at : tractorted.co.uk The closing date for the draw is 16 May 2014, and the winner will be drawn at midday. The prize is not redeemable for cash.

CGA terms and conditions can be found at : thecga.co.uk

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32-33 Motoring_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:45 Page 1

Motoring

A new generation

Thinking of buying a new car? If you want to be on the cutting edge then it’s time to consider joining the EV-olution, advises Lee Williams

t’s pretty much a ‘cert’ that your next new car will be green – and I’m not talking colour choice. New vehicles nowadays are all equipped with the bells and whistles to ensure they are as environmentally friendly as possible. It may be advisable, however, to make the Government happy and go all the way, embracing the most eco-friendly option of all – the ‘plug-in’ or EV (Electric Vehicle).

If you, like me, have been dependent on the internal combustion engine for your daily round all your life, it may seem a little daunting to consider a “leccy” vehicle – akin to going back to the late 1990s and giving up a landline handset in favour of one of the first generation smart phones.

The Government is pushing hard to ensure that the ‘EV-olution’ takes off in a hurry, offering grants both for the purchase of EVs and the installation of charging points throughout the country. Backing up the Government’s “Go Ultra Low” campaign Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg stated recently that the coalition was aiming to make the UK a global leader in terms of electric vehicle production and adoption. He put his money where his mouth is, too, with the announcement in February that a further £9-million will be invested in electric car charging points – including 140 new rapid charge points – across Britain.

I

Below: Electric vehicles are generating excitement in the public sector too, and not just energising private motorists. Fully electric buses are being trialled on short routes in London, said to reduce running costs by about three-quarters compared to diesel buses, and at least one police force has put electric cars in their fleet. West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones and Birmingham North officer PC Caron Marks pose here with one of 30 new Nissan Leafs which were ordered recently to be used as “diary” cars for the force area. ©West Midlands Police

32 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

Meanwhile, according to the latest available statistics (for the third quarter of 2013) electric car sales in the UK jumped 25%, with 1,149 new EV registrations for the Government grant scheme – the highest number since the scheme started in January 2011.

So it seems British motorists are slowly responding – even if they are not quite yet leading the charge on the EV front. The buzz in automotive circles is that it is Norway that has the honour of winning the race for EVs in Europe – put down to hefty incentives like high subsidies, tax breaks, free parking and recharging points, exemption from road tolls and the permitted use of bus lanes.

The major manufacturers are also fast and furiously encouraging the EV-olution, with numerous models of hybrid and fully electric models available and several more due to be launched this year. The Britishmade Nissan Leaf was the first “proper” electric car to be made eligible for the Government’s grant scheme, but since then a variety of others have joined the list (see the list featured alongside this article).

So, with grants available, more charging points being installed throughout the land, the extremely low running costs, exemption from congestion charges and everimproving technology, perhaps an EV is an attractive option for you?

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Motoring Right: One of the latest all-electrics to hit the market, the BMWi3 is causing some excitement with its 170 hp motor and claims that it does zero to 62mph in 7.2 seconds.

Prices start around £25,500 (after the grant), with a slightly pricier range-extended model with petrol engine available too.

News in brief

Left: Practical and roomy, the British-built electric Nissan Leaf has a potential range of around 120 miles between charges, costs about 2p a mile to run, and is available from around £16,000 (if you agree to monthly battery hire fees) after the Government grant.

CC by 2.0: © Steve Lyon

UK Car of the Year The BMW i3 electric car has been named UK Car of the Year 2014 by a panel of 27 top UK motoring journalists.

The innovative i3 garnered almost half the votes, pipping other popular models to the winning post, ahead of the likes of the Porsche Cayman, Range Rover Sport, BMW5 Series, Citroen C4 Grand Picasso and Audi A3.

The i3 is BMW’s first electric production car, and was described by BBC Top Gear’s Tom Ford as “clever, exciting, useful and desirable”.

Here are some factors to consider if you are deciding whether to buy a fully-fledged EV: • You’ll need to recharge your EV at home, which means you need a garage, drive-way or residential off-street parking area where you can install a charger. The Government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) will cover 75% of the cost of a charger (capped at £1,000 incl VAT).

• Even the latest EVs are restricted in how far they can travel on a charge, so the vehicles are best suited for daily commutes of around 60 to 100 miles, on regular routes with conditions you know well. For longer distances you would need to be aware of where re-charging facilities are available (see zap-map.com). : • At this stage you would have to buy a brand new EV – there aren’t too many yet available on the second-hand market. Be warned, electric cars are far more pricey than their conventional counterparts, and you will probably want to retain and maintain your petrol/diesel car for long journeys.

• The Government offers a grant of 25% off the cost of a plug-in car, up to a maximum of £5,000, and 20% off the cost of a plug-in van, up to a maximum of £8,000. At the time of going to press, these are the makes and models of cars and vans that are eligible for the grant: Cars: BMW i3 Chevrolet Volt Citroen CZero Ford Focus Electric Mia Electric Mia Mitsubishi iMiEV Mitsubishi Outlander Nissan Leaf Peugeot iON Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid Renault Fluence Renault ZOE Smart fortwo electric drive Tesla Model S Toyota Prius Plug-in Vauxhall Ampera Volkswagen e-up!

Volvo V60

F1 treasures on sale Like to own the Jordan 191 Grand prix racer that Michael Schumacher drove on his debut at Spa in 1991, or the race suit and helmet worn by Damon hill when he won the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix? It’s all up for grabs – plus a whole lot more F1 machinery and memorabilia – as part of the collection that former Formula 1 team boss, now BBC presenter, Eddie Jordan, is selling for charity. Eddie is parting with some gems from his historic collection in aid of CLIC Sargent and the Amber Foundation. The items are being sold by Cars International, and Eddie will formally present purchases to their new owners at Silverstone.

Vans eligible for the grant: BD Otomotiv eTraffic Citroen Berlingo Daimler Mercedes-Benz Vito E-Cell Faam ECOMILE Faam JOLLY 2000 Mia electric Mia U Peugeot ePartner Renault Kangoo ZE Smith Electric Smith Edison

For more information about electric vehicles visit : goultralow.com WWW.THECGA.CO.UK

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 33

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TIMELESS BOXES

BY JOHN MCGILLVERAY

HANDMADE BOXES FOR ANY OCCASION Jewellery boxes t Christening boxes Collection boxes t Trophy boxes Photographic boxes t Coin boxes Boxes can also be made by request

WWW.TIMELESSBOXES.CO.UK JOHNMCGILLVERAY@GMAIL.COM 01722 427237 (during office hours) 01725 519264 (holidays and evenings)

34 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

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Insurance

Don’t clutch at straws There are around 50,000 thatched roofs in the UK today – and would perhaps be many more were it not for the perception that they are expensive to insure.The CGA has the solution.

“A very old roofing method … now the choice of affluent people who desire a rustic look for their home, would like a more ecologically friendly roof or who have purchased an originally thatched abode.”

That, in part at least, is the definition of “thatching” according to Wikipedia, but there’s one bit they’ve missed. It should go on to state that here in the UK, at least, thatch has one other attribute: insurers are apparently increasingly unwilling to provide any kind of cover for buildings with thatched roofs.

It’s said that it is the spiralling cost of claims that’s behind their reluctance, with damage caused by fire in particular the main cause for concern. That doesn’t mean, however, that owners of thatched property need go to bed at night with a fire extinguisher under the duvet because their home, garage, stables, outbuildings and so on are no longer insurable. Actually, insurance IS available and affordable.

While mainstream insurers may say ‘thanks

but no thanks’ to anyone who asks them about cover, CGA Insurance Services see things differently and are among the leading providers of cover for thatched buildings.

Indeed, we’ve been arranging thatch insurance since the 1940s and have developed a body of knowledge and expertise which has proved of great assistance in the seventy or so years since then.

Even before that, as far back as its creation in 1893, the CGA – with the wellbeing of the rural community at its heart – regularly published articles in its Estate magazine (as this publication was then known) about the care and maintenance of all manner of structures, including thatched roofs.

As a result of this history, we’ve been able to build a close working relationship with a number of highly respected underwriters whose own track record and commitment to the thatched property market are second to none. That means that premiums for the cover we put into effect are both competitive and as economical as possible.

Also any claims that arise are dealt with promptly, efficiently and sympathetically.

Do these policies impose any extra conditions on the owner of the property?

Not really, there are just a few commonsense steps which owners need to take to help minimise any risk to their home. These are the kinds of steps which many home owners, whether they live in a thatched cottage, a Victorian town house or a modern estate house, will take anyway. These include: • Having the chimney swept regularly • Having a valid electrical certificate (normally valid for 10 years but this can vary, and insurers will go by the date of the certificate) • Lining and insulating wood-burner and multi-fuel stove chimneys • Installing smoke detectors, along with fire extinguishers and fire blankets.

So, if you own a thatched property and want to be certain that it’s properly insured, CGA Insurance Services are here to help.

Just ring freephone 0800 028 1001or email us at insurance@thecga.co.uk and we’ll arrange for a quotation.

In addition, at your request, we will be pleased to give you a quotation for insurance cover for the contents of your home, for any fine art or antiques you may own, and for items which you might take out of the house on a regular basis.

So don’t clutch at straws. Get in touch now!

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 35

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Market Town

Speaking volumes An historic castle, a notorious murderer, outdoor activities galore and books, books, books everywhere: Peter Corbett explores Hay-on-Wye.

M

ention Hay-on-Wye and it’s almost – no, not almost, it definitely is – inevitable that books immediately spring to mind, for it’s not for nothing that this small market town just over the Welsh border is known world-wide as the ‘town of books’.

With more than a million books for sale in its 30 bookshops, and the annual Hay Festival of Literature being dubbed by no less a publication than the New York Times ‘the most prestigious festival in the English speaking world’, it surely deserves no other sobriquet.

It would be impossible to visit the town without being aware of its literary reputation, but there’s much more to Hay than that.

To start with, it’s got the kind of history which is the stuff of great historical fiction (sorry, see how difficult it is to get away from that literary theme?). At its heart is its castle, built 900 years ago to replace an even earlier one by William de Breos II, one of the most infamously treacherous of the Norman Marcher Lords.

According to legend, the castle was built in one night by William’s wife, Maud de St Valery (also known as Moll Wallbee), carrying the stones in her apron.

William and his wife later had the misfortune to fall foul of King John, who took vengeance by imprisoning Maud and her eldest son.

Reportedly they were ultimately left to starve to death after being walled up alive, probably at Windsor, but possibly at Corfe. William fled to France where he died in poverty in Normandy in 1213.

The wrath they incurred must have been really serious because its consequences seem to have been carried forward over the years, with the castle being destroyed or seriously damaged by fire on a number of occasions – as recently as 1977 too. Parts of the ancient structure have nevertheless survived and can be seen from a number of spots in and around the town centre.

36 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

The castle did not stand alone, of course, and a great many other centuries old buildings feature in the Hay townscape. Some of them have been ‘rendered’, thus hiding their once exposed timber and plaster exteriors.

There are known to have been at least thirty-four public houses in the town at one time. The 16th century Three Tuns, in Broad Street, is the oldest, still open despite a recent fire (the curse of King John again?) which meant it had to be completely refurbished.

The colonnaded Buttermarket was erected in 1833 on the site of the Old Market House. There was also a Cheese Market and a China Market, although the latter was just an open space, as well as the usual livestock markets, while the Town Clock was erected in 1881 on the ‘tump’ at a cost of £600, around £50,000 at today’s values.

The Tramway was the forerunner of a railway line which ran from Brecon to Hay and on to Clifford and Kington. This was built in the 18th Century as a means of transporting coal more cheaply from the Abergavenny and Brecon Canal. The tram was limited to six carriages and entirely horse-drawn. Two contractors supplied the horses: William Bridgewater, stationed at Glasbury, and Benjamin Trusted at Eardisley. The horses were probably changed at Glasbury where the stables at Llywnaubach Lodge have now been incorporated into an hotel complex.

An example of the iron wheel and part of the track can be seen in Hay Library.

But Hay isn’t just a magnet for bibliophiles and ancient building enthusiasts. It’s also a major centre for outdoor activities, and who should be surprised at that? After all, it’s located on the banks of the River

In the spotlight For ten days a year 85,000 people come from all over the UK, Europe, America and the rest of the world to join a carnival celebration of ideas and stories at the Hay Festival with writers, politicians, poets, scientists, comedians, philosophers and musicians coming together on the greenfield Festival site to talk, eat, think, drink and be merry.

The full programme is now available with some five hundred events taking place in the tented festival village during the spring bank half term holiday - that’s not too far away so if you’re thinking about going, don’t leave it too long before you book!

Tickets can be booked online through the festival website, www.hayfestival.org, by post or fax, or in person at the Box Office, 25 Lion Street, Hay-on-Wye, tel: 01497 822629.

The festival also runs a Bedfinder service to help visitors to the festival find good local accommodation for their stay.

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Hay-on-Wye

36-39 Market Town_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:50 Page 3

Market Town

Wye and in the foothills of the Black Mountains, arguably some of the most varied and beautiful countryside the British Isles have to offer.You can choose to go canoeing, cycling, riding, fishing and, of course, walking and it doesn’t matter whether you’re an expert or a novice. Everyone is catered for.

And you could always give e-cycling a try. Never heard of it? It’s using electric-assisted bikes – ones with a battery you charge as you pedal. Drover Cycles, Hay’s only bike shop, has a number of these for hire along with a huge fleet of mountain, touring and road bikes and organises e-bike itineraries too.

And no, I haven’t forgotten that this is a series on market towns.There’s a street market in Hay every Thursday morning. It’s held in Memorial Square, the Buttermarket and around the Town Clock with stalls selling fresh produce, cakes and pies, fresh fish and game

and home-made preserves along with garden plants, antiques, bric-a-brac and gifts.

So, is Hay-on-Wye, worth a visit? You bet, whether you’re a festival goer, a book lover, a history enthusiast or just someone who likes going somewhere different. It doesn’t matter if books are your thing or not, you’ll have to agree that it’s because of its reputation as ‘the town of books’ that there is so much to see, do and enjoy there. If you’ll forgive me for saying so – that reputation ‘speaks volumes.’

Fact meets fiction!

Hay-on-Wye has one other claim to fame – and again it’s just the stuff of fiction! Could it be anything else?

Hay is also where Major Herbert Rowse Armstrong practised as a solicitor before being hanged in 1922. He’d poisoned his wife with arsenic and on the day he went to the gallows he became – and still is – the only solicitor in the United Kingdom ever to suffer that fate.

Interestingly, a couple of years earlier another South Wales solicitor, Harold Greenwood, from Kidwelly, near Llanelli, had achieved notoriety after being accused of murdering his wife, with, yes, arsenic. He was acquitted but did Armstrong get the idea from him? We’ll never know. Armstrong met his maker strenuously proclaiming his innocence.

Where to shop & drop in Hay-on-Wye Where to shop Where else to start than with book shops in this haven for bibliophiles?

There are 30 or so of them in and around the town centre so singling

out one or two to visit is no easy task.

Number one of the list, however, must be Richard Booth’s Bookshop.

Founded in 1962 by Richard Booth, who made Hay world-famous as the capital of the second-hand book trade, the shop in Lion Street has an elegant façade that features an

38 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

amazing array of glazed animalier tiles, behind which is a vast threefloor emporium with hundreds of thousands of second hand, antiquarian and new books.

Try also Hay-on-Wye Booksellers, which also has its own online store, at hayonwyebooksellers.com and the poetry bookshop which claims to be the only bookshop in the UK devoted exclusively to poetry.

There’s also Mostlymaps which, as its name suggests, specialises in maps, from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries.

You won’t find a giant supermarket in the town or in the immediate vicinity, but there are plenty of “artisan” and specialist shops where you can find pretty well everything you want, including the Fudge Shop which sells its own locally made fudge, Old Forest Arts, which

specialises in artists’ materials, and Jones Home Hardware, a traditional hardware store which Arkwright and nephew Granville would have been very much at home in.

We mentioned Drover Cycles in the feature. You’ll find them in Forest Road, : droverholidays.co.uk/electricwales.

Where to eat The official Hay guide lists 23 different places where you can grab a sandwich or a coffee and a cake, where you can eat al fresco, choose traditional British fare or opt for something continental. And they’re not all in the town itself so if you’re staying at a farmhouse or in a cottage in the hills or just out and about for the day you’re only a stone’s throw away from some great grub!

Where to stay Hay-on-Wye is a marvellous place for a day trip, but if you want to stay for a few days, what are the options?

In both the town itself and its immediate vicinity, there’s a huge choice of self-catering, guest house and farm house accommodation. For those who prefer outdoor living there’s an eclectic choice of camp sites from the Borders Hideaway at Clyro with its five star facilities to ‘wild camping’ at the Bulls Head at Craswall and ‘glamping’ at Cosy Under Canvas at Dolbedwyn in between.

There’s no shortage, either, of hotels for those looking for a bit more luxury – some in Hay itself, some in the surrounding towns and villages, all of them telling something of the history of the locality. They include the 12th century Pandy Inn at nearby Dorstone, the 16th century Caer Beris Manor, the former home of Lord Swansea, and Baskerville Hall, built in 1839 by Thomas Baskerville, whose friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a regular visitor. Wonder if that’s where he got his inspiration for the title of that book from? Hmm!

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36-39 Market Town_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:50 Page 4

W. CARTER & SON W. Carter & Son are proud to be Salisbury's oldest business, having traded continuously from the same premises since 1817. Being a family business, we pride ourselves on our personal service.

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We have our own workshop on site, and a goldsmith who can re-model old items or hand make bespoke items to customers' specifications. We also undertake engraving, valuations and clock repairs on the premises.

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40-41 Art_Layout 1 27/03/2014 12:56 Page 1

Art

dance

The magic of Dennis Furnell spends a bewitching hour with a ballet dancer turned internationally acclaimed sculptor

I

interviewed Tom Merrifield at his studio and home in London’s Hampstead; settling down to talk in his garden room over tea and chocolate éclairs while his assistant, Brett, hovered nearby. Tom – aged 80 – had not been well and, although on the road to recovery, his voice was no more than a whisper; Brett was on hand to help interpret if necessary.

I asked him about his early career in Australia as a ballet dancer, and how he came to take up painting and sculpture, but the discussion didn’t go as I had planned. Tom had other ideas. Brett valiantly tried to steer him to answer my questions, but the next hour was spent in reminiscing his past achievements, chatting about his recent creations, and friendly gossip about the people who owned his work – all in the most colourful language. I’ve hardly ever spent such a fascinating hour in my life – and one of the most difficult, trying to keep up with him.

I came away knowing that he began his dancing career in Australia with the Borovansky Ballet Company, after being put into dance classes at a young age to try to combat chronic childhood arthritis. A rather unusual therapy; however it worked.

He grew out of it and has never had a recurrence to this day. At the age of 16 he became the company’s youngest principal male soloist, before moving to England to star in a number of West End musicals including “On the Town”, “West Side Story”, “Man of La Mancha”, “No Strings” and “Showboat”. He also frequently appeared on television shows, including “Sunday Night at the London Palladium”.

40 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

Trying to pin Tom down as to how and why he made the transition from dancer to artist and sculptor was challenging. This lovely man much prefers to chat about life in general. He told me his wife, Elizabeth (always known as Blackie Merrifield), his companion of fifty-five years who sadly died four years ago, was an inspiration. He made the point that dancing, at the highest level as Tom did, is hard on the body, and when dancers reach a certain age (much younger than for most professions) retirement looms. Tom’s experience as a dancer, his love of dance for its own sake, and his attention to the movement of the human body led him to begin to draw and paint dancers. He began while still dancing in “Show Boat”. It was something he’d never done before, and it led to his first exhibition. The gallery was going to use another artist’s sculptures in the exhibition, but when Tom saw them he thought he’d try his hand at a bit of sculpting, and used some coat hangers for the armatures. When the gallery owner saw the results she decided to exhibit Tom’s sculptures instead.

He found he had an aptitude for both painting and sculpting. It gave him great pleasure and an outlet for artistic expression no longer available to him from dancing himself. He has never been concerned about whether anyone else likes his work.

He paints and draws in a host of different media.

For sculpting he works in bronze, a fusion of copper and tin, used 3,000 years ago by the ancient Greeks to create wonderfully lifelike statuary. The original figure is crafted in wax then encased in fireproof clay. The clay mould is heated to melt the wax, leaving behind a perfect moulded impression. Molten bronze is then poured into the mould, faithfully following the shape of the artist’s original. Needless to say this explanation is a simplification of a highly complex process; the cohesion of art and the craft of the foundry - in

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Art

essence unchanged through three millennia. It allows Tom the freedom to recreate the human form not as a static figure, but in a fluid, naturalistic pose so that his ballet subjects look as if they might step from their pedestals and continue their movement.

It is no accident that his work is acclaimed around the world and adorns both private homes and public spaces.

There’s a wonderful life-sized example on display at Chichester Festival Theatre depicting “Spartacus”; and then there is the lovely “Solitaire”, to be found in the Sculpture Garden at Compton Acres in Dorset.The Melbourne Arts Centre in Australia boasts a life-sized dragonfly, as does the Mendel Centre for Arts & Technology at Lake Michigan in the USA. The list of subjects he has sculpted reads like a “Who’s Who” in the world of dance, and numbers among them Alicia Markova, Beryl Grey, Natalia Markarova, Antoinette Sibley, Anthony Dowell and Wayne Sleep, to name but a few.

When the British Red Cross wanted to commission a bust of Princess Diana after her death they chose Tom Merrifield. By his own admission it was a challenging task to capture the essence of a woman so widely known and admired. This exquisite likeness of Diana now occupies a place of honour at the London Headquarters of the Red Cross.

Tom’s sense of humour is earthy and he is happiest when he is working.

Immensely sociable, he attracts friends who have similar interests, and his phone never seems to stop ringing.

Every wall of his London home is covered with paintings, drawings and prints of dancers. Every nook and cranny is filled with his sculptures, large and small. He is gathering his strength to begin work again, and his studio reflects the discipline and training of a dancer. Everything is placed just where his hand will find it. All the paints are laid out in an arc of graduating colours. Sketching from life is the start of a process from which a painting will emerge and, ultimately, a sculpture to delight the senses.

We finish the interview in his bedroom where he sits majestically in the middle of an enormous carved four poster bed. Again the room is full of pictures and miniature sculptures and memories, but remarkably few pictures himself – just one or two that show a man with a perfect dancer’s figure. In spite of being eighty years old he is still remarkably trim.

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The depth of Tom’s undoubted talent is evidenced in his miniature dancing dragonfly; or perhaps imbued in a series of female dancers exercising; or even the life-sized female nude with her wet hair drifting over her shoulders, her lovely body perfectly modelled as though she were dancing in the rain.

It was raining on the afternoon of the interview and as Brett was showing me out we noticed the rain had stopped. He asked if I’d like to see the statues in the garden before I left. Set among trees and bushes and a pond full of large, tame koi carp; some of the figures are life-size, some larger than life – like the man himself.

See Tom’s work online at : tommerrifield.co.uk, or call ( 020 7431 0794 to arrange a viewing at the Merrifield Gallery in Hampstead.

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 41

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42-43 Sharks_Layout 1 27/03/2014 17:00 Page 2

Fishing

Let sharks off the hook!

Sharks are probably the marine predators most feared by humans, and plenty of them lurk off of our shores, but the facts don’t fit their infamous image

U

nless you are a sea angling enthusiast who avidly follows the fortunes of big game fishermen, you probably would not know that there are 30 species of shark going about their business in the waters off of the UK coast. Allegedly the biggest of the bunch ever caught on a line in British waters was hooked off of the Isle of Wight in the autumn of last year, measuring more than 14 feet long and weighing around 550 lbs.

Before you make a pledge to never again dip your toe in the ocean on a British beach, let me hastily assure you that the monstrous shark that Wayne Comben from Hampshire managed to reel in after a twohour battle from his boat out at sea was not a terrifying, toothy Great White “Jaws” beast. On the contrary, it was a thresher shark, harmless to humans (unless you get in the way of the powerful lashing tail of a big, angry version of the species). Threshers are no strangers to our waters – but also not overly common – and they tend to stay a good distance away from the coast.

Comben’s catch was impressive, but not an official record, because he returned the shark to the sea alive and did not drag it ashore to have it officially measured, weighed and recorded – an action which has endeared him to the Shark Trust. This is the Plymouth-based organisation which is dedicated to “advancing the worldwide conservation of sharks through science, education, influence and action”.

The Trust is a charity with the main purpose of encouraging us to embrace sharks – advocating the correct management and protection of what is termed “this integral apex predator of our oceans”.

Basically they want us all to realise that sharks aren’t always just nasty, dangerous creatures, but are much misunderstood and misrepresented.

Take the basking shark, for example – a leviathan that has been spotted frequently in British waters during the summer months in recent years, after being nearly fished to extinction. Swimmers, sailors and kayakers who have come across these creatures tell of how they are large enough to swallow one whole – “as big as a bus” according to one newspaper report.

In the case of the basking shark, however, size does not really matter. These fish certainly are massive, but they are gentle giants with little or no interest in humans, who feed on the smallest prey possible – plankton. For this purpose they have a vast mouth cavity up to a metre wide; but, unlike the notorious Great White shark, baskers have tiny hooked teeth. The cavernous mouth is vital for ingesting copious amounts of plankton-rich water, which is filtered through the shark’s digestive system to nourish the elephantine fish.

Writing in The Guardian last October about the increase in numbers of basking sharks, Alex Renton said: “It takes half a ton of plankton to fill their stomachs, and they have livers the size of cars, but brains no bigger than an apple. They will cross the Atlantic and venture a mile deep browsing for plankton, but they’re not very complicated: sea anemones with fins, says one marine zoologist.”

Basking sharks are sighted frequently because in the warmer months they feed close to the surface, following columns of plankton (this is also how they came to be known as “basking” sharks). They are

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not interested in boats and don’t move out of the way of water craft.

This behaviour has led to boat and jet-ski strikes causing often horrible injuries to the slow-moving baskers. It’s the fish who usually come off worst in such encounters, but way back in 1937 three people died when a basking shark capsized their boat off of the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland. I have not been able to find any other documented cases of basking sharks causing death or severe injury to humans around the UK, although they also have the rather dangerous habit of “breaching” without warning. It is not too pleasant to be in the path of a gargantuan fish when it leaps out of the water, so best heed the advice of the Shark Trust and keep a safe distance from these ocean jumbos.

Another shark species found seasonally in British waters with a bad reputation is the long, slender blue shark, usually around two metres in length, with a fearsome set of sharp teeth. These are constantly pilloried in the press, as is shown by these headlines from last summer: The killers just off our shores: Astonishing images of blue sharks swimming with divers captured several miles from Cornwall – Daily Mail, September 2013 Gruesome (blue) shark attack in English Channel caught on camera – Metro, October 2013 Heatwave brings hungry sharks to Cornish Coast – Western Morning News, July 2013 The above all suggest that blue sharks are out to attack humans, which they rarely, if ever, do unless provoked or threatened. Their favourite food is apparently squid, not people!

These now rather rare fish are hunted as game for their good looks and the fact that they are known to put up a challenging fight; they have also been “overfished” commercially, not for their flesh but mostly for their fins and liver oil.

Blue sharks are the predominant prey favoured by the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain, based in Looe, Cornwall, which offers shark fishing trips (:sharkanglingclubofgreatbritain.org.uk). The sharks are hunted for sport around 20 miles offshore, and all those caught are tagged and returned to the ocean alive.

While it is true that blue sharks left to their own devices bear us no ill will, it is good to be aware that according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) there have been 13 recorded unprovoked attacks on humans by blue sharks, four of which were fatal – between 1580 and 2012. I’m not sure those figures warrant labelling the blue shark a “killer”.

The Shark Trust sums it all up on its website: “Although sharks inhabit our waters you are unlikely to encounter them on a trip to the beach. Many shark species are becoming quite rare so any encounter should be seen as a privilege. Most species of shark are completely harmless to people, with only a tiny minority recorded as ‘attacking’ humans. Despite this shark attack is one of the most feared natural dangers to humans. Reports of shark attacks in European waters are extremely rare. According to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) there have only been two unprovoked shark attacks in England, since 1847, neither of which proved fatal. Many more people are injured and killed each year by bee stings, snakes, crocodiles or tigers than by sharks.”

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 43

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Style

“Times have changed and more and more of us are looking to trade up our AGA cookers for a new-generation electric model.”

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Style

Range of savings...

Older AGA cookers are cherished for their ability to provide many years of sterling service in the kitchen. They are, however, less efficient and costlier to run than newer programmable models. Here, Laura James looks at how trading up can mean significant savings and greater control…

A few years ago if you’d suggested that the owner of an old AGA cooker might like to trade it in for a new one, they would have looked at you as if you were quite mad. The AGA is, after all, viewed by many as almost a member of the family.

“Why, it would be like trading in Granny for a supermodel!” I once heard someone say when asked if she would be getting a new AGA cooker while her kitchen was being revamped.

Times have changed, however, and more and more of us are looking to trade up our AGA cookers for a new-generation electric model.

The innovative AGA Total Control is designed for those who want ultimate flexibility. Its ovens and hotplates can be controlled independently and there’s even an additional feature, which allows some models to be controlled remotely via a mobile phone, tablet or laptop.

Designed for those who like the idea of this flexibility but still want to take advantage of the indefinable AGA warmth in the kitchen is the new AGA Dual Control.

With this clever model, the hotplates can be switched on and off as the owner pleases and the oven can either be on full or set at a lower energy setting. During the summer months it can be switched off completely and only the hotplates used for cooking.

There are lots of reasons for AGA owners deciding to trade up, including the desire for greater flexibility, more controllability of heat into the kitchen, improved fuel efficiency, lower running costs and reduced servicing needs.

For home economist Alison Baker a number of factors influenced her decision.

“When I moved back to the UK from

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Australia,” she says, “the house I’d moved into had a solid-fuel AGA cooker. I was horrified by it and was going to have it ripped out.

“Coincidentally, we went to visit friends for lunch and had the most delicious roast beef I’d ever tasted. It was, of course, cooked in an AGA and it made me decide to keep mine. So I had it converted from solid fuel to oil, but the fuel bills were horrendous.

Subsequently I’ve been told that old cookers that are converted from solid fuel to oil are often less efficient than models bought new from AGA. “I am about to move and I’ve already bought an AGA Dual Control for my new house because I really want all the benefits of AGA cooking but with lower running costs – I can’t wait to move in! I have used the Dual Control during my work and absolutely love it. I’m thrilled that I will be able to use it all year round, as I had to turn my old AGA cooker off during the summer months.”

One of the big worries people have when changing their AGA cooker for a newer model is whether it will cook in the same way and whether the food will taste as good.

Mary Berry’s long-time assistant, Lucy Young (above), had just the same worries before she became the proud owner of a 3oven AGA Total Control.

“The food tastes exactly the same as it

does from any other kind of AGA cooker,” she says. “As a food writer that’s very important to me and I can really not tell the difference at all as long as I follow the Total Control instructions.”

Lucy and her husband, Peter, upgraded to their Duck Egg Blue AGA Total Control when they moved into their first house together.

Before that Lucy had a 3-oven gas model.

Using fuel unnecessarily was a big concern to the couple, which is why they chose to go with a more flexible AGA cooker.

“It suits our lifestyle,” adds Lucy. “Peter and I like to go away at weekends and we’re both out most of the day and we really didn’t like the idea of using energy when we were out of the house.

“In this day and age it feels wrong to waste fuel when we’re not at home.

Whenever we are at home, regardless of the season, we have the roasting oven and simmering oven on, as we love the gentle heat in the kitchen. I programme it to come on between 7am and 9am and then again at 5pm when we’re back home, so it’s always warm in the kitchen when we’re there. In the freezing winter months I have both hotplates on too. In fact, for us, it is just like having our old AGA cooker, but we’re saving energy.

“One of the real benefits of Total Control is that the ovens don’t lose heat when the hotplates are open. This is brilliant, as it means I don’t need to avoid using the hotplates when there’s a lot of cooking to be done in the ovens.”

One of the great myths is that an AGA cooker cooks differently depending on which type of fuel it uses. Lucy succinctly debunks this.

“I’ve cooked on every kind of AGA under the sun during my cookery demonstrations and I can honestly say that the fuel type is completely irrelevant in terms of taste. It makes absolutely no difference at all.”

Colour, though, is another matter entirely. “I fell in love with the Duck Egg Blue AGA cooker when I was 18 and always wanted one. I was thrilled when AGA relaunched it for its 300th anniversary celebrations, as this coincided with my decision to have a new AGA.”

For more information on AGA Total Control or Dual Control models, visit your local AGA shop or go to: www.agaliving.com

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Style

Rayburn 600 Series: cooking and heating in one stylish package The innovative Rayburn 600 Series collection offers five versatile models, each combining cast-iron range cooking with the very latest ‘A’ rated boiler technology.

Beneath the classically beautiful exterior of the Rayburn 600 lies a highly-efficient combined heating and cooking system that creates mouth-watering dishes, a wonderfully warm home and piping hot water, just when you need it.

Rayburn 600 models have the largest cast-iron hotplate on the market with space

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for as many as eight saucepans. Cooks will also love the main oven, which is a full 16% larger than other smaller Rayburn models. Its four heat zones mean it is perfect for grilling, roasting, baking and simmering and a 34 litre capacity lower oven that is approximately half the temperature of the main oven is ideal for casseroles, steamed root vegetables and puddings.

Advanced digital controls also allow the cooker to be programmed to come on automatically when you are out, so it is

always ready when you need it.

The Rayburn 600 Heatranger models are also capable of heating up to 20 radiators and are compatible with all modern heating systems. An intelligent Eco-mode setting encourages fuel efficiency and energy savings and it also benefits from two fully automatic burners that allow you to control hot water and heating independently from the cooker.

For more information, visit www.rayburn-web.co.uk

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Style

Mugs full of smiles Inspired by busy everyday life, the new range of AGA SAGA feature mugs are made in the UK from fine bone china. They feature comical scenes perfect for brewing up a smile and have a capacity 10floz.

Market day - Drooling dogs selecting the butcher’s finest cuts for tea and later taking prime position while the day’s purchases are being cooked to perfection in the AGA.

Show jumping - Hilarious prankster horse, stopping short of the jump and sending the rider face-first into the water. The AGA comes into its own to dry the rider’s clothes, while the four-legged culprit whinnies through the window.

Allotment - Nothing beats growing your own and cooking them on the AGA and these pesky rabbits couldn’t agree more.

Rugby - No need to try, food is always ‘scrummy’ in an AGA.

Football crazy - He shoots, he scores - there’s no better match than a dog and the AGA.

Baking tips - Our furry friends take on the task of teaching us the best way to bake on the AGA - you really ‘knead’ this mug.

For more information visit agacookshop.co.uk

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Sport

Battles are raging on playing fields across the UK as teams mounted on broomsticks tackle a strenuous and spirited new contact sport, reports Lucille Parker.

Below: A Radcliffe Chimeras “chaser” takes aim to score points with the “Quaffle” in the European Quidditch finals in Belgium, which the team won.

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I

t’s rough and tough with complex, complicated rules – a whole new team sport that is gathering momentum and fans across the UK and the world (particularly on university campuses), almost as fast as did the fictional phenomenon that spawned it.

Muggle Quidditch is the down-to-earth version of the aerial game played by JK Rowling’s young wizard, Harry Potter, in the enormously popular series of novels and movies.

Harry Potter and his teammates – pupils at the magical, prestigious Hogwarts prep-school – played the gruelling, fiercely competitive game riding on furiously fast flying broomsticks, in pursuit of a nippy little magical winged ball called the snitch. Now, on the playing fields of Oxford University and elsewhere, muggles (nonmagical people) are playing an earthbound equivalent, and taking it very seriously indeed.

Muggle Quidditch originated not in Britain, where the Harry Potter novels were written and filmed, but in the USA, at Middlebury College in Vermont.

First played there in 2005, the sport has grown rapidly to the point where it now has its own non-profit governing body – the International Quidditch Association (IQA) –

and is played by more than 300 university and community teams throughout North America, Australia and Europe.

In Britain alone there are around 30 Quidditch teams. It is fitting, perhaps, that the British Quidditch champions’ stronghold is Oxford, given that this university town provided several of the locations for the filming of at least three of the Harry Potter movies. Christ Church College, Oxford, was the setting for the Hogwarts Great Hall in The Sorcerer’s Stone; library scenes in The Sorcerer’s Stone were filmed inside Oxford’s Duke Humfrey’s Library; the Divinity School on the ground floor of the Bodleian Library featured as Hogwarts infirmary in The HalfBlood Prince; and in The Goblet of Fire the character Draco is turned into a ferret in the cloisters of Oxford’s New College.

Now Oxford Quidditch teams are out practising every Saturday and Wednesday afternoon on their bespoke pitch at University Parks. Oxford’s “Radcliffe Chimeras” are the reigning British and European champions, having won the British Cup at Oxford in November last year, following up their triumph with victory in February in Belgium in the European championship tournament.

Chimeras captain Ashley Cooper – a medical student – told us that although these accolades earned the team an invitation to represent the UK at the World Cup in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in the United States in this month (April), they would not be competing.

“We are crushingly disappointed as I think we would have done very well, but without sponsorship or help to fund the trip we can’t afford to get our team over there,” he said, regretfully.

Undaunted, the team is actively fundraising and determined to make the 2015 World Cup. Ashley says that in July some of the Oxford players will compete in Canada as part of a composite Team UK in the IQA Global Games.

If you are intrigued by Quidditch, let’s try to explain a bit more about how a match in this inclusive mixed-gender sport works: First off you need two opposing teams of seven players each (with a lot of reserves,

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Quidditch

Right: Oxford’s “Radcliffe Chimeras” on the attack in the match which won them the title of British Quidditch Champions in November last year.

because frequent substitutions are allowed and necessary due to the incredibly tiring nature of the sport). Each team has three ‘chasers’, two ‘beaters’, one ‘keeper’ and one ‘seeker’.

What makes Quidditch unique among contact team sports is the necessity for all players to carry a broomstick (all of equal length and weight, with or without bristles on the end) between their thighs at all times.

Abovet: Riding his broomstick, an Oxford Quidditch player avoids a tackle from an opponeent

The game is played on a pill-shaped pitch of roughly 60x50 yards. Three upright, freestanding and self-supporting hoops are positioned on each goal line. Three types of balls are required for a match – a ‘quaffle’ (size of a volleyball) is used by the chasers and keepers to pass through the hoops and score points; a slightly smaller ‘bludger’, used by beaters to throw at opponents in the hope of knocking them out; and the all-important ‘snitch’ – usually a tennis ball – held inside a yellow sock which is tucked into the back of the shorts of a neutral player, who is also

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known as the snitch.

Seekers chase the snitch and when it is caught the catching team wins 30 points and the game is ended.

Quidditch has been described as containing elements of rugby, dodgeball, tag, wrestling and lacrosse – quite a chaotic combination.

The signal for the start of each match is the cry of “Brooms Up”, uttered by the referee, and then the melee gets underway.

We muggles play on the ground, of course, unlike the Hogwarts team who zoomed about on their broomsticks in the air. According to Ashley being earthbound does not detract from the excitement: “We don’t need to fly – Quidditch is awesome enough already.”

Ashley describes a game as follows: “Chasers try to score with the Quaffle, whilst avoiding both getting “bludged” with dodgeballs by opposing beaters, and being on the wrong end of a full-contact tackle from their chasers.

At the same time, two seekers hunt for the snitch (who can hide in any part of the half mile area around the pitch).”

The IQA has a comprehensive official rule book (the seventh version being the most up to date) available for download on its website at : iqaquidditch.com.

There is no doubt that Ashley and his teammates are passionate about the sport, and very keen to promote it.

“We love sharing Quidditch with people.

Most people just dismiss it immediately, but we always encourage them to give it a try.

We’re very proud of the fact that everyone who has ever tried it has come back to play again,” he says.

Below: The victory cry heralds the triumph of Oxford’s Radcliffe Chimeras in the European Quidditch finals, as the yellow “snitch” is held aloft.

more information Anyone interested in finding out more about Quidditch in the UK is welcome to email Ashley at 8 oxfordquidditch@gmx.com, or visit : quidditchuk.com.

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Fashion

clothes maketh the man!

Tailor and designer Jason Regent shares some style tips for mature men whose wardrobes may have become a little tired.

Even those who start out in life with a sense of style can “get a bit lost” as they become “men of a certain age”, laments Jason Regent – fashion designer and tailor.

“Men reach the age of 45, or 50, and they all seem to turn to beige and start wearing the same high street branded garments,” he says.

Jason owns a rather unique clothing shop in the Wiltshire city of Salisbury, where he offers bespoke tailoring for men and women as well as his own Regent brand “offthe-peg” range, in a holistic “lifestyle” setting. Jason’s clientele ranges from sharpsuited businessmen to country estate game keepers, but at present he’s a man with a mission.

He wants mature men to realise the importance of preserving their panache, no matter what their size, shape or situation.

“I’ve wanted to have my own clothing brand since I was around 11 years old. It was largely the influence of my grandfather, butler to the (Ian) Fleming family, who was of modest means but always smartly and classically dressed – he had on a tie and waistcoat the day he died,” says Jason.

He started out at the world famous Ede & Ravenscroft in London, spent some time abroad, then returned to the UK where he now runs the impressive Regent Tailoring outlet from his distinctively decorated premises near Salisbury Cathedral. He’s earned a reputation for his stylish savoir faire and tailoring skill, particularly among up-and-coming trendsetters.

Jason’s mother can take some of the credit for his chosen career too, because she was a creative personality – if rather flamboyant. “She once wore tails to Henley on a day out shopping – she was determined not to conform.” Jason, though, advises caution for older men when it comes to being avant garde in their dress. It’s very easy to go “over the top”, so he advocates a classic rather than bold approach. “Avoid looking like a peacock”.

The key to looking good at any age, according to Jason, is to have well-fitted clothes. Older men, in particular, are guilty of wearing ill-fitting clothes, probably because they have lost sight of the fact that

body shape changes over time. “They still buy the same size and style as they have for years – usually from the same brands.” The result is trousers that are baggy and ill-fitting jackets.

Dressing well does not mean investing a fortune.

Jason suggests that a wardrobe need not be vast – just stocked with well-chosen basics of excellent quality. “A single-button blue blazer, a tweed jacket, a good pair of denim jeans, a couple of pairs of moleskins, a good suit with a crisp white shirt – these can take you a long way.” Good garments have a long life, but Jason advises guarding against wearing items which have become too shabby. High quality shoes are vital (“they’ll be your friend for life”), and accessories such as ties, pocket squares, waistcoats and braces (which are very popular at present) add interest and variety to your wardrobe.

A crucial key to exuding a sense of style is to “relax into your clothes”. Jason says that the savvy sartorial dressers who stand out from the crowd are those who are seemingly unconscious of their elegance. “Don’t go fiddling with your tie, or pulling at your waistband,” he advises.

Here he quotes the fictional character James Bond as a shining example of impeccable style, who wears his clothes effortlessly.

“Don’t look as though you’ve tried too hard – you should take great care, but make it appear as though it comes naturally.”

Dressing to impress all boils down to a slogan which Jason has painted on one of the walls of his three-storey shop: “Style is knowing who you are – we can help you find yourself”.

He urges men not to lose pride in their appearance as they age. “Even if you’re popping out to the shops for the papers, or to the pub for a pint, make an effort.”

“Treat yourself to the best you can afford. You deserve it, and looking good makes you feel good too.”

Visit Jason online at : regenttailoring.co.uk, or call in at his store at + 73 New Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2PH between 10am and 5.30pm Monday to Saturday. Contact details are telephone ( 01722 335151, email 8 help@regenttailoring.co.uk

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 51

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Food

A banquet in a basket Picnics are all about pure pleasure, especially when crafted in the engaging style of well-known writer, Elisabeth Luard

T

he picnic, in its original form during the early 19th century, was not an occasion for eating outdoors. Jane Austen would not have expected to take her repast al-fresco – no, siree! Had Miss Austen received an invitation from her rich relations to join them for a pique-nique, she would have known that this – the latest in fashionable entertainment – required that she arrive with sufficient provisions to share with her fellow guests in the comfort of the dining-room. Afterwards, she’d expect to play a spirited part in the performance of amateur theatricals.

It was the members of the Romantics, Lord Byron among them, who dropped the theatricals and transformed the event into an opportunity to admire nature, without forfeiting the enjoyment of good food taken in comfort.

Just the same, dragging out the full complement of tables, chairs and family silver was all very well, as long as you had plenty of servants. While the trappings may have vanished, the purpose hasn’t; the picnic, not to be confused with the packed lunch, is for pleasure.There must be company, no matter if two or ten.

There must be style: paper plates and throwaway cutlery are all very well at a

children’s party but real napkins, and proper knives and forks are required, along with tumblers for wine or maybe home-made ginger beer.

My own family’s picnic-habits were formed in Spain, where I set up home with my four young children and writerhusband in the early 1970’s in a remote valley in Andalusia, overlooking the hills of Africa. Our Sunday picnics were dictated by what was good and fresh in the Saturday market. The Sunday outing menu was a paella cooked on a brushwood fire. We took rice and saffron and olive oil and a proper paella pan of the right size for the company. The rest was wild-gathering, tiny snails plucked from dry thistle-stalks; perhaps a rabbit if the hunter was lucky; crayfish gathered by the children from the stream. Sounds exotic? Not to us, since it was simply what everyone else in the valley thought proper and right.

To wash it down, ice-cold water from the spring and the local wine, a bottle of bone-dry sherry from Jerez or a manzanilla from Sanlucar, chilled in running water – though someone had to remember to anchor it with a string wound round the bottle-neck tied to a tree-root. And just in case our wildgatherings were not as successful as they might have been, a chicken roasted with garlic and lemon, chunked into bite-sized pieces, and a thick potato omelette, tortilla de patatas, with a handful of wild asparagus shoots for the joy of spring.

A sense of place is what makes picnicfood memorable. Which really means that whether formal at Glyndebourne or impromptu in the park, as with any successful restaurant, the setting, the food and the entertainment (planned or not) must work in harmony. If the picnic fits the occasion, long after the basket’s empty, the memory will last.

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Food

Spanishwith tortilla green asparagus The asparagus can be omitted or replaced with young broad beans or peas, or any other young spring vegetables, cut into appropriately small pieces. Use an inexpensive olive oil for frying and don’t stint on the quantity - most of it can be saved for frying something else.

Serves 6 750g potatoes (6 medium-sized, one for each egg) 500ml olive oil A handful of green asparagus spears, diced 6 large free-range eggs Salt Peel and slice the potatoes thinly (some people chip them or matchstick – it’s up to you).

Heat the oil in a deep-sided frying pan or 4-person omelette pan. Heat the oil till a faint blue haze rises. Add the potato. Reheat gently and place lid loosely. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato is nearly soft but not browned, then add the diced asparagus.

Reheat and cook for another 5 minutes, till the potato is soft, the asparagus tender but still green. Remove the potato and asparagus to a sieve to drain and cool a little. Pour out all but a tablespoon of the oil (save the rest for frying the chicken).

Fork the eggs together and salt lightly, then stir in the potato and asparagus. Reheat the oil in the pan, tip in the egg and potato. Cook gently, giving the pan an occasional shake to prevent the tortilla from sticking, neatening the sides with wooden spatula, and cook for 3-4 minutes, loosely lidded, until top is beginning to set. Cover the pan with a plate of the same size and reverse the tortilla on to the plate. Carefully slide it from the plate back into the pan, and cook the other side for 2 more minutes. Inside it should still be juicy. Allow to cool to room-temperature and cut into bite-sized squares for serving, or leave whole for portability.

Chicken with garlic and lemon Juicy, oily and deliciously garlicky, as picnic chicken should be. Take cos-lettuce leaves to wrap the pieces and catch the juices as you eat. If I serve this at home, I use the lemony juices to dress a plain lettuce salad.

Serves 6 1 smallish chicken, jointed into bite-sized pieces 1 unwaxed lemon, diced 1 whole garlic-head, cloves unskinned but roughly squashed 4-5 tablespoons olive oil 2-3 tablespoons dry sherry or white wine Sea salt Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

Arrange the chicken joints in a roasting tin and use your hands to mix with the diced lemon, garlic, sherry and oil. Salt generously, cover with foil and roast for 40-50 minutes, uncovering for the last 10 minutes, till the joints are cooked right through and deliciously browned.

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 53

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Food

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER BENEFITS

UK’s top food fe

sts

Eat your heart out!

Ticket Offer!

We’ll all be cooking up a storm at Foodies Festivals across the country this summer, with great ticket deals and a competition for CGA members.

The annual outdoor Foodies Festivals held in locations from Edinburgh to Brighton during the summer months have become a “must” on most people’s calendars, attracting upwards of 250,000 visitors a year. A celebration of food and drink par excellence, a Foodies Festival is more than just a fun feast. These events showcase the best of British produce, are held in some delightful settings (including English Heritage properties), and come complete with the Aga Rangemaster Chef’s Theatre where celebrity chefs give tasty and entertaining tutorials.

Where and when is all this delicious action happening?

Here are the dates and locations:

The 2014 season brings a total of nine festivals, two new ones having been added to the line-up, at the newly refurbished Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath and Marble Hill House on riverside parkland near Richmond, both prestigious English Heritage properties.

Those who have experienced a Foodies Festival before will be pleased to hear that besides two new venues, this year these goodie galas will incorporate new features, such as a chocolate, cake, bake and preserves theatre with audience participation and top chefs such as BBC’s Great British Bake Off’s John Whaite. Then there will be a new outdoor BBQ arena, with hourly cooking demonstrations and BBQ challenges, and a red hot chilli food market with a daily chilli eating challenge. Slaking thirsts will be a real ale and cider farm hosting local craft brewers, and top mixologists will be shaking and stirring crazy cocktails in the Drinks Theatre. A new Feasting Tent – to be added to the usual Wine Village, Restaurant Arena and Street Food Avenue – will become the social hub of the festivals where visitors can dine along with the chefs at long feasting tables.

All the old favourites will be back, including the Children’s Cookery Theatre, Producers’ Market, the Vintage Tea Tent with daily tea dances, and the live entertainment stage with music acts performing throughout the day.

Brighton Hove Lawns May Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 3 – 5 May Marble Hill Spring Bank Holiday weekend, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 24 – 26 May Kenwood House Saturday, Sunday and Monday 30 May – 1 June Clapham Common Friday, Saturday and Sunday 6 – 8 June Bristol Harbourside Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11 – 13 July Tatton Park, Cheshire Friday, Saturday and Sunday 18 – 20 July Edinburgh, Inverleith Park Friday, Saturday and Sunday 8 – 10 August Battersea Park Friday, Saturday and Sunday 15 – 17 August Oxford South Parks Saturday, Sunday and Monday 23 – 25 August

SPECIAL OFFER: CGA members can buy two adult day or concession tickets (excluding VIP) to enjoy any of the Festivals for the price of one. To book visit : foodiesfestival.com, or call 0844 995 1111 and quote code CGA241.

WIN a pair of tickets to the Foodies Festival of your choice.

To enter the lucky draw to win one of ten pairs of adult day tickets to one of this year’s festivals just tick the relevant box on the reply card between pages 82 and 83 of the magazine and return it to the CGA by 16 May 2014. (Note: because of the closing date of the competition winners will not be able to claim tickets for the Brighton Foodies Festival, which takes place before the draw on 3 to 5 May, 2014. There is, however, still a selection of eight events to choose from.)

Note: children aged 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

54 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

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Finance

Budget Briefing Far-reaching reforms of pensions and savings were the key points to emerge from the 2014 Budget statement delivered by the Chancellor. he combination of late Autumn Statements and early spring leaks has left recent Budgets largely devoid of surprises. Most pundits believed that the 2014 Budget would follow this trend, if only because the Budget deficit in 2013/14 was still £108 billion.

However, George Osborne proved them wrong and revealed a range of initiatives that had successfully been kept under wraps. The reforms proposed to pensions, reducing the role of annuities, will change retirement planning significantly and have already had an impact on the value of insurance company shares. Some aspects of the new pension framework remain unclear, in particular the treatment of defined benefit (final salary) schemes in the private sector.

The Chancellor also set out a new structure for ISA savers. Instead of introducing a cap on total ISA investment, as was rumoured last summer, Mr Osborne will increase the annual contribution limit to £15,000 from July 2014. In addition, he will effectively scrap the current distinction between cash ISAs and stocks and shares ISAs. The changes to the size and rate of the starting-rate income tax band from 2015/16 were also surprises for savers, although only about 1.5 million people are expected to benefit. Ironically, what was widely leaked as the good news of the Budget (and its most costly) – a further increase in the personal allowance to £10,500 in 2015/16 – almost went unnoticed among the Chancellor’s reforms.

T

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE BUDGET WERE AS FOLLOWS: •

Radical reform of pensions, effectively introducing flexible drawdown for all defined contribution schemes.

•

Major relaxations to the rules for turning small pension pots into cash lumpsums.

•

Reform of ISAs, with a new £15,000 annual contribution limit and full transferability in both directions between stocks and shares and cash.

•

The savings tax rate reduced from 10% to 0% and the savings rate band increased to £5,000, both from 2015/16.

•

The personal allowance is increased to £10,000 for 2014/15 and to £10,500 for 2015/16, with small reductions in the basic rate band for both years.

•

The transferable tax allowance for married couples is set at £1,050 for 2015/16.

•

The annual investment allowance (AIA) is doubled to £500,000 and there is a one-year extension of the higher AIA to 31 December 2015.

•

Seed enterprise investment scheme (SEIS) is made permanent and new rules are introduced for venture capital trusts (VCTs) and enterprise investment schemes (EISs).

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BUDGET REPORT 2014

A full booklet about how the 2014 Budget will affect you can be downloaded from the website thecga.co.uk, or give us a call on 01985 850706, email financial@thecga.co.uk, to request a copy through the post.

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 55

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Special Feature

Joining Forces The CGA has pledged its support for the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.

Peter Corbett has put together this fascinating feature to introduce the Fund and explain how joining forces will be mutually beneficial.

The heart of the RAF family

T

he RAF Benevolent Fund is part of the conscience of the British nation.’ Not our words but, appropriately, those of Sir Winston Churchill, who will himself be forever remembered for his tribute to ‘the few’ – the RAF pilots who managed, against all odds, to win the Battle of Britain.

The Fund was founded in 1919, barely a year after the Royal Air Force and the Women’s Royal Air Force were created as branches of the armed services in their own right from the merger of the Royal Flying Corps with the Royal Naval Air Service.

The Fund has supported RAF members and their families ever since, and now cares for not far short of 70,000 people every year.

The charity’s work involves helping injured and sick ex-servicemen to live as normal a life as possible, with a full menu of welfare services, respite care and mobility aids available to them as well as to serving

‘Lest we forget …’ Two former servicemen sharing memories at the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, cared for by the RAF Benevolent Fund.Upkeep Club.

56 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

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Special Feature

Per ardua ad spes et fortitudo Senior Aircraftman Michael Goody was on patrol with the RAF Regiment in Afghanistan in August 2008, when they were hit by an IED – an improvised explosive device. He was trapped under his vehicle for three hours and suffered a composite fracture of his left ankle.

Due to his injury he was forced to return to the UK, where he found it hard to manage with his lack of independence.

“It was really frustrating,” says Michael. “I couldn’t drive my car – which was a manual one – so to get around I had to badger my friends and family.”

The RAF Benevolent Fund helped to pay for an automatic car, which gave him back some sense of independence but though, over the next two and a half years Michael had 14 operations to repair the damage to his foot, nothing worked. He was walking badly and damaging his knees at the same time, while his hip and lower back were very painful.

Michael says: “When the surgeon told me I might have to have another two years of operations – with no guarantee of success – I knew what I had to do.

“I made the decision to have my foot amputated. It meant I could concentrate on the future and when I had my prosthetic limb fitted, it actually improved my posture and my mobility.”

Since the operation, the

personnel injured in present day conflicts such as Afghanistan or Iraq. And of course the Fund’s teams are always on hand to support the families of those servicemen and women who lose their lives in the service of their country, whether through enemy action or the result of a tragic accident.

While these are in a way the ‘headline services’ which the RAF Benevolent Fund provides, it’s also involved in a range of

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*

RAFBF has stepped in to refit Michael’s house, fitting handles everywhere for him to hold on to, allowing him to get in and out of the front door, make himself tea, or walk straight into his bathroom and have a shower without the risk of falling over.

“It’s amazing not having to rely on anyone else,” says Michael. “Now my confidence has shot back up and I’m full of plans. I want to go to university. I want to be a paramedic.

I think it’s great that the RAF Benevolent Fund is always there to offer help and support when people get stuck.

Thank you so much.” * “Through adversity to hope and strength”, with apologies to the RAF motto “per ardua ad astra”, through adversity to the stars.

lower profile, but in many ways just as important activities, which are all aimed at easing the unique pressures which service families inevitably live under.

Typical of these is the RAFBF’s ‘Airplay’ programme, which supports children and young people growing up on RAF stations, by building new multi-use games areas (or MUGAs as they are now known) and rejuvenating play parks. Airplay also provides

Michael Goody

safe, supervised activities for children through a network of trained youth workers, provided by the children’s charity 4Children, and Airplay Childcare Centres, to make childcare more accessible and affordable on or near RAF stations.

The Fund has two seaside cottages which are available for family holidays. It also provides free relationship counselling through Relate to help RAF families sort

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 57

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Special Feature

Dame Judi Dench is a patron of the Bomber Command Memorial Upkeep Club.

out issues that can often arise when one partner is deployed for long periods at a time.

The charity is also on hand to offer advice on retraining and financial assistance to RAF personnel who face losing their jobs under the latest Strategic Defence Review.

Over and above this work, the Fund cares, on behalf of the nation, for the RAF Memorial on the Thames Embankment and the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park. Both are poignant reminders of the human cost paid by RAF pilots, air crew, ground personnel and civilian staff in our defence.

None of this work comes cheap, of course, and the Fund now spends more than £22 million a year, financing everything it does itself from returns on its investments and fundraising. It receives no government or statutory funding at all.

That’s why the CGA is proud to announce that it is to give its full support to the RAF

How you can help You can find out more about the RAF Benevolent Fund at www.rafbf.org where you’ll also find details of plenty of other opportunities for you to help the Fund. These include a number of ‘challenge events’ such as Nightrider London, a unique 100km moonlit ride past London’s iconic landmarks, and the Freedom Trail, a beautiful and demanding trek in the Pyrenees following the Chemin de la Liberté, one of the toughest WW2 escape routes from Nazi-occupied France.

And if that sounds too energetic for you, you can always choose a purchase from a range of RAF Benevolent Fund branded items, ranging from a wrist band to a bottle of specially labelled Bomber Command single malt whisky.

58 • APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA

Benevolent Fund. We aim to help it to continue to provide that unique level of service and support for those servicemen and women, and their families, whose lives are all too often adversely affected in ways which the vast majority of us can scarcely imagine.

Neil Simmons, CGA Group Holdings’ Business Manager and the Association’s link with the RAF Benevolent Fund, says: ‘The Fund describes itself as ‘the heart of

the RAF family’ and in the weeks and months to come we’ll be telling you how, through your membership of the CGA, you’ll be able to enjoy exclusive, one-off events organised by the Fund, through which you can play your part in supporting that family.

‘Please join us in our efforts to help make sure that the immensely important work of the Fund continues for as long as it’s needed.’

The RAF Benevolent Fund’s ‘Airplay’ programme provides safe, supervised activities for children, like these at RAF Wittering in Lincolnshire.

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER EVENT

A date for the diary Buy it, try it, fly it!

There’s even an app which will enable you to experience for yourself something of the excitement of flying that most iconic of RAF aircraft, the Spitfire.You’ll be able to explore and interact with a stunning high detail 3D model of a Spitfire, rotate the plane 360 degrees, start the engine and fire machine guns as well enjoying other interactive features.You can find out more about this unique example of click technology by going to www.rafbf.org/3699/spitfire-app.

Keep Wednesday, 9 July 2014 free CGA members are invited to an exclusive lunch at the RAF Club in Piccadilly. RAF veterans will be on hand to conduct you on a private guided tour of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park.

This will be the first of what we hope will be a long list of unique joint events with the RAF Benevolent fund.

Final details have yet to be confirmed, but the cost of this exclusive outing will be £95 per person.

To ensure your place is booked, please contact Emma Rice by email on emmar@thecga.co.uk or telephone 01985 850706.

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Peter Page DESIGNER â&#x20AC;˘ GOLDSMITH

4 The Square, Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 2PE Telephone: 01672 520428 www.peterpage.co.uk info@peterpage.co.uk

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Gardening

AT ITS BEST...

To Do List for Spring “The Bride” is a

SOW hardy annuals and herbs

fitting sobriquet for

PLANT out the seedlings you have been growing indoors or in the greenhouse

this bushy, deciduous shrub which is festooned

FEED hungry trees, shrubs and hedges (especially roses) with a slow-release fertiliser

with lacy white five-petalled flowers in late spring and summer, providing a breath-taking display of delicate blossom. Best of all, this oftoverlooked bush is very low maintenance,

SUPPORT those plants likely to need it as they grow, and tie in new honeysuckle and clematis shoots

demanding little input from the gardener in return for its splendid show. Its botanical name is Exochorda macrantha, also known as Pearlbush (due to its pearl-like buds). The Bride – which carries the Royal Horticultural Society’s “Award of Garden Merit” – is resistant to most diseases and insect pests, but requires a mulch to protect it from frosts in winter and spring. The plant prefers well-drained soil without too much lime, and enjoys full sun or light shade. It grows to around five feet tall, with a rounded shape, branches arching to the ground, making it a good candidate for a shrub border.

IN THE

Garden Time to drag on the wellies, brave the April showers and be as busy as a bee

just pieces – that’s wooden Lego y el m Imagine giant tre ex d an cX is! A novel what Woodblo d contain your an e ap sc nd la useful way to ready to put cut in pine and garden, all preand wedges to plastic dowels together with ild could do it. simple that a ch so , ns sig de ted of s, bring neglec make a myriad umbling bank cr r fo a lls to wa st g ur, add intere Build retainin d beds of colo ise ra r th la wi gu e lif an rect corners to ow your own in ter-feature, gr it is your lim ly lawn with a wa on e th – ty nches, kerbing be ild bu form for a varie s, kit xe bo are available in cX lo db oo fty W ni g the imagination. your own, usin you can create out how many d fin to of projects, or ite bs e WoodblocX we e th on r to to la uk see all th calcu woodblocx.co. : sit Vi . en ire ur gard BlocX you requ to transform yo d find out how possibilities an

“Spring makes its own statement, so loud and clear that the gardener seems to be only one of the instruments, not the composer” Geoffrey B. Charlesworth, author of “A Gardener Obsessed”

EVENT Upcoming Royal Horticultural Society Flower Shows: 11 & 12 April RHS London Orchid & Botanical Art Show; 11 & 13 April RHS Flower Show Cardiff; 27 April RHS London Alpine Garden Show; 8 to 11 May RHS Malvern Spring Festival; 20 to 24 May RHS Chelsea Flower Show. For details see : rhs.org.uk

60 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

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Gardening

thinking inside the

box

Liz Bell decides to contain her passion for plants

A

spring and summer without a garden to revel in is a dismal prospect – or so I thought when I was forced to downsize into my one-bedroomed flat which opens straight on to the street, with no outside space at all.

Then it struck me – of course there is outside space! To whit, three lovely deep and wide window-sills in front of the period sash windows. Adding window-boxes to these, full of bright colour, would not only satisfy the craving of my green fingers, but also go a long way towards beautifying the listed building itself. Perhaps my upstairs neighbours might be inspired to get planting too.

The basic do’s and don’ts for planting window-boxes apply to container gardening in general, so whether you are decorating your patio with pots, accenting a corner with a splash of colour, tarting up the terrace with hanging baskets or keeping herbs, fruit or veg handy in planters outside the back door, the principles remain the same.There isn’t much that won’t grow in a container.

Choose the right container: It can be confusing making a choice from the myriad of styles, shapes and materials that plant containers come in, but as a starting point consider the use to which you intend to put the pot, and what you plan to grow in it. For my window boxes I measured the length and width of the window-sills and headed off to the garden centre. I chose fairly pricy Georgian style, fibre-glass, fake lead reproduction troughs that I thought would match the style of the building, and enhance its

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façade.They were only 20cm deep, but I thought this would be sufficient since I planned just to plant some pretty annuals with shallow roots. Fortunately they came with drainage holes already cut in the base (if your pots doesn’t have holes, drill some).

Since my window-sills are wide and flat, and on the ground floor, I had no need to secure the boxes with brackets or screws, but if they were going to be placed high up, or perched on a precarious ledge, obviously securing them is important for safety reasons.

Decide what to plant: As with planting in the garden itself, the choice of plants for a container is primarily a matter of location – exposure to sun, shade, wind etc. are all factors to consider. Of course, the joy of a container plant is that if it doesn’t thrive where it is, you can probably move it to a more favourable spot. My window boxes, however, can’t be relocated, so I determined the conditions accordingly. My two front windows are shaded most of the day, while the side window is in full sun. I’m protected from wind, but if I was higher up the building I’d need to consider more robust plants to withstand the breezy days. For my front boxes I settle on shade-loving Impatiens (Busy Lizzies) – a new mildew resistant strain from the Sun Harmony range, in a mixed punnet of orange and reds, that have dark green waxy foliage.These should keep flowering abundantly until early October.To add interest I intersperse the impatiens with some variegated trailing ivy (Hedera helix Glacier).

For the sunny-side window box I decide to be

daring and plant it with “Back to Black” petunias which produce velvety black blooms.

I combine these with Babylon white verbena for a dramatic effect.

Planting and maintenance: Place a layer of drainage material (crumbled polystyrene, small stones or broken crocks) a couple of inches deep in the bottom of the pot or trough. Fill the container up to a few inches from the top with a peat-free multi-purpose compost, leaving room to accommodate the plant plugs/root balls. A labour saving tip is to mix in some water-retaining crystals and slowrelease fertiliser granules to the compost.

Remove the plants from their punnets and gently tease the roots before carefully planting – plant what will ultimately be the tallest plants in the centre of the pot.Top up the pot with more compost mixture, firming it around the plants, then water well to settle it all in.Top up the compost if necessary until there is a gap of an inch or so between the final soil level and the top of the pot, allowing for water to lay and soak in. Summer plantings, particularly if the container receives a lot of sun, need watering at least once a day. Dead-heading annuals regularly will keep the flowers coming and, if you have not added fertiliser granules to the compost, feed every few weeks with liquid fertiliser. Keep an eye out for disease and/or pests, and treat accordingly. If you have potted up a permanent plant, reduce watering and cease feeding during the colder months, and offer frost protection. Re-pot every few years, and in between replace the top layer of old compost with a new top dressing.

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 61

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Hotel Review

Machynlleth

A regal hideaway

Ynyshir Hall Eglwysfach, Machynlleth Powys, Wales SY20 8TA ( 01654 781209 : ynyshirhall.co.uk

62 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

While ambling around the landscaped grounds of Ynyshir Hall one can’t help imagining Queen Victoria taking a leisurely stroll through the Rhododendrons.

The hotel has a fascinating history, having passed through the hands of various proprietors, including Queen Victoria, who was responsible for most of the gardens that surround the hotel today.

Rob and Joan Reen, the current owners, are celebrating their silver jubilee year. They see themselves as custodians of this lovely hotel, duty-bound to carry on the fine traditions passed down through its illustrious history.

The hotel has ten beautifully appointed bedrooms and several suites, most of which enjoy wonderful views of the gardens and mountains beyond. What makes this hotel special and sets it apart from any other classic country retreat is the colourful nature of the interior décor, which not only makes a visual statement but enhances the ambience of the hotel. Rob Reen has put his knowledge, skill and expertise as a professional artist to great use in contemplating the interior design and atmosphere. Rob works mainly in oil on canvas; his paintings vary in size from intimate sketches to more powerful large-scale landscapes. Most recently he has been working on studies of sheep, and these can be found almost as a motif throughout the hotel, even etched on the crockery in the restaurant.

On the culinary front, head chef Gareth Ward and his team create innovative and awardwinning food. On paper the eight- and eleven-course taster menus are intriguing, but nothing prepares you for the impact of the dishes when they are actually placed before you. They are superb, not only from a visual point of view, but the explosion of flavor that they provide. The beautifully presented plates just keep on coming with every course looking more and more delightful, accompanied by wines selected to complement each dish. The evening flows into a very enjoyable experience. What makes this experience extra special is that you are only a few steps away from luxurious rooms where you are able to rest your weary head and relax after the sumptuous feast.

What makes Ynyshir Hall really exceptional for an overnight stay is that it is free of traffic, noise or light pollution so a good night’s sleep is virtually guaranteed. After a leisurely breakfast – with the added luxury of perfectly baked home-made bread and handcrafted butter – you can enjoy the peace, quiet and natural beauty this magical landscape provides. It’s an ideal spot to explore the rugged Cambrian mountains, the nearby moorlands, coastal paths and the golden sands of Borth beach. Right on the hotel’s doorstep is one of Britain’s finest bird reserves, the RSPB Ynyshir Nature Reserve, renowned venue for BBC’s Springwatch.

So all in all this hotel caters for a variety of guests, whether you’re a budding artist, an amateur twitcher or someone that appreciates fine food.

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Money Matters

Paying up Lucille Parker investigates why and how our phones are turning into wallets, with banking apps fast becoming the new way to pay.

L

ike me, you are probably only now coming to terms with contactless card payments. Just waving your card over a payment terminal without having to key in a pin number is certainly an easy way to do things, which is probably why the latest figures (from : contactless.info) show that 36.3 million of us are doing it.

If you haven’t yet gone “contactless”, you may as well forget it and move on to the next stage – technology is advancing at such a pace that it’s hard to keep up.

According to VocaLink – the company that operates a large slice of the UK national payments infrastructure (which it styles as a “national grid for payments”) – the time has come to go mobile.

You may never have heard of VocaLink, but it claims that nearly every person and business in the UK uses its technology and services every day. ”Through our systems we process over 90% of UK salaries, more than 70% of household bills, and almost all state benefits.”

VocaLink have done a great deal of research into the question of how and why we use different payment methods, and, of course, even more research into new ways for us to pay.

According to a recent VocaLink research report, we have reached “the tipping point” in favour of mobile payments. “Market readiness, social behaviour and technology combine to create a sudden, ubiquitous change of behaviour,” states the report, adding that in the realm of using our mobiles/smartphones to pay for things, this revolution is now happening.

These figures don’t totally convince me that there IS a major revolution in progress as far as replacing our wallets with phones goes, but common sense tells me these numbers are set to increase – the question is, how quickly?

VocaLink of course thinks the demand for mobile payment services is about to explode, because it has the technological solution to make it happen – a solution that five financial institutions have just announced they will be utilising when the system – known as Zapp – is launched in the autumn. The forward-thinking five lenders are HSBC, First Direct, Nationwide, Santander and Metro Bank.

According to Zapp’s website all one has to do is download your bank’s mobile app “and you are ready to Zapp”. Your card details don’t need to be shared online, and no information is passed to the businesses you want to pay. You can see your account balance before paying for something,

and payment happens instantly.

These are all the advantages of Zapp, which the company believes make it superior and more secure than other mobile payment systems (such as Barclay’s Pingit) and therefore more acceptable to more people. Ergo, increasing numbers of us will be drawn to use our smartphones as an electronic wallet to pay for all sorts of things, from manicures to mortgages.

If, like me, you are finding it difficult to get your head around all these new ways to pay, take a look at this very useful, impartial website: : payyourway.org.uk.

The current state of play is: • 1 in 4 (27%) of the 10,000 mobile /smartphone users in a VocaLink survey, claims to use mobile banking such as viewing balances, statements, making payments/transfers.

• Currently, 20% of UK consumers state they make some mobile payments, and 30% more expressed an interest in doing so.

• 52% of users state convenience as a main reason for using mobile banking.

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Shopping A large, vented golf-style umbrella with a double canopy for increased wind resistance, the Stormshield is the ultimate weather shield. With non-conductive lightweight fibreglass shaft and ribs, it’s ideal on the course, or out walking the dog. £23 : theumbrellashop.co.uk ( 0845 4759848

A pretty useful umbrella to pop in the boot of your car or keep handy in the stand by the door, the Aubrey Rose Walking Umbrella is part of the Cath Kidston Spring/Summer 2014 range. £30 : cathkidston.com ( 08450 262 440

JOLLY

BROLLIES

April showers bring May flowers, so the saying goes. Of course the UK has had enough rain already this year, but perhaps you won’t be averse to a few more sprinkles this spring if you can fend them off with an attractive umbrella that is practically perfect in every way. We hope our magical selection will blow you away, just like that iconic brolly bearer, Mary Poppins!

The ultimate convenient umbrella, the ‘Traveller’ by James Smith & Sons of London is hand-crafted with the finest Malacca crook handle. The handle and end can be unscrewed for easy packing. (There is a waiting time after ordering) £225. : james-smith.co.uk ( 020 7836 4731

Elegant and sophisticated, the Fulton Bloomsbury Double Canopy Watercolour umbrella makes a fashion statement. £25 : theumbrellashop.co.uk ( 0845 4759848

64 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

The Galleria Pink Dahlia floral art folding umbrella (with fully automatic opening) will brighten even the gloomiest day and withstand sudden gusts with its virtually unbreakable fibreglass ribs. Also available in blue. £34.95 : theumbrellashop.co.uk ( 0845 4759848

Deflect the drizzle designer-style with the Jean Paul Gaultier Marius walker umbrella – olive green with navy stripes. £99.95 : theumbrellashop.co.uk ( 0845 4759848

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Umbrellas

Never again suffer the indignity of being dragged along by an inside-out umbrella! This super-strong design with clever air vents make sure you stay dry. It opens automatically and comes in a case with a shoulder strap. At the time of going to press if you buy the black one, you get a pink one for free! £19.95. : houseofbath.co.uk

A robust gents walking umbrella with a doublestrength frame, Fultons Huntsman design is shown in navy blue check, but also comes in black. £18. : theumbrellashop.co.uk ( 0845 4759848

Designer ladies’ umbrellas with a choice of resin-moulded animal head handles, mounted on a beechwood stem and finished with a gilt collar. Lightweight and available in a variety of colours. £75. : james-smith.co.uk ( 020 7836 4731

Pretty as a picture, the Dreamscape is one of a range of walking length automatic opening umbrellas bearing detailed floral designs. £28 : theumbrellashop.co.uk ( 0845 4759848

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A full-sized gentleman’s umbrella, the vintage cycle design brightens up a rainy day. £14.95. : dotcomgiftshop.com

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 65

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Nature

Babes in the Wood Dennis Furnell peeps at the new life stirring in the woods, fields and hedgerows – even down in the dark denizens of the moles

66 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

pring is firmly in charge of the countryside. The first migrants are well into rearing their young and fox and badger cubs are out and about exploring the world around them. In spite of the flooding of the extremely wet winter months, moles are in evidence as the females reprogramme their hunting forays to cope with the needs of growing young. Moles do not enjoy universal popularity because of their ability to turn grassland into a miniature version of a First World War battlefield with heaps of excavated spoil, but I must own to a sneaking fondness for the little creatures in black velvet.

A mole’s tunnel system is a series of passage-ways polished smooth by their short dense fur which has no grain, but sticks up like the pile on an expensive carpet; hence the association with velvet. The smooth tunnel walls and floor areas are a vital part of the mole’s hunting strategy. Worms or burrowing insects travelling through the topsoil encounter one of the openings to a mole run and not uncommonly drop through. The polished surface is virtually impossible for them to penetrate and escape through, and they are trapped until “moley”, on one of its three hourly patrols of the tunnel complex, finds and eats the unlucky worm or bug. It is obviously a successful hunting strategy. Anyone who has kept a mole in captivity for even a short time will know that they can and will eat almost their own weight in worms and insects every day.

Then, when the female has pups to feed, she must increase her food intake to make

S

enough milk for as many as four young. In view of their food requirements it’s no wonder that they are such solitary animals, meeting only briefly to mate, or to fight – even two of the same sex will defend their precious territories to the death.

For the past three years the British Trust for Ornithology, the scientific arm of the birding world, has been tracking and recording the movements of the cuckoo with tiny microchip computers. These iconic birds of spring are back from their winter quarters in Africa now, the males singing the “cuckoo” call to attract the females, whose own call is a sort of laughing bubbling warble. When mated, the female will search out a nesting pair of birds similar in species to its own foster parents. Cuckoos are probably the best known parasites in nature, and the nests of small birds, like robins, reed and sedge warblers, are their preferred choice.

One of the best places to find the now quite rare cuckoo is an active reed warbler colony.

Sit and watch and wait and you may be fortunate enough to see a female fly into the reeds to lay her egg in a reed warbler’s nest while the parent birds are away.

Spring is always an exciting time of year with something for everyone interested in the natural world. Woodlands are ablaze with flowers, particularly bluebells, and the wet winter will mean they are at their most prolific as they thrive best in a relatively warm wet climate. If I had my way I would make the bluebell England’s national flower.

In Scotland the species is different; the Scottish bluebell is actually a harebell and

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Nature

Fact Box

Spotlight on...

When you head for the coast this summer look out for seaweed! There are 650 seaweed species in the UK, and they play a vital role in the functioning of the marine environment.You can help researchers from the British Phycological Society and Natural History Museum to keep tabs on our seaweeds by taking part in a survey – use online resources to identify and record your seaweed sightings. Find out all about the Big Seaweed Search at www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/britishnatural-history/seaweeds-survey

blooms from June until October.

With all this activity going on in the managed countryside we often lose sight of the wildlife that inhabits our incredibly diverse coastal regions. The British Isles have a wonderful variety of nesting sites for seabirds that travel unbelievable distances to reach the safety of our cliffs, strands and beaches.

Delicate terns, for instance, fly half way across the world to rear a new generation.

They have spent the winter fishing in the warm waters of Africa but come to Britain to breed and feed their chicks in the long summer days on a diet of sand eels and brit (the fry of coastal fish).

A good place to see rare terns, especially the sandwich tern, is Poole Harbour in Dorset, particularly on the salt lagoons on the seaward side of Brownsea Island, famous for being among the last strongholds in southern Britain of the red squirrel.

There are some excellent hides that front the lagoon where you can watch and listen to one of the largest and noisiest colonies of sandwich terns in Britain. These elegant birds exhibit a fascinating courting behaviour where the male, almost indistinguishable from

the female, parades around with drooped wings and raised black head crest, holding a newly caught fish in its long black, yellowtipped beak. Sociable creatures, they like to nest no more than a wing beat from their neighbours.

All terns are superb flyers with long pointed wings, forked tails and a fishing strategy that shows both style and substance.

Flying with its head down the tern will climb to a considerable height scanning the surface of the sea. When a shoal of tiny fish is sighted, it angles downward and plummets like a feathered dart into the water to catch its prey, popping back to the surface like a cork, fish gripped crossways in the beak. A

I know I’m always recommending the websites for the British Trust for Ornithology and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, but they really are two of the best in the business.

You are sure to find everything you need to know about birds, about their habitat and their habits.

BTO : www.bto.org RSPB Brownsea Island is managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust : www.rspb.org.uk www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

quick shake of the body to shed water from the snowy white plumage, then off on powerful measured wing beats back to the nest. The return can often be spectacular.

With birds close packed on the tern colony, the returning fisher has to make a vertical landing and is greeted with squawks of complaint from unmated birds and those sitting on eggs. When it lands it struts proudly forward to its prospective mate (as much as it can in the crowded circumstances) to offer the freshly caught fish as a pairing gift. Sandwich terns pair for several years, so the outcome is usually successful; nevertheless it is a sight that always captivates.

Sandwich Terns, Brownsea Island.

Photo by Dennis Furnell

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 67

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Finance

Putting the lid on lending Property Finance Specialist Richard Perry anticipates that the Mortgage Market Review will control borrowing Mortgage lending is up. Property prices are up.

Mortgage rates are consistent and in some cases fixed rates are as low as I feel they have ever been.

There is a lot of speculation about a housing boom, due to everything rising, and where will it end?

UK house prices increased by 9.4% between February 2013 and February 2014, according to the latest Nationwide house price index.

Nationwide chief economist Robert Gardner says: “House prices recorded their fourteenth successive monthly increase in February. Demand continues to be supported by record low interest rates, improved credit availability and rising consumer confidence.”

In April, however, the Mortgage Market Review will start. It is a review which has, in effect, re-aligned many processes and criteria surrounding mortgages and how money will be lent, as well as how mortgages should be calculated. I am strongly of the opinion that this will keep “lending” under control. That means where property prices may rise and competition for property may continue to be high, the actual levels of borrowing that individuals can achieve will be tightly controlled. It may mean that some people will not be able to borrow what they think they should be able to,

T E S R KN D A M RE T The latest (January) available stats and facts from the Land Registry bear out Richard Perry’s assertions that property prices increased in the early part of this year: In January house prices rose by 1.0 % over December 2013, making the average house price in England and Wales £168,356 Over 92,200 residential properties in England and Wales were lodged for registration in January, ranging from £10,000 to £28.5 million The region in England and Wales which experienced the greatest increase in its average property value over the last 12 months was London, with a movement of 10.9 per cent.

68 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

or indeed what they have in the past, but it should not have a critical effect on lending going forward. It could also be argued it is long overdue. The vast majority of people will not notice anything, and most lenders are already in the process of adopting the changes and checks which will come into force in April.

As always these things are often blown out of all proportion by the media. It does make it more important to ensure that you are reviewing the whole market. To do that it is always best to speak to a broker for advice, and also to get the full picture on what options are available.

If you would like to discuss anything with regards your mortgage or future thoughts please do not hesitate to call us.

Contact me on either ( 0113 228 448 or ( 01985 850706, email 8 Richard.perry@cavendish.uk.com or 8 richardp@thecga.co.uk.

Your home is at risk if you do not keep up payments on a mortgage or other loans secured upon it.

THE MORTGAGE MARKET REVIEW Most lenders have already introduced the changes set to come into force when the Mortgage Market Review takes effect on 26 April.

Briefly the main changes are: • Borrowers have to satisfy lenders that they can afford the mortgage applied for, providing evidence of income; • Borrowers can only qualify for an interest-only mortgage is there is a credible repayment strategy in place; • Most interactive sales (for example face-to-face and telephone) must be advised, unless the borrower is a mortgage professional, a high net worth mortgage applicant or a business borrower; • Non-advised sales are not allowed, but execution-only sales are allowed in certain circumstances.

In general the reforms are all aimed at encouraging borrowers to seek professional advice, rather than be left to their own devices.

Because mortgages are large financial responsibilities made fairly infrequently, and because of their often complicated nature, it is right and proper that consumers need to access the assistance of experts in the field before committing to a mortgage.

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HARVEY to be an ASTROna wants

Being blind shouldn’t stop him from shooting for the stars.

Yet 90% of people who have lost their sight in youth won’t work for more than six months in their lives.

With the right expert help at our specialist nursery, children like Harvey can beat the odds.

But there are thousands of children who need our help.

We rely heavily on legacies to support our services. Your generosity

could help future generations t a life beyond blindness.

Wouldn’t that be an incredib to leave? /DVW year, RLSB celebratHG 175th anniversary supporting young people. Request your f Guide to Making a Will today t receive a set of commemorati postcards. Simply fill out the attached form or contact RLSB Legacy Manager, Sarah Dean, email sarah.dean@rlsb.org.uk or call 01732 592 .

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Please tick if you would prefer not to receive communications from RLSB in the future.

Send to: RLSB, Freepost SEA 1277, Sevenoaks TN15 0BR

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 69

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Finance

Notes from the

Coffee house

By William Buckhurst of Quilter Cheviot Investment Management or many years gold was a staple part of an investor’s diversified portfolio. It provided a hedge against unforeseen political or economic adversity, as well as a useful protection against inflation. Then 2013 came along. In one single year the gold price fell by 28%, its largest annual decline since 1981, halting 12 straight years of price gains.

Global equities rallied on improving growth prospects and inflation failed to accelerate, eroding demand for gold bullion as a preserver of wealth. According to research company EPFR Global, investors pulled $38.6 billion from gold funds during 2013, the most in data going back to 2000. Investor sentiment towards gold has rarely felt so poor.

F

Now consider this quote* “Two years ago gold bugs ran wild as the price of gold rose sharply. But since cresting two years ago it has steadily declined, almost by half, putting the gold bugs in flight. The most recent advisory from a leading Wall Street firm suggests that the price will continue to drift downward, and may ultimately settle 40% below current levels. The rout says a lot about consumer confidence in the worldwide recovery.

The sharply reduced rates of inflation combined with resurgence of other, more economically productive investments, such as stocks and real estate have combined to eliminate gold's allure”.

Contrary to what you may have suspected, this is not a new quote. It was, in fact, part of an article that appeared in the New York Times in August 1976, just before the equity market began a deep correction (27% over 18 months). During that same period the gold price rose by around 80% and over the 1976-1980 period it multiplied in value by around eight times. The final part of that rally saw gold rise sharply on the back of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. As Mark Twain once said, “History never repeats itself but it often rhymes”.

We can not know whether history will repeat itself this time. What we do know is that gold at around $1300 per ounce, offers a form of insurance against war, financial unrest and currency debasement, at a price around 30% cheaper than it was two years ago. At this level investors may wish to consider devoting part of their portfolio to this previously unloved sector.

The value of investments, and the income from them, can go down as well as up. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. This commentary has been prepared for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute financial advice; if you are in any doubt as to its contents you should seek independent financial advice. Investments referred to may not be suitable for all recipients.

William Buckhurst 17th March 2014 *

New York Times 26th August 1976

The CGA has benefited for some time from a close partnership with Quilter Cheviot Investment Management. This arrangement significantly adds to the overall range of high-quality investment opportunities available through the CGA. For further information or to arrange an appointment, call William Harrison-Allan on 0800 028 1001 or email wha@thecga.co.uk

70 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

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Legal

The Legal Legacy CGA Legal Services head James Baker explains how to make the Probate process as painless as possible.

I

f you have been named as an executor in a will, you may well rightly take it as a compliment that your loved one trusted you enough to administer the carrying out of their final wishes.

However, being an executor is also a huge responsibility and, depending on the size and terms of the will, can be beset with all sorts of problems.

Probate – the process of assessing and disbursing the assets of a deceased’s estate – is often made all the more difficult due to the fact that it needs to be accomplished while the executor is suffering from grief and loss.

Probate can involve mountains of paperwork, and can be very time consuming.

Initially it involves the executor having to trawl through all of the deceased’s private papers, financial records and affairs in order to gather together all the details of his/her assets – everything from property to bank accounts and shares – as well as all the liabilities (debts), to calculate the value of the estate.

All this is complicated by having to take into account Inheritance Tax (due on any estate worth more than £325,000 that is not left to a spouse), transfers into a trust and filing the required Probate forms.

There is a myriad of factors to consider and requirements to fulfil, even if tax is not payable, before all the information, together with a

copy of the will and death certificate, can be submitted to the Probate Registry.

When the Grant of Probate is issued the executor can then distribute the estate according to the terms of the will.

It could take between nine months and a year to administer an estate, and the executor is financially liable for any mistakes that might be made. There is also the danger of conflict arising with other executors (if you share the duty) or with beneficiaries, over matters such as whether to sell property or shares that are part of the estate.

If someone dies without leaving a will (in other words, dies ‘intestate’), matters pertaining to the administration of their estate are even more complicated. The court has to be approached to issue a grant of letters of administration, naming one or more administrator (usually a close relative) who then has the legal right to wind up the deceased’s affairs – in other words, follow the probate process.

CGA Legal Services Ltd specialises in Wills and Estate Planning, Probate and Lasting Powers of Attorney. The team is dedicated to easing all the burdens of these often unpleasant, but necessary, obligations.

We realise that probate, in particular, is, by its very nature, a harrowing commitment, and thus our aim is to handle the matter as sensitively, efficiently and quickly as possible.

James Baker, CGA Legal expert, has some advice for everyone to help ease the “red tape” burden on your family when you pass away: • First and foremost, if you do not have a Will, make one as soon as possible.

• It is a good idea to have at least two executors in your Will in case one is unable or unwilling to carry out your wishes after your death.

• Keep your Will in a safe, secure place. You may wish to give copies of the Will to your executors.

• Make sure your paperwork is in order, and that your executors and/or trusted family members know where to find it.

• Make an inventory and list all the information you can think of that may be relevant to your estate, including bank account details – this could save your administrators and beneficiaries months of work.

• Remember Inheritance Tax applies to any estate with a net worth greater than £325,000 – over this amount the tax is generally 40%. If you are liable, it is wise to consult an estate planner to ensure the impact of tax is minimised.

Be prepared!

For advice and practical assistance with probate or any private client legal matters please contact James Baker on ( 01985 851300 or by email 8 james.baker@cgalegal.co.uk

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 71

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Photo by Loren Javier

Travel

5 th f o

e

s be

t

ENGLISH SPRING GARDENS Celebrate spring with a delightful day out in an English country garden

72 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

PASLEY MANOR GARDENS EAST SUSSEX/KENT BORDER

DALEMAIN MANSION & HISTORIC GARDENS, LAKE DISTRICT

The enchanting grounds of Pashley present a picture that would be quite at home on a chocolate box. The delightful manor house – Grade I listed and dating from 1550 – is very much lived in by owners Mr and Mrs James Sellick. The gardens are a magnificent blend of romantic landscaping, imaginative plantings, fine old trees, fountains, ponds and a scattering of sculpture. Pashley is pretty all year round, but the grounds are particularly gorgeous in springtime.

The gardens (with on-site café and gift shop) open for business this year on April 1, when the fruit trees should be in blossom with bluebells carpeting the woodland and magnificent wisteria cascading down the rear of the house.

As April draws to a close the main spring attraction kicks in – a display of thousands of tulips. As they fade the azaleas take over … and so the year goes on giving: roses and lavender, lilies, then dahlias, cannas and asters.

Pay a visit: Pashley Manor Gardens, Ticehurst, near Wadhurst, are open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Bank Holiday Mondays from 11am to 5pm, from March to October. ( 01580 200888 8 info@pashleymanorgardens.com : pashleymanorgardens.com

The charming gardens at Dalemain have often been described as a “national treasure”. Last year the five-acre property was declared Garden of the Year by the Historic Houses Association and Christie’s. Take a turn along the terrace border with its dominant Silver Fir, then wander through the Tudor Knot Garden and along the tranquil Rose Walk (best in June and July when more than 200 old fashioned roses are in full bloom) before entering the shade of Lob’s Wood. Across the lawn, fringed with colour-themed borders, is the Low Garden with riverside walks and soon – from mid-May – the site of a dazzling springtime display of Himalayan Blue Poppies. Maintaining the gardens is the pleasurable task of owner of Dalemain, Mrs Jane Hasell-McCosh, whose other passion is the Dalemain Marmalade festival, held annually in March.

Pay a visit: Just two miles from Ullswater in Cumbria, Dalemain is open Sundays to Thursdays from 10.30am to 5pm during the spring and summer (late March to end October), with shorter hours from November to mid-December, when the estate closes altogether until mid-February. ( 01768 486450 8 admin@dalemain.com : dalemain.com

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Five of the best

DODDINGTON HALL AND GARDENS, LINCOLNSHIRE

BLICKLING ESTATE, NORFOLK

STOURHEAD, WILTSHIRE

The spectacular gardens that surround Lincolnshire’s beautiful Doddington Hall are at their best in springtime. The Wild Gardens provide an ongoing parade of colour, starting in early February with Snowdrops and Crocus, running into March and early April with Lent Lilies and a spread of heritage Daffodils, then meandering into May when Doddington’s famous Irises put on a fantastic show. Structure is lent to the landscape with topiary and wonderful trees, such as the ancient, contorted Sweet Chestnuts that overlook the croquet lawn. The original Elizabethan walls of the Hall frame the East Front gardens. Antony and Victoria Jarvis (together with Claire and James Birch) are the latest generation of the family to nurture the Doddington gardens .

Pay a visit: The gardens at Doddington open on Sundays from 11am to 4pm up until Easter, thereafter through to September between 11am to 5pm on Wednesdays, Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays. During October opening is Sundays only, 11am to 4pm. Find Doddington Hall five miles west of Lincoln on the B1190 (signposted from the A46 Newark to Lincoln Road, and from the A57 between the A1 and Lincoln). ( 01522 694308 8 info@doddingtonhall.com : doddingtonhall.com

The 55-acre garden at Blickling, surrounding an impressive Jacobean house dating from 1611, is billed as one of the greatest gardens in England by the National Gardens Scheme. Historically the home of the Boleyn family, the garden was created by Norah Lindsay, a socialite who became known for her garden design in the period between the two World Wars.

Blickling’s gardens include a plethora of pleasant features, including an orangery, temple, secret garden, beautiful borders and parterre, lake and yew hedges. Bright and beautiful in the spring when the blue jacket hyacinths put on a spectacular show on the south side of the parterre, Blickling is delightful whatever the season. Of particular note are the Victorian sunken garden set around a 17th century fountain, the formal wilderness garden with its radial walks, and the splendid Doric temple offering a spectacular view of the house.

Pay a visit: Opening times for the gardens vary, so check the website. Blickling is situated 14 miles north of Norwich, just off the A140, a mile and a half north-west of Aylsham, on the northern side of the B1354. ( 01263 738030 8 blickling@nationaltrust.org.uk : nationaltrust.org.uk/blickling-estate

The magnificent landscaped gardens that surround the Palladian manor of Stourhead in Wiltshire have often been described as “a living work of art”. Indeed, the wealthy English banker responsible for its creation, Henry Hoare II, was buying works of art in Italy when he inherited the Stourhead estate in the 18th Century. Hoare turned the valley behind the house into the stunning Arcadian garden that it remains today, with its tranquil lake, Roman Pantheon, classical temples, magical grottos and five-arched bridge. In springtime Stourhead is resplendent with rhododendrons, for which it is world renowned. Visitors make the best of Stourhead by following an anticlockwise route around the artificial lake, catching tantalising glimpses of temples and follies through the foliage of exotic trees. From the Temple of Apollo the view of the gardens is breath-taking.

Pay a visit: Stourhead’s gardens are open daily between April and September from 9am to 7pm, and from October to March between 9am and 5pm (or dusk if earlier). Follow the brown information signs off of the A303. Stourhead is on the B3092, situated in the village of Stourton, three miles north-west of Mere. ( 01747 841152 8 stourhead@nationaltrust.org.uk : nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 73

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WIN a beautiful personalised FREYA DESIGN WOODEN KEEPSAKE BOX Would you like to win a Gents Watch and Cufflink Box, a Sewing and Craft box or any Freya Design Photo Box of your Choice?

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Our solid wood personalised boxes are painted with non-toxic paints, and the wood is only sourced from countries where there are strict regulations regarding sustainability. The environment is always our main consideration when making decisions.

HOW TO ENTER THE COMPETITION Fill out the reply card on between page 82 and 83 and 3 lucky winners will win a Freya Design box of their choice from www.freyadesign.co.uk. (Closing date 16 May 2014)

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ha Win adelicious of fish

Don’t let this be the one that got away! Enter our competition to win a mixed box of fabulous fish worth £60, direct from the fishing port of Peterhead in north-east Scotland.

This piscatorial prize – which includes salmon, mackerel, scallops and plaice among other varieties – is being offered by DelishFish – a bespoke internet fishmongers – run by John Milne and his family. The current Milnes are the fifth generation of fishermen, fish merchants, fish smokers and fishmongers to ply their trade in Peterhead, which has a fishing heritage stretching back to the 14th Century.

Peterhead’s all-weather harbour and long tradition of fishing and fish processing have resulted in it becoming the major fishing port in Europe for catching white fish, pelagic (herring and mackerel) and langoustine (cold water prawn).

The modern Milnes sell their fish – all caught, landed, filleted, skinned, smoked and/or frozen within a quarter of a mile of Peterhead Fishmarket – online, having found it preferable to cut out the middleman and provide a bespoke, personal service at reasonable prices.

For more information visit : delishfish.co.uk How to Enter For your chance to win the DelishFish hamper complete and return the reply card between pages 82 and 83.

Win a hamper of delicious fish 74 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

Terms and conditions: Entries must be received by Friday, 16 May 2014 and the winner will be informed

by Tuesday 20 May 2014. The winner will be chosen at random and the judge’s decision is final. The prize will be dispatched and delivered to the winner by arrangement with DelishFish.

Member benefit! Order fish online at : delishfish.co.uk and quote coupon code DF009 to claim a 20% discount!

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Studies at Sydney University have shown that wool can give 25% more deep regenerative sleep than synthetic bedding.

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WINTER WEIGHT WOOL DUVET 500gsm - approx. 11-14 tog Our warmest and cosiest, this duvet, equivalent to approx 11-14 tog, is perfect for winter as it is lovely and warm despite being remarkably light. If you tend to be on the cold side and want to snuggle into something this winter, this is for you.

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 75

76-79 Travel_Layout 1 27/03/2014 14:11 Page 1

Travel

Taking the

gap

Katrina ffiske heads for the Himalayas to realize a long-held ambition to volunteer in an orphanage.

M

idlife crisis time – what to do? Buy the Ferrari? Splurge on overpriced clothes? Dye my hair- again? Or just give up gracefully?

After much thought I decide to travel abroad to help in an orphanage. After research, months of planning and emails flying back and forth I find myself on a plane heading to Nepal – final destination the beautiful city of Pokhara at the foot of the renowned Annapurna mountain range in the Himalayas.

I arrive in Kathmandu – it is an immediate shock to the senses; a large dusty, noisy, buzzing city. Wires hang from buildings, pavements are rubble and strewn with rubbish.You dodge bikes and cars as you walk the narrow street. The Kathmandu Guest House in the busy tourist district of Thamel provides a calm and quiet space, away from the hustle and bustle.

I spend three days exploring the city, absorbing Hindu temples and Buddhist stupas. Prayer flags flutter, shops sellers encourage you to buy Tibetan artefacts, pashminas, rugs and North Face jackets. It is a city where Hindus, Buddhists and Muslims live side by side in seeming peace and harmony.

The morning for my departure to Pokhara dawns. I saunter down to breakfast to discover there is a strike on, apparently quite usual in Nepal.

There are elections in a week and a splinter faction of The Maoists are reportedly protesting the elections in the fear that they will not be voted in. With 125 ethnic groups and 127 languages spoken, elections are complicated in Nepal. The strike means no taxis which means I am

76 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

going to have to walk, carrying my heavy ruck-sack, to the nearest tourist bus stop. Panic sets in. I can’t carry the oversized bag two inches, let alone cover a twenty-minute walk. Thankfully I manage to secure a taxi, and agree to the inflated £6 he charges to convey me to the small pigeon-filled airport. With Buddha airlines we fly for an hour over the beautiful Himalayan mountains. Luckily I was tipped off to sit on the right hand side of the plane to get the best view.

On arrival at the tiny airport at Pokhara I am greeted by Amrit, who runs Edventure Nepal, the orphanage where I will be staying for four weeks. Although I have seen pictures of him I am surprised how young he is – a good looking well-dressed, smiling 29 year-old-man dressed in jeans and striped, collared shirt. He speaks perfect English, and chats away to me as we sit in the back of a battered car driven by his friend – a taxi driver – bouncing over potholes and dodging cows.

Fifteen minutes later we arrive at a house on the outskirts of Pokhara. It nestles below the snow-capped peaks of the Annapurna and Machhapuchhre (fish tail) mountains.

Edventure Nepal is a small orphanage which I am to learn is run like a large, happy family. When Amrit’s father died prematurely he decided he wanted to help poor children. Over the past two years he has found eight children in need of care and attention. I am greeted by smiling Tulasi, dressed in a bright pink sari. She is a kind warmhearted 40 year-old and is mother, cook and friend to the children.

I am shown to a room opening off of a small concrete yard which is spacious, containing three beds for visiting volunteers. I am on my own so have the room to myself. I notice a cow smell, and presume the room is a converted cow shed – but a few seconds later I am introduced to the occupants of the next door shed: a buffalo and her baby. I disguise my alarm with a grin, and learn it is perfectly normal – in fact essential – for every home to have a buffalo and baby to provide them with milk every day.The animals are adored, and are treated as part of

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Travel

the family. It is painful to discover, though, that they are permanently tethered to the wall with just two metres of rope restricting their movement. I have to put my RSPCA hat back in the box and move on.

I am then shown the cold shower which I will share with various people who live in rooms close by, and the inevitable ‘hole in the ground’. The house consists of three bedrooms – one for “Uncle Amrit”, one for the girls and Tulasi and one for the boys. There is a small kitchen – with a two-ring table-top gas hob, sink in the corner and a dresser containing tin plates and mugs.

The children have been sitting quietly in a huddled group in the yard while my tour is going on. It is time to meet them. They all attend an English-speaking school, so speak basic English. We sit in a circle and they introduce themselves: four boys and four girls with ages ranging from 4 to 12. One by one they press their hands together, bow their heads and offer the traditional Nepalese greeting “Namaste” (meaning “I bow to the divine in you”), followed by their names. Following etiquette, I return their greetings.

After the introduction it is prayer time: each morning at 6.30am and each evening at 6pm they sit cross legged at their allocated space on the floor, close their eyes, hands firmly together and chant five minutes of Hindu prayers. I stand watching, feeling a little awkward. They finish with a clap of their hands, looking up at pictures of Shiva and Ganesh.

I follow them into the kitchen – it is supper time. Tulasi is serving out rice, spicy vegetables and dahl onto large round tin plates. The children file in and collect their plate – the four eldest sit at the table, the four youngest on a mat on the floor. They eat with their fingers, in amiable silence. I am passed a spoon to eat with. I decide to take it, rather than risk looking foolish eating with my hands.

Food eaten they line up to wash their plates. An old bit of cloth and soap is carefully scrubbed round each plate, which is then rinsed and put on the dresser. I follow behind and then join them sitting in a circle, as they sing Nepalese songs accompanied by drums and tambourines – bonding between bemused western woman and eight children.

It’s bed-time at 8.30pm. The children lock up the house and I am left in the yard, torch in hand, to make my way to my room and bed.

My alarm call each morning for the rest of my month-long stay comes in the form of the sound of scrubbing outside my door at

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6am. The doorstep is being scrubbed by diligent six year old Sunil. The children are on a rota for cleaning.

The floors are wiped down, the yard swept and shoes set in a straight line, carpets beaten, washing soaked in large metal pans (later cleaned by the children jumping up and down on the clothes), showers are scrubbed.

Housework completed we all squash around the kitchen table, children sitting on laps, drinking delicious sweet, spicy Nepalese tea out of tin cups. It is the calm before the storm. At 7.30 we adjourn to a small room set aside for lessons and homework. I have to attempt to teach them English. I have never taught before, which is daunting in itself, but the most terrifying thing is managing the discipline. It is chaotic: Bhakta (4) clambering over his desk trying to escape; Prakash (12), challenging me to concentrate on him alone and help him with his homework. A game of ‘Hangman’ saves the day and for 10 minutes peace reigns. It was a long hour and a half to fill.

At 9am breakfast is served – a repeat of what we had for supper – rice, vegetables and dahl. This is the menu for every meal – I discover it is called dal bhat (also called by the Nepalese ‘24 hour fuel’). After a few days I found myself looking forward to the meal, feeling healthier and not tempted to snack during the day.

Time for school: the children all calmly and proudly get ready, and I feel humbled by their quiet efficiency. Tulasi brushes hair: smart bunches with white pom poms for the younger girls, wetted down hair for the boys. Eight plastic lunch boxes are set out on the floor and filled with flattened rice and buffalo milk. Then we are off, walking in an orderly ‘crocodile’ through dusty, noisy streets. Somehow the children dodge bikes and buses to cross the manically busy road, while I am left behind pondering where the pedestrian crossing might be.

Education is taken very seriously in Nepal – it is seen as a way out of poverty. Adorning the side of a bus I saw the slogan: ‘Education means Wealth’. If only it was that simple.

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Travel

“Somehow the children dodge bikes and buses to cross the manically busy road, while I am left behind pondering where the pedestrian crossing might be”.

While the children are at school I am left to my own devices.

Pokhara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Nepal as it is a base for trekkers going on the Annapurna circuit. It is set beside a beautiful lake, surrounded by the mountains. I take a small boat across the lake and climb up to see the Peace Pagoda. I arrive with shaking legs at the top. It is a clear day and the sun is shining and I am greeted by a breathtaking view of the mountains. I sit and watch paragliders floating in the sky.

I return to duty at 3pm when I meet the children at school, helping them carry their heavy satchels full of homework, which then has to be supervised.

Work over, it is play time. Their toys consist of Jenga and a very small bag of Lego. Over the weeks I unpack some arts and crafts bits and pieces, like string, stickers, wooden sticks, and fancy crayons, and introduce them to simple games like cat’s cradle. These cause temporary excitement, but the children are happiest playing various games of their own using stones. The fancy crayons are ignored in favour of their own worn coloured pencils. Things they repeatedly ask me for are drawing paper and balloons. The balloons are not inflated or played with, but carefully stored away in boxes under their bunk beds.

I very quickly come to feel at home and happy among the welcoming Edventure family. They teach me how to cook dal bhat, and I reciprocate with lessons in cooking tomato pasta. We settle into a routine in the homework room, though I opt for arts, crafts and drama lessons rather than English. I never quite master the discipline, but we have a lot of fun.

The children themselves are seemingly well-balanced and happy. Their reasons for living at the orphanage are

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For further information or to find our how to support the Edventure Nepal orphanage visit : edventurenepal.org

varied, but mostly come down to poverty. Some have parents who are deceased, others with mental disabilities, and in some cases they are the products of arranged marriages with attendant issues, or simply rejects from families too large to support them. Those with living parents are able to receive visits at Edventure and stay in touch.

The children will live at Edventure Nepal until they are 18, when they will be expected to find a job and fend for themselves. The orphanage is entirely dependent on funding from visiting volunteers and donations from well-wishers.

The four weeks pass very quickly. I enjoy the routine – broken up by short treks to mountain villages, watching the sunset on Pokhara Lake, visiting Tibetan communities. I am waved off with a traditional tikka put on my forehead, a yellow silk scarf wrapped round my neck and a small posy of marigolds to hold as I step onto the bus. I am very sad to go but realise I am leaving behind a very contented group of children.

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Hotel Review

Brecon

Indulge in the AA Hotel of the Year 2014 – Llangoed Hall is a winner in every sense of the word.

Llangoed Hall Llyswen, Brecon, Powys, Wales LD3 0YP ( 01874 754525 : llangoedhall.com

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The old saying “a man’s home is his castle” has never been more true than here at Llangoed Hall.

Llangoed Hall (meaning Holy Meeting Place) nestles in the Welsh Wye Valley, set in 17 acres of carefully tended parkland and gardens. There are two walks along the river leading directly from the Hall – if you are lucky you’ll spot kingfishers!

This magnificent establishment was originally a castle (once home to the first Welsh parliament), and has now been restored into a stunning 23 bedroom hotel. Despite its grandeur and splendour the Hall exudes a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere – warm, inviting and utterly charming – coupled with old-fashioned service which makes you feel very special.

The Manager, Brian Irving, or a member of staff, is on hand to meet guests at their car, and your luggage is portered directly into the very elegant, grand entrance of the hotel. You are immediately transported into the “at home” experience which the hotel management is so anxious to achieve, and you feel that your visit is going to provide memories to treasure.

Llangoed was in danger of demolition in the early 1970s, but common sense prevailed and it was saved for posterity. In 1987 Sir Bernard Ashley (former chairman of Laura Ashley PLC) bought the property and restored it to its former glory. (An interesting curiosity is an apron, framed in a glass case hanging on the wall in the corridor, which was the first garment ever made by the legendary Laura Ashley).

In July 2012 the hotel was sold to a private owner and a Managing Director was appointed, Mr Calum C Milne. Since then refurbishment and maintenance of the beautiful building has been ongoing, with great attention to detail and the conservation of special period features, such as the original oak door dating from 1632 in the games room. Calum’s passion for Llangoed is clearly evident – for instance he personally designed the lovely tea-service in use, inspired by the butterflies that visit the garden.

The rooms are comfortably and tastefully decorated with furniture and fabrics by Laura Ashley, who sadly died six weeks before LLangoed was opened so never saw the amazing transformation.

The award-winning restaurant is fresh and sophisticated, hung with original artworks, providing a relaxed ambience as you are served delectable dishes by white-gloved waiters. Llangoed has six chefs who use fresh produce sourced from the grounds.

The Hall is a popular venue for special occasions (especially weddings), when it can be booked for exclusive use, and a programme of special breaks and events is on offer throughout the year.

It is hard to top Llangoed for a tranquil, luxury break: the only down side of a stay there is that it is very hard to pack up and head home!

Enjoy Llangoed’s exclusive 2014 Wine and Dine club evenings (each with guest speaker) for £85 per person with pre-dinner drinks, gourmet meal and fine wines. Accommodation from £75 per person (based on two sharing). See : llangoedhall.com for more information.

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Crossword

The JJ Crossword Can you solve the CGA’s very own cryptic crossword, compiled by our quiz master JJ Foy? See the entry details (below) for your chance to beat JJ at his own game Across 1 3 5 9 10 11 12 15 19

21 23 24 25 26 27

Down

Left in, returning top to bottom (5) Tarnish sport at Twickenham road (4) Terrible if rich, or broke (8) Hill changed true anguish (7) Include in new crop and speak (11) University revolution is part of a balancing act (8) For show otherwise article back in mind (10) Closing factories making unionist lead diarist (19) Come back in Doctor, a twitch is related to American party (10) Favour head’s similarity (8) Dragging less - Naomi ready, set by Charlie (11) Touch edges beneath rumbling (7) Low position pets group (8) Singular father by northern reach (4) Traveller’s part of edgy psychosis (5)

1 2 3 4 6 7 8

13 14 15 16

17

18

20 22

Loyal to notes it initially Complete the crossword, fill in your details & send to: has found undying love (8) CGA Crossword Competition (April/May), CGA Magazine, Alumnus somehow cut in Chalke House, Station Road, Codford, Warminster, Wiltshire line in the way (11) BA12 0JX by 26 May 2014. The winner will receive a copy of “Just Another Bloody Year” by Vernon Coleman Continuous sneer tells another face on it (10) Changes form’s satanic 1 2 3 4 5 6 rioting (19) Obvious holding firm ace’s top layer (8) Firmly fix what dancing 9 10 rainmaker hides (7) Morning in Chief Executive’s brief appearance (5) 11 12 Reclined to sound of street (4) Building tent, sly grin 15 16 given rigorously (11) Something done for east English in dead ends (4) 17 Traitor in disguise 20 21 following me might want 19 scratching (10) Suspicious and settled, 22 managed nothing 23 24 inside (8) A damaged spire - they take extremes of roughness (8) 25 26 27 Mollusc bloc to push a part (7) NAME Accountant was ADDRESS embarrassed and did mind (5)

7

8

13

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18

POSTCODE

CALL MY BLUFF Adam Jacot de Boinod was a researcher for the BBC television series QI and is the author of The Meaning of Tingo and the creator of the iPhone App Tingo, a game involving interesting words. Here he sets us a “Call-My-Bluff Quiz” from different rural dialects. Can you guess the right answers for the definitions of the following words: FEBRUARY/MARCH ISSUE ANSWERS 1a) aisins – the drops of water which fall from the eaves 2c) recklin or ricklin - the smallest and weakest pig of a litter 3c) yerks - pieces of twine or leather straps attached to farm labourers’ trousers to prevent rats running up the inside when corn was being threshed

80 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

1) catchpit (Cornish dialect) a) a place in the home where everything is dropped b) too much for a wheelbarrow but not enough for a cart c) a spur attached to the heel of a fighting cock 2) pully-lug day (Cumberland dialect) a) a day on which it is supposed that ears might be pulled with impunity b) a game where one person hits another softly, then the other player hits back with a little more force, and each subsequent blow in turn is harder, until it becomes a real fight c) a day that never comes 3) yaddering (Cumbria dialect) a) shivering with cold b) the art of throwing on your knees (in a game of darts) c) gossiping

LAST MONTH’S WINNER... is Mr Andrew M Jackson, from Guildford, Surrey. Check your own answers against the correct grid shown here.

M I L L A A R A M P E K E E N P R A T I O A W F A B L E U L R S T E E L E E D R O S S P S A T R A I N F C O H A N D L

L E A S E O L N D O U T P G N E E N E T R A U X I T H E R I R L O I D I O M T T A P I C E N T O I E N T E N C R R U O R E S T D A T E T R Y S

L O V E E M A T I E S R T E G A D E N G E X T R A N Y M R E B S C O E S U X R E X P I R N T B E

L Y E N S I P T R R A S P H O P R A R Y E E R

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classifieds PROPERTY

PERSONAL

Beautiful Beguiling Brunette

JEWELLERY

This slim, leggy girl is elegant, educated and understated. 50. Based in London and the country she is a freelancer for the BBC. She is gloriously non PC and full of mischief. She is looking for a loving, affectionate relationship with a man who loves and lives with the same exuberance as her. She is well read, funny and quite exquisite, a heady mix!

For a complimentary introduction 0208 313 0918 Carpe Diem Introductions or email sarah@carpediemintros.com

SOFT FURNISHINGS INNOVATIVE DESIGNERS WHO RE-DESIGN OLD AND CREATE NEW JEWELLERY ALONG WITH SIGNET RINGS AND CUFFLINKS

WWW.DENZILSKINNER.CO.UK 0131 538 4224 DENZIL@DENZILSKINNER.CO.UK GARDEN

PETS

PET PRODUCTS Plexidor, the ultimate pet doors Strong, secure and energy efficient Bayside - Lunan Bay - Angus - DD11 5ST

www.dogdoors.co.uk 01241 830421

info@treesdirect.co.uk

TO ADVERTISE HERE PLEASE CALL 01985 850706 OR EMAIL susana@thecga.co.uk

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APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA â&#x20AC;˘ 81

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Member Benefits on Kindo David r 0473747 Membe

Flying season has landed Lift off with Champagne balloon flights from just £99pp Offer includes: National Weekday Anytime Flights £139 now £99 Adventure Gift Package for two £499 now £249 Celebration Gift Package for one £179 now £129, for two £469 now £234 Enjoy an hour’s balloon flight and a Champagne toast after landing.

Choose from over 100 launch sites across England, Scotland and Wales.

Offer ends 30th September 2014 To claim call ( 01952 212750 & quote ‘CGA’ or visit : virginballoonflights.co.uk/offer/cga

PRIVAT E MEMBERS CLUBS Leander Club CGA members may reserve bedrooms at the Leander Club at favourable rates, subject to availability (Excluding Regatta and Christmas weeks).

Telephone: 01491 575782 Website: www.leander.co.uk Address: Leander Club, White Hill, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2LP The Naval and Military Club, London CGA members can book accommodation at weekends on affiliate rates, upon production of a letter of introduction from The CGA. Telephone: 0207 827 5757 Email: club@theinandout.co.uk Website: www.navalandmilitaryclub.co.uk Address: The Naval & Military Club, No. 4 St. James’s Square, London, SW1Y 4JU The Royal Scots Club, Edinburgh Members are entitled to book accommodation at the club and use the bar. Please advise reception that you are a CGA member at the time of booking.

Telephone: 0131 556 4270 Website: www.royalscotsclub.com Address: The Royal Scots Club, 29-31 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6QE St James’s Club, London CGA members benefit from a 10% discount on accommodation. To claim this exclusive discount, simply mention your CGA membership upon booking.

Telephone: 0207 316 1600 Email: info@stjameshotelandclub.com Website: www.stjameshotelandclub.com Address: St. James’s Club, 7-8 Park Place, St. James’s, London, SW1A 1LS The Royal Over-Seas League Specially discounted joining fees for CGA members. Social and cultural events and clubhouses in Edinburgh and London.

Telephone: 0207 408 0214 Email: info@rosl.org.uk Website: www.rosl.org.uk Address: The Royal Over-Seas League, Over-Seas House, Park Place, St James’s Street, London, SW1A 1LR IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING CLUBS Each club will have its own rules and regulations.

Generally they operate a dress code requiring gentlemen to wear presentable or smart attire (including jacket and tie) and ladies are required to dress appropriately. For full details regarding the terms and conditions visit www.thecga.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL PAYMENTS World First Award-winning currency service for CGA members, available for personal or business transfers. You will receive a personal consultant, no transfer fees and significantly better exchange rates for all international payments.

Telephone: 0207 801 2378 Email: cga@worldfirst.com Website: www.worldfirst.com

FAMILY HISTORY

Terms & conditions Reader offer valid until 30th September 2014. Subject to availability. Price is for one person including VAT at applicable rate. Includes standard delivery unless stated otherwise. Cannot be used with any other offer. Flying season is March to October with regional variations.

Ballooning is weather dependent. Passengers must be aged seven or over and at least 4’6” tall. Passengers who are pregnant or have recently undergone major surgery are unable to fly.

Virgin Balloon Flights reserves the right to withdraw the offers or amend these conditions at any time. Customers must be aged 18 or over.

Full conditions at www.virginballoonflights.co.uk/legalstuff VIRGIN and the Virgin signature logo are registered trademarks of Virgin Enterprise Limited and are used under licence.

82 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

The Genealogist Discover your family history. The Genealogist offers a discount on subscriptions to CGA members.

Telephone: 01722 717006 Website: www.thegenealogist.co.uk/CGA

TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODAT ION The Goring Hotel Exclusive CGA discounts on certain rooms, subject to availability. When contacting The Goring, simply mention the “CGA Rate” and have your CGA membership number to hand.

Telephone: 0207 396 9000 Email: reception@thegoring.com Website: www.thegoring.com Address: The Goring, Beeston Place, Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0JW

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CGA Register of Benefits Please note that all services, privileges and benefits are subject to change. Offers may be amended or withdrawn without prior notice.

MOTORING CGA Car Buying In association with the Sytner Group, CGA members receive exclusive terms on car purchases, including new, used and ex-demonstrator vehicles.

Telephone: 0845 481 0148 Email: cga@sytner.co.uk Website: www.sytner.co.uk/cga CGA Car Rental – Hertz Complimentary membership of the Hertz Member Benefit Programme. This provides specially discounted terms with the world’s number one car rental company. Simply quote discount reference number: 583637 Hertz Worldwide Reservation Telephone number: 0843 309 3099 Website: www.hertz.co.uk

FOOD AND WINE CGA Wine Cellar The CGA’s own preferred wine merchants, Lea and Sandeman, can offer members advice and have regular offers (see wine cellar article).

Telephone: 0207 244 0522 Email: orders@leaandsandeman.co.uk Website: www.leaandsandeman.co.uk Virginia Hayward CGA members receive a 10% discount on all Virginia Hayward luxury hampers and gifts. Choose from a wide range of sumptuous food and wine hampers and gorgeous gifts, for Christmas, birthdays, weddings and other celebrations. Use promotional code CGAM10 on website or telephone when ordering. 10% discount excludes delivery and cannot be used in conjunction with any other discount offer.

Telephone: 01747 851515 Email: hello@virginiahayward.com Website: www.virginiahayward.com

LEATHER GOODS Sage Brown CGA members can enjoy a 10% discount on any purchases of Sage Brown’s luxury leather products, either in-store or online.

Member discount code: SBCGA08.

Telephone: 0207 287 5757 Email: info@sagebrown.co.uk Website: www.sagebrown.co.uk Address: 17, Princes Arcade, Piccadilly, London, SW1Y 6DS

JEWELLERY Ian Norrington A 15% discount on jewellery, including high quality signet rings, from Farnham-based jeweller.

Telephone: 01252 820585 Email: sales@ian-norrington.com Website: www.ian-norrington.com Address: The Studio, Old Searchlights, Runwick Lane, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 5EF Signets and Cyphers A discount of £50 is available to members on purchases of gold signet rings, upon mention of their CGA membership.

Telephone: 01548 869003 Website: www.signetsandcyphers.com Address: Chene Court, Poundwell Street, Modbury, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0QJ

FINE ART AND ANTIQUES Bonhams (Auction Service) CGA members receive an exclusive 20% discount off standard commission charges should they sell something through Bonhams Auctioneers.

Telephone: 0207 447 77447 Email: info@bonhams.com Website: www.bonhams.com Gurr Johns Gurr Johns will negotiate a purchase or bid at auction on a member’s behalf. Members can also commission them to find and recommend suitable items.

Telephone: 0207 839 4747 Email: londonadvisory@gurrjohns.com

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Website: www.gurrjohns.com Address: 16 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5LU Pall Mall Art Advisors – Valuation Service for Insurance, Inheritance Tax and Tax Planning purposes. Members will receive a 25% discount on a standard full day valuation rate. To claim, simply mention your CGA membership.

Telephone: 0845 882 2794 Email: enquiries@pallmallartadvisors.com Website: www.pallmallartadvisors.co.uk Address: 78 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5ES Lyon & Turnbull (Auction Service) Receive a 20% discount off Lyon & Turnbull’s standard sales commission rate, upon mention of your CGA membership.

Telephone: 0207 930 9115 Email: info@lyonandturnbull.com Website www.lyonandturnbull.com Address: 78 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5ES

WARDROBE Cordings of Piccadilly CGA members are entitled to a 15% discount on any purchase from Cordings.

Telephone: 0207 734 0830 Email: shop@cordings.co.uk Website: www.cordings.co.uk Address: 19 Piccadilly, London, W1J 0LA Dege & Skinner CGA members can enjoy a 10% discount when purchasing four or more bespoke shirts, upon quoting promotional code ‘CGA1’.

Telephone: 0207 287 2941 Email: info@dege-skinner.co.uk Website: www.dege-skinner.co.uk Address: 10 Saville Row, London, W1S 3PF Corgi Hosiery Since 1892 Corgi Hosiery has been producing socks and knitwear of the highest quality, at its factory in Carmarthenshire, South West Wales. To receive your exclusive 10% discount, simply enter discount code: CGAspecial10 at the online checkout.

Telephone: 01269 590920 Email: sales@corgihosiery.co.uk Website: www.corgihosiery.co.uk George Cleverley and Co CGA Members receive a 10% discount on any bespoke or ready-to-wear shoes, upon production of their membership card.

Telephone: 0207 493 0443 Email: enquiries@gjcleverley.co.uk Website: www.gjcleverley.co.uk Address: 13 The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street, London, W1S 4SL James Purdey & Sons A 10% discount on any purchases of clothing and accessories is available to CGA members.

(Excluding guns and ammunition).

Telephone: 0207 408 7213 Email: enquiries@purdey.com Website: www.purdey.com Address: Audley House, 57-58 South Audley Street, London, W1K 2ED Regent Tailoring CGA members are entitled to a 15% discount on all online and phone orders, upon quoting discount code: CGA15. This discount does not apply to sale products and made-to-measure tailoring.

Telephone: 01722 335151 Email: help@regenttailoring.co.uk Website: www.regenttailoring.co.uk Address: 73 New Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2PH Sunspel CGA members receive a 15% discount on all Sunspel clothing and underwear. Use discount code: CGA1 online or by phone. Please note that this discount does not apply to sales item.

Telephone: 0115 973 7860 Email: customerservice@sunspel.com Website: www.sunspel.com

Shipton and Heneage Shipton and Heneage sell more than 300 different styles and types of shoes. Members will receive a free pair of socks (RRP £9) with their first order, upon mentioning the ‘CGA Sock Offer’.

Telephone: 0207 165 7647 Website: www.shiptonandheneage.co.uk

SPORTING EXPERIENCES Virgin Balloons Receive up to a 50% discount on certain flight packages, subject to availability. To claim this exclusive CGA offer, enter promotional code: ‘CGA’ online or mention ‘CGA’ when booking via the telephone.

Telephone: 01952 212750 Email: customerservice@virginballoonflights.co.uk Website: www.virginballoonflights.co.uk VU Limited CGA members will receive a 10% discount on sporting experiences offered by Vu Ltd. Telephone: 01225 788880 Email: info@vultd.co.uk Website: www.vultd.co.uk

STAT IONERY Honey Tree Bespoke Honey Tree provides the discerning buyer with the rewarding experience of creating unique and personalised premium quality stationery that leaves a lasting impression. Exclusive 10% discount code: CGA10 Telephone: 0844 335 0620 Email: info@honeytreepublishing.com Website: www.honeytreepublishing.com

HEALT H White Cloud Producers of luxury Merino wool or quilted cotton underblanket, which incorporate a magnetic layer which can provide natural pain relief for a variety of conditions, including arthritis, fibromyalgia, headaches and general aches and pains, whilst you sleep. Soft and comfortable, each MagneHealth underblanket is supplied with a 60 day money back guarantee. Save 15% - quote CGAMH. Telephone: 01989 721010 Email: info@whitecloud.co.uk Website: www.whitecloud.co.uk

RENEWABLE HEAT The Wood Heating Company Leading installer of biomass boilers in the North East. CGA members within a 100 mile radius of Cramlington can receive a free biomass feasibility study (worth £750) to find out whether biomass is viable for your property.

Telephone: 01670 735 658 Email: sales@thewoodheatingcompany.co.uk Website: www.thewoodheatingcompany.co.uk Address: Colbourne Crescent, Cramlington, Northumberland. NE23 1WB

FURNITURE Tudor Oak: Tudor Oak offers fine handmade and hand finished reproduction antique English oak furniture.

Members can enjoy a 25% discount, upon mention of their CGA Membership.

Telephone: 01622 743747 Email: info@tudor-oak.com Website: www.tudor-oak.com Address: Parsonage Farm, Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4JB Titchmarsh and Goodwin: Titchmarsh and Goodwin, purveyors of beautifully handcrafted fine English furniture for over 90 years.

Members can enjoy a 25% discount, upon mention of their CGA Membership Telephone: 01473 252 158 Email: info@titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk Website: www.titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk Address: Trinity Works, Back Hamlet, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8AL

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Wine cellar

ORGANIC WINE – Trick or Treat?

David Porter’s advice is ‘buyer beware’ as he debates the pros and cons of organic viniculture. ast week I found myself tasting wine at the wonderful Ruin Beach Café on the beautiful island of Tresco in the Isles of Scilly. This cosy beach hut, more chic than shack, sits just above the lovely, white sandy beach and looks out towards the archipelago of the ‘Eastern Islands’ and St Martins. You really could be in the Caribbean if it were not for the steady, cold wind blowing in off the Atlantic from the South West. As we tasted some wines that they will be listing for the season ahead the discussion turned to ‘organic’ wines.

Organic wines and the even more ‘pure’ wines made ‘naturally’ are a hot topic in the wine world – and strong opinions abound on either side of this debate. I was pleased to find Jaclyn, the Ruin’s charming manager, was in agreement with my own view of the situation: wines are either good or they are not, regardless of whether they are made organically or not.

Almost on a daily basis we are contacted, asking if we have any organic wines. ‘Yes!’ we say, ‘I would highly recommend this cracking bottle…’, and all too often before we have finished extolling the virtues of the wine, the customer will interject ‘but it does not say it is organic..?’

Of course they are right; when is a customer not right? However, there is a

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84 • CGA APRIL/MAY OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 2011

difference between winemakers who make wines organically because they think it helps them make the best wine possible – and those who make wine organically to jump on the organic, commercial, band-wagon.

There is an awful lot of this, sadly; with all things home-spun, natural and local being so in vogue who can blame them? It is, however, often the case that if the ‘organic-ness’ of the wine is the most advertised asset on the label, then there may well be nothing else to shout about. As a USP ‘Organic’ does turn heads – but I don’t want a wine with just a ‘unique selling point’. I want wine that tastes good, is made with care from welltended vines, that represents what it is and where it comes from well, and is good value for money. This is often achieved by farmers and winemakers using organic principles, but not always.

Sometimes great wine is made by farmers following the principles of ‘Lutte Raisonée’ or ‘reasonable struggle’ against nature. This low-intervention approach gives them some chance of producing a stable, representative product even when nature makes life difficult. In some parts of the wine making world it is almost impossible to make wine of any joy, when strictly adhering to the principles of organic farming – nature is just too cruel!

Recently I attended a huge gathering

of organic winemakers: ‘Millesime Bio’ in Montpellier. It was fascinating.

Depending where the wineries were they had very different tales to tell. It really does seem to be a case of ‘horses for courses’. Where conditions were conducive some winemakers had simply packed up using their chemical fertilisers, and stopped spraying for bugs and rot with industrial pesticides. It turns out they didn’t really need them anyway; they have found that the vines are flourishing without this intervention and that over the years the natural balance of the soil has returned, resulting in the vines being more productive and healthier. They were only spraying as this was the inherited principle they had learnt to work with.

This was particularly true with wines from the warm South-West of France and the hills of the Languedoc and Roussillon. Warm, drying winds and long sunny, summer days combined with cold winters mean the balance is perfect for natural plant growth. One winemaker from this part of the world told me that he has abandoned all ‘unnatural’ processes and has been rewarded with lower bills and better wine, not to mention the envy of his brother who is making wine organically in Burgundy. In Burgundy the conditions are more difficult and make organic viticulture very hard work,

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Wine cellar

often resulting in the loss of crops to rot and mildew.

Done well, and in a appropriate place, organic principles really can add character and clarity to wines. The natural approach can really allow good winemakers to express themselves, but it is not the only way to make great wine, and more importantly, it does not guarantee great quality!

I think most wine-lovers understand that although huge wine brands found in supermarkets the world over do serve a purpose, there are some pretty unappetising processes involved in making wine on such an industrial scale.

Thus it is no surprise that an interest in things done more naturally is the reaction of drinkers looking for something different and somehow more discerning, but as ever ‘buyer beware!’

Great examples of brilliant wine that happen to be organic are available at almost every level from the superb 2012 PINOT GRIGIO ‘Ramato’ (£10.95) made in the Collio hills north of Venice by the delightful Visintini family. What sets this remarkable wine apart in every vintage is the wonderful texture of fruit that the Visintinis attain in their Pinot Grigio. Beautifully balanced, with a mineral acidity, making it a really lovely wine and not just another run-of-themill Pinot Grigio – slightly pink too from the deep coloured skins, it really is great stuff. Or the wonderful gutsy red from the Languedoc and Roussillon appellation of Faugeres – 2011 MISTERIOSO Grenache-Syrah Domaine La Sarabande (£10.95).

The vineyard is farmed organically, and the wines are hand-harvested, naturally fermented and bottled unrefined and unfiltered, so as to best express the soils and climate of the region.You will be delighted by the combination of power and delicacy, of complexity along with a clean purity that this offers. One of our longest standing estates is the fabulous Domaine de la Mordorée in the southern Rhone. Certified as organic long before the ‘fad’ in this style of farming, they are the makers of sensational and highly sought after Chateauneuf du Pape. Thankfully their organic principles are maintained in all the wines, even the brilliant value 2011 CÔTES DU RHÔNE Rouge ‘La Dame Rousse’ which is a fabulous bargain at £10.95.

Another great producer, who has always worked strictly in an organic way, is the fabulous Albert Jane Ubeda in northern Spain’s Montsant region. Some of his vines are more than 90 years old

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and he feels they respond best to his natural principles of organic farming. He says that his wine “represents the landscape: subtle, flavourful, delicate and pure. Montsant is a hard, arid place. The climate can dominate man, but at the same time it is marvellous and generous giving outstanding fruit from old vines.

Acústic Cellar tries to express the purity of a vineyard to the maximum.’ His aim is clearly achieved as you’ll discover when tasting his wonderful wines. A great starting point is his 2011 ACÚSTIC BLANC Bodegas Acústic (£13.75) – a cracking, fascinating white

wine with wonderful texture and powerfully structured fruit (almost Rhone and Viognier like) yet very fresh and uplifting on the finish.

This would be sensational with lobster!

This is a debate which will rumble on and on, but the simple facts of the matter mean that organic farming can make great wine, and as a principle for living it can be brilliant for the environment and the consumer. Sadly it has become a victim of its own success and more and more the organic tag is used as a selling tool – when it does not guarantee better quality. As ever ‘caveat emptor’; buy wisely from a good source and don’t be disappointed!

CGA CGA Care-free Quaffing Case CGA Members can try these wonderful examples of Organic Wines in a special ‘Mixed Case’ – 4 bottles of each of the wines mentioned in the article (Red, White & Rosé)– delivered to your door, all for £140.00.

This contains 3 bottles of each: 2012 LEA & SANDEMAN White Burgundy 2012 LA GRÊLE Provence Rosé, Château de Roquefort 2010 LEA & SANDEMAN Bordeaux 2012 ARADON Rioja Tinto Riojana de Alcanadre

CGA Complete Works Case Available exclusively to members, representing great value drinking. £145.00 inc. delivery.

This contains: 2 x Champagne BARON ALBERT Traditional brut 2 x Dry White Loire Wines - 2012 TOURAINE LES SAUTERELLES Domaine de Pierre, Lionel Gosseaume 2 x White Burgundy - 2012 LEA & SANDEMAN White Burgundy 2 x Red Bordeaux - 2009 CHÂTEAU LARIVEAU Canon Fronsac 2 x Rhone Wine - 2011 CÔTES DU RHÔNE Rouge La Dame Rousse Domaine de la Mordorée 1 x Half bottle of Pudding Wine - 2011 CHÂTEAU MONTEILS Cru Bourgeois Sauternes 1 x Half bottle of Port - NIEPOORT Tawny Dee To order either of these cases of wine from the Lea and Sandeman CGA Wine Cellar list please email orders@leaandsandeman.co.uk or telephone 020 7244 0522 : leaandsandeman.co.uk

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 85

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Bookclub As usual, our Book Club selection has a wide variety to choose from: something informative, something amusing, something serious and something thrilling!

A London Pub for Every Occasion By: Herb Lester Associates Published by: Ebury Publishing Herb Lester are well known for producing wonderful guides to iconic cities around the world, not least a great set about London.

Now they have turned their attention to the capital’s plethora of pubs, and tackled the topic with their inimitable style and panache, packing it all into a hard-back pocket-sized manual.

The result is a pub guide par excellence, useful for all sorts of people for all sorts of reasons. Even native Londoners will find some gems they didn’t know about among the 161 tried and tested pubs included in this guide, and of course visitors will find it the perfect companion with its

accompanying handy fold-out map.

There are so many reasons for visiting London’s delightful pubs – they’re not just there to slake your thirst or serve up the ubiquitous “pint and pie”. Some offer gardens to relax in after a hectic round of shopping; some serve as a great overture before a theatre performance; all can do duty as a meeting point; and of course there’s nowhere more pleasant to shelter from the hackneyed London rain. Whatever your reason for popping in to a pub, this guide will offer all the information you need to know to pick the best of the bunch.

Top Choice

CGA Book Club price £7.99 inc postage (RRP: £9.99)

The Myth of the Strong Leader By: Archie Brownll Published by: Random House Is it only the strong single minded politicians who dominate their colleagues and the policy-making process who are successful? No, argues Archie Brown in this magisterial and wide-ranging survey of political leadership over the last hundred years or so. In reality, he claims, only a handful of political leaders make a big difference.

Brown is one of Britain’s most respected political scientists and historians, who has won awards for his previous works, most notably The Rise and Fall of Communism which took the title of Best Political Science Book of the Year in 2010.

Within authoritarian regimes, the cultivation of the myth of the strong

leader can lead to oppression and carnage, he asserts, while even in democracies – where leaders are seldom as strong or independent as they purport to be – it’s dangerous if one person is entitled to take big decisions on his or her own.

So who are the leaders whose record Brown has examined in this original and illuminating 480 page book? Hitler, Stalin and US Presidents Roosevelt and Johnson are on the list, along with Willie Brandt, Mikhael Gorbachev, Deng Xiaping and Nelson Mandela. Our own Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair also come under the microscope.

‘A profound and wise book, one the most important works on politics for a long time’, is how one reviewer describes it.

CGA Book Club price £21.00 inc postage (RRP: £25.00)

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Books & Stamps

The CGA book club provides a hand-picked selection of books at discounted prices.

To order, call 01206 255800 and quote ‘CGA14’

Dirty Bertie, An English King Made in France

China stamps prompt bidding frenzy at auction

By: Stephen Clarke Published by: Random House This entertaining biography of Edward VII and his playboy lifestyle comes from the pen of the popular author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French and A Year in the Merde. Stephen Clarke’s “French connection” comes from living in Paris for nearly 20 years, and his books are best-sellers because of his trademark witty style. This latest offering is no different, putting an irreverent slant on the English king who – despite opposition from his mother, Queen Victoria – was always passionately in love with France. The book reveals how Edward VII had affairs with the most famous Parisian actresses, courtesans and can-can dancers. He spoke French more elegantly than English. He was the first ever guest to climb the Eiffel Tower with Gustave Eiffel, in defiance of an

Last month, Stanley Gibbons held its first public auction of the year at its head office on the Strand in London.

They are always busy events, but this one ‘took the biscuit’.

There were people everywhere. Reception was like Rorke’s Drift and the auction rooms were ‘standing room only’ witnessing what can only be described as a bidding frenzy.

Part of that bidding frenzy centred around three lots of Chinese stamps:

official English ban on his visit. He turned his French seduction skills into the diplomatic prowess that sealed the Entente Cordiale.

A quintessentially English king? Pas de tout, Clarke argues. Edward, he says, learned all the essentials of life from the French.

CGA Book Club price £17.00 inc postage (RRP: £20.00)

Guy Martin: My Autobiography By: Guy Martin Published by: Virgin Books A veritable feast for motorcycling fans, this book takes the reader inside the head of one of the biggest and brightest stars involved in this dangerous sport. Guy Martin – international road-racing legend and maverick star of the Isle of Man TT – takes us on a dramatic rollercoaster ride as he stares death in the face and risks his life in search of the next adrenalin high.

In the book Guy tells the story in his own words, from when he was a boy learning to prep bikes with his dad, to becoming the spirited team

mechanic who paid his way collecting dirty glasses, to the young racer at the start of his first trial and the buzz he’s been chasing ever since. He is revealed as a man who lives on the edge, addicted to speed and thoroughly exhilarated by danger.

We discover what it felt like to survive a 170mph fireball at the TT in 2010, and come back to do it all again. He sweeps the reader up in a gritty sort of glory as he slogs it out for a place on the podium, but there is also the flipside of fame which he explores as well in this thrilling autobiography.

CGA Book Club price £15.99 inc postage (RRP: £20.00)

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Lot 38 Three full stock-books of Chinese material with an auction estimate of £13,000-£15,000 - Sold for £24,000.

Lot 39 – A China collection in 7 albums – estimate of £6-£7,000 - Sold for £11,000.

Lot 214 – An accumulation of postal history including a notable China ‘cover’. The estimate was £1-£1,200 Sold for £17,000.

The China market for quality Chinese rarities has been strong and growing for years now, but nobody could foresee items selling for up to 14 times the estimate.

With the market remaining strong and on something of an extended bull run, this is a good time to secure China material for future growth and capital appreciation.

It makes you wonder how much the stamp below might have fetched if Stanley Gibbons had put it in the auction.

Currently, available for £120,000, this is one of the most important Chinese stamps.

Produced in 1897, this is the $5 on 3c deep red, a rarity of which only 5000 were surcharged. Of those 5000 most were ‘used’ on remittance certificates, but not cancelled and are therefore without gum.

This example is one of the few remaining that has the original gum on the back of the stamp.

That is why it carries the price tag of a Mclaren supercar… ( 0845 026 7170 or email 8 investment@stanleygibbons.com

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 87

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Offers & Wants

&

Offers Wants Free confidential advertising for CGA members

OFFERS Very large 4-bedroom house set in 18 acres of former fishery (pictured below). Master bedroom with en-suite and walk-through dressing room; one other en-suite bedroom. Kitchen/diner with electric Aga, lounge, entrance hall, office/5th bedroom, utility, cloakroom/wc.

OIRO £650,000. Email: kinharvie@tiscali.co.uk Member 177588 (Dumfries)

Timeshare for sale: A ground floor apartment of Priory Lodge, with 1 twin bedroom, 1 bathroom, sleeps 4, overlooking two 18-hole golf courses at Barnham Broom Hotel in Norfolk. £750. Email aachestney@btinternet.com.

Member 077507 (Bedfordshire) Large variety of excellent quality and well maintained equine equipment available as top level eventer retiring. Two dressage saddles (17” and 17.5”), bridles, girths, 5-point breast plates, rugs, tendon/cross-country boots, numnahs/dressage squares, grooming kit.

E-mail jandjdixon@hotmail.com Member 177766 (Hampshire)

88 • CGA APRIL/MAY 2014

Beautiful full length rich green with tartan bodice silk dress.

Fit size 12 and 5ft 3ins. Worn once. £30 As new fine botany wool twinset, size 14 (either Jaeger or Pringle) £30 “Windsmere” fuscia colour wool/cashmere ¾ length coat, size 14, as new. £35 Two leather belts, one M&S plain navy, one black with gold buckle and detail. Both 29-34”. £5 each

Coffee sets for six: Adam Dworski 1917-2-11 Wye Pottery (British Studio Pottery). Pot, cups/saucers, bowl, jug, jam pot.

Mint. Purchased Dworski 1970s.

Offers around £90 Wedgewood Susie Cooper Black Keystone £35.

Postage extra, may deliver.

Member 175689 (Buckinghamshire)

Classic Marinet pram. Excellent condition and mattress and pillow. £100. 01451 821590 Member 032682 (Gloucestershire) All exclusive of postage.

Member 081291 (Staffordshire) Top quality, well maintained, riding equipment available.

Riding boots, breeches, jackets (tweed, navy, hunt coat), body protectors, dressage shirts, stocks, gloves, whips including leather hunt whip with cord, spurs, hats (all discarded if fell), bowler hat, waterproof riding coat (Driza-bone). E-mail jandjdixon@hotmail.com Member 177766 (Hampshire)

Grandparents and Grandparentsto-be! Navy blue SILVER CROSS high pram. Excellent condition.

Photo available. £600 o.n.o. Buyer collects. Member 141809 (Essex) WWW.THECGA.CO.UK

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Offers & Wants

WANTS Holdenby spotted pottery by Suzanne Katkhuda to replace breakages. Also Waterford glass in Sheila pattern.

Tel. 01524 416315, email arc@jwksolicitors.co.uk Member 109713 (Lancs) 1930s Wine (not sherry) glasses (as per picture). At least six desperately wanted to make up a set. Can collect. Tel 01953 497020 Member 144561 (Norfolk)

The Outline of History, by HG Wells, magazine series, complete 24 parts unbound.

“New Edition, Fully Revised”, publ. Cassell, early 1920s, shortly after first edition, vgc.

Member 175689 (Buckinghamshire)

Cotswolds - Boutique bed and breakfast, Kingham, near Chipping Norton.

Traditional English home, exquisitely decorated. Open fires, broadband, WiFi Sleeps 8, £100-£130; surcharge if one night only. Ten acres, pond. Riding, fishing, tennis, golf nearby. Free taxi service to local gastropubs. www.cotswolds-yorkhouse-bandb.co.uk ewa.lewis2@virgin.net 01608 659 341 Member 177236 (Oxfordshire)

Matching pair of delightful Victorian Sterling-silver Salt Spoons, fiddle pattern.

3.25 inches long. 18g.

Outstanding condition.

Maker Charles Boyton, London, 1891. £25 plus p&p £2.50. Member 105275 Northumberland.

Reproduction French style upholstered armchair. Excellent condition. £250. Please contact pb@btapr.demon.co.uk or 01798 343326. Member182392 (West Sussex)

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Austin Reed linen summer suit, worn only twice, vgc. Fully lined jacket 42L, underarm sleeve 42”, back collar-hem 33”/34”. Trousers 38R cotton lined front.

Offers sought iro £35 plus postage (or Bucks/Oxon delivery).

Member 175689 (Buckinghamshire) Ed’s note: The terms and conditions for Offers & Wants have been updated and this is the last issue of the magazine for which we will accept advertisements for businesses.

RULES & REGULATIONS: No commercial advertisements for businesses will be accepted. The CGA retains the right to refuse an advertisement at its discretion if deemed inappropriate. CGA members may request one repeat of an advertisement in the following issue of the magazine if the initial advert proves unsuccessful. Advertisements should not exceed 40 words and must contain true and accurate descriptions of goods.

Advertisements for shotguns require the appropriate certificates. The CGA publishing staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors or omissions.

PLACING AN ADVERTISEMENT: Advertisements must be printed clearly, including name, address and membership number. Email address and/or telephone number is optional.

Send by post to CGA Offers & Wants, Chalke House, Station Road, Codford, Wiltshire BA12 0JX, or by email to enquiries@thecga.co.uk. Images are accepted but must be of high resolution.

REPLIES: Letters should be addressed to the membership number given at the end of the advertisement, quoting the month of publication, and sent to the above address. On receipt all replies will be forwarded to the relevant advertiser.

Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope if you require a reply from the advertiser. Alternatively interested parties can (if shown) use the telephone number or email address provided within the advertisement.

APRIL/MAY 2014 CGA • 89

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Last laugh

GOON WITH THE WIND Lamenting the loss of really silly stuff on the comedy scene, the question is, if laughter is the best medicine, are we getting a full dose?

O

ffice chit-chat can sometimes give rise to reflection – and that was certainly the case recently when someone remarked that few people seem to tell jokes nowadays. We all then fell to racking our brains in an effort to remember when last we had heard a really good joke, and/or enjoyed a silly giggle, not to mention a true “belly laugh”, just for the pleasure of it.

Sad to say the conclusion drawn was that we are all far too serious nowadays. Even current TV comedy shows and stand-up comedians seem a bit tired, predictable and scripted, as though they know we’ve heard it all before, but they’re still trying. It is also highly annoying that the most popular contemporary comedians don’t seem to be able to get through their act without using foul language, smutty scenarios and sexual innuendo.

Oh for the days of spontaneous silliness! Who could keep a straight face when Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau in the (1975) Pink Panther movie asked in his hilarious faux French accent: “Do you have a lay-sans for a minkey?; or when natural clown Harry Secombe, as Neddy Seagoon in the zany radio Goon Show (late 1950s), first uttered his famous catchphrase “Ying tong iddle I po”.

Unfortunately many readers are probably too young to have experienced that goonish brand of surreal madcap humour and buffoonery (accompanied by ludicrous sound-effects in the case of radio shows), but it was the sort of thing that made my family and I laugh loud and long growing up.

King of the comics – a legend in his lifetime – was the eccentric genius Spike Milligan, founder of the aforementioned group of Goons from the great days of radio. Milligan – also an accomplished writer and poet – died in 2002, leaving the world with an epitaph inscribed in Gaelic on his headstone at St Thomas’s Church in Winchelsea, East Sussex, which declares: “I told them I was ill”.

Much has been said and written about, and by, this complicated character, who had such a huge influence on post-war British comedy and brought so much laughter into lives across the world, therefore we don’t need to go into biographical detail. Suffice it to say that like most clowns, Milligan’s private life was the antithesis of his comical public persona. He was strongly religious, had intense affection for his family, was profoundly anti-smoking and a vegetarian, and suffered frequent episodes of depression.

Here is just a sample of some of the gems that make Milligan so memorable...

After five days in hospital, I took a turn for the nurse Policemen are numbered in case they get lost (The final Goon Show) I don’t mind dying -I just don’t want to be there when it happens

Aperitif is French for a set of dentures I had thought to read a poem by Shakespeare, but then I thought: Why should I? He never reads any of mine Is there anything worn under the kilt?

No, it’s all in perfect working order Another Goon Show excerpt:

Quick, hide behind this pane of glass!

But you can see through it!

Milligan: Not if you close your eyes.

Secombe: You’re right!!

Milligan:

Secombe:

The Goon’s brand of anarchical crazy comedy did not die entirely with the demise of the series. Not only are the shows still aired around the world today (you can catch them on BBC Radio 4 Extra, for example), but they also inspired the inventors of the television series “Monty Python’s Flying Circus”. This show, broadcast by the BBC between 1969 and 1974, made stars out of such irreverent and quirky characters as John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin and Eric Idle. The Pythons continued the cult comedy tradition and spawned a set of feature films running right through to 1983. Who can ever forget “The Life of Brian” (1979) – the controversial classic that told of the misadventures of Brian Cohen, born in the stable next door to Jesus Christ on the very same day?

The good news is that the Python gang (minus Graham Chapman who is sadly now deceased) are getting together for a revival show at the O2 Arena in London in July this year, so perhaps there is, after all, hope that really silly stuff is still sought after. Sadly, though, John Cleese has announced that he won’t be performing his famous “Ministry of Silly Walks” because his artificial hip and knee are not up to it.

Never mind … as long as we all remember to “always look on the bright side of life”.

If you are a Goon Show fan, visit the Goon Show Preservation Society – patron of which is Prince Charles : thegoonshow.org.uk

Find us on Facebook at : facebook.com/CGA1893 and let us know who your favourite comedian is – or share a (clean!) joke.

Goon show scene: Milligan to Secombe:

How are you at Mathematics?

I speak it like a native All men are cremated equal I have the body of an 18-year-old: I keep it in the fridge A lot of learning can be a little thing

Secombe:

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