CGA Spring 2018 Magazine

MASTER LUTHIER

DIVULGES HIS PASSION FOR VIOLIN MAKING

MAGAZINE SPRING 2018 ISSUE 125/1

IVE! EXCLUVIESW WITH

R CGA INTE Y BANKS, TOMM HE CHEF AT TBEST WORLD'S ANT RESTAUR

ROYAL PORTRAIT ARTISTS SHARE THEIR PAINTING SECRETS •

CHARLOTTE DUJARDIN: THE GIRL ON THE DANCING HORSE TROPHY HUNTING: CONTROVERSY OR CONSERVATION VOTE 100 THE SUFFRAGETTE STORY

•

001 Cover.indd 1

11/03/2018 14:31

Chairman’s comment The arrival of our springtime magazine this year seems quite timely as we finally have the Beast from the East and its sibling behind us and a belated Spring appears to be settling in!

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.

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 Chairman of the CGA. © CGA, 2017 Other companies in the group: CGA Financial and Investment Services CGA Protect Insurance CGA Legal Services Equity Release Information Centre CHAIRMAN William Harrison-Allan LEGAL COUNSEL James Baker CULTURAL EVENTS Sylvia Cotterill EVENTS AND MARKETING MANAGER Joanna Wood WEB DEVELOPER/IT COORDINATOR JJ Foy MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY/RECEPTIONIST Natasha Marlow RECEPTIONIST AND ADMINISTRATOR Nicky Cruse CHARTERED FINANCIAL CONSULTANT Ian Finn FINANCIAL CONSULTANTS Neil Bedford, Mark Beverley, Keith Wyatt, Kristian Payne FINANCIAL SERVICES APPOINTMENT COORDINATOR Martin Otterwell TECHNICAL FINANCE ASSISTANT Emma Perrett, Susan McClymont, Nina Longlands, Wendy Butler CONSULTANT SUPPORT Anita Gomez INSURANCE MANAGER Steve Hill INSURANCE TEAM Sarah Gunter, Abi Spratt, Lucy Ward, Megan Wiskin, Alan Hitchcock GROUP ACCOUNTANT Harvey Clark

The future is very much to the fore of our thinking in this issue as we begin a new tax year, help you to secure your financial future and pay less tax on the inheritance you leave your loved ones. Financial planning should be a year round activity so please do call and make sure you are making the most of this opportunity.

Many people undertake home renovations and projects at this time of year and whether you have the finances you need for this or are considering equity release as a means of funding your home improvements we share some beautiful seasonal interior ideas to inspire you, as the days lengthen and sunlight and flowers begin to fill your senses and your homes. I do hope you enjoy our conversation with a number of Royal Portrait Painters, discussing their methods and experiences painting portraits, particularly members of the Royal Family.

We also consider the pro’s and cons of big game hunting in our feature piece – it’s a highly controversial subject and I’m sure you’ll agree there are some interesting view points.

There are important changes to data regulations and privacy which will be implemented in May this year.

Do make sure you read our update on page 17 so that you understand how this will affect you. Please remember that I am only an email or phone call away and I value your thoughts and comments and my team and I are on hand to for all your financial, legal and insurance needs.

Warmest wishes,

William Harrison-Allan

EDITOR Hannah Newton ART DIRECTOR Elle Grandison

To advertise please contact Megan Wiskin on 01985 850706 or email advertising@thecga.co.uk

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

003 Welcome.eg7.indd 3

The CGA offers a wide selection of fabulous merchandise, from scarves and ties, T-shirts and bottle stoppers to golf markers. To order please email

Natasham@thecga.co.uk 3

22/04/2018 19:19

Contents

Spring 2018

86

28

34

18

56 UPFRONT 6

Postcards from Britain

12 Countryside News 14 CGA Cultural Events

FEATURES 18 Going Back to my Roots - Interview with Michelin Starred Chef Tommy Banks

62 Instruments, Investments and the Art of Luterie

28 Royal Portrait Artists

68 Black Widow Japan’s Serial Killer

34 Spring Interiors

73 Purdy Game Awards

40 The Slow Age of Steam Travel 48 Big Game Hunting 56 100 Years of Suffrage

4

004-005 Contents.hn6..indd 4

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

18/04/2018 11:41

62

48

40

44 FINANCIAL & LEGAL 17 Legislative Changes to Personal Online Data 24 Agricultural and Farming Financials 38 Finance - Tax Help 46 Law - Where there’s a Will there’s a way 54 Equity Release 72 Insurance Protection

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

004-005 Contents.hn6..indd 5

74 14 REGULARS 16 Fogg’s Focus

86 Recipes

37 Three Minute Guide: Reduce and Recyle

90 The JJ Crossword 91 Sudoku and Puzzles

44 Classic Breed: Hereford Cattle

92 Member Benefits

74 Through the Keyhole

96 Offers and Wants

78 Property

98 Trump’s Tweets

80 Classified ads 82 Books

5

18/04/2018 11:41

POSTCARDS FROM BRITAIN

6

06-011 Postcards.hn3.indd 6

09/03/2018 16:30

POSTCARDS FROM BRITAIN

Peregrine Falcon in flight Found breeding in the uplands of the North and West of the UK, the graceful and fast Peregrine Falcon, preferring our rocky seacoasts, can be found. In the 1960’s these agile and powerful birds faced decline as their numbers plummeted due to human persecution and the impact of pesticides. Today, however, thanks to legislation and protection the birds population have begun to expand including into urban areas.

www.thecga.co.uk • Winter 2017

06-011 Postcards.hn3.indd 7

7

09/03/2018 16:30

POSTCARDS FROM BRITAIN

Portmeirion, Wales “I am not a number. I am a free man.”

This seminal statement is taken from the opening title of the iconic 1960’s TV show, The Prisoner, which was set in the brightly coloured village of Portmeirion. Nestling on the Snowdonian coast in North Wales, the village was designed and built by architect Bertram Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1976, to showcase how a naturally beautiful site could be developed without being spoilt.

8

06-011 Postcards.hn3.indd 8

www.thecga.co.uk • Winter 2017

09/03/2018 16:30

www.thecga.co.uk • Winter 2017

06-011 Postcards.hn3.indd 9

9

09/03/2018 16:30

POSTCARDS FROM BRITAIN

Isle of Skye The dramatic scenery and breathtaking views across Scotland’s second largest island, the glorious Isle of Skye – an t-Eilean Sgiathanach in Gaelic – takes its name from the old Norse: Sky-a, which means cloud island. The Viking name refers to the endless mist covered hills, which add to its sense of drama and mystical beauty. The landscape is made up of deep blue lochs, awe-inspiring sea cliffs and miles and miles of verdant green moors.

10

06-011 Postcards.hn3.indd 10

www.thecga.co.uk • Winter 2017

09/03/2018 16:30

POSTCARDS FROM BRITAIN

www.thecga.co.uk • Winter 2017

06-011 Postcards.hn3.indd 11

11

09/03/2018 16:30

Countryside news Image: © Diliff, CC BY 2.5

News and views from the major countryside organisations

Kew to re-open the world’s largest surviving glasshouse This May the magnificent Victorian Temperate House at Kew will finally be re-opened to the public after a complex construction project that has taken more than five years to complete.

T

he building, which Kew claims is quite possibly one of London’s most iconic buildings, has been closed to the public since 2013.

A beautiful and brand new Temperate House, as awe-inspiring as a glistening glass cathedral, will emerge.

The building retains its astonishing Victorian splendour yet has cutting-edge engineering, making it one of the world’s greatest glasshouses. It is expected to become a jewel in Kew’s crown, it will be a sanctuary for some of the rarest and most threatened plants from temperate regions across the globe.

Andrew Williams, Director of Estates and Capital Development at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: “Five years ago, we erected hoardings around one of the world’s most important buildings, which was in a state of disrepair. We looked ahead expectantly to an incredibly exciting challenge and journey of discovery, to completely 12

012-013 CS News.hn2.indd 12

refurbish almost every element of this magnificent structure and return it to its rightful place as the greatest glasshouse in the world. I am extremely proud to be within touching distance of the opening date on 5th May this year. Thanks to a fantastic team and some incredible partners, we have not merely restored the Temperate House to its former glory, but have gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure it has been done to the highest possible standards befitting a building that both contains our heritage and embodies our future, enabling us to teach generations to come about the importance of plants to life.”

Twice as big as Kew’s Palm House, the Temperate House was encased within a vast tent-like structure, large enough to cover three Boeing 747s, in order to carry out the painstaking work in all weather.

Approximately 180km of scaffolding was needed for the restoration of this 20m high structure the length of the M25.

Made possible with the support of over £15m from the National Lottery, this restoration project has been unlike anything Kew has ever undertaken.

Originally designed by world-famous architect, Decimus Burton, heritage architects Donald Insall have updated and modernised key features to enable it to function as a contemporary working space. Over 69,000 individual elements were removed from the building: cleaned, repaired or replaced. This included the replacement of a staggering 15,000 panes of glass, and the restoration of 116 urns which had to be carefully lifted off the building by crane.

The final phase will see a series of spectacular water features installed throughout the building, the pathways completed, and, perhaps the most intricate job of all, the cleaning of the windows of this enormous 4,880 squaremetre structure.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

09/03/2018 17:00

COUNTRYSIDE NEWS

SCAFELL PIKE MEMORIAL TO WORLD WAR 1

Heron Fest

Scafell Pike and 12 other Lakeland summits were given to the National Trust in the years after peace was declared, becoming Britain’s most spectacular and unique memorial to those lost in World War One.

T

he “Great Gift” Scafell Pike from Lord Leconfield and the 12 summits from the Fell and Rock Climbing Club was one of the largest ever donations to the National Trust, ensuring that each year, hundreds of thousands of Britons and visitors can freely walk the mountains today.

Now, 100 years on, the conservation charity is expressing its gratitude with a series of commemorations, including rebuilding the summit cairn on Scafell Pike, England’s tallest mountain. Rangers will camp out on the peak to carry out this work, including resetting the memorial plaque within the walls of the cairn.

British mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington, who spent several years in the Royal Tank Regiment, said, “I can’t help but be inspired every time I return home to the Lakes, by its wildness and charm, and the challenges it presents. Beyond its staggering beauty, the Lake District has a rich cultural history and a web of fascinating stories.”

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

012-013 CS News.hn2.indd 13

In addition to this, the re-dedication of the mountains will include work to repair paths on Scafell Pike and Great Gable, while a project supported by the Arts Council and the Arts and Humanities Research Council will bring together musicians and choirs for a ‘song cycle’ across the 12 mountains of the Fell & Rock Climbing Club. At Wordsworth House in Cockermouth an exhibition called, Where Poppies Blow, with award-winning author John LewisStempel, will explore the role of nature in helping soldiers through the horrors of battle.

RSPB Fairburn Ings nature reserve, near Castleford, West Yorkshire, is launching Heron Fest this spring.

A festival celebrating the wonderful birds making their home in the heronry and reedbeds at RSPB Fairburn Ings.

Lurking at the water’s edge, grey herons the familiar and well-loved species, make their home along with upwards of 30 pairs in the Fairburn Ings heronry.

In the same clump of trees there are also 100 cormorant pairs nesting, as well as several pairs of little egrets. Last year, the first successful spoonbill nest in Yorkshire for at least 400 years fledged three beautiful chicks here.

Elsewhere on the reserve, elusive bitterns and small brown herons, hide in the reedbeds, making their presence known with noisy mating ‘booms’ that can be heard across the reserve.

The land around the heronry has slowly subsided into the old mining network, creating a protected area for these birds to nest away from disturbance.

The best spot for viewing the heronry is from the Coal Tips trail, which is also the best place to catch sight of a bittern in flight.The beginning of Heron Fest coincides with, Show the Love, a campaign to celebrate the things we love which are affected by climate change.

Abbie Sellers, RSPB said: “Little egrets and spoonbills have only been a part of the colony for a few years as they’ve been pushed north by climate change.” www.rspb.org.uk 13

09/03/2018 17:00

cultur al events

Image: © Diliff, CC BY 2.5

Fabulous outings for CGA members and their guests

CGA Exclusive Members’ Break – Sunday 24 until Tuesday 26 June 2018

Enjoy a luxurious break in Lavenham with a two-night stay at The Swan, including a tour of the fine art collection and treasures of Euston Hall and Layer Marney Tower – a Tudor Palace

I

n the heart of Suffolk you’ll find some of Britain’s prettiest villages and towns. One is Lavenham, built by wealthy wool merchants of Tudor times. This old wool-trading town has over 320 buildings of historic interest, including the Guildhall of Corpus Christi, one of the finest timber-framed properties in Britain.

CGA members will stay for two nights at The Swan, a stunning four-star hotel with 45 perfectly appointed bedrooms, each with all the little luxuries you would expect. Each room is slightly different to the next, making them totally charming, comfortable and individual. An inn has stood on the site of the hotel since the 15th century and today, this sprawling half-timbered building is the perfect base from which to explore Lavenham and the surrounding area. One of the hotel’s most stunning rooms is its Gallery Restaurant, complete with wooden beams and minstrels’ gallery.

After making your own way to the hotel on Sunday, meet fellow members and your CGA host and professional guide for a welcome drink before dinner.

You can check into the hotel from 3pm.

After a leisurely breakfast on Monday morning, we will explore Lavenham’s rich history as a centre of industry for clothmaking before a tour of the Guildhall and its museum. Afterwards, there will be some free time to enjoy the wonderful selection of shops, cafes and restaurants in Lavenham before we

14

014-015 Events.hn12.indd 14

drive to Layer Marney Tower. Here, we will meet the owners for a guided tour, which will include areas of the house not usually open to the public. While Layer Marney Tower retains its Tudor façade, the inside has been adapted for 21st-century living. The ornate terracotta decorations are of Italian design, and the extravagant use of glass, diaper patterns in the brickwork and its commanding height add to its grandeur and importance. For wonderful views down onto the Blackwater estuary, you can ascend the many steps to the top of the Tower. However, it is a very gentle climb with plenty of interesting stopping-off points on the way. The formal gardens are pretty and colourful throughout the year. We will then return to the hotel for a leisurely evening and dinner.

After breakfast on Tuesday we’ll take a drive to Euston Hall near Thetford for a guided tour. Euston Hall is home to the Duke and Duchess of Grafton, and we can view their unique collection of paintings of the Court of Charles II, including works by Van Dyck and Lely.

This stately home has a rich history, which is reflected by the many treasures and artefacts within its walls. Finally, we’ll enjoy a two-course luncheon locally (included) before returning to Lavenham at approximately 3pm.

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

Cost: per person £460 Single occupancy supplement: £160 Deposit: £120 per person.

Includes: Two nights’ en-suite accommodation at The Swan at Lavenham, full English breakfast, porterage and three-course choice dinner with coffee each evening.

Executive coaching, professional guide, all private/exclusive tours as indicated and a two-course luncheon on Tuesday.

All rooms have bathroom and shower.

Extra night rates available on request via CGA Events and subject to availability.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

18/04/2018 11:41

CGA CULTURAL EVENTS Lamport Hall, Lamport, Northampton Date: 24th July 2018 Start time: 11am Cost: £68 Guided tour followed by luncheon

L

amport Hall one of the finest examples of Grade 1 listed houses.

Explore the Hall’s fine rooms, the High Room of 1655 and the 18th Century Library and discover a wealth of outstanding furniture, books, china and paintings collected by the Isham Family - whose home Lamport Hall was for over four centuries. Lamport also offers a fascinating example of an enchanting historic garden.

A limited number of places are available. Please apply early in order to avoid disappointment.

CULTURAL CALENDAR Don’t forget to keep up to date with all events at www.thecga.co.uk/pages/events

24-26 JUNE 2018

CGA Members’ Break A luxurious break in Lavenham, a two-night stay at four star hotel, The Swan, tour of the fine art collection and treasures of Euston Hall and Layer Marney Tower.

Cost per person: £460 See details opposite page

24 JULY 2018

Highgrove, HRH The Prince of Wales Private Garden, Gloucestershire Date: 7th August 2018 Start time: 12pm Cost: £76 Private guided tour followed by Champagne afternoon tea at the prestigious Calcot Manor Hotel

H

ighgrove Gardens has been created with bold imagination by HRH The Prince of Wales over the last 35 years, a series of interlinked organic gardens reflect his commitment to sustainability and natural artistic ability. A rich haven of flora and fauna, the gardens have been developed to not only please the eye, but sit in succinct harmony with nature. Experience the garden’s seasonal highlights and discover how the landscape has transformed a lawn into an ever-changing canvas of magnificent garden scenes.

Skinners Hall, London. Sixth of the Great Twelve Livery Companies Date: 3rd September 2018 Start time: 11.00am Cost: £69 Guided tours of these magnificent buildings followed by luncheon.

Lamport Hall, Lamport, Northamptonshire Private opening, guided tour of this Grade I historic house and beautiful large gardens with lunch.

11am start. Cost: £68 See details left

7 AUGUST 2018

Highgrove HRH The Prince of Wales Gardens, Gloucestershire Private guided tour of the inspired and extensive gardens - followed

by Champagne afternoon tea at the charming Calcot Manor Hotel 12pm start. Cost: £76 See details left

3 SEPTEMBER 2018

Skinners Hall, London. Sixth of the Great Twelve Livery Companies Exclusive private opening of Skinners Hall, dating from 1670, after the great fire of London. Grade I listed, rich in history and tradition and beautifully furbished. Enjoy a private tour by the Beadle followed by luncheon.

11am start. Cost: £69 See details left

A

n exclusive private opening into this glorious, little known historical gem in London, which dates from 1670 and provides a deeper insight into the history and traditions of the city and its merchants. The tour includes a private guided tour by the Beadle via the ceremonial gates, other unique features include an Italianate roof garden, East Indian antiques and a welath of important artworks. Book early to avoid disappointment.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

014-015 Events.hn12.indd 15

To book any events, and for further information, please contact Sylvia Cotterill, CGA Events Organiser, on 01763 288277, or mail to: Garden House, Rushden, near Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 0SZ. Please make cheques payable to CGA Events. Cancellations will be refunded only up to two weeks before any event (conditions apply)

15

18/04/2018 11:41

FOGG’S FOCUS

OPINION

Nicholas Fogg

T

Tory Ministers stumble through Brexit talks - at what price for the rest of us?

he Church of England was once described as “The Tory Party at Prayer”. It still could be. Rather than the traditional adherence to the Monarchy and the Constitution, it is now united by confusion and contradiction. The prayers ascending from Anglicans desiring to officiate at gay marriages and install transsexual toilets contrast with those who oppose both. Similarly, the different parts of the Tory Party are perplexed by confusions and contradictions over Brexit. This extraordinary process is more of a shambles than what Nigel Farage called a ‘humiliation’. Theresa May made herself a hostage to fortune from the first by declaring that “Brexit means Brexit.” Actually, nobody appears to know what it does mean. Rather than face this issue head-on, she’s allowed it to drift. Whatever is decided, Nemesis will follow. She has a capacity to put the wrong people in the wrong places. Boris Johnson has become an international

joke. He should have resigned over his appalling gaffe about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The appointment of David Davies was equally hapless. In negotiations, it’s a golden rule to try to build a rapport with the other side.

Michel Barnier has complained about Davies’ lack of commitment to the talks, attending just at the beginning and end.

In December, he announced that he did not have to be ‘very clever’, or ‘know that much’ to be the Brexit Secretary. Many would agree with his self-assessment, but since these are probably the most complex negotiations in British history, it hardly inspires confidence. May’s “triumph” in getting the EU to move on to the next stage was much-lauded by her adherents, but what has she done?

“Brexit means Brexit.”

Actually, nobody appears to know what it does mean.

It took 18 months to accede to the terms that the EU insisted had to be fulfilled before talks on trade could begin. The Government rejected an opportunity to show generosity at the outset when the House of Lords voted that EU citizens living here should have residency rights after Brexit. It clearly wanted to make these people a bargaining factor, while ignoring the position of Brits living in Europe. Guess what? The right of these people to stay is now part of the initial deal. It was clear that the UK would have to pay a lot of money under agreements made long before Brexit. There were those who proposed reneging on these debts, but this would make the nation a pariah, as Philip Hammond clearly recognises. Result? We’re going to fork out, although the final sum is unclear.

The last proviso – that of the future relationship between the UK and the Irish Republic has been largely ignored.

The first solution May propounded was to allow Northern Ireland to remain in the single market while the rest of the UK left it. Her allies in the DUP had not been consulted and they reacted with fury. This was apparently resolved with both her Irish friends and the EU by her announcement that there would be no Irish border. The only way this could be squared would be if the UK remained in the Single Market. Remainers rejoiced.

Hang on though. As might be expected, May went back on that agreement with a subsequent statement that the UK would not be remaining in the single market. So now we move to Round Two. One thing is certain. Whatever the outcome, Mrs. May’s friends will hail it as a triumph.

Nicholas Fogg writes for the major newspapers and is author of a number of books. He has also been involved with politics for a number of years.

16

016 Opinion.v3.eg.indd 16

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 12:55

ONLINE DATA

Personal online data to be radically recalibrated Big data will transform the business and consumer relationship as new legislation puts the rights of the consumer first

I

n the last few years, we have seen how the power of “big” data has transformed the way brands and organisations deliver targeted products and services in a way unseen before in advertising. Where, what and how you shop is just the tip of the iceberg, as it is likely your personal data is held by many organisations. However, on 25th May this year new legislation comes into force the – General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – it will

where key aspects of our lives will be ever more determined by the data held about us.

A harmonisation of standards if achieved even broadly would surely benefit everyone in the business of ‘controlling’ or ‘processing’ data in the long term?

More significantly, the rights of data subjects are more important than ever. Under the legislation you will have rights to access, object and rectify any of your personal data held

A harmonisation of standards if acheived even broadly would surely benefit everyone in the business of ‘controlling’ or ‘processing’ data in the long term? be enforced across Europe, including the UK and will give citizens more control over their data, creating a uniformity of rules to enforce across the continent.

The overarching GDPR principle is to: “give citizens back control of their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying regulation within the EU”. This should be considered good news, we are all ‘data subjects’ and live in a world From time to time CGA will send you magazines, e-mail bulletins and briefings and we may also invite you to some of our events. As your membership renews each year please take a moment to consider whether you still want to hear from us this way – we hope you do – but please let us know if you change your mind.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

017.GDPR.indd 17

by organisations. You will also have the right to request the deletion of personal data. Under the legislation, the consumer has the full backing of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission to request removal without any undue pressure or financial penalty.

At a time when financial crime and identity fraud is rife, it is no wonder that citizens are increasingly wary and protective about sharing personal details and contact information.

Although this law comes from the EU, it will have a global impact. It will affect any business holding personal data on customers, prospects or employees based within the EU, and such businesses need to be preparing for the change now. To put it in very simplified terms, what GDPR compliance essentially boils down to, is that organisations need to better understand what data they hold, why they hold it, how they have gained

permission to hold it and whom they are sharing the information with.

They then need to ensure they are being upfront and clear in effectively communicating this with customers, as well as giving individuals the opportunity to control their own data.

If businesses ignore this law, they can be fined up to €20m or 4% of their global annual turnover.

The impact for businesses will undoubtedly be huge. The new rules will require businesses large and small across the globe to transform their policies, structure and personnel to ensure compliance and adherence.

Data protection and security has to be built into the fabric of organisations rather than farmed out.

“This will impact every entity that holds or uses European personal data both inside and outside of Europe.”

So how will this affect me with the CGA? When becoming a member of the Country Gentlemen’s Association we collect details such as your name and address, age and marital status. If you go on to engage with any of our services – be they financial, legal or insurance related then we will need to find out more about you. We keep this information secure and we do not pass on your details to any third party outside of the CGA group. We can provide you with any of the details that we hold and you retain your right to ask for your records to be deleted from our systems. You can view our full privacy policy on our website.

17

18/04/2018 10:49

FOOD

G oing ba c k to my Ro o t s

Chef at the Great British Menu star and Head nks from The Ba y m m To t, an ur sta Re st Be ’s ld Wor n why growing Black Swan, tells Hannah Newto for business nt rta po im so is e uc od pr n ow your

Y

orkshire lad Tommy Banks has many plaudits to his name; at just 24 years of age, this self-taught cook, became Britain’s youngest Michelin starred chef, at 27 he won the Great British Menu, reaching the finals of the show again in the latest series in 2017, and at the end of last year Banks’ restaurant, The Black Swan in North Yorkshire,

18

018-022 Restaurants.hn6.indd 18

was named The Best Restaurant in the World.

And if these all these achievements weren’t enough, Banks has just penned his first book, Roots, a homage to his deep love of home-grown, seasonal and local produce.

Banks’ grandfather, a Yorkshire farmer, nurtured in Tommy, and his brother James, a deep respect for the land where they grew up, www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

12/03/2018 11:03

FOOD

teaching them a strong work ethic and good family values, of which Tommy is rightly proud.

The Black Swan is firmly a family business.

In 2006, when they took over the Yorkshire pub, Banks’ parents put him and his brother in charge - at the tender ages of 17 and 18! The pair had never run a kitchen or a pub before and u had absolutely no idea what they were doing. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

018-022 Restaurants.hn6.indd 19

Tommy Banks at his happiest, in the fields at his North Yorkshire home.

Roots - Tommy’s new book.

u

19

12/03/2018 11:03

FOOD

c

But through sheer hard work, perseverance and plenty of ale, the pair, with the support of their parents, gradually and surely built a destination pub that put Oldstead, the village where The Black Swan is located, on the map.

Despite this extraordinary success, before he has even reached his third decade, for Tommy it is his love of this garden and the land he grew up on, which he truly credits for making The Black Swan what it has become today - the World’s Best Restaurant – not only that, but the first British restaurant to ever top the list.

“I wanted my cookbook to reflect how I grow and cook food. Roots is more about explaining the ethos of sowing seeds, nurturing, havesting and eating food”

Here, Tommy Banks exclusively talks to Hannah Newton, Editor at the CGA, about his new book, Roots.

HN: Roots! A brilliant title, this obviously has so many connotations for you and your business. Tell us what it means to you and what has been the journey for you creating this book?

TB: I didn’t want to do an all-out restaurant cookbook, I think they date too fast. I wanted my cookbook to reflect how I grow and cook food. Roots is more about exploring the ethos of sowing seeds, nurturing, harvesting and eating food. It presents a different approach to British seasonal cooking, redefining the seasons into 20

018-022 Restaurants.hn6.indd 20

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

12/03/2018 11:03

FOOD

Top Left: The dining room at The Black Swan Bottom and right: Seasonal dishes produced in the kitchens of The Black Swan

three growing groups; The Hunger Gap, Time of Abundance and The Preserving Season.

To be honest when I started I had absolutely no idea what I was doing! I pitched an idea, and the publishers we were meeting just weren’t keen, and didn’t think the book, as I wanted it, had a proper concept. Then we sat down with Orion and they went for it! Luckily.

But, then I had to start writing it and I realised I had absolutely no idea how to! The challenge was a very steep learning curve but I began to enjoy it. It obviously is a very different skill to cooking, and some days were amazing and I got lots done – other times not so much. Ultimately, Roots has become what I wanted it to be: a celebration of the key ingredients grown, foraged and preserved in the environment I live in.”

HN: Is it important for you to share your love of growing and nurturing your garden, the very earth and your fruit and vegetables www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

018-022 Restaurants.hn6.indd 21

to show that it is more than just a dish on a plate that can be Instagrammed?

TB: Yes, that is incredibly important to me and I wanted to share this as it is a totally different approach to cooking, three seasons from a culinary perspective. It is sharing recipes; ways to preserve food and ideas on how to use stock ingredients all year round.”

HN: Why is using local and growing your own produce so important to your?

TB: It just makes business sense! Our guests are travelling to the middle of nowhere to get to us, we want to give them a unique experience and dishes which have the personality and originality of The Black Swan. All of the food we serve is relevant to where we are. So as a business ethos, it makes a lot of sense. To find inspiration it’s important to remember where you are, it helps a lot! u 21

12/03/2018 11:03

FOOD

The entrance to The Black Swan pub in Oldstead, North Yorkshire - voted Best Restauarnt in the World

by Trip Advisor - the first UK restaurant to be listed.

HN: Do you share this passion with your staff and fellow chefs?

TB: All of the staff at The Black Swan are involved in every part of running the restaurant.

The food is as much their inspiration as mine.

It is a very different working environment than other kitchens, so our chefs need to adapt, but they do quickly and end up feeling instrumental to the running of this buiness and that is very important to me.

HN: As a child, did you have a particular experience with eating or cooking or growing food that you feel has drawn you to the path you now travel?

TB: Growing up I didn’t want to be a chef, I wasn’t into cooking – that all came quite 22

018-022 Restaurants.hn6.indd 22

accidentally later on, I came from a farming background, and my inspiration growing up was my Grandfather, who as a farmer taught us our work ethic and brought us up with good values.

HN: Can you share with the CGA members one, simple idea that would be a perfect treat for Spring cooking to wake us all up to the unfurling buds and warming ground?

TB: There isn’t a huge amount around to use in early Spring, but wild garlic is amazing and just comes from nowhere! It is amazing just using a small amount to finish off a dish – a little chopped up and added to your scrambled eggs, or right at the end of cooking your risotto, just fold a bit through – it’s a seasonal gem!

Roots, published by Orion, is out on April 5th www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

12/03/2018 11:03

AC9.qxp_Layout 1 22/02/2018 12:20 Page 1

Feel inspired this spring...

David C.H. Austin

DAVID AUSTIN®

Roald Dahl (Ausowlish)

If you’re dreaming of a garden overflowing with colour and fragrance this summer, embrace the longer, brighter days of spring by getting out into your garden and planting David Austin roses. Planting roses now gives them time to establish in the garden, before they burst into spectacular bloom around midJune. They will then continue to flower in fragrant flushes throughout the summer until the first frosts.

We’re offering readers of CGA Magazine 10% OFF every time you order with us before 31st May 2018, quoting code AC9.

Visit: www.davidaustinroses.com

Call: 0800 111 4699

EX C PA IT R ING TN ER NE SH W C IP GA !

AGRI–FINANCE

EXCITING NEW CGA PARTNERSHIP

Moving on to pastures new!

With UK Agricultural Finance

The farming and agricultural sector is notoriously complex with high street banks shying away from loans in these indutries, however specialist support is readily available for farmers

T

he CGA are delighted to announce that we have partnered with UK Agricultural Finance, to help our farmers secure traditional, responsible funding to diversify, sustain, grow and improve their farming and agricultural businesses.

Following the financial crash, funding the agricultural sector was difficult and many traditional sources of finance disappeared. There is a gap in funding, with several high street banks having suspended their farm lending and lost their specialist teams, while many of the new lenders find the sector too complex.

Farmers now need to find new sources of capital to sustain, grow and improve their businesses.

Learn more

The UK government has recognised that farming requires high levels of investment and the lack of sufficient funding is a major threat to these businesses and their prospects.

Fortunately, UK Agricultural Finance, has specialist knowledge, understands rural property and rural business, the many challenges they face and 24

024-027 Agri Finance.eg5.indd 24

importantly, their appeal. The company prides itself on working with the leading experts in agricultural valuation, security and restructuring to ensure swift, informed and fair decisions. They lend their own funds and are committed to responsible lending, by always acting with integrity and delivering on time, every time.

What do farm loans usually cost?  Agricultural bridge finance loans are typically in the region of 1 per cent a month, although better rates are possible for the highest quality loans.

Loans are typically • From £100,000 to £10 million • Have a typical duration of 1 to 7 years • Maximum LTV of 65% • No early redemption penalties • Secured on farmland and agricultural property • No age limits

 Term loans – typically three to seven years – are in the region of 6.5% to 9%, with affordability calculated at 125% Rural property and businesses are highly specialist areas, given the many challenges that farmers face.

It’s important to look for lenders who work with leading experts in agricultural valuation, security and restructuring to ensure swift, informed and fair decisions and face to-face underwriting.

Finding a lender who only lends against the agricultural sector is perhaps the best route, given the complexities of the sector, the need to move swiftly to provide finance and the ability to adapt a loan to suit the borrower’s circumstances.

For more information or to book a meeting, please contact William Harrison-Allan, Chairman of CGA Financial & Investment Services Ltd and Founding and Principal Partner of St James’s Place Wealth Management on 01985 850706, or email: wha@thecga.co.uk

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 14:29

AGRI–FINANCE

Showing how flexible their approach is we’ve found farmers who have used their loans for: DIVERSIFICATION

LIVESTOCK

Diversifying your enterprise can increase revenue and reduce risk.

Finance for livestock is used by farmers to expand their holdings

PURCHASING NEW FARMLAND

RECOVERY AND RESTRUCTURING

Additional acreage or a unique property opportunity may become available and often at short notice

Responsive and flexible finance is often needed when pressure is acute, and a facility can provide a window to allow a farmer to take control and rationally plan ahead

PROPERTY

TENANT FARMERS

Finance allows farmers to develop, renovate or repair property for capital appreciation and income generation

These farmers often have a right to buy their land at an attractive price

RENEWABLE ENERGY

GENERATIONAL TRANSFER

‘Green’ projects can be a great source of additional income and add real value to underused land on a farm, or even turn waste products into revenue

When farmers are looking to transfer their farm to the next generation, they can use a facility to release capital and achieve this.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

024-027 Agri Finance.eg5.indd 25

25

17/04/2018 14:29

AGRI–FINANCE

Example Bridge Loan £2,600,000 Hydro Project, Borders, 65% 1st Charge BACKGROUND Why did the borrower need the loan?

The farmer had a FiT for a 600kW high-head run-of-river plant on their land in Scotland

Why couldn’t they raise funds from traditional lenders?

Other offers of finance wanted a large portion of the project equity, in addition to interest charges

Why were we selected?

Our team has substantial experience of hydropower and renewables

What did we see others didn’t?

We were quickly able to confirm that the project was in a good catchment area, with a simple construction process

What is the expected exit?

Once the project was operational, the client secured a low cost long-term loan from the high street, repaying our loan early, penalty free

KEY LOAD TERMS Amount: £2,600,000 Term: 30 months LTV: 65% Security: 1st charge &

step in rights

Use of Renewable Proceeds: Exit: Refinance Rate: 12%

Example Bridge Loan £490,200 Property Development, Aberdeenshire, 43% 1st Charge BACKGROUND Why did the borrower need the loan?

The farmer had a loan from the high street and wanted to increase this to re-develop a stone barn on his property

Why couldn’t they raise funds from traditional lenders?

Their bank would not take the time to assess the loan as the project was not immediately cash generative

Why were we selected?

Our team visited the farmer to understand the collateral and what would need to be done to renovate the barns

What did we see others didn’t?

We saw a hard-working farmer who had a track record of renovating and leasing similar properties on his land

What is the expected exit?

Refinance with the high street once the rental income is established in the renovated property

KEY LOAD TERMS Amount: £490,200 Term: 30 months LTV: 43% Security: 1st charge

26

024-027 Agri Finance.eg5.indd 26

Use of Repay loan & working Proceeds: capital Exit: Refinance Rate: 12%

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 14:29

AGRI–FINANCE

Example Bridge Loan £445,000 Recovery & Restructure, Leicestershire, 49% 1st Charge BACKGROUND Why did the borrower need the loan?

Two brothers farmed together, one sadly passed away, so finance was needed to settle the estate

Why couldn’t they raise funds from traditional lenders?

There was a dispute over the estate which unfortunately ended in court and they needed quick access to capital to avoid a forced sale

Why were we selected?

Our team understood the collateral, were able to act quickly and convince the creditors that a loan could be provided

What did we see others didn’t?

What is the expected exit?

We were able to see through the family dynamics and focused on a hard working farmer who wanted the fourth generation to remain on the farm The family are putting 12 acres up for sale and will re-develop an old farm cottage for sale and then be able to refinance with the high street

KEY LOAD TERMS Use of Recovery & Restructure Proceeds: Exit: Selling Assets &

Refinance Rate: 12%

Amount: £445,000 Term: 30 months LTV: 49% Security: 1st charge

Example Bridge Loan £1,400,000 Recovery & Restructure, East Anglia, 65% 1st Charge BACKGROUND Why did the borrower need the loan?

A farmer who had been looking after a terminally ill relative needed access to capital to stabilise the business and repay trade creditors and HMRC

Why couldn’t they raise funds from traditional lenders?

The farmer had two outstanding CCJs from trade creditors and was about to be taken to court by HMRC making this too complex for traditional lenders

Why were we selected?

Our team took the time to understand and work with an independent debt counsellor

What did we see others didn’t?

We saw an excellent farmer whose business had suffered due to family circumstances and who had the opportunity to get back on his feet

What is the expected exit?

The farmer has a number of options from a mix of property development and consolidation of his existing business to one site

KEY LOAD TERMS Amount: £1,400,000 30 months Term: LTV: 65% Security: 1st charge

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

024-027 Agri Finance.eg5.indd 27

Use of Recovery & Restructure Proceeds: Exit: Selling Assets &

Refinance Rate: 12%

27

17/04/2018 14:29

PORTRAIT ARTISTS

a portrait of the artists As the Royal Society of Portrait Painters prepare for its annual exhibition, Hannah Newton talks to three nationally recognised and respected portrait artists about the intimate and revealing journey of painting a human face, particularly when it is The Queen of England

DOGS IN A SITTING ROOM ANDREW FESTING PPRP MBE

T

he tradition of portraiture in the UK grew with a culture for the great country houses which, together with their art collections, now form part of our national heritage. Many would contend that the UK is a world centre for portraiture, with artists who may not call themselves primarily portrait painters, but are drawn to this genre, for example, Lucian Freud and David Hockney, who both include substantial elements of portraiture in the body of their work.

The prominence of both the portrait, and the portrait painter in the UK, has its roots hundreds of years ago with the Reformation, whose protestant zeal for austere interiors in all religious buildings ensured a sudden decline in commissioned religious art. This meant artists had to diversify, at the same time, 28

028-033 Portraits.hn4.indd 28

a market for portraiture was created with the rise of the aspirant middle class.

The UK’s reputation as a good climate for portraiture attracted artists from all over the world, such as Franz Xavier Winterhalter from Germany, John Singer Sargent from America and Philip de Lazlo from Hungary, all making substantial parts of their careers in the UK. It was only in the eighteenth century, the time of Gainsborough and Reynolds, that native artists came to the fore. The Royal Society of Portrait Painters was formed in 1891 by the leading portrait painters of the day to encourage the appreciation, study and practice of portraiture and are still going strong today, much to the surprise of those who predicted that the invention of the camera would lead to an early demise…

JOHN WONNACOTT HON. RP CBE – MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS NOTABLE SITTERS: Rt. Hon John Major, Admiral of the Fleet for the National Portrait Gallery, Lord Lomm of Greenwich, The Royal Family for National War Museum.

John Wonnacott studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in the late 1950’s and early 60’s, in 2000 he was awarded a CBE and just five years later was bestowed the Ondaatje Prize for Portraiture.

“When I accept one of my grand public commissions I first make sure that I can choose and have continuous access to a setting that I really want to paint for itself. For example, I set up a studio in Gatwick Hanger 3 to house an 8ft canvas on which to paint Sir Adam u www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 14:34

Tim Mercer Photograpy

COUNT AND COUNTESS ALDO BRACHETTI PERETTI IN THEIR PALAZZO IN ROME BY JOHN WONNACOTT RP CBE

PORTRAIT ARTISTS

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

028-033 Portraits.hn4.indd 29

29

17/04/2018 14:34

PORTRAIT ARTISTS

c

MELBURY BY RICHARD FOSTER RP

Thompson surrounded by planes and working figures for the SNPG.” His commission for the Royal Family for the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday painted at the turn of Millenium now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery: “With the 12ft Royal Family portrait for the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday I worked in a grand Palace reception room with a gold piano, where Lavery had painted George V and family in 1913. I made studies of the Queen and the Duke in another room in the Palace, of the Prince of Wales at Highbury, the boys at Eton and the Queen Mother at Clarence House. My Royal subjects were generous with their sittings but even so I could not know the rhythms of their heads and posture as I do those of my family and friends. Building them into the spacial design of so grand a room made the whole thing possible. I need the minimum of a year to carry out one 30

028-033 Portraits.hn4.indd 30

of my large commissions.

“For the John Major portrait, I worked most days for around a year in the white drawing room at Downing St surrounded by Sir John’s choice of great British painting and modern silver. He was fighting an election at the time and gave me only fleeting sittings but I was able to build him in to the ‘Portrait of a Room’.

RICHARD FOSTER RP, PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS Notable Sitters: HM The King of Norway, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, The Visconti Family, Sir Anthony Hopkins, HRH The Princess of Wales, HRH The Prince of Wales, Mrs Carter Brown.

Born in 1945, Richard Foster studied at Studio Simi and the British Institute in Florence, Trinity College Oxford and the

City and Guilds of London Art School and has been a Member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters since 1976.

During his working life Richard aims to be as diverse as possible, painting pictures in both oil and watercolour: single portraits, family groups, landscapes and compositions. His work tends towards understatement, but in the words of Francis Russell, head of Old Masters at Christie’s: ‘his pictures wear well’.

Richard was elected to the post of President of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters in 2017 and says: “It is a real privilege to stand in the footsteps of great portrait painters such as Sir William Open, Augustus John and John Ward.”

Before beginning a commission, Richard looks to choose the location and setting with his sitter, he explains: “We decide a location together, I www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 14:34

PORTRAIT ARTISTS

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters, founded in 1891, is a charity with Her Majesty The Queen as its Patron.

ANNANDALE FAMILY BY ANDREW FESTING PPRP MBE

MR AND MRS BIRCH BY ALASTAIR ADAMS PPRP

want to create an attractive effect for the painting and I am always trying to improve my technique – but it is never easy, what I want is to produce a painting that is both lovely and moving.”

Richard, who always works listening to music and usually tunes into BBC Radio 3, will begin the process by taking photographs of the sitter in a variety of postures and rooms to understand the spatial effect and how they fit relative to the room and any other people in it.

However, he does not paint from photos he only paints from life and takes much pride in this. Richard also prefers to work in well lived in rooms, not empty or stark spaces.

“To capture the essence of a person, I think of all the problems of life and I try and improve the general effect without being dishonest.” u www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

028-033 Portraits.hn4.indd 31

31

17/04/2018 14:34

Left: khxz zxjh ckjxz Bott kzxjh kzxjh kxjzh Righ kzxjh kzxjh kxjzh

SORRELL WITH TERRIERS BY SUSAN RYDER RP

PORTRAIT ARTISTS

SUSAN RYDER RP NEAC, MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT PAINTERS Notable Sitters: The Queen for RAC Centenary, The Princess of Wales for the Prince of Wales, Sir Max Hastings.

Susan has been painting for sixty years, it began when she was 13 years old and picked up a brush to paint her father.

Her father, who was a keen amateur painter encouraged Sue, without judgement or guidance, just allowing her to discover the paint.

“He enjoyed watching me mix and choose my colours, as I watched him while I painted him. He was my first portrait and it was, and still is, an incredibly intimate experience.”

32

028-033 Portraits.hn4.indd 32

She explains that often the hardest people to paint are those who are extremely self-conscious, although admits that capturing shy sitters is incredibly rewarding. Children therefore, can often be easier to paint as they are so at ease with themselves.

“I like to be with people before we paint, perhaps staying the night before, helping them chose clothing and locations - this allows me to see them off guard.”

However, this opportunity obviously did not arise when Susan painted HM The Queen: “With a very private commission, for example, Her Majesty The Queen or HRH Princess Diana, your heart is thumping, it is terribly exciting, the adrenaline is pumping.”

During the process Susan will show the ongoing work to the sitter allowing the journey between painter and sitter to unfold together.

“When I painted Her Majesty The Queen, I asked her: ‘Mam, would you like to see?’ Then she admitted she had been watching all the way through as there was a large mirror in the room! But at least it meant there was no shock at the end.”

Susan enjoys using the art of conversation as a way to connect with, and relax, her sitters before painting them. With, HM The Queen, she asked if she should wait to be spoken to but was told to be herself: “We spoke absolutely as anyone would and I realised she was also putting me at ease.” www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 14:34

Tim Mercer Photograpy

PORTRAIT ARTISTS

THE HAYES FAMILY BY TOBY WIGGINS RP

PIRERA FAMILY MILAN BY RICHARD FOSTER RP

PORTRAIT PROFILE • The Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition runs from May 10th until May 25th at The Mall Galleries, London SW1.

• Portrait Painters can paint single portraits, group and family portraits, paintings from photographs and posthumous portraits using photographs.

• A portrait commission can take from 3 days to over a year depending on the artist, location and commission.

• For Commission Consultations & Advice from the Royal Society of Painters contact: Annabel Elton 020 7968 0963 or annabelelton@ mallgalleries.com

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

028-033 Portraits.hn4.indd 33

33

17/04/2018 14:34

INTERIORS

Neptune Winsford teapot £30

Pooky Timothy pendant light in Military Green with stone interior, £135

Christian Lacroix Bayou cushion £90

Neptune Winsford cup set of 2 £14

Christy, Jaipur Throw Jade, from £140

SPRING INTO THE NEW SEASON! Christian Lacroix, Primavera Collection, Dessert plate £45

Bring the verdant colours of Springtime into your home with fresh and vibrant styling to reflect the vernal equinox

Sofa.com House scatter cushion in Cedar £45

John Lewis Croft Collection linen napkins £10

Neptune Castleford Wide Bottle Forest £34

Neptune Syon bowl medium £46

Perch & Parrow Sarah Pouffe in Limoncello Yellow £65

34

Neptune Antonia fringed linen napkins 6pcs in Sage £44, Corinium serving platter £19 Emily linen napkins 6pcs £33

034-036 Interiors.hn4.indd 34

Pooky Cynthia Table Lamp in Emerald Blown Glass with 30cm Tall Tapered Shade In Jade Taj Silk, £195

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 14:47

INTERIORS A statement in flowers, this on trend artifical floral display reflects the welcome arrival of a new season From left: Arundel table Neptune from £1,400, Four-seater bench Neptune, £700, English Roses and other faux stems from Neptune £16, Below: Wessex Westend carpet in Pine Carpetright £45.99 m2, Christie Bed frame Carpetright, £499.

Bottom right: All from: Perch & Parrow Armchair in Wye Valley Cotton from £740, Titaniaside table £290, Rochelle side table in red £120, Lilo floor lamp in yellow £105

G

lorious green: the vibrance of this particular hue subconsciously signifies renewal, regrowth and revitalisation and this season it is the interiors colour of choice: soft rich mosses, sparkling mints and even bright acidic limes. Botanical prints and a palette of earthy, natural colours continue to reign, bringing that much-needed refresh from the garden - as it slowly returns to life - directly into our homes. Sales of house plants, succulents and similar easy to maintain flowers are soaring - with patterned leaves and vibrant colours key to the look. Meanwhile, one of the hottest trends expected this year is the return of artificial flowers, with silk flowers becoming increasingly popular, adding these mixtures of texture to your living space will transfrom it very simply and with little cost to your pocket. Bright pops of intense primary colours will add a depth to the energy and cheer in a room and continues to play a big role in interiors this year. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

034-036 Interiors.hn4.indd 35

35

10/03/2018 14:47

INTERIORS Colour is set to be bold and fresh this year as Pantone reveals their colour for 2018 is Ultra Violet Below: The Lover Sofa in Linen Coton Pistachio Willow & Hall £1,100, Herringbone Lambswool throw Bronte by Moon £89.95.

Fill your home with house plants, not only do they look beautiful but they ‘clean’ the air of harmful toxins, regulate humidity and add sense of calm and natural order into a room

36

034-036 Interiors.hn4.indd 36

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 14:47

WHERE TO STAY

XXXXXX

T h re e - m i n u t e g u i d e

Plastic recycling A POSITIVE PLAN FOR PLASTIC RECYCLING, HOW TO REDUCE AND RE-USE, AS CONSUMERS WE HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE SERIOUS IMPACT AND BECOME MUCH GREENER RIGHT NOW

F

ourteen million viewers tuned in to watch the final episode of the BBC’s Blue Planet last year and the images we saw have haunted us since. With more than eight million tonnes of plastic entering the world’s ocean annually, plastic pollution and its’ far reaching impact across the globe has, finally, come to the consciousness of the government and we have recognised how we are all responsible and must therefore play our part in reducing our plastic use.

A positive plan to reduce everyday personal plastic use Alternative Packaging: Consider swopping your plastic milk bottles for milk delivered in glass by a local dairy.

Cling film – keep leftovers fresh by keeping them in bowl with a small plate on top, or use empty jars, try reusable beeswax food wrap – google it!

Food Packaging: Farm shops, vegetable and meat box deliveries, greengrocers and bigger supermarkets all offer loose fruit and vegetables, reducing your use of needless extra packaging.

Reusable not Disposable: Get into the habit of using reusable water bottles and coffee cups rather than buying water bottles or take-away coffees. Carry cloth bags for shopping, smaller shops still offer plastic bags - say no and use your own.

Plastic Straws: Have become, like smoking, very uncool and even frowned upon, when offered one in a bar or café say no and ask for a paper alternative or simply drink from the glass! If you need straws for a party or cocktails always choose the paper versions – far prettier and recyclable. www.thecga.co.uk • Winter Spring 2018 2017

037 Three Minute Guide.hn3.indd 37

The bad news

l A single plastic bag can take up to

“Remember loose tea in a teapot? Let's reintroduce this age old process, tea manufacturers use plastic to seal the bags, so using loose leaf eliminates the problem” Dine In: Forget the endless plastic containers and packaging from a takeaway restaurant clogging up your waste bins, cook yourself a hearty homemade curry instead. Or buy local but tell the staff that you want sustainable alternatives such as reusable cutlery and FSC disposable containers.

1,000 years to decompose. l One million plastic bottles are bought worldwide every minute. l More than 6.3bn tonnes of plastic has been produced globally - 80% goes to landfill. l In the UK, 34.5 million cigarette stubs are found on beaches. l Nearly all plastic ever produced continues to exist in some form today.

The good news

l The BBC recently announced plans

to ban single-use plastic by 2020. l The big UK supermarkets are

Make a Pot of Tea: Remember loose leaf tea in a teapot? Let’s re-introduce this age old process, tea manufacturers use plastic to seal the bags – so using loose leaf eliminates the problem altogether, plus the time taken to make it ensures a better brew all round.

Leave Your Plastics at the Supermarket: It takes a brave someone to unpack your groceries at the till, but you are well within your rights to do this and it reinforces to the supermarket what their customers want.

addressing plastic and most have committed to reducing use and introducing plastic free aisles. l Plastic bag use in England has dropped by 85% since the 5p charge was introduced. l Monmouthshire Council is working towards reducing polystyrene & single use plastics at food take-away businesses. l The PM’s war on waste sets out to eliminate all ‘avoidable’ plastic waste within 25 years

37

10/03/2018 14:12

FINANCE

Taxing times Despite political and global uncertainty around which investments to make, it is essential to plan for a secure fincancial future: effective planning is key to secure best results

O

ver a decade since the financial crisis, the world is still a very uncertain place. Despite this, investors have enjoyed the benefits of a strong run by stock markets around the world, coupled with record-low volatility. 1 However, it would be wrong to believe that market shocks are a thing of the past. From uncertainty over Brexit to the threat from North Korea, there are many risks that pose a challenge to investors now; and any number of unforeseen factors in the years to come.

But these are beyond our control; they cannot be allowed to prevent us from planning our financial futures. Indeed, we will give ourselves the best chance of achieving our financial goals if we focus on what we can control: how and where we invest our money, how much tax we pay, the size of our retirement fund, and how much of our estate passes to our family free of Inheritance Tax (IHT).

There is often a flurry of activity over February and March as the endo f the tax year approaches and investors use up allowances that would otherwise be lost. However, effective financial

38

038-039 Finance.eg6.indd 38

planning should be a year-round activity. Using valuable tax breaks can help to create long-term financial security for ourselves and our family.

Nevertheless, legitimately protecting wealth from HMRC requires some

knowledge and expertise to do it effectively. That’s why you should speak with a financial adviser to better understand how you can get maximum advantage for this year and the years to come.

Pensions MAXIMISE YOUR ANNUAL ALLOWANCE Saving into a pension is more attractive than it was a few years ago. This is because money can be taken in a variety of ways and it can be left as part of a tax-free inheritance. However, the advantages extend beyond drawing money and passing it on; the government still rewards savers by providing tax relief on their pension contributions.

For every 80p contributed to a pension, the government adds 20p in tax relief. Higher earners can claim extra tax relief through their annual tax return, meaning that a £1 pension contribution can effectively cost just 60p.

While tax relief is seen as a means

to encourage pension saving, the annual cost to the Exchequer of providing it has now passed £50 billion2. With the government under pressure to reduce public spending, there’s no guarantee that the higher rates of tax relief will be maintained into the future.

Those wishing for a better chance of making their retirement plans a reality should consider fully utilising their annual allowance for this tax year to make the most of the tax breaks on offer. Unused allowances can be carried forward, but only from the three previous tax years. This year is the final chance for pension savers to use the allowance that was in place in 2015/16. If it is not used by 5 April 2019, it will be lost forever.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 11:12

FINANCE

IHT RECEIPTS AND LATEST FORECASTS (£BILLION)

Inheritance Tax

038-039 Finance.eg6.indd 39

5.5

5.8

6.2

2020-21

2020-22

4.9 2016-17

2019-20

4.7 2015-16

5.2

3.8 2014-15

2018-19

3.4 2013-14

ISAs MAKE THE MOST OF THE INCREASED ALLOWANCE ISAs have become one of the most popular ways to save, principally because they are simple and readily accessible.

The substantial increase in the ISA allowance to £20,000 is a very welcome step in encouraging individuals to invest for their future.

However, as interest rates in the UK remain near record lows, money being held in Cash ISAs is failing to achieve the very basic objective of keeping pace with inflation. The result is real losses for savers.

Those who are investing their WHERE UK SAVERS HOLD THEIR WEALTH Cash

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

5.0

3.1 2012-13

Source: Office for Budget Responsibility, March 2017

69%

For more information or to book a meeting, please contact William HarrisonAllan, Chairman of CGA Financial & Investment Services Ltd and Founding and Principal Partner of St James’s Place Wealth Management on 01985 850706, or email: wha@thecga.co.uk

2017-18

2.9

2.7 2010-11

2011-12

2.4 2009-10

There are few more confusing or unpopular taxes than Inheritance Tax (IHT). The latest figures from HMRC show that the government collected #5.1 billion in IHT in the 12 months to May 17 and the continued confusion and inertia means that HM Treasury can expect to see a 25% increase in IHT revenues over the next five years.3 Death duties can have a lasting and damaging effect on families plans to create and pass on wealth and so its essential to take action early.

There are a number of exemptions that allow individuals to reduce future bills. Perhaps the best known is the annual gifting allowance.

This gives individuals the opportunity to remove £3,000 of assets from their estate immediately (£6,000 if they use the previous year’s unused allowance as well).

Taking steps to reduce your taxable estate by topping up a child’s pension or Junior ISA could go a long way to providing them with an invaluable head start in life.

£billion

DON’T WASTE YOUR GIFTING OPPORTUNITIES

22%

Investments

6%

Property

3%

Other

The value of an investment with St. James’s Place will be directly linked to the performance of the funds selected and the value may fall as well as rise. You may get back less than the amount invested.

An investment in a Stocks and Shares ISA will not provide the same security of capital associated with a Cash ISA. The favourable tax treatment of ISAs may not be maintained in the future and is subject to changes

ISA allowance for the long term – in assets offering the scope for attractive levels of income and capital growth – are giving themselves a better chance of maximising the tax-saving opportunities on offer.

Your CGA adviser can help you plan to ensure that you make good use of your ISA allowance or with accumulated ISA savings, help you to carefully consider options to ensure that you are maximising this valuable opportunity to generate tax-efficient capital and income for the future.

69% The average proportion of investable wealth held in cash by UK savers Source: Blackrock, May 2017

in legislation.

The levels and bases of taxation, and reliefs from taxation, can change at any time and are generally dependent on individual circumstances.

1 CBOE Volatility Index (^VIX), accessed 18 January 2018 2 Personal Pensions Statistics, HM Revenue and Customs, September 2017 3 Office for Budget Responsibility, March 2017

39

17/04/2018 11:12

The slow age of steam For over 150 years the steam train has been an integral feature on the British landscape, representing a fundamental element of our collective national heritage, and today the slow age of steam travel is enjoying a well-deserved revival

B

ack in the 1800’s, when steam was first introduced to the Victorians, an engine that travelled at speed fuelled by steam was a terrifying prospect.

However, a decade or two after their original fears, they eventually flocked to this thrilling new mode of transport, and with tracks stretching hundreds of miles across the country – transporting people to coastlines, cities and beyond, in an unimaginably short time-scale, the railway radically changed the face of Victorian Britain. The social impact of 40

040-043 Steam.eg4.indd 40

the railways was further transformative to the UK as a burgeoning world power.

Consequently, no child has grown up on these Isles without experiencing some deep-rooted connection to the illustrious and powerful grace of the nation’s steam trains. In 1940, steam locomotives were used to evacuate thousands of children from London and transport them to the countryside. In the 1970’s, Roberta, from The Railway Children, stopped a steam train in its tracks using her red petticoats, later, she and her siblings enjoyed tea with

the station-master at the Edwardian, Oakworth station on the, Keighley and Worth Valley Railway line.

Meanwhile, at the beginning of this millennium the Jacobite Steam train, owned by the West Coast Railway, will forever be lovingly referred to as: The Hogwarts Express by an entire generation of children.

And, this year, the Belmond British Pullman starred in Paddington 2 conveying the charming allure of steam trains right to the fore of modern British culture. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 15:13

TRAVEL

BELMOND BRITISH PULLMAN WWW.BELMOND.COM Belmond British Pullman embodies everything that was fabulous about the roaring 1920s and 30s. In their heyday, these authentic carriages formed part of the most famous and luxurious services in Britain.

Based in the South East of England, the Pullman has regular departures out of London Victoria Station with occasional departures from other stations nationwide. Restored back

to sumptuous art deco charm, the carriages of the Belmond British Pullman are steeped in history; one was damaged in a 1940’s air raid in Victoria Station, later it carried The Queen, The Queen Mother and H.R.H. Prince Philip to review the fleet in 1953 and another was used in the Festival of Britain in 1951. With destinations such as Goodwood, Bath and Chatsworth, every trip promises to be an elegant vintage experience.

BELMOND ROYAL SCOTSMAN WWW.BELMOND.COM In May 1985, the Belmond Royal Scotsman was launched, the train which uses major railways lines between historic towns and littlefrequented tracks through dramatic Scottish wilderness and terrain, carries a maximum of 40 passengers making this seriously exclusive travel.

Composed of nine vintage-inspired carriages, mostly original Pullman cars from the 1960s, all of which

have been completely overhauled, of the nine, two are restaurants and five are state cars with personal cabin stewards, the Edwardian-style carriages are decorated with prints of Highland chieftains. At the end of last year, the company added a spa and now boasts the first spa carriage in its portfolio of trains. Trips can include clay pigeon shooting, fishing and an obligatory visit to a traditional whiskey distillery or two!

u www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

040-043 Steam.eg4.indd 41

41

10/03/2018 15:13

TRAVEL

THE FLYING SCOTSMAN WWW.STEAMDREAMS.CO.UK The now infamous Flying Scotsman was built in 1923 for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), where it was employed on long-distance express routes, notably the London to Edinburgh Flying Scotsman train service after which it was named.

During its heyday it set two world records, becoming the first steam locomotive to reach 100 miles per hour in 1934, and then setting a record for the longest non-stop run by a steam locomotive when it ran 422 miles in 1989 in Australia. Now owned by the nation, the Flying Scotsman is back in peak condition, as it returns to the main line, continuing to fly the flag for British engineering and innovation.

Today the Flying Scotsman transports tourists across the Yorkshire Dales, Moors and the Lake District treating passengers to the beauty of a slowly unfurling British countryside from the comfort of this notable steam train.

Built in 1948, the Mayflower, was created by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow.

42

040-043 Steam.eg4.indd 42

She was first allocated to Hull Botanic Gardens Depot, Kingston upon Hull.

After a spell at Hull Dairycoates Depot, she was finally transferred to Low Moor Depot, Bradford, from where it was withdrawn in September 1967. Privately purchased for preservation at Steamtown in Carnforth, the locomotive was painted into LNER Apple Green Livery and given the number 1306 alongside the name Mayflower.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 15:13

TRAVEL THE JACOBITE STEAM TRAIN AND THE WEST COAST RAILWAY, WWW.WESTCOASTRAILWAYS. CO.UK West Coast Railways, the operating company for the spectacular West Highland line, between Fort William and Mallaig, wasn’t named as one of the ‘Great Railway Journeys of the World’ for nothing. Immortalised as The Hogwarts Express – the Jacobite Steam Train has become iconic worldwide thanks to the enormous global success of the Harry Potter franchise. Images of this acclaimed locomotive thundering along the Glenfinnan Viaduct are, possibly, more famous than Buckingham Palace for tourists coming to the UK today, but the route continues deep into the wild West coast of Scotland taking in Loch Lomond, the Trossachs National Park and past Britain’s highest peak, Ben Nevis.

James Shuttleworth, Commercial Manager, at West Coast Railway shares his love of steam trains: “I fell in love with steam trains, well, it began in the pram - being wheeled up to watch the trains, which were still steam, just.

When I could walk, we would stroll to the next village and then return by train - but I would refuse to get off!”

“Travelling by train is exciting, particularly with steam locomotives, it’s the raw power of the steam, which is then controlled to do a job; it’s also entirely dependent on the man with the shovel: the fireman, to provide that power. Travelling by steam is evocative and this nostalgia harks back to a less troubled and less hurried time of travel.”

Which is perhaps why, we should all consider a holiday taking in our glorious countryside, gently and slowly, just as the Victorian’s did using our fine and unique heritage of steam train travel.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

040-043 Steam.eg4.indd 43

43

10/03/2018 15:13

CLASSIC BREED

HEREFORD CATTLE ONE OF THE OLDEST NATIVE BREEDS IN THE UK, THE ELEGANT HEREFORD COW IS RECOGNISABLE BY ITS DISTINCTIVE WHITE FACE It is generally agreed, that the handsome and well loved British cow, the Hereford, descended originally from the small red oxen of Roman Britain and a larger Welsh border breed that roamed the area many centuries ago. Their distinctive name was eventually taken from the agricultural county of Herefordshire, where this breed were developed to roam the land and forage.

Documented by agricultural authors since the 1600’s, the first official breeder, Benjamin Tomkins ‘The Elder’, began breeding back in 1738 on his estate in Canon Pyon.

And over a hundred years later, the Hereford Cattle Society was founded in 1878, under the patronage of Queen Victoria.

Today these red coated, white-faced beasts can be found all over the world. Bred for their delicious meat and docile character, the cows are also respected for their longevity and adaption to wildly varying climates, which sees them thriving in the Arctic snows of Russia and Finland as well the warmer sub-Tropics of Brazil and beyond.

The Herefords of the 1700’s and 1800’s were much larger than those of today, with mature Bulls often weighing in at more than 3,000 pounds. However, the breed has evolved over the centuries as the need for working cattle declined and the breed became smaller.

44

044-045 Classic Breed.eg4.indd 44

WEIGHT Mature males can weigh up to 1,800 pounds, while females can come in at 1,200 pounds.

The breed is muscular, strong and admired for their fastgrowing character and good quality beef.

COAT Coloured a rich dark rusty red, with a white face and white markings on the flank, knees and hock. The Hereford boasts short thick horns that typically curve down.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 16:27

CLASSIC BREED DID YOU KNOW? In 1940 a ship carrying Herefords being exported to America was torpedoed in the Atlantic Ocean. Two of the cows swam ashore and landed in Ireland , proving the strength and stamina of this very British breed!

BREEDING The Hereford Cow was the very first English cow to be recognised as a true breed.

INFO

HEALTH Valued for their vigour, females produce calves up to and beyond 15 years of age, whilst bulls can stud until the age of 12 and even longer.

HEIGHT:

COWS 139CM BULLS 152 CM

WEIGHT:

COWS 600 - 800KG BULLS 1,000 - 1,200 KG

FEED:

GRASS AND GRAIN

CHARACTER: DOCILE ORIGIN: HEREFORD PRICE: A HEREFORD BULL FROM IDAHO, USA, BROKE GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS IN 2013 AND SOLD FOR $600,000

EXPORT Following their export in 1817, today more than five million pedigree Herefords exist all over the world, they can be found in Mexico, the USA, Russia and South Africa.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

044-045 Classic Breed.eg4.indd 45

45

10/03/2018 16:28

LEGAL

Where there’s a will there’s a way...

No-one likes to think about death, and planning what happens to your assets can seem extremely daunting, so it comes as no surprise that more than 50% of British people do not have a will in place. However, a valid will is one of the most important financial arrangements you can make and will save loved ones heartache and hassle

O

ver half of the adult population in the UK have not made a will, according to research by Prudential and Unbiased in 2016, potentially leaving their family and friends nothing but acrimony, confusion and costly legal battles.

Drawing up a robust will can take days of thought and discussion, but it could save years of pain and litigation.

Leaving a will is becoming even more essential following changes in the rules about inheritance.

A will is a legal document containing your instructions and wishes concerning how your property and possessions are to be distributed after your death. It is the best way to ensure that the people you want to inherit your money, property and

46

046 047 Legal.eg3.indd 46

possessions actually do, and it makes sorting out your affairs easier for your family.

Unsurprisingly it’s the younger generation who are least prepared, with only 17% of those aged 18 – 34 having a will in place and only 29% of those aged 35 – 54. The most common reason people gave during the Unbiased survey were: “putting it off until they were older”, thinking they “didn’t have enough to pass on when they die” and “assuming that their estate would automatically go to the right person”, when they die.

If you die without making a will then you are said to die “intestate”, and it is left to the law to determine who will administer your estate and who inherits what. The consequences of this may be contrary to your

personal wishes.

Writing your will can be a complex task.

Our in-house specialist James Baker can either meet with you face-to-face or work with you over the telephone to talk through exactly what it is you want your will to achieve, ensuring that you make the most of the nil rate band and that all of your assets are in order and will be left to those of your own choosing.

We can help Call James Baker on

01985 851300 or email

james.baker@cgalegal.co.uk

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

18/04/2018 11:43

LEGAL

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T MAKE A WILL? Are you married or in a civil partnership?

YES

Spouse or civil partner gets everything

Is your estate worth more NO than £250,000?

YES

Spouse or civil partner gets: first £250,000 plus interest from date of death; and half of the remainder.

Your children get the other half of the remainder

Spouse or civil partner gets: first £450,000 plus half the balance.

Rest shared between the parents

YES

NO

YES

Do you have parents?

NO

YES Spouse or civil partner gets: first £450,000 plus half the balance.

Rest shared between brothers and sisters

Do you have children?

Do you have brothers or sisters?

NO

Everything goes to spouse

NO

Do you have children?

YES

Shared equally between them

YES

Shared equally between them

YES

Shared equally between them

YES

Shared equally between them

YES

Shared equally between them

NO

Do you have parents?

NO

Do you have brothers or sisters?

NO

Do you have grandparents?

NO

Do you have aunts and uncles?

NO

Everything goes to the Crown, Duchy of Lancaster or Duke of Cornwall If relatives who would have inherited have died leaving children, the children would normally inherit their share.

Spouse or civil partner will normally get all personal possessions as well as above. N.B. This table is an outline of the rules as they apply in England and Wales. Wills are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

046 047 Legal.eg3.indd 47

47

18/04/2018 11:43

Photgraphy: James Hammond

XXXXXXXX

48

048-053 Big Game.eg7.indd 48

www.thecga.co.uk • Winter 2017

10/03/2018 16:34

BIG GAME HUNTING

Hunting for trophies Conservation of species or sporting fun for blood thirsty hunters? We peer into the confusing and controversial world of Big Game Hunting - by Patrick Kinsella

W

hen he was growing up, on the banks of the Shannon in Ireland, my father recalls occasionally being paid a few shillings to paddle men with guns along the river to hunt otters.

It’s a memory that has filled him with cold horror many times during the intervening six decades, with wild otter populations having been driven to the brink of extinction across the British Isles until the animal was placed on the protected species list in 1978.

Back then, otters were hunted for various reasons: by fishermen resentful of sharing their catch, by commercial hunters targeting the animal’s pelt, and for sport by people seeking a more symbolic prize from their prey – the tail, or even the penis bone of the male otter, sometimes worn as a tie-pin. A most eccentric trophy from a practise that now seems deeply anachronistic.

But trophy hunting still takes place all over the world in one form or another – with target species ranging from stags in Scotland to boars in New Zealand; bison, bears and big-horn sheep in North America to saiga antelope on the Asian steppes; and, of course, the Big Five in Africa.

It remains an incredibly emotive subject. To many non-hunters, the idea of killing an animal purely for kicks and keepsakes is an abhorrent and incomprehensible concept.

In 2015, the slaying of Cecil the Lion, produced a tsunami of online and in-print revulsion and condemnation that washed around the world.

The sorry story about the famous feline – which was being tracked by Oxford University and was a major tourist attraction at Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park – being injured with an arrow and then killed with a rifle 40 hours later, sent the hunting industry into a major tailspin.tailspin. u www.thecga.co.uk • Winter 2017

048-053 Big Game.eg7.indd 49

49

10/03/2018 16:34

BIG GAME HUNTING

Above left: President Theodore Roosevelt poses beside a slain elephant in Kenya’s Meru Boma district, 1909.

50

048-053 Big Game.eg7.indd 50

Several airlines announced bans on the carriage of ornamental body parts and loud calls for a complete ban on all such hunting were voiced.

Celebrity hunters, from the Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath to musicians Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, have felt the heat of widespread wrath after images of them posing next to slain animals entered the public sphere, and President Trump (whose adult sons have both been photographed on trophy hunting escapades) provoked a furore when he first made a move to relax restrictions on the import of elephant body parts into the US, and then abruptly changed his mind.

But beneath the cacophonous and emotionally charged public shouting match that often erupts on social media, a more measured conversation is taking place about the considerable contribution to habitat protection and anti-poaching efforts hunting can make.

Because, as paradoxical (and, to some people, unpalatable) as it might sound, many scientists

and well-informed wildlife experts believe big game trophy hunting can be complementary to conservation, particularly in some of the remotest parts of the world – places that will never lure tourists.

In Africa, it’s a matter of fact that more land is conserved in a wild state by private hunting operations (over 540,000 sq miles / 1.4 million sq km) than is protected by national parks. And that’s significant for all species living on that land – the hunted and the non-hunted – because if trophy hunting wasn’t taking place, it would most likely be farmed, which would accelerate loss of habitat and increase clashes with the human population.

“Well managed trophy hunting can indeed have positive impacts,” Adam Hart, BBC broadcaster and Professor of Science Communication at the University of Gloucestershire explains. “Hunting has been enormously beneficial for the wildlife of South Africa for example, where the ability to profit www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 16:34

BIG GAME HUNTING from animals living on private land has led to the conversion of thousands of farms from cattle to wildlife. South Africa’s wildlife is thriving as a consequence, much of it in the private sector. Likewise, in Zimbabwe, areas like the Bubye Valley Conservancy – home to important populations of black rhino and lion – are moreor-less dependent on the income that hunting provides.

“Why should people have impala, zebra, wildebeest, gemsbok, blesbok, tsessebe, reedbuck, waterbuck, giraffe, eland, kudu and so on living on their land if they can’t benefit from them?” asks Hart. “I wouldn’t – I’d replace them with cattle.”

place in making such an alternative unrealistic (and potentially even ecologically damaging).

Trophy hunting is unquestionably a sport for big spenders, and when it’s organised effectively, some of the money brought into countries by rich folk from abroad goes towards funding more wildlife conservancy, as well as filtering down to the indigenous guides and trackers who professionally point their fee-paying guests’ guns in the right direction. The meat too, is said to be shared among locals. Tit bits over-spilling from a distinctly colonial slanted table, perhaps, but at least the carcass isn’t going to waste, so the argument goes, and the legacy of the kill is better conditions for the surviving animals.

Does hunting benefit regions?

“By definition, trophy hunters seek out alpha animals with the most valued traits – large horns, big tails, best mane...”

With decades of experience in dealing with such on-the-ground realities, many mainstream conservation organisations also cautiously present a more positive view of well-managed trophy hunting operations, albeit with nervous glances at their base of animal-loving donors.

Rosie Cooney, Chair of the Specialist Group on Sustainable use and Livelihoods for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), is quick to point out that: “The IUCN does not ‘support’ or ‘not support’ trophy hunting.” But she also directs me to a 2016 briefing paper about the subject, in which the IUCN concludes: ‘Legal, well regulated trophy hunting programmes can, and do, play an important role in delivering benefits for both wildlife conservation and for the livelihoods and wellbeing of indigenous and local communities living with wildlife.’

The paper describes these tangible benefits in detail, explaining how hunting can help prevent poaching and discussing at length why the common counter argument about eco-tourism bringing in bloodless dollars isn’t the silver bullet solution people often present it as, with the extremely remote regions these activities take

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

048-053 Big Game.eg7.indd 51

But there is a crucial caveat here. Both Hart and the IUCN refer only to the net benefits of well-managed trophy hunting. And not all hunting operations are well managed. In addition, recent scientific analysis of the longterm effects of super-targeted hunting has thrown up some troubling data, which makes the equation even more complicated.

By definition, trophy hunters seek out alpha animals with the most valued traits – large horns, big tails, best mane – features that scientists call secondary sexual ornaments. Hunters might only kill a relatively small percentage of a local population, but the consequences of removing individuals with the very best traits on the overall health of the herd, fortunes of the flock or potency of the pride are only just beginning to be understood, particularly in an era when many animals are facing potentially existential threats from rapid climate change. u

Hunters may kill a small number of animals, but are they changing natural evolution?

51

10/03/2018 16:34

BIG GAME HUNTING

Canadian Bighorn Sheep - studies have shown startling changes in their evolution could be caused by a direct link to trophy hunting.

Professor David Coltman from the University of Alberta’s Department of Biological Sciences, who has been studying a population of Canadian bighorn sheep for close to 20 years, recently rattled the scientific world with a report describing a perceptible evolutionary change in the physiognomy of the animals his team have been monitoring, with evidence strongly suggesting a direct link to trophy hunting.

“The sheep can be legally harvested when their horns – or trophy – reach a certain size,” he explains. “This is typically a few years before they reach social maturity, the time when they become socially dominant and get the chance to reproduce, passing on the genes associated with being a superior ram, having large horns.

“The individuals with the ornament that’s really prized are being selectively removed from the gene pool before they can reproduce” “Rates of harvest are high. Legal rams have got about 50/50 chance of survival. So that presents a significant artificial selection pressure on the wild population. So we have this paradoxical situation, where the individuals with the ornament that’s really prized and valued by hunters are being selectively removed from the gene pool before they can reproduce.

“Here you have all of the ingredients of evolution, not by natural selection, but by artificial selection. Remove individuals with high trait value and – it stands to reason, from a scientific point of view – that over a period of time you’ll see a response. And that’s exactly what we did see. Rams began producing smaller horns 52

048-053 Big Game.eg7.indd 52

and it was taking them longer to reach legal size.”

Such rapid evolutionary shapeshifting is major news, but a potentially bigger concern still is the loss of the premium genes that are associated with this development, as Dr Rob Knell, Reader in Evolutionary Ecology at London’s Queen Mary University, elaborates: “These guys are really laser-focussed on getting the animal with the biggest horns, or best tail – the pro-hunting Safari Club International gives out annual awards based on the size of such trophies. Historically, we thought this wouldn’t present much of a problem, because they’re taking off just a few percent of the population, and the animals they’re removing are males – and what usually controls the rate of change in a population is the number of breeding females.

“What we’ve come to realise over the last 20 years, however, is that for a lot of species, the males with the most pronounced secondary sexual traits are actually signalling their genetic quality. So, you can only grow a really long tail or a big set of horns if you are a high-quality male and you’re able to get lots of resources, and removing those high-quality males from the population can have some pretty bad effects.

Removing Alpha Males

“We took a pre-existing computer model (designed to look at how the mating system effects the rate of evolution of a population) and adapted it to include trophy hunting, and what we found was that if a population of animals is exposed to climate change – so it’s already stressed by a changing environment – then you can actually send that population extinct by trophy hunting just 10, or even 5 percent of the males, because you’re removing the males that are best adapted to surviving change.”

The IUCN acknowledges that the genetics of www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 16:34

BIG GAME HUNTING hunted populations can be negatively affected by poorly managed operations, when males are targeted before they can reproduce, or when hunting pressure is very high, such as with bighorn sheep populations in North America.

However, Cooney describes these conditions as “notably atypical”.

“Typically quotas are in place,” she argues.

“And there is increasing use of age restrictions for species such as lions, to ensure they have a chance to breed before they are hunted.”

But even the academic conversation about trophy hunting is a highly charged one. Several of the scientists I spoke to while researching this piece pointblank refused to stray into the ethical side of the debate, lest they be perceived as anti-hunting. This was especially true for those based in North America, where the cultural connection to hunting runs deeper and across more sections of society than it does in Britain, and is irrevocably tangled up in a knot with constitutional privileges – the right to bear arms, the right to shoot bears – and a visceral dislike of prescriptive legislation.

And on the other side of the debate, instant ‘experts’ – from popular TV personalities to populist politicians – rush to demand the immediate cessation of trophy hunting each time someone is caught with blood on their hands, without any knowledge of what would really happen if it was internationally outlawed.

“Sadly, there is far too much of an agenda to ‘blanket ban’ hunting, often by people that know nothing about conversation, wildlife, management, ecology or Africa but instead base their judgements on their own limited and, in all honesty, rather privileged ethical position,” opines Hart. “It’s a very dangerous state of affairs when we allow ignorance and sentiment to dictate conservation policy.”

Words like ‘should’ and ‘properly managed’ are expressions of optimism, rather than statements

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

048-053 Big Game.eg7.indd 53

of fact, however, and that’s what worries people like Dr Knell.

“A certification scheme for hunting outfits – a stamp of approval – would be a real step forward,” he argues. “If someone goes and shoots an animal like Cecil the Lion, they can then immediately say: ‘that operation isn’t certified – they’re a rogue element. If you go hunting with us, you know the populations are being managed properly’.

The industry needs to be properly managed with certified sustainable practices worldwide.

A survey found US Trophy Hunters will pay thousands more dollars for well managed hunting companies.

Conservation Policy

“A recent survey of American trophy hunters suggested that, on average, they would be prepared to pay a lot more – $3–4,000 more, per head – if they knew the populations they were hunting really were properly managed.”

Although the IUCN doesn’t have an official position on this, Cooney agrees, and has recently co-written a paper advocating the introduction of certification. Although this process is expensive and problematic, failure to act, it concludes, could lead to sport hunting’s self-inflicted death: ‘Given the shift in public opinion towards trophy hunting, the industry faces possible extinction through increased international sanctions, poor community relations and over-exploitation of wildlife populations.

Thus, it seems to be in the direct interest of the trophy hunting industry to embrace hunting certification for sustainable practices that can create opportunities for wildlife and livelihood benefits.’

And if trophy hunting is consigned to the dustbin of history, along with other pursuits such as otter baiting, some wildlife lovers will celebrate its demise. Others, though, will be terrified at the considerable consequences for conservation, and wondering where the funding for large-scale habitat protection and anti-poaching policing is going to come from in the future.

53

10/03/2018 16:34

EQUITY RELEASE

Keeping it in the family Equity release to fund a ‘living inheritance’ is fast becoming an efficient way of releasing money, avoiding inheritance tax and supporting family members along the way

N

o longer only an option for those struggling financially in retirement, later life mortgages are now increasingly common among well-off homeowners. Using equity release to fund a “living inheritance” and to avoid death duties is fast becoming a key consideration in financial planning.

UK house prices rose at their fastest rate for eight months in September 2017 as buyers appeared to shake off Brexit uncertainty and fears of a slowdown in consumer spending, according to a Halifax house price survey. In addition, the growth in the value of the average property used to withdraw cash using equity 54

054-055 Eric.hn7.indd 54

release plans has well outstripped these national house price rises.

This suggests that those with greater property wealth are embracing lifetime mortgages as part of a broader financial planning tool.

Between 2014 and 2017 the average home increased in worth by around 12.6% compared to a 26% rise in the value of the average house price used for equity release. The proportion of £500,000 plus properties used to release funds has risen at some specialist firms – like the Equity Release Information Centre – by as much as three times since 2012.

Pensions freedoms, introduced in 2015, mean that people aged 55 or more are able to take their entire

pension as a cash lump sum and at the same time the pensions “death tax” on unspent savings was removed. Instead of pensions being subject to 55% tax at death there is no tax to pay if the individual dies under 75 and only income tax at the recipients marginal rate is due if death occurs over 75.

“These changes open up new opportunities for inheritance taxplanning” said William HarrisonAllan, Chairman of the Country Gentlemen’s Association. “If you are well off with a decent sized pension pot and a valuable home there is now an incentive to leave pensions intact and spend other money in retirement, including potentially the equity in your home. This then leaves your www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

13/03/2018 09:25

EQUITY RELEASE CHANGING FINANCIAL NEEDS • People are living longer – 37% of people will be aged 55+ by 2045 (currently 30%) 25% will be aged 65+ (currently 18%) • People are working longer – over 10 million over-50s are currently in work, a record high.

• Pension incomes are changing – future Defined Contribution pensioners with 8% contributions can expect a pension worth only 15% of their final salary. This is only 1/5 of the pension of an identical worker in a Defined Benefit scheme.

• Housing equity is growing – homeowner equity in England reached £2.6 trillion in 2016. £1.8 trillion belonged to households aged 55+, an amount forecast to double by 2036.

pension intact to pass on tax-free to your children.”

As taking that first step onto the property ladder becomes increasingly difficult, using equity release as a “living inheritance” allows wealthy parents to assist their children whilst also saving on inheritance tax. The increase in the numbers of wealthier, older homeowners releasing cash from their homes evidences the fact that those with considerable property wealth are looking to use it rather than sit on the capital.

Equity release refers to a range of products that let you access the equity (cash) tied up in your home if you are over the age of 55. This money can come as a lump sum or in several smaller amounts or a combination of both. Often the loan, which grows with interest that “rolls up” is paid off on death but some schemes offer the facility to pay the interest over the lifetime of the plan.

Equity release has in the past suffered from a stigma, in the product for both customers and advisers, but the creation of the Equity Release Council has successfully addressed many of the negative perceptions created in the nineties when thousands of people found that high interest rates had swallowed up all the equity in their property. It’s members must meet standards and abide by www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

054-055 Eric.hn7.indd 55

HOW EQUITY RELEASE IS BECOMING MORE UPMARKET

375 £000 350

325

300

275 2014

2015

2016

2017

Average value of property used for equity release Average house price

SOURCE: EQUITY RELEASE COUNCIL, NATIONWIDE

rules set out by the trade body ,which offers consumers a high level of protection, including a no negative equity guarantee, meaning that loans will never be more than the property value. It’s mandatory to take regulated financial advice when considering equity release, because it is not right for everyone.

The equity release market in 2017 saw lending tip £3 billion – its annual growth at a 15-year high. Over 37,000 new customers used the product over the past year and these figures look set to improve, as it forms part of wider retirement planning. Paying for home renovation is the most common use of funds released but more and more retirees are using the tax free cash to help children or grandchildren on to the property ladder. The Equity Release Information Centre reports that larger sums of money are being accessed in individual cases which is likely to be a reflection of the increasing number of uses people have for released equity, such as helping themselves and family and for efficient inheritance tax planning.

AN EVER CHANGING FINANCIAL SERVICES LANDSCAPE...

• 56p Housing wealth unlocked for every £1 of flexible pension payments (‘pension freedoms’) Q4 2017 • 1:13 Ratio of new equity release plans to homeowner mortgages 2016 • 1:14 Ratio of new equity release plans to remortgages 2016 • 1:4 Ratio of new equity release plans to buy-to-let mortgages 2016

We can help!

AskERIC, the Equity Release Information Centre, can provide a FREE BROCHURE on equity release, which will answer many questions.

Please telephone

0800 077 6885

www.equityreleaseinfocentre.co.uk These are lifetime mortgages and home reversion plans.

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

55

13/03/2018 09:25

RIGHT TO VOTE

FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM

100 Years of Suffrage

As Britain celebrates one hundred years of voting equality, Alice Barnes-Brown, explores the political and personal history of the suffragettes and their extraordinary fight to turn the political tide

L

ong before an age of unequal BBC salary scandals and the #metoo campaign, women were calling for equality and their right to be represented, even in the harshest of climates.

At a time when women were viewed as secondclass citizens, they persisted in fighting a gruelling, slow battle for voting equality with men. This year marks the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which granted all men – and some women – the

56

056-061 Vote 100.eg5.indd 56

right to vote for the first time. To mark this momentous occasion, a series of events, exhibitions and other exciting things will be happening up and down the country under the ‘Vote 100’ banner. But how did women win the vote in the first place?

For most of history, women were kept firmly ‘in their place’. Members of the female gender have been forcibly, or coercively, confined to their homes. Meanwhile, their male counterparts were at liberty to go out alone, www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 16:56

RIGHT TO VOTE work, and wield positions of power.

Although women’s voices from the past are often lost - or not thought to be worth keeping – there is evidence of women expressing their desire to vote from as early as the French Revolution. During this tumultuous time, when change was rapidly afoot, European women saw an opportunity to make themselves heard. Outraged by the deliberate omission of the female gender in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man (a key product of the upheaval happening across the Channel), British pioneer Mary Wollstonecraft responded with the Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1791.

Wollstonecraft passionately argued that women were, in fact, not naturally superior to men – it was just their lack of education and opportunities that prevented women from taking charge over their own lives. “When I call women slaves, I mean in a political and civil sense”, she said, perfectly summing up women’s position in society. Her works were hugely controversial, so her male critics portrayed her as an aggressive harridan, and made a cruel mockery of the fact she was a single mother.

Despite the reactionaries’ best efforts to turn back the tide, women had had a taste of liberation, and weren’t going to give it up that easily. Over the next century, the cause for female suffrage grew in support, becoming one of the top political issues of the day. Also, rapid industrialisation across Britain had helped working-class men to build a political consciousness, and women wanted a piece of the action too.

An organised movement for women’s suffrage was beginning to form. The 1860s saw the birth of many civil societies for women, such as the Ladies Discussion Society, which argued for greater female participation in politics. For the first time, collectives of women were seeking to change the system, and improve their lamentable position in the world. By petitioning the powers that be and campaigning within socially respectable, peaceful boundaries, these early “suffragists” helped raise awareness of the cause.

Indeed, many male policymakers and public figures were sympathetic to their plight.

Parliament was ablaze with heated discussions on women’s rights, while well-connected women watched from the Ladies’ Gallery, a stuffy ventilation shaft high above the chamber. Sadly, Queen Victoria was not keen on helping her fellow women. In 1870, she even wrote “Let women be what God intended, a helpmate for man, but with totally different duties and vocations”.

By the end of the 19th century, although some improvements had been made to improve women’s lot, many were frustrated with the www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

056-061 Vote 100.eg5.indd 57

lack of progress. A number of women felt that the suffragists had not achieved enough using their demure methods, and to bring about real change, drastic action was needed. One such woman was famed Emmeline Pankhurst, whose Women’s Social and Political Union (1903) was the first group to operate en masse. Based in Manchester, it organised huge parades and public marches, giving a range of women a chance to get involved. Anyone who took part in these demonstrations was mocked and labelled a “suffragette” by the Daily Mail, but the name stuck, and the group reclaimed it as their own.

The impetus for change was, by now, unstoppable. Every success gave the suffragettes more confidence to act in an increasingly revolutionary manner. In 1908, they invited members of the public to help them invade the House of Commons. A massive 60,000 people turned up, but the police prevented anyone from gaining access into Parliament.

However, the public and press responded with outrage when in 1913, the suffragettes bombed an empty house belonging to David Lloyd George, then the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Pankhurst, the leader of the attack, claimed responsibility. “We wanted to wake him up”, she said. Her daughter, Christabel, told the newspapers that while Lloyd George claimed u

Above left: Emmeline Pethick Lawrence and Christabel Pankhurst, circa 1908.

Above right: Inspiring women’s suffrage poster, circa 1909.

57

10/03/2018 16:56

RIGHT TO VOTE

Above: Lady Astor’s Election Campaign 1919.

Above right: Meeting of Women’s Social & Political Union (WSPU) leaders, c.1906 - c.1907.

Right: Christabel Pankhurst holding a Women’s Social & Political Union (WSPU) flag and waving from the window of a house.

to support women’s suffrage, he was always “betraying us” – so therefore, he was targeted.

Those inside Westminster’s palatial walls were getting increasingly nervous. Conservative and reactionary factions decided that to stop the suffragette movement, the authorities must come down on it with unrelenting force. Women were brutalised in the streets, and jailed for protesting. Perhaps the most famous clampdown was the so-called ‘Cat and Mouse Act’. After a scandal about the painful force-feeding of hunger-striking suffragettes in prison, the 1913 “Prisoners’ Temporary Discharge for Ill-Health Act” allowed starving suffragettes to be released, only for them to be put back behind bars once they had recovered.

One suffragette, who found herself constantly in and out of prison, thanks to this act, was Emily Wilding Davison. Davison, who had been forbidden to graduate from university because she was a woman, believed the cause for women’s suffrage was the calling she had been waiting for all her life. Despite numerous incarcerations, she was only spurred on to do more radical acts, guided by the suffragette motto “deeds not words”. In 1913, she became 58

056-061 Vote 100.eg5.indd 58

the first martyr of the suffragette cause, when she was hit by King George V’s horse at the Epsom Derby.

Her death was met with little sympathy.

Newspapers were quick to question Davison’s sanity, and the King’s wife apparently wrote that Davison was a “horrid woman”. However, at her funeral, 50,000 supporters came to line the route her coffin would take through London. Her death marked a watershed in dealings between suffragettes and the government – when the First World War broke out just over a year later, all imprisoned suffragettes were released, as an amnesty deal.

The war would upset many long-held beliefs, not least that women were only capable of domestic duties. With many of the workingage male population away at war, women were reluctantly called into the workplace. Holding down jobs ranging from bus conductors to munitions makers, women kept Britain running smoothly, proving that females were perfectly able of having roles in the public sphere. Meanwhile, the Pankhursts’ WPSU had suspended all its activities so it did not obstruct the war effort. However, other suffrage societies continued to lobby the government, demanding that women be included in a proposed, ‘Representation of the People’ Act. Finally, one glorious June day in 1918, suffrage supporters won a victory they had waited decades for. The Representation of the People Act, which stipulated that some women over 30 could vote for the first time, had been passed. Though the initial reaction was jubilant, the war for suffrage had not yet been completely won. While the Act granted all men over the age of 21 the right to vote, www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 16:56

RIGHT TO VOTE

Above left: Flora Drummond and others under arrest, 1914.

Above right: Processing suffragettes, c.1908.

Left: Emmeline Pankhurst speaking to a crowd, c.1910.

women had to be over 30, and meet certain qualifications – be property owners, university graduates, etc.

Later in the year, women were allowed to be elected as MPs – the first of which was Constance Markievicz. However, because she belonged to the Irish Republican party Sinn Fein, she refused to take her seat at Westminster as a political statement. So, the first woman to actually sit as an MP was Lady Astor, who took over the constituency her husband resigned. Astor would represent this constituency right up until 1945.

Still, female voters needed to be considerably older, and meet more criteria, than the male electorate. It would be another decade before women finally achieved voting equality, with the 1928 Representation of the People Act. Now females made up the majority of the electorate at over 52 per cent – a staggering achievement, considering their complete lack of power and agency just one decade earlier. Finally, women were able to cast their vote on the issues that affected them, after having been denied this www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

056-061 Vote 100.eg5.indd 59

“Her death was met with little sympathy. Newspapers were quick to question Davison’s sanity...” right for centuries. Nonetheless, obstacles still persisted. For instance, women were not permitted to sit in the House of Lords until 1968, and until the late 1980s, women were never more than 5% of total MPs. The legacy of the suffragettes has been mixed, but their impact on British society was profound. Their tireless campaigning on behalf of disenfranchised women meant they were finally able to break free of domestic shackles, and influence the world they lived in. If the suffragettes could see Britain in 2018, they may be proud to see how far the country has come – but they may also lament that female representation in Parliament still has a long way to go.

u 59

10/03/2018 16:56

RIGHT TO VOTE way off! The most popular post we’ve ever had was by Sumita Mukherjee on ‘Votes for Women in India’, and recently we’ve enjoyed Tom Walsh’s ‘Wigan Man Stands for Women!’ about Thorley Smith, the first Parliamentary candidate to stand on a women’s suffrage ticket in 1906.

Q+A with Mari Takayanagi, Curator of the Vote 100 Exhibition in Parliament Historian Mari Takayanagi, one of the curators of the Vote 100 Blog and the ‘Voice and Vote: Women’s Place in Parliament’ exhibition in Westminster Hall, describes what we can expect in 2018, what she’s most excited about - and where to go to find out more on the Vote 100 project How would you describe the Vote 100 blog (ukvote100.org) It’s a place to find all sorts of snippets of history relating to women, Parliament and the vote. We started it way back in 2014 when we began working towards Vote 100, and wanted a place to share our stories and research.

We also wanted to build an audience for our exhibition in 2018 - which seemed a long

What can audiences expect from the Voice and Vote exhibition in Parliament?

It will tell the story of women and Parliament over the last 200 years using immersive and interactive technologies. We’ll display rare and previously unseen historic objects and pictures from the Parliamentary collections and elsewhere. The idea behind it is to give visitors the experience of women’s historic place in Parliament, by recreating three lost spaces of the Palace of Westminster. These are the ‘Ventilator’, the loft space above the House of Commons where women watched and listened to Parliamentary debates before 1834; the ‘Cage’, the nickname for the Ladies’ Gallery closed off by brass grilles; and the ‘Tomb’, the small and cramped office space created after 1919 and used by early women MPs of all parties.

How will the exhibition help visitors to get a sense of the exclusion of women from politics?

By their very names, the Ventilator, Cage and Tomb give a sense of the attitudes to women in Parliament over the last 200 years. At first, women were banned from public galleries and instead had to go up to an attic, stick their heads through ventilator holes and peer down into the House of Commons. A Ladies’ Gallery was finally created, but with metal grilles over the windows to stop the MPs being distracted by women. This made the whole space very

Women’s suffrage worldwide The votes for women campaign in Britain was an important part of global changing attitudes. While some nations around the world were ahead of their time, others took longer to catch up.

1893: NEW ZEALAND The island nation becomes the first place in the world to offer full suffrage to women, on an equal basis with men, after a calculated campaign by Kate Sheppard.

60

056-061 Vote 100.eg5.indd 60

1902: AUSTRALIA

1917: RUSSIA

1922: IRELAND

The vote was granted to British women over 21 in the Commonwealth of Australia in 1902, but individual states took a few more years to ratify this.

Aboriginal women (and men) could not vote until 1962.

After overthrowing the Tsar, the leaders of the Russian Revolution included the women’s right to vote and hold office in their new constitution.

A number of Irish women had gained the vote as part of Britain, but their rights were still unequal to men. After winning independence, Irish women were granted the vote on an equal basis.

1905: FINLAND The cold Nordic country was the first to allow women to both vote on an equal basis with men, and run for office at the same time.

1920: USA While some states had already granted women the vote, others were reluctant..

The US Constitution was amended to include a women’s suffrage clause, meaning all states now had to allow women to vote.

1930: SOUTH AFRICA White women were granted the right to vote in South Africa after J.B.M Hertzog pledged to raise the issue in exchange for political support. Black women were www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 16:56

RIGHT TO VOTE

hot, stuffy and difficult to see and hear from.

The early women MPs were expected to share an office regardless of their differing politics, with one coat hook and not enough desks for them all! Things are very different today, but it’s important to understand how recent this is and how far we have come.

What’s your personal favourite exhibit?

My favourite exhibit is a suffragette banner unfurled from the Ladies’ Gallery and lowered into the House of Commons on 28 October 1908. This was part of a demonstration by the Women’s Freedom League, during which two suffragettes, Helen Fox and Muriel Matters, chained themselves to the grille covering

denied the vote until 1994.

the Ladies’ Gallery windows. The authorities had to remove the grille from the windows, frogmarch the suffragettes out, and cut them off in a committee room nearby.

If one wanted to learn more, where would you suggest their first port of call be?

There are Vote 100 related events happening all over the country. A good first port of call is www.vote100.uk which is a hub website run by Royal Holloway (University of London), and you can use it to find out what’s going on near you.

Voice and Vote at Westminster Hall runs from 27 June to 6 October 2018. Find out more information at www.parliament.uk/

so women missed out on their first election.

1944: FRANCE French women won their right to vote at the end of the Second World War. Previous attempts to gain suffrage had been blocked by the French Parliament’s upper house, the Senate.

1952: GREECE Greece granted women the right to vote in 1952.

However, this proclamation was made too late for women to register to vote, www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

056-061 Vote 100.eg5.indd 61

Left: Left: Suffragette sketch of the Ladies’ Gallery windows.

Middle: Bust of Nancy Astor MP. Right: Women’s Freedom League banner, 1908.

Bottom right: WSPU brooch owned by Mary Ann Rawle.

1956: EGYPT After taking power and reclaiming the Suez Canal, Gamal Abdel Nasser includes female suffrage in the new Egyptian Constitution of 1956, and they cast their first ballots the following year.

65% of male electors voted in favour. However, some regions continued resisting until the 1990s.

1984: LIECHTENSTEIN Switzerland’s neighbour Liechtenstein became the last European nation to grant women the vote in 1984, after a narrowly won referendum.

1971: SWITZERLAND

2015: SAUDI ARABIA

The Swiss hosted a national referendum on the issue of women’s suffrage, and over

The latest country in the world to enfranchise females, the previous

King of Saudi Arabia allowed women to vote in municipal elections, saying women “have demonstrated positions that expressed correct opinions and advice”.

Countries where women still cannot vote: Vatican City

61

10/03/2018 16:56

Elle Grandison

THE FUTURE OF DAIRY

62

062-067 Luthiers.eg6.indd 62

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

09/03/2018 13:58

THE ART OF LUTERIE

Instruments, Investments and the art of Luterie

Tim Mercer Photograpy

Master Luthier, Tony Padday, shares his passion for the art of violin making and unveils its history across the centuries

With the number of British vegans increasing year on year, Alice BarnesBrown asks campaigners on both sides of the fence whether pastoral farming could cease to exist altogether u www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

062-067 Luthiers.eg6.indd 63

63

09/03/2018 13:58

THE ART OF LUTERIE

Tim Mercer Photograpy

c

T

64

062-067 Luthiers.eg6.indd 64

Tim Mercer Photograpy

he extraordinary impact of the violin family of instruments on Western classical music is impossible to quantify and with the creation of the first violins in the 16th century the gradual change from renaissance to baroque music had started.

The violin family has several features distinguishing it from earlier string instruments, notably F shaped sound holes, a carved and arched back and front which overhang the sides and a carved scroll. Many of these features had been used before but not altogether in the design of one instrument.

The intention of the makers of these new instruments was to keep the aesthetics of their musical ancestors and to make a more powerful and versatile sound. Their success soon became apparent. Composers began writing music with them in mind, as well as the noble families of Europe, commissioning their own collections.

Instruments were soon supplied to the King of France and the Medici family, amongst many www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

09/03/2018 13:58

THE ART OF LUTERIE

“Having a playing background gives any instrument maker a great advantage when tailoring an instrument to a particular player’s needs.”

Juliet Gellatley, founder of Vegan organisation Viva!, believes that social media has had a huge impact on the rise of non-dairy alternatives

others, as well as the church wanting their own ensembles.

Cremona, in Northern Italy on the banks of the river Po, is to many people the original home of the violin. The earliest famous luthiers of the Amati family all resided in the city with the Stradivari and Guarneri’s families creating their own reputations in the following century.

The earliest violins, violas and cellos were designed combining functionality with a great sense of proportion. Quite simply they worked extremely well and looked beautiful. Today, centuries later, the same principles are still used in the construction of instruments by modern makers. The rigours of contemporary playing necessitate a lengthening of the neck and bass bar and a slightly more modern set up (the bridge, soundpost and strings) but essentially they are made along the same principles set out four and a half centuries earlier.

A luthier is a violin-maker, the term originates from the French for Lute: I am a luthier!

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

062-067 Luthiers.eg6.indd 65

FAMILY BUSINESS

Tim Mercer Photograpy

“The earliest violins, violas and cellos were designed combining functionality with a great sense of proportion” Left: The shaping of the neck of a new cello.

Bottom left - Close up of a late 18century violin front.

In 1984, I opened a luthier studio with my wife Louise and we quickly gained a reputation for our instruments. I concentrated mainly on making and restoring cellos, and Louise specialized in making violas and violins, although often we would collaborate on a particular project. Today, our instruments can be found throughout the UK, Europe, the US and Australia.

Before we met at the Newark School of Violin Making, Louise studied violin and cello but rather than taking up a position at music college, she decided to train as a maker. To this day she still plays violin and combines a very successful teaching career with her instrument making.

Our eldest daughter, Sarah, is following the same path having previously studied cello at Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music. Having a playing background gives any instrument maker a great advantage when tailoring an instrument to a particular player’s needs. u

65

09/03/2018 13:58

Elle Grandison

THE ART OF LUTERIE

Clockwise from above: Sarah Padday fitting a cello bass bar. Restoring a 200 year old rib structure.Original label from a Joseph Hill cello.

Edge makers with thumb plane. Back of a cello scroll. Restoring the “C” bout of the rib structure. Louise Padday hollowing out a cello front.

66

062-067 Luthiers.eg6.indd 66

RESTORATION An integral part of our work is restoration. Often fine instruments, which have been neglected over the decades, come to us in need of sensitive restoration. The school of cello making in England from 1760 to 1820 has become a sought after period recently with names of makers such as Banks, Betts, Dodd and Forster all becoming household names in the cello playing world.

The restoration projects afford us a great insight into how the earlier makers created their instruments. A few years ago we had two cellos from a similar period, one made in France, the other in England. Both cellos were fine examples of the respective makers work. The French cello was immaculate throughout its construction, the work on the English cello was quite loose and probably made in a remarkably short amount of time. The two instruments were as different as could be imagined in their construction and tone, however, both worked very well and sold for a similar amount.

The amount of time needed for each

restoration varies considerably. A cello came in dating from 1798 covered by two hundred years of dirt and grime. Once this was very carefully removed, the instrument turned out to be in an excellent state of repair and only minor restoration and a new set up was needed to get it playing once again.

Another cello came to us with an extraordinary story. This particular instrument had been purchased by the Armed Forces for the Royal Engineers Band in the 1880’s. The cello was purchased brand new from a shop in London but was actually made in Lyons, France a year earlier by a very fine maker whose reputation was in its infancy.

Its life with the Royal Engineers band had taken its toll with a considerable amount of damage to the edgework, some being worn away completely. However, after many months of restoration, the cello was bought back to its former glory and now, I am thrilled to say, is with a young musician in Germany. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

09/03/2018 13:58

Tim Mercer Photograpy

THE ART OF LUTERIE

INVESTMENTS

THE VALUE OF THE CELLOS especially has been recession proof and with many players wanting an instrument that gives them the quality of sound needed to further their career as well as an instrument that increases in value over the years. The antique instruments end up in the hands of professional and amateur players alike.

There is great pleasure in

owning an instrument with a fine sound and over 200 years of history.

A VERY REWARDING PART of the investment side of our business is when we can find an investor who would be willing to loan their instrument to a young up and coming musician.

The benefits to both sides of the arrangement are very real with the owner helping to further the career of someone from the next generation and the player having access to an instrument that would be denied to them for financial reasons.

WITH NEW AND OLD instruments still in as much demand as they were when we started back in the early Eighties, we hope our family luthier business will continue to thrive for many years.

Tim Mercer Photograpy

Tim Mercer Photograpy

In recent years a growing part of our business is customers taking a keener interest in the investment aspect of the antique instrument market. The great early Italian instruments are in the hands of collectors or museums and out of financial reach of most musicians, which has led to instruments made by the next generation of luthiers becoming highly sought after by musicians, collectors and investors.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

062-067 Luthiers.eg6.indd 67

67

09/03/2018 13:58

Main photo: Pexels. Mugshot: Jo

BLACK WIDOW

68

068-071 Black Widow.eg4.indd 68

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 13:26

BLACK WIDOW

Bitter pill of the

Black Widow When an elderly Japanese woman’s seventh husband dropped dead in 2013, mere weeks after them tying the knot, police started to suspect this sweet lady was not all she seemed writes Ben Biggs

“

I

killed him,” Chisako Kakehi told judges when she admitted to the murder of Minoru Hioki at her trial in July 2017, “because he gave other women tens of millions of yen but did not give me even a penny.” The 70-year-old Kitayushu city native, hunched and grandmotherly, hardly cut the classic figure of a serial killer. But here she was in Kyoto District Court, Japan, charged with the murder of four male lovers. One of them had been her husband, for all of around one month. All four were well-heeled, elderly men with no blood heirs who had succumbed to natural causes – or so the official line went. And by the time Kakehi was arrested in 2014, she had batted her eyelids into their wills, fleecing these partners of more than a billion yen (around £7 million) in inheritance and insurance payouts when they inevitably dropped dead a few years, months and in one case at least, weeks later.

This kind of serial killer is common enough an archetype to have its own moniker, and records of ‘black widow’ murderesses go back generations into the sepia tones of Victorian www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

068-071 Black Widow.eg4.indd 69

times and beyond. Like the mating rituals of the deadly arachnid they’re named after, these predatory women court a male, bleed them dry and then move onto another potential partner. Kakehi wasn’t even the only Black Widow killer Japan had convicted this side of the millennium: in 2012 Kanae Kikimi had her death sentence upheld for drugging three lovers and staging their deaths to look like car exhaust suicides. Not before sucking the sustenance out of their bank accounts first, of course.

Suspicions arise

Perhaps what makes this case so unusual then, isn’t the the criminal or the nature of her crimes, but that the police didn’t get involved sooner. Because long before a suspicious detective ordered the 2014 autopsy on Mr Isao Kakehi’s body that revealed significant traces of cyanide in his blood, and even before the three previous partners whose deaths can be directly attributed to Chisako Kakehi, it seems u 69

11/03/2018 13:26

EuroNews

BLACK WIDOW

that getting romantically entangled with this woman was tantamount to a death sentence.

No broken home or abusive parent for this serial killer, Kakehi (née Yamamoto) was born into a traditional, middle-class family in 1946. Her father, a steel factory worker, was a typically conservative Japanese patriarch who deemed his daughter’s aspirations of going to university inappropriate. Instead, at the age of 19 she went to work as a bank teller for four years, before she married in 1969. Perhaps the seed of her career as a black widow serial killer began to take root here, meeting affluent businessmen from her vantage point behind a bank counter. Husband number one had the scent of money about him, having grafted his way from lorry driver to owner of a successful fabric printing company. As soon as she’d got him to put a ring on her finger, she ditched her mundane job to become a full-time mother to their two children. Here, with the change in lifestyle she’d been afforded by her wealthy spouse, it’s no stretch to imagine young Chisako plotting her personal financial future: cyanide is commonly used in commercial printing dyes and it’s likely the legitimately large quantities found in her husband’s plant gave this budding killer ideas.

Chisako’s black widow story doesn’t really begin until 25 years into her first marriage, though, when her husband suffered a heart attack in 1994, but subsequently died on the 70

068-071 Black Widow.eg4.indd 70

day the hospital was due to discharge him. She lacked his entrepreneurial acumen, and the printing business she inherited went toesup within the decade. Deprived of a regular income and with dwindling assets, Chisako began to up the ante in the new millennium, marrying a pharmaceutical wholesaler, an agricultural co-operative manager, a politician and an architect among others. Cancer, stroke or heart conditions apparently took them all soon after - two were cremated, removing any opportunity of discovering foul play in the future. Conveniently so, you’d be forgiven for thinking.

Postmortem

Apparently Mr Isao Kakehi had simply collapsed at home. But autopsy results came back positive for cyanide poisoning, and the same poison was found in the bodies of Masanori Honda, Minoru Hioki and in the blood sample of Toshiaki Suehiro that was retained by the hospital, Chisako Kakehi was finally arrested. Her house was searched late that same year and cyanide powder was found at the scene. Circumstantial evidence, for sure, but even if her late husband’s fabric printing business had still been afloat, the deadly poison was hardly suitable for any domestic purpose. Osaka police also found empty capsules and wafers at the scene, designed to wrap and hold powdered medicine, and www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 13:26

BLACK WIDOW BRITISH FEMALE SERIAL KILLERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY

a rubbish bag outside with more cyanide in it. Maybe this was Kakehi’s attempt to ditch the evidence as the police arrived at her door. But this was far too little, too late. Her history, the autopsies, and what evidence was found in her house painted a damning picture. This apparently sweet lady had been packing poison into ‘health’ pills that she then convinced her besotted partners to swallow.

At her trial, Kakehi later appeared to retract her confession to the murder of Mr Hioki, saying that she couldn’t remember what she had said. Her defense team attempted to lever open a crack in the prosecution’s argument, saying that they hadn’t shown how Kakehi had obtained or stored the poison. But the court found her guilty on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder anyway, and sentenced her to the gallows.

Did her three other husbands befall the same fate? And why did they have to die? As wife to any one of these wealthy men Chisako Kakehi would never have had to worry about money again. Had she resented her own father for denying her her dream of further education and financial independence, this bitterness could have taken a deep root over the years and manifested itself as a kind of unfulfilling Freudian revenge against wealthy male partners. Hate certainly featured in her case, but profit was Kakehi’s primary motive – but neither were any excuse for murder. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

068-071 Black Widow.eg4.indd 71

MYRA HINDLEY Best known alongside the Moors Murderer Ian Brady, Hindley and Brady were convicted of five killings and she has been dubbed: ‘the most evil woman in Britain’.

The pair murdered five children in the early 1960’s but only confessed twenty years later in 1985. Hindley was never released from prison and died inside aged 60 years in 2002.

TV Asahi

EuroNews

“It seems that getting romantically entangled with this woman was tantamount to a death sentence...”

Above: Chisako Kakehi.

Far left: The home of slain elderly man Isao Kakehi and his wife Chisako.

Middle top and bottom: Kyoto District Court.

ROSEMARY WEST The chilling story of Rosemary and her husband Fred West saw their Gloucester home nicknamed: ‘the house of horrors’.

The pair tortured and murdered ten young girls between 1971 and 1987. Although Rosemary never confessed, the evidence against her was overwhelming and she was sentenced to life.

She remains in prison today at Durham’s HMP Low Newton.

BEVERLY ALLITT Became infamous as the ‘angel of death’, after she killed four children, attempted to murder three more and caused grevious bodily harm to another six.

She committed her heinous crimes in the children’s ward at Lincolnshire’s Grantham and Kesteven Hospital back in 1991. She was convicted in 1993 and is currently detained at Rampton Secure hospital in Northamptonshire with 13 life sentences.

MARY ELIZABETH WILSON Who became known as the ‘Merry Widow of Windy Nook’ back in 1958, was the last woman to be sentenced to death in Britain. Wilson was found guilty of murdering her husbands, of which she had four, between 1955 and 1957. The story goes that she quipped at her last wedding reception that any leftover sandwiches could be used for the funeral, while also asking for a trade discount from the local undertakers!

71

11/03/2018 13:26

INSURANCE

Lasting protection Offering clear and comprehensive insurance cover for your home, business or commericial premises, travel insurance and specialist thatch insurance. Call us whether your current policy is up for renewal or not, we can help

H

ere at CGA Protect our insurance team are specialists in insuring higher value homes and belongings with over 40 years heritage in the market.

We understand and recognise your need of a little extra protection to meet your high net worth lifestyle, which is why CGA Protect is your ideal choice of insurance broker.

A generic home insurance policy readily available from various sources may not always provide adequate levels of cover to meet your needs which is why we have built a select panel of insurers who not only provide cover tailored to suit your bespoke requirements but provide the level of service that’s builds a long lasting relationships.

Call Today on 01985 850706 to find out more about how the Insurance team can help you

72

072 Insurance.hn3.indd 72

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

22/04/2018 22:10

Lindisfarne Island Wildfowling Club Purdey Awards 2017 Winners

Call for entries!

James Purdey and Sons, the London Gun and Rifle Maker and organisers of the annual Purdey Awards for Game and Conservation, invites entries for the 2018 Awards from 28th February 2018 to 22nd May 2018. The Purdey Awards have been held annually since 1999 to promote a wider appreciation of the outstanding game and habitat conservation work carried out by shoots throughout the United Kingdom, and to give well deserved recognition and reward to the best.

Speaking about the rewards of applying, 2016 Purdey Gold Award winner David Sandford of Portloughan said, ‘I found the whole process of compiling and submitting my entry rewarding. It made me think through what had worked and where I wanted to take my project for the foreseeable future. The judges were experienced and encouraging and gave

Bywell Shoot, Northumberland.

Awards 2017 Winners

me a number of fresh management ideas’. He went on to say, ‘My advice to anyone thinking of entering – go for it, you won’t regret it, even if you don’t win!’

2017 Silver Award winners Henry & Graham Denny are thrilled with their prize saying, ‘To be recognised by the shooting fraternity as ambassadors of our sport and way of life is a very special thing. Shooting and conservation means so much to us and to be awarded Silver is humbling. We will be able to continue to preach the benefits of shooting to all and help our great sport to a long and happy future!’

Entry forms are avilable online: www.purdey.com/shooting-life/purdey-awards Tel: 020 7499 1801 0r by email: purdey.awards@purdey.com

Please return your entry form to: Dr Mike Swan Purdy Awards The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fordingbridge Hampshire SP6 1EF

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY: May 22nd 2018 www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

072-073 Purdy Awards.eg4.indd 73

73

17/04/2018 12:03

Through the

KEYHOLE

The Chanters House, Ottery St. Mary, Devon EX11 Guide price: Offers over ÂŁ7,000,000

The Chanters House is for sale through the Strutt & Parker Canterbury office (01227 473720) www.struttandparker.com/propertties/plough-lane

74

074-077 Through the keyhole.hn4.indd 74

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

12/03/2018 12:09

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

F

ormerly owned by the Coleridge family, where their most famous son, the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, grew up. The Chanters is an exceptional Grade II* Listed house providing the owner with a home of national historic importance.

Situated on the edge of Ottery St. Mary, which overlooks the broad valley of the river Otter, that was recalled most famously in the poem, Frost at Midnight.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

074-077 Through the keyhole.hn4.indd 75

75

12/03/2018 12:09

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

This property provides you with the unique opportunity to own a piece of great English history, the entire west wing is taken up at ground floor level by a huge library, the largest west of Salisbury and designed for Lord Coleridge’s 18,000 books.

Despite the extraordinary history, the house boasts a wealth of modern facilities and renovations, as the current owners have recently refurbished the property, re-wiring and re-plumbing it.

The breathtaking inner hall has a double storey room, with a full height stone mullion gothic window and oak paneling, where the Coleridge family crest lives: a lion and otter either side of the coat of arms.

The modern style kitchen enjoys the warmth of an AGA and a central island, while a cold room and larders just off the kitchen provide a wealth of useful storage as well as a fully equipped secondary kitchen.

76

074-077 Through the keyhole.hn4.indd 76

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

12/03/2018 12:09

THROUGH THE KEYHOLE

The extensive accommodation includes, ten bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and seven reception rooms not to mention the Palm House, Victorian bird house, gymnasium, billiard room and chapel, which has been redesigned as a party room and includes a bar and DJ booth.

With more than 21 acres of land, a summer-house, walled garden, Victorian conservatory, long carriage drive, tennis court, parkland, woodland and stream you might look to get some help to keep these grounds in perfect working order.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

074-077 Through the keyhole.hn4.indd 77

77

12/03/2018 12:09

PROPERTY

ON THE MARKET

Our pick of the most desirable properties currently up for sale Morpeth, Northumberland Guide price: £800,000 6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 receptions Morpeth: 01670 516123 Located in the desirable village of Cambo, The Two Queens is a well-presented period house with beautiful views over open countryside. With its attractive period features, such as ample fireplaces, open and spacious living areas, and outdoor space, this property is an ideal family home for those seeking to enjoy country living, in an enviable rural setting. From the property’s reception hall, there are entrances to the large sitting room, with plenty of natural light, and the country-style kitchen/breakfast room boasting an Aga, plenty of counter and storage space, and space for informal dining. The ground floor also includes a study with built-in bookshelves, a dining room, with an attractive fireplace, a lobby, utility/store room and a cloakroom.

Harrogate, North Yorkshire Guide Price: £995,000 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 4 receptions Harrogate: 01423 706771 The Manor House is a Grade II listed house that sits in a peaceful rural setting on the edge of the south side of Harrogate yet just 2.5 miles from the town centre. The property is presented to a high standard and offers spacious accommodation as well as period features that provide an abundance of character and charm. The front door opens into an entrance porch and hall off which are the drawing room and dining room, both reception rooms benefit from high ceilings, feature fireplaces and aspects over the garden and views over the countryside. The study is accessed from the dining room this also opens on to the terrace. The kitchen has a stone floor throughout and a cosy family area with an open fire, hearth and surround. The breakfast kitchen has a range of floor and wall units, a mixture of wooden and granite work surfaces, a ceramic butlers sink and Aga oven. A utility room adjoins the kitchen and provides exterior access.

78

078-079 Property.hn8.indd 78

Hanwood, Shrewsbury, Shropshire Guide Price: £599,950 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 3 receptions Shrewsbury: 01743 284200 The Old Hall is a delightful Grade II listed property that dates back to the 1500’s. In 1973 the present owners bought it - it had become four cottages - and they have since spent time converting it back into the much loved family home it is today.

The property retains an extensive amount of character throughout, however it now requires updating to the services and modernisation.The kitchen/breakfast room features an original inglenook fireplace and conveniently leads to a cosy sitting room. The drawing room and dining room create two reception rooms with an open fire set within brick fireplaces. The utility room and W.C. complete the ground floor accommodation. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 13:33

PROPERTY

Manaccan, Helston, Cornwall Guide Price: £595,000 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 reception Exeter: 01392 215631 Constructed in circa 1800, The Mount is a beautiful Grade II Listed (south facing) cottage that has remained within the same family for over 100 years. Renovated and extended in 2006/7, the cottage now offers comfortable accommodation and nestles within this small hamlet of similar properties.

The large family kitchen, which enjoys views over the creek, is well-appointed including an oil-fired Aga together with integrated NEFF appliances and underfloor heating beneath the slate floor. To the rear of this is a utility room and cloakroom. On the ground floor of the original cottage is a spacious formal sitting room benefiting from an open beamed ceiling, slate floor with underfloor heating and a large granite fireplace inset with a woodburning stove.

Widford, Hertfordshire Guide Price: £2,850,000 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 4 receptions London: 020 7318 5025

Stamford, Lincolnshire Guide Price: £895,000 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 4 receptions London: 07471 227352

Listed Grade II being of architectural and historic importance, Goddards was originally constructed between 1725 and 1750 with the North East wing being added in the late Victorian era. In the early 19th Century Goddards was ‘a Young Gentlewoman’s Academy’ run by Elizabeth and Jane Norris and visited regularly by Charles Lamb and described by Mary Lamb in ‘Mrs Leicesters School’. The house is constructed of mellow red brick under a clay tiled roof, part mansard, to the 19th Century addition. Internally, the house combines light and spacious reception rooms with comfortable bedroom accommodation on the first and second floors. Of particular note is the well-proportioned drawing room which is centred around an attractive open fireplace with lovely views over the gardens and grounds.

The large elegant entrance hall with stone floor sets the scene throughout this house, with its high ceiling and a view to the garden. The music room has a stone fireplace overlooking the church, while the study has its own fireplace. Next to the kitchen breakfast room is the snug, with flag stone floor and a woodburner. The kitchen breakfast room has a vaulted ceiling giving it a feeling of space. The grand drawing room on the first floor has three sash windows with lovely views of the church and, coupled with the high ceilings, and fireplace, has a sense of grandeur and history. The master bedroom is panelled with a double aspect and is next to the family bathroom. The second floor has two double rooms and a fourth bedroom. From the kitchen there is a terrace, surrounded by stone walls and steps that lead up to the walled garden.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

078-079 Property.hn8.indd 79

79

11/03/2018 13:33

CLASSIFIEDS

PET PRODUCTS PlexiDors are the ultimate pet door.

They are quiet, energy-efficient, secure, robust and long lasting.

Beautiful British Dog BeDs Stylish, Practical and Built to Last www.berkeleydogbeds.co.uk Tel 01264 861143

No more costly replacement flaps and reduced heating bills www.dogdoors.co.uk Tel: 01241 830421 Email: support@plexidors.co.uk

Seeking Single Eligible Gentlemen Complimentary Membership for Eligible Gentlemen Call 01483 418958 or email your contact details to emma@bowes-lyonpartnership.co.uk

www.bowes-lyonpartnership.co.uk

Experience Umbria at it’s best Hayley Bystram, Matchmaker & Founder, Bowes-Lyon Partnership

Carpe Diem Personal Introductions Complimentary Memberships for country chaps

Carpe Diem Introductions are a long established, bespoke agency for likeminded individuals over 50.

We currently have rather more female clients than male and are looking to redress the balance. Our clients are beautiful, understated, elegant and educated and are looking for men who share their values and outlook. They are also refreshingly non PC with a huge capacity for fun. If you are based in London, the home counties or the South West and would like to meet someone but prefer talking to a person rather than a computer please contact Sarah at:

Former farmhouse in two acres, pool, spectacular views.

House sleeps six, and separate flat sleeps two.

For more information contact: www.casaduchi.co.uk or email jfurber@talktalk.net

Ian Norrington Jeweller

Carpe Diem Introductions 020 8313 0918 Or email sarah@carpediemintros.com www.carpediemintros.com

Specialist in seal engraved signet rings and engraved cufflinks A detailed colour brochure with prices is available on request A reader’s discount of 15% is allowable

Specialists in finest quality signet rings since 1992 Made by the superior stamping method to 1860 dies then hand finished to perfection.

2/18 Waterden Road Guildford, Surrey GU1 2AY Tel: 01483 440202

Beautifully seal engraved by hand with outstanding detail.

Leading specialists in seal engraved gemstones.

View our online portfolio at: www.signetsandcyphers.com

080 Display ads.indd 80

bella@signetsandcyphers.com Tel: 01548 831070

Website: www.ian-norrington.com Email: sales@ian-norrington.com

18/04/2018 10:29

CLASSIFIEDS

THE FINEST SMOKED AT L A N T I C S A L M O N FROM THE ISLE OF LEWIS

10%

DISCOUNT

for CGA readers who order from us on our website or by phone – discount code of: ‘CGA10’ W W W. U I G L O D G E . C O. U K T. 0 1 8 5 1 6 7 2 3 9 6

LIVE-IN CARE FOR PEOPLE WISHING TO REMAIN AT HOME Miracle Workers is an independent, family-owned and run business established over 20 years ago. Carers work directly with the client and their families to provide a very personal service ensuring a reliable support system delivering the best of care.

Live-in carers help clients with varying needs from post-operative care, companionship, Dementia (including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s) to palliative and end of life care. Miracle Workers train and support the carers so they can fulfil their roles in this very worthwhile vocation.

The cost of a live-in carer represents good value for money. Carers can buy and prepare food, manage medication, help with personal care, organise social/medical appointments, carry out household chores as well as look after pets.

Live-in care has become the preferred choice for those wishing to retain their independence.

Apart from providing a bedroom for the carer and internet access, nothing else needs to change which ensures minimal disruption and peace of mind for the client and family.

Call us on 01873 881306 or visit www.miracle-workers.co.uk 081 Display ads.indd 81

18/04/2018 10:29

BOOK CLUB

Charlotte aged four on a show pony

C

The girl on the dancing horse Before the 2012 Olympics, the UK had not won a single medal in dressage in over a century, however, one young woman and her horse were about to change the course of British dressage history

82

082-083 Book Extract.eg5.indd 82

harlotte Dujardin and her mount Valegro enjoyed a near invincible partnership, bursting onto the international sports scene with their record-breaking performance at the London Olympics.

Their incredible mutual, almost telepathic, understanding of each other saw them win two individual Olympic titles and a team gold, as well as individual and team doubles at the 2014 Worlds and the European Championships in 2013 and 2015, not to mention holding three World records in Dressage and going on to defend her title and winning her third Olympic Gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Born in 1985, in Enfield, near London, but brought up in Hertfordshire, Dujardin took up riding at just two years old and was an ancient 13 when she first tried her hand at dressage, a discipline in which rider and horse must complete a series of complex moves, such as the tempi, zig-zag, piaffe and pirouettes.

Dujardin’s story is astounding, despite hailing from a modest background, but competing in an expensive sport, she bought her first Grand Prix horse, Fernandez, in 2007, thanks to money left by her late grandmother. It was at that stage that she took up dressage competitively with the passionate support and sacrifice of her parents and her own extraordinary drive and focus.

Charlotte tells the story of one of the greatest dressage riders of all time and we share an extract from her new book... www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 13:38

BOOK EXTRACT

Charlotte and Ian performing a pas de deux at the 2004 Horse of the Year show Triumphant Olympic gold medal!

EXTRACT TAKEN FROM: THE GIRL ON THE DANCING HORSE One day, a month or two after I arrived at Carl’s, Lucy and I were having a lesson with him. Blueberry was pulling Lucy around like a rag doll and as I’m taller than her at 5’6”, Carl told us to swap: Lucy got on the horse I was riding and I got on Blueberry. From that first moment I loved him, absolutely loved him. He was fiery, he was sensitive, he was expressive, he was powerful – everything I’d always wanted in a horse, he was. It felt like he was the missing piece I had been looking for. You know when you get on a horse whether you like it or you don’t, but Blueberry gave me a feeling I’d never experienced before: there was such a strong connection between us straightaway. Even his shape was part of it. When you sit on Blueberry you really feel like you’re part of him because he’s so solid and built like a barrel – your legs wrap right the way www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

082-083 Book Extract.eg5.indd 83

round. You’ve got a good length of neck in front of you, but behind you you’ve got hindlegs pounding like pistons, almost too much for the front end to cope with.

The power was like nothing I’d ever felt in my life: when I asked for canter it felt as if we were going to take off.

Some horses canter and just cover the ground, but with Blueberry you were actually leaving the floor, the moment of suspension was so long. The only thing I can compare it to is a rollercoaster: it gave me that same thrill in the pit of my stomach, the buzz of going so fast it was almost like losing control.

Even then I could feel how much I could achieve with him: this was my perfect dance partner. But when I first started riding Valegro the real problem wasn’t so much his lack of size or his unruliness as his headshaking, and it was so serious that Carl was beginning to think he might not have a career.

Nobody really knows what causes headshaking or how to cure it. Carl had tried all sorts of medicines, had all sorts

of specialists out and even thought about having Blueberry operated on, but what it seemed to come down to was that he was so sensitive to everything.

Nothing could touch Blueberry’s skin: metal buckles would sometimes give him a rash so we’d have to make sure there was a cloth over them to protect him. In the summer he’d get hay fever and his eyes would start running; even extra-strong mints would make his nose run. He’d eat the mint, which he loved, but then he’d get stressed because his nose would run and tickle his face, and that would set his headshaking off. Flies had the same effect: if one even slightly touched his face or nose he’d strike out with his leg or shake his head violently.

I was always trying to pick up on every little thing that might trigger it, because you’d be with him and he’d be trying to bang his head or rub his face with his legs, or drag his nose up the walls.

The Girl on The Dancing Horse by Charlotte Dujardin is published in hardback by Preface, £20 83

11/03/2018 13:38

BOOKS - FICTION

White Girls

Happiness

Hilton Als

Aminatta Forna

Springtime in a Broken Mirror

Brother Bloomsbury, Hardback £12.99

Penguin Books Paperback, £9.99

Bloomsbury Hardback, £16.99

Mario Benedetti

“Standing above me and around me I see how we are all the same, that none of us are white women or black men.” These thirteen astonishing pieces form an extraordinary, complex portrait of White Girls, an expansive category that encompasses diverse figures: Flannery O’Connor; Michael Jackson; Truman Capote; Eminem; Jean Michel Basquiat; Malcolm X. With blazing intelligence and insight, Hilton Als travels through the last decades of the twentieth century to unravel the fiercely protected notions of sexual and racial identity that have led us to today. Ranging across the AIDS epidemic in nineties New York, to the stylistic excesses of Vogue’s André Leon Talley, to photographs of lynchings in the rural South, White Girls is one of the most surprising, moving and original books about the culture of our time.

Like James Baldwin before him, Als apprehends the world with radical empathy, and celebrates the rich, complicated humanity within each of us.

A fox slinks across Waterloo Bridge, London. Two strangers collide. Attila, a Ghanaian psychiatrist, and Jean, an American studying the habits of urban foxes.

From this chance encounter in the midst of the rush of a great city, numerous moments of connections span out and interweave, bringing disparate lives together.

When Attila’s nephew Tano goes missing, Jean helps him look for the boy, mobilising a network of helpers drawn from the West Africans working London’s streets.

As their search for Tano continues, a deepening relationship between Attila and Jean unfurls.

In this delicate yet powerful novel of loves lost and new, of past griefs and of the hidden side of a multicultural metropolis, Aminatta Forna asks us to consider the values of the society we live in, our co-existence with one another and all living creatures – and the true nature of happiness.

Aminatta Forna is a Commomwealth Writers’ Prize-winner.

Santiago is trapped.

Taken political prisoner in Montevideo after a brutal military coup, he can do nothing but write letters to his family and try to stay sane.

Far away, his nine-year-old daughter Beatrice wonders at the marvels of 1970s Buenos Aires, but her grandpa and mother - Santiago’s beautiful, careworn wife, Graciela struggle to adjust to a life in exile. Graciela fights to retain the fiery passion that suffused her marriage, her politics, her whole life, as day by day Santiago edges closer to freedom. But Santiago’s rakish, reckless best friend is a constant, brooding presence in their lives, and Graciela finds herself drawn irresistibly towards him. A lucid, heart-wrenching saga of a family torn apart by the forces of history, Springtime in a Broken Mirror tells with tenderness and fury of the indelible imprint politics leaves on individual lives.

Generous and unflinching, it asks whether the broken bonds of family and history can ever truly be mended.

84

084-085 Books.hn3.indd 84

Penguin Books, Paperback £10.99

David Chariandy

Michael and Francis are the bright, ambitious sons of Trinidadian immigrants.

Coming of age in the deprived outskirts of a sprawling city, the brothers battle against the careless prejudices and low expectations that confront them on a daily basis.

While Francis aspires to a future in music, Michael’s dreams are of Aisha, the smartest girl in their school, whose eyes are firmly set on a life elsewhere. But the bright hopes of all three are violently, irrevocably thwarted by a tragic event one sweltering summer night.

In luminous prose David Chariandy builds a quietly devastating story about the love, race, masculinity and identity. Timely and important, it marks the arrival of a brilliant new literary voice.

David Chariandy is the author of Soucouyant, which received nominations from eleven literary awards juries.

It was also shortlisted for a Governor General’s Literary Award. Brother is his second novel and his first to be published in the UK.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 13:42

NON-FICTION - BOOKS

Orchid Summer Jon Dunn Penguin Books Hardback, £18.99

A celebration of the beauty and history of the wild orchid species of the British Isles, embraced in one glorious and kaleidoscopic summer-long hunt by naturalist Jon Dunn From the chalk downs of the south coast of England to the moorland of the Shetland Isles, and from the holy island of Lindisfarne in the east to the Atlantic frontier of western Ireland, Orchid Summer is a journey into Britain and Ireland’s most beautiful corners in search of the UK’s most exquisite and diverse orchids.

Some orchids resemble insects and develop scents that mimic the smell of a virgin female wasp in order to lure male wasps to sample their unsatisfying charms. Some tower above the surrounding vegetation; others are vanishingly small and discrete. Some are sweetly scented; others smell of ripe billy goats. Some can be readily found but some will prove more elusive – none more so than the last to flower, the rarest of them all, the ghost orchid...

Capturing the intoxicating beauty of these rare flowers. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

084-085 Books.hn3.indd 85

Arlot, Swanton and the Soul of English Cricket

One Man and a Mule

Political Tribes

Hugh Thomson

Stephen Fay Bloomsbury, Hardback £20

Windmill Books, Paperback £9.99

Bloomsbury, Hardback £20

For more than a quarter of a century after the Second World War, as the BBC tightened its grip on the national consciousness, two of the most famous English voices were commentators on games of cricket. John Arlott and E.W. (‘Jim’) Swanton transformed the broadcasting of the nation’s summer game into a national institution.

For any cricket follower in his fifties or older, just the mention of their names immediately evokes a flood of memories.

Swanton was born into a middle-class family and privately educated; Arlott was the son of a working-class council employee, educated at state schools until he left at the age of sixteen. Because of their strong personalities and distinctive voices – Swanton’s crisp and upper- class, Arlott’s with its Hampshire burr – each had a loyal following in the post-war years, when England’s class system had a slot for almost everyone.

Within a few minutes of the start of a conversation, it would be possible to identify the speaker as an Arlott or a Swanton man.

For centuries mules were used to transport goods across Britain. Strong, sturdy and able to carry a great deal of weight, they made ideal walking companions, as long as you didn’t ask them to do anything they didn’t want to!

Now, Wainwright-Prize winner, Hugh Thomson revives that ancient tradition, using his experience of hiking with pack mules across the Andes to have what he calls ‘a South American adventure in England’.

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s Travels with a Donkey, the bestselling 19th Century travel book – Hugh takes his stubborn, cantankerous, yet ever trusty mule Jethro across England from the Yorkshire Moors to the Lake District, using old drovers’ roads and mule tracks that have fallen into disrepair. These wild parts of the North of England used mules extensively in the past and by recreating that experience, Hugh pays tribute to the forgotten muleteers who once roamed these hills.

Recounting the stories of the characters he meets along the way.

Amy Chua

Humans are tribal. We need to belong to groups.

Groups unite us, fostering a sense of belonging and taking care of some of our most basic needs. They have also, divided us. Today the West, and the U.S, sees the world in terms of nationstates engaged in ideological battles: democracy v authoritarianism, communism v capitalism, the ‘free world’ v the ‘axis of evil’.

Abroad, our inability to recognise ethnic, religious, sectarian and clan-based tribes has led to stunning oversights in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq. This hasn’t always been the case.

During its imperial heyday, for instance, Britain exploited the power of group identities by practicing ruthlessly successful, acutely groupconscious divide-and-rule policies to its advantage.

Now political correctness has seen group-blindness become the norm, leading to disasters at home and abroad. Pundits miscalled the US election and Brexit because they failed to pay heed to the deep significance of political tribes at home.

85

11/03/2018 13:42

RECIPES

River Cottage celebrates a craving for cheese The latest offering from Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall’s respected River Cottage series shines a light on cheese and dairy, foods that hold the key to our farming heritage and our feasting hearts.

The UK produces some of the finest milk and cream anywhere in the world and this book recognises that, introducing us to the lost art of cheese-making, delving into an appreciation of our native cheese-makers and re-igniting a passion of home-crafted, while sharing a wealth of knowledge to inspire you to make your own butter or cheese and other tasty dishes.

Written by Steven Lamb, teacher, writer and diary enthusiast, his broad wealth of knowledge is enough to encourage even the most cautious of us to try the Labneh.

With few specialist tools and inexpensive ingredients, taking the plunge into experimenting with diary and cheese can become an achievable goal.

The three recipes the River Cottage share with us here range from the simple to the sublime and each can be made with just a handful of ingredients…Bon Apetit!

Extract taken from River Cottage Handbook No.16 Cheese & Dairy by Steven Lamb (Bloomsbury, £16.99) out 22nd March

BAKED BRIE WITH TRUFFLE, HAZELNUTS AND THYME SERVES 2 The only thing better than a ripe Brie, barely containing its creamy paste within the thin, white-bloomed shell, is a ripe Brie that has been baked and adorned with crushed hazelnuts, shavings of truffle and sprigs of thyme. All the textures and tastes meet and create a rich alchemy that gives you a feeling of utter wellbeing. You could also try topping the Brie with sweet caramelised onions or sharp fruits such as red berries or cranberries. I prefer to keep the cheese in the round wooden box it came in for baking.

86

086-089 Recipes.eg3.indd 86

A round of Brie, 250–300g, such as Lubborn A handful of sprigs of thyme 8–10 hazelnuts A small truffle A baguette, to serve Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.

Remove any wrapping from the Brie and return it to its wooden container, with the lid off. (If your Brie doesn’t have a box, you can buy a special-purpose Brie baking dish

or use any ovenproof dish which will hold the cheese snugly.)

Scatter most of the thyme sprigs on top of the Brie and bake for about 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling under the surface and slightly browning around the rim. Meanwhile, crush the hazelnuts, using a pestle and mortar.

Sprinkle the crushed hazelnuts over the hot Brie and shave the truffle thinly but generously on top, using a mandoline or a swivel vegetable peeler. Scatter over the remaining thyme sprigs and eat immediately, with a fresh, crusty baguette. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 17:05

Photography © Gavin Kingcome

RECIPES

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

086-089 Recipes.eg3.indd 87

87

10/03/2018 17:05

RECIPES

BAKED CHEESE CAKE SERVES 6 - 8 It’s all about the base. Resist the temptation to turn to digestive biscuits for this velvety cheesecake; the coconutty biscuit base is delicious. My advice is to give as much care to the cooling of your cheesecake as you do the cooking – make it a day in advance and leave it to cool overnight. Stop cooking when the filling is still moist, with a little bit of give – it will firm up as it cools.

For the base 125g self-raising flour 155g soft light brown sugar 90g desiccated coconut 125g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing For the filling 500g cream cheese 600ml soured cream 200g caster sugar

88

086-089 Recipes.eg3.indd 88

3 medium eggs, beaten Juice of 1 lemon Special equipment 23cm springform cake tin Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

To make the base, mix the flour, sugar and desiccated coconut together in a large bowl, then add the melted butter and mix well.

Gather the dough and roll out between two sheets of baking parchment to a circle, 1cm thick; remove the top sheet of parchment.

Take the base from the tin and use it as a guide to cut out a circle from the rolled-out dough; don’t remove the trimmings. Transfer the parchment with the circular base and the extra dough bits still on it to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.

Without re-assembling the tin, lightly

butter the base and side. Slide the biscuit base on to the cake tin base, re-position the side of the tin and clip together. Keep the extra biscuit bits to one side.

To make the filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, soured cream and sugar together until smooth, then gradually beat in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour on to the biscuit base in the tin. Use a spatula or palette knife to gently level the surface, making sure there are no gaps between the filling and side of the tin.

Bake for 40 minutes and then switch off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside.

Without opening the door, leave it in the oven for another hour. Remove from the oven, crumble the extra biscuit over the top and allow to cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate overnight before unmoulding and cutting into slices to serve.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

10/03/2018 17:05

RECIPES

LABNEH MAKES ABOUT 200g Simple to make, labneh is a strained yoghurt cheese with a spreadable texture and a sour, yoghurty flavour. All that’s required for this recipe is yoghurt and salt – which encourages the whey to drain off – plus a large square of cheesecloth or muslin and a little patience. The only difference between labneh and Greek yoghurt (see p.43) is the addition of salt. I make labneh all year round but it is a particular family favourite at Christmas; I prepare it on Christmas Eve ready to serve the next morning with home-cured, smoked wild salmon and warm bagels. It is also delicious in salads or with ripe figs, or simply drizzled with olive or rapeseed oil.

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

086-089 Recipes.eg3.indd 89

300ml natural yoghurt (full- or low-fat) A generous pinch of sea salt Lay a sheet of muslin or cheesecloth over a sieve and suspend it over a bowl. Pour the yoghurt into the cloth-lined sieve and stir in the salt. The whey will begin to leak out almost immediately.

(I sometimes tie the cloth in a knot and hang it from the tap over my kitchen sink with the bowl underneath. Every once in a while, I give the tied cloth a little squeeze to accelerate the draining of the whey, but this isn’t necessary unless you particularly enjoy the tactile element of it, as I do.)

Allow the yoghurt to drain overnight, either in the fridge or over the sink. The next day, you’ll have a lovely ball of creamy

white cheese in the cloth. You can eat it immediately or keep it in the fridge in a sealed container, where it will continue to lose whey and thicken up more, for up to 5 days.

P.S. To give the labneh a whole new range of flavours, try stirring in or sprinkling on herbs, flowers, garlic or seasoning. Chive flowers, cracked black pepper and finely grated garlic (use a Microplane) work particularly well.

P.P.S. You can preserve the labneh by rolling it into small balls and immersing them immediately in good quality oil in a sterilised jar (see p.40) with a screw-top lid.

The labneh will keep for up to a couple of months in the fridge, but you’ll most likely eat it within a week or two.

89

10/03/2018 17:05

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.

Complete the crossword, and send your details to: CGA Crossword Competition (Spring 2018), CGA Magazine, Chalke House, Station Road, Codford, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 0JX by 1 August 2018.

The winner will receive a copy of One Man and a Mule by Hugh Thomson, RRP £9.99 Across

1) Woods warning call on the road (6) 4) One wades in front of North Star (5) 7) Began gelding to contain the spirit (5) 10) Architect contained by airway otherwise (8) 11) Total up thanks to English reserve openers (5) 12) Absorbs French, is found in lodgings (7) 13) Disperse, or deny at a distance (6) 16) Wipe when in before (5) 17) Followers and workers kept Democrat in this place (9) 20) Service held, else make a mess (6) 21) Supply online address during exercise (4) 22) Allure of senses deployed around team (8) 25) Fine for each reserve outside (6) 27) Penny possessed and finished off (6) 28) Measures are erratic. I get baffled (8) 30) Boil some tasty entrails (4) 32) Newcomer that is after a piece (6) 34) Place for training to aim my guns more accurately (9) 37) Good lady and a cockney Girl Guide (5) 38) Turn key, and get pulled (6) 42) Wake up tied around unlit body (7) 43) Ship/boat? That’s outside of the question (5) 44) Young men, knighted originally during African country’s equestrian event (8) 45) Faint? Mine returns before day ends (5) 46) Neon bulbed? Oddly full of this gas (5) 47) Hold part of shipwreck onshore (6)

Down

1) Just finish off any spirit (5) 2) Party with new bird (5) 3) Char lady’s introduction missed when unmarried (5) 4) Need shard repaired in bone (8) 5) It’s almost identical to a region of Hannover, in Germany (6) 6) Some hold back during soprano’s lentissimo (6) 7) Tickles as morning exercises (6) 90

090-091 Xword Puzzles.hn3.indd 96

8) Election time counter within reach (8) 9) Drawn out of dark end that laid in wait (6) 14) Does deter, as all about love (7) 15) It can be blown by holding on, mess up freestyle raps first (9) 18) More enlisted with regular losses (4) 19) Cooks try a mixed stuffing (9) 20) Add up one and a hundred for the score (5) 23) Brown out following point just delivered (7) 24) Edge length in face (5) 26) One service after wide alert (4) 29) The heart of adversity in the sea - at first, I am sunk (8)

31) Clumsily altering a polygon (8) 33) Posing like His Majesty (6) 34) Grasping boring point, and dead inside (6) 35) Subnormal ignorance conceals evil (6) 36) A word and a view rub regularly (6) 39) Joint bank leadership, where they join (5) 40) Hang back in the dark, can kill (5) 41) Big noise taking artists to the gutter (5) Many congratulations to the winner of the last issue’s crossword: N F Keegan www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 11:37

PUZZLES

Spring Sudoku Challenge

2

4

7

8 7 9 6

6

4

2

1

4 3

5

6

5 9

1 8

5

7

6

6

9

1

3

5

2

8

3

1

8

7

5

9

6

4

1

2

8

7

3

9

6

4

5

9

6

3

4

5

8

7

1

2

7

5

4

2

6

1

3

8

9

6

4

2

9

7

9

7

3

1

1

8

8

3

5

4

2

5

6

8

1

5

3

2

6

4

9

7

4

7

9

2

5

3

2 9

2

9

Answer to last edition’s Sudoku Puzzle

8

4

2

1

7

3

Sorry We wanted to apologise to our readers for the mistake in the last Sudoku Challenge.

Puzzle by Websudoku. Answers in next issue

Where is this?

Guess this well known location in the British Isles.

QUESTIONS 1. W hat is the name of the Paranoid Android in Douglas Adams’ ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’?

2. In a standard UK Monopoly game, the green set consists of Bond Street, Regent Street and which other?

3. Who created Snoopy?

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

090-091 Xword Puzzles.hn3.indd 97

4. What does UNESCO stand for?

5. After how many years would you celebrate your crystal anniversary?

6. Which sign of the zodiac would you be if your birthday was on the 18th October?

7. Who was the first famous non-royal to appear on a UK

postage stamp?

8. W hich birthstone is associated with the month of May? 9. Which measurement of speed is equivalent to one nautical mile per hour?

10. Of what is semiotics the study?

ANSWERS

Spring General Knowledge Quiz

1. Marvin 2. Oxford Street 3. Charles M. Schulz 4. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation 5. 15 6. Libra 7. William Shakespeare (in 1964) 8. Emerald 9. Knot 10. Signs and symbols Where is this? Portland Bill

JJ’s Crossword - last issue: check your answers below

91

17/04/2018 11:37

MEMBER BENEFITS

MEMBER BENEFITS Fabulous and exclusive outings, products and services that have been specifically designed and created for CGA Members and their guests Lygon Arms

HOTELS LYGON ARMS Within the idyllic Cotswold village of Broadway lies the four star Lygon Arms country house hotel. With roots dating back to the 14th century, the hotel is steeped in history, and offers the highest standards of service, gastronomy and comfort.

CGA members can enjoy special room rates with a saving of 20%. To claim your exclusive discount simply mention “The CGA Rate” at the time of booking (excludes all Cheltenham race events and bank holidays)

office on 01985 850706 or email: natasham@thecga.co.uk T: 020 7827 5757 E: reception@theinandout.co.uk www.navalandmilitaryclub.co.uk 4, St James’s Square, London, SW1Y 4JU

THE ROYAL SCOTS CLUB, EDINBURGH CGA members are entitled to book accommodation at the club and use the bar area, upon production of a letter of introduction from the CGA. To obtain a letter, please call the CGA office on 01985 850706 or email: natasham@thecga.co.uk T: 0131 556 4270 E: info@royalscotsclub.com www.royalscotsclub.com 29-31 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6QE

HOTELS

T: 01386 852 255 E: reservations@lygonarmshotel.co.uk www.lygonarmshotel.co.uk

CLUBS White Hill, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 2LP LEANDER CLUB, HENLEY-ON-THAMES CGA members may reserve bedrooms at the Leander Club at favourable rates, subject to availability. (Excludes Regatta and Christmas week). Simply mention your CGA membership when booking.

T: 01491 575782 E: info@leander.co.uk www.leander.co.uk

92

092-095 Member benefits.eg1.indd 92

THE NAVAL AND MILITARY CLUB, LONDON CGA members can enjoy affiliate accommodation rates at the weekends, upon production of a letter of introduction from the CGA. To obtain a letter, please call the CGA

THE GORING, LONDON CGA members can enjoy exclusive room rates with savings of up to 55%.

To claim your exclusive discount, simply mention ‘The CGA Rate’ when booking and have your CGA membership card to hand.

T: 020 7396 9000 E: reception@thegoring.com www.thegoring.com Beeston Place, Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0JW

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 11:45

MEMBER BENEFITS

FOOD AND WINE

Holbeck Ghyll HOLBECK GHYLL Exclusive without an ounce of stuffiness, this luxury Lake District hotel prides itself on attention to detail and providing the very highest levels of comfort and service. It’s an attitude that’s won us an army of devoted guests, celebrity fans and a host of top awards. Hotel offers farreaching views over Lake Windermere and some of the most iconic Lake District fells. A 3*AA Rosette restaurant is on site. CGA members are entitled to a 20% discount on the published bed and breakfast, Sunday – Thursday’s.

T: 01539 432375 E: stay@holbeckghyll.com www.holbeckghyll.com Holbeck Lane, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LU

GODMINSTER CHEESE CGA members can enjoy a £5 discount on all purchases from awardwinning cheese producer Godminster.

Simply quote ‘CGA15’ at the checkout.

Members can also enjoy a 10% discount on corporate gifts by calling Godminster’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Deborah Chambers.

T: 01749 813733 E: info@godminster.com www.godminster.com Station Road, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0EH

DOG ACCESSORIES BERKELEY DOG BEDS Berkeley Dog Beds provide stylish, practical, ultra-comfortable dog beds that are built to last and designed to ensure that your valued pet has the best. CGA members are offered a 10% discount on all purchases excluding other offers. Quote CGA10 when ordering online.

T: 01264 861143 E: info@berkeleydogbeds.co.uk www.berkeleydogbeds.co.uk Winchester Lodge, Wherwell, Hampshire, SP11 7JR

VALUATIONS LYON AND TURNBULL (AUCTION SERVICE) The Lyon & Turnbull team provides professional auction and valuation services for fine art, antiques & jewellery. CGA members will receive a 20% discount on Lyon & Turnbull’s standard vendor’s commission rate, upon mention of their CGA membership.

T: 020 7930 9115 E: info@lyonandturnbull.com www.lyonandturnbull.com DOERR VALUATIONS Offering an independent service to provide valuations of fine art, antiques, jewellery, watches and classic cars together with other art-related advisory services. CGA members will receive a 10% discount plus a free consultation on all full valuations.

T: 01948 871635 E: rachel@doerrvaluations.co.uk www.doerrvaluations.co.uk

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

092-095 Member benefits.eg1.indd 93

FOOD AND WINE UIG LODGE SMOKED SALMON CGA members can enjoy a 10% discount on orders made via their website or by phone. Simply quote the discount code ‘CGA10’ T: 01851 672396 E: info@uiglodge.co.uk www.uiglodge.co.uk

93

17/04/2018 11:45

MEMBER BENEFITS

HEALTH

Lygon Arms

CARS

CHINA

SYTNER As the UK’s leading prestige dealer network ,The Sytner Group represents some of the world’s most exciting automotive brands.

CGA members are privilege to a range of discounts on new and used vehicles and also on servicing, parts and accessories.

T: 0845 051 7827 E: cga@sytner.co.uk www.corporate.sytner.co.uk/cga

WARDROBE CORDINGS OF PICCADILLY CGA members are entitled to a 15% discount on any purchases from Cordings. To claim your discount, simply quote promotional code ‘CGA1016’ online or in-store.

T: 020 7758 4122 E: shop@cordings.co.uk www.cordings.co.uk 19 Piccadilly, London W1J 0LA

GEORGE CLEVERLEY & CO CGA members receive a 10% discount on any bespoke or ready-to-wear shoes, upon production of their CGA membership card.

T: 020 7493 0443 E: enquiries@gjcleverley.co.uk www.gjcleverley.co.uk 13 The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street, London W1S 4SL 94

092-095 Member benefits.eg1.indd 94

MAGNEHEALTH Soft, comfortable and effective magnetic therapy mattress toppers (in Merino wool or quilted cotton) for improved sleep and natural pain relief. Recommended to help with general aches and pains, arthritis, fibromyalgia, insomnia and headaches. A 15% discount is available to CGA members ­Code MHCGA. T: 01989 721010 for a brochure E: info@magnehealth.co.uk www.magnehealth.co.uk

DEGE & SKINNER

By Royal Appointment to HM The Queen, Tailors CGA members are entitled to a 15% discount on our RTW range of suits, blazers and shirts, either in store or on our webstore quoting code CGA15.

This will last for a period of 3 months from 30th April 2018.

T: 020 72872941 www.dege-skinner.co.uk 10 Savile Row- London- W1S 3PF

CHINA SEARCH China Search offer CGA members a 10% discount on purchases, excluding other offers. Simply quote promotional code ‘TCGA16’ when ordering online, by phone or when you visit their shop.

T: 01926 512402 www.chinasearch.co.uk 4 Princes Drive, Kenilworth, CV8 2FD

PHOTOGRAPHY CHARLES SAINSBURY-PLAICE Renowned country photographer Charles SainsburyPlaice is offering CGA members a Charles free 20 x 16 inch Sainsbury-Plaice framed, signed print, worth £200, when you book a family or pet portrait session at your home.

A day rate is £900 plus VAT for a day, or £500 plus VAT for half a day.

Charles is based in Stratford-uponAvon; mileage is free for the first fifty miles and then 45p per mile afterwards. In the first instance, to commission Charles, please telephone Natasha Button at the CGA on 01985 850706 quoting your membership number. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

17/04/2018 11:45

MEMBER BENEFITS

LEATHER GOODS Sage Brown

SAGE BROWN CGA members can enjoy a 10% discount on any purchases of Sage Brown’s luxury leather products, either in-store or online by using discount code SBCGA08 T: 020 7287 5757 E: info@sagebrown.co.uk www.sagebrown.co.uk 17 Princes Arcade, Piccadilly, London SW1Y 6DS

STATIONARY HONEY TREE BESPOKE Honey Tree provides the discerning buyer with the rewarding experience of creating unique, personalised, premium-quality stationery that leaves a lasting impression. No-risk guarantee on all orders. If you are not absolutely thrilled with your purchase from Honey Tree, for any reason at all, we’ll replace your purchase or refund your money, whichever you prefer: 10% off all orders by quoting code: CGA10 T: 01749 899 333 E: team@honeytreepublishing.com www.honeytreepublishing.com

FURNITURE TUDOR OAK Tudor Oak offers fine handcrafted oak furniture in traditional and contemporary styles, as well as solid oak doors, flooring, windows, panelling and other joinery.

All furniture and joinery are made in the company’s Kent workshops.

Members will receive a 10% discount on all furniture, including bespoke commissions. To take advantage of the offer, please contact the head office directly.

T: 01622 743747 E: info@tudor-oak.co.uk www.tudor-oak.co.uk Parsonage Farm, Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4JB

Titchmarsh & Goodwin

TITCHMARSH & GOODWIN Titchmarsh & Goodwin, purveyors of beautifully handcrafted fine English furniture for over 90 years.

Members can enjoy a 25% discount, upon mention of their CGA membership.

T: 01473 252158 E: info@titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk www.titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk Trinity Works, Back Hamlet, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8AL

JEWELLERY

JEWELLERY

SIGNETS AND CYPHERS A discount of £50 is available to members on purchases of gold signet rings, upon mention of their CGA membership.

T: 01548 869003 E: bella@signetsandcyphers.com www.signetsandcyphers.com Chene Court, Poundwell Street, Modbury, Ivybridge, Devon, PL21 0QJ www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

092-095 Member benefits.eg1.indd 95

IAN NORRINGTON JEWELLER Specialist in beautifully handcrafted seal engraved signet rings and engraved cufflinks. He is a liveryman of the prestigious Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. A detailed colour brochure with prices is available on request. A readers discount of 15% is available.

T: 01483 440202 E: sales@ian-norrington.com www.ian-norrington.com 2/18 Waterden Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 2AY

95

17/04/2018 11:45

OFFERS & WANTS OFFERS

OFFERS

SMALL HOLDING IN BOTSWANA Botswana. Smallholding of 2.8 hectares. South West of Gaborone, bordering Mokolido Nature Reserve and close to South African border.

Ample water and electricity.

Main house plus additional cottage.

Air conditioning, pool, security and seasonal dam. Ample birdlife.

Currently leased until 2020. £225,500.

Please contact marcuslanejones@ outlook.com for further details.

SPODE KNIGHTSBRIDGE COBALT VEGETABLE DISHES A set of three identical spode covered vegetable dishes all in excellent condition. Price £120 (buyer to collect). For more photos and details, email slmartin99@aol.com Membership number: 181561, Derby

THATCHED LONGHOUSE COTTAGE NORMANDY FRANCE Delightful thatched longhouse in rural surroundings close to Montfort sur Risle. Well appointed interior comprising: hall, bathroom, sitting - dining room, kitchen and upstairs bedrooms. 700 m of garden containing gazebo, mature fruit trees, ‘barn’ and small shed €150,000 Tel: 01984 656764 - Mobile: 07852 946455 Membership number: 066369

STAFFORDSHIRE FIGURES A matching pair of 19th Century Staffordshire figures, 7 inches tall. In perfect condition. £40 - including P&P Tel: 01263 741023 Membership number: 180758 Norfolk

GOLD FOB WATCH Late 19th Century Swiss Ladies 12k fob watch. The back cover is engraved with floral and foliate. £80 - including P&P Tel: 01263 741023 Membership number: 180758 Norfolk

96

098-099 Offers & wants.eg3.indd 96

EDWARDIAN TRAVELLING DIP PEN This antique is sterling silver, hallmarked Birmingham, 1906.

Francis Webb, (Pencil Case Works, Birmingham). Rare item £38.Post and packing £2.50.

Membership number: 105275 Northumberland. www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 14:28

OFFERS & WANTS OFFERS

OFFERS

SAMPLER MAPS Two maps for embroidery mounted on linen. One of London “showing the main thoroughfares & the manner of folk to be found there”. Sales tickets still attached ‘1935, 26 shillings’. Both measuring 24” x 27”. No reasonable offer refused.

Member 081291, Staffordshire

OFFERS

LACE JABOT Beautiful handmade lace jabot, sadly no longer needed. Many, many hours of work to make it. £40 o.n.o. Membership number: 081291, Staffordshire 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 insertion 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:

CLOCK A William IV mahogany long case clock. The hood has a swan neck pediment with a central brass finial.

Below, the cross banded door is flanked by two turned columns with brass capitals. The eight day moon phase movement strikes the hour on a bell. The dial is signed by Joshua Bates of Huddersfield. The trunk door and circular boot panel are veneered in a flame mahogany. Either side of the door are barley twist columns with carved acanthus and palm leaves to the tops and bottoms. It stands on turned bun feet.

Height: 255cm. Width: 69cm. Depth: 30cm. Circa 1830 Price £3,600 Membership number: 113295 www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

098-099 Offers & wants.eg3.indd 97

VINTAGE BAKELITE CASED VALVE RADIO 1930s. Phillips V5A “Theatrette”. £65. Carriage and/or collection by arrangement.

Member 105275, Northumberland

WANTS Do your fellow CGA Members have any items that you may be searching for? Advertise your wants here.

To submit, 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 offersandwants@thecga.co.uk. Images 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 e-mail address provided within the advertisement.

97

11/03/2018 14:28

The ‘genius’ tweets of Donald...

...just in case they passed you by

Donald Trump continues to baffle, bemuse, confuse, terrify and shake US and global politics with his unedited ramblings, lurching, as ever, from wild accusations, combined with a good heap of egotistical vanity to downright ridiculousness.

With regards to The Wall

Trump goes on to shock the world with his response to the Florida school shootings, that saw 17 people killed: His solution?... ...Arm the teachers

He goes on...

This is the One Year Anniversary of my Presidency and the Democrats wanted to give me a nice present. #DemocratShutdown In a twist of irony, the nationwide Women’s March in January, was regaled by Trump who appeared to imply that the women were marching to celebrate his administrations accomplishments:

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!

The enquiry into the alleged Russian collusion with the 2016 Presidential election leaves Trump boasting about his ‘mental stability’:

The ever humble Trump goes on...

Trump’s wife Melania was reported to respond with… silence.

98

098 Trumps Tweets hn2.indd 98

www.thecga.co.uk • Spring 2018

11/03/2018 13:44

176 Years of Understated British Style

Exclusive to CGA members

15% off

your first order online use code CGA15 during checkout

19 Piccadilly, London W1J 0LA Westminster Arcade, Parliament Street, Harrogate HG1 2RN

www.cordings.co.uk HM002502_Cording_CGA.indd 1

09/02/2016 09:31

100 Farrier ad.indd 100

11/03/2018 14:36