Search Results for: special occasion from the Category of
Creative Influence
Nicki Cox’s sublimely curated home is a real showcase of her talent for combining artwork and texture in her interesting interiors “I instinctively knew how I was going to decorate this house,” says interior designer Nicki Cox, the owner of...
Heaven Scent
Jo Arnell explains what you need to create the ultimate insect-attractor – a nectar border Insects may look insignificant, but they are pollinating our plants, playing vital roles in ecosystems and generally going about their minute business, quietly underpinning much...
Notes on Rye Harbour
Sue Whigham takes a trip to the coast to discover what makes the nature reserve at Rye Harbour such an incredible habitat for our wildlife We have the forces of the wind and the sea to thank for the initial...
Green Attraction
Jo Arnell looks into houseplants with benefits Keeping houseplants will make you more attractive. This is not just a ploy by the houseplant marketing board – according to some research commissioned by The Joy of Plants, all you need to...
Celebrating Difference in a Boarding Environment
By Simon Bird, Deputy Head, and David Mulae, Assistant Head Pastoral, Cranleigh School Cranleigh celebrates difference by first seeing and recognising that individuals are all unique and that each individual has worth and should feel valued. Considerable time and expertise...
Curves in all the right places
Jo Arnell takes a look at the (frustratingly) skilled art of topiary There’s something soothingly barbaric about topiary. A tightly pruned tree growing exactly how we want it to grow – forced into submission and yet still happy enough to...
Law & Borders
Local legal firms keep us up to date with their news Whitehead Monkton are getting the word out about new legislation and the importance of taking positive action during the tricky time of a divorce When the chips are down...
Up from the ashes
Jo Arnell picks drought-tolerant plants to soothe a parched summer garden It was a gruelling summer this year – nothing in comparison to what is happening in some parts of the world, but the fierce combination of extreme heat and...
Past, Present, Perfect
The renovation of an early nineteenth century house was a labour of love for Caroline, Stephen and their family, who strove to keep the integrity of the building, whilst sensitively updating the interior for modern living If you’ve found an...
Eat Sleep Breathe
These local stays are great for an evening meal and a sound night’s sleep Bliss at the Bell - The Bell in Ticehurst Location: A public house on the Kent-Sussex border, in what was a rather showy Tudor property around...
Such a Perfect Day
Treat yourself to the perfect foodie’s day out For the Adventurer... From Afternoon Tea to Sunday Lunch, bespoke Heli-Dining experiences with Polar Helicopters are perfect for any occasion. Flying from Manston Airport to one of the company’s specially selected foodie...
Dine with a View
From the airy blue of a far reaching seascape to endless heaps of rolling hills, one of our favourite things about living in the South East is the amazing scenery. And what better way to enjoy the many sights our...
Extra Help
We explore how tutoring can support a child’s studies 11+ Ready - Established local tutoring company, Griffin Teaching, tell us about their service What kind of tutoring do you offer? We offer our support in weekly club sessions, taught in friendly...
Get your life back on track!
Sarah Maxwell gives a very personal account of her perimenopause and menopause coping strategies For many women during the three menopause stages it’s common to experience mood changes such as irritability, sadness, lack of motivation, aggressiveness, problems focusing, stress, difficulty...
Cottage Garden Style
Jo Arnell explains how to create your very own country haven with cottage garden plants for a dreamy summer look Arches festooned with romantically billowing roses, paths lined with lavender and borders bursting with colourful perennials, the cottage garden is...
The Big Questions
When taking on a landscaper, it’s important to know what you want ahead of time, so we asked Tim Sykes of Gardenproud for a list of key questions we should ask ourselves and have answers for What are the must...
Strong Foundations
When Morgan and Jon moved from London to Tunbridge Wells, they embarked on a sizeable renovation project, breathing life back into a property’s late Victorian bones to create a beautiful family home If you want a sturdy heritage home with...
New Beginnings
Jo Arnell takes a closer look at houseplants for Christmas – and beyond – with help from The Glasshouse Project It’s been a tradition to bring evergreen foliage into the home at this time of year for thousands of years....
History in Colour
The complete refurbishment of British Army General Sir John Moore’s Hastings home provided an irresistible project for George and Charlotte Rendall A long the East Sussex and Kent coast some of the country’s greatest military landmarks make their mark, from...
Ready, set, grow!
Keen to ensure 2021 is filled with a bountiful supply of home-grown edibles, Jo Arnell gets cracking in the veg garden with super-speedy early crops Phew! It’s April. The days are filling with light and new growth – and possibly...
Island Escape
With a focus on sustainability and conservation, Georgina Fulton and her husband, Gareth, ensure that Elmley Nature Reserve and its working family farm preserves the natural habitat on the Isle Of Sheppey, sharing their portion of beautiful marsh landscape with...
Feed Me!
Jo Arnell gives her soil-enriching recommendations to ensure your garden plants never go hungry Above: Sweet peas are greedy plants Restore, Replenish, Renew This is not the beauty page, or an advert for skin cream, but I do want to...
Interior Vocation
With an eye for design that she has honed working on the complete renovation of her own period cottage, and following a career in events management, interiors lover Rebecca Middleton has hit the ground running with the start of her...
Shape it up…
Sue Whigham makes a statement with unusual colours and shapes Well, the usual deluge hasn’t happened today. Perhaps spring is definitely on its way. Actually, I think it is and so do the bumblebees. I saw a huge one collecting...
Winter Sports
What’s on offer to keep pupils active during chillier months? WT speaks to Dulwich Prep Cranbrook and The King’s School, Canterbury about the range of sports available. Mrs Jo Wilson, Head of PE and Games at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook What...
Meet the matrons (or house parents as they are now called)
Boarding can be a wonderful experience, producing independent young people, ready to go out into the world – but the prospect can be daunting, so who better to ask for advice about it than matron? (sorry, house parent) [showhide more_text="READ...
Room to Grow
Steven Winter, Deputy Head of Bethany School, explains the steps you can take to help your child transition from primary to secondary school. "I don’t remember my first day at senior school, but for my children it was a very big...
Mad about the BEES
Jo Arnell explains why, in a world full of pesticides, making your garden a destination for bees provides them with the ecological haven they’re crying out for. Insects are in crisis at the moment, their numbers declining at a frightening...
All Aboard with Heart of Kent Hospice
Heart of Kent Hospice is bringing the style and glamour of 1930s steam travel to Kent with an exclusive trip on the magnificent Northern Belle. The Hospice is chartering Britain’s finest luxury vintage steam train for a unique, lunch-time excursion...
Holidays in Sussex
Welcome to one of northern Europe’s best surviving Medieval landscapes. The south east of England is a pleasant land of plenty; green and luscious, criss-crossed with sunken droveways and cut through by the steep-sided little streams known in this part...
Keeping it real
Ditch the plastic says Jo Arnell and decorate your home with boughs of real holly (and other lovely things). Our Christmas decoration box is full, we’re wading through clutter and I really do want to cut back on plastic and...
Personal space
A converted malthouse, with soaring ceilings, provides ample growing room for Rachel Ford and her family. Destiny, chance, karma or plain old coincidence… it’s interesting how some things in life just happen to fall mysteriously into place at just the...
Fronting up
Take pride in your front garden, says Sue Whigham, and the whole neighbourhood will thank you (gnomes optional...) A few weeks ago I was early for an appointment in Canterbury. It was raining hard. To fill in half an hour...
In full bloom
Jennifer Stuart-Smith of Blooming Green shares her expert knowledge on how to start your own cutting garden and fill your house with flowers Nothing gives a house a lift like vases of fresh flowers – there’s a reason interiors stylists...
Family favours
The Weald of Kent is a very special part of the world, with its beautiful rolling landscape peppered with postcard-worthy villages – and an unusually high volume of dream homes in ideal family proportions. This house is one of them....
St Benedicts Victorian B&B
Over time, Paul Oxborrow and Stephen Groves have succeeded in buying each floor of a grand nineteenth century St. Leonards house. Staying true to the period of its construction, Paul and Stephen have completely refurbished its four floors and now run several rooms...
Healthy Eating For The Family
With childhood illness on the rise, and 1 in 4 children classified as overweight at the start of primary school, here are some simple steps to ensure children are protected from these curses of modern living. Breakfast - Unfortunately, most breakfast...
Meet The Heads
Gareth Doodes MA Hons Headmaster of Dover College Favourite subject when you were at school I absolutely love History. My imagination as a child was vivid, and I had an exceptional teacher who made history something interesting and something relevant. A love...
Garden Party
WT would like to thank Blue Hen Flowers for allowing us to photograph in their beautiful garden in Benenden, Kent, where they grow scented flowers, herbs, and foliage for special occasions and events. Find out more at bluehenflowers.com
War On Weeds
Early summer is the time of maximum growth. The soil is warm and the danger of frost has passed. Everything in the garden should be rosy, except that sometimes it isn’t. One of the main issues that can sap our...
Home of Victorian Curiosities
The fabulously curated Winkenhurst Manor, near Heathfield in Sussex has one marvellously curious room, leading into another. The owners, who work together in the antiques and interior design business, have made an art form out of creating unique displays of collectables...
Perfect Plants For Your Kitchen
Herbs are an obvious choice for the kitchen, especially if you can find a warm and sunny spot for them. If you struggle to keep supermarket herbs alive, try growing your own from seed on the windowsill. This will save...
The Quirky Townhouse
Anthropology, Arabic, art history… the lady of this house is erudite, well-read and widely travelled and it shows at every turn. Being a landlord can be a stressful business, especially when the building you are renting out is a stunning,...
Gone to Seed
I love September. The nights may be drawing in, but the days still feel like summer and there’s the sweet poignancy of still being able to make the most of the last few golden days - and I’m busy thinking about...
Keep Calm – There Will Be Bumps Along The Way
Your child looks a bit pale. They've gone very quiet. They don't want to see their usual friends, have lost their appetite, and seem reluctant to go to school. You can't get much out of them, but you can sense...
The Cowdrey Cricketing Family’s Offham Home
Few things are as quintessentially English as cricket. The same could almost be said of the Old Rectory at Offham, with its ragstone gateway, sweeping gravel drive and classic Georgian facade. It’s the perfect setting for a period drama –...
Mini Magic
Take a look at some of our favourite, bright and beautiful children’s wear for spring, covering special occasions, garden adventures, and home-time chilling
Country Lodge Guest House
Setting the scene has been Emma Clarke’s professional role for many years. So, when the opportunity arose to create her own, domestic show-stopper, she was more than qualified – as her magnificent home demonstrates.[showhide more_text="READ MORE" less_text="READ LESS" hidden="yes"] Very...
Belvidere Place – Broadstairs Boutique B&B
When Jilly Sharpe left Peckham, south London, for Broadstairs, she needed a home and a way to make a living. Belvidere Place, a run-down and dilapidated Georgian building that had been neglected for 200 years, was to be her saviour...
Wonderful Whitstable Chalet
Francine Raymond’s house on Joy Lane in Whitstable is proof that the Arts and Crafts movement didn't come to an end in the early 20th century. An appropriate address for such a joyous home, this ‘chalet house’, built in 1906...
Chocolate, Hazlenut and Caramel Swiss Roll
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Grease, and line the baking tray with greaseproof paper. To make the sponge, sift together the flour and cocoa powder twice, set aside. Place the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl; whisk...
Novelist’s Charming Victorian Home
For twenty-six years Debbie Rix and her husband Tony have been evolving their generously proportioned Victorian home to suit the various stages of family life. Peaceful and calm, the beautiful gardens which surround the house now provide Debbie with the...
Change of Plan
Principal of Plumpton College Des Lambert Is it ever too late to change jobs and careers? It is never too late to consider changing jobs/careers, many people have successfully done this. It is obviously a big step to take and there are...
Leading Veg
If you’re pacing up and down indoors like a caged, vegetable growing tiger, eager to get out and onto the plot, there’s a chink of good news, because the light is coming back and there are quite a few crops...
Creative Couple Relocate to the Countryside
When creative London couple Roni and John decided to relocate to the country, they initially set their sights on a Kentish Georgian property. But once they’d happened upon a pretty 17th century cottage they knew they had found what they...
Treasure Trove in Tenterden
Having downsized from a large Georgian property where they ran an award-winning bed and breakfast, Pippa and Mike Carter decided to move to a small cottage just down the road in order to buy a place in France. Having devoted...
The School Run
The pre-schoolers Helena Barker 2 daughters, Constance, 3, at nursery, and Poppy, 5, at school Who takes the children to school and picks them up? Thankfully my job is local and starts at 9.30. I take them to school by car...
Victorian Grange Transformation
Philippa MacKinnon has employed her enviable organisational skills to sensitively transform her Victorian grange from a dilapidated space, untouched since the 1960s, to a chic and functional family home with ingenious storage solutions.[showhide more_text="READ MORE" less_text="READ LESS" hidden="yes"] On the...
Minimum Effort, Maximum Yield
It’s hard to imagine, but there really are some vegetables that will just grow, without fuss or tantrums, regardless. But low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance – your plot will still need preparing and then weeding and feeding, but the...
The Great Outdoors
Can you explain a little about the forest school approach? "'Forest school' means different things to different people, but somewhere at the heart of it is the conviction that the natural environment is the best classroom that children can have....
Better Borders
We all deserve a garden pick-me-up after the horrible winter and nothing does it better than a border re-vamp – think of it as the horticultural equivalent of a new wardrobe. But before we rush out impulsively buying plants (ditto...
State-of-the-Art Country House Apartment
It’s an impressive approach to David and Louise’s apartment, through large gates and into immaculate country house style grounds. It’s situated on the third floor of a large, elegant block so we take the lift. There are stairs, of course,...
Walnuts Farm: Film Location and Family Home
There must be those among you that occasionally, in a quiet moment, stroll through your homes and think that, yes, after all the planning, plotting and hard work, you’ve at last got it right – on a good day this...
Pro-Active
Kelli Hooper BA Hons Physical Education, Head of PE at Cobham Hall What were your favourite sports at school? Netball - I played for a ladies team from 13 and county level at 16+ - both fantastic experiences. I also...
White Christmas
Steph Virgo’s house is getting dressed early for Christmas and even from the outside, bathed in winter sunshine rather than snow, it looks appropriately festive. The handsome 18th century lodge house with its stucco walls rather resembles a giant Christmas...
Here To Help
Claremont School What's on offer for pupils after school? Our working day incorporates both the children's needs and those of parents. Children may be dropped off any time after eight o'clock in the morning and collected, after supervised homework, up to...
Last of the Summer Salads
Did you think it was all over in the vegetable garden for the year? That you could harvest your spring sowings, clear the patch and then relax? I have some news. Whether it’s good or bad depends on how you...
Russian Royalty’s Kent Home
Kent seems a rather unlikely spot for Russian royalty to choose to settle in. Its gently undulating landscape is more likely to be filled with apple orchards than fir or birch forests. But one branch of the Romanov dynasty came...
Florals with Morals
I love plants and flowers. When I receive a bouquet of wonderfully scented blooms, my whole being is lifted and I try not to think too much about where they may have come from. It really wouldn’t be polite. Therefore, when...
Photo Perfect
One would never for a moment describe Fuller House in Staplehurst as a mad house but it is certainly a touch on the eccentric side. I speak, I hasten to say, architecturally. [showhide more_text="READ MORE" less_text="READ LESS" hidden="yes"] Its owner, portrait...
Deck the Halls
For some people Christmas comes around all too soon, but for others, it can neither be too soon or too often. Jacquie, or ‘Kitty’ as she is now more commonly known, definitely belongs to the latter category, which is probably...
Vintage Calm
Few find what they want in life right under their noses and some of us have to travel a lifetime and many miles to find what we are looking for. But Madeline hasn’t even had to step foot outside the...
Artistic Licence
There is no better air than here for work.” Is how John Maynard Keynes described the atmosphere at Tilton House in East Sussex, the country residence that he shared with his wife Lydia for many years. Just a little further...
Micro Chic, Eco Style
It’s hard to believe that Claire Potter’s grade II listed cottage in Portslade, on the outskirts of Brighton, is just a slice off the house next door “We think it must have been the kitchen,” she explains, “as there’s a...
Take Note!
We all feel the power of music ' how it can change mood, make one feel better about oneself - but for many teachers, music is a critical 'tool' in giving children an all-round education, enabling positive development in other...
The Linen Shed B&B
Many of the houses we feature are English thoroughbreds, their lineage proudly evident and easily discernible – Medieval, Tudor, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian. They may have moved with time and fashion – an addition here, an alteration there – but the...
A Pocket Full of Rye
At the summit of cobbled Mermaid Street, Rye’s most famous thoroughfare, stands Lamb House. A quintessential Georgian town house, it is quietly elegant, almost modest, but when one climbs the stone steps and prepares to knock, the enormous size of...
