All is Calm

Architect-trained interior designer Hannah Benton’s relocation from London to Deal has opened up lots of new opportunities for her and her young family, including the chance to combine expertise with her interior designer mum, Belinda, to rebrand Evernden Interiors as...

A house, transformed

Following her appearance on Season 4 of Interior Design Masters, Charlotte Fisher’s interior design confidence has rocketed. Here, she guides us round her own home, a complete renovation project that she’s tackled over the past five years with her husband,...

Lamb tagine

Heat some olive oil in a large casserole pan and gently fry the onions until soft. Add the spices and cook for a further couple of minutes. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and brown the lamb. Add...

Giant cous cous with roasted winter vegetables & pomegranate molasses dressing

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Drizzle some olive oil on two baking trays and brush with a pastry brush. Add the squash slices on one tray and sweet potatoes on the other. Brush with olive oil, season with sea salt and bake for...

Smoked Mackerel Pâté

Remove the skin from the mackerel and check for bones Put in the food processor with all the remaining ingredients (except the lemon zest), add black pepper and whizz to a smooth paste.  To taste: You may want to add...

Spicy smokey sticky party nuts.  

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with non stick parchment. Mix all the ingredients, except the nuts, in a large bowl to form a sticky syrup. Add in the nuts and coat well with all the sticky...

Nourish to Flourish

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau explores the benefits of incorporating another healthy ingredient into our diets. This month it’s root veg Root vegetables are starchy vegetables including sweet potatoes, parsnips, carrot, beetroot and turnips. Low cost and readily available...

’Tis the Season

Jen Stuart-Smith – co-founder of Blooming Green – gets real about truly seasonal flowers “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” people sometimes say, as an excuse to have a daytime tipple… The expression always pops into my mind when I see a...

Communication is Key

Mike Piercy, educational consultant and former Head of The New Beacon, shares advice on how parents can support their children at school Trust is such a fragile thing. It can take an age to build; but a moment to break....

Stalwart Friends

Jo Arnell edits down a selection of her favourite reliable plants to see you through the whole season 'That can’t be your favourite plant, surely?’ People are too polite to say this to me out loud, but they may well...

A house well travelled

Alec and Heidy’s very unusual oast house is a delightful cultural melting pot of styles from all over the world Human resources leader Alec and his Mexican wife Heidy didn’t set out to become interior designers. However, having now renovated...

View Finder

Photographer Mel Smith has combined his work and home requirements to create the ultimate welcoming studio – a homely and stylish space to work from where his creative approach to reuse and recycle takes centre stage It is a rare...

Homemade ricotta with slow roasted pumpkin, sherry, walnut & sage

Serves 6 Prep time: 20 mins, plus resting time For the ricotta: Measure out the lemon juice and vinegar into a bowl and set aside, while you heat the milk, cream, and oregano in a saucepan over a medium heat,...

Rolled pork belly, crushed potatoes, soft herbs, mustard & capers

Ask your butcher to remove bones and score skin for you – a very important step. For the pork: Preheat the oven to 220°C fan assisted, or 230°C if not. Combine the thyme with the salt and black pepper. Massage...

Bay & vanilla panna cotta, roasted quince & crumble

Serves 6 30 minutes prep, plus overnight setting time in the fridge Soak the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water and set aside. In a small to medium sized pan, combine the milk, cream, sugar, bay, and vanilla....

Nourish to Flourish

Oily fish is often promoted as a positive food choice due to its multitude of health benefits, but what exactly are they? Salmon is a great source of protein and typically provides 15-20g of protein per 100g. It is known...

Trouble Ahead

Jo Arnell comes up with some practical solutions to help protect your plants during challenging periods of weather Many of the Mediterranean species – lavender, rosemary etc – can withstand the cold, but not prolonged periods of wet weather. This...

Meet the Head: Parkside School, Nicole Janssen

We enjoyed finding out about Nicole Janssen, Head at Parkside School What or who inspired you to go into teaching?I had the most incredible piano teacher growing up who was so outside the box that she challenged my thinking from...

Meet the Head: Cranbrook School, David Clark

We’ve been finding out what makes the new Head of Cranbrook School, David Clark, tick With his passion for travel, languages and an internationalist outlook, David Clark enjoys the dynamism of Cranbrook School’s thriving and diverse community Tell us about...

Heart of the Hive

Sue Whigham finds out about The Buzz Project, an inspirational initiative set up by Syrian bee expert Dr. Ryad Alsous One of the last things that Dr. Ryad Alsous did before he left his flat in Damascus was to open...

If Good isn’t ‘it’ then who is?

Mike Piercy, educational consultant and previous Head of The New Beacon, shares his thoughts on spelling, punctuation and grammar Seen on an advertising board on a Southeastern train this summer:‘Yes, ships do take longer than planes. Good isn’t it.’Is the...

Pattern & Purpose

Interior designer Justine Hodgson-Barker was tasked with creating a rural retreat for a couple who divide their time between town and country, taking into account their love of fabrics, texture and colour Down a leafy lane, in the picturesque middle...

Natural Blend

Recipe developer and cookery teacher Charlotte Butterworth’s house is centred around her spacious Neptune kitchen, where she has created a new heart for this impressively proportioned family home Sometimes, when buying a house, it’s all about a feeling. You’ve only...

Buried Treasure

Jo Arnell applies cooking principles to the garden this month, as she starts planning her bulb lasanges I’m doing my best squirrel impression this month, scuttling around, digging holes and burying bulbs in the hope that, come the spring, welcome...

A Destination of a Different Nature

Sue Whigham reflects on her natural findings on a recent trip to Sweden Whilst I’d been warned that this year Sweden had been having a very wet summer, I hadn’t taken into account what might be the result of this...

Meet the Head: Walthamstow Hall

We really enjoyed catching up with Louise Chamberlain, headteacher at Walthamstow Hall, Sevenoaks With a lifelong interest in medical microbiology and its impact on societies, coupled with a great passion for education, Louise Chamberlain is well-placed to navigate her school...

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...

Fair stands the wind

A history lover’s dream, Abbots Cliff House in Capel Le Ferne, near Folkestone, is full of stories waiting to be discovered by guests who book a stay at this very special clifftop house Iconic landmarks don’t come up for sale...

Meet the Head

We’ve been getting to know Ashford School’s Mr Tiley Nunn What did you study at university? Having known since as long as I can remember that I wanted to be a primary school teacher, I studied Primary Education at Canterbury Christ...

Trailblazing

We ask two high-achieving schools how they are staying ahead of the curve and designing a new path for the future of learning Parkside School, Cobham Parkside School is committed to innovative learning and so we’ve asked them to share...

Where to Start?

How do you choose the right prep school? How far ahead should you plan? What will give your child the best start in life? There are so many big questions when it comes to prep schools, so we’ve asked three...

How do you choose a Prep School?

The Granville School give us three key tips to help navigate the process of finding the right school Know your childNobody knows your son or daughter better than you do. Of course, they may only be 3 or 4 years...

What are the Long-Term Effects of Prep?

Getting the right kind of education in place for a child just starting school holds the key to success later on. “We know from research that what happens before a child is seven-years-old is crucial to the development of that...

A New Adventure

Starting school is the beginning of an amazing journey, but it is also a big transition. We find out how to make it as smooth as possible Stepping Stones The first day at school is an emotional milestone for both...

EXTRA EXTRA Curriculars

Dulwich Cranbrook tells us what adventures extra curriculars hold beyond the classroom At Dulwich Cranbrook, every child is furnished with the skills and confidence to develop and grow, empowering them to steer the course of their future. Our broad and...

Meet Lizzie…

Mayfield student, Lizzie, explains how extra-curricular interests and sport have enriched her life at Mayfield At Mayfield, we believe happiness is the key to thriving at school and so we place a strong emphasis on creating a nurturing environment for...

Green Flags

In 2022, Lingfield College received the prestigious Green Flag Award ‘with Distinction’ from Eco Schools, with the Senior School following suit in June 2023 – the only school in Surrey to receive the award at this level. So how do...

Raising Voices

Read all about it! Gavin Bunker, Headteacher at Claremont Prep School tells us about what makes the news at his school At Claremont, ‘student voice’ is at the heart of the learning experience. It enables children to shape their own...

It’s all in the preparation

Emily Pavey heads to The Small Holding to improve her gardening skills at a Grow the Seasons session Perhaps I’m not cut out for gardening – don’t tell anyone, but I find weeding a bit upsetting. Who am I to...

Paving the way

Jo Arnell discusses what you need to consider when embarking on a quest to create the ultimate hard landscaping in your garden Lawns are lovely to walk and sit on in the summer, but not so tempting when the weather...

Where the Wild Things are

Sue Whigham caught up with Lou Carpenter of Marden Wildlife and the Marden Farmer Cluster to learn about their inspiring work We had our first green-winged orchid flowering here this year and the excitement when we spotted it knew no...

Gordon’s School – Sixth Form

‘The Sixth Form is Outstanding. Students make excellent progress and achieve high academic standards’ OFSTED Scholarships offered in Sport and Creative Arts. To book an Open Event – www.gordons.school Address: GORDON'S SCHOOL WEST END WOKING SURREY GU24 9PT Telephone number:...

Gordon’s School – Co-Curricular

Over 128 extra-curricular activities available. Partnerships with Harlequins, Surrey Storm and Aldershot Town FC. Scholarships available in Sport and Creative Arts. Open event booking – www.gordons.school Address: GORDON'S SCHOOL WEST END WOKING SURREY GU24 9PT Telephone number: 01276 858084 Admissions...

Gordon’s School – Boarding in Surrey

‘Students who attend the boarding school provision exceed their predicted outcomes and consistently reach, and further, their potential.’ OFSTED 2019 Open Events this Autumn To book – www.gordons.school Address: GORDON'S SCHOOL WEST END WOKING SURREY GU24 9PT Telephone number: 01276...

Midwinter Fair
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Through the looking glass

A magical lodge nestles amid ancient woodland, creating a perfect haven – with minimal impact on the precious environment In the many years I’ve been writing about lovely houses for this magazine, there has been one constant: the outside is...

In the Frame

An art-filled house overlooking Alexandra Park in Hastings has provided the perfect living space for a couple who split their time between two properties in this creative town Camilla Ruiz Ramirez is a textile designer who was previously based in...

Tap into it

Sarah Maxwell explores the benefits of EFT A while ago I developed hives on my face and neck during a particularly stressful period.After several months of tests and multiple prescriptions for lotions, potions and pills, the hives were still spreading...