Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-Sep-2019 i Country Life

Ramsar sites Two locations—Lihou Island and Herm (with the Humps and the privately leased island of Jethou)—are designated as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The former is home to birds from grey herons to peregrine falcons; the latter has seals, turnstones and, in spring, puffins The South Coast Cliffs This SSSI has about 28 miles of coastal footpaths, with breeding seabirds and the black-backed meadow ant, which is extinct in the UK Silbe Nature Reserve Set in a secluded valley, this reserve encompasses different habitats—from woodland to wet meadows—rich in flowers and birds…

Water fights The National Trust for Scotland is inviting the public to fire water pistols at The Hill House in Argyll—a Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece—on September 28, to test the watertight powers of ‘the world’s biggest chainmail mesh’ Red squirrels The Lake District Foundation has launched a campaign to raise £20,000 to pay for equipment needed to support the bushy-tailed rodents. To donate, visit www.lakedistrictfoundation.org Healthy pups The celebrity-fuelled trend for flat-faced dogs, which can have breathing issues, is finally waning; the Kennel Club reports a 31% drop in pug registrations in the first half of 2019, 7% for bulldogs and 8% for French bulldogs…

ONE of the perils of digital diaries is the ease with which it’s possible to delete or transpose appointments. This week, I inadvertently moved all those on Wednesday to Tuesday. The error was revealed as I stood—I thought by prior arrangement—outside Hertford North station. Calling the person who had kindly offered to pick me up, it emerged I was exactly 24 hours early. The family didn’t even try to conceal their merriment at my ineptitude and I felt sufficient moral disadvantage that night to allow myself to be shepherded to bed early. It was disheartening to discover next morning, however, that the child seemingly most solicitous for my wellbeing used the opportunity of an unsupervised evening to read late into the night; they rose for school unspeakably grumpy. A much…

Loos • Worldwide, more people have mobile phones than have loos. Rather revoltingly, mobile phones are also said to harbour up to 10 times more bacteria than the average loo seat. • It’s illegal not to flush a lavatory in Singapore and offenders may face a hefty fine. • In 2006, the Bavarian town of Fuchstal made international news after its council accidentally ordered more than £5,000 worth of loo paper. The stockpile was stashed in cupboards in the town hall, the fire station and local schools and the last roll was finally finished last March, a mere 12 years later. • An American study revealed that the ‘correct’ way to hang loo paper is over, with the loose end facing away from the wall, in order to minimise the…

I must admit that, until recently, I was a Bacchus-sceptic—and, in particular, an English Bacchus-sceptic. Of course, I am a devotee of the Roman god of wine, but the grape variety Bacchus, a 1950s German crossing of Müller-Thurgau with Riesling X Silvaner—well suited to ripening in English conditions—seemed to produce excessively aromatic, over-elderflowery whites. The unprecedentedly high-quantity and high-quality 2018 vintage in England (and Wales) has changed all that. Why you should be drinking it In 2018, Bacchus came into its own by producing whites that are vinous as well as aromatic; they have body and texture to add to the hedgerow scents of English wines. Pundits have talked up Bacchus as the English Sauvignon Blanc for years and, now, I’m beginning to believe them. What to buy Bolney…

ALLIUMS have come a long way since the 1990s, when every May saw Purple Sensation drifted underneath countless laburnum tunnels. They have remained popular thanks to their immaculate sense of timing, flowering in May or June when colour is scant, before the summer perennials and roses really get going. That’s not all, either: their bee-friendly flowers provide a crisp contrast to green foliage whether in flower border, potager or fruit garden. Many also offer a tall, vertical presence and all provide interesting seedheads. Better still, they endure and increase from year to year, whether you’re using them as a follow-up act to tulips or as a summer preamble. The only downside can be their eagerness to self-seed. Recently, however, Dutch breeders have been busy raising sterile, non-seeding forms in a…

• Observe how the house and its garden sit within the landscape. Think about curtilage and carefully define the limits of the garden and the hierarchy of order in which you view the space • Analyse the horizon. How far away is it? What does it offer? Do you want/ need to see all of it or only some of it? What are your principal views? • Research and respect the local vernacular and use materials that relate to the landscape • Think about how planting can be used to make the connection between the formal spaces and the landscape. For everything to feel comfortable, the boundaries need to be blurred, so that the wilder landscape slowly merges with the cultivated garden • Beware of horticultural incontinence! Avoid planting too…

DEEP in rural Herefordshire lies a small, 13th-century church. Accessed by a quiet road and surrounded by fields, you would never guess that, for hundreds of years, it housed one of the most precious treasures of the Tudor age—an exquisite piece of embroidery, now believed to be the only known surviving fragment of Elizabeth I’s wardrobe. For generations, the 16th-century fabric had been used as the altar cloth for St Faith’s Bacton. It had originated from Blanche Perry, a local noblewoman who had been a personal attendant and close confidant of Elizabeth I. Although Blanche was buried in Westminster, she had intended Bacton to be her final resting place and commissioned an effigy of herself kneeling beside her queen, which can still be seen today. It clearly shows a connection,…

The Post House A box of beautifully curated homewares to seasonally style the home, delivered once a quarter, is a tempting new concept coined by East Sussex-based company The Post House. Run by former fashion buyer Hannah Risbridger and PR executive Anne Kapranos, the idea was born over Hannah’s (impeccably styled) kitchen table. Each season draws from different UK regions, with the boxes being a mix of locally produced bespoke scents, freshly grown flowers with a vase, table linens and hand-designed prints, as well as a seasonal recipe and illustrated tips on how to use the products to style your home. Launching on October 1, the autumn box focuses on the bounty of Kent and East Sussex. The contents are a surprise, but look out for letterpress cards by…

• Wear your diamonds all the time, in the day, too, and mix them up • If you have a tennis necklace, add pendants to give it a new look • Make sure your jewellery is well made so it’s smooth and easy to wear —it should feel like the most comfortable pair of shoes on the planet • Don’t wear very heavy earrings—sagging lobes are not a good look • Don’t get too hung up about matching things—different shades don’t clash. If you’re worried about colours, simply look in the garden. Nature puts every hue possible together • Be confident in your own style—not everyone should look the same • Heavier bracelets tend to be better for winter, lighter for summer • Mixing your metal colours means they will…

Gloucestershire, £500,000 In the heart of the vibrant Cotswold village of Blockley, Birch Cottage offers versatile accommodation spread over three levels, including a double-aspect sitting room and a fantastic mezzanine breakfast/kitchen. Upstairs are the master suite and two further bedrooms, plus a family bathroom. Blockley itself has a shop and a café, two pubs, an excellent primary school, a church and even a popular gym. Knight Frank (01451 600610) East Sussex, £950,000 Dating back to the 17th century, Stapleys Farm is a charming four-bedroom property, sympathetically updated. Reception rooms include a handsome sitting room, a conservatory and a fitted kitchen; the gardens feature lawns, a wildlife pond and fruit trees. Arlington is a historic village at the foot of the South Downs with a village hall, pub and…

The Flower Garden: How to grow flowers from seed Clare Foster & Sabina Rüber (Laurence King, £19.99) Planting the Oudolf Gardens at Hauser & Wirth Somerset Rory Dusoir (Hauser & Wirth and Filbert Press, £30) Primrose Elizabeth Lawson (Reaktion, £16) Heritage Apples Caroline Ball (Bodleian Library, £25) The Garden Jungle: Gardening to Save the Planet Dave Goulson (Jonathan Cape, £16.99) Wild About Weeds: Garden Design with Rebel Plants Jack Wallington (Laurence King, £19.99)…

1. Glendoick Nursery: 500-plus varieties of rhododendron, azalea and woodland plants are available by mail order from October to March. Minimum order £250 (orders@glendoick.com; www.glendoick.com). 2. Waterside Nursery: Pond plants are available online all year, with waterlilies and pond plants rooted in mesh baskets and aquatic compost, ready to place immediately into the pond (07931 557082; www.watersidenursery.co.uk). 3. McBeans’s Orchids: Britain’s oldest orchid nursery and historic collection is perfect for winter houseplants. Open Monday to Friday or by appointment (01273 400228; www.mcbeansorchids.com). 4. Avon Bulbs: A small, reputable family-owned company that looks after its customers and offers a good range of the more spectacular but garden-worthy flower bulbs (01460 242177; www.avonbulbs.co.uk). 5. Perthshire Heathers: A family-run specialist nursery supplying quality homegrown heather and heaths, which are hardy for the Scottish…

GUERNSEY is often perceived as a tranquil, picturesque place offering clean air, beautiful seascapes, delicious dairy produce and an array of water-based activities. This is pretty accurate, but those who visit just for the weekend may not be aware of the successful, well-established finance industry that is the primary driver of the island’s economy. Guernsey’s finance industry competes at a global level, providing services to individuals, families, trusts and corporate clients based all over the world. Within this, Ravenscroft stands proudly as an independent investment services business with its HQ in Guernsey. ‘Ultimately, it’s your money and we’re here to work for you’ In Guernsey we offer our clients advisory investment services, discretionary investment management, execution only trading, cash management, corporate finance and specialist Channel Islands-focused investments, as well as…

THE urging is over, the hard graft is done. Thank heavens that the very qualities that make this time of year in the garden so glorious require almost no human effort. September is the perfect month for back- patting and congratulation as the softening late-summer sun renders, Rumplestiltskinlike, all stems into gold. Those twining, binding weeds that, only a month ago, might have caused the ever-critical gardener sharp pangs of guilt are happily hidden under the floriferous seas of asters and other late-flowering perennials. The untidy bite marks left by leaf-cutter bees are cast into the shade when they’re set beside the hand-span webs of Araneus diadematus, the fat-bellied garden spider, now spangled with morning dew. Balling roses are forgotten as flowers swell into embryonic hips. Now is the time…

The rest of the world Whatever the outcome of Brexit talks, London will stay the leading global wealth centre for 2019, say Knight Frank, with more UHNWIs than anywhere else and property sales above £10m up 33% on 2018 McDonald’s The fast-food chain has met its match in Rutland, our smallest county. The council has backed plans for a branch in Oakham, but, as the lack of Golden Arches is actually used as a tourist draw, there is strong opposition Education The number of 18 year olds who leave school with fewer than five GCSEs above a D grade has risen by a quarter in the past three years to one in six, finds a new report Marine life Due to disease, fishing, pollution and so on, 4,896 whales, dolphins…

Speak up Q I never thought I’d be a good politician and joining a Parent Teacher Association is proving it. I want to pull my weight, but meetings descend into Prime Minister’s Questions-esque pantomime. I’m a vocal person and I’m worried about falling out with other parents—can I quit? I. N., Berkshire A (After a decade of playing the villain onstage at Guildford, I resent the frequently made comparison of PMQs to pantomime. It insults a noble and finely crafted theatrical tradition. But that is incidental.) Don’t quit—the solution is easy. You can pull your weight, earn the gratitude and respect of the parents, use your vocal talents and raise (note, raise) meetings to the level of pantomime—all at once! Simply put yourself forward as PTA chairman. It’s a…

WE set off for Scotland in a car that registered 30°C somewhere near Tebay services. With three squashed into the back seat and Fletcher the dachshund on my lap, it was so hot and so sticky that we forgot to tune in to the Test match and, therefore, missed the greatest-ever innings by an English batsman. However, I was thrilled to be north under blue skies, even if the fishing fraternity was less so. Torrential rain was forecast (and duly arrived) the day we left, which meant conditions would be perfect the following week. In my experience, fishing conditions are always perfect the following week. ‘Zam breaks down on line one. He regroups. He breaks down on line five: “As my wife of 27 years said...”’ We spend the…

The main season of the apple harvest is upon us. Start with the early cultivars, which tend to be poor keepers, so you can munch as you go, then proceed to the later kinds. If the crop is ripe, there will be a scatter of windfalls and the fruit will come away in the hand. Place each in the bucket with steady care: a bruised fruit is the source of ruin. Take them to the storeroom, a place ideally unlit, with slightly raked slatted-timber shelves. Examine each fruit as you work, sending any that are damaged straight to the kitchen. SCD…

• These easily grown bulbs tend to flower in spring and summer, so they are best planted in September at twice the depth of the bulb. Plant them in groups of three or five for the best effect • The larger-headed alliums, with substantial bulbs, benefit from being planted 6in below the surface to prevent them from being blown over • Most prefer a bright position and the majority of tall alliums will thrive in a wide range of soils, although they won’t enjoy being waterlogged • The seedheads can be spectacular. Sterile forms can be left to form early winter skeletons. If they’re producing seeds, cut the heads before they drop them • Allium foliage tends to look ragged by the time the flowers appear. Hide the leaves by…

IN early 1939, an editor at National Allied Publications—now DC Comics —gave young cartoonist Bob Kane a rather daunting task: create a superhero as popular as Superman, who had hit newsstands just the year before and caused a sensation. Mr Kane played around with a few ideas until suddenly—pow!—inspiration struck. He recalled Leonardo da Vinci’s designs of the ornithopter, a winged flying machine, and got to work drawing rough sketches of a masked man in a red costume with bat-like wings, before eagerly showing them to writer Bill Finger. Together, they refined the idea. The wings were replaced by a black, scalloped cape, the costume became dark and sinister and the character’s backstory fell into place: wealthy playboy by day, merciless crime-fighter by night. The Bat-Man made his first appearance…

Pear-and-chocolate cake In a large bowl, mix together 125g of self-raising flour, 125g of golden caster sugar, 50g of cocoa powder, one teaspoon of baking powder, one teaspoon of salt, two eggs, one egg yolk, 140ml of buttermilk, 110ml of vegetable oil, two teaspoons of vanilla-bean paste and 125ml of boiling water. Pour into a lined loaf tin and then arrange three whole, peeled, ripe and juicy pears, standing upright, in the cake mixture. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the cake mixture. Dust with icing sugar and serve. Pear and mulled-wine tarte tatin Add 30g of butter to an oven-proof frying pan and heat to melt. Add 200ml of mulled wine and 100g of caster sugar. Reduce until…

Nimble sneaker in tech suede navy, with echnogel 3D insoles, £350, Harry’s of London (020–3696 7878; www.harrysoflondon) These suede and leather trainers exude Italian elegance, £590, Brunello Cucinelli (020–7287 4347; www.brunellocucinelli.com) Sneaker low in chestnut, handmade in Britain, is an exclusive collaboration with fifth-generation shoemaker Crown Northampton, £240, Billy Tannery (0330 043 8293; www.billytannery.co.uk) Stand out with these Leather Miyata trainers with red soles, £195, Paul Smith (0080 0222 44455; www.paulsmith.com) Choose Stockholm-designed simplicity with Racket crimson trainers, £285, from C.QP, which stands for Conversations & Quintessential Products (www.c-qp.com)…

It won’t have gone unnoticed that I like to make some noise, so it would be remiss if I didn’t include my drum kit as one of my most prized possessions. My band, Eddie and the Robbers, has been around since 2003. When I don’t have my drums, I can be found playing a couple of spoons in my favourite bar in the South of France There’s no denying that I’m an adrenaline junkie, so, when I say that my favourite life experience has been the Oyster World Rally yacht race, in which I took part in 2013, it might not surprise you. In fact, sailing around the world on Lush was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one I would recommend to anyone with a sense of adventure and…

• September 27 Julia Fischer plays Britten’s Violin Concerto • October 2 Nicola Benedetti plays Elgar’s Violin Concerto • October 5 Sheku Kanneh-Mason plays the Elgar Cello Concerto • October 9 James Ehnes plays Walton’s Violin Concerto • October 23 Thomas Adès conducts Kirill Gerstein playing his new Piano Concerto • October 26 Sir Mark Elder conducts Elgar’s The Apostles with Roderick Williams as Jesus • November 9 Marin Alsop conducts Butterworth’s A Shropshire Lad, Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast • December 6 Anthony Marwood plays Thomas Adès’s Violin Concerto • December 11 Peter Donohoe plays John Foulds’s Dynamic Triptych. For concert details, telephone 020–7840 4242 or visit www.lpo.org.uk • October 4–12 The Alwyn Music Festival takes place at venues in Southwold, Aldeburgh and Blythburgh, Suffolk (www.williamalwyn.co.uk)…

Goodnestone Park A classical English country garden, Goodnestone Park is a haven of beautiful tranquillity hidden away in south-east Kent. Jane Austen was a frequent visitor, taking inspiration from the elegant setting. There are 14 acres to explore—including walled gardens and arboretums—and the Old Dairy serves delicious home-made food. Kent (01304 840107; www.goodnestoneparkgardens.co.uk) Hever Castle Autumn is the season when Hever’s striking trees come to the fore: colour abounds with vivid maples and brilliant beech. Boston ivy scrambles up the castle walls and Vitis coignetiae clothes bridges and pergolas with crimson. Visit on a still day for the very best views of reflections in the moats and lake. Kent (01732 865224; www.hevercastle.co.uk) The Garden at Miserden From the lawns outside the 17th- century house, visitors can admire the splendour of…

SOME men like to have their hair cut regularly, but the rest of us just let it grow until, all of a sudden, it feels like a nuisance. When that moment comes, I blunder into town looking for Shannon, who works on the first floor over a shop, in a place called something witty and forgettable like A Cut Above, A Step Ahead or Upper Cuts. Shannon, named after the river rather than the airport, doesn’t mess about with hair-washing. She takes about 10 minutes and charges £10. When the mood caught me unawares in Edinburgh recently, I found my way to The Turkish Barber on Easter Road and spent a happy few minutes chatting to the barber who cuts the consul’s hair, on occasion. In the event, it was…

Enjoy a spa session and tea at The Old Government House, a former governor’s mansion (www.theoghhotel.com) Check out Hauteville House, the eclectically decorated former home of Victor Hugo (www.maisonsvictorhugo.paris.fr/en) Enjoy a Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society tour with Gill Girard (www.gillgirardtourguide.com) Visit the historic bathing pools at La Vallette Explore sprawling Castle Cornet to learn more about the rich history of the island (www.museums.gov.gg)…

BOYS were collecting conkers to begin their timeless battles this week. Despite the diseased, shrivelled brown leaves of the host tree, the conkers were as brown, smooth and shiny as they were in the fights of my youth. The Vikings, who were surprisingly fastidious when it came to cleanliness, used to make soap from crushed conkers and many other people swear that the nuts repel moths from nibbling their woollens. The horse chestnut probably got its name from the fact that the conkers were used to treat ailments in horses; aescin, which can be extracted from the nuts, is a remedy for sprains and bruises in humans. We are at a time of crossover, a time of hips and autumn fruits; the morning sees the valley down to the River…

I HAVE always been interested in the cultivation of vegetable marrows and have collected certain facts. The bush marrow is to be preferred to the trailer; being a compact, erect plant, it is more ornamental and easily watered in dry weather. In Essex in 1917 I grew 1,500 bush marrows and got a crop of 6 tons. This works out to be 9lb per plant. Being at the bottom of a slope they received the natural drainage and got practically no manure at all. I believe it is best to pinch the runners just beyond the first fruit formed; this prevents a number of little marrows turning yellow and dropping off. If carefully cut and unbruised and stored in an airy place, vegetable marrows can be kept all winter and…

Hatching a plan IN response to Alan Field’s letter about uses for old tennis courts (September 18), they make ideal laying pens when a smallish number of pheasant eggs are desired for a farm or family shoot. If the court is tennis-ball proof, it should prevent pheasants getting out—and foxes or badgers getting in; they’re often lockable, too. Pine branches for nesting cover and feeders can be concentrated on non-playing surfaces and in May, when sufficient eggs have been collected, the stock birds can be returned to a local wood, the court swept and family tennis can commence. M. I. L. Roberts, Kent Back to the future THE answer to your question regarding the name of the street shown in the 1921 photo of Dover is St James Street…

THERE was a time—and Athena is painfully conscious that it was not so very long ago—when the local branch bank was the finest building on the high street. Solidly proportioned, almost invariably executed in a neo-Classical idiom, banks were designed to inspire confidence, to articulate the dignity of wealth wisely managed. Bank managers had autonomy over their buildings and took pride in them, aware that they were a mainspring of local economic life. A number, it must be admitted, relished a degree of self-importance that came with the responsibility of carrying the nation’s savings in their pockets. Like Capt Mainwaring, managers would polish their shoes every day and expect their staff to dress properly. Now, internet banking and international call centres have swept that world aside and left our highly…

● Avon Bulbs, Burnt House Farm, South Petherton, Somerset (01460 242177; www.avonbulbs.co.uk)This small, family-run, mail-order nursery sells the very best garden-worthy spring- and summer-flowering bulbs. It specialises in named snowdrops ● Rose Cottage Plants, Bay Tree Farm, Epping Green, Essex (01992 573775; www.rosecottageplants. co.uk) The colour-themed website makes it easy to compare and contrast. Mail order is available, although Rose Cottage attends many shows as well. Also open by appointment and on most Fridays between April and October, but do check ● Jacques Amand International, The Nurseries, Clamp Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex (020–8420 7110; www. jacquesamandintl.com) With a wide range that also includes choice woodlanders, such as cypripediums, arisaemas and trilliums, this nursery close to the M25 offers mail order, but also opens to the public from Monday to Friday and…

• Wild plants that work well in a formal setting can help tie a garden to the country beyond. For example: primrose (Primula vulgaris), red campion (Silene dioica), stinking iris (Iris foetidissima), stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), teasels (Dipsacus fullonum) and cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) • Multi-stem trees are particularly useful. If you have even just one in the garden and a couple in the landscape, the eye picks up on the connection. Julie Toll recommends trying hazel, hawthorn and apple • Shrubs native to the UK, such as Viburnum opulus, give a natural look, as do wilder-looking roses. Those with good hips, including Rosa canina and R. rugosa, are particularly useful, as they give a longer season of interest • Wildflower-meadow seed mixes are great for large…

Batman, DC Comics After witnessing the murder of his parents, Batman vows to prevent the tragedy of his childhood from happening to anyone else. A superhero with no superpowers, he remains one of the most iconic and reinvented characters of all time Dennis the Menace, the Beano With his red-and-black striped jumper, spiky hair and that mischievous grin, Dennis has been a much-loved childhood staple for generations. Rebellious, funny and with a loyal dog at his side, he’s a true British hero (right) Spider-Man, Marvel Comics This teenage superhero makes the list mostly for the imagination that went into his creation. Who would have thought having the powers of a spider could be so… cool? Tintin, by Hergé Everyone loves Tintin, the young reporter with an unbreakable spirit…

Gardening/autobiography Scent Magic Isabel Bannerman (Pimpernel Press, £30) JULIAN and Isabel Bannerman are garden-makers responsible for some of the most innovative and extravagantly theatrical designs of the past 30 years. The couple conjure with temples, bridges, pillars and obelisks (crafted from wood rather than stone) to create gardens that feel as if they have long been a part of the landscape. The plantings are sumptuous, relaxed and romantic. At Woolbeding and Arundel Castle in West Sussex, the stumpery at Highgrove, Gloucestershire, and numerous other sites, they have designed gardens to linger in, enticing us to pause. For many, they are the most creative and singular designers working in Britain today. ‘This book is an absolute feast, not only for gardeners’ Following the success of their book Landscape of Dreams, which…