Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-Oct-2019 i Country Life

WE might deplore the way Extinction Rebellion protestors attempted to bring London to a standstill—and applaud the commuters who dragged a daft campaigner off a Tube train roof at Canning Town (didn’t he realise they were already using public transport?)—but we cannot escape the fact that we all need to do more, now. Following on from the success of our first sustainability issue (June 26), this week’s COUNTRY LIFE features more advice on heating our homes (page 52), eating (page 62) and driving (page 58) in more environmentally friendly ways. Anyone who started school in the 1980s has known about the detrimental effects of climate change for a long time and yet nothing much has changed in 40 years. Most of us still use fossil fuels to heat our homes,…

High streets In the past year, 85,000 people have lost jobs in the retail sector; the British Retail Consortium is calling on the Government to overhaul business-rate policies Crowing cocks The RSPCA warns more and more chickens and cockerels are being abandoned because their owners didn’t realise how noisy they’d be Hungry seabirds Mullion Island off the Cornish coast is a sanctuary for nesting great black-backed and herring gulls, cormorants and shags, but National Trust rangers say it’s now littered with thousands of elastic bands; it’s thought the birds bring them there mistaking them for worms Professional footballers They’re 3½ times more likely to die from dementia or another neurological disease, says the University of Glasgow. Lesson: try not to deliberately hit things with your head…

Quiz of the week 1) Abbotsford in Melrose, Scotland, was the home of which 19th-century novelist? 2) Photophobia is an extreme sensitivity to what? 3) Charing Cross is named for a 13th-century cross dedicated to which queen? 4) Autotomy is the ability of some animals to cast off what if threatened? 5) Who wrote the epic poem The Divine Comedy? Time to buy Unmissable events Fair November 5–10 The Winter Art & Antiques Fair 2019 (right), Olympia, London W14. Buy one-off pieces by the likes of Lalique, Matisse, Meissen and Cartier from 70 of the UK’s top dealers. COUNTRY LIFE’s Huon Mallalieu will discuss the concept of ‘Sound in Paintings’ in the theatre on November 6. Adult tickets from £20.50 (0844 412 4629; www. olympiaantiques.com) November 4–10 Spirit of…

Swings and roundabouts Q Having become friendly with some of the other school mothers, I was delighted when they suggested that we join them for a weekend away. When the invitation arrived, it became clear that it involved ‘swinging’. Obviously, we declined, but how will I look any of them in the eye? W. H., Norfolk A But honey! You live, as do I, in Norfolk. You got off lightly. (In our village, a bride was once —allegedly—sent home the morning after her wedding because she was a virgin. ‘If ye hent good enough for your brothers, ye hent good enough for me…’) Your situation is a comedy worthy of Norfolk’s greatest hero: not Nelson, but Alan Partridge. You ask me how to look them in the eye—with exactly…

IN recent years, the use of projection as a means of interpreting works of art has grown steadily more sophisticated. Athena’s first proper exposure to this technique was seeing the west front of Amiens cathedral lit up to illustrate its medieval colour scheme, more than a decade ago. Such displays have become increasingly common and impressive. The British Museum’s Assyrian exhibition last year used similar techniques to illustrate the colouring of sculpture and, over the summer, the lost decoration of two rooms in Buckingham Palace was re-created in this way (together with dancing figures in the ballroom, projected using the Victorian illusion known as Pepper’s Ghost). It is a great pleasure for Athena, therefore, to see this technology now being applied to one of the least appreciated of British art…

AS the founder of Client-Earth, James Thornton is a lawyer offering hope. There may be some people, suspicious of the law, to whom this may seem like an oxymoron. However, Mr Thornton is an unusual lawyer, with an extraordinary brief he takes from the earth itself. On its behalf, he wants to stop climate change, save wildlife, clean up the oceans and purify the air. He’ll do this—and more—to help all of us, using legal means. Impossible? Think again. ‘So far,’ says Mr Thornton in his habitually soft, lightly American voice, ‘everything we’ve tried has been successful.’ Look at what happened to air pollution in Britain. ‘Forty thousand people were dying early from it every year. There was a clear law, to which the UK Parliament had signed up. But…

WHEN the late Sir Anthony Milbank installed a biomass boiler at Barningham Park, his Grade II*-listed home in Co Durham, 20 years ago, he was regarded as a green pioneer. Now, thanks to his son, Sir Edward, who took over in 2008, many of the 7,000-acre estate’s properties, plus the church and pub, are heated using biomass systems fuelled by woodchip from its woodland. ‘We’ve removed 15 oil boilers and installed biomass boilers in 30 private houses, some of which are also fuelled with our woodchip,’ explains Sir Edward, whose family has owned the estate since 1690. Barningham’s conversion to renewables inspired him to diversify into planting new forestry, as well as maintaining the estate’s traditional ventures, including a sheep farm and grouse moor. His new business, Pennine Forestry, is…

Fit for a duke or a duchess THE imposing Fife Arms, a handsome Victorian hotel on the banks of Clunie Water in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, was originally built as a 19th-century coaching inn by the Duke of Fife. Now, it has reopened to great acclaim following a sympathetic refurbishment by Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of the Hauser + Wirth art gallery. With 46 rooms and suites—in which Russell Sage has lavishly blended old and new with muted heritage paint colours, sumptuous fabrics and tweed-patterned carpets—the five-star retreat is enhanced by the clever placement of modern art (by Lucian Freud and Picasso, among others) and 14,000 other curios. Our supremely comfortable room—inspired by writer Nan Shepherd, who features on the Scottish £5 note—offered glorious views, a queen-size bed (with a…

FORTY years ago, a man named Patrick Mavros painstakingly carved a pair of earrings in his studio in Africa. This labour of love was to be a gift for his future wife. Today, Patrick Mavros is more than a man —it is the iconic African luxury brand, having safaried from Zimbabwe to London, Mauritius and Nairobi. The thing that remains constant is that this is a family affair—a family that is passionate about its African heritage, showcasing it for the world in the form of extraordinary jewellery and sculpture in sterling silver and 18-carat gold. ‘A tableau of acacia trees, elephants and giraffes is animated by flickering candlelight’ Each piece is designed by a member of the family, then handcrafted by skilled artisans in the studio in Africa and the…

Susannah Lovis Susannah has been selling exceptional jewels from her shop in Burlington Arcade for more than 20 years. An expert in gemmology, diamond grading and also jewellery design, she is an authority in the field of fine jewellery and her shop is well known for its beautiful treasures and unparalleled customer service. Joanna Hardy Joanna is an expert in vintage jewellery with more than 30 years of experience. She trained as a goldsmith and then graded diamonds, before heading up the jewellery department of Sotheby’s. She now runs her jewellery school, gives masterclasses and lectures, appears on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow and has published three books.…

Now is the time to fill the designated space in the intended border with a clump of a particular herbaceous perennial made by dividing one original specimen. Any species of cranesbill (Geranium) will serve as an example. Lift the stock plant by cutting round it with a spade and removing it from the ground. Use a big old knife to remove sections, each bearing a full complement of roots and shoots, to the desired size. Transport these to their destination and replant them in a loose group. Tidy up, then stand back and admire your work.…

Red-curry pumpkin and sweet-potato soup In a saucepan, soften a chopped onion in a splash of neutral oil. Add 75g of red curry paste and continue cooking on a gentle heat for a few minutes to release the flavours, before adding 500g of peeled and chopped pumpkin, together with one sweet potato (similarly prepared). Pour in a tin of coconut cream and top up with vegetable stock to just cover the vegetables. Simmer until tender and then blend until smooth. Serve with a swirl of coconut yoghurt, fresh coriander and a few mixed seeds, including pumpkin. Easy pumpkin gratin Layer thin slices of pumpkin, squash and butternut in a buttered oven dish. In a saucepan, heat a mixture of half milk and half cream, together with a bay leaf, a…

EVERY year for the past four years, members of the Artworkers’ Guild in London have assembled a Table Top Museum at the guild’s handsome headquarters in Queen Square. It’s a museum of museums, in fact, because each of the art-workers involved displays a personal collection. It might be passport photos or plastic clothes pegs or the various mincers that Peter Quinell has been ‘collecting unenthusiastically since 1983’. All have their own, sometimes grisly, sometimes joyous, fascination. You never know what people will collect. I was recently at lunch, the other guest being a large and anxious-looking Italian who barely spoke. I only guessed he was a dealer when, over the coffee, he produced a leather case, with a clasp, containing a marble Roman dildo that, the man assured us, had…

THIS week, November takes its place at the head of the table. It is a month that slowly loses its grip on autumn. It can’t, hard as it tries, hold back winter. Darkness arrives earlier each day as the Sun slowly wanders southwards, like a girl walking away from her former lover. The Sun never looks backwards—its movement is cruel and relentless, until the break up is complete. The trees give up and shed their leaves, as dahlias crash from being the life and soul of the garden to mush with the first frost. Silence creeps across the empty fields and into the hedges. And yet, it is one of my favourite times of year. A time of woodsmoke and astonishing stars as the night usurps the day. Dawn and…

LINDISFARNE CASTLE, which is advertised for sale in this issue, ought to be acquired by some Northumbrian man of letters or artist; one who is proud of the past glory of the island and alive to the unique combination of beauty it presents. Sand dry and blown, sand gleaming and wet, rocks black and rugged, an odd little harbour, the ruins of a famous abbey, flora and fauna, wild winds and screaming seafowl form an environment imagination could not better. It owes its origin to the naval policy of Henry VIII or, rather, that of Cardinal Wolsey. Originally a simple ‘block house’, it was very early developed into a fine castellated building. It was the home of various local notabilities, being Government property. Then it was handed to the Coastguard,…

The house of Krug sits proudly at or near the apex of the Champagne hierarchy and, sometimes, only the best will do. Krug makes no ordinary wines: its Grande Cuvée, which makes up the bulk of production, is a multi-cru, multi-vintage blend of great complexity and ageworthiness. Further up the scale (although the precise and meticulous chef de caves Eric Lebel says there is no hierarchy with Krug) are its vintage and single-vineyard wines, Clos du Mesnil and Clos d’Ambonnay, which command very high prices. Why you should be drinking them Krug waits 12 or 13 years after the harvest before releasing a vintage, so the launch of the 2006 in London a couple of weeks ago (as other houses are releasing 2013s) was not an event to miss.…

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AS a lone parent renting an Edinburgh flat, artist Mella Shaw is not in a position to install a biomass boiler. However, she is proof that city dwellers can also live more sustainably by making simple changes to their daily lives. ‘If you look for them, there are often refillery stores in cities now, making it much easier to cut down on packaging,’ she says. ‘Switching to Fairphone ensures your smartphone is made using Fairtrade materials with parts that can be easily repaired.’ There are easy ways to save energy, too, she advocates: ‘Switch to a green supplier, don’t pre-heat your oven when you cook, share bathwater, take public transport or get on a bike.’ None of these changes, she insists, will negatively affect your quality of life—they might even…

Park life A MEDIEVAL deer park, once belonging to Henry VII, is home to an unusual collection of new-builds and the converted Grade II-listed Haseley Manor. At Hatton in Warwickshire, the manor house now contains 12 one- to three-bedroom apartments, with nine new houses throughout the grounds. The estate has been developed by Spitfire, which specialises in sustainable, bespoke residential. Apartments cost from £600,000 via Knight Frank (01789 206967). Visit www.spitfirepg.co.uk for further information. Nature’s gift SHELL’S announcement, earlier this month, that it will offset emissions of people who buy its petrol —by buying carbon credits from British and international estates and planting and regenerating a million trees across Scotland—has put the spotlight on the green potential of landed properties. ‘There certainly is a lot more interest in the…

THE world’s richest bridge event is the Cavendish. Back in the 1990s, it was held in New York—my favourite of its venues. Then, it moved to Las Vegas— a place in which you can survive only if you get past those hollow-looking folks playing the slot machines hour after hour. These days, it’s held in Monaco, the second smallest country in the world (after the Vatican) and, for me, somewhat too claustrophobic. The bridge at the 2019 Monaco Cavendish was anything but claustrophobic—it was wild and free. Take this deal in which you as North-South freeze out East-West and bid then make your 18-count Four Spades. West leads the King of Hearts, you winning dummy’s Ace, ruffing a second Heart, and leading up a Diamond. West rises with the Ace…

Weary gardeners Trimbot, a new robot programmed by Edinburgh University engineers to recognise different plants and prune accordingly, could be in production within the next five years, subject to safety tests The fishing industry Fishermen can now apply for a share of a £15.4m Maritime Fisheries Fund; the Government hopes this will ensure our fishing and seafood industry continues to prosper once we leave the EU Lost property A painting by American artist Gari Melchers that was seized by the Nazis from a Jewish family in 1933 has been discovered in a New York museum. Currently held by the FBI, it will soon be returned to the Mosse family Brutalism A concrete 1960s car park in Edinburgh—Castle Terrace—featured in the film T2 Trainspotting, has been granted listed status by Historic…

A half-term trip to North Wales gave me the chance to take the children to Conwy. In return for a solemn promise on my part not to go to the castle, I managed, with a minimum of histrionics, to negotiate visits to the parish church, Telford’s suspension bridge and the Tudor town house Plas Mawr, instead. Everyone was satisfied. By way of reward for so much sightseeing, we bought ice creams of quite improbable size and wandered down to the quay. There we encountered some seagulls who were determined to secure the treats for themselves. One particularly large, persistent and threatening bird only lost interest when it managed to steal some chips, intercepted between hand and mouth, from another startled passer-by. We hurried back into town and, in the relief…

• The term ‘opera’ originates from the Latin word opus, meaning work, and also from the full Italian phrase opera in musica. • At the end of an opera, you should shout ‘bravo’ for a man and ‘brava’ for a woman. For a group of singers, the plural ‘bravi’ is expected. • Many of the first opera houses were synonymous with unruly behaviour and debauchery. The combination of candles, perfume, heavy perspiration and a severe lack of ventilation made it rather a ripe experience. • The expression ‘it ain’t over till the fat lady sings’ refers to the conclusion of Wagner’s four-part Der Ring des Nibelungen. In it, the ‘fat lady’ sings for 20 minutes as an epic finale to the 16-hour saga. • Loud opera singers match the shape…

HAILE first became a seat of the Ponsonby family when one William Ponsonby married Constance, daughter of Alexander de Haile, in about 1295. Its recent and exemplary restoration, recognised by a special commendation at the Georgian Group Awards earlier this month (‘Georgian distinction’, October 2), and also at the Historic Houses Awards last year, is the most recent chapter in a remarkable story of revival and survival that has kept this family link alive against all the odds through the vicissitudes of the 20th and 21st centuries. The family connection with Haile is a complex one. A 17th-century descendant of William and Constance, Sir John Ponsonby of Haile, one of Cromwell’s officers serving in Ireland, acquired land in Co Kilkenny. This Irish property descended to his younger sons Henry and…

WHEN screenwriter Simon Wheeler bought the Old Rectory in the village of Higher Odcombe, Somerset, in 2011, it was a blank canvas he planned to restore back to Georgian splendour. ‘The flue from the oil-fired boiler was covering the fireplaces in two of the reception rooms, so I looked at alternative ways of heating,’ he says. ‘I wanted it to be renewable, but also low impact.’ Unable to find a company offering a holistic green-energy solution, he engineered one himself with a solar stack in the garden and a ground-source heat pump in the cellar for the house, plus an air-source heat pump to heat the swimming pool. It was an exercise that required careful co-ordination, but it made financial sense, particularly once the existing four-oven Aga had been reconditioned…

THIS magazine has often championed the value of British livestock. From the Gloucester cow to the Large White sow, there’s an enduring value in native breeds wherever they are found, and it’s great news that so many consumers are wising up to traditionally reared farm produce. It’s always exciting to see farmers jockeying for ascendancy in terms of provenance, succulence and doing things ‘the old-fashioned way’. The more producers who turn away from the mainstream, the greater variety and choice is available to the consumer. There’s only one kind of livestock where I farm in Galloway. Cattle have shaped the way we do business over the past three centuries and it’s a matter of delirious pride for those of us who live and work in southwest Scotland to see Galloway…

● Spend as much as you can on pillows and duvet. You’d happily spend £45 on dinner, but you can’t put a price on a wonderful sleep ● Synthetic pillows and duvets aren’t breathable, so store more dust mites—in fact, they are worse for allergy sufferers ● Do not dry clean bed linen if possible— the chemicals aren’t good to sleep with ● Eco-friendly washing powders work just as well, the more simple the better—clean smelling doesn’t always mean clean ● Wash sheets at high temperatures with fewer chemicals or lower with more detergent ● Do not use fabric conditioner. It coats towels with a residue, which you then rub onto your skin ● If you like fluffy towels, but don’t want to waste energy, pop them in the dryer…

Join COUNTRY LIFE contributor Charles Quest-Ritson on the magical ‘green’ island of Corfu. From Homer’s Odyssey to the Durrell family’s stay on the island in the early 20th century, writers, artists, gardeners, travellers, statesmen and royalty have been bewitched by the lush vegetation, wildflowers and silver olive groves. We will visit some wonderful private gardens created by a new wave of garden designers sensitive to Mediterranean style, who use many native plants. The tour includes visits to Jennie Gay’s work at Rou and Kassiopia, pictured here, as well as an exclusive opportunity to visit the magnificent Rothschild estate (‘Infinite horizons’, January 2). We will stay in the five-star Hotel Domes Miramare, a former Onassis villa, where all our rooms are extremely comfortable and enjoy views of the Ionian Sea. The…

1 Trading Boundaries: Roger Dean is responsible for some of the most iconic images of the past five decades with highly collectable paintings for album covers, including Inland Sea II (pictured) for music legends YES. Visit a major retrospective at his gallery Trading Boundaries, November 1–December 8 (01825 790200; www.tradingboundaries.com); 2 Simone Sandelson is a professional portrait painter, using oil on linen canvas. Her speciality is discovering the essential nature of her subjects (www. sandelson.co.uk; simone@sandelson.co.uk);3 Reg Wharton: Landscape artist working mainly with knife whose portfolio covers the North-East, Scotland and the Welsh Mountains with an interest in regional fishing boats. Pictured is Loch Linnhe below Ben Nevis by Reg (07768 897390; www.artistsonart.co.uk); 4 Geedon Gallery is in a converted barn overlooking the Essex marshes, with two exhibitions a year…