Innholdsfortegnelse for 16-Oct-2019 i Country Life

THIS week’s edition of COUNTRY LIFE includes three kitchens that have been shortlisted for a Historic Houses award, the winner of which will be unveiled next month. The aim of the project is to celebrate examples of new kitchens that have been successfully incorporated into old buildings. Those that have been chosen eloquently demonstrate the different ways that historic buildings can be adapted to the demands of the 21st century, without impacting on their integrity (see page 67). The recent news story of a disgruntled builder in Hertfordshire who single-handedly destroyed a row of five newly built houses in only 40 minutes suggests that many of the houses built today won’t be quite as robust and malleable in centuries to come (if, indeed, they are still standing). Although few house…

BREXIT negotiations are changing by the minute, but British farmers could still find themselves amid the nightmare scenario of paying tariffs on food they sell abroad while being out-competed at home by cheap, lower-quality imports (Agromenes, page 33). Last week, the Government announced that, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, it would remove or reduce tariffs for incoming agricultural products for up to a year. This, says the NFU, could be devastating. ‘We would suddenly face tariffs on pretty much all goods we produce here that are going into the EU,’ says the NFU’s, Nick von Westenholz. ‘Meanwhile, wheat, eggs, many fruit and vegetables, many cheeses —all of those will be able to come into the UK from anywhere in the world, tariff free, and you’ll see products made…

Beachcombing An 8ft-deep, 20ft-long sinkhole has opened up at Blyth Beach, Northumberland, after the sand gave way under the impact of heavy rain Forgers The Bank of England says its latest design for the £20 note is the most secure yet; featuring Turner, it enters circulation next February Water birds Swans, Canada geese and a coot had to be rescued from Queen’s Park lake, Crewe, Cheshire, after cooking oil was spilt in the water Pig health Defra is asking people not to feed wild boar in the Forest of Dean to prevent African Swine Fever, which can be caught from contaminated produce, from entering the UK…

WHETHER it’s throwing a pinch of spilled salt over your left shoulder to ward off misfortune or reciting incantations around a tree to cure disease, the UK is steeped in superstition—and the National Trust wants to preserve this heritage for posterity. ‘We’re interested to hear the nation’s folklore, customs and traditions that people cherish or have memories of, which are often passed down by word of mouth, so we can keep these stories alive,’ explains the Trust’s Jessica Monaghan. ‘The project may come to life through specific activities and events at our places to mark the passing of the year.’ Email your tales to superstitions@ nationaltrust.org.uk—just make sure you don’t send exactly 13.…

IT’S been a strange week to criss-cross London on a bicycle. The effect of the Extinction Rebellion protests has been to empty some streets entirely and to choke others with stationary cars and frustrated drivers. On one trip through Parliament Square, instead of the roar of cars, the whole space reverberated to the beat of drums. Adding a layer of surrealism to this wider disruption, our street was commandeered this week for a day of filming. Before dawn, a fleet of articulated lorries filled with equipment trundled in. They were followed by hordes of technicians, security guards and stagehands, all dressed in black and armed with walkie-talkies. By the time I left for work, there was a crowded breakfast tent operating opposite the front door. I missed the filming, but…

• The pasty is so celebrated in its homeland that the Cornish rugby team suspends a giant pasty above its bar whenever an important game is being played. • The saying ‘oggie, oggie, oggie’ originates in the tin mines, with oggie coming from hoggan, the Cornish word for pasty. Some had stoves to warm them and, when they were ready, ‘hoggan’ was shouted down the mine, to which the miners would respond ‘oi, oi, oi’. • The humble dish was favoured by the upper classes of the 13th century—lavish fillings included beef, venison and lamb. • It was once common for pasties to contain both a savoury and a sweet filling, in effect, providing a full meal. • One of many superstitions surrounding the pasty says that the Devil would…

MODERN technology can be a wonderful thing, but a disastrous social consequence has been the rise of a generation of Johnny no-talents, ever ready to bore you with out-of-focus, ill-framed iPhone snaps. David Suchet, an impulsive photographer who never leaves the house without a proper camera, certainly does not fit in that category. His new book, Behind the Lens: My Life, bursts with images of London locations famous and obscure, trees, boats, actors and ordinary people with which any working photographer would be delighted. He bats away any notion of skill. ‘I’m not a good photographer, and I don’t aim to be. I could never set up a professional shot—I don’t have that technical knowledge,’ he says. I suspect he’s a lot more serious about the art than he’s letting…

• Cavaliers come in four colours: the brown-and-white Blenheim; black and tan; tricolour, formerly known as the Prince Charles; and ruby. Black and tans are the oldest colour, rubies the newest • The singer Frank Sinatra adored Cavaliers—their number fluctuated throughout his life, but he was photographed with up to five of them at a time. When he died, his family placed a dog biscuit in his coffin to commemorate his love for them • Cavaliers are susceptible to several hereditary conditions, including mitral valve disease and syringomyelia. Because of this, you should get your puppy from a reputable breeder, to minimise the chance of future heartbreak • It is frowned upon to clip the hair of a Cavalier intended for showing—they are long-haired, with feathering on their ears, legs,…

Pattern play True to her talent for exquisitely coloured pattern design, Neisha Crosland has reinterpreted her stylised flower-head design, originally created for a silk chiffon scarf, onto a new Flora velvet. £240 per m, in Oolong Blue, Lapsang Gold and Jasmine Ivory, from Turnell & Gigon (020–7259 7280; www. turnellandgigon.com) Comfort station With its deep, feather-filled cushions, the Hampton three-seater sofa is a plump and comfortable design, shown here in Grace linen. From £1,650, from Sofas & Stuff (0808 178 3211; www.sofasandstuff.com) Bin there Who knew that a wastepaper bin could be beautiful? Proof comes in the form of this Byzantine Geometric design. £85, from Pentreath & Hall (020–7430 2526; www. pentreath-hall.com) Burnished warmth In keeping with the move towards warm-coloured metal finishes in interiors, the Wrought Iron & Brass…

AS current statistics stand, it’s possible for someone leaving full-time education today to have as many as five different careers before reaching retirement age. For many, interior design is an increasingly popular choice as the second, third, fourth or fifth. It hasn’t always been the case, largely because of the scarcity of formal training. When Jacqueline Duncan opened the Inchbald School of Design in 1960, she was a trailblazer. Her then husband, interior decorator Michael Inchbald, lacked any formal training, which made her realise there was a gap in the market for would-be professional decorators. ‘He had great taste and a wonderful eye for antiques, but lacked knowledge of specifics—for example, sourcing materials. That often fell to me.’ Together, they had established a successful interior-design studio and, as word grew,…

MARK DIACONO writes so temptingly about herbs that I’m rather worried about taking on the subject myself. My own interest is in growing herbs for the kitchen, so I only nurture those I shall consume. I know many keen gardeners like to have a dedicated herb garden, but I have never seen one that looked pretty—herb plants do not make an ornamental composition when all corralled together and even the much-praised garden at Sissinghurst doesn’t really please in the way that the rest of the Nicolsons’ masterpiece does. And what’s the point in growing things that may, indeed, be herbs, but are fairly unusable, such as wormwood and woad? Herbs make splendid salads. Years ago, I toured the hills around Yerevan with Armenian botanist Eleanora Gabrielian. At lunchtime on the…

Wild-mushroom Dutch baby A perfect Sunday supper, this serves two. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together 75g of plain flour, two eggs and 75ml of milk and seasoning. Keep whisking until there are no lumps. Heat 40g of butter in a cast-iron frying pan in a hot oven, until melted and frothy. Remove from the oven, pour in the batter and return to the oven to cook for another 15–20 minutes or until lightly browned and puffy. Meanwhile, fry 200g of mushrooms with chopped parsley and crushed garlic. To serve, mix three tablespoons of Greek yoghurt with one tablespoon of wholegrain mustard and dollop this onto the puffed pancake before spooning the mushrooms over the top. Serve immediately. Autumn salad Add baby spinach and rocket leaves to a large salad…

IN 1885, Paul Gauguin painted a portrait of himself in his Paris studio. Now hanging in the Kimbell Art Museum in Texas, the picture is, to be truthful, not very good. Until shortly before he painted it, Gauguin, then 37, had been working as a stockbroker on the Paris Bourse and then, briefly, as a tarpaulin salesman in Copenhagen. Before that, he was in the French merchant marine. For a decade, however, he had also been a keen painter, formally untrained, but picking up tips from Impressionist friends such as Camille Pissarro, who, like him, worked in the 9th Arrondissement. The stabbed brushwork of Gauguin’s self-portrait owes much to Pissarro, even if the work’s clumsy modelling and fall of light do not. ‘Gauguin had discovered the charms of the primitive’…

A MONUMENTAL sculpture-conservation project has saved 14 historical figureheads from oblivion. Originally adorning 19th-century warships, the sculptures had been stored at the Devonport Naval Heritage Centre for years, but had suffered extensive water damage. Three specialist teams used a ground-breaking technique—Sonic Tomography scanning, which can assess decay in trees—to analyse the extent of the problem. Some were so degraded that conservators could only retain the outer shell and had to replace all internal timbers. Repainting the figureheads was no mean feat either, as they had been painted over many times, which made it hard to work out their original colours. The conservation teams eventually created a palette by combining information from a cross-section paint analysis with inspiration from a full-colour set of 1912 cigarette cards that featured one of the…

SHEEP could soon become more eco-friendly, if an international study led by Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) proves fruitful. Scientists taking part in the intriguingly named Grass to Gas project are looking at ways to reduce the animals’ methane emissions through improvements in feeding and breeding. The college already runs a similar scheme for cattle—the Green Cow Project ( COUNTRY LIFE , October 17, 2018)—and the sheep research will build on that work. ‘The project is an important milestone in sheep research because it will deliver applied, sustainable solutions to reduce emissions from the most potent of greenhouse gases—methane—for the international sheep-breeding community,’ explains Joanne Conington of SRUC. To do so, it will combine ‘the latest precision livestock monitoring and molecular technology to identify novel selection targets and, potentially, candidate genes…

Uncool for cats Q My Siamese cat has developed a most unfortunate personal habit, which delicacy forbids me from enlarging upon—I’m sure you can imagine. It doesn’t offend me, but suffice to say that it has a very off-putting effect on my gentleman callers. What do you suggest I do? S. B., Hampshire AI’ll whisper a long-concealed truth, where stronger men might not. Chaps aren’t that cool for cats. Admittedly, the Witchfinder General took masculine mistrust too far. But look at Eartha Kitt, who shared about 98% of her DNA with them—she explicitly called herself a man-eater. The name of Bastet, the Egyptian cat goddess, means ‘lady of dread’. In addition, the humanoid yowling of the Siamese in particular, so premonitory of the 3am baby feed, does make a…

WHEN, in 1755, after years of intense labour, Dr Johnson finally finished his great dictionary, he was famously incensed by the Earl of Chesterfield’s attempts to secure the dedication of the work. In a furious letter, he accused the Earl of neglect and went on to ask sarcastically: ‘Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help?’ The rights and wrongs of Dr Johnson’s altercation have receded into history, but the charge he levels at patrons in general has not gone away. Are they not parasites of culture, figures who use their wealth and status to direct, control or consume artistic genius for their own benefit, often most assiduous…

• The first bungee jump was inspired by the ancient land divers of Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, where men ritually tied vines to their ankles and jumped from heights to prove their bravery and ward off evil spirits • The uniform of tail coats and top hats that constituted DSC dress code was in part designed to push the buttons of English eccentricity, but also, members joked, to prepare them for the undertaker • Jane Wilmot became the first woman to bungee jump, joining the DSC in launching off San Francisco’s 745ft-high Golden Gate Bridge. The club’s highest bungee jump was 955ft, above the Royal George Canyon in Colorado in the US • Slightly less epic, although no less dangerous, the club once opened a three-storey travel agency on…

Jim Lawrence This month sees the opening of the first Jim Lawrence shop outside Suffolk, at 114–116, Walcot Street, Bath ( below ). From October 24, enjoy a good selection of the lighting, curtains and poles, ironmongery and home furnishings that have earned this brand a loyal following (01225 430691; www.jim-lawrence.co.uk) OKA Well known for its wide range of classic furniture and home accessories ( above ), OKA is bringing its Interior Design Days to its store at 26–27, Milsom Street, Bath, offering a chance to book a free one-to-one appointment with a designer from the OKA studio—no decorating conundrum is too big or too small, its staff say. For an appointment, telephone 0333 240 0744 or email designservice@ oka.com (www.oka.com) Provenist by Neptune British interiors brand Neptune has opened…

Chelsea College of Arts, London SW3 (020–7514 7751; www.arts. ac.uk) Inchbald School of Design, London SW1 (020–7730 5508; www.inchbald.co.uk) KLC School of Design, London SW10 (020–7376 3377; www.klc.co.uk) The Interior Design School, London W2 (020–7917 1821; www.idschool.co.uk) Florence Design Academy, Italy (www.florencedesignacademy.com) New York School of Interior Design, USA (www.nysid.edu) Parsons School of Design, New York, USA (www.newschool.edu/parsons) Pratt Institute, New York, USA (www. pratt.edu) Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA (www.risd.edu) Savannah College of Art & Design, South Carolina, USA (www.scad.edu)…

Perennials that collapse in the frost, such as Gunnera , should now be attended to. Wade in, suitably attired, and pack some straw around the crowns. Cut off the great leaves and fold them down like a hat. For many other perennials, such as some species of Salvia , cut the top growth down and mulch over the top. If they are particularly delicate on your site, stuff a big clay pot with straw and invert it over the crown, with a slate placed over the hole. It works, and is a lot less intrusive than white fleece.…

ONE of the pleasures of viewing auctions is the research afterwards, which can uncover an intriguing story or context that may not have been evident in the description of a lot. A month ago, at Sworders of Stansted Mountfitchet, I was looking forward to seeing various lots from the home of Lady Rawlings, former president of the BADA (British Antique Dealers’ Association) among many other public offices, but then I found several other items that turned out to have tales to tell. Two of the highest prices in the two-day sale were paid for comparative ‘sleepers’, two Italian carved marble busts, one catalogued as 17th century, the other 18th, both ‘after the antique’ (Figs 1 & 2). The first measured 20½in high and was catalogued as representing an emperor.…

THE blackberry season began bravely in August sunshine and drizzled out in the rains. Old Michaelmas Day, on October 11, marks its end. It was then that the forces of Good, led by the Archangel Michael, drove the Devil out of Heaven. Country legend claims he fell straight down into a blackberry bush. He cursed its fruit as he picked himself up; in Yorkshire, they say he spat on the berries, down south, that he peed on them. Either way, they aren’t good eating any more. Michaelmas Day is one of the quarter days that regulate the traditional year. It’s a feast in celebration of the Archangel Michael, the dragon-slayer whose churches often appear on rocky outcrops, such as Brentor on Dartmoor, and whose most tantalising monument in England is…

Canine friendship Students and staff at Newcastle University who feel lonely or under pressure can borrow Bessie the Jack Russell, the latest addition to the wellbeing team, for walks or company Coastal walking Natural England plans to improve the England Coast Path between South Hayling, Hampshire, and East Head, West Sussex, including a route around Chichester Harbour Extreme architecture Historic Environment Scotland has granted category B status to the cable-stayed Kessock bridge linking Inverness to the Black Isle; it was specifically designed to cope with extreme weather Mental health The Wildlife Trusts are calling for Nature to become part of NHS mental-health programmes; a study with Leeds Beckett University showed outdoor volunteering and specialist projects to be a cost-effective way to boost wellbeing The fight against food poverty Fortnum &…

MOVE over, Scotland: Yorkshire is ready to steal the golden-tinged whisky limelight. The county’s first-ever single malt, Filey Bay (right), has just been released by Spirit of Yorkshire (www. spiritofyorkshire.com), a distillery in Hunmanby. This is also one of the very few British whiskies that’s made locally from field to bottle, using barley grown on a Wolds farm that Spirit of Yorkshire shares with the Wold Top brewery. Only 6,000 Filey Bay First Release bottles are available (at £55), but more Yorkshire whiskies are on their way. Harrogate Tipple, in Ripley, already produces a Downton Abbey blend and the distillers behind Whittaker’s Gin, in Harrogate, are branching out into single malt, as are gin-makers Cooper King, in Sutton-on-the-Forest, where the first casks have been filled.…

ON the night of February 23, 1900, a roar —as if two trains had collided—awoke the residents of Épernay, France. The morning revealed that many of the chalk cellars of Pol Roger had collapsed in on themselves, burying 500 casks of wine and 1.5 million bottles of Champagne in the process. It was a catastrophe. A plan to tunnel into the rubble was abandoned following further collapses and the irretrievable buried treasure passed into legend. Last year, the company started to build a new packaging facility above those cellars and, during one drilling session, found a void, then some broken glass and, amazingly, an intact bottle. A few dozen more bottles were recovered before the cave collapsed again and work stopped for safety’s sake. Last week, I was there as…

YOU may care to see this photograph of a cattalo. At Buffalo Park, Alberta, the huge enclosure of 160 square miles which forms the home of the Government buffalo herd, the Canadian Department of Agriculture is undertaking a most interesting experiment. This is the cross-breeding of the wild bison, once found in thousands on the Canadian prairies, with domestic cattle. It is hoped a new, hardier type of beef animal will be developed, better adapted to the winter climate. The buffalo can ‘rustle’ for itself throughout the severest winter, pawing down through the snow to the grass beneath. The buffalo also has a higher meat value on account of its huge shoulder hump, and it is hoped to perpetuate this characteristic also in the cattalo.—S. W.…

Some wine merchants try to be all things to all men and women; others are more focused in their ambitions, whether geographically or demographically (or even ideologically). Domaine Direct, a well-established London merchant supplying both trade and private clients, falls into the focused category. Why you should buy from it Domaine Direct is a Burgundy specialist, although, over the years, it has added a few carefully chosen producers from other regions, including the Loire, California (the admirable Spottswoode) and Western Australia. Everything it sells is imported direct, which is an additional focusing factor (it’s hard to import Bordeaux direct). What to buy Finding affordable Burgundy of real quality is something like the Holy Grail for the dedicated buyers at Domaine Direct. For white, one solution is the Cinderella grape…

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CAN 1.4 billion Chinese be wrong? Cockroaches have long been on their traditional menus. More than 100 farms supply the market, with the biggest in Xichang in the north of the country, where six billion cockroaches a year are bred in dimly lit concrete bunkers at 30°C. They’re fed on garbage and are proving a waste-disposal weapon for the country. The ideal food species is the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana. Twice fried in hot oil in a wok, it offers a crispy shell and soft, succulent innards said to resemble cottage cheese, with an earthy taste and a hint of ammonia. Volumes go to pharmaceuticals to treat stomach and respiratory problems and cockroach preparations are prescribed as a vitamin supplement and for fighting cancer, AIDS and baldness. For medicinal purposes,…

HANDSOME, good-natured and endlessly amusing, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel is truly an aristocrat among dogs. These toy spaniels have captivated a succession of royals, from Charles I to Princess Margaret, and you can see their ancestors in countless portraits from the Tudor period onwards, peeping out from gathered skirts or gazing lovingly up at their masters and mistresses. Genetically, they are the breed that’s furthest removed from their wolf ancestors—every fibre of their being has predisposed them to being a companion to humans. Having grown up with an assortment of independently minded terriers, I thought I knew what to expect when I decided to acquire my first dog as an adult. ‘They’re like sticking plasters,’ warned a helpful lady at the Cavalier King Charles Club of Northern Ireland. I…

THE combination of expertise, craftsmanship and experience—as well as an extensive choice of sumptuous fabrics—makes Thomas Sanderson an ideal choice for anyone planning to transform a room with beautiful curtains. The beauty is in the detail The secret of success lies in the knowledge and attention to detail that is the result of years of experience in making beautiful, handmade curtains. Choose from wave, eyelet, double-pinch triple-pinch and deep-pencil pleat headings in a wealth of fabrics, from textured plains to exquisite prints and weaves. Thomas Sanderson design consultants don’t only know everything about their craft, but also how to work with clients to ensure they create a look that is stylish, distinctive and the perfect complement to a room. The beauty of luxurious fabrics Choose from rich chenilles, soft velvets,…

Who was the last Tsar of Russia—Nicholas, Alexei or Michael? Each has supporters. During the afternoon and evening of March 2 or 15 (Old or New Style), 1917, Nicholas signed his abdication in favour of the Tsarevich Alexei, then later rescinded it in favour of his brother. Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich was only informed of his elevation in the morning, when he deferred acceptance until approved by a Constituent Assembly, which never came. Last Tsar or not, he was the first of the family to be murdered, on June 13, 1918. Sworders offered a memento of happier times from about 1900 in the form of a French polychrome-and-gilt glass advertising sign for Galeotti and Lunghi, suppliers by appointment to Michael and the Prince of Monaco. Despite a crack, it made…

Architecture and design Ernest Gimson Annette Carruthers, Mary Greensted Barley Roscoe (Yale, £50) WHAT with Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion, the Arts-and-Crafts Movement ought to be having a new lease of life. Climate activists want us to return to a simpler form of existence, devoid of the polluting horrors of industry—the aesthetic corollary of which is surely the work of William Morris and his disciplines, one of the most committed of whom was Ernest Gimson. In 1893, Gimson left London, where he was beginning to emerge as an architect, to bury himself in the backward and agricultural Cotswolds, in a micro-community that included Sidney and Ernest Barnsley. ‘You ask how our cooking is getting on,’ Gimson wrote to his sister Margaret. ‘We have now got as far as Welsh Rabbit…