Hereford Society Spring 2011

HerefordshireSOCIETY

SPRING 2011

ModelcompetitionCould YOU bethe new faceof FIT?page 45

Plus Fashion, homes and gardens, food and drink, motors, people

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Whowe areEditorFiona PhillipsContent editorPhilippa MayDesignerCeri VinesContributorsLinda Watts,Andrew Doyle,Tom Hunt,Kathryn Hulme,Peter Prosser,James Maggs,David Griffiths,Peter MandersAdvertisementmanagerTina Hurley

ContactsEditorial01432 845864HSociety@midlands.newsquest.co.uksocietymagazine.co.ukPromotions01905 742213Subscription01905 742210/2213Advertising01432 845801

The next issue ofHerefordshire Societyis due to be publishedin June.

Herefordshire Society ispublished by Newsquest(Hereford) at HolmerRoad, Hereford, andprinted by Stephensand George, Goat MillRoad, Dowlais, MerthyrTydfil, Mid Glamorgan,CF48 3TD.

Newsquest – a Gannettcompany.

ON THE COVERKIDS’ METAL GREENHOUSEFROM ASDA

HerefordshireSOCIETY

SPRING 2011

ModelcompetitionCould YOU bethe new faceof FIT?page 45

Plus Fashion, homes and gardens, food and drink, motors, people

Features6 What to do and what to see

Drama to dance, concerts to comedy10 Words, weeds, wellies and the Rolling Stones

Judith Wills on a life transplanted from London16 Collecting royal memorabilia

Martyn Green reveals his magpie tendencies20 ‘I do’ like that

Invest in a souvenir of the wedding of the decade22 Art of glass

A window on a colourful art28 Making Hay

Behind the scenes at Herefordshire’s premier literary event34 ‘Alex didn’t understand us...’

The Hotel Inspector calls at The Hill House40 A railway in my garden

The golden age of steam alive and well in miniature72 How you’ve helped us

The faces behind the fundraising106 Herefordshire scene

Artist Peter Manders visits Alton Court

Fashion and beauty45 Are you the face of Fit?

The search is on for two youngmodels46 The fittest of FIT fashion

The floatiest frocks and on-trendmenswear48 The cutting edge

A head start for hair49 Get the look

Celebrity-inspired beauty ideas

Homes and gardens54 Allotment diary

Life as a new plot owner56 Read it and weed

Inspiring books for aspiring veg growers57 Plot development

Accessories to get things growing

Food and drink64 From the garden to the kitchen

Delicious ideas for home-grown veg66 Cheers for spears

Asparagus steps into the spotlight

Motors80 Who needs a road anyway?

Andrew Doyle has the drive of his life

People and events97 In this issue...

Noah’s Ark Trust frock shwop, Truffle card launch party, ConcernUniversal Valentine’s Ball, Growing Point’s 20th birthday party,Borderlines Ball, Hereford Times Sports Awards, HerefordshireLearning Disability Trust launch, Allpay broadband launch,International Women’s Day tea party

Inside this issueSPRING 2011

societymagazine.co.ukFood and drink 55

54 societymagazine.co.ukFood and drink

Ingredients

Serves 4

500g (1.25lb)

asparagus

1 onion

75g (3oz) butter

300g (11oz)

risotto rice

1 glass dry

white wine

750ml (1.25 pints)

hot vegetablestock

65g (2.5oz) grated

parmesan

black pepper

MethodSteam asparagus and

drain, reserving 100ml

(3.5 fl oz) liquid. Cut

into 3cm (1.5in) pieces.

Sweat finely chopped

onion in 50g (2oz) of

the butter over low

heat for 8 minutes to

soften but notcolour.

Add rice and stir for

two minutes. Add wine

and stir againuntil

bubbling.

Add asparagus

cooking liquidto the

stock. Stir a large ladle

(about 75ml/2.5 fl.oz)

of the stock into the

risotto and continue

stirring until the stock

has been absorbed by

the rice.

Repeat until all the

stock is used up or the

rice is cookedthrough

and creamy.

Add the remaining

butter, the asparagus,

half the cheese and the

seasoning. Stir and

serve in warmbowls,

sprinkled with

remaining cheese.

Asparagus risotto

Making a risotto isn’t quick

– but it is relaxing. Allow 45 minutes to

make

this dish andinvite friends

to chat with you in the kitc

hen while youstir

Smokedmackerel, potato and beetroot salad

This is a saladthat takes a w

hile to put together, but the

result is worth it

From thegarden to

the kitchen

ALL RECIPES TAKEN FROM THE GARDEN TO KITCHEN EXPERT BY JUD

ITH WILLS AND DR DG

HESSAYON, PUBLISHED BY EXPERT BO

OKS, A DIVISION OF TRANSWOR

LD PUBLISHERS. YOU

CAN ORDER THE GARDEN TO KITCHEN EXPERT (RRP £

9.99) FOR THEOFFER PRICE O

F £8.99,

P&P FREE, FROM THE HEREFOR

D TIMES BOOKSHOP ON 08430 600039

9 OR SEND YOUR

CHEQUE OR POSTAL ORDER M

ADE PAYABLE TO HEREFORD TIMES BOOKSH

OP TO: HEREFORD

TIMES BOOKSHOP, PO BOX 60, HELST

ON, TR13 0TP.ALLOW 7-10 WORKING

DAYS FOR DELIVERY.

TITLES SUPPLIED SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. O

RDER ONLINEAT SPARKLEDI

RECT.COM

The great joy for anyone who

grows their own, whether on

an allotment or in containers

on the patio, iswatching the

seeds germinate and the frui

ts and vegetables ripening be

fore

taking your harvest to the kit

chen and creating the freshes

t,

most deliciousdishes for frien

ds and family.The Kitchen to

Garden Expertby Judith Wills

and Dr D G Hessayon

offers a wealthof recipes feat

uring the starsof the

vegetable patch, including th

ree big springfavourites

PICTURE:GRAHAMPRECEY.HOMEECO

NOMIST:WENDYSWEETSER

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 beetroot

2tbsp balsamic

vinegar

2tbsp olive oil

salt, black pepper

300g (11oz) new

potatoes

2tbsp vegetable oil

8 spring onions

1tbsp fresh chopped

parsley

200ml (7 fl oz)

extra-thick cream

2tbsp freshlygrated

horseradish

4 smoked mackerel

filletsrocket leaves

MethodPut quartered

beetroot

in roasting dish,

drizzled with vinegar

and olive oil and season

well. Cut potatoes into

small chunks and put in

another roasting dish

with vegetableoil and

seasoning. Roast

everything until crisp

and tender, adding

chopped onions to

potato pan for last 10

minutes of cooking and

combining well.

Mix cream and

horseradish. Combine

beetroot withpotato

and stir in parsley. Slice

mackerel fillets and

arrange on plates with

vegetables. Garnish

with rocket leaves.

Ingredients

Serves 4

1 small onion

15g (½oz) butter

300g (11oz) rhubarb

2tsp choppedfresh

ginger

½ tsp ground mixed

spice

½ orange

MethodSweat finely c

hopped

onion in butter over low

heat to soften

but not colour.

Cut rhubarb

into 4cm (1½in)

lengths.

Add ginger and

spice to pan and

cook for a further

minute, then add

rhubarb, orange

juice and grated

zest and cook

gently until rhubarb

is tender, after

about 10 minutes.

Rhubarb compote

Rhubarb is a good accompa

niment for

fatty and strong meats, pou

ltry and

game. Try this with roast d

uck or goose

10 societymagazine.co.uk Judith Wills

Having swapped the bright lights ofLondon and a life spent brushingshoulders with pop stars for a pair ofwellies and something closelyresembling the good life in Brilley,Judith Wills was delighted to be asked last year if

she would like to co-author a recipe book with DrDG Hessayon, author of the Expert Guides, thebest selling gardening series in history, and aseries of books which had already ensured herfingers grew ever greener.Judith Wills has now lived in Brilley for almost

30 years, having arrived in the Marchesincrementally. “We had a flat in Cathcart Roadand a cottage in Llanigon, where I had my firstvegetable patch. There was no precedent for it,my parents never had a vegetable patch or anallotment, but I’d always been a country girl atheart and always loved plants.

“Perhaps I was inspired by The Good Life, butshifting all the Black Mountain rocks in the gardenwas a nightmare,” she recalls. “Towards the endof our double life in London and Llanigon, wewere spending all weekend digging, weeding andplanting the veg patch, then laughing our socksoff as we headed back to London for a rest. It washarder work than I ever thought, but it seemed anincredible pleasure after London.”Having realised that they’d had enough ofLondon, Judith and Tony also recognised that thequarter-acre and a paddock in Llanigon, plussmall cottage, weren’t going to be big enough fortheir growing family, and set about combing thearea in search of the perfect home.The house they finally bought in Brilley was amillion miles from the Welsh longhouse Judithand Tony had dreamed of.“For a start, it was falling down,” says Judith.

Best-selling food writer Judith Wills tells Philippa Mayabout giving up the pop star lifestyle to discover herown version of The Good Life in rural Herefordshire –and how Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull once sat

on the living room floor of her old cottage

Words, weeds,wellies and theRolling Stones

Judith Willsharvests herproduce.

You might not know it, but the spiritual

home of Land Rover lies in

Herefordshire, for it’s here, in Eastnor,

in 1961, that the main off-road testing

site for the vehicle was established.

It’s still used to test the latest models today,

though, since 1990, it’s not just trained Land

Rover specialists who get to pit themselves

against the terrain – your average saloon-

driving chump like me can get behind the

wheel of one of these ultimate off-road beasts.

Driving for me has generally been a repetitive

and boring part of my working day for the last

20 years, so how refreshing it was to find

myself travelling up a sheer, wooded hillside in

a Range Rover Sport, in beautiful and rugged

countryside at the foot of the Malvern Hills.

At the wheel of the beast was former

Territorial Army engineer, chief test driver and

my instructor for the day, Alf Bates.

You can choose any vehicle from the Land

Rover stable – Freelander, Discovery, Defender,

or Ranger Rover.

I figured the opportunity wasn’t going to

come very often, so I went straight for the

£48,000 Sport, complete with enhanced terrain

response, a three litre diesel engine, on-board

computer, six-speed gear box and heated

leather seats.

To put this into context, I currently drive a

10-year-old Ford Focus with dodgy suspension,

child-stained seats and no on-board computer.

“You’re guaranteed to leave here with a smile

on your face – they all do,” said Alf, as he

effortlessly guided the car round a steep

hairpin bend, on a rutted, muddy track that

looked as if it had no right to be offering

vehicular access.

I laughed nervously, as I knew Alf was shortly

going to hand the controls over to me.

That moment came and as we sat there,

parked on the sheer incline of a wooded

hillside, my first thought was: “Where is the

ground?” All I could see beyond the bonnet of

my Range Rover was trees and sky.

Luckily my vehicle was equipped with on-

board cameras allowing me to check out the

view wheel-side. And more importantly I had

Alf, calmly pointing out that I was heading for

a tree or rock.

Highlights include flooring it and reversing up

a steep bank, engine roaring and mud flying,

negotiating a track under two feet of water,

parking the car, while leaning at a 30-degree

angle, as well as driving up a staircase. Yes, a

staircase.

I found the experience thrilling and scary in

equal measure. Sure, a lot of the experience is

about letting this highly intelligent piece of kit

do the work, but it still demands 100 per cent

concentration at all times and it’s guaranteed to

get the adrenaline pumping.

This is definitely one of those experiences to

put on your bucket list, and Alf was right, I

couldn’t stop smiling.

Land Rover

Experience offers a

range of packages,

from complimentary

vehicle demonstrations

if you're thinking about

buying one, to group

bookings for days out

with friends, corporate

events or professional

user training.

Courses are run by

professional and highly

experienced

instructors.

This year the centre

celebrates its 50th

anniversary.

The centre is

committed to

sustainability and

limiting its impact on

the environment.

For more details,

visit landrover.com/

eastnor or call

01531 638779.

Fact file Land Rover Experience

road anyway?Forget the joy of the op

en highway – how about

the joy of two-foot-deepwater, crazy 30-degree a

ngles,

mud, ruts, rocks and sheer drops? Andrew Doyle

visited Land Rover Experience in Eastnor to try

his hand at a bit of off-road driving

Who needs aAndrew Doyle

with instructor

Alf Bates.

80

10

64

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COVER STORY

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Headline guests areAfro Celt SoundSystem, Jo Brand, SarahBrown on maternalhealth and life at No.10, Nobel PeaceLaureate and weaponsinspector MohamedElBaradei, HypnoticBrass Ensemble,Booker Prize-winnerHoward Jacobson,ecologist BjørnLomborg, Paul Merton’sImpro Chums, PhilipPullman on Jesus,Vanessa Redgrave onPalestine, Sue Perkins

and Sandi Toksvig, andlegendary film-makerJohn Waters. Also onthe line-up are RalphFiennes with a previewof his new Coriolanusfilm, Professor BrianCox’sWonders of theUniverse, NigellaLawson in conversationwith Joan Bakewell,Andrew Davies onSouth Riding and DavidBailey talking to DylanJones about his imagesof Afghanistan01497 822629 orhayfestival.com

Tuesday, May 31 toSaturday, June 4CranfordMalvern TheatresLose yourself in thispoignant comedy ofearly Victorian life in agenteel English markettown. Inhabited largelyby women, the townthrives on cooperationand gossip. The peace isconstantly threatenedby financial disaster,long-lost relatives,imagined burglaries,births and marriages.01684 892277 ormalvern-theatres.co.uk

Thursday, June 2Foam Party!Ludlow AssemblyRoomsRemember what funit was to play in abubble bath whenyou were a child?Multiply that feelingagain and again –that’s a foam party!Dance around tomusic in a cloud offluffy foam andmarvel at thespectacular foamcannon. Wear clothesthat won’t spoil ifthey get wet – andprepare to have thetime of your life!There are threesessions, for 6-10years, 11-13 years,14-17 years. Furtherinformation from01584 878141 orludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

Friday, June 3Urashima TaroLudlow AssemblyRoomsIn this tale of powerand obsession, AyaNakamura takes acontemporary visionof an ancientJapanese myth andcreates a mesmerisingperformance. Videoprojection, shadowplay, puppetry andactor merge to createa fascinating story oflust, betrayal and loss.01584 878141 orludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

Thursday, April 21Music at Norrie’sCafé: Little RumbaThe Granary,LeominsterHidden away in theWelsh Marches, LittleRumba have beenhoning their originalyet instantlyrecognisable style,recently described as“Tom Waits meetsTom Lehrer”, for thelast 20 years.Composer JohnHymas (violin,accordion) works withsinger-guitarist PeteMustill, Hugh Colvinon saxes and JacquiSavage’s inspirationalbass. Influencesinclude easternEurope, southAmerica, jazz andblues. Meal includedin price. Tickets:01568 614290

Sunday, May 1 andMonday, May 2Maggie’s SpringArt ShowLyde ArundelOn show is art frommore than 50 artists,including painters,sculptors, printmakersand photographers.The exhibition, afundraiser for Maggie’sCancer Caring Centre inCheltenham, openswith a ticketedchampagne receptionpreview and auction onSaturday, April 30.Ticket info: [email protected]

Tuesday, May 3 toSaturday, May 7Great ExpectationsMalvern TheatresFrom a small Indianvillage to the bustlingstreets of Calcutta,Dickens’ epic novel,Great Expectations istransposed to 19thcentury India in a newversion by TanikaGupta. This boldre-imagining chartsPip’s journey in a storyof love, ambition,honour and honesty.01684 892277 ormalvern-theatres.co.uk

From Saturday, May 7Garden SculptureExhibitionOld Chapel Gallery,PembridgeWith work by Ian Gill,Neil Lossock, PaulMargetts, Rachel Ducker,Miranda Michaels andSally Gaston. Also onshow until the end ofJune are pieces by KateGreen, Harmony Jutle,below, and PhionaRichards. Until the endof April you can seework by Rachel Baker,Katrin Moye, ElaineAdams and Lynn Muir.Info: 01544 388842

Saturday May 7London ClassicTheatre presentsGhostsThe CourtyardHelene Alving ispreparing for theopening of anorphanage, whichhas been built inmemory of her latehusband. Her belovedartist son, Oswald,has returned fromParis to mark theoccasion, but hislong-awaitedhomecoming rapidlydescends intotragedy as hispresence triggers theexposure of a darkstory of hypocrisyand betrayed love.Contains stronglanguage and adultthemes01432 340555 orcourtyard.org.uk

What to do andYour arts and entertainment guide

6 societymagazine.co.uk What’s on

Thursday, May 26 to Sunday, June 5Telegraph Hay Festival

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Saturday, June 4Dominic Kirwan –Through the YearsThe CourtyardRegarded bymany as one of thefinest entertainersthat Ireland hasproduced, DominicKirwan has adynamic andvibrant performingstyle, coupled with arich voice and a widerepertoire of music.Featuring a freshlook at the finest incountry, pop,traditional andIrish music, not tomention histrademark show-stopping ballads,Through the Years isbilled as offeringsomething for musicfans of all ages.01432 340555 orcourtyard.org.uk

Friday, June 17Antiques Antics withAntiques Roadshow’sEric KnowlesThe CourtyardThe lad fromLancashire takes thewraps off a business inwhich he has beenimmersed for morethan three decades.The first part of theevening is devoted tooften irreverentanecdotes andreminiscences,while the second part,in true AntiquesRoadshow style,focuses on the‘treasures’ theaudience has broughtalong, 25 of whichhave been selected byEric during the initialmeet-and-greetsession.01432 340555 orcourtyard.org.uk

Saturday, June 18Andy Kirkpatrick:ColdWarsLudlow AssemblyRoomsThe UK’s only stand-up mountaineer takesthe audience on someof the hardest andcoldest climbs on theplanet, with tales ofbeing trapped onmile-high summits,buried by avalanches,and pushed close tohypothermia. Andymixes observationalcomedy, self-deprecating tales ofsurvival and stunningaudiovisuals. ‘Neverhas trying not to dieon a mountainseemed such a goodlaugh!’ wrote onenewspaper.01584 878141 orludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

Sunday, June 19Secret Gardens ofLudlowExplore Ludlow’s secretgardens in Mill Street,Dinham, Temeside andLower Galdeford,featuring stunningborders, topiary,sculpture, allotments,and magnificent viewsof castle, river andtown wall. Afternoonteas, ice creams, booksand plants available.Ticket/map for £6available mid-May.01584 878141 orludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

Thursday, June 30Sonia Sabri Companypresents KathakboxThe CourtyardCelebrating the diverseenergy of modernBritain through a newdance style: UrbanKathak, bringingtogether Indian Kathakdance’s grace andvigour and the rhythmsand rhymes of hip-hop.Complex classicalrhythms converse withbeatbox and the verbaldexterity of Kathak rapmeets urban poetry.01432 340555 orcourtyard.org.uk

May 11-12Flames of DesireMalvern TheatresWith some of thespeediest footworkand tightest twirlingaround, Argentinedance company TangoFire takes us throughthe history of tango.Features 10 dancers ina show combining therawness andsophistication oftango, evoking theintoxicating passion ofBuenos Aires’ latenight tango halls.01684 892277 ormalvern-theatres.co.uk

Thursday, May 12The DholFoundationLudlow AssemblyRoomsThe Dhol Foundationwows the crowds atmajor music eventsaround the world withtheir dynamic,thunderous beatsand vast array ofmusical styles,including rock, popand electronic, drumand bass and classical,delivered with greatstyle and theatre.01584 878141 orludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

May 17-19The Gruffalo’s ChildThe CourtyardHot on the heels ofThe Gruffalo’s sell-outtour comes TheGruffalo’s Child – withattitude! One wild andwindy night theGruffalo’s childignores her father’swarning and tiptoesout into the snow.After all, the Big BadMouse doesn’t reallyexist... does he? Alladults must beaccompanied by aresponsible child.01432 340555 orcourtyard.org.uk

Friday, May 20Andy Parsons Live2011 – GruntledMalvern TheatresAndy Parsons oncefound someunderpants in a jar ofmayonnaise. He maytalk about it. Or hemay not. This is thestar of the BBC’s Mockthe Week and Live atthe Apollo’s third tourround the country.The more you travelthe more chance yourmayonnaise maycontain underpants.01684 892277 ormalvern-theatres.co.uk

Wednesday,May25Beauty andthe BeastLudlow AssemblyRoomsBallet Cymru bringsthis timeless story tolife with their uniqueblend of classicaltechnique andstorytelling. A ruinedmerchant, anexquisite garden by amagical palace; anenchanted Beast,furious and lonely; apromise to Beautyand a perfect rose.01584 878141 orludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk

what to see...April | May | June

societymagazine.co.uk What’s on 7

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Having swapped the bright lights ofLondon and a life spent brushingshoulders with pop stars for a pair ofwellies and something closelyresembling the good life in Brilley,

Judith Wills was delighted to be asked last year ifshe would like to co-author a recipe book with DrDG Hessayon, author of the Expert Guides, thebest selling gardening series in history, and aseries of books which had already ensured herfingers grew ever greener.Judith Wills has now lived in Brilley for almost

30 years, having arrived in the Marchesincrementally. “We had a flat in Cathcart Roadand a cottage in Llanigon, where I had my firstvegetable patch. There was no precedent for it,my parents never had a vegetable patch or anallotment, but I’d always been a country girl atheart and always loved plants.

“Perhaps I was inspired by The Good Life, butshifting all the Black Mountain rocks in the gardenwas a nightmare,” she recalls. “Towards the endof our double life in London and Llanigon, wewere spending all weekend digging, weeding andplanting the veg patch, then laughing our socksoff as we headed back to London for a rest. It washarder work than I ever thought, but it seemed anincredible pleasure after London.”Having realised that they’d had enough of

London, Judith and Tony also recognised that thequarter-acre and a paddock in Llanigon, plussmall cottage, weren’t going to be big enough fortheir growing family, and set about combing thearea in search of the perfect home.The house they finally bought in Brilley was a

million miles from the Welsh longhouse Judithand Tony had dreamed of.“For a start, it was falling down,” says Judith.

Best-selling food writer Judith Wills tells Philippa Mayabout giving up the pop star lifestyle to discover herown version of The Good Life in rural Herefordshire –and how Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull once sat

on the living room floor of her old cottage

Words, weeds,wellies and theRolling Stones

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Judith Willsharvests herproduce.

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Judith takes abreather in thevegetable garden.

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societymagazine.co.uk Judith Wills 13

“It had been used as a commune and therewere still cannabis plants growing in what’s nowthe vegetable garden.”Soon after moving in, and much to Judith’s

delight, she discovered that there were echoes ofher pop-infused London life in her new home. “Iwas at an exhibition of Brilley history, when aman I hadn’t met told me how he’d spent time inthe house as a teenager, rushing off the bus afterschool. He went on to tell me that Mick Jaggerused to love coming up andwould sit on what’s nowmysitting room floor. Apparently hesometimes brought MarianneFaithfull with him.”Judith particularly loved the

story as she had had her ownbrush with a Rolling Stone, anexperience she revealed in herhugely readable 2008 memoir,Keith Moon Stole my Lipstick.Fascinating anecdotes apart, there was

little else to commend the house in the earlydays – “We had to put the baby in his carrycotin the bathroom, because it was the only roomthat didn’t leak.“Of course, the house ate money and initially I

continued to work as the editor of Slimmermagazine, going down to London once a weekfor a meeting with the art editor, and then oneday I decided that I’d write a book. As dietingwas what I knew, my first book, well, my first10 books, were about diets, but I finally woke

up to the fact that what I was interested in wasfood and healthy eating, not dieting, and luckilymy agent persuaded Quadrille to publish TheFood Bible, which has sold more than quarter ofa million copies.”In time that segued into writing cookery

books and led to her being commissioned towrite the recipes for the recently publishedGarden to Kitchen Expert recipe book, a selectionfrom which appears on page 54.

“I’d written The New Home Larderwhich my publisher Transworldwas very pleased with, and at ameeting with my editor she askedif I knew anyone who’d beinterested in writing recipes forthe Expert book. Who wouldn’twant to do it? I said, yes, I’d loveto do it, though I had no idea itwould be twice the length of allthe other Expert books. It was

very hard work, but I did enjoy it.”Coinciding with the publication of the book,

Judith can also be found online at saga.co.ukblogging about her year-long challenge to losethe weight she’s put on following a fall off hergarden wall, leading to a period of enforcedinactivity, injuries and, as she puts it, “sheerlaziness”. Having, as she says herself, “gone topot”, with a health profile so poor “I amashamed of myself”, the ex-diet guru is nowtaking her own medicine – and the countdown tothe final weigh-in has begun.

‘It had been acommune andthere were still

cannabis plants inwhat’s now the

vegetable garden’

PICT

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LENAN

DJAMES

MAG

GS

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16 societymagazine.co.uk Martyn Green

Martyn Green has amassed an impressive array of itemscommemorating the biggest national celebrations of the last100 years. He tells PhilippaMay how he got the collectingbug – and why he’ll be waiting until the dust has settled onthis year’s big wedding before getting his chequebook out

Why thiscollectorof royal

memorabiliawon’t bebuying anyWill and Katesouvenirsjust yet...

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societymagazine.co.uk Martyn Green 17

When Prince William andCatherine Middleton tie theknot later this month, it won’tbe the wedding that interestsMartyn Green, chief executive

at The Courtyard. As a keen collector of royalcommemorative porcelain and earthenware,Martyn has a much keener eye for theplethora of china and glass and thewelter of other memorabiliaproduced for the event.Not that Martyn, who has

amassed an impressivecollection marking royalevents over the past century-plus, will be rushing to buyany of the commemorativeware flooding the market.“I don’t tend to buy for the new

events,” he explains. “I wait for awhile, two to five years usually, for thepieces to come on to the market. For one thing,it’s very overpriced when it comes out and interms of modern events it’s the more specialistbits I go for.”Martyn credits his late mother with giving him

the collecting bug – he has more than onecollection – after she gave him his first piece,still one of his favourites, a cup made for thecoronation of Edward VII.

“What’s so special about it is that Edward VII’scoronation was postponed from June 26, 1902,when he developed appendicitis on June 24,”explains Martyn. “The piece my mum gave mewas one that was overglazed and re-fired withthe actual date of August 9, 1902.”It’s 20 years since Martyn was given that first

piece and he’s been collecting ever since,adding some equally rare pieces to

his collection, though, as he says, “Idon’t keep everything I buy – Isell a lot through ebay too,particularly to the States.Americans lovecommemorative ware.”Another item in his collection

he’s particularly fond of is a cupand saucer his grandmother had in

her china cabinet. “She alwayspromised to give it to me – it’s a Foley

ware cup and saucer made for QueenVictoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.”Martyn theorises that the focus on the diamond

jubilee and an atmosphere of austerity may bethe reason for the rarity of another of hisfavourites, a piece made to mark the 1893wedding of Princess Mary “May” of Teck to theDuke of York (later King George V and QueenMary). He is also the proud owner of a mugcommemorating the 1936 coronation of

Martyn Green with an item from hiscollectionof royal chinaware. Above:a piece from the 1981 wedding of

Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

PICT

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:DAV

IDGRIIF

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and Mary’s son, Edward VIII, who later thesame year abdicated the throne to marry Americandivorcee Wallis Simpson.The rise in popularity of porcelain to mark

significant royal events can be attributed – as canso many other aspects of life today, like Christmastrees, white wedding dresses and tiered weddingcakes – to Queen Victoria’s reign.“There were some pieces made for her wedding

to Albert, others for her Golden Jubilee and quite alot was made at the end of the Great War, andthere were a few Boer War pieces.”One more modern royal event that doesn’t figure

promimently in Martyn’s collection is PrincessAnne’s wedding to Mark Phillips. “The stuff I’vecome across is quite gaudy,” he says. “And I tendnot to buy more modern mass-produced stuff.”Also featuring in the collection is the biggest royal

wedding of recent years – that of Prince Charles toLady Diana Spencer. That 1981 wedding, asanyone who remembers it knows, saw the UKunited in delight at what was seen as the start of afairytale marriage. Holding one of the many piecescreated for the occasion is a poignant reminder ofall that hope and the desperate sadness of thefairytale’s ending.“What appealed to me when I started collecting,”

Martyn admits, “is that commemorative ware iseasy to date, so starting out, in terms of buying, itwas very easy to know you were buying a piece ofa certain age.”But Martyn’s impressive royal commemorative

collection isn’t the only one in his Clehongerhome. When he was younger, and writing histhesis on the role of the repertory movement in thedevelopment of British theatre, he collected theatreprogrammes from repertory companies aroundthe UK, most notably from the Oxford Playhouse,one of the oldest, Northampton (because it wasanother early one and in his home town) and theBelgrade in Coventry, the first theatre to be builtafter the war.Among the names to be found in these carefully

preserved programmes is that of the Hollywoodstar Errol Flynn, who appeared, incongruously, inNorthampton. Also taking pride of place in histheatrical collection is a telegram from JohnMasefield to John Gielgud.Martyn’s third collection features the very

distinctive Radford pottery, and is anothercollection he traces back to his mother. “Mum hada Radford piece at home, and she was a hugeinfluence, but I’d never seen anything anywhereelse until I went to a jumble sale where I bought avase in their larkspur design.”Collecting is in Martyn’s blood and he and his

mum aren’t the only members of the family withmagpie tendencies: “Dad collected Toby jugs andantique garden implements,” he reveals. But it’sclear that he is driven less by a desire to acquirethan by a passion for the past and a fascinationwith the history written on the porcelain and inthe pages of the programmes.And, though he also loves contemporary art and

buys the occasional piece that catches his eye, thepast always takes precedence. “I prefer to buysomething old and interesting.”

18 societymagazine.co.uk Martyn Green

‘I don’t tend to buy forthe new events. I wait fora while, two to five yearsusually, for the pieces tocome on to themarket’

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Martyn Green with items fromhis collection of Radford pottery,main picture, royal memorabilia,left, and theatre programmes,far left. Above: more pieces fromMartyn’s collections.

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20 societymagazine.co.uk Royal wedding memorabilia

Emma Bridgewatercommemorativepint mug £39.95emmabridgewater.co.uk

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‘I do’ like that!

Wedgwood Royal wedding20cm plate £20 uk.wwrd.com

‘I Do’ tea towel, £11.99The Contemporary Home, tch.net

Catherine andWilliam ‘C&W’mug £9 johnlewis.com

Kate andWilliammug £10coleoflondon.com

Alison Gardnermug £12.99thepresentfinder.co.uk

Royal wedding coin £9.99The Royal Mint, royalmint.com

Happy Land royal wedding set £15Early Learning Centre, elc.co.uk

Official pillbox £25royalcollectionshop.co.uk

Official plate £40royalcollectionshop.co.uk

Official tankard £35royalcollectionshop.co.uk

Royal Worcester loving cup £75royalworcester.co.uk, 01782 743456

Royal Worcester teacupand saucer £40royalworcester.co.uk,01782 743456

If you’re inspired by Martyn Green’s impressive collection of royalmemorabilia, April offers the perfect opportunity to start a collection ofyour own as Prince William and Catherine Middleton say ‘I do’. Whetheryou’re a lover of tradition or a fan of the quirky, there’s plenty to choose

from to mark the big day. Here are some items that caught our eye

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22 societymagazine.co.uk Elaine Mason

It took a brush with breastcancer and a visit to Crete forElaine Mason to discover apassion that would change herlife. She tells Philippa May abouther love affair with an art formwhere light, heat and colourcombine to dazzling effect

Art of glass

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Aworld of endless creative possibilitiesopened up for Elaine Mason whenshe discovered the magical propertiesof glass and the wonderfultransformations that take place with

the addition of colour and heat.“Having gone through the potentially life-

threatening experience of being diagnosed withand treated for breast cancer, I was lookingdifferently at what I wanted my life to be, and atthe first opportunity, Michael, my partner,and I went to Crete, and it was on a trip intothe mountains that we happened on a littleshop selling glass,” explains Elaine.“The woman running the shop saw how

fascinated I was and told me she had aworkshop I could have a look at if I liked.When I saw how the pieces were made Istood there, so Michael tells me, with myjaw open, and I asked if I could have ago. It took a moment for her tounderstand what I was asking, butwhen she did, she said I could comeback the next day and do it.“That first day, I made a bowl and a

candle shade, and I was absolutely blown awayby what I’d achieved, even though I had no ideawhat the process was called.”As soon as she got home, Elaine phoned the art

college to ask what it was she’d done. “The tutorI spoke to was great and he gave me a load ofcontacts, which led to me going on my firstcourse near Bath. On the strength of that firstcourse, Michael funded my first kiln, and I

haven’t looked back since.”Elaine is currently looking at doing morein the way of wall hangings – like thestriking tryptich of trees she has createdusing aluminium foil with silver leaf toadd texture, and copper wire (it’s not

all going to China after all!) andis planning to create a veryspecial piece for theHereford Haven as a thankyou for their supportthrough her treatment forbreast cancer and beyond.Until the Greek island

Elaine Mason at work.

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24 societymagazine.co.uk Elaine Mason

holiday, Elaine had worked as a supportworker for Hereford Mind and as an artist: “Imanaged to embrace both aspects of what I wasdrawn to,” she says. “But this makes my heartsing like nothing I have ever done – the onlylimit is your imagination. It’s something aboutthe fact that it’s not just about me putting thingsin the kiln – often something happens in thefiring and they don’t look at allhow I expected. That means thatI have far fewer expectationsthan I had when painting. It’ssuch an organic process.“Once I had that first kiln I

started to look at whether Icould use any old glass, so Iwent to Hereford Windows whohappen to be at the end of theroad and asked if I could have awindow, and I experimented from there. They’vebeen kind enough to offer me an almostunlimited resource of recycled glass, giving methe windows they’ve replaced. If they’re timberframes the wood goes in our wood burner, ifthey’re aluminium Hereford Windows recyclethem, and obviously I recycle all the glass.As well as the old windows, two picture framer

friends of Elaine’s give her offcuts of picture glass

so they’re not wasted either. One downside ofusing recycled glass is that Elaine, who also runsglass fusion workshops, can never predict theoutcome with certainty. “But for every mistake Ihave a hundred successes,” she says.“After a while, it got to the point where Michael

said that I needed to sell some of what I’d made!So I took a stall at the school fete at Madley and I

haven’t looked back.”Since her first sale, Elaine has been

commissioned to make 250 soapdishes and amenity trays forCowarth Park Hotel in Ascot, theDorchester Collection’s 70-roomcountry house hotel on the edge ofWindsor Great Park, and, when sheexhibited at the Gatcombe ParkCraft Fair, she was delighted whenthe Princess Royal, Princess Anne,

bought some of her glass.Most recently, she made the bowl for the font of

a church in north Somerset. “The furniture makerwho had been commissioned to make the fonthad found me online and was really taken withthe fact that I was using recycled glass - it reallywas such a privilege to be asked and I felt a bithumbled by the experience,” she says. “It’s allworked out beyond my wildest imaginings.”

Two pieces of glass,one 2mm thick andanother 4mm thick,are cut to size andcarefully cleaned.

The 2mm piece islaid on two glassbattens to make iteasier to lift thefinished piece off thework surface

A design is laid onthe glass using groundcoloured glass calledfrit. This design wascreated using aselection of pieces of

randomly cut glassto mask off areas ofthe base.

Elaine is constantlyexperimenting withnew ways to makeinteresting designs. Inthis case, strips ofglass cut in waveswere placed on thebase and the fritsprinkled on, using atea infuser tappedgently with ateaspoon. (A little likesieving icing sugaronto a cake).

When the design iscompleted, the secondsquare of glass isplaced carefully ontop, sandwiching thefrit in the middle. Thisis then placed in thekiln for its first firingwhich takes 20 hours.This first firing is afusing programme tofuse together the twolayers of glass andencapsulate the frit orother inclusions. Thekiln is fired up to 835-845 degrees

depending on the sizeof the piece.

To create thefinished shaped piece,the fused glass isplaced on a ceramicmould and thenreturned to the kilnfor the slumpingprocess, in which theglass ‘slumps’ into themould and takes onthe required shape.This firing goes up toaround 750 degreesand takes a further20-24 hours.

It is possible tocreate an almostthree-dimensionaleffect by fusingmultiplelayers of glassinterleaved withvarying sizes of frit.

None of it is anexact science andElaine plays with bothtemperatures andfiring times constantly:“I also open the kilnearly if I'm in a hurryto allow the contentsto cool more quickly.”

Pane attraction From old glass window to work of art

‘This makesmyheart sing likenothing I haveever done – theonly limit is yourimagination’

Previous page:examples of ElaineMason’s work.Below: It’samazing what youcan create with anold pane of glass.

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28 societymagazine.co.uk Hay festival

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Every year in late May, the agriculturallandscape outside Hay is transformedinto an impressive, if temporary,village, housing the Hay LiteraryFestival, and within days of the end of

the festival an equally astonishing transformationsees the fields reappear and every sign of thefestival erased... until the following May.But what does it take to ensure a trouble-free

installation and the smooth running of what hasbecome one of the dates on the literary calendar?Former accountant and bookseller Lyndy Cooke

has the answer, having masterminded themanagement of the festival for the last 15 years.And with its outreach and Greenprint

programmes, not to mention overseas festivals,the two weeks in late spring that are the familiarface of the festival are the tip of an extensiveliterary, artistic – and logistical – iceberg.“The first year there were about 100 events

over just two days,” says Lyndy. “Then itmoved from one weekend to two weekends andgradually filled in the week in between. Thisyear, the festival will run for 12 days.”With a permanent staff of just 24, the festival is

made possible by the 400 volunteers who signup to work as stewards and interns.“Every year we take 15 or 20 interns,” says

Lyndy, a long-time Hay resident. “There areusually 40 to 50 applicants for those places, andsome want to come back year after year.”Festival editor Jesse Ingham and Sophie

Lording, who runs Hay Fever and the educationoutreach programme, started as interns.“It’s not a job for the faint-hearted,” says Lyndy.

“Anyone who hasn’t done it before will shadowsomeone for a day, then they’re on their own.”Every intern is put in sole charge of their

events. They have to ensure the author/speakerhas arrived, that they are comfortable, that theyare introduced to whoever they are on stagewith, and that their requirements are dealtwith. The intern escorts the author to the stage,then to the bookshop, where they’ll also turnthe pages of the books for signing!Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Hay’s

well-oiled machine is that, in spite of the rigorousplanning, the event is so relaxed and laid-back.Last year 200,000 tickets were sold. Lyndy puts

part of that success down to the structure of thefestival itself. “Because it’s like a little campus,there is a buzz and word of mouth that peopleare more likely to pick up on than if the festivalwasn’t held on a site like this.“I was doing payroll at the festival,” says

Lyndy, explaining how she landed her dreamjob. “I was telling the only other member ofstaff, who worked on the box office, that Ineeded a career change. The next thing I knew,Peter [Florence] asked if I fancied managingthe festival.“I’m lucky to have such an amazing job. I have

been to places I never dreamed I would and metlots of inspiring people. You can be in thecompany of a prince or a president one minuteand sorting out the toilets the next,” she says.“I wouldn’t consider doing anything else.”

It may seem laid-back, but months offrantic work go into making Herefordshire’sfamous literary festival such a success.Philippa May finds out how it’s done

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30 societymagazine.co.uk Hay festival

Programming, theprovince of festivaldirector Peter Florence,starts in September orOctober of theprevious year.Site design starts in

about November and isflexible until Januaryor February. Nowadays,says Lyndy Cooke, it’smore or less the samelayout every year –“there are only somany configurationsyou can have.”In addition to the

event venues, the siteis home to around 30exhibitors and thebuild starts about sixweeks before theopening date.It’s a big jigsaw, says

Lyndy, and like a jigsawit’s important that youstart with the rightthing. The trackwayshave to go down, thenthe tents and some ofthe portables have tobe lifted in.The now iconic lawn

in the centre of thefestival is, for the restof the year, the middleof a field, but repeatedmowing of the plotensures the perfectsetting for an invitingscatttering ofdeckchairs and awelcome space to whileaway some timereading or justpeople-watching.Ensuring that the

garden looks its best isanother invaluablemember of the team,Rosanna Bulmer, whoworks flat out formonths beforehand –one of the biggestchallenges of gardeningin a field is rabbit-

proofing the site!One of the central

points of the festival isPembertons Bookshop.“We always try to getDi Blunt’s tent finishedfirst as she has to stockthe shop with books bythe featured authors –and not just their newbooks, but theirbacklist, too – and tryto predict stock levelsof each. That job startsthree weeks before thefestival opens.Then there are the

visitors and theiraccommodation needs.“Rhodri, our artistmanager, puts visitingauthors into hotels andB&Bs which we tend tobook year on year. Thenwe have Lucy, whofinds accommodationfor the public throughthe bedfinder service.Some people provideB&B just for thefestival, and it all hasto be co-ordinated. Thefestival even has itsown stock of linen.”As the festival starts,

the 24 permanentmembers of staff findthemselves working14, 15 and 16-hourdays for the duration,having gone up a gearor two from the typical10-hour days of thepreceding six weeks.“We all have different

responsibilities, and dowhat’s necessary. Mostof us will then be backonline working, albeitat home. It’s anastonishing machine,”says Lyndy. “But thefact is that it’s grownorganically, whichmakes it quite simple.We have just adapted.”

Countdown to the festival

Even the rain can’t dampen thatlaid-back Hay vibe (this picture).Hay staff and volunteers workingbehind the scenes to prepare forlast year’s festival (below).

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Life as astewardLiz Bowden firstvolunteered in 2002when she moved withher husband toGlasbury-on-Wye.“Like many others, I

initially registered to beable to see lots ofthings at the festivalwithout having to partwith too much cash,”says Liz.“But I go back year

after year, becausethere’s somethingaddictive about it. Andthe fact is that ifthere’s someone youreally want to see, theonly way to do it is tobuy a ticket, as I didwith Maya Angelouand Jo Brand.Stewards are

responsible forensuring that visitors tothe festival have a goodtime. “We take tickets,show people to theirseats, man the firedoors, keep the aislesfree and keep an eye onthe audience at everyevent,” Liz explains.“We’re also responsiblefor the roving micsduring Q&A sessions,and then for clearingthe venue of people –and litter.”One thing Liz has

learned over the yearsis that there’s nopredicting which eventswill be the mostenjoyable: “It’s down tothe quality of thespeaker, and has verylittle to do with thetopic,” she reveals.Liz will be signing up

again this year: “I don’tthink I could stop,” shesays. “It’s a very mateybusiness... and we getreally good food.”

As the festival grew,from 1,000 people inHay to quarter of amillion visitors acrossthree continentsevery year, attentionturned to its impacton the environment,and five years ago theGreenprint Projectwas launched to

address the festival’secologicalsustainability, .Last year, adding to

the initiatives alreadyintroduced, includinglocal sourcing ofproduce, the plantingon site of severalhundred trees, theconstruction of a

natural reservoir onsite to collect andre-use water, solarmobile phonerecharging points,festival organisersbought a thermalimaging camera andhave been workingwith the localtransition town group.

The greening of Hay

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34 societymagazine.co.uk The Hill House

Alex didn’t really

Hospitality could be Duncan Stayton’smiddle name. Which comes in handywhen you’re running a B&B, butwhen over-enthusiastic hospitalitythreatens your bottom line, it’s time

for the Hotel Inspector to call.And so, The Hill House in Walford near Ross-

on-Wye spent the winter months being advised(Duncan might opt for a slightly stronger term)by Alex Polizzi, the hotel inspector of theChannel 5 series, on ways to maximise the guesthouse’s income and occupancy.Enthusiastic, ebullient, brimming with ideas –

Duncan, who lives at The Hill House with Alexde Sousa and their three children Sapphire,James and Rui, has no difficulty with any ofthese, but, as his encounter with Alex Polizzirevealed, he does have something of a problemwith following through.Completion is a word on Duncan’s wish list,

but not one he has much real-world experienceof. There’s the eco-cottage, which was startedsome time ago, Duncan’s not saying quite howlong, that is sure to be a winner as he already hasregular enquiries about when it will be ready tocome and stay in.“There’ll be no electricity, no running water (a

compost toilet) and a grass roof – a hobbit hole,in fact” – but Duncan has had to divert hisattention to the holiday cottage because thecouncil has inconveniently deemed that counciltax is now payable (the project having exceededthe time it was expected to take to complete).The Hotel Inspector, as regular viewers will

know, likes to match consummately professionalhotelier Alex Polizzi with hoteliers who haverather different ways of doing things, and see ifshe can share her expertise and inject new lifeinto the establishments she visits. The result isnever less than entertaining as Alex comes upagainst hotel owners set stubbornly in their waysand highly resistant to change.And Duncan was certainly resistant to changing

his ways. A visit to the most popular of

High on a hill outsideRoss-on-Wye you’ll findThe Hill House, a uniqueand idiosyncratic B&Bwhich recently enjoyed theattentions of Channel 5’sHotel Inspector, AlexPolizzi. Philippa Mayreveals how it turned out

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societymagazine.co.uk The Hill House 35

understand us...

‘People come here to becosy and warm. Theycome to hide away. It

was a disaster. The roomhad been Ikea-ised’

The Hotel Inspector Alex Polizziwith Duncan Stayton, owner of TheHill House near Ross-on-Wye, left.The Hill House is nothing if notidiosyncratic, as these glimpses ofthe interior show, below.

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36 societymagazine.co.uk The Hill House

travellers’ websites, Trip Advisor, will revealthat The Hill House has a loyal customer base ofpeople who love its slightly chaotic, hugely laidback and generous approach, people who returntime and time again to experience an evening inthe hot tub with a glass of English champagneand the minimum of light pollution to allowunparalleled enjoyment of the stars above theHerefordshire countryside.“People come to be cosy and warm,” says

Duncan. “They come here to hide away.”So, when Alex made over one of The Hill

House’s rooms, The North Suite, it didn’t godown especially well. “It was a disaster – it hadbeen Ikea-ised,” says Duncan, admitting with agrin that he “did a lot of stamping andscreaming”.The Hill House has an idiosyncratic charm

and, if the clutter generated by Duncan’senthusiasms that greets you is offputting,it is more than countered by the warmthof the welcome and the quality of thefood and drink on offer.Hidden away in over four acres of

private woodlands, with spectacularviews of the Royal Forest of Dean

and west over the glorious Wye Valley andbeyond to the Black Mountains, The Hill Househas been awarded a Green Business award byHerefordshire Nature Trust. Heating comesfrom a biomass boiler – “The year before weinstalled it,” says Duncan, “we burned 10,000litres of oil” – and hot water in the summer isproduced by solar panels.Breakfast and dinner, cooked by Duncan,

feature locally sourced produce, almost all of itorganic, and breakfast is a moveable feast,served at any time to suit guests.In deference to his bottom line Duncan has, he

says, been dissuaded from driving as far asGloucester to collect guests, but, as Alex andthe crew left, he wasn’t to be moved on hispolicy of “breakfast is at whatever time youwant it”, claiming that a subtle use ofsuggestion could subliminally persuade guests

to eat at the same time!Looking back on the Hotel Inspectorexperience as he waited for it to air onTV, Duncan was unrepentant abouthis refusal to be Polizzi’d: “Alex didmake some good suggestions, but shedidn’t really understand us!”

Alex Polizzi andDuncan Stayton at

loggerheads inChannel 5’s The Hotel

Inspector, right.Duncan is still

smiling after hisencounter with

Alex, left.

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40 societymagazine.co.uk Richard Blizzard

Like many other model railwayenthusiasts, Richard Blizzard can tracehis passion for steam, not to mentionhis abiding enthusiasm for gardenrailways, back to his childhood.

“My father and I started with a Hornbyclockwork train set that would go on carpets,” herecalls. “But then we found a live steam enginepowered by meths, but it spotted oil all over thefloor so mymother exiled us to the garden. It wasa fiery beast. It had no regulator, so we had to puton lots of trucks to slow it down.”Richard, a former presenter on the legendaryPebble Mill at One, still has a railway in thegarden, this one in Dormington, where he’shaving to rebuild it after a movefrom Gloucestershire.Father and son discovered trains

together, when Richard first becameinterested in them.“When I was eight he took me on

the Bank engine that ran up theGolden Valley bringing coal up fromSouth Wales,” he explains. “I waspetrified because it was so big andnoisy, and my legs weren’t longenough to get up so the driverpicked me up. I was amazed at theamount of coal being shovelled in.”As he grew up and embarked on his career as a

primary school teacher, Richard’s passion fortrains was shunted on to the sidings. He thenjoined the BBC’s education department and soonfound himself with a live TV spot on Pebble Millat One, demonstrating how to make wooden toys.“It was very scary,” he reveals, going on to

explain how he ended up in front of the camera:“The wheels fell off my son’s petrol tanker and Ithought I could do better – that’s what startedme off. I was writing for all the DIYmagazines,making the things I wrote about, then Pebble Millsaid, ‘Why not come and talk to us about this’.”Richard nervously waited to hear how it had

been received. As days passed, he becameincreasingly despondent and rang the producer,to be told: “I haven’t had time to respond toyou. I’ve got nine sacks of post to open!”

His time at Pebble Millwasn’t without incident.He vividly remembers the rocking horse to thisday. “I was looking at it, thinking it didn’t lookquite right. I realised I’d put the back legs on thefront and the horse looked like it had rickets. Ichanged them with seconds to spare.”Greater success was to come, as he was given

his own series in 1983, Blizzard’s WonderfulWooden Toys. The book accompanying the seriessold 100,000 copies in the UK alone, with theprogramme syndicated around the world.After nine months, though, he’d had enough.

“I didn’t want to do any more and didn’t wantto talk to anyone, so I went into the garden andset up a train track. I am never happier than

when I’m making things. I think weare all better for making things,whatever they are.”Richard has recently publishedanother book, sharing hiswoodworking expertise with otherrail enthusiasts. “This book was allabout telling people that if youmake things yourself you will learnlots of skills, not to mention save alot of money.”Another cost saving is industrialmeths – but it once proved anembarrassing purchase when he

went to a local surgery to buy some and thereceptionist called out to a packed waiting room:“Mr Blizzard, I’ve got your gallon of meths.”The meths ensures an hour of steam for

Richard’s immaculately kept engines Donaldand Dylan (named not for the poet, nor thefamous Bob, but more prosaically after the dogbelonging to the man who ran RoundhouseEngineering which had made the engine).The track at Richard’s Dormington home is

not yet complete as he and his wife Patricia,only recently moved there and then discoveredthe drains needed replacing, but he has grandplans for the future.The golden age of steam may have passed, but

narrow your eyes slightly as Dylan races acrossthe miniature girder bridge in full steam andyou’ll glimpse its unmistakable echo.

A railway inmy garden

Richard Blizzard’s latest

book is for fellow buffs.

Philippa May finds former TV presenter Richard Blizzardkeeping the age of steam alive at his Herefordshire home

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Former TV presenter Richard Blizzard, left,and scenes from his garden railway, above.

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44 C MY K


Are youthe face of

?Herefordshire Society is delighted to have joined

forces with Hereford’s leading stockist of the best intoday’s cutting-edge fashion, FIT, to launch an

exciting competition to find two young models, a guyand a girl, to be the faces of the store’s on- and off-line marketing campaign for the autumn/winter

season 2011. If you’re 18 or over and think you’ve gotwhat it takes, we want to see you!

We’ve also been doing a little window shopping ofour own to bring you a taste of the fittest of thisseason’s FIT fashion. From floaty floral dresses tobang-on-trend checked shirts and a selection of Ts,

you’ll have your style nailed at FITTurn the page to find out more

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

all seeing eyeimagesall seeing eyeimages

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How you could beThe prizesFor two lucky winners who are the perfect fit, there’sa fabulous prize package in store – not only will yoube the face of FIT’s online and in-store marketing forautumn and winter 2011, you’ll star in a professionalphotoshoot with Jay Watson of AllSeeing Eye, andwin £500 of vouchers to spend in FIT, hair and

beauty makeovers at Peter Prosser and BeautifulSpirit and a VIP night out worth £200 for you andthree friends at Saxty’s. And that’s not all – the prizealso includes a year’s membership at Sixth SenseGym. The final 12 – six girls, six guys - will befeatured in the June edition of Herefordshire Society.

RRUULLEESS:: Employees, and their immediate relatives, of Newsquest (MidlandsSouth) Ltd, FIT, Denim Nation and any other company connected with thiscompetition, their agents and associated companies are not eligible to enter.Competition only open to entrants living permanently at an address with an HR

postcode. The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.Entry to the competition is via herefordtimes.com only. No postal entries will beaccepted. The prize must be taken as stated and in no other form. The winnerswill get confirmation of their win in writing and their names and photographs

Super Dry tee£29.99

Lipsy dress£64.99

G-STAR low skinny jeans £139.99Traffic Peopledress £64.99

Marc B bag£54.99

46 societymagazine.co.uk Fashion

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the new face ofHow to enterAll you have to do is go to herefordtimes.comwhere you’ll find a link to an entry form and you’llbe able to upload your details and threephotographs, one full length and one of your facefull on and another of your face in profile.Photographs must not have been edited. Girls

must be a minimum of 5’4” tall, guys a minimum of5’6” tall. Please make sure you can be available forthe key dates in the competition before you enter.Judging takes place on Thursday, June 30 and thefinal photoshoot will be held during the weekbeginning Monday, August 22. Closing date May 19.

will be published in the paper and in Herefordshire Society magazine. Femaleentrants must be a minimum height of 5’4” tall and male entrants must be aminimum height of 5’6” tall. All entrants must be aged 18 or above. Entrantsmust provide three photographs – one full body, one face-on and one face

profile. Photographs must not be edited. Entrants must be available for thefinal judging session on Thursday, June 30, 2011, and for the professionalphoto shoot during the week commencing August 22, 2011. It is a condition ofentry that competitors agree to be bound by the rules of the competition.

Diesel short-sleevedshirt £69.99

G-STAR tee£49.99

Chunk poloshirt £39.99

Firetrapjacket£99.99

G-STAR loose fit £109.99

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For herFor girls who are getting bored with their long locks,but aren’t brave enough to go for the full chop, the‘midi’ is the perfect solution. Championed by some ofthe sexiest heads around (Alexa Chung, OliviaPalermo and, more recently, Jennifer Aniston), onceyou’ve got the midi-length that’s right for you, haircan be cut into a number of styles from soft swishinglayers to a more severe graduated bob, still allowingyou to wear it up, down, curled or sleek. Also popularin the salon right now are wider styles, using layeringand perming techniques to achieve a high-end 70sdisco look that’s bang on trend. This works really wellon longer hair and complements the dip-dye orombre effect (where ends of hair are lighter).

For himAfter seasons of long fringes and sideswept, head-hugging styles, the latest looks are more masculineand hard-edged. Neatly cropped cuts, tight around theears and nape, combine with longer layers through thecrown and front, giving the option to style with casual-looking messed-up texture or a more formal pushed-up shape that nods to either the flat top or rockabillystyles of yesteryear. For the bloke who’s more Brandthan Buddy, long layered cuts are still in style. Hair isgraduated so shorter lengths around the crown giveway to a longer fringe, sides and nape, allowing forfull volume wherever you want for that real rock ‘n’roll bed-head look. Block colour, where the hair is dyedone shade all over, is the perfect finishing touch.

Heat protectionspray Goldwell’sStyleSign SleekPerfection water-free spray serumfor long-lastingsleekness, £8.35.

Hair powder Idealfor creatingvolume on all hairtypes. HairplayMake-Over Spray,in salons fromJune, £13.70.

Salt spray KMS’sSea Salt Spray isthe summer hairessential with seasalts for workabletexture and hold.£14.95.

TexturiserStargazer NaturalHair Wax or HoldHair Wax, availableat £3 each fromstargazer-products.com.

Cleansingshampoo GoldwellDualsenses, £7.45,250ml. Removesstyling residue, oiland chlorine forshiny hair.

SebastianTrilliant Thisprovides heatprotection, givescondition, ultralight body andshine.

The cutting edgeKeeping your look bang on trend is about more, much more,thanthe fashion. The right look with the wrong hair won’t cut it, somake sure you’re ahead of the rest with some advice on currenttrends from award-winning hairdresser Peter Prosser

PETERPROSSERH

AIRDRESSIN

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.UK,01432

357588/PETER

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01432361996

Threemust-have hair products for her – and for him

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Flick through any glossymagazine and you’re certain to spotthese three faces, three of today’s

biggest stars with instantly recognisablestyle. Kathryn Hulme from Hereford’s BeautifulSpirit shows you how to achieve their looks

Get the lookKaty PerrySkin For a natural finish with flawlesscomplexion that lets your skin breathewhile protecting from UV damage, andhypo-allergenic for sensitive skin, tryLycogel make-up, £49.50. Visit BeautifulSpirit for a personal colour match.Eyebrows Use Shiseido natural eyebrowpowder in light brown, £25, to define yournatural shape.Eyelashes For luscious, long eyelasheswith colour that will last without thepanda look, use Shiseido Perfect Definingmascara in black, £22Eyeshadow For a golden Midas touch useShiseido eyecolour in Goldlights, £19Lips For a girly candy pink with a highpigment but a glossy finish, use ShiseidoNew shimmering rouge in PK407 £19.50Teeth Katy has perfect pearly white teeth.To enhance your smile and bring yourteeth back to their natural whiteness, tryBeautiful Spirit’s in-clinic teeth whitening.

Jessie JEyes Fine eyeliner in black, £23.Lashes Perfect Defining mascara inblack, £22.Lips Perfect Rouge – RS320, £21.Nails Jessica 913 in Starlight Starbright.Skin Crystal clear- Micro-dermabrasionand Oxygen Facial £65.

NicoleScherzingerEyebrows Thin eyebrows can be tooharsh and very ageing, so for aprofessional smudge-free and naturaleffect, try permanent make-up, with aneyebrow enhancement.Eyeliner Eyeliner gives depth to lashes,making them look fuller and thicker. TryShisiedo Cream eyeliner in Black, £24, fora long-lasting smudge-free result.Eyeshadow For a smoky look useShiseido Luminizing satin eye colour in‘Alchemy’, £22.Lips To create a glassy, sexy pout tryShiseido Luminizing lipgloss inMaraschino, £19.Nails For long-lasting, flawless and glossyinstantly dry nail colour that lasts up tofour weeks without chipping, flaking orfading, try the new Geleration manicurefrom Jessica, from £45, or, for a night out,the Jessica Spa range of nail colours,Jessana, in ‘positive energy’, £8.25

BEAU

TIFULSPIR

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EREFO

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IT.CO.UK

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homes&gardens

Allotment diary 54Gardening books 56Garden must-haves 57

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When the ground was still frozen solid beneath a picturesque coveringof snow, LindaWatts and her twin sister Jackie Mumford finally, afterfour years on the waiting list, took possession of their allotment on theCorporation Farm site. Together with their husbands, Andrew and Derek,they’ve been digging, planting and planning their precious plot, and, as

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spring gets into its stride, they’re beginning to harvest the first fruits oftheir labours. Since January 1, these first-time allotment owners havebeen keeping a diary, and we’ll be bringing you the highlights for therest of the year, starting with the first three months that have takenthem from ground too hard to dig to a delicious rhubarb crumble

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56 societymagazine.co.uk Homes and gardens

With so much interest in growing your own, there are plenty of booksto consult when you’re in need of a little armchair gardening. Noviceallotment owner Linda Watts and experienced vegetable growerJames Maggs have been looking at some of what’s available

Read it and weed

The Essential AllotmentGuide by John HarrisonAn easy and accessible read filled withinteresting facts and useful information.For beginners like us it would be aparticularly good book to have on theshelf. Helpful black and whiteillustrations, but no colour photos. At£5.99 it’s really good value. LLWWRight Way, £5.99 right-way.co.uk

How to Store your GardenProduce by Piers WarrenAs a lot of what you grow ripens in thesummer, if you want to feed yourself allyear-round storing it efficiently andwell is vital. This valuable booksuggests good varieties for storing andmethods of storage, from making yourown cider to drying apple rings. JJMMGreen Books, £7.95, offer price £7.55

HOW TO ORDERTO ORDER ANY OF THE TITLES AT THE SPECIAL OFFER PRICES LISTED, CALL THE HEREFORD TIMES BOOKSHOP ON 08430 6000399 OR SEND YOURCHEQUE OR POSTAL ORDER MADE PAYABLE TO HEREFORD TIMES BOOKSHOP TO: HEREFORD TIMES BOOKSHOP, PO BOX 60, HELSTON, TR13 0TP.ALLOW 7-10 WORKING DAYS FOR DELIVERY. TITLES SUPPLIED SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. ORDER ONLINE AT SPARKLEDIRECT.COM.

Allotment Gardeningby Susan BergerAn easy-to-read beginners’ guide full ofinformation on issues affecting organicgardens. A useful calendar section tellsyou what to grow and when, acomprehensive vegetable guide includesa recipe for each crop and there’s adviceon tools too. A useful starting point. LLWWGreen Books, £9.95, offer price £9.45

Joe’s Allotmentby Joe SwiftClearly aimed at fans of Joe’s TV work.‘Joe’s Veg Heroes’ are little more thancelebrity gardener interviews, althoughthere is a very informative section oncompanion planting. The book is full ofnice, if not necessarily useful, photos, butdoesn’t really justify the price. JJMMBBC Books, £17.99, offer price £15.99

The Allotment Cookbookby Caroline BrethertonPacked full of more than 200 creativebut easy-to-follow recipes, this is a veryuseful companion for growers with vegto spare. Divided into seasons ratherthan courses, it features ways to storeexcess produce in a variety of waysincluding jams, jellies and cordials. JJMMDorling Kindersley, £16.99, offer £14.99

Royal Horticultural SocietyAllotment HandbookBeautifully presented, with illustratedguides to everything you might want togrow. Detailed advice on sowing, growingand harvesting, with useful ‘what I wishI’d known’ comments and an easy-to-readcrop planner. More expensive than others,but lovely for armchair gardening. LLWWRHS, £16.99, offer price £14.99

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Green fingers are one of the best allotment accessories, but we’ve beendigging around to bring you a selection of other gardening must-haves,from the pretty useful to the pretty and useful, to get things growing

Plot development

Gardener’s tool hooks£10.20 stylishlife.co.uk

Seed and plant dibber£7.14 stylishlife.co.uk

Kitchen compost bin £18Berry Red, Hereford,berryred.co.uk andgreenfingers.com

Daisy design wellies£25.99 greenfingers.com

Hozelock garden kneeler£16.99 greenfingers.com

Leather knee pads£24.99 greenfingers.com

Soil testing system £13.25wigglywigglers.co.uk

Wiggle it seed trayfrom £8.60wigglywigglers.co.uk

Tool and tuck box £21.25wigglywigglers.co.uk

Birds Away Kit £10.50Berry Red, berryred.co.uk

I Garden Therefore I Ammug £6.99The Contemporary Home, tch.co.uk

Gardening angel mug£8.16 stylishlife.co.uk

Burgon and Ball Americansoil scoop £18.25wigglywigglers.co.uk

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food&drink

From the garden to the kitchen 64 Cheers for spears 66

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64 societymagazine.co.uk Food and drink

From thegarden to

the kitchenThe great joy for anyone who grows their own, whether onan allotment or in containers on the patio, is watching theseeds germinate and the fruits and vegetables ripening before

taking your harvest to the kitchen and creating the freshest,most delicious dishes for friends and family. The Kitchen toGarden Expert by Judith Wills and Dr D G Hessayonoffers a wealth of recipes featuring the stars of thevegetable patch, including three big spring favourites

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IngredientsServes 4

500g (1.25lb)asparagus

1 onion75g (3oz) butter300g (11oz)

risotto rice1 glass dry

white wine750ml (1.25 pints)

hot vegetable stock65g (2.5oz) grated

parmesanblack pepper

MethodSteam asparagus anddrain, reserving 100ml(3.5 fl oz) liquid. Cutinto 3cm (1.5in) pieces.Sweat finely chopped

onion in 50g (2oz) ofthe butter over lowheat for 8 minutes tosoften but not colour.Add rice and stir for

two minutes. Add wineand stir again untilbubbling.Add asparagus

cooking liquid to thestock. Stir a large ladle

(about 75ml/2.5 fl.oz)of the stock into therisotto and continuestirring until the stockhas been absorbed bythe rice.Repeat until all the

stock is used up or therice is cooked throughand creamy.Add the remaining

butter, the asparagus,half the cheese and theseasoning. Stir andserve in warm bowls,sprinkled withremaining cheese.

Asparagus risottoMaking a risotto isn’t quick – but it is relaxing. Allow 45 minutes to makethis dish and invite friends to chat with you in the kitchen while you stir

Smokedmackerel, potato and beetroot saladThis is a salad that takes a while to put together, but the result is worth it

ALL RECIPES TAKEN FROM THE GARDEN TO KITCHEN EXPERT BY JUDITH WILLS AND DR DGHESSAYON, PUBLISHED BY EXPERT BOOKS, A DIVISION OF TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS. YOUCAN ORDER THE GARDEN TO KITCHEN EXPERT (RRP £9.99) FOR THE OFFER PRICE OF £8.99,P&P FREE, FROM THE HEREFORD TIMES BOOKSHOP ON 08430 6000399 OR SEND YOURCHEQUE OR POSTAL ORDER MADE PAYABLE TO HEREFORD TIMES BOOKSHOP TO: HEREFORDTIMES BOOKSHOP, PO BOX 60, HELSTON, TR13 0TP. ALLOW 7-10 WORKING DAYS FOR DELIVERY.TITLES SUPPLIED SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. ORDER ONLINE AT SPARKLEDIRECT.COM

IngredientsServes 4

2 beetroot2tbsp balsamic

vinegar2tbsp olive oilsalt, black pepper300g (11oz) new

potatoes2tbsp vegetable oil8 spring onions1tbsp fresh chopped

parsley200ml (7 fl oz)

extra-thick cream

2tbsp freshly gratedhorseradish

4 smoked mackerelfillets

rocket leaves

MethodPut quartered beetrootin roasting dish,drizzled with vinegarand olive oil and seasonwell. Cut potatoes intosmall chunks and put inanother roasting dishwith vegetable oil and

seasoning. Roasteverything until crispand tender, addingchopped onions topotato pan for last 10minutes of cooking andcombining well.Mix cream and

horseradish. Combinebeetroot with potatoand stir in parsley. Slicemackerel fillets andarrange on plates withvegetables. Garnishwith rocket leaves.

IngredientsServes 41 small onion15g (½oz) butter300g (11oz) rhubarb2tsp chopped freshginger½ tsp ground mixedspice½ orange

MethodSweat finely choppedonion in butter over low

heat to softenbut not colour.Cut rhubarbinto 4cm (1½in)lengths.Add ginger and

spice to pan andcook for a furtherminute, then addrhubarb, orangejuice and gratedzest and cookgently until rhubarbis tender, afterabout 10 minutes.

Rhubarb compoteRhubarb is a good accompaniment forfatty and strong meats, poultry andgame. Try this with roast duck or goose

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66 societymagazine.co.uk Food and drink

April is when food starts to get moreexciting in Britain. There is springlamb, beetroot and rhubarb to enjoybefore the first few spears ofasparagus appear later in the month.

The fields of Herefordshire and thesurrounding area are rich with spring treatsthat can be found at farm shops, grocersand PYO farms. Most exciting amongspring produce is asparagus, which isgrown all over the region.The asparagus season is fairly short,

lasting approximately eight weeks inBritain, meaning we go mad for itwhen it finally hits the shops.Asparagus is a real ‘super food’,containing a plethora of fantasticvitamins and minerals. An 80gserving provides 60 per cent of therecommended daily allowance offolic acid, especially important inpregnancy to protect the unbornbaby from neural tube defectssuch as spina bifida, and has ahigh concentration of soluble fibre,known to have a protective effectagainst degenerative heart disease.The one thing that everybody will

love about asparagus is that it is lowin calories. The average spear has justfour calories, contains almost no fat andis very low in cholesterol. Asparagus is afood that must be super fresh so makesure it is local and buy it from a retailer thatpays growers properly. We start sellingasparagus at Ludlow Food Centre in late Apriland the season will end in early June, so don’thang around.

Late April marks the start of the short, but delicious,asparagus season. Tom Hunt, marketing managerfor Ludlow Food Centre, reveals some factsyou may not know about Britain’smost versatile spring vegetable

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Cheers for spears

IngredientsMakes 4

300g podded andshelled broad beans

2 tbsp extra virginolive oil

Juice of one lemonA handful of mint

leaves, saving a fewsmall ones to garnish

Salt and pepper100g British

asparagus, cut in halflengthways

4 slices rusticwhite bread

1 garlic clove,peeled but left whole

1 small ball (150g)of buffalo mozzarella,roughly torn

MethodCook the broad beansin boiling water fortwo minutes. Drain,refresh under coldwater, drain again,then peel from theirskins. Use the back ofa fork to roughlycrush the beans with

the olive oil andlemon juice, then stirthrough the mint.Season with salt andpepper to taste.Cook the Britishasparagus in boilingsalted water forone to two minutesand then drain undercold water.

Heat a griddle pan,toast the bread onboth sides, then rubwith the garlic clove.Spoon beans overeach slice of bread,scatter over theBritish asparagus,mint and mozzarellaand drizzle with moreolive oil to serve.

RECIPE: GIZZI ERSKINE FOR BRITISH ASPARAGUS

Gizzi Erskine’s British asparagus, broad bean, mint andmozzarella bruschetta

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How you’vehelped us

In every issue ofHerefordshire Society,the People pagesfeature pictures ofbig social eventsorganised to putmoney in to the bankaccounts of local charities,events that raise the fundsthat ensure the continuingprovision of servicesmaking a huge differenceto their users’ lives. It’seasy to put our hands inour pockets and dropmoney into a collecting tin,simple to shell out a coupleof pounds for a raffle ticketor two and it takes amatter of minutes to signour name to a sponsorshipform when a colleagueannounces a 5k run or an

abseil from a churchsteeple. But we rarelymeet the people whobenefit from ourdonations or see what

it is a charity really doesand the impact it has onthose people. Among thedozens of charities inHerefordshire are two thatwill be well known to mostpeople and another,newer, charity set up toaddress the needs ofyoung people affected bya life-threatening illness inthe family. In commonwith every charity, thesethree organisations arepassionate in theircommitment tosupporting andempowering their users.

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societymagazine.co.uk Charities 73

An extremely cold start to the day didnothing to dampen the enthusiasm oftwo of Riding for the Disabled’sclients, Angela Higham and JohnDavis, both of whom have been

riding at the Holme Lacy centre for several years.Angela, who has a neurological problem

exacerbated by a superbug infection a couple ofyears ago, has no doubt about the benefits she’sseen in the five years she’s been riding.“I had a riding accident at 14 and

ruptured my spleen, which left mewith an increased tendency to getbacterial infections,“ she says.“The superbug put me in a

wheelchair, and before I startedriding, I was just sitting in a cornerdoing nothing, with carers coming in.My sister did ask why I was goingriding when it was falling off a horse that wasthe start of my problems. But I thought it was agreat idea, and the improvement in my staminahas been enormous.”WhenAngela first got back on a horse five years

ago, staying upright and walking in a straightline was a challenge in itself. “Ten minutes wasthe most I could manage,” she recalls. “I can’tride the way I did as a 14-year-old, but my goal isto canter around by the river.”Riding offers great physical benefits, as centre

manager Janet Alderton explains. “When John,

for example, is on Gypsy, the horse provides non-invasive physiotherapy, relaxing his tight legmuscles, and staying upright for any rider worksthe core muscles and leads to greater stability.”But the benefits go way beyond the physical, as

both Angela and John have found.For Angela, a mother of three boys, who trained

as a pharmacologist, it has meant that she is nolonger confined to the corner. “It gives me a morenormal life, being out with people. At the end of

a day, I’ve been somewhere, donesomething. They’ve all been to watchme compete, my trophies are in prideof place and my youngest son has triedriding himself. He was amazed at howhard it is.”John, who’s been riding for 10 years,

would love to ride more often and says“It makes me feel happy and more

confident coming here.” He’s also been carriagedriving at the centre, but prefers going solo. He’dalso love to do more riding outside the centre,something he used to do more often: “I lovedseeing the scenery.” However, with roads to crossand steep inclines if they do go out, most activityis restricted to the indoor manège.Janet is currently exploring possibilities for new

premises for RDA that will let the centre supportmore riders and provide greater opportunities toride outside. “The reason it has to happen is forJohn and all the other Johns,” she says.

Riding for the Disabled

‘It givesmeamore

normal life,being out

with people’

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Riding for the Disabledhas enabled AngelaHigham, left, to get outand do things ratherthan being ‘stuck in acorner’ at home. JohnDavis, above, has alsobenefited from riding.

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74 societymagazine.co.uk Charities

Hope Support Services

While Riding for the Disabled iscelebrating its 25th year in thecounty, Hope Support Serviceshas been running for just 18months, and founder Sue

Trevethan believes it is the first scheme of its kindin the country set up to meet the needs ofchildren and young people affected by a familymember’s diagnosis of a life-threatening illness.Children and young people can often feel

isolated, confused and frightened atthe time of diagnosis as the focus isoften on the patient: “From themoment of diagnosis there can be alot of hushed voices in the house…and the ripples that run through thefamily can be traumatic for thechildren and adolescents. The focusthen revolves around the ill person,meeting their needs of hospital visits andtreatment plans.”Although Sue has extensive experience working

with children, it was her own circumstances thatled to the foundation of Hope Support Services.“I was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, when myson had just started secondary school, myyoungest daughter was taking her GCSEs and myeldest daughter had just left home.” Sue realisedthat there was no support for her children. “I feltthat if my children were okay, it would allow meto get on with being poorly and getting better.

Then not long after that a lady contacted me toask if my son would talk to her daughter as shehad just been diagnosed with a life-threateningillness, and the rest is history.”A vital part of Hope is its Y-Team (Youth Team),

made up of youngsters who have been through asimilar situation with a family member of theirown, who advise Hope on what it should bedoing. Hope lets the youngsters come togetherand share their experiences while being involved

in activities chosen by them and paidfor by money raised by the Y-Team.Sue also points out that when a

family member is diagnosed, childrenare expected to carry on as thoughnothing has happened, even thoughhuge changes may take place in theirlives. Hope’s aim is to be there tosupport them through those changes.

Sue says all at Hope are grateful for the supportthey themselves have been given. “Pots andPieces coffee shop in Ross-on-Wye let us use theirvenue in the early days and being chosen as TheCourtyard’s charity last Christmas was anotherboost.” Hope’s profile was further raised by Y-Teammember Ryan Green, who gained a bursaryfor Hope when he won the 2011 Lions ClubYoungAmbassador Award.The vision now is to see Hope’s model rolled out

nationally, allowing all young people to access tothe same support available in Herefordshire.

‘The ripplesthat runthrough a

family can betraumatic’

Sue Trevethan, centrefront, with members ofthe Hope SupportServices team, whohelp youngsters copewhen a family memberis diagnosed with alife-threateningcondition.H

OPE

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Like Hope Support Services,Hereford’s Breast Cancer Haven wasopened to provide support thathadn’t previously existed in thecounty, and Julia Thomas, an early

user of its wide-ranging portfolio of services,maintains her connection with the St OwenStreet charity, donating a percentage of thefirst year’s income from her new businessCakeangels.Julia was diagnosed with breast cancer two

months after learning that shewas pregnant with her first child.“I’d thought the lump wasconnected with the pregnancyand wasn’t really worried.”Following a lumpectomy 12weeks into her pregnancy, Julialearned that the cancer hadspread to her lymph nodes. Heroncologist then tailored a chemotherapyregime to accommodate her pregnancy.Julia had four cycles of chemo before Charlie

was born by Caesarean section at 36 weeks,and another four immediately after his birth,followed by 17 radiotherapy treatments.“The Haven had only just opened,” she

recalls. “Nice is such an inadequate word, butit’s the best I can find to describe the Haven. Iimmediately felt safe there. It’s great to be withpeople who understand how you are feeling –

you don’t always want to burden friends andfamily, but The Haven provides a place to talk,or not if you don’t want to.“Being pregnant gave me something very

positive to think about, and I always knew thatCharlie was going to be all right. Now I lookback and see the risks to him and to me. Butthen it never even crossed my mind.“Because I was pregnant, The Haven provided

additional treatments for me – reflexology andreiki as well as support from a nutritionist once

I put myself on a vegan diet.”Six years on, Julia does not have

cancer: “I don’t think of myself as inremission. I had cancer and I don’thave it any more, “ she says, but shedoes still have contact with TheHaven. “I joined the fundraisingcommittee to give something back.”A former City businesswoman and

charity chief executive, Julia’s life has changedpost-cancer and post-Charlie’s arrival. Herchange of diet meant cake was off the menu andwatching others tucking in proved tough. So shestarted experimenting and is now the award-winning creator of Cakeangels, dairy, wheat andgluten-free cupcakes, traybakes, brownies andcelebration cakes, all made to order.“Any opportunity that Cakeangels offers to

link to The Haven I do it,” says Julia. “Thereshould be Havens for everyone.”

Breast Cancer Haven

‘It’s great tobe with

people whounderstandhow you feel’

Julia Thomas, with herson Charlie, who was

born in between cyclesof chemotherapy.

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Who needs a road when you’ve got a Land Rover? 80

motors

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road anyway?Forget the joy of the open highway – how about

the joy of two-foot-deep water, crazy 30-degree angles,mud, ruts, rocks and sheer drops? Andrew Doyle

visited Land Rover Experience in Eastnor to tryhis hand at a bit of off-road driving

Who needs a

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Youmight not know it, but the spiritualhome of Land Rover lies inHerefordshire, for it’s here, in Eastnor,in 1961, that the main off-road testingsite for the vehicle was established.

It’s still used to test the latest models today,though, since 1990, it’s not just trained LandRover specialists who get to pit themselvesagainst the terrain – your average saloon-driving chump like me can get behind thewheel of one of these ultimate off-road beasts.Driving for me has generally been a repetitive

and boring part of my working day for the last20 years, so how refreshing it was to findmyself travelling up a sheer, wooded hillside ina Range Rover Sport, in beautiful and ruggedcountryside at the foot of the Malvern Hills.At the wheel of the beast was former

Territorial Army engineer, chief test driver andmy instructor for the day, Alf Bates.You can choose any vehicle from the Land

Rover stable – Freelander, Discovery, Defender,or Ranger Rover.I figured the opportunity wasn’t going to

come very often, so I went straight for the£48,000 Sport, complete with enhanced terrainresponse, a three litre diesel engine, on-boardcomputer, six-speed gear box and heatedleather seats.To put this into context, I currently drive a

10-year-old Ford Focus with dodgy suspension,child-stained seats and no on-board computer.“You’re guaranteed to leave here with a smile

on your face – they all do,” said Alf, as heeffortlessly guided the car round a steephairpin bend, on a rutted, muddy track thatlooked as if it had no right to be offeringvehicular access.I laughed nervously, as I knewAlf was shortly

going to hand the controls over to me.That moment came and as we sat there,

parked on the sheer incline of a woodedhillside, my first thought was: “Where is theground?” All I could see beyond the bonnet ofmy Range Rover was trees and sky.Luckily my vehicle was equipped with on-

board cameras allowing me to check out theview wheel-side. And more importantly I hadAlf, calmly pointing out that I was heading fora tree or rock.Highlights include flooring it and reversing up

a steep bank, engine roaring and mud flying,negotiating a track under two feet of water,parking the car, while leaning at a 30-degreeangle, as well as driving up a staircase. Yes, astaircase.I found the experience thrilling and scary in

equal measure. Sure, a lot of the experience isabout letting this highly intelligent piece of kitdo the work, but it still demands 100 per centconcentration at all times and it’s guaranteed toget the adrenaline pumping.This is definitely one of those experiences to

put on your bucket list, andAlf was right, Icouldn’t stop smiling.

Land RoverExperience offers arange of packages,from complimentaryvehicle demonstrationsif you're thinking aboutbuying one, to groupbookings for days outwith friends, corporate

events or professionaluser training.

Courses are run byprofessional and highlyexperiencedinstructors.

This year the centrecelebrates its 50thanniversary.

The centre iscommitted tosustainability andlimiting its impact onthe environment.

For more details,visit landrover.com/eastnor or call01531 638779.

Fact file Land Rover Experience

Andrew Doylewith instructorAlf Bates.

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Noah’s Ark Frock Shwop 86Truffle card launch 88Concern Universal Valentine’s Ball 90Growing Point’s 20th birthday 92Borderlines Film Festival ball 93Hereford Learning Disability Trust launch 94Herefordshire Sports awards 95Allpay Broadband launch 96International Women’s Day afternoon tea 96

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86 societymagazine.co.uk People and events

Noah’s Ark Frock ShwopCastle House Hotel

Jan Morris and Alicia Scudder.

Dawn Ford and Victoria Geary.

Ruth Caswell, Laura Vicker

s.

Rosemary Hudson, Becky Rumseyand Chris Watkins.

Fiona Davies, Anna Roby-Welford.

Liz Collins (Noah’s Ark Trust),Vicki Brandt, Anthony Murphy,Anna Roby-Welford.

Helen Walmsley, Becky Rumsey,

Susie Mee, Gill Parker.

Alex Pattison-Appleton.

Bev Davies and Dawn Morgan. Vicki Brandt of Style Solutions.

Annabel Mee, Samantha Jones.

Kath Cotterill, Alison Holmes.

PICTURES: RICHARD WEAVER

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societymagazine.co.uk People and events 87

Liz Collins, LillieCollins.

Abbie Raine, Lillie Collins.

Pat Jones,Rose Savid

ge.

Emma McFarlend, Tamsin Fitzgerald.

Janet Edwards, Jodi Edwards.

Mel Cole, Jane Blake.Mike Horn (Kidwells),

Anna Roby-Welford.

Booty Lennox, Katharine Wheeler.

Bobbie Heavens, Councillor Sylvia

Daniels (former mayor of Hereford),

Anna Roby-Welford, Liz Collins.

Guests enjoyed champagne and cakes, watched a catwalk show andbrowsed rails of fashion bargains at a sell-out event which raised£2,500 for locally based children’s bereavement charity Noah’s Ark

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Truffle card launchSaxtys

Bobbie Heavens and Walenty Pytel.

Michael Horne, Gary Woodman

and Rachel Jones.

Fiona Phillips, Mark Hubbard and

Jonathan Bretherton.

Luke Conod and Roger Phillips.

Maddy Thacker and

Bobbie Heavens.

Maddy Thacker sells raffle tickets.

Grenville Smith, Tim Russon andGraham Cheryl.

Luke Conod, Marcelle Lloyd-Hayesand Mark Ruck.

Helen Power and Sue Hutchinson.

James Smith, Christine Hope and

Duncan Sykes.

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Luke Conod and Mark Hubbard.

Tony Killeen and Roger Phillips.

Everyone had a great time.

Roger Phillips, Tim Russon andJamie Pitman.

San Montague, Dee Montague,

Rachel Jones and Di Montague-Jones.Phil Gorringe, Bryony Hatch and

Andre Sockett.

Local business people attended the launch of a new loyalty card forcounty shoppers, the brainchild of Heather Gorringe of Wiggly Wigglers,Luke Conod of FIT and James Smith of Stagecoach restaurant

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Valentine’s BallMunstone House Hotel, Hereford

Andy and Susannna Dell.

Alex and Nicky Dymond.

Beverley and Gary Dallow.

Chris Peacey.

Kieron Hegarty and Kay Exton.Kay Exton. Kevin and Becky Mifflin, Kali Heard

and Shimeon Mifflin.

Annie Ransome and Lawrence Eytle.

Becky and Kevin Mifflin. Chris and Donna Ogleby.

Katie Farmer and Jason Hopkin.

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE COURTYARD, CAFÉ GREEN AND THAT FISH PLACE, THE BALLOON DISPLAY COMPANY, LOS SQUIDEROS, CHRIS MUNTON, IAIN HUNTER, FESTIVAL REPUBLIC

Ian and Pat Williams, Louise and

Dan Bishop.

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Shimeon Mifflin and Kali Heard.Victoria Seaman and Pete Owen.

Oliver Piggot and

Sophie Rowberry.

Sean and Denise Harrison.

Pippa and Mike Lloyd.

Nicky Dymock, Maggie Ellis,

Sandra Cooke, Barbara Shore and

Jenny Seaman.

Rosalind Almond, NickyDymock,

Oliver Pigott and Jenny Seam

an.

Reg and Jan Marshal.

Rose Farrington, Kieron Hegartyand Kay Exton.

Pete Owen, Tom Nash, Rosalind Almond,Oliver Pigott, Sophie Rowberry, RussellCarpenter,Stacy Bannister, Chris Peaceyand Victoria Seaman.

Rosalind Almond, Cheryl Cheasley,

Stacey Bannister, Victoria Seaman and

Sophie Rowberry.

A three-course meal followed by an auction and dancing to livemusic from Los Squideros and Chris M raised more than £2,500 forHereford’s international development charity Concern Universal

REPUBLIC, HAY FESTIVAL, SAXTYS WINES, CASTLE HOUSE HOTEL, TRUMPERS TEA, ANNA TOON AND MUNSTONE HOUSE.

PICTURES:ELLIE

JAMES

Rosalind Almond, Vicky Seaman, Oliver

Pigott and Jenny Seaman.

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Growing Point’s 20th birthdayCastle House Hotel

Anna Champion.Andrew Huntley, Debbie Blagg

and Woody Blagg.

The Lord Lieutenant of HerefordshireLady Darnley.

Edith Hoare and Sarah Wells.Sir Roy Strong and Meath Baker.

Anthony Snell.

Anthony Peake. Harriet Windsor Clive and Jo Prickett.

Julie Cohn and Sally Rodgers.

Herefordshire Growing Point, a charity that promotes horticulture tothe elderly and disabled, celebrated with a Bubbles and Canapés event

James Hervey-Bathurst.

Michelle Wilmot of event sponsorKnight Frank.

Michelle Wilmot and Sir Roy Strong.

PICT

URES

:JED

DGRIFFIN

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Ingrid Heatly, RichardHeatly.

Tony Lawson, Tony and Dido Blench. Ian Kerry, Florence Kerry.

Steve Peacock, Bill Jackson,

John Banks.Peter Williamson.

This year’s ball included a vintage film-inspired fashion showpresented by students from Hereford Sixth Form College, with apercentage of the proceeds going to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Borderlines Film Festival Ball Shire Hall

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Nic Millington, Anne Cottringer,Christine Lawson, Wayne Smith.

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Herefordshire LearningDisability Trust launchBarrs Court School

Barry Williams with Councillor

Bettington.

Dick Makin and Karen Rooke, jointchairs of governors, Barrs Court School.

Elizabeth Hunter, High Sheriff of

Herefordshire, with Richard Aird,

Chairman of HLDT and headteacher

of Barrs Court School

Rex Birchmore, HLDT logo designer

and teaching assistant.

Barrs Court School launched a new registeredcharity to take over the work of the successfulHydrosense Appeal. The Herefordshire LearningDisability Trust ‘aims to achieve a Herefordshirecommunity that is inclusive, accessible, openand welcoming towards children and adults whohave learning disabilities, and their families’

Councillor Dawe, keynote speaker.

Senior teaching assistant and

HLDT

member Mandy Willetts and

teaching assistant Sandra Quinn.

Blackmarston School head and deputySian Bailey and Clare Crump, inspectorsVickyWard and Dave Beddard, and BarrsCourt finance secretary Christine Tait.

Phil Collins of Collins Design andBuild, Karen Aird, assistant head atBarrs Court School, and Jon Ralph,head of Herefordshire Youth Service.

Jo Lofting, Sally Green and SallyBooton – all parents of childrenattending Barrs Court School.

Judy Weir, chief executive of

ASPIRE, with Richard Aird and

Councillor Bowen.

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Herefordshire Sports awardsRoyal National College for the Blind

Young volunteer of the year,

Hannah Burgess.

Hereford Times Ted Woodriffe Trophywinner Jamie Coombes with HerefordTimes editor Fiona Phillips and sportseditor Richard Prime.

Junior male sports personality

George Tatchell with

Sascha Kindred.

Service to sport winner Norman

Fincham with Sascha Kindred.

Rob Staite award winner GeorgeWhittaker with Beryl Staite.

Disabled sports personality of the

year, Alison Moore.

Sportswoman of the year,

Nicola Goodwin.Coach of the year, Ian Howell.

Club of the year, Ross Rowing Club.

Junior Team of the year, RossRowing Club’s Junior Academy.

Richard Powell, chairman of seniorteam of the year Luctonians 1st XVrugby team, with former skipperChris Jacques.

Emily Goringaward winner Be

thany

Maitland with Sue Goring(centre)

and Paralympic star Sascha Kindr

ed.

PICTURES: DAVID GRIFFITHS

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Allpay Broadband launch

Afternoon tea Castle House Hotel

Roland Horwood, Nick Peplow, Bill

Wiggin MP and Tony Killeen.

Rev Claire Dyson and Allensmoreresident Steve Mumford, a user ofthe allpay broadband service.

Debbie Stenner, Rachael Hodgetts,Rachel Ivens and Dawn Manning.

Hannah Racey, Dr CatherineChima-Okereke and Jan Tucker.

Claire Trumper, Kay Exton and

Annie Ransome.

The Bishop of Hereford, the Right RevAnthony Priddis, allpay MD Tony Killeenand Jesse Norman MP.

Glyn Morgan of the Hereford

Cathedral Perpetual Trust with the

Mayor of Hereford, Anna Toon.

The Rev Claire Dyson from

Kingstone Church, allpay MD Tony

Killeen and the Bishop of Hereford,

the Right Rev Anthony Priddis

Sarah Price, Barbara James and

Sara-Jane Berry.

Allpay launched itsbroadband service,which marriesmedievaltechnology to the21st century usingchurch towers astransmitters

International Women’sDay was marked byHereford-basedConcern Universal, acharity promotingeducation, rights andopportunities forwomen worldwide

Victoria Seaman, Jenny Seaman andGill Bullock.

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T is suggested that the meaning of Dilwyn’sname is ‘secret place’, and it’s true that thischarming black and white village is hiddenbelow the A4112, a Pandora’s Box ofsubstantial farm houses and community life.

Situated in the north-west of the county, itcombines the rural luxury of Herefordshire withjust a hint of the bolder scenery of the countrybeyond the border.In the past, Peter Manders has been enchanted

by the village green, painting the church fete forthe Hereford Times, and he now adds one of thefarms to his portfolio.Alton Court, home to the Wellings family since

1897, was built around 1850, one of a surprising

number of court houses in the parish, as noted inArchaeologia Cambrensis (Third Series, No 54, April1868), which cited “Chadnor Court, Alton Court,Tyrrell’s Court, Luntley Court, Swanston Court,Newton Court, in addition to the Manor House ofDilwyn now destroyed.”Richard andWilliamWellings are the fifth

generation to farm at Alton Court, workingalongside their father Stuart, producing ciderapples, cereals, beef and sheep. Another Dilwynfarm, Fields Place, will be the setting for theannual village show on Monday, May 2, by kindpermission of Julie and Elwyn Hanson, whileboth The Haven and Boycefield are renowned fortheir Herefordshire cattle.

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Documents

Hereford Society Spring 2011