With October showing a lates season up-tick in house sales activity, who knows what might be encountered on a house viewing during the days around Halloween celebrations (October 31).
Chances are there will be a few spine-chilling encounters, so the only question is do you dare take a look?
To find your perfect Halloween home start your property search here.
And don’t forget, at McCarthy Holden we do accompanied viewings.
By Hannah Stephenson, PA
It’s time for the great autumn clear-up in your garden, when furniture and tools are put away, leaves are raked and perennials cut back. But experts are advising gardeners not to tidy up too much.
Some of your debris could be left to provide food and shelter for overwintering insects, birds and mammals, so before you start raking, clearing away prunings and starting that autumn bonfire, spare a thought for our native wildlife.
Pile up your leaves
“Hibernating mammals, such as hedgehogs, frogs or toads will use leaf piles to create a nest where they will stay throughout winter, while insects and invertebrates will love the dark, damp nooks and crannies that it has to offer,” Eric Michels, head of pro at CJ Wildlife advises.
“In turn, this will encourage birds such as robins and sparrows to visit your garden to forage for worms and bugs in the leaf layer.
“Simply gather the leaves and dead organic matter from your garden or outdoor space and arrange them in a pile – don’t worry if your pile looks rustic, as long as it is large enough to allow wildlife to burrow within the materials, animals will love it!
“If you have any logs or fallen branches, place these next to the leaf pile to provide additional shelter and security, and make sure it is located in a quiet corner of the garden where visitors can stay undisturbed throughout winter. Come springtime, remember to check leaf piles for any animals before moving or mulching.”
Leave seedheads
At this time of year, you may be tempted to chop down all your spent perennials, but leave seedheads on plants such as rudbeckia, echinacea, teasels and helenium, because they will provide food for the birds, the RSPB advises.
Stems can also hold insect larvae and eggs, and shield the soil from the winter elements, the charity adds.
Let wildlife shelter in log piles
“Broken twigs and old logs make an ideal shelter for many species, the rotting wood and brittle bark create cosy gaps for insects to hide in, while offering mammals a dry and secure habitat over the winter,” says Michels.
“Log piles also provide birds and amphibians with a source of food, as they search the debris for any insects which might be lurking inside.
“It’s important to keep the log pile in a quiet and sheltered part of the garden, as many species won’t stay if it is too noisy or there is too much activity nearby. A variation of small twigs and large logs creates the best shelter and larger logs can be wedged into the soil so they stay damp.”
Bring insect hotels indoors
“Insect hotels are a great way to offer bugs refuge through the summer, but many people don’t know that they should be kept in dry places over the winter months, like in the shed. This helps keep the hotels dry and in good condition, it also helps prevent fungal infections for bees that might be nesting inside,” says Michels.
“Do not be tempted to bring the insect hotel into the house though – the warmth of our homes might encourage bees to emerge from their nest early. The insect hotel can be placed back into the garden around March once the weather is warmer.”
Avoid bonfires
You may want to burn your garden debris, but bonfire sites, which are often set up a few days in advance, provide a hedgehog hideaway for hibernation as well as shelter for amphibians and reptiles.
So if you really have to build it beforehand, surround it with newt fencing and make sure there’s no hedgehog sheltering in it before you start, advises campaign group Hedgehog Street.
Let ivy grow
It can be the bane of a gardener’s life, but ivy is an essential food source for birds and provides shelter for insects and bats in the autumn and winter months, says The Woodland Trust.
If you leave ivy to do its thing, its autumn flowers provide a haven to butterflies such as red admiral and moths, while it will produce calorie-rich berries in November which will attract song thrush, redwing and blackbird among others, as well as shelter for brimstone butterflies and small bats.
With a nip in the air and change in seasons comes a new dawn – and a natural desire to create a comfy, snug space ahead of the cooler months.
Alongside sumptuous textures, polishing up warm woods and ambient lighting, now’s also the time for seasonal candles.
Here, experts share their top tips for an autumnal aesthetic…
Forage for farmers’ market-style floral displays
“As we prepare for colder, darker months, it’s all about getting cosy and adding some extra touches that will make you feel cocooned and comforted,” says Charlotte Reddington, one half of styling and organising duo, Style Sisters. She says one of her favourite things things about autumn is the rich variety of textures and tones, from crunchy leaves to the abundance of changing colours in parks and gardens.
“Be inspired inside your home and think about how you can weave these elements into rooms,” suggests Reddington.
“This can be through the addition of a statement autumnal floral display, including a rich array of crimson reds, dark greens and burnt orange.”
And with pumpkin season in full swing, don’t forget this colourful squash can be styled with foliage, berries and autumn wreaths.
Embrace cosier fabrics
“Shorter daylight hours mean only one thing – cups of guilt-free hot chocolate and plenty of movie marathons,” says Dani Burroughs, head of product for Snug.
“To get into the autumnal spirit, start by swapping out summer fabrics for cosier ones, like soft velvets or fuzzy boucle,” enthuses Burroughs.
“Bring in warm, inviting colours – think rich browns, deep reds and rustic oranges. Not only will they help transition from summer to autumn, they’ll also create a relaxing and warm feeling that’s perfect for those lazy evenings on the sofa.”
Introduce ambient lighting
Clever lighting can totally transform a room and the overall atmosphere, highlights Reddington.
“A harsh overhead light isn’t always the cosiest for an autumn evening at home on the sofa! Think about placing a large floor lamp or table lamps for some mood lighting, which will create a calming ambience.”
She continues: “And with darker evenings as the clocks go back, it’s an important factor to consider for maximum home comfort.”
Dec out your dining room to combine function with beauty
Look to Scandinavian-inspired styles for a mindful, minimalist and meaningful take on autumn decor, suggests Francesca Hadland, interiors expert for Bridgman.
“Choose linen tablecloths and napkins, cutlery in classic styles and simple crockery while keeping to a colour scheme of just one or two main shades that imbue your space with warmth,” says Hadland. “Whether that’s a rust red or forest green.”
Ahead of the festive season, she says to make sure your guests feel comfortable with upholstered dining chairs – a personal favourite.
“Whether modernised by a metal frame or softened by a wooden leg, an upholstered chair is a beautiful way to ensure a sublime seating experience, while also adding an extra pop of colour to your dining room décor scheme,” notes Hadland.
Embrace the biophilic trend
“Bring some new life into your home ahead of the colder months by incorporating air-purifying houseplants into décor,” says Rikki Fothergill, bathroom expert at Big Bathroom Shop.
Especially in bathrooms and kitchens, which she says is hugely beneficial for improving the quality of indoor air, regulating humidity levels and reducing the risk of more serious problems, like damp or even mould.
“Look to include species like ivy and fern as these are known to be great for maintaining air quality”, suggests Fothergill. “Spider plants are perfect too, and make for a great addition to any bathroom touching on the biophilic trend.”
Scent the season
One of the very first things you notice (sometimes unknowingly) when you enter a room isn’t just how it looks, but how it smells, notes Reddington.
“Scent can evoke memories, elevate an atmosphere, and help to change your mood – from energising and lifting, to relaxing and even aiding sleep… we really think it’s one of the most important aspects of a home.”
Candles and diffusers are the most popular and easy addition, says Reddington. “Not only can they smell amazing, but the design can add a stylish decorative touch to a mantlepiece or coffee table.
“An absolute autumn home essential,” she adds.
What makes a house a home? Is it the building itself, the possessions inside, the people that live there, the location or community?
It’s probably all of these to some degree, says Kate Humble, who delved into the topic for her new book, Where The Hearth Is – sparked by the TV presenter’s own quest to understand why a London Victorian terraced property she thought would be her ‘dream home’ never really felt like it, but the Welsh farmhouse she later moved to did.
“Before I moved to Wales, my husband and I had bought a derelict house in London. We spent 18 months sleeping on kind friends’ sofas, giving everything we earned to the builders to try and make it un-derelict and create what we thought was going to be our absolutely perfect house, with a lovely kitchen, all our bookshelves and pictures on the walls, and all the elements we believed would make it the perfect, happy home,” explains Humble, 54.
“And what was really odd and actually rather distressing was the day we moved in and unpacked, we thought that instantly it would be home. It wasn’t. And it never felt like home, and I couldn’t work out what we’d done wrong.”
She repainted walls, moved pictures, furniture and even walls in a bid to fix the issue: “I drove my husband completely mad. For the whole seven years we were there, I basically battled to try and make this house a home.”
She eventually realised the problem wasn’t so much the house, but the location. “The reason that poor house was never going to be home was that I wanted it to make me believe London was home, and it couldn’t do that.”
Humble’s TV career has always focused on the countryside and nature, with shows like Springwatch and Countryfile, and for a long time she’d harboured a desire to live in rural Wales.
“I was never a city girl, I was brought up in the countryside,” she explains. “I had for quite a long time wanted to be back in the country, but because of my job, doing things like Springwatch, lots of wildlife programmes and programmes that took me out into the countryside, I could manage coming back to London. But it just ceased to feel like home.
“I had this weird, inexplicable – and I still haven’t worked out why this was the case – longing to live in Wales, even though I have no family history in Wales or heritage, and I hadn’t even really been on holiday there. I didn’t really have a connection. But for some inexplicable reason, I really, really wanted to live in Wales.”
Then, “completely out of the blue” in 2007, Humble’s TV producer husband Ludo was offered a job in Cardiff. “It was like fate was intervening.”
The couple bought an old stone farmhouse with four acres of land in the Wye Valley. “As soon as I got there, I knew I had found my home,” she recalls. “There are many elements of that, but I think it was instant because I was back in the countryside, and those were my roots, even though it wasn’t geographically where I’d grown up, I had grown up in a rural area – and I was back in a rural area and suddenly I felt like I belonged again.”
Yet although Humble, her husband and their dogs have lived happily in the farmhouse in Wales for the last 16 years, running the Humble by Nature working farm and rural skills centre nearby, they may still not be in their ‘forever home’ – which is what sparked the idea for the book.
“For a long time, I’ve wanted to build a house of my own,” she reveals. “I’ve got the design in my head – I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of creating the place that I end up living.
“But the thing that worries me is, I might build this house one day that I think is perfect – but what will it be that turns it from a building I’ve imagined in my head, a physical thing, into the nebulous but nonetheless essential thing that makes it a home? What will shift it from simply being a building with furniture and a bed, into the place where you feel safe and secure and at home? What do I need to do to make sure that I don’t repeat the experience I had in London?”
Humble was so worried about this, she wrote long lists of the sort of people that might be able to give her insight into what makes a house a home. “I started off by thinking that would help me build a thesis, a kind of Humble theory of what makes a home, if you like.”
She spoke to many people, compiling stories for the book – ranging from brother and sister Willie and Ruby Brown, both in their late 70s, whose home (a 150-year-old family stone croft on the west coast of Shetland, where they’d been born and raised) was struck by lightning and destroyed, to a Syrian woman who lost not just her home in the war, “but her community, her culture, her language, everything she knew”, explains Humble.
“She had to start from scratch, trying to make a home in a country that wasn’t hers, and the thing she said made the UK feel like home was the kindness of people.
“What I learned was home doesn’t stop or start when you walk into the front door – it’s more than that,” Humble adds. “And for a lot of people – and I would include myself in this – community is really important, what’s around you, what do you look out at through your window?
“Of course, there’d be things that all of us, if they were lost through fire, flood or whatever, we’d probably mourn. But ultimately, possessions are ephemeral – one day they’ll fade, fall apart, or get lost. Whereas the people in your life are the fabric of your home. When I walk around my house and think what would I grab if the house was on fire, I think, well I’d grab my husband and my dogs,” Humble reflects.
“What I discovered is what makes a home is incredibly personal and individual to each person. But if you have a place you can genuinely call home, where you feel safe and secure and it’s your refuge, actually, you’re very lucky.
“Through talking to all these people and putting this book together, I realised how precious home is.”
Where The Hearth Is: Stories Of Home by Kate Humble is published by Aster, priced £22. Available now.
Thinking about giving your home a mini makeover?
When it comes to creating your own personal style, there are a few principles which come in super handy when you’re about to embark on a new project… and take your first foray into the world of interior design.
(By Sam Wylie-Harris, PA)
“It’s not rocket science that if you wake up in a home or room you love, which makes you feel happy and calm and brings a smile to your face, then you will start your day with a more positive mindset,” Lucy Gough writes in her new book, The Home Style Handbook.
“And it doesn’t have to cost the earth either. Paint, wallpaper, upcycling, second-hand furniture, along with a new cushion or two, can go a long way in transforming your home,” she suggests.
Currently living in Sydney, Australia, and head stylist at Home Beautiful magazine, Gough says she feels it’s important as a stylist and freelance creative director to be able to turn your hand to any aesthetic a client asks of you.
“Us stylists need to be truly versatile!” enthuses Gough.
Here, she shares her insider tips on how to style your home like it is second nature, which is sure to put you in a positive frame of mind…
Make a mood board
“All wonderful interiors schemes are pulled together in the beginning stages using a mood board,” says Gough.
“Not only are they important in helping pull together all your creative thoughts and ideas,” she continues. “But they are fun to make and a great mindful task for you to play around with at the beginning of the project, to make sure you get it right first time.”
Create continuity of colour
“If you can decide on your colour and texture palette before you embark on picking up a paintbrush, your home will feel cohesive,” notes Gough. “And might trick people into thinking a professional has helped you!”
A thread of colour throughout your home is so important for it to feel like you have considered your ideas before implementing them, she adds
Tell a story
Not only should you consider your palette but also think about a theme, says Gough.
“Now, I’m not talking about a Disney theme here! I mean a thread forming around your love of antiques, family treasures, a dark palette or coastal look for example.
“Something that makes your heart sing when you walk in your home!”
Then add colours you love and bring these together with surface samples and foliage, she writes in The Home Style Handbook. If you decide to go with two or more bold colours, Gough says to add some soft tones in between to give them space to breathe.
Style your space in sections
“I suggest approaching your room as a series of vignettes,” encourages Gough.
“Sometimes, if you’re not a professional it can be overwhelming to think about styling a whole room at a time. Instead, think of each room as a series of smaller spaces.
“Look through your phone screen and break it down into smaller photographable corners and sections,” advises Gough.
“For example, style the sofa area first then the TV unit area second, and the corner with the armchair and mirror third.”
And when it comes to the finishing touches, such as styling your succulents, she writes: “Notice how the objects and plants on the cabinet (pictured) are higher in the top left and then go down at an angle to the bottom right.”
Visualise a triangle formation
“When I am styling bookshelves, I like to style using a visual triangle formation,” says Gough. “I never style with symmetry – although there is nothing wrong with doing so.”
She continues: “I prefer the more relaxed look and find creating triangular shapes between items helps aesthetically.
“And don’t pack things in too tightly,” says Gough. “You should give things room to breathe!”
The Home Style Handbook by Lucy Gough, published by Mitchell Beazley, priced £30. Photography by Simon Bevan. Available now.
Given the generally negative media commentary about the residential property market, anyone would think that house sale are almost non existent.
The problem with media reporting and statements from leading lenders is that they base the facts on house sales completions recorded at Land Registry, so the information may be accurate but it reflects marketing conditions at the time of the sale being negotiated some 3 or 4 months prior to the completions.
So is it time to think again on the real state of the residential house market?
August at McCarthy Holden saw a very high level of house sales transactions go through to exchange / completion, setting the scene for what we believe will be a busy Autumn. The exchanged / completion transactions in August demonstrated reasonable market conditions across a wide price spectrum, and to support that statement with facts you can see below a summary of the transactions from just three of our local branches.
From £250,000 to £2,500,000 the house sales exchanges were most definitely on the move in and around Fleet, Hartley Wintney and Odiham. Shortlist below, so take a quick scroll through.
And of course this sales activity gave way to the occasional celebration
Now that many of us have given our barbecues an airing and are enjoying the longer evenings, it’s wonderful to take in the variety of scents which pervade in the garden when the sun goes down.
Many plants actually increase their perfume production at night to attract moths to pollinate them.
Choose your plants carefully, and you can have a wonderfully scented garden for much of the summer.
There are many shrubs – mock orange (Philadelphus), shrub roses and lavender – which are all easy to obtain, along with fragrant annuals, which make great additions to patio pots and raised beds.
Even if you only grow some traditional sweet peas to cut and place in a vase on your outside table, guests will be able to enjoy a whiff of their heady scent.
Here are some of the best fragrant plants for enjoying as the sun sets…
1. Night-scented stocks (Matthiola)
These pretty, old-fashioned annuals reach their fragrant peak at twilight, where they become moth magnets. Reaching up to 60cm in height, they produce small, four-petalled flowers in shades of white, lilac or pink and are ideal at the front of an informal scheme or added to container displays. They like full sun in a sheltered position and moist, well-drained soil.
2. Evening primrose (Oenothera)
If you’re a wildflower fan, these fragrant bowl-shaped yellow flowering beauties are excellent for pollinators, and also produce their optimum scent in the evening.
Depending on the variety you choose, they can grow to up to 1m, ideal for the middle of a border, or to just 30cm, better for a container. Grow them in full sun or semi-shade. They don’t require much attention apart from watering during prolonged dry periods, and should flower from June to September
3. Mock orange (Philadelphus)
This is among the most fragrant of flowering shrubs, ideally given plenty of space to spread out, where its white blooms can emit their delicious scent reminiscent of orange blossom – which will pervade the whole garden on balmy summer evenings.
Single-flowered varieties are great for bees and butterflies and you can also get types which are suitable for large containers, such as ‘Manteau d’Hermine’, ideally placed near a window or door on the patio. They are easy to grow, withstanding poor soil and wind, but generally not shade.
4. Nicotiana (tobacco plant)
Hanging their flowers sleepily during the day, especially in really bright sunlight, the old-fashioned varieties of these annuals come to life in the evening when their blooms open to emit a sweet scent – so make sure you place them in containers near where you are sitting.
Some, such as Nicotiana langsdorffii, will grow to 1.5m so may be better in the border or secured to a garden trellis, while others, such as the beautiful ‘Lime Green’, grow to around 60cm and are ideal for a pot. If you want flowers which open up during the day, go for the newer strains, but the old-fashioned ones will give you more perfume.
5. Lilies
These are guaranteed to give you fragrance from mid-summer onwards, whether you want a dazzling splash of colour on your patio with showstopping varieties like the pink oriental ‘Stargazer’, which likes full sun and will need staking. Or more subtle hues which pack a fragrant punch, such as Lilium longiflorum, with its long, white, trumper-shaped flowers.
This one is best grown in large pots (it grows to 1m) as it is not totally hardy. Or try Lilium regale, a trumpet lily growing to 1m, which lights up a summer border
Where to place them
Perfume is most apparent in calm conditions, as wind will carry the scent away in the air, so it’s best to plant fragrant climbers in a sheltered spot or on a partially enclosed patio.
Consider combinations
If you want fragrant perennials in your borders, go for combinations of those with scented flowers and those with fragrant foliage to complement each other.
Some scented plants are not spectacular but will bring out the best in a border when planted with colourful non-perfumed plants. Try growing lemon-scented verbena and pineapple sage (Salvia elegans, whose foliage releases a pineapple-like scent when you brush past it) in the border amid unscented blooms, and you will have the best of both worlds.
Locate leafy scents
Plants with scented foliage include scented leaved pelargoniums, Achillea filipendulina, catmint (nepeta), Monarda didyma and the lemon balm Melissa officinalis `All Gold’, while those with perfumed flowers include Iris unguicularis, Phlox paniculata, Hosta `Honeybells’ and many varieties of dianthus.
Of course, plants with heavier scents may dominate, so keep richly fragrant roses, lilies, lavender and other strongly aromatic plants separate from those with more subtle perfumes.
Who would have thought it!
April trading showed a house market defying the doom and gloom peddled in the Media since last year, defying the odds and performing better than expected given the backdrop of the UK economy.
There are hints of the attitudes that house buyers displayed back in the Covid days, when the house market took off because people wanted to get on with their life’s ambitions determined not to let the disruption of the pandemic get in the way.
Today, the attitude of house buyers seems to be one of pursuing their house buying goals, negotiating cautiously but importantly being decisive and not waiting for the next piece of economic news to impact on their focused approach to house buying.
Take these examples of a properties going to the market, achieving excellent interest in today’s market, and finding perfect outcomes.
North Warnborough, Hampshire – This character 2 bedroom property was put to the open market in April at a guide of £675,000 and the marketing generated multiple buyer interest, resulting in a sale being agreed 5% above the guide price.
In the Blue Triangle area of Fleet Hampshire, this traditional property hot spot has seen several house sale agreed in April, provide excellent examples of a fast moving market.
During the first week of marketing at a guide of £1,250,000 the buyer response to the property below was excellent, resulting in five viewings in a matter of days and a sale agreed shortly thereafter.
Also in the Blue Triangle area of Fleet and nearer the top end of the market, the property below was sold (stc) to a cash buyer in April on a guide of £1,675,000.
And yet again in the Blue Triangle in Fleet, the property below went to market at a £1,100,000 guide and was snapped up with 24 hours.
The country and equestrian market is also on the move, as per the example below. This fine house in Finchampstead went under offer in April on a guide of £2,250,000.
These properties provide excellent examples of a house market still very much on the move!
In our area of operation on the Hampshire / Berkshire borders, house prices have held up well with some sectors only slightly lower compared to a year ago. Fears of a major downturn in prices are overdone and with levels of supply improving house sales are being agreed at an increasing rate. This is supported by the fact that our first quarters trading results show a 6.75 increase on the house sales front and a 7% on the house lettings front when contrasted to the same period last year. The resilience in the residential house market continues.
A strong labour market and medium term likelihood of falling mortgage rates are supporting good buyer activity levels and house sellers are becoming more realistic on price if they are serious about moving home, hence we have a more balanced market with buyers and sellers more aligned on where they see pricing.
If you are thinking of a house sale, contact our nearest branch and arrange a free no obligation valuation.
In our March magazine we said that many home owners decided to tap into the early new year buyer demand, resulting in new properties coming to the market at a good level.
So, levels of supply have recovered and buyers and sellers are not miles apart on where they see pricing and this means house sales are being agreed at an increasing rate.
In this magazine edition we are pleased to show a selection of some of the new to the market properties so we hope you will enjoy exploring the pages which showcase some of the finest properties available on the open market.
You can see the full 68 page magazine by clicking this link or the image below.
As indicated earlier, levels of supply have recovered and house sales are being agreed at an increasing rate. This is supported by the fact that our first quarters trading results show a 6.75 increase on the house sales front and a 7% on the house lettings front when contrasted to the same period last year.
The resilience in the residential house market continues. House prices have levelled off, but because the market is more balanced with buyers and sellers more aligned on where they see pricing, then house sales productivity is actually up on the previous year in our area of operation on the Hampshire/Surrey/Berkshire borders.
We hope you will enjoy reading some of the editorial features we have pulled together for our readers, including recipes from cookery writer Kim-Joy, an interview with Alex Jones, some interesting insight keeping chickens and Su Scott’s thoughts and recipes on Korean cuisine.
For the super car enthusiast there is a first drive review of Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica by motoring correspondent Jack Evans.
A few samples of our property and editorial content is shown below – just click on an image to read the article / see the property details.
We are closed today Good Friday respecting the classic meaning of the day, we are open as normal on Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday and open as normal on Tuesday and thereafter.
During 2023 we anticipate that we will be looking to recruit both inexperienced and experienced personnel, so we invite those who are thinking of a career change to contact McCarthy Holden with a CV summary.
McCarthy Holden operate on the Hampshire / Surrey / Berkshire borders. We are well known in towns and villages such as Fleet, Hartley Wintney and Odiham, where we provide house sales and lettings services.
Estate Agency is a career which allows your character and people skills to flourish, and it rewards you well for your sales productivity. So not surprisingly many people who have developed customer service skills in retail or hospitality, move up to a new career which stretch communication, sales and customer service skills further.
If you are already an estate agency with one year or more experience, then we could have a career opportunity for you, so do please due get in touch whatever your current circumstances. Many of our team have worked with McCarthy Holden for 15 years or more, so we look to good long term working relationships with our staff.
We want top sales performers, but they must achieve their results by building good customer relationships and applying a work ethic which never loses track of the fact that we are working in the best interests of our clients (vendors and landlords). Always underpinned with honesty and professionalism which we believe should form the backbone of corporate service delivery.
Being a top sales performer is not about techniques, but it is all about Identifying the best buyers capable of actually buying, discovering their personal motivations and needs then matching those needs to the property resources and ultimately negotiating a house sale deal. Sometimes that investment in time with buyers and seller will yield results in weeks, sometimes it takes years.
If your background in sales has taught you inappropriate sales techniques that are at odds with our philosophy of treating all our customers with courtesy and a positive service attitude, inexorably intertwined with honesty and professionalism, then don’t apply.
Simply send an email to Jill Wood who will treat your enquiry in confidence. You can email here.
What an extraordinary year, defined on a global level with Mr Putin’s destruction and misery when he decided to invade Ukraine in February, introducing unimaginable suffering to the Ukrainian people and also introducing a backdrop of uncertainty across economic activities from stock markets to property markets around the world.
In the first few months the prospect of a stock market and property market downturn had to be considered, but this didn’t happen in the UK and………. You can read the 2022 review by clicking the image below which will take you through to our online digital Magazine In The Country & Town.
Browsing through our property and lifestyle magazine you will be able to see some of the finest property in the area, available to buy or rent as well as read some engaging editorial content.
Some articles are shown below and a click will take you through.
We wish all of our clients / customers / suppliers and magazine readers a very happy Christmas and an uplifting 2023
“I love cinnamon in pastry and desserts. There really is no sweet treat that doesn’t work with a little cinnamon in it, and these swirls have always been a favourite of mine,” says Sabrina Ghayour.
“The tahini really enriches them, giving them a lovely nutty flavour that is something quite different and pleasing. They are great with coffee or served with vanilla ice cream. You can also freeze a whole roll of prepared pastry for later use, then cut and bake from frozen for an extra couple of minutes.”
Tahini cinnamon swirls recipe
Ingredients:
(Makes 12)
1 x 320g ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
4–5tbsp tahini (make sure it’s not too thin, and avoid using excess oil)
3tbsp golden granulated sugar
2tsp ground cinnamon
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan), gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Lay the pastry sheet on your work surface.
3. Mix the tahini with the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread the mixture evenly all over the pastry sheet, leaving a two centimetre clear border along one long edge. Starting from the opposite long edge, roll up the pastry tightly.
4. Cut the roll into four, then cut each section into three equal slices. Lay the slices with the swirl facing up on the lined tray, spaced slightly apart, and flatten each one gently. Bake for 20–22 minutes until nicely browned on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray before serving.
Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour is published by Aster, priced £26. Photography by Kris Kirkham. Available now.
Article By Prudence Wade, PA
Footnote – If your looking for a fabulous kitchen to cook in why not try this property
By Jack Evans, PA Motoring Reporter.
Only Porsche’s most focused, performance-oriented models get the RS treatment. There’s been longstanding thought that the Cayman has been kept at such a level so as not to interfere with its 911 big-brother – but with the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the gloves are off.
This is a Cayman dialled right the way up. Acting as a flagship for the range, it gets the same engine as the larger 911 GT3 but in a more compact, lightweight body. And of course, as with any RS model, it’s got a host of aerodynamic touches that not only keep it as sticky in the bends as possible, but ensure nobody misses it. We’ve been behind the wheel…
WHAT’S NEW?
Every part of the regular Cayman GT4 has been tweaked, sharpened and – in most places – made lighter in its evolution to RS specification. It weighs in at 1,415kg with fuel, some 35kg less than the regular GT4. This has been achieved through the widespread use of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) in areas such as the bonnet and wings, while even the carpets have been made thinner and lighter.
A new Weissach package – fitted to our test car – takes these measures even further and adds a titanium roll cage, titanium exhaust pipes and a number of panels that are given a carbon-weave finish for an even sportier look.
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
The GT4 RS makes use of the same 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat-six engine that you’ll find in the larger 911 GT3. That means an extra 79bhp over the standard GT4, with total power coming in at 493bhp. Torque has been lifted too, rising from 430Nm to 450Nm. All cars get Porsche’s seven-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic gearbox – there’s no manual option here, unlike the GT4.
What that equates to in terms of performance is a 0-60mph time of 3.2 seconds while flat-out it’ll manage 195mph, edging the standard GT4’s top speed of 187mph. Though fuel economy isn’t, of course, the real goal for a car like this Porsche claims that the RS will still return up to 22.8mpg, though these figures have come through the older NEDC testing cycle.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
There’s no need to dance around it – the Cayman 718 GT4 RS drives like few other cars available today. This is a car that takes the performance and brawniness of the larger GT3 and throws it into an even sharper and more compact package. The steering is spot-on, while the gear shifts from the PDK gearbox fire into place with scarcely believable crispness.
Then there’s the noise of the thing. The GT4 RS features air intakes behind the driver and passenger windows, so when you’re accelerating hard you get this glorious blend of intake noise and outright savagery from the engine. The engine, since we’re here, feels even more capable within the Cayman package, while the ride – though firm – is remarkably pliant. We even spent one or two hours on the motorway and the Cayman managed it without a quibble.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Porsche’s RS models aren’t known for their shy and retiring looks, and the GT4 RS is no different. Our car’s Weissach package included a carbon-fibre weave bonnet and a huge rear wing, meaning everywhere it went, it attracted a crowd. But these types of cars aren’t designed to fly under the radar, so we can’t fault it for a bit of flamboyance.
The whole car is designed to go fast, after all, which is why it incorporates all manner of aerodynamic touches. The underneath of the car has been optimised to lower drag and it ties in with the rear diffuser, too. As a result of these changes – and others – the RS generates 25% more downforce than the regular GT4, in fact.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
The cabin is definitely stripped back, but it hasn’t been left devoid of creature comforts either. Our car came with air conditioning (something that is usually taken away from lightweight models), and this does help to make the RS more agreeable as an everyday road car. The bucket seats – which can be adjusted for height – are hugely supportive, while the general driving position is absolutely spot-on.
Plus, because it’s still a Cayman, the GT4 RS has a usable front boot section in the nose which has 125 litres, while a rear storage area adds an extra 136 litres, so there’s more than enough space for a few bags.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?
Prices for the Cayman GT4 RS start from £108,370 and though that represents a huge premium over the regular Cayman’s £47,700 starting price, it feels worth every single penny. Of course, the majority of that cost is going into mechanical upgrades, with all of Porsche’s motorsport learnings poured into this pint-sized performance car.
Features such as an adjustable chassis for race track use and ball-jointed suspension mountings – which help to give more direct handling – show that the upgrades to this car are all about making it go as quickly and drive as sharply as possible. You can – as with any Porsche – bump the price up considerably by going near to the options list, with our test car coming in at just over £133,000 after all of its extras had been applied.
VERDICT
The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is undeniably one of motoring’s all-time greats. This is a car to remind you just why driving is so special and, through its almost nerve-like link between driver and machine, ensures that each drive is just as memorable as the last.
Though it might be angled towards track use this is still a hugely competent road car and one that should be celebrated wholeheartedly. Its combination of pace and outright agility is nothing short of spectacular. It’s a sports car for the ages.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Model: Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS
Price: £108,370
Model as tested: Cayman GT4 RS
Price as tested: £133,549
Engine: 4.0-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six
Power: 493bhp
Torque: 450Nm
0-60mph: 3.2 seconds
Top speed: 195mph
Economy: 22.8mpg
Emissions: 299g/km CO2
Footnote – If you are looking for the perfect property to go with this car, why not consider this fine home
Here comes the sun – and shorts, T-shirts, sandals, picnics and afternoons outdoors – hurrah! But all this means insect bites and stings might be more likely too.
Besides being itchy and sore, Dr Deborah Lee from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy says bites and stings may take several days to disappear – and can become infected with bacteria.
“Insect bites can also worsen eczema,” says Lee. And while most people will only have relatively mild symptoms, they can also cause more serious allergic reactions – including life-threatening anaphylaxis.
“For all these reasons, it’s a good idea to take steps to minimise your risk of being bitten or stung,” she advises.
James O’Loan, CEO and pharmacist at Chemist4U, says some of the best ways to do this are: “Applying insect repellent, keeping food and drink covered when eating outdoors, and staying calm if you encounter wasps or bees.”
Lee shares the following advice…
Wasps
“If a wasp flies nearby or lands on you, don’t flap your hand. Just stay still and let it fly off,” says Lee. “Wasps only usually sting if provoked.”
She suggests wearing shoes when walking on grass. Wearing white or pale-yellow clothing has also been found to help keep wasps at bay.
“They have a very sweet tooth and highly sensitive sense of smell, so are instantly attracted to a picnic. Try filling a jam jar with jam, ginger syrup, or beer, plus add a little washing-up liquid, and place it a short distance away from your food,” adds Lee.
And if you get stung: “If the sting is still in the skin, remove it gently with your fingernail or using a piece of gauze. Don’t use tweezers as you can squeeze more venom into the skin.
“Wash the area with soap and warm water and pat dry. Apply a cold compress for around 10 minutes. Elevate the limb or area if possible. You may want to take paracetamol or ibuprofen if it’s painful. If it’s itchy, try some antihistamines.”
Bees
“Bees are gentle and will only sting if frightened, so when one comes near you, keep calm and still,” says Lee. “Although it can be hard to avoid the impulse, avoid swotting it. It’s likely to simply fly away.”
Stay away from flowers, as bees feed on the nectar inside flowering plants. “Bees like sweet things too,” adds Lee. “So always keep food in sealed containers and don’t leave sweet foods outside uncovered. Don’t leave half-drunk cans of fizzy drinks hanging around.
“If bees appear, don’t jump up and run away in a panic. Get up slowly and move cautiously in the opposite direction. Bees don’t like panic.”
And if you get stung: Same advice as a wasp sting.
Hornets
“Hornets are extra-large wasps, so follow the advice about avoiding wasp stings. Don’t wear perfumes, or any fragranced body products – they love the sweet smell,” cautions Lee. “They also love the smell of sweat, so don’t get too hot and sticky!”
Also, avoid clothes with bright colours and floral patterns. Eat picnic foods quickly, seal everything up, and dispose of waste promptly and carefully. Close dustbin lids and keep car windows rolled up.
And if you get stung: Same advice as a wasp sting (but note hornets do not leave their sting behind).
Mosquitos
You can try out gadgets like the Thermacell Mosquito & Midge Protector (prices start from around £25), or wear scented bracelets to try and keep pesky mozzies away, but you might be surprised to hear the colour of your clothes makes a real difference to whether or not you get bitten. “Go for light coloured clothing, or beige or khaki. Don’t wear black leggings as they will bite through thin fabric,” says Lee. “They can even bite through jeans!”
Lee advises liberally applying a certified insect repellent containing DEET, before you leave the house, and don’t forget exposed areas such as your neck, fingers, ankles and wrists.
“Mosquitos love stagnant water, so don’t go near ponds. Other sources can be blocked guttering, or other collections of water, such as a watering tray underneath your plants.
“Mosquitos are attracted by some smells, such as lavender, so again, avoid any perfumed body products,” she continues. “They dislike the smell of lemons.
“Citronella candles are ineffective because although mosquitos don’t like the lemons, they’re attracted by the increase in carbon dioxide from burning the candle.”
And if you get stung: “Wash the area with soap and water, and pat dry with a towel,” says Lee. “Apply calamine lotion to help relieve the itching. Apply a cold compress for five to 10 minutes. Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if it’s painful. Try antihistamines for itching, or ask the pharmacist for advice.”
Horseflies
“Horseflies are most likely to be out and about at dawn and dusk, although they can bite at any time,” says Lee. “They also love piles of manure, so avoid stables and farmyards.”
She says to take care walking in long grass or beside stagnant water such as ponds, lakes and marshes. Wear long-sleeved tops and trousers, tucked into your socks. Wear a sunhat or a cap, with some form of neck protector. Again, wear light colours and avoid perfumed products.
Lee recommends to try Picaridin insect repellent spray for horseflies. Also, they dislike the scent of peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, clove, rosemary and basil.
And if you get stung: “These often cause a blister at the bite site, but avoid scratching the top of the blister, even if it’s itchy. Clean the area using cotton wool with plain soap and warm water, and pat gently dry.
“It’s not a good idea to use other remedies like vinegar or bicarbonate of soda, as these have been shown not to work,” says Lee. “Apply a cold compress for five to 10 minutes. Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if it’s painful. Try antihistamines for itching.”
If you have a bad reaction…
With any insect bite or sting, if you have a bad reaction or symptoms get worse, seek medical advice.
“A normal bite or sting should heal within a few days” suggests O’Loan. “The pain and inflammation could be made worse if you have a mild allergic reaction to the bite or sting, but this should normally pass within a week. If you’re worried about a bite or sting, speak to your pharmacist to find the right treatment.”
Any possible signs of anaphylaxis should be treated as a medical emergency. This includes difficulty breathing, feeling lightheaded, faint or confused, a fast heartbeat and unconsciousness, as well as symptoms like a red, itchy rash (hives), vomiting and swelling.
“Sold before it went on the market for more than a rival agent was planning to market it for. One viewing and very smooth transaction.”
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