After a career balancing nursing and music, the Woking-based singer is bringing her love of jazz to local audiences, with sold-out performances at Cellar Magnifique and plans for a third album.
Wilma Baan is a musician on a mission – she wants to share her love of jazz with the people of Woking.
Perhaps you were lucky enough to see her alongside her two favourite musicians, Graham Harvey, piano and Jeremy Brown, double bass, last month at Cellar Magnifique, a charming little cheese and wine venue owned by Roland Foxcroft.
She says: “Roland and I are totally aligned when it comes to live jazz. I feel that jazz is not highlighted enough in Woking and applaud Cellar Magnifique for their efforts to serve it on their menu on a regular basis, along with the many other things they do.
“Every time I have performed there it was completely sold out – enough proof that jazz does have an audience here.”
Wilma who has lived in Woking with her family for almost 30 years, grew up with jazz and classical music.
Living in Amsterdam in the 70s and 80s she combined her passion with her work as a nurse – invitations at jazz clubs, radio and performing at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague came at a point where she had to choose which of her loves to follow.
Having returned to the UK and raised a family, Wilma had more time to herself, picked up where she left off and “found the right environment in the London jazz scene to pursue my passion”.
Her first two albums were well received, and plans are now in place for a third.
Find out more and hear Wilma’s glorious voice at wilmabaan.com.
From an independent makers’ Christmas fair and immersive ballet to 1930s festive traditions and a magical manor experience, West Horsley Place is inviting visitors to step into a season of stories, creativity and Christmas celebrations throughout November and December.
West Horsley Place is preparing for a festive season filled with music, storytelling, family activities and seasonal magic, bringing the historic house and its rich artistic heritage to life.
From the legacy of the Crewe family to traditional Christmas customs and a celebration of independent makers, the Grade I listed manor house will host a varied programme of events throughout November and December.
The festivities begin with the Arts and Artisans Christmas Fair, running from 20 to 22 November 2026. Independent makers, craftspeople and food producers will come together across the estate for three days of festive shopping, food and discovery.
Visitors can browse distinctive gifts with a story behind them, meet the people who created them and enjoy seasonal food and treats celebrating creativity and craftsmanship.
On 28 and 29 November, Crewe’s Christmas will transport visitors back to West Horsley Place in 1939, during the early months of the Second World War. The immersive experience will feature ballet, music, family stories and handmade decorations inspired by Christmases of the period.
At its heart will be a celebration of Lord and Lady Crewe’s role as patrons of the arts, with intimate performances of Swan Lake taking place in the atmospheric surroundings of the Stone Hall.
The weekend will also explore the stories of the 40 evacuee children who spent Christmas 1939 at West Horsley Place. Visitors will have the opportunity to read letters connected with the children and learn more about their experiences.
The historic rooms will be decorated with handmade creations, including newsprint paper chains and embossed-foil ornaments. Families can take part in craft workshops inspired by the creativity and simplicity of Christmases past, while Jane’s Historical Kitchen will offer authentic festive dishes inspired by the food and traditions of the 1930s.
“Crewe’s Christmas offers a wonderful opportunity to experience West Horsley Place through the stories, music and traditions of another generation,” says Clare Clinton, deputy director of West Horsley Place.
“Alongside the real stories of the children who stayed here in 1939, visitors can discover the Crewes’ love of the arts, enjoy immersive ballet in the historic house and take inspiration from the handmade decorations, food and simple pleasures of Christmases past.”
In December, Magical Manor will capture the enchantment of a traditional country-house Christmas, with storytelling, gingerbread making, festive surprises and a visit to Father Christmas.
The festive programme continues throughout the winter, with activities and hands-on workshops offering opportunities for visitors to get creative, learn something new and enjoy the historic house in a relaxed seasonal setting.
Clare added: “From the stories, music and immersive ballet of Crewe’s Christmas to Father Christmas, family activities, crafts and independent makers, Christmas at West Horsley Place brings together different generations of festive traditions throughout November and December.”
Inspired by Michael and Clare Morpurgo’s remarkable story, Down Burrow Lane is a tale to capture the imagination. And we’ve got five copies up for grabs!
Celebrating 50 years of Farms for City Children, the charity he founded with his wife Clare in 1976, the much-loved author is back with Down Burrow Lane – a new book inspired by his lifelong connection with the countryside, animals and the power of storytelling.
Over the past five decades, Farms for City Children has given more than 105,000 children the chance to swap city life for the great outdoors, getting their hands dirty, caring for animals and discovering the wonders of the natural world.
For Michael, these experiences are about so much more than farm work. They help children build confidence, develop empathy and discover the importance of caring for the world around them. It’s a belief that runs through his writing, too, from the unforgettable War Horse to his latest story.
A passionate advocate for honest storytelling, Michael believes books can help young readers explore big feelings, understand the world and find hope, even when life presents difficult questions. And with animals often at the heart of his tales, he celebrates the special bonds that can help children see the world differently.
Now, we’re giving five lucky readers the chance to discover Down Burrow Lane for themselves, with five copies up for grabs!
How to enter
To enter our prize draw, fill in the form below before 12pm on Friday 27 November 2026.
Step into a world of five-star glamour with a dreamy afternoon tea at The Kensington, plus the chance to win an overnight stay for two.
Is this now?! Or am I dreaming?! One minute I’m pounding the pavements; the next I’m sitting in a gorgeous Kensington drawing room, sipping Pimm’s Royale.
The Kensington is one of those places that makes you feel as though you’ve accidentally wandered into a Wes Anderson film.
Set among the grand Victorian townhouses of Queen’s Gate, this five-star hotel is gloriously maximalist, with beautiful fabrics, flowers, rich colours and layers upon layers of gorgeous detail. Think elegant drawing rooms, sparkling bar glamour and cosy fireside spaces that make you want to settle in and stay a while.
For someone born in grimy south London, mere miles away but a different world, I’ll admit to a little imposter syndrome. I kept half expecting someone to ask whether I was looking for the Premier Inn.
Instead, we were tucking into The Kensington’s Great British Afternoon Tea, which begins with a choice of Pimm’s Royale or a flute of Nyetimber English sparkling wine. The savoury selection celebrates British produce, from Chapel & Swan smoked salmon with chive cream cheese to roast Wiltshire ham with English mustard mayonnaise, cucumber with mint crème fraîche and St Ewe egg mayonnaise with watercress.
Next warm, freshly baked raisin and plain scones with Cornish clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam, followed by a gorgeous selection of handmade sweet treats: raspberry and elderflower tart, chocolate éclair with caramel cream, rose and pistachio Battenberg and Eton Mess pavlova.
The experience celebrates British provenance and seasonal ingredients without feeling stuffy or old-fashioned. Service (shout-out to the impeccable Collin!) was warm, attentive and wonderfully friendly, and there’s even a dainty pastel-blue box for any leftovers. Greedy gannet as I am, ours was not required.
The location makes a visit even more tempting. We spent hours exploring the V&A and strolling through Kensington Gardens, along the Serpentine and past the Diana Memorial Fountain.
With the Natural History Museum and Science Museum also moments away, it’s the perfect recipe for a special London day. My partner, who is not a Londoner, said he felt like we were on Made In Chelsea.
He had a point, although our post-tea jaunt was briefly less whimsical when we nearly got run over by a convertible Bentley. We simply admired the gorgeous car.
At £85 per person, afternoon tea at The Kensington is certainly an indulgence, but it’s one that can turn an ordinary Sunday into something rather magical.
Win a five-star London escape
Fancy a little sparkle of your own? One lucky Round & About reader can win an overnight stay for two at The Kensington, including breakfast and a festive or Champagne Afternoon Tea for two.
The hotel’s festive tea is a tempting way to celebrate the season. If a December visit can’t be arranged to suit both the winner and the hotel, the afternoon tea can instead be enjoyed in January, subject to availability.
The overnight stay and prize dates must be arranged with the hotel and are subject to availability and occupancy.
To find out more or book an afternoon tea or stay, visit The Kensington.
How to enter
To enter our prize draw, fill in the form below before 12pm on Friday 27 November 2026.
Copper, fire and a family secret: win a unique piece of wearable art from The Copperologist.
Forget ordinary jewellery. Oxfordshire’s newly launched The Copperologist transforms genuine copper into extraordinary miniature works of art, using flame and verdigris to create beautiful, individual pendants preserved beneath a glass dome.
Now, one lucky Round & About reader can win a bespoke pendant worth £165, complete with an 18-inch stainless steel chain and complimentary tracked, signed and insured UK delivery.
Every pendant has its own character, with colours and patterns shaped by the creative process. Encased beneath glass and mounted on a hypoallergenic stainless steel base, each piece is designed to protect the copper from tarnishing, keeping its fascinating surface on show without the need for polishing.
The prize arrives in a dark wooden slide-drawer presentation box, complete with a handmade provenance card, making it a special gift or a treat to treasure yourself.
But there’s a remarkable story behind the brand, too. The artist behind The Copperologist discovered just before her first exhibition that she is a fourth-generation copper maker, with family roots in a Welsh town once nicknamed Copperopolis. She had known nothing about this unexpected heritage, despite her own growing fascination with the metal.
Now she’s bringing her distinctive copper creations to the world, and we’re delighted to offer one reader the chance to own a piece.
Ready to add a little copper curiosity to your jewellery box? Enter our competition for your chance to win!
Andrew McKenzie will use his 12-month tenure to champion the hospitality industry and promote career development opportunities for young people.
Andrew McKenzie, managing director of the Donnington Group, has been installed as Master of The Worshipful Company of Innholders, a City of London livery company supporting the hospitality industry.
Andrew took up the role at a ceremony at Innholders’ Hall on 6 October 2026, choosing ‘Hospitality Matters’ as the theme for his year in office.
The company promotes the modern hospitality industry, offers fellowship to its members and supports hospitality professionals through scholarships funded by the Innholders’ Charitable Foundation.
Andrew is the first Master to have benefited from a Master Innholders scholarship, having experienced its impact on his own career.
During his year as Master, he plans to highlight the work of the Master Innholders and promote the scholarships available to young managers in the hospitality industry.
Speaking about the career opportunities the sector can offer, Andrew said: ‘Hotels have long offered young people opportunities for pathways to senior management roles simply through endeavour and hard work – something we must continue to champion.’
Andrew also wants to highlight the contribution hospitality makes to the UK economy. The figures cited in his appointment announcement state that the industry is responsible for 3.5 million jobs, accounts for one in 10 UK jobs and generates £54 billion annually.
He said: ‘Hospitality is responsible for 3.5 million jobs, the country’s third largest employment sector, amounting to 1 in 10 UK jobs, generating £54 billion annually – hospitality really does matter.’
Andrew began his career at the age of 13 as a hall porter at the Royal Hotel in Bridge of Allan, before embarking on a management career that took him across the UK.
He has been managing director of the Donnington Group for 28 years. Based in Newbury and Bedford, the group operates a collection of hotels, spas, golf courses, restaurants and wedding venues, including its flagship Donnington & Co. Hotel, Spa and Golf Course in Newbury.
Reflecting on his appointment, Andrew said: ‘It is a huge honour and a privilege to be given this role and certainly not something I ever thought of when embarking on my career all these years ago. It proves the hotel industry is indeed a meritocracy!’
The Worshipful Company of Innholders received its first Royal Charter in 1514 and continues to support the hospitality industry through its work and scholarship programmes.
Discover practical ways to make your home warmer, reduce electricity costs and explore renewable energy options at Henley Town Hall on Saturday 24 October 2026, from 10am to 4pm.
Imagine opening your electricity bill and finding that, apart from the standing charge, you had hardly used the grid at all.
That’s exactly what happened to a Henley resident I know. His electricity bill for the year so far was just £6 for the electricity he’d actually used – despite living in a comfortable four-bedroom house with a family of four and an electric car.
The secret? Solar panels and a home battery. After installing them last year, his home has been generating and storing much of its own electricity.
Of course, solar panels aren’t the answer for everyone. Perhaps you don’t have the right roof, live in a conservation area or a flat – or simply don’t want to spend thousands of pounds upfront.
Maybe your home is cold and draughty, your heating bills are rising, and you’re not sure where to start. Or perhaps you’d like to reduce your carbon footprint but want to know which changes will make the biggest difference.
Come along and find out what could work for your home
Whatever your home or circumstances, there are options to explore. At the Henley Town Council Home Energy & Renewables Show, taking place at Henley Town Hall on Saturday 24 October 2026, from 10am to 4pm, you can discover what could work for your home.
Bringing together local and regional experts who can help you explore the options, the show will give you the chance to discover:
Solar panels and home batteries – could they work for you?
Heat pumps – are they suitable for your home?
Home energy audits – where is your home losing heat?
Eco-retrofitting – how can you make older and period homes warmer and more energy efficient?
Grants and loans – what financial help is available?
Energy-saving measures – what could you do now to start reducing your bills?
Bring along your energy bills and talk to an advisor about where you could save money – sometimes with surprisingly simple changes.
A new solar scheme for Henley residents
Excitingly, Oxfordshire County Council will be unveiling a new council rent-a-panel scheme, expected to launch next year. The scheme aims to enable residents to install and maintain solar panels without the upfront cost, while benefiting from savings on their electricity bills. And Henley Town Council will be there with their new thermal imaging camera which can help you see where you are losing heat in your home.
Hear it from someone who has done it
Thinking about solar panels, a heat pump, an electric car – or even an electric bike?
Come along and talk to local residents who have already taken the plunge. They’ll be there to share their honest, first-hand experiences – what worked, what they wish they had known, and whether they would do it again.
Whether you’re looking to save money, make your home warmer, reduce your carbon footprint – or simply find out what’s possible – come along and explore the options.
Henley-on-Thames Town Council serves the local community, representing residents and supporting the town’s continued development and wellbeing. Through its work, the council helps maintain Henley’s unique character, supports local initiatives and facilities, and works to ensure the town remains a welcoming and vibrant place to live, work and visit.
We chat to Amersham chemist Cicely Coops who has turned her sustainable haircare dream into a four-star deal on Dragons’ Den.
It’s not every day you walk into the Dragons’ Den with a broken shoe and walk out with four Dragons behind you.
But then Cicely Coops is clearly not one for doing things by halves. The Amersham-based chemist and founder of sustainable haircare brand Selkie recently secured £40,000 from all four investors on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den, with Deborah Meaden, Peter Jones, Steven Bartlett and guest Dragon Jenna Meek each taking a 5% stake.
For Cicely, appearing on the show was the stuff of childhood dreams. She says she has been a “mega fan” since she was about 12 – and the idea for Selkie actually came to her in 2021 while watching the programme with her best friend.
The concept was simple: why ship bottles of shampoo around the world when most of the bottle is water? Selkie’s answer is powder-to-liquid haircare, with customers adding water at home to create their shampoo or conditioner. The reusable bottles are designed to be kept and refilled, while the powder comes in plastic-free packaging.
Cicely’s chemistry background was the perfect starting point. Selkie’s formulas are 98%+ naturally derived, vegan and cruelty-free, and are made without sulphates or silicones.
And then came the Den.
“I went in with a genuinely open mind,” says Cicely. “The only thing I told myself was nail the pitch and know your numbers.”
She certainly did. Although she admits the experience was rather more nerve-racking than watching from the sofa – particularly when her shoe broke about an hour before she went in.
“I did the entire pitch hobbling around the Den with a broken shoe,” she laughs.
Cicely had hoped to work with Deborah, thanks to their shared passion for sustainability, but was thrilled when all four Dragons ultimately agreed to invest. Peter Jones even offered her a better deal than she had originally requested – something Cicely says she could “hardly believe”.
Since filming, Selkie has gone from strength to strength. Cicely has left her demanding corporate role to concentrate on the business full-time, while Selkie has appeared on TV shopping channels and joined a beauty accelerator backed by Boots and TikTok Shop.
Now her ambition is even bigger: to make Selkie a household name in sustainable haircare.
“In a few years people will say, ‘do you remember when we used to buy liquid shampoo? So weird’,” she says.
From Radiohead to Foals, Stornoway to Glass Animals, Oxfordshire has long punched above its weight musically. Now a Banbury-based platform is hoping to help the county’s next generation of independent artists find their fans – and make a living from their music.
Oxfordshire has a rather impressive musical roll call.
Radiohead, Foals, Stornoway and Glass Animals are just some of the bands with roots in the county, while a new generation of artists continues to emerge from a thriving local scene.
For Chris Peabody, founder of Banbury-based music platform Hootenanny, that makes Oxfordshire the perfect place to champion independent musicians.
“When I first launched my label 10 years ago I wanted to try and bring more of the industry outside of London,” says Chris. “That’s why we still operate the Hootenanny platform outside of the capital.”
Hootenanny has recently opened its platform to independent artists, allowing them to create their own fanclubs for free. Artists can offer supporters exclusive music, demos, tickets, merchandise and other content, while building a more direct relationship with the people who listen to their work.
One of the platform’s early artists was Oxford band Stornoway, and Chris is keen to see more local musicians join.
“We’d love to bring more local artists into the platform where they can find their fans and get paid properly.”
The idea comes at a challenging time for musicians. Hootenanny says many artists struggle to make a sustainable income from streaming and that the majority of UK tours lose money. Its model is based on giving artists a more direct route to their audiences, rather than relying solely on streaming and social media.
The platform says artists can earn significantly more per fan through its fanclub model than through conventional streaming.
Chris also points to the strength of the local infrastructure supporting musicians. Oxford’s Bullingdon and the Wheatsheaf in Banbury both provide stages for emerging acts, while Oxfordshire-based independent label Big Scary Monsters has spent two decades championing alternative and independent music.
For Chris, that combination of artists, venues and independent labels makes the county a particularly exciting place to be making music.
“Oxfordshire has launched so many incredible bands over the last 40 years,” he says. “But it’s got a thriving scene of up-and-coming artists too.”
And while London remains a major centre for the UK music industry, Chris believes there is plenty of reason to look beyond the capital.
Hootenanny’s expansion is part of a wider attempt to give independent artists more control over how they connect with their audiences, while keeping the focus firmly on the music.
For Oxfordshire, meanwhile, it is another reason to keep an ear out for what comes next.
After all, the county has already given the world some pretty big names. There could be plenty more waiting in the wings.
A night of music, dancing and fundraising is coming to Wash Common this October, with a Rod Stewart tribute act raising money to support people living with Parkinson’s in the Newbury area.
Newbury Parkinson’s UK is inviting music fans to its major fundraiser of the year, with The Rod Stewart Experience taking place at St George’s Church Hall, Andover Road, Wash Common, on Saturday 31 October 2026 from 7.30pm.
Performed by tribute act Garry Pease, the evening promises a celebration of Rod Stewart’s biggest hits, alongside a bar, teas and coffees and a raffle.
Tickets cost £15, with all funds raised helping Newbury Parkinson’s UK continue providing subsidised therapies and activities for people living with Parkinson’s locally. These include balance and flexibility exercises, yoga, access to gym equipment, singing and dance sessions, as well as monthly opportunities to meet socially over coffee.
Parkinson’s is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the UK and currently has no cure. Exercise can play an important role in helping people manage symptoms, making the support provided by local groups particularly valuable.
