Stephen Fry & co’s water plea

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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In a powerful show of public outrage over the state of the UK’s waterways, the March for Clean Water will now take place on Sunday, 3rd November, in central London.

A coalition of the concerned, including river campaigner Feargal Sharkey and celebrities such as Stephen Fry, Bear Grylls and Joe Lycett, are calling on everyone in the country angry at the state of water to take a stand. The march (which has moved from its original date of 26th October, will demand that our new government takes urgent action to address the UK’s alarming and dangerous water pollution crisis by marching through central London.

You’re all invited to join in one simple demand of Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer: to take immediate and decisive action to end the poisoning of our rivers, lakes and seas by the lethal cocktail of raw sewage, agricultural waste and other chemical pollutants, that over recent years have been allowed to leave most of our waterways so filthy that they present major risks to human health and untold damage to nature.

Mental Health Swims, the coalition’s 100th member, joins a diverse array of organisations – both large and small – from across the UK. Other organisations to recently sign up to join the March include smaller groups such as The Blue Tits, The Marine Conservation Society, Friends of the Earth, East Kent Climate Action, the Outdoor Swimming Society, alongside larger organisations such as the National Trust, Greenpeace, RSPB, British Rowing and Wildlife Trusts.

Charles Watson, River Action’s chair and founder and co-convenor of the march, said, “This landmark achievement highlights the immense momentum, public anger, and frustration about the state of our waterways. Environmental charities, anglers, wild swimmers, members of the legal profession and high-profile campaigners such as Chris Packham, Jo Brand and Liz Bonnin are coming together to amplify the urgent call for action from Sir Keir Starmer’s government to put an end to the poisoning of our rivers, seas and lakes.”

Comedian Joe Lycett who made a television documentary about the terrible state of the UK’s sewage network (Channel 4’s Joe Lycett v Sewage) said, “Our rivers and seas are still, literally, s***. I fully support this brilliant campaign.” 

Rachel Ashe (MBE), MD & Founder of Mental Health Swims, said, “Mental Health Swims is proud to be part of the coalition for the March for Clean Water. Due to the water quality issues throughout the UK, we are having to cancel some of our mental health peer support swim groups to ensure that participants and volunteers do not get sick. It’s really disheartening for our volunteers and participants who have worked hard to build a support group in their local community that comes together over a love of outdoor swimming. We want to see the new government taking action to address the water pollution crisis.” 

The March for Clean Water promises to be a vibrant, family-friendly demonstration that sends a clear message: the public will no longer tolerate politicians who talk tough on water pollution but fail to take meaningful action against human sewage and agricultural runoff in our rivers, seas, and lakes.

Visit March for Clean Water

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Omid Djalili lets it all out

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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As he takes to the road with his new show Namaste, which visits Chesham, Bracknell, Farnham, Newbury & more, Omid Djalili talks to Mark Wareham about putting a funny spin on the state of the world and how being cancelled post-9/11 makes him the perfect comedy ambassador for these tumultuous times

Q. How long is it since your last tour?
“Well, you can’t really call it a tour. It was during Covid and very few came out but I did it anyway. I threw out all my material and made it all about Covid. We finished at the Hammersmith Apollo, it was one of the first gigs back there, and it was full of anti-vaxxers. December 18, 2021 and 2,600 people showed up. It wasn’t socially distanced, it was a big superspreader event. There was a march that day so they all piled in.”

Q. Can you explain a bit about the new show Namaste.
“Well, I’ve always tried to be nice about people but this time I can’t. The world is in such a terrible state. At the end of the day the whole purpose of comedy is not just making people laugh. That’s not the end game. When you talk about the means to an end, the means is comedy but the end is to actually make sense of what’s going on. And because I’m from the Middle East, I feel I do have some answers. People come to me as some kind of bridge, like a cultural stopgap, as someone to spread light on things. People don’t get what’s going on. They don’t get the connection between Iran and what’s going on in Gaza, they don’t get what’s going on with Joe Biden attacking Syria and Iraq. It’s me trying to use comedy to make it more palatable for a British audience to understand what’s going on. So I’ve put my hat in the ring.”

Q. So it’s a more considered, rational response, rather than a Mr Angry approach?
“Yeah, the tour poster of me with steam coming out of my ears. I’m angry but it’s a controlled anger and it’s considered. Audiences are really appreciative of that. So many people want to hang around afterwards. They say ‘thank you’, not ‘Oh mate, that was hilarious.’ It’s making sense of things. You give them a glimmer so people have some sort of handle on the situation.”

Cancel Culture

Q. Do the cancel culture warriors need to be on high alert for this tour?
“Cancel culture is a real thing. We’re always on the edge of being cancelled. We’re one joke away from having a TV series taken away or being kicked off a film. But I feel I’m old enough not to care anymore. I’ve been watching people like Seann Walsh and Louis CK and I kind of wish that I was cancelled cos they reach a level in their comedy where they just don’t care. Seann Walsh was this wide-eyed young guy doing Strictly and didn’t realise he was going to be pilloried in the press. It’s given him a kind of ‘I don’t care any more’ attitude. It’s a release. Nothing can get worse and you’ve got nothing to lose. And that’s when people are at their funniest. So you either do that by getting cancelled or just by getting old. In my case, I’m just too old to care.”

Q. It’s almost 30 years since your debut. Do you feel your material has changed a lot in that time?
“I was terrible back then. I look back at myself and it was appalling. I didn’t really want to do it. All my friends used to say, you’re funny you should get up there and do it. So I thought I’d give it a shot, but I didn’t really care much about it. It was only when 9/11 happened and I thought this is something serious I could have a voice about. I worked with Whoopi Goldberg 20 years ago when we did a sitcom together in America. I did some shows in New York and people were saying he’s good but he’s not quite top level. And Whoopi said, ‘Yeah, that’s what they said about Richard Pryor,’ And she made this connection between me and Pryor, and I said I’m not having that. But she said, ‘No. For your people,’ – and we’re talking about a whole gamut of countries and cultures from the Arab States, Iran, Pakistan, India – ‘for brown people, you are the first.’ So, like Richard Pryor, you do stuff that is geared towards white, middle America or middle England, and they will love you for it, but you won’t get really good until you become authentic. That’s what she was saying. As you get older that authentic voice will emerge.

“So she made me promise not to stop doing stand-up. And she said soon you’ll see others being inspired by you. And I thought, really? But I have seen people come through like Guz Khan, Romesh Ranganathan, who’ve told me I gave them the confidence to do it. So if I have inspired people that’s great. But Omid Djalili in the 1990s is definitely not my cup of tea. I looked a mess. I didn’t know how to dress, wore the wrong colour boots with the suit, I just looked like a fat, mentally ill person but I was at least trying to write recognisably good stand-up. So I try and forgive myself, but I’m much happier with what I’m doing now.”

Q. Do you feel, intrinsically, because of who you are, it’s impossible for your act not to be political?
“Yeah, it’s impossible. People would just be disappointed. I love Tim Vine. I went to see his show and he made me laugh from beginning to end. But if I did that to my fans I’d be hanged from a lamppost. They’d say, ‘What are you doing? There’s all this stuff going on. Are you seriously not going to mention the Woman, Life, Freedom movement? Are you seriously not going to make fun of this regime?’ So I do feel obligated, yes. For someone in my position and from my background, it would be remiss not to.”

Q. But the trick is you’ve still got to make it funny…
“Well, I was talking to Sean Lock about this before he died and he said if I do have a political thing to say, I’ll make it funny. But I’m not going to stand there and do slogans. And there’s a bunch of us who’ve always felt that. Unless it’s funny, I’m not even going to bother. I’ve got reams and reams of notes of things that have outraged me, but if there’s no joke there then I won’t inflict it on the audience.”

About the show

Q. What else can audiences expect from you? Obviously the usual swagger, a bit of dancing, any singing?
“There’s always going to be a little bit of singing and dancing, but it’s mostly a systematic look at the state of the world and a systematic look at myself. The first third of the show is about me. And the journey I’m going to take you on, I could get cancelled for. So I talk about the times I have been cancelled, and the whole Israel-Palestine thing is in the context of me having been through this before because after 9/11 I was cancelled. Before the days of cancel culture, I was cancelled. I called my manager on September 12 and I said, ‘There’s a gig with Jack Dee tomorrow, I presume that’s not going ahead.’ And he said, ‘Yes it is, but not with you. All your gigs are gone until Christmas, nobody wants to have you on. They don’t trust you.’ And I said, ‘So they think I’m a terrorist?’ And he said. ‘Well, there’s an association.’ And I said, ‘So they think I’m a sleeper cell.’ And he said, ‘Yeah.’ And then I asked him ‘You don’t think I’m a sleeper cell?’, and he paused… So I knew I had to do something. A lot of people think my career was made by 9/11 but no, I saved my career with comedy, cos I really believe that comedy is stronger than politics. Someone who is cancelled can joke their way out of it. I was never really cancelled for my jokes, I was cancelled for who I was. So it’s the journey of how I resurrected my career after 9/11. And because I’ve been through this before, I can look at what’s happening in Israel and Palestine, and this terrible global situation where we’re on the verge of Third World War… and the idea is, what can I do to avert it? I have no say, but I can certainly put out some thoughts and ideas that will have a little influence.”  

Q. You had to cancel a show in Shropshire last year, just after the October 7 attacks, are you worried about any repeats of that?
“Who would have thought that calling for a ceasefire and calling for peace would get you cancelled. Some people had written to the venue saying we’d like to speak to Mr Djalili about his stance on Israel. And they cancelled it, I didn’t ask them to cancel it. I could have handled it but if you feel there’s a security risk then that’s not good. But it doesn’t stop me, it was the venue’s decision. I would never cancel a show.

Q. Are you taking your great mate Boothby Graffoe on the road with you?
“Yes I am. I’m very lucky to have someone of his standard as a support act. If he does his A material he’ll blow me off the stage! He’s very kind, he’ll listen to my show in the dressing room and tell me, I only winced six times. He’s like my comedy police. He’s got a few new songs and he creates a very nice atmosphere.”

For dates & ticket info please visit Omid Djalili Official Website (omidnoagenda.com)

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Author In Me (AIM) literary festival

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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A celebration of “life, experiences, and stories in-between’, The Author In Me Literary Festival is all set for 14th-19th October in London, culminating in a young voices event at Roald Dahl Museum

The festival will feature a dynamic range of events across London celebrating diversity in the world of publishing.

The inaugural event will be at The French Library, the festival will inspire literary lovers of all ages with an exciting line-up that includes author panels, masterclasses, live critiquing sessions, writing workshops, and more. The line-up includes a keynote speech by Lady Kishwar Desai and Q&A with Noel Murphy (commercial director of Granta Publishing) which will be moderated by award-winning TV presenter Anila Dhami who is also a member of the festival’s advisory board.

Debut authors will also launch their latest works, including life coach Bhavya Arora, presenting her bold non-fiction title Where the F**k Do I Go From Here, and Stephen C. Lawley with his book The Catalyst. Both authors will attend, along with several other remarkable writers, to share their unique perspectives and celebrate their contributions to the literary world.

In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the festival will launch a new book by debut author Priyanka Pandya, a breast cancer survivor and mother of two young girls. Her picture book, When Mummy Had Cancer, stems from her personal experiences and is designed to help families navigate difficult conversations with their children, offering support as they cope with illness and adversity.

Attendees are also invited to join an exciting conversation between film journalist Ashanti Omkar and author Sonia Bahl, as they delve into the growing trend of adapting books into films and series.

Co-founder Ekta Bajaj says: “At the heart of the AIM Literary Festival is a deep passion for storytelling – stories that reflect the lives we live, the experiences we share, and the moments that often go unnoticed.” Fellow co-founder Monica Sood, adds: “I am deeply passionate about creating a platform that amplifies diverse voices and stories from all walks of life. This year, I’m particularly excited to dedicate a day to young voices in collaboration with the Roald Dahl Museum. Alongside established authors, we’ll have young authors showcasing their books, along with fun workshops and reading sessions to inspire young minds to read and write for pleasure. Our goal is to nurture the next generation of storytellers and instil a lifelong love of literature.”

The AIM Young Voices event, 11am-3pm on 19th October at the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden will feature a host of workshops and book reading sessions including The Quill Soup Adventure with Alan Durant, creating graphic stories with Debasmita Dasgupta, Celebrating You: Beyond the Colour of My Skin with Divya Thomas plus the chance to craft your own personalised book, enjoy live music and inspiring talks.

For further information please visit Literary Festival for storytellers of all ages and cultures (aimlitfestival.com)

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Get cosy with seasonal interior ideas!

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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As summer draws to a close, the world of interior design embraces a shift toward spaces that are not only stylish but also profoundly reflective of personal taste. This season’s trends are about creating environments that stand out while providing comfort and a sense of individuality.

From luxurious textures to nature-inspired tones, here are the top trends to make your home a sanctuary of style and personality.

Luxurious textures: deep jewel tones

Deep jewel tones are the hallmark of the next season’s decor, brining a rich and sophisticated colour palette into your home. These bold hues – ruby red, sapphire blue, and emerald green – are not confined to small accents but are embraced in larger, more impactful ways.

Whether it’s a plush sofa, an upholstered chair, or even a statement rug, these vibrant colours add a touch of elegance and warmth to any space. The intensity of jewel tones creates a striking contrast that elevates your decor, making it both inviting and opulent.

Natural materials: wood beyond the basics

Wood is making a solid statement in Fall 2024 decor with its timeless appeal. This season focuses on high-quality, beautifully crafted wooden pieces that add warmth and a sense of wellbeing to your home.

Whether a handcrafted dining table that becomes the heart of your home or a sleek wooden side table, these elements bring enduring elegance and character to your space. Far from being mundane, these wooden pieces are designed to stand out, offering both style and durability.

They’re not just furniture but investments in your home’s aesthetic and comfort.

Warm embrace: earthy tones

Earthy tones are taking centre stage this season, bringing the warmth and tranquillity of nature into your home. Inspired by the rich palette of the outdoors, shades like deep terracotta, rich browns, muted greens and warm ochres create a cozy, grounding atmosphere perfect for the fall season.

Imagine a living room bathed in a soft clay tone, enhanced by a warm nude velvet bench and a deep red marble coffee table – together, they craft a serene and sophisticated space.

Sculptural pieces: art meets functionality

Sculptural furniture and decor are all about bold, artistic shapes that double as functional pieces. This trend brings in items like totem sculptures and furniture with striking, unconventional forms, turning everyday objects into statement pieces that define the room’s character.

These sculptural elements add a layer of sophistication and intrigue to your space, blending art with utility. Whether it’s a bold dining table with sweeping curves or a dramatic lamp, these pieces transform your home into a gallery of modern design.

Made for you: personalised & unique pieces

Personalisation is mandatory this fall, with a strong trend toward unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect your style. Whether it’s an antique mirror, a handwoven rug, or a bespoke piece of art, incorporating these items into your decor adds a layer of personal storytelling to your home.

Custom-built furniture tailored to your space is the perfect way to embrace this trend. A bespoke piece doesn’t just fit perfectly. It also is a testament to your taste, making your home truly yours. These personalised touches create a space as unique as you are, filled with items that carry meaning and tell your story.

Textured designs

Textured rugs add depth and visual interest to any interior space. The interplay of materials, shapes, and colours creates a visually dynamic surface and a tactile experience that enhances comfort.

Geometric shapes and varied pile heights, such as high-low designs, bring a sculptural quality to the rug, while cut and loop pile combinations add intricate patterns and subtle dimensions. Embossed or carved patterns elevate the aesthetic appeal by giving the rug a captivating three-dimensional effect.

These elements work together to create a harmonious blend of style and warmth, making textured rugs perfect for creating cosy, inviting spaces rich in character and design.

HOUSE OF HOMMÉS is the home of three bold and unique design brands that share the same vision – to deliver essential designer furniture, bold decor objects, luxe pet accessories, and stylish rugs for ultra-modern interiors, paying particular attention to how they fit in the same space. Shop at hommes.studio

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Six great Lugana wines

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Round & About Magazine’s resident wine columnist Giles Luckett rediscovers with white wines of Lugana, and finds beauty and value

When it comes to naming your favourite Italian white wine, you’d be forgiven for not saying Lugana. Other Northern Italian wines such as Soave are far better known even though the quality of Lugana is often superior and significantly better value for money. I must confess, that until my recent attendance at a Lugana tasting, I’d pretty much forgotten about the region’s wines. The first wine shop I ran had a couple of Lugana’s, and whenever someone came in looking for a good value, easy drinking white, they were my default recommendations. They were fruity, uncomplicated and fun. They weren’t fine wines in the serious sense of the word, but they were, well, fine.

At the tasting it quickly became clear that the wines of Lugana have come a long way in the past 30 years. There are now Riserva level wines and wines that have been aged in oak. Across the board they seem to have become more serious and complex yet have retained the joyous citrus, pear and peach fruitiness that so impressed me all those years ago.

To celebrate my reacquaintance with this pearl of a wine, here are six Lugana wines that any lover of great value, elegant white wines should seek out.

About the Lugana wine region

OK, notebooks open, please, I may be asking question later. To give you a little context, the Lugana region lies in Northern Italy and straddles the provinces of Brescia in Lombardy and Verona in Veneto. It’s unusual to see a wine region across over into another province, but Lugana is an unusual wine. It’s made from the Turbiana grape, which was formerly known Trebbiano di Lugana even though genetically it has much to do with the Trebbiano family as I do the Royal Family. The name was changed to distinguish it from Trebbiano wines which tend to be about as engaging as a health and safety video. 

Turbiana gives fresh whites with fruit notes of pears and peaches, a lemon acidity and a distinctive mineral edge that comes from the glacial soils on which they are grown. This profile lends itself well to the production of sparkling wines, many of which, such as the excellent Ca Maiol (Svinando £19.90) are serious and stylish. Recently, however, there’s been a push for higher quality, age worthy wines. Many critics and producers have long suspected that this wonderfully sited region could produce world class whites, and as the following shows, their suspicions were well-founded.

Six great Lugana wines

First up, a surprise wine. I was surprised to see a Lugana in ASDA and was surprised that they were selling a wine of this quality for just £11. The imaginatively named Lugana Italian Wine is classic example of Lugana. White gold with a hint of emerald green, the nose is a lovely mix of pears and peaches with a shot of lemon freshness. Medium bodied and nimble, mouthwatering flavours of citrus

Next up is the Nunzio Ghiraldi (Majestic £14.99). Crafted using organic methods on vines that are a stone’s throw from Lake Garda, this balances freshness and depth to give a more serious style of Lugana. Produced from ancient vines, the nose is somewhat more complex, conveying notes of white blossoms and wet clay alongside the green and white fruits. The palate is generous and fruity, with peaches and pears joined by apricot, minerals and a clean lemon acidity. Try this with game birds or a creamy risotto.

Showing Lugana’s stylistic diversity we have the Lugana Bertagna 2023 (£9.67 Vivino). This is a fresher, more intense wine which is evident from the bouquet which has lemon and grapefruit mingling with zesty apricots, honeydew melon, and just-ripe kiwi fruit. These notes are mirrored on the palate where they are joined by limes, white pepper, yellow plums and a peach stone bitterness to the end. Try this with fresh pasta with mushrooms, seafood, and vegetarian dishes such as couscous with roasted artichokes.

My favourite wine of the tasting was probably the Alberto e Mauro Zenegaglia Luna del Lago Lugana Riserva (Vivino £14.72). Riserva level wines are relatively rare and must be aged for at least two years before being released. This spent 18 months in large old oak barrels and this has had a dramatic effect on it. More golden in colour, the effects of oxidation are present on the nose which is rounder and fuller, with scents of honey and lemon, apricots and jasmine coming the fore. In the mouth it has a creaminess to it, and the fruit profile is more autumnal – plums, green figs, and pears – but it is still fresh and tangy. A lot of wine for the money, this was delicious on its own, but I could see it going wonderfully well with gammon, roast chicken, or smoked fish.

If you’re looking for a white wine that combines richness, weight and delicacy, then the El Citera Lugana L’Artigianale (Vivino £23.64) is for you. I tasted the 2018 which was fantastic and goes to show how Lugana can improve with age. Having been macerated for 24 hours on its skins, this wine had notably more texture to it. It’s also given two years to mature in vats before release. All this adds up a richer, yeastier wine, one that has plenty of lemon and lime freshness, but has notes of baked apple, toasted almonds, green herbs and chalky minerals too. I loved this on its own, but I plan to try this with roast pork or meaty fish such as sea bass in a cream and herb sauce – not that I’m menu planning or anything.

I’ll finish with a step up in quality (and price) with the Ca’ Lojera Lugana Riserva del Lupo 2018 (Vinissimus £33.50). Once-upon-a-time a Lugana at over £30 a bottle would have been virtually unheard of, but the quality of this wine more than justifies the price. Straw gold in colour, the bouquet offers notes of herbs and honey alongside the usual citrus and green skinned fruits. On the palate there’s an extra degree of richness too. Honey, almonds, plums, and red apples sit alongside baked lemon and spicy vanilla. The finish is long and firm making this the ideal wine for river fish, salt cod, pheasant or turkey.

Well, I hope this has whetted your appetite for the wines of Lugana. There are many brilliant wines to be had and they’re still (for now) cracking value.

Next time out, I’ll be looking at some rather fine Champagne – yes, it is a tough life!

Giles

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Comedian Bill Bailey spills the beans… 

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls chats to comedian, author & dad Bill Bailey about the release of his new book My Animals & Other Animals, his upcoming Thoughtifier comedy show tour & more 

Q. Hello Bill! Your Thoughtifier show sounds a bit like a celebration of flawed humanity… so are we doomed?
“Well, yeah, obviously, at some point, because we’re gradually drifting towards the sun. But we don’t have to worry about that! That’s a long way off. But I think there’s been this general worry, this panic about AI and that robots will take over and we’ll be rendered helpless husks. All our jobs will be replaced and there’ll be no more films or art or music or books or literature: all of that will be replaced and we’re essentially redundant. This show is very much a rebuttal of that! Because we are capable of extraordinary things. The Olympics, for example, makes you think, wow, humans are amazing, we’re capable of incredible feats. And this show is very much about that. Not maybe sporting feats, but in terms of artistic, intellectual thoughts, you know, consciousness, music, that, you know, the way that we able to create music is something I just find amazing. And in the show, I invite the audience to create something on the spur of the moment. We create harmony, rhythm, the building blocks of music right there. And then I compare that to how AI might do it. And so it’s really, as you say, a celebration of us as a species. Rather than panic about AI and worry about how much it’s going to take over, I just think we ought to celebrate ourselves a bit more, revel in human achievement and creativity.”

Q. Absolutely! You mentioned music there, Bill… What’s your first memory of music?
“At home, listening to my mum singing along to the radio, because she had the radio on all the time. She’d sing along to hits of the day; one that sticks in my mind is a song by Perry Como called Magic Moments. It’s got a jaunty whistling solo in it and a clarinet solo… I mean, how many songs can you say that about!? None. No, there aren’t any. And I have thought about it! Despite not being able to play, I picked out tunes on the piano as a result of hearing them on the radio. So I think just hearing music around all the time was an influence.”

Q. You’ve been called ‘one of comedy’s most twinkle-toed talents’. Do you still dance about a fair bit now after that Strictly win?
“Yeah. I do incorporate dance into my live shows. There’s a bit of Paso Doble in there and, actually, I recreate the UN Charter in dance form and I put a bit of Charleston in there as well. But the thing is about when you’re on that show [Strictly] is that you get to dance to all these things that I would hitherto never have in my wildest dreams thought would be appearing on a ballroom dancing show… Like Metallica’s Enter Sandman or, you know, Rapper’s Delight or Blondie. It’s not really about the rhythm itself. It’s about the upper section of those songs. It’s sort of thinking, well, those are rock songs, metal songs, rap songs, whatever, but dance is very specific. It’s very precise. It’s about numbers of beats. If you look at it in its basic form, it’s rhythm. It’s about, you know, tempo. When you realise that, it’s like a huge door opening, a big light bulb going off thinking, wow, there’s all this music out there which can be attributed to all these different dances. So after I did Strictly, I’d be walking in the supermarket listening to a bit of music thinking, oh, this could be a tango. Music is amazingly adaptable.” 

Q. You played at Sonisphere: you like a bit of metal, don’t you? Who’s your favourite band?
“Yeah, I like metal. It’s difficult to choose my all-time favourite band but probably Talking Heads. I was a huge fan of them when I first heard their album Remain in Light. That’s a long time ago now. I mean, that’s when I was 15. But I mean, I like a lot of metal bands purely for their musical ambition. They’re technically incredibly proficient, they’re brilliant players, musically really ambitious. Lots of time signature changes, tempo changes. I love bands like Opeth; they’re a Swedish metal band, they’re more like a melodic metal band now, they have an enormous range of music, from growly metal to incredibly lyrical, melodic metal. The lead singer Mikael [Åkerfeldt], who I know, now writes music for Netflix series and so on so he’s a composer. There’s a lot of bands I love: a current favourite is a band called Heilung – they’re a German/Danish/Norwegian pagan metal outfit and they do amazing shows, very theatrical. They’re wearing robes and antlers and a shaman comes out and brings incense on the stage and they bang tribal drums and they play traditional instruments and combine that with music and electronics and sampling. They’re just like nothing else I’ve seen: they don’t even call them shows, they call them rituals. The music is monumental and delicate and powerful and ancient and contemporary all at the same time, they defy description.”

Q. I will check them out! Your memoir My Animals and Other Animals sounds like a right treat. So who’s in your menagerie at the moment? I can see you in your conservatory there. Do you have pets at home with you now?
“Yeah, we’ve got three dogs and we’ve got four parrots and that’s our core, that’s the main game. And then we’ve got various others which are not really pets, they’re animals that we’re looking after, rescue animals. So we’ve got a few frogs, sort-of tree frogs, and we’ve got some lizards, pheasants, armadillos. Armadillos are great: when you put them down, they just sort of, they scuttle around, but you can’t see their feet. So it just looks like they’re weird remote control lawn mowers.”

Q. No one seems to have a bad word to say about you, Bill. You definitely cheer people up, but I’m wondering: do you ever get grumpy? Does anything get your goat? Go on…
“Oooh [ponders awhile], I don’t like it when you’re in the supermarket and you put some fresh herbs, coriander, say, in your basket and then you put your basket down and you go and get something, come back and somebody’s… TAKEN THE CORIANDER!”

Q. Where does this happen!? And what do you do: properly kick off?
“I just go, WHAT THE S&*^! and smash all the food off the shelves. No, not really. But maybe I should start smashing jars of pickles, shouting ‘GIVE ME BACK MY CORIANDER, YOU BASTARD!’ But no, I just go and get some more. It’s rude, but it’s not technically theft as you haven’t actually bought it so it’s not even technically yours. Ummm, what else? I don’t like rudeness, poor manners. Litter, GRRR! I actually risk life and limb, sometimes, chasing after people because I see somebody dropping something, and I pick it up and go after them, going ‘Excuse me, oh sorry, excuse me but you dropped something’. People are so shocked that they usually take it and bin it. But it might go wrong one day and someone will tell me where I can stick their Nando’s wrapper. It’s a very British approach, a little bit passive aggressive…”

Q. I grew to love you on [the iconic TV show] Spaced which I’m still obsessed with… I mean the cast on that! Do you keep in touch with any of them? I’d like to think you’re all pals…
“Spaced is brilliant, yeah! Do you know what? It’s very bad, but we haven’t really kept in touch. And although I did bump into Jess [Hynes] at Chelsea Flower Show, which was a joyous, unexpected Spaced reunion!”

Q. You performed for the King, haven’t you, and you’ve met him several times. Are you mates, maybe WhatsApp buddies?
“Yeah, yeah, there’s like a big crown symbol in my phone and I just press that… No! I haven’t got his number! He watched my show which had a section with cowbells in it and he loved that. Afterwards he said to me [adopts Charles voice]: ‘Um, so how do you get the cows to nod their heads in the right order?’ There I was thinking, ‘am I getting trolled by the by the monarch!?’ And then he started asking me about my six-neck electric guitar. He was going: ‘how do you play a six-neck guitar? Do you to have a false arm or something?’ And I was like [patiently]: ‘Er no, you don’t need a false arm.’ But then afterwards I thought, that’s actually not a bad idea! I should just get a false arm.”

Q. Maybe he’s got one?
“Maybe! I think, if anyone in the land is going to have a false arm, it’s the royals, isn’t it? All that waving. Maybe that was just a false arm in the carriage when we thought the Queen was waving. She was probably on her Game Boy or something. Maybe doing a bit of knitting out of sight.”

Q. You’re off on another tour. What’s your favourite venue & do you mingle with the fans?
“Do you know what? I’ve been around the world and I… hang on, that sounds like a song, doesn’t it!? But yeah my favourite is the Hammersmith Apollo at the end of my road. Honestly, it’s one of the best. It’s a brilliant venue for comedy. And being able to cycle round there in five minutes is a massive plus! Yes, when I come out the theatre there are crowds of people and I’m like: ‘Get away from me!’ No: I always say hi to people. Some people have this ludicrous tiered system: you know, there’s the bronze meet-and-greet and then there’s the silver VIP and then the gold one where you can touch his sleeve for four seconds. But I just think it’s all bollocks. I just come out and say hello and take a picture. I’m talking about after the show, you understand, not inviting them on stage to be in a skit with Bill Bailey. I always try and make time for people if I can. I hang around, you know, behind the theatre, at the stage door. Even if there’s no one there…. Hello, anyone? Selfie, anyone?!”

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Tucking In! Recipes by Sophie Wyburd

Liz Nicholls

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We’re sharing a taste from Tucking In by Sophie Wyburd who is the star chef at this month’s Wild Feast in Otmoor Farm in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire

Chocolate & cherry meringue tower

Jeremy Lee is the executive chef at Quo Vadis in Soho, the first and only proper restaurant I ever worked in, and he is famous for making the most fabulous puddings in London, if not the world.

Working there, I assembled many enormous meringue towers, rich with cream, fruit and toasted nuts. This pud is inspired by my time there. It features Black Forest flavours; my dad is passionate about chocolate, cherries and cream as a combination, so when making him a pud, I often use these flavours. This one’s for you, Dad!

This is a proper show-stopping dessert – expect oohs and aahs as you wheel it out of the kitchen.

“Expect oohs and aahs as you wheel it out of the kitchen.”

Serves 8-10 | Cooking 90 minutes, plus cooking
Ingredients
• 40g dark chocolate, plus 15g for grating on top
• 4 large egg whites (save the yolks for another occasion)
• 230g caster sugar
• 450g frozen cherries
• 2 tbsp kirsch (optional)
• 300ml double cream
• 25g icing sugar

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 140°C/120°C fan/gas mark 1 and line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.
2. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl, and microwave it in bursts until it is melted. Alternatively, pop the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a simmering pan of water, and let it gently melt. Allow it to cool slightly.
3. Tip your eggs whites into a large mixing bowl, and weigh out 200g of your sugar in a separate bowl. Using electric beaters, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add a couple of heaped spoonfuls of the sugar, then whisk again until you get stiff peaks. Continue adding the sugar like this until all 200g has been incorporated, and you have a thick, glossy mixture in the bowl.
4. Pour your melted chocolate into the bowl, and gently fold it through as streaks. Take generous spoonfuls of the meringue mixture, and dollop them onto the prepared baking trays in glossy heaps, spaced well apart. You should get about 10 meringues. Place both trays in the oven, and bake them for 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, add your cherries to a saucepan over a medium heat, along with your remaining 30g of sugar. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the liquid has a thin, syrupy consistency. Stir in the kirsch, if using, then leave it to cool.
6. Pour your double cream into a medium mixing bowl, and add the icing sugar. Whisk with electric beaters until it thickens into soft peaks. Be careful not to overdo it – you don’t want it to look fluffy.
7. Allow your meringues to cool completely. When ready to serve, spoon a little cream onto your chosen serving plate. Add a few meringues on top, and dollop over some cream and cherry compote. Continue to stack meringues, cream and compote on top until they are all used up. Grate over a little more chocolate, then serve.

Spiced blackened salmon tacos with orange salsa

There’s a reason why fajita night had every family in a chokehold in the 2000s, and it is because it is a really fun way to eat. Popping lots of things in the middle of the table and getting people to help themselves is relaxed, a little chaotic, and ultimately communal – the way I like all my meals to be. These tacos look much fancier then they are, but in reality this meal involves very little cooking; all you need to do is make zingy salsa, and grill chunky sides of salmon in spices until the flesh is charred. It would make a brilliant dinner on a weekend, on a weekend, but it is also easy to bang together on a Wednesday night after work.

Serves eight | Takes 45 minutes
Ingredients
• 2 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp soft light brown sugar
• 2 x 600g sides of salmon
• 24 corn tortillas
For the salsa
• 1 red onion
• 2 red chillies
• small bunch of coriander
• 6 oranges
• salt and olive oil

Method
1. Spoon the paprika, cumin, cayenne pepper, dried oregano and soft brown sugar into a bowl, along with 2 teaspoons of salt and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until you have a paste.
2. Place your sides of salmon in a large baking tray, skin-sides down, and rub the spice paste all over the flesh.
3. Preheat your grill to high.
4. To make the salsa, peel and finely dice the red onion, and finely chop the red chillies. Mix together in a bowl. Roughly chop the coriander, and set it aside. Slice the top and bottom ends off the oranges so that you can stand them up flat, then work your knife around them to peel off the skin. Cut the flesh into 2cm rounds, then dice them into 1cm chunks.
5. Add the diced orange to the bowl with the onion and chilli, along with any juices, then give it all a good mix to combine.
6. Place your salmon under the hot grill and cook for 7-8 minutes – the top will char and get a beautiful crust, while the flesh will stay tender and soft.
7. While your salmon cooks, heat your tortillas. Turn a small burner on your hob to high and place your tortillas one at a time on the grate above the flame. Cook for a few seconds on each side, turning them over with metal tongs. Keep them warm by wrapping them in a clean tea towel while you cook the rest. Alternatively, cook them for about 20 seconds on each side in a hot, dry frying pan.
8. Stir the coriander into the salsa. Pop your tortillas onto plates, and bring the salmon and salsa to the table, then let everyone serve themselves by flaking off the salmon, and adding it to their tortillas with a spoonful of salsa.

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Gavin & Stacey star Jo Page

Liz Nicholls

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Actress & mum Jo Page chats to Liz Nicholls about the upcoming Gavin & Stacey Christmas reunion, life, love, wildlife & more

You can watch & hear Jo’s full chat on our Spotlight podcast:

Hi Jo, how are you?
“Good thanks. I’m in the middle of filming at the Wildlife Aid Foundation hospital in Leatherhead. I’m dealing with badgers, foxes, bats: cleaning cages, coming home and changing nappies. So my life is just cleaning up poo: animals and children!”  

Q. We’re excited about the Gavin & Stacey special. What’s in store for Nessa & Smiffy, and you two!? “Oh gosh I’ve no idea. I just hope to God they haven’t got me in a bikini on Barry Island because I’m 47 now! We haven’t seen a script yet and even my husband said ‘don’t tell me!’ I’m as excited as everyone else.” 

Q. What’s it like on set? “Everyone’s lovely. When we first started it was clear we had great chemistry, and would be big pals, like family. I love them all. Rob Brydon is so funny, always doing voices. And the impressions! He’s either doing Hugh Grant or Al Pacino. It’s an utter joy. I’d only ever watched Gavin & Stacey once; my daughter is 11 and asked if we could watch the first series and… it’s really funny! And rude!” 

Q. What does your Christmas look like? “I’m a real home girl… apart from one year when I did panto in Milton Keynes which was weird! I’m the sort of person who takes the Halloween decorations down and wants to put the tree up. I don’t have any recipes or a precious way I do my potatoes: I don’t enjoy cooking because I cook so much for the kids, so if the men want to take over, I’m fine with that! We’re up opening presents, having Bucks fizz. We stay in pyjamas all day, eat and play with toys – it’s bedlam! I’m already thinking how on earth are we going to watch Gavin & Stacey? Mind you they’re a bit older now so they might sit still.” 

Q. Can I ask you about your naked bit-part in Love Actually with Martin Freeman? “I first watched it sitting next to my parents and I was mortified! I was only 23 and terrified when we made it, as all the cast were there. I remember thinking ‘it’s Alan Rickman! Emma Thomson! Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson!’ It was so exciting.” 

Q. Do you ever get star-struck? “I don’t normally… but I saw Paul Gorton from The Traitors at the NTAs this year and went beserk!” 

Q. You and your husband got together after you both starred in David Copperfield? “Yes! I saw him on telly and thought ooh he’s so rugged and handsome. I said to my mum: ‘I want that man to be the father of my children!’ My mate Maxine Peake called me and said: ‘I’m working with an actor who says he’s in love with you: will you please come and see the play?’ I went to the green room bar and we just did not stop talking. I just knew. And he had lovely forearms and great neck / shoulder area.” 

Q. What invention would drastically improve the quality of your life as a busy working mum? “Hmm… A contraption that allows me to have a constant massage, fly and gives me a lie-in. And makes me breakfast and looks after the children so I could sleep in until one in the afternoon. Then it would turn back time to 8am but I’d be incredibly well-rested and enjoy my day with everyone… Basically a nanny/husband and a time machine. With a constant massage!” 

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Pond Contemplation

Round & About

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My pond gives an added dimension to the garden and an opportunity to encourage diverse wildlife and a whole new range of plants. Someone once said to me “A garden without a pond is like a theatre without a stage”

Where to start

It is not as simple as digging a hole but that’s a good place to start! Find a suitable spot in the garden and plan one in scale with the rest of the site. Ideally avoid a rigid liner and instead go for a flexible liner which will mould to the hole you have dug. It’s important to have a deep area and a shallow beach area and place it where you can enjoy it.

Sculpt the pond

Ensure there is a deep area in the middle or at one side. When we did ours the patio flanks the deep area, this should be around three feet for deep water aquatics and over wintering plants, fish and wildlife. From the deep area there is a gentle slope in case our residential hedgehogs fall in and a shelf around the edge for marginal plants. It’s important to do all this before you fill your pond with water.

Line the pond

Use and underlay, carpet, newspaper and anything else to prevent the butyl or pvc liner getting damaged. Also ensure the size of the liner allows for the depth of the pond too. Spread over and fold as you fill with water, it helps to get in a this point. The water will pull the liner into place and make sure there is an overlap.

Plant your pond

After adding a product to neutralise all the nasties in tapwater you can plant. It’s important to edge the pond with stones, cobbles, gravel and plant amongst these. Here you can use perennials, ferns and small woody plants. Place your oxygenators into water, plant deep water aquatics like water lilies in the deepest part and add marginals on the shelf around the edge. You can also add floating aquatics like water soldiers and frogbit. It’s essential to have the range of plants for example without marginals the dragonfly larvae can’t get out of the water and shading of the surface is essential from the deep water aquatics and floaters.

Fish and Wildlife

You have to decide whether you want fish and the wildlife will come. Often newt eggs and snails come with the plants. Flying insects are drawn to the water like pond skaters, damselflies and dragonflies. Try to let the pond balance itself. If you have a range of plants to cover the surface this will happen and don’t be put off by the water going green or murky it’s a natural process.

Enjoy your pond

There is lots of learn so read up about it or visit my gardening school for some inspiration. As well as looking after the pond it’s important just to sit, gaze and contemplate.

Website Cathie’s Gardening School: Surrey’s Garden School (cathiesgardeningschool.co.uk)

Email [email protected]

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Trust your instincts on open days

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Choosing a school is one of the most important decisions a parent can make for their child. It is also one of the most difficult. Tom Dawson, Headmaster of Sunningdale School, has some tips and advice

How can you possibly judge what will suit your children when so many schools, on the outside at least, appear so similar and so good? It is just like buying a house, you might get one or possibly two chances to visit and then you have to take the plunge. These visits are so important and parents need to make sure that they approach them in the right way so that they can have real faith in the decisions that they ultimately make.

A lot of schools offer the choice between an open day and an individual visit and there are advantages to both. It is perfectly reasonable to ask to do both. This is a huge decision and schools should be bending over backwards to make it as easy as possible to get to know the school. The advantage of open days is that for many, they are a way of getting an initial feel for a school without being put under too much pressure. A one to one tour with the head or the director of admissions can, for some, be a little intimidating and at least at an open morning there is safety in numbers. Many parents attend an open day and, if they like what they see, then ask for an individual tour to really get under the skin of a particular school and to get know the key people.

It is important to remember that schools spend significant time planning open days and you need to know what to look for to see beyond the various activities that may have been planned.

The day is likely to start with a welcome coffee, which can always feel a little awkward as different groups of parents congregate in various corners of the room making small talk. This can actually be a good opportunity to see which schools other parents have looked at and what they might already know about the school. It is also a chance to chat to senior members of staff who might be present.

Many schools get the pupils to do the tours for their open mornings. This can be very hit and miss. Get a good tour guide and they can be brilliant and really give you an insight into what it is like to be a pupil at that particular school. Whatever the situation, you need to make the most of the tour.

Ask the right questions

Try to put your guide at ease and get to know them. If you show that you are interested in them, you are much more likely to have a positive experience. It is useful to think of some questions in advance. Do some research in advance of the day. What do you really want to know? Try to avoid asking question to which the answer can be yes or no; give the tour guide a chance. You know the facilities are good so no need to ask them whether there is a climbing wall or if the floor of the swimming pool goes up and down. Try to seek their opinion. What subjects do you particularly enjoy? What are the most popular subjects at GCSE, A-Level or IB? What do you think of the teachers? What do you like most about your boarding house? Which sports do you take part in? What do you think of the food? What is the best thing about the school? Why did you choose this school? You should also ask other key questions about school life: What is the policy on mobile phones? What do you do if you are having difficulty with your homework? What do pipuls tend to do during their free time? What happens when you are ill?

You should get the opportunity to meet some staff on your tour. You should try to get a feel for what they are like. Can you see them teaching your child? Do they seem approachable and normal or are they a little bit please with the fact that they are teaching at this particular school. How do they interact with the pupils that are giving you the tour? Do they seem to know the pupils well? If you have your children with you, do the staff seem interested in them?

The most important thing about any visit to a school is how it makes you feel. Can you see your child being happy at this school? This is, after all, the most important thing. Just like buying a house, if it feels right, it probably is. Hopefully you will visit at least three schools and the best piece of advice for any parent is to trust your instincts. Don’t be swayed by facilities or the choices your friends are making; you know your child and you know what will work for them. Trust yourself!

Tom Dawson
Headmaster
Sunningdale School
August 2024

Tom Dawson has been Headmaster of Sunningdale, an all boys prep school, since 2005. Prior to that, he taught French and Spanish at Harrow School. He has been a governor of two independent prep schools, one of which was co-ed and one an all girls school. He is also a co-director of Heritage Summer Camps, a co-ed summer school aimed at preparing children for senior school assessments and the ISEB Common Pre-test.

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