Grilled Nectarine & Feta Salad (pictured above)
Classic cassoulet
Are You Listening? Black Honey, Thomas Headon & dozens more will rock Reading in aid of Mencap on 6th May; areyoulistening.org.uk
The 44th international Newbury Spring Festival will also offer classical highlights aplenty, 6th-20th May; newburyspringfestival.org.uk
The Investec International Music Festival features world-class concerts including Tenebrae, Julian Bliss Quartet, Sitkovetsky Trio, Gary Hoffman & Wu Qian, walks and talks across the Surrey Hills, 2nd-13th May. Visit iimf.co.uk
“I’m so excited to be hosting Pub in the Park in Marlow,” Tom Kerridge tells us, “of course, we’ve got some incredible chef hosts topping the bill and I can’t wait for a weekend of good food and good vibes. Top-notch food is at the heart of what we’re all about and I know we’ll have the very best festival food around from our incredible restaurants… we can’t wait for you to try it!” The shindig, 18th to 21st May, also has a sizzling music line-up, too, including Sugababes, The Jacksons, Tinie Tempah, a Dick & Dom DJ set, Ministry Of Sound Disco and Bananarama. pubintheparkuk.com/marlow
“Probably the finest free music and beer festival in the world…” Rokefest will rock its new home The Chequers, at Berrick Salome, near Wallingford, 26th-28th May, with great bands & more, all for great causes; rokefest.com
Let’s Rock the Moor in Cookham, Bucks, on 21st May offers OMD, Roland Gift, Kim Wilde, Space, Soul II Soul & more; letsrockthemoor.com
Andy C, Annie Mac, Camelphat, Swedish House Mafia & dozens of other dance titans will star at Creamfields South in Chelmsford, 26th-28th May. Visit creamfieldssouth.com.
Classical music fans will love the 16th English Music Festival at Dorchester Abbey, 26th -29th May; englishmusicfestival.org.uk
ShyneFest at Merrist Wood College in Worplesdon, on 3rd June, will star Republica, Rhythm of the 90s, The Replicants, Sarah Dearlove, Doubting Thomas, Ashes & you’ll find bucketloads of family-friendly fun such as escape room games & animal encounters, food, plus camping & glamping options. shynefest.uk
Cornwall is worth a visit anytime, especially 2nd to 4th June when Great Estate Festival near Redruth will dazzle with a stonking music line-up starring Primal Scream, The Selecter, Ibiza Symphonic with DJ Andy Joyce, A DJ set from Bez of Happy Mondays (watch this space for our interview next month), Cuban Brothers & more; greatestatefestival.co.uk
Wychwood Festival will rock Cheltenham Racecourse, 2nd-4th June, with Happy Mondays, Travis, Sam Ryder, comedy, a kids’ lit fest, headphone disco & idyllic camping beneath the Prestbury Hills; wychwoodfestival.com
Arrive thirsty for Twyford Beer Festival, raising money for male cancer charity Orchid, 9th & 10th June; twyfordbeerfest.co.uk
Hampton Court Palace Festival offers legends including Grace Jones, Kaiser Chiefs, Björn Again, Rick Astley, Soft Cell, Kool & The Gang and Tom Jones, 6th-17th June. With British Fine Foods picnics & bouji hospitality packages, this is a classy affair… hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com
KITE swoops back into Kirtlington, near Oxford, 9th-11th June, with Hop Chip, Dame Joan Collins, Suede, Candi Staton, David Holmes, Sir John Major & David Baddiel. kitefestival.co.uk
The Isle of Wight Festival, the iconic shindig just over the Solent will offer great vibes, starring Pulp, George Ezra, The Chemical Brothers, Robbie Williams, Blondie, Groove Armada & more, 15th-18th June. Visit isleofwightfestival.com
Blenheim Palace is the superb backdrop for the Nocturne Live performances from the likes of Lionel Richie, Gabrielle & Pete Tong (with his Ibiza Classics), 16th-19th June. Tunde Baiyewu who will perform on 16th tells us: “Blenheim is an amazing venue so I feel blessed. I’m a fan of Gregory Porter as well as Emeli Sandé who are performing on the same date as me so I’m going to be enjoying it as much as any other member of the audience.”nocturnelive.com
Scouting For Girls, The Feeling and Barrioke, (with EastEnders star Shaun Williamson) will make for a great Fi.Fest in Maidenhead on 8th July; visit fifest.co.uk
A$AP Rocky & Tyler, the Creator will star at Wireless Crystal Palace, 1st to 3rd July and Cardi B & Nicki Minaj at Finsbury Park (8th-10th July); wirelessfestival.co.uk. Hold on to your hats: Guns n’ Roses will star at BST Hyde Park on Friday, 30th June. And that’s not all: there’s Blackpink on 2nd July, P!nk on 25th June and Take That on 1st July. Visit bst-hydepark.com
Rag’n’Bone Man, Westlife, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Ministry of Sound Classical, the Kanneh-Mason Trio and Jack Dee, as well as an Aretha Franklin celebration will make for another great riverside reverie at Henley Festival, 6th-10th July; henley-festival.co.uk
Sugababes, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Peter Hook & The Light, Incognito, Gentleman’s Dub Club, Soft Cell and more will star at Rochester Castle in Kent, 6th-9th July. Marc Almost tells us: “Doing festivals is always so great. There is such a feeling of ‘out for a great time’ and people really are so up for it and generous. This summer, I’m excited about seeing OMD who are always special, and I love Glen Gregory and Heaven 17. For tickets & more info please visit rochestercastleconcerts.com
The fourth Camberley Comedy Festival will take place on Saturday, 8th July, starring Phil Wang & more, in a mini big top tent; camberleytheatre.co.uk. And Haslemere Fringe Festival promises another community culturefest; haslemerefringe.co.uk
Jack Savoretti, The Human League, Haçienda Classical, and Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra will star at Kew The Music at Kew Gardens, 13th-16th July; kewthemusic.org
Jungle Brothers, Professor Green, Sleeper, Roni Size & many more will dazzle at Readipop in Caversham, 14th-16th July. Established in 1998, the highlight helps vulnerable young people and older folk, plus aspiring artists; readipop.co.uk
Hot Chip, Gaz Coombes, Erol Alkan (disco set) Fabio & Grooverider Kaleidoscope at Alexandra Palace on Saturday, 15th July, kaleidoscope-festival.com
Royal Blood, The Vaccines, alt-J, Shy FX & David Rodigan are among the delights Truck is packing, 21st-23rd July in Steventon; truckfestival.com
Our fave bash (and that of our cover star Noel) PennFest is back in Bucks with another bobby dazzler on 21st & 22nd July. As well as Mr G’s High Flying Birds, Johnny Marr will star, along with Gaz Coombes, Bad Manners, Kenny Kenn, Corinne Bailey Rae, DJ Fresh & Jumping Jack Frost. Organisers Nick Billinghurst & Matt Smith said: “We’re so excited about this year’s PennFest. With two such incredible, world-renowned headliners we feel it’s our strongest ever. It’s going to be epic!” pennfest.co.uk
Richard Ashcroft, plus Ocean Colour Scene & The Sherlocks, will star at Englefield House in Berkshire on Saturday, 22nd July. Promoter Giles Cooper tells us: “We’re so excited to be promoting this show with Richard for Heritage Live. I remember seeing The Verve’s first London gig at the King’s Head in 1991, when I worked at NME, with just ten people in the audience. It culminated with Miles Leonard agreeing to sign them by the end of the night!” Hozier will star with Far From Saints on 23rd. Pre-register for tickets at arep.co/p/richard-ashcroft
Fairport Convention will star at the Fleur De Lys in East Hagbourne on 23rd July ahead of FleurFest, the community institution, 28th-30th July, along with Scott Doonican, Gregg Cave & more; thefleurdelyspub.co.uk
Building bridges, not walls’ is the motto of the inclusive WOMAD, the World of Music, Arts and Dance Music festival, returns to delight Charlton Park near Marlborough, 27th-30th July. womad.co.uk
Wilderness, at Oxfordshire’s Cornbury Park, 3rd-6th August, offers The Chemical Brothers, Christine & The Queens, Fatboy Slim, feasting with Adam Handling & Olia Hercules, mindblowing boutique camping options, theatre & more; visit wildernessfestival.com
Fancy a trip to the past, maybe with a hair do to match? Enjoy vintage steam at Retrofestival in Newbury, 11th-13th August; retrofestival.co.uk
Stowaway near Buckingham will stimulate all the senses, starring David Rodigan, Irvine Welsh, Little Dragon, with feasting, revelry & more, 18th-20th August; stowawayfestival.co.uk
Retro fave Rewind South in Henley 18th-20st August will star Soft cell, The Boomtown Rats, and many more; south.rewindfestival.com
It’s time to go deeper! Chapter Two: The Twin Trail is the theme of the fabulous Boomtown. The team are building the Main City for a revitalised living theatre festival on the theme of The Gathering, 9th-13th August in Hampshire’s Matterley Estate, boomtownfair.co.uk
Jools Holland will also headline at Weyfest, the boutique festival at Tilford’s Rural Life Museum, 18th-20th August. weyfest.co.uk
Wondrous Towersey Festival will bring you comedy, music & fun, 25th-28th August at Claydon Estate near Buckingham. The line-up includes The Proclaimers, Frank Turner & The Divine Comedy; towerseyfestival.com
Reading (& Leeds) is back to rock the August bank holiday weekend, 25th-27th August. Sam Fender, FOALS, Loyle Carner, Billie Eilish & The Killers are on the line-up; readingfestival.com
Big Feastival on Alex James’ Cotswolds farm will serve family fun, food and frolics, 25th-27th August. Perennial favourite Justin Fletcher will delight along with Sigrid, Rick Astley, Blossoms, Melanie C & a DJ set from Hot Chip. Food stars will sizzle, including Big Zuu, Ching He Huang MBE, Asma Khan & Nathan Outlaw. Alex says: “With even more fantastic acts to be announced in the coming weeks, this is shaping up to be our best line-up yet.” Check out the full menu at thebigfeastival.com
Love cars, love music? Then you’ll love CarFest, the family music & motoring festival founded by Chris Evans in 2011, at Laverstoke Park, 27th-29th August; carfest.org. Car-lovers will also enjoy The Billing Off Road Show, home to the most exciting off-road courses in the country; thebillingoffroadshow.co.uk
Wallingford’s BunkFest is in its 21st year. The free-access community festival returns with its winning brew of beer, music and dance, 1st-3rd September; bunkfest.co.uk
Curated by Dub Pistols frontman Barry Ashworth, in association with Tonic Music for Mental Health, Mucky Weekender at Vicarage Farm near Winchester, 8th & 9th September, stars The Selecter, Stereo MCs, Goldie, Bez’s Acid House Party, Woody Cook, Eva Lazarus, Stanton Warriors & more with an outer space dress code. Visit mucky-weekender.co.uk
10 pairs of weekend tickets to Creamfields South
Two adult tickets for PennFest
Two Friday tickets to The Big Feastival
Click here to find out how to enter.
A letter of appreciation for her artwork from Her Majesty Queen Camilla was not something Farnham based artist, Alison, would have believed possible when setting up her business, Pup Goes The Easel last summer.
Alison tells us: “I recently sent one of my coronation-themed, Charlie cards and tea towels to Queen Camilla because I thought it would be fun to know that something from Farnham was being used at Highgrove House, Clarence House or even Buckingham Palace! The letter of thanks and praise from Her Majesty for my work was a real surprise and such a boost for my business.”
Alison is a self-taught artist, who, in mid-life founded an exciting new creative business. She produces distinctive greeting cards, prints, tote bags and tea towels from her fun and vibrant paintings of pups. Her business was inspired by her family pet, a rescued Lurcher called Parker. “He was the sweetest pup and brought joy to our lives” says Alison. Having previously only painted her family’s pets, her family encouraged her to take what was “just a hobby” to the next level. So, she painted more pups (family and friends’ dogs were her muses) and, with a huge leap of faith, set up her small business.
Since last summer Alison has successfully sourced UK based, suppliers who ensure her products are of the highest quality and are sustainably made. She has sold her unique images as high-quality cards, prints and gifts through local and London markets and through her Etsy store. “Meeting customers and seeing their positive reactions to my artwork has been very uplifting”. Alison has sold her products locally at the Farnham Maltings Monthly Market and Esty Guildford. In London she has had success at the Crafty Fox Market the De Beauvoir Christmas Trail and the BBH International Women’s Day Market. “I look forward to attending other events in the future including Curated at the Dorking Halls and at Denbies Wine Estate as well as more markets in Farnham, Alton and Guildford.”
Setting up a creative business in mid-life has brought many challenges but it has also been exciting and inspiring. “I have thoroughly enjoyed creating products from my images that capture the essence and personality of a pup and love seeing customers interact with them.
“You can imagine how absolutely thrilled I was to get this fabulous letter from her and chuffed to bits that she likes my artwork. It has given me a real boost and I thought it was lovely of her to take the time of respond when she must have a million and one more pressing things to deal with at the moment!”
Alison’s next step is to collaborate with retailers so that she can reach a wider audience. Watch this space – who knows, Pup Goes The Easel may soon be ‘By Royal Appointment”!
Alison’s work can be found on her Etsy store PupGoesTheEasel – Etsy UK and she can be contacted through Instagram Pup Goes The Easel 🐾🐶.
North West Surrey Health and Care Alliance recently held our first large-scale Community Day at the RHS Garden Wisley. The incredible setting intentionally set the tone for the type of environments we need around us to nurture our health and wellbeing.
More than 200 people living, working, running businesses, supporting vulnerable people and raising families in our communities joined us.
This was an opportunity to showcase everything from local recruitment opportunities to the progress we’re making joining up the delivery of health, care and wider wellbeing services. That included hearing about people like, Avis who has regained her confidence after a series of falls following support from our Urgent Community Response Team who helped her to remain independent in her own home. Watch Avis tell her story.
We also shared our work with borough councils, without whom it wouldn’t be possible to offer initiatives like our Step Down Service. This is supported accommodation for people who are medically fit but need additional help on discharge from hospital. For local residents Wendy and Darren this made all the difference. Hear more about Helen’s work.
As well sharing our progress, it was a chance for local people to tell us what it feels like to be on the receiving end of our work. The energy and positive feedback on the day was hugely motivating but what really struck me was just how active our residents want to be in improving their own health and wellbeing. Empowering people to take agency in this is the foundation of our work to develop neighbourhood teams. This follows recommendations from The Fuller Stocktake and our Critical 5 priorities, and means introducing multi-disciplinary teams to serve the needs of a defined footprint – with easy access to preventative support and tailored care when it’s needed.
Listening to the experiences of people from our communities and understanding their ideas for what a healthy and happy neighbourhood looks like opened up a different kind of dialogue about how we can influence the wider determinants of health. Considering transport and access, digital inequality, making it easier to navigate different services and liberating our community assets so they can take forward their own wellbeing initiatives, is all part of growing the neighbourhoods our residents want.
This is just the beginning of our work involve people in our communities, the voluntary and charity sector to build cohesive services and cultivate environments where our residents can thrive. Take a look at the highlights from the day in this short film. And if you’re interested in how we’ll be using the outputs of our discussions – keep an eye on our website or drop us a line.
Hogs Back Brewery, based in Tongham, is inviting beer drinkers to toast the Coronation of King Charles with a pint of MajesTEA, a premium cask ale that is definitely fit for a king.
Originally brewed for the Platinum Jubilee in 2022, MajesTEA is returning as a limited edition ale for another special royal occasion. It will be available to pubs, as well as in the Hogs Back tap room at the brewery in Tongham, in time for the Coronation celebrations in May. It will also be served at Farnham Beerex, taking place from 20-23 April at Farnham Maltings.
MajesTEA is a regal variation on Hogs Back’s award-winning flagship ale Tongham TEA, brewed with a little more fine English malt, and more Fuggles hops, grown in the hop garden less than 100 yards from the brewhouse. The full-bodied 4.5% traditional amber ale has a beautiful balance of malty, caramel notes and spicy hop flavours, while dry-hopping with Fuggles adds grassy and floral notes.
Hogs Back managing director Rupert Thompson said: “There’s a long history amongst British brewers of producing very special beers to mark Royal occasions, and we’re delighted that MajesTEA is continuing the tradition. It’s a very British beer, eminently drinkable, and certainly worth breaking out the bunting for.
“People will be gathering in pubs to celebrate the Coronation weekend, including the ceremony itself on Saturday 6th May and the extra Bank Holiday on Monday 8th May. Raising a glass of MajesTEA is a great way to toast King Charles, as well as to show support for Britain’s pubs and brewers, which are right up there alongside the Crown Jewels as an iconic and much-loved part of our national heritage.”
Q. Hi Tunde! Are you looking forward to playing at Blenheim?
“Hello. Yes, I am. I haven’t been to Blenheim. A few years before the pandemic we had been asked to play the palace but everything went topsy turvy. I’m chuffed that it’s happening now. You usually look on from the sidelines with these kind of events. It’s an amazing venue so I feel blessed.
This date comes in the middle of my tour which starts 26th May in Cardiff, goes on to 24th June. I’m a fan of Gregory Porter as well as Emeli Sandé so I’m going to be enjoying it as much as any other member of the audience.”
Q. How do you take care of that wonderful voice?
“I’m very quiet on the day of the show. A couple of hours before a show I say almost nothing – but partly that’s nerves! I resort to a lot of ginger, lemon and honey drinks. You know what it’s like, we Africans sometimes get overexcited. You know those situations in a bar or a club with your friends and everyone’s trying to talk over the music? You think you’re whispering but you don’t realise you’re shouting over the din, and find out when you’ve left. The next day you’re hoarse. So I won’t be raising my voice at all.”
Q. What’s your first memory of music?
“Well, I was born in London but when I was about five my mum took my sister and I back to Nigeria because my biological father died. She had to relocate to Lagos. Back then my mum, in her infinite wisdom, decided the best thing to keep me out of trouble was to enrol me in the church choir, singing lots of hymns. Then you’d be back to terra firma, you’d do some naughty things and then you’d go back to church on Sunday!
I never really could get my head round the idea that people wrote those hymns. I used to think as a kid, oh these songs are wonderful but nobody created them, they just existed. They’re just there and they help us feel good. In Nigeria growing up Michael Jackson was on the radio a lot, and James Taylor was very big and I love a lot of his stuff. So when I went up to Newcastle with Paul [Tucker] after college we were always going to nightclubs and listening to music, that sort of scene. Always liked buying records cheap – I had a lot of R&B, hip hop on vinyl. When I realised people wrote those hymns, that inspired me. A lot of the Lighthouse Family songs definitely have a spiritual connotation to them. That’s where they come from, but in a modern way – not a Kumbaya sort of way – songs that were like sitting with someone having a meaningful chat about life & love & spiritually – those were the sort of conversations we’d be having in the studio, Paul and myself.”
Starting this month, public access areas of Barossa nature reserve in Camberley will play host to a special band of black-and-white visitors – a 36-strong herd of native Belted Galloway cattle owned by Surrey Wildlife Trust.
During the spring and summer months, the steers play a vital role in keeping the site in good condition for nature by keeping vegetation including Molina grass under control, thus creating ideal habitat for species such as Nightjars, Dartford Warblers, Silver-studded Blue butterflies and a range of reptiles including Common Lizards and Adders.
With the animals set to arrive on 06 April, the Trust is reminding people not to be intimidated by the cows, but to treat them with respect. Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Grazing Manager Tamsin Harris says: “As well as being a popular spot for walkers Barossa is an important site for Surrey’s wonderful wildlife, and our cattle are helping keep the area special – but it’s important to remember that they are there to do a job, not to make friends. They are bred for a placid temperament but please don’t feed or pet them, remember to give them some space when walking past them and keep dogs under control.
“We hugely appreciate the support of local people in helping our herd stay happy.”
Conservation grazing is widely used by Surrey Wildlife Trust to manage wildlife habitat, whether it be grassland, woodland, wetland or scrub. It is less intrusive to wildlife than burning or cutting excess vegetation, and grazing animals can access areas which people and machinery can’t.
Many of the rare flora and fauna that exist within Surrey now relies on this type of management to survive, and Surrey has used cattle, goats, sheep and native Red Deer for these purposes on sites including Chobham Common, Quarry Hangers, Ash Ranges and Pirbright Ranges. Belted Galloway cattle originate from the lowlands of Scotland and are particularly suitable for grazing both heathland and chalk grassland thanks to their hearty appetites for course grasses and scrub as well as softer vegetation. Surrey Wildlife Trust’s Belted Galloway cattle are moved across multiple sites according to the season and the needs of each site. The 36 steers arriving at Barossa this month will remain on site until early November.
Surrey Wildlife Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) are calling on gardeners to ditch the ‘golf course’ look and reimagine their lawns this spring and summer.
The ‘Bring your lawn to life‘ initiative encourages people to cut their grass less regularly and embrace daisies, dandelions, clovers and other naturally flowering plants. Leaving more space for native vegetation means the pollinating insects we all depend on, as well as a huge range of other wildlife from frogs to finches, has a much better chance of survival.
Lawns left to grow long help mitigate flooding by soaking up more rainwater, counter the ‘heat island’ effect in urban areas, and capture pollutants. They are also better at resisting browning during dry spells owing to their longer roots.
Their benefits continue into the height of summer, providing all-important habitat for a whole host of insects including ants, bees, beetles and butterflies.
• Reduce the frequency of mowing to once every three to four weeks to allow flowers such as dandelion and speedwell to bloom and help pollinators.
• Keep some areas short as pathways, sunbathing spots, and foraging areas for worm-eating birds. For the rest, let the grass grow a little longer, offering shelter to grasshoppers and other insects. In turn, these creatures are food for frogs, birds and bats.
• Allow parts of your lawn to grow long for the whole summer so that caterpillars can feed and transform into butterflies and moths.
• Turn a blind eye to the odd bare patch as these provide sites for ground nesting bees.
• If you do want a luscious green carpet, consider growing hardy yarrow within your lawn or, where this is limited footfall, experiment with a tapestry lawn and grow herbs and flowers such as chamomile and creeping thyme.
Given that most lawn-dwelling plants are annuals, there is plenty of scope to experiment with different layouts and mowing patterns each year, giving gardeners numerous outlets for their creativity.
Lucy Cahill, Team Wilder Project Officer at Surrey Wildlife Trust says: “Private gardens cover more of the UK than all our nature reserves combined, so just imagine the difference we could make if every one of them became a sanctuary for wildlife. And with so much colour and contrast on offer, a lawn that makes space for nature can look as beautiful as the most formal display.
“We all depend on the services nature provides, so we all have something to gain by helping make Surrey wilder.”
Helen Bostock, Senior Wildlife Specialist at the RHS, says: “Lawns, while central to many garden designs, are often overlooked as important ecosystems in favour of the plants in beds that border them. But they’re home to a huge amount of wildlife and help mitigate the impact of climate change.
“We want to inspire people to get up close and personal with their lawns this year, discover what can be found in their swathes of green and dabble with new, more hands-off means of management.”
For more user-friendly information on how your lawn can help wildlife, visit Wild about lawns.
Surrey Wildlife Trust is currently asking for donations to create and protect hedgerow and woodland habitat for the threatened Hazel Dormouse – part of a vision for Surrey as a county where people and nature can thrive together. For more information or to make a donation visit Surrey Wildlife Trust.
As Autism Liaison Co-Ordinator for Dogs for Autism, Lola Bellarosa-Homer is often the first point of contact for the families the charity helps. She has always really enjoyed her role, but her recent autism diagnosis has meant she really understands why she absolutely loves her job and feels like she belongs at the charity.
“Getting the formal diagnosis meant everything, for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged,” is how Lola reacted to finding out her formal diagnosis.
After her son, who is now 17 years old, was diagnosed with autism and cognitive learning disabilities, Lola set about investing her time into learning about autism and how best she could support her son and help him navigate the world. For as long as she could remember she had felt like she hadn’t fitted in, and experienced huge anxiety and depression that led her to self-harm, from being a teenager until she met her husband. While there wasn’t a lightbulb moment, she realized that a lot of the questions she asked about herself were common questions that other autistic adults were having.
After a lot of research and thought, she decided she wanted to know whether she too was autistic, and after seven months of consultation she was given her formal diagnosis.
Describing how it feels to know she is autistic, Lola said: “I finally see the world in colour. It’s like someone put a key into a lock and opened something that had been shut away for 30 years.”
Lola sees being autistic as an overwhelmingly positive thing and is keen that other people know about all the strengths that her autism brings her. Perseverance and courage, which come from having to work so much harder to navigate the neurotypical world, are two of the qualities that she wants to pass on to her son and every other autistic person. She also needs an enormous amount of courage to face and resolve difficult situations; this enables her to be a huge help to the families Dogs for Autism work with and they know that the charity really understand and see the world from an autistic person’s point of view. It’s meant she’s been able to bring in new processes, flow charts and mind maps, which all help the charity provide more support to their partners.
CEO of Dogs for Autism, Hilary Armour, sees huge benefits in having an autistic person as part of any team. She added: “It’s a massively positive step for our families to have someone supporting them who really ‘gets’ autism. I would actively encourage any employer to include autistic people in their teams.”
Lola feels that her unique perspective is an advantage to her work and something that any company would benefit from. She wants to be champion for helping employers to understand that by making small changes in the workplace, autistic employees can bring creativity, enthusiasm, and a new vision to their role. She would love other employers to read this and realise how positive it can be to have an autistic or neurodiverse person in the workplace. By making some small changes, educating staff, being accepting and open to allowing an autistic person to process things in their own way, it really will make a difference to the lives of their autistic staff, as well as bringing new strengths to the workplace.
For more on Dogs for Autism visit Dogs For Autism
Hello! With Easter in the offing and the prospect of some downtime over the extended weekend, I thought I’d look out for some wines to suit the season and the celebration. I’ve always loved Easter. As a good Catholic boy, it meant a deluge of chocolate (scoffed between seemingly endless trips to Mass), and later in life, it marked the end of Lent and a return to wine. Now, while I can’t claim to have forsworn wine for the forty days – the attempt would have been sworn at – I have made the acquittance of some wines that I’m sure will brighten your Easter break. So, in the spirit of helping my fellow man, here are six of the Easter best:
First up, one of the prettiest rosés I’ve seen in a long time, the Provence Rosé from Adnams (£11.99). While many rosés seem to focus on creating looks so exotic they would put a Versace perfume bottle to shame. Adnams seem to have focused their efforts on the contents – I know, a fresh form of madness or what? It has paid off, however, as the wine is so attractive. Made from Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, the nose offers enticing tones of flowers, red berries, and citrus. On the palate, there’s a seem or pure red berry (raspberry, strawberry, and bitter cranberry) that’s deliciously offset by citrus and minerals. If the sun decides to shine this Easter, this will make a superb garden sipper.
My next recommendation is an Albarino. Albarino is a grape whose class is undeniable, whose wines can be astonishingly good, and is regarded as a national treasure in its native Spain. Think liquid Stephen Fry without the passion for Norwich City, and you won’t be far off. While there are many great ones out there, the Pazo San Mauro (Palmers Wine Store £17.42) is a real treat. Freshness is the keyword here. From the explosive grapefruit, green apple, and herb-tinted nose to the ripe yet tangy pear, peach, melon and lemon palate, this is as clean as a whistle. Look closer, and you’ll find depth and complexity. Nectarine, minerals, a shot of honey. This is made for seafood – literally in Spain – but would be glorious with green salads, chicken, smoked fish, or Good Friday’s fish supper.
Sticking with Spain but moving to the other end of the tasting spectrum, we have the Contino Blanco 2019 (Noble Grape £23.99) – confession time; I’m obsessed with Contino’s Riojas. There’s something magical about this producer. Maybe it’s how they meld tradition with innovation or how they can create so many extraordinary styles from a single estate. Or simply as the wines are often breath-taking.
Breath-taking is the word I’d use for the Contino Blanco. I’ve only had this wine once, so perhaps I’m still in the first flush of infatuation, but it seemed to be love at first sip. Mid-gold, the bouquet is complex, displaying honey, almonds, pears, lemons, and wax. In the mouth, it’s mellow but clean, with layer-upon-layer of orchard fruits, warm spices, honey, lime, and butter. A real show stopper, give this a couple of hours open and pair it with white meats or fish.
Easter Sunday will see us hosting half the western world – pop in if you’re at a loose end; one more won’t make any odds. With recovery Monday the following day and with roast beef a must, a goodly supply of a great value red is a necessity. This year I’ve got some of the Antakari Carmenere Reserve (Laithwaites £8.99). Carmenere is Chile’s signature grape, and this iteration is packed with soft blackberry and blueberry fruit, with underlying notes of chocolate. Easy drinking; it’s a great wine that offers great value.
Back to Spain, we have another Rioja, this time the Vina Real Crianza 2019 (Waitrose £12.40). This is Rioja in exuberant form. Made from Tempranillo, Garnacha, and Mazuelo, it’s red berry-driven, but beneath the surface are richer tones of plum, creamy oak, spices, and orange zest. This is one of those wines that cries out for a food partner, and dishes as varied as cheesy pasta, tapas, roasted red meats, or, weather-permitting, barbecued fare would be ideal.
My penultimate wine is something of a myth-buster. To many, the name Beaujolais conjures up visions of hoorays charging to France in November to bring back Nouveau (why they bothered, I’ll never know) or pretty but forgettable flower-adorned bottles from Dubouef. Real Beaujolais is made from sterner stuff and is Burgundy’s best-kept secret. had the Louis Jadot Beaujolias Villages 2021 (Tesco £12.50) last week, and it was fantastic. My expectations were high as 2021 was a lovely year for Burgundy, and I wasn’t disappointed. With its bouquet of cherries, bubblegum, blackberries, and wildflowers, it’s as pretty as a picture of, well, something nice. In the mouth, there are the same fruit tones, but there are minerals, strawberry conserve, mint and almonds, all presented in a soft, edgeless body.
And finally, fizz. Oh, come on, you didn’t think I’d do a column without mentioning it? Might as well expect the rain not to be wet. Easter is a time for celebration, so here are two gems for you. The first is the Bouvet Ladubay Saumur Rosé (Majestic £10.49). Saumur in France’s Loire Valley was making sparkling wines when the likes of Dom Perignon were getting to grips with their Ladybird Book Of The Catechism. With its marginal climate, free-draining limestone soils, and long growing season, Saumur is a great place to create quality sparkling wines. The pale pink fizz bristles with notes of black cherry, green peppers, apples, peach stones and creamy yeast.
My second is Champagne Taittinger’s Nocturne (Tesco £39). Nocturne is a ‘sec’ Champagne, which means it’s not as dry as a brut. This wine demands time, one to sip after a meal or into the evening. The classic, elegant Taittinger style is there, but the extra residual sugar extenuates the peaches in syrup tone to give a champagne that, while far from an off-dry demi-sec, has a certain richness and silky, tropical edge to it. It’s a marvellous accompaniment to good conversation and gives a fresh view of this historic wine.
Well, that’s it for now. Next time, I’ll look at some wines from that bastion of brilliance, the Rhône, but until then, have a great Easter.
