Tue 16, Oct 2007

Fight world famine, eat out

Fri 5, Oct 2007

Fri 28, Sep 2007

Thu 27, Sep 2007

Fri 21, Sep 2007

Tue 11, Sep 2007

Be safe, be Cabwise by Monica Porter. Thursday, 13 December 2007 With the approach of Christmas and the New Year – when more people take late-night taxis and minicabs than at any other time – a campaign is under way to raise public awareness of CABWISE, a service providing Londoners with a safe way of getting home from anywhere in the capital.

Women are still being sexually attacked by cab drivers in London, so it’s good to know that no one ever again has to get in an illegal cab.

CABWISE was launched two years ago by the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, the Metropolitan Police Service and Transport for London (TfL), and it’s a simple but effective concept.

You text the word “HOME” to the CABWISE number, 60835, and the service uses mobile phone technology to locate the area that you are texting from.

It then texts you back with phone numbers for a black cab company as well as two local licensed minicab firms, which is particularly handy if your are out in an area you aren’t familiar with.

Texts are charged at 35p per enquiry plus the standard cost of a text message on your mobile network. (The service is not yet available on the Virgin and 3 mobile networks.) In 2001, TfL started licensing private hire, including minicab services, and now all minicab operators, drivers and vehicles must be licensed by TfL.

Minicabs must always be booked through an operator; those which tout off the street are illegal even if they operate from a licensed minicab firm. The only cab or taxi you should get into on the streets of London is a black cab or a pre-booked licensed minicab.

There are now over 45,000 licensed vehicles on TfL’s constantly growing database, making it easier for the police to crack down on touts and their criminal activities, and to monitor the standards of the minicab trade.

Since CABWISE was introduced, there has been a continuous rise in the number of text requests, with more than 13,000 last Christmas alone. And crucially, there’s been a drop of around 65 per cent in the number of cab-related assaults.

Underpinning CABWISE is the long-running Safer Travel at Night initiative. This partnership between the Mayor, TfL and the Met combines increased policing activity with better late-night public transport and more effective industry regulation. It has cut the number of women willing to get into an illegal cab from 18 per cent to 4 per cent.

Commander Shaun Sawyer, of the Met, says his force is committed to supporting the Safer Travel at Night campaign: “It’s important that people out and about in London over the festive season enjoy themselves without putting themselves at risk, and make safe choices for their journeys home.”

Safety tips
Use only licensed minicabs or taxis
Plan your journey home at the start of the evening
Only black cabs can be hailed in the street. Minicabs must be booked through a licensed minicab operator
When booking a minicab, ask for the name of the driver who is picking you up and the make and colour of his vehicle
Always tell someone you are leaving the party to go home
When the driver arrives ask him to confirm your name and destination. Make sure it is the taxi or minicab you ordered
Try to share with a friend. Sit in the back with your mobile phone switched on and don’t do anything you don’t want to do
Never let friends get into an illegal cab, as the driver could be a sexual attacker. A legitimate minicab has a yellow licence disc on front and rear windscreens
If you feel threatened by the driver, tell them to stop. If the driver refuses, use your mobile to alert the police

Fight world famine, eat out by Julia Buckley. Tuesday, 16 October 2007 If you ever needed an excuse to eat out in London, you might just find one this month.

Today is World Food Day – and to mark it, 171 London restaurants are taking part in a month-long initiative where you can donate to the cause as part of a meal. It certainly beats feeling guilty about marking the day by spending oodles on an expensive meal out.

The initiative is part of Fight Hunger, Eat Out month. It lasts throughout October and has been organised by Restaurants Against Hunger (RAH) – the largest campaign across the UK food and drinks industry, established in 1998.

The money made by RAH is fed into the international umbrella charity, Action Against Hunger, which fights hunger and malnutrition affecting 850 million people worldwide. The restaurants taking part in the initiative include top notch eateries such as St John, Locanda Locatelli and Caldesi, as well as the likes of Yo! Sushi and Carluccio's.

"Hunger is the most punishing of all deprivations," says Antonio Carluccio, who is donating 50p from every penne giardiniera (the most popular dish) sold at his chain of restaurants. "As a company that is passionate about food, it's important for us to give something back to those without access to such a basic necessity."

All the restaurants involved are finding different ways to contribute. Locanda Locatelli is adding a discretionary £1 to every bill while Sloane haven Boisdale is throwing a canape and champagne tasting event on 30 October, hosted by Ready Steady Cook chef Ross Burden, at its Bishopsgate branch. Entry is free, but they reckon donations, a raffle and an auction on the night will raise about £20,000.

All the money raised will go direct to Action Against Hunger. The charity hopes to raise some £250,000 in total. will be raised for the cause.

Your comments

Guest_Leigh says: Restaurants adding adding a discretionary ÃÂ£1 to every bill??? thats not restaurants taking part but customers being made to contribute. Restaurants should donate 25% of the bill towards the cause not make customers pay extra. Tuesday 04 December 2007 11:51 Mark as offensive

It’s a fruity time of year by Jessica Fellowes. Friday, 05 October 2007 Within the M25, I doubt you’ll find many people who can champion the countryside quite as enthusiastically as me.

Last weekend on a casual stroll through Suffolk, I came across what seemed to be a motorbike racing driver resting on the side of the road.

Further along was Farmer John, astride a child’s tractor. Just around the corner was Doctor Who and his Dalek, propped up against the village signpost. All of them had straw poking out of every crevice. Yes, this little village was celebrating harvest time with a scarecrow festival.

At this time of the year you can really enjoy the fruit of the countryside and go a’gathering.

The countryside looks beautiful. The leaves are beginning to turn yellow already, there are pocketfuls of conkers to collect, and there is an abundance of food.

Apples are the easiest to find. In fact, there are so many of them, that I got a few for a stew from a basket outside a Bramley cottage. Apples get the yokels excited. There’s a whole day devoted to the 3,000 British varieties on 21 October.

If you want to make a sweet cider with your apples, this is the best time to pick them, too. If you’re content just to look at them, and then buy them picked, go to the very pretty Brogdale orchards in Kent, where they do guided tours through their vast fruit-growing collections.

If you’d rather grow than pluck, then there is a national initiative this weekend to get everyone gathering seeds. You can even get free seed hunting bags from organisers, The Tree Council. That way, you can have your own harvest next year.

Get Picking

October fruit and veg includes: Jerusalem artichokes, celery, damsons and apples

Find a pick-your-own farm: visit www.pick-your-own.org.uk

21 October is Apple Day: see www.commonground.org.uk for details of national events
Free seed-hunting bags and advice on collection: from www.treecouncil.org.uk

Home brewing tips: www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk

Brogdale Horticultural Trust: www.brogdale.org

Jessica Fellowes is deputy editor of Country Life
jessica@thelondonpaper.com

Cheese festival by Jessica Fellowes. Friday, 28 September 2007 Did you know cheddar sales this year will reach £1 billion for the first time?

Or that British cheese sales rose by 16 per cent between 2004 and 2006, while French pongers fell by 7 per cent. My friends in the country have been getting very excited about this. For the first time, we've got a food that is knocking the stuffing out of our European counterparts.

After years of being teased about mad cow disease, we're getting the fromage out and taunting them right back. In fact, almost anyone with a spare room and a nearby supply of milk seems to have been getting in on the act – even former Blur bass player Alex James, whose cheese-making fame looks set to match his musical status.

There are more varieties of British cheese – 750 in fact – than French. Stacey Hedges, who with Julie Cheyney produces the award-winning Tunworth Cheese in Hampshire, says British cheese-makers are easy to recognise.

"They're naturalistic, in the nicest possible way," she says, "They're usually farmers, passionate about food and the countryside – it's not something the urbanites do."

The specialist cheese-makers of Britain gather once a year to spend the weekend talking about nothing but the yellow stuff. If you want to see them and stock up your own cheese plate, go to the British Cheese Festival this weekend. They're calling it the Glastonbury of Cheese, with 460 types of goat, buffalo and, of course, cow cheese on offer.

Country cheddar-munchers will flock to it because there's nothing like a party in the countryside and it's a chance for them to show off about something they do better than anyone.

If you want to sound like a connoisseur, borrow phrases from a wine taster: mushroomy, cabbagey, flinty and chalky are all popular. You should chew the same small piece of cheese for ages, but swallow, don't spit.

Jessica Fellowes is deputy editor of Country Life
Jessica@thelondonpaper.com

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival by Ray Mgadzah. Thursday, 27 September 2007 A Chinese takeaway is a guilty pleasure for us all. But you won't feel a hint of regret about sampling what London's Chinatown has to offer at the Mid-Autumn Moon festival – especially since entry is free.

Gerrard Street, in the heart of the West End, will be lit up with Chinese lanterns this Sunday between noon and 5pm. More than 10,000 people are expected to welcome in the mid-autumn harvest moon that marks the end of the summer harvest.

While we in Britain would rather stay in and forget the awful summer we had, the end of the season in China is enough excuse to come out and party.

The festival is an explosion of dragon and lion dances, cultural workshops, and tasty dishes, where delicacies on offer include pomelo and the traditional "moon cake".

Regarded as the main dish, the moon cake is a baked pastry with a sweet, heavy filling. This is often one or more salted egg yolks as they symbolise the full moon. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's worth a try for the occasion.

The spectacle is being organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA) and the London Chinese Community Centre (LCCC), both based in Soho.

Leslie Ng, the LCCA's vice-president, says there will be an impressive array of entertainment, especially for those who wish to get more hands-on.

Ng reveals: "We will have a stage, Chinese martial arts and ten stalls promoting Chinese arts and crafts. There will also be people singing and performing live with traditional Chinese instruments."

Christine Yau, chair of the LCCC, adds that the Chinese community will put on a real show: "Chinese people will use any excuse to have a celebration. Eating the moon cake is the highlight of the festival."

Another key event of the fete will be the traditional dances, which are performed to scare away bad luck for the coming year. Dancers dressed in colourful dragon and lion costumes will get together to put on the lavish display.

There is a unique story behind the celebrations. Yau explains that the significance of the moon is steeped in ancient Chinese culture. The moon, according to her, once had an important meaning for the country's single women.

"In Chinese tradition, people believe that a beautiful fairy goddess called Chang'e, a rabbit, and a tree made of jade all occupy the moon. When I was a child in China, I remember that unmarried women used to worship the goddess to help them find their ideal partner.

"However, the Americans went to the moon and spoiled that belief for some of us!" Yau jokes.

Amid the celebrations, there is also a serious message. The festival will raise money for good causes.

What to see
The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is being held in Gerrard Street, W1 – in London's Chinatown – from noon to 5pm on Sunday. Performances will be repeated throughout the day, so if you missed them once, you will be able to catch them the next time round

Highlights will include
• Lion dancing
• Martial art demonstrations
• Chinese music
• Acrobatic performances
• Face painting
• Paper lantern workshops
• Paper cutting workshops
• Moon cake tasting
• Authentic Chinese food tasting

A stag party to remember by Jessica Fellowes. Friday, 21 September 2007 Valentine’s Day is the townie’s cue to spray on the perfume, flourish the roses and fend off rival suitors. But in the countryside, they’re at it all the time. Not the farmers, but the animals.

The latter half of September is the turn of the deer to mate. And if you go for a walk in the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise. Not teddy bear picnics, but plenty of horny behaviour – and I don’t just mean antlers.

The aptly-named rutting season for our native red deer runs from now until early November. The rut is a period when the most impressive stag rounds up a group of hinds (female deer) for a spot of mating.

The difficulty is that there is generally a limited number of hinds to go around. To stay in control, the stag has to constantly drive away all his male rivals.

The way a stag does this is to constantly roar. David Tomlinson, Country Life’s wildlife correspondent, says: “Roaring stags sound like bellowing bulls – a primeval sound that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.” To up the ante, the stags will rush about, roaring warnings to rivals and thrashing at the grass with his antlers.

Primeval it may be, but deer are not self-conscious animals. You can hear and see this mating ritual in as many places as there are nightclubs with VIP rooms. If you take a walk, preferably late in the evening or early in the morning, the sounds of the rut coming out of mist will be exactly the same as if you had been there in King Henry VIII’s time.

Our other native deer, the fallow – or common park deer – grunt rather than roar, but you can still enjoy their antics. Even second division footballers can provide a little amusement, after all.

Tomlinson adds: “Rutting stags also like to wallow in mud. This makes them look even more fearsome, though possibly mud is the equivalent of aftershave as this excites the hinds.”

The stags do this for as long as they can keep it up and, when exhausted, will be challenged by another stag. This is when they “lock horns” and fight it out for the pleasure of, well, being pleased by their chosen hinds later on.

Red deer are magnificent animals, weighing up to 190kg. For that reason, the rut is best viewed through binoculars at a safe distance. To observe, wear dark coloured clothing. I would peep from behind a bush or tree, but just make sure the stag doesn’t think you’re trying to get between him and his hind! Don’t worry too much, though. Deer rely more on smell and sound than sight, so just stand still if you think you’ve been spotted. Some suggest camouflaging up. I think this is OK in Exmoor, but rather ridiculous in Richmond Park.

Deer deer
Male red deer are stags, females are hinds
Male fallow deer are bucks, females are does

Where to see them
Richmond Park has 300 red deer and 350 fallow deer, so you’re in with a good chance of seeing action. The woods above Pen Ponds are best. Visit www.royalparks.org

The New Forest in Hampshire has a good population of red deer. Visit www.forestry.gov.uk for details

National Trust parks, including Attingham, near Shrewsbury and Charlecote near Warwick. Visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Rejoice on Rosh Hashanah by Sarah Nir. Tuesday, 11 September 2007 Happy new year to all readers of thelondonpaper!

Before you write a scathing email about how 1 January is months away, remember this: For Jewish Londoners, new year is tomorrow night and the party lasts for two days.

At sundown, Rosh Hashanah – “rosh” means “head” and “hashanah” means “of the year” – kicks off and Jews will be attending synagogues and having the whole family over for the start of the year 5768.

The Jewish calendar starts at Creation, which is tabulated as being 5,768 years ago.

Census data puts London’s Jewish community at 270,000, with communities centred on northwest London and Essex.

However, there are hundreds of synagogues – also called “shuls” – of varying levels of orthodoxy throughout the capital

Jewish communities once thrived in the East End, but the only outposts left are a few shop fronts, two “beigel” shops on Brick Lane and a Jewish bakery called Rinkoffs on Vallance Road

Keep them in mind this time of year, as a Jewish holiday is nothing without some nosh.

Symbolic food is paramount for this occasion.

To herald a sweet new year, every dish at the traditional post-synagogue lunches gets a saccharine kick

Meat dishes are dotted with sultanas and accompanied by stewed fruit compotes, while cooked carrots are glazed in honey.

Honey is also served, with apples and “challah” (braided) bread for dunking.

Instead of the traditional challah, round loaves are used to symbolise the cyclical nature of the year.

Pomegranates also feature, with their many seeds symbolising fertility and good harvest

Should you be inclined to join in the festivities, or you are perhaps a Jew far from home in the big city, there are plenty of synagogues open for the holiday, awaiting your call.

Tickets for these services can run up to £100 in certain locations.

But if that is too steep, take heart. Many temples ensure nobody will be turned away for financial reasons.

If you’re short on shekels, The Movement for Reform Judaism operates a scheme that will get your ticket and meal sorted if you between the ages of 18 and 35, completely gratis.

Each of its many member synagogues have set aside spaces for the younger set.

Simply ring and tell them what neighbourhood you’re in and it will match you to a shul. It’ll even place you at a kindly congregate’s dinner party afterwards.

Get your fix of apples and honey at the South Hampstead Shul where, following services on both days of the holiday, it is serving a traditional dinner for singles aged 18 to 35.

You’ll find something tasty for £16.

The North London Progressive Community Shul offers a catered Rosh Hashanah lunch for just a fiver. You’re welcome to attend after services.

At the Kol Nefesh Masorti synagogue in Edgware, it’s only a tenner for the lush dinner afterwards, and that’s negotiable if you are strapped for cash.

What’s more is that it doesn’t charge for tickets to services. Just send the shul an email – knm@kolnefeshmasorti.org.uk – to let it know you’re dropping by.

You don’t need a lot of planning or cash to make it to a shul and be a good Jew in the new year. It’s 5768, after all. Maybe time to turn over a new leaf, or try something new.

But if you still can’t be bothered, there’s always the Facebook Shul! Shana tova.

Other useful websites

Visit this website to find a synagogue near you

If you’re between 18-35, this is the place to go to book a place at a synagogue and have a meal afterwards

The Jewish Learning Exchange’s website has a wealth of information for people about Rosh Hashanah

National trust opens its doors for free! Thursday, 06 September 2007 The National Trust has declared Saturday an open day at hundreds of its historic properties across the UK, including several in London.

Besides free entry, there will be a variety of events on the theme of family history research, including workshops, oral history recordings and family history “taster” sessions.

Some Trust properties, in conjunction with the Society of Genealogists, will show how to create a family tree.

Visitors will be given the chance to record memories and hear the reminiscences of people connected to the properties they are seeing – not just the owners, but former cooks, maids and footmen, as well as wartime evacuees and military personnel.

The Trust is also launching an online resource providing advice on researching family histories, including a “surname profiler” to discover the roots of names, a memory map on which to upload and share memories, and handy tips from genealogists.

“Everyone's life has shaped our collective heritage,” says Fiona Reynolds, the Trust's director-general, “and increasing numbers of people want to know more about their past and explore their roots. So, whether you have memories you want to record for posterity, want to hear the memories of others, or are tempted to research your family tree, there are lots of ways to get involved.”

So, which London property to visit? A grand estate with spacious grounds in the outskirts, or maybe a riveting inner-city property?

For the former there's Ham House in Richmond, a Stuart mansion on the banks of the Thames, widely considered to be haunted.

Its lavish 17th-century interiors contain collections of textiles, furniture and paintings. The outside has formal gardens, known as the Cherry Garden, and a “maze-like wilderness”. That should blow away your urban cobwebs.

For the latter, you can choose between the beautiful Queen Anne home of the Scottish essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle, on Cheyne Row in Chelsea, where the great (if ill-tempered) man and his wife Jane entertained the likes of Dickens, Tennyson and Ruskin or the fabulous modernist house in Willow Road, Hampstead, designed in 1939 by famed Hungarian architect, Ernö Goldfinger.

With its geometric lines and picture windows, it is one of the country's finest examples of modernist architecture.

In contrast to both of those is Sutton House in Hackney, a large Tudor dwelling with authentic period furnishings and an original Tudor kitchen where you can even get a whiff of genuine Tudor kitchen aromas. It's the oldest house in the East End and, if it wasn't for the Trust, there might well be a petrol station or a Tesco in its place...

For details on properties taking part and to view the family history resource, go to nationaltrust.org.uk/yourhistorymatters

What to see
London properties with free admission on Saturday 8 September

Carlyle’s House, 24 Cheyne Row, Chelsea, SW3 5HL. 020 7352 7087. The Queen Anne home of man-of-letters Thomas Carlyle was the hub of Victorian literary society

Fenton House, Windmill Hill, Hampstead, NW3 6RT. 020 7435 3471. A 17th-century estate with a walled garden and 300-year-old apple orchard also boasts a collection of early keyboard instruments

2 Willow Road, Hampstead, NW3 1TH. 020 7435 6166. Built by trailblazing architect Ernö Goldfinger in 1939 and a top example of Modern Movement architecture, with original furnishings and a modern art collection.

Sutton House, 2 & 4 Homerton High Street, Hackney, E9 6JQ. 020 8986 2264. This Tudor house is the oldest in east London, displaying five centuries of family history. Authentic Tudor kitchen with objects to touch and smell

Ham House, Ham Street, Ham, Richmond. TW10 7RS. 020 8940 1950. Haunted Stuart mansion on the river, with 17th-century interiors and formal gardens. This property is closely associated with Civil War politics

Rainham Hall, The Broadway, Rainham, Havering. RM13 9YN. 020 7799 4552. Early Georgian Dutch-style house with elaborate wrought-iron gates, carved porch and interior panelling.

Scottish Culture Gathering Tuesday, 04 September 2007 Coming over all tartan this weekend as the Inner Temple Gardens host the first ever London Gathering, a celebration of Scottish culture.

Inspired by visits to national celebrations for other countries, Dundee-born entrepreneur Scot Gardiner began organising the event a year ago.

And with the first ever Gathering just a few days away, he has high hopes for the future: “We've set out to make this an annual event. and for it to become a part of the social calendar.

“We wanted to create something that was stylish and fun, with something for everyone to enjoy. It’s almost going to be like a mini Edinburgh Festival.”

Although Gardiner now considers London his home, he is still passionately proud to be a Scot, and says the country is undergoing something of a renaissance: “Every time I go home to visit my parents, there’s a new boutique hotel or a nice restaurant, and you couldn't have said that ten years ago.”

Of course, the event will appeal to many of the capital’s Scottish residents, but Gardiner wants the event to attract everyone, regardless of nationality.

On the main music stage, comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli and 80's pop star Clare Grogan will be playing host to a line-up that includes Sandi Thom and Eddi Reader.

In the Culinary Marquee, TV chef Nick Nairn and Michael Smith, head chef of famous Skye restaurant The Three Chimneys, will be serving delicacies and talking about Scottish cuisine.

And in the Ceilidh Tent, guests will be able to learn some traditional Scottish dancing, with a masterclass taking place every hour.

A silent auction will also be running throughout the weekend, with items such as William Wallace’s sword from the film Braveheart and props from The Lord of the Rings on offer.

Some of the highlights of the festival are likely to be found in the The Balvenie Whisky & Literary Theatre. Throughout the weekend, Scottish authors such as Alan Bissett and crime writer Christopher Brookmyre will be hosting half-hour Q&A sessions.

While soaking up some culture, visitors will also enjoy the world premiere of a brand new whisky from Balvenie – the limited edition 17-year-old Balvenie Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Hourly tasting sessions will run all weekend with whisky expert Charles MacLean. There will also be a whisky cocktail on sale, specially created for the event and served from a flaming cauldron.

Your comments

Guest_iain1314 says: the Gathering was excellent!! good venue, good performers, Clan Wallace were outstanding!! First year of event, like a good whisky will get better with age Tuesday 11 September 2007 22:47 Mark as offensive

Hut is where the heart is by Jessica Fellowes. Friday, 31 August 2007 Ah, August is coming to an end. It’s traditionally a time to frolic in the surf, burn your nose in the sun and eat sand sandwiches. If you haven’t packed your beach ball and kiss-me-quick hat yet, you’re probably planning something indoors that won’t get called off at the last minute by the fickle British summer weather.

But you shouldn’t be so easily defeated. You need to make like the country folk. Their working lives are dictated by the weather, not their holiday time. If they want to go to the beach, they go. If it rains, they take shelter in their beach huts. Here’s what you can do to get one.

First off, don’t believe everything you read in the papers (except me, obviously). It’s true that Tracey Emin sold her beach hut to Charles Saatchi, and Keith Richards, against rock star fashion, splashed £60,000 on a modest hut on the genteel beach of West Wittering in Sussex. In Mudeford, Dorset, you could buy a wooden contraption of a few square feet for £130,000 – the price of a two-bedroom terraced house in Yorkshire.

But most beach huts are mere shacks and modestly priced. Until a few years ago, you could snap one up for just a grand or two. At least, the country people could before townies like Tracey and Keith got in on the action.

Rural families would often have a hut on the nearest beach and spend every weekend in the summer down there. Some have been in families for decades and are much treasured. If you want one, it can be a case of “dead man’s shoes”.

Still, there are ways. To find a hut for sale, you need to go local. Check out the local papers, some websites (see box) and even walk up and down the beach (this is how they advertise in the Isle of Wight). Ask at local councils for information. If you find out who owns a hut, you might be able to rent one for a summer or two.

Once you’ve got your plot, you don’t even have to use the same hut. Some beaches have strict guidelines, but you could let your imagination run riot. For inspiration, go to Sleaford, on the Lincolnshire coast, this weekend for the Bathing Beauties exhibition where artists will showcase 100 wacky scaled-down designs of beach huts from honeycombs to a giant gin and tonic and a multicoloured “Jabba”. If you go to a bespoke hut maker, such as James Ward in Norfolk, you can have one made to your own wild specifications.

But if all you want is a modest place to store your bucket and spade, a traditional beach hut is just the job. Remember that there is no electricity or running water – you need battery-operated gadgets and stereos.

On almost all beaches, it is illegal to sleep overnight in your hut. Make it cosy but don’t reckon on being able to party all night. Be friendly to your beach hut neighbours – lend them a sand-free towel or a squirt of sun lotion.

Jessica Fellowes is deputy editor of Country Life jessica@thelondonpaper.com

The hutlist

The following websites advertise a range of huts for you to buy: www.beach-huts.com www.beachhuts.org.uk www.beachhutworld.com

Don’t want to buy? You don’t have to buy a hut. Try staying in a converted fisherman’s hut in Whitstable in Kent from £130 per night. For more, visit www.hotelcontinental.co.uk

Hut exhibitions: The Bathing Beauties showcase runs until this Sunday and the festival follows on 22-23 Sep, when the winning designs are opened to the public. Visit www.bathingbeauties.org.uk

Tailor-made huts: Get your own one built from £5,000 by James Ward, 01328 853 148, www.uk-beachhuts.co.uk

For more info, see www.countrylife.co.uk

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