I wrote this for Grazia magazine online for their feature: ‘What To Do in the UK This Week’ and included The Medicine Garden in my blog post.
All posts by surreyedit
Brockham Bonfire
I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I didn’t mention Surrey’s most famous fireworks display: The Brockham Bonfire extravaganza.
Garsons Farm
Pumpkins have been scattered scatty like confetti at Garsons Farm in Esher, one of my favourite places to visit in Surrey.
Flapjacks Recipe
Flapjacks are the best snack for Autumn. Comforting, chewy, filling and so simple to bake.
‘Lists of Note’ Review
Marilyn Monroe was frequently very late to arrive when filming on set. So it may come as a surprise that she explicitly told herself, in her list of New Year’s Resolutions for the year 1956, that there are ‘No excuses for ever being late’. She was 29 years old at the time and had starred in many successful films (The Seven Year Itch for example) and she had just been accepted as a student at a renowned drama school in New York called the Actors’ Studio. Judging by her other resolutions (‘Work whenever possible’) she was clearly very driven and committed to try and continue her success as an actress.
Shere Hollywood in Surrey
I love living in Surrey. Historic villages interspersed with pockets of verdant countryside. Houses huddled around village greens. Busy cobbled high streets with hills rolling in the background. The best of town and country. Over and over.
One of the brightest jewels in Surrey’s crown is Shere, near Guildford. Every corner is beautiful.
Beauty Pick-Me-Ups
Sometimes it’s the little changes in beauty that can make all the difference. Unimpeachably uplifting time savers and luxury skincare champions, gather around my camera and pose/poise to be snapped.
Dreamy Chocolate Sponge and Sauce
Your new favourite Autumnal dessert is right here.
It’s a delicious double whammy of chocolate: the most perfect chocolate sponge covered in a silky creamy chocolate sauce. You make the sponge like a tray bake and watch it rise (cake rising in the oven is my favourite show) as it becomes a super springy chocolate cake with an air-whipped, spongey centre. So it’s incredibly light, yet naughtily rich. Super simple and divinely decadent.
If you bake this for friends, pour the chocolate sauce into a little jug so everyone can serve their own. A nostalgic nod to childhood days of sponge pudding and custard served at indoor teddy-bear picnics.
Just get ready to divulge the recipe afterwards! (To teddy bears or friends…)
Polesden Lacey
I last visited Polesden Lacey in Surrey a couple of years ago in the middle of Summer, when the gardens were heaving with the smell of pink and white roses and the sky was a potent Azure blue.
Very Special Pasta Bake
MmmmlettheCLATTERINGofplatesprovidethemusic.
This pasta bake needs little introduction. It’s best described as the most delicious and nutritious macaroni cheese you’ll ever eat. A sort of macaroni cheese-verde. I use elicoidali pasta shapes, which are like a giant version of macaroni, making every mouthful extremely satisfying and substantial, covered in a thick homemade cheese sauce with finely chopped bacon, leeks and spinach. It’s very straightforward and wonderfully indulgent, perfect for an Autumn dinner.