Rupert Toovey’s Articles – Page 14

Bringing the Outside In at Parham

Designer Elin Steele with theatrical artists Aleks Carlyon and Lizzie Calvert

It is always a joy to return to Parham with its beautiful house and gardens.

When I was last here there was great excitement about a series of murals being painted in what was called the “old cow byre” in old Parham plans. This is now a lovely space for visitors to sit in and enjoy tea and cake. The design of these new murals draws inspiration from the famous theatrical set and costume designer Oliver Messel’s ceiling in the Long Gallery, commissioned by the Pearsons in the 1960s. The pre- and post-war years witnessed a renaissance in mural and wall painting, and the Long Gallery ceiling is an eloquent example of the genre.

The joyous new murals at Parham have been designed by the young set and costume designer, Elin Steele. James Barnard, who together with his family calls Parham home, was introduced to Elin through his work as a trustee of the Linbury Trust, the grant-making foundation started by Lord and Lady (John and Anya) Sainsbury. In 2019 Elin won the prestigious Linbury Prize, the only nationwide prize for stage design in the UK, created by Lady Sainsbury (herself a former ballerina) in 1987. Sir Nicholas Hytner (former Director of the National Theatre) said that the prize “has become indispensable to the British theatre and is invariably a source of undiluted optimism about the future of stage design”.

Elin works predominately in theatre and ballet, producing the designs and then collaborating with a team in the theatre to deliver them.

At Parham, Elin worked closely over many weeks with her friends, scenic artists Aleks Carlyon and Lizzie Calvert. The design was arrived at after much consultation on themes and details with the Barnards, then marked up and painstakingly painted freehand by Aleks and Lizzie, employing a mixed-method including watercolour overlaid with pencil and gouache.

The design in the room gives you the impression that you are sitting an orangery, as though the outside has been brought in. It’s engaging and fun, drawing inspiration from the Garden and the colours of Parham’s remarkable collection of textiles and needlework.

Outside in the Walled Garden, I visit the newly re-planted Blue Border with its Salvias, Nicotiana, Eryngium, Nepeta and Selinum playing in the breeze, their palette echoed in the summer sky with its flashes of blue and scudding clouds.

Whether you are visiting for the first time or returning, Parham never fails to captivate and delight anew. For more information go to www.parhaminsussex.co.uk.

Finest Roman Mosaics at Bignor

The Bignor Roman Villa is, for me, one of the most special places in all of England. The remains of this important Villa nestle in the beautiful Bignor valley in view of the Sussex Downs. Bignor Villa would have been a short distance from the important Stane Street which linked London with Chichester in the first century AD.

The remarkable Roman mosaic floors can still be seen and are open to the public. They are amongst the finest in the country.

The Villa was discovered on the morning of Thursday 18th July 1811 when George Tupper hit what appeared to be a large stone whilst ploughing in Bury Field near the village of Bignor at the foot of the Sussex Downs. He cleared a small area and found the tessellated face of a young man. Further excavation revealed a scene depicting Jupiter (Zeus in the Greek) in the guise of an eagle abducting the shepherd boy, Ganymede.

The excavations were supervised and recorded by the antiquarian Samuel Lysons.

This remarkable find was reburied until the June of 1812 and guarded by one of Tupper’s sons. The thatched cover buildings were designed to protect the mosaics and are a distinctive feature at Bignor. Built in 1812 they are amongst the earliest examples of their type in the British Isles. Arguably the most important discovery of 1812 was the Venus mask. This beautifully conceived female head is surrounded by a nimbus in a circle flanked by what are thought to be peacocks, or long-tailed pheasants and leaf sprays.

Venus is popularly known as the Roman goddess of love. However, she is also associated with spring, gardens and fertility. These qualities made her popular with farmers, horticulturalists and landowners throughout the Roman Empire. It seems appropriate that Venus should feature so prominently at Bignor in this timeless rural setting.

The extensive hypocaust underfloor heating system in the Venus Room is partly visible today and illustrates how this room would have been warm and comfortable in the winter months.

Away from the main complex the depiction of Medusa in the Bath House delights too.

When you arrive you cannot fail to be captured by the picturesque setting and share in the sense of excitement which George Tupper must have felt on the day he discovered the Villa’s remarkable mosaic floors for the first time.

Bignor Roman Villa is open every day throughout August. There is lots for families to do including the Bignor Sunflower Maze! To find out more and plan your visit go to www.bignorromanvilla.co.uk.

Beauty and Innovation at the Sussex Prairie Garden

Along the path that leads you into the Sussex Prairie Garden you pass some happy pigs under the canopy of oaks and as you break into bright daylight your senses are immediately captured by the scale, colour, light, texture and movement expressed in the planting and design. It is really beautiful!

In the first border I come to swathes of raspberry pink and white Echinacea play against the Helenium’s flash of orange and red. Beyond, the Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ grasses, with their gossamer like flower plumes, have matured into a warm golden colour which contrasts with the strong vertical of the white Sanguisorba canadensis.

I catch up with the garden’s owners and creators, Pauline and Paul McBride, on the farm terrace amongst the nursery plants for sale outside their splendid tearooms. The terrace overlooks the gardens.

I explain that their garden feeds my heart. Pauline is delighted and says “It is a beautiful thing – people are moved by it.”

I am always fascinated by the way that the garden invites you into itself and the synergy of the planting. Wherever you are your eye is met by stunningly conceived views with layered perspective. Pauline recalls “It’s to do with the big spiral design. We drew up huge plans for the garden – each designed in minute detail – we had to think how it would work together, the structure, plants and use of grasses. The garden enfolds you, allows you to be close to the bees and insects, brush against the plants, engage with them, touch them and experience the fragrance and a freedom as the garden takes on a life of its own and becomes something extraordinary.”

Preparations are underway for the annual Indian Summer Bazaar. Marquees are being filled abundantly with exotic clothes in cottons and vintage sari silk, semi-precious designer jewellery, scarves, home furnishings and gifts – all ethically traded from India and for sale. This bazaar is at the heart of a month long festival supported by food and talks. It runs from Friday 4^th August until Saturday 2nd September.

It is the vision and gentle patronage of Pauline and Paul McBride, as well as their desire to share their garden which has seeded such beauty in in this place.

Gardens are places of blessing, invitation, hospitality and encounter, and none more so than the Sussex Prairie Gardens, Morlands Farm, Wheatsheaf Road, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9AT. To find out more, check opening times and to plan your visit go to sussexprairies.co.uk.

Rolex and the Art of Time

A 2001 Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 18ct gold cased gentleman’s bracelet wristwatch

There is much talk about the potential effects of AI on our jobs and society. I would observe, however, that across the centuries people have always valued the handmade and have been prepared to pay huge premiums for objects that have a direct connection with the craftsperson’s hand. This truth continues to this day and is very hopeful.

Handmade watches fall into this category.

Rolex is one of the world’s strongest brands representing more than a century of precision watch making, creativity and aspiration. Many may be surprised to learn that the company we know today as Rolex was founded in London by Alfred Davis and his brother in law Hans Wilsdorf in 1905. It traded as Wilsdorf and Davis. Hans Wilsdorf wanted his watches to bear a name that was memorable, short and easy to say in any language. In 1908 he registered the trademark ‘Rolex’. In the same year he opened an office in Switzerland.

In 1914 the Kew Observatory awarded a Rolex watch a Class A precision certificate for accuracy, a distinction usually reserved for marine chronometers and a reflection of their mastery of the art of time.

Heavy tax duties in the UK after the Great War on luxury imports and exported precious metals used in watch cases caused Wilsdorf to move the company to Geneva, Switzerland.

In 1927 Rolex developed the first waterproof and dust-proof watch named the ‘Oyster’. In 1931 this was complimented by Rolex inventing the world’s first self-winding mechanism.

Rolex diving watches have been design icons since their introduction in 1953. They were the first diving watches to be waterproof to 330 feet. Introduced in 1955 the mechanism was able to simultaneously show the time in two zones allowing it to be used for navigation by those crossing the globe. The movement was improved in 1982 making it easier to use.

A 1984 Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master stainless steel cased gentleman’s bracelet wristwatch

The 1984 Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master stainless steel cased gentleman’s bracelet wristwatch with its iconic red and blue bezel is part of this tradition.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 18ct gold cased gentleman’s bracelet wristwatch offered a restrained elegance. Both of these fine watches were sold in Toovey’s specialist watch sales for £9000 and £10,000 respectively.

New or old a Rolex combines the status of a handmade design icon with superlative time-keeping. This combination delights connoisseurs and collectors.

Perhaps it’s time to change your wristwatch. Toovey’s Director, Tom Rowsell, is always pleased to offer advice whether you are considering acquiring or selling watches in this growing market.

Porsche Celebrated at Goodwood

The 1970s Le Mans winning Porsche 917K at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed

Goodwood, with its Festival of Speed, Revival and annual Members Meeting has become the international venue for historic motor racing and is held here in the heart of Sussex. This year Goodwood celebrates its 75th anniversary since the start of motorsport at this historic venue. It has come along way since the now Duke of Richmond and Gordon was painting the footbridge over the track late into the night the Friday before the first Festival of Speed in 1993.

Another iconic automotive brand in the form of Porsche is also celebrating its 75th anniversary and was central to this year’s Festival of Speed. The Porsche Brand began in 1948, with the Type 356. It built on Professor Ferdinand Porsche’s design work begun in the 1930s.

A Porsche 356 suspended in front of Goodwood House © Holly Winbolt/Splined Hub

The Porsche 356 was the company’s first production car. Its lightweight body, rear-engine and rear wheel drive ensured nimble handling and provided the blueprint for the later 911s and subsequent Porsches. It looked extraordinarily contemporary hanging from the central sculpture outside Goodwood House.

In the Paddock I met up with Oliver Winbolt who has had a remarkable career in automotive design at many of the world’s leading marques including McLaren. Today he and his team bring this rigour to the restoration and re-engineering of E-Type Jaguars for the modern world through his company the Splined Hub.

We watched the 1970 Le Mans 24 hour winning 917K Porsche return from the track. Oliver explained how this car gave Porsche its first overall win at Le Mans. It was entered by Ferdinand Piech’s semi-works Porsche Salzburg team and was driven by Richard (“Dickie”) Attwood and Hans Hermann.

Dickie Attwood subsequently bought the Le Mans winning Porsche and referred to it as his “pension scheme” making numerous appearances with it in subsequent years. In 2000 he cashed up his “pension scheme” selling the car for more than £1 million. Dickie Attwood has remained a strong supporter of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Porsche had a glorious weekend of celebrations. But it was the McLaren Solus GT which won Sunday’s prestigious timed shoot out on the famous Goodwood hill. Driven by Marvin Kirchofer it was a fitting moment for McLaren as they marked their 60th anniversary.

Congratulations go to all of the Goodwood team who, despite wind and rain, pulled off another remarkable celebration of motoring and motor racing.

To learn more about Oliver Winbolt’s extraordinary work with E-Types go to www.thesplinedhub.co.uk or visit their stand at the 2023 Goodwood Revival.