Best of Summer 2024

A few of my favourite things from recent weeks

It seems only yesterday that I was saying goodbye to the other mums at the school gates, and wishing them a happy and restful summer. And yet here are, just days away from September and there are unmistakable signs that autumn is approaching: a definite chill in the air as I walk through the garden in the evenings, and the russet tinges of the leaves on the trees. Soon it will be time to dig out the coats and scarves and embrace the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. But until then I’ll be thinking of all the things that made me happy in recent weeks and the special places we discovered or rediscovered on our travels. I’ve shared the highlights with you below, as well as a recipe for a delicious salad I made while we were on holiday in Cornwall.

A beautiful historic house

Hatfield House 

We chose a perfect English summer’s day to visit this enchanting historic property on the outskirts of London. I knew the famous gardens but had never actually been inside the Jacobean house  built in 1611 and it is truly like stepping back in time. We were able to see a recently restored Rainbow Portrait of Elizabeth I and the guide talked us through the symbolism of the elements of the painting. It was fascinating. Every room and staircase seems to pull you back to another century and the library filled with ancient leather bound volumes was particularly fascinating.

Two wonderful restaurants with views

Argoe in Newlyn, Cornwall was a sensational discovery. Located just behind the fish market and overlooking the picturesque harbour that inspired so many artists, it’s the most idyllic setting for a small but perfectly formed restaurant serving the freshest and most creative fish and seafood dishes. We loved the rich flavoursome fish soup with croutons and chili oil, the spider crab with Monk’s beard and the tremendously tasty monkfish, not to mention the irresistible deep fried new potatoes with Rosemary salt. The puddings were also every bit as sensational as the rest of the meal, and the burnt basque cheesecake was pure magic. I think what made the whole experience all the more enjoyable was the efficient, charming and friendly manner with which the staff looked after us. It was one of those lunches that you remember for a long time afterwards for all the right reasons.

The other restaurant with a view is really a café called A Casarella, high up at the very summit of the village of Pigna in Corsica, and it serves only the best locally sourced organic Corsican tapas. You sit in the dappled shade of olive and fig trees, and order around eight little sharing bowls and these will include beautiful ewe’s milk cheese, punchy marinated anchovies, chunks of sunshiny tomatoes with rich golden olive oil, incredible tapenades and pâtés. While we were there we drank perfectly chilled homemade Clémentine lemonade and savoured the magical views across the valley below towards the mediterranean sea

A lovely exhibition in Penzance 

Quite by chance, we stumbled upon the retrospective of Harold Harvey’s paintings in the Penlee House Museum in Penzance. Harvey grew up in Cornwall and was a member of the Newlyn School artists’ colony while also exhibiting regularly at the Royal Academy. He painted local people, landscapes, seascapes and interiors. I was really taken with his work and loved the details in his domestic scenes - the colourful ceramics and the stripy fabrics.

A legendary Pottery

For years, I’d been wanting to visit the Leach Pottery in St Ives and we spent a magical hour looking at the pieces created by Bernard Leach, the famous Potter and father of Studio Pottery who trained in Japan and moved to Cornwall in 1920. I love the simple forms and earthy colours of the glazed bowls and vessels he created. The business is still going today and they train up young potters. I bought two beautiful pieces crafted by their most recent graduate Ellie Woods. 

A print by Anita Klein

I treated myself to a joyful print by Anita Klein whose work I admire enormously. It was exhibited at the Bircham Gallery in Norfolk in July and this particular picture really caught my eye as it reminds me so much of baking cakes with my daughter.

A Secret Garden

On our last day in Cornwall we visited the secluded Trewidden Garden and wandered through 15 acres of lush groves of ancient trees (many planted in the 19th century) camellias, magnolias, tree ferns, and came across picturesque peaceful ponds half hidden behind a screen of giant gunnera leaves. Owned by the same family for hundreds of years this mysterious garden could easily have been the setting for one of Daphne Du Maurier’s novels. And at the end of the visit we had a delicious lunch in the little garden cafe.

Prawn, Crab and Avocado Salad

I made this a few weeks ago when we were staying in the little village of Newlyn in Cornwall. We wandered down to the excellent fishmonger Stevenson and Sons (which also happens to make the best shrimp sandwiches I have ever eaten) and bought white crab and fantastic prawns. I’d also bought a bag of local organic lettuce leaves and herbs so it made sense to combine these delicious ingredients in this very satisfying salad. 

Ingredients (serves 4)

100g white crab meat (check it carefully for any remaining pieces of shell)

150g King prawns peeled

1 lemon

50ml olive oil

1 bag of lambs lettuce

1 Butterhead or Batavia lettuce washed and trimmed

1 tbs fresh chives finely chopped 

1 tsp finely chopped shallot

2 avocados sliced 

Make the dressing by combining the juice of the lemon and the olive oil and adding a good pinch salt and pepper. Place all the other ingredients in a large salad bowl and then add the lemon dressing and combine carefully.