Sarah Sturt's Blog

Boiling mad

I am quite literally boiling mad - it's a beautiful summer evening and, by rights, I should be doing yoga on the roof of my local sports centre. Admittedly, it sounds a little odd, but it's a flat roof, perfectly safe and, as a close-knit group, we've seized gorgeous summer nights and taken our mats outside for years. It's the most relaxing, perfect way to unwind after a stressful day at work, under a clear blue sky, soft breeze playing. But not tonight.

Apparently it's too dangerous - there's glass out there. Why can't you sweep it up, self-apponted spokesperson and all-round motormouth asks. There's too much of it. How come? Well, there was this party, you see, and a lot of glass got broken.... What - last night, on a Tuesday? Er no, it was at the weekend. After doing the maths for them, ie that's quite a lot of man hours ago, offering to go out with a broom and finally pointing out that we dodged glass every single time we used the roof, I gave up. The poor recreation staff  type person was backed into a cormer - but honestly, how pathetic! So I shall laboriously fill in a customer complaint card, get no response whatsoever and probably have succeeded in getting the 'favour' of 'allowing' us on the roof removed for good. Sometimes you just can't win.

Right, steam duly left off, time for a chilled glass of white and a commune with my goldfish down by the pond to catch the last rays and maybe even do a few yoga moves, as long as I don't frighten the fishes...

Tomorrow, sunny Worthing!

Sarah

Crossing the border

What a fantastic weekend for weather! I'm sure everyone made the most of it, and it does make you realise what a great part of the world we live in. Having been in West Sussex all day Friday for various meetings, including our August review, with the Worthing team, I dipped into East Sussex on Saturday with a morning at Camber Sands. Haven't been down there for ages and it reinforced my memory of how lovely it is - though the number of kite boarders risk turning the beach into something of a motorway: they look great from a distance, but woe betide if you get in their way!

Then it was off up the road to Bodiam Castle, regretting all over again that it isn't in Kent, it's such a perfect example of how a 'proper' castle should look. Thought the National Trust video on its history was extremely well done and families were queuing up to watch it, which is a great sign. Finally, working my way back up through the picturesque Weald, I ended up in Sissinghurst (now how did that happen, I wonder?), where I swear I was the only native - lots of Americans and Germans there Saturday afternoon, exclaiming at the beauty of the gardens. I know a lot would have been NT members, like myself, but it is interesting to see how many visitors our stately homes and gardens are still getting - car parks packed, cafes full, shop tills ringing - in a time of recession and general belt tightening.

As always after a visit to Sissinghurst, I come back with radical plans for my own garden, so the rest of the weekend saw me shovelling home-grown compost onto beds, and generally hacking down shrubs to a more elegant stature, then spending far too much money in the local garden centre to 'plug the gaps' in my rather sad-looking borders. Exhausting but highly rewarding stuff.

Daughter is back from yet another sailing trip, in a Very Bad Mood when I spoke to her on the ferry from France to Portsmouth, but calming down a bit by the time she was finally on a train bound for Plymouth. She has been offered - and has now accepted - a place at Goldsmith's College in London to do her Masters in Occupational Psychology, which is wonderful, but she now has just a few weeks to repaint the flat she and her boyfriend are currently living in, ready for new occupants in September - then working out where they will live next, when John still hasn't found a permanent job since their return from South America. So if anyone needs a damm fine youth worker, just let me know and I'll pass it on!

Sarah

Conkers and Admirals

Had the most bizarre dream last night - and boy, can I do weird dreams - which involved our leader, Suzanne, finding out that I had a horse chestnut tree at the end of my garden and getting terribly excited about the possibilities this opened up for inter-magazine conker fights. I'm sure my psychology graduate daughter would have a great deal to say about what on earth that means about my mental state, but all I can say is chaps, better get practising - never mind sales figures, come autumn, you will be judged on just how good you are in a conker fight!

Talking of sales figures, team Kent is terribly excited about the latest sales figures for our June edition, an all-time best-seller for us and, more importantly, up a massive 28% on last year's figure. Not bad in a climate of doom and gloom when so many magazines are facing falling sales. Well done to all involved and fingers crossed for our July and August results: we've just got our August editions on sale today and we've all been praying for good weather, as we've got a really lovely, pure summer cover showing a mouthwateringly lovely beach scene - and it really wouldn't have done for it to be pouring with rain (pyschology again, and all that). So, thak you, weather gods!

As for the 'Admirals' bit of my blog heading - I spent a wonderful morning on Monday at Chatham Historic Dockyard with Admiral Sir Ian Garnett and his team having a tour (in brilliant sunshine) of the dockyard and learning all about the work that has been done in revitalising this area and turning it into a terrific tourist attraction for hundreds of visitors, which in turn has brought in new business and residents to previously neglected, redundant buildings. It's a wonderful story of regeneration and I look forward  to developing our relationship as the voice of the county with Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust.

Have a great day,

Sarah

It's all a Dream

It's been a bit of a whirlwind week since going to press last Tuesday, which already seems ages ago, especially as we're hurtling through our September edition already. Well, that's my excuse for tardiness on the blogging front, anyway. Monkey and I did also return to Worthing last Thursday, making two trips (and two dawn risings) in a week, which can throw a girl at the best of times.

The second visit was to meet up with a new marketing wizard who has great plans for getting us editors out of our offices and onto the airwavest to shout about our gorgeous magazines. It was also a good chance to catch up with editors from other mags - can't believe I haven't seen Surrey's Caroline since the editors' conference, and that was in February! 2008 sure is hurtling by in a bit of a blur.

Had to race back home, grab a bite to eat and then get picked up my my mate and one of her daughters, before heading off to Boughton Monchelsea for an open-air performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Naturally, it poured with rain as soon as we set off, this being England and high summer. But by a miracle, that was that for the wet stuff for the rest of the evening, though the entire audience was clad in winter clothing, complete with rugs, umbrellas, flasks and picnics, and despite all our many layers, it got extremely nippy by 10.30pm. Not as chilly as it must have been for poor Puck, however, who wore just a pair of skimpy trousers made out of recycled materials, and not a lot else.

Directed by Rob Forknall, who also played Oberon, this was a great production by The Changeling and Hazlitt Arts Centre and the young and highly energetic cast should be congratulated. They also managed to convince a very sassy young 12-year-old-going-on-25 that Shakespeare needn't be boring and can actually make you laugh out loud - and I've even been asked if I would take her to another play, as this one was 'cool.' Result!

Tomorrow I am off to Chatham Historic Dockyard for a very exciting day that includes meeting up with Admiral Sir Ian Garnett, whom I sat with at the Penshurst TA 100 dinner a few weeks ago, and chief executive Bill Ferris. I've never been to the Dockyard, so I am really excited to be given the tour in such illustrious company - fingers crossed it doesn't rain!

Right, I'm off to brush up on my naval etiquette - will tell you all about it tomorrow...

Sarah

What's bright red, loud and topless?

This is a sad, sad day in the Kent Life office - Monkey has Come To A Decision, and it's not been an easy one. The following announcement is in his own words, for I simply cannot do justice to the pain he is experiencing. Here it is then, in full and unexpurgated form.

"Unfortunately the time has come for me to part with the love of my life, a 1976 Triumph Spitfire 1500. Desperate for it to go to a home where it’ll be looked after, i've has so far resisted selling it but sadly – for now - my run of owning silly cars has to come to an end.

The last three years has seen me up to my elbows in boot carpet, working on the engine (occasionally with a pizza balanced on the rocker cover), taking the electrics apart to fit interior lighting, re-hanging the twin stainless exhausts, sorting a stereo you can actually hear over said exhausts, fitting a gearbox with overdrive for motorway running, and doing the million and one other little things that classic cars demand. My dad's been fairly involved too and although he'll pretend otherwise, he'll be sad to see it go as well.

It’s not refined, or economical or easy to look after but it is bright red, loud and convertible, and on a summer’s evening in Kent there’s nothing better to be driving."

If you’re interested in owning a bit of British motoring history, and you think you can convince him he’s selling it to someone who’ll look after it like he does, contact Michael on michael.palmer@kent-life.co.uk. For a picture of it, click here - I’ll warn you now though – there’ll probably be tears and possibly tantrums, and getting the keys off him might not be easy.

Told you it was tragic, didn't I? Kind owners only, please.

Sarah (and Monkey) 

Just call me Ma'am

Contrary to all expectations, the sun shone on the opening day of the Kent County Show and the 250-acre site at Detling was bustling even at 8.30am, when Monkey and I rocked up. Economic downturn? Not a great deal of sign of that at arguably the most upbeat Show I've attended in my Kent Life editorship to date. Our first stop was, naturally, the press office where rumours of hot bacon butties for the early birds proved accurate and the colour started to return to a famished Monkey's cheeks - he was soon looking and sounding surprisingly lively after about four minutes sleep the night before, thanks to a Crowded House gig he'd gone to. In Norfolk. As you do. Oh, to be 24 again!

We had a pretty manic morning, trying to take in as many of the stands and sights as we could before the launch at 10.30am of the new joint venture Produced in Kent has entered into with Hadlow College and Kent County Council. It's been an open secret for some time now, but it was great to have final confirmation and to meet the new manager at P in K, Julie Monkman, a refreshingly down-to-earth Yorkshire lass who I suspect is going to be a great asset to the team.

Highlight of our day had to be the President's Luncheon, to which Monkey and I had both been invited. To my utter amazement, I was not only on top table, but placed at the right hand side of the President himself, Lord Astor of Hever, who'd - apparently - expressedly asked to meet me. His lovely wife, Liz, who was my 'Kent Character' back in February, may have had something to do with it, but it was nevertheless a huge, and unexpected honour, as was the Lord Lieutenant introducing me as the editor who had 'metamorphosised' Kent Life. Feeling terribly 'umble, I asked Allan Willett if I could possibly have an honorary title for the day, as I was the only one at table without one, and we decided Viscountess would do nicely. Not sure how long it lasts, but feel free to curtsey.

Well, this Viscountess has come right back down tio earth with a day of washing, ironing, gardening and housework. Where are one's servants when one needs them?

Sarah

Return of the Cap'n

Well, Cap'n Suzanne is definitely back from her travels - two weeks on a cruise ship around Russia and Scandinavia - looking sickeningly well and raring to go. As I can vouch for - my mobile rang at 6.40am today and there she was, bright and breezy, on the road to one of her many meetings and in need of a chat. Muggins was of course up and about, so I tripped around the house pouring cereal and drawing curtains (though I drew the line at drying my wet hair) while jotting down notes about a new raspberry called estrella being cultivated in Kent for Marks & Spencer that our Cap'n had come across while radio 'hopping.' The woman is unstoppable.

Something that does seem to have stopped - and I understand only temporarily - is the rain, which seems to be trying to prove a point at the moment. When I work out what, I'll let you know. I fear its brief withdrawal, however, won't be enough to Dry Out Detling - which is what needs to happen before Kent's County Show opens its doors tomorrow.

Monkey and I have an interesting fashion dilemma - we are arriving at 8.30am, when the doors open, it's going to be wet, let's face it, but we then have a Very Important press call at 10.30am followed by the President's Lunch at 12, which is so posh that 'ladies are requested to wear a hat.' I am going to politely decline the request, as I'm not sure soggy straw is a good look - or, indeed, whether a a rain hat is, had I got one - but what to do about the rest? Wellies and a posh frock (me)? Walking boots and a suit (Monkey)? Or even vice versa? Who knows. We're just going to pack the car with as many variations on posh, warm, waterproof as we can manage and hope for the best.

Any suggestions warmly welcomed - but keep it clean, guys!

Sarah

Rain fails to stop play

Well, in true British spirit, my Mum's 'Big Bash' at the weekend was a triumph of having-fun-whatever- the-weather. Originally planned as a garden party - we even put up a gazebo in a howling gale the day before - by the time high noon on Saturday came round, it was pretty clear this would be an indoor event. And do you know, it didn't even matter?

The best thing about the whole party was having my entire immediate family under one roof, something which hasn't happened since my brother's wedding four (or is it five?) years ago. So my daughter got to meet up with her cousins and found all sorts of things in common now they're all teenagers, Laura's boyfriend got to talk music with my brother-in-law and my sister and I got to have extensive chats over the food and drink serving. And the washing up. I truly never want to see another tea towel and could have kissed my dishwasher when I got home yesterday.

The scary thing was how short I had suddenly become: I'm used to my brother towering over me but, at 5ft 8, I'm not exactly one of the smaller members of the family - until now! My eldest niece is now 6ft, and only 16, her 13-year-old sister is nearly the same height already and 14-year-old Harry is 6ft 2! Even Laura, two inches taller than her mum, actually looked quite  short for a change. Mortifying.

The birthday girl sailed through the whole thing very serenely, only getting a little tetchy towards the end at the number of pictures being taken (why do you need so many, she cried), and seemed delighted with her presents - little sis and I combined to get tickets to take her to see Phantom of the Opera, followed by dinner in the West End, so that was a bit special. And the amount of food, which she fretted wasn't going to be anywhere near enough, was more than ample and absolutely delicious: put together by a catering wizard of a neighbour, the morning saw us all trooping from her house to Mum's with loaded platefuls before the rain set in, which must have looked really comical. 

Back to Kent and reality now, eyes down for press week on our August edition, in weather conditions that are absolutley nothing like the high summer we're trying to write about. But, as my Mum and all her freinds were saying to each other with wise nods on Saturday, it's good for the garden. Mine's now a swamp, but I guess they've got a point.

Until tomorrow - off to sunny Worthing bright and early, and I've got a board report to write .....

Sarah

Just one of those days

Ever had one of those days when you just know it's going to go from bad to worse? Pretty weary this morning after a long but very productive day at Worthing positively hurtling through page design with Kerry, followed by a double class of pilates and yoga, followed by a catch-up with an old friend followed by (finally) something to eat literally at the gallop followed by a long phone call with daughter .... you know the sort of thing, suddenly it's incredibly late and you really need to get some sleep after being up since 5.30am.

Then the neighbouring cats decide tonight is the night to meet up and practice group singing and fighting, and when you do eventually drop off, it's to the weirdest dreams, you sleep through the alarm, rush off to work all of a lather, one of the main reasons being to collect a cd of precious images left on my desk by our chief snapper. Well, the box is here, the printout of lovely images is here - but no cd in box! Which means I can't progress any of the design work started with Kes yesterday.

On top of that, I am driving down to Somerset after work tonight for my Mum's Significant Birthday Party on Saturday, largely so I can be 'available' from the crack of dawn Friday to be her slave for the day (in the nicest possible sense, I hasten to add) - and the forecast for the West Country this weekend is lashing rain. And it's a Garden Party.

And I've just discovered the milk in the work fridge is well and truly past its sell by.... I'm going back to bed.

Sarah