Don t miss your free garden magazine worth 3.99 Building a bright future for CHESTER Knutsford A novel town cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk May 2011 YOUR PHOTOS COULD WIN GREAT PRIZES Tilston in watercolours Explore Great Budworth Makingbrie in Tarporley CHE GUEVARA from Stockport to Cuba Meet the next generation of the Cheshire Set 3.45
Super money-saving subscription offer For more information log on to cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk 184 59 232 184 Lovely inside and out Tour the Nether Alderley farmhouse which could be the perfect family home 192 A glass act The self-taught artist from Stockport who put himself in the frame when he lost his job 198 The Big Picture Inspirational ideas for your house from a family home in Altrincham 206 From the salesrooms Our review of antique sales around the county 212 A fruitful garden Helpful advice for budding gardeners who want to get more from their plot Gourmet Life 222 They ve Dun well The latest Cheshire Life lunch was held at the Dun Cow in Ollerton 227 Favourite five A Manchester college principal selects her top five restaurants 228 Party time Cooking is child s play for a Waverton woman 232 Cream of the crop The Tarporley farmers who overcame adversity and now produce brie with milk from their Guernsey cows 236 Under review Our reviewers visit restaurants in Manchester and Macclesfield Shopping & fashion 247 Ship shape Don t be a sight for shore eyes - the nautical look is in this season 252 Retail heaven Some of the stylish treats we ve found in the shops this month 254 Shopping in Tarporley Great shopping doesn t have to mean a trip to a big city 258 Bags of talent The Manchester couple who create beautiful bags in their basement 262 Theatrical fashion Amanda Wakeley was at Manchester s Midland Hotel in support of the Royal Exchange Theatre 266 Say it with flowers Floral prints are on trend this season 272 Get the look The beauty products to give you the edge 274 Fashion addict A personal shopper and stylist shares the secrets of her dressing table Society 17 A pirates and pearls evening for the MS Society 31 East Cheshire Hospice celebrate 47 The Whitworth Gallery s gala evening at Capesthorne Hall 59 A champagne event at the Alderley Edge Hotel 286 An Altrincham school s 75th anniversary ball Readers events and information 36 Join Cheshire Life for tennis at Calderstone Park, Liverpool 202 Win one of two family trips to Madame Tussauds Blackpool, including dinner, bed and breakfast at The Hilton 218 Claim your free copy of the English Garden magazine worth 3.99 226 Join us at The Midland Hotel in Manchester to celebrate the best hospitality in Cheshire 250 Win 1,000 to spend at Osprey store in Ellesmere Port Get more from Cheshire Life online. Go to our website, cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk CHESHIRE LIFE May 2011 5
HOMES Making a house a home Kate and Andy Snell have filled their Nether Alderley house with personal trinkets and treasures to create the perfect family home for their two daughters. Emma Mayoh reports PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN COCKS Above: Kate has added feminine touches to the kitchen Right: Harriet and Claudia Snell on the play equipment they love so much Kate and Andy Snell 184 CHESHIRE LIFE May 2011 cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk
Kate and Andy Snell bought Mere Farm just over 18 months ago Harriet and Claudia Snell are never happier than when they are at home. The youngsters can play pirates on the adventure trail their dad Andy built for them and explore the big garden. Their bedrooms are filled with girly treats and trinkets and one room of the house is solely theirs to have fun in. And their mum Kate knew the white-washed farmhouse would be the perfect family home the first time she saw it. I knew this area pretty well but I didn t know this lane existed, she said. As I approached it, I loved it. I just knew it was going to be great for our family. We had sold two houses we had in Portugal to raise more money for our perfect home. It was a dream opportunity when we realised we could afford something like this. We found out later that Andy s stepfather, Dave, used to live around here. He really sold this area to us and he told us all about what it used to be like. That was it, we were having it. Parts of the house are more than 100 years old and over the years various owners have added and extended Mere Farm. The house is built on land once owned by the Ministry of Defence and a dozen or so barns which lined the single track lane were used to store ammunition during World War Two and were linked by railway lines. The lines have now gone from around Kate and Andy s property but at the back of their home they have views over a lake, which was once a working quarry. When Andy and Kate moved in just Mere Farm's garden is filled with play equipment made at Andy's business, Pentagon Sport The house's main bathroom Kate and Andy's bedroom cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk CHESHIRE LIFE May 2011 185
over 18 months ago, they left behind a new-build townhouse in Wilmslow. Since then, Kate has transformed the property into the family home they had all hoped for. The previous owners had put a lot of love, care and attention into the house but, like most homebuyers, they wanted to put their own stamp on their new home. Kate s passion for interiors can be seen all around the house. Gorgeous cross-stitch pieces made by the 36-yearold and her mum, Sue Williams, feature around the house. Padded hearts, made with girly fabric by sister, Jane Clements, are also in abundance. Jane also donated an illustrated canvas she created at college which now hangs in Harriet s en-suite bathroom. Both Harriet and Claudia also have two small chairs in their bedrooms, painstakingly restored and painted by their mum when they were born. There are also lots of colourful pieces around the house that the women in the family have sourced from local boutiques, including The Lavender Tree in Alderley Edge. Holidays have also had a great influence on the interior design. Large photographs of places where Kate and Andy have travelled act as mementos of a round the world trip. Ceramics bought on their regular holiday to Cornwall are also dotted around the place as well as an art work of a fish, bought in St Ives using money bequeathed to Kate by her grandfather. These personal items sit alongside dozens of photographs of Harriet and Claudia as well as pictures from Andrew and Kate s wedding 12 years ago. But if Kate has had free-rein on the interior, the outside of the property is Andy s realm. He has used his business experience to give the whole family their dream garden. The company he owns makes and builds children s play equipment for 186 CHESHIRE LIFE May 2011 cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk
Left: Kate and Andy's bathroom Below: Think pink - Harriet's bedroom and en-suite bathroom with canvas done by Kate's sister, Jane Top: The lounge at Mere Farm Above: A seating area on the upstairs landing is decorated with neutral colours Right: Kate restored and painted these chairs for Harriet and Claudia when they were born Bottom right: The dining room looks out onto the garden cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk CHESHIRE LIFE May 2011 187
schools across the country. As well as the adventure trail that six-year-old Harriet and Claudia, three, love playing on so much, there s also a wooden gazebo which gives the adults their playground. Andy, also 36, said said: We are really looking forward to sitting out there in the nice weather. We can sit and have a glass of wine and watch the girls playing. I think it s something we ll get a lot of enjoyment from. Our move was very much about the outdoor space here. Our previous house was nice but the garden wasn t very big. We want Harriet and Claudia to be able to enjoy the outdoors, come home from school and get straight out there and have fun. We don t want them to be glued to a computer. It s also a pretty good football pitch for me too. We couldn t have asked for anything better. I love the outdoors. Kate fell in love with the house, for me it was the outside. And Kate added: We know this was the right move for us. The girls absolutely love it here. We ve already thought when they grow up we will be able to have marquees in the back garden for their weddings. We feel so happy here and feel very settled. I have loved decorating the house and putting together all the things that have made it special and personal to us. We love our home and we couldn t ask for any better than that. Top: Claudia's girly bedroom Above: The girls' play room Do you have a beautiful home that you would like to be featured on the pages of Cheshire Life? Contact Emma Mayoh at emma.mayoh@archant.co.uk or at Cheshire Life, 3 Tustin Court, Port Way, Preston, PR2 2YQ. For more interiors features and design inspiration go to our website cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk. 188 CHESHIRE LIFE May 2011 cheshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk