What will you get if you head to Shropshire’s newest House and gardens? Complete luxury paired with utter comfort and Downton Abbey style charm.

This renovated monestary will take your breath away from the minute you approach via the country track, with rolling fields surrounding the impactful and beautiful grounds leading directly up to the House.

A butler style service giving guests the best experience is the main priority for the staff at Hawkstone. From personally greeting you on arrival, with that much needed glass of sparkling wine, through to rustling up anything you wish for your breakfast (not a menu in sight), you’ll feel like royalty by the time you leave and wonder what carrying your own handbag actually means.

We stayed in a classic room and classic charm is certainly what we were given. Aside from the Queen-size bed, draped in crisp white linens and smothered by indulgent, fluffy pillows, there’s a waterfall shower and retro radio softly sharing classical serenades before you arrive. Not stopping there, little extras including fluffy dressing gowns, complimentary Elemis toiletries and buttery shortbread can also be found in the bedrooms. The views provide serenity beyond belief and give views of the courtyard, surrounding countryside and even the lake in the distance.

The Hawkstone gardens spread for miles and in the sunshine you can explore the apple orchard, lakes and greenery via a private buggy tour or an easy stroll. Re-discovered rivers, ponds and monuments are also dotted around the grounds and pools of water filled with hundreds of fish, which are fun for the kids to spot during your exploration of the outdoors.

Thinking about the food (our first thought too)? The Saloon restaurant has just opened and is situated in one of the oldest parts of the original main house. Executive chef Andrew Watts offers chiefly British dishes with bold flavours and the best bit of this restaurant, NO DRESS CODE. Despite the plush fabrics, luxury feel and stunning artwork adorning the walls, there’s no snobbery in this place.

If you’re not looking for a sit-down meal, you can enjoy sharing platters and bar snacks. We’d recommend taking them up on this offer, or at least ensure there’s a designated driver because once you’re at Hawkstone, it’s pretty hard to find any way out. If you’re after something earlier in the day, the Afternoon Tea is a spectacle in itself, including  finger sandwiches, homemade cakes, tarts & scones, along with a selection of loose leaf teas or freshly brewed coffee, all whilst overlooking the beautiful Hawkstone Gardens.

Whilst Hawkstone Hall is a beautiful, serene getaway, it’s also one of the most luxurious wedding venues you might stumble across. The bridal preparation suite is every girl’s dream, with dressing areas for the bridesmaids, huge bathrooms and everything you need for the big day. There are plenty of options for the ‘I do’ locations, from the opulent Ballroom through to the converted private Chapel. Both exclusive and non-exclusive venue hire is available, starting at £2995.00 for non-exclusive and £8,995.00 for exclusive.

Hawkstone Hall facilitates wellness and yoga retreats, and it’s also worth checking out for a day visit. Hosting events including outdoor cinema nights, you can pop along to experience some good ol’ British fresh air before heading home for your own bed.

Would we recommend a stay at Hawkstone? Absolutely. This hidden gem won’t stay hidden for very long but offers some of the best hospitality we’ve ever experienced.

THE PRICES

Classic rooms start from £175.00 a night and include breakfast

Evening meals start at £17.95 for a main (Linguine & seasonal foraged mushrooms)

Afternoon tea costs £29.95 per guest

Wellness retreats start at £395.00 per guest for 2 nights and including all activities.

Event and wedding prices vary.

To book a stay, event or wedding venue viewing at Hawkstone visit http://hawkstonehall.co.uk

My son and daughter-in-law made a game of cleaning my grandson’s teeth since he was a small baby and he’d open his mouth wide whilst they brushed away. All was well until … his third birthday, when somebody whisked away my compliant young grandson and left a replacement child who must have had different parents, because he clearly regarded teeth cleaning as something for other kids.

What had been a pleasant part of the going to bed process, together with reading a story and kissing goodnight, had become ten minutes of torment, dreaded by both parents and child.  What could they do?

Well there must be a God, because around this time I was asked to review the Playbrush Smart Sonic –which indeed seemed a godsend.

This clever electric toothbrush is suitable for kids from three years old. A free app for smartphone, Kindle or tablet links to it by bluetooth, and transforms the brush into a fun game controller – one which only works when one cleans one’s teeth properly.

There are a choice of games on the associated Playbrush and Utoothia Sky apps, some for 3+ and others for 6+ year olds – some are free and some have a small charge. I particularly like the one where the child must keep brushing to keep a helicopter flying. They can score points with some games and join a league table with other kids. The games encourage longer brushing and encourage all over cleaning.

The app collects statistics, useful for parents – such as number of times teeth brushed (with green smiley faces – or red sad ones). The stats also record pressure and duration of brushing – and the app will alert the child if they are brushing too hard.  There’s even a coaching option, teaching the child how to brush all parts of their mouth.

Nowadays, many children are familiar with ipad and smartphone games from a very young age. My grandson regularly has to show grandma how to use them – which to his credit he does with tact and patience. So I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised how quickly he got the hang of this special toothbrush. Suddenly teeth brushing became fun again and calm has been restored to night times and mornings. Well done, Playbrush Smart Sonic – what a clever idea.

And if you’re tearing your hair out trying to get your kids to brush their teeth, well it is currently on offer from Playbrush at £34.99 – grab one, you won’t regret it – there’s also a manual toothbrush option available if you prefer.

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

On the glorious 17th Floor – with stunning views of London – we were surrounded by a fantastic range of authors. My previous article about a HarperCollins launch began in a very similar fashion.

So many new books to look out for – introduced by the authors themselves to give an extra fizz of excitement and intrigue. Here are just the releases in 2019…

About That Night by Elaine Bedell will be published in Paperback on the 11th July, as well as an Ebook and Audiobook.

Set in a television studio – what happens when the star host dies live on air? TV Producer Elizabeth Place’s world comes crashing down around her. Then she realises that perhaps the only person she can trust, is herself…

Elaine spent many years behind the scenes in television. This is her first novel.

The First Time Lauren Pailing Died by Alyson Rudd will be published in Hardback, Ebook and Audiobook on July 11th. The Paperback will be out at the end of November.

Lauren Pailing keeps dying. Each time she does so, new lives begin for the people who loved her, while she enters a new life, too. But in each life, one man, called Peter, disappears. In each life, she sets out to find him…

Alyson is a sports journalist at The Times and has written two non-fiction books. This is her first novel.

Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie will be published on July 25th – in Hardback, Ebook and Audiobook formats. The Paperback will be out at the end of January 2020.

The apartment block has many residents, but on one specific night all their lives are irrevocably changed. Somehow they must find a way to get back to each other.

Luan is a primary school teacher. This is her debut novel.

The Last Concerto by Sara Alexander will be published in Paperback on 22nd August – along with the Audiobook and an Ebook.

A mixture of music and Sardinian sunshine in this book about kidnapping, emotion and life-changing decisions.

Sara is an actress. This is her third novel.

What Happens Now? By Sophia Money-Coutts will be published in Hardback, Ebook and Audiobook on August 22nd. The Paperback will be published next April.

Lil discovers she is preganat from a one-night stand. She realsies she is ready to do the ‘baby thing’ on her own – it can’t be hard, right? But should she tell the bloke..?

Sophia is a journalist for The Sunday Telegraph and author. This is her second novel.

The Day We Meet Again by Miranda Dickinson will be published in Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook on 5th September.

Phoebe and Sam meet at St Pancras Station. Then agree to meet at the same place in twelve months’ time. A story of what-ifs and maybes – and how one decision can change your life forever…

Miranda is the author of ten books and has now sold over a million copies worldwide!

Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks will be published on September 19th in Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook formats.

Daisy and Simon’s marriage is great. Until one night, things spiral horribly out of control and the happy little family will never be the same again.

Adele has written eighteen international bestsellers that have been translated into twenty-six languages.

A Wedding In December by Sarah Morgan will be published on 31st October in Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook.

The White family are gathering for a festive wedding. Although bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé, she is having second thoughts. As the big day gets closer, emotions run higher – will the wedding go ahead?

Sarah is an international bestselling author and has sold over sixteen million books worldwide.

The Lost Ones by Anita Frank will be published in Hardback, Ebook and Audiobook on 31st October. The Paperback is scheduled for November 2020.

Aided by a wounded war veteran, Stella uncovers some secrets about the house in which she lives, when dark and terrible secrets unfold…

Anita is a full-time carer for her disabled son. This is her first novel.

The Move by Felicity Everett will be published on 26th December in Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook.

Karen and Nick move from the city to the country. The idyllic setting is supposed to be a place of peace, far away from curtain-twitchers. But who is the person watching them from the hill? And who are their new neighbours?

Felicity used to work in children’s publishing. This is now her third novel.

Other titles to come in 2020 include: She by HC Warner, The Dilemma by BA Paris, The Family Tree by Sairish Hussain, This Lovely City by Louise Hare and Precious You by Helen Monks Takhar.

So many wonderful titles and authors – hopefully many will get detailed reviews, in the coming months, here on Frost.

Thanks must go to HarperCollins HQ and all their brilliant team.

Then sneaks a peek at the Arts and Antiques Fair which runs from the 19^th – 28^th of June.

It was Oscar Wilde who once said that he could resist anything other than temptation and visiting the House and Garden Festival in Kensington Olympia, London, I have to confess I know what he meant.

It is easy to become overwhelmed by the sheer scale of this event and if I may offer you a piece of advice, it would be to wear comfortable shoes and to pace yourself.

There is so much on show it is hard to know where to start and with prices ranging from a single pound to several thousand pounds, truly there is something for everyone.

The recurring theme is that of sustainability meeting chic and it soon becomes clear that the Vegan movement continues its advance into the mainstream.

A number of stands proclaim their vegan credentials not least amongst them presented here as a high-quality alternative to the leather handbag, Luxtra make silver handbags, clutch bags all made from Pineapple leaves, known as ‘Pinatex.’                                                  

 For those that prefer the more traditional leather, there is plenty to admire on other stands .

Such is the allure of the many stands that it does make you wonder, even if just for a moment, if you could maybe squeeze that huge piece of garden furniture on to the tiny balcony of your flat; and when it comes to outdoor furniture, I find myself torn

between the Tippii nest like hammock from which I suspect I would never emerge  or the Monte Carlo  Multi- Functional Outdoor Table that seats 8 to 10 people and which contains a built in ice trough for chilling beer and white wine and a built in barbeque. Imagine a whole afternoon of barbequing, without ever having to leave the table.

Living Windows create bespoke window boxes made from recyclable materials to your specification.

Bringing the outdoors inside Bespoke Flooring and Furniture offer wash basins set in timber whilst elsewhere in the exhibition hall  there is a range of dining tables featuring Acacia timber encased in resin and glass cannot fail to gather compliments from anyone lucky enough to be invited to dinner.

Elsewhere, Ebonymoon tableware has an eye catching array of highly burnished copper and brass utensils

Soft furnishings are also in evidence and I was drawn to the sustainable organic bed linen, courtesy of Wallace Cotton taking inspiration from their New Zealand roots, utilising fresh botanical prints

Food and drink is well represented from a wide range of nuts, cheeses, Halva promoting its vegan credentials.

For the Gin lovers there are several stands well worth a visit and I would recommend stopping by Edinburgh Sacred and Eccentric.

Not to be outdone there is a Whisky stand and do search out Midlands Wine Importers, Shawbury Wine, who believe that you should always try before you buy so that you can explore what you like.

There is so much to see, and thankfully there are a number of food outlets ranging from coffee and pastries to sandwiches and salads; take away, or sit down to a proper lunch and of course a Champagne bar should you feel like indulging yourself.

Running alongside the House and Garden Festival, the Art and Antiques Fair reveals a vast array of quality items from antiquity to the present day from leading specialist dealers. If antiques and fine art are your obsession, be prepared to lose several more hours admiring large and small objects that will transform any room.

Oscar Wilde never visited the House and Garden Festival but if he had I guarantee that he would most definitely have been tempted. I know I was.

The House and Garden Festival 19^th – 23^rd of June and the Art and Antiques Fair 19^th – 28^th of June.

Open daily from 11. 00am   HOUSEANDGARDENFESTIVAL.COM