In the spotlight

Not only the longest pier in Britain, Southend is the longest in the whole wide world. So long indeed that it has its own railway to take visitors from one end to the other, a distance of 1.34 miles i

SU CARROLL rounds up the very best activities to do and things to see close to the coastline this month

‘The English style is fairly daring and we aren’t afraid of colour or pattern. However, it needs to be blended well. I was always taught to use different scales to make the pattern mix comfortably. En

I get overly excited about seasonal gluts: an armful of rhubarb gifted by a neighbour or a sticky Tupperware box filled with raspberries still full of disgruntled bugs. This bounty prompts exchanges a

Blending the bolder tones of nature with mid-century furniture, fabulous patterns and striking shapes, this reworked London terrace is a lesson in colour cohesion and carefully considered style

There’s something beautiful about touching an object made by the hand in a material that came from the earth – these makers are producing outstanding pieces