It is no surprise that it was its abundance of flora that first attracted florist, Florence Kennedy, founder of the flower delivery company, Petalon, to the Cornish farmhouse she now lives in with her family. “The wisteria was in bloom and curling around the building and there was columbine everywhere,” Kennedy says of her first visit to Scotland Farm, with her husband James in 2020. “Even though I was a London florist working with flowers every day, we didn’t have a garden at that point. So to be able to see flowers, even borderline weeds, outside the door was amazing.”

Four years later and what lies outside that door is even more appealing: an 85-acre working flower farm. While Petalon began life as a London florist with a hallmark of delivering flowers by bicycle, since the move to the north Cornish coast it has become an agricultural business; a B-corp certified, carbon neutral, regenerative flower farm, employing 13 people and delivering full bouquets of its own cultivated flowers, grown pesticide-free.

The early part of the season sees tulips, ranunculus, anemones and Icelandic poppies flourishing, before summer yields hundreds of flower varieties: Sweet William, xeranthemum, achillea, didiscus and dahlias, to name a few. On Petalon’s Instagram feed, Florence shares videos of the fields and beds and demonstrates her prowess with her hand-tied riotous bouquets to almost 60,000 followers.

At the same time as changing the business, Florence and her husband, James, Petalon’s co-director, have renovated the roughly 200-year-old, Devonian-slate farmhouse and its outbuildings, which lies between Newquay and Perranporth. They have turned a dark, damp space into a minimalist sanctuary, which helps them to better cope with the chaos of raising two small children as they battle the British seasons, coaxing seeds into blousy bouquets. “We’re a small business and we’re at the mercy of many changeable factors, including unpredictable weather,” says James. “We want the place where we live to feel as calm as possible.”

It has required a lot of heavy-lifting to get there. For all its outward romance, the farm — the house, a cowshed and a dairy shed, which butt up against each other in a U-shape around a courtyard — was in a bad state when they bought it and had previously failed to sell at auction. The walls in the house were “squidgy” with damp, carpets were rotten, and the cowshed was roofless. “It felt like it had been loved once, but was on a break from that,” says Florence.

What might have been a more leisurely renovation and move became more urgent when the lease of their home in east London came to an end at the same time as the 2020 lockdown began. James, who had integrated his own business manufacturing bicycles into Petalon before joining permanently, had done short courses in plastering and carpentry and put them to immediate use, with help from his father.

Working long hours and sleeping upstairs on a mattress, over three weeks he made it liveable enough for the couple and their two small children to move in. “It was mostly a matter of taking down and throwing away rather than building,” he says. “Stuff needed removing, cleaning and pulling out. If you looked at it as a floor plan, you realised it had a good shell, so that’s what we had to focus on.”

There were some surprises along the way. While planning to put in a new kitchen in what had been a grotty downstairs bathroom, James removed a wet plasterboard wall from above the bath and uncovered a black and white tiled surface. “An enormous Victorian cast iron stove suddenly appeared, complete with all the tiling,” he says of what is today a statement feature in the house.

Another notable discovery under carpet and boards was a large slab of stone with a rotating handle, which turned out to be a 15m-deep water well. Now in the floor of what has become their boot room, it has been illuminated and covered by reinforced glass. “You can walk over it, but most people prefer to walk around,” says James.

Completing the main house took three years. Making it damp-proof, energy-efficient and light-filled were the priorities. Aesthetically, it was informed by architecturally interesting conversions of old buildings, including Hauser & Wirth’s farm-turned-gallery in Bruton, Somerset. “I’m an architecture graduate and we’ve both always shared a love of buildings that retain their original exterior but become something completely different inside,” Florence says. “We wanted to work with the character of the old building to create space and light out of somewhere that historically would have felt dark and damp,” adds James. “That meant more windows, fewer walls and light-coloured walls and flooring throughout.”

Their vision of blonde modern minimalism reaches its zenith in the cowshed, now integrated into the house via a short set of deep steps. “You get that changing gradient as you go through and it suddenly opens up into a big, light space,” says James. He refers to it as “the birch plywood dream”, having used this material as a second skin on the walls to improve insulation and to install a mezzanine in the former hayloft — used as a playroom for the kids, which opens on to a field and vegetable patch. The rest of the space is useful for entertaining and also incorporates two guest bedrooms and a laundry room.

The old dairy is now used for drying flowers (and wetsuits) — this year for the first time, Petalon will sell Christmas wreaths using their own grown and dried product. A timber and galvanised steel cabin, built by James last year, overlooks a meadow and is now Florence’s office. The walls are lined with cork board so she can pin her seed and planting plans.

Having stripped everything back and imposed straightness and right angles on previously wonky surfaces, organic elements have been reintroduced throughout the house. Raw-edged wood is used on deep window sills, shelving units, cupboard doors and the kitchen table — all cut and milled from Cornwall’s trees, including Macrocarpa. “We probably have three or four people that we can call who will have big, interesting pieces of wood,” says James. “It gives you a scale you don’t get with manufactured furniture, which has an interesting impact visually.”

But as far as furniture goes, that’s almost it. The couple say they can count on their fingers the number of freestanding objects they have in the house. They dislike artwork on the walls. If you’re looking for that cluttered, countrycore vibe, you will not find it here. “In many ways, it’s a traditional farm. The fields surround us and most days we’re working in them,” says James. “We’re stepping out of the door and we’re in it, so that door needs to be a border between the unpredictable and the serene.”

“It calms my brain so much,” says Florence. “There are so many different aspects of the job that I’m still learning — I only planted my first seed four years ago — so for the house to be unbusy is just so helpful.” Besides, they’re dealing in a product that provides a variety of colour and vibrancy for most of the year — with a growing season that is only going to lengthen. “It’s great to have a neutral space for the flowers to really shine in,” says Florence. “In many ways, the flowers are the artwork here.”

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FAMILIES on benefits may get a handy £10 boost this winter as we head into the Christmas season.

The Department for Work and Pension’s (DWP) Christmas Bonus is a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made before December 25.

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Even better, you don’t need to do anything, you should be paid automatically.

Not everyone who gets benefits receives the payments. You need to live in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week, or to show that you are ordinarily resident there.

You also need to get one of the qualifying benefits first.

Who gets the payments?

It’s paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week, which is usually the first full week of December.

The full list of benefits are:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Carer Support Payment
• Child Disability Payment
• Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
• Disability Living Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
• Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
• Mobility Supplement
• Pension Credit – the guarantee element
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
• Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
• Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
• War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
• War Widow’s Pension
• Widowed Mother’s Allowance
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance
• Widow’s Pension

However, the DWP warns that if you are over State Retirement Age but have not claimed your state pension, for instance because you are deferring it, then you won’t get the free cash.

The payment is calculated per individual, which means that if more than one adult in the household is eligible, they’ll each get a £10 payment.

In fact, even if your partner or civil partner does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus if they reach state pension age by the end of the qualifying week.

You don’t need to be married, you can just be living together as if you are. However, you must be entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner, or the only qualifying benefit you’re getting must be Pension Credit.

How is the money paid?

The money should go into your usual account, and might show up as ‘DWP XB’ on your statement.

The DWP doesn’t say exactly when the money will appear, but it does say that if you think you should get it and the money hasn’t come through by January 1, you must contact your local Jobcentre Plus office or the Pension Service if you’re over state retirement age.

If you get more than one Christmas Bonus, the DWP says you must let it know through the same channels.

Benefits blow

It comes at a time when the Labour Party has announced that the winter fuel payment will no longer be universal, leaving millions of pensioners £300 worse off this winter.

The Winter Fuel Payment used to be available for anyone over state pension age, however, from this year, you’ll only get it if you receive certain benefits, including Pension Credit and Universal Credit if you’re older than 66.

There are thousands of people missing out on Pension Credit because they haven’t applied for it, but it acts as a gateway for lots of valuable benefits including the winter fuel discount. 

Read our guide on which benefits qualify, and when you need to apply by.

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The Fifties are back with a bang. James Macdonald’s brilliantly framed staging of Waiting for Godot (1953) is running in the West End and Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun (1959) is due in London shortly. And here is the Almeida, reviving Arnold Wesker’s Roots (1958) and John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger (1956) — two seminal works from the “angry young men” playwrights. Staged in repertory by one ensemble, they dive into that period between the war and the Sixties when a generation of men and women were pushing at the social structures they’d inherited, disillusioned with a world that had been torn apart and yet not changed enough.

In both, the kitchen becomes the scene for battle — between the generations, between the sexes, between the classes. In 2024, the works punch across the decades to speak to a society where anger is common currency. When Morfydd Clark’s Beatie stands in her parents’ kitchen at the end of Roots, raging that “we’re all taking the easiest way out”, she could be voicing exasperation over climate change or global inequality.

Time and distance also lend perspective. Looking back, the anger is qualified not just by what hasn’t changed but by what has. We see the sexism even more keenly. Diyan Zora’s deftly paced and beautifully acted production of Roots underscores this. She keeps Wesker’s punctilious naturalism and yet frames the drama as a memory play. It’s as if we were revisiting and reassessing, with Beatie, that crucial visit to her family in rural Norfolk that, by tearing a rift between them and her, saw her find her voice as an articulate young woman but left her rootless in an unequal society.

Clark’s Beatie begins by stepping on to a bare, circular playing arena, her past assembling around her as the cast pass up props and furniture. Immediately she’s back home, joking with her sister as the two wash dishes and sweep the floor. But a division has slipped between them. Fired up by her intellectual socialist boyfriend’s ideas, Beatie longs to galvanise her family into awareness of their own condition. They, however, are too busy, tired or preoccupied to hear her. That’s even more evident in her mother’s kitchen, where Beatie’s impassioned attempts to get her weary mother (Sophie Stanton, excellent) to discuss ideas are met with a running commentary on the passing buses.

It’s a play about women, set entirely in the domestic sphere and written with sympathy by Wesker. But while we see Beatie’s awakening, we notice too the way the playwright frames it as a response to her mansplaining boyfriend. Clark handles this brilliantly. She brings a certain irony to the passages where she repeats Ronnie’s opinions and is moving as she finds her voice. Her impassioned final plea for change could have been written now.

The anger and disillusionment that simmer and bubble in Roots boil over in Look Back in Anger, as does the sexism, finding voice in the toxic character of Jimmy Porter. It’s a hard play to watch: Jimmy is obnoxious, his abusive, controlling behaviour towards his upper-middle-class wife, Alison, hard to stomach.

Atri Banerjee’s blistering production faces that head-on. Billy Howle’s terrific Jimmy is viciously nasty, cruelly undermining Alison and lashing out at Cliff, the couple’s peacekeeping lodger. But while Jimmy is never excused, Howle does help to explain him. This is a man whose frustration at a stagnant society and his own lack of agency has curdled into self-pity, toxic masculinity and ugly misogyny. He’s utterly chewed up by anger.

He’s brilliantly well matched by Ellora Torchia’s desolate Alison, shrinking into coiled rage as she irons Jimmy’s shirts and sucks up insult after insult. On Naomi Dawson’s red disc of a set they seem trapped in a circle of hell that neither Iwan Davies’s decent Cliff nor Alison’s friend Helena (Clark) can break them from.

It’s a blazing production of a tough, ugly, angry, desperate, sad play. And together the productions prompt the disturbing question: are Jimmy and Beatie still with us today? And if so, why?

★★★★☆

To November 23, almeida.co.uk

AN EXPERT has revealed the six household products you can buy for at little as 30p to keep mould and damp at bay this winter.

Mould and damp are not just unsightly, they can also cause health problems so it’s important to take action if you spot it in your home.

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Jane Wilson, cleaning expert and manager at Fantastic Cleaners, has shared six super-cheap products that can help banish mould from every area of your property.

Mould typically shows up in damp or dark areas such as bathroom and wardrobe corners, ceilings corners, along window sills and on stagnant fabrics as small black and brown dots.

If you catch it quickly, it can be cleaned off and, when you’ve removed it, you can take action to prevent it from returning.

Here are some of Jane’s top buys

White vinegar

White vinegar is a “powerful, natural mould killer”, according to Jane.

And, best of all, it’s readily available from supermarkets and corner stores for just a few pennies.

Both Sainsbury’s and Tesco sell 568ml bottles of white vinegar for just 35p.

Jane recommends pouring undiluted white vinegar into a spray bottle and applying it directly to the mouldy area.

She said that once applied, the vinegar should be left for at least an hour before being scrubbed off with a brush.

After removing the vinegar, wipe the area clean with a damp cloth.

Jane explained that “the acidic nature of vinegar breaks down the mould and prevents its return.”

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

Baking soda is a household staple that’s effective for removing mould.

Jane explains that it is a particularly good choice for using on delicate surfaces.

The cleaning expert explained that as well as being a great cleaner baking soda has antifungal properties to prevent mould from returning.

And, it wont break the bank. Both Sainsbury’s and Morrisons sell bicarbonate of soda for just 59p.

The expert cleaner advised mixing a quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda with water in a spray bottle before shaking well.

Then spray the solution on to the mouldy surface, scrub with a brush and rinse with with water.

After you’ve cleared away the mould Jane advised spraying the area again and letting it dry to prevent future mould growth.

Tea tree oil

Tea tree oil is a natural and highly effective way to remove mould.

A 20ml bottle will set you back £9 from Boots, making it a little pricier, but it will leave a far nicer scent than a cheaper fix.

Jane recommended mixing one teaspoon of tea tree oil with one cup of water in a spray bottle.

Simply spray the solution onto the mould and let it sit without rinsing.

Jane explained that tea tree oil is a natural fungicide making it particularly effective at killing mould spores and preventing their spread.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice has naturally acidic and antibacterial properties that make it great for dealing with mould problems.

Lemons are a particularly cheap way of removing mould.

Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda are all selling lemons for 30p each.

Jane recommended squeezing the juice from several lemons and applying it directly to the mouldy area.

Let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it clean with a damp cloth, or scrub with a brush on tougher areas.

Jane said the added benefit of using lemon juice is the fresh scent it leaves behind.

Cinnamon oil

Cinnamon oil has antifungal properties that can help prevent mould growth.

Amazon has multiple listings for cinnamon oil, which contains cinnamaldehyde to help inhibit mould growth, for around £5.

Jane said it was particularly useful for treating small areas of mould and preventing it from spreading.

She added: “Unlike some stronger-smelling mould cleaners, cinnamon leaves a warm, pleasant aroma, making it a good choice for use in living areas.”

Jane advised mixing a few drops of cinnamon oil with water in a spray bottle.

Spray the mixture directly onto a mouldy area and let it sit for about an hour before wiping the area clean with a damp cloth.

For persistent mould Jane advised reapplying the solution or combining it with other natural cleaners, such as vinegar, for a stronger effect.

She also recommended sprinkling cinnamon powder on mould-prone areas like windowsills or bathrooms to help prevent mould from returning.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a potent antifungal and antibacterial solution, that’s available online and from some chemists.

Amazon has listings from £3 for 30ml.

Hydrogen peroxide is particularly effective against mould on porous surfaces like wood, drywall, and fabrics, and is safe to use around the home.

Jane advised pouring 3% hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle and using it to saturate mouldy areas.

Let it sit for 10 minutes then scrub the surface to remove all mould and stains before wiping the area clean with a damp cloth.

What causes mould?

Mould flourishes where there is condensation, which occurs when warm air hits a cooler surface and creates moisture.

Mould spores are present in the air year round and spread when dampness is present for six hours.

In the home this dampness is normally caused by condensation, which occurs while showering, drying clothes or cooking.

Mould can grow anywhere in a property and can be identified as black speckled marks or grey growths on window sills, woodwork, painted walls, ceilings, wallpaper or fabric.

Jane explained that the best way to prevent mould was to keep your home dry and well-ventilated.

She recommended regularly checking areas prone to moisture, like bathrooms, kitchens and basements.

Using a dehumidifier in damp areas can also help reduce the risk of mould growth.

Why should you deal with mould?

Mould is not just unsightly, it can have serious health consequences.

In 2020, youngster Awaab Ishak tragically passed away after living in a one-bedroom housing association flat in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, that was riddled with mould.

If you find any signs of mould or spreading damp, it’s vital to act quickly.

Government guidance states: “Damp and mould primarily affect the airways and lungs, but they can also affect the eyes and skin. The respiratory effects of damp and mould can cause serious illness and, in the most severe cases, death.”

As well as the dangers to your health, mould can cause damage to your home, and leaving it for longer will only end up costing you more to fix it later.

Common Bathroom Habits That Increase Mould

Plumbworld, a leading expert in bathroom and kitchen products, has shared the daily habits that increase the chance of mould growing in homes.

Leaving wet towels and bathmats on floor 

Wet towels and bathmats on the floors after a shower or bath can increase humidity levels which provides a perfect breeding ground for mould spores.

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To prevent this, hang towels and bathmats in an area where they can dry quickly and to wash them regularly.

Not turning on the fan 

An exhaust fan is critical in reducing moisture levels in the bathroom. 

When taking a hot shower or bath, steam increases the room’s humidity level, creating an ideal setting for mould to flourish on walls, ceilings, and other surfaces.

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An exhaust fan helps by moving the moist air outside, significantly reducing the risk of mould growth. 

Experts suggest running the fan during the shower and for at least 20-30 minutes afterwards to lower humidity levels.

Ignoring small leaks

Even minor leaks from the sink, toilet, or shower can contribute to increased moisture levels in a bathroom, fostering an environment where mould can thrive. 

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Over time, these leaks can cause significant water damage, promoting mould growth in less visible areas such as inside walls or under flooring. 

Fix leaks promptly to prevent mould and potential structural damage.

Keeping shower curtains or doors closed 

Keeping the shower area closed after use traps moisture inside, delaying the drying process and creating a humid environment conducive to mould growth. 

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Mould can easily develop on shower curtains, doors, and in tile grout if they remain wet for too long. 

To avoid this, leave the shower door or curtain open after use to improve air circulation and allow the area to dry more quickly.

Storing too many products 

Shower caddies and corners filled with bottles and accessories may seem harmless, but they can obstruct airflow and trap moisture and creates hidden, moist niches where mould can grow unnoticed. 

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Keep shampoo and shower gel bottles to a minimum, and regularly clean and dry the areas underneath them to prevent mould growing. 

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Good morning. Today, I report on European countries’ fears regarding the widening conflict in the Middle East, and my Brussels colleague reveals new research that suggests moves to protect the EU’s car industry from foreign competition could hurt the fight against climate change.

Contagion

European capitals are increasingly concerned about the long-term ramifications of the widening conflict in the Middle East, as Israel steps up its offensive against Lebanon and the Hizbollah militant group based there.

Context: Israel has bombed Hizbollah targets in Lebanon for more than a fortnight and this week launched a ground invasion of the country’s south. The killing of Hizbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior officials saw Hizbollah’s ally Iran respond with a massive ballistic missile salvo against Israel on Tuesday.

Iran’s attack has dramatically raised the risk of a full-scale war enveloping the entire region, and prompted a snap G7 leaders virtual meeting yesterday, in which they “agreed to work jointly to foster a reduction in regional tensions . . . [and] reiterated that a region-wide conflict is in no one’s interest and that a diplomatic solution is still possible”.

Western capitals are pressuring Israel to focus any counterattack against Iran on military targets in the country, and not its oil or nuclear research facilities, people familiar with the talks said.

While the Iranian missiles have raised the stakes, the ongoing Israeli assault on Lebanon, including the bombing of southern Beirut and elite commando incursions across the border, had already spooked EU officials.

Lebanon is just over 160km from EU member Cyprus and has historic links to European countries such as France and Italy. The EU has provided the country with more than €3.5bn in aid since 2011, including support to its armed forces.

Sixteen of the EU’s 27 member states currently have their troops in Lebanon as part of the UN’s peacekeeping mission in the country, including more than 1,000 Italian soldiers and more than 600 each from France and Spain.

EU capitals are also fearful of the potential refugee crisis a major, long-lasting war in Lebanon could cause, and how an increase in people fleeing the Middle East could impact domestic politics — given the already heightened anti-migration sentiment in many European countries.

Chart du jour: Rebound?

The tailwinds for a European consumer recovery are building, writes Gerry Fowler, if interest rate cuts support a rise in spending on durable goods.

Reality check

A day before a planned vote on whether the EU should impose tariffs on electric vehicles from China, one of Brussels’ most influential think-tanks has warned such a move could imperil the green transition, writes Daria Mosolova.

Context: EU member states are scheduled to vote tomorrow on imposing additional tariffs on cheap Chinese electric vehicles, in a move to protect European carmakers from what they view as unfair competition.

Analysts at Bruegel cautioned that the cost of clean technology will be a key factor determining the success of Europe’s decarbonisation, and warned about the wider impact of trade battles in a report published today.

The report argues that as the EU reframes its competition rules, it cannot ignore that China is the global leader in markets for batteries and critical raw materials, both of which are crucial for the EU’s green transition.

“Reduced imports from China of these products, because of competitiveness concerns or economic security, imply the risk of both slowing down the energy transition and increasing its cost”, the authors wrote.

“Economic de-risking may increase climate risk,” they added.

The authors also warned that the EU’s new budget rules, as well as capital constraints due to high interest rates, could limit countries’ capacities for much needed green investment — especially as other spending needs like defence become more important.

The EU aims to slash its greenhouse emissions by 90 per cent by 2040 compared with levels in 1990, which would require yearly investments into the energy system of about €700bn from 2031 to 2040 — roughly 3 per cent of the bloc’s GDP.

What to watch today

1. G7 interior ministers meet in Mirabella Eclano, Italy.

2. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz gives a speech on the 34th anniversary of German unification in Schwerin.

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