Staying In

Read Few And Far Between By Jan Carson

In 1958, Northern Ireland’s finance minister Terence O’Neill proposed a plan to drain the Lough Neagh archipelago and create a seventh county. Though he later tried to push the plans through when he became prime minister in 1963, the controversial scheme ultimately failed. Jan Carson’s latest novel Few and Far Between may be entirely fictional, but it was learning of the proposed draining that set the award-winning author down the rabbit hole which led her to this tale. Set in the summer of 2017, the story follows Robert-John Connolly, his wife Marion Connolly, their now grown-up children, and their neighbour Sandra, who all moved to Lough Neagh back in the 1970s to escape the worst of the Troubles. Now facing a devastating algae outbreak, it has been decided that the only way to fix the environmental crisis is to flood the archipelago and submerge their homes. Forced to return to the mainland for the first time in 50 years, the novel questions how they will ever leave their past behind. Out now.

Going Out

Try A Caviar Afternoon Tea

If you didn’t think a Fortnum & Mason afternoon tea could get any fancier, try silver-spooning a dollop of caviar on top. From today, the much-loved British institution will be offering a new Caviar Tea at its Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. Presented on two-tiered stands crafted exclusively for the launch, this new offering will give guests the chance to build their own experience with a choice of top-notch caviars, including Beluga and Golden Oscietra. Served on miniature sourdough crumpets from artisan brand Moore’ish, the caviars are complemented by a range of accompaniments: including crème fraîche and chives, stuffed baby potatoes, and quail eggs. Fortnum’s tea will of course be on offer (for the ideal pairing the experts suggest Gyokuro Green) or elevate the experience further with a bottle of Fortnum’s Blanc de Blancs Champagne or Sparkling Tea. Available to be enjoyed as a standalone, or as an add-on to the Classic Afternoon Tea experience, this is one indulgence we can definitely get behind. fortnumandmason.com

Property Of The Day

A former priory dating back to the 12th century (where renowned medieval poet William Langland is believed to have studied), this historic home on the Malvern Hills was owned by the same family for 500 years. Be sure to keep a copy of Simon Jenkins’s list of England’s Thousand Best Homes in the study so you can show off the home’s inclusion to guests.  

£1.95m, bluebookagency.com

Little Luxury

Head to BAO any day before 9 May to try the limited-edition Ragu Ramen Bowl, made in collaboration with Wasted. It features noodles made from bread waste from Alma Bakery in Bermondsey, Taiwanese mushroom ragu, radish greens and peas in a chicken broth, topped with an egg. If you want to nab a bargain, get to the Shoreditch branch bang on noon tomorrow (15 April) – the first 100 bowls are being given away for free. baolondon.com

Competition Time

Enter now for the chance to win a SkinCeuticals best-sellers bundle worth £464. Experience the ultimate defence against signs of ageing and reveal glass-skin radiance with this SkinCeuticals best-sellers routine, featuring C E Ferulic (30ml), the renowned Vitamin C serum, P- TIOX (30ml), a revolutionary wrinkle modulating peptide serum and Advanced RGN-6 (50ml), a skin rejuvenation cream.

Psssst…

A national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II is set to be built in St James’s Park, London, after getting the go-ahead from Westminster Council. The late Queen will be commemorated with a statue at the park’s entrance, Marlborough Gate, opposite Buckingham Palace.

Whatever You Do, Don’t

Give yourself a mid-week hangover. Instead, tap into the mid-strength wine trend: brands like 6Percent and Future Chateau are changing the game with their low-alcohol wines, which mean you can enjoy the ritual of a post-work glass without paying for it the next day.