Latest news with #LauraJackson
Times
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Don't say garden party — how to ‘outdoor host'
Beers in the fridge, wine in the cooler, hostess on the most rickety of the folding chairs — summer entertaining used to be simple. Alas, since the advent of social media, Meghan's Netflix series and, yes, weight-loss drugs, having people round has become more complicated. They aren't called garden parties any more, for instance — here are the latest tips for 'outdoor hosting' in summer 2025. Jennifer Aniston might have had what is known as a 'garden lounge', complete with armchairs and coffee table at her former Beverly Hills house, but if, like me, your choice is between table on the patio looking at the shed or by the shed looking at the patio, you're going to need plenty of festoon lights to set some mood — but good luck trying to find any still in stock online. You can try your luck at Screwfix or Wickes, or you can pre-order Garden Trading's solar string bulbs for delivery in mid-August (£65, In their absence, dot around rechargeable lamps such as Zara Home's £49.99 lantern — or, like the opening credits of Friends, see whether the flex on a standard lamp will stretch on to the terrasse. It's easier to find LED strings right now — lace them through trees to give glow. And Ikea's chunky Fenomen candles will sit on tables without dripping wax (£5 for five, 'Invite people over for brunch,' says Laura Jackson, Insta-host extraordinaire, founder of the homeware site Glassette and the voice of those who just want a good night's sleep these days actually. 'A 'start early, finish early' vibe — frozen coffee cocktails, whether alcoholic or not, are this year's frozen rosé.' Take inspiration from Barbarella, the latest opening from the hip Italian chain Big Mamma, in Canary Wharf, where the classic espresso martini comes laced with 50g zeitgeisty pistachio paste (Black Milk Pistachio Cream (£5.95, to 40ml vodka and 10ml freshly made espresso. Sprinkle a couple of beans on top to finish. At this point in the heatwave there are shortages and delays on the most sought-after garden furniture and accoutrements. John Lewis's £149 striped Marcy chair sold out back in April, and there's a backlog on the metropolitan elite's favourite slatted metal Palissade table from Hay (£799, down from £999, Yeti's £300 camping cool box is a cult buy among the surf set and competitive barbecuers alike, while the £1,995 Big Green Egg kamado BBQ remains a hypey favourite but (whisper it) Aldi's £299 version is just as good — although it sold out as soon as it hit the shops in May. Habitat's £600 version comes with glowing customer reviews ( Don't feel the need to fix everybody a drink as they arrive. Instead, take your lead from 2025's viral self-help tome, The Let Them Theory: set up a self-serve bar with ice, glasses and bottles in coolers for guests to pick and pour from, then leave them to it. This isn't the recipe for disaster it might once have been because … Recent market research (Saturday night at a friend's 40th) indicates that so many people are now sober or 'on the pen', ordering the amount everybody used to consume will leave you with gallons spare. My sources report that rosé was the least consumed and advise serving beers — normal, alcohol-free or perhaps functional mushroom-laced Colliders ( — alongside cocktails that can be made either virgin or not. The fashion crowd have moved on from the Hugo spritz now that the Ocado classes are clamouring for its main elderflower ingredient. Instead, the Select spritz, made with the traditional Venetian liqueur almost certainly being served at the Bezos wedding, is a good halfway house between ubiquitous Aperol and challenging Campari. Plus, way fewer people have heard of it. Tequila, grapefruit and soda palomas are still just edgy enough; Crodinos and Botivo for those on the wagon. • Meghan to release rosé wine under As Ever brand Do yourself a favour and elevate picky bits rather than making a meal the main event. 'Serve crudités and berries in massive bowls on ice,' Jackson says. 'Or set out baguettes, cheese and ham — big piles of one thing always look beautiful and are easy to do.' Another trend is the EBYGH invite (eat before you get here), which comes in response to most dinner parties only really getting going at the moment it is time for everybody to leave. Cubes of feta arranged with cubes of pink grapefruit, watermelon, cantaloupe or nestling Nocellara olives, then herbs, chilli or black sesame seeds sprinkled on top: TikTok's top summer snack. • Can you freeze cheese? 34 cheese questions answered by an expert 'Drizzle it on vanilla ice cream,' says Sarah Vachon, sommelier at the UK's first olive oil cocktail bar in Notting Hill. She recommends Citizens of Soil's Sicilian small-batch (£35, In influencer circles there are those who mould it, using silicone trays, into leaves and seashells, and others who add a bit of water or milk to whip it into gargantuan mounds that act partly as a tablescape feature, surrounded by a generous heap of fashionably leafy radishes. This is part of a trend for … At Copenhagen Design Week placement cards for dinner were slotted into asparagus stems, broad beans and mini aubergines — a great solution for all those unwanted courgettes in the veg box too. Fruit also works: the cookery writer Skye McAlpine dots a summer table with bunches of grapes, while fashion industry dinners are using oranges and grapefruits as everything from ice cream dishes to candle-holders (just shove them in the top). John Lewis's £10 ceramic lemon version and tangerine salt and pepper shakers will do the trick too (£12, Also seen in Copenhagen. You will need: a recycling bin's worth of different-sized glass bottles, each with just one flower in — ranunculus was the preference — then arranged on an oversized linen tablecloth, such as Secret Linen Store's vibrant lime green (£149, 'Let it drape naturally rather than aiming for crisp and traditional,' says Gem Boner, ex of Soho House and proprietor of the beau monde's favourite farm-stay venue, Restaries in Suffolk. Other must-have tabletoppers include H&M's Palm Heights sandstone candle-holders (£24.99, and retro-looking silver steel serving platters. The experts are all in agreement on this one: Cleo Sol, Addison Rae, Beka, Zach Bryan, Bonobo. One beauty insider's go-to is simply five hours' worth of Madonna remixes — no complaints here. • The best albums of 2025 so far 'One low-effort trick is to make a hole in a watermelon and fill it up with a liqueur,' Jackson says. Gabriel Boudier's Crème de Rhubarbe would nod to this summer's other trendiest vegetable (£14.75, Leave it to infuse for 12 hours, then serve in slices — and with a warning.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Inside 'one of the UK's most beautiful' beach huts in its most secret bay
The Cable Hut in Pembrokeshire, Wales is one of the most luxurious beach huts in the UK, according to new Channel 4 show Britain's Best Beach Huts, and boasts a fascinating history Tucked away in a quiet corner of Wales is a charming cabin with an intriguing past. The Cable Hut, which recently featured on Britain's Best Beach Huts on Channel 4, has been hailed by interior design guru Laura Jackson "one of the most beautiful beach huts in the country". Laura told viewers that the hut played a "pivotal role" in British history. She explains: "150 years ago, staff here were some of the first to establish telecommunications with America. On July 27, 1866, Brunel's Great Eastern steamship completed a voyage to lay a cable under the Atlantic, reducing the time it took to send messages to the Americas from two weeks - to two minutes!" What's more, the hut sits close to a bay that has now been named the 'most secretive' in the UK (although this article and the Channel 4 programme mean that probably won't remain the case for too long). Research by FitFlop analysed Google searches for 915 of the UK's beaches to find the least-known bays which are perfect for a secret, solitary summer escape. The data highlights how many Google searches there are each month per beach location, on average, to unveil the beach bays under the radar as the least researched online. Topping the charts as the most secluded are Abermawr Bay in Wales, Kingsland Bay in England, and Knockinelder Bay in Northern Ireland, with only ten online searches each per month in the UK. With a 4.5 Tripadvisor rating and positioned on the wild and unspoiled north-west coast of Pembrokeshire, Abermawr Bay is a gem for beach walkers seeking peace, beauty, and connection with nature. Its secluded shingle beach is framed by rugged cliffs and backed by a whispering woodland of wind-sculpted trees to offer an atmospheric experience that feels miles away from the modern world. You can stroll along the shore and listen to the rhythmic sound of waves rolling over the pebbles or follow the coastal path above the bay to admire the panoramic views over St. George's Channel, which offers opportunities for birdwatching and spotting marine life. And if you want somewhere to stay that will really help you get away from it all, then Cable Hut is perfect. John Marsh, the owner of The Cable Hut, explained how some of the original cable still runs beneath the property. John and his wife have diligently preserved the hut's historical allure while bringing it up to date in recent years. This stylish bedroom was once the nerve centre for telecommunications staff, but its history is still reflected in the Hut's lighting, which features warehouse-style and industrial lamps throughout, as well as a unique lamp made from a fire extinguisher, reports Wales Online. While the Hut is significantly larger than the traditional beach huts we often see on postcards - like the ones we visited in Langland, Gower, at Easter - it still retains much of the classic charm we associate with this quintessential British holiday staple. The Cable Hut is a privately-owned property available for short-term rentals, perfect for couples seeking a relaxing retreat in a home-away-from-home setting. Its listing states: "Back in the days where love letters and drift bottles were amongst the only few means of communication, this humble hut in Pembrokeshire was built to house the first telephone lines laid across the Atlantic Ocean. "Over 100 years later, the abandoned Welsh dwelling captured the imagination of a young passing couple and The Cable Hut started its latest chapter as a luxury self-catering cottage retreat." The Cable Hut accommodates two people and is priced starting from £995 for a short break or £1,295 for a week-long stay.
Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
How to host the perfect bank holiday feast
By rights, Laura Jackson should be insufferable. Hers is an enviable CV that encompasses both success on the supper club scene in the 2010s and cool-girl appearances at Dior fashion shows. Her homeware website Glassette is a drool-worthy mecca for the interiors obsessed, while her wardrobe is envy-inducing. Happily, the down-to-earth influencer has a superpower that goes hand in hand with her ability to turn anything she touches into gold: her unstuffy northern humour instantly makes people feel at ease. 'I don't know any other way to be,' the 38-year-old tells me over Zoom from her home in east London. There are no glimpses of the much-coveted kitchen made from wood reclaimed from an Italian church, but that's OK, I can get my fix on her Instagram along with her 390,000 followers. This is where she hosted Make a Meal of It during lockdown (which encouraged us to put in the effort even when we were isolating at home), mixed a martini with Stanley Tucci, and presented her North vs South series – horrifying Paddy McGuinness with her poshed-up chips, sausage and egg. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Laura Jackson (@iamlaurajackson) She admits there might be something in the stereotype that northerners like bland food. 'Everything is beige. It's bread and butter, it's pie, it's curry on chips.' Years in the south have broadened her palette, but she owes her northern childhood a debt. Growing up in Huddersfield, meal times were always an event – unavoidable with eight in the house. As well as Jackson, there was her mum, sister, stepdad, two stepbrothers, stepsister and maternal uncle. Hosting was by necessity easy-going, warm and welcoming. 'It was just how we were as a family. We had an open door policy. People would drop by. There was always lots of food. It felt very normal.' It sounds like hell for an introvert, but it was the making of Jackson. She studied events management, found her way to London, and – via stints on the front desk at the private members' club Shoreditch House – has graduated from someone who used to say 'tea', and now describes her evening meal as 'dinner'. Even if she's slightly horrified herself. Fridays, after all, were always chippy tea night: 'We'd argue about who got to carry it home. I only ever wanted to eat the scraps.' 'Supper' would still be a stretch for her to say, despite the successful club she started with DJ Alice Levine in 2013. Married to the fashion photographer Jonathan Gorrigan since 2017, they have three children aged two to six. Reflecting on what word best describes her life now, she plumps for 'entrepreneurial'. 'I feel I'm forever the optimist. I'm a glass half-full person,' she says. 'I just like to make and create opportunities in every sense of the word, whether it's in a work capacity or host capacity. If I've got two people over, why wouldn't I make it look nice? I'm forever trying to make moments and experiences. No matter whether it's beans on toast for the kids where I like to do little silly faces with cucumber and carrots, or cooking dinner for my mates.' Bringing people together, feeding them, hosting them, and talking to them, is what makes her world go round. And her top hosting tip? 'It's about the things that feel important to you. For some people it's more about the food. For others, it's about the table. Lean into what you feel comfortable with and go with that.' Laura's top hosting tips Before the guests arrive Buy flowers from the supermarket 'It's incredible what you can do with a £5 bouquet of flowers,' says Jackson. 'You can just take a very simple table and either put one central bunch in, or use three little ones, or else a stem on everyone's plate. I think flowers give people life.' She cites a study at Harvard that found that having flowers at home can improve wellbeing, leading to increased compassion, reduced anxiety, and a boost in overall mood. 'Having them on the table is a natural fragrance that adds colour and sparks a bit of joy.' Don't stress about plates There's no need to spend a lot of money on dinnerware, although Jackson's online business Glassette has extremely covetable items. 'I would be lying if I didn't say I have quite nice things now to play around with on the table. But that wasn't always the case,' says Jackson. 'I'm so not from that world where you grew up with having everything that matched. That is not my life at all.' Be prepared 'The only course I will ever cook is the main. Do a simple starter even if it's just the snacks at the beginning, and have dessert already cooked. Make a chocolate mousse the night before. If you prepare as much of the main in advance as possible you actually don't have that much to do.' Have fun with napkins An early memory of Jackson's is making concertina folds and putting them in glasses for her mum. 'They were little inexpensive glasses. I don't think anything needs to cost the earth at all.' She has found herself at her most creative when she's been constrained by money. 'At the first supper club there was a fabric place near where I lived in Dalston and you could get the most amazing bright coloured fabric for £3 a metre. I used it for table cloths and napkins. I didn't have a sewing machine so I'd just iron on Wonderweb. You do have to give yourself a bit of time to think creatively.' Make a menu At Easter, Jackson's six-year-old daughter Sidney wrote the menu on an A4 sheet of paper. 'It's the third year she's done it, and she managed to even write some words this time,' laughs Jackson. When they arrive The playlist 'If I'm really stuck and someone's knocking at the door, I've got ready-made playlists that I can easily turn on,' says Jackson. Northern soul is always a good choice. If you don't have any playlists, she says go to your favourite radio station on Spotify and they will have a playlist. But a film playlist is her absolute favourite. 'I remember when Call Me By Your Name came out and every time anyone came round, I'd have that on.' Your house, your rules When people come through the door Jackson will greet them, give them a cuddle, ask how they are and take their coat. And then she'll ask them to take their shoes off. 'I don't like shoes in my house,' she admits. 'I'm terrible.' Have snacks out Jackson will always make sure there's a drink and some snacks ready to go. Crisps, hummus, olives, crudités – stuff to nibble: 'When people arrive around 7.30pm, they've probably been running around all day, so it's nice to have something to eat with that first drink.' When they sit down Have a seating plan if you like, but be prepared to move Jackson isn't into anything formal and at home people sit where they want. At her supper club, they would always try to break people up so that they could meet new people. 'That was kind of the point of it.' At home, she wants to create an atmosphere where you can move seats if you want. 'There's not enough time in the world for us to be put in situations where we don't feel comfortable. It's always about creating a really great atmosphere for the guest and the host.' The host can sit down too! 'If you're not present and having a conversation when you've had people over, you feel like you've not chatted to anyone. So it's a fine balance of being involved and sitting at the table – but also being able to nip to the fridge to get whatever is needed.' Prepare your meal The biggest no-no for Jackson is cooking something elaborate that you've never done before and spending all night in the kitchen getting really stressed. 'It creates this atmosphere where your guests don't feel like they want to be in your house. This is not the time to practise the crazy recipe that you once read in a book.' Her go-to dish is a roast chicken that can be cooked an hour beforehand and covered in foil. If it's winter she will serve it with dauphinoise potatoes and greens. In the summer, she likes to do the Zuni Café's chicken salad. 'That's just chicken and big lumps of sourdough bread soaked in all of the juices, plus a salad on the side.' She adds: 'I don't really know that many people who don't like chicken. Unless they're vegetarian or vegan, and then they don't like it,' she laughs. 'They can just have a veggie sausage. Or bring their own dinner.' It's OK if the food goes wrong Last summer Jackson had friends over for a barbecue, including one who is 'a really incredible chef'. Keen to use her new pizza oven, she made anchovy pizzas and decided to risk putting a Basque cheesecake in the oven too. 'It was awful, my chef friend said it was 'disgusting'. It was a very Bridget Jones moment for me, but everyone laughed. It really was very curdled and not very nice.' Food can be from somewhere else... Jackson has been known to order a takeaway, put it on nice plates and not even tell anyone. 'I'll lay the table nicely. It's about creating an amazing experience and that doesn't always have to be the food.' ... just make sure there's plenty of it The small plate era was one of the reasons Jackson started her supper club in 2013. 'We always thought that it was rubbish that you were expected to pay £10 for something that was just a few peanuts.' At her own supper clubs there would always be plenty of food on plates all down the tables. 'And you didn't have to leave after 90 minutes because they turned the tables.' Don't let the meal go dry Jackson doesn't have many hosting faux pas, but there is one: not topping up guests' drinks. 'That feeling when you're at someone's house and you're so parched and you just want water or wine and nothing comes for hours… I always like to make sure everyone is hydrated.' How to end the night This has taken some figuring out. 'I used to turn on all the lights and say you've got to go now. Then I realised that was quite rude,' laughs Jackson. 'So now I stop pouring drinks. And I think people kind of get it.' She doesn't think there's anything wrong with telling people that you need to go to bed now. 'People always say that is such a Laura thing to say. But I can't do 10 hours of generosity on a Sunday when I've got to get the kids to school the next day.'
The Hindu
30-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Chennai's St. Ebba's Girls Higher Secondary School that takes in the poor
In 1886, a group of missionaries from Scotland established a school at Mylapore to educate the poor girls in the neighbourhood. Five women — Laura Jackson, Teale, Ruth Gordon, Schebhert, and Joe Walford — came together to establish a residential school to educate the girls of Mylapore. They were looking for a suitable place. The premises where the school stands now was known as Sullivan's Gardens, the residence of Benjamin Sullivan who lived there in the 1780s. He has been credited with being the 'originator' of Madras post office attorney-general, who later became a judge. In 1840, the Madras Diocese of the Society for Propagating Gospel in Foreign Parts acquired the property. The women's dream materialised when Sullivan's Gardens on Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai came to their rescue in 1886. The school derived its name from St. Ebba, the daughter of the King of Northumbria. A plaque at the school entrance gives details of St. Ebba. She lived in 7 A.D. and became a Scottish saint. In 1903, the school was upgraded as a high school with patronage from children of Telugu origin flocking to it. In 1913, a new building came up, serving as a hostel for students and teachers. Soon after, St. Ebba's began admitting boys in the primary section. The practice continues even today. During the Second World War, the school was taken over for billeting the troops, and it was shifted to Namakkal. The school later returned to its premises and began to be administered by Indian women, according to an article in the school's 125th anniversary souvenir. In 1974, the management of the school came under the Madras Archbishop. In 1978, the school was upgraded as a higher secondary school. The motto of the school remains, 'Walk as children of light'. In 2007, the management set up a matriculation school on the premises. The heritage building where the school first began functioning has been converted into a college for education. In 2011, the school authorities brought together a group of alumnae, who also instituted scholarships and proficiency prizes, and donated generously for the construction of classrooms, say school officials. 'Until the COVID-19 pandemic, the school's strength was around 1,000. But, in the past four years, it has been falling,' says Shanti Christian, the school's correspondent. The aided school offers noon-meal scheme but after the government began supplying breakfast, students have preferred government schools, she says. The government scheme of admission to professional courses through preferential reservation for government school students has also impacted the admission. The school authorities have been trying hard to canvas in the neighbourhood areas. At present, the school strength is 550. The correspondent says the school has developed two smart classrooms. The authorities have applied to the School Education Department for permission to extend the co-education stream up to Class VIII. 'Our playground is the envy of schools in the city,' adds Principal Ramila Hepsi. The playground has given the girls an edge over those of other schools at sporting events. The school has teams for hockey, football, and handball. Some girls have shown promise in athletics. One student won a bronze in a national boxing championship. Students are also taught kung fu and silambam.
The Hindu
29-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
A school at Mylapore that takes in the poor
In 1886, a group of missionaries from Scotland established a school at Mylapore to educate the poor girls in the neighbourhood. Five women — Laura Jackson, Teale, Ruth Gordon, Schebhert, and Joe Walford — came together to establish a residential school to educate the girls of Mylapore. They were looking for a suitable place. The premises where the school stands now was known as Sullivan's Gardens, the residence of Benjamin Sullivan who lived there in the 1780s. He has been credited with being the 'originator' of Madras post office attorney-general, who later became a judge. In 1840, the Madras Diocese of the Society for Propagating Gospel in Foreign Parts acquired the property. The women's dream materialised when Sullivan's Gardens on Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai came to their rescue in 1886. The school derived its name from St. Ebba, the daughter of the King of Northumbria. A plaque at the school entrance gives details of St. Ebba. She lived in 7 A.D. and became a Scottish saint. In 1903, the school was upgraded as a high school with patronage from children of Telugu origin flocking to it. In 1913, a new building came up, serving as a hostel for students and teachers. Soon after, St. Ebba's began admitting boys in the primary section. The practice continues even today. During the Second World War, the school was taken over for billeting the troops, and it was shifted to Namakkal. The school later returned to its premises and began to be administered by Indian women, according to an article in the school's 125th anniversary souvenir. In 1974, the management of the school came under the Madras Archbishop. In 1978, the school was upgraded as a higher secondary school. The motto of the school remains, 'Walk as children of light'. In 2007, the management set up a matriculation school on the premises. The heritage building where the school first began functioning has been converted into a college for education. In 2011, the school authorities brought together a group of alumnae, who also instituted scholarships and proficiency prizes, and donated generously for the construction of classrooms, say school officials. 'Until the COVID-19 pandemic, the school's strength was around 1,000. But, in the past four years, it has been falling,' says Shanti Christian, the school's correspondent. The aided school offers noon-meal scheme but after the government began supplying breakfast, students have preferred government schools, she says. The government scheme of admission to professional courses through preferential reservation for government school students has also impacted the admission. The school authorities have been trying hard to canvas in the neighbourhood areas. At present, the school strength is 550. The correspondent says the school has developed two smart classrooms. The authorities have applied to the School Education Department for permission to extend the co-education stream up to Class VIII. 'Our playground is the envy of schools in the city,' adds Principal Ramila Hepsi. The playground has given the girls an edge over those of other schools at sporting events. The school has teams for hockey, football, and handball. Some girls have shown promise in athletics. One student won a bronze in a national boxing championship. Students are also taught kung fu and silambam.
