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Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Pippa Middleton teases surprising festive plans happening 'very soon' - after highways bosses condemned her creche plans
Pippa Middleton and her hedge-fund billionaire husband's Buckleberry Farm unveiled its Christmas plans today - after facing backlash from roadway experts. Children in the UK are yet to go on their summer holidays, but staff at Pippa and James Matthews's venture have helped ensure parents stay ahead of the curve by unveiling upcoming Santa's grotto tickets. In 2020, Pippa and James snapped up 72 sprawling acres of land in leafy Berkshire for just £1.5million - in a village where a detached house with a garden already costs close to that price. The rolling fields, which had a 'wedding tractor' to celebrate the Prince and Princess of Wales 's marriage in 2010, is currently home to a 44-acre deer park, café, glamping pods and children's play area. The couple have since opened the lodge at Bucklebury Farm for social events, including parties or Pilates classes. Now, they appear to be gradually increasing their offerings, with more activities for children, including the grotto. Tickets for the grotto are landing 'very soon', according to the farm's Instagram, which added in the post's caption, 'Is it too soon to mention... Father Christmas?! Because guess what - Father Christmas Grotto tickets at Bucklebury Farm will be on sale very soon! 'We know it's only Summer and you are probably lighting your BBQ as we speak, but magic takes planning - and the elves are already hard at work! Keep your eyes peeled... you won't want to miss out on the festive fun!' Michael and Carole Middleton are well-established in the area and had been living in the small village of Bucklebury for many years before moving into the local manor house in 2012. James Middleton also purchased a £1.45 million 16th-century farmhouse near Bucklebury with his wife, Alizee Thevenet, in 2021. Next to relocate from West London to West Berkshire was Pippa and her investment banker husband, James Matthews, along with their three children. They have set up a home in a £15 million mansion a 20-minute drive from her parents. James Matthews and business pals later purchased the 72-acre Bucklebury Park Farm, a stone's throw from Pippa's parents. However, Pippa and James came under fire from highway bosses after revealing their plans to build a countryside creche. In March this year, roads chiefs said the idea for the rural nursery would mean too many cars. And a local councillor was so concerned that he has called the decision in, meaning it will be debated by the planning committee. The site has been open to the public since 1992 and is located on the edge of the village of Bucklebury, Berks, around 4km north east of Thatcham. Mr Matthews - whose brother is reality star Spencer Matthews - wants to open the facility for pre-schoolers at their rural Bucklebury Farm in Berkshire. The Princess of Wales is known to be a huge advocate of a strong start in the early years and she and William's Royal Foundation champion the cause. Bucklebury Farm's petting zoo was said to be a favourite of young Prince George when he visited his grandparents. But 'significant concerns' have been voiced by the local council's road experts who say they are worried about the extra number of cars the creche will spark - and have recommended the plans be refused. Cllr Christopher Read, the ward member for Bucklebury, was also worried, applying to have the decision debated by the planning committee. The Matthews have carried out a series of improvements to Bucklebury Farm since they bought it four years ago, continuing its 40-year success. It has a deer park, soft play area, animal petting, office space and cafe. There are also rustic glamping tents, where families can stay with just the heat from a logburner and no electricity or Wi-Fi. They hope the latest plans for a day nursery will give local parents more choice, with no similar facilities for five miles. Many local ones also don't provide cover in school holidays meaning parents nearby are missing out on working outside of term time. Farm bosses wouldn't need to build the nursery as the buildings already exist, but a change of use would need to be granted to allow them to legally use them for early years education. It would be housed in a log cabin approved for on-site staff accommodation in 2015, before Pippa and her family owned the park. A change of use was granted eight years later, to allow the cabin to be used as office space with meeting rooms, a workshop and studio. But the application has been called in at West Berkshire Council to be debated by the planning committee following worries about the traffic the proposals could cause. West Berkshire Council's highways department said: 'When the local highways authority assessed (the 2023 planning application) there were concerns that the building would be utilised independently of the farm park and that there would be an unacceptable increase in vehicle movements in an unsustainable location. 'There are no alternative modes of travel to the site other than private car. 'The application was, on balance, accepted by highways on the basis that the use was proposed to be once or twice a week. 'This application now seeks to add in a non-residential creche, day centre or nursery. This is a significant concern. 'This would result in staff and children/attendees' vehicle movements, travelling to and from the site potentially daily, in what is an unsustainable location. 'No details of sessions, capacity etc is provided, which should accompany an application such as this, however this will not overcome the highway concerns with this proposal. 'A creche, day centre or nursery could see a much greater use at the site, potentially daily use, with all staff and children/attendees travelling to the site by private car. 'The proposed additional use class would result in an unacceptable increase in vehicle movements in what is an unsustainable location.' They added that they recommended refusal. However, the council did add that concerns could be allayed by benefits to the rural economy, the provision of jobs and the lack of similar nearby nurseries. Bucklebury Parish Council has no objection to this application, but did add: 'There was discussion about the vehicular access to the proposed facility, which is shared with pedestrians as they enter the farm from the carpark….. 'The plans are not clear on where staff or parents will be expected to park.' Caroline Downie - writing to West Berkshire planners on behalf of agents Lasseter Downie Planning - tried to calm fears. She explained that there would be a maximum of 24 children on site and it would take three years to reach capacity. There would be one manager, two qualified teachers and a couple of apprentices, adding that up to 20 parents had already expressed an interest. 'The local nurseries are at capacity or near capacity,' she added. 'This offering as discussed above will not be large but will offer children a unique experience with access to the farm park facilities and the learning that this will provide. 'The applicant has been researching demand through social media and has established that there are already 17 to 20 parents that are interested should this facility become available to them.' She estimated 48 extra vehicle movements per day - 240 a week or 12,480 per annum - and less if some children were siblings. The farm had 45,000 visitors last year, estimated at 30,000 vehicle movements,. Ten staff add an extra 7,280 a year, meaning adding the nursery would still keep cars below the 70,000 allowed by the local council. It's not clear whether the plans have been approved or disapproved.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Peek inside William's inner circle: How Kate Middleton's 'quiet' father became the Prince's secret advisor
He may have once been described as the 'quietest member of the Middleton family', but this didn't stop him from receiving a standing ovation for his speech at his daughter's wedding. Michael Middleton, the father of Catherine, the Princess of Wales, turns 76 today and, as is his nature, is likely to celebrate quietly, away from the public eye. While Michael and Kate's mother, Carole, generally maintain a low profile, the public has occasionally been granted glimpses into their lives. Katie Nicholl, a former royal correspondent for the Mail on Sunday, wrote in her book, William and Harry, that Michael and Carole met while they were working for British Airways as ground crew. 'Carole is a go-getter who knows what she wants and usually gets it. 'Yes, she likes the fine things in life, but she and Michael have worked hard to get them. 'When they dine in Mustique and she hears a plane coming into land, she puts on her best air hostess voice and announces the flight name and landing time - it's very funny. 'Michael is a man of fewer words, but you can tell he adores his family,' she wrote. 'He always sits at the head of the table and you can see his delight as he listens to his children chat about their recent adventures.' Carole established Party Pieces, a company making party bags in 1987, and by 1995 was managed by both Michael and Carole. The Middletons' business was successful at that time though later collapsed. Along with trust funds inherited by Michael from his aristocrat grandmother, Olive Christiana Middleton, the business enabled the family to continue the Middleton family tradition of sending their children to board at independent schools. All three children were sent to St Andrew's School, Pangbourne, and both daughters were sent to Downe House School, a girls' boarding school in Cold Ash, and Marlborough College, in Wiltshire. The British press created the term Upper Middleton Class to describe the family's social position. During an episode of the podcast Dynasty: The Royal Family 's Most Challenging Year, Nicholl described Michael as a 'really wonderful' father-in-law to William. 'I know they have a close relationship, and that William will often turn to Michael for advice,' she said. 'He has a great sense of humour and I think he's someone who is a cool head in a crisis.' Michael has rarely spoken publicly about his son-in-law, William, but royal observers caught a glimpse of their relationship in his speech at his daughter's wedding. Nicholl said: 'I always remember his father-of-the-bride speech on the wedding day and how he had everyone at the tables just in fits of laughter when he was recounting the story of William, who was training at the time as a helicopter pilot, buzzing in on the Middleton family home and sweeping in on his helicopter,' she said. 'Obviously, as a father, thinking, "What on earth is going on here?" while simultaneously realising this was the future king of England really courting his daughter in a pretty spectacular way.' Michael also delivered an emotive speech for his youngest daughter, Pippa, on her wedding day in 2017. Nicholl added that the closeness of the Middletons led to jokes among royal correspondents. 'They would always stick together. They were a very tight unit and they're still the same today.' Nicholl's co-host Erin Vanderhoof added that the Middletons had given Prince William 'a normalcy' that was previously lacking in his life. 'I think, as kind of a man as King Charles is, he was not necessarily the warmest, most open person,' she said. Speaking of the father of the bride's speech at Kate's wedding, one guest said: 'Mike's speech was all about Kate, and he did very, very well - what a difficult speech to do, but it was very well delivered. 'He talked about her childhood, how the couple met and what a wonderful couple they make.' At the royal wedding, Michael told guests: 'Today was everything I had hoped for and I'm thrilled that equality ruled the day. 'Everybody appears as equal and our two families joining together has been an easy process. 'I thank the Royal Family for welcoming us as easily as they have.' And this wasn't the only time we got a glimpse at William's close relationship with his father-in-law. On the day of William and Kate's wedding, Michael held his daughter's arm as she walked towards her husband-to-be and future King. 'We're supposed to have just a small family affair,' William joked to his father-in-law, Nicholl wrote in her 2013 book, Kate: The Future Queen. The day was a grand celebration and certainly not a 'small family affair' as William had quipped. William's joke perhaps suited his nervous father-in-law's sense of humour as in less formal settings, he is reportedly known to enjoy making people laugh. 'My father has developed this funny tradition of surprising us at some point by appearing in fancy dress,' Michael's daughter, Pippa Middleton, previously told The Spectator. 'He buys a new costume each year and typically gets a bit carried away. A couple of Christmases ago, he appeared in an inflatable sumo outfit.' Writing for Vanity Fair in April 2011, Nicholl wrote: 'He affectionately calls Kate's father Mike and on occasion Dad. 'Because they do everything together, friends call them the En Masse Middletons. 'They are a close knit family, which is one of the reasons William loves spending time with them and has joined his future in-laws on several trips.' A friend of the family told the author: 'William loves his holidays with the Middletons because they are so relaxed. The official christening photo of Prince George photographed in the Morning Room at Clarence House in London on October 23, 2013 'He's always saying how much fun Carole is. She's very young in spirit and a great entertainer.' Nicholl said the Middletons surround themselves with a 'very loyal circle of friends' who they trust not to divulge secrets about the Wales' family, which is why not much is known about what goes on behind closed doors. However, she revealed Michael and the rest of the family had been on hand to help out during Kate's cancer recovery. 'They've been an anchor for her, more so now than ever before.'
