Jane McGowan

Redhill

News and Business Writer at Farmers Guardian

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Articles

Surrey theatres are bringing Shakespeare to the classroom

2 months ago | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

If all the world is a stage, it’s never too soon to start learning your lines. Jane McGowan spotlights two Surrey initiatives for bringing the Bard to the bairns... If knowledge is “the wing wherewith we fly to heaven” – as Shakespeare has the nobleman Lord Say declare in Henry VI Part II – it makes sense to create an entrance for the playwright himself into the minds of the very young.
Maximalist in retirement: Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s colourful next chapter

Feb 4, 2025 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen believes in a colourful retirement. The TV star tells Jane McGowan why older doesn’t have to mean boring... Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, the flamboyant interior designer turned national treasure, is a man on a mission: to revolutionise retirement living. The TV celebrity, who burst onto our screens amid a mountain of MDF in the 90s BBC hit Changing Rooms, has now teamed up with Rangeford Villages, an award-winning provider of luxury homes for the 60+ community.
Ditch the debt: why more students are choosing apprenticeships over university

Feb 4, 2025 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

Degree vs. Apprenticeship: Which Path Is Right for You? Frightened of university debt? Prefer to earn while you learn? A modern apprenticeship could be for you. Jane McGowan is quick to enrol... Apprenticeships are changing. In 2023, 621,000 young people aged 19+ participated in one scheme or another – an increase of 1.2% on the 2021/22 figure of 613,900.
Taking the first step: walking and talking for men's mental health

Jan 2, 2025 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

One small step for local men. But one giant leap for their mental health. Jane McGowan on a walking and talking cure... In 2022, more than 4,100 men took their own lives in the UK. Of all deaths recorded as suicide, males accounted for 75% of them. And the figure has been rising since the mid-1990s. According to the Office of National Statistics, in 2023, the UK suicide rate was more than three times higher for men than for women, with men aged 45-49 especially at risk.
Scott Miller: A vet's journey from TV screens to rescue missions and new beginnings

Jan 2, 2025 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

It’s still a dog’s life for Scott Miller. The Surrey-based TV vet tells Jane McGowan about his latest pet projects... It shouldn’t happen to a vet, as the title of a popular book once plaintively proclaimed. But for TV vet Scott Miller, just about everything that could possibly have happened has occurred within a single year.
Review: The Boathouse Café, Guildford

Oct 7, 2024 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

Boathouse Cafe Review Jane McGowan enjoys a relaxed lunch at this idyllic riverside retreat Address: Millbrook, Guildford GU1 3XJ England Book now Tucked away in a quiet corner of Guildford, The Boathouse Cafe enjoys a beautiful riverside location, offering diners stunning views of the River Wey. Whether you're seated indoors or out on the patio, the calming environs create a peaceful atmosphere perfect for a relaxed meal.
Jeweller Theo Fennell's new memoir is a sparkling success

Aug 21, 2024 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

Fennell has lived a life full of exuberance, adventure, incredible failure and even occasional success - as his humorous new memoir reveals. Jane McGowan sits down with the celebrated jeweller to discuss his disarming new book, I Fear for this Boy – Some Chapters of Accidents. Fennell will appear in discussion with Richard E Grant at Barnes BookFest on September 24. To book tickets, click here. Theo Fennell is one of those people you wished you had known all your life.
Catching up with Beverley Knight ahead of Kew the Music

Jun 26, 2024 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

Beverley Knight is the queen of the British soul. This summer, she is right on Kew. Jane McGowan gets in tune... Beverley Knight was born to sing. Moreover, she says, “at the risk of sounding obnoxious,” she has always known she could do it. “I have always been aware that my voice could do things others couldn’t,” confesses the 51-year-old vocalist and musical theatre star. “It’s a gift that fell into my lap at birth, and I will be forever grateful.
Up close and personal with Jack Savoretti

May 22, 2024 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

Songsmith Jack Savoretti is heading for Hampton Court. And he’s bringing some Mediterranean magic. Jane McGowan tunes up... Jack Savoretti is talking Italian. Or rather, he is singing it. Not only does he have a string of European concerts lined up – including this month’s Hampton Court Palace Festival – but he is also looking forward to sharing his recently released new album, Miss Italia, with his millions of fans across the globe.
Lizzi Jordan on how para-cycling restored her sense of vision

May 8, 2024 | essentialsurrey.co.uk | Jane McGowan

A freak illness left Lizzi Jordan blind. But para-cycling restored her sense of vision—and she has the medals to prove it. Jane McGowan finds the Guildford girl dreaming of Paris. In September 2017, Lizzi Jordan was just like any other student as she headed for a fun night out. But that evening, aged just 19 and studying psychology at Royal Holloway in Egham, she was suddenly struck down after a meal at a fast food restaurant. Doctors diagnosed a rare strain of E.