Disappearing into a book is something that was instilled into me from childhood, and it’s still a wonderful alternative to costly airfares and long journeys. Jane Johnson is a Cornish author who splits her time between Mousehole and Morocco, and is lucky enough to work from home as a Fiction Publishing Director for HarperCollins. Her latest book, The Black Crescent, uses scented descriptions to help conjure emotions and locations, and so it’s the perfect time to discover her own fragrance memories in “Stephan’s Six”.
We often forget that the United Kingdom, and Croydon in particular, had a rich heritage of growing lavender. It was prized around the world and was actually more expensive than anything coming out of France at the time. Land use, and war, altered the fortunes of many producers but recently the fields have starting turning to “blue gold” once more. This encouragement, and also a desire for “a simpler way of life,” saw Julia and David Bridger launch Parterre Fragrances at Keyneston Mill. Four years later, and with three scents already under their belt, they have now released the romantically titled The Hour of Dusk and Gold.
