The Sunday Times - UK (2022-04-24)

22 April 24, 2022The Sunday Times

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I

lived in Tooting in south

London for about ten years,

then moved to Wandsworth

Common 20 years ago, to a

three-bedroom house that was

built in about 1997. I really liked the

fact that Tooting is multicultural, but I

also wanted access to a lovely park

where I can exercise. It’s still easy to

go on my bike to Tooting High Street,

so it’s the best of both worlds.

What’s your taste in property?

I got on the property ladder in about

2000 when I got my publishing and

record deals. I like modern,

minimalistic houses. I get really

excited about a blank canvas. That’s

the way my mind works with art and

music. I’m at my most excited when

there’s nothing there and I can see

the different directions something

could go in.

What’s your favourite part

of the house?

The lounge, because I like

just sitting there clearing my

mind. I will unwind reading

a book, playing online chess

or watching television. I

have neutral walls so that I

can introduce splashes of

colour. I like things that have a

heart and soul to them. I have a

stunning Aboriginal painting from

when I spent time with Aboriginal

Australians in Arnhem Land in 2001.

Did lockdown prompt lifestyle

changes?

I did a lot of kickboxing, running and

cycling at the beginning of lockdown.

When I got Covid in October 2020 that

took my energy away and it’s only

recently that I’ve started to exercise

again. But there were lots of things I

found interesting. I read New Scientist

SUKI DHANDA; ALAMY

TIME AND SPACE THE WAY WE LIVE NOW

NITIN SAWHNEY

The award-winning musician on having

Paul McCartney over to write a song

every week and I remember an article

about consciousness and the

universe. I found myself becoming a

lot more reflective and philosophical

because life suddenly felt precarious.

Best famous guest story?

When I first had the home studio set

up Andy Serkis came to the house for a

video game I was working on. I didn’t

know him and I happened to have a

little puppet of Gollum [who Serkis

played in The Lord of the Rings] on one

of my speakers. He was standing in

front of it talking to me and I was so

distracted I just collapsed laughing.

Paul McCartney also came round once.

I wanted him to play the wine glass for

my album London Undersound but he

turned up with his bass guitar instead

and we ended up writing a song,

which was wonderful.

How important is

outdoor space?

It’s really

important. I try to do 10,000 steps a

day and be around nature. Whenever

I can I’ll get out to a country pub to

meet friends. My dad was a botanist

but I’m useless at gardening.

Where did you grow up?

In a bungalow with a nicely

landscaped garden by the River

Medway at Rochester in Kent. I had

an idyllic life. It was a picturesque

area, but there was a lot of racism in

the Seventies. The National Front

used to follow me home from school

in a white van shouting racist abuse.

I used to get a lot of attacks. But as I

got older and started playing with

bands, Rock Against Racism changed

the mood and I made friends who are

still friends today.

What’s your breakfast-time

listening?

Nat King Cole or some Indian classical

music if I’m in a contemplative mood.

If I want a bit of energy I might listen

to flamenco from Paco de Lucía or a

bit of chamber music.

Is this a house for the long term?

I’m probably going to move. If I feel

too comfortable I like to shake it up

a bit. But I’d stay in the south London

area. I like the idea of moving nearer

to the river. Calm stretches of water

stimulate me to think and meditate.

Interview by Caroline Rees

Nitin Sawhney plays at the Cheltenham

Jazz Festival, which runs from April 27

to May 2; cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz

Nitin Sawhney, with his father in Kent in 1967, top, lived in Tooting, above,

for ten years and is proud of his Aboriginal painting, above left

“natural” and eco-friendly.

If you wanted to make your

own version, and know

exactly what goes in it, a

white vinegar and warm

water solution is nontoxic

and very effective.

Bicarbonate of soda acts as

a degreaser and offers an

abrasive element suitable for

stubborn stains. Shaving foam

is another gentler alternative

to traditional cleaners — it

cleans mirrors and stops

them from steaming up.

Other mildly acidic

products such as lemons are

also brilliant for cleaning.

You’ll often find that lemons

are the best products for lifting

more stubborn stains, such as

hard-water marks, while olive

oil buffs up stainless steel and

shower screens.

Chris Wootton, managing

director of the domestic

cleaning company Poppies

(poppies.co.uk)

Send questions to

homehelp@sunday-

times.co.uk. Advice given

without responsibility

WHAT ARE THE

BEST NATURAL

CLEANING

PRODUCTS?

Q

My cleaner

has asthma

and allergies

and I am

also concerned about the

health of my family in

terms of breathing in

harsh chemicals, not to

mention their effect

on the environment.

My past experience of

natural cleaning products is

that they don’t work very

well. Can you recommend

any nontoxic products or

ingredients for cleaning

bathrooms and kitchens

that are actually effective?

T Levine, Hampstead

A

Often the trigger for

allergies are products that

are strongly scented, so

choosing to use unscented

all-purpose cleaner is

probably the best option.

What’s better is that you

can clean most of the house

with it. A lot of products on

the market are now deemed

HOME

HELP

READERS’ CLINIC

HOW DO I TREAT THE YELLOW BALD PATCHES

THAT DOG WEE MAKES ON LAWNS?

Lesley Carroll, London

We found giving our dog a

daily spoonful of tomato

juice mixed in her food

stopped the grass burning!

Peter Catterall

A squeeze of tomato

ketchup at every meal.

Works a treat.

Diana Pollock, Cheltenham

Dog Rocks [natural rocks

from Australia that you place

in your dog’s water bowl.

These filter out nitrates and

other impurities from your

dog’s drinking water]. They

cured the problem caused

by our female dachshund

100 per cent. The only

problem was that when

people stayed over they

helpfully removed the rocks

from the dog’s bowl and

threw them into the garden!

Caroline

Editor’s note: consult your

vet before trying any of

the above.

The gardening

legend Percy

Thrower once

said that he

had trained

his labradors

to do their

business in his

orchard, not

on his lawns.

So maybe our

dogs could

be trained

to go

elsewhere

also.

I think Percy also said that if

your dog does wee on your

lawn, the patch will have

yellow dead grass in the

middle and green grass

around it. As the wee dilutes

away from the centre, it acts

as a fertiliser. The answer is

to pour water over it as soon

as it is done and you will

have lush green grass.

Bob Buxey

Reader tip of the week

Need to drill a hole in a wall

or ceiling? Hold the screw or

Rawlplug against the tip of

the drill bit. Wrap a piece of

electrical tape around the bit

so that the part of the bit

exposed is the same length

as the screw etc. Just drill

until the bit goes in as far as

the tape. The hole is then the

exact depth you need. To

clean up the mess after

drilling? Don’t bother, just

get someone to hold the

vacuum cleaner nozzle

beside the drill hole while

you are drilling, and there’s

no mess in the first place.

Paul Goodwin, St John’s

Town of Dalry

FUTURE QUESTION

The adhesive felt squares I

put on my dining chair legs

fall off after a few weeks. Is

there a better product you

can recommend, or a way of

protecting my hard floors

from scraping?

Send tips and questions to

homehelp@sunday-

times.co.uk. Advice is given

without responsibility