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7 WONDERS: BELINDA EARL

THE EARL'S PICKS | August 29th 2008

Nisbet Plantation

As chief executive of Jaeger, Belinda Earl is credited with bringing an ageing brand into the 21st century. She tells Rebecca Willis about the seven wonders of her world, from Devon to Nevis via Barcelona ...

From INTELLIGENT LIFE magazine, Summer 2008

BEACH: YARMER BEACH, DEVON
The only access to Yarmer beach is on foot--you walk for ten minutes either around the cliff or on a footpath that crosses the golf course (you have to keep your eyes and ears open, but I've never been hit). The beach is a combination of sand, shingle and rock pools. It's very unspoilt and great for exploring and rock-pooling at low tide and cold swims when the tide is high. It is wonderful in all seasons. I went as a child and we take our children there now.

JOURNEY: DRIVING HOME
I have lots of favourite journeys and they nearly all involve going home. Best is driving home on a sunny day. I live in Surrey and the last bit of my journey is on country lanes. Usually I travel by train, so when I drive I enjoy it.

BUILDING: LA SAGRADA FAMILIA, BARCELONA
I love this and all of Gaudi's buildings; they have such character and I admire his creativity. It is so much more than just a structure, it is building verging on art. I remember climbing all the way up it when I was expecting my second child.

VIEW: THE SEA
I can't pinpoint exactly where, but my view would be of the sea. It could be in the Caribbean or in England; the sea could be rough or calm as a millpond, but seeing the sea is important to me. I grew up not far from the beach in Devon, and my ideal holiday is by the sea. If pushed, I'd probably go for mighty, rolling surf breaking on a rock with the wind lifting the spray.

HOTEL: NISBET PLANTATION, NEVIS, WEST INDIES
We found this hotel (above) when we were island-hopping in the Caribbean, and we've been 20 or so times, usually at Easter. The main hotel building is an old plantation house that was the home of Fanny Nisbet, who was married to Horatio Nelson. It is set back from the sea with an avenue of palm trees leading up to it, and you stay in cottages in the grounds; it's relaxed and fun, not glitzy. The staff are all local, so it feels Caribbean, unlike some hotels. The pool is near the beach, so you have both options, and there's always a breeze, so it's never too hot. There are no TVs in the rooms and no kids' club, but the children love it and have great freedom: they play cricket and walk on the beach and collect shells, and they like the fact that it's familiar. It's an escape, a great place to recharge.

CITY: LONDON
I always wanted to work in London, and I've spent all of my career at the heart of it. I love the innovation and the eclectic mix of buildings, sights, history and shops. I never get tired of it. Even after 25 years of living in and around London I still feel very much a visitor. I've always loved shopping, even before I worked in retail, and I think London today competes well with other major cities. It has its own style, there's still innovation and new designers. It's resisting globalisation very well: there's a great cross-section from big stores to little boutiques, a mix of old and new.

WORK OF ART: PICTURE BY MY SON
This picture by my son, Ben, which he did in an artistic moment when he was six, is of a tiger or a cat, something feline, with stripes on it. We had it framed and it hangs in our hall and I see it every day. It is as valid and worthy as other pieces of art you might acquire, partly for sentimental reasons but also because of the work itself: it's amazing what a child can produce.

Photo Credit: John Carter

(Rebecca Willis is an Associate Editor at Intelligent Life. Her last stories were "Hit the Hay", and "Out There: How to Rent a Lighthouse". The last "7 Wonders" interview was with Carlos Ghosn, chief executive at Renault.)