Cotswold Style March 2015

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INTERVIEWS | EVENTS | FASHION | BEAUTY | PROPERTY | BUSINESS | TRAVEL | SPORT

Stable

Scenes Stunning fashion from

March 2015

Festival of the Flesh What you don’t see at Cheltenham

THE COTSWOLDS WILL THE IRISH EYES BE SMILING? Your definitive race guide to what’s happening at The Festival… Plus

• The Horses • The Betting • The Tips • The Style Guide

REAL LIFE

MAT NICHOLLS KIM BAILEY’S HEAD LAD REVEALS ALL

£2.50

COMPETITION

WIN TICKETS TO THE LAND ROVER GATCOMBE SPRING HORSE TRIALS

COTSWOLDS CULTURE...

ON ART RECIPE

ROASTING LAMB FOR MOTHER’S DAY

Q&A WITH

SCENT MAVERICK

JO MALONE

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Barbara Jordan answers your questions Q

My wife left me three years ago, just after our children left home for work and University.

Over the years I have worked exceptionally hard and built up a number of businesses. One of these is a property rental business and 50% of the houses that comprise this business have been purchased in my wife’s name and she is now living very comfortably from the rental income. She treats this entirely as her own and puts in her own tax returns and pays her own tax on them and she receives a very comfortable income.

When she left I was deeply shocked and threw myself into work and my businesses and, since separation, I have made a very large sum of money, due entirely to my own efforts and my own business ability.

To my immense irritation, I am now told by my wife’s Solicitors that they are expecting me to pay her 50% of the money that I have accumulated since separation when she has had no part of this and, in my view, does not deserve any of this money.

What can I do?

A

I think your wife’s Solicitors are very optimistic. You seem to indicate, from everything you say, that your wife’s

needs are met, although you do not say whether she has already received 50% of the assets that were acquired during the marriage and I would say that, in my view, and in the absence of further information, she is, in all probability, entitled to this amount.

However, I think you are quite right to strenuously object to paying her half, or indeed anything, out of the funds that you have made since separation.

I would suggest you take urgent legal advice and refer your lawyer to the case of CooperHohm –v- Hohm 2014 (EWHC 4122) in which the Judge specifically noted that monies acquired after separation could, in some circumstances, be retained by the spouse who had made those gains post-separation.

For more information please contact Barbara Jordan on 01242 851619 or email BJordan@Jordans-Solicitors.com.

If any reader would like to send in a question to Jordans Solicitors to be answered either privately or on this page, please email your question to questions@jordans-solicitors.com No liability is accepted for the advice given in this article in respect of individual matters. For tailored advice contact Jordans Solicitors on 01242 851619.

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“We have worked closely with Juice for a while now as they have supported us with our recruitment in Cheltenham. We have found them to be extremely helpful (at very short notice!!), professional and a pleasure to work with. We have a continuing relationship with Juice because we know we can always rely on them!.”

“I have had an excellent service from Juice and from Vicky Barnes in particular. Vicky has gone out of her way to ensure that the people she has matched for me are 100% what we are looking for and has not failed yet. I would recommend Juice 100% and exclusively use Juice for all my staff recruitment needs.”

“Thanks for inviting me over today to discuss potential roles and register details etc. So far Juice have come across as most professional with a personal touch which is a big relief as I was beginning to lose faith in recruitment companies!”

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.

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Contents

54 102

37 58

109 MARCH 2015

CONTENTS 10 Out and About

49 Castaway Collection

109 R&R

Your guide to the very best events happening in and around the Cotswolds this month

We meet scent maverick Jo Malone

We review the Old Swan & Minster Mill

51 Cotswolds Culture

119 Gatcombe Competition

Susan Blanchfield is… On Art Meet head lad, Mat Nicholls

Win tickets to this year’s famous horse trials, at the home of HRH The Princess Royal

17 Hot Property

120 Racing at Cheltenham

We feature some of the most beautiful properties that are for sale or to let in and around the Cotswolds

Nigel Aplin’s guide to The Festival

16 Real Life

40 Through the Garden Gate Camilla Bassett-Smith heads to Gotherington

68 Stable Scenes 45 Bass Trunkies The funkiest sounds systems on the market

Ten pages of beautiful, country fashion

89 Gloucestershire’s Growing Businesses We profile some of the county’s leading companies

122 Irish Eyes are Smiling Vincent Finnegan’s guide to The Festival

123 Festival of the Flesh 107 Mother’s Day Delicious recipe for stuffed leg of lamb

On the trail of Cheltenham’s secret evenings

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8 ROTUNDA TERRACE, MONTPELLIER STREET, CHELTENHAM, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, GL50 1SW TEL: 01242 523331 - STORES NATIONWIDE - andsotobed.co.uk

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Tribute

AP McCOY OBE CHAMPION JUMP JOCKEY On behalf of all our readers, Cotswold Style would like to say a big thank you AP, for all the pleasure you have brought to the people of the Cotswolds and we wish you luck in your last Cheltenham Racing Festival, 2015 PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROB WHEATMAN

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Senior Partner Paul Bates 01242 220239 paul@stylemagazines.co.uk Partner Mark Cuzner 07917 821577 mark@stylemagazines.co.uk Business Development Manager Ian McRorie 07917 175919 ian@stylemagazines.co.uk Sales Executive Alastair McClare 01242 220239 ali@stylemagazines.co.uk Sales Executive Bethany Lynch 07807 126214 bethany.lynch@stylemagazines.co.uk Office Manager Carley O’Dea 01242 220239 office@stylemagazines.co.uk Production Consultant Hilary Collier 01242 220239 hilary@stylemagazines.co.uk Editorial Designer Nick Clark 01242 220239 nclark@stylemagazines.co.uk

Suite 104, Eagle Tower, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1TA Switchboard: 01242 220239; Fax: 01242 257019; Email: editor@stylemagazines.co.uk or advertising@stylemagazines.co.uk Publisher: Paul Bates; Distribution: Pineapple Media, 172 Northern Parade, Portsmouth, Hants, PO2 9LT. Merchandising services: Patrick Farrelly.

@CotswoldStyle Twitter followers

21,822 CotswoldStyleMagazine Facebook fans

5,245

EDITOR’S FOREWORD elcome to the March issue of Cotswold Style.

The most exciting time of the year for many people living in the Cotswolds, as The Racing Festival is once again, upon us. This month we have extensive coverage of what’s happening at Cheltenham from every area.

Our wonderful Stable Scenes fashion shoot was made possible thanks to one of National Hunt’s top trainers, Kim Bailey. A massive team of models, stylists and photographers descended upon Kim’s training yard near Andoversford for a fabulous fun-filled day of top thoroughbred horses combined with some exquisite festival clothing. It was only apt to find out more what happens at a yard of this pedigree so I met with the Head Lad, Mat Nicholls, for our Real Life feature.

Our racing pundits have filled some of this month’s pages with their views and betting tips and we are delighted that renowned expert, Irish Racing’s Vinny Finnegan, has written on the Irish predictions for Cheltenham.

It’s not all about the glamour and horses though at the Festival. Columnist Jo Jo Schofield has been looking at the darker side and writes about the Festival of the Flesh – the evening antics for many punters, which most people don’t see.

Happy Mother’s Day on 15th March, to all the wonderful Mummy’s out there!

Our cooker writer, Shelle Duffin, has created a mouthwatering Roast Lamb recipe to spoil your mother with on the special day. In addition this month, Lucy Garbutt has returned from safari and delights us with her tales from Zambia; our new Cotswolds Culture writer, Susan Blanchfield introduces readers to Art and we are delighted that renowned scent maker Jo Malone, has been ‘Castaway’ with Ellie Mainwaring.

And finally back to The Festival, we wish to say a sad farewell to the world’s greatest jumps jockey of all time, AP McCoy, who recently announced his retirement. AP has enthralled Cheltenham race-goers for so many years and will always be regarded as an utter legend in this part of the world. We wish you luck AP and you will be sorely missed!

Best wishes,

W

Emma Logan Emma Logan, Editor editor@stylemagazines.co.uk

Cover image: Mandy Hall of Cotswold Farm Park Photography by www.scg-photography.com Cotswold Style is published monthly by Cotswold Style Ltd, based at Suite 104, Eagle Tower, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL50 1TA. Reproduction of any material, in whole or in part, is strictly forbidden without the prior written consent of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Cotswold Style will not accept liability for loss or damage. Dates, information and prices quoted are believed to be correct at time of going to press but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. Neither the editor nor publisher accepts responsibility for any material submitted, whether photographic or otherwise. All rights reserved. ISSN no. 1756-6673.

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t u o ab ENTERTAINMENT KINGS HEAD SPA LAUNCH Sunday 1st March

Cirencester’s first luxury hotel’s new spa is opening in early March. This full subterranean tranquil haven has the wow-factor and includes four treatment rooms, a steam room, sauna, hot tub, experience shower, relaxation room and fitness quite complete with Matrix equipment. Lubatti has been adopted as The Spa’s house brand for treatments and products. www.kingshead-hotel.co.uk KINGS HEAD WEDDING FAIR Sunday 8th March

Cirencester’s newly opened luxury hotel is to host its first major wedding fair in the grand Corn Hall from 11.00am to 4.00pm. Exhibitors showcasing at the event will include florists, stylists, stationery, jewellers, DJs, musicians, hair and makeup, cakes, balloons and wedding transport to name but a few.

The Kings Head is a fully licensed ideal wedding venue. Those interested in hosting their wedding at the Kings Head can contact sales@kingsheadhotel.co.uk in advance to pre-book a show around. www.kingshead-hotel.co.uk MIKE EVANS’ JIGGERY POKERY JAZZ EVENINGS AT THE DAFFODIL Tuesday 10th to Friday 14th March During Race Week at The Daffodil in

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Cheltenham, Jiggery Pokery will be creating the races-vibe, fusing the best of Irish jigs with the swing of jazz.

Every night from 7pm. www.thedaffodil.com

THE BOOTLEG BEATLES Saturday 14th March 7.30pm. The Bootleg Beatles appear at Cheltenham Town Hall with their incredible recreation of the greatest songbook of all time. They have won over the most hardened sceptics and drawn critical acclaim across the globe.

Every detail is meticulously covered, from costumes to authentic period instruments, from their witty ‘Scouse’ banter to their vocal mimicry. A mustsee for Beatles fans!

Tickets: £29.50 www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk RUSSELL WATSON UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH THE THE CHELTENHAM COMMUNITY CHOIR Sunday 15th March

Award-winning classical artist Russell Watson has asked Cheltenham’s very own Community Choir to join him at Cheltenham Town Hall as part of his national tour. Watson is one of the world’s most prominent tenors, selling in excess of seven million albums worldwide. The choir is a charitable joint venture between Cheltenham Town Hall and Cheltenham Operatic

‘eat well, enjoy wine, love life’

www.montpellierwinebar.com and Dramatic Society (CODS), celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Tickets: £46.50 and £36.50 www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk

FAMOUS CARIBBEAN EATERY, TURTLE BAY, OPENING IN CHELTENHAM Thursday 26th March Bringing the heart and soul of the Caribbean to Cheltenham, Turtle Bay is set to be one of the biggest restaurant openings in the town this year. Located in the former Embassy nightclub on Pittville Street, menus will feature tempting dishes such as Jerk Chicken and Blue Mountain Curried Goat, washed down with an extensive list of island drinks and cocktails. www.turtlebay.co.uk PRINTS AND DRAWINGS EXHIBITION AT GALLERY PANGOLIN Until Friday 27th March Those taking part at this annual exhibition at Gallery Pangolin in Chalford include famous names, Royal Academicians, up-and coming talent as well as several sculptors from the Gloucestershire area. This is an excellent opportunity for collectors and first time buyers to buy artworks by well-known artists such as Anthony Abrahams and Lynn Chadwick at affordable prices. www.gallery-pangolin.com

ONE MAN BREAKING BAD Sunday 29th March 7.30pm. Join LA actor Miles Allen at Cheltenham Town Hall for a rip-roaring ride through one of the greatest television shows ever made. With over a million hits on YouTube and sell-out runs at comedy festivals across the world, his incredible impersonations of the iconic characters from all six seasons of Breaking Bad are packed into one exhilarating, hilarious performance. An unmissable night for Breaking Bad fans. Over 18s only.

Contains strong language and adult content. Tickets: £20 www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk

SPONSORED BY MONTPELLIER WINE BAR

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In association with

‘eat well, enjoy wine, love life’

www.montpellierwinebar.com CHEESE CLUB NETWORKING AT THE DAFFODIL Tuesday 31st March Our monthly Cheese Club offers the perfect opportunity to get together and have lunch with local professionals in a relaxed environment. Midday to 3pm at £20 per person. www.thedaffodil.com

FAMILY PLANT-A-POT FOR MOTHER’S DAY Saturday 14th March, 9am – 5pm At this popular yearly event, children can choose from colourful spring favourites like daffodils and primroses, before potting them up to make a gorgeous gift that will make their Mum’s day. Highfield Garden World, A38 (Bristol Road), Whitminster, GL2 7PB. 01452 741444.

No booking necessary. £7.99 per child

GWR MOTHERING SUNDAY CREAM TEA SPECIAL Sunday 14th March Come and celebrate Mother’s Day with a special ride on the Great Western Steam Railway with a cream tea.

Tickets from £10 per adult (cream tea extra). www.gwsr.com

JURASSIC ADVENTURES Monday 23rd March 11am & 4.30pm The most exciting family show since time began! This brand new production at Cheltenham Town Hall is set on a magical island where anything could happen, with a brave cast of amazing actors, a fantastic script, superb scenery and, of course, dinosaur discovery. Be transported to a prehistoric place full of fun, thrills and screams. A dino-mite show for all the family from ages 3+.

Tickets from £13.50 www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk THE AMAZING BUBBLE MAN Monday 30th March 11.30am & 2.30pm. This internationally

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Your comprehensive guide to what’s going on in The Cotswolds... with Sara Chardin acclaimed show at Cheltenham Town Hall features bubble art, magic, science and lots of fun for the whole family.

Fabulously entertaining, Louis Pearl explores the breath-taking dynamics of bubbles, combines comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerized.

Tickets from £11.50 www.cheltenhamtownhall.org.uk

CHARITY GALA LUNCH WITH BOXING LEGEND SUGAR RAY LEONARD Friday 20th March In association with Pied Piper, this gala event also features former WBC super middleweight champion Richie Woodall with compère and comedian John Stiles.

At The Centaur Suite, Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham. Tickets available from: vipsportsevents.co.uk JULIE KENT CHARITY GIG Saturday 21st March Julie Kent will be singing and playing the flute and sax at Churchdown Club in Gloucester from 8.20pm to 11.45pm in aid of Pied Piper. Members free, non-members £3.

A VIEW FROM THE FRONT ROW: CHARITY RUGBY Q & A WITH PHIL VICKERY MBE & TREVOR WOODMAN MBE Wednesday 25th March Meet the two World Cup Winners at Cinderford RFC for a 7pm start with supper, followed by Q&A at 8pm.

There will be an auction at half time brought to you by Pied Piper.

Tickets on sale now. £10 includes curry and rice supper.

AUCTION OF PROMISES IN SUPPORT OF THE PIP AND JIM’S BIG APPEAL AT ST PHILIP AND ST JAMES’ CHURCH IN LECKHAMPTON Saturday 25th April 2015 From 7pm. Enjoy a performance by

The Ukulele Orchestra, delicious hot buffet, fine wine and take part in an Auction of Promises filled with surprises. The evening is being held to raise vital funds to urgently repair the church. There is no charge, but donations on the night in support of the ‘Pip and Jim’s Big Appeal’ would be very welcome. To attend, please RSVP to Natalie Norman 01242 573508 or appeal@pipandjims.org.uk

RAISE A WEDGE FOR WINSTON’S WISH Thursday 14th May The Winston’s Wish annual charity golf day will take place in May at Brickhampton Court Golf Complex, Gloucester. Enter your team of four for £200. This includes a challenging round of golf and competitions with prizes, carvery buffet, charity raffle and auction. To register your team or for more information, call 01242 515157 or email: community@winstonswish.org.uk

SPORT GLOUCESTER RUGBY V NORTHAMPTON SAINTS Saturday 7th March Kick off 3.15pm Gloucester Rugby take on Northampton Saints in the Aviva Premiership on Saturday 7 March – kick off 3.15pm. Ticket prices start from just £15 for adults and £5 for juniors if purchased before 6.30pm on the Thursday before the game.

Don’t miss out – book your tickets now.

Visit: www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk GLOUCESTER RUGBY’S COMEDY NIGHT Friday 27th March If you’re looking for a cheap night out, then Gloucester Rugby’s comedy night in the 1873 Ricoh Lounge might just fit the bill. Priced at just £7 in advance or £10 on the door, it’s not one to be missed! Book your tickets at www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk

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‘eat well, enjoy wine, love life’

www.montpellierwinebar.com

Mother’s Day Events PLANT-A-POT FOR MOTHER’S DAY Saturday 14th March 9am – 5pm At this popular yearly event, children can choose from colourful spring favourites like daffodils and primroses, before potting them up to make a gorgeous gift that will make their Mum’s day. Highfield Garden World, A38 (Bristol Road), Whitminster, GL2 7PB. 01452 741444.

No booking necessary. £7.99 per child FREE ENTRY FOR MUM AT BATSFORD ARBORETUM Sunday 15th March Visit Batsford while the spring bulbs are their best. Mums go free when accompanied by a child. Stay for the day and spoil Mum with lunch in the Garden Terrace Café. Normal admission fees apply (Mums go free) www.batsarb.co.uk

RISE EARLY FOR THE DAWN CHORUS AT DYRHAM PARK Sunday 15th March Join bird expert Ed Drewitt to hear the crescendo of sound at dawn and then identify each bird song in the aftermath. The walk will start promptly at 5.30am. To warm up afterwards, tea, coffee and croissants will be served. Tickets £6 Booking is essential.

Ring Beth on 0117 937 1333 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ dyrham-park GWR MOTHERING SUNDAY CREAM TEA SPECIAL Sunday 15th March

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Come and celebrate Mother’s Day with a special ride on the Great Western Steam Railway with a cream tea afterwards in the café. Tickets from £10 per adult (cream tea extra) www.gwsr.com EXPLORE WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM ON A GUIDED WALK Sunday 15th March Head off on a guided walk with an experienced volunteer guide into the Old Arboretum at 11am or 2pm. The walk lasts for about an hour and a half.

During March, the arboretum comes alive with magnificent displays of rhododendrons and camellias, with magnolias soon to follow.

Normal admission fees apply www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY AFTERNOON TEA AT HIDCOTE MANOR GARDEN Sunday 15th March Enjoy a delightful afternoon at Hidcote, starting with an informal tour of the garden and finishing with a sumptuous, traditional afternoon tea in Winthrop’s Café. As part of the package, each Mum will receive a lovely gift from Hidcote to round off a special day.

Admission from £15 per adult www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hidcote CELEBRATE MOTHERING SUNDAY IN ROMAN STYLE Sunday 15th March 10.30am to 3.30pm.

Celebrate Matronalia ‘Roman Mother’s Day’ at Chedworth Roman Villa.

There will be costumed interpreters

and demonstrations. Craft activities are taking place (for a small charge). Make your Mum a special gift.

Normal admission fees apply www.nationaltrust.org.uk/chedwort h-roman-villa ENJOY ILLUSTRATION OR PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITIONS AT NATURE IN ART Until Sunday 15th March If your mother is a nature lover, catch the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition or the Gloucestershire Society for Botanical Illustration exhibition at Nature in Art, Twigworth.

Normal admission fees apply. www.nature-in-art.org.uk STROLL THROUGH PAINSWICK ROCOCO GARDEN During March The garden comes to life with hellebores and cyclamen, joined by a host of daffodils. Best of all, enjoy a delicious cake or light lunch in the Coach House Restaurant afterwards.

Normal admission fees apply www.rococogarden.org.uk LEARN ABOUT MOTHERHOOD FROM DAYS GONE BY Sunday 15th March Be grateful for how your Mum treats you today, compared to the horrible ‘cures’ of the past. At Lodge Park, on the National Trust’s Sherborne Estate, enjoy a unique living history re-enactment bringing a 17th century household to life.

Normal admission fees apply www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lodge-

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A LAD’S LIFE Emma Logan met Mat Nicholls, Head Lad at Kim Bailey Racing, Andoversford PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFANIE CALLEJA-GERA WWW.SCG-PHOTOGRAPHY.COM t’s an unusual career choice for a ‘lad’ from Nottingham who grew up with no background or experience in riding horses, to be in the enviable position he is today.

Mat Nicholls’ father was a salesman, his mother a Nursing Care Assistant and he has three brothers, two of whom are policeman and one who has recently left the Navy. So how on earth did he become the right hand man as Assistant Trainer to Kim Bailey, one of the UK’s most prestigious National Hunt Racing trainers who was the first to win the illustrious triple – The Gold Cup, The Grand National and The Champion Hurdle.

Every racing yard has what is know as a Head Lad or Lass and in some of the larger yards, they can even have their own assistants. They are the stalwarts of the stables effectively running them and making sure these often-priceless horses are looked after to perfection.

Mat was entirely unsure what he was going to do with his career but he knew he just loved horses. After leaving Brackenhurst College in Southwell where he studied a Horse and Business Studies course, Mat’s first job was spending 5 years at Nigel Twiston-Davies’ yard up the road in Guiting Power. He followed around the Head Lad, Fergal O’Brien who is still a close friend and along with Jason Maguire (who will be his Best Man), doing what he was told to do and basically learning on the job. For a further 6 years, Mat worked as Head Lad for Tom George at his base in Slad near Stroud and is now enjoying his 7th season working for Kim Bailey at the beautiful yard on the Withington Road in Andoversford.

It’s an early start in the day of the life of a Head Lad. Mat’s alarm goes off at the ungodly hour of 5.15am and he’s at work no later than 6am - seven days a week. Then begins a rigorous routine of feeding their precious stock, checking them over to make sure there has been no overnight injuries before sorting out which of the lads and lasses are riding out

I

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Real Life

”THEY ARE ALL CONTENDERS WHO HAVE REALISTIC CHANCES WHICH IS GREAT, AS IT CAN BE PRETTY SOUL DESTROYING WALKING AROUND WITH A 100-1 SHOT BUT WITH THESE FOUR, IF THE CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT, THEY ALL HAVE A CHANCE.”

on the early morning gallops.

Mat has an early meeting with Kim each day discussing which horses could be running at any course throughout the country before watching the first morning ride; a beautiful spectacle of some of the country’s finest thoroughbreds, galloping over the glorious Cotswold country where Thorndale Farm is based. During the day, Mat may head-out to a race meeting before ensuring that at 5.30pm all the horses have been fed, mucked out, brushed and checked over again. Another half hour meeting with Kim checking the week’s entries makes this a vocational job; one where you would need to have a sheer love for horse and racing.

Mat regards his finest highlight to date was seeing their bay gelding Harry Topper, win the Denman Chase at Newbury last year by 25 lengths. This was a new level of success that he hadn’t seen within the yard before. Harry Topper had won earlier in the season but then things went wrong for him, so to get him back to form and to win such a famous race made it all the more special. There have been a lot of good moments but just seeing the number of horses go up with the utter quality he has witnessed has been phenomenal. Mat says, “We started with 19 winners the first season we were based here and now have already achieved 49 so far this. Our handicap figures have increased due to such a rise in quality of the horses”.

In the past there has been speculation from parts of the media that stable staff in general are over worked and in some cases not treated well but Mat refutes this

saying his job is entirely pleasurable. “The staff at Kim Bailey’s are treated so well and though the work is tiring and it is unsociable hours, there is a great camaraderie amongst us all and very few leave. There’s a 12 bedroom hostel where all the lads live (and can be known to enjoy a hell of a party!), but they are great friends and there is a good atmosphere.”

Mat lives with his fiancée Evelyn, in Andoversford and whilst only managing one long holiday in the sun each year, this summer will be different as he celebrates his wedding with an extended honeymoon.

And what of future goals? Said Mat, “I would be very unambitious not to dream that I would want my own yard and train one-day myself but it would have to be the right time and at the right place. It would be unrealistic to leave here and set up with three horses and think I’m going to build up a 100-horse championship yard – that’s just not feasible. I wouldn’t want to scratch around with a few horses surviving on an occasional winner and the financial backing you would need is immense, so the dream is there but it’s not on the horizon in the near future”.

Mat and Kim enjoy an excellent working relationship and Kim gives him the input he needs to aid his knowledge.

They discuss and go through everything so he feels involved enough and he works closely with their stable jockeys; Jason Maguire, David Bass, Ed Cookson and Tom Bellamy.

The racing world was aghast when all time Champion Jockey AP McCoy recently announced his retirement from the jumps scene. AP has been the most

prolific jockey to date, riding out for John Jo O’Neill’s Jackdaws stables also based in the Cotswolds. Mat was equally shocked on hearing the news and said, “We are all seriously sad. When I watched the announcement on TV, I think some people didn’t realise what a massive loss it is that he is retiring. This is huge. He’s not just a stable jockey, this man is on such a different level to everybody else and it’s ripping the heart out of the place. To see him go to Ireland the next day and watch him ride in the Irish Hennessey the way he did, just proves what a phenomenon the man is. It makes you ask why is he retiring but he wants to go out at the top and you can’t blame him. He leaves a big job there for someone at Jackdaws, with big boots to fill”.

Kim Bailey Racing will be fielding a number of prospects during this month’s Cheltenham Racing Festival; a novice called Une Ace, who Mat says is an exciting horse, Darna and Knockanrawley and then there is Emily Grace who could go well in the mares race. “They are all contenders who have realistic chances which is great, as it can be pretty soul destroying walking around with a 100-1 shot but with these four, if the conditions are right, they all have a chance.”

After the long jumps season has finished, Mat will continue doing the job he loves - where he never dreads going to work and enjoys a way of life which he hopes to continue forever and following in the footsteps of his father, still have a little flutter on a Saturday afternoon.

For more information on Kim Bailey Racing, please visit: www.kimbaileyracing.com

COTSWOLD STYLE MARCH 2015 17

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Property Style Over the following pages we feature some of the fantastic properties that are on sale or to be let in the Cotswolds

SPONSORED BY

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Speed | Innovation | Excellence 01452 657950 quote@tlg.uk.com www.thomaslegalgroup.co.uk

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Kingsley Evans March 15:Layout 1

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call:01242 222292 online: www.kingsleyevans.co.uk email: info@kingsleyevans.co.uk David Evans Director in

NAILSWORTH

DOWDESWELL

ONLY TWO REMAINING IN THIS EXQUISITE DEVELOPMENT

A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF A STONE BARN, FUSING OLD CHARM WITH A CONTEMPORARY INFLUENCE.

Vicarage Gardens is a luxury development of just five stylish new build, detached homes. Just two plots remain on this stunning site in the heart of the sought aer thriving town of historic Nailsworth.

The accommodation at Vicarage Gardens ranges om 2205 Sq. FT to 2513 Sq. FT. Built to the most discerning standards of quality and luxury, whilst providing superb practical accommodation.

Heylens Barn is a beautiful detached honey stone barn sited in a charming plot in the heart of this sought aer quintessential village.

This fine home captures the period charm with a modern extension and contemporary finish ideal for practical and stylish living.

The accommodation comprises Reception Hall Drawing Room leading to sitting Room Magnificent kitchen/breakfast room Study/Bedroom Four Master Suite with En suite Three Further Bedrooms Glorious Gardens.

LECKHAMPTON

COLLEGE ROAD

£795,000

A FINE DETACHED VICTORIAN RESIDENCE IN SOUGHT AFTER LECKHAMPTON Brookville is a fine example of a detached Victorian residence which wonderfully reflects the synergy between old period charm and the modern requirements for practical living. Recently refurbished and extended to exacting standards this wonderful home offers beautifully proportioned accommodation comprising Double Drawing Room Sitting/Snug Room Magnificent kitchen/Breakfast Room with Glass Construction Cinema room/Play room Master Suite with En Suite Three Further Bedrooms Charming and impressive gardens Off Road Parking Garage.

SPECIALISTS IN PRIME PROPERTY

£795,000

£720,000

A BEAUTIFUL VILLA ON THIS SOUGHT AFTER ROAD Forming part of an interesting street scene, this charming home has a wealth of period features and offers flexible accommodation over three floors. The gardens are quite stunning offering a generous plot for town living Reception Hall Kitchen Dining Room Drawing Room Four Bedrooms Bathroom Lower Ground Accommodation comprising Bedroom Studio Kitchen.

visit: 115 The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1NW

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call:01242 222292 online: www.kingsleyevans.co.uk email: info@kingsleyevans.co.uk David Evans Director in

TEME ROAD

£695,000

A CHARMING HOME IN A PRIVATE ROAD WITHIN STROLLING DISTANCE TO TOWN. A fine example of a 4 bedroom detached family home sited on a charming private road within walking distance to town. The accommodation is well proportioned comprising Sitting Room Study Magnificent Kitchen/Breakfast Room Master Suite with En Suite Three Further Bedrooms Family Bathroom Garage Gardens Off Road Parking.

SELKIRK STREET

£435,000

A BEAUTIFUL TOWNHOUSE IN THE HEART OF CHELTENHAM Offering beautifully proportioned accommodation, this charming home is sited on a sought aer road in the heart of Cheltenham.

Set over three floors, particular thought has been given to making exceptional use of space. The accommodation comprises Reception Hall Drawing Room Dining Room Family/Play Room Kitchen/ Breakfast Room Utility Room Shower Room Three Bedrooms Bathroom Lovely gardens.

SPECIALISTS IN PRIME PROPERTY

PRESTBURY ROAD

£695,000

A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF A VILLA SITED ON A TREE LINED ROAD WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE TO TOWN Prestbury Road is a fine example of a period town house within walking distance to Pittville Park and the town centre. The flexible accommodation comprises a two bedroom apartment which can be self-contained or part of the residence. The accommodation comprises Reception Hall Drawing Room Dining Room Three Bedrooms Three Bathrooms The Self-contained/Incorporated Apartment Accommodation comprises Two Bedrooms Sitting Room Kitchen Pretty Courtyard Garden Off Road Parking.

SANDFORD COURT THIRLESTAINE PARK

£260,000

A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO ACQUIRE AN APARTMENT IN THE SOUGHT AFTER THIRLESTAINE PARK DEVELOPMENT Sandford Court forms part of the exquisite Thirlestaine development.

This magnificent new build development is set within 7 acres of beautiful landscaped grounds. The accommodation is spacious comprising Sitting Room Kitchen Bathroom Bedroom Off Road Parking.

visit: 115 The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1NW

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Beyond your Beyond your expectations expectations www.hamptons.co.uk w ww.hamptons.co.uk

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Hamptons Cheltenham Hamptons Cheltenham Sales 01242 639414 Lettings.

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Main M ain house house - 5 bedrooms bedrooms Coach C oach house house - 3 bedrooms bedrooms IIndoor ndoor pool pool complex complex Stable/workshop St able/workshop 1.25 1 .25 a acre cre fformal ormal gardens gardens 3a acre cre paddock paddock

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Kemerton, K emerton, G Gloucestershire loucestershire Ab beautiful eautiful a and nd w well ell pr presented esented d detached etached rresidence esidence ssituated ituated iin n tthe he heart heart o off this this highly highly Bredon Hill The and mature rregarded egarded B redon H ill vvillage. illage. T he property property offers offers a good good size size attractive attractive a nd m ature garden with mixture wood garden g arden w ith a m ixture of of ffruit ruit trees, trees, w ood store, store, g arden sstore/work tore/work room room and and double double detached garage.

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Guide G uide Price: Price: ÂŁ ÂŁ725,000 725,000 t t t t t t

Spacious S pacious eentrance ntrance h hall all 4b bedrooms edrooms 2b bath/shower ath/shower rrooms ooms 4 rreception eception ro rooms oms Fitted F i ted k it kitchen i chen a it and nd sseparate eparate u utility tilit it y Additional A dditional p piece iece o off land land ffor or ssale ale

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Hot Property

Suffolk Square Cheltenham Setting the Scene: This impressive two bedroom apartment is situated in the heart of the Suffolk’s, which has been named as one of the UK and Ireland’s 50 greatest streets. The picturesque regency square was chosen as part of a widespread study by housing historian Melanie Backe-Hansen.

Why we love it: This exceptional apartment occupies part of the lower ground floor of this classic Grade II listed landmark building, which has interesting historical links to the famous architect Sir Robert Smirke, who lived in Montpellier House until 1867. Smirke was responsible for designing many famous classical buildings to include the main block and façade of the British Museum. The property is accessed via a communal entrance to the rear of the building, shared with just one other apartment. The private patio garden is quietly positioned here and so benefits from a south facing aspect. The apartment offers superb proportions and a wealth of character with its magnificent reception hall and beautiful arched ceilings.

Knight Frank, Cheltenham; Guide Price £315,000 hayley.wilks@knightfrank.com 01242 246959

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Hot Property

Tirley Setting the Scene: Set in an elevated position overlooking its own grounds and the church, this pretty former vicarage makes an enchanting family home.

Why we love it: This property has been maintained meticulously having also been finished to a very high standard internally. The property offers well-proportioned lateral accommodation over two floors. The principal reception rooms and main bedrooms in the original part of the house enjoy seamless views over the ha-ha to open farmland and the Cotswolds beyond. Both the dining room and drawing room focus on open fireplaces and retain a number of fine period features. Flagstones lead from the breakfast room through to a wonderfully appointed kitchen, complete with Aga and the original bread oven. Whilst having a warm homely feel, the accommodation is also very practical with 4 reception rooms, in addition to a utility room, cloakroom and cellars. Upstairs, there is a master suite and 4 further double bedrooms, family bathroom and shower room. To the rear of the house, across the courtyard from the kitchen is the large two storey former coach house. Currently used as garaging and secure storage, Tewkesbury Borough Council has granted planning permission to convert part of this to ancillary accommodation.

The plot is wonderfully private; the gardens being predominantly lawned with a small orchard flanking Church Lane on the northwest boundary.

Knight Frank, Cheltenham; Guide Price ÂŁ1,100,000 tom.banwell@knightfrank.com 01242 246959 COTSWOLD STYLE MARCH 2015 27

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Hot Property

A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD YOUR OWN DREAM HOME £500,000 Much of the charm of The Wayside is due to its location offering an idyllic setting, part of a village community yet tucked away offering a serene lifestyle. Currently the property is a 1930’s period single storey building with outbuildings sited within an outstanding plot. Planning position has been obtained by the current owner to replace the building with a contemporary single storey dwelling and garden store, creating a stunning residence totalling approximately 2,936 sq. ft. Adjoining the plot is a field and road bringing the total land area to just over 0.8 acres.

Details of planning consents for The Wayside can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/wayside-planning.

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Hot Property

Pittville, Cheltenham Setting the scene: A beautifully presented substantial luxury home set behind electronic gates successfully blending Regency and contemporary styling to provide elegant, family accommodation.

EPC: D Why we love it: A wonderful residence that has been upgraded from the original build (approximately 12 years ago), creating a stunning contemporary home with landscaped garden, garaging and parking.

Guide Price ÂŁ1,495,000 Freehold Details: Hamptons, Cheltenham. Tel: 01242 639414 cheltenham@hamptons-int.com COTSWOLD STYLE MARCH 2015 29

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beautiful bespoke handmade kitchens

benchwoodkitchens bench built for best results

benchwood.co.uk benc hw wood.co.uk

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Styling your home Over the following pages we showcase stylish interiors and everything you need to turn your house into a home...

SPONSORED BY

www.yorkeconstruction.co.uk

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Yorke Construction Ltd Ingenuity with a History

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000 Clive Burling March 15:Layout 1

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Interiors

It’s a fad. It won’t last...

Painted furniture specialist Clive Burling, says it’s timeless About six years ago I was chatting to a friend, who was in the antiques business, about painted furniture. Those were her words, “it’s a fad, it won’t last”. Very convincingly she described how “this latest trend” would soon be over. I remembered that quote recently while I was talking to a client in one of the finest houses in the Cotswolds, having just completed a job there...painting furniture of course!

So what is it about the painted look that has made it so enduring?

Firstly let me take you back to the time when stripped pine was the height of fashion.

When antique dealers all drove Volvo estates with huge roof racks and anything with paint on didn't stand a chance. Not just furniture of

course, doors, floors, panelling and skirting boards all got the treatment. Now it's all being painted again.

I suppose my friend was right about the cyclical nature of the business to some extent.

There was a saying in those days that if you put five antique dealers on a desert island with one Georgian side table, they would all make a comfortable living. Fast forward thirty years and they would probably make a long running daytime TV series about it too!

Obviously interior fashions change all the time, no denying that. I think the answer to my question and the reason painted furniture and the ‘painted look’ goes from strength to strength is that, done well, it is timeless and simply fits in absolutely anywhere.

When my clients discover what is possible, how a piece of their furniture (or even a kitchen for example) can be totally transformed and become a unique feature, at a fraction of the cost of replacement, it is truly exciting.

Will we be stripping it all again in a few years?

I doubt it somehow. After all, if we want a new look we can just repaint it!

To find out how I can help you transform a single piece of furniture or an entire house, or to learn how to do it yourself, please get in touch.

Email: clive.burling@gmail.com Tel: 07788257914

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Providing Nursing Respite Care for severely disabled, life limited & life threatened young children in Gloucestershire

Find out more about our world: T: 01452 612 216 E: info@jameshopkinstrust.org.uk W: www.jameshopkinstrust.org.uk @JHTcharity TheJamesHopkinsTrust

WE ARE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK! Twyford Cookers of Leominster authorised AGA distributors invite you to visit our showroom to view our vast range of products.

Rayburn, Rangemaster, Falcon, Mercury, La Cornue Fe and AGA Cookshop purchase the new aga technology and we invite you to participate in a one to one cooking demonstration and recieve a free case of champagne! what more could you ask for?

Marches Trade Park, Leominster, Herefordshire HR6 0LX, Tel: 01568 611124 34 MARCH 2015 COTSWOLD STYLE

twyford-cookers.com

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Call Matt Bl Blewett lewett of Shuttercraft Shuttercraft Gloucestershire 01242 Gloucesters shire today on 012 242 649592

www.shuttercraft-gloucestershire.co.uk ww ww.shuttercraft-gloucesstershire.co.uk

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Interiors

Designing for the Designers!

Interior Designer Kelly James talks through the refit of Sozo Design PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHADOWPLAY

Shaun Uthup established Sozo in 2000, Sozo is a digital marketing company based in Cheltenham and London, specialising in web design, branding and digital marketing. They are chosen by clients for their blend of creative design, expert programming and digital marketing experience – all of which they offer in-house which is pretty unusual in the industry. This means they can provide their clients with a really cohesive online marketing service.

Shaun had previously recommended me as an interior design for another local business and then very kindly asked me to help redesign their offices.

We had the perfect starting point - as designers they supplied me with a mood board of images and their new web design concept. I had my starting point; the web design supplied me with accent colours and from the mood board I could see they wanted the space to be bright, fun and we added a splash of dark moodiness.

I was given a budget and brief to work to; we made decisions together on all elements such as furniture, artwork, lighting and paint colours and some items were custom made to add individuality.

The property in Cheltenham has 3 offices, a client meeting room, bathroom and communal area that I was to design.

We selected a colour palette to use throughout as well as the colourful wall lights to help cohesion and flow. Large grey pendent lights were used in the offices but in the hall was made an

individual fitting with elements we put together, making a bespoke lighting feature which offers lots of light.

We had an ‘IDEAS ROOM’ sign made to name the client meeting room, as this is where clients and Sozo present their ideas to each other. A smooth and tactile meeting table is home to grey and turquoise upholstered chairs, which looks welcoming and comfortable.

Artwork really helps lift a space so we chose fun pictures of Cheltenham and colourful pantone prints to bring the scheme together. Branded blinds were also installed to the front of the property to advertise the company and wooden blinds were installed to other windows offering shade but not blocking out daylight. Geometric hexagon tiles were used in the dark moody hallway and bathroom; they are fun, prefect for our colour scheme, easy to clean and very current.

This project has been great fun. We started with the plan not to do structure work but then removed utilities and knocked a wall down, not to buy furniture but then replaced everything in the meeting room, walls were to stay lighter shades of grey but then Shaun made the brave decision to repaint them dark grey. Having flexibility and being open to change as a scheme evolves is fantastic. Sozo now has the interior, which is a cool place to work and for clients to bring their ideas.

If you have any questions please contact Kelly on 01242 253700.

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the difference is...

Carpet Emporium is truly a family business run by Don D’Ambrosio along with his wife Mary and cousin John who have successfully built up a carpet business with a ‘difference’.

We are not your normal carpet business with just lots of pattern books or samples to choose from, we actually probably stock more carpet rolls and large room sized remnants than other carpet business in Gloucestershire.

When people think of a carpet remnant they think of a small piece suitable for a small bedroom, but the remnants we stock are big enough to carpet several rooms.

WHY CARPET REMNANTS? We also stock full rolls which will carpet a complete house. Many of these offer our customers a discount of up to 50% off normal retail prices. All remnants are perfect we do not sell factory seconds. We offer budget priced remnants to top quality 80% Wool Twist and 100% Wool Berbers, we also have many wool carpets that are now mothproof.

If you cannot find what you are looking for in our extensive stock selection of over 250 rolls, we also have over 500 samples of carpets and rugs from all leading carpet manufactures in the UK and Europe.

RUGS We also carry a huge range of rugs all from stock from bargain priced polypropylenes to 100% Wool Natural, plains and patterned. Many of the rugs stocked are discontinued lines which represent a big saving on normal prices.

VINYLS Over 250 designs and styles of top quality vinyls available, from marble, wood, tile effect and many contemporary designs.

DIVAN BEDS & MATTRESSES We have a large selection of different quality mattresses from budget priced open coil, to high quality 3000 pocket sprung, and also superb quality natural latex options. All beds and mattresses can be delivered direct from stock.

WHY PURCHASE FROM CARPET EMPORIUM Carpet Emporium aim to make your carpet buying experience as easy as possible, we offer a measuring and planning service free of charge. We have experienced carpet fitters which we can fully recommend or we can deliver carpets direct to your premises for your own fitter to install. We have been providing flooring and rugs in the Cheltenham area for over 35 years.

Customer satisfaction is crucial to our business and we will always endeavour to bring our customer the best service and most competitive prices we possibly can.

01242 22 88 55

Give us a try before you buy we GUARANTEE value for money!

16-28 Bath Road, Cheltenham GL53 7HA Open 9am-5pm Tues, Weds, Fri & Sat LATE NIGHT OPENING THURSDAYS – 9am-6.30pm

carpetemporium@hotmail.com | www.carpetemporium.co.uk

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Through the Garden Gate...

This month our media horticulturalist, Camilla Bassett-Smith, has a spring in her step as she feeds on the beauty of a Gotherington garden. Not content for her day to end however, she followed this up with a short walk and another feed of a culinary nature… s Editor of The Daffodil Society, it will come as no surprise to you that this time of year fills my veins with chlorophyllic excitement and ‘Pear Tree Cottage’ in Gotherington does much to satisfy my narcotic Narcissi tendencies!

This half acre garden has been owned

by Mary and Edwin Manders-Trett since 1979 and so this creation is almost as old as me but this beauty is perfect as nature intended and does not need the make-up application that I find just about keeps me suitable for public presentation these days.

Let’s talk daffodils – the bold trumpets of ‘King Alfred’ make royal conversation with ‘Cedric Morris’ and the dainty ‘Thalia’, ‘W.P Milner’ and species pseudonarcissus hover low-lying around the borders, grass whispering to each other and eavesdropping on all around.

A

40 MARCH 2015 COTSWOLD STYLE

Pulmonaria, Epimedium and Anemone blanda also pop up to give an elegant wave as you meander around.

The buzz words for this garden are ‘natural’ and ‘informal’ and in parts feels like you are bringing the woodland to your own back lawn. Mary tells me that she has made it up as she has gone along, the design growing as do the plants. The effect she has created is beautiful, a series of swirls and arches, hedges, shrubs and paths which combine to reveal a new vista on each turn. Particularly perfect in spring but also perennially glorious in May and June.

It’s not just about flowers here though, the shiny black stems of Phyllostachys nigra (Black Bamboo), spurt from the earth like jets of oil and the Tibetan Cherry stands proud displaying a trunk of smoothest copper, rich and rather birch like in its stance but also with a hint

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Gardening

of the Paperbark Maple as its bark peels away in the most delicious manner.

Pandora in stone, purveys all of this at a mid-point in the garden, keeping her box close to her chest and a twisted Willow negotiates its way through the March air.

This garden is opening for the National Gardens Scheme at the end of March but you can also view by appointment.

With such lovely countryside around us, it seemed a shame to get back into the car, and so a little wander was in need. Of course you can at this point tackle a 10 mile walk, investigate Dixton Hill and all the glorious surrounds but being a little hungry too, I felt a 25 minute walk in the direction of ‘The Old Farmer’s Arms’ was just the thing.

Turn right out of the garden and then left into Shutter Lane at ‘The Shutters’ Inn (at time of writing in the middle of a management change). Follow the road, bearing right. After about 20 metres, turn left into a narrow footpath, between houses, signed “Footpath only – no bridle path”. After a short journey, turn right at the T-junction and follow the footpath alongside fields. On reaching a metal barrier, take a right turn into a made-up road: ‘Long Furlong Lane’, with ‘Long Furlong Cottage’ on the left of the roadway. Follow this road past three large green hay barns on your right, looking towards your left your desired destination can be seen in the distance: the lone inn standing for generations, doffing its cap of roof tiles at you and preparing for your arrival. After about 500 metres you reach the main A435 road, so watching out for fast moving traffic, cross to the

other side where you turn left and follow the path until you arrive at ‘The Old Farmer’s Arms’ ready to welcome you on the opposite side of the road.

Having brushed off my boots and replacing the cold air in my lungs with a short sharp intake of culinary warmth, we headed towards our table. May I say that I was horticulturally pleased to be joined in the building by a group of teasels, rubber plant and some rather attractive copper coloured artwork leaves, clinging to the wall and smug in their ability to avoid the harsh winter outside.

In an English pub, I like English pub food and so order this we did. Fish, chips and mushy peas and sausage and mash.

Just what was needed and plenty of it!

The menu offered a good choice, with ‘Velvet Beetroot with Chive and Crème Fraiche’ sounding particularly pleasant for a starter, however a cream jumper and beetroot should never be acquainted!

Well cooked, served with a smile and followed by rich chocolate tart and crème brulee – we left with a smile on our faces, as do many visitors according to comments in the guest book at the bar!

Feeling a good deal heavier, I’m relieved to report that I just about managed to squeeze back through the narrow footpath and make it home, ready to write for another month!

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Interiors

SHAKE ‘EM UP Emma Logan met with Cheltenham based Andy Rogers, creator of the funkiest sound systems to hit the market ass Trunkies is shaking up the sound world and putting the charm back into portable stereos and speakers. Not only do their vintage gems look good they pack a punch in the sound stakes too, which is why they have caught the attention of so many music buffs who want crystal clear bass, packaged in the most beautiful way possible.

Bored by conventional speakers Andy Rogers wanted a way to maintain sound quality and revolutionise the look.

Armed with a flea market find and a pair of high-end speakers, Bass Trunkies was born. Suddenly Granny’s old travel trunk had a new lease of life and it was loud.

From there he continued to design and started gaining large exposure within the likes of Vogue, the Huffington Post and Metro to name a few. It was the 2013 Christmas TV advert for NotOnTheHighstreet and subsequent Father’s Day airtime that Andy realised he had created something special.

He says, “Our customers come from all walks of life; guys on their

B

snowboards; dad’s in their VW camper vans; the vintage car enthusiasts; even high profile celebrities - our products transcend across ages, tastes and styles”.

With more and more followers they are constantly creating new and fresh designs. With the option to customise your own Bass Trunkie, many of their customers enjoy getting involved in the design process with them. Every Bass Trunkie created is individual, so to create something bespoke makes it all the more unique and personal.

Each Bass Trunkie comes with a digital amplifier, 12-hour rechargeable battery and high spec speaker (they only source the best). They are compatible with all phones and tablet or any other music source. Add-ons include Bluetooth for wireless streaming, USB charging port for phones and tablets, battery life indicator and LED lights (if you want to go all-out disco!).

For further information please contact: Email: andy@basstrunkies.co.uk www.basstrunkies.co.uk

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TEWKESBURY COOKSHOP For your everyday essentials, and that something special too...

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t: 01684 296444 Explore the shop on Google Street View!

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CRAIG DERRICK PHOTOGRAPHY

My Diary

t’s not always the action located on the farm that excites me, it’s when our Livestock Manager Mike drops me a text saying, “Come and meet our new animals?”

Mike has an array of knowledge about all our rare breeds and we often have people coming to us to buy livestock.

Recently, we were approached by someone who wanted seven different breeds of sheep, so we supplied them with a nice selection of our pregnant Norfolk Horns, Kerry Hills, Soays, Cotswolds and Castlemilk Moorits.

However on this occasion they wanted two other breeds that we didn’t have.

Fortunately we were able to source them, as Mike knew two of the top breeders in the country. The two breeds we didn’t have on the farm were the Zwartbles and Gotlands. Yes you did read it right, I’ve never heard of them either! Possibly because neither is a rare breed native to Britain, so they’re somewhat exotic to us here on the farm. I headed up to the Park to meet them as soon as possible.

It just so happened that the added bonus of having these new flocks of sheep (fifteen of each) is that they’re all pregnant too. So as I arrived, they were all huddled up and waiting in our handling pens, an area where we inspect and safely

I

PHOTO: ROB WHEATMAN

Mandy Hall meets some rather exotic expectant mums…

contain any of our livestock in large numbers at a time. Today I was going to be assisting Mike and the team to scan them, which is quite similar to the human pregnancy scans we’re used to seeing.

The Zwartbles are very friendly; they trot over to you curiously and love a little scratch around the ears. They’re bigger than your average commercial sheep, make excellent mothers, and are docile in nature. They have a chocolate brown fleece with sun-bleached tips, with a white blaze on their face, feet, and tail.

Quite frankly they are adorable; I was hooked, you just cannot beat an overly friendly sheep.

The Gotland is a Swedish breed adorned with a beautiful fleece, the type of tumbling fluff that you see on many neck lines of winter coats and fashion accessories, they’re a dark grey at the roots and lighter at the tips. Bred for their meat and fleece, they look quite primitive and on the day of the scanning,

resembled some of the grey clouds above us, as we were stood in a snowstorm.

We now have both of these breeds in our Demonstration Barn, where some visitors may be lucky enough to witness them giving birth to their beautiful and unusual lambs. These ladies are all due on March 20th; they’re a little more predictable than human babies and are not usually too far off their due dates.

Then they will be going out into the display paddocks for you to enjoy these beautiful creatures hopping, bleating and skipping about in the spring sunshine, along with all our rare breed lambs and ewes.

We have two daily lambing talks for our visitors; I never get tired of it and wish we could lamb all year round. It’s magical, uplifting, joyful and really moving watching a lamb being born. Our Farm Park gates are wide open now and we are waiting for you all to arrive for an extra special warm and ‘lamby’ welcome for spring 2015.

The Cotswold Farm Park will be open every day from 10.30am, until December 20th.

Lambing is due to take place until April 12th.

For more information visit www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk To keep up to date with all the latest Farm Park gossip, follow Mandy on Twitter @mandyfarmpark

COTSWOLD STYLE READER OFFER

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COTSWOLD STYLE MARCH 2015 47

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your Island Paradise...

A delightful 3 BEDROOM VILLA located on the exclusive Royal Westmoreland Golfing Resort, Barbados Set within beautifully manicured gardens with views of the Caribbean Sea, the villa comes with a housekeeper, 5 days per week - Mon to Fri, Sat on request.

The third bedroom is in a separate cottage set within the enclosed front garden, all bedrooms are en-suite, air-conditioned and have cable TV. All linen, including bath and beach towels, is provided. Royal Westmoreland is less than a five minute drive from the nearest beach on the glorious west coast of Barbados. ADSL Internet, Ethernet or Wireless connection.

Royal Westmoreland is a secure, gated community, approximately 40 minutes drive from Grantley Adams Airport.

A meet and greet service is available if required.

The villa has parking space for two vehicles. Guests enjoy the benefits of concessionary rates for golf on the fabulous Robert Trent Jones designed Royal Westmoreland Golf Course.

Use of the other resort facilities, including pool, tennis courts and the recently expanded and completely refurbished gymnasium at the Sanctuary, club house and restaurant.

At certain times of the year a children's club is also available, at an additional cost. Both adult and children guests at Forest Hills enjoy the exclusive use of our own community pool.

This has now been converted to a new and sophisticated salt water system which causes less skin irritation and gives a better swimming environment.

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England v West Indies 3rd Test 1st-5th May For enquiries please email: comberton@hotmail.com

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Coffee Break

ASTAWAY English scent maverick Jo Malone is responsible for creating some of the world’s most iconic fragrances. From Pomegranate Noir to Pomelo, Jo’s scents have gained cult status worldwide. Starting all over again with her new brand JO LOVES she is creating an exciting collection of fragrances inspired by her dearest memories and moments in life.

Cotswold Style columnist Ellie Mainwaring caught up with Jo in a moment between launching her new bespoke candle Concept Where in the world would you choose to be castaway to and why?

Parrot Cay in Turks & Caicos. It’s quite simply heaven with the whitest sandy beaches and the bluest, crystal clear waters. Absolute bliss!

Pomelo, the flagship scent from the JO LOVES fragrance collection and a scent that was created with Parrot Cay in mind. I surround myself with Pomelo wherever I go, spraying it on my bed sheets, around my home and wearing it every day. It’s so much a part of my life and is the fragrance that makes people stop me in the street to ask what I’m wearing. Pomelo is like my best friend and for me has become the embedded smell of home.

What fragrance would you take?

What item of jewellery or accessory would you take?

My Tiffany diamond star necklace. I don’t like to wear a lot of jewellery but this necklace is particularly special to me and I never take it off. It was a gift from my husband Gary. He bought it for me to say: ‘You are a star’.

You can take the entire works of one musician to your desert island - who would it be?

I thought long and hard about this question, but I have to choose Elton John. His music is so diverse that there would be a song for every mood – both when I’m feeling happy and when I

Jo Malone need my spirits lifting, especially his work with Pavarotti.

Our Border Terrier Terri. She’s such an important part of our family and comes everywhere with me. A true companion, she’s my very dearest friend and I would never feel lonely with her around.

What pet would you take?

Name one possession you would take and one to leave behind for a loved one.

I would take a small pillow, which was made for me by my son and my husband. Its design is a picture my son Josh drew for me when he was a small child and my husband had it

stitched onto the pillow. It‘s a picture of the three of us under a rainbow and it sits on our bed.

I would leave behind a photo album of all the family pictures of memories, moments and experiences we have had together. It would remind them of the great times we have shared.

A cashmere lined hammock with linen sheets. I could lie between the trees and gaze up at the stars, then close my eyes and pretend I was back at home.

What would be your luxury item?

What would be your last supper before departing for your desert island?

A true home cooked meal of roast chicken with proper roast potatoes and all the trimmings. Followed by Christmas pudding with whipped cream and a large class of Sauvignon Blanc or Sparkling Provençal Rosé. www.joloves.com

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Culture

Cotswolds Culture Columnist Susan Blanchfield inspires us to become cultural in the Cotswolds and this month she writes about the joy of discovering Art

...on Art

Each day we move through life trying to shut out the irritations and assaults of modern living on our senses. In all that shutting out, how do we let life in and allow ourselves the space to think?

A good place to begin? Consider Art. Given the recent shenanigans in the Art world you could be forgiven for thinking that Art is only fit for money laundering, reducing tax bills or parting with $300 million of your spare Qatari coffers for exclusive viewing rights to a Gauguin.

Yes, our current crop of super rich appear to have conveniently forgotten the point of Art in their quest to shore up their HSBC Swiss Bank balances. It seems to me a rather joyless process when a piece of art is purchased by an individual only to be ripped from a free public gallery, squirreled away in a private underground steel lined vault and guarded by a small army. Dinner guests at these residences must dread the moment when they are invited to walk through the body scanner to endure a frisk for concealed weapons and abseiling paraphernalia in order to view the recently acquired ‘piece’. Even with my love for art, if it were me, I would pass on the viewing debacle and elect to settle in at the table with a robust red and a second round of the cheese plate.

Thankfully we don’t have to get the point of Art being quite so wrong. Drop below the headline grabbing purchases and furtive tax dodging behaviour and you’ll find that Art is multifaceted and multi-layered and whether your style is Koons, Constable or Emin, Art has something for everyone at any age. Our public spaces are still packed to the rafters with stuff for us to go and stare at and for those of us who are inclined to be sniffy about our time poor lives and ask do we have the time for Art? – Well, yes, I think we do. In the super-fast world we inhabit, Art excels at delivering messages quickly; a movie takes two hours to watch but you can interpret a story in Warhol’s undifferentiated mix of art and pop culture in seconds – even more exciting, the interpretation will be all your own work. We will have wildly

Der Park Petworth by JMW Turner

Mona Lisa by Andy Warhol

differing opinions and that is the joy of Art; it doesn’t matter.

Arguably the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ is a perfection of precise geometry and ‘Sfumato’ or ‘smoky lines’. In other words, unlike Cindy Crawford, she is airbrushed to within an inch of her 500-year or so old life (lucky girl!). But what truly inspires, are the mysteries and the debates swirling round the Enigmatic Mona Lisa. They give us the opportunity to create our own story to enjoy and the mystique is one of the main reasons the painting endures.

At the other end of the spectrum you might feel the same excitement and interest in the British Artist Martin Creed. His signature works include a crumpled sheet of paper, a flattened piece of the reusable adhesive Blue Tack as well as other more boundary breaking works, which are regrettably, unprintable in this column. Whether he appeals or not is entirely up to you but he’s been around for twenty years and exhibits in the Tate so someone aside from his mother must like his work.

Gloucestershire’s commitment to Art is demonstrated at a variety of locations both public and private. Cheltenham’s Wilson Art Gallery offers a range of exciting exhibitions as well as regular guest lecturers, educational

and free family events throughout the year. In March, it will host a visiting exhibition of paintings by JMW Turner, one of the most famous and controversial artists of 19th Century Britain. For interactive and experimental exhibits that offer an experiential feel, the Gloucester City Museum features the recreation of a Roman kitchen playhouse and medieval street as well regular free family events and lectures.

Every artist was first an amateur and fringe artwork offers the opportunity to view art, often meet the artist and if you like what they do, purchase their work. There are several excellent Fringe Art spaces in Gloucestershire; The New Brewery Arts in Cirencester, Stroud Valleys Art space promote their local Artists in residence and Cheltenham’s Montpellier Gallery host exhibitions from the University of Gloucestershire and local artists as well as Cheltenham Art Club. My most treasured piece of Art is a vibrant, joyful piece by an ‘amateur’. I know the story behind the work and the generous spirit of the artist and if I am ever grim of thought and lemon of lip, I only have to glance at it for a total mood makeover.

Art is an exploration and it is our unique emotional response to it that makes it great.

Thinking, concentration, engagement, being in the moment, is entirely beneficial for our health and our stress levels. Paying attention to Art both relaxes and stimulates the brain; it barely matters whether or not you “like” the object in question – it is your emotional response that matters.

In other words it’s not about ‘them or ‘it’; heavens no! It’s all about you.

Susan Blanchfield is a Patron and Trustee of Cheltenham Festivals; she is a postgraduate doctoral researcher at the University of Gloucestershire and has a life long passion for the Arts in Education. Please contact Susan at: editor@stylemagazines.co.uk

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ZAMBIA

THE CHARMING HEART OF AFRICA ambia is a mesmerising wilderness of vast blue skies, rippling yellow grasslands, iridescent wetlands and ochre red soil. It is one of Southern Africa’s most remote countries, through which flow the three great rivers, the Kafue, the Luangwa and the Zambezi; the life-giving waters of which attract vast concentrations of mammals and predators.

Walking safaris were pioneered in Zambia and the options for such a unique game viewing experience are endless.

Kafue National Park is remote, staggeringly beautiful and varied with woodland, rivers, plateaus, floodplains and swamps teeming with birds and other wildlife. Herbivores including kudu, bushbuck, eland, reedbuck, common duker, grysbok and waterbuck are frequently seen and the area is abundant with predators such as cheetah, leopard and wild dog, including the remarkable tree-climbing lions. South Luangwa National Park is a big-game stronghold and one of the wildest and most majestic parks in Africa. The Lower Zambezi National Park is one of the country’s premier wildlife viewing areas, famed for its large prides of lion lording over the valley, elephants wading through the river, crocodiles basking on the muddy banks and large pods of hippo.

If you are not keen on walking through the bush, an alternative and very memorable way to get up close and personal with wild Africa is on a canoe safari. One day we paddled alongside four lionesses as they padded silently along the river bank and our canoe floated beside hippo as they eyeballed us, eyes like periscopes, snorting from the surface of the water. The very remote Liuwa Plain National Park is difficult to access and consequently is an unspoilt haven with very few visitors and boasts one of Africa’s great animal migrations.

Nothing can beat the primeval thrill of tracking wild African animals through the

Z

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Self-professed adventuress Lucy Garbutt discovers beautiful, friendly Zambia and the wonder of Victoria Falls

“Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight” Livingstone The Smoke That Thunders

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Travel

Canoeing The Zambezi is a serene way to enjoy the wildlife

Walking safaris offer a unique game viewing experience

bush where all the while you realise you could actually be the one being hunted!

The area around Livingstone has the reputation for being the adrenalin centre of Africa. It is a Pandora’s box full of epic experiences such as helicopter and microlight flights that drop right into the Victoria Falls gorge, cliffs and bridges to bungee jump, abseil and gorge swing.

Additional activities include cage-diving with crocodiles, elephant riding and walking with lions. White water rafting through the raging rapids of the Zambezi had always been on my ‘must do’ travel list and the thrill of it did not disappoint.

In fact I was quite delirious with adrenalin for weeks afterwards! As one of the top ten paddling rivers on the planet and acclaimed as the ‘wildest one-day white water run in the world’ the journey boasts such rapids as “Stairway to Heaven” and “Oblivion” – I can remember every plunge, twist, turn and capsize to this day!

It was the Smoke that Thunders or Mosi-oa-Tunya, as the locals have always called it that leaves indelible memories.

Planning to be the first to ‘discover’ the Victoria Falls that day, we set off on foot from the bus stop at first light, heading

towards billowing clouds of mist below.

The walk to The Falls follows a meandering route across scrubland which is inhabited by troops of baboon.

Naively we found it thrilling to walk among such seemingly friendly creatures until with alarm, we realised the baboons had gradually circled us and with threatening taunts were closing in. Our arrival at the brink of the mighty falls was more dramatic than we hoped, followed a sprint for our lives from our furry friends.

It was quite literally a breath-taking experience to stand beside the world’s greatest mass of falling water. At over one thousand meters wide and one hundred metres high, a vast curtain of water from the plains plunges into the massive, frothy black chasm of Batoka Gorge, which you can witness from nerve-rackingly high viewpoints dotted along the edge of the gorge. On November 23rd 1855 Livingstone wrote in his journal, ‘Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight’.

There are wonderful walks through the rainforest beside the falls where the power of the surging water tumbling into the void electrifies every nerve and sinew,

leaving the body energised with electrons for weeks afterwards! Teetering from the viewpoint above Devil’s Cataract, I could imagine the shock of missionaries who witnessed tribes sacrificing beasts to the rainbow god here! The most thrilling experience of all was swimming in a pool right at the Falls’ edge besides Livingstone Island, clutching onto rocks as raging torrents pummelled my body and billowing clouds of vapour towered into the blue sky yonder …

Once touched by the spirit of Africa it never leaves you! I can’t wait to return.

If you would like to go to Zambia a safari can be tailor-made for you by World Odyssey – for more information on anything to do with Africa or anywhere else on the planet, please visit www.worldodyssey.com – follow us @World_Odyssey, like us on Facebook and/or call one of our travel specialists for advice on: 01905 731373.

COTSWOLD STYLE MARCH 2015 55

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SPRING YOUR HAIR INTO ACTION

Laura Leigh Hairdressing looks at what’s trending for 2015

The Swag While last year the lob (long bob), was the trend with so many celebrities committing to the chop, we have to assume that they’re probably working their way towards longer mid-length locks for this spring. So what will be 2015’s most wanted style?

Get ready for ‘the swag’, because it’s already gaining traction on runways and red carpets all over the world.

The lobs and long mermaid waves that were extremely popular last season are coming together to create a new style, fresh for 2015.

I’m calling it ‘the swag’ (a swingy shag layered cut), with long layers and soft grown-out fringes designed at different lengths depending on your face shape.

The key is lots of soft texture and seamless movement in the hair, such as the looks of Alexa Chung

and Sienna Miller.

The lob moves seamlessly to the swag, says Laura Leigh, “It’s a great transition from the lob as you feel like your hair has become long and playful overnight with the weight change in the cut and your blowdry time will be halved.”

A key product to create this look is L’Oreal Beach Waves.

GET THE LOOK with L’Oreal Professional Wild Stylers Beach Waves. Available from Laura Leigh hairdressing for £14.99

A New Natural Colour Trend While ultra vibrant hair and dramatic ombré ruled 2014, we’re starting to see a shift into softer, more natural ‘sombre’ colours as the trend. The leading force towards this minimal vibe is ‘Balayage’; increasingly popular highlights that aim to mimic sun kissed, natural holiday hair.

Resident Senior colour specialist Nadine Nolan tells us about a new technique she is working with. “It is a similar, darker, technique that we are sure is about to go mainstream over the course of 2015, introducing ecaille (AKA “tortoiseshell” in French).”

With smooth caramel tones, the ecaille technique is a slightly richer and darker version of your natural colour, paired with golden highlights and a whole lot of shine.

The look from Paris tends to also be darker at the roots and lighter at the ends – consider it a much more sophisticated version of the ombré we know and love. Pop some Balayage highlights on top of this rich shade and and a gloss to keep it rich and you’ve achieved a multi-dimensional, bombshell look.

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Hair

GET THE LOOK with L’Oreal Professional Homme Mat Sculpting Pomade available from Laura Leigh hairdressing for £12.99

Something for the boys...

Go Longer Long hair is set to have a moment in 2015.

Granted, this type of cut isn’t for everyone but on the right guy and styled the right way, it can look superb! It’s best to avoid growing your hair long if it’s thick or unruly, as it will take a lot of time to blow dry and style each day.

Arguably the worst part of growing ones hair long, are those awkward, in-between stages where the length is not quite short, not quite long and not quite fit for being seen by the general public. If you find yourself at one of these transitional periods, head straight to your stylist so that they can tidy it up and offer some expert advice on how best to get over the hump.

The key to making long hair work is taking good care of it and ensuring you get it cut regularly. Care-wise, you’ll need a good

quality shampoo and conditioner; a deep conditioning treatment or leave-in conditioner applied every week or so, can help keep your hair looking its absolute best.

When it comes to creating your new longer style, the trick is to aim for a look that’s relaxed and laid-back rather than overly preened. However, if you’re growing your hair precisely to avoid all this precision styling, the ‘man bun’ and ‘top knot’ are both extremely on-trend styles at the moment, yet completely fuss-free.

The New Crop Super short sides have been the must-have look for men for a while now. This year, why not experiment with a slightly different look and maintain a little more length through the sides? This technique reduces the degree of scalp exposure while still keeping edges looking smart and sharp, as well as giving you a little more hair to play with when

creating smooth styles.

When creating a high shine style, preparation is key, so make sure to apply product to lightly towel dried hair. Rub some L’Oreal Matt Styling Cream through the hair and blow dry while combing back or to the side, to achieve the slick, precise finish you want.

For those keen to push the envelope, tramlines have been making a slow but sure comeback aided by the 1990s style revival. Contrary to popular belief, tramlines don’t have to be tacky; there’s a whole spectrum of styles from subtle to statement making. If you want to try it out opt for a shaved-in parting or if you’re up for going all out, ask your stylist to suggest a design they think would work for your specific hair type and head shape.

Laura Leigh Hairdressing, Lower Ground Floor, 105 The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1NW, Tel: 01242 530598; www.lauraleighhairdressing.co.uk

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Lower Ground Floor, 105 The Promenade, GL50 1NW

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Finals House, The Square, Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1AF

01451 830525 www.chausalle.co.uk

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Mind, Body & Soul We discover some of the new, sensational treatments or products available in the Cotswolds, to recuperate your mind, body and soul LUXE TAN & NAILS Having opened in September 2014 by published nail artist Katie Luxe, Luxe Tan and Nails provides a local tanning and nail bar for the Cotswolds.

As chic as any stylish salon you would find in the capital, Luxe has a fully stocked Ciate nail bar, the only one outside of London. All the staff are Shellac trained and Luxe is an approved salon with the American Back Scratchers acrylic system.

The focal perspective at Luxe Tan and Nails is to provide safe and effective nail care. The salon, specialists in all types of manicures and pedicures, only uses natural procedures; OPI GelColor and

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Shellac and for the acrylics there are non of the dangerous chemicals such as MMA that are used in so many high street locations, that damage and rip ones natural nail if getting caught. The nail

tips may not last as long as some of these cheaper variations but you won’t end up with ripped nail beds and paper-thin nails either!

The nail bar boasts a top-of-the range Collagen sunbed, the only one in the area. This is ideal for cleansing and providing blemish free skin and the red collagen infused bulbs are superb for rejuvenation and soothing, as well as a long lasting deep tan.

Luxe Tan and Nails are nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds in the busy town of Bourton-on-the-water.

Open 6 days a week from 9.30-6.00pm Face Book - Instagram - Twitter Luxe tan and nails Tel: 01451 798008

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Health SUGARING WITH MICHELLE ANGUS A gentle form of hair removal that has been practiced for centuries by the ancient Egyptians, Michelle Angus has been one of the UK’s leading practioners in sugaring for the past twenty-two years.

Sugar paste is made from natural food-grade ingredients such as water, lemon juice and sugar (as opposed to resins and artificial ingredients in body wax). Sugaring doesn’t attach to live skin cells only acting upon the dead skin thereby giving you a thorough exfoliation at the same time. Sugaring is particularly ideal if you have skin complaints such as sensitivity, eczema and psoriasis, even diabetics who tend to have much thinner skin.

This highly effective system removes ones body hair deeply from the root and pulls out short, stubbly hairs. It prevents in-grown hairs and for people who find waxing painful, sugaring is warm and far gentler. Sugaring also offers the perfect alternative to expensive top up laser sessions to tidy up the sparse regrowth.

Michelle is highly reputable for sugaring the notoriously tricky Hollywood and Brazilian bikini area.

This is an absolute must for people planning a vacation to some warmer climates after a winter of neglect in this department. One doesn’t want a ‘Miranda’ moment, a la Sex and the City!

Michelle has taught sugaring to people from all over the world and is happy to hear from individuals and beauty salons that maybe interested in training.

To find out more about Brazilian or Hollywood sugaring treatments, please contact Michelle Angus.

Tel: 07861 354398 THE COCONUT COLLABORATIVE Traditional yogurt, made with cow's milk, is off-limits to those who suffer with milk allergies or are lactose intolerance. Coconut yogurt is a healthy alternative that's made with the milk of a coconut. In addition to being dairy free, coconut yogurt also supplies several key vitamins and minerals and can have live and active cultures just like milk-based yogurts. It is therefore now thought that consumption of coconut milk may help protect the body from infections and viruses.

The fat in coconuts is super-healthy –

it’s almost all made up of medium-chain fatty acids.

Instead of being stored as body fat, these are broken down straight away and used as energy. In fact, they’ve been shown to help promote heart health and aid in brain cognition. Even better, they’re cholesterol-free Coconut Collaborative has produced a delicious range of natural yogurts, which are the perfect way to start the day for a healthy breakfast or mid-afternoon snack. The yogurts are dairy-free, soya free and gluten free with no added sugar and come in a range of flavours such as natural with berries and seeds, mango and passion fruit, raspberry and plain natural.

Coconut Collaborative Yoghurts – available from Waitrose and Daylesford Organic Farm Shop WHITE GLO TOOTHPASTE White Glo is Australia’s leading toothpaste brand offering unbeatable whitening and tooth protection using a unique Calcium Carbonate-based whitening formula which then addresses specific oral care issues which other brands don’t think to target. The famous five formulas are: Professional Choice – This was originally formulated to help give actors and models their winning smiles and is used by them all over the world.

Coffee & Tea – Perfect for caffeine addicts, this formula lifts the difficult stains, which these drinks leave on your teeth.

Smokers Formula – Designed to

combat nicotine stains and smoker’s breath, this toothpaste is highly effective in masking the signs of a normal smoker.

2-in-1 – Combining the whitening strength of White Glo and the freshbreath confidence of mouthwash, this formula blends the two to provide an ultimate clean feel.

Sensitive Forte+ – Sensitive teeth can’t handle abrasive whitening toothpastes, so this newest formula delivers the same power in a formula which is gentle enough even for the most sensitive of teeth.

The White Glo range of toothpastes are available from Asda, Boots, Superdrug and Morrisons.

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Available from Cheltenham, Worcester, Bristol, Bath

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Fashion

Grace&Glamour Stylish wardrobe ideas to take you through the March festivals It’s finally March and we can start basking in the glory of warmer days. It’s also the official start of the most exciting fashion period of all, the spring to summer social style! very March, Cotswold ladies tend to think of only two true occasions - Racing and Mother’s Day, with a really tough decision to make on which is the most important, style wise. We all know how important fashion is when it comes to the Cheltenham Festival and Ladies Day in particular but equally, so is truly celebrating Mother’s Day in style.

To help make that oh so important decision just that little bit easier - and I’m talking style wise for each occasion, not between the two - I’ve pulled some of my favourite pieces to wear for each, both and even for the rest of the season.

Starting with accessories.

Even though we’re pretty much over the worst of winter, faux fur is still a must for some occasions - including racing, if the outfit warrants it. This gorgeous Cossack hat from French Connection would make a perfect racing day accessory for those of you attending the full week and looking to switch around your French Connection style.

Likewise, if you’re heading out to the country in the cold or somewhere casual with your Mum, it might be just the accessory you’ve been waiting for.

Like magic, Joules has the perfect country tweed coat to team with your faux fur headpiece.

Perfect for a classical racing look and for spring casual attire too.

With this little beauty, you’re guaranteed to get a whole lot of

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wear - it’s definitely an investment worth making.

I’ve always been a huge fan of stripes and while monochrome may seem a little boring for spring, this Karen Millen number certainly is not.

This is ideal for a semiformal occasion or even dressed down for heading out on Mother’s Day, it’s definitely an occasional hybrid. Whether it’s afternoon tea or a long lazy lunch, opt for heels or flats to suit your destination and you’ll be sure to win the style wars.

For something that’s ultra feminine and oh so sophisticated, Reiss has you Reiss covered. In a gorgeous neutral tone, it’s perfect to brighten up with accessories and a great length for the races. To warm it up a little, that little faux fur friend would be perfect and maybe even a stole to

Joules

Topshop

Karen Millen

match! This one will take you through spring to summer and would make a killer wedding guest dress.

And finally, to finish off your Mother’s Day attire, this throw-on cardigan from Topshop is perfect. It’ll even smarten up a pair of jeans teamed with heels and acts as a transitional cover up for the autumnal season too!

Grace @graceoliviap www.dorothyandolive.com

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Beauty

RACE READY...

Amy Hickey’s guide to make-up that will last the course at The Festival Whether you’re a regular race goer or enjoy the hype once a year, there’s no getting away from the illustrious Cheltenham Festival.

Let’s get sophisticated with gorgeous accessorises and beautiful make up, the Cotswold style way.

Left: Create striking yet naturally beautiful eyes with this glamorous make up palette by Chantecaille.

Colours are suitable for all eye colours and skin tones.

Above: Keep your lips moisturised whatever the weather with Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm £5.99, with its easy to apply, no hassle tube in a range of colours and 100% natural ingredients. This is a must for your handbag.

Below: Fake it; get these funky nails ready to impress. Buy the transfers online or head to your nearest nail technician.

Left: First impressions look good with this super stylish make up bags. Check out www.signare.co.uk from £8.99.

Time to get smart using multitalented make-up.

I love a blusher that can be used as a lipstick, a highlighter that can be used as an eyeshadow or an eyeliner that doubles up into a shadow.

HERE ARE MY TOP THREE MUST HAVES...

Left: Sleek eyeliner and mascara duo £4.49. This saves lots of room in your make up bag whilst delivering wonderfully groomed lashes and effective long lasting liner.

Laura Mercier Bonne Mine £26.

This bright, creamy colour looks fresh and vibrant when used on the lips and cheeks.

Right: Nars Multiple stick in Copacabana £30. This is great to highlight your cheekbones along with sweeping across the eyelids or brow bone to creative bright healthy looking eyes.

T: 07733 237767 E: amyhickey.com@gmail.com Twitter: @amy_hickey Facebook.com/amyhickeycom

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STABLE SCENES Cotswold Style’s Fashion Editor Yvette Brentnall, prepares for The Cheltenham Festival at the Kim Bailey Racing Stables in the glorious Cotswolds ASSISTANT FASHION STYLISTS: IONA MOYLE & AMELIA PINCOTT PHOTOGRAPHY: STEFANIE CALLEJA-GERA WWW.SCG-PHOTOGRAPHY.COM PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: DAVEY TERRIFIC

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Fashion t was a fabulous, misty, early morning in late February when the Cotswold Style fashion team found themselves at Kim Bailey’s training yard in Andoversford, where a great deal of excitement was felt with the impending and important Cheltenham Racing Festival.

Armed with a boot full of wonderful clothes and props with guns in transit and a stable yard of the finest racehorses, this was going to be a very special shoot.

With spring in the air I wanted a fresh, modern twist on the whole country look. I sourced the clothing from the Cotswold Woollen Weavers in Filkins; beautiful exquisitely tailored country wear for both men and women and a boutique in Montpellier Cheltenham, Blue; totally understated and under the watchful eye of its talented owner, sells beautiful one off designers not seen anywhere else.

The models’ fantastic Fedora hats came from the Monday Boutique in Cirencester and the children’s delightful, trendy boots came from Cheltenham based online shoe retailer, Angela Brown Classics.

It really was a magical shoot laughter, fun, great energy and oh, a bit of drama when model Mandy was thrown from the exquisite thoroughbred but with grace and aplomb!

Along with the 4 adult models were 3 delightful children, Jack Cosmo and Clova, accompanied by an array of horses, ponies, dogs, stylists’ own props, stables, farmyards and guns all put together for a proper country day in the Cotswolds.

Our big thanks to Kim Bailey for so kindly allowing us access to his yard and very valuable horses, to our friends in Coberley for entertaining us at their stunning farm with such wonderful photo opportunities and our ultra professional models, all the styling team who worked so tirelessly to keep everyone immaculate and Stef and Davey for the great photography.

Finally, a big thank you to Sprout, the shoot’s mascot dog who nearly had his head eaten by the horse and Toffee the world’s best behaved Border Terrier!

I

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Fashion

CREDITS Fashion Editor: Yvette Brentnall – yvetteb@mif-filters.co.uk Photographer: Stephanie Calleja-Gera www.scg-photography.com Assistant Photographer: Davey Terrific Assistant Fashion Stylists: Tracy Doughty tracy.doughty@hotmail.co.uk Iona Moyle ionamoyle@hotmail.com - 07890519371 Amelia Pincott apincott@hotmail.co.uk - 07776237799 Clothing Suppliers: Blue, Montpellier, Cheltenham – www.bluewomensclothing.co.uk; Cotswold Woollen Weavers, Filkins, Lechlade – www.cotswoldwoollenweavers.co.uk; Angela Brown Classics – www.coolboysshoes.com and www.coolgirlsshoes.com; Monday Boutique – 2 West Market Place, Cirencester Tel: 01285 640100 Models: Henry Doughty - henrydoughty@aol.com 07869734264; Jamie Roche - rochejamie@yahoo.co.uk 07905943776; Amy Finn - Nevs Model Agency - 07731965026; Mandy Hall - mandyfayehall@yahoo.co.uk - 07766226505 Child Models: Jack Logan, Clova Logan and Cosmo Blanchfield Hair Stylists: Jo Vallender and Jerome Herve at Vallenders Salon, Cheltenham, www.vallenders.com, Tel: 01242 261802 Make Up Artists: Valentina Calandra Email: valentinacalandra@hotmail.com - 07519053251; Monika Vrublova - www.monikavrublova.com Shoot Mascots: Sprout and Toffee Shot on location at Kim Bailey Racing, Thorndale Farm, Andoversford, Cheltenham, www.kimbaileyracing.com

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Beautifully ha hand and crafted fine Jeweller Jewellery. y.

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Q&A

John Titcombe Fine Jewellery Emma Logan met with John Titcombe, owner of the illustrious fine jewellery retailer based in Cirencester and Bristol Where did you develop your highly sought-after Goldsmith skill and when did you establish John Titcombe Fine Jewellery?

I studied as a Goldsmith in 1983 at the prestigious Birmingham School of Jewellery.

I then joined a small business in Bath heading up their workshop team. In 1999, I established my own company specialising in bespoke pieces designed and made by myself accompanied by my highly skilled team. With time, I developed strong relationships with the world’s finest diamond traders, in Antwerp, Belgium. This meant I could commission pieces using a handpicked collection of the finest diamonds and other admirable gemstones, which I sourced whilst travelling to the world’s largest trade exhibitions. We are based in the heart of Clifton Village, Bristol surrounded by Georgian architecture and Cirencester, Gloucestershire an historic market town; I became an ambitious entrepreneur, making my customers’ dreams come alive through the beauty of jewellery.

Many newly engaged couples aspire to buy their ring from you - do you design pieces that are affordable for all income ranges?

We understand that an engagement ring is an enduring symbol of love and commitment.

Therefore we work with our customer’s budget in mind, whether it is advice on a diamond or coloured gemstone or a contemporary, yet popular choice. My experienced and attentive team assist in creating the perfect ring using appropriately priced and quality gemstones.

There is a general worry amongst some people that stones may not be ethically sourced what is your stand on this?

Our diamond and gold miners

are close to our hearts and we strongly believe in supporting them wherever possible. We were one of the first jewellers in the world to manufacture and stock fairtrade gold and have won fair-trade awards for the past four years. Not only do we have a legal obligation to sell nonconflict diamonds due to the European Union signing the Kimberly process, we stock and source Canadian diamonds - said to be the most ethically sourced, from Canada’s arctic diamond mine. Over many years, we have built-up relationships with likeminded businesses and people and we are able to source ethically mined gemstones as well.

What has been your most popular design so far and what are you designing for this year’s collection?

My most popular design in 2014 was the delightful Jasmine. This delicate halo cluster has an open wire underbezel with secret grain diamonds, skilfully set beneath. It is simply beautiful. The past twelve months has seen commissions of all variations of the Jasmine as well as one customer’s diamond solitaire engagement ring reset into a Jasmine; keeping the sentiment

of their original diamond. Our bubble collection was also revered over the past year.

The more varied the gemstones the more contemporary and unique the piece. One of my latest projects is the Victoria, incorporating a floral twist on a traditional halo; we are anticipating it to be one of our most popular designs in 2015. The Victoria is particularly alluring when set with rare coloured gemstones. Currently we have a phenomenal forest green Alexandrite with an amazing colour change of flashes of deep red.

In real terms we have been in a recession for many years, how have you adapted to meet the needs of your customers?

As an independent bespoke jeweller, we have grown and developed throughout the recession. The advantage to making and designing our pieces in our in-house workshops means we can significantly reduce our expenses and we have passed this on to our customers with pricing. The technology in the jewellery world has developed considerably which has helped us meet the demands of our valued customers. We now have 2 in-house CAD designers. Colin has been mastering the art of CAD Design since its introduction into the jewellery world and Beth has joined our team straight from Birmingham School of Jewellery, allowing the younger generation to continue developing in the jewellery world.

Please visit their website www.johntitcombe.co.uk for more information on their designs, services or to sign up to their E-newsletter.

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Cheltenham’s family-run kitchen specialist

Recent project - Winchcombe

Nicholas, Sam and Jo Joiner

Inspirational designs Manufactured by craftsmen Planned by specialists Fitted by experts Recent project - Forthampton

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WESTMINSTER IN THE COTSWOLDS With so many political issues affecting the Cotswolds and the General Election now only two months away, Emma Logan has asked the county’s MPs to inform Cotswold Style readers what they have been doing to represent their constituencies both locally and from Westminster

Neil Carmichael

NEIL CARMICHAEL, MP FOR STROUD Reforming welfare benefits has been a central objective of this government. The three aims behind the reforms – making the system fairer, affordable, transparent and supportive of hardworking families have been achieved, although, naturally, there is still more to do.

To start with, the Basic State Pension has been increased on a yearly basis by the highest increase of inflation or earnings.

This has delivered a total uplift of over £800. Alongside this is the commitment to protect free NHS prescriptions and bus passes, and Winter Fuel Payments. The entire pension package amounts to £114 billion in the current year.

In the Stroud Valleys and Vale, Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) claimants have fallen to under 550 from a total of over 1400 back in 2010. Further good news is that the number of unemployed young people has more than halved.

For years there has been confusion and sometimes injustice as a result of having a vast array of possible entitlements. This is 82 MARCH 2015 COTSWOLD STYLE

why the new Universal Credit is replacing JSA, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.

Instead of a series of payments, one single payment will be made plus any payments to cover children and/or disabilities.

Another aim has been to help people on low pay. The minimum wage has been steadily increased and if our plans are implemented, it will be actually higher than Labour’s promised target. To help even more, income tax thresholds have been increased; meaning over 4000 people in Stroud no longer pay income tax at all.

More threshold increases are coming.

All of this means we now have record employment at over 30 million in work, the lowest rate of workless households since records began. 500,000 people in work via the work programme and benefits capped at average earnings. This is all about properly including people in our society.

E: neil.carmichael.mp@parliament.uk LAURENCE ROBERTSON, MP FOR TEWKESBURY The Cheltenham racecourse falls within my constituency and is a great asset to the area. Not only is it a world class racecourse but it's meetings, especially the Festival in March, brings in a great deal of income for local businesses such as hotels, pubs, restaurants, shops and taxi companies.

The Festival itself is the most prestigious, high-quality National Hunt

Laurence Robertson

meeting in the world. Often, when a horse wins a race somewhere else in the months before, the trainer often declares that, after that win, "he is going to Cheltenham", meaning not the place, but the Festival.

The word Cheltenham used in that context refers to the four days in mid-March.

For me, as a racing fan, but also as cochairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Racing & Bloodstock, and cochairman of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly, I have to be there! So will thousands of other people, from the UK, Ireland and beyond and it's a great tribute to the area and to the people who run the racecourse that we have such a high-quality sporting event taking place on our doorsteps. www.laurencerobertsonmp.com

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Politics Minister of State for Universities, Science and Cities, on providing funding for the new innovation centre at the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester and asked whether some of this funding could be used to contribute to the cost of the important works to the A417 missing link. www.geoffreycliftonbrown.co.uk

restaurants, cinema and services, joining festivals and making the city centre livelier is a good thing.

An announcement of the master plan should be in early March - to interest developers and to kick start consultation.

The Gloucester Quays have changed impressions of shopping and eating in Gloucester: but Blackfriars will change people's perceptions of living in Gloucester and that will have the most impact on the city centre. www.richardgraham.org

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown

GEOFFREY CLIFTON-BROWN, MP FOR COTSWOLDS I am frequently contacted by constituents concerned about the limited broadband and mobile phone signal they receive in The Cotswolds. I have been taking significant action on this, pressing the Government to ensure that the roll out of superfast broadband reaches every area as soon as possible. This is one of my biggest priorities, to ensure that people in The Cotswolds get access to good phone and broadband connections as soon as possible. This is vital for businesses and general lifestyle. I have had a meeting with the Secretary of State about this as well as writing to him on numerous occasions. I have also been in regular contact with Fastershire to see how they can improve their efforts. You can see my contribution to a debate on this subject on my website. I will continue to put pressure on the Government until I am satisfied that everyone has a decent broadband and mobile phone connection.

On a separate topic, I hold regular meetings with branches of the National Farmers Union across The Cotswolds. I held one of these such meetings in Cirencester last weekend where I was able to discuss various issues of concerns amongst local farmers, particularly the date for the new Basic Farm Payment Scheme, Tuberculosis, the dairy crisis and how the new Groceries Code Adjudicator might help.

Finally, the Government recently announced an additional £1 billion funding for the Growth Deal. These growth deals are a fantastic initiative, which give local communities the power and money to unlock growth and development through the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Upon hearing the announcement I congratulated the Rt Hon Greg Clark MP,

Richard Graham

RICHARD GRAHAM, MP FOR GLOUCESTER Blackfriars and the transformation of Gloucester City Centre In 2010 there was a real threat to the future of our shire capital infrastructure in the Blackfriars area. The prison, courts, police station and county council might all leave: the Barbican be sold off, while the abandoned and asbestos ridden ex Fleece Hotel looked a liability.

There was potential to lose up to 2,000 jobs from Blackfriars, with devastating impact on city centre retail business. But there was an opportunity as well as a threat. Once the decision to sell the prison was taken the main obstacle to residential development was gone. The Recession caused the county council to reduce real estate, so its riverside buildings are either already, or soon, available for sale and the county council has decided to stay in Shire Hall. A decision to transfer assets (like the Barbican and the Fleece Hotel) to the city council meant suddenly all of Blackfriars was in local authority or Ministry of Justice ownership with a chance to consolidate our disparate courts in one place.

That is part of a draft master plan, drawn up by a partnership between the two councils and myself but impossible to realise until these developments had happened.

Public spaces and housing led regeneration is next. More people living in Blackfriars and their impact on the city centre: using city shops, pubs, cafes and

Martin Horwood

MARTIN HORWOOD, MP FOR CHELTENHAM Ministers now claim availability of whizzy new fibre-optic broadband should be 96% in Cheltenham, the best of Gloucestershire. We really need 100% if the alternative is so slow that working from home, online banking and schoolwork is virtually impossible. And I’m sceptical. I doubt we’re even hitting 90%, leaving thousands with superslow connections.

More promising is Virgin’s promise to invest in filling in many of the gaps. I lobbied Virgin recently to make Cheltenham their showcase and offered to take part in whatever bonkers PR stunt Richard Branson wanted if he delivered!

It’s Gold Cup Week again. Let’s forget the election for a bit and worry about Lord Windermere’s optimistic defence against fancied challengers like Silviniaco Conti.

But politics intrude even here.

Government announcing a ‘racing right’ to secure future income from betting would be timely. Then there’s animal welfare.

Does Cheltenham see too many deaths even by jump racing standards? Accidents happen even when horses aren’t racing and my impression is that Cheltenham loves horses and has made many safety improvements. But the racecourse should always try to do more. Popular support is vital to sport and town.

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ALEXANDER BURN FUNERAL DIRECTORS Alexander Burn is an independent family business with three offices in the Cheltenham area.

COURTEOUS, EFFICIENT AND RESPECTFUL 24 hour personal service | Private chapels of rest HM Coroner and NHS Funeral Director for Gloucestershire

www.alexanderburn.com Bishops Cleeve 22 Church Road 01242 673300

Cheltenham 436 High Street 01242 245350

Winchcombe 11 North Street 01242 604888

March 2015

“We like to think that it is says something about our specialist expertise, that many other Solicitors choose to use Sherbornes for their own Employment Law work”.

Mr Smith re: Divorce Case Mrs Jones re: Neighbour Dispute Speak to Sherbornes re: Employment Law problem Lunch with Managing Partner

www.sherbornesllp.co.uk 10 Royal Crescent, Cheltenham, GL50 3DA

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Business

Sharing maternity leave Darren Sherborne explains the new Shared Parental Leave Provision ost Fathers will run a mile at the thought of staying at home and changing a new born’s nappies for a few months but that is exactly what they will able to do from April. The new Shared Parental Leave provisions come into effect from 5th April this year. While this may seem a little way off, it applies to any child expected to be born after that date (it doesn’t matter when they are actually born), so this needs thinking about now.

Up until now, an expectant mother could expect to take up to 12 months maternity leave and a father could expect 2 weeks’ paternity leave. Everyone knew where they stood. Now, the parents will be

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able to share the maternity leave (as it were). New parents will have a 50-week block of leave and can split it between them. In addition the mother must take two weeks immediately after the birth, that’s obligatory.

The restrictions on this leave are few: 1. The leave cannot start until 2 weeks after the baby is born.

2. The leave must be shared before the baby’s first birthday.

3. The leave must be taken in blocks of 1 week minimum.

4. Employees must give a minimum of 8 weeks’ notice of their intention to take this leave.

Unlike normal maternity pay, where the first 6 weeks are at 90% of normal pay, the requirement to pay during this period is less. The parent using shared parental leave is only entitled to the lower of 90% of a week’s pay per week or £138.18 per week.

This flat rate is payable for 37 weeks of the leave, regardless of whether it is the mother or the father that is taking the leave. I can see some confusion occurring for employers in working out whether the 37 weeks has already been paid or whether they still have to pay it.

The definition of the father for the purposes of this benefit is thoroughly modern. It might be the mother, husband, civil partner, or someone living with the mother in an “enduring family relationship”. Most endearing about this legislation is perhaps the fact that if there is more than one prospective partner, the mother will have to elect which one she feels is most suitable! It doesn’t have to be a man.

The mother and her partner will have to comply with a request procedure that is set out in the new regime. However, employers need to think now about how they will deal with this, how they will confirm the partner, check who has taken what and so what pay is due, which I can see could lead to some difficult conversations.

Having said all that and accepting employers will need to amend their procedures, I can’t personally see too many fathers at least, wanting to stay at home and change nappies.

Darren Sherborne is a Partner at Sherbornes Solicitors LLP in Cheltenham

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‘Think of risk and return together’ says Charlotte Tupper from Montpellier Asset Management It’s important to understand the relationship between risk and return.

Lower-risk investments usually provide lower returns, whereas higher-risk investments have the potential to produce higher returns. Generally, the longer you have to reach your goal, the more risk you can tolerate. As the old adage goes, it is the time in the market, not timing the market.

When you place a bet at the races you are given odds for the likelihood of your horse winning the race, or coming placed depending on the type of bet you have made.

Large sums of money are placed on the horses everyday with often ‘good odds’ only offering a 50% chance or less of winning, and little in the way of return.

Even worse odds can be achieved by playing the lottery. You have a 1 in 14 million chance of winning the lottery jackpot, with the chance of you winning any prize at approximately 54-1; even the premium bonds don’t stack up well.

Someone with £1,000 invested over a year has a 1 in 2,195,991 chance of winning , that’s a 63% chance of winning nothing at all!

As a financial adviser we also look at the percentage of achieving returns. By 88 MARCH 2015 COTSWOLD STYLE

categorising risk, using terms such as defensive through to aggressive helps determine how an investor can help the level of risk they want to take with their money. A cautious investor will have an 80% chance of having a positive return over 4 years. A lot of risk is about timescale, i.e. the time remaining before you need to surrender your investment.

Having a longer timescale will improve your chances for positive returns.

There are many guises of investment risks; here are a few that you need to be aware of:

Inflation risk – This is the buying power of your capital, and it will erode the value of your money over time. Cash is portrayed erroneously as safe, however even with inflation being given a ‘target’ figure of 2%, if your deposit rate is lower than this you will be guaranteed you are losing money. Inflation is a hugely important factor, which banks and the government seem to ignore.

Risk to capital – Some investments like equities, property and to some extent bonds, provides the opportunity for growth in their value, but also the risk that they may fall in value. One of the

key reasons for diversification, placing your investment eggs in more than more basket, is to reduce these risks.

Income risk – This is the risk posed by the possibility that the income provided by a fund will fluctuate due to changing interest rates.

Shortfall risk – Sometimes investors find that their pensions or other investments do not meet their expectations. This is called shortfall risk.

The shortfall could arise for several reasons. The investor may have unrealistic expectations of how their investments will perform. The investor may be starting with too small a sum or simply saving too little. A common cause of shortfall risk is investing in assets that stand virtually no chance of delivering high enough returns.

We are happy to help you decide how much risk you are prepared and able to take and what risks you want to avoid.

Please come in and see me, Charlotte Tupper, opposite the Town Hall at 7 Imperial Square in Cheltenham. www.montpellierasset.com Tel: 01242 530999 Email: charlotte@montpellierasset.com

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GROWING

GLOUCESTERSHIRE BUSINESSES Profiling a selection of leading Gloucestershire companies

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The opposite of casino mentality…

Eric Barton delves deep with The Attivo Group’s CEO, Stephen Harper A career in the Royal Navy provides you with a zest for life, instils good work ethics, and you have to have a natural talent for getting on with people.

Having enjoyed his time as an ex-Royal Navy Chief Engineer, the Chief Executive of the Attivo Group, Stephen Harper, has all three of the above qualities in spades or waves, depending on your nautical bent.

As I walk into Stephen Harper’s office, the welcome is both warm and clearly genuine. This is a man in touch with his own ‘ying and yang’ - and everybody else’s to boot.

Now, Stephen Harper has been in the Financial Services industry for over 25 years, and his previous career enabled him to develop an eye for detail and in a sense prepared him for getting to grips with the minutia of the finance sector.

Stephen began his financial career when he joined a major insurance form.

He comments, “After a very successful time with RSA, I made the decision to leave. They said I was mad. At the time it was a company that I felt wouldn’t be around for another five years. In fact they were gone two years after I left”.

He adds, “I never liked the way we dealt with clients at RSA. I felt that the clients weren’t put first and for me that wasn’t good enough’’.

It was his departure that prompted Stephen to launch Fountain Independent Financial Advisers in 1998 from a small office over Swinton’s on Bath Road in Cheltenham. Time has indeed marched on from those humble beginnings.

Stephen Harper explains, “Morality is everything to me. Big companies have forgotten how to treat clients. It’s not their money. It was this rotten attitude

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Stephen Harper

“Morality is everything to me.

Big companies have forgotten how to treat clients. It’s not their money. It was this rotten attitude and a lack of transparency that inspired me to start up on my own.“ and a lack of transparency that inspired me to start up on my own’’.

In 2005, Stephen established Attivo Group Limited. In 2006 he launched MYSIPP. And then in 2012 Attivo Investment Management was born. It’s been a very measured path of growth and acquisitions that have brought the Attivo story to where it is today.

Stephen is passionate and says, “We must, as a profession, do the right thing by our clients, whatever the cost to the business. When we make a very rare mistake I will always ensure this is rectified no matter what it costs this business. We don’t do bland, dull vanilla here. We are all about providing unfettered robust advice that works”.

The burden of regulation weighs heavily on any company these days trading within the UK finance sector. It’s a world where the protection for the client is foremost.

Being a chartered business within this sector is a must.

Stephen goes on to comment, “Attivo Financial Planning is chartered and independent. Not many financial planning companies in the UK are and the lack of technical expertise in the industry is shocking. Some people think having money in investments is simply like throwing the dice in a casino. The investment sectors are too big now for small un-chartered firms to manage and advise properly. It’s as simple as that.

What we do is the opposite of the casino mentality’’.

Keeping things simple for the client is the top of the agenda at Attivo.

Stephen adds, “We don’t do babble here at Attivo. We keep everything in plain English, and easy for the client to understand, easy for the client to understand but behind the scenes robust investment propositions that work”.

Stephen has created a financial services business that is totally transparent and built on long-term client relationships, rather than the historic transactional model employed by many in the financial services sector. He leads

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a team of specialist independent pensions, tax and investment advisers, who are well known for their technical excellence and innovative approach.

It also transpires that Stephen still has client meetings himself and also holds the Diploma in Investment Planning and is a Professional Financial Adviser member of the Chartered Banker Institute. In other words, he’s regulated.

Nice touch that the Attivo Chief Executive is ‘still in the game’.

Most of the business is done in the South West and South East. It’s a wide enough net that generates upwards of £2BN being managed at any one time.

Stephen says “We have a varied cross section of clients who benefit from our knowledge and expertise. But as far as our location is concerned, the HQ will always be in Cheltenham. We are in fact growing into another floor here at Jessop House. There’s no doubt in my

mind that this is the best office complex in Cheltenham. The town is a great place to live and work. All four of our board Directors live in the town, so that must say something. We also have an office in St James’ Square, London’’.

He goes on to add, “We have eighty staff in the company now and plan to double that number this year. We see ourselves as the employer of choice. We pay well for the right people and offer good working conditions’’.

He also says, “We now have our Attivo Academy for training and have a ‘big hitter’ joining us from a major UK institution to head this up’’. And on a lighter note, they also have, as a staff sporting extra, the AC Attivo football team and support Gloucester Rugby.

Sports aside, Stephen makes a straightforward statement, “We are growing rapidly. Less than four years ago we had just twenty staff. Also in the last

year, turnover was up 50% and is now targeted to grow another 50% in the next year. Stephen finally adds, “It’s about good human beings, not just topnotch professionals good at their job.

And proper wealth isn’t just about money. Health and happiness are much more important’’.

Away from steering Attivo, Stephen Harper finds time to snowboard and travel abroad with his wife and two daughters.

It’s a happy life balance for a nice human being… and as well as we all know, people buy from people with the right ‘ying and yang’. www.attivogroup.co.uk

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Mushroom miles…

Eric Barton meets Mark Haynes, a Director of Chelbury Mushrooms and Managing Director of G’s Fresh Mushrooms Ltd. I love a direct line to anything. I’d like a direct contact to the Prime Minister but that’s not going to happen. As most scientists know, electricity loves taking the shortest route too. It’s about conductivity and the shorter the better. The food chain is no different.

The shorter the time to the customer from the point of growth and picking is best for everybody. It affects taste, quality and the environment.

Mushrooms are at the very forefront of this freshness battle and being able to enjoy them at their optimum is a true delight for all mushrooms lovers.

At family-owned Chelbury Farm Mushrooms, which nestles in the glove of Cleeve Hill, just outside Cheltenham they know how to deliver the caress that their mushrooms require in order to provide the organic environment they need to flourish.

The farm itself has a clean, almost clipped appearance. Blink and you’ll miss it. The farm itself is nicely contrasted by the green fields and surrounding flora and fauna. The mushroom farm extends quietly out from the side of Cleeve Hill; like a soft green, gloved hand that offers no threat. It’s a place that’s full of promise and is in tune with its location. A natural

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occurrence that makes no statement of where it is. Which is how it should be.

Melting into its natural surroundings. More an enhancement to the natural vista than a disturbance.

The low - lying sheds which are dotted about the property provide the nursery milieu the mushrooms require. It’s all wellorganised, with trucks delivering organic growth material and taking waste away which is then re-cycled. It’s a non-vicious circle.

Chelbury Mushroom Farm goes as far back as 1965 (the year they introduced drink driving laws and Ronnie Biggs the great train robber did a bunk to South America). It was in fact started as a hobby and as the years unfolded the farm grew.

A move in 2000 saw the business morph over to increased organic production. In 2011 the larger producer G’s Fresh Mushrooms became involved and the business now has a current investment of £3.5M to provide expansion and better retail penetration. In fact more than £1M has been invested in the growing methods in just the last two years alone.

Mark Haynes Managing Director, G’s Fresh Mushrooms Ltd commented, “we have been a family business since 1952 and this year is the 50TH anniversary of

the Chelbury mushroom farm. It’s a landmark for all of us’’.

The eighty-five staff at Chelbury Mushrooms take a cossetting approach to their work, as constant care is needed to produce the right ‘enablers’ of temperature, humidity, soil quality and light for the products to grow at the right rate and quality. They produce mushrooms all year round with only a few days off. And they’re all hand-picked.

Mark Haynes went on to further comment, “mushroom farming doesn’t stop for anything and I quite like that’’. He said, “at G’s Fresh Mushrooms Ltd we take the organic side of our business very seriously indeed. Our growing methods are pivotal on being consistent and supplying high-end quality produce that’s available all year round’’.

Being a local company Mark Haynes and the team are all-too-aware about the need to engage with the local market.

Mark also adds, “Our Chelbury mushroom range is available in the Wholefood Store in Cheltenham’’.

It’s true to say that it’s this, the kind of ‘seed to shelf’ story that really resonates with customers. Most people these days want to know that the produce they’re eating is both fresh and hasn’t been

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“I love the fact that mushrooms are relentless. Indeed farming is like that and it’s a very fulfilling part of my life. Its creation whatever way you look at it“ round the block a few times. Mark goes on to comment, “There’s only two or three true organic mushroom growers now in the UK, with only around 30% of mushroom production actually happening in this country’’. He also comments, “most of the mushrooms in the UK come from Ireland or Poland and this can easily take up to 48 hours to reach us. At Chelbury we can have them in the shops or food boxes within 12 hours, meaning the quality is there in spades’’.

Although the ‘head office’ for G’s Fresh is in Cambridgeshire Mark Haynes regularly visits Chelbury Farm mushrooms in Southam to catch up with the farm manager Peter Howard. Mark goes on to say, “I’m always very keen to see how the team at Chelbury are faring and in fact they come to us in Cambridgeshire for training on a regular basis’’.

Mark Haynes also comments, “We have now developed organic shiitake mushrooms which are going very well.

This is a big area for us, as most of the retailing giants still source these mushrooms from China’’. He also adds, “This is food miles gone berserk. It’s crucial for us to let people know that you can now get these from a local grower’’.

Mark Haynes finally says, “I love the fact that mushrooms are relentless. Indeed farming is like that and it’s a very fulfilling part of my life. Its creation whatever way you look at it. You have to be at the top of your game to grow high quality mushrooms in a consistent way and getting it right every day, all year round is the biggest challenge’’.

Including fresh mushrooms in everyday meals is a top-notch way to boost vitamin intake and interestingly adds virtually no

calories, fat or sodium. Tossing some sliced mushrooms into green salads, soups, stews, stir-fries, omelettes, as well as pasta and rice dishes is quick and super simple.

We Brits ate our way through some £374M worth of these little beauties last year, with over £14M of that spend given over to organic consumption. Remember, you are what you eat and what better than the freshest mushrooms you can get your hands on from a local grower? www.chelburymushrooms.com

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So much more than just garden furniture…

Laura-Jayne Roberts finds out everything Holloways offers its customers and more…

Think garden centres…think plants, water features, fencing etc. Think again. With not a bag of soil in sight, Holloways, nestled near the Malvern Hills in Suckley, specialises in contemporary country living and garden antiques.

Celebrating their 25-year anniversary this year, partners Edward and Diana Holloway opened the family business in 1989. Originally specialising in purely conservatory furniture and garden antiques, the selection has since grown and gone from strength to strength. Their collection has now expanded to include all types of home and garden furniture, Diana said: “We have furniture for every room in the house, with a particular focus on contemporary country living. We also have all the accessories you could possibly need to accompany our furniture.”

Holloways furniture has always reflected contemporary design and British craftsmanship, so if you enjoy country living and entertaining friends in a comfortable home, then their extensive range of furniture will be sure to delight you. “We have a wide range of stylish and unusual furniture that you simply won’t see anywhere else, with a focus on British made, upholstered furniture. We also have one of the largest selections of woven furniture in the UK for both gardens and garden rooms,” said Diana.

Located in a unique setting in the beautiful Worcestershire countryside, Holloways extensive furniture showrooms were converted from 18th century hop kilns. While the courtyards around them are a perfect backdrop for their garden furniture and ornaments, what really sets Holloways apart from its rivals is its

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unequalled level of customer service, as Diana explains: “We pride ourselves on very high levels of service. Our staff have been with us for a long period of time, so not only are they very knowledgeable, but also extremely passionate about the business.”

Nowhere else in the county will you see a larger selection of conservatory and garden room furniture, in all styles, and for each and every individual home. With contemporary, vintage and period, classic luxury and everyday family furniture for all tastes as well as a wide range of materials, colours and fabrics means you will be

utterly spoilt for choice. This is why it is so important that expert staff are on hand to help with those vital decisions, as Diana explained: “All our staff have some training in interior designer, so they have a great eye and can help tailor colours, fabrics and furniture to fit anyone’s house or garden. Which is another reason why people come to us for their furniture — we can advise on what would look perfect in their choice of room or their garden and this service is free. If customers bring their plans/drawings/colour schemes with them when they visit, we can guide them.

“We also have our own in-house delivery team, who will deliver all around the country, place the furniture in customer’s homes, and take any waste packaging away with them afterwards.

Which all adds to the excellent customer service we offer.”

Holloways proudly support British manufacturers, and you will enjoy their stunning collection of British-made sofas, many exclusive to the business, and their

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impressive dining furniture — all designed for casual living. They love nothing more than to help you match an upholstered sofa with a metal coffee table, or an oak dining table with Lloyd Loom chairs. Diana adds: “Everybody loves a comfortable sofa, and we offer a beautiful range of fabrics to choose from. Indeed most of the furniture we sell can be upholstered in a customer’s choice of fabric.” A fabulous range of home furnishings is displayed in their showrooms, from lamps to mirrors, rugs, cushions and stylish accessories — all chosen with care to help you create a unique look for your home.

Expanding year upon year is the desire of customers wishing to extend the comfort found inside their homes out into their gardens with comfortable outdoor furniture. For this you will be indulged for choice at Holloways. Their selection of attractive, stylish and practical garden furniture includes deep sofas and comfortable sun loungers, contemporary dining furniture, and vintage-look, or modern sunbeds made from weatherproof wicker.

Holloways International department also offers a fabulous selection of furniture for outdoor living if you own a villa abroad, and can organise shipping to anywhere in the world. Diana confirmed this was an area of the business that was really expanding: “Many of our customers have second homes abroad and, of course, need outdoor furniture to take advantage of those long sunny days. We are more than happy to ship our products, finding out shipping costs and handling fees in the process. We find that

our outdoor wicker, aluminium-framed, furniture has proved very popular with these customers.”

One of the most fascinating areas of Holloways is surely their back courtyard, where you can find a wealth of treasures among the garden antiques, vintage curiosities and old rural artefacts. From lead planters and marble statuary to those familiar stone troughs, millstones and staddle stones, much loved features of many country gardens. Diana explained: “One of my husband’s (Edward) major passions is antique garden ornament, and he is well renowned as one of the leading names within this field in the UK. We have a separate space at Lower Court that’s full of vintage, weathered, and salvaged garden ornaments, in addition to our more contemporary items.”

If all that wasn’t enough Holloways is also a place to enjoy delicious cuisine too!

The Glasshouse Café, located inside a stunning conservatory, is a delightful place to enjoy a quick bite or a coffee, which means people can enjoy the complete

day out at Holloways. Diana confirmed this, adding: “The café is a lovely place to visit at any time of the year. In summer we have a patio area with chairs and tables, while in the winter we have a roaring fire and comfortable sofas to relax on, which makes it very cosy. We have, of course, free newspapers and magazines for people to read as well as free Wi-Fi.” Open from 9am for breakfast and morning coffee, the café also offers a delicious range of lunches and light bites, as well as afternoon tea. Diana reiterated: “We have a fantastic array of cakes, biscuits and scones for customers to enjoy, all of which are baked fresh each day in our own kitchen. We also endeavour to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, for example in the summer we pick up strawberries from a neighbouring farm and get vegetables from just up the road, while all our meat and eggs are locally sourced as well. We know this helps to make our meals very delicious!”

Clearly a very passionate family business, Diana added: “We offer customers a unique selection of products as well as old-fashioned service.

We are a family business, and one that has been in operation for 25 years. Our passion for the items we sell shines through in both the quality of our products, and the attitude of our sales staff who will give you all the help and time you need to help make the right decision.”

Whether you are moving or improving, looking for a quick room refresh, a special sofa or long-lasting garden furniture, Holloways offers it all and will cater for your every need.

Holloways, Lower Court, Suckley, Worcestershire WR6 5DE T: 01886 884665 www.holloways.co.uk Holloways and The Glasshouse Café opening hours: 9am - 5pm Monday to Saturday, including all Bank Holiday Mondays.

Sunday Opening: 15th March to end of August.

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Cut the dusty babble…

Forget the dusty image of the ancient pinstriped lawyer, steeped in books and clawing without much success at the world we live in. Banish from your mind the endless days waiting to hear back about your case, or developments on matrimonial, business or probate matters.

We live in an instant caffeine-fuelled environment where the mobile device and Skype are king. Like products on the supermarket shelf, we all want something fresh. Who in their right mind wants to deal with some crusty old lawyer who speaks in riddles and does things at the speed of a fat, stale ticking clock?

A good solicitor that’s got the babble sorted, reacts at the speed of a scalded cat and has the experience to deal with the complexities of the law is a real gem.

At Hughes Paddison in Cheltenham they have a practice that’s full of people with these talents.

Since the firm’s beginnings in 1985, Hughes Paddison have been young enough to be fresh and easy going but big and bold enough to be seriously professional.

I’m met by two of the Directors of the practice; Jennifer Allen and Gareth Parry.

Both solicitors who have now been with Hughes Paddison for nine years each.

After graduating from law school Jennifer Allen had a chance meeting in a local hairdressers with the firms MD Jane Brothwood, which led to a job offer.

Jennifer comments, “It was a bit bonkers really. There I was having my hair done and sitting next to me was Jane.’’. She goes on to add, “One thing led to another and before I knew it, I had a job’’.

Now a Director, Jennifer is a solicitor in the Hughes Paddison Family Department and specialises in dealing with divorcing/cohabiting couples and their complex financial matters that can arise upon separation. She also assists clients with pre/post-nuptial agreements,

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGUS BETHUNE

Eric Barton enjoys a jargon-free meeting with Directors, Jennifer Allen and Gareth Parry from Cheltenham solicitors Hughes Paddison

arrangements for children, domestic abuse. She is a member of Resolution, an organisation that aims to reduce conflict in family law cases. Jennifer is on the Board of Advisors for the Cheltenham Child Contact Centre.

Jennifer continues to comment, “On a day-to-day basis what I do is extremely personal and can often be quite harrowing. It’s great though to see a case come to its conclusion’’. She looks thoughtful as she muses, “Many cases of abuse in marriages or partnerships can be

both physical and mental. It’s my job to see them through this time and sort out the legal issues’’. Adding to this Jennifer Allen goes on to say, “I’m all about continuity. Clients will always deal with me.

Not a paralegal. When clients first come to me distressed and in a fog of despair, they are often overwhelmed. We can help them to get their lives back again. It’s like watching a butterfly evolve and flying away into the light with renewed clarity and confidence in the future’’.

“Of course very often children can be

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGUS BETHUNE

“Providing a full service to individuals and SME’s is at the very core of what we do.“

involved too and seeing the end of a case is so fulfilling. It can show that with compromises a positive result can be achieved’’. She says.

A busy firm like Hughes Paddison with some fifty staff does a have a myriad of other departments and specialisations too.

Gareth Parry is also a Director and Head of the Private Client Department specialising in Wills, Probate, Court of Protection work and in the disputes arising from these matters.

He has a particular interest in tax planning and trusts issues. He is also a full member of The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) – a group of advisors with a higher level of expertise and is a trustee of a number of family and charitable trusts.

This very affable Welshman also has a

keen eye for client relationships and retention.

Gareth comments, “It’s all about ethos here. Clients will always come first. We are constantly looking to improve the way we handle our clients and look after their needs. Very often, we will work as part of a team with other professionals like accountants, tax advisers and pensions specialists, to ensure our clients get the best, integrated advice’’.

He continues to say, “Whether on the commercial or personal sides of the business, our clients will always deal with their lawyer. It’s a very personal business’’.

Gareth continues to further comment, “Many of my clients have been with me for years. You can sometimes become almost an extension of their family. I look to give the very best impartial advice possible’’. He adds, “It’s about helping the

family or the business and managing the situation. It’s about trust. It’s pleasing that many of our clients’ businesses have grown with ours’’. Gareth also adds to this, “Last year was fairly meteoric for the firm.

In fact we are now at the biggest we have ever been. We don’t want to become a hundred headcount practice. For us, it’s not about growing at a ridiculous rate. We want measured growth that’s both sustainable and right for our clients’’.

Jennifer Allen comes in at this point to say, “Providing a full service to individuals and SME’s is at the very core of what we do. We will probably continue to increase our headcount, perhaps to around sixty over the next couple of years but only if we find like minded people who are right for our clients, as well as us’’.

Getting away from the practice is no mean feat and with two young children Gareth Parry has his hands full. Mind you he has a penchant for fine wines, is a bit of an epicurean and loves to travel with his family to the odd vineyard or two. Can’t be bad!

Gareth finally says, “In the practice we all really like each other which is a huge bonus. It creates a positive atmosphere and a work environment that we can all feed off. So working here is demanding but rewarding’’.

With horse riding and Eventing at the top of her leisure pursuits Jennifer Allen has got it sorted. Away from work she enjoys the keeping fit, spin classes, skiing and travel.

She finally comments, “I love what I do.

The firm is unstuffy, fresh and vibrant which makes every day both enjoyable and challenging.’’

So for some babble free advice where the first half an hour is free, perhaps give the red hot cats at Hughes Paddison a whirl. www.hughes-paddison.co.uk

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Artisans of Furniture Design We meet John Lewis of Hungerford, specialist furniture craftsmen with an inspiring Cirencester showroom John Lewis of Hungerford prides itself as the original painted kitchen cabinetry company with an enviable heritage of over 40 years in designing, crafting and installing furniture. The luxury fitted kitchens, beautiful bedrooms and designer furniture, have all been handmade in Britain since 1972.

With an incredibly versatile offering, the inspiring Cirencester showroom enables customers to view the high

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quality products that are tailored to the customer’s individual requirements and tastes. There are five kitchen styles yet no two kitchens have ever been designed the same. The showroom displays the latest trends in painted wood and gloss kitchens, including the Urban Cool and Pure ranges, to the elegant styles of the shaker period. For those with a true appreciation for authentic British design and heritage, John Lewis of Hungerford

combines the highest levels of craftsmanship with meticulous detail in each and every piece, so everything comes with a 10-year guarantee.

The showroom displays some of their most popular kitchen designs as well as other beautifully crafted kitchen essentials from pantries to furniture and accessories. It houses a friendly and highly experienced team who are on hand to help you to envisage your

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chosen design and to ensure you achieve your dream kitchen that’s beautifully tailored to your lifestyle, from style and colour to clever integrated storage solutions. From concept to completion, the designers manage every level of the project, a fully personalised service with a fully warranted fitting facility.

Although best known for their kitchens, John Lewis of Hungerford has continuously grown by introducing new ranges and furniture pieces that show off their design capabilities but remain true to their handcrafted heritage. All cabinetry and furniture pieces, are hand finished by skilled craftsmen in the factory in the heart of Oxfordshire, which means individual preferences at the design stage are simple to incorporate.

As specialists in painted kitchen cabinetry, the vast spectrum of 80 colours are available from their very own award winning paint range and selected ranges can even be colour matched.

With such a rich history steeped in paint, the ranges are perfected to ensure they are durable to cope with busy family life and so that customer’s have the reassurance of the best in quality that is expected of John Lewis of Hungerford.

Attention to detail pervades their

ethos seen across all of their luxury cabinetry and it is where the team of experts and artisans at John Lewis of Hungerford truly shine. The highly skilled craftsmen remain dedicated to ensure that each individually crafted and painted cabinet that goes through the workshop is handled with absolute care and attention so that it reaches its new home as flawlessly as it was created.

With their personable approach, at the end of each project, the designers will keep in touch with the customer and offer a 1-year TLC package, where they will revisit every project to make sure their designs have exceeded above and beyond expectations.

T: 01285 644705 W: www.john-lewis.co.uk

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The UK’s greenest place to shop Emma Logan met with John Forward, Centre Director for the Regent Arcade in Cheltenham Not many provincial shopping malls can claim that two members of the Royal family, the future King of England, HRH Prince Charles in 2013 and his sister HRH The Princess Royal who opened the Regent Arcade in 1985, have visited.

Ten years ago after forty years of retail expertise, John Forward took the helm at Cheltenham’s prestigious shopping venue to oversee the transformation of a tired structure with a leaking roof into the award-winning destination it is today.

The owners Canada Life had a vision to update and create a shopping mecca that would not only attract some of the country’s leading national brands but be amongst the most environmentally aware centres of its kind in the country.

After a huge £23 million refit, the Regent Arcade boasted a new roof and new columns, cladding, security and fire protection with computer controlled and energy efficient lighting. Even a water-harvesting unit was added to help

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flush the loos along with solar heating to heat water. Slow running escalators were installed to reduce the 880,000 annual units of electricity used to a more modest 690,000.

Recycling is of high importance within the infrastructure and the arcade now insists that all shopping units comply with the regulation that has achieved 95% of recycled waste from its site.

After all this hard work, the Regent Arcade beat off stiff competition from hundreds of other shopping centres throughout the UK to win the overall Green Champion award for energy conservation and reJohn Forward

cycling in the 2013 Green Apple Awards.

Prince Charles having heard of this success and what they had further achieved architecturally at the front of centre subsequently visited himself, to view these accomplishments.

The re-development programme at front of the arcade, which links into Cheltenham’s High Street, saw the area being gutted to accommodate four major retailers including River Island and H&M. The extensive project work has attracted more national brands to come to Cheltenham and now popular eating

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establishment, Carluccio’s will be opening its doors to customers late-May who can enter from within or from Regent Street.

The uniqueness of the Regent Arcade is its ability to host a number of independent outlets who sit so comfortably amongst some of the national brands and these now account for 26% of the 60 units trading.

Towards the back of the mall one will find a vastly expanded TK Maxx occupying 25,000 Sq. Feet which has increased its customer profile and BHS which has also been updated to give the store more life.

The Regent Arcade is the link between the Promenade and the High Street in Cheltenham. It has a vast car parking space for 500 vehicles, it offers 6 food and beverage locations and hosts a walk-through direct to House of Fraser.

The centre is a huge benefit to the local economy. Employing 350-400 people the ancillary side is immense from food operations to local suppliers and a key performance indicator is the footfall of the 6-million people who walk through each year. Towns have been struggling in recent years due to online and out-of-town retailers but since the advent of Click & Collect, this has

brought an increase of visitors back into the area, which has increased much needed growth in the retail sector.

The out-of town sites has been staking an in-road into retailing especially as they have updated their areas but they are often over crowded, have parking issues and major retailers are still interested in being in the most accessible place to the majority of consumers.

John Forward, Centre Director of Regent Arcade says, “We really are trying to incentivise local business to operate from within our centre. We offer shortterm leases for the right product. The front of the centre is predominantly focused on fashion but then we want more of a mix. We try not to be too competitive between our tenants and we have a strategy for products we like.

Though most of our units are 1000 sq. ft., if someone wanted a larger space we would definitely consider converting to accommodate them”.

Some of the success stories from Regent Arcade include shops such as Tiger, which is not an expensive store but continuously busy along with the bigger brands of TK Maxx and BHS. “It’s the mix of having the right balance of choice but we would like to increase our fashion

range. There are 10,000 students living in Cheltenham and they shop! They are the shoppers of the future as their tastes will change and we need to support that,” said John.

John continues, “It is still difficult out there with the current economic climate but we have had a 4% increase in footfall and we are building on that. Local competition is great; it increases the traffic of people into town who will travel for a brand. Retail hasn’t changed over the centuries; if you’ve got something to sell, someone will want to buy it.”

John Forward himself is bowing out of retailing in June of this year. After so many years of hard work, long hours and great times, he will be retiring to hand over the reins of one of Cheltenham’s finest shopping establishments and he can rest assured he will leave behind a legacy that can only continue for further success. www.regentarcade.co.uk

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Serving up a mouthful of pure passion Laura-Jayne Roberts talks to the talented new Head Chef at Vanilla, set to rustle up a storm within the Cheltenham restaurant elite…

Situated in the heart of Cheltenham, you’ll find a restaurant with a stylish interior, ambient lighting and contemporary furnishings. Very similar you may think to other fine dining establishments in the town. However, look a little closer, and you will see a remarkable difference, a young and extremely gifted man behind a first class menu. Welcome to Vanilla restaurant, welcome to Head Chef, Leon Rook.

Having grown up with two older brothers who work as chefs, another profession was never on the cards for passionate Leon, who fondly looked up to his siblings. He said: “I’m so lucky that I have got to do my dream job. From a young age I fell in love with everything associated with cooking. I would finish school and go home, bake brownies, and then go straight off to rugby training! I guess I was quite unusual as I was certainly the only one turning up with brownies wrapped in tin foil to matches, but it did make me very popular with my team mates, even when we lost!”

Originally from Manchester, with a friendly smile and a northern twang, Leon, now aged 25, began his food career in Stockport. “The town is not very well known for food, unlike Cheltenham and the Cotswolds. It is very much based around pub food and quirky restaurants, which made it hard to get into busy restaurants. It wasn’t until I was 18-yearsold that I got a job at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester, which got me into the fine dining and restaurant scene,” enthused Leon.

“I worked there for about two years, which is where I met top chef, Lee Scott, who worked with Gordon Ramsey and who became my mentor.” From Manchester, Leon moved to Cambridge, where Lee had just opened his own restaurant. He worked there with him for a year until he got offered a job at Cotswold 88 restaurant in Painswick, Gloucestershire, where he stayed for four

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years until taking the plunge, branching out on his own as a Head Chef.

Having just started at Vanilla on January 1st of this year, this is talented Leon’s first month of breaking into the competitive Cheltenham food scene. He said: “It was fate. I was about to take another job and just as I hung up on the other restaurant, my agent rang me and told me of another restaurant that would be perfect for me. I accepted an interview and loved everything about the restaurant. The modern feel of the restaurant contrasted with the way that it is run, which is very traditional, with the Head Chef responsible for all the food, which then becomes the main talking point.

“It’s not about maximising profits, it’s about making customers happy from the moment they walk through the door. It’s one of the only restaurants I’ve known, which has been open for 22 years, and remained profitable, even through the recession, which speaks volumes,” added Leon.

For the past 20 years Vanilla had retained the same Head Chef, but they have now decided it is time for a change.

Leon stated: “They have made a bold move employing me, after 22 profitable years it is potentially a big risk to them to change everything they do, so knowing they have that trust in me is massive.”

Nothing makes this young chef happier than serving food (we are not allowed to

tell his wife this!) he believes that everything he puts on a plate is a reflection of himself, and nothing gets him excited like food does. “You always remember that one dish that startled you, or that final mouthful when you think, that was just amazing. There’s a real happiness in food and for me, as a chef, there’s nothing more thrilling than serving up that happiness and creating memories.

“You can work in kitchens for 14 hours a day, churning out robotic food, but for me there’s more to life than that, and I wake up every day raring to go and I can’t wait to get in the kitchen because I love what I do.”

Already a very highly respected and successful restaurant, Leon hopes to attract a new clientele to Vanilla, while also ensuring that the regular customers keep coming back for more. “I believe that Cheltenham is the foodie capital of the Cotswolds, and I can’t wait to have a crack at it and become personally known for the very best food! Certainly the feedback on my menus, in the first few weeks since opening, has been fantastic. The old clientele have been saying what a difference – it’s still great value for money, as its not ridiculous prices for courses, but the food is top quality,” expanded Leon.

“And of course it’s not just all about the food, very few places can match the ambience we have here in Cheltenham, particularly when Vanilla is full of an evening and the candles are burning, it’s a very warm, welcoming space.”

Refreshingly different from other chefs, Leon does not like to pick a signature dish, stating, “it’s so difficult to choose, most chefs have one, but for me my favourite dishes are ones that I cooked as a child, and I work on how I can bring those dishes and their influences into modern day food and fine dining.”

“I didn’t grow up eating Foie Gras Terrine, or Venison, it was very much pies and breakfast in a tin! So while of course my tastes have evolved, some of my

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inspiration comes from hearty, northern staples like Treacle Sponge, or Jam Roly Poly, my challenge is how I turn those into dishes I can serve today. I guess that is my signature, taking home comfort food and giving it a modern twist, bringing northern food to a southern market…just no pies!”

From Roasted Pork Belly, Sticky Pork Cheek, Squash Puree, Caramelized Apples and Honey Sauce to Pan Seared Stone Bass, Roasted Turnips, Poached Potatoes and Pickled Radish with Horseradish Sauce, the varied, mouthwatering a la carte menu you will find at Vanilla would make even the noninterested foodie take notice. Using only fresh produce, stocks and sauces, and baking specialty breads in their kitchen, Vanilla ensures that everything is handselected or homemade, then cooked to perfection and presented with style and panache.

Leon said: “Where possible we certainly always try to buy and source most of our raw ingredients locally. All our potatoes are grown in the South West, our Rhubarb is grown locally, so everything is purchased from as close as can be which is big for us.

“For me, that’s always been important, as it is for most chefs. We use a lot of heritage ingredients which is big for us as a lot of people are very interested in where their food comes from, and people like locally grown produce. We visited the pig

farm last week where we get all our pork from, and while it was slightly sad on one hand to know that the pigs we saw where going to be in our kitchen in a couple of weeks, it was great to go and have that connection to the food we’re going to cook.”

When he is not rustling up pure food heaven in the kitchens at Vanilla, Leon still likes to cook a lot at home. “I love trying out new dishes on my wife, which she enjoys most of the time, depending on what I’m cooking up! We also try to do family things, we got married last year and we try to eat out a lot and have a life away from the kitchen!

“But I’m living to cook in a way, I’m at Vanilla every evening, apart from when the restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday lunchtime, so it is sometimes hard to get that work-life balance right.

However I get no greater pleasure from anything else in life so I’m happy with that.”

Looking to the future Leon and Vanilla are passionate to increase clientele through the doors during the week days, which of course can be quieter than the weekend, plus tap into more of their Cheltenham target market which they haven’t captivated as of yet. While Leon admitted that other smaller, family businesses in Cheltenham are their greater rivals, rather than the heavyweight Michelin Starred restaurants, who have

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGUS BETHUNE

Business

their years of experience and reputations to ensure that they will succeed, he confirmed: “Our aim is to rise above the rest in the market, ensure that we increase our reputation and make sure everyone knows we are here, and hopefully one day we will be able to challenge the likes of Lumiere and Le Champignon Sauvage – the Michelin Starred heavyweights.”

Challenge they sure will, as if you are looking for outstanding food from an exceptional, young, talented Chef, accompanied with wonderful service and a memorable atmosphere, stop your search with Vanilla and Leon Rook.

All information about Vanilla and their incomparable offering is available online at www.vanillainc.co.uk/restaurant. They have a set A La Carté menu which changes regularly to reflect seasonal changes in produce, tastes etc and also a set lunch and early bird menu between 6-7pm.

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Columnist Sandra Paul, tackles the protocol in clearing up after your dog oo. Specifically dog poo. This is what I have been reduced to.

I have reached that stage in life where people feel it’s ok to start a conversation about dog poo.

Anyway, to be serious. I have a little puppy that is a poo machine and through him I have been learning about the poo etiquette demanded of dog owners.

It seems that modern day dog etiquette is not widely known or understood. It has been many years now since we have

P

had plentiful dog poo bins on our streets and parks, picking up poo to deposit at the nearest bin. If you remember in the ‘old’ days, we used to drag the poor dog to the kerb to do its business on the roadside. Walking from A to B used to be a nightmare, trying to skip past the piles of poo and children would be guaranteed to come home with a poo-y shoe.

However, dog owners and non-dog owners today are complaining!

Dog owners complain about the lack of poo bins, which results in the owner either depositing the poo bag in a prominent place so they can retrieve it on their way back from their walk, or it is quickly chucked behind the nearest tree when no-one is looking.

Now, I’m sure many of you have noticed the poo trees situated along the edges of favourite dog walking paths.

Dog owners tell me in all seriousness that they string the offending FULL bags there because there is no convenient bin nearby and it isn’t nice to carry a FULL poo bag on a nice country walk.

Non-dog owners are furious that the offending poo bags are left in plain sight – why go on a beautiful country walk if you eye-line is blighted by rows and rows of stinky poo bags. They also point out, that it is rare for a dog owner to actually return and retrieve the offending bag of poo from the tree.

So what is the alternative and a possible way to appease furious non-dog owners? Throw offending poo bag behind a tree – remember to do this when no one is looking. After all, they are biodegradable.

Non-dog owners complain this defeats the object of picking it up and putting it in a bag.

It seems obvious we need more poo bins situated at popular areas. I know many will question why the tax player should fund bins designed for dog owners. Shouldn’t there be a tax on dog owners so we can fund more bins and the clearing up of the bins? I’ve no idea.

I do know though, that although my pup is less than four months old, he hasn’t a clue how or where to poo outside at the moment but seems to prefer my carpet, which does not suit me best!

Sandra Paul has been in the communications industry for over twenty years working for Prime Ministers, Presidents and CEOs. Sandra lives and works in Cheltenham. Contact her on sandra@lococomms.com

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Dining in Style Discover delicious recipes from our regular food writers, plus reviews of The Cotswolds’ finest restaurants...

SPONSORED BY

Kingsley Evans 115 The Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 1NW

01242 222292 info@kingsleyevans.co.uk

www.kingsleyevans.co.uk

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Fantastic panoramic views over Painswick Valley

Freshly cooked food and local real ales make a visit to The Edgemoor Inn a real treat...

The Edgemoor offers an impressive selection of home-cooked dishes, including many vegetarian and fresh fish options, along with homemade favourites and grills.

The lounge bar, has a light and modern feel which extends to the whole property. Outside on the patio area is a perfect place for a snack or quiet drink whilst admiring the panoramic views over Painswick and its glorious countryside.

The Edgemoor Inn offers the very best in traditional Cotswold pub and restaurant dining, warm welcome in delightful surroundings with well-presented homecooked food. This is a combination that’s hard to beat.

The Edgemoor Inn Edge, near Stroud, Gloucester GL6 6ND

Call us today

01452 813 576

www.edgemoor-inn.com

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Food & Drink

DEAR MUM....

By SHELLE DUFFIN

Having recently spotted the first daffodils of the season, it’s a reminder to many that a particular occasion is approaching Mother’s Day. One of the only days in which our beloved mothers relax whilst we, the children, take over their daily chores and pamper them with delicious meals starting

Stuffed leg of lamb This is a straightforward dish to put together, placing emphasis on creativity to produce showstopper results that will make any mother proud.

Serves 4

Ingredients: 1.5kg leg of lamb, deboned 1 bulb of garlic 1 large onion, peeled and chopped into quarters Olive oil 3 bay leaves 5 sprigs of rosemary

Cook’s Note ~ ask your butcher for a piece of string for tying and to demonstrate how to tie the meat up, once it’s been stuffed.

For the stuffing (makes enough for additional stuffing balls) 150g dried apricots, finely chopped 150g dried prunes, finely chopped

with breakfast in bed, served with a freshly picked bunch of daffodils.

As a child, it was an opportunity to show off a ‘creative side’ with homemade cards and edible gifts. I would like to thank my mother here, for keeping up the pretence that my artistic skills were so good; I could have potentially become the next Van Gogh. Having recently discovered some of these cards though, I’ve realised to my

dismay, that you aren’t just an excellent Mother, but also a talented actress.

Mother’s Day for me has become more of a test on whether I‘ve accomplished the art of domestic competence - if my mother has succeeded in teaching me the skills of cleaning, cooking and ironing.

Unfortunately in this case, cooking has been the only triumph and the one I am going to place emphasis on.

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed Bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped 200g breadcrumbs 2 oranges, zest and juice 1tbsp olive oil 1 egg, beaten Salt & pepper 200g pork sausage meat (to make extra stuffing balls) For delicious gravy: 1tbsp plain flour 1pint lamb stock 200ml red wine 2tbsp redcurrant jelly Salt & Pepper

Method • Preheat the oven to 200°C • To make the stuffing, mix together the apricots, prunes, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, olive oil and the orange juice and zest in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beaten egg and combine all the ingredients together.

• Lay the lamb out onto a board, skin side facing down. Rub the meat with olive oil and season.

• Place half of the stuffing in the middle of the lamb, and then roll it up and tie using the string the butcher provided.

• To prepare the lamb for roasting, rub the meat with olive oil. Slice 2 garlic cloves lengthways and chop 2 sprigs of rosemary into inch-sized pieces. Using a sharp knife, carefully make several incisions in the skin of the meat. Insert either a piece of garlic or rosemary into

each incision. Season with salt and pepper.

• Place the remaining garlic and rosemary into a roasting tin with the bay leaves and onion and position the lamb on top. Roast in the oven an 1½ hour for medium; slightly less if you prefer your lamb pink.

Rest the meat for 10 minutes before carving.

• Add the sausage meat to the remainder of the stuffing and roll into small balls.

Bake on a greased baking tray for 30 minutes until crisp and golden.

• To make the gravy, add the flour to the roasting tray, stirring to let it absorb all the juices to form a paste. Turn the heat up to medium and gradually add the stock and wine, making sure you whisk constantly – you don’t want to serve your mother lumpy gravy!

• Bring to the boil and then reduce to a medium heat, simmering for 10 minutes until it thickens.

• Add the redcurrant jelly and season to taste.

• Strain through a sieve and drizzle over the lamb. Serve with roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables.

For more recipe ideas, reviews and articles, check out my blog – myboiledeggsandsoldiers@blogspot.com; or follow me on Twitter – @Shelle_Duffin, Instagram – shelleduffin, Pinterest – shelleduffin COTSWOLD STYLE MARCH 2015 107

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Interview

R&R A monthly column exploring the perfect location to clear your head and spend quality time with the ‘lovely one’ in your life This month Sandra Paul reviews the Old Swan & Minster Mill near Witney Located in the historic village of Minster Lovell, between Witney and Burford, the Old Swan and Minster Mill, built around 1445, is rural England at its most romantic. Set beside the River Windrush, surrounded by thatched cottages and ducks waddling in the narrow one-way road, this is one of those special venues that transports you to a different time and era, where one had time to read the newspapers and sit by a log fire sipping sloe gin.

The Old Swan aims to provide guests with a 5-star service without the stiff formality that often comes with a 5-star venue. Here, you are immediately enveloped with a relaxed, warm welcome and unpretentious atmosphere, just as the owners, the de Savary Family, intended.

The emphasis is on expert, friendly staff coupled with using the land around to produce food for their award-winning restaurant. The de Savary’s even built their own turbine to produce hydro-electricity the Archimedes Screw – the first to be installed by a UK hotel. None of the staff wear name badges, just a swan emblem.

Instead, they will introduce themselves to you and it’s this relaxed informality that keeps guests coming back year-after-year.

The inn is a popular wedding venue but during the week it also plays host to many corporate clients who take advantage of the private rooms that are available.

Throughout the year, there are plenty of different activities and events and it is worth keeping an eye on the Old Swan and Minster Mill website as I guarantee something will appeal. I missed the Valentine’s exclusive, side-by-side, couples spa treatment using the Yon Ka products but other special events include Dog Training weekends, Mother’s Day, Easter fun for all the family, Bonfight night, fishing lessons, guided walks and tennis and badminton. In the evenings, board games are played in the nooks and crannies in the bar.

We stayed in the Richard 3rd, a beautifully beamed room with a delightful

4-poster bed, sloping sitting room and complimentary decanter of sloe gin. It’s the little touches that count – the hot water bottle in the wardrobe for chilly nights, the bowl of forest fruits and fully stocked library. There is a wonderful, romantic feeling and in the evening this theme is continued during dinner, set by a huge log fire.

David Mwiti has been de Savary’s amazing chef for over four years and is passionate about working at the Old Swan.

He follows de Savary’s philosophy of using locally sourced produce with a

healthy emphasis on ‘nursery food’. The crayfish in my partner’s ‘prawn cocktail’ starter came from the river, one metre away – it’s true because I went to check on the crayfish nets the next morning. All the vegetables are homegrown in the inn’s own gardens which are certainly worth taking a stroll around. The hotel’s grounds of 65 acres including meadows and numerous paths are surrounded by what remains of the ancient Royal Hunting Forest of Wychwood.

The Old Swan & Minster Mill, has benefited from a complete restoration programme of its historic guestrooms, bar and dining rooms. A destination spa is due to start this year with in and out-door swimming pools and Jacuzzi but don’t wait until it’s built to visit. If you are looking for a tranquil, relaxed retreat make the Old Swan and Minster Mill a destination this year – and if you are trying to win favour with your loved one – this is the place to go!

Old Swan & Minster Mill Old Minster, Minster Lovell , Witney , Oxfordshire OX29 0RN Tel: 01993 774441 www.oldswanandminstermill.com

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Pets

Hens@Home Keeping backyard chickens has become increasingly popular with more and more families choosing to build a hen coop in the garden and enjoy the pleasure these easy to keep pets can bring.

If you are interested then we recommend re-homing an ex battery hen. The British Hen Welfare Trust have a great website full of information for potential new owners and links to registering to re-home a chicken visit www.bhwt.org.uk to find out more.

Chickens will require a warm well made coop or you can convert a shed. It is very important that it is predator proof-both foxes and rats will do just about anything for a chicken dinner so make sure you are one step ahead of them! Inside the coop, there should be plenty of perches and laying boxes.

Chickens are inquisitive creatures so give them areas of soil and bark where they can scratch and display normal behaviours. Also string up vegetables such as cabbages or corn on the cob to peck at- they will love this and it will help beat the boredom.

They also love to sun and dust-bathe.

You can create a lovely dust bath for your hens in a sunny dry area. Mark the area out using some logs or large stones, these will also be a great hiding place for bugs, which your hens will love to snack on, and they can use them as perches!

You can use an old garden umbrella to keep the rain off so it stays nice and dusty. Add dry dirt and sand, wood ash or charcoal is a good addition as it contains vitamin K and absorbs toxins and if you fancy you can add dried herms such as lavender, mint or rosemary, that may have natural insecticidal properties!

Feed you chicken good quality layers pellets and grit. It is usually found in livestock supply shops or pet shops and comes in large sacks. Store the feed in a secure metal container that is pest proofrats love to eat chicken feed almost as much as they love to eat chickens!

Unused feed should be discarded after 3 months, containers cleaned and replaced with fresh feed.

Your chickens must be wormed regularly and treated to red mites and lice.

Before allowing your chicken to free

Animal advice from our friends at Vets on the Park roam in the garden make sure it is secure, your neighbours will not be impressed if they find your chicken in their vegetable patch! Chickens can destroy your lawn and eat your best flowers but in return, they will keep your pests under control and chicken poo makes fantastic manure!

Chickens make great pets, they are easy and fairly inexpensive to look after, they are very gentle creatures which makes them great for young children and on top of that if they are cared for well they will provide you with hours of entertainment and delicious fresh eggs!

If you would like to know more we recommend booking in to see our Head Nurse Rachel who keeps her own hens and is somewhat of an expert!

Vets on the Park Moorend Grove, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL53 0EX Tel: 01242 517199

for your pets in your life - your vet for life

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See more socials at www.stylemagazines.co.uk

Ellenborough Park’s Six Nations Charity Dinner Phil Vickery, the former England and Gloucester rugby captain, presided over a char ity auction and dinner that raised £8,150 for the Woo den Spoon children’s rugby charity, on Friday 6 February, as part of an evening of Six Nations cele brations.

Photography by Angus Bethune

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Sporting Style This month in Sporting Style we hear from regulars Shane Duff, Luciano Kydd & Nigel Aplin

SPONSORED BY

Telephone: 01242 583772 20 Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1QZ enquiries@tayalabalitomlin.com

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Sport

It’s the week of the Irish Former Cheltenham Town captain Shane Duff gallops off to Prestbury Park with a gathering of his Celtic clan March brings about one of my favourite times of year – The Cheltenham Festival. I have never really been a big gambler but I just love to join in the fun and games that Prestbury Park has to offer. I initially started going as I didn’t want to miss out but now I go just to be a part of it.

My family being a big Irish one adds interest to the occasion. My father is one of ten siblings and that results in there being a flood of Irish heading over to join the annual party. The house turns into a drop in bed and breakfast, as the toaster and kettle are put into overdrive.

I often hear stories that the Irish care so much about this event that they prioritise it over all other yearly events such as Christmas and Birthdays. I can truly believe this. I left Gold Cup day on foot at the Festival two years ago, chatting to a slightly inebriated man from County Meath, an area that I know well in Ireland.

He had lost his betting fund on the last three races of the day; his head was low and he had lost all of his friends in the crowd. I felt a bit awkward and didn’t really know what to say to make him feel any better. He told me how he had saved all year to fund his Cheltenham

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pilgrimage, much to the annoyance of his wife back home. He had stashed away money in his sock drawer weekly for the past 52 weeks and the excuses were coming out: The overnight rain had cost him, the grounds men hadn’t done their job correctly. Any factor that contributed to his financial downfall was being invented and he had talked himself into a sad existence.

What followed remains one my fondest racing memories. He dragged his eyes up away from the floor, stopped in his track and turned to face me. He opened his arms and asked me to come in for a hug. I duly did as he asked. He pulled away, grinned widely and shouted loudly, “I’d do it all again tomorrow if I could, what a

place this place is!” Followed by, “I will go home tonight, start stashing the euro’s away in the sock drawer and will return with a smile on my face… ‘tis my paradise, next year will be my year”. I am sure he has said that for many, many years. I walked with him all the way into town before he drifted off to a pub on his own to carry on his evening.

He was a man leaving Cheltenham with empty pockets but still deemed the event a success. The memories he had were all good, even in the aftermath of what happened. Only at the races can you see members of the public lose a whole load of cash and still be smiling from ear to ear.

We are very lucky to live so close and have Prestbury Park on our doorstep.

Tweet me at @duffo16

www.shaneduffsoccer.co.uk Twitter: @shaneduffsoccer Facebook.com/ SOCCER shaneduffsoccer Gloucestershire’s

SCHOOL

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Fitness

FITNESS TIPS… Luciano Kydd answers further questions from readers; regarding training routines, home training and weight training.

Q. What is the maximum number of days I should workout in a week? My partner says I’m doing too much but is he doing too little?

A. How often you should train depends on a number of variables, such as your goal, training age, what type of training you’re doing and what time frame you have to complete your goal but from an individual perspective you will know if you’re training too much. Some of the specific signs to look for if you think you’re overtraining are: lack of sleeping, elevated resting heart rate, underperformance, no motivation to train, loss of appetite, sore muscles, not making any progress overall for the work being put in. With regards to planning training days, it’s best to have a rest day 1-2 days after consecutive training days because most of your progress is actually made away from the training room during your recovery downtime. So if you’re not taking recovery days then yes, you could be training too much!

With regards to your question, the two most effective movements for you would be the press up and the pull-up. For the press-up all you will require is an area the length of your body in any part of your home! The great thing about the press up is that there are so many varieties and ways to increase the intensity once you have mastered the basic movement and it’s a great exercise to work the chest, triceps and shoulder muscles. The next movement is the pull-up, where you will work predominantly the opposite muscle groups (the back and biceps) along with your overall grip strength - something most people are lacking. All you will need is a doorframe or pull-up bar depending on your doorframe design. Initially you might struggle to do a full pull-up so start with some partner assisted pull-ups or use a chair (simply step off the chair and then lower your body down eccentrically), until you have built up enough strength to conquer a full pull-up.

Q. I’m a busy mum with two kids who use to be an avid gym bunny, what two exercises can I do at home to strengthen my upper body?

A. As we approach Mother’s day I’d like to take the opportunity to express my respect to all the mothers out there working hard at home and at work, especially those taking care of their health.

Q. My gym instructor told me that I only need to lift weights in order to lose weight, is this true?

A. I don’t personally like to contradict one of my fitness peers but it isn’t strictly true.

You can still lose some weight without exercising at all by just eating less than what you currently do. By this I mean consciously monitoring what you consume

on a daily basis and reduce your intake overtime, not going on one of those 500800 calories a day fad diets. However, much research has shown that any long term weight and fat loss tends to be a result of both training and dietary intervention with a positive change in lifestyle habits.

What your gym instructor was probably getting at is that resistance training (lifting weight), will help to increase lean muscle tissue, which is more effective at burning calories compared to fat tissue. This will in turn have a greater effect on you losing weight and fat loss in the long term.

Luciano Kydd is a Body and Mind Transformation coach based in Cheltenham.

Email: Kyddfitness@hotmail.co.uk Telephone: 07737347854 4 training slots have now become available. Please get in touch if you’re looking to transform your mind and body towards a healthy lifestyle.

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Reader Competition

WIN two free tickets to the

Gatcombe Spring Horse Trials (and a visit to a Land Rover Experience Off Road Centre of your choice)

THE PRIZE

The lucky winner will receive:

THE LAND ROVER GATCOMBE SPRING HORSE TRIALS will take place over the weekend of

28TH/29TH MARCH 2015

The popular Land Rover sponsored event, held annually at the home of HRH The Princess Royal Gatcombe Park, takes place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March. The event features an entry approximately 250 riders on each day. This potentially includes competitors from 12 other countries thus giving a truly international flavour to this well supported Cotswolds Event.

Starting at 9.00am on both days, the event will feature the dressage, show jumping and cross-country phases running throughout the event. The event attracts many interesting shops to the trade stand area, which will include the Gatcombe Collection. At various times during the weekend, HRH The Princess Royal will present prizes to

winners in each of the various sections.

This year sees the event being run for the 23rd consecutive year. The event takes place over a course designed by HRH the Princess Royal and her event organiser Pattie Biden. This course utilises a different area of the Gatcombe Park Estate to that used by the Festival of British Eventing, which takes place on the weekend of 7th, 8th and 9th of August.

Gatcombe Park is situated at Hampton Fields, mid-way between Minchinhampton and Avening; the event will be signposted from both directions. Spectator admission is £6 for a car and all occupants.

For information about the event visit www.gatcombehorsetrials.co.uk

• Two free admission tickets for Saturday 28th March • A car pass for the VIP car park • A welcome info pack • Hosted lunch for two in the VIP hospitality unit • Personal hosting through the day • An exclusive chauffeured tour of the course in a Land Rover • Meet some of the leading riders and officials • Half day for two at a Land Rover Off Road Driving Centre of your choice

To win just answer this question

A brand new Land Rover model will be displayed at the Gatcombe Horse Trials.

It is called?

1. Range Rover Evoque 2. Discovery Sport 3. Range Rover Sport

Please email your answer to editor@stylemagazines.co.uk before 19th March 2015.

(Please state on your entry if you do not wish for your details to be passed on to a third party) Terms and conditions apply please see www.cotswoldstyle.co.uk

COTSWOLD STYLE MARCH 2015 119

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THE GREATEST RACING There is a place in Peru where those seeking spiritual healing from the travails of everyday life, crave counsel from the sacred Witch Doctors.

Amongst the fourteen lakes of the Huaringas, the Shaman administer a hallucinogenic drink containing Ayahuasca, which induces in the pilgrims strange manifestations of senseless utterings, wild haranguing’s of joy and intense stares of sublime adoration.

Fortunately March is not a good time of year to embark upon this pilgrimage; the Ayahuasca is not in season. Fear not, for I have seen men struck by similar symptoms when encountering the Shaman of the Cheltenham ring, that same adulation when greeting the sacred equine being of a Cheltenham winner and the nocturnal swaggering and staggering of the faithful and recently converted.

The Cheltenham Festival is upon us.

The Festival Eve, Monday 9th March, is a day like no other in The Cotswolds.

Those settling into hostelries, hotels,

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Betlive Radio’s expert racing pundit Nigel Aplin, gives a definitive guide to The Cheltenham Festival taverns and cottages, guests at country house parties, innkeepers and hoteliers alike, all suffer from the annual affliction, ‘The Festival Fidget.’ Nobody can settle, all twitching, eavesdropping, weather watching, noting an arrival here, a departure there, nosing the air for the Festival ‘good thing.’

Winchcombe is a very pleasant place to observe this phenomenon. There is always a blarney of the most convivial Irishmen in The White Hart who keep the ‘twitchers’ very busy.

Let’s see what we can pass on.

The Supreme Novices’ Hurdle on Day 1, Tuesday 10th March, is the race when you really need a winner; it sets you up for the week ahead, the glass half empty or full.

Recent tradition dictates there is a short-priced favourite for the festival curtain raiser and yet only three of the

last 17 horses to start at odds of 3-1 or shorter have won.

Backers of Douvan will be hoping that fate doesn't befit the Willie Mullinstrained five-year-old. Douvan is clearly a horse of immense potential and class and hails from a yard with a fine eye and expert knowledge of what it takes to win a race of this nature.

L'ami Serge, has done nothing but thrive since joining Nicky Henderson and displays plenty of acceleration in his races.

Each way market money for Qewy and Jollyallan is shrewd and Jollyallan will start much shorter than the current price given that he is likely to be AP McCoy’s last ever ride in the Supreme and the public will be backing him more than ever in the big races this spring.

The Champion Hurdle is the big race of the day, which sees last year winner

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Sport

FESTIVAL ON EARTH....

“EACH WAY MARKET MONEY FOR QEWY AND JOLLYALLAN IS SHREWD AND JOLLYALLAN WILL START MUCH SHORTER THAN THE CURRENT PRICE GIVEN THAT HE IS LIKELY TO BE AP McCOY’S LAST EVER RIDE IN THE SUPREME.” Jezki trading as third favourite at odds of 6/1. Anticipation is with the leading fancy of local trainer Nigel Twiston Davies’s The New One. Considered to be unlucky last year, there are many who think this 3/1 shot deserves his place as Champion as he has done little wrong this season. Step forward the sartorial trilby of that man Mullins and the Irish will not look beyond Faugheen. The Champion Hurdle is my favourite race of the week and expect to see these three tearing at each other’s throats at the last. The winner …. Faugheen.

The Neptune Investment Management Novices' Hurdle opens proceedings on Wednesday where there is another Irish ‘banker’ in Nichols Canyon. The Colonel fancies Parlour Games, something he has never grown out of, ‘Are You There Moriarty?’ being one of his favourites.

The Queen Mother Champion Chase is something of an enigma this year as both Sprinter Sacre and Sire de Grugy, both past winners, are coming back from injury and did not fire on their reappearances.

The young pretender is Dodging Bullets who has the best form this season. He has a great chance but I have a slight preference for Champagne Fever.

In the Champion Bumper, I can pass on information for Up For Review at a decent price.

Thursday stages The World Hurdle, potentially without last year’s winner More Of That. The new favourite is Saphir Du Rheu but Paul Nicholls commented that he prefers Zarkandar.

Rock On Ruby loves Cheltenham and is

good value for me.

If he runs in The Ryanair Chase, I like the look of Jonjo O’Neill’s John’s Present.

Friday’s final day opens with The Triumph Hurdle where preference is for long shots Karezak and Pain Au Chocolat, each trading at big prices of around 20/1.

On The Fringe for The Foxhunters.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is not the race that it was. By that I mean, a different type of horse wins it. Last year there was standing water in the gardens around Cheltenham and yet, due to the 'new' drainage system, the racecourse dried out in a matter of hours. This means that unless there is a monsoon on Gold Cup day, it is no longer won by the dourest of stayers who relish a slug through the mud.

I am slightly wary as to how the ground dries out so quickly and the impact it has on champion races. The finish of last year’s Gold Cup was rather like that of a five furlong sprint on the flat, where the runners split into two packs and the draw has an enormous influence on the result.

I will always wonder if the ground favoured the runners who finished on the standside, relegating those who jumped and finished on the far side, amongst them Silviniaco Conti, who jumped the last looking the sure winner.

He has the opportunity to avenge last year’s defeat and is unquestionably the classiest staying chaser in training underpinned by his imperious display in The King George on Boxing Day. Many Clouds staked his claim by

winning The Hennessey and was even more impressive when winning at Cheltenham on Trials Day back in January.

There is a strong Irish contingent headed by Lord Windemere, last year’s winner, Road To Riches, Carlingford Lough and Boston Bob who should not be discounted on better ground.

Holywell, Jonjo O'Neill's eight-year-old, looked a possible contender for steeplechasing's blue riband after triumphs at Cheltenham and Aintree last spring and has been specifically prepared for this.

I think Alan King’s Smad Place is the type to run well at an each way price of 20/1.

I am also very keen on Coneygree, the eight-year-old, who put up a terrific frontrunning display when making it three wins from as many starts over fences in the Denman Chase at Newbury. He is still only a novice and connections may elect not to run him.

Silviniaco Conti should win but my three each way selections against the field are Coneygree, Boston Bob and Smad Place.

Well there it is, The Colonel and myself will be lining up for our traditional snifter at The Plough in Prestbury prior to our canter over to the main stands.

Toodle Pip! Nigel Aplin, formally Head Of Broadcast for William Hill, is founder of www.betliveradio.com, which features a daily digest of betting banter.

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Sport

Irish eyes will be smiling Irish Racing’s expert, Vincent Finegan flies the Tricolour at Cheltenham he annual pilgrimage from Ireland to Cheltenham for the four day National Hunt Festival at Prestbury Park is the stuff of legend.

Official figures tell us some 15,000 Irish make the journey but their ranks are swelled even further by the expat community from all over the UK who use the Festival as a way to reconnect with their roots and party like no other nation can.

The Irish who travel are a complete cross-section of society - From Dockers to Doctors, Politicians to Plumbers - all with the common goal to beat the bookies and have the craic.

The numbers fell off a little after the heady heights of the Celtic Tiger years in the mid-noughties but are steadily growing and this year is expected to see further recovery as the Irish economy is on the rise.

The Irish love affair with Cheltenham goes back generations to the legendary days of Cottage Rake and Arkle who each won the coveted Gold Cup three years in a row. But it is the successful gambles and strokes pulled off by the equally legendary punters that inspire today’s travellers to

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save all year round for four days of the extreme sport that is punting on horses.

JP McManus, Barney Curley and Noel Furlong are just three of the fearless Irish punters who have left their mark on the British Bookies and as a result become part of popular folklore.

McManus is now a leading race horse owner in both Ireland and the UK but it was pulling off huge gambles in the 1970s that put him on the map.

His famous Green and Gold colours will contest most of the races at this year’s Festival including aboard the reigning Champion Hurdler Jezki.

Irish trained horses have been dominating the Championship races at Cheltenham in recent years and this year should prove no exception. Just follow Willie Mullins’ trained horses for the week and you are sure to back winners.

Mullins is completely dominating the domestic scene and anything less than a hat-full of Cheltenham winners for the Co. Carlow man will be viewed as bitterly disappointing.

The opening day on Tuesday 10th March will be all about Mullins. Douvan, Un De Sceaux, Faugheen, Annie Power and Don Poli are all strongly fancied to

win. If Mullins does pull off this unprecedented five-timer the bookies will be hammered and Cheltenham will see the party to end all parties.

Four of that Mullins quintet are owned by the flamboyant ex-Barclays Investment Banker Rich Ricci while the fifth, Don Poli runs in the colours of Michael O’Leary’s Gigginstown House Stud.

O’Leary, the Chief Executive of Ryanair saw his silks carried to victory in four races on Gold Cup Day last year and his string will again be primed for their trip to the Cotswolds.

O’Leary’s has yet to win the race his company sponsors at the Festival, The Ryanair Chase on the Thursday, but there are high hopes he will address that situation with Don Cossack this time.

Don Cossack is unbeaten in four races this season and has been rested since midJanuary with this assignment in mind.

While Cheltenham is business for the likes of O’Leary and Mullins; it is pure fun for the rest of the Irish who travel and win, lose or draw they will still be smiling at the end.

Visit www.irishracing.com/cheltenham for complete coverage of this year’s Festival.

Willie Mullins

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Festival

Festival of the FLESH Jo Jo Schofield leads us on the trail of Cheltenham’s Secret Evenings

heltenham is well known for its beautiful spa, fabulous racecourse and affluent population; recently named as the number one location in the country to bring up a family.

With its historic regency buildings, the rolling hills of Leckhampton and excellent schools, Cheltenham sounds flawless, almost like a charming little bubble of untouched pure perfection nestled in the Cotswolds. But for a select few, Cheltenham is known for very different reasons, as it is home to a much deeper, darker adult scene that operates right under the noses of its often blissfully unaware residents.

As Cheltenham braces itself for the highlight of the racing calendar, the usually laid back bohemian atmosphere becomes charged with electric anticipation for the excess that lies ahead.

A major part of Racing Festival week includes the evening pleasures behind closed doors that Cheltenham entertains.

During the Festival, the town stretches to engulf the 200,000 visitors, many with an appetite for indulgence including excesses of the flesh. To accommodate the heightened demand for evening erotica, hundreds of strippers descend on to Cheltenham ready to provide the services that their visiting clients have become to expect. I have visited these

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“....I CAN CONFIRM THESE LITTLE DENS OF INIQUITY ARE ACTUALLY RATHER SAVVY BUSINESS OPERATIONS, OFTEN TAKING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS PER NIGHT.” venues during the Festival to see what it’s all about and I can confirm these little dens of iniquity are actually rather savvy business operations, often taking tens of thousands of pounds per night.

I will try to explain in a little more detail for those gentle flowers that are not in the loop: When you arrive at the venue you are immediately greeted by a display of semi-naked bodies poured into an array of skimpy underwear circling the entrance, trying to catch the eye of what could be their next punter. Once the expectant client has been identified, a small amount of chitchat ensures and the pair can discreetly disappear off to a private section to perform whatever ‘dance’ has been requested. After 15 minutes or so, the said client is escorted from the private section and takes his or her place back at the bar. The ‘stripper’ then gets ready to perform the same process over and over again to the hundreds of visitors that will pass through the doors of the den of delights.

For those with an even stronger appetite for flesh, there are over 3000 call girls and

boys on standby, ready to service their clients’ needs during the week. One particular hotel in Cheltenham that is often booked up 12 months in advance has on numerous occasions been Willie Mullins requested to sign confidential disclosure documents. The Festival is well known to many of its elite quests for its night time indulgences and these quests fully intend on enjoying all that Cheltenham has to offer without it being splashed across the tabloids the following day.

I love all that Cheltenham has to offer and find the Festival to be a glamorous celebration of excitement and excess, something that we all need a little of in our lives. To kick the Festival off, Lily Gins in Regent Street will be hosting an evening of table dancing and stripping; this will be set in its sumptuous decor and softly lit bar and booths, the perfect setting for the newest or most experienced thrill seeker…

Enjoy the races and the next time you walk past a beautifully turned out race goer, ask yourself what appetite could be concealed under that tweed jacket!

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SILVER FOX MEMORIAL

CHARITY SHOOT 100 Bird Sporting Charity Shoot including Flushes To be held on

Sunday 10th May 2015 at Birdlip To be followed by Post Shoot Luncheon, Prize Giving, Auction and Raffle In The Marquee Shoot including lunch £110/person – Teams of 4 Lunch for non shooters £30/head To register a team/request luncheon tickets please email: silverfoxmcs@gmail.com 124 MARCH 2015 COTSWOLD STYLE

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AWoman’sWork

Surtees SPEAKS...

The mad week is upon us....

Amanda Surtees gets saddles up for the Racing Festival before bowing out Outfits selected, restaurants booked, tickets on hold, Champagne chilling, contacts informed, lifts sorted. No I’m not talking about a wedding, I’m talking about the planning and organisation that goes into race week – for the gals.

I’ve lived here for over 20 years now and I’ve been to a fair few race meetings – so I can say with authority that when most people ask: “are you racing?” that’s just a euphemism for “are you going to start drinking at 11am wearing your furry hat, eat nothing but a cooked breakfast all day, pretend to understand what you’re looking for at the paddock and then elbow your way through crowds to buy a bottle of Champagne? (After all you did win £14 at the tote, on a £3 each-way bet, naturally).

You see, Cheltenham Races to us forty/fifty something women, is the equivalent of ‘Spring Break’ to American College students. Essentially, it’s your “behave disgracefully without consequences” card, free from blame or guilt. Do any of the following situations sound familiar?

Queued to get into a nightclub (knowing full well that that ship sailed a long, long time ago)? Been so rude to the

bouncers at various bars, you consequently got banned for the night?

Insisted on leading a singsong of northern provincial songs on the bus home from the racecourse? I know that wasn’t all just me. In short, Surtees Speaks gives you absolution for your behaviour.

Because you weren’t drunk were you?

You were racing.

My theory is it takes such amount of organisation to get there; the gals are forced to go a little bit crazy to justify all their efforts. Consider the typical female “to do” list in that week: 1) Organise children, pick-ups & homework (you definitely won’t be able to help with the algebra) 2) Organise school-run lifts the next morning (you’ll be too hungover/drunk/ill to drive) 3) Organise meals for the week – they need to be substantial and filling, yet require minimum preparation; the food also needs to have the potential to be shared amongst many in case of “drop in guests” (the phrase “fishes & loaves” springs to mind).

You could argue that it’s inappropriate behaviour that we’re old enough to know

better and we should be setting an example. We are. That’s why it’s such amazing, silly, giggly, immature fun. So dust off your tweeds ladies and just remember: “You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Finally – this will be my last column for Cotswold Style. I’ve loved foisting my Geordie Gangnam style opinions on you all but I‘m leaving for pastures new: I’m working as a stylist for stella & dot, the American jewellery business. It’s my dream job – get loads of gorgeous free jewellery, demonstrate and sell it to women in their homes, whilst having fun and drinking Prosecco – and then get paid for it all. Utopia!

I’m grateful for all your feedback and comments, and of course if you did ever want a stella & dot party (Geordie Style of course), you know whom to call. Thank you and very best wishes, Amanda Toner www.stelladot.co.uk/sites/amandatoner

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Claire in the County …And they are off!

Claire Thayers mounts up for a week at The Festival he nights are getting lighter, the daffodils are out and the excitement mounts as the county’s highlight of the year is approaching – THE Cheltenham Festival!

It gets into your blood…

I had a great childhood and my love of racing started with my days in the North Cotswold Pony Club which had so many connections with racing … ‘Fanshawe’ was the Master of the hunt, his sister was married to David Nicholson and I rode with their children so the links were made early on (James Fanshawe still trains).

I loved those fearless jockeys – Richard Dunwoody, the infamous Johnny Francome and of course our beloved Peter Scudamore; legends as far I was concerned.

I used to go to Pates Grammar School in Albert Road, a stone’s throw away from the course and you can imagine a school full of hormonal teenage girls fantasising about their heroes, being so close yet so far away…

Every year we used to be herded out onto the road to cheer the Queen Mother on the Wednesday as she drove past, 750 red pullovers waving madly. There was one occasion when some poor, innocent and extremely drunk Irishman wobbled his way up the road on his push bike to the applause of us all – he must have thought he had died and gone to heaven… so many girls, such little time!

Then, there are the memories of taking clients to the course. I worked for a company based in Pittville and we entertained for all of the then three days.

We lost drunken clients who went walkabout, we had some that never left the bar and some that never saw a horse. There were the annoying ones that knew nothing about horses but chose a name that they liked at unbelievalbe odds and won. I used to watch Morning Line every day without fail, ask everyone I knew, put on a decent bet and come nowhere…but I guess that’s why we all love jump racing so much… you just NEVER know!

When Burrough Hill Lad won, I had taken a Marketing Manager, from a well

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know cigarette company up to the Cheltenham station to catch his train back to Wales and as the Orient Express came in, he stumbled drunkenly down the platform shouting, “see that train – I can buy that train” and he probably could, thanks to a massive bet he had made the previous year on an unfancied horse that won his first Gold Cup. I also urge you to ‘hit the town’ after the races. The best chat up line I ever had was from an Irish owner - half my height, twice my width… looking up at me he said ‘aw to be sure, I love me wife, but if you fancy a lie down, I’m at the Queens’. Priceless!

So with big sponsorships and more and more money involved in the UK’s sixth largest industry – has all the craziness left the sport, twenty years on?

It was a question that I just had to ask a well-known local ex jockey – who will remain nameless. I grew up on the stories of jockeys being caught in horseboxes in compromising positions, infidelities, big rows, clothes being thrown out of windows… where else did Jilly Cooper get her inspiration!

He was quick to say that what did anyone expect from red-blooded men in their prime – of course they had fun!

He shared a story how he had gone to Ireland to run in a big race, and how he had struggled with his weight to get that ride, only to be offered a race the following day, a hurdle and he needed to loose another 3lb OVERNIGHT! What

was the answer – out with the Irish for a craic, plenty of wine, no food… and a little physical exercise I expect… and guess what, he managed to hit the weight and ride the following day – none the worse for wear!

With the pressure on our young jockeys today, he said they have to be more focused than ever before but hopes they still have the time to enjoy some fun as the camaraderie today is as strong as it ever was – on course rivals, off course always there to support each other. They are so aware that they can be riding winners one day and in hospital the next – surely there can’t be many riskier sports than ‘over the sticks’, no wonder they live life in the fast lane – literally!

So with AP McCoy announcing his retirement, do not miss him at the Festival – a legend in his own lifetime.

Just do it… take some time off, go to Cheltenham, mingle with the Irish in the Guinness Tent, meet the girls in the Champagne Bar, and just enjoy the roar from the crowd as they start the first race, a sound you will never forget!

Looking back, I wish I had followed my dream and worked on a yard and wish I had been part of that world, one of my biggest regrets. I expect though I could have got into a lot of trouble… actually, I know I would have… enough said!

Claire Thayers & Associates, Corporate Social Responsibility, South West www.clairethayers.co.uk

PHOTO: CRAIG DERRICK PHOTOGRAPHY

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01242 584321 www.cheltenhamcars.co.uk

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DEFENDER EMPLOYEE OF THE CENTURY motors.thwhite.co.uk

The latest Defender is the direct descendant of our original 1948 rural working vehicle. Spacious and totally practical, its off-road capabilities are legendary. It’s built to last, and takes whatever you put it through. Now you can afford to get your hands on the original Land Rover.

The finance works for you too – from only £199 a month plus deposit and final payment – please see details opposite.

Call 01793 222484 today and find out more.

Defender 90 Hard Top TDCi (2.2) Representative example *On the Road Price

£23,100.00

Customer Deposit

£8,010.00

Total Amount of Credit

£15,090.00

Purchase Fee (included in final payment) 36 Monthly Payments

£10.00 £199.00

Final Payment

£10,529.00

Total Amount Payable

£25,703.00

T H White Land Rover

Duration of Agreement

37 Months

Coped Hall, Royal Wotton Bassett, Swindon SN4 8EP thwhite.swindon.landrover.co.uk

Representative APR

T H White Land Rover is acting as a credit broker and not a lender.

6.7% APR

Interest Rate (Fixed) %

6.52%

*The model pictured is a Defender 90 Hard Top TDCi (2.2) with optional extra of metallic paint (£535) at an On the Road Price of £23,635.

Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the Defender range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 20.8 (13.6) – 24.6 (11.5), Extra Urban 29.1 (9.7) – 31.4 (9.0), Combined 25.5 (11.1) – 28.3 (10.0). CO2 emissions 295 – 266 g/km.

The figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. A vehicle’s actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.

Representative 6.7% APR available on new Land Rover Defender models registered between 1st January and 31st March 2015 at participating retailers only. We may receive commission or other benefits for introducing you to Land Rover Financial Services. With Land Rover Freedom Personal Contract Purchase you have the option at the end of the agreement to: (1) return the vehicle and not pay the Final Payment. If the vehicle is in good condition and has not exceeded the allowed mileage you will have nothing further to pay. If the vehicle has exceeded the allowed mileage a charge for excess mileage will apply - in this example 14p per mile for any excess mileage up to 4,999 miles and 28p per mile for any excess mileage exceeding 4,999 miles. (2) pay the Final Payment to own the vehicle or (3) part exchange the vehicle subject to settlement of your existing finance agreement; new finance agreements are subject to status. Representative example is based upon an annual mileage of 10,000 miles. Finance is subject to status and only available to applicants aged 18 and over resident in Mainland UK and N.Ireland. Finance is provided by Black Horse Limited trading as Land Rover Financial Services, St William House, Tresillian Terrace, Cardiff CF10 5BH.

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New! Alloy Wheel Repairs Tewkesbury Road, next to

01242

584321 Find us on Facebook and Twitter and receive the latest news and offers!

@cheltenhamcars

cheltenham cars

Hayricks Wharf, Tewkesbury Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, G L51 9DR

www.cheltenhamcars.co.uk

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This Month with Kate Justice

50 Shades of Confusion Kate Justice untangles a mixed Valentine’s Day viewing ave you seen 50 Shades of Grey yet? Maybe you’ve read the book? Or, perhaps, you can’t think of anything worse and have avoided it altogether… Either way, you’ll probably agree that it was hard not to notice the release of the film version last month.

I went to see it on Valentine’s Day. I left Husband at home and took six of my BFFs after sharing a bottle of Prosecco or three. I’ve not read it, so only had a vague idea of what to expect. I knew it was going to be a bit rude, but it’s not a ‘porno’ is it? Anyway, after sitting through it and apart from a few silly cliché’s (where the cinema audience actually giggled)…. I thought it was OK. Not that “stimulating”, if you get my drift - but at the same time, I’m glad I wasn’t there with my Nan. I’ve read a lot about it since, including allusions to the fact that it is domestic violence dressed up and that if you know anything about S & M (the practice of using pain as a sexual stimulant), it’s actually all wrong anyway. I confess I’m no expert on the latter, so wouldn’t have a clue if the blindfold / hanging by your wrists / horse whipping approach to bedroom antics is correct or not…. And I am lucky that I’ve never experienced

H

130 MARCH 2015 COTSWOLD STYLE

domestic violence first hand; but I have met a few victims of it. Horrific, terrifying and definitely not something that can ever be trivialised but I didn’t get the feeling that it was involved in this story.

Christian Grey, to me, seemed to be portrayed as a bit of a victim himself. His unusual (ok, downright weird), approach to relationships wasn’t trying to masquerade as ‘normal’ or more exciting than a traditional one and I was left wanting two things: To find out why he is like he is… and for Anastasia to help him get over it and let her in as an equal partner. Sorry to be chauvinistic, but he BOUGHT HER A CAR. Oh – and he’s drop dead gorgeous, I really want him to move on from the ‘submissive’ thing and marry her.

There are three books and apparently there are now going to be three films. I don’t know why I expected the whole story to be dealt with in one on the big screen but the ending did feel a little abrupt.

From my fellow cinema goers, reviews were mixed. Most of us agreed it wasn’t the worst film we’d seen but one did say she’d be surprised if the third instalment ever gets commissioned, so sure is she that no-one will turn up to watch the

second. However, I couldn’t help but notice how many people turned out and how many of them were women. It was Valentine’s Day and I don’t think I saw one couple!

Maybe the girls wanted to check out the … erm…. ‘ideas’…. before stopping off at B&Q for rope and duct tape on the way home. That way you can leave it all in the car if you’ve chickened out en route and your man will never know what he potentially had in store.

Of all the hype and chat, it was hearing about the staff briefings at DIY shops that tickled me the most. Apparently managers were so sure of a surge in sales of certain items, they put on special training sessions to ensure the entire shop floor workforce knew where to find them and ordered in extra supplies as well. (I’d love to know how sales are going). I do slightly pity the genuine rope / tape purchaser who simply wants to fix or make something: “Ay ay sir… would that be matching RED rope and duct tape you’ll be requiring today?”

If you would like to share your stories about your pets with Kate Justice, please email the Editor at editor@stylemagazines.co.uk

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Live the dream.

Imagine your dream kitchen...what do you see? Luxurious materials, bespoke design and the finest craftsmanship; with Bower Willis these come as standard. How about an infinite combination of styles, doors and worktops. Innovative cooking technology, stunning design features and oodles of practical storage space. And that kitchen island you’ve always wanted.

Combine this with passionate attention to detail and tireless dedication of our design team and you’ve found the perfect recipe for a dream kitchen. Visit our showroom to bring your kitchen ideas to life.

You’re sure to be inspired.

Come in and see us at The Coach House, 3b New Street, Shipston On Stour, Warwickshire, CV36 4EW. Call us on 01608 690 870 Visit www.bowerwillisdesigns.co.uk

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LEGENDS RETURN

WILL YOU?

THE FESTIVAL 10th – 13th MARCH 2015 BOOK ONLINE WWW.CHELTENHAM.CO.UK