Folio 2011

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AUGUST 2012 l No. 211

EATING OUT WEST

Local entrepreneurs

THE COSIEST COUNTRY PUBS

& THE SECRETS OF THEIR SUCCESS

Where to eat gluten free

A POSE Grab a front row seat for BRISTOL FASHION WEEK at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway this September!

➻ BEAUTY Folio_Cover211.indd 1

FASHION WHAT'S ON INTERIORS PROPERTY FOOD 7/25/2012 5:16:30 PM

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AUG 2012

I don’t know about you, but seeing some sunshine after a couple of months of unprecedented rainfall has seriously cheered us up here at Folio Towers. Rather than a sea of well-covered limbs, surprisingly golden legs and arms are enjoying a bit of freedom from their woolly confines.

But let’s not forget the weather is a fickle beast, and so to ease me into the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, I’m going to need some sartorial savvy in the shape of Bristol Fashion Week at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway, where all the latest A/W looks will be sashaying their way down the runway! We’ve got the scoop on page 60, so make sure you’re not left out in the cold without this season’s on-trend roll-neck.

Also this issue, if you’ve ever watched BBC’s Dragons’ Den and found yourself shouting into the ether, ‘But Peter, my idea’s way better than that!’, maybe it’s time to put some hard graft where your mouth is. On page 4, we speak to four of the South West’s most successful entrepreneurs to find out just what it takes to turn an idea from so-so into sensational.

Enjoy the issue,

PHOTO CREDIT: TYSON SADLO

MODEL BEHAVIOUR

FEATURES 4 Meet the entrepreneurs 10 Parents who’ve quit the day job to fit around their kids 14 This month’s walk takes in the flora and fauna of Lower Woods

WHAT'S ON 16 The latest film releases 18 Mike White’s top things to see and do this August 21 At a theatre near you…

22 A look at the local art scene 24 Must-see music gigs as picked by Julian Owen 26 Anna Britten loves nothing better than messing about in boats

COMPETITIONS

4 LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS

31 WIN a spa session for two at the Thermae Bath Spa, and a digital wireless TV receiver!

EATING OUT WEST 34 Our round-up of the cosiest country pubs 39 NEW Deli of the Month 40 Where to eat gluten free 42 Restaurant review: Allium Brasserie 44 Restaurant review: Namaskar 45 NEW Pub of the Month 46 Restaurant review: Hare & Hounds 48 Restaurant review: Bistro Biere 49 What’s cooking 50 Recipe from StrEat Food Collective

LIFESTYLE

34 Cosy country pubs - Melissa Blease sets the satnav

56 Tot couture 59 How to do colour blocking 62 Clifton Rocks is this month’s top shop 64 Sam Ulewicz checks out RSR hair salon 65 The latest beauty must-haves 67 Health round-up 68 Suzanne Savill goes on a nostalgic Mini adventure 71 A new head for Westonbirt plus taster days at Colston’s School 72 Anna Britten books herself on a writing workshop 75 Travel review: Montpellier Chapter hotel, Cheltenham

Rachel Nott Folio editor

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Trendy togs for tots

HOMEFRONT

Cover image:

80 Chic ways to use tiles in your home 83 We quiz the interiors gurus at Homeworx 84 Making the most of your garden this month 86 Property of the issue: Barley Brook House, North Somerset

BRISTOL FASHION WEEK AT THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, TURN TO PAGE 60

68

Suzanne Savill takes the Mini Roadster Cooper S for a spin

FINALE @eatingoutwest

90 Pieces of Me: voiceover artist Tanya Rich

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PHOTO CREDIT: RANKIN

@folioeditor

Voiceover artist Tanya Rich lets us take a peek at her world

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FEATURE

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS Kicked out of the company he’d founded 31 years earlier, Roger Saul simply picked himself up and started again. Julian Owen taps Saul and other local entrepreneurs for the secrets of their success

I

have to say, I felt very frightened,” says the entrepreneur. Nerves were understandable. He had invested a lot - capital, principle, pride - in Sharpham Park, a 300-acre organic estate near Shepton Mallet, and was now delivering breakfast to every last taste-making style editor in his copious contacts book. A favourable opinion would go an awfully long way to securing a buyer for the cereal, help establish the brand in readers’ minds.

High stakes indeed.

The entrepreneur wasn’t nervous because the ordeal was new to him.

Quite the opposite. “The last time I’d done a mass visit was the early 70s as a young designer. Now here I was, Roger Saul who created [fashion company] Mulberry, £30m turnover, top of the tree - I was there to be knocked down, but you’ve got to do it sometime. It was a reintroduction into a world I’d come out of quite brutally.”

He’s referring to 2002. With Mulberry going through a relatively lean patch, Singaporean billionaire Christine Ong taking a 41.5% shareholding seemed a welcome move. Alas, with investment came expectation of control, and Saul was ousted from the company he’d founded 31 years earlier.

“Totally different times,” he says.

“We came out of the 60s, which was

revolution, into the 70s, which in consumerism terms - fashion, music - was absolutely flying.” Saul was designer, salesman and strategist: visiting factories for the finest supplies, touring retail and press “the people who are the style architects” - to both tout his own wares and gauge which way the fashion wind was blowing. “A constant round-robin of feeling all the edges.

You become good at knowing where to look for indicators.”

There was a key season. Fleeting at the time, resonant to this day. “It was 1975-76, the root of Mulberry styling, our first collection around English style: hunting, fishing, sports casual. A great collection that did amazingly for a year, became iconic, but we’d come off it again within six months.” The firm expanded globally, before swiftly contracting in the teeth of late 70s recession. “We laid off 40% of our workforce and survived by the skin of our teeth. Virtually came out of America, rebuilt in Europe and moved into Japan.”

With a new business model - Saul had realised that his business couldn’t rely on good design alone, and needed brand loyalty. Benetton crashed the 80s high street from seemingly nowhere, not through centralised expansion, but game-changing local franchising. Saul saw the benefit and, with the early adopter instinct that

ABOVE & BELOW: The attractively laid-out and well stocked Sharpham Park shop RIGHT: Roger Saul

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FEATURE

MARGARET HEFFERNAN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL POLYMATH ➻ Texas-born Margaret Heffernan is an entrepreneur, CEO, TV documentary producer, author, playwright, and Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Bath.

PHOTO CREDIT: TYSON SADLO

Roger Saul and friends celebrating the opening of Kilver Court Designer Emporium last year

often marks the successful entrepreneur, followed suit. The result? “Franchise always did better than our own retail outside the UK. Someone socially powerful in their own area could convert the Mulberry brand into the local culture.”

Today the franchises come to Saul. Originally bought as Mulberry HQ in 1996, Kilver Court became established as Sharpham Park’s retail outlet. “But farm shops are not, with brutal honesty, going to make you a lot of money.”

Which is why, with tens of brands and rapidly counting, Saul expanded Kilver Court into “a factory shop village in the truest sense. Every single product is 40% off, or more. You get the best organic food, recycled and vintage furniture and clothing, these amazing gardens. Step by step, we’ll get the best hairdresser in, flower courses, whatever we think brings it alive as a destination.”

And that breakfast? A success?

“It gave me lots of PR editorial,” affirms Saul. “Made it much easier to go back out to the Waitroses,

boutiques, and so on.” It had taken the Spelt Bran Flake Range two years to arrive by the time it launched in June. The supply chain was altered, the buyer changed at the supermarket, and even something as apparently straightforward as packaging design underwent multiple changes. Original plans were dropped - “everybody using craftbrown left them dead in the water” - in favour of the Union Flag.

“We’re probably one of the only companies that can boast ownfarmed, grown, made, sold in England.”

You’ll find it in a Sainsbury’s, Booths or independent food store near you. And as you spoon from your bowl something ‘delicious’ (Grazia), ‘healthy and very tasty’ (Mail), you’ll be sampling but the latest venture from a man true to his code. “Persevere. If you believe in yourself, you can make it happen. But enjoy the journey that’s the exciting part.”

FFI WWW.SHARPHAMPARK.COM, WWW.KILVERCOURT.COM

In your book Women on Top, you discovered that businesses owned by women grew at three times the rate of all private US firms. Why so?

Women being more educated than ever.

Personal computing making it possible to start businesses cheaply from home. And women with successful corporate careers, who knew they were very good at what they did but weren’t taken seriously. Rage is a fantastic energiser. It gets you over fear: ‘What the heck, it’s now or never!’

In what way do women work differently, which may allow them to succeed more fully?

Women were more likely to cover niche businesses. Venture capitalists believe niche markets are small, but because they’re extremely well defined, it’s easier to exceed customer expectation. You know your customer really well, so can hone your product perfectly. Every entrepreneur has commitment to commercial success, but for women, the greater motivation was something to prove: ‘Business doesn’t have to be nasty and brutish; I’ll do it my way and it will be more successful.’

Presumably these were often markets behind male entrepreneurs’ blind spots?

Completely. Women had gone to their companies and said, ‘There’s potential here,’ and been told, ‘Nah, not ➻ FOLIO/AUG 2012 5

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FEATURE

JAMES DYSON interesting.’ Women are responsible for most purchasing, both corporate and consumer. They know the market better than anybody, so of course they’ll spot where the market isn’t being served.

You were on the ground floor of internet expansion. Did people tell you it was niche?

Yes. We aimed at trailblazers: people who like extreme sports, adventure travel, new technology, fusion food. Many potential investors said, ‘It’s too niche.’ Wrong. It’s the wealthiest sector of the market - while it’s narrow, it’s very deep. Advertisers couldn’t find these people, and they desperately wanted to. So there was a niche but, my god, it was a valuable one.

How much comes down to stamina and energy? Your biography reads like three well-lived lives, never mind one!

Just about every entrepreneur I’ve ever asked ‘What’s the most important thing?’ gives a universal answer: stamina. Keep going and you’ll figure it out. The secret to doing that? Go home. When raising kids, I had a deal with my husband that one of us had to be home for 6pm - we’d trade early starts for late finishes. Many days I absolutely didn’t want to leave the office, but when I looked at the CEOs not going home - one who notoriously had dinner with his family as a conference call - they didn’t last as long. Fatigue impacts your brain. What matters isn’t to be awake, but capable of thinking.

First impressions of Bath?

I travel and soak up a lot, so love coming home and being able to process it. Bath is a fantastic concentration of brilliant technology talent - a lot of it a little bit hidden, understated, but I think that’s pretty cool.

FFI WWW.MHEFFERNAN.COM

THE NEXT GENERATION ➻ Inventor of the Dual Cyclone bagless

vacuum cleaner, with a raft of further successes to his name, Sir James Dyson is arguably the most successful inventor in the country. And as founder of the youthorientated James Dyson Award, the ideal person to ask…

A young person has what they think might be a brilliant idea. What should they do?

Develop it. Ideas don’t just arrive in a eureka moment; you must tirelessly test and re-engineer until you can refine an idea to create something brilliant. It took 5,127 prototypes to develop the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner. And we’re still challenging ourselves to improve it. As Thomas Edison said: ‘I have not failed. I have found 10,000 ways that won’t work.’

A single piece of advice for a young entrepreneur or innovator?

Ideas are valuable. Protect them. Patenting allows you to discuss ideas openly, taking your developments a step closer to commercialisation and genuine innovation. Since 1979 Dyson have filed 3,500 patent applications - protecting and renewing patents almost bankrupted me. I found the worth in 1999, when we took Hoover Europe to court for infringing the Dyson Dual Cyclone patent and stopped them from selling their Triple Vortex machine.

What’s the best thing schools can do to encourage innovation?

We must excite young people about making things. Academic study of science and maths must be wedded with practical challenges. The James Dyson Foundation provides free resources to schools and universities, challenging students to look at simple engineering principles, doing designing and prototyping of their own. Too many everyday objects are enclosed, with no hint of how they’re put together.

Do you retain the capacity to be surprised by ideas that young engineers submit for the James Dyson Award?

Each year the standard gets higher. This proves we have the capacity to produce brilliant technology but lack foundations to support it.

The hardest part is often raising awareness. Last year’s winner, Edward Linnacre from Australia, created a device extracting water from air. It’s striking in its simplicity: pumping warm air underground, lowering its temperature to induce condensation. Simple ideas impress me most, showing the power of clever design and robust engineering.

Recession: entrepreneurial spirit quencher, or breeding ground for innovation?

Dyson started during a recession. It’s easy to hide behind uncertainty, but for inventors and engineers, every day is uncertain. We must invest in research and development to ensure a steady stream of ideas in the future. At Dyson our pipeline of technology stretches 25 years - to not invest now would lead to a drought of ideas in the future. Government can help by setting the tone: infrastructure projects and incentives for research and development all help companies invest.

What particular fields of design engineering do you think are likely to see strong growth in the coming years?

Nanotechnology will completely revolutionise the way we engineer. In 2010 Professors Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov discovered Graphene, a material exhibiting incredible strength, with greater conductivity than copper.

Potential applications are vast: smaller, stronger, lighter machines and more efficient electrical conductivity.

THE JAMES DYSON AWARD OPENS FOR ENTRIES IN FEB 2013. FFI: WWW.JAMESDYSONAWARD.ORG

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FEATURE

THE BIG PICTURE ➻ Niche-focused entrepreneurialism is the

ROB LAW THE NEW GENERATION ➻ What happens when a flash of

inspiration is married to boundless determination? In 1997 Rob Law figured that travel-time tantrums might be avoided if kids could ride on their suitcases. Today, with an everexpanding range designed in Bristol and built in the UK, Trunki is a global concern worth £10m.

“Undiagnosed as dyslexic at school, and suffering quite badly with English, I wondered what I could do when I left. At 14 I did work experience at a design company - I’d always been a big Lego fan - and knew what I wanted to do. I pitched the Trunki idea without generating interest, and went travelling. In 2001 I came back and, two years later, got a start-up award from the Prince’s Trust.

We licensed a company in China for production, but it didn’t work out - I thought I could do it better myself. I hand-delivered the first Trunkis to retailers around Bristol and thought that, if it takes a year to sell them, at least I’ll have made my money back. Within a month we had to order another batch, then another, and it snowballed. Today we sell to 2,500 stores in the UK and 62 countries globally.

Harley Ladybird Trunki ride-on suitcase (RRP £37.99)

“Bristol is a good place for design and innovation, a very creative hub for graphics. We work with UWE on their product design course, and find designers at a London degree show - it helps that Bristol has a reputation as a cool place to live.

“Despite recession, we’ve grown 20% in the past 10 months - exports doubled last year thanks to innovation and launching relevant new products. Quite often the ideas come from parents. The BoostApak [booster seat doubling as a child’s rucksack] came from listening to them talking about the hassles they’d had with boosters - there’s a lot of wasted space.

“Key advice? If it was easy, everyone would do it. Despite huge successes, we’ve had some pretty huge lows. It’s about having the energy, confidence and tenacity to drive through to the other side.”

FFI WWW.TRUNKI.CO.UK

route to success, avows Margaret Heffernan. Fellow Bath resident Martin Tracy (pictured above with Annabelle Ruston, editor of Art Business Today) has been proof positive of its value for close to two decades, honing the Framing Workshop’s product into multi-awardwinning perfection. A three-time winner of gongs from trade body the Fine Art Trade Guild, last month he was presented with their none-more-prestigious Lifetime Exemplar Achievement Award. It’s a question of knowing what the customer wants - be it non-reflective glass for crystalclear viewing, conservation glass offering UV protection, box framing, glass and perspex boxes, hand-finished and gilded frames, something else - and having it served up by highly experienced, qualified experts.

THE FRAMING WORKSHOP 80 WALCOT ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 482748, WWW.THEFRAMINGWORKSHOP.COM

RAGS TO RICHES

Children modelling the latest PaddlePaks lightweight, waterproof backpacks, perfect for the beach or days out (RRP £19.95)

➻Two stats: women tend to wear just 10% of their wardrobe but still yearn for more; 80% of clothes in the UK go to waste. Between them, they helped to convince entrepreneur Alison Taylor of the potential value - both monetary and environmental - in launching Rag Trade Boutique. Thus, a treasure chest of a recycling store making high-end designerwear affordable: Westwood, Whistles, possibly even some of Roger Saul’s vintage Mulberry! It couldn’t be easier: simply sell your pre-loved clothes et, voilà, ready cash for classy wardrobe refreshing. You can collect unsold items up to the end of an agreed period, when - ethical to the end RTB will donate them to one of four charities.

RAG TRADE BOUTIQUE 2 UPPER MAUDLIN ST, BRISTOL, BS2. FFI: 0117 376 3085, WWW.RAGTRADEBOUTIQUE.CO.UK

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FEATURE

Making it

WORK TV presenter Ellie Barker reveals how she and other families have found a way to hang on to two incomes and still see the kids growing up

I

t was while driving to work at precisely 5.12am that the idea for this article came to me. In the world of BC (Before Child), the only situation in which I’d be up at this hour would involve dancing on a table somewhere yelling ‘Let’s have one for the road!’ But now, my alarm rings at exactly 4.33am every weekday. I have a routine timed to the nanosecond, meaning that I’m out the door, in work and ready for rehearsals at 5.48am. If I don’t catch the red lights on the way, I even have time to grab a coffee.

The job I have that allows me to exist in this pre-dawn world is as Daybreak presenter for ITV West & West Country. My BC self would have had nightmares about this AC (After Child) existence - in the days when I slept long enough to have nightmares and claimed regularly that ‘If I don’t get my nine hours, I just can’t

function…’ I haven’t stayed awake for the second, later episode of Corrie for more than a year now (who am I kidding? I normally Sky Plus the first one, too). And recently, when I stayed up to watch the latest series of Benidorm on a Friday night at 9pm, I whooped with joy.

But here’s the thing. In the world of AC, it really works. I work part-time so the early start means an early finish. I’m back home by 8.45am, and as I return home for work, my husband Rob, who works as a reporter for the same company, hands over our twoyear-old, Arthur, as he leaves for his day.

Sometimes we have to do our handover report on the phone (breakfast, wake-up time, mood assessment) once he’s off driving to his story of the day. But it means that Arthur is normally always with one of his parents. I never have the heartwrenching sadness of waving goodbye and feeling that I’m missing out on him, as (usually) he’s fast asleep when I head off, and we aren’t going to work to pay for enormous childcare fees. My husband, I’m sure, is happier now that he has full control of the remote in the evening, and I never feel guilty about any amount of lattes that I drink because I know I’ve already been to work that day. It’s thanks to the flexibility of media hours and very understanding bosses that we can lead this rather unusual life, and my husband and I are extremely grateful.

Which leads me back to my 5.12am thoughts. If this is how we make it work, then what about other families? Especially when we’re hearing about families increasingly needing two incomes. It seems there are many different ways…

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FEATURE

TRINSKE DRISCOLLANTONIDES LIVES MARSHFIELD, NR BATH CHILDREN KIRSTEN, 3 & ILSE, 1 WAS PRODUCT MANAGER FOR A FURNITURE DESIGN

COMPANY NOW OWNER OF NORDIC ROSE, AN E-COMMERCE BUSINESS IMPORTING DUTCH AND SCANDINAVIAN-STYLE HOME ACCESSORIES

“After I had my second daughter, Ilse, I came to a turning point in my life. I wanted to do something I really enjoyed, but something that fitted better with my family’s needs. I felt there was no scope for progression in my old job and I found it very difficult to work for an employer.

My husband, Shaun, works long hours and we have no family living nearby, so if the girls were ill or needed me during the day, it was difficult to take time off.

“It’s been my lifetime’s ambition to have my own business. I’m from Holland and have two degrees - one in fashion, another in business. I’ve worked for years in big corporate firms, both in Holland and the UK, and I wanted to combine all my experience. I have specialist knowledge of the Dutch market and I love the Dutch and Scandinavian style. It’s a little bit different and I’m very proud of it. I love living in Marshfield near Bath, and this allows me to have a foot in both countries. Dutch suppliers have found it difficult to enter the UK market but my local knowledge has really helped, and I’ve had very positive feedback from people in the area.

“I have an online shop as well as a wholesale business and I love the diversity this brings. I love working on something I feel so passionate about, and I’m constantly learning. With the girls so young, I’ve had to start off at a fairly moderate pace, but as they get older I plan to continue to expand. The best part of it all is that I feel so much more in control of my life. I have some childcare so that I can work a couple of days during the week on my business, but I also work in the evenings and at weekends when Shaun is looking after the girls.

“I’ve discovered that, as much as I love being a mum, I also love to work. Nordic Rose gives me the challenge I need intellectually and I know that this satisfaction makes me a better mum.”

FFI WWW.NORDICROSE.CO.UK

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FEATURE

ANNA & ANDREW TOWLE LIVE HORFIELD, BRISTOL CHILDREN ALICE, 8, GEORGE, 5 & ARTHUR, 2 WERE ANDREW - WORKED IN IT, ANNA - TEACHER NOW OWNERS OF TOWLES’ FINE ALES

“It was when Andrew was made redundant that we realised we needed to have more control over our lives. We have three children and we needed to do jobs that suited the whole family. We wanted to be flexible. We wanted to be able to have the school holidays off, attend nativity plays, be around when the children were ill and be on hand for all the afterschool activities, which increase as they get older. Although Andrew had been working in IT, he’d worked at breweries for many years, including Smiles. So starting our own brewery seemed the ideal answer.

“We brewed our first beer in February, and so far it’s been just brilliant. Our beers are selling out at beer festivals, and we supply pubs and outside bars. It’s so rewarding, but best of all it suits our family life. I do the morning school run, then come to work until 2.30pm when I leave to do the afternoon school run.

We’re both on hand to take the children to Brownies, tag rugby, swimming or any of their other many activities.

“We’re based in Easton, but live in Horfield, so Andrew can pop home at any time. He works many more hours but he’s close enough to pop home and be involved with the children. And if any of them are ill, we can always work from home. Best of all, we’re doing something we love, knowing that all our hard work is for our family. This makes all the long hours very worthwhile indeed.”

FFI WWW.TOWLESFINEALES.CO.UK

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PHOTO CREDIT: WWW.WTF4PHOTOGRAPHY.COM

FEATURE

MARION GILLET LIVES EASTON, BRISTOL CHILDREN ARLETTE, 1 WAS DESIGNER NOW SELF-EMPLOYED DESIGN MANAGEMENT

CONSULTANT WORKING ALONGSIDE TWO FRIENDS, RUTH BURGER (LEFT) & LIZ MITCHELL (MIDDLE)

LIVES HORFIELD, BRISTOL CHILDREN REUBEN, 2 (AND SECOND CHILD DUE AS WE WENT TO PRESS) WAS PROJECT MANAGER NOW CHIROPRACTOR

“I made the decision to become a chiropractor long before I had Reuben. But I knew that, some time in the future, I wanted children, and I wanted to do something that was flexible enough to fit in around family life. At the time I felt as though I was on the corporate treadmill. I was getting projects finished but was feeling dissatisfied. I couldn’t see how this would ever change and I wanted to do a job that would make, at least, a bit of a difference to others.

“I’d always had an interest in health and fitness, and when I saw that there was one place on an access course to become a chiropractor, I decided it was now or never.

Within two weeks, I’d started. I attended the course in Oxford at weekends and I was still working during the week. After six months I knew this was what I wanted to do permanently, so I enrolled for a fiveyear degree. I changed my job so that I could work four days a week, leaving me a study day on Fridays. I can’t pretend it was easy - five years is a long time, and it was

hard work, but it’s been so worthwhile.

“In 2009, just when I graduated, I became pregnant with Reuben. But I could still start practising, working from home. I was able to work at different times to suit patients, but it also fitted in with Reuben it meant that I could be hands on with him. And when I worked, often in the evenings, my partner Dave could look after him.

“I find being a chiropractor so fulfilling. I love working with different patients, and everyone is so individual. Our second baby is due in the next few weeks so I’ve stopped for a while, but when we’re ready I’m aiming to start again. It really works with family life. I plan to eventually have my own room in a local clinic, but not too far away from home. I believe that, in the long run, as I continue to build my clients and as the children get older, it will continue to give us the ideal work-life balance.”

FFI WWW.MARIONGILLET.COM, WWW.TINCATDESIGN.CO.UK, WWW.MOVEMENTOR.CO.UK PHOTO CREDIT: WWW.WTF4PHOTOGRAPHY.COM

ABIGAIL PENSON

“Work has always been a leading part of my life and it still is, but I never imagined how having a child would change me and my priorities. My partner is often away on business, and while I use a childminder, sometimes when Arlette isn’t well or when I need to go to something myself on a different day, I turn to my friends Ruth and Liz. “We’re all freelancers who work from home, so now we work together. Ruth is a graphic designer, Liz offers a personal service for weddings and I help designers with business development. So we’re all very different, but all offer support to each other. I’ve been self-employed the longest, so I offer help and advice to Liz and Ruth.

Meanwhile, when Arlette was ill recently and couldn’t go to the child-minder, Liz and Ruth came to work from my house. Arlette loves them.

“Being self-employed is great when you have a child, but working alone can be lonely. So our arrangement gives us the support and company that you’d normally get from working in a company, but without the same pressures. We really need each other.

“I don’t want to miss these years of Arlette growing up, but at the same time I don’t want to lose all the experience gained from the years of work before I had Arlette. This situation has given me breathing space and time to reflect on what I’ve learned over the years. I’d like another child and I’d eventually like to work an additional day to give my partner a day off, too. This arrangement makes it seem possible. It’s all thanks to great friends.”

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Silver washed fritillary butterflies can be seen flitting around the edges of Lower Woods

FEATURE

PHOTO CREDIT: IAN CHAMBERS

LOWER

T

he woods arise in the damp clay soils of the Vale of Berkeley and are made up of many distinct woodlands as well as grassland areas.

From early times the woods were coppiced, a process that created the right conditions for wildflowers, butterflies, dormice and birds. Coppiced wood was very important for charcoal, hurdles and firewood. With the Industrial Revolution, demand for wood and the practice of coppicing declined nationally, but fortunately the Badminton Estate, who owned Lower Woods, continued coppicing here. Lower Woods is now jointly managed by the Avon and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trusts.

WOODS The boundaries of this very large, ancient woodland in South Gloucestershire haven’t changed for centuries

edges of the woods, especially in scrub or in the recently coppiced areas around the Lodge - listen out for song thrushes, willow warblers, blackcaps and even nightingales.

WAYMARKED WALKS

Two clearly waymarked walks start from the Lodge. Stanley Walk (red waymarks nos 1-20) is the easiest, at just one mile long. It

Today the rich woodland flora includes carpets of bluebells in spring, with early purple and greater butterfly orchids and herb paris. In summer, look for old meadow species including ragged-robin, commonspotted orchids, betony and devil’s-bit scabious, and butterflies such as white admiral and silver washed fritillary.

The best places for birds are around the

PHOTO CREDIT: IAN CHAMBERS

BIRDSONG

starts at the gate into the meadow and follows the attractive woodland rides. This is a mainly level walk, and on grass, but puddles are likely!

The fashionably straight ‘Walk’ was created by the Badminton Estate in the 1690s to give a clear view from the Lodge to Wickwar Church. Go through Little Stanley Wood and cross the ancient Plumber’s Trench. This area is full of butterflies and meadow flowers such as common spotted orchid in summer. Look out, too, for wild service trees. In East Stanley Wood, the ‘island’ is also rich in wildflowers, including autumn crocus - also known as meadow saffron.

You could also try the Little Avon Circuit (green waymarks nos 21-40), which is oneand-a-half miles. This follows the wide grass rides to the beautiful riverside walk, which is steeper and narrower.

AVON WILDLIFE TRUST OUR GUIDE COMES COURTESY OF THIS LEADING LOCAL CHARITY WORKING FOR PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE. FFI: 0117 917 7270, WWW.AVONWILDLIFETRUST.ORG.UK

Keep your eyes peeled for wild orchids such as the butterfly orchid

A coppiced area carpeted in wild garlic foragers take note!

HOW TO GET THERE out for the pretty blush GridLook ref: 743rose 876 petals of ST the dog along Nearest the way postcode: GL9 1BY (0.5 km from grid ref) By bike: View a location map of the reserve on the National Cycle Network website: www.sustrans.org. uk By public transport: Go to www.traveline.org.uk By car: Lower Woods Nature Reserve is in South Gloucestershire, between Wickwar and Hawkesbury Upton. Most visitors park at Lower Woods Lodge, accessed down a stone track opposite Inglestone Farm Holiday Cottages, off from the Wickwar to Hawkesbury Upton road. However, there is also rougher road access to the Southern Woods via Vinney Lane or Wood Lane, Horton.

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Voted in the Top 50 antique shops in Great Britain 2010 by The Independent on Sunday

OLD BANK ANTIQUES CENTRE 14-17 Walcot Buildings, London Road, Bath

Retro g Clothinble Availa

Situated on the London Road (A4), just a short walk from the top of Walcot Street. Old Bank Antiques Centre is the largest retailer of antiques in Bath, without being stuffy and too grand.

This is how antiques shops used to look: a hoarder’s paradise. fifteen dealers spread through lots of showrooms in four shops with everything from 17th century to 1970s retro. Experienced and professional advice is always available. Customer parking is at the rear, accessed via Bedford Street. Deliveries can be arranged anywhere in the UK or the rest of world, at cost price.

Furniture restorer on premises.

Open seven days a week and most bank holidays Visit our website: www.oldbankantiquescentre.com Tel: 01225 469282 & 338813 Email: alexatmontague@aol.com

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WHAT’S ON FILM DAYS OUT THEATRE ART MUSIC FILM DAYS OUT THEATRE ART MUSIC

➻ WHAT'SON

FILM

COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU Robin Askew picks some highlights from this month’s cinematic crop

360

OPENS FRI 10 AUG There’s a formidable array of talent behind this one. Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles bagged an Oscar nomination for City of God, going on to make the classy John le Carré adaptation The Constant Gardener and bleak apocalypse drama Blindness.

Ace British screenwriter Peter Morgan’s lengthy list of credits includes The Queen, Frost/Nixon and The Damned United. And the A-list cast is headed by Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Anthony Hopkins.

Unveiled at last year’s London Film Festival, 360 is inspired

by La Ronde, linking a group of disparate characters by the sexual choices they make.

JACKPOT OPENS FRI 10 AUG With The Killing and The Bridge on TV and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy in cinemas, Scando-noir has become a genre all of its own.

This is the second Jo Nesbo story to make it to the big screen, following the excellent Headhunters. The blackly comic Tarantino/Coen brothersreferencing Jackpot races along at a frantic pace, boasting all those clever twists and turns we’ve come to expect. It’s framed in flashback from a messy crime scene, where the hapless Oscar has been found beneath the corpse of a rather large lady.

THE BOURNE LEGACY OPENS MON 13 AUG So farewell then, Jason Bourne and Matt Damon.

As the title implies, this fourth film in the popular and lucrative Bourne franchise continues without Bourne himself, though we’re reassured that the action remains firmly in author Robert Ludlum’s CIAland. Taking the baton is Jeremy Renner, who was so impressive in The Hurt Locker.

Director Tony Gilroy wrote all three previous Bourne films, and has an impressive track record in directing thrillers such as Michael Clayton and Duplicity.

BRAVE OPENS FRI 17 AUG Pixar set the bar impossibly high with such classics as Up, Wall-e and the Toy Story films. So when the studio falls short, as it did with the mediocre Cars flicks, it comes as quite a surprise. This latest 3D effort has been getting mixed reviews in the US, where some critics have complained that it feels too much like a traditional Disney fairytale.

Kelly Macdonald voices fiery medieval Scottish Princess Merida, who must set out to undo a dastardly curse.

TAKE THIS WALTZ OPENS FRI 17 AUG Six years on from her brilliant, Oscar-nominated Alzheimer’s drama Away from Her, Canadian actress/director Sarah Polley gets behind the camera again.

Take This Waltz, a comedy-drama about relationships, is somewhat lighter. My Week with Marilyn star Michelle Williams plays freelance writer Margot, who falls in love with her new neighbour - an artist, Daniel (Luke Kirby), despite having been happily married to Lou (Seth Rogen in a rare straight role) for five years. It’s an infidelity drama, but one that refuses to play by the rules.

KEEP READING FOR 7 EXTRA PAGES OF WHAT’S ON HIGHLIGHTS ➻ 16 FOLIO/AUG 2012

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WHAT’SON

WHAT TO DO IN...

Aug

BALLOON FIESTA, BUSTER KEATON, JURASSIC PARK AND A FESTIVAL OF TREES… THIS MONTH’S HOT TICKETS FROM MIKE WHITE

2

UP AND AWAY

New for this year’s ever-popular balloon fest is the Friday Night IlluminAir - an aerobatic display from a pair of single-seat ‘Silence Twister’ stunt-planes, which will loop overhead, leaving firework trails in the twilight sky. Other new additions include the Blades, another high-speed aerial display team who’ll be showing off their skills on the Sunday, as well as an activity-packed kids’ zone featuring a special appearance by Optimus Prime of ‘Transformers’ fame. The usual array of international food stalls will be there, and the spectacular Night Glows on Thur and Sun are set to wow the crowds with their famous choreographed balloon-fire-and-music show. The other great unmissable sight is the mass ascent, when more than 100 balloons of all shapes and sizes from shopping trolleys to giant dogs - rise majestically into the sky as one. There are plenty of chances to catch these, as they’re scheduled for every morning and evening, Fri-Sun - assuming, that is, that the great British weather cooperates.

1

DANCIN’ IN THE STREETS

Last year’s See No Evil event - during which the depressing grey rat-run that was Nelson Street was transformed into the UK’s largest permanent street-art gallery - really put Bristol on the cultural map. Now that the street is a tourist destination in its own right, the organisers are planning a fresh instalment for 2012. The seven-day shindig is part of the London 2012 Festival, a UK-wide arts celebration to mark the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and promises an array of strange and inventive installations stretching along Nelson Street and beyond. The spraying and daubing of the graffers will be accompanied by Hear No Evil, a series of music-based happenings throughout the week, the highlight of which is Mail, Maps and Motion, an evening of oneoff commissions and collaborations that blend cutting-edge music and film, including a commission uniting Joanie Lemercier from projection experts AntiVJ and Adrian Utley from downbeat demigods Portishead. The week’s fun climaxes messily in a free New York-style Block Party on Sat 18 and Sun 19, filling Nelson Street with music stages, market stalls, painting and screen-printing demos, kids’ workshops, live art battles, pop-up cafes and a spree of street performance.

SEE NO EVIL 13-19 AUG, NELSON ST & VARIOUS OTHER LOCATIONS IN BRISTOL, FREE. FFI: WWW.SEENOEVILBRISTOL.CO.UK

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PHOTO CREDIT: YIANNIS KATSARIS

BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA 9-12 AUG, ASHTON COURT ESTATE, BRISTOL, FREE. FFI: WWW.BRISTOLBALLOONFIESTA.CO.UK

3

SISTER ACT

Corita Kent was an unusual woman - a Catholic nun, an activist and an artist of international repute. In the 1960s, her bright, optimistic prints pre-empted pop art and challenged the big issues of the day: civil rights, women’s rights, the Vietnam war. Spike Island have a fabulous show of her work on this month, alongside new works by Glasgow-based artist Ciara Phillips.

Inspired by this, they’re laying on a free hands-on workshop in which designer Jono Lewarne demonstrates printing processes similar to those used by Sister Corita herself. It’s a chance for everyone - grownups, children and absolute beginners included - to come along and experiment with text, form and colour.

I AM MAKING ART 11 AUG, SPIKE ISLAND, CUMBERLAND RD, BRISTOL, 12NOON-4PM, FREE - NO NEED TO BOOK. FFI: 0117 929 2266, WWW.SPIKEISLAND.ORG.UK

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WHAT’SON

Bring steely nerves and a picnic blanket to Bristol Zoo’s open-air screening of Jurassic Park...

4

TREEMENDOUS

For nearly two decades, Westonbirt’s Festival of the Tree has provided an annual celebration of all things arboreal, including wood carving, craft events and family fun.

Now known as Treefest, the log-loving long-weekender is now bigger and better than ever. Entry for children is free, and fun for the family this year includes extreme tree-climbing, a medieval village, falconry, plant-hunting expeditions, hands-on craft demonstrations and time to watch expert carvers as they take inspiration from fairytales and nature to create towering wooden sculptures. There’ll be locally sourced food and live cookery demos from celebrity chefs Rob Rees MBE and Charlotte Pike, a chance to learn traditional woodcraft and woodland skills, and live music every evening. To make it feel like a proper festival, you can also sleep under canvas at this year’s Treefest, either in your own tent or in boutique glamping luxury in a yurt or tipi.

TREEFEST 25-27 AUG, WESTONBIRT, THE NATIONAL ARBORETUM, TETBURY, GLOS, FROM 10AM EACH DAY, £10 ADULT, £8 CONCS, CHILDREN FREE. CAMPING (FRI-MON) £60 PER PITCH. FFI: 03000 680400, WWW.FORESTRY.GOV.UK/WESTONBIRT

6 5

ETERNAL FLAME

It felt as though the Olympic torch went absolutely everywhere this summer, didn’t it? Well, the Paralympic lantern is a much more exclusive affair, and Bath is one of only 34 places chosen for a grand ‘Flame Celebration’, which will fill Bath Rec with fun on Sat 25 Aug. Be there to welcome Stephen Brunt MBE (a blind marathon runner who won gold for team GB in Seoul and Barcelona, despite food poisoning and being hit by a motorbike) as he carries the Paralympic flame triumphantly into the city after a huge Brazilian-themed carnival party. The grand celebration is free and open to all, with an emphasis on young people and families and the Paralympic values at its core.

PARALYMPIC FLAME CELEBRATIONS SAT 25 AUG, BATH RUGBY’S RECREATION GROUND, SPRING GARDENS, BATH. FFI: WWW.BATHNES. GOV.UK

7

PARK LIFE

The thud of the approaching T-rex, the eerie bark of the velociraptors…

Jurassic Park is arguably the best film ever made about dinosaurs coming back to life.

So bring steely nerves and a picnic blanket and head up to Bristol Zoo this month, where you can watch the ill-fated dino-park drama on a big screen, surrounded by the lifelike animatronic monsters of Bristol Zoo’s DinoZoo show, their teeth bared, eyes glinting in the undergrowth...

JURASSIC PARK AT BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS SAT 18 AUG, BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, 8PM, £8 ADULT, £5 CHILD. FFI: 0117 974 7300, WWW.BRISTOLZOO.ORG.UK

SEE THE LIGHT

Emerging from the Colourscape Moonorooni, people described it as ‘like breathing in colour’ and ‘like being wrapped in a rainbow’. But what on earth is it? Well, it’s a weird, inflatable walk-in structure of interconnected chambers flooded with colour and light, and it’ll be appearing on the front lawn of Bath’s Holburne Museum this month. On weekdays you’ll be able to join in with a free-flowing day of workshops and performances from resident composer/ musician Michael Ormiston, and there’ll be special performances at weekends. “Colour can be seen, and it can also be felt,” say the Moonorooni’s creators. It’s all about extending your awareness of colour, experiencing its intensity and subtlety. “We use only translucent red, blue, green, yellow and opaque grey, but you’ll see mixtures of colours that you may not be able to name.”

THE COLOURSCAPE MOONOROONI 18-27 AUG, HOLBURNE MUSEUM, GREAT PULTENEY ST, BATH, £3/£5. FFI: 01225 388588, WWW.HOLBURNE.ORG

8

RED ALERT

From the grand Balloon Fiesta to the jolly Harbour Fest, Bristol does festivals very well indeed. One of its lesser-known community events is Redfest, an independent arts and music festival based in the Redfield area of Bristol that weaves together music, film, cabaret, comedy, animation, graffiti, photography, art and family fun. It’s run by a small band of volunteers and brings a really diverse spread of stuff, from a live piano-scored screening of the Buster Keaton classic Sherlock Jr (Wed 1) to a dark and dirty drum and bass session at the Old Stillage (Sat 4). In between come kids’ films, live music and the main event: the Redfest All Dayer in St George Park, promising great food and drink, kids’ activities including singing workshops and storytelling, and live music from ‘Balkan-flavoured folky ska to breezy jazz’ as well as stalls selling everything from vintage clothing to art and jewellery.

REDFEST 2-4 AUG, THE OLD STILLAGE, CAFE GROUNDED AND RED LION, REDFIELD, BRISTOL, FREE. REDFEST ALL-DAYER (SAT 4), 11AM-9PM, ST GEORGE’S PARK. FFI: WWW.REDFESTBRISTOL.CO.UK

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Beeses 7th Annual Beer, Cider and Music Festival 7 & 8 September 2012 5 Bands, 9 ciders, 18 real ales Go to www.beeses.co.uk to find out more or call 0117 977 7412 or e-mail info@beeses.co.uk for tickets

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WHAT’S ON PERFORMANCE

STEALING THE SHOW THE TEMPEST

THEATRE ROYAL After a rumbustious Georgian opening (The School for Scandal) followed by a madcap Freud-meets-Dali farce (Hysteria), Theatre Royal Bath’s summer season of in-house productions by leading guest directors ends on a remote and magical island. Adrian Noble, RSC director 1990-2003, directs Tim Pigott-Smith, Mark Hadfield (Wallander) and others in The Tempest (23 Aug-8 Sept), which he directed to rave reviews at last year’s San Diego Shakespeare Festival. The play centres on Prospero, deposed Duke of Milan, marooned on a desert island with his daughter Miranda, a puckish spirit and a malevolent, monstrous islander. When Prospero learns that his old enemies - his own brother Antonio, and Alonso, King of Naples - are sailing nearby, he uses the island’s magic to conjure up an almighty storm, causing their boat to run aground.

Shakespeare then ingeniously interweaves three plots involving two young lovers, a drunken plot to depose the island ruler, and a more serious one to depose Alonso. All the while, Prospero subtly manipulates the characters around him, drawing them ever nearer to his island lair for a final settling of scores.

FFI WWW.THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK

THREE MEN IN A BOAT

STORM ON THE LAWN

TOBACCO FACTORY

Suffolk’s Original Theatre have previously given us a tremendous Twelfth Night restaged to the last days of the British Raj. Expect great things, then, from their adaptation of Jerome K Jerome’s yarn about three hapless Victorian gents rowing up the Thames. The production (20-25 Aug) includes working pub and plenty of physical comedy.

The Theatre Royal Bath’s annual youth theatre project sees 60 young people working with a professional stage crew to produce an outdoor show in three weeks. This year’s Storm, in Prior Park College’s Ball Court (22-26 Aug), is the stage adaptation of Peter Pan, JM Barrie’s classic adventure about childhood and the power of the imagination.

FFI WWW.TOBACCOFACTORY THEATRE.COM

FFI WWW.THEATREROYAL.ORG.UK

PRIOR PARK COLLEGE

JIGSY TOBACCO FACTORY Eighties TV stalwart Les Dennis plays a washed-up Liverpudlian comic in this one-man character portrait

by Bristol playwright Tony Staveacre (29 Aug-8 Sept). Venue were very impressed when the show debuted at the Tobacco Factory last year: ‘Dennis gives a fine, engaging and well-observed performance as the eponymous Jigsy… he has the mercurial skill of an impersonator and the slightly knowing emotiveness of a barroom tragedian.’

PHOTO CREDIT: GARRY KNIGHT

Grab a seat in the front row for Steve Wright’s hot tickets from the world of THEATRE, COMEDY AND DANCE

Off-the-wall poet John Hegley will be headlining a performance poetry night on the Grain Barge

CARRY ON SMILING ➻ We’re big fans of John Hegley, the splendidly off-thewall poet and performer whose surreal musings on life, love and Luton Town reveal a unique, quirky simplicity somewhere between Spike Milligan and the Tao Te Ching.

So we’re very excited to see that he’s pitching up in Bristol this month, headlining a performance poetry night on the Grain Barge on 13 Aug, with local poets including Nathan Filer, Mon Merttens and Johnny Fluffypunk.

Should be special (www. bristololdvic.org.uk) … August is always a quiet month on the local stand-up scene, as most of the nation’s comics hotfoot it up to the Edinburgh Fringe.

However, Bath’s Komedia and Bristol’s Jongleurs both keep up the momentum locally. Pick of the line-ups is Komedia’s on 18 Aug: musical comedian Carly Smallman; the camp, articulate and fastidious Tom Allen; and Roger Monkhouse, an impressively smart commentator on modern life (www.komedia.co.uk) … The events diary at Bristol Hippodrome is looking rather empty this month, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing going on inside. Far from it. It’s the site of rehearsals for the first-ever UK tour of musical The Lion King, which opens at the Hippo on 31 Aug. We’ll have more for you next issue on the show, which plays until 17 Nov, but you’d be wise to snap up tickets now (www. bristolhippodrome.org.uk).

FFI WWW.TOBACCOFACTORY THEATRE.COM

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WHAT’S ON ART SCENE

PICTURE THIS

From brooding seascapes to American optimism, Steve Wright’s round-up of the best on the local ART SCENE

CONNECTIONS 2

Sunset on Somerdale A collection of arresting photographs of the former Cadbury’s factory by David Calvin

BRISTOL These commercially turbulent times have certainly seen one winner: the roving art gallery. Bristol City Council have been quick to spot the potential of those city-centre shop units vacated by failing businesses, and to offer them for use by local artists and performers until they find another permanent use. Last month we told you about the excellent Antlers Gallery, a peripatetic artspace that had taken up residence in an empty shop unit in Quakers Friars. This month, those same premises play host to another adventurous local outfit, the Paintworks-based Courtyard Gallery. The gallery’s next exhibition, Connections 2, is at 6 Philadelphia Street from 3-31 Aug, and features an eclectic range of styles and media including aluminium and bronze pieces, textiles and ceramics. Paintings on show include the brooding semi-abstract seascapes of Cumbrian painter Paul Bennett (pictured), as well as some typically striking abstracts by Bristol painter Alison Black.

GOODBYE SOMERDALE ➻ At its height, Somerdale - the

FFI WWW.COURTYARDGALLERY.ORG

AMERICAN MUSEUM BATH The museum continues a superb year of illuminating exhibitions with this selection, By Way of These Eyes (until 28 Oct), from the vast collection of American photography owned by textile designer Christopher Hyland. Photographers represented include Andreas Feininger (19061999), Robert Mapplethorpe (19461989) and Herb Ritts (1952-2002), with abstract expressionism a speciality: Hyland believes that the collection ‘represents the robust and dynamic spirit of American optimism in the 20th century’.

RECORD OFFICE

HILTON FINE ART

This fascinating exhibition, Clifton Rocks Railway (at Bristol Record Office on Smeaton Road until 28 Sept) uses photos, documents and other archive material to tell the story of this extraordinary funicular railway, opened in 1893 to hoist passengers up the Gorge to Clifton from Hotwell Road. Find out about the railway’s spectacular beginnings, its fascinating wartime career (the BBC were longtime occupants), and the successful recent campaign to restore and maintain this underground empire.

BATH Re-Figured is a typically fine-looking show at Hilton Fine Art, an adventurous contemporary gallery on Bath’s art-lovers’ mecca, Margaret’s Buildings. Running until 25 Aug, this extensive group exhibition examines how some of the region’s most skilled and arresting painters and sculptors (including John Wragg RA, Clive Jebbett and the extraordinarily atmospheric David Inshaw, pictured) interpret and deploy the human form, be it for scale and perspective or intrigue and drama.

BRISTOL

FFI WWW.HILTONFINEART.COM FFI WWW.AMERICANMUSEUM.ORG

former Cadbury’s chocolate factory on the river Avon at Keynsham - had a workforce of 5,000, plus playing fields for its employees and its own power station and railway. After some 80 years of production, though, the factory finally closed down last year, and is now an empty site, threatened with demolition.

Bristol photographer David Calvin has a passion for depicting scenes of architectural and industrial dereliction, and by special arrangement with Cadbury, he documented the factory during its final months, exploring the site’s distinctive buildings and surroundings in various lighting and weather conditions. “Many of these buildings may be demolished, so these images will help to preserve the legacy of Somerdale, an iconic industrial landmark that’s been a part of the lives of generations of local people,” Calvin explains. Sunset on Somerdale is on show in the cafe/ bar of Bristol’s Folk House from 3-30 Aug (www. davidcalvinphotography.com) … A promising show at Clifton Village’s Innocent Fine Art this month features new works by some gifted, atmospheric gallery regulars. We’ve long championed the work of Andrew Hood, a painter, based at Bristol’s Jamaica Street Studios, whose freeform, kinetic landscapes mix elements of impressionism and fauvism.

And we’d also steer you towards the work of Rose Sanderson, who’s made a name for herself adorning the stripped surfaces used by her painter/decorator father with butterflies and birds.

The group show runs at Innocent from 4 Aug-4 Sept (www. innocentfineart.co.uk).

FFI WWW.CLIFTONROCKSRAILWAY. ORG.UK/EXHIBITION.HTM

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WHAT’S ON MUSIC

THE BAND PLAYED ON From pop and rock via jazz and folk to classical and opera, Julian Owen chooses this month’s top concerts and gigs

THE MONTH AHEAD

BAYOU BROTHERS FRI 3 AUG Want to understand a place and its people? Listen to its music. Let’s take the crawfish-loving melting pot that was Louisiana in the late 18th century, a place packed with new or early generation settlers who knew how to party: fiddlers from Ireland, Bavarian piano accordionists, and rhythm and spirit from Creole folk. The distinct Cajun sound was born. As befitting the gumbo region, throwing into the pot whatever ingredients came to hand, Cajun music began to take inflection from African-American

traditions in the mid 20th century - chiefly R&B and blues, but also jazz and gospel. It came to be known as zydeco, the music practised by the eight-piece Bayou Brothers, heading to the Tunnels in Bristol this month. Founded by John ‘Squeezebox’ Chambers, they’re the modern embodiment of the zydeco tradition: born in California and raised on The Beatles, Chambers came late to his chosen musical form, falling in love at first listen on a trip to Louisiana and thus adding his own distinct flavour to the dancefloorfilling mix.

FFI WWW.THETUNNELSBRISTOL.CO.UK

SCRITTI POLITTI

13-19 AUG Returning for its third year, Bath Folk Festival is really beginning to get its feet under the cultural table. Education, dances and all-comers gigs lend the sense of community that should be folk’s driving force, while a host of performers are headed by the likes of British folk’s most influential fiddle player (not least for his work with Fairport Convention) Dave Swarbrick, Bellowhead duo Spiers & Boden (pictured), and local Real World signees Spiro.

FFI WWW.BATHFOLKFESTIVAL.ORG

FFI WWW. THEKLABRISTOL. CO.UK

PHOTO CREDIT: TOM SHEEHAN

BATH FOLK FEST

FRI 17 AUG From the name down - a homage to an Italian Marxist theorist - Scritti Politti were never like other bands. Green Gartside and co brought lyrical sophistication and synthesised finesse to post-punk, and will bring the same to Bristol this month.

IFORD ARTS UNTIL 11 AUG

This year’s Iford Arts Festival Season is under way, the exquisite Italianate gardens playing host to the Early Opera Co’s production of Handel’s Susanna. Then it’ll be time for a couple of Picnic Proms, with flamenco-leaning Eclipse Fusion and Afro-Cuban sounds of Zong Zing on 10 Aug, and the Lucinda Belle Orchestra and the stunning Crooked Fiddle Band the following day.

➻ Must confess, our first thoughts were that Hue & Cry had jumped on the reforming band wagon. Wholly unfair, it turns out. It might be a full quarter-century since hits like Labour of Love and Looking for Linda, but they’ve never actually been away - when the Kane brothers arrive at the Fleece on 16 Aug, it’ll be to promote 16th album, Hot Wire.

It’s been altogether harder to avoid what John Lydon’s been up to in recent times - butter adverts, celebrity jungle appearances, and so forth - but happily his forthcoming visit to Bristol is for purely musical reasons. Exciting ones, too: when his band Public Image Ltd play the Carling Academy on 13 Aug, it will in part be to promote their first studio album in 20 years, This is PiL. On a September night in Nashville, Deep Dark Woods will be hoping to beat out fellow nominees Alabama Shakes, Dawes, and Robert Ellis, and take home the Emerging Artist of the Year gong from this year’s Americana Music Awards. In the meantime, you can help take their nervous mind off things when they bring their folk-leaning, sweetly harmonising country picking to St Bonaventure’s on 30 Aug. Finally, it’s almost time for the annual CoriFEST! Clifton’s Coronation Tap will stage a whole slew of soul-/jazz-centric acts (including Moscow Drug Club, James Morton and Phil King), plus marquees and hog roast, from 10-12 Aug.

FFI WWW.IFORDARTS.CO.UK

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George Cottage Record Street Ruthin, North Wales

THE GENERAL

StOREs

Mill End, Mitcheldean

an introductory Folio reader offer of £240.00 for a three night weekend, from 5.00pm on Friday to 5.00pm Monday – sleeping two small families or two couples – www.georgecottagemitcheldean.co.uk

* What large house in The Forest of Dean, 45 minutes from Bristol, is George Cottage situated?

an introductory Folio reader offer of £300.00 for a three night weekend, from 5.00pm on Friday to 5.00pm Monday – sleeping two families or three couples – www.recordstruthin.co.uk

* From which period in history are most of the beautiful half timbered and timber framed properties in Ruthin, North Wales?

a bargain Folio reader offer of £1,600.00 for a 2 night weekend (£400.00 off ), from 5.00pm on Friday to 5.00pm Sunday – sleeping up to 25 ● a mid-week break for a family or families with pre-school children, during term time, from £250 ● a mid-week break for a family or families in school holidays or half terms, from £300 www.millendmitcheldean.co.uk

* What is the name of the markings found carved on the wooden structure of the medieval part of the property, which carpenters used 600 years ago?

* answer question to claim reader offer

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WHAT’SON ON WHAT’S

Explore the tree-fringed delights of the river from a skiff or canoe, hired from Bath Boating Station

DAYS OUT

FLOAT YOUR

BOAT Anna Britten dives into Bristol and Bath’s best boating days out

I

t’s boating season! But don’t just reserve your messing about for the river. Around Bristol and Bath you can splash about on canals, docks, gorges and even the actual sea without too much effort. Here are some of the nicest places to sail, row, canoe, punt and cruise this summer. Take care not to spill your cream tea on your crisp white trousers.

BATH & DUNDAS CANAL COMPANY An impossibly pretty waterside spot in the Limpley Stoke valley. Hire self-drive narrowboats, motor boats and Canadian canoes for a day, half-day or evening from the historic boatyard. From here, cruise off down along the delightful, verdant stretch of canal between Bath and Bradford-on-Avon, which encompasses the stunning Dundas Aqueduct. There’s a nice cafe next door, a few canalside pubs and tea gardens along the way, or you could take a picnic. Bike hire, too.

FFI 01225 722292, WWW.BATHCANAL. COM

BATH BOATING STATION Pack strawberries, champagne and a wah-wah trumpet for an afternoon of Brideshead-style punting. Oxford and Cambridge argue about whether to push from the front or

back - elsewhere, no one gives two hoots so long as you don’t encourage the seagulls with your baguette crusts. Bath Boating Station reckon that a quick 10-minute tutorial is all you need to get up and down the river in a punt (although, as Jerome K Jerome said of punting in Three Men in a Boat: ‘It takes long practice before you can do this with dignity’). Exploring the slow-running, tree-fringed river from this lovely old Victorian boating station is romantic, silly and relaxing. Skiffs (big rowing boats) and canoes available for hire, too.

Swallows and Amazons-style heaven, a few minutes’ walk from Bath city centre.

FFI 01225 312900, WWW.BATHBOATING. CO.UK

BATH NARROWBOAT TRIPS Choose from fully serviced cruises on board the John Rennie, a restaurant craft that can accommodate between 10 and 50 guests, and ‘day boats’ that you can hire to navigate your own way along the Kennet and Avon Canal.

FFI 01225 447276, WWW.BATHNARROWBOATS.CO.UK

BRISTOL ARIEL ROWING CLUB The St Annes-based Bristol Ariel Rowing Club was founded in 1870, and promises a warm welcome to

newcomers, with regular eightweek Learn to Row courses (£125) suitable for all levels of fitness. The only requirement, for safety reasons, is that you must be able to swim at least 100m in light clothing. With this under your belt, you’ll get to participate in water- and land-based sessions to improve your fitness and technique throughout the week, as well as the main weekend rowing sessions. And if you’re a budding Steve Redgrave you can eventually take part in all manner of water-based competition.

FFI WWW.ROWINGBRISTOL.COM

BRISTOL CHANNEL CRUISES Proper seafaring, this. Paddle steamer Waverley and sister ship, former Scottish loch steamer Balmoral, sail regularly to and from Bristol, Clevedon, Weston-super-Mare, Minehead, Ilfracombe and Penarth, and occasionally other Bristol Channel ports, on cruises that vary in length from a whole day (to Lundy Island, for example) to a few hours. Both ships have restaurants and bars, and plenty of room to sit down and enjoy the view. Full timetable (and tickets) available online or via the phone number. ➻

A sedate harbour cruise for the adults (including fish ‘n’ chips or cream tea) or a pirate adventure for the kids - all ages will be spellbound by a trip on the Matthew

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18 - 27 August 2012 The Holburne Museum

Sponsored by

Bathe yourself in a kaleidoscope of colour this summer. Come and experience the only music festival to take place inside a sculpture!

A labyrinth of inflatable interconnected chambers flooded with intensely coloured light forms a walk-in sculpture of colour, light and sound.

Colourscape is a magical experience for all ages that has been described as like being wrapped in a rainbow.

Enter the extraordinary world of Colourscape on the Holburne’s front lawn to discover exciting music with Gamelan, recorders, voice, Far Eastern instruments, dance and percussion.

Please see our website for further details www.holburne.org Tel 01225 388569 Tickets £5 / £3 / Family ticket £12

The Holburne Museum Great Pulteney Street Bath BA2 4DB Open daily, free admission

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WHAT’S ON

Bath Boating Station “Swallows and Amazonsstyle heaven”

FFI 0845 130 4647 (OFFICE HOURS), WWW.WAVERLEYEXCURSIONS.CO.UK

BRISTOL FERRY BOAT CO See the city from a new perspective. A splendid and inexpensive adventure for little Bristolians. The scheduled waterbus service around Bristol Docks is used by commuters as well as sightseers, so avoid rush hour. It also offers 40- and 60-minute dock tours and a variety of special trips through the summer, including up the Gorge and trips to the legendary Beeses Tea Gardens.

FFI 0117 927 3416, WWW. BRISTOLFERRY.CO.UK

BRISTOL PACKET Tours of the docks every weekend and daily during the school hols. Even more fun: docks and river cruises with cream teas on board, trips to riverside pubs in Hanham and Bath, along the Avon Gorge, and excursions to Beeses Tea Gardens.

A grand treat for family members of all ages. See website for full timetable.

FFI 0117 926 8157, WWW. BRISTOLPACKET.CO.UK

BRISTOL SAILING SCHOOL Sailing is a hobby practised by frightfully wealthy retired captains of industry and their Jack Willsclad teenage offspring between crab sandwiches at the Yacht Club and wielding the grape scissors.

Right? Well, no. Let Bristol Sailing School dispel that particular myth from its nice-but-hardly-Monaco urban location half a mile downharbour of the ss Great Britain. They run several RYAaccredited courses on their cormorant-dotted stretch of the Avon, including one-day dinghysailing taster sessions for beginners and more advanced courses for those who already have their sea legs. And if, like many landlubbers, you reckon those flappy things hanging from the wooden pole thing look too much like hard work, you can also learn how to handle a powerboat.

‘Pirate Adventure’ on Thur 16 Aug which sees the skipper entertaining kids with pirate stories and a sing song. “Please feel free to dress the part,” they say.

FFI 0117 927 6868, WWW.MATTHEW. CO.UK

PULTENEY CRUISERS Hot and sticky in Bath? Take the weight off and cool down on an open-top boat cruise. These sedate 60-minute river cruises with live commentary leave Pulteney Bridge regularly between 10am and 6pm. The scenery is nothing spectacular but there’s plenty of wildlife to see and a big, familyfriendly pub/restaurant on arrival in Bathampton. Loo, plus tea/ coffee/bar drinks available onboard.

FFI 0117 986 7111, WWW. BRISTOLSAILINGSCHOOL.CO.UK

FFI 01225 312900, WWW. BATHBOATING.COM

MATTHEW CRUISES Back after its scene-stealing role in the Jubilee pageant, this replica caravel is modelled on the one in which John Cabot and his crew of brave Bristolians discovered America in 1497. It runs a number of harbour cruises over the summer season ranging from one-hour round trips to fish and chip evenings, cream tea cruises and trips up the Gorge. Don’t miss

STEEP HOLM Legend has it, Steep Holm was a rock thrown into the sea by an angry giant.

Boat trips to this mysterious island depart from Knightstone Harbour, Weston-super-Mare during the summer, and you usually get superb views to North Devon and the Welsh mountains, and between five and six hours to investigate the island’s rare plants, unusual vegetation, Muntjac deer,

gulls, cormorants, Victorian cannon, second world war fortifications, medieval priory remains and other ruins. There are loos and a basic snack bar serving hot and cold drinks, soup, chocolate, crisps, etc, in the Victorian barracks, where there are tables and comfortable seating.

Advance booking crucial - see website. No under-fives allowed, due to life-jacket regulations.

FFI 01934 522125, WWW.STEEPHOLM. ORG

TANGAROA Beautiful wooden sailing ship - technically a Baltic fishing ketch - doing trips up the Avon Gorge and longer ones to Portishead, Cardiff and further afield.

FFI 07764 794435, WWW.TANGAROASAILING.COM

LOOK THE PART ➻ Proper yachties might not be seen dead without their Quba sails jackets, but as a sailor of the urban waterways you’ll want a slightly hipper cover-up. We like this slouchy, sea-blue nautical hoodie from pop star-cladding US label Wildfox. Accessorise with beach hair.

FFI WILDFOX PRINTED HOODED TOP, £150, HARVEY NICHOLS, BRISTOL (0117 916 8888, WWW.HARVEYNICHOLS. COM)

WYEDEAN Canoeing and kayaking in beautiful Symonds Yat on the Wye, with trips to suit your needs and experience, from gentle family picnic jaunts to more adventurous camping excursions. The organisers are very used to family groups who have never been on the river before. Gets very busy at peak season: book ahead or arrive early in the morning.

FFI 01600 890238, WWW.WYEDEAN. CO.UK

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COMPETITIONS

WIN A TWILIGHT PACKAGE FOR TWO AT THERMAE BATH SPA! The Celts, Romans and Georgians all soothed their aching muscles and caught up on quality gossip in Bath’s hot mineral waters, and Thermae Bath Spa invites you to do the same. Six years since opening, the most unique day spa in the country is more popular than ever, and is now offering one lucky Folio reader a Twilight for Two package. Valid Sun-Fri and worth £80, this gives two people each a three-hour spa session, a one-course meal with drink from the Twilight menu, and complimentary use of towel, robe and slippers. Dip a toe into some serious relaxation.

WIN A SPA PACKAGE

TO ENTER

THERMAE BATH SPA HETLING PUMP ROOM, HOT BATH ST, BATH. FFI: 0844 888 0844, WWW.THERMAEBATHSPA.COM

fabulous COMPS

Enter today to be in with a chance of winning these great prizes!

➻

THERMAE BATH SPA Just answer the following question: For how many years has Thermae Bath Spa been open?

Email your answer, with ‘Thermae Bath Spa’ in the subject line, to: editor@foliomagazine.co.uk by Fri 24 Aug. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by Mon 3 Sept.

Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).

➻

MYTV2GO Just answer the following question: You can use the MyTV2Go with an iPad - true or false? Email your answer, with ‘MyTV2Go’ in the subject line, to: editor@ foliomagazine.co.uk by Fri 24 Aug. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by Mon 3 Sept.

Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).

WIN A DIGITAL WIRELESS TV RECEIVER! Fancy watching telly on your iPad, iPod, iPhone, Mac or PC with cost-free abandon and a quality that outstrips conventional TV-streaming apps? The Hauppauge MyTV2Go is an easy-to-use, digital wireless TV receiver that lets you watch or record TV using a built-in Wi-Fi network - and without draining your 3G data allowance. We have one MyTV2Go (worth £99.99) to give away to one lucky Folio reader. The gogglebox has come of age. All you have to do is choose a channel.

FFI WWW.HAUPPAUGE.CO.UK, WWW.PLAY.COM

WIN A MYTV 2GO

THE WINNERS Howkapow comp: Congratulations to Alex Guilfoyle from Bristol who won a designer tray and two mugs. Correct answer: birch.

Berwick Lodge comp: Congratulations to Aisling Doherty from Bath who won a night’s stay for two with dinner.

Correct answer: 2009.

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NEWS REVIEWS RECIPES TOP TENS FEATURES NEWS REVIEWS RECIPES TOP TENS FEATURES

➻ EATINGOUTWEST

GOOD FOOD AWARDS, SEASONAL EATING, CUBA NIGHT, A CHIC NEW CAFE AND MORE...

BATH GOOD FOOD AWARDS

THE ONE TO WATCH ➻ Here at Folio, we’re delighted to announce that we’ll be one of

the sponsors for the Bath Good Food Awards 2012, back for their second year. We’ll be joining other sponsors of the illustrious likes of Waitrose, Great Western Wine and Jack Content.

Public votes were invited in more than 20 restaurant categories (including Best Chef, Best Wine List, Best Bath Institution, Best Restaurant in Bath), while producers were offered a much broader selection of categories, including Best Bakery and Best Contribution to Sustainability, plus a special award for The One to Watch. More than 8,000 votes were cast by the 30 June deadline, and you can see the shortlist for the 2012 awards on the website.

The panel of expert judges once again includes Fiona Beckett (food & wine columnist for The Guardian), Richard Bertinet (celebrity chef) and Angela Mount (renowned wine critic), as well as Xanthe Clay (The Telegraph) and Martin Blunos (celebrity chef). Winners will be announced at a Bath Good Food Awards Gala Dinner at the Guildhall on Sat 23 Sept, when there will also be a special Bath Good Food Awards menu at participating restaurants.

“I’m so proud of the success of the awards,” says event organiser Bernard Aherne, founder and MD of Small World New Media and the BGFA. “I’m confident that this year’s event will further promote, celebrate and support the hard work of all the local food-related businesses and producers who are set to be given the spotlight attention they so richly deserve.”

BATH GOOD FOOD AWARDS FFI: WWW.BATHGOODFOOD.CO.UK

NEW CAFE

KEEPING IT LOCAL ➻ Independent venture Spicer & Cole, a fresh new coffee and sandwich bar, has opened just off Queen Square in Bristol. Say owners Chris and Carla Swift: “Our food is taken as seriously as the coffee and tea. We wanted to create an environment in which to showcase the great produce available from specialist providers in and around Bristol, including coffee from local roasters Extract, Lahloo loose-leaf tea, soft drinks by Lovely Drinks in Barrow Gurney, meat from Ruby & White and bread from Hobbs House.”

All food is prepared freshly each day, from cakes and pastries to an extensive

lunchtime menu including seasonal salads, tarts and sandwiches. It’s all piled high on a 6m-long concrete bar, with a huge blackboard backdrop where daily specials are chalked up.

The interior is light and airy with “Scandi overtones”, and plenty of space to spread out and enjoy a leisurely lunch or breakfast meeting or to grab a quick coffee while looking out over Queen Square. Spicer & Cole is open daily, with Wi-Fi, newspapers, and weekend brunch served until 1pm.

SPICER & COLE 1 QUEEN SQUARE AVE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 922 0513, WWW.SPICERANDCOLE.CO.UK

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EATINGOUTWEST CUBAN NIGHT

TASTE OF THE WEST AWARDS

A QUESTION OF

TASTE

➻ With the rigorous judging process now complete, Taste of the West have announced their Product Award winners for 2012. Dipping into delicious creamy puddings, succulent cooked meats and tantalisingly unusual combinations of sweet and savoury products, judges tasted over 1,000 products to find the very best from West Country food and drink producers. Award winners receive the Taste of the West logo to use, which has become the benchmark for independently proven fine food and drink, making the awards a hotly contested affair.

“We judge the packaging, the aroma, the appearance and, of course, the taste,” one of the judges tell us. “I work with food every day of my life, so it’s great to actually see what people perceive to be the best of the best. It’s always interesting to benchmark, and we often have specific breeds or specific cuts, which gives the process such a great variety.”

Gloucestershire-bred Martins Meats, who picked up a Gold Award for their Longhorn Dry-

Aged Steak Burger, have been supplying locally reared top-quality dry matured beef, pork and lamb to restaurants, hotels and pubs across Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire since 2003, as well as nationally to Budgens supermarket. Founder and MD Martin Gilder says, “Quality is important within our business. We’re very aware that in order to supply the best restaurants, we have to supply the best product, and we’re continually striving to improve what we do.”

“The producers have excelled themselves yet again,” says John Sheaves, chief executive of Taste of the West. “They’ve been working hard in a period of tough economic pressures and have done a fabulous job. They’re continuing to produce excellent products, and it makes me so proud to be a part of something that’s so important to so many people.” Visit the website for full details of the Gold, Silver and Bronze Product Awards.

FFI WWW.TASTEOFTHEWEST.CO.UK

HAVANA CALLING ➻ Bristol-born-and-raised Las Iguanas will be holding a spectacular night in Bristol this month to celebrate the sensational and singular tastes of Cuba, following on from their successful Peru Foodie Night last month. Book in advance to enjoy three courses and a cocktail chosen from their tailor-made, one-night-only menu featuring regional dishes and lush indigenous flavours (£21.50pp).

Later, dive into two-for-one signature cocktails all night long, or meet in the bar for some drinks before your meal.

CUBA FOODIE NIGHT AT LAS IGUANAS TUE 21 AUG, 113 WHITELADIES RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 973 0730, WWW.IGUANAS.CO.UK

SUMMER MENUS

MEN FOR ALL SEASONS ➻ Following on from the launch of their ‘seasons. casamia’ concept, culinary geniuses Jonray and Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’s summer menu is well worth checking out. “It’s all about embracing the amazing changes in our seasons and celebrating what they bring,” say the duo from Michelin-starred Casamia in Westbury on Trym. “We’re keen to make the most of local produce and integrate into our cooking truly seasonal ingredients when they’re in their prime. It’s such a key element of working with food - seasonal produce is exciting and tastes so much better when it’s local and fresh.

That’s the message at the heart of seasons.casamia.”

Dishes on the five-course and eight-course menus include fresh tomato & mozzarella salad, BBQ pork, dark chocolate with lavender, and strawberries with wild pea. Jonray and Peter continue to stimulate diner’s senses by using unusual flavour combinations that push the boundaries of gastronomic dining.

CASAMIA HIGH ST, WESTBURY VILLAGE, WESTBURY ON TRYM, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 959 2884, WWW.CASAMIARESTAURANT.CO.UK

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PIC CREDIT: MARK SIMMONS

EATINGOUTWEST FEATURE

THE OLD

PHOTO CREDIT: MARK SIMMONS

COUNTRY Find real ales and satisfying home cooked classics at the historic Catherine Wheel

After a long weekend in the West’s most charming country inns, Melissa Blease doesn’t want to come home

Enduringly popular gastro hotspot, The Wheatsheaf

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EATINGOUTWEST Marco Pierre White‘s Pear Tree Inn - “a highly affordable treat”

N

o British summer is complete without turning off the telly, turning on the satnav and making a B-line for any one of the enduringly gorgeous country pubs that the West Country cuddles at the top of its weekend to-do list. Doesn’t even matter if it’s raining – as well as memory-making gardens to linger in and picture-postcard views to drool on about, the best of the bucolic breed come with imaginative food, brilliantly kept bars and interiors guaranteed to keep the blues at bay for at least a lost afternoon.

CATHERINE WHEEL High St, Marshfield, Wilts, SN14. Ffi: 01225 892220, www.thecatherinewheel.co.uk SET THE SATNAV approx 13 miles from Bristol, 7 from Bath At the heart of a super-pretty Cotswold village high street, this gloriously sturdy inn has been established for so long that what’s referred to as the ‘new’ bar at the back was built around 1634. Today, most of the action goes on towards the front of the pub, most notably the cosy bar and well-proportioned, spacious dining room that, like the high street itself, is all largely 18th century in origin and refreshingly fuss-free. Find well-kept real ales at the bar, while food is homemade and thoroughly satisfying. Sunday lunch (2 £14.50, 3 £18.50) is a joy to behold and offers plenty of imaginative options

alongside the traditional roast, while Curry Night dominates the menu on first Thur of every month.

PEAR TREE INN Top Lane, Whitley, Melksham, Wilts, SN12.

Ffi: 01225 709131, www.wheelerspeartree.com SET THE SATNAV approx 22 miles from Bristol, 10 from Bath A highly acclaimed, award-winning cog in the Wheeler’s group of eating and drinking houses, the Pear Tree is proud to be ‘a Marco Pierre White establishment’. The name may be guaranteed to bring foodie flamboyance to the cosy but very stylish surroundings, but it’s a highly affordable treat. Sunday lunches (2 £18.50, 3 £22.50) graciously give way to a very civilised Sunday supper at 6pm (2 £15.50, 3 £18.50), and even an exceedingly posh midweek Steak Dinner comes in at £29.50 for two, with early diners offered the opportunity to tuck in for just £15.50 for two courses, Mon-Sat 6-7pm. And if you can’t bear to fall too far from the tree after you’ve dined in fine country style, eight ensuite rooms (including two family rooms) guarantee a sumptuously stylish overnight retreat.

CASTLE INN Mount Pleasant, Bradford on Avon, Wilts, BA15. Ffi: 01225 865657, www.flatcappers.co.uk/thecastle SET THE SATNAV approx 20 miles from Bristol, 9 from Bath A fabulous Flatcappers freehold pub (see also Battleaxes, Wraxall), fully

outfitted to offer broad appeal (flagstones, beams, chunky furniture, etc), featuring a lovely beer garden offering fairytale views over Bradford on Avon and beyond (all the way to Salisbury Plain and the Wiltshire White Horse, in fact) and with four sumptuous letting rooms upstairs. Menus promote an easygoing, informal approach to dining, offering ‘have what you want, when you want it’. Options range from top-notch bar snacks to full-on contemporary British pub grub ‘Classics’ by way of a grazing selection and comprehensive breakfast/brunch menu from 9am-12noon every day (10am Sun), including an inventive vegetarian twist on the traditional Full English.

LONGS ARMS Upper South Wraxall, Bradford on Avon, Wilts, BA15. Ffi: 01225 864450, www.thelongsarms.com SET THE SATNAV approx 19 miles from Bristol, 7 from Bath Whether you choose to take to a table within this effortlessly inviting traditional inn or chill out in the walled garden (all fruit trees, fresh herbs and picture-perfect views of the medieval church nearby), you won’t fail to be delighted by the utterly imaginative, seasonal menus overseen by Longs Arms landlord and head chef Robert Allcock, a man for whom responsible sourcing, harmonious flavour partnerships and uplifting flavours are at the fore of every dish he creates. The bar selection follows a similar diktat, offering cask and seasonal ales ➻ FOLIO/AUG 2012 35

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The Catherine Wheel Pub with a buzz - and great food

Marshfield, the gateway to the Cotswolds and just a few miles north of Bath, is at the centre of many spectacular countryside walks and cycle rides.

The Catherine Wheel,nestled in the picturesque high street, is renowned for its traditional homecooked food and real ales, including Butcombe Bitter and Cotswold Spring’s Stunner.

A friendly pub, gorgeous inside and out with exposed stone walls, open fires for the cold winter months and a sheltered sunny courtyard bedecked with hanging baskets and flowers for the more balmy months.

Open 12 noon to 11pm everyday

The Catherine Wheel 39 High St, Marshfield, nr Bath, Wilts SN14 8LR Tel: 01225 892220 Email: roo@thecatherinewheel.co.uk

Food available Monday to Friday 12 - 2pm and 6.30pm - 9pm Saturday 12 - 3pm and 6.30pm - 9.30pm Sunday 12 - 3pm and 6pm - 8.30pm Booking recommended (See website for details)

www.thecatherinewheel.co.uk

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EATINGOUTWEST

Left and far right: Whether you choose the cosy interior complete with roaring log fire or the gorgeous garden, The Inn at Freshford is a winner every time Middle: “Cluedo country house meets traditional country pub” at The Battleaxes

and some fascinating wines, including English sparkling varieties, perfect for a spot of summertime sipping.

OAKHILL INN Fosse Rd, Oakhill, nr Radstock, Somerset, BA3. Ffi: 01749 840442, www.theoakhillinn.com SET THE SATNAV approx 19 miles from Bristol, 15 from Bath This welcoming pub-with-rooms comes with a highly acclaimed pedigree, being a third venture for Charlie and Amanda Digney, head honchos of both the gorgeous Garrick’s Head and the foodiefabulous King William pubs in Bath. Head chef Neil Creese proudly flaunts an AA rosette for his efforts here - and such acclaim is exceedingly well deserved (see our very own glowing review in last month’s issue). Enjoy Neil’s meals in either the gorgeous private courtyard garden or within surroundings that bring together reclaimed/vintage furniture and fittings and chunky, funky flourishes (low ceilings, ancient fireplaces) to full, evocative effect in either the spacious dining room or thoroughly inviting bar.

BATHAMPTON MILL Mill Lane, Bathampton, Bath, BA2.

Ffi: 01225 469758, www.thebathamptonmill.co.uk SET THE SATNAV approx 15 miles from Bristol, 3 from Bath One of the West Country’s loveliest edgeof-the-city watering holes, reached either via the cutesy, historic toll bridge that marks the divide between urban traffic chaos and pastoral paradise or by meandering through the nearby village.

Apart from the riverside garden and decked patio area, several tastefully decorated comfort zones dominate the indoor area, with low beams and smoochy lighting setting the tone in the cosy, atmospheric dining rooms.

Meanwhile, modern art and neat, chic stylings are dotted throughout, proving that ancient and modern can form a very happy partnership - a vibe that extends to

the crowd-pleasing, modern British/ contemporary Mediterranean menus.

warm welcome to all-comers, and menus are suitably relaxed - for the general vibe, see our description of food at the Flatcappers’ other country pub venture, The Castle, and visit the website for the full lowdown on Sunday Lunch, Yummy Monday and Grazing Tuesday.

THE WHEATSHEAF Combe Hay, nr Bath, BA2. Ffi: 01225 833504, www.wheatsheafcombehay.co.uk SET THE SATNAV approx 14 miles from Bristol, 4 from Bath Set in the super-pretty village of Combe Hay and featuring a split-level garden (including very stylish patio area) that’s indisputably the prettiest for miles around, the Wheatsheaf is an enduringly popular gastro hotspot courtesy of superchef Eddy Rains (who recently represented the tastes of the South West on ITV’s Britain’s Best Dish series) and his uber-super ways with locally sourced, seasonal, sustainable produce. Even if the sun isn’t playing nice, the squidgy sofas, open fires, funky art and artfully laid-up tables provide the perfect backdrop to a drop of Rains. Tasting menus start at £60pp, while the Market Menu/Early Bird Dinner (6.30-7.30pm, Tue-Fri) comes in at a remarkable £18 for three courses, and a sumptuous Sunday lunch goes large at two courses for £19.50, £24.50 for three.

INN AT FRESHFORD The Hill, Freshford, Bath, BA2. Ffi: 01225 722250, www.theinnatfreshford.co.uk SET THE SATNAV approx 16 miles from Bristol, 6 from Bath Established in the 16th century, this super-satisfying pastoral paradise goes large on downhome ambience and proper, down-to-earth but uppercrust grub. If the forecast rules out fun in the glorious garden, a table by a roaring log fire easily compensates, while solid classics such as fish & chips and pie & mash or upmarket contemporary seasonal specials on the chalkboard guarantee prandial satiation of the very best kind. Meanwhile, landlord Mark Birchall has recently instigated a petition campaign to support the protection of ‘endangered pubs’ in the Bath area - to guarantee that pubs like this don’t become history, visit www.ipetitions. com/petition/bath and sign up now.

THE BATTLEAXES Bristol Rd, Wraxall, Somerset, BS48.

Ffi: 01275 857473, www.flatcappers.co.uk/battleaxes SET THE SATNAV approx 8 miles from Bristol, 20 from Bath This stunning Flatcappers freehouse (see our Pub of the Month) has just undergone a vibrant spruce-up and now offers two function rooms: the Club Room (subtle gothic decor and stunning grandeur) and the Snug, a private bar furnished with deep leather club chairs, colour-washed walls and warm pockets of lighting, resulting in a chic but cosy environment that can accommodate 60 people. But hey, you don’t have to partyon to appreciate the charms of this characterful grade II-listed inn. It offers a

OLD CROWN Kelston, nr Bath, BA1. Ffi: 01225 423032, www.oldcrown.butcombe.com SET THE SATNAV approx 9 miles from Bristol, 4 from Bath Previously a 17th century coaching inn, this perfect pub (which still offers overnight accommodation) features stone floors, oak benches, an open fire, a well-stocked bar… and homecooking from a kitchen that specialises in exceedingly competent, really good grub.

Weeknight Meal Deals include Steak Night (two steak dinners plus a bottle of house wine for £25, Tue-Fri 6-8pm), there’s free tapas on the bar every Mon from 6pm, and Sunday lunches are spectacular - all this, and a stunning orchard garden, too.

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“s

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★★ ticat ★★ ed ★ fu

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AN INTERACTIVE EVENING OF COCKTAIL MAKING WITH BRISTOL’S FINEST BARS

ENJOY MAKING LUXURIOUS COCKTAILS WITH: HARVEY NICHOLS / THE RUMMER HOTEL / HYDE & CO / GOLDBRICK HOUSE / AMOEBA / THE MILK THISTLE / HOTEL DU VIN / HAUS BAR / THE COLOUR INN / BORDEAUX QUAY / HARVEYS CELLARS & MORE...

SEPT 6TH ST GEORGES BRISTOL (OFF PARK ST) 17.30 – 21.30 £20 LIMITED TICKET AVAILABILITY WWW.COCKTAILSINTHECITY.CO.UK

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EATINGOUTWEST

Deli

WHEN IN

ROME

of the month

Melissa Blease can almost smell the Mediterranean sunshine at Jamie Oliver’s latest Milsom Place venture, Deli @ Jamie’s Italian

G

ennaro Contaldo was born in the tiny village of Minori on Italy’s beautiful Amalfi Coast in 1949. He began working in local restaurants at the age of eight and relocated to London in 1969 - and the rest, as the Italians say, is è

storia. Several award-winning restaurants, six cookery books, multiple TV appearances and a very popular BBC TV series later (Two Greedy Italians, in collaboration with gourmet Italian cohort Antonio Carluccio, of which more later), and Gennaro is standing on a Heritage City thoroughfare (Milsom Place, to be precise), triumphantly declaring how proud his Roman ancestors would be about his involvement in Jamie Oliver’s latest venture, the brand new Deli @ Jamie’s Italian.

“Jamie is not my protégé!” Gennaro declares in response to one of our first questions. “He’s my friend, my pal - we inspire each other. If he refers to me as his mentor, then I’m very proud.

But I’m proud of what he’s done, and everything we’ve ever done together - and I’m proud of what we’re doing here.”

What Gennaro is ‘doing here’, in this instance, is enthusiastically introducing the citizens of Bath to an upmarket but thoroughly accessible, fully authentic Italian delicatessen/grocery experience: a sensuous haven of foodie flamboyance open from 8am for fresh coffee and pastries, and conveniently staying open

until after the shopping-for-supper rush. So, OK then, Gennaro... I’m dashing home from work to an empty fridge - why would I choose to shop at the deli rather than run around the corner to the supermarket?

“Close your eyes and breathe in,” Gennaro croons. “You can smell the essence of your dinner already! Now open your eyes wide: look at those cheeses, that meat, those salads, the fresh pasta.

Taste the prosciutto: feel the silkiness, the texture, let it melt on your tongue. Pour a drizzle of olive oil into the palm of your hand and slurp it up don’t worry about your lipstick, or the oil on your chin! This is real food: how it feels, looks, tastes, inspires. Wherever in the deli you choose to stop, your dinner is waiting for you.” And if you’re really stuck for inspiration, there’s a selection of fresh ready meals prepared by staff who really, really know their stuff, while olives glisten in huge wooden bowls, locally sourced English cheeses mingle happily with parmesan and pecorino, and a stack of freshly baked bread, homemade cakes and glorious sausage rolls further vie for attention.

Gorgeous as it is, could the new deli also be a ploy to counteract the punter-grabbing effects of (Antonio) Carluccio’s Deli, a similar venture opening this autumn in the very same upmarket shopping enclave? Gennaro has little time for such tittle-tattle. He once, however, shared a revelation on the topic with a national newspaper when promoting the TV shows he co-presented with his lifelong friend. “Friendship comes in layers,” he said. “You just get more of them as the years pass.” So, the two contemporary Roman emperors of the Italian food scene look set to live together in perfect peace in their Milsom Place enclave - and that can only be a good thing for tasteful Bathonians.

CONTACT

DELI @ JAMIE’S ITALIAN MILSOM PLACE (OPPOSITE JAMIE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT), BATH. FFI: WWW.JAMIEOLIVER.COM

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EATINGOUTWEST

KNOW YOUR

ENEMY

Tony Benjamin talks to a woman with coeliac disease and tracks down the West’s glutenfree hotspots

O

n a recent trip to WestonsuperMare, Alys Paterson was delighted to discover that she could enjoy fish & chips by the seaside. “It was brilliant!” she recalls, with genuine enthusiasm.

The 32-year-old illustrator from Bristol hasn’t led a weirdly sheltered life, but as someone with coeliac disease, she’s found that most chippies don’t accommodate her gluten-free (G-F) diet.

Weston’s The Grove restaurant, however, is famously G-F aware, and their sizzling battered cod and crispy chips are a menu regular. “It’s not just about wheat flour in batter,” Alys explains.

“People might know about wheat, but the malt in vinegar, ketchup or mayonnaise is just as dangerous for me. Finding somewhere I could just relax and enjoy the food was amazing - they’re like hen’s teeth!”

Alys is still finding her way into gluten-free eating, having been recently diagnosed after years of debilitating mystery ailments.

“My doctor thought I was a hypochondriac,” she says. “But once I was diagnosed and changed my diet, the difference was amazing. I feel great now, but I have to be very strict - even a single grain of couscous could set me back for weeks. Holidays are the worst. Going away to Iceland, I needed a suitcase just for food, as I couldn’t read labels or explain myself once I got there.”

Once diagnosed, those with the disease can access the

cooking. “My aim is to help people to not only cope with their new diet but to embrace it. I have a very simple rule: ‘Would I eat this or serve it to my family and friends?’

If not, it doesn’t get used.” With this approach, Kerry’s courses help to put family staples like cake, bread and biscuits back on the glutenfree table, providing guidance about specialist products and local stockists as well as recipes.

If managing her own kitchen has been a challenge, eating out is still proving a minefield for Alys Paterson. “You just can’t be spontaneous about it, sadly.

Basically, you put your trust 100% in someone, and it’s a gamble. I’ve had ‘gluten-free’ salad that was covered in malty vinaigrette, and other so-called G-F food that’s really made me ill. Discovering Brasserie Blanc was like my Holy Grail - Raymond Blanc is a spokesperson on G-F, and everything on the menu, bar one, was OK.”

CONTACTS Kerry Evans of In the Pink cookery school which runs dedicated courses on gluten-free cooking

Coeliac UK website, a mass of information including recipes, a national guide to restaurants and cafes and a directory of products.

While the emphasis has to be on health and self-protection, Alys was also determined to learn to cook delicious food for herself and friends. “It’s really got me

into cooking. When you’re craving something you can’t have, like pizza, you have to make your own.

I’m up for anything that makes eating more interesting.”

That’s a philosophy shared by Kerry Evans, nutritional therapist and chef, whose Bath-based In the Pink cookery school runs dedicated courses on gluten-free

“Since being diagnosed coeliac, it’s really got me into cooking. When you’re craving something you can’t have, like pizza, you have to make your own!”

Alys Paterson

COELIAC UK WWW.COELIAC.ORG.UK IN THE PINK COOKERY SCHOOL FFI: 01225 743386, WWW. INTHEPINKCOOKERY.CO.UK BRASSERIE BLANC FRANCIS HOTEL, QUEEN SQUARE, BATH (01225 303860) & THE FRIARY BUILDING, CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL (0117 910 2410). FFI: WWW.BRASSERIEBLANC. COM CLIFTON SAUSAGE PORTLAND ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 973 1192, WWW.CLIFTONSAUSAGE. CO.UK LA TASCA BROAD ST, BATH (01225 466477) & CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL 0845 129 7623). FFI: WWW. LATASCAKITCHEN.CO.UK PIZZA PROVENCALE REGENT ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 974 1175, WWW.PIZZAPROVENCALE. CO.UK

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Relax in an atmosphere of Provencale France. Enjoy our delicious pizzas... two can share our regular size and four persons a large one.

We serve Gluten Free Pizzas OPEN 7 DAYS - Fully Licensed 10% Discount with NUS cards 29 Regent Street, Clifton Book on 0117 974 1175 www.pizzaprovencale.co.uk

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EATINGOUTWEST

(Review)

ALLIUM BRASSERIE

Melissa Blease pops into the Abbey Hotel to sample some stellar cuisine from one of the triumvirate of chefs leading Bath’s foodie revolution

R

ight now, there are three chefs at the forefront of the Bath hip food revolution: step forward Sam Moody, Gordon Jones and Chris Staines. But while Sam has the Bath Priory as his playground and Gordon his very own tiny gourmet enclave on Bear Flat (Menu Gordon Jones), Chris - even though his CV includes a seven-year stint as Michelin-starred head chef at London’s Mandarin Oriental - has had to fight extra hard for his place in pole position from a base that didn’t initially inspire confidence from locals.

It’s not that the Abbey Hotel the formerly bland Best Western franchise on North Parade - ever had a bad reputation; rather, it had no reputation at all. Until Chris and his forward-thinking business partner Ian Taylor came to Bath and gave the whole shebang a treschic, thoroughly modern makeover (which includes a gorgeous pavement terrace that acts as a beacon of good taste, despite B&NES council’s recent ridiculous decision to turn Bog Island into a tourist bus station), few Bathonians had paid much attention to it at all. But the whole area around the Abbey Hotel has really opened up of late, with well-heeled cocktail bar Circo flourishing on South Parade and two of Bath’s slickest contemporary Mediterranean restaurants (La Perla and Sotto Sotto) adding yet more glamour to a previously overlooked thoroughfare. And a sparkling jewel was placed in the recently polished Parade crown when the Abbey Hotel opened its doors to its own contempo-elegant fine-dining experience, the Allium Brasserie, ditching fusty, dusty furnishings and grim Regency portraits in favour of plush velvet armchairs, pristine decor and fascinating modern art, and allowing Chris to push his foodie flamboyance to the fore in the kitchen.

“His cuttlefish salad served with borlotti beans and a tantalising lemon curd was, apparently, ‘the best thing I’ve ever eaten’. The Boy is in lurve.”

A first course of salt-baked beetroot, goat’s curd, hazelnuts and grilled radicchio (£7) has already gained status as a Staines signature dish - at once earthy, creamy and utterly, breathtakingly pretty, it’s a combination that I could happily eat for the whole three courses of an entire meal. As for his cuttlefish salad served with borlotti beans and a tantalising lemon curd (£7.25), it was, apparently, “the best thing I’ve ever eaten” - The Boy is in lurve. For mains, for me, soft, fresh, grilled plaice served on linguini muddled throughout with Cornish crevettes, a crab bisque moistening the whole affair (£16.50) - if Poseidon were to create a dish to woo Amphitrite, this would be it.

For Him, slow-cooked belly of pork (£18) shimmering beneath a sticky, garlic-infused glaze, a perky little cured shrimp omelette adding a deeply umami flourish, while silky aubergine offered grounding

gravitas.

To finish? ‘Lemon Tart’ (£6.95). Hmm, quotation marks? Yup, there’s a deconstruction on the way - in this instance, a distinctly un-tartlike medley of sharp lemon curd, soft sweet raspberries and delicate pistachio meringue. Unusually enough for me, the contemporary twist on a classic fave wasn’t served with a side-order of frustration - Chris has successfully taught an old dog some very interesting new tricks. Meanwhile, an exotic concoction of lychee pannacotta served with pineapple, mango and lemongrass syrup (£6.75) provided a vibrant and thoroughly sexy finish to a glamorous feast.

Where Allium food descriptions are artfully understated, wine list tasting notes are a skittish joy to behold. Who could resist a £19.50 syrah that’s said to have ‘more than a touch of faded aristocracy about

it’? We didn’t - and neither should you.

Chris claims that the Allium is still a work in progress. Although I’d argue that there’s little that could be bettered, I’m allowing him space to develop by sprinkling nine stars over my conclusion rather than the full 10-strong gamut. When Chris confidently states that he’s ‘all there’, I’m confident that I’ll be turning the stellar volume all the way up to 11.

CONTACT

ALLIUM BRASSERIE AT THE ABBEY HOTEL NORTH PARADE, BATH. FFI: 01225 461603, WWW. ABBEYHOTELBATH.CO.UK THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH

Fabulous food, exceptional service, lovely surroundings - highly recommended

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Beeses 7th Annual Beer, Cider and Music Festival 7 & 8 September 2012 5 Bands, 9 ciders, 18 real ales Go to www.beeses.co.uk to find out more or call 0117 977 7412 or e-mail info@beeses.co.uk for tickets

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EATINGOUTWEST

(Review)

MAAZA NAMASKAR LOUNGE Eleanor Pipe, intrigued by the idea of a real Indian barbecue restaurant, heads to Welshback to investigate a new breed of curry house

M

ost of the favoured haunts around Welsh Back and King Street predate my Bristol days and I’m sure could tell a fine tale or two. The building now playing host to Namaskar Lounge, in contrast, I’ve seen morph from one nondescript watering hole to another – until now. After a thorough makeover, Maaza Namaskar Lounge emerged late last year, bringing fresh promise to the previously doomed venue.

This relative newcomer to the thriving Welshback area is billed as a real Indian barbecue restaurant…

Hungry, wet and hopelessly underdressed for the torrential downpour, I was all set to give up on my mission and suggest a takeaway when the bright lights of Namaskar Lounge, standing proud on the corner, enticed me in. I was welcomed at the grand entrance by the operations director - in itself, a testament to this new era of Indian restaurants. Led up the sweeping staircase, I had chance to take in the sleek, opulent decor and glittering chandeliers of the classy downstairs bar area.

Up in the restaurant and comfortably settled in our window seat, cocktail menu in hand, I was coaxed into trying just one pre-dinner drink by the infinitely knowledgeable head waiter. The classic cocktails with a refreshingly Indian twist, whether authentic or not, were absolutely delectable, faintly spiced and wonderfully indulgent. Further gratification came in the form of perfectly crisp poppadoms, with the usual range of dips. The pickle was particularly noteworthy, with a wholesome, chunky texture and a tantalising spice to it.

We took our time to peruse the extensive menu, and in the end looked to our waiter for help, who delighted in going through the dishes, in particular the exciting Namaskar specials. We eventually

“The marinade for the mixed barbecue meats was to die for and the final remnants were mopped up with hot, fragrant peshwari naan bread - as good as any I’ve ever tasted.” decided on BBQ pomfret (£6.90), a lightly spiced, marinated fish cooked on the barbecue. Extracting the flesh from the skeleton presented a minor challenge, but was well worth the effort - with a crisp cabbage accompaniment, it made for a refreshing starter. On recommendation, we also shared the Namaskar mixed BBQ (£9.70) mixed barbecue meats cooked in the chef’s special sauce. The marinade was to die for and the final remnants were well and truly mopped up with hot, fragrant peshwari naan bread (as good as any I’ve ever tasted).

We made a rooky error: so enthusiastic were we in devouring the first course that we were left struggling with the main. We’d opted for the waiter’s suggestion of chicken adrakh (£12.90) - a delicious, rustic curry dish, with whole spices and ginger creating a subtle fusion of flavour around the large chunks of chicken. All of the recommended

options were spot on, though one of my own choices, the kheema karahi (£9.95), a dish of minced lamb, could perhaps have done with a slightly higher ratio of vegetables to meat. We sampled some genuine Indian wine, another treat suggested by our waiter - and another resounding success. The smooth red Grover Vineyards wine with a faint Indian spice aftertaste perfectly complemented our meal.

Full as we were, it seemed a shame to end there, so we gave in to temptation and opted for desserts. These sweet offerings were beautifully presented and went down a treat, although the selection could have benefited from some more

authentic Indian desserts in keeping with the rest of the menu. After a good three hours of relaxed dining, we left fully satisfied after a fine evening. I’m a die-hard fan of the more old-school curry houses, but Namaskar Lounge could seriously sway my loyalties. This place definitely has what it takes to become a long-term Welshback resident.

CONTACT

MAAZA NAMASKAR LOUNGE WELSH BACK, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 929 8276, WWW.NAMASKARLOUNGE. COM THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH

Thoroughly modern Indian dining experience, perfect for those who like their curry with a touch of class

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(Deli of the month) EATINGOUTWEST

BEHIND THE BAR BEN PAXTON PUB

ANYONE FOR

of the month

CLUEDO?

Tony Benjamin sinks into chill-out Flatcappers mode at the quirkily decorated Battleaxes just outside Bristol

I

t’s only about 10 minutes’ drive from Bristol, but the splendidly restored Battleaxes in Wraxall takes you a long, long way from the 21st-century grind.

Lower yourself into one of the welcoming armchairs in their warm wood-panelled bar, with a pint of real ale in front of you, and you’ll agree that resistance is useless.

And that’s exactly what the Flatcappers want the country cousins of the Lounge’s urban shabbychic pioneers have found their own way to say ‘chill out’, and they’re confident you will be powerless to resist. Having been massively refurbished in 2010, the Battleaxes boasts additional dining rooms and the imposing Club Room for functions, while the newly restored basement Shindig bar takes things to another level, and further work on the upstairs will soon add six top-quality bedrooms to the facilities.

If the building has all the grandeur of a Victorian mansion (they say ‘Cluedo country house meets traditional country pub’), the mix of quirky pictures on the walls, vintage fixtures and fittings and cosily ‘pre-lounged’ armchairs and sofas in various nooks and crannies exudes comfort. Factor in classic pub food, specially brewed local ales, a lengthy wine list and unfailingly friendly staff, and

it’s clear that you’re going to be staying a while.

There’s free Wi-Fi, too - but why would you want to check your emails when you could be grazing from that menu or enjoying the company of your friends?

Food is served 10am-10pm, with special offers including Yummy Monday and Grazing Tuesday.

Pewsey-brewed Battleaxe Ale flows until closing time, and the view over rolling Somerset lasts until sunset. What’s not to like?

THE BATTLEAXES BRISTOL RD, WRAXALL, BS48. FFI: 01275 857473, WWW.FLATCAPPERS.CO.UK/BATTLEAXES

➻ We caught managing director Ben Paxton

relaxing in the Battleaxe’s capacious Club Room and quizzed him on the secrets of Flatcapping…

We haven’t seen any battleaxes - do they work behind the bar?

No! Well, maybe… we get a wide selection of male and female battleaxes frequenting both sides of the bar, but they’re always very mellow.

Apparently the name comes from Lord Wraxall’s warfare equipment, but they’re all long gone now.

But do you have to have a cap to fit in?

Our doors open from 10am and everyone is welcome, with or without a cap. Bring some friends, a big appetite for classic country cooking and appreciative taste-buds, and you’ll be a Flatcapper immediately. Anyone with an eye for quality who likes to kick back and settle into the furniture fits in here.

It’s a grand-looking place, but is it all about Posh Nosh here?

That depends what you mean by ‘Posh’! We do a mean 28-day-aged rump steak with chips for £15.95, but it’s the handcarved Wiltshire ham, egg & chips (£10.50) and the beer-battered cod & chips (£10.95) that are really popular.

So when’s the best time to visit the Battleaxes?

There’s not really a best time - come on a summer’s day and you can go off walking for a bit, or in the winter get close to an open fire and forget the rain. Classic country pub stuff. I really like the evenings when we dim the lights and you can find a cosy corner to settle in with your friends.

Being a country pub, what’s in it for drivers?

Bless those drivers! Well, we have a huge parking space - big enough for a combine harvester or two - and a big range of soft drinks and good coffee. And soon we’ll have half-a-dozen luxury bedrooms if they want to change their minds…

Sounds tempting. Can we be Flatcappers, please?

Join our mailing list (via the website) and you’re in - it’s as easy as that.

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EATINGOUTWEST

(Review)

HARE & HOUNDS Gastropub perfection at this 18th century Bath inn

M

r Meaty has been warned that steak is no longer an option when he accompanies me to a food review - after all, there’s a limit to the number of ways to describe a rib-eye. Having said that, a steak from a kitchen headed up by former Homewood Park head chef Daniel Moon in a gastropub flourishing under the ownership of the same team behind both the Marlborough Tavern and Chequers would no doubt evoke a ream of qualities to report back on. But still, my bossy ways did Mr Meaty a big favour - more on that to come after we’ve set the scenario satnav for the Hare and Hounds.

This handsome, spacious, 18th century inn offers swoonsome views across the hills, vales and hamlets to

TABLE TALK ALL TOGETHER NOW?

“Roast rump of lamb came with lamb faggot and Stornoway black pudding - an imaginative (brave?) partnership that paid flavour dividends in full” the north and east of Bath, complete with rolling lawns, split-level patios and huge picture windows from which to digest such scenery. But crikey, the food used to be dreadful! Today, a new broom has swept the old reputation out with the fusty furniture and sticky carpets of yore, Farrow and Ball-ing it to the max and creating a splendidly stylish, semi-pastoral chill-out zone offering broad appeal to all tastes and budgets.

We began our trip around the Moon with a smooth salmon mousse (£7.25) wrapped in slivers of distinctly upmarket smoked salmon and a featherlight chicken parfait (£6.95) teamed with fruity

chutney and fab bread - one course down, and we were flying indeed. But how would His steak ‘substitute’ fare? No worries, mate: roast rump of lamb (£18.50) came with a complex, richly textured lamb faggot and slabs of Stornoway black pudding - the hippest (and arguably the best) black pudding on the foodie block - resulting in an imaginative (some would say brave?) partnership that paid flavour dividends in full. For me?

Smoked haddock and rich, creamy, green pea risotto (£14.50) seething with wild garlic and topped with shards of parmesan crisps - a supremely satisfying, soothing joy to behold.

Before we rolled (bounced?) back down the hill, we opted for a white chocolate crème brûlée that gave the whitechocolate-can-be-sickly adage a good kicking (all credit to the rhubarb sorbet that came with it - another partnership that wouldn’t immediately spring to mind but works exceptionally well), and a trio of vanilla, chocolate and honeycomb icecream boules, the honeycomb in particular being outstanding in the field. Mission accomplished: the Bath gastropub ante now scales shimmering, lunar heights. (Melissa Blease)

CONTACT

HARE & HOUNDS LANSDOWN RD, BATH. FFI: 01225 482682, WWW.HAREANDHOUNDSBATH. COM

THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH

Unfussy fine dining in utterly gorgeous surroundings

➻ It seems the Big Society has been quietly under way for some time. In the US, where welfare systems are famously meagre, the distribution of donated food in parcels by a (usually) church-organised foodbank has long been a vital support for poor families in crisis. But would you be surprised to learn that a fourth foodbank has just opened in Bristol and Bath? The North Bristol Foodbank is a volunteer-organised service operating out of churches in Upper Horfield, Bristol - and, if the experience of the Lawrence Weston-based North West Bristol Foodbank is any guide, it could soon be supporting over 200 people a month. According to church leader Stewart North, acting manager of the new project, it can be anybody who needs the food: “We see people from better-off families where bereavement has taken all their resources, or wives left with children by husbands who take all the money.

It’s a shame that we’re in a situation in this country where this is needed.”

Indeed. The first UK foodbank was set up in 2000 in Salisbury, and the national network has seen particularly rapid growth since 2009, with a new bank opening somewhere every week and over 120,000 mouths now relying on them for one of life’s most basic needs. As new benefit cuts and restrictions are implemented, there’s no doubt that the demand will grow even more. We’re all in this together, naturally, though I’m not sure that Bob Diamond’s next dinner will ever depend on the kindness of strangers.

More information, including how to get involved, at www.northbristol. foodbank.org.uk (Tony Benjamin, Food & Drink editor)

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EATINGOUTWEST

(Review)

BISTRO BIERE

Proper French bistro cooking meets killer Belgian beer

I

t’s come to something,” my companion remarks, “when something you actually remember warrants a blue plaque.”

He’s referring to the one next to Bistro Bière’s front door, commemorating Keith Floyd’s first restaurant on the same site over 40 years ago.

We are, indeed, old codgers who’ve watched the Bristol dining scene graduate from Floyd’s exuberant Franglais pioneering to a glittering worldwide marketplace. Evolving from the Clifton Kitchen, this latest occupant is a step closer to Floyd’s reverence of Parisian kitchen culture, offering a set-price menu that changes throughout the week to reflect seasonal availability and the whim of the chef.

Service is ever-attentively Gallic, and the decor tastefully muted contemporary, with a clear view of the chef in his tiny kitchen.

We ask about the beer, obviously, but it seems to be mostly killer Belgian stuff coming in at 8% or more, so it seems safer to stick to wine - they’ve got a sensibly priced range at £15-£35ish. We go for picpoul de pinet, a crisply

10 OF THE BEST SWEET FROZEN TREATS ➻ Whether it’s ice-cream, sorbet or frozen

“The soft, wine-glazed steak, properly bleu-cooked as requested, was exceptional, with the best dauphinoise potatoes I’ve tasted in a long time” neutral white that fits my starter of poached egg and truffled mushrooms on toast like a glove.

The egg’s buried in a swathe of mixed wild mushrooms, with the truffle - as it should be - a mere breath in the creamy sauce.

Over the table, Codger 2 has a definite Floyd echo - a proper scallop shell-mounted coquilles St Jacques, richly cheesed and full of fat scallop. Both are nicely sized bursts of flavour that do the job, leaving us ready for main courses that are not long in coming.

I’d been really tempted by bouillabaisse but, at the last minute, had inexplicably

switched to onglet steak bordelaise. When it arrived I was glad of the choice, and not just for the exceptional piece of soft, wine-glazed meat, properly bleucooked as I’d requested, but also for a generous portion of the best dauphinoise potatoes I’ve eaten in a long time. With slices of stillfirm potato in splendidly arrogant gruyere sauce, it was worth the £2 supplementary charge for the steak in its own right. Codger 2 had a surprisingly large leg of guinea fowl, crisp-grilled and served in another creamy wild mushroom sauce, and we shared a bowl of mixed spring vegetables.

I was pretty satisfied after that, but we did pudding anyway serviceable peach crumble with fulsome creme anglais and a creme brulee - bringing the whole thing to £65 all-in. Not bad at all, but smarter thinking could have got us a satisfying two courses with a shared bottle of house wine for less than £45 - a quality bargain that would have truly evoked that well-oiled ghost of Keith Floyd. (Tony Benjamin)

CONTACT

BISTRO BIERE 112 PRINCESS VICTORIA ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 946 7870, WWW.BISTROBIERE.CO.UK THE VERDICT HHHHHHHHHH

Elegant and careful French bistro cooking, unassumingly done - as it should be

yoghurt, nothing says ‘summer’ like that tongue-tingling chill, whatever the weather…

ANGELBERRY Broad Quay, Bristol (www. angelberry.me) • Bristol’s first taste of US-style frozen yoghurt lets you heap up your own choice of 10 flavours and 35+ toppings.

CAFE LA STRADA Cheap St, Frome (www. cafelastrada.co.uk) • Try their homemade (and gluten-free) Senso ice-cream: flavours include gin & tonic and latest ‘special’ gorgonzola, chilli & fig.

FIVE THE BEACH The Beach, Clevedon (www. fivethebeachcafe.co.uk) • Smart seafront cafe with a handy canopy to keep the sun off, should it appear, while you enjoy a choice of Lovington’s fruit-drenched sorbets.

FORTES The Cliffs, Cheddar • Not so much ‘retro’ as ‘heritage’ - a real evocation of the classic post-war ice-cream parlour.

HARRIS & CO Broad Quay, Bristol • Tiny little harbourside operation by Pero’s bridge, tempting passers-by with Lovington’s locally made deliciousness.

LA CREMERIA Broad Quay, Bristol • Right in the centre of the Centre, dispensing coolness while the fountains play all around.

MARSHFIELD ICE CREAM (www. marshfield-icecream.co.uk) • If you don’t clock their vintage Citroen van or classic tricycle at a festival, you’ll soon spot their widely distributed award-winning organic wares.

RAZZLE DAZZLE (www.razzledazzleices. co.uk) • Made in Taunton from soya and coconut milk - catch these vegan-friendly, dairy-free (and wheat-free) frozen treats at Harvest in Bath or Bristol’s Brockley Farm Shop.

REAL ITALIAN ICE CREAM CO York St, Bath • You can tell from the queues that there’s something special on offer at this authentic gelateria in the shadow of the abbey.

WINSTONES ICE CREAM Rodborough Common, nr Stroud, Glos (www. winstonesicecream.co.uk) • Properly lovely icecream, farm-made as sustainably as possible, and served up in a picture-postcard National Trust setting in the Cotswolds. Perfick!

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EATINGOUTWEST

(News)

WHAT'S COOKING

Our monthly round-up of news from the foodie world

SUPER MARKETS

➻ Forget those trolleys and

barcodes and check out one of the West’s vibrant markets to catch the local harvest at its freshest…

I

t seems to be all about chefs at the moment. It’s no mean achievement to figure on a list of 25 top British chefs that also includes Nathan Outlaw and Marcus Wareing, but that’s the latest accolade to fall to Chew Magna culinary wunderkind Josh Eggleton. The chefs each contributed five seasonal recipes to Great British Chefs - Summertime, a new stepby-step cookery app for iPhone/iPad, with Eggleton’s offering including his witty ‘scallop pops’ starter. You can download the app for £1.99 from www.greatbritishchefs. com, with £1.20 going to development charity Action Against Hunger. And you’ll soon be able to learn the secrets of another Michelin-starred kitchen when Bath’s Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa (pictured) open their new cookery school, with award-winning chef Hrishikesh Desai and executive chef Hywel Jones ensuring that everything is up to the hotel’s usual excellent standards.

Louise McCrimmon (pictured) had a great evening at last month’s inaugural Bristol Good Food Awards, with her Second Floor at Harvey Nichols restaurant coming runner-up in both Top Restaurant and Best Fine Dining Wine List categories, while Louise herself scooped the Best Chef award. Congratulations must also go to pioneer forager Toby Gritten’s Bristol Pump House, awarded Top Restaurant by a combination of public vote and expert judges. Ahmed Chowdhury, meanwhile, owner of Bath’s popular Rajpoot restaurant,

ASHTON COURT FARMERS’ MARKET

was summoned before Parliament to watch his chef Abu Talukdar take part in a cookoff for the MPs’ Tiffin Club, where a judging panel headed by Ainsley Harriott picked Rajpoot as Top South Asian Restaurant in the South West for Talukdar’s giant king prawn speciality dish achari golda chingri.

Courtyard of Ashton Court mansion house, Bristol, 10.30am–2.30pm.

Every Sat BATH FARMERS’ MARKET Green Park Station, Bath, from 8.30am.

Ffi: www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk.

Every Sat HARBOURSIDE MARKET No.1 Harbourside, Canons Rd, Bristol, 11am4pm. Ffi: www.no1harbourside.co.uk.

1st Sat of month LONG ASHTON VILLAGE MARKET Long Ashton Community Centre, Keedwell Hill, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41, 9.30am-1pm.

Ffi: www.longashtonvillagemarket.co.uk.

1st & 3rd Sat of month WHITELADIES ROAD FARMERS’ & FAIR TRADING MARKET Outside auction rooms on corner of Whiteladies Rd & Apsley Rd, Clifton, Bristol, 8.30am2pm. Ffi: www.sustainableredland.org.uk.

2nd Sat of month WESTON-SUPER-MARE FARMERS’ MARKET High St, Weston-superMare, 9am-12.30pm.

2nd Sat of month KEYNSHAM FARMERS’ MARKET High St (next to Clock Tower), Keynsham, Bristol, BS31, 9am-1pm.

Ffi: www.somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk.

4th Sat of month WESTBURY-ON-TRYM MARKET Medical Centre car park, Westbury Hill, Bristol, BS9, 9am–1pm Every Sun TOBACCO FACTORY MARKET Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol, BS3, 10.30am-2.30pm.

Ffi: www.tobaccofactory.com.

1st Sun of month SLOW FOOD MARKET Corn St, Bristol, 10am-3pm.

Ffi: www.slowfoodbristol.org.

Every Wed & Fri BRISTOL FARMERS’ MARKET Corn St, Bristol, 9.30am–2.30pm 3rd Sun of month.

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“Our vendors source their ingredients from local producers which helps sustain the local economy and adheres to the ethos that good cooking is dependent on quality”

PHOTO CREDIT: MEENA BHAJANEHATTI

EATINGOUTWEST (Recipe)

VENDORS PROFILE

STREAT FOOD COLLECTIVE WEB: WWW.STREATFOODCOLLECTIVE.COM TWITTER: WWW.TWITTER.COM/STREATUK

B

ristol’s 102 Cookery School and Bath’s Green Park Station are the two latest locations for a series of mouthwatering street food events put on by the StrEAT Food Collective. The collective consists of between four to six stalls - vendors are people from local communities who are passionate about food and will be serving up ‘the real deal’. The vendors stick to food portions costing around £6 or under, and there are smaller portions for children or for people wanting to try two or three food stalls rather than just opting for one large meal.

Vendors trading in August will be… Vee Double Moo, where Bridget is poised with ice-cream sundaes and hot chocolates (www. veedoublemoo.co.uk, Twitter: @veedoublemoo).

The Ethical Chef, offering veggie soup, polenta cake and other cheffy delights (www.ethicalchef. co.uk, Twitter: @theethicalchef - and see recipe opposite). Cupp Tea Bar, with their fabulous Taiwanese bubble teas (www.cuppteabar.com, Twitter: @cuppteabar - and see opposite). The Glorious Oyster, shucking oysters (with various dressings) at top speed (Facebook: The Glorious Oyster). Baz and Fred’s, with four gourmet pizzas to choose from, including caramelised

red onion & goat’s cheese or margherita (www. bazfred.com, Twitter: @bazandfred). Viet Vite - a brand new Vietnamese stall selling banh mi, pork on lemongrass skewers, and veggie rice rolls. Coconut Chilli, with their much-loved lamb kofte/spicy potato in Abu Noor pitta with homemade mint raita and chilli (www. coconutchilli.com, Twitter: @coconutchilli).

And Tamba, purveyors of Peruvian anticuchos - ox heart skewers served with corn on the cob and black pepper or hot rocoto chilli (www. tamboperuviankitchen.co.uk, Twitter: @ tambokitchen).

“We haven’t approached well-known restaurants to serve off-site versions of their restaurant cuisine,” says Navina Bartlett, the woman behind the StrEAT Food Collective.

“Instead, we’re sourcing people in local communities who are passionate about food, and each vendor is handpicked to ensure quality street food cooked in front of your eyes. Our street food vendors source their ingredients from local producers and suppliers. This helps to sustain the local economy and also adheres to the ethos that good cooking is dependent on the quality of the ingredients, as well as the knowledge and skill of the cook.”

EXPERT PROFILE

NAVINA BARTLETT ➻ Renowned Indian culinary expert Navina

Bartlett is the inspiration behind the StrEAT Food Collective and owner of Bristol’s Coconut Chilli stall. Navina has travelled all over India and south-east Asia, discovering ingredients and differences in cooking styles. From the fiery coconut-based dishes of the southern states and Portuguese-influenced Goa to the region around the capital Delhi and even Sri Lankan cuisine, nothing pleases Navina more than to try new and wonderful dishes.

“The idea for StrEAT was conceived, along with Marti Burgess, owner of the Sister Gee’s jerk stall, in November 2010, after experiencing the vibrant street food scene in London,” says Navina. “But we wanted to set up a collective with a conscience, having been inspired by La Cocina, a small business incubator in San Francisco that helps mainly Latino women into self-employment. So we sourced vendors who are mainly home cooks and we’ve encouraged them to set up businesses so that they can support themselves financially.”

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PHOTO CREDIT: CORDON VERT COOKERY SCHOOL

EATINGOUTWEST

WILD MUSHROOM POTATO ROSTI

O

ur recipe comes courtesy of Ethical Chef (www. ethicalchef.co.uk), established in 2010 by Deri Reed, a chef specialising in vegetarian cuisine who is extremely passionate about food, health and the environment. Deri has worked in worldclass restaurants including Cafe Paradiso and Demuths. This recipe, used for Deri’s cooking demo at Pembrokeshire’s Really Wild Festival this year, uses ingredients that can be foraged in the countryside July-Nov. (Preparation time: 15 mins.

Cooking time: 15 mins.)

INGREDIENTS SERVES 7

◆ 300g Pembrokeshire potatoes ◆ 250g Cothi halloumi 250g ◆ Welsh onions ◆ bunch of oregano ◆ 1 fresh garlic clove ◆ 200g wild mushrooms ◆ large sprig fresh rosemary ◆ 100g sea spinach ◆ glug of extra virgin rapeseed oil ◆ knob of butter ◆ 50g pine nuts ◆ half a glass of dry white wine ◆ lemon juice

TO MAKE Boil your potatoes (skins on) for 15 mins.

Allow them to cool, then grate them into a bowl. The skins should just fall away as you grate the potatoes, and you can discard them.

Grate the halloumi into the bowl with the potatoes and mix them through each other.

Finely slice the Welsh onions and add them to the mix. Season the rosti mix with a good sprinkle of cracked black pepper, finely chopped rosemary, oregano and the very smallest pinch of salt (the halloumi adds a lot of salt itself).

Shape the patties: press the rosti into flat circles in a hot pan with olive oil, add a little butter, fry the rosti on each side for about 2 mins. They should be nicely browned and crispy on the outside but with a softer centre.

Chop mushrooms into quarters. Put the roughly chopped garlic, rosemary and finely chopped basil stalks into a pan with a good glug of the rapeseed oil. Fry for 1 min before adding the mushrooms. Fry for another 1-2 mins, then add half a glass of dry white wine and a tiny drop of lemon juice. Fry for another moment but be careful not to overcook the mushrooms - you want them to stay juicy and moist.

Toast the pine nuts and sprinkle them over.

RECOMMENDED

BUBBLE TEA ➻ Bubble tea, invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, is popular all over Asia, America and Australia. Cupp Tea Bar - the UK’s first-ever mobile bubble tea van – are at the forefront of producing these quirky drinks for the people of Bristol and Bath. It’s all about tapioca pearls - gluten-free tapioca comes from the root starch of the cassava plant. Once cooked, the pearls have a chewy ‘gummy bear’ texture and slight caramel undertone. It’s traditionally a milk tea-based drink, with the chewy pearls served in oversized cups and straws (suck the pearls up, so you’re drinking the tea and chewing at the same time). The most popular teas used are jasmine green, black or oolong, mixed with milk, sugar and ice in a cocktail shaker.

Add a scoop of tapioca to your cup and pour in your milky tea... one delicious, refreshing, ice-cold bubble tea.

FFI WWW.CUPPTEABAR.COM

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FASHION JEWELLERY BEAUTY SHOPPING FASHION JEWELLERY BEAUTY SHOPPING

➻ LIFESTYLE

DESIGNER SHOPPING, JAW-DROPPING JEWELLERY, HOT HAIR AND MORE...

NEW STORES

BLAZING A TRAIL ➻ Kilver Court in Shepton Mallet - a designer village with

gardens, farm shop, cafe and wedding venue - celebrated its first anniversary last month by opening quirky arcade ‘Silk Lane’, created out of rundown mill stores and offices, with five new designer outlet shops: Jack Wills, Toast, Hawick Cashmere, Jane Clayton and LK Bennett. These join the Aubin & Wills, Sharpham Park, Designer Emporium and Mulberry factory shops, which continue to thrive.

Mulberry founder Roger Saul launched Kilver Court just a year ago - his dream was a £10m investment to create a new concept of designer outlet village out of brownsite regeneration, rather than greenbelt developments. Roger’s Designer Emporium, an eclectic mix of his favourite designer brands, offers discounts of up to 70% and regular designer sales to attract both brands and customers.

Retail guru Mary Portas championed Mulberry’s home collection when she was at Harvey Nichols, and recently said of Roger in The Independent on Sunday: ‘I always knew he’d go on to do something else important: how many men are still blazing a trail in their sixties?’

Kilver Court’s first year has seen 40 jobs created and 120,000 visitors attracted. Already £3.25m has been invested in developing the site, and over £2m has gone directly back into Shepton Mallet’s economy. “We’ve had real support from the Shepton Mallet community,” says Roger, “and the Kilver Court team have worked their hearts out to achieve miracles in such a short time.”

KILVER COURT KILVER ST, SHEPTON MALLET, SOMERSET. FFI: 01749 340410, WWW.KILVERCOURT.COM

KIDS’ SHOES

GROWING PAINS ➻ Although the school holidays have only just begun, the start of the new school year will be with us before we know it, including that dreaded trip to the shoe shop. The Society of Shoe Fitters (SSF) are extremely concerned at the increasing number of children being referred to podiatrists and GPs. “Shops are seeing some dreadful feet and the start of acute health issues more associated with the elderly,” says Laura West, secretary of the SSF. “This doesn’t bode well for the nation’s health in general: sore feet affect the way we walk, which in turn can affect our entire physiology.”

Legs, knees, back and neck pain - even migraine - can all be attributed to the way we walk and ill-fitting footwear. “Most of the problems are due to the lack of hands-on fitting, and younger children insisting on wearing the latest fashions, which may not be suitable. They have no idea that they’re storing up longterm damage to their feet,” adds Laura.

“This is even more pertinent with regard to school shoes,” says Tanya Marriott, owner of SoleLution, “as our children spend so much time in these shoes. At SoleLution we believe it’s important for children’s shoes to be fitted by trained professionals, as it’s vital to look after children’s feet as they’re developing. Some parents don’t realise they don’t stop growing till their mid/late teens, so it’s not just those early years that are important. You only get one pair of feet - and unfortunately they can’t be exchanged if we cause them damage!”

SoleLution stock a wide range of school shoes from brands such as Start-rite, Ricosta, Hush Puppies, Geox and Camper. Join in with their £20.12 celebration: selected styles of children’s shoes, including school, casual and sandals, all at £20.12, while stocks last.

SOLELUTION 1-2 BOYCES AVE, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL (0117 973 8350) & 114 HIGH ST, PORTISHEAD (01275 843399)

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LIFESTYLE

JEWELLERY EXHIBITION SALON NEWS

THE FAB FOUR

➻ A welcome addition to Bristol comes in the lovingly coiffured shape of a new Morgans hair salon, hot on the heels of their three hugely successful salons in Wales. With an enticing opening offer of a 30% discount, you’d be well advised to hot-foot it along to High Street to find out just what this lot are capable of. The hottest hair brand in Wales, Morgans is built on a simple set of rules: great hair, great service and, most importantly, value for money.

The handpicked team can turn their talented hands to whatever you want, from trims and tidyups to the sharpest new looks. You’ll get a pampering head massage with every shampoo, and there’s a huge array of conditioning treatments and specially prescribed, take-home aftercare programmes to keep locks looking great between visits.

Morgans’ colour menu includes tints and natural highlights, and their driving philosophy is to always follow your colour wishes, keeping hair looking natural, healthy and modern. They know exactly how to give blondes a sexy, beachy colour, and brunettes depth, texture and shine, or use colour to add warmth and an anti-ageing kick to any complexion. They also offer a colour SOS for any bad colour jobs that need undoing!

MORGANS HAIR SALON 41 HIGH ST, CITY CENTRE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 930 0766, WWW.MORGANSHAIRSALON.COM

DESIGN DIVAS

➻ Don’t miss what promises to be an intriguing exhibition at Diana Porter Contemporary Jewellery in Bristol next month. New Designers 2012 (1-28 Sept) will showcase the work of four inspiring graduate designers: Sara Gunn, Carrie Dickens, Elizabeth Armour and Rebecca Onyett (pictured: Metal Mouth). The exhibition will focus on textures, textiles and techniques that push the boundaries in jewellery design. In addition to September’s exhibition, Diana Porter Contemporary Jewellery permanently showcases the work of some top UK and international jewellery designers, along with Diana Porter’s full collection.

DIANA PORTER CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY 33 PARK ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 909 0225, WWW.DIANAPORTER.CO.UK

NEW WEBSITE

CLICK COUTURE ➻ Bath boutique Mimi Noor have just launched a new website, with some clever online features. First up: ‘6 Key Looks’. “Our six key looks of the season rotate on a carousel at the top of the homepage,” explain the store. “Updated every season, these are the looks you can’t live without!”

Simply click on the look you like to expand the view, and you’ll see a variety of shopping or information options.

The ‘Outfit Builder’, meanwhile, lets you play around with items you like, mixing and matching various outfits. To help with comparison and visualisation, you can see three different looks alongside one another. Or there’s ‘Shop the Look’, which lets you add a complete look to your basket without leaving your current page, thus minimising the effort and time you’d normally have to spend trawling a website for a look you’ve seen. Give it a try!

MIMI NOOR 25 MILSOM ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 571518, WWW.MIMINOOR.COM

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Ideal for weddings, private parties, corporate events, club nights and festivals!

To hire our booth for your special day contact us at

enquiries@itsyourbooth.com or visiting our website itsyourbooth.com

BRAND PRINT WEB PUBLISHING PHOTO-Y GRAPH contact us venue publishing, 4th floor, bristol news & media, bristol bs99 7hd tel 0117 942 8491 email d.higgitt@venue.co.uk / bang@venue.co.uk web www.bangstudio.co.uk

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FASHION LIFESTYLE

COUTURE Kids’ fashion ain’t what it used to be, says Anna Britten

C

hildren’s clothing used to be rather grim: Mothercare at one end of the spectrum, ridiculous Dior bootees at the other. Not like those continentals with their natural fibres and exquisite taste. But in the past two years, what with Stella McCartney and Diane von Furstenberg designing for GapKids, hip Japanese label Uniqlo launching a children’s range and, erm, Emma Bunton knocking out frocks and rompers for Argos, children’s fashion has reached a tipping point.

Whether your nippers are newborn, crawling, toddling, playgrouping or at primary school, the chances are they’re better dressed than you were at their age.

How often have you picked up a garment and thought, I wish they did this in adult size? Bristol and Bath offer rich pickings for the style-conscious parent, with a healthy mix of high street stores, independent shops and online designers and retailers. Here are some of this summer’s cutest offerings.

SWEET SUMMERY DUNGAREES

for the knee-high, with handy little pockets for secret treasures. From 0-3 months to 18-24 months. Frugi Fancy Dungies, Up To Seven, £15 (reduced from £25)

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LIFESTYLE

WAVE THE FLAG ON ANY BEACH in the world. Well,

the Germans have their towels… Union Jack shorts, Next, £7-£8

FASHION

POCKET-SIZED PATRIOTS

will feel proud in this Olympics-flavoured tee.

Great detailing, too. Boys’ GBR T-shirt, Crew, £12 (reduced from £18)

CANDY PINK, organic cotton everyday frock for lassies from 0-3 months up to 7-8 years. Team with matching stripy leggings for year-round wear.

Frugi Lovely Lucy dress, Up To Seven, £14-£18 (reduced from £24-£28)

CALLED TO THE BAA.

This onesie is cute without being cloying. Sheep romper suit, Milk & Cereal, £17.99

KEEP ACTIVE LITTLE ONES dry

when the heavens inevitably open available for ages 12 months-3 years. Girls’ Hatley Infant All-in-One Rainsuit Blue Flowers, Tuesday’s Child, £39.99

OWLING WITH LAUGHTER. They’ll never get lost in the park in this vivid tee from Bristol’s Milk & Cereal. Owl T-shirt, Milk & Cereal, £14.99

CONTACTS

LOVE THE RETRO US-INSPIRED print

IF ANY GARMENT can make

rain fun, this one can.

Available for ages 1-8. Boys’ Hatley vintage tractor coat, Tuesday’s Child, £29.99

on this lad’s shirt. It could even withstand the odd ketchup stain.

California print shirt, £16 & Coulthard short, £8 (reduced from £16), both Monsoon

CREW QUAKERS FRIARS, CABOT CIRCUS & PRINCESS VICTORIA ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL; UPPER BOROUGH WALLS, BATH. FFI: WWW.CREWCLOTHING.CO.UK MILK & CEREAL FFI: 07850 469274, WWW.MILKANDCEREAL.CO.UK MONSOON CABOT CIRCUS & THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL; UNION ST, BATH. FFI: WWW. MONSOON-ACCESSORIZE.CO.UK NEXT CABOT CIRCUS & CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW.NEXT.CO.UK TUESDAY’S CHILD WALCOT ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 311992, WWW. TUESDAYSCHILDCLOTHING.CO.UK UP TO SEVEN PULTENEY BRIDGE, BATH. FFI: 01225 422333, WWW.UPTOSEVEN.CO.UK

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MARK SIMMONS PHOTOGRAPHY Tel: 0117 9140999 Mobile: 07778 063 699 “The photo’s are amazing! Thank you so much for capturing so many great images, they are awesome. You brought out the best in everyone, your B&W’s are especially stylish - we’ll be recommending you!”

Natural Weddings

Joby & Zoe

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LIFESTYLE

HOW TO DO...

COLOUR BLOCKING

FASHION

Keep it simple Niki wears…top from Esprit £17, trousers from John Lewis £49 (Collection Weekend), shoes by Bertie from John Lewis (last year), belt from an old pair of trousers, bangles from India

Stylist Niki Whittle makes a statement

C

olour blocking is all about wearing bold blocks of colour together. It’s a striking look, but it can easily go wrong, so if you fancy having a go this summer, you’d better read on.

The key to making it work is sticking to simple shapes, colours that you’re comfortable with and block combinations that flatter your shape. Don’t wear more than three colours, as this will detract from your silhouette and muddy the water. Accessories need to be neutral - black, grey, metallics or nude shades are best as they allow the colours to pop and won’t detract from the overall effect.

And most importantly, don’t be tempted to throw any pattern or print into the mix. The whole point of this trend is that the colour and shapes are the stars of the show.

If you’re nervous about mixing colours, choose shades from the same family (colour toning) such as blue and purple, or team the colour with a neutral palette like grey or nude. If you love colour, combining bold shades will create a dramatic effect - colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as purple and yellow, look amazing.

I can get lost in very bold colour combinations, so I’ve chosen to wear green and navy to illustrate this trend. You can see why it’s important to accessorise with nude tones - anything bright would detract from the outfit’s simplicity.

If you don’t have time to find the right colour combination for you, choose a ready-made colour-block item like these shoes. They do all the hard work for you, and I love the way they breathe new life into my plain dress.

FFI WWW.NIKIWHITTLE.COM / WWW.HIPSHAPESANDBRISTOLFASHION.BLOGSPOT.COM WWW.HIPSHAPESANDBRISTOLFASHION.BLOGSPOT.COM

Nice’n’easy Niki wears… dress from French Connection (last year), shoes from Zara £29.99, necklace from Accessorize £15

BRIGHT IDEAS MONSOON, £40

M&S, £20

MISS SELFRIDGE, £45

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ADVERTORIAL

BRISTOL FASHION WEEK September sees the return of the city’s biggest fashion event, Bristol Fashion Week at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway...

A

s the fashion pack prepare to bag a seat on the front row (FROW), our exclusive BFW preview finds out what’s on offer before anyone else…Bristol Fashion Week will be bringing catwalk glamour to the South West once again, with 18 hour-long catwalk shows featuring the essential fashion edit from the designer and highstreet brands at The Mall. While the debate about catwalk model size continues, you’ll find a refreshing array of model sizes on the BFW catwalk, to give a ‘real’ take on how to wear this season’s must-have trends.

Trusted fashion advisor Mark Heyes and celebrity hair stylist Andrew Barton will be presenting each show, combining style advice, celebrity gossip and valuable insider fashion knowledge. Signature hair is the ultimate fashion accessory, and Andrew Barton will be talking you through the season’s hair trends. A trusted voice in the industry, Andrew has worked for many celebrities including Kylie Minogue and Kate Moss.

But it’s not just about fashion, dahling! Make a day of it and book yourself into the BFW Pamper Pods for some free beauty therapy - there’ll be free mini-manicures, colour and style advice, Indian head massage, reflexology and mini makeovers. Or treat yourself to eyebrow threading or tinting* (*cost applies).

Get the best view in the house with a Platinum FROW ticket (£13.95) or enjoy the view of the catwalk from a standard seat (£8.95). Tickets will be on sale from early this month at The Mall’s Information Desk or online at www. mallcribbs.com. Guests will be treated to complimentary M&S refreshments and a free stylish BFW goody bag filled with things to sample, as well as an Event Guide packed full of discount vouchers, fashion advice and competitions. There’s also the chance to win a luxury gift from John Lewis.

CONTACT BRISTOL FASHION WEEK 26-30 SEPT, THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW.MALLCRIBBS. COM (#BFW12 TO JOIN THE FASHION CONVERSATION)

RIVER ISLAND

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ADVERTORIAL

BFW autumn/winter trend preview ➻ The buzzword for this season has to be ‘confident’ - from the extravagant opulence of glossy brocades and sumptuous lace to new military uniform-style jackets and lace-up boots. There’s no room for wallflowers this winter, as perennials take a decadent twist away from hazy summer prints, and the gothic glamour of glossy leathers give this season an urban edge.

Purples reign this winter, from sparkling amethyst to royal violets and, for the woman who knows her mind, an array of optical illusion prints. The strong silhouette remains, with peplums grabbing the catwalk spotlight and cinched waists ruling the runway.

Confidence equals glamour this season!

HOBBS

COAST

Which celebrity would you most like to transform, and why?

Mark: Katy Perry. She’s such a gorgeous girl, with an incredible figure, but sometimes she just gets it so wrong. I love her quirkiness, but you can still have your own individual style without looking crazy.

Andrew: It’s one of our royals! I’d love to makeover Princess Anne. She’s a good-looking woman but her hair is positively dreadful!

M&S

ON THE CATWALK WITH BFW PRESENTERS MARK HEYES & ANDREW BARTON… Describe your sense of style in three words…

Mark & Andrew: Classic with a twist.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Mark: My job is so varied, which I love. One day I could be reporting from the red carpet and the next day styling for a makeover - I’m never bored!

Andrew: Despite all the glamour of photoshoots and working with celebrities around the world, the best part of my job is working in my salon, making people look and feel great.

WAREHOUSE

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What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

Mark: Without doubt it was reporting on the red carpet at the Oscars. I mingled with the likes of Madonna and Beyoncé. It was amazing to see the dresses in the flesh, but it was even more spectacular to see how different they looked on the actual red carpet, compared with how they appear in the media.

Andrew: Being named British Hairdresser of the Year was certainly a high, but seeing my name above the door in my salon in London’s Covent Garden and my signature haircare range on the shelf have also been major highs! Not bad for a working-class lad from a mining village in Yorkshire…

What’s the best thing about Bristol Fashion Week?

Mark: BFW steps up its game each season. The catwalk shows take you through all the season’s trends and showcase the fantastic fashions available here at The Mall. The models that you’ll see on the catwalk represent all different shapes and sizes, and people can take inspiration from that, whether you’re after a whole new wardrobe or a few statement pieces.

Andrew: Everyone is so friendly in Bristol, and we love coming here. What’s great about Bristol Fashion Week is that it’s not just about fashion - there are some fantastic pampering treatments on offer, too.

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SHOPPING

LIFESTYLE

SHOP OF THE

MONTH

“Since opening three years ago Melissa Blease visits Clifton Rocks, I haven’t looked back!” where the welcome is as alluring as the

jewellery on display

B

aubles, bangles and beads, brooches, necklaces and, of course, rings… few women (and quite a few men!) find it hard to resist the lure of a beautiful jewellery shop.

But all too few upmarket jewellery shops offer the kind of ambience that brings a warm welcome into a very glamorous world, whatever your budget which is one of the many reasons Clifton Rocks is such an inviting shopping experience.

This beautiful independent jewellery shop home to a unique selection from around 30 national and local designers, alongside carefully crafted, stunning pieces by the shop’s owner, Clare Chandler - is arguably one of the most captivating oases of sparkling accessories on the Bristol jewellery scene. “I’ve always aimed to offer a friendly, welcoming environment where customers feel comfortable coming in to browse or discuss jewellery commissions, and where they know that they’re getting sound advice,” says Clare, whose interest in jewellery started when she took a short course at the Girls Workshop on Somerville Road in St Andrews when she was 14.

What started out as a youthful hobby quickly became a passion. “I instantly loved working on delicate and intricate pieces and creating

something beautiful from scratch,” Clare recalls.

“From there I went on to study for a degree in 3D design/metalsmithing and jewellery at De Montfort University in Leicester, but I already knew I wanted to open my own shop. I come from a family who’ve always created their own businesses, and they’ve inspired me to do the same. So, after 10 years working as a jeweller in Bristol, I felt that I’d gained many valuable skills and felt confident enough to branch out on my own. I opened Clifton Rocks three years ago and haven’t looked back!”

Even a quick browse around the shop instantly offers the kind of inspirational, uplifting buzz that comes with the feeling you get when you discover a really special place. Every item on display is handmade from a range of precious metals and stones, with pieces wrought from contemporary materials such as plastic and aluminium adding a cutting-edge, zeitgeist flair. The onsite workshop offers both a repair and alteration service, or undertakes bespoke commissions. “If you can’t find exactly what you have in mind in the shop, we can design and make a piece to suit your requirements,” Clare explains. “We also do a lot of remodelling of old jewellery: gold can be melted down and reformed, or antique stones reset into something more fitting with the customer’s taste.

At the moment we’re making a lot of wedding jewellery, commissioned to tie in with the theme of the wedding day itself, or to sit perfectly with the bride’s wedding dress. We can custom-make rings in gold, platinum and palladium, designed to sit perfectly alongside existing engagement rings, while many of the wedding and engagement rings on display are exclusive to Clifton Rocks.”

Clare reliably informs us that, when it comes to on-trend inspirations, gold is still big news, and customers are also loving stacking and layering up different pieces of jewellery, mixing different designers and stones to create an individualised look. But whatever your style, taste and budget, Clifton Rocks can turn your bejewelled dreams into sparkling reality.

Clifton Rocks owner and jeweller, Clare Chandler

CONTACT CLIFTON ROCKS 100 QUEENS RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 973 1342, WWW.CLIFTONROCKS.CO.UK

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BEAUTY LIFESTYLE

RSR MENS HAIR

Sam Ulewicz visits a men’s salon that offers much more than just short back and sides

T

hree years ago, Rachael Lavis and Scott Rose decided that the world of men’s hairdressing had for too long been dominated by the traditional barber shops’ cheap but one-dimensional world of the short back and sides. They realised that there was an opportunity to offer gents a salon experience while keeping the barber-shop prices, and so RSR Mens Hair was born.

With its central location on Baldwin Street, RSR is easy to find and perfect for popping into during your lunch break or if you’re in Bristol for the day – there’s no booking policy, so this is the ideal go-to salon for those who only ever get their hair cut on a random whim.

As I walk in and am greeted with a friendly smile and hello, there are already customers having their hair cut, so I take a seat on one of the comfy bar stools and choose something to read from the wide selection of current magazines and papers available. There’s also a plasma TV and free Wi-Fi to keep you occupied. I’m offered a drink while I wait, and instead of being passed a small plastic cup from a water cooler I’m presented with a choice of

bottled water, coffee (from Starbucks) and even beer, all of which are included in the price of the haircut. The decor is modern and clean without being pretentious; I just sit back and relax.

When my turn comes I’m shown to the chair by Rachael, co-owner and lead stylist.

Rachael has been cutting hair for 15 years, and originally trained as a women’s stylist,

but discovered that she had a particular talent for cutting men’s hair. She’s very friendly and makes me feel totally at ease.

“RSR was created for people who aren’t afraid to be themselves, who feel they don’t have to conform,” she tells me. “We combine the finest traditions in men’s grooming with the latest in contemporary styles. But if you do just want a short back and sides, then you can have one, but with the added pleasure of the comforts that we offer.”

I only have a trim, but if you’re looking for something more adventurous you can have a shampoo, cut and finish for just £15 - a good £10 cheaper than many other salons offering the same treatment. And this being a men’s barber, you can also have your hair cut with clippers for £9 or a dry cut for £11.

RSR Mens Hair really does offer a salon experience at a fraction of the price, without the intimidating atmosphere of other salons that I’ve visited. If this is the future of men’s barbering, then I may have to start getting my hair cut more than just once every blue moon.

CONTACT RSR MENS HAIR 37 BALDWIN ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 07599 401402, WWW.RSRMENSHAIR.CO.UK

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LIFESTYLE

1

BEAUTY

SHINE ON

KEEP IT FRESH

Hair, alarmingly, ages just like skin - one more part of ourselves to worry about.

Thankfully, you can keep hair strong, smooth, shiny, youthful-looking and full of lustre with label.m Therapy Age-Defying haircare range. For a satiny finish, the range uses luxurious ingredients like white caviar (reduces discolouration and greying), iron rose crystal (helps to increase collagen production), and African baobab tree (helps to protect hair from the onslaught of pollution and stress).

If you’re feeling a little frazzled this summer, take some time out to revive dull,

lifeless skin with Super Boost Moisturising Serum from FreshSkin by Elemis. Specifically designed for younger skin, the serum is free from artificial colours and silicones, while aromatic plum oil and vitamin E energise your skin. Perfect for giving a quick injection of confidence, revealing your own naturally radiant skin.

ELEMIS FRESHSKIN SUPER BOOST MOISTURISING SERUM £18, AVAILABLE AT SUPERDRUG

Weather

LABEL.M THERAPY AGE-DEFYING RANGE £13.75-£17.50, AVAILABLE AT WWW.LABELM.COM, TONI & GUY, ESSENSUELS HAIRDRESSING

GIRL

Sophie Shorland is ready for whatever summer throws at her ALL THAT GLITTERS Add a golden glow to your face this summer with molten metallic shades by Me Me Me. Goddess Rocks, multitonal bronzing rocks, will provide extra radiance whatever your stage of tan, from a subtle glow to a deeper golden shimmer. Swirl a bronzing brush on the rocks and apply to your face, employ as eyeshadow or use on the lips, covering with a light gloss for an opulent golden glow.

ME ME ME GODDESS ROCKS £12.50, AVAILABLE FROM WWW. MEMEMECOSMETICS.CO.UK & SUPERDRUG

3

JOIN THE DOTS

The newest addition to the Marc Jacobs fragrance range, DOT promises top notes of red berries, dragon fruit and sweet honeysuckle blended with coconut water and orange blossom. Lingering notes of creamy vanilla, driftwood and sensual musk round off this charming and sophisticated perfume, all parcelled in one very stylish, and very cute, polka-dot bottle.

As Marc Jacobs puts it: “I don’t think there is ever a wrong time for a polka dot!” We couldn’t agree more.

DOT BY MARC JACOBS £37 (30ml), AVAILABLE AT HARVEY NICHOLS, BRISTOL

ELECTRIC COOL Whether it’s the beach, the office or just the street, create a lasting impression wherever you are and whatever the occasion with MAC’s range of electrifying pigments. With 12 limited-edition shades, shock with Fashion Circuit’s kelly green or keep it cool and composed with Electroplate’s gunmetal grey. Luxurious and lightweight, these colours are a treat for the eyes.

MAC ELECTRIC COOL EYESHADOW £14.99, AVAILABLE AT WWW. MACCOSMETICS.CO.UK, BOOTS, DEBENHAMS (BRISTOL) & JOLLY’S (BATH)

FOLIO/AUG 2012 65

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Natural Diet and Remedies

Cooking for Health Do you need help with obesity, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart problems... and other illnesses? consultations

talks

cooking classes

for more information please contact: J. Davis BA, KI cert.

Tel: 07411186385

Macrobiotic Consultant betterhealthbristol@gmail.com

.CO.UK

NEW CHROMATICS The hair colour you've been waiting for • No Ammonia • No Odour • 100% white coverage Hair feels up to 2x stronger! products are used in the Salon 6 Rockleaze Rd, Sneyd Park, Bristol BS9 1NF Tel: 0117 9682663 www.carlohairandbeauty.co.uk 66 FOLIO/AUGUST 2012

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LIFESTYLE

HEALTH

FRUIT

SALAD DAYS DIET & NUTRITION

FOOD FOR THOUGHT ➻ Over the past few decades, illnesses that were relatively unknown 100 years ago (including various forms of cancer, Aids, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and many other physical and psychological disorders) today occur on an all too frequent basis.

But research into the benefits of a healthy diet has developed, too. Mr J Davis - a highly qualified macrobiotic consultant, counsellor and instructor from the world’s leading macrobiotic educational facility, the Kushi Institute - has been interested in the effects of how and what we eat for more than three decades and has 20 years’

teaching experience in the UK and abroad.

If you’d like to learn more about how to cope with (or perhaps even prevent) obesity, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, heart problems and other conditions, Mr Davis, now based in Bristol, offers one-toone consultations, cookery classes and talks to help you eat your way to better health. Consultations cost £80 and include diagnosis, facial analysis and literature (including recipes) for you to take home.

FFI 07411 186385, EMAIL: BETTERHEALTHBRISTOL@GMAIL.COM

This summer, remember that your guilt-free bowl of fruit salad offers more than a mere low-cal option. Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants to boost immune systems.

Mangoes bring beta carotene, vitamin A and fibre, while juicy, super-hydrating watermelon is an invaluable source of beta carotene, pectin, lycopene and potassium, which work together to inform energy production and could even help to protect against various forms of cancer and macular degeneration. Peaches and plums contain anthocyanins to help eliminate free radicals, and pineapples contain a cocktail of vitamins and minerals alongside enzymes to aid digestion and help prevent blood clot formation. Good old bananas are packed with vitamin B6 and potassium (said to lower blood pressure), and grapes contain a nutrient called pterostilbene, which can reduce levels of triglycerides and cholesterol by increasing the ability of other enzymes that lower fat levels in the bloodstream. Avoid serving your fruit salad in a pool of cream and you’re all set to eat yourself healthy this summer.

NLP

FREE YOUR MIND

➻ If fears, phobias, stress, anxiety, issues around weight or a nasty smoking habit are dominating your everyday life, it’s time to take action. Neuro-linguistic programming, which deals with both the conscious and unconscious mind, has been widely proven to deliver fast results by getting to the very core of a problem that, often, no one, including the person undergoing the therapy, is aware of.

Working from her Clifton home, NLP practitioner Nicky Maidment has more than 12 years’ experience in personal consultations and training for new practitioners. She’s successfully helped many people address a whole range of issues, and likens the fast, effective process of revealing the core of the problem to “peeling an onion”. Sessions start with an easygoing conversation to determine where you are with your issue and what you’d prefer to be happening in your life, and gradually develop to explore the personal, unique change processes that help free you from troublesome issues.

FFI 07771 907189, WWW.PURPLEMINDSNLP.COM

SPONSORED WALK

ROUND MIDNIGHT

➻ Last September, more than 1,200 women took to Bath’s streets at midnight for an 8km sponsored walk to support Dorothy House Hospice Care, which offers free, high-quality care and support to people with lifethreatening illness. This year’s Midnight Walk takes place on Sat 8 Sept - over the past 6 years, it’s become one of Bath’s most successful annual fundraising events.

The marshalled walk starts and finishes at SouthGate, taking in a gentle circular route around the city.

Registration costs £15 (including Midnight Walk T-shirt and refreshments) and all entrants must pledge to raise a minimum of £50 in sponsorship.

FFI WWW.BATHMIDNIGHTWALK.CO.UK

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MOTORING LIFESTYLE

Local Olympic hopefuls Georgie Twigg, Anya Tarasiuk and Katie Dawkins, are being supported by Dick Lovett MINI

FEEL THE

LOVE

British Leyland’s Mini is now the BMWowned MINI. Suzanne Savill drives the new MINI Roadster Cooper S and discovers how times have changed

O

ne look at those familiar features, and I realised the truth of what they say about how you never forget your first love.

Memories of the carefree times we’d spent together came flooding back as I stood in the Dick Lovett showroom in Bristol, surrounded by gleaming models from the new MINI range.

But this wasn’t a reunion of the Facebook variety. I was rediscovering my first love in motoring - the iconic small car that was Mini, and is now the BMW-owned MINI. While linking up with old flames or former schoolfriends can be an uninspiring revelation of how time has taken its toll, encountering the latest model of my first-ever car showed how much it’s improved over the years. It’s not only the MINI name that is now bigger. The German car manufacturer BMW have made the MINI better by adding a host of modern features, while retaining its character.

When I went to open the driver’s door of the convertible MINI Roadster Cooper S, which was launched earlier this year, I was delighted to see that it has the familiar chrome handles of my old car. The dashboard also has the same distinctive

round dials. And that, however, is where most similarities end.

The traditionally styled dials on this model actually contain an impressive amount of digital modern technology, including a satnav and mobile-phone connection. Starting the engine has also moved on. Instead of a key, a fob is inserted into a slot, and a button has to be

DETAILS MODEL MINI ROADSTER COOPER S PRICE FROM £20,905 MAX SPEED 141MPH FUEL CONSUMPTION 47.1MPG (COMBINED CYCLE) CO2 139-153G/KM POWER 184HP ACCELERATION 0-62MPH IN 7 SECS VED BAND E (£115)

pressed. The 1.6-litre petrol engine then comes to life with a rich, throaty roar.

Out on the road, it became clear the new MINI is a real eye-catcher. I can’t remember anyone doing a double-take at my old Mini, but I saw heads turning towards the stunning new model I was driving, especially with the top down - which takes just seconds, thanks to gaspressure springs.

The Roadster is 3.74m long, and can park with ease in even the trickiest spaces, with the added bonus of a beeping parking sensor and a visual display on the main dial. Acceleration is superb, and I effortlessly powered past motorway traffic - something my old Mini would have found a struggle. There’s a sports button to adjust steering and accelerator response, and the sporty feel is enhanced by the spoiler, which rises at 50mph and sinks at 37mph.

BMW are an official partner of the London 2012 Games, and Dick Lovett MINI are supporting three leading local Olympic athletes: hockey player Georgie Twigg and synchronised swimmers Anya Tarasiuk and Katie Dawkins (follow their progress at www. dicklovett2012athletes.co.uk). Georgie and Anya have both been provided with a brand new MINI. Here’s hoping that they’ll develop the enduring affection for this great little car that I still have more than 20 years after owning my Mini.

CONTACT

DICK LOVETT BRISTOL KINGSHEATH, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL, BS10. FFI: 0117 905 9203, WWW.DICKLOVETTBRISTOLMINI.CO.UK

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CHILL OUT This Weekend

Whatever you want to do this weekend we’ve got it covered FREE in Friday’s Post

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Transcendental Meditation® as taught by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

The only scientifically proven tool for personal development! for

Clearer thinking More energy Freedom from stress

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Call to book into a free Introductory Talk, or just with your questions: 0117 914 7127

“Regular TM helps me seize the day, spy the opportunity and grab hold of my own destiny with both hands. Everything used to feel like a constant struggle; now I‘m doing better and better and my life is easier and easier.” Kitty Tebbetts, film producer

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LIFESTYLE

EDUCATION

TASTER DAYS

THE REAL THING

The magic of science: a chemistry lesson in full swing at Colston’s School

➻ You can read about it, talk about it, attend an

open morning, even drop in during a school day.

All undoubtedly help in that most difficult of decisions - choosing the right school. However, for Year 6 boys and girls currently attending other primary schools in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, nothing compares with the real thing - to be part of a Year 7 class at Colston’s School in Stapleton, doing everything on (and off) the timetable.

Taster Days are firmly established in the

school calendar, and the demand from prospective parents means that they’re now available throughout the autumn term as well as during the spring term. The format is perfectly simple: just one visiting pupil per class, which means a maximum of four a day. They report to reception at 8.15am, where they’re met by Year 7 hosts who take them to registration, returning them to reception at 4pm to be collected by parents.

The headmaster’s PA Denise Sollis handles enquiries and scheduling of Taster Days. “Almost without exception, Year 7 pupils actively want to host Year 6 visitors,” she tells Folio. “They’re confident, they’re proud of their new school and they like to share their experience with others. It’s remarkable when you realise that they may have been members of the school for just a few weeks.

As well as hosting visiting Year 6 pupils, they will almost certainly be showing parents around at Open Morning on Saturday 29 September within a month of joining Colston’s. I’m convinced that it’s the confidence and friendship of our new Year 7 boys and girls that makes the day for Year 6 pupils coming from primary schools for their Taster Days.”

COLSTON’S SCHOOL STAPLETON, BRISTOL. WEB: WWW.COLSTONS.BRISTOL.SCH.UK. FFI: CONTACT DENISE SOLLIS ON 0117 965 5207, EMAIL: DENISESOLLIS@COLSTONS.BRISTOL.SCH.UK

COMMUNITY SERVICE

DIG IT!

currently a Yorkshire County lacrosse coach. She will relocate with her husband and three young children.

Westonbirt, a leading independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18, achieved an outstanding ISI report in 2011, along with excellent academic results (2011 saw the best ever GCSE results, with 61% A*-A grades). Ongoing investment in the school includes a new Music Technology Centre, which will open in September.

➻ Pupils from King Edward’s School in Bath have spent a week clearing weeds and building paths at the George V Playing Grounds in Limpley Stoke as part of the school’s Community Service programme during Activities Week. “Pupils volunteered to spend a week working on community service projects,” explains Nigel Vile, coordinator of the Community Service week. “The initiative is intended to help local communities as well as show young people how they can use their time and talents to make a difference to the lives of others.”

English teacher Sylvia Cooper, who took part in the project, was impressed by the pupils’ work ethic and commitment. “It was great to see their determination and community spirit. Despite the torrential rain, the group ploughed on, seemingly oblivious to the weather and having enormous fun!”

FFI WWW.WESTONBIRT.GLOUCS.SCH.UK

FFI WWW.KESBATH.COM

PERFORMING ARTS APPOINTMENTS

NEW HEAD ➻ A new head has been appointed at Westonbirt

School near Tetbury, Gloucestershire. From January next year, Natasha Dangerfield will succeed Mary Henderson, who, after 14 years of headship, has decided to move on to pursue personal ambitions and interests. Mrs Dangerfield joins Westonbirt School from Harrogate Ladies’ College where she’s currently deputy head and head of boarding. During her time there, she’s overseen significant developments in balancing the academic and pastoral needs of the school. She’s also an excellent sportswoman and is

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SKILLS LIFESTYLE

WRITE PHOTO CREDIT: KEVIN BATES

Armed with a pen and an old photo, Anna Britten turns life into fiction

Local novelist Gerard Woodward is sometimes brought in to share his wisdom with budding authors

Bath crime author Tim Weaver leading one of Jude and Alex’s workshops

ON CUE

E

verybody’s life is full of stories, but not all these stories will make great Stories. For a start, you might not want them to, because they’re too personal. And secondly, those episodes that seemed so weighted with drama and meaning at the time probably look rather shapeless and ‘so what?’ when you get them down on the page. So how do you turn this raw material your brother’s autism, your best friend’s extra-marital affair, that weird all-girls’ holiday to Tunisia - into a structured, meaningful piece of fiction?

That’s what I’m here to find out. It’s a Sunday morning in a church hall in Bath. With 11 other people - an even mix of male and female, aged approximately 30 to 65 - I’m waiting to learn all about Turning Your Life into Fiction. Workshop leaders Jude and Alex sit at the front of the room - both trained psychotherapists and writers themselves, the friends have been

running friendly, affordable creative writing workshops in the city for two years now. Sometimes they bring in local bigshots such as Gerard Woodward and Debby Holt to share their wisdom. Other times, such as today, they just provide a warm, supportive, let’s-all-have-a-go atmosphere and guiding hand for everyone from absolute beginners via dabblers to ebook publishers. “It’s about getting everybody going,” says Alex.

We go around the group introducing ourselves and our writing experiences. The majority have little of the latter, though many keep a journal. One is a poet, another has published children’s fiction, and another enigmatically says that everyone has told her that she must write her life story down. As prompts, we’ve been asked to bring along a photograph of ourselves in a group with other people, and a personal item. Our first task is to write four or five sentences of non-stop, uninhibited “free writing” about the➻

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Do you have a love of life and are you prepared to share it?

This is an exciting opportunity to work in an individualized service for a young man with learning disabilities, who lives in his own house in Long Ashton. With a lively sense of humour and lots of energy, he is looking for people who are willing, able, creative and energetic enough to support his quite complex range of needs. The ability to be calm and quietly confident when required is also a must! Experience of supporting people with learning disabilities is desirable but not essential.

We are looking to recruit: Support Workers (Job Ref: 1295) Hours negotiable from 15 – 30hrs Salary £14,625 - £16,575 (pro rata) Relief Support Workers (Job Ref: 1297) Starting salary £6.50 - £7.50 per hour We provide comprehensive formal, and on the job, training to enable you to support and empower the people we support. In addition we will develop and enhance your skills to reach performance excellence.

United Response is an award winning, national charity which supports people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and physical disabilities to take control of their lives.

For a full information and to apply for the job go to www.unitedresponse.org.uk/jobs Closing date for applications 13th August 2012 Location: Bristol, Long Aston Contact: Nadine Hurt Tel: 07854 646359 Email: Nadine.hurt@unitedresponse.org.uk

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SKILLS LIFESTYLE

Top: Alex and Jude from Writing Events Bath Bottom: Anna’s prompts - an old university photo and a red lipstick...

photo. “And imagine your inner critic is off on holiday somewhere having a lovely time,” says Jude.

My photo is of me and two brand new friends during the first week of university, over 20 years ago. We’re standing in front of an historic building and wearing caps and gowns. I jot down that we look a bit tired, stressed and daunted (though admittedly ‘hungover’ could cover all of these). I also note that we’re from all corners of England and different backgrounds, and that it looks chilly. I ponder how no one did heels or hair straighteners at British universities in the early nineties. After a few minutes, I’m thinking, Brideshead… with a soundtrack by the Happy Mondays. Alex then instructs us to circle the sentence we feel has the most energy and spend five minutes developing that. I scribble down a page about how the historic buildings seemed to be pressing in on us.

We then pair up to discuss the made-

up stories beginning to emerge from our photos. Who’s in it? Where are they? Is anyone missing? Who took the picture?

What happened afterwards? My partner has brought along a brilliant photo of herself at a festival, posing with a member of a heavy metal band. I’m envious of the avenues opening up in front of her - the shy rocker, the fan, the rowdy train ride home.

Our next task is to choose one person in the photo and write a first-person account of what’s happening. When our allocated five minutes is up, I’m quite pleased with bits of my rambling, but also disappointed that I seem to be bogged down by clichéd campus themes of fancying people and drinking too much, and wonder if I should chuck a murder in there somewhere.

During the coffee break I’m reminded of what self-effacing and incredibly nice people most aspiring writers are. And also, regrettably, of today’s woefully writer-unfriendly publishing industry, in which they’ll have to develop a hide of iron and Kardashian-level self-promotion skills in order to share their stories with the world. Thank goodness for the quiet encouragement of places like this.

For the second half of the workshop we have to come up with a title for our nascent story - mine is the dreary ‘The Contract’ - before writing a section in the third person, from the perspective of another character in the photo. This goes quite well. I work up a nice bit of conflict and a couple of good lines. But then agh! - we have to write a dialogue scene, and suddenly it all goes a bit sub-Shirley Conran.

There’s no obligation to read your work aloud at this or any such workshop, but when the time comes around, twothirds of us do. As different participants show their photo, explain what it depicts, then read out their passage, it becomes

apparent just what a vast wealth of material there is in the room alone. One woman tells a true story so surprising and uplifting that the thought of it, days later, still brings tears to my eyes.

There’s just enough time left to talk about our personal item (for me, a red lipstick) and how we could incorporate it into our story (I wish I’d brought a hand grenade). This is a great Gerard Woodward tip, explains Alex. If things are getting stagnant, choose a concrete noun at random from the dictionary and throw it into the scene. You might end up with a ceremonial sword on the wall, or a dead bat on the floor, and suddenly things perk up.

To close, we have to make up a snappy strapline for our stories. I’m impressed by the gusto with which people take to this task, and there are some enticing offerings, all ‘devastating consequences’ and ‘clashing of cultures’, with frailties being exposed and selves being found.

Mine isn’t really one of them: ‘A tragedy of obsession, betrayal and cheap beer.’ It gets a laugh, but not as big as the one for the man whose strapline reads: ‘Lingers long in the memory…’ - to which he wryly adds, “I doubt it will do, to be honest…”

I leave feeling cheerful and inspired.

It’s good to know that you don’t need a muse, thunderbolt or even an internet connection to come up with story ideas.

A rifle through the photo album will do.

FFI WWW.WRITINGEVENTSBATH.CO.UK (ALEX AND JUDE ARE RUNNING A FIVEWEEK CREATIVE WRITING COURSE AT BATH CENTRAL LIBRARY STARTING THUR 13 SEPT. YOU CAN ALSO BOOK NOW FOR FLASH FICTION (WITH TANIA HERSHMAN) ON THUR 11 OCT, AND PITCHING TO AN AGENT (WITH ANNE WILLIAMS FROM THE KATE HORDERN AGENCY) ON SUN 4 NOV)

BRISTOL FOLK HOUSE

BRIGHT IDEAS ➻Bristol Folk House are hosting four

creative writing workshops this month, beginning on Sat 4 Aug with Plotting a Novel, in which tutor Rosemary Dun will help you start (or finish) your masterpiece. On Wed 8 Aug, Billy Muir will get you writing 100-500-word nuggets, aka Flash Fiction. On Thur 9 Aug it’s time to work those imaginative muscles in The Writing Gym, while on Sat 11 Aug, Writers’ Studio will help you to put flesh on the bones of your ideas.

All courses run 10am-4pm, are suitable for beginners and the more experienced, and cost around the £25 mark (with concessions available).

FFI WWW.BRISTOLFOLKHOUSE.CO.UK.

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LIFESTYLE

SOHO

STYLE

C

ABOVE: A villa feature room, the bar, scallops cooked in a half shell, the Montpellier Chapter exterior BELOW: Foodie theatre at its best in the stylish restaurant

heltenham: an elegant, historic spa town, home to the races, a Ladies’ College, a flourishing annual festival programme… and the Montpellier Chapter, a glorious contempo-charming hotel housed in a lovingly restored Regency villa, with space for several distinctly characterful bars, a conservatory area, inner-sanctum courtyard, alfresco terrace, rollickingly good restaurant (of which more later), spa, collection of fascinating modern artworks and a selection of well-appointed, supremely stylish bedrooms including - get this! - a penthouse suite. So, does the MC offer the ultimate in city-break getaway experiences? There’s only one way to find out...

To a luddite like me, our gorgeous room presented a bit of a challenge: nice, clear instructions regarding where to find (and how to use!) the coffee maker and how the iPod actually works would have been very

TRAVEL

Melissa Blease tracks down superchef Simon Hopkinson at Cheltenham’s Montpellier Chapter hotel

welcome. But hey, when there’s a complimentary mini bar to plunder, huge bath to fill with bubbles, huge bed to lounge around on and huge bathroom (including huge walk-in shower and divine toiletries) to get glammed up in, such minor niggles fade to insignificance.

On arrival, I’d intended to take a stroll around the upmarket lanes and thoroughfares nearby, taking in the indisputable charms of one of the most genteel cities in the South West. But then the rain came down. And then there was a really good film on my really good flatscreen TV. And so it came to pass that I immersed myself in that bath while Marilyn Monroe undulated her way through a paean to diamonds, the stresses of a rainy rush-hour in Cheltenham going on without me beyond the glamorous gauze that separated my indulgent little sanctuary from the outside world. Ah, bliss indeed!

By 8pm, Beloved and I were sitting in the conservatory, sipping cocktails selected from a compelling list and anticipating dinner in a restaurant that boasts a kitchen overseen by food writer, critic and superchef Simon Hopkinson, a man highly regarded for his wonderful ways with properly sourced, seasonal food - a reputation that’s fully maintained by the Montpellier Chapter experience.

Unfortunately, however, the iPad from which one selects wine to accompany your hop around Simon’s playground had a gremlin in the system, and there was nobody on hand to guide or advise us in the ‘traditional’ manner - but then again, a hotel of this standard won’t stock any duds, so we took the random, carefree approach, eventually opting for a white rioja that didn’t disappoint.

Once seated at a table - in the corner of a dining room featuring an open-plan kitchen that adds the kind of flamboyant kitchen theatre drama that always fascinates a critic - we tucked into a splendid supper that included two perfect salads (fresh crab, silky cured beef), two fabulous fish dishes (grilled turbot steak, fillet of sea trout - the latter teamed with the freshest samphire I’ve yet to encounter) and a finishing flourish of banana tarte tatin and a very wellbalanced cheeseboard. This was, all told, the perfect summer feast: light, fresh and well balanced, with the very best seasonal flavours pushed to the fore. And so to bed - the one that I’d already tried and tested, and which thoroughly lived up to its promise of offering a soft and peaceful slumber. After making a splash in our fabulous bathroom the following morning, we made our way back to the dining room for breakfast, an experience as fresh and supremely tasty as dinner the night before.

Now the MC may not appeal to the traditional (gentle) thrill seekers among us - it’s definitely more about fun than formality (albeit in a supremely elegant way), and the unnecessarily hi-tech gadgetry may lead to frustration. What it offers, however, is a chic, unique urban bolthole suitable for work, rest and play - a little bit of Soho at the epicentre of the Cheltenham scene.

CONTACT

THE MONTPELLIER CHAPTER BAYSHILL RD, MONTPELLIER, CHELTENHAM. FFI: 01242 527788, THEMONTPELLIERCHAPTERHOTEL.COM

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KITCHENS BATHROOMS HOME IMPROVEMENTS SHOPPING GARDENING PROPERTY

➻ HOME FRONT

BESPOKE KITCHENS, ICONIC FURNITURE, FABULOUS FABRICS AND MORE...

BESPOKE KITCHENS & FURNITURE

FROM THE HEART

➻ From their workshop in central Bristol, the Bristol Kitchen Company

design and make truly bespoke kitchens and fitted furniture of the highest quality. Whether you’re after classic beauty or contemporary style, they can create everything from cutting-edge spaces with glass, stainless steel and hi-tech lighting to classic painted or timber joinery.

Company founders Howard Purse and Jonty Cutting had been friends for years and realised that their complementary skills and common ideals would be a great basis for a new business. As the Bristol Kitchen Company, the pair believe that finely crafted furniture should be made available to all. It’s an ethos born out of years of soul searching, and one that’s been influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement.

“The Arts and Crafts movement attempted to harness industrial technology to enhance the skills of craftsmen, and not replace them,” says Howard. “Now, we’re using the latest design software, business systems and manufacturing methods, but it’s our love of furniture making and design that determines the finished result. Our belief in people and our care for the environment and sustainability inform the way we operate and the furniture we make.”

Despite offering bespoke kitchens at a competitive price, they never cut corners. Every kitchen, and all the furniture they make, is designed specifically and purpose-built from scratch. With their phenomenal attention to detail and high-quality workmanship, they can manage all aspects of the project and provide detailed drawings and specifications.

THE BRISTOL KITCHEN COMPANY FFI: 0117 914 0340, WWW.THEBRISTOLKITCHENCOMPANY.CO.UK

KITCHENS

TIME FOR A FACELIFT ➻ Don’t let the recession stop you having the kitchen you always dreamed of. Locally run Bristol business Dream Doors can give a fabulous facelift to your existing kitchen by bringing it up to date with new doors and work surfaces for a fraction of the cost of a new one. Doors and work surfaces are available in a wide range of materials, from ultra modern to classic finishes, and Dream Doors can also add new appliances, tiles, flooring and accessories, giving you the kitchen you’ve always wanted.

“We’re all busy people,” says Graham Juniper, director of Dream Doors, Bristol, who bring all the expertise of a traditional kitchen company, “and the kitchen facelift is a simple and easy way to limit the disruption of a new kitchen. Our qualified fitters can have the job completed in a matter of days – plus, with a kitchen facelift, you’re recycling, so you’re helping the environment too.” All doors are made

to order, so there’s no waste at the end and only a small part of the manufacturing that’s involved with a whole new kitchen.

Your new kitchen begins with a designer booked to visit your home to measure and quote. This is free of charge and obligation.

If the kitchen is to go ahead, an order is raised for the doors, and in just a few weeks the fitters are booked at your convenience to install and be out as quickly as possible. Dream Doors kitchens come in all shapes and sizes, and with fitters who are dedicated to facelifting kitchens, every eventuality is thought of and they’re equipped to carry out the job without having to wait for materials or contact secondary tradesmen.

DREAM DOORS 11 THE PROMENADE, GLOUCESTER RD, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 944 3223, WWW.DREAMDOORS.CO.UK/LOCATIONS/ BRISTOL (SEE ALSO: WWW.CHECKATRADE.COM/ DREAMDOORSBRISTOL)

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HOMEFRONT

BATHROOMS, PLUMBING & HEATING

PEACE OF MIND ➻ Bristol-based bathroom and plumbing

specialist iPLUMB have more than 11 years’ experience in gas and central heating services in Bristol and an enviable reputation for providing fast, guaranteed boiler installations. And this forwardthinking company have now extended their services to include complete bathroom and wet room installation, as well as intelligent plumbing and heating solutions for today and the future. Gas Safe registered, iPLUMB have an experienced team of experts, including plumbers, builders, tillers, electricians and decorators, who work together to provide a complete bathroom and wet room installation service, fitted quickly and efficiently to the highest of standards. iPLUMB also advise on and install low-

cost, energy-efficient alternative fuel systems, including the latest biomass systems, energy-efficient gas boilers and solar and rainwater systems, helping you to make the best choices for your home, ensuring long-term peace of mind with 10-year warranties and safeguarding against rising fuel costs. Specialising in all sizes and styles of bathrooms, from simple refurbishments to complete new rooms, the dedicated team offer a complete solution, from planning and design to sourcing products and installing - all on brief, on time and on budget.

IPLUMB & FUTUREPROOF BOILERS SHOP & OFFICE: 56 NORTH ST, BEDMINSTER, BRISTOL, BS3. FFI: 0117 939 3542, 07765 235566, WWW.BRISTOLIPLUMB.CO.UK

DESIGNER SHOWROOM

HEAD TURNERS ➻ In the shadow of fallen giant Habitat, destination designer furniture showroom Sphere Living Design in Clifton has just turned one. Bristol’s style hunters no longer have to go to London to source genuine, iconic pieces of furniture such as the Egg chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958, or the Charles & Ray Eames Lounge chair from 1956. In addition to stunning pieces of furniture, you’ll find accessories, tableware and glassware by Design House Stockholm and iittala, and lighting

by Flos and Nordic designer Muuto.

SPHERE LIVING DESIGN EMBASSY HOUSE, QUEENS AVE, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 929 2365, WWW.SPHERELIVINGDESIGN.COM

CREATIVE CRAFTS

MADE IN BATH ➻ You’ll find the Makery Emporium, which opened in 2010, in Northumberland Place, one of the prettiest streets in central Bath. A crafty mecca for creative folk, The Makery lures customers from all over the country with its fabulous selection of crafty wares. Owner Kate Smith explains how the surge in crafting is manifesting itself: “We teach all sorts of workshops - from dressmaking to upholstery and lampshade making - and found that our customers were having trouble sourcing beautiful yet affordable supplies for their projects. We therefore work hard to stock a range of hard-to-find fabrics and trims.”

Not all Makery customers are sewing experts, though. “We have lots of people wanting to wrap presents with extra-special ribbon, or source goodies for their wedding,” says Kate. “People are getting more creative in other areas, even if they’re not a whiz on the sewing machine!”

THE MAKERY 146 WALCOT ST (01225 421175) & THE MAKERY EMPORIUM 16 NORTHUMBERLAND PLACE, BATH (01225 487708).

FFI: WWW.THEMAKERYONLINE.CO.UK

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FOLIO BRISTOL & BATH

WIN

A TWILIGHT PACKAGE FOR TWO AT THERMAE BATH SPA

FREE TAKE ONE! THE WEST’S BEST LIFEST YLE M AG

AUGUST 2012 l No. 211

EATING OUT WEST

Local entrepreneurs

THE WEST’S BEST

lifestyle

MAGAZINE

THE COSIEST COUNTRY PUBS

& THE SECRETS OF THEIR SUCCESS

Where to eat gluten free

A POSE Grab a front row seat for BRISTOL FASHION WEEK at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway this September!

➻ BEAUTY Folio_Cover211.indd 1

FASHION WHAT'S ON INTERIORS PROPERTY FOOD 7/25/2012 9:59:38 AM

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INTERIORS HOMEFRONT

Use mosaic tiles to create an attractive splashback: chromatic tiles from Topps Tiles, from £21/15cmx15cm tile (www.toppstiles.co.uk)

OFF THE

WALL

Interior designer Lesley Taylor confesses to an incurable passion for tiles

T

he flexibility that tiles offer makes them a designer’s dream - I love working on a project that enables me to experiment with the gorgeous array of styles currently on the market.

It’s a passion that’s even seen me designing my own tile collections. Tiles have long been a favourite within the home because of their versatility and practical benefits, and there’s a style to suit any interior theme, whether you want a glamorous spa bathroom or rustic Mediterranean kitchen. You can incorporate tiles throughout your home, in any room of any size. However, with

such a broad range of styles and materials available, it can be difficult to know where to start.

My favourite place to use tiles is within the kitchen. Here, you can use them as much or as little as you like, depending on your personal tastes and the look that you want to achieve. If you’re not too sure about covering the entire kitchen with tiles, why not create a focus wall in an accent colour instead?

I love selecting beautiful glass mosaics in an iridescent finish to create a splashback behind the hob. This draws attention to the area to create an interesting focal point and is incredibly practical as it allows the wipe-down of cooking splashes and spills with minimum fuss. For additional practicality, consider lining the plinth of your cabinetry with tiles to protect against scuffs and kicks; this will also make the area even easier to clean.

If you have a contemporary-style kitchen, think about choosing tiles in bright shades, partnered with a simple white design. This will help to retain a feeling of space and, when teamed with a high-gloss finish, will introduce a really modern and chic look. For kitchens with a country feel, try matt tiles in rich shades such as terracotta or deep reds to replicate the sense of warmth associated with classically styled spaces.

In the bathroom, of course, tiles remain an essential part of design due to their practical benefits. So far I’ve struggled to find an alternative that offers the same level of performance

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HOMEFRONT

and style. As with the kitchen, tiles can be used in the bathroom as much or as little as you like. Many homeowners now prefer to use tiles in a few key areas including above the basin and running alongside the bath or within a shower enclosure. This prevents the walls from becoming damaged, but also allows you to add interest to the room. Tiles are perfect for introducing texture and colour into a space, and often make a bigger impact when used in small doses.

Applying tiles only to the areas needed isn’t just far more cost-effective than using them from floor to ceiling, but is also far more convenient. While the finish may be fantastic when first completed, overtime the tiles will begin to look dated and will be a nightmare to try to remove! In the bathroom, less is definitely more.

Many homeowners are now opting for a minimalist theme in bathrooms,

Above: Tiled flooring that doesn’t make the room feel cold: Escandinavia range by Grespania (www. grespania.com) Above right: Add interest to a minimalist design: Mother of Pearl tiles from Taylor’s Etc (www.taylorsetc. co.uk) Right: A spacious feel: World Stone Collection from Taylor’s Etc, from £68/sq m (www. taylorsetc.co.uk)

including white gloss sanitaryware of a simple design, partnered with a neutral decor. Introducing tiles with a natural appearance such as stone, or a manmade alternative including glazed porcelain, will help to create a calming and tranquil ambience that’s perfect for relaxing. If you’re worried about the room looking bland, choose a tile that has a shimmering effect. To maintain a neutral scheme, tiles in a mother of pearl finish are ideal. If you want to inject some colour, bold mosaics will work a treat.

While tiles are typically associated with kitchens and bathrooms, lots of us are now opting to use them throughout a property. When you go on holiday abroad, particularly to warm countries, you’ll often see tiles used in every room, most commonly in the form of flooring, and this is definitely the way forward for your interiors. Despite it being a bold move to apply tiles to walls within living

INTERIORS

spaces, if you have a room that’s a tad bland, using tiles to create a feature wall could be just the answer you’re looking for. This works particularly well in dining rooms with textured designs, especially if you like entertaining and are looking to make a statement.

For flooring, use large-format tiles, which will give the illusion of more generous proportions and minimise the amount of grout lines for a more seamless finish. If you’re worried about the area lacking in warmth with the removal of carpet, use tiles in a matt finish. There are also some great designs on the market that have the appearance of wooden flooring, yet are far easier to keep clean and maintain. These will also prevent the room from feeling cold.

If however, you want to incorporate a feeling of glamour and elegance, then tiles with a gloss finish are definitely the way to go. One of the best places to apply tiles of this style is in the entrance hall to make a bold statement with a sophisticated edge. Tiles aren’t just practical, they’re stylish too, and can look beautiful in any home and in any room.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, and choose a design that suits your personal tastes - you’ll be amazed at what you can find out there.

CONTACTS EXCLUSIVE TILE STUDIO 15-17 ZETLAND RD, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 942 8599, WWW.EXCLUSIVETILESTUDIO.CO.UK FIRED EARTH 65A WHITELADIES RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 973 7400, WWW.FIREDEARTH.COM MANDARIN STONE 15-16 BROAD ST, BATH, 01225 460033 & 15 REGENT ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL, 0117 973 1552. WWW.MANDARINSTONE.COM PORCELANOSA LYSANDER RD, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 959 7151, WWW.PORCELANOSA.COM

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the

wooden blindcompany

bespoke shutters & blinds

Expertly measured & installed by us, We are a local, family business, With over a decade of experience.

Contact us now to be inspired!

t: 0117 960 6289 www.thewoodenblindcompany.co.uk

For a beautiful new kitchen...

just change the doors Transform your tired kitchen in just a few days from start to finish

We pay will V you anyAT on r o p rder in Alaced s ug onlyust

Have you always wanted the kitchen of your dreams but can’t quite justify paying the expensive price tag that comes with it? Now you can by just swapping the doors and worktops.

Less cost, less time, less mess...

• Huge choice of Doors, Worktops, Appliances, Sinks & Taps • From doors to complete kitchens • 50% deposit with balance on completion

CALL NOW for your FREE quote on 0117 944 3223 www.dreamdoors.co.uk

View our credentials at

Visit our Showroom: 11/12 The Promenade, Gloucester Road, Bristol BS7 8AL

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HOMEFRONT

Q&A

CLOSE UP WITH HOMEWORX & DHV ARCHITECTS Advice from the experts on the processes and costs involved in a professional building project

H

omeworx Design and Build and Dittrich Hudson Vasetti Architects share a passion for design, high-quality building work and delivering projects that are truly stunning. DHV Architects combine award-winning contemporary design ability and meticulous attention to detail to help clients create beautiful spaces tailored to their needs. Homeworx are highly committed to building beautiful projects with outstanding workmanship, to programme and to budget.

Above: Gemma and Dominic of Homeworx, and Below: Dittrich Hudson Vasetti Architects

WORDS: JOSIE DRUMMOND

We’re considering some building work to our home, but have no idea what sort of costs are involved. Can you advise?

We offer a free consultation at your property, during which we’ll have a look at the scope of work involved and can give you some idea of the costs, based on average prices per square metre. If these figures are within your budget, then we can offer either a half- or full-day design surgery for between £300 and £500. This will involve taking a brief and developing ideas into drawings. From these, we can also provide you with ballpark costings.

What happens once we’re happy with the design concept and budget? What costs will be incurred next?

You’ll then need a measured building survey, design development drawings, statutory approvals and permission applications, and building regulation drawings. For all of these you should expect to pay from £2,250. DHV organise all of these for you to make the process as simple as possible. The last document you’ll need is a detailed list of works and quotation. Homeworx organise this for you, and you should expect to pay from £500. However, if you proceed with your project, then Homeworx cover the cost of this document for you. Homeworx will design your kitchen, bathroom, dressing room and any built-in furniture you may need free of charge and show you full-colour 3D images to help you visualise your interiors.

So if we’re happy at that stage of the process, how do we proceed?

You’ll sign a Federation of Master Builders contract - of which Homeworx are a member. You’ll be provided with a payment plan, and once your deposit has been paid, your start date will be booked and a schedule supplied to you. Throughout your project you’ll be given progress updates by your site manager, and valuations will be carried out to assess the completed works until the project is complete and you can move in!

Homeworx and DHV will work closely together to transform your home into a beautiful, contemporary living space

HOMEWORX DESIGN & BUILD TEL: 01275 845011, MOB: 07809 152636, WEB: WWW.HOMEWORXBRISTOL.CO.UK

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GARENING HOMEFRONT

IN THE

GARDEN

Ideas and inspiration from Trish Gibson to help you make the most of your garden this month

GROW SOMETHING SPECIAL HOT COLOURS

I

n the late summer garden, hot colours really come into their own. A sort of montbretia, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ is well named its flowers are a devilishly hot red and show up well against its dense, upright, iris-like foliage.

JOBS FOR AUGUST

Growing tips Crocosmias aren’t fussy plants and will flower well in full sun or partial shade. ‘Lucifer’ is one of the hardiest varieties, but most crocosmias will survive cold winters here in the West Country, especially if you leave the foliage in the autumn to protect the plant beneath.

Trim hedges and topiary to keep them looking smart through autumn and winter.

Sow quick-maturing salad crops such as summer lettuce, radish, rocket, sorrel, chicory and fennel.

Buy or order springflowering bulbs - daffodils should be planted in September for a good start.

The hot red flowers of Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

➻ OTHERS TO TRY CROCOSMIA ‘GERBE D’OR’ A smaller plant than ‘Lucifer’, with bronze-tinted leaves and apricot-yellow flowers, ‘Gerbe d’Or’ is a vigorous grower and will spread well.

DAY LILY ‘SAMMY RUSSELL’ This hemerocallis or day lily forms a neat, graceful clump, producing its delicate trumpet-shaped brick-red flowers, each only lasting a day, all through late summer.

SCHIZOSTYLIS COCCINEA ‘MAJOR’ These South African flowers, members of the iris family, are commonly known as Kaffir lilies. They’ll keep their flowers and leaves pretty much until Christmas.

WE’LL BE BUYING… Winner of Product of the Year at Chelsea, Harrod Horticultural’s Slot & Lock connector range. Use it to build portable crop protectors and support frames by slotting their aluminium tubing into the connectors. The judges noted its ‘ease of use and durability’.

FFI 0845 402 5300, WWW.HARRODHORTICULTURAL.COM

THIS MONTH WE’LL BE VISITING...

Stoberry Park, Wells, which is opening for the National Garden Scheme on Sun 12 Aug. Landscape ponds, water features, sculpture and art are all on offer in this stunning garden with a backdrop of breathtaking views of Wells and the Vale of Avalon.

FFI STOBERRY PARK, WELLS, BA5.

OPEN 2-5.30PM, ADMISSION £4.50, CHILDREN FREE. WEB: WWW.STOBERRY-PARK.CO.UK, WWW.NGS.ORG.UK

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15 Market St, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire Ffi: 01225 309383 www.ourgreenroom.co.uk

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PROPERTY HOMEFRONT

PLAY THE

FIELD

This 19th century Butcombe family home comes with its own field and heated outdoor pool. Josie Drummond reports 86 FOLIO/AUG 2012

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HOMEFRONT

PROPERTY

M This seriously gorgeous sixbedroom family home comes with fabulous gardens, stable block and heated outdoor pool

ake your way through the undulating North Somerset countryside a mile north of Blagdon Lake and you’re rewarded with your first glimpse of 19th century Barley Brook House in Butcombe.

With seriously lovely gardens (including a walled garden out back), a heated outdoor swimming pool and timber pool house, a former stable block and its very own adjoining field in which to frolic, Barley Brook lingers gorgeously in an idyllic rural setting. It’s far from isolated, though, being 13.5 miles from Wells, 12 miles from Bristol, 10 miles from Backwell train station, nine miles from junction 20 of the M5 and four miles from Bristol Airport.

This delightful six-bedroom detached property was bought by the present owners in 2002, and in 2003 the house was updated and extended, including the breakfast kitchen and the principal bedroom suite.

Step through the reception hall and it’s all simple elegance and light rooms, exuding a decidedly warm and friendly atmosphere.

The drawing room, sitting room, study and breakfast kitchen (with that all-important Aga) all open out to the garden, and there’s a dining room, utility room, cloakroom, covered area and wine store, too.

Up to the first floor, and you’ll find five bedrooms, all with wonderful views, including the principal bedroom with bathroom and dressing area, plus a shower room and further bathroom. The sixth bedroom, with ensuite bathroom, is on the second floor, along with a studio room and storage room in the attic.

Step outside, and we can guarantee that you’ll be drooling over the fabulous gardens of about three-quarters of an acre that lie to the east and west of the house, with a small stream meandering through. The front ➻

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PROPERTY HOMEFRONT garden is laid to an expanse of lawn interspersed with a variety of ornamental trees and flower borders. The walled rear garden, meanwhile, which has been planted for colour and texture, is an absolute delight.

There are deep herbaceous borders, level lawn, flower beds, a kitchen garden and a paved patio immediately outside the breakfast kitchen. Your tomatoes will be safe from whatever the British summer throws at them in the greenhouse, while you can take shelter in one of the two timber garden sheds.

Connected to the house, which has oilfired central heating, is a garage/tractor shed, and there’s a former stable block with loft over. To the north of the house, an adjoining field is linked by vehicular access from the drive, while the former stable provides pedestrian access to the field.

Anyone for a swim? No problem. You’ve got your very own outdoor heated swimming pool, with a timber pool house.

In all, the property extends to about to 1.63 hectares (4.02 acres) and serves up open views across all that fab countryside. In Butcombe itself, there’s a church and village hall, while two miles away in Blagdon you’ll find a post office and general stores, butcher’s shop, church, village hall, primary school and three pubs. Wrington is four miles to the north west, and there are secondary schools at Backwell, Churchill and Wells. In addition to the many private schools in Bristol, you can choose from Wells Cathedral, Millfield, Sidcot and The Downs prep school at Wraxall.

Those of an outdoor-activities bent will be spoiled for choice, with sailing and fishing on Chew Valley Lake, fishing on Blagdon Lake, walking and riding over the Mendip Hills and racing at Wincanton and Bath. If swinging the clubs is more your thing, you’ll find golf at Bristol and Clifton Golf Club at Failand, Burnham and Berrow Golf Club at Burnham on Sea, and Mendip Spring Golf Club at Congresbury.

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HOMEFRONT

PROPERTY

BARLEY BROOK HOUSE GREEN LANE, BUTCOMBE, NORTH SOMERSET, £1,250,000 ➻ Freehold with vacant possession upon completion of the whole. Viewing strictly by confirmed appointment with the agents below.

FFI KNIGHT FRANK, REGENT HOUSE, 27A REGENT ST, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 (0117 317 1999, WWW.KNIGHTFRANK.CO.UK) & PATTI PAGE, LEIGH COURT, ABBOTS LEIGH, NORTH SOMERSET, BS8 (01275 376227, WWW.PATTIPAGE.CO.UK)

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PHOTO CREDIT: RANKIN

BATH LIVING

PIECESOFME

TANYA RICH Bath-based voiceover artist WORDS: SUZANNE SAVILL

The “consistently good” Circus in Brock Street is a favourite foodie haunt of Tanya’s

fter forgoing drama school to manage and tour with a punk band and work as a session and jingle singer, Tanya Rich began her voiceover career in 1985, and travelled around the country working at radio stations and production houses. She moved to Bath in 1991 and, thanks to the invention of ISDN, now works mainly from her own studio. Her work, showcased on her website (www. tanyarich.co.uk), ranges from adverts to on-hold messages. She’s the voice of hundreds of companies including the Prudential, Jo Malone, Stena Line, Starplan, Mercedes and Holiday Inn. She sings regularly for 20th Century Foxes cabaret and is part of new and exciting three-part harmony trio The BelleFleurs (www.thebellefleurs.co.uk). She also coaches aspiring voiceover talent and directs showreels. Tanya’s other passions are food and drink. She’s married to conservation stone mason Matthias and has a 15-year-old daughter, Araminta.

PHOTO CREDIT: WWW.SUZYBENNETT.CO.UK

My best part of the morning… None of it! I’m not a morning person! OK, I’ll go for about 10am. That’s usually when I voice my first session of the day, for a regular client. The producer, Keith, and I get on famously, and always have a laugh. Even if I’m not in the best of moods, he always cheers me up.

My favourite aspect of my work…

As a voiceover, I can be anyone I like, from an elf to a witch, smooth and corporate or rather raunchy. No one can see me; it’s all about the voice and it doesn’t matter what I’m looking like. Which is fortunate at times. I try not to voice in my PJs but it has been known, particularly when feeling under the weather.

My perfect cafe for a cup of coffee… Sam’s Kitchen in Walcot Street - especially if I can get the purple velvet chair! Great coffee, and exquisite cakes. I’m also just as likely (if not more likely) to finish work early and go to Door 34 in Monmouth Street for a much-deserved margarita - or as I call it, a Tanyarita!

My ideal venues for lunch or dinner…

Consistently good and a favourite of mine for years is the Circus in Brock Street for either.

Two new(ish) places in Bath that I also love are Menu Gordon Jones and the newly opened Allium Brasserie in the Abbey Hotel. Chris Staines’ food makes my taste-buds tango!

My dream shop in Bath… Can I have two?

Please! If only one, it has to be Square in Old Bond Street. They have some of my favourite designers. But I’m also a huge fan of Justice, the jewellery shop in Burton Street.

My favourite places in Bath… My home and garden. Kelston Round Hill, which is near to where I live. You can see the group of trees on top from many approaches into Bath, and just seeing it always makes me feel I’m nearly home. I also love the Dell in Victoria Park. My daughter and I spent many happy times there trying to find the ‘Faraway Tree’, as I used to read her the Enid Blyton books of the same name.

For the perfect cup of coffee and exquisite cakes (left), Tanya makes a beeline for Sam’s Kitchen in Walcot Street

PHOTO CREDIT: WWW.SUZYBENNETT.CO.UK

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Stephen Webster multichain necklace and earrings from Justice

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