WMN on Sunday - West Magazine 11 January

11.01.15

Canine career Meet Lauren the pet guru INSIDE: + WIN: LATEST BABY CARRIER WORTH £95

PLUS: + ROYALTY’S

FAVE CAKE

+ MIRANDA

HART

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Devon’s most magnificent historic gardens...

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‘I inherited my grandmother’s recipe book, chock full of scraps of paper and backs of intriguing half-letters’

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FASHION Have a pyjama party

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THE LISTS PAGE Spotting snowdrops, birthday wishes and much more

Kate Shirazi on cake, p 35

[contents[ Inside this week...

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THE WISHLIST What to buy, where to go

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THE HOTLIST

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GILLIAN MOLESWORTH

Our pick of the best events in the West On New Year resolutions, and more...

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ONE OF US Miranda Hart is from Torquay: who knew?

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MY CANINE CAREER

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Country style with a modern twist on the River Dart

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Top tips for your very good health in 2015

INTERIORS

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Meg Johnson’s amazing year in photographs

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Our pick of the best new bedlinen trends

A PICTURE A DAY

Meet Lauren, the dog whisperer

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A PICTURE A DAY One photographer’s 365 day challenge

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BEAUTY Treats and cheats for the week ahead

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FASHION Throw a pyjama party

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RIGHT ROYAL BAKING Kate Shirazi’s special cake recipe

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MY WESTCOUNTRY Singer Alex Hart’s favourite places

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EATING OUT

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THE BEER EXPERT

Village pubs put to the test New ales and ale news

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ON THE ROAD What young drivers really need to know

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MAN & BOY Visiting Granny in hospital

FRESH START

SWEET DREAMS

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Cafes

What are your plans for 2015?

1 The Clipper, Shaldon

[

Time for a cuppa

By Becky Sheaves

is there Salterton: udleigh name something about the very to that slightly makes me want one: giggle. And I’m not the only when Jeremy Clarkson popped out a Bentley

by Budleigh Salterton to try dismissed this Continental for Top Gear, he as “Britain’s most seaside town in East Devon bit rich coming over-priced, dreary place.” A Counties, you from a man who lives in the Home have a point? might say. But still, does Clarkson to locals, After all, Budleigh, as it is known a peculiarly has long been the butt of many Three, Rowan English joke. In TV’s Blackadder he has lost all Atkinson greets the news that don’t believe it! his money with the words: “I the Budleigh Goodbye Millionaire’s Row. Hello Terminally Short Salterton Rest Home for the Noel Coward of Cash!” Even back in the 1940s,

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on A friendly coastal-themed café right near the waterfront in trendy Shaldon, Teignmouth in South Devon. Good home-baked cakes a speciality, and also serves lunch and dinner.

Dish of the day: Home cooked ham with free range eggs and chips Mains around £7 Contact: 01626 873747

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mash (£8.20), John ordered sausages and it was a place for chorizo casserole was mocking the town, saying while I went for a chicken and seven hours in a “bores”, citing the “potted palms, (£6.95). John’s dish was old-fashioned and a threeof dinner your of every day on a damp golf-course reassuringly good way. The sort England.” have put on the piece orchestra playing Merry grandmother would (or should) husband) told from nearby However, a little bird (OK, my table. The superb sausages were really great little me that Budleigh is home to a The onion gravy was rich, dark So on a quiet Greendale Farm. properly buttery. café, called Tea & Tittle Tattle. and silky and the mash was see what all the veg, which was weekday, we pottered over to Along came a dish of shared first impressions fuss is about. May I say, the Granny would/should have cooked very favourable also just as carrots cut of Budleigh as a whole were it: swede with butter and pepper, little shops, that were (to my – the town has lots of intriguing longways and brussels sprouts a friendly air of just a smidgen a lovely unspoilt beach and modern way of thinking) perhaps of centre the In independence and prosperity. since 2008, been overcooked. joy – generous town is a corner shop that has, My casserole was a bowlful of French-style this family-run café. amounts of meat in a delicious and – when we good seasoning It’s tiny, but full of character bean and chorizo stew. Really lunchtime – visited on an ordinary Tuesday done, with “home cooked” only two tables and beautifully surprisingly busy. There were it. eaten there, written all over (£4.25) which free when we walked in. And having John then ordered apple pie hit. It’s friendly, was so short it I’m not surprised it is such a was superb: the sweet pastry cooking and too with excellent service, good home cake, and the apple was not place that every was almost choice on the very low prices. The sort of sugary or stewed. Basing my actually have. small town deserves, but so few

Our guide to lovely Lyme Regis in today’s magazine

[ welcome [

4 of the best

REVIEW

EXPLORE

[

[ 2 The café, Duchy of Cornwall Nursery, Lostwithiel

With interiors by Annabel Elliot, this lovely café was opened by her sister – who just happens to be Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (and hubby Prince Charles owns the place). Very a good locally sourced ingredients and great menu.

Dish of the day: Donna’s salted caramel cheesecake Prices: Mains around £8 Contact: 01208 872668

3 The Welcome Café chef thus far, old-school credentials of the (£4.25) and I chose raspberry suet pudding a generous slice was not disappointed. It was in texture yet packed with jammy fruit, light same time. reassuringly rib-sticking at the suppliers On the wall was a list of local the ingredients and a map showing where all café really does come from. I approve – this such as think local and supports producers at Chagford, the wonderful Devonshire Dairy was absolutely pud) suet my (on cream whose and the staff excellent. The service was swift cient. After 2pm seemed both happy and effi a seriously good they serve what looked like which I think high tea, with all the trimmings, before too long. will be tempting me back here and I looked On the way back to our car, John It must windows. in several estate agency liked Budleigh be nice to live here. Yes, we this charming Salterton a lot - and we liked little café, too.

Tea & Tittle Tattle, 4 Fore Street, Salterton, Devon, 01395 443203

Along the water on Exeter’s Quayside dogis a lovely walk and you’ll find this friendly café in the old inn here. Warm welcome, charming architecture and great home baking.

Dish of the day: French toast with bacon and maple syrup Prices: Mains around £4 Contact: 01392 279003

How they scored...

Food Atmosphere Service Price

   Lunch for two was £19.80

4 The Apple Tree Café, Land’s End

for Open all year round near Sennen homemade breakfast, lunch, cakes free and cream teas. Vegan and gluten to available and a cosy wood burner boot.Dish of the day: Newlyn crab sandwiches Prices: Mains around £7 Contact: 01736 872753

Budleigh

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Just over a year ago, photographer Meg Johnson upped stakes and moved 200 miles south to Devon. Once here, she started a remarkable project called 365, in which she forced herself to take a (rather good) photograph every single day.

Sometimes it was easy, at others she found herself “running around at ten to midnight to get a picture”.

The point is, she did it. And from that one clever idea, a whole new life - and career - has been born. Read all about it in today’s West magazine.

Another Westcountry woman who has built a smart career out of her passion is Lauren Langman, this week’s cover star. Lauren’s a whiz with dog agility, competing at national level with her amazing collies. But she’s also built that enthu-

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Tweet

of the week @TeaTittleTattle How exciting to open the Sunday paper and find this review! Thank you @WMNWest @Tasteofthewest @GreendaleFarm

siasm into a thriving business, helping hundreds of dog owners to train their dogs. I’ll confess - my once-wayward border collie Lil has benefitted from several of Lauren’s classes over the years. We’ve tried a bit of agility but the course that made the most difference?

Walking On The Lead. Read all about Lauren on page 12 today.

In the spirit of keeping things simple, our resident chef Tim Maddams has some great ideas for tackling kale on page 42 - they’re healthy AND delicious (and cheap if you’re watching the pennies, too). If a little luxury is needed, though, then Kate Shirazi has a cake recipe (p 35) which, she assures us, is a favourite of Royalty. Sounds good to me!

From that one clever idea a whole new life - and career - has been born

[

Becky Sheaves, Editor

CONTACT: westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk Tel: 01392 442250 Twitter @wmnwest

COVER IMAGE: Steve Haywood

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Sarah Pitt

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Phil Goodwin

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The Boba 4G baby carrier, £94.50, from South Devon based Slumber Roo www.slumber-roo.co.uk

If you buy one thing this week...

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by January 25. Normal terms apply.

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Wishlist

True blue Oliver Bonas cobalt twill scarf, £24, www. oliverbonas.com

My bird!

Sophie Allport’s Pheasies! mug, £8.50, www.sophieallport.com

Crafty Nutscene twine and trug set, £12.99 www.oakroomshop.co.uk

The wish List West’s top picks for spending your time and money this week

Wise words We love this laser cut wooden keyring, £9, www.etsy.com

Keep the January chill out with this Mr Fox draught excluder, www.andshire.co.uk, £20

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Divine..

Send your imagination soaring with these gold angel wings for your walls, £129, from www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

British birds chart, £35, www. bybuildshop.com

BE BOLD Brighten up your day with this woven plastic beach basket, £15, Laura Ashley stores and www.lauraashley.com

Store we adore Lemon Velvet, Kingsbridge Newly opened in October 2014, this boutique is the brainchild of former property agent Janice Gordon. She’s togged the store out with velvet sofas and purple walls, and stocked it with hard-to-find treasures such as handbags from Edinburgh’s Joey D label, vintage jewellery by Rosie Fox and fashion from Bohemia and Amsterdam label Moshiki.

Lemon Velvet, 23 Fore Street, Kingsbridge, Devon, see Facebook for details or call 01548 853161 7

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Events

The hotlist: There’s plenty to do right now here in the Westcountry, from wassailing to art shows

2. Snowdrops

#1

February 1, Dolton Many National Gardens Schemes gardens will open to celebrate the welcome appearance of snowdrops in early spring. Cherubeer Gardens, two miles east of Dolton, Devon (EX19 8PP) are open on Sunday 1 February from 2pm to 5pm with shady woodland beds containing two hundred varieties of snowdrops. For details visit www.ngs.org.uk

3. Traveller’s tales Trelissick, January 13 Meet explorer Robin HanburyTenison at a lecture lunch at Trelissick Gardens, £17.50, call 01872 861032 to book

#4

Matisse masterpieces Until Feburary 7.

Honiton A free exhibition of Matisse’s famous “drawing with scissors” paper cutouts is visiting the Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton from the Hayward Gallery in London. Open from 10am-5pm, it includes 35 lithographs of his works, including The Snail and Blue Nudes. For details visit www. thelmahulbert.com

#3 4. Wassail!

Saltram, January 17 Bring whistles, pan lids and wellies to wake up the apple trees in the Saltram orchard near Plymouth with the ancient custom of wassailing. Drinks and food provided for a fun evening with Dartington Morris Men. Meet at Saltram Café 5.45pm, Adults £9, children £4.50. To book call 01752 333500 or email saltram@ nationaltrust.org.uk

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My life

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GILLIAN MOLESWORTH

Fitting it all in Some New Year thoughts on life, and balance...

o. How are our New the depth of winter isn’t a bad time Year’s Resolutions to pause and examine our lives. going? I’ve always I enjoyed reading the 2015 resolumaintained that Janutions of the Westcountry’s colourary is a crummy time ful characters in our December 28 of year to make life changes. It’s magazine. Benjamin Mee of Dartchilly and dark. Chances are you moor Zoo vowed to spend more have a cold or SAD, time with his aniand are in finanmals. Fishmonger cial arrears after Dan Garnett from Christmas.

North Devon inMarch is a much tends to go fishing Maybe the depth more sensible time more. Poppy Trefof winter isn’t for it: look at pagan fry, founder of a religions, from craft empire, wants such a bad time Celtic to Greek. to take more coastto take a pause They all restarted al walks. the year at the What I loved and examine vernal equinox about these resoluour lives around March 21. tions was that these Spring is a much people aren’t punmore logical time ishing themselves: for new beginnings. lose weight, stop Never mind. drinking, etc. etc.

There is a lyrical element to the They just want to make more time Roman contribution. January is to do what they love. I once saw a named for Janus, the god of gates, motivational speaker do a striking doors and beginnings. He has two demonstration. On a table, he had faces: one which looks forward, and a big glass jar surrounded by three one which looks backward. Maybe types of rock: big stones, pebbles,

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and sand.

“These big stones are the important things in your life: whether they are family, or exercise, or financial success, whatever you value most,” he said.

“The pebbles are the things that are also important, but less so – a good social life, interesting cooking, or a special hobby.

“The sand represents all the little things that are not important but nonetheless necessary: servicing the car, managing our bills, shopping for food, some types of work – all the little things that take up time.

“This big jar represents a year in your life,” he said. First he put the big stones in. Around them he placed the pebbles. Over the top he poured the sand – it all fit. “Now here’s the wrong way,” he said.

First he put in the sand. On top of this went the pebbles. Only one of the big rocks fit on top – the rest had to stay on the table. Clever.

Gillian Molesworth is a journalist and mumof-two who grew up in the USA and moved to north Cornwall when she met her husband

My week on moleywest

frosty leaves

moleywest

bright in Plymouth

moleywest

me as “Whitechapel”

moleywest

ice ice baby 9

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Fresh: Midwinter surfing at Widemouth Bay, Bude

in pictures

Crunch: Brother and sister Brendan and Jenna Reeves enjoyed the frosty weather in Plymouth

Hello: Badger, the black seal pup, was rescued from the Isles of Scilly and is recuperating at Gweek Seal Sanctuary

Brrr: Newlyweds Nigel and Felicity Leglassa and their guests took part in the Lyme Lunge in the Dorset sea, to raise money for charity

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talking points I feel sick...

Congrats!

There has to be an easier way - 10 once-popular diet crazes

Born this day (in no particular order):

1 Cabbage soup still repeat-

1 Chef Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall

ing on us

2 Vinegar Lord Byron was a fan

3 Fletcherizing chew, but don’t swallow

4 Santitised tape worms blee!

5 Breatherianism a bellyful of fresh air

6 Grapefruit aka The Hollywood Diet

3 Actress Faye Dunaway 4 Dr Doolittle author Hugh Lofting 5 Model/singer Karen Elson 6 Fashion designer Nina Ricci

7 Cookie 1970s fad 8 Boiled egg open the win-

8 Actor Warren Mitchell

9 Five bite make sure they are massive mouthfuls

10 Lemonade laced with a

Famous faces who come from the Westcountry

2 Actress Emma Watson

7 Roman general Marc Antony

dows...

ONE OF US

This week:

Miranda Hart TV star Miranda was born in Torquay on December 14 1972

9 Photographer Cecil Beaton 10 Actor Tom Rosenthal

pinch of cayenne pepper

The happy list Springtime

10 things to make you smile this week 1 Detoxing face it, our livers needed a break

2 Leftover loot oh look, a Cadbury’s gift set

3 Stews try white bean and chorizo, slow-cooked

Coming up snowses: 10 types of Galanthus (snowdrop)

4 Gearing up training for that

1 Peardrop 2 Cedric’s Prolific

5 The sales New jeans for

3 Magnet

6 Back to school no more

4 Grumpy 5 Three Ships 6 Modern Art 7 Robin Hood 8 Tubby Merlin 9 Green Necklace 10 Heffalump

sponsored run starts now £7.99? Yes please loafing, kids: sorry!

7 Podcasts we’ve finally mastered The Archers on demand

8 Waterloo Abba tribute fun at Hall for Cornwall on Jan 23

9 Wicked! opens at Plymouth Theatre Royal on Jan 20

10 Broadchurch so far, just as good as we hoped it would be

Why Torquay? Her father Captain David Hart-Dyke was in the Royal Navy.

Serious acting In 2012 she began to act in the BBC One smash hit Call The Midwife, playing the character of Camilla ‘Chummy’ Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne.

Dad was a bit of a hero He was commanding officer of HMS Coventry when it was sunk by the Argentinians in the 1982 DID YOU KNOW? Falklands conflict, Miranda once and was badly burned trying to tried out (unescape the stricken successfully) warship.

School friends Miranda went to boarding school with fellow TV star Clare Balding.

for Queens Park Rangers women’s football team.

Did you know? Her cousin is the eccentric young plant hunter Tom Hart-Dyke, who once got kidnapped when searching for rare orchids in the Panamanian jungle.

Posh or not? Miranda has dropped her double barrelled surname and says that although cousin Tom and family live in Lullingstone Castle “they can’t really afford to be there”.

Early years She grew up in Petersfield, Hampshire.

Big break She started on the TV sitcom Not Going Out as an acupuncturist but was such a hit she was given a regular part as the dozy cleaning lady.

Miranda, the show Her “old-fashioned sitcom” TV series first aired in 2009 and won many awards, coming to a conclusion this Christmas.

Call The Midwife 11

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People

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LAUREN LANGMAN

My canine career Dog agility guru Lauren Langman tells Sarah Pitt how she teaches dogs (and owners) new tricks

[

By Sarah Pitt

auren Langman is taking the West magazine photo-shoot in her stride.

Perched on steps at her Devon farm, with miles of countryside behind her, she summons her three canine companions. They are snuffling around for something interesting among colourful jumps, set up like a mini equestrian show-jumping course. In seconds, border collies Reef, Bailey and Popi are at her side. A few hand movements later, they are arranged in a picture-perfect composition, ready for photographer Steve Haywood to take the shots. A bit like a ballet dancer executing the perfect twirl, Lauren makes dog handling look easy.

The 31-year-old dog trainer, also the mother of a two-year-old daughter, is an evangelist for the

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People

past-time which has become her (very successful) business, offering all sorts of dog training classes, here at her farm high up on a windy hillside above Okehampton.

An open-sided barn, which gives shelter from the elements, is her working space and is decorated with upbeat motivational slogans. ‘Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain’ reads one, apparently aimed at geeing visiting dog owners up to greater efforts. Presumably the dogs can’t read, although watching them bound around it is clear that they certainly don’t lack enthusiasm.

And Lauren seems to match her dogs in both energy and zest for life.

She says her classes are as much therapy for the owners as education for their dogs.

“What I have come to realise, doing this, is that people’s relationships with their dogs are more complex than you think,” she says. “The dogs are really important to their owners. You can make a real difference to someone’s life when you help them with their dog.”

Lauren runs her own dog agility business, called Devon Dogs, with her mother Carole from the farm. They found the property a few years ago with help from TV programme Location, Location, Location and also offer dog-friendly holidays at the farm. Lauren competes with five of her nine dogs at the top level of dog agility, travelling miles across the country each year to take part in qualifiers for the big annual events at Olympia and Crufts.

Her high point so far has been winning the Kennel Club novice dog agility stakes final, with her border collie Fiji, at Olympia just before Christmas 2013. She’s looking forward to competing at Crufts this March. “Crufts is a big thing for me, because I have never qualified before,” she says. “The dogs don’t get nervous at all when we’re competing, but I definitely do!”

When I visit, Lauren’s dogs need little encouragement to leap over jumps, run through tunnels or weave between coloured poles, with the reward of a ball proferred by Lauren at the end of it.

“You can see how much fun they are having,” she says. “That is what I want get across. Dogs need a job, they need to do something they enjoy.

They get bored if they don’t have something to do – and if they get bored they get naughty. It is

[[ ‘You make a real difference to someone’s life when you help them with their dog’

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photography: Steve Haywood

Okehampton’s Lauren Langman competes nationally in dog agility classes, and also runs popular dog training courses across Devon

the same as with a toddler really.”

Life at East Bowerland Farm is a family affair, with Lauren’s parents living in the farmhouse and Lauren, her partner Matt and their daughter Eliza in their own house next door. Such is Lauren’s confidence in her ability to control her dogs that she has installed white leather sofas, and there is not a pawprint or scratch upon them.

She attributes her dogs’ good behaviour to the fact that they are kept occupied most of the time – both in formal agility sessions and in daily lollops across the countryside, which are Lauren’s downtime after the working day. “I like getting them to use their brains, because they are intelligent dogs,” she says.

Lauren studied Law at Exeter university and worked as a school teacher for a few years.

“I always knew I wanted to work with dogs, though,” she says. Her fondest memories of her time as a teacher in several Devon secondary schools were the days when she took her collies into classes, to the delight of the students. “A lot of people who can’t connect with other humans can communicate with animals,” she says.

Lauren offers classes – some run by her growing team of experts – at several Devon venues these days. They cover everything from puppy training to specific skills such as walking on a lead, as well as competitive agility. “Dog training is about friendship, loyalty and trust,” she tells me. “Dogs don’t talk, but they do communicate, and it is a case of understanding what they are trying to tell you.” Around her, collies are ranged expectantly as she lifts up a ball. She laughs.

“See? They are all waiting for their turn.”

Visit www.devondogs.co.uk for more details 15

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Interview

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PHOTOGRAPHY

A year in pictures

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By Emily Smith

eg Johnson has done what many of us could only dream of, quitting her job and moving nearly 200 miles south. The young photographer has left family and friends behind to focus on a new life in Devon - and her passion for her work.

“I was working as a children’s photographer in Worcester. I was a lone worker and I used to drive to my location, set up all the equipment, stay there all day and then take it down again. It was really isolating and ultimately repetitive,” she says.

So Meg and her boyfriend decided they would both quit their jobs and - on a whim - decided Devon was the place to try. They made the move in 2013 and Meg hasn’t looked back since. And a remarkable new photography project inspired by her move here has won her national acclaim.

“We just moved into the first flat we saw on Rightmove. I had never been to Plymouth before and we hadn’t seen the flat until the day we moved down,” she remembers.

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Interview

Called 365, the project meant taking a photo every day for a year “I felt like I needed a new chapter. I was born and raised in Worcester and then wentMeg began her new endeavour towards the end of 2013. Called 365, it was a year-long project that meant she was faced with the challenge of taking a photo every day for a year. Being new to the area, it was a perfect reason for the 23 year old to get out and about.

“I needed to move on and look at my photography in a new way. It was absolute madness - but I don’t regret it.

“It’s beautiful here, there is so much more to do. I am keen to show the South West off to its full potential - there is never a dull day,” she said.

This wasn’t the first time that Meg had started such a project though - she had already given it a go when she was living in Worcester. She explains: “I started a similar project to 365 a couple of years ago but I never finished it. I always regretted not finishing it, I think I got to 250 days and stopped. But when I moved to Devon I didn’t know anyone. I needed to go out and explore. I wanted to give something new a try.

“The longer it went on, the harder it was to take a good, striking and different-looking photo 18

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Interview

[

[

‘I vowed to take a picture every day for a year - sometimes I’d be running around at ten to midnight’

every day. Some days I had 20 pictures and I struggled to select just one, but on other days I was running around at ten to midnight trying to get my picture for the day.”

And the reception she has received has been tremendous. “It was hard but it’s been really rewarding. I have met lots of people and networked so much. The whole project has been so much more successful than I thought it would be. After the initial relief at completing the full year last autumn, I was sad when it was over.”

For now, Meg is focusing on her future as a photographer and is busy concentrating on setting

up her own business. Although the move from Worcester may have shocked family and friends, Meg says it was the right choice and is now proud to call the South West home. “There is so much competition here in the photography world, so I have that drive to keep me going. And it is easy to take interesting photos here. Plymouth, in particular, has influenced me creatively, as it is a city of such contrasts and drama.”

Meg’s boyfriend, whom she met at Worcester University, is a graphic designer in the city. “We are both just trying to live the dream,” says Meg. Her work was given a month-long exhibition at

Devonport Guildhall in Plymouth and she has also just won third place in the wildcard category in the Professional Photographer of the Year 2014 competition.“I couldn’t believe it when I came third at the awards evening in Cheltenham,” she smiles. “I’m hoping for big things for my photography in the 2015.”

To see more of Meg’s 365 project visit www.megsphotos.co.uk or see www.flickr.com/photos/meg_ johnson 20

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interiors

34

fashion

style

40

eat out

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cook 21

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Real Homes

Serene living Sarah Pitt talks to interior designer Matthew Robinson about his project to create a calm and stylish interior for this beautiful house in south Devon

hey say that the sound of water has the power to soothe the most jaded and anxious spirits. So a house beside a river makes a peaceful place to live.

In creating the interior for this property on the River Dart in south Devon, designer Matthew Robinson has certainly reflected the serenity of the location, as these pictures show. The house, near Ashburton, is an architect-designed space with picture windows and sweeping surfaces.

“It is in one of the most beautiful locations and is one of the calmest houses I have ever worked in,” says Matthew, who runs the Jam Interiors Group based in Exmouth.

The house has been built on the site of a fishing shack, which was bought by the father of the current owner on a whim when he was down in Devon many years ago. He would come down fishing each year. His children then inherited the shack and built this new property in its place.

“The current owners now live full-time in the house,” explains Matthew. “They asked their son and daughter, who are both architects, to draw up the plans for the building. Our role was to create the interior design to fit in with the overall scheme.”

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Interiors

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Interiors The mid century Ercol armchair has been newly reupholstered

This is very much a country home – with fishing rights, of course – but is by no means a traditional country house. The minimalist decor is a showcase for mid-century modernist furniture and objets d’art collected over the years.

And in these contemporary spaces, decorated with art, sculpture and reupholstered Ercol chairs, there is no sign whatsoever of welly boots, outdoor coats, fishing rods or waders. There is a place for them, though, in a practical room of their own: “There is what is almost a stand-alone block, linked to the house with a corridor, where

everything can be discarded without having to come into the house at all,” says Matthew. “It is such a clever idea.”

On entering the house, your first impression is a feeling of space. The open plan dining room, living room and kitchen area has a double-height ceiling, the opposite of the low ceilings of a cottage you might expect to find on a riverbank. And there are no frills and flounces, with furniture including a reclining Ercol armchair, reupholstered in monochrome wool check from Titley and Marr. There are no carpets, just smooth

STYLE TIP: Choose very plain, simple blinds and

curtains if you don’t want to upstage lovely country views

stone floors which are kept toasty warm with underfloor heating. The double-height ceiling sets off the most striking feature of the room, a floorto-roof fireplace tiled in Welsh slate.

“It has a lovely bluey hue so it contrasts very nicely with the floor,” says Matthew. “It was a lot of work, quite a mammoth undertaking.”

The floor is a creamy-coloured Simyra limestone. Both this and the Welsh slate were supplied through a firm called Devon Stone, the sister company of Matthew’s interior design company.

Above all, this house is all about letting the outdoors in, says Matthew. “The river flows through the garden and because the setting is so beautiful, the interior has been designed expressly not to clash with what is outside the windows,” he says. “I have used very simple blinds rather than garish curtains, for example, so that they don’t detract from the view, and in the bedrooms I chose an unbleached French linen for the curtains.”

The owners worked for many years in the design world, and the interior reflects that, with new pieces of furniture fashioned to complement the couple’s existing collection.

The breakfast bar in the kitchen, for instance, is the right height for the Ercol stools which the owners already had. “Just because you’re building a contemporary home doesn’t mean that you have to throw out everything you have collected over the years. You can reupholster old classic pieces,” says Matthew.

“The owners have collected quite a few quirky pieces over the years, so what they wanted was for the basic fabric of the house to be pared back, very simple, to allow the things in their collection to really stand out.”

Asked to define what this design is about, he says it is a new kind of country style. “It is a classic, eclectic contemporary look with Scandinavian influences,” he says. Luxurious it certainly is, but, he adds, “not bling”. “There is no bling at all. It is very calm.”

Visit www.jaminteriorsgroup.co for details

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Shopping

GET THE

Beijing white lampshade £3, B&Q, stores and www.diy.com

LOOK

Think country style with a modern, Scandinavian twist

Diamond pattern rug £39-£119 according to size, www. dashandalberteurope. com

Black slate split face tiles £2.99 each, from www. tilemountain. co.uk

Armchair in slate £585, www.oliverbonas.com

Dark taupe cushion £90, www.natuzzi.com

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07/01/2015 13:59:44

Josette bedroom collection, pillows now £16, duvet covers £56 in the Laura Ashley sale laurashley.com

Ruby bed linen in grey by Holly Willoughby, pillowcases £15 for 2, duvet cover £40 bhs.co.uk

LINEN LUXE

Sleep well Refresh your boudoir in time for spring and snooze in luxury and style. Sam Wylie-Harris reveals the trends to bed down with in 2015 ith spring on the horizon (almost!), and designers launching their latest bed linen collections, there couldn’t be a better time to give your bedroom a little bit of love and attention.

After all, it’s the most intimate room in the house, where we go to unwind and relax and, if we’re lucky enough, where we spend a third of our lives sleeping.

Simple pleasures such as soft cotton sheets, a boudoir cushion and a throw can evoke a feeling of wellbeing, enhance your space, and be an open invitation to come to bed. “’For a fresh, elegant look for spring bedrooms, white or champagne tones are timeless, romantic and naturally calming, making the perfect antidote to a busy day,” says Julie Hall, head of design at Bedeck. “As in fashion, the addition of stylish

W

Bedding from www. secretlinenstore.com

accessories can give the bedroom personality, while layering the bed will create the complete effect.”

Indeed, scattering softly-coloured decorative cushions and a beautiful throw at the bottom of the bed for a neutral but textured look, adds interest without overwhelming the scheme. And if you can’t resist decorative details for a more luxurious feel, delicate lace borders, embroidery, seersucker, or a subtle floral pattern in a muted colour palette are right on trend for 2015.

“The most important thing about your bedroom is that it reflects your personal style and taste; it has to be a place that you want to be.

Whether you share or have the room all to yourself, make it your favourite place to relax,” advises Molly Freshwater, Secret Linen Store founder.

Classic, timeless designs, combined with the

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Interiors

Throws and duvet covers, The White Company (as before)

[[ ‘The most important thing about your bedroom is that it reflects your personal style and taste’

highest attention to detail, seem to be the ideal way to create a tranquil feel to your sleeping space and work the ‘boutique hotel’ look without feeling like a guest under your own roof.

And in keeping with the mode for a subtle palette, bestsellers are still white, cream and pale grey - but, according to Liam Butler, brand director at Achica, there’s a definite trend for colour.

As a result, Achica’s buying team have developed a range - which will be available late spring - featuring hot pinks and cobalt blues that can be lay-

ered into white and pale grey.

“Our customers are also more savvy when it comes to quality,” says Liam Butler. “Our 1000 thread count linen range is by far the bestseller within the current collection, and we’ll be focusing on expanding our highest quality ranges for 2015.”

The height of luxury and Rolls-Royce of bed linen sets, 1000 thread count is the highest quality yarn and will sustain more wear and tear than lower, say between 200 and 600, threads.

Pimlico bed linen, pillowcases £50 duvet covers from £170 thewhitecompany.com

As Paul Deckland, decorative bed linens buyer at John Lewis, points out: “Thread count is the number of yarns packed into every square inch of fabric. The higher the thread count, the softer the bed linen - think crisp and sumptuous hotel sheets.

“High quality Egyptian cotton bedding is an ideal option,” advises Deckland. “It’s supremely soft and also exceptionally hard-wearing, thanks to the longer threads of the Egyptian cotton plant which are stronger and more durable.”

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07/01/2015 14:10:28

Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Green shoots of spring Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, says now is the time to grow from cuttings and seeds n our house, the heating is regulated more for plants than people, with several radiators turned permanently off so as not to cook resting cacti, or the massive Swiss cheese plant that has been in my husband John’s family for about 40 years. At least the hallway radiator is set on medium, as it provides bottom heat for a pot of prayer plant cuttings busy putting down roots on the windowsill above.

My first job after finishing the three year diploma course at Kew Gardens was Foreman Propagator at Epsom and Ewell Parks Department and I don’t think I’ve ever recovered.

The sight of seeds germinating and cuttings rooting has always held me in thrall and I love to put them on display and share the excitement.

If you’ve always bought plants fully grown and never toyed with seed packets, layering, plantlets or cuttings, perhaps this is the year to start.

The techniques of propagation are straightforward and well represented by diagrams in books and clips on the internet. But if it all looks too complicated, remember the world is full of smiling gardeners who just push cuttings into the soil and watch them root. Never be afraid of having a go, apply a healthy dollop of common sense and try to think yourself into the world of the seed or cutting.

Seeds rely on stored energy to germinate and the tinier they are, the more demanding they are. Bury them too deeply and they won’t have enough energy to push their shoot to the surface.

Make sure they land on a smooth surface, say a raked seedbed or compost lightly pressed in a flower pot, then they won’t roll down cracks. Only cover them by their own depth of soil or compost.

Careful watering must always take place with a

I

fine rose (sprinkler) on the can, or by standing a pot in water to take it up from the base.

When growing in pots or trays, success or failure is often determined by where you decide to place seeds or cuttings. Killing by kindness is surprisingly common, with seeds ‘cooked’ to death by overheating in sealed propagating cases, while dankness and moisture can cause diseases and rotting. Generally, avoid harsh sunlight and make sure there is always a little ventilation. As soon as seedlings show, remove lids and covers so that seedlings can develop in cooler, bright and

airy conditions.

Cuttings are vulnerable to water loss, so they often work best shorter than you might think (on average, 8-10cm/3-4in) and with fewer leaves.

Remove the bottom leaves and if the remaining ones are large, cutting them in half reduces water loss. Keep the compost moist and cover the cuttings with polythene. Again, there is a danger of overheating and rotting, so keep out of direct light and allow air to circulate. The best mix for cuttings is 50:50 soilless multipurpose compost and sharp sand, grit or vermiculite. Good luck!

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This week’s gardening tips Anne’s advice for your garden

Plants to propagate this January The vast majority of our garden plants are hardy and best propagated without any artificial heat at all. In fact, although we’re in the middle of winter, there’s quite a lot you can try now The seeds of many trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials need a period of cold before they will germinate. Sow them now (such as Christmas trees, Japanese maples and tree peonies), top with grit and place outdoors protected from rodents. A ventilated, unheated greenhouse will safeguard seeds from too much rain.

For large numbers of perennials (eg sedum, aster, anthemis), wait until clumps sprout in spring, make short cuttings of the shoots and insert grid fashion into a seed tray.

Take hardwood cuttings of a wide range of dormant deciduous shrubs. Choose stems between knitting needle and pencil thickness, trim to 13-23cm/5-9in long by cutting above a bud at the top and below at the bottom, then plant by two thirds into a trench made in good soil.

• Plant bare rooted roses and fruit bushes as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.

Although they’ll root into the ground during spring, they will need watering during summer droughts.

• Begin preparing for the late winter display of snowdrops, hellebores, winter aconites, Cyclamen coum and pulmonarias.

Remove old or dead leaves and

When soil is neither frozen or waterlogged, divide large clumps of herbaceous perennials.

mulch around plants to show them off.

• Order from catalogues to be sure of having the seeds, seed potatoes, onions sets, young veg and flower plants and summer flowering bulbs sent when you need them. You can buy what you need from the garden centre but for unusual varieties, specialist nurseries are great.

Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank

Q

What are your top five plants for a seafront garden along our mild coastline?

The dilemma with seaside gardens is whether to create windbreak hedges or leave the view open and rely on the shorter, more stalwart plants. If you have space, a bit of both would be good, so my first choice will be tamarix for its feathery, ethereal shoots, sprays of pink flower and willingness to be clipped. If you have space, I love sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) which needs male and female plants to set matt orange berries. Crambe cordifolia is a relative of seakale but its stems of white flowers reach 1.8m/6ft. Then, sea statice, an ice plant called Sedum telephium and ground hugging Convolvulus sabatius the blue rock bindweed.

Q

I am about to tackle some overgrown apple trees and don’t know where to start.

This is a good time to do this but please bear in mind that most of the work will be done with a saw, rather than secateurs or loppers. Look for badly placed branches causing congestion in the centre, crossing, rubbing or diseased. You might decide to cut the worst one right out, or to a healthy side branch. Do it (undercut first to avoid splitting) and then stand back. Don’t remove more than a quarter to a third of the branches in one year and when you have finished, the tree should not look pruned. You can shorten back some of the thin, whippy stems with secateurs.

Send your questions to Anne at westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk

January is often a cold month and it’s not too late to put away hose pipes and insulate taps and pipes. Clear, clean and check guttering and install rain buts for useful rain water storage.

Take care of tools by making sure they are clean.

Find or buy a sharpening stone to put an edge on your hoe ready for weed control.

Rub any rusty patches lightly with fine sand paper and apply oil with a rag.

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Beauty

Tried

& tested

Gathering Lilacs How pretty is this dusky lilac Happy Hour eyeshadow(£3.95)? Complement with French Lavender polish (£6.95) both from www.benecos.co.uk

We present the beauty treats and cheats of the week, recommended by West magazine’s Catherine Barnes, with help from daughter Tilly, 17.

MILK MADE Tease out tangles with milk_shake’s Whipped Cream no-rinse conditioning foam (£15.29). It leaves hair feeling soft AND smells like delicious vanilla icecream! Find it at www.milkshake-

haircare.co.uk

PEP! SkinPep’s Auto Make Up Applicator applies foundation evenly to the skin to give your face a finish fit for the red carpet. It can be used with liquid or cream foundation. £29.99

www.skinpep.com

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the review This week we try

Easilocks Spotlight Bun

CORNISH SPA Spa range Another Place is exclusive to Cornwall’s Watergate Bay Hotel. The luxury products are used in the hotel’s own Swim Club spa treatments, or find them - including this gorgeous box set (£50) at www.anotherplace.co.uk.

Sam Wylie-Harris takes the short-cut to an updo with the Spotlight Bun. or the ultimate DIY up-do, a ballerina’s bun that’s designed to take all the effort out of sweeping your hair into a perfect mould can be achieved with the Spotlight hairpiece but you will need time and patience.

Available in five shades, Cream Caramel was the perfect colour match for my blonde tresses; all I had to do was sweep my hair into a ponytail and pin it in a circle. Spotlight does all the work for you, with a net inside the hairpiece and a drawstring to pull the bun tight over your own hair, along with two small combs to help secure it. The tricky bit is keeping the bun in place, and this is where a generous handful of kirby grips (use the longest you can find) come into play. Because the bun is so lifelike, it’s heavy and needs a good circle of grips to stop it sliding.

In an ideal world, your own personal stylist, to check the bun is perfectly balanced and pins are concealed before you head into the spotlight, would be an advantage - but still, I’m impressed by the results.

F

CAST A SPELL:

“If you have trouble with your eyeshadow’s staying power, Urban Decay’s Primer Potion (£16) is brilliant,” says Devonbased freelance makeup artist Abi Scott (abiscottmakeup. co.uk).“Apply a thin layer before applying your shadow: it’s a must have for your makeup bag.”

www.urbandecay.co.uk

Pout...

We love this pretty pink, Heartbreaker,

by Barbara Daly for Tesco, £5.99

Easilocks Spotlight Bun, £29.99 (www.easilocks.com) Want a review? Send your request to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 31

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Wellbeing

Fresh start Want more energy? Kate Hoffmann, Matron at Spire The Glen Hospital Bristol has these tips to get you off to a flying start in 2015 Get enough sleep Down tools (switch off laptops and mobile phones) at least an hour before bedtime so your body starts to relax.

and wonder why you end up in a ‘carb coma’ an hour later, swap for a salad with a quinoa and feta or make a three-bean soup with a dash of chilli for a well-balanced lunch.

Go low GI

Restrict caffeine

Low GI foods help keep blood sugar levels steady. The Glycaemic Index (GI) rates carbohydrate foods - high levels result in an energy spike followed by a low-sugar crash.

Drink your morning mug of coffee by all means, but don’t let it become your daily crutch - it can lead to insomnia and a vicious sleep-deprived cycle. Try herbal teas in the afternoon instead.

Power up at midday

Avoid alcohol

If you usually grab a pasta salad or a sandwich

Contrary to popular belief, booze isn’t the best

medicine for a good night’s sleep. It can help you drop off, but it interferes with your sleep.

Quit smoking There are a whole host of reasons to quit, and increased energy levels are one of them.

Nicotine affects your sleep and saps energy.

Exercise Being sedentary reduces energy levels. To give yourself a boost try going for a walk at lunchtime as a blast of air will wake you up.

Aim for 20 minutes of exercise a day at a level of your choice. You’ll soon see the difference.

THE KEEP FIT COLUMN WHERE ONE WOMAN TRIES EVERYTHING:

DODGER

this week: NETBALL

THE SOFA

Mum of three Sam Taylor, 35, from Cardinham near Bodmin is behind Sofa Dodger, the website with wealth of keep-fit activities at a place near you. This week she tries: Netball Like most girls, I played netball at school, initially as Goal Defence, which proved a fruitful position for me. That was until the Goal Shooters continued growing and I didn’t. I was swiftly moved into the Centre position, as I was fairly nifty back in the day. So how would I fare twenty years on at Bodmin Netball club?

We warmed up with a few good exercises.

Unfortunately for me, I had managed to come down on “fitness week” as circuit training stations

were laid out. Damn, netball is tough! I managed to land the coveted Centre position, on the proviso that I would have to run around. When the whistle blew, I gave it my all and run about I did. It was like riding a bike; the pivot was still there. My favourite, the old bounce pass was deployed but unlike 20 (plus) years ago, I was knackered after 5-6 minutes, so subbed myself off for a breather. If I didn’t have all these sports to try, I would go back (noncompetitively), as it was great fun.

GET INVOLVED: Try something new or tell the world about your own keep fit class for free at www.sofadodger.co.uk

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Enjoy Fo ss ils

A WEEKEND IN...

Lyme Regis he setting for Jane Austen’s Persuasion and John Fowles’ French Lieutenant’s woman, Lyme Regis has a magical quality about it – there’s just something in the ozone. It’s famous for the breathtaking Cobb, the ancient harbour wall that encircles the bay, and the Jurassic treasures that have been discovered on its beaches. This time of year is a wonderful time to explore this unspoilt town, with plenty of places to shop, eat and feed your imagination.

Where to stay:

The 400-year old Royal Lion Hotel is in the heart of the town and full of historic charm with oak beams, wood panelling and open fires. B&B in a double room between January 2 and April 3 (excluding half term) starts at £115 and it also offers special event weekends including fossil hunts, murder mysteries and make-your-own teddy bear courses (www.royallionhotel.com).

Self catering? 19 Church Street sleeps up to eight and is just a two minute walk from the beach and has stylish contemporary interiors.

A weekend stay costs from £260 (from £400 for

FOSSILS/HARBOUR: RICHARD AUSTIN

T

Sunset over Lyme Regis a week) www.lymeregiscottages.com

19 Ch ur ch Str ee t

What to do: Lyme Regis museum has a wealth of Jurassic, literary and nautical artefacts.

Check out www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk, where there’s also a link to Natalie Manifold’s Literary Lyme walks. Learn to sew a vintage frock made to fit with Caroline Smith at Sew La Di Da (www.sewladidavintage.com).

Where to shop:

Old Watch Wet Fish Shop

BAKERY: MATT AUSTIN

on the Cobb has an amazing range of locallycaught seafood and you can learn to gut a fish or dress a crab on its how-to courses. Browse 40,000 secondhand books at The Sanctuary on Broad Street, with a B&B upstairs offering a Japanese breakfast from £26 per night.

Where to eat:

Town Mill Bakery

Town Mill Bakery makes delicious artisan breads, cakes and soup. Hix Oyster and Fish House on Cobb Road is sister to celeb chef Mark Hix’s trendy London chop house, www. hixoysterandfishhouse.co.uk 33

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Boux Avenue £40

Topshop feather hem slip £55

Juicy Couture cami £45 shorts £35

Tu at Sainsburys £16

Juicy Couture £65

M&Co £24

Debenhams Rocha by John Rocha slippers £20

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Fashion

White Stuff £29.95

Cosy time

Have a pyjama party in your own home with these designs rrr! It’s deep January and hibernation seems like quite the enticing option. But you can do so in style, thanks to the lovely designs available for nightwear on the market now.

Grown-up pyjamas have come into their own this winter, with lots of pretty prints in soft flannels. We love the White Stuff range of PJ bottoms, which would work well for an evening in front of the fire too, especially if teamed up with some seriously cuddly slipper boots like these from Rocha John Rocha at Debenhams.

You also can’t beat a floor-length bathrobe for winter warmth, and it doesn’t have to be a frumpy option either: check out this subtle grey animal print version by Long Tall Sally. If you’re wanting to be a bit more racy still, though, then Boux Avenue has some great options with a little more va-va-voom, such as this scarlet satin number. So you can sleep - and lounge - in style this winter.

B

Long Tall Sally £50 35

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Fashion

The edit Put those New Year resolutions into action with our get-fit kit list

Blackspade Winter thermal sports T-shirt £20.95 www.amazon.co.uk

+

Lipsy crop top £18

+

Marks & Spencer high impact crop top £18

+

fave!

+

+

White Stuff leggings £25

Very leggings £20

New Balance running shoes £39.99 www.getthelabel.com

K-Swiss running shoes £29.99 www.getthelabel.com

+

Kalandi Yoga compression leggings £55 www.hipandhealthy.com

Adidas Supernova Glide running shoes £105

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Bake

Kate Shirazi bakes:

Royalty’s fave cake I inherited my grandmother’s recipe book, chock full of scraps of paper, bits of envelope and the backs of intriguing half-letters, all covered with her familiar scrawl. One piece of paper caught my eye: grey Basildon Bond and typed on an old typewriter. There’s no sign of who it came from, but it’s very seriously headed ‘Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother’s Favourite Cake’.

Flipping heck! I can imagine Granny taking that incredibly seriously.

Tellingly, she never made it for us, though – not worthy. Essentially it is a lovely sticky toffee cake. Probably very good in front of the races.

Method: 1.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3. Grease and line a 20 cm/8 in square cake tin (pan). Put the dates and the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in a bowl, pour the boiling water over and leave to soak for five minutes or so.

2.

Put the dates and the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) in a bowl, pour the boiling water over and leave to soak for five minutes or so.

3.

In a big bowl (or mixer), beat the caster sugar, 50 g/1 3⁄4 oz butter, flour and egg and then stir in the date-water-bicarb mix.

4.

Put the mixture in the tin, level out the surface and bake for about 35 minutes or until firm and springy to the touch. Cool on a wire rack while you get on with the topping.

5.

Put the muscovado sugar, remaining butter and the cream in a pan. Gently heat and then boil rapidly for 1–2 minutes. Leave the mixture to cool a little, then spread all over the cake and leave alone for 1–2 hours for the topping to fully set.

You will need: 150 g/5 oz stoned and chopped dates 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 250 ml/8 fl oz boiling water 200 g/7 oz caster sugar 200 g/7 oz unsalted butter 250 g/9 oz cups self-raising flour 1 large free-range egg, beaten 300 g/10 oz light muscovado sugar 4 tbsp double (whipping) cream

Kate Shirazi runs Cakeadoodledo shop and cafe on Exeter’s Cathedral Green (www.cakedoodledo.co.uk) and bakes cakes of all kinds to order and send by post. Look out for Kate’s beautiful books Baking Magic and Cake Magic (both £11.99, Pavilion Books) 37

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07/01/2015 14:22:55

Alex Hart

My Secret Westcountry Alex Hart Country music singer/songwriter Alex Hart has just finished touring the UK with her debut album On This Day. She grew up in Ashill near Cullompton - the same village as Joss Stone - and lives with her boyfriend, also a guitarist, just outside Plymouth.

My favourite...

Winter walk: Catching the Cremyll Ferry from Plymouth to Mount Edgcumbe and walking along the South West coast path to Kingsand and Cawsand.

Venue: The Random Arms at Maker Heights, near Torpoint in Cornwall. They have some amazing bands from all over the country and its so much fun gigging there. The people are awesome and the location is even better. The reggae nights are my favourite.

Food: It’s got to be clotted cream - when I was younger my great grandfather used to give me clotted cream sandwiches after school. Can’t say I liked it with bread, though!

Tipple: I love Luscombe soft drinks made near Cawsand

Buckfastleigh, the raspberry lemonade is my favourite.

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People Cremyll ferry

Pub: The Bread and Roses in Plymouth is

Shop: I love Billabong for the clothing but also

Secret place: Gaddon Woods, near where I

awesome, although I love the Ashill Inn near Cullompton. It’s where I grew up and their food is amazing.

like a little shop in Gandy Street. Exeter, called Moko. I’m a sucker for Disco Beads jewellery, based in Mawgan Porth, too.

grew up. There’s a field at the top of the hill where you can watch the wild deer and look over the Blackdown Hills. It’s stunning.

Scenic spot: There’s a little archway in Royal

Treat: A treat for me is getting out on the water, I love my sailing, especially near Noss Mayo. There’s a great pub there called The Ship and you can bring your dinghy right up to the terrace and have a cheeky pint. Just make sure you don’t forget about the tide going out.

William Yard where you can look right over the sound to Drake’s Island. I used to sit there a lot at night and watch the boats coming in.

Restaurant: The Barbican Kitchen is amazing in Plymouth. The steak is incredible.

Simon Pollard, Bread and Roses manager

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07/01/2015 13:17:26

[

EATING OUT

[

The Drewe Arms

mullioned windows – as the light of the summer’s night faded.

It has been a long while since I’ve been back, but t is a beautiful village, BroadhemI had reason to return to the Drewe Arms recently bury, and well worth a visit for that one Friday night with my dad and his partner reason alone. Thatched cottages Rosemary, who live close by just over the Devon cluster around the church and the border into Somerset. The pub has changed hands pub, all built in the 16th century and they’d heard good reports of the food, so it by the aristocratic Drewe family on the westseemed like a good bet for an impromptu evening ern fringes of the Blackdown meal.

Hills. On a summer’s evening, It was a bit dark for a stroll you can stroll down the village around the village so after I’d tested The pub has street and paddle in the stream my parallel parking skills negotiatchanged hands which fords the road, before ing my car into a tight slot in the heading back to the pub, which village square we headed straight and they’d heard has the Drewe family coat of over the welcoming threshold of the good reports of arms hanging over the door, pub. The bar, which like the rest of the food, so it for a pint and a bite to eat. the pub has flagstone floors and a I remember doing just that on low-beamed ceiling, was pleasantly seemed a good an earlier visit with my dad and buzzing with the chatter of locals bet for an imone of my sisters back when stopping by for a drink on their promptu meal this historic hostelry was parway home. There were rather fewer ticularly known for seafood intakers for food - we were the only fluenced by the then-landlady’s people eating in the dining room.

Scandinavian background. I Despite the rush in the bar, servordered the crab, which was great, and was blown ice was attentive and we even asked for a bit away by the interior – beams, open fireplaces and longer to choose from a printed menu of hearty

By Sarah Pitt

I

[[

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4 of the best

Pubs in the heart of villages The Lamb Inn

1 The Lamb Inn, Sandford

PHOTOS: GRW PHOTOGRAPHY

(pictured)

pub food and a chalkboard of specials. I opted for tiger prawns in a tempura batter, with sweet chilli dipping sauce, from the specials board for my starter. The prawns were super-fresh and the batter as light as tempura should be, although if I were to quibble I’d say that the portion of three prawns was a bit on the small size. By contrast, Rosemary’s starter of olives, hummus and ciabatta was substantial enough for a main course. I had a taste of the hummus, which was pleasingly chunky and clearly homemade. My dad’s starter of prawn cocktail lived up to his expectations with fresh prawns and a homemade dressing.

I partnered my starter with a glass of Chenin Blanc from Kleindal, South Africa, which was delicious and had, as the menu suggested, an appealing crisp, fruity flavour that went well with the prawns. The pub has a good list of local ales, and my companions both plumped for Otter Bright, an amber-coloured ale from the Otter Brewery at nearby Luppitt, which was pronounced well-kept.

For our main course, we opted all three for hearty platefuls. Rosemary had lamb shank, my

dad went for the slow-roasted belly pork. I lost the prize for originality by going for the steak, with a black peppercorn sauce, along with the homemade onion rings and chips. This proved to be a good move, as the sauce was piquant with pepper and without being over-the-top creamy, as it can be. All the food was plentiful, clearly freshly cooked and came with a good plate of vegetables.

There were a number of tempting dessert suggestions on the menu including sticky toffee pudding but we were so full we just split a lemon sorbet three ways. It was brought by our everobliging waiting staff prettily arranged on three separate saucers.

All in all this was a very good meal, and while there were several more parties eating in the other dining room, I felt that the staff really deserved to have more takers on the night we were there. If I lived in this chocolate box village I’d be tempted to linger a bit more over my evening pint, and take a look at the menu, too.

How they scored...

Food

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Atmosphere

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Service

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Price

Our meal for three cost £78, including wine and beer

This historic pub near Crediton serves good food and well-kept ales and features landlady Katharine Lightfoot’s accomplished paintings on the walls. Named runner-up in guidebook Alastair Sawday’s 2014 award for the best pub in Britain.

Dish of the day: Slow-cooked Sunday roast pork with all the trimmings Price: Mains around £10 Contact: 01363 773676, www. lambinnsandford.co.uk

2 The Duke of York Inn, Iddesleigh

This pub overlooking the village green is children’s author Michael Morpurgo’s local. It boasts inglenook fireplaces with roaring fires, real ales, big platefuls and a warm welcome.

Dish of the day: Homemade steak and kidney pudding cooked from scratch while you wait Price: £10-£15.50 Contact: 01837 810253, dukeofyorkdevon.co.uk

3 Caradon Inn, Upton Cross

Popular with locals and visitors alike, this pub is a short walk away from the open air theatre Sterts on the edge of Bodmin Moor. Landlord David Benson does the cooking and the menu includes fish landed by day boats at Looe and local meat.

Dish of the day: Slow roasted leg of lamb stuffed with feta cheese and herbs on a bed of crushed potatoes.

Price: Mains from £8.95-£14.95 Contact: 01579 364066

4 Blisland Inn, Blisland

This pub on the only village green in Cornwall specialises in real ales, including two created just for them by Sharp’s Brewery in nearby Rock.

Dish of the day: Homemade chicken and ham pies, as well as venison and steak and ale.

Price: Pies cost £9.95 Contact: 01208 850739

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07/01/2015 13:33:10

Ingredient of the Week

Kale

with Tim Maddams ell, Christmas is out of the way and we can all get on with our lives once more. But one thing is as sure as eggs are eggs - there will be a flood of newbies cluttering up the gym right now. The majority of whom will have vanished within a month.

There is of course nothing wrong with a little exercise and eating healthily is something we all need to consider every day. But is the New Year really the best time to start? It’s not for me (or anyone else with a January birthday), but what about you? Well the days are still quite short and so motivation and energy levels are low. Leave it till the spring. You will avoid the rush and be naturally feeling more energised than in the bleak midwinter.

That said, there is nothing wrong with thinking about eating more veg - always a good idea.

Again, that’s easily done in the spring and summer and a little less attractive in the middle of the winter when it’s a case of kale, carrots and parsnips.

But we can make even the most dreary of winter veg shine like a new car with a little thought. First of all, we need to make sure we’re

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getting the good stuff. Buy fresh, vibrant-looking kale, for example. Look at where the stem has been cut and see if it looks dry – if so, move on as it’s been cut for a while and lots of the tasty goodness and natural sugars will have turned to starch, making the veg tougher and dull.

Good quality kale selected, whether you choose curly, red Russian or cavalo nero it’s worth tasting a little raw. I like to take a nibble from the stem at the base of the leaves. This gives me a good idea how tough, sweet, fresh or juicy that particular batch is going to be. Really good small leaves of just-picked red Russian will be crisp and sweet enough to use in a salad, maybe a light Caesar-style affair with crunchy wholemeal croutons and a few (sustainable) anchovies. Larger leaves and older specimens will require more sympathetic treatment. Like us all, kale needs careful handling as it ages.

So this year, rather than rushing to the gym or the sales, have a nice bowl of kale pasta (see panel) and make a solid plan for a positive change in the spring. Maybe even open a small bottle of wine and have a think about what to get for all those poor chaps with birthdays in January...

Veggie pasta My favourite treatment for kale, in any of its forms, is a hearty bowl of veggie pasta. This is a bowl of food where the pasta and the kale are on an even footing, with a chorus appearance from garlic, chilli and olive oil plus a definite sprinkling of good mature cheddar cheese to finish. I like to chop the stems off the kale and sweat these off with the chilli and garlic while the water boils and the pasta cooks. Once the pasta is virtually done I then add the kale leaves to the pasta water and drain the whole lot together after they are cooked.

Reserve a little of the cooking water to lubricate the dish along with a little more very good olive oil. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and writer who often appears on the River Cottage TV series 42

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07/01/2015 13:54:34

Drink Has brown beer’s moment come? Darren hopes so...

Beer of the week Declaration of interest time: I do some marketing and PR for Coastal Brewery, in Redruth, but I don’t let that colour my opinion (if I don’t think a beer’s great, I say so!) Kernow Imperial Stout (9% ABV), though, is a belter.

It’s all about the malt: roast malt, caramels, molasses, all offering warming and soothing chocolate and coffee notes and leading to a dryish finish. It makes winter seem much more bearable.

maris otter party

No, it’s not a new political group, it’s a ‘do’ – in Norfolk in September – marking the 50th anniversary of Maris Otter malt, known as the ‘Rolls Royce of malts’. Fifty UK brewers will create commemorative cask beers showcasing the malt, and representing the South West will be Butcombe from Somerset, Dorset Brewing Company, Otter Brewery from Devon, and St Austell Brewery from Cornwall.

Darren Norbury

talks beer ’m a bit old fashioned. I hold doors open for ladies, put correct punctuation in text messages and believe that the word ‘backatcha’, which I saw in a Facebook post today, is some sort of Mediterranean bread.

Last year there were breweries starting up in the UK every week. In fact, every day I seemed to stumble across one I’d never heard of before. I wish all new brewers well, but the traditionalist in me gets a bit twitchy when I see that the first brew they want to produce is a southern hemisphere hopped imperial IPA. What’s happened to the concept of walking before running? Apprenticeship, even? Shouldn’t these guys be learning how to make a good, basic session bitter – consistently well – before graduating to the more complicated stuff ?

The world being the topsy-turvy place it is, it looks like this may happen this year. Kind of.

Consensus among the beer cognoscenti is that the hipsters, having gone through their pale ale, Imperial stouts and peanut butter porter phases, may now be viewing traditional styles such as brown ale as a challenge. Of course, there are already some excellent brown ales around, and some with a craft twist, such as Harbour Brew-

I

ing Co’s India Brown Ale (4.9% ABV) from down here in Cornwall.

A style such as brown ale has traditionally been sweeter in the south of England, dryer up north, but when the beer was enjoying its heyday there wouldn’t have been so many skilled brewers producing it. Now there is a better variety of ingredients, better brewing equipment, and a market crying out for retro tastes as well as innovation. Perhaps brown ale’s time has come.

Again.

As myself and friends have visited more and more beer festivals in recent years where a majority of the beers have been golden or dark, I’ve been banging on that soon there will be a ‘campaign for brown beer’, and hopefully that revival is coming now. I like a hoppy, bitter pint as much as the next fella, but sometimes a malty, brown, sweetish, traditional Westcountry style brew hits the spot, especially when the skies are grey and the winds are howling.

And let’s not forget, there’s a still a big audience out there for whom ‘brown beer’ is ‘proper beer’.

Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk @beertoday

TRYANUARY On this page a couple of weeks ago I declared that a pub is for life and not just for Christmas, and abstinence in January is not helping landlords in their darkest month. Seems I’m not the only one thinking this. Look up Tryanuary on Facebook, or search #tryanuary on Twitter 43

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07/01/2015 13:54:59

Living

The open road Newly qualified? Matt Joy has lots of wise advice for the kids - and grand kids - who are driving solo for the very first time. Push this under their nose today... any young drivers are brimming have to think about directions while they become with confidence when they pass used to driving solo. It’s also wise to avoid the their test and can take to the roads temptation to take friends out for a drive for a few unaccompanied for the first time. weeks till the new driver is more accomplished.

However, driving experts will tell Part of this building of knowledge and skill will you that this is when the real learning process require new drivers to head onto the motorway. starts, when inexperienced drivers have to think While these roads are the safest in the UK, they for themselves completely unare also the fastest, so it’s a good aided and face the cut and thrust idea to have a more experienced of driving on the huge variety of driver sitting alongside for the roads the UK offers. first few motorway Don’t head out While driving lessons and journeys. on the motorinstructors try their best to Learning to judge way in the midprepare young drivers for speed and distances all eventualities, there are on motorways takes dle of the rush situations that simply cannot be time and practice, hour when other anticipated. The first of these is, so don’t head out drivers might be naturally, driving on your own in the middle of immediately after passing the rush hour when less forgiving test. other drivers might While learner pilots have to be less forgiving. complete flights on their own Find quieter times before becoming qualified, new drivers are only and stretches of motorway when let loose when they’ve been given the pat on the beginning to learn this craft. back. This can lead to over-confidence, especially Unfortunately, motorways are one in the young. of the places you’re more likely to To avoid this, it is advisable for new drivers to encounter aggressive driving, which drive on familiar roads and streets so they don’t can manifest itself in other cars

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[[

being too close, undertaking or weaving in and out of traffic. The safe way to deal with this is simply to let the aggressive driver’s car pass and avoid confrontation. If the other driver remains aggressive, contact the police immediately when it’s safe to use the phone.

On any type of road, you can use what the police call the ‘limit point’ to read the road better. A limit point is where the two edges of the road meet at the furthest point of your vision. If this point is

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Motors_Gadgets_Jan11.indd 44

07/01/2015 14:00:46

gadget notebook 11 January 2015

HI TECH: get fit The best healthy tech getting closer to you, it means the corner ahead is tightening and you should slow to the correct speed. When the point is moving away from you, the corner is opening out so you can accelerate when safe.

Using limit points on any type of road outside of town is good driving practice and gives you advance notice of where the road is heading.

However, sometimes a collision is inevitable due to another driver’s mistake. In the event of an accident, make sure everyone is uninjured and move them to safety. If there are injuries, call an ambulance immediately and do not move anyone complaining of head, neck or back pain.

You should swap car registration and insurance details with the other driver. Also, you might want to report the collision to the police to get an incident number to pass on to your insurer. If the other driver doesn’t want to give his details, contact the police straight away and explain the situation.

Simple planning can make a new driver’s first miles on the road much more fun, safe and enjoyable, which is good news for all drivers, experienced or not.

fave!

All good Whizzing around at 10,000 revolutions, this powerful device can liquefy almost any ingredient. Get to work making smoothie drinks to boost your nutrient intake – it can even tackle nuts, seeds and ice.

NutriBullet - £99.99 from currys.co.uk

in the groove From 4GB to 16GB versions, this Walkman holds all your music inside, enough to satisfy many weeks of workouts and, as it’s waterproof, you can take even it for a swim.

Sony Walkman NWZ WS610 from £109 sony.co.uk

Work!

The UP24 is an ingenious device that (paired with an app) will give you insights into how you sleep, eat and move. To keep you motivated, it’ll also keep pushing you to do better.

Jawbone UP24 £99.99 currys.co.uk

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Motors_Gadgets_Jan11.indd 45

07/01/2015 14:01:06

My life man and boy

On the ward Phil Goodwin and son James, four, visit hospital

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chocolates… ruffling his hair and making a fuss. One day, when I popped off to speak to the nurse on duty he slipped the headphones from the overhead TV onto Mum’s head. When I came back, he was cheerfully “helping” her to eat a banana by inching it further and further into her mouth, her jaws going ten-to-the-dozen to keep up as the radio blared out. It was an original if unorthodox course of therapy, but it certainly seemed to have grabbed her attention.

From speaking to the doctors, it seems these bladder infections can knock the elderly for six, often for weeks. On the first few visits I was a quite shocked at how disorientated my mother was. Given my glowing report of her previous mental state, the staff seemed to suspect she had suffered a seizure and, to be honest, I was a bit concerned. So there I sat, holding her hand as she drifted in and out of consciousness, kept company by the other three ladies who had also been deemed too unwell to be alone at home. It is a fragile existence at that age and a daily battle to remain independent. My mum’s next door neighbour, Hannah, succumbed to institutional care last year after 60 years in the same house.

But you write off these Blitz-hardened oldies at your peril. Eventually, mum staged a revival.

Her temperature went down and she started

Of course the nurses doted on him, appearing with fruit, sweets, chocolate...

eating and drinking, albeit with a little help.

All we needed was a word to show that the lights were still on. I reverted to the pensioner shouting routine: “Can you hear me, mother?” I demanded, nice and loud. She fixed me with a beady eye and, faintly but clearly and with a familiar note of irritation, she said: “Course I can.”

She was there all right.

[

main picture: Steve Haywood

o be brutally honest, we’ve had a pretty grim time of it just recently. My dear old mother, who is 90 in June, was carted off to hospital with what is politely known as a “water infection”. This condition is the scourge of little old ladies. Unfortunately, the reluctance of the post-First World War babyboomers to rehydrate properly leaves the Jazz Age generation of Edna, Ethel and Doris all the more vulnerable.

So while the majority of us were sipping bubbly, I was sat in the sombre surroundings of the stroke ward of Whiston Hospital, outside Liverpool, trying to keep the old girl’s spirits up.

Naturally the staff had done their best to cheer up the place with a fir tree (regulation, plastic) and a few decorations. And of course, the nurses were endlessly helpful and cheerful. A regular do-gooder had even been around and handed out nice boxes of Thornton’s chocolates, and we took along a couple of presents for her to open. But you can’t escape the fact that it is a pretty miserable place to be.

Nancy was in a ward with three other elderly ladies who had been plucked from their cosy homes at the worst time of the year, when even the most inconsiderate of families - whose youngsters usually have better things to do than spend time with the oldies - are moved to pay a visit.

I was a bit wary about taking James, as the sights and sounds of a geriatric ward can be a bit other-worldly, to say the least, and I didn’t want to scare him. But, aside from one or two moments, he took the whole thing in his stride. He was fascinated by the sanitising gel dispensers and spent lots of time testing they were working. And of course the nurses doted on him, appearing with fruits, sweets,

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07/01/2015 14:16:23

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