EX Magazine April 2014

INSIDE:FASHION:FOOD:DRINKS:ARTS:INTERIORS:LIFESTYLE:TRAVEL:FITNESS:BEAUTY:PROPERTY: SOCIETY SNAPS

EX The magazine for Exeter

FRESH FACED

Spring’s best beauty buys

Issue No 18 April 2014

WIN!

Food festiva l tickets and an artisan meat hamp er

18

Pages of food and drink Festival feasts: Frandie Macaron Tiny Marmalade Co

Mayfair living Dean Clarke House luxury lifestyle city apartments

In full bloom

Toby Buckland’s garden festival

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TOURISM EVENT OF THE YEAR

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South West’s

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25 - 27 April 2014 10am – 6pm (5pm on Sunday)

Did you know? The Festival is a not for profit event the

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21/03/2014 14:19:01

EX Welcome to the April issue of EX, the magazine for Exeter

E

INSIDE:FASHION:FOOD:DRINKS:ARTS:INTERIORS:LIFESTYLE:TRAVEL:FITNESS:BEAUTY:PROPERTY: SOCIETY SNAPS

EX

Issue No 18 April 2014

WIN!

Food festiva l tickets and an artisan meat hampe r

The magazine for Exeter

FRESH FACED

18

Spring’s best beauty buys

WITH

Pages of food and drink Festival feasts: Frandie Macaron Tiny Marmalade Co

Mayfair living Dean Clarke House luxury lifestyle city apartments

In full bloom

Toby Buckland’s garden festival

ON THE COvER: Cover star: Toby Buckland Photo: Matt Austin

What is essential in your spring picnic basket?

Publisher: Michelle Pugh 01392 442454 mpugh@exmagazine.co.uk ‘A chilled bottle of Chablis and edamame beans! ’ Sales manager: Kelly Sheath mpugh@exmagazine.co.uk ‘Strawberry and lime cider!’

SALES TEAM: 01392 667515 info@exmagazine.co.uk Julie Radford 'A big floppy hat and blueberries’ Nina Theodoulou ‘It’s got to be Champagne and strawberries!’

Mark Watson ‘Homemade chicken and mayo sandwiches, cold beer, chocolate’ Kerri Smith 'Strawberry daiquiri I reckon!’

Alexandra Davidson ‘Stilton and garlic pickle on oatcakes, Sunrise Merlot, strawberries and cream – yum!’

Nick Powers ‘A can of Fosters’ Stuart Tolley ‘Kebab shop telephone number…..It's free delivery if you spend £10’ Dru Durman ‘Well, if you’re going to do a picnic, do it right! A three-tier cake stand for those tasty cakes (in a big wicker hamper of course!)'

EDITORIAL TEAM: 01392 442242 Sue Kemp skemp@exmagazine.co.uk ‘Chilled white wine’ Anita Merritt amerritt@exmagazine.co.uk ‘It’s more of a rucksack than a picnic basket so it’s usually sweaty sandwiches that have been squashed by a big punnet of English strawberries ’ Fran McElhone fmcelhone@exmagazine.co.uk ‘I was going to say sparkling water, but I'm liking the idea of prosecco instead’ DESIGN Kathryn Clarke-McLeod ‘Biltong’ Bridget Batchelor ‘A big hunk of vintage Cheddar, a fresh, crusty French stick and maybe a cheeky cider or two’ PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Austin ‘Pop Tarts’ Gareth Williams ‘Whisky and ginger beer’ Martin Witham ‘Smoked salmon and brown bread.’

DISTRIBUTION Mike Evans 01392 442437 ‘A jar of Welsh cockles, salt marsh lamb sandwiches and a slab of bara-brith (fruit cake) washed down with a nice flask of tea.’

very time a new issue of EX hits the streets, you have to be quick to grab a copy because that’s how popular the magazine has become.

Now you never have to worry about missing an issue again because it is now available to view online. Simply visit www. exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/exmagazine and you’ll be able to click your way through the latest edition.

Creating a buzz in this month’s is the return of Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink which is back for its 11th year. Read our roundup of all the top festival highlights and meet two local producers taking part – Frandie Macaron and The Tiny Marmalade Company.

There’s also a chance to win tickets to the festival along with a delicious hamper. This month we also catch up with Exeter businessman George Sloan, co-owner of Timepiece, Old Timers and The Hole in the Wall, and reminisce about all those unforgettable formative years people have enjoyed clubbing in Exeter.

Don’t miss our chat with Toby Buckland who is bringing a new gardening festival to Powderham Castle in May, plus we enjoy a behind-the-scenes preview of the first completed luxurious flat in prestigious new city centre development Dean Clarke House in Southernhay.

If you’re bored of the usual Easter gifts then you’ll definitely feel inspired after reading our feature on 3D chocolate printmakers Choc Edge based at Exeter University. The clever boffins there have created the world’s first 3D chocolate printer and had our mouths watering after creating an edible version of the EX logo which was almost, but not quite, too good to eat.

Happy Easter!

PROMOTIONS 01752 765500

Anita Merritt

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EX is distributed throughout the city centre and beyond. Here is some of the main outlets you can pick up a copy of the magazine: Tesco Exe Vale • Sainsbury’s Pinhoe • Sainsbury’s Alphington • Exeter Central Station • Exeter Airport • Exeter City Council • St David’s Station • County Hall Exeter • Exeter Northcott Theatre • Exeter Corn Exchange • Exeter Phoenix • Westpoint • Exmouth Pavilion • Exeter City Football Club • Exeter Racecourse • Royal Albert Memorial Museum • Escot • Poltimore House • Woodbury Park • Exeter Golf and Country Club • RD&E • Gloss Art • Cafe Rouge • Cafe Nero • Costa Coffee • Starbucks • McGahey’s Cafe • Ferns Cafe • Tea on the Green • The Cafe, Topsham • Oddfellows • Vive Juice Bar, Guildhall • Sidmouth Garden Centre Cafe • Darts Farm

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CONTENTS EX April 2014

ISSUE NO.18

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72

What’s on & who’s who 06 12 16

18 54

The month ahead What’s on this month, whether you’re staying in or going out What you should know about me George Sloan, owner of city nightspot Timepiece Three-wheeling healing Meet Tom Pales, the man behind Devon’s disability cycling service, Freetrike A guilty pleasure Retired barrister Margaret Barnes publishes her first novel Social diary Out and about with the city’s movers and shakers

Fashion, beauty, health 40 44 49 50

Hidden treasure Enter the Aladdin’s cave that is Monty’s beads It’s designer, darling Bring a touch of glamour to your beauty bag Are you swimsuit ready? How you can shift those stubborn areas Taking pride in your style Take a look inside Exeter’s newest salon Sara Paleschi Hair Design

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Food festival special 22

24 26

Fantastic food and drink Whet your tastebuds with the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink Marvellous macarons Frandie Macaron on their recipe for success Perfect preserves The Tiny Marmalade Co proves good things come in small packages

Art, interiors and property 52 59 64

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Matt Austin Images A month through the lens of one of Devon’s best photographers A star is born Alfa Romeo’s Giulietta has real star quality Something old, something new Lesley Taylor shows you how to mix modern and traditional in your home Add fuel to your fire Inside wood burning stove specialist Elaine’s Stoves

Food & drink 30

35

38

Military precision From Marines band member to barista at Tiverton’s Independent Coffee Trader In the melting pot EX tries out the world’s first 3D chocolate printer, right here in Exeter For the love of Lebanese Becky Sheaves marvels at Sidwell Street Middle Eastern restaurant Mashawi

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38

Enjoy a Golden Egg this Easter!

40

24 On the cover 22

46 72 76

Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink The city’s culinary round-up returns to Northernhay Gardens Spring fresh Give yourself a healthy glow with our top tips The green man Toby Buckland brings his first garden festival to Powderham Castle Advance to Mayfair Southernhay apartments offer exclusive living space

Happy Easter from

IVOR

DOBLE EX 04/14

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Insurance & probate valuations | Jewellery & watch repairs | Buy & sell gold | Great range of Seiko watches | Over 60 years’ experience 24 Sidwell St. Exeter 01392 272228 154 Cowick St.Exeter 01392 422847 05

21/03/2014 17:08:38

THE MONTH AHEAD EX highlights this month’s must-dos... whether you’re staying in or going out

MUSIC Classical Concert Series Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Wednesday, April 2, 7.30pm Celebrated cellosit Raphael Wallfisch is joined by pianist John York in a programme that includes Beethoven’s Sonata for cello and piano in A Op.69; Debussy’s Sonata in G Minor. Tickets £18.

Call 01392 265858 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/ RAMM

Chamber Ensemble of London Deer Park Country Hotel, Honiton Wednesday, April 2, 7.30pm The classical music concert will include Henry Purcell: Fairy Queen Suite; John Ireland: Minuet from A Downland Suite, and Peter Fisher: Variations on Widecombe Fair in the style of Paganini. Tickets £32.70 to £53.50. Visit www. ents24.com

Kimmie Rhodes Barnfield Theatre, Exeter Thursday, April 3, 8pm Multi-platinum-selling Texan singer-songwriter Kimmie Rhodes has released 15 solo CDs, written and produced three musical plays and has a catalogue of hundreds of songs recorded by artists such as Willie Nelson and Wynonna Judd. Tickets £10. Call 01392 270891 or visit www.barnfieldtheatre.org.uk

EMG Symphony Orchestra Exeter Cathedral Saturday, April 5, 7.30pm The concert programme includes Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony and Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Tickets £4 to £15. Call 01392 665885 or visit www. emgsymphonyorchestra.org

The Cougars Barnfield Theatre, Exeter Saturday, April 5, 8pm Join Exeter’s good time rock ’n’ soul band for a charity concert which will take you through some of the very best music of the era featuring the smooth soul vocals of Cleveland Jones.

Tickets £12. Call 01392 270891 or visit www. barnfieldtheatre.org.uk

Dub Mafia Exeter Phoenix Saturday, April 5, 8.30pm Since forming four years ago, Bristol-based Dub Mafia have become one of the most popular dance acts in the UK, Europe and beyond.

Tickets £10. Call 01392 667080 or visit www. exeterphoenix.org.uk

Lostalone The Cavern, Exeter Tuesday, April 8, 8pm 06

What's On.indd 1

Sing along with Sandy and Danny at the Northcott Theatre Following recent support tours with The Darkness and The Blackout, the Derby threepiece are releasing new album Shape Of Screams. Tickets £7. Call 01392 495370 or visit www.exetercavern.com

Feast of Fiddles Exeter Corn Exchange Wednesday, April 9, 7.30pm To celebrate their 21st year, this group of musical friends have taken to the road to entertain their growing legion of fans with a show of huge dynamic range, passionate and joyful playing and a liberal dose of fun. Tickets £16. Call 01392 665938 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

The Hoax Exeter Phoenix Thursday, April 10, 8pm Arguably the most influential British blues band of the last 20 years, The Hoax dominated the 1990s blues scene with a string of highlyacclaimed albums and a cult status as one of the most exciting live acts ever. Tickets £15.

Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Great Hall, Exeter University Thursday, April 10, 7.30pm The BSO’s latest concert includes Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2, and Sibelius: Symphony No.1.

Tickets £12.50 to £36.50, under-18s £1. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.bsolive.com

Atomic Blondie & The Bowie Experience Exeter Corn Exchange Friday, April 11, 8pm Two of the UK ‘s leading tribute bands will play all the hits of these two music legends. Tickets £15, under-16s £10. Call 01392 665938 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

Singa-alonga-Grease Exeter Northcott Theatre Friday, April 11, 7.30pm The brand new sing-along screening of Grease begins with a vocal warm-up, a free fun pack and hand jive lesson. Then sit back and watch Danny, Sandy and the gang while singing and dancing along to the lyrics as shown on the screen. Fancy dress is strongly encouraged and full audience participation essential. Tickets £15.50. Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Bridie Jackson & The Arbour Exeter Phoenix Sunday, April 13, 8pm Winners of the 2013 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition, Bridie Jackson & The Arbour’s music is simultaneously beautiful, ethereal, dark and powerful. Tickets £9. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Budleigh Jazz Festival Budleigh Salterton Friday, April 18, to Monday, April 21 The highlights of the fourth Budleigh Salterton

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THE MONTH AHEAD MUSIC Jazz Festival include The Pedigree Jazz Band, American international star clarinettist and saxman Ken Peplowski with British sax and clarinet specialist Julien Marc Stringle, accompanied by festival president Craig Milverton’s Trio. Individual tickets available or £60 for all five concerts. Call 01395 446524 or email deallers@uwclub.net

Emily Portman Exeter Phoenix Thursday, April 24, 8pm BBC Folk Award Winner of the Best Original Song 2013, Emily Portman is a singer, writer and concertina player originating from Glastonbury, Tickets £10. Call 01392 667080 or visit www. exeterphoenix.org.uk

Little Matador The Cavern, Exeter Friday, April 25, 8pm Taking a break from his guitar duties with band Snow Patrol, Nathan Connolly is touring as the singer of Little Matador. Having recently toured with Queens Of The Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails and Jimmy Eat World, the fast-rising rockers are now in the midst of their own UK headline tour. Tickets £5. Call 01392 495370 or visit www. exetercavern.com

The Budleigh Guitar Festival Public Hall, Budleigh Salterton Friday, April 25, to Sunday, April 27 A weekend of concerts, workshops, meet-andgreets and open mic celebrating the guitar.

The line-up of performers includes Tommy Emmanuel, Glenn Tilbrook and Mungo Jerry. Call 01395 443419 or visit www.wegottickets.com

Joan As Police Woman Exeter Phoenix Friday, April 25, 8pm Since beginning her career playing with indie-rockers The Dambuilders, the uniquely charismatic violinist, guitarist and singersongwriter has released three solo albums.

Tickets £16. Call 01392 667080 or visit www. exeterphoenix.org.uk

Blake Exmouth Pavilion Saturday, April 26, 7.30pm Mixing eclectic classical and pop songs with rich harmony vocals, harmony singers Blake have sold more than one million albums.

Tickets £22.50. Call 01395 222477 or visit www. ledtickets.co.uk

Elkie Brooks Exeter Corn Exchange Saturday, April 26, 8pm One of the most successful and popular singers the UK has ever produced, Elkie Brooks will be performing some of her classic hits, blues, jazz and songs from her new album Powerless.

Tickets £23.50. Call 01392 665938 or visit www.

Joan As Police Woman at the Exeter Phoenix on Friday, April 25 exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Kit and McConnel

Jim Moray Band

Exeter Northcott Theatre Saturday, April 26, 7.30pm Since teaming up as a cabaret duo, Kit Hesketh Harvey and pianist, composer James McConnel have stormed in cabaret, from the Edinburgh and Aldeburgh Festivals to international tours as paid escorts to Joan Rivers. Tickets £20.50.

Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott. co.uk

Barnfield Theatre, Exeter Monday, April 28, 8pm One of the most consistently inventive musicians working in English traditional music today, Jim Moray is the winner of five BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. Tickets £10. Call 01392 270891 or visit www.barnfieldtheatre.org.uk

Krystle Warren Exeter Phoenix Sunday, April 27, 8pm With a vocal approach that has been likened to those of Nina Simone and Jeff Buckley, Krystle writes honest love songs with an emotional intensity few can match. Tickets £10. Call 01392

EX 04/14 What's On.indd 2

The Fureys & Davey Arthur Exeter Corn Exchange Monday, April 28, 8pm Renowned for hits like I Will Love You, When You Were Sweet 16, and The Green Fields of France, the Fureys & Davey Arthur have been entertaining audiences worldwide for 36 years.

Tickets £18. Call 01392 665938 or visit www. exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange 07

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The Hole in the h Wall Little Castle Street EX4 3PX 01392 426994

holeinthewall_

holeinthewallexeter

Old pub, new style

Come & sample the ideal city-centre venue. Real ales in front of TV rugby, a dedicated late-night cider bar, carefully chosen wines & cocktails made with love.

Dine in front of 5 big screens, relaxing in the lounge or enjoy a proper sit-down meal in our restaurant.

Top quality food - gourmet hotdogs, juicy steaks, irresistible grazing plates, delicious mains, lovely desserts & more.

Refreshment & Entertainment

The Original Theatre Company & Birdsong Productions Ltd

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SEBASTIAN FAULKS’S

STAGE VERSION BY

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We supply quality named brands of Electronic (e-cig) Cigarette Kits and E-Liquids.

Our high quality Personal Vaping Devices offer an alternative to smoking.

DIRECTED BY

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“It left me choked up and blinking back the tears at the end.” HHHH Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph

THE E-CIGARETTE SPECIALISTS IN EXETER

“A moving and stunning performance.”

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Tue 66––Sat 2014 Tue Sat1010May May 2014 Box Office: Box Office:

01392 493 01392 493493 493 www.exeternorthcott.co.uk exeternorthcott.co.uk Booking fees apply

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21/03/2014 13:16:16

THE MONTH AHEAD MUSIC

Four of Swords Theatre present Macbeth in the 2,000-year-old Beer Quarry Caves from April 30 to May 10

HMS Pinafore Exeter Northcott Theatre Tues, April 1, to Saturday, April 5, 7.30pm One of the most popular G&S operas, dealing with the age old conundrum of love between social classes, HMS Pinafore has infectious tunes and a beautifully constructed libretto. Tickets £13.50 to £21.50. There will be a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Missy Malone & Friends

Saturday, April 12, 1.30pm and 4pm; Sunday, April 13, 11am and 1.30pm CBeebies’ favourite brother and sister Charlie and Lola are brought to life by a magical mix of puppets, live action and music.

Tickets £12 to £14, families £33 to £39 for three.

Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott. co.uk

Science Museum Live: The Energy Show

Exeter Corn Exchange Saturday, April 12, 8pm Scottish burlesque princess Missy Malone and her sensational friends present The Missy Malone & Friends Burlesque Revue – a glorious theatre show, widely regarded as the best of its kind currently touring the UK. Tickets £17.

Call 01392 665938 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/ cornexchange

Exeter Northcott Theatre Wednesday, April 23, and Thursday, April 24, 7pm Methane bubbles are set alight to make fireballs, hydrogen balloons explode and rockets are fired into the audience. Stand back and cover your ears – theatre just got dangerously exciting!

Tickets £16, family ticket £42 for three with up to three more £14 each. Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Charlie and Lola’s Best Bestest Play

Under Milk Wood

Exeter Northcott Theatre

Exeter Northcott Theatre

EX 04/14 What's On.indd 3

Tuesday, April 29, to Saturday, May 3, 7.30pm A work of genius; ripe with vitality, rich in humour and populated by sublime, eccentric, enchanting characters. This new production marks the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth in 1914 and the 60th anniversary of the play’s British première. Tickets £18.50 to £27.

There is a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Macbeth Beer Quarry Caves Wednesday, April 30 to Saturday, May 10 Exeter-based Four of Swords Theatre are back with a striking new adaptation of Macbeth. It is the first time a theatrical production has been staged at the 2,000-year-old site. Audiences are advised that they will be standing and walking throughout the one-hour duration of the show.

Performances are 8pm Wednesday to Friday, and 5pm and 8pm Saturdays. Tickets cost £10. Call 01392 434169 or visit www.four-of-swords.com 09

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THE MONTH AHEAD COMEDY

EVENTS

Norman Lovett – Old and New is at the Exeter Phoenix on Thursday, April 3

Norman Lovett – Old and New Exeter Phoenix Thursday, April 3, 8pm The stand-up legend and Red Dwarf star returns with a show which contains the continuation of The Sugababes debate amongst many more subjects. Tickets £10. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Exeter Comedy Club Exeter Corn Exchange Friday, April 4, 8.30pm Four top performers from the national standup circuit will perform at the popular Exeter Comedy Club night. Tickets £12. Call 01392 665938 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

Ed Byrne - Roaring Forties Exmouth Pavilion Wednesday, April 30, 8pm The self-confessed ‘miserable old git’ embraces middle age with open arms. Come join him, as he truly comes of age and gives out his clarion cry: “I am in my forties. Hear me roar!” Tickets £23. Call 01395 222477 or visit www.ledtickets. co.uk

Follow the Easter egg trail at Killerton from April 4 to 21

BANFF Mountain Film Festival Exeter Corn Exchange Wednesday, April 2, 7.30pm From the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival comes an evening of extraordinary short films. Tickets £12.50. Call 01392 665938 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

South West Quilt Spring Festival Westpoint, Exeter Friday, April 4, to Sunday, April 6 The show features a large display of quilts from all over the world as well as patchwork and quilting suppliers stands. Workshops are available and can only be booked at the show on a first come, first served basis. Open 10am to 4.30pm, Friday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. Tickets £7 adults, £6 seniors and £3 children on the door.

Easter Egg Trail

Ed Byrne brings his Roaring Forties to the Exmouth Pavilion on April 30

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What's On.indd 4

Killerton, Broadclyst Saturday, April 5, to Monday, April 21, 11am to 4pm Follow the Easter egg trail around the garden and claim your chocolate prize. Tickets £2 per trail, normal admission charges apply. Visit www.

nationaltrust.org.uk/killerton

Chocolate and Candy Fortnight Powderham Castle, Kenton Sunday, April 6, to Monday, April 21 Powderham’s amazing chocolatier returns with his tasty team who have affection for perfection in confection. Discover the science behind sweets and chocolates and follow the Easter Trail to win a prize.

Sessions take place at set times throughout the day. Normal admission applies, plus a £2 activity charge. Visit www.powderham.co.uk

Postman Pat Crealy Great Adventure Park, Exeter Wednesday, April 9 Popular children’s TV character Postman Pat will be appearing in mini-shows in the Show Dome.

Visit www.crealy.co.uk

Glenn Cosby Magdalen Chapter, Exeter Thursday, April 10, 7pm Teignmouth teacher Glenn Cosby, a contestant on the hit BBC Two show The Great British Bake Off, will share his tales from baking in the

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THE MONTH AHEAD EVENTS

ART Behind the Scenes Tour

limelight, followed by a three-course dinner of delicious dishes including wine, canapés and coffee. Tickets £45. Booking essential. Call 01392 281000 or visit www.themagdalenchapterhotel. com

Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Thursday, April 17, 10.30am and noon Take a 40-minute behind-the-scenes tour and see some of the reserve collections and find out more about the conservation, display and storage of objects. Tickets £7. Call 01392 265858.

Dowsing Workshop Crediton Arts Centre Saturday, April 12, 10.15am to 4pm A hands-on workshop which reveals dowsing can be used for all sorts of things, not just for finding water, from finding a lost hearing aid to dentures. The cost is £18.75.

Call 01392 426692.

Life After Brain Injury: Headway Devon Exeter Phoenix Tuesday, April 22, to Saturday, May 24 An exhibition of pictures in a range of mediums by clients of Headway Devon that illustrate an individual’s journey following brain injury.

Easter Table Centre

Jilly Sutton

Pearson Education Centre, Exeter Cathedral Monday, April 14, 2pm to 4pm Exeter Cathedral’s flower arrangers lead this Easter themed workshop. The cost is £17.50, including all materials and tea and coffee. Book

by April 7. Call 01392 285983 or email visitors@ exetercathedral.org.uk

Exeter Racecourse Family Day

Exeter Cathedral Wednesday, April 23, to Tuesday, May 13 An exhibition of wood carvings and casts called 31 Sculptures for 21 Days.

Exeter Racecourse Tuesday, April 15, 2pm Tractor Ted, the well-known children’s character, will make his first ever appearance at the racecourse. The day includes lots of activities, including a behind-the-scenes tour, a running race down the home straight, and question, answer and autograph session with top jockeys, and mechanical horse ride, plus racing.

Advance tickets £13, under-18s free. Call 0844 5793005 or visit www.exeter-racecourse.co.uk

Silly Mini Sunday takes place at Powderham Castle on April 20

Garden Centre Greenhouse Tours

Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink

St Bridget Nurseries, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter Tuesday, April 15, 2pm, and Thursday, April 17, 11am As part of National Gardening Week, St Bridget Nurseries is offering tours of its two propagation greenhouses to show how they produce plants from seed, cuttings, division and grafting.

Meet the experts and ask them questions. Tickets £5. In aid of charity Greenfingers.

Booking essential. Call 01392 873672.

Peppa Pig Crealy Park, Exeter Wednesday, April 16 Popular TV Character Peppa Pig will be meeting fans at Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park.

Visit www.crealy.co.uk

10th Silly Mini Sunday Powderham, Exeter Sunday, April 20, 2.30pm Watch a convoy of Minis drive through the courtyard in the afternoon. The theme this year is Under the Sea so expect to see waves of Minis and their drivers dressed accordingly to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West.

Normal admission applies.

Visit www.powderham.co.uk

Gemfest Exeter Phoenix Sunday, April 20, 11am to late Charity festival Gemfest will take over the Phoenix with a daytime event for families, topped off with an evening of music and festival fun for adults. Tickets £12.50. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Northernhay Gardens & Exeter Castle Friday, April 25, to Sunday, April 27 Now in its 11th year, the festival provides the chance to indulge in top-notch South West food and drink, see national TV celebrities, learn from the many cookery demonstrations and workshops, and enjoy family hands-on activities.

The festival also includes evening Festival After Dark events featuring live music and chef demos.

Day tickets £7.50 adults, £5 seniors, under 16s £1, £15 families; VIP day ticket £15.

Adult After Dark tickets, £5, adult combined day and After Dark ticket, £12. Weekend tickets £17.50, including After Dark nights, VIP weekend ticket £30. Visit www.theticketfactory.com/ exeterfoodfest

Doug Allan - In the Company of Giants Exeter Corn Exchange Sunday, April 27, 7.30pm Multi-award winning cameraman Doug Allan from Blue Planet, Planet Earth and Ocean Giants, presents an unforgettable evening of extraordinary animal adventures and unique wildlife film footage. Tickets £15. Call 01392 665938 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

EX 04/14 What's On.indd 5

Take a behind-the-scenes tour at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum 11

20/03/2014 15:32:28

what you should

know about me:

n a o l S e g r o Ge

This year marks the 21st anniversary of George Sloan and Rob Skinner becoming the new owners of Exeter nightclub Timepiece.

For generations of students and young clubbers, the venue in Little Castle Street will always be fondly remembered as where they spent their formative years.

Those whose memories go back even further will recall when what is now Old Timers was the original Timepiece, and it was there George and Rob began their career as nightclub owners.

In 1997, Timepiece moved to its current location and Old Timers became a restaurant and bar. Five years ago George and Rob bought it back and have recently taken over and refurbished The Hole in the Wall.

Both George and Rob are very hands-on with their Little Castle Street empire, but both prefer to stay out of the spotlight.

With a gentle twist of his arm, shy yet extremely likeable and charming businessman George agrees to step out of the shadows to be quizzed

by Anita Merritt, before quickly merging back to the comfort of being behind the scenes again

How did your Timepiece journey begin?

Like in all good stories, I met a girl! She joined Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, and I had recently retired from the police force after being injured while on duty with the Royal Ulster Constabulary in the late ‘80s.

I moved to Devon with her and got a parttime job as a doorman at the old Timepiece, where I progressed to become manager and my business partner was Rob Skinner.

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The man we worked for was Austin Mockridge, and when he went bankrupt in 1993, Rob and I bought the club. The rest, as they say, is history.

I had never envisaged owning a nightclub. I had always pictured having a little antiques shop down on the Quay!

What do you love about Timepiece?

The people and the atmosphere. When we moved to where the club is now we became

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Picture by Matt Austin

one of the largest nightspots in Exeter.

Timepiece is very unique. It has a great buzz with young people coming here to have a great time. It’s their formative years.

We have a fantastic relationship with Exeter University and are the main sponsor of its athletics union.

What do you think of Exeter’s nightlife?

Exeter has a great variety of nightlife and I think the more venues that spring up the better.

What sets Timepiece apart from other clubs?

Timepiece has always been based on the music and I feel we have led the way in bringing new alternative music to the city.

We started back in 1975 as a punk club and were the first to do acid jazz. We were playing Oasis before people had even heard of them. We like to feel we are the first to develop new trends.

What is the secret of Timepiece’s success?

To surround yourself with young people as they give us all the advice and guidance we need.

If you could take over the decks at Timepiece for one night what would you play?

I’ve always been an enormous Beatles fan but good music is good whether it’s from the ‘60s through to the noughties.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Not a week goes by that an old customer doesn’t turn up and remember Timepiece with great fondness. We’ve had local students who went to Timepiece become a well-known rugby sports commentator for ITV or political editor of the BBC, but it doesn’t matter where you go in the world – Timepiece is still held in great affection.

Does Timepiece have any claims to fame?

We’ve had a lot of famous people through the doors over the years like Will Young, Chris Martin from Coldplay and Joss Stone, who had her 18th birthday party here.

When Coldplay did a charity concert at Exeter Castle he added a line into one of his songs which said, ‘singing and dancing in Timepiece’, which got a round of applause.

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20/03/2014 15:44:01

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21/03/2014 11:49:35

Rob Skinner and George Sloan after the opening of the current Timepiece in 1997

How did you and Rob become the owners of The Hole in the Wall?

We had the opportunity to take it on last year. The building is actually owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. We haven’t spoken to the Prince of Wales yet though!

We decided from the outset rugby would be a big part of what we did, and we have a good relationship with Exeter Chiefs.

We also want to offer sports like Formula 1 and Wimbledon.

Part of our advertising slogan is ‘Come to The Hole in the Wall for a football-free weekend’.

What’s the next business adventure you’re working on?

We are converting the cellar in The Hole in the Wall into a jazz bar and hope it will be ready in the next couple of months. The last time it was used was about 15 years ago as a wine library.

We just felt it would be nice for the slightly more mature person to have an upmarket venue to go to in the city.

“

Regardless of what job you do at Timepiece you become part of the Timepiece family What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received/lesson you’ve learned?

To treat people as you would like to be treated. That has always stood me in good stead. I have very strong family values, and regardless of what job you do at Timepiece you become part of the Timepiece family and we all look after each other.

What’s your greatest triumph?

I’m tremendously proud of what we’ve achieved at Timepiece. When I walk around the club and see everyone having a good time it gives me a great buzz.

My other triumph is producing two lovely,

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well-balanced sons I’m incredibly proud of.

What’s your biggest regret?

I actually don’t have any. I seem to have packed in so much into my life, and life is too short for regrets.

What might people not know about you?

I’m the honorary vice-president of DreamA-Way who provide grants towards holidays and trips to disabled and seriously ill people of all ages living in Devon, Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. I’ve been doing it for 20 years and I’m very proud to be involved because it’s a great charity and everyone works on a voluntary basis.

Tell us a secret about yourself...

I have got an unhealthy passion for collecting old enamel signs dating from the mid-1800s to the 1930s. I have hundreds and have got them everywhere at home and at work like throughout Timepiece. I’m also very interested in local history and the history of Timepiece is absolutely amazing.

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20/03/2014 15:44:53

Three-wheeling Adam Walmesley meets Tom Pales, the man behind Devon’s disability cycling service Freetrike

Tom says: “My father was my hardest client, partly because he doesn’t like cycling. We got him outside again, meeting people. The transformation in his life was amazing.”

Tom officially launched Freetrike in 2010 after working as a cycling development officer and a cycling instructor.

Over the past few years the business has rapidly expanded and his office is now Devon’s National Cycle Network, making use of a variety of traffic-free paths across the county including the Granite Way, Exe Estuary Trail, Tiverton Canal Country Path, Drakes Trail near Tavistock and Tarka Trail near Barnstaple.

Retired beef and sheep farmer Ben Barton also became empowered by the service.

The 70 year old from Silverton suffered a stroke in 2010 while living an active

William Pales seemed destined for a paralysed existence as he sat in his living room with one side of his body immobile.

But the retired sailor’s life was about to be reinvigorated thanks to a ‘three-wheeling healing’ service, helping people across Devon to challenge their disabilities.

Freetrike was started by Tom Pales following his father’s stroke in 2001 that left him virtually stuck to the sofa at his home in Lydford, near Okehampton.

The disability cycling service was intended to give the 73 year old, and many others, the opportunity to enjoy the surrounding countryside and to be active on a speciallyadapted three-wheel bike.

“Freetrike gives people freedom,” explains 37-year-old Tom, who lives in Silverton near Exeter. “It’s about pulling people out of the woodwork and getting them back into life.”

After his father’s stroke, Tom made a rapid career U-turn, giving up property management in London and moving to Devon with wife Jess.

An opportunity unfolded when Devon County Council developed a stretch of disused railway close to Tom’s parents’ home. The Granite Way formed part of Route 27, one of Europe’s greatest cycle routes, from Devon’s south to north coast.

Each week Tom would drive his father to the tarmac path for a short walk, leaving a marked rock at their furthest point – 150 metres from the beginning.

“One day a man cruised past with a wide smile on a recumbent bike that looked like a sofa with pedals,” recalls Tom. “The threewheeling healing had begun.”

His father began to use a recumbent bike and grew confident enough to cycle alone.

Tom adds: “We flew past the marked rock every week, journeying to the end of the path through stunning embankments, cuttings, bridges and woodlands. My father’s world opened up again.”

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healing lifestyle and working as a sales agent.

“It was devastating,” says Ben. “I lost the use of my left side and was virtually stuck in my own house.”

But life improved after his wife Claire read about the service in a magazine article.

Ben says: “Freetrike has given me my life back. The disability seemed to disappear when I was on the trike. I felt normal again.”

He rode 235 miles over a period of 12 months until September. Now he cycles 10 miles each week, and he says he is getting ‘stronger and stronger’ all the time.

“The doctors were worried I had mild depression,” recalls Ben. “Now I try to look for the positives in life in every situation.”

Another client is 17-year-old Hugh Malyon from Paignton, who suffers from cerebral palsy and began using the service last year.

The teenager’s mother Penny says:

“Hugh spends most of his time in an electric wheelchair, but when he’s on a recumbent trike he can get from ‘a’ to ‘b’ under his own steam.”

The specialist equipment was purchased from Falmouth manufacturer Inspired Cycle Engineering, named Business of the Year and Winner of Winners at the Cornwall Business Awards 2013.

ICE’s recumbent trikes place the rider in a reclining position with their feet in front of their body and, unlike other forms of trike, two of the wheels are at the front of the cycle.

They can travel up to 13mph and can be folded in half to fit into a car boot.

Neil Selwood, who co-founded the business in 1999, said: “In its basic form, it is very adaptable for people with special needs. For instance, single-leg

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William Pales and, main image, Tom

Pictures by Matt Austin

amputees who might otherwise use a hand-crank can pedal them, while some customers have cerebral palsy or MS, where balance is an issue.”

Each of Tom’s one-to-one sessions lasts for two hours, from door to door, and the service is available all year round subject to adverse weather conditions.

Tom adds: “Freetrike means different things to different people: for some it’s exercise, for some it’s social contact and for others it’s simply watching the seasons change.”

For more information on Freetrike visit www.freetrike.co.uk or call Tom Pales on 07957 647675.

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20/03/2014 15:50:32

A guilty pleasure In the mind of a writer, the most surreal stories can be created to capture people’s imaginations, but real-life events can often make just as dramatic reading.

Retired barrister Margaret Barnes has drawn on her working life as a successful barrister to write her first novel, a courtroom drama called Crucial Evidence. Anita Merritt meets Margaret at her home in Exton near Exeter and talks about how her life has changed from writing closing courtroom speeches to fictional legal dramas If there is a such a thing as a ‘typical’ successful barrister, Margaret Barnes is definitely not it. She is female, comes from a working class background, had no burning ambition to become a lawyer, and admits to being a bit of a maverick both in and out of the courtroom.

Against the odds, Margaret enjoyed a career spanning more than 25 years that many people in the legal profession only dream of achieving.

Specialising as a defence lawyer in London, Margaret represented many defendants in high-profile cases including the death of fashion designer Ossie Clark, and Janet Griffiths who abducted a baby from St Thomas’s Hospital in London.

Giving a glimpse into legal life, Margaret says: “Whatever people think about the legal system, it’s weighted against the defence, particularly because the police have all the investigating powers using trained people. When you’re the defence it’s just you so I quite enjoyed that side of it.

“What I also absolutely loved was giving closing speeches. Every jury speech is a story and I used to write it out in full by hand and then I’d hardly need to look at it when I gave it. I always liked my speeches to tell a story created out of the evidence given in court. We all like storytelling and I think that’s why I have written a novel.”

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Since retiring in 2001 and moving to Devon, Margaret has completed an MA in creative writing at Exeter University. Now in her 60s, her tutors encouraged her to write about her own courtroom experiences and the end result is debut novel Crucial Evidence.

In the fast-paced courtroom drama, Margaret offers a departure from conventional crime fiction writing by focusing on the legal processes of the courtroom to create an engaging and authentic story of mistaken identity.

It is Margaret’s hope that the book celebrates the unsung heroes of the courtroom – those who believe passionately in fairness and in delivering justice, however challenging that task may be.

“There are always two sides to a story and justice is when there has been a trial and someone has been either convicted or acquitted,” says Margaret. “That’s what barristers do.

“It’s juries who acquit people, not lawyers. Juries are ordinary people who come to their own decision about what’s happened based on their own experience of life, so it’s an important thing to have.

“The classic question I always got asked was, ‘how can you represent a person who is guilty?’. My answer was, I don’t know that. That’s for the jury to say.

“You do have a gut instinct but you have to be careful with that.

Everyone is innocent until proven to be guilty and sometimes cases

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Retired bannister and author Margaret Barnes

don’t turn out the way you think they will.

“What a client tells you sometimes does not match up, but if they stick to the story you still have to do the case and start looking for flaws in the prosecution.

“Sometimes when you start cross-examining a witness it’s not the

way it’s been presented in the prosecution statements. The police, for whatever reason, may have put words in peoples’ mouths or presented it in a different way. Cross-examining is all about exposing that kind of mistake.

“Sometimes people’s memories are just plain faulty. There was

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chairwoman at a magistrates’ court who was a real character and was one of those blue rinse ‘proper ladies’.

She had been going to London by coach when there had been a car accident in front of them on the motorway.

“She made three statements and each one was completely different. It wasn’t that she was lying, she just remembered it differently each time. That’s why you have to be careful, even when you think, ‘I’ve heard all this before’, and you’re sure they’re guilty. If they are pleading not guilty you have got to represent them.”

By law everybody is entitled to a defence in court and to enforce that is the cab-rank rule which states it is the obligation of a barrister to accept any case they are given.

Margaret explains: “The idea is you’re not allowed to pick and choose the people you represent, but what tends to happen is you get known for particular types of work. At one stage I did a lot of sexual offence cases. In the end I had to stop because I was finding it too depressing.

“Part of your training as a lawyer is learning to not get over involved or too emotional. There is one bit in my book where the defence barrister Cassie Hardman says something to the effect that, ‘some people become so in control of their emotions they cease to have any’. I have seen that. They almost cut themselves off.

“I always tried to get a rapport with my clients.

Very few are really evil. In fact, I would say looking back at all the cases I did, there was only one person I would call evil. She was a young girl who was just so cold that I just couldn’t relate to her at all.”

Among the most high-profile cases Margaret worked on was the death of cult fashion designer Ossie Clarke who was murdered by his lover Diego Cogolato in a drug-induced psychotic state of paranoia.

“The defendant pleaded guilty but it was horrific,” recalls Margaret.

“The pictures from the crime scene was the worst I had ever seen.

“They were scenes of horror in Ossie’s flat against a background of some of the most beautiful fabrics and art books from his designer days. Cogolato was sentenced to six years imprisonment.”

The case attracted worldwide attention and earned Margaret even greater respect as a defence lawyer. The achievement is made even greater because of the journey it had taken to get there. The Lancashire-born grammar school girl recalls vividly that, because of their working class background, pupils at her school were discouraged from pursuing a law career.

“There was a lad in my class who wanted to be a barrister but was told it was a waste of time and he would never succeed because we were the wrong sort of people for those kind of jobs, so I never thought about it as a career.

“Back then, only five per cent of young people went to university and 20

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Cult fashion designer Ossie Clarke, whose murder case Margaret worked on

even fewer from working class backgrounds. I was one of those few and did law and politics but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. Becoming a barrister was beyond anything I could have thought of doing.”

The journey to reach the seemingly impossible began when Margaret joined a solicitor’s firm after leaving university and was articled to the late Tory MP Sir Walter Clegg in Blackpool.

A partner at the firm who did advocacy at Blackpool Magistrates Court suddenly announced he was leaving and Margaret was asked to take over the role. The appointment certainly turned a few heads in the courtroom and proved to be life changing for Margaret.

“I was the first woman to appear in the magistrates’ court and I suddenly realised I was going to be good at it,” she says. “I qualified in 1971 and I would get police officers ringing me up saying, ‘I want to speak to the solicitor dealing with the case’, and I would say, ‘That’s me’, and they’d reply, ‘No, you don’t understand, I want to speak to the solicitor’. It was a very male profession and I have to say it still is, they just hide it better now.

EX 04/14 21/03/2014 12:15:46

moved before he reached me. You are always taught that when you “I moved to London because I really wanted to do jury trials go into a cell with a prisoner to make sure you’re nearest to the door and the only way to do that was to train for the bar. I was lucky so that you can get out. It can be very scary but in general most because I got pupilage pretty easy. people are very subdued rather than aggressive.”

“I got into a chamber where there were only men doing crime. If What also might come as a surprise is that those people who find you’re a woman they always want you to do family law, but I was themselves in the courtroom come from all walks of life. determined to do crime.

“According to the Prison Reform “It was a 70 to 80 hour week.

Trust, who I have always You’re working evenings and supported, one third of all males often weekends so it’s very hard have a criminal conviction for to combine family life. If you something other than a traffic look at the women at the top offence,” says Margaret. “That’s end of the profession you often You are always taught a very, very high percentage. Of find they are single, divorced those, only a few are persistent or married to other members that when you go into offenders. of the bar who understand the a cell with a prisoner to “It’s interesting how many people pressures. find themselves at some stage of “I married a solicitor, who make sure you’re nearest their life involved in the criminal worked in local government, to the door so that you can justice system. People think of when I was 42 and have no get out criminals as being us and them, children. He was widowed and but if you look into people’s has two teenage boys. backgrounds a lot will have a “I could have got married earlier criminal conviction.” but I didn’t want to give up work In 2000, Margaret went partyet. I don’t regret that decision. time and then retired a year later. Life is now spent either living in Those were the choices I made, even though it would have been Exton or their flat in London. nice to have children.”

Although Margaret admits to still avidly following court cases in The other regret Margaret doesn’t have is specialising as a defence the news, her time is now spent enjoying her new found hobby of lawyer with vulnerable clients. creative writing.

“I had the ability to handle people who were not particularly Her debut novel Crucial Evidence is self-published and centres on mentally robust or in control,” recalls Margaret. “I had a fairly barrister Cassie Hardman who is asked to represent Lenny Barker, success career at the bar. It’s a judgement of your work if you get an acquittal. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found it fascinating, if stressful.” a young man from a London housing estate accused of murdering prostitute Shelley Paulson.

Part and parcel of the job was dealing with the reaction to verdicts, “It’s about mistaken identity and a defendant who is vulnerable to but out of all the cases Margaret worked on, she says the most flack interrogation and has made admissions they shouldn’t have,” says she received was over divorce cases.

Margaret. “They are a person who looks guilty at first blush.

She recalls: “I got attacked in court once by a husband and the row “Cassie, the barrister in my book, will get silk in volume three. I was over money, which it always is. He went for me just as the judge didn’t get to receive silk (becoming Queen’s counsel as a mark of was leaving the court and was arrested. outstanding ability) much to my annoyance. Most women who get “The only other time was when I was silk tend to be prosecutors, and I was told I didn’t have the right dealing with an awful rape case and my ‘style’. They probably meant I was too aggressive in court!” client was convicted. I went to see him Not one to feel any bitterness, Margaret is instead enjoying being a in the cells afterwards to tell him he had writer and meeting with fellow members of Chudleigh Writer’s Cycle. no grounds for appeal and he launched She recalls: “I received my first copy of Crucial Evidence in February across the table at me. Thankfully the and I feel thrilled I’ve done it. It’s one of those little boxes I’ve ticked.” prison officer got to him in time and I

“

Crucial Evidence is published by New Generation and costs £8.99, ebook £4.99. It is available online, including Amazon, and can be ordered from all good bookshops.

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21/03/2014 12:16:13

Must-try flavours, created by some of the best food and drink producers in the region, is one of the key themes of this year’s Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink festival.

From salted caramel macaroons to smoked lamb prosciutto, visitors are being encouraged to discover locally-created tastes during the three-day food and drink celebration at Exeter Castle and Northernhay Gardens, writes Sue Kemp

Fantastic food F

ood and fun come together in Exeter this month for a very special celebration. The Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink will once again be taking over Northernhay Gardens and Exeter Castle for an event that promises something for all the family.

It all takes place from Friday, April 25, to Sunday, April 27, and over the past 11 years the event has established itself as a vital part of life in Exeter and the South West, celebrating our rich food culture while bringing together local producers, the region’s best chefs, and the food-loving public.

From salted caramel macarons to smoked lamb prosciutto, visitors are being

“

With inspiring chef demos and foodie activities, it’s the perfect way to discover new flavours encouraged to discover locally created tastes at this year’s festival.

Michael Caines MBE, festival co-founder, met with a selection of producers to try some of this year’s taste sensations for himself.

He said: “The Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink is all about the taste – every year incredible food and drink producers showcase to visitors what an extraordinary talent we have for creating amazing flavours right here in the region.

“From lavender and nectar fudge to merguez sausages, lemon and elderflower marmalade, black olive salami and carrot and apple juice, the festival is a fantastic weekend to try something different, meet the people behind the produce and support 22

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Cookery theatre chef line-up

Michael Caines festival co-founder and Michelin starred Exeter chef Lesley Waters TV celebrity who has her own cookery school in Dorset Dez Turland Brend Hotels Angus McCaig The Holt Andy Appleton Fifteen Darrin Hosegrove Ashburton Cookery School Sam Moody Bath Priory Mark Dodson Masons Arms Russell Brown Sienna Ben Bulger Magdalen Chapter, Exeter Tim Bouget The ODE, Shaldon Scott Paton Horn of Plenty Peter Gorton one of Devon’s best known chefs and author of Devon Food Heroes Steve Edwards Masterchef: The Professionals – 2013 winner

Michael Caines with food producers ahead of the 2014 food festival

regional food Combined with inspiring chef demos and foodie activities for all the family, it’s the perfect way to discover new flavours, to learn about the food produced here and to inspire your own culinary creations.”

The three-day festival – which recently won gold at the 2013 Devon Tourism Awards for Tourism Event of The Year – will feature more than 100 regional producers, top chefs, workshops, live music and foodthemed activities for all the family.

The Festival Cookery Theatre, hosted

by Michael, features top culinary talent including TV chef Lesley Waters, Andy Appleton from Cornwall’s Fifteen, awardwinning Mark Dodson from the Mason’s Arms and Tim Bouget from ODE, Shaldon, offering cooking demonstrations, cook-offs and masterclasses throughout the weekend.

The Darts Farm Food is Fun teepees will be serving up a packed timetable of workshops, masterclasses and talks. For younger food fans, the Little Cookies area offers a mix

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Fresh at the festival

& drink of food and farming fun. Meet the farm animals, be enthralled by the story-telling and get creative in the Big Top Marquee.

Plus Fun Kitchen cooks up a storm with its children’s cooking workshops on Saturday No visit to the festival is complete and Sunday. without sampling the huge array Bringing the kitchen garden to the festival, of food and drink produce lovingly gardening experts from Fermoys will be on created by local businesses. hand with advice and tips on your garden, Among those to look out for this year is as well as a scarecrow competition and Shute Fruit and Produce, an established special activities for children. family farm run by Lori Reich and David Three Festival After Dark Party nights on Lamboll. Lori stirs up more than 20 the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings different varieties of preserves using of the festival combine local food, ales and plenty of love, traditional recipes, family ciders and live music to create a great night secrets and contemporary innovations. out.

She has incorporated her gold Get a Michael, an Exeter chef who medal ederflower cordial bite of the fun! owns ABode in Cathedral with fresh lemons Green and runs his own to make lemon Day tickets: £7.50 adults, £5 seniors, cooking academy at and elderflower under 16s £1, £15 families; Exeter college, said the VIP day ticket £15. Adult After Dark tickets: marmalade. Lori £5 or adult combined day and After Dark festival is something has also found the ticket, £12. everyone can be first written record Weekend tickets: £17.50, including proud of. of marmalade After Dark nights, VIP “In this difficult being imported into weekend ticket £30. economic period, we Exeter docks was are delighted that the over 500 years ago in www.exeterfood festival goes from strength 1499. anddrinkfestival.co.uk to strength,” he added. “Since Fellow farmers the we launched in 2004, there has been a sea Quickes, from Newton St Mary, are of change in local and national awareness of regulars at the festival and Lucy Quicke, the importance of food in our daily lives. the 15th generation to take on the “Food miles, sustainability, traceability, business, will be bringing along her new provenance, biodiversity and the Quickes Goat Milk Butter which is being importance of shopping local are all now launched at the festival. firmly on the mainstream agenda for Another festival favourite is Tom’s Pies. all those who care about good, healthy The multi-award winning pies are and delicious food as well as the value handmade in Clyst St Mary and are of maintaining traditional lifestyles and created from only the best and freshest communities. ingredients, sourced locally wherever “We hope this year’s visitors enjoy tasting, possible. learning, eating, drinking, dancing, and Its trademark thin and buttery shortcelebrating with us South West excellence.” crust pastry allows plenty of room for the delicious and varied fillings.

South West Food and Drink Pavilions

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To give new businesses a chance to showcase what they do, the festival offers start-up producers who have been in the business less than four years and have never exhibited at the festival the chance to do so in its Fresh at the Festival section.

Among them is Exeter-based The Tiny Marmalade company which produces preserves in miniature jars; and Good Game in Topsham which sells game charcuterie, sausages and burgers.

Their mission is to make the best tasting game and cured meat in the world and to achieve that, they cure using only salt and natural Exe estuary air.

Win tickets and a hamper One lucky reader is being offered the chance to win two adult day passes to the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, plus a Good Game Wild Artisan Hamper full of Devon-made charcuterie and game produce, including a selection of cured and fresh meats.

Good Game, based in Topsham, is new to the festival this year, running from April 25 to 27 at Exeter Castle and Northernhay Gardens, and specialises in charcuterie using locallysourced ingredients. Its signature sausage is a venison salami and a firm favourite is its naturally air-dried coppa ham.

To enter simply answer the following question: Where in Devon is Good Game based?

Send your answer on a postcard along with your name, address and telephone number to: Food Festival Competition, c/o Anita Merritt, EX, Heron Road, Sowton Ind Est, Exeter, EX2 7NF, or email it to amerritt@expressandecho.co.uk The closing date is Monday, April 14. Usual terms and conditions apply. Please note: At times hamper contents may vary due to stock availability. Good Game will deliver the hamper after April 27 or it can be collected from the festival. Entrants must be 18 years or over.

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20/03/2014 16:01:21

When top baker Paul Hollywood gives your cakes the thumbs up, you know you are onto a winner. And that is what happened to two Devon macaron makers when they launched their new business, as Sue Kemp discovered

Marvellous

macarons

W

hen baking fans Francesca Gigg and Andie Stanstel decided to start a business together, they knew they needed a challenge.

Not for them the relative safety of a sponge or tart, they opted for most bakers’ nightmare – the macaron.

After months of trial and error, they perfected their basic recipe and launched Frandie Macaron in the Britain’s Best food pavillion at BBC Radio Two’s CarFest South 2012.

And who better to give his seal of approval but top TV baker Paul Hollywood?

He was at the event and made a bee-line for their stall. And after tucking into a Strawberries and Cream Macaron he moved onto the zingy Lemon Tart Macaron exclaiming how good they were and giving both his thumbs up.

“We were more than happy with these words from the man who is deemed the Simon Cowell of the baking world,” said Fran. “It was an amazing start to our business.”

And since then the pair have grown and developed Frandie Macaron, taking their goodies to events up and down the county.

And this month they will be at the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink.

Fran, who is now pregnant, said it had been really hard work but very enjoyable.

She said she was inspired to start baking by her mum who had her own business making wedding cakes.

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Pictures by Matt Austin

“I have always had a passion for home baking and am really lucky that I have been able to turn it into a living,” said Fran, who runs the business with partner and best friend Andie Stanstell and her husband, Mark.

“We were two friends who wanted a new challenge. We took our love of baking – sprinkled, perhaps, with Andie’s slight obsession with macarons – to the next level.

“We used our spare time to practise baking them in our homes and moved forward from there.”

But why macarons – after all, aren’t they every baker’s worst nightmare?

“We wanted a challenge and saw a gap in the market,” said Fran.

“There are not that many people who make macarons because they are notoriously difficult to get right.

“There are so many things that can go wrong in the process and you have to work on a 75 per cent success rate. You need plenty of ground almonds, sugar, egg whites and persistence! You make an almond paste, then add either French or Italian meringue to make the batter, which is piped out to the desired size.

“We did a lot of reading and research and practising at my home in Honiton for 18 months before we launched the business in 2012.

“Up until four months ago I was still working full-time so used to put in very long hours. But it has been worth it and I am still very excited by how the business can grow.”

Andie and Mark, who live near Cullompton, ran their own successful wine bar and bistro called Dominoes in Honiton (now The Holt) for about 10 years. Mark was the chef there and was always coming up with new homemade recipes. They both come from an extensive catering background.

The trio are pleased with the way their business is growing. They also now do wedding favours and a macaron tower as an alternative to a

wedding cake – and they are developing new flavours all the time.

“We also create seasonal flavours like our chocolate collection for Easter,” said Fran. “And we have six classic flavours which we are adding to all the time.

“We are really looking forward to going to the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink. Last year we went along as visitors and this year we will be exhibitors. It is going to be a great experience.

“People will be able to see and taste what we have created and we can talk to them about what flavours they like.”

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At the moment they are travelling up and down the region selling their cakes at farmers’ markets and festivals, but eventually they want to open their own tea shop.

“It will be lovely to have our own premises where we can bake and create,” said Fran.

“And to be able to see people enjoying our macarons with a nice cup of tea.”

More details at www.frandiemacaron.co.uk 25

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Perfect

preserves From the fruity and ordinary to the weird and wonderful, The Tiny Marmalade Co has spread itself across the whole spectrum of flavours to create its delicious jams, marmalades and preserves. Anita Merritt meets owner and inventor Paloma Hermoso and discovers her passion for tiny things isn’t just limited to preserves 26

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Pictures by Matt Austin

A

n obsession with collecting miniature jam jars has escalated into much more than just an unusual pastime for Paloma Hermoso.

The keen cook has been inspired by her love of preserves to learn how to make them herself. Not only has she mastered the techniques, Paloma has discovered a hidden talent for inventing the most unusual flavour combinations.

Her clever concoctions have been used to create more than 40 different and original recipes including mojito marmalade; apple and courgette; toffee apple; dragon fruit and raspberries; and blueberries and cava.

The extensive range of savoury and sweet preserves have been such a hit with friends and family that last October Paloma decided to launch The Tiny Marmalade Co. Made from her approved kitchen at home in Exeter, Paloma can’t wait to share them with visitors at this year’s Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink.

“It all started because I’m quite passionate about tiny things,” reveals Paloma, who moved from Spain to Exeter 20 months ago.

“They are cute and lovely, and you can hold them in your hand or carry them in your pocket.

“I love small cards, glittery stickers, all sort of minuscule boxes, puppies, kittens, doll house furniture, fairies, tangerines, cupcakes, rings, ladybird and babies. Everything is better in miniature format.

“I started collecting tiny jam jars 10 years ago and now have around 350 from around the world. I then learnt how to make preserves myself and it has ended up with me setting up my own business.”

The running of The Tiny Marmalade Company fits in with working full time, proving just how committed Paloma is to getting the business off the ground.

“As much as I like my job, doing what you’re passionate about is completely different,” admits Paloma. “It’s just me, so I can manage my own time and be innovative.

“The best thing about having your own company is you can do whatever you want and make whatever you want, even if it’s weird or odd. If the combinations work, that makes me very happy. If they don’t, I carry on creating until I have the perfect flavour.

“To me cooking is like a craft because you can be creative and innovative. I’m really interested in healthy eating, organic and

Fairtrade products, locally sourced food and encouraging people to buy locally.

“I use seasonal vegetables and fruit and don’t follow recipes from books. They are all my own inventions using the traditional method of preserving which is done in an open pan.

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“Each batch makes about 30 miniature pots so I don’t work with huge amounts of jam, and some flavours are very limited edition so I might make only 50, and once they’re gone they’re gone.

“They are carefully packed in lovely tiny jars.

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“

They are packed in lovely tiny jars. No more half emptied jars in the bottom of the fridge is our motto No more boring half emptied jars in the bottom of the fridge is our motto.”

Every new flavour has to undergo a tough taste test before it is ready for sale. Paloma reveals: “When I make a new flavour I let it set for a couple of days and then I test it out on my panel of experts – my husband and my children. They are my quality control and if it passes it is put on my website. Depending on how customers rate it, I carry on producing it. We even have a rating app.”

The three best sellers are: Stardust Marmalade, a flavourful exotic and zingy jam made of physalis, red grape and cardamom; Cherries and Rioja, a jam which can be served warm or cold; and Fig and Lavender Sweet Summertime jam made with fresh figs and extra virgin olive oil infused with fresh lavender.

For Paloma, the dream would be to give up her day job and make a full-time living from making preserves.

“I’m surprised and happy with how well it has gone so far,” says Paloma. “The first time I sent a box of marmalade to a customer it was a really weird feeling, like sending your child off to university. The marmalades feel like they’re part of me and then finding that people love what I do is really exciting.”

To spread the word about The Tiny Marmalade Co, Paloma will be making her first appearance at this year’s Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink.

As well as trying tasters, visitors can have fun playing ‘guess the ingredients’ in one of Paloma’s special preserve inventions. The winners will receive a taster box of six different preserves.

“I’m really excited and happy to be taking part.

It’s a good opportunity not only because of the company but as an individual,” she said.

A firm nod of approval has been acknowledged in this year’s Fairtrade Business Awards by the company attaining a silver award in the Best Fairtrade Food Retailer category. If the first six months are anything to go by, Paloma’s newest collection craze looks likely to be awards.

Each pot of preserve costs £1.50 and are available from several retailers across Devon, including Cakeadoodledoo shop and cafe in Deanery Place, Exeter; The Real Food Store in Paris Street, Exeter; and online at www.thetinymarmalade.com Taster boxes are available containing six different flavours for £7.

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21/03/2014 10:32:24

One of Tiverton’s freshest faces, luxury, speciality coffee shop the Independent Coffee Trader, is run by former Royal Marines band musicians Rich and Steph Harvey.

Here’s their story, writes Fran McElhone

Military t

precision

faces. The counter is crammed with stunning homemade cakes whipped up by Steph, also a former Royal Marines band musician of 10 years, on the premises, adding a treat to a shopping trip or outing to the Mid Devon market town.

This cosy, trendy little joint is all about quality. This was the whole point, ever since one summer evening in Bordeaux, during a biking trip across France during the Corps’ summer recess, where, over an after-dinner coffee, the couple mused about life after the Marines.

Rich admits that, with 34 years’ service between them, they picked up a fair few military-esque traits that have come in handy setting up a new business and transforming a drab, empty shop front into the bright buzzy nook it is now.

For Rich, his coffee is all about perfection – he and Steph care about what they make, and about the people they’re making it for, can we say, with military precision?

he former Royal Marines officer looks different. He has longer hair – and a beard. The first time I interviewed the 41 year old was behind the barbed wire of the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre (CTC), within days of his return from Afghanistan where the former director of music had been with his fellow musicians for six months.

Now, instead of talking about his operational role overseeing the welfare of hundreds of medical personnel at Camp Bastion during Herrick 14, nearing the end of his 24-year career with the Corps, our conversation is about two of life’s happiest commodities, coffee and cake, from the charming, laid-back interior of his and wife Steph’s new venture.

Wander along Gold Street, and you won’t be able to help side stepping into the Independent Coffee Trader, one of Tiverton’s independent quarter’s freshest

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Pictures by Matt Austin

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20/03/2014 16:22:01

Rich and Steph’s recipe is this: 18g of coffee made with water at 92 degree Celsius, extracted at 25 seconds.

They make as many adjustments as necessary to ensure it comes through bang on the mark with the required edge.

Rich makes me a flat white, with locallysourced organic milk, and a strong deep flavour thanks to the double shot of Ristretto, polished off with a beautiful rosetta. Coffee and tea comes in a pretty chinaware cups and saucer, imported from the Boleslawiec region of Poland, so popular with customers it is now for sale.

Then he starts talking about the weather, which, the former Captain tells me, affects the coffee no end. This is best understood listening to the story of their Monsoon Malabar beans, from India’s monsoon-hit Malabar region.

“During the days of the British Raj it was popular in India,” he says. “They would harvest the beans and then transport them by sail boats round Africa, eventually arriving in England six months later having been subjected to the storms and the sea air. When they opened the Suez Canal and the journey became shorter they noticed the taste changed because the beans weren’t spending so much time at sea.

“So to compensate, after they harvested the beans they’d leave them in open warehouses for three or four months during the monsoon season which gave them a nice flavour. It has a neutral PH and a balanced acidity. You don’t have to be a coffee snob to enjoy it.”

So nice, in fact, even die-hard coffee-withmilk-and-sugar drinkers ditch the extras and have it black.

“But that’s how coffee should be drunk,” says Rich, who opts for black too and doesn’t drink instant anymore, because, let’s face it, why would he?

Because of how sensitive coffee is, to variables including the weather, Rich and Steph are constantly dialling in (adjusting the grinder) throughout the day. “As soon as you grind the coffee you’re massively increasing its surface area which is exposed to moisture and air,” he explains. “The recent storms really affected it.”

The trombonist and conductor’s dozens of far flung tours, including as a musician aboard the Royal Yacht, such as to Dubai,

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North America, South Africa and Russia, including with the Portsmouth, Dartmouth, Plymouth and CTCRM bands, across the globe inspires what they select. Their house coffee, Fat Roc, is triple certified (Fair Trade, Organic and Rainforest Alliance). There are also a selection of guest beans from Guatemala, Brazil and Argentina. All the beans are roasted in Devon or Cornwall, and with every bag Rich and Steph can tell you the day the beans have been roasted.

Rich’s extensive travelling with the Marines has had a huge impact on his discerning taste for coffee; namely, noticing how dire it can be in the UK. “In New Zealand and Australia coffee is far better than you get in the UK,” he tells me.

“It’s similar in Italy where being a barista is a very respectable vocation and they spend many years training.”

And note, the cappuccino doesn’t come with sprinkles, rather served as it comes

“

Tiverton is the friendliest place I’ve ever lived, we’ve made so many friends from all walks of life since opening in Italy. But if you want them, just say, and you can have them. That goes for the marshmallows on your hot chocolate too.

There’s a luxury twist to their hot chocolate, made with 50g of dark Belgian chocolate. Then there’s the Mocha Deluxe, a blend of said chocolate and a double shot of espresso with cappuccino foam.

Meanwhile, the Mocha Shocker is espresso and chilli chocolate, not for the fainthearted with its 20-minute buzz.

Feedback from their customers, 70 per cent of whom are regulars, is really important to them. They swapped brands of tea to Tea Pigs because of customer recommendation. Forget PG Tips; they’re all whole leaf teas enveloped in silk temples - fruit and herbal. And there’s always soya and goats milk in the fridge.

Thought and TLC doesn’t just apply to the tea and coffee.

There is always a selection of cakes on, and always a carrot cake. It’s gluten free, but you wouldn’t know it. In fact, there are always around four or five gluten free cakes available. The scones go down

really well too. These straddle the sweet and savoury menu which they introduced not long ago, think toast, tea cakes and crumpets.

Behind all this is Steph, who isn’t hard to miss – she’s the one in the pinny, covered in chocolate or a dusting of icing sugar.

“Steph’s always liked baking,” says her husband. “From day one, she was always going to make the cakes.”

Customers can choose to while away time amid the hustle and bustle and coffee machine whir of the front room, or the recently opened back room decorated with local art work - quiet, comfy chairs only, with a lovely bay window with views up the hill. It’s also available for private parties. Just ask.

The shop opened last July and now has a friendly four-strong crew of part-time staff too. Preceding opening day was around nine months of hard graft between Rich and his pal and fellow bandie who are behind the space’s transformation, spending evenings and weekends after gigs and rehearsals, fitting the shop out.

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The giant 17th century map came first and determined where everything else was positioned.

“It was an empty shell at the beginning,” explains Rich. “There was no kitchen, it was a bare brick Victorian cellar. It was hard work,” he admits.

It was on his return from Afghanistan in October 2011, that they decided to make the second biggest change in their lives (their first was daughter Katie).

“I’d done three drafts in the West Country, as a trombonist in Dartmouth, as the director of music in Plymouth and at CTC. We liked it here and knew we wanted Katie to grow up here.

“On weekends we’d drive around and look out for somewhere we thought could do with a speciality coffee shop.”

“The one thing that worried me about leaving the Marines was losing the camaraderie and friendships, but real friends stay in touch. And Tiverton is the friendliest place I’ve ever lived, we’ve made so many friends from all walks of life since opening.”

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20/03/2014 14:36:24

The world’s first 3D chocolate printer has been invented here in Exeter, and has the potential to revolutionise the way you enjoy confectionery forever. Anita Merritt visits Exeter University’s Innovation Centre, home of Choc Edge printers, to watch the printer perform its chocolate masterpieces

In the pot

E

aster will never be the same again now that the first ever 3D chocolate printer has been unleashed on the world.

The invention has sent imaginations into overdrive with its endless possibilities, from making edible replicas of your or a loved one’s face, to recreating famous landmarks such as the mural on the Urban Outfitters building in Exeter High Street – one of the city’s newest and already iconic pieces of public art.

The technology was featured on popular TV show The Gadget Man, when host Stephen Fry held a dinner party for friends using hi-tech equipment to prepare the feast, and was recently seen on BBC1’s The One Show.

The Choc Creator desktop machine, which costs just under £3,000, plugs into any computer by USB and is then filled by syringe with pure melted Belgian chocolate.

It is then capable of printing intricate 2D and 3D chocolate patterns, either created by yourself or by using specially designed downloaded patterns, within minutes.

The brains behind the printer is Choc

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Edge, regarded as a leader in cutting-edge 3D printing technology and design. The business couldn’t have a more fitting home – Exeter University’s Innovation Centre – and it is where founder and director Dr Liang Hao lectures on 3D printing, otherwise known as Additive Layer Manufacturing.

The dream of inventing the world’s first 3D chocolate printer began to come to fruition six years ago and the company was launched in 2011. Since creating the first prototype, Liang has been able to reduce the printer in size while maximising its capabilities to do what it can today.

Revealing how he hopes his invention will cross the boundaries between science and commercial success, he says: “I’ve always been interested in the technology of materials, and thinking up new ways of using them, so when 3D printing first came along I was really excited by its potential.

“I thought about novel ways of using the machinery involved and wondered if it could be adapted to use chocolate rather than plastic.

“What I really want to promote is technology to the wider public but in a fun way. Chocolate is the one thing most people like and it’s a very friendly and positive way of encouraging 3D printing.

“Chocolate is a social product as a gift. Our ambition and drive is to keep developing the technology and bring happiness to people in a unique way.”

The art of creating the perfect chocolate design is controlling the temperature of the chocolate, ideally between 31°C and 32°C. The machine’s special printing head can produce lines of chocolate as small as half a millimetre wide, with much more precision than any current manual piping technique.

The designs can be printed onto various flat surfaces including cakes, biscuits, dishes, and paper. The printing process has to be done relatively quickly as the chocolate is created layer by layer.

To prove how quick it is, the machine is downloaded with the EX magazine logo, and within five minutes it is done and looks almost too good to eat.

Liang has experimented with different chocolate colours and has an impressive collection of white chocolate designs.

The customers who have ordered Liang’s printer so far have been chocolatiers from across the world as well as entrepreneurs, artists and printing enthusiasts. Choc Edge 36

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“

The most ambitious thing I’ve made so far is faces.

It’s quite fun seeing your own face in chocolate!

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Pictures by Matt Austin

is also working with tech giants Microsoft at the Gadget Show Live from April 9 to 13 at the NEC in Birmingham after Microsoft requested to be shown the machine in action. Choc Edge can also be seen locally at the BIG Cake Show at Westpoint from March 28 to 30.

Liang’s hope is that eventually the printers will become a common kitchen accessory.

“I’m very pleased to be the first and the dream is that one day people can buy them in the high street and supermarkets,” reveals Liang, whose wife Christina gave up her job as a charity fundraiser to join the company as business development director.

“They will be sitting in people’s kitchens and there will be a platform for people to upload and share their chocolate designs and personalise their chocolate.”

What Liang is certain of is that 3D printers

will be the technology of the future. Giving a greater insight into the technology, he says: “3D printing describes a host of technologies that are used to fabricate physical objects directly from CAD data sources.

“The most ambitious thing I’ve made so far is faces. It’s quite fun seeing your own face in chocolate! They are created using a slightly different method which can also be used to make different pieces which can be assembled – a bit like chocolate Lego!

“To use the printer you don’t need to pay extra for additional software. I’m often asked, ‘how much does it cost to run it?, and the answer is how much does chocolate cost? We also provide technical support.”

For more details visit www.chocedge.com To see a video of the machine printing a snowflake visit www.youtube.com/ watch?v=8FUq_2IU2Uo

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24/03/2014 10:46:15

For the love of

Lebanese

Award-winning food critic Becky Sheaves discovers a Middle Eastern gem in the centre of Exeter, and before you can say baba ganoush she is head over heels When I lived in London, a dear friend of mine was Israeli. Perhaps surprisingly, she loved to visit the many Arab restaurants which line the Edgware Road. There, she could quietly revel in the food of her childhood, and she always paid in cash so they didn’t spot the Jewish surname on her bank card.

Despite the deep grievances that divide the eastern end of the Mediterranean, they certainly know how to eat there, on all sides of the cultural divide. Tasty lamb dishes, piping hot flat breads, honeyed pastries and fresh fruit juices – I just love Middle Eastern food. With this in mind, for this month’s review my husband John and I decided to try Mashawi, a small family-run Lebanese restaurant on Sidwell Street that I’ve had my eye on for some time.

First up, you have to make your peace with the fact that Mashawi does not serve alcohol and nor can you bring any in with you. With this in mind, John and I went down the road to The Monkey Suit for what PG Wodehouse would describe as “a sharpener”. A large-ish 38

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cocktail each, and we were good to go.

The restaurant is quite small, with a serveover bar packed with baklava-style pastries and glimpses into the kitchen beyond. Most other tables were taken by families with children or students, and the lights were bright and somewhat canteen-like. It’s not the most romantic or intimate of settings – indeed, it was quite the done thing to have a natter with the people at the next table. But the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming.

It was, though, rather chilly, due to the front window being open to the night air. We asked the waiter to close it but he said: “If I close the window, I will have to open the door.” No, me neither. I’m still puzzling over the logic of that one.

But don’t let that put you off, this restaurant is worth wrapping up warmly for. We had a glass each of fresh lemonade which was just the right balance of sweet and citrus, authentically home-made and more than a good trade for a glass of wine. For a starter, John had the Sawda Dadaj - chicken livers - (£4.95). Billed simply as “with garlic and

spices” the livers were gently cooked to silky perfection in a rich, warm, spicy sauce. A truly sensational dish.

I ordered a classically Middle Eastern starter, called baba ganoush (£3.95). Created, as if by magic, when you scorch a boring old starchy aubergine under a grill, this is, in my opinion, the most delicious dip of all time, knocking your hummus and tsatziki into a cocked hat. This one was good, but not quite great, being a bit too full of large chunks of peppers and garlic, but very fresh and authentic-tasting.

For my main course, I had not so much ordered, as over-ordered. My serving of Riash Ghanam (lamb chops) was a plateful of seven – seven! - succulent little chops for £10.95, each deliciously charred from the grill, as well as a generous mound of fresh salad and a huge heap of turmeric-yellow rice. Alongside this I had foolishly also requested a dish of the Lebanese speciality Fattoush (£4.50) which was just about the best salad I have ever eaten, even though I failed to finish half of it. Sprinkled with

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The verdict: Food: 9 Atmosphere: 7 Service: 9 Price: A three-course meal for two cost ÂŁ46

spice, it had a sharp lemon and olive oil dressing, lifted by pomegranate syrup and interspersed with crisply fried chunks of flatbread. Heavenly.

John, meantime, had ordered Kozi (ÂŁ11.95) and was manfully tackling the huge chunk of lamb shank, tenderly falling off the bone in a tomato-based sauce. By this stage, we were really struggling with the quantities, which was all the more painful as the food was so good. It was only with my duty as a restaurant reviewer in mind that I forced myself to order a dessert, which John and I agreed to split between us. Along came vanilla ice cream, transformed into something really special with a liberal topping of chopped dates, nuts and drizzled honey. The service throughout was friendly, swift and attentive, and the cooking was superb. As you may have gathered, I really like this restaurant. Exeter is all the richer for having such genuine Lebanese food on offer, and at such reasonable prices, too.

Mashawi, 44 Sidwell Street, Exeter, 01392 202688

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20/03/2014 17:42:32

Amongst all its semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, crystals, Monty’s Beads itself is almost like a hidden gem. Unlike typical jewellery shops where you can only take your pick from what’s on display, at Monty’s Beads you can either commission a bespoke piece to be made for you or have a go at being a jewellery designer yourself. Anita Merritt discovers the new lessons available since the revamp of its new workroom

Hidden treasure T

he art of accessorising an outfit and completing the look with the perfect piece of jewellery can seem like mission impossible. Now a trip to an Exeter shop can not only make it easy, but fun too.

At Monty’s Beads you can bring in your frock and make your own unique pieces to match, or have them made to your design by a team of jewellery experts.

As well as being like an Aladdin’s cave of semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls, crystals and other craft supplies, what makes Monty’s Beads so unique is its varied workshops and courses which teach people how to make the most out of what they buy.

The success of its beading courses, wire workshops and silver charm bracelet lessons for all ages and abilities, have inspired owner Andrew Pollard and his partner Becky to refurbish the downstairs of the shop in Little Castle Street so that they can start offering silversmith and silver clay workshops to its customers.

Becky said: “Since opening in Exeter in 2012, we now make a lot more jewellery in the shop. People often come in with an outfit and want us to make something to match. We can also mend jewellery if it’s broken; we’ve repaired a lot of sentimental jewellery too. What has also grown is people seeing our designs and wanting to make jewellery themselves. Crafting is popular again and it’s more cost effective and fun.

“Our courses help people learn new techniques and skills in lovely surroundings, and we have made sure to get the best teachers so that they are taught the right techniques.”

The new-look workroom includes silversmith benches and a kiln which is being fully utilised by experienced silversmith Melanie Bowler, who has joined the Monty’s team.

Melanie has been designing and making jewellery commercially working as a silversmith and manager at Mortimers Jewellers in Exeter for 10 years, as well as teaching. As of April, she will be leading courses which will teach beginners all the basics of silver jewellery making which they will then use to make a fabulous piece.

Melanie also makes bespoke jewellery which can be discussed during a booked appointment. Also proving popular is offering couples the

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unique chance to come in and make their own wedding bands after being taught the basics.

If the art of silversmithing seems a bit too daunting, a more simpler and fun alternative can be enjoyed with Monica Weber-Butler, an eclectic silver jewellery designer, maker and teacher who now specialises in silver clay.

The medium came out in Japan in 1990 to allow craft jewellery makers to make sophisticated-looking jewellery without the years of study needed to make fine jewellery.

Metal clay can be shaped just like any soft clay by hand or using moulds. After drying, the clay can be fired which burns the binder away, leaving the pure sintered metal.

The new courses are the latest chapter in the success story of Monty’s Beads. The business began in Colchester and owners Andrew and Becky admit they were not really looking to open a second shop until a shopping trip to Exeter.

The couple, who live in Torquay, decided on historic Little Castle Street and completely fitted out the shop themselves, doing all the decorating, making the display racks, and customising furniture.

But what really sets Monty’s apart is its choice and quality of beads, which are personally sourced by Andrew and Becky from their travels to the Far East. He explains he began bringing back pearls and other beads more than a decade ago.

“I was finding pearls which were of great quality and started to

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import a few.

That quickly became quite a lot because there was such a demand for it.”

Andrew opened the shop in Colchester in 2005 and was happily running it when he met Becky, who lived in Torquay with her two sons. The couple got together and Andrew moved to Torquay. They now have a son, Edward. Andrew still regularly travels abroad, sourcing the beautiful pearls and gemstones they sell in the shop.

“Everything is chosen by us,” said Andrew.

“We go to the different countries and choose the pearls ourselve. People like to know what they are getting.”

The response to their workshops has also been positive and looks set to be a part of the business that will continue to grow.

“It is great to see people using our beads and stones to create beautiful pieces,” said Andrew. “We can cater for groups and have even had a hen party in. We also do children’s classes. At the end of the sessions we give out full instruction cards so people can continue to make their own pieces. Handmade jewellery makes a great present and it is also a lot of fun doing it.”

Monty’s Beads Little Castle Street 01392 413811 www.montysbeads.com Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm

Workshops, courses, lessons

Please check the website or call the shop for dates and times. As well as the scheduled dates and times for lessons, you can choose the date and time subject to a minimum of four candidates per lesson. A limited number of places are available on courses to allow for plenty of one-to-one attention. All equipment is provided unless otherwise stated.

Basic Silversmith Course Learn all the basics of silver jewellery making including filing, sawing, forming, soldering, annealing and polishing, to create a lily-inspired bangle with matching drop earrings.

This six-week course, suitable for beginners, runs on Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 8pm. The cost is £120 (excluding the cost of the silver, which is roughly £17, depending on the silver metal price at the time).

Taster Precious Metal Clay Lesson Learn how to texture, form, fire and finish silver metal clay, as well as basic beading techniques. You will make and keep a bracelet with charms and a pair of earrings.

The half-day lesson, suitable for beginners, costs £50.

Children’s Lessons Learn simple bracelet and necklace making using elastic, funky beads and silver plated clasps. Each child will take home a bracelet and necklace that they have made.

Lessons run mainly on weekends and school holidays, but can be booked at other times for a party. The cost is £10 per child and is suitable for children eight years and up.

Swarovski Weaving Workshops Using Swarovski crystal beads, learn basic bead weaving methods to make a bracelet using your chosen colours from Monty’s selection of Swarovski crystal beads. The cost is £15.

Beginners Stringing Lessons Learn the basics of bead stringing for jewellery in a two-hour lesson. You will make and keep three to four beautiful pieces of jewellery that you have made. The cost is £25.

Wirework Workshop Learn how to use wire to make wrapped loops for earrings, pendants and beaded chain making. In this lesson you will make a silver bracelet and matching earrings. The cost is £30.

Silver Charm Bracelet Lesson Create a sterling silver charm bracelet using chain, silver clasps and a huge choice of beads. The cost is £30.

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The Smooth Operators Specialists in male and female intimate waxing

Learn to make Jewellery! We hold regular lessons and Workshops!

Introducing The Brow & Lash Bar

We have a FANTASTIC range of pearls and gemstones to choose from!

Is your favourite piece of jewellery broken?

Try our mending services!

Call us now for an appointment

01392 428105

20 North Street, Exeter, Devon, EX4 3QS Eastons Building, Little Castle Street, Exeter, EX4 3PX Tel:01392 413811 www.montysbeads.com

bead@montysbeads.com

enquiries@justwaxinguk.co.uk www.justwaxinguk.co.uk

Elisa Cavaletti | Myrine | Lauren Vidal | Charli | Part Two | Inwear | Noa Noa Jonny Q Jeans | NYD Jeans | Unisa Shoes | Lupo Bags | Wedding Hats | Accessories Tel: 01392 213111 Open: Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm Exiv Boutique, 2 Upper Paul Street, Gandy Street, Exeter, EX4 3NB

www.exivboutique.co.uk

Mix_ads.indd 3

Mix and Match

collections from casual to wedding wear

21/03/2014 11:31:46

Balenciaga bloom Tick off three spring trends in one with Balenciaga’s Rosabotanica - statement print, bold blooms and monochrome stripes. This bottle has designer written all over it Balenciaga Rosabotanica eau de parfum, from £53 (Debenhams)

Issey pleats Pleats are big news for this season.

Issey Miyake champions the trend via perfume with Pleats Please; the fragrance features a pleated bottle top.

designer Pleats Please EDT, from £33, and brand new Pleats Please L’Eau, available March, from £25 (Debenhams).

It’s darling

Angel arm-candy The limited edition set includes Angel 25ml eau de parfum and an elegant cuff bearing the Thierry Mugler signature Thierry Mugler Angel Jewel Collection, £51.50 (www.muglerstore. co.uk)

Covetable designer trinkets that if anyone asks who it’s by, you can justifiably say: “It’s designer, darling...”

Jacobs bling Ease the load in your handbag by carrying your scent around your neck in a pretty designer pendant. Marc Jacobs’ Honey Solid Perfume is hidden away in a statement gold flower necklace

Burch beauty Tory Burch’s cosmetic packaging is as chic as her mainline clothes and accessories.

Marc Jacobs Honey Solid Perfume Necklace, £34 (Debenhams)

Tory Burch Lip Colour in Pas du Tout, £22 (www. harrods.com)

YSL Couture If you want to upgrade from designer, indulge in couture-like nails.YSL’s new La Laque Couture Spicy collection includes six exotic new shades, including a decadent gold fleck YSL La Laque Couture in No47 Feuille D’Or, £18.50 (www. yslbeauty.co.uk) 44

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EX 04/14 20/03/2014 17:32:55

Laser Treatments

Mix_ads.indd 8

Skin Tightening

Anti-Wrinkle Injections & Fillers

Private Gym

Beauty & Nails

Hair Salon

21/03/2014 13:56:28

Spring Spring is the time to freshen up your look. If you’ve failed on a detox regime, this season’s make-up is all about creating - or faking that elusive healthy glow.

“The main thread throughout the season is the idea of outdoor, day-lit beauty,” explains M.A.C’s director of make-up artistry, Terry Barber.

“We used oils, highlighters and even superfine glitters to emulate dewdrop skin and flickers of sunlight.” The mantra is: ‘skin is in’. So if super-green juices just aren’t your thing, digest this season’s key beauty trends instead.

Day glow Wholesome femininity is key to this raw and rugged natural look, as if exposed to the elements on a spring day. It’s nonchalant, fresh and should get people secondguessing about a no make-up look. “A dewy finish is simply more feminine than a matte one,” says Barber.

“Use highlights and emollient textures to emulate the way that light falls on fresh, young skin.”

Ditch the fake tan and bronzing powders and achieve an organically beautiful look by patting on cream blushes and sculpting creams.

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fresh

Sheer colour Brights and pastels have been given a soft-focus makeover this season with sheer washes. A palette of hazy pastels like lilac, peach and eggshell blue are used strategically to brighten the face and play up features for a subtle statement. It’s a natural yet tinted effect. “All the shades I’m using this season have a fleshy tone to them,” says M.A.C make-up artist Lucia Pieroni. “It’s all about playing with the tones that exist naturally on and within the skin.”

Loud lips Classic orange, true red, bright cerise pick a bright hue to make your pout go hypercolour for spring. These high-wattage lips are packed with pigment but particularly dense in the centre and blurred at the edges to tone down the outline. “Don’t be afraid to blur your lip line, use a cotton bud to soften the edge for a more subtle look,” says Val Garland, L’Oreal Paris make-up artist.

“If you want a perfect pout, use a lip liner to define the edge - this will keep the lipstick where you want it, inside the line.”

Max lash The bold, androgynous brow has dominated the last few beauty seasons but spring is all about the lashes. Think ‘more is more’ to achieve the look. Take inspiration from the Sixties and don’t skimp on application.

Load up lashes with at least two coats for calculated clumpiness.

“The key to this look is ensuring you start mascara application right at the roots of the lashes,” advises Mathias Van Hooff, L’Oreal Paris make-up artist.

“Try layering three coats of mascara for dramatic volume.”

Flush fix Get off the starting blocks with the sporty radiance vibe via your cheekbones.

Barely-there looks will benefit from a springlike apricot, peach or pink-toned blusher to

EX 04/14 20/03/2014 17:33:46

Tried and tested Lisa Haynes gives her scalp a facial with a detoxifying treatment.

Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blusher, £6.99 (Boots/ Superdrug)

L’Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Instant Radiance Enhancer, £10.99

Topshop Lipstick in Ditsy, £8

warm up the complexion.

“To achieve extra dimension and warmth in the face, use two colours of blush, layering the lighter shade over the darker one,” suggests Pat McGrath, Max Factor global creative design director. “Alternatively, just blend two similar shades together.”

Boost your radiance further with subtle highlighter on the cheekbones and cupid’s bow.

Muted moment Brightening up your wardrobe for spring?

Counteract the colour with muted make-up.

McGrath heralded muted shades of mustard yellows, mossy greens and vintage bluegreys backstage at Prada to balance out the bold tones of the clothes.

EX 04/14 Beauty_spreads.indd 3

I don’t think I’ve used a scientific microscope since Biology lessons at school but here I am, in the Nioxin hotseat, observing a 200 times magnification of my scalp. It’s a bit like a horror movie. I’d washed my long hair the day before undergoing Nioxin’s Scalp Renew Dermabrasion but I’m faced with gigantic particles of oil and my red, irritated scalp in all it’s gory glory. The Nioscope device beams the images to a computer screen to give me and the hair therapist an overview of my scalp skin cells and general health of my hair.

I’m shocked to hear the majority of us secrete one to two grams of oils per day from our scalp.

Unsurprisingly, Nioxin’s background is in skincare and the brand believes the health of our hair begins with the scalp and providing the best possible environment for growth. The professional-use only Nioxin Scalp Renew Dermabrasion Treatment is a 75ml bottle, which the therapist applies in its entirety onto my dry scalp in ‘hot cross bun’ hair sections.

As it’s massaged in with small, circular motions for a minute, it feels immediately cooling and refreshing. The treatment is left on for 10 minutes, which I’m told will help rejuvenate the surface by up to 30 per cent, cleansing and stimulating the hair from within, making it especially ideal for thinning or fine hair. The refreshing tingling continues with a double Nioxin shampoo and then a conditioner, which unusually is used on the roots rather than just the ends. Packed with peppermint oil, it smells unlike any other shampoo but feels incredibly refreshing. After drying, my minty clean scalp is put under the microscope for analysis. The shafts of the hair look healthier and my skin is pearly and shiny, rather than irritated. Annoyingly, there are still tiny remains of debris but after further probing from my hair therapist, we put this down to my habit of using dry shampoo, which can stick to the hair and scalp. A dry shampoo detox is prescribed along with another dermabrasion treatment in a month’s time. In future, I’ll be aiming for a glowing face - and scalp.

Nioxin Scalp Renew Dermabrasion Treatment, from £15 for 15 minutes (as additional treatment before blow-dry), available at salons nationwide (www.nioxin.co.uk).

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20/03/2014 17:35:48

Exeter Groups Mondays

Wednesdays Thursdays

Fridays

5:15pm and 7:15pm Exwick Community Centre, Kinnerton Way Consultant: Lulu Telephone: 01363 84367

7.30pm Stoke Hill Nursery School, Stoke Hill Consultant: Penelope Telephone: 07740 325363

9:30am and 11:30am America Hall, De La Rue Way, EX4 8PX. Consultant: Penni Telephone: 01392 466056

Tuesdays

Exeter

Exeter

Exeter

7:30pm Holy Trinity Church Centre, Arena Park, Beacon Heath, EX4 8RD Consultant: Paul Telephone: 07769 157345

Exeter

6:15pm St Andrews Church Hall, Alphington Road, Alphington, EX2 8HP Consultant: Pat Telephone: 01392 251505

Exeter

7:00pm St Michaels Primary School, South Lawn Terrace, Heavitree Consultant: Lyndsay Telephone: 07816 223803

Countess Wear

9:30am and 11:15am and 7:00pm The Church Rooms, School Lane, Countess Wear, EX2 6LB Consultant: Julie Telephone: 07786 831786

Crediton

5:30pm and 7:30pm Haywards Primary School, East Street, Crediton, EX17 3AX Consultant: Angela St Thomas Telephone: 9.30am and 11.30am 07967 692793 (new session) The Kings, Pinhoe 173 Cowick Street, 5.15pm (new session) Exeter St Thomas, and 7.15pm EX4 1AA (new time) America Hall, Consultant: Julie De La Rue Way, Telephone: EX4 8PX 01392 256780 Consultant: Penni Telephone: 07792 358231

Exeter

Saturdays Exeter

9:30am Whipton & Pinhoe Labour Club, Vaughan Road, Whipton, EX1 3JT Consultant: Lynda Telephone: 07739 854240

Exeter

9:30am Countess Wear Community School, Glasshouse Lane, Exeter, EX2 7BS Consultant: Sam Telephone: 07590 385513

swimsuit Are you

ready?

With the sun coming out after a wet winter we all want to get our bodies ready for summer, holidays, weddings and parties.

We’ve started the diets and often got just as far as we can, yet we are still not happy with our body shape. The gym membership has helped but just has not got the results.

Those muffins tops and love handles are still putting in an appearance and spoiling the look of our new clothes.

What many people do not realise is that our fat cells are laid down at birth, do not increase in number but simply get bigger as we put on weight and smaller as we lose weight. Also we know that the distribution of fat cells varies from person to person; some people have a fat tummy yet skinny legs, some have small bottoms and some fat bottoms. This is genetically determined.

As we get older we tend to put on weight and there are thousands of diets and exercise regimes available to shed the pounds. There are also an increasing number of surgical and non-surgical treatments that are available with differing indications, risks, downtime and results.

The most commonly know treatment is liposuction. This is indicated for mild to moderate amounts of excess fat. It involves a general anaesthetic with its risks and surgery that literally breaks down the fatty tissue and sucks the fat out. Hence is a very traumatic prodcedure with a lot bruising, swelling and post operative pain. A constricting garment usually has to be worn and time needs to be taken off work. The most common complaint after liposuction is the unevenness of the skin due to scarring and of course the cost.

EX 04/14 Radiance_April.indd 1

Owner of state-of-the art Radiance MediSpa in Exeter, Ros Debenham has 22 years’ experience as a GP and is now a renowned aesthetic doctor

Vaser is a ‘half way house’, involving numbing the fatty area by introducing a ‘drip’ of local anaesthetic mixed with saline solution. The fat is then sucked out after being melted by a laser beam. There is still considerable down time, pain and it is still pretty costly.

The lesser known treatment is CoolSculpting that was developed by Harvard scientists.

This clinically proven procedure involves freezing fat cells without damage to the skin. No anaesthetic is required nor are there any suction hoses or needles. The handpiece is placed on the skin and the skin and fat beneath are sucked up between two metal plates and frozen. The fat cells are killed by freezing and then gently and gradually removed by the body and will not return. During the hour-long treatment the patient can read, check emails or even go to sleep and after the treatment, they can just get on with their busy day. The results start to appear at around one month with final results at three months. CoolSculpting is ideally suited to patients who have those stubborn areas of fat that will not go despite any amount of dieting and exercise, where excess numbers of fat cells were laid down at birth.

It is important to be aware of the risks associated with any medical procedure and to be given realistic outcomes from your doctor.

Dr Ros Radiance MediSpa Lower Ground Floor, Augustus House, New North Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4HL www.RadianceMediSpa.co.uk 01392 277799 49

21/03/2014 12:35:59

Advertising feature

Exeter’s newest salon Sara Paleschi Hair Design has been open less than a month, and already it’s pulling in the punters, offering a great service at an affordable price When Sara Paleschi Hair Design threw open the doors of their brand new hair salon at the beginning of March, more than 150 people turned up to celebrate and enjoy champagne and two specially designed cakes.

The salon, on Exeter’s Mary Arches Street, has been transformed into a contemporary yet comfortable salon, which will soon be offering beauty treatments alongside the full range of hair design.

And since opening, the business has been extremely busy.

Sara, who works with several charities, and gives free cutting and styling to cancer sufferers to personalise their wigs, has more than 25 years’ experience as a stylist.

She said: “It was a lot of hard work in a short space of time to get up and running, but I’m thrilled with the result.

“I’m very proud of the team we have; they are all very experienced and committed to making sure whether you’ve been a client for years or it’s your first appointment with us, you’re looked after and given a warm welcome and a superb cut.”

The salon offers late-night opening on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and has a team of 12, making it one of the largest

Taking pride in your style salons in the area.

That’s just as well, with all the appointments made at the opening party.

“It’s lovely to have been so busy, so quickly, and it shows no sign of slowing down,” says senior stylist Paula Windsor Williams.

The salon prides itself on the fact that a great cut and a great customer experience don’t have to be prohibitively expensive, or just for the select few. They offer affordability and choice.

“Exeter is a vibrant city, with a huge range of shops and services, and we’re delighted to be part of that, to be part of the community,” says Sara.

“We believe the salon will be a real asset to that diversity, especially as we expand the

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EX 04/14 20/03/2014 16:39:56

Pictures by Martin Whitham

range of services and take on more stylists.”

To win an appointment with Sara herself, and a goodie bag with Keune Hair cosmetics, email hair@sarapaleschi.com before April 8, and a winner will be picked at random.

And to celebrate Mother’s Day there is a 15% discount for anyone booking an appointment for their mother, plus a free glass of prosecco for mum on the day, if you quote “mum’s worth it” when booking.

Sara Paleschi Hair Design 16 Mary Arches Street Exeter 01392 422223 sarapaleschi.com

EX 04/14 Sara_Paleschi.indd 2

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20/03/2014 16:40:38

Potter Berey Pealing pictured in his studio in Lyme Regis

A month in the life ....

EX photographer Matt Austin

Force cancer charity Exeter staff

One from Matt’s black and white portrait exhibition at the Town Mill bakery in Lyme Regis

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The Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink bus launch with Exeter Chamber of Commerce, Stagecoach and Paignton Zoo

EX 04/14 24/03/2014 10:56:54

The Training Partnership Limited

Jamaica Inn’s new owner Allen Jackson

Philip Wolfgang, partner at Michelmores, with Paul Glanvill from Rydon Farm, Woodbury

Exeter College celebration event for Oxbridge offer holders

Bicton College’s Lambing Sunday

EX 04/14 MattAustin.indd 2

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24/03/2014 10:57:38

SOCIAL DIARY

//

Nick Stanbridge and Latoyah Egerton (Sugar Pink food blogger)

Michael Lawrence and Holly Keatings (Headway Devon)

Grace Bradley and Francesca Botto

Rosie Bates-Ching (Exeter Chiefs’ Supporters’ Club) and Nick Ching

Casa Maroc launches new spring menu

Natasha Radford, Joel Mais (Radio Exe) and Zara Glanvill

Italian and Moroccan restaurant Casa Maroc in Exeter welcomed customers into the exotic surroundings of its Casablanca Lounge below the restaurant to sample its new spring menu. Guests enjoyed a spread of new dishes to savour from Arancini di Riso to new pasta dishes, and old favourites such as lamb stifado and a variety of tasty tajines.

Chef Mike Hanlon and Manager Rob Neil (Casa Maroc) 54

Social Diary.indd 1

Peter Ferlie (Ironbridge Runner)

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Exeter Chamber ‘meet the neighbours’ business lunch Back by popular demand, Exeter Chamber’s Meet the Neighbours business lunch was held at Sandy Park conference centre and was attended by more than 100 members of the business community.

Delegates were treated to a two-course lunch and had the opportunity to network and build new contacts in the business community, as well as catch up with old friends. Both Exeter and Somerset Chamber gave an update to attendees.

Sue Sturten from the Dartington Hall Trust, Simon Lilley from Simon Lilley Consulting, Karen Jonas from the Dartington Hall Trust, Becky Wright from New Leaf Design

Jenny Patten from Paignton Zoo, Amy Sparling from Basepoint Business Centre

Lucy Hawkins from the Centre for Business and Climate Solutions, Will Hiley from Thirsty Work

Pia Ellis from Somerset Chamber of Dawn McGallie and Ceri Stephens from Commerce, Alicia Coles from Bovey Castle Battens Solicitors

Rupert Cox Somerset Chamber of Commerce, Mark Neath from Old Mill Group, Sara Bond from Exeter Chamber of Commerce

EX 04/14 Social Diary.indd 2

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21/03/2014 10:01:31

SOCIAL DIARY

//

Luxury residential development brings Mayfair flair to Exeter To celebrate the launch of the first completed apartment of new Southernhay East luxury housing development Dean Clarke House - part of the £8 million refurbishment of one of Exeter’s most iconic buildings

by Burrington Estates and Staunch – more than 130 guests gathered in its recently renovated club room. As well as enjoying champagne and canapés to the sounds of harpist Siona Stockel, guests were taken on escorted tours of the show apartment which was styled by Cornish Interiors and Individual Interior Solutions to showcase the Georgian building’s impressive architecture and generous proportions.

Suzanna Jackebicene (Archway), Donna Tancock (Commercial Concepts) and Nataliya Gardiner and Lucinda Cusdin (Gloss Gallery)

Rachel Weinhardt, John Pearce (Staunch Ltd), Jane Burt and Andrew Woods (Expedite Project Services)

Harpist Siona Stockel

Isabel Bertram and Alexandra Croft (both Gilbert Stephens) with Rosy Painter (Old Mill Accountants)

Julian Tagg, Paul Tisdale and Bruce Henderson (all Exeter City Football Club)

Martin Day (Southernhay Dental Practice), Philip Dollman and Hayden Thomas (both Exeter Chiefs), Sarah Davey (Attention Media), David Evennett (Southernhay Dental Practice) and Chris Whitehead (Exeter Chiefs)

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EX 04/14 21/03/2014 10:02:00

Terence O’Rourke, Camilla Hampshire, Jackie Tanner

Jilly Greed, Esme James, Joanne Madders

60 years of BSO at RAMM Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra celebrated 60 years of music making in Exeter during an intimate event at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum.

To mark the anniversary, 40 of Exeter’s key business leaders were treated to a champagne reception, an array of delicious canapés and a chamber ensemble performance by the orchestra.

Hannah Gibson, Paul Nero

Peter and Gill Lewis, Derek Phillips

Derek Tolman, Terry Webster, Georgina Brown, Joanne Madders

Isabel Bertram, (Gilbert Stephens) Sophie Hodge (Exeter YMCA) and Donna Cann (Begbies Traynor)

Zac Maiden (Stratton Creber), Emma Matthews (Chales Stanley) and Steve Wadham (Thompson Jenner)

YPN at Charlie’s Live Lounge The Young Professionals Network recently gathered for drinks and canapés. This burgeoning networking group organises a variety of informal events for young professionals in and around Exeter. It celebrated its third birthday in October 2013 and has more than 200 members.

Celia Wilkinson, Carl Silverlock Ericson and Rees Jenkins

EX 04/14 Social Diary.indd 4

Cerry Bailey (Begbies Traynor) and Abigail Koolst (Gilbert Stephens)

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24/03/2014 11:00:07

Safe & Secure Indoor Car Storage

EX

ProCarSolutions has over 10 years’ experience in transportation, storage and detailing of Classic, Sports and Prestige cars.

Rural location outside Exeter.

On a short or long term basis

The magazine for Exeter

Collection and Delivery to & from your door in our enclosed car transporter

The good life Advance to Mayfair at Dean Clarke House, more on page 76

EMO One Glass Wharf, Bristol BS2 OEL 0117 311 9000 File name: Size:Feel

C

12115200_128x190_Q12014_Giulieta_Passion_Mag_VospersExeter Client:

Alfa Romeo

M

Account:

Y

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PMS

PMS

Sarah

free to contact James on 01392 832809 07805 043 699 128x190 Studio: orJW www.procarsolutions.co.uk procarsoltions@gmail.com 20 March 2014 12:54 PM Version: 1

Mod. date: Route:

Offline:AlfaRomeo_Offline:Print_AlfaRomeo:12115200_MarchCall-offs:Studio:InDesign:12115200_128x190_Q12014_Giulietta_Passion_Mag_VospersExeter.indd

Creative:

Neil

Production:

N/A

Notes: v5

THE NEW ALFA GIULIETTA. PASSION. REALISED.

Alfa Romeo with

IT’S A CAR THAT STIRS THE PASSIONS – WITH STUNNING LOOKS AND PERFOMANCE. AND NOW WITH ENHANCED STYLING, NEW TECHNOLOGY AND AN EVEN HIGHER SPECIFICATION, IT’S EVERY INCH THE DRIVER’S CAR. TO DRIVE IT FOR YOURSELF, CONTACT US TODAY.

VOSPERS 20 HENNOCK ROAD EAST, MARSH BARTON, EXETER, EX2 8RU 01392 274700 www.vospersalfaromeo.co.uk ±Model

shown is Alfa Giulietta 1.4 TB 120 bhp Progression at £18,745 OTR† including Luna Pearl Metallic Paint at £510. Range of official fuel consumption figures for the Alfa Giulietta range: Urban 34.0 – 56.5 mpg (8.3 – 5.0 I/100km); Extra Urban 53.3 – 83.1 mpg (5.3 – 3.4 I/100km); Combined 44.1 – 70.6 mpg (6.4 – 4.0 I/100km). CO2 emissions 148 – 104 g/km.

±Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are obtained for comparative purposes in accordance with EC directives/regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. †On the road price includes 12 months’ road fund licence, first vehicle registration fee, delivery, number plates and VAT. Figures and prices are correct at time of publishing.

Mix_ads.indd 11

24/03/2014 10:07:59

A star

is born

The new Alfa Romeo Giulietta is here. Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod gets behind the wheel and discovers why this 2014 incarnation of the luxurious Italian model is set to become an instant classic.

Pictures by GRW Photography

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21/03/2014 11:22:27

When I see the Giulietta poised for pickup on the asphalt at Vospers Alfa Romeo on Marsh Barton, neurons in my temporal lobe fire uncontrollably and reward me with images of Quentin Tarantino’s muse, Uma Thurman.

The starlet’s many incarnations dance in front of my eyes. In a yellow and black tracksuit accessorised with bloodthirsty vengeance in Kill Bill, blunt black-bobbed over a milkshake in Pulp Fiction, and long legs and impossible grace behind the wheel in the car’s early television commercials.

Thurman fronted the campaign for the launch of the Giulietta in 2010, and the

combination of her incandescent grace with the eye-hooking Italian sculpting of this car was potent, and earned it the starring role in a multitude of glowing reviews (‘looks superb’ and ‘just the right amount of aggression’) But, as the starlet herself knows, fame comes at a price and there are always critics to contend with. The somewhat poutier of the praise-shy managed to find fault with seats (unsupportive) and one even dared to sneer ‘although it’s unique, it’s not a real beauty!’

A measure of class is how one handles and responds to criticism. And the 2014 version of this siren of a car is the motor world’s

equivalent of ‘Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn’. The styling remains timeless, sharp and unapologetically Italian, and rightly so.

The 2010 version was luxurious appeal at its best, and the designers were wise to stay true to its forthright elegance with the 2014 version.

The tan-antracite leather and microfiber combination seating is sharp, tailored and highly functional. Clearly, the thought that anyone wasn’t all but wrapped in a cocoon of support and effortless ease while driving the 2010 model deeply offended the nation that invented luxury, and the chivalrous response is a driver’s seat that feels like I

The 5” touchscreen that houses all media and communications.

Italian flair epitomises the interior.

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am reclining on the lap of a member of the Italian rugby team (on a yacht at the Cannes film festival). It’s intuitively supportive, gorgeous, and tinged with the delightful awareness that everyone who glimpses me is very, very jealous.

The unique essence of the car goes beyond the undeniable star quality it exudes, and encompasses a brand of edginess that almost defines the relationship between Tarantino and Thurman. The brief for both the interior and exterior design teams surely echoed the wardrobe designers of Kill Bill, as the overall effect is iconic, memorable, and built for speed and movement. The aerodynamic design, sleek lines and coupe

style speak of agility and finesse, and the modern day Samurai sword-wielding athletics of Kill Bill’s primary protagonist Beatrix Kiddo (aka The Bride) are brought to

“

Giulietta drives with a fierce vengeance that is startling when juxtaposed with her fine-edged beauty. mind when spending time on the motorway, where the Giulietta drives with a fierce vengeance that is startling when juxtaposed with her fine-edged beauty.

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For those of us without Kiddo’s postmodern hyper-reflexes, the Giulietta provides a gear shift indicator that illuminates at the precise moment the engine craves you move on. Not only does this keep your ride smooth beyond comparison, but maximises efficiency. The Alfa MultiAir engine boasts up to 10 per cent less emissions, while the second generation MultiJet diesel engines and ALFA semi-automatic transmission translate to a more powerful and cleaner journey.

All this talk of furious driving and Kill Bill got you nervy? Relax. The Giulietta boasts a Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) five-star rating. Charged with providing

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The sleek dashboard

motoring consumers with a realistic and independent assessment of the most popular cars in Europe, this body was impressed with the care taken to shroud the driver and passengers with protection, which includes six airbags.

Safety, connectivity and awareness co-exist harmoniously through a multitude of features designed to make life a more joyful and worry free experience. Hill holder technology, front and rear parking sensors, and a tyre pressure monitoring system mean you can focus on savouring every drop of driving pleasure from a car quickly becoming synonymous with timeless excellence.

Just as Uma’s ethereal good looks are the result of enviable genes, the success of the Giulietta is in no small part down to DNA. Alfa’s DNA switch, which allows the driver to toggle between ‘Dynamic’, ‘Natural’ and ‘All Weather’ means that like the actress herself, the car is incredibly versatile in a demanding variety of roles. From high-speed city chases, to soft cat-like navigation over glass-smooth surfaces, every performance is Oscar-worthy. It’s the dynamic mode that truly separates the Giulietta from the other pretty faces in it’s category. With the flick of a switch the Giulietta emits a throaty growl instead of its usual purr and travels with a confident aggression.

The pleasure of the journey is heightened by the 5” touchscreen multimedia system that integrates all of the vehicle’s technological functions in a central device. Voice recognition technology means you literally don’t have to lift a finger to engage with the controls. Pairing with an iPhone was effortless, and my contacts, playlists and communications were instantly accessible – and just when I felt that this was surely the closest you could get to travelling with a doting entourage, I discovered that it includes a SMS reader. Although an undeniable convenience, I have to admit the drive was enough to keep me entertained.

I’m aware that in this technology-centric world, that might seem an opinion somewhat left of centre. Bear with me. Uma got nominated for an 62

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Oscar for her role in Pulp Fiction, and one line in particular from her character Mia Wallace best sums up the way I feel when it’s just me, the Giulietta and a road - “That’s how you know you’ve found somebody really special.

When you can just shut up for a minute and comfortably enjoy the silence.”

EX 04/14 21/03/2014 12:55:35

EXPERIENCE THE BACK-ROADS DIFFERENCE:

✓ Small groups – max 18 passengers ✓ Charming local accommodation ✓ Back-roads not motorways ✓ Culinary experiences ✓ Authentic local experiences ✓ Leisurely pace

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Something old,

something new I

Mixing the old with the new in your home is not as difficult as you might think with the help of these top tips from interior designer Lesley Taylor

can predict, to a certain degree, the route my work will take me this year and what my clients will be asking of me. Interior designers like myself have a pretty good idea of what’s going to be hot and what’s not – although, of course, certain trends may surprise us along the way.

I’m expecting a large proportion of my projects this year to involve what I like to

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call Traditional with a Twist – the trend for traditional design brought into the 21st century.

Nowadays, traditional design isn’t just for period-style homes and the 50-plus; it seems a wider range of people are falling head over heels for this trend. You’d be forgiven for thinking first-time buyers in their 20s would be drawn to modern, minimalist interiors,

and this may be the case for some, but more and more, I’m meeting young people who want to introduce a feeling of nostalgia within their homes, which fills them with warmth and comfort.

Current interior collections embrace the charm, character and heritage of traditionalinspired products but, at the same time, make them current and suitable for modern

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“

More and more, I’m meeting young people who want to introduce a feeling of nostalgia into their homes, which fills them with warmth and comfort

living. By revamping design classics, it makes them versatile and accessible to everyone, and it also means they’ll sit pretty in both modern homes and period properties.

A lot of people struggle when it comes to decorating the home in this way and it’s no surprise when there’s so much choice available these days. It’s certainly easy to get carried away and end up with a mis-match of styles from different eras which just don’t work together. The key is to be selective and carefully combine the two in order to achieve what is known as an ‘eclectic’ feel.

When it comes to the bathroom, many of us nowadays are choosing to invest an increased amount of time and money into creating a space which is as stylish as it is practical. Steering away from bland white colour schemes, combining the best bits of 66

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traditional and contemporary design to add depth and personality to the room has never been easier, with manufacturers coming up with inventive and unique designs that will help to achieve a truly bespoke aesthetic.

A perfect example is the Metropole basin

by Lefroy Brooks; featuring detailing synonymous with classical styles, the basin has then been brought into the 21st century with a bold, glossy black finish.

For the rest of the house, the same principles have been followed and we’re seeing more and more designs which feature the patterns and motifs associated with traditional design which would look beautiful in a modern setting. Take the fabric collections from the likes of Cole and Son or Designers Guild for example; many feature traditional floral motifs which have been

given a new lease of life with bold, punchy colours that bring them up to date.

By carefully selecting a good mix of old and new, you can pretty much cater for any property, whether it’s a new build or one that was built more than 100 years ago.

It’s all about moving with the times while simultaneously incorporating the warmth, charm and character that have become synonymous with traditional design.

Lesley Taylor is an interior designer with years of experience in both domestic and commercial property. As a member of the British Institute of Interior Design, she has established herself as one of the UK’s top design consultants and has worked on a broad range of projects throughout the UK. For more details visit www.lesleytaylor.co.uk

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First page and opposite, a Taylors Etc renovation project, fusing contemporary furniture pieces and accessories with original features and rustic tiles for the perfect balance of old and new – www.taylorsetc. co.uk. Second page, Osborne and Little’s Japonerie wallpaper – www. osborneandlittle.com 020 8812 3000; 02920 358 400; this page: Metropole basin in black by Lefroy Brooks – www.lefroybrooks.co.uk 01992 708 316

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Add fuel to your

fire

Wood burning stoves are back with a vengeance – and as well as creating a cosy glow to warm up any home, they can even save you money, as Kathryn Clarke-McLeod found out The stack of log baskets near the front door is the first thing to catch my eye. The space unfurls to the left, and reveals rows of stokes and wood burners, all standing to attention ready to serve up their particular brand of comforting heat.

Owner Elaine Ewer is in front of an extralarge stove, talking to a customer about the best kindling available locally, so it’s sister68

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in-law Chrissie Knight who treats me to a show in the electric fire corner.

We step into a second large space, its cavernous interior ideally suited for showcasing the selection of fires, stoves and boilers and while away a pleasant few minutes flicking a kaleidoscope of wallmounted and freestanding electric fireplaces to life.

The act of producing ‘flame’ and warmth with the flick of a switch makes me feel rather wizard-like, and when Chrissie brings to life the Dimplex Brayford stove that even incorporates an ethereal smoke effect I begin to feel positively giddy. Elaine follows the sound of my delight and we retire to an oversized leather sofa to talk shop.

Elaine’s Stoves is in its ninth year of trading,

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and former veterinary nurse Elaine found herself working with stoves after getting married. “I worked in a store in a medieval manor house that operated as a lifestyle shop in Moretonhampstead,” says Elaine. “I started in the tea rooms but always had a fascination with the room full of wood burners down the hall.

“My interest in them grew and I found myself working in that department, and eventually the wood burners took over the whole building.”

The low-ceilinged manor house wasn’t always suited to the display of the wide range on offer, and the search began for a new premises.

“When I found the Okehampton space, I rushed back and told my boss, who simply replied: ‘I’ve been thinking of retiring why don’t you buy the business and start afresh?’ So I did, and did the move all in the space of the Easter holiday.”

Nine years later, Elaine’s Stoves has established itself as a source of top quality products and invaluable advice in Devon and, within minutes, it becomes clear that there is a lot more to selling these stoves than the undeniable ambiance they emit.

“England has promised to decrease its carbon emissions significantly, and if we haven’t achieved our agreed-upon targets by 2018, the government faces hefty fines.

“There are few different components to the scheme the government has launched as an incentive, called the Green Deal,” says Elaine. “Where we can help the most is with the way you heat your home or business.”

Elaine goes on to explain the benefits that could arise from changing your heating system from gas, oil or electricity to something like wood pellets. “The average person who changes from an oil boiler to a wood source will receive 12.2p per kilowatt per hour for seven years.” I’m intrigued.

“I like to look at the Green Deal as a key that you use to open a door, at which point you are presented with three pathways. There is the option to take a loan to do a selection of energy Pictures by Martin Whitham

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“

efficiency improving work, with a repayment rate of 6.75 per cent. Those in houses with non-cavity walls can get financial help to do any work needed, and then there is the Renewable Heating Incentive. We have been waiting for three years for the scheme to take effect, so we are looking forward to welcoming in a more energy-conscious customer.”

Even without the scheme in place, the demand for wood burner stoves is huge. It seems their undeniable charm, coupled with the moral satisfaction of being able to buy your fuel from local suppliers as opposed to oil barons, is a potent combination.

Elaine is a champion of Devon-made stoves too, adding to her already impressive eco and ethical credentials.

“Arada (Villager and Arrow) Woodwarm and Burley are a few of my favourites.” She goes on to explain that Devon used to have many manufacturers of wood stoves, and the lack of gas and oil resources here means that it is an unrivalled sustainable solution for the region’s heating.

“I’ve seen our approach to wood burners go full circle. We used to be considered an odd lot, those of us who burned wood, and in just 22 years wood has moved from being the poor relation to being the number one fuel source.”

What does she see on the horizon? “Pellets!”

The beauty of the pellet system is that the fire is fed automatically at regular intervals.

Traditional wood burners require quite a lot of attention, wood needs to go on every few hours. But the pellet burners are designed for convenience, and use wood that would otherwise go to waste or landfill.

Bio mass boilers, which burn logs and are ideal for big country properties and B&Bs, stand head and shoulders above the other stoves in the space. “These are ideal for places with high heating costs, which have a plentiful supply of wood. “I’ve also sold one to a farmer, who uses it for hot water for the dairy and now saves £1,000 per year on oil.”

With such a wide range of models, coupled with the new schemes on offer that could benefit buyers, clients are lucky to have Elaine on hand to talk them through any purchase. “The Green Deal process can seem a bit daunting, but we are here to help and ensure that the decision to change is one that will actually benefit you financially.”

Advice even extends to house calls, and 70

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Our approach to wood burners has gone full circle We used to be considered an odd lot, those of us who burned wood on more than one occasion Elaine has popped in to her client’s homes to guide them through the process of starting a fire, or clean out a wood burner or two after incorrect fuels were added.

“After-sales service is a big part of what separates us from internet traders,” she smiles.

Site visits and surveys are a part of the service, and Elaine has been using the same independent heating engineers for the past 20-plus years. “We can build or move fireplaces, do plumbing, and any alterations that may be needed to maximise the impact of your new purchase.”

I leave feeling warmed, not just because of the hour spent on a leather sofa in front of a blaze, but because of the knowledge that practicality and sustainability can co-exist with design-led charm, and that it’s possible to be guided by old-fashioned family business principles while negotiation a government scheme.

Elaine’s Stoves Fatherford Farm Okehampton Devon EX20 1QQ

EX 04/14 21/03/2014 13:09:15

LEWIS’S Your local independent electrical retailer

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21/03/2014 12:39:51

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Toby Buckland’s Garden Festival is taking place at the Powderham Castle estate on Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3. Who better to host a festival about growing?

And where better to hold it, asks Fran McElhone

thegreenman G ardener, horticulturalist, television presenter, author, passionate plant enthusiast, seasoned pumpkin competition judge, proud Devonian and man with the cheekiest smile, Toby Buckland is on a train up to London ready to board a flight to India (for work).

He’s trying to keep hushed so as not to annoy anyone, but the excitement in his voice, when he starts talking about his inaugural festival blending all the things he loves, is evident.

“I thought about all the things I like – plants, music and good food – and mixed it all together,” he chuckles. “It’s a very green show

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Pictures by Matt Austin

with lots of entertainment. The festival will show off the best horticulturalists in the West Country, and there’s all sorts of things people can learn about.”

He starts telling me the festival is also featuring activities including dowsing, bee keeping and tree surgery.

The show will be packed full of awardwinning horticultural exhibitors, talks and demonstrations covering a range of topics to inspire novice planters, specialist planters, weekend gardeners, want-to-get-intogardening-but haven’t-quite-yet gardeners and allotment holders.

And Toby, who’s been running the Toby Buckland Nursery and Plant Centre at the castle with his wife Lisa for just over two years, is making sure the family-friendly festival will make the most of its setting in the castle’s idyllic and rambling landscape, which takes in ancient parklands and quaint kitchen gardens and has the stunning Exe Estuary as its backdrop.

“Devon has never seen a garden festival like this before,” Toby continues. “We’ve got a fantastic line-up of experts and an amazing plant range, and all in one of the West Country’s most beautiful castle settings.”

Toby himself is hosting a demonstration 74

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“

I thought about all the things I like – plants, music and good food – and mixed it all together

about his favourite West Country plants and growing for continuous colour and flavour.

Toby’s credentials include presenting Gardener’s World, BBC2’s Great British Garden Revival and the 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. He is also an award-winning garden designer, author of five books, and is a regular contributor for various publications. He is good friends with everyone on the guest speaker line-up, which is why it’s so impressive.

Joining him are 10-time Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist Anne Swithinbank, a highly respected and popular horticulturist, broadcaster, author and regular panellist on Radio 4’s Garden Question Time; author and lecturer Neil Lucas, well known around the world for his knowledge of

ornamental grasses; Charles Dowding, a no-dig and organic vegetable gardening specialist; Thornhayes Nursery owner Kevin Croucher, internationally renowned for his encyclopaedic knowledge of trees around the world and producer of one of the broadest ranges of trees available in the UK; The Big Patch and The Big Allotment Challenge presenter Jim Buttress, who holds a RHS Victoria Medal of Honour for his work as a garden show judge; and historian Dr Todd Gray, author of 40 books on the history of Devon, including five on plants and gardens.

“When we first came to the castle it was always something we wanted to do and the estate team were keen for,” Toby says. “We started with a small event at the plant centre and this is a continuation.

“No county does spring better than Devon,” he adds. “You don’t need much excuse to come and visit anyway, and the location at this time of year is beautiful.”

Tickets for the show, from 10am to 5pm on the Friday and 10am until 6pm on the Saturday, are £5 for adults and free for children under 16. Group discounts are available for groups of 12 and over.

Visit www.tobygardenfest.co.uk

EX 04/14 21/03/2014 16:55:14

Advertising feature

A message from

the principal

Richard Newton Chance, principal of Queen Elizabeth School in Crediton, explains what sets them apart from the crowd

Q

ueen Elizabeth’s is a large school with around fourteen hundred students, nearly three hundred of whom are in our outstanding Sixth Form. We stand at the heart of a thriving educational community that includes 13 partner primary schools spread across hundreds of square miles of rolling Devon countryside.

We have two separate sites. The Barnfield site has beautiful grounds and views right across the hills to Dartmoor. This houses Years 7 and 8 away from the rest of the school and allows the younger students to find their feet in the very different world of secondary education in a calm and friendly atmosphere tailored to their needs.

The Western Road site covers a large area at the western end of Crediton and includes the ancient and familiar façade of College House, which is our Sixth Form centre. All our Upper School students are taught here and have access to excellent facilities.

Our two thriving boarding houses are also located here.

We believe that great schools are all about people. We aim to get the absolute best out of all the people we work with – staff and students – by focusing on the quality of the teaching and hence the learning experience we provide and are always looking for ways to improve it. But we also aim to have fun and enjoy what we do – visitors always comment on the great atmosphere and the good relationships we have with one another.

   



We believe that learning should be an inspiring and enjoyable experience for both students and teachers. We see ourselves as equipping our young people with the skills they will need to be happy and successful adults and that means much more than just success with exams. We want to educate students to have real skills and understanding which will stay with them for life, not just while they are in the exam room.

    



We also believe that however good we are, and we intend to be the best, we can always find ways to improve. Our students and their parents are key to us knowing how well we are doing. To this end, we are very keen to involve our parents as full and active partners in the education of their children.

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21/03/2014 14:51:27

Advance to M No longer do you have to take a three-hour train journey to London to experience the luxurious lifestyle of Mayfair. Bringing those high standards of living to Exeter is unique city centre property development Dean Clarke House. Anita Merritt enjoys a sneak preview of its first completed new luxury lifestyle apartment and is reluctant to leave

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L

ife is full of new experiences, but never before have I encountered a concierge waiting for me when I arrive home, ready to pre-empt my every need and deal with all requests.

Should you be lucky enough to snap up one of the apartments at Dean Clarke House, that’s exactly the kind of lifestyle you can expect, day in day out.

What was once the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in Southernhay has undergone an £8m refurbishment to create two- and threebedroom apartments unlike anything Exeter has ever seen before.

The vision is to bring the luxurious lifestyle of London’s Mayfair to Exeter, and no expense has been spared in bringing those new standards to life.

After the impressive concierge greeting at the front of the house, a spacious entrance hall is just like the grand room you would imagine it to be in a Grade II listed building.

From there on you do need to use your imagination, because phase two of the development is not due for completion until July. As well as creating 23 apartments, those who live there will have access to a beautifully landscaped Zen garden, electronically activated and gated secure parking, a gym, a Colonial Club-inspired library where original wood panelling on the walls has been restored, and, of course, access to the concierge.

In March the first showroom apartment was unveiled to the public and potential buyers, and it takes a few seconds to acclimatise the senses due to the contrast of stepping from a building site into an

Mayfair

immaculate apartment.

It feels like walking into the pages of a glossy home magazine because it has been beautifully dressed to create a homely feel in surroundings that are simply stunning.

In the high ceiling space it is obvious no expense has been spared.

It encompasses the latest home automation and energy efficiency technologies and the best example of that can be found in the kitchen/ breakfast room.

This is where you can marvel at the German-designed and built, bespoke fitted Eggersman hand-finished kitchen which would cost a consumer around £40,000 alone. It is complimented by a Bora induction hob with a state-of-the-art Downdraft extractor incorporated within which does away with the usual cumbersome cooker hood.

Equally as impressive is the futuristic mono block Quooker Fusion mixer tap which can produce ice cold water one minute and instant

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“

A lot of people have been buying them because they want to downsize but still want a big, grand space to live in boiling water the next.

It’s also gadgets galore in the bathroom and ensuite where you’ll find tiles so stunning you’ll want to stroke them, a mirror with demist pad and thermostatically-controlled electric floor heating.

The apartment has lighting controls which also draw the curtains closed, and a snazzy video entry system which monitors visitors from five video points.

To totally utilise all the space, the apartment has a mezzanine to create a study/office area above and a cosy reading hideaway on the ground level.

Some of the top-floor apartments will have far-reaching views over Exeter’s cityscape and the surrounding countryside.

The transformation of Dean Clarke House is the project of developer Mark Edworthy, who grew up in Exeter and is now set to return.

“I came down from London and fell in love with the building, and now I’m going to be based here,” reveals Mark. “That’s how much I love it.

“I’ve spent a lot of time in Mayfair so I’m bringing that to Exeter. As you would expect if you went to Claridges, here you can also have the benefits of a concierge for all kinds of things from dealing with deliveries to booking restaurants or travel. It provides a completely new standard for Exeter.

“When we bought the building it had planning permission but we totally redid the plans to create this luxury feel. I wanted it to be quirky, edgy and high end.”

To get such an ambitious project off the ground requires a team of experts. There are 25 people involved, from architects to interior designers, and Mark gets involved in most of the decisions.

“This phase of the development started about nine months ago,” he recalls. “There are lots of different apartment layouts, but they are all to the same level as the show apartment which is actually one of the smaller ones.

“We had already sold seven of the 23 before the show apartment launch.

“A lot of people have been buying them because they want to downsize but still want a big, grand space to live in.

“As it’s located in the Southernhay quarter it’s a very uplifting area to live in. It suits people from London, like barristers, who want that standard of living here. The mix of people is really important to me and I don’t want investment buyers; I want owner-occupiers.”

Not only has he snapped up one of the apartments but Mark, managing director of Burrington Estates, will also run his business from one section of Dean Clarke House.

“We are part of the fabric of the building,” he says. “This is not a case of developing a building and then leaving. We are here loving this building. We’ll be polishing the brass plaque every morning. For me it’s about setting a standard and keeping it at that level. We know buyers want to be proud of the building we live in.

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The history...

“The development has got a lot of London investors interested in investing in Devon. It will bring us more projects of this type which is good news.”

The complex of 23 new state-of-the-art apartments, including a penthouse, cost from £300,000 upwards and measure between 820 to 1,500 square feet. They boast quirky layouts and sophisticated styling, and many feature floor-to-ceiling Georgian windows, making the most of the natural light and stunning views.

Architect Andrew Aust, from the Exeter studio of Lacey Hickie & Caley, said: “Working with a Grade II listed building has been challenging, but has also presented a great opportunity to restore an important part of Exeter’s historical legacy.

“The original was designed by local architect John Richards in the mid-1700s as the city’s hospital but, over time, many of his grand rooms had been converted into smaller office spaces. It has been very satisfying to be part of the restoration of the whole building and, in particular, the restoration of some of the principal rooms, which the team have been able to return to their former glory.”

The apartments are being sold by Pyne & Lyon. For more information call Will Crossley-Tinney at Pyne & Lyon on 01392 908118 or visit www.pyneandlyon.co.uk

Bathrooms and en-suites feature deluxe Porcelanosa tiling, left.

Each aspect of Dean Clarke House has been stylishly designed to enhance the property’s impressive features

Pictures by Andrew Hendry

The elegant Dean Clarke House, built in 1742 as England’s first general hospital, is named after its founder Doctor Alured Clarke, the Dean of Exeter Cathedral.

It was designed by John Richards. The Halford Wing was added in 1856 and the Victoria Wing in 1895.

A listed landmark and one of Exeter’s most important historic buildings, it enjoys the tall windows, high ceilings, elegant staircases and generous proportions you’d expect from gracious Georgian architecture.

The Dean Clarke House Estate is an area of approximately 0.6 hectares within the historical Southernhay and Friars Conservation Area.

The hospital became redundant in the mid-70s when a new building was created at Wonford, leaving the Southernhay site to serve as NHS administrative offices.

The administrative arm of the NHS vacated the property in 2008. Its renovation has created stunning accommodation, sensitively combining the charm of its historic features with a high spec, contemporary refurbishment.

The Halford Wing has already been converted into Dean Clarke Lofts – 30 of the largest, most exclusive, double-height, student loft apartments in the city, complete with super-fast broadband, unrivalled views over Exeter Cathedral and city, and period features.

Dean Clarke House is also home to The Cosy Club restaurant, part of the Loungers chain. It opened on the ground floor last spring.

Phase two opens this summer and includes the conversion of the house which fronts on to Southernhay into serviced offices and luxury residential apartments.

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B R I N G I N G M AY FA I R T O E X E T E R 23 luxury apartments, including a penthouse with private roof terrace, in a historic Grade II* listed building in the heart of Southernhay.

Featuring the city’s first concierge service, prices start from £385,000.

Dean Clarke House, Southernhay East, Exeter EX1 1NX. To arrange a viewing please contact Will Crossley-Tinney, Pyne & Lyon tel. 01392 908118 or email. wct@pyneandlyon.co.uk

www.deanclarkehouse.com

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21/03/2014 13:25:29

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24/03/2014 09:33:58

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A superb four bedroom house finished to an excellent standard throughout. Hall, sitting room, fully fitted kitchen, garden room, 2 bathrooms. Garden, parking, garage, large storage shed. G.F.C.H. Available now. EPC Band D. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 53413

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A modern second floor apartment situated on the Quay. Hallway, open plan sitting/dining room, balcony, fitted kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, en suite shower room, main bathroom.

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20/03/2014 15:09:08

Exeter City An historic Listed Manor House of over 2,500 sq. ft. in convenient city location with an array of period features. Sitting room, country-style kitchen/breakfast room, dining hall, cloakroom, 4 double bedrooms, 3 bath/shower rooms (1 en suite) and dressing room. Gated entrance, double garage, enclosed rear garden. Web Find: 62959 Guide ÂŁ550,000 Exeter 01392 255202

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