Ex Summer 2014

EX

INSIDE:FASHION:FOOD:DRINKS:ARTS:INTERIORS:LIFESTYLE:TRAVEL:FITNESS:BEAUTY:PROPERTY: SOCIETY SNAPS Issue No 21 Summer 2014

WIN!

A meal out in Princesshay worth £45

The magazine for Exeter

HIT THE BEACH!

Swimwear for your shape

12

pages of fine food

Block party

I’M PHIBIAN

Paddle-boarder and stand-up guy

Angels of Terror roller derby girls get their skates on

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

H ON THE cOvER: cover star: South West Angels of Terror Photo: Matt Austin

What will be your big summer adventure?

Publisher: Michelle Pugh 01392 442454 mpugh@exmagazine.co.uk ‘Two adults, two children, and a place in the sun!’

Sales manager: Kelly Sheath ksheath@exmagazine.co.uk ‘Making the most of the beautiful South West’ SALES TEAM: 01392 667515 info@exmagazine.co.uk Julie Radford 'Exploring more beaches in the South West ’ Nina Theodoulou ‘Glamping for the first time!’

Mark Watson ‘Looking forward to my autumn adventure in Paris’ Kerri Smith 'I have none planned but that always brings the best adventures… we will see!’

Alexandra Davidson ‘Festival in August with my husband and our friends, Joy and Ernest’ Nick Powers ‘Making the most of the summer sunshine’ Stuart Tolley ‘Not sure but will involve a lion, a witch and a wardrobe!’

Simon Shaw ‘Surviving my best mate's 40th at the closing parties in Ibiza... and the birth of my baby daughter, Kashia’ Dru Durman ‘Three weekends of re-enactment events on the trot in July' EDITORIAL TEAM: 01392 442242 Sue Kemp skemp@exmagazine.co.uk ‘Hopefully hot sunny days by the paddling pools in the lovely Heavitree Pleasure Grounds with my seven-year-old daughter’ Anita Merritt amerritt@exmagazine.co.uk ‘Trying to survive the school summer holidays!’

Fran McElhone fmcelhone@exmagazine.co.uk ‘Neglecting escaping to the mountains this year to buy a house – a different kind of adventure!’

Adam Walmesley 'Being a leader on a Christian summer camp in the New Forest’ DESIGN Bridget Batchelor ‘Four days in a field near Ottery St Mary for Beautiful Days festival... followed by two weeks on the Gulf coast of Florida’ PHOTOGRAPHY Matt Austin ‘South of France with the family’ Gareth Williams ‘Watching my twin boys start to walk (and run away) for the first time properly, and trying to keep up!’

Martin Whitham ‘Already had a few; but looking forward to the Edinburgh Festival and a trip to South East Asia’ DISTRIBUTION Jon Grigg 01392 442437 ‘Enjoying a week with my wife and friends in northern Poland’ PROMOTIONS 01752 765500

Become a fan on Facebook

ow tempting does it often seem to quit your job, sell up and go travelling to embark on the adventure of a lifetime?

For most of us it remains merely a dream when life gets you down, but fearless explorer Sam Manicom, from Exeter, did just that and has now become an acclaimed overland motorcycle adventurer and author.

What started off as 12-month trip turned into eight years with nearly 60 countries visited during that time.

For the time being he is back home in Devon, but where better could there be than this beautiful county in the summer months when the sun is shining?

For the summer issue of EX, we’ve given you a helping hand to prepare for heat waves and holidays with a swimwear special. Exeter’s Queen of Style Kate Lamport reveals her top picks to suit all body shapes.

The swimming theme continues with a trip to Phibian, a water sports specialist now based at Exeter Quay.

If you like adventurous sports, this month we meet Exeter’s female roller derby team, the undefeated South West Angels of Terror, who take girl power to a whole new level.

Also not afraid to get in the thick of it when it comes to sporting action is rugby referee Sara Cox. She gives an insight into how she has fared in the male-dominated sport.

For those looking for a relaxing rather than energetic summer, we’ve found some great places to dine out, from new independent freehouse The Stables in Cowley, to Moroccan restaurant Al-Farid, which comes under the scrutiny of our award-winning food critic Becky Sheaves.

There’s also all the usual beauty, interiors and property reads to enjoy wherever you are this summer, along with a packed guide to events taking place locally this July and August.

Anita Merritt

Follow us on Twitter @EXMagExeter

EX online

exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/EXMagazine

Produced by:

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 Summer 2014

ISSUE NO.21

21

64 What’s on & who’s who 06 12 14

16 21 57

The month ahead What’s on this month, whether you’re staying in or going out Behind the front Dr Todd Gray looks back at the city during the First World War What you should know about me Jimmy Cliff reveals his plans for the future ahead of Beautiful Days festival Easy rider Adventure motorcyclist Sam Manicom on his eight-year odyssey The whistleblower Meet the only female international sevens rugby referee Sara Cox Social diary Out and about with the city’s movers and shakers

40

Art and interiors

Food & drink 29 33 37

Horses for courses Discover great homecooked food at the Stables in Cowley Baking mad Cake maker extraordinaire Debbie Vanstone’s amazing creations An Eastern feast Becky Sheaves samples the Moroccan delights on offer at Al-Farid

53 69 73 78

Fashion, beauty, health 40 43 45 48 51

Sun, sea and swimwear Find the perfect costume to suit your shape A match made in heaven Kathea Boutique’s Ophelia’s top accessories This is Insanity Anita Merritt tries out the fitness craze sweeping the country The head master Hairdresser Jeff Goodwin looks back at 30 years in the business Give us a kiss! Dr Ros Debenham shares tips on keeping your lips luscious

Watch this space Take a look inside the popular Brook Gallery in Budleigh Salterton Grand designs Home features to die for at Sapphire Living Space in Topsham Check in for five-star luxury Bring boutique hotel chic into your home The light fantastic Uncovering the Georgian elegance in New North Road

53

Outdoors 60

04

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Turn up the heat Stuart Tolley tries out the Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch

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43

60

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Fallen angels We get our skates on and get physical with Exeter’s roller derby girls I am Phibian Meet surfer, stand-up paddle boarder and fish creature David Tibdall Eat for a treat Win a meal out in Exeter’s Princesshay as part of their new summer promotion

for more details or to make a payment (9am - 7pm Mon-Fri 9am -2pm Sat & Bank Hols) * UK delivery only

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

MUSIC Andy Jordan Cavern, Exeter Tuesday, July 1, 8pm Singer-songwriter and Made In Chelsea star Andy Jordan has embarked on a UK tour this summer with his music already captivating the likes of Elton John. Tickets £8. Visit www.livenation.co.uk

Johnny Cash Roadshow Exeter Corn Exchange Wednesday, July 2, 7.30pm Respected singer-songwriter Clive John with the Spirit Band re-create with astounding accuracy what it was like to be at a real Cash show. Also featuring Jill Schoonjans as June Carter and two other singers as the Carter Sisters. Tickets £18.

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

Machine Music by Exeter Contemporary Sounds Exeter Phoenix Sunday, July 6, 8pm An evening of music inspired by, composed by and performed by machines. Featuring work by John White, Kraftwerk and Bach, the music is played by a string quartet and will also feature music for/played by/created with player piano, music boxes, film, radio signals, iPads and Raspberry Pi. Tickets £10. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

An Evening with Ian Mclagan Exeter Phoenix Tuesday, July 8, 8pm Ian McLagan, a member of The Small Faces and The Faces, will be supported by his Bump Band and will deliver an evening of rock ’n’ roll, including songs from their newly released album United States. Tickets £15.50. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Chris Difford & Glenn Tilbrook Exeter Phoenix Wednesday, July 9, 8pm For the first time in almost 20 years, Squeeze’s Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook hit the road as a duo. Tickets £18. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Divertimento Ensemble Powderham Castle, Kenton Friday, July 11, 7.30pm The Music in the Castle series at Powderham continues with Divertimento Ensemble, joined by solo baritone Paul Sheehan.

The programme includes two Bach cantatas, and instrumental music by Locatelli, Handel and Eccles. Tickets £15 adults, £7 students.

Call 01626 890243 or visit www.powderham.co.uk

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Chagstock Festival Chagford Friday, July 18, to Saturday, July 19 Acts include The Lightning Seeds, The Waterboys, The Selecter, The Moulettes and The Stanfields. Weekend tickets cost £75 for adults, £50 under-18s, under-12s free (ticket still required), £210 families. Day tickets also available. Visit www.chagstock.info

Shaldon Open Air Theatre Shaldon Friday, July 18, to Wednesday, July 30, 8pm The line-up includes Joey the Lips, Bon Giovi, the Take That Experience and The Fab Beatles.

Tickets £5 to £18. Call 01647 253916 or visit www.sheldontheatre.co.uk

The Amadeus Orchestra Exeter Cathedral Thursday, July 24, 7.30pm Back again this summer, the programme features Strauss: Don Juan; Elgar: Cello Concerto, and Shostakovich: Symphony No.10. Tickets cost from £16 to £30. Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Branscombe Festival Branscombe Friday, July 25, to Sunday, July 27 Over three days, Branscombe hosts

The Lightning Seeds are headlining Chagstock Festival

Photo: Lamar Francois

performances from leading classical and jazz artists in the picturesque village hall, the historic Saint Winifred’s Church, and even on the beach.

Visit www.branscombefestival.co.uk

Sidmouth FolkWeek Sidmouth Friday, August 1, to Friday, August 8 Among the hundreds of artists featured at the diamond anniversary festival are worldrenowned instrumental Celtic duo Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham; Irish songstress Cara Dillon; local legend Steve Knightley and Friends; Kathryn Tickell and The Side Martin Carthy and Eliza Carthy, and Oysterband. Visit www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk

Ward Thomas Exeter Phoenix Thursday, August 7, 8pm The next big thing in UK country music, these hugely talented 19-year-old twin sisters have spent two years in Nashville recording their forthcoming debut album, which features a guest appearance from country superstar Vince Gill. Tickets £8. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

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THE MONTH AHEAD THEATRE/SCREENING The Mousetrap Exeter Northcott Theatre Until Saturday, July 5 To celebrate 60 incredible years on stage, The Mousetrap is going on tour for the first time to give you a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this masterpiece here in Exeter. Tickets £29.50 to £35.50. Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

A Little Nonsense Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter Monday, July 14, to Wednesday, July 16 Juncture Theatre’s critically-acclaimed dark comedy clown-drama is coming to Exeter before it heads to the Edinburgh Festival. Tickets £12.

Call 01392 434169 or visit www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk

The Day We Played Brazil Exeter Northcott Theatre Wednesday, July 16, to Sunday, July 27 A true-story musical play celebrating the 100th anniversary of the football match between Exeter City and the Brazil national team, the first-ever game played by Brazil. The cast includes 100 local people telling the stories of the players and their wives, sweethearts and families back home. Tickets £14. Call 01392 493493 or visit www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Paul Stockman Barnfield Theatre, Exeter Friday, July 18, 8pm Learn the secrets that the psychic world doesn’t want you to know. The show will finally lift the lid on the world of psychics and mediums and will have you laughing one moment and sitting in total amazement the next. Tickets £16. Call 01392 270891 or visit www.barnfieldtheatre.org.uk

Romeo and Juliet Killerton, Broadclyst Tuesday, August 5, 6pm Performed by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the all-male troupe of travelling players breathe new life into the beloved tragic love story classic.

Adults £16, children £11. Call 01392 881345.

George’s Marvellous Medicine Escot, Ottery St Mary Tuesday, August 5 Illyria returns with another Roald Dahl classic full of larger-than-life characters, plenty to join in with, and just a twist of malicious fun! The openair performance is suitable for all ages five and above. Advance tickets £13 adults, £10. children/ OAP. On the gate £15 adults, £12 children/OAP. Call 01404 822188 or visit www.escot-devon.co.uk

Peppa Pig Exeter Northcott Theatre Saturday, August 9, and Sunday, August 10, 10am, 1pm and 4pm

The Day We Played Brazil at Exeter Northcott Theatre from July 16 to 27 Peppa Pig returns live on stage with super cute puppets and brilliant sing-along songs in a brand new show. Tickets £16, families £42 for three with up to three more tickets £14 each.

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

Big Screen in the Park Wednesday, August 13, to Saturday, August 16 Northernhay Gardens, Exeter, 9pm This summer’s film line-up of new releases and cult classics launches with The Lego Movie.

Other screenings include Rush, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and Gravity on a big 10m screen with Exeter as a stunning backdrop.

Tickets cost £3 and additional £1 to bring a chair, and are available at the gate or in advance.

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

A History of Britain Killerton, Broadclyst Thursday, August 14, 7pm

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A comic twist on the history of this great land. Family entertainment by comedy group Pantaloons performed in the garden. Tickets £16 adults, £11 children. Call 01392 881345.

A Comedy of Errors Powderham Castle, Kenton Thursday, August 21 Shakespeare’s shortest play is a brilliant farce of mistaken identities, combined with a few undertones of the dramatic and sinister. A colourful and entertaining romp. Call 01626 890243 or visit www.powderham.co.uk

Robin Hood Escot, Ottery St Mary Wednesday, August 27 Illyria’s open-air production is a collection of tales featuring camaraderie, swashbuckling action, riotous comedy and songs. Advance tickets cost £13 for adults, £10 for children and OAPs. Tickets on the gate costs £15 for adults, £12 for children and OAPs. Call 01404 822188 or visit www.escot-devon.co.uk 07

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Children’s Music Workshop MOBO Nominees/BEFFTA Gospel Award Winning Choir

a new musical

by Nick Stimson & Chris Williams

Love and hope

THE GOSPEL TOUCH CHOIR An invitation to boys and girls aged 7 to 14 to join a Gospel Music Workshop and sing with the Gospel To uch Choir at Bramdean School.

The TV and broadcasting Gospel To uch Choir has performed with Emil Sande, Take That, Dionne Warwick, George Michael, Mary J Blige, Paloma Faith, Micha Paris and Sting.

To register for a workshop place, call the school secretary on 01392 273387 or email: info@bramdeanschool.co.uk

an Exeter story 1914 to 2014

The day will conclude with a short concert at 5.30pm with a retiring collection in aid of Help for Heroes. Parents and members of the public are welcome to attend the concert.

Tuesday 8th July - 9.30 am - 4.30 pm

Gala Performance Sat 2 August

Box Office: 01392 493 493 www.exeternorthcott.co.uk Booking fees apply

FREE Exeter

Red Coat Guided Tours

Ghosts & Legends · Heart of Exeter Cathedral to Quay · Exeter Old & New www.exeter.gov.uk/guidedtours t: 01392 265203 Daily tours except 25 & 26 Dec

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Visit the school website at: www.bramdeanschool.co.uk

Photo: Matt Austin

Wed 16 - Sun 27 July 2014

Bramdean School

Bramdean School, Homefield Rd, Heavitree, Exeter EX1 2QR

OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR

TOUCH, HOLD, FEEL, HUG, LEARN FOR FREE

01395 578222 www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 0NU

A charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales No. 264818

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THE MONTH AHEAD COMEDY Exeter Comedy Club Exeter Corn Exchange Friday, July 4, 8.30pm The final Exeter Comedy Club before the summer break. On the bill will be four stand-up stars in cabaret. Tickets £12. Call 01392 665938 or visit www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

Ed Gamble is performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival comedy previews

Tony Hawks Victory Hall, Whimple Sunday, July 6, 7.30pm The best-selling author, stand-up comedian, and now film maker, will deliver a two-hour combination of storytelling, comedy and film clips. Tickets £10. Call 07548 278 276 or visit www.onawhimpromotions.co.uk

First Chance Fringe – Edinburgh Fringe Festival comedy previews Exeter Phoenix Tuesday, July 15, to Thursday, July 17, 8pm Each night enjoy a double bill of comedy with acts including Ahir Shah and Ed Gamble. Tickets £5 or £12 for three shows. Call 01392 667080 or visit www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

EVENTS The Normans Exeter Cathedral Library and Archives Tuesday, July 1, to Friday, July 4, 10.30am to 3.30pm This year marks 900 years since the foundations of Exeter Cathedral’s iconic Norman towers were laid. To celebrate, a small exhibition of items from the Dean and Chapter’s collections, including leaves from the remarkable Exon Domesday (1086) will be on display.

Open Garden High Garden, Kenton Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6, 2pm to 5.30pm Visit a 4.5-acre garden and attached plantsmans’ nursery full of exciting and unusual trees, shrubs and exotic plants. Ample parking, dogs on leads welcome. Entry £3 adults, children free. In aid of charity.

Chudleigh Literary Festival Chudfest Marquee, Chudleigh Wednesday, July 9 This year’s line-up includes comedian and broadcaster Tony Hawks, Patricia Fawcett, the author of 17 novels including A Family Weekend, and journalist and award-winning author Sophie King (pictured). For the full programme visit www.chudleigh writerscircle. wordpress.com

Tiverton Balloon and Music Festival Petroc and Tiverton High School Campus Friday, July 11, to Sunday, July 13 Returning for the fourth consecutive year, the weekend will see the skies above Tiverton transformed into a canvas of colour as hot air balloonists from across the UK and beyond take part in events including the stunning mass ascents, public interaction sessions and the fire and light shows.

Visitors can also enjoy live music, aerial displays, comedy night, family fun, food and drinks stalls and more. For tickets call 01404 823735 or visit www.tivertonballoonfestival.co.uk/festivaltickets

41st Historic Vehicle Gathering Powderham Castle, Kenton Saturday, July 12, and Sunday, July 13, from 10am The Crash Box and Classic Car Club of Devon is celebrating its 50th anniversary and return with their 41st gathering at Powderham. Admire vehicles from all eras of our motoring history.

Entry £8 adults, under 14s and concessions £5, families £20. Call 01626 890243 or visit www. powderham.co.uk

Fire Station Open Day Middlemoor Fire Station, Exeter Saturday, July 12, 10am to 4pm Fun and games for all the family including bouncy castle and special guests.

Demonstrations will be taking place throughout the day including a car accident, and house fire. In aid of charity.

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Demonstration: Conservation in Action Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Tuesday, July 15, to Saturday, July 19, 10am to 5pm, and Tuesday, July 22, to Saturday, July 26 Meet members of RAMM’s conservation team who will be working on a variety of finds from the Princesshay excavations and find out how they investigate and treat objects. A free, drop-in event as part of the Council for British Archaeology’s Festival of Archaeology.

Summer Party Middlemoor Fire Station, Exeter Saturday, July 19, 7pm to late Get in the summer spirit with a disco, drinks, hog roast and raffle. Tickets £10, over-18s only. In aid of charity. Call 07855 645782 or 01392 357222.

Character Appearances Crealy, Exeter Wednesday, July 23, to Wednesday, August 27 The summer of character appearances at Crealy kicks off with Fireman Sam on July 23, followed

by Jungle Jim on July 26 and August 26; Bob the Builder on Wednesday, July 30; Mike the Knight on August 6; Superman, Batman and Captain America on August 12; Peppa Pig on August 20; and Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob on August 27. Visit www.crealy.co.uk

Race 4 Life Westpoint, Exeter Sunday, July 27 Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life has helped 09

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THE MONTH AHEAD

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THE MONTH AHEAD EVENTS

ART Maggie Royle

fund major breakthroughs in cancer treatments across the UK for the last 17 years, and is back again with a 5k route at Westpoint. Visit www.raceforlife.cancerresearchuk.org

Café Bar Gallery, Exeter Phoenix Tuesday, July 1, to Saturday, August 2 Exhibition Los Azulejos – a tale that can’t be told is a series of paintings making reference to images of Mexico sourced from Google street view.

Paignton Championship Dog Show Westpoint, Exeter Saturday, August 2, to Tuesday, August 5, 7am to 6pm The event is a qualifying show for Crufts and an ideal opportunity to meet champion dogs and dog lovers alike. It will feature 163 breeds of dog and agility will take place on all four days and obedience classes on the last show day. Judging at 9.30am each day. Free entry to visitors. Dogs are not permitted unless entered for the event.

Visit www.paigntonchampionshipdogshow.co.uk

Jan Tillett – The Nature of Killerton Killerton, Broadclyst Saturday, July 5, to Sunday, July 27, 11am to 5pm AA colourful exhibition celebrating artistic and versatile textiles, inspired by the textures and colours of Killerton House, gardens and the parkland. Browse these unique creative pieces in Killerton study.

Family Night in the Woods Escot, Ottery St Mary Thursday, August 7, to Friday, August 8 This fun family and friends one-night residential takes place in the woods on the Escot estate.

Participants will make shelters to sleep in, cook over an open fire and try their hand at environmental arts and greenwood crafts. £60 per person, suitable for ages five and over.

To book call 07814 036634 or 01404 822188.

Dolls House and Miniatures Fair Westpoint, Exeter Sunday, August 10 Experience the exquisite world of dolls house miniatures with exhibitions, displays and demonstrations by some of the leading crafts people in the field. Entry £3 adults, £1.50 children. Visit www.wendysworldfairs.co.uk

International Blacksmithing Festival Westpoint, Exeter Wednesday, August 13, to Saturday, August 16, 9.30am to 5pm A major festival of blacksmithing which has not been seen in the UK this century. The event will showcase and celebrate the best of blacksmithing from around the world. Day tickets £15, under-16s free. Four-day ticket £45.

Visit www.internationalblacksmithsfest.com

Civil War Weekend Killerton, Broadclyst Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17, 11am to 4.30pm Discover more about Devon’s turbulent history during the Civil War period and see what life was like in a royalist camp. Free event, normal admission charges apply.

Horse Trials Bicton Arena, East Budleigh Saturday, August 16, and Sunday, August 17 Top class event riders will be heading to Bicton Arena when the venue stages its second affiliated horse trials with top names from the sport. Entry £10 per car, with a donation to charity. Visit www.bicton-arena.co.uk

Detached and Timeless: Contemporary artists inspired by nature and spirit of place

Above, Bicton Horse Trial. Left, the Bake-off Challenge with Glenn Cosby

Jurassic Classic East Devon Sunday, August 17 The race encompasses the Jurassic coastline in East Devon, and starts and finishes at Exmouth Rugby Club, Imperial Recreation Ground, Exmouth. There are three routes available, 50km, 100km and 100 miles. In aid of Prostate Cancer UK. Visit www.prostatecanceruk.org

Ale & Cider Festival Exeter Phoenix Friday, August 22, to Sunday, August 24, noon A free event with excellent prices on a range of the best ales and ciders, and a steady flow of live music and guest DJs.

Bake-off Challenge Powderham Castle, Kenton Monday, August 25, to Sunday, August 31 Exeter’s Fun Kitchen is holding an action packed week of celebrity bake-off challenges with Great British Bake Off ’s Glenn Cosby with fun foodie baking and cookery workshops. To register visit www.funkitchen.co.uk

Country Fair Escot, Ottery St Mary Sunday, August 31 Take part in various activities at the Devon Wildfowling Conservation Association Country Fair such as, clay pigeon shooting, dog scurries and archery and visit a huge variety of traditional country stalls. Free entry.

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Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Saturday, July 12, to Sunday, November 2 Featuring some of the most significant figures in British art from the past 60 years, including David Bomberg, Edward Burra, and Prunella Clough, the exhibition looks at the way modern artists have been inspired by landscapes, nature and the seasons.

Artbeat Exhibition East Devon Art Academy, Old Fore Street, Sidmouth Saturday, July 19, to Friday, August 1, 10am to 5.30pm View a vibrant array of original paintings in oils, acrylics, watercolour, mixed media including original textile designs from 10 local East Devon artists.

Local Art Show Royal Albert Memorial Museum Thursday, August 7, to Thursday, August 21 An exhibition showcasing the work of a local art group chosen by the readers of the Express & Echo.

Exeter Art Society Summer Exhibition The East Devon Art Academy, Old Fore Street, Sidmouth Saturday, August 23, to Friday, August 29, 11am to 4pm As well as the exhibition there will be art work for sale. Admission free.

Exeter’s Fine Art Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Friday, August 29, to Monday, January 4 Commemorating the outbreak of the First World War with works by Walter Bayes and Muirhead Bone, Royal Albert Memorial Museum’s portrait collection will also be represented by two naval heroes of the Napoleonic era with Devon connections – Admiral Edward Pellew and Captain Charles Proby.

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This August is the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. Events to commemorate the centenary of the Great War, which left millions dead or wounded and changed the face of Europe, are being hosted across country. Fran McElhone spoke to Exeter historian Dr Todd Gray for an insight on the war effort in Exeter

Behind the I

n August 1914 the First World War began, waging for almost five years and touching the lives of every single person in the country.

During this gruelling, shattering conflict, sparked by the assassination of the heir to the Austria-Hungary throne

by Serbia, out of the 60 million European soldiers deployed, more than 16 million on the opposing Western (Britain, France and Russia) and Eastern (Germany and AustriaHungary) fronts fell.

Dr Todd Gray, historian at the University of Exeter, said official figures regarding how many men from Exeter and the surrounding area went to war are difficult to trace, as no records were kept. But it is thought that around 1,000 Exeter men died on the battlefields – not including those who died later from injuries sustained.

The war was a turning point in world history and dramatically changed the map of Europe with the disappearance of the German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, and Russian empires.

The conflict was characterised by trench warfare and one of the battles notable for its devastating loss of life and casualty rate was the Battle of the Somme.

Its final end was marked with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles peace agreement 12

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aspects to what they did over the course of the war; one was to provide comforts to the men fighting such as shirts, socks and mufflers to keep them warm during the exceptional cold. These items were shipped off all over Europe.

“The women raised what would be in today’s terms around £1m, an incredible

“

Dr Todd Gray, historian

in June 1918, followed by armistice with Germany on November 11, marking a victory for the Allies and the defeat of Germany.

Dr Gray explained that at home, the women of the city and surrounding areas went to remarkable lengths to support the brave men who gave their lives to defend us.

“One of the forgotten aspects has been the role of women in Exeter,” he said. “The city’s main effort during the war was the Lady Mayoress’s Depot, run from a building next to the Guildhall. There were three different

The women raised what would be in today’s terms around £1m, an incredible effort effort,” he added.

Collections were also made for Devon prisoners of war who were held across Europe including Germany and Turkey, providing food, cigarettes and whatever else they thought could make their lives easier.

Some consignments failed to make it to their intended recipients, but a considerable number did.

The women also stood on the platform at Exeter St David’s and Central train stations, at all hours of the day, to give packages including a hot meal, sandwiches and cakes

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ront

We will remember A centenary anniversary exhibition is taking place in Exmouth’s Strand gardens from midday to 6pm on Monday, August 4, organised by the town council in conjunction with the Royal British Legion Exmouth branch, Exmouth Museum and Churches Together.

The exhibition will include memorabilia, photos, stories of local people and live music. A huge model of a battlefield trench, created by Exmouth Legion members will be exhibited as part of the commemorative event. At 10pm, the branch has organised a service to coincide with the charity’s commemorative Million Candles service in Westminster Cathedral. The service, led by Fr Trevor Smith, will include readings, poems and music from the war era and a candlelight vigil. It will come to an end at 11pm to mark the moment 100 years before when all the lights went off and the church bells stopped ringing across Europe for four years.

to the men travelling from the South West up to Southampton on their way to the front line. It’s estimated that around two million men passed through.

“The important aspect is that this was the first war that touched so many people – there wouldn’t have been anyone in Exeter who didn’t know someone who died in the conflict, whether it was a family member or friend,” Dr Gray continued.

“It was a very visual war, Exeter was full of convalescing men in hospitals – there has never been a war that permeated society as much.”

The imposing war memorial in Northernhay Gardens serves as a poignant reminder of what a generation endured. The sculptures were crafted by St Thomas sculptor John Angel and exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London before returning to Exeter for the establishment of the memorial in 1923.

“It was an exceptional memorial and was regarded as one of Britain’s greatest,” added Dr Gray.

“It’s easy for us to get complacent about it. But if you actually go up and spend time looking at it, you see not only how remarkable is its construction and sculpture work is, but also some of the emotion of the war years comes through.”

A 10-month tour of a commemorative banner and quilt commissioned by the Royal British Legion, and accompanying exhibition, continues at various venues in East Devon and beyond. On Friday, August 1, at 11am at Upton Pyne Church, there will be a blessing of the banner by the Bishop of Crediton.

On Sunday, August 3, there will be an exhibition event during the day in Beer and a memorial parade in Ashburton at 10am. On Monday, August 4, a memorial service is taking place at Rousdon church at 11am followed by an exhibition and poppy picnic.

For more details about commemorative events including banner and quilt exhibitions phone Carole Arnold on 07769 671590.

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26/06/2014 14:35:00

Legendary reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff is back on tour, and what better place to stop off this summer than Devon’s awardwinning music festival Beautiful Days? The annual three-day celebration of eclectic music at Escot in Ottery St Mary always sells out months in advance, and this year is no different. Festival-goers lucky enough to have got their hands on tickets can look forward to another outstanding weekend of music from August 15 to 17, which includes the likes of Steve Earle and the Dukes, Seasick Steve, the Levellers, the Undertones, Dead Kennedys and Easy Star All-Stars. Multi-talented Jimmy, whose career has spanned almost 50 years, takes a break during his tour dates in America to reveal all to EX’s Anita Merritt about what lies in store for the Devon crowd, and how the best is still yet to come What are you up to at the moment?

I’m doing quite a bit of touring all over Europe and also in the US. I’ve been to Devon before, but I certainly haven’t done Beautiful Days.

What’s in store for the crowd at Beautiful Days?

I always like to be current as an artist so I will be showing my fans what I’ve been working on and some songs might not have even been recorded yet. There may be some songs from my last album and, of course, I have to do some of the songs I’m known for. The show is exciting; I’m an exciting performer and I’m energetic. I enjoy what I do and when I feel the music I just move. It’s a natural thing.

I’ll be bringing along my guitar. I also play the keyboard and quite a few different percussion instruments.

How have you managed to keep coming up with fresh material during a career that has spanned almost 50 years?

Writing is a release for me. It’s my way of letting out my emotions, whether I’m happy, sad, or something has touched me.

Mostly I write about personal experiences or just what I see happening in life and in the world. I’m consistently being inspired to expose all of that.

What keeps you striving for success to break back into the mainstream?

I absolutely still love music and my best work is still yet to come. I do feel that deep

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inside of me. My fans will say, and this world will say: “Who is that guy?”

Everyone has a different kind of journey. Some people are sprinters like Usain Bolt or an 800m runner like Sebastian Coe. I’m like an 800m guy.

My life has turned out the way it was meant to be. I have always been in control of my destiny and I’m always conscious I’m the one who makes my destiny. That is life.

Why did you take seven years to release your latest album Rebirth?

The reason is because of all the things that go on in the business side of the industry.

You have to get the right songs and the right manager. You keep changing things and have to wait until things settle down. I do the creative part. In between that time I had three albums I just put out. In this modern age it’s great you can put things out straight away on the internet.

I’m with new management and I worked with producer Tim Armstrong who was recommended to me and is thought of a punk icon. I was kind of reluctant to go back to the same sound I used to do, but it kind of felt good so I went along with it and I’m really happy with what’s come out.

in the pipeline?

I have always felt myself to be a better actor than a singer. I’ve made four movies but, of course, I’ve not won an Oscar so I’d like to. I’m working on a movie script, actually more than one in fact.

One is the sequel to The Harder They Come. The script has been written and once everyone is on board it will move forward.

I’m proud of the original because it’s a trademark historic reggae film. It made a huge mark and exposed reggae to the world.

It brought about new music and culture and made its mark as a piece of music history as well as a piece of film history. I didn’t know it would have the impact it did, but we wanted to make our mark.

Where is home for you now?

I still live in Jamaica; I love its energy. I have lived all over the world and spent quite a few years living in the UK. I also spent some time living in Paris and south America. I can speak some French as well as Spanish and Portuguese. I’ve stayed in many countries all over the planet but Jamaica is home.

When can we expect your next album to come out?

I’m working on a new album. There’s a lot of new music going on right now. I’ve done some good songs and written some good songs over the years but my best songs have not yet come out. I want commercial hits.

What songs are you the most proud of?

Outside of movie soundtracks, the songs people recognise me for are ones like Vietnam, Wonderful World and Many Rivers to Cross. My favourites though are sleepers like Beyond the Boundaries and Born to Win. They were hits in other countries but not in Europe and the US. I do feel my new songs could be commercial hits. I’m going to test them out on the audience when I’m at Beautiful Days.

Last year marked the 40th anniversary of The Harder They Come, one of the most significant Jamaican films to have ever been released. Do you have more movies

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received/ lesson you’ve learned?

It was from my grandmother, who told me: “Be yourself.”

EX Summer 14 26/06/2014 14:42:09

what you should

know about me:

f f i l C y m Jim

When were you happiest?

Whenever I write a great song. When I feel it in my heart it’s like: Wow. What’s your biggest regret?

Well, there’s quite a few, but too few to mention! One is wishing I had taken the time to tour when Wonderful World became a huge hit in Europe. I should have gigged and cleaned up as they say in the business.

I would have made a lot of money and I should have let fans see me.

What’s your greatest triumph?

Again, it’s not just one, but when I felt

triumphant was when I had my first number one hit in Jamaica in the mid ‘60s.

differently. Everything I have done I have learnt so much from.

What’s the secret of life?

Taking care of yourself spiritually, physically and mentally. You need to stay positive and take the positive things from life. I take care of myself by eating properly, sleeping properly, living properly and loving properly. If you love yourself you will fall in love with the world.

What qualities do you admire in the people closest to you?

Honesty; it’s very important to me and it’s a rare quality.

If you could do it all again, what would you do differently?

I don’t think I would do anything

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Tell us a secret about yourself…

If I tell you then it won’t be a secret anymore! What I will share is I have some ambitions I have not fulfilled yet. By sharing that I might be able to energise it to help me get there.

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26/06/2014 14:44:04

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Acclaimed overland motorcycle adventurer and author Sam Manicom embodies the saying ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained’. Fran McElhone met him, up the road from his home in St Leonard’s, Exeter

Easy rider

C

ongo-born Sam Manicom’s epic 200,000mile motorcycle adventure started in 1992 and lasted, unexpectedly, until 2000, when he moved to Exeter and penned four books, Into Africa, Under Asian Skies, Distant Suns and Tortillas to Totems, telling his story of his travels through 55 countries crisscrossing five continents.

It all came about when he contemplated his next move, from branch manager of British footwear retailer Freeman Hardy Willis in Jersey, after it dawned on him that he didn’t like his job and decided to quit and go travelling.

“I decided it wasn’t fair on the company, my colleagues, or myself to stay in the job any longer,” he tells me. “So I did what everyone does when confronted with a dilemma and went to the pub.

“I realised I was completely free and after my first pint decided to sell everything I owned and go away and by my third, to go by motorcycle – but I didn’t have a bike or a licence.”

By lunchtime the following day Sam had handed in his notice and bought a bike.

Six weeks later he was on an 800cc BMW staring out over the Sahara Desert having sold his flat, car, clothes – everything apart from six boxes with sentimental stuff like photographs and a suit and tie – ‘emergency kit’ you need to start your life up again from scratch.

“So cool,” I beam – to which he laughs and retorts, “so stupid!”

The plan was to go for a year and ride the length of Africa, from Egypt to Cape Town, and chase his childhood memories of the continent he accumulated up until the age of 10 while his parents worked as teachers in the Belgian Congo.

He originally planned to ride down the west coast, but Sam had to swap to the east because of civil unrest, thus becoming the first motorcyclist in 20 years to do so.

His 12-month expedition became an eight-year global odyssey by bike. He documented his extraordinary encounters

“

I realised I was completely free and after my first pint decided to sell everything I owned and go away and experiences in a series of journals which eventually – and entirely unintentionally – he turned into four books. Sitting in the Mount Radford pub in St Leonard’s, I gain a brief insight into his first few months away and why he kept on driving, and I’m immediately relieved we opted for large coffees.

“Africa is a phenomenal country,” he says, “and full of innovative people. While travelling through Tanzania I met a group of orphans aged seven to 15 years old, who’d

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set up a stall on the side of a road where trucks used to stop.

“They would collect bits of shredded tyres and then bring them back to make rubber grommets they sold back to the truck drivers, who would use them for plugging holes or stopping a vibration in the truck.

“And I love the African sense of humour – they’ll fall about laughing if someone slips on a banana skin, but they’ll also be quick to rush after them to help them.”

What could have been a three-month, 6,000-mile journey took Sam 12 months, taking in a total of 22,000 miles. “I could have done it quicker,” Sam explains. “But why would you want to?”

Sam’s expedition makes for a heartwarming and vivid tale characterised all too often with dangerous and at times tragic incidents, but which are the reality of motorcycle travel through the developing world.

He was shot at twice in Africa, but arguably the most traumatic experience of the entire venture was being thrown in jail charged with speeding, driving without due care and attention, and attempt to cause grievous bodily harm, when a man stepped out in front of his bike in a busy street in a Tanzanian town one afternoon, requiring his leg to be amputated.

The police were hell bent on prosecuting Sam even though all witnesses, including a former captain in the Tanzanian Army – who put his farm up as bail for Sam – all

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Picture: Matt Austin

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testified that there was nothing he could have done to avoid the collision. After being found not guilty in a three-week court procedure, Sam did what he could for the man including funding a prosthetic leg and giving him the equivalent of the man’s salary for two years.

About half way through the journey, Sam decided he wasn’t going home at the end of the year.

“I’d made it to Zimbabwe and was enjoying the sheer freedom of Africa. I knew I’d found the thing I was meant to be doing with my life and there was no good reason to go home,” he continues.

Meeting the young boy in the shade who gave him directions to his family’s house in the middle of nowhere – “travel for half a day and then turn right at the three rocks, then travel for another half a day and turn left at the two trees” – and laughing and bartering with the papaya seller, are among his many, many fond memories of the continent.

“I thought, this is silly, I’m not going home, if I do I’ll get wrapped up in a career and mortgage and all the things I’m supposed to be doing,” he admits. “When I was a child I had this daydream of wanting to polish the brass in a ship’s engine room, so I had the idea of trying to find a cargo ship to Australia.”

Which he did, but not before suffering a 17bone fracture after riding into a metre wide pothole in a remote part of the Namibian desert. Mercifully, he was picked up by two German tourists in a 4x4, who were meant to be passing through the day before. Sam had been knocked unconscious, a state he remained in for four days. He was moved around four hospitals, his motorbike went with him, at one point ending up on his bedside in the ward. His bike was patched up by a Namibian man with a penchant for making fiberglass model ships and aeroplanes.

“One of the reasons I’ve written books was because I wanted to share the fun of the road and how out of some bad experiences came many positives, and to share stories about the people I met, because it’s the people who made the journey,” he smiles.

“I was riding through the desert in north Kenya looking for dirt tracks to ride just for fun, and stopped to have a snooze in the shade and woke up to find an old lady in

Adventure motorcyclist Sam Manicom in South America

rags standing a few feet away,” he recalls.

“In near perfect English she asked me if she could rest with me for a while. We had come from the same village and she told me that it had taken her four days to get here, while it had taken me a few hours and we realised we were heading towards the same village.

“After a while she got up and started walking away but didn’t get very far. She turned round to me, at which point I thought she may ask me for a lift, which I couldn’t

“

One of the reasons I’ve written books was because I wanted to share the fun of the road because my bike was laden with stuff, but she reached into her pocket and brought out two boiled eggs and offered me one, saying I’d need the energy given the journey I was making. She was offering me her emergency rations.

“I came across such kindness like this throughout my time in Africa. I carried salt and soap so I could repay the kindness.”

Sam’s attraction to drama didn’t stop on the shores of Africa. Once he’d arrived in Australia while travelling through Brisbane he got knocked off his bike, face down in the fast lane of a dual carriageway, only to be rescued a few minutes later by a group

EX Summer 14 Sam_Manicom.indd 4

of Hell’s Angels, in charge of bikes with two-metre-long forks and helmets with ‘enormous’ cow horns.

When Sam finally returned to England he settled in Exeter with his German partner Birgit, whom he met while traversing New Zealand and who swapped her bike for a motorbike and joined her new love for the remaining four years. Keen to utilise his experience of the world and the people in it, he worked as a paralegal for a law firm for asylum seekers. His first client was a Ugandan man and, remarkably, Sam knew his favourite restaurant in Kampala and the road he lived on.

Along the way, Sam had written several magazine articles. And at the request of many, all asking, “what happened next?” he set about writing about his whole eight years on the road. He’s also released his tales as audio books, ‘to open up a world to people who would otherwise never have the chance to explore’.

Sam remains in demand; as well as featuring on national radio numerous times over the years, he’s regularly invited to host talks and presentations at shows and for bike clubs around the country. And he is a main organiser of HUBB UK, one of the world’s largest bike meets. His main means of transport is still his bike, except when he goes to shows when he may borrow Birgit's car.

Sam confesses that he’s ‘luckily unlucky’. If the pickles he got himself aren’t proof, once home, Sam underwent a kidney transplant for which, given his rare blood type, he had a slim chance of finding a match. Organ donation remains a cause close to his heart and he finds the statistics frustrating.

“Almost everyone surveyed say they would receive an organ but only around a third have registered.” To try to do his bit to raise awareness of the need to sign the organ donor register, it’s featured on his website and he doesn’t shy away from talking about his own experience.

Sam, who says it’s impossible to pick out his favourite country, said every single place has had its ‘amazing’ points.

Does he have plans to go away again?

“Absolutely,” he replies. “I’ve only been to 58 countries, there’s plenty more to see,” reminding me that he’s a traveller first, and an author second. www.sam-manicom.com 19

26/06/2014 16:19:34

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27/06/2014 13:07:21

Sara Cox, from East Devon, is the country’s only female rugby referee on the international sevens circuit. Fran McElhone met her u Pictures: GRW Photography

The

whistleblower

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EX Summer 14 26/06/2014 16:29:38

S

ara is the only English female referee on the international rugby sevens (seven-a-side) circuit and one of two on the international 15s circuit.

Not only can the 24-year-old from Broadclyst claim these coveted roles, she also refs for the National League 3 South West Men’s 15s and has her gaze firmly fixed on refereeing at the 2016 Olympics when rugby sevens makes its debut.

The other thing she wants is to see more women involved in the sport, but she is adamant that it’s attitude, not gender, which is the determining factor. “It takes a certain type of personality to be a referee,” she says. “You have to be able to take angry coaches screaming at you and keep your level of fitness high. I’ve had it all – the wolf whistles, men asking me, ‘should you really be doing this?’ – and heard the whispers. It’s always been a gentleman’s sport – it’s only recently that women have put their stamp on it. But this attitude is becoming less and less common. And I let my referring do the talking – it does everything I need it to do.

I’m a referee, not a female referee.

“There are no barriers that prevent women

“

The buzz and the reaction of the players and the crowd, and the atmosphere… you can’t beat it

from being referees. It’s for you to prove as a person you can do it; gender doesn’t come into it.”

As a teenager the former Clyst Vale Community College student played for Exeter Saracens and Cullompton and had honours at county and regional level, three times trialling for England Under-21s, deciding on her third go, aged just 17, to try her hand at refereeing.

“I was too young to go into coaching so I thought, what can I do next?” she continues.

“I was always quite lippy on the pitch, so I thought what better way to continue to be involved than to pick up a whistle and have a go? For whatever reason, I really, really loved it.”

From her involvement refereeing at the Sevens Women’s Grand Prix circuit, a Europe-wide competition, Sara was trialled by the Rugby and Football Union and then scouted by the International Rugby Board while refereeing at a game at Twickenham. Over the last 12 months, her role has taken her all over the globe from Australia’s Gold Coast, Dubai, Atlanta, and Brazil to Amsterdam, Moscow, France, and Spain, for both Euro and World Cup games predominantly as an International Women’s Rugby Sevens referee.

“I love sevens,” she reveals. “It’s so fast, and it’s 14 minutes to concentrate instead of 80!

I’m built for speed and I like the intensity. For me it’s the excitement of those 14 minutes where everyone on the pitch has the same aim and I’m facilitating it. The buzz and the reaction of the players and the crowd, and the atmosphere… you can’t beat it.”

Sara has to be on top of her game, keeping up with the players physically but also mentally – knowing where the ball is, having the law book at the forefront of her mind, working out if one has been broken and if so, what to do about it, all within a split second.

“A decision can change a game,” she says.

“There are times when you don’t get it right, but it’s about getting that margin of error closer. These players are playing for titles and funding and, when the Olympics come, medals for their country – I’ve got to make sure I’m on top of my game.

“We make mistakes, and if anyone says they don’t they’re lying because we’re human.

I’ve gone out in front of 20,000 spectators at Twickenham, being aired on Sky TV and made a completely wrong call. You can

EX Summer 14 Sarah_referee.indd 3

make an absolute howler at this level; it’s the way you deal with it. The most important thing is to put your hand up to it. Players will forgive you, until it becomes a pattern.

But it’s a learning point; you learn and the players learn and you have to make sure you don’t do it again.”

Sara also has to keep her eye on cheating players. “There was a time when a player came up and just said, ‘you caught me cheating, you were too quick for me!’.

Players will always try to cheat – they want to see what they can get away with – but it’s for me to set that boundary and not let them get away with it.”

In the absence of funding and pay, Sara is in it purely for the love of the sport, and she intends to be at the Rio Games in two years.

“Selection has already started. It’s not a given that anyone performing well now will be selected. I’ve got to stay fit, get the game experience and tick the right boxes. I can’t control their decision but I can control how fit I am and the way I perform. It means everything to get there.”

By day, Sara is a marketing executive for Coastal Recycling at Marsh Barton, where the bosses have been hugely supportive of their employee’s success.

“The opportunity to travel has been out of this world,” she adds. “I’m in a place where I can’t get any higher, but the experiences and progression as a person never stops.”

But despite her remarkable success on the international circuit, the refereeing she continues to do locally with young people means as much to her.

“When one of the young players storms ahead and scores a try,” she adds, “that for them is their World Cup. To have facilitated that and be a part of their legacy with the game – what more could you want?”

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27/06/2014 12:20:50

Striking fear into the hearts of whoever they play are Exeter’s Angels of Terror.

The city’s undefeated and undisputed roller derby regional champions are preparing to defend their title by hosting the South West League final in July. Anita Merritt puts her skates on and finds out what it takes to be a roller derby girl Pictures: Matt Austin

Fallen angels

“To be a good player you need dedication, natural toughness

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Not a lot scares me, but being labelled ‘fresh meat’ and then having to sign a disclaimer form to join in the fast-moving world of roller derby suddenly has me looking for the nearest exit.

I mentally calculate how long it will take to escape from the Exeter training ground of the South West Angels of Terror (S.W.A.T.), but the problem is I already have roller skates attached to my feet and as it’s been more than 20 years since I wore a pair, I’m predicting I’m going to have to crawl to get there.

The flawed plan immediately fails when S.W.A.T. skater Vampira, aka Maria Sowden, 34 and from Silverton, blocks my path and gives me a helping hand to get on my feet, which I discover have developed a mind of their own.

Standing still and moving are both a struggle, but after a few seconds it’s just like riding a bike, and it all comes back to me – well apart, from the ability to move fast or stop.

As I attempt to get from one end of the sports hall to the other at St James School without crashing onto my bottom, Maria assures

me I’ll be leaving the session in one piece on this occasion, because unless you’ve had 13 weeks’ training you can’t take part in a roller derby game.

My relief is immense, because S.W.A.T. were unbeaten in any game during last year’s South West Tournament. The first of its kind in the South West saw them beat Dorset, Wiltshire, Cornwall and Plymouth.

The South West League has since increased from five teams to eight this year, and S.W.A.T. are proving they won’t give up their title without a fight. The team is made up of 45 females aged from 18 upwards, who come from all different walks of life and travel from as far as Somerset to train three times a week in either Exeter, Cullompton, or Taunton. The team colours are purple, green and silver, and the trademark logo is wings on the back of their T-shirts.

For games players slap on fierce war paint and colourful hair pieces.

Intakes of ‘fresh meat’ – new players – are limited to once a year because of the time and effort it takes to train them up.

and a sense of humour. There’s so much to love about it”

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For safety reasons, each recruit must complete a 13-week course which covers everything from how to fall safely and stop, to how to give and receive hits.

The next intake is September and there is already a long list of around 40 fearless females waiting to give it a go. The drop-out rate is quite high and usually only around half will make it to the end of the course.

Maria, who is the only remaining original member of S.W.A.T. since it formed in March 2010, says: “A lot of people like the idea of roller derby and think it will be like a roller disco, but it’s a sport and it’s hard work. If you do enjoy it then most people get pretty obsessed with it; I am!

“Everyone has their own persona on the track. There are a few people who are quite shy, but as soon as they go out onto the track they turn into their alter ego.

“My roller derby name is Vampira because I was born on Halloween, or almost anyway; I missed it by 20 minutes. I can’t wear fake blood

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though as the referees will think I’m really bleeding!

“There’s always blood, sweat and tears. It does take serious dedication and you just need to persevere. To be a good player you need dedication, natural toughness and a sense of humour. There’s so much to love about it. It’s a great way of keeping fit and I enjoy the social side. It’s like a big family and everyone is really supportive.

It’s just a really fun sport which keeps changing all the time to keep it fresh.”

The rules of roller derby sound technical, but in fact the game is high energy and exciting to watch. There are two teams of five on the track at any one time and, of those, four are blockers and one is the jammer –the only one who can score points by overtaking people in the other team.

The four blockers in each team form a pack to stop the other team’s jammer getting through, while at the same time trying to get their own jammer through to score.

A game lasts for one hour and each jam lasts up to two minutes long. There are 14 players on a team who swap around because the bouts are so tiring.

Maria, who used to do taekwondo, recalls: “Recently we played against Cornwall; it was a real nail biter and we pulled it back within the last four minutes of the game and won. Games are never boring and we had the crowd behind us. It’s a good spectator sport for all ages, drawing hundreds of people. A few of our players are mums and we call their children The Tiny Terrors. They even have their very own T-shirts to wear when they watch us play.

“We’re defending our title this year so no pressure there! The league is getting bigger and bigger year on year because roller derby is now getting more popular all over the UK.” The next big game is the South West League final on Sunday, July 20, which is being hosted in Exeter for the first time by S.W.A.T. The venue of the competition, called The Gladiskaters – the ultimate battle, is Westpoint. The odds are looking good for Exeter after recently beating Gloucester 305-40 for a place in the final.

Games take place throughout the year and the only let-up from training is during August.

Among the most dedicated team members is Queena Hearts, aka Julie Coyne, 27, who travels all the way from Glastonbury to skate with the team, and has one of the best training attendance records.

“I used to travel to training by myself but now I take a car full of players down to S.W.A.T.’s training sessions,” says Julie.

“I sit at a desk all day and then I come to training and power up for hitting people. I’ve always been one for quite aggressive sports; I need an outlet!

“I’ve got to know people in other teams across the country. After hitting each other in a game, the teams get together afterwards and go to the pub for a drink.”

S.W.A.T.’s team captain is Insane Bolt, aka Emma Solomon, 26, from Exeter, who thought she had tried every sport known to man until she heard about roller derby and joined in September 2010.

“I wanted to find a contact sport that was different,” recalls Emma.

“The last time I had skated was when I was eight and that was only up and down the kitchen. I picked it up quite quickly because of my sporty background and I started coaching after three months.

“I enjoy the contact side of it, but I’m definitely one for tactics. It’s about winning the game with your brains rather than who can skate

EX Summer 14 26/06/2014 16:38:58

“

There’s always blood, sweat and tears the fastest and hit hardest.”

One of the biggest buzzes Emma says she gets from playing is when the crowd get behind the team, but unfortunately some people are nosier than others.

“My dad is our loudest supporter,” admits Emma. “He is so embarrassing. What he doesn’t realise is he doesn’t know all the ins and outs of the game so he’ll just be shouting random things.

Everyone can hear him, even when there are 200 people in the crowd.”

Keeping a careful eye on the players is a team of seven referees (zebras). Players who break the rules are punished by being sent to the ‘sin bin’ for 30 seconds. If a player exceeds seven bin visits they are sent off permanently.

The refs also have to deal with the injuries players regularly sustain, despite being kitted out in padding, helmets and mouth guards.

Among those who can reel off a long list is Julie, but she says it’s all part and parcel of taking part in a contact sport.

“I’m pretty injury prone,” she admits. “Injuries are more through carelessness rather than being hit. In the last 18 months I’ve had broken ribs, torn ligaments in my ankle and suffered countless bruises. I got smashed against a wall the other week. But as we’re skating six hours a week it’s not too bad.”

For more details about S.W.A.T. visit www.southwestangelsofterror.com or www.facebook.com/SWATrollerderby Exeter also has a male roller derby team called League of Extraordinary Rollergents. Visit www.rollergents.co.uk

EX Summer 14 SWAT.indd 4

27

26/06/2014 16:39:20

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www.thestablesexeter.co.uk TheStablesExeter

@stablesexeter

27/06/2014 12:38:44

What was once a blacksmiths with stables has been given a new lease of life by being turned into an independent freehouse with a vintage twist. It offers a wide variety of drinks, complemented by honest, home-cooked local food, as Adam Walmesley discovered Pictures: Matt Austin

Horses for courses

L

ocated in an area of outstanding landscape value on the rural edge of Exeter is an historic tavern dating back to the reign of Queen Victoria with a 21st-century twist.

The former Three Horseshoes at Cowley, originally listed as a public house in 1894, reopened in March as a brand new establishment after a two-year closure.

Fewer than 2.5 miles from the city centre on the A377 to Crediton, The Stables is a modern independent freehouse serving

local food and a wide variety of drink, and rooted in 120 years of history.

For owners Colin and Emma Spry, 52 and 43, who are also behind Starz Bar and Restaurant and partners in the Old Firehouse, it is a new venture on old ground.

Colin said: “The first time I came into the Three Horseshoes was in the late 1970s.

We’ve known it for decades and we love it here!”

The couple, who were both born in Exeter,

EX Summer 14 Stables.indd 1

have four locally educated children and live in Pennsylvania.

While Colin previously worked in the nightclub industry, Emma joined the licensed trade when they opened Starz in September 2003.

“In a mad moment we decided to change our lives completely and open up a restaurant,” Emma said. “We had no experience in the hospitality trade, so we were very green.”

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26/06/2014 16:48:23

Compared to their two city-centre businesses, it had a rather different appeal with its countryside setting on the outskirts of Exeter.

“It’s something quite new to us, but in a perfect location on a busy road in the country on the edge of Exeter,” said Emma.

The building had been empty for more than a year by the time they secured the deal at the end of last year.

“When we first came in it was dark, damp and depressing. It was really sad to see a building in that state because we always knew what it could be like,” said Emma.

Starting in January they managed to transform the existing building in just five weeks – to create an entirely new venue at a cost of £350,000.

Emma said: “Once we got the go-ahead, it was all hands on deck. But it rained every single day, so it was really hard going. I don’t think we could have picked a worse time to refit a pub!”

Despite the shortcomings in its appearance, they wanted to retain its historic appeal.

Emma said: “I didn’t want to strip it of its character. I wanted to keep it quite vintage in terms of style with a modern twist. Our customers love the refit, but there’s still more to do outside and upstairs.”

In choosing the name, they wanted to stay true to the history of the building while giving it a modern re-brand.

In 2006, having enjoyed their first taste of the industry, they managed to buy the Old Firehouse with business partner David Gray.

“Over the past seven or eight years, it’s just gone from strength to strength,” Colin said.

Still keen for an opportunity to expand their business portfolio, they began to set their sights on the Three Horseshoes.

Emma said: “Having visited the pub many times, we always said if there was a chance to get the Three Horseshoes then we would be very interested.”

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EX Summer 14 26/06/2014 16:48:58

“As well as being the place for horses to get reshod, there were overnight stables for people to stay and for their horses, hence why we changed the name to The Stables,” Colin said.

The site is spread over 1.4 acres including a large public bar and restaurant, a first floor function room, car parking for 70 vehicles and a beer garden.

Inside 110 people can be seated at any one time, and areas can be sectioned off for a private function.

“It’s probably for more mature people than would visit Starz and Firehouse. It’s a good place to meet with family or friends for a meal,” said Colin.

Food is available from midday to 9pm every day and is sourced locally, where possible.

The menu is wide-ranging including steaks, homemade burgers, pies and salads. There is a Sunday roast option as well as lunchtime options and a specials board.

Colin added: “We try to do as much homemade, fresh locally sourced produce as we can. Our beef and ale pie is made on site, our fish pie is made on site, and even our chutney is homemade.”

Some 75 to 80 people are employed across their three businesses, including around 25 people at The Stables.

“That includes all our chefs, kitchen staff as well as waiters, waitresses and bar staff. It’s great to put jobs into the local economy,”

“

People are becoming more savvy about where they are spending their money, because it’s hard-earned

Colin added.

A big part of their future plans is the completion of the 70 to 80-seater private function room for weddings birthdays, conferences and other events.

They pride themselves on their independence and hope to attract people from many of the surrounding areas including Exeter, Crediton, and nearby villages.

Emma said: “People are becoming more loyal to local businesses. They are becoming much more savvy about where they are spending their money, because it’s hardearned. They want to have a nice experience and we think we can provide that.”

EX Summer 14 Stables.indd 3

Colin and Emma are determined to maintain and improve upon the reputation they have built-up in Exeter over the past decade.

“Because of the internet, your customers can tell you easily where you need to improve.

A bonus of being a local independent is that you can make changes to your business very quickly,” Emma said.

After a successful decade of operating restaurants in Exeter, they are now looking to the next 10 years and beyond.

Colin said: “Everything has its highs and lows. We’ve got through the smoking ban, the recession and the restaurants opening in Princesshay all at once.

“The Stables is a new challenge for us, but through it we’ll learn from our weaknesses and go from strength to strength. We’re constantly looking for ways to improve. The initial reaction has been great.”

During the first few months of trading, Colin and Emma have relished seen people coming in and tasting what they have to offer.

Emma added: “Sometimes when you walk in and it’s busy with people enjoying themselves, you pinch yourself because you know it’s your creation.”

The Stables Cowley, Exeter 01392 851334 www.thestablesexeter.co.uk 31

26/06/2014 16:49:19

Eat for a treat!

Princesshay is giving away days out to national and local leisure attractions as part of its Summerdine restaurant promotion.

A free day out to a favourite UK attraction is being offered when diners spend £45 three times at any of its restaurants between July 7 and August 21.

All nine restaurants in Exeter city centre’s Princesshay are participating in Summerdine, including Wagamama, Yo! Sushi, Strada, Coal Grill & Bar, and Nandos.

Wayne Pearce, Princesshay centre director, said: “Our Summerdine promotion celebrates summer and fantastic days out for the whole family.”

Win a meal in Princesshay Days out up for grabs nationally include Legoland, Thorpe Park, Flamingo Land, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Sea Life, Drayton Manor, Chessington World of Adventures, Oakwood Home Park and Harry Potter.

Local days out include Woodland Leisure Park, Exmoor Zoo, Watermouth Castle, Paignton Zoo, Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park, Plymouth Aquarium and Coombe Martin Wildlife Dinosaur Park.

For more details and to register for vouchers for more summer offers from Princesshay restaurants and stores visit www.princesshay.com/dine

LEWIS’S

EX readers are being offered the chance to win a meal at a restaurant of your choice in Princesshay to the value of £45, which will start you off on its Summerdine campaign.

To enter simply answer the following question: How many restaurants in Princesshay are participating in the Summerdine promotion?

Send your answer on a postcard along with your name, address and telephone number to: Princesshay 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, July 14. Usual terms and conditions apply.

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Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7JY Tel: 01392 873672 Sidmouth Rd, Clyst St Mary, EX5 1AE Tel: 01392 876281 www.stbridgetnurseries.co.uk

EX Summer 14 30/06/2014 09:14:28

You couldn’t get bigger extremes than those faced by cake maker Debbie Vanstone.

One minute she can be replicating Hogwarts Castle from Harry Potter for a child and the next she can be creating a bondage-themed cake for an adult. Anything goes at MaD Cakes, and Debbie wouldn’t have it any other way, discovers Anita Merritt

Baking mad Pictures: GRW Photography

d

espite the name of her cake business, there’s nothing mad about Debbie Vanstone, because the crazy cake designs she creates mostly start from the imaginative ideas of her customers.

It is then down to Debbie to transform their vision into an edible masterpiece that will be talked about for years to come.

In the two and a half years MaD Cakes has been based at Bakers Yard in Marsh Barton,

Exeter, Debbie has never made two cakes the same.

It means no two days are ever the same, and during one such day she recently handed over a cupcake creation for a girl’s 18th party, a Despicable Me children’s cake, and a personalised rugby cake complete with rugby posts and player.

“Anything goes!” she laughs. “Customers often come in with an idea and they go out

EX Summer 14 MadCakes.indd 1

with something completely different as they don’t realise what can be done on a cake.

“It’s got the same with wedding cakes. Brides and grooms come in with a story about themselves such as how they met and the things they like, which is then interpreted onto their cake.

“One bride wanted on her cake a hedgerow, a Nissan Navara truck, their two children and two dogs, and the groom wearing 33

30/06/2014 10:16:21

wellies, as he was a landscape gardener, and carrying a gun as he liked going shooting.

She also wanted two poppies to represent two friends who had died in Afghanistan, and a ladybird and bee to represent the mother-in-laws. The cake was presented on a handmade board of oak.

“I also like to hide a surprise in the cake, such as a hedgehog in this case because it fitted with their theme.

“The bride screamed when she saw the cake because she thought it was so amazing.”

The unveiling of the cake is always an anxious moment for Debbie, but customers can request a sneaky preview of what’s to come.

“It is a bit scary, especially wedding cakes because it’s the only thing they can’t control – apart from the weather!” says Debbie.

“That’s why I like to deliver it before the wedding so they can have a good look at it or I can email a picture of it.”

When I meet Debbie she is busy using a new skill she has learnt to create 3D roses for another wedding cake. I marvel at how delicate and life-like they are, but when I comment that she must have the patience of a saint, she simply laughs and says: “I’m not patient and I’ve got a memory like a sieve. It comes with practice.

“Years ago everything was handmade, but now there’s a mould and cutter for everything. It’s sad in some ways as that talent of the older generation is disappearing. My uncle was a confectioner and did all his royal icing by piping. Now you rarely have to pipe as you use a mould instead, and that’s why so many people do it 34

MadCakes.indd 2

“

One bride wanted on her cake a hedgerow, a Nissan Navara truck... and the groom wearing wellies themselves now at home.

“Cake making is totally different now. In two and a half years I have not been asked once to do royal icing. It’s also not often I get asked for a whole fruit cake, usually it’s just a small one for the top tier. Now it’s carrot, lemon, chocolate cake – you name it. We also make gluten-free cakes and charge the same prices as our other cakes.”

What sets MaD Cakes head and shoulders above the rest is that not only do its cakes look amazing, they taste incredible too.

What Debbie won’t tolerate is a dry cake, and her secret is going back to basics.

You won’t find a packet cake mix in sight as everything is made from scratch in small batches using locally sourced ingredients.

The only helping hand she gets is her trusty small mixer.

Passing me a cupcake to sample how moist her cakes are, Debbie says: “My cupcakes are very moist and last for two weeks because I use fresh ingredients. The eggs are from a local farm and the non-profit wholesaler I use is based in Cullompton.

“The secret of a moist cupcake is using yoghurt and ground almonds. It’s based on a recipe I came across and have changed slightly.

EX Summer 14 26/06/2014 17:15:35

“Cupcakes fizzled out a bit last year but this year they’ve made a comeback. I get commercial orders ranging from the RD&E for its Extraordinary People Awards, to cupcakes for a female genital mutilation charity. I had certainly never tried creating a vagina on a cupcake before!

“I try to be affordable and that’s why people come back again when they need another cake. Everyone loves cakes and I know I always have.”

You’d think that Debbie would never be short of cake tasters, but that’s not always the case.

“My children are sick of cupcakes and ask for something different,” she confesses.

“Everybody likes my chocolate cake though because it’s more like a chocolate brownie.

Again, it’s moist because I can’t bear a dry cake. I’ve got a bit of an obsession with cakes not being dry, especially fruit cakes.

“The trick is using the right ingredients and timing in the oven is crucial.”

Although Debbie might be meticulous with time keeping, she’s much more relaxed when it comes to measurements.

The ingredients for her butter icing are estimates based on taste rather than being carefully measured out.

“You know you’ve put enough in of something when it tastes right,” explains Debbie. “An elderly man commented that my cakes taste just like his gran used to make, and it’s probably because I put double cream in it to give that extra creamy taste.”

Debbie’s passion for baking began with making cakes for family and friends who encouraged her to set up her own cakemaking business.

“It was having the confidence to make that step, but as my children got older I looked into it,” recalls Debbie. “I didn’t want to take out a loan because if it didn’t work out I wouldn’t have lost anything.”

Those early fears have been unfounded because business is booming, and Debbie’s reputation for creating something extraordinary has spread not just throughout Devon, but also abroad with cakes orders having come from South Africa, Sweden and Canada.

“I do like a challenge,” admits Debbie. “I used

EX Summer 14 MadCakes.indd 3

to work in an office and every day was the same. Now no two days are the same. I love it.

“Cupcakes are my favourite. When I finish a cupcake bouquet I stand back and smile at my cakes. It’s a bit weird, hence the name MaD Cakes!

“Actually the name comes from the fact all our cakes are crazy. They’re not classic cakes at all. A new idea I’ve come up with is using cupcakes with flowers on as centrepieces on tables at weddings. I also decorate cupcakes with names to double up as place settings and they can eaten as the dessert. I’m all for saving money, me!”

MaD Cakes also runs regular classes for adults and children to learn new cake craft skills, as well as birthday parties.

MaD Cakes Unit 12, Bakers Yard Alphin Brook Road Exeter EX2 8RG 07598 339863 www.madcakesexeter.co.uk 35

26/06/2014 17:16:04

E

The RedLion Celebrating Our First Anniversary

Cullompton Junction 28 M5

B3181 The Red Lion Church

Broadclyst B3181 Exeter

The RedLion SAMPLE MENU

proven popular delights Offering an extensive menu of Evening - available every Lunchtime & to suit every taste and appetite and includes the following:

Starters:

oor Bay Mussels in a From Chicken Liver Pate to Exm e. spring onion, cider & cream sauc

Main Courses:

, and Chips via Con�t of Belly Pork From Honey Roasted Ham, Egg rooms Fish Pie and Baked open Mush a Cumberland Sauce.

- to Pan Fried Lamb Cutlets with

Sweets:

ard to From Devon Apple Cake with Cust Cream Cake...

Ice olate Choc e Whit & eser Baileys, Malt

Plus:

ial dietary needs.

Vegetarian specialities and spec

Plus:

Refurbished in 2013 by multi award winning new owners, Richard & Clare Jenkins, The Red Lion now offers a superb new location to enjoy high quality food in a comfortable atmosphere, amidst the charm and rustic features preserved in this delightful 16th C Inn, quietly located at the centre of the village.

Bar-restaurant Menu available every Lunchtime and Evening.

Refurbished 16th Century Rustic Charm.

Broadclyst, Exeter EX5 3EL Just five minutes from Exeter.

10 minutes from Cullompton & Junction 28 of M5

Beer Garden & Courtyard.

Large Car Park.

A wonderful village location.

Located on a National Trust Walking & Cycle trail.

A Dog Friendly Pub.

01392 461271

rd Specials.

Regularly Changing Blackboa

ning

Full Menu is available Every Lunchtime & Eve

REDISCOVER A NEW FAVOURITE IN BROADCLYST 036_redlion.indd 1

27/06/2014 13:09:23

An Eastern feast

Award-winning food critic Becky Sheaves finally discovers the perfect bana ganoush amid the Moroccan delights on offer at Al-Farid in Exeter’s Cathedral Green u EX Summer 14 Al_Farid.indd 1

37

26/06/2014 17:21:22

I

owe a lasting debt of gratitude to a girl called Liane Bradbrook. When we were aged about nine back in 1976-7 – a period I also think of as the Terror Reign of Mrs L the dinner lady – Liane ate my school rice pudding for me once a week for a year.

Thick, gloopy, lukewarm and white, adorned with either a spoonful of jam or four prunes, there was just no way I could manage even a spoonful of the stuff. Liane actually, genuinely, liked it.

So when Mrs L’s back was turned, Liane and I would spin our clattering melamine plates between us. As the basilisk glare of Mrs L swept back round our table, in the manner of an East German Checkpoint Charlie guard on the Berlin Wall at around the same era, there would be me, sitting smugly in front of an empty plate.

Liane, meanwhile, would be tucking into her second helping.

Poor Liane once, memorably, ended up on a table of half a dozen rice pud refuseniks and was persuaded to eat all of our puddings. I can still remember her glazed and slightly desperate look as she nobly spooned her way through portions four, five and six.

I have only recently been able to face rice pudding as an adult, and then only tentatively. Slightest hint of gloop, and I am off. But my re-education took a major step forward when I ate at the Moroccan mezze restaurant Al-Farid in Exeter last week.

I’ll fill you in on the previous dishes in due course, but the star of the night was without doubt the mahalabia, a delicate and delicious warm rice pud gently coaxed into unctuous, fragrant being with rose water and saffron. It came with two spoons, but my husband John didn’t get much of a look in at all. Heavenly.

Fortunately, John wasn’t in any sort of mood for fighting over the dessert. He was so full (as was I) from the Middle Eastern feast we had already worked through in this quirky and endearing little restaurant.

I’ve looked at Al-Farid a few times over the years, but never made it inside except once, years ago. Back then I was a little taken aback to find the whole of the bar downstairs filled with folk – mostly students – smoking shisha pipes. Not in the mood, I scarpered across Exeter’s Cathedral Green to Pizza Express instead.

38

Al_Farid.indd 2

Today, however, thanks to the smoking ban, the shishas have been banished to a cosy nook in a back courtyard, which makes for (in my opinion) a much more pleasant atmosphere in the bar and restaurant itself.

Al Farida has occupied this rickety-seeming 16th-century town house, originally built to accommodate craftsmen from the cathedral next door, for 15 years. The place changed hands to the newer management of a young couple four years ago but has kept

“

The result is a curiously charming clash of cultures, with Georgian bay windows adorned with Middle Eastern fabrics

its rather studenty gap-year style. The result is a curiously charming clash of cultures, with Georgian bay windows adorned with Middle Eastern fabrics, and Arabic pictures hanging from listed-building dado rails. As we arrived, a CD of traditional Moroccan folk songs was competing valiantly with bellringing practice at the cathedral.

The welcome here is friendly, the service swift and knowledgeable. Above all, I’d say the cooking is very good indeed. To start,

John and I ordered three mezze dishes (£4.95 each) which were both generous and very tasty. We had crispy filo pastry parcels of fig and goat’s cheese, marinated skewers of tiger prawns and the best dish of baba ganoush (a Middle Eastern dip of smoked aubergine, tahini and yoghurt) that I have had since a Lebanese restaurant many, many years ago. Baba ganoush has been an obsession of mine ever since and, may I say, I have had some bitter disappointments with ordering it along the way. This, though, was just as it should be.

It’s difficult to match wine to Middle Eastern cuisine, perhaps because it is not a natural pairing, given the Islamic view of alcohol. But Al-Farid does serve booze, and John had a good glass of spicy red shiraz which stood up well to the distinctive flavours of coriander, pomegranate and lemon pervading so many of our dishes. I opted for a glass of freshly made lemonade. I had a feeling it would be fabulous and, shaken over ice like a cocktail, it was, complete with flavours of rose water and mint.

For our main courses, we each had individual tagine dishes, scorching hot under their conical pottery lids. Mine was a simple leg of chicken (£12.95) cooked into submission with a melting and tender assortment of root vegetables in a lemon and coriander sauce. John was less convinced by his dish, fesenjan – a leg of duck, darkly sweet in molasses, walnuts and pomegranate. I thought it was lovely, though, and would definitely order it myself another time. Think a distant, Moroccan, cousin of the more usual Chinese duck in plum sauce. I noticed John scoffed it without too much trouble, despite his reservations.

By now we were slowing down considerably and lingered over our cardamom coffee ( John) and mint tea (me) before forcing ourselves, purely for the sake of this review, to try the dessert menu.

As I may have mentioned earlier, it was a decision I certainly didn’t regret.

Al-Farid, 3 Cathedral Yard, Exeter EX1 1HJ www.alfaridrestaurant.co.uk 01392 494444 Food: 8 Atmosphere: 8 Service: 9 Price: Dinner for two was £66

EX Summer 14 26/06/2014 17:21:55

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27/06/2014 13:11:04

Sun, sea and

swimwe I am a size 8 and love to look fashionable, what swimwear trends should I be following this summer?

Fringing is set to be a strong trend this summer of 2014, and the high street is full of great fringed bikinis and one pieces.

This style is great for women who have a smaller bust since it adds volume to that specific area. It can look really boho chic on the beach and add a little fun to swimwear. You will find some great pieces at Miss Selfridge in Princesshay, starting at just £12. Another key trend is the Agent Provocateur Mazzy Bandage bikini (www.net-a-porter-com). Celebs everywhere are making this the swimwear of their choice for 2014. It’s a little more expensive, but watch out for it in the sales. I love the neon version, but it does come in lots of other colour ways.

Agent Provocateur Mazzy Cutout Triangle Top £110; Brief £110

40

Bikini.indd 1

I am going on holiday in August and I am having difficulty finding a swimsuit that flatters my figure. I have a large tummy and big breasts and I don't feel comfortable in a bikini. Please can you help?

There are amazing swimsuits out there that can emphasise (or camouflage) your figure to achieve your desired silhouette. Suits with built-in shape-wear are also perfect to hide any tummy bulge and there are even suits that have rear-lifting capabilities. One pieces are very fashionable at the moment and I think they can look much more chic than a bikini. I would recommend going to a boutique that specialises in swimwear and getting properly fitted by an expert. De’Bora of Exeter (01392 210142) does some wonderful swimwear and Deborah the owner will help get that perfect fit. For larger busts this is a must as you will look good while having the support you need. There is also a great boutique in Dartmouth, Juste Moi (01803 833070, www.justemoi.co.uk) that stocks beautiful swimwear in all sizes. If Dartmouth is too far to travel they do have a website

EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 16:35:18

The sun is shining, the temperatures are rising and summer 2014 is here. Buying that brand new swimsuit can be a big deal for some, especially if you have no clue what style you are looking for. A few lucky readers got to ask Exeter based stylist and personal shopper Kate Lamport their summer related questions

wear

Vilebrequin Shorts, £165, Juste Moi

Ikat Fringe Bikini, £25, Miss Selfidge; jewellery including body chain By Tory, £15-£200

EX Summer 14 Bikini.indd 2

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27/06/2014 16:36:49

Think accessories – head scarves, jewellery, and jewelled sandals that you can order from. They stock some of the greatest brands of swimwear such as Seafolly, Heidi Klein and Vilebrequin.

I am really sporty and spend a lot of time in the water on holiday. I need some swimwear that looks good but I can be active in. Do you have any advice of where I should be shopping?

Gone are the days of boring, plain swimming costumes. We are now spoilt with colours and shapes and a lot of these are also practical. Stella Mcartney for Adidas is a great example of this, her costumes are designed with fashion and sport in mind.

Sweaty Betty (www.sweatybetty.com) also has a great range of sport inspired swimwear. You will look great on the beach and also feel confident in the water. When trying the suits on try moving around the fitting room to get an idea of how supportive and covering the suit will be in the water.

I have just had a baby and I am not feeling happy about my body this summer. How can I give myself a boost and look better on the beach?

There are a few easy things that you can do which will boost your self-confidence this summer. Simple things like getting a great hair cut with make you feel much better. If you colour your Printed bikini £150 and hair, think about going a shade lighter or having a few highlights matching beach trousers around the face to give you that sun kissed look. I recommend £175 , Juste Moi that every woman should have a pedicure and manicure. By adding a pop of colour to your fingers and toes it will make you feel and look great. Radiance MediSpa (01392 277799) on New North Road in Exeter has some of the best nail polishes I have Hair and nails ever seen. A spray tan will also give you a boost without the Radiance MediSpa Make-up inherent dangers of skin damage that can result from over Brodie Kate Nichols exposure to UVA/B rays. Again, I recommend Radiance Photos MediSpa or if you would like to be tanned in the comfort Rachael Sherlock of your own home Lisa Thornhill (07977 027095) will bring everything to you and you will look and feel better for just £20.

I love vintage clothes and I like to dress a little alternatively. This is really easy in the winter I am always reading about 'pool to bar' dressing, how to I but I struggle in the summer especially when it comes to achieve this on holiday? beachwear. Do you have any tips?

Firstly think accessories – head scarves, jewellery, and jewelled We are really lucky in Exeter that we have some great retro sandals. By Tory Jewellery (www.bytoryjewellery.com) designs and vintage shops. The Vintage Shop on South Street stocks some of the best summer jewellery I have seen. Tory is based some amazing beachwear which I am sure you will love. I fell in Topsham and her pieces work brilliantly with summer wear. in love with a neon swimsuit with a gold palm tree print. My I love the body chains that start at £70, or for the not so brave, Ex Wardrobe on Gandy Street is also full of little gems that will she has a great collection of stacking rings, starting at £15. Try give your summer wardrobe a vintage twist. The high street has layering your jewellery up for a fun look. If you are looking for taken a little vintage inspiration also, think high-waisted bikinis a great dress to throw over your swimwear look no further than and don't be afraid to mix and match ‘50s polka dots, leopard Crede (01392 211009). The maxi dresses will work well by the print or floral prints. Pin your hair up for a little added glamor. pool with a pair of flip-flops and then in the evening with a pair of great heels and layered necklaces. You will find great summer Kate is based in Exeter and you can find out more about dresses made from beautiful fabrics perfect for your holiday. her services at www.queenofstyle.co.uk

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EX Summer 14 30/06/2014 09:44:52

Kathea Boutique, based in Crediton’s High Street, has earned an enviable reputation for offering shoppers racks of gorgeous clothes organised into collections which all work well together. The independent retailer also solves accessories dilemmas by stocking aspirational brands to complete your look. Here Dyer are owner Ophelia Dyer‘s top three best buys

heaven A match made in

Pranella jewellery made of semi-precious stones, £69; Navy Italian leather handbag from Gianni Conti, £169; Owen Barry leather handbag, £140

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27/06/2014 10:21:06

DINE OUT AND WE’LL GIVE YOU A

DAY OUT Spend £45 at any of our restaurants three times from 7 July – 21 August and your family day out at a leading UK attraction is on us!

Summer’s off to a delicious start with help from our restaurants.

Visit www.princesshay.com/dine or one of our restaurants for more details and don’t forget to pick up a Summerdine wallet to start collecting your treats!

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27/06/2014 14:35:00

The crazy world of Insanity was once kept behind closed doors at home, but now the latest extreme exercise craze has been turned into a group activity. Fitness coach Graham Webber was one of the first to bring Insanity classes to Exeter in April and is seeing impressive results. EX’s Anita Merritt becomes Insanity’s latest recruit Pictures: GRW Photography

T

he word insanity will take on a whole new meaning within minutes of starting the most challenging workout your body has ever endured.

American fitness craze Insanity takes the concept of interval training to a whole new level by creating short bursts of high intensity exercises that will have your heart pumping and body sweating more than it has ever done before.

Aimed at men and women who want to get fitter faster, each class lasts 50 minutes and can burn up to 1,000 calories.

The warm-up is a challenge in itself, and is then followed by three intense blocks of work, each one targeting a different element of fitness.

The only let-up during the equipmentfree class is a quick 30-second breather in between each two-minute burst. The final section is eight minutes of core work and a well-deserved stretch.

The saying ‘no pain, no gain’ has never rung truer, because the results you’ll see from the extreme workout are incredible, if done weekly.

This is

Fitness coach Graham Webber runs three classes a week at The Barn in Clyst Road, Topsham – Tuesdays at 6pm, Thursdays at 10.45am, and Saturdays at 8.30am, priced £5 each – and admits that Insanity isn’t for the faint hearted.

“It’s hard – really hard!” he says. “You work at your own ability and push through it as part of a group. Basically, you work harder but for a shorter amount of time.

“You don’t get a chance to get bored with

EX Summer 14 Insanity.indd 1

an exercise because you’re quickly onto the next one. There’s very little repetition and a new routine is introduced every eight weeks.

“The main market Insanity is aimed at is 25 to 40-year-olds, but I have a 60-year-old who comes to the classes and is absolutely fine doing it. If you’re a complete beginner to exercise then Insanity is probably not for you. It’s more for people who are already exercising and want to really go for it.

“You don’t need co-ordination because the 45

30/06/2014 10:32:30

The crazy world of Insanity was once kept behind closed doors at home, but now the latest extreme exercise craze has been turned into a group activity. Fitness coach Graham Webber was one of the first to bring Insanity classes to Exeter in April and is seeing impressive results. EX’s Anita Merritt becomes Insanity’s latest recruit Pictures: GRW Photography

T

he word insanity will take on a whole new meaning within minutes of starting the most challenging workout your body has ever endured.

American fitness craze Insanity takes the concept of interval training to a whole new level by creating short bursts of high intensity exercises that will have your heart pumping and body sweating more than it has ever done before.

Aimed at men and women who want to get fitter faster, each class lasts 50 minutes and can burn up to 1,000 calories.

The warm-up is a challenge in itself, and is then followed by three intense blocks of work, each one targeting a different element of fitness.

The only let-up during the equipmentfree class is a quick 30-second breather in between each two-minute burst. The final section is eight minutes of core work and a well-deserved stretch.

The saying ‘no pain, no gain’ has never rung truer, because the results you’ll see from the extreme workout are incredible, if done weekly.

This is

Fitness coach Graham Webber runs three classes a week at The Barn in Clyst Road, Topsham – Tuesdays at 6pm, Thursdays at 10.45am, and Saturdays at 8.30am, priced £5 each – and admits that Insanity isn’t for the faint hearted.

“It’s hard – really hard!” he says. “You work at your own ability and push through it as part of a group. Basically, you work harder but for a shorter amount of time.

“You don’t get a chance to get bored with

EX Summer 14 Insanity.indd 1

an exercise because you’re quickly onto the next one. There’s very little repetition and a new routine is introduced every eight weeks.

“The main market Insanity is aimed at is 25 to 40-year-olds, but I have a 60-year-old who comes to the classes and is absolutely fine doing it. If you’re a complete beginner to exercise then Insanity is probably not for you. It’s more for people who are already exercising and want to really go for it.

“You don’t need co-ordination because the 45

30/06/2014 10:26:33

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27/06/2014 14:35:46

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EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 10:34:45

Celebrating 30 years in hairdressing is Exeter hairdresser Jeff Goodwin. To mark the anniversary his salon in Queen Street hosted a fundraising birthday party which included the launch of EP Love Your Hair, recorded by award-winning local indie pop group The Sunday Skyclub. He reminisces with Sue Kemp and reveals how he is definitely ready for the challenges of the next 30 years Pictures: GRW Photography & James Millar

The head master

I

n the time Jeff Goodwin has been involved in the hairdressing industry, styles have gone from page boys and neat little box bobs, through afro perms, flick back sides then the revolution of punk.

And Jeff believes we should all thank the punks for our hairstyles today.

“They allowed all sorts of things that were once considered weird to become mainstream, from the brightest of colours to spikey tops and shaved undersections. They broadened the choice of looks for everyone, forever,” he said.

“Everywhere, fashion writers are using the word ‘eclectic’, something you never heard in the 1960s or 1970s, because looks are so broadly influenced – and with modern media, a look can come and go as quickly as the starlet seen wearing it at the latest premiere.

“After the amazing ‘flowering’ of the ‘eclectic’ 80s, the 90s and 00s have been pretty safe, if fact, quite boring by comparison, largely due to the huge influence of Jennifer Aniston’s ‘Rachel from Friends’ look.

“Suddenly, young women were all growing their hair and having blonde highlights, and largely, if you look around, you’ll see that, apart from a few tweaks, a bit of balliage and a dip dye, they still are.

“A few bits and lots of bobs have come and gone in between, but variations of the Rachel are still strong. Mature women are more daring than the young at the moment.

“Products have had a huge influence over the years. Colours are now so good that changes can be made very often without ruining the condition; you hardly ever see a split end these days.

“The introduction of ‘one pass’ ceramic straighteners revolutionised home hair, enabling curly and wavy haired people to have straight styles with a realistic chance of managing them at home. They also enabled new cutting techniques such as deep point cutting, which gives very soft, tapered and blended effects.

“All sorts of feels and textures can be achieved with modern styling products, from a matt tousled finish to a slick vinyl look, where 30 years ago there was only mousse and hairspray – we still did everything then, but it was harder work.

“The biggest change since 1984 though is that then women had cropped sides and spiky or quiffed tops and men had long hair and pony tails, now, women have long hair and pony tails and men have cropped sides and spiky or quiffed tops!

“Well, the nature of society has always been reflected in the hair, so a role reversal is really no surprise. u

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30/06/2014 10:37:10

Thirty years ago, as a young stylist, Jeff Goodwin had so many views on how hairdressing ought to be, that the only way he could implement them was to open his own salon.

Three decades on and the city salon in Queen Street is still thriving. Here Jeff looks back on a career he has loved

Jeff’s hair commandments: A hairstyle should suit your face, suit your personality and take no more than 15 minutes to do.

W

hat an amazing time it’s been, to be involved in an industry that always comes at the top of the tree in surveys about job satisfaction; that is because it involves the head, the hands and the heart… and it never stands still!

Thirty years ago, as a young stylist, I had so many views on how hairdressing ought to be, that the only way I could implement them was to open my own salon. At that time, I was getting a lot of feedback from clients that they couldn’t find a salon with high technical standards and stylists who really listened, combined with a relaxed, but professional atmosphere.

It was a cutting edge business idea at that time to have a ‘mission statement’; I decided to write a ‘philosophy for client care’.

It is like a filter for all our decisions, and we still use it today.

Everything we do from choosing our team to choosing our coffee is passed through this ‘filter’ to make sure it fits with our values. Only fashion changes, quality stays the same!

Radical thinking in 1984, it’s easy to see how adhering to this philosophy created a discipline that enables us to maintain quality while constantly moving forward.

We had a reputation as a ‘punk’ salon when we first opened. That was not the case at all, but we are near Exeter college and, at the time, we were the only salon in the town with the skills to do create a Mohican!

I made the finals of the British Hairdressing awards three times but, better still, two of my trainees, Craig Watts and Jade Wise, won the trainee of the year in the same awards.

I was taking photos of my work and they were being published in trade and consumer magazines worldwide. We were chosen by Harpers and Queen as ‘one of the top 20 salons in the country’ Cosmopolitan as a ‘top pampering hotspot’ and Glamour magazine

The philosophy: To give a warm welcome in a friendly atmosphere To allow adequate consultation time and to be completely honest To create a high fashion look, tailored to individual needs and preferences To use the most up to date techniques and products To advise on the home care of both style and condition To maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene

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A good haircut comes from making good decisions, hairdressers should spend more time looking and listening before they start cutting.

A hair design is made from the hair you leave, not the hair you cut off; think about what you are leaving.

as ‘one of the nation’s top colourists’.

It’s not all about the past for us though, far from it. I can’t sit still for five minutes; I can’t wait for the next fashion, the next product, the next gadget or the next idea.

We constantly re-educate our team in order to stay ahead, we close one day a week for training and this year we have already spent two days at the Redken Symposium in London and the same at Pro Hair Live exhibition in Manchester, so all our stylists are bang on trend.

We recently launched our Underground student budget salon in our basement and have started a fast track training scheme for arts graduates. The salon has just undergone a complete re-fit so it is bang up to date with beautiful locally made walnut combined with hand-cast Italian aluminium fittings and we’ve implemented a brand new idea called the ‘colour garden’, where clients with colour on can relax with a drink, away from the mirror.

Although I might not be there myself by then, with a fabulous young team including my son George and daughter Aimee, all committed to our philosophy, we’re ready for the challenges of the next 30 years.

EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 12:33:02

Give us a kiss!

A

s a source of sound and communication, the lips have always had a central role in the face: They smile, they pout, they kiss, they smirk, they show displeasure. Away from the ham-fisted trout pout interventions of the 1990s and 2000s, the latest techniques and products are able to plump and rejuvenate your lips without the tell-tale signs.

Lipsticks, glosses and lip stains are used by most women. Be careful of ingredients that can cause drying or be toxic because of the dye. I recommend the Jane Iredale range that is suitable for all ages.

Lip balms are commonly used in all ages. They keep the lips hydrated, but you must beware of those containing phenol that removes the natural protection of the lips and creates a vicious cycle of drying and chapping. I recommend Liprebuild by ZO that will reverse and repair severely dry and wrinkled lips, as well as restoring volume and colour for a more youthful appearance.

Lip venoms are also common and create fullness and redness by increasing the blood flow to the lips, but only temporarily.

In the younger age group, around 25 years old, the most common request is for fuller lips. The answer here is purely to use dermal fillers, but not permanent ones as Lesley Ash had. The lips are one of the most vulnerable areas for aging, due to having only three to five cellular layers compared to up to 16 in other areas of the skin.

At around 40 to 45 years of age most women find that their lipstick stops doing its job to brighten the lips up and instead feathers into surrounding lines. Here there is actual loss of volume in both the body of the lips and the vermillion border that runs round the edges of the lips. Some people call these lines their ‘bar codes’, and they are more prevalent in smokers. Again, the answer is to use nonpermanent dermal fillers that are specifically formulated for the lips and do not cause reactive swelling as in previous times. Often just putting a small amount of filler in the border is all that is required, and the softness of the filler means the look is totally natural. If the cupid’s bow needs defining, or volume in the body of the lip is required, then this too can be addressed.

If there is over activity of the orbicularis oris, the mouth-pursing muscle, anti-wrinkle injections can be used sparingly.

Chemical peels and fractional resurfacing are really the last resorts, but are options that come at a higher cost.

So look after your lips and, especially in the summer, use a sunscreen on your kissable lips, not just your face and body.

Dr Ros Debenham MB ChB MRCGP Radiance MediSpa, 01392 277799 www.radiancemedispa.co.uk 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

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27/06/2014 09:53:33

30 years We would like to invite you to come and find out how our unique philosophy and ethical approach has enabled us to maintain our reputation as Exeter’s top salon for 30 years!

Closer to your style 01392 410 510

www.mharveyhair.co.uk 44 The Quay | Exeter | EX2 4AP

M Harvey Hair

We have won many awards and accolades, but that doesn’t mean anything to us if you don’t feel that you have found the best salon for you!

Fundraising in 2014:

All proceeds from this promotional CD will be donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, Hospiscare Exeter and The Hair and Beauty Benevolent Fund. or listen online at www.jeffgoodwinhair.co.uk

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27/06/2014 14:40:15

One of Devon’s best-known art galleries is the Brook Gallery in Budleigh Salterton. Its impressive reputation is about to reach new heights since its recent re-launch. Anita Merritt gets a sneak preview of the new look, as well as a glimpse of the latest exhibition to grace its walls which includes one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Henri Matisse Pictures: GRW Photography

Watch this space The arts scene is thriving in the small seaside town of Budleigh Salterton, and the reason for that is largely down to the Brook Gallery.

When it comes to bringing influential and extremely talented artists to Devon the gallery excels, and has visitors flocking to view its exhibitions from far and wide.

Past artists who have adorned its walls include old masters such as Rembrandt and modern day counterparts Picasso, Miro, Chagall, and Kandinsky, to name but a few.

It has been closed for one week for repairs and refurbishment which will provide the gallery with additional hanging space, and the flexibility to host presentations and events more comfortably. There will be a

greater focus on the work that goes on in the gallery, behind the scenes, sourcing for and advising clients across the UK, both domestic and corporate.

On Saturday, June 28, the gallery will relaunch with a celebratory event called Tea with Matisse in the newly designed space.

Visitors can look forward to a vibrant display of colour with the historic lithographs, after cut-outs by Henri Matisse, complementing the fantastic exhibition currently running at the Tate Modern.

At the same time, the Brook has managed to identify a selection of rare and soughtafter pieces by Barbara Hepworth, one of St Ives’ finest artists, which runs from now until

EX Summer 14 Brook_Gallery.indd 1

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Saturday, July 12.

There’s also plenty to look forward to over the next couple months, beginning with its main summer show. This year’s brings serious names in British art to Devon including Frank Auerbach, Lucian Freud, David Hockney, Bridget Riley, RB Kitaj, and Paula Rego.

Gallery director Angela Yarwood enthuses: “It is an absolute privilege to have these names hung on the walls here in Budleigh.

Often, as is the case here, such work is usually only be seen in some of the best London Galleries. I love the fact that we can bring it to Devon for us all to enjoy and be inspired by it.

“One of the things that I love most about the gallery is the people who come to us, and the journey that we embark on, usually with art at the centre of it.

“I am very lucky to have met some of the nicest and most interesting people, all with different views, varying tastes, and different experiences.

“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t learn something new. I hope that in turn the gallery is an environment where those who enter it feel welcomed and informed through their visit.”

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“

It is an absolute privilege to have these names hung on the walls here in Budleigh

Since opening in 1997, the gallery has gone from strength to strength, gaining an excellent reputation across the UK and beyond. It is renowned for selling limited edition, original prints, and its collections incorporate a broad spectrum of styles through an enviable catalogue of some of the most influential artists in the UK today.

Angela says: “The gallery’s heritage comes from a focus on fine art original prints such as etchings, lithographs and silkscreens; as such we are one of the premier galleries in the UK, however, over the years the business has evolved to incorporate much more.

EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 10:49:51

“As well as giving us the opportunity to display more work, and showcase our wonderful and eclectic selection of pots and sculpture, our re-branding will focus attention on the services which we provide.

These are sourcing, art consultancy, education and corporate art which are the backdrop to the ambitious schedule of exhibitions taking place throughout the year.

“A long time ago I was taught that one had to embrace change to survive, and hopefully thrive! We have to adapt to our ever-changing environments, hence our repertoire in the gallery – always looking ahead, always grasping opportunities as and when they arise.

“As the chairperson of our new local trading group, Budleigh in Business, I hope that I can help to keep Budleigh vibrant and busy for our residents and visitors alike, which in turn will help Brook Gallery to continue its own journey.”

All of the work on view at the Brook Gallery and on its website is available to buy.

The Brook Gallery Fore Street, Budleigh Salterton 01395 443003 www.brookgallery.co.uk

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henri matisse lithographs

24 june - 10 july

THE

These prints are based on ‘the cut-outs’ currently being exhibited at TATE modern For a limited time only, we have the pleasure of exhibiting a selection of these historic and beautiful original lithographs LEFT: Henri Matisse: Icare RIGHT: Henri Matisse: Nu Bleu 8

LEFT: Lucian Freud: Portrait Head, 2006, etching edition of 46 RIGHT: Paula Rego: Turtle Hands, 2009, lithograph, edition of 35

12 JULY - 1 SEPT 2014

AN EXHIBITION OF WORK BY 6 INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED BRITISH ARTISTS:

. RB KITAJ . BRIDGET RILEY . PAULA REGO . LUCIAN FREUD . DAVID HOCKNEY . FRANK AUERBACH

Fore St | Budleigh Salterton | Devon | EX9 6NH | 01395 443003 | art@brookgallery.co.uk

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27/06/2014 12:50:12

SOCIAL DIARY

//

Tea on the Green Cocktails and canapés were enjoyed at Tea on the Green when it played host to members of Gilbert Stephens’ Young Professionals Network.

The event was to celebrate the launch of a new venture between the popular city tea room and The Oddfellows Gastro Bar and Cocktail Lounge. The two have teamed up to open an alfresco cocktail bar outside Tea on the Green between 5.30pm and 9.30pm, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings during the summer months.

Stuart Bayley (Living Space Architects), Kevin Boland (Church House) and Kirsty Curnow Bayley (Living Space Architects)

Sophie Hodge (YMCA), Rob Hole (Your Move) and Jamilah Pringle (Gilbert Stephens)

Damien Kennedy (Red Homes), Isabel Bertram (Gilbert Stephens) and Natasha Bellinger (Magdalen Chambers)

Lisa Crockford (NHS), Rosy Painter (Old Mill Accountants) and Beth Rogers (Blue Chip Holidays)

South West Blogger Event The 2014 South West Blogger Event, the first major one of its kind to take place in the region, has been hailed a success.

The exclusive event, held at Oddfellows in Exeter, was attended by 100 of the South West’s best bloggers and journalists. Organised by local bloggers, Jodie Dewberry of a la jode and Albertine Brandon of Dippy Writes, it provided an opportunity for bloggers to network and hear talks from PR specialists, social media experts and some of the best bloggers around. Guests were also treated to BLOG cocktails, styling by ELK Salon, manicures and makeovers.

Emily Stocker and Laige Lewis-Brown

Jessica and Aimee Wellington

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Jess Hislop-Newton, Jenni Wood and Joanne Dewberry

Rosie Malein and Suzi Essex

Molly Costello, Vicki Montague and Dom Bennett

Zoe Barbary and Tasha Henson 57

27/06/2014 11:02:37

Devon Business Expo The inaugural Devon Business Expo exhibition, held at Exeter’s Matford Centre, was attended by around 500 visitors. At the event, 85 Devon and regional businesses showcased their products and services, and delegates were able to attend nine seminars throughout the day as well as enjoy speed networking.

Members of Exeter Chamber of Commerce enjoyed a monthly lunch held at the event with a talk from Celia Delaney on Speaking Success. Guests, sponsors and exhibitors enjoyed an after-show drinks reception sponsored by Business Network (SW) with a charity raffle raising more than £200 for Dream-A-Way, the designated show charity.

The event was organised by thebestofExeter with headline sponsor Basepoint Business Centres and Express & Echo the official media partner.

Rob Tomlinson (WA Consultants), Tom Charman and Nathan Dundovic (both The Ember Club)

Katherine Bourke (Growth Accelerator), Lesley Anderson (Stormpress), Simon Vacher (Shorestream Media)

Yana Browning (thebestof Exeter), Dan Brazier (magician), Mark Godfrey (Deer Park Hotel )

Paul Brennan (Pickleberry Media), Gill Freeman (Dream-AWay), Phil Roberts (St Loye’s Foundation)

Caroline Creer and Tracy Owen (both Devon Air Ambulance Trust)

Dino Jeeps

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Chris Simms (Jolly Roger Ltd) and family

Media and their families were invited to the official launch of Devon’s Crealy Great Adventure Park’s grand finale of new attractions for 2014 – Dino Jeeps. Guests gathered as the Down family cut the ribbon to the new ride, which takes guests on a Jurassic journey through the realms of time back when dinosaurs walked the earth. A time capsule, which will be rediscovered in 2039, was also buried to commemorate the park’s 25th anniversary.

Teresa Warren (South West Media Group) and family

Anita Merritt (EX Magazine) with her two sons

Paul Nero and Ashley Jearly (Radio Exe)

The Down family cut the ribbon for the Dino Jeeps ride

EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 11:03:20

THE E-CIGARETTE SPECIALISTS IN EXETER

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On a short or long term basis Collection and Delivery to & from your door in our enclosed car transporter

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Newton Road, Torquay Tel: 01803 613222

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(Next to the Fire Station)

Terms and conditions apply. Retail only. Ford Kuga Zetec on the road price at £21,495. Price applies to vehicles bought and registered by 30.06.14. For further information visit www.vospers.com.

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27/06/2014 15:11:58

Stuart Tolley falls for Ford’s sporty little hot hatch, the Fiesta ST 1.6T EcoBoost, and finds out you don’t have to compromise on efficiency Pictures: James Millar

Turn up the heat In theory, this road test could be the easiest and quickest piece of writing to ever take place, but according to our head of content, the words “I want one” will not stretch to two or three pages (even with pictures) so I thought I’d go into a little more detail.

The car was a hot hatch in the shape of a Ford Fiesta ST 1.6T EcoBoost, and this was definitely a road test that any red blooded male would look forward to. I was certainly no different.

I knew a couple of weeks ago that I would be getting hands-on with this little monster and, I have to admit, I was looking forward to this greatly.

As usual, I popped into the Vospers showroom on Marsh Barton, handed my licence over to Trevor so he could do the necessary paperwork while one of his

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colleagues went to get the car.

Being a Fiesta driver myself, I wasn’t really sure if it was going to be that different to what I was already used to, but… oh yes! It was different all right.

The exterior looked stunning. Metallic black paint which on closer inspection has flecks of greens and blues to help the shimmer, a big black grill, body kit and dark privacy glass gives this car a smart, defined look. It wouldn’t surprise me if this is the car Darth Vader would drive on his day off from destroying Jedi knights.

You can also tell from just looking at this car that it’s definitely a more raw, hard version of the standard Fiesta with its low front end and suspension, 17” alloy wheels and the red brakes (included with the ST Style Pack). I love the look of this car and couldn’t wait to give it a drive.

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Factfile The first thing I noticed when opening the door was the partial leather Recaro sports seats up front, which were so comfortable and hugged you from all directions keeping you as comfortable as possible during the slightly hard and low ride you would possibly expect from this machine.

They look stunning too in the contrasting black and grey panelling with the ST logo embroidered smack bang in the middle.

This logo is present throughout the interior and exterior including at the bottom of the steering wheel, on the front grill and on the boot. This is because it’s the model of the car and because they’re the best initials in the history of the world ever!

The only concern I had prior to borrowing the car is that it was my weekend to have the children and, to be honest, this is possibly not the first car you would think about if you have two young girls to taxi around. However, no problemo! I popped the booster seats in the back, strapped them

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Ford Fiesta ST 1.6 EcoBoost Starting From: £17,245 6 Speed Gear Box 17” Alloy Wheels DAB Digital Radio with Ford SYNC 182 bhp Recaro Sports Seats Ford Power Starter Button

“

If you’re after a super comfy ride to take your nan to shops in, this is probably not the Fiesta for you

in, pushed the front seat back in to place and everything was fine and dandy.

Other bits and pieces you will find on the inside include Ford’s Power Starter Button, heated front seats and DAB Digital Radio with Ford SYNC system to name a few.

OK, let’s talk about the way it drives. As you can imagine, with 182 stabled horses trying to get out from under the bonnet, this little turbocharged Fiesta is no slouch, and according to the specs it will do 0-60mph in less than seven seconds and has a top speed of 139mph. Obviously as upstanding and law-abiding citizen I’ll have to take their word for it, but, you know...

Everything about the way this car drives is responsive, as you may expect from a hot hatch derived from the experience and successful history that Ford has built upon for this type of car. The steering, quick gear changes and both the acceleration and braking makes this one of the best cars I have driven in a long time.

You may think that all this power from a 1.6 turbo charged engine might mean it’s not the most economical form of transport.

You’d be right, but I still think that average of 47.9mpg is still very impressive and it’s easy to see why these Ford EcoBoost engines won International Engine of the year in both 2012 and 2013.

If you are after a sensible, peaceful, quiet and super comfy ride to take your nan to shops in then this is probably not the Fiesta for you. However, if you want fun, excitement and a little bit of engine roaring along with a bit of “pokiness” then absolutely… go for it!

EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 11:19:36

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27/06/2014 12:53:17

IamPhibian {n. A ďŹ ctional, genetically engineered primitive humanoid ďŹ sh creature}

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EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 11:31:29

Stand-up paddle boarding is the world’s fastest growing watersport. Surfer, paddler, coach, lifeguard and humanoid fish creature, David ‘Tids’ Tidball, who owns Phibian at Exeter’s Quay, tells Fran McElhone why, and why there is no such thing as a traditional surfer anymore Pictures: Matt Austin

T

ids lives two lives; the one on the water and the one he lives on land. But the lives led by this not-your-average-50-year-old are inextricably bound – talk to him for a few moments and you’ll find that the man who gets confused for having fallen in the water, when actually he’s just soaked in sweat from a hefty paddling session, is as near to a Phibian a human can get.

Tids stumbled across these fictional, genetically engineered primitive humanoid fish creatures, created by author and film director David Lynch, when exploring the concept of being amphibious. Turns out, they seemed to sum it all up.

“The Tahitians are the best paddlers in the world, and their theory is that you can put a paddle in the water, and it connects people no matter how far away they are,” Tids tells me, surrounded by surf boards, stand-up paddle boards (SUPs), wetsuits - or ‘rubber’ -

hand planes and other sweet-smelling water paraphernalia.

The week before I pop by (except it’s not a swift visit, once on the subject of paddling and the magic of its physicality and spirituality Tids is virtually unstoppable), we went out on the water so he could work out what boards Mr McElhone and I should spend our hard-earned cash on (we’d tried paddling once and were hooked, so the funds we’d put aside for kayaks was reallocated). We met him at the Exmouth Beach Rescue Club at which he’s a passionate and dedicated senior lifeguard and coach, and in between coaching tips and telling me to stop asking questions and just to enjoy the ocean, he quizzed us on our awareness of our surrounding environment. He is an instructor who cares about all components of the sport – safety is well up there – and he went above and

EX Summer 14 Phibian.indd 2

beyond to find us a match.

By his own admission, only the water can shut the father of four up. It’s possible he may even go completely silent, though it might take a mile or so. He even made it across to Dawlish without realising his friend Big Keith had turned back ages before.

“It’s an intrinsic part of my life quiver, it’s a beautiful sport,” he concedes. “You can slip your shorts on in your lunch break and go for a paddle and get the heart rate up for 20 minutes and then go back to work.

“When you get in the water you’re breaking that connection with the land and everything associated with it. That’s the reason I came here, to the Quay. The canal connects us directly with our nearest coast.”

Word on the water has it that that Tids is the most diversely qualified humanoid fish creature for miles – he is an International Surfing Association surf and SUP coach, a 65

27/06/2014 12:22:11

When you’re out there, there’s a m British SUP Association level two coach, a Surf Life Saving GB trainer, and his past includes kite surf and windsurf instructing.

This August, 16 to 23, Tids has organised the Surf Life Saving GB Nationals to be staged in Exmouth.

He tells me about Heideki, a headstrong and slightly impatient Japanese professional boxer who moved to Somerset a while back but who had never tried a water sport before he found Tids, and the profound effect paddling had on him.

“I said I’d teach him,” says Tids, doing a brilliant impression of his friend in the height of his impatience for some action.

“But I told him he had to listen to me. But it was difficult to get him to do as I said – he wanted me to teach him how to ride the waves but I sent him off to Dawlish Warren to get some water time first. When he came back a couple of hours later he was completely calm. He told me that out there on the water he spoke to his long passed-on grandfather – who he used to go squid fishing with as a child back in Japan – and how being out on the water like this reminded him of that time. He’d had a spiritual experience out there in that river. It still makes me tingle now just thinking about it.”

Tids, a former lawyer and die-hard surfer, has run Tad surf shop in Exmouth for 21 years, as well as in Exeter for five years until last year. He’s the ultimate water baby and lifeguarding having lifeguarded for the World Triathlon series and at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and is pals with some pretty impressive paddlers.

He found stand-up paddle boarding with Big Keith in 2007, thanks to his friend Adam Zervas, Hawaiian longboard champion and son of legendary three time world champion longboarder Rusty Keaulana.

“I had a 12ft long board and every time I saw Adam I’d say to him, show me something.

Then one time he asked me how to jibe, which is a windsurf move, and I said that’s easy, it’s just dancing.” Tids starts to dance now. “Then he showed me a video of these Tahitians paddling these surfboards and everyone was smiling and loving it. So me and Keith gave it a go in the surf – we had no clue, we never stood up once in two and a half hours but were aching the next day from laughing so much.

“We thought we’d discovered this elite, cool 66

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a mixture of excitement and calm

man’s sport which had only been done by the Hawaiians for about a year and a half before this.

“So we went to the Duck Pond with our daughters and let them have a go, and then our wives turned up and Keith’s asked for a go. Later at a barbecue she came up to us and said, ‘I still can’t believe that feeling, it’s like walking on water, I felt like Jesus’.

“And this thing we thought was going to be this elite man’s sport, it was the ultimate family sport.

“It builds your strength throughout and improves core stability. You don’t have to be with anyone, you can be alone with the ocean so there is that peaceful and spiritual side as well as the whole body fitness. And you don’t have to travel far to do it.”

So Tids and Big Keith formed the first stand-up paddle club in the country, the Devon Paddle Club and went on to take the

“

You can be alone with the ocean so there is that peaceful and spiritual side as well as fitness first course for the instructors’ ‘ticket’ and became the first British Stand Up Paddle Association qualified instructors in the country, and subsequently contributed to the adaptation of the course thanks to his lifeguarding prowess.

He rode with Hawaii’s Kai Lenny, California’s Dave Parmenter and started competing within six months. He featured on the early European competition scene which was ‘small and fun’ in those days, and was the first man to surf the Severn Bore

EX Summer 14 Phibian.indd 4

on a SUP. Then Tids introduced paddling to lifeguarding including at the World Triathlon, the ‘perfect paddle vehicle’. And last summer Tids’ buddy, 10 times world champion racer Jamie Mitchell visited Exmouth from his native California. Tids hangs out with the world’s SUPing greats every now and then, who recognise his ‘madness’ as sheer passion.

“Down wind is where my heart is, and being alone with the ocean,” he reveals. “You don’t get it very often. I love getting people into it.

“You don’t have to take a day out of your life to go and do it. Once you have the kit, you don’t need anything else and you don’t have to travel far to do it.

“When you’re out there there’s a mixture of excitement and calm, that’s why we did it for so long for so little, we shared it for the right reasons. It doesn’t grab everyone, but it’s surprising how many people like it for the fitness, the waves, the peace and the spiritual element,” he adds.

And around 40 per cent of riders are women, a figure no other water sport can claim. “There’s something about looking down through the water that captures women,” he says. He’s right, it does.

The biggest population of surfers in the country, Tids tell me, is in Cornwall, the next is the south coast from Weymouth to Brighton and the third biggest is East Devon, according to a Surfers Against Sewerage survey. “Almost everyone here has a connection with the water. Exmouth pretty much populated Nelson’s fleet,” he says.

The Phibian website is modest, for now; Tids is too busy with the hands-on side of the business, and lifeguarding and coaching and paddling, and investing in a state-of-theart video analysis programme - his ‘secret weapon’ for training racers.

“It was February 2012 and I was having coffee with the head of SurfTech. We were training Cornwall’s Ollie Shilston at the time, the UK’s number one, and talking about how great a training ground that didn’t change would be, whereas the beach environment changes all the time. Other than weeds and wind, the canal stays the same.

“I was developing the idea and wanted it to be for the amphibious population in the Exeter area – people who have two lives, one on water and one on land.” www.phibian.org 67

27/06/2014 11:33:44

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27/06/2014 14:42:10

Ever dreamed of a wine cellar that can hold almost 1,400 bottles?

Adam Walmesley visits Sapphire Living Space in Topsham, where you can make this, and all your high-end design desires, a reality Pictures: GRW Photography

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t’s a beautiful and blinding morning, and the sun is beating down over the lush green valley near Exeter.

And yet I can’t resist the chance to go down a cool, spiral wine cellar with an electronic trapdoor and enough space for 1,360 bottles.

Sapphire Living Space is the South West’s exclusive wholesaler of renowned hand-crafted bulthaup kitchen brand, as well as an eclectic range of quality bathroom and kitchen furniture synonymous with innovation and style.

The 3,500sq ft showroom opened in August 2012 at the Dart Business Park, Topsham, and features the underground wine vault – the only one of its kind on display outside London.

Owners Mark Newbery, 41, and Ross Pollard, 37, are delighted with how business is growing, proving wrong those who told them they were ‘mad’ to open a high-end kitchen and bathroom showroom in tough financial times.

Mark says: “We’ve developed a reputation for selling the best quality products, but that doesn’t mean that everything we do is ridiculously expensive. The Rolls-Royce of the toilets costs £10,000, but equally you can get a nice Toto loo for £350 upwards. People are often pleasantly surprised by our prices.”

They brought their combined knowledge of kitchen design and property development to the showroom, as well as a shared passion for creating rooms that match your

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home and your lifestyle. They expanded the business to furniture as well, from iconic mid-century modern classics to the very latest innovative items of Europe’s top manufacturers.

A team of five staff members plus two fitters work for the company, including Mark and Ross, who scour the world trying to find the best and latest products for sale.

Mark adds: “We spend a lot of time in Germany, because for whatever reason the Germans are very good at what they do.

They must have some secret formula!”

They can boast of running the city’s leading

“

The Rolls-Royce of the toilets costs £10,000, but... people are often pleasantly surprised by our prices kitchen and bathroom outlet as well as one of the best in the Westcountry.

Mark says: “Our two core products are kitchens – design, supply and install – and bathrooms. We’re one of the leading wet room installers in the South West.”

Their showroom is ideally located close to Exeter city centre and the motorway for people to visit seven days a week from across the Westcountry and beyond.

Mark says: “People come into the showroom from across the South West. Some people come from Exeter, but there are just as many from Cornwall.

“If you’re going to spend a reasonable amount of money on a living space, you want to see it and touch it. We spend a long

time with our customers.”

Sapphire has proved so popular it has been asked to fit kitchens as far afield as Venice and Monaco.

Mark says: “The business is growing organically from here. We’re not looking for a second showroom. It will continue to expand in its own good time, but there are no plans to do that rapidly.”

Their products are not just for show, as they prove by making me a delicious bacon sandwich in the downstairs kitchen space.

All the kitchen appliances on display are fully functional, and that has helped them to offer a variety of corporate events including a cookery masterclass with celebrity chef Michael Caines.

Many of the company’s specially-chosen brands are exclusive to the South West, and are designed to provide a complete room to suit a variety of needs.

Mark says: “We found a lot of people at the top end of the market weren’t buying locally.

They were going straight to London. So there was obviously a gap in the market that we wanted to explore here.”

The showroom was recently awarded a perfect 10 in a secret shopper survey by the Kitchens Bedrooms and Bathrooms magazine. It was only the second time in 30 years that anyone has achieved the maximum score.

One of the best aspects of the showroom is its interactivity, with the chance to explore a wide variety of working shower heads, side jets and toilets.

David Aspinall, the company’s bathroom design expert, shows me the range of working products from enamel steel basins to lavatories.

EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 12:00:50

He says: “We keep as few suppliers as possible to show we have faith in the brand.

One of the reasons I choose a brand is because they make all their own products, rather than just put a badge on it.”

Some of the world’s leading designers are on offer – including Alessi, Ashton and Bentley, and Toto – whether you want a traditional bathroom, a wet room or a home spa.

Fewer people are having baths, according to Sapphire; 90 per cent of its bathroom projects involve wet rooms.

Mark says: “We don’t sell a lot of baths now.

People would rather have a big walk-in

“

One of the reasons I choose a brand is because they make all their own products shower or wet room area.”

As well as being fragrant, some of the showers have lights that change colour and are Bluetooth-enabled for playing music.

There are additional options ranging from a ‘rain’ shower to a nebulizing mist that creates a steam-like effect.

David then shows me a bath that he says would have taken two men eight hours to polish. “It’s a real labour of love,” he says.

One of the most quirky products is a toilet that comes with a cleansing Washlet wand, warm-air dryer and heated seat.

Toto, which is Japan's biggest manufacture of bathroom equipment, developed the toilet to leave you clean and dry without the need for paper.

“It uses electrolysed water that kills all the germs and is right at the height of technology,” says David.

By the main entrance is the showcase Spiral Cellars wine storage unit, with the capacity for hundreds of bottles to be kept at a consistent temperature year round.

This spiral type of cellar is thought to be the quickest, easiest and most cost-effective way of building a wine storeroom, because it means you don’t need an existing basement.

The pre-formed cylindrical system can be located anywhere from kitchen or conservatory to workshop or study, and the cellar can cost anywhere from £20,000 to £65,000.

Mark says: “The fact you can get in and see it, before you buy it, is great. The one we have is 2.25m deep and holds almost 1,400 bottles. But there are three deeper versions as well.”

Like a traditional cellar it relies on the surrounding earth for its insulation as well as an air-flow system.

It can also be used as a larder to store certain types of food and produce that need a designated temperature.

Mark adds: “I love nice things, and so I get very excited by what we sell. We don’t sell something because it’s in stock; we sell something because we genuinely believe it’s great. Our passion for what we do makes everything a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable.”

It’s hard not to be won over by Mark and Ross’s philosophy that a kitchen or bathroom is not merely a purchase, but an investment to help make the home you dream of become a reality.

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Indulge in luxurious comfort 11 Marsh Barton Road, Marsh Barton Exeter, EX2 8NS Tel: 01392 279231. sales@stonemanandbowker.co.uk FURNITURE STORE

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www.stonemanandbowker.co.uk

27/06/2014 14:43:12

Check in for

five-star luxury Enjoy everyday hotel-room relaxation with Lesley Taylor’s tips for bringing boutique style into your own home There’s something rather special about entering a hotel for the first time, isn’t there?

Whether it’s a grand reception area that steals the show, a king size bed adorned with pillows and cushions, or a beautiful feature wall, the interior design scheme you’re treated to is sure to be something that sticks in your mind.

A stay in a hotel can sometimes come with a hefty price tag, so you’ll be pleased to know that bringing a similar feeling of luxury into your home definitely doesn’t have to. This trend can be incorporated into not only the bedroom and bathing areas, but just about any room of the home. Why not consider taking the concept and applying it to a living room, for example? Transforming the space into an area which wouldn’t look out of place in a hotel setting might be just what you need in order to recreate the feeling of being away on holiday, without having to travel anywhere.

When redesigning a living room, the end result should always be a space that welcomes you and guests to your home with open arms, and also one in which relaxation

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Above, a recent renovation project by Taylors Etc (www.taylorsetc.co.uk 0292 035 9400). Below, Taru cushions from Designers Guild (www.designersguild.com 0207 893 7400). Previous page, Cole and Son’s Rococo wallpaper (www.cole-and-son.com 0208 442 8844)

can take place. With hotel-inspired living areas this is also the case, but in addition, the room needs to conjure up a luxurious retreat, oozing sophistication and glamour and providing an escape from everyday life.

In this type of scheme, it’s worth opting for a neutral shade as your base colour. Not only will this provide the perfect canvas to work with because shades from this colour palette are so versatile, but it also allows you to be adventurous with pattern, soft furnishings and accessories. If you need inspiration, visit your local interior designer for advice. Grey’s

really on trend at the moment, and I find that you can’t go wrong with a sage hue, or a pale shade of lilac at this time of year.

One way of adding detail to a neutral colour scheme, as well as a little bit of added drama to complete the hotel-inspired look, is with an eye-catching focal point. Why not consider making a statement with a bold feature wall by selecting an interesting wallpaper design, or a bold shade of paint?

If this doesn’t take your fancy, or if you want to keep all the walls the same colour, introducing an interesting piece of furniture

that will grab the attention of anyone who enters the room will work just as well.

Quilted sofas, for example, will really give a room an alluring, boutique hotel feel.

Once you have chosen a colour scheme, you’re then ready to complete the look with soft furnishings and accessories, but always remember the motto ‘less is more’, to prevent the space looking cluttered.

Be adventurous with your choices and add a sense of individuality with patterns and different textures. Luxurious materials such as silk or velvet will add detail, as well as an air of opulence to a space and metallics are also perfect for giving a room a sense of sophistication. Whether you incorporate silver accessories, or simply add a silk cushion that features a pattern which has a glimmer to it, metallics and lush materials have the ability to really give a room that ‘wow’ factor. Be sure to also layer your seating area with plenty of cushions, and a plush throw, to finish off the room and for added bliss, of course.

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 74

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Simply the most stunning kitchens, bathrooms and fur niture

Visit us at Dar t Business Par k Topsham, Devon EX3 0QH 01392 879320 www.sapphirespaces.co.uk Twitter @SapphireLiving

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bulthaup Exeter

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Agency take a fresh new angle on the three most important things about property R

esidents and recent visitors to Topsham, Lympstone or Woodbury may have noticed a rather strange looking object flying overhead and perhaps assumed over ambitious model airplane enthusiasts were at work.

It was, in fact, a remote controlled drone taking aerial location footage and unique “tilt-shift” photography of the favoured East Devon “hot spots” on behalf of leading West Country Estate Agency Wilkinson Grant & Co - as the agency extends its unique online marketing to major on what many say are the three most important things about property: Location, Location, Location.

“As buyers rely more than ever on property websites for information – it has become increasingly clear that some can be putoff, not value, or at least overlook some properties because of the lack of quality images and detail of their location” says agency principal, Roger Wilkinson.

“Google Earth and Google Maps can be useful but when it comes to helping buyers find out more about a particular location they fall woefully short of the mark. In these days where you can find videos of just about anything you are looking for on the internet, we thought it was about time that we provided up-to-date high quality clips of some of the more favoured Devon towns and villages that we serve to sit alongside the properties we have for sale. We wanted 076_wilk.indd 1

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to produce videos that show what makes these locations so special and we wanted to show them from a perspective that even locals may not have seen before.”

“We needed aerial footage and some unique photography that would grab people’s attention. Having researched the market, we commissioned talented specialist commercial photographers Benjamin Graham and David Leyland. With Civil Aviation Authority permissions, the pair flew the high definition camera-equipped drone over the three locations and surrounding area and we are absolutely thrilled with the results. We believe that buyers will love them and that it will give our clients a real edge in today’s competitive property market.”

Benjamin says: “It’s been a pleasure making trips to the beautiful Exe estuary and exploring the coastline and surrounding countryside. We have discovered sights and locations that we otherwise might never have experienced including filming sunsets over the Exe from the quayside at Topsham and the midnight moon rising over the Lympstone harbour clock tower. We have met friendly local residents and enjoyed the conviviality of local shops, pubs and restaurants. This picturesque part of Devon has really charmed us. Hopefully, we have managed to capture its steady, unflustered pace of life, its warmth of welcome and its generosity of spirit in our films.”

David Leyland says “Roger also commissioned a series of aerial stills photographs for display that is captured and processed in a style that, together with the substantially elevated point of view, presents the scene as though it is a tiny, perfectly detailed model of the real place. This photographic method known as “tilt-shift” or miniaturisation, produces the captivating results that can be seen here.

View our films at… www.vimeopro.com/wilkinsongrant/wilkinson-grant WORKING FOR PEOPLE, DEALING WITH PROPERTY.

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27/06/2014 15:55:56

The light fantastic When Stephen and Chris Gordon bought 25 New North Road, they saw great potential despite its delapidated state.

Now lovingly restored to a high standard, this Grade II listed Georgian property is a haven of light as Jon Lewis found out The first thing that hits you about 25 New North Road is the light.

Huge Georgian windows stretching from the floor to ceiling allow the afternoon sunbeams to pour into each room and bounce elegantly off the fresh white walls and each painstakingly-oiled floorboard.

Such period charm is one of the reasons owners Stephen and Chris Gordon fell in love with this five-bedroomed townhouse in the first place, although they have had to work hard to bring it up to its excellent current standard since buying it in 2010.

Chris said: “When we first bought it, it was in poor condition, so we have been restoring it ever since.

“We were already living in this road when it came on the market, but what attracted us to this one in particular is that it was still in its original state, with French windows on the front.

“To get it habitable took 12 months. Once we moved in we made it comfortable and then we slowed down with the work. When we decided to sell we speeded the process up again.”

The couple were apparently not afraid to get their hands dirty, replacing the roof, restoring all those fantastic windows which add so much to the property, and completely revamping the garden, which had been neglected.

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The home has been rewired and replumbed, and boasts a new central heating system, as well as a brand new stylishly modern kitchen, while those eye-catching floorboards were stripped and oiled to give them their brilliant finish.

Now though, with the hard work done, it is time for the Gordons to move on.

They have put the house up for sale and surely won’t find themselves short of

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potential buyers wanting to look around this Grade II listed five-bedroom family home in a sought-after location.

Chris said: “The house is beautiful, in a Georgian terrace, and so close to the city centre and train stations which makes it very convenient, especially when you consider the state of the traffic these days.

“The room we spend most time in is the big open space on the ground floor. We tend to sit around the table in there, and there is easy access to the garden from that room.

“We also spend a lot of time in the drawing room on the first floor, which is lovely and a bit more formal, and then there is the bathroom on the top floor as well. It has a gorgeous roll-top bath and a table for my

EX Summer 14 New_North_Road.indd 2

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Fact file 25 New North Road, Exeter – £595,000

“

Property: Five-bedroomed Grade II Listed Georgian terrace house in the heart of Exeter Location: Set back from New North Road in St James. It is a fiveminute walk from the city centre and Exeter Central station.

Accommodation: Five bedrooms, two reception rooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen.

Outside: Garden and sun terrace, plus a garden at the front of the property.

Agents: Strutt & Parker, Exeter.

For further details or to arrange a viewing call Isabel Clifton on 01392 229406 or visit www.struttandparker.com

This is a good house to relax in. It’s got a lovely feel and it’s very bright.

It’s just lovely glass of wine which I like to indulge in from time to time.”

The ground floor drawing and dining rooms which Chris speaks so highly of are linked by double doors which open to form the large open space.

Next door is the kitchen with newly-fitted oak-framed units and integrated appliances aplenty. From there a door leads to the pretty slate terrace and lawned garden, cutely tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

The simply decorated staircase leads up through the three floors above, with a double bedroom and drawing room on the first floor, as well as a shower room.

On the second floor are two further double bedrooms, one of which is the master, while on the top floor is another large bedroom, along with Chris’s favourite bathroom.

She said: “The number of bedrooms will appeal to families. This road is becoming 80

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a real family area. There is a lovely park at the end of the road which is very popular and there is also a strong neighbourhood association which has good get-togethers such as barbecues, so it’s a very familyorientated area.

“This is a good house to relax in. It’s got a lovely feel and it’s very bright.

“It’s just lovely.”

EX Summer 14 27/06/2014 12:15:16

struttandparker.com facebook.com/struttandparker er.com struttandparker.com uttandparker facebook.com/struttandparker

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City

Kilmington

Guide £375,000

Yeoford

OIRO £1,100,000

Marhamchurch

Guide £685

A well-proportioned attached Grade II Listed former re A charming attached house in a quiet part of this soughtA substantial and historic Grade II house, holiday cottage, Kilmington Guide £375,000 Yeofordbarn with pp for conversionOIRO £1,100,000 set in gardens of about 1Guide acre £685,000 after East Devon village and stunning views Marhamchurch

Cullompton Guide Exeter OIEO £845,000 AAshburton well-proportioned attached Grade II ListedGuide former£475,000 rectory A charming attached house in a quiet part of this£695,000 soughtA substantial and historic Grade II house, holiday cottage,

AnOIRO elegant andofexceptionally Grade II Listed An after extremely well-presented II Listed Victorian house attractive spacious house with far-reaching views in a set in gardens about 1 acrewell-presented East Devon village Grade barn with ppand forOIRO conversion and stunning views Marhamchurch Kilmington Guide £375,000 Yeoford Guide An £375,000 Yeoford £1,100,000 Marhamchurch £1,100,000 Guide £685,000 EXE130002 EXE130129 town house EXE110077 with secluded walled gardens and tennis court very accessible location A well-proportioned quiet part A charming of this soughtattached house A substantial in a quiet and part historic of this Grade soughthouse, A holiday substantial cottage, and historic A well-proportioned Grade II house, holiday attached cottage, Grade former rectory attached G About 1 acre II Listed EPC rating F IIAbout 6 acres JSA Stags EXE110077 EXE130002 EXE130129 set in gardens of about 1 acre after East Devon villagebarn with pp for conversion and stunning barn views with pp for conversion set inand gardens stunning of about views1 acre EXE100145 EXE120247 EXE130228 About 1 acre EPC rating F About 6 acres JSA Stags EPC Rating E

EXE130002 EPC rating F

EXE130129 About 6 acres

EPC rating F

EXE130129 About 6 acres JSA Stags

EXE110077 About 1 acre

JSA Stags

EXE110077 About 1 acre

Guide £900 Hatherleigh £595,000 Winsham Guide £575,000 Whimple Whimple Guide £900,000 Hatherleigh GuideGuide £595,000 Winsham Guide £575,000 An elegant II Listed house AnTracey elegant and well-proportioned detached house with A charming set inelevated a£895,000 peaceful elevated An elegant Grade II Listed Grade attached house attached set in a quiet yet set in a qui An elegant and well-proportioned detached house with A charming detached detached cottage setcottage in a peaceful Exmouth Guide £695,000 Bovey Guide £1,100,000 Sidmouth Guide accessible location within the sought-after outstanding views tobedroom Dartmoor position with partially converted detached barn. EPC ratingcontemporary accessible location withinhouse the sought-after village of outstanding views to Dartmoor partially converted detached rating A superb in an elevated position, with village of A spacious Grade II Listed 5 property with annexe Aposition superblywith presented Grade II Listed house barn. with aEPC cottage Whimple F its own grounds and beyond to the Sid Valley Whimple F far-reaching views to the sea and 2 cottages on the fringes of the Dartmoor National Park overlooking EXE130042 EXE130042 EXE130054 EXE130166 EXE130054 EXE130166 EPC Rating About JSA GreensladeJSA Taylor Hunt EPC FRating F 0.5 acres About 0.5 acres Greenslade Taylor Hunt EXE130165 EXE130195 EXE130100 About 2.99 acres

Hatherleigh Guide £595,000

Winsham

About 3 acres

Guide £595,000

Winsham Guide £575,000

Whimple

EPC Rating C

Guide £575,000

Whimple Guide £900,000

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and experience gained throug experience gained through local knowledge. n, conisi House sectetur description, eli anumconisi niumer sectetur adipiscing eli anum niumer and adipiscing 50 offices across England and Scotland, including 10 offices in Central London 081_strutt.indd 1

27/06/2014 15:09:47

Ide

Otterton

An immaculate modern detached house situated in a popular village close to the edge of Exeter. Hall, cloakroom WC, large kitchen, utility, dining room, study, sitting room. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Garden, parking & garage.

G.F.C.H. EPC Band C. Available TBC. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 44508

A spacious modern four bedroom detached house situated in a popular East Devon Village. Sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility, 2 bathrooms. Ample parking, double garage & lawned gardens.

O.F.C.H. Available July. EPC band D. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 41302

£1,695 pcm

£1,395 pcm

Exeter 01392 671598

Exeter 01392 671598

City Centre

Quayside

Princesshay

A modern centrally located ground floor apartment. Hall, spacious open plan living/ dining/kitchen area, bathroom & 2 double bedrooms. Secure parking & courtyard.

Unfurnished. Available now. EPC Band B. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 48275 £795 pcm Exeter 01392 671598

A modern second floor apartment situated on the Quay. Hallway, open plan sitting/dining room, balcony, fitted kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. G.F.C.H. Allocated parking space. Available July. EPC Band C. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 65715 £795 pcm Exeter 01392 671598

A high specification and contemporary one bedroom apartment. Hall, open plan sitting/ dining room, kitchen, one double bedroom, bathroom with shower over. Electric heating, unfurnished. Available late July. EPC Band B. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 31916 £695 pcm Exeter 01392 671598

Heavitree

Countess Wear

Kennford

A modern built, high specification, unfurnished apartment close to the RD&E Hospital.

Hall, lounge/dining room, kitchen with appliances, two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. G.F.C. H. Allocated parking. Available now. EPC Band B. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 58386 £725 pcm Exeter 01392 671598

A high specification town house arranged over four floors. Cloakroom WC, dining room, kitchen, sitting room, 4 double bedrooms, family bathroom, 2 en suites. G.C.F.H, garden, garage. Unfurnished. Available mid July. EPC Band B. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 55760 £1,450 pcm Exeter 01392 671598

A recently modernised two bedroom cottage in the centre of the popular village of Kennford. Open plan sitting room, kitchen/dining area, two bedrooms & shower room.

Electric heating. Parking. Available July. EPC Band C. Tenant fees apply. Web Find: 62646 £625 pcm Exeter 01392 671598

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27/06/2014 15:54:48

Rockbeare A secluded, rural 5 bedroom farmhouse with 1-bed annexe and courtyard of traditional barns in over half an acre, 6 miles from Exeter.

Conservatory style atrium, spacious farmhouse kitchen, sitting room with inglenook fireplace, dining room/study, large utility/laundry/boot room, cloakroom. South facing garden. EPC Band E. Web Find: 66928 Guide ÂŁ550,000 Exeter 01392 255202

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27/06/2014 13:05:34

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27/06/2014 14:45:28