PL Magazine December 2015

LIFE IN PLYMOUTH AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

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December 2015

MAGAZINE

FUSS-FREE MENUS TOP CHEFS SHARE THEIR SECRETS

IT’S Christmas!

COMPLETE GUIDE TO PARTY SEASON

OF THE BEST EVENTS THIS MONTH

PLUS

WINTER COCKTAILS • BEAUTY GIFTS • SOCIAL DIARY • FESTIVE HOMES

CELEBRATING

10 years Charm Club WITH YOU

WWW.THOMAS SABO.COM

PL Magazine (UK) CC JubilŠum 1-1.indd 1

26.10.15 11:04

32

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2015

Fashion & Beauty 6 D6 ETCHEI NMGBSE RTOE VDEON T S 8 SPAPARTR YK LSIENAGS OS TNY L E 12 BL IETAUT L ET YL UBXAUU RBILEESS 14 DD RE FAWI N ET HT HE EL IENYEE S 16 VROI CCTOK TRHI AENTAR E N D CKING FILLERS 18 SPTO ERFECT GIFTS RT Y P E R F E C T 20 PA F RO C K S TO RO C K T TO W N 22 ATAVB OIUS TO CK 24 STHHOE PB ALOR BCIACLA N

Food & Drink WARMERS 36 WINTER CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS PAIRINGS 38 PERFECT FESTIVE WINES WITHOUT FUSS 40 FOOD CHEF’S SECRETS CELEBRATIONS 43 FESTIVE PARTY GUIDE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS 46 AROUND THE WORLD

People OF FUTURE 58 FACE VICTORIA LUCIE MY CHRISTMAS 60 YOUR STORIES CHILDREN’S WRITER 64 CLARE WELSH MARINE ON A MISSION 66 CHANTELLE TAYLOR

Homes & Gardens 26 GOIUFTTDS OF OO RR IGDAERADSE N E R S 28 FI NESSPTIIRVIENDGEVLIISGIHT ST S CK THE HALLS 30 DB EEAU TIFUL DECS 32 OV EPLVU LEETNSCOEF T N E S S YO U C A N B U I L D I T !

34 G I N G E R B R E A D H O U S E

Wellbeing & Family JUICING 48 WINTER HEALTH BOOSTERS OF RETREAT 50 POWER THOM HUNT POWER 52 PARTNER MOUNT KELLY GUIDE 54 SANTA WHERE TO SEE HIM I BECAME AN ELF 56 INSIDE STORY

Out & About SLOVENIA 70 SKI GUIDE YES IT IS! 72 OH PANTO GUIDE FOLKIE 74 FESTIVE KATE RUSBY DIARY 76 SOCIAL PARTY PICTURES

40

4 | PL MAGAZINE

50

WELCOME IT’S CHRISTMAS!

B

70

Y the time this December edition of PL reaches you we will finally be on the countdown to Christmas. I hate to see the shops fillied with Christmas gifts and playing carols in November. But after working on this festivefilled edition of the magazine it’s been very hard not to get the bug myself. We’ve packed our pages with as much useful Christmas stuff as we could possibly find. From fuss-free recipes, warming cocktails, wines to pair with your Christmas dinner to decorations, crafts and gifts... I think we have most things festive covered!

I particuarly enjoyed reading Louise Daniel’s article on Christmas traditions around the world and Rachael Dodd’s experience of working as one of Santa’s elves.

As a massive Christmas fan myself, I was also intrigued to read how other people spend this special time of the year in our “my Christmas” feature on Pages 60 to 62.

If you’re heading out to a party or two, check out our fashion pages. Our gorgeous photoshoot with Drakes Jewellers and Debenhams at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel has inspired the PL team to get our glad rags on for our own Christmas party.

But if Christmas really isn’t your thing, there’s still plenty to interest you in the next few pages. Read our interview with former marine Chantelle Taylor and find out how mum-of-two Clare Welsh kept her New Year’s resolution by writing her first book.

We’ve got a guide to winter juicing for good health, the lowdown on skiing in Slovenia and an interview with Thom Hunt on the power of retreat.

However you choose to spend your Christmas, I hope you get time to enjoy this edition of PL and have a truly wonderful time.

Clare Ainsworth EDITOR - PL MAGAZINE

38

ON THE COVER LIFE IN PLYMOUTH AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

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December 2015

MAGAZINE

FUSS-FREE MENUS TOP CHEFS SHARE THEIR SECRETS

IT’S Christmas!

COMPLETE GUIDE TO PARTY SEASON

OF THE BEST EVENTS THIS MONTH

16

CONNECT WITH US

PLUS FinalCoverDec15.indd 1

WINTER COCKTAILS • BEAUTY GIFTS • SOCIAL DIARY • FESTIVE HOMES 23/11/2015 16:06:25

/plmagplymouth @plmagplymouth Copyright © 2015. The Herald Views expressed by writers herein do not necessarily represent those of PL Magazine or The Herald. Availability and price of items have been checked at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for any rejected items or unfulfilled orders. Printed by Precision Colour Printing Ltd. PL Magazine is part of The Herald, Studio 5-11, Millbay Road, Plymouth PL1 3LF

PUBLISHER Paul Burton 01752 293045 paul.burton@plymouthherald.co.uk EDITOR Clare Ainsworth 01752 293138 clare.ainsworth@plymouthherald.co.uk ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Fiona Stoddart SALES TEAM Jane Resoli 07793 165669 jresoli@dc-media.co.uk Nese Salman 01752 293079 nese.salman@dc-media.co.uk Jenny Short 07711537464 jshort@dc-media.co.uk Jane Resoli (eating out, out & about) 01752 293070 jresoli@dc-media. co.uk PROPERTY Mike Wainwright 07879 604387 mike.wainwright@swmg.co.uk DESIGN Rob Coumbe / Rachel Bray

Events SANTA FUN RUN CORNWALL STREET December 6

THE POLAR EXPRESS PLYMOUTH CITY MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY

CAROLS IN THE COURTYARD SALTRAM HOUSE December 23

December 24

The Christmas shopping is finished, the turkey is ready to be cooked and all of the cards have been delivered; what next? Time to relax and cuddle up with a classic Christmas film at the city museum. The Polar Express tells the story of a young boy who embarks on a magical journey to the North Pole, learning about friendship, bravery and the spirit of Christmas along the way.

2015 marks the sixth year of the well-known Christmas-themed run, which sees hundreds of people race either a 2.5k or 4k route across the busy city centre dressed in Santa suits. This year all entry fees will be donated to local children’s charities Jeremiah’s Journey and the Dame Hannah Rogers Trust. Even if you don’t fancy donning a pair of trainers, why not turn up and show your support?

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA RADIANT GALLERY

TOP

Things to do in December

Saltram is wishing everybody a very merry Christmas with a night of carols in the courtyard. Sing along, sip mulled wine, nibble a mince pie and munch roasted chestnuts in the company of other festive friends for a truly special and seasonal evening set behind a stunning and historic backdrop.

December 19 - 23

ROYAL MARINES CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR PLYMOUTH PAVILIONS December 5

For kiddies who are excited for Christmas, why not join Santa at a magical feasting table set inside a gigantic snowstorm? Radiant is hosting a morning with the man himself where you can sit down for a beautiful breakfast and watch as your children talk to St Nick about what they have done this year to be good and let him know what is at the top of their Christmas list.

Festive military splendour will return to Plymouth this month with the finest seasonal music from The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Plymouth. Be merry and bright with performances of Christmas songs, military marches and popular show stoppers. In addition, their world-renowned Corps of Drums will demonstrate the precision, accuracy and musical skills for which they are famous across the globe.

6 | PL MAGAZINE

LET’S WASSAIL, COTEHELE HOUSE AND QUAY December 19

Join in the pagan festival to scare away evil spirits from the orchard to ensure a good crop of apples at Cotehele in 2016. Fancy dress is welcomed. You can also visit the house and see the spectacular flower garland in the main hall.

Fashion

Get ready for party season with rich reds, bold blacks and a sprinkling of sparkles

R

amp up the romance and make a style statement for the party season with strong silhouettes and plenty of gold, silver and diamonds.

PL teamed up with Drakes Jewellers and the award-winning Duke of Cornwall Hotel to bring you the best in sensational sparklers and beautiful seasonal locations.

Pile on luxury with fur or feathers and don’t forget to get a hair-do to die for.

LOCATION: DUKE OF CORNWALL HOTEL, MILLBAY ROAD JEWELLERY: DRAKES JEWELLERS CLOTHING: DEBENHAMS MAKE-UP: DIOR AT DEBENHAMS PHOTOGRAPHER: JOHN ALLEN SHOOT STYLIST: LOUISE DANIEL MODELS: BRIONY-MAI REYNOLDS AND LAWRENCE BARNES 8 | PL MAGAZINE

BRIONY-MAI WEARS: Swarovski, Diapson all-round v necklace: £149, Swarovski, Diapson medium pierced earrings: £74, Your Style, 9ct white gold 0.53ct diamond lattice bangle: £1,350. Black dress by Jenny Packham: £140.

LAWRENCE WEARS: Tissot, Quickster gents watch: £230. Dinner suit, Youngs formal hire at Debenhams.

BRIONY-MAI WEARS: Your Style, 9ct yellow gold 0.68ct diamond leaf earrings: £1,195.

Your Style, 9ct yellow gold 0.54ct diamond leaf pendant (chain sold separately): £825, Your Style, 9ct white and yellow gold 0.08ct diamond dress ring: £695, Seiko, Solar Crystal set watch: £229, Drakes, 9ct yellow gold fancy bracelet: £250. Red dress: £160.

LAWRENCE WEARS: Duncan Walton, Galsworthy onyx cufflinks: £35, Emporio Armani, Valente bracelet watch: £199.

Dinner suit supplied by Youngs formal hire at Debenhams.

Fashion

LEFT, BRIONY-MAI WEARS: Your Style, 18ct white gold 0.64ct diamond wave ring: £2,095, Swarovski, Diapson all-round v necklace: £149, Swarovski, Diapson medium pierced earrings: £74, Your Style, 9ct white gold 0.53ct diamond lattice bangle: £1,350.

LAWRENCE WEARS: Tissot, Quickster Gents Watch: £230.

Dinner suit, Youngs formal hire at Debenhams.

RIGHT, BRIONY-MAI WEARS: Swarovski, Fit pierced earrings: £99, Swarovski, Fit waterfall necklace:£249, Your Style, 18ct white gold 0.64ct diamond wave ring: £2,095.

Blue dress by Quiz: £29.99, black ostrich feather shrug: £55.

LAWRENCE WEARS: Tissot, Quickster gents watch: £230, Drakes, silver gents bracelet: £115, Drakes, titanium ring:£150.

White shirt with black buttons: £22, grey jacket: £80 BRIONY-MAI WEARS: Your Style, 18ct white gold 0.89ct diamond feather earrings: £3,250, luxury pre-owned Cartier Tank Francaise watch: £3,700, Your Style, 9ct white gold 0.53ct diamond lattice bangle: £1,350. Dress by Quiz: £54.99

BRIONY-MAI WEARS: Your Style, 18ct white gold 0.64ct diamond wave ring: £2,095, Your Style, 18ct white gold 0.44ct diamond feather pendant (chain sold separately): £1,575, Your Style, 18ct white gold 0.89ct diamond feather earrings, £3,250, luxury pre-owned Cartier, Tank Francaise watch: £3,700, Your Style, 9ct white gold 0.53ct diamond lattice bangle: £1,350.

Dress by Quiz: £54.99

{ Health & Beauty {

ALL THAT

Glitters

GRACE COLE HANGING BAUBLE SHIMMER BODY WASH TRIO, £12.99, HOUSE OF FRASER

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without crackers and baubles.

But now they come complete with a little added pampering.

Here’s PL’s pick of the best novelty beauty gifts

BOOTS EXTRACTS FESTIVE SPICED APPLE BODY BUTTER, £4, BOOTS

CHAMPNEYS CRACKER COLLECTION, £10

MOLTON BROWN BLOSSOMING HONEYSUCKLE & WHITE TEA FESTIVE BAUBLE, £10

LIZ EARLE SUPERCHARGED SKIN GIFT, BOOTS, £12

SOAP& GLORY BELLE OF THE BALL, £12, BOOTS

NO7 STAR BAUBLE, £6, BOOTS

12 | PL MAGAZINE

CIATE PAINT POT PAIR, BOOTS, £10

of

FANTASTIC

FASHION

PLUS WIN FANTASTIC PRIZES IN OUR 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS COMPETITION Visit our website for details

dream shopping...

{ Health & Beauty {

GET IN

LINE From demure to dramatic, eyeliner is one of the biggest beauty trends of the season. Katie Wright draws on the looks of the month

W

hen it comes to autumn/winter beauty trends, the eyes most definitely have it: all the coolest catwalk make-up designs focused on prettifying the peepers, but we’re not just talking a standard smoky eye.

Make-up artists wielded eyeliner like a weapon, with everything from the classic cat-eye flick to the Sixties ‘floating’ liner getting a fresh new-season remix.

These bold looks may take a bit of practise, but the pay-off will be so worth it, especially with party season right around the corner.

Steady hands at the ready, it’s time to toe the line...

Float on

The most extreme interpretation of the Sixties throwback floating liner came at Rochas, where dense, black curves sat way outside the upper and lower lashlines.

The cartoon panda look isn’t for everyone, but Felder’s softer take is much more accessible.

Bobbi Brown Dual Ended Eyeliner/Smokey Eye Liner Brush, £31, to give a more lived-in look www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Thinking big

The bigger the better was the mantra at House of Holland - thick black brushstrokes were plastered across the eye crease - and at Dior, where neat ovals of khaki, brown or plum extended almost to the eyebrow. For this kind of superliner, a powder or gel pot and brush are your best bet - the only question is: how bold do you dare to go?

Bobbi Brown Intense Pigment Liner in Black Plum, £26.50, www.bobbibrown.co.uk Art Deco 2 Style Eyeliner Brush Premium Quality, £12, Debenhams www.debenhams.com

Be prepared

Like any artistic endeavour, preparation is everything when it comes to perfecting your liner look.

Primer is essential for creating a blank canvas; a smooth, oil-free surface to which colour cosmetics can cling.

Artdeco 3 in 1 Eye Primer, £11.60, Debenhams, comes in cool or warm tones www.debenhams.com

Winging it

Already perfected the cat-eye flick? Then why not take it up a notch with wider winged liner, as seen in teal on the Antonio Berardi catwalk and black at John Galliano.

“Unlike the classic flick, for this look you’re going to start with the wing,” explains make-up artist Lisa Potter-Dixon, author of Easy On The Eyes. “Draw a line from the corner of your eye, angled upwards towards the end of your brow. The longer this line, the more dramatic the look, so go as far as you dare.

From the tip of this line, draw back towards the centre of the eye, but stop as you reach the middle of the eye. Fill in the gaps of the shape you have created.”

Benefit They’re Real Push Up Liner in Beyond Black, £18.50 www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk :Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner in Lagoon Green, £16, Debenhams www.debenhams.com

14 | PL MAGAZINE

BRIGIDFOLEY

Est’d. 1973

C.R. STANLEY CARPETS ✔ Friendly, family run carpet firm. ✔ 100's of carpets and vinyls in stock and available to order ✔ Fitting service and home selection service available ✔ We can also uplift and dispose of old carpets for a small charge ✔ Laminate and L.V.T Flooring

We can fit in time for Christmas !

BUY ONLINE

For any further information call us on

www.brigidfoley.co.uk ©LW

made to measure

curtains, blinds & soft furnishings & suppliers of a wide range of fabrics, wallpaper & rugs

©LW

01822 612203

01752 776555 87, Crownhill Road, Plymouth PL5 3BL

Mannamead Hair & Beauty Salon Welcomes back Donna, our very popular creative hair stylist, back to Mannamead Hair & Beauty

01752 662674 The Window Dresser

40 Molesworth Rd, Millbridge PL1 5NA 01752 567354 www.thewindow-dresser.net ©LW

1-3 Eggbuckland Road, Mannamead, Plymouth, PL3 5HF Open Tuesday to Saturday. FREE parking. ©LW

Fashion

DR eriod AM A Ap

Fro he m h Ka ad o igh tie ve ne W r he ckl rig el ine ht s fo s t ex r a o la pla ll t ce ins hin -u ho gs p bo w Vic oti to to e na ria s, f il t na as his th hio tri is s n h ck ea as y t so fa ren n. lle n d

00 | PL MAGAZINE

Fashion DOROTHY PERKINS IVORY LACE INSERT DRESS, £28 DOROTHYPERKINS.COM

Play the lace card Say hello to your new favourite LBD: the lace black dress. Whether it’s floral, sheer, all over or just a hint here and there, lace is fabric that will elevate a dress from ordinary to ornate.

Flouncy frocks not really your thing? Then try a bodycon LBD (the sleek silhouette keeps the look modern), but whatever the style, be careful not to overcrowd the look with too many accessories.

Get shirty

If there’s one must-buy in order to tick the Victoriana trend box, it’s a blouse - highnecked, of course, in black or, at the very least, a berry-ish hue. Embroidery on the yoke looks pretty and work-appropriate, while sheer detailing works well for evening.

Take your cue from the Louis Vuitton catwalk by pairing a leg o’mutton sleeve blouse with a leather mini skirt or wet-look jeans.

W

RIVER ISLAND DRESS, £50 IN STORE NOVEMBER; RIVERISLAND.COM

hile many an autumn/ winter collection mined a Seventies vein, elsewhere designers delved further back in history in search of inspiration. None more so than Giles Deacon, whose barely-lit catwalk hosted an eerie parade of pale-faced, black-lipped beauties in swathes of black satin, pussy-bow blouses and wet-look black leather.

Chloe and Louis Vuitton took up the Victorian mantle in Paris, albeit in a subtler manner, with puff-sleeved blouses and lace-trimmed frocks.

Now the high street has gone gaga for gothica, but the question is, how do you pull off such gloomy garments without looking like you’re dressed up for Halloween?

Fear not, we’ve got six super styling tips to help you unleash your inner Victoriana vixen - no bustle required.

PLATINUM CLASSIC STATEMENT PEARL NECKLACE IN GREY, £128 BUTTERFLY-JEWELLERY.COM OFFICE INTOXICATE LACE UP SHOE BOOTS, £90 OFFICE.CO.UK

Give it the boot

There’s only one shoe style that will suffice when it comes to this trend, and that’s the black lace-up bootie. Block-heeled pairs are ideal for day, while sharp-toed, spike-heeled and patent are perfect for partying. And if you can’t be bothered with all those eyelets? Look out for clever hidden zips to help you slip in and out with ease.

PL MAGAZINE | 17

Jewels

Another way to tap into the trend if you’re looking to avoid high necklines is with a piece of wellplaced jewellery.

An opulent jewel and pearl-encrusted necklace brings a Victorian vibe to even the simplest outfit - add matching cuff bracelets if you really want to look regal.

Fashion

DEAR Santa...

LINEA GLASS GLITTER SLEEPING BEAR DECORATION, £5.60, HOUSE OF FRASER

We all hope for a little luxury in our Christmas stocking. But have we been nice enough to earn any of these lovely treats?

BROWN POM POM HOT WATER BOTTLE & SOCKS £9.99, NEW LOOK

CHANDALIER EARRINGS, £10 NEXT

CHAIN REACTION... JIMMY CHOO CHANDRA CHAIN CLUTCH, £750, HARRODS

LADY IN THE MASK WASH BAG GIFT, £21.99, CHASE AND WONDER

WHISKY & WATER FINE FRAGRANCE REED DIFFUSER, £39, WWW.NOBLEISLE.COM SAPPHIRE SILK TUNIC DRESS, £229, MONSOON

PASTEL FAUX FUR TIPPET, £15, ACCESSORISE 18 | PL MAGAZINE

Who said all windows should be white?

Create added impact with a splash of colour!

A premium woodgrain ďŹ nish of such good quality that it’s almost impossible to distinguish them from timber windows, which creates a truly stunning look. From subtle chartwell green, cream and irish oak to striking grey, black-brown, blue and red; all of our choices will enable you to get creative and add character to your home.

Our windows will add value and style to your home, they are custom built to save energy, add security and minimise sound pollution - all guaranteed for 10 years.

Spread the cost with 0% APR Representative Available over 2 years Credit is subject to application and status. Terms and conditions apply.

Launa Windows Limited act as a credit broker and not the lender.

0800 083 77 77 for your free quote, or visit at www.launa.co.uk Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Britannia Windows (UK) Limited of Kimberley Road, Clevedon, Avon BS21 6QJ (company number 01641907) act as a credit broker and not the lender, and only offers credit products from Hitachi Capital Consumer Finance. Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in Cardiff no. 1630491. Registered office: Hitachi Capital House, Thorpe Road, Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, TW18 3HP.

Launa

Fashion

Add a little Counting down to Christmas party season? Go glamorous with PL’s pick of the best festive buys

PL’S PICK OF

TH

FAUX FUR JACKET £44.99, NEW LOOK

E

NTH MO

SILVER SEQUIN PARTY DRESS, £79, MISS SELFRIDGE

AUGUSTA CRACKLE COURT SHOE, £79, MONSOON

RJR JOHN ROCHA CLUTCH, £30, DEBENHAMS

Fashion

SILVER EMBELLISHED BELT £14.99, NEW LOOK

PRINCIPLES BY BEN DE LISI CLUTCH, £38, DEBENHAMS

NO.1 JENNY PACKHAM BOLERO, £40, DEBENHAMS

FAITH SHOES, £55, DEBENHAMS

RJR JOHN ROCHA WATCH, £39, DEBENHAMS

PARTY PERFECTION...

MISS SELFRIDGE CLUTCH BAG,£35

MINI SHORT FAUX FUR COAT, £49, DOROTHY PERKINS

Shopping

Christmas

IN TAVISTOCK

Escape the stress of Christmas with a visit to Tavistock.

While you’re there seek out some of PL’s favourite locations

The Dartmoor Stove Company

Brocante

Pixon Lane

39 Brooke Street Brocante is the home of unique and unusual gifts. Pop in for great inspiration the fabulous teak root and recycled glass sculptures, pictured right, from Bali. These can be used for vases, sweet dishes, all sorts of things. There’s a variety of sizes and prices, starting at just £29.50.

SCUPLTURES FROM BROCANTE £11

Dartmoor Country Clothes 8 Brook Street

The Wharf

Dartmoor Country Clothes wishes customers old and new a Happy Christmas and New Year!

Present this page at the shop before December 24 2015 to receive 10% off. Dartmoor Country Clothes stocks clothing for the whole family including the dog! Barbour, Dubarry, Joules, Magee, Hunter, Seasalt, Jack Murphy, Fly, Caprice plus many more well-known names.

HEATING IDEAS, WORTH

Worth Electrical Pixon Lane

MAD DOG MCREA PLAY THE WHARF

Worth Electrical offers a range of electric heating options which are proving ideal for those living off the mains gas grid. Recent figures show 3.9 million UK households (17%) do not have mains gas heating, with more than half of these homes (2.3 million) heated by electricity. Worth can offer free advice and design on your electric heating requirement with prices starting as low as £40 for underfloor heating with a lifetime warranty.

Rons Pet Supplies West Devon Business Park Ron’s Pets believe everyone deserves a treat at Christmas, be it a handful of mealworms for the wild birds on Christmas morning or a luxury bed for your favourite canine friend. Both the shop and market stall carry a wide range of gift ideas from catnip mice to luxury hampers. Visit the stall in the Pannier Market and fill a Christmas stocking with your choice of toys and edibles!

Ron’s Pets wish all customers a very Merry Christmas.

Visit the Dartmoor Stove Company to see the great range of products. The Everhot 120i provides you with three ovens - on the left you’ll find the roasting and baking ovens, and on the right a slow cooking oven for when you have a houseful. With the 120i the final door conceals all the controls necessary to run the cooker. In addition to the classic cast iron hot and simmer plates, the 120i incorporates a fantastic three zone induction hob, perfect for a festive feast!

Canal Road Tavistock’s Wharf is your local, live entertainment centre and has a packed Christmas programme of great musical entertainment.

Live music coming up this month includes Limehouse Lizzy on December 11, Desperado (Eagles tribute) on December 12, The Abba Show on December 18, Mad Dog Mcrea on December 19 and an New Year’s Eve spectacular with Rock and Roll Outlaws on December 31.

See www.tavistockwharf.com for more listings.

Dartmoor Cycles Brook Lane

HAMPERS FROM CREBERS

Crebers 48 Brooke Street After 130 years in business, Crebers deli is rightfully a Tavistock institution. Its varied offerings make it all a good deli should be. It has a wide selection of cooked meats, salads, local cheeses and a choice of best local foodie produce such as jams, condiments, beers and honey. They produce magnificent hampers to suit individual requirements.

22 | PL MAGAZINE

Bike riders know that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to work, sleep, eat and ride. But with a good set of lights you can at least get out on your favourite rides even when it’s pitch black.

The Tumble and Fall Pro 2000 is a rechargeable 2000 Lumen (think bright and double it!) fully waterproof light that fits on either your helmet or handlebars. Included in the box is the battery, bike and helmet mounts and a headtorch strap, making it ideal for walking the dog before work too! All that for just £89.95.

THE WHARF BOX OFFICE: 01822 611166 TAVISTOCK, PL19 8AT

WINTER IS CLOSING IN! Find ALL your Lighting & Heating needs HERE Ĺ˜ &DEOHV Ĺ˜ )LUH 6HFXULW\ Ĺ˜ 9HQWLODWLRQ Ĺ˜ 6RODU 39 Ĺ˜ &&79 Ĺ˜ &DU &KDUJLQJ 3RLQWV ...and many other energy saving products!

Free local delivery Phone today & make the switch to Worth Electrical

Nominated and short listed for the

Best Music Venue in the South West Tribute bands - Touring Acts - Rock - Pop - Folk - Punk - Funk etc Tickets can be purchased online at www.wegottickets.com/tavistockwharf ŠLW

www.tavistockwharf.com www.facebook.com/tavistockwharf

call us... Ĺ˜ visit us online... worthelectrical.co.uk or visit our store... Unit 2b, Lower Westbridge Ind. Est., Pixon Lane, Tavistock PL19 8DE ŠLW

GIFT IDEAS FOR EVERY BIKE GEEK!

www.dartmoorcycles.co.uk

Brocante of Devon - The Gift Experts

01822 618178

View our Virtual Tour at https://goo.gl/maps/7MTyO

ŠLW

#SPPL 4USFFU r 5BWJTUPDL r %FWPO r 1 - ) & XXX CSPDBOUFPGEFWPO DP VL ]

Traditional living in a modern world

DARTMOOR COUNTRY CLOTHES

ŠLW

West Devon, Business Park Tavistock PL19 9DP

The Dartmoor Stove Company

01822 819926

Stockists of country attire, bags, boots and accessories

Merry Christmas

Free UK delivery on all orders

from all of us at The Dartmoor Stove Company ŠLW

www.dartmoorcountryclothes.co.uk 8 Brook St, Tavistock, Devon PL19 0HD ŠLW

www.thedartmoorstovecompany.co.uk 8QLW &UHODNH ,QG (VW 7DYLVWRFN Ĺ˜ 01822 614206

Est 1881

ŠLW

Treat your pet....Make your pet’s Christmas stocking!

Lots of Christmas stockings & pet gifts in store NOW! Unit 5, West Devon Business Park, Brook Lane, Tavistock, PL19 9DP or our stall @Tavistock Market.

Tel: 01822 611110 or 01822 617811

Tavistock’s Oldest Traditional Delicatessen 48a Brook Street, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0BH - 01822 612266

ŠLW

www.ronspets.co.uk

Shopping

A MODEL SHOWS OFF VINTAGE FASHION FROM THE BARBICAN’S JASMINE ROSE

LOVE SHOPPING ON THE We should celebrate Plymouth’s independent shops and what better place to start than the Barbican?

I

t’s easy to get caught up in Christmas – there is so much going on all over Plymouth, but few places stand out like our historic Barbican.

The cobbled streets are the jewel in Plymouth’s independent shopping crown and the area is a prime example of why it’s a great idea to support your local shops.

And there is plenty to get excited about – great eateries and a lovely community of independent shops bursting with unique gift ideas.

Sarah Gibson, Waterfront Manager, loves the festive season on the Barbican. She said: “Christmas is a perfect time of year to support your local independent shops. There’s something extra special about shopping for Christmas presents within the historic cobbled streets close by the waterside.

“Not only are some of the shops fantastically decorated, they also have lovely, unusual gifts on offer, most of which you wouldn’t find on the high street.

The Barbican offers a unique Christmas shopping experience with many arts and crafts suppliers, artists and artisans to discover.

‘Christmas is the perfect time to support your local, independent shops’ Kaya Gallery offer a great selection of affordable classic and contemporary artwork from both local and national painters, sculptors and photographers.

24 | PL MAGAZINE

Kaya’s artistic ambitions lie simply in presenting a diverse range of exciting and inspiring art, both original and prints that will sit comfortably in your home. Work from leading South West artists sits alongside contemporary photography, and regular rehangs ensure it is a lively gallery to visit.

Owner Norman Holmes says: “I love running Kaya because I get to see some quite amazing pieces of art and particularly love the friendships that are developed as you do all you can to support the artists.

“It’s great too that we have so many regular customers who feel they want to support both an independent retailer and their group of artists.”

Another must-see gallery is 45 Southside a hot-bed of South West artist’s creativity and skills.

With a wide range of handmade ceramics, glass, metalwork, wood and textiles to be marvelled at it’s the perfect place to find beautiful pieces of art you simply cannot buy

Shopping

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on the high street at affordable prices.

If you’re looking for something a little more shiny, Victoria Sewart Contemporary Jewellery Gallery is the place to go.

The gallery will be celebrating a decade of business on the Barbican next year.

It’s an exciting time for the shop’s namesake and owner Victoria Sewart.

“I love the Barbican,” she says.

“It’s full of independent shops set among quaint cobbles and beautiful ancient architecture.”

When Victoria established the gallery in 2006 it was the first contemporary jewellery gallery in Plymouth.

“My ambition was to be self-employed and running my own jewellery business was something I realised I wanted,” she says.

“We’ve now built up quite a name for ourselves and we’re perfectly placed here – in between Cornwall and Exeter.”

Pop into the House That Jack Built to find a treasure trove of independent shops.

Plymouth’s premier independent shopping arcade has been at the forefront of the Plymouth shopping scene for over 30 years, nurturing small businesses and supporting local artists.

Today it contains a variety of shops, selling everything from jewellery to furniture, clothes to antiques.

Check out the eclectic range of shops, including Funky Poppy, Peardrops Jewellery, Rockpool Trading, Jasmine Rose Vintage, Pinnacle Arts, A Little Bit Of Vintage, and Fosters Antiques.

Barbican-based ClayArt prides itself on arts and crafts heritage of the 21st Century.

They offer customers the opportunity to design their own pottery for themselves or as a gift.

For the creative-minded there also a wealth of independent craft stores available to buy materials from.

In 2012, Karen Hodges was made redundant twice in one year. With more than PL MAGAZINE | 25

25 years of experience in dressmaking and pattern cutting in London, she decided to take the opportunity to return to Plymouth and establish her own fabric and haberdashery shop.

Barbican Fabrics was born and since 2012 the shop has doubled in size.

Sarah Pelley and Zoe Crewe at Home Revival love to design and revive your unloved furniture into unique statement pieces.

They also offer bespoke painted furniture, vintage treasures, gifts and home accessories.

The Barbican is also home to a great many talented artists, including Dave Crocker.

In May 2013 Dave completed a painting project comprising 365 pictures on the South West Coast Path in a year.

Painting outdoors became a passion of Dave’s and he can often be found painting around the Barbican.

In October Dave took up residency in his studio at 34 New Street on the Barbican (above Chris Robinson’s bookshop).

Homes & Gardens

Great gifts for

GARDENERS

Christmas is around the corner, so get a head start by choosing presents for your gardening family and friends. PL leafs through some gifts for the green-fingered.

A

s shops are already adorned with baubles, tinsel, fairy lights and mistletoe in preparation for the Christmas rush, come in from the garden for a few minutes to consider what your gardening friends and family might like under the tree this festive season.

Every year, garden centres turn themselves into sparkling grottos, offering all sorts of gifts ranging from practical tools to aromatic room fragrances, seeds in beautiful packaging, deluxe outdoor clothing, bird boxes, hedgehogs houses and other gardening paraphernalia.

JOHANNA BASFORD’S SECRET GARDEN JOURNAL, IN WHICH THE RECIPIENT CAN WRITE NOTES ON FLORA AND FAUNA, AS WELL AS COLOUR-IN 72 GARDEN-BASED ILLUSTRATIONS. £12.95, WATERSTONES.COM

THIS MONTH’S

gardening tips

Gardening tips for December • Prune tall hybrid tea roses slightly to remove old flower stems and old wood.

• Place forcing jars over rhubarb clumps to encourage early stems for harvesting.

• Continue winter digging if the ground is not frozen or waterlogged.

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• Keep your bird feeders well stocked and put out fresh water each day.

• Scrub out old flower pots and seed trays and store them in the shed for future use.

• Check that climbers and wall shrubs are secured to their supports to stop them being damaged by winter winds.

• Firm the soil down around newly planted stock to prevent it being lifted by frost.

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POSH BIRD IN A RANGE OF COLOURS - STANDARD COLOURS £35, OR BESPOKE COLOURS FOR £50 INC P&P, WWW.THEPOSHSHEDCOMPANY.CO.UK 28 | PL MAGAZINE

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Homes & Gardens

CHRISTMAS Inspirations

Looking for inspiration for your festive décor? Pay a visit to Cothehele House in South East Cornwall and you’ll be amazed at what you discover, writes Carly Squires

I

t is that time of year where most people are considering putting up a Christmas tree, a wreath or maybe even some cheeky mistletoe - but what about a 100-foot flower garland?

This is exactly what the gardeners at Cotehele Estate near Saltash have opted for, following a tradition that goes back nearly 60 years. Originating as a staff Christmas party decoration with greenery and holly, this is a custom which Head Gardener Dave Bouch feels compelled to keep alive.

However with 46,000 flowers to add to the garland individually across 10 days, it’s not the easiest of tasks.

“It’s an awful lot of hard work,” he explains, gazing above at his creation. “Because you’re working with a growing plant there is an incredible amount of worry.

“The benefit is that you’re cropping flowers for a final product. It’s a fantastic part of the job and it definitely makes Cotehele what it is because it’s a part of the estate right through the year.”

All of the flowers are picked and dried in the garden at the National Trust property; seeds are sown in early spring and flower picking begins in May. The building process then begins at the start of November.

This is the tenth garland which Dave has created with the help of three staff gardeners and 31 garden volunteers who add a whopping 622 flowers to the stunning spectacle per hour.

“The garden team here at Cotehele is terrific. I’m so impressed with their huge time commitment,” Dave says.

“It starts on a rope, we tie on bunches of the greenery and put the flowers in. We work on scaffolding and ladders. The flowers are divided up into 16 sections to make sure we have enough variety of the flowers all of the way through, or else you could end up with lots of yellow flowers at the start and none at the end.

“We’ve had some ups and downs over the years - three or four years ago it wasn’t a very good summer but we’ve had a really good growing year this year, even though it doesn’t feel like it!

“They are so different every year. This year I like it because we have so many Pink Pokers and so it looks like it’s being electrocuted. We have 2,000 of those whilst last year we only had about 500.”

The completed project is now ready and waiting to admire in the run up to Christmas and New Year, and will provide a beautiful backdrop to choirs for carol singing.

“It’s a real kick start for people’s Christmas,” Dave smiles. “It’s nice because it’s not nodding reindeers or that kind of tack, it’s a really traditional thing. It’s ambient and really special.

“You see people come in year after year and comparing it to previous garlands.”

It is then time to say goodbye in 2016. Dave says: “My first job after Christmas is to compost

28 | PL MAGAZINE

THE GARLAND IN THE HALL AT COTEHELE

it which is sad! But we take out some of the flowers out because we work with local primary schools and they build a mini garland. Then we’re back to planning next year’s garden and preparing for the next garland.”

For more inspiration..

Try these other locations for Christmas inspirations:

Saltram House Saltram is staying open throughout December so there’s a chance to see its stunning rooms decorated for Christmas.

Pay your visit on December 23 and you can also enjoy carols in the courtyard.

Pentillie Castle Pentillie is hoping for a little snow to set off its beautiful grounds this Christmas.

Visitors can enjoy lunch or afternoon tea while admiring the magnificent Christmas trees in the courtyard and hall. Visit on December 16 and you can also enjoy Christmas carols. Pentillie is also available for exclusive hire for anyone who wants to spend Christmas in their own castle.

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30 | PL MAGAZINE

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Showroom open

Homes & Gardens

Velvet UNDERGROUND

Furnish those dark desires with plush fabrics and you’ll be richly rewarded, says Sam Wylie-Harris

I

t may take courage to create an ultra glam look with extravagant textures in rich hues and jewel tones, but moody room sets come into their own this time of year, and grand designs can be a pleasure to come home to.

Luxurious and opulent, plush velvets, furniture with gentle curves, smoked glass and anything inspired by the glamour of the 1920s, art deco or 18th century classic French design, will help you create an eye-catching scheme with long lasting appeal. “The Boutique Hotel look was born out of an increased interest by our customers in products which bring a sense of luxury back into their homes,” says Pip Prinsloo, designer manager Home at John Lewis.

“This demand is not disposable, but for striking pieces that are beautifully designed and use the best materials to stand the test of time.

From luxurious textiles to opulent finishes and prints, Boutique Hotel has a polished feel that aims to impress and stimulate the senses.”

Lustrous and dramatic, rich textiles can transform a room, especially when they’re mixed with dark decos and anything ornate; and they can withstand wear and tear more than you might think.

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32 | PL MAGAZINE

Homes & Gardens STEAL OF THE MONTH...

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PL MAGAZINE | 54

Food & Drink

Gingerbread House

BUILD YOUR OWN

This sweet piece of real-estate makes a lovely centrepiece for Christmas and the perfect home

YOU WILL NEED: 250g unsalted butter 200g dark muscovado sugar 7 tbsp golden syrup 600g plain flour 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 4 tsp ground ginger

1

5

2

6

3

7

4

8

Selection of sweets; pinwheels, gumballs, jelly tots, chocolate buttons Pipe-able royal icing TOP TIP: To create icicles on the roof of the house, press the icing nozzle down perpendicular to the edge of the roof, pipe very briefly and then drag the icing down slowly.

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Create templates for your gingerbread house with thick paper or card. You’ll need two sides (7.9cm by 14cm), two roof panels (17.4cm by 13cm) and a front and back (14.3cm by 9.1cm with two 10.4cm sides on top) 2. Combine the ingredients for the gingerbread and roll out to about a quarter of an inch thick.

Use your templates to cut out your house shapes. Cook in a preheated oven (200C/fan 180C/gas 6) for 12 mins or until firm and just a little darker at the edges. While still a little warm, use your templates to trim off any uneven bits.

3. Working quickly, as the gingerbread will be cooling fast now, use the back of a knife to gently markup doors, windows and roof tiles.

4. When your gingerbread has cooled completely. Turn over the front and back of the house and pipe icing on the left and right sides.

5. Take the front of your house and a side and butt them together on a flat surface. Use a tray to prop up the sides so they don’t fold in. When the structure is stable repeat with the back and the other side.

6. Wait 10 minutes or so for the icing to harden.

Now pipe icing on the four slanting sides of the front and back of your house. Carefully place the roof panels on. You will need to hold them before the icing dries. Pipe one final line of icing between the roof panels to hold them.

7. Now here’s the fun bit! Start sticking sweets to the house with a dab of icing on each.

8. Pipe icing around the outlines for the roof, windows and doors – embellish them however you like.

9. Use any leftover sweets to decorate your house further.

10. Your house is complete. Use it as a centrepiece at Christmas dinner and then watch it magically disappear before New Year!

34 | PL MAGAZINE

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Winter WARMERS Cocktails are the perfect winter tipple. PL’s Louise Daniel has a master class in mixology with The Dairy’s Harry Clark

SPICY FIRE INGREDIENTS

“

30ml Courvoisier brandy 30ml American honey bourbon 30ml Amaretto Dash of Tabasco Dash of cranberry juice

Cocktails are about fun and enjoying spirits,” says Harry as he shakes a Boston cup above his shoulder. The mixologist at Bretonside bar ,The Dairy is putting together six winter cocktails exclusively for PL readers and I’m here to taste test. “There is a real art to is and it’s great to personalise your cocktails and experiment with flavour,” says Harry. He’s been a mixologist for eight years and admits to loving the challenge of combining fresh ingredients and winter flavours to come up with exciting new flavours. “Cocktails bring everyone together – it’s an interactive experience and even if you don’t like booze, mocktails are delicious and can have an equally deep and satisfying flavour.”

WINTER WARMER

COCKTAIL KIT

1 earl grey teabag A pinch of cinnamon Juice of half a lemon Ginger beer 30ml Absinthe

Hawthorne strainer Boston cup – a solid glass and silver cup to cover for shaking cocktails Bar spoon – a spoon with a long stirrer which looks like a twizzlestick and a dent in the back of the spoon which gives the perfect ‘dash’

METHOD Mix all the ingredients in a Boston cup with ice. Serve with a couple of fresh cranberries in the bottom.

This is warming and has a potent hit of aniseed. This can be a long or short drink depending on how much ginger beer you prefer.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD Make the tea in the usual way and set aside to cool, add to a Boston cup with the other ingredients and shake well.

A MERRY MINCE PIE This is the essence of Christmas, sweet but not sickly and the mincemeat isn’t overpowering.

You can infuse mincemeat with whichever liqueur you prefer and infusions only have to take minutes.

INGREDIENTS 30ml Rock and Rye whiskey liqueur 1 tbspn vodka infused mincemeat Half teaspoon of sugar 30ml Lucky Strike cinnamon liqueur

METHOD Mix all the ingredients in a Boston cup and shake well.

Use the Hawthorne strainer and then the tea strainer to remove all the mincemeat and pour over crushed ice.

PL RUBY CELEBRATION INGREDIENTS 30ml chocolate liqueur 30ml red wine – Merlot works best 15ml cacao blanc 30ml Stags Breath whiskey liqueur

METHOD Mix well and experiment with measures

TOP TIPS FOR MAKING COCKTAILS • Use the freshest ingredients • Balance is the key to a good cocktail – nothing should overpower in any one area. A standard measure is 25ml.

• Use quality spirits, it really makes a difference and they tend to go further.

• Invest in ice. Ice is very important to good cocktails and contrary to what may seem obvious ice doesn’t water it down – it simply keeps down the temperature. Go for solid cubes without dimples – dimples harbour water which waters spirits down.

looking for an original

Christmas

Party venue?

• Match the glass to the appropriate drink – highball, wine glass, tumbler – whatever you use make sure it enhances your drink.

free Private lounge available, Christmas parties, Cocktail evenings, hen Parties, office functions

• Mix it up. Practice, experiment, taste and have fun.

why not try our

• Jam jars, bottles and mismatched glass are all the rage at the moment but you don’t have to spend much. Look in charity shops and visit car boot sales, they’re great ways to pick up interesting crystal ware at a fraction of the price.

CoCktail Classes ‘a Class in mixology’

Drink on arrival introduction to mixology, Classic Cocktail Creations tailored Packages available

• Don’t be afraid to try infusions – start simple with vodka and herbs, spices or chilli (not in the same bottle!). And infusions don’t have to be liquid either.

thedairyonline.co.uk The Dairy, 25-27 Bretonside, Plymouth, PL4 0BB 01752 319 067 • info@thedairyonline.co.uk ©LW PL MAGAZINE | 37

White Wine to match a fish starter: Knightor Trevannion 2013 Choose locally-caught fish and choose local wine. The Knightor Trevannion comes from Trethurgy, which is located just behind the Eden Project in Cornwall. This white wine blends grapes including Pinot Gris, with the end result being a medium-bodied wine with good acidity and freshness to compliment lighter fish dishes.

FoodDessert & Drink wine

Every year I am asked what I will drink with my Christmas Pudding, and this year I will drink a good quality Port. This LBV Port has good complexity, and a good warmth from the alcohol which will match that from the pudding.

For a true Christmas treat splash out on a Vintage Port, they are only made from an exceptional years harvest.

perfect PARTNERS

Christmas is time to indulge in good wine. PL teamed up with Vignoble Wine Bar to help you make the perfect wine pairings for your Christmas meal

S

o much effort goes into cooking Christmas meals that it’s right to do the cook justice by accompanying them with some special wines.

But unless you’ve got something laid down

Red wine to match a turkey main course: Valdivieso Single Vineyard Carmenere 2011

to go with Christmas Pudding: Butler & Nephew LBV 1997

in your wine rack, it can be hard to pick perfect wines that won’t break the bank. We asked award-winning wine merchant and writer Yannick Loué, owner of Le Vignoble in Plymouth’s Royal William Yard, to recommend some wines to accompany a traditional British Christmas meal.

This is a fortified wine made with brandy, some people may view it old-fashioned, but in my opinion it is the ‘Pimms & lemonade’ of winter.

The level of alcohol brings warmth, and delightful fruity flavours are present due to the fortified elements, perfect with canapés or nibbles.

Most people would go for a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot Bordeaux blend, but I highly recommend trying something different with a well made Chateauneuf Du Pape. Coming from Southern Rhone in the South of France, this wine can be made with up to 13 different grape varieties.

38 | PL MAGAZINE

This wine brings honey, hay/ straw and citrus flavours, which will compliment the smokey, slightly oily salmon. It is a great price for the age and quality, ideal if you want to put thought into your meal but not break the bank.

GER JA LLIN M O E B Limited Edition vintage 2009 There’s no better treat at Christmas than popping open a special Champagne. The old age of the Champagne will bring toasty, creamy and full bodied sensations due to a higher concentration of yeast during production. This limited edition of Bollinger is beautiful inside and outside the bottle, a sleek soft touch design and its own 007 cool box inspired by the texture of the gun grips on Bonds famous Walther PPK.

PECTR ND S E BO

Red wine to match a Beef main course: Beaucastel Chateauneuf Du Pape 2005

White wine to match a Smoked Salmon starter: Brocard Chablis 1er Cru Montmains 2001

S

Apertif wine to serve with canapés: Pineau des Charentes Rouge 5 Ans d’Age Beaulon

This high-quality yet very reasonable red from Chile has mild blackberry flavours, good freshness and a smooth palate that will not overpower the meat. The gentle yet lingering tannins will work well with a rich gravy, with the acidity will clean the palate ready for the next mouthful.

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Christmas WITHOUT THE

Calamity Nervous about preparing the perfect traditional Christmas feast?

Taking the plunge and cooking for the first time or just want to spruce up your spread? PL teamed up with some of Plymouth’s top chefs to bring you foolproof festive recipes

Christmas turkey the Tanner way Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 2hrs 30mins Serves: 8 Chris Tanner, of Barbican Kitchen, says: “For the best Christmas turkey I recommend a free-range bird with a sage and thyme butter.”

Method

Ingredients

1. Make sure the turkey is cleaned, remove the giblets etc. and set aside.

5kg free-range turkey 1 bunch of sage 1 bunch of thyme ½ a bunch of rosemary 250g soft butter 3 lemons ½ head of garlic Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Put butter in a piping bag, push the nozzle under the skin and squeeze out the butter to smooth over breasts and top of legs.

2. Make the sage and thyme butter – chop 1 bunch of sage and ½ bunch of thyme and mix with the soft butter, sea salt and black pepper 3. Loosen the skin on the breast and top of the legs by carefully pushing your fingers between it and the turkey breast, be careful not to tear the skin.

40 | PL MAGAZINE

4. Season the bird all over and inside the cavity then cut 3 lemons into halves and put them with the rest of the thyme, rosemary and garlic inside the cavity. Rub the bird all over with olive oil.

5. Preheat oven to 200oc/gas mark 7 and roast turkey for 15 mins, then turn oven down to 180oC/gas mark 4,cover with foil and roast for 2½ hours (30 mins per kilo) until the juices run clear when you pierce the thigh.

6. Rest for at leave 20 mins before serving.

Food & Drink Ben Palmer’s chestnut & cranberry stuffing Ingredients Prep time: 1hour 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 6-8 Ben is the chef patron at The Greedy Goose in Plymouth City Centre Ben says: “This is a seasonal recipe that I like to use at home every Christmas. It is very easy to make and goes perfectly with a traditional Christmas turkey.”

Method

300g finely chopped onion 800g sausage meat 160g bread crumbs 100g vac-packed cooked chestnuts, chopped 200g dried cranberries 2tbl spoons chopped sage 2tsp salt 1tsp ground black pepper 1tsp chopped juniper berries

1. Fry off the onions until soft and leave to cool.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well together.

3. Leave to stand for at least 1 hour in the fridge for all of the flavours to infuse.

4. Place in a buttered ovenproof dish and put in the oven for the last 20 mins of roastie cooking.

Katie Richardson’s perfect roast potatoes Katie is head chef Boringdon Hall Hotel Serves 6-8

Ingredients 2kg potatoes. The best ones to use are Desiree, as they hold their shape, but King Edward and Maris Piper are also good.

140g goose fat or duck fat or dripping 2 tbsp. sunflower oil or vegetable oil Salt and black pepper 2 Sprigs Rosemary 2 Sprigs Thyme 1 x Bulb Garlic (cut in ½) garnish

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.

oil. When sizzling, lower in the potatoes carefully, add the herbs, then gently brown in the hot fat for about 5 minutes so all the sides are covered with oil.

2. Cover cut, peeled potatoes in cold water, bring to the boil. Set a timer and boil for exactly 2 minutes.

6. Roast undisturbed for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and gently turn over with a fish slice or spoon.

3. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop the rosemary and thyme remove the stalk.

7. Place the tray on the hob to heat the oil, then return to the oven and cook for another 20 minutes. Turn again, putting the tray back on the hob to heat the oil. Give them a final 20 minutes in the oven, by which time you should have perfect roast potatoes.

Method

4. Drain the potatoes and toss in the colander to fluff up their surfaces.

5. Place a large, sturdy roasting tray over a fairly high heat, and then tip in the fat and

Mulled wine Warming and spiced, this winter drink is a must for any home during the Christmas season. The recipe is simple plus cinnamon and nutmeg create the quintessential Christmas smell. Add a kick of sloe gin or a dash of brandy for extra booziness and depth of flavour.

Ingredients

1 bottle red wine 60g/2oz demerara sugar 1 cinnamon stick Grated nutmeg PL MAGAZINE | 00

1 orange, halved and poked with a couple of cloves 60ml/2fl oz sloe gin or brandy

Method 1. Heat the wine in a saucepan with the orange, sugar and spices gently until the sugar has dissolved. Add more sugar if you want it sweeter 2. Off the heat, stir in the sloe or brandy 3.Can remain on a very low heat or be added to if you run low!

Jamie Lee Rodgers’ perfect parsnips Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Serves: 8 Jamie, head chef at Langdon Court Hotel, says: “These parsnips turn out perfectly every time. The trick to stop them burning, which they often do, is poaching in milk. For a more traditional taste, leave out the hazelnuts and cumin.”

Ingredients

8 parsnips 100g butter 1 tablespoon cumin seeds 3 tablespoons honey Milk to cover A couple of sprigs thyme Olive oil

Jacques Marchal’s festive Brussels sprouts The method with lardons 1.Tail the sprouts, remove discoloured Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 5 mins Serves: 8 “There is no boiling involved even sprout haters are guaranteed to get a taste for this sensational seasonal side dish,” says chef Jacques.

Ingredients

I kg bag of sprouts 250g unsmoked bacon lardons Salt and pepper Fresh nutmeg 1 bag of vac-packed chestnuts 1 pot of crème fraiche A knob of butter

leaves and grate with a cheese grater.

2.Pan fry the lardons and add the grated sprouts once the lardons begin to colour.

3.Saute for a few minutes, until the sprouts start to wilt.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Grate a little nutmeg into the mix.

6. Turn off the heat and add the chopped vac-pac chestnuts.

For an extra touch of luxury add a small pit of crème fraiche or a knob of butter at the end of cooking.

42 | PL MAGAZINE

Method 1. Peel parsnips and cut in batons about 3-inch long and 1-inch thick.

2. Poach in milk and thyme until almost soft.

3. Drain and heat the oil in a frying pan.

4. Fry the parsnips until they start to colour then turn down the heat.

5. Add the butter, cook for about 3 minutes moving them around so they go nice and brown.

6. Add the honey and cumin seeds and cook for a further 3 minutes on low until the honey glazes them.

Feature

Festive CELEBRATIONS

There’s still time to plan your Christmas celebrations.

Here’s PL’s pick of perfect venues for a night out with colleagues, family or friends

Mincemeat tarts Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins Serves: Depends on how greedy your guests are!

Making your own mince pies doesn’t have to be a faff – it’s worth it for the seasonal baking smells alone. Use pre-rolled pastry, leave the tops off and you can whip them up in no time at all.

Ingredients 400g of pre-rolled flakey or shortcrust pastry 280g mincemeat (you can also mix in a measure of your favourite liqueur or spirit for a fancy flourish) Egg wash Icing sugar to dust

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Cut out pastry rounds and spoon 280g mincemeat into the pies. If you’re feeling fancy, cut out small stars and place on the top of the tarts.

2. Beat 1 small egg and brush the tops of the tarts (if you’re using).

3. Bake for around 15 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar.

They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

NEW CONTINENTAL HOTEL The New Continental Hotel in Plymouth knows exactly how to make Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve extra special.

Whether it’s the thought of sharing a Christmas kiss under a bough of mistletoe, seeing Santa or escaping the stress of cooking the perfect Christmas dinner with the drudgery of washing up afterwards; Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve at the New Continental Hotel is the perfect way to enjoy the romance of the festive season without any hassle.

Leave the organising to them and give yourself a stress-free Christmas.

Join the New Continental for a relaxed and cosy atmosphere where you can feel at home and enjoy the traditionally-decorated hotel trees and lights.

The head chef has created a delicious Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve menu, using the very best, local ingredients.

If you want the festive experience of your home but don’t want to cook, look no further for Christmas Day. Christmas Day lunch is £65 per person, children (3-11) £30 per child with a gift from Santa. There will be two sittings for your convenience at 12.30pm and 1.30pm.

New Year’s Eve dinner is £62 per person. www.newcontinental.co.uk

PL MAGAZINE | 43

MOORLAND GARDEN HOTEL Celebrate the festive season in a magical moorland setting just 20 minutes from Plymouth City Centre.

With a relaxed, friendly style and delicious award-winning food the Moorland Garden has events for you to enjoy throughout December, from Christmas afternoon teas to festive lunches and dinners.

For the all-important Christmas Eve and Boxing Day the Moorland Garden chefs have also created very special menus.

You can also join them on New Year’s Eve for a glamorous evening to celebrate ‘a very important date’ at the Alice in Wonderland Ball as the hotel brings 2015 to a close in style.

For more informations and a brochure contact the events team on 01822 852245 or email events@moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk www.moorlandgardenhotel.co.uk

Food & Drink

A WORLD OF

Christmas Tradition The world is populated by rich cultures, diverse peoples and fascinating customs.

In the midst of another festive season, Louise Daniel looks at Christmas traditions around the world

Switzerland â&#x20AC;&#x153;Frohe Weihnachtenâ&#x20AC;?

St Nicholas or Samichlaus visits some families on December 6 in this multi-lingual country.

Light displays, food markets and processions are popular with some villages wearing a trychlet (cow bell), carrying drums and wearing masks to scare away evil spirits. Trees are decorated on Christmas Eve following the main Christmas meal.

Tuck in: Gluhwein (mulled wine), fondue, Christmas ham, tartiflet (potato and melted cheese), walnut cake and Christmas biscuits.

00 | PL MAGAZINE 44

Food & Drink

Argentina: “Feliz Navidad” It’s warm at Christmas in South America but this predominantly Catholic country begins celebrations with Advent.

Red and white garlands hang from doors, Christmas trees are decorated by December 8 and the nativity scene or pesebre is important in every Argentine home.

The main Christmas feast is on Christmas Eve and is often a barbecue served outdoors. Tuck in: roast turkey, roast pork, stuffed tomatoes, Christmas bread Pan Dulce.

Malta “Il-Milied it-Tajjeb” As a Catholic country, Christmas and the nativity is very important. Midnight mass is attended and there is a strong tradition of presepju (crib building) by church goers.

People sow seeds (gulbiena) on cotton buds in flat pans five weeks before Christmas. These are left in a dark corner until grass-like shoots appear. The grasses are used to decorate the crib or the statue of baby Jesus. Tuck in: the fattest rooster (hasi) is roasted at the local bakery with potatoes and veg followed by treacle ring (qaghaq talghasel) and hot chestnut and cocoa soup to finish. Italian panettone and turkey are modern Maltese favourites.

France: “Joyeux Noel” India “Krisamasa ki badha i” 25 million Christians make up the 2.5 billion population.

Midnight mass is attended by practising Catholics, followed by curry and gift giving.

Instead of firs, banana or mango trees are decorated, and stars and poinsettias adorn homes.

Presents are delivered by Baba Christmas in a horse and cart.

Tuck in: a massive feast of Indian delicacies including curry, bhaji, pickles and chapatis.

Our French cousins celebrate with the main Christmas meal known as reveillon.

It’s eaten on Christmas Eve or early Christmas morning upon return from a midnight church service. Pere Noel brings the presents but in eastern France is accompanied by Le Pere Fouttard – a man dressed in black.

Tuck in: roast goose, oysters, foie gras, lobster, venison and cheeses followed by chocolate sponge called buche de Noel.

Food & Drink Russia “S Rozhdestvom” The Russian Orthodox Church uses the Julian calendar so Christmas is celebrated on January 7 – few Catholics celebrate on December 25.

Some people fast all day on Christmas Eve until the first star appears, then the whole family eats kutia (porridge) from the same bowl to symbolise unity. They throw a spoonful to the ceiling and if it sticks good luck is promised for everyone. Tuck in: Some Orthodox Christian Russians don’t eat meat or fish during the sochivo (Christmas Eve) feast. Beetroot soup (borsch) individual pies made from cabbage potato or mushroom, sauerkraut, gingerbread and honeybread cookies. A vzvar or ‘boil up’ is served at the end of the meal – a sweet drink made from dried fruit and honey.

Denmark: “glædelig jul” The countdown to Christmas starts with a kandenerlys (calendar candle) symbolising advent and a pakkekalendar (gift calendar) counting down to Christmas Eve. Most people go to church on Christmas Eve at 4pm to hear the Christmas story and visit the woods for a winter walk to give food to animals and birds, after which the Christmas meal is eaten. Presents are brought by the julemanden (Christmas man) who is helped by his nisser (elves). Tuck in: roast duck, goose or pork served with boiled sweet potatoes, red cabbage, beetroot and cranberry sauce.

Families make a ris a la mande (rice pudding) to follow with one whole almond left in it – the person who finds it gets a mandelgave (almond present) of a marzipan pig.

Greece “Kala Christougenna” On Christmas Eve children carry a gold-painted model boat from house to house while singing kalanda (carols). If the carollers sing well, they may be given gifts.

Christmas trees aren’t traditional in Greece – most families make a decoration of basil wrapped around a cross – the matriarch of the family will dip the decoration in holy water to bless the house. Tuck in: The advent feast takes place after midnight mass and is usually lamb or pork roasted on a spit and served with spinach and cheese pie.

Followed with baklava (filo pastry, chopped nuts and honey) or melomakarono (egg or rectangular biscuits made with olive oil, honey and buts.

00 | PL MAGAZINE

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{ Health & Beauty { GIVE YOUR HEALTH A

JUICE

BOOST Juicing isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just for the summer. Winter is the perfect time to pack a punch with vitamin-rich and tasty combinations

00 | PL MAGAZINE

{ Health & Beauty {

Kate’s Top Tips TO GIVE YOUR JUICING A WINTER BOOST

• Use organic, seasonal foods which promote and support detoxification in your morning juice such as kale, fennel, celery, spinach as well as hearty root veg like beetroot and carrots

7

Kate’s winter veggies for juicing • Kale is packed with powerful antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids, helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol and is an anti-inflammatory • Spinach helps increase serotonin levels naturally, so not only great for mood but also a great energy booster too. Nourishing for the skin, eyes and for building bones • Celery is high in potassium, calcium and vitamin K and folate, a B vitamins that helps the body break down and use proteins • Beetroot helps cleanse the colon and blood, lowers blood pressure, has anticancer properties and also helps reduce cholesterol • Carrot boosts the immune system by increasing the production and performance of white blood cells building resistance to various kinds of infections. Also a great liver cleanser •Garlic is a fantastic juicing ingredient when used in moderation. As well as being a blood purifier with anti-parasitic properties. It also boosts the immune system and is a decongestant • Fennel helps the stomach in the formation of bile and other juices to promote proper digestion. It has antiinflammatory and anti-spasmodic properties which can help ease symptoms of IBS and menstrual cramps

W

ith temperatures plummeting and the gluttonous season upon us, winter can often leave us feeling tired and sluggish and our body vulnerable to attack.

One way to help keep the winter bugs at bay is to ensure you are in tip-top condition to start with. While our body is equipped with the natural ability to detoxify itself, occasionally our organs need a bit of support.

Kate Tyler, owner of Platinum Healing, runs four-night juice detox and yoga retreats to help kick-start the detox process and promote a healthier way of living with regular juicing back home. An alkalising juice detox is a great way to rid the body of unwanted toxins, increase energy levels and immunity, while also helping to shed excess pounds, relieve stress, improve our brain function and mood, and give our digestive systems a well-earned break.

Kate said: “The onset of colder weather doesn’t mean it’s time to ditch the morning juice. In fact, with so many delicious seasonal vegetables on the shelves it’s the perfect time get creative with juices that pack a hearty, but nutritional, punch. “A wide range of winter vegetables that can be transformed into delicious juices to enable us to ensure we’re continuing to consume more than our recommended five-a-day.”

Juicing is a method of extracting all the goodness from fresh fruits and vegetables leaving behind most of the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, in a format far easier for the body to absorb. Kate recommends using 80 per cent vegetable to 20 per cent fruit to flavour, to ensure natural sugars are kept to a minimum.

She added: “Phytonutrients, or plant chemicals, are the cutting edge of nutritional research and hold the key to preventing many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and conditions such as asthma and allergies.

“Studies have now shown that juicing can aid in the removal of harmful toxins and heavy metals, boost the immune system, as well as aiding weight loss.”

PL MAGAZINE | 49

• Add a warming touch with spices such as ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper, cloves and cardamom. These spices help increase the body’s ability to produce heat and also act as anti-inflammatory and immune-boosters • Adding a dash of garlic not only provides flavour but it is also packed with antiinflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral and antibacterial properties • Citrus fruits such as lemons and limes not only enhance taste but also contain antioxidants and anti-cancer properties • Try this warming, alkalising cleansing drink to stimulate the digestive system: Mix honey, fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, ground ginger and turmeric. For added warmth add a dash of cayenne pepper or for a festive feel, cinnamon great for balancing blood sugars and high in manganese, fibre, calcium and iron to boost immunity • If you’re unsure about juicing at home, why not try a juicing detox to set you on the right path? Platinum Healing runs juice detox and yoga • Retreats with programmes designed to help with weight loss, quitting smoking, fertility issues, men’s health and inner child healing. Check here for details www.platinum-healing.com

People

HUNTER GATHERER, CHEF Does locking away your mobile phone for the weekend and learning to catch and kill your own food sound like heaven? TV personality Thom Hunt certainly thinks so and his door is wide open. Emily Smith discovers more

N

estled away within acres of woodland and only accessible by boat or on foot, is 7th Rise, a weekend retreat owned

by TV personality and former Plymouth University graduate Thom Hunt. The precise location of 7th Rise is a closely guarded secret. What we do know is that it’s a perfect, isolated getaway. Since opening its doors in 2012, Thom has grown his offering and now the idyllic location provides a workshop, outdoor kitchen and plenty of open space to get away from reality.

Thom has loved the great outdoors since he was a toddler.

“I grew up on my grandparent’s farm in Lancashire. From a very young age I was out in the fields foraging with my granny. I was fishing from about five years old and hunting when I was 12. “I fell in love with this idea of freedom and just made my life up as I went along.”

The 33-year-old moved into 7th Rise, on the River Fal, after travelling the world and seeing the opportunity to offer people time away from their busy lives.

WILD SWIMMING ON A RETREAT

owned by the Tregothan Estate and the 33-yearold leases from them.

He says: “It took me a year to get rid of the damp and sort the roof.If you’re looking to make something perfect before you start then it’s never going to be. As long as you go in the right direction then you can change it over time and try it again.”

Is it important that people come to 7th Rise to experience something so far removed from everyday life?

“Back in the early days I was a lot stricter on the digital detox than I am now. I think anyone who runs a business wants it to be a certain way and that was the way I was going to do it,” he explains. “Some people kick and scream and come up with any number of excuses not to give me their phone – it’s for their own good though.

“It’s the difference between going to a music gig and soaking up the atmosphere, or filming it all through your phone and showing that to everyone else. That’s the difference social media can play – there is a time and a place for everything.”

Whilst at 7th Rise you will learn how to hunt, “I was looking for a building and an outdoor venue where I could run experiences and courses. kill, prepare and cook your own dinner. Thom says: “The idea of hunting, killing and cooking I wanted it to be isolated,” he says. The space is 50 | PL MAGAZINE

LEFT: WILD SWIMMING ON A RETREAT. RIGHT: THOM LIGHTS A FIRE FROM SCRATCH BELOW: THE COVER OF THOM’S BOOK

your food is massive for me – I have been doing that since I was four years old.

“Ten years ago you would walk into a supermarket and it would be a choice between six or 12 eggs. These days it’s a choice between which type of egg you buy. People eat three times a day – it’s a popular topic.”

Thom’s love for the South West was born when he took a degree in Marine Biology at Plymouth University. After graduating his feet started to run away from him and he needed to experience life’s next great adventure.

He says: “I wanted to stay in the marine industry but there wasn’t a huge amount of opportunities in Plymouth. I decided I wanted to become a scuba diver so I went to Egypt and dived on the Red Sea. I was there for a year and it was the next step for me.”

Thom then spent time in South Africa, which is now his favourite country. When he finally returned to the UK he met up with old mates Tim Cresswell and Trevor Brinkman who would later become the Three Hungry Boys.The trio never imagined that a chat in the pub would end up making them television stars.

Thom explains: “The original plan was to go around Europe. None of us had any money at

‘Back in the early days I was a lot stricter on the digital detox than I am now. Some people kick and scream and come up with any number of excuses not to give me their phone’ PL MAGAZINE | 51

the time. We designed a month-long trip and we wanted a camcorder to take with us. Tim decided to send an email to River Cottage – it was so pathetic he just went on to the website and sent it to the generic info@address. They replied saying they had a production company and they wanted to film it for us. We did a pilot and filmed for two days. We didn’t know much about what we were doing. Then Channel 4 picked it up.”

Thom, Trevor and Tim took part in two series which saw River Cottage chef Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall set the boys tasks with little or no money.

At 27 years old, Thom’s life took a different turn when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

He had to undergo emergency surgery and six months of intense chemotherapy.

“I lost a year of my life. It was a really challenging time for me. I was always an active person and I didn’t do anything for a year.

“It was a difficult time for me like it would be for anyone.

“A massive part of my brain wants to forget it and then a part of me doesn’t want to be because I wouldn’t be what I am now if that hadn’t have happened.”

Team A WINNING

It’s been a packed year for prestigious independent school, Mount Kelly in Tavistock, Louise Daniel reports

L

ast year Kelly College and Mount House School came together to create a larger winning school.

In the months since the prestigious schools merged, it’s been full steam ahead for pupils, staff and the school. Pupil numbers have increased, commitment to academic success has brought stunning exam results for A Level and GCSE students, there has been an outstanding inspection by ISI and the school has a 50m Olympic sized pool on the way.

Head Master, Mark Semmence is particularly pleased with the first twelve months as a unified school. "In our first year post merger, I am delighted Mount Kelly has experienced such great success. “The achievements of the school have led to an excellent ISI inspection and an unprecedented rise in pupil and boarding numbers.”

The ISI (Independent School Inspection) is a government approved inspectorate, and schools included in the association rank among the best in the world. Mount Kelly’s curricular and extra-curricular provision was marked as “excellent” along with the pastoral care and boarding experience offered by the School.

Mr Semmence, was particularly pleased that the excellent “rapport between staff and pupils and their wise and effective use of praise and encouragement” was recognised as one of the real strengths of Mount Kelly.

Teachers were also praised as “knowing their pupils well” and shown to “work hard to nurture their confidence”.

It’s no surprise that the college at Mount Kelly has seen a 20 per cent rise in pupil numbers.

Mr Semmence said: “This is extremely encouraging considering the declining independent school market. It is a clear testament to the wonderful achievements of our pupils, both in and out of the classroom and the hard work and dedication from all of our staff.”

‘This is a clear

testament to the wonderful achievements of our pupils, both in and out of the classroom and the hard work and dedication from all of our staff’

00 | PL MAGAZINE

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{ Family {

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t’s estimated father Christmas travels 510,000,000km to dish out presents on Christmas Eve delivering tonnes of gifts to nearly 2 billion children, which means Rudolph needs to get up to speeds of more than 1800 miles per second. In the process he’ll eat more mince pies than is humanly possible – it’s no wonder the poor man only puts in a an appearance once a year. Thankfully, you don’t have to rush around like Santa does! You’ll find him at plenty of magical grottos around the city in December.

'SANTA WILL EAT FAR MORE MINCE PIES THAN IS HUMANLY POSSIBLE'

Endsleigh (Wyvale) Garden Centre, Ivybridge Visit the elf workshop and make Christmas crafts.

Costs: Children, £8; one adult free, second adult £1.

Ends: Christmas Eve

Rumpus Cosy, Derry’s Cross Join Santa and the Frightfully Charming Deer and the Fluffy Snow Creature in their nationally recognised grotto.

Costs: Adults, £6; Children (2 to 18) £4; babies, free.

Ends: December 23.

Chaplins, Newnham Industrial Estate, Plympton Meet Santa and stock up on Christmas essentials.

Costs: Children, £5; adults, 50p.

Ends: Christmas Eve. 54 | PL MAGAZINE

Boringdon Hall, Plympton Enjoy a three course meal with Santa, face-painting and a gift.

Costs: Adults £23.95; 3 to 11 years, £18.95; 0 to 2 years, free.

Ends: December 22.

Santa by Steam on the South Devon Railway Take a trip on Santa’s special train.

Costs: Adults £18, Children under 15: £12, under 1 years: free.

Ends December 23.

Drake Circus Shopping Centre Meet Santa in his magical gingerbread grotto.

Costs: Children, £5 with 50p going directly to charity.

Ends: Christmas Eve.

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LIFE AS SANTA'S

Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s making a list and checking it twice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Santa Claus is coming to town! Rachael Dodd visits the Drake Circus grotto to find out what it's like working as one of Santa's elves

S

anta Claus has decided to pay a visit to Drake Circus this year. But he’s not grabbing a pumpkinspice latte or some suede boots for Mrs Claus – he’s rounding up his trusty elves and setting up a grotto in the mall. Naughty or nice, kids of every age are queuing to see Father Christmas in his cheery gingerbread hut on the ground floor by the entrance to Primark.

Saint Nicholas and his band of red and green helpers have arrived courtesy of Great Grottos.

The firm employs 600 members of staff, including 230 Santas, in roughly 70 grottos across the UK. Alright, you’ve rumbled us. The real Santa and his elf squad are far too busy putting toys together for Christmas Day to visit every grotto in Britain. It’s Great Grottos’ job to maintain the illusion that the big man and his elf stand-ins are the genuine Mr Claus and company. In just one month the company can expect to interview 4,000 potential elves and they’ve now trainedup their latest recruits for the Plymouth grotto’s opening. For one day only I joined their ranks for elf boot camp and very quickly it became apparent that I can’t be taken seriously wearing a hat with a ringing bell on the end of it. I am, quite literally, an elf with bells on. So as a now fullyfledged, magical, Santa-approved elf I can tell you there are three golden rules: Never approach

children quickly. There’s nothing scarier than a grown-adult disguised as a mythical creature moving in on you at a pace. Even the most hardened Marine would find that a terrifying prospect.

Lower your voice. Squealing and chirping like Joe Pasquale on Red Bull does not create a calming atmosphere. Elves must gain a child’s trust with a soothing voice to gain their confidence and allow them time to get their imagination working. Come down to the child’s level. There is one thing scarier than a grown-up running at you in an elf costume. A giant grown-up in an elf costume – moving or stationery, it’s pretty intimidating. Save the child’s neck and future psychological health and kneel down for them. Improvisation also plays a big part in making youan elf. As far as any child is concerned you are an elf, you live in the North Pole and Santa’s your boss.

For children’s entertainer Becky Cheetham it’s a walk in the park. “I absolutely love Christmas,” Becky says, not even in costume yet but still beaming like a fairy light. “I’m an entertainer throughout the season so it’s great to interact with the kids. They get to a certain age and they just ask endless questions so you have to be careful if they start going down a path that you don’t want them to. Usually, I ask them their name straight away. You start mentioning their name more often and they get the feeling that PL MAGAZINE | 57

you know them. If you say it loud enough Santa overhears – when they enter the grotto and Santa calls them by name they feel like he knows them personally.

“People love that I’m an elf, they say I must have a lot of Christmas spirit in me to keep it up.”

Of course, no grotto would be without its Santa and as soon as one appeared I lost my spotlight.

I might as well have been a flying reindeer and I still couldn’t have distracted the children’s attention. They were transfixed by the jolly man in red.

Charles O’ Leary, 85, is getting ready to step into Santa’s boots for his fourteenth year. “I love it,” he says, eyes twinkling and snowy beard twitching – you could almost mistake him for the real thing. As soon as a child comes through the grotto door I’m a different person – I could sit there all day talking to them.”

For Charles it’s all about bringing festive joy to the thousands of children he’s met. “The children are the best part. The little girls especially will run up and give you the biggest hug – it’s beautiful.”

But visits to Santa aren’t just for young folk, Charles has seen his fair share of grown-ups too.

“I had a dear old lady come in who was 103 and she said she’d never seen Santa before,” he says. “She gave me a big kiss on the cheek – I told the elves to give her a nice present.”

Santa’s Grotto at Drake Circus is open until Christmas Eve.

People

FACE OF THE FUTURE As the beautiful young star of an acclaimed new thriller, Victoria Lucie is making a name in the film world. Catherine Barnes met the young actor at her family farm in Sparkwell

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ooking the picture of perfect composure through the lens, Victoria Lucie is perched (just) on a wobbly five bar gate above a rampant nettle bed, fending off a rogue bramble that is trying to strangle her. “I’m the least prima donna-ish actress you’ll ever meet,” she chirps, as she carefully detangles herself from the thorny tendrils.

Our photo-shoot, on her family farm in Sparkwell, is not the first test of Victoria’s mettle in the early stages of what looks set to be a promising stage and screen career. Her movie debut, in director Peter Nicholson’s Devon-noir psychological thriller, Dartmoor Killing, was a baptism of goose-bumps, if not fire.

“The first day of shooting, I was quite nervous,” she confesses. “And my first scene was running across the moor in my pants. “My first scene in my first film!” she laughs. “No-one can take that away from me.”

Victoria, 20, was cast as star Gemma-Leah Devereux’s younger self, in the film’s flashback scenes. The plot’s centred around two friends who head off for a West Country weekend jolly, which soon takes a sinister turn.

‘The first day of shooting, I was quite nervous. And my first scene was running across the moor in my pants.

But it was my first scene in my first film. No-one can take that away from me’ 58 | PL MAGAZINE

“I did the audition for Peter in the lobby of the Exeter Airport Hotel and via iPad,” she remembers. There was lots of comparing Gemma’s face and mine. Peter said, I want you for the part, but can’t say for sure until Gemma confirms, so I was on tenterhooks.”

The film, starring David Hayman and Smallville star Callum Blue, along with Casualty’s GemmaLeah, has caused quite a bit of excitement in the Westcountry, not least because Dartington-born Peter Nicholson’s promised that there will be more to come.

Indeed, while Cornwall has long been the go-to county for prime-time TV settings, film crews have been popping up all over the place, east of the Tamar this year. The Comic Strip’s Peter Richardson, who’s based in Totnes, was shooting his latest comedy in Plymouth this summer, while Rachel Weisz and Colin Firth were on location in Teigmouth in June, for an as-yet-untitled major movie about sailor Donald Crowhurst.

Ambitious, but utterly grounded, Victoria is the first to admit that she’s on the first rungs of her career-ladder. Yet what’s remarkable is how far she’s come all by herself. Her parents Diana, a former radiographer and Robin, a consultant

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engineer are supportive, but not in the least theatrical, while younger brother William is a technology whizz who built his own computer.

“I’m from a really practical family and I’m the only arty one,” she says. “William’s not interested in acting at all, but it took about two seconds for me to feel completely at home on a film set.”

She suspects that her talent may have come from her late grandmother, Lucy.

“She was the only theatrical one in the family, big on amateur dramatics. Funnily enough, she’d always said she’d love a granddaughter with brown curly hair who could act!”

Lucy also inspired Victoria’s stage name, as she shares her real-life surname, May, with an actress already registered with professional organisation Equity.

Following in her late gran’s footsteps, Victoria started out in village panto as a six-year old.

Yet as a secondary school student at Ivybridge College she was not in with the drama crowd, but a top-grade academic scholar who aced 13 GCSEs and three A grade A- levels.

“I loved studying and I do miss that aspect of education,” says Victoria, who decided against applying for university, to focus upon acting instead.

“Mum and Dad have been so supportive.

They say in this day and age, the job market is uncertain for everyone, so do what you want to do. I’m following my dreams and have given myself five years. I’ve just finished my first and have already made another feature film, with Hex Media, in Wales. I played the lead, although that’s all I can say for now. It’s coming out next year.”

Victoria launched herself into the career market by signing up to online casting agencies and finding jobs with small touring companies.

With professional work under her belt, she’s now listed in Spotlight, the casting Bible that virtually every actor, including the UK’s best-known stars, are annually featured in.

It was after a show at Exeter’s Bikeshed theatre last year that she met Exeter-based agent Susannah Patrick, who is breaking new ground in an industry that’s very London-centric. While her talent, including Victoria, will regularly shoot up to the capital for auditions and castings, the agent is closer to home for her clients. She also looks after young Plymouth actor Lewis Peek, who also featured in Dartmoor Killing and has been filming a still -under-wraps role in a ‘major’ TV series set to hit our screens next year. Several other of her clients have PL MAGAZINE | 59

been working on an international TV project for Australian broadcaster ABC and Disney, still also to be announced.

“Susannah and I are on the same page in what she wants as an agent from me and what I want in terms of a career,” explains Victoria. “You film where the location is and I’m happy travelling, so I don’t feel that being in Devon hinders me.”

Rejection, however can be par for the course, but Victoria’s positive and pragmatic: “There are so many elements out of your control when you audition, but that’s also grounding. You have to stay positive.”

With two film roles under her belt already, she’s also filmed the lead role in a teaser trailer for Peter Nicholson’s next film project, the gritty Swilly Girl, set in Plymouth. She’s also starred in three music videos, including upcoming Somerset singer songwriter Luke Potter’s June single, Do You Love Me Yet. “I love the variety. The day after we wrapped psychological thriller Dartmoor Killing, I was doing panto,” adds Victoria, who is set for a UK tour with Devon-based Wonder Production’s pantomine, Aladdin. It kicks off in Newquay on November 29 and will play at venues from Barrow-in-Furness to Paignton.

People

MY

Christmas

As we countdown to December 25, PL has been asking Plymouth people about their particular Christmas preparations and traditions

Sarah Barrow

Sarah is an Olympic synchronised diver Typically I spend Christmas with my immediate family; myself, my sister Emma, and my mum and dad, at my parents’ house. On Christmas Eve I will train in the morning and then do some errands for my mum while my parents are working. On the evening of Christmas Eve, we will sit and watch a good movie with some snacks after the chaos of preparing for the next day’s Christmas roast dinner. On Christmas day morning, after unwrapping a bit of a crazy pile of presents, my grandparents along with my mum’s brother’s family and my dad’s brother will arrive with more presents to open. Normally we will sit down to eat Christmas dinner around 3pm, which seems to be getting later every year!

My mum always makes a delicious meal but the best bit is the suet pudding, it is always the highlight for a few of us. After feeling like a stuffed turkey we will all get involved with some sort of game with more snacks, which normally begins with some sort of argument about the rules.

It is quite a chilled Christmas with our family, each of us always just trying to please everyone and to have a nice break either from training or work. This year I will be leaving for Australia on December 3 with the GB team for a training campand not getting back until December 20.

Christmas presents will need to be done pretty soon but at least I will have a Christmas Day tan!

Lauren Rothery

Lauren is an illustrator and assistant manager at music venue Underground Coming up to Christmas we have loads of awesome events planned at Underground.

The owner Ben and I will be rushed off our feet organising up to four gigs a week all the way up to Christmas Eve. As ever with each show I have a big batch of posters to create. With bands spanning a range of musical genres, I will be taking a lot of time to ensure I create individual and eye catching posters to suit every show.

The week before Christmas we have some awesome local shows planned and on the 22nd we’ll be throwing our annual Christmas Party.

We are currently approaching musicians to make sure we deliver a fantastic show to get everybody into the Christmas spirit. The pressure is on!

Last year I was much more organised in the 60 | PL MAGAZINE

run up to Christmas regarding presents and such, I had everything sorted by the beginning of December but what with work, posters and several external commissions I have not even thought about it yet.

My fiancée and I are driving back to my parent’s house in Hertfordshire for Christmas so I really want to get my shopping done or ordered before we go. Last minute rush to the shops in my home town will not make for particularly well thought out presents and a few grumpy family members!

My family have always been together at Christmas; eating, drinking and giving. I love going home for Christmas. I guess having moved so far away, spending time with my family is not something I ever take for granted. It won’t be long though before I’ll be racing back to my new home here in Plymouth. I’ll be back for New Year’s where the work begins again to start booking in bands for 2016; we want to make sure that it’s just as exciting as the last.

People

Judi Spiers

Joanna Hunt

Judi is a TV and radio presenter

Joanna is the owner of Cloudberry Cakes and mother of twin girls

I get really excited about Christmas decorating.

Every year I always mean to spray twigs and branches white and silver in that fashionable Swedish minimalist look but end up abandoning it and decking the halls with boughs of holly, fir cones and evergreen branches on every possible surface. I go to Haldon Hill to pick a tree. I always look like trouble I know – the fellas expect me to take hours choosing as you can feel like a kid in a sweet shop. In saying that it only took me 8 minutes last year to find a seven-footer!

Christmas morning there’s always a glass of bubbles and a few nibbles with my husband and Eddie the cat. This year an old friend is coming to stay too. Then there’s more friends for lunch – let’s hope this year the oven doesn’t pack up like it did last year!

In the afternoon there’s a roaring fire and a few party games. More friends are coming on Boxing Day and same food again but cold!

I like to watch Love Actually at Christmas, it’s my favourite film and it works on so many levels!

When it comes to buying presents I’m pretty organised, though there’s always a last-minute flurry.

I do buy throughout the year but then forget what I have bought and where I have put it!

Having my two girls has reinvigorated my excitement in Christmas. When it comes to the tree we choose a real one every time. The only time we had a fake one was when I was expecting the girls. I looked like a beached whale and couldn’t cope with the thought of clearing up the tree weeks before their arrival.

I’ve got lots of things for them to make during December – clay hearts, paper lanterns and snowflakes and, of course, baking and icing.

“We have both Swedish and English traditions in our family. When I was a child we would start off with celebrating the Swedish tradition of Lucia at the beginning of December. I would wear a crown of candles and bring buns and coffee to my mother in the morning. We would bake ginger biscuits and make some dangerous toffee called knäck which got stuck in your teeth. There were special decorations we would make too – woven hearts out of paper to hang sweets on the tree and a type of cracker covered in tissue paper and filled with sweets.

“After going to Stoke Damerel Church’s Children’s service, we would always have a Swedish meal on Christmas Eve. Dishes would include pickled herrings, meatballs with gravy PL MAGAZINE | 61

and lingonberry jam, marinated salmon, Janson’s Temptation (anchovies, onions, potato and cream), crisp bread and a type of rice pudding.

The pudding would have a whole almond in it and if you got it in your dish you were the next to get married. We were usually allowed to open a couple of gifts from Swedish relatives that night too.

I’ve only had Christmas in Sweden a couple of times, once as a baby and then once in my early 20s. There was lots of wonderful snow, white lights and tasteful decorations. A lot of the food would have been brought from my grandmother’s during our summer holiday in the North of Sweden – there was no IKEA here when I was a child!

I’ve just designed a gingerbread house and I’m about to make and design the Christmas cake. I will probably make some of the Swedish dishes early December and freeze them.

Most of my timetabled cake decorating classes are now complete. But we have a wonderful class scheduled for December 5 with cake designer Christine Jensen from Peboryon coming to give a sculpted cake class.“She is winning awards both nationally and internationally - definitely one to watch.

Daryl and Julie Corletto, Plymouth Raiders

John Hamblin

John is the CEO of homeless charity Shekinah and lives with his wife and family in Plymouth I guess like many readers I have fond childhood memories of Christmas. The excitement of writing my Christmas list, putting up the decorations, school holidays and then the big day itself. They were good times for me and my family and I now look back realising how fortunate we were. Even in my childhood my parents, who were both members of a local church, enjoyed bringing strangers home for lunch and Christmas time was no different. We use to live not far away from an alcohol treatment centre that my dad was involved in when he worked for the probation service. Christmas time was always a time that he would invite back a number of the residents to our home for lunch.

I guess even then I realised that for many of the ‘strangers’ sat opposite me, Christmas time was a particularly difficult time for them. Whilst my brother, sister and I would be playing with our presents or just being a nuisance, the visitors would be looking and longing that they were with their own children.

Fast forward many years and I now find myself doing what my parents did albeit, sadly on a larger scale. Shekinah will be very busy this Christmas with a range of events for a range of people who will come to us. This year we are hosting a 12 days of Christmas campaign, where will be offering a number of different events and activities, many of which will be delivered by volunteers.

Daryl Corletto is the new head coach of professional basketball team Plymouth Raiders. His wife Julie is a former professional netball player

‘Even in my childhood my parents enjoyed bringing strangers home for lunch and Christmas was no different. Fast foward and I am doing the same thing, aleit on a much larger scale, at Shekinah’ 62 | PL MAGAZINE

We’re really excited because this is our first Christmas in England! We’re originally from Melbourne and at Christmas it’s really hot there.

Our friends will be having barbecues wearing bikinis and swimming trunks, so we are nervous about how cold it will get. Julie is especially scared after seeing how many coats, hats and gloves you can buy in the shops here.In the run up to Christmas, Julie will be teaching a ‘Little Shooters’ netball class for girls between twoand-a-half years and nine-years-old.

Daryl will be coaching Plymouth Raiders right up until the morning of Christmas Eve and from there we’ll be travelling with our dog Jack up to London to spend Christmas with a friend. It will be cool and a new experience for us. The boys will then be playing again on the December 27 so we’ll be spending a few nights in London.

On Christmas Eve we’re going to head into the city to see the sights and on Christmas Day I’ll help my friend cook Christmas lunch and Skype the family back in Melbourne. There’s a 12-hour difference which does make it hard, and it’s so difficult watching your nieces and nephews growing up so fast. One minute they’re taking their first step and the next they’re running!

Maybe while we’re in London we’ll get a chance to meet the Queen, although Jules would much rather meet David Beckham …

CLARE WELSH WITH HER BOOK

BISCUITS INSPIRED MY

children’s book

Mum-of-two Clare Welsh was hooked on writing a children’s book after a sudden inspiration from a TV show. Emily Smith met the author

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s if being a mum-of-two and teaching in a primary school isn’t enough, Clare Welsh has also found time to write her first children’s book.

Aerodynamics of Biscuits is the title and the star of the book is her fiveyear-old son Oliver. The book tells the story of Squeaky McSqueaky, a mouse, who is helped by other pirate mice to fly to the moon and steal cheese in their rocket, The Jolly Dodger.

Oliver’s love of late-night snacking was the idea behind the 31-year-old’s hit children’s book.

But she has someone on TV to thank for the brilliant title of her first creation.

“I was at home cleaning and I had the TV on and someone said ‘the aerodynamics of biscuits’. I really liked the phrase so I googled it and nothing came up. I still don’t know who said the phrase because I was so excited. So thank you, whoever that is!” she smiles.

‘I started with the title of the book and everything else came fairly quickly.

They say it’s easy to write about what you know so I started writing about the children’ 64 | PL MAGAZINE

“I started with the title of the book and then everything else came to me fairly quickly. They say it’s easy to write about what you know so I started writing about the children.

“Nationally there is a trend that boys are reading less than girls. Books are a really good way to get into many other things and I really wanted Oliver to love books. Part of my reasoning behind this book was to make it something he would love and that has worked.”

Clare started writing after making a New Year’s resolution to produce a children’s book.

Since then the 31-year-old has been awarded The Margaret Carey Scholarship for picture book writers in 2013 and a runners-up medal in The Greenhouse Prize last year.

Clare says: “Since my late 20s I have always made New Year resolutions.

“They are normally things like trying canoeing or going skiing.

“In 2013 I decided that mine would be to write

People

a book. That’s where it all started. I have had no official training.”

After pitching several ideas to publishers and having them rejected, Clare was almost going to give up. That was until she heard the winning phrase and the publishers loved it.

She says: “It was an eventful day when I found out the publishers wanted to take me on. I was going to meet them in this pub in North Devon and they were coming from Cornwall but they were two-and-a-half hours late. I sat in this pub on my own and people just kept coming and going.

“I called my husband and asked him if he thought I should go home because I had no signal and I couldn’t get hold of anybody. He said I should just leave.

“Then they called and apologised and said about meeting another time but I had sat there for hours so I said I could wait.

“They asked if the pub served food and I said yes so I waited. As soon as they walked in the landlord said ‘I hope you give this lady the job – she has been waiting for three hours!’.”

That seemed to do the trick because they told Clare there and then that they loved her idea and wanted to publish the book. After

would love to write one for her daughter, Sienna.

“I’m just trying to find the time to work on that at the moment.

“I don’t know if the main character will be called Sienna yet,” she says.

“The book will stand alone from Aerodynamics of Biscuits but there will be similar characters.

Finding the title for this new idea has been the hardest part.

“I want to find something as catchy as my first book.”

There is one story which is Sienna’s favourite

From the book.. .

THE PIRATE MICE WERE NOT EATING THE BISCUITS. THE PIRATE MICE WERE MAKING ... ROCKETS! AERODYNAMIC BISCUIT ROCKETS TO FLY TO THE MOON! SNEAKY MCSQUEAKY ORDERED, ‘CLIMB ABOARD! LET’S GET US SOME CHEDARRRRR!’ ...BUT THE FLAPJACKS WERE TOO HEAVY... THE WAFERS, TOO LIGHT. THE SHORTBREAD WAS TOO CRUMBLY, AND THE ONES WITH NUTS WERE TERRIBLY UNCOMFORTABLE. JUST WHEN THE PIRATE MICE THOUGHT ALL HOPE WAS LOST, ‘I’LL BUILD YOU A ROCKET!’ OLIVER SAID.

a few discussions and a change of endings, an illustrator was found and the book is now available to buy.

“The publishers found the illustrator, Sophia Touliatou, who had illustrated lots of French books. She had some trouble drawing the rocket because she didn’t know how to do it out of biscuits. So I did an initial sketch of that bit.

“The publishers were going to contact three illustrators but as soon as we saw Sophia’s drawings we knew we wanted her to do the book. She had just done these really simple spreads and they were amazing.”

Already Aerodynamics of Biscuits has been shipped to Australia and is selling fast here in the UK. Clare is busy planning new stories and

that is about a goat getting stuck in some railings and lots of different places. Sienna was in the car the other day and she was climbing over the seats and she got stuck, but she quoted the book and said ‘I’m not stuck, I’m just resting.’ It was funny and really lovely that she’s saying the story back to me.”

Now the book is finally out, Clare can enjoy it with her family, including husband James, who she admits is a bit sick of her talking about ideas!

IN THE LINE OF FIRE Chantelle Taylor was the first woman to shoot a Taliban insurgent at close quarters during the conflict in Afghanistan.

Louise Daniel talks to her about being a woman in the military and how being a rebel can be useful under fire

{ Health & Beauty {

F

inding solace in war sounds like a dangerous way to discover who you really are, what your limits may be and where you belong. That is exactly what Chantelle Taylor, the highly trained former soldier who hit headlines in 2011 as the first female to kill a Taliban insurgent during the war in Afghanistan has done. I’m talking to her at a Plymouth base before she heads back to the Middle East – this time as a civilian instructor following a stint with the American Department of Defence and as an armed private bodyguard to a highly placed diplomatic envoy to the Middle East.

A self-confessed troubled youngster, Chantelle kicked against authority and was markedly antiestablishment until she joined the Army in 1998.

In training she pushed hard – in the process putting in motion a very different working life than the one she started with TopShop five years earlier.

“My brother joined the Infantry and I remember saying I was going to join up, off the cuff. I didn’t really mean it I just said it. When people asked me if I was joining the army I’d say ‘yes I am’.

“I thought have to now because I said it,” she laughs.

‘A lot of the guys didn’t appreciate that I was full on, and, to an extent formidable.

But that was my armour. Women in the military are different’ PL MAGAZINE | 67

There is a rich seam of stubbornness running through Chantelle and I also get a sense she’s an outsider and a rebel.

So it’s interesting that she joined the military, where people need to toe the line and follow orders. She tells me her strong character was evident from an early age – as a child her parents nicknamed her ‘Maggie Thatcher’ because of her imposing voice.

“Even in work people would say – ‘it’s not what you say, it’s your tone.’”

Her obvious fortitude and determination appears to be tempered by a strong sense of empathy for others which is possibly why her skill as a medic and a solider came together so well. After tough tours in the damp heat of Sierra Leone, the Baltic iciness of Kosovo and the searing desert heat of Iraq, Chantelle deployed to Afghanistan in 2008 with 16 Air Assault Brigade as a combat medic.

While on a four-day reconnaissance patrol Chantelle’s patrol pack of seven vehicles (including half a company of people, interpreters and medics) came under fire.

“There was a calm before the storm and I can remember feeling butterflies, sick, and having jelly legs.”

Perhaps a surprising reaction from a soldier, but Chantelle tells me it’s a very human response which soldiers are trained to deal with.

People

CHANTELLE WITH SISTER ANDREA, BROTHERS MARK, TONY AND DAVID

AS A BA

BY WITH

MUM B

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ETH

ON D WITH MUM

WITH DA STON D KEVIN AN EHOU SE CR D BROTHE R MA EEK

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WRITING

BETH

“It’s about controlling the fear – it will be there whether you control it or not – it’s how quick you come out of it.”

Once she’d taken stock of the situation, Chantelle realised her whole career had primed her for this moment, in the thick of battle.

“I always wanted to be on the sharp end, and the tours in Sierra Leone, Kosovo and my tactical training had prepared me. To be honest, I was a tiny bit excited. This is where I wanted to be.”

An RPG (rocket propelled grenade) exploded and mayhem followed. She ducked down, looked up and saw rounds pinging off the turret of her vehicle. Immediately she knew where the rapid fire was coming from and that her vehicle couldn’t withstand a sustained onslaught.

“My infantry brain kicked in, I popped back up and immediately got eyes on him (the Taliban insurgent) and engaged.”

Chantelle fired a total of seven shots and killed the shooter who was around 30 metres away, but didn’t have time to take stock or think too deeply about what it meant other than better him

than me or my team.

“You don’t think about it at the time because you’re under fire. Right then I wasn’t a medic, I was a soldier doing what I was trained to do.”

It may seem a far cry from her childhood home in Plymouth but the camaraderie and bonding she experienced with her muckers in the service bears some similarity with her gang of childhood friends in Stonehouse. Chantelle, 39, is of a particular generation who made dens and spent a lot of time in the outdoor rough and tumble of the pre-internet age.

The youngest of five, Chantelle was a tomboy among a group of lads which included her brothers Mark and Tony. “Nothing was expected of us – we weren’t looked upon as girls. I loved it – we were free to grow up.”

Raised on a council estate by mum Beth and dad Kevin, she was taught the value of graft – her parents worked hard to buy their house.

“Those ideals were passed on to us, you just don’t give up – you have to get through even 68 | PL MAGAZINE

when the times aren’t ideal.”

I wonder what it was like to be a woman in the largely male dominated world of the military.

“The older I get the more I realise that’s an important question. I remember early on a corporal said some sexually disgusting and unacceptable things to me. I can laugh at any joke but I won’t have it directed at me. I lost it and confronted him and told him not to speak to me like that – he was rightly embarrassed.”

She acknowledges she was sometimes hard on the women who worked with her.

“I was a strong character but some younger women were a bit naive and liked attention. I’d never been that person. I was lucky I’d learned from growing up with lads. A lot of the guys didn’t appreciate that I was full on, and to an extent formidable. That was my armour. Women in the military are different. It’s a fact. It doesn’t mean we should be treated any differently.

Read more in Battleworn: The memoir of a combat medic in Afghanistan by Chantelle Taylor.

Unit 9B Forresters Business Park Estover close Plymouth PL6 7PL

01752 696989 www.stormsealsw.co.uk

Christmas Fayre at Mount Edgcumbe

The 12th year, and better than ever!

Upgrade your conservatory with the new Livin roof.

Call Now for your free quotation!

Saturday 12th December 10am - 5pm Sunday 13th December 10am - 4pm See inspirational cooking demonstrations from West Country chefs and maybe pick up a few tips.

01752 696989

©LW

Plymouth Vintage Vinyl

Lots of local produce for your culinary delight.

RECORD AND VINTAGE SHOP Could You have cash in your attic?

Beautiful floral displays by Duchy College students available to purchase.

We also buy records, record players and vintage items Open Every Friday 10-6 and Saturday 9.30-6

Choose from a wide variety of local gifts and crafts.

EXTRA OPENING TIMES POSTED ON FACEBOOK

Tel: 07414 085484 or email: plymouththvintagevinyl@gmail.com 1a Moorland Road, The Ridgeway, Plympton, Pl7 2BH

60’s

50’s

90’s

Plus a programme full of entertainment, a family activity zone and you can even visit Santa in his Grotto!

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Travel

GRAB A PISTE OF THE

M

ction

It may not be the first choice for a ski holiday, but slopes in the former Yugoslavia are a dream for adventurous skiers, says Nick McAvaney

y mother’s childhood advice runs through my mind as I watch my new Slovenian friend, Blaz, zigzag down a slope on one ski. I fire a snowball in his direction as he closes in, which he takes in good humour.

To be honest, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had cartwheeled down the mountain. Every Slovenian I meet on my long weekend in the former Republic of Yugoslavia appears to have been born with a set of skis in their hands.

The people here embrace snow, and it certainly doesn’t bring the country to a grinding halt, as I realise when my flight lands in what appears to be a foot of the white stuff, at Ljubljana’s airport.

Within 30 minutes, I’m already heading up in a lift to Krvavec Ski Resort, where I soon discover the pistes are far less crowded than elsewhere in Western Europe.

But as I carve up the slopes, I’m staggered to discover so few Brits come here.

“Most of our tourists are local,” Blaz explains.

“We only get maybe 800 people from the UK in a year.”

Along with the area’s ski potential, it also has some of the most impressive mountain scenery

‘Apparently, Agatha Christie visited the area in 1967 and declared she would not base any of her stories here, as it is too beautiful for a murder’

in Europe - particularly in Bohinj, part of the Julian Alps.

Apparently, Agatha Christie visited the area in 1967 and declared she would not base any of her stories here, as it is too beautiful for a murder. I can see her point as I rise above the icy water of Lake Bohinj, on a ski lift taking me to Vogel Ski Centre, one of the premier ski resorts in the country.

I slide down and around all 22.1km of the area’s intermediate and beginner runs. None of them are especially difficult for an experienced skier, which leaves me with ample time to absorb the glorious scenery and brilliant sunshine basking the mountains.

After taking it easy, I realise it’s time to set myself a challenge. I head to the Triglav Pokljuka Sports Centre, about 45km away on Pokljuka Plateau, to take part in some biathlon training, combining cross-country skiing and rifle shooting.

My coach for the day is Matej Kordez, who also guides the Slovenian Olympic team, so I know I’m in for a good workout.

After a short training session, Matej says I’m ready to tackle the undulating course at the World Cup facility, which is one of the few that is also open to the public.

“Tuck in, bottom out,” I repeat to myself

as I slide along the pre-carved tracks around the course. I try to blast my way up the hills in perfect Olympic style, pushing my skis out at an angle to propel forward, before failing miserably and sliding back down.

But I do master the walking motion required to power along the snow in the inch-wide skis used in biathlon, much to my coach’s delight.

Next, we move on to the shooting range.

Breathe, hold, shoot - ping!

“Bravo!” he yells as I clip five of five targets.

“A natural.” Sadly there are no podiums nearby for me to grace, so I thank my tutor for his expert guidance and assure him I would love to return, even in summer, to experience the miles of cycling and hiking trails the centre has to offer.

That night, I reflect on my newfound confidence in my skiing and shooting abilities over a succulent Slovenian dinner of sausage, pasta, potatoes and fish, at the Rocnjek farm on the fringe of the plateau. The delightfully homely decorations in the farm-stay’s restaurant make it feel like I’m having dinner at my grandma’s house. The calorific meal sets me up for my last day of skiing at Kranjska Gora, an area larger than Vogel but with the same coverage of pistes.

It’s also the busiest resort in the region, but I find it easy to avoid large groups of skiers, as I carve my way through the alpine terrain.

There are 10km of red and black runs on the mountain, appealing to more advanced skiers and foolhardy weekenders like myself, so I head straight to the top.

I’m thankful that stereotypes of crumbling socialist-era ski lifts and poorly-maintained runs are nothing but that, and my safety is assured as I cruise through the fresh powder.

I abandon my skis temporarily when I decide to tackle an ice wall close to the mountain. It’s a task I find it difficult to master and halfway up the 30-metre climb, I start to feel searing pain shooting through my arms.

“You need to push with your legs, not pull with your arms,” my instructor yells, as I complain of fatigue. But the cold and my lack of strength are too much and I give in. Always leave wanting more, I tell myself, as I slowly descend.

Later, I sit down with Blaz in a traditional Slovenian pub, under a portrait of former revolutionary leader Josip Broz Tito, and we discuss his fondness for the old country.

“Tito did a lot of good as well as bad things during his time,” he says. “Now we’re on our own. But we’re doing OK, don’t you think?”

Pausing to reflect on the miles of pristine alpine skiing and beautiful Lake Bohinj, I have to agree.

PL MAGAZINE | 71

Out & About

Oh yes IT IS! Is it panto season? Oh yes it is! From star-studded professional productions to amateur dramatics, there’s a wealth of pantomimes to keep you entertained this December.

Rachael Dodd reports

Cinderella, Theatre Royal, Plymouth,

Aladdin, Wranglers Theatre Group, Muse

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Princess

December 18 to January 16

Theatre, Lipson Co-operative Academy,

Theatre Torquay,December 11 to January 3

Fetch your glass slippers and get ready to have a ball with Theatre Royal Plymouth’s panto, Cinderella.

Everyone’s favourite fashion-guru Gok Wan plays the Fairy Gokmother complete with silver cape and haute couture knee-high, glittering boots.

Joining Gok will be comedy ventriloquist Paul Zerdin – putting on his favourite waistcoat to play Cinders’ friend-zoned pal Buttons.

The famous rags-to-riches story will be brought magically to life in a sumptuous production which promises entertainment for all ages; an abundance of comedy, stunning sets, outrageous costumes and, of course, some magic mice.

December 1 to 5

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the Princess Theatre we go for traditional family pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Don’t forget to boo the evil Queen as she tries to poison poor Snow White. Will her seven dwarf friends save the day and let true love conquer all? The show features soap star Marcus Patrick, X Factor’s David Heath and comedian Aiden J Harvey.

Wranglers Theatre Group will be presenting the well-known tale of Aladdin for their Christmas panto this year. Cleverly adapted by in-house writer Geoff Coventry, the show is a family affair with the usual delightful songs and dances, fabulous costumes and above all a good helping of comedy.

The title role of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine are played by Claire Field and Georgia Parnell.

Wrangler’s regular Gareth Davis will play Dame Widow Twankey.

Gareth’s son Ben appears as the cheeky Genie of the lamp with The Spirit of the Ring played by Sam Ansell.

Another familiar face will be Jon Clarke who will be playing Widow Twankey’s lazy hapless son Wishee Washee and reprising his role of the wicked Abanazar will be Wrangler’s writer Geoff Coventry. The cast are under the baton of director and choreographer Wendy Holmes who brings her usual magic touch to the show.

Visit www.thewranglers.co.uk for tickets

00 MAGAZINE | PL MAGAZINE PL | 72

Jack And The Beanstalk, Devonport Playhouse, December 2 to 5 Touchwood Theatre Company always put on a real show for their Christmas panto. This year they take on Jack And The Beanstalk. When Jack trades his beloved cow for a handful of beans his mother thinks he’s lost his marbles.

But when the beans grow into a beanstalk so tall it stretches beyond the clouds he doesn’t look quite so foolish. What will Jack find when he reaches the top? Written by John Morley with direction by Karen Lambert and production

by David Bailey - the company’s production promises fun for all the family.

John Moore

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Out & About

A festive

FOLK STAR

Kate Rusby is one of the most humble but celebrated English folk musicians of the 21st century. She has wowed audiences for more than 20 years but will never go after fame and fortune, she tells Emily Smith

W

ith a winter tour underway and a Plymouth date on the calendar, folk star Kate Rusby is excited to be back on the road playing tracks from her new Christmas album The Frost is All Over.

“The audience in Plymouth is fantastic so we’re really looking forward to coming,” says Kate.

“I hope everyone will have their voices warmed up ready to have a right good sing!”

The mother-of-two has her own parents’ romantic love story to thank for her own music career.

She says: “My mum and dad met through folk music. My mum was in a band and my dad had a banjo and a van so it was a match made in heaven!

“My parents were always playing and singing around the house and in the car, so me, my brother and sister were picking up songs from the word go.”

Folk music has had a revival in the last few years, thanks to bands such as Mumford and Sons and the South West’s very own Seth Lakeman.

Kate is at the forefront with her stunning stage presence and heartfelt lyrics.

The singer admits that it’s her admiration of storytelling that made her fall in the love with folk music.

“Without a doubt it’s the stories in folk music

that appeal to me the most, and the simplicity.

“Folk music is the music of the common man, and the themes that run the strongest through the tradition are everyday thoughts and lives,” she says.

“Folk music addresses human emotions like no other genre of music; love, loss, happiness and on it goes.

“The songs are as relevant now as they were when they were written however long ago that was.

“Some of the songs are like mini films – you get the characters set up at the beginning, and then you hear what happens to them.

“By the end you can be on the edge of your seat waiting to hear what happens to the characters.

“However we arrange a song, I always try to make sure that the story can be heard first and foremost, if anything gets in the way of that then there’s no point singing it, as you won’t get the same effect.”

Being recognised as one of the “Top Ten Folk Voices of the Century” when she was 26 years old, has led Kate to have the career she has deserved but she reveals that it’s all about opinion.

Never one to let an award go to her head, the singer is just doing what she has always wanted to do.

She says: “It was very lovely to be recognised but that’s just one person’s opinion, the next person would have a different list, just as you or I would!

74 | PL MAGAZINE

“When you make albums and play gigs you leave yourself open for criticism, it’s all part of it but also people say nice things too and that’s always very lovely. To be honest I don’t read reviews for that very reason, it’s just one person’s opinion. I have also known in this business that some people will hate what I do and hopefully some people will like it, you can never please everyone.”

Kate lives in Yorkshire with her husband, two young daughters and her dog.

Although she is touring up and down the country and selling thousands of albums, she knows it’s important to keep reality in balance with fame.

“I have a very grounded, normal home life; a gorgeous husband, two girls (three and six) and a dog. When I am home, I am mum and it’s all about school, homework and washing and that’s just how I like it,” she smiles.

“I have never been an ambitious person, in fact I am quite shy. I just feel so lucky to play gigs up and down the country and I am genuinely touched that so many people give up their evenings to come along and see me.

“It takes a certain kind of personality to partake in all that big-headed, ego-driven rubbish of being rude to people and demanding things. I just don’t understand it, they should be humble and kind and understand how lucky they are.”

Kate Rusby is at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on Sunday, December 6.

Social Diary

Thrive Hubs

Plymouth’s new £1 million business hub was officially opened in front of 200 people – and is promising to be the baby version of a bigger development at the former Western Morning News ship in Derriford.

76 | PL MAGAZINE

Social Diary

Pentillie Castle ladies luncheon

Bob and Annie Lindo of the Camel Valley Vineyard were the special guests at the inaugural Ladies Luncheon at Pentillie Castle in South East Cornwall.

Around 60 ladies enjoyed a glass of the vineyardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gold-medal winning Pinot Noir Rose Brut before a delicious two-course lunch. A second ladiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lunch is planned in the new year.

PL MAGAZINE | 77

Social Diary

Best Bar None Awards

The cream of Plymouthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pubs and clubs were honoured at the 2015 Best Bar None awards ceremony. The awards dinner, a popular event in the licensing industry calendar, was held at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, compered by TV presenter David FitzGerald.

78 | PL MAGAZINE

Social Diary

The Insurance Institute and Personal Finance Society of Plymouth & Cornwall dinner A revamped Plymouth dinner for the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insurance and personal finance sectors has been praised as a success. The Insurance Institute and Personal Finance Society of Plymouth & Cornwall dinner, at the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, attracted more than 200 professionals.

PL MAGAZINE | 79

Social Diary

Greedy Goose first anniversary Drinks and canapes were served to guests at a party to mark the first birthday of the Greedy Goose restaurant. Chef patron Ben Palmer and his partner Francesca greeted guests to Prestyn House for the evening.

80 | PL MAGAZINE

Social Diary

Drakes Jewellers gala dinner A charity auction, dancing and top notch food were on the menu at the Drakes Jewellers glitterying gala evening at Plymouthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Holiday Inn hotel.

PL MAGAZINE | 81

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