WMN on Sunday - West Magazine 5 October by DCMedia

05.10.14

Star child Torquay’s new film star, age 12 INSIDE: + HOW TO THINK YOURSELF THIN +W INTER FASHION

DONT MISS:

+W IN TICKETS TO THE BIG FOOD SHOW

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PLUS +M INI BREAKS +R EAL ALE

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01/10/2014 10:46:20

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[ welcome [ Spot anything different?

of the week @wmnwest

Great apple tip from @TimGreenSauce in @WMNWest ‘perfect apples can keep in a cool dark place for a month or two or even longer...!’ CONTACT: westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk Tel: 01392 442250 Twitter @wmnwest

Here at West magazine, we’ve been going now for three whole months. Yes, that is how long we’ve been publishing the new Western Morning News on Sunday, and sneaking in this helpful little mag inside its covers every week. To celebrate, West mag has been given even more space to entertain, amuse and - hey - even inform you. The TV pages have headed off to the Living section of the newspaper, giving us a lot more space for lifestyle, shopping, stories and more. So I’d like to welcome a couple of new, soon-tobe-regular, faces to the West team. Kate Shirazi is a superb cake baker, who pretty much singlehandedly started the cupcake trend a few years back. Today, she runs the fabulous Cakeadoo-

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dledo shop/cafe in Exeter, and has kindly agreed to write a recipe for us every week. Turn to page 37 for Kate’s fabulous Cake of the Week. Also on the food and drink front, I’d like to introduce Cornwall’s wonderful Darren Norbury. He is going to be writing for us on all things beer every week, with the story of matching food and ale as his starting point this week, on p43. We also have a fantastic interview with the Westcountry’s newest film star, Lily Laight of Torquay, pictured above. Only 12 and already a veteran of two West End shows, Lily is what’s known as a triple threat: she can sing, dance and act. And she’s about to star in an romcom movie - meet her this week in West.

Lily is what is known as a ‘triple threat’: she can sing, dance and act...

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Becky Sheaves, Editor

COVER IMAGE: Matt Austin

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Gillian Molesworth

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Phil Goodwin 3

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01/10/2014 13:42:40

A WEEKEND IN ROCK where to stay, what to do

The Devon teenager heading for the red carpet

The Cornish way to get the beach house look

The latest looks for winter warmth, put to the test

ONE TO WATCH

‘There are plenty of evergreens to smarten up your planters, from ferns such as hart’s tongue through sedges and shrubs’ -Gardening P28

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HORSES GALORE Meet the Westcountry equestriennes

COASTAL COOL

Inside this week... 6 THE WISHLIST What to buy, where to go

8 WHAT’S ON Our pick of the best events in the West

9 MODERN MANORS In which our columnist Kishanda lets rip

12 HOW TO WEAR... Trend expert Kathryn tries (fake) fur

14 STAR CHILD Meet Torquay’s new teen movie star

18 IT’S A GIRL THING Why do women love horses?

24 INTERIORS Getting the luxe coastal look in Cornwall

28 GARDENING Anne Swithinbank on winter containers

31 FIGURE IT OUT Can you zap away love handles?

33 A WEEKEND IN... Your guide to the best West mini breaks

37 CAKE OF THE WEEK Kate Shirazi’s recipe for Malteser cake

43 LET’S TALK BEER Our fab new column on all things ale

ROAD TEST

MAN & BOY

£150k Bentley put to the test A serious case of lazyitis

GARDENING Rethink your pots with Anne Swithinbank

COSY UP

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01/10/2014 13:43:41

If you buy one thing this week... Cornish fashion company Seasalt has just launched a new homeware range that epitomises seaside living. We want it all, but if we had to choose just one thing, it would have to be a set of these nautical towels. Gorgeous, aren’t they?

The wish List Hand towel £14, Bath towel £26, Bath sheet £38 www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk 5

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01/10/2014 10:56:01

Hot cuppa Keep your cafetiere warm with Poppy Treffry’s coffee cosy, made in Penzance £48, www.poppytreffry.co.uk

FRAGRANT And made with natural beeswax, too £4.50, www.wood-knit-bee.com

Great gadgets Jamie Oliver’s new set of beer gadgets. Great man pressie, we think. £9, Debenhams

HEY, SECURITY Sassy toiletry bag £9, www.homecandy.com

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

Boutique of the Week The Orange Tree Darts Farm near Topsham is always worth a visit for wonderful local food, and The Orange Tree lifestyle shop makes it even better. Plenty of purse-tempting items here, from gifts to homeware, scents and kitchenware, lotions, potions, and furniture. Founded in 1998, the shop has won many awards, including best independent retailer in the South West. Stock changes regularly, so there’s always something new to salivate over. Brands include Antipodes, Cath Kidston, Cowshed, culinary Concepts, Kipling, Kniepp, Modalu and Neptune. Visit Darts Farm, Topsham, Exeter EX3 0QH or www.theorangetreeshop.co.uk

Vintage Wooden storage boxes £25, www.pierreetcoco.com

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Wishlist

NAIL CANDY Get bright with New Look polish £3, New Look

Poncho New Look Aztec blanket scarf £19.99, New Look

I love it J’adore jumper, £39.50, Oliver Bonas

SPARKLE

Black flower earrings £14, BHS

Ginger mint

Bored of the usual? Try this toothpaste £5.50, www.pierreetcoco.com

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Events

The hotlist: Our pick of the most fun and interesting events coming up soon in the Westcountry, from food festivals to folk dancing, and more...

Win

Falmouth Oyster Festival 9-12 October

Mark the start of the oyster dredging season in Cornwall with a fourday festival packed with cookery demos, sea shanties, parades and boat races. TV’s James Strawbridge (It’s Not Easy Being Green) will open the show, which takes place in the town’s Events Square.

Halloween fun

25 October - 2 November The Big Sheep near Bideford in North Devon is a farm-themed attraction with rides. It will be holding a Hallowe’en Festival at half term with a scary new Arachnophobia ride, a Haunted Hayride, Haunted House, pumpkin carving, free face painting, and prizes for fancy dress. For more details visit www.thebigsheep.co.uk

The Big Food Show 24-26 October

We have three pairs of tickets (worth £28 each) for Exeter’s fab food show at Westpoint starring John Torode. Email westmag@westernmorningnews by Oct 13 to win! www.thebigfoodshow.com

Lowender Peran 15-19 October

Celebrate Cornwall’s Celtic links to Brittany, Ireland, The Isle of Man and Scotland with this five day event of music, dance, workshops and more in and around Perranporth on the north coast of Cornwall. For details visit the website www.lowenderperan.co.uk

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01/10/2014 13:58:45

My life

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MODERN MANORS

Party politics Kishanda Fulford is the perfect guest... or is she?

o one under the age of about 50 will remember the iconic play ‘Abigail’s Party’. But it was Number 11 in a list, drawn up in 2000 by the British Film Institute, of the ‘100 Greatest British Television Programmes,’. And a Channel 4 reviewer wrote: ‘Abigail’s Party still ranks as the most painful hundred minutes in British comedy-drama.’ The play was about a lower-ish middle class couple who ask their more aspirational new neighbours for ‘drinks’. (There is a sub-plot, as in all good plays, but I will drift over that.) The reason why so many people watched this play, including me, is that you almost feel you are present at Abigail’s party. I began to squirm on my armchair as the action unfolded. ‘Squirm’ is an understatement. We have all been present at a party at which we feel moderately uncomfortable. Some years ago I turned up at a party wearing the same dress as my hostess. And in the same colour. What of the best parties I have been to recently? I arrived at one early as I had been asked to stay the night. My hostess had kindly employed another friend, who was down on her luck, to make the canapes. The canapes were disgusting. However there was nothing we could do about it an hour before the guests arrived – although we tried. Everyone arrived in a gale to have drinks in a marquee. The rain lashed on every guest as they arrived, and left. Those of us who were lucky enough to be asked to supper after drinks were herded into a hall, where a buffet was on offer. This buffet took the biscuit. Something frozen had been plonked on top of salad leaves. I can’t remem-

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ber though what it was, as we were having fun. This after-party party was not structured: there was no bossing about who sat where and, no one – but no-one, cared about what was on their plate as the wind howled. At the table were children of 15, and 75-year-olds and some in-between. A memorable pudding was brought out and we simply had a very merry time. Which leads me

realised, to my horror, that my husband and the E-lister were engaged in a fearsome argument about the Middle East. I could not ignore it, and nor could anyone else. Having had a somewhat trying week (it was then Friday) I yelled at the E-lister: ‘Stop shouting at my husband’. I added, (to be polite), ‘He is not that deaf’. The assembled company fell silent for some time. My husband, who was quietly winning the argument, resented my intervention. I thought about leaving the party. My husband could always take a second taxi home from this soiree but I decided to be brave. I kicked my husband under the table. Did he notice? No. Eventually, I remarked to him, we had to leave as I had to put our son on a very early flight the next morning. My husband, who is well-mannered and was not aware of my fury, kept on talking. I said, ‘I am leaving without you, if you don’t come now’!’ Whereupon the E lister imitated me, ‘I am leaving without you… if you don’t …’ Etc. As we finally left, the ‘E lister’ asked, very loudly, her eyes swivelling in my direction, ‘Who is driving?’ I should have said, ‘Well, I hope it is not you.’ Instead, I meekly said, ‘We are taking a taxi’, and we quietly left. This would not have happened in Abigail’s Party.

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‘Stop shouting at my husband!’ I added, (to be polite), ‘He is not that deaf’ on to a dinner party I have recently attended in London that was worthy of being the subject of a play for today. The candles were lit, and steaks were grilled. I admit, I may not be the ideal guest but I do try to be a good guest. One of our fellow guests was clearly in a grump: she ate her supper and disappeared, having barely addressed a single word to anyone. There was also present at this dinner an E-list celebrity. As we ate, she commented unfavourably about an AAA celebrity that I have met on more than one occasion. The E-lister went on and on about this AAA celeb. I could stand no more – I stopped the conversation and stood up for the star. This did not go down very well. Things after this became tense. Later, I

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Kishanda Fulford lives in Great Fulford, Dunsford, Devon. The house dates back to Norman times and has been continuously occupied by the Fulford family for more than 800 years.

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Grub’s up: Andrew Freemantle and son dish out lunch at their high-welfare pig farm in East Devon Bearing fruit: Rosby Mthinda flew over from Malawi to show the joys of the baobab fruit at The Eden Project

in pictures What an achievement: swimming the River Dart 10k

Aqua Zumbathon: lots of money was raised in Plymouth for Matt Gilbert’s Teenage Cancer Trust

10 feet tall: here’s green-fingered Robson Dare (aged four) in East Devon looking out of his upstairs window

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talking points Radio stars

Medicine Kill or cure: Ten scary Victorian patent remedies

1 Cocaine Toothache Drops 2 M rs Winslow’s Soothing Syrup 3 Hamlin’s Wizard Oil Calling in at Ambridge: famous faces to have been briefly heard (but not seen) on the long running Radio 4 soap

1 Kirstie Allsopp (opened the Ambridge fete)

2 The Pet Shop Boys (suprise headline act at Loxfest)

3 Sir Bradley Wiggins (judged an Ambridge Sport Relief challenge)

4 T he Duchess of Cornwall (visited Ambridge in her role as president of the National Osteoporosis Society)

5 Zandra Rhodes (supported a charity fashion show)

4 L ydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound 5 Fatoff Obesity Cream 6 D r. Bonker’s Celebrated Egyptian Oil 7 W arner’s Safe Diabetes Cure 8 D r Rose’s Arsenic Complexion 9 H arriet Hubbard Ayer’s Moth and Freckle Lotion 10 Dr Seth Arnold’s Cough Killer

The happy list

6 Chris Moyles (called in at The Bull for a pint)

7 Lord Robert Winston (advised Roy and Hayley on fertility issues)

8 Antony Gormley (visited the village fete)

9 Princess Margaret (in connection with a fashion show to commemorate the centenary of the NSPCC.)

10 Colin Dexter (also opened the village fete)

10 things to make you smile this week 1 P umpkins fattening nicely 2 Mini breaks now much cheaper and just as cheerful

Leafy Nature’s fireworks: Top picks for autumn colour from www. majestictrees.co.uk

1 Q uercus rubra (red oak) 2 Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet gum) 3 A cer cappadocicum ‘Rubrum’ (Caucasian maple)

4 Fagus sylvatica (beech) 5 Liliodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)

3 Light evenings make the most of them

4 C onkers mine’s a seven-er 5 Boscastle Food Festival it’s this weekend!

6 Jollyween Pennywell Farm’s half term fun (Oct 27-31)

7 Zipwires try the one at the Eden Project

8 John Torode at Exeter’s the Big Food Show (Oct 24-26)

9 Baked apples with cream 10 Harvest hymns “We plough the fields and scatter...”

Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life... Asking the big questions y friend Siobhan Adcock has just published a book, which is very exciting. Naturally I am shoving my nose into its inky hardbound cover every opportunity I get, letting deadlines pass, pots boil over and children wait stranded at sports clubs. The book is called The Barter. I cannot stop thinking about it. romantic life. The best you can It’s a ghost story, in which an atexpect is for two of those three to torney-turned-stay-at-home-mum be good. Usually, it’s just one. called Bridget is stalked by a ghost. Once you have children, those As the ghost lumbers around her three elements splinter further. house seeking her and her toddler, You’ve got your marriage or partJulie, Bridget starts to unravel. nership, your kids, your work, your The book’s theme is very relsocial life. And then sundries like evant to women of our generation. community service, health conNamely: after you have children, cerns of elderly relatives, cooking what do you have to give up in and keeping house. We really are order to be happy? What would being pulled in all different direcyou barter? tions at once. Because you Maybe it’s somecan’t have it all. You thing that’s not can’t be everything. confined to our Marriage, kids, You can’t be the generation after work, social life... world’s best mum, all. The Barter’s elderly relatives, the world’s best second narrative spouse, and keep follows Rebecca cooking, the your leverage on Hirschfeld who house...We really the career path that we assume is the are being pulled you struggled for. ghost. Rebecca Something’s gotta lives in turn-of-thein all different give. century Texas, and directions at once Of course, moves from a town wouldn’t we give existence to a new anything - everylife as a farmer’s thing - for our children? If it came wife. She learns to bake, do laundown to it, just how much would dry, pluck chickens, make pickle we be willing to barter? One hour and more frontierswoman skills. of ours for one of theirs? Our lives, Then a disastrous wedding night our happiness? drives a rift between her and her That’s the question she’s exploryoung husband. Only their baby ing – from beyond the graaaave. seems to offer hope. What does the I remember when I got my first ghost want to tell Bridget - is it a job in New York City after I graduwarning, or the secret to womated from university. A wise friend anly success? Does she have better said (from the great height of the advice than my friend from New two extra years he had on me): as a York? I’m desperate to find out. So 20-something, you’ve got three eleif you call me and my phone rings ments to your life. You’ve got your out, I apologise in advance. I’m work, your social life, and your surely reading.

Gillian Molesworth is a journalist and mum-of-two who grew up in the USA and moved to north Cornwall when she met her husband 11

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01/10/2014 12:06:14

Trend

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Faux fur Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod goes on the hunt for the perfect winter coat... or should that be coats? love summer, but mirror. I was suddenly v v old Holautumn fashion and lywood starlet. Meeting friends for the endless options drinks in winter would never be the produced by the necessame, and surely the first 39 minutes sity of layering always would be dominated by compliments makes me more than a little excited. for my coat. No! I snapped out of it. Throw the faux fur trend into the mix A shiny midnight-hued pelt has no and I am positively giddy. place on a coast path with wellies. Dolce & Gabbana led the pack at Next, I stumbled upon a leopard print the AW 14 shows with a dark fairycropped short-haired jacket. Immeditale aesthetic that included embelately I was a member of The Saturlished capes, fur hoods and naturedays, totally dripping sass and finger inspired motifs. But as stunning and snapping to my favourite beats. My enchanting as the six-foot-something boring practical side told me that, creatures looked, wafting down thealthough cute to the max, this comcatwalk, how can you and I nod to the pact number wouldn’t offer much trend without looking like Halloween protection against a biting Westcame early? country wind. My next infatuation You want to aim for somewhere inwas a Russian-style fur hat. Sure, it’s between Game of commanding, in a Thrones and girlstartling kind of next-door, veerway, but I can pull The real beauty ing one way or the it off, right? A few of faux fur? It other depending picture messages on the occasion. were sent out to suits everyone, The real beauty of my trusted friends there is something faux fur? It suits and their mirth everyone. There brought me swiftundeniably romantic is something unly back to earth. and luxurious about deniably romanFancy asking if I tic and luxurious was joking! I don’t having its soft shine about having its jest about headdraped around your soft shine draped wear, ever. person around your I was very nearly person. I found totally dejected this gorgeous when I found The number when on the hunt for a coat One. The perfect blend of textures that could take me from a long walk and a mix of usefulness and style, I on a coast path to a roast and red wine may have actually heard the singing in my favourite country pub. It needed of angels when I tried it on. The touchto be feminine, elegant, yet edgy and able fur collar satisfied my need for outdoorsy. luxury, the leather sleeves added edgiIt was a tricky journey, all the way ness while the utilitarian black made roudnhte shopping centre at Exeter’s it right at home outdoors. Princesshay. On the way to finding I left the store and had every inten‘the one’ I fell in love with some diftion of heading to my car, but it was ferent pieces, and letting go was hard. as is a spell had been cast on my feet. My first infatuation of the day was a Before I knew it I was buying the black black fur short coat. It was the very fur number too. All fairy tales need a definition of glamour, and I was hyphappy ending and, after all, winter is notised by the transformation in the coming.

MAIN PHOTO KATHRYN CLARKE-MCLEOD GOES ON THE HUNT FOR FAUX FUR IN PRINCESSHAY

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RIVER ISLAND Riding-style knee boots with chain detail £60

RIVER ISLAND Puritan Urban coat £90

MISS SELFRIDGE Black luxe faux fur parka £95

GET THE

look

MISS SELFRIDGE Short fur collar cardigan £39

CREW CLOTHING Sterling jacket in amethyst £135

NEXT Faux fur gilet £42

RIVER ISLAND chain trim slouch bag £32

MISS SELFRIDGE faux fur stole £25 13

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01/10/2014 12:22:28

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Interview LILY LAIGHT

Stars in her eyes From a Torquay talent show to acting in a major movie which opens this week, actress Lily Laight, aged 12, is one to watch, Gillian Molesworth discovers ily Laight lives two separate lives. One is a career on stage and screen that any pre-teen would dream of (yes, she’s only 12) – flying around the world, rubbing shoulders with stars and choosing a dress to wear for the red carpet premiere of her new film Love, Rosie, which takes place tomorrow night in London’s West End. At home in Devon, by contrast, she walks the dog, helps with housework, and studies grammar and algebra with her mum, Rebecca. Lily opens the door to her Torquay home with her long blonde hair loosely curled, in a flowery shift dress. “Monty!” is the first thing that Lily says, scooping up a vigorously barking, improbably cute dog (also blonde). I hear how he is a rescue dog, who came all the way from Lanzarote. Monty clearly gets top billing in this household. “Sorry, I stayed up late,” says Lily, stifling a yawn as we go into the sitting room. Rebecca follows carrying steaming mugs. “It was the last night of our play.” She folds her legs underneath her on the sofa and deposits Monty beside her, wiggling a dog toy for him. Lily’s referring to West End Now, a musical revue at the Babbacombe Theatre in Torquay. It was at this small but much-loved theatre that Lily was first talent-spotted, at the age of seven. These days, much as Lily still enjoys appearing in local shows, a wider world is most definitely beckoning. She has already appeared in the West End in Matilda and Les Miserables. But her latest role - in Love, Rosie - looks set to send her career onto a whole new level. The movie was filmed in Canada and Dublin, and is a romantic comedy starring Lily Collins (daughter of rock star Phil Collins) and Sam Clafin, best known for his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Lily Collins recently said in an interview that working with Lily was the ‘highlight’ of her summer. “I think actually playing a mum is my favourite memory,” she said. “I was just in Dublin

for two and a half months filming Love Rosie and I got to be a mum to this lovely young actress, Lily Laight.” Lily says she, too, loved the whole filming process, although there was a shock when she first read the script. “I came running downstairs and said: ‘Mum, you didn’t tell me there was a kiss!” Lily’s voice becomes strong and dramatic – all that vocal training put to good effect. She explains: “I play a tomboy called Katie, and she starts off with a boy as a best friend. Then their relationship changes. “The weird thing was that the kiss scene was the first one we filmed, on top of this skyscraper in Toronto. Then we had to film earlier scenes afterward, the part where we were just friends. It felt really strange because we had already done the kiss.” But such things are becoming all part of a day’s work for Lily, whose career started with a talent contest: “She came in holding a copy of the Herald Express, and said ‘Mum! There’s a talent competition at the Babbacombe. Third prize is £100.’ She wanted the money to buy a laptop,” remembers mum Rebecca. “She said, ‘I’m going to sing Baltimore from Hairspray,’ which we’d been to see. She’d been going to ballet lessons locally, but the singing was her own thing. She came third, and she got her £100 pounds, and she got spotted by the Sylvia Young Agency. Within six weeks we were invited to audition for Matilda, the musical.” It was a once in a lifetime opportunity: to work with the Royal Shakespeare Company on a major new production, an adaptation of the book by Roald Dahl. But it was also a crossroads for Lily’s Devonbased family. The RSC was only inviting children who lived within Greater London and the M25 to audition for the play, thanks to its intense rehearsal schedule. “There were eight rounds of auditions, and they were up to seven hours each,” remembers Rebecca. 15

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Lily on the set of Doc Martin

“We were offered a scholarship to the Sylvia Young school, but we would still need accommodation. “It really was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It all happened at once – in July we got a phone call at 7am to say that Lily had got the role of Amanda Thripp, and that rehearsals started in 10 days.” “We skipped school and played crazy golf that day,” Lily remembers. Lily, then nine, was one of the three teams of child actors that performed in the hit musical. “I liked the rehearsals best,” she recalls. “There was always something happening, always someone teaching you something. During breaks we used to go play in the park – we had a game we used to play on the climbing frames. I made loads of friends. “Being on stage performing was really, really good too. It was so exciting.” At this point in the interview, needing a stretch, Lily stands up to practice some pirouettes in the middle of the room. So Rebecca made arrangements to hand over her Torquay businesses - one teaching dance and the other offering “fish spa” pedicures - and moved to London to be with her daughter. They shared a rented room in Clapham. “It was hard at first,” she said. “It felt a long way away and we missed Ellis, my husband and Lily’s dad. At first I just walked the streets while Lily was rehearsing or at school, I didn’t have anything to do. “But I got a job as a chaperone for the theatre kids, and we settled into a routine. “It was amazing training for her, and she learned so much, but by the end of the run we were exhausted. It had been two years, and 500 miles to drive at the weekends, and we were tired. It was the right time to stop.” By the time she left Matilda, Lily had other jobs lined up. One was in the much-anticipated British movie of Les Miserables. Another was in the thriller In Secret, based on Emile Zola’s 1867 classic Thérèse Raquin and starring, among others, Jessica Lange. Alas, a scheduling conflict meant that Lily could not do both, which felt like a blow at the time. “I said to Lily, ‘in a year or two’s time, you’ll be the kid who turned down Les Mis’,” laughs Rebecca. “As it turned out, the role that we did choose was the one that led to her next movie – Love, Rosie. So, everything happens for a reason. 16

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“I think someone’s looking out for us.” Lily has also gained television experience along the way, appearing in shows such as Doc Martin and The Comic Strip. Perhaps unsurprisingly, her busy schedule means that home schooling has been the only feasible option for her education. But like any 12-year-old, Lily has lessons, and homework, albeit with her mother. She is studying towards her GCSEs, for which she is on track and, in fact, a little bit ahead. After all, she’s had a lot of practice memorising lines. “I don’t really like doing my school work,” says Lily, wrinkling her nose. “Some days I do a lot of work but then sometimes I have days off. I do miss seeing my friends every day. I see a few at gymnastics and dance, but it’s not really the same as being in school.” Rebecca clearly keeps a sharp eye on her daughter at all times, making sure nothing is too much for her. I wonder if she’s been ever seen as a pushy parent. In fact, Rebecca was a stage star herself back in the day, treading the boards in productions such as Me and My Gal, The Sound of Music and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. And Rebecca’s mum was one of the “Television Toppers”, a jazzy dance troupe in tights and top hats who starred in programmes like the Black and White Minstrel Show. “It’s interesting,” Rebecca muses. “If your kid is, say, into athletics, and you’re encouraging them and driving them round to practices and to meets, you’re seen as a supportive parent. But as soon as you get into showbusiness it’s quite a different thing. “Her dad and I are here to support Lily doing

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what she has chosen, and she’s fortunate that she’s had so many opportunities. We are only choosing roles for her that allow her to develop and grow. “I was on the stage at a young age and loved it, and Lily’s father was a full-time professional footballer. Both of us have been privileged to earn a living from our passion, and we understand what that’s like, and the value of it. “The difficult part comes now – how to sustain success once you’ve had a bit of it. This is a particularly tricky time. You see lots of child stars, but not many of them translate that through the next step. “But as I’ve always said to Lily, if she wants to quit and become a vet, that’s fine. We’ll support Lily whatever she wants to do.” But being a vet doesn’t have quite the same perks, and Lily seems set on a life as a performer. After all, vets don’t usually get to meet people like Phil Collins’ daughter, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Felton (in the Harry Potter movies) and Martin Clunes. And there aren’t many 12-year-olds who earn serious money, either. “She gets to spend some of her earnings, but most of it is being put away for her,” says Rebecca. “We’re thinking of buying a property to let out in Torquay – and putting her investment in bricks and mortar.” Rebecca and Ellis are totally committed to supporting their daughter’s career – so much so that Rebecca drives the three hours to Yeovil for Lily’s singing lessons. But it all seems to be paying off. These days, Lily is being tipped to be the next Keira Knightley. She even has the same agent as the Pirates of the

Caribbean star. So could this 12-year-old from Torquay be on the brink of mega-stardom? Lily laughs nervously and attacks Monty on the floor with his dog toy. It’s not a question she wants to answer. “We don’t think like that, because it’s a fickle world, and she’s only a little girl,” says Rebecca. “We just enjoy the opportunities. It’s a road. We enjoy it for as long as it takes us somewhere. Then we get back to normal living. We’re not waiting for the phone to ring – we’re living our life, in Devon.” So only time will tell whether Lily does indeed go on to be a superstar, but for now she is certainly enjoying her life. Watch this space. Love, Rosie, starring Lily Laight, opens in cinemas wednesday October 22.

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‘Being on stage performing was really, really good. It was so exciting’

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People

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HORSES

A sense of freedom

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Right across the Westcountry, women devote themselves to all things equestrian. Here, three very different horse-fanatics explain why their (often expensive and at times dangerous) hobby means so much to them

Photo: Steven Haywood 19

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Xxxxxx

Phoebe Putt Phoebe Putt, 23, from Denbury, near Newton Abbot in South Devon is studying to be a vet at Bristol University. She has ridden all her life and is pictured here with her pony Lindoo. Phoebe says: Mum put me on a Dartmoor pony at the age of three, dragged me round the lanes and that was it, I was hooked. I’ve ridden ever since, as have my two younger sisters. Like a lot of boys, my brother is more take-it-or-leaveit though he can ride and does find it fun at times. The first horse that really meant a lot to me was a chestnut Connemara mare called Shipton Ocean Mystery, or Mystery for short. I was 11 when I first saw her and it was love at first sight. I just adored her. Together we did absolutely everything through Pony Club - games, showjumping, eventing. She was tough, hardy, cheeky but reliable. When I galloped her on the moors, I just felt – this is what she was born to do. She loved going out and about competing so much that she would literally load herself into the trailer – I would just walk in after her and tie her up. I had Mystery for three blissful years and got as far as the Pony Club national championships on her, which was such a thrill. It all came to a very sad end when she had a horrible accident and had to be put down. Somehow, one November, she managed to get her rug caught up on a fence and either had a fit or struggled so much she flipped right over the fence. She was paralysed and never stood up again. Saying goodbye to her was so very sad. I was only 14. I remember sitting with her wishing there was something I could do, and feeling so helpless. That was the beginning of me wanting to be a vet. I’m just going into my fourth year studying Veterinary Science now. I would love to think I could become an equine vet. Horses are expensive and I’m lucky that my family is so horsey. My grandmother has a yard and we keep our horses with her, and my mum was the District Commissioner of our local Pony Club. It can be a double-edged sword, though, when your mum is your riding teacher. With three daughters, there have been times of flouncing off and tantrums over the years, and mum is left there saying: “Look, I’m only trying to help you.” Because we’ve never had enough money to buy just exactly what we wanted, without a thought to the cost, we’ve brought on young horses and tried to develop their potential. Lindoo, this lovely dapple grey pony, is a case in point. She is very brave, well-behaved and with huge scope 20

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People Helen West over jumps. But I won’t be keeping her, as she needs to go on now and make a little girl really happy, as Mystery did for me when I was in my teens. I’d love to have a forever horse of my own, perhaps when I’m finished with my studies. The closest I’ve come recently was a horse called Promise, who I had for 18 months between my A levels and going to university. I devoted my whole gap year to her and she was absolutely my dream horse. By the time I sold her, she was jumping Foxhunter classes, in which the jumps are about 1 metre 20 cm high. She was only five, and has gone on to do brilliantly. She is so beautiful, chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail. Wherever I went on her, people would just stop and stare, she was so eye-catching. Promise and I had such a bond, such teamwork. It was really tough to sell her but I had to be sensible. I knew she was just too good to leave standing in a field when I was at university. It would not have been fair on her. Why are horses so special to me? I think it is because they are so athletic, so powerful and you work together as a team. In every way, it’s such an exciting, fulfilling sport. I am sure I will always have horses in my life.

Helen West, 33, competes at national level as an event rider. She is manager of the top equestrian centre Bicton Arena in East Devon. Here, she tells of her lifelong love affair with horses, which has become an all-consuming career Helen says: I started riding at the age of six, and I’ve always had a competitive streak. My parents weren’t horsey at all – my dad never sat on a horse in his life – but they were right behind me. I’m very lucky that they have supported me the way they have. They even sold their house in Torquay to buy a stable yard for me. My first pony was a little 12hh bay mare called Babycham, and my second was Camdown Curlew, who had belonged to champion rider Emma Hindle. I competed in dressage with Curlew up to Prix St Georges level. Eventing [a combination of showjumping, cross-country and dressage] is my first love, though, and I spent all my teenage years competing. In 2001 I went to Waregem in Belgium as part of Team GB on a horse I had produced myself – it was quite a high point for me. My 20s were spent aiming for the top events all over the country, at Blenheim, Bramham, Burghley and Badminton. I wanted to compete at the UK’s best courses, and I achieved it. So much preparation goes into competing that level. It takes hours and hours of practice

for both horse and rider. It is a great great sport and I love it, but it is a very hard slog. I train most of my horses myself. It is really rewarding but can also be soul-destroying: you work so hard to bring them up through the grades, and then - because they become valuable - they have to be sold. It was hard balancing the competing and making a living from my own stable yard. I had a couple of nasty falls and I thought, is this really what I want to be doing? I applied for the Bicton job in June last year, never dreaming I’d get it. But I did, and it was a baptism of fire. I had only been here a week when we had the first three-day jumping show. It was different being the organiser of horse trials rather than the competitor, but my background stands me in good stead. Because riders know I’ve competed a lot myself, they respect my decisions. These days, I never know what I’ll be doing next – anything from designing the jumping courses to ordering the rosettes. I’ve also continued my own eventing career, which is time-consuming and involves a lot of travel. None of it could happen if I didn’t have a strong team helping me. But I’m very lucky. Right now I have four or five nice horses that I enjoy competing at a high level, and a job that pays the bills and the mortgage. It has taken the pressure off and that has made me enjoy my riding again.

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People

Becky Sheaves Becky Sheaves, West editor, lives in East Devon and has just bought a horse called Dusty. I can’t quite believe I have been riding for 40 years, and am still not very good at it. But I persist, because I just love doing it. And I really do adore Dusty, my latest horse, whom I bought March this year. I first started riding as a child in Cornwall and really got the bug when I was in my teens. Back then, it seemed like pretty much all the little girls in our village rode. What we loved to do was meet up and go out for hacks. There was so much space, and less traffic. We’d ride for hours over the cliffs, along wide sandy beaches. So much fun and freedom. As an adult, I dipped in and out of riding when I could. I’ve rarely been able to give it up completely. Even when I lived in London I had a part-share in a really bad-tempered horse called Bisto. I would ride round and round a country park in circles, hemmed in by suburbia. Bisto was unbelievably bad-tempered and made it quite clear he loathed me. But it was better than nothing. I love the strength of horses, their character and their grace. I even love their smell, and that of the leather tack you need. When I’m riding, or even just around horses, I’m the best version of myself – brave, practical, uncomplicated, outdoorsy. Horses bring out the best in me. You only have to start reading the wonderful poem: To The Horse, and I am a puddle of tears. It’s so true. As a nation, we owe them so much. Since I’ve lived back in the South West, horses have been back in my life with a vengeance. They are time-consuming, expensive and at times quite scary. But I still find a hack out in open countryside is the most relaxing, mindclearing way of spending a morning. This summer, I went to an adult riding camp at Pontispool in Somerset. It was packed with women my age, all reliving their Pony Club childhood days. Until then, I hadn’t done much on Dusty other than potter about. She and I really bonded over the three days of intensive lessons, cross-country and showjumping. I am as pleased with my 5th place rosette in the 2ft show jumping class there as any achievement I have ever had in my life. I can’t wait to go back next year.

[[ I am as pleased with my 5th place rosette in the 2ft show jumping class there as any achievement I have ever had in my life

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01/10/2014 15:02:54

interiors

fashion

style 45

technology

bake it

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REAL HOMES

Rock song

Design experts at Camellia Interiors, based in Newquay, love to re-invent Westcountry properties in a style all their own. Here, Elaine Skinner tells us how to mix classic and contemporary to create intelligent, grown-up glamour

utting a modern interior into a traditional house can be a tricky business. You want to keep the elements that gives the home its character, while making a delicious contemporary space that fits a modern lifestyle. How do you balance the two? Elaine Skinner is a design director for Camellia Interiors in Newquay. She’s a bit of an expert at bringing out the best in classic Westcountry properties, while giving them a new 21st century character that is all their own. The place to start, she says, is with the colour. “Colour is the first thing we notice in a room, yet the ability to put colours together is a true art,” says Elaine. “If you want to create a harmonic blend between classic and contemporary, there are a few techniques that help. “Start by walking around the area where you live to notice the architecture and environment – those are the colours you want to bring into. Here in Cornwall certain colours suit certain coasts. In Falmouth for example, faded blues and creamy whites work well in classic architectural interiors, accented by faded reds as in the sail colour of classic boats like Cornish luggers and shrimpers.

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Interiors

STYLE TIP: Start by walking around your

area to notice colours that you can bring into your decor scheme

[[ In Cornwall, certain colours suit certain coasts. In a Mawgan Porth house, I used warm and slate greys with accents of teal

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Interiors This Cornish house was updated with cool colours and natural materials

“By contract, in a property in North Cornwall, I’ve selected colours to reflect the headlands: warm and slate greys with accents of teal from the deeper seas, and ochre from the algae growing on the rocks. “It’s a year-round, harder colour scheme from a wilder existence, and it perfectly complements a contemporary home.” After you’ve identified your colour palette, the first step is to incorporate it into the structural elements of the interior, such as the walls, flooring and cabinetry. This creates a strong and harmonious background, a skeleton ready to be fleshed out. Then, you can add bright or contemporary flourishes on furnishings and accessories, which can easily be refreshed in the future if you feel like updating the look. Remember to draw on key principles from each design style:“Smooth, clean geometric shapes are essential for contemporary furniture,” says Elaine. “Select pieces based on these principles, then plan your layout using order, symmetry and balance. These are the fundamentals of classic design.” In the pictured luxury interior designed by Camellia, the stone fireplace wall introduces a beautiful and subtle palette of greys and browns. The clean lines of the furniture and their cool, limited colour palette demonstrates that classic and contemporary can blend perfectly. Visit www.camelliainteriors.co.uk

[[ First, incorporate your colour scheme into the structural elements. Then, you can add bright flourishes

STYLE TIP: Choose smooth, clean, and gemoet-

ric shapes for furniture. Plan your layout using order, symmetry and balance

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Shopping

GET THE

Glass bubble cluster £95 www. homecandy.com

LOOK

Keep your furnishings in the same colour palette, with an occasional contrast

Bespoke armchair in GP & J Fabric £89 per metre, Camellia Interiors

Ceramic Fish Tea light holder £24, Camellia Interiors

Kartell Maui chair £120, Amara

Bloomingdale coffee table £219, Amara

Zoffany Paint £65 for 5 litres/£39 for 2.5 litres

Eichholtz Atlanta sofa £1980, Occa Home

Feather cushion £40, www. decorators notebook.co.uk

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30/09/2014 15:22:00

Gardens

[

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Taking pot luck

[

Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, says it is time to re-think your containers for winter y October the last few petunias, brave pelargoniums and wan nemesias in my containers are like guests lingering at the tail end of a long party. They definitely look the worse for wear and have overstayed their welcome. Gardens change their look from autumn to spring and these summer left-overs don’t fit in. When you go shopping for replacements, the palette of suitable plants displayed before you will be both less and more than their summer counterparts. Small winter bedding plants are thin on the ground. Winter-flowering pansies and violas, bellis (daisies) and primroses will bloom during autumn, might open a few flowers during winter and then offer up a burst of colour in spring. Forget me nots and wall flowers don’t bloom until spring, when they look lovely under or among tulips. There are plenty Winter cherry (Solanum capsicastrum) is hardy in my garden of evergreens but I’m afraid both ornamental to smarten up cabbage and perky cyclamens your planters, sold for outdoor use have usually perished by Christmas and about them. from ferns such should perhaps be viewed as I prefer to invest in as hart’s tongue just for the autumn. It is probaslightly larger plants where bly the awful, permeating damp height and bulk are needed. through sedges rather than cold that kills the This can blow the budget and shrubs cyclamen off. but buy one a year and There will, though, be plenty the collection soon builds. of evergreens to smarten up Come spring they can be your planters, from ferns such left in the container or as hart’s tongue and spleenworts, through sedges planted into the garden. Sometimes the garden to shrubs. Garden centres usually offer a selecprovides suitable freebies to add in. We often thin tion of small (and therefore cheap) evergreens down our Phormium ‘Alison Blackman’ colony in 9cm/3.5in pots but they aren’t going to grow and use one of these New Zealand flaxes in a conmuch between now and spring. These are sometainer. My Dad has a good group of black-leaved times useful as accent plants for troughs but Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ which are beware: they can have a miniature railway look like small, narrow-leaved spider plants and look

[[

good in spring with short iris reticulate or scillas. Other good, hardy shrubs might include Photinia ‘Little Red Robin’, the mountain pepper (Drimys lanceolata), spotted laurel (aucuba), daisy bush ‘Olearia x haastii’) or Euonymus fortunei ‘Silver Queen’. I tend to think of the container plantings as themes. Some are like formal bedding displays, others a mixed border in miniature, complete with shrub, herbaceous plant, bedding and bulbs. You can have a woodland feel (contorted hazel, Helleborus niger, ferns and Narcissus ‘Jetfire’) or winter-stem dogwoods with Arum italicum ‘Marmoratum’ and short narcissus. Playing with colours is fun too, such as silver foliage, steely blue viola and for spring, white tulips or narcissus.

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Perfect container planting Anne’s tips for happy plants Choose frost proof containers (rather than just frost resistant). Clay, glazed terracotta, wooden barrels or lead lookalikes (though they eventually break up) are all good. Lines of matching planters and plants along pathways or bed edges look smart and make a good investment. Place inverted crocks or broken polystyrene chunks over drainage holes to ease the passage of water.

summer pansies with winter pansies) to avoid a build up of pests and diseases. Half fill with compost, then start by adding the largest plants first, add more compost, add smaller plants making sure they all sit at the right height and are not buried or raised too high. Push bulbs in between plants and fill in around all the roots, firming gently. Stand in position and then water in thoroughly using a rose sprinkler) on the can.

Use a good, well-drained compost. I mix 50:50 John Innes no 2 with soilless multipurpose and use this 4:1 with Cornish grit or similar. Compost left over in the base of summer pots can be re-used. Chop and wet it, add controlled release fertilizer and mix with new compost but don’t keep growing the same type of plant in it (ie don’t follow

Question time with Anne Anne responds to West reader’s garden concerns and queries Dear Anne, I had a flourishing row of runner beans but the leaves of the plants are turning yellow and the plants dying. I dug up the root of one and found it covered in what look like black ants but they are grey. There are also a lot of red ants in the soil. I have tried watering with Jeyes Fluid but it hasn’t made any difference. Any suggestions please? Best wishes Sue. PS We think the WMN on Sunday is a great read.

Hello Sue, Runners are my favourite veg and I’d be pretty annoyed if I’d lost mine. This has all the hallmarks of a root aphid infestation. These creamy-grey subterranean greenfly relatives feed on roots and often cover themselves with a greyish wax. Aphids excrete a sugary honeydew and this attracts ants. Jeyes fluid is sold as an outdoor disinfectant and not meant as a pesticide. Avoidance tactics are best, so grow the beans in a different patch of soil next year. Sow a couple of different batches at an interval of 3 weeks and put them in different places. Use plenty of rotted organic matter as a mulch, as it is likely to contain natural predators. If you see ants at work, be suspicious, investigate and if necessary, consider a drench of a pesticide that kills aphids and can be used safely on edible crops.

I’m planning a cutting garden to grow from seed next year and plan to order the seeds soon. What would be your top three flowers for long lasting and good performance in a vase?

No 1 is easy because I’ve had blooms in water for two weeks now and if anything, the flower heads have improved! All zinnias are good for cutting but I do like ‘Queen Lime’ (Thompson and Morgan) which reaches a branching 60-75cm/24-30in high. I sowed a couple of seeds per module in April and thinned to one per module for planting out. ‘Purple Prince’ is good too. Godetia (clarkia) are gorgeous and ‘Azalea Flowered Mixed’ would be great (Suttons). Cornflowers are always reliable (but need support) but my wild card is Californian poppy (eschscholzia) ‘Bridal Bouquet’ (Suttons). I’m going to broadcast sow half a packet now and half in the spring and can’t wait to see the large double and semi double flowers with fluted petals in rose and lemon.

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

• Plant wallflowers, sweet rocket, forget me nots, honesty, sweet Williams, foxgloves and other biennials raised from seed back in early summer. They’ll make good rosettes of growth during winter to bloom next spring and summer. •P lant new peonies into prepared soil. These need an open, sunny position well away from overhanging

trees and shrubs and their roots. Keep the tops of the crowns level with the soil surface, as they are well known for refusing to bloom if these are buried too deeply •P lant garlic such as ‘Solent Wight’. Prise bulbs into separate cloves and set them 2.5cm/1in deep and 15cm/6in apart in rows 30cm/12in apart. On wet soils, make rows along the tops of

Plant bulbs in turf. For long grass, perhaps under apple trees, consider pheasant’s eye narcissus (N.poeticus var.recurvus) or red and black Tulip ‘Apeldoorn’ both of which naturalise well. For damp meadows, blueflowered quamash (camassia) are durable and return year after year.

Pick

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

‘Doyenne du Comice’ pears. Store them cool and they’ll ripen off the tree from the end of the month onwards, when you can bring a few at a time into the house to warm up. 29

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Beauty

Tried

& tested

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

SNAP, CRACKLE, BEAUTY MAD Beauty has teamed up with Kellog’s to create a retro range of beauty goodies with a nostalgic feel. It includes these 450ml cartons of fragranced bath milks (£6.99) and lipsalves (£2.99) inspired by 70s-style cereal boxes. Fun! Available at www.madbeauty.com, ASOS and Topshop.

runway benefit Makeup artists Charlotte Tilbury and Lisa PotterDixon worked with Hydra-Smooth lip colours (£15 each) in pinks and lilacs by Benefit to create a dewy look to complement Matthew Williamson’s designs for Spring/Summer 2015. Apply Fling Thing to cheeks, accentuated with Watt’s Up highlighter (£24.50), or blend with Dare Me lip colour and pat onto the eyelids, with a dash of Always a Bridesmaid shadow (£15.50) across the lower lash line. www.benefitcosmetics.com.

fave!

On the glow Maintain a year-round sunkissed glow with this Rejuvenating Self Tanning Lotion by The Harley Medical Group (£20). Contains avocado oil in its streak-free build up formula. www. harleymedical.co.uk

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the review This week we try:

Coolsculpting

Practice makes perfect Mastering the quill-style applicator of this Fusion Ink Foundation by YSL takes a bit of time. But once you’ve got the knack, it minimises pores and blemishes, and stays put all day long.

Time to shine

£30.50 from www.yslbeauty.co.uk

Diffusing and softening the way the light bounces off your skin, this product uses cutting-edge technology to alter and refine the appearance of the complexion. Great for evening out skin tone. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, £38, Space NK (uk.spacenk.com)

Coolsculpting is billed as the very latest noninvasive way to shift stubborn fat - but does it really work? Anita Merritt visits an Exeter salon to find out... hether you are big or small, there ’s one thing the majority of both women and men man-boobs and bingo wings. share in common and that’s For me, the decision was easy – love hanthe struggle to get rid of dles. Although I am pretty slim, having stubborn fat that just won’t budge. two children has taken its toll and, deThe reality of how much it protrudes spite exercise, I can still pinch more than usually hits with a confidence-crushing I would like. blow when getting undressed in a clothes My consultation was with Dr Ros Deshop changing room. Those full-length benham, a an experienced GP, and the mirrors mean there’s treatment lasted two no hiding from the unhours – one hour for each wanted flab around your love handle. The easiest stomach, thighs or love way of describing it is two In most cases handles. cooling panels similar to only one Until recently the only a clamp, attached to the treatment is quick-fix hope of guarCoolSculpting machine, anteeing its removal has squeeze your fat bulge torequired, lasting been undergoing invagether and then the freez60 minutes, and sive surgery. But now ing begins. The only slighta much more tempting ly painful bit of the whole the results are option, with little to no procedure was the initial lifelong pain, is a non-surgical clamping of the bulge but I body contouring treatwas amazed how relaxing ment called CoolSculptthe treatment actually felt. ing. Immediately afterwards I Developed by Harvard scientists, the was able to drive home and carry on with treatment works by freezing fat cells my day as usual. which are then naturally eliminated from The next day I awoke expecting to find your body. In most cases only one treatbig bruises, but all I had was a few minor ment, lasting 60 minutes, is required and small ones and some redness.Within a few the results can be seen in the weeks and days the tenderness had gone and, several following months. There is no down time weeks later, I can honestly say that the afterwards, no scarring or lumpiness and lovehandles have completely vanished, the results are life-long. hopefully never to return. The areas that can be treated are tumCoolsculpting at Radiance MediSpa costs mies, love handles, inner thighs, back fat, from £800-£1600

[[

For more details call 01392 277 799 or visit www. radiancemedispa.co.uk 31

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Wellbeing

Get slim, stay slim There’s a new, smart way to diet: it’s all about working with our natural brain chemistry. That way, two squares of chocolate really will seem like enough... t’s enough to make you choke on us to re-programme our appetites, stimulatyour skinny latte: another size ing long-term biological changes within us that zero celebrity claiming to ‘eat like will reduce our cravings and trigger our natural a horse’ while you’ve been misera‘enough’ switch. bly chowing down on carrot sticks They say their holistic lifestyle diet will ‘make for a month and barely lost an inch. your brain make you thinner’, drawing on Take heart, because it’s possible for us to retechniques developed by anti-addiction programme that inner ‘enough’ switch which clinics, as a formula for long-term leaves a naturally slim person satisfied with healthier eating and living. just a square or two of chocolate, while the rest “Eating in a way that makes of us would consider it rude not to polish off you fat is just a habit, formed the lot. of underlying attitudes to “The so-called ‘satiety switch’ isn’t imagiyourself, social pressures, nary; it’s real, and can be manipulated,” says resistance to change, and Hannah Renier, co-author of also the opnewly published books Get portunities an Thinner: the Diet that re-sets unreconstructed 21st your Appetite, with Dr Ian century life offers to snack Eating in a way L White. Ian’s a consultant and sit,” says Hannah. that makes anaesthetist and intensive “Our brain tells our body to care specialist, who lost three release different hormones acyou fat is just a stone – and has kept it off – cording to circumstance. For inhabit, formed after exploring how food trigstance, ghrelin, which we make of underlying gers reactions in our natural during a good night’s sleep, biochemistry. makes us hungry for breakfast. attitudes to Ian says: “Four out of five Its co-worker on an imaginary yourself people I see in the ICU, week see-saw, is leptin. after week, are there because “When we eat, our ghrelin of lifestyle choices. Too many (hunger) level goes down and our of them cannot stop eating. I leptin (satiety) level rises. This have seen obese people come makes us full up. But if we eat round after a life-saving heart operation and too much too often, leptin stops working. So does tuck into a baguette.” ghrelin, if we eat late at night.” The pair’s new guide is not a quick-fix soluA former yo-yo dieter and now a size six to tion, but a how-to manual aimed at helping eight, Hannah twice doubled her bodyweight

DODGER

[[

THE SOFA

– and lost it again – before throwing away her scales and making eating and lifestyle changes she says prevent cravings for the ‘wrong’ type of food. “I can empathise with those who are psychologically trapped by over-eating,” she says. “They can see no end to the cycle of starving and bingeing.” “Most diets are like opening a door by banging your shoulder against it,” adds Ian. “They work, but they break the door and you can’t shut it again. Our diet gently unlocks the secrets of getting thinner and staying thinner. Because your mind and body have time to re-adjust to permanent changes, you don’t crave food. You just look and feel a whole lot better.” Kindle editions of Get Thinner: the diet that re-sets your appetite, Dr Ian L White and Hannah Renier, Amazon, £2.44

THE KEEP FIT COLUMN WHERE ONE WOMAN TRIES EVERYTHING:

this week: KRAV MAGA Mum of three Sam Taylor, 35, from Cardinham near Bodmin is behind Sofa Dodger, the website with wealth of keep-fit activities at a place near you. This week she tries an Israeli martial art Krav Maga was developed by the Israeli army and had since been adopted by the likes of the SAS, according to chief instructor James Latus, who is behind Kernow Martial Arts which runs classes across Cornwall. I was paired up with young Aiden, who looked pretty harmless as a would-be assailants go - definitely one of the more manageable varieties. He

wore padded gloves and took my blows; you kind of push, rather than thwack, your foe and then aim to slap them hard around the ears. It was then my turn to wear the pads and I was pummelled relentlessly for three minutes. Minimal moves are learnt for maximum impact. As a mother to two daughters, I’d certainly be keen for them to learn these self-defence techniques.

GET INVOLVED: Try something new or tell the world about your own keep fit class for free at www.sofadodger.co.uk 32

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Enjoy

[ Rock [ A WEEKEND IN...

Planning a mini break? Here’s an insider guide to the north Cornwall seaside village loved by celebs and Royals alike ock is one of the most well-heeled places in all of Cornwall, attracting celebrities and royalty. The Camerons are often photographed both here and in neighbouring Polzeath. When their daughter Florence was born in Cornwall in 2010, they added the neighbourhood saint’s name of Endellion as one of her middle names. But Rock is by no means the preserve of the rich: dog walkers love this estuary beauty spot, as do sailors, foodies, kite surfers and gig rowers. It’s easy to see why Rock is so popular. Opposite Padstow on the River Camel, Rock has a long sandy beach even at high tide – beside it are trails running along a hilly network of dunes. On one side, the river and the sea – on the other, the prestigious St Enodoc Golf Course.

Where to stay: There are plenty of people who say that this large modern development was The Last Thing Rock Needed, but (shhh) we like it: the re-vamped St Moritz Hotel. It has a great restaurant, trendy cocktails and bar food, a fab spa and a contemporary, laid-back feel. Kids are welcome, too. Rooms from £120 per night. See www.stmoritzhotel.co.uk for details. Alternatively, a weekend in Swallow’s Barn (pictured) in in October/November costs from £265 with Helpful Holidays (www.helpfulholidays.co.uk). What to do: There is a beautiful and not-tootaxing walk down the beach at Rock to neighbouring Daymer Bay: you can make it a loop by coming back via the hilly dunes, or vice versa.

Regular ferries run from Rock to Padstow, so you can hop on board one of those – just be sure to check the tide times and ask about the pickup/ dropoff point. If you’re interested in boats, a Rock-based company has revived the manufacture of the traditional Cornish boats here – see www.cornishcrabbers.co.uk for more. If you’re feeling active, the Camel Ski School can set you up with waterskiing lessons, boat hire and other nautical fun www.camelskischool.com. Where to shop: Most of the shops in Rock have to do with feeding yourself or a houseful: there’s a good bakery, fishmonger, and butcher. There’s also a craft shop in neighbouring Porthilly. Padstow has more choice. Look here for nauticalfeel clothing shops, small art galleries, upscale homewares and a few unusual independents. We like organic cotton clothing company Seasalt, and don’t miss the covetable kitchen range in Rick Stein’s Deli near the harbour.

HIRE SWALLOW’S BARN FOR THE WEEKEND

Where to eat: Rock has become the ever-expanding stomping ground of chef Nathan Outlaw. His eponymous restaurant has two sections: Outlaw’s, where a two course meal costs around £35, or the two-Michelin-star Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, which is £99 per person for an eightcourse tasting menu. Nathan also part-owns the The Mariner’s Arms in Rock, a Sharp’s brewery pub that does a good line in food (two courses £18£25). For a man-size gourmet burger in a chilled surfer atmosphere, head to the Oystercatcher between Daymer Bay and Polzeath (burgers around £8.50).

Wellbeing_Aweekendin_Oct5.indd 33

01/10/2014 15:08:45

Fashion

M&S embellished cashmere jumper £129

10 Little Birds knitted teddy £10

Yumi £48 F&F check scarf £15

TK MAXX blue, orange & grey jumper £24.99

fave!

M&Co polo kneck £24 Cukooland dog scarf £16.95 34

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30/09/2014 13:37:27

Next Fairisle jumper £30

Cosy knits Let the new season’s knitwear inspire some woolgathering

hat could be nicer on a crisp autumn day than slipping on a cosy jumper, scarf or cardie? And the new season’s knitwear is enough to inspire anyone to indulge in a little retail therapy. Tactile textures and flattering fits mean that these new knits really are hard to resist. Next has come up trumps, we find, with a classic looking Fairisle jumper, at only £30. With its red and blue colourway against a complexion-flattering cream base, it is crying out to be teamed up with a pair of jeans and a glass of wine: pub lunch on Sundays sorted. Want to look a little smarter? M&S is continuing its well-received cashmere collection with something a little different for this season: a Bretonstripe sweater with some pretty embellishment around the neckline. We’re also impressed with M&Co this season. Their tartan shawl is only £16 and the perfect accessory for changeable weather. Throw it on and channel Devon’s supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who has been working the “blanket” look with boots and a hat lately. We couldn’t resist this knitted teddy from 10 Little Birds. How cute is he? Ideal for an early Christmas pressie for someone small, or just to sit on the shelf and look adorable. Finally, for the four-footed friend in your life, a dog scarf. Yes, there really is such a thing, complete with pompom, of course!

M&Co tartan Shawl £16 35

Fashion_Oct5.indd 3

30/09/2014 13:37:58

Shop

The edit

Your straight line to style. You choose the bag, we’ve got your hat and boots sorted

fave!

Florian London Peyton Tan £380

Florian London Mini Vienna Red £195

+ +

Seasalt Trewartha Boots £125

F&F Cossack hat £12

Mini Velvet £29

Florian London Vienna Black£215

House of Fraser Biba hat £50

+ Ravel Boots £120

Debenhams Rocha John Rocha boots £65

Fashion_Cakes_Oct5.indd 36

30/09/2014 17:10:52

Bake

[[ When the cakes are cool, spread the Nutella over one of them and scatter the Maltesers over

NEW!

cake of the week

Kate Shirazi bakes:

Chocolate-Malteser-Nutella Cake Kate says: This came about after one of those moments at eight o’clock in the evening when you realize that you were meant to take a cake to school the next day for some vital event. I launched myself into the kitchen and started rummaging. This is the end result and, to be honest, perhaps I should do more manic evening baking forays – it’s a really yummy and easy cake. The massive plus point is that you can get loads of pieces out of it. Serves 24

You will need: 200 g/7 oz/scant 2 cups self-raising flour 25 g/1 oz/¼ cup cocoa powder 225 g/8 oz/1 cup caster sugar 225 g/8 oz/1 cup soft margarine 4 large free-range eggs 1 x 135 g/4 oz bag Maltesers 4 tbsp Nutella (or any other chocolate spread) 25 g/1 oz/1¾ tbsp unsalted butter 200 g/7 oz milk chocolate 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup double (whipping) cream decorative sugar sprinkles (optional)

Method: 1.

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3. Grease and line two 28 x 40 cm/11 x 16 in sandwich tins (pans). Sift the cocoa and flour into a bowl (or mixer, preferably). Add the sugar. Add the margarine and eggs and beat for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Divide the mixture between the two tins – it will look quite thin, but don’t worry. Bake for 15–20 minutes or

until the cakes are springy to the touch. Cool the cakes on wire racks.

Empty the Maltesers into a heavy, deep bowl and bash them about a bit with a rolling pin. You want sturdy rubble rather than fine gravel. When the cakes are cool, spread the Nutella over one of them and scatter the Maltesers over. Place the other cake on top and press down fairly firmly to squish the

Maltesers into the Nutella.

4. Place a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (not letting the base of the pan touch the water), put in the butter, chocolate and cream and let them melt and ooze together. Then give the mixture a good old whisk around and pour over the top of the cake. Scatter with sprinkles if you wish. Leave for 1–2 hours before cutting into pieces.

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

Fashion_Cakes_Oct5.indd 37

01/10/2014 14:02:55

Gwithian

Amanda Barlow

My Secret Westcountry Amanda Barlow Amanda Barlow is the entrepreneur behind natural skincare brand Spiezia Organics, which supports cancer patients with feel-good pamper days through its Made For Life foundation. Amanda, 52, lives near Feock in Cornwall with husband Geoff Winwood, 54, and daughters Hannah, 13 and Molly, 12.

Walk: The Mawnan Church coast path near Falmouth. Geoff and I did this on our first date; he proposed on Valentine’s day this year and we got married in July. A walk by the coast will be a good two or three hours followed by lunch in a dog-friendly pub. We have two – Kipper and Biscuit. We’walk for a good hour most evenings – a favourite is through the woods around Trelissick – it’s a good way to catch up on our days. Pub: The Ferry Boat Inn in Helford Passage. You can sit outside and look over the water and then catch a boat over the river and go for a walk. I also love the Pandora Inn on the river near Mylor. Geoff hires out classic motorbikes and we’ll get on the Harley and head over for dinner. It has a cosy atmosphere in the winter and is lovely outside in the summer.

Wheelhouse in Falmouth. It only does shellfish, it takes two to three weeks to get a table and it’s cash only. They do the best scallops I’ve ever eaten.

Venue: I’m a regular visitor to the Hall for Cornwall in Truro – it’s a fantastic venue for Cornwall to have. I love music: our nearby village of Devoran has lots going on in its village hall, while the Punch Bowl and Ladle pub in Feock and the Watering Hole in Perranporth are great for live entertainment. I love the Eden Sessions as well. Beach: One of my favourites is Perranporth, it’s so vast that even in the summer it doesn’t seem busy. I also like Gwithian beach, also on the north Cornwall coast. On an ideal day, I’ll meet up with my sister and her husband and our two families will walk our dogs together.

Restaurant: The Cove at Maenporth. The chef Arty Williams uses local ingredients and combines them in a really inventive way which doesn’t over-complicate the food. I also love The

For more information visit www.spieziaorganics.com

My_Westcountry_Oct5.indd 38

01/10/2014 11:38:51

People

[

‘I love The Wheelhouse in Falmouth. You have to wait for weeks for a table and they do the best scallops’

Trelissick

Pandora Inn

The Whee

lh o u se

My_Westcountry_Oct5.indd 39

01/10/2014 11:39:12

EATING OUT

The Holt By Becky Sheaves

uesday night and I don’t want to cook. Where to go, where to go? I know – The Holt in Honiton. We haven’t been there for ages. This town-centre gastro-pub on the high street has been going for quite a few years now, and is run by two brothers, Angus and Joe McCaig. They are the younger generation of the McCaig brewing dynasty, makers of Otter Ales at a craft brewery in the countryside near Honiton. As such, the McCaigs are firm believers in the power of the pub. Which I wholeheartedly support, of course. We ring up at 8.30pm and say we are 10 minutes away – could they possibly squeeze us in? Yes, no problem, came the cheery reply. And so the tone was set for an evening of friendly, can-do service. They’ve got some seriously good staff here. Downstairs, the pub is a proper pub, complete with a long bar serving all the Otter Ales (of course) plus some other treats such as good local ciders. The bar area was, when we visited,

home to a lively table of young folk, drinking, I’d made a good one. not eating, having a natter. Like you should, in John, meanwhile, had his eye caught by the spea real pub. On Wednesdays, The Holt is host to cial advertised on the blackboard. It was a duck the town’s Knit and Natter club, and I can only breast with a mushroom tart and Parisian potasuppose the knitted bunting entwined around toes (£18.50). I wasn’t sure what Parisian potatoes one of the pillars in the bar is their handiwork. were until they arrived: for the record they are On closer inspection, each knittiny spuds scooped with a melon ted “flag” was a miniature pair baller, par-boiled then fried. of knitted knickers, often emYummy and tres chic. bellished with lots of lace and But I’m ahead of myself. First, I love this beer. frills. I must get some wool and we were ushered upstairs to the It is golden, join them, it looks like a lot of pretty wood-floored dining room fun. by our very nice barmaid, and citrussy, and In honour of Otter Brewery, given a good table by a window. unashamedly John ordered a half of Otter The place was surprisingly busy aimed at girly Bitter and I had a glass of Otter for a Tuesday. Along came some Bright. I love this beer. It is bread – for free, always a welcome drinkers. Right golden, citrussy, unashamedly touch. I was determined not to eat up my street. aimed at girly drinkers, and any, to leave room for my meal, right up my street. but tried a snippet and was utterly In fact, I liked it so much I lost. Warm, chewy, tasty, crusty: chose my meal to match the John and I scoffed the lot. beer, as I was determined to have another glassThen came our main courses. My spicy pakoful. On the menu was the veggie option: spicy ras (a bit like a little onion bhaji, if you’re wonred pakoras with Keralan dhal and a celery and dering) were light, fluffy and crispy, with not radish dressing (£14). Beer and Indian food go a hint of oiliness. There were stacks of them, together well, so this was my choice, and I hoped sailing on a sea of lentil dhal, which had been

[[

RestaurantReview_Oct5.indd 40

01/10/2014 09:14:13

4 of the best

Town centre places to eat

1 Bustopher’s, Truro

Right on Lemon Street, Truro’s smartest road, this long-lived and much-loved bistro serves international cuisine using good local ingredients. Dish of the day: Keralan seafood curry Prices: Mains around £15 Contact: 01872 279029, www.bustophersbarbistro.com

cooked just to the point of tenderness but not to become a featureless mush. This, too, was zesty without being too hot. The creamy radish and celery dressing was elegantly done, with paperthin slices of the vegetables and tasted pleasantly cooling. If anything, I could have done with a little more of it. So I was very happy with my food, especially when a second glass of Otter Bright arrived and did, indeed, pair up beautifully with curried flavours. But then John started saying that he had “won” the battle of the main courses. Indeed, his meal looked very beautiful, with slices of perfectly seared duck paired with jus, veg and a very pretty little mushroom tart. “Just try this,” he said. Indeed, it was absolutely gorgeous. But it’s apples and pears – if you wanted tasty, veggie spicy food to go with beer, mine was best. If you were looking for a fabulous classically-inspired French-style duck dish to match with a glass of Shiraz, then John had indeed triumphed. One thing’s for sure, neither of us was complaining. Unfortunately, we had indeed erred by scoffing all the bread beforehand. And the puds that had paraded past us to other diners looked seriously large and we just couldn’t face them, no matter how good they looked (which they did). We settled in the end on a scoop of homemade mango and passion fruit sorbet (John) and a vanilla af-

fogato (me). John’s mango only cost £2 and was excellent. As for me, I don’t know why I keep on ordering affogato, in which a hot shot of espresso is poured over vanilla ice cream. Within minutes, all you have is tepid milky coffee. But the first few moments, when you have steaming hot coffee with cool ice cream, are heaven. Cleverly, this one came with the espresso in a little jug, and the ice cream in a teacup, so I could pour on the coffee myself. “Hey, you haven’t left me any to try,” said John as I frantically scooped away. Oops. Finally, our charming waiter (called Tom) brought us the bill. £47.85! Really fantastic value. Now, I have just looked at the bill to check the cost and, I realise, service was not included. We did not leave a tip! And after such good service, and food, too. How embarrassing. Right: we must go back asap, eat there again and tip double. I can’t wait. The Holt, 178 High St Honiton, 01404 47707, www. theholt-honiton.com

How they scored... Food



Atmosphere



Service



Price Dinner for two was £47.85

2 Tanners, Plymouth

In the heart of Plymouth’s Barbican, this renowned restaurant offers superb fine dining, with a £20 two course menu on offer on weekdays too. Dish of the day: Roast Looe hake with haricot beans Prices: Mains around £22 Contact: 01752 252001, www.tannersrestaurant.com

3 B ill’s, Exeter

Fairly recently opened on the city centre’s Gandy Street, Bill’s has proved a big hit. It’s a café, with good food and a groovy warehouse atmosphere. Dish of the day: Rustic tomato and basil risotto with goat’s cheese and pine nuts Prices: Mains around £10 Contact: 01392 259227, www.bills-website.co.uk

4 The Seahorse, Dartmouth

It’s very central, but also right on the water. The Seahorse is top chef Mitch Tonks’ flagship restaurant with some serious cheffing going on, but also a locals’ early bird set menu for £22. Dish of the day: Starter of Dartmouth crab, dressed to order Prices: Mains around £25 Contact: 01803 835147, www.seahorserestaurant.co.uk

RestaurantReview_Oct5.indd 41

01/10/2014 09:14:54

Ingredient of the Week

Beans

with Tim Maddams he veg patch is a state and really I There is somewhat of a pulse revival going on should clear it of everything except in Britain at the moment with companies like the the squashes and pumpkins that Norfolk based Hodmedods and I often use them are still going strong. But I have a in my cooking BUT once a year I just can’t resist very good reason for not tackling the chance to use the fresh ones. the jungle. Or maybe it’s an excuse. Wait until the bean plants have pretty much All summer long we’ve been enjoying lots given up the ghost and the bean pods are papery, of the various different beans: runners, black then harvest your beans. Don’t worry if you don’t french beans, borlotti beans and more in a have time to cook them all now as they freeze fresh bean eat-the-whole-thing very well in this nearly dry form. kind of way. Then, around mid I love to make soups and sauces August, when I’m thoroughly with the beans and I always use I always use fed up with them, I start to some for a batch of baked beans, some for a batch leave them on the vine. Slowly enriched with molasses and the plant begins to shut down, spices, plenty of smokey bacon of baked beans, the leaves yellow and all the fat, fresh rosemary, thyme and enriched with while the beans are beginning tomato passata (it doesn’t have to molasses to sweeten and swell and very be homemade) simmer all togethsoon now it will be time for my er with a ton of garlic until just annual bean obsession. falling to pieces. We are all familiar with dried beans you buy I have made my own baked beans using dried in the shops – but what we are far less familbeans and tinned tomatoes for years. It’s easy iar with is the European habit of selling these and the results are far better then the pale imitabeans in their fresh but nearly dry state and it tion that comes in a tin. But made with your own is because of this that I have kept the fruit on fresh beans they are simply the best. Try them the vine. Freshly cooked never dried beans are with slow-roast mutton, pork or nice sweetcorn simply the best tasting pulses you are ever likely and squash fritters. to encounter. @TimGreenSauce

Quick bean soup

Sweat the beans with garlic, onion and thyme in a little olive oil, cover with chicken stock and simmer until the beans are tender. Blend half the soup and add it to the other half, simmer again and finish with a parsley pesto.

Ribollito

Using some left over soup from above, layer stale bread, more garlic and wilted kale in a baking dish and cover with the soup. Top with grated cheddar and bake.

Baked beans

Follow any recipe you like but remember to play it a little fast and loose. They are your beans after all and if you like ‘em spicy a bit of chilli and smoked paprika would not be a bad idea. You can keep them veggie very easily, but they do need a little fat (even if not bacon) so add extra rape or olive oil during cooking.

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

Tim_Beer_Oct5.indd 42

01/10/2014 14:20:35

Drink

Darren Norbury

talks beer

Hoppiness is the truth

wenty-five years ago I used to have tutor, Gary Richmond, and Ale House long journalistic lunches in Truro’s head chef, Jack Botha have created an Old Ale House. Sometimes very impressive, yet beautifully informal long. Back then, it was the everymenu that compliments Skinner’s disman pub, where the road sweeper tinctively hoppy beers – especially the would imbibe with the bank manager, and the EPA, of course – perfectly. savvy hack could extract a gem of gossip from a The aim here is to make the most of quaffing city councillor. the best local produce available. HighSince then, the pub’s fortunes have varied lights include the Cornish mackerel and, at times, it could easily have bap with pickled cucumclosed forever. But now it’s back ber and horseradish at the top of its game, leased by crème fraiche, Cornish The movement nearby Skinner’s Brewery as Blue cheese croquettes their tap, the shells of free peawith a dipping sauce. to see beer takes nuts crunching underfoot. And short ribs smoked its place at the One of the secrets of a long with Northdown hops, dinner table beer-drinking life is, as PG Woa staple of the Skinner’s ale recipe dehouse would’ve said, remembook. The result is food that can where wine bering to throw on the nosebag. be eaten anywhere in the pub. At has been so Luckily, Skinner’s have introa table with cutlery, or at the bar, duced a new menu, making the pint in one hand, pulled pork bap dominant is in best of a fantastic new first floor in the other, putting the world to full flow now kitchen. rights. The food is by Hugh FearnleyThe movement to see beer take Whittingstall’s River Cottage, its place at the dinner table, where and is designed to pair well with - of course wine has been so dominant, is in full flow now. beer. It’s the latest step in a partnership that Qualified beer sommeliers such as Penpont started with the creation by Skinner’s of a new Brewery’s Joe Thomson and St Austell BrewRiver Cottage English Pale Ale, a beer using the ery’s Marc Bishop are leading the way in the rare, newly-cultivated English Cascade hop. West, educating the public that beer and food are I was lucky enough to be given a taster of the ideal mates and actually offer more variety that new menu, along with Truro’s great and good, the wine palette. I’ll raise a glass to that! one or two of whom I remember from those longDarren Norbury runs the expert website lost journalistic lunches. River Cottage chef www.beertoday.co.uk @beertoday

[[

Festival time One-off beers from Sharp’s and Skinner’s will feature at the Preston Gate Inn, Poughill, Bude, next weekend, along with 25 other beers, sourced from the Scillies to Bristol. The fun starts Thursday and runs through until Sunday evening.

PHOTOGRAPHY: NICK HOOK

Beer of the week On a chilly autumnal evening, Hanlon’s (formerly O’Hanlon’s under different ownership) Port Stout will warm the heart and nourish the soul. The brewery reopened this year at Half Moon Village, near Exeter, and the beers have been proving very popular. On the aroma, there’s rich, dark malt and dates, while the palate offers coffee, bitter chocolate and that port warmth.

moor beer Dartmoor Brewery has installed a new fermentation vessel which will allow it to another 20,000 pints a week – that’s 150,000 pints a week in all. As is the case now for so many of our brewers, it’s all because of increasing demand for quality Westcountry beers. Cheers! 43

Tim_Beer_Oct5.indd 43

01/10/2014 14:19:33

Living

ROAD TEST

Bentley

he GT Speed is Bentley’s most powerful car, and the car of choice for many Premier League footballers. Which is why, when I was driving round Plymouth, football fans must have thought Plymouth Argyle had made the transfer The Bentley Continental GT Speed coupe is the most powerful car deal of the century. Sorry to disappoint. It was just me. in the Bentley stable. So how does it drive? asks Scott Squires The frankly huge GT Speed comes with an equally huge price tag, starting at a shade over £150,000. My car also had £27,000 worth of extras fitted. But for that money you do purchase some great British craftsmanship, and a whole lot of car. When you walk up to the GT Speed the first thing that hits you is its size. Everything about it is huge, it is nearly five metres long, just over two metres wide and there’s a power station under the bonnet. It kicks out 611bhp and rockets to 6o mph in four seconds flat, and keeps on going to more than 200mph. All this speed and power does come at a cost. The official fuel consumption is just over 19mpg. I achieved just over 12mpg driving around my home town of Plymouth. Best invest in a fuel tanker to follow you round. But as soon as you open the door and slide down into the GT you can sense the quality of the craftsmanship. Once you’ve I achieved 12 slipped yourself into the very mpg in my plush hand-stitched seats, you home town of can imagine yourself cruising through the Alps (I’ll just have Plymouth. Best to make do with Dartmoor). The invest in a fuel quality of the materials and the tanker to follow finish are absolutely first class, not a hint of a squeak. you around The one thing I was a bit disappointed with was the infotainment system. It was, dare I say 44

TodaysWorld_Gadgets.indd 44

[[

30/09/2014 16:54:43

gadget notebook tech tips: parenting

05 October 2014

Our pick of the best gadgets to make your life easier

it, a bit cheap. Considering the money you are paying for the car you would expect to have the best of everything, but the system looked like it was about ten years old. Otherwise, I don’t think I could fault the interior. Even the two rear passengers would be as fresh as a daisy on a cruise through the Alps (or Dartmoor). Yes, that’s right, the GT can seat four adults, and the boot is even big enough to accommodate plenty of luggage for that weekend trip to Mont Blanc. Or Mary Tavy. The most surprising thing about the GT is the way it drives. Keep the automatic gearbox in normal and the suspension in comfort, and the air suspension and massive 21-inch wheels and it feels like a magic carpet ride. The double-glazed windows and insulation ensure there is no road noise and just a hint of a rumble from the engine. You really could drive this car all day and not feel tired. But slip the gearbox into “S” for sport and put the air suspension to sport and the GT becomes a real driver’s car, which could embarrass a few sports cars. In sport mode, the throttle response is sharper, the gear changes give you a little kick in the back. The electronic steering weights up nicely, and the slight engine rumble becomes a full on roar. You totally forget you are driving such a big car, and can chuck it into the corners where it does a fantastic job of sticking it to the road. The GT costs more than many houses here, but yet I could drive it into the city centre and back without too many looks. Maybe this is where the GT scores. It looks great, but it’s not flashy like a Ferrari and doesn’t shout “here I come” from five miles away. I will say that I always thought Bentleys were for people who owned their own estate and had someone to drive them. But after driving the GT, I really fell for it, and it made a lot of sense to me. It is a car you could drive every day – if you can live with the fuel consumption.

Bentley Continental GT Speed Coupe 5,998cc V12 engine 0-60 mph 4.0 seconds Top speed 206 mph Price: From £156,700

Mmmm... Every tired parent needs pampering, right? Download massage programmes and stress drifts far, far away. uInfinity Massage Chair £5,888, osim.com

Extra pair of eyes Ever had that moment when your toddler makes a dash for it? This Bluetooth device can be attached to them and also offers an alert when they move outside your designated distance. Not quite an extra pair of eyes, but pretty close. nio Tag - £34.99 from bluenio.coM E

S chool term saviour

Bedtime a struggle? Help kids sleep with the help of this smart bulb, dimmed via app. It also turns the lights on - which can be helpful for those cold, dark school mornings. LIFX WiFi intelligent bulb - £79.99 from maplin.co.uk

fave!

You’ve got

toymail

Toymail helps you to communicate with your little people when you’re at work or away. Select from one of five cute characters, connect to your Wi-Fi network, download the app (iOS and Android), and you’re ready to message. Just talk into your smartphone and the recipient will hear either your own voice - or a chosen funny one - straight from the Toymailer’s ‘mouth’. Toymail - £49.99 from firebox.com

TodaysWorld_Gadgets.indd 45

01/10/2014 14:05:15

My life

[

MAN AND BOY

Too ill for school?

[

Phil Goodwin spots an attack of “lazyitis” in son James, four was forced to attend to a sudden and severe outbreak of lazyitis in our house the other day. I felt compelled to note the date, coming as it did on just day nine of my son’s initiation to big school, as it seemed to mark the emergence of a genuine schoolboy. The malady began with a loud and somewhat exaggerated sniffle and was followed by a theatrical groan. I was in the kitchen preparing the breakfast but I could hear the rumblings of discontent from upstairs, so I dashed up to take a look. James was still wrapped in the sheets, scowling. “What’s up with you?” I asked him. “I. Don’t. Want. To. Go. Anywhere.” he spelled out. It was Friday - a school day. It was raining. He had a sore throat, he said. We have all been there. We all know the script. It can often be useful to conduct the annals of literature in order to solve a problem. Or at least, it can be interesting to do so. I seem to recall Mark Twain got this routine down perfectly in his wonderful The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Young Tom was himself afflicted with a powerful aversion to learning. Of course it is Monday, and he finds himself miserable at the thought of another week’s “slow suffering” in school. After searching for ailments - canvassing his system, as the American author so skilfully puts it, he finds himself annoyingly fit for the week ahead. The youngster momentarily places his hope into the possibility he might encourage the vague trace of “colicky symptoms” but they soon grow feeble and die away. In the end, he settles on a loose upper tooth in bid to stay home. But his Aunt Polly is just too darn clever for him and whips out the offending molar with a silk string and packs him off to school anyway. Now, I wouldn’t suggest young James is as wily as Tom Sawyer, nor his sidekick Huckle-

berry Finn. But he shares every pupil’s occasional dread of the classroom and seems to be nurturing a talent for the dramatic arts. I once tried to pull the wool over my mother’s eyes with some concoction of ills only to be ordered out of bed and forced to comply. The big dread for me was always church on Sunday. I still recall watching the living room clock creep agonisingly closer to 4.30pm – the latest service we could attend – only for her to explode into life from her silent study of the newspaper with minutes to go, shattering my hopes and condemning me to another hour in the pews. Still, I am the authority now, I thought, as I ducked a toy flung in my direction from the alleged sick bed. The duvet followed soon after, kicked off in anger, leaving the patient open to the elements and vulnerable, given the seriousness of the ailment. “Okay, so you’ve got a sore throat,” I said. He coughed, weakly, as if to prove this was true. I supressed a smile and remained serious. “If it’s really bad then I suppose you can’t go to school,” I told him. “But that means you will have to stay in bed all day. And you won’t be able to go to the birthday party on Saturday. Or the aquarium on Sunday.” His eyes flashed. These events had been long planned and were much anticipated. He folded his arms. “What about ice lollies?” he asked. We have an outright ban on all frozen treats for all coughs, even just a tickly one, a regulation he knows only too well.“Well... if your throat is not too bad you could, perhaps, have one.” He rose and stomped to the bathroom. Nothing more was said on the issue by either side. A pineapple and lime flavoured Twister was duly consumed at around 3.40pm, after school.

“I. Don’t. Want. To. Go. Anywhere.” he spelled out. It was Friday - a school day. It was raining.

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Christmas and New Year at

Our superb Christmas Party Nights…

Bodmin Jail

12th and 19th December 2014 Small or larger parties are welcome to join together for one big festive banquet and entertaining night to include full menu and a DJ!

Christmas Menu Day or Evening - La Scala Function Suite or Restaurant (Pre-order required)

£22.95 per guest

Entrees Thick Vegetable Broth Served with Fresh Bread Boneless Tandoori Chicken Thighs Served with a cool mint yogurt Tomato and Pepper Crumble Salmon Mousse Served with Melba toast

New Years Eve Party Medieval Menu

Music by ’Mass-Affect’ with an amazing ‘Laser Light Show’ to take you through to 1am - Prizes for the best fancy-dress! Full tickets at £35pp - Door tickets only (with no food or table reservation) £10

Main Courses Traditional Roast Turkey American Pot Roast Beef Above two main courses are served with Pigs in blankets Stuffing and Yorkshire Pudding Tuna Steak Served with a Lemon Butter

Starters Hunter’s pot vegetable soup Fresh bread Game Keeper’s warm meat pie Served with gravy Poacher’s Potted Shrimps In Mace butter Served with toast

Homemade nut roast

Main Course

All above main courses served with our famous roast potatoes and three seasonal vegetables

Shepherd’s Lamb Shank Braised in Mead sauce

Home made Dessert Courses

Peasant Spit Roast Pork Served with Cider sauce

Christmas Pudding and Brandy Sauce Santa’s Steamed Chocolate Pudding Served with White Chocolate Custard Fresh Fruit Salad Homemade vanilla ice cream Tea & coffee offered

Main course followed by mince pies £12.95 Two courses followed by mince pies £17.95 Three courses followed by mince pies £19.95 One & two course menus lunchtime only (12 – 4 pm) Full menu available all day (12 – 9 pm) Please remember to book and pre-order your meals Non-refundable deposit required: £5 for Main course & £10 for 2/3 course per person Gratuities not included. Special Dietary requirements catered for

Tel: 01208 76292 www.bodminjail.org

Salmon poached in Monk’s Ale Served with Tarragon butter Preacher’s Lentil and vegetable Bake Served with Tarragon butter All main courses served with root vegetable pie and jacket potato

Desserts Fair Maiden’s Creamy Custard Tart and fresh cream Village Idiot’s Fruity Steam Pudding and custard The Bishop’s Cheddar Cheese and Apple Tea & coffee offered

Berrycoombe Road . Bodmin . PL31 2NR

Enter your business and celebrate your success

In association with

Enter online at www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/businessawards Awards ceremony at The Headland Hotel, Newquay on Thursday 20th November 2014 please contact Terri Reeves on 01752 293174 or email terri.reeves@dc-media.co.uk for more information and ticket availability.

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01/10/2014 14:57:35

ENS P O AY 7 D EEK AW

For everyone who lives and loves the country life Stocking everything for horse and rider, country clothing and footwear, pet food, treats and bedding, farm supplies and garden essentials.

TRURO Store GRAND opening with Farmer and TV Presenter

Adam Henson Thursday 30th October from 11.30am

Threemilestone Industrial Estate, Truro TR4 9LD | 01872 246123 | www.patchandacre.co.uk

BackCover_Oct5.indd CF 11276 Patch&Acre1Truro launch ad 280x230+bleed.indd 1

30/09/2014 14:16:56 30/09/2014 11:08