West April 12 2015

12.04.15

EXCLUSIVE:

Meet Judy

‘These days, Cornwall is my inspiration’ STYLE IDEAS: + HOT JUMPSUITS + MONOCHROME &

SEVENTIES BOHO

WIN: + EXETER FOOD FESTIVAL TICKETS

INSIDE: + MUM TURNS

WEB PIONEER

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Supported by

TOURISM EVENT OF THE YEAR

the

South West’s e t a m i t foodie event! ul 24 - 26 April 2015

South West Food & Drink Producrs

10am – 6pm (5pm on Sunday)

The Festival Cookery Theatre Festival Bars

Little Cookies Children’s Area

Westcountry Bakery with Glenn Cosby

Darts Farm Food is Fun Teepees

OUS FABUL SIC U M LIVE S T N EVE

Festival After Dark Party Nights Thurs 23, Fri 24 & Sat 25 April

NEW FOR 2015!

4& ow! urs n2s3,ariFllrie2n Tho Sat 25 Ap

tickets Buy online om/exeterfoodfest www.theticketfactory.c eter Phoenix Buy in person at the Ex

Exeter Castle & Northernhay Gardens, Exeter www.exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk Untitled-1 2

www.exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk

08/04/2015 17:12:13

‘When I came on holiday to Cornwall as a girl, it was a two day journey from Manchester. But it was incredibly romantic’

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MY WESTCOUNTRY Why Olympian Heather Fell loves Rock in Cornwall

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THE GOSSIP PAGE Spice Girls back together? Emma Bunton shares a secret

Judy Finnigan on why she loves living in Cornwall now, p 12

[contents[ Inside this week...

6

THE WISHLIST

8

HOW TO BE A HOSTESS

Lovely things to buy and do this week Hint: keep some chocs just for you

9

JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have the latest gossip!

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MEET JUDY FINNEGAN Cornwall’s TV star novelist talks love, motherhood and Talland Bay

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MAKING CONNECTIONS The Devon mum who created an online support network

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A CABIN ON THE CLIFF One woman’s dream comes true

26

ANNE SWITHINBANK

30 40

FASHION Look good, Seventies style

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A WEEKEND IN...

Have fun in Kingsbridge

THE HUMBLE TURNIP ...and how to eat it

In praise of Cornish gardens

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BEAUTY All the latest looks, plus how to get perfect feet the easy way

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FASHION FOR SPRINGTIME Today’s take on the 70s vibe

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THE MONOCHROME TREND

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MY SECRET WESTCOUNTRY

Black, white and how to wear it Olympian Heather Fell spills the beans

40

THE HUMBLE TURNIP ...and how to eat it

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GADGETS GALORE The latest must-have gizmos

11

MATTHEW GOODE

From Exeter to Downton Abbey 3

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22

[

[

INTERIORS

The cabin on a Cornish cliff

[ welcome [ Spring has most definitely sprung What a fabulous time of year this is here in the Westcountry. You can hardly move for tripping over daffodils and primroses, and, quite rightly, the visitors are making their way back here for a chance to experience some of that special South West magic for themselves.

We’re all for getting out and about too, and this week Radio 4’s gardening expert Anne Swithinbank writes about her recent trip from her home in Devon to Cornwall, to see the sensational woodland plants that are thriving down there right now. Read her fascinating feature on the rhododendron hunters of Cornwall on page 26 today.

Another A-list broadcasting star in our pages this week is the wonderful Judy Finnigan. She’s

Tweet

of the week

[

@jillysargent @Debenhams Catherine Barnes looked stunning after her makeover #scrubsupwell.

Ed’s note: We agree!

reinvented herself from daytime TV superstar to acclaimed novelist. Find out why she loves motherhood, Cornwall and Richard Madeley in our fascinating interview on page 12 today.

It’s not long now until the glorious Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, an actionpacked three days of fun, food and frolics in the centre of Exeter.

It’s well worth a visit, and this week we have £70 worth of tickets to be won - see opposite. Why not give it a go?

Finally, I’m inspired by (and slightly envious of) this gorgeous Cornish cliffside cabin, pictured above. Hear how it was created on page 22 today.

Mmm... I want one - don’t you?

Find out why Judy Finnigan loves motherhood, Cornwall and Richard Madeley

[

Becky Sheaves, Editor

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

COVER IMAGE: Bill Waters

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Sarah Pitt

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Phil Goodwin

4

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If you do one thing this week...

You should buy tickets for the Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, a three day extravaganza bringing the region’s finest produce to the heart of the city.

The event takes place at Exeter Castle and Northernhay Gardens from Friday to Sunday, April 24-26. New for this year, there’s a fabulousWestcountry Bakery area, featuring Great British Bake Off contestant Glenn Cosby. The festival is also a wonderful opportunity to meet food producers and sample their wares. Visit www.exeterfoodand drinkfestival.co.uk

Win

4 x family tickets!

We have 4 family tickets for two adults and two children, each worth £17, for the festival on the Sunday, April 26, to win. Email your name, address and a contact telephone number, with Food Festival Competition in the subject line, to westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk by Friday, April 17. Normal terms apply.

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Treasure Octagonal jewellery box, £65, www.swankymaison.com

Hello, my bird Create a flutter with this Melanie Tomlinson tin brooch, £39, from the Polka Dot Gallery in Exeter and Taunton and www.polkadotgallery. com

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

Snap!

Kodak camera laser-cut necklace, £12, www.etsy.com

Fairy

Useful

Magic wand for little girls, made from pale pink leather and decorated with diamante, £18, www.whiterab-

Kitchen Conversions tea towel, £8.95, www.rockbakehouse.co.uk

bitengland.com 6

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Wishlist Party time Blossom party decorations, £4.50-£4.75 for three, from Plymouth-based www.luckandluck.co.uk

Stay cool Jelly and cake oven glove, £26, www. annabeljames.co.uk

Booked!

For your cookbooks, thisutensils bookend, £18, www. onebrowncow.co.uk

FRUITY Pineapple jewellery stand, £20, www.oliverbonas.com

Store We Adore Stone Fabrics, Totnes

Stone Fabrics was set up by home dressmaker Jane Starey in 1997, to stock the sort of hard-to-find fabrics not easily available on the high street or by mail order. Jane has since been joined in the business by her daughter Bess, who shares her passion for dressmaking.

Their fabulous emporium is crammed full of high quality, one-off and unusual fabrics sourced from around the world, with top designs at competitive prices. And as experienced dressmakers themselves, they can navigate you through the rolls on the shelves to find the right fabric for your project.

Stone Fabrics is at 97 High Street, Totnes, www.stonefabrics.co.uk or 01803 868608 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

Powder

PERFECTION

You can have too much of a good thing oo much chocolate… groan. If I never see another crème egg, it will be too soon. All over the house – still - is the aftermath of the Easter orgy: Lindt rabbits with their ears chewed off, shiny foil wrappers, jelly beans ground into the carpet, half-bitten chocolate selections that were obviously not to the taster’s taste. stuffing halved garlic cloves and In the confusion of gifts and sprigs of rosemary under the skin visitors on the big day, I approas I do, she ground the garlic and priated a large chocolate rabbit rosemary in a mortar and pestle, and hid it in my bag. It is now in a together with salt and pepper. locked drawer in the office. After The resulting paste she injected everyone else’s Easter chocolate into regular punctures into the is a distant memory, I will still be leg itself. Very flavourful, without breaking off chunks to nibble in being overpowering – I’d recomthe lean months of early summer. mend the technique.

Fortune favours the prepared – Our other culinary triumph for mwahahahaha. the Easter feast was an experiWe had a big, ment. I chopped rowdy houseup carrots, swede, ful over the holiand one potato (for Lindt rabbits days, and it was smoothness) and really good fun. I “fat-steamed” them with their love being a host– i.e. slow cooked ears chewed ess, now that I’ve them with butter in off, shiny foil learned a few vital a lidded pot. When rules: delegate they were soft I wrappers, half whenever poswhizzed them in bitten chocolate sible, don’t sweat the blender, with the small stuff, a bit of vegetable selections: an and ensure that stock for flavour.

Easter orgy hot food is availThe resulting able when people puree was tasty are hungry. My and looked very theory is that people don’t care pretty next to the dark green curly what they eat as long as it’s in the kale from the garden. right place at the right time. When The leftovers I boiled up into you’re cooking for a crowd, don’t a big Scotch broth, with lots of try complicated recipes and new veg and legumes from a superthings – keep it simple, flavourful, market broth mix. Hostesses are and local. thinking about food all the time, That said, we did have some culialways planning for the next nary departures over Easter, with meal. Maybe that was why I had very good results. Our centrethree consecutive nights in which piece was a huge leg of lamb from I dreamt of food. Hopefully I won’t our local butcher. I left a relation start getting Freudian guilt trips in charge of its preparation while about being pursued by half-eaten we went off to church. Instead of chocolate rabbits… noooooo…

All eyes may be on the Duchess of Cambridge of late, but actress Jodie Whittaker gave Kate a run for her money in the pregnancy style stakes at the Royal Television Society Awards. The Broadchurch star chose the gorgeously bright Tabitha Webb Purple Tulip Shift Dress, £335 (www.tabithawebb.co.uk), pairing it with electric blue heels and a cool printed clutch.

T

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

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION A Soft Curvissa jewelled waist dress £55 Light and airy, ideal for warmer days.

OPTION A Detailed Jacques Vert Lacy dress £199 Layers add interest, and are flattering to boot.

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BRAND NEW!

Just

between us

BACK

Gossip, news, trend setters and more - you

together?

The SPICE GIRLS could be reuniting once again.

The band last got together on stage to sing a selection of their hits during the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony and now EMMA BUNTON has admitted she would “love” to get the group back together.

She told Now magazine she recently met up with former band mates GERI HALLIWELL and MEL B. Next year marks the 20th anniversary of debut single Wannabe.

Baby Spice told the magazine: “We

heard all the latest juicy stuff here first!

I applaud Angelina! love each other and we love performing together.

“It’s just when the timing is right because we all have our own careers now and we have families, it’s just about getting five schedules together and that’s all it is.”

On your bike

FERN BRITTON has challenged fellow Westcountry gal DEBORAH MEADEN to get on her bike. Fern’s cycling from John O’Groat’s to Land’s End this May to raise money for The Genesis Research Trust which seeks to end miscarriage.

Fern recently tweeted Deborah, saying: “Get your Lycra on @DeborahMeaden

!

and join me on this epic ride”.

We’re not surprised Fern’s decided to end her ride in Cornwall rather than Scotland – after all, her mum grew up in Port Isaac. What’s more, Fern’s novels are set in Cornwall and she says she “adored” her years in the county when working for Westward TV in the 1980s.

KELLY OSBOURNE has applauded ANGELINA JOLIE’s decision to have her ovaries removed - saying she faces the same decision as the Hollywood star.

Angelina, 39, has just undergone more preventive surgery two years after having a double mastectomy, because doctors had said she was at risk of ovarian cancer.

Kelly, 30, whose mother, SHARON OSBOURNE, battled cancer in the past says: “I actually do have the cancer gene. My mom made all of us get tested after she had cancer herself.”

Kelly said of Angelina’s decision: “I agree with this 100 per cent.

“I know that one day I will eventually have to do it too because if I have children, I want to be there to bring them up. I want to be there to support them in every way I can.

“I have been the child of a cancer survivor, so being on that end of it as well is really, really hard to deal with.

I’m so lucky to have the brave mother I have that has taught me so much.”

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In good voice: Young singers at Ugborough Primary School rehearse a song for the Raise Your Voice concert involving schools from across the South Hams

All dressed up: Fancy dress was the order of the day at Powderham Castle’s spring open day near Exeter.

in pictures

Rescue: Linda Squires runs a rehab home for hedgehogs at her home in Plymouth. Picture by Paul Slater

Cheers: Tamsyn Lewis fills up a glass with Cornish cider at the Cider and Folk Festival in Falmouth.

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talking points Grand

Cliffhangers

ONE OF US

10 comic strips that had us rushing to the newsagent every week

Famous faces who come from the Westcountry

1. The Secret Ballerina (Tammy)

2. Eyes for Mary (Mandy)

3. No Tennis for Tessa

This week:

(Bunty)

4. The Stables Slave (Tammy)

5. Blind Ballerina (Jinty)

6. Wee Slavey (Judy) 7. The Doll of Doom (Mandy)

8. Noreen from Nowhere (Bunty)

9. Dora Dogsbody (Jinty)

10. Jilly Liar (Tammy)

Matthew Goode

10 past Grand National winners

1. Red Rum 2. Nickel Coin

Exeter-born actor Matthew Goode played Benedict Cumberbatch’s suave code-breaking adversary in the Oscar-winning Imitation Game

3. Red Alligator 4. Hello Dandy 5. Silver Birch 6. Teal 7. Nicolaus Silver 8. Red Marauder 9. Don’t Push It 10. Royal Tan

Knit one The happy list

10 things to make you smile this week 1 Leftover chocolate ooh look, a Creme Egg

2 Hedgerows primroses, violets, daffodils...

3 Sarah Millican tickets on 10 kinds of fancy knitting stitch

1. St John’s Wort 2. Mabel lace 3. Bamboo rib 4. Baby Elephants 5. Clovers 6. Oblique caterpillar 7. Kites 8. Quartered diamonds 9. Vandyke swag 10. Jack-in-the-pulpit

sale now at Plymouth Pavilions

4 Sunshine Vitamin D - yay!

5 Horrible Histories all this week at the Hall for Cornwall

6 Light evenings walk, ride, garden, it’s all possible now

7 Camping holidays it’s actually time to plan some

8 Wild garlic with chicken 9 Election posters democ-

Early Years: Born on April 3, 1978, Matthew Goode’s late father was a geologist and his mother a nurse.

Matthew’s the youngest of five children and grew up in Clyst St Mary.

Beginnings: Mum Jennifer directed the local amateur dramatics productions and roped young Matthew in. He played a mouse in the Wind in The Willows aged six.

“I didn’t really have a choice,” he said. “You will be singing rodent!”

DID YOU KNOW?

Matthew’s fave band is Coldplay Chris Martin’s an old friend

Did you know?

Matthew went to Exeter School and got top GCSE and A level grades in drama. He went on to study drama at Birmingham University, then went to drama school in London.

Did you know? One of Matthew’s first screen acting jobs was as a voiceover artist on CITV cartoon series Bounty Hamster.

Big screen break: Matthew won the role of Charles Ryder - a role originally made famous by Jeremy Irons - in the 2008 movie version of Brideshead Revisited

racy in action

10 Beach days sandy toes

Dymoke have daughters Matilda, six, and Teddy, 18 months. He’s said: “It’s not easy when you’ve got kids. You have to make some pretty unselfish decisions.”

Family: Matthew and partner Sophie

Downton delight: Matthew played one of Lady Mary’s suitors, Henry Talbot, in the Downton Abbey Christmas special. He’s currently starring in the current season of US crime drama series, The Good Wife.

Friends: Matthew has been friends with fellow actor Benedict Cumberbatch for 15 years. They met through a mutual friend at an Inspector Lynley Mysteries ‘wrap’ party. He said: “I’m so proud of Ben. I’ve known him for such a long time and the last couple of years he’s really come to the forefront.”

School days: Matthew used to get his school uniform from the nowgone Pinder and Tuckwell men’s outfitters in Exeter. His favourite part of the whole process was when the money was spirited away to the accounts department in a capsule via a compressed air tube. “I always thought, I’d love to have one of those in my house,” he said.

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Interview

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[

JUDY FINNIGAN

[

Inspired by Cornwall The nation’s favourite TV host explains why she swapped her frantic schedule for life at a more leisurely pace, living on the coast and writing novels

By Catherine Barnes

ver since she stepped away from the television limelight, Judy Finnigan’s well-earned quiet life has kept the media intrigued.

She’s gone from asking the questions during her 21-year TV partnership with husband Richard Madeley to becoming the person that everyone wants to grill about her new career as a novelist. It’s towards the end of a long day of interviews when West calls for a chat, but Judy is charming and full of positive energy as she relates how our part of the world has become her sanctuary.

Judy’s Westcountry home is in Talland Bay on the south coast near Polperro. “It’s really strange, but if you’re very fond of Cornwall, it can call to you,” she says. “Once you’ve got a grip, it’s hard to shift, even if you’re an incomer. It’s always been an enchanting place to me.

“When I was young I came on holiday with my parents.

In those days it was a nightmare to get here and took two days from Manchester with an overnight stop. But to a little girl, it was incredibly romantic, like going abroad to a foreign country.”

Cornwall’s been a doubly special place since she cemented her relationship with Richard on a visit here in 1984. Judy was a divorcee with seven-year old twin boys Dan and Tom at the time and he also had a first marriage

PHOTOGRAPH: BILL WATERS

E

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Interview Judy with husband Richard and daughter Chloe

behind him.

“Of course the boys knew Richard and liked him, but before we moved in together we decided to try living together as a family,” she explains.

“I had it in my head that we should head as far away as possible. The trip was wonderful, the weather was perfect and we were all very happy.

So I associate Cornwall with extreme happiness and peace.”

Here Judy, who’ll be 67 in May, enjoys a pace of life very different to the frenetic years when she and Richard become TV’s golden couple, as well as parents to Jack, 29, and 27-year old Chloe – who’s becoming a star in her own right.

“I’d describe it as extreme telly,” says Judy, looking back at her This Morning role. “It did eat you up. It’s great not doing the daily stuff anymore – I love it. I occasionally do Loose Women; it gets me out of the house and the producer’s an

old friend. They send me a car and I quite like the show and I like the other women on it. It’s a nice balance that’s not as demanding as the TV Richard and I used to do. You were always thinking about it. I’d never want to go back to that.

“When we were working on TV, we only had weekends in Cornwall. We’d leave London on a Friday evening and wouldn’t have got here till midnight, then we’d have to head back on back Sunday night. Now we spend more time here than we do in London.”

Many best-selling authors have Richard, 58 and Judy to thank for championing their novels

[

to millions of avid viewers, when the couple launched their Book Club in 2004. It ran as a TV segment for five years – and is still going strong online, through WH Smith. The couple also made headlines locally when they helped Polperro author Ruth Saberton secure a publishing deal.

Ruth had left a manuscript of her novel, Katy Carter Wants a Hero, for their attention in a local shop.

Then in 2012, Judy published her own first novel, called Eloise, to critical acclaim.

This book and her latest bestseller, I Do not Sleep, have drawn comparisons with Daphne du Maurier.

It’s easy to see why - Judy’s evocation of the land-

[

‘After years of deadlines, now I have time to breathe’

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scape is visceral.

“Rebecca, Wuthering Heights, I want to write like that, where the landscapes mirror the emotion,” she says. “I’m drawn to writing about very strong extremes of emotion and love that sort of gothic literature.”

In I Do Not Sleep, heroine Molly returns to Talland Bay in search of answers five years after the disappearance of her son Joey in the unpredictable seas around Looe Island.

“People think of Cornwall as a holiday place that’s sweet and pretty, but the sea can be vicious,” says Judy, who sparkles when she speaks about her adopted home. “I love the history of Looe Island. It’s an amazing place, full of mysteries and ancient legends.”

Although she brilliantly evokes Molly’s aching loss, “It’s not a sad book,” she stresses. “I didn’t want her to be too mired in sadness. The boat accident happened five years earlier and she’s motivated by a desire to find him, as a much as anything else. I’m very attracted to writing about mums. The passion inspired by your children never ends. You think when they reach 18 years old it will be different, but not at all. You still feel as anxious about them as you did when they were tiny.”

Indeed, anyone who watched reality TV stunt show The Jump in February, could hardly have missed how terrified Judy looked as heroic fitness-guru daughter Chloe Madeley (she of the amazing abs) flung herself down all manner of daunting slopes and ice-runs, during the course of the celebrity challenge.

“I found it very frightening and it’s much scar-

Chloe Madeley

Richard and Judy today

inspiring,” she says. “I can write in a way I just can’t do in the city.”

Richard has penned two novels, too, turning to romance with The Way You Look Tonight and Some Day I’ll Find You. Expert interviewer Judy confesses she finds it “strange” to be on the receiving end of questions, saying: “It does feel odd – so at book readings, sometimes Richard and I will interview each other.” She reveals that their time spent in Cornwall is largely in and around the coastal parish Richard and Judy welcome Chris Evans they’ve come to know and love. and Kris Akabusi to Cornwall Indeed, Talland Church, where they renewed their marriage vows in 2000, features in I Do Not Sleep.

“The area we stick to is where we live,” says Judy. ier than it looks on TV,” Judy tells me. “Richard “I love it. It’s very peaceful and while the North and I went out there to watch her and it was coast is more spectacular, our hamlet is very gentle bloody terrifying. It was bad enough watching and I find it refreshing and spiritual. her on Dancing on Ice. They were all very brave “Now, I pretty much have as much time as I and worked incredibly hard, but wouldn’t like want, where I want to be. I want to spend my life her to do it again.” enjoying myself. After years of demanding deadBeing able to take off for a two-week stay in lines and days, now I have time to breathe.”

Austria would never have been possible back in So welcome home, Judy. You’ve earned it the fast-paced Richard & Judy days, she adds. But – and we’re very proud to call you one of us. looking out of the window in her Cornwall home I Do Not Sleep by Judy Finnigan is published by stimulates her in a way that their London house Little Brown Books in hardback (£16.99) and is set to never could. come out in paperback on June 18.

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photography: Steve Haywood

Interview

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Meaningful connections Anna Turns meets Josie Barron, the Crediton mum who’s created a very special online support network for new parents

As a busy working mum, I know only too well how life can be a juggling act. Especially during those early days of motherhood when it’s easy to feel bewildered among the endless feeds, nappy changes and the fog of sleep deprivation.

So how on earth does Josie Barron find the energy to run MummySocial.com, her new Internet venture with 20-month-old Dexter and two-weekold Annabel in tow?

“Before having children, I was working and seeing friends on a daily basis,” recalls Josie, 30, who lives in Crediton, mid Devon. “When I had my first baby, my social life ground to a halt and I was at home almost 24/7. It was a shock to the system.”

Josie’s world was turned upside down and she discovered that even getting out of the house with a newborn was a “massive achievement”: “Being a mother is the best thing ever but at the same time it’s hard. The only people that truly understand

that are other mums.”

While pregnant with Dexter, Josie joined her local antenatal class. “This proved to be one of the most valuable things I have ever done because it enabled me to find a small group of friends who became so important during that first year. But there were still times when I felt really isolated, despite having this fantastic friendship group – there’d be days when people weren’t free to meet, and my fiancé Andy works abroad. So I had long periods when it was just me and baby.”

When Dexter turned one, Josie held a special birthday celebration to mark this milestone. “At his party, I was so overwhelmed with emotion at the strong bonds I had formed with my close mummy friends and how vital their friendships had been to me. It struck me that making new friends can be daunting and many mums out there don’t necessarily have that.”

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Soon after, Josie became pregnant again and, with a toddler already, this time she found she didn’t have time to make a new set of friends at an antenatal group. “I was very aware I was going to be at home alone with two little ones and I wanted to create an easier way to connect with other mums in the same situation.”

And so MummySocial.com was born. Josie’s intention is to remove the barriers and take the awkwardness away from saying, ‘I want to make new friends’. As she says, it’s a big effort to muster up the energy, confidence and courage to meet new people – attributes which may well be in short supply when you’re run ragged from looking after a baby.

“This website is a place where all mums are on a level playing field. We’re all putting our hands up and saying ‘Do you fancy meeting up for a coffee?’” she explains. There’s a friendly openness to Josie’s vision. She’s crafted a comforting, informal and relaxed support network. “It’s like having an online hug!” she laughs. The success since her website’s conception is impressive.

Since launching on January this year, more than 15,000 members have signed up nationwide. In Exeter alone, 300 people have joined.

Josie knows she’s lucky to have her own family close by in Topsham, especially when her fiancé Andy, an ex-Marine, is away working as a maritime security officer. She has a strong affinity with the many Forces families in the region.

“Hats off to all the mums whose partners are away. Hopefully, we offer a lifeline to all mums living in a place far from their natural support network.”

She’s keen to reach out to more first-time mums-to-be. “Wouldn’t it be brilliant if we were on the antenatal checklist: Have you got your hospital bag packed? Have you fitted the car seat?

Have you joined MummySocial?!”

Now with baby Annabel on the scene, Josie says that she is relieved to know she can log on any time to chat with other mums. “I prefer hearing firsthand advice from someone who has been through the same thing, rather than reading about it,” explains Josie. “This initiative encourages face-to-face meet-ups, too. It’s so refreshing to have met lovely people from all walks of life, with different ages of children.”

Uplifting members stories are the biggest reward. One single mum in Barnstaple stumbled across the site and told Josie, “It feels like there’s light at the end of the tunnel - I was so worried about being isolated as a single mum”.

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Interview

“MummySocial gave her a real boost,” comments Josie, “And it has provided a lifeline to another mum suffering from severe post-natal depression. She now has the confidence to leave the house on her own with her baby to meet her newfound friends. Around the country, there are already groups of mums meeting weekly for playdates, walks or coffee mornings, which is great.”

Josie previously worked in software development, and although she built this website from scratch (impressively, it was all done while Dexter was napping), Josie wants to involve her members. “I made MummySocial for fellow mums, so I encourage all our members to send in ideas,” says Josie.

“It has gone beyond my technical capabilities so now I have employed a web designer, leaving me free to respond

to messages, making sure our members are happy.”

She’s determined to avoid membership fees – accessibility is key. “We’ll build in a communitybased business section where mums can promote their own companies and coffee shops can advertise special offers to members.”

‘What about the Daddies?’ I ask. Well, Josie embraces the diversity of modern families. “There are so many different family set-ups and I really want everyone to be involved. This platform is a nice place for any parent to go, and some dads have joined already.”

Cradling Annabel, Josie tells me that, for her, life with a newborn has been easier second time around: “I’m treasuring it all more this time but juggling Dexter and Annabel can be challenging,” she says. “Watching them grow into little characters makes me grin.” Becoming a mother gave Josie a deeper appreciation for her own mum too. “There’s a special connection with other mums that I didn’t have before...now I feel like I’m part of the club.” A club with 15,000 members, that is growing all the time.

Visit www. mummysocial.com and follow Anna Turns @annaturns on Twitter

“This website is a place where all mums are on a level playing field”

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Trending now on MummySocial.com Kara in Lincoln writes: Morning everyone :) Hope you all had a great Easter in the sunshine!

I need your advice again. I sorted my son’s eating issues but the sleeping issues continue. Now, I am always upbeat but the exhaustion is killing me. I am barely getting a full hour at night, I’ve tried changing blankets etc, no heating, heating, he co-sleeps from 3-4am as from 10pm onward I am constantly in and out. Today I am even considering moving his room around. Help me please :( Penny in Newark said: Hi My daughter has a dummy that helps. Once we started a routine with a little wash in the evening and then her last bottle she slept much better Ella in Manchester said: You have to do what’s best for you and your child. If co sleeping helps - do it :). Remember you also need to look after yourself to have strength to look after your child :)

Harriet in Stoke-on-Trent said: Hi not sure if this is of any help to you but my little man is only 4 months old but sleeps really well, he only wakes once for a feed still during the night. He is still currently in our room at night but sleeps with the sound of rain or classical music lol....i have a gadget which plays 4 different types of sounds for about 20mins and a light which i use to settle him and it works a treat :-) Kim in Bideford said: Everyone has an opinion on everything. You do what comes naturally to you. Much to my family’s disgust I shall be co-sleeping and breastfeeding until little one tells me otherwise! xx Kara in Lincoln writes: Yep, teething does ruin things. I feel under pressure at times co sleeping is like a shock with some of my friends and they think it’s bad. Lucas is completely different to Holly, she just slept from 6 weeks so with him at times I feel quite lost.

Hah. God I hope I don’t sound useless xx

MummySocial.com - how it works On Monday this week, Julie posted: “Hi ladies, any mummies in the Cullompton area? I have a 3 month old and looking to meet people with babies of similar age x” Within 24 hours, Laura had responded: “I’m in Cully my son is one. The family centre near the church would be a good place to start to meet people with babies similar age there’s a few that go that have babies and toddlers xx”

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On the sea shore Debbie Bartlett tells Sarah Pitt how she created a glamorous bolthole half way down a cliff, overlooking Cornwall’s Whitsand Bay hen Debbie Bartlett lies in bed in her beach cabin called Moontide, she can hear the soothing sounds of the sea on the beach far below at the foot of the cliffs. “One time I slept with the doors open and I could really hear the waves crashing away all night,” she says. “It was amazing.”

And Debbie – who grew up a few miles from Whitsand Bay in south east Cornwall – has an excuse to come back whenever she wants, after creating this luxury bolthole half way down the cliffs.

With its exterior cladding painted a stylish grey-blue, the cabin sleeps two people in comfort, with a woodburner and a generous run of folding glass doors which can be left open to hear the sound of the sea.

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Outside, the same views can be enjoyed from the all-weather sofa on the deck, tough enough to withstand the salt spray, which is topped with comfy cushions when the candles are lit on warm evenings.

Debbie grew up in nearby Torpoint, in this quiet corner of south east corner of Cornwall, and visited the beach as a child. When she left home to study in Brighton, East Sussex, absence made the heart grow fonder, and she has long dreamed of buying one of the chalets perched on the cliff above the beach.

“The beach here is a bit of my childhood and has never really left me,” she says. “When I was in my early 20s I decided I really wanted a chalet, and in the end I decided I was just going to go for it.”

The cabin is reached via a path-

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Interiors The picture on the wall inspired the colour scheme

[[ ‘I grew up here and always wanted to have my very own beach cabin - in the end I just went for it’

The bathroom at Combe Thatch Cottage

STYLE TIP: For a real insude-outside vibe,

large folding doors, a wide decking area and glass balcony barriers created a sun trap 23

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Interiors

[[

The cabin is now a cosy but luxurious coastal bolthole

‘The builders carried all the equipment they needed down the the cliff’

way down the cliff, down which all the building materials had to be carried. So with this in mind, it seems amazing that Debbie has completely transformed the site not once but twice.

She bought the plot eight years ago, initially demolishing a derelict chalet and building a basic cabin, with two small bedrooms, in its place. “When I originally built it, the builders dug down about 10 feet to put in the foundations and they had to carry all the equipment they needed down the cliff,” she says.

More recently, she decided to give the cabin a makeover, both inside and out, to give it more of a luxurious feel. “This has been a pretty big project - although the shell of the building remains, the inside has been completely gutted,” she says.

She put in more windows, plus the folding French doors that can be opened out to take advantage of the view. “I decided I wanted to make the cabin more spectacular and open it out more to make the most of the views,” says Debbie. “So I got rid of a small hedge which was there before, expanding the decking and putting in a glass barrier which has really transformed the outside space. It means you don’t get any wind if you’re sitting outside. So if there is any sun at all, this is a real suntrap.”

Inside, Debbie has turned the two small bedrooms into a single larger one, with a king-sized bed. She has also put in a wood-burning stove.

Outside, the enhancements include a power shower for washing off the sand from the beach,

as both Debbie and her teenage daughter love body boarding and surfing.

When it came to the interior, Debbie has complemented white walls with accents of turquoise, red and pink, taking as her starting point a painting she bought in a shop near her home in Newton Poppleford, east Devon. This seascape, which hangs in the bedroom of the cabin, contrasts the blue of sea and sky with the red sails of the yachts.

“The décor was inspired by that picture in the bedroom,” she says. “I saw it in a shop near where I live and thought it would look good in the chalet. Because it was such a small space, I

wanted to keep the cabin light and airy. So that is why I went with white, with splashes of colour.”

Turquoise and red stripy cushions adorn the bed, while the lamp beside it has a blue glass base and a single gerbera in a vase adds a splash of bright pink.

Debbie worked with an interior designer Holly Keeling on the finishing touches. The end result is is small but luxurious. Debbie says: “What I really love is having a vision and seeing that vision become a reality, it is really exciting.”

Moontide in Whitsand Bay, Cornwall is available to rent from Unique Home Stays on 01637 881183, www.uniquehomestays.com

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Shopping

GET THE

Pilchard bowl

by Cornish glassmaker Jo Downs, £99.95, www.iapetus. co.uk

LOOK

Get the coastal look for your living space with these seainspired shopping ideas Green tealight holder, £10, www. cloudberryliving. co.uk

Cane-line conic modular outdoor sofa, £1,995, www. gomodern.co.uk

Porthole mirror, £145, www. loaf.com

Fish mug, £4, Sainsbury’s stores

Mallory turquoise ceramic table lamp, £220, www.4living.co.uk

Woven stool, £18, Sainsbury’s stores

Grey rug, £205. www. lukuhome.com

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08/04/2015 14:27:02

Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

A Cornish Spring Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, is heading to Cornwall to catch the first flowers of spring hile gardens in the rest of the country have barely woken up, the magnificent historic estates of Cornwall come alive with magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and other spring flowering plants whose exotic beauty take the breath away. This Cornish phenomenon is celebrated every year by the annual Spring Gardening Show held by the Cornwall Garden Society in the grounds of Boconnoc near Lostwithiel. A fortnight ago, I crossed the border to attend the show and experience again that feeling of stepping back into a romantic age of plant hunters, misty valleys and venerable plants.

Names like Tregothnan, Trewithen, Trelissick, Heligan, Trereife and Trengwainton, never mind Trebah, Tregrehen and Caerhays roll off the tongue easily and there are plenty more famous estates and gardens blessed with sheltered valleys of slightly acidic soil in this mild, moist climate, just right for woodland plants to thrive.

In Cornish names with ‘Tre’ refer to a settlement or homestead and for good measure, ‘pol’ signifies a pond, lake or well and ‘pen’ a hill or headland.

My favourite part of the show is the competitive element where the great gardens pit themselves against each other to exhibit the most stunning magnolia, pert rhododendron or distinctive camellia. The garden owners and their head gardeners are keen to see and admire what everybody else has brought along and of course, to discover whether their own exhibits have been awarded a first, second or third prize by eminent judges. Some of the classes are wide in range, consisting of several vases of the best tree and shrub material available for cutting on the day.

There are classes for daffodils, pot plants and plenty for those who are head gardeners of their

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own smaller plots. Floral artists, photographers and children have plenty of opportunities too.

This is an old gardening society, whose origins go back as far as 1832 when the world was beginning to open up and reveal its botanical treasures to plant hunters. These remarkable explorers were sponsored by land owners, nurseries and organisations to travel far and wide, discover exotic plants and send them back. The acquisitive passion driving this search to places like India and China is easy to understand when

[[ The sheltered valleys of slightly acidic soil and a mild, moist climate are just right for woodland plants to thrive

you consider how exciting it must have been to hear descriptions of flowers the like of which had never been seen before. Young plants were often sent down to Cornwall to trial because it was feared that other parts of the country would be too chilly for them and some of the earlier introductions are still with us, including huge banks of Rhododendrons over 150 years old.

Having marvelled at the competitive exhibits, my next stop was the marquee

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never seen them sold like this before (seed or potted plants are more usual) but was told by an assertive Dutchman that ‘We plant them like this in Holland’. I was also captivated by Zaluzianskya ovata ‘Orange Eye’ from Trewidden Nursery. Of South African origin, this is usually grown as a slightly tender alpine and although the flowers look daisy-like, the plant belongs to the same family as foxgloves and toadflax. I was told it would live happily in my stone sink planted mainly with rhodohypoxis and chose it because the flowers are scented in the evening. They smell, not surprisingly, of spring.

Membership of the Cornwall Garden Society (01872 450600 www.cornwallgardensociety.org. uk) costs £15 a year for an individual or £22.50 family membership and confers many benefits.

I’d certainly recommend you give it a try - next year’s show is April 2-3, 2016.

devoted to a variety of staged displays, some capturing the imagination (the Heligan exhibit evoking the famous ‘lost’ garden as it was 25 years ago) and others focussing more on plants (I had no idea there were so many fabulous epimediums). There is ample opportunity to shop for plants and chat to their growers. In the past, I’ve bought the creamy yellow Camellia ‘Jury’s Yellow’, Clematis ‘Etoile Violette’ and Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’, all still thriving in ours or my father’s gardens.

This year, I came back with some hollyhocks sold as large, bare, almost succulent roots. I’ve

Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank I sent off for six narrow Italian cypresses and planted them. Something has dug one up, pushed others over and also damaged their stems. Who is the culprit and how can I stop it - or them?

In recent years, we haven’t been able to grow impatiens as bedding plants because they’ve been affected by mildew. What would bring good summer colour to a shaded area instead?

This sounds like the work of badgers. If you find scuffs in your lawn, this is a sign of regular visits and they were probably curious about these new additions. I’m not sure about the stripped bark but maybe rabbits or squirrels joined the party.

Now your conifers have lost their novelty factor, the badgers might not repeat their attack. They are quite good at blundering or digging their way through barriers unless you can rig up some electric fencing similar to that used for keeping livestock in. Spraying the plants with a deterrent like Grazers should stop the bark being stripped.

Hopefully these measures will allow the plants to establish, after which they should be able to hold their own.

Cultivars of Impatiens walleriana, or busy lizzies if you like, were the go-to bedding plant for massed colour in north facing and other lightly shaded spots. They used to make effective summer-long splashes of colour, or carpets of cool white until in 2003 impatiens downy mildew arrived on the scene. Fortunately this does not affect the New Guinea type derived from I. hawkeri, so these make good substitutes, though they are usually taller and with larger flowers.

Begonias would suit a shaded spot if you like them (I’m not keen). Monkey musk (mimulus) would be my favourite choice, because I love their deep-throated, beautifully spotted and patterned flowers.

Q

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

• S ow globe artichokes in pots under glass and after germination, pot the large silvery seedlings separately.

Planted in good, well-drained soil in a sunny spot, they’ll make large, attractive foliage plants and will also (from next year onwards) deliver the huge edible flower buds.

• W eed the surface of alpine sinks and troughs before weed seedlings push down deeper roots. Top with

some fresh shingle or gravel if necessary.

• Sow all the brassicas which remain in the ground over winter, such as kales, winter cabbage, spring cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli.

• Harvest stems of rhubarb by pulling stems sharply so they come away cleanly from the base. The leaves are poisonous but it is safe to add them to compost heaps.

Q

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

Sow carrots, parsnips and other root crops direct to the ground as soon as it is dry enough not to stick to your boots.

Chop sections of growth from the outside of large clumps of bergenias and plant them elsewhere to fill gaps in borders. I move Arum italicum ‘Pictum’ now to increase clumps, digging deep to lift rhizomes intact. Plant with a trowel and remember they die back for summer.

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08/04/2015 14:31:01

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.

Hello there

BARGAINS! You know the rule at Aldi: when it’s gone it’s gone, so grab their new skincare and cosmetics products while you can from next Sunday; they disappeared fast this time last year! Prices range from £1.99 to £3.99

M&S’s new range is as cute as can be - and at £10 this London Face Palette won’t break the kitty.

FACE SAVER One of the bargains at Aldi right now is this Lacura facial oil, only £3.99 and great for smoothing dry skin thanks to quality ingredients.

Full bloom Elemis’ new British Botanical shower cream is a real indulgence at £24 for 200ml, but contains flower extracts including lavender, geranium and chamomile grown and freshly pressed in England.www.timetospa.co.uk

Bathtime tonic A G&T? In the bath? Why not! Moisturising lemon, lime and juniper scented soap-in-a-tin, £9.85 www. hearthandheritage.co.uk

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the review

Best foot forward?

Catherine Barnes puts Footner Exfoliating Socks to the test

KISS KISS Lip crayons are a great way to apply, line and fill colour. Seventeen at Boots has some great colours to choose and at £4.99 each, we love the price.

Sweet Pale’s got interesting with Mac’s sugary Delicate lacquer, £10. www. maccosmetics.co.uk

here’s a classic Victoria within seven, they say. It was actually Wood sketch set in a spa, closer to a week when my own feet began where a woman in a pair to peel, taking me completely by surprise of yellow flip-flops catches when I removed my socks to a shower of Julie Walters’ eye. Her col- epidermal confetti. Rather unpleasant for league observes: “They’re not flip-flops: Tilly who witnessed the event, but oddly they’re her feet.” satisfying, from my point of view.

Ah, many a truth has been told in jest Neglected feet like mine will benefit and for every girl who pampers her feet from more than one application, but it’s with a pedi, I’m willing to bet there are best to leave three weeks between treathalf a dozen of us who pull on a thick pair ments. It’s worth a try and to maintain of socks and hope for the best, until the toes in tip-top condition, a treatment every sun and sandals come out and it looks like two to three months is recommended. a horror story south of your ankles.

While you should avoid moisturising The worse my feet get, the less inclined feet and also scrubbing (which can damage I am to go anywhere new skin cells) when the near them, so I was deFootner peel’s underway, lighted to try a no-touch there’s a number of other ‘A week later, shortcut to toes that speedy-ped products out will be less Ugly Sister, there, to maintain newly I removed more Cinderella. Footsoft and supple feet. my socks to ner Exfoliating Socks Swedish brand CCS’s (£19.99 from Boots) are heel balm (£6.12 at Boots) a shower of like Christmas stockbreaks down and moisturepidermal ing shaped plastic bags, ises hard skin while you confetti, which which are lined with a sleep. And you can scrub paraben-free gel. while you shower with was oddly Before you pop them the Solvation loofah bath satisfying’ on, you need to remove mat, (£19.95 from jdharris. any nail varnish and com.) apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly over any areas on the top www.myfootner.co.uk of your feet that you don’t want peeling.

Once you’ve put the socks on, you secure them in place with an ordinary pair worn on top. Sit back for an hour and wait, then wash off with warm water.

There are active alpha-hydroxy acids in Footner which are also used in cosmetic skin peels. These soften the hard skin build up and loosen the ‘glue’ that binds dead skin cells together. This starts the natural exfoliation process and removes only the dead cells – something that should begin to happen within three days and complete

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[[

fave!

Freebie alert Inika’s giving away a light reflecting highlighting creme worth £17, when you buy its skinnourishing organic foundation (£29.50) this month. www. inika.co.uk

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08/04/2015 14:38:19

Fashion

That 70s style With flares, platforms and more than a hint of disco diva, spring fashion is going back in time he 1970s are a strong source of inspiration for fashion looks this spring/summer. But don’t worry - you don’t have to go the full Bay City Rollers to get the look. This trend is less outrageous tartan flares, more elegant palazzo pants (very slimming). Jeans have a kick around the ankle, jumpsuits are all the go and M&S is selling smocks and clogs. All together now: “I remember those the first time around”.

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Embellished jumpsuit, £59, Very

Printed shift dress, £32, Very

Raffia heels, £40 Joe Browns Jumpsuit, £55, JD Williams 30

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Bi ke r jac ke t £8 9, Ch iffon m ax i dres s £4 2, bo th Al ice &You

Lena platforms, £56 Topshop

Palazzo pants, £67, QVC

Biba fringed dress, £149, House of Fraser

Satin stripe scarf, £4 Bonmarche

Top £35, jeans £29.50, clogs, £45, necklace £18 all Indigo at Marks & Spencer 31

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Trend

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Monochrome MAIN PHOTO HAIR: ADAM AT SAKS, EXETER MAKEUP: CLARINS, DEBENHAMS (BOTH PRINCESSHAY) PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HAYWOOD STILL-LIFE PHOTOGRAPHS: PR SHOTS

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod on why black and white needn’t be boring ’ve decide to task myself with convincing you to don black and white at the most colourful time of the year.

Hear me out. Black and white Top, River Island, are fashion powerhouses each in Princesshay, £28 their own right. Black dresses are date night staples around the globe, and white is the colour Skirt, River (almost) all of us choose to wear on the biggest Island, occasion of our lives, our wedding.

Princesshay, £35 Consider monochrome the perfect marriage, sultry sexy (slimming) black, with the clean eleShoes, River gant simplicity of white. Like all juxtapositions, Island, the effect is thought-provoking, arresting and Princesshay, £60 gets people talking.

Speaking of weddings. I’m recently engaged, Bag, River Island, and the news has sparked a flurry of excitement Princesshay, £25 amongst the family back home in my native South Africa. There’s just one problem. My mother has been shopping, unsupervised, for her mother of the bride outfit.

Which, incidentally, has ended up being monochrome. One problem. This isn’t the ‘mostly My outspoken black with a stripe or two of grandfather white’ sort of monochrome. In fact, monochrome is a stretch. took one look Her dress is white, with the tiniat her and said est of tiny black polka dots.

The image gleamed out at my ‘You look like from my iPhone screen. Her a waitress in a beaming face told me she really cheap hotel’ fancied the frock. To all intents and purposes, it was a good everything that is right about this choice. Mid length with a small season’s interpretation of the trend. peplum, cute little sleeves. But Because monochrome done wrong still, white. I gently suggested she keep shopis just plain boring. ping, and that perhaps some of this season’s purMy mum springs to mind again (sorry, ples would be just the thing: ‘After all, purple is Mother). She’s a respected mathematics teachers the colour of royalty, Mum...’ at one of the country’s top schools, and was reThere’s a faux pas dodged. After all, neither a cently honoured with an Inspiring Women award black dress nor a white dress belongs at a wedin the educational sector. The occasion meant an ding. It’s when these two shades come together afternoon tea soiree at a gorgeous five star hotel, that lines get blurred, though. Take this skirt rubbing shoulders with local dignitaries. A brief from River Island, for example. It’s by no means Skype outfit brainstorm led us to monochrome too sombre or sultry for a wedding, nor would as a top choice for the occasion. Then she went any bride object to the presence of the rectanshopping, unsupervised. More fool me for not gular pops of white. This skirt encapsulates being more specific. She found herself flattering-

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ly cut black suit, for which I give her full marks.

The problem arose when she paired it with a simple white collared shirt and the most sensible of shoes. My outspoken grandfather took one look at her and said ‘You look like a waitress in a cheap hotel’ Ouch!

So, unless you want people slinging drinks orders at you, choose pieces with personality.

Think stripes, chevron, squares and mixed textures. And, for extra fashion credit, throw in a statement clutch and a pair of sky high heels.

After all, we all prefer tres chic to tray service.

All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www.princesshay.com

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NEXT wide leg trousers £36 MISS SELFRIDGE monochrome striped pencil dress £45

GET THE

NEXT pointed flats £30

look RIVER ISLAND glasses £13 bag £25 shoes £60 NEXT striped pencil skirt £28

NEXT striped sweater £34

HOBBS Ardie Derby £149

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Shop

The edit Your straight line to style. Pair a denim jacket with scarf and bag for a perfect weekend look

+

Kaliko £29

+

F&F Tesco £7

+

Oliver Bonas £16

fave!

Next £30

+ Next £22

Next £30

+

Oliver Bonas £26

Miss Selfridge £39

+

Lacambra £151

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08/04/2015 14:52:53

Enjoy

the hotlist There’s plenty to do right now in the Westcountry, from ghost-busting to real ale festivals

#1

#2 1. Eggsplore

Today, Pentewan, St Austell

#3

A final opportunity to join a holiday hunt for eggs hidden around Heligan garden. Find out what swallow and emu eggs looks like and where woodpeckers like to make their homes.

You can even make your own nest, with mud, straw, sticks and foliage. All activities included in the admission price, families £30. www.heligan.com

2. Playing for laughs

Tavistock, Wednesday April 15 Comedy troupe Le Navet Bete is currently touring its take on comic book sleuth Dick Tracy’s adventures, with dates in many Westcountry theatres over the coming months. The company will be performing Tavistock College on Wednesday at 7.30pm, with all tickets at a special rate of just £5. Buy from the college or email e.pearson@tavistockcollege.devon.sch.uk For details, visit www.lenavetbete.com

#4

3. Foodie fun

Exeter, April 24-26 Exeter’s Castle and surrounding Northernhay Gardens play host to the Festival of South West Food and Drink at the end of the month. Look out for hundreds of stalls, kids’ entertainment, cookery demos and three nights of after-dark live music events. Tickets from £7.50, children £1 www.exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk

4. Ghost-busting

Bodmin Moor, Friday April 17 Join paranormal investigators in a ghost hunt taking place at Jamaica Inn, which is said to be haunted by all sorts of spooky residents. Tickets cost £45 per person and pre booking is advised for the event, which takes place between 8pm and 2am.

Call 01566 86250 for more details.

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08/04/2015 14:53:14

Heather Fell

My Secret Westcountry

Heather Fell Devon-born modern pentathlete Heather Fell won a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and is now a sports ambassador, broadcaster and journalist. She spends much of her time based at her parents’ home in Tavistock.

My favourite...

Place: Without doubt it’s

Dartmoor at any time of year. I step out of my back door onto the moor and have ridden horses, cycled, ran and walked over it since a toddler. My favourite loop to do is out around Great Mis Tor and then on around Langstone bog. It’s usually very quiet, even in the summer.

Venue: I’ve been to a few concerts at the Eden project and that’s a wonderful setting. The only festival I’ve been to was at Lanhydrock house in Cornwall and it really was magical.

Activity: Sailing, as you get to enjoy the stunning coastline from a different angle.

The Camel Trail

Food: I love fish and seafood so anything caught from our shores. Oh and thanks to my sweet tooth I’m partial to a little clotted cream with puddings.

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People Rock

Tipple: I love Sharpham’s sparkling wine from south Devon - and as for cider, anything fruity!

Pub: The Peter Tavy Inn on Dartmoor.

Restaurant: The Tanner Brothers’ Barbican Kitchen in Plymouth.

Relax: Sitting with a good book by the fire at home in the winter, or in the conservatory in the summer with the family dogs Tally and Tajie for company.

Weekend stay: In Rock - so you also have the option of both Polzeath and Padstow to explore.

Treat: Going to the races with a picnic, whether that’s the National Hunt course at Exeter, or one of many local point-to-points. And cycling The Camel Trail to Padstow, with a stop at the Camel Valley vineyard.

‘Secret’ place: Hidden pools in the River Walkham on Dartmoor for a secret dip on a hot summer’s day.

Places I’d most like to visit that I haven’t properly discovered: Exmoor and Fowey.

Oh and the Isles of Scilly!

Follow Heather on Twitter @heatherfellnews and on Facebook at heatherfellofficial

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08/04/2015 15:10:40

Discover

culture vulture The superb guide to the arts scene in the South West by our woman in the know, Sarah Pitt

Kate Rusby It is hard to believe that folk singer Kate Rusby, she of the corkscrew curls, down-to-earth Yorkshire wit and lovely singing voice, has been touring and recording for 20 years.

Accompanied by her band, she will be sharing two decades’ worth of her repertoire along with fresh new tracks from latest album Ghost in two Westcountry dates on tour next month.

See Kate live at the Hall for Cornwall on Friday, May 22 at 7.30pm (tickets £19-£23, www.hallforcornwall.co.uk or01872 262466) and at the Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple on Saturday, May 23 (tickets £20.50, www.northdevontheatres.org.uk or 01271 342242)

The Italian Wife by Kate Furnivall, published by Little Brown, £7.99 Writer Kate Furnivall lives at Churston Ferrers near Brixham, and has travelled back in time again for her latest novel, due out in paperback on May 7 and already available on Kindle.

Kate first had success with a novel inspired by her mother’s true story of growing up in Russia, China and India. Her book, The Russian Concubine, was a New York Times bestseller. The Italian Wife is another rollicking good read, set in Mussolini’s Italy in 1932.

Architect Isabella Berotti is drawn into a world of intrigue and secrets after a stranger asks her to mind her young daughter for a moment - then throws herself off the town clock tower. The action sweeps from hilltop villages to the winding streets of Rome, as Isabella fights to protect the young girl – with help from a certain charismatic photographer named Roberto Falco...

Chris Orr Renowned artist Chris Orr’s work is packed with humour, detail and interesting surprises. Best-known for his printmaking, he also draws, sketches and paints, and an exhibition at the newly-opened Brook Gallery in Exeter – sister gallery to the Brook in Budleigh Salterton – includes original prints, watercolours and ink and pencil drawings.

Chris is a member of the Royal Academy of Art and is also a Professor of Printmaking at the Royal College of Art. He takes ideas from the streets of his home city of London, and also finds inspiration in far flung places like Japan, where he created this original ink drawing with watercolour, Street Scene Nagasake. Chris Orr on Tour runs until April 27 at the Brook Gallery, 1 Barnfield Crescent, Exeter. Entry is free and all work is for sale, see www.brookgallery.co.uk

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Enjoy

ally mac’s

No Knead Nut Bread (gluten, sugar and dairy free) Ally says: When I first went gluten free about three years ago, I noticed that the one thing I really missed was bread. So I came up with this no knead nut bread, using ground nuts instead of wheat flour.

Your typical loaf is not really that healthy, being made of wheat flour which has often been stripped of much of its fibre, bran and essential fats. It is also is high in gluten, something many of us are trying to eat less of these days.

It is the gluten in flour, though, that is the ‘glue’ which binds a normal loaf together. So you are probably asking yourself how my gluten-free nut bread holds itself together without any flour. The answer is ground almonds, effectively almond flour, along with eggs!

Making bread can be a daunting task – what with the mixing, kneading, preparing the yeast and allowing the dough to rise – but this recipe is simple and easy to make, as well as enjoyable. There is also minimal washing up, too, because everything happens in a bowl and a tin!

You will need:

Method:

11/2 cups ground almonds (whizz almonds in your blender for 2 minutes) 1/4 cup flaxmeal 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp cider vinegar 1 tsp Manuka honey 1/4 cup walnuts hazelnuts pumpkin seeds sunflower seeds and sesame seeds (pulse the walnuts and hazelnuts for just a couple of seconds in your blender, as you want to keep them crunchy) 4 organic free range eggs handful of chopped dates (if you fancy a sweet kick) coconut oil to grease your loaf tin.

In a bowl combine the almond flour, flax, salt and baking soda.

In a separate bowl whip theeggs for a couple of minutes until frothy.

Stir the Manuka honey into the eggs.

Mix your dry ingredients with the wet, then add your crumbly nuts and seeds.

Transfer the mix into a loaf tin (greased with coconut oil) and bake at 180C for 35 minutes.

Have a slice of your bread with a good smear of pureed avocado, a healthy alternative to butter, when it is nice and warm. Delicious!

Natural food expert Ally Mac lives and cooks in South Devon. Ally specialises in devising good-for-you recipes that are easy to prepare at home. She also sells several of her own delicious healthy products online at www.allyskitchenstories.co.uk 39 35

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08/04/2015 14:57:23

Ingredient of the Week

Turnip

with Tim Maddams ith the days getting lighter, I have been starting to think about spring crops to come, of wild garlic and fresh nettles. I’ve been getting excited by thoughts of asparagus and delirious about dandelions. But in the meantime, there is one last winter crop to finish, one for which I always struggle to find inspiration, and that is turnips. So what is best to do with this end of season malingerer, who seems unaware that it is time to leave the party?

Early season turnips are ace, especially if you can get hold of the tops which make an excellent addition to slow-cooked turnips stirred through pasta. But what of these earthy, hard and frankly a little ugly end-of-season ones? What on earth do we do with these?

Well, the real victory over the land of dull comes when you add that other staple veg, the humble onion, to the mix. A soup of roasted onions and turnips is frankly awesome. Just don’t stint on the onions which you need to roast in their skins in the oven for about an hour until they are soft enough to squeeze out. Roast the

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turnips, meanwhile, wrapped in foil with plenty of rapeseed oil and thyme.

Add some pork fat – or butter if you prefer – to a pan big enough to take all the veg, and then squeeze the onions from their skins into the pan and add the turnips. Cover them with either a good chicken stock or veg stock and simmer.

When your soup is ready blend it to a smooth consistency, season and serve with some good bread, and topped with chopped wild garlic and grated cheddar and a little more rapeseed oil if you fancy it.

It is the sweetness of the onions coupled with the earthy worthiness of the turnips that makes this soup work and the little sprinkling of spring in the form of the wild garlic gives a touch of freshness.

If you have any soup left over, pour it over some boiled pasta and bake in a gratin fashion with lots more cheese and wild garlic and herby breadcrumbs to serve again the next day. This works almost as well as the original soup, particularly with a peppery salad.

Top tips for turnips Turnips pickle very well simply washed, sliced thinly and dressed in a well-seasoned and heavily spiced vinegar. You can also try them roasted with plenty of garlic and thyme – this way even the humble turnip becomes a pretty good side dish, and roasted turnip also works well added warm to a watercress salad with some nuts and crumbly fresh ewe’s curd. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and writer who often appears on the River Cottage TV series 40

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08/04/2015 15:14:03

Drink Thanks to campaigns and legislation, pubs are more protected

Darren Norbury

talks beer n Englishman, and Irishman and a There’s good news, too, for licensees working Scotsman walk into a pub and the for big pub companies, with the passing of the landlord asks: “Is this some kind Small Business Bill into law. Part of the Act enaof joke?” Thankfully not. The days bles tied licensees to choose paying a fixed rent, may have passed when we told such based on an open market rental value, and then gags but the pub is still with us: to paraphrase purchasing beer from the wholesale market of Mark Twain’s famous entreaty (now widely conthe publican’s choice. Alternatively, they can sidered a misquote, incidentally) reports of its choose to stay tied to their pubco if they feel that death have been greatly exagis the right business decision for gerated. them.

Now, don’t get the impression The issue of fair deals for that all is hunky dory and we’ve licensees is a long-standing The future of seen the last of pub closures. debate in the pub industry, but We haven’t. The Campaign the legislation does provide a the pub is now for Real Ale has turned a lot more level playing field for all inmuch more of its attention to pubs these volved, I believe, and ultimately a secure than it days – its initial raison d’etre of better deal for the pub-goer. saving British cask beer having, Let us not forget, too, that might otherwise by common consensus, been while pubs are still closing, other have been achieved – still cites a closure venues serving great beer – craft rate of 29 pubs a week. beer bars, even bottled beer However, the future of the shops with on-licences – are pub – as we celebrate CAMRA’s springing up all over the country. annual Community Pubs Month There’s a trend towards opening – is much more secure than it might otherwise micropubs, too, offering cask beer, seating, conbe were it not for some doughty campaigners. versation and very little else. Only a matter of April 6 saw new legislation come into force time before some of these hit the West Country. protecting pubs listed as Assets of Community The pub should be at the heart of the communiValue. This means communities get a say if the ty, and if you’re not visiting your local, why not? owner of a pub wants to close it or change its Give it a try – you might be surprised! use – many had become mini-supermarkets in Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk the past before this protection existed. @beertoday

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FLYING THE FLAG Whatever you think of Wetherspoon pubs/bars, you can’t fault their commitment to British brewing.

During their recent spring festival they gave their backing to British hops, showcasing them in all 50 beers.

Big, bold, brassy New World hops are lovely, but let’s appreciate the fine hop varieties we have in the UK.

Beer of the week By the time you read this, the spring season for Skinner’s Pennycomequick stout (4.5% ABV) will be over, but fear not, it returns in the autumn to accompany the bivalves at the Falmouth Oyster Festival.

Bitter coffee and chocolate, rich roast malt flavour and a little creaminess makes this a treat worth waiting for.

eat with beers The Bolingey Inn, Perranporth, ends its beer ‘n’ bangers festival today, but the Pie & Ale Festival at Smugglers’ Inn, Trebellan and the Ale & Sausage Festival, Driftwood Spars, St Agnes are both in the next fortnight.

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08/04/2015 15:15:29

PHOTOS: AMY STANFORD

REVIEW

Rock Salt

By Sarah Pitt

ucked down a side street off Plymouth’s notorious night club area Union Street, next door to a pub which nods to the city’s naval roots (the Lord High Admiral), Rock Salt Café and Brasserie is the last thing you’d expect to find in this gritty area of the city. It looks like a café, somewhere to get a cup of coffee after a stroll around the waterfront. And indeed you can get a very good cup of coffee here. But it also has a reputation for serving really top notch food.

So one Thursday evening, our appetites primed by a run along the seafront after work, my colleague Catherine and I decided to try Rock Salt for dinner.

We’d booked a table, knowing the restaurant wasn’t huge. We were a bit early when we entered this twinkly, welcoming space, decorated with fairy lights, pictures, lamps and driftwood curios.

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This wasn’t a problem at all, and we were given share, which were not that spicy but delicious all a friendly welcome and shown to our waiting the same, with a starchy texture and a crisp shell table, cheerfully decorated with a small posy of which we dipped in an intriguing pink-tinged garden flowers. There were a few empty tables, mayonnaise. although people kept arriving at Choosing our meal proved hard, intervals. It seems that the front because there was a tasting menu of house staff stagger table as well as an a la carte dinner They were bookings, possibly because they one, and just about everything offering fish and take their food so seriously and on it was tempting. True to the want every mouthful to be just unstuffy ambience of this place, chips alongside right. they were offering fish and chips more exotic This is an enlightened place. alongside more esoteric offerings Chilled tap water was promptly such as softshell crab, tempura offerings such in a stoppered bottle, without and ox cheek. as softshell us having to ask. I ordered a For a starter I could not resist crab, tempura glass of the French rose which a Bigbury Bay crab soup, which was the special selection of the came with a dollop of white crab and ox cheek month, which was chilled, dry meat held together in a creamy and delicious, and tried to sip dressing, dropped into the it, which proved hard. We then intensely flavoured brown crab got down to perusing the menus, which included nectar that was the soup. It was so delicious I a nibbles such as homemade bread, olives and the could have just had three bowlfuls of this and like. We went for some Thai spiced fishcakes to nothing else, except perhaps a hunk of bread.

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4 of the best Small restaurants with big reputations

Kota

1 Paul Ainsworth at No 6, Padstow

Paul Ainsworth holds a Michelin star for his inventive dishes with local ingredients, including Porthilly oysters from the Camel estuary.

Everything here is homemade, from the chocolate to the bread.

Dish of the day: Middle White pork with Bramley apple sauce, roast cauliflower and smoked eel Price: Mains from £28-£39 Contact: 01841 532093

2 Kota, Porthleven

Catherine opted for the roasted saddle of rabbit with squash and pumpkin wrapped in pancetta, served with risotto. She really liked it. It was an imaginative reworking of the chicken wrapped in pancetta recipe, with a mix of white meat and slow cooked brown meat. I had a taste and it was delicious: meltingly tender and well-seasoned.

For our main course, I was sorely tempted to try the soft-shelled crab, but decided that this would be overkill, even for someone who loves the taste of this crustacean as much as I do. Instead I went for the 28-day aged moorland sirloin steak, perfectly cooked with a pink centre and a griddled crispy exterior. The tower stack of onion rings were crispy, the chips crispy and comfortingly substantial.

Catherine also chose several hunks of free range local red meat – a rump of Brentor lamb with braised lamb shoulder and asparagus, peas and mint. It was partnered by some crispy morsels which we think were sweetbreads.

She pronounced them a little strange, but then this was a menu with a few surprises among the familiar favourites. When everything is so expertly cooked, it encourages you to stray outside your culinary comfort zone. We liked the fact that our mains came with vegetables, including broccoli with a hollandaise sauce, which added a yummier dimension to this virtuous vegetable.

We wished we had had room for the puddings, but neither of us could have fitted in another mouthful. Oh well, next time. And I’m sure there will be a next time.

Rock Salt, 31 Stonehouse Street, Plymouth, www. rocksaltcafe.co.uk 01752 225522

Kota is Maori for shellfish and New Zealander chef Jude Kereama is half Maori, quarter Chinese and quarter Malaysian. He draws on all these influences in his cooking in the restaurant he runs with his wife Jane, herself a protégé of Antony Worrell Thompson.

Dish of the day: Cornish honey soy duck breast with celeriac puree, Asian greens Price: Mains from £13.95-£21 Contact: 01326 562407

3 22 Mill Street, Chagford

Seasonal local food takes centre stage in the exquisitely presented dishes at this little restaurant in the market town on Dartmoor. Everything is made from scratch on the premises; the chefs even churn their own butter.

Dish of the day: Braised veal cheek and tail with truffled gnocchi Price: Set dinner menu £36 for two courses, £42 for three courses Contact: 01647 432244

How they scored...

Food



Atmosphere



Service



Price

Dinner for two was £72.35

4 ODE Restaurant, Shaldon

This award-winning tiny restaurant in the centre of Shaldon is run by chef Tim Bouget and his wife Clare.

Their menu features venison from the nearby Haldon Hills and mussels from the Teign Estuary, a stone’s throw from the restaurant.

Dish of the day: Haldon fallow deer with burnt onion crust Price: Dinner is £37.50 for two courses Contact: 01626 873977

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08/04/2015 12:47:49

Living

MOTORS

One for the road Petrolhead Steve Grant tries the latest Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet always had a thing about driving the Grand Corniche between Nice and Monaco. You know the road.

It’s where Hitchcock filmed Grace Kelly driving her roadster in To Catch A Thief.

And if you want to add a pinch of Cary Grant/ Grace Kelly glamour, you need to drive it in a convertible. I finally achieved my goal back in 2007. And while I would’ve loved to have done it in a Porsche, an Aston or something sleek and Italian, the fact is, I couldn’t afford it.

But I could afford the Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet.

Now, it’s large rear wasn’t great for swinging around the corniche’s much-filmed hairpins and it didn’t make much of a roar going through the tunnel under the Lowes Hotel in but the roof was

I

very much down, and I was in car heaven.

Eight years later, I still can’t afford the Porsche (or an Aston) but there’s still the Megane. And the good thing is, in its second generation, it’s bigger, better to drive and - important on the Corniche - infinitely more stylish, particularly due to its signature panoramic dark-tinted glass folding roof, which is now even larger. Designed, manufactured and supplied by specialist maker Karmann, the two-part roof and rear screen folds away, at the touch of a button, in just 21 seconds.

The good news for passengers is that a unique glass wind deflector makes driving with the top down less noisy and uncomfortable, and it also comes as standard, Because of the roof’s design and the repositioning of the A-pillars, when you have the top up, the interior feels very bright and airy. It

also effectively suppresses road, wind or engine noise.

Access to all four seats has also been made easier, though the back seats are still quite small.

Overall, the interior is nicely decorated. Clever packaging has also allowed for more boot space, with room for three cabin bags to be carried even when the roof is lowered.

Two trim levels are available. Dynamique TomTom has standard features including an integrated Carminat TomTom satellite navigation system. GT Line TomTom comes with Renaultsport-sourced styling.

Although I wasn’t driving on the Corniche this time, it would certainly have been an enjoyable experience. GT versions use the same sports chassis as the Mégane Coupé, developed for sportier performance by Renaultsport. Together

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08/04/2015 15:21:35

gadget notebook 12 April 2015

TECH TIPS: Smart Home Appliances These clever gizmos put the fun into functionality for your home

BOILING UP Set this to alarm function and it’ll wake you up via your smartphone, telling you it’s all boiled and ready to pour. A superb bean-to-cup coffee maker is also available from this brand. iKettle - £99.99 from firebox.com with a quicker steering ratio, upgraded brakes, and six-speed manual transmission, it definitely adds to the driving experience.

Two petrol and five diesel engines are available.

I was driving the most efficient, the 1.6 dci 130hp, which officially returns a healthy 64.2mpg and emits 115g/km. Over more than 680 miles, at an average of 42mph, I returned a somewhat less healthy 29.7mpg.

Now, the extra weight of the roof, despite the very accurate steering, does reduce performance, and you will be conscious of it in fast or tight corners. The torque-y diesel-power certainly helps though. But owning a car like this is not about speed, power or dynamics, is it? It’s mainly about posing. The sleek modern looks of the Megane achieve that nicely.

Active safety systems are fitted as standard to all versions. These include ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist and electronic stability control with anti-skid regulation and understeer logic control. All models come with front, side and thorax airbags as standard. The Coupe-Cabriolet also has front seat airbags, which are designed to stop you slipping under the seatbelts in a crash.

In the event of a roll-over, the A-pillars and the rear roll-over hoops combine to create a survival cell. These pyrotechnic roll-over hoops deploy automatically when a roll is detected.

Prices for the range start at £23,800 on the road so it is priced competitively against rivals such as VW’s Eos and Vauxhall’s Cascada and Peugeot’s 308 CC. It has to compete with all these rivals - the choice is yours.

Renault Megane Coupe-Cabriolet GT Price: Speed: 0-62mph: Power: Economy: Co2 emissions:

£26,545 127mph 10.8 seconds 130hp 64.2mpg on combined cycle 115g/km

Knows best This multi-tasking Russian doll gadget is a fitness tracker, statistics keeper, security system and life coach all rolled into one. It can remind someone to take medicine and even help protect your home from intruders!

Mother - £249.99 from firebox.com

LAUNDRY TIME Try an energy efficient washing machine - this one can take a 10kg load and has a touchscreen control unit.You can load it with up to a month’s worth of detergent and it dispenses it intelligently. Smart.

Samsung WW10H9600EW Washing Machine - £1,480 from johnlewis.com

Temperature control This Nest system for home heating lets you control your heating remotely. It also shows you how much heat you’ve used over the past 10 days and sends a monthly report to track energy use.

Nest Learning Thermostat - £179.99 from diy.com

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08/04/2015 15:22:46

Enjoy

The Old Bakery

A WEEKEND IN...

Kingsbridge S

ail and surfer vibes meet traditional market town in Kingsbridge, south Devon, where the beautiful estuary is a big draw on weekends and long summer evenings.

Stay:

A room at the Buckland Tout-Saints boutique hotel costs from £89 and its restaurant is pretty special, too. Dogs are welcome here – and stay free of charge (www.tout-saints.co.uk).

Lower Coombe Royal has four luxe-self catering apartments and provides home comforts including organic bedlinen and toiletries and freshly cut flowers from the garden. A seven night stay for two in its Garden Rooms costs £958

The Cottage Kitchen

at this time of year, see www.lowercoomberoyal. co.uk.

Eat:

The Old Bakery’s flavoursome menu has a Mediterranean twist. Try grilled Cornish sardines (£7) and filo-wrapped Halloumi cigars with preserved lemon and mint (£6.50). Open daytime and evenings, find it on The Promenade.

Love great pub food? The Seven Stars, Mill Street is where it’s at. On the menu: Crab Tagliatelle with chilli, lime and rocket (£13.95 ).

Do:

Head by boat, board, car or foot to the Crabshell Inn on the waterside: it has a fantastic atmosphere, does great food and has lots of fizz on its wine list. There’s always something going on here and it’s a great starting point for trying Stand Up Paddleboarding; its events diary includes SUP lessons and post-activity hog roast. www.thecrabshellinn.com

The Crabshell Inn

See: The Cookworthy Museum charts ordinary life through the ages in Kingsbridge, with a wealth of interesting artefacts.

Shop: The Cottage Kitchen’s famed for homemade cake and delicious desserts as well as savouries to take away. Clothes boutique Lemon Velvet has great designs, while Kingsbridge Antiques & Craft Centre is good for bargain hunting. Herrings Shoes on Fore Street is a traditional gents shop, with a wonderful display of brogues. Surfers should head for Magic Seaweed on the Station Yard Industrial Estate: it stocks a huge smorgas(surf)bord of kit.

Buckland Tout-Saints

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08/04/2015 15:02:52

SI MPL EMI NDS BI GMUSI CT OUR2 0 1 5 Friday 22 May

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Soulful vocals resonate with a wistful beauty, inhabiting a lyric with unforced conviction

Box Office 01872 262466 hallforcornwall.co.uk

08/04/2015 16:01:18

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08/04/2015 16:00:07