West April 26 2015

26.04.15

Carey Mulligan:

‘She’s ahead of her time’

on playing Hardy’s Bathsheba in Dorset

36

Feel-good tips for springtime

DON’T MISS: + ETHICAL

FASHION + A CORNISH LOVE NEST

Covers_April26.indd 1

INSIDE: +

LET’S GO SURFING

+

HOW TO GO BLONDE

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FRESH ART IN A COUNTRY HOUSE SETTING

delamorearts15 13th annual exhibition of paintings and sculpture

01–31 MAY 2015 • 10.30AM–4.30PM DAILY • ENTRY £7.50 Cornwood • Ivybridge • Devon PL21 9QT Tel: 01752 837236/01752 837663

www.delamore-art.co.uk ©LW

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‘There are no words to describe the elation of finally getting to hold and protect my tiny little girl’ Zoe Clark-Coates on her journey to motherhood, p 16

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Outings on Exmoor, and so much more

16

One woman’s journey from heartbreak to happiness

WEST IN PICS

9

WHAT MAISIE KNEW Somerset’s Game of Thrones star speaks (very) frankly

GIVING HOPE

[contents[ Inside this week...

6

THE WISHLIST The best things to buy right now

8

‘YES, WE ATE ON OUR LAPS...’

Our columnist confesses all

9

JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have the latest gossip!

12

DRAWN TOGETHER

16

FROM HEARTBREAK TO HOPE

42

Creative couples get arty One Devon woman’s remarkable journey

22

THE CORNISH LOVE NEST Interiors inspiration on the north coast

26

ANNE SWITHINBANK The best of the spring-flowering climbers

29

WEEKENDS AWAY Where to go, what to do

40

SECRET WESTCOUNTRY Discover the best of the west

BLONDE AMBITION? How to go Kardashian platinum

30

THE ONLY WAY IS ETHICS Our pick of fashion with a conscience

32

HOW TO WEAR IT Summer dresses to fit and flatter

36

THE BOOST

39

PLEASE YOUR KNEES

Top tips for maximum wellbeing Expert advice on tackling arthritis

44

MAN AND BOY Days out, with dinosaurs

30

FASHION

How to be an Ethics Girl 3

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22

[

[

HIDE AND CHIC

The French-inspired love nest in north Cornwall

[ welcome [ There’s always something to look forward to... ...especially at this time of year. Right now, we’re excited about (in no particular order) wild garlic, our cover star Carey Mulligan’s new Dorset movie and the prospect of finally ditching our opaque tights for good. Yes, with summer in the offing, there’s a real sense of anticipation in the air.

If you’re planning some spring redecorating, then do turn to page 22 this week. Husband and wife team Chris and Jan Jopling have transformed a Cornish farm outbuilding into a really enticing bolthole - with some seriously clever design ideas. Find out just how they did it in our interiors section.

And if feeling good is on your to-do list, then

[

Tweet

check out our new Wellbeing section in the magazine today. With everything from advice on creaky knees to Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s anti-ageing secrets, there really is something for everyone. We’re also inspired by creative couples who not only live together but also work together. See page 12 to discover how they do it.

And talking of husband and wife teams, I defy anyone not to be moved - and impressed - by the story of Devon’s Zoe Clark-Coates and her husband Andy on page 16. They’ve overcome losing five longed-for babies to have two beautiful daughters - and to start a charity helping others in the same boat. It’s quite a story.

[

We’ve got Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s anti-ageing secrets

of the week @windingriver1 Ooh we’ve got a mention as a fave thing to do this weekend, can’t wait to get canoes out in this glorious sunshine!

Becky Sheaves, Editor

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

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Sarah Pitt

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Phil Goodwin

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If you buy one thing this week...

We love this fun flamingo jumper in a metallic linen cotton blend, ÂŁ109, www. brora.co.uk 5

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Tin sign, £4.95, www.dotcomgiftshop.com

the

wishlist West’s picks for spending your time and money this week

Store we adore...

Mansons Guitar Shop, Exeter

Customers of this Aladdin’s cave of a guitar shop include Led Zeppelin, Radiohead, The Arctic Monkeys and Matt Bellamy from Muse, who first had luthier (guitar maker) Hugh Manson make him an electronic guitar here when he was a student at Exeter College. You don’t have to be famous to shop here though, just an enthusiast for guitars. The shop has a huge range of electric, acoustic and bass models, both new and preowned, alongside accessories.

Mansons Guitar Shop is in McCoys Arcade, Fore Street, Exeter, 01392 496379

QUICK MARCH Crochet nutcracker doll £20, www.justforbaby.co.uk

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Wishlist Stainless steel electric guitar spatula, £4, www.thegiftoasis.com

Dexam ceramic Russian dolls measuring cups, set of four, £18.75, kitchenbuddies.co.uk

Cuddly Polar bear bookshelves, £139, www. mirabelledesign.com

So true Cake and biscuit tin £6.99, www.mollieandfred.co.uk

WRAPPED UP Francisca scarf, £99, Beck Sondergaard at Roo’s Beach at Mawgan Porth and Porth Beach, Newquay and www.roosbeach.co.uk

Bracelet, £10, White Stuff stores and www. whitestuff.co.uk Flora and fauna tin, £7.99, www.oakroomshop.co.uk Blue lobster dishcloth, £3, www.berryred.co.uk

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22/04/2015 10:39:56

talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

In which Gillian gives in to TV dinners e’ve just spent a weekend eating supper in the sitting room off our laps, while watching TV. This is a radical departure from the norm. Usually I am a great subscriber to the “families should sit together at the table and enjoy a proper meal together” credo. But the whole family has had a crummy week, and I’m sorry but you really need to was in various states of disreuncross your legs and sit up proppair, emotional or physical. So, I erly, finish what’s on your plate.” whacked up a big spag bol and we Furthermore, presupposing ate it Friday and Saturday nights that they can manage the meon our laps. It was bliss. chanics of eating without winding Sunday was spent doing house you or them up, you have to entice and garden chores (“isn’t this them to talk past “Fine” in answer supposed to be a day of rest?” my to “How was your day?” daughter asked) and I didn’t get It is nice to be able to compare into the kitchen until 7pm, when notes at mealtime, especially everyone was starving. Scramwhen you’re all going in different bled eggs on toast. directions.

And, And the TV went occasionally, you on again – I was have a meaningful, too weak to resist. educational, emoWe’d had a Standards were tional or grounddefinitely slipping. breaking discuscrummy week.

“Why can’t we sion at the supper So I whacked up do this all the table. a big spag bol and time?” begged the In the workaday 10 year old. grind however, we ate it on our “Because it’s everyone’s just laps on Friday. slovenly,” I said tired and hungry. primly.

“Supper There’s no point It was bliss is supposed to be trying to turn a when we share Monday evening time together in into a dinner party, a civilised fashion. Besides, you especially after double science or spill on the couch.” whatever other heinous events Loads of people bang on about have happened that day. the sanctity of the family supTV, I’m starting to think, is a pertime, and how television is welcome distraction from the padestroying a time honoured tradirental nagging, a social lubricant tion, O Tempora, O Mores. But I’m (at least you can talk about what’s guessing that those people don’t on the screen) and, all in all, regularly sit down to eat with an much more relaxing for everyone. under-12. First of all, you have Yes, I know it’s the easy way out. to be on them like a harpy about But I’m definitely planning some their table manners: “Please lift more meals that can be eaten from your elbows off the table, please a bowl, and don’t stain fabric. Just don’t talk with your mouth full, don’t tell my mother.

W

Get your coat!

Looking for a lightweight coat to see you through to the end of spring? Then make like reality TV star turned fashion icon Olivia Palermo in a lace trench. Palermo’s is Burberry, but for a high street alternative, try this pretty ivory belted lace trench coat from Kelly Brook’s collection for SimplyBe, £90 (www.simplybe.co.uk).

Lace trench £90 Simply Be

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION A Floral Cherry blossom chic Kaliko £149

OPTION B Formal Jacquard dress coat M&Co £79

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 8

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BRAND NEW!

MUM’S THE WORD SCARLETT JOHANSSON says she hates it when her fellow stars make over-the-top statements about being a mum.

The actress, 30, and French husband Romain Dauriac became parents to their first child, Rose Dorothy last September.

She says: “I’m such a newbie at this. I always really hate it when actors or people in the spotlight make giant grandiose statements about parenthood because it’s so, so personal. I don’t profess to know anything more about parenting than anybody else.”

She said that the experience had made her feel “very happy” and that she might choose to work less, explaining: “It might make me more discerning.”

West says: Motherhood? We’re just improvising too, Scarlett.

Teen dreams Somerset-born Game of Thrones star MAISIE WILLIAMS, who went to school in Midsomer Norton, complained about how hard it is to be a teenager in a recent magazine interview. The actress, who turned 18 earlier this month said she was sick of being pigeon-holed by adults. She explained: “It’s really degrading, I get a lot of adults who are like, ‘You don’t know s***,’ and it’s like, ‘You don’t know s***. You have no idea what it’s like to be 17 years old’.” West says: We remember! But try getting over the shock of hitting 40.

Just

between us Gossip, news, trendsetters and more - you

heard all the latest juicy stuff here first!

!

: CAREY MULLIGAN ‘Bathsheba is very modern’ Devon’s CAREY MULLIGAN is getting into the Westcountry vibe with her latest role. Carey, 29, recently bought a 350 acre farm at Ide, near Exeter, with her musician husband Marcus Mumford and is now starring in a classic Dorset film. She plays Bathsheba Everdene in a new film version of Far From The Madding Crowd, based on Thomas Hardy’s classic romantic novel, out on May 1.

In the film, Bathsheba chooses between three (rather handsome) men, as well as looking after a lot of sheep.

Carey says: “She’s a great character in any time, I think that’s the thing.

“Bathsheba is very modern, she’s very ahead of her time. She’s so three-dimensional and fully-fleshed which is why she’s so much fun to play.”

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Rock on: Queen’s Brian May teams up with MP Andrew George in west Cornwall

Hello there: Sidmouth College pupils training for the Exmoor Challenge come face to face with this handsome fellow

in pictures

Wheely fast: Toby, Kyle and Bradley have fun on the seafront in Weston-Super-Mare

Surf’s up: Lizzie Davies, aged three, goes surfing for the first time at Fistral Beach, Newquay

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talking points Tweet

Fun & games

ONE OF US Famous faces who come from the Westcountry

10 former Olympic sports

The most commonly spotted British birds, according to the RSPB

1 Tug of war 2 Solo synchronised swimming

This week:

3 Lacrosse

1 House sparrow 2 Blue tit

4 Swimming obstacle race

3 Starling

5 Golf

4 Blackbird

6 Live pigeon shooting

5 Wood pigeon

7 Rope climbing

6 Chaffinch

8 Cricket

7 Gold finch

9 Painting

8 Great tit

10 Club swinging

Mick Fleetwood Mick Fleetwood, drummer of Fleetwood Mac, was born in Redruth on June 24 1947

9 Collared dove 10 Robin

The happy list

Talent

Superstar: Michael John Kells “Mick” Fleetwood is the drummer and cofounder of the rock band Fleetwood Mac.

Fleetwood invited Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks to join.

Height: At 6’6”, Mick is an imposing figure. He has sported a beard and long hair for much of his life.

Cornwall: Mick’s family was in Redruth because his father was stationed nearby with the RAF. DID YOU KNOW? As a child, Mick also lived in Egypt and Mick lived in Norway - his father Norway as was a fighter pilot.

a child and

10 things to make you smile this week 1 Cherry blossom who needs to go to Japan?

2 Muse Teignmouth rockers Famous faces discovered on TV talent shows

1 Victoria Wood 2 One Direction 3 Susan Boyle 4 Lenny Henry 5 Jennifer Hudson 6 Paul Hogan 7 Keith Urban 8 Pam Ayres (above) 9 Les Dawson 10 Joe Pasquale

to play Radio 1 festival

3 Sandals and nail polish!

4 Summer cakes light sponge, with strawberries

5 Male Voice choirs uplifting at Hall for Cornwall May 2

6 The Ten Tors 100s of kids striding out May 9-10: proud

7 Hot stuff Chillies Fiesta at RHS Rosemoor, May 8-10

8 Chiefs vs Wasps come on!

9 Cornish earlies the best spuds in the world, bar none

10 Gardening it’s time, just mind your back

Success: The band’s album Rumours, was a huge commercial success and topped the Billboard 200 in America for 31 weeks. It won the 1978 Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In its first year, Rumours sold 10 million copies worldwide.

School: In his teens is fluent in Mick boarded at Kings Norwegian School, Sherborne in Dorset. He performed poorly in exams, but enjoyed acting during school. At 13, his parents bought him a small drum Love life: Mick married Jenny kit - his dad was a keen drummer.

Boyd, sister of Eric Clapton’s wife Pattie Boyd. Later, he had a two-year Risk: His parents allowed Mick to affair with fellow band-member leave school at 15 and live in London.

Stevie Nicks: “Everybody was He worked in a shop - Liberty - and angry, because Mick was married tried to break into the music world. to a wonderful girl and had two wonderful children. I was horrified. I London: In the 1960s Mick teamed loved these people. I loved his family. up with Peter Green to form a band.

So it couldn’t possibly work out. And it Mick has remained the only member didn’t. It just couldn’t,” said Stevie. to stay with the band through its ever-changing line-up. Fleetwood Family: Mick and Jenny Boyd have Mac is named after Mick and his cotwo children, Lucy and Amy. With musician John McVie. his third wife, Lynn, Mick has twin daughters Ruby and Tessa, who were America: The group moved to born in 2002. He and Lynn divorced the United States in 1974, where in 2013.

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People

[

Drawn together

Creative couples

[

Catherine Barnes meets two artistic families here in the Westcountry, and finds out what it’s like to work with your other half creating wonderful children’s artworks

Lynette and Jim Lynette Jordan, 35 and partner Jim Dare, 44 work together as artists. They live in Brixham with Lynette’s son Kai, 11 and daughter Kaitlin, nine.

“Our dream is eventually to live in a cave house in Spain and eat cheese,” says Lynette Jordan. But for now, she and partner Jim Dare are blissfully content doing their thing in south Devon.

If you’re a believer in fate, then you’ll certainly be convinced that it had a hand in bringing this couple together. Working under the banner Flossy and Jim (Flossy’s the name of Lynette’s grandmother, who has bouffant red hair), their aim is to create a sunnier world with their upliftingly cheery designs.

The couple make fun logos for businesses, illustrate children’s books by commission and also produce colourful gifts, sold online. Particularly popular are their endearingly funny cartoon portraits of real families, which are created to order.

Last month, Flossy and Jim was named Best New Business at the Torbay Herald Express’s business awards. It’s Lynette’s baby, insists Jim, but also a wonderful working partnership.

Both moved to Devon in search of a new life following divorces, eight years ago in Lynette’s case, while Jim arrived from Bristol four years later.

“Everything was unhappy, I’d lost bum. But I wanted to have fun with art my house, was in debt and had been and not take it too seriously.” made redundant,” says Lynette, who Lynette got help from an organihails from Swindon. “I’d often come sation called Outset, and now she here with the children, so after my di- and Jim work in a small and joyfully vorce I decided to start a new life and quirky studio in Brixham. moved west. I had no friends or family “My first commission was in May here, but loved it and I thought, let’s 2013, for a mural by a shop in Brixjust go for it. The kids started school ham,” says Lynette. “It was scary, I was and I thought I’d sort myself out and terrified of getting it wrong, but the go to university.” owner said, if you do, we have plenty She undertook a of paint, so you can go design and illustraover and start again. tion degree at South “Since then, it’s Devon College. “I’d snowballed and we’re ‘We come up always drawn and now in talks about ilwith a lot of painted as a kid,” says lustrations for books Lynette, who comand a cartoon in Amerour ideas when pleted her final year ica. It’s a big job, but we can’t sleep. at Plymouth Universiwe can’t say too much It’s quite fun, ty. “It was hard work about it at this stage” as a single mum, but In the studio, Lynette talking quite worth it.” does the drawings and randomly’ Meanwhile, former Jim transfers them lorry driver Jim, onto the computer, who had split from tidies them up and colhis wife, had begun a ours them in. fresh start with an arts degree, saying: A popular online gift is their cartoon “I’d always wanted to give college a versions of real-life families (pictured go. I was doing 3D interior design and opposite), costing just £15 per person.

Lynette was in the room next door to “We’ll come up with a lot of our ideas me. Well, that was that. I knew she was when we can’t sleep. We’ll wake up and the one, as soon as I saw her.”After three or four in the morning and it’s graduating, Lynette decided to set up quite fun, just talking randomly,” says in business. “My granddad had been Jim. “Then we commute to our little a cartoonist on the Daily Mirror in the shop very day on the ferry. It’s quite 1970s and he impressed on me: do what surreal and very beautiful.” makes you happy,” she explains.

“When he died, it was a kick up the See more at www.flossyandjim.com

[[

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People Lucy and Steve have just had their first book published

Lucy and Steve Lucy Tapper, 34, and husband Steve Wilson, 40 run From Lucy, based in Tavistock. They live in nearby Milton Abbot, with daughters Daisy, seven and Holly, five.

“We’ve put a lot of hard work in, but now we’re at a lovely stage and have a great working day,” says Lucy Tapper, who numbers Holly Willoughby, Fearne Cotton, Emma Willis and Colleen Rooney among the fans of her artwork.

Lucy’s business partner in the business is husband Steve, the Tavistock-born former Live & Kicking presenter, who went on to become a familiar face on TV’s This Morning.

Together, they’ve developed a thriving business based on Lucy’s skill with a paintbrush.

Today, her delightful illustrations of woodland creatures and fairy folk sell in their thousands.

Then there’s the children’s b o o k s ; the success of the couple’s first, Hedgehugs, published last year, has led to UK and American publishing deals with four more titles in the pipeline. The next, Horace and Hattiepillar, comes out next month. The pair are also currently in talks with an animation company about making a cartoon, based on on their characters.

Now based in a shiny industrial unit on the edge of the market town – “I like to call it the studio,”

[[

laughs Lucy – it’s a world ‘With two babies away from how the business all began. The couple were at home I needed living in Brighton when the something to credit crunch hit in 2008 and Steve’s job was hit. keep me sane, “Steve was doing exotic so I’d draw at travel reports, but suddenly, playgroups, the TV companies had no budget and we had a second everywhere’ baby on the way,” Lucy explains.

They relocated home to Devon, staying at first with family, while Steve set up a bike shop with their where they now savings. have seven staff.

“With two babies at home I needed something “I’m now at to keep me sane, so I’d draw at playgroups, at the stage all I singing groups, everywhere,” says Lucy. “I got have to do is some positive feedback from friends, so sent my draw, while Steve does all the things that free me first design to the greetings card company up. The only drawback is there’s only one of me Moonpig. To my amazement, they took it on. and I do all the drawings, although it’s a fifty-fifty That gave me the confidence and from there working partnership.

I never looked back.”

“With the books, Steve and I come up with the Lucy began to design character alphabets ideas together and our own kids are great soundwhich now form part of their hugely sucing boards. We work in a strange way, as most cessful personalised artwork, sold through writers don’t usually work with the illustrator, the website Not On The High Street and whereas we create sketches at first, a bit like now just about to launch in Germany. “I cartoon strip.” Lucy grew up near Tintagel and went to a local framing shop and ormet Steve on the beach in Polzeath when she was dered 15 frames,” she says. “They gave just 20 and studying art at college in Brighton. “It me a very good price, but it was a huge investreally was love at first sight,” she says. “When ment for us at the time as we had no money. Now, you’re 20 you never think you’re going to meet we sell between 50 and 200 of these a day.” Graduyour husband, but we knew we’d get married as ally the business grew out of their house and into soon as we met. And it’s all worked out just fine.” a small shop, before relocating to larger premises, Visit www.fromlucy.com

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Interview

[

ZOE CLARK-COATES

Surviving heartbreak

[

Zoe Clark-Coates, 40, lives in east Devon with her husband Andy and their two children Esme, six, and Bronte, three. Here, she describes the harrowing experience of losing five babies that has led her to set up a very special charity.

By Becky Sheaves

oe says: I lay on the bed for my scan and the sonographer went very quiet. I craned over, desperate to see a heartbeat on the screen. “Is something wrong?” I asked. “Hold on a minute,” she said. “Can you excuse me, please?

I’m just going to speak to the doctor.”

All too soon the consultant came in, shaking his head. I just knew. I lay there, tears flooding out of my eyes.

I wouldn’t wish losing a baby on anyone. And yet 250,000 women miscarry every year in the UK. It’s something so rarely talked about, and yet miscarriage affects so many families, so many lives.

I’ve lost five babies. I’ve named every one, and grieved for them with all my heart. I’m also blessed to have two beautiful daughters, aged six and three. I like to think I’d have been the same mum to them if I hadn’t had so many miscarriages. But the fact is they are unbelievably precious to me.

I know how much of a blessing they are, and I treasure them.

My story starts back when I was 21, and married my husband Andy. We had met while work-

Z

ing for a charity and we became best friends.

Friendship soon turned to love and we realised we were soul mates.

At first, having children was the last thing on our minds. We started a company together in PR and event management. Within a few years, we were running events all over the world. Life was very good to us.

Andy and I are the same age, and when we reached our early 30s, many of our friends were starting families. My biological clock started ticking with a vengeance and I couldn’t wait to have a baby of my own.

After a while I found I was pregnant, but sadly it ended in a miscarriage. It was painful and traumatic but I hoped it would be something I would never experience again. We named our lost baby Coby.

Within a couple of months, I was pregnant again. At the first scan, I witnessed the miracle of life, our tiny little baby, wriggling around, with its little heartbeat fluttering away. Andy and I were over the moon. Soon after, I caught the ‘flu, and was bedridden for the rest of the week. Then I started to lose blood and went in for another scan. There on the screen I saw our baby for the second time – kicking away, showing no signs of distress or concern…what a relief !

A few days later I felt a sudden rush of blood and I knew, my baby had just died. I lay on the floor begging God to save her, but I knew it was in vain. Mother’s instinct? Who knows, but I knew her little heart was no longer beating within her or me. Andy and I rushed to A & E where I was, sadly, met with little concern. I was even asked by one of the staff if it was an IVF baby, as I was “so upset”.

A couple of days later we were finally offered an appointment to have a scan. Our first question of course was: “Is the baby ok?” Our sonographer went to get a consultant; he came in shaking his head saying the words that would become very familiar to us: “I’m so sorry.”

Andy and I were shown to a tiny room, where we sobbed, wailed, and clung to each other. We phoned our family, and hearing the words coming out of our own mouths, the reality dawned on us. Our baby had died. We would never hold her hand, or rock her to sleep.

A week to the day after her heartbeat stopped, labor started, and within 24 hours I had delivered my child. We named her Darcy.

I was blessed to have my husband – my hero – by my side, not always knowing what to say but wise enough to know that words often aren’t needed. Just to hold me would often be enough.

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portraits: julia Boggio studios

Zoe with husband Andy

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Interview

Andy and Zoe speak from the heart at a fundraiser

And then there were my parents, who sat with us and filled endless buckets with their own tears, while helping empty ours. But the fear that I would never become a mum was overwhelming.

Months later I lost my third baby, we named her Bailey. Andy and I kept this to ourselves, as we felt our family had gone through enough, but this, in fact, was our third child to grace the heavenly gates.

Then I got pregnant again.

As you can imagine, I was terrified something would go wrong. But, with fortnightly scans, we were finally handed our beautiful daughter, Esme Emilia, weighing 6lb 15 oz. There are no words to explain the elation of finally getting to hold and protect my tiny little girl.

Andy and I loved being parents so much. Nothing had prepared us for the amount of joy a little one can add to your life. So we decided to try for a sibling for Esme. Naively, I believed my dealings with miscarriage and loss were in the past. I was

[

wrong. I got pregnant, and all the initial scans were perfect. Then on one of our appointments the scan showed Samuel’s heartbeat had simply stopped. Time went in slow motion when we were told, I literally couldn’t speak. I just wasn’t expecting to tumble through that hidden trap door, from mother to miscarriage a fourth time.

I found myself in a hospital bed, filling in paperwork, sobbing after two questions were asked by the nurse; “Would you like a post-mortem, and would you like the remains back?” Can any mother ever be prepared to answer such questions?

Andy and I were blessed to get pregnant for a sixth time, and after telling the family around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, I went upstairs to find I had started to bleed.

The bleeding continued for days, and when I finally managed to speak to a GP I was told I had definitely miscarried, and there was no need for a scan. That crushing sadness overtook me again.

I had to remind myself to breathe, felt that I was

[

There are no words to explain the elation of finally getting to hold and protect my tiny little girl

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Zoe and Andy with longed-for daughters Esme (left) and Bronte

free-falling over a cliff. I held on to the knowledge that we were one of the lucky couples who at least had the opportunity to raise one little girl.

So we painted a smile on our faces and gave our daughter an amazing Christmas.

However, I carried on feeling very ill, and so went for further scans. To our amazement, there were two little lives on the screen, but one was more developed than the other. We were told to prepare ourselves as we may lose one of them.

Tragically, I did indeed go on to lose one of the babies, but the other hung on, we felt blessed to have one baby, but heartbroken for the baby we lost, who we called Isabella.

What followed was a minefield of a pregnancy: I had so many complications - but our little warrior braved it all. When Bronte Jemima finally appeared in all her glory in August 2011 she was declared a miracle baby. I don’t think I have stopped smiling since.

I now have two little girls, whom I simply adore. My passion is to now raise my girls to love life and embrace every opportunity life hands to them. I also want to help others who have lost children. Andy and I were determined that what we had been through should not be in vain. We decided to reach out to other people in the same situation. So in 19

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Interview Support The support for The Mariposa Trust has been “overwhelming” says Zoe ClarkCoates. It includes: •

Professor Lord Robert Winston is an ambassador for the charity.

•

Other ambassadors of the charity include Nigella Lawson, Gabby Logan, Jools Oliver, Mary Nightingale, Julie Etchingham and Caroline Quentin.

•

The charity’s website now gets 650,000 hits a month and it now also works right across North America.

•

The charity runs 25 Saying Goodbye services in cathedrals across the UK every year, from Edinburgh to Exeter, offering people of all faiths and none the opportunity to say farewell to the children they have lost.

•

Other services include support for people trying for a baby after losing a child, and for people pregnant after losing a child.

•

Fund-raising events include two Mariposa Balls every year. This year’s events will take place at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester and The Savoy in London.

2012 we approached Exeter Cathedral to ask if we people who are seeking fertility treatment. could hold a special service for anyone who had We’re not good at grief in Britain, and we’re been affected by miscarriage, stillbirth or child especially not good at coping with grief over the death in early years. As event organisers, this loss of a child. People are encouraged to keep was something we could do, to help others. miscarriage a secret, but that way it is so hard Since then, the Mariposa Trust has snowballed to process grief and move through it. beyond our wildest dreams. This Often, we help people who week, Andy and I are invited to lost babies 40 or 50 years ago 10 Downing Street in recognibut are still heartbroken – tion of what we have achieved back then, frequently the baby Our charity has so far. Not only does the Saying they had lost would be thrown snowballed Goodbye division organise 25 in a bedpan. They’d be told to services a year in the UK, in go home and try again. It was beyond our 2014 we launched our charbrutal. wildest dreams. ity in America, where a million We are often asked why we women lose babies every year. named the charity The MaripoOur website gets In addition to the special sa Trust. Mariposa means but65,000 hits a Saying Goodbye services, we terfly in Spanish and, to me, the month also offer online and telephone symbolism of a chrysalis transsupport. Now, midwives, GPs forming into something beautiand consultants can point famiful is what we are all about. lies in our direction. We have a It is possible to come through team of over 200 people and our the darkest days, the most painwebsite gets over 650,000 hits a month, which ful experiences, and be happy. I’ve done it, and just goes to show the scale of the need out there.

I want to help people in the same position to do In addition to the Saying Goodbye division the the same.

Trust has an additional three divisions. Growing You offers support to those pregnant following If you would like to help the Mariposa Trust or if loss. Waiting For you walks with people through you need emotional support, visit www.mariposathe process of adoption and Holding Hope helps trust.org and www.sayinggoodbye.org

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Simply chic Sarah Pitt talks to a couple who have transformed an attic above a historic coach house into a romantic French-themed love nest here’s a bit of a surprise at the top of the steps in this building in north Cornwall. What looks like it might just be a storeroom in fact houses what can only be described as a love nest. Complete with classic French flourishes, it nestles beneath open beams which date back hundreds of years.

The luxurious space on the smallholding near Bude has been a labour of love for Chris Jopling and his wife Jan, with Chris doing the building work and Jan the interior design.

The décor, says Jan, was very much created with honeymooners in mind. And indeed newlyweds have featured prominently among their guests since they started renting out The Little Charcuterie through Unique Home Stays last summer.

“It was really fun doing it,” says Jan. “Creating a holiday let is very different from doing your own home. I have never attempted anything really themed before, nor anything French and romantic, but I enjoyed it. And a lot of the people who come and stay write in our guestbook about

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how beautiful they think the interior is, which is really rewarding.”

Chris and Jan, who have been breathing new life into old buildings all their married life, restored their own home on the smallholding at Marhamchurch near the north Cornwall coast – which was derelict when they bought it five years ago – before turning their attention to the outbuildings.

They converted the ground floor of the coach house into a butchery, where Chris makes sausages, originally from pigs reared on their own land. Then they went to work on the flat above, which needed complete restoration. Its exposed A-frames – with a wonky charm which indicates their great age – were its most striking feature, and one which the Chris and Jan were determined to preserve.

“Historically, this was the coach house to the farm and, having traced the history, we knew it was built about 1860,” says Chris. “I’m confident, though, that the exposed roof timbers came out of another building before that; you can see by looking at them that they were much older. Jan

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Interiors

The decoupage tiles, above, are made in Cornwall, while a pine table has been turned into a breakfast bar, right

said ‘You have to keep those’. We cleaned them up, and went from there.”

First Chris sorted out the structural issues, including a new roof, built over the beams (which are no longer load-bearing), and a new door to give access to a private garden. This, complete with a swinging day-bed, is a suntrap on sunny days.

They then turned their attention to the interior. Chris created a half wall to divide off the bedroom, and framed a doorway into it with curved timbers.

Chris and Jan have needed to think laterally to make clever use of the limited space here. There was not room for a big kitchen table, for instance, but Jan cut an L-shaped chunk out an old pine table, with three legs attached, which she fitted around the showcase granite sink, creating a breakfast bar with a suitably rustic vibe.

“The biggest challenge was trying to fit everything that two people would need into the space,” says Jan. “It is not a huge, but Chris divided it very cleverly, with the bedroom section at the

end. I think we have done very well to get in as much as we have.”

To create her décor, Jan drew on a variety of sources. The romantic wooden carved double bed looks like it might have been an antiques shop find. In fact, though, it came from John Lewis.

The graceful cream carved wooden furniture in the sitting room, meanwhile, came from Nicola Cornell, an online company which specialises in the romantic French look which Jan was aiming for - the granite sink also came from Nicola Cornell.

A striking feature of the bedroom is the wallpaper on the far wall, which contributes to the boudoir feel of the flat. Featuring urns and classical figures in burnished gold on a turquoise background, it is a design from upmarket American wallpaper company Thibaut.

“We have quite a lot of people on honeymoon, so I wanted the décor to be romantic, and that wallpaper was stunning,” says Jan. “It was very very expensive but as I only needed two rolls I thought it was worth it.”

STYLE TIP: When space is limited, think of

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Interiors

Jan did the wallpapering herself, quite a feat on such a tall surface. “I perched on a ladder,” she says. She also made the curtains herself. “I chose a curtain fabric which is a toile [a very fine almost transparent fabric] in a very subtle pale colour, and I lined it with an old striped fabric.”

Another unusual discovery, fitting perfectly with the French vintage theme, are the tiles made by Anne-Marie Quester and Alison Jennings of Shabby Cow, based in west Cornwall.

Their design fuses vintage images onto limestone tiles using a decoupage technique. Placed around the splashback above the granite sink, they give a flavour of Parisian cafe style.

Jan has also added decorative touches with ceramics, which she sources from antiques shops and fairs. “I have been collecting pottery since I was 16,” she says. “I am always buying unusual jugs and plates, I think I have a bit of a jug fetish actually! They are all bits and pieces I’ve picked up in antiques shops – if there is something pretty then I’ll buy it.”

The canopy with satin fabric above the bed was another inspired romantic touch in the bedroom.

STYLE TIP: Luxury wallpaper can be very

expensive. Use it sparingly on just one wall, and just a couple of rolls can create a huge impact for the whole of your room

“I went to a junk shop and bought the circular hoop which the curtains hang on for £20. If I see something I like I’ll buy it, and then I’ll hang onto it and find a use for it.”

And this charming little bolthole shows just how useful her finds have been.

The Little Charcuterie at Marhamchurch near Bude is available to rent for short breaks through www.uniquehomestays.com or 01637 881183

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Shopping

GET THE

LOOK

Try these picks for a Frenchthemed romantic style

Whistler handmade wallpaper, £20 a roll, Lyme Regis-based www. dunfordwood.co.uk

Wild mea dow da ndel io n wal lp ap er, £78 fo r te n m et re ro ll, a w w w. in-s pa ce s.com

Cushion, £20, www.aspace.co.uk

Scandi kitchen chair, £120, www.lukuhome.com

Dark grey woodland lampshade, £35, www.in-spaces.com

Double bed, £1,060, www. sweetpeaandwillow.com

Delft animal tiles, £16 each, www.reptiletiles.co.uk

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Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Going up the wall Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, picks the best spring-flowering climbers have a friend who used to invest in expensive handbags, which she’d bring out one by one in order to describe their provenance, key features and value, in loving detail.

It was all a bit lost on me but apparently other handbag aficionados would register their respect with a discreet nod as they passed by.

We subliminally clock what we’re interested in, whether it’s buildings, fashion, cars, dogs, yachts, tents (ever witnessed tent envy?) or in my case, plants. This week, I was wowed by a lovely Clematis armandii in full bloom, its fragrant flowers making a creamy waterfall against leathery, evergreen foliage.

Climbing plants are a key feature of town gardens, where there are many walls, fences and garages to cover and less room for trees. In more rural gardens like mine, bounded by hedges, we find ourselves constructing pergolas, arches and obelisks or eyeing up large shrubs to act as hosts.

True climbers are fascinating because they all support themselves differently. The large, vigorous Clematis armandii clings with twining leaf stalks and likes a sheltered position where wind and frost won’t affect its evergreen foliage.

A light annual trim after flowering keeps plants under control and stops a tangled mass from forming and, fortunately, they respond well to a more radical haircut if need be, returning to full glory two or three years later.

Other spring-flowering clematis include dainty, deciduous C.alpina and C.macropetala plus their cultivars. These tend to open nodding flowers during April and are generally well-mannered.

C.montana is larger, reaching up to 12m/40ft unchecked and handy for smothering unsightly buildings. By May, they’ll be smothered in white,

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pink or almost red flowers usually accompanied by delicious wafts of vanilla. All of these spring flowering kinds are best pruned immediately after flowering if their size needs curbing.

The chocolate vine Akebia quinata is a great favourite in my garden because its sweet spicy fragrance takes over from winter flowering shrubs. We’ve planted it to grow through a large Viburnum farreri and, although it is often recommended for shade, I think the perfume is

strongest when the flowers are in sunshine. Again, any pruning should take place immediately after flowering but I have had to cut out large portions when thinning the viburnum in winter and there has still been masses of flowering wood left. Ours is the paler ‘White Chocolate’ cultivar and I love the way larger female flowers mingle with the smaller male ones on the same shoots.

Roses are generally thought of as summer flowering, from June onwards but classy

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

Banksian roses open their flowers as early as April. Vigorous and semi-evergreen, these are large ramblers usually trained against sheltering house walls. The commonest is probably double yellow Rosa banksiae ‘Lutea’, though single yellow R.b. ‘Lutescens’ is more fragrant and double white R.b.var.banksiae has been described as redolent of violets. Careful pruning and training is needed, as flowers form on two or three year old stems, so thoughtful thinning is the way forward. I always think it is best to make (or have made) your own trellis-work in scale with the wall, to make training and tying easier.

Some so-called climbers are just leggy shrubs happy to be trained in one plane. The Japanese quinces (chaenomeles) are good examples

and make great spring flowering wall or fence shrubs especially on shadier east or west facing aspects, where their ability to bloom consistently compensates for lack of fragrance (though their fruits are highly aromatic). Choose cultivars with white, pink or red flowers to stand out against their background colour.

By late spring, wisteria, the queen of climbers, is draped with racemes of sweetly scented pealike blooms. In the wild, these vigorous twining climbers hoist themselves up trees but in captivity, have to make do with cottage walls and pergolas. Although they are described as liking a sunny aspect, they will also do well against cooler, shadier places. With some of these climbers, your spring garden will come to life.

Question time with Anne

• U se edible herb flowers to scatter over salads and pasta dishes.

Our rosemary is flowering now and the pretty individual flowers have the same flavour as leaves though milder and sweeter. Later, use sage.

• G ive crops a boost by spraying them with a liquid seaweed feed.

This acts like a general tonic and is especially

effective for plants like overwintered onions and peas.

• All potted plants will be making strong growth and unless they are newly potted, will benefit from a general purpose liquid fertilizer usually at fortnightly intervals. At feeding time, roots should neither be bone dry or soggy but moist and on the way to drying out.

West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank

Q

Lilies I grew in pots last year were left outdoors for winter and are now sprouting again. Is there anything I should be doing to ensure another good display of flowers?

Nutrients in the compost will have been used up and once the bulbs have sprouted new shoots and roots, they’ll be relying mainly on stored energy to thrive. Without extra nourishment, they’ll be smaller all round and even punier the year after.

There are several options. At the very least, leave them in the same pot but add a controlled release fertilizer to the compost in the top. Or you could add a general purpose liquid feed every two weeks. A better option would be to pot the bulbs on to a larger sized pot with fresh compost around the roots. Alternatively, remove the bulbs from the pots and either plant them as one or gently separate them and space them out in borders of good soil. Wherever they go, watch out for red lily beetles and their dark, gooey larvae.

Q

Our pittosporum has grown too large, can we clip it like a box or hedging plant?

Pittosporum tenuifolium is a relatively quick growing, slightly tender evergreen from New Zealand much used throughout the South West as a windproof coastal plant. We have three here in my garden, providing valuable shelter on the windward side of other plants. Yes, you can grow them as hedges or trim them into neat pudding basin shapes by clipping now in April. If you want a tightly clipped look, repeat in June.

Sow tender crops like French beans, sweet corn, pumpkins and other squash, cucumbers and tomatoes. Most people start them indoors in modules and pots these days but all bar greenhouse cucumbers and tomatoes will germinate outdoors in the ground when soil is warm enough. Protect from slugs.

Hoe

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

bare soil between crops when it is dry, even if you can’t see any weeds. This is the best and easiest way to stop them from growing.

In borders, tickle surface soil between plants using a border fork unless you are expecting plants like hellebores to self seed.

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22/04/2015 11:22:43

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.

Make yourself beautiful with Next’s Get The Look Bundle, £20, for eyeliner, lippie and chubby.

Star appeal Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer uses this cleansing balm in her beauty routine. She says: “I rub it all over my face, then use a flannel to wipe off the makeup.”

Look out for a limited edition super-size pots of this anti-ageing balm by Elemis next month, £55 at www.elemis. com

PRETTY KIT

All that glitters... ...and no need to ask the price, at Poundland!

Finding balance

TO THE RESCUE Bare Minerals has just launched this intensely moisturising Complexion Rescue tinted moisturiser: daywear for skin that will also help improve its tone. £26 at www.bareMinerals.co.uk

London-based luxe brand 001 Skincare combines cutting-edge bio-technology with natural and organic ingredients to create products designed to return skin to a state of natural equilibrium. It’s just launched at www.fortnumandmason.com, with prices in the Classic care range starting at £18 for its Pure Lavender Hydrolat Toner.

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the review

Going Blonde Katie Wright finds out exactly how Kim Kardashian went platinum hen Kim Kardashian un- have seen too many disasters,” says Tracy veiled her dramatic new do Hayes, global head of technical training at Paris Fashion Weekrefor Fudge Professional. “Always have this cently, brunettes the world process done professionally, to keep your over wondered: just how did hair in the best possible shape.” she get her dark locks so light?

If you have warm brown or ginger hair, And with Lily Allen and Carol Vorder- you should avoid the peroxide too - unless man also taking the peroxide plunge, you want to end up with orange locks. salons have seen a spike in calls from “The red pigment is really hard to would-be blondes. lift,” says Nice’n Easy UK colour advisor “We’ve already had so many calls from Jonathan Long people who are desperate to copy Kim’s If your natural hair hue is too dark for look, particularly darker brunettes who at-home application, there’s still a lot to are looking for a complete colour overconsider before you book in for your big haul, rather than people who just want to blonde makeover. “This is a huge job and go a few shades lighter,” will need the eye and attensays Marc Trinder, art tion of a colour specialist. team director at Charles Getting an even result on ‘We’ve had so Worthington Salons. previously coloured hair “Kim seems to have can be difficult, depending many calls from inspired a newfound on the history of the hair,” people who are colour confidence in says Claire Bonney. many women.”

It’s not cheap, either. desperate to But despite regular “I would say between copy Kim’s look, root touch-ups (all cap£200 and £300 for the iniparticularly tured on Instagram, of tial application, and £120 course), Kim reverted and £170 for the root apdarker back to her usual ebony plication, depending on brunettes’ shade within three the salon - some high-end weeks. salons will be more exDoes that mean such pensive than this,” Tracy high-maintenance hair is unsustainable, Hayes estimates. And you’re looking at even for a millionaire who has her own touch-ups every six to eight weeks. ‘glam squad’ on hand?

Looking after your locks post-peroxide “The lightening process from very dark is even more important when it’s a pro to very light blonde is heavy and strenujob. “The process is chemically drying on ous on the hair,” warns Claire Bonney, the hair, so using professional products at senior technician at Radio Hair Salon. “It home is imperative, as you must feed the involves bleaching the hair, pushing it as hair the protein and moisture it needs.” light as it will go, possibly a double apWith that level of upkeep, no wonder plication, and of course, a much-needed Kim didn’t keep her new colour for long. toner to knock out any brassy tones.”

But that’s not to say you can’t realise So is Kim’s black-to-blonde bleach job your own blonde ambition, Hayes says, achievable with an off-the-shelf dye? “as long as you are prepared to spend the “I would not recommend this as DIY, I time and money to keep it looking good.”

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EYES RIGHT We’ve eyed up these metallic pencils by Essence and think they’re fab. Just £1.99 each at Wilko

Top secret We already love Time Bomb’s moisturiser and a little goes a long way with its Youth Juice Secret Oil, which mimics the natural sebum lost as your skins grows older. £38 at www.timebombco.com

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Good stuff

Eco-fabric kimono £39.99 H&M

These days, ethical fashion has a whole new look ot so long ago, the prospect of seeking out clothes that were both attractive and ethically produced was enough to make anyone’s heart sink.

But things have changed, and today it is possible to find fabrics that have low environmental impact, as well as designers who treat (and pay) their suppliers fairly.

A major player in the ethical arena is People Tree - we love their dresses and new range of jewellery. You can also find inspiring designs from places as varied as H&M and The Sock Shop. So now we can all be Ethics Girls...

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5 Rec ycl ed ma p sho ppe r £2.9 www.dotcomgiftshop.com 30

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Fashion Joanna Cave Reya ethical gold earrings £51 www.econe.co.uk

Chika zero-waste shirt dress £360 www.beautifulsoul. co.uk

Orla Kiely eco-cotton top £80 People Tree

Takara zerowaste dress £360 Beautiful Soul

Olivia ecodress £85 People Tree

Fair trade brass enamel ring £8 People Tree

Paloma ethical cotton dress £110 People Tree Ethical cotton skirt £36 People Tree

Glenmuir eco-friendly bamboo socks £8 for three, Sock Shop

Wellwood eco-friendly sunglasses £79 and watch £95

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Trend

HOW TO WEAR IT:

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

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod addresses the dress his time of year is all about the dress. If you’re anything like me, you’re digging out your favourite shift every morning and waltzing purposefully out the door, only to scurry back in with every hair on your arms Dress, LK Bennett, standing up in cold protest. It’s all so confusing.

Princesshay, £265 The sun is shining and it looks warm, tropical even. But there is still an unwelcome edge to Bag, LK Bennett, the air and the breeze is positively arctic at moPrincesshay, £195 ments. The solution, the sleeved dress!

The selections on offer are a veritable smorShoes, LK gasbord of strong patterns, bold colours and Bennett, intricate details guaranteed to bring your InstaPrincesshay, £195 gram feed alive.

Witches of East End star, Jenna Dewan-Tatum showed up on the fashion radar recently wearing a gorgeous boho white incarnation of the trend by Tularosa, complete with a stylish Janessa The sleeves will Leone fedora and cross body be your armour Tory Burch Bag. The look is against cocktail feminine, flirty, comfortable and if it comes with the added bonus hour chills while of catching the eye of men like the hemline Channing Tatum (her husband, means you can star of The Vow and Dear John) then I’m sure you don’t need any express yourself more convincing. er part of your legs. Were this dress at will on the Shopping for these is an opany shorter it would cut me across dance floor portunity to step a little bit out my quad muscle, and years of sprintof your comfort zone. These ing at a regional level means that the frocks are especially at home at effect is a tad more intimidating than a wedding, where the sleeves will be your armour I would like. More Venus Williams than Victoria against cocktail hour chills while the hemline Beckham. means you can express yourself at will on the There is the tiniest of nip in at the waistline, dance floor. Choose a bold pattern to make a stateand then three tiers of the softest imaginable ment that doubles as a great conversation starter. fabric flow softly outwards. This dress is my new This pink beauty is from LK Bennett, and albest friend. The nip tells the world I have a waist, though I won’t get away with calling it a bargain, while the cascades mean that I can scoff crab it certainly earns its price tag. It’s a box ticker, cakes and goat’s cheese puffs to my hearts content and sets the bar for all future dress purchases. with no mood-ruining visible bulge.

Here’s why.

Even the length of the sleeves is spot on. Sleeves The hemline is in the perfect place. For a slimthat aren’t quite full length can be tricky, too short ming effect the line should fall across the narrowand they catch the dreaded bingos. Past the elbow

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is tricky too. No sleeve that ends mid forearm is a friend of mine. At the risk of painting myself in a rather Schwarzenegger light once again, years of surfing mean that my forearms are slightly more sinewy than slender, and I have caught more than one eyebrow raise when I extend my arm in a toast wearing a less forgiving dress.

The spot the sleeve stops when held alongside your body is key too. This becomes a focal point, so make sure it is level with an inwards curve rather than an outwards one.

Now you know the rules, happy shopping. I love this dress so much I might buy a second one. Race you there! And if there’s only one left we can arm wrestle for it. Somehow I fancy my chances.

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

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EAST Floral maxi shirt dress £119

EAST Fantasia kaftan £129

GET THE

look

Let’s talk shoes: The strappy dreams I am wearing in this shoot are the holy grail. Nude/light colour heels will make your legs look like they go on for country miles. Also, these straps fall in the perfect place, quite low down on the foot. Anything that cuts you accross the ankle is a bit of a no no, unless you have the ankles of Kate Moss. In which case, go to town.

NEW LOOK Printed off-theshoulder smock dress £19.99

EAST Terracotta trim tunic £199

HOBBS Lily of the valley dress £139

DEBENHAMS Dress by Betty Jackson Black £49

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Wellbeing

Sam Taylor:

Gaelic Football Mum of three Sam Taylor from Bodmin is the Sofa Dodger, trying out keep-fit activities that make exercise fun. This week... she tried Gaelic football in Plymouth essica Ennis Hill has a support enthough. You have to score points and tourage, including psychologists, ball kicked over the bar’s worth one. nutritionists and coaches. I have Under the bar and past the goalkeepa rabble of tequila wielding drunker, is a goal, worth three points. ards in my fitness Unlike rugby, you can’t camp. “Come over and have carry a Gaelic football one Margarita” read the last for more than four minute email that went round steps before you have Unlike rugby, my friends on Friday evening. to pass the ball, or toeyou can’t carry Surely one wouldn’t hurt….? tap the ball back to a Gaelic football So I made my way to Plymouth yourself (called soloParnells Gaelic Football Club ing). We started off for more than the next day reconsidering my with some practice four steps before friendship choices and chewdrills and I enjoyed booting the ing frantically on gum, which I ball about. As with most team you have to pass hoped would conceal the fumes. sports, I also really enjoyed the the ball I met up with the lads and we banter. When I’m Sofa Dodging, made our way onto a muddy most teams start on their best field. behaviour around me but once I wasn’t sure what Gaelic footeveryone relaxes, the jokes start ball was about but I was told the night before it in earnest. was “just like Aussie Rules”. This wasn’t helpThe match play was fast and furious, with fitful information. The team enlightened me, ness being a huge requirement, as the play was

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This week: Gaelic football Sam played with Plymouth Parnells Gaelic Football Club: www.plymouthgaa.org.uk

relentless. It is an enjoyable spectator sport and I would definitely watch a game. With nearly all male-only teams I have joined, this one was fuelled by competition, which is in turn driven by testosterone. At one point, there were proper handbags going on in the game, which did make me smile a little and wish that I had some popcorn to hand.

I bid them farewell, as I trudged off in search of carbs - and more water.

get involved: Visit www.sofadodger.co.uk and key in your postcode to find a class or club near you. Or add your own to the growing database, for free.

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Wellbeing

ally mac’s

Ally Mac’s Almond Milk Ally says: Almond milk is proving increasingly popular, as buyers swap their traditional dairy milk for a healthy alternative.

Unlike cow’s milk, almond milk contains zero cholesterol or saturated fats, and if you compare almond milk to soya or rice milk, almond milk has the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals.

You can use almond milk as part of your daily diet, and it can be easily made at home. Be wary of the almond milk on sale in supermarkets... if you read the back of the label you will find that a lot of the vitamins are synthetic… crazy! All you need to make it at home are raw almonds and water.

This is a very simple recipe that tastes super creamy. I love cinnamon and like things sweet, so I add cinnamon and sometimes a date, too, for that touch of sweetness. I will be selling my own “almond milk kits” on my website soon – at www.allyskitchenstories.co.uk – to make it easier for you to make it at home.

You will need:

Method:

(this makes two creamy glasses)

Tip the almonds into a bowl and cover them with water. Leave them to soak overnight in your fridge (there’s no need to cover). In the morning, drain the nuts (you will see that they have put on a little weight overnight and puffed up).

1 cup raw organic almonds 1/2 tsp cinnamon Sweetener if desired (dates, maple syrup or coconut sugar) 2 cups of water A pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt

Put the almonds into your blender with the cinnamon, salt and the optional sweetener and the two extra cups of water. Blend for two minutes.

There are two ways to do the next part. Some people use a sieve but I actually just use a cheesecloth that I place over a large bowl. I pour the almond liquid through it, small amounts at a time ,and use a spoon to push or it through to make sure I’m getting as much liquid as possible.

Your almond milk will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

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 35

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Wellbeing

the boost

Life just got better. We’ve handpicked the latest wellness trends, best-body secrets and expert advice to help you be your best self, everyday

AN INTRODUCTION

TO MINDFULNESS At the Sharpham estate in beautiful south Devon, there’s a day-long Introduction to Mindfulness course on Saturday May 2. Mindfulness is the art of being in the present moment, with acceptance and without judgement. It can health and wellbeing by helping to reduce stress and anxiety. £68, visit www.sharphamtrust.org for details.

increased focus

less stress

improved health

Back in style Recent studies suggest that paracetamol won’t help acute pain in your lower back.

But sitting better can help prevent a niggling pain grow worse. Exercises that strengthen your core and bottom muscles will help support your upper body better and keeping your feet flat on the floor when you’re seated takes the pressure off your lower back. If you’re glued to the TV, shift your position from time to time and take advantage of the ad breaks to get up and move around.

NHS Choices has some exercises you can try out at home: (www.nhs.uk)

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Barre all...

If you fancy discovering (or rediscovering) ballet, then there’s an adult Contemporary/ Ballet class (for 18s and over) from 8pm-8.45pm every Wednesday at Carrick Sports Centre, Truro.

Ballet’s great for core strength, muscle development and having fun. It’s £4 a class, visit www. cornwalldanceschool.co.uk

TAP INTO THIS...

Tap into the latest health drink: birch water!

It’s long been imbibed by people in Scandanavian and Eastern European countries to boost energy and cleanse the liver and kidneys. If you don’t fancy tapping your own tree while the sap’s rising, you can buy it bottled, from Kent-based Treevitalise.

Rosie: I believe in algae!

CHLORELLA:

Does green = gorgeous?

It sounds too good to be true: a superfood that gives you your daily dose of greens in pill form, could slow the ageing process. What’s the secret ingredient? Algae. It’s packed with cell-renewing and immune system boosting amino acids vitamins including B, D and K, that can also give you more energy and improve your mental wellbeing. Miranda Kerr

and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley are both said to be fans of this Japanese whole food, called Chlorella.

As with all food supplements, it’s wise to check with your GP before taking with other medicines and chlorella may be best avoided if you have an auto-immune condition. However clinical trials suggest chlorella, which was first researched as a food supplement in the 1930s, could have a wealth of potential health benefits. Sun Chlorella A tablets cost £21.95 for a 20-30 day supply) at health food stores and online at www.bodykind.com.

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Wellbeing

Expert Q&A

What’s the alternative?

Before operating, other measures should always be tried first, says John Beardsmore.

These include:

Your health questions answered: Q

My GP tells me that I should be considering a knee replacement. I’m nervous! Is this a good idea, and what are the risks? CB

Plymouth –based orthopaedic surgeon John Beardsmore says: The good news is that total knee replacements are a very successful procedure. The National Joint Registry has found that patient satisfaction with this operation is greater than 95%. For many people, only knee replacement can give good pain relief and in the UK more than 90,000 patients undergo knee surgery of some kind each year.

The most valuable investigation for osteoarthritis is an x-ray and at least one of the images must be taken with strict weight bearing on the affected limb. This may show bone touching bone with no remaining cartilage, and I also look out for other signs of osteophytes (extra bone lumps around the joint), geodes (cavities or cysts in the bone) or sclerosis (hardening of arthritic bone).

Knee replacements are also called knee arthroplasty and are a resurfacing procedure. In

Do you need knee surgery?

John Beardsmore’s checklist: • • • •

severe pain or stiffness chronic knee inflammation and swelling knee deformity and loss of function pain at rest and pain at night

John says: It is my experience that pain during activity can be managed according to personal tolerance. But pain at rest, and especially at night, causes weariness and rapidly degrades a patient’s wellbeing.

A knee replacement will often greatly improve your quality of life.

• • • • • •

osteoar thritis, trauma and inflammatory arthritis, the smooth, lowfriction, cartilage that cushions the joint is lost. In knee replacement surgery, the damaged surfaces are excised (taken off).

The thigh bone surface is covered with a smooth metal dome. The shin bone surface is covered with a metal tray into which fits a medicalgrade plastic spacer that then functions as the smooth bearing surface on which the thigh bone glides. The patella – knee cap - can also be resurfaced.

Knee surgery can take between one and two hours. It is usually carried out with a spinal anaesthetic. Patients can also have a short-lasting intravenous sedative, so they snooze during the procedure, but recovery is enhanced by having avoided a full general anaesthetic.

The majority of patients are able to return home between two and four days later. You will then need to rest, and you should expect considerable fatigue in the first six weeks. Analgesia, icepacks, elevation and a programme of rehabilitation will all help your recovery. By 10 to 12 weeks most patients are doing well, though knee replacements often improve for up to 18 months after surgery.

With any major surgery it must be remembered that there is a small risk of complication and these are always thoroughly discussed beforehand. After total knee replacement your

Rest or reduced activity Pain-relieving medication Anti-inflammatory medication (if no contra-indications) Physiotherapy and weight loss Steroid injection can give temporary relief.

A limited number of people can benefit from lesser arthroscopic procedures.

knee will always feel a little mechanical and proprioception (natural stability) is reduced in some situations but a good functional range of movement is the normal outcome. I firmly believe that for the vast majority of patients a knee replacement is the most effective procedure for providing pain relief for an arthritic knee.

Consultant orthopaedic surgeon John Beardsmore works at the Peninsula NHS Treatment Centre in Plymouth. For more details visit www.peninsulatreatmentcentre.nhs.uk or call 01752 506070

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Wellbeing Happy birthday to...

STARS

26.04.15

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) This week begins a period of lightheartedness and sparkling conversations. Your social life really gets a boost with friends and family wanting to get out and about. Will you be invited? Be sure to let them know that you are available!

Sometimes others assume that your diary will be full but we all have slack periods!

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) In a fairly quiet week there is time to make adjustments to your image ready for those early summer trips.

Bright colours and more flowing clothes give the right message. You may decide to have a weekend party or to visit a friend somewhere exotic. Whatever you are doing, though, don’t rule out romance!

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Take a bow and accept praise that is coming your way! Have you put in some hard work on a project? Maybe you have been brightening up the home or garden? Decided to cook more exotic food?

Whatever it is, you now realise that it was worth the effort and was appreciated. Fish for compliments if you want to know how someone feels about you.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)

Darcey Bussell Prima ballerina turned Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcy Bussell turns 45 this Monday, on April 27. Darcey (full name Marnie Mercedes Darcey) became principal ballerina at The Royal Ballet when she was just 20 years old, back in 1989. She is widely acclaimed as one of the all-time great British ballerinas.

After retiring from ballet in 2007, Darcey now wows audiences as a muchloved judge on Strictly Come Dancing.

She’s married to Australian businessman Angus Forbes, and they have two daughters called Phoebe and Zoe. Darcey is a Taurus, and Taureans are known for their determination and loving nature. She’ll never be short of willpower to reach her goals, and she will always dedicate herself fully to all those she holds dear.

What you see as a largely mundane week could be brightened up no end by a bit of planning ahead. Love is just around the corner and you need to be prepared for some pretty exciting encounters! Getting together over a shared project brings you closer, and doing a bit of cooking together can be real fun.

LEO (July 23 - August 23) You just can’t wait to get the social scene buzzing. Do you have something special to share? Making an occasion of it pleases both your partner and your friends. Those who are, at the moment, unattached, keep your ears open.

More than one exciting thing is happening that you should know about. Do others assume that you are busy?

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Looking forward to a break or holiday plans? A change of venue could give you even more to get excited about. The chances are that you have been working very hard and that your head is positively buzzing. Take a break for a day and try to go somewhere new. It could be in your own area or part of an organised trip.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Plans to travel that were just a vague notion a month ago now start to take on some form. As you want to stretch yourself and get some new experiences, you could well travel alone. A sense of freedom is very attractive to you at the moment after a restrictive winter. Although you love partnerships, this is a time to grow.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) There is still a light-hearted and optimistic attitude to life that makes you a delight to know. Some financial matters need sorting out but don’t let that get too heavy. This is a fun week when you may try out new experiences and attitudes.

A partner or relative may be on course to cramp your style.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) This is a lovely, romantic time of year. Be sure to make the most of it by sharing your social plans and getting others together. You have a way of uniting people, often from quite different backgrounds. Use this talent to be in places that you love with people that you admire. Adventures are go!

CAPRICORN

(December 22 - January 20) This is a week of confessions and propositions. Getting things out in the open and speaking your mind is quite refreshing. Through an older friend or member of the family you can be given the chance to meet someone special. Play it cool until you know their position. An old romance could fizzle out.

AQUARIUS

(January 21 - February 19) A bumpy start to this week could see you feeling a little apprehensive.

If you take an honest approach, however, it all settles down. Don’t take it for granted that someone can be easily hoodwinked.

Keep up a good diet and exercise regime to avoid being beaten by fatigue.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Part of your good fortune this week lies in the fact that you are flexible.

Tip-toeing around a relative is preferable to getting into an argument about them.

Practical solutions can sometimes be hurtful to others. Social life comes in fits and starts and seems to defy your attempts to organise it.

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Claire Bishop

My Secret Westcountry Claire Bishop Claire Bishop runs Bantham Beach’s gourmet fast-food Gastrobus, which make and sells home-made treats and coffee by the sea. Claire formerly worked for chef Mitch Tonks and lives in Ivybridge with husband Jim. My favourite...

Walk: The cliff walk from Hope Cove to Bantham. Stunning views and coastline, with a great view of Burgh Island.

Festival :

I love a good food festival and Dartmouth’s has to be one of the best. Organisers and local producers and restaurateurs work hard to create a great vibe.

Beach: Bantham beach. I fell in love with it the first time I went for a surf there when I moved to Devon. The views are amazing as well as the waves, it’s a great family beach. On my first visit I saw that there was nowhere to get a good cup of coffee or something to eat - and that’s how The Gastrobus began. I bought the van off Ebay.

If I were to second Bantham, I’d have to say Watergate Bay near Newquay.

The Crabshell Inn

Activity: I love surfing and most outdoor sports; paddle-boarding, mountain biking and walking my little dog, Elmo.

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People Claire’s Gastrobus sells good food on Bantham Beach in south Devon

Lemon Velvet

Food: Fish!!!!! There’s no better place to get

Weekend away: It has to be The Watergate

fresh fish than the Westcountry.

Bay Hotel. It has everything you want: peace and quiet, surf, pool and great food.

Tipple: Man Beer, as my husband calls it!

Shop: Totnes is my favourite place to shop

Tribute or Proper Job. It’s lovely stuff, nice and refreshing too.

with unique shops and independent shops. I believe we should support our small retailers.

For clothes, I love my friend Janice’s shop in Kingsbridge, Lemon Velvet.

Pub: The Crabshell at Kinsgbridge. It’s a vibrant pub that’s always busy and has amazing views down the river. Getting a table here on a summer evening watching the sun go down is just perfect. And their pizzas are excellent.

Restaurant: The Seahorse in Dartmouth owned by Mitch Tonks and Mat Prowse. Old friends of mine, they cook the best fish in the world. An amazing experience.

Treat: One of our Bantham Burgers. They seemed to have evolved into a talking point amongst our customers. It’s a rare treat to eat one, though I cook them every day!

Follow Gastrobus Bantham Beach on Facebook and @gastrobusbeach 41

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Enjoy Surfing at Saunton Sands

Braunton a weekend in...

erched in the far north-west corner of Devon is surf haven Braunton, which rather quaintly bills itself, “the largest village in the UK”. The village has some interesting shops and places to explore, and is set in fantastic countryside, with outstanding sandy surf beaches nearby. Now’s the perfect time to visit, before it gets too busy in high summer.

P

Stay: At the four-star Saunton Sands Hotel, with sea-view rooms, superb restaurant, indoor and outdoor pools and spa. There is a superb offer on for Friday May 8: for one night only you can have dinner, room and full English breakfast for only £80 per person. There are lots more excellent offers in May if you avoid the Bank Holidays. Call 01271 890212 or 892001 or visit www.sauntonsands.co.uk. For somewhere a little more homely, Kingsacre House B & B on the edge of the village is very charming.

Saunton Sands Hotel

Eat:

Saunton Sands hotel has a wonderful restaurant with very glamorous atmosphere, fine dining and a great wine list. Try the three-

course table d’hote set menu costing £36, with highlights such as hay-smoked Cornish lamb and monkfish with heritage carrots. Alternatively, Braunton village centre has the legendary Squires fish and chip restaurant, hugely popular among locals and visitors alike.

What to do: The Museum of British Surfing is in the heart of Braunton (01271 815155) with fascinating exhibitions on the history of the sport. It currently has a special exhibition celebrating the 125th anniversary of the first ever recorded incident of surfing in the UK. Or why not have a go yourself – if you need advice or kit, try lessons with Surf South West (www.surfsouthwest.com) which offers lessons at Saunton Sands. Also on the energetic side, there is kite surfing on Saunton Sands (www. northdevonkitesurfing.co.uk) and Royland’s Riding Stables in nearby Croyde run beach rides on horseback for all abilities (01271 890898).

Walks: Stroll along the beach itself or go inland into the vast Braunton Burrows, stretching three miles alongside the beach and a mile inland. The

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4 of the best

Saunton Sands Hotel

Places to eat by the sea

Mark Hix

1 Hix Oyster and Fish House, Lyme Regis

Superstar hipster chef Mark Hix comes from Dorset, hence this tiny, trendy eaterie perched overlooking the sea in Lyme Regis. It’s no frills – you won’t see a sniff of a table cloth – but superb cooking and the freshest possible seafood. You can now also stay the night in Lyme at the eightbedroom Hix Townhouse.

Dish of the day: Whitsand Bay ling curry Price: Mains around £15 Contact: 01297 446910

The Tarka Trail

1 The Cary Arms, Babbacombe

Charming inn on the water in the nicest part of Torquay, now part of a seriously luxurious boutique hotel.

Daily changing gastropub menu is impressively local in sourcing and chef Ben Kingdon certainly knows his stuff.

Dish of the day: Beer battered Brixham fish and chips with crushed minted peas Price: Mains around £15 Contact: 01803 327110

burrows are a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, an area of international environmental importance, home to rare plant species, including orchids, and with more skylarks per acre than anywhere else in the country. If you’d like to navigate the dunes by yourself, pick up a GPS-controlled Explorer from Saunton Beach Shop.

Shop: If you fall in love with surfing on your stay, (or love it already), Tiki surf shop on Caen Street (01271 816070) is one of the largest in Europe with over 300 surfboards in stock, plus surf fashion from Quiksilver, Billabong, Volcom, Rip Curl and more.

For women’s fashion, try High Tide in Caen Field Shopping Centre (01271 815110) selling brands such as Lazy Jacks, Amari, Pachamama and Nomads.

Explore:

One of the highlights of this area is the Tarka Trail, a traffic-free track for walkers and cyclists created from the former railway branch line. Otter Cycle Hire in The Old Pottery on Station Road (01271 813339) hires bikes for all the family, as well as tag-alongs, buggies and tandems, and is only 20 yards from the Tarka Trail. Have fun!

Squires fish and chips

1 The View, Whitsand Bay

Perched high on the clifftop in south east Cornwall, easily reached from Plymouth. Chef Matt Corner cooks a clean, simple but chic menu based on his fine dining background, using local seafood, game and quality meat.

Dish of the day: Local monkfish, pickled ginger and sesame Price: Mains around £16 Contact: 01752 822345

1 The Bay Hotel, Penzance

With panoramic views of Mounts Bay, this two AA rosette restaurant is part of Hotel Penzance, should you fancy staying the night. Simple lunches are followed by a la carte evenings.

Dish of the day: Cornish lobster, grilled or Thermidor Price: Three-course dinner from £34 Contact: 01736 366890

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Ingredient of the Week

Curd cheese with Tim Maddams

o continue on last week’s the cheese theme, I thought I would outline another basic form of cheese, the cheese from which all other cheeses are made. The process of separating the curd from the whey is easily carried out but (although it’s child play) do make sure that everything you use is super clean, otherwise you may end up with some unwanted results.

The simple things in life are often the most satisfying and separating curd from whey to make your own simple curd cheese is no exception. You should end up with a soft, crumbly, slightly moist curd that is suitable for a myriad of different uses, from cheesecake to making mozzarella. Simply follow the process below.

In a very clean pan heat two litres of milk to just above blood temperature – but don’t let it get too hot or (worse) boil it. Dilute a few drops of rennet in a couple of teaspoons of boiled, then cooled, water. Add the rennet to the milk and then leave it alone for a while.

The time it takes to set varies a lot, dependent on all the weird and wonderful minutiae of the way the world works, but after a while it will have set or curdled. At this stage it’s more or less a junket. And while we are on the subject, there is nothing at all bad about a well-made junket, a good old traditional Westcountry dessert if ever there was one.

T

We want to make a cheese, though, so this mixture needs seasoning with plenty of salt.

But I like to use a little less than I might, so I can also crumble some flaky salt on the top when I serve it.

To extract the curd from the whey, simply break up the junket with a clean spoon and pass the mixture through a muslin-lined sieve.

Tie the muslin up and hang it from a cupboard handle (or other handy place) and put a receptacle under it to catch the whey.

How long you leave the curd to drain will affect how hard the end product is. I would encourage you to hang it for just a short time, so that the curds keep moist and crumbly.

Once you are happy that you have the curd to your liking, you can do all sorts of things with it. Pop it in a tub in the fridge and season with chopped herbs and drizzle with good oil. Or place the whole lot into a pan of hot water until it becomes malleable and turns into a basic mozzarella. Once you have shaped it into balls you can drop it into a cold water brine (table salt dissolved in cold water) and pop it into the fridge for use within a few days.

You can also enjoy your curd in salads or as part of a mezze. One of my favourite tricks though is simply to use the pure curd on pizzas.

It works very well, being both crumbly and melty as the same time, and saves the effort of making the mozzarella.

Ways with curd Toast bread and rub it with garlic, spread as much of your precious curd on as you like and drizzle with a little oil. Chuck a few salad leaves and herbs over the top and away you go.

You can also use it on pasta, with chilli and garlic. Boil the pasta, stir in your curds and season with chilli, garlic and parsley.

You can embellish this with all sorts of other seasonal twists, wild garlic would be spot on right now.

If you’ve kept the whey from your curds, use it as the liquid in soda bread or scones. It also makes a nice sorbet, if you are into that sort of thing. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and writer who often appears on the River Cottage TV series 44

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Drink

Darren Norbury

talks beer n the spring a young man’s – okay, spring water and quenching hop bitterness. middle-aged man’s – fancy turns Down my way, here in Cornwall, I get lightly to thoughts of… quiche. through quite a bit of Penzance Brewing ComQuiche is one of those spring benchpany’s Potion No 9 (4%) as it’s made in my local marks for me. The days are lighter, brewpub. But I think Tintagel Brewery, with the the air warmer, and a good quiche served up with highest farmhouse in Cornwall and a wind tursome Cornish Early new potatoes is worth lookbine providing green energy, gives Potion a run ing forward to. for its money with citrusy, refreshing Castle Gold I’m not only an aficionado of the quiche, but (4.2%). also, if I say so myself, something of a maestro In Somerset, I’ve been a fan of Quantock Brewin cooking the things, too. Nothing nicer than a ery’s beers over the year, with Sunraker (4.2%) good quiche lorraine, of course, but being marprobably my quiche accompaniment of choice, ried to one of those vegetarian with its clean, grassy notes types I’ve experimented with from the Perle hop. And Exmoor all sorts of ingredients. As I Gold (4.5%) is widely regarded type I’m toying today with a red as one of the beers that set the Exmoor Gold is pepper and purple sprouting whole modern golden beer era widely recogbroccoli variant. in motion, back in 1986, and still nised as one of Now, what with the eggs, drinks well today, with floral, cream and milk in the quiche, lemon citrus hop flavours supthe beers that set something with a nice acidic ported well by balancing malt. the whole modzestiness is just the ticket in What about golden session terms of accompaniment. Forbeers which are a little more, well ern golden beer tunately, this is the perfect time adventurous? How about Driftera in motion of year to start getting into light, wood Spars Brewery’s new Forest golden, fruity, refreshing beers.

Blond (4.3%) which, unusually And as luck would have it we for a golden brew, has notes of have plenty of choice here in the blackberry. Or, with forthcomWestcountry. ing spring festivities in Helston in mind, Spingo For instance, Cotleigh Golden Seahawk (4.2% Ales’ Flora Daze, notable for being a Blue Anchor ABV), once known as Cotleigh Eagle, uses Devon beer that is low-ABV and not brown. malt for a delightful hue, with Challenger, GoldI also suspect that no-one has ever ings and Styrian hops adding great depth of fladrunk Flora Daze alongside a quiche… vour. Exe Valley Brewery’s seasonal Spring Beer Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk (4.3%) has freshness from the brewery’s own @beertoday

I

[[

CAN DO Cans are fast becoming the container of choice for many brewers and among the latest to try them out is Moor Beer Company, recently relocated from Somerset to Bristol. Moor beers are unfined so will condition naturally in the can.

Beer of the week I’ve been helping to set up a new bar down here in Cornwall. There are nine beers available on draught, among which is a delightful hoppy Belgian brew. From the Het Anker brewery, in Antwerp, comes Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor, an intensely hoppy, herbal, grassy beer that really wakes the tastebuds up! Pokey, at 8% ABV, it’s also available in bottles.

Pubs of the year CAMRA has announced its “local pubs of the year” shortlist, which will go forward to challenge for the national title. The winners down here are: The Hole in the Wall, Bodmin; The Bridford Inn, Bridford; The Fortescue, Plymouth; The Red Lion, Exbourne; The Tom Cobley, Spreyton and The Halfway House, Pitney. Best of luck to them all and may the best pub win.

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My life

[

man and boy

Dinosaur days out

[

Phil Goodwin and son James, five, go exploring in style think I may have raised the bar a little too high in terms of weekends away. One of the perks of being in newspapers is the occasional press trip – a posh dinner and hotel here, a boat trip there, maybe more if you make it your business to work the PR ticket. There is no such thing as a free lunch, of course – a review is expected in return, glowing if possible – but you do tend to find yourself lapping it up from time to time. Last weekend we stayed in London, in the swish Crowne Plaza in well-to-do Kensington. But this was about more than just kicking up our heels in swanky SW7. Me and the boy were on a quest to the Holy Grail of dinosaur-ology: The Natural History Museum.

Young James is already a fairly well-travelled youngster for his five years, thanks to having a mum from Russia. He has slept overnight on trains in Russia, in cabins on cross channel ferries and boarded a dozen or so flights. But I don’t think we have ever enjoyed an exclusive lounge stocked with a limitless bar for evening drinks and canapés. What delighted the boy most was a flat stone water feature in the foyer.

He dutifully watered his army of plastic dinosaurs at the fountain, even photographing them in still-life with my mobile phone.

Naturally, this being west London, the hotel attracted visitors from around the world. At the next table in the lounge at breakfast, a couple of long-bearded gentlemen in the traditional Arabic dress were tucking into the croissants and gabbing away in their native tongue. Fascinated by the pair, James leans

I

over to me and whispers an innocent question in my ear. ‘Are they the Three Wise Men?’ I had to explain that quite possibly they were from the same place as the Three Kings, but best not to ask them where exactly straight off the cuff. We don’t want to look like a gang of hill-billies up for

[

As you can imagine, we stayed there for some time.

Then we did the dinosaur tour two more times

[

the weekend after all.

So, fed and watered, we hit the tube at Gloucester Road and head for the city centre and a whistle-stop tour of London’s aquarium.

Naturally, he loves it, especially the penguins, but soon we must make for the Mecca of fossils, the mother lode of the Mesozoic - or is it Jurassic? I am hazy on the geological periods.

Of course, being up from the sticks and more used to the paleontological delights of Torquay and Lyme Regis, you tend to forget the whole world visits London. So when I ask the guide inside the big hall with the huge looming diplodocus skeleton how to get to the dinosaurs, he wearily nods me in the direction of a huge crowd and tells me to ‘join the queue’. What he failed to mention is this queue crawls all the way through the exhibits; that you shuffle heelto-toe all the way.

Nevertheless, it was a massive hit and for this reason alone: at the end of a suspended walkway you descend into the lair of the T-rex, a full-size, robotic replica of the fearsome king of the carnivores, complete with light show and swamp mist. As you can imagine, we stayed there for some time. Then we did the tour two more times. Then we came back on Sunday to say goodbye.

And as we are saying our fond farewells to the lovely staff at the hotel, who made a real fuss of the lad, he tells me he wants to come back soon. To the same hotel. The same hotel with walk-up room rates broadly equivalent to an average week’s wages down here in the West. After all, he tells me, it is the only hotel with a dinosaur fountain. Of course, I tell him.

Hopefully. We will see…

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Isle of Man

£689

9th

8 days

Jersey – Battle of Flowers

£639*

12th

7 days

Discover Historic Yorkshire

£579

17th

5 days

Isle of Wight

£439

31st

5 days

Scenic Shropshire

£439

1st

8 days

Loire Valley

£649

5th

7 days

Romantic Northumbria

£649

17th

5 days

London’s Royal Collection

£499

19th

7 days

Limerick, Ireland

£599

27th

5 days

Snowdonia & The Isle of Anglesey

£499

27th

6 days

Guernsey - fly from Exeter

£569

27th

6 days

Jersey in Autumn

£439*

12th

5 days

Taste of Kent

£439

19th

5 days

Blackpool Illuminations

£429

22nd

9 days

Edinburgh & Lord of the Glens Luxury Cruise transiting the Caledonian Canal

£1199*

22nd

9 days

Bonnie Scotland

£699

septeMber

last FeW seats prICe InCluDes:

• Central pick-up points • 2 nights stay in a 3* Mercure Hotel – Dinner, bed & breakfast • Entrance to Chelsea Flower Show • Visit Henley-on-Thames

Free Free

October

november

Door to door home pick-ups

throughout Cornwall on tours of 4 days or more

Insurance on all Great Britain Holidays no single room supplement on most Great Britain Holidays

For more information go to www.truronianholidays.co.uk or call into your local branch of Newell’s TRAVEL www.newellstravel.co.uk

20th

3 days

London Weekend

£219

23rd

5 days

Turkey & Tinsel in Weston-super-Mare

£329

28th

2 days

Bath & Bristol Christmas Markets

£119

5th

2 days

Exeter Christmas Markets

£109

23rd

5 days

Christmas in the Cotswolds

£549

23rd

5 days

Christmas in Lincoln

£579

December

Terms & Conditions apply – Prices pp & correct at time of print – Subject to Availability - *Prices from

Call Free On 0800 987 1777 Untitled-4 2

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PLYMOUT L LYMOUT H F FASHI N

LOVES

22 April - 11 June 2015 Celebrate Plymouth Loves Fashion with all the ingredients for your retail therapy this spring.

drakecircus.com visitplymouth.co.uk

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