West Magazine April 30 2016

30.04.16

23

Ideas for Bank Holiday fun

Life on the road How Sam Bailey juggles kids, marriage and career INSIDE: + SUMMER SANDALS + MARY BERRY

PLUS: + CORNWALL’S

CUTEST CHILD MODEL + COASTAL

INTERIORS

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Adjusting your heating from your phone sounds great – but what’s it really like?

We asked three Westcountry homeowners about their experiences switching from night storage heaters to ELKAtherm® electric radiators with HeatApp controls.

If you’re struggling with night storage heaters –guessing the temperature and trying to make the heat last all day – simply having instant, reliable warmth,whenever you want, must sound wonderful. So being able to adjust that heating using your tablet or mobile phone might seem like science fiction.

Cornwall-based South West Heatinghas already installed ELKAtherm® electric radiators, with HeatApp controls, in hundreds of Westcountry homes. The benefits are obvious:set the temperature and timing in every room, for a warm, cosy home without running up energy bills while you’re out.

Pre-warm the house before you get home, and turn the heating up or down without even leaving your sofa. All the warmth you want, and save money at the same time.

But does the system deliver? We asked three South West homeowners to share their experiences.

“It’s a pleasure to be here” Jenny Wakelin from St Ives had struggled with night

storage heating for fifteen years before switching to ELKAtherm® heating in 2013. She is impressed by the performance of the new radiators.

“The night storage heaters were incredibly inefficient – the house was cold,” Jenny recalls. “Now we have a very even ambient temperature throughout the house. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

But what about the iPhone controls – are they easy to use?

“When I’m coming back on the train I can turn the heating on and make it any temperature I like, so it’s lovely when I come in. I set the time once on each room and it just works.

It works from my phone and from my iPad; there’s no ugly panels on the walls.It’s perfect.”

“The house is toasty” Zoe Abbotts, fromRedruth, says switching to ELKAtherm®

“It’s a bit of a no-brainer, really. When my son came to visit I could sit at home and switch on the heating in the morning so the house was nice and warm when they got up – result:‘Thanks mum!’

heating has made a real difference – and not just to the

“It’s been a revelation, really. How it’s transformed this house is amazing.”

to constantly think about having wood for the fire, or the

“It just works” InTavistock, Louisa Chanter is similarly impressed.

“I like being able to use it from my phone, because I travel quite a lot,” she explains.

temperature of her home.

She explains: “It’s made my life less stressful. I don’t have storage heaters not working and the house being cold when I come in from work.

“It’s all there on my app – I can turn the heating on an hour before I leave work, and the house is toasty.”

You can hear Jenny, Zoe and Louisa’s stories in full, online: just search YouTube for “South West Heating” If you’d like heating information and advice, call 01209 714600, visit southwestheatingsolutions.co.uk, or write to us at ‘Freepost SOUTH WEST HEATING SOLUTIONS’ ©LW

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‘I fear that women who think they are making a free choice are actually being denied the option to keep their baby’

36

MAKE A MINI RETREAT The one-day yoga course you’ll love

11

IN HIGH SPIRITS The Westcountry distillers making waves

Hayley Goleniowska on life with a Down’s syndrome daughter, p16

[contents[ Inside this week...

6

THE WISHLIST Our pick of the best treats this week

9

JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have the latest gossip!

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SAM BAILEY IN THE SOUTH WEST The X-Factor star on tour with Chicago

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE

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CHEESE PLEASE Tim Maddams makes curds and whey

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SAM IN THE SOUTH WEST The X-Factor star plays Torquay and Truro

Life with a Down’s syndrome daughter

22

COASTAL INTERIORS Creating light in a Grade II listed cottage

26

ANNE SWITHINBANK

30

SUMMER SANDALS And how to wear them

42

WONDERFUL WEEKENDS

Where to go, what to do

Growing your own garden vegetables

28

BOTANICAL BEAUTY We put floral facials to the test

32

SUMMER SANDALS Yes, it’s time to get your toes out

34

CULTURE VULTURE What’s on and where to go

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BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Smart ways to feel your best this week

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WESTCOUNTRY WEEKENDS From surfing lessons to boutique hotels

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FAMILY MOVIE? Phil Goodwin on the perils of Frozen

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[

[

16

HAPPY FAMILIES

Celebrating Down’s syndrome

[ welcome [ We love a story with a happy ending... nd today’s West is full of them. First up, you can read about the couple from South East Cornwall who were initially pole-axed to discover their new baby had Down’s syndrome.

Fast-forward a few years, though, and their family is enriched immeasurably by the presence of their youngest daughter Natty.

She’s also now a successful child model (you may have spotted her in the Sainsbury’s school uniform adverts) and her big sister has written a book celebrating family life with Down’s syndrome. So if you need cheering up today, do read Catherine Barnes’ heart-warm-

A

Tweet

[

of the week

ing account of meeting Natty and her family on page 16.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we meet the former prison officer whose successful appearance on The X-Factor led to a total change of lifestyle. Yes, we have an exclusive interview with singer Sam Bailey.

Sam is on the road in the South West right now, playing the iconic role of Mama Morton in Chicago at Torquay and Truro. Our celebrity interviewer Dawn Ellis hears how Sam juggles stardom with being a busy mum of three. Clue: there’s a very supportive husband involved! Have a great weekend.

Sam Bailey is coming to the Westcountry, starring in Chicago

@ppauk

Great show by the lovely ladies & sharp looking gents @ExeterRaces @EquineHour @WMNWest TO ADVERTISE: Contact Lynne Potter: 01752 293027 or 07834 568283, lynne.potter@dc-media.co.uk

[

Becky Sheaves, Editor

COVER IMAGE: Beth Walsh

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

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Sarah Pitt

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Lynne Potter

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If you do one thing this week...

Why not visit Buckfast Abbey? Nestled in the foothills of Dartmoor National Park, Buckfast Abbey offers all the ingredients for a great day out and entry is completely free. Soon to celebrate its Millennium, Buckfast Abbey is the only English medieval monastery to have been restored and used again for its original purpose. Visitors can enjoy walking around the Abbey Church and tranquil gardens, as well as the Grange Restaurant and shops. Long associated with bee-keeping, Buckfast Abbey offers a variety of beekeeping courses, as well as regular garden walks and talks throughout the year. For details, visit www.buckfast.org.uk or call 01364 645500.

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Hand enamelled limited edition pineapple necklace

Happy Emma Bridgewater Queen’s 90th birthday mug £19.95 from South Molton-based www.

£13.75 www. acornandwill.co.uk

dasiypark.co.uk

wishlist Our top picks of the things you’ll love this week

Neat Console table £600 Dupere Design in Modbury and www. duperedesign.com

STREET STYLE STAR

Jessica Bento We spotted Jessica, aged 29, out shopping in Exeter the other day. She’s from Brazil, over here improving her English. Jessica says she spends a lot of time researching for outfit inspiration “and whatever’s trending”. She told us she was looking for a new jacket: “but it has to look cool”.

Skirt: Primark Top: Primark Belt: TK Maxx Cardigan: Expressions

Hot stuff Esse EL 13 AMP range cooker in teal green from £6,175 Hearth & Cook showroom Exeter and hearthandcook.com

Hat: Primark Send your stylish snaps of you or a friend looking fab to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 6

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Wishlist Eva five drawer jewellery box £69 www.

fave!

oliverbonas.com

Stir it up Starfish pewter spoon £15 www.coastalhome.co.uk

Fresh Delilah chair £74.99 www.my-furniture.co.uk

Pink Flamingo wall clock £3 Tiger in Drake Circus, Plymouth and Exeter

Store we adore...

Hearth & Cook

This new showroom in Exeter from the established Westcountry brand of Rangemoors offers a superb collection of Europe’s finest brands for heating, cooking and living. If you’re in the market for quality stoves and range cookers, check out Hearth & Cook for the latest contemporary and traditional designs by Morso, Esse and La Cornue. We love that the appliances are all thoughtfully displayed and really allow you to get a true impression of how they would look in your own home Hearth & Cook is in Matford, Exeter, EX2 8WA. See hearthandcook.com or call 01392 797679.

Saffron & Saffron tropical glasses £10 each pasx.co.uk

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25/04/2016 16:49:49

talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

Twenty-five years on, it’s school reunion time ’m going to my 25-year high school reunion this month. Slightly terrified, not going to lie. Of what, exactly? First of all, I’m nervous that I’m not going to recognise people or remember them – 25 years have passed, after all. I haven’t seen most of these people since I was 18.

Secondly, there’s the whole probably a stone heavier than I “what have I achieved versus am now in my teens. So anything what have you achieved” sweepup to 14 pounds would be an stake. We have high achievers in improvement. our class. I haven’t made a habit The competitive element is of going through the alumni made worse by the fact that the notes with a fine-toothed comb, school has organised some events but there are some elite athletes, to celebrate our high achievers: academics and humanitarians in I’m sure we’ll have to sit through there. “Um, I go to spin class on various plaque presentations and a Friday, I’m on the PTA and in a ribbon cuttings. I should be proud book club” sounds a bit feeble if that our class has made such a you’re talking to positive contribusomeone who’s tion to society, won a Fulbright shouldn’t I, instead ‘Um, I go to spin scholarship or of sniping about it. class, I’m on the the Boston MaraBut it mostly makes thon. Or invented you feel like you’re PTA and in a a floating clinic 16 again, pouting in book club’ sounds that goes around the background feela bit feeble if Lake Tanganyika ing envious. bringing medical I have a few really you’re talking to help to Africa’s good friends going, someone who’s poor. A woman in and I am looking won the Boston my class actually forward to seeing did that. I am not them. I also suspect Marathon exaggerating.

I will be glad to There will also see many good be, of course, people who are acquaintances, if you know what making a bajillion dollars a year, I mean, people that you enjoyed not a claim I can make, despite waving to on the trek between my sparkling prose. classes, or standing next to in the Then there’s the question of dinner queue. It will be nice to ageing gracefully. Do I have more see the campus again too. wrinkles or more grey hairs? Am I just hope this reunion doesn’t I well preserved? I’ve been trying spark some sort of mid-life crisis. to exercise a bit more and watchTalk to me in a few weeks: if I’m ing the edible treats. I’m not trying to found a new charity, ingoing so far as to go on a full-on vesting in South Korean stocks or diet specially for the reunion, but training for the Iron Man, you’ll you know, I’m just being careful. know why.

Not entirely sure why – I was Wish me luck…

I

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

BOHEMIAN

elegance

On her recent tour of India, the Duchess of Cambridge attended a party in New Delhi to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday. She wore this demure yet eyecatching outfit by Somerset’s Alice Temperley, the £830 Delphia top paired with matching £1,705 skirt.

According to Alice, the outfit “carries the season’s theme of global curiosities with opulent embroidery motifs of Indian chintz and lattice”. Happily for those of us with smaller dress allowances than Kate, you can find versions of this elegant boho look far more affordably on the high street right now - here are some of our favourites.

Embroidered dress £189.99 navabi.co.uk

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION B Slinky Evening dress £295 Phase Eight

OPTION A Striking Embellished dress £325 Phase Eight

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30.04.16

Just

HELEN: I’M ONLY HUMAN She’s a Dame of the British Empire, played The Queen and is currently starring as military intelligence officer Colonel Katherine Powell in thriller The Eye In The Sky, but Helen Mirren says that playing strong, single-minded women doesn’t necessarily come easy, explaining: “What I always try to do with the roles that I play is to humanise them.

“To be human is to be full of conflict about things; it’s not to be sure. Even the people who appear to be absolutely confident go home at night and go, ‘Am I right?’

“My job as an actor is to show human vulnerabilities. Insecurity and vulnerability are much more interesting.”

West says: We wonder who’d play Helen in her own life story?

between us Gossip, news, trend setters and more – you heard all the latest juicy stuff here first!

!

JENNY’S EMPTY

[ [ ‘Cool kids don’t have to wear pink, you know’

JOURDAN’S NEW DESIGNS Good news for anyone with a daughter who’s fed up of wearing pink: Supermodel Jourdan Dunn has turned her hand to fashion design and created a ‘neutral’ children’s range for M&S – including a dress that can be worn by girls or boys. Jourdan, 25, explains: “It’s for a girl who wants to rock her brother’s oversized T-shirt as a dress, or the boy who wants to rock a cool sweat look.”

She revealed that her “very opinionated” son Riley, six, helped try on samples when she designed The Lil’ LonDunn range and gave it the thumbs up. We’re impressed, too.

NEST She recently visited the Cornish village of Calstock with her latest show, How To Be A Middle Aged Woman (Without Going Insane) when on tour of the UK, and will be coming to Exeter’s Northcott Theatre too, later in the year. But despite being on the road, comedian Jenny Eclair’s admits she’s struggled to come to terms with her daughter Phoebe, 27, leaving home. Jenny reveals on her blog that she keeps forgetting Phoebe has gone “and buying too many bananas that turn black in the fruit bowl and make me feel unbearably sad”. But reassuringly, she adds that Phoebe does regularly pop back home, “because it’s warm”. West says: Keep the home fires (and central heating) burning!

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Five-a-day: Widewell School in Plymouth has a new healthyeating canteen

in pictures Beautiful: Michaela Blight is the new Miss Plymouth

Well done: The Scouts did a litter pick at Porth Beach, near Newquay

Mum’s the word: Tinker the Shetland pony has had a baby at Woodlands theme park, south Devon

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talking points High spirits

May Day

ONE OF US Famous faces with links to the Westcountry

10 Westcountry places to celebrate this Bank Holiday weekend 10 tipples made in the Westcountry

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Rock Samphire Gin Cornish Spirit brandy Tarquin’s Dry Gin Elemental Cornish Gin Plymouth Gin Aval Dor Potato Vodka Bombo Rum Black Cow vodka Hicks & Healey Cornish Whiskey 10 Yarde’s Devon Cider Brandy

1 Ilfracombe 2 Padstow 3 Lustleigh 4 St Ives 5 St Agnes 6 Dunster 7 Watchet 8 Saltash 9 Okehampton 10 Great Torrington

The happy list

Kiss, kiss

10 things to make you smile this week 1 Shakespeare Twelfth 10 memorable lipstick names:

1 Primp 2 Darling 3 Cosmic Raspberry 4 Vivaldi 5 Candy Yum Yum 6 Catfight 7 F-Bomb 8 Vogue en Violet 9 Femme de Luxe 10 Heartless

Night, Theatre Royal May 16-21

2 Victoria Wood a lovely woman, much missed

3 Scott & Bailey wonderful 4 Roo’s Beach Cornish surf style’s spring collection

5 Exeter Chiefs huge match vs Wasps, May 1 at home

6 Travels With My Aunt Exeter Northcott May 10-14

7 Natural Born Winners

This week:

Art Malik The actor Art Malik lives in south Devon Acting: Art Malik, 63, is currently you for who you are.” appearing in Indian Summers on Channel 4. His first major TV role Marriage: Art and his wife Gina met was in Granada’s Jewel in the Crown as students. “I adored her from day in 1982 and he also one… I could see she played a doctor in was the person that Holby City between could be with me on DID YOU KNOW? 2002-2005. my journey through Art is a life. I thought: ‘We Devon: He doesn’t could do this together.’” railway believe in working out: enthusiast “I built a gym at home, Trouble: In 1994 he and has a which gathered dust. ran up debts and his Now I walk a lot where wife left him: “I paid large model I live in Devon, and do lots of attention to my railway in his housework.” ego, and not enough Dartington to my spirit. It was Maharaja: Art is totally unhealthy, like home currently playing the an illness.” He and Gina Maharaja in Indian later overcame their Summers, Channel difficulties.

4’s last-days-of-the-Raj Sunday night drama.

Islam: Art says he would not play an Islamist terrorist today.

Early days: He grew up in south “At the moment, there is so much London. “We lived through Enoch misunderstanding about a religion Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech, and that is actually based on peace, at school in the Seventies there was tolerance and love. While I’m not a lot of talk about ‘paki-bashing’. You a practicing Muslim myself – I lack try to make sure that people don’t see faith – I’m not interested in playing your colour any more, that they see one-dimensional terrorists either.”

fascinating television

8 Asparagus in season now 9 Espadrilles it’s time 10 Celeste Barber Google her

Competition winners: A Morso casserole dish from Hearth & Cook in Exeter: Melanie Stephens, Mousehole A £50 voucher to spend in Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter: Sheila Woodhouse, Bovey Tracey

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People

[

SAm Bailey

A very cool mama

[

She went from real-life prison officer to overnight sensation when she won X-Factor in 2013. Now singer and mum-of-three Sam Bailey is on the road in the South West as jail matron Mama Morton, starring in the musical Chicago

By Dawn Ellis

here’s no doubt about it, X-Factor winner Sam Bailey has a busy life these days.

She juggles being a mum of three, a successful career and life on the road and, after a lot of practice, she now has it all down to a fine art.

When we speak, Sam is in a hotel room eating a late breakfast with her 19-month-old toddler Miley, whose godmother is none other than Sam’s mentor on the X-Factor, rock royalty Sharon Osbourne.

Every now and again the interview breaks off as Sam has to tell her young daughter to stop opening all the drawers. Then it is time to wipe Miley’s face, as it’s covered in chocolate after eating a room-service pain au chocolat.

Her supportive husband Craig has taken their other two children, Tommy and Brooke, to the cinema so we can chat about Sam’s latest project, playing the formidable Mama Morton in the musical Chicago, currently on tour in the South West.

T

The hit show is all about murder, greed and corruption, all with a hefty dose of glamour, high kicks and some great tunes.

“To be honest, I have to pinch myself quite a bit when I think about being in the show,” she says.

“It’s an incredible musical and a brilliant opportunity for me.

“This year the musical celebrates its 20th anniversary. If they ever have a party for the 50th anniversary I’d love an invite.

“What a party that would be, with all the famous actors and actresses that have had parts in it over the years,” she jokes.

Mama Morton is the corrupt prison matron, and was played in the 2002 film of Chicago by Queen Latifah. The irony that she is a prison officer hasn’t been lost on Sam, who was herself working in HM Prison Gartree when she first auditioned for X-Factor three years ago.

“The job is totally different in Chicago to real

life,” says Sam reassuringly. “Mama Morton does favours for money, it’s not how real prison life is today.”

Perhaps surprisingly, despite living the dream and having a thriving career, she does miss her old job. “I did it for three years and I do miss the people I worked with,” said Sam. “I have the utmost respect for anyone who is working as a prison officer nowadays. It’s a lot harder these days in that profession because of changes to the prison system. I do what I can to support them and will always stand by them.”

Sam was catapulted to fame almost overnight when she won the 2013 series of The X-Factor.

Her single Skyscraper sold more than 300,000 copies and rocketed to the top of the charts.

Syco, Simon Cowell’s company, recently decided not to renew her contract but Sam says she is not fazed. “I wouldn’t say it changed me, winning

‘While I am working, Craig

is at home with the kids.

He really is amazing’

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the show,” she says. “I said I wanted to work on my own terms and continue to be normal. The whole time I was with Syco I was put on a pedestal. You have lots of security around you and I didn’t really like it.

“I like my independence. Record companies want you to have a driver, make-up artist and all these things. I want to drive myself and put on my own make-up.”

She is also looking terrific these days, having lost two and a half stone since her time on The X-Factor. She’s pleased that her fellow contestants, including Devon’s Luke Friend are doing well these days.

The dreadlocked Teignmouth singer has recently signed a deal with BMG Germany.

“It’s great he’s doing good.” As she breaks off to warn Miley about making a mess in the hotel room, the conversation moves to life on the road.

Sam knew that taking the role in Chicago was a big commitment as it meant six months living out of a suitcase, but says she just couldn’t turn such an iconic role and exciting opportunity down.

So how does she make it work? Well, behind this strong woman is a very supportive husband.

Sam is full of praise for her husband Craig who “backs her all the way” and helps bring up the children while she’s away working.

The Mum of the Year 2013 award-winner says she has worked hard to get the balance right when it comes to touring with Chicago and making sure she has time for her children, who are clearly the apple of her eye.

“When they are on school holidays I arrange for my accommodation to be big enough to enable them to come along with me,” says Sam. “We need a big hotel room with lots of space, which Miley is currently wrecking,” she jokes. ”When I’m not at home in Leicester and the kids are at school, I only get to see them on Sundays as I’m away touring with Chicago. So I make sure our Sundays are really special. This Sunday we are off to Disney on Ice and then watching the football as Leicester City are playing.

“The kids want to make waffles and have a waffles and chocolate evening so we’ll do that too.

Then on Monday morning I’ll take them to school and I’ll go off to my next tour venue. There’s no rest for the wicked.

‘I like my independence –

I want to drive myself and

put on my own make-up’

“I said to Craig, maybe he should have the Mum of the Year award now as he’s at home with the kids while I’m away. He really is amazing.

“All of his mates take the mickey out of him and call him Mum. They tell him he should go shopping instead of going to the pub with them,” she jokes.

She says her two older children are already showing signs of following in her showbiz footsteps.

“My eldest, Brooke, loves stage management,” says Sam proudly.

“When I did panto last Christmas, Brooke was helping backstage with props. When I do panto this year in my home town of Leicester she’ll come along and learn the ropes.

“My son Tommy loves the camera, if you have one, he’s in front of it.

“As for Miley, she’s just into everything.”

Sam says she is looking forward to stopping off in Torquay this week, where she can catch up with some of her relatives. Craig’s sister Diane and husband Dez Mildren live in Torbay. The couple drummed up lots of support for Sam in the Westcountry when she was on The X-Factor.

“They are coming to see the show and we’ll see them,” she said. “I don’t get to come down that often at all as it’s quite difficult to come down when you’ve got three kids and commitments, so this is a real treat.”

See Chicago at the Princess Theatre, Torquay, tonight (April 30) and at The Hall for Cornwall, Truro, from May 2-7

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People

Sam Bailey (right) as Mama Morton in Chicago

Husband Craig, pictured with their son Tommy, is Sam’s “rock”, she says

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People

PHOTOGRAPHY: EMILY WHITFIELD-WICKS

Child model Natty lives in north Cornwall with her family

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SHE’S OUR GIRL Meet Natty, nine, the model with Down’s syndrome

By Catherine Barnes

he front door is flung open and a small and utterly beguiling person with honey-coloured hair envelops me in a hug, before adopting a more formal mien and going in for a handshake.

Natty Goleniowska’s natural fizz has the instant feelgood factor of champagne – so it’s little wonder she sparkles in front of the camera. The nine-year-old model, who was born with Down’s syndrome, made national news when she became the face of Sainsbury’s Back To School campaign last year.

For her mum Hayley, who was inspired by her youngest daughter to begin award-winning blog Downs Side Up, “Natty’s success is more than just a personal achievement,” she says. “It’s about breaking down barriers.”

If Natty is blazing a trail for young people who have Down’s syndrome, then Hayley is doing it for all the mums and dads who hear “I’m sorry,” instead of sincere congratulations, when their baby is born.

No shrinking violet, Natty talks nineteen to the dozen, leading the way into the kitchen where dad Bob and older sister Mia, 12, are keeping an eye on dinner – and it smells delicious.

Right now, the family is looking forward to the weekend.

Their north Cornwall home is just a short trot from the local stables, where both girls love to ride ponies. Natty proudly recounts how she did 35 lengths at swimming lessons this week. She also played a part in her primary school assembly, beautifully declaiming the lines she had memorised. Then, when she thinks no-one’s looking, she surreptitiously delves in my handbag, trying on a pair of sunglasses for size.

Caught in the act: “It’s fine, my special girl,” she says reassuringly, gently patting my hand.

T

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People Natty, nine, has appeared in numerous modelling assignments

“Put them back, now” Hayley says firmly and Natty reluctantly obliges, but not before bestowing each lens with a reverent and smudgy kiss.

Heaven knows it must be a struggle at times to maintain the parental upper hand with a child who has an Oscar-worthy talent for spellbinding total strangers.

“We’re as tough on her as we are on Mia, although she probably gets away with a little bit more,” admits Hayley, who has established a global following online through her website Down’s Side Up. It supports other parents of children with this condition and also tackles the social prejudices which, sadly, still surround being born with an extra chromosome.

“Awareness is a word I don’t like, as everyone is aware of Down’s syndrome, but I think people

have outdated stereotypes,” says Hayley. “I prefer to think of what I do as educating and changing perceptions.” Both she and Bob, 59, candidly admit that they had to overcome their own fears and prejudices– fostered due to a sheer lack of positive information – when Natalia (Natty for short) was born.

Hayley, 46, who used to be a teacher and Bob, a former music industry executive, were already parents to Mia, then three, when Natty was dashed into hospital following her home birth. It was then that doctors told them their newborn had Down’s syndrome.

“I was floored,” admits Hayley “And it took me a long time to get my head round it. I went into proper physical shock. All I could imagine was National Health haircuts and glasses. I thought people would stare at her and perhaps laugh. All total nonsense, of course, but I’d only ever seen people with Down’s syndrome at a distance.

“I’m a great researcher, so I sat and Googled the condition, but there was some really awful stuff out there. I was even given a book, written in the 1970s which said: ‘It’s not known if they can be socialised enough to go out for a meal, because it’s never been done’. Well,

‘I was floored. It took me a long time to get my head round it’

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Mia, 12, says she is very proud of her little sister’s achievements

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People

Natty, left with dad Bob, mum Hayley and sister Mia, at home in Cornwall

two months after she was out of hospital, she was in a car seat on the table of a restaurant being socialised!”

Hayley had opted against having invasive antenatal tests, which may have determined whether the baby she was expecting had Down’s but can increase the risk of miscarriage.

“We all want our babies to be ‘perfect’,” she says. “I always said when I was pregnant, I don’t care what sex it is, so long as it’s healthy. But what if it isn’t? Doesn’t that count?”

While she stresses that she is not a pro-life campaigner, Hayley has concerns over newly-introduced NHS blood tests, which can determine whether a foetus has Down’s from just 14 weeks.

Since 1967, it’s been legally possible for a pregnancy to be terminated when an unborn baby is diagnosed with the condition, right up to 40 weeks into a pregnancy (full-term) and even during labour.

“I’m not pro-life, I’m pro choice, much as I feel Down’s syndrome alone isn’t a reason for termination,” explains Hayley.

“Women are given a bleak message and you’re not given a balanced view of raising a child with

Down’s syndrome. I feel it’s a human rights issue when one particular genetic group is targeted in this way.

“Within minutes of being given the diagnosis folowing screening, you are being offered a solution to euthanise the baby and 90 per cent of people do just that. I want unbiased information at point of diagnosis so that parents can make truly informed choices.

“Natty may never have children, but she’ll be an auntie and I hope one day she’ll have a relationship. Bob wants to walk her down the aisle.

“I fear that women who think they are making a free choice are actually being denied the option to keep their baby.”

Hayley was recently filmed for a BBC documentary that the Bridget Jones and Miranda actress Sally Phillips has made about the impact of the new ante-natal screening and how the future may look, in terms of people with disabilities.

Sally, whose oldest son, Ollie, has Down’s syndrome, recently said: “The leaflets that are given out in hospital about Down’s are basically a list of things that could possibly go wrong. Imagine

‘I fear that women who think they are making a free choice are actually being denied the option to keep their baby’

if you had a child and you were given a list of things such as, ‘Your child may become a crack addict or your child has a one in three chance of dying of cancer.’”

“Sally was lovely, we really hit it off,” smiles Hayley. “She described being a special needs mum as being part of a private members’ club no one wants to join, but once you do it’s wonderful.”

Natty’s latest modelling assignment was for Cornwall-based childrens’ clothing company Frugi. Her big sister Mia says she doesn’t feel left out: “I feel really proud of her. I don’t really like modelling. I wouldn’t say I’m a girly girl and I prefer different things, like riding.”

Mia’s modest about her own achievements – she’s spoken at school assemblies and even nursing conventions about Down’s syndrome from a sibling’s perspective. And then there’s her book, I Love You Natty (find it on Amazon and at Waterstones Truro) which Mia wrote especially for her little sister. A follow up, I Love My Life, from Natty’s point of view, is on the way.

So can we talk a little more about the modelling? “Oh yes,” says Natty, tossing her shiny hair over one shoulder, totally ready for her close-up.

“You have to do this... and this... And I can dance as well and put my hands on my hips...”

“Natty’s the first poster girl with Down’s and the public reaction to the Sainsbury’s campaign was great. People were so excited by it,” smiles Hayley. “I hope it gives hope to other parents.”

Visit www.downssideup.com

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25/04/2016 18:08:14

The Grade II listed cottage in south Devon is now filled with light

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Interiors

Let there be light Interior designer Josephine Burlingham has brought light and a feeling of space to an ‘upside down’ cottage beside the sea. Sarah Pitt takes a look around

he sparkling sea glimpsed from the windows of Coach House Cottage, close to Slapton Sands in south Devon, gave designer Josephine Burlingham her cue for revamping its interior. Quite simply, it needed more light. “It is a really charming little cottage, but it was quite outdated and it felt small because it has lots of small rooms,” she says.

And while knocking down thick internal walls clearly was not an option in this Grade II listed cottage, she has instead used clever strategies to give more of a feeling of space.

For the paints and soft furnishings she has gone for a soft palette of colours to give the illusion of space.

“I picked the palest colours to make it feel as light as possible,” she says.

The subtle creams and not-quite-whites on walls, ceilings and woodwork are all from Farrow & Ball, based in Dorset. “I think for older properties their paints give the best results,” she says. “I always want houses to feel warm and welcoming, so for that reason I never use pure brilliant white.”

In the upstairs sitting and dining room, she has chosen Farrow & Ball’s Pointing for the walls, and the deeper shade Old White for the beams, to draw the eye to the ceiling and make the room feel loftier.

She also created more space by removing the modern partition wall between the boxed off kitchen and the main living space.

“We have opened up the space as it would originally been,” she says. “I wanted to create a more social environment, because it isn’t much fun if you are here on holiday and one of you is shut in the kitchen.

This is a much better use of the space, and it makes it lighter too.”

She chose curvaceous units from Neptune for the kitchen, which gives them a decorative quality adding to the rest of the room, where guests sit admiring the sea views. “I just loved that curved edge,” she says.

She uses the same gentle palette of soft greys, greens, blues and creams through the whole house.

“We kept the colours flowing through the house,” she says. “I have gone for very soft Swedish and French

T

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Interiors The pretty cottage at Slapton Sands has been completely renovated

greys, duck egg blues and sage greens, with lots of emphasis on natural textures and fabrics. In the kitchen we put in a lovely Shaker style kitchen. All the emphasis was on keeping it as natural as possible.”

Among the soft furnishing fabrics is a charming hare print, used for the curtains in the single bedroom, from textile company Peony & Sage, based in the Scottish Borders. Josephine collaborated with its designer Kimberley Bell to produce her own fabric, Speckled Egg, which is used in the sitting room.

“Between us we came up with this print, which is my first-ever fabric, so it is really really exciting,” says Josephine. “I love her work. It is that Scandinavian look, slightly faded featuring illus-

[[ ‘I used mirrors as second windows. They bounce the light and create interesting pictures of their own’

trations, and each one is slightly different.”

Another Peony & Sage fabric, ‘Seagull’, has been used to make lampshades to revamp an old Laura Ashley central light feature in the sitting room. This is reflected in the large gilt mirror hanging above the woodburner, which also makes the room feel bigger.

“I use mirrors as second windows,” says Josephine. “They bounce the light and create interesting pictures of their own when you are walking past.” She also likes to place jars of pussy willow in front of her mirrors. “They add interest with-

out blocking the light,” she says.

Downstairs, Josephine converted what had been the third bedroom into a spacious bathroom, to replace the rather cramped bathroom under the stairs featuring a metre-long Japanese bath. This became a cloakroom, featuring shells and a scalloped mirror, a find which looks more expensive than it is “from Homebase, of all places”.

The owner Sebastian Piech, who lives in Japan with his Japanese wife and their children, commissioned Josephine to revamp the cottage from afar. He has not yet seen her transformation.

“He was so lovely, he said ‘this is your budget, I completely trust whatever you do’,” she says. She saved money by reusing furniture – covering the sofa and the armchair in the sitting room – and getting her paintbrush out to transform cheap thrift shop, eBay and Etsy and high street finds.

“I found lamps I loved the shape of, but not the colour, so I ended up painting and waxing them myself. The lights each side of the sofa were brilliant turquoise, so I distressed them. My advice to people is just look at the shape, don’t worry about the colour. If a piece is well-made but the colour isn’t right, we can address that.”

She employed the same thrifty strategy in sourcing pictures for the walls. “All the paintings were to do with the sea and boats, but I found some postcards online of Slapton Sands which I got framed.”

She is, she says, delighted with the look she has created. “It is just such a lovely place, I adored working there. It has got such a charm to it.”

Coach House Cottage (L183) is available to rent from Helpful Holidays, see www.helpfulholidays.co.uk

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GET THE

LOOK

Add subtle colours and distressed finishes for modern country style

Emile French-style chest of drawers £349 www.swooneditions.com

Besselink & Jones shell hand-carved wooden wall light £1,699 www.besselink.com Blue bird drawer knob £4.99 www.oakroomshop.co.uk

Florentine gilt mirror £1,250 www.katethurlow.co.uk

Sophie Allport butterfly jam jar £12 www.sophieallport.com

Richmond lamp table £85 www.thewhitelighthousefurniture.co.uk

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Gardens ANNE SWITHINBANK

French beans

elicious but comparatively expensive to buy, French beans are a number one crop to grow at home.

Started under glass in modules and then planted out, they are usually troublefree and there are so many varieties to try. In the shops, fine cylindrical Kenya or ‘filet’ types predominate, occasionally joined by flat-podded ‘Hunter’ beans but the range available to a homegrower is much wider.

The biggest division is between dwarf and climbing kinds. In practical terms, climbers will need supports but take up less ground space and are a lot easier to pick. The dwarf kinds don’t need a frame to climb but much bending or squatting is needed to gather your crop. Some varieties hide their beans under foliage, while others present them above the leaves, making them much easier to see and harvest. From then on, you can decide between pod shape and colour. I like to grow at least three varieties, so I can bring green, purple and either creamy or maroon-flecked pods to the kitchen.

To be sure of the longest cropping season, my first sowing is usually made at the beginning of April. This year I chose the unexciting but tasty and productive dwarf variety ‘Delinel’. French beans originate from Mexico, Guatemala and parts of the Andes, have a long history of cultivation and were brought to Europe during the Spanish conquest in the early sixteenth century. Not surprisingly, seeds require a temDwarf beans perature above 10 C/50 F to gerdon’t need a minate well and so far this spring frame to climb nights have been mainly cold with ground frosts. but much If, like me, your greenhouse is bending and unheated it is best to wait until temperatures rise or make use of squatting is a cosy thermostatically controlneeded to gather led propagating case (mine is set your crop at 17 C/63 F). These need careful monitoring, as sunny days can send temperatures soaring and by 9am the lid should come off for the rest of the day to let air circulate. The ‘Delinel’ have germinated well and once the night temperatures have picked up, they’ll move first to the staging, then outdoors by day and eventually night as well before being planted out. Good, well-cultivated soil brings the best results but spacing is down to personal choice.

Having grown the plants in modules, they are easily placed 23cm/9in apart so each can deliver the best crop.

Should this cold spring continue, I might even plant some out in beds under glass. There’s no reason why this should not work, as long as pol-

D

Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, is starting to sow beans under glass in her garden

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linating insects have access through door and vents. Town gardeners with tiny plots can grow them in large containers.

For a good succession, I’ll sow again now, with perhaps a climbing variety but which one? From Suttons of Paignton (0844 326 2200 www.suttons. co.uk) I have a mixed packet of white, brown-gold and apricot-coloured beans belonging to purple ‘Carminat’, green ‘Monte Cristo’ and pale yellowish ‘Monte Gusto’.

I rather like the idea of them growing together and will fix up wigwams of hazel poles or canes.

Mark a 60cm/2ft diameter circle on the ground, make five deep, evenly spaced holes around the circumference using a metal pin and firm the poles into them. Tie the tops in over the centre

and the support is made.

There’s a packet of ‘Neckar Queen’ in the tin too, whose stringless green pods are said to keep coming even when conditions are less than ideal in a poor summer. This was also the case with ‘Jimenez’, whose flattish, red-flecked cream pods were abundant despite last year’s poor summer.

This is a borlotti type, so I could allow some of the pods to swell for shelling and drying.

When the soil has properly warmed up, direct sowings are an option but in my garden, these seem doomed to failure. The soil is either too wet or too dry, there’s a sudden dip in temperature or when they do germinate, maggots of bean seed fly damage the emerging seedlings beyond repair.

So this is one crop I will always start under glass.

Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank

Q

I have a new fence to hide. What quick climbing plants can I grow from seed, while permanent plants are thickening up?

Whatever you grow, these temporary coverings must not be allowed to smother your permanent climbers and fence shrubs, so monitor them carefully. Years ago I had a similar situation and grew ornamental gourds. These were fabulous and gave us a huge variety of fruits, some bicolored and others golden and warty. In between, for flower colour, were morning glory ‘Heavenly Blue’, my second favourite after irridescent, purple ‘Grandpa Otts’. These need warm conditions to grow on, or their foliage blanches in the cold. Eccremocarpus scaber (Chilean glory vine) is fun and after a mild winter, will return to life the following year. I’d like to recommend canary creeper (Tropaeolum peregrinum) which can soon be sown straight to the soil (sow the rest into pots first) and late-flowering cup and saucer vine (Cobaea scandens) but both of these can produce an enormous quantity of growth.

Q

I’ve sown carrots and peas direct at the beginning of the month but they have not appeared yet. Should I try again?

You must take no notice of calendar advice (even mine) without taking weather into account.

Those on well-draining, sandy soil might get away with early outdoor sowings but this spring has been mostly cold, wet or both, which on heavier soils means seeds are more likely to rot than germinate. You could try covering soil with polythene cloches to warm it up. Raised beds tend to warm up and dry out faster than flat ground, so a few of these would help with earlier sowings.

Wait for properly warm soil, then try again.

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

• The trunks of young trees are swelling and tree ties could be biting in. Loosen them or remove unwanted stakes.

•S ow runner bean seeds 5cm/2in apart across the top of shallow 15cm/6in pots or into modules under glass.

• Start cold-hardy leeks such as ‘Below Zero’ or ‘Lyon Prizetaker’ by sowing into pots or trays first.

Transplant while still small, one per deep root trainer module or the inner of a loo roll. Prepare by making four evenly spaced 2cm/half inch slits up from the bottom, then fold flaps in to make a base. Fill with compost.

•T end permanent outdoor container plants (olives, agapanthus, lilies, shrubs) by weeding their pots, applying a slow release fertilizer to the surface and top dressing with fresh compost.

Make sure they don’t dry out.

• Sow sweet corn straight into long modules under glass.

•S et tomatoes into bottomless pots of compost over growing bags in the greenhouse with nylon string under their roots, to tie above them for support.

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

herbaceous perennials before they need it, by pushing in specially designed supports or making your own from twiggy sticks and string.

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Beauty

Review

Botanical boost A Sisley facial is the pinnacle of plant-based pampering discovers Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod

ontrary to convention, I’m going to start this review a full 24 hours after the treatment ended, right about when I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror. Even in the weak fluorescent light typical of office buildings I could tell something speMy skin was all cial had happened. My skin was at once smooth all at once smooth (think marble (think marble statue of Greek goddess) glowing We head off to the treatment and undeniably plumped. room, a pristine all-white sanctustatue of Greek Anyone who bumped into me ary tucked away on the first floor. goddess) glowing might have thought I was back She chats to me briefly about my from a week’s spa break. Not skincare ritual (minimal) and and undeniably so. My secret? A facial courtesy my daily routine (hectic) and plumped of Sisley in Exeter’s House of then gets to work.

Fraser. I’ve passed the beauty Sisley is known for being at the counter in this department store forefront of phyto-cosmetology, more times than I could count, and plant-based extracts sit at but it came as a surprise to hear they had a treatthe heart of the prestigious family-owned brand. ment room at their disposal.

Indeed, the hour that follows is like a wander Rewind 24 hours. I meet my therapist, who through the botanical gardens of the world. has worked for the Sisley brand for 12 years My face and décolleté are cleansed with deliand whose hands are responsible for my radicately scented cleansing milk that contains white ant new complexion. I like to look at the skin lily. My tight and sensitive skin feels instantly of brand ambassadors, and she has a complexmore comfortable and supple. The milk is wiped ion many women in their twenties would envy. off in gentle strokes and replaced with a dry exfoI’m already impressed. liator containing essential oils. It is applied with

C

[[

gentle pats and then buffed off with small circular movements, goodbye rough patches! My face is then smothered with a sumptuous mask containing red clay, designed to boost radiance and deep cleanse the skin. Five minutes is all it needs and by the time it is gently cleared away my skin has the most delightful tingle. But the best is yet to come. A massage designed to stimulate lymphatic drainage and boost circulation soothes me into a state very near sleep.

Before I go I am treated to quenching layers of moisturisers that include the potent hydraglobal and bestseller All Day All Year cream. I step out with skin that is impressively soft, calm, dewy and remarkably clear. My verdict? This is an essential skin reboot.

Facial treatments are available at the Sisley counter, House of Fraser, Exeter. Call 01392 223000 ext.3019 to find out more.

fave!

Gentle

Radiant

Protective

Glowing

Sisley Lyslait cleansing milk (House of Fraser, £70) This creamy milk contains white lily extract and dissolves make-up gently for dry/sensitive skin.

Sisley Radiant Glow express mask (House of Fraser, £73) The absorbent properties of the red clay in this mask help eliminate impurities that dull the complexion.

Sisley All Day All Year (House of Fraser, £236) This award-winning cream is a potent protective shield for your skin, fighting everything from stress to UVA/UVB.

Sisley Hydra-Global (House of Fraser, £145) Intensive hydration that includes lavender, sage and wild pansy.

Skin is instantly plumped and glowing.

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Shop

The edit Your straight line to style: smart looks for the mother of the bride

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Fascinator £10 M&Co

Coat £149 East

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Metallic clutch £149 Dune

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Hat £28 Very

Hat £60 to hire www.hollyyoungboutique.com

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Jacket £250 Phase Eight

Bolero £25 BHS

Floral clutch £25 Next

Embellished clutch £45 Next

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Gli tte ry he els £55 La Re do ute

Super sandals BY: ELLIE JONES

ersatile, a leap above the flip-flop and cool on the feet in both senses of the word, sandals are one of our favourite things about summer. Did we mention they offer your tootsies the perfect mix of comfort and style? Perfect for long days sightseeing in a European city or simply for making the short trip from your apartment to the pool during a well-deserved holiday.

This year the catwalks welcomed back the trusty gladiator sandal as well as showcasing lace-ups and metallic sliders.

For maximum comfort and support we suggest you invest in a good pair of sliders with a thicker sole.

Fashionistas will pair lace up gladiator sandals with a maxi dress or opt for a pair of metallic sandals – which promise to be versatile, go with any outfit - and take you from day to night. Have fun!

V

Multicoloured sandals £22.99 New Look

Lace up sandals £25 Marks & Spencer

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Fashion Blu e san da ls £28 JD Wi llia ms

Sunrise sandal in citrine £29.95 Seasalt Cornwall

Silver sliders £40 Dune

Lace-ups £69 Look Again

Gladiator sandals £60 Office 31

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Trend Have you got a fashion question or a trend you’d like to see tackled? @KathrynCMcleod

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Dungaree dress MAIN PHOTO HAIR: ADAM AT SAKS, EXETER MAKE-UP: CLARINS, DEBENHAMS (BOTH PRINCESSHAY) PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HAYWOOD

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod tries out a playful look for summertime ong have I resisted the lure of dungarees. I stood fast. ‘I am not a fiveyear-old off to a playdate’ I retorted when a friend held a pair out to me on a shopping trip. I saw them as a blip, a retro anomaly on the fashion landscape.

That was 18 months ago. I have to admit, it looks like this style isn’t going away soon.

In fact, like any species with survival skills, it has adapted to suit the environment better.

This season, the result is the dungaree dress.

Playful shoulder straps with front fasteners up top, and a fitted pencil skirt down below. This variation is infinitely more wearable than its trousered predecessor. Here’s how: on warmer days a simple striped top will offer a dose of casual chic underneath this style of dress. Bit of a nip in the air? Long sleeved variations work just as well.

If a cold snap sets in or if you Dark denim will want to continue with the trend into next season, then you will be take you almost glad to know that a chunky knit everywhere, turtleneck also looks fantastic under one of these beauties. from the office on Pair it with opaque black tights casual Fridays and lace up ankle boots for snug to barbecues or style that is sure to turn heads.

There are quite a few brunch out with variations on offer, and the fabric the girls used can have a huge impact on saw a pair in a dark floral print, the scope of the occasions you over a simple white tee with classic can trot it out at. For example, black heels. It is a little black dress, a denim dungaree dress is not the immediate or with serious impact. I will admit to doing the very obvious choice for workwear. Never say never, slow nod that only happens when I approve of though. We recently had a work experience something greatly. student join us here at West. She turned up in We shouldn’t leave out denim, though. Dark the sweetest black corduroy dungaree dress with denim will take you almost everywhere, from a white collared blouse and loafers. The overall the office on casual Friday to barbecues (if the look was nothing short of ‘perfectly put together’. mercury ever rises) or brunch with the girls. Light In fact, Ellie Jones, I will go so far as to credit your denim is a lot more casual, best kept for walking time with us as single-handedly changing my tours of Rome, browsing flea markets or thrown mind on these garments. over a cossie on your Spanish hols.

Dungaree dresses also aren’t what I would It would be remiss of me not to tackle what usually advise for a first date. That was until I you might call the mutton issue: ‘I’m too old for

L

Dungaree dress, River Island, Princesshay, £40 T-shirt, Next, Princesshay, £10 Shoes, River Island, Princesshay, £35

that.’ Not so. If you’re a mum, I think you need a pair of traditional long-legged dungarees in your wardrobe, Not only are they favourites of fashion royalty and supermum Gwen Stefani (read: school gate gold) but they are immensely practical (there is a reason farmers wear them).

And if your kids are older, or even have kids of their own, look for a dress version that sits at about knee length, with a fuller skirt. Pop a crisply tailored short underneath and finish your age-appropriate outfit off with a spot of red lipstick. No one questions the choices of a woman in smart red lipstick. Ask Gwen.

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

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fave!

Dungarees £64.99 SUPERDRY Dungaree dress £40 RIVER ISLAND

GET THE

look Gladiator sandals £30 MISS SELFRIDGE

Primrose block heel £45 MONSOON

Sunglasses £16 TOPSHOP

Mini cross-body bag £39 MONSOON

Khaki fray hem short dungarees £24.99 NEW LOOK

Blue denim button front midi dress £22.99 NEW LOOK

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culture vulture Our guide to what’s on in the South West by woman-in-theknow Sarah Pitt

Peels of laughter Find out whether an Isles of Scilly policeman’s lot is a happy one when Sergeant Colin Taylor reveals all at the inaugural Isles of Scilly Festival on May 13. Colin’s quirky posts on the Isles of Scilly Police Force’s Facebook page have earned him a massive following in cyberspace, sharing stories such as the time officers were left puzzled by the presence of a fried egg at the scene of a shed break-in. His worldwide Facebook following has led to a book deal with publisher Century, and The Life of a Scilly Sergeant is due to be published in mid June.

Colin’s talk takes place at the Star Castle Hotel on St Mary’s on Friday, May 13 at 2pm. See www.visitislesofscilly.com/islesofscillyfestival

INTO THE BLUE Man’s relationship with the sea is explored in artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah’s acclaimed video installation Vertigo Sea, at The Exchange, in Penzance from April 30. This three-screen, 48-minute film fuses dramatic footage from the BBC’s Natural History Unit with archival material from the British Film Institute and newly shot

tableaux in the Isle of Skye, the Faroe Islands and Norway. This film explores, among other things, the whaling industry, the slave trade and the voyages of migrants searching for a better life.

Vertigo Sea opens on April 30 at The Exchange, Penzance.

Admission is free. See www. newlynartgallery.co.uk

Worth the journey One of the late Graham Greene’s most entertaining plays is being revived by Devon theatre company Creative Cow to mark the 25th anniversary of the celebrated writer’s death. Just four actors represent no fewer than 20 colourful characters, each playing a part in retired, rather boring, suburban bank manager Henry Pulling’s great transformation as he travels the world with his eccentric Aunt Augusta.

Currently on tour, the production returns to home territory with a run at the Exeter Northcott.

Travels With My Aunt runs from Tuesday-Saturday, May 10-14 at the Exeter Northcott. Tickets £14.50-£24.50, exeternorthcott.co.uk or 01392 726363 34

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Enjoy

Your stars

by Cassandra Nye This week’s sign:

Happy birthday to...

The Taurus personalityis one of the most easily recognisable of the Zodiac. Positive Taurean traits include reliability, practicality, ambition, sensuality and independence. However, the bull can also have some negative traits and can be very lazy, stubborn, materialistic and possessive at times. People born under the sign of Taurus have an eye for beauty. They tend to be good with finances, and hence make efficient financial managers.

Una Stubbs Born May 1, 1937 We love Una Stubbs – remember her as Aunt Sally in Worzel Gummidge, and as Rita in Till Death Do Us Part? Una started out as the face of Rowntree’s chocolate, then won her first acting (and dancing) role in Cliff Richard’s Summer Holiday in 1963. She has been working hard ever since, most recently as Sherlock Holmes’s landlady Mrs Hudson in the Bafta awardwinning television series Sherlock. As a May 1 Taurean, Una is both charming and practical with plenty of social skills, always knowing when to say and do the right thing.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Life can seem dull at times this week but that will change by the weekend.

Something you had planned may have to be adjusted at the last minute. This could be because of a clash in dates, so plan carefully.

Someone’s behaviour proves embarrassing but, if taken on balance, is not so serious. Care less about what others think and more about what you need.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Friends will lead the way to a new place and some much-needed fun. A new light is shone on what you thought would be an impossible situation. A change in your attitude could lead to a change in your lifestyle.

A beacon of light seems to lead to your love life.

What are your instincts telling you?

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Although it is a busy week, there is not as much progress as expected. A delay is due to someone not being able to make up their mind. Although annoying, look at the background and it is understandable. Still, that does not stop you from forging ahead with plans. Being prepared is good.

LEO (July 23 - August 23) If a repeat of an old situation is acoming, it is natural to try and avoid it. Concentrating on practical matters is not easy but, if you manage to do it, great progress is made. This time last week you would not have thought it possible!

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Those who want advice are beating a path to your door. Although you have the time, the inclination is not there. Get in the right frame of mind by reminding yourself of

the rewards for success. Helping someone is one thing, but not helping them could mean a whole set of new problems.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) In a week of changes (some of them very slow) you want to keep control of the situation. As the week progresses your energy increases and big strides are made. Midweek someone comes up with an idea that sets your imagination on fire. The weekend holds a social surprise – you’ll see what others think.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Home life is sometimes boring and sometimes erratic. This makes for some confused thoughts. When not sure which path to take it is always good to have a map. Make a list of priorities and gradually tick them off. You are the best person to know what you want, despite what others might think.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Communicate everywhere this week and make it a bumper time for making friends. Someone takes a bit longer to get to know than most, but the effort will be worthwhile. A casual remark from a relative makes you wonder if there are secrets in the family. Of course the facts may take some time to gather.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Pep up your mood and health by getting out and about. Earlier nights and a cleaner diet will take a few weeks to kick in. Persevere. This time next month you could feel like a new person! Small matters can be tedious unless you see the funny side. Take a few hours to have a giggle.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) A happy meeting or change of scene this week opens up new possibilities in your social life. A few indulgences may have left you feeling sluggish. Get out walking and chatting with others. Even a gentle stroll each day can lighten your mood.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Take a positive step towards a healthier attitude. Working is commendable but you are supposed to have fun as well! Small decisions make up a big one by the weekend. Surprise news from an old friend sets you thinking about your own life. It is never too late to make a change, is it?

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Feeling relaxed and happy on the whole?

Take the chance to read those books you promised yourself or spend that evening in with your friends. Quiet doesn’t mean boring because it helps you move forward.

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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

British brand BRYT advocates fresh food, exercise and plenty of sleep as part of our skincare routines. Its gentle foaming cleanser is plant-enriched and (£12.50) can be found at Waitrose.

MEET MARY IN SALCOMBE Low in calories, but packed full of protein, crab is one of the healthiest foods around as it is also rich in vitamins and minerals, including selenium, riboflavin and long-chain fatty acids. Mary Berry will be among the celebrities celebrating this nourishing seafood at the Salcombe Crabfest, on Sunday May 1.

EYES RIGHT The old wives’ tale that eating carrots helps you see in the dark isn’t actually that much of a myth. Carrots contain beta-carotene, which helps protect eyes. Grow your own – Tamar Organics near Launceston sells seeds by post from £1.15 a packet. www.tamarorganics.co.uk 36

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GET THOSE KIDS MOVING! Olympic gold medal winning hurdler Sally Gunnell’s the face of new campaign Getting Kids Moving. The mum-of-three, 49, sympathises with those of us trying to wean children off the computer screen, saying: “Even though I’m really enthusiastic about physical activity, and enjoy it as much as I can, my kids definitely still need a lot of encouragement to get active.

“As a family, we’ve had to put in place a lot of rules and get quite creative about making sure our kids get moving regularly. Helping kids understand how much better being active makes them feel is the most important thing. Making it a fun way to spend time together as a family is a huge part of this.”

WALK THIS WAY Take a hike North Devon and Exmoor Walking Festival begins this weekend and continues until May 7, with scheduled walks including a trip to Lundy Island and a circular walk around Ilfracombe, in which you’ll learn more of the town’s fascinating history. Details, prices and booking information at:www. exmoorwalkingfestival.co.uk

Walkies!

MINI YOGA No time for a getaway? A de-stressing micro-retreat could be just the ticket: relax into a day-long yoga experience at the Charlotte Mews Studios in Exeter on June 5. Places are limited to just eight, £70 per person if you book before May 15. Find out more at www.charlottemews.com

It’s not just the dog that benefits when you go walkies. Walking is great exercise, it’s easy on the joints and gets the heart, lungs and muscles working, while having a pet to care for has been found to improve mental wellbeing. If you don’t have a dog of your own, you can sign up to become a volunteer walker at Woodside Animal Sanctuary in Plympton. Find out more www.woodsidesanctuary.org.uk

What’s coming up? Tweet us your wellbeing diary dates

@WMNWest or email westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 37

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Drink

Darren Norbury

Beer of the week From my Newton Abbot Beer Festival (mildly stained) notebook I’m picking Thriller Cappuccino Porter by Somerset’s Glastonbury Ales (5% ABV). There are real coffee beans in the recipe which work delightfully with the chocolate notes from the malt to create a smooth, rich, but not overpowering brew.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY I’m of to the Dynamite Valley Brewery’s first birthday bash today, at their brewery tap in Ponsanooth (may see you there for a pint). If you’ve not been there, it’s quirky, friendly and the beer has been made on a mezzanine above. That’s local produce for you!

Also this weekend…

The annual Sausage and Ale Festival at the Driftwood Spars, St Agnes, successfully combines two of my favourite things, while the Cornish Beer at Epworth Hall, Coinagehall Street, Helston, is raising money for local Rotary charities. Both run until Monday.

talks beer ’m pretty sure that the last time I local South Devon CAMRA members). It reincollected an award was the mid-70s forces that feeling that brewing is possibly the when I’d triumphed over, most imfriendliest industry out there. portantly, my natural shyness to The venue, Tucker’s Maltings, is a great place take first place in a holiday camp to stage a beer festival. As one of the servers competition. To impersonate The Hulk. I could behind the bar put it to me, it’s like a circle of life still do this. Only now I’d be The Bulk. for beer. Day to day, the venue is one of Tucker’s However, it’s happened again, floor malting rooms, where the and I didn’t have to rip a shirt malt is laid out and tricked into this time. Being the Coastal germination by being soaked Brewery representative, I went and then dried before germiI love the up to collect a bronze medal cernation can continue. The malt cameraderie at tificate for Merry Maidens Mild is then in the optimum condiat the new-look South West Intion for brewers to extract the these occasions dependent Beer Awards, organmaximum amount of sugar for – brewing is posized by the Society of Independfermentation. That circle of ent Brewers (SIBA). production was completed as sibly the friendMy ‘home team’ from CornI was handed a Chimera IPA, liest industry wall were particularly well repfrom Downton Brewerty, in out there resented, with St Austell’s Big Wiltshire, close to where I used Job the overall cask winner and to work as a youngster in the Driftwood Spars’ Blackheads newspaper industry. Yes, just Mild taking the main bronze call me sentimental! prize. Sandwiched between Tucker’s malts are used by them in the silver position was brewers all over the WestcounRale Head, from the Bishop’s Lydeard-based try and guided tours are available. There is also Quantock Brewery. a bottled beer shop on site, and the promise of a I love the camaraderie of the brewers at these micropub coming soon. That’s going to be a very occasions. I’ve judged at Newton Abbot before atmospheric place to enjoy a tipple. but this was the first year I’ve worked there Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk (member brewers provide staff, with help from @beertoday

I

[[

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Eat

Ingredient of the Week

Cheese

with Tim Maddams aking your own cheese is not as difis in the fridge for a few days or you can roll it in ficult as it may seem, not so many herbs and keep it in oil in the fridge for a week years ago most households would or more. have made some of sort of home To make curd cheese, heat two litres of full-fat made cheese or another (hence the milk to just above blood temperature but don’t name “cottage cheese”). There is no reason why let it get too hot. Dilute a few drops of rennet in you cannot do the same and, a a teaspoon of boiled, then cooled, bit like making your own bread, water. Add the rennet to the milk once you start tinkering with and then leave it alone for a while the good stuff you will become until it is set.

This simple instantly hooked on your own At this stage what you have special homemade cheese and made is more or less a junket. cheese can be nothing else will quite do.

This mixture needs seasoning kept as it is in To make lebneh, or yoghurt with plenty of salt, although I like cheese, simply place a litre or so to use a little less than needed so the fridge or of natural yoghurt in a mixing you can crumble some flaky salt you can roll it in bowl, season heavily with salt. on the top when you serve it. herbs and keep Remember a lot of the salt will To extract the curd from the come out of the cheese as it whey simply pass the mixture it in oil hangs. Place a square of muslin through a muslin-lined sieve, that you have rinsed in cold tie and hang as you did for the water in a sieve over a bowl. lebneh.

Place the yoghurt inside (you How long you leave the curd to could add some cracked pepper or chilli flakes at drain will affect how hard the end product is and this stage) and then tie the corners up with string I would encourage you to hang it for just a short to create a little purse of yoghurt. Hang this from time, so that the curds keep moist and crumbly. a kitchen cupboard handle or in the fridge over Again this is ripe for the oil-in-a-jar treatment or night, remembering to put something under it to rolling in herbs, but be careful, once you’ve made catch the drips, then carefully unwrap to reveal your own cheese there’s no turning back and the your prize. This simple cheese can be kept as it next step is making your very own mozzarella...

M

[[

Cooking with curds To make a fabulous curd bruschetta, 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.

Another lovely dish is pasta with chilli garlic and curd cheese.

Boil 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, of course, 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. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and author of Game: River Cottage Handbook no. 15 (Bloomsbury £14.99) 39

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OPENING SUMMER 2016 Queen St is the perfect location for Exeter’s food-loving residents and city visitors to sample the finest fare

Restaurants coming to Queen St: Turtle Bay, The Terrace – A Craft Brew House, Absurd Bird, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, The Stable, Grillstock, Kupp, Comptoir Libanais

Visit queenst-exeter.com and register for the latest news, offers and competitions.

Untitled-1 5

25/04/2016 16:35:16

FIND A FOODIE

WHAT WILL WIN?

OR A

ARE YOU A BUDDING CHEF, SECRET BAKER OR GASTRONOMIC GENIUS? The team at Queen St, in partnership with the Express and Echo, have started their search to uncover a new food entrepreneur, someone with a recipe, product range or dining concept and, just as importantly, an ambition to start a business selling their fare. Once found, the ‘Queen St Foodie’ will receive a free launch and

support package, which consists of a purposebuilt kiosk to trade from for three months at the heart of Queen St; expert advice from a range of business mentors sharing the secrets of their success; marketing and branding; legal and finance advice, plus inclusion in the overall promotion and launch of the Queen St dining destination.

FOR MORE INFO OR TO ENTER VISIT QUEENST-EXETER.COM OR FOLLOW THE FUN #FINDAFOODIE. PLUS READ THE EXPRESS AND ECHO AS THEY REPORT ON OUR SEARCH AND ‘FOODIE FINDS’ THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. T&CS APPLY. SEE WEBSITE FOR DETAILS.

Untitled-1 6

25/04/2016 16:37:28

Enjoy

A WEEKEND IN

St Agnes eautiful St Agnes on the north coast of Cornwall is, in so many ways, the perfect place for a weekend stay. It is surrounded by fabulous scenery, with breath-taking cliff views and several gorgeous beaches. There are great places to stay and eat, a very pretty village centre and lots to do, from surfing and walking to browsing arts and crafts shops. St Agnes even has its own legendary giant, called Bolster, who parades on May Day (Monday May 2) - not to be missed!

MAIN PICTURE: JOHN HUSBAND

B

Stay: The Driftwood Spars is a 16th century pub a stone’s throw from the village’s main beach at Trevaunance Cove. Bed and breakfast here starts at £86 for two and many rooms have fabulous sea views. Visit www.driftwoodspars.co.uk or call 01872 552428 to book. In the pretty hamlet of Mithian, on the outskirts of the village, you’ll find the boutique four-star The Rose in Vale Hotel, with fine dining, an outdoor heated pool and beautiful gardens. It currently has a “Spring Into Summer” three-night break on offer here

from £195 per person, including dinner, bed, breakfast and cream tea. Visit www.roseinvale. co.uk or call 01872 552202 to book.

Eat: Find traditional pub food done well at The St Agnes Hotel (01872 552307) opposite the church, which has an outdoor eating area for sunny days.

The Miner’s Arms in Mithian is a historic pub alleged to have a smuggler’s tunnel under its floors (01872 552375). The Sorting Office is a recent conversion of the village’s former post office into

Chapel Porth beach, St Agnes 42

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G ia n t B o ls

te r

St Agnes Hotel

a cafe, with home-baked cakes (07807 324088) and Lewsey Lou’s serves up fresh-caught fish and chips (01872 552126).

[[ The village of St Agnes was a film location in both the 1970s and the more recent TV adaptations of Poldark

Explore: St Agnes was a film location in both the 1970s and the more recent TV adaptations of Poldark. A walk along the cliffs to Wheal Coates will take you to one of the most iconic views of a Cornish mine engine house, with stunning sea vistas all the way to St Ives and Newquay on a clear day. Climb St Agnes Beacon and explore the heather-covered clifftops nearby, all owned by The National Trust. Alternatively, you could explore the scenery here on horseback, as the village’s long-established Goonbell Riding Centre runs regular hacks on trustworthy horses (01872 552063, www.goonbellridingcentre.co.uk) charging £20 for a one-hour ride.

Surf: This is the thing to do in St Agnes – Trevau-

nance Cove offers (usually) safe, sheltered waves while the more exposed Chapel Porth beach picks up the swell on the flattest of days. Breakers Surf School offers one-hour lessons for £30, with the option of whole days too, and they can film your efforts on a GoPro. Call 07725 842196, 01872 553811 or visit www.surf-lessons. co.uk for details.

Shop: Finisterre Clothing is a surf-inspired fashion brand based in St Agnes. Visit their on-site shop at Wheal Kitty on the edge of the village (www.finisterre.com) for a browse around the on-trend beachwear and outdoorsy items. If arts and gifts are your thing, there is a mouth-watering range on offer at Churchtown Arts (01872 553229) where you could happily while away an hour or two looking at all the beautiful, often local, items for sale, from jewellery and ceramics to fashion and gifts.

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My Secret Westcountry Jon Keast Wine expert Jon Keast runs Scarlet Wines and The Vineyard Table – a cafe, deli and wine shop, based at Lelant, near St Ives. He lives in Lelant with his partner Sarah, and has two children Mia (16) and Alex (15).

My Favourite…

Walk: Mousehole to Lands End along the south coast. This stretch of the Cornish coast offers some of the finest scenery in the country - I recommend taking a picnic and making a day of it.

Beach: Hawkes Point (also known as Porthkidney) between Carbis Bay and Lelant. This beautiful stretch of sand is perpetually deserted and stunning, even when St Ives is a log jam in the summer months.

Arts venue:

The Acorn in Penzance. This is a great venue with a lovely atmosphere and acoustics; there just needs more to be on!

Activity:

I love the annual Don’t Wake the Fish Festival at The Gurnard’s Head out along the coast road near Zennor. It’s just the right size, they serve good beer, the atmosphere is fantastic and it’s brilliant to see all ages dancing together into the night.

Food:

Philps Pasties in Hayle still can’t be beaten in my humble opinion. The perfect satis-

Jon and family at the beach

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People

Trevibban Mill

Porthcurno Beach Arts at the Acorn

fying lunch when you’re on the go - I often grab one when I’m doing my wine deliveries.

Tipple: We’ve only just started to stock their range here at Scarlet Wines, but Trevibban Mill wines are tasting great right now, I think.

Trevibban is Cornwall’s newest vineyard and is just outside Padstow.

Mousehole

Treen

Way to relax: Running. I know it’s not particularly relaxing at the time, but it feels good afterwards… I enjoy long runs at any time of year, but spring is my favourite season for pounding the pavements.

Weekend away: This has to be camping at

Pub: The Hourglass in Exeter can’t be beaten.

Really delicious food, great wine list and a back bar full of interest. It manages to serve superb food while still being a pub.

Treen Farm campsite on the south coast of Cornwall near St Levan. As a family, we love to spend all day on Porthcurno Beach, then head to the Logan Rock Inn for a beer and dinner. In good weather there can’t be anywhere nicer on earth.

Restaurant: I simply can’t answer this! I like

Shop:

to spread the love when it comes to supporting local restaurants as there are so many great places to eat in west Cornwall. The last few years have seen lots of new cafes, restaurants and pubs coming onto the scene, each with something exciting to offer. The selection has never been better in my opinion.

Treat: My perfect treat is a bottle or two of

Academy in St Ives offers brilliantly curated clothes, bags and shoes. This is definitely my guilty pleasure.

good wine, the company of family and friends, some simple food and enough time to enjoy it all.

For more details, call 01736 753696 visit www.scarlet-wines.co.uk 45

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My life

[

man and boy

A real tear jerker

[

Phil Goodwin and son James, six, watch a Disney film together

I

[

[

I need advance warning of scenes where the cub/princess/ bear/wooden doll loses their parents/brother/best friend

even a ruffled feather. He certainly has a stomach for gore and happily watches a Komodo dragon devour a wildebeest alive while munching his Coco Pops.

‘Look daddy, it’s eating the intestines!’ Nice.

But what he can’t cope with – what is guaranteed to provoke floods of tears – is a Disney tale. When he was performing a scene from The Lion King at stage school, we sat down and watched the film together. I popped out and came back to find him welling up. Simba’s dad had died. I tried to talk him through it but he didn’t want to know.

Now, after laughing at the girls in school sing ‘Let It Go’ for months, he has finally seen Frozen on Netflix. I caught a few minutes, sang a song with him, then checked out. Later, he starts asking: Why do people have to die? I am called up to explain.

The problem, in both cases, was that I hadn’t even seen the action, so I was at a disadvantage. However, what really gets to him is family heartbreak, such as the parents getting lost in a shipwreck in Frozen.

I need advance warning. Let’s slap on a CT certificate and at least us parents will know there is going to be some kind of heart-rending scene where the cub/princess/bear/wooden doll loses his parents/brother/best friend. It is not a lot to ask for. Now James says wants to see the new Jungle Book at the cinema. It’s not all ‘Bear Necessities’ - doesn’t Mowgli end up being raised by wolves after being lost by his parents in the jungle? Uh-oh. Here we go again.

NEXT WEEK: Chris McGuire on his new life in the Westcountry

main picture: Steve Haywood

think I am going to write a letter to the British Board of Film Censors suggesting they re-think the certification system. Fear not, I am not auditioning for a place in the whiskery ranks of the grumpy old men, ranting about how some art flick is bring down civilisation. I simply feel I may have stumbled across a solution to what us parents call The Disney Problem.

This, for those who dwell in blissful ignorance, is where mum and dad are given a grilling by children on a whole range of tough questions about life and - more specifically - death.

I think the whole thing could be cleared up in no time if we just add a fresh category; let’s call it a CT certificate, warning viewers they are about to experience Cartoon Tragedy.

The lawyers in California needn’t start filing suits against me; if anything my complaint is that Disney is doing a good job portraying real issues. I wouldn’t dream of trying to censor the scriptwriters but I could do with a little warning.

Typically, the stuff that worries parents revolves around sex and violence. For the younger child (James is now six) this poses less of a problem – there is no chance of me showing him The Exorcist – but there is still some ‘scary stuff’ out there in the mid/parental guidance (PG) range. The lad has already seen Jurassic World (rated 12A) and doesn’t even flinch at the carnivorous blood-fest when the velociraptors turn gangster. At Christmas we watched the teen-horror Goosebumps (another PG) without

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