West magazine - January 02, 2016 by DCMedia

02.01.16

New year, new me ‘How I won the losing battle’

INSIDE: GREATEST CAPES Hang loose in lovely layers

WAYS TO WORK OUT IN STYLE

+ TRENDING - THE TOMATO FACIAL

WIN: + A STYLISH LAMP

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‘ As this feathered frolicking continues, James look at me and asks: Dad, what are they doing? ’ Phil Goodwin is put on the spot, p 46

GOOD INTENTIONS Can former townie Chris McGuire quit his favourite fix?

BE MY GUEST Fresh new ways to revamp your spare room

[contents[ Inside this week... 5

LET THERE BE LIGHT Win a beautiful lamp

WARM FRONT... Gillian Molesworth’s feeling cosy

GOSSIP The latest juicy morsels

LOOK AT ME NOW

Fitness wear you’ll feel fabulous in

Your guide to beautiful skin

BEST FOOT FORWARD

How this week’s cover star Sarah Renals lost five stone and changed her life

DELIGHTFUL DOLLS Handmade finds on our wishlist

ANNE SWITHINBANK Join our columnist in the garden

BEAUTY Abbie Bray’s picks of the week

CULTURE VULTURE Three don’t -miss diary dates

YOUR STARS Cassandra Nye foretells the week ahead

WELLBEING Your bitesize guide to feeling great

INGREDIENT OF THE WEEK Tim Maddams on the oft-neglected Jerusalem artichoke

THE BEER GURU Darren Norbury’s detoxing... at the pub

PHIL GOODWIN Finds himself having That Talk- and he’s unprepared

WINTER GLOW

MY WESTCOUNTRY Take a tour with Malcolm Riley 3

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NEW HORIZONS Sarah Renals and son Jacob look to the future

[ welcome [ There’s plenty to raise a smile in this week’s magazine appy New Year. We hope you are looking forward to what this year will bring as much as we are. There’s nothing obligatory, of course, about changing everything in your life the minute that Big Ben finishes chiming at midnight on December 31. It is traditional, though, to come up with a long list of New Year’s resolutions which it is equally traditional to break before January is out. Writer Chris McGuire’s New Year’s resolutions have changed a bit since he moved from the big smoke to idyllic east Devon, from rueing the fortune he

of the week

[

@MaggyWhitehouse I’m not saying it’s been wet… but the indoor plant pots are growing their own mushrooms

was spending on black cabs to vowing to rein in his pasty and clotted cream consumption. We promise he’ll have you in stitches on page 12. Our cover star Sarah Renals kept her own resolution, losing weight and transforming her life, as you’ll discover on page 16. Dieting or not, January is a time for comfort food, and if you’re wondering how you can ring the changes in the depths of winter, turn to Tim Maddams’ suggestions for making the most of Jerusalem artichokes. Find out more on page 40, but be warned – make sure you cook them well first!

Writer Chris McGuire is vowing to rein in his pasty consumption

TO ADVERTISE: Contact Lynne Potter: 01752 293027 or 07834 568283, lynne.potter@dc-media.co.uk

[

Sarah Pitt, Acting Editor

COVER IMAGE: Emily Whitfield-Wicks

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...

Win

Create a fresh new look for your home and begin the adventure at Amos Lighting in Exeter. It recently gave its own store a makeover and has expanded its collection of stylish contemporary and traditional lights, lamps and fittings. Owner David Amos sources stock from Milan and Paris – look out for brands including Flos, Foscarini, Elstead and Grok. We think you’ll be inspired – with sale bargains to be had, too, at Bridford Road, Marsh Barton, EX2 8QZ, until January 16. www.amoslighting.co.uk

To celebrate the refurbishment of its Exeter showroom, Amos Lighting has donated a stunning Gustav table lamp, pictured, worth £65. To be in with a chance to call it your own, email the answer to this question to: Amos Lighting, westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk before January 15. Where is Amos Lighting’s showroom? A) Truro B) Plymouth C) Exeter. Normal terms apply, West will not share your details. 5

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IN A ROW Liberty print rag dolls, handmade in Somerset by Charlie Deighton, £60 each, www.charliedeighton.co.uk

the

wishlist

Groovy pourer Alessi Pucina six-cup espresso pot £53 www. black-by-design.co.uk

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

Beth crystal flower ring £12 Accessorize

STREET STYLE STAR

Siobhan Pring

Siobhan says: “I don’t have a particular style… I just like what I like. I love to shop in Wallis – today I am looking for a pair of nice red boots and a thick winter coat.” Jacket: Wallis £60 Jumper: Wallis £30 Butterfly print scarf: A gift Boots: Debenhams £90 Royal blue bag: “It’s a fake! I got it on holiday and I just love the colour.”

INTERVIEW: HANNAH MATTOCKS

Siobhan, 44, took time out from her job in finance to go shopping in her home city of Exeter. She shows how bags are the way to go when dressing up an outfit....

SMOOTH Polka vase £59.95 www.annabeljames.co.uk

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Wishlist Busy bee The ideal companion if you’re buzzing off to the shops £7.99, www.oakroomshopper.co.uk

OPULENT Souk multicoloured chandelier £115 www. darlighting.co.uk

IN THE PINK Helen Moore magenta faux fur hot water bottle £58 www.black-by-design.co.uk

White knitted penguin cushion £35 White Stuff

Store we adore Seawitch Stores, Mousehole

This little shop a stone’s throw from the harbour offers plenty of original gift ideas for visitors, many made in Cornwall. We love the ‘put the kettle on maid’ coasters and cute painted pebbles by Penzance artist Sophie Harding. And, from across the water in Brittany, there are Mousqueton stripy cotton jersey tops for all ages in funky colour combinations.. Seawitch Stores is at 3 Fore Street, Mousehole, call 01736 731035 or visit Facebook/ seawitchstores

DISGUISE Lady in the Mask make-up bag £21.99 ww.chaseandwonder.com

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life... Warm toes with the appliance of science anuary is the season of new beginnings, and we have spent the past year doing up our house. We now have one really fabulous room. The trouble is, it makes the rest of the rooms look shabby. It goes in an endless cycle: if you paint something, it smartens up the walls, but then the skirting boards and the mouldings look put the pipes, miles of it winding tatty. If you do them then you back and forth. notice there are stains on the “What if it springs a leak?” I ceiling. You get one room looking asked the installer. nice and then the next door one “It’s sealed in cement, so the suffers by comparison. By the water has no place to go,” he time you’ve worked your way replied. Weird. through the whole house, the A contractor came in with a original room is back to showing cement lorry to pour the floor. wear and tear. They poured it with a big hose, Of course it would be nice to and slopped it liberally into the do it all at once, but it’s hideously egg crates, starting at the far expensive. Who wall and working saves up thoutheir way back sands for home towards the door. makeovers? Not The substance was me. I’m not that really runny – runThey put this organised. nier than usual stuff down It never ceases cement – so like any to amaze me how fluid, it found its which looked much money you own level and dried like a huge egg have to spend on completely flat. Let crate, with lots stuff you don’t the physics do the even notice. work! of plastic cups Forget furniture After this dried, and curtains: we had slates how about the laid over the top. underlay below The plumber and the carpet, or plastering, or heatelectrician hooked it all up, and ing? Roofs, insulation? You don’t we were given a whizzy wireeven get to look at that stuff. less thermostat that does all the I do have one pleasant excepmaths for you. You tell it when tion, which is the underfloor you want to be warm (breakfast heating we put under our new lunch and evenings) and it takes extension. I love it – it is so warm the temperature both in the room and welcoming. It was fascinating and outside and calculates how watching them put it down. First long the floor will take to heat up. they dug the foundation and laid Then, everyone has toasty toes as down some cement. Then they they eat their cereal. put this plastic stuff down that I love it – I wonder if there’s a looked like a huge egg crate, with way to get the rest of my decoratlots of plastic cups. Into this they ing automated?

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

TIMELESS

Lorraine Kelly Whatever eternal youth potion TV presenter Lorraine Kelly’s discovered, we want some! She looks as freshfaced at 55 as she did when she first appeared on the GMTV sofa over 20 years ago. Here, she proves that it’s possible to still rock a flirty frock when you’ve waved goodbye to your teens and twenties. We love the embellished waist on David Emanuel’s lace bodice dress (£45) from Bon Marche.

Pretty Eccentric £179

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION A Floaty OPTION B Flirty

Embroidered frock £129 Monsoon

Crepe dress £45 David Emanuel at Bon Marche

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02.01.16

Just

SPLICED GIRL Former Spice Girl Geri Horner has said while being a part of the girl group brought huge fame and success, it had been “impossible to have relationships”. Geri who had daughter Bluebell, now nine, after a brief tryst with screenwriter Sacha Gervasi

walked down the aisle with Formula One team boss Christian Horner in May. Looking back on the past year, the singer, 43, told Hello! magazine: “It’s the most incredible thing. Of all the stages of my life, I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier or more content.”

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

YOUNG AT HEART Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon’s set to provide the voice of a poorly tiger in an episode of one of her two-year old daughter Azura’s favourite TV programmes – Doc McStuffins. The singer and former Strictly star, 37, says that becoming a mum has made her feel young at heart, explaining: “My friends say I’m the only person they know who is ageing backwards. I think it’s because I’m happy. Giving birth to Azura was life-changing. She’s gorgeous and we have such fun together. Children remind you about what’s important in life.”

HERE COME THE GIRLS Film legends Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler and Diane Keaton are to reunite on the big screen, almost 20 years after they starred together as the ladies of The First Wives Club getting their revenge on their ex-husbands. They’ve signed up for a new Netflix comedy about a former singing group, according to Deadline.com. It’s called Divanation and while details are still under wraps, it’s reported that the film follows the band members coming back together 30 years after a “volatile” split. Can’t wait! 9

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Lookout: The statue of Sir Francis Drake stares out from a misty night on Plymouth Hoe

We salute you: Jessica King, 25 from Plympton, has passed her Navy training and is going on to serve on aircraft carriers

in pictures

Winter wonders: Sadie Agrave and her dog Millie spoted these daffodils in bloom in Torpoint Homecoming: Chief Petty Officer Steve Wilson hugs daughters Lauren and Nat at the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton 10

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talking points What’s your bid?

Cutting edge

ONE OF US Famous faces with links to the Westcountry Weird things put up for sale on eBay

1. Paul Osborn’s wife

10 hairstyles from history

2. Golf balls swallowed by a python

1. Beehive 2. Feather cut 3. Fontage 4. Mullet 5. Pageboy 6. Shingle 7. Marcel wave 8. Shag 9. Quiff 10. Pompadour

3. Unwanted Christmas sprouts 4. A ghost 5. Britney Spears’ hair 6. The meaning of life 7. A loom band thong (men’s) 8. An autographed air guitar

This week:

Pauline Collins Shirley Valentine actress Pauline Collins was born in Exmouth, Devon

9. Plaster cast of Pavarotti’s le leg 10. New Zealand

The happy list

Their story

10 things to make you smile this week Celebrity autobiographies

1. Stori Telling (Tori Spelling) 2. Little Girl Lost (Drew Barrymore)

3. Total Recall (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

4. Is It Just Me? (Miranda Hart)

5. Dear Fatty (Dawn French) 6. Spectacles (Sue Perkins) 7. Storm in a C Cup (Caroline Flack)

8. Call the Midlife (Chris Evans)

9. Absolute Pandemonium (Brian Blessed)

10. The End of an Earring (Pam St Clement)

1. Winter walks via a cosy pub for lunch 2. Resolution-keeping so far, so good! 3. Jigsaws we’re determined to finish ours! 4. Bargains in the sales 5. Skating at Plymouth’s outdoor winter rink 6. Pantomimes have you been to see one, yet? 7. The Archers it’s all happening in Ambridge! 8. David Walliams’ books warm and funny readaloud togethers 9. Hot chocolate made with cocoa and milk 10. Orchard wassailing and a mummer’s play at Porlock on Wednesday

Early days: Pauline was born in Exmouth, east Devon. Her parents were both Irish, and worked as school teachers. Growing up: The family moved to Liverpool when she was young. Pauline, who trained at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama, worked as a teacher before establishing a career on stage and screen.

Dr Who: Pauline has appeared in both the original and new series of Doctor Who – she appeared in the new series playing Queen Victoria.

DID YOU KNOW?

She’s Mrs Gamp in new BBC1 series, Dickensian, which co-stars Maggie Smith

TV: Pauline first became well known when she played the maid Sarah in the 1970s drama Upstairs, Downstairs. She acted in the show alongside her husband, John Alderton. Shirley Valentine: Pauline first played the ‘desperate housewife’ Shirley Valentine in a one-woman play in 1988, which transferred to Broadway in 1989 and was then made into an award-winning film.

Honours: Pauline was awarded the OBE in 2001 for services to drama. Home: She and husband John Alderton live in Hampstead, London and have two sons, Nicholas and Richard, along with daughter Kate, an actress who has featured in programmes including Doctors and The Bill.

Adoption: As a young woman, Pauline had a child with the actor Tony Rohr and made the heartbreaking decision to give her up for adoption. Happily, she was reunited with her daughter Louise when Louise was 22.

Competition winners: Congratulations to... • Hand-crafted log basket from Dean Forge at Dean Prior near Buckfastleigh: Sheila Russell, Colyton

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People

Chris McGuire: My

Westc

don’t know about you, but I’ve never been particularly resolute when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. Don’t get me wrong, I always start off with the best of intentions and then… then… I ‘forget’ (mostly). In fact, this has become so regular a pattern in my life that I always consider it a minor victory if my moment of ‘forgetting’ comes after January 2nd. In the past, many of my resolutions haven’t lasted beyond lunch on New Year’s Day and some have been well and truly broken by the time I fell into bed in the early hours of January 1.

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tcountry resolutions

Here’s a crop of resolutions I made in London, before I moved West:

Try to dress more stylishly

Stop taking black cabs

Looking back, this was a bit much to ask from someone who once wore odd socks as a ‘fashion statement’.

I’ve taken taxi rides I needed a mortgage to pay off

Jog to work and back Anyone who knows me would instantly see how hilarious an idea this was. I might as well have resolved to row across the Atlantic each morning.

t might not surprise you to hear that I didn’t keep to any of the above resolutions. In fact, they all came to a thundering halt on the morning of January 2nd, when, dressed in ill-fitting neon Lycra running gear, on the verge of cardiac arrest, I flagged down a taxi to ferry me to work. But making resolutions since I moved to the Westcountry is different. The actual resolutions are unique to around here, for a start. See my list for 2016 over the page...

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People 1

I will stop describing scenery as

‘Nice!’

the Westcountry The problem with enery everysc is there’s beautiful omer like me this wc ne a r where. Fo ic. Someone at is very problem ed me. Not that I rn wa ve ha should enery, far from sc of don’t have a love er Manchester it. It’s just, as a form cabulary to cope vo lad, I don’t have a d is constantly with it. My girlfrien ries of this part glo pointing out the s breathtaking cliff of the world, from

hillsides and my to verdant rolling standard reply is: .” “Yeah, they’re nice leave my lips to s em se st ju ‘Nice’ But, this year I’m it. p before I can sto some non-nice going to introduce ’, bulary: ‘Glorious ca vo y words into m d ul wo g’ in az Am ‘Wonderful’ and ‘ , acements. In fact all be suitable repl ‘Nice’, would be an anything other th us’. rio nice… er… no… ‘Glo

I will swim in the sea You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but the Westcountry is surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful coastline. It really is. This year (on a warm day) I will swim in the sea. By which I mean I’ll go beyond a basic paddle, and (depending on the temperature) I may or may not submerge my head. If I’m honest, the latter is the more likely. This moment will be recorded for posterity with a photograph, which will be distributed via social media, guaranteeing I never have to do it again. I’m sure that once I have swam in the sea I’ll be a step closer to feeling like a ‘proper’ local – and probably a step closer to hypothermia.

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ed cream I will stop eating clott morning, noon and night The problem here is practically the same as pasties – although I doubt you’ll find clotted cream down the back of the sofa! I can definitely say I will be resisting clotted cream in 2016, otherwise I will not be able to fit through my front door. If only it wasn’t so nice … ahem… ‘delicious’.

I will stop eating pasties for breakfast, lunch and dinner You’ve probably noticed that, here in the Westcountry, pasties are everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. Have a rummage down the back of your sofa or under the bed I guarantee you’ll find one. This, however (as my girlfriend has frequently reminded me), doesn’t mean that I should eat one for every meal. I only partly blame myself, some blame must lie at the feet of the Westcountry pasty makers who clearly deliberately make these savouries so delicious that mere mortals like me can’t resist. Well, I will be resisting this year. I’m determined! Oh yes, this year I will crack that most Westcountry of problems. Probably.

o those are my Westcountry New Year’s resolutions this year. However it’s not just the nature of the resolutions that are different in this part of the world. Maintaining the pretence of keeping them is different here too. In London I had anonymity. There, I could quite happily break my resolutions in the blissful knowledge that I’d never be caught in the act by anyone I knew. This meant I could pretend my resolution was holding up much longer than it actually was. Nobody but me knew about what became my daily ‘fake jogging’ taxi ride. Then in February I could quietly drop the whole thing – when it seemed I’d given it a good go. In the Westcountry, however, I have no such luxury. Nothing goes unnoticed down here. So I have to reconcile myself that, any day now, I’ll get home and my girlfriend will say: “Joan, from the post office, just saw you down the beach, not swimming in the water, eating a nice pasty covered in clotted cream.” And the game will be up. On the other hand I could always keep to my resolutions. But where’s the fun in that? Chris McGuire is a writer who recently moved to the Westcountry. He lives with his girlfriend in a house filled with pasties and clotted cream. 15

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People

[

New year, new me Sarah Renals had to gain confidence before she could lose weight, but becoming a mother was the catalyst. She tells Sarah Pitt how she’s found a new body, new love and a new career along the way

[

Photos: Emily Whitfield-Wicks

arah Renals laughs when I ask her if she likes having a boyfriend who works as a chef. “I do, definitely,” she says. “We cook together at the weekends. He does need a bit of educating still, about using moderation with some things, but it’s great!” For Sarah, food has always been a great love and, for many years, her weakness. “I’ve battled with my weight on and off all my life,” she admits. So when her son Jacob – who celebrates his fourth birthday in a week’s time – was just one month old, Sarah decided things had to change. At the time, weighing 16 stone and a size 22-24, she had resigned herself to a life of wearing baggy clothes and having to catch her breath after even the shortest stroll. “I had lost weight in the past, but then it would always go back on,” she says. “This time,

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People

[[ ‘I’d lost weight in past but it had always gone back on. All of a sudden though, it wasn’t just me I had to think about’

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though, it was different. All of a sudden, it wasn’t just me I had to think about. “As a single parent, I knew I had to be able to do more with Jacob, things like teaching him to ride his bike and playing football. Physically, before losing weight, I couldn’t have done any of these things. So a month after he was born, I decided to join Slimming World.” Now a trim size 10, Sarah, 32, who lives in Penwithick near St Austell, plucked up the courage to join a Slimming World group in nearby St Blazey. Although she’d tried slimming clubs before, she’d been overwhelmed by a lack of confidence in the past, which led to the pounds creeping on again. “When you have got a lot of weight to lose, you don’t really believe that you are going to be able to do it,” she says. “I certainly didn’t.” This time around, group leader Elaine Minear was on hand, convincing her she had the ability

and the fortitude to succeed. In her civilian job with the police, looking after witnesses and victims giving evidence in court, Sarah had previously found it hard to focus as much upon herself as she had on others. With Elaine’s help, though, she found she could. “It’s all about having someone having that belief in you, and then having that belief in yourself,” she says A problem too, she openly admits, was that she loved food so much. She still does, but the difference now, she says, is that she recognises how to break the patterns of comfort eating. “When I’m happy I like to celebrate and when I’m sad I like to commiserate, and most of the time I use food to do that,” she says. “I didn’t realise what I was doing, but now I have got a much greater awareness of it. It is about knowing the patterns, then you can change them.” Over the course of nine months, Sarah lost an incredible four stone through healthy eating – something that is called ‘food optimisation’ at Slimming World. While she ditched takeaways, she has gone on making favourite treats such as Indian curry at home using healthier cooking

methods, including the dieter’s favourite weapon, oil mixed with water in an atomiser spray. She also breast-fed Jacob throughout this time, assured that her nutritious new eating regime would be good for both of them. She not only maintained her weight loss, but shed a further stone over the next couple of years, taking her to ten and a half stone, perfect for her 5’6” frame. Now a size 10, she’s thrilled by just what she’s achieved. “I still can’t believe it,” she laughs. “I have to pinch myself sometimes. My little boy now weighs about two stone, so it is strange to think that I’ve lost more than two and a half times his weight!” Losing weight has massively boosted Sarah’s confidence, and led to a whole new career as a Slimming World consultant. She opted not to return to her former job after maternity leave and now supports other people embarking on a similar journey to her own. Now, she oversees 18 Slimming World groups in the Truro and Camborne area. “It was the support of the other people in the group which made the difference for me, knowing 19

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People

Before: Sarah wanted to lose weight both for herself and to become a better mum to Jacob

Romance: Sarah’s found happiness with chef Simon Fooks that there were like-minded people to motivate me,” she explains. “It was definitely the weight loss that gave me the confidence to start a new career. I would never have dreamt of standing up in front of a room full of people prior to that that. I want to reach out to as many people as possible and be able to help them change their lives as I have mine.” That boost in confidence also led to Sarah, whose relationship with Jacob’s father ended before the baby was born, finding love with Simon Fooks, a chef at the Eden Project. They’ve been together for nine months. “I’d been single for a long time, and one of my members said ‘I can’t understand why, and I have a friend you would really get on with’. I was absolutely dead against it at first,” she confesses. She later relented, and posted a message on his Facebook page. “He didn’t see the message for a year, but then out of the blue he got in touch with me on my birthday, April 4, sending a message saying Happy Birthday. The rest is history! We chatted for a while through emails, then met up, and we’ve been together ever since.” Sarah, who has now lost a total of five and a half stone, is now maintaining her new weight

with exercise – another new passion. She’s taken up running and has signed up for the Plymouth Half Marathon which takes place in April. She credits the step-by-step NHS Couch to 5k app for helping her go from non-runner to jogger. “There’s a lady talking to you, giving you encouragement as you go,” she explains. “It’s that encouragement thing again – it’s so important.” Sarah’s also been spurred on by Jacob, whose birth inspired her weight loss journey. “He’s fitter than I am – he can already do 5k running in the woods,” she laughs. “We go out on our bikes together, too. I have four months to train for the marathon and I’m confident I can do it.” Sarah anticipates losing a further half a stone through regular exercise as she trains for the half-marathon. The change in herself is such that, when she is shopping for clothes, she still heads for the size 20s on the sale rail before remembering just how far she has come. “I am the smallest now that I have ever been,” she smiles. “I’m really chuffed and want people to know that anybody can do it. There aren’t any barriers really – just the ones in your mind.” Visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk to find a group near you.

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LIVE THE ISLAND LIFE ON SCILLY It’s that first glimpse of pristine white sands. The bracing hit of sea air. Flowers you’ve never seen before. Shellfish fresh from the sea. Island hopping by day and tapping your feet to folk songs by night. When we connect you to the Isles of Scilly, you’ll connect with the rhythm of island life. #TRAVELLOCAL

Fly to Scilly in an hour or less from Exeter, Newquay and Land’s End airports. You can also sail to Scilly from Penzance on the Scillonian III passenger ferry.

WWW.ISLESOFSCILLY-TRAVEL.CO.UK • CALL 01736 334220 Ads_Jan02.indd 6

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REAL HOMES

Guest intentions Foxham sofa bed, covered in Magnesium textured linen from £1,053, willowandhall.co.uk

New Year is a good time to look at converting the neglected dumping ground in your home into a stylish space for guests. Gabrielle Fagan comes up with some ideas for transforming your spare room uests can be a duty – or a pleasure – but whichever category they fall into, they need a stylish, comfortable room for overnight stays. And if the New Year has inspired you to clear out some of your clutter – revealing the bedroom beneath the junk – a spare room makes a fun interiors project. Concentrate on keeping your décor fairly neutral, so that the room will appeal to guests of all ages. And once you’ve done this, set about furnishing it. Charlie Marshall, the founder of sofa and bed company Loaf, says that cosiness is key. “To make your guest room snug, add lots of blan-

kets to the bed. At our home, we have giant lambswool ones, which are super soft,” he says. “I’m a fan of laidback, pure linen bedding, which feels soft and natural rather than starched and ironed, which looks nice but doesn’t feel as cosy. “My other tip is go easy on the cushions. They may look great stacked on a bed but most will inevitably end up littering the floor, which can be really annoying in a small room.” Often a spare room will be one of the smallest in the house, but don’t let this, or for that matter a shortage of money, discourage you. Space-saving solutions and budget pieces can save the day. “Guest rooms

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Interiors Canopy made from Blazer Stripe fabric ÂŁ29.50/metre www.ianmankin.co.uk

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Interiors Melo 2 armchair with reclining and sleeping function £1,659 from Danish designer www.boconcept.com

should be warm and welcoming, as opposed to an afterthought,” says Alison Cork, founder of online interiors company Within. “But they can be transformed really easily. Keep a colour scheme simple. Two shades always work best, so go for ultra-fashionable grey and white, or give a room a Skandi feel with red and white. “For this room, the little thoughtful touches, which needn’t be expensive, are everything. A throw, a lamp, a radio, a basket of bath goodies, scented drawer liners and a candle, and a pile of magazines all work together to conjure a cosseting atmosphere.” Ensuring there are enough electrical sockets for charging phones, tablets and laptops - plus an extension cable near the bed - makes a pleasing, practical touch. A quick lick of paint can make a big difference. Save pennies by painting the bedhead wall as a feature, or revamp old furniture for instant effect. The Colours paint range at B&Q includes a ‘grey slate’ emulsion at £13.94 for 2.5 litres. If space is an issue, Danish furniture designer BoConcept has two contemporary solutions: a Melo sofa (£1,659), which reclines into a bed position, or a Kyoto sofa bed, which folds flat to make a double at £1,389. And Loaf’s daybed, £875, has a top which lifts off and can be placed next to the base to make a double bed. Style connoisseurs know Dunelm’s a brilliant destination for affordable pieces including this

low bedstead and white telephone table, which works well as a bedside table, pictured right. At the other end of the scale, if space and budget allow, you could rival a boutique hotel in providing an indulgent space where your guests can relax as well as sleep. “I love a spare room that has personality, style and is a talking point for guests,” says Samantha Parish, interior design manager at Hypnos Beds. “Being bold in your decor, and creating a room with a boutique hotel look works brilliantly to give a guest space the ‘wow’ factor. You can easily capture this look in your own home with an oversized statement headboard, which is a dramatic focal point. “Use contrasting bright colours on walls or fabrics, styled with eclectic soft furnishings or accessories.” Rich colours and fabulous fabrics can transform a room; for instance, a bed canopy adds grandeur to the most modest bed. If you’re seeking inspiration, fabric emporium Ian Mankin (www.ianmankin.co.uk), known for its tickings and other striped fabrics, is a good destination. Its Britannia collection, available in on-trend navy blue, includes a Blazer Stripe, £29.50 per metre, and a Dunoon velvet, £49.50 per metre. Luxury bedlinen and towels are a must, and Christy is a byword for top quality ranges. Its Luxury Egyptian Bedlinen is currently reduced online, with double duvet covers down to £127.50 from £170. Your guests will never want leave!

Elements duvet set from £11.99, telephone table £69.99, Skandi low oak bed £449.99, all Dunelm

Interiors_Jan02.indd 24

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GET THE

LOOK Opt for a clean and simple look with cosy touches for your spare

Mini book lamp £3.99 oakroomshop.co.uk Phoenix cushion £28 made.com

Grey slate emulsion £13.94 for 2.5 litres B&Q

Asinara pendant light £46 B&Q

RJR John Rocha silver lily-scented reed diffuser (was £20) now £15.40 Debenhams

Wooden painted drawers £7.99 Dunelm Mill

Kyoto sofa bed £1,389 www.boconcept.co.uk

Interiors_Jan02.indd 25

24/12/2015 13:10:15

Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Small talk Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, suggests welcoming beneficial minibeasts to your garden this year ust before Christmas, I was ordering local honey for presents and started thinking about bees and other wildlife that depend on our gardens for food and shelter. Anyone still struggling for a worthwhile, easy to keep New Year’s resolution could do worse than vowing to welcome all living creatures large and small to their plots. The first steps are possibly negative ones because the right mindset has to take root before actions are made. Have a lovely walk around the garden and decide to stop worrying about the usual things that bother gardeners. Pests should no longer be seen as a threat to eliminate, because most of them are food for other things. We are so fond of keeping order we tend to reach for a sprayer rather than letting nature take her course, and what happens? Even by using relatively innocuous soft soap solutions and plant matrix compounds we eliminate natural parasites and predators along with the pests. Next time you have an outdoor black or greenfly attack, study it through a magnifying glass and you are likely to spot a variety of odd looking creatures feeding on the aphids. Some will be the larvae of hoverfly, ladybird and lacewing and there could be velvet mites and Pests should flower bugs. Killing the pests no longer be wipes out food for frogs, toads and birds, as well as leaving a seen as a threat residue on leaves which could to eliminate, easily deter them from foraging. because most of I hardly ever spray and we still harvest loads of food. them are food Another negative step infor other things volves not being so tidy. We recently wanted to curb some wild hedge and bramble growth

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invading our plot but didn’t clear everything in one go. Birds may not be nesting but they need somewhere to roost, as do other overwintering creatures. Log, stone, or old tile heaps are great too for toads to dig underneath. Minibeasts like woodlice lurk here too, forming a ready food supply. We gardeners disagree violently about woodlice. Some of us doubt whether they do much harm in the garden. These strange armadillo-like creatures are crustaceans and have weak mouthparts that struggle to cope withe ven tiny seedlings or soft strawberries. Damage is more often started by a more capable creature like a slug which takes a hole out of something and then disappears. The woodlice then move in to eat the decaying tissue round the edges and end up taking the blame for the whole episode. Other gardeners detest woodlice with a vengeance and pour all sorts of disinfectants everywhere to do away with them. But again, they are also destroying food and habitats for other creatures. Making sure plants are strong and healthy means they will almost certainly be too tough for woodlice to eat. Early nectar and pollen is important, especial-

ly for queen bees coming out of hibernation. If you don’t already have them, now is a great time to go shopping for pulmonarias or soldiers and sailors. There are plenty, all fairly low-growing ground cover plants with hairy, often silver-splashed leaves and early pink, blue or white flowers. They do well in shady spots and once established, will tolerate dry shade. If you need a well-behaved shrub, Edgeworthia chrysantha bears early clusters of fragrant yellow flowers. We are told to plant nectar-rich flowers for butterflies but without food plants for their caterpillars, there won’t be any. Think about which butterflies you’d like to see, look them up and see if you can attract them to lay eggs in your garden. The small copper is pretty and likes taking nectar from our Verbena bonariensis in late summer, after which this last batch of adults hibernates. Eggs are laid on dock and sorrel, so a meadow area with sorrel (avoid the dock) will fit the bill. Don’t cut it until after October, or you might be scything their chrysalises. Once you’ve decided to do it, taking care of wildlife is just common sense.

Question time with Anne

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

• Look after moth orchids received as gifts by keeping them in good light. Water them when the weight of the pot feels light and feed occasionally. West mag reader Alison from Tavistock has sent in this picture of her orchid, above, which she has kept going for two years, watering it once a week. • Prune autumn

raspberries down to the ground unless you want them to yield some fruits in summer. If so, trim by one third and remember to feed and mulch the plants in spring. • Force rhubarb by placing a clay forcer or large upturned pot over all or part of the crown. Bright red, tender stems soon push up.

West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank I would like to buy a citrus of some kind but find the range on offer confusing. I don’t know whether to buy a grapefruit, kumquat, lime or recently I saw some nice plants of bergamot orange.

Bergamot orange is a sour type with unpalatable fruits but interesting because the whole plant is highly scented and rind oil is used in aromatherapy products and to perfume Earl Grey tea. Unless you go to a specialist citrus grower, you are at the mercy of what the garden centre has managed to get hold of. Often, they just stock ‘Meyer’s Lemon’ which is ok but possibly not the best lemon. Others like ‘Eureka’ or ‘Verna’ are freer with their flowers and fruits. The commonest citrus around is probably the calamondin orange whose fruits are small and not eaten raw (although they make good marmalade, marinades and sauces) the plants are small, happy to grow in warm rooms and highly decorative. Possibly the best bet is a Tahiti lime. These are prolific fruiters, delivering delicious, seedless limes. Cross Common Nursery near Helston (01326 290722 www. crosscommonnursery.co.uk) stock a good range.

What was or is going to be your first gardening task of the New Year?

I’m on a mission to finish sowing all the old packets of perennial seeds I’ve found while clearing out my seed tins. I did one batch back in the autumn and have already had some seedlings come up, notably the Tangier pea (Lathyrus tingitanus). I sow into pots, cover the seeds with grit, pop a lid over them to keep mice off and leave them out on the greenhouse staging where they can feel the cold (a lot need this to break dormancy) yet don’t get too wet.

Prune grapevines and wisteria by cutting last year’s side shoots back to within a short spur (containing two buds) of older wood.

Choose a warm, sunny morning to go round and water any dry plants overwintering in the greenhouse. Ventilate, and the atmosphere will have dried out again by night time.

Send your questions to Anne at westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 27

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Beauty

[

Our skin is our biggest organ and absorbs chemicals and nutrients, both good and bad

Dreamy Lush Dream Cream £6.25 I love this! Using oat milk, rose water and chamomile blue oil Lush have made this hand and body cream. It is great for eczema sufferers and has cooling and soothing benefits for all types of skin, especially sensitive.

Abbie’s

Beauty Box

Magic mask Yes to Tomatoes face mask (Boots, £11.99) Don’t be put off by the name – tomatoes contain lycopene, a potent antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. This deep-pore cleansing mask really works.

Skin treat Mary Kay Botanical Effects Freshen £13 Full of antioxidants from frangipani and waterlily, this is the perfect product to help remove excess oil without drying your skin out.

Good gel The Body Shop Vitamin C Eye Reviver Duo (£14) A cooling eye gel that will refresh your eyes, this magic wand helps with puffiness too.

Expert advice from beauty guru Abbie Bray of Newton Abbot Happy New Year! Now that it is the start of 2016, many of us will be thinking about trying to detox our bodies after we have over-indulged at Christmas (I am definitely guilty of this). What a lot of us can forget, though, is that overdoing food and alcohol can affect our skin more than we realise. The skin is our biggest organ and it absorbs chemicals and nutrients, both good and bad. This week I have put to the test some of the best products to revitalise or relax your skin. They will give a helping hand to any healthy eating regime you are also embarking on right now (New Year resolutions, anyone?). I particularly love the Yes to Tomatoes range. It contains the red fruit’s magic ingredient lypocene, a well-known antioxidant which turns out to be as good for you on the outside as it is for our insides. The mask promises to deepcleanse your skin, and it really did. My face has never felt so clean and clear. I just loved it, give it a try.

Glow Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate (John Lewis, £36) This oil will revitalise your skin after all those New Year parties. It has a gorgeous ginger fragrance too.

Honey bee Manuka Magic Honey Oil (£12.50, www.thehoneydoctor.com) Thanks to the healing properties of manuka honey, this soothes dry skin and even treats burns as well.

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28/12/2015 11:08:26

T-shirt £14.99 The Poke at www. shotdeadinthehead.com

Run in style

t might be the middle of winter, but if you’ve got a few post-Christmas pounds to lose, then running is one of the most effective ways to do it. It is also fun, but if you don’t believe us, why not don this cute slogan T-shirt, above, as you take your first steps?

When it comes to kit, the most important things to spend money on are your trainers and a decent sports bra. You don’t, though, need to spend much on leggings or tops as there are plenty of great budget buys out there. Graphic prints are very much in vogue at the moment. This outfit from New Look, right, features a graphic print on the jacket partnered with leggings featuring a discreet stripe on a black background. Finally, if you are heading out into the frosty streets, do don a hat and some gloves to keep your head and hands warm until you get going.

Cable headphones £9.95 www.red5.co.uk

Jacket £24.99 leggings £17.99 New Look

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Fashion

Activewear T-shirt £14.99 New Look Zip thru yoga jacket £29 M&Co

th ru ja cket te e £1 0 Z ip L o n g sl eeve gg in gs £1 8 al l M & C o d le £2 9 p ri n te Holdall gym bag £12.99 www.getthelabel.com

Yoga pants £20 Evans

Fingerless mittens £25 Jigsaw

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Motivational sports bra £45 www.activeinstyle.co.uk

Tie dye workout leggings £6 Primark 31

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Trend

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Capes MAIN PHOTO HAIR: LILY AT SAKS, EXETER MAKE-UP: URBAN DECAY, DEBENHAMS (BOTH PRINCESSHAY) PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HAYWOOD STILL-LIFE PHOTOGRAPHS: PR SHOTS. SHOOT ASSISTED BY: HANNAH MATTOCKS

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod on the virtues of a bit of drape in January

f the cape is good enough for Victoria Beckham, it’s good enough for me. The key difference between Posh and me (apart from waking up to Becks every morning) is that she doesn’t use the cape as a fashion-forward way of hiding her post festive season curves. No, I doubt Posh had any members of her family ask if they should get a lifeguard to supervise her plate because it was so deep in gravy. Don’t they know if I had fallen in I would have simply eaten my way out? It is exactly that laissez faire attitude to second helpings that has landed me in a strict cycle of body pump and spin classes and dependent on the art of layering until I feel the effects of Christmas wear off. But my joy goes beyond the flattering aspects of this garment. They say gratitude is the cornerstone of a happy life. In which case I should be ecstatic. That’s how thankful I am that these huge swathes of fabric are considered fashion forward at such a critical time of the year. Firstly, it is cold. So what an actual delight to be able to burrow deep down into a cosy cape while out and about. They’re also right at home in a multitude of situations. Mercifully, January is a slightly less social month for most of us. A well thought out cover-up will see you through lunch dates, school runs, present returning and sales rummaging in comfortable style. Geometric or Aztec prints like the one I am wearing are set to be How thankful big news into the new year, but I am that these investing in a neutral option is also a stellar idea. I’m especially huge swathes partial to the belted River Island of fabric are offering on the opposite page. I’ve been scratching my head to come considered up with a justification for a second fashion forward cape. Fortuitously I then read at such a critical about the benefits of rewarding yourself for reaching exercise and time of year wellness goals. Spin? Maybe, but that beige beauty just became my

Fine knitted cape, River Island, Princesshay, £35

Leather-look biker jacket, River Island, Princesshay, £85 Rollneck jumper, River Island, Princesshay, £20 Leather-look trousers, River Island, Princesshay, £40 Suede-fringed heeled ankle boots, River Island, Princesshay, £45 Faux-suede fringed bucket handbag, River Island, Princesshay, £40

proverbial carrot. Another definite perk is that your jumper collection will be given an opportunity to get more exposure. I have so many gorgeous knits that spend most of their time hidden away under the sleeves of a coat while I am in town. Chunky fishermenstyle rollnecks look fabulous underneath capes, as do classic stripes. Just be sure to pop a long sleeve thermal vest underneath to

keep the heat in. If you are tempted out for an evening soiree and pour yourself into a lovely frock, don’t be afraid to mix your eclectic new cape with your cocktail wear. Breaking the mould is fun, and you know what I say about rules, bend them like Beckham! All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www. princesshay.co.uk

Trend_Jan02.indd 32

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GET THE HOBBS Harewood cape £299

look

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HOBBS Newton cape £249

RIVER ISLAND Belted cape £65 HOBBS Owen cape £249

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culture vulture Our unmissable guide to what’s on in the Westcountry by arts expert Sarah Pitt Colourful tales Exeter’s Cygnet Theatre will be bringing enchanting scenes from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book and Just So Stories to vibrant life in January. So if you – or your kids – are Jungle Book fans, head along to its production, In the High and Far off Times. You’ll find out How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, How the Camel got his Hump and How the Elephant got his Trunk. Fun guaranteed. Performances from January 21-30, tickets £10 for adults, £6 children, £26 for a family of four. Visit www.wegottickets.com/cygnettheatre, 01392 277189.

Last orders Get your tickets now before it’s last orders at Plymouth’s Theatre Royal. Comedy superstar Al Murray is bringing the Pub Landlord’s live show Let’s Go Backwards Together to the South West for one night only, September 24 2016. The landlord with a view on everything will be musing on Europe, the NHS and, as he puts it, whatever the hell is going on in the Middle East. Not to mention the gathering storm of fortnightly bin collections. Tickets £22.50-£28.50, from www.theatreroyal.com or on 01752 267222.

Catch a worm Early bird tickets have gone on sale for the 10th family-friendly Watchet Festival, which takes place in Somerset in August 2016. The line up’s yet to be announced, but Sir Bob Geldof, The Selecter, Seth Lakeman and Big Country all took to the stage at last year’s sell-out event, which raised money for local charities. Early bird prices at www. watchetfestival.co.uk, with family weekend camping tickets priced at £180.

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Enjoy

Your stars by Cassandra Nye

Happy birthday to...

This week’s sign:

Nigella Lawson

Independent-minded and earnest, Capricorns always do what they think is best – and usually give it plenty of thought. But if others don’t see things their way, they can take it to heart. Planning ahead is one of their strong points and they like to get ahead by setting themselves goals. Career-wise, they have the focus to succeed – but mustn’t forget to factor in some fun, too.

born January 6, 1960 Kitchen goddess Nigella taught us how to make our cake – and eat it – after switching from journalism to TV food shows. Nigella, who’s always stressed she’s a cook, not a chef, has two children from her marriage with the journalist John Diamond, who died in 2001. She divorced her multi-millionaire second husband Charles Saatchi in 2013 and is been back on our screens again with BBC2’s Simply Nigella. She recently caused a media storm (dubbed Avocado-gate) with her super-simple dish of avocado on toast. Comfort food is her speciality, but she says: “I wouldn’t get on Bake Off, it’s too complicated. I like baking in a homespun kind of way.”

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Hard and fast decisions need to be made as this New Year gets underway. Look for solutions but be prepared to stand by your beliefs. Take a step back in the evenings and at the weekend. Better? Don’t let anyone break into your time when you need to pull back and relax. Sometimes you can be far too accommodating!

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) It is easy to say that you will do something this week. What is not so easy is doing it. Now there would seem to be nothing to stop some pretty rapid progress. Why hesitate? Travel plans look good and so will you. Mercury urges you to make changes in your looks and style.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) You may be low on energy at times. Enlist the help of others to get things done. Don’t see the slow start as a sign that it will continue thus. Even as midweek arrives, you can feel the influence of Venus lighting up your love chart. Not matched yet? Then consider what you really want and seriously look for it.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Spend the week sharpening up those New Year resolutions. You need help to make the most of your opportunities. Start making connections after the weekend. If you can see where others are going it is easier to plan your own route and get to your goal before anyone else.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) A mind full of ideas is your greatest asset now. Find new ways of looking at old situations. The chances are that you haven’t made any New Year resolutions. After all, you know exactly what needs to be done! It is a buzzy time and sometimes hard to concentrate. Even so, be sure not to neglect loved ones.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) The world out there wants something that you have to give. Extend your boundaries and ambitions, for there is much to gain. Love may seem to be levelling out, but the chances are that it is just a case of spent energy. Have a bottle of something bubbly and quiet moments together.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Your humour is good with high energy. Do you know what to do with it though? A plan that starts slowly and then gains speed is what you need. Control comes from within and you are steering! Bear in mind that with Mars driving you, there is a tendency to neglect your lover. Don’t!

LEO (July 23 - August 23) A bit of a slump after the holiday could see you in a grumpy mood. Don’t sit moping for too long. Gather your talents and get them working pronto. Opportunities at work are echoed by opportunities in your personal life. Could an old friend or flame come up with a proposition?

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) A meeting over the holiday has left you with a taste for more. However, what you want today you may wish to lose tomorrow. Getting down to business keeps you on the right path. You have ideas. Get them out there!

Midweek capers distract you but if you decide to backtrack, stay real. Practical is boring but necessary.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) What you see ahead is success for your ambitions. What may not be so clear is the chance of personal happiness. It is there if you are looking in the right place. Next week is a peak time for romance but this week is a time to look after your finances. Seek the help of a long-term friend when seeking either work or love.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Be an inspiration to others this week. When they see your dynamic approach, they will want to follow your lead. As you are bursting with ideas, sort out the most practical of them. Now make a plan. Someone may be waiting for you to either ask or answer a question. If you are not ready then be honest about it. If it is a case of hurt pride, then be gentle. It costs nothing.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Now you can choose your path, make it a good one. Frustration could see you wasting both time and money. Not a good idea. If you really need some inspiration, get some time away. New approaches come with new friends and some brilliant suggestions. Getting into unfamiliar and inspiring places makes all the difference. 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

EMERGENCY KIT

Good for you

Beauty blogger and make-up artist Lisa Eldridge’s starry client list includes everyone from Kate Moss to Kim Kardashian West and Kate Winslet. Lisa, pictured above, has revealed that that Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage would be among her desert island skincare essentials, so she’d be prepared for any “massive spot” cover-up emergencies Find it at John Lewis (£26.50).

Fun!

Globe artichokes are packed full of antioxidants and have diuretic properties, making them a tasty source of goodness that supports your liver. If you can’t get your hands on the real thing, Veganicity has combined artichoke with vitamins, minerals and key amino acids in its Liver Kind supplement (£10.95).

This time of year’s all about fresh beginnings, but they don’t all have to be abstemious. We just love Moschino’s latest perfume (mandarin and bergamot top notes, a floral heart and a woody finish), which comes in a bottle shaped like a household cleaner. A fun way to reward yourself in advance for all those resolutions you mean to keep! Fresh Couture Eau de Toilette, £70 for 100ml, www.selfridges.com.

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Skin kind This Neroli Firming Intense Facial Serum, £14.99 (www.superfacialist.co.uk) contains apple stem cells and hibiscus extract to stimulate lipids in our skin and help prevent the loss of skin volume. With regular use it’s said to make your skin feel firmer.

wake up It would seem the so-called ‘have it all generation’ – those aged between 30 and 39 – are feeling pretty exhausted. According to a survey by Eylure, more than two-thirds of women in that age group would like to look more rested, and over 40% think they look tired every single day. The answer? Eylure recommends wearing a pair of their false lashes for a quick-fix wide-eyed look, of course!

Join in If you’re aiming to shed a few pounds this year, then check out the NHS’s free 12-week weight loss plan at www.nhs.uk where you’ll meet an online community of get-in-shapers making the journey with you. You’ll also find the Couch to 5k running app on this website. We’ve tried it – and can now actually run the distance!

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

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

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Wellbeing

Glowing winter skin How to stay smooth when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cold outside What are the best ways to keep my skin healthy during the cold winter months? KH, Totnes

Dr Pradnya Apte says: Winter weather is no fun at all for our skin. Cold temperatures and low humidity results in dry air outdoors, while inside, central heating robs the air of moisture. Hot showers and baths, as well as harsh cleansers, can play havoc with our skin. To redress the balance, and have great skin this winter, try my skin tips: 1. Wash in lukewarm water. Although a hot shower or bath seems glorious at the time, the heat will strip your skin of valuable oils, making it more prone to redness and itching. 2. Moisturise immediately after you have washed. Applying body lotion or moisturiser to damp skin helps seal in that moisture. 3. Some moisturisers have petroleum-based ingredients that can further dry your skin during the winter months. Choose a smart formula that has natural nourishing ingredients and go for an oil-based rather than water-based solution.

4. Protect your skin by wearing gloves and 8. Winter skin is more fragile so avoid allergens scarves. Do not forget to wear sunscreen, as that will cause your skin to flare up. winter rays can be just as damaging as summer 9. Hydrate from the inside out. Eat food with a sun. Make sure the product contains titanium high water content such as watermelon, apples, dioxide and zinc oxide to get the kiwi and watery veggies like best protection. tomatoes, celery, cucumbers 5. Drink water! We tend to drink and carrots. Make sure, too, less in the winter because we that you are getting enough Viturn to hot drinks but do not tamin C and zinc to support the Do not forget to forget your skin needs hydrahealthy production of collagen wear sunscreen tion from the inside. Try a little and elastin, both needed for a warm water with lemon. glowing complexion. Consume as winter rays 6. Moisturise at night. Drier more fatty fish and flaxseed can be just as areas like hands, feet, knees to give your skin the building damaging as the and elbows have thin skin and blocks it needs to stay supple. tend to lose moisture faster 10. Change your cleanser. Use summer sun than other areas. Use a richer a more hydrating cleanser, and moisturiser at night, and do not apply it frequently to avoid forget to moisturise your face dehydration which can lead to with a product designed for more dryness. overnight repair. 7. Exfoliate. It is important to help the skin Dr Pradnya Apte is a trained dentist and aesthetic slough off the dead cells in winter. I recommend practitioner who runs the Revitalise-Rejuvenate an exfoliating mask containing glycolic acid clinic in Southernhay, Exeter. She is a stockist for to accelerate skin turnover. I also recommend Image skincare. For details visit www.revitalise-rejuusing a body lotion that contains glycolic acid. venate.co.uk

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Olive fougasse bread with harissa hummus Matt says: “This recipe can be easily made at home for a quick light meal or a great addition to a charcuterie dinner”

Recipe by Matt Street, head chef at The Eastbury Hotel, Sherborne, Dorset

Ingredients

Combine the yeast and water, leave for 10 minutes. Add to the flour and salt to make the dough. Leave covered for one and a half hours in a warm place.

Pull out the dough and shape 150g lumps into triangles. Roll and cut slits in each piece with a sharp knife (see picture for how these should look). Push in the olives all over the dough.

Allow the bread to prove again on a tray, covered with a carrier bag, for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, make the hummus.

For the bread 1kg Type 55 flour (white French bread flour) 600ml water at 20C 20g salt 25g fresh yeast 150 pitted olives (try Moorish cumin and coriander ones) For the hummus 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed 5 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 tbsp harissa paste 1 tbsp tomato puree 1 lemon or lime

Method:

Put the chickpeas, olive oil, crushed garlic, harissa paste and tomato puree, along with a couple of pinches of salt, into a blender. Blitz it up with a couple of squeezes of

lemon or lime, then put straight into your favourite serving dish. Add a generous dollop of harissa paste and drizzle olive oil over the top. 5.

Set the oven to 200C and place a roasting tin on the bottom of the oven containing 100ml of water. The added moisture in the oven will add colour to the bread. Remove the bread from the bag, and place the tray in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Grab a sharing plate or board and arrange on it the freshly-baked fougasse bread, the hummus and a small dipping dish of olive oil for your warm, beautiful bread.

• M att sources his olives, oil and chilli paste from Dorset’s Olives Et Al, www.olivesetal.co.uk

This recipe comes from A Taste of the West Country (£16.99) by the food producers’ cooperative, Taste of the West, with photography by David Griffen To order your copy, designed by Jeff Cooper of We Make Magazines, see www.tasteofthewest.co.uk or call 01404 822012 40

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24/12/2015 13:18:23

Eat

Ingredient of the Week

Jerusalem artichokes with Tim Maddams appy New Year to you and let’s description, but it’s the best I can manage when make it a tasty one! My ingredient it comes to summing up the flavour. Jerusalem of the week for this first column of artichokes taste mostly of, well, Jerusalem the year are Jerusalem artichokes. artichokes and not much like anything else, Why? Because they are ace. In fact, making a comparison tricky at best. if you’ve never tried a Jerusalem Getting hold of them at this time artichoke you are seriously of year shouldn’t be too difficult missing out. and any half-decent greengrocer In actual fact, In actual fact, they are not ought to be able to help , although artichokes at all and they you may need to give them a Jerusalem certainly don’t come from heads-up in advance. Sadly, this artichokes are Jerusalem, being native to North root has been overlooked or not artichokes America. They’re actually a abused in kitchens by people who member of the sunflower family simply don’t understand it. It’s at all, and are and although they look a lot like not a carrot or a potato and yet native to North these towering plants as they it’s often treated in the same way. grow, it’s not the seeds that we You must always cook your America are after, but the tuberous roots. artichokes before eating. They There are various different are often known as fartychokes, types of Jerusalem artichoke for their somewhat impressive and they all share a common effect upon the digestive system. flavour and texture that is somewhere between Be warned. If you try them raw or only partially sweet parsnip and an oddly perfumed turnip. cooked you could experience a digestive reaction Okay, that’s perhaps not the most helpful of an entirely more serious nature!

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Tasty Jerusalem artichoke pasta Boil up some pasta. While it is cooking, wash your ’chokes well, chop them and toss with plenty of garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Cook them in a large pan, then reduce the heat as they soften and season well with chilli. Add chopped hazelnuts and a dash more oil. Once they are properly soft and mushy, stir in the just-cooked pasta. Finish with chopped parsley and a sprinkling of blue cheese and serve. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and author of Game: River Cottage Handbook no. 15 (Bloomsbury £14.99) 41

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24/12/2015 13:18:48

Home is where the hearth is.

Green Credentials.

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28/12/2015 11:46:36

Drink

GONGS… … for Cornwall’s Rebel Brewing Company and Somerset’s Wild Beer Company in FHM magazine’s Cra Beer Awards in the ‘best hammer blow bevvy’ category – which I take to mean strong beers. The beers which impressed the judges were Rebel’s Mexi-Cocoa Stout (8.5% ABV) and Wild’s Wildebeest (11%). Drink responsibly!

Beer of the week You don’t read much about Lizard Ales. They just quietly get on with the job in a very consistent and pleasing way. Blizzard (5% ABV) is perfect for chilly winter evenings with dark malts balanced by fresh Cascade hops. Loads of flavour and a great body.

Darren Norbury

talks beer ddly enough, January is quite a To be honest, working behind a bar at any time popular time for Christmas parties. of year is hard work, and I can tell you this from Well, popular within the licensed experience. Up until this year my experience trade, anyway. One of the other exof bar work was some two-hour shifts behind a ceptions I’ve seen to the general rule was a fesCAMRA beer festival bar, nothing complicated. tive get-together at one of Pizza But now I find myself behind Express’s major restaurants in a real bar twice a week, runLondon, in August, complete ning up and down, serving beer, with decorations and Santa hats, cleaning glasses, cleaning the You may think when presumably the Christmas mess I make serving the beer. I it’s detox time, menus were being explained. hate to think what it’s like to do but pubs sell Odd sight, all the same. it five or six nights a week. The licensed trade can’t do Which is why we mustn’t take so drinks and Christmas parties when we our bar staff for granted. They’ll coffee as well as do because, well, obviously, enjoy their Christmas party this beer, so make they’re providing them. They’ve month, but the best thing the had a month or so of constant rest of us can do is not abandon sure they’re not long hours and big crowds, them in January. You may think abandoned seeing some folk they only ever it’s detox time, but pubs sell soft see once a year when they’re drinks and coffees too, so don’t dragged away from their office be a stranger to your local this spreadsheets by colleagues. month. Who knows, there may On this topic, there’s an hilarious viral Faceeven be a barrel of that lovely local Christmas book posting originating from the Stoke Inn, in beer left and the prospect of a January ale, I mean Plymouth, last year, offering sage advice to those sale. Just don’t order your drinks too loudly the ‘once a year-ers’ on how to act in a pub. For inday after the staff party… stance: don’t start drinking at 4pm. Says the Happy New Beer! Stoke Inn: “You’re NOT a drinker. We haven’t seen you all year. You’re an amateur, so don’t Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk start out with a marathon.” Look up the Stoke Inn on Facebook to read more… @beertoday

Time for a brew

Tea’s been cropping up on my website a fair bit: there’s been the north London pub specialising in tea alongside its range of beers, as well as news of brewers making of teainfused ales. Among them is Atlantic Brewery, near Newquay, where Stuart Thomson has created Masala Chai PA. Catch it if you can: fragrant and quite easy drinking.

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24/12/2015 13:20:04

My Secret Westcountry

Ness Cove at Shaldon

Malcolm Riley – The African Chef Malcolm Riley is the founder of an award-winning range of African inspired sauces and condiments which combine sustainable African treefoods, spices and chillies with local ingredients. Originally from Zambia, he moved from London and lives in South Devon with his partner Sophie, a photographer, and their three children.

My favourite... Walk: Kennick, Tottiford and Trenchford reservoirs on Dartmoor. They’re very peaceful and are the ideal place to fit in some extended season fly fishing. Beach: Ness Cove at Shaldon. It’s great for a spot of mackerel fishing and the kids love going through the old ‘smugglers’ tunnel to the beach. Festival: Nourish Food, Craft & Music Festival at Bovey Tracey. We have exhibited there since it started two years ago and it has a fantastic atmosphere. Also, Powderham Food Festival; it’s a stunning location and vibe. 44

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People The Arundell Arms

Powderham Food Festival

Lemon Jelli

Activity: I enjoy cycling and chi gong and am

Tipple: Definitely Luscombe drinks especially

very passionate about flyfishing. Most all, I love fiddling under the bonnet of on my Series 3 Land Rover. It’s 43 years old, the same age as me. We take it to food festivals and it’s a great talking point – it’s also so symbolic of the African landscape and its conservation.

their elderflower bubbly and Sicilian lemonade.

Weekend away: With three children aged 10 Pub: The Ness Bar, Restaurant and Rooms at Shaldon near Teignmouth, which has stunning views over the coast and a great atmosphere.

Restaurant: I have two favourites. Firstly, Food: Organic nitrate-free bacon from Moonbeams Land in Somerset, which rears Gloucester Old Spots. I first tried it at the Crediton Food Festival and it was superb, with lots of rind that crisps up into crackling.

impressed with their calamari starter, too!

Lemon Jelli in Newton Abbot which is a really quirky, warm and friendly place. Paul Brearley, the owner, is a great guy. My other is Adam Koc’s newly-opened Italian restaurant, Ricca’s, in Newton Abbot. I love the contemporary surroundings and their flame oven. I’m really

to three months, this is something we have yet to experience! We’ve had the occasional weekend camping trip in Cornwall, but a grown-up stay at the Arundell Arms in Lifton is on my wishlist. For Sophie, it would be a spa weekend at the Scarlet Hotel at Mawgan Porth.

Shop: I like Tog 24 at the Shops at Dartington for outdoor clothing, and Sophie is a big fan of Naomi Davies Jewellery in Newton Abbot – Naomi’s incredibly talented.

Find out more at www.theafricanchef.com 45

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24/12/2015 13:21:04

My life

man and boy

Rex education Phil Goodwin, father of James, five, broaches the facts of life

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clutching giant organs; eyes were popped out, hearts sliced – the stuff of dreams for my fiveyear-old. They figured out that the poor creature had fractured a leg, probably tripped and broken its neck. Then they moved on to the subject of gender – decided to ‘sex the rex’. I should have realised what was coming. An arm shot up a cavity located beneath a flap on the underbelly – an opening also common in the birds called the cloacal vent. The blooded technician starts explaining what this is for and we cut to video of birds doing their thing – all in a flutter, you might say. I have to admit, this stuff was brand new to me. I know birds, bees and ‘even educated fleas do it’ as the old song goes, but I’d never cared to look more deeply into the cloacal, if you’ll excuse the pun. Of course, as this feathered frolicking continues, James look at me and asks: ‘Dad, what are they doing?’. And there I was, unrehearsed, on the spot, reaching for the next line. I started by telling him there were eggs inside the lady. Then we were back to the T rex. The boy is looking at me, mouth a bit open, listening intently, with his serious ‘science’ face. I am the teacher. I start to say how the man bird makes the eggs that turn into a baby T rex. I hear myself bumbling around. I am glad no one can hear me

I start to say how the man bird makes the eggs turn into a baby T rex

and witness my discomfort. At the end he just keeps staring at me. “Yuk, that’s disgusting,” he says, before going back to the dissected carcass on the screen. Absolutely. Anyway, I think I have put him off for a few years. Better get my story straight for next time. Note to self: don’t forget to mention love.

[

main picture: Steve Haywood

o… the ‘birds and the bees’ chat: fatherly instruction on the workings of nature. Somehow, you are never quite ready for that delicate conversation. Couching the reproductive tendencies of humans in the more easily digestible terms of the animal kingdom sits somewhere between a rite of passage – for lecturer and student – and comedy gold. My dear old dad was long gone from this world by the time I was near the age for posing such sensitive questions and I don’t recall ever receiving help from my mum. There was an odd lecture in biology class once but we just giggled. Casting my mind back, I think my mate Chrissy Cairns from over the road broached the topic, around the time of innocent ‘doctors and nurses’ games in the local woods. He had it half right, Chris. After that, I think I just earwigged on older kids and got on with experimenting when I was a teenager. Of course, delivering the messy information about the union of male and female is much harder than being on the receiving end, as I found out. I was always faintly aware I might be called upon but I was unprepared. I certainly didn’t think the subject matter would be prehistoric conjugal relations between a ‘He rex’ and a ‘She rex’. There we were, enjoying the Christmas break in time-honoured fashion – sat on the sofa with the telly on, eating stuff. We were watching a fictional documentary about how a team of scientists perform an autopsy on a freshly dead Tyrannosaurus Rex, as you do. It was fascinating and spectacularly gory. The animal was brought on the back of a lorry to a secret facility somewhere in the United States after being discovered still warm. Blood spattered morticians clambered in and out of the rib cage 46

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