West Magazine, January 28 2017

28.01.17

21

weekday wardrobe warriors

Sweet!

Win a £60 chocolate cookery kit Trend forecast:

2017’s

must-have interiors

STAR CHILD Meet Romanie (9), she sings, she dances, she acts...

- pg 16

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‘I called off the wedding there and then. There were tears on both sides’ It’s too soon for romance, decides Phil Goodwin, p46

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NEW LOOKS FOR SPRING The decor trends you’ll adore

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STARS IN HER EYES Life as a child actress on stage and screen

[contents[ Inside this week...

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THE WISHLIST Our pick of the best treats this week

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JUST BETWEEN US...

Why Joss Stone made an unexpected visit

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FROM PENRYN TO POLDARK How John Macneill hit the big time

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POWER DRESSING Workwear that’s a pure pleasure

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BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Great ways to feel your best, now

STARS IN HER EYES Life on stage, aged only nine

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NEW LOOKS FOR SPRING The decor trends you’ll just adore

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JUST ASK GRACIE Our style guru solves your problems

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POWER DRESSING Workwear that’s a pure pleasure

32

BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Great ways to feel your best this week

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COMING UP THIS WEEK...

Your horoscope by Cassandra Nye

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SMALL BITES What’s hot in the South West foodie world

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AND THE WINNER IS: Results and answers to our Christmas quiz

44

SECRET WESTCOUNTRY Where to go and what to do

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HAPPY HOUR Wonderful whiskies and how to drink them

26

MEASURING UP

How to find underwear that really fits 3

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PENRYN TO POLDARK

Cornwall’s actor John Macneill

[ welcome [ The Westcountry is full of strong personalities he life of a performer doesn’t necessarily come easy if you choose to live here in the South West. We’re a long way from the bright lights (and that is exactly part of why we love it here) but it is possible to make this very demanding career work in the Westcountry.

Today, we meet two very different entertainers who live here but spend a fair amount of their time on the road to and from London for auditions.First up is John Macneill, the wonderful character actor who lives with his family in Penryn. You’ll remember him, I’m sure, from Poldark, where he played the brooding Jacka

T

Tweet

[

of the week

[

[

Hoblyn, Ross Poldark’s friend. John tells us why Cornwall inspires him and gives us some great anecdotes about what it was like on set with the Poldark team.

Meanwhile, at just nine years old, child actress Romanie Jija-Wakeham has just appeared at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth in The Wind in the Willows and is determined to have a career in showbusiness.

She and her mum Zoe share their thoughts on being a child star on page 16 today. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from Romanie before too long! I do hope you enjoy this week’s edition of West - have a lovely weekend.

[

I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from Romanie before too long

@gannet_inn A big thank you to @WMNWest for the great article on our boutique hotel @gannet_inn this month TO ADVERTISE: Contact Cathy Long: 01752 293017 or 07557 576668, clong@dc-media.co.uk

Becky Sheaves, Editor

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

COVER IMAGE: Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Phil Goodwin

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Gillian Molesworth

Cathy Long

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If you do one thing this week...

Why not fall in love with cooking again?

Hearth & Cook, the Exeter cookery showroom, stocks the superb La Cornue range cookers. Each is built exclusively to order and assembled by one dedicated craftsmen, customers can choose any colour and configuration to create a unique cooker for them. With a personalised plaque engraved with your own name, and the signature vaulted oven technology, La Cornue truly is the king of kitchen appliances. Available to order at Hearth & Cook (based on the Marsh Barton business park, Exeter) Le Chateau range cookers from La Cornue are priced from £24,628. For details see www.hearthandcook.com.

Win

Hearth & Cook has a fabulous Chocolatier’s Collection from Sous Chef of fine chocolate for cooking, plus a cookbook and kit, worth £60 to give away. To win, tell us the name of the city where the Hearth & Cook showroom is based. Send your answer, plus your name, address, contact number and email to: Hearth & Cook competition, westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk to arrive by February 10.

Alternatively, you can post your entry to: Hearth & Cook competition, West magazine, Queen’s House, Little Queen Street, Exeter, EX4 3LJ. Normal terms apply. West magazine will not share your details.

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Hidden Birds wash bag £16.50 White Stuff

PRETTY Handbag £60 Dune

Rosa mug £15 Oliver Bonas

the

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

Pineapple frame £18 House of Fraser

Venetian gold fire screen £88 Sweetpea & Willow

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Wishlist

Wireless bluetooth headphones £229.95 www.apple.com

Sweet Pyjama set £34 Topshop

Flower rug £34.98 The Rug Seller

18kt rose gold ring £180 Links of London

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23/01/2017 09:06:39

talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

When social media gets a little anti-social oday I’m going to talk about some highs and lows of Facebook. I am a bit of a feast or famine Facebooker. I can go long periods without using it. Once I get into it, however, it’s hard to pull out of its orbit.

After attending my high school’s 25th anniversary last year, I’ve really enjoyed reading out of rolled-up paper, and a what they’re up to, and learning how-to video on making Bailey’s about their kids, pets, food and fudge in three easy steps. I’ve also political views. Some of them indulged in the odd quiz, such as live literally halfway around the “Which creature from Fantastic world, and it’s amazing to think Beasts and Where to Find Them we can so easily share our experiwould you own?” (turns out it was ences. a niffler. Annoying.)

Increasingly, Ok here are the it seems to be a downsides. It does People, people! bit of an organinot cease to amaze Facebook is not sational tool for me the amount of inclubs and interest appropriate material a substitute for groups: my son people, especially what should joined it solely teenagers, will put to know when on the internet. I’ve be a discussion cricket practice seen people who with a close was cancelled. really should know friend behind Our local vilbetter making lewd lage’s Facebook gestures, swearing, closed doors group is a great and airing their way to find out dirty family laundry when there’s conin public. People. struction on the road, or a tractor People! Facebook is not a substithat’s spilt its load, or that there’s tute for what should be an intense a funeral of a community staldiscussion with a close friend or wart. And of course the Western better still, mature advisor behind Morning News keeps us up to date closed doors. In the words of a with larger news stories. favourite new adage: “Dance like We found a lost dog on a recent no one’s watching, e-mail like it dog walk. He looked dirty and may one day be read aloud in a cold, and he followed us home. I deposition”. drove him around to a few local Here’s my other beef. What is houses but no one recognised him, up with those pressure-shares? so I put a picture on Facebook and “Copy all of this and post it to within half an hour had the name your wall or you don’t care about and number of his owner. cancer.” It’s like the legacy of The ads are annoying, but I those chain letters you used to get have enjoyed wonderful videos in the post, where you had to mail of a ballet group horsing around ten copies or you would be run on airport escalators, a Japanese over by a wood chipper. woman making animal sculptures Happy Facebooking…

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IN BLACK

and white Christian Dior hosted a fashion show recently at beautiful Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. Leading the glamour was British filmstar Kate Beckinsale, looking chic in a black and white dress. Kate was wearing Christian Dior, of course, and her ladylike floral dress featured detailing on the waist and flirty cut out sides. Here is our pick of the monochrome trend to be found on today’s high street, all at considerably more affordable prices than Dior!

Sleeveless prom dress £25 Bonmarché

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION A Dotty Iris dress £150 Studio 8

OPTION B Delightful

Embroidered dress £55 Dorothy Perkins

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.

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28.01.17

THE ONLY WAY IS...

TORQUAY Lauren Pope is best known for her appearances on The Only Way Is Essex (who could forget the his-n-her nose surgeries she and her then boyfriend had together on the show?) but she is in fact from Torquay, where she went to the local girls’ grammar school. And the celebrity DJ was back home recently. She was spotted at Babbacombe Beach driving a brand new black Jeep – which she describes as “a present from me, to me”.

Just

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

!

JOSS SINGS FOR

[[ ‘It left a funny taste and a hint of queasiness’

TOTALLY DELICIOUS? What do you think of the latest TV show to be set in Cornwall – Sky’s four-part drama starring Emilia Fox, Iain Glen and Fowey local Dawn French?

Ed Power, the Telegraph’s respected TV critic, says he for one is disappointed with the show: “Food, sex, gorgeous Cornwall landscapes – throw in a surprise death and the stage was set for a riveting melodrama,” he wrote recently in the

newspaper. “But while the opening instalment of Sky’s lavish new fourpart series had plenty of potential, it never quite came together… The awkward blend of soapy escapism and dark comedy left a funny taste, with mismatched performances adding to the queasiness.”

Oh dear! At least he liked our Dawn’s performance, saying the actress and comedian “dominated every scene she was in”.

THE ELDERLY Hooray for Devon singing star Joss Stone, who popped into a care home for the elderly to give an impromptu performance just recently. Joss, who lives near Uffculme, sang live for the residents of Sefton Hall home in Dawlish, a care home specialises in nursing, dementia and residential care. “Having Joss take time out of her busy schedule meant such a lot to both our residents and their families.

She was extremely popular and engaged naturally with the whole audience,” said Gabriela Ogreanu, the manager.

They were lucky to catch her - Joss is currently on her Total World Tour, playing a gig in every single country of the world. “My mission is to explore and understand the universal language of music in every country on the planet.” Tonight, she is performing on the tiny island of Sao Tome off the west coast of Africa, then it is on to Cambodia in March.

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24/01/2017 12:33:38

White horses: The Four Burrow Hunt held a Grey Day trail hunt at St Allen near Truro

Whee!

Liz Comber and her daughter Romany, three, went sledging on Dartmoor

in pictures Appeal: Killerton House launched a fund to re-roof the historic building in east Devon Fun: A night out at The Union Rooms, Plymouth

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talking points A HISTORY

of the

WEST in

100

objects 29: PORTRAIT OF ELIZABETH FLAYE Exeter businesswoman, painted about 1640

The best way to:

DE-STRESS Relaxing is all about getting your mind off of the stresses of life. So what are the best ways to feel calm and at peace? Here are some suggestions...

Exercise: Getting physically active, means your body releases those vital mood-boosting chemicals, endorphins.

Fitness Wild organises group workshops set outdoors on beaches, in parks and fields in and around Falmouth, for £6 a session. They also offer one-to-one personal training, also in the great outdoors. www.fitnesswild. com

Mediate: Set in a stunning hillside location overlooking the River Dart in south Devon, the Barn is a popular meditation retreat centre based on the Buddhist tradition. The practice of inward-focused thought and deep breathing has been shown to help manage stress, depression and anxiety. www.sharphamtrust.org

Spa solutions: Simple things, like a warm bath, listening to music, or spending a day at the spa, can give you a much-needed break from the stressors in your life. The South West has an abundance of day spas to suit all tastes and budgets but you could try the Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall, Plymouth and the Headland Hotel and Spa in Newquay.

Unplug: Take time each day — even if it’s for just 10 or 15 minutes — to escape from the world. Alternatively, head away for a few days and enjoy a digital detox at Cotna Eco Retreat in Gorran Churchtown, south Cornwall. Set among quiet organic gardens, orchards and streams, you can relax in a yurt or shepherd’s hut from £250 per week for two people. www.cotna.co.uk.

Julien Parsons is the Senior Collections Officer, The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. He says: This is a power portrait. It depicts Elizabeth Flaye, one of Exeter’s most prominent citizens of the early 17th century. The concept of a powerful woman at this time seems unlikely, given the legal system was stacked against them, but those with money could be influential.

Elizabeth had been the wife of Thomas Flaye: an apothecary who was mayor of Exeter in 1630. At the time, it was fashionable for the rich to support charities, and so the Flayes founded almshouses in Goldsmith Street, Exeter, to house some of the city’s poor.

Thomas died in 1634, but his widow continued the good works by enlarging the almshouses in 1667 to accept “six poor widows” and she drew up rules and regulations for the residents.

The portrait shows Elizabeth at the height of her powers. She wears a broad-brimmed beaver hat and an extravagant ruff around her neck.

Her cuffs are edged with lace and her underskirt embroidered with gold thread. Around her forearms

are strings of pearls, and her fingers are adorned with rings.

There’s symbolism in the picture too. The prominent signet ring on her right thumb is possibly that of her late husband and the skull is a reminder that for all her wealth, privilege and power, she was mortal. In fact, Elizabeth proved remarkably resilient. She passed away in November 1673 at the age of 86.

#29

On display in Gallery 3, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter www.rammuseum.org.uk

Competition winner: Congratulations to Keith Lawrence of Street in Somerset who wins a £50 case of Luscombe drinks made in Buckfastleigh, www.luscombe.co.uk

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24/01/2017 12:34:48

A home from home Nicola Smith talks film sets and life in Penryn with the Poldark actor John macneill ith his distinctive beard and wild hair, John Macneill is best known for playing the brooding Jacka Hoblyn in the BBC’s Sunday evening hit show Poldark.

It was in many ways the perfect role for him, not least that he lives in Cornwall: “So it was not far for me to get to work!” he jokes when we meet.

“I was originally up for a different part and I learnt those lines for the audition, but they wanted me as Jacka. I’m pleased I got it - he kind of smoulders away in the background.”

Landing a part on such a major TV show is a huge commitment, he tells me. “They book you for a massive amount of time - I had to commit to being available for six months. It meant I had to turn down other work in that time but that’s just the way it is with acting - opportunities are like buses.”

Filming on Poldark wasn’t carried out in chronological order, either, despite appearing so beautifully shot and seamlessly stitched together. “They were shooting the whole series at the same time, which meant they had two sets going continually. I would be filmed going into a house in Penwith in September, and then in January I

portraits: john freddy jones

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Interview

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Interview would be filmed inside the house on set in Bristol - the same scene but four months apart.”

He “loved every minute” of the experience, he says. “It was great fun and also so good for Cornwall and the people who work here. During filming there would be two full crews, each of around 150 people, so the whole thing was huge and really great for restaurants, accommodation and all the ancillary work.”

And what were the show’s stars like to

work with? “Well, as luck would have it, when I went to the show’s read-through, which took place in London, I happened to get chatting as we left to Aidan Turner [who plays Poldark] and Jack Farthing [who plays George Warleggan] and we all ended up in the pub together. Then again, when we were filming the interior scenes up near Bristol we were all put up in accommodation together so we ended up socialising too. It was a great experience.” Indeed, with Jacka Hoblyn

John has just appeared in panto in Truro

very much still alive and well in the Poldark story, John says he would be “delighted” if the character reappears: “I’m not in series three [which airs later this year] but who knows for series four?” he jokes. But with the Poldark effect now in full force on his career, John has been busy auditioning for all sorts of other TV shows - many also based in Cornwall.

The irony is, John actually grew up in Scotland but, with a Cornish wife and many happy years of living in the county, in Penryn near Falmouth, he is skilled at adopting a Cornish accent.

His career began at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Then he began working in London in a theatre company called Bedside Manners. “There were five of us doing 65 shows in seven weeks. It was full on - we were driving from show to show and every one of us was on stage all the time. It was very small scale

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John Macneill grew up in Scotland but has made Cornwall his home

community touring which was great. It kind of continued my training.”

But it was not purely career ambition which drove John to work with Bedside Manners, he confesses. In fact, a major life change started in a coffee bar in his college. “The coffee there was dreadful but the lady who ran it, Marianne, was a real character.”

Marianne would put photos of some of her favourite alumni from the drama school on the walls of the coffee bar. One in particular caught John’s eye.

“I thought one lady was rather attractive - and then I found out she had a theatre company. I wrote to her and told her I was looking for work,

pestering her to come and see me. She didn’t - she was far too busy - but she did write back.”

It was serendipity indeed. The couple finally met at an industry event in London and the lady, Marie, invited John to audition for her company, Bedside Manners. “She and I became much more friendly,” says John, with a smile. “And then we got married!”

It is this partnership which led to John making Cornwall his home. “Marie is from West Penwith and, in 2002, with our two daughters Hannah and Zoe, we decided we’d had enough of London and we headed west.”

While for Marie moving to Cornwall was returning home, for John it was also something of

‘Poldark was great fun and

also so good for Cornwall

and people who work here’

a homecoming. “I thought Cornwall was amazing. It is very much like north east Scotland where I grew up - the people are similar. The coastline is very reminiscent of Scotland and the way the houses in St Just are huddled together it reminded me very much of Nairn. Coming to Cornwall really was like coming home.”

Today John juggles his acting career with being an lecturer in Theatre at Falmouth University. “Lecturing sounds very grand,” says John, who is directing the students in a production of Brecht’s The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. “It’s more about encouraging and facilitating. It’s about helping the students to realise their skills and work out how to do it.”

He is also currently spending a fair amount of time on the road - both to see his agent in Exeter and at meetings about upcoming opportunities in London. So has Poldark been a game-changer for his career? “It has certainly opened some doors,” he admits with a smile. “We’ll just have to see what that leads to next.”

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She’S one to watch child actress Romanie Jija-wakeham, from Plymouth, is a rising star in the showbiz world at the age of just nine. She tells anna turns about her career ambitions, from stage to screen.... omanie Jija-Wakeham is only nine but she has a hectic schedule of dance, singing and drama classes every evening after school and most weekends.

She has recently finished performing on stage at the Plymouth Theatre Royal in the world premiere of the new musical, The Wind in the Willows and is just waiting on the results of auditions for London shows. “If you want to be on the TV or stage you have to work hard,” Romanie tells me. “I want to get as much experience as I can.”

But when I meet her with mum Zoe (after school and just before Wednesday’s ballet class) it’s clear that this mother-daughter relationship isn’t what most people might expect.

“Step into our house for 24 hours and you will absolutely see that it is Romanie driving

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photography: kathryn clarke-mcleod

People

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People

“

“My favourite dance is modern because I get to be very free and my dancing is fierce and fast.”

She performed at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in panto this Christmas and the previous one, but her career highlight so far was The Wind in the Willows on the main stage there last autumn. “It was amazing!” she grins. “I loved it. The atmosphere of being in a big show was great.

“Yes, I had been on stage before but this was different. Backstage, I was with the other actors all the time and had meals with them.” She played both a hedgehog and field mouse and had the only child solo song.

Is she proud of herself, I ask? “Yes,” she replies confidently. “And I was so happy that I got to sing my solo on gala night when all the agents and celebrities come. You never know if someone might phone up my agent and ask for me. Something could come up that’s massive.”

Since signing up with Mark Jermin Manage-

ment a year ago, this determined young lady has also been to London for “lots” of stage show and commercial auditions. She recently got down to the last five children selected for the House of Fraser Christmas ad as well as the shortlist for the John Lewis Christmas ad.

Life with Romanie as your daughter is a big juggling act. For Zoe and her partner John, a counsellor, the smooth running of Romanie’s weekly schedule takes some organisation. “We are lucky to have a brilliant support network,” says Zoe, who works as a regional training manager. “With my work, one day I’m in Penzance and the next day I’m in Barnstaple, so we can’t rely on my diary to match hers.

“Thankfully my mum can be Romanie’s chaperone so she helps with school pick-ups, takes her to classes, and takes her to London on the train for auditions.”

Romanie admits her life can be very tiring but

“

us and not the other way round,” explains Zoe. Indeed, Romanie is upfront, saying she has her sights firmly set on fame: “My biggest ambition is to perform for the Queen as Miss Honey on the Matilda stage in the West End. I want to have my name in bright lights above the theatre.”

Mum Zoe wonders, “How can you want something so badly at nine years old? It really isn’t me and her dad pushing her!”

Romanie started dancing when she was two, at Simara Winter Studios in Plymouth. She learned modern, ballet and tap dancing and, when she competed in freestyle dancing, achieved sixth place in the world championships.

Then, in 2015, Zoe took Romanie along for a taster session at the new Plymouth Performing Arts Academy. “They teach singing, acting and musical theatre - I loved it and really wanted to go back,” says Romanie, who was awarded a scholarship with the academy in September.

My biggest ambition is to perform for the Queen in the West End. I want to have my name in bright lights above the theatre

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People

‘I miss out on a lot. I’ve missed at least five birthday parties and sleepovers recently. Mummy tries to make it up to me’

Romanie as a baby and performing over the years

I don’t think she’d have it any other way. “I’ve always grown up being busy so I have never known what it is like to not have lots to do,” she says. “I miss out on a lot. I’ve missed at least five birthday parties and sleepovers recently.

Mummy tries to make it up to me. We went to London to celebrate my ninth birthday. Then we went to see Matilda.”

Her dream is to play Matilda herself and she’s hoping to audition shortly. If cast, Romanie would live in London with a chaperone and be home schooled, with four days working followed by four days off - a prospect that doesn’t faze her.

Looking forward to the future, Romanie is saving up her earnings: “I don’t spend it because I’m saving up for the best car ever and I want to go to a boarding drama school in London when I am 11, either RADA or Sylvia Young.”

Zoe adds: “That’s not coming from her parents, by the way! But I don’t want to be negative about Romanie’s ambition. So it’s about finding that balance of setting expectations for her and her future, giving her plenty of transferable skills.”

Romanie attends the Plymouth School of Creative Arts which is supportive and flexible in allowing her to have time off for shows. And Zoe instils a strong work ethic in her daughter: “If Romanie is going on stage, she has to rehearse, I’m not a mum who will just let her watch telly.”

Romanie whispers, “She’s so pushy,” with a cheeky grin. “When she has been given a task from her drama teacher, I ask her to practise, so we do have disagreements sometimes!” says Zoe. “For me, there’s no better feeling than watching her on that stage. The Wind in the Willows was when I realised she’s so at home performing – just seeing the elation on her face when she was bowing at the end.

“I do feel like all I ever talk about is Romanie, but I’m so proud. In reality, it’s hard work but I have chosen to take this path with her and I’ll make sacrifices to give her what she wants.” And Romanie agrees: “You have to be 100% committed but this is my passion and it’s an amazing hobby.

I say go for it!” Watch this space...

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24/01/2017 13:28:37

Change is coming What’s hot for 2017? Interior designer Lesley Taylor takes a look into the future and comes up with her decor forecast for stylish homes this spring

ith the new year just beginning and hints of spring in the air, it’s a great time to start thinking about your home and any changes you want to make in 2017.

And even if you don’t have any projects planned, the stunning interiors trends heading our way this year will soon change your mind.

Here are my predictions for what’s hot this year.

First up, let’s get back to basics. Raw, edgy interiors have been around for some time now and it’s a trend that shows no sign of abating. But I foresee that this year will see a move away from the concrete craze that was so big in 2016 towards different building materials - especially chipboard and cork.

Traditionally used in flooring and furniture, chipboard will be everywhere in 2017. Whether it’s used to define a practical workspace in a home office or to add texture and interest to a living area, it’s a versatile look that is sure to add character.

The Baked Tile Company, www.bakedtiles. co.uk has just launched its Chipboard range, tiles which have all the style of the chipboard trend with the practicality of a porcelain tile, ensuring they are durable, hard-wearing and, most importantly, easy to clean.

Like chipboard, big things are also predicted for cork. And not only is it super-stylish, especially in a study where important documents can

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Interiors

Sofa ÂŁ599 Furniture Village

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Interiors

New looks Lesley’s top picks for 2017 1: Industrial chic is still popular but there is a move towards chipboard and cork 2: Experiment by using different materials to define different spaces 3: Botanical is beautiful; think lush green tones and real plants indoors 4: Pay homage to the 60s with geometric patterns everywhere 5: Above all, create a look that you not only live with but truly love

Fuze sideboard £499 Furniture Village

be pinned into it, it is also massively warming and adds texture.

Don’t be surprised to find whole walls clad in cork, either, as well as a plethora of cork accessories hitting the marketplace.

When it comes to colours, change is afoot, too. Earlier this year, paint supremo Dulux announced Denim Drift as their Colour of the Year 2017, so it’s no surprise that blue hues are going to be extremely popular over the coming months.

But it’s not the only colour that interior designers are talking about. Bringing the outside in and the rise of the Hygge (which translates as comfy or cosy) movement has seen us Brits follow our Danish counterparts by introducing lots of wood and wooden accessories into the home.

This year we’re not just looking to the Danes for inspiration, though. The stunning greenery of the British countryside is set to see a surge in pot plant sales with us Brits clamouring to introduce some botanical bliss into our homes.

To go with our desire for all things natural, green feature walls and accessories are going to be massive, too, adding depth and interest into our living spaces. And when it comes to picking a shade, the lusher the better.

Vintage has been around for what seems like forever but this year it’s the Swinging Sixties we’ll be paying homage to, as the passion for geometrics returns.

Geometrics are abstract patterns created by other shapes, straight lines or curves. They are extremely popular as wall and floorcoverings, with tiles used to create your own favourite patterns.

Along with the emergence of this trend, there are some stunning pieces of standalone furniture on the market too now which embody the geometric look. Think tables, chairs and coffee tables with angular legs, as well as lighting fixtures and lamps with intricate patterns created by straight lines. Above all, have fun with your home this year. www.lesleytaylor.co.uk

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GET THE

LOOK

fave!

Greenery and natural materials are the key looks for spring 2017

Bloomingville bottle with cork £37 Amara

Copper-top tables £55-£75 Oliver Bonas

Pendant ceiling light £90 Cuckooland

Gold pot plant £4.99 Home Sense Green shell plant pot £12.99 TK Maxx

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23/01/2017 09:47:40

Ask Gracie...

Want to look your best this week? Our styling expert Gracie Stewart of Exeter can help to you fulfil your fashion potential. All you have to do is ask...

Lovely leggings Q

Zip front leggings £20 Pretty LittleThing.com

Do you have any styling tips for a plus size woman who wants to wear black leggings?

SL, Lostwithiel

When you get them right, leggings are wonderful - and the best tips for wearing them work for women from petite to plus-size.

1. Choose the right fabric. The number one tip for wearing leggings is making sure you aren’t wearing tights. Tights are like second skins, and tend to be sheer. At a minimum, you want leggings that feel like thick cotton.

2. Choose your size carefully. No matter what your shape is, “squeezed” doesn’t look good on anyone and “tighter” never makes you look thinner. Buy leggings that fit your body.

They should fit snugly throughout the leg and hip without creating a stomach bulge at the waist. If your leggings create muffin top, they’re the wrong size.

3. Wear a hip-length top. What to pair with leggings? The answer is anything that is not tight and/or short. Tunics, oversized sweaters, dresses and long shirts are always great options.

Stirrup leggings £120 Reiss

Tape side long leggings £12 Malta

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The right fit I really struggle when it comes to buying bras because I never know what size I am. Do you have any tips for finding the right size bra? KN, Plymouth

Q

1. When you lift your arms, your bra shouldn’t move. Try it. Does your bra ride up? If it does, your cup may be too small and your band may be too big.

2. The front centre of your bra (called “the gore”) should be totally flat against your sternum. Poke the centre of your bra towards your chest. Does it sit easily against your sternum, or does your entire bra move? If it’s the latter, you probably need to go up a cup size.

3. If your cups are wrinkling, the size is too big. You should fill out the cups enough to eliminate any wrinkles or gaping.

4. If your bra leaves dents on your shoulders, you need a smaller band size. Straps are only supposed to carry 10 per cent of the weight of your chest. Dents mean your straps are working too hard and a smaller band size will give more support.

5. When your straps slip down, your band is too large. If your straps are slipping, they aren’t supporting. Try going down a band size.

Floral print bra £24.50 Debenhams

Rosie for Autograph balcony bra £26 Marks & Spencer

Satin and lace Bra £8 Primark

Facing the facts Q

What’s the difference between a serum and a moisturiser?

HC, Devoran

A serum should be applied to your skin after cleansing but before moisturising, and its role is to deliver powerful ingredients directly into the skin. Serum is particularly suited to this task because it is made up of smaller molecules, that can penetrate deeply into the skin and deliver a very high concentration of active ingredients. This makes them a great tool for targeting specific skincare concerns, like wrinkles. A moisturiser, on the other hand, is an emulsion to hydrate the skin and ensure that the moisture level is maintained. Moisturisers are richer and help create a barrier on top of the skin to keep all that good stuff in.

Verso Super Facial serum £95 www. cultbeauty.co.uk

Origins Original Skin renewal serum £32 Boots

Gracie’s shopping list

Marc Jacobs flamingo earrings £45 www.netaporter.com Flamingos are the mascot of Marc Jacobs’ tropical-themed Resort ‘17 collection and these cute earrings will add a playful finish to your everyday look.

Moroccanoil Fragrance Originale body souffle £43 John Lewis This lightweight whipped formula is enriched with argan oil and creamy shea butter for skin that is soft and smooth. bareMinerals Oil Obsessed cleansing oil £22 Boots Cleanse skin and remove all traces of make-up with minimal effort with this indulgent cleansing oil. It glides onto skin effortlessly before transforming into a weightless, milky emulsion that rinses off with water. Formulated with a nourishing blend of borage, sunflower, bilberry and cucumber oils it will leave your skin feeling silky.

Got a style or beauty question? Email Gracie Stewart at westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk with the subject Ask Gracie

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Floral print pencil skirt £39 M&Co

Smart lady hether your office vibe is casual or formal, there are now plenty of ways for women to dress for work without having to resort to uncomfortable shoulder pads and ill-fitting suits. Try a shirt that fits snugly under a well-cut blazer or suit jacket but is not so snug that the buttons are straining. Knee length skirts are a perennial favourite and can look both professional and also feminine. Another way to work some magic into your 9-5 wardrobe is with luxurious fabrics. Fabrics like silk and cashmere are perfect for modern day power dressing. Try some of these ideas and you will really look the business.

W

Jersey skirt £49.95 White Stuff

Metallic blazer £45 Wallis

Look sharp: Clean tailoring means this blazer will stand the test of time High neck pintuck blouse £30 Very

High waist trousers £28 Dorothy Perkins

Jacket £50 trousers £30 shirt £20 loafers £42 all Next

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Fashion

fave!

Velour jacket £79 La Redoute

Satin trousers £28 Very Monochrome tweed dress £35 Dorothy Perkins

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23/01/2017 10:00:29

Wellbeing

the boost

Life just got better. Our wellness guru Charlotte Dear has handpicked the latest health secrets and expert advice to help you be your best self, everyday

DANCE YOURSELF FIT Like the idea of a fitness class that feels more like a night out than a workout? Pure Dance Fitness in Redruth, Cornwall, could be for you. With a range of easy to follow dance classes that often include rave glow sticks, disco lights, chart topping music and even your children and babies if you wish, these classes will transform your weekly workout class into a fun, sociable and uplifting event you won’t want to miss. For more information visit www.puredancefitness.co.uk

On your bike!

Booking is now open for the Mount to Mont Cycle Challenge, which will take place from October 4 to 8.

With just 50 places available for this bespoke event, now is the time to sign up and begin your training. The ride, which has been organised in aid of Cornwall Hospice Care, will commence at St Michael’s Mount and finish 290 miles later at Mont Saint Michel in Normandy, France. Think you’re up to the challenge?

Visit www.cornwallhospicecare.co.uk

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SUPPORT FOR NEW MOTHERS If you’re planning a baby or are already expecting, good news is on its way.

Almost £128,000 is being pumped into health care in South Devon to provide increased support for pregnant women and new mums. This will mean new prenatal consultants, specialist nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and nursery nurses, plus community peer support for mothers, babies and families. For more information visit www. devonpartnership.nhs.uk

The best, bar none JUMP FOR JOY It’s time to jump for joy as plans for a trampoline park in Exeter have been handed to planners. The proposed park will be located in Marsh Barton and will offer a range of activities from dodge ball to basketball, wall walking and fitness classes as well as enough springy surface space for 60 jumpers. A decision will be made by Exeter City Council’s planning committee in the coming weeks - watch this space...

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

Still struggling to keep your sweet tooth at bay following last month’s festivities? Devon based Good Full Stop offers a tempting range of filling snack bars that are healthy, nutritious and delicious.

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike, the bars are made from wholesome ingredients with a low glycaemic index and a burst of flavours from raspberry to cashew, cherry and orange.

At just 72p per bar, stock up on these tasty treats at www. goodfullstop.com

@WMNWest or email westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 31

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23/01/2017 10:12:52

Wellbeing

Can dieters enjoy dairy?

If you’re slimming, milk might not be the enemy after all reduce calories or fat, you could be cutting out a whole range of really important nutrients.

A number of studies have found that consuming dairy, even the Dr Anne Mullen, head of nutrition full-fat variety, may aid at The Dairy Council says: Dieters weight loss and reduce don’t necessarily have to steer the risk of health clear of full-fat dairy. Studies conditions, including The term ‘fullreveal that, as well as being a cardiovascular disease fat’ sometimes highly nutritious part of a baland type 2 diabetes. gets confused anced diet, milk products may aid Research into the weight loss. effect of eating dairy with ‘full of Full-fat milk and cheese aren’t is ongoing, but two of fat’ but, in fact, the foods you’d normally associate the notable preliminary some dairy with weight loss but they might findings so far involve not be as bad for your figure, or the way dairy calcium isn’t full of fat health, as you think. increases the amount at all For while they do contain satuof fat the body excretes, rated fat, fats from milk may not and how unique dairy be quite the dietary demons other fatty acids may be assaturated fats are thought to be. sociated with reduced The term “full-fat” sometimes gets disease risk. confused with “full of fat” but, in fact, some The calcium theory suggests that the more dairy isn’t full of fat at all. dairy calcium you include in your diet, the less Whole milk, for example, isn’t classified as fat will be absorbed by the digestive system, being a high-fat food. What is more, it contains meaning that when you eat dairy products, their a huge range of nutrients. Milk is high in calcalories may not all count. cium, B vitamins and iodine.

The majority of studies show dairy consumpSo if you’re cutting out dairy in an effort to tion has no association, or a protective associa-

Q

I’m keen to lose weight and be healthy but I’m confused – are low-fat dairy products a good idea? NY, Tiverton

[[

tion, against body weight and body fatness.

Consuming dairy hasn’t been associated with obesity in the big studies. The key question is, if people eat higher fat dairy products, are the extra calories not as much of a problem because the dairy calcium leads to more fat, and therefore calories, being excreted?

It’s really interesting as a hypothesis, but we’ve yet to confirm it.

However, national surveys say we’re still eating too much saturated fat and the official guidance is to choose skimmed or semiskimmed dairy varieties. So with the more energy-dense, or high-calorie dairy foods like cheese, it’s advised that people stick to recommended portion sizes per day (around 25g of cheddar, which is the size of a small matchbox, for an adult).

But we need to be more considered about the foods saturated fat comes from - when it comes to dairy, there’s a lot more going on than just saturated fat.

There’s something special about dairy. It contains saturated fat, of course, but it also other nutrients and some very unique saturated fatty acids. The whole dairy package appears to have a neutral or, in fact, a protective effect on heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity. That’s the take-home message.

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Food

SMALL BITES

Our pick of what’s on in the Westcountry food world right now

Healthy diet made simple If you’re looking to shed those festive pounds while improving your overall health one meal at a time, then the Everdine food delivery service offers delicious, healthy meals to your home or office. Their chefs Matt and Viresh trained in Michelin-starred restaurants, and create wholesome and delicious meals which are then frozen to lock in all the natural goodness. A courier will deliver your frozen meals (from £7.50 per meal) and all you have to do is heat them up in the microwave.

The menu includes dishes such as lentil and quinoa moussaka, pulled beef ragu spaghetti and piri piri chicken. There’s also a range of vegetarian options available. www.everdine.co.uk

Foodie business The Source is the South West’s biggest and best trade show for anyone with a business interest in speciality foods, quality drinks, profitable catering and hospitality. The trade show takes place at the Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter on February 8 and 9. With more than 200 exhibitors, this is the perfect chance to see what’s going on in the foodie world, all under one roof. Entry to the show is free - register online in advance at www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk

A chance to try out the nation’s best chefs Michelin-starred chef Simon Hulstone is inviting top chefs to join him at his restaurant, The Elephant in Torquay. His exciting Guest Chef Series starts on Tuesday January 31 with a visit from Elly Wentworth, sous chef at Lucknam Park, who has recently been impressing the judges with her culinary skills in this year’s Masterchef: The Professionals. Elly will then be followed by former rock star turned Michelin-starred chef, Graham Garrett from The West House in Biddenden, Kent on Tuesday, February 21. Saturday Kitchen TV regular Daniel Galmiche of The Gore Hotel in London will be cooking on Friday March 17. Call 01803 200044 or email info@ elephantrestaurant.co.uk to reserve your table for these not-to-be-missed culinary events!

Pop open some better-for-you snacks Popcorn is low-fat, gluten-free and considerably lower in calories than most crisps. It’s also high-fibre, which means it can fill you up. New kid on the block is NOM (Naturally Organic Matters) who are offering a range of fun flavours of popcorn including tomato pesto and salted maple. It’s popped in coconut oil and only 99 calories a bag (£1.19) buy online at www. nomfoods.co.uk

Got some foodie news? Let us know on westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 33

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23/01/2017 10:16:58

DEVON’S JEWEL IN THE CROWN King’s Independent Primary School and Nursery Mrs Jane Lee is the Headteacher of King’s School Plymouth, an ‘Outstanding’ Independent Primary School with a nursery which has been referred to as “a jewel in the crown of Plymouth Schools.”

The school is part of Cognita Schools, a renowned global group.

During an interview, Jane Lee explained the history of the school which was established in September 1989 by Mrs Mary Smyth who was the minister’s wife of what is now Plymouth Christian Centre. She had established the very successful Roundabout Day Care Nursery and some parents asked her to start a school so children could continue with an excellent education. The first class had 12 children, situated in the church hall, but it soon became clear that the school needed its own premises.

It 1991 it moved into its current building which had previously housed St Mary’s School, Notre Dame Prep School and later Beechfield College.

The building and school was officially opened and dedicated by Baroness Cox of Queensway on the 13th November 1992. In February 2008, the Smyth

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family sold King’s School which was taken over by the Cognita Schools Group which is committed to encouraging children to achieve more than they believe they can.

Mrs Lee had joined the staff in September 1990 having moved to Plymouth with her husband in 1987 from London. She had taught in Claygate First and Middle School in Surrey for many years having several posts of responsibility, and finally becoming head of the First School. When moving to Plymouth she decided to be a class teacher at Horrabridge CP School whilst deciding on her future career. To her delight after being married for eight years she had a daughter, Sara-Jane, who was born in Freedom Fields the same month as King’s started in 1989 and Jane took a year to be at home with her daughter.

In September 1992 when Mrs Smyth and her husband moved to Natwich to run the Elim Bible College, Jane stepped up from her role as Deputy Head and was appointed as the Headteacher of King’s.

Part of King’s uniqueness is its strong family atmosphere and Christian values where every child is respected as an individual. Mrs Lee said: “we tell parents it is your child in our care and we want the very best for all our children. We are proud of our extra curriculum for activities, with over 29 different activities available to our children. These include animation, cookery, drama, art, sewing, gardening, environmental, tennis, tag rugby and hockey. During 2016, the media club children planned, created and designed the King’s School 2017 calendar.

We have had much success teaching drama and poetry, obtaining 98% Distinction in speech in the LAMDA Examinations during the academic year 2015-16.

King’s School whilst situated in the city of Plymouth, is an advocate of outdoor learning being an important part of a child’s education. As well as using our beautiful grounds for a wide range of lessons.

School is an ever-evolving place and King’s were selected to take part in the Tim Peak Rocket

24/01/2017 13:59:09

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Programme when he took plant seeds into space; this was a great science experiment. The school also introduced the children to a visit from programmable robots which was very much enjoyed.

King’s have established a strong staff September 1989 M rs Mary Smyth w who share the same vision, to deliver ith 12 pupils high quality education and pastoral care. They also celebrate children as individuals, whether that be in or out of school from have ensured that the school meets its gymnastics, fencing to diving, drama and speech. aims to enrich the education of all learners.”

Mrs Lee said,” We are delighted with the results Jane is extremely excited about reflecting on the of our recent inspection and we are very happy to way King’s has developed over the past 26 years. show prospective parents around the school to School numbers have increased significantly from aid them in their quest to select the best possible the original 12 to the present 202 pupils and 60 education for their children.” staff, including our onsite nursery. Since becoming King’s School, Hartley Road, Mannamead, a Cognita School there has been much investment, Plymouth PL3 5LW well over 2 million pounds, with such projects as a Registrar Telephone: 01752 753730 new purpose- built hall and classrooms which was www.kingsschool-plymouth.co.uk opened by Sir Chris Woodhead the then Chairman of Cognita Schools. There are some exciting developments in the pipeline which will further enhance the “Outstanding” provision.

Headteacher Mrs Lee

In the recent inspection where King’s received “Outstanding in all areas” the head inspector, Mr Andrew Rickett said: “King’s provides an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. They make excellent progress in their learning. Personal development is excellent and pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. The level of care and nurture for pupils throughout school is exceptional. School leaders

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24/01/2017 13:59:42

Drink Beer of the week My first taste of former Sharp’s head brewer Stuart Howe’s influence at Harbour Brewing Company comes on a grey Saturday afternoon at Hub, in St Ives, in the form of Red and White Ale (5.5% ABV).

Imagine an American red ale with Belgian sour and fruit notes. Complex, rich, and very comforting on a winter day.

Darren Norbury

talks beer WAKE UP AND SMELL THE HOPS Production of aroma hops is up in the US, but yields are down. How does that work out?

Well, hops have been grown for bittering traditionally, but now more brewers want aroma varieties. The latter, though, have lower yields, meaning growers have to plant more bines to get the same amount of hops weight for weight.

Tea, cake… beer!

Should you find yourself in St Ives, visit the St Ives Brewery café, right by the leisure centre car park on Trewidden Road. The joy of this is that you can take non-beer drinkers to enjoy the tea and cakes, while having a look at the brewery downstairs and buying some bottles to take away.

n many ways I suppose I am a brewsimply one brewery being very honest about er’s dream. Not for me the cry of its business priorities. I’m in that latter “well, I’m a dark beer man” or “I group, as you may have guessed. like my bitters, but not too hoppy”.

What’s ironic, of course, is that CAMRA was I don’t think it’s just because beer is set up in the early 1970s to combat the rise what I write about and I feel obliged to be promisof keg beer and now we’ve come full circle, cuous: I do like to try, and do mainly enjoy, all with breweries who, arguably, would not be sorts of beers, right across the board. in business now were it not for CAMRA’s Here’s what happened at work over the years, who lunchtime yesterday. I was are now abandoning the doing some errands in town cask format. (that sounds so old-fashioned Those beers, by the way.

Not for me the now, doesn’t it? So be it) and I The first was Dartmoor’s decided to stop for lunch in a Dragon’s Breath (4.4% cry of ‘well, I’m a branch of a well-known chain ABV), bready, almost dark beer man’ of pubs/bars. To accompany toasty malt leading the or ‘I like my bitmy plate of nachos (I do love way, with hints of date nachos, but imagine the chef’s sweetness and fruitiness ters, but not too cry of despair when the dish plus some red apple, all hoppy’. I enjoy returns to the kitchen with the in a rich, smooth body. chopped jalapenos still in situ) I Just how a traditional beers right across had, firstly, a local Westcountry winter warmer should be the board draught bitter, then an importand very enjoyable. Just ed, bottled session IPA. as enjoyable for an enI know. These days we’re suptirely different reason was posed to be in one camp or the American brewer Flying other, or so you’d think if you read the interDog’s Easy IPA, what they call a session net fallout from Manchester-based Cloudwater IPA, although at 4.7% ABV it’s no retiring Brewing’s decision to go keg and bottle/can only, wallflower. Resinous notes, some stone fruit ditching cask ale. The reason? To protect their and hints of herbs, in a not quite full body, profit margins. Simply, it wasn’t cost effective to although with such a hop-forward tone that’s keep producing a limited amount of cask beer. to be expected. Again, very good, but totally Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) puritans threw contrasting to the Dragon’s Breath. their arms up horror, many other non-affiliated Vive la difference, as they say across the water. beer lovers shrugged their shoulders and moved Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday. on, happy that this wasn’t actually a “crisis”, co.uk @beertoday

I

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23/01/2017 15:20:31

Drink

Happy h ur with drinks expert April Marks

April says: There is exciting news for whisky fans - and I’m not just referring to last week’s Burns Night (which was, of course, an excellent reason to drink whisky all night). No, for those of you who haven’t got the most recent updates for your smartphone yet there is now a whisky emoji which was rolled out in the latter part of last year across Twitter, Microsoft, Google, Samsung and Apple, next month should see it added to Facebook. What more could you want?

On a more serious note, many of you will have

bought whisky recently to celebrate the life of Scotland’s most famous poet and eat alongside your haggis, neeps and tatties.

But whisky is not just a once-a-year drink. If you’re looking for something delicate and fruity that you can happily sip away at then I suggest the Highland Queen eight-year-old blend. On the other hand, if you want a powerful whisky, able to stand up to the richness and dense texture of, say, a haggis then plump for a whisky called The Peat Monster. This is a beast of a whisky - peaty and smoky with hints of fruitiness showing complexity and great depth of flavour. It’s a blend of peated Speyside Ardmore with some choice

A beast of a whisky,

Not into whisky?

If you prefer gin to whisky, come along to a Gin Workshop on Friday February 3 at The Ship Inn, Cockwood, at Starcross on the Exe Estuary. Hosted by yours truly, there will be five artisan gins to try. It’s a workshop that doesn’t involve work - just gin tasting!

Call 01626 890373 to book

it is peaty and smoky

with hints of fruitiness

Whisky, Water and Ice...

Should you add water or ice to your whisky? This is a subjective choice but what I would suggest is that you initially try the whisky neat and without ice - which is, after all, how the distiller intended it to be tasted. A few drops of water will bring out a few subtle flavours that you may not have tasted before. Ice will lock in flavours and potentially make the whisky dull although chilling it will make it refreshing and soften the alcohol.

Islay malt. It marries well with smoked fish and smoked cheeses so it is perfect for an evening’s snacking, if you don’t happen to have a haggis, neeps and tatties to hand!

April Marks is co-founder of Regency Wines Ltd Exeter @regencywinesuk

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK The Peat Monster A secret blend of peaty and smoky single malts, The Peat Monster is part of the signature range from Compass Box based in Edinburgh. The whiskies are an Islay Shore Malt, Isle of Mull and Highland which are blended in American oak for 24 months before bottling at 46%.

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23/01/2017 10:22:53

Meet the highly experienced experts, Martin Docking and Simon Martin

Fear of the dentist?

Worried about your smile?

Revitalise Dental Centre and Same Day Teeth have been developed for people who have a genuine fear or anxiety that prevents them from going to the dentist. Get the same day smile you want with his revolutionary technique that means we can provide a new arch of comfortable, natural-looking teeth – fixed in place using dental implants – in just one day, without your anxiety getting in the way.

Sedation is delivered by our Consultant Anaesthetists and experienced Dentists, with patient safety and comfort our top priority. Relax and let the team take care of everything.

Louise’s Story

Susan’s Story

I love my teeth, I cannot stop smiling and my confidence has now been restored in full.

I now enjoy going out with my family and friends and better still, I laugh!

I’ve had a fear of dentists since my teens.

However, I knew I had a problem and I had to find a sympathetic dentist.

I was the woman who kept in the background, hiding myself away from people. I was the one who talked to others with one hand across my lower face, I always felt embarrassed eating out so would make excuses and not go. I became introverted with very little confidence in myself.

I went for my first consultation with the Same Day Teeth team. I was very nervous but they put me completely at ease. They understood my major fears, and I had all the information for the solutions they could offer me. And to know that I was talking to the people that would make my teeth, as well as fit them, made it very easy to communicate my wishes.

I have gone through all the stages and have ended up with my fabulous implants and teeth fixed in place on the same day!

The Same Day Teeth team have put sunshine into my everyday life. I was always afraid of the dentist because of a few horrendous treatments in my earlier days. This was so different. They are not only completely professional, but gentle, kind and most importantly honest, explaining each treatment before the event.

I cannot thank them enough, they have changed my life.

Join us on our Discovery Days! Wednesday 8th & Tuesday 21st February

Tel: 01872 555915 www.revitalisedentalcentre.co.uk Revitalise Dental Centre, Hurlingburrow Farm, St.Agnes, Cornwall TR5 0PG Martin Docking, GDC No: 115044. Simon Martin, GDC No: 67146

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24/01/2017 13:38:30

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24/01/2017 13:38:48

culture vulture Our guide to the very best of the arts scene in the South West right now

Wonderful weddings The annual North Devon wedding fair Something Old, Something New is a great place to find inspiration for your big day. Held at wedding venue The Old Barn near Clovelly on Sunday February 5, from 10.30am-3pm, entry is free so there’s no need to book. This is a great to chat to the venue owners and more than 40 exhibitors about your wedding ideas. You’ll also see The Old Barn all dressed up for the day by Ambience Event Styling and get ideas on all aspects of your wedding including food, photography, entertainment and - of course - the cakes! www.popupweddingshow.co.uk.

Rumble in the jungle

Singing beautifully The Irish folk singer Cara Dillon is married to Devon folk musician Sam Lakeman, brother of Seth Lakeman. Cara’s beautiful vocals have appeared on Disney films, alongside Mike Oldfield and on the Children in Need single. She will be performing at Falmouth University on Saturday February 4 and tickets are £20. www.amata.org.uk/cara-dillon.

Exeter’s Barnfield Theatre will play host to Rudyard Kipling’s well-loved classic The Jungle Book, brought to life by The Leonard School of Dramatic Art. This exciting new adaptation by Antonia Boal remains true to the original stories of Mowgli the man cub, raised by a family of wolves and befriended by Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther. Tickets £11.50, Friday February 3 and Saturday February 4, www. barnfieldtheatre.org.uk.

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23/01/2017 14:57:35

Next week

NEXT WEEK IN WEST...

Fresh Go hell for leather in this season’s smartest fashion look and it’s not just about jackets...

Trumped!

Shop The shoes you want, right now (despite the weather)

Torquay’s Miranda Hart bites back...

Out and about

Quirky Gorgeous decor on tiny budgets

See food and eat it We go wild foraging in west Cornwall with the queen of seaweed cuisine

You’ll find West magazine in Saturday’s issue of The Western Morning News 41

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24/01/2017 10:46:02

[

[

It’s answer time!

If you took part in our fabulous Christmas quiz (West, December 17) here are the answers – and the winners!

Christmas Songs

In the news

Animals

1.

Red nose

1.

Tarr Steps Clapper Bridge

1.

Lynx

2.

Seven

2.

David Bowie

2.

Adder

3.

Coal

3.

The Royal Clarence

3.

Beavers

4.

Mistletoe

4.

The EU

4.

Filly

5.

The Snowman

5.

Red Rock Beach near Dawlish

5.

Colt

6.

Hay

6.

David Cameron

6.

Robin

7.

Figgy

7.

Meghan Markle

7.

Grey squirrel

8.

Little Drummer Boy

8.

Great Torrington

8.

Stag or buck

9.

Michael Bublé

9.

Porth Beach

9.

Corgis

10.

Sleigh

10.

Powderham

10.

Tawny owl

Winners: Congratulations to all our lucky (and brainy) winners: FIRST PRIZE

SECOND PRIZE

THIRD PRIZE

FOURTH PRIZE

Heather Cartwright, Torquay Taste of the West hamper worth £76.99

Margaret Cleveland, Okehampton Morso humidifier (£73) from Hearth & Cook

Carole Lewis, Delabole Celtic & Co slippers (£63)

Mrs L Jeffers, Plymouth Family pass to Crealy Devon (£55.80)

42

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23/01/2017 11:26:54

TV and film

Where in the West?

Panto

1.

Cornwall

1.

Torquay

1.

Kernow King

2.

Stephen Dillane

2.

Ottery St Mary

2.

Widow Twankee

3.

Eddie Redmayne

3.

Padstow

3.

Mother Goose

4.

Anthony Asquith

4.

Plymouth

4.

A pumpkin

5.

Broadchurch

5.

Truro

5.

A cat

6.

The Great British Bake Off

6.

Penzance

6.

Lesley Joseph

7.

Jamie’s Super Food

7.

Totnes

7.

Seven

8.

Craig Revel-Horwood

8.

Bovey Tracey, Ivybridge, Moretonhampstead

8.

By a kiss

9.

Colin Firth

9.

Porthcurno, Goonhilly

9.

Principal Boy

10.

Scarlett Moffatt

10.

St Ives

10.

The Dame

Well done to our winners!

Where more than one winner qualified for a prize, the entries were put into a hat and drawn

FIFTH PRIZE

SIXTH PRIZE AND SEVENTH PRIZE

Ann Cutler, Chillington Drake Circus gift card worth £50

Stephen Richards, Redruth National Trust family pass (up to £35)

EIGHTH PRIZE

B Rendle, Poundstock emotional development

John Lowe, Sampford Courtenay National Trust family pass (up to £35)

Honeybuns gift bag worth £28.99

43

SCOOP_Jan28.indd 43

23/01/2017 11:27:47

The Trengilly Wartha Inn, Constantine

Jon Welch

The Helford River

My Secret Westcountry Jon Welch Jon Welch is the writer and director of the Pipeline Theatre Company, whose play Spillikin is at the Theatre Royal Plymouth next week.

He lives near Helston in Cornwall with his wife Tod and they have two children, Stan, 20, and Joe, 18

The launch of Falmouth Memory Cafe

44

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23/01/2017 11:36:41

People

Spillikin at the Theatre Royal Plymouth

The coast at Gunwalloe

The Gurnard’s Head

My favourite: Walk: My favourite walk is down to Scott’s Quay on the Helford River. It is maintained by my friends Charlie and Barbara Pugh, who run the very brilliant Tolmen Centre in Constantine. It’s more than just a favourite walk, it’s a favourite place, and we’ve toasted lots of family birthdays there.

Surprise:

I arranged a deeply soppy surprise fireworks display for my wife’s 50th. The Cornish fireworks company Celebration Pyrotechnics were amazing – they drove across a mile and a half of fields, changed tyres on the way to cope with the mud, set up a generator and a PA so that they could set off fireworks on the Helford for me. It blew her mind, and incurred the entirely justified resentment of every male, married friend of mine.

Place to eat:

I’m going to have to say Ming’s Garden Chinese restaurant in Falmouth. The owners are completely lovely, the food’s great, and as our kids have grown up we’ve made a bit of a habit of going there on the last night of every long school holiday. Also, Barbara Pugh runs a café at the Tolmen Centre to coincide with films, plays and music, and her food is legendary.

Weekend escape: The Gurnard’s Head, Zennor. I live on the south side of Cornwall and going there is like going on holiday to another country, different landscape, different everything. The food there is amazing.

Festival: The Feast of Fun – a biannual(-ish) fundraiser for the Tolmen Centre (have I mentioned the Tolmen Centre?). All the locals from small kids to octagenarians who are stupid/ gullible enough are forced at gunpoint to sing, dance, put on sketches, and generally make idiots of themselves. It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it’s next-level entertainment, hilarious, weird, possibly illegal.

Beach:

Dollar Cove, Gunwalloe. This is the first beach I stepped on after I moved here, 17 years ago. It was the brightest, sunniest day, the tide was out, the sand was warm, our kids were tiny, and in heaven, and I felt like I was too.

And, as luck would have it, it’s the closest beach to our house. Our whole kids’ childhood has been charted out here, any season, year on year.

Nothing beats chips at sunset on Dollar.

Shop: I hate shopping but I like browsing in Waterstones in Truro because I’m wordy and pretentious.

View:

Out of my landing window across the fields behind our house. When we first saw the

house, and were thinking of buying it, it was the view that sold it to me. I almost didn’t notice the house. I stood in the garden, looked out across fields and realised I had to live here. And that was the end of it, even if the house was falling down – which luckily it wasn’t. Fortunately my wife thought the same way. In fairness, she’s in charge of those kinds of decisions anyway.

Westcountry icon: There are so many people I admire that I can’t pick one. But I’d like to say anyone who does a properly useful job, like the people who support Penhaligon’s Friends, a charity for bereaved children. I’m also impressed by the people who run the Falmouth memory café, and the carers at the Crossroads Care Home in Scorrier. I’ve met and spent time with them in the course of my research for writing plays and they’re all just great people: unsung, heroic and hard-working.

Pub: The Trengilly Wartha Inn, Constantine.

This is our local, Will and Lisa run it, and they’re lovely. We go and eat there far too often. I think there was a phase when our kids were mostly eating their fish dippers (made with actual fish, mind). Will also oversees a fine pub quiz.

Jon Welch’s play, Spillikin, is at The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth from Tuesday January 31– Saturday February 4 www.theatreroyal.com tickets £15 45

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23/01/2017 11:37:07

my life

[

man and boy

Jilted at the altar

[

Phil Goodwin and James, six, are in no mood for romance ’m against arranged marriages on general principle. I just don’t see why two strangers should be shoehorned together just for the sake of happy families. Imagine being bound for life like that, pawns in a power game, your precious feelings sacrificed on the high altar of perceived respectability, without a care for Cupid’s arrow.

And for what…to satisfy the whim of a bunch of out-of-touch elders? It can’t be right.

Think of the heartache, the lack of love. It shouldn’t happen. No, I won’t let it happen.

Not to my boy. After all, he is only six years old and he thinks all girls are yucky anyway.

Okay, I need to explain my objections.

At New Year, we visited friends in Cardiff and spent a rather blurry evening saying goodbye to 2016. Such booze-ups are hard to pull off with young children but, as this couple have a five-year-old daughter, Delilah, it was a chance for the grown-ups to have a few drinks while the children played.

In the afternoon we hit the city’s winter wonderland (a fair ground) followed by a big dinner. There were fireworks, sparklers and at least half a dozen desserts by my reckoning. So the lad did okay and I got to sink a few strong beers followed by plenty of fizz. Happy New Year.

Next morning, as we nursed our rather woolly heads, the kids played happily. There is an age difference but that was narrowed by an odd game where all Delilah’s soft toys were arranged in a classroom and routinely shouted at by teachers. As 2017 got underway, with rain hammering down, we flopped out on sofas, chairs and beanbags to watch

I

Peter Pan on TV, chomping on biscuits, sipping tea. It was ideal. Then the kids disappeared upstairs to play, only to re-appear a while later.

Now I admit I wasn’t paying attention when they

[

I called off the wedding there and then. There were tears on both sides

[

came in but I distinctly heard the phrase “princess wedding” slip from Delilah’s lips. Wow. It seemed she had found a suitor and hatched a plan to wed her young visitor less than 24 hours after his arrival. I smiled.

However, my wife’s face told me there was a problem. “He’s not happy,” she said. “Don’t worry,” I told her. Typical bloke, laugh it off.

Sure, it was a bit early to think of betrothal but there was no harm in a game, was there? She gave me the old hard glare so I went and investigated properly.

She was, of course - and as usual - right.

While the young bride was smiling, the groom, having been marched into position, was reluctant, to say the least. In fact he was beside himself. He had turned his back on the wedding party, with four hungover parents unsure quite what to do.

So I called time-out on the ceremony, scooped him up and removed him from the scene to find out what was up. After all, she had only been joking, hadn’t she? Tears streaming, he explained how he had been persuaded – emotional blackmail. Poor lad, he didn’t want to do it but she said she would be upset if he didn’t. And he didn’t want to upset her.

Bless. It made me proud that he is so sensitive to others. But you have to put yourself first, I told him. Don’t be talked into anything you don’t fancy. I called off the wedding there and then.

There were tears on both sides, but ice cream soon put an end to that.

Like I said, you can’t make people love each other, even sensitive souls.

Anyway, now I know how early these girls get started on the old marriage game, I think I better keep a keener eye out for trouble.

NEXT WEEK: Chris McGuire on starting a new life - with a new baby - in the Westcountry 46

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24/01/2017 11:18:09

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