West Magazine, July 23 2016

23.07.16

From the

OCEAN with love

The Cornwall-inspired jewellery worn by Kylie and Fearne

- pg 16

Happy hour Top tipples from the South West

27

colourful ideas for your home

WIN!

£600 worth

of camping kit

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H O L I D AY PA R K camping

touring

pods

holiday homes

Quite simply a five star holiday...

01637 875778 www.hendra-holidays.com

Hendra Holidays, Newquay, Cornwall, TR8 4NY

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Caravans Touring Pods

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O nly 100m from the be a

Call: 01637 876531

or book online at www.porthbeach.co.uk Porth, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 3NH

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‘Cornwall is the sea, the cliffs, the sailors, the fishermen, the rustic countryside - it’s all of that which inspires me’’ Jeweller Lucy Wilson on the joys of life back home, p16

42

WEEKENDS AWAY Where to go, what to do

30 22

SUMMERTIME BLUES Cool hues for hot days

BRIGHTEN UP YOUR HOME Give your decor a shot of colour

[contents[ Inside this week...

6

THE WISHLIST Our pick of the best treats this week

9

JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have the latest gossip!

12

AFTER THE X-FACTOR Teignmouth’s Luke Friend is back for more

16

32

THE BOOST Great ways to feel your best

CORNWALL’S COOL JEWELS Meet Lucy Wilson, metal guru

22

BRIGHT INTERIORS Great ways to add colour to your home

26

ANNE SWITHINBANK How to grow gorgeous courgettes

30

SUMMERTIME BLUES Shady hues for hot days

34

A TRUE HAPPY MEAL Bridie Nicol’s mood-boosting chicken dish

32

BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Great ways to feel your best this week

37

IN HIGH SPIRITS April Marks checks out a new Devon gin

44

MY SECRET WESTCOUNTRY A Newquay photographer spills the beans

46

HEALTH AND SAFETY...?

Phil Goodwin on risky beach trips

37

IN HIGH SPIRITS April Marks checks out Devon gin

16

SURVIVING X-FACTOR

Luke Friend is back for more

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16

METAL GURU

Cornwall’s coolest jeweller

[ welcome [ This certainly is a creative part of the world... hat a difference four years can make.

Back in 2012, Lucy Wilson was working in London, and pining for her home in Cornwall. Today she is back home in the county, running a wildly-successful jewellery business on the beautiful Roseland Peninsula, and her edgy designs are worn by stars such as Kylie Minogue and Fearne Cotton. Our feature writer Fran McElhone found out how she’s done it - see page 16 today (and get a special 10% discount on Lucy’s jewellery, too!).

Another Westcountry local whose life changed dramatically a while back is Luke Friend, who

W

[

Tweet

[

[

came third in the X-Factor in 2013 when he was only 17. Luke grew up in Teignmouth and our celebrity writer Dawn Ellis caught up with him on a trip home just recently - in between helping his mum shift some heavy boxes! As well as growing his trademark dreadlocks to a really rather remarkable length, Luke has an album on the way, acting roles in his sights and a beautiful new girlfriend called Steph. He tells us all about his life on page 12 today. Finally, do make sure you enter our fabulous National Trust/Cotswold Outdoor competition to win nearly £600 worth of camping kit (page 5). Have a great weekend.

[

Her edgy designs are worn by Kylie Minogue and Fearne Cotton

of the week @hearthandcook In the latest @WMNWest is our pretty #primrose #cooker @ESSE1854 recipe

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

Becky Sheaves, Editor

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

COVER IMAGE: Bloody Mary Metal

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Phil Goodwin

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Gillian Molesworth

Lynne Potter

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If you do one thing this week...

Why not make some festival plans? Tickets are now on sale for the National Trust’s South West Outdoor Festival (September 23-25). It is a chance to explore a wonderful range of fun outdoor activities in Heddon Valley, within Exmoor National Park.

The festival is being run in partnership with Cotswold Outdoor, the Trust’s official outdoor retailer.

Visitors can camp for the whole weekend in a riverside paddock (£60 adult camping) or just explore for a day visit, for free!.

Try everything from kayaking and tree climbing to stand up paddleboarding and wild swimming. Gentler activities include star gazing, wild food foraging, and nature walks. The festival will also play host to TV personality Monty Halls. For tickets and further details visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/swof

Win

To celebrate the National Trust South West Outdoor Festival, we have camping kit worth £586 from Cotswold Outdoor to win, including two Robens Caucasus 600 sleeping bags, each worth £160, a Vango Banshee 200 tent, a first aid kit (£30), two sleeping mats (£22 each), cooking kit (£27), travel charger (£40) and travel coffee maker (£25). To enter, tell us the name of the valley where the festival will take place. Send your answers, together with your full contact details, to: National Trust Festival competition, westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by August 5. Normal terms apply, West magazine will not share your details.

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Bright Obe vase £70 House of Fraser

Original Men’s t-shirt £9.99

Orla Kiely fig scented candle £25 Amara

Saltrock

the

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

Scotty dog satchel £16.50 Becky & Lolo

Sweet Peter Rabbit child’s duvet set £30.98 Becky & Lolo

Ella Doran cushion £52 Amara

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Wishlist

Cuddle Pompom throw £71 House of Fraser

fave!

Whee!

Scooter £60 Tiger Stores Exeter

Party time

Store we adore...

Embroidered dress £80 Next

STORE WE ADORE: Camellia Interiors, Truro Camellia Interiors’ new Truro showroom opened to the public on June 30.

Their combination of experienced interior advice and product inspiration is the perfect accompaniment to the upscale brands they stock including Farrow & Ball, and Little Greene Paint Company. Need a

custom colour mixed? Grab a coffee at their lifestyle coffee shop, The Eatery, while you wait. Heavenly.

63 Fairmantle Street, Truro, TR1 2EG 01872 248952 www.camelliainteriors.co.uk

Rustic lantern £67.50 Dupere Design of Modbury www. duperedesign.com 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

Acquiring some horse sense, the hard way n their natural environment, horses range for hundreds of miles. They move to where the forage is good. They live in herds of mares and youngsters, managed and protected by a stallion.

Take the horse out of its natural environment and you run into all sorts of challenges. I have just gone into horses, and I am learnThe kept horse often does not ing all this. have this option, especially inside First of all, there’s its envia stable. So, the human environronment. Instead of hundreds ment manager compensates with of miles you have one fencedrugs. There are a dozen rugs per off field. This means the horse horse: lightweight rugs, fly repelcannot move to where the forage ling rugs, warm rugs, waterproof is good, if it runs out of forage. rugs. They all fasten differently.

So you have to bring it to him.

And when they get wet, you have A horse is a big animal, and a to hang them somewhere to dry. trickle feeder, which means it And store them. And wash them must be supplied with forage all when they get dirty. day long. It can’t One thinks of just eat once a owning horses day, like a dog. about being mainly One thinks of Fields present about riding but in owning horses other problems fact this takes up about being too. If the field is a relatively small muddy, the horse proportion of your mainly about has to stand in time as a horse riding but in fact the mud and gets owner. The rest of it foot problems is spent taking rugs this takes up a like mud fever on and off, moving small proportion or hoof rot. If fencing, picking up of your time as the field is too poo, and making densely seeded, endless trips to the a horse owner the horse can farm supply store get ill, especially to buy more food, the native breeds built to extract bedding, vitamins, hoof oil, bits every last morsel of nutrition of tack, buckets, and whatever from sparse moorland fibre. So else is on sale because you might you have to manage its grass need it. by sectioning it off with electriI have not kept horses for some cal fencing. Which also means time, so it’s all coming as a bit of you have to pick up its poo. It is a shock to the system. But there truly remarkable the amount of is that moment when you walk excreta that one 1,000 kilogram into the stable and sleek heads ungulate on a fibre-based diet turn to greet you, or you admire can produce in a day. You’d be them in the field, when you feel amazed. very privileged to have such Horses in the wild run around majestic creatures as part of your to keep warm or huddle together. daily life.

I

Gillian Molesworth is a journalist and mum-of-two who grew up in the USA and moved to north Cornwall when she met her husband

RHAPSODY

in blue

Dress £185 jacket £125 Peter Hahn

The Duchess of Cambridge stepped out recently in a royal blue Stella McCartney dress, paired with a classic navy blazer. Try this Peter Hahn dress (£185) plus blazer (£125) for the same chic daytime look.

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION A Pattern

Paint-effect dress £89 Phase Eight

OPTION B Pretty Cut-out dress £35 Miss Selfridge

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23.07.16

Just

ABSOLUTELY A SUCCESS Absolutely Fabulous has stormed the box office with the biggest opening weekend for a British film this year.

The movie, starring Devon’s own JENNIFER SAUNDERS and her co-star JOANNA LUMLEY, took £4.042 million in its opening week.

The last British film to take this much at the box office in its opening weekend was in October 2015 when Bond movie Spectre took £6.3 million on its opening day alone.

KEITH: ‘LOOK AT ME NOW!’ Rolling Stone KEITH RICHARDS swapped concert arenas for the streets of Kent for a new BBC documentary about growing up in post-war Britain.

The guitarist journeyed back to his formative years in the hour-long BBC2 film, Keith Richards - The Origin Of The Species, directed by punk film-maker JULIEN TEMPLE, who lives in Somerset.

Julien also happens to be dad of actress Juno Temple, who went to school in Taunton and was recently seen in the rock and roll series Vinyl, alongside James Jagger, son of Mick. Keith Richards’ Lost Weekend shows the famous-

Edina and Patsy’s adventures have trumped other recent British films including the new Dad’s Army movie and Eddie The Eagle.

Cameron Saunders, UK managing director of Twentieth Century Fox, says: “We are thrilled that audiences have embraced Edina and Patsy’s big screen debut - it is a testament to Jennifer, Joanna and the talented team behind the film who really are absolutely fabulous.” We agree!

[ [ ‘Sex and The City is the gift that keeps on giving’

ly excessive rocker “reclaiming for the first time on film his suburban roots” and “exploring the impact he has had on how we all live our lives today”, according to the BBC. Crikey!

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

!

REHEARSALS? WHY

BOTHER KATIE DERHAM has admitted she hung up her dancing shoes after last December’s Strictly Come Dancing final.

The newsreader and BBC Proms presenter waltzed to success in the celebrity dance contest alongside partner Anton du Beke.

But she says she had not taken to the dance floor since coming fourth in the hit show last year.

However, she danced again alongside other Strictly favourites at a special performance at the Proms on Thursday this week.

She told the Radio Times: “I’ve been panicking, because the last time I did any dancing at all was on 19 December, the night of the final.

“I meant to keep it up, but life got in the way. Thank heavens for muscle memory. It did come back, once rehearsal began.”

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Amazing: The Red Arrows put on a display at Yeovilton Air Show

in pictures Yum: Sue Sayers did well at Mullion Horticultural Show

Make an entrance: Flying in to Saltash.net school prom

We did it! Lots of hardy people swam the 6k Bantham Swoosh down the river Avon to the sea

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talking points A history

of the

WEST in

100

objects

QUIZ Of the Week:

How Westcountry is:

4: Gold lunulae

your dog?

1. Is your dog wearing: A. A Swarovski crystal-studded pink harness?

B. A Barbour leather dog collar?

C. Baler twine as a dog lead?

B.

2. What does your dog like to eat?

A. Lightly-poached fish. He’s got a delicate digestion.

B. James Wellbeloved organic grainfree kibble, made in Somerset.

C. Whatever’s on offer at the feed merchant this week – failing that, Sunday roast leftovers.

5. How do you exercise your dog?

A. You put him down on the pavement from time to time, between shops B. He goes to Agility on Mondays, Obedience on Tuesdays and the rest of the time you just walk him three times a day.

C. He just does his own thing, really – free to roam.

3. Where does your dog sleep?

A. In his own mini four-poster velvet day bed.

B. A nice traditional wicker dog basket, which he has shredded all over the kitchen floor.

C. In the barn, on some old straw.

4. What does your dog smell of?

A. Wildwash natural pet fragrance with ylang ylang and magnolia (£14.95 for 200ml).

C.

Wet dog, strongly (and so does your house) but you don’t notice it any more.

Fox poo. Good job he lives outdoors.

6. What is your dog’s most irritating habit?

A. Not enjoying Ibiza as much as you.

B. Shedding hair all over the Axminster. Oh well.

C. Wandering around, raiding bins and impregnating your neighbours’ dogs.

found at Harlyn Bay, near Padstow, Cornwall, from about 2300 BC Julien Parsons is the Senior Collections Officer, The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter. He says: In 1864 a Mr Hellyar directed his workmen to repair a pond near Cataclews fish cellars. He was astonished the next day when he saw one of the men wearing a gold-coloured crescent around each trouser leg – apparently he thought they were made of brass.

The two artefacts had been found in digging out the pond, along with a bronze axe and other objects that were tossed over the cliff edge.

Of course, the crescents were not brass but gold and were declared to be Treasure Trove.

Similar artefacts, previously

known as gorgets or lunettes, have also been found in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany.

Today the preferred term is lunulae and they are dated to the early Bronze Age. It seems likely they were worn on the upper chest.

You can imagine how magical they looked in bright sunshine or reflecting the glow of firelight onto a human face.

It was long assumed that Bronze Age lunulae were made in Ireland and traded across the Celtic Sea. But a recent study suggests the opposite: gold from Cornwall was imported into Ireland. Whether the lunulae worn by Mr Hellyar’s workman are imports or not, they demonstrate strong cultural links between Cornwall and Ireland more than 4,000 years ago.

It seems likely they were worn on the upper chest

results:

#4 Mostly as) Your dog is not Westcountry at all. In fact you (and he) actually live in London.

How did you get hold of this magazine?

Mostly bs) Your dog is really quite Westcountry. Just aim to try a little less hard with him - there is no need to go over the top.

Mostly cs) Your dog could not be more Westcountry. You have acquired the proper country art of not letting your dog impinge on your life at all. Clever.

On display in the Main Gallery at the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk Competition winners: Rocktails gift sets (worth £9.95 each) Well done to: Rosemarie Stanbury, Anne Wellum, Jane Clayton, Adam Lewis, David Rogers, Jill Treby, Kerston Langdon, Deirdre Dick, David Tubby, Melanie McLoughlin and Annabel Pring

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Interview

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[

LUKE FRIEND

Work hard, play hard

[

By Dawn Ellis

ife seems pretty sweet these for Devon singer-songwriter Luke Friend, who first captured the hearts of the nation with his teenage appearances on The X-Factor back in 2013. The fresh-faced baby rocker from Teignmouth charmed the audience and judges and came third overall in the hard-fought TV talent show.

Today, and with a debut album on the cards, Luke is still only 20 years old. He is contemplating a possible movie role and one of his songs is featuring on a German comedy film.Things are going well and the future looks bright.

Although, he tells me, he can be brought back down to earth “with a bump, in seconds” when he comes home to visit his parents in Teignmouth.

“I’ve been home a few days and I’ve been helping to clear some stuff out for my mum,” he says.“She puts me to work,” he jokes.

Luke relocated to London after his stint on

L

PHOTOGRAPHY: LIAM STREET

Teignmouth’s X-Factor music sensation Luke Friend talks tours, his new album deal...and helping mum around the house

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the show and has been working hard ever since on establishing himself in the music industry.

He’s recently signed a record deal with BMG and hopes to release his album soon. “I’ve been picking songs for the album. It’s another step closer to getting it out there,” he says. “There will be bonus tracks and couple of stripped-back tunes, it’s all coming along now.

“My sound is similar to what I’ve always done, but it feels more vibrant and energetic. It’s still very much on the spectrum of music which would fit with, say, James Bay and Paolo Nutini.

“I see my music as meaningful pop with a commercial edge and hooky choruses.”

For the album, he has been writing songs with Danny Jones from the boyband McFly, with whom he’s become close friends.

“Danny’s also into DJing as well as making music and he has taught me so much,” says Luke.

“It’s a completely different way of writing and is so fast. It’s definitely another string to my bow.”

He has also enlisted a few of his talented pals to be part of his band to create a more encompassing sound for his live shows. “I had a three piece band on my first tour but I didn’t know them personally,” says Luke.

“They were lovely people but I think the band I have picked now I feel more comfortable and confident with. I’ve got Jamie Williams on lead guitar who used to be in the Devon band Aurora Skies. They used to be my rival band when I was a teenager in my group NWO. “Adam Brackley had been a drummer in loads of Westcountry bands and is also now with me.

He really is hot on drums.

“I played a gig at Exeter Phoenix this month and I just want to experiment with my sound and for it to grow.”

‘In the past I’ve kept my relationships secret but now I’m open about it’

Luke has been working hard performing when he can but has also really concentrated on writing new songs. His efforts have paid off as his song Take On The World is to be featured on the soundtrack of a top German comedy film called Antonio, which is released on August 25.

“It’s a great opportunity for a release out there, as the film features some big German actors,” he says proudly. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Luke is also going back to his roots and is trying out some acting roles. When he was a student at Coombeshead Academy in Newton Abbot, he was a keen actor and was cast as the thieving Fagin in Oliver and also Billy’s best friend Michael in a production of Billy Elliot.

Last week he had a casting for a new Disney film and has his fingers crossed he gets the role in a film called Descendants 2.

“I went for the part of Captain Hook’s son,” he says. “Acting is something I always wanted to get in to. I did loads when I was at school, I just hope I wasn’t too rusty.” Luke says he hopes he stood out because of his genuine “pirate” look, complete with his mass of dreadlocked hair.

“It’s important to have your own image,” he says. “If people can recognise you from afar or 14

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Interview

just from a picture, that’s great. My look has definitely opened doors for me.

“Really soon I’m going to do a photo shoot with GQ magazine, which will be cool. It will show me in a different light, with suits on. I used to wear really colourful stuff, which I’ve tamed down and, I guess, grown up a bit.”

He’s also now in a serious relationship, he reveals, with his girlfriend Steph Elswood, an up-and-coming food and fitness blogger from London. “She’s awesome and has kept me out of trouble,” he jokes. “We met through Tom Parker from The Wanted. He invited me to a gig of a band he was managing and since meeting we have been inseparable. I can talk to her as a best friend. In the past I’ve kept relationships secret, but we talked about it and decided to be really open about it and my fans have been really supportive, which has been great.

“We’ve been together since February, I’ve met her family and we hope to go on holiday together later this year, so it’s all pretty serious.”

There won’t be much time for holidays, though, if all Luke’s album and film plans come together.

“I just want to keep working hard and see where it takes me,” he says. Watch this space!

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People

White hot Metal Fran McElhone meets a talented Cornish jeweller with designs on stardom eweller Lucy Wilson has certainly won the hearts of a few global superstars just recently.

A slew of celebrities has been wearing the jewellery Lucy makes at her workshop near Truro. Kylie Minogue was the first, spotted wearing a piece of Lucy’s work in an appearance on The X Factor. Ellie Goulding has been out and about with a Fire Alchemy ring in Paris and Jessie J is the proud owner of two pairs of earrings, a necklace and a ring. This summer, broadcaster Fearne Cotton was showing off her personalised stack rings, made as a tribute to her children Rex and Honey, on TV’s This Morning show.

Next in Lucy’s sights is Rita Ora, whom she would “love” to see wearing the creations she markets under the brand Bloody Mary Metal.

“Rita’s pretty cool – she’s definitely a Bloody Mary girl,” she tells me, explaining that sometimes she’s approached by the stylists of the stars, and sometimes it’s a case of her approaching them.

Within a year of starting her jewellery apprenticeship, back in 2012, Lucy’s signature pendant, in the shape of a stag’s antler, made it into the pages of Vogue. She still doesn’t quite know how that happened but thinks it has something to do with her burgeoning Instagram eminence.

Then, a few months later, it popped up again, this time on the pages of Marie Claire magazine.

J

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Jeweller Lucy Wilson lives and works in Cornwall

Within months, Bloody Mary went from being just Lucy, designing and making from her front room of her home near Truro, to an internationally sought-after business occupying two storeys of a business park unit on the Roseland Peninsula. These days, Lucy heads up the business, still designing but with little time for hands-on making any more, instead leaving the crafting to her talented crew.

“I’m not on the bench as much as before, and I’m a bit of a control freak so it’s hard to delegate,” she laughs. “But I’ve got a really strong team and I know I can trust them.”

When I catch up with Lucy, the daughter of organic rare breed farmers from Rilla Mill, north Cornwall, she says she started her day like any other; ploughing through a gazillion emails (orders, enquiries, thank-yous) before getting stuck into finalising her new wedding range, which launches on August 1. It’s perfectly timed to coincide with her own wedding to fiance Jules, who is also an entrepreneur, running Cornish concrete manufacturing and distribution firm, Maen Karne.

Lucy, who relaxes by zooming around Cornwall on her motorbike with her fiancé, tells me she is “Cornish through and through”. Her collections draw upon her roots and the essence of Cornwall’s seafaring heritage. Think the sea, pirates and smugglers, fishermen and the rawness of the natural environment.

“Cornwall is the sea, the cliffs, the sailors, the fishermen, the rustic countryside - it’s all of that,” she says.

“And these are the things that inspired me in the beginning and they’re still the things that inspire me now.”

At moments, Bloody Mary is earthy and medieval, at others it’s humorous and edgy. Guns, skulls and cross bones feature, but so do crowns, anchors and gems such as pink moonstone and amethyst. I

am reminded of the blockbuster television series Game of Thrones. Lucy laughs when I tell her this and says she has just created a ring inspired by Game of Thrones character Daenerys Stormborn (mother of dragons).

Her new wedding collection will feature a pick-and-mix of shapes, metals and stones, from which customers can choose to create their own unique designs.

So why the name? “Haha! I used to sell tomatoes, so I was known as Lucy Tomatoes for years. I was out drinking a bloody mary one evening and thinking about what to call my new business, and Bloody Mary Metal became blindingly obvious.”

Pieces range from £20 for a stack ring to £3,000 commissions. Each piece is individualistic, yet scatter them over your fingers and they’ll look like they

This summer, broadcaster Fearne Cotton was showing off her personalised stack rings, on TV’s This Morning show

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People

were always meant to be worn together - by you.

“I’ve always loved jewellery and gone overboard with it, I wear everything all the time,” Lucy reveals. “But within each collection you can craft a style for yourself – there are big statement pieces but also more delicate ones too.”

When I say it appears her business took off almost immediately, she giggles: “Some of my best-sellers are things I made right at the beginning,” she says. “The antler pendant that ended up in Vogue, and the cross bones are the first things I carved from wax, along with other designs which have definitely been ditched! I have definitely evolved, but I haven’t changed course.

Although I’ve introduced some softer, more bohemian, designs, I will always come back to the bones! There’s a story with every piece and it’s usually the story which sells the piece.”

While browsing Lucy’s collections, which all have dreamy names like Luna Tribe, Winterspell, Wild Horses and, more recently, Outlaws and Bandits, I spot designs that are both evocative and emotive. None more so, though, than the “Hope & Anchor” pendant she created in memory of her father, who died from cancer soon after her graduation. “He always used to say to me, anchor yourself and remember where you’re from,” she tells me. All the profits from this piece go to Macmillan Cancer Support.

“Every now and again I text the regional fundraiser, go for coffee and hand over a cheque, which is really nice to be able to do,” she continues. “We sometimes get messages back with the orders for the necklace from people telling us how much it’s helped them, or a family member, there are often floods of tears when I am reading their emails.

“My vision is that one day so many people will have the pendant, that eventually people will bump into someone else wearing it and start talking, knowing they have this bond.”

Other pieces in the collection also raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity and mental illness charity, Rethink, all inspired by Lucy’s friends and what they have been through. “I will always make a certain amount of charitable pieces - it’s nice to be in a position to be able to do this,” she says.

Now 29, Lucy used to help her parents out on the farm after coming home from school at Callington Community College - but only with the pigs and sheep. “I’m petrified of cows!” she laughs. “Growing up on a farm was brilliant,” 19

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People

she adds. “I had so much freedom, and being surrounded by animals really taught me and my brother about responsibility, respect and nature.”

She left her beloved Cornwall to complete a degree in European Theatre Arts, came out with a First, then worked in London, before dabbling with retail management, all the while longing to do something more creative.

Before long she was inspired to try jewellery making, seeing it as the excuse this “country girl at heart” needed to get back to Cornwall.

So how did Bloody Mary Metal become such an instant success? In a word: Instagram.

“I pushed very hard on social media to get into people’s line of sight and was supported by my friends - some of whom already had a strong following,” she explains, adding that Instagram with her impressive 50.4k followers, is how her business attracts the most attention. “It’s absolutely where we get most of our customers,” she affirms. “It’s

been paramount to the business, especially being down here in Cornwall.

“At first it was a struggle,” she admits. “I couldn’t get a bank loan because I didn’t have a good credit rating from my days of being a student, so I had to get a high interest loan.”

For now, the wedding collection (and her wedding) is the focus, then a limited edition Halloween-inspired collection will be ready in September, followed by a sparkly mini collection in time for Christmas. The next big collection will launch in February and, if Lucy gets her way, Rita Ora will be wearing it, among others. “The other week I got an email from a customer who was in Ontario, Canada, recently when a bartender recognised her rings and yelled, ‘Bloody Mary Metal!’ Amazing!”

West readers can get 10% off a selected range of Bloody Mary Metal jewellery in August 2016, visit www.bloodymarymetal.co.uk and quote WEST

‘Cornwall is the sea, the cliffs, the sailors, the fishermen, the rustic countryside - it’s all of that which inspires me’

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French inspired interiors and home accessories

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Interiors

Rainbow rooms Do you secretly have a crush on colour? Well don’t be shy, here’s how to be bold and brighten up your home this summer, says Becky Sheaves

ven if you usually favour neutrals, it’s hard to resist the lure of summer’s jovial brights. This season’s trend for cheery colour radiates friendliness, energy and warmth, and a colourful trove of textiles can really help pull a room together.

Whether you add offbeat accessories, bold focal points or give your furniture a new lease of life with decorative paint, shots of colour can help create a fun-loving space.

“I get inspired when I’m surrounded by beauty and colourful things, even in the simplest of ways.

You could easily argue that there are bigger things to worry about in life than surrounding ‘I have a soft yourself with colourful quirkiness, but little things count a spot for throws great deal too,” says Charlotte - and you can Hedeman Gueniau, author of Happy Home Outside. never have too “I have a soft spot for throws many hand- and you can never have too embroidered many hand-embroidered cushions for their sheer beauty, cushions’ while round velvet pouffes or floor cushions come in handy when multiple guests show up,” Charlotte adds.

Teaming luxurious fabrics and accessories in jewel colours might sound showy but this fearless approach can look fabulous.

“Whether or not the sun is shining, the romance and flamboyancy of summer makes for the ideal backdrop to bold, bright and downright bonkers interiors,” says Jenny Hurren, creative director of Out There Interiors. “Team bright, block, clashing colours with fantastical accessories and decadent fabrics for an indulgent bohemian feel that will work for every room in the home.”

Simon Wade, managing director at Parker & Farr, agrees: “While in winter, we tend to lean towards darker, more muted shades, summer is the ideal time to introduce colour into the home,” he says.

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Interiors “Whether it’s making a statement with a brightly coloured sofa, or simply adding vibrant cushions and throws, a burst of colour in the home can really help to bring the outside in.” Painting a tired piece of furniture in an unexpected shade, such as a bright buttercup yellow, can trigger a real sense of achievement, as you’re bringing something old back to life, as well as revamping a space.

Annie Sloan has been working with paint in interiors for more than three decades, and there are endless possibilities with her Chalk Paint range, which sticks to just about any surface inside or outside the home - without the need for priming or sanding. Go on, grab a paintbrush and give it a go.

‘To pack a Johnstone’s Paint is also joining in the fun this punch, opt for summer with their new a bold bright Carnival Colour collection. shade. Yellow’s Crushed Pineapple, whcih they call a “creative and associated with happy hue”, has one of the happiness and highest saturation levels on optimism’ the colour spectrum.

“It’s perfect for kitchens, bathrooms, conservatories, utility rooms and hallways,” says Donna Taylor, Johnstone’s Paint senior colour consultant.

“Due to its brightness levels, it will lift the dullest of rooms in a full wall format with ease, and is ideal for rooms with low natural light. Its brightness also allows this colour to be used as a feature with a harmonious or contrasting bold shade, rather than accompanying it with an offwhite or pastel tone.”

Shutters in a bright palette can also help bounce light around rooms and can be a worthwhile investment as they’re built to last. ‘’Shutters are a stylish way to make an impact.

[[ Unlike blinds or curtains, shutters do not obscure windows, allowing you to make a feature of beautiful period details and adding kerb appeal to the outside,” says Murray Clark, director of The Shutter Store.

“To pack a punch, opt for a bold bright shade with our colour match service. Yellow’s associated with happiness and optimism.’’

Now is also the time to make the most of your outside space, as well as your indoor environment. A few rays of sunshine allows your garden, balcony or patio to be in use every day, so make the most of it with some well-chosen accessories.

All-weather cushions and pillows, in pinks and oranges, will pull the colours of the house into the garden, and make it feel like another room, where you can entertain, dine and relax.

“When stocking up your outdoor kitchen, think low-maintenance,” advises Charlotte Hedeman Gueniau. “Use durable materials that can stand the weather changes. Melamine, plastic

and treated wood are all good. Then you don’t have to take everything inside all the time, but just leave it out until the season is over.

“Lanterns for candles create a cosy light when dusk sets in. Being outside means you have the opportunity to go a bit crazier when decorating than you would inside. Pick the brightest plates and the funkiest prints.”

Think of the patio or garden as an extension of your interior landscape. Set up sets of garden pots and planters filled with flowers along a wall.

Mix and match the materials and colours and you will create a relaxed and carefree look.

“Vibrantly coloured metal alongside nature’s finest green grass and blue sky is always a winner,” says Jenny Hurren.

“I love to add fairy lights, candles and floor cushions to my outside space, to make it feel more like an extra room of the house; perfect for long summer nights.” It will all add up to a colourful summer for you and your guests.

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GET THE

LOOK

Colourful and bright ideas for a vibrant and summery home

fave!

Missoni Home dinner plate £64.40 for two www.amara.com

Rug £32 www.

Oliverbonas.com

La Soufflerie recycled glass vases £35 each www.heals.com

Red Apple Ditsy Print mug £6.50 Cath Kidston

Benson two-seat sofa in Peacock £4,885 Parker and Farr

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18/07/2016 11:52:03

Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Vegging out Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, is growing courgettes, cucumbers and so much more...

hether a humble courgette, longarmed pumpkin or triffid-like climbing gourd, plants in the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae), are fun to grow from their large, easy-to-handle seeds. Yet these are proper summer crops and need hot weather to grow well. There’s nothing to gain by starting them too early (May is normal), especially in a cold spring, as all they’ll do is pine, sulk, sit around in their pots for too long and suffer from mildew.

All cucurbits need a well-nourished, moisture retentive soil with loads of well-rotted garden compost or manure added.

This feeds the soil with fibrous matter, increasing microbial Should your action and helping to hold moisture around the roots. I try to cap plants be sulking all our beds with compost in the now and you autumn or winter but, just prior to planting, an extra bucketful suspect they or half barrel-load is dolloped lack food, don’t at each station and forked in, to hesitate to apply create a slight mound. A wide, shallow ‘dish’ is created in the a weak potash top to take the seeds or plants. feed We usually cover direct sowings with either a plastic ventilated bell cloche or a plastic bottle with base and lid removed. This keeps the seeds a little warmer and acts as a slug barrier. They need 15 C/60 F to germinate and, this year, night temperatures plummeted so all of ours were raised in a propagating case under glass. They then need a minimum soil temperature of 16 C/61 F before being planted out.

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Should your plants be sulking now and you suspect they lack food, don’t hesitate to water if needed, apply a weak high potash liquid feed, then a further mulch over their roots, keeping stems free. The one thing we can’t give our plants is sunshine and they need a minimum soil temperature of 16 C/61 F to crop well. Recent cool, cloudy summers have not suited them and last year my larger pumpkins had barely set fruit by September. It is always best to hedge one’s bets by including reliable performers such as the silvery-skinned winter squash ‘Crown Prince’ and smaller fruited ‘Ushiki Kuri’. Or grow them permanently in mounded beds under cover, as long as they can be pollinated.

Squash produce male and female flowers separately on the same plants and pollination relies upon either insects, or gardeners transferring pollen from male flowers to the stigmas of female ones. The latter are easy to determine because there is often a visible fruit beginning to bulge behind the flower. If you grow a lot of squash, it pays, for ease of pollination, to find out which species they belong to and group them accordingly. As fruits mature, their stalks differ according to species, so in C.pepo it is deeply furrowed, with five to eight ridges and a slight swelling where

it joins the fruit. Stalks of C.maxima are swollen but never ridged and C.moschata generally shows five ridges and enlarges at the fruit end.

Cucurbita pepo includes decorative gourds, marrows, courgettes, patty pans and winter squash such as Festival, Celebration, Onion and Gem. C.maxima includes the giant pumpkins, Hubbard, Kabocha, turk’s turban and my favourite pumpkin ‘Rouge vif D’Etampes’ a French heirloom of reddish orange skin and flattened shape.

C.moschata is the tribe of butternuts, crookneck and ‘cheese’ type squash most of which revel in warm temperatures and are the least likely to do well in poor summers. The cucumber itself is Cucumis sativa and outdoor varieties like ‘Burpless Tasty Green’ and ‘Marketmore’ generally fruit reliably outdoors.

If I think my squash are setting fruit when the plants are still too small, I’ll sometimes remove them. It can also be a good plan to stop long arms after 1m/3ft or so to encourage fruiting laterals, which in turn can be nipped out if making excessive growth. Water them well during dry spells but stop once fruit have set. Go easy on feeding and if you must, choose a high potash feed and dilute to half the recommended dose. Sunshine is the best fertilizer.

Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank My strelitzia was given to me as a tiny plant in 2009 and now occupies a pot 30cm/12in across. It is very pot bound, with roots pushing out of the top and has never bloomed. Can I repot now, or should I wait until spring?

Georgena, Paington

Q

I would get on and pot your strelitzia now, into a 50:50 John Innes no 2 and multipurpose mix.

By the time you’ve teased roots out, a 60cm/24in wide pot will be needed, so this will be quite a job.

However the roots will be better able to take up water and feed and the plant is likely to bloom. Do stand it out during summer but keep in a cool, frost free, bright spot for winter. I think the plant will need a season to grow new roots and good foliage but should produce pointed flower buds the spring after next.

Q

What can I plant into dry soil in a sunny, south facing position? I’d like the plants to look after themselves so I don’t have to keep watering.

In many ways, this site is a gift because there are many Mediterranean style plants which need these conditions to do well. Try lavender, catmint and garden cultivars of origanum such as ‘Herrenhousen’ and don’t be afraid to repeat them, so there are a few of each. Clip after flowering.

Intersperse with furry, silvery-leaved Stachys byzantinum (lamb’s lugs) and Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’ with purple foliage and pink flowers to see you into autumn. If there’s space, dot through Spanish poppy Papaver rupifragum ‘Orange Feathers’ for papery, double flowers and the indigo woodland or Balkan sage Salvia forsskaolii for large, hairy leaves and stems of blue flowers.

Do water during dry spells while the plants are establishing

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

• Order or buy seed of spring cabbage and winter salads such as hardy lettuce, rocket, land cress, mizuna and mustards to sow early in August.

• Brighten up a doorway by planting a container with late summer perennials and grasses. Next spring, plant them out into borders and they’ll continue growing for many years. I’d have Echinacea purpurea, Rudbeckia fulgida var.sullivantii ‘ Goldsturm’ and Molinia ‘Poul Peterson’.

• Water celeriac regularly and thoroughly, soaking each plant every few days

during dry spells.

Add a general purpose liquid feed to help those stems swell.

• Begin to take semi hardwood cuttings of favourite plants, either with a slight ‘heel’ of older wood, or stem tips about 10cm/4in long. Remove bottom leaves and any soft tips, before inserting into 50:50 multipurpose compost and sharp sand, grit or vermiculite.

Put several per 9cm/3.5in pot, water in and cover with polythene.

Stand out of full sun. I’m admiring dwarf lilac, Escallonia ‘Red Elle’ and Vitex agnus-castus plants raised from last year’s cuttings.

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

out overgrown bottle gardens and terrariums by cutting out excess palm or fern fronds or gently pruning rampant creeping fig.

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

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Graphic t-shirt MAIN PHOTO HAIR: SAKS, EXETER MAKE-UP: CLARINS, DEBENHAMS (BOTH PRINCESSHAY) PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HAYWOOD

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod embraces the simple way to make a statement he basic tee has been upgraded this season. Badges, logos and slogans are all over the place and, chosen right, they are a great way to exBadge t-shirt, Next, press yourself while adding a new Princesshay, £16 dimension to your off-duty wardrobe.

Whether it is your favourite band, a saying Jeans, All Saints, that sums up your mood or some retro iron-on Princesshay, £88 designs, the overall effect can be casual-meetschic, in a big way.

Shoes, Next, Don’t get me wrong. I am still a fan of the plain Princesshay, £40 t-shirt. So much so that I recently caught my friend Kerri throwing her eyes skywards when Bag, Next, I eyed the skirt she was holding and said, “Man, Princesshay, £38 that would be perfect with a little white tee”.

Cue eye roll.

“What’s that look for?” I countered.

“For someone who writes about fashion, your ideas board is a tad limited,” she said.

“Everything I have shown you today should apparently be paired with a little white tee.”

Well, repetitive I may be but Your favourite that is because I am right. A good band, a saying t-shirt goes with everything and this season’s varieties are no summing up exception. your mood or So, where should you wear yours? If you’re headed off on retro badges: the a summer holiday this year, overall effect is then these are the perfect casual-meetsairport solution. These days, has a fantastic “No Photos Please” every second of the journey is number that she wears with black chic documented and, even if you’re leather skinnies and ankle boots. not a fan of the selfie, you can I’m also a big fan of Jessie J’s tee bet someone in your clan is which was emblazoned with “I going to be merrily snapping away on a cellphone didn’t know what to wear today so I put on this from as early on as the check-in queue. designer t-shirt”. Funny and cool, talk about A quirky tee is comfortable for the flight effortless dressing. that follows and photogenic for the photo ops I like mine for a trip to the Picturehouse along they way, optional or not. Just ask the to see the new Ab Fab movie. The cheeky slew of celebrities spotted rocking their own embellishments remind me of Edina’s taste for a versions. Made in Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh flashy label, applique and a bit of bling. In a more

T

understated way of course.

You could also pop one on for the school run.

I like the idea that you can pair it with a messy topknot and a pair of jeggings and look like you were aiming for rock n’ roll, rather than rolled out the door and rocked up.

In fact, a graphic t-shirt has so many uses, you’ll be bereft when it has to go into the wash.

But don’t worry, you know what else goes with everything? A simple white tee.

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

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T-shirt £18 RIVER ISLAND Logo sweater £25 MISS SELFRIDGE

GET THE

look T-shirt £18 MISS SELFRIDGE Jacquard Trousers £36 NEXT

T-shirt £24 RIVER ISLAND

LA tee £25 MISS SELFRIDGE Sweater £30 DEBENHAMS

Sunglasses £45 NEXT

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Off the shoulder: just so feminine

Top £28 Miss Selfridge

Collection loafer £29.50 Marks & Spencer

Francine dress £130 Phase Eight

Sandals £45 La Redoute

Swimsuit £55 Phase Eight

Dress £29 La Redoute

Button down shirt £12 George at Asda

Shirt £70 Pure Collection

Orla Kiely travel pouch £75 Amara

Bomber jacket £29.99 New Look

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Fashion

fave!

Bella Freud jumper £255 Oxygen Boutique

Ester shoe £89 Pretty Eccentric

Summer blues ave you noticed that pale blue is having something of a fashion moment right now? And we approve - this shade is flattering and pretty, but not too sugarysweet, giving a hint of ice-queen cool to a summery outfit.

We love this swimsuit from Phase Eight, which would look great by a pool or in the sea. La Redoute, the French online brand, has really nailed the pastel blue trend this summer with some very covetable - and not too pricey - frocks, plus these adorable and ever-soslightly different powder blue gladiator sandals.

Finally - and we know it is summer and we shouldn’t need a sweater - but we couldn’t resist this jumper from edgy designer (and daughter of Lucien) Bella Freud. No, we don’t see what was so special about 1970 either, but there you go. That’s art.

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Dress £35 La Redoute 31

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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

RELAX AND RECHARGE No matter how hectic your lifestyle, it’s important to take time out to recharge your batteries. This doesn’t have to mean boarding a plane - Beach Cove Coastal Retreat in Ilfracombe offers luxury beach hut-inspired sanctuaries complete with private hot tubs, stylish interiors and breath-taking sea views. www.drawinescapes.co.uk

GO BAREFOOT When was the last time you kicked off your shoes and took a barefoot stroll through your garden? From establishing a light, natural stride in the body to reawakening nerve endings, improving posture and rediscovering your youth, barefoot benefits are endless.

Whether you choose grass, sand, patio or even mud, why not add a shoeless stride to your daily routine? Just don’t forget to wash your feet when you’re done!

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A FESTIVAL FOR MIND, BODY AND SOUL Port Eliot Festival returns to St. Germans in Cornwall from July 28-31. This unique event is a celebration of the wonder of music, words, imagination, exploration, nature, fun and lots more. With some familiar faces taking to the stage and plenty of activities for the whole family, hike, surf, forage, cook and laugh your way through this spectacular event that feeds the mind, body and soul www.porteliotfestival.com

INSPIRATION TIME Keen to boost your physical and mental health but aren’t sure how? Head to Weymouth’s second Sports and Wellbeing Festival, running until July 31 on Weymouth beach. Discover local clubs and activities, have a go at water sports and take part in arts, crafts and music workshops to kick start your new and healthy lifestyle. www.visit-dorset.com

GALLOP TO ADVENTURE Monday marks the start of National Parks Week and this year the theme is adventure. To celebrate, why not head to our glorious Exmoor or Dartmoor for some thrill-seeking outdoor activities? Whether its horse riding through the heather, coasteering on Exmoor or even going airborne above Dartmoor, now is the perfect time to discover your inner adrenaline junkie. www.nationalparks.gov.uk What’s coming up? Tweet us your wellbeing diary dates

@WMNWest or email westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 33

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PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT AUSTIN

Wellbeing

Naturally Bridie’s

Orange and Garlic Summer Chicken Bridie Nicol says: It’s always fun to make vibrant summer dishes, like this chicken dish which is easy and full of flavour. When you’re enjoying the summer weather with a group of friends, this is definitely a winner placed in the centre of the table.

The smell of oranges creates a happy, relaxed feeling and has been known to work as a mood lifter. Chicken is filled with tryptophan, an amino acid that your body relies on to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and appetite. So this dish really is a proper ‘Happy Meal’.

You will need (serves 4): 4 chicken thighs 4 chicken drumsticks 6-8 shallots 1 garlic bulb 2 oranges, cut into wedges and slices 300ml chicken stock 240ml orange juice 4 tsp dijon mustard 2 tsp raw honey 2 tbsp olive oil ½ onion, finely chopped 5 chive leaves, cut up

Method: 1.

2.

3.

@naturally_bridie

4.

Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C Fan, 375°F, Gas 5).

Place the chicken thighs and drumsticks into an oven dish.

Peel off the outer skin of the shallots and evenly place into the dish.

Cut the top of the garlic bulb off and place

the base into the oven dish, near the centre.

Then pop out the garlic pieces that were left in the cut-off top and sprinkle them throughout the rest of the dish.

5. Place the orange slices on top of the chicken thighs and sprinkle the wedges though out the rest of the dish.

6. Heat up the chicken stock and add the orange juice, dijon mustard, raw honey and olive oil, stirring well.

7. Pour this mixture over the chicken so that it is level with the biggest chicken piece.

8. Sprinkle the cut-up onion and chives over the top.

9. Cover with foil and place into the oven.

Cook for about 40-45 minutes, depending on thickness of the chicken pieces.

10. Peel back the foil, check the chicken is cooked through and, if ready, place a few edible flowers on the top and serve up.

Bridie Nicol runs nutrition advice business Naturally Bridie in east Devon www.naturallybridie.co.uk 34

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Make an Entrance With more colour and style choices then ever before, let us help you enhance your home today

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18/07/2016 17:59:09

Enjoy

Oaty Baked Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe: Carol Bowen Ball, author of Esse’s The Four Seasons Cookbook

Ingredients

Method:

50g butter 50g clear honey 150g rolled porridge oats 400g cream cheese 3 medium eggs, separated 75g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla essence 150g fresh strawberries, thinly sliced

1.

Preheat the oven if necessary to 180ºC/Fan 160ºC/Esse Dial Guide MODERATE. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the top end of MODERATE or very low end of HOT).

2.

Melt the butter and the honey in a pan then stir in the oats, mixing well. Press onto the base of a 20cm round, loose-bottomed cake tin.

Serves: 8

3.

Whisk the cream cheese with the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla essence until smooth.

4.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into the cake tin.

5.

Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and just firm to the touch. Allow to cool before removing from the tin and transferring to a serving plate.

6.

Chill well then top with the sliced strawberries and mint to serve.

Oaty Baked Rhubarb Cheesecake: Prepare as above but top with 225g cooked rhubarb mixed with 5 tbsp warmed preserve. Rhubarb compôte is particularly good.

The Rangemoors Hearth & Cook showroom in Marsh Barton, Exeter supplies the full range of Esse cookers: www.hearthandcook.com 36

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Drink

Happy h ur

‘There’s a new kid in town: a gin with lemony grapefruit brightness’

with drinks expert April Marks

April says: There’s a new kid in town, he’s creative, innovative and bang on trend. The town is Salcombe, the kid is Salcombe Gin, the brainchild of friends Angus Ludsin and Howard Davies.

We turned our back on gin back in the 1970s in favour of vodka, the perfect base for so many cocktails that were fashionable at the time, but the tables have now turned. Gin sales are up 20% in the UK. So what has re-kindled our love affair with this spirit? Well, it’s all about the botanicals.

Neutral spirit (or vodka, if you like) is re-distilled with botanicals. The prominent botanical in gin must be the juniper berry, after that everything is fair game. Fruit, herbs, spices or even flowers are part of every distiller’s own special recipe.

Angus and Howard of the Salcombe Distilling

Cocktail creation: BOUDIER BELLINI For the perfect summer cocktail you will need; Ice 25ml No 9 vodka 15ml Gabriel Boudier Crème de Peches 100ml Mabis Vintage Prosecco Place a couple of cubes of ice into a champagne flute, pour the vodka over the ice followed by the Prosecco, pour the Crème de Peche over the top - serve!

Company distill their own base spirit from English wheat and soft water from Dartmoor National Park. It is re-distilled using fresh citrus peels (most distillers use dried peels) including ruby red grapefruit, lemon and lime, in a nod to the Salcombe Fruitiers, the fast schooners that once imported citrus fruit from the West Indies, Azores and the Med. Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’ is a smooth, elegant and beautifully balanced gin, with a lemony grapefruit brightness. Serve it with a decent tonic such as Fever Tree, plenty of ice and a wheel of ruby red grapefruit.

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

Gin fling Want to learn more about gin and find your perfect bottle? The Culm Valley Inn in Culmstock is hosting a Gin Workshop on Thursday 28th July. Discover more about gin, find out why the tonic and garnish you choose is so important, plus the chance to taste an array of exciting premium gins.

Cheers, darling!

WINE OF THE WEEK Félicette, Grenache Blanc, Pays d’Oc Named after the cosmic cat Félicette, which was chosen by the French to enter the feline space race (yes they really did send cats into space back in 1963) this wine is for those that want to try something a little different. It is a Grenache Blanc, carefully crafted to be subtle, sassy and food friendly with crisp mineral and almond flavours. You will find this being served in @Angela’s restaurant in Fore Street Exeter.

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Drink

Darren Norbury

talks beer Beer of the week On my trip to St Austell Brewery visitor centre I spotted plenty of one-off brews, and I can’t choose between Cashmere and Baobab as a favourite. Each showcases the new Cashmere hop variety, offering piquant lemon, lime and melon characteristsics, with baobab, from the Eden Project, being a superfruit powder full of minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidents. Beer that does you good!

How about that?

Win a brewing job BrewDog has launched a national home brewing competition with a unique prize. The winner will be given the opportunity to join the maverick company’s brewing team.

Details, including the entry form, are at brewdog.com/homebrewdog

inancial uncertainty, security fears: from an expanding brewery in Yorkshire last for whatever reason, it looks like it’s year. Now short-run, experimental beers, such going to be another good year for the as the SMASH (single malt and single hop) Westcountry staycation. Well, tourseries are in constant production here. Even ism is pretty much what we’re best managing director James Staughton had been at these days and the joy is that our region has so “back to the floor” on the day I was there, much to offer. helping to create a new brew called Italian Job. This, surely, was one of the Addressing the launch event reasons behind St Austell visitors, Mr Staughton pointed Brewery’s recent revamp of its out that St Austell bestseller It seemed many already very impressive visitor Tribute started as a small-batch centre. The venue now has a new brew – 1999 Eclipse special of the ladies, bar, lots of interactive features Daylight Robbery. “Maybe the particularly, and a strong historical theme, next Tribute will come from this were keen to charting the development of brewery,” he said. the brewery from its foundation You’ll find many of our have their phoin 1851. It was re-opened by Westcountry breweries offer tograph taken England rugby international tours. In addition, towns like and Tribute ale ambassador Falmouth, with its fine pub next to Jack Jack Nowell in front of a crawl, or Totnes, with three Nowell large, impressed crowd. It breweries in close proximity, seemed many of the ladies, make great destinations for particularly, were keen to have visitors with a thirst on. Pubs their photograph taken next to Jack! and breweries are a great way to soak up local At the heart of the visitor centre, formerly an atmosphere and try new beers. A great day out, uninspiring, functional hop store, is a viewing even of you aren’t a tourist. platform which looks down to the impressive new Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk small-batch brewery, which St Austell acquired @beertoday

F

[[

HERE’S TO GREAT BRITISH BEER Just over two weeks, then, until that great national showcase the Great British Beer Festival, at Olympia, London (August 9 to 13). Expect to see a strong contingent from the Westcountry, all hoping to win the coveted champion beer of Britain accolade.

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Ingredient of the Week

Rabbit

with Tim Maddams an there be an example of a more of grass in year, that’s around an acre. Ten rabmixed-up approach to animals bits can very quickly become 100, so they must than ours to the rabbit? We eat it be controlled or they will devastate crops. They – though not nearly enough – we are, I think, the best example of what I like to make a pet of it and we also make call accidentally-farmed meat – an incidental a pest of it. Confusing, isn’t by-product of agriculture. it? Of all the game species, Though it’s hard to imagrabbit has to be the winner of ine a time without rabbits in the “Latin name that sounds the UK, we’re talking about the most like a Harry Potter an introduced species here.

We eat it – spell”: Oryctolagus caniculus Many people suspect it was is always going to be hard to the Romans who brought though not beat. Though quite what effect them here but we know for nearly enough the spell would have, I’m not sure that the Normans defisure. It sounds a little evil to nitely had them when they – we make a pet me... came over after 1066. Rabbits of it and we also The common or European were once farmed in warrens make a pest of it rabbit, along with pigeon, is for their meat and fur but they the arch-enemy of the modern soon escaped and set up subcereal farmer, or, indeed, stantial wild populations. As grass-growing dairy or sheep the trend for eating rabbit and farmer. The reasons are obviwearing their skins dwindled, ous. One rabbit can (and will) so their numbers spiralled out eat around 500g grass (or young barley, wheat, of control. We should be eating more rabbit of or seedlings) a day – so around 182.5kg a year per that there is no doubt, many rabbits are killed in rabbit would be a conservative estimate. That the process of pest control each year and so not means ten rabbits can eat near on 1.75 tonnes to eat them is simply wasteful in the extreme.

C

[[

Pop it in the pot...

But the fact is that rabbit makes some of the tastiest meals out there, and is very low in fat.

The younger ones are quite tender enough to roast in a hot oven and simply chop up before serving.

Older rabbits tend to be tougher – the best indicator here is size.

If you have ever tried to skin an old rabbit, you’ll also know that it’s much harder than skinning a younger specimen.

Older rabbits are better curried, potted, confit or braised.

Bom Appetit! @TimGreenSauce

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

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culture vulture Our guide to the very best don’t-miss events to enjoy in the South West right now

A place of magic Kneehigh Theatre’s Asylum tent is open for business again this summer, this time pitched at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, near Mevagissey. This is the sixth year that this highly-regarded Cornish theatre company has staged shows in its purpose-built tent - a venue that, they say, is “a place predisposed to magic”. With theatre, live music, fine food and drink, a visit to the Asylum certainly is a great night out.

This year, Kneehigh is staging three exciting new shows: The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, FUP and The Two Gentlemen of Verona between now and August 28. Tickets are £24 or you can buy a three-show pass for £57 www.kneehigh.co.uk

BACK TO THE FUTURE Art from the 1920s and 30s is revisited at a fresh new exhibition showing this summer in Budleigh Salterton.

Inspired by the renowned Grosvenor School of Art style, Brook Gallery is showing linocut prints by artists Paul Cleden, LisaTakahashi and Andrew Pavitt.

The British Grosvenor School of

Modern Art opened in 1925 and its work celebrated the movement and hustle of modern life in the 1920s and 30s, with dominant themes of sport and transport.

These present day interpretations truly capture the spirit of the genre for the 21st century. Grosvenor School Inspired runs at Brook Gallery, Budleigh Salterton until August 26 www.brookgallery.co.uk

A spoonful of sugar...

Mary Poppins is the big family show of the summer at The Theatre Royal, Plymouth, running from Wednesday August 3 to Saturday September 3.

The magical story of the world’s favourite nanny has been brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs. This stage show is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh and Disney and has a book by Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes, who lives in Dorset. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! Tickets from £27, www. theatreroyal.com 40

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15/07/2016 16:20:46

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Enjoy

A WEEKEND IN

TORQUAY

WORDS: GRACIE STEWART

ou can’t get much more of a traditional British seaside resort than the vibrant and cheerful town of Torquay. Set at the very heart of the English Riviera on the South Devon Coast, Torquay is famous for its sandy beaches, family attractions and Victoriana and is well worth a visit today.

Y

Stay: Although the five star Somerville Hotel won’t be to everyone’s taste (think gilding, tassels and travertine marble!) the bedrooms here are wall-to-wall luxury with pocket-sprung kingbeds, snazzy bathrooms, digital radios and handmade chocolates. Unusually for a town centre establishment, the Somerville is able to offer free parking to all its guests. Expect to pay upwards of £100 per night for a Deluxe Junior Suite with

breakfast included, www.somervillehotel.co.uk.

Eat and drink: Tucked

[[ Relax with a luxury spa treatment - and why not make the most of their pool facilities and enjoy a glass of bubbly?

away just a few steps from Torquay harbour, The Orange Tree is owned by Sharon and Bernd Wolf. The husband and wife team offer modern British and European cuisine inspired by quality ingredients such as South Devon beef, free-range local duck and fresh fish from Brixham market www.orangetreerestaurant.co.uk. In search of fine dining? The Elephant has a Michelin star and is run by chef Simon Hulstone, who serves up some creative and amazing dishes, while also running a more cost-conscious brasserie, all on

the sea front www.elephantrestaurant.co.uk.

Don’t miss:

Since its foundation in 1196, Torre Abbey has witnessed, survived and even played a role in some epic moments of history. Today, it has been restored and brought to life with a clever mix of authentic artefacts and hi-tech interpretation: adults £7.85, under-18s free, www.torre-abbey. org.uk. Look out, too, for the Agatha Christie Festival here on September 15. Also, you really should pop into the Living Coasts zoo/aquarium on the waterfront to see the cute baby seals and adorable penguins www.livingcoasts.org.uk.

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Food at The Elephant

See baby seals at Living Coasts

Torre Abbey

Explore:

A wander along Torquay’s seafront will take you alongside the glamorous marina and through the pretty waterside Princess Gardens, a promenade lined with palm trees, wellmanicured flowerbeds and an ornate water fountain. The gardens take their name from Princess Louise, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, who laid the foundation stone for the pleasure ground in May 1890. They are overlooked by the stunning Edwardian Pavilion at one end and in the middle

by Torquay’s Princess Theatre, the ideal venue to catch top West End shows such as The Magic of Motown here on August 20 (tickets £28.80).

Throughout the year Princess Gardens provides the location for numerous events and festivals.

The Somerville Hotel

Do: The Torquay Land Train (£3.50 for an adult return) is a fun way to get around Torquay for all ages. It takes in the picturesque seafront and provides convenient drop-off points for many of Torquay’s hotels. The Land Train runs from 9.30am and completes its circular route every 40 minutes until 4pm.

Visit:

Originally opened in April 1926, Babbacombe Cliff Railway is a funicular in Torquay that links Babbacombe Downs with Oddicombe Beach, a sheltered haven for those looking for a relaxing day out. This attractive stretch of shingle beach is perfect for simply hiring a deck chair, lying back and enjoying the spectacular views.

The Babbacombe Cliff Railway is open every day from 9.30am-4.55pm. An adult return is £2.20 www.babbacombecliffrailway.co.uk.

Relax:

Step into another world and give yourself up to the tranquil surroundings of the Aztec Spa at TLH Leisure Resort, which offers a range of therapies and treatments from top spa professionals like Elemis, OPI and St Tropez. The Aztec Sunset package (£39) is a good choice, offering some tranquillity at the end of a busy day. Relax with a luxury spa treatment, and why not make the most of their pool facilities and enjoy a glass of bubbly and nibbles afterwards in the spa relaxation area, www.tlh.co.uk.

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Adj Brown Adj Brown, 43, is a professional photographer who lives in Newquay. His wife Lucy JennerBrown works in PR and they have a daughter, Kitty, who is nine.

ALL PICTURES: ADJ BROWN

My Secret Westcountry

Crantock

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People Cardinham woods

The Jam Jar Cafe

My favourite…

Walk: Cardinham Woods near Bodmin is a stunning place to walk, explore and cycle and as a family we love visiting in all seasons. Our daughter Kitty and our dog Benchley traipse through the river and I love the towering trees – so I always have a camera with me when we visit. A visit to Woods Café at the end of a walk is always a must – hot chocolates in the winter and ice-creams in the summer – perfect.

Port Eliot Festival

Place to eat: Anywhere with good seafood is always a treat and I recently made the pilgrimage to the brilliant Wheelhouse in Falmouth, which is such a unique place doing something simple so well and lived up to all the great things Lucy and I had heard over the years. In Newquay I love Gilmore’s for their fresh and local take on Mexican food and The Jam Jar for their daily menu of homemade cakes, coffee and lunches. I’ve heard great things about Chapter One in Newquay, so that’s next on the list to try.

Weekend escape: Every early July we meet

Port Eliot Festival

up with good friends from London with their children for a lively weekend away in Bigbury, Devon overlooking Burgh Island and it is always such a magical time. We have created some brilliant memories there – kayaking round the island, swimming, some amazing meals in gorgeous old pubs and drinking and laughing as the sun goes down – you can’t beat it.

View: I am truly spoilt in Newquay so among my favourites would be the beach views here – the view over Watergate as you come over the hill from Newquay; Crantock from Pentire, or over the bay. But there is always something special and rugged about Little Fistral that I love and photograph regularly.

Pub: I have a regular meeting point at The Fort overlooking Newquay harbour on an early

Friday evening and it is a great time to unwind from the week. It has great views over the bay and good pub food - we all sit there and put the world to rights while the kids have a great time together in the play areas.

Festival: Port Eliot Festival in St Germans is a real favourite of mine. With its mix of art, fashion, food, music and literature it’s a great family friendly festival in a stunning setting on the banks of the River Tamar. From wild swimming in the river to just hanging out with friends under a tree, it really is a special weekend. Luckily, last year Lucy, Kitty and I got to attend for free as I won their photo competition to capture the spirit of the festival the year before.

Music: As a music lover and having been to so many gigs in my younger days living and growing up in London, getting the opportunity to see live music in such a special location at The Eden Sessions is always a thrill. The last couple of years I have also had the honour to be one of their selected photographers to document the events. The stand out gigs for me there have been Flaming Lips, Elbow, Brian Wilson and Lionel Ritchie. Frank Turner at Falmouth Pavillions was also a brilliant gig.

Secret place: I get to travel a lot and photograph many hidden places with my work but there are secret spots for me all over Cornwall.

I really love to work with film photography and recently set up The TinType Company as another branch to what I do, with a good friend Al Forrester. We have been tinkering with wet plate tin type photography and experimenting with outdoor and indoor set-ups so I can often be seen in one of my secret places under a photography hood, with a giant vintage bellow camera. www.adjbrown.com 45

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My life

MAN AND BOY

Taking a chance verybody loves a trip to the beach, don’t they? A chance to kick off your shoes, splash in the surf, run barefoot on the cool sand. Why waste money on trendy yoga classes and pricey spa treatments when Mother Nature provides the perfect chill-out zone?

You can settle down on a blanket and let your cares melt away as the waves lap gently on the shore. Except on my guided family tours. In my attempts to be a protective father, I seem to have unwittingly created a new version of the classic seaside day trip – part disaster movie, part Health and Safety nightmare.

I decided to toughen up the boy with a few invigorating dips in the chilly summertime seas of Devon. We kicked off with a damp day out at Sidmouth, packing a couple of wet suits and the body board in the van. We were the only two in the water after a spot of light rain sent the Afterwards holiday-makwe had Devon ers scramice-cream in the bling for cover.

Cowards, we rain. Charactersniggered as building stuff. we plunged into the rustThe hardy staple brown waves. of any British He loved it, childhood caught a few waves and then spent ages peering into cold rock-pools.

Afterwards we had Devon ice-cream in the rain. Character-building stuff.

The hardy staple of any British childhood.

E

Exhilarated by this success, we decided to find a new spot the following day, a slightly warmer Sunday, and made for Ness Cove at Shaldon. This time the lady wife deigned to join us for a few hours.

It is a wonderful beach, all rocks and red sand, accessed by a dark and mysterious smuggler

[[

tunnel. The landscape is spectacular, the towering red cliffs of the Jurassic coastline bending away gently east towards Dorset. I sat munching a sandwich as James played under the cliffs in a tiny stream which meandered down the exposed earth. He was digging lakes among the boulders which had tumbled down.

Tumbled. Down. Hang on, I thought, scanning the arc of the beach. Quite a few big stones had buried themselves in the sand. Half way down the beach I noticed a deep pile with plants still growing out at unnatural angles. It looked like a fresh fall.

My mind was jerked back to 2012, when I joined the national press pack at Burton Bradstock after a young woman on holiday died in a massive landslide. Part of the cliff had sheared off and sent boulders as big as haystacks plummeting down.

I looked at the lad, sat happily among the rocks. Twenty yards further on, a young couple sat close to the cliff. Past them a whole family was having a barbecue.

I coaxed the boy away with a gentle warning about the danger but he wasn’t happy so I cajoled him into a walk. We hunted stones along the way. He wanted to know more about the deadly landslide I had witnessed.

So I told him, within reason.

I wondered if I should have a word with the carefree holidaymakers but they would probably think I was a crank. You can’t go preaching doom and destruction among the burgers and chardonnay, can you?

On the way back I noticed there was, in fact, a sign warning of rock falls beside the entrance. Few of the tourists seemed to have taken any notice of it at all. Though I bet you the locals hereabouts are more careful.

NEXT WEEK: Chris McGuire on starting his new life in the South West

MAIN PICTURE: STEVE HAYWOOD

Phil Goodwin and James, six, make a risk assessment at the beach

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Whatever your inspiration W I T H A S H G ROV E K I T C H E N S

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