West Magazine June 24 2017

24.06.17

WIN:

26

Festival tickets

Fun weekend escapes

INSIDE

‘My real life Poldark adventure’

ON A STYLE SAFARI Cool ways to look good in high summer

- pg28

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British Made

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‘Riding a stunt horse is all about control - by controlling yourself, your breathing, you control the horse’ Polmartin Riding Stable’s Jane Jedwab gets actors ready for the camera, p16

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BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE A weekend at The St Moritz Hotel

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URBAN SAFARI Savannah-inspired style

[contents[ Inside this week...

6

THE WISHLIST Our pick of the best treats this week

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JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have all the latest gossip

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TREASURED MEMORIES Homespun success for ex-army friends

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IT’S MY POLDARK MOMENT

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MOVE OVER DEMELZA How to get your riding big-screen ready

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IT’S GIN O’ CLOCK We’re sipping something local

A weekend training with stunt riders

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BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY A colourful Georgian townhouse

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JUST ASK GRACIE ‘How can I dress like Victoria Beckham?’

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URBAN SAFARI Fashion’s African dream

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BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Great ways to feel your best this week

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

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COOK LIKE MITCH TONKS Try your hand at sea bass

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SECRET WESTCOUNTRY Where to go, what to do

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TALL DARK AND STRONG Chris McGuire’s coffee cravings

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A SHELLFISH ACT Learn to cook your own seafood

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TWO SCOOPS PLEASE!

Where to find the best ice-cream 3

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TRUE BLUE

Bold colours on Dartmoor

[ welcome [ Who knows when inspiration will strike?

H

Tweet

ow are your Sunday nights looking these days? For me, 9pm is sacrosanct: everything has to stop and it is time to sit down and enjoy the week’s new episode of

[

Poldark.

Our writer Fenella Tobey, however, has gone one better: so inspired was she by all that moody galloping to and fro over the Cornish clifftops that she took herself off to Polmartin Riding Stables near Bodmin to learn how to do it like Demelza and Ross. Ride a horse, that is, not go tin mining against the odds, marry in secret, scheme against your cousins, smuggle brandy etc etc... You can read Fenella’s account of

of the week

@Outofdepth_dad Chris McGuire #FathersDay2017 Here’s the feature I wrote for @ WMNWest on my first year as a #dad

[

[

her time spent riding stunning Cornish filmstar horses on page 16 today - it sounds like a lot of fun.

Elsewhere in the magazine (p12) we meet the brains behind the Plymouth-based business LoveKeepCreate, who specialise in making adorable toys and quilts out of fabrics with sentimental value - be it your baby’s first blanket or your grandfather’s favourite shirt. Best friends Merry Whitaker and Rachel Day first dreamed up the idea in 2013 and they now head up a team of nine, all with the backing of Dragon’s Den guru Deborah Meaden.

Talk about a good idea! Have a lovely weekend and happy reading.

[

She headed for Bodmin to learn how to ride like Demelza

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: Safari dress £39 M&Co

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...

Win!

MAIN PICTURE: MATT AUSTIN

Why not get yourself some tickets to a fantastic live music event on the beach? The Venus Company’s Loving the Beach music festival at Blackpool Sands, south Devon is set to be a fun summer day out with lots of live music in a stunning location. Local food and drink will be served at the Venus Café and Bay Brewery drinks tent and there will be a host of activities for the whole family to enjoy, including Punch and Judy shows and treasure hunts. Saturday July 8, tickets £15, www.lovingthebeach.co.uk

We have four £15 adult tickets for the Venus Cafe Loving the Beach Festival to be won, to the value of £60. To enter, simply tell us the name of the beach where the festival is being held . Send your answer with your name, address, email and phone number to: Loving the Beach Festival, westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk to arrive by July 3. Alternatively, you can post your entry to Loving the Beach Festival , West magazine, Queen’s House, Little Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3LJ. Normal terms apply, West will not share your details.

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REMINDER Marble weekly planner £5 Primark

the

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

BRIGHT Coffee table £285 Amara

Neon toucan light £50 Amara

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Wishlist

Lovely people doormat £26.99 www.GettingPersonal.co.uk

fave!

Hurricane vase £4 Wilko

Tapestry floral cushion £7 George Home

Print dress £109 East

Jewellery dish £6.95 Dotcomgiftshop Makeup bag £29.50 Oliver Bonas 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

Getting to grips with modern makeup hen daughters are young, they sneak into Mum’s makeup bag and have fun experimenting.

When daughters are teenagers, it’s the other way round. Yes. I am standing in the bathroom that my daughter has appropriated as her own. I am an island in a sea of grooming paraphernalia. for the day and a neighbour was It’s a special day: I’m invited to tasked with the school run. I took a smart lunch and I’m trying to the opportunity to slather myself raise the bar with the appearance. in makeup, put coloured paper Usually, my makeup consists of clips through my earring holes – some brown eye liner top and the fad at the time – and crowned bottom, rosy lipstick which I the look with a hot pink Madonapply and then blot with my finna-style net bow. I was terrifically gers and rub onto my cheeks – a pleased with myself, knowing I’d quick fix that I once learned from have time to scrub it all off, until an airline stewardess. If I’m feelI crossed the schoolyard to see ing really enthusiastic I’ll throw my mother’s car parked in the on some mascara. turning circle (she My daughter, was back early). I on the other was well and truly If I’m feeling hand, is an artist. busted.

Her morning Unless you have really regime is extena real need for it, enthusiastic sive, involving I’ve never seen the many bottles and point of foundation I’ll throw on brushes. Once and powder and some mascara. upon a time I may all that malarkey.

My daughter, on have demonI’ve seen too many strated the basic women plastered the other hand, building blocks of in the stuff looking is an artist makeup for her. like Barbie dolls.

Now, I don’t even I tried to steer my know what half teens away from it. the products are in her cupboard.

But I have to say, they do a good I don’t come from a makeup job of making it look natural. family. We are from New England, And when Sophie did my makeup the land of restraint, descended once, she worked wonders on the from strait-laced Protestants. old eye bags, and the weird little We distrust ostentation and nose veins that appear to be part artifice. I wasn’t allowed to wear of my ageing process. any makeup at all before the age I’m coming round to the idea. of 12, even though some of the And it is fun, using all these difgirls came in with a full face of ferent sized brushes and paints warpaint including eye shadow in and powders, like arts and crafts 1970s peacock colours. with your face. My childhood amHow I longed to be like them. bition is finally fulfilled. Thank Once my mother was called away heavens for one’s children.

W

IT’S IN THE

details

Attending the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, Kate Beckinsale opted for a black Zuhair Murad gown which featured a multi-coloured firework print. She completed the floor-length sheer dress with high-waisted black underpants to help keep her modesty intact.

Embroidered mesh maxi dress £60 Very

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION B Shift

Sheer overlay dress £29.99 TK Maxx

OPTION A Swing

Embroidered swing dress £69 Simply Be

Gillian Molesworth is a journalist and mum-of-two who grew up in the USA and moved to north Cornwall when she met her husband 8

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24.06.17

BRYAN’S BACK TO HIS ROOTS Bryan Adams is singing at the Eden Project on July 6 - have you got your tickets yet? Bryan is busy on a world tour at the moment so we are very lucky to have him coming to Cornwall to sing for us.

Brought up in Canada, he does have strong UK ties, though – his mum Jane and dad were British and emigrated to Canada in the 1950s. Indeed, his mum is still living in Canada today. And when he played on May 30 in Sasketchewan, his mum even appeared on stage with him: “I brought my 89 year old mother on stage last weekend in Regina, Canada to

Just

say hello to everyone,” Bryan said on Twitter. Bryan and his partner Alicia Grimaldi have two daughters, Mirabella Bunny, six and Lula Rosylea, four. Rosylea? Yes, she really is named after the Cockney rhyming slang for a cup of tea: ‘She was born in London and... she’s my cup of tea.’ Bryan has explained.

Aaah.

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

!

‘SHE LIGHTS UP THE STAGE’

FAREWELL, MR FULFORD We were sorry to see that Arthur Fulford decided to leave the Big Brother House during the 18th series of the infamous TV reality show.

Arthur, 24, who is heir to the 3,000 acre Great Fulford estate in mid Devon, has been in reality shows before alongside the rest of his colourful family, including Life is Toff and The F***ing Fulfords. But the unpleasant behaviour of the Big Brother housemates proved too much for him, he has explained: “It all became way too much. I felt bullied and isolated.

But at the same time I didn’t want to allow myself to become a victim,” he told The Sun. “I knew what I was doing the whole time, winding people up, but it didn’t come from a place of malice.

“Every year ‘Big Brother’ has a ‘cool group’ consisting of the young, goodlooking models. They treat the rest of us as their inferiors and that infuriated me!”. Quite honestly, we don’t blame Arthur for leaving – we just wonder what possessed him to take part in the first place?

So how has Miranda Hart’s musical theatre debut gone down with the critics? The Torquayborn star is playing evil Miss Hannigan in the new West End production of Annie, which has garnered her a good deal of praise from the critics. “She is genuinely, properly funny here,” writes Andrzej Lukowski in Time Out. “Her accent is terrible and she can’t really sing, but she imbues Hannigan with a sort of nihilistic loucheness that lights up the stage, all exasperated rolls of the eye and ginned-up staggers.”

“Half gorgon, half goofball, all-round pleasure, she daftly-deftly combines menace with physical comedy, lurching into view through scary-tall dormitory doors, sending her grubby young charges screaming as if from a firebreathing dragon,” agrees Dominic Cavendish in the Telegraph.

“Never mind that she doesn’t so much belt her songs as bellow them,” adds Mark Shenton of The Stage: “Hart brings an eccentric air of baffled but winning charm to the role of Miss Hannigan.” Sounds good to us!

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Going wild: Acrobatics on the waves at the St Ives Swellboard Shootout 2017

in pictures All smiles: Happy smiles at the Eden Project’s annual summer garden party

Bright stuff: Bridget Batchelor took this picture at the Rainbow Run at Westpoint, Exeter

Glorious: St Lukes Hospice open garden event at Lower Birch Farm House, Bere Alston

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talking points A HISTORY

of the

WEST in

100

objects 51: VICTORIA CROSS

The best way to:

T.E. Rendle, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, 1914

GET BRAIN FREEZE Summer is here and so are our ice cream cravings. Fear not, we have the inside scoop on the best in the west.

I Scream for Ice Cream: Hardly hidden, but a gem none the less, with its colourful window display ‘I Scream’ certainly stands out. It’s an ice cream parlour full of imaginative concoctions and flavours and if Jaffa cake, lime and chilli, or cookies and cream don’t tickle your fancy, perhaps the “smurf” will.

85 Fore Street, Brixham Taste of Sidmouth: This little place is makes luxury homemade ice cream on the premises. If some of the party don’t fancy a chilly choc ice, don’t panic as there is a coffee shop as well. The parlour also won Taste of the West best ice cream 2010.

Old Fore Street, Sidmouth.

Little Italy: MrB’s the Italian gelateria is run by, you guessed it, Mr B. The ice creams are made with a mixture of locally sourced products and Italian ingredients. If you were to look at their facebook page Mr. B’s reviews feature five stars across the board. They have also created an Ice cream cake…need I say more. 24 Penpol Terrace, Hayle.

Simply the Best: Jelberts, a nondescript little shop in Newlyn where you will find one girl standing behind two large dustbin-like tubs featuring one flavour of ice cream. The ice cream is traditionally served with a dollop of clotted cream, the only decision you will make is how much you want and if you desire a flake to go with it.

2 New Road, Newlyn.

Julien Parsons is the Senior Collections Officer, The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.

He says: One of the most extraordinary feats of bravery known from the First World War was performed by tuba-playing bandsman Thomas Edward Rendle.

It earned him Britain’s highest military honour for gallantry, the Victoria Cross.

In 1902, Rendle enlisted with the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry regiment at Bodmin. He served in South Africa until 1906 and soon after the outbreak of war in 1914, was with the regiment at the Western Front. Musicians were often used as stretcher bearers, and in this capacity ‘No.7079 Bandsman Rendle’ found himself in the thick of action at the first battle of Ypres. On 20 November the battalion came under bombardment, and Rendle rescued wounded comrades from the trenches. In one act of outstanding heroism, he dodged snipers’ bullets and crawled to a stranded officer, administered first aid and dragged him to safety by scraping a path through the earth with his bare hands.

Rendle had not been shot, but the

explosive blasts had damaged his eyesight. He was sent to Exeter for treatment at the West of England Eye Infirmary (now a smart hotel).

In January 1915, his courage was recognised with the V.C. and in July he attended the investiture at Buckingham Palace. Sadly, Rendle never fully recovered from the physical effects of battle. He was discharged in 1920 and moved to South Africa, where he died in 1946.

#51

On display at Cornwall’s Regimental Museum, Bodmin.

Competition winner: Congratulations to Mrs A Heath of Plymouth who wins a £100 holiday voucher to put towards a break at a dog-friendly Coast & Country Cottages cottage of her choice, which includes a free PawPost treat box for her dog.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HAYWOOD

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People

[

BUSINESS SUCCESS

Treasured memories

[

Former Army friends Rachel Day and Merry Whitaker ditched their uniforms for motherhood and have found homespun success, giving new life to treasured items of clothes. Alex Green finds out how LoveKeepCreate was born

t’s a dream shared by many a new mum: to indulge in your hobby and turn it into a successful business that fits around family. But that’s exactly what friends and business partners Rachel Day and Merry Whitaker have achieved with their new venture, called LoveKeepCreate.

Together, they have turned what began as Rachel’s crafty idea of making a blanket out of her son’s first baby clothes, into a keepsake company that is doing well on the national stage.

Their charming products range from bespoke teddy bears to blankets, quilts and cushions made from a loved one’s favourite clothes. All of them hold deep sentimental value for the people that receive their creations.

“I’ve always enjoyed making things, so when I had my son Freddie, I tried to find a way to work from home,” explains Rachel.

“I found an old-fashioned sewing machine and started making dresses, hats, and make-up bags. It wasn’t until my husband Chris was being posted back to Afghanistan that I decided to do something with Freddie’s baby clothes.

I

“I knew I wanted to upcycle them in some way, so I created a blanket and embroidered Freddie’s name and date of birth and gave it to Chris, so he could feel close to us while he was away.”

I meet the friends at their studio in Plymouth. It’s a wellorganised haven of creativity, where they appear relaxed, completely at ease in each other’s company and without a hint of the pressures that can result from running your own business while raising young children.

It takes a minute or two to realise that Rachel, 35, is calmly breastfeeding her third child Harriet, as she begins to tell me how, soon after posting a picture of her homemade blanket on Facebook, she had a year’s worth of orders.

There was clearly a market for Rachel’s designs but soon there an overwhelming backlog of orders. After a catch-up with her friend Merry, who had just had her first child, they talked about going into business together and soon everything began to slot into place.

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Iraq, and Afghanistan, they each had a desire to move to the South West with their husbands (both happen to be called Chris), where they wanted to put down roots to bring up their children.

Plus, they knew they could work together. As Merry, 35, explains; “We first met at Sandhurst while training for the army and got paired up as ‘basher buddies’. That meant we had to share and do everything together.

So, for example, while one of us cooked the other had to put up the tent.

“It was quite an intense period and we were inseparable. We knew what we were like at the lowest of the low, at times of high stress and tiredness.”

That was 14 years ago and, despite long periods of time apart, they remained the best of friends before becoming business partners.

They made the move to Devon, because, as Merry says: “We love everything that the South West has to offer, from the climbing, kayaking and mountain biking to the coastline and the moors.

“I grew up in Exeter and always wanted to come back to Devon. Rachel’s parents had already moved to Peter Tavy and she wanted to be

close to them.”

Rachel agrees: “I love being on the edge of Dartmoor. When we first moved here, the sewing machine sat in front of the window, so while I was working, I would look out across the Dartmoor landscape at such beautiful, inspiring scenery.”

For the first year, they both worked from home.

“We would take it in turns to drive to each other’s houses and had a beautiful commute to work across the moor, avoiding the ponies and sheep, past Two Bridges. It was stunning,” says Merry.

They invested in branding and the development of a new website, which went live in May 2013 when LoveKeepCreate was officially launched. Since then, business increased, more staff were taken on, and at the start of this year, they appeared on BBC’s Dragons’ Den. It was a successful pitch and had all the Dragons so convinced that they nearly walked away with a better deal than the one they were asking for. Somerset-based Deborah Meaden won the investment opportunity and

‘It was quite an intense period.

We knew what we were like at the lowest of the low, at times of high stress and tiredness’

has been supporting them since with their strategy, marketing and growth plans.

In turn, the business now gives something back to the community, employing young graduates from Plymouth College of Art and Design and supporting fashion and textile students while they study. Brittany, 19, is a student who currently divides her time between college and working as one of the team’s nine seamstresses.

Georgia, 21, joined as an apprentice while studying at Plymouth City College and is now a fulltime member of the team.

Their most popular products are still the keepsake teddy bears and memory blankets. With a creative team bursting with ideas to bring to the table, new products are in the pipeline, says Rachel: “We recently launched a lamb toy and we’re developing designs for a kangaroo keepsake. A penguin design will be ready in time for Christmas - our busiest time of year. We have to stop taking orders in November to be able to make everything in time. We also do Keepsake

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People

Merry Whitaker, left, with Rachel Day

gift boxes and these do really well as presents.”

The business now has a Facebook following of almost 150,000 people. Happy customers share their newly-received treasured items and this inspires more interest. People are generally looking for their own personalised keepsakes to remember special moments in their lives, from their wedding day to the birth of a new baby, or to remember a loved one.

The two friends make running a business and being a mum at the same time look easy but they have worked hard to get to this point, as Merry says: “It’s difficult to create a successful business without a lot of hard work and perhaps missing out on a bit of mum time. I don’t think you can have it all.”

“It’s only been possible because we can share the load, by working together as good friends and with a good team to support us.” Their officer training has clearly been put to good use. I wonder what they did with their old uniforms? www.lovekeepcreate.co.uk 15

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Enjoy

IT’S MY POLDARK MOMENT Fenella Tobey trains with the TV stunt riders on Cornish clifftops o gallop across the Cornish countryside, with a horse between our legs and a handsome man sitting tightly behind us has, let’s admit it, become the fantasy of most red-blooded woman in the Westcountry since Ross and Demelza first cantered across our screens back in 2015.

With the new series of Poldark upon us, I am desperate to get involved. Just sitting and watching an episode from the sofa won’t cut it.

Having ridden as a child and with long term career aspirations to be an actress myself, I begin my research.

And so it was that I set off for Polmartin Farm near Bodmin, to undertake a “Riding for TV and film” course. On a day of biblical rain, I finally arrived. At least, I thought I was there.

I had driven up and down winding back roads underneath dripping trees, and had ended up in front of a house.

I got out of the car and looked wildly around for someone, anyone, when a little Ford Fiesta came spluttering up the drive and what looked like a band of medieval warriors tumbled out, with more weapons than limbs. Before I could decide whether I should panic, I hear my name over my left shoulder. “Fenella?” Yes, I was in the right place. Polmartin Riding Stables (near

T

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PHOTOGRAPHY: ERIC JEDWAB OF POLMARTIN RIDING

Fenella on horseback 17

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Enjoy

Bodmin) to be exact - about to embark on a day course for actors eager to learn how to work with stunt horses on set.

The course is a joint venture between Polmartin Riding Stables and a company called Swashbuckling Cornwall. The former is run by Jane Jedwab who, with her cowboy hat, blonde hair, confident stride and smiley face, is a real-life version of Calamity Jane. Polmartin, as she puts it: “is a place to fulfill all your equestrian needs, from beginner’s riding lessons and hacks to training actors for specific roles, and stunts.”

Under a woolly hat I then found Henry Austwick, the founder of Swashbuckling Cornwall, a company that organises practical courses for actors wishing to improve their skills - or anyone looking to have a fun day out, having a go with stunts and stage combat.

The band of medieval warriors, it turns out, is in fact a jolly bunch of actors from The South Devon Players, who have horses starring in their new feature film, Mordred. My fellow pupils for the day.

We all started the day off grooming our horses and trying to get to know them. Jane was eager for us to understand that every horse is different and the way you behave with one may not work as well with another. Acting with your equine co-star requires chemistry and trust, so off I went trying to charm my way into my horse Snowy’s favour. The poor chap couldn’t have looked less interested in what I had to say and carried on munching away regardless. It’s probably why I love horses so much - they have little choice but to be good listeners.

Westerns are a genre of film that usually requires a lot of interaction with horses, and we

‘Acting with your

equine co-star requires

chemistry and trust’

are lucky enough to have Jack Vogwill with us, a seasoned character actor who hails from Plymouth and has just returned from shooting a spaghetti western in Spain.

Jack tells me why he trains at Polmartin: “Although I can ride, there is a big difference between taking a horse around an arena and riding a stunt horse over rough terrain. I booked myself onto a course as soon as I heard I was in a Western.”

For my part, although I have worked with ponies and racehorses, I have never worked with a stunt horse before, and I was in awe of what they can do. The horses are the professionals - I’m a mere amateur. When it came to riding a stunt horse called Kowloon (the most gorgeous creature you have ever seen) I was nervous. I trusted him absolutely – but myself, not so much.

The training is so impeccable that the horses are attuned to your every movement. “Riding a stunt horse is all about control - by controlling yourself, your breathing, you control the horse,” says Jane.

So gone are the days of flapping your legs on your sturdy cob or yanking the reins on your naughty pony. I couldn’t help but feel slightly ter-

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Enjoy

rified. I become hyper-aware of my body, worried that one sneeze would have Kowloon standing on one leg with me dangling off his tail.

When I put Jane’s teaching to the test, however, it all seems to work like magic. On breathing in, my body tenses, and Kowloon comes to an abrupt stop. This is vital for stunt horses working in film. The sets and scenes are all coordinated by markers, so everything depends on you getting your horse in the correct position for each shot.

As Jane says: “Yes, our horses can do fantastic stunts but, most importantly, they are trained to handle life on a film set. They know not to spook and to carry actors and members of the public safely in difficult and testing situations.”

Requirements vary from film to film. Just like their human counterparts these horses train hard and work hard, some earning around £300 a day on set.

Having worked with stunt horses for more than ten years, Jane has a wealth of experience and knowledge, and a wonderful way of teaching that makes all abilities feel comfortable. She does not just tell me what to do, but makes sure I understand why.

“In a film, the character you’re playing may have grown up with horses. Hell, you could be playing a horse whisperer!” Jane explains.

“Which means in every take, you must look comfortable and in control, as if you have been saddling horses all your life.”

Jane got our group to practise simply walking up to a horse and putting the saddle on as though we knew what we were doing. “It’s no good just chucking it on, it has to be in the right place.”

Take two, try again.

“Make sure the camera can see you, but don’t make eye contact.” Take three, try again.

“Oh and now remember your lines - and I want it in an Australian accent this time.” Take four.

There are so many factors that affect just one shot, and this course teaches and prepares you to act with the ambition of performing two or three takes.

Time is money when it comes to film-making.

Henry and Jane first met on the set of “Highwayman”, a student film shot in 2016, and it was then that Henry approached Jane about starting up the stunt riding courses.

“Many productions are filmed in the South West and I was eager to create a local pool of talent that could support and be used in these ventures,” he explains. Henry started the business in 2014 after completing a Masters in Televi-

sion Production at Falmouth University. Now 26, he is the CEO of a company that is going from strength to strength. I, for one, am hooked, and will be keeping a close eye on the up and coming courses.

Meanwhile, the team at Polmartin are eagerly awaiting the premiere of the Bollywood film “Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha” which was shot in and around their premises and features the fabulous Kowloon – it will be released on June 30.

Many of the 32 horses Jane keeps can also be spotted in the long-running German TV series of adaptations from Rosamund Pilcher novels that is shot every summer in Cornwall.

In short, whether you’re looking for a fun day out an unusual hen party idea, or are an actor seeking superior knowledge in the art of looking good on a horse, I would highly recommend this course.

I met some wonderful people, learnt some invaluable knowledge but, most importantly, I had a fantastic time doing it. Now all I need is a horse - oh, and that handsome man...

Riding for Film and Television £140 for three days www.swashbucklingcornwall.com

‘You need to look in

control, as if you’ve

been riding all your life’

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fashion

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drink

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discover

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Bohemian rhapsody A Georgian townhouse in the centre of a Dartmoor community is a tribute to one woman’s artistic vision and flair for colour, discovers Sarah Pitt rom the moment you walk up to The Great House in Moretonhampstead, you can sense that an artistic spirit has been at work. The gracious Georgian townhouse is painted a striking bright blue. A bohemian choice, you might think, for such a classical building in the heart of a historic village. But it works.

That bold paint job, which gives a hint of what to expect on the inside of the building, was one of the final acts of the woman who lived here for the last 15 years of her life.

June Douglas-Boyd, who died aged 85 last October, poured her heart and soul – and unique creative vision- into this Grade II-listed home.

And, as daughter Sally McAnespie recalls, that blue was not without its controversy in the small Dartmoor community.

“My mother was determined to do it, although there was division about it in the town,” she says. “But it worked. It was a paler shade of blue before, which was ok, but this is a great improvement.”

The surprises continue when you push open the elegant front door and step into the light hallway, to be greeted by a staircase with a bannister which swoops down to the floor. Through an open doorway, you can glimpse the sitting room painted a theatrical red, ceiling included. On the walls are artistic arrangements of paintings and gilt mirrors. The centrepiece of the room is the fireplace, which June uncovered while renovating the room. The furnishings are in keeping with the period of the room, but the effect is unconventional.

“This is a beautiful room,” says Sally. “There is a carving on the back of that door, which I

F

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Interiors

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Interiors

always show people, which has birds on it. My mother discovered the fireplace behind the plaster and it works very well with the old stone and the carvings.”

Sally’s parents moved to the house in 2000, and as Sally recalls, her mother set to work immediately to give it her unique stamp, from the green toile de jouy bathroom with its chandelier to the bottle green dining room.

“My parents had had a lot of farmhouses and cottages before this, so it was quite a change for them to have a Georgian property,” she says.

“There was a lot of furniture to be altered, but my mother delighted in doing it, herself mostly.

She was not afraid of getting her hands dirty.

She’d even knock down walls.

“The place was a number of flats when they moved in, owned by the hotel next door, and my parents converted it over about six months, while living here. And as she always did, in all the houses they lived in, my mother made it her own.”

June was a potter and an artist, as well as a lifelong collector of antiques and bric-a-brac, and her treasured collection decorates the house, not least an impressive number of china dogs.

‘My sister and I have been trying to decide which ones we want to keep,” says Sally, who with her husband moved into the house to care for her mother in the last few years of her life.

The Great House was her parents’ home in their retirement. Her father Dickie, whose distinguished wartime service was followed by a career in publishing, had the job, says June, of funding all her mother’s interiors schemes.

“She was always looking for the next project, so

[[ ‘There was a lot of furniture to be altered, but my mother delighted in doing it. She was not afraid of getting her hands dirty’

my father had to keep supplying the money! There’s a lot of history of him in the house as well,” she says. “He was to my mind a war hero, even if he wasn’t in his own, and his claim to fame was that he was Spike Milligan’s publisher. He once dedicated a book to my father, calling him Dougie Dickless-Boyd!”

“My mother was a homemaker and an excellent cook and she just made places look lovely,” adds Sally. “Both my parents were really delighted with this house because it was very grand and light, and my father was a great reader so he really appreci-

ated having daylight for reading. My mother also made a lot of friends, who would come around and drink champagne in the conservatory.”

Her mother’s skill in tackling each new home renovation project came in knowing just how to use the objects she had brought with her in the new space, she says.

“She would adapt somehow, and make a swing-back chair work with an inglenook fireplace,” says Sally. “She was a very clever lady.”

The Great House, £500,000, Rendells

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GET THE

LOOK

fave!

Bring a bit of Georgian glamour into your home with these picks...

Trailing leaves mirror £169 Marks & Spencer

Persian rug £229 Cuckooland

Glass floor lamp £49.99 Argos

Georgia fabric armchair £979 Darlings of Chelsea

Adds a welcoming pool of warm light to a room

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Ask Gracie...

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

The magic of moisture Q

fave!

Can you recommend a good face mask for mature skin? LJ, Hemyock

Mature skin needs moisture to help it retain a plumped appearance, especially around fine lines. Luckily for us, these facemasks are packed full of ingredients that will help skin look fresh and supple in minutes.

Clarins Extra-Firming Mask: This ultrarelaxing balm from Clarins targets tension lines to ease the effects of stress and fatigue. Upon application, the firming complex of organic green banana extract and lemon thyme extract work to improve the elastin and collagen fibres in your skin, whilst boosting the collagen production in your complexion.

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic facial dry sheet mask £60 for a pack of four www.cultbeauty.co.uk

intense hydration boost. Ideal for dull, dry and dehydrated skin, the dynamic blend of acacia and honey absolute is combined with hydrating extracts of samphire, orange and bergamot to moisturise and enrich for soft and supple skin.

Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask £39 John Lewis

Clarins Extra-Firming Facial Mask £46 Boots

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Magic facial dry sheet mask: Unlike any other sheet masks on the market, this game-changing treatment gives instant, long-lasting results. Within just 15 minutes the dry sheet infuses dulled, depleted skin with its revitalising cocktail – lessening fine lines, smoothing, lifting, tightening and hydrating.

Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask: This moisturising mask delivers an

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Gracie’s shopping list

A polished look I’m a huge fan of Victoria Beckham’s immacu-

Q late style and I was wondering if you have any tips on how to emulate her wardrobe?

RP, St Austell Victoria Beckham is one of the most influential women in fashion today. Her look is very polished and she’s often drawn to clean lines, sharp silhouettes and mix-and-match separates in a restrained colour palette.

1.

Leather handbag £200 Folli Follie

Black on black Regardless of what some people might think, black is not boring especially when you layer it up.

2.

Structured handbags It’s not often you’ll see VB carrying a slouchy oversized handbag. Instead, she favours mid sized structured versions.

3.

Cateye sunglasses £12 Very

Add a belt

Classic neon Wet Brush £11.99 www.cultbeauty.co.uk The ultimate mane (and time) saving device, this brush effortlessly detangles wet or dry hair without stretching or breaking your delicate strands.

Cinch in your waist and add a little visual interest with a tan belt.

4.

Sunglasses It doesn’t matter what the weather is outside, sunglasses are non-negotiable.

5.

Tailoring is key If something doesn’t fit perfectly don’t buy it unless you’re happy to have it altered.

6.

A white shirt: A crisp white shirt is a VB staple. It can be worn with practically anything: think jeans, pencil skirts, baggy trousers and leather pants.

Red, red wine...

Q

How can I get a red wine stain out of my favourite white dress? LB, Crediton

When it comes to red wine stains, the best thing you can do is act quickly. A fresh wine stain is always easier to treat than an old one. Also, don’t forget to consult the care labels on your garment before treating the stain. More delicate fabrics, such as silk or leather, may need to be taken to your local dry cleaner.

Soak up any remaining liquid immediately: Press (never rub!) a paper towel against the stained fabric to soak up as much of the excess wine as you can.

Don’t let the wine stain dry: It will be much easier to remove the stain if you keep it damp with cold water.

Apply a pre-treatment: Apply a stain remover as a pre-treatment, following the instructions on the product’s label.

Wash as normal: Use a high-quality laundry detergent and wash at 30 degrees or less to avoid setting the stain.

For stubborn stains: If the stain persists, repeat step 5 and soak the stain in cool water for a couple of hours and then repeat step 6.

Persil Small And Mighty Bio £6 Tesco

Press salt against the stained, damp fabric: Cover the stain with salt and press the crystals against the damp fabric. The salt will absorb the wine and help to lift the stain.

Repeat as necessary: Brush off the salt crystals to see how much of the stain is left. If it’s still there, repeat the steps above a few more times.

Lob-star embroidered espadrilles £24 Cath Kidston The classic espadrille gets a Cath Kidston makeover with their embroidered Lobster print. With a padded sole, lined sock and elastic for comfort, this pair will see you through the season in style.

Surf Washing Liquid £4.50 Sainsbury’s

Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm £8 Marks & Spencer Available in a rosy rainbow of subtle hues, this super-nourishing balm is just what you need to take care of your lips while brightening with a wash of colour.

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fave!

Leopard ring £180 Folli Follie

Urban safari t’s an urban jungle out there. Make sure you stay ahead of the pack in olive green, khaki, camel, and hints of animal print. Whether you’re off on safari or not this summer, you can live out your African dreams with breathable fabrics and hardworking styles. We love this pocket front dress from Hobbs which will instantly transport your style to the Savannah grasslands. Pass the binoculars!

I

Safari dress £39 M&Co Linen blend wrap skirt £12 George at ASDA

28

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19/06/2017 08:24:52

Fashion Stretch jeggings £16 Bonmarché

Pocket front dress £119 Hobbs

Oversized shirtdress £65 Oliver Bonas

Trench skirt £59 La Redoute

Yellow is a key colour this summer.

This skirt is perfect for the office

Zebra print heels £49 Topshop Oversized linen shirt £75 East

29

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19/06/2017 08:25:31

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, every day

It’s time to pucker up Today is National Kissing Day! Not only is this enjoyable activity a great excuse to spread the love to your nearest and dearest, but it can also give you a real health and wellbeing boost. Believe it or not, the act of kissing has been proven to help reduce blood pressure, relieve headache pain, boost your immune system, burn calories, tone your facial muscles and even reduce allergic responses in people with skin or nasal allergies. What are you waiting for?

Mwah!

Cold sores aren’t just restricted to winter. Common triggers include stress, changes of routine and summer sun, so exams, hot weather holidays and even late nights out can see summer cold sore break outs.

A new product called Sorefix works in a different way from the usual acyclovir-based treatments, by providing a physical barrier which reflects and blocks cold sore triggers from reaching healthy cells. It is available as a lip balm in a 6ml tube and 10ml jar, from Superdrug (£7.47). www.sorefix.com

BRAIN TRAINING You might already be practising High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) at the gym but when was the last time you gave your brain a HIIT workout? If you feel like your attention span is shortening, simple everyday changes such as socialising more, taking up a foreign language, singing (in the shower will do), knitting, counting backwards from 100 and even laughing more can help strengthen your mind. Try it!

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Ease your insides Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects one in seven of us on a daily basis. If you, like so many others, live with the stomach cramps of this condition, a new diet could be worth a try. The low Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols (FODMAP) diet involves removing fermentable foods like garlic, onion, mangoes, milk, wheat and beans before slowly reintroducing them to test for tolerance levels. It’s best undertaken with the help of a professional dietician, consult your GP for details. www.kcl.ac.uk

Knock out!

Bored of the same old workouts week in week out? Why not try something a little different in the form of a Payak Karach Muay Thai fitness class at Penzance Leisure Centre?

Muai Thai, or Thai boxing, is a fantastic cardio workout that includes pad work, anaerobic and aerobic training with a big emphasis on fun. With a focus on strength and endurance, it helps boost the immune system and can generate mental peace and relief from stress, making you more self assured and aware. Classes cost £6.15 www. leisurecentre.com

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

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

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20/06/2017 08:01:49

Beauty

Review

Smooth the way Claire Chinn tries a fresh approach to looking good

’m 40 this year. How did that happen?

I’ve always said I’ll grow old disgracefully and enter my forties kicking and screaming. I’ll try anything once and if there is any chance I can slow down the ageing process... well heck yeah where do I sign up?

Enter Christine Marshall from CMB Medispa in Plympton, Plymouth. The treatment she uses is known as IPL which, to you and ‘If there is any me, means Intense Pulse Light. chance I can Apparently one machine does it slow down the all - thread vein removal, skin and collagen rejuvenation, nonageing process... surgical face lifts, even rosacea well heck yeah treatments. It’s also used for hair where do I removal, pigmentation reduction photos of patients she’s worked and acne treatment. This maon. I’m blown away. The before sign up?’ chine all but cooks you dinner. and after shots are incredible.

I’m not going to lie, I was slightWe then run through a series ly sceptical. I didn’t understand of questions about my general how intense light could achieve health and lifestyle and I sign on dramatic results but I went along to the initial the dotted line. Christine has tailor-made a treatconsultation determined to keep an open mind. ment plan for my skin with a view to achieving Christine greets me warmly and we sit down for my desired results. a chat. She goes through everything to do with We head into her treatment room and I lie on IPL, explains to me how it works, and asks what I the bed. A pair of special protective sunglasses want the end result to be. She shows me genuine are put on my face and Christine dons a pair too.

I

[[ Before and after...

IPL skin and collagen rejuvenation and a non surgical face lift

Spider vein treatment

She explained I will feel intense heat for a split second at a time - that’s the laser at work. And sure enough, after a few zaps here and there, it was all over. Did it hurt? Not at all. The sensation was exactly as Christine described it. Intense heat but the zap is over before you can blink.

The science behind the therapy is that the process works by destroying undesirable collagen structures, which then allows my body to start the healing process, part of which is a boost in new collagen production, plumping up the skin naturally. It also encourages blood flow to treated areas as the excess heat is absorbed by the surrounding tissue. While the heat tends not to be high enough to cause damage, it does cause the blood vessels to expand, increasing blood flow. After the first session, I saw a noticable difference, my skin was clear, fresh, and glowing. I hadn’t looked so good since I was in my “blooming” stage of pregnancy.

The best part? It was so quick. The whole experience lasted only 20 minutes. There’s no down time, no red skin, and no marks. Am I going back? Yes. I’ll go and visit Christine once a month for little top up. IPL costs £55 for a single entire face treatment or six treatments for £275. Alternatively, you can opt for a half-face treatment at £45 with a course of six half-face treatments for £225. www.cmbmedispa.co.uk

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Food

SMALL BITES

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

Under the sea Whether it’s mussels from Exmouth, oysters from Salcombe, or crabs, prawns and scallops from the pristine waters of Start Bay, here in the South West we have access to some of Britain’s finest seafood. So how do you do it all justice? The Exeter Cookery School in Exeter offers a Shellfish and Seafood cookery course where you’ll learn how to select, prepare and cook a variety of recipes, creating some classic and modern seafood dishes. Thursday July 13, 9.30am – 4.30pm, £155. www.exetercookeryschool.co.uk

Sparkling superdrinks Purearth have recently released their innovative Kefir Waters (£3.50). Kefir is a fermented milk drink with health benefits - these dairy-free versions contain immune-system supporting combinations of ingredients, such as blue Magik Spirulina (the highest quality spirulina on the market) and vitamin C rich orange Superberry. Benefits are said to include better digestion of fats, proteins and carbs, reduced sugar cravings. Kefir, which originates from the Caucasus, has been drunk for thousands of years for its powerful anti-ageing qualities. www.purearth.co.uk

Award-winning wine From their base in Devon’s beautiful Axe Valley, Lyme Bay Winery produces English wines, country ciders, mead and liqueurs. Elderflower Wine (£8.49) is timely for midsummer, and is an old fashioned off-dry wine with a floral bouquet. It’s the perfect accompaniment for picnics or as a fresh aperitif served chilled. It also won Gold in the Great Taste Awards. www.lymebaywinery.co.uk

Mediterranean treats The Cornish Olive Stall is a small local company that produces top-quality olives. Their produce is not pasteurised and the olives are larger and juicier than many mainstream supermarket versions.

The marinades are all hand-made in St Austell and, where possible, created with Cornish ingredients.

A mixed bag (£3.50) has a range of pitted green Halkidiki and Kalamata olives, marinated with orange, thyme and coriander seeds – seriously delicious! www.thecornisholivestall.com

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

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Enjoy

Your stars

by Cassandra Nye This week’s sign:

Happy birthday to...

Ariana Grande

Deeply intuitive and sentimental, Cancer can be one of the most challenging Zodiac signs to get to know.

Very emotional and sensitive, Cancerians care deeply about family and home and are very attached to the people who surround them. Their ruling planet is the moon, which can create fleeting emotional patterns that the sensitive Cancer cannot control, especially when a child. They can be temperamental but one of their greatest strengths is persistent determination.

Born June 26 1993

A few weeks ago, we’d never heard of the American pop princess Ariana Grande but then she became headline news in the most heartbreaking fashion after the horrific terrorist attack on her fans in Manchester.

The singer then went on to raise millions of pounds for the victims with her One Love Manchester live concert, co-starring a host of superstars including Coldplay, Justine Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Liam Gallagher.

Ariana turns just 24 this Monday, and what an impressive young woman she has turned out to be.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Luck, opportunity and choice will be yours. Of course, when there is too much choice, things do get confusing!

Some decisions need the cool approach of a partner or friend who has ‘been there before’. Some less urgent tasks give way to time spent with a loved one. Memories are being made.

LEO (July 23 - August 23) Full-on again this week? Take those breaks to avoid getting overtired. Eat, sleep and play well to maintain energy.

Delegate and delay at home and don’t be pushed into decisions on the romantic front. Even so, enjoy every moment of a closeness that you seek to increase. Time will make it so.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Social life and a dating opportunity bring fresh hope of romance. When passions suddenly flare, see it as a reflection of things to come. If the time is not right, you will see that it will be. Has fun been lacking of late? Time to put that right! Relax that tight control.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Socially stunning, this week can be one of the best of the summer! Nothing is without effort, so keep that energy high.

Barbecue season should not see you skimping on the fruit and veg, so keep up those good intentions. This is a time of making memories and forging bonds.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) The world around you throws up many pleasures this week. Exploring and travelling bring a heightened dense of self. It is a time to feel alive and optimistic. Keep your distance from negative people and don’t be afraid to seek

friends with a more artistic and open approach.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) This week you see where your opportunities are. Make a beeline for them before someone else does! Learning something about a friend may come as a disappointment. Maybe you expected too much of them? In a week of new connections, don’t dwell too much in the past. Having some doubts about new situations is natural.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) The chance to make progress financially should be jumped at. Don’t spend too much time on this, however, as this moment is full of confidence and opportunity. Advice given to you a few months ago now seems more relevant. Will you be more inclined to take it now?

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) When being asked to consider your innermost feelings, listen. That little voice that guides you (shall we call it intuition?) may have an important message. Don’t be crowded with too much physical activity. Learn to say ‘no’ to get time to yourself. Love and life have a way of giving you a little push sometimes. Even so, you know what is best for you.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) People equal happiness for you this week. Being with them and being part of a team effort suits you fine. Although

there is good advice around, you realise that life is not all black and white. Relatives and children may need your attention. Give it and help to build a strong base for them all.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) With the spotlight falling directly on your talents, being in demand suits you just fine. By midweek you realise that getting organised was the best thing to do. Although there are some doubts about the long-term nature of a new love interest, that should not stop you from enjoying the attention.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) A new week with a fresh approach.

Tried and tested methods are good but tired and wasted methods are not!

A great time to plan a trip, your imagination sharper than ever. Someone who has been source of irritation falls away. This leaves you the freedom to be creative. At last, a chance to pull away from negative influences.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) Fresh ideas come if you get into the right frame of mind. Time spent with relaxed people who fire your enthusiasm sees you in the right place. Do you have now to wait for progress? No. It will come suddenly and stay. An unusual and sometimes confusing weekend sees you living in the present.

34

Stars_June 24.indd 34

19/06/2017 12:45:40

Summer style

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devonlive.com 20/06/2017 13:08:36

Cook

mitch tonks:

Sea bass with braised courgettes Mitch says: Sea bass is an enduring favourite with many customers at my Dartmouth restaurant The Seahorse and it’s no wonder - this fish just has that perfect combination of meatiness in its texture and fresh juicy flavour of the sea. A lot of sea bass in our country will be farmed but if you can get locally-caught wild bass, this is the best!

Serves: 4

You will need:

Method:

4 sea bass fillets, about 180-200g 4 courgettes 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped Good handful basil, torn roughly 100ml olive oil 2 lemons Salt and pepper

1.

Peel, top and tail the courgettes, cut into quarters lengthways then cut into 1 inch chunks. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sweat the garlic for a minute without any colour, add the courgettes and the basil, season and mix well.

2.

Cook the courgettes for about 15 minutes stirring regularly until they have stewed down leaving some chunks and some completely broken down. Put to one side.

3.

Heat a frying pan with a little olive oil, place the sea bass skin side down, season with a little salt, cook until the skin starts to take colour and crisp

4.

Carefully turn the fillets over and place the pan into a hot oven to roast for about 5 minutes.

5.

To serve reheat the courgettes, add a good squeeze of lemon and put a generous spoonful onto each warm plate. Put the sea bass on top and serve with a lemon wedge.

The Seahorse, the Restaurant & its Recipes by Mitch Tonks & Mat Prowse, photos by Chris Terry ÂŁ25 Bloomsbury www.seahorserestaurant.co.uk 36

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Drink

Happy h ur with drinks expert April Marks

April says: A lot of independent restaurants, bars and pubs these days are taking our dining experience to new levels by growing their own vegetables, smoking fish and meat, and even brewing their own beer or distilling spirits. The Elizabethan, in Luton near Newton Abbot, is a great example of a successful local pub offering customers a special experience.

Their newly-extended building offers homemade breads, their own sausages (made with herbs they’ve grown in their own garden) plus they make preserves and chutneys and cure their

own bacon. Owners Nick and Anne are also passionate about supporting and supplying products made locally so, rather than make their own gin, they decided to go to an expert in the form of Westcountry drinks hero John Lawton, owner of Teignworthy Brewery and Dartmoor Distillery.

John and his team are celebrating 23 years at their south Devon brewery, which last year also became a distillery with the acquisition of a 250 litre copper still. John has created Black Dog Gin (named after his beloved two black labradors) which has been a great success in the Devon and Somerset area and also

Black Dog gin is

named after John’s

two black labradors

Dinner date On Friday June 30 Flavours Restaurant in Wellington, Somerset, is hosting an evening of fine dining with wines matched to each of the five courses. Wine expert Jorik Driesen will be there on the night to talk you through the wine selection. To book call 01823 662006

inspired Anne at the Elizabethan to ask John if he’d be willing to produce a special gin for their pub. So this month they are launching the very exclusive, small batch, double-distilled gin called Dartmoor Pony - the gin with a kick. John has kept the recipe a closely guarded secret although he did reveal that they foraged for elderflower and lady’s bedstraw (a yellow wildflower) to add to the more traditional spices and citrus peel usually found in gin. This type of collaboration between hostelry and distiller is a great idea and one which I hope to see more of in the future.

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

PRODUCT OF THE WEEK Dartmoor Pony Gin The gin with a kick! Only 30 bottles have been made

by Dartmoor Distillery exclusively for The Elizabethan in Luton so to try it (and I haven’t yet!) you will need to visit the pub. Let me know what you think on Twitter once you’ve tasted it.

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20/06/2017 13:30:18

Drink

Darren Norbury

talks beer had expected, once I got into – oh, say, mass-produced Goose Island IPA (one of AB okay, passed – my middle years that InBev’s first independent brewery acquisitions in I would get more conservative, with 2011) and an artisan brewed IPA commanding a that small ‘c’. Chill out, take a more higher price. AB InBev’s a business after all, not a relaxed view of the world. Live and charity, so why would it not want to protect those let live. Instead, as the recent election has proved, huge worldwide Bud sales?

I’ve just got more angry, turning into a tubI’ve tried very hard to be fair minded. I had botthumping, vein-popping Victor tles of Goose Island Preseason Meldrew, viewing the world with Lager sent to me for review, and increasing incredulity. very fine this beer was – almost Ratebeer is an What has particularly fired as good as Brooklyn Lager, one me up now is the discovery that, of my staple favourites. But the independent site during the latter part of last foray into Ratebeer, for me, is a where beer lovers year, AB InBev, the world’s bigstep too far. Ratebeer is an indegest brewer, gradually spreading pendent site where beer lovers – okay, geeks – its influence across the globe like – okay, geeks – can post serious, can post serious, a red wine stain on a beige shagand sometimes very detailed, beer and sometimes pile, had taken a shareholding in reviews. It has to be above beer’s independent beer scoring webequivalent of party politics. Sam very detailed, site Ratebeer.

Calagione, founder of Dogfish beer reviews Since shareholders approved Head Brewery in the US, one of AB InBev’s takeover of competithat country’s original new wave tor SAB Miller last autumn to breweries, described AB InBev’s create the world’s largest brewintervention as “a direct violation ing company, the firm has been on a mission to of the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of consolidate its place in the market. This has maniethics and a blatant conflict of interest”. fested itself mainly in the purchase of independIf the march of AB InBev teaches us anything, ent craft breweries, and there have been continual it’s to be more supportive than ever of our skilled, gasps from beer commentators as each of these brilliant independent brewers. As I mentioned redominoes has fallen. cently, the way to fight back against the big boys There is a theory out there that AB InBev is is to offer local beers in free-of-tie venues, such as pursuing this tactic to protect its share of the brewery-owned taprooms and freehouse pubs and mass market with brands such as Budweiser. bars. In fact, I’m heading to one now, to sit quietly That by buying independent brewers and bringin a corner and calm down. ing the price of those premium beers down, there Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk won’t be such a gap in consumers’ minds between, @beertoday

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Beer of the week Wild Beer Co’s Tepache (6% ABV) started out as a version of non-alcoholic Mexican soft drink, for a brewery event, until one of the team decided to tweak it. The result is a tart, wild-yeasted pineapple flavoured beer with spicy notes. Catch it while you can – it won’t be around for long.

LITTLE BIG BEER Little Big Brewing, from Somserset, is on trend with its 2% ABV entry into the session beer market, Little Big Beer. Robust malt, oats and barley, and extra hopping, deliver a whack of flavour without big amounts of alcohol. At this rate, we could see the return of that endangered species, the lunchtime pint!

it’s festival time

Join the Lions Club at Wadebridge Wine today for a festival with 20 beers on offer. Then, on July 14, another North Cornwall one-dayer, this time at Delabole carnival, from 6pm.

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culture vulture Our pick of the most interesting and exciting things to see and do right now in the South West The tragedy of Hamlet The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is set to bring its acclaimed production of Hamlet to Plymouth next year. Directed by Simon Godwin, the production will see RSC Associate Artist Paapa Essiedu reprise his award-winning performance in the title role as one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragic heroes. “As Hamlet, Paapa is intelligent, youthful and charismatic, with a contemporary wit,” says Godwin.

“But Paapa’s portrayal is also mercurial with an element of danger.”

The Theatre Royal Plymouth, Tuesday February 6 – Saturday February 10 2018.

Summer sessions

Portrait perfection Following its initial showing at the National Portrait Gallery in London, it’s been revealed that the BP Portrait Award 2017 exhibition is set to be hosted by Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery.

The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious international portrait painting competition of its kind and has launched the careers of many renowned artists. From parents to poseurs, figurative nudes to famous faces and expressive sketches to piercing photo-realism, the variety and vitality in the exhibition continues to make it an unmissable exhibition.

Canadian superstar Bryan Adams is taking to the stage as part of the Eden Sessions 2017 line up. His massive hits include Run to You, Summer of ’69 and (Everything I Do) I Do It for You. With its magical Biomes backdrop, Eden truly is a unique venue and this is an event not to be missed.

Thursday July 6, Eden Project, St Austell, £60. www.edensessions.com Can’t make it to Bryan Adams? The final gig of the year in the Eden Sessions line up will be by the indierock band Foals on Tuesday July 11.

Tickets are £40.

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The good life Need to get away from it all? Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod discovers the ultimate summer short break, on the cliffs of north Cornwall T

he St Moritz Hotel has a reputation for being an oasis of coastal calm.

Boyfriend Zane, and I have both had mammoth weeks at work so this escape is just what the doctor

ordered.

We park just outside reception and stop for a moment to take it all in. The hotel is a comfortably spread out complex of generously sized pure white buildings set in lush green gardens. We climb out of the car and I’m immediately struck by how quiet everything is.

I can’t see the sea but I know immediately it is nearby, its unmistakeable tang hovers in the air.

After a warm and efficient welcome we are shown to our room, a junior garden suite. It’s luxurious and stylish, with a cosy sun lounge (mini conservatory) attached to the end of it.

The bed is simply enormous, and it is all I can do to resist crawling up onto it to while away the afternoon with a book. The sun is streaming in through the glass windows, impossible to ignore, so Zane suggests a late afternoon stroll to the nearby Daymer Bay. It’s a warm evening and we

spend the next hour happily meandering along the coast, stopping occasionally to take snaps of the view. We arrive back just in time to change for dinner at the a la carte restaurant, home of chef David Williams.

Our hostess Mara shows us to our table, and it doesn’t take long to establish that she is an absolute gem. She is knowledgeable about the menu, the area and is patient when I dither endlessly over the wine list. Cornish ingredients take centre stage here and the theatre-style cooking means you can watch your meals being prepared while you sip your tipple of choice and soak up the elegant décor. Each of our courses arrives looking like a work of art and packing a serious flavour punch.

What a treat. We head off to bed feeling very

lucky to live within driving distance of David’s kitchen.

We wake up to blue skies again. I’m beginning to see why Visit Cornwall proclaimed ‘Cornish Summer Time’ underway on May 1st – a whole six weeks early. This area seems to have its own tropical microclimate.

A quick dip in the fabulous indoor pool and we are ready for breakfast.

The buffet is substantial and the scrambled eggs deserve a special mention little clouds of heaven.

Suitably fuelled for the day we head off down to Wavehunters surf hire premises on Polzeath beach.

Tiny clean waves are rippling into the bay, perfect for trying our hand at Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP). We hire two and take to

A quick dip in the

fabulous pool and we

are ready for breakfast

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the water. We paddle around the bay, catching small waves and watching tiny silver fish swim through the clean, clear water. Two hours later we are back on land, sipping hot chocolate while still in our wetsuits at the adorable Wavehunters Café which is run from a container at the far end of the beach.

Wetsuits off, we go in search of lunch. We’re notoriously late eaters for each meal, but we were delighted to find TJ’s Surf Café serving food on its bustling sun-trap of a deck at 3.45pm.

I have a bloomer stuffed with tuna mayonnaise and Zane hits the jackpot with salt and pepper squid with Greek salad.

Salty and sunkissed we head back to the hotel for an afternoon of pampering at Cowshed Spa, where we have both opted for full body massages.

I get to choose between the most delightful blends of massage oil – and I find myself torn between Knackered Cow (lavender and eucalyptus) and Moody Cow (rose geranium and frankincense). Both are botanical and soothing. I opt for ‘knackered’ and the next hour is spent in a state of sheer bliss as every ounce of tension is gently massaged from my body. I emerge feeling completely renewed.

Dinner that night is delicious pizza from local favourite Jaws, and afterwards we drift off into the kind of deep sleep that only sea air can deliver. The next morning we head back up the A30 recharged and relaxed.

You can’t put a price on that.

Book a two night bed and breakfast break for £240 for two at www.stmoritzhotel.co.uk 41

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Very curious!

The smash hit show The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time comes to Plymouth’s Theatre Royal next week.

Marianne Elliott, who directed the stage adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-selling novel, tells us what to expect ere you a fan of Mark Haddon’s book before you started working on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time?

Marianne: Yes, I was a real fan of the book. I read it when it first came out and absolutely loved it. I never thought in a million years that it would be adapted for the stage. In fact I thought it was a book you couldn’t really adapt.

W

How did you feel when you got the script from Simon Stephens?

Simon asked me to read a script that he’d spent some time on, as a favour. I realised it was an adaptation of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I had no idea that he was asking me to direct it, although he’s

just told me recently that it was his secret plan.

That was quite good, actually, because I read it with an open mind. I wasn’t worried about how I was going to stage it or thinking “is this ever

'This is a story about triumphing in the face of adversity' going to work?” I knew I loved it. I thought it was very visceral and incredibly emotional.

How did you come up with the idea that the whole stage was Christopher’s mind?

That was a long, long process. We eventually came to a happy place that the stage should be his brain and that it should be a box, and that in the box there are lots of magic tricks. But the magic tricks aren’t down to incredible moving digital scenery, it’s to do with seeing how the humans create the magic.

Do you think the role of Christopher is a challenging one to play for the actor?

It’s a really, really difficult role and difficult to cast actually because he has to be young but, inevitably, young usually means inexperienced and the actor has to be on stage the whole time. He has to drive every scene and he’s always the focal point. There are a lot of words

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Marianne Elliot to say and on top of that he has to understand what it is to be this kid. He has to understand what it is to feel emotions and to feel them very intensely but not be able to identify or channel or articulate them. He’s got to be highly traumatised on the journey to London and he’s got to be quite obstreperous as a character but yet you’ve got to like him. That’s why there are two Christophers – it’s too physically demanding to do eight shows a week because it is such an incredibly demanding role.

This play has been seen by more than two million people world-wide. Why do you think it resonates with audiences?

Lots of people relate to having a really inspirational teacher who, amongst the midst of disappointment that every other adult gives you, can

see potential in a child. Also, it’s about parenting and about families - parents who are flawed but desperately trying to do their best. They’re really trying to put Christopher first in everything, they just get it wrong. It’s also about Christopher - he’s highly vulnerable and highly limited in some ways yet manages to triumph and succeed in a way that’s beyond even his dreams.

Mark Haddon has always said the story is about difference. Is that how the play portrays Christopher?

The thing about the play and the book is that we try to get the audience to see things through Christopher’s eyes most of the time. But the play also deals with dramatic irony as well and you’re ahead of the game. You’re worried about him jumping into the train tracks and trying to save

his rat, for example. You’re aware, just before he is, that something is slightly off in the story about his mum. But most of the time, we hope you experience things in the way Christopher does. You get the impression of what it’s like to be in a busy Paddington station or on the tube.

Are there any parallels between War Horse, which you co-directed, and Curious?

There’s a parallel in that they are both stories about triumphing in the face of adversity. Both have a young boy in the central role.

Both are about the rites of passage and growing up. The staging of both shows doesn’t rely on theatrical trickery, with the actors creating the story in front of an audience.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime June 26 -July 1 www.theatreroyal.com 43

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The Star Castle on St Mary’s

Riverside walks at Trelissick Gardens

Enys Gardens in St Gluvias

My favourite:

My Secret Westcountry Liz Down

Walk: Trelissick Garden is the number one choice for me. The woodland and waterside walks are absolutely beautiful, no matter what time of year it is. I often take my little Jack Russell, Sandy, because it’s safe for her to be let off her lead. The views looking over the Fal River towards Falmouth are stunning. I love being anywhere beside the water.

Place to eat:

Bustopher Jones, in Truro, is a favourite of mine. It has a lovely, friendly atmosphere and the staff are always fantastic.

The food is consistently tasty and made with the fresh, sustainable Cornish ingredients. The fish is particularly good, especially the hake.

Liz Down, 53, and her husband Nick farm 70 Jersey cows at Little Callestock Farm near Zelah in Weekend escape: The Isles of Scilly are such Cornwall. They supply Rodda’s a tranquil place – we’re very lucky in Cornwall, creamery with milk and also run to have it right on our doorstep. The sub-tropical award-winning holiday cottages on gardens, quality food and fabulous people make their family farm. They have a grown- it the perfect escape. My husband and I always stay on St. Mary’s in the Star Castle, but always up son, Ben. find new things to explore each time we go.

Last year I ventured to Bryher for the first time and ate in the Fraggle Rock Bar - delicious!

Festival or event: As a farmer’s wife, I have to say that The Royal Cornwall Show is a real highlight of the year. It’s great to catch up with all of the other Cornish farming families. The first port of call is always the Rodda’s tent for a proper Cornish cream tea. This year, we entered our Pedigree Jerseys in the cattle competition - a nail-biting experience but well worth all the hard work!

Beach: I love walking from St Agnes to Chapel Porth beach. The ruins of the old Wheal Coates tin mine, perched on the cliffs above the beach, are a dramatic sight. After a walk on the beach, I like to pop into the nearby National Trust café for one of the legendary ‘hedgehog’ ice creams, a concoction of Cornish ice cream and clotted cream topped with crushed hazelnuts!

Shop:

I often shop in Wadebridge which has

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Wheal Coates tin mine

Bustopher Jones in Truro an eclectic mix of little independent shops – great for buying any little knick-knacks for my holiday cottages or gifts for friends. I regularly pop into Rural Urban, which sells some lovely furnishings and accessories.

Views: The view from our holiday cottages in Zelah looks over a wooded valley and across to St Piran Church in Perranzabuloe. It’s lovely to watch the colours changing in the valley throughout the seasons and we’re able to keep an eye on our horses and young Jersey cows in the lower field too. Our guests will often sit on what has become known as the ‘sunset bench’ and watch the sun go down - a gorgeous sight.

Person you admire: Rowena Cade – creator of the Minack theatre. She was 38 when she began her ambitious project, which she continued to work on until she was in her mid eighties. I admire her hard work. She has

The Royal Cornwall Show created something pretty spectacular which is enjoyed by thousands of people, who come to enjoy music and theatre all year round!

my signature Aga-baked scones with plenty of Boddington’s Strawberry jam and Rodda’s Clotted Cream - on top of course!

Pub: The Hawkins Arms at Zelah - a historic coaching inn and one of the oldest pubs in Cornwall, situated on the old highway from London to Land’s End. It’s within walking distance of our holiday cottages. My guests often go there to enjoy the real ales and excellent food.

Drink: On a hot summer’s day there’s nothing better that a glass of Healeys Cornish Gold Cyder, made near us. I’m a huge fan of Tarquin’s Gin, also made in Cornwall, with Fever Tree tonic and plenty of lime and crushed ice.

Food:

near Falmouth, are so tranquil and peaceful.

Within the 30 acre gardens lie the open meadow known as Parc Lye, where the spring show of bluebells is breath taking. There are also beautiful Candelabra Primulas and Wisterias!

A proper Cornish cream tea. As of this year, we are proud to be supplying our milk direct to Rodda’s - a fellow Cornish family business. It was a no-brainer for us to sign up to a direct contract with a company just seven miles down the road from our farm. The fact that the milk we produce here on our farm goes to Rodda’s creamery, and comes back bottled for our holiday cottages, is a great story for me to be able to share with our guests. I serve them

Secret place: The Enys Gardens in St. Gluvias,

Special treat: Philps Pasties are a real family favourite. I regularly drive to the bakery in Hayle to buy frozen pasties, which I cook for my guests every Tuesday!

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My life

CHRIS MCGUIRE

Tall, dark and strong Somebody get Chris McGuire a coffee, any coffee will do ’d be rubbish on Desert Island Discs. having a cold/being hungry/doing a secret exYes, I’m aware that I’m not a ceperiment on how long sleep-deprived parents can lebrity of any sort. Although, to be last before losing the plot, coffee is a great plan B. honest, the word has been stretched They know me at my local coffee shop. I’ve to breaking point. These days I usugone from that annoying Lycra-clad cyclist (with ally Google (other internet search footwear that sounds like tapengines are available) the contestshoes), to that annoying pramants on Strictly to establish which pushing dad (mumbling about As long as in the pairing is the ‘celeb’ –usunight feeds and Old MacDonally the one I’ve never heard of. ald). it’s black and The main reason I’d be no good During Sam’s sporadic buckling under on Desert Island Discs, beyond my daytime naps, I often sit the weight of its palpable lack of stardom, is I’d in the café, nursing a break the format. latte and watching the own caffeine, “Chris, can you pick your first other caffeine users then that’s fine track for us?” arrive for their ‘fix’.

“Grande Cappuccino.”

The customers range with me “Sorry?” from an eclectic se“I don’t want records with me on lection of stressed this island, I want coffee. Coffee! parents through to Give me COFFEE!” what I’ve come to know as ‘normal’ I’m sure Kirsty Young would lose patience people - although normal may be with me well before any of my caffeine cravings pushing it. The other day, one man had subsided. Yes, this week, I’ve discovered I’m insisted on being given a latte (a little) addicted to coffee – and I’ve no desire to without milk. “But that’s an eschange the situation! presso, sir!” said the barista, How on earth did anyone get any parenting as politely as she could. “No, done in the past, before the ready availability of no, no,” he replied, increascoffee? I mean seriously? As a new parent, I need ingly irate. “I want a latte coffee every morning in the same way my dad’s without milk!” So that’s old Austin Allegro needed a breakfast-time jump what he got. A lonely esstart if there was to be any chance of it exiting presso shot at the bottom of the drive. a huge paper cup. Another Don’t get me wrong, I’m not coffee snob, far man, quite brazenly, opened from it. I couldn’t tell an Arabica from a Robusta his duffle coat and poured an (I looked up the main bean types on the previousentire container of sugar into ly-mentioned search engine). I don’t mind if it’s a pocket. I can only imagine freeze-dried, freshly ground or filtered through that anyone having a hot drink an old sock. As long as it’s black and buckling at his house, would find the sugar under the weight of its own caffeine, then that’s a fluff-laden affair. fine with me.

There’s no doubt that coffee I’m well aware that coffee is no real substitute makes people act oddly! Or is it that for genuine sleep. But when a decent stretch of odd people drink a lot of coffee? I think sleep isn’t on offer, due to my baby son teething/ that, in my sleep-deprived state, I fall

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into the latter category.

In fact, the only coffee I won’t touch is the coffee crème chocolate that always lingers when everyone has eaten their favourite soft centres at Christmas. I sometimes wonder how sleep deprived I’d need to be before considering a nibble on one of those?

Let’s hope I never find out.

Chris McGuire is a writer and new dad. He doesn’t drink tea @McGuireski

NEXT WEEK: Phil Goodwin on love, life and parenting in the Westcountry 46

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