West June 7, 2015

07.06.15

INSIDE: + HEALTHY

PIZZA + ELDERFLOWER

COCKTAILS

HOW TO: + PLAY POLO

ON THE BEACH

Good

val festiguide:

W I N!

£570 F WORTH O T IC K E T S

Cover_June7.indd 1

PLUS: + JUNE’S

BEST ROSES + ORGANIC

TANNING

WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO WEAR & HOW TO HAVE FUN THIS SUMMER

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‘The pony puts on a burst of speed as the mallet circles down and around – chock! The ball goes flying up the field. Success.’

Gillian Molesworth tries polo in Cornwall, p 16

42 16

GET AWAY Our guide to a luxury weekend on Fistral Beach

LET’S PLAY POLO Cornish chukkas

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HARRY’S GAME Which blonde beauty will he choose?

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HEALTHY PIZZA? Yes really, and here’s how...

[contents[ Inside this week...

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THE WISHLIST Lovely things to check out this week

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COUNTY LADY Our columnist goes to the show

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JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have the latest gossip!

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A FRIEND IN NEED Overcoming tragedy in Exeter

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POLO ON THE BEACH Cornish chukkas, mallets and more

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FESTS OF THE WEST Find a festival to suit you with our guide

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ANNE SWITHINBANK

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WIN £570 FESTIVAL TICKETS! The region’s best festivals - and how to pick the right one for you

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HOW TO:

Wear denim

Anne promises us a rose garden

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BEAUTY TIPS AND TREATS Great ideas for looking your best

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FASHION CRIME? Yes, you CAN wear double denim

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HEALTHY PIZZA Low-carb, gluten-free: the recipe

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IS BOTOX THE ANSWER? Our expert has the lowdown

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YOUR STARS THIS WEEK Cassandra Nye looks to the future

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MAN & BOY Phil Goodwin meets a badger - and several foxes...

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[

[

POLO AHOY

Learn the basics ahead of the beach meet

[ welcome [ Back in the day, it was Glastonbury or nothing... ...but these days, the summer festival season in the South West offers everything from events themed around beer, to sea shanty singing, to literature and classical music. There really is something for everyone. So whether you fancy a four-day extravaganza at Somersault in north Devon or an afternoon of discussing books in Penzance, there really is a festival for everyone this year. To help you choose the one for you, we have our fabulous six-page festival guide in this week’s magazine on page 22. Prices vary from free, though £1, to considerably more, but the good news is we have £570 worth of festival tickets to win - not bad, eh?

Talking of winning things, stay on this page

Tweet

[

of the week @GAdamsPlym The @WMNWest @WMNSunday team cross the finish line in a rainbow of colour! #runordyeuk #exeter #devon Eds note: Well done, girls!

(opposite) and you’ll spot we have some rather special vodka to be won. It’s made from the whey left over from making Barber cheddar in Dorset, and tastes fabulous, too. What a clever idea.

Another clever idea, we think, was to introduce beach polo to Cornwall. On page 16 today, our intrepid writer Gillian Molesworth grabs a chukka or two with the man behind the Watergate Bay polo phenomenon, and finds out how to wield a mallet on horseback in north Cornwall.

Clue: it’s not easy! Finally, we have a truly uplifting story by Anita Merritt on page 12 today, about two friends who supported each other through tough times. Inspiration guaranteed.

The good news is, we have £570 worth of festival tickets to win

[

Becky Sheaves, Editor

COVER IMAGE: Somersault Festival

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

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Sarah Pitt

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Phil Goodwin

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If you buy one thing this week...

Pure Milk Vodka was invented

by Dorset dairy farmer Jason Barber as an ingenious use for the whey left behind from the cheese-making process.

Made purely from milk from the farm’s 250-strong herd, the vodka is an exceptionally smooth spirit with a unique creamy character. Stylishly packaged, it has received plaudits from many vodka connoisseurs, including food critic Tom Parker Bowles.

Win

We have 70cl bottles of Black Cow Vodka bottles to give away to two lucky West readers (over 18s only). For your chance to win email us your name and address, with Black Cow Vodka in the subject line, to wmnwest@westernmorningnews.co.uk

by June 21 at the latest. Normal terms apply.

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‘Corkatoo’ corkscrew,

IT’S THE TOPS!

£14.99, www.rigbyandmac. com

Add a touch of Latin glamour with this off-the-shoulder crop top, £35, www.lipstickboutique.co.uk

the

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

Maya passport holder, £14, www.oliverbonas.com

Store we adore Baxters Gallery, Dartmouth The bright and airy space of Baxters in Dartmouth shows off the best in contemporary art, printmaking, craft and jewellery. The atmosphere is relaxed and inspiring, allowing you to take your time in choosing from established and new artists, mostly from the Westcountry.

Baxters Gallery is on the corner of Foss Street, Dartmouth Call 01803 839000 or visit www.baxtersgallery.co.uk

Cute cup The best receptacle to drink tea from in a Cornish garden, Camellia mug, £19.95, Emma Bridgewater

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Wishlist

Spell it out with this embroidered purse, £12, www.oliverbonas.com

Flower bracelet, £8, Dorothy Perkins

sweet feet Henrietta floral ballet pumps, £96 reduced from £120, www.frenchsole.com

Nautical Hampton stripe dress, £49.50, www.oliverbonas. com 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

Gillian meets the public at the county show t’s been county show season, with the Royal Cornwall following hard on the heels of the Devon County Show. And the Western Morning News “battle bus” has been at both events: a portable display unit where the public can meet the journalists.

The promotions team were doing a roaring trade selling goodie bags “Hey, do you want to see what on our stands, but we journalists your name looks like written in were on the bus. shorthand?” I said. That got some At my allocated time, I sat down enthusiasm. “No way! How do you ready to meet the public. The write those letters?” inside of the “battle bus” is very “All journalists can,” I say. “It’s smart. It is a sort of caravan, but like a secret alphabet.” The nineinstead of beds it has tables and year olds were now nodding vigchairs where you can hold meetorously. I was onto a good thing. ings or negotiate deals. It also has “Dictate me anything you want, electric lights and a little sink. and I’ll write it on the post card,” My first member of the public I said, and started one of them was about nine off. “Dear Mum.” years old. He came I looked at him charging up the expectantly, pen ramp, followed by poised.

Their manners two friends.

“Dear Mum, we “What’s in this are at the Royal just about one?” he asked, Cornwall Show,” prevented them looking around. the boy started dusaying: ‘What, This was kind of biously. “We saw hard to answer. some BMX bikes. is that all?’ but “Me,” I said, They went really their faces said it, throwing out my fast.” He ran out arms. of steam. “I would loud and clear They looked at like more allowme. Their manance/an X-Box?” ners just about I suggested. The prevented them from saying, boys all nodded again. “X-Box,” “What, is that all?” But their faces came the vote.“So, do you know said it, loud and clear. why journalists have to write like They looked around. “That’s this?” I asked. They did not. “It’s a cool TV,” one of them said. because you can’t take recording “There’s electric light too,” I said, devices into court,” I said. pointing up. They nodded.

No response. “It’s so you can “We’re going around the show write really fast and no one else collecting free stuff,” said one of can read it,” I added. That got the boys suggestively. Ah. “I’ve some respect. I showed them the got some post cards,” I said. “You little squiggles. “Wooooah,” they can choose between a different all said. Hopefully, a new generapictures.” Again, their faces said tion of journalists has been inthe word: la-a-ame. spired. I call that a result.

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

Lady like Sheridan Smith looked every inch the lady in her vintage frock as she collected her OBE for Services to Entertainment at Buckingham Palace. This spotty circle frock by House of Foxy (which proudly makes its clothes in Britain) channels Sheridan’s tres feminine look and it’s a classic style that suits whether you’re willowy or curvy.

House of Foxy dotty circle dress £135 www.20thcenturyfoxy. co.uk

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION B Scarlet letter OPTION A Cool blue Hostess dress £110 www.20thcenturyfoxy. com Smart daytime

Ella dress £159 www. prettyeccentric. co.uk Flattering 1940s fashion

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BRAND NEW!

Just

WHAT’S HARRY’S GAME? The birth of Princess Charlotte has apparently made her besotted Uncle Harry – PRINCE HARRY to you and me – think about settling down and starting a family of his own.

The question, though, would appear to be… who with? The gossip channels are buzzing with the names of two of his old flames, blonde Zimbabwean lawyer CHELSEA DAVY and heiress CRESSIDA BONAS, whose modelling assignments have included Somerset luxury handbag

brand Mulberry.

According to Grazia, Harry is planning to spend time in South Africa with Chelsy, his on-off girlfriend for seven years until 2011, and she’s also been pencilled in for some royal engagements later in the year. However, another source has it that the prince is serious about winning back ‘Cressy’ Bonas – who he split with in April last year – bombarding her with flowers and phone calls, a source told OK! Watch this space.

between us!

Gossip, news, trendsetters and more - you

heard all the latest juicy stuff here first!

ROUND TWO

Shirley says: ‘Put it away!’

Veteran songstress DAME SHIRLEY BASSEY has criticised modern pop stars for being more concerned with flashing their flesh than working on their music.

The 78-year-old singer, whose career has spanned 60 years, said she had been shocked by RIHANNA’s choice of skimpy gown at the Met Ball and she thought stars should save their reveal-

ing get-ups for the stage.

According to the Daily Mirror, she said: “It’s like they’re all in competition with each other for who can wear the skimpiest outfit. In my day it was for the stage only, you didn’t go out looking like that. You have to leave some things to the imagination. Yes, my gowns were sexy, with a cut-out and a slit here, but I didn’t show everything.”

FOR LARA AND DAVE? LARA STONE has given a hint that it’s not completely over with husband DAVID WALLIAMS - when she arrived on the Cannes red carpet with her wedding ring firmly on.

Her estranged husband is also seen in public wearing his wedding ring.

The model and the Britain’s Got Talent judge/comedian were said to have begun “a break” in their relationship in early March, living separately

and they’ve not been pictured together since.

Now Lara has turned up solo on the Cannes red carpet in a shimmering, low-cut metallic gown and she appeared to still have her ring on her finger. And Walliams was snapped emerging from a sleek black people carrier at a Paul McCartney concert wearing his. Could reconciliation be on the cards?

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Quackers: This duck wearing a smart bow tie was spotted in a Tesco car park in Crediton

Hard work: Leaping obstacles in the World’s End Tuff Enough obstacle race near Penzance

in pictures

Laid back: This mellow trio soak up the atmosphere on a giant deckchair at the Tunes in the Dunes festival on Perranporth beach

Mooving: The Bath and West show was a huge success

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talking points Celebs

On board

ONE OF US Famous faces who come from the Westcountry

10 cities to feature on Monopoly’s 80th anniversary World Edition board

This week:

Luke and Harry Treadaway

1 Hong Kong

Twin actors Luke and Harry Treadaway were born in Exeter in 1984 and grew up in the mid Devon village of Sandford

2 Amsterdam 3 Taipei 10 blooms with famous names

4 Moscow

1 Agatha Christie

5 London

2 Barbra Streisand

6 Tokyo

3 Steffi Graf

7 Athens

4 Elizabeth Taylor

8 Warsaw

5 Darcey Bussell

9 Riga

6 Felicity Kendall 7 Freddie Mercury 8 Isabella Rossellini 9 Marilyn Monroe

10 Mexico City

The happy list

10 Oprah Winfrey

Did you know? Luke’s been a vegetarian since the age of six and Harry’s veggie, too.

Wheel deal 10 things to make you smile this week 1 Cornwall Rugby Twickenham - nuff said

2 June’s heatwave yes 10 cars we’ve yet to spot from our vintage I-Spy book:

1 Singer Vogue 2 Vauxhall Velox 3 Humber Super Snipe 4 Goggomobil Royal 700 5 Hillman Super Minx 6 Hillman Super Minx 7 Lagonda Rapide 8 Lancia Flaminia 9 Renault Dauphine 10 Riley Elf

Early years: Luke’s first role was in panto - he played a daffodil and his architect dad was the Big Bad Wolf. Both boys won places in the National Youth Theatre .

please, Met Office

3 Elderflower cordial 4 John Nettles Northcott Theatre Exeter June 28

5 Sports Days egg and spoon 6 Raspberry vinegar the new balsamic. Seriously

7 Bovey Castle relaunched and extremely fabulous

8 Pony shows rosettes galore 9 Swimming pools, sea, rivers, wherever...

10 Elvis Costello Plymouth Pavilions, June 24. Legend

He also featured in big-screen epic Clash of the Titans.

Theatre: Luke’s starred in two of the National Theatre’s most successful shows, playing Albert in the original production of War Horse and Christopher in The DID YOU KNOW? Curious Incident of the Dog in the Harry plays Night-Time. He also guitar and both starred in hit TV drama, Fortitude. twin brothers

School: While the admit to having smoked behind the bike sheds, the were in a band brothers had a gift Prize: Luke won an during their for science and Olivier award for his a “great teacher” Curious Incident teens, called (hello, Mr Simpson) role, pipping Rupert Lizardsun at Queen Elizabeth’s Everett to the Community College, gong. Everett later Crediton. They were confessed: “‘Oh God, part of a school team I was bitter about that won a national chemistry that. Losing and staying at home is competition. “We won a few one thing but losing and showing up grand for the school’s chemistry is quite another.” department and returned as heroes,” said Luke.

Rehearsing: Harry has made his name playing Victor Frankenstein in Big break: After drama school, Luke the horror-drama TV series Penny and Harry made their film debut Dreadful. Before filming his role in together, playing conjoined punk the film The Lone Ranger, which star twins in Brothers of the Head. starred Johnny Depp, he spent six weeks at cowboy school.

Film star: Harry was among the stars of Angelina Jolie’s WW11 Together: The twins share a flat in drama, Unbroken and describes London, with a friend and Luke’s the actor-director as “remarkable”. actress girlfriend Ruta Gedmintas.

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Lisa Portman, left, has supported Terri Bainbridge through the worst of times

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People When tragedy strikes

A friend in need...

Anita Merritt meets Terri Bainbridge, the Exeter mum who has survived the double blow of cancer and bereavement, with help from her friend and new business partner Lisa Portman imes of crisis can bring people together, were so proud of her. She was just so incredibly brave and that has certainly been the case for through all her treatment,” says Terri. childhood friends Terri Bainbridge and By contrast, Terri’s own cancer proved curable, after Lisa Portman. a gruelling course of treatment. “Initially, I kept going Four years ago, life dealt a doubly cruel backwards and forwards to the doctor with chest infecbelow for Terri. She found herself fighting breast cancer tions and feeling really ill. The doctor said it was anxiety at the same time her time as her beautiful little four- and gave me some anti-sickness pills.” Soon afterwards, year-old daughter Billie was diagnosed she found a lump in her breast, which with a brain tumour. again her doctors might not be problemClose friend Lisa dropped everyatic: “They said it seemed okay – northing, making frequent trips to Exeter mally cancerous lumps feel solid and ‘When I to support Terri and her family. pea-sized. But I had a mammogram and “When I discovered I had breast then a needle biopsy and it was discovdiscovered I had cancer, I was in floods of tears,” Terri ered that the little lump I had found was breast cancer, I remembers. “Not for me but the sat on top of a massive tumour,” she thought I was going to leave my kids, says quietly. was in floods of Billie and her younger brother, Joe, The tumour turned out to be an agtears. Not for me without a mum and my husband Sam gressive, stage-three cancer which but for fear of without a wife. had spread to the lymph nodes in her “You worry more about people that armpit. Fortunately, Terri has made a leaving my kids’ you might leave behind than you do total recovery, but the whole experience for yourself. But then, once I found out of both cancer and bereavement has left about Billie’s illness, I just thought ‘My her with a determination to help others cancer doesn’t matter in the slightest’. in similar heart-breaking situations.

I just wished I could have it for her,” she says, her eyes She and Lisa have set up a company called Thermalogifilling with tears. ca Health Screening, offering early detection of potential Tragically, Billie, who was described as an “inspira- fatal health problems. tion who lit up everywhere she went,” died in 2012, aged They offer Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, a painonly five, with parents Terri and Sam and other family less and radiation-free test which can pick up subtle members at her bedside. changes in the body. “It can show areas of dysfunction Despite the arduous treatment schedule and medica- such as early-stage heart disease, the first signs of any tion, Billie’s family say she never once complained. “We cancer, or inflammation – a pre-cursor to many early

[[

photography: Steve Haywood

T

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Xxxxxx

Tragically, Billie passed away aged just five years old from a brain tumour

[[ ‘Once I found out about Billie’s illness, I just wished I could have it for her’

Terri, left, had breast cancer while daughter Billie had a brain tumour, with dad Sam

stage diseases,” Terri explains.

The pair have just launched a brand new health service, called Functional Health Screening, in Exeter, which is being hailed as the first of its kind in the South West.

Having teamed up with Harley Street doctor, Dr Rajendra Sharma, Functional Health Screening can offer a wide range of tests and investigations to discover the cause of health problems. The aim is to highlight where a risk of a disease may exist, to provide treatment at the root cause of pre-existing conditions and guide the best way back to optimal health. It’s also about education and prevention, Terri explains. It’s a service that both she and Lisa feel passionately about.

Terri vividly recalls the first time she first set eyes on her friend Lisa, at the age of four in a Penzance primary school. They were in different year groups and so they didn’t become close friends until they met again: “during an economics class at Penwith College”. After gaining A levels, they both moved to London. Terri had dreams of becoming a model, but her hopes were dashed when an agency told her to lose weight. “I got a waitress job at TGI Friday’s and put on three stone in three months, so that was my modelling career out of the window,” laughs Terri.

“Instead I went to America with a friend to live, but didn’t realise you needed a Green Card to work. So we stayed for only six weeks until we had run out of money.”

Back in London, Terri worked in advertising and was responsible for memorable campaigns such as the iconic Tango adverts. But by the age of 32, Terri decided to set up a new life for herself in Exeter, moving into property development and meeting her husband Sam. Together they had two children, Billie, and Joe, now six. Then in 2011, their world collapsed as Terri was diagnosed with breast cancer and Billie was diagnosed with a brain tumour just a few months later.

Sadly there was no happy ending for Billie, who died almost a year after her diagnosis, aged just five. Terri, a self-confessed “research geek”, continued to battle for more information on cancer, its early diagnosis and ways to combat it. She discovered that if thermal imaging

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The early detection of illness can save lives

screening had been available in the South West, she may not have been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer at the age of 39. “This research led me to thermal imaging which is used extensively in America for breast screening. I couldn’t believe it wasn’t more widely available in the UK,” she says.

Terri had to undergo a mastectomy, followed by several months of chemotherapy and then radiotherapy.

Lisa at the new clinic “When I found a small lump in my breast and was diagnosed with cancer I was given the choice to either have the whole breast removed or just the The Rolling Stones, as Mick Jagger’s business colump, so I chose the whole breast ordinator and tour assistant. “It sounds exciting just to be sure. but it was hard work. I was the first one up and “I was told after the operation the last one to bed, and often did 18 hour days. In that a very large a period of three years I probably tumour was spent just three months in the found which UK. My main priority was looking hadn’t shown after Mick,” she says. up on the mamBut in 2010, Lisa made the life ‘When we mogram. This changing decision to leave the came across shocked me. I band and the music business. thermal imaging am convinced “I was nearly 40 and exhaustthat with better ed,” admits Lisa. “I really didn’t it was one of screening, other know what I was going to do with those lightbulb women could my life, so I took a year out. Then moments. It’s avoid going Terri became sick, and I started through what I coming down here a lot to help her life-saving’ endured.” out with the kids.

For her part, her “Terri had always wanted me to friend Lisa come back to the South West but I worked wasn’t sure what I would do down for here. Then when we came across nine years with thermal imaging it was one of those lightbulb mothe legen- ments. It is potentially life-saving. The business dary rock was officially launched in the September of 2013, b a n d and we haven’t looked back since.”

Call 01392 330656 or visit www.functionalhealthscreening.co.uk

[[

Terri and Lisa working together 15

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People

[

THE SPORT OF KINGS

Let’s play polo!

[

As Cornwall prepares for its annual high octane Polo on the Beach event, Gillian Molesworth tries her hand at the Sport of Kings

By Gillian Molesworth

y pony is snorting rhythmically with the even strides of his canter, ears pricked. We are approaching the ball.

My left hand, full of leather reins, moves up his neck and his body pivots with a touch his neck: first to the left, then the right as I correct the line. Hoofbeats approach from behind - time is short. My right hand with its tall mallet goes up and back as my hips swivel until they are parallel to the pony’s back, left leg

M

twisting out. The pony puts on a burst of speed as the mallet circles down and around – chock! The ball goes flying up the field. Success.

This was one of my better shots, mind you.

Most of them didn’t go “chock”.

I’m having a polo lesson with Andrew Burgess at South West Polo. The view from the manicured field, set on high ground on the outskirts of Wadebridge, is breathtaking - there’s an almost 360 degree view across the rolling green countryside to the moor beyond, and on the other side, the wending path of the Camel estuary as it stretches towards the sea.

“Remember you’re turning him with your body as well as your reins,” Andrew calls to me. “Use your weight to tell him which direction you want to go.”

My pony, Tonka, responds instantly as I swivel my shoulders - in this fast-paced and ever-changing game, the ponies learn to turn on a sixpence, ever alert for the rider’s signal.

We slow to a walk to practice stick-and-balling again, with Andrew calling out instructions.

He’s a good teacher: I am definitely improving.

Andrew invites students of all ages from about 15 to 60 plus, arranging lessons, events and chukkas

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all pictures of gillian and andrew: james darling

as their confidence grows. A professional player, 44-year-old Andrew is also a passionate promoter of the sport: encouraging new players and arranging exhibition matches at the Royal Cornwall Show and of course, the ultra-glamorous Great Western Railway Polo on the Beach event every summer at Watergate Bay. He’s a pioneer in the Westcountry, with the only serious polo yard in the whole of Devon and Cornwall. Andrew’s move from the polo “upcountry” heartland was, he tells me, prompted by family events. When his mother became severely ill with cancer nine years ago, Andrew moved west to help his father look after her. Rather than leave the sport he loved behind in Surrey, he brought it with him, hiring a handsome historic barn not far from Wadebridge School and the town’s leisure centre. And his business is doing well, with more and more people seeking him out.

For Andrew, polo is “the ultimate extreme sport,” he explains. “You’re travelling at 40mph on a thoroughbred, hitting a small white ball

How to: Teach your horse or pony to play polo Andrew, who re-trains British racehorses who have left the track, has this advice – though it’s advisable to have a few lessons before you try.

“The first thing to teach is balance.

Do a lot of circle work, a lot of changing directions. In polo you ride at the front of the saddle, partly standing. Horses have to find their natural balance with you. It sounds corny, but you have to learn to move as one.

“The principle of neck reining is actually not that difficult for them to pick up, because the idea is that you’re turning with your body, not just the reins.

“When you’re taking them out exercising them, you do a lot of swinging the mallet near their bodies, just to get them used to it.

The first few times you hit a ball, you always hit backhands, to get them used to the sound of the ball before something goes flying past their face. Once they get used to it they love it.”

while someone is doing their utmost to stop you.

It’s a combination of hockey, rugby and horse racing – it’s impact sport, no holds barred: bumping and barging, full of contact. It’s fantastic.”

Oddly, what it most reminds me of (at a walk anyway) is golf: there’s a lot of the same body movements, and it’s all about your balance and position.

As with golf, there’s the same stab of self-loathing frustration when you miss. I swear Tonka looked over his shoulder at me a few times, like: “really?”

Polo really is the sport of kings – famously, Prince Charles and his two sons are zealots.

If you’re going to play seriously, you do need money, or at least a patron to support you. But

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People

Polo: the rules Mallets at the ready!

Polo’s origins reach back to ancient Persia, China and India. A popular game in itself, it was also great training for cavalry units, played

by British soldiers in India and also Argentina.

Teams of four score by driving a ball into the opposing team’s goal using long-handled mallets, typically at speed on a large grass field. Games last about two hours, divided into periods called “chukkas”. Usually players use a new pony for each chukka.

The basic shots in polo are a forehand (forward shot) and backhand (backwards shot). These are undertaken on the horse’s near side (left) or off side (right). There are also shots across the neck or the tail and even under the belly. (Gillian’s shots in the pictures are all off side forehands.)

Useful polo lingo: Handicap: Each polo player is given a handicap ranging from minus two (novice) to plus 10 (outstanding – there are fewer than a dozen players with a 10-goal handicap in the world, most of them in Argentina). The handicaps of all players are added up before the match starts, so a 10goal player has to score 10 before his or her goals count Line of the ball: This is an imaginary line created by the ball as it travels down the field, extending both behind and in front of it. The player who hit the ball has right of way, and other players cannot cross the line in front of the player. This rule helps avoid collisions.

Ride-off: Similar to a body check in hockey, a ride-off is when a player rides his pony alongside an opponent’s in order to push him away from the ball or take him out of play.

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People

it’s also an exciting and fun game that anyone can try.

I have played before – when I was 19 I travelled from Oxford to Kirtlington Park Polo Club every week with a gaggle of other students. After a few weeks, we scraped together a good enough skillset to try a few hilariously inept chukkas.

It was a lot of fun - I’d recommend polo to anyone with basic riding skills who wants to try something new. After all, there’s more to horses than a nice country hack. Says Andrew: “In Argentina, the farmers play. They might get a phone call from a neighbour a few miles away saying, “Come on over, we’re going to play some polo.” Then they saddle up a string of ponies and lead them across the pampas, and have a game with their friends.

“That’s what I am trying to promote in the Westcountry – the idea of fun farm polo.”

By the end of my lesson I am happily tired, deeply in love with Tonka, and thoroughly pleased with myself, replaying every shot in my mind that went “chock”. Even the aching muscles of the next few days gives me a happy glow of reminiscence over my beautiful morning out.

If you’d like a treat, a new exercise regime, or to join in the sport of kings, give polo a try.

See this year’s Great Western Railway Polo on the Beach on June 26-28 www.watergatebay.co.uk/ polo. Andrew’s contact details for polo lessons are on www.southwestpolo.com 20

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03/06/2015 14:50:49

Boardmasters, Newquay

Falmouth Sea Shanties

Ready, set festival!

Summer is festival season in the South West, so here’s our pick of the best tickets to grab, whether you’re into food, music, beer or the beach...

Best for: Indie kids (with kids) Beautiful Days

First established by the indie/folk band The Levellers, this three-day music festival has a stunning location in the tree-studded grounds of a stately home in East Devon. Expect lots of live music on the six stages, but also a familyfriendly vibe with kids’ activities, plus stand-up comedy and lots of good food and drink. The Otter Brewery beer tent is worth a special mention and The Levellers always play a raucous set.

This year’s highlight: Manchester baggy band The Happy Mondays will be headlining.

Dates: August 21-23, Escot Park, East Devon Tickets: Adults £130 Contact: www.beautifuldays.org

Best for: Beards and accordions Sidmouth Folk Week

Taking over the whole of this pretty seaside town, Sidmouth Folk Week is a festival that takes place on the streets, the seafront, the beach and in parks. Folk music lovers from all over the country gather here for everything from Morris dancing to Northumbrian pipe music. It’s very inclusive: you can either make a week of it and stay in the special campsite, or just pop to the

Sidmouth Folk Week

Abbfest

town for the day to join in.

This year’s highlight: Traditional Irish music superstars Altan will play a concert on The Ham on Saturday August 1.

Dates: All-in-one ticket (with free entry to every event) £292 or you can buy individual tickets to events from £5. Much of the street entertainment is free.

Tickets: July 31-August 7, Sidmouth Contact: www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk

Best for: Bookworms Penzance Literary Festival

Larmer Tree Festival

This will be the sixth Penzance Literary Festival, featuring talks by prize-winning authors, with a focus on subjects special to West Cornwall. Expect round table discussions, authors in conversation, and workshops on writing, publishing, poetry and more. Top novelist Patrick Gale leads the festival, with performance and entertainment featuring prominently. Staffed entirely by volunteers, this fun event is affordable and, say organisers, for everyone.

This year’s highlight: Authors Philip Marsden (Rising Ground) and Nina Stibbe (Love, Nina) will be taking part.

Dates: July 8-11, Penzance Tickets: Standard £3, concessions £1 (per event) Contact: www.rockoysterfestival.co.uk

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Events

Somersault Festival, north Devon

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Camp Bestival

Best for: Posh picnics Rock Oyster Festival

Music, food, children’s entertainment and camping, at Dinham House in north Cornwall near Wadebridge. This relative newcomer on the festival scene combines food (chef demos, farmers’ market and more) with lots of live music.

Result: a lot of fun and a rocking party for all the family.

This year’s highlight: Don’t miss the chance to try some fresh local oysters.

Tickets: Adults £22, children £8 Dates: Saturday July 11, Wadebridge Contact: www.rockoysterfestival.co.uk

Best for: Beer lovers Abbfest

This is a festival of beer and food – the perfect combination to make this get-together at Fermoy’s Garden Centre go with a swing. Expect craft ales from all over the Westcountry (and beyond) plus cider, live music and lots of children’s entertainment too. Over the years, this friendly family festival has raised more than £100,000 for local charities.

This year’s highlight: Rugby World Cup match on the big screen on Friday night, plus The Military Wives singing live on Sunday afternoon.

Dates: September 18-20, Newton Abbot Tickets: Adults £5 Contact: www.abbfest.org

Best for: Mini-fest fans Chagstock

Described by TV’s Adrian Edmondson as the “best little festival in the South West”, Chagstock has grown from an informal back garden

St Endellion Music Festival

bash to a family-friendly mini-fest on beautiful Dartmoor. There are only 5,000 tickets available and under 12’s get in for free (there’s a quiet camping field for families and people who prefer not to party into the small hours.) Child friendly activities include a kids club, vintage swing boats, Zorbing and a dizzying gyro-ride. There’ll even be a farm shop. The Levellers, New Model Army, Seth Lakeman, Molotov Jukebox and Mad Dog McCrea are on the festival line-up and the event supports charities Water Aid and the Devon Air Ambulance.

This year’s highlight: A new cider tent! Family run Sandford Orchards Cider, from nearby Crediton will be selling its Devon-grown and made craft bevvies.

Dates: July 17-18, Chagford Tickets: Adult weekend tickets (includes camping and parking) £85 Contact: www.chagstock.info We have a Chagstock family camping pass worth £240 up for grabs, which admits two adults and two children to the festival. If you’re free that weekend and for a chance to win, tell us the name of the act you’re most looking forward to. Send your answer, name and daytime contact details marked Chagstock Comp to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by Friday 19 June. Normal terms apply.

Win

Best for: Cool cats Somersault Festival

With Bombay Bicycle Club headlining the festival’s Saturday night, look forward to music and more at this carnival of delights in north Devon.

There’s a tightrope circus spectacular, comedy and variety shows and activities to try including coasteering and falconry. Don’t settle for burned sausages around the campfire: River Cottage, Fifteen Cornwall, the Ethicurean and Valentine Warner will be in charge of the barbecue tongs.

This year’s highlight: Radio DJ Jo Whiley will be hosting a vintage summer garden party (peach Bellinis, anyone?).

Dates: July 23 to 27, Castle Hill, North Devon Tickets: £135 for an adult weekend ticket including camping Contact: www.somersaultfestival.com

Best for: Hipster parents Camp Bestival

There’s going to be so much going on at Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle this year. Underworld, Professor Green, Ella Henderson and - hooray! - Alison Moyet feature in the line-up, while Marcus Brigstocke heads the comedy tent.

The activities are mind-boggling diverse, from kids’ musical theatre workshops, to spa tents and massage (great revivers so you can keep up the pace), moustache competitions, fireworks

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Events

and fancy dress.

This year’s highlight: The chance to pitch up at Camp Festival by means way of a 3km charity swim around the Jurassic Coast!

Dates: July 30-August 2, Lulworth Castle, Dorset Tickets: Adult weekend camping tickets £195 Contact: www.campbestival.net

Best for: Singing along Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival

Celebrating songs with sea-roving stories, this jolly festival takes place at venues of all sizes around Falmouth, including pubs, a church, the quay and a fudge shop. There’s also a gala concert taking place at the Princess Pavilion on Saturday evening. Look out, too, for comedy, workshops, arts and crafts and a Garden Room with bar and bistro in the Gyllyngdune gardens.

More than 50 shanty groups will be singing their hearts out.

This year’s highlight: Talented shanty groups will battle it out to raise money for the RNLI last year’s haul for the charity was £10,000.

Dates: June 12 (this Friday) to Sunday, Falmouth Tickets: Gala concert tickets £10.80 Contact: www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk

Best for: Classical music buffs St Endellion Summer Music Festival Orchestral, chamber and choral treats for music lovers begin with a recital featuring Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto and a performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solemnelle. Singer Roddy Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival

Williams will perform Elgar’s Sea Pictures as part of an orchestral concert on August 6. There are lunchtime events, plus late night sessions, including shanty singers Fisherman’s Friends and a performance of Cornish composer Russell Pascoe’s new song cycle, Three Masks, One Face.

This year’s highlight: Performances of Haydn’s oratorio The Creation at St Endellion Church and Truro Cathedral Dates: July 28-August 7, St Endellion Church and Truro Cathedral - see website for details Tickets: From £10 Contact: www.endellionfestivals.org.uk

Best for: Bohemians Port Eliot

A laid-back festival with a boho vibe in the grounds of this stately home in south east Cornwall, this festival offers surprises along every meandering path. The festival stretches the boundaries of festival expectations, with artists, writers, foodies and fashionistas joining musicians on the bill. Much of the music is of the acoustic vibe, this year including indie folksters the Villagers. Top chef and foodie guru Rick Stein is due to make an appearance in the Food and Fodder area.

This year’s highlight: Make your own (very nice) knickers with Sian Cornish of Cornwall’s Lancaster and Cornish. And view THAT dress and glass slippers Lily James wore as Disney’s Cinderella Dates: July 30-August 2 Tickets: Weekend ticket, including camping, £165 Contact: www.porteliotfestival.com We have a pair of Port Eliot Festival adult weekend passes worth £330 up for grabs. If you’re free on those dates and for a chance to win, tell us the name of the event you’re most looking forward to there. Send your answer, name and daytime contact details marked Port Eliot Festival Comp to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by Friday 19 June. Normal terms apply.

Win

Best for: Party animals Glastonbury Festival

The most famous of all music festivals was founded in 1970 by dairy farmer Michael Eavis at Worthy Farm, Pilton, with a line-up featuring The Kinks. Back then, tickets cost £1, which included free milk from the farm. The festival has grown and grown, with headliners over the years including The Rolling Stones, Muse, The Cure and Kylie Minogue.

There are always surprises, like last year’s appearance from Country and Western legend Dolly Parton. With everyone camping over three days, mud is as much a feature as music, but this never dampens the atmosphere. These days the festival includes a family-only camping area as 25

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Events

Somersault Festival

well as a late night partying area Shangri-La. This year’s highlight: Veteran rockers The Who headline on Sunday night on the Pyramid Stage.

Dates: June 24-28, Glastonbury, Somerset.

Tickets: £220 Contact: www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Best for: 21st Century hippies Larmer Tree Festival

This festival takes place over five days in beautiful gardens close to the Dorset-Wiltshire border and is a favourite with families. Described as the “happiest, friendliest and quirkiest festival in the land”, it is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary with a bill of mellow music, comedy, quirky acts and fabulous food; not a dodgy burger in sight and all served on biodegradable plates. Devon acoustic roots duo Show of Hands are regulars, and this is also a great place to see some of the best world music acts on the international circuit, including this year Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo and Gabriela.

This year’s highlight: Folk phenomenon Bellowhead and living legend Sir Tom Jones are headliners. The veteran Welsh crooner enjoyed his first appearance last year so much he is heading back for more.

Dates: July 14-19, Tollard Royal Tickets: Five-day ticket £240 in advance, see larmertreefestival.co.uk for all options Contact: info@larmertreefestival.co.uk

Best for: Surfers - and surf wannabes Boardmasters

The festival for surfers, Boardmasters has a young vibe, attracting thousands to what is both a major event in British competitive surfing

and a great excuse to party on Newquay’s best surfing beaches. The action takes place by day on Fistral beach, where both locals and top international surfers compete in the water, while afterwards the partying goes on into the small hours. There are also BMX biking and skateboarding competitions, which are free to watch. Camping by the sea is provided a few miles away in fields overlooking Watergate Bay, where there is also live music and food.

This year’s highlight: Admire the smooth surfing technique of some of the best international female talent in the World Surf League (WSL) longboard qualification series on Fistral beach.

Dates: Wednesday-Sunday, August 5-9, Newquay Tickets: Five days including camping £149 Contact: www.boardmasters.co.uk

Best for: Town tradition Golowan Festival

This festival celebrates midsummer, the Feast of St John, with much pageantry and traditional merriment on the streets of Penzance over the weekend nearest to the summer solstice.

Everyone in the town takes part, with children dressing up and music provided by the Golowan Band. There are also beautiful traditional wooden boats to admire in the harbour, as craft are invited to moor up for the Golowan Maritime Festival over the same weekend.

This year’s highlight: The Mazey Day procession through the town on the Saturday, a feast of music and pageantry.

Dates: Saturday-Sunday, June 27-28, Penzance Tickets: Free Contact: www.golowan.org

Sidmouth Folk Week

Patrick Gale, Penzance Literary Festival

Best for: Good grub The Great Cornwall Food Festival

Held in the centre of Truro, this three-day celebration of Cornish food offers the chance to sample and buy food and drink direct from artisan producers from across Cornwall. You can also learn more about how these delicacies are produced, and pick up some culinary skills, with masterclasses on such skills as filleting fish, curing meat and fish and making chocolates.

This year’s highlight: Culinary whizz Nathan Outlaw is among chefs demonstrating their skills.

Dates: Friday-Sunday, September 25-27 Tickets: Free Contact: www.greatcornishfood.co.uk

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Shop

Accessorize hip flask £12

Accessorize kimono £39

Stylistpick pink wellies £17

Accessorize fashion chandelier earrings £12

Festival favourites

Apricot print top £18

Our essential buys for the season’s top events

fave!

Oliver Bonas scarf £16

Cuckooland Two man tent £195

East Samara necklace £59

Oliver Bonas clutch bag £29.50

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03/06/2015 11:03:18

Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Roses all the way Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, is promising us a rose garden this June une is the month of roses bursting their buds and few gardens are without them. Fossil records prove they’ve been around a lot longer than we have and their history of cultivation is impressive. The first known picture of wild roses can be seen in the House of Frescoes at Knossos, Crete dating back to the 16th century BC and Ancient Romans loved them for decoration and strewing. Cue the story of Emperor Elagabalus (A.D. 218-222) illustrated in the famous painting by Alma-Tadema (1888). Tired of his parasitic guests, the emperor watches them suffocate after letting down a deep drift of rose and violet petals from a false ceiling.

These days, we are content to admire them in our gardens and most of us inherit a rose of some kind when we move house. I’ve taken on a few neglected plots in my time and among the last-manstanding plants (Shasta daises, crocosmias, goldenrod and day lilies) there is usually a rose or two happy to thrust its top growth above grasses and nettles. Stout, woody roots penetrate deeply into the lower layers of the soil.

It used to be suggested that you ‘couldn’t grow roses in Cornwall’ which is a nonsense. However, a mild, damp climate can encourage diseases, so weak varieties might be spoiled by mildew and black spot. Some old-fashioned roses with complicated, double blooms are prone to rot too.

Pococks Roses have set up The Cornish Rose Company especially to grow healthy cultivars able to withstand the climate without the need for spraying (01872 519146 www.garden-roses.co.uk).

They recommend pink-orange, scented ‘Duchess of Cornwall’, tall velvet crimson fragrant ‘Proper Job’ and perfumed, slate blue and very durable ‘Blue For You’.

Here in East Devon I’ve found most roses thrive

J

but there have been exceptions, such as the pinkflowered climber ‘Blairii Number 2’, so riddled with mildew every year I eventually grubbed it out.

Roses were traditionally ordered from nurseries and received as bare rooted plants between November and March but these days you can

plant them from a pot at any time of the year.

This conveys the huge advantage of being able to see and smell the flowers before you buy, thus avoiding disappointment. Fragrance is especially difficult to describe and one catalogues ‘rich’ can be another man’s ‘light’. Some roses pump out their fragrance generously even when the weath-

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er is doubtful, whereas others really do need the sun to warm up oils in the petals and release the scent. Do I have favourites? Yellow shrub ‘Pilgrim’, old pink ‘Compte de Chambord’ and climbing red ‘Etoile d’Hollande’.

If you don’t know roses well, shopping by eye and nose can be a huge plus but you still need to know what the rose can do for you - and there are many different types. Starting small, patio roses are neat and tidy. Then there are the classic rose bushes, either cluster-flowered (floribundas) or large-flowered (hybrid teas) With the advent of David Austin’s English roses (a marriage between the fragrance and beauty of old roses with the disease resistance, colour and repeat flowering of modern types) shrub roses have become newly popular and there are plenty, from low to tall. To do well, they don’t want competition for light and root space with other large plants like trees, hedges and other shrubs, especially when they are small and still establishing.

For clothing vertical surfaces there are climbers which tend to be slightly more stiff and mannerly than ramblers, whose lax stems are good for tying in to pillars and pergolas as well as poking their way up into trees. These all vary in size and we’ve bravely added a ‘Kiftsgate’ to our garden. This is arguably the biggest rambler you’ll find and has already hoisted itself above deer’s reach and into the wild cherry trees it will use as a climbing frame. I can’t wait to see its showers of white blooms but hope it won’t, like Elagabalus’s petals, engulf us.

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

• W hen planting roses from pots, make sure roots are moist (stand in a bucket of water if necessary, then drain) and plant so the surface of the compost is at the soil level.

Water in well and during drought periods.

• A void planting new roses in soil where old roses have been removed, as they can suffer replant disease. If you

must, then dig out and change the planting soil, or add a product containing mycorrhizal fungi which help roses establish and thrive.

• If you haven’t fed your roses yet, it is not too late to do so now. While soil is moist, apply a sprinkle of rose fertilizer over the roots, then cover with a mulch of well rotted compost.

Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank

Q

Something has been eating the top of my lupins away and spoiling the shape of the flower spikes.

With pests, a certain amount of sleuthing is needed to identify the culprit. There is a large and very scary lupin aphid but these cluster around the flower spike and under leaves very visibly.

If you can’t see the pest, I’ll bet it is snails. They hide under other plants and debris by day and come out only after dark, scaling great heights to find their favourite food. This is probably the work of one or two snails returning night after night, so venture out with a torch and you should catch them. Whether you stamp on them, put them to work on your compost heap or (heaven forbid) lob them next door is up to you.

Q

I sowed some beetroot early in the year, into modules in my greenhouse. They were planted out as clusters but have gone to seed while the roots are still small. Where did I go wrong?

Vegetables need a steady growth period to do well and a setback such as being too root bound in their modules, or a drop in temperature (it was a chilly spring) can trigger flowering. It is also normal for beetroot to produce flowers as they approach the longest day. In a warm spring and under ideal growing conditions, plants from early sowings would have made large enough roots by then. Some varieties such as ‘Boltardy’ are a safer bet than others for early starts. Maincrop varieties tend to be slower to develop roots and are better sown after the longest day, so they can produce decent roots by the autumn.

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

Dead head roses as soon as the flowers fade to tidy them up, prevent the foliage from being marked by falling, rotting blooms and most importantly, put energy into producing more flower buds.

Support plant growth everywhere, whether it is an extra string round the broad beans or a prop for bearded iris. Herbaceous plants supports, canes and string and twiggy stems are all useful.

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Beauty

Tried

ON THE LASH

& tested

We present the best festival treats and cheats, all trialled by West magazine’s Catherine Barnes, with help from daughter Tilly, 18.

Colour pop Cheeks and lips? Check. A Pop of Passion Blush Balm (£20) is a hydrating multitasker. www.bareminerals.co.uk In the event of rain, keep partying: This Locked & Coated mascara topcoat (£12) will prevent Alice Cooper style kohl calamities. www.bareminerals.co.uk

FRESH! Apply a few drop of this pocket-sized ‘dry shower’ like a body lotion to cleanse, refresh and cool the skin. Goodbye stickiness and sweat, hello just showered feeling. Nicole Scherzinger’s a fan, saying: “It’s so invigorating and minty.” £4.25 from www.templespa.com

HAIR TODAY

Shine on Buff with Micro Nail for a varnish-free polish, that will leave your nails looking glossy (and chip-free). Find it at Boots, £39.95.

Herbal haircare people Klorane have created this travel-sized oat milk dry shampoo (£4), great for festivals. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s been known to use it when she’s on the go!

Find it at www.johnlewis.com

SAVE FACE Bare Minerals’ makeup expert Sarah-Jane Froom swears by its Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream (£26) for providing intense hydration, SPF30 protection and evening out skintone – perfect for disguising the effects of a late night! www.bareminerals.co.uk

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the review

Sunscreen Now that summer’s here, Katie Wright rounds up the best (and best value) sunscreens you can buy ith cases of skin cancer on the rise, sun protection’s vital whatever your age or gender. Not only is decent sun protection a crucial part of any beauty regime - to keep premature ageing at bay - it’s also vital for your health.

Worryingly, a recent survey by the British Association of Dermatologists, found 72% of people admitted they’ve been sunburnt in the last year, increasing their risk of skin cancer.

When it comes to sunscreen, more is more, so slap it on lavishly and top it up frequently.

W

FLOWER POWER Celebrate your inner flower girl: This collection botanical fragrances by Caudalie are fresh and light which one will you spritz? Figue, Thé, Rose and Fleur de Vigne fragrances, £26 each www.uk.caudalie.com

Luxury Darphin Soleil Plaisir Anti-Aging Suncare For Face SPF 30, £29 (www.darphin. co.uk) Water-resistant UVA and UVB protection with hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E leave to skin smooth.

Value Morrisons M Sun Care Protect & Nourish Sun Spray SPF30, has been awarded a ‘best buy’ by Which? Magazine but will only set you back £3.50 (morrisons.com)

[[ ‘Decent sun protection keeps premature ageing at bay and is also vital for your health’

Protect

Smooth talking Wax lyrical ahead of a music fest for stubble-free zones! Find these Sweet Ease pull-off strips at Superdrug (from £3.99). Use 24 hours before sun exposure, to protect sensitive skin.

Ladival Sun Protection Lotion SPF 30, £19.99 (www.superdrug.com). As well as UV rays, this protects against damaging Infrared-A, which makes up 30% of the sun’s rays.

Want a review? Send your request to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 31

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Trend

MAIN PHOTO HAIR: SAKS, PLYMOUTH MAKEUP: CLARINS, DEBENHAMS (BOTH PRINCESSHAY) PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HAYWOOD STILL-LIFE PHOTOGRAPHS: PR SHOTS

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Denim on denim Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod commits fashion crime, and gets away with it

P

erhaps I am showing my age, but I can remember a time when wearing denim on denim was a fashion crime extraordinaire. Even getting dressed in the dark wasn’t an

excuse.

Then there was a time when double denim was the domain of the ironic hipster type. You know, the kind who subverts all of society using only unbrushed hair and an uninterested air.

But, at long last, denim on denim has come to roost where it can be celebrated and elevated the way it deserves to be. Olivia Palmero’s street style is the pinnacle of this trend. Spotted strolling in Manhattan in a button down chambray shirt, skinnies with a tiny rip on the knee, mirrored shades and fluorescent caThere was a time mo-print flats she was proof that every day is a fashion day. when double Thing is, the reason Olivia pulls denim was the off this look is because she is glodomain of the riously put together in every way. ironic hipster She was quoted in a recent magazine article as getting a manicure type, subverting “every four or five days”. Sadly, heels help too. This flared pair society with this isn’t something my schedule of jeans from Next were just the unbrushed hair (or budget) will allow. She also ticket. Leg lengthening and fashconditions and styles her hair ionably distressed. I’m not quite afresh daily, even her eyebrows bold enough to pair this with a are the most perfect of lines. The distressed denim jacket though, end result is that she can pop on a pair of camo perhaps if I was musical, a drummer or the like, loafers with ripped jeans and look like a style I would feel rock n roll enough to venture there. icon. Me, I would probably look like a shoplifter.

But, until I can bust out a Lenny Kravitz solo, So, how do I get my dose? The only answer is I’ll stick to this bright white jean jacket. The to keep is simple and use every trick in the book cropped silhouette is flattering and fun, and it to keep you ahead of the pack. Whenever I’m in would also look amazing thrown on over any one doubt, I reach for denim and white. The highest of my summer dresses.

Jacket, Next, Princesshay, £30 Shirt, Next, Princesshay, £22 Jeans, Next, Princesshay, £45 Bag, Next, Princesshay, £34 Shoes, Next, Princesshay, £35 Necklace, Next, Princesshay, £16

Adding personality is as easy as snatching up this gorgeous structured bag in a bright citrus and pairing it with a statement necklace. Optional though, is adding the world’s cutest puppy for a finishing touch. This little basset I met in Princesshay, Exeter, made me want to convert my walk-in closet into a doggie palace. Surely it would be a good swap? After all, having her around would be a fantastic way to guarantee I am always armed with the one accessory that suits every woman. A smile.

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

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NEW LOOK flared jeans £24.99

NEW LOOK shirt £17.99

GET THE

look DEBENHAMS H! by Henry Holland £28 NEW LOOK faded jeans £26.99

NEXT bag £34 shoes £35 necklace £16

CATH KIDSON vintage wash denim dress £65

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Shop

The edit Your straight line to style: casual looks for midsummer days

+

Mixed denim top £30 Oliver Bonas

+

Cropped chinos £49.95 Lands End

Ponyskin leather espadrille flats £16 F&F

+

Crochet top £34 Next

Capri pants £70 Mint Velvet

+

Cropped trousers £24 M & Co

Flatform espadrille £17.99 New Look

Flora wedge espadrille £79 Phase Eightqqqq

Best of British top £59 M&S

+

+

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Food

ally mac’s

Cauliflower Pizza Ally says: This pizza crust is without any of the standard ‘dough’ ingredients,. No gluten, no dairy, no grains, nothing but goodness from the cauliflower, blended with your choice of coconut, brown rice or buckwheat flour to form a dough.

Cauliflower crust has become very popular within the low carb and paleo diet followers because it’s loaded with all the flavours of pizza, without using refined carbohydrates or having any of the fuss of yeastbased bread making.

It means we forgo all the heavily processed carbohydrates that taste great for a second on the tongue but can leave us feeling heavy and weighted down. Food should not only taste great, but should also make us feel great - and this pizza does!

You will need: 1 medium cauliflower 2 organic eggs 3 tablespoon of coconut flour, brown rice flour or buckwheat flour 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon dried basil ½ teaspoon dried oregano Freshly ground black pepper 1 pre-roasted beetroot 1 avocado A squeeze of lime

Method: Preheat oven to 220C Chop all the cauliflower florets into small pieces.

Place them in a blender and puree them. Alternatively you can use a hand grater (just a little messier).

Lightly whisk your eggs, add them to the blended cauliflower, give it a stir, and then add your herbs and choice of flour. Your mix should then start to bind to form a thick ‘doughy’ texture.

Spread the ‘dough’ into either one large pizza shape or two small pizza rounds on baking paper.

Your base should be approximately 1cm thick.

Bake at 220C for about 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. You can

flip the pizza half way through to make sure both sides are cooked well to your liking.

Next add your pizza topping. I chose mashed avocado with a squeeze of lime and pepper topped with pre-roasted beetroot, sprouts and feta cheese.

Load it up with your favourite topping! This is great fun to make with kids, or to feed a crowd – give it a go! @AKitchenStories

Natural food expert Ally Mac lives and cooks in South Devon. Ally specialises in devising good-for-you recipes that are easy to prepare at home. She also sells several of her own delicious healthy products online at www.allyskitchenstories.co.uk 35

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Wellbeing

the boost

Life just got better. We’ve handpicked the latest wellness trends, best-body secrets and expert advice to help you be your best self, every day

On the up Burn off that pasty when you make a pit stop at the Cornwall Services on the A30 near Victoria, with a session on its climbing wall. Really! Indoor Active have just opened a Clip ‘n’ Climb wall there – a fun series of challenges suitable for all ages and great for beginners. Climbing sessions cost between £8 and £15.

THE CHIPS ARE DOWN! Good news for your waistline; a Plymouth chippie is offering a fish, chips and peas portion that’s under 500 calories. This smaller serving is the equivalent of 12 and a half WeightWatchers points.

Award-winning Harbourside takeaway has had its food nutritionally analysed and cuts its chips chunky, so they absorb less oil.

As owner Sarah Lock says: “There are healthier ways to enjoy fish and chips.” Hooray!

Open mind Neal’s Yard remedies founder Romy Fraser’s organic farm and education centre will be taking part in Open Farm Sunday for the first time, today. It’s a great opportunity to discover this amazing place near Axminster first-hand, where there’s a wealth of workshops with a focus on natural health, plus much more, going on throughout the year. Visit www.trillfarm. co.uk to find out more

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SUGAR:

Not so sweet Health campaign group Action on Sugar has welcomed Tesco’s move to reduce sugar in its soft drinks. Tesco is set to reformulate recipes or cut sugar entirely from its squashes and “Kids” category, focusing on water, squash and flavoured water to promote healthier lives.

AoS chairman Professor Graham MacGregor says, “This is exactly the sort of action that we need, and all other retailers must follow suit.”

SAFER TANNING Fake tan brand TanOrganic is raising funds for cancer research by donating 35p from every bottle sold in Waitrose. Fronting its campaign is the amazing Emma Hannigan. The inspirational author has endured cancer treatment nine times despite having her breasts and ovaries removed. She says: “Making yourself feel attractive can be difficult, but can also make you feel better in yourself. I can get a lovely golden glow and cover up that horrible blue tinge. One step closer to ‘normal’ me.” The range’s Original self tan lotion costs £19.99

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

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

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Wellbeing

How to age Could Botox work for me? be rejuvenated for up to four months.

Botulinum Toxin A is a bacterium that blocks the transmission of acetylcholine, the substance that is responsible for transmitting electrical impulses that allow the muscles to contract.

So for cosmetic purposes, we inject Botulinum Toxin A to temporarily paralyse muscles that cause lines and wrinkles. It can be injected into the forehead, mid brow (worry Dr Pradnya Apte lines), crow’s feet, bunny lines says: Botox (Botu(nose area) and neck. The results ‘Botox is easy, linum Toxin A) is are not permanent and the body the most popular metabolises the product, so after effective and anti-ageing treata few months, it leaves your body requires little or ment for smoothnaturally. no recovery time, ing and softening At your appointment, a full wrinkles which appear as frown medical history should be taken lasting up to four lines between the eyes, forehead as there are some medical conmonths’ lines and crow’s feet. ditions that contraindicate this These muscle-relaxing injectreatment. Pre-treatment photos tions have been used safely for are normally taken as well so you more than 25 years to smooth and your practitioner can see the out tell-tale lines and rejuvenate the appearance. improvement. A fine needle is then used to inject Indeed, Botox has also been used in medicine painlessly into specific areas to smooth out the since the early 1980s to treat patients with exlines and wrinkles. It normally takes 10-14 days treme muscular spasms, allowing these patients to see the full results of your treatment. A review to have a better quality of life. appointment is normally made to see if any corThe advantage of having these muscle-relaxing rection is required. There are little to no side efinjections is that it is easy, effective and requires fects to this treatment. little or no recovery time. Your appearance can Sometimes it is common to see small raised I am in my early forties and have recently noticed the lines especially in my forehead, inbetween my brows and around my eyes, getting worse. I am considering having Botox done like all the celebrities are having these days but I do not know much about it. How does it work, how long does it last and what happens at the appointment?

HG, Dorchester

Q

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bumps at the injection site but these should go down within 20-30 minutes. It is recommended that you wait until your treatment has completely worn off before having more wrinkle-relaxing injections.

The normal time range for the treatment to last is 2-6 months but on average it tends to be about four months. In some individuals, the treatment only lasts for two months. Reasons for this include frequent gym work or those individuals that exercise a lot. Botox also leaves the body much more quickly in patients who are under a lot of stress through work or personal circumstances and also in those that are suffering from hyperthyroidism. These individuals have a much higher metabolic rate, so the product leaves the body faster.

Provided that you see an Authorised Medical Aesthetic Practitioner for your treatment, having wrinkle reducing treatments are safe.

Having them can help you achieve a fresher, rejuvenated appearance without surgery.

Dr Pradnya Apte carries out wrinklereducing injections at her private clinic in Exeter. She is fully accredited with the Association of Medical Aesthetics and Save Face and has many years of clinical experience. Visit www.revitaliserejuvenate.co.uk or call 01392 426285

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Stars

by Cassandra Nye This week’s sign: Geminis are quick both in the mind and physically. They are brimming with energy and clever with words. They can be nosy, and do not mind their own business!

IMAGE: IAN WEST/PA

Your stars A little discontent trickles through to the weekend. It is small and somewhat in the background. Nonetheless you are aware of it. Could there be a yearning for something or someone in the past?

Perhaps you have the chance to meet again.

Laying down old problems is always a good thing. Why stress over things that cannot be changed? A challenge at the weekend may mean just doing your best.

This is a week to give importance to your health. If you are thinking of taking more gentle exercise or a class in yoga or pilates, this is the time. Continue to have a good diet and to avoid stress. Take the chance now to grow your confidence in a hobby or activity that you love.

LEO (July 23 - August 23) The options as far as love is concerned are many. Venus is trying to guide towards romance, be it in the home or on your travels. There seems no need, however, to travel far. Those who are settled are likely to stay so.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Energy levels may not be high as the week begins but they will improve. Aim to be especially helpful at work with suggestions and information that your boss may not have. You are not looking for reward, but satisfaction.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Get together this week with people who can give you a boost at work and socially. The two seem to be intertwined.

Are there moments of romance with a superior at work? There is certainly potential there.

Sarah Parish born June 7, 1968

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21)

CANCER (June 22 - July 22)

Happy birthday to...

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Generally, people in your life need cheering up. Could you be the tonic that they need? Showing a happy face also boosts your own good feelings. You can be positively glowing! Love your body and show confidence in the way you move it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) A sense of freedom is what you are aiming for. That is a grand idea. Somehow you feel that travel will set you on the right path. True, but it need not be a long journey or even very far.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) A busy time at work may make you realise that there are easier ways of doing things. This is where technology can be your new-found friend! By the weekend a problem can be solved. With Saturn popping up, look carefully at anything that needs to be kept secret.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) This is a week for family and friends.

Romance is assured at the weekend so why not organise something special? The urge to speak your mind should be tempered with charm and humour.

Many happy returns to Sarah Parish, who celebrates her 46th birthday today. The Yeovil-born actress and mother of two is married to her Cutting It co-star James Murray. Her big TV break was a Boddingtons beer ad: “give us another rub-down with that chip fat” and since then she’s carved out a career playing feisty women, including power-hungry queen Pasiphae in prime-time drama Atlantis.

She’s also hilarious playing alongside Hugh Bonneville as uptight Anna Rampton in BBC comedy W1A. Husband James is an Aquarius, a star sign that likes to surprise their partner, although impulsive Geminis tend to be one step ahead of the game! Their similar outlooks create a great basis for a strong relationship.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) Slimming? Don’t overdo it. Use exercise to boost your metabolism. If you can get any disagreements sorted out amicably before next week, then do so. You may be sweet-tempered now but next week could be a different matter.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) Recent changes seem to have settled down and this should improve any health niggles that have annoyed you.

Romantically there is the chance of a meeting with an old flame or someone who reminds you of them. Make peace, not war!

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) Finances are given a chance to recover from recent attacks. Still there is a need to watch the smaller amounts that just seem to seep out. Venus will try her best to bring money to you.

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PICTURE: JENNY GRAEME

Beach huts at Preston Beach

My Secret Westcountry Linda Mitchelmore Linda Mitchelmore started writing fiction to break her isolation after losing her hearing in her 40s. After honing her craft writing hundreds of short stories for women’s magazines (and having her hearing restored thanks to surgery), she secured a three-book deal with publisher Choc Lit. Her trilogy follows the fortunes of Emma le Goff in the fishing port of Brixham in the early 1900s.

The final instalment, Emma and her Daughter, has recently been published. Linda lives in Paignton with her husband and has two grown-up children

My favourite...

Walk: My absolute favourite place to walk, any time of the year but especially in spring as the trees come into bud, is around Slapton Ley, then through the wood to Deer Bridge and back up into Slapton village itself. There’s a sort of peace there which I find soothing, which is strange given that the area was evacuated in the World War Two and has a sad history.

Arts venue: I love the Bowie Gallery in Totnes. It is small but perfectly formed with some very interesting artwork, especially the bronze sculptures of Elisabeth Hadley, which I covet!

Beach: This has to be Preston Beach. It’s always been a locals’ beach with very safe bathing and great views of Torquay and Brixham.

There’s the bacon butty hut at one end and The Boathouse Bar & Grill at the other for finer dining, and a terrace overlooking Torquay.

Day out: I love the Garden House at Buckland Monachorum, which is up Yelverton way. The gardens have a very naturalistic layout with interesting and unusual plants. And the tea room is pretty good, too!

Activity:

That has to be walking. The coast

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People

The Boathouse, Preston Beach The Garden House, Buckland Monachorum, above

Slapton Ley

Weekend away: I stayed at Peter Tavy Lodge recently, in a cottage in a wonderful garden, with breakfast served in the main house in a country kitchen to die for.

Shop: The Torbay Bookshop in Paignton.

As well as books they also sell cards, maps, stationery items, DVDs, mugs and other items with Torbay scenes on - and Thornton’s chocolate!

Secret place: Fishcombe Cove, on the outThe Bowie Gallery, Totnes

for preference - I’m a water sign on the zodiac - but I like walks along the River Dart, too, and across Dartmoor for a bit of balance as that is my husband’s favourite place to walk.

Food: Cheeses, especially Harbourne Blue, a blue goat’s cheese made in the Dart Valley, and just about anything from Ticklemore’s Cheese Shop in Totnes.

Tipple: Anything from Bay’s Brewery, made in Paignton.

Pub: I don’t have to think hard to answer this

The Palace, Paignton

skirts of Brixham. It is not really secret but not a lot of people find it, and sitting on the sand looking out over the Bay there is almost like being in Greece or somewhere on the Med.

one! I love the Queen’s Arms at Slapton, an old-fashioned village pub which has lots of old black and white photographs of the area on the walls, mostly to do with the American occupation during World War Two. There’s a lovely garden for sunny days and the food is traditional pub grub, well-cooked.

Restaurants: I’m fond of

the Palace Hotel in Paignton. The service is second to none with linen cloths and silver service and extremely friendly and efficient staff - and they do a good goats’ cheese salad.

Linda Michelmore’s trilogy of novels about spirited orphan Emma le Goff is set in Brixham, south Devon and published by ChocLit 41

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PICTURE: NEWQUAY-GRANT LAMPARD

Enjoy A WEEKEND ON...

Fistral Beach, Newquay istral beach is the most westerly beach in Newquay and a world-renowned surfing spot, which hosts a number of international competitions. The biggest test for big wave surfers is the Cribbar, a massive wave which sweeps into the northern end of the beach just a few times a year – often in September, when Atlantic swell conditions are right. Many world-class surfers come here to compete at the international surfing heats held each August in front of tens of thousands of spectators at the Boardmasters festival. The northerly end of the beach, close to the Towan headland with its white lookout house, is known as Little Fistral and is only accessible at low tide.

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Stay: For a touch of luxury after a day in the waves, stay at the Headland Hotel (www. headlandhotel.co.uk), where the Fistral View bedrooms all have stunning views west over the beach, the ideal spot to watch the sun setting.

The spa at this four-star hotel is the only one in Cornwall to hold the highest ‘five bubble’ rating from the Good Spa Guide. Its facilities include a Cornish sea salt steam room and Rhassoul mud chamber to ease your surf-tired muscles.

Eat (and drink):

On the beach itself, at the southern end, join the surfing fraternity at Bodhi’s Beach Café, which serves hearty platefuls to give you the energy to head for the water. The Headland Hotel is famed for its traditional afternoon tea, which can be taken outside on the terrace overlooking the beach, or inside in the Victorian splendour of the hotel, with a cake-stand loaded with cakes

and homemade scones, jam and clotted cream.

The menu in the restaurant, overseen by chef Christopher Archambault, includes Newquay Bay lobster and crab.

Do: Surfing, of

course, but also you can try kite surfing and paddle-boarding. The Headland Hotel has its own Surf Sanctuary which provides boards, equipment, tuition and all important hot showers. Fistral Beach Surf School is right on the beach (01637 850737) and offers lessons and board hire.

Visit: Head for Newquay Zoo (www.newquayzoo. org.uk) to see the resident Carpathian lynx, an impressive selection of creepy crawlies and tropical birds. Or visit tropical waters without leaving Cornwall at the Blue Reef Aquarium (www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk), home of the giant pacific octopus and black top reef sharks.

The Headland Hotel spa

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4 of the best

Places to eat with sea views

Afternoon tea at The Headland Hotel

1 The Cove, Maenporth

With good food from the chef/owner Arty Williams, this seaside restaurant near Falmouth has a fabulous outlook over Maenporth beach and a lovely terrace from which to enjoy it, too Dish of the day: Plaice with bok choi, prawns, chilli and ginger Prices: Mains around £13 Contact: 01326 251136

2 The Old Coastguard, Mousehole

fave!

As the name suggests, this restaurant has terrific sea views over Mount’s Bay. The food is superb, too, from the same team that runs The Gurnard’s Head, Zennor (also with a stunning coastal location).

Dish of the day: Starter of Newlyn crab, gin cured salmon and tarragon mayonnaise Price: Mains around £14 Contact: 01736 731222

3 Watersmeet Hotel, Woolacombe

Perched on the clifftops above this lovely sandy surfing beach, this former Edwardian gentleman’s mansion (pictured above) has been newly renovated, with a terrific sea view terrace.

Dish of the day: Roast sirloin of Exmoor beef, cauliflower cheese puree, steak and tongue pudding, truffle mash Price: Table d’Hote menu £42 Contact: 01271 870333

Headland Hotel spa

4 Anchorstone Cafe, Dittisham

Strictly speaking, this little gem overlooks the River Dart, rather than the sea. But it’s simply too good to leave out, given the lovely terrace and moorings - why not come by boat and make a day of it? Local seafood is a speciality, caught by day boats out of Dartmouth.

Dish of the day: River Dart oysters Price: Mains around £14 Contact: 01803 722365

The Headland Hotel 43

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Ingredient of the Week

Elderflower with Tim Maddams

hen it comes to meteoric rises to fame there can be few other contenders for the flavour trophy than the lace-like elderflower. In recent years it has gone from almost complete obscurity to must-have commonplace ingredient.

Where it was once firmly within the province of the “wild food enthusiast”, occasionally found as a fermented drink or used in fruit jam by those in the know, it’s now pride of place in even the most flavour-fearing of households.

The versatile, floral and unmistakable taste of these flowers is now so popular that elder trees are actually being planted and grown commercially, just to supply the demand. This makes me very happy, because that is long term crop planning and low intensity farming of the first order.

But it is elderflower as an ingredient that I want to focus on today, the fresh flowers taken from the wild (well, wild-ish) places around our towns and villages. Firstly, you need to know

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that elderflowers are only to be used when they have just opened and have a white, fresh look to the flower heads. You’re looking for a delicate but pungent aroma that - and let’s be clear on this - does NOT smell of tom cat urine.

The second thing you need to learn is that, somewhat obviously perhaps, elderflowers grown on elder bushes/trees and definitely NOT on mountain ash or rowan trees. It’s a simple enough thing to learn to tell the difference.

In short, collect your flowers before they age, as the flavour becomes unpleasant and old flowers should be left on the trees. The result will be elderberries for you to help yourself to in the autumn.

Make this an addition to your world of foraging and, once you have tasted your own freshly gathered, mint-condition elderflowers, you will be making cordials, sparkling wine and all sorts. They are very inspiring things - beautiful, tasty and perfumed in such a way that they just scream summer at you.

Floral arrangements I love elderflowers just washed, then picked off and tossed into strawberries. The flowers work extremely well in cider, gin and (best of all) in a combination of the two. This is an old Westcountry drink called a Dog’s Nose - elevate it to the level of a chic cocktail with ice, crushed elderflowers along with, maybe, a hint of lemon juice.

The best way to eat elderflowers is to dip them in a light batter, fry them into little fritters and serve with clotted cream, yoghurt or ice-cream. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and writer who often appears on the River Cottage TV series 44

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Drink

Darren Norbury Beer of the week Brothers Ben and Nick Sales, of Goonhavern-based Black Flag Brewery, are typical of today’s young brewers, thinking outside the bitter box. Their Chameleon session beer is 3.8% ABV and hopped with a different variety for each brew.

The Mosaic incarnation I tasted at St Ives was my first beer of the day and I could have cheerfully subverted the point of the beer festival and stayed on it all afternoon.

Time’s up

These days, much is made about ageing beers but less about drinking beers fresh. BrewDog’s Born To Die has 8.5% ABV and a very short best before date of July 4. The thinking is that after that time the hops in the brew will lose their freshness and pungency. Grab it while you can.

talks beer y friend Roy eyes the golden Padstow Pilsner in his glass then reads from the tasting notes in the festival programme. “’A smooth cask-conditioned Pilsner brewed and aged in the traditional way.’ What? Do they have caves in Padstow?”

I am at the St Ives Beer Festival, the CAMRA-organised one (there is another to follow in August, put on by St Ives Brewery’s Marco Amura) and we have been doing what seasoned stalwarts of such events do: gather into small groups and begin a process of “you must try this” or “oh no, steer clear of that one”.

I take his point re the caves. In the days before refrigeration, that’s how the Pilsners and other lagers were stored (the word ‘lager’ means to store in German and gives us our English word, larder). The caves’ coolness was perfect for the bottom-fermenting brews to age. It’s a small quibble, though. The Padstow Pilsner is terrific, deep golden with a bright white foamy head, clear, crisp, hoppy and refreshing, with a good balancing malt depth. Reckon this could give my favourite Cornish lager, St Austell’s Korev, a run for its money in a head-to-head taste test.

It turned out to be quite a golden beer session, appropriately enough as I was sat at a table of ‘golden oldies’. Bays Brewery’s Paignton Summer Ale hooked me, too, with resinous hop

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on the aroma and a lovely balance of juicy malt and citrus hop flavours running over the tastebuds. Recommended to me was Rebel Brewing Co’s Sail Ale, which, given that I’m a fan of their low-ABV Surfbum IPA, I was eager to have a crack at, and it didn’t disappoint; moreish and clean, with biscuit notes from the malt and zesty hops.

Stunning resinous hop aroma and orange citrus coming through on the palate of the Harbour Brewing Co’s Bodmin Pale Ale (6%), balanced by juicy malt in the background and an excellent body, while Sharp’s special Rock Pool (4.2%) offered lovely subtle honey notes, with grapefruit on the aroma and a bittersweet finish.

A golden day, indeed, at an excellent festival which, to my mind, was one of Cornwall CAMRA’s best ever. It’s not just about the beer, it’s about the volunteers who make it all happen with such an air of enthusiasm, and the company of course. We had no complaints: definitely not the Last of The Summer Whiners…

Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk @beertoday

FULL STEAM AHEAD Good to see there is still some On Track around, a Dartmoor Brewery beer brewed to celebrate the re-opening of the railway track at Dawlish after the winter storms of 2014. The 5% ABV golden brew was in bottle at St Ives, a reminder of how much we rely on our rail links.

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My life man and boy

Born to be wild Phil Goodwin, father of James, five, gets back to nature

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[

industrial North West, I was unsure what the correct protocol was on being approached headon by a hairy, striped pig. So I just stopped and watched. He tanked at me, seemingly un-phased by my presence, then took a sharp right turn through a clump of nettles and disappeared into the undergrowth. I didn’t investigate further but I presume there must be a whole colony of them down there. Who knew?

Later, back in the safety of the house, I recounted this Big Game encounter to both wife and son. It barely registered. She was stuck into her phD thesis while James was watching dinosaurs tear lumps out of each other on TV. But later that night, the denizens of the Wild Wood came to town again, in a much more deadly form.

Around 2am a dreadful whining and howling sound rose from the street. My wife dashed to the window to see what was up, and I followed, bleary-eyed and confused. There was clearly a face-off of some sort, a few houses down. At first I thought it was dogs, until I spotted the tell-tale bushy tails: foxes. There were two of them, up to no good behind a car. The noise was truly horrendous.

High-pitched squealing and barking sounds that went on for quite some time, moving down to the end of the avenue and, eventually, out of sight. It fell silent, so I went back to bed.

Chatting to a neighbour the next morning, I

I was unsure what the correct protocol was on being approached headlong by a hairy striped pig

discovered that her pet cat had not come home after her nightly ramblings. The next day the cat’s body was found. Seems the poor creature had been mortally injured in battle and had crawled off to die. I knew foxes would kill and take prey but I had no idea they would bother with a tubby house cat. I may have to reassess this city living. Seems there is danger all around after all.

[

main picture: Steve Haywood

e are pretty much city slickers here at home in Exeter, far removed from the wilderness and its nature, red in tooth and claw. Or so I thought. Other than the odd waft of cow manure from the outskirts of the city, there is precious little to remind us townies that we live in the countryside.

In my day job as a Western Morning News reporter, I have a professional familiarity with tales of dogs attacking sheep, and foxes either tearing apart chickens or themselves being torn limb from limb. But it rarely impinges on my day-to-day existence. In truth, the only things with four legs, fur and teeth in this neighbourhood tend to be pets of the city’s homeless. And the only truly threatening creatures stagger on two feet, usually clutching cans of strong liquor and railing against the injustice of existence. I find they can usually be avoided by means of a swift detour across the road.

However, all of this changed last week, when the wild things came to town. The first encounter came while I was out on my regular jogging route. Unfortunately, the comfortably upholstered ease of modern life, where there are no farm chores such as cows to milk or corn to reap, requires us urbanites to substitute pointless forms of exercise like running in circles, just in order to stay fit. So, halfway round the three-mile course, the path goes beside some woods. This pedestrian walkway is used mostly by students and lecturers from Exeter university but on this evening it was pretty deserted. And quiet. Then I hear a loud puffing sound, above my own. It gets louder and louder and seems to be coming closer.

Then, suddenly, I am confronted by the sight of a hefty badger barrelling downhill in my direction.

Big bugger, he was. Being from the post46

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YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COMMUTE. Just because you know where you’re going, doesn’t mean you can’t take the scenic route.

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regulations and may not be representative of real-life driving conditions. Factors such as driving style, weather and road conditions may also have a significant effect on fuel consumption. †Customer deposit £3,139, Optional final payment of £10,888 over a 48 month term. Promotion available on new Cherokee Longitude & Longitude Plus models registered between 16th April and 30th June 2015. ^£3,000 Dealer Deposit Contribution only available in conjunction with Jeep Horizon PCP. With Jeep Horizon you have the option to return the vehicle and not pay the final payment, subject to the vehicle not having exceeded an agreed annual mileage (a charge of 9p per mile for exceeding 10,000 miles per annum in this example) and being in good condition. Finance subject to status. Guarantees may be required. Terms and Conditions apply. We work with a number of creditors including Jeep Financial Services. Jeep Financial Services, PO BOX 4465, Slough, SL1 0RW. *New Cherokee models will benefit from complimentary servicing covering the car for three years or 30,000 miles, including protection for the first MOT on all qualifying retail sales. At participating Dealers only. Prices and specifications correct at time of going to print (04/15). To find out more please visit jeep.co.uk. Jeep® is a registered trademark of FCA US LLC.

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03/06/2015 12:23:50

Escape from everyday life and discover your perfect sanctuary by the sea this summer

Book a Revitalising Retreat at The Headland Hotel and Spa from just £99 per person per night* Available from 7th June – 16th July Relax in a stunningly appointed bedroom, recharge your soul in Cornwall’s most luxurious spa and sample delicious food created by our new Executive Chef, Christopher Archambault.

REVITALISING RETREAT INCLUDES: A night’s stay in a beautiful bedroom Three course dinner in The Restaurant with floor to ceiling views over the Atlantic Ocean A full Cornish breakfast Use of the ‘Five Bubble’ rated Spa including a heated hydrotherapy pool complete with bubble seats, Jacuzzi, Swedish sauna, aromatherapy showers and Cornish salt steam room

Call reservations on 01637 872211 to book your Revitalising Retreat today

Quote ‘WESTMAG’ to receive a complimentary ROOM UPGRADE

Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall, TR7 1EW | www.headlandhotel.co.uk | 01637 872211 | reservations@headlandhotel.co.uk *Subject to availability, weekend supplements may apply. Price based on two sharing a coastal double/twin room, including the complimentary upgrade. Terms and conditions apply.

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