West Magazine, May 7 2016 by DCMedia

07.05.16

Ways to enjoy the sunshine

INSIDE: + THE GOOD FESTIVAL GUIDE WIN £1,200 WORTH OF TICKETS

Demelza’s back! Eleanor Tomlinson on life in Poldark, series two PLUS: + SPRING

JACKETS + GWYNETH

PALTROW

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Escape to the Coast 2 night breaks from £345 per couple, per stay. Call 0844 858 9185 quoting ‘West’ to book your stay.

www.stives-harbour-hotel.co.uk

Terms and Conditions: Rate of £345 valid until 19th July. Rates are based on midweek stays in an inland room and include 2 nights bed and breakfast accommodation and a dinner allowance of £25 per person on arrival night. Rates are pre-paid rates and cancellations are non refundable.

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03/05/2016 10:02:51

‘The storylines are increasingly exciting and will certainly leave the public wanting more... we hope!’

SHE’S BACK! Eleanor Tomlinson on life as Demelza

THE GOOD FESTIVAL GUIDE Our pick of the best in the west

Eleanor Tomlinson spills the beans on the new series of Poldark, p12

[contents[ Inside this week... 6

THE WISHLIST Our pick of the best treats this week

JUST BETWEEN US... Sh! We have the latest gossip!

DEMELZA’S BACK! Eleanor Tomlinson on life in Poldark

THE GOOD FESTIVAL GUIDE

MARVELLOUS MOUSEHOLE Gorgeous Cornish interior design

HOW TO WEAR IT Spring jackets made simple

Our pick of the Westcountry’s finest

MARVELLOUS MOUSEHOLE Gorgeous Cornish interior design

ANNE SWITHINBANK

WELLBEING Smart ways to feel your best

SECRET WESTCOUNTRY

Where to go, what to do

How to grow euphorbias this summer

EYELINER, LIPPY, WELLIES... Abbie Bray on festival beauty

SPRING JACKETS Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod on the latest look

CULTURE VULTURE What’s on and where to go

BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Smart ways to feel your best this week

EATING OUT French food without the fuss

THE PASTY MAN Chris McGuire on looking good in photos

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[

FRENCH LESSONS

Parisian dining in Devon

[ welcome [ All of a sudden, there is just so much going on... luebells in the hedgerow are definitely a sign of the changing season. But, just as surely, the huge amount of events and activities going on right now means that the quiet of the Westcountry wintertime is well and truly behind us. These days, every weekend you are spoilt for choice for days out - there is a wealth of events and shows taking place in the region right now. And when it comes to festivals, there are so many to choose from it is hard to know which to pick. Happily, our tent-toting, wellie-wearing expert, Catherine Barnes, has done all the hard work for you

[

of the week

- read her superb Good Festival Guide on page 16, with full details of what’s on where, whether you are after a small family-friendly event or something altogether more lively. She has also persuaded some of the region’s best festivals to give us free tickets for West readers to win - at the last count, more than £1,200 worth! Do take a look and enter the competitions. In other news, another sign of summer is the return of the Poldark film crew to Cornwall. On page 12, we catch up with the wonderful Eleanor Tomlinson, who plays Demelza, for hints about what’s in store when the show airs later this year. Can’t wait!

You can win £1,200 worth of tickets to the region’s festivals

@DownsSideUp Ahhh! #natty is featured in @WMNWest today. Grab your copy!

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

[

Becky Sheaves, Editor

COVER IMAGE: BBC publicity

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

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Sarah Pitt

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Lynne Potter

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If you do one thing this week...

Win

Why not try the new sport of Stand Up Paddling (SUP)? Easier to learn than surfing yet just as exhilarating, SUP is great fun for all ages. And if you go along to one of Ticket to Ride Surf School’s Paddle and Prosecco evenings, you can enjoy a glass of fizz afterwards. The sessions take place every Thursday evening until September at Great Western Beach, Newquay, with expert guidance from the surf school’s instructors. The price is £15 per person, including equipment hire and a glass of fizz. See www.tickettoridesurfschool.co.uk

We have two pairs of tickets for the Paddle and Prosecco evening of your choice to win. To be in with a chance, just tell us the name of the surf school running them. Email your answer, with name, address and contact details, with Paddle and Prosecco as the subject, to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by May 13. Normal terms apply. West magazine will not share your details.

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Red shopper £39.95 www.thegardenhouse.net

Orla Kiely herb pots £35.95

wishlist

www.cuckooland.com

Our top picks of the things you’ll love this week

Stripes STREET STYLE STAR

Nauti knickers gift set £24.95 Seasalt Cornwall

JASMINE GWALTER Don’t you love this embellished dress from Coast that retail assistant Jasmine Gwalter was spotted wearing the other day in Plymouth? It’s perfect as smart daywear and also great for this in-between time of year, too, when you can never be quite sure of the weather. Jasmine told us we caught her on an unusually dressed up day: “Normally I wear jeans and trainers – I walk everywhere.”

Candy mini bag £165 Furla

Dress: Coast Shoes: Primark Send your stylish snaps of you or a friend looking fab to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk

Primavera keyring £65 Furla

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Wishlist Ceramic bee brooches £10 each stockwellceramics.co,uk in the Tamar Valley

Pretty Oystercatchers tea towel designed by Karen Walshe of Topsham £10 www.coastalhome.co.uk

Viggo sideboard £3,450 www.harleyandlola.co.uk

In the swing Bloomingville hammock chair £79 www.amara.com

Store we adore...

Sassi Holford, Taunton

Wedding couturier Sassi Holford’s boutique in her Somerset home town has a understated elegance that creates a calm atmosphere for every bride’s appointment. Knowledgeable and relaxed staff will be able to help you with every step of choosing your dress, all made by hand in Sassi’s Taunton studio. Sassi Holford is at 6 The Bridge, Taunton, Somerset, call 01823 256308, www.sassiholford.com 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life... All the world’s a stage these days uess what – we’re in a play! It’s true. The Molesworth family is joining in the nation’s 400th birthday celebrations of the immortal bard Shakespeare. Our contribution is a local production of a Midsummer Night’s Dream – very close to midsummer. I personally am fulfilling a dashed ambition from my early challenges with Shakespeare years to be Titania, the queen of is understanding what you’re the fairies. It’s a great role. It’s saying. Really understanding got majesty, fire, and comedy: it, not just reciting it. So we’ve she’s the one that gets to fall in been looking up lots of words, love with an ass named Bottom. many of which no longer mean True. the same thing. For instance: the I auditioned for the role in word “fell”. To us, this is chiefly university but was pipped at the the past tense of “fall”. However, post by another student – I am in the 1500s it meant angry and convinced it was because she violent. As in: “Oberon is passing looked more striking. Not that fell and wrath” or “I am not a lion I’m bitter. At fell”. The Oxford all. (Forced and English Dictionary slightly crazed is currently getting grin.) some good use in ‘What, jealous Anyway, this our house. Oberon! I have time I’ve bagged The other chalforesworn his bed it! And I’ve been lenge is making it having fun spoutrelevant, and the and company.’ A ing lines at every person who made Plymouth cabbie given opportunithat easiest is may have been ty. “What, jealous Shakespeare himOberon! Fairies, self. He still means rather startled skip hence, I have so much to so many to hear that foresworn his bed people around the and company.” A world because of his Plymouth cabbie understanding of may have been rather startled human nature. There is so much to hear that. I’ve soliloquized to to recognise today in Shaketraffic lights, made moues at the speare’s characters: the angstdog, and spouted sonnets to both ridden son that feels inadequate the computer monitor and the after the loss of a strong father; bathroom mirror. the prince who horses around to The kids are a fairy (or a sprite) put off his inevitable responsibiliand Lysander, one of the lovers. ty; the lovers who must defy their His is the immortal quote: “The families yet are torn by loyalty; course of true love never did run and the clever woman who saves smooth.” the day in court. It’s been fun introducing them It’s so rewarding to introduce to the language – and a learnthe Bard to a new generation. ing curve. One of the biggest Lights, curtain, action!

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

GOLDEN

& gorgeous The Queen looked fabulous in gold brocade recently, on a night out at Claridge’s in London. Metallics such as gold can be super-flattering to the complexion, as they reflect light up into your face. Luckily for us, there are lots of golden opportunities on the high street to be had right now – here’s our pick of the finest we’ve found. We approve of Her Majesty’s decision to pair her gold outfit with simple pearls and shiny black handbag. Very regal. Gold ruffle dress £45 BHS

steal her

style

OPTION A Relaxed OPTION B Retro

Delilah dress £109 Monsoon

1940s dress £149 The House of Foxy

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07.05.16

Just

JUDY: MUM ON A MISSION We fell in love with her and her two left feet when she when she competed in Strictly in 2014, but Judy Murray admits it was tough being in the public eye when her sons Andy and Jamie first began playing on the tennis circuit. Now a families ambassador for the sport, she recently revealed: “People whom I’d never met formed an opinion of me from seeing

me in very stressful situations - watching the boys compete. Probably I attracted a lot more attention being the mother of boys, simply trying to show positive encouragement for my kids, than I would had I been a dad. There’s something people don’t like about competitive women, whereas they’ll term it ‘drive’ in a man and applaud it.” You certainly inspire us, Judy.

[ [ ‘Yep, I admit it: I only post my pretty selfies’

SELFIE CONTROL Stars Wars actress Daisy Ridley has said she identifies with how social media can impact upon self-esteem. She says: “Social media is great but also a bit scary… what people post is the most filtered, most carefully chosen and cleverly edited moments of their lives. My skin isn’t great so I don’t post make-up selfies, much as I’d like to; I have a trainer urging me on in workouts and don’t include all the times I say, ‘I can’t do it.’” So not just us, then. We love her honesty.

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

SINGLE AND

LOVING IT Myleene Klass has come to love being a single mother and is “completely and utterly bonded” with her daughters. The TV presenter was married to Graham Quinn until 2013 and has previously admitted that their divorce “rocked my whole existence”. Speaking out in a recent interview she said: “I think there are a lot of women out there in a similar position. You think it’s better to be with someone - but the reality is, it’s not better. “In the first few months, I hated those moments when the girls were in bed and I was on my own. I worried that all decisions were mine. It took me a while to realise that, actually, I love that. Me and my girls are a unit, we are strong, we are completely and utterly bonded.” She added: “I decided to ‘own’ being a single mother, to challenge the stereotype.”

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LUCKY: There was lovely weather for the St Ives Fun Run

in pictures MINE’S A PINT: Mr Jones, the pub dog at The Fisherman’s Arms, Plymouth, has had a beer named after him

FIRST STEPS: Thor the foal is out walking with his mum Suzie at Treskillard, near Redruth

GOOD CHEER: Exeter Food and Drink Festival was a lot of fun

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talking points Be aware

Bones

ONE OF US Famous faces with links to the Westcountry

Ten bones and where you’ll find them

1. Hyoid (throat) 2. Malleus (ear) Ten awareness events

3. Hamate (wrist)

1. World Intellectual Property Day (April 26)

4. Cuboid (foot)

2. National Stationery Week (from 25 April)

6. Vomer (nose)

5. Sacrum (pelvis)

3. National Hot Breakfast Month (February)

7. Talus (foot)

4. British Pie Week (March

9. Calcaneus (heel)

7-13)

5. National Aromatherapy Week (June 8-14) 6. Talk Like a Pirate Day (September 19)

8. Zygomatic (cheek) 10. Lunate (hand)

The happy list

7. Be Nice to Nettles Week (May 14-25)

8. Dressed by the Kids day (April 29)

9. National Stop Snoring Week (April 25-29) 10. World Reflexology Week (September 21-27)

Headliners Ten star acts at the Glastonbury Festival

1. David Bowie (1971) 2. Hawkwind (1981) 3. The Smiths (1984) 4. The Cure (1990) 5. Oasis (1995) 6. R.E.M (1999) 7. Coldplay (2002) 8. Jay Z (2008) 9. Metallica (2014) 10. Adele (June 2016)

10 things to make you smile this week 1. Bluebells out now 2. Jason Donovan at Plymouth Pavilions tomorrow

3. Sowing seeds for summer 4. Frugi’s new collection 5. Sam Bailey in Chicago tonight at Hall for Cornwall

6. First dip in the sea 7. Bike riding ring the bell 8. Flying kites on the beach 9. Warm days on the way 10. Mindfulness and Surfing new book out now £8.99

This week:

Anthony Loyd One of the world’s most highly-respected war correspondents, Anthony Loyd lives in Devon War: Anthony Loyd is a war correspondent for The Times. Over the past 24 years he has reported on nearly 20 conflicts for the paper. School: Now aged 49, he grew up on the Hampshire-Surrey border and was educated at Eton, alongside David Cameron and George Osborne.

of peacetime, growing older, of domestic tragedy and trivial routine … sometimes I pray for another war just to save me’’ in his book ‘My War Gone By, I Miss It So’. Kidnap: He was kidnapped by ISIS in Syria in 2014 and freed only after being beaten and shot. “I would challenge anyone who gets tied up, beaten, and shot not to feel a bit bleak about it. But it came and went…. most of the time I’m just aware of my incredible good fortune.”

Home: Anthony now lives in south Devon: “I spend a lot of time being a pretty domestic dad. I do the school run and walk the dogs, deal with the chickens, and don’t talk to other journalists or people involved Family: “They were pretty solid in war… I’m good at and stoical when I compartmentalising… was kidnapped last Devon allows me to year,” he says of his keep going.” wife and children. “If DID YOU KNOW? someone rang to say Anthony Marriage: Anthony my wife had been served with is now married to a captured, beaten and former journalist and shot, I would throw a the army in he has a daughter and fit. But I’ve spoken to Northern a step-daughter. In people who told me Ireland 2002 he married Lady she was cool, calm Sophia Hamilton, and collected. And my daughter of the 5th children too.” Duke of Abercorn but they divorced in 2005. Scoop: Anthony was the first journalist to write a major exposé of Ancestors: His maternal greatthe Assad regime’s use of poison gas grandfather was Lieutenant General against its own people. Sir Adrian Carton De Wiart VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO, who was wounded 11 Syria: He says Syria is one of the times in battle, which included the worst wars he has covered, but he is loss of an eye and a hand. hopeful of peace coming eventually: “People get exhausted with war. Addict: Anthony had a seven-year Outside elements can throw in as addiction to heroin and described much as they want, until suddenly himself as a “war junkie”. He wrote there’s an internal fulcrum point and of the “oppressive stagnation the whole energy goes out of the war.”

Competition winners: Congratulations to… The winners of a VIP pass for Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink: Ellen Sutton, Plymouth; Christine Bland, Budleigh Salterton £50 voucher to spend at Roo’s Beach boutique: Sue Hulland, Lower Tremar near Liskeard

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People

CORNISH BEAUTY Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson talks about her hidden talents, her favourite Cornish places and an exciting new venture with Aidan Turner by Viki Wilson

’m flattered you think I have a flair for design,” Eleanor Tomlinson says when asked about her latest project with Cornish fashion brand Seasalt. “I love art and this came as an unexpected challenge.” The Poldark star has created a design for a shopping bag, based on her own original handdrawn sketch of Ross Poldark and Demelza on horseback with the sun setting behind an engine house set atop Cornish cliffs. The design is featuring on bags made by Penzance-based fashion brand Seasalt, with profits being donated to the Fishermen’s Mission. “I do as much as I can for charity and the campaign Seasalt is leading for the Fishermen’s Mission sounded like a great one to support, particularly as Seasalt itself is based in Cornwall,” says Eleanor. “Seafaring fishermen and their families need every kind of support in view of the every day dangers they encounter.” While fishing may have been more hazardous in Poldark times, even today it is listed as the UK’s most dangerous peace-time occupation, with an average of 15 fishermen losing their lives each year. With so many issues facing the fishing industry at present, many who earn their living this way also struggle with debts and financial insecurity when they make it safely home. The launch of the campaign this spring marks the one-year anniversary of the airing of the first series of the BBC adaptation of Poldark, which

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People

served to put both Eleanor and her co-star Aidan Turner so firmly in the spotlight. Following the resounding success of that first series, the cast have now finished filming Series Two, with swarms of fans turning up to filming in Cornish locations such as Charlestown, Kynance Cove and Holywell Bay whenever the production team was spotted there. It is slated to air in the autumn this year. One year on, Eleanor, who is still only 23, says she is still enjoying that heady thrill of being part of such a successful series. “I consider myself very lucky to be a part of Poldark,” she says. “Series Two has been equally as challenging and rewarding as the first series. There have been countless memorable moments. “It’s difficult not to give anything away but the storylines are increasingly exciting and will certainly leave the public wanting more... We hope! I hope the public take to it as they did before. “ Eleanor is once again looking forward to rejoining fellow cast and crew members, to film Series Three over the summer. In the meantime, she and leading man Aidan Turner have also been working together on another project. “Aidan and I actually did a film together over the summer [of 2015] called Loving Vincent, about the life of Vincent Van Gogh,” she reveals. “It is the first film to ever be entirely painted.” Directed by Polish painter and director Dorota Kobiela and Oscar winner Hugh Welchman, the experimental film is an investigation delving into the life of Vincent Van Gogh, as told through his paintings and by the characters that inhabit them.

Eleanor, along with her other cast members have often talked about the unity and closeness of the Poldark production team. She tells me that the second series sees the introduction of some interesting new characters to the cast, including Cornish actor John Nettles, of Bergerac and Midsomer Murders fame, who is playing wealthy landowner Ray Penvenen. “John Nettles is a gent. It was an honour to work with him,” says Eleanor. “We have also been lucky enough to be joined by the beautiful Gabrielle Wilde, playing Nettles’ onscreen niece, the beautiful Caroline Penvenen.” Filming of the second series has also meant reunion with some other much loved cast members – notably Seamus, the horse who plays the part of Darkie in the show. Eleanor and Aidan Turner are often seen riding Seamus together through panoramic coastal scenery. Ross Poldark may be the alpha male of the story but, in reality, Eleanor is always very much in control of the horse. “I have been riding since I was a child and greatly enjoy it,” she tells me. “Riding side-saddle in period costume is always fun.” As in the first series, the area around St Breward on Bodmin Moor features as the setting for exterior scenes of Nampara, Ross and Demelza’s fictional home. “I particularly like Bodmin Moor as it is so rural,” says Eleanor. “But we have filmed in such spectacular locations around Cornwall, it’s hard to pick a favourite. Series Two will certainly tempt yet more tourists to come.” Find Eleanor Tomlinson’s limited edition charity jute bag, priced £5, at www.seasaltcornwall.co.uk

‘It’s difficult not to give anything away but the storylines are increasingly exciting and will certainly leave the public wanting more.. we hope!’

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ON A SPECIAL MISSION By Catherine Barnes

Fancy Ross Poldark hanging off your arm? Well now you can (sort of) - and for just a fiver. Aidan Turner’s co-star Eleanor Tomlinson has drawn on the hit BBC series to create her design for a Cornish fashion brand raising money for a charity close to Westcountry hearts - the Fishermen’s Mission. The actress is among a number of wellknown celebrities with Westcountry connections who have created limited-edition bags for Cornwall-based fashion label Seasalt. Dickensian star Caroline Quentin, who lives near Tiverton in Devon and attracted millions of viewers to her prime-time TV documentaries about Cornwall, is also one of this year’s celebrity designers for the charity. The actress, whose design features a fishing boat and a shoal of mackerel in a shimmering blue sea, says: “I love Cornwall. For me, life there is all about the beauty of the landscape and particularly the coastline. She adds: “The people who live in and on the sea are the beating heart of this beautiful county. That’s why I support the Fishermen’s Mission.” Fashionistas will certainly want to get

h Bar bara Hu lan ick i wit bag rity cha t sal Sea her

their hands on the quirkiest designer bag in Seasalt’s 2016 charity collection. The pink mermaid design was created by Barbara Hulanicki, founder of legendary sixties fashion label Biba and a regular guest at the celebrity-studded Port Eliot Festival at St Germans in south east Cornwall. TV presenter Fern Britton, who has a home near Padstow and started her career here, has also contributed and drew on Cornwall’s idyllic working harbour villages for her design. And Countryfile presenter Julia Bradbury, currently behind new ITV series Best Walks With a View, was clearly inspired by the South West Coast Path when she sketched hers. The bags go on sale this month at Seasalt shops and cost £5 each, with 50p from every sale going to The Fishermen’s Mission. The charity provides emergency and welfare support to Britain’s 13,000 working fishermen and their families, as well as offering welfare and assistance to retired fishermen facing hardship.

Judi Dench with her Seasalt bag

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Po rt El io t

Port Eliot

Ready, set festival!

Occomb

e s tiva l e Beer F

It’s time to order your tickets and pack your wellies - here’s our pick of the Westcountry’s finest outdoor gatherings By Catherine Barnes

Port Eliot Festival Best for: Feeding your mind The Port Eliot Festival is a bohemian, arty wonderland. You’re likely to see famous faces chilling out here as well as performing - it’s a cool place to be. The festival, in the beautiful grounds of a stately home, celebrates words, music, comedy, fashion, food and all things bright and beautiful. Even the campsite is a thing of loveliness. Things to try include late night astronomy walks, an overnight camp-out for kids, wild cocktail making and the Grand Port Eliot Clothes Swap. This year’s highlight: Comedian and writer Noel Fielding is set to present a surreal exhibition of his watercolour paintings including ‘The Lonely Prince (with giant Owl)’ and ‘My Little Pony’. When: 28-31 July Where: St Germans, south east Cornwall Tickets: Family weekend ticket £430, adult day ticket £60, porteliotfestival.com We have a family weekend ticket, worth £430, for this year’s Port Eliot Festival. To enter, tell us where in Cornwall you’ll find this amazing venue. Mark your entry ‘Port Eliot comp’ and send with your name, address and daytime phone number to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by midnight Friday May 20. Usual T&Cs apply.

Win

3 Wishes Faery Festival Best for: Flights of fantasy Flower fairies, mer-folk and fauns from across the country will be celebrating all things fey in this award-winning magical and musical summer festival. Held close to the summer solstice, there’s a happy and very family-friendly vibe in an environment where everyone from Frozen fans to Game of Thrones enthusiasts can don flowers, face paint and wings. Little ones can enrol at Melody the Mermaid’s fairy school, while parents take part in a foraging adventure and cook up recipes including sweets, sherbets and curry from wild food. There’s even a fairy dog show. This year’s highlight: Bring your wand and tutu to take part in a world record attempt for the most fairies gathered in one place at 3pm on Saturday 18. It’s going to be held in a public space, so nonticket holders are welcome, too! When: 17-19 June Where: Mount Edgcumbe House, Torpoint, Cornwall Tickets: Family weekend camping pitch £240 (available to buy in instalments). fairyfestival.co.uk We have a family weekend ticket, worth £240, for this year’s 3 Wishes Faery Festival . To enter, tell us what its storytelling mermaid is called. Mark your entry ‘Faery Festival comp’ and send with your name, address and daytime phone number to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by midnight Friday May 20. Usual T&Cs apply.

Fa e r y

Fe s t iva l

Win

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Events

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Wake The Fish festival, Zennor 17

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GoldCoast Oceanfest

Tropical Pressure Best for: Partying with the world Each day at this festival is dedicated to the music, dance, art and food of one of three tropical zones - Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean. Acts will be flying in to the coastal venue from as far afield as Kenya, Colombia and Ghana to join the party. With something for all the family (including a kids’ Creative Dome) there is also a fire-pit to gather round and soak up the atmosphere by starlight, as well as latenight acoustic music. This year’s highlight: A mouthwatering vegetarian Global Food Market. When: 15-17 July Where: Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Porthtowan, Cornwall. Tickets: Adult weekend camping, £80 www.tropicalpressure.co.uk We have one pair of Saturday night adult tickets, worth £35 each, for this year’s Tropical Pressure festival. To enter, tell us where in Cornwall is it held. Mark your entry ‘Tropical Pressure comp’ and send with your name, address and daytime phone number to westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk by midnight Friday May 20. Usual T&Cs apply.

Win

Looe Music Festival Best for: Seeing your heroes The headline acts just keep getting bigger and better at this super-friendly music fest on the beach. Bryan Ferry is this year’s headline act, with Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Perfect singer Eddi Reader also on an eclectic bill which includes local hero Seth Lakeman and shanty singers Fisherman’s Friends. With more than 90 bands playing there’s something for everyone, but if you grew up in an era when virtually

Looe Music Festival

every teenager belonged to a tribe then this is your chance to see cult bands including Destination Zululand, psychobillies King Kurt and punk legends Sham69. All sure to bring the memories – and the moves – flooding back. This year’s highlight: Actor-turned-musician Laurence Fox will be showcasing the indie sounds from his debut album Holding Patterns. When: 23-25 September Where: Looe seafront, Cornwall Tickets: Adult weekend tickets from £89 (camping packages extra), www.looemusic.co.uk We have a family pass, worth £230, for this year’s Looe Music Festival. To enter, tell us which band headline act Bryan Ferry came to fame with. Mark your entry ‘Looe Music Festival comp’ and send with your name, address and daytime phone number to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by midnight Friday May 20. Usual T&Cs apply.

Win

South West Outdoors Festival Best for: Trying something new Try something new and exhilarating, or simply enjoy the local food and entertainment at the National Trust and Cotswold Outdoor’s

first ever festival of its kind in the Westcountry. Suitable for all ages and abilities, you can join group sessions in everything from kayaking and tree climbing to stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) and wild swimming. Alternatively, enjoy gentler activities such as star gazing, wild food foraging, camp cooking and nature walks around the coast and through the valley. Adventurers Monty Halls, Anna McNuff and Jasper Winn will be making appearances. Camp for the whole weekend in a riverside paddock or just come for the day and explore the great outdoors in an entirely new way. This year’s highlight: All of it – it’s the first National Trust festival to be held! When: 23-25 September Where: Heddon Valley, Exmoor National Park Tickets: Family weekend camping £150. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/swof We have a weekend family camping pass, worth £150, for the South West Outdoors Festival. To enter, tell us what does ‘SUP’ stand for? Mark your entry ‘SW Outdoor Festival comp’ and send with your name, address and daytime phone number to westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk by midnight, Friday May 20. Usual T&Cs apply.

Win

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Events

Don’t Wake The Fish Best for: Folkie families Expect great tunes, fab food and more than 70 local beers to try at this fantastic little festival, which began in 2012 to celebrate Cornish brewing. Award-winning Scots singer songwriter Kathryn Joseph will be performing this year, alongside local performers including The Odd Folk, Martha Tilston and The Oggymen. Browse arts and crafts at the Maker’s Market, while kids can go wild exploring nature, hat-making and even trying yoga in the Little Urchins Tent. There will be a special children’s menu on offer all weekend in the Field Kitchen, and the festival supports local charities Shelterbox and the Fishermen’s Mission in Newlyn. This year’s highlight: Sheelanagig on Friday night – raucous Balkan folk and Gypsy jazz with a little street theatre and acrobatics thrown in. When: 27-29 May Where: The Gurnard’s Head near Zennor, Cornwall. Tickets: Adult weekend tickets £35 (plus £5 per tent) www.dontwakethefish.com

Lapstock Best for: Spotting new musical talent This fab not-for-profit festival is only tiny, but that’s the way the organisers like it. It started up to give up-and-coming local bands and musicians a platform to play in front of an apprecia-

The Masked Ball

tive audience of locals, music and festival lovers and ten years later, it’s still going strong. Young bands and their supporters get in free on the Friday, with the Saturday line-up featuring acts that will appeal across the generations. Foodwise, there is lots of delicious local produce to eat and drink on sale. This year’s highlight: Tavistock teen rockers Ten Zero One, who performed at the BBC’s Live and Unsigned O2 Arena gig in 2011, when they were just 13 years old. When: 29 to 30 July Where: The Mill House, Lapford, near Crediton, mid-Devon Tickets: From £15, weekend camping pitches £20, www.lapstock.org.uk

GoldCoast Oceanfest Best for: Surf dudes and dudettes Highlights: Devon’s beachside surf and music festival is run by mad-keen surfer brothers Shaun and Warren Latham, who aim for a family-friendly vibe. Expect a mix of laid-back music (DJ Fresh, KT Tunstall and Palma Violets are among the line-up) and freewheeling sports. You can play beach volleyball and ultimate Frisbee games and there will be nationally-recognised surfing and surf life-saving competitions. There’s also art and circus workshops, adrenalin zones, morning yoga, plus a craft cider and ale tent and pop up cocktail bar. This year’s highlight: Children’s Hospice South West is holding a Friday Silver Tea Party in the festival village. When: 17-19 June Where: Croyde Bay, Devon Tickets: Weekend family ticket (excludes camping) £145, www.goldcoastoceanfest.co.uk

The Masked Ball Best for: Party animals Regency circus meets the 21st century party vibe at this clifftop event in Cornwall. Expect a kaleidoscopic melange of lights and hip-hop, hidden bars and music spots. The whole festival is themed around a decadent stately home, with a hive of indoor and outdoor venues to explore. Basement Jaxx and Groove Armada are among the headline dance acts and DJs appearing at this year’s Masked Ball, while there will also be a ‘village fete’ during the weekend, featuring pig racing, veg bowling, a coconut shy and a slippy-slide. Taking inspiration from eccentric millionaire Charles de Beistegui’s famous costume ball, partygoers are encouraged to dress to the nines on Saturday night in fancy dress. Get powdering that wig and book a yourself a babysitter. This year’s highlight: Friday night’s Dinner & Disco (£30) in the Grand Ballroom When: 20 to 22 May Where: Beacon Craig, Porthleven, Cornwall Tickets: Adults weekend camping tickets from £90, www.summer.maskedball.net. 19

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Events

Beautiful Days

Beautiful Days Best for: Hipsters with kids The Levellers put together the Beautiful Days festival in east Devon every year and for 2016 they are joined by Leftfield, The Proclaimers and Westcountry rockers Reef. This six-stage festival takes place in a stately home setting at Escot House near Ottery St Mary. Beautiful Days gets bigger and better every year but still maintains a relaxed, family-friendly feel. The children’s area offers masses of exciting activities and entertainment including circus skills, rides, comedy, face painting and more. This year’s highlight: Sixties star, actress and singer Anita Harris will be taking to the stage When: 19-21 August Where: Escot Park, east Devon Tickets: Adult weekend camping £135, www.beautifuldays.org

Sturminster Newton Cheese Festival Best for: People who love cheese Blessed are the cheesemakers and, put simply,

Occ omb e Bee r Fest ival

this two-day fest is a dairy-lover’s heaven, with appearances by local Blue Vinney to Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Cornish Blue and more. There will also be a wide variety of other treats to try and buy, from bread and biscuits to chocolate and olives, as well as refreshment in the real ale tent and lots of live music. This year’s highlight: Dorset’s Black Cow Vodka, made from milk – one of actress Cate Blanchett’s favourite tipples. When: September 10-11 Where: Sturminster Newton, Dorset Tickets: £5 on the gate, under 14s free, www.cheesefestival.co.uk

Occombe Beer Festival Best for: Ale enthusiasts We’re not just here for the beer, honest (although there’s more than 60 different bevvies and ciders to try). There’s also a feast of food to try and a lively musical line-up to look forward to at this working community farm. The festival closes nightly at 11pm, with buses laid on back to Paignton and Torquay and all profits go to the Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust.

S o u th W e s t O u td

o o r s Fe

s tiva l

This year’s highlight: Foot stomping tunes from Willie and the Bandits, Sound of the Sirens and amazing singer songwriter Alex Hart. When: June 3-4 Where: Occombe Farm, Paignton, Devon Tickets: Adults only, weekend tickets £27 www.occombebeerfestival.co.uk

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03/05/2016 13:21:09

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03/05/2016 10:03:32

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Interiors

A whole lot of soul Tina Mason has transformed a piece of Mousehole history into a home full of charm. Sarah Pitt finds out more house once used to keep an eye out for smugglers, The Old Watch House has as you might expect, truly stunning views out to sea. Close to Mousehole harbour, the house and garden worked its magic on Tina Mason the very first time she saw it. Tina and her husband were visiting the west Cornwall fishing village on holiday, and had only just got out of the car for a quick look. But that was enough to convince Tina that she had to buy the house and restore it to its former glory. “We just went ‘wow, we have got to have this house’ and that was before we had been inside,” she says. “It really is very special. The garden wall is the sea wall and the coast path runs right along beside it. Standing in the garden feels like being on an island. It is so sheltered, a little micro-climate – there were 25 flowers blooming here on Christmas Day.” Built in the 1850s, the house itself was in need of some TLC, and Tina – a retired investment manager and seasoned restorer of properties – was ready to supply it. She hired a team of builders who worked flat out for three months to completely transform the house. “The builders and decorators all just camped out at the house in sleeping bags, and worked until 11 at night,” she says. “I was going backwards and forwards from my home in Somerset. We started in April last year and did a full renovation, managing to get it ready for the third week in July.” The project involved structural work, including taking down partition walls which had been put up to create a dining room. Floors were laid with stone from specialists Mandarin Stone in Bath. And then Tina got started on the décor, pairing up antique finds with the best of modern design. “I really wanted to make the house very comfortable. A lot of the new architect-designed

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Interiors The 1850s Mousehole property was completely renovated last year

houses which seem to be very popular these days don’t always have that comfort. Mine’s a bit different. It is like having a blanket wrapped around you, very cosy.” She started with light paint – “I have done the house in white and 50 shades of grey” – and then chose linen from fabric company Designers Guild for the sitting room curtains. “It gives an ombre effect, going from pale grey down to dark grey, which is absolutely stunning,” says Tina. “The curtains are just really special. I’ve spent £25,000 on them and the rest of the curtains. Ridiculous for a holiday cottage really, but never mind!” Antique beds are showstoppers in all the bed-

Another unusual antique find, which Tina admits cost a small fortune, are two lights from an American battleship which hang in the new spacious dining room. Little touches add to the complete look. There’s a model boat and a telescope on the table in front of one window looking out to sea. An antique map of the world, printed onto hessian, hangs on one bedroom wall. Vintage seashore guides are placed on the mantelpiece in the sitting room. Among the pictures Tina has found for the walls are some old postcards of Mousehole, many ‘Lots of new featuring the house itself, which she has framed. “I managed to houses don’t find them searching on eBay,” have that feeling says Tina. “They date from the late 1800s.” Another of the lamps, of comfort. Mine meanwhile, has been made from a is like a blanket vintage soda siphon. wrapped round rooms, all sourced from a comTina says she is pleased with pany called Bedsteads, based how she has managed to keep around you, near Bristol. A French bed has the character of the house, while very cosy’ been reupholstered in a gentle making it so much more luxurigrey fabric, while another has ous. “I have looked at many many been painted and distressed to houses over the years and there are give it a subtle patina. With new mattresses, they many bigger and glitzier houses out there. But have new life in them for many years to come. none that has the soul of this one. I’ve tried to re“There are lots of companies that make reflect that, and I’ve gone for a look that is perhaps production antique beds but to be honest you more personal than you might expect in a holican always tell that they are reproduction,” says day cottage. Everyone who has stayed here has Tina. “These are all originals. They cost £1,500raved about it. It really is a very special place.” £2,000, which isn’t that different from the likes of To stay at The Old Watch House, Mousehole visit Laura Ashley.” www.perfectstays.co.uk

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03/05/2016 09:18:59

Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Euphorbias Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, on how to grow these most striking plants

n a recent visit to Arundel Castle in West Sussex, I was marvelling at their stumpery which, in a slow spring, had been brought to life largely by the froth of lime green from massed plantings of shrubby spurges (euphorbia). The realisation dawned that I rarely mention this large and useful group of plants for two reasons. When cut, they ooze a potentially irritant sap, so gardeners have to treat them with a degree of respect. Secondly, in our garden here in east Devon, we can’t grow them. I’ve tried many over the years but, though they take well, a combination of clay soil and wet winters sees them off with brutal efficiency. Looking back in my stock book (a great idea for any garden where labels are apt to go missing) there are mentions of shrubby evergreen Euphorbia characias subsp.wulfenii, a garden classic native to Portugal and other parts of the Mediterranean. This reaches up to 1.2m/4ft and The yellowthe yellow-green flowers (strictly cyathia) contrast brilliantly green flowers with the deeper green foliage. and dark foliage Showy in their own right, these are showy in euphorbias also make brilliant wallpaper for tulips. Yet not in their own right our garden, as the very next and also make year there is a record of more (this time E.c. ‘Black Pearl’ from great wallpaper an RHS show held in Torquay) for tulips being bought, presumably as replacements. You can’t accuse me of giving up easily, as the year after, I invested in three plants of Euphorbia ‘Portugese Velvet’. All have since dwindled away. For dry shade, the evergreen wood spurge Mrs Robb’s Bonnet (Euphorbia amydaloides var. robbiae) is a classic and my husband John and I brought some with us from our previous garden (on dry, sandy soil in Surrey). They disappeared

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quickly, as did their replacements though normally they run through a border with abandon, lighting it up with their lime green tops. A Madeiran honey spurge (Euphorbia mellifera) was added to the exotic border where, for a while, this impressive 1.6m/6ft tall evergreen shrub produced generous heads of fragrant, golden flowers in late spring. Sadly, it is only reliably hardy to about -5 C/23 F and it finally perished after the cold winter of 2010. The secret, as ever, lies with country of origin and natural habitat. Our chilly, soggy, mainly north facing plot just couldn’t compete with the drier soils and climate of Portugal and Madeira. Even my usual trick of planting in slightly raised beds failed to save our ailing euphorbias. The deciduous kinds are a safer bet and I’ve seen some fabulous clumps of Euphorbia griffithii around here. These hardy herbaceous spurges die back for winter and erupt into spring growth with surprising vigour. Eg ‘Dixter’ has copperytinted foliage, topped by orange flower heads to 1m/3ft in early summer and is so successful it can almost be thuggish. From my perspective, thuggish sounds quite promising and I have managed to grow the almost invasive but pretty sun or cypress spurge (E.cyparissias). This is another herbaceous perennial and I use it to create ground cover alongside the filigree, silvery grey foliage and white daisies of Anthemis puctata susp.cupaniana, with both reaching around 30cm/12in. If this is too scary, 50cm/20in high E.seguieriana is similar but doesn’t spread. E.cornigera at 1m/3ft

tall is light, airy and as it favours a moist, humusrich soil, must be worth a punt. For a summer show, I ought to try the tender perennial ‘bedding’ spurge Euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’ in pots of well-draining compost, for a long-lasting display of starry white above green foliage. There is a link between Arundel Castle in West Sussex and the South West, as the fabulously theatrical Collector Earl’s Garden was designed by Isobel and Julian Bannerman, who live at Trematon Castle near Saltash. Their own garden is receiving lots of attention and is top of my ‘to visit’ list some time this summer. It is open from April 28 to the end of September on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-4.30pm but check the website www.bannermandesign.com/trematon/ for details.

West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank I bought a rather miserable looking sundew plant from the back of a florist shop. I’m not sure what kind it is as none were labelled but the sticky leaves are straight and about 4in long. How do I look after it?

Remove any dead leaves and place your plant in a saucer filled with 1-2cm/half an inch or so of rainwater. As it has been indoors, stand it in a lightly shaded but well-ventilated greenhouse or in a light position indoors before moving it outdoors for summer, where it can catch and digest lots of small flies. Keep the saucer topped up. In winter, the plant will go dormant and may die back a bit. Let the saucer but not the compost dry out and bring under glass or onto a cool windowsill to avoid frosts.

Anne’s advice for your garden

•S ow more peas, setting them straight into the ground if the soil has warmed up enough, four seeds per 9cm/3.5in pot or 5cm/2in apart into lengths of guttering filled with compost under glass.

Question time with Anne Q

This week’s gardening tips

I’m about to plant out calabrese and summer cabbage and determined they won’t be eaten by caterpillars. What’s the best way to protect them?

These early sown plants might well be cropped and eaten before the cabbage white butterflies (small white and large white) breed and lay their eggs. It is the later sowings for autumn, winter and spring harvests of cabbage, sprouting broccoli, kale, sprouts and cauliflowers made from now onwards that really need protection. I usually build supports to take sheets of Enviromesh which are pegged down or secured at the base to stop the butterflies from going underneath. Big sheets are needed for tall crops (Agralan 01285 860056 www.agralan.co.uk). This is a fiddly job and eventually, you amass a collection of bamboo canes, alkathene tubes, garden hoops or square hoops (0845 680 0296 www.gardeningnaturally. com) which together with some string or baler twine, will do the job. I’ve even got a couple of redundant zimmer frames to support mesh at either end of a row.

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

• Pots of sweet peas are widely available. Mark a circle 38cm/15in diameter on the ground, fix five pea sticks around the edge, tie the tops in together over the middle and set plants a trowel length apart around the outside.

Soil must be well nourished. •S ow Brussels sprouts and purple sprouting broccoli thinly into pots, then transplant seedlings singly to 9cm/3.5in pots. This way, if seedlings are leggy, you can bury the stems almost up to the seed leaves to steady them up. Or sow into a seedbed straight into the ground to transplant later. •G round elder leaves are showing, so winkle out the white roots beneath.

Examine each house and greenhouse plant to see what it needs. You might have a peperomia that needs potting on, scale insects on a Swiss cheese plant that need wiping off and spraying with SB Plant Invigorator, a cane begonia in need of pruning, busy lizzie shoots to make into cuttings or a maidenhair fern whose dead fronds need cutting away. 27

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Beauty Bronze Benefit ‘Dew the Hoola’ liquid bronzer (House of Fraser, £22.50) This lightweight bronzer gives an all over glow, with a no fuss application and gorgeous finish.

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Festival beauty Expert advice on looking good in the middle of a field, from beauty guru Abbie Bray of Newton Abbot es, the festival season is upon us, and for me nothing says summer more than packing my waterproof mascara and heading to a music festival. Whether you are off to Glastonbury, Boardmasters or even Radio 1’s Big Weekend (which is coming to Exeter this May), you need to pack light and think smart where beauty is concerned. Endless nights of partying and sleeping in a tent can leave you feeling (and looking) a bit the worse for wear. So you need to pack minimal make-up, but enough to make you look and feel as glam as possible. This week I have chosen six foolproof products that are guaranteed to keep your skin feeling fresh and your eyes bright. As for me, I am heading to Boardmasters in Newquay this year and my go-to products will be the Benefit liquid bronzer, this Lancome eyeshadow and this concealer from The Body Shop. The concealer is great for covering any imperfections and makes your skin look flawless, while the Lancome shadow can be used as a sweep of colour over your eyes or as an eyeliner. It is perfect for perking up tired eyes after a late night.

Fresh Mary Kay Beauty Blotters oilabsorbing tissues (£5.50) The ultimate must-have, reduces any shine and oil and keeps your makeup fresh for longer.

Eyes right Lancome Ombre Hypnose Stylo longwear cream eyeshadow stick (Debenhams, £20) An effortless and long-wearing shadow, with a variety of colours to choose from.

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Why “off the gas grid” needn’t mean “off the shortlist” With many of Cornwall’s most picturesque locations out of the reach of mains gas, Mark Britton of South West Heating examines the options for homebuyers and vendors alike. From Torpoint to Sennen, and Bude to the Lizard Peninsula, some of Cornwall’s most beautiful places are also among the most remote. In fact, the secluded location is often a big part of the appeal.

What’s more, the Economy 7 energy tariff that night storage uses offsets its night-time discount by making your peak time energy more expensive – costing you more every time you do your ironing, watch television or make a cup of tea.

But life off the beaten track has its challenges, and high on the list for homeowners is finding a reliable, affordable way to heat a property with no mains gas.

Switching to a self-contained “wet” heating system – powered by oil or bottled gas – can be an effective option, but it’s hardly straightforward.

Buyers want efficient heating That presents the region’s home buyers with a dilemma. After all, a 2014 survey found efficient heating is a top priority for 73% of buyers – making it more important than parking, a garden or a shower – but ruling out properties without mains gas can severely limit your buying options. For vendors, too, it’s a problem. In particular, try selling a property that still relies on night storage heaters. They’re famously hard to control, expensive to run, and always seem to run out of heat just when you need it most.

Oil and LPG: messy and complicated

Even for properties with the luxury of space to store a bulky tank, there’s the hassle, mess and disruption of pipework – not to mention the worry of notoriously volatile prices and, in remote areas, potential difficulties with deliveries. It’s no wonder that vendors can be reluctant to install new central heating just to sell – or that buyers prefer properties where the heating is already sorted out. Your secret weapon: ELKAtherm® electric radiators Where replacing ageing, inefficient or inadequate heating with a new “wet” system is not practical or desirable, the new generation of efficient, electric ELKAtherm® radiators are an excellent option.

Slimmer and more attractive than night storage heaters, ELKAtherm® heating is easy to adjust without even leaving your sofa – and because there’s no need for wasteful overnight charging, you can be as warm as you like, at a moment’s notice. You can switch away from your Economy 7 tariff, too – saving money on your energy overall – as the efficient, German heating technology uses far less power, more than making up for the overnight discount. Upgrade in a day Crucially, the lack of pipework and storage tanks means ELKAtherm® radiators are no trouble at all to install – here at South West Heating, we usually upgrade an entire property in a single day, and leave the home as pristine as if it were our own. That’s good to know if you’re trying to sell a property with night storage heaters – and if it’s a sticking point in that perfect property you’re keen to buy, you can safely go ahead and negotiate your discount: we won’t tell how easy it is to fix, if you don’t.

For more advice on efficient, controllable heating, call South West Heating on 01209 714600, visit southwestheatingsolutions.co.uk or write to us at ‘Freepost SOUTH WEST HEATING SOLUTIONS’ no other address details required (not even a postcode). ©LW

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03/05/2016 10:04:07

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his week in West we are focusing on the forthcoming festival season and there is no doubt that a festival is the ideal opportunity to dress up and look truly fabulous. This year, there are lots of great pieces on the high street that would look terrific dancing in a field – and could easily double up as party or beach wear too. We love this pretty gypsy dress from JD Williams, which would look gorgeous teamed up with these practical flatform espadrille sandals from White Stuff (find them in their Padstow, Truro and Exeter stores, as well as online www.whitestuff.com). The festival look this year is bohemian and relaxed, with fun jewellery, mud-ready wellies and lots of cute details. Think practicality – everything will need to go through the wash once you get home, after all!

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

HOW TO WEAR IT:

MAIN PHOTO HAIR: MEGAN AT SAKS, EXETER MAKE-UP: ESTEE LAUDER, DEBENHAMS (BOTH PRINCESSHAY) PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVE HAYWOOD

Bomber jackets Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod goes back to the future in a cute little jacket

attended a black tie boxing event last weekend. The dress code and the entertainment meant that dressing for the occasion wasn’t as simple as usual. I opted for a racer neck vest in a bright print with a ruched powder blue pencil skirt (playful but still poised). But it was my colleague Alice who stole the show. She wore a beautiful grey and black speckled jumpsuit, teamed with silver heels and red lips. Then, to take the edge off what was a very polished ensemble, she added a dainty silver bomber jacket. What a knockout. Alice is in good company. After all, if Kate Moss wears it, you should buy it. It’s that simple. The 40-something goddess is the epitome of devilmay-care style. Kate was recently spotted in Paris wearing a khaki green bomber over a tightly collared shirt, black skinnies and brown ankle boots. The overall effect was incredibly on This jacket’s point, but still ever so practical. silhouette is The shape of these jackets is reminiscent of those iconic casual and more American college-style letter than a little jackets, so the silhouette is undeniably casual and more retro. However, than a little retro. However, they they are having are having a fashion moment a fashion today in smarter settings. As far as day-to-day wear way. It is perfect for squishing into moment today goes, the colour of the moment a handbag on a night out and can is definitely khaki. Celeb fans go into hand luggage with ease. I am include Karlie Kloss, Victoria pretty sure I even saw Alice fold hers Beckham and our very own Rosie Huntingtonaway into her (admittedly large) clutch bag. Whiteley (her bomber jacket is complete with two If you’re worried the look is a little ‘tough’ for dragons embroidered on the chest – fierce!). These your usual aesthetic, then have a think about the work well with jeans, black skinnies and even many candy coloured versions on the high street leather leggings. They also look pretty great over these days. Dusky rose would look adorable and a dungaree dress too, for those readers who had beautifully feminine over a white lace dress, their arm twisted by me in last week’s column. of which there are hundreds to be found at the What I really love about the bomber jacket is moment. Powder blue makes me want to throw how lightweight it is, not heavy or bulky in any it on with white jeans, a soft grey blouse, gold

Jacket, River Island, Princesshay, £40 Molly jeans, River Island, Princesshay, £40 Shoes, Reiss, Princesshay, £175 Bag, River Island, Princesshay, £25

sandals and rock every meeting I attend this summer. But if you’re more mum-on-the-go than meetings and mojitos, then I can heartily endorse the outfit I am wearing here. The cross-body bag means you would have two hands free for handholding and nose-wiping (or, in my case, texting and holding shopping bags) and the jacket kept the wind out without making me overheat as I power-walked from shop to shop. Now that’s what I call boxing clever. All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www.princesshay.co.uk

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03/05/2016 13:28:02

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03/05/2016 09:38:00

culture vulture Our guide to what’s on in the South West by woman-in-theknow Sarah Pitt

Some like it hot Chillies of all shapes, sizes and levels of hotness are the focus of the Devon Chilli Fiesta today and tomorrow at RHS Rosemoor, north Devon. Meet chilli enthusiasts and growers sharing tricks and tips, both in the garden and the kitchen. You can buy chilli plants, sample chilli chocolate and preserves and also learn to dance the samba and the rumba. And sizzling curry recipes, showing inventive ways with heat, will be shared by an Anglo-Indian chef. Tickets, which include garden entry, are £11 for adults, £5.50 for children aged 5-16, free for Royal Horticultural Society members. See www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoorwhatson

RHS Rosemoor

Family folk Martin Carthy and his daughter Eliza are joining forces to perform songs from their first duo album of traditional music. Martin is one of folk music’s greatest innovators – he’s collaborated with many big names like Steeleye Span as well as his singer wife Norma Waterson. Eliza, very much her parents’ daughter in the talent department, is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and engaging performers of her generation, working with artists including Paul

Weller and Rufus Wainwright. She has revitalised modern folk music with her intelligent, charismatic and boundary-crossing performances. You can see this impressive family duo at two dates in the region. Carthy & Carthy play The Flavel, Dartmouth on Saturday, May 14 for the Dart Music Festival (tickets free, but must be booked in advance) 01803 839530, www.theflavel.co.uk and the Exeter Phoenix on Sunday May 15 (www.exeterphoenix.org.uk 01392 667080 tickets £14-16)

Perfectly balanced New mixed media work by distinguished abstract artist Trevor Bell has gone on show at the Animas-Mundi gallery in St Ives. At 85, the Cornwall-based artist’s latest paintings consider the weight of colour, balancing objects of different sizes with a gravity-defying lightness. Trevor, one of the few remaining survivors of the group of abstract artists who made their mark on post-war St Ives, is pictured with new work Bird, above, which has a certain soothing quality. The show, Beyond the Edge, runs until May 31 at the gallery on Street-an-Pol, see www.anima-mundi.co.uk 34

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Enjoy

Your stars by Cassandra Nye Happy birthday to...

This week’s sign:

Maureen Lipman

The Taurus personalityis one of the most easily recognisable of the Zodiac. Positive Taurean traits include reliability, practicality, ambition, sensuality and independence. However, the bull can also have some negative traits and can be very lazy, stubborn, materialistic and possessive at times. People born under the sign of Taurus have an eye for beauty. They tend to be good with finances, and hence make efficient financial managers.

Born May 10 1946 Actress, columnist and comedian Maureen Lipman has been delighting fans since the 1970s with her lively performances in print, on stage and on screen. Born and raised in Hull, she was married to the playwright Jack Rosenthal until his death in 2004 and to this day raises money for cancer charities in his memory. She’s mum to writers Adam and Amy Rosenthal and will be forever remembered as the hilarious Jewish grandmother Beattie in the BT adverts. As a Taurean, born on May 10, people will be naturally be drawn to Maureen’s sense of humour and special brand of wit.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) It is a rather subdued week but don’t underestimate the power of contemplation. Consider what is happening on the fringes of your life and give things a little ‘trim’. You don’t like life to be too easy and are looking for something to put that fire in your belly. Well, someone is showing more than a little interest in you. It’s possible you have been thinking on a more mundane level.

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) That dynamic and enthusiastic streak is showing, Gemini. Colleagues and friends are inspired by this, showing strong support. One in particular could be a great asset to you and your career or life path. Their different attitude may not immediately appeal to you, but listen to their point of view.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Agreements and contacts made last week continue to go well. Real progress is made, however, when working closely with others. Although you may baulk at someone nagging you into action, this could be just what you need at the moment. Some of the things you want to achieve are seemingly a long way off but short-term progress is good.

LEO (July 23 - August 23) Some ambitious ideas or plans may need the support of more than one person. That means having to ask for help or information. Don’t let pride get in the way of doing this, Leo. You are so sociable and loveable that someone may make a beeline for you. Although flattered, be sure your response is honest.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) The more others respond to you, the more fired up you become, so keep moving forward and don’t be afraid to use your talents and imagination to the full. Take a few days at the weekend to find new friends and experiences. A lover of colour and

sparkle, getting the spring off to a good start is right up your street.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Anything that is new and innovative catches your eye this week. The mind is sharp because you are in your element. Travel, creative ideas and romantic liaisons appeal. In short, this is a time for you to break down barriers socially and have some fun! The real light of your life, though, comes from love.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) A flurry of excitement on the romance front gets this week off to a great start. With great charm and a lot of chat you sail through to midweek. Then there’s a bit of a lull. Take the chance to get your breath back and retune the body. Putting in the right fuel, don’t forget, produces maximum energy! Thinking about the ‘big picture’ helps.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) Avoid any risky business, plan travel well and hide under the duvet? Well, not quite! Do, however, trust your instincts and realise that some weeks are meant to be a bit ‘off’. Keep to the safe side, backing off from unnecessary conflict. This is a short blip but needs to be noted. This could be just the time to get that wish list out and add to it.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) Romantic moments mixed with high demands at work can leave you feeling

confused. Maybe, but this is, above all, a time to check out your health, diet and direction. Although not in the mood for a lot of socialising, chats and cuddles with loved ones reset the balance. Music and fresh air work wonders to lift the mood.

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Working with others brings fast rewards this week. A few blips in energy are balanced with moments of sharp inspiration. So, maybe you have to put a few things on the ‘back burner’, no matter. What lies ahead will make you really chirpy, but that’s another story! Patience is not a virtue for nothing. Maximise contact with younger friends and relatives.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) There is a lot of support and love coming your way. In order to accept and enjoy it, however, you do need to let others get closer to you. Talk and talk some more. You may not feel like it but the rewards are high.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) There are things to do, but it’s a lot quieter than you would like at the moment. There is so much bubbling away in your mind and an urge to get life moving. This is a week for planning and, yes, even plotting! Instead of rushing into the future, give a thought to your current relationships. Are they what you want? Do they need strengthening? 35

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03/05/2016 12:02:39

Wellbeing

the boost

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

SOAK IT UP Long day on your feet? This Weleda bath soak’s aromatic blend of natural wonders – arnica, rosemary, lavender and birch leaf – is blissful and restorative. (£12.95, weleda.co.uk)

JUST THE RIGHT JUICE Naturally sweet and super-hydrating, watermelon juice makes a refreshing alternative to additive-loaded sports drinks. It can also help replenish potassium levels and is rich in L-Citrulline, which aids in lactic acid removal. Mello’s watermelon juice (£2.49) is good to go from Waitrose.

HAPPY HUGS The average hug lasts just over two seconds, says happiness guru Andy Cope, but if you hang on for a full seven seconds, “oodles of nice warm chemicals flow around both bodies and the love is transferred”. So if someone you love’s feeling down or stressed it could be just what they need – “Just don’t count out loud while you’re doing it,” adds Andy, “as it tends to spoil the effect!” 36

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HAPPY HAIR RULES Festival-bound this summer? Did you know your hair can get sunburned on a hot day? Hair maestro Asgar Saboo, who has styled the likes of Cindy Crawford and Eva Longoria, recommends covering up with a scarf or hat if you’re anticipating being out in the sun for a long period of time. A leave-in conditioner will help prevent your locks from becoming too dry.

FITNESS FOR ALL OH, BEE-HAVE! Gwyneth Paltrow has got the nation busy talking about bee sting therapy, explaining in a recent interview: “It’s a thousands-of-years-old-treatment called apitherapy. People use it to get rid of inflammation and scarring. But, man, it’s painful.” The practice involves putting live bees on acupuncture points of the body, or injecting the venom with needles. Ouch!

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

Fitness fads go in and out of fashion, but the Keep Fit Association is still going strong. It first formulated its holistic exercise and movement classes in the early 1960s, around pioneering choreographer Rudolph Laban’s principles. If it’s been a while since you last exercised, then Annette Salter’s Monday evening class at Exeter’s Barley Lane School, could be for you. It’s aimed at those of us aged between 40 and 80. Find out more by calling 01392 259097

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

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Wellbeing

Anger Boiling over? Our expert has wise words on how to stop yourself losing the plot...

Three Expectations that Cause Anger Kevin Simpson tackles the key ideas that can get us into trouble if we hold them too rigidly:

Every little thing seems to drive me mad these days, from people dropping litter in the street outside my house to bad drivers cutting in front of me on my way to work. Even when I get home at night, I’m still fuming about things that have happened during the day. Can you recommend some ways I can defuse my anger (that don’t involve drinking alcohol? !) GF Liskeard

Clinical psychologist Kevin Simpson says: As Buddha famously said: “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”. In a nutshell, the only person who really suffers is you. In fact, lots of medical research now shows that frequent anger has a corrosive impact on our body’s health, especially our heart. A few years ago, I was late for work and found myself driving behind a car tootling along a country lane at just 15 miles per hour. I started to get cross at being held up and had lots of unkind thoughts about the driver. I then noticed that the driver was a close neighbour. She is a lovely, somewhat frail, lady. She takes life slowly. Instantly, I calmed down and my anger ebbed away. The situation remained the same but my perspective, or thoughts, had fundamentally changed. The important thing to remember is that it is our thoughts about other people and things that are the problem. If we change our thoughts then we can change our anger. When we get stressed we tend to turn every setback or annoyance into a major big-deal. Psy-

chologists call this tendency ‘catastrophising’. “How could they do that?” we say, “I don’t believe it. This is absolutely outrageous”. We turn everything into a catastrophe when it is often merely an inconvenience. In this situation, consider asking yourself, “How important will this be in six months’ time?” If your answer is “not very” then you might want to reconsider your response. Our expectations, or inner-rules, can also make a big contribution to our anger. We carry around a set of rules in our head, such as “People shouldn’t drop litter”, or that “Life must be fair”. If these rules are too black-and-white or rigid we can often get angry. Try softening the rules by changing them to a preference. So, rather than saying, “People should be respectful”, we might say, “I would prefer people to be respectful, but in the real world not everyone behaves in this way”. We might still get annoyed, but softening the ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’ may take the edge of any rage. Finally, the big thing to remember here is that we have choices. Once we really understand that our thoughts fuel our anger, and not the situation itself, it can make a massive difference. We might decide, “I think this person is behaving badly, and I am getting annoyed, but I am not going to give them permission to get me stressed out. I will let it go.” We can choose to recognise we are having these thoughts but at the same time decide not to act on them. Good luck. Kevin Simpson is a clinical psychologist for Outlook South West, which helps people with anxiety and depression. See www.outlooksw.co.uk

Life Should Be Fair: Unfortunately, it isn’t. Bad things do happen to good people. Learning to accept that life isn’t fair can be surprisingly empowering. When we can accept this we learn to stop complaining and get on with taking whatever action needs to be taken. People Should Always Be Respectful: This is a really tricky one. People are disrespectful because they may be stressed with their own life struggles or they are just really poor communicators. If you firmly believe that no one should ever be disrespectful then you will find yourself getting angry on a regular basis. Try turning the rule into a preference. It would be nice if people were respectful but the world is a complex place and it won’t always happen. People Should Always Be Reasonable: What might be reasonable to us might be totally unreasonable to someone else. Learn to accept that people see their world from their own perspective, and they nearly always think that they are right. Rather than forcing them to agree with our point of view, we can explore how they see things differently.

WellbeingQandA_May7.indd 38

03/05/2016 09:44:57

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03/05/2016 10:05:18

Drink

Darren Norbury

talks beer

Beer of the week Tough choice this time as I’ve been scribbling in the notebook frantically lately, but I’m going to stick with my Devonian theme this week and plump for Teignworthy Spring Tide. This is a nicely balanced golden beer with mandarin citrus notes, a little spice and a hint of gooseberry thrown in. Ideal for a sunny spring day.

OH, CRUEL FATE… … or was it just a case of there’s no such thing as bad publicity? On the day Prince died, Greene King unveiled its special beer to honour the Queen’s 90th birthday. Purple is a very regal colour, they thought, so they named it Purple Reign. You couldn’t make it up.

Happiness drives success

St Austell has gained the highest score in a national survey of pub tenant happiness. The M&C Allegra Tenant Track Survey highlighted the brewery’s strong relationship with tenants, and good training and development, all delivering high average pub sales.

am seated in the Teign Cellars, in Very drinkable, even though it was slightly Newton Abbot, when I hear a stage unsessionable at 5% ABV. From the New Lion whisper directed at a woman who’s Brewery, in Totnes – quite a breeding ground for just walked in. “Someone sitting in innovative brewers these days – was Pandit IPA, your seat today.” That’s a shame, with a big citrus hit from American hop varieties. I thought. But then no one is entitled to a pew, What a shame this was only a quick lunchalthough I’ve been in several pubs where this aptime visit, accompanied by the hugely affable pears to be the case, to the point where there’s Mark Bishop, from Cornish Crown Brewery. The a brass plaque saying ‘Bert’s Seat’ or whatever. place was a beer festival in its own right, with Still, no ill will, apparently, on this occasion new beers going on all the time. The food looked as she joined some other people pretty good, too. I could have and set off into a fascinating stayed in this brilliant boozer all discussion on jazz of yesteryear. day, with its well-balanced offerAnd yes, it did genuinely take ing of local and national brews, What a shame me a while to realise that it was I but I’ll be back. this was only a who was in her usual seat. And a My experience in strange jolly good spot it was, too, affordpubs hasn’t always been like quick lunchtime ing a great view all around the this. I remember in the early visit. The place pub and up to the well-stocked 1990s, when I was deputy editor bar, with cask and keg beer ofof a paper in Truro (and when was a beer fesferings, and busy, friendly staff. the editor of this very magazine tival in its own I was in town for the Newton was a young reporter there – ah, right Abbot beer festival and made a the circle of life!) living in a midpoint of looking for the famous Cornwall village and having to Teign Cellars as I’d never been go into the local pub to ask somebefore. I wasn’t disappointed. one to move their car. That was There was a selection of beers my Wild West saloon moment. from the likes of Bristol Beer The place fell silent. If there had Factory and Sheffield’s Magic Rock, as well as been a piano playing, it would have stopped. One Devon delights. of those times when you feel about welcome as From Powderkeg Brewery, of Woodbury SaltDonald Trump in a mosque. These days, I’ll just erton, near Exeter, came Mosaic Rye PA, on cask, waltz into places and nick anyone’s seat! the southern hemisphere hop offering orange Darren Norbury edits www.beertoday.co.uk and mango tones against a rye malt background. @beertoday

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Eat

Ingredient of the Week

Broad beans with Tim Maddams

he seasons are rolling on and, detoo deep. Add the beans, cook for a few minutes spite the cold snap recently, things in the hot oil then add the garlic, turn down the in the farms, fields and polytunheat. Season heavily with salt and pepper as a nels of our region are enjoying the minimum (but the addition of smoked paprika longer days and getting on with the or even chilli is not out of the question by any growing at breakneck speed. means). Pop the lid on the pan, removing occaMy favourite of the early-seasionally to stir the contents. If it son veggies is the broad bean. looks dry, add a little water and Getting the best out of these maybe a touch more oil. You want beans requires a little extra work the beans to sweat and steam in Sweat and steam and/or the application of a diftheir own juices as much as possiferent type of cunning artifice ble and the odd bit of colour won’t the beans in from the regular boil-and-butter hurt either. After an hour or so their own juices approach. For years young chefs (yes, an hour) they will be aphave had the onerous pleasure proaching perfection. They may – after an hour of popping the blanched beans well have gone a little pulpy, they or so they will from their inner skins, as caremost certainly will have gone an be approaching fully as possible to remove the odd colour but relax, all is well. tough bitter skin and release the Add as much boiled pasta as you perfection sweet, earthy and succulent prize fancy to the beans along with a within. This method is successful little chopped mint and pour out in the extreme. It is, however, tea good cold glass of white wine, dious and labour-intensive to the take the phone off the hook and same degree. enjoy your supper. There are two ways to avoid this, though. The The second approach I like to take is again first is slow cooking and requires a little patience to add garlic but to simmer the beans in a little but by no means your full attention. It goes a little cream, chicken stock and seasoning and then something like this. Pod your beans and chop a blend to a creamy paste. This can be used to dress decent amount of garlic. Heat a generous amount pasta or to spread on toast. But what it really of olive oil in a pan that is good and wide but not excels at is a garnish for pigeon breasts, cooked

[[

just pink. Dress it up with a bit of green sauce if you like or some black pudding. This puree will also pay you back if you extend it with a little more chicken stock and maybe some torn chicken pieces and serve it as a hot soup with some crusty bread.

Bean there, done that If you can, get hold of young small broad beans as these are by far the sweetest and hardly need any cooking. You won’t need to worry about getting them out of their inner skins either, as they won’t be tough or bitter yet. The tendril-like tops of the bean plant itself are also very good either wilted or raw in a salad and the flowers are a tasty and pretty addition to any late spring plate. @TimGreenSauce

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

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Enjoy

[Cafe Rouge[ EATING OUT

By Becky Sheaves ears and years and years ago, when my husband and I were mere whippersnappers, we embarked on our first trip abroad together. To Paris, the city of romance. While there, we stayed in a properly French hotel on the corner of a square in Montmartre. That is to say, it was cramped, filthy and unfriendly, no one spoke a word of anything but French and there was nothing but bread and jam for breakfast, eaten all together around a large table and with no plates. There were crumbs everywhere, alongside the bad-tempered Madame slamming yet more baguettes on the table as people arrived and departed. Despite all this, we loved it. So bohemian! One evening, we wandered around the cobbled streets, checked out various restaurants, listened to some jazz in a smoke-filled cellar and the end result that we had left it too late to eat dinner anywhere – everywhere good was full. And so it was that, in Paris, we ate dinner in a Tibetan restaurant. Now I don’t know much about Tibet, but one thing I do know is that, unlike France (or indeed Britain) it is not naturally blessed with good pro-

[[

duce. Indeed, how could it be over their heads. The boeuf bourguiwhen most of the country is gnon was a densely-flavoured little The house bare rock? Yak meat and yak pot of heaven and came complete butter are their nutritional with a whole branch of bay leaves. special, Le Bon mainstays, neither of which Ever since, I have thrown in handRouge, is gin being something I have any fuls of bay leaves when I make a beef shaken with desire to ingest. casserole. Unsurprisingly, we were Just recently John and I went Chambord, the only people eating in the back to France again, and once raspberry jam restaurant, surrounded by Tiagain stayed in Montmartre. Our and cranberry betan flags and pictures of the hotel had been changed into smart Dalai Lama (to whom, I wish no flats and the whole area has gone juice disrespect). When John asked distinctly upmarket. In shop winwhat a certain meat dish was dows were just the one gorgeous hat like, the waitress looked woror shoe or macaroon, spotlit, and ried and said a word that I could have sworn was our new hotel was clean and comfortable to interFrench for “chewy”. Despite me kicking him national standards. Not a grimy coverlet, filthy under the table and hissing “Nooooo!” he went bathroom or grumpy concierge in sight. ahead and ordered it. And sure enough, along But to our delight, we managed to find our old came a plateful of rubber bands in hot oil. restaurant and ate there again. Sadly, we were So the next night we got wise, scoping out the almost the only diners, the food was dreary and neighbourhood and getting ourselves a table at nothing like as good as it had been before. The a really pretty little restaurant serving genuonly thing that had not changed was the décor ine French food. We were crammed in, elbow to - we were sitting on the self-same tapestry banelbow with teeming hungry locals, and the waiter quette cushions as we had in 2003, now looking was so busy he had to hand the dishes to everyone distinctly tatty and none-too-clean.

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03/05/2016 13:33:48

Anyway, all this was running through my mind when John and I had a little taste of France the other night, in our home town of Exeter. As you may have gathered, I love French food but I’m well aware that, while it can be glorious, is can also be pretty lacklustre and guilty of reclining on its gastronomic laurels. Happily, this was a great night out, with the best of French cooking, and all right here in Exeter. I love the interior here, which is so French (despite the fact it is spotlessly clean). Bentwood chairs, shiny mirrors, French posters. It’s gorgeous inside. We started with lovely breads (£2) and that wonderful near-white French butter from Isigny. John hates olives but I couldn’t resist ordering a dish (£3) – and I was not disappointed. They were top-quality and a great variety. I managed to eat a fair few of them while sipping a dangerously potent and very glamorous-looking cocktail. The house special, called Le Bon Rouge, is gin shaken with Chambord, Bonne Maman raspberry jam and cranberry juice, (£6.50). For my starter, I had an excellent French onion soup with proper gruyere and croutons (£6) and John had beignets de moules (£6), which he loved – crispy tempura mussels served with lemon aioli. Then for our main course, John went for steak frites – which were perfect, skinny little fries and a tasty 8oz fillet steak (£18). As a Devon farmer, John was pleased to read on the menu that the meat is all British-reared, albeit from continental Charolais cattle. Be that as it may, the steak was very good. I had the sea bass en papillote (£15.50) which comes rather theatrically wrapped up in parchment paper. This dish was fragrant and fresh, beautifully cooked and delicately flavoured with olives, basil and plum tomato jus, served with new potatoes. As we were eating such very different main courses, we went our separate ways with the wine – John had a glass of Pays d’Oc Merlot, which was rich and plummy with a soft, silky finish. I had a glass of Picpoul de Pinet from Languedoc-Roussillon, redolent of citrus fruit and with pronounced mineral notes. For dessert, John loved his fondant aux chocolat (£6), with a melting middle, served with both chocolate and raspberry fondant ice cream. Delicious. I had a zingy slice of tarte au citron (£5.50) with crème fraiche. All in all, our dinner was tres bon, and I thoroughly recommend this lovely restaurant. Café Rouge, 24 Princesshay, Bedford St, Exeter, Devon EX1 1LL www.caferouge.com

How they scored... Food



Atmosphere



Service



Price

Dinner for two was £78

AWeekendIn_May7.indd 43

03/05/2016 13:33:20

My Favourite…

My Secret Westcountry Candida Leaver Former antiques dealer Candida Leaver bought a rundown and empty pub near Bridgwater in 2010. Together with husband Peter Starling she’s transformed it into a delightful country gastro-pub and boutique hotel, The Bower Inn.

Walk: My idea of a perfect day off is one where

Arts venue: The McMillan Theatre in

my husbnd Peter and I get out with our two rescue dogs Ben and Ruby for a walk. We like Steart Marshes, near us in Somerset, which is run by the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. It’s been created to demonstrate how wetlands are productive and useful. Well-behaved dogs are welcome and admission is free. You’ll get to see birds such as teal, wigeon and meadow pipit in the winter months and in the summer, little egret, lapwing and skylarks.

Bridgwater is a fabulous new venue. Peter and I recently spent an evening there and were treated to some wonderful performances by Bridgwater College’s performing arts students. What a fantastic facility it is for community as a whole – I’m looking forward to more events. Bridgwater Arts Centre is in town too and it puts on some excellent performances and exhibitions.

Beach: Not many people realise that Somerset

thousands of vintage fabrics and linens over the years. I hand-dye and print some to use for curtains and cushions or to re-upholster the antique furniture we have here at the hotel. I enjoy being creative with fabrics and it’s a great fun to take myself off and upholster a couple of chairs. I’ve got a particularly lovely pair on the go at the moment and the material is covered with bright, exotic birds.

has a Heritage Coastline and that there are so many different beaches along it. Watchet has a pretty little sandy beach and while you’re there you can pop and see a statue of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner on the quayside. Coleridge lived nearby in Nether Stowey for a few years at the end of the 18th century and wrote many of his great works there.

Activity: I’m a collector! I’ve collected

MSW_May7.indd 44

03/05/2016 09:54:34

People

The Bower Inn

The Fistral Beach Hotel

I brush up on my skills at upholstery classes at Lilac Barn in Stoke Gregory near Taunton (www.lilacbarn.co.uk). Cherry Dobson, the teacher there, is excellent.

Food: I have so many favourites, it’s difficult to Charlton Orchards

choose. The eggs I get from the farm next door are pretty special though, as they are just so fresh. I also love our own homemade vegetarian sausages.

Tipple: I adore all the local apple juices made around here. Taunton Market has stalls where you can sample the various juices and it’s great fun to spend a morning browsing there. Charlton Orchards near Taunton produces some lovely juices, too. Pub: When we can get away from the business, Peter and I enjoy a good meal at the Rock Inn at Waterrow, which is on the Devon/Somerset border near Wiveliscombe. The food there is superb and the service and welcome are just as good, making everything in our world instantly perfect Restaurant: I’m a bit biased with this one, because I love our own food here at The Bower Inn. But if I do go out, I love Water Sky restaurant in Bristol. It’s one of the best dim sum restaurants in the country, with the added bonus of a Chinese supermarket. Exceptionally good food and reasonably priced.

Way to relax: I’m known as the bee lady Candida’s upholstery

The Bower Inn

around these parts as I have my own hives and hundreds of thousands of bees. I use the honey in our restaurant and it is lovely stuff. I like nothing better than spending time in my beekeeping kit and tending the hives. It’s very therapeutic and fascinating.

Weekend away: Peter and I like to take our camper van and park up for the night at Waterrow Touring Park, which is a beautiful caravan park and camp site, exclusively for adults, to the east of Exmoor.

Treat: Without doubt it’s a massage – who doesn’t love being pampered? I usually go and stay at The Fistral Beach Hotel in Newquay as they often have really good offers and I’d heartily recommend them. I haven’t found anybody local that can come to the house yet, but here’s hoping!

Watchet

For more details visit www.thebowerinn.co.uk 45

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My life

[

WHAT A WEEK

Pasty point of no return Chris McGuire finds himself part of an unlikely double act

ou look like you’re strangling that pasty,” said a (so-called) friend of mine. “I don’t know why you agreed to do it!” I shrugged – there’s nothing you can say to that. It was never a conscious decision for me to develop a pasty sidekick. What I learned this week is, when it comes to pasties, you can have far too much of a good thing. “Oi! Pasty boy!” someone shouted, on Monday. I looked up to find a man doing a little dance and waving at me. “Sorry?” “Where’s your pasty?” The penny dropped. He was referring to that picture (see right). “Oh yes, very good.” “Where is he then?” “Having a lie down, he’s feeling a bit tired.” This insanity seemed to placate him. He wandered off happily. Sadly, that wasn’t the only pasty-based interaction I was to have this week. To think it had all started so innocently. “By the way,” said the editor, as we chatted on the phone, late last year. We’d been discussing me doing a photo shoot for this column. “You talk about pasties in your new piece don’t you?” I did. It was an article about New Year’s Resolutions for 2016 and, in it, and I’d vowed to cut down on my pasty consumption. “Why not have a few pics taken with a pasty? ” I could hardly say ‘no’. “OK.” Yet as I hung up, I had the horrible feeling I’d live to regret my decision. Next day I sat on a beach, getting a wet bum, and giving my best grin. I hate having my photo taken. I agree with those tribes that say each photograph takes a piece of your soul. My generation – with its obsession with selfies – must have overdrawn our soul accounts years ago. We were about to finish when the photographer said “You forgot the pasty.” I hadn’t, I’d just hoped he had. “Oh yes. Couldn’t forget that!” I replied, unconvincingly.

He passed it over and a few photos were duly snapped. All told, we took at least 300 pasty-free photos that day. Yet, somehow, one of the handful with the snack was chosen to represent me here. Week in, week out. “Oi! Oi! Pasty!” shouted someone else, midweek. I smiled politely, understanding how the Milky Bar Kid must have felt on his days off. On another occasion, a woman stopped me – I knew her from somewhere. Eventually, I realised she worked in a well-known high street bakery that I may, or may not, frequent on a regular basis. “It was one of ours wasn’t it?” Was she talking in code? “Sorry?” “Your pasty. It was one of ours?” It wasn’t, it was from a local independent place. But this lady had such an expectant look on her face that telling her the truth would have been cruel. So I lied. “Yes, it was.” “Knew it.” With that, she skipped off. Who’d have thought a humble pasty could bring so much happiness and simultaneously so much misery? Mulling it all over, I did what I always do when I’m feeling pensive. I bought a pasty and sat on a bench, munching. “Your pasty! He’s back then!” cried the wit from Monday. Yet this man seemed startled when I, rather forcibly, offered him what

was left of my pasty and walked away. Somehow I’d lost my appetite. What I’ve learned this week is: 1: If you’re going to have your photo taken, don’t pose with a snack of any variety. 2: If I must eat in public, from now on I’ll only eat sausage rolls. Chris McGuire is a writer who recently moved to the Westcountry. He does occasionally eat food that isn’t a pasty. OK, you believe what you want to believe. @McGuireski

NEXT WEEK: Phil Goodwin on love, life and parenthood in the South West 46

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