West Magazine, March 19 2016

19.03.16

26

Fresh & feminine fashion picks

Happy Easter + GIFTS + PARADES + EGG HUNTS + HIGH TEAS

PLUS: + THE WILD

WINE CLUB

WIN: INSIDE: + SPRING BEDROOMS

+ LUXURY GLAMPING ESCAPE

+ ASK ANNE SWITHINBANK

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ESCAPE TO THE

DRIF T WO O D S PA R S

THE BREWERY, P U B A N D B & B BY T HE SE A

WE HAVE IT ALL! A wonderful restaurant and even our own micro brewery!

A seafood takeaway, the pub which hosts a range of live music, wedding and conference facilities.

WONDERFUL SEA FRONT LOCATION IN THE HEART OF ST AGNES.

W W W. D R I F T W O O D S PA R S . C O . U K Trevaunance Cove, Saint Agnes, TR5 0RT For reservations and bookings call:

01872 552428

Untitled-1 2 - West Full Page.indd 2 Driftwood Spar

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‘Our resistance was feeble. Yes, we know it will end up being us that cleans out the cage and buys the food’

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AND SO TO BED...

How to create a super-chic bedroom

9

ALL THE GOSSIP Why Laurence is coming to Cornwall

Gillian Molesworth’s son wants a new pet, p8

28

EASTER DELIGHTS The gifts you’ll really, really want

[contents[ Inside this week...

5

WIN A £295 GLAMPING TRIP Enter our fabulous competition

9

JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have the latest gossip!

12

EASTER ADVENTURES Westcountry days out that you’ll adore

16

35

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEV! Why Ms Knight is celebrating this week

THE WILD WINE CLUB Al fresco alcohol on a Cornish beach

22

AND SO TO BED...

How to create a super-chic bedroom

26

ANNE SWITHINBANK The coolest flowers to plant today

28

BEAUTY GIFTS FOR EASTER Pretty delights to give (and receive)

32

CHECKING IT OUT How to wear the new checked shirts

34

CULTURE VULTURE What’s on and where to go right now

36

BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Great ways to feel your best this week

41

SPICING IT UP Tim Maddams had fun with fenugreek

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A WEEKEND IN...

Discovering beautiful Branscombe

40

IT’S ALL ON TAP The new way to love beer

32

CHECK IT OUT

The plaid shirt grows up

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16

OUTDOOR FUN

Beach feasts in Cornwall

[ welcome [ Looking forward to Easter? We are... e had some relatives to stay with us last weekend and, as luck would have it, the Westcountry smiled on them and us. All day long the sun shone, busily nesting birds sang gaily in the sky and, when we went to the beach for a walk, it was so warm we actually took our coats off. What’s more, we sat in the garden to read the weekend papers over a coffee. I do hope you, too, are enjoying this early spring sunshine we’ve had lately.

With Easter just around the corner, we have put together this week’s magazine with holiday events in mind. On page 12 today you’ll find our

W

[

Tweet

of the week @lilywarnewool Lily Warne lambs enjoying the Devon sunshine

superb Easter Days Out guide, with something for everyone from bonnet parades to egg hunts and roast lamb lunches. Meanwhile, on page 28, our beauty guru Abbie Bray selects her favourite Easter beauty gifts - a lot less fattening than chocolate.

Also in the magazine today, I think you’ll probably be as fascinated as I was by the account of former Fifteen Cornwall sommelier Debbie Warner’s new venture in Cornwall.

It’s a wine appreciation society with a difference - they always meet (for a seriously gourmet feast) outdoors. Read all about The Wild Wine Club on page 16 today - and have fun this Easter.

Have fun this Easter, from bonnet parades to egg hunts

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

[

[

[

Becky Sheaves, Editor

COVER IMAGE: Lace top, £25, David Emanuel

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...

Why not try glamping this year? Cuckoo Down Farm is a beautiful 30-acre family farm in east Devon, set in lovely countryside and close to the World Heritage coastline of Branscombe and Beer. The farm has two safari tents and three yurts, each with cosy woodburners making your glamping break both comfortable and cosy.

Expect proper beds, sofas, rugs and lots of home comforts, with lambs, chickens and baby saddleback pigs to see, plus children’s pony rides.

Prices for a three-night stay start at £295 and there is currently a 20% discount on last-minute Easter stays. Visit www.cuckoodownfarm.co.uk to book and find out more.

Win

We have a three-night weekend family stay to be won, worth £295, at Cuckoo Down Farm near Sidmouth in east Devon. To win, tell us what phrase “glamping” is short for. Send your answers to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk to arrive by Friday April 1 2016. Normal terms apply, West will not share your details.

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YUM Seasalt Cornwall caramel sea salt Easter egg £7.95 or £10 for two www. seasaltcornwall.co.uk

the

wishlist

Pour!

Heal’s ink dots jug £25 www.amara.com

Here are West’s top picks for an enjoyable Easter

STREET STYLE STAR Alex Styles We spotted Alex Styles, 23, shopping in Plymouth on an early spring day just recently. We approve of the way she keeps warm and cosy, yet gives her outfit a shot of spring freshness with her pastel baby-blue coat. And we love the boots! “Even though I’m quite tall, I love wearing high-heeled shoes – I get the chunky kind so I don’t topple,” she tells us.

Scarf: New Look Coat: New Look Polo neck: Peacocks Gloves: New Look Jeans: Asos Boots: New Look

fave!

Pretty M&S Collection bright pink slip £22.50 Marks & Spencer

Send your stylish snaps of you or a friend looking fab to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 6

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Wishlist

Meet the Yolk Folk, cardboard cutouts for Easter £6.50 www.clareloves.co.uk

Petal earrings £12 reduced from £15 www.monsoon.co.uk

Patterned Moroccan leather slippers £27.95 www.decoratorsnotebook.co.uk

CHIC Porcelain vase with ash handle £40 www.black-by-design.co.uk

BRIGHT Leather shoulder bag £110 www.piajewellery. com

STORE WE ADORE:

Jo&Co Home Jo&Co Home is run by Joanna Eldridge, who handpicks Scandinavian-inspired items, pairing modern young designers with collections from more established labels such as Sophie Conran and Linum.

Conveniently on the A39 between

Padstow and Wadebridge, the newly renovated store is full to the brim with covetable treats.

Jo&Co Home, Hawksfield, www. joandcohome.com, 01208 895058 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

Pet dilemmas and how to solve them ’m sure you’re all wondering about the state of the Molesworth menagerie these days.

Well, we’ve moved on from stick insects. Having successfully bred and sold the babies each in their own mini-terrarium (translation: large plastic cup), we felt we had hit the pinnacle of stick insect ownership. tend to pick one person as their Plus, the kids were getting “pet” and can show hostility yelled at too often for not cleantowards everyone else. Of all the ing out the cages. So Holly, Twigthings I would like to have in my let, Log, Stick Whittington and house, a brightly coloured bird Charles Stickens have moved on, shrieking at me as I do the houseproviding a gratifying expanse of work is not one of them. shelf space.

A cockatiel is much more the We still have the rabbits Misty thing: a little grey or white bird and Beauty, as well as Pirate the with red cheeks and a yellow dog. I bought a hen house at an crest. In order for them to be agricultural show this year but really domesticated though, they after a spate of have to be hand stoat attacks in reared. Freddy our area have found some for not been brave sale online but the Our resistance enough to fill it. majority seemed to Freddy, now 11 be either in Wales or was feeble. Yes, and loaded with Staffordshire. we know it will pocket money, “Look Mum, it’s end up being us announced within 60 miles,” recently that he he’d say. Yeah – that cleans out was going to buy across the Bristol the cage and a conure. ApparChannel. Finally we ently, it’s a type found a reputable buys the food of parrot. source in Devon – James and I and, the woman told were barraged us, a new clutch was by conure facts, illustrated by just being raised. Freddy would live YouTube clips of cute little have to wait a while, but he’d be birds talking. Our resistance was sure of a good bird.The preparafeeble. Yes, we know it will end tions are mighty: we have cages, up being us that cleans out the toys, and lots of literature. cage and buys the food – just as We just received the first picwe clean out the fish tank, rabbit ture of our little chick the other hutch, etc etc. But if your kid’s day. A baby bird can’t be called really into something and it’s not a piece of art: it’s splay-footed, an illegal substance, you want to naked and bug-eyed. But, cupped support them. in the hands of its human parent, We did plenty of research and it’s unquestionably sweet. discovered that conures, though ETA of bird is three weeks. I’ll personable, can be screechy. They keep you posted.

I

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

BAG LADY -

or brave?

After Stephen Fry so rudely told costume designer Jenny Beavan she looked “like a bag lady” at the Baftas, we wondered what this redoubtable woman would wear to the Oscars a few days later. Lo and behold, Jenny dressed again in comfy black leather and bangles. You know what? We approve. Jenny was probably the only woman at the Oscars who wasn’t a) starving and b) anxiously awaiting a cleavage malfunction. So here’s to you, Jenny, for giving all middle-aged, middle-sized women permission to be comfortable. Did we mention she won both the Bafta AND the Oscar this year? Clever lady.

OPTION A Perfect

Leather jacket £150 Very Scarf £22.50 Seasalt Cornwall

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION C Pretty

OPTION B Pink

Leather-look jacket £45 La Redoute Silk scarf £145 Bottica

Jacket £120 River Island Scarf £35 East

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19.03.16

SKIPPING TO

Just

LOOE Best known as Detective Sergeant James Hathaway in ITV detective drama Lewis, actor Laurence Fox has been confirmed as part of the starstudded line up at this year’s Looe Music Festival on September 25. But don’t expect to be able to read too easily between the lines, when he sings selfpenned songs from his debut album, Hidden Patterns. He says: “I think if people do that, they will get it wrong,

between us Gossip, news, trend setters and more – you

most of the time. But there are definitely enough clues in there.”

Laurence married Billie Piper in 2007 and has two children with the singerturned actress: “I am proud of what I have done, and I want people to hear it.

At the same time, I am relatively private.

You don’t see me or the wife nowadays, flouncing around going to parties.”

[[ ‘My wife absolutely hates my new moustache’

heard all the latest juicy stuff here first!

!

CRASH LANDING Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington has never been afraid of a challenge, but her dramatic crash landing as she competed in Channel Four’s winter sports show, The Jump, was traumatic.

“I’ve never suffered pain like that - it was worse than childbirth,” says the 27-year-old, who has previously said that giving birth to daughter Summer in June last year is her greatest achievement to date.

She’s still recovering after she lost control hurtling off an icy 100 metre slope at more than 30mph while practising an air jump for the celebrity reality series. Rebecca dislocated her shoulder so badly she required an operation two weeks ago and she’s one of six celebrities that have been forced to quit the show because of injury.

FACIAL HAIR DILEMMA Green Wing actor Stephen Mangan reveals he was given a highly unexpected role model while preparing to star as Sherlock author Arthur Conan Doyle in new ITV crime caper Houdini & Doyle. “I was given a picture of Tom Selleck in Magnum and told to ‘grow that’,” he says. “It took me six weeks - in the first episode or two you can see it’s still being cultivated. It gets more bushy as the series goes on. My wife [Holby City actress Louise Delamere] nearly divorced me. She hated it!”

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In character: Charlotte, Maisy and Emily and Mrs Churms dress up for World Book Day in Mevagissey

in pictures Mum’s the word: Erica and Mia Catworthy celebrate Mother’s Day at a fun event in Heavitree Park, Exeter

Hello: The St Piran’s Day parade in Penzance was a lot of fun

Toot toot: The Golowan Band warm up before the St Piran’s Day parade in Penzance

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talking points Name change

Remember?

ONE OF US Famous faces with links to the Westcountry

10 much missed favourites:

1 Treets This week:

2 Cabana

Howard Jones

3 Nutty Celebrities who have changed their names

1 Demi Moore (Demetria Guynes)

2 Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Johnson)

3 Audrey Hepburn (Edda Kathleen van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston)

4 Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne

4 Pacers 6 Trio 7 Texan 8 Toffos 9 Fry’s five centres 10 Pyramint

Angelina Germanotta)

5 Helen Mirren (Ilyena Lydia Mironoff)

The happy list

6 Tom Cruise (Thomas Cruise Mapother IV)

7 Dido (Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong)

8 Katy Perry (Kathryn Hudson)

9 Miley Cyrus (Destiny Hope Cyrus)

10 Michael Caine (Maurice Joseph Micklewhite

Principled 10 famous vegans

1 Jessica Simpson 2 Natalie Portman 3 Mike Tyson 4 Woody Harrelson 5 Alanis Morissette 6 Russell Brand 7 Morrissey 8 Pamela Anderson 9 Jack Monroe 10 Prince

80s pop star Howard Jones, 60, lives in Creech St Michael, near Taunton

5 Spangles

10 things to make you smile this week 1 Hot cross buns toasted 2 Pink the colour for spring 3 Bird watching Seaton Tramway, April 1

4 Sunday roast lamb or pork 5 Lulu live at Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple March 31

6 Snowdrops so pretty 7 Dr Thorne terrific telly 8 Peter Pan on Ice Hall for Cornwall March 30-April 3

9 Wild garlic to pick now 10 St Endellion Easter Music Festival March 26-April 3

Hits: Howard Jones had many hits in the 1980s, including Like To Get To Know You Well in 1984.

Childhood: He was born in Southampton, to Welsh parents, the eldest of four boys.

“My dad was a college lecturer, my mum worked in Marks & Spencer.”

Marriage: He credits his wife with keeping his feet on the ground. “I married Jan when I was 21, so she was with me that whole time... that helped me to survive without destroying myself with drink and drugs.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Live Aid: Howard played at the charity concert Live Aid in the summer of 1985. “I was incredibly nervous.

I got to the chorus of the song Hide And Seek and the whole audience joined in. It was an amazing, uplifting moment that I’ll never forget.”

Howard has been married to his wife Jan since he was just 21

Family: Howard has three children – Osheen, Mica and Jasper – with his wife, Jan. Now 60, he still performs and creates new music and lives in Creech St Michael near Taunton, Somerset.

Music: He took piano lessons from the age of seven, then studied classical music. “I signed my record deal in 1983 when I was 28, which is quite old for a pop star.” His first single, New Song, got to number three and his first album, Human’s Lib, went to number one.

Hair: He was known for his spiky and extravagant 80s hairdo. “I think my hair might have helped,” he admits.

“I had a loyal teen following and my parents ran my fan club.”

Change: In the late 80s and 90s Howard tried other careers: “I did different things. I opened a vegetarian restaurant in New York.” He now performs and creates music from his home in Somerset: “Some of it is quite classical and it’s quite ambitious.”

Image: Howard says he never minded his somewhat “uncool” image: “I wasn’t fashionable. I never got good reviews. But I’m proud of the fact that I wasn’t liked by the media... pop music is so reactionary and bigoted. And I found that what’s ‘cool’ is often very shallow and transient.”

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Lovers of fine wines can now indulge their passion in the great outdoors at the

wild wine club Words: Viki Wilson Photography: Lewis Harrison Pinder

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People

he heavens have decided to put on a particularly enchanting sunset display on Whipsiderry beach, near Newquay. A group of casually dressed guests have gathered on the sands to sample offerings from Chateau Civrac, a winery in Bordeaux.

As they sip their carefully selected wines and enjoy a maritime-inspired five course menu, attendees of the first ever Wild Wine Club can hear the soft swoosh of waves brushing over the sand and breathe in the scent of the sea air as the celestial light show slowly gives way to the inky blue sky and stars.

“I have always believed that wine is best enjoyed outdoors,” says Debbie Warner, founder of The Wild Wine Club and former assistant sommelier at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall restaurant in nearby Watergate Bay. “Wine is an agricultural product and when you learn about it, you discover how much each wine is influenced by the soil, the climate and the environment surrounding the vineyards.

“Whenever I think of my favourite moments enjoying wine, I tend to think of wine I have enjoyed on holiday, often sitting outdoors, by the sea perhaps. It just makes sense that the experience of enjoying wine is enhanced if you are outside in beautiful, natural surroundings.”

Cornwall has so many wonderful landscapes;, says Debbie, and she plans to hold events in mining country, beaches, on moorland and on the contrasting coastlines of the north and south of the county. “Holding outdoor wine events in Cornwall is something I have been wanting to do for some time.”

Debbie’s ambitions hark back to her original career vocation as a marine biologist. She trained at Plymouth University before rethinking her career choices and finding work at Fif-

T

‘It makes sense that the experience of enjoying wine is enhanced if you are outside in beautiful surroundings’

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teen Cornwall.

“Unexpectedly, my marine biology training blended well with studying wine at Fifteen Cornwall,” she explains.

“I took the required Level One and two exams and went on to the higher level four diploma.”

Her passion for wines led Debbie to be appointed assistant sommelier at Fifteen and such was her love of sharing her knowledge, she began to host events in her free time at the popular Jam Jar Cafe in Newquay with friend and owner Elsie Pinniger. “We wanted to make wine ac-

cessible to everyone,” explains Debbie. “Many people are interested in tasting new wines and learning more about them but there is a great deal of snobbery and a misconception that good wine must be expensive. I wanted people to be able to enjoy wine in a relaxed and sociable environment and to discover that, if you know a little about wine, there are many affordable options.

You can drink really good wine all the time if you wish.”

When the Jam Jar events became too popular

‘There is a great deal of snobbery and misconception that good wine must be expensive’

for the small venue, the natural evolution was for Debbie to move her tasting suppers to a new venue. She opted for the great outdoors and the Wild Wine Club was born. Other events have included a sleepover event at Cornish Tipi Holidays where guests enjoyed biodynamic wines by the light of the moon, with a feast based on biodynamically-farmed Cornish ingredients to match. There has also been a candlelit tour of North Cornwall organic winery Trevibban Mill with a five-course feast to match five selected wines. Food was prepared by chef Adam Banks, a friend Debbie met while working at Fifteen Cornwall.

“The events have been amazing, and what is particularly lovely is that it is not the sort of

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People

A candlelit Wild Wine Club event at Whipsiderry

dinner where you have to wear a posh frock or a dinner jacket. Guests arrive in hiking boots and warm jackets and that gives the evening a much more relaxed and enjoyable feel.”

Future plans involve wild cocktail nights.

And in the spirit of making wine something everyone can enjoy and discover, Debbie keeps the prices for her dinners at the incredibly reasonable £45 mark.

“That’s in keeping with our ethos,” says Debbie. “It’s all about sharing the knowledge and the love of wine and just enjoying time together talking about it all. We are so lucky to be here, and this is a wonderful way to enjoy wine.” www.facebook.com/WildWineClub 15

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Easter fun There’s so much to do in the Westcountry this Easter whether you’re on a budget or planning a special family day out, writes Catherine Barnes Easter egg safari Hunt for shells with a difference in an Egg Case Safari on Easter Monday (March 28) at Langdon beach at Wembury, south Devon.

It’s free to join in from 1pm. Keep your eyes peeled for mermaids’ purses, which are actually the eggcases of sharks, skates and rays. The meeting point is at Wembury Marine Centre, which is running a variety of rockpool safaris and beach trails aimed at various age groups, throughout the Easter holidays. www.wemburymarinecentre.org See page 18 for more Easter egg hunts.

fave!

Food and craft fair The beautiful Trereife House in Penzance, west Cornwall, is hosting an Easter Bank Holiday Food and Craft Fair from March 25-28. The historic manor house and its spectacular grounds will be packed with local food and drink producers, plus quality art and craft from Cornish designers. 10am-5pm, £3.50 adults. www.trereifepark.co.uk 16

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Easter exploration on Wembury beach

MAIN PICTURE: STEVE HAYWOOD

Days out

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Afternoon tea Enjoy an Easter-themed afternoon tea at the Boringdon Hall Hotel in Plympton, from £19 per person.

Served in the boutique hotel’s historic Great Hall, treats include freshly baked cakes and scones plus (if you want some!) champagne. www.boringdonhall.co.uk

Get crafty Wool artist Claire Packer is leading two crafty felt workshops at Buckland Abbey near Yelverton on March 30 and April 6. It costs £3 per person to take part, on top of the historic house’s regular admission fee www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Join the parade Don a home-made bonnet and join the fun at Liskeard’s Easter Parade, which begins at 11am next Saturday (March 26). And while you’re there, why not pop into the town’s museum in Pike Street and explore the old Victorian schoolroom, too.

Something jazzy Enjoy a three-course Easter Monday (March 28) lunch at the lovely Buckland Tout-Saints country house hotel near Kingsbridge in south Devon and chill out to the sound of live jazz. The cost is £23 per person. www.tout-saints.co.uk

Bake stars Budding Bake Off contenders aged five to 11 will love Jo Dunbavin’s Easter Fun to Cook Club on April 1 at her Two Tarts Cookery School at Bratton Fleming, near Barnstaple. Bake and create sweet and savoury dishes at this morning workshop and sit down for lunch together at the end! Jo also offers Jelly and Giggles parties, where youngsters and their guests can make a birthday tea, as well as regular family and children’s cookery camps. www.twotartscookeryschool.co.uk 18

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Days out

Outdoor adventures

fave!

There’s a host of exhilarating activities to try at the Mount Batten Adventure Centre in Plymouth. Kayaking, dinghy sailing, orienteering and climbing are among the pursuits to try this holiday, with taster sessions for Stand-Up Paddleboarding just £19.95.

Adventure days for children cost £34.95 per child (including a packed lunch), or they could try a variety of sports in an adrenalin-packed five-day activity week (£169.95). www.mount-batten-centre.com

Roast lamb for lunch

Festival fun

Trebah Kitchen, at the lovely gardens near Falmouth, is serving up a specially-prepared Easter Sunday Lunch on March 27. It costs £13.95 for two courses, and includes slow roasted leg of lamb studded with Trebah Garden rosemary and garlic. Puddings include almond and chocolate cake with Rodda’s Cornish cream. Yum! To book call 01326 252200. www.trebahgarden.co.uk

Falmouth’s Spring Festival runs until March 28, celebrating Falmouth’s beautiful open and green spaces. With guided walks and talks in and around Falmouth, garden spring clean events, a flower show, foraging and so much more, there is something here for everyone. www. visitfalmouth.com

Bonnet making Drop in at Penlee House Gallery in Penzance between 2.30pm and 3.30pm next Saturday (March 26) and make an Easter top hat or bonnet, decorated with the colourful materials supplied. www.penleehouse.org.uk

Down on the farm There’s so much going on at Pennywell Farm, near Buckfastleigh in south Devon, this Easter.

Children’s entertainers Matt Pang, Mr Phil and Dan the Hat will be putting on shows, while a visit from TV’s Muffin the Mule on March 25 will be a trot down memory lane for grandparents.

There’ll be Easter egg hunts too, and of course, Pennywell’s adorable animal babies to delight you. Tickets £13.95 adults, £9.95 children. www.pennywellfarm.co.uk

Easter Egg Hunts There’s a clutch of Easter egg hunts and treasure trails taking place across the Westcountry this holiday.

There’s so many to choose from!

1 Hop along Visit the Lindt Gold

Bunny Hunt trail at RHS garden Rosemoor in Torrington from today until April 10 and solve lots of clues to be rewarded with a yummy chocolate treat. www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/ rosemoor.

2 Crack clues Complete trails and

win a prize at Tintagel and Pendennis Castles, both operated by www.english-heritage.org.uk

3 Hide and seek Search among

the displays at Torquay’s nostalgic Bygones Museum, which also has a wonderful replica Victorian shopping street to wander (www.bygones. co.uk).

4 Eyes peeled Take part in the St

Michael’s Mount’s Easter egg trails (£2 per child). The Easter Bunny’s visited and hidden treats around the village and harbour. Will you find them? www.stmichaelsmount.co.uk

5 Clues Hunt for treasure and win

a treat at Hannah’s at Seale-Hayne, near Newton Abbot. You’ll find the quiz sheets (£2 per child) which will give you all the clues you need, at the gift shop. Hannah’s, which supports young people with learning disabilities, has a lovely laid-back bistro for lunch, too. www.discoverhannahs.org.

6 Spot the chicks They’re perched

among the cottages along the pretty High Street at Clovelly from now until March 26. If you spot ten, you’ll win an Easter egg. Pick up a map at the vistor centre. A bigger prize awaits if you spot all 15! There are admission charges to Clovelly (£18.40 per family) www.clovelly.co.uk

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Days out

Don’t be late!

Head to the Royal William Yard in Plymouth on Easter Sunday, when Alice and her Wonderland friends will be staging a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, courtesy of experimental theatre company The Invisible Circus. There’ll also be finger-licking good local food to

Crafty capers Get crafty at a crazy chocolate factory in the old servants’ hall at Powderham Castle, led by kookie characters from the Devon performing arts company Pocketwatch. There are morning and afternoon arts and crafts sessions available to book and taking place between Good Friday and April 8. The activity is included in the castle’s general admission price (£11.50 adults). www.powderham.co.uk

Catch a show Why not go out and catch some live performances over Easter? There are two family-friendly shows taking place in Exeter, both under an hour long. See The Tales of Beatrix Potter at Exeter Corn Exchange this Thursday and Friday, March 24-25 (visit www.exeter.gov.uk/ cornexchange). The Northern Ballet brings The Tortoise and the Hare to the Northcott Theatre in Exeter for three shows taking place on Wednesday March 30.

For grown-ups, the fun highenergy musical Legally Blonde, also at the Northcott Theatre, runs from April 4-9. www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

buy, arts and crafts stalls, a face painter, chocolate giveaways and an indoor craft space for children to get cutting and sticking. The free fun runs from 10am to 3pm. royalwilliamyardnews.wordpress.com

A day at the races It’s Family Day at Exeter Racecourse, Haldon Hill, on March 30. Besides regular races, there will be two pony events, Shetland ponies to pet, face painting and the chance to don racing silks and pose for a selfie on a model racehorse. Under 17s go free and pre-booked adult tickets are just £15 for two. exeter.thejockeyclub.co.uk

Story walk Story book characters including Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland will be dotted around the grounds at Kilver Court Designer Village in Shepton Mallet from next Saturday, until April 6. The bronze sculptures are on loan from Charmouth based artists Robert Ellis and James Coplestone. www.kilvercourt.com

Browse around Local crafts people and artists will be selling their high quality, locally made crafts at the Landmark Theatre’s Easter Craft Fair in Ilfracombe, north Devon. The event takes place on Easter Sunday, March 27, from 10am-5pm with the theatre’s Rendezvous Cafe serving traditional Sunday roasts. www.northdevontheatres.com

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And so to bed...

March is National Bed Month – which is a great excuse to breathe new life into your bedroom decor, says interiors expert Sam Wylie-Harris ith March being National Bed Month, there couldn’t be a better time to drift into comfortable slumber and design the bed – and bedroom – of your dreams.

We spend a third of our lives in bed, so having fun with fabrics and bedlinen will not only enhance your sleep experience but also help you unwind and relax in style. The sky’s the limit when it ‘Your bedroom comes to making this space your space should own, with ornate headboards, luxurious thread counts, cosy throws be a sanctuary or contemporary furnishings. of clean lines, If you lead a busy life, there is all the more reason for your light colours and bedroom to be a calm space, says soft shades, and Samantha Parish, interior design completely free account manager at Hypnos beds.

“If you’re someone that has a from clutter’ hectic work schedule or social life, then your bedroom space should pocket springs will offer maxibe a sanctuary of clean lines, mum support and help to relight colours and soft shades, and lieve pressure in the spine and completely free from clutter,” she says. “This muscles, allowing your body to relax fully and bedroom style will help a busy mind to relax, your mind to unwind. and begin to calmly process the day’s thoughts Contemporary, clean lines complete the look before it’s time to sleep.” and neutral tones will add a designer hotel bedSamantha suggests a mattress with intuitive room vibe. Try the Heritage President Supreme

W

[[

This calm bedroom features Brompton bed linen, from £26, www.thewhitecompany.com

Bed in Tweed White with Euro-Slim Victoria Headboard also in Tweed White, from £3,927 for a double bed (this includes mattress, divan and headboard), see www.hypnosbeds.com.

Or you could go for classic elegance, which Samantha says can make for the most soothing of bedroom spaces.

“A timeless, classic style has a regal feel and

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Interiors

Cool elegance is achieved in this bedroom with Boston ivy bedlinen from ÂŁ15 clarissahulse.com

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Interiors Orthos cashmere mattress with deep pocket sprung edge divan and Olivia headboard from £2,448 for a double, www. hypnosbeds.com

is subtle, formal and elegant,” she says. “It’s suited to the sleeper who likes to drift off to sleep in a calming environment, without any form of chaos.

“Incorporate curved French furnishings and soft feminine touches into your bedroom for a space that is both soothing and beautiful.”

Although more expensive than cotton, linen and velvets are on-trend now – try a sumptuous satin throw, ornate chandelier or a boudoir cushion. A grand, curved or winged headboard always looks lavish or you can recline in comfort against a headboard dressed in silk satin with gorgeous button details.

“For more traditional bedrooms, look towards headboards with an interesting shape or luxurious detailing such as stud work,” says Adam Black, co-founder of bed company Button & Sprung. “Divans work well in these environments and offer the luxury of extra storage.”

Top of the range is a handmade, bespoke mattress, filled with organic cotton, British wool and silk, and tailored with genuine hand side stitching for additional edge-to-edge support.

Button & Sprung’s Foxtail double bedspread, upholstered in Harlequin Tembok satin blush, costs £1,280, made to order with a delivery time of four to six weeks (www.buttonandsprung.com).

Or you could try a local company: Vi-Spring makes top-of-the-range mattresses and beds in Plymouth. Vi-Spring beds are bought by the likes of David Beckham and can cost as much as £25,000 (www.vispring.com). A reputable Westcountry bed retailer is Peter Betteridge (www. bedexpert.co.uk) which has stores in Honiton

Heritage President Supreme bed in tweed white with Euro-Slim Victoria headboard, from £3,927 for a double bed (includes mattress, divan and headboard) www.hypnosbeds.com

and Kingsbridge. Another local bed manufacturer well worth investigating is Naturalmat, which creates organic, natural mattresses in Topsham, near Exeter. Using luxury materials such as cashmere and mohair, their adult mattresses start at £675 and they also make bedroom furniture and children’s mattresses, too (www. naturalmat.co.uk).

For furnishings, one new range that looks good is by TV’s Lorraine Kelly, who has launched a

bedroom collection which features an array of checked fabrics alongside a grey, taupe and plum colour palette. Her knitted throws and cushions are easily layered to create an easy, natural look that sits well in many Westcountry homes: “These are all pieces I would have in my own home and a lot of the collection is very much a reflection of beautiful landscapes,” says Lorraine. Check it out now, online at J D Williams (www.jdwilliams.co.uk).

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GET THE

LOOK

Add luxurious touches for a relaxed and serene bedroom Fleur chandelier £539 www.chandeliersandmirrors.co.uk

St James pink stool £125 www.one.world

Fern tealight holder £10.50 www.tch.net

Diana bust £115 www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

Manila green rug £409 www. modern-rug.co.uk

Chateauneuf rustic wooden trunk £550 www.frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

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Gardens

[

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Holiday flowers

[

Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist in Gardeners’ Question Time on Radio 4, is inspired by travel plans to try planting some exotic echiums this year y husband is currently on a ‘boys’ trip to Tenerife, an annual bonding event with friends from his native Oldham in Lancashire. They used to visit Torquay, as a nod to the Yelloway coach trips taken during ‘Wakes Week’.

Mills and factories would close for maintenance and everyone went on holiday at the same time.

Blackpool was a favourite destination but the more adventurous favoured Torbay and I imagine this is what fostered John’s love of the South West. We’d rather like to visit Tenerife together one day, for a different sort of holiday. The Canary Islands have a unique flora and we’d be off ‘botanising’ to locations such as Mount Teide, where echiums grow in the wild.

These showy plants have big personalities and seem to attract a large band of enthusiastic growers, many of whom struggle to provide the right conditions but persevere regardless, until they succeed in showing off towering spires of flowers.

Of course we have our own native hardy biennial Echium vulgare (viper’s-bugloss) reaching 60cm/2ft and slightly taller, annual E.plantagineum. Both thrive in sun and dry, sandy soils and like the rest of the tribe, are great bee plants. Anytime now, when the soil is workable and warm enough for weed seeds to start showing, sow these direct or into modules under glass.

Top of most want lists is stately Echium pininana, native to La Palma though quite rare in the wild. This magnificent plant is described as ‘triennial’ as from seed, it often takes 24 months to form handsome, hairy rosettes before rising up to bloom in the third summer. Towering spikes

M

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of blue flowers can reach 5-6m/16-20ft tall. After flowering the plant sets seed and dies. A fun way of starting a colony is to befriend someone with flowering plants, wait patiently for these to bloom and seed, then beg a stem and lay it on some welldraining soil. Nature should do the rest.

E.pininana is hardy to about – 5 C/23 F but more often killed by waterlogging than freezing temperatures. Sheltered, coastal regions of the south west suit it well and you’ll see them at Trebah, Trengwainton, Overbecks and many other gardens. They look most at home on the rocky outcrops of St.Michael’s Mount and terraces of Tresco Abbey Gardens. There is a white form and some attractive hybrids.

Those of us with colder gardens and claggy soils often grow them in pots to move under glass for winter. Size can be an issue here but Plant World Seeds of Newton Abbot (01803 872939 www. plant-world-seeds.com) list ‘Blue Dwarf’ thought to be a hybrid between Echium pininana and E.candicans (syn.fastuosum), a shrubbier type known as pride of Madeira. This dwarf hybrid reaches a much more manageable 1-1.2m/3-4ft.

Arguably the prettiest is E.wildpretii, a plant

I used to grow regularly from seed in a cool greenhouse. It was quite normal to start with a dozen plants and be delirious with pleasure if only six flowered. They were devils for suddenly rotting during winter and needed the most careful ventilation and watering. Native to Tenerife and often known as the Mount Teide bugloss or tower of jewels, the spike of red flowers reaches to 2m/6ft (mostly shorter under glass), usually in the second year. In the wild, they inhabit volcanic rock and rely on mists and rain for water and nutrients. This species is not really frost hardy and you would be extremely fortunate to coax it through winter outdoors.

Now is the time to get sowing, into a well draining compost under glass (I’d use 50:50 soilless and John Innes Seed composts with added potting grit and sharp sand). Transplant carefully to single 9cm/3.5in pots and then into 15cm/6in pots, or a sunny, sheltered border best backed by a wall. In the meantime, I wait patiently for my spring visit to Tenerife but feel that for now, there’s not a lot of botanising going on out there beyond the local bar.

Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithenbank

Q

In my tiny garden I would like to specialise in very small plants – alpines.

Any advice on how to get started?

Alpines are a fascinating and rather overlooked group of plants, defined as growing in an alpine climate above the tree line. Most are hardy and prefer a well-drained soil but not all are sun-lovers, as there are plenty of woodland alpine plants suitable for shady areas. Join the Alpine Garden Society (01386 554790 www.alpinegardensociety. net) and go to meetings, lectures, sales and shows put on by your local group. Start by planting up containers using a well-drained compost and perhaps a few rocks. Try to mimic how rocks sit in wild landscapes. As you learn, decide how to landscape your small garden for alpines and if possible, plan a small greenhouse with sturdy staging to take pots of plants that don’t like winter wet, or cold frames. I have Pulsatilla vulgaris and Phlox subulata in a pot, plus a stone sink full of different rhodohypoxis (cloched to protect from winter wet but so air can circulate).

Some tufa rock is home to various saxifrages growing in the nooks and crannies.

Q

What can I plant on a small bank under a magnolia?

This week’s gardening tips Planting this week

• Try an oldfashioned straw mulch for raspberries and blackcurrants. Pile it on 30cm/12in deep around the roots, then leave for worms to pull down. This smothers weeds and as it rots, entices roots into the airy, decaying mass eventually forming ridges along the rows.

•S tart planting first early potatoes.

If soil is still a bit cold, delay or dig trenches 60cm/24in apart and add compost to the bases. Pile soil in ridges

My top three would be evergreen soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum), Helleborus foetidus (unkindly called the stinking hellebore) and Ruscus aculeatus (butcher’s broom) a curious but tough little evergreen. Try to link them with sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) which spreads via rhizomes and makes a sprinkling of scented white flowers in late spring. Condition the soil with well rotted compost and water plants in well.

either side of the trenches. Plant tubers 30cm/12 in apart and 10cm/4in deep along the base and stretch two layers of horticultural fleece over the tops of the ridges.

• Train the stems of climbing roses as horizontally as possible to even the sap flow and encourages growth and flowers all along instead of just at the tips.

• Plant evergreens before the soil dries out too much. Water during droughts.

Sow peas like ‘Early Onward’ but not until the soil is workable. I get better results from direct sowings made 5cm/2in apart into wide, double drills. But if we continue with a cold spring, sow into pots or guttering under glass.

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Beauty Radiant Clarins Duo Skincare Set (Debenhams £23) You’ll find everything you need to keep your skin clean and radiant is in this pretty kit bag, containing three luxury products – cleansing milk, toning lotion and eye-make-up remover.

Happy bunny Lush Bouncy Bunny gift set £18.95 This gift set contains four uplifting bath products, each enriched with natural citrussy oils. Just the thing for Easter!

[[ ‘Now that I am (apparently) ‘too old for Easter eggs’ , I have found the perfect alternative gifts...’

Abbie’s

Beauty box

Expert advice from beauty guru Abbie Bray of Newton Abbot

Sweet thing Marc Jacobs (The Fragrance Shop £50 50ml) Get into the swing of springtime with this deliciously sunny and floral fragrance. Top notes of green pear combine with vanilla and orange blossom and, of course, honey for a scrumptiously feminine scent.

With Easter just around the corner, there is more to this time of year than chocolate bunnies and Easter egg hunts.

When I was younger, Easter was my favourite time of year (apart from Christmas!) and I would always have a competition with my brother as to who had the most Easter eggs. I won, of course.

But now that I am apparently “too old for Easter eggs” I have found the perfect alternative – Easter beauty gifts. And they have zero calories too – what could be better? This week I have looked for the best beauty buys on the high street – from skincare and fragrance to luxury body products, there is something for everyone.

My favourite beauty product this week? The Jo Malone Body Scrub. Yes, it is a little pricey but it is worth every penny, the scent is gorgeous and my skin has never felt so smooth. What will you choose this Easter?

So cute Bronnley Chick Orchid Soap Gift £3.99 I love this fragranced orchid soap, enriched with Sweet Almond Oil and Shea Butter, in an adorable Easter chick tin.

The luxury choice Jo Malone Vit E Body Scrub 100g (John Lewis £70) Yes, it’s pricey but this scrub is utterly gorgeous.

The Vitamin E restores and protects, thanks to powerful antioxidants.

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Shop

The edit Your straight line to style: nightwear with a springlike vibe

+

B by Ted Baker butterflies kimono £39.50 Debenhams

+

+

Soft lace edged floral dressing gown £16 BHS

+

Emma Bridgewater for M&S nightshirt £18 Marks & Spencer

Nine by Savannah Miller chemise £28 Debenhams

The Collection negligee £25 Debenhams

Nine by Savannah Miller chemise £28 Debenhams

Towelling slippers £18 www.kellyhoppen.com

Cosy boots 14.99 Getting Personal

+

+

Scufflette sheepskin slippers £70 www.amara.com 29

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Flower headband £2.99 New Look

Easter parade es, we know Easter is early this year. And yes, we did wake up to a fairly serious frost the other morning. But nonetheless, our thoughts are turning to the new spring fashions.

So even if you are not taking part in an Easter bonnet parade next weekend, here are some fresh and colourful pieces that you could wear for a special Easter Sunday lunch or party.

Gerry Weber is a new find of ours. It’s a German label but available here online (www.house-of-gerry-weber.eu), selling stylish items such as this pretty floral coat, which can also keep you warm, just in case. Nice, isn’t it? Happy Easter.

Y

Aquamarine earrings £99 www.cadenzza.co.uk

Sheath dress £75 floral coat £170 Gerry Weber

Floozie by Frost French bag £25 Debenhams

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Fashion Daisy umbrella £14.95 www.dotcomgiftshop.com

Finola straw hat £29 Dune

Floral midi £41 Glamorous.com

Katy dress £85 www.peopletree.co.uk

Lace scarf £12 M&Co

Taifun dress £85 Gerry Weber

Lace-up sandals £27.99 New Look

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Trend

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Checked shirts Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod checks out plaid’s possibilities he last time I donned a can be tricky deciding how to style it for checked shirt involved a the office or date night. rather checkered memory.

Here are some ideas. I’m head over While in our late teens, a heels for any plaid shirt with a white friend of mine and I spent a pencil skirt and heels. The tomboyish wonderful evening getting ready to paint top half is wonderfully playful when the town red. It’s the type of evening I paired with the unabashed femininity of miss now that I am in my thirties. Cheap a classic pencil, especially in soft white. wine, top 40 hits on a CD player, clothes Did your eyes roll heavenward at the strewn on every available surface and mention of a tight white skirt? Then not a care in the world except whose turn reach for leather. A leather midi skirt, it was to wear the black skirt (the skirt voluminous if possible, is universally was lucky, possessing the almost magical flattering and the fabric has the quality of ensuring the wearer never had wonderful ability to be wiped clean to pay for a drink). I miss the skirt too. should any sticky fingers come nearby.

The time came when we were Leather trousers also work a treat. preened to perfection, Remember, this season’s eyelashes were curled, checks offer plenty of layers of foundation opportunities to break were caked on and away from the nostaligic The checked wonderbras were on prints. Quintessential shirt has made the tightest setting. colourways included red All that was left was and black or blue and the leap from the walk to the club. grey, but a quick browse casual comfort Just one problem, it will reveal offerings in was cold and dark and pastels, neutrals and even to enviable we had been shall we monochrome. ensemble say, economical, about For the office, button the amount of fabric your blouse primly all the we were wearing. The way to the top and twist solution lay inside her your hair into a chignon. brother’s cupboard, a Behold, the lumberjack bountiful supply of flannel check shirts is a lady. Got a date? Add black skinny (known as blanket shirts back in the jeans and whip on a pair of heels. day). These were perfect for the walk, One of my favourite interpretations and easy to bundle under a bush before was a stroke of street style genius in turning the corner to make our grand which a blogger donned a black lowarrival at the back of the queue. back slip dress, some great patent ankle A bottle of wine was liberated from boots and then tied a red plaid shirt the fridge for the walk and as we got around her waist. The overall aesthetic closer the decision was made to spread was New York model goes backpacking. the blanket shirts out on a grassy I’ll channel that when getting ready shoulder and enjoy it picnic style. Ah, to for my Sunday brunch. The process be young again. has certainly changed as much as the The result is a soft spot for this destinations. They’re usually defined particular trend. These days my life by me having a supergreen smoothie is more deadlines than discos, but I in hand, iTunes on shuffle. But, I will still like to make an entrance where I admit, still with clothes over every can. The checked shirt has made the surface, some things will never change. leap from casual comfort to enviable All fashion on this page is from ensemble. But when something has Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, been an off-duty favourite for so long, it www.princesshay.co.uk

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

T

Navy trousers, Karen Millen, Princesshay, £90 Bag, Next, Princesshay, £20 Shirt, River Island, Princesshay, £28 Boots, River Island, Princesshay, £45

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NEW LOOK Cut out ankle boots £24.99

NEXT Lock detail bag £26

GET THE

look LA REDOUTE Checked shirt £35 (sale price £14)

NEW LOOK Black skinny fray hem jeans £24.99 NEXT Utility shirt £36

MONSOON Ilinca mini fold over tassel cross body £39

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15/03/2016 11:28:55

Gangsta Granny

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

Cure with art Irish artist Saidhbihin Gibson is a collage-maker, often using natural materials such as this beech husk and paper origami creation (pictured). She is one of five artists featuring in a touring show called What Do I Need To Do To Make It OK? The exhibition opens today (March 19) at the Devon Guild of Craftsmen in Bovey Tracey. It features specially commissioned work exploring ideas of damage and repair, disease and medicine, healing and restoration – both in nature and in our own lives.

Fans of David Walliams’ deliciously anarchic books for children will not want to miss Birmingham Stage Company’s top-notch production of Gangsta Granny, showing at the Hall for Cornwall in April before it transfers to London’s West End. So what is it all about? Well, our hero Ben is dreading Friday night with Granny, who feeds him cabbage and more cabbage. What he doesn’t know, though, is that Granny has a secret life – and Friday nights are about to get more exciting than he could ever imagine. For everyone aged five to 105, this is a cracker of a show.

Gangsta Granny is at Hall for Cornwall, Wednesday-Sunday, April 13-17, tickets £18.50-£16.50, www.hallforcornwall.co.uk or call 01872 262466.

PJ Harvey at Eden The super-cool singer PJ Harvey is heading our way in June when she returns to the Eden Sessions, 13 years after playing her first magical show there. She’ll be joining ASUS in headlining a show on Monday, June 27. The only artist to win the Mercury Prize twice, in 2001 and 2011, the Dorset-born musician is due to release her ninth studio album The Hope Six Demolition Project in April, recorded during a month-long residency in London’s Somerset House.

Tickets are £40 with £5 booking fee, from www.edensessions.com.

What Do I Need To Do To Make It OK? runs until May 8 at the Devon Guild. See www.crafts. org.uk

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Enjoy

Your stars

by Cassandra Nye This week’s sign:

Happy birthday to...

Those born under the sign of Aries are independent, often leading the way. They have no difficulty enticing others to follow their lead because they bring excitement into others’ lives. If confronted, the Ram will fight back and they are known to have temper tantrums if they don’t get their own way. Above all, Aries are dynamic. If an idea comes their way, they tend to plunge right in – they are more than willing to take a gamble and follow their dreams.

Beverley Knight Born March 22 1973 Soul singer Beverley Knight turns 43 this week. The Bodyguard star was born in Wolverhampton but her influences are very much Stateside, Aretha Franklin and Sam Cooke among them. Beverley was made an MBE for her charity work in 2007 and campaigns for good causes, including Christian Aid. She sang at Peter Crouch and Abigail Clancy’s wedding in 2011, then got married herself in 2012, to James O’Keefe. As an Aries, Beverley is the first sign in the Zodiac, and will tend to being an independent go-getter.

ARIES (March 21 - April 20) The more organised you are this week, the more progress you will make. Your mind is buzzing with ideas and enthusiasm. Teamwork reveals possibilities not considered before. Will you give yourself the chance to succeed? All it takes is the will. Have you been thinking of making new social contacts? Maybe asking someone out? You stand a good chance of success.

TAURUS (April 21 - May 21) By concentrating on your social life rather than just work, the most exciting path will become apparent. New ideas pop in and out of your mind, topping up your enthusiasm. From Wednesday go over longterm plans and fine-tune them. Who have you not seen since last year? Why not? Don’t accept excuses and have some fun!

GEMINI (May 22 - June 21) If someone seems to be fussing about nothing, maybe they know something you don’t! Take care of your health and have any checks that you feel are necessary.

When things slow down, take the opportunity to have those loving conversations you never seem to have time for.

CANCER (June 22 - July 22) Be willing to enrol someone into a pet project. Putting two brains together can make all the difference. Energy is up and down but, on those down days, get plotting and planning. Rather than throw money at a situation, consider taking things more slowly to save both cash and energy.

LEO (July 23 - August 23) Just when you thought that things were not going your way, along comes someone to help. Discuss your longterm hopes and dreams without putting a

price on them. The time is not yet right. The course of true love can have its bumps, that’s for sure. Keeping yours on an even keel means being extra charming.

VIRGO (August 24 - September 23) Speaking to the right person about your plans can turn things around for you this week. You have the ear of a very important person, make your pitch brief and heartfelt.

Try not to over think what is really a very simple situation.

LIBRA (September 24 - October 23) Great communications are not restricted to work this week. Someone you have been trying to get close to is all ears! Consider what they want from you and make it clear that you value your talents. An opportunity that you feel is not in your usual comfort zone could be just what you need to grow.

SCORPIO (October 24 - November 22) Be dynamic, organised and enthusiastic. Even if a plan is still in its early days you can move it forward in your mind. Are you able to talk to someone who has been there before? So much the better! Communications clearly tell you this is the time to make life-changing moves and decisions.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 - December 21) The chance to shine in the eyes of

someone who is important to you comes along this week. Don’t be shy. Gather your talents and bask in the limelight! Someone needs you to be fun and inventive and that is something that you are very good at.

CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 20) There is much to gain both socially and at work from being cheerful and optimistic. A romantic response could well depend on what you say rather than what you do. Do you really know what they want?

Do some background searches on someone you want to impress. What are their hobbies or childhood haunts?

AQUARIUS (January 21 - February 19) Don’t feel like making decisions or being too serious? That is fine as long as you are concentrating on your social life.

Business-wise, someone is looking for words of wisdom to fall from your lips. This weekend it is impossible to be too serious. Someone wants to see you smile. It is something that comes easily to you.

PISCES (February 20 - March 20) A liaison midweek may see you making some special arrangements for the weekend. Although this may not be in your comfort zone, it brings personal growth. Having the courage to try new things brings great satisfaction. It also spurs you on to do even better next time!

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15/03/2016 10:56:03

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

It’s in the bag...

Here’s quirky alternative to bubble bath: Run Lush’s new Flowering Tea Bubble Bar, (£4.95) under hot water and the ‘bag’ bursts, releasing blue cornflowers and a divine neroli and rosewood oil fragrance. Bliss! (www.lush.com).

JOIN THE GYM CLUB Leotards at the ready girls and get set for a session of forward rolls, star-jumps and cartwheels. Plymouth Life Centre’s Thursday morning Fit-Nastic classes (£5.15) will take you back to the gym lessons of your school days, great for getting in shape. A creche facility’s on site, for mums on the lookout for a fun way to get fitter. www. everyoneactive.com

Speak up

One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year, according to MIND, but many of us still keep our anxieties to ourselves. Now celebrity ambassadors including CBBC presenter Ben Shires are backing the mental health charity’s social media campaign #TakeOffTheTape, to encourage more of us to open up about what’s getting us down and ask for support without fear of being judged. To get involved, simply get a piece of paper, post-it note or tape and write the one thing that makes you most anxious. Take your selfie with your message over your mouth including the message: Don’t be silenced! #TakeOffTheTape, then share it with your friends on social media.

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Get-fit kit More than half of us now own a fitness gadget, according to a new survey.

Fitness bands top the list of the most popular health-focused technology plus downloading diet and nutrition and personal training apps on our smartphones. Many of us are also monitoring our own wellbeing with sleep quality tracking gadgets, according to sports supplements brand Adapt Nutrition.

Up and about?

The alarm may have gone off hours ago, but how long does it take you to really feel awake? According to Quaker Oats, most of us don’t really feel we’re firing on all cylinders until 9.40am, while its #SuperStart survey revealed we don’t start feeling truly productive at work until around 11.22am.

She’s a survivor Relaxing bath secrets It’s believed that lots of us are low in magnesium, a mineral which can help us sleep.

These magnesium bath flakes (£8.99) could help counteract stress and help you prepare for a restful and reviving night’s sleep, as well as combat dry skin. www.westlabsalts.co.uk

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

Happy news: BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire bid chemotherapy farewell in an emotional video diary.

The 47-year old former Newsnight presenter, who discovered she had breast cancer in July last year, said she couldn’t stop crying after completing her last session and was looking

forward to “having a cuddle” with her sons to celebrate.

Victoria also made a video diary during her treatment last year, when she had a mastectomy, saying at the time she hoped sharing the clips would reassure other women that having treatment for the condition is “do-able”.

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

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Wellbeing

Natural beauty Is organic skincare worth the money?

I aim to be healthy inside and out and eat organically where I can. I also look out for skincare products containing natural ingredients which cost a little more. Am I getting value for money? FD, Moretonhampstead

Q

Cosmetic chemist Sam Farmer from Tiverton says: The two words that are the most misunderstood in cosmetic science are, surely, “natural” and “synthetic”. Over the past few years there has been a dramatic rise in the use of these words to sell cosmetic products, “natural” usually being used to the detriment of synthetic.

This can be an emotive subject for some people, so I’ll just talk about a few areas of the industry that I find interesting.

So, what’s a natural ingredient? The best definition I have come across is from Dene Godfrey, one of the most respected and experienced cosmetic scientists in the UK. He defines a natural ingredient as “a substance that must A widely held exist in nature and must also be belief is that extracted from nature without natural is any chemical modification”. safer than synthetic. Yet plants In cosmetics, ingredients are such as deadly nightshade or somehow safer selected with varying levels of poison ivy can cause serious than synthetic purity, to ensure safety and perdamage to skin. On the other but some plants formance. Many plant and nut hand, paracetamol is a syntheoils are described as natural, sized chemical that most of us can cause serious however these go through a filare happy to ingest in the right skin damage tration process to reach the high dose, to help with pain relief. cosmetic grade we demand in So you can see how natural and formulation. synthetic compounds can vary So, using Dene’s definition, enormously. are these oils still really natuCosmetic formulations on ral after this chemical modification? In reality, their own can sometimes smell unpleasant, so we most cosmetic ingredients go through some sort use fragrance to make them smell nice. Natural of “chemical” process to be suitable for use in essential oils provide a complexity of fragrance products. that is hard to replicate with synthetics. HowA widely held belief is that natural is somehow ever, they are are far higher in allergens such

[[

as limonene, citral and cinnamyl alcohol. In fact of all the fragrance allergens legally required to be listed on products, more than half of these are naturals. Manmade fragrances allow for a wider number of notes to be used and increase the stability of the fragrance. The world’s classic perfumes would not exist without synthetic fragrance and, from a sustainability viewpoint, synthetic fragrance avoids depleting the limited supply of rare and protected plants, such as sandalwood.

I’m often asked about ingredients used in the skincare products I formulate for teenagers. Put simply, I use the best I can find whether natural or synthetic.

For more information on the Sam Farmer range for teenage skin visit www.samfarmer.co

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Eat

Fenugreek

with Tim Maddams nce again I have fallen prey to a little to any curry dish you care to mention. I have too much attention from the editor tried growing it myself from seed and it’s well (Sorry, Becky!). Apparently West’s worth a go but can be tricky to get right. It’s one design team is threatening strike of those plants that seems either to bolt or die – action if I keep sending words for mind you, I could kill most plants simply by lookwhich they have to find elusive images. Such as ing at them for too long. I’m a sort of anti green wild three-cornered leeks, for example. So, this fingers kind of guy, despite my best intentions. week, here’s something I am certain most people Fenugreek is a native of Iraq and Egypt. Arhave at home, whether they have ever used it or chaeologists even found seeds inside Tutankhanot. Fenugreek. mun’s tomb and some charred The spice fenugreek (Trigoseeds in Iraq have been carbon nella foenum-graecum) is most dated to 4000 BC. commonly found in seed or The main cultivator of the ground powder form. If you have plant these days is India and it Archaeologists ever used it, you will know that is in the cuisine of India and have even found it needs a little careful handling. the Middle and Far East that Add too much (or at the wrong you will most commonly find it some fenugreek time, in the wrong way) and it used. Although I recently had a seeds inside will impart a not entirely pleasfenugreek ice cream that was Tutankhamun’s ant bitter note to the overall flapretty special, it is more at ease tomb vour of a dish. Something like a in curry-like surroundings. jazz saxophonist sneaking into So, back to the seeds and the the Philharmonic and trying to ground seed powder. Whenever make a name for herself. It’s not possible I like to grind my own a bad thing but it can seem out spices from whole seeds. You of place. A little too jaunty, if tend to get a better flavour and you catch my drift. you get to toast them first to We are unfortunate in this country that the wake them and really liven things up. It’s also green leafy version of fenugreek isn’t more nice because you are in control of the grind, so widely available. It has one heck of an aromatic if you want it a little coarse you can do that. And punch to deliver, either as a vegetable or a herb, if you want it as a fine powder, well, simply keep and makes the most wonderful chopped addition grinding.

O

[[

Fun with fenugreek Fenugreek works very well in an oily spice mix. Make yours in a small dry frying pan by toasting a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds with half a teaspoon each of fennel seed, coriander seed and cumin seed.

Grind these in a pestle and mortar then add fresh chopped chilli or chilli flakes and bash with a little olive oil all together. Use it to flavour mashed potato fritters - you’ll find the bitterness of the fenugreek is balanced with the other flavours but still it’s the star of the show, warming, wildly different and charming in a bitter-sweet kind of way.

I also like to add whole fenugreek seeds to quick pickles, along with turmeric, and vinegar. It’s particularly welcome with onions and beetroots in this way, where the natural sweetness of the veg shows off the bitter characteristics of the spice exceptionally well. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and author of Game: River Cottage Handbook no. 15 (Bloomsbury £14.99) 40

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Drink Beer of the week Headlamp, created by Verdant Brewing Company, of Ponsanooth, Cornwall, in collaboration with Left Handed Giant Brewing, from Bristol, nails the Belgian pale style with aplomb at just 3.8% ABV. It’s a yeasty, spicy, slightly tart, fruity (citrus, pear hints) delight. A great introduction to Belgian beer for the novice.

Darren Norbury

talks beer

[[

hich came first – the brewery or pattern for the exponential growth of brewerthe tap? It can go ies. It’s a local produce thing and either way, really. it’s working very well. America’s In case you weren’t a big country, after all, and who Who needs aware, the tap is needs massive transport costs a bar where a particular brewwhen there’s a big potential audimassive ery’s beers are available on ence for your beer on your doortransport costs ‘home ground’. It’s usually, but step? when there’s not always, a premises that is I was reminded of this as I took owned by the brewery, but it a short, but very informative a big potential need not be on the site of the tour of Dynamite Valley Brewery audience for brewery. At Coastal Brewery, in at Ponsanooth, near Falmouth. your beer on Redruth, where I mooch around Here, friends and business partfor a few hours a week, the tap is ners Dom Lilly and Ross Kessell your doorstep? next-door, in the Cornwall Spehave built up a successful small cialist Beer shop and bar. For brewery operation which serves Skinner’s Brewery, in Truro, a number of local freehouses and The Old Ale House, close to the bars, although they are particucity’s bus station and about half a mile from the larly proud to have just sent their first batch of brewhouse, is the main public tap. beer up to the influential Craft Beer Bar group In America, the brewpub is very much the in London.

Their industrial unit – next door to another upand-coming outfit, Verdant Brewing Company – is laid out with space enough to convert into a A GOOD FRIDAY AND weekly Saturday afternoon Beer Café, from noon until 6pm, where a selection of Dynamite Valley SATURDAY AND SUNDAY draught beers are combined with an interesting The Easter Beer Festival returns to the list of British and foreign bottled beers. When I Red River Inn, Gwithian, near Hayle next visited, it was a St Piran’s Day celebration and week. From March 25 to 27, the venue will wild food experts Matt Vernon and Stuart Woodoffer 25 real ales, ten ciders and live music. man were cooking up pulled venison, wild boar Always a good vibe at this one. hog dogs and vegan black bean burgers, all served with various foraged sides. Stuart, incidentally,

W

(

)

Mussel-bound

Day two today of Rick Stein’s Beer and Mussel Festival at The Cornish Arms in St Merryn. The excellent beer menu includes 40 or so ales from the likes of St Austell, Bristol Beer Factory, Dartmoor and Tintagel. Well worth a visit. has already collaborated with Dynamite Valley on a damson ESB (Extra Special Bitter) and he, Ross and Dom told me they were more interested in working with food producers than, as is often the case, collaborating with other breweries.

Their Beer Café has a great atmosphere and seems to attract a group of people that I don’t normally see on the mid-Cornwall beer circuit.

As well, of course, as giving the brewery a useful revenue stream as it fights for bar space in an ever more competitive world. Much as I love pubs, the brewery tap in an industrial unit will do for me because, if there’s good people and good beer, what more do you need? More and more the old proverb is being disputed – it seems many people can organise an, er, event in a brewery...

Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk @beertoday 41

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Enjoy a weekend in

Branscombe

ranscombe in east Devon is one of the Westcountry’s prettiest villages. It is blessed with beautiful cottages, a large, unspoilt beach and two lovely pubs. Much of the surrounding coastline and countryside is owned by the National Trust and it is set within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Branscombe is well worth a weekend visit in early springtime, with the hedgerows full of daffodils and countryside walks in every direction.

B

Stay: The gorgeous thatched Great Seaside Farm is a National Trust owned B&B and dates back to the 16th century. It is situated just 200 yards from the beach and is steeped in character, with an inglenook fireplace, flagstone floors and beamed ceilings. Double rooms cost £90 a night in the low season, rising to £115 in high summer, visit www.greatseaside.co.uk to book.

Eat: The 14th century Masons Arms earned its name from the once-thriving quarries hereabouts, which provided stone for St Paul’s Cathe42

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Pecorama

Branscombe church

Branscombe beach

The Donkey Sanctuary

Great Seaside Farm B&B

T h e M a so

n s A rm s

dral. These days the pub is owned by St Austell Brewery and serves up great food, superb beer and also offers accommodation, too. Good quality traditional favourites are the order of the day here, such as mussels and fries, sausages and mash and beer battered fish and chips. Call 01297 680300 to book.

Visit: Branscombe has a number of historic, still working buildings, including The Old Bakery and Forge, both owned by the National Trust. Inside the old bakery you are surrounded by the open fires, baking tins and storage jars from centuries before. The charmingly quaint – and still working – forge is the only thatched one of its kind in England.

Days out: Nearby Pecorama is a family attraction with working light railway, model railway exhibition, indoor children’s play areas and beautiful gardens. It opens fully for the summer season on March 21 and costs from £9.35 for adults – visit www.pecorama.info or call 01297 21542 for details.

The Masons Arms

Discover: The Donkey Sanctuary is nearby on the edge of Sidmouth, a short drive from Branscombe. Free to visit, the charity-run sanctuary has lovely walks, lots of cute donkeys to meet and a great café, all in a glorious clifftop setting. For details, visit www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk Walk: Branscombe is ideally situated for walking, with the South West Coast Path passing right

along the beachfront here. It’s steep uphill on either side, but worth the hike for the sea views.

A really nice walk is to head from Branscombe to the next village along, Beer, over the clifftops.

Or you could just stroll along the grassy beach front, if you are feeling less energetic, pausing for lunch or a coffee at the excellent (and dog friendly) Sea Shanty Beach Café – visit www.theseashanty.co.uk for details.

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Tremenheere Garden Tarquin Leadbetter of Tarquin’s Gin

My Secret Westcountry

My favourite...

Matt Robinson Architect Matt Robinson designs eco-friendly houses from a studio in his garden, and builds using sustainable, local materials. He is married to artist Louise McClary and they live in St Martin, close to the Helford River on the south coast of Cornwall.

Walk: We are lucky enough to be surrounded by beautiful walks in the Helford area. I love escaping across the fields and heading towards the river at lunchtime in the summer. A little further afield, the walk between Church Cove and Kynance Cove on The Lizard is spectacular.

On a bright, sunny day the scenery is unbeatable with amazingly blue sea and sandy beaches.

When the sea is rough it becomes a dramatic setting for wave-watching.

Beach: Dollar Cove near Gunwalloe on The Lizard is my pick of the beaches locally. You can park at the National Trust car park at Winnian-

ton Farm and join the coast path just opposite the farm entrance. The cove is usually very quiet, as families prefer Gunwalloe Church Cove a little to the southeast. The name Dollar Cove refers to a Spanish boat (San Salvador, lost in 1669) which was apparently shipwrecked just off the coast, laden with silver dollars. According to legend, occasionally coins still washed up after storms – I’ve never found any!

Arts venue: The Tolmen Centre is a rural arts venue near us in the village of Constantine.

They run film nights, theatre performances, music and talks. It’s a fantastic resource for the local community and has become a hub for my wife Louise and I to meet friends and enjoy

44

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Gunwalloe beach

People

Cornish Yarg cheese Matt’s garden bridge

Restaurant: The Greenhouse in St Keverne is a great bistro not far from us offering local, seasonal and organic produce. The food is always fresh and delicious. Cornish fish and game (when the latter is in season) are real highlights.

The restaurant is run by a husband and wife team who do a great job, both front of house and in the kitchen.

Way to relax: To relax, I spend time in my garden, usually doing jobs but occasionally sitting back and enjoying the peace and quiet. I also enjoy topiary. It’s a bit of a niche hobby but more people should try it – it’s creative and very calming.

Weekend away: I tend not to go too far be-

Sculpture by Tim Shaw

Talland Bay Hotel

cause we are spoilt for choice here in the Westcountry. One place I would love to go back to soon is Talland Bay Hotel near Fowey in south east Cornwall. It’s luxurious but has more personality than many other hotels I have visited.

The terrace overlooking the bay is a great place to spend an afternoon.

Shop: As someone who loves buildings and

entertainment together.

Activity: I’m a really keen gardener. It’s an activity I find both restful and stimulating.

A lot of my architectural work incorporates local materials, including cob, straw, mud, and (of course) wood, so the difference between gardening and visualising buildings sometimes becomes a bit blurred! My garden is home to some of the landscape features I enjoy creating, including a 54ft bridge that I designed and built.

Food: My whole family really loves Yarg cheese, which is made in Ponsanooth near Falmouth. We buy industrial quantities of the stuff and it always disappears very quickly.

Tipple: I am a big fan of Lizard Ales – made at a craft brewery near me with a few different cask and bottled real ales, produced using quality ingredients on the Lizard Peninsula.

You can find Lizard Ales in a handful of pubs and independent retailers in the South West.

I thoroughly recommend you give them a try, they’re great!

Pub: The Star Inn in St Just, close to Land’s End, is a proper Cornish pub, with a good selection of Westcountry ales. It has a history interwoven with the local fishing and mining industries here. These days, it is a centre for the folk music scene in these parts, with wonderfully rowdy weekly sessions.

gardening, I would have to say Macsalvors DIY store in Redruth – it stocks everything you could possibly want, for pretty much every imaginable task. Heaven!

Treat: A special treat for me would be a leisurely day visiting Tremenheere Sculpture Garden on the edge of Penzance. As a gardener, the exotic and sub-tropical planting is fascinating. The views of St Michael’s Mount are also very special and to top it off there are several inspirational artworks – including those by James Turrell, Tim Shaw and David Nash. Tremenheere Kitchen is great for coffee and cake or a light lunch. www.mattrobinsonarchitecture.co.uk www.louisemcclary.com 45

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My life

[

[

man and boy

A trip to the beach

Phil Goodwin and son James, six, set off to the seaside for a family day out discovered a new beach recently when my father-in-law was over visiting from Russia – the lovely Teignmouth. In fact, we liked it so much we took half of it home with us (of which, more later).

I know, the Devon resort has been there for many years but it was new to me. I have seen it on TV, written about it for the paper and, of course, whizzed past countless times on the train to Plymouth. But I had never actually set foot there.

It got me thinking about how quickly you get blasé about the place where you live. Having been around the Westcountry a fair bit as a roving reporter, I tend to think I have been everywhere – seen it, done it, been to the magistrates’ court… you know the story.

Between Sidmouth planning rows and the Dawlish rail track disaster I thought I had nailed most of the east Devon coastline. So when my wife suggested a trip to show her Russian dad the place, I was less than enthusiastic.

“Teignmouth? What for?” I think were my exact words, followed by: “Do you know how cold it is outside?”

As usual, she was right, I was wrong. Despite the Arctic temperatures and biting winds, I was persuaded to drive the family down there for a spot of beachcombing. To be honest I was quite taken by the place. Admittedly, it feels like a bit of a poor relation to some of the prettier Westcountry beaches – the bonus of free parking all day Sunday kind of suggested they were keen to attract visitors. But for the lad there was dinosaur crazy golf (what’s not to like?) and for the

I

[

‘Teignmouth? What for?’ I think were my exact words, followed by: ‘Do you know how cold it is outside?’

[

grown-ups there was hot coffee and crab sandwiches - and, more importantly, not a tourist in sight.

First, we took a stroll round the back beach around the old wooden huts and boats and it was there that Granddad found the shells – so many shells. Where he lives, in Sochi, it might be 35C in the summer but the beaches – which by the way he never goes to – are just pebbles.

So, dazzled by all the crustaceans, he toddles off with the lad, two pairs of eyes down scouring the sand, while my wife and I huddle behind a wind-break.

At the start, Gramps has a handful. There is the odd loud “Ooh” as he spots a special shell, and waves it aloft at us. We nod back, shivering.

When his hands and pockets are full, he scuttles off and returns with an old carrier bag.

Soon it has a deep, saggy bottom.

“Is it okay to take so many?” I ask the wife.

She shrugs. I decide there are probably enough shells left to cope with the enthusiasm of one grandfather.

James, meanwhile, is overjoyed at the discovery of a dead crab and two stray crab pincers, which are now in a plastic bucket on our veranda and starting to smell.

It was a great day, even though I nearly froze to death. I am now drawing up a list of shame – all the places I have not been to. Bigbury for one. I can’t believe I haven’t been there. No more same-old for me. On Skype a few days later Granddad presents his handiwork – a nest of clam shells, lovingly glued together and now taking pride of place on his table. A little piece of the magical Devon seaside, now at home in southern Russia.

NEXT WEEK: Chris McGuire on starting his new, very different, life in the South West 46

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