West Magazine, May 21 2016 by DCMedia

21.05.16

The good spa guide We reveal the top ten Westcountry spas

Win ÂŁ190

pamper day for two

Ways to enjoy the weekend

PLUS: + MARY KING + CREATIVE INTERIORS

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To book please call 0800 005 2244 & Quote WMN103 Fowey Hotel | Esplanade | Fowey | PL23 1HX | www.thefoweyhotel.co.uk Cornwall’s Hidden Treasure

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16/05/2016 16:44:59

‘From the sauna, it’s on to that row of wooden buckets; you stand underneath one, tug on a rope and then try to be brave as a gallon or two of cold water tips down. Yes, I screamed.’

SECRET PLACES Where to go, what to see

ALL THE GOSSIP Sh! You heard it here first!

Catherine Barnes researches The Good Spa Guide, page 16

[contents[ Inside this week... 6

THE WISHLIST Our pick of the best treats this week

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

SIREN SONG Why Martha Tilston is inspired by the sea

THE GOOD SPA GUIDE

CRAFTY AND CORNISH Combining a gallery with a home

THE ABBEY HABIT Beautiful days out at Buckfast

Our pick of the Westcountry’s finest

CRAFTY AND CORNISH The gallery that’s also a stunning home

ANNE SWITHINBANK

INSPIRED BY CORNWALL

Martha Tilston’s siren songs

How to grow wonderful wisterias

SCENTS OF THE GARDEN Abbie Bray finds fresh new perfumes

HOW TO WEAR IT Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod on cutwork frocks

CULTURE VULTURE Our don’t-miss tips for the days ahead

BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Smart ways to feel your best this week

THE ABBEY HABIT Days out at beautiful Buckfast

A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE Chris McGuire attempts some rodent control

STARTING FROM SEED The best blooms to plant now 3

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RELAX IN STYLE

with the Good Spa Guide

[ welcome [

14.05.16

Born to do it Craig David’s back, and headed our way WIN:

Are you summer-ready?

+ A COASTAL BREAK WORTH OVER £2000

INSIDE:

+ SOMERSET’S SUPER SWIMMER

ith warm weather finally here, it’s time to adjust our wardrobe and our lifestyle to the new season. And that could well mean exposing parts of ourselves that have been covered up for many a month. If you’re in need of a scrub and polish, then do turn to our fabulous Good Spa Guide on page 16, in which we put the ten best spas in the South West to the test. You can also win a spa day for two, worth £190, at the gorgeous new Gaia Spa opening this summer in south Devon - it’s well worth a try and a lovely prize. Another highlight of the summer scene here in

PLUS:

[

+ BEDROOMS

FOR KIDS

+ MODERN

METALLICS

[

the Westcountry is the chance to listen to music outdoors and in festivals. We catch up with folk music royalty on page 12 today in Kirstie Newton’s interview with Falmouth-based singer Martha Tilston, who is appearing at the Don’t Wake the Fish Festival at Zennor next weekend. We hear how Cornwall inspires Martha (as well having folk legend Steve Tilston as her dad). And finally, if you are feeling less than comfortable about that afore-mentioned change to a summer wardrobe, our fashion selection on page 30 is made with curvier ladies in mind, flattering styles going up to plus sizes. Enjoy the weekend.

[

We put the ten best spas in the South West to the test

of the week @CraigDavid

Thank you for the love @WMNwest TO ADVERTISE: Contact Lynne Potter: 01752 293027 or 07834 568283, lynne.potter@dc-media.co.uk

Becky Sheaves, Editor

COVER IMAGE: iStockphoto

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... You should treat yourself to a mouth-watering afternoon tea by the River Fowey. Whether it’s just you and yours, a family get-together, hen party or relaxing afternoon, call in to The Fowey Hotel just off the Esplanade for simply the best views on the coast and an afternoon tea to remember. It’s just £22.95 for this delicious array of treats for two, or add Taittinger champagne and make a real occasion of it for £37.95 for two. The Fowey Hotel, The Esplanade, Fowey www.thefoweyhotel.co.uk, 01726 832551.

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Charming

Schwabenkoffer suitcase £55 en.dawanda.com

the

wishlist

La Rochelle globe lantern £96.95 www.annabeljames. co.uk

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

STREET STYLE STAR Di Gammage

SPOTTED BY: HANNAH MATTOCKS

Psychotherapist Di Gammage, 53, comes from Bovey Tracey and we spotted her shopping in Exeter recently. “I like clothes to be comfy, really. I like to collect them; it’s a hobby of mine,” she told us, adding: “I love vintage shops, there’s one in Ashburton called Number 30 that I love.” We definitely approve of her style! Coat: TK Maxx £40 Jeans: Levi’s £35 Boots: Fly London £70 Bag: Next £50

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

Fringed Eternal Summer beach towel £34.50 from www. roosbeach.co.uk and boutique in Porth, Cornwall

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Wishlist

Maggy high sandals £85 Dune

fave! Olympia earrings £6 Oliver Bonas

Simple Orikomi pastel blue lamp £37 en.dawanda.com

Floppy hat £24 Oliver Bonas

Store we adore...

So true House sign £6

PHOTO: MATT AUSTIN

www.tch.net

STORE WE ADORE:

Ryder & Hinks, Lyme Regis

This shop in Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast is run by friends Alice Meller and Michelle Blyth. It’s packed with gems made by local artists and artisans, alongside mid-century Ercol furniture. Their wares include soaps and blankets woven from the wool of Gotland

sheep at Trill Farm, run by Neal’s Yard founder Romy Fraser. Look out too for the beautiful handmade wooden spoons crafted by a Lyme Regis boatbuilder. Ryder & Hinks, 30 Broad Street, Lyme Regis, www.ryderandhinks.com, 01297 443304 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life... My advice? Just razzledazzle ‘em! went to see a production of Chicago at the Hall for Cornwall. I love it when the big musicals come west: it’s a treat to see the crème de la crème of the country’s stage talent. This production was full of glitz and glamour, singing, dancing, lights, everything you need – in the words of its character Billy Flynn – to razzle dazzle them. in the Rogers and Hammerstein In case you’re not familiar with and Lerner and Lowe era: OklaChicago, the opening line should homa, Annie Get Your Gun, Meet give you a taste: “Murder, greed, Me in St Louis, South Pacific, My corruption, exploitation, adultery Fair Lady. We always used to go and treachery… all those things see the Broadway musicals in we hold near and dear to our New York, often right when they hearts.” opened. The curtain opened on the She loved the innocence and actors and, I am happy to say, the fun of musicals, as did I. And musicians: on a tiered platform through the more experimental in centre stage were the live jazz period during the 1960s, 70s, and players: piano, 80s, and the many brass section, television verclarinet and persions, she would I love it when cussion. Oh, and always despair if a big stringed the productions got the big musicals instrument that too racy. “I don’t come west: it’s sounded like a see why they have kind of Russian to make it all about a treat to see guitar. I was sex – they were good the crème de pleased that the stories anyway,” she la crème of musicians were would say. not hidden away Even though it’s the country’s in an orchestra more relevant to stage talent pit. this story, I felt the From the same about Chicago. opening number, Originally written “All That Jazz,” everyone sat up by a young female writer about and took notice. This may have her city’s infatuation with murhad something to do with the deresses, and the perversion of costumes. They did not leave justice around their cases, it is a much to the imagination - black very fine piece of satire. Honestly, corsets, bras and stockings with I would have preferred to see gauzy netting over. The men also them in suits and dresses. had plenty of flesh on show. This Never mind. The choreograwas a bold as brass production: phy was fabulous, the singing sin and sinners. In your face. entrancing, it was witty and bold. I feel more and more like my And if it got too racy, you could mother, from whom I learned my always watch the musicians playlove of musicals. She was brought ing it hot. That’s proper razzle up in the golden age of the genre, dazzle.

PRETTY IN

pink

Somerset’s Maisie Williams looked super-sweet at the recent BAFTA awards ceremony in this sequined pink Antonio Berardi prom dress, very age-appropriate for someone who is still only 19 years old. The Game of Thrones actress had chosen a frock that costs a cool £10,000 to buy, so we have found some more affordable alternatives on the high street. We particularly like this La Redoute version with sleeves, ideal for older ladies. Ava dress by Ukelele £156 www.littleblackdress.co.uk

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION A Patterned

Sleeveless brocade shift dress £29 JD Williams

OPTION B Practical Laser cut dress £45 La Redoute

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

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21.05.16

Just

‘I’M SORRY FOR KILLING HIM’ JK Rowling has apologised to her fans for killing off her character Remus Lupin in the final Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows. The author took to Twitter recently to explain that she had initially planned for another character, Arthur Weasley to die in the Battle of

Hogwarts instead: “Arthur [Weasley] lived, so Lupin had to die. I’m sorry. I didn’t enjoy doing it,” she tweeted. JK studied at Exeter University and is said to have been inspired by the city’s Gandy Street when she created her magical shopping street, Diagon Alley.

[ [ ‘My kids are just not interested in what I do!’

BILLIE’S BACK AGAIN Billie Piper is set to return in supernatural TV series Penny Dreadful (co-starring Exeter-born actor Harry Treadaway), but reveals that her sons Winston, seven, and four-year-old Eugene weren’t overly impressed when they visited her on set during production. “I thought it would be a really scary experience, but my kids couldn’t be less interested in being on set,” says Billie, “It’s the last thing they want to do!” Billie recently split with her husband of eight years, actor Laurence Fox, who has turned to songwriting and will be performing at this year’s Looe Music Festival in September.

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

CHOCKS AWAY,

CAROL! She only gained her pilot’s licence two years ago, but now Carol Vorderman aims to become the ninth woman in history to complete a solo flight around the world. Her adventure in her own plane, Mildred, will be filmed for Channel 5 and called Carol’s Incredible Solo Flight Around The World. The TV presenter met cadets in Cornwall earlier this year in her role as an ambassador and Honorary Group Captain for the RAF Air Cadets. Carol says: “My life’s dream has been to be a pilot. It has been, and will be, a journey with tears and doubts and I still have huge areas of self-doubt and massive inexperience but I am going to push through it step by step. I WILL DO IT.” West says: Chocks away!

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In, out, shake it all about: Boris Johnson came to Truro to boost the Brexit campaign

in pictures Dancing: Hazel MansellGreenwood took this lovely picture of the May Day celebrations in Lustleigh, Dartmoor

Well done! Plymouth’s Slimming World groups held a ‘clothes throw’ of all the items that are now too big for them Achievement: Congratulations to all who took part in the Ten Tors competition on Dartmoor

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talking points Naturally

Old school

ONE OF US Famous faces with links to the Westcountry

10 playground games: 10 herbal oils used for wellbeing:

1 Lavender sleep/relaxation 2 Tea tree blemishes/fungal infections

3 Calendula acne scars 4 Peppermint alertness 5 Eucalyptus clearing sinuses

6 7 8 9

Oregano antibacterial Clove antiseptic Wintergreen cramp Roman chamomile anti-

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Sticky Toffee British Bulldog Kiss Chase Hopscotch Tag Stuck in the Mud Rock, Paper, Scissors Grandmother’s Footsteps 9 Please Mr Crocodile 10 Hide and Seek

inflammatory

10 Hop oil treating insomnia

The happy list

Plant now

10 things to make you smile this week 10 plants to start from seed this month:

1 Sunflowers 2 Nasturtiums 3 Poppies 4 Cornflowers 5 Candytuft

1 Cricket the season’s begun 2 Cornish earlies heavenly new potatoes

3 Shadowlands Theatre Royal Plymouth June 6-11

4 Roses in bloom soon 5 The Big Sheep for half term fun in north Devon

6 Poetry at Bodmin Moor Festival, May 27-29

7 Lettuce

7 Sun cream we need some! 8 River Cottage Gluten-Free

8 Runner beans

9 Don Giovanni Exeter’s

6 Kale

9 Beetroot 10 Carrots

This week:

Mary King Eventing champion Mary King lives in east Devon

Early days: Mary, 54, was born in Newark-on-Trent. Her father, a naval officer, took the position of church verger in Salcombe Regis, east Devon, where Mary still lives today. Childhood: Mary borrowed the vicar’s pony at the age of six. “I was a hopeless rider at first, but I was very determined.” Pony Club: She was inspired to become an eventer on a trip to Badminton Horse Trials with Axe Vale Pony Club.

to sell him but refused, saying: “I’d rather be famous than rich.”

Success: Mary kept her first pregnancy secret, so she could continue to compete: “I was five months DID YOU KNOW? pregnant with my Mary has daughter Emily when I competed represented in the European Britain at Championships... I six Olympic completely trusted my horse and we Games, from won a gold medal.”

1992-2012

Home: In her early career, Mary cleaned houses, cooked, gardened and even delivered for the local butcher to make ends meet. Professional: Her first major success was on her horse Divers Rock, who came seventh at Badminton in 1985. She was offered large sums of money

Medals: Mary has won three Olympic medals - silver in 2004, bronze in 2008 and silver in 2012. She also has an MBE for services to equestrianism. Family: She is married to David King and they have two children, Emily and Freddie. Emily also competes in eventing: “We don’t have time for the usual mother and daughter things it’s all horse!”

Cookbook, out now Northcott, May 25-28

10 Royal Cornwall Show June 9-11, a great day out

Competition winners: Winners of a copy of The Cracked Amulet by Rosa Watkinson: Jenna Iredale, Falmouth; and Margaret Cleveland, Exbourne near Okehampton

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People

Siren of the sea Folk star Martha Tilston, from Falmouth, tells Kirstie Newton why life in Cornwall inspires her every day s a child, Martha Tilston grew up with the great names of folk music strumming at her kitchen table. Her father, singer-songwriter Steve Tilston, was friends with the likes of legendary folk musician Bert Jansch. “I loved Bert – although I actually thought he was Tom Baker, and told all my friends I knew Doctor Who,” she laughs. Martha was also used to visiting Cornwall. While the family split its time between Bristol and London, summer holidays were spent in West Penwith, where she will play this month at the Don’t Wake The Fish Festival, at the Gurnard’s Head pub, Zennor from May 27 to 29. Indeed, she loves the place so much, her daughter is named Zennor. “It is really special,” she enthuses. “My childhood summers were spent playing on Zennor Hill. We had no TV and with all the siblings and friends, there would usually be around 15 kids. We’d run wild on the hill, the whole summer long. Mum used to ring a bell for dinner and we’d all come down. I guess like hibernating birds, we had summer and winter grounds, and Zennor was our African bush. Those summer holidays

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photography: david angel

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THIS IMAGE: JACK LADENBURG

felt like they lasted years and I’d come back a new person. “It was my first proper moment of connection with nature. Everyone has that realisation of the part they play in nature – it’s very humbling. For others, it might be climbing a tree; for me, it was climbing the cliffs or exploring rock pools, being around the heather and gorse and watching the birds of prey wheeling below. “I knew the best secret beaches and even which side to climb to avoid the rocks that would graze your feet. I never knew my mapping like that in the city.” Fast-forward to the present day and Martha now lives full-time in Cornwall, in Falmouth with her husband Robin Tyndale-Biscoe. Robin is drummer with the group Red Foot Crow and also has co-ordinated the Beats Cornwall world music event in previous years. They have two daughters, the eldest of whom is seven-year-old Zennor. “I’d love to live in West Penwith if I could but it’s a bit too far for touring,” Martha says wistfully. “But Falmouth has a nice vibe and the fresh air blows through.” This year, she is releasing two quite distinct albums: one influenced by modern sounds and a second drawing upon 1960s Americana (such as Crosby, Stills and Nash). “They are very different and the bridge between them is me,” she explains. “Music is music. It used to be the way we defined ourselves but with the advancement of humanity, it seems we don’t want to divide up so much.” Another common factor is the importance of Cornwall. “I wrote about it all the time when I was living in London. I’d come down and sit on Sennen beach and would be inspired to write just looking at the waves. “Porthmeor [at St Ives] was another favourite – I loved the sound of the waves there and the light. 14

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People Folk wisdom

Love folk music? It’s festival time...

Bude and Stratton Festival: North Cornwall festival starring Jim Causley, Jackie Oates and Liam Robinson, plus workshops, open mic stages and music sessions. Adults £50, children free, May 27-30 www.budefolkfest.com

It was the nearest I ever got to meditating.” She also paints her own album covers and sells the artwork to fund her music production. “It means I can retain creative freedom, and besides, I can’t help it – when I have a title, I see a painting and want to paint it.” There can be little doubt her arty, bohemian upbringing led to her current career, but does she think she would have been a musician without it? “It’s hard to know, maybe – I think music is in all of us somehow – if it was in my bones it would have come out regardless,” she says. “But I do feel blessed that it was so easy and unquestioned to follow my creative path regardless of the financial struggle that can accompany it. My parents are all strong and free spirits in their own way (I say ‘all’ because I really had four parents bringing me up). They all expressed themselves creatively and as kids we fitted in with that, watched, and it probably soaked in.” Folk music has often had a strong political element, so how do Martha’s own beliefs fit into her music? “I don’t know what to say about this. It is a delicate balance to reflect what folk are saying, and questioning without judging or having the answers. But I wonder, with the state of the world at present and the way we as humans are interacting with each other and nature, if being apolitical or avoiding politics is somehow more political? “By this I mean, I may make a more commercially successful album if it were full of love songs and oblique references to the

human condition, but we are at a crucial time in the human development with the environment and so much of our daily lives is controlled by big corporations. If folk music doesn’t ask questions folk are asking – who will? “I may not always get it right but in those songs I try to craft these questions carefully from personal experience and hope they don’t sound like just Guardian headlines…” And there is no doubt that, today, folk music is finding a whole new audience, says Martha. “It’s wonderful. There are so many sublime, traditional songs out there being performed by an inspiring wealth of new talent. I just hope that we stay free to comment on and question the world without commerce affecting our courage.” She continues: “Cornwall is so beautiful, it’s great for the creative juices. In a city, you might feel swamped, but here there is oxygen to follow your ideas through – making things, putting on a play. I hardly know any software developers – not that there’s anything wrong with being one but there’s a real celebration of creativity down here. It’s refreshing to be in a place where money isn’t tied to status – as long as you have enough for your next meal, that’s the main thing.” See Martha Tilston at the Don’t Wake The Fish festival, The Gurnard’s Head, Zennor, May 27-29 www.gurnardshead.co.uk

‘Cornwall is so beautiful, it’s great for the creative juices... there’s a real celebration of creativity down here.’

Bradninch Music Festival: This midDevon festival includes Peter Bruntnell, local muso Sam Lloyd and the Dakar Audio Club. Most events are free, June 10-12 www.bradninchmusicfestival.co.uk Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival: Free shanty singing all over the town, with a gala concert on the Saturday night (£10), starring Vent de Noroise and The Oggymen. June 17-19, www. falmouthseashanty.co.uk Chagstock: Folk hero Donovan is headlining at this Dartmoor weekender, along with an eclectic line-up including The Stranglers and The Blockheads. Weekend tickets £85 adults, children free, July 22-23, www.chagstock.info Sidmouth Folk Week: A full week of everything folk, from Steeleye Span to Kathryn Tickell (pictured above) in this pretty east Devon seaside resort. All-inone tickets £308 adults, July 29-August 5, www.sidmouthfolkweek.co.uk Dartmoor Folk Festival: Taking place at South Zeal near Okehampton and starring Blazin’ Fiddles and Miranda Sykes. Weekend camping tickets £55, August 5-7, www.dartmoorfolkfestival. co.uk Cornwall Folk Festival: Three days of music and fun in Wadebridge, north Cornwall, including folk legend Ralph McTell. Also look out for ceilidhs and a young musicians concert. Weekend tickets £70 adults, August 26-29, www. cornwallfolkfestival.com

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Enjoy

Time to unwind There is nothing like a spa treatment for restoring the spirits, helping you to relax and de-stress. We present the Westcountry Good Spa Guide, tried and tested by the West team

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Luxury relaxation

Woodbury Park

Where: The Elan Spa, Bovey Castle Hotel, Dartmoor What: The 85-minute Hero Treatment

The Budock Vean Hotel

Natural pampering Where: The Budock Vean Hotel, near Falmouth What: The Exotic Frangipani Nourish Wrap I looked ‘frangipani’ up in the dictionary before I headed to try at the Budock Vean Hotel. Isn’t that something that goes in cakes? That’s in fact frangipane. Whereas frangipani, it turns out, is a tropical flower with a heady scent. The treatment, using Elemis products, seemed an appropriate thing to try at a hotel in lush grounds beside the River Helford, just a short distance from the gardens at Trebah and Glendurgan, known for their subtropical plants which love the mild Cornish climate. My therapist Zoe started by buffing me all over with a body detox skin brush, to exfoliate my skin. Then I was whisked away to the tropics, in my head at least, as she rubbed scented frangipani oil into my limbs and back. Then, before I knew it, I was being wrapped in a foil sheet and a towel, as the warm oils worked their magic. Next came the rose petal cleanser and a ginseng toner which Zoe used to give me a facial and scalp massage. After washing off the oils in the shower leading off the treatment room, I was back on the couch for the moisturising part of the treatment, a hydra-boost day cream for the face and skin nourishing milk bath for the body. It was the final touch of scented bliss. After this hour of pampering, my limbs felt relaxed and when I looked in the mirror my face was distinctly plumper and perkier. I could definitely get used to this. By Sarah Pitt

“You’ve got to search for the hero inside yourself,” as M People so rightly said. Alas, if you are anything like me, you’ll feel distinctly unheroic on a day-to-day basis. So what was I doing, signing up for the new Hero Treatment at Bovey Castle’s newly-refurbished Elan Spa? Who, exactly, did I think I was, to deserve 85 minutes of back and scalp massage, interspersed with a luxury facial? Well, the truth is, I’m no hero – I haven’t saved anyone’s life or invented a cure for cancer. But my afternoon of indulgence in one of the most beautiful hotels in the Westcountry was a real treat for this ordinary stressed-out mum. The spa here is newly renovated in Art Deco style and super-glamorous. My afternoon started with a back massage, one of the best I’ve ever had. Then followed a fabulous facial, which – like all the treatments here – was carried out with ESPA products. This topquality range combines natural ingredients with the latest advances in cosmetic science. During my facial, Debbie used an ultra-violet lamp to see what was really going on with my skin, revealing sun damage in places and signs of dehydration around my eyes. Finally, a scalp massage. I do wish I could tell you more about it but I fear I was dozing for this part. And quite possibly snoring. But what I do know is that I emerged from the Elan Spa feeling about ten years younger, with skin as soft and dewy as a fresh nectarine. Heroic doesn’t begin to cover it. By Becky Sheaves

The beauty of this treatment is that it combines terrific whole-body exfoliation with a massage. What is all the fuss about Himalayan salt, you may well be asking? Well, a couple of hundred million years ago there were seas where now there is Mount Everest. They dried up, leaving crystallized sea salt beds, which were then covered by lava and ended up hidden deep within the Himalayas. Thanks to its hidden location, this salt is extremely pure and it is also rich in minerals, which give it a pretty pink colour. First up, I had a massage with hot bars of this beautiful salt, rather like a hot stone massage. Next came an all-over exfoliant scrub, using a combination of the Himalayan salt with an aromatic oil. It was a great way to ease aches and pains and, even better, is also said to have great de-toxing qualities as well. It certainly worked for me - my skin was soft and smooth by the end and I felt very relaxed, too. By Becky Sheaves

The lowdown: An 85 minute Hero Treatment

The lowdown: The Himalayan Salt Massage

costs £120 at the Bovey Castle Hotel Elan Spa. Visit www.boveycastle.com or call 01647 445021.

Detoxing in style Where: Woodbury Park Hotel, east Devon What: Himalayan Salt Massage

costs £65 for 60 minutes. Visit www. woodburypark.co.uk or call 01395 233382.

Elan Spa at Bovey Castle

The lowdown: The Exotic Frangipani Nourish Wrap costs £64. See www.budockvean.co.uk or call 01326 250288. 17

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Enjoy

Buff Urban Day Spa

Urban oasis Where: Buff Urban Day Spa, Taunton What: ESPA Luxury Holistic Full Body, Face &

Wonderful wellbeing Where: St Ives Harbour Hotel What: The Ocean Spa Ritual

Scalp I step inside straight off a cold and wet Taunton High Street and it becomes immediately clear why this urban gem regularly finds itself in the running for industry awards. Luxurious is an understatement. My therapist Lucy, who has been practising her craft for almost a decade, begins with an all-important sensory test. I am presented with two scents. The theory is that the one I am most drawn to is a cue from my body as to what it needs for restoration. The soft floral note that makes me want to fill my lungs to capacity to turns out to be lavender. “An indicator you have had a stressful week.” Too right. Phase one of my holistic experience is a brisk peppermint scrub which makes me tingle from head to toe. Special attention is paid to my thighs, heels and elbows and, even in the dark, I can sense my skin pulsing with a newfound glow. Lucy follows this up with a full-body massage that is a testament to her experience. A rare balance between gently soothing strokes and pressure-perfect persistence. Things just kept getting better as Lucy turns her attention to my facial. Potions and lotions of various texture and temperature are massaged in and gently stroked off, and if I start to become less specific at this point it is because for the first time in my 32 years, I fell asleep during a spa treatment. Luckily, I wake up just in time for the cherry on top, my scalp massage. ESPA’s pink hair and scalp mud is massaged onto my (now putty-like) head. Lucy’s fingers hit key pressure points along the way and, as her hands drift to the very tips of my hair, it is hard to imagine being more relaxed. By Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod

The lowdown: The ESPA Luxury Holistic Full Body Face & Scalp costs £95 for 120 minutes. Visit www.buffdayspa.co.uk or call 01823 257445.

The St Ives Harbour Hotel occupies an enviable position in this picturesque resort. Perched above Porthminster Beach, there are fabulous views from the outdoor terrace and wide floor-to-ceiling windows. There is certainly something extra luxurious about watching the waves crash against the beach while you’re cocooned from the elements in a warm, scented environment and wrapped up in a fluffy towelling gown. The centre’s signature treatment is its Ocean

The Bedruthan Hotel

Floral fantasy Where: The Haven Spa, Woolacombe Bay Hotel What: Garden of England Rose Restore Massage The Woolacombe Bay Hotel has a fabulous location, overlooking one of the Westcountry’s best beaches with glorious coastal countryside all around. You’ll feel relaxed just by being there but, better still, the hotel has a superb spa offering some utterly indulgent treatments, also open to non-residents. On my visit, I went for the Garden of England Rose Restore massage, which costs £69 for a full body massage or £75 for all that plus an additional neck, face and scalp massage. I went for the whole shebang and did not regret it. The massage is carried out with Elemis products selected for their hydrating qualities, with oils of rose, camellia and poppy seed. They also smelled gorgeous. All in all, it was a first-class treatment in a beautiful setting. By Abbie Bray

The lowdown: The Elemis Garden of England Rose Restore full body, neck, face and scalp massage costs £75 for 70 minutes. Visit www. woolacombe-bay-hotel.co.uk or call 01271 872102.

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xxxxx St Ives Harbour Hotel

Coming soon! The Gaia Spa, Boringdon Hall, Plympton, south Devon Spa Ritual, an experience that gives a sense of wellbeing from top to toe using techniques like skin brushing to stimulate the lymphatic system and body polishing using natural produces like rich seaweed to eliminate toxins. This is followed by specialist Swedish massage to balance the mind and body, a personalised facial and scalp massage. It all adds up to a fantastic feeling of wellbeing. By Lyn Barton

The lowdown: The Ocean Spa Ritual costs

We’re very excited about this luxury purpose-built spa, inspired by nature, called the Gaia Spa. It is opening soon in the grounds of Boringdon Hall, a country house hotel near Plymouth. Built with lots of wood, stone and glass for natural light, the spa will feature an infinity pool and a hydrotherapy pool with an outdoor swim-through. The heat experiences include a Finnish sauna, a crystal steam room, a herbal sauna and even a Laconium, a dry heat room favoured by the Romans. It all sounds truly fabulous.

The Gaia Spa’s signature treatment will be a four-hand massage, performed by two therapists. Wow! Visit www.gaiaboringdon.co.uk or call 01752 344455

A Pampering Day for Two: We have a Pampering Day for two at the Gaia Spa to win, worth £190. The day includes two treatments each and use of all spa facilities, plus lunch with a glass of champagne. Just tell us the name of the hotel where the Gaia Spa is based, emailing Gaia Spa, westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by June 4. Normal terms apply. West magazine will not share your details.

Win

£185 for 160 minutes. Visit www.stives-harbour-hotel.co.uk or call 01736 795221

Outdoor exhilaration Where: The Bedruthan Hotel, north Cornwall What: The Seven-Step Elemental Experience Newly-opened and located in a little sun-trap between the hotel and its long-established indoor spa, the Bedruthan Hotel’s Sensory Spa Garden experience is a cross between something Health and Efficiency magazine might have recommended in the 1930s and a contemporary Cornish twist on a sensuous hammam. It’s all set within an outdoor space, with a grotto-like shower area, scrub zone, sauna cabin, three spa tubs and a sit-down area arranged around a fire pit. Did I mention buckets of water? It includes them, too! Swimwear donned, you’re given a towel, a pair of Crocs and smiling instructions. I was handed a rugged ceramic dish of dry scrub, containing fine oatmeal and salt, and advised to massage it in small circular motions into my skin, before showering off. I’m proud to say I then managed 15 minutes in the feverish heat of the sauna cabin, which has

cute little portholes looking out to sea. From the sauna, it’s on to that row of wooden buckets; you stand underneath one, tug on a rope and then try to be brave as a gallon or two of cold water tips down. Yes, I screamed. But in all honesty, it actually wasn’t that bad; nor the dip in the pore-closing cold tub that followed. I then gave the hot tub a miss and relaxed for 15 minutes in the bubbling lukewarm option which, like Goldilocks’ porridge, was just right. Then it was time to polish off with another pot of scrub; this time filled with sugar, salt and gorgeous citrusy-cedary oil that lingered on my softer skin for days. Rinsed off and robed, my spa session was completed with a steaming mug of herbal tea around a fire pit, toes soaking in a lovely warm copper foot bath. By Catherine Barnes

The lowdown: The Bedruthan Hotel Day Spa package starts from £55, www.bedruthan.com 01637 860860

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Enjoy The Headland Hotel

Maritime marvels Where: Harbour Spa, Sidmouth Harbour Hotel What: The Harbour Reviver The Sidmouth Harbour Hotel perches above the town, offering sea views across to those famous red cliffs. It was this vista I admired while relaxing in the silky waters of the shimmering blue-tiled pool at the newly-opened Sidmouth Harbour Spa. Small yet perfectly formed, the spa is decorated with blues and creams, and wood textures giving a maritime feel. The tranquil surroundings include a sauna and steam room, hydrotherapy pool and relaxation area. With large, comfy, double-bed loungers set back in the wall, it’s an ideal hideaway from the stresses of everyday life. The spa offers a tempting menu of treatments too, from ESPA face and body experiences to Sidmouth Harbour Hotel

Fabulous facials aromatherapy and lava shell massages. I opted for the Harbour Reviver, a deep tissue massage with a choice of aromatherapy oil. I chose the detoxifying product with cypress and jasmine - heavenly. As was the massage itself, in a quiet and peaceful treatment room my masseuse firmly yet gently eased out every last kink, working into the muscles to release all tension, leaving me loose-limbed, blissed-out, and smelling divine. Finally, there was just time to head to the hotel’s stunning restaurant for a top-notch two-course meal of crab bisque and hake - and a cocktail while soaking up those impressive views once more. By Bridget Bachelor

The lowdown: The 70-minute Harbour Reviver massage costs £87.50. Visit www.harbourhotels. co.uk or call 01395 513252

Where: The Headland Hotel, Newquay What: Elemis Skin-Specific Facial The £5 million spa at the Headland Hotel is the first Five Bubble rated spa in the region, I was delighted to learn when I signed up for a weekend stay at this iconic hotel. The low-lit treatment rooms are warm and welcoming and you can even bring your own music, great if you are going for a couple’s experience and overall a welcome change from some spas that seem to have a constant loop of whale music on in the background. For my Elemis Skin Specific Facial, firstly, my skin was analysed by my therapist who confirmed that dry patches and problem areas needed a bit of attention. My skin was ever-so gently massaged, cleaned and exfoliated. The therapist then applied a seaweed facemask and, when that was carefully removed, I felt like years of bad skincare habits were going with it. My skin was then moisturised with products specially chosen for my skin type and afterwards I must admit I felt glowing with health. The spa at The Headland Hotel also features a sea salt steam room, sauna, hot tub and pool, as well as a gym if you fancy something a little more energetic. My other half and I enjoyed a supremely relaxing weekend break at the hotel, with terrific food and views over Newquay’s Fistral Beach, an experience which I can thoroughly recommend. By Lyn Barton

The lowdown: A 60-minute Skin Specific Facial costs £80. A two-night Ocean Spa break costs from £599 for two. Visit www. headlandhotel.co.uk or call 01637 872211. 20

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Interiors

Open to ideas Alex Westgate discovers a newly-built home in south-east Cornwall that is full of simple, yet striking, open-plan style

hough it sits amid fields in the heart of the Cornish countryside, Elaine Dye’s house was inspired by living on the other side of the world. “In 2006 I spent two years in Australia,” she says. “Until then, I’d never been a fan of open-plan design but our flat in Sydney made me fall in love with a sense of space and light.” When Elaine and her husband Barry came back to England, they decided against returning to their old life in London. Instead, they made a permanent move to the village of Millbrook, on the Rame Peninsula in south-east Cornwall. Life was good, but they missed their roomy pad Down Under. To solve the problem, the couple set their sights on a plot that was for sale a little further up the hill from their house. It was once home to some agricultural buildings and plans had already been drawn up to build a house on the site. There were several advantages to the move. It would allow them to live their open-plan dream and the plot had stunning views down the valley. There was plenty of space for Barry to have a workshop for his beloved vintage cars and motorbikes. And, finally, there was room for Elaine, whose professional background is in arts PR for the likes of the BBC and Scottish Opera, to realise a lifetime’s ambition and open a contemporary craft gallery in one wing of the building. “I love the Australian approach to contemporary craft, which they don’t see as a poor relation to the visual arts,” says Elaine. “When I came back to the UK, I felt that many galleries and

Elaine Dye has created an open-plan home on the Rame Peninsula

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Interiors

[[

craft shops didn’t present dethe vast expanse of space. It ‘The original sign-led craft particularly symmakes the most of the view and plans divided the pathetically or imaginatively.” includes a section of glass floor living space into As luck would have it, a planto keep light levels high. ning law had just been introBuilding began in 2012 and three. We altered duced that allowed former agwas carried out by Par-based that to have one ricultural buildings on the edge Morcom Construction (www. of a village to be converted into morcom-construction.co.uk). large room with residential properties, as long The work took 15 months. “The a kitchen at one as a small business was run house is designed to be as lowend’ from the site. “This regulation energy as possible,” says Elaine. only existed for a short period,” “It is highly insulated, has a says Elaine, “but it was perfect heat recovery system, a biomass timing.” boiler and photovoltaic panels. So Elaine and Barry bought Our electricity bills are unbethe plot and tailored the plans to suit them. “Our lievably low for a property of this size.” priority was to create a large living area in which When it came to choosing paints and fabrics, everything was connected,” explains Elaine. the couple again looked to Australia for inspi“The original plans had divided the main living space into three but we altered that so we would have one large room, with a kitchen at one end, a dining table in the middle and a snug at the far end. “We wanted somewhere cosy to relax and watch television but we chose to separate it from the living space with open shelving rather than a solid wall, to stop it feeling too enclosed.” The couple also designed a mezzanine floor suspended above the dining table, to break up

ration: “We based the palette on an Aboriginal painting that we had brought back from Australia. It contains a lovely shade of burnt orange that we used in the snug and on the open shelving that separates it from the dining room. Used sparingly, a strong colour like this gives a real sense of warmth.” This is balanced by lots of grey – a pale shade on the far wall of the kitchen and a darker shade on the dining room chairs and pendant lights. The result is a brilliant backdrop for the pieces of contemporary craft that creep into the house from Elaine’s gallery. “My aim is to showcase the inherent beauty of contemporary crafts in a domestic setting,” says Elaine. “If parts of the house feel like a gallery and the gallery feels a bit like a home, then I’ve done my job well.” www.thebyregallery.co.uk

ELAINE’S TOP TIP: Pick a painting or piece of art that you love, and use it as inspiration for your interior decor colour palette

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GET THE

LOOK

Muuto Ambit grey pendant light £209 www.rume.co.uk

fave!

Mix strong shades with natural wood for contemporary style

Drawing Room Blue paint £43.50 for 2.5 litres emulsion www.farrow-ball.com

Scandi chair £85 www.harleyandlola.co.uk

Mango wood bowls from £8.95 www.nkuku.com and Nkuku store, Harbertonford, near Totnes

Blue and orange cushion £46 www.in-spaces.com

Speakeasy kitchen table £575 www.loaf.com

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16/05/2016 13:16:13

Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Wistful thinking Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, has the lowdown on how to get your wisteria to flower profusely ext week, horticulture will be at the forefront, with Chelsea Flower Show in full swing. This always reminds me of the days when we used to have a Gardeners’ World stand there, where presenters would take it in turns to meet gardeners and answer their questions. The commonest by far was ‘why won’t my wisteria flower?’, so now Chelsea and these magnificent climbers are woven as closely in my mind as stems around the struts of a pergola. These days, wisterias seem to be behaving themselves in the flowering department but I would still recommend splashing out on a goodsized plant bearing a few blooms, to prove that it can. A mature wisteria is an awesome sight in terms of its sheer size, the number and colour of its dangling racemes and sweet perfume. Now is the time to seek out and admire plants but there is work to do before you can recreate such magnificence in your own plot. The wisteria is a prime performer and as such, deserves some decent scenery, so finding a suitable backdrop is the first job. Close to where I live in east Devon there is a lovely garden at

[[

Pecorama in Beer, famous for formative pruning is required its model railways. The Millenand consists of reducing the In the wild, nium Garden there, designed length of main stems as they by Naila Green, consists of difgrow, rather than allowing them wisterias are ferent rooms with plenty of to elongate naturally. This profrom China and walls and archways to frame the motes a better framework, and plants and in the Secret Garden, helps the stems mature ready Japan, where Wisteria x formosa is trained for flowering. they clamber over trellised pergolas. In the At planting time, the main happily through wild, wisterias originate mainly shoot is reduced to 90cm/36in from China and Japan, where above the ground (but it will woodland and they clamber happily through produce a new upward growreach 9m/30ft woodland and reach 9m/30ft or ing shoot), laterals (side shoots) more. One option is to let them are secured to the framework or more romp naturally up nearby trees, (straining wires or wall vines) in which case you can simply let and sublaterals reduced to two them go, much as you would a or three buds. In the following rampant rambling rose like ‘Kiftsgate’. Where no winter, more shortening occurs with the latersupports are available, it is possible to train wisals trimmed by a third and the new leading shoot terias as a tree-like standards. once again reduced to 90cm/36in, this time above Plant wisterias in good, well-cultivated soil the topmost lateral. Sublaterals are reduced to in sun or light shade and take care not to place two or three buds again. Every winter, this conthem too close to the footings of walls, where tinues until the wisteria has covered the area you soil is poor and dry. Setting them 23cm/9in away want. will make all the difference. For trained plants, Thereafter summer pruning consists of reduc-

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ing sideshoots to five leaves and these are pruned harder still in winter, to short spurs of 8-10cm/34in holding two or three buds. The commonest wisteria is the Chinese sort (W.sinensis) and the most dramatic is

W.floribunda ‘Macrobotrys’ (also known as ‘Multijuga’) whose lilac blue racemes dangle to an impressive 1-1.2m/3-4ft long. At Pecorama (www. pecorama.co.uk) you can see both this and the glorious W.f. ‘Rosea’ in the Moon Garden there.

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

More big climbers for sunny spots Solanum laxum

Aristolochia macrophylla

This impressive evergreen or semi-evergreen Chilean potato vine bears its blue-tinged, white flowers from summer right into the autumn on abundant growth reaching 6m/20ft. Prune after flowering.

The unusual Dutchman’s pipe is a deciduous twiner with large, heart-shaped leaves. Curiously shaped summer flowers are green, mottled with yellow and purple-brown and are often hidden by foliage. For milder gardens, the blooms of A.sempervirens are more shapely.

Passiflora caerulea The hardy blue passion flower can reach 10/30ft or more and bears its structural flowers from summer to autumn. Orange fruits (which are edible but not very palatable) often develop. Prune in spring.

• Plant out French beans, sweet corn, courgettes and pumpkins and water in well (except in colder areas where frost is still likely).

Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank

What is the best way of putting plants around the insides of a hanging basket?

For a fully clothed look, it is fun to feed spreading or trailing plants like calibrochoa (looks like a small-flowered petunia) and whiteflowered bacopa through the sides, so you end up with a ball of colour. If you are lining with a fibrous material, you can gradually build up the layers and poke the roots through from the outside as you go. Problems start when the plants have large roots and the basket sides have small holes. Yet there is a devious way of feeding the growth through from the inside. You take some paper or polythene and wrap it gently around the stems of the plant until they are tube-shaped. This tube can be pushed through a small hole from the inside out, so the large root ball stays on the inside. One the tube is through, remove the wrapping and let the plant fan out.

• Take up hand shears to clip box balls and spirals. This is best done when there is no more danger of frost which can nip the new growth.

I want to grow celeriac but my first try at germinating seeds has failed. Is it now too late to try again?

Celeriac belongs to the carrot, parsley and parsnip tribe and they are all fussy germinators compared to something straightforward like cabbage. Seed needs to be fresh and where cabbage could be up in four or five days, celeriac might take two to three weeks. You have to be patient and maintain ideal conditions of warmth and moisture (65-68 F/18-20 C). Seeds are generally sown in March or April for planting May or June, so it is getting rather late. This will have been a difficult year for celeriac growers because we’ve been having cold night temperatures through spring and if you plant celeriac before the soil has properly warmed up, it tends to bolt (rush up to flower rather than produce a swollen stem). Mid April sowings would have been best. You could try again and put up with small roots. Or try Swedes which grow well sown in May.

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

•S ow carrot, parsnip, beetroot and peas direct to the soil but soak drills well first. Cover carrots to keep root flies off. •S ow all manner of winter hardy

brassicas such as kale, spring cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli and cabbages. • Remove dead fronds from maidenhair fronds, give them a liquid feed and make sure they never go dry. Pot congested ferns into larger pots of fresh potting compost. • Put up supports for runner beans (which should be germinating under glass). In difficult clay soil with flints, make deep holes for the poles or canes using a heavy metal pin.

Plant tender perennials such as tibouchina, pelargoniums, lemon balm and argyranthemums or stand them out on the patio if they’ve been hiding from the cold under glass. 27

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Beauty

fave!

[[ Enjoy the aroma of gardens in full bloom, thanks to this bumper crop of flower and foliage-inspired fragrances

In bloom L’Occitane Violette & Rose de Mai Eau de Toilette £52 for 75ml Opening with a burst of ravishing pink rose, this dries down to reveal a heart of zesty mandarin and bergamot. Musk and sandalwood combine to complete this complex, creamy concoction.

Berry nice Jo Malone Wild Strawberry & Parsley £44 for 30ml This limited-edition fragrance melds the savoury tang of flat-leaf parsley with the juicy sweetness of strawberry and blackcurrant, resulting in a gorgeously green blend.

Jasmine Bronnley Zealous Flower Eau de Toilette £35 for 50ml This combines jasmine and rose notes with fruity pear and mandarin, pink pepper and amber, adding both warmth and depth.

Abbie’s

Rosie Rosie For Autograph Summer Rose Eau de Parfum, £28 for 75ml Drawing on the native flowers of her favourite holiday destination, Thailand, the third fragrance from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is centred around jasmine and rose followed by sumptuous sandalwood and musk.

Garden scents

Rich notes Opus X Eau de Parfum £180 for 50ml Discover a bold confluence of no less than four rose notes, ably assisted by geranium, leather, and rich ylang-ylang.

Let Chelsea Flower Show inspire your perfume choices, says beauty guru Abbie Bray of Newton Abbot ext week sees the return of the Chelsea Flower Show (May 24-28), when the world’s best horticulturists (many travelling up from the South West) descend upon London in the hope that their show gardens will attract an elusive gold medal. But don’t worry if you can’t make it to the capital to have a look around. You can still enjoy the joyous aroma of gardens in full bloom, thanks to the bumper crop of flower and foliage-inspired fragrances that have landed this spring. From subtle and herbaceous to sweet and heady, there’s a scent for everyone. You’ll just have to pick your own...

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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.

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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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Bright braid floppy hat £15 Accessorize

e bold and banish the beige, as the high street’s suddenly gone crazy for stunning prints and bright colours. More excitingly still, many of our favourite stores have apparently been tuning in to social media campaigns demanding more and better frontline fashion for curvier women. The 31-year-old American supermodel Candice Huffine - pictured here, left - is now the face (and size 18 body) behind one of the hottest high street campaigns this summer, as River Island launches its debut Plus range. We love this flirty wrap-over tea dress she’s wearing (£42) and think its contemporary botanical print is a grown-up alternative to ditsy and chintzy florals. Elsewhere, Simply Be has some lovely jersey print trousers in sizes 10-30 that have a comfy high waist and flattering wide-legged silhouette. The same label also has a yellow gypsy-style blouse in sizes 10-30 which looks summery and chic. So whether you are size 10 or - like Candice - size 18, there are plenty of ways to look sensational this summer. Why not flaunt your most fabulous features in designs which both flatter and boldly stand out from the crowd?

Wrapover tea dress sizes 18 to 24 £42 River Island Plus

Paradise embellished flat sandal £28 www.very.co.uk 30

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Fashion Sunglasses £80 www.follifollie.co.uk

Wide leg jersey trouser size 10 to 30 was £24 now £16.80 www.simplybe.co.uk

Sleeveless crochet trim top sizes 16 to 30 £22 M &Co

Gypsy blouse sizes 10 to 30 www.simplybe.co.uk

Print bag £35 Dune

Allegra bangle £65 www.furla.com

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

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

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Crochet & cutwork Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod takes this season’s texture for a twirl ur beautiful magazine is up for a design award, which means I am off to a rather posh do. “No problem,” I thought as the news came down the grapevine: “My evening frock cup floweth over.” Then my eyes settled on the word “lunch” on the invitation and my stomach sank. This sort of event is a whole different kettle of fish, wardrobe-wise, as everything from your hemline to the shade you pick, is different for a bash held in the middle of the day. There was only one thing for it, I had to go shopping. I took the luxury Spanish pret-a-couture brand Delpozo as my inspiration, particularly their playful use of crochet during their SS16 shows. Texture is key in any outfit and this summer the options are wonderfully fun and feminine. Hollywood agrees. Actresses Maisie Williams and Reese Witherspoon aren’t strangers Actresses to the power of a pretty cutwork Maisie Williams frock, and celebrities have been seen sporting these little and Reese numbers everywhere from the Witherspoon red carpet to Graham Norton’s TV show couch. aren’t strangers When I am looking for to the power of a something elegant without pretty cutwork sacrificing personality, I always head to Coast. Not just the blue skinnies being added to my frock domain of bridesmaids, this collection. Some would suggest the store has some ensembles that solution would be to get rid of some pack a fair punch. I spotted this clothes, but Marie Kondo I am not. I blush number on a hanger and decided to start decided, instead, that I needed to start stretching with it, just to warm up. Little did I know how the boundaries of my wardrobe. much I would love it once zipped in. Now, when I enter a shop, the first thing I try I’m not your typical pink lacy frock wearer. on has to be something out of my comfort zone. So my adoration came as a surprise, but the I recommend this exercise on your next trip. At very act of trying it on was the result of a new worst, you’ll have a good giggle at yourself, at strategy I have adopted when shopping. The idea best you’ll find a whole new you smiling back was formed the day I couldn’t close my trousers from the mirror. Either way, it’s a good start to drawer, the result of yet another pair of new the day.

Dress, Coast, Princesshay, £95 Shoes, River Island, Princesshay, £50 Bag, Coast, Princesshay, £35 Sunglasses, River Island, Princesshay, £10

From there on the outfit just fell into place. I will admit a bit of an obsession with rose gold right now, so these heels from River Island were snatched up so fast my hand was a blur. The clutch is a fabulous nude that will work just as well with my favourite jeans and a strappy white top as it will in a ballroom at 1pm. A swift visit to Megan at Saks Hairdressing and I am ready to hop on the train to the capital and swig champers with the best of them. Wish us luck! All fashion in these pictures is from Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, www.princesshay.co.uk

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Patent and suede court peep toe shoes £140 KAREN MILLEN

Suede bow clutch in nude £99 KAREN MILLEN

Flora filagree short drops earrings £12.90 ACCESSORIZE

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look Daphne wrap detail sandals £165 REISS

Textured white jacket £199 KAREN MILLEN

Thea espadrille £99 HOBBS

Double layer bodycon dress £42 MISS SELFRIDGE

Rose gold sunglasses £7.99 NEW LOOK 33

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culture vulture Our guide to what’s on in the South West by woman-in-theknow Sarah Pitt Musical comedy Jonny & the Baptists are touring the country with their climate change musical The End is Nigh. There’s still a chance to catch the show as they are playing the final two dates in their two month national tour in our neck of the woods. From barnstorming satirical rock to flights of brilliant silliness, the show – a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe – blends comedy, theatre and rock in a story of family, friendship and environmental disaster. See them at The Poly in Falmouth on May 26 at 8pm (tickets £9-£11, thepoly.org) or Calstock Village Hall on May 27 at 8pm (tickets £7-£9, see www.calstockhall.com).

Fashion! Drake Circus Fashion LIVE is a unique opportunity to see the season’s latest looks in a stylish catwalk show, complete with exclusive discounts from stores like M&S, Primark, River Island and Billabong. There will also be the chance to win stunning outfits at this fun, glamorous event. The shows take place next weekend at Drake Circus shopping centre in Plymouth, with professional models from Mosaic agency. Simone Pasley, who runs Mosaic, will also be scouting for new models while she is there. Drake Circus Fashion LIVE takes place on May 27 and May 28 at Drake Circus Plymouth, with shows at 11am and 3pm, www.drakecircus.com

Growing Pains There’s an interesting Oscarnominated foreign-language film showing soon at the Exeter Phoenix’s Studio 74. Called Mustang, the film is about five sisters growing up in Northern Turkey. Mustang is the first full-length film by Turkish-French film director Deniz Ergüven and cleaned up at the César awards, France’s film honours, gaining nine nominations and four awards. The film tells of sisters who

are banned from “instruments of corruption” like mobile phones and computers. As the older sisters are married off, the younger ones bond together to avoid the same fate. A feminist escape movie for anyone who loved Thelma and Louise, in Turkish with subtitles. Mustang (15), Exeter Phoenix on June 11, June 13 and June 16 at 7.30pm. Tickets £6, www. exeterphoenix.org.uk

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Adjusting your heating from your phone sounds great – but what’s it really like? We asked three Westcountry homeowners about their experiences switching from night storage heaters to ELKAtherm® electric radiators with HeatApp controls. If you’re struggling with night storage heaters –guessing the temperature and trying to make the heat last all day – simply having instant, reliable warmth,whenever you want, must sound wonderful. So being able to adjust that heating using your tablet or mobile phone might seem like science fiction. Cornwall-based South West Heatinghas already installed ELKAtherm® electric radiators, with HeatApp controls, in hundreds of Westcountry homes. The benefits are obvious:set the temperature and timing in every room, for a warm, cosy home without running up energy bills while you’re out. Pre-warm the house before you get home, and turn the heating up or down without even leaving your sofa. All the warmth you want, and save money at the same time. But does the system deliver? We asked three South West homeowners to share their experiences.

“It’s a pleasure to be here” Jenny Wakelin from St Ives had struggled with night

storage heating for fifteen years before switching to ELKAtherm® heating in 2013. She is impressed by the performance of the new radiators. “The night storage heaters were incredibly inefficient – the house was cold,” Jenny recalls. “Now we have a very even ambient temperature throughout the house. It’s a pleasure to be here.” But what about the iPhone controls – are they easy to use?

“When I’m coming back on the train I can turn the heating on and make it any temperature I like, so it’s lovely when I come in. I set the time once on each room and it just works. It works from my phone and from my iPad; there’s no ugly panels on the walls.It’s perfect.” “The house is toasty” Zoe Abbotts, fromRedruth, says switching to ELKAtherm®

“It’s a bit of a no-brainer, really. When my son came to visit I could sit at home and switch on the heating in the morning so the house was nice and warm when they got up – result:‘Thanks mum!’

heating has made a real difference – and not just to the

“It’s been a revelation, really. How it’s transformed this house is amazing.”

to constantly think about having wood for the fire, or the

“It just works” InTavistock, Louisa Chanter is similarly impressed. “I like being able to use it from my phone, because I travel quite a lot,” she explains.

temperature of her home. She explains: “It’s made my life less stressful. I don’t have storage heaters not working and the house being cold when I come in from work. “It’s all there on my app – I can turn the heating on an hour before I leave work, and the house is toasty.”

You can hear Jenny, Zoe and Louisa’s stories in full, online: just search YouTube for “South West Heating” If you’d like heating information and advice, call 01209 714600, visit southwestheatingsolutions.co.uk, or write to us at ‘Freepost SOUTH WEST HEATING SOLUTIONS’ ©LW

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16/05/2016 16:43:03

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

CHLOE’S BODY CHALLENGE Is fit-shaming the internet’s latest low? Chloe Madeley has hit back at internet trolls who called her body “disgusting” after she posted photos on her fitness website which showed her superdefined abdominal muscles. The daughter of TV’s Richard and Judy, who regards Cornwall as her second home, said that while criticism was an occupational hazard of social media sharing, she wants to challenge people’s perceptions of what a woman’s body “should look like” – and we say all power to her!

SEA SWIM FUNDRAISER Sign up for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust’s fundraising One Mile Sea Swim, between Broadsands and Goodrington at Paignton, south Devon, on June 5. It costs £20 to enter, with the option of generating additional money for this good cause by raising sponsorship. Find out more here: www.daat.org/events

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16/05/2016 13:30:09

SLIM IN YOUR SLEEP

Lack of sleep can affect the hormones which control our appetites, increasing levels of ghrelin, the hunger hormone which can have us creeping down to the fridge in the middle of the night. A warm milky drink before bed really can help you to nod off more easily – dairy products are rich in tryptophan, which helps produce sleep-inducing serotonin and melatonin in our brains.

GOOD-FOR-YOU SNACKING We tried, tasted and can vouch these gluten and dairy-free Good Full Stop snack bars are delicious (and made in Devon!). Find them (80p each), available in six flavours at Holland and Barratt. The main ingredient is dates, which are rich in fibre, iron, potassium and a wealth of minerals. Put simply, though, they’re yum.

BACK TO WORK? How are you feeling? According to Bupa UK, stress, bad backs and neck pain are among the major reasons for calling in sick to work, with graduates and senior managers taking the most time off a year due to ill health. Of the 12 UK regions, the South West came out second from top in the average number of sick days taken. Time for some treatment, maybe?

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

THAT’S DIFFERENT! Cleopatra legendarily bathed in asses’ milk and you could, too! Higher in lactose than cow and sheep milk, applied topically donkey milk is said to have anti-ageing, moisturising and anti-acne properties. While it would cost small fortune to buy the quantity of milk that Cleopatra had her daily bath in, Torrington-based Soap Kitchen sells sachets in dried powdered form, as part of its range of products for making your own soap and toiletries at home. See for yourself at www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk

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

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17/05/2016 12:18:56

Drink

Darren Norbury

talks beer a week of the likes of North Star and Three Cs Gold. But at the moment the guys brew using another brewery’s kit – known as cuckoo brewing and quite common in the trade. With the crowdfunding money, though, they will convert stables start. at the rear of The Grapevine I’m in the Life Tree Café at pub in Exmouth into a permathe Westpoint Centre, near nent Crossed Anchors Brewery. Exeter, with Paddy O’Riordan, While judging for prestigious We are judging of Crossed Anchors Brewing, awards like Taste of the West is, the beers, and Exmouth, and between us we naturally, taken very seriously, I are making our way through the suspect that, like me, Paddy was found some golden beers in the annual Taste also engaging in a bit of profesbeauties, defiof the West awards. We found sional research. Such days are a some beauties, definitely worthy great opportunity, I find, to try nitely worthy of of the coveted Gold award, and beers that don’t make it down to the coveted Gold you’ll find out how our judging may part of the world so much, award went when the results are ansuch as brews from Arkells nounced, any day now. and Box Steam in Wiltshire. Of Crossed Anchors is another course, some beers are all too brewing company to have sucfamiliar but it’s important just cessfully gone down the crowdto evaluate the ale honestly on funding route to get off the the day. ground. Three hundred and forty-nine backers Hopefully, by this time next year, Crossed Anhelped Paddy and business partner Ollie Bainchors will be in its new central Exmouth home bridge exceed a £35,000 target in 49 days, with the and perhaps, instead of judging, Paddy and Ollie cash going on high-quality brewing and bottling will be waiting to see if their beer has achieved equipment. Taste of the West Gold. Crossed Anchors has, in fact, been in business Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk since last summer and is producing 3,500 pints @beertoday

’m not often on the beer mid-morning on a Wednesday, but now and again a bit of judging is called for and when you’re facing a lot of beers, it’s best to make an early

[[

Beer of the week Black Flag Brewery’s Saison (6.1% ABV) was a joy in Beerwolf, Falmouth, the other day. Despite its rather unsessionable ABV, it’s refreshing, golden and true to style with grassy hop notes and a fragrant aroma. If it could be improved I’d like a little more tartness in there, but I’m being Mr Picky from Pickytown. Great for a summer day.

CIDER AND DANCING There’s just under two weeks until the Occombe Beer Festival, to be held at Occombe Farm, Paignton. This year the event, on June 3, promises more than 60 beers, plus ciders, perries – and Pimms! With food and live music, too, 100 per cent of the profits go to funding the work of the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust.

Bangers and beer

“Beer, bangers, real ale and music” is the proposition at the St Tudy Inn Beer Festival (May 29). Check out chef Emily Scott’s collaboration with Padstow Brewing Company, St Tudy Ale. Tickets are £12.50 on 01208 850656 or call into the pub.

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Eat

Ingredient of the Week

Spring onion with Tim Maddams

espite their name, spring onions as part of the thinning out process. are really a summer vegetable and Do keep hold of as much of the green tops as though these days this tasty mild you can. It’s one of the sad facts of life that most but peppery salad onion is available spring onions in the shop sold by the bunch are in the UK all year round, they are sadly lacking in around half of their top green certainly at their best from now until midsumbits, which have been trimmed off in the name mer. There is a startling array of neatness, packaging and shelfof different types available now life. from local growers: red ones, Even if you don’t intend to use some with more of an onion-like these green parts for the dish you One of my bulb at the ends and some with have in mind, they make excelfavourite ‘on great long and full leaves. They lent additions to other recipes are often treated as a salad item and can stand in for chives or toast’ dishes is only, which is a shame. With a garlic. One of my favourite “on goat’s cheese little imagination and some deft toast” dishes is goat’s cheese and and spring cookery they can be a wonderful spring onion tops, lightly grilled addition to many dishes, both hot and served up with dressed onion tops, and cold, and even take on the radish tops. lightly grilled lead role on various occasions. Try adding the leftover green Getting hold of some of the tops to your next batch of pesto more interesting ones will refor that additional raw onion quire a visit to the local farmers’ zing. Or you could wilt them in a market or greengrocer. Better still, you could get pan like spinach and serve as a green to accomonto a local grower for a few bunches of the best pany whatever you like. They are wonderful used or grow a few yourself. They are surprisingly to finish oriental-style dishes too and make exceleasy to grow, whether you go for a true salad valent fritters or bhajis if you are that way inclined riety or just harvest your main crop onions early and like real hit of sweet onion. Which I do.

[[

Spring into action A spring onion soup or broth is ready in minutes and makes excellent use of chicken or lamb stock. I also like a puree of spring onions as a garnish for roasted fish. Sweat the chopped white part in olive oil with garlic until sweet and tender, then adding some of the chopped green part before another brief sweat and blending. Slow-cooked spring onions make an excellent and simple dressing for pasta or lamb chops and is as easy as pie to make. Simply slice and sweat off your onions in a little butter and finish with a drop of lemon juice and some chopped parsley. @TimGreenSauce

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

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16/05/2016 13:32:43

Enjoy

a weekend in

Buckfast Abbey words: bea gorman

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The Grange Restaurant’s menu changes daily

The Abbey Church was rebuilt in the 1900s

So many gift ideas he only English medieval monastery to have been restored and used again for its original purpose, Buckfast Abbey near Buckfastleigh is one of Devon’s hidden gems. The monastery, founded in 1018, is home to a community of Benedictine monks but also offers a myriad of activities and will celebrate its thousand-year anniversary in 2018.

tacular views over Dartmoor of the Abbey and grounds. Prices start at £69 per person per night, bed and breakfast. Visit www.buckfastaccommodation.org.uk or call 01364 645630 for details.

Eat: The Grange Restaurant at the Abbey serves

a wide selection of delicious dishes, made using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. With a menu that changes daily and includes hot meals, light snacks and mouth-watering desserts, there’s Visit: Situated in the heart of the grounds, the something for everyone. The restaurant’s imAbbey Church was rebuilt on pressive views of Buckfast the original Cistercian ground Abbey and the surrounding plan at the start of the 20th countryside can be enjoyed century. Its history is echoed from the outside covered patio. Head gardener throughout the building with The Grange is open from 10am Gothic and Romanesque winevery day and can be booked Aaron Southgate dows and archways. In contrast for evening functions between hosts gardening to the rest of the Abbey Church, September and May for up to 120 events and there the Blessed Sacrament Chapel people. Visit www.buckfasttourbrings a touch of modern design ism.org.uk for details. are also courses with the mesmerising stained for budding glass, designed and made in Try: Long associated with beethe Abbey’s own workshops by keeping, Buckfast Abbey now beekeepers monks. The monks celebrate offers a variety of courses, the Divine Office and Mass taster days and information on every day here and visitors are everything beekeeping related. welcome to join the services. The courses are led by resident expert Clare Densley and take Stay: Northgate House is a pretty Arts and place throughout the year. For budding beekeepCrafts style guesthouse in the Abbey grounds. ers, the next taster day takes place on Saturday It underwent major refurbishment in 2015 and September 3, or why not join the beginner’s beenow offers accommodation, as well as a conkeeping course starting on Saturday June 4? For temporary roof terrace and tranquil inner more information, contact cdensley@buckfast. courtyard. All rooms are en-suite and have specorg.uk

[[

Explore:

Partly modelled on medieval plans, the Abbey gardens offer a variety of tranquil settings to enjoy, including three self-contained areas that allude to the history of monastic horticulture - the Lavender Garden, the Sensory Garden and the Physic Garden. Head gardener Aaron Southgate hosts guided garden walk-andtalk events throughout the year, covering everything from exploring the Abbey gardens and plants, to gardening tips and arrangements. The next event is the Lavender Garden on Wednesday June 15, where Aaron will be discussing Buckfast Abbey’s 100-plus varieties of lavender.

Shop: On your visit, do have a look at the shops of Buckfast Abbey. You’ll find gifts made by nuns and monks from across Europe in the Monastic Shop. The Book Shop is one of the largest religious and spiritual book shops in the South West and the award-winning Gift Shop sells a wide variety of ceramics, wines, biscuits and preserves, as well as the famous Buckfast Tonic Wine. Visit www.buckfasttourism.org.uk 43

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17/05/2016 12:39:53

Tom and Hollie Franklin-Pryce

The Coldstreamer Inn

Porthminster Beach

My Secret Westcountry Tom Franklin-Pryce Originally from St Ives, Tom is head chef at The Coldstreamer Inn in Gulval near Penzance. Since he and his wife Hollie bought the pub last year, they have created a foodie haven specialising in a fusion of British and Asian cuisine. They live upstairs with daughter Scarlet and their new baby Bailey.

My Favourite… Walk: It’s quite a trek but walking the coastal path from St Ives to Zennor (I love to visit The Gurnard’s Head pub at Zennor), is a firm favourite. It’s a great way to blow away the cobwebs and the views are amazing.

Activity: Taking the kids to the beach or to

Beach: Porthminster Beach in St Ives. The sea

me to become a chef in the first place. With access to such diversity, quality and freshness on our doorstep, it is only natural that seafood plays a huge role on our menu here at The Coldstreamer.

there is so calm and clean and, with Porthminster Beach Cafe at hand, I can happily spend the whole day relaxing here.

Festival: I love the Porthleven Food and Music Festival. It’s always so dynamic and interesting, with exciting new producers and interactive chefs demos every year. It’s a great showcase of Cornwall’s food and drink culture.

visit St Michael’s Mount. We are really lucky to have so many great beaches on our doorstep here in west Cornwall.

Food: It has to be the fish! That’s what inspired

Tipple: Skinner’s Cornish Knocker is a fantastic golden ale made in Truro. It’s brewed with Cornish water and is a really good match for shellfish.

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16/05/2016 12:59:57

People St Michael’s Mount

Porthleven Festival

The Scarlet Hotel

Scarlet Hotel

Porthleven Festival

Pub: The Old Coastguard in Mousehole is perfect for a cosy roast in the winter. It also has a lovely garden in summer which is perfect for families with kids.

Mawgan Porth. My wife and I married there and it’s partly why we named our daughter Scarlet. You feel like you’re a million miles away when you’re there.

Restaurant: Ben’s Cornish Kitchen in Ma-

Shop: Calico in St Ives and Truro sells really

razion. I have a great meal every time we go here. Ben’s standards of quality and consistency are second to none.

stylish and interesting homeware. It’s easy to get carried away when shopping there.

Way to relax: I find that going for a run clears the mind and soul. Running helps me to release the stress after a busy few days in the kitchen; I wish I could get out more often.

Weekend away: The Scarlet Hotel in

Treat: Time off with my girls. However the hours of a chef means it doesn’t happen enough, especially now Hollie and I own the business and have paperwork to contend with, too. www.coldstreamer-penzance.co.uk 45

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16/05/2016 13:00:24

My life

[

Chris Mcguire

A mouse in the house

[

Chris McGuire finds Nature is getting a little too close to home

er eyes looked into mine imploringly. I sighed. She nibbled on chocolate as I left to put my dressing gown on. On my return, she seemed almost pleased to see me. I opened the door and we passed into the moonlit street. Five minutes later I opened the trap and, without looking back, she scurried off into some undergrowth. Yet, even as she disappeared into the night, I had the feeling I’d see this particular mouse again. This week I learned, in the Westcountry, it’s possible to be closer to nature than a former townie might want. Recently, since moving west, I’ve had my fill of all things natural. First it was the seagulls. We had a seemingly cute seagull chick wander into our front garden. “How lovely,” my girlfriend and I thought until we tried to leave the house. Like a scene from Jurassic Park, the chick’s mother noisily attacked us every time we attempted to cross the threshold. Prisoners in our own home, we were considering releasing a distress flare, when the chick nonchalantly wandered off. It didn’t even say goodbye. Nature’s like that. In the last week my grapplings with Mother Nature became even more up close and personal. “We have a mouse,” announced my pregnant partner, sprinting in the opposite direction. The amount of poo behind the cabinet was vast. If we had only one mouse it must be going for some kind of excrement-based world record. I shouldn’t complain, it makes detection easy: if mice wore nappies it’s unlikely they’d ever be spotted. “I’ll get some humane traps,” I said to my girlfriend, who was hiding in a cupboard. Which is exactly what I did. Traps were bought, baited with chocolate and laid in places I thought mice

might like to frequent – basically anywhere near a skirting board. “What’s that noise?” cried my other half, in the middle of the night. In a sleepy fug I stumbled downstairs to find the source of the eerie rattling. I flicked on the light and the commotion stopped. Feeling relieved that I wasn’t dealing with the supernatural, I picked up the rattling trap and found a (totally unharmed) mouse looking back at me. Before long I was down at a local park, setting the mouse free. Are there such things as homing mice? I have the feeling that mouse followed me back in the dark. Half an hour later I was woken by another racket. It happened again an hour after that. By the end of the night I’d either relocated four mice or I’d relocated the same mouse four times. You’ll be glad to hear that we’ve had several mouse-free days now, so I’m hoping that my interactions with my furry friends (or friend) are at an end. Perhaps the mouse/ mice have decided to move in somewhere they’re not taken on midnight expeditions in strange plastic containers? That said, I don’t think I’ve had

my full dose of unwanted nature yet. As I type, I can hear a squeaking in my garden. It sounds suspiciously like another seagull chick. Or the same one, back again. Chris McGuire is a writer who recently moved to the Westcountry. He likes nature, but only on TV. @McGuireski

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

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16/05/2016 13:37:38

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