WMN on Sunday - West Magazine 2 November

02.11.14

Olympic dreams Meet Katie, Devon’s snow champion

INSIDE: + TV’S DESIGN

QUEEN

+ SMARTER SLIMMING

WIN! + £50 BENEFIT COSMETICS + £38 PET TREAT

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Tis a

n i g h T n o v e D

m a t s s i … r h C s i h t e n o d e v o l r A perfect gift for you • Makers of quality Ciders and Scrumpies • Local family owned business • Traditional Ciders made from Devon apples • On site shop open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-1pm

Enquiries Welcome

01837 83560 Winkleigh Cider Company Western Barn | Hatherleigh Road Winkleigh | Devon | EX198AP

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[ welcome [ What a creative place this is

Tweet

of the week @devonweek Alexandra Burke to star in The Bodyguard at Theatre Royal Plymouth CONTACT: westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk Tel: 01392 442250 Twitter @wmnwest

When mum-of-four Fiona Wilson found herself newly widowed six years ago, many would have expected her to crumble. Instead, she bought a derelict Devon manor, did it up and now rents it out for fabulous holidays. Just take a look at the bathroom (above).

Fiona’s appearing on TV’s The Great Interior Design Challenge and she has a new boyfriend, too. Happy news indeed, and you can see the rest of her sensational manor house on page 24.

Talking of TV, Kishanda Fulford’s outrageously outspoken children Arthur, Matilda, Humphrey and Edmund have been all over the BBC this week with their new reality series Life Is Toff.

Where do they get it from? We think we know: read Kishanda’s hilarious weekly column here

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in West magazine on page 8 today.

Laughter is, they say, the best medicine. And this week we meet a trio of women from Cornwall who have certainly put that adage to the test.

Turn to page 18 to find out how a very special support group for breast cancer is lightening the load in Truro these days.

Finally, we have lots of good things to win this week, as always. If you love your dog, then you’ll surely want one of the lovely designer leather pooch collars we have up for grabs on page 5. There’s also some serious pampering on offer - £50 worth of Benefit cosmetics to win on page 30. Good luck and happy reading!

There’s some serious pampering on offer: £50 of Benefit cosmetics up for grabs

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Becky Sheaves, Editor

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Gillian Molesworth

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Catherine Barnes

Phil Goodwin 3

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INTERIORS A manor with attitude

‘This has been a fickle year for apples with some trees laden and others refusing to fruit at all, even in the same garden.’

Anne Swithinbank on fruit trees Gardening, page 28

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SNOW ANGEL

Meet Katie Blundell

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FASHION Why statement coats are big news

[contents[ Inside this week...

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THE WISHLIST What to buy, where to go

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MODERN MANORS Kishand Fulford on anti-social media

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WEST IN PICTURES Filmstars, treasure and John Torode

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STATEMENT COATS

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SNOW ANGEL

Our columnist gets bright and bold

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East Devon’s amazing Katie Blundell

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FRIENDS IN NEED Three women on their cancer journey

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INTERIORS TV’s Fiona Wilson turns a derelict manor into something marvellous

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BEAUTY Get Jane Goldman’s trademark tresses

WIN £50 BENEFIT COSMETICS Fabulous treats to be won

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FASHION

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CAKE OF THE WEEK

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A WEEKEND IN St Agnes, north Cornwall

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BEST FRIENDS Cancer support

Easy like Sunday morning Kate Shirazi’s multi-storey cake

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EATING OUT We road test Nando’s in Exeter

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INGREDIENT OF THE WEEK Tim Maddams on cockles

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BEER CHEER All hail the ale

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MAN & BOY Imaginary friends

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If you buy one thing this week...

Collars from £38 Leads from £52 ‘Bad to the Bone’ skull & crossbones ID tags £16 www.rokabone.co.uk

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Did someone say walkies?

Spoil your favourite four-legged friend with a gorgeous Rokabone collar and lead, designed by Melanie Hopper and British-made to boot!

There’s something for every dog in this rainbow leather range: Choose from herringbone (The Lucky) twist (The Darcy), snake braid (the Oliver) and traditional-style (The Huxley). ID tags are also available.

Bow wow!

Win

A Rokabone collar We’ve got our paws on a leather Rokabone collar worth £38 to give away in West!

To win, tell us: which of the collars takes its name from a Jane Austen hero? Send your answer, together with your name, address and - importantly - your dog’s neck measurement in centimetres. Mark your email ‘Rokabone’ and send to westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk by November 15. Normal terms apply.

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Wishlist

Bonny bag Tweed tote bag from small Scottish mill, £48, www.knockandowoolmill.org.uk

A vintage seed packet decorates this leatherette wallet, £23.95, www.hamptonblue.co.uk

The wish List

Add a bit of sparkle with this vintagestyle hair comb, £18 from www.rockmyvintage.co.uk

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

Let there be Keep the flame alive with this Milo lime green tealight holder, £19.95, www. annabeljames.co.uk

JUST FANTASTIC! Roald Dahl fans will love this Fantastic Mr Fox fabric, £19.20 a metre, local stockists at www. ashleywildegroup.com

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The hotlist: Discover the most fun and interesting events coming up soon in the Westcountry, from pumpkins to comedy clubs, and more...

POMPOM Pompom necklace by glassmaker Penny Carter, available from a selection, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Bovey Tracey £240 www.chilli glass.com

Guy Fawkes Carnival

Playful fowl Country Girl Hen Mug from Newlyn-based designer Betty Boyns, £8.50, www.bettyboyns.c.uk

November 8

North Petherwin in Somerset has its annual winter carnival parade, from 7pm, with lots of fabulous lit-up floats. A great Westcountry tradition, well worth a look.

Visit www.northpetherwincarnival.org.uk

Clovelly Herring Festival

November 16

Boutique of the Week

Come down to the quay at Clovelly for a celebration of fishing’s ‘silver darlings’ with sea shanties, stalls and, of course, lots of delicious herring to eat. www.clovelly.co.uk

Starburst, Dartmouth Hannah Jennings, owner of Starburst, used to work as the PR for flamboyant handbag designer Lulu Guinness, and she has a real eye for a fashion find. Some of her labels haven’t changed over the years, like French brands Amor Lux and Petit Bateau, who both do a chic line in nautical stripes. Others come and go, as Hannah makes new discoveries. Knitwear currently includes cashmere brand Cash Co, which offers a range of sumptuous colours and Scottish Borders knitwear label Eribé, who has given a funky edge to traditional Fair Isle. There are luxury handbags from Village England, jeans from label du jour Made in Heaven, and beautiful, unusual scarves from Pazuki, featuring lavish prints on exquisite fabrics. Check out, too, the well-cut clothes East by Eastwest, the work of Sunu Lee, a Korean designer living in Britain.

Visit Starburst, 15a Foss Street, Dartmouth TQ6 9DR or www.starburstboutique.com

Crealy fireworks November 2

Tonight’s the night for a spectacular and familyfriendly firework show at Devon’s Crealy Adventure Park. Fireworks begin at 5.30pm but the rides are open all day and late at night too, so why not make a day of it?

Visit www.crealy.co.uk for details 7

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My life

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MODERN MANORS

Tweeting twits

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Kishanda Fulford is at her wits’ end over social media chatter

pparently, the average couple send one thousand texts to each other a year. Not to mention four hundred emails. Luckily my husband has yet to master the art of texting, but if he could, I expect the texts would be full of things like, ‘Why is there no marmalade?’ or ‘What’s for lunch?’. A senior psychologist has recently said we should turn off the high-tech toys and have a good, old-fashioned chat. Given the preceding statistics, I think he has a point.

During the summer I had a friend to stay and, to my increasing annoyance, she did nothing but fiddle with her blackberry. It was constantly at her fingertips. We would be chatting, as I cooked, and she would suddenly switch off into another world. Another friend, who also came to stay, spent her time marching up and down my drive trying to get a signal on her telephone. I would ask, in a concerned fashion, what was the drama?

There was of course no particular reason for the endless frantic calls and texts. We once went out to lunch with a group of friends and one of them intermittently dropped out of the conversation, and picked up his ‘toy’.

What, I dared to ask, was so important? I suggested he try not to touch the thing for the next hour. This proved to be almost torture for him.

The final straw, for me, was having lunch with a girlfriend, (which I had been looking forward to) but she left the restaurant three times to make telephone calls. She claimed the calls were ‘terribly important’. But, by the end of lunch, I discovered that none of her of her relatives had been rushed to hospital.

Sometimes criticism can backfire on you. The children had some friends to stay and one was at

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the kitchen table attached to his toy. My husband barked at him: ‘Turn that thing off’. To Francis’s surprise the child said, ‘But I am just reading the newspaper like you’. There is not a lot you can say to that!

While you can read newspapers online, you can also waste time - and, surely, nowhere more than on Twitter. You are only allowed to use 140 characters, and that includes spaces and commas, to get your message across. Well, thank heavens for that! Imagine if they were allowed to be any

Stephen Fry, who has over six million followers, once wrote, ‘I am tired I am going to have a bath.’

Facebook is another wonderfully time-consuming waste of time. There are, however, occasions when it is useful. I love seeing pictures of our old New Zealand au pair with her children.

We keep in touch by Facebook. It is also fun to see where your friends have been on holiday, what they are drinking and what the beach looks like and how many pillows are on their hotel bed.

Sometimes, though, it can go horribly wrong. It was reported on Facebook that my friend’s child was in hospital in the Far East. Her mother got as far as Heathrow to fly out to rescue her before the posting was declared a ‘joke’.

And who wants to be ‘tagged’ in a photograph, particularly one you would not want seen in public? No wonder employees are warned against putting foolish information up on Facebook, but what are employers doing spending time snooping?

When I was younger, my three siblings and I were left with my great aunt. My parents were at the Munich Olympics, when all hell broke loose there. Meanwhile, I was bitten by my great aunt’s dog. Imagine the texts and emails that could have flown backwards and forwards. But my parents were fine and, apart from some teeth marks on the side of my face, so was I! I will leave you with a recent Stephen Fry ‘twit’, ‘Well, off home soon, land 5:55 am tomorrow to start filming that day. That’s the story of that’s the glory of, that’s the borey of me…’ Oh dear.

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longer? Stephen Fry, who has over six million followers, once tweeted, ‘I am tired I am going to have a bath.’ In another he said he was ‘very bored’. It seems extraordinary that six million people read this drivel. I just read of one celebrity who twittered that he had ‘hurt his finger’, and had dropped his dinner, a smoothie. A mother updated her Twitter while giving birth. And a very popular pop star, with over twelve million followers, tweeted the following riveting information, ‘it won’t stop raininggggg’, and ‘I have a cold’.

Kishanda Fulford lives in Great Fulford, Dunsford, Devon. The house has been continuously occupied by the Fulford family for more than 800 years. See her family in BBC3’s Life is Toff on Tuesdays

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Star quality: Devon filmstar Lily Laight (aged 12) makes her mark at Paignton’s premiere of her film, Love Rosie Cheers: MasterChef presenter John Torode cooks up a storm at Exeter’s Big Food Show

in pictures Detectorist: Howard Jones has unearthed a prehistoric settlement at Spriddlestone, South Devon.

Don’t have nightmares: Eddie Hosegood takes a nap at Newton Stud for dressage horses near Crediton.

Good for them: Rachael Bertsford plays for a Cornish darts team (called The Optimists) for the visually impaired at Grampound

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talking points Bang!

Burn, baby

Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

To freeze or not to freeze (eggs, that is)...

The best woods for burning:

1 Ash These are the picks that dynamicfireworks.co.uk promise will get your Bonfire Night off with a bang:

1 Vortex Volley 2 Roman Myth 3 Britannia Waves 4 3 Finger Jack Mines 5 Bird of Prey 6 Baptism of Fire 7 Skyburst Rockets 8 Timewarp Tempest

2 Beech 3 Hawthorn 4 Pine 5 Yew 6 Pear 7 Apple 8 Hazel 9 Rowan 10 Birch

The happy list

9 Dancing Diamond 10 Crackling Python

You’re fired 10 things to make you smile this week 1 Coat pocket surprises From fivers to lost earrings

2 Winter sun cheap flights to Guy who? Ten celebrity effigies that Kent’s Edenbridge Bonfire Society have put a match to. Who’s next, we wonder?

1 Katie Hopkins (2013) 2 Lance Armstrong (2012) 3 Edwina Currie (2002) 4 Saddam Hussein (2003) 5 Jonathan Ross (2008) 6 Tony Blair (2004) 7 Katie Price (2009) 8 Wayne Rooney (2010) 9 Jacques Chirac (1997) 10 Anne Robinson (2001)

Tunisia

3 Lowlights Add caramels, dark honey and chocolate tones to your tresses

4 Stubborn temperatures 17 degrees in November - yes!

5 Bolving Hilarious Exmoor stag-yelling (YouTube it now)

6 Nude the new nail essential, that suits everyone

7 Alicia Keys new release out today

8 Trick or treat cute costumes and sweet treats

9 Fireworks fun for the whole family

10 Liquorice tea try it!

ompanies such as Apple and Facebook are now offering their female employees financial assistance to freeze their eggs. Part of me thinks: wow, what a broad-minded decision by industry leaders. Well done them for addressing the issue of career women who struggle to conceive later in life. This is a modern soluthe one with the gruelling travel tion for a modern dilemma. schedule giving presentations. If The other part of me thinks: you’re in the medical profession, what is wrong with this world?!? these are your intern years, your Unlike men, women have a swapping-around years, your nevshelf life when it comes to breeder-more-than-a-year-at-one-hospiing. A woman’s most fertile time tal years. This is how you gain exis between the ages of 19 and 26 – perience, and it’s a lifestyle hard after that, it gets increasingly difto balance with family life. ficult. After 40, both the quantity In the current format, Apple and quality of a woman’s eggs deand Facebook are right – there is crease significantly. no way for women to take time out The older you to have children get, the harder and keep moving pregnancy is on forward with their your body. And, career. If they What if young children were to have a everyone were have lots of energy, child at, say, 21, and need the same right after univerto take a break to from their parents. sity, they would concentrate on Again, harder as have to do all that you get older. job training at 30, family, men and So let’s look at which point all women, between at the workplace the men would be 20 and 30? next, and how that their seniors and is organised. In the whole equalorder to get a good ity thing would be job, you have to go moot. to school and, in most cases, uniBut what if everyone were to versity. That takes you up to the take a break to concentrate on age of 21 or so. family, men and women, between If you do further training, as in 20 and 30? As we’re all living law or medicine, you’re in your longer, maybe it’s a consideration. mid-twenties before you can get In his Republic, Greek philosoan entry level job. There’s half pher Plato outlines a radical sociyour prime breeding window gone ety: where men and women work right there. to suit their abilities, and the Then come the years of hard children are raised communally. graft. You’re learning your trade It seemed bonkers to me when I from the bottom of the totem pole. first read it at 16. Is it more bonkYou are the one left after the team ers than technology companies has gone for the night to make subsidizing egg freezing? I’m not copies of the amended contract, or so sure…

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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 11

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Trend

HOW TO WEAR IT:

Statement Coats

Orange boucle coat , Next, Princesshay, £70 Patent point shoes, Next, Princesshay, £28 Denim look leggings, Next, Princesshay, £24

Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod finds out whether bolder is better ike you want to talk about coats with a doggie like that in the shot!

Let’s deal with him first, then, shall we? His name is Toby, and I met him out shopping - he was relaxing in Princesshay while his mum had Costa coffee.

She let us commandeer him for a few minutes to get this shot, after which he took his own lead in his mouth and left us. I would love to own him. I would buy a small saddle and ride him to the office and everyone would be very, very jealous. They’d call me Lady Dogiva.

Plus, I bet he would be cheaper to MOT. I’ve been subjected to carpooling with my boyfriend this week while mine is in the garage for its annual health check.

For many couples, this wouldn’t be a problem, but my other half tends to keep a close eye on my shopping habit. I usually escape scrutiny as he is buried in a cloud of duvet when I walk out the door, or already hurtling down the A38 to a meeting when I step into the shower.

The trend is open But a forced synchronisation to interpretation of schedules means that every morning has become fraught too, which is with difficulties. a beautiful Hence my extra nerves when manner.’ More silence. ‘Is it new? debuting my latest purchase – His tone is casual but the clenching thing. The only a statement coat. I say ‘extra’ of his jaw forces my hand. ‘Sort of, prerequisite is as on this particular week Fran gave it to me, she’s had it for I was technically on a ‘shopping ages and it didn’t really suit her.’ that you make a ban’. The ban was decreed after I don’t feel bad. This little burntstatement he casually (I say snoopily) saw orange lie is a small price to pay for my credit card balance over my the fashion credit I am sure to rake shoulder last week. Villain. in. Olivia Palmero and Reese WitherThe stakes were high. I went through the list spoon have both been seen rocking winter brights, of clothes defences we ladies have at the ready while statement coats took centre stage at the likes for these situations. ‘Had it for ages, how have of Rodarte and Phillip Lim. In short, I’m in very you never seen it?’ (this one works fantastically good company. well, as it can be escalated to an accusatory ‘you The trend is open to interpretation too, which is don’t pay me any attention’) ‘Charity shop steal a beautiful thing. The only prerequisite is that you at £(insert laughable amount)’ and my personal make a statement. Think patchwork fur, futurisfavourite, ‘hand-me-down from a friend.’ I decide tic metallic, or any colour that will make you easy to run with the latter and emerge, oh-so-casually to spot in a crowd. at the bottom of the stairs just as he rounds the When I spotted this number in the window corner. A moment of silence. Then, ‘Nice coat.’ of Next, I was transfixed. It really was the perI thank him in an offhand ‘hadn’t noticed it’ fect combination of relaxed clean lines and bold

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

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colour with the added perk of boucle texture (which always looks expensive). It’s fair to say I am in a delightful state of smugness for most of the morning. Until disaster strikes.

My phone rings. It’s my other half. “I’m in Next,” he says. My blood turns to ice. “Need anything picked up while I’m in town?” I relax and start breathing. Just a routine call. “No thanks love,” I say. But he is not done. “Are you sure, I thought you may want to get a thank you card for Fran?” “What on earth for?” I ask.

“Well, I’ve just seen that coat she gave you in the window, so not only is it brand new, but it cost her a fair bit.”

I think I may have to phone Toby’s mom and ask to have him for the week. Carpooling may be a bit tense.

I wonder if eBay do tiny saddles?

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

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DEBENHAMS Red Herring bright coat £65

NEXT check coat £75

fave!

GET THE

NEXT black bag £45

look NEXT patent point shoes £28

KAREN MILLEN bright boucle coat £275

LK BENNETT Perugia mustard coat £185

NEW LOOK red collarless coat £49.99

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Interview

Airborne: Katie trained as a gymnast in Exeter as a child

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KATIE BLUNDELL

The snow angel

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Champion snowboarder Katie Blundell from East Devon has has her sights firmly fixed on the 2018 Winter Olympics, as she tells Fran McElhone nowboarder Katie Blundell can hurl herself off huge jumps and spin upside down. Her best trick is called a Rodeo 7, which means spinning in the air while doing a back flip.

Yet for someone who can jump a massive 75 metres flying through the air on a stick of fibreglass, I can’t believe how petite she is. But do not be fooled, fragile she is not, and her life is a constant

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quest to push herself harder.

“I travel around, going to several different parks in a season,” she explains.

“Every time it’s a different course with different jumps. I was finding last winter that I was regurgitating the same old tricks. So I wanted to focus on training. I battered myself black and blue trying.”

One of Britain’s top snowboarders, Katie has been “in winter” for the last seven years, bouncing between the

mountain resorts of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. But Katie recently returned to East Devon for the summer to see her family and talk to West magazine before setting off again in search of snow.

The 29-year-old won her first competition, the British Snowboard Championships in 2010, clinching gold in the Big Air element of the competition. The following year she won silver medals in two classes: the Big Air and the Slope

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Style, which is essentially an obstacle course on a snowboard. And then in 2013 she won the Slope Style - her biggest achievement so far. And now, the 2018 Winter Olympics are beckoning, of which more later.

Born in Canada, Katie lived “next to a mountain” and started skiing at the age of six. Then she moved to the UK and had to be satisfied with annual family ski holidays while living in the small Devon village of Woodbury, near Exeter.

“Then I did my first ski season after finishing A-levels at Exmouth Community College. I went to work as a chalet girl in French Alps resort of Tignes,” she explains. She then studied for a degree in textiles at Nottingham Trent University, during which time a ski trip to New Zealand saw her tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in her knee, taking her off the slopes for two years.

But once recovered she swapped from skis to a snowboard at the age of 21. Since she left university she has been doing back-to-back winter seasons ever since.

Katie’s gymnastics background, including her membership of the Exeter Gymnastics Club from seven until 15 years of age, has set her up well for the demands of snowboarding. According to Katie, flying over 40ft gaps “isn’t that big”.

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“Yes, it’s a good-sized jump,” she says. “But it’s not too big or scary - 60ft is getting scary.

In 2011 Katie started dabbling in the respected Ticket to Ride circuit, a series of spectacular snowboarding events worldwide, in which snowboarders can attend and rack up points. But their ranking depends on how many events they can attend.

After winning the Big Air class, Katie has attracted numerous sponsors, making her nomadic (and rather expensive) lifestyle possible.

Her main backers are clothing brand O’Neill and Ride Snowboards. Her product sponsors include

I’m the first one up the hill and last one down each day. And I make sure I fit in yoga and gym sessions

Rocket Dog shoes, Contour Cameras, Bern Helmets, Celtek gloves, Darlek Fuddex hats, Teign Spirit and Skullcandy headphones.

Last winter Katie spent the winter in Breckenridge in America, taking time out from competing and focusing on honing her skills.

For the forthcoming 2014-2015 season she admits her plans are still “pretty loose”.

“Going back to snowboarding after a long summer off is a bit daunting,” she says. “I’m sure my body will remember what to do, even if I’m not as fit as I was. But it’s a massive mental thing, believing in yourself is the most important thing.”

She plans to head either to Park City in Utah, America, or Whistler in British Colombia, Canada. There, she plans on getting into sledding: “It’s a whole new world, but really attracts me”. Then she will pop over to Europe for a few competitions, maybe the Brits again, definitely the Burton European Open in Laxx, Switzerland.

She is also looking forward to a contest called Ms Superpark, an invite-only American contest. In 2013 and 2014 Katie was one of only 50 women from all around the world to receive the coveted invitation.

But above all, Katie has her sights fixed on the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. “Watching GB’s Jenny Jones win bronze in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi was amazing and so inspiring,” she says. “So many of my friends back in Devon have never really understood what I do, but then everyone suddenly became really excited about it.

“It’s been hard to get on the Olympic squad

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Interview

MAIN PICTURE: BRUCE LERMAN PORTRAIT ABOVE: MATT AUSTIN

Katie grew up in East Devon by the sea but snow is now her passion

in the past, there’s been little funding for snowboarding so it costs around £10,000 to have a realistic chance of the Winter Olympics. But I hope that now, with the sport getting a higher profile here, things will change.”

Katie undoubtedly has the ambition, drive and dedication to make it happen. “I’m the first one up the hill and last one down each day,” she says, “And I make sure I fit in yoga and gym sessions in the evenings.”

She admits she has to get a higher profile if she is to achieve her Olympic dreams: “I need to get some bigger competitions under my belt this year to prove my worth.” To this end, she aims to migrate over to the International Ski Federation world cup circuit which serve as qualifiers for the Olympics, rather than the Ticket to Ride circuit.

Any extreme sportsman or woman will know that injury comes with the territory. Katie’s had concussion around 10 times, despite “religious-

ly” wearing her helmet. One incident was particularly severe and required both hospitalisation and brain scans.

“I went over a jump and fell down. Then the person behind, who hadn’t given me enough time, landed on my head as I was getting up,” she recalls. “I couldn’t remember where I was, what country I was in, who I was. I’d recently bought these purple snowboard pants and I remember looking down and thinking, whose are these?

They aren’t mine. But it was probably more scary for the people around me than it was for me - I was away with the fairies.”

Her amnesia lasted the rest of the day and the effect of the bang endured far longer. “I was really confused for a couple of weeks afterwards,” she says. “But these risks come with the

sport so I’m prepared for it. I try to keep myself fit with Pilates, yoga, swimming and the gym which is really important to prevent injury from happening as much as possible.

“It’s worth it. I would never stop snowboarding because of the fear of getting hurt - I could get hit by a bus tomorrow.”

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Lynne, 54

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PHOTOGRAPHY: TOBY WELLER

Lynne and Kate bonded during breast cancer treatment.

Then they met Wendy at a support group.

Catherine Barnes hears from three women who have created an inspirational calendar, as they reveal the highs, the lows and the laughs of Kate, their cancer journey

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People Wendy, 51

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CANCER SUPPORT

Laughter for life

hemo’s like an instant menopause, it gave me hot flushes. Even when I went to Tesco I never wore a wig – it’s so much easier to take a scarf off when you’re going through the freezer section,” says Kate Shaw, amid gales of laughter as friends Lynne Heard and Wendy Everhard recount their own memories of chilling out in the frozen foods aisle.

“On the positive side, if you have no hair, it only takes two minutes to get ready for a night out. It’s not all doom and gloom,” explains Wendy.

C

[

“When your hair grows back, it’s as fine as baby hair,” says former nurse Kate, 56, who lives in Portreath, on the north Cornwall coast, with husband Phil. “The wind blows through it and it feels like you’ve got a whole mane up there.”

“But you don’t realise how short it is,” agrees Lynne. “When I look back at photos, I was almost bald. I saw one holiday snap of myself and said – I didn’t realise my brother had come with us.”

“And the steroids. There were days I looked like a Russian shot-putter,” adds Kate, as they hoot.

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Wendy, Kate and Lynne meet regularly at the Truro-based Made for Life Foundation for women with breast cancer

“I hope we’re not painting too black a picture,” adds Kate. “I want to give people hope.”

The conversation is, Kate concedes, not quite what your average eavesdropper might expect of a group of women meeting over coffee. But these three friends have a common bond: breast cancer.

Wendy, Kate and Lynne Heard have all been having a giggle over a charity calendar they recently helped to create. It was the idea of students at Penryn College in Cornwall, who organised the project with expert help from Falmouth-based Hush Creative Design. The calendar is being sold to raise funds for the Made For Life Foundation, which supports people who are both living with – and had the all-clear from – cancer.

And it’s the laughter that gives these women the confidence to share their fears - and tears - in this friendship circle. Here, they explain, they are freed from feelings of responsibility for loved ones. There’s no need to maintain that brave face.

“People keep telling me how strong I am. But on days when you don’t feel strong, you feel like you’re letting them down,” admits Lynne, who’s 54.

“But my friends here were absolutely brilliant. They’d pick me up from chemo and put me in the car and take me out. I’d sit in the car with an ice cream feeling like a 90 year old granny, but it felt amazing and it got me out.”

“I wasn’t brave: I was a coward at times and cried,” says Wendy, 51, who has a 21-year old daughter with husband John and has undergone a mastectomy. “There were times when I thought, I can’t do this anymore. But you look at your family, experience the joy of Christmas and think, yeah, I do want to be here.

“I’m not being brave. I just want to survive.”

“The nice thing with this group is you can be completely honest,” says Lynne. “With family and friends who haven’t been through cancer themselves you sometimes can’t tell them as much as you want, for fear of upsetting them.”

The friends were all diagnosed within a year of each other and, six years on, ten of their original ‘gang’ are still in contact. “That friendship’s a real bond,” says Kate, who discovered a lump in her breast in 2008 and says she “instantly knew”.

[

Today, she is fit and well. but she explains that the cancer journey doesn’t stop when the chemo ends. “When you’re in treatment, you feel safe and that’s something’s being done. But when it finished and people wanted to throw up the balloons and celebrate, I was actually quite scared.

I was on my own. That’s why support groups like this one, The Made for Life Foundation, really help. Here, I could start to deal with all that emotional baggage I’d been carrying.”

“I walked out of radiotherapy and thought, where’s the fanfare?” agrees Wendy, who was initially given a 30 per cent chance of survival,.

“I went from being really looked after to: Off you go.”

The Made for Life Foundation is a Cornwallbased organisation which provides a safe place to meet, talk and also to enjoy pamper sessions.

It is based at the Truro headquarters of Spiezia Organics. The skincare company, headed by Amanda Barlow, founded and funds the project with a donation from every one of its products

[

‘This calendar is a little piece of me that I want to leave behind. It’s a case of hooray!

I’m another year older’

sold. Wendy took on the role of Made for Life’s manager a year ago, having already been involved as a volunteer.

For the calendar, 12 cancer survivors dressed up as super heroes. Lynne, aka Miss June, was dolled up as Wonder Woman for the shoot, which took place not long after doctors advised her she had just six months to live.

It’s already six months on from that bleak prediction when we meet at the Made For Life Foundation. Lynne’s been through months of chemotherapy and is vibrant company. But the former nurse is matter-of fact: the cancer she’d thought she’d beaten has not only returned but spread to her liver.

“I’m absolutely pickled with it. It’s in my hips, joints, pelvis, skull... I have to be careful about how I move,” she says, gripping on extra tight to a banister for comic effect. “But I honestly don’t think about it on a daily basis.”

Lynne’s initial breast cancer didn’t appear as a lump. She felt “absolutely fine”, aged 48, when she told a pal about a dimple in her breast. She was strong-armed into visiting the doctor by her friend: “I felt blackmailed,” she remembers, “but basically she saved my life.”

“Big emotions are always near the surface,” she adds quietly, as her eyes momentarily mist over.

Despite growing awareness of breast cancer

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People

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People

Wendy: ‘It’s not all doom and gloom’

Kate Shaw

Wendy Everhard

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19 had breast cancer.

Wendy Everhard her rock and seeing Her husband was up gave her the her daughter growing the disease. determination to fight

old classic films They would watch chemo days. Now together on poorly as the manager at Wendy helps others Made For Life.

involved please contact

Wendy Everhard on

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spieziaorganics.com/made-for-life

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01326 221777

01326 221777

01326 221777

and the advances in research and support that are helping more women (and men) to beat it, the disease can come back.

“Whenever I feel at all ill, my first thought is, is it secondary cancer?” says Kate. “I have to be quite strict with yourself.”

“I’ve had aches and pains, but then my friends will say, I’ve got those – and I realise that it’s just the ageing process,” explains Kate. “But the fear of everyone that gets treated for cancer, is that it will come back.”

For Lynne, that worst nightmare has, indeed, come true. The provision of treatment, support

‘Always find at leas t one thing to be thankful for each day’

MON

To make a donation or to get involved please contact Wendy Everhard on

ade-for-life

spieziaorganics.com/m n or to get To make a donatio

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June

‘Sometimes it felt like a storm but my husband, children, family and faith kept me going’

never know what ‘Live for today...you er’ is around the corn

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Lynne Heard

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Lynne: ‘Support from your friends means so much’

Kate: ‘I want to give people hope’

and reconstructive surgery after breast cancer made Lynne feel “like a new woman” first time around. Today, there’s an entirely different course of events to endure now that she is living with cancer once again – and it is incurable.

“There isn’t much out there in terms of support for people in my situation.

And there are hundreds of us that need a little more,” she says.

“I don’t have a long prognosis. I’d like everyone to be aware that not everyone gets cured of cancer. This calendar we’ve created is a little bit of me that I want to leave behind. Most women my age don’t like admitting how old they are,

[

‘I believe with all my heart that some good will come out of any awful situation’

please contact Wendy

Everhard on

Father’s Day

Lynne Heard was diagnosed with breast cancer in continues to live life 2008 and to the full, despite secondary spread. been supported through She has out by her husband and amazin g friends.

Her role model was her mum because she was so talente d and could turn her hand to anythin g. a superhero it would If she was have to be Superwoman and we think she is.

but I celebrate each birthday now. It’s a case of hooray! I’ve become another year older.”

Wendy, Lynne and Kate clearly all draw strength and comfort from their shared positivity. It’s inspiring to meet them and hear their stories.

“I believe with all my heart that some good will come out of any awful situation,” says Kate.

“It’s a terrible journey,” adds Lynne, “But with support from your friends…”

“You can still have a bloody good laugh,” agrees Kate. And so, indeed, they do.

Find out more about The Made for Life Foundation by calling 01326 221777, visiting www.spieziaorganics.com/made-for-life or at the Facebook page Made For Life. The charity’s 2015 superheroes calendar is available from Spiezia’s online shop for a minimum donation of £5

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REAL HOMES

Be bold Sarah Pitt talks to Fiona Wilson, currently appearing on BBC2’s Great Interior Design Challenge, about how she did up her own flamboyant home in west Devon

Stowford Manor, Ivybridge

“

I

’m not scared of colour, nor of pattern,” says Fiona Wilson. And even a cursory glance around her historic home, Stowford Manor in Ivybridge, shows that this is true. Very

true indeed.

The cavernous hallway of the 19th century mansion, once the home of the town’s paper mill owner, boasts many original features. You’ll find ornate architectural mouldings, a spectacular tessellated tiled floor and a frosted glass front door, complemented by walls painted a tasteful cream. But amid all this decorum sits a sofa and two chairs upholstered in a deliciously irreverent polka dot print in red and pink. A dark wooden bench is brightened by a bright fluffy cushion. There are also a quartet of huge elephants carved from a tropical hardwood, on loan from Fiona’s sister, adding another rakish touch.

The same spirit is in evidence throughout the home of the woman who confesses to have “done very well” in the Great Interior Design Challenge, the TV programme currently airing on BBC2. In the gracious dining room, where the sober burghers of Ivybridge would presumably once have dined with mill owner John Allen, today’s guests must do a double take when they see the bold tartan carpet. It is complemented by modern leather dining chairs, iridescent greygreen curtains, made by Fiona herself, and bold green walls.

All this flamboyance coexists with the architectural mouldings of the Victorian age, which Fiona found untouched when she bought the six bedroom house five years ago. It was then empty and practically derelict but she saw it as the ideal home for herself and her four sons.

“It was a shell,” she says. “The only thing it

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Interiors

[ [ All this flamboyance coexists with the architectural mouldings of the Victorian age, which Fiona found untouched

had in it was a flushing toilet. There were no bathrooms and bare floorboards everywhere.

The roof had been repaired, but it had been leaking a lot and there was mould everywhere.”

Despite these drawbacks, Fiona says she was sold the moment she walked in. “I just fell in love with it. It was a good buy, it had a lot of potential.

And it was in a perfect location for myself and the boys, in the centre of Ivybridge and across the road from their school.”

And for Fiona, who had been widowed not long beforehand, it represented a project she could throw herself into with gusto.

“I made the curtains myself because that is what I enjoy doing,” she says. “If I’m feeling a bit low I’ll go and paint a wall or get out the sewing machine.”

She also did much of the decoration of the enormous rooms herself, often going for bold colours set off by the white woodwork. “I’d ask professionals to do the ceiling and then I’d painted it from the picture rail downwards,” she says. “I can manage it from a ladder.”

When it came to furnishing, she loves plenty of flounce. The enormous beds – which appear almost modest in the massive rooms – are covered in ruched bedspreads in mauves and pinks, and curtains are invariably opulent; Fiona gets her fabrics from the Exeter Fabric Centre, which has an extensive range in stock.

The bathrooms – there are two – are another surprise. The main one features a massive copper bath. “That’s a bath for two, definitely, with a bottle of champagne,” says Fiona. Happily, these days she has found love again and now has a boyfriend living nearby.

While the bath was seriously expensive, the smaller – but still not small – freestanding bath in the other bathroom was more of a bargain. “I found it in a skip, it was painted red, and had gold-coloured taps, so I painted it grey and put chrome taps on it,” she says.

The bathroom window appears to have a pane of frosted glass with the “salle de bain” painstakingly engraved in it. In fact, though, this is achieved with an ingenious stick-on window film, from Devon-based online company Brume in nearby South Brent.

Also sourced from this same local company was Fiona’s clock – a massive wall sticker showing a clock face and numbers, but with real turning hands. “I love Brume’s stickers,” she says. “They are so different.”

Fiona was selected for the second series of

STYLE TIP: Go for bold colours and offset

them with white woodwork. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty too - it’s satisfying!

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Interiors Fiona makes the soft furnishings with material from Exeter Fabric Centre

[ [ ‘I wanted the manor to be full of people because it is a real party house. It comes alive when there are lots of people here’

the Great Interior Design Challenge, which pits amateur designers against each other in a different project each week, by her eldest son Jamie.

“The next thing was I had a phone call from the programme makers saying ‘we are interested in you, could you do us a mood board?’ I thought ‘I’ll kill Jamie!’ But I’m very grateful to him, really. I was pleased he had noticed I could do it.”

She says taking part in the programme, in which each contestant decorated a room in a 17th century cottage in the Cotswolds, was quite different from the way she’d decorated her own house. Her home has evolved gradually. She can’t give away whether she gets through to the final, but does say she’s “done very well”.

“Each competitor had certain amount of help with the practical work of painting and DIY. But you have to source all materials yourself and transform the room within 48 hours. And you have to do what the homeowner wants! But I did all the things she said - and she loved it.”

With three of Fiona’s sons having flown the nest, she has recently been renting the manor to holidaymakers, who leave glowing reviews of her kindness in leaving home baking, not to mention the decor. “When I have paying visitors we go and camp with my boyfriend,” she says.

“I don’t do it all the time because I still want to enjoy my home, but this helps me afford to run it.

I wanted the manor to be full of people because it is a real party house. It comes alive when there are lots of people here.”

Stowford Manor, Ivybridge is available to book through Blue Chip Holidays for short breaks or a week, www.bluechipholidays.co.uk or 0844 704 4987. Fiona Wilson is a competitor on The Great Interior Design Challenge, currently screening on BBC2

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Shopping

GET THE

LOOK

Get contemporary bohemian luxury with our picks

Blanca chandelier £288, www.chandeliersandmirrors.co.uk

Marseille Cyprium copper bateau bath £2,495, www.castironbath.co.uk

Stick-on oversized clock £75, from South Brent-based www.brume.co.uk

French armoire wardrobe £699, www.this-home.co.uk

Bathroom window film starts at £25 from South Brent-based www.brume.co.uk

Beatrice cushion by Suzy Newton £84, www.suzynewton.com

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Gardens

ANNE SWITHINBANK

Apples Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, says even the smallest space can bear fruit his has been a fickle year names like ‘Minarettes’ or ‘upright colfor apples, with some trees umns’. I’ve spaced mine 1.2m/4ft apart but laden and others refusing to they can go as tight as 60cm/2ft and anyfruit at all even in the same where you want, as long as each is tied to a garden. Here on the gentle tree stake throughout its life. I admit that but chilly slopes of the Axe Valley, we’ve because the sap tends to shoot upwards, certainly had mixed results. Four trees in- they occasionally suffer from sections of cluding a ‘Bramley’ failed to set one fruit barren trunk where no spurs have formed. between them, yet up by the house, three If this happens, I simply retain a strong different apples grown as upright cordons side shoot from lower down and tie it in all carried a good crop. parallel to the main trunk. This in turn I often hear the moan “I wish I had room produces side shoots and they are pruned for some apple trees” and feel cordons are back to make extra fruiting spurs and plug the answer. These are trees trained as one the gap. The vigour and size of apples is main stem, with spurs along its length governed by the type of rootstock the varifrom which flowers, ety is grafted to. For corfruit and new growths dons on good soil, M9 is arise every year. In usually chosen, though July or August, most on poor soils, the more of the new growth is vigorous M26 or MM106 I often hear the cut back, reducing the are sometimes used. trees to neat columns, So why did my cormoan ‘I wish I studded with ripendons fare so well, comhad room for ing apples. One reads pared to the other trees? that oblique cordons Our large plot has its some apple are best, meaning fair share of microclitrees’ and feel they are planted (usumates and the cordons cordons are ally in a row) at a 45 are sited in a sheltered degree angle against spot where they are less the answer straining wires fixed troubled by wind and to a fence or between frost. This means that posts. This is pollinating insects can because, as operate in comfort and they are the process is less likely lowered, sap travels more to be hampered by freezing temperatures. slowly along the main stem Our unproductive trees are rarely and encourages an even pruned or thinned, which makes them bursting of buds. vulnerable to years of feast or famine, Despite this, I’m a great fan otherwise known as ‘biennial bearing’. of upright cordons as they are They all did incredibly well last year, proso user-friendly for small garduced far more fruit than we could use and dens. You can buy maiden trees to as a result, have gone on strike this year. train but it is more straightforward to buy By contrast, the cordons are reachable them ready started, often marketed under without scrambling about on ladders and

T

[[

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This week’s gardening tips

wielding saws on the ends of poles. They have to be pruned every summer, otherwise they would grow into ghastly, contorted shapes. I can reach to thin down their fruits too, so fewer but larger and more perfect apples are produced. All of this careful maintenance means they are never overburdened and this helps them crop every year.

Choosing apple varieties is tricky when there are so many and you can only find room for a few.

My favourite eater here is midseason ‘Red Windsor’ (cordon-trained) followed by good keeper ‘Crispin’ though we have an ‘Ashmead’s Kernel’ coming along (both as small trees). Look at the Thornhayes Nursery list 01884 266746 www. thornhayes-nursery.co.uk) and you could be easily seduced into trying any number of west country varieties such as ‘Cornish Aromatic’ (a late dessert kind with good scab resistance) or ‘Lucombes Pine’, a mid to late season dessert kind described as rich, aromatic and pineapple-like also with good scab resistance. Their romantic-sounding names alone make you want to grow them!

Anne’s advice for your garden

• Plant new rhubarb making sure it is sited on well-drained soil well conditioned with loads of well rotted compost and manure.

Question time with Anne This week, I’ve been asked two questions concerning the identity of plants and how they perform.

What is this climbing plant reaching right up into the trees of my garden? The leaves are massive and are turning rich orange red before falling.

Q

I actually saw this amazing climber, which turned out to be Vitis coignetiae in all its glory.

The leaves of this mighty climber can reach 30cm/12in wide and long and it had hoisted itself 15m/50ft up into the trees, where it’s red autumnal tints were a fine sight. This is related to ordinary grape vines and even produces small but unpalatable grapes. Like many climbers, it can take a while to get going but then makes a fine job of decorating stone walls and bridges or hiding ugly sheds and concrete pillars (although it is deciduous). I might even plant one myself !

I’ve been given a small potted plant smothered with small purple flowers. On the pot, it says campanula.com but I don’t know whether to treat it as a house plant or plant it out. And have no idea how long I can expect it to last!

• Plant new fruit trees and soft fruit plants. They will root well into the moist, warm soil of autumn.

• Propagate expensive lilies like turk’s cap ideal for naturalising.

Lift a bulb, snap

off healthy scales, place in a fresh bag of moist vermiculite and place in the bottom of a warm airing cupboard to root. Pot when rooted.

• Go shopping for trees and shrubs whose autumn colours, bright fruits or interesting bark will brighten your garden in Novembers to come.

Q

This is one of a number of campanulas grown in the Netherlands for the pot plant trade. As it has smaller flower, I’m guessing yours is a variety of outdoor Campanula portenschlagiana, otherwise known as the Dalmatian bellflower. In its home in the mountains of Croatia, the species makes a mound of evergreen foliage 15cm/6in high studded with purple, bellshaped flowers in mid and late summer. Hopefully, you’ve kept it in a cool place in good light (a north facing porch, or outdoors) to enjoy its flowers close to. Now would be a good time to plant it out into well-drained soil in sun or light shade, where you might put an aubrieta. Here it should last indefinitely but it certainly won’t be happy in a hot, stuffy room all winter.

Plant tulips in containers and in the ground.

Choose short varieties for windswept areas. There are many tempting sorts but remember that the same variety repeated in groups through a border will look far more effective then small clusters of different colours coming up here and there.

Cover

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

vulnerable alpines such as rhodohypoxis to protect them from too much rainfall but air must be able to circulate. I balance a light cold frame over our alpines and weigh it down with bricks.

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29/10/2014 13:16:53

Beauty

Tried

& tested We present the beauty treats and cheats of the week, all trialled by West magazine’s Catherine Barnes, with help from daughter Tilly, 17.

Loud & proud

SERIOUS SERUM This serum is more than a rescue-remedy.

Formulated to plump, tone and revive hands that are showing visible effects of aging, skin tone should look more even within around four weeks. £29.95. www.transformulas.com

Win

Bleach London’s salons are THE place to go if you crave Katy Perry’s neon locks, Kelly Osborne’s LA lilac or screenwriter Jane Goldman’s trademark red (above). If a trip to the capital’s out of the question, you can have fun at home with Bleach London’s DIY whitening kits and amazing rainbow range of paint on, wash-out colours – that’s what we’ve been doing! Why go blonde when you can be an un-shrinking violet, or (in Tilly’s case) blue belle? Bleach kits £7, colours £5, hair crayons £4.

In store at selected Boots and from bleachlondon.co.uk

WOW!

We can’t help but go completely girly over Benefit cosmetics and this year’s gorgeous gift boxes are a joy – drool over the lot at www. benefit.co.uk. We’ve picked out Cutie Cravings, which has been put together exclusively for Debenhams and includes an eye shadow palette in sultry nudes and neutrals.

ENTER AND WIN We have a Cutie Cravings box worth £29.50 to give away, and a Benefit mascara, eyeliner and makeup remover! To enter,

send an email marked Benefit Cutie Competition with your contact details to westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk by November 14. Normal terms apply.

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the review Three of the best:

Hand creams With the change in season, hands can start to feel a little parched.

Becky Sheaves gets handy with three nourishing creams:

Zesty fresh One whiff of this zesty lotion and it’s like I’m back on my summer holidays. Just a smidgen of the luscious cream left my hands super-moisturised, and a bottle this big will last a long time..

REN Citrus Limonium Prebiotic Hand Cream, £300ml, £17 (www.renskincare.com)

Sweet success Cheryl Fernandez-Versini (aka Cole) says she didn’t just want to put her name to this fragrance, but had her say on everything from the fruityfloral scent with notes of mandarin, freesia and peach blossom, to the bottle design. Canny lass.

StormFlower, £23.95 at Lloyds Pharmacies

RICH AND CREAMY This gorgeously thick hand cream smells divine and rubs in easily to soothe my dry skin. The more affordable 100ml size (£6) is perfect for popping in your handbag too..

AVEDA Hand Relief, 125ml, £19.50 (www.aveda.co.uk)

[[ A mini massage into dry hands will make skin instantly softer, as the lavender scent soothes away stresses

Lavender luxury

Go gently Devon-based Gentle Green’s natural soothing cream (£30) has been awarded organic status by the Soil Association. Dartington mum Hannah Pearson’s behind the skin-kind brand, which one delighted eczema-prone client has described as ‘magic in a jar.’ Gentlegreen.co.uk

Promising to be soothing and calming, this softly-scented hand cream is exactly that. A simple squirt and a mini massage into dry hands will make skin instantly softer, as the lavender scent soothes away stresses. It’s a small pamper session in a can. Oh-lief Natural Hand Lotion in Lavender and Roman Chamomile, 150ml, £15.99 (www.ocado.com)

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

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Wellbeing

Cold turkey this Christmas?

Stoptober is over, hello November. Time to be careful about your health as the festive treats come out, says Catherine Barnes. ith festive and family-sized tins of treats already being BOGOFed in the supermarket aisles, it’s a slippery slope till Easter if you’re a sucker for sweeties.

The Government’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition has said we should halve the amount of sugar we consume to just five per cent of our daily diet - whether it’s consumed as a treat or been sneaked into ‘savoury’ items.

That’s only around 25 grammes of sugar a day (a single teaspoonful) for the average woman.

Resisting temptation isn’t easy – especially at this time of the year. But don’t give up, says weight-loss surgeon Sally Norton, who adds that overcoming your sugar craving is a challenge that does become easier over time.

“There’s increasing evidence that sugar is addictive – not good news on the face of it,” she says. “But when you realise that it could be an in-built addiction that has you reaching for the biscuit barrel again, rather than just weak willpower, it makes it easier to fight back.

“More evidence is accruing that sugar has a similar effect to drugs like cocaine – triggering the release of dopamine – a feel-good hormone from the brain. The problem is, the more sugar we have, the less dopamine we seem to produce – leaving us looking for more sweetness to hit that high.

“Gradually reducing your dependence on that addictive substance will stop you craving it, but for some that is not enough and only going

W

cold-turkey and ditching all sugar will help beat the addiction. Once you have, though, the sugar cravings definitely decline – making it much easier to say no when the doughnuts are passed around.”

Foods that are high in sugar or fat stimulate our brain’s reward centre,

gained pounds. MRI scans performed at the end of the trial revealed that the reward centres in the healthyeating programme candidates’ brains were stimulated more when they saw images of healthy food and less so by images of unhealthy, high calorie food.

“It proves we were not born to see doughnuts and chips as a reward and can re-programme our brains towards desiring healthier treats,” says Sally.

“So stick with it!”

triggering the feel-good chemicals that can lead to a type of addiction.

Researchers at Harvard believe it may be possible to re-train our brains, though. It conducted a six-month weightloss study with two groups. One of them was taught healthy eating behaviours and lost weight, while the others went it alone and

THE KEEP FIT COLUMN WHERE ONE WOMAN TRIES EVERYTHING:

DODGER

this week: BADMINTON

THE SOFA

Mum of three Sam Taylor, 35, from Cardinham near Bodmin is behind Sofa Dodger, the website with wealth of keep-fit activities at a place near you. This week she tries: Badminton.

My friend Sugar invited me on a no strings lunch date, which initially made me think she wanted a clandestine affair. Then she explained that No Strings was a pay and play national initiative for badminton. I agreed to join her for a spot of badminton at St Austell Badminton Cub and a sarnie after.

I occasionally play tennis, but do I have hand, eye, shuttlecock coordination? Sugar introduced me to our opponents as a newbie, which I thought was kind of her, as they would defi-

nitely give me a few pity shots to have a go at.

Wrong.

After a warm up of approximately 90 seconds, we went into a full-on game and my double handed backhand didn’t seem to be working.

But I played two games and am pleased to say that in one rally, I relentlessly hit the shuttlecock back, hitting it harder each time and finally I took a point. A treasured point, which went with my other five… out of a possible 63 I could have accumulated.

GET INVOLVED: Try something new or tell the world about your own keep fit class for free at www.sofadodger.co.uk 32

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Enjoy

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A WEEKEND IN...

St Agnes

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The North Cornwall coastal village has much to offer at this time of year, finds Sarah Pitt nown affectionately as “Aggie”, and home to the legendary Giant Bolster this friendly seaside village on the north Cornwall coast is very popular with holidaymakers, particularly surfers and those resting their weary feet for an hour, or a night or two, while walking the dramatic coast path. It is also a thriving community, with lots of pubs, shops, cafes and things going

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Surfing at Trevaunance Cove

on. Home to the campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage and specialist surfwear brand Finisterre, it holds a special place in the hearts of surfers from near and far.

Out of season, St Agnes is quieter but it never totally shuts down. Autumn is a good time to watch the dramatic waves – this part of the coast is known for rollicking storms – before hunkering down in one of the village’s five pubs.

Where to stay: St Agnes is well-equipped with places to lay your head, from campsites to holiday cottages and numerous bed and breakfasts (see www.st-agnes.com for a full list). The Driftwood Spars pub has rooms, some with sea views.

Where to shop: You can feed yourself easily in St Agnes without going near a supermarket, with several butchers, two fruit and veg shops and the St Agnes Bakery, which does good pasties.

For gifts, Churchtown Arts is worth a browse, with jewel-

lery and ceramics from local designer-makers; while you can watch local textile artist Jo Polack, at work in her studio at 11 Peterville (visit www. aggiearts.co.uk for felt-making courses). You can even go clothes shopping, surf label Finisterre has a shop at its HQ on the cliffs at Wheal Kitty (www.finisterreuk.com) Where to eat: Imaginative food made with local produce is on offer at No 4 Peterville restaurant (www. no4peterville.co.uk). Takeaways include tasty fish and chips from Fission Chips and thincrust Italian style pizzas from the Cornish Pizza Company (01872 553092). Good pub grub is available from the Driftwood Spars and Miner’s Arms in nearby hamlet of Mithian. Genki, a laidback café in a garden, offers good coffee and platefuls from March to November.

What to do: At this time of year, people are still surfing but be aware the lifeguard season is over and the sea here can be dangerous. Breakers Surf School offers lessons (01872 552002). Try riding out from Goonbell Riding school (01872 552063) or take a walk along the clifftops or up St Agnes Beacon, owned by The National Trust.

SURFER PICTURE: MIKE THOMAS

The Driftwood Spars

The Giant Bolster 33

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House of Bath robe £29.95

Mint Velvet long cardigan £99

BHS chemise £24

White Stuff pyjama bottoms £29.95

White Stuff robe £39.95

TK Maxx grey knitted cat slippers £12

Loaf sheepskin slippers £50

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29/10/2014 13:42:06

Fashion Celtic & Co Dita slippers £45

Helen Moore slipper boot £49.95 LuxDeco

Sunday mornings Winter’s on its way and it’s time for some properly cosy sleepwear ith the long, dark nights of November finally upon us, there are things we can do to make sure we’re feeling both warm and cheery. We think it could well be time to review your sleeping arrangements.

No, that doesn’t (necessarily) mean picking a new night-time partner. We’re talking about what to wear in bed, and outfits for lazy Sunday mornings, too.

This season, there is a definite penchant for gingham going on in the nightwear department - and we approve. Checks are folksy and flattering, we think. And if the PJs are made in soft flannel then you’re guaranteed a comfortable night’s sleep, as well as finding the trek to the kettle in the morning a less draughty experience.

We’re huge fans of Cornish-based Celtic & Co here at West, and we really like these sweet sheepskin slippers - winter’s answer to surfy beach flipflops. Homeware brand Loaf also do these lovely slip-on sheepskin mules, made in Portugal and superb quality.

You’ll notice we’re focusing more on comfort than sex-appeal here. But this, ladies, is sleepwear for you, not him. And comfort is key.

Besides, you could argue that, at this time of year, a happy lady in warm flannel and fluffy sheepskin is probably a lot more attractive than one freezing her nether regions in a skimpy little number. Now where’s our early morning cup of tea?

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Shop

The edit

Your straight line to style. Style up your stripey favourites with our picks

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Oliver Bonas cat stripe top £29.50

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Matalan heart jumper £16

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The Nautical Company breton jersey top £45

fave!

Beautiful Things brass bird necklace £30 Beautifulthings.co.uk

Ellie Ellie upcycled pencil necklace £26 www.ellieellie.co.uk

Kristin Elily peacock ring £30 www.kristinelily.com

Mezereem silver facet ring £100 www.etsy.com.jpg

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Bill Skinner 18ct gold plated hare pendant £60 www.cotswoldtrading.com

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Sable and Dox gold frond ring £470 www.sableandox.co.uk

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29/10/2014 12:53:35

Bake

Kate Shirazi bakes:

Multi-storey cake Kate says: This cake doesn’t need to have quite so many layers. However, if it’s for a special occasion, I think a cake should be a bit over-the-top. But then, I can always find an excuse for making an extravagant cake, one way or another. The icing here contains a smidgen of cream cheese which helps offset the sweetness of the buttercream. I use Quark, which is virtually fat-free, therefore one could argue that this cake is (partially) low fat. Not sure this argument would stand up in court, but hey!

Serves xx

You will need: For the cake: 275g self-raising flour 275g caster sugar 275g soft margarine 10 large free-range eggs 2 tsp vanilla extract For the filling: Jam of your choice or lemon curd

NEW!

For the icing: 250g unsalted butter 100g cream cheese or Quark 700g icing sugar, sifted 2 tsp vanilla extract food colouring gel

cake of the week

Method: 1.

2.

Preheat oven to 170C (325F, gas mark 3) and grease and line six 20cm sandwich tins.

If you don’t have six, you could use three deeper tins and split the cakes once cool.

Put all the cake ingredients into a mixer and beat until pale and mousse-like. Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for about 20 minutes. If you are using three deeper tins, they will need longer cooking times.

Keep checking the cakes after 25 minutes. If they are over-browning on top but the centre isn’t cooked, cover the top of the cakes

with greaseproof paper. A skewer should come out cleanly when the cake is done.

3.

Cool the cakes on wire racks and crack on with the icing. This is easiest done in a free-standing mixer. Put the butter and cream cheese into the mixer and beat till soft and well incorporated. Then add the icing sugar and place a clean tea towel over the top of the bowl before switching it back on. This helps prevent covering your kitchen in a cloud of icing sugar.

4.

Beat the mixture until it is fluffy and pale. Add more icing sugar if you need to thicken up the mixture. If it is too stiff, try adding a teaspoon of milk.

Beat in the vanilla and colour, if using.

5.

Sandwich the layers of cake together with the jam and then smother the whole of the top and the sides with the cream cheese icing and decorate the top of the cake with whatever grabs you. This version has white Maltesers and chocolate buttons cut in half to create flowers.

Kate Shirazi runs Cakeadoodledo shop and cafe on Exeter’s Cathedral Green (www.cakedoodledo.co.uk) and bakes cakes of all kinds to order and send by post. Look out for Kate’s beautiful books Cake Magic and Baking Magic (both £11.99, Pavilion Books) 37

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29/10/2014 13:00:58

Sammie Coryton

My Secret Westcountry Rock Salt Cafe

Sammie Coryton Sammie Coryton runs the office at Pentillie Castle near Saltash, which has been in her family for more than 300 years. She previously worked as a home economist for a television cookery programme and the Australian Womens’ Weekly in Sydney. She lives in a cottage on the Pentillie estate with husband Marc, son Charlie and labradors Khan and Charfu.

My favourite...

Pub: The Rod and Line at Tideford. Great character and characters, not to mention delicious food and excellent live bands. I just don’t get there enough.

Beach: Apart from a little shingle one on the bank of the river Tamar just below Pentillie, I love Whitsand. Such a huge expanse of freshly washed beach (it’s covered up each tide), perfect for stick throwing for dogs, kite flying, difficult conversations and laughter… often at the same time. Just get the tide right!

Shop: There are three types of shop in which I can waste a lot of time: Firstly, a decent ironmongers (Church’s in Ashburton or Trewartha’s in Callington both spring to mind). A good bookshop – I once popped into a bookshop in Sydney for a birthday card and emerged, blinking, three hours later. And, finally, any good foodie shop – the Fish Deli in Ashburton is a favourite (especially their Spanish olives) and Waitrose – it’s our local supermarket.

Treat: A night out with my husband – involving delicious food and wine

Walk: From the Dartmoor Inn at Lydford

Venue: Pentillie Castle, of course!

up to the top of the moor via Widgery Cross, then back to the pub for Philip and Andrew’s legendary fish and chips.

Local brand: Cornish Sea Salt, especially

Event: Port Eliot Festival. Wonderful setting, fabulous relaxed vibe, great lectures, music, food and fun, and only 15 minutes from my home.

the luxury pepper version. Other Westcountry products that I love, in no particular order are: Mawgan Porth’s Disco Beads, which are glow in the dark jewellery, St Austell Brewery’s Tribute ale, Tregothnan

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People

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Whitsand Bay

Such a huge expanse of freshly washed beach (it’s covered up each tide)

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teas and Trewithen Dairy’s clotted cream and Frugi clothing. There are many more but this list would get ridiculously long. I’m proud to live in Cornwall, where creative and productive people make the most of our glorious countryside and produce, the fabulous light and the lovely vibe.

Tipple: Camel Valley sparkling wine.

Restaurant: The Rock Salt café in Plymouth and Springer Spaniel at Treburley both get a big TICK from me. Delicious – both of them.

Day out: A beautiful summer’s day, high tide, a swim in the Tamar and a barbecue on the shingle beach near us, with my family.

For more information and to stay visit www.pentillie.co.uk

Disco beads Cornish Sea Salt

Pentillie Castle

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29/10/2014 11:39:20

EATING OUT

Nando’s

By Becky Sheaves

y husband is a bit of a foodie. Likes good cooking, cares where the ingredients come from, enjoys a meal out.

So on his birthday, where do we go?

Why Nando’s, of course. Yes, Nando’s the international “casual dining chain” (as they describe themselves) with 1,000 restaurants world-wide and 280 eateries in the UK. As John wisely said: “The kids love it, and it is open at 5pm. We can go straight after picking them up from school and the whole thing will be over and done with by 7pm.” Yes, that is how we pick somewhere to eat on a Wednesday in term time.

Are we the only people who would like to eat a square meal at 5pm in this country? It sometimes seems that way. If you’ve got kids, then they come out of school starving. The last thing you want to do is wait until 7pm, get them to bed at 9pm or later, and pay the price in terms of tired children and bad tempers for the rest of the week. But so many cafes close on the dot of five, and hardly any restaurants start serving until 7pm. It’s a noman’s-land, that 5-7pm slot. Thank heavens, then, for Nando’s, which is open all day.

The chain started in Johannesburg back in the 1980s, serving food that they call a fusion of The front recipes from Portugal and Mozambique. Essentially that means of house is run marinading lots and lots of chickby a fabulous en in a chilli sauce called ‘peri chap called peri’ and serving it in umpteen the place. And although I have different ways. My son Luke’s my reservations about the indiDomingo, who favourite dish here is Wings Rouvidual dishes they serve, not all is absolutely lette which is a plate of grilled of which are exactly top-notch chicken wings, a couple of which gastronomically, I am a loyalty brilliant at will be super, super spicy. Let’s card holder and a fan. customer service just say, Nando’s is not afraid to I’m not the only one, either. embrace a fairly youthful, irreverWhen we arrived at 5pm last ent approach to culinary matters.

Wednesday, the place was fillWhich is why our kids love it. And why we, as a ing up fast. Luckily, the front of house is run by a family, eat there often. fabulous chap called Domingo, who is absolutely Nando’s started in the UK in 1992 and found brilliant at customer service. He ushered us to a its way to Exeter a few years ago when the Prin- terrific table, perfect for special occasions in that cesshay Shopping centre was redeveloped. As I it was round with a padded bench banquette all said, our kids (Luke, 12 and William, nine) adore the way around it. giving us lots of privacy. We

M

[[

excitedly handed our birthday presents over to John, then ordered our food. William wanted a plain chicken breast in a plain bun. No tomato, salad, mayo, nothing, but with chips (£7.30). As it was John’s birthday, we parents didn’t argue or even mention the dread words ‘five-a-day’. William also ordered a ‘bottomless’ drink (£2.45).

This is essentially an empty glass that you fill yourself at the fizzy drinks dispenser. He had a Coke-Fanta-Sprite cocktail. Grim. And interestingly, despite all his big talk, William only managed a glass and a half of the stuff.

Luke ordered a Butterfly Burger (£11.70) with which he also professed himself delighted. In fairness, it wasn’t at all bad – freshly grilled and

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4 of the best Affordable eateries

spicy chicken, with a decent bun, lots of salad and chips.

John and I are on a health kick at the moment. All this getting older is putting the frighteners on us. So he ordered a Caesar Salad with chicken (£9.10) and I went for an avocado salad (£9.25) which I have to say was really OK. It came with half an avocado that was pleasingly ripe, lots of toasted seeds and I helped myself to a good dressing. Some of the salad leaves were looking a bit tired and brown-edged, though. John said his salad was really rather boring. But then Caesar Salad is boring, especially if it doesn’t come with a proper Caesar dressing, as this one didn’t. I had a bottle of Portuguese beer called Sagres (£3.60) and John had a small glass of Merlot (£2.90).

We had fun, the service was swift and friendly, and the place is really quite spectacular inside, with dark wood, lots of ethnic-style paintings and décor, and lively Afro-Portuguese music. Apparently Nando’s has 3,000 pieces of South African art across its British restaurants.

The only criticism I have of the service is that they hustle you out of your table as soon as you have finished.

Or even before. This is a process which I have noticed – and disliked intensely – here before. So when a smiley waiter came over with a cursory, “Was everything all right?” and started grabbing at dishes, before William had finished I’m afraid I told him to go away. We didn’t stay for puds because Philly, my stepdaughter, had made John a birthday cake (pictured!). We went to her house and the cake was a sensation: made with care, love and thought, especially for John. Kind of the opposite of the Nando’s experience. But hey, we enjoyed our peri-peri chicken even so.

Nando’s 1 Princesshay, Exeter, 01392 436080.

1 Quickes Farm Kitchen

Newly opened in Newton St Cyres near Exeter, this farm shop cafe sells good honest home cooking at very reasonable prices.

Dish of the day: Roast haunch of local venison with all the trimmings Prices: Mains around £10 Contact: 01392 851000, www.quickesfarmshop.co.uk

2 The Blacksmith’s Arms

This traditional country pub at Lamerton near Tavistock serves greatvalue pub classics to enthusiastic locals.

Dish of the day: Homemade steak, ale & mushroom pie with chips & peas Prices: Mains from around £8 Contact: 01822 612962, www.blacksmithsarmstavistock.co.uk

3 Edgcumbe Arms

This pub (pictured above) has a wonderful location right on the water by the Cremyll Ferry on the River Tamar. It’s known for good food in generous portions, at affordable prices.

Dish of the day: Cornish seafood stew Prices: Mains around £13 Contact: 01752 822294, www.edgecumbearms.co.uk

4 The Donkey Sanctuary

How they scored...

Food



Atmosphere



Service



Price

Dinner for four was £56.70

The Hayloft cafe at the Sidmouth Donkey Sanctuary serves cooked breakfasts, lunches and teas seven days a week in charming rustic-style surroundings - and all profits go to the the donkeys!

Dish of the day: Chunk of Devon steak pasties Prices: Mains around £4 Contact: 01395 514996, www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk

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29/10/2014 11:47:59

Ingredient of the Week

Cockles

with Tim Maddams hen it comes to fresh shell fish we are blessed indeed in the South West. We have great mussel farms operating very sustainably, we have in-shore pot-caught crabs and lobsters that are the envy of the world. And we have some of the finest oysters in the land.

Even the most curmudgeonly foodie’s face lights up at the mere mention of some edible crustacean or another from the Westcountry. But I have found that as soon as you mention cockles, their faces seem to glaze over, and they withdraw from the conversation, giving you sideways glances.

We seem happy to trough down gallons of other bivalves. But when it comes to the cockles there is an unwritten rule, clams yes, cockles, NO. Well, that is madness plain and simple. We have some of the best cockles in the country and if you’re refusing them on your plate I reckon you’re missing a trick.

The reason, I think, for this strange and irrational reaction towards these tasty creatures is quite simply an unpleasant experience with a vinegary sandy misadventure by the seaside.

Cockles are often sold pickled and unless you pickle them yourself, this is seldom a happy end for these filter feeders. The cockles I’m recommending you try are fresh, live, hand-gathered ones that won’t be sandy, need little help to delight you and are a sustainable choice to boot.

You may have to try quite hard to get hold of

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really good, hand raked (and therefore more sustainable) cockles. The big juicy ones from Poole harbour in Dorset are awesome but there are others just as good available around the region, if you seek them out. As ever, a good relationship with your fishmonger is a big help. And you should avoid them in the summer months (the cockles, not the fishmongers!) when the quality is not so good after spawning.

If you want to collect your own then feel free but do make sure that the shellfish fishery area isn’t closed in that area due to bacterial blooms in the bivalve colonies. You can check this online or just ask the local fishermen. Remember, though, that the ones you buy will have been purified for 42 hours to make them far safer, and less gritty, to eat.

Now, these salty yet meaty morsels will need a good wash and, as with mussels, the advice is to discard any that are open. Wash them well and change the water once or twice while you’re doing so to remove as much sand and mud as possible. If you’re feeling brave, open one or two by twisting them against each other back to back and try them raw, they are seriously good.

If you’re in a hurry or just not that fussed cockles are delicious served in a bowl just as you would serve up a dish of mussels, or with some pasta. Whether you decide to get creative or just keep it simple is as ever up to you. But do give the cockles a go. They really are something else altogether.

Cider chilli cockles

Throw washed cockles into a large pan with a good glug of cider, and some chopped chilli and garlic.

Put the lid on the pan and cook until they all open their shells. Then it’s up to you, if you don’t want the faff of the shells you’re going to need to pick the flesh out once they have cooled and then reheat in some of the juices.

I often add the cooking liquid to some justcooked white beans. First pass it through a fine sieve or coffee filter to remove any remnants of grit and then chuck in the cockles at the end with tonnes of fresh parsley and some lemon juice.

It’s a good idea to finish this dish with a generous glug of very good olive oil. @TimGreenSauce

Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and writer who often appears on the River Cottage TV series 42

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29/10/2014 12:07:04

Drink Exeter Beer Cellar: a new place to try unusual beers

Cornish export

Darren Norbury

talks beer e all know about beer. But what’s craft beer? And how does it differ from, well, just beer?

These are good questions. I’m glad you asked. I fear I’m going to disappoint you by not being able to offer a definitive answer. But in my defence I don’t think anybody else has been able to yet, either.

At least, not in this country. In America, a craft brewer is defined as one producing six million (brewer’s) barrels a year or less. And the brewery must be no more than 25 per cent owned by a beverage industry manufacturer which is not itself a craft brewer.

Now, to my mind, I think that any brewer (the individual, that is) with the possible exception of the guy who shovels the rice into the Budweiser mash tun, considers themselves to be a craft brewer. Here in Cornwall, the brewers may have an LED display showing where all the liquor is in the brew, and they may have buttons to press rather than malt to tip in, but does that matter? I reckon the brewers on a shift at Sharp’s Brewery in Rock, north Cornwall, where they make Doom Bar, would say they take the appropriate care to consider themselves craft brewers.

I’d happily work with the shorthand that craft beer is an artisan product made in a small brewery with usually one brewer. But then that would exclude the likes of St Austell, Exmoor, Skinner’s, Butcombe et al, and I’d certainly consider their products to be ‘crafted’.

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Perhaps in the phrase ‘craft beer bar’ we come closer to understanding the modern meaning of the word. Some 30 or so pubs are closing every week in the UK, yet new licensed premises do open, too. Some of the most popular new entrants are craft beer bars, such as Exeter’s Beer Cellar on South Street, rather than traditional pubs.

Their offer revolves around beer, and there are still traditional handpumps. But you will also find artisan European-style lagers, alt beers or saisons from small brewers on the keg taps, rather than the likes of mass market Foster’s or Carlsberg. (And by keg, here, I mean beers which do not undergo secondary fermentation in the vessel from which they are dispensed).

Many breweries now regularly make keg as well as cask products, in the knowledge that keg really does suit some styles better. An obvious example being a Pilsner-style brew, or a continental style wheat beer.

So forget Double Diamond and the dreaded Watney’s Red Barrel. Those days have gone, keg technology has moved on and brewers are better trained than ever. Those brewers are prepared to explore the world of beer, play around with styles, and revel in our appreciation (usually) of their efforts. Those are our craft brewers.

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

Should you find yourself in the capital in the run-up to Christmas, look out for Nicholson’s pubs in London, where the house Pale Ale is brewed by St Austell Brewery, with Cornish barley. Nicholson’s is known for a fine beer list from brewers around the UK. An ideal stop-off during Christmas shopping.

Beer of the week Yes, it my own local, but I’m going to mention the Star Inn, Crowlas, anyway (friends will have wondered how long it would take me. Five weeks is the answer!). I’ve been enjoying the new Penzance Brewing Co Mild (3.6%) there regularly lately, and it’s a full bodied, deep red/brown, autumnal joy, lightly hopped with sweet chocolate notes.

Smooth and satisfying – and low-ABV!

PLAN AHEAD The first big beer festival in the South West in the New Year will be Exeter and East Devon CAMRA’s 26th annual Festival of Winter Ales. The venue is Exeter City Football Club on January 16 and 17, with doors open from 11am to 11pm each day.

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29/10/2014 12:08:42

Living

MOTORS

A Jaguar for all the family?

Scott Squires gets behind the wheel of the family-friendly version of the iconic Jaquar. Does it still growl?

J

aguar doesn’t make many estates, in fact this is only its second one.

The first was the X-Type and now Jaguar has extended the roofline of the popular XF to give us the XF

Sportbrake.

What is a Sportbrake? In Downton Abbey days, they had ‘shooting brakes’ – horse-led chassis taking you and your guns to the grouse. Today the term is used to make estates sound posh. Sportbrake is in a similar vein, but sportier.

From the outside it looks nice, if not a bit general; I could see four of five cars in it depending which way I looked at it - that’s not to say it’s not a looker - it has some nice sporty lines. Once you get inside you definitely know you are in a Jaguar, even if the interior is starting to look a little dated. The interior hasn’t been refreshed since they launched the XF saloon back in 2008. At that time it looked

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great and slightly futuristic, with its air vents that swivel round when you turn on the ignition and the round dial that rises from the centre console for the gear selector – but I think it’s time they sprinkled it with some fairy dust.

Thanks to the longer roof of the Sportbrake rear passengers get more headroom than the salon version, which makes the back seats a nicer place for adults to be on a long run.

The quality and finish of the interior is all you would expect from a Jag: plush and well-made.

Climate control, DAB radio and leather trim are standard throughout the range.

Talking of driving, you soon forget you are handling a car with some 1,600 litres of boot space, which is on par with the BMW 5 series and Audi A6.

Drop the rear seats down with the nifty remotefold levers in the boot and you end up with a very handy amount of load length.

You soon forget you are handling a car with 1,600 litres of boot space

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29/10/2014 11:26:03

gadget notebook HI TECH: Car cleaning

2 November 2014

Even if your car’s not a Jag, it deserves a little TLC. Here are our top gadgets:

Suck it up The Autovac Dustbuster by Black & Decker comes with a range of attachments that will make a clean sweep of difficult to reach areas, including between the seats. Plug it in to your car’s cigarette lighter and you’re good to go. £29.97 from www. argos.com

The Sportbrake is only available with a diesel engine, of which there are four. These include the 2.2 litre with 163bhp or 200bhp and the 3.0 litre V6 with 240bhp or 275bhp. Jaguar tell me they are only expecting to sell 100 of the top-ofthe-range XFR-S with its 5.0 litre V8 kicking out 550bhp.

My test car was fitted with their new 2.2 litre 4 cylinder diesel, mated to an eight-speed auto box kicking out 163bhp and just 129g/km of CO2 emissions. That may not sound like a lot of power for such a big car, but it never once felt like it was struggling thanks in part to the eight-speed box, as it always kept it on the torque band and made piling on 20 or 30mph effortless, handy for the odd overtake. It was a bit eager to kick down too many cogs if you pushed the pedal a just little too hard.

Drive this car with a light right foot and no sofa in the boot and you’ll be good for high 40mpg around town and low 60s on a motorway. So this is the engine with which Jaguar hopes to tempt people away from the main stream cars like the Mondeo and Insignia.

Get the Sportbrake on a nice twisty A or B road and you soon realise what this car is all about.

It makes light work of the corners and you soon forget you are driving a two-ton car. If you are after a more premium estate with a good boot, looks, a premium interior, a magic carpet ride, performance, which can transport four adults in comfort then look no further. And a little bonus with the Jag is realising the strong second-hand values when you let the big cat go.

Jaguar XF Sportbrake 2.2 D 0-62 mph: 9.8 Top speed: 130 Price: £38,295 (£45,835 as tested) CO2 (g/km): 129 Combined mpg: 57.7

shear glove

Give your motor the love it deserves.

This soft merino lambswool mitt will not only soap up a lather, but is gentle on bodywork to maintain a pristine finish. £10.95 from www.cleanyourcar.co.uk

Shine!

Black Diamond’s been making car valeting products for over 25 years and its Quick Glass is a multi-award winner. It removes grime leaving glass crystal-clear and can also be used around the home. Brilliant! £3.99 from www.blackdiamondproducts.co.uk

fave!

Under pressure

Karcher K2 Car Pressure Washer comes with arrange of nozzles, brushes and other accessories and cleans bikes and garden furniture beautifully too. Special offer price £89 (was £129.99) until December at www.halfords.com 45

Living_Gadget_Nov2.indd 45

29/10/2014 11:28:50

My life man and boy

Imaginary friends Phil Goodwin’s son James (four) has found someone to blame

A

[

He doesn’t pay a blind bit of attention. Honestly, the stuff he does, is enough to drive anyone to distraction.

I often marvel at James’ ability to keep going at this game. He sits with my mother-in-law, Nadia, sometimes for hours on end, playing out episodes in the life of this shameless delinquent. The pair of them rabbit on endlessly, then every once in a while I am startled by a noisy outburst in Russian, thinking James is having a tantrum. Only to find out he is simply delivering another, rather pointless I would say, telling off to the careless creature.

Unfortunately, granny has now headed back to Sochi to get on with her life. Of course, mothers-in-law are customarily subjected to terrible disrespect and have long been the butt of comedian’s jokes.

Tommy Cooper said about his mother-in-law falling into a wishing well: “I was amazed. I never knew they worked.”

Well, not everyone can get on with their wife’s mother - it’s a potentially difficult relationship, I guess - but after having seen the bond Nadia has forged with my lad, you won’t find me complaining.

With her departure we have lost a dedicated and hardworking baby sitter. On the plus side, we have said goodbye to the naughtiest bear in Exeter, if not the world. Thankfully, the evil puppeteer who breathes life into this foul-mouthed creature is

Misha the bear is a difficult individual, with challenging behaviour, but he is also much loved

nowhere near as badly behaved as his alter ego, even if Misha’s behaviour offers a glimpse into what he might be capable of, given totally free rein. The fictional friend - the whipping boy, the scapegoat, the bête noire – is gone.

But echoes remain. Ask James who left a mess, kicked off the shoes in the hall, forgot to flush the toilet, spilled the drink. The answer?

Simple. Misha did it.

[

main picture: Steve Haywood

nyone interested in the endlessly fascinating psychology of children should read Pobby and Dingan, by Devon writer Ben Rice. The story tells how a young girl manages to convince her family, and later an entire town, that her imaginary friends exist. Her powerful belief is so strong that when she claims the pair are missing, feared dead, the whole community is recruited to the cause.

I mention this because we too recently lost a valued, though not entirely real, member of the family. My Russian mother-in-law has been staying with us but has taken Misha the bear home with her. Misha - named after the mascot for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow - is a difficult individual, with challenging behaviour. But he is also much loved. Indeed, I would go so far as to say his departure has left us bereft.

More than two-thirds of kids are said to make up these fictitious companions which are said to reveal much of the fears and anxieties of their tiny creators. If this is true, then Misha the bear would explain a lot about young James and his world view.

Misha is a white plastic figure standing a full three inches tall. My wife also played with him when she was a child. These days, he appears to act out many of the fantasies whirling around James’ scatter brain. For starters, he is without an ounce of respect for authority. He regularly travels on (small) buses around our house without a ticket. And when the inspector demands he pay the fare, he gives them a mouthful, laughs in their face and does a runner Even worse, his concern for his own safety is practically non-existent. He thinks nothing of riding on a shark. Just the other day, I caught sight of him whizzing round while flat on his back – I kid you not – on the roof of a highspeed train. Try and tell him it is dangerous.

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Man&Boy.indd 46

29/10/2014 12:13:30

Christmas and New Year at

Our superb Christmas Party Nights…

Bodmin Jail

12th and 19th December 2014 Small or larger parties are welcome to join together for one big festive banquet and entertaining night to include full menu and a DJ!

Christmas Menu Day or Evening - La Scala Function Suite or Restaurant (Pre-order required)

Have you discovered the perfect

Sunday Lunch? …it’s Exeter’s best kept secret

£22.95 per guest

Boneless Tandoori Chicken Thighs Served with a cool mint yogurt Tomato and Pepper Crumble Salmon Mousse Served with Melba toast

New Years Eve Party Medieval Menu

Music by ’Mass-Affect’ with an amazing ‘Laser Light Show’ to take you through to 1am - Prizes for the best fancy-dress!

Full tickets at £35pp - Door tickets only (with no food or table reservation) £10

Main Courses Traditional Roast Turkey American Pot Roast Beef Above two main courses are served with Pigs in blankets Stuffing and Yorkshire Pudding Tuna Steak Served with a Lemon Butter

Starters Hunter’s pot vegetable soup Fresh bread

Poacher’s Potted Shrimps In Mace butter Served with toast

Homemade nut roast

Main Course Shepherd’s Lamb Shank Braised in Mead sauce

Home made Dessert Courses

Peasant Spit Roast Pork Served with Cider sauce

Christmas Pudding and Brandy Sauce

Salmon poached in Monk’s Ale Served with Tarragon butter

Fresh Fruit Salad Homemade vanilla ice cream Tea & coffee offered

Main course followed by mince pies £12.95 Two courses followed by mince pies £17.95 Three courses followed by mince pies £19.95 One & two course menus lunchtime only (12 – 4 pm) Full menu available all day (12 – 9 pm) Please remember to book and pre-order your meals Non-refundable deposit required: £5 for Main course & £10 for 2/3 course per person Gratuities not included. Special Dietary requirements catered for

Tel: 01208 76292 www.bodminjail.org

Adult 2 Course £13.95

Game Keeper’s warm meat pie Served with gravy

All above main courses served with our famous roast potatoes and three seasonal vegetables

Santa’s Steamed Chocolate Pudding Served with White Chocolate Custard

Ri Hea ch d ar ch d H ef un t

Entrees Thick Vegetable Broth Served with Fresh Bread

Preacher’s Lentil and vegetable Bake Served with Tarragon butter All main courses served with root vegetable pie and jacket potato

Desserts Fair Maiden’s Creamy Custard Tart and fresh cream Village Idiot’s Fruity Steam Pudding and custard The Bishop’s Cheddar Cheese and Apple Tea & coffee offered

Berrycoombe Road . Bodmin . PL31 2NR

FREE GLASS OF HOUSE WINE FOR EVERY SUNDAY LUNCH DINER - BOOKING RECOMMENDED - WHY NOT TRY OUR NEW ALL DAY DINING MENU? Sunday lunches served between 12:00 noon till 2:30.

Gipsy Hill Lane, Pinhoe, Exeter EX1 3RN 01392 465 252 reservations@gipsyhillhotel.co.uk Terms and Conditions of free glass of wine offer available at GH restaurant.

s

s We invite you to

Saturday Morning Music (SaMM) SaMM costs only £25 per term, meets from 9.30am- 12.30pm at the Ariel Centre at KEVICC, Ashburton Road, Totnes

Contact Us Website - www.samstotnes.org.uk Email - samstotnes@gmail.com Visit us on the following dates:

November 8, 15, 22, 29 December 6

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for three hours a week of musical fun (£25 for one hour per week) For children aged 5 +.

Free trial, no audition required

©LW

£50 a term

s 29/10/2014 14:18:23

ENS P O AY 7 D EEK AW

TRURO Store now open For everyone who lives and loves the country life Stocking everything for horse and rider, country clothing and footwear, pet food, treats and bedding, farm supplies and garden essentials.

Including brands such as:

Threemilestone Industrial Estate, Truro TR4 9LD | 01872 246123 | www.patchandacre.co.uk

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29/10/2014 14:19:25