16.11.14
+ INTERIORS:
SLEEK STYLE
W I N!
Luxury b serums eauty worth
£90
PLUS: + MEET THE
FULFORDS
INSIDE + WIN DINNER FOR TWO: PLUS WINE! + 33 FESTIVE FASHION FIXES
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Local treasure ‘I turned my creative passion into a career’ 12/11/2014 13:28:57
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TheMarleGallery Contemporary Fine Art
Winter Exhibition 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
Colin Moore ‘Burnham Overy Staithe’
Visit us on the following dates:
November 22, 29 December 6
£50 a term
Mairi Stewart ‘Bluebird’
Anne Townsend
Andy Small ‘Seedhead’
22 November - 17 January ©LW
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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
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Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 5pm
Victoria Place, Axminster, Devon EX13 5NQ 01297 639970 art@themarlegallery.co.uk www.themarlegallery.co.uk www.facebook.com/themarlegallery
Whether you're escaping with loved ones or wanting to enjoy an intimate family Christmas break away from the hustle and bustle of a busy life, make sure that the people close to you have a magical Christmas by choosing to spend Christmas on Lundy. Flying by Helicopter from Hartland point near Bideford, you'll take in an exhilarating six minute flight to experience one of Lundy's twenty three individual beautiful properties from a thirteenth century Castle to a Lighthouse and from a fisherman's chalet to a Old School House. Explore the wild winter wildlife or take a bracing walk to see the stunning coastal landscapes, then warm your feet by the crackling open fire and sip traditional mulled wine in the Marisco Tavern. Enjoy in the festivities on Christmas day, indulging in a five-course Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. The menu, like everything else on the island has a special Lundy flavour. Lundy - The perfect destination for a unique Christmas break For more Information and Bookings call 01271 863636 or visit www.lundyisland.co.uk
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©LW
12/11/2014 16:07:07
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GARDENING Anne Swithinbank goes in search of unusual veg
‘I say, lighten up. Blue hair isn’t going to prevent anyone from learning algebra’
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Gillian Molesworth on school uniform rules, p 11
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THE HOTLIST Marcus Brigstocke’s Falmouth show - and more...
STRICTLY STYLISH Fashion for the dancefloor
[contents[ Inside this week... 6
THE WISHLIST What to buy, where to go
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WHAT’S ON
9
MODERN MANORS
Our pick of the best events in the West Our columnist Kishanda gets annoyed
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THE HAPPY LIST
26
Reasons to be cheerful this week
14
CREATIVE BEGINNINGS
18
F IS FOR FAMILY
INTERIORS Cool and contemporary in a south Devon Grand Design
Three women turn hobbies into cash M eet the Fulfords, Devon’s new TV stars
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BEAUTY: WIN SERUMS WORTH £90 Tips and treats for heavenly skin
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RESTAURANT REVIEW Trendy times in an Exeter gastropub
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THE JOY OF JAGS
Scott Squires takes the new F type out on Dartmoor
A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP It IS possible - and here’s how...
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STRICTLY FASHION Shimmy your way to party perfection
40
NICE PLACE, IF A BIT CHILLY Becky Sheaves reviews a gastropub
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GOOD GAME Our culinary expert on cooking pheasant
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RARE BREWS A beer expert gets festival-ready
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GO GO GADGETS We round up the best hi-tech trickery
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MAN & BOY Phil and James queue up to meet a witch 3
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THE FULFORDS
Meet Devon’s endearing reality TV stars
[ welcome [
Interiors Anne Way has rescued the 400-year-old property
Saving grace
[
[ The property was gutted by fire (above) but has been restored
Fame is a funny thing...
house in Dartmouth was Anne Way’s 17th century merchant’s ago. She tells Sarah Pitt almost destroyed by fire four years save this gracious property about her £1 million mission to comshe says. “Because it wasn’t f it hadn’t been for destroyed, we had to rebuild the iron builder’s pletely English Heritage’s specificaprop which Anne it to tions.” Way’s son Tim pushed The results, though, have defi against the front of looknitely been worth it. Anyone the Merchant’s House in a Darting at the façade with its mullioned mouth street, the building would or windows and carved wood, hishave collapsed. And part of the gazing in awe at the intricatelybeen toric street scene would have be carved Charles I ceiling would lost forever. shell none the wiser that this was a In some ways, says Anne wryly, proc- just over four years ago. she wishes it had. For the And when all the builders, plasess of restoring the Grade I listed craftsmen June terers and other master building, gutted by fire in last packed up their tools in August 2010, has cost more than £1 million. work on the inteown Anne’s year, Anne The whole process has taken rior design began. One advantage hoand her husband Nigel, who are that of the restoration project was teliers, three years to complete. the building was in better condi“We thought we’d done the right time tion than it had been at any the saving in time the thing at back since the Ways first bought it building, but has ended up costing in 1990. a lot of money and a lot of work!”
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Tweet
of the week @ewandavey Wow! Check out Merchant’s Rest & Merchant’s Rise in today’s @WMNWest West Magazine p26 @WMNNews @ bluechiphols #interiors #lush @RCHDartmouth1
Our columnist Kishanda Fulford keeps us all entertained every week with her hilarious dispatches from the high-maintenance 800-yearold 48-room manor house near Exeter that she and her family call home. If you’ve ever wanted to know a little more about the Fulfords (rather different) lifestyle, turn to page 18 today for Anita Merritt’s fascinating account of meeting the whole family. Who are, of course, in the public eye right now with their smash-hit TV series Life is Toff. Notable for her absence from the filming, though, is Kishanda herself who prefers (understandably) to dodge the reality TV cameras. But let us assure you, she is fantastic company - and
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you can enjoy her wise (and very funny) words today on page nine. In the meantime, another of our columnists is doing rather well, too. Our fitness guru Sam Taylor (page 32) is a mum from north Cornwall. She runs the brilliant Sofa Dodger blog, in which she tries out 100 different sports in a year. She’s now been nominated for a national award well done Sam. Join us in voting for her at www. blogawardsuk.co.uk. This just leaves me space to say that we have £90 beauty serums to win today (p30) plus a three-course meal for two at the gorgeous Le Bistrot Pierre in Plymouth’s Royal William Yard (p8). Good luck and happy reading!
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If you’ve wanted to know more about their (rather different) lifestyle, turn to page 18 today
Becky Sheaves, Editor
CONTACT: westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk Tel: 01392 442250 Twitter @wmnwest
COVER IMAGE: Charlotte Rose
MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor
Gillian Molesworth
Kathryn Clarke-McLeod
Catherine Barnes
Phil Goodwin
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12/11/2014 11:25:02
If you buy one thing this week... Pheasant feather beret ÂŁ105 from the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton
Cut a dash in this stylish beret decorated with a pheasant feather. It’s been created by Exeter milliner Rivka Jacobs, who is showing at the Present Makers exhibition at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery in Honiton until December 20. The show is packed with gift ideas, such as textiles, ceramics, jewellery and more from makers across South West. Perfect for Christmas presents. Visit www.thelmahulbert.com
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12/11/2014 11:25:54
ROcK
ARound
ThE
cOrK! Wine bottle cork robot kits, £6 www.sciencemuseumshop.co.uk
The wish List West’s top picks for spending your time and money this week
Boutique of the Week Disco Beads, Mawgan Porth TEA, PLEASE Fun infuser, £9.70 www.lifeofjay.com
This shop on the north Cornwall coast specialises in handmade necklaces made from ‘disco beads’, which reflect the light thanks to clever mirrors within each one. They are all made on the premises by ‘disco fairies’, who report that these shiny beauties are popular with all ages, from young surfers to funky grannies. Kate Moss has been spotted wearing one, apparently, as has Home Secretary Theresa May. Disco Central, 1 Surfside, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall www.discobeads.com
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Wishlist We love the look of this Onslow satchel, £350, www.brixbailey.com
AND, RELAX... Cornish-made Trevarno bath melts, £12 www.trevarno.co.uk
Strike a pose Selfie-style frame,
Cute salt Ceramic salt pigs,
www.burlanes.com, £12
www.urbanoutfitters.com
PHEASANTS IN FLIGHT Sophie Allport pheasant chair pad, £16, from www.sophieallport.com
Fox on a box Somerset willow small wool work basket, £590 www.
themerchantfox.co.uk 7
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Events
The hotlist: There’s plenty to do right now here in the Westcountry, from Christmas food markets to opera
#1
#2
Win
Yard WIN: A 3 course meal for two at Royal William
#3
2. Christmas market December 7
Marcus Brigstocke, Falmouth November 27 Comedian Marcus Brigstocke is appearing for one night only at the Princess Pavilion, Falmouth, with lots of jokes and fun along the way. Tickets are £15, call 01326 211222 for the box office.
Royal William Yard is holding a fabulous Christmas market on Sunday December 7, 10am – 3pm. Look out for food and drink stalls plus craft stands from all over Cornwall and Devon. There’ll be fun for all the family and lots of locallysourced Christmas gifts to buy. To celebrate, we have a three-course meal for two (with a bottle of wine) at the wonderful Bistrot Pierre in the Royal William Yard to give away! To enter, send your
contact details to: Westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk to arrive by November 28. Normal terms apply.
3. Chapel Porth beach clean December 5 Get together for a beach clean-up at this beautiful north Cornwall surf beach from 9.30am-11.30am on Friday December 5. All volunteers get a free hot drink at the beach café. Contact 01872 552412 or chapelporth@nationaltrust. org.uk for details.
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My life
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MODERN MANORS
My list of pet hates Kishanda Fulford almost doesn’t know where to start
do not know why but I am driven to write about my pet hates. Where to begin? Let’s start with men’s urinals. Strangely a porcelain urinal laid on its back and signed ‘R. Mutt 1917’ by the artist Duchamp is considered by some to be one of the icons of 20th century art. I strongly objected to the installation of a men’s urinal in the walls of my house. I was told though, that they have them at Windsor Castle – and therefore it was OK to have them here? I have also been to a 13th century manor house where, through a small unassuming door to the left of the fireplace in a grand library, is what must be one of the most discreet and elegant urinals I have ever seen. Obviously these urinals are normally ‘out of bounds’ to any girl and I only found myself allowed in this hallowed room on the pretext of being interested in old architecture. So, the boys were OK. A hop from the library fire and they were in a urinal? I can’t quite think why these grand houses had them though as, by definition, these houses would have grand gardens. Male guests could, therefore, surely head for the nearest available herbaceous border. Actually, I can’t believe I just wrote that, when I think of what happened to a friend of mine who was staying at a chateau in France. He walked into the garden and thought it more seemly to get out of the headlights, as it were. He tumbled over a small wall, fell 30 feet down a steep cliff and had to clamber back up through the dense vegetation that surrounds such a defensive building. He spent the night suspended in the comfort of a warm bath, and discovered on his return to England the next day that he had broken a vertebrae in his neck. I am suddenly, now I think about
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it, really in favour of urinals for men, and the closer to the fire, the better. Next on my list of hates would be recipes and the way they are laid out in even the best selling ‘how to cook’ books. Why are the ingredients listed in a totally random way? I have just cooked a delicious fish soup – but the ingredients were not listed in the order that you need them. Surely publishers of such books and those who post recipes online could make our lives easier by putting the ingredients in the order in which
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pepper? Who would want the powdered remains of a once robust peppercorn? I am also beginning to find it annoying when I am told by friends that it is only a few weeks until Christmas, and that they have already done all their Christmas shopping in the sales mostly in the sales after last Christmas. And the Christmas jingles in the supermarkets, which start earlier and earlier every year, and are surely designed to send everyone potty. They not only send us mad but think of the staff who work in these shops, besieged by music on a ‘loop’ .. ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer’ etc. Believe me – it will all be in a store, near you, in the very near future. Why could these shops not play, instead, some uplifting Rachmaninoff, or a few cheerful polonaises by the great Chopin? I am sure that if word got out that the music in my local supermarket was more interesting than‘All I want for Christmas …’, then more people would want to shop at that store. But my greatest pet hate of all is the telephone call from my children which begins, ‘I have lost my mobile telephone/ my passport/ my keys/ my bank card/ my wallet/ the car keys.’ Imagine, just imagine, if I rang all four of my children - on a conference call - and told them that I, too, had lost all of the essentials of a modern life in the wash.
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My greatest pet hate of all is the telephone call from my children which begins, ‘I have lost my ....’
they are needed? Perhaps I am just hopeless and maybe more efficient cooks put out all the ingredients needed for the recipe in one great heap before they start cooking? While I am on food, another pet dislike is the quality of salt and pepper in most restaurants. Even in some of the supposedly best restaurants I have been obliged to take the rubber stopper off a ‘salt’ thing, discard the ancient rice holding the humidity from the salt and tip the pitiful three grains of salt on the side of my plate. As for the
Kishanda Fulford lives in Great Fulford, Dunsford, Devon. See our feature on page 14 today for an insight into her family life, as shown on the current BBC TV series Life is Toff.
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Let it burn: An old boat made a striking appearance on the Lyme Regis Guy Fawkes bonfire
in pictures Lest we forget: A Remembrance Day parade was held at HMS Raleigh near Plymouth
Just a snack: Rowe’s Bakery in Falmouth re-opened after fire damage, with a celebration pasty
Innovation: Dappercap, a new sort of bike helmet, will be made in Cornwall
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talking points Bow wow
Brollied
Gillian Molesworth
Story of my life... It doesn’t make it any drier: 10 ways of describing precipitation
1 Stair rods Fiction’s famous dogs:
1 T immy (The Famous Five by Enid Blyton)
2 Toto (The Wizard of Oz, by L Frank Baum)
3 Bulls-Eye (Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens)
4 Spot (Spot the Dog by Eric Hill)
2 Mizzle 3 Drizzle 4 Cloudburst 5 Deluge 6 Sprinkle 7 Shower 8 Spate 9 Smeeching 10 Plothering
5 Jip (Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting)
6 Gnasher (The Beano
The happy list
comic)
7 Lassie (Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight)
8 The Hound of the Baskervilles (by Arthur Conan-Doyle)
9 Fang and Fluffy (Harry Potter by JK Rowling)
10 Duchess (The Pie and the Patty Pan by Beatrix Potter)
Book club Story time: 10 famous people who read on Jackanory
1 Margaret Rutherford 2 Prince Charles 3 Patrick Stewart 4 Art Malik 5 Judi Dench 6 Helena Bonham Carter 7 Rik Mayall 8 Terry Jones 9 Ian McKellan 10 Kathy Burke
10 things to make you smile this week 1 Faith in Humanity Restored good deeds blog 2 Penguins OK,John Lewis, we admit: we love them
3 Baby seals are being rescued in Gweek, hooray
4 Leftover sparklers just light them up after supper
5 Richard Long Turner prize art on show at the Burton Gallery, Bideford
6 Soft centres Quality Street’s fab new creams-only boxes
7 Small Business Saturday Shop local, think global on December 6. We will
8 Solomon Exeter grad to win The Apprentice? YES!
9 Hats The cosy answer to the weather right now
10 Office party plans taxi!
In which Gillian extols the joy of socks eadteacher Elizabeth Churton from Hanson Academy has been on a bender this month. In a ‘proper uniform’ crackdown, staff at the Bradford-based school sent home nearly 250 students over a three day period. Their non-uniform crimes included hoop or multiple earrings, patterned trousers, ‘unnatural’ hair goths in black, preppies in plaid, colours, and trainer-style shoes. hard rockers, pop queens and Our community in north Cornpunks. Not only does dress allow wall isn’t exactly Bradford, but you to express what you like, it we’ve been facing stricter standhelps you connect with other ards too. Sophie has just made the people who like the same stuff. transition to secondary school, And frankly, anything that and we’ve invested to kit her out helps get you through those awktop to toe in regulation garb. It’s ward years is not to be sneezed the toe that gets me. at. There’s the physical trauma Namely, socks. Strictly speakof going through puberty, and ing, only white socks are allowed. the social anxiety of forming and This is disappointmaintaining reing, because we lationships. Let’s love socks in our not forget how savfamily. We have agely hierarchical a great collection: that age bracket I say, lighten up. striped and spotis. If you can raise Blue hair ted, argyle, layour social status isn’t going to belled with days of an iota by wearing the week or amusthe tee shirt of a prevent anyone ing slogans. We popular band, I’m from learning have cartoon socks all for it. and seasonal socks I do understand algebra with hearts and the arguments reindeer on them. about having every Father Christmas kid on an equal is bountiful in the footing (not evesock department. ryone can afford the latest trainIt wouldn’t kill them to let the ers), and not promoting gang kids wear coloured socks, I often culture or provocative clothing think as I look at my daughter in and makeup. Who knows what her same-as-everyone-else outfit. the Bradford headmistress was It’s a tiny concession to being able up against. But to most English to express some form of individuschools, I say: lighten up. Blue ality. And it raises a smile. hair isn’t going to prevent anyone After all, the ages between 11 from learning algebra. Teens will and 18 are your experimenting let some of those earring holes years, your ‘who do I want to be’ close over when they want to get years. I don’t come from a school a job. We should be supporting uniform culture. Well do I rememkids’ fledgling attempts to express ber the jocks in team sweatshirts, their self-image. Even if it is only hippie chicks in gypsy skirts, through their socks.
H
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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FANTASTIC FASHION OPEN UNTIL 9PM EVERY THURSDAY UNTIL 18th DECEMBER
...unwrap the perfect Christmas Ads.indd 4
12/11/2014 12:00:15
Shop Tux jumpsuit Next £55
Fusion topMonsoon £49
Ponyskin mules Next £55
Ville dress Monsoon £89
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EXPLORE
Drake Circus It’s official, the party season is upon us
t’s time to crack open the champagne and toast a fantastic year. Drake Circus has everything you need for a celebration, to make sure you are looking and feeling your very best. Shopping for the perfect party outfit can prove a little tricky at times. But with so much choice and fantastic brands such as Jack Wills, Coast, River Island, Next, Monsoon, Oasis, and M&S, all under one roof, you’re sure to find the right look for you at Drake Circus. Jumpsuits are the hot pick for this season. They can be dressed up or down with accessories and are very flattering, too. Whether you go bold with a gorgeous red Oasis jumpsuit or smart with this Next tux jumpsuit, you are guaranteed to make an entrance, whatever the occasion. If you already have some smart tailored trousers and are looking for a pretty top to add a bit of sparkle this party season, there are lots of options to be found at Drake Circus. You could try a fitted, strappy or lacy long-sleeved number: Monsoon, Next, River Island, M&S and Coast offer a world of choice. We love Coast’s bold Iridessa bead top (pictured). Can’t resist the temptation to take a twirl in one of this season’s fabulous party dresses?
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Coast, Monsoon and M&S have some gorgeous frocks in their winter collections. Stand out with Monsoon’s Ville dress in ruby red or sparkle in M&S’s Limited Edition sequin dress, channelling all the glamour we saw in Tom Ford’s AW14 collection in this year’s London Fashion Week. The perfect party look can be a jigsaw puzzle, with the right clutch bag often being the hardest piece to find. Day-to-night accessories come into their own during party season, when you find yourself flitting from desk to dance floor, so a neutral clutch can be perfect. If, however, you want to introduce a sense of fun into formal occasions or dress up an outfit, we love this jewelled Lexi embellished clutch from Accessorize. Putting your best foot forward? The key to an enjoyable night out is a comfortable but dropdead gorgeous pair of shoes. Be it the clever comfortable flat or the glamorous heel, Drake Circus has a huge choice when it comes to party shoes. You’ll find the South West’s largest M&S, plus great shoe sections in Topshop, River Island and Next. You’ll also find superb shoe shops, such as Sole Trader and Schuh, guaranteeing that you’ll find the perfect shoes in which to dance the night away. For details, visit www.drakecircus.com
Gold sequin dress M&S Limited Edition £69
Lexi embellished clutch Accesorize £45
Iridessa bead top Coast £85
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People WESTCOUNTRY LIFESTYLES
Getting creative Becky Sheaves meets three women who have turned their bright ideas into thriving businesses, right here in the South West
Lucy Turner LUCY TURNER IMAGES: HANNAH ROSE
f you’ve ever contemplated turning a crafty hobby or arty pasttime into a money-spinning business, then you’ll find these women seriously inspirational. All three live here in the South West and have transformed their working lives - and incomes - by starting up successful businesses. Starting with just a clever idea and some talent, they have found ways to make a living doing what they love. Read on to find out how they did it...
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There could hardly be a more retro interiors combination than 1950s furniture and Formica. But when Penryn-based artist Lucy Turner puts the two together, the end result is altogether very 21st century. Lucy takes the furniture from the 1950s (and sometimes 60s), then gives it a contemporary makeover. She applies striking designs laser-cut from that classic 20th century material, Formica. “I just love the old furniture from the mid-century,” enthuses Lucy, who works in a huge former Victorian grain store in the countryside near Falmouth. “Although each piece was mass-produced on a production line, the people who made it were real craftsmen. There is a lot of skill and quality that goes into these old pieces. I’m so keen to revive them and give them another chance at being the star of someone’s home.” Lucy, who grew up in Somerset, came to the Falmouth area more than a decade ago as an artist-in-residence, after studying 3D design at the University of Plymouth. She stumbled upon her unique way with furniture quite by accident, as she explains: “I bought my first 1950s sideboard for £5, and my friends hated it. But I could see the quality in it. “So I borrowed a laser cutter and added some Formica cut-outs to it, then exhibited it at a local art show. The feedback was fantastic, so I started making more. The business has just grown from there.” Back then, says Lucy, people were “just chopping and burning these old pieces”
and she was able to pick them up for a few pounds. Today, they command slightly more respect and it is a case of tracking them down on Ebay. But there are still plenty to be had: “After all, back then practically every household had a sideboard, a set of matching dining chairs and a dressing table,” she says. “There is still no shortage of them.” Which is just as well, for Lucy’s designs are in great demand, selling as far afield as Bahrain and Beijing, as well as in John Lewis and The Shops at Dartington in Devon. Today, she has moved on from delivering each piece herself in her own van and concentrates on the creative side of the business, with her designs commanding up to £1,300 or more for a sideboard. “When I first started out, I’d drive up to London dropping off completed orders, then driving all the way home to Cornwall collecting furniture to work with on the way,” she remembers. “Today, it makes more sense for me to use a courier service.” Lucy’s range of designs has grown, too, and she even creates whole kitchens to order. The joy of Formica is that it is such a practical material, she explains. “You can stand a hot cup of coffee on it and it won’t create a mark. It stays fresh and never fades, unlike paintwork. It really is a joy to use.” Her base in Cornwall adds somewhat to Lucy’s courier bills but she finds the landscape and lifestyle inspirational. “I’m very influenced by seascapes and wild flowers,” she says. “Above all, when I’m happy, then ideas just pop up. Just the other morning I thought of a water lily design which has worked really well. Another day it will be seagulls, or peacock feathers. Why not?” Visit www.lucyturner.co 15
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Helen Bottrill Helen Bottrill lives and works in a village called Blackborough near Kentisbeare in East Devon. She has been making delightful textile creations there for several years, after she and her husband moved to Devon from Cheltenham. A whizz with a sewing machine, Helen makes cushions and other soft furnishings, often combining her artistic eye (she studied fine art) with a love for vintage fabrics. Mum to Lauren and Eli, she combines being a hands-on mum with, increasingly, becoming something of a star on the Westcountry craft scene. Helen and her husband Greg, who works as a teacher in Honiton, came to Devon eight years ago in search of a more relaxed and laid-back rural lifestyle. The plan was for Helen to be a full-time mum but then, one Christmas, she rustled up some hand-made cushions for a school fair. One thing led to another and Helen found herself with commissions for more. “After a while, I thought I had better get a website, and I started selling online as well as at craft fairs.” Helen called her company Kindred Rose – her children’s full names are Lauren Rose and Eli Kindred – and was soon accepted to sell her wares on the Not On The High Street website. “Since then the business has just grown and grown,” she says. She works in a wooden shed in her garden, which is packed with fascinating craft materials of all sorts. “Nowadays, I am having to make a conscious decision not to expand the business too much, as I want to be there for the children when they are small, and retain a good work/ life balance,” she says. For more details call 01884 266045 or visit Helen’s website www.kindredrose.co.uk 16
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People ‘I came to Devon for a rest but I have ended up being extremely busy! But it’s different if you are working for your own business’
Wendy Harrison Seven years ago graphic designer Wendy Harrison was working for Top Shop, creating marketing material and shop fittings. “I was living in St Albans, commuting to London every day,” she remembers. “It was such a fast-paced industry, where everything was changing constantly. To be honest, after several years I just burned out.” It was time for a change of pace – and lifestyle. Today, Wendy and her husband Bob run a thriving illustration business in north Devon, inspired by the love people have for their homes. Using a simple photograph, Wendy’s business can produce a striking image of your house for just £35 or so, all organised over the internet. It all started seven years ago when Wendy was pottering around their new home, the estuary village of Instow in north Devon. She sketched some of the charming houses there and planned to sell the drawings. “Then I thought, wouldn’t it be nicer to sell people a sketch of their own homes. It would be so much more personal and would mean so much more to them.” She started up her business, called Letter Fest, online, selling through the web business Not On The High Street (www.notonthehighstreet.com). Initially, Wendy created her crisp and attractive contemporary-style images of houses on the kitchen table in her home, hand-drawn from photographs supplied by customers. “Then the business grew and so we added an extension to our house to accommodate more people working with
me,” she explains. “Eventually we outgrew that office and have now moved to Barnstaple. We now employ ten people full time and many more part-time.” Husband Bob, too, now works in the business and their blond Labradoodle dog Travis is often to be found in the office. One thing hasn’t changed, though. Each picture is hand-drawn, despite prices starting at just £35 for a simple pencil sketch. But Wendy now has a team of artists in Devon working for the business. “We have so many really talented people in the area and it’s great to have them working for us. Many are busy with their own commissions, too, but work with us part time,” says Wendy. “Our artists are very true to the look of the property. But we can make sure that unwanted details, such as satellite dishes, wheelie bins or aerials are left off. We want every house to look its best.” Wendy’s business now sells house drawings world-wide, with pictures commissioned from as far afield as Australia and this year there has been a major expansion into Germany. “I must admit, Bob and I came to Devon for a rest but we’ve ended up being extremely busy,” she laughs. “However, it is different if you are working for your own business. And we still make time to walk the dog on the beach or go into the sea.” Wendy’s business has diversified and now also offers sketches of pets, which are very popular, and “mother and baby” drawings. Another popular choice is a sketch of a wedding venue, with a personalised message underneath commemorating the bride and groom’s big day. “All our pictures are hand-drawn by genuine artists, then delivered by courier,” Wendy explains. For more details visit www.letterfest.com 17
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Interview
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[
MEET THE FULFORDS
F... is for family
[
By Anita Merritt
f you’ve read our wonderful columnist Kishanda Fulford’s oh-so-funny column every week here in West magazine (see page 9 today), you’ll have more than an inkling that she comes from a very interesting, not to say eccentric, family. And on my visit to their 48-room mansion - which has been in the Fulford family for 800 years - I can’t wait to discover why they have agreed to have their lives turned into a television documentary. It’s not the first time they’ve been on our screens, as you may remember. In 2004, their show “The F***ing Fulfords” made for jaw-dropping viewing when we were introduced to Francis Fulford, his wife Kishanda and their four squabbling children, all living hidden away off the beaten track between Cheriton Bishop and Dunsford, near Exeter. The show exposed the family as being extremely plain-speaking, and almost broke. Comparisons were instantly made with the Osbournes… but in tweeds. The unlikely star of the show was Francis, 24th in the line of his family to have inherited Great Fulford. Nothing can prepare you for seeing the vast property in real life. After passing along a potholed
I
lane through various farmyards, the faded facade of Great Fulford suddenly greets me, and what was once an exquisite stately manor now looks more like the house that time forgot. The miserable weather does little to cast any warmth over the semi-fortified mansion built around a courtyard, which is where I park my car. But the somewhat gloomy spell is instantly broken the moment I bang on the door and receive a warm greeting from 21-year-old daughter Matilda. She pulls back the heavy, dark, wooden door, and leads me into the panelled Great Hall where various animals’ heads have been mounted on the walls. The path to the kitchen table takes a bit of negotiating because one of the family’s two beloved black Labradors has left a little present on the floor. Matilda, aged 21, is the twin of Arthur, who is next in line to inherit Great Fulford. Arthur is temporarily back living at home - he had to leave his job in London to do the television series. The other siblings are 20-year-old Humphrey, the only one missing when I visit, who is planning to join the Army next year, and the ‘baby’ of the family, 18-year-old Edmund. Edmund has finished his schooling and is planning on relocating to Kenya to try his hand at trading commodities such as tea. Matilda is making her escape much earlier, about to head for Barcelona to teach English to fund her attempts to break into
PHOTOGRAPHY: MATT AUSTIN
Chaotic but loveable, the Fulford family from Devon are starring in the new reality TV series Life is Toff on BBC3. Anita Merritt visits the 3,000-acre Great Fulford estate near Exeter to meet the husband and children of our hilarious weekly columnist Kishanda in their extraordinary home
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Interview
the art world. Her paintings are abstract, colourful and very good. In the current BBC3 series Life is Toff, which was filmed last summer, the four siblings are shown struggling with the same problems, insecurities, and rites of passage all young adults face, but with the weight of 800 years of history and tradition bearing down on them. But it’s all smiles today – and impeccable manners, I have to add – and the common consensus is that filming the series was a fun time for them all. M a t i l d a says: “What was really nice about filming is that it gave us an opportunity to hang out as a family. There’s no way we would have been able to do that for that amount of time if it wasn’t for the filming.” Agreeing to do the six-part series was a decision the family didn’t take lightly, especially as not everyone was happy with the way they were portrayed in their first brush with reality
TV, which they did to generate money to plough back into the house. “It was a big decision for all of us,” admits Matilda. “There were lots of discussions. I never really wanted to do it, but when you finish university and get offered a pay cheque, and you know what’s at stake for Great Fulford, it’s really tempting.” Just how big the cheque was, is politely undisclosed. All Francis will say is: “It’s quite large.” And although Matilda goes on to say it was a unanimous decision made by the family to do the series, that isn’t quite true because a key member of the family is missing – mum Kishanda. Matilda clarifies: “She was really against it so she opted out. She hated the whole experience last time, and the attention we received. It just didn’t suit her and she didn’t like the press afterwards.” Luckily, Great Fulford is the type of home where she could do just that, with 48 rooms to choose from, although Francis jokes Kishanda is
When you get offered a pay
cheque and you know what is at stake for Great Fulford,
it’s tempting
always saying she can’t find a room of her own. He says: “People always ask how many rooms we’ve got, but it’s not relevant because some are the size of a house and others are just like everyone else’s. “It’s the cost of keeping the whole house running that’s the issue.” At this, Edmund immediately perks up to point out: “We don’t get heat in this house! It only comes on twice a year – at Christmas and mum’s birthday.” Francis replies: “That’s why you’re so healthy. There’s nothing nicer than waking up with an icicle under your nose.” The irony is that despite having a house with so many rooms, only a few are ever used – the kitchen, library, bathroom, and occupied bedrooms.Getting back on track, Francis reveals the other major cost of running Great Fulford: maintenance. “You can turn out lights and not put on the heating, but there are some costs you can’t escape. There’s a constant cycle of work that needs to be carried out after so many years, such as replacing the windows and roof, and repainting. “If I was being truthful, we should be spending £25,000 to £50,000 a year on a rolling programme of maintenance. But when times are tough you just make do. All that matters is keeping the
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TV appearances have enabled Francis Fulford to afford the magnificent renovation of his mansion’s ballroom, right, now available for parties. There is still much to do, however: including the rescue of the grand Jacobean staircase, pictured above
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Interview
Francis Fulford, left centre, sits with his children Arthur, Matilda, Edmund and Humphrey at home in their Devon manor house. Below, as they were in their first TV foray back in 2004
2014 water out and making sure the house doesn’t burn down through faulty electrics. Or whatever it is that makes a house burn down.” Francis stares pointedly at Matilda, who is sitting at the kitchen table striking matches then extinguishing them in an ashtray. In recent years Francis and Kishanda have managed to afford a new roof and rewiring, both major achievements financially. But the effort most visibly noticeable is the restoration of the ballroom, complete with a brand new plasterwork ceiling. There is still a lot to do, however: the grand 17th century staircase is home to a rolled-up carpet slung haphazardly at the bottom, randomly next to a ping pong table. Once luxurious wallpaper is peeling from the walls. The task of maintaining the house for future generations will rest on the shoulders of Arthur, the eldest male sibling, who already walks around with the air of lord of the manor. Younger brother Edmund says: “I’ve been told since I was born I’m getting nothing!” Arthur doesn’t bat an eyelid and simply adds: “In brutal terms it’s just the way life is, just like Prince Harry will never be king. It’s just one of those things. There are pros and cons for everything. I see it as a challenge and an exciting one at that.” It seems that not a lot worries Arthur, because he’s also losing no sleep over watching Life is Toff, or dwelling on the reaction it has received. “I don’t think it’s too bad. I don’t like everything
I see, but that’s life really. Not many people get to see their life played back to them.” Matilda adds: “I don’t think it will change our lives at all. It’s not the kind of programme which brings that fame and I’m really glad about that. None of us craves to be famous, unlike a lot of people. Being famous for being a reality TV star gains you no respect whatsoever.” She adds: “It’s really hard for us to expose ourselves in that way and put ourselves on a platform to be judged.” Perhaps the one who should be the worried the most - but isn’t in the slightest - is Francis. “I believe if you play yourself and don’t pretend to be someone else, people respect that,” he says. “What TV does is it caricatures you. If you’ve got a big nose it makes it look even bigger; it doesn’t lie. All I hope is it’s not cruel like one of those Spitting Image puppets.” And certainly, the show is full of comedy moments, often produced during sibling fighting. I risk an explosion by asking them to describe each other. Matilda says: “Eddie (Edmund) can be quite charming and really funny. It’s also unbelievably easy to make him do things. He’s the servant of the family.” Turning to Edmund, she says, “Can you get the kettle?” which he does without a moment’s hesitation. He might be a domestic pushover, but there’s no holding back when he describes Arthur. Edmund says: “I learnt what not to do and so
The real bonus of doing it
is being all together for
the summer holidays. That will
probably never happen again
2004
on from the mistakes Arthur and Matilda both made. But Arthur grew up the quickest out of us all. He is quite intelligent and quick-witted. “Tils (Matilda) is the one who is most in touch with the outside world, and has probably had the best influence out of everybody on my life. She keeps me in line.” In all of them I can see polite, eccentric, and very likeable characteristics, very like their father, who admits life won’t be half as much fun when they all fly the nest again. His priority remains keeping the estate together and solvent. Income is generated from rentals from his farms (all 12 of them), forestry and - in the house, itself - weddings, parties and, of course, TV shows. After The F***ing Fulfords, Francis was involved in numerous other shows, from Why England’s F****d, to How Clean is Your House? (not very, as it turned out), which have helped pay for much of the recent work to the house. So if more reality TV beckoned, such as I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! would Francis be tempted? “Never say never,” he admits. “I would have to find out how much money is involved. The most important thing is to keep Fulford as a home for my family.” Pausing to give one of his dogs the last bite of his biscuit, Francis concludes: “It’s an adventure and, like all adventures, you don’t know how it will all end.”
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Gardens
ANNE SWITHINBANK
Oddities Devon’s Anne Swithinbank, panellist on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, on the pleasures and pitfalls of unusual veg irst there were just one down near Penzance but would be anor two cauliflowers along nihilated by frost double quick time in the roadside, enough our east Devon garden. Yet it was the to make us giggle, then produce section that fascinated me, as more, so that cars were there was a wide range of fruit, veg swerving to avoid them. Finally, they and herb plants including yakon and were thick on the road and we had to oca, both of South American origin. drive bumpily over squashed creamy I know unusual veg are all the rage mounds, thinking fretfully of all that but I tend to be somewhat sceptical. wasted cauliflower cheese and feeling After all, surely yakons were there sorry for the farmer with his faulty to be discovered along with potatoes. trailer. We’d seen fields of cauliflowSo why didn’t they become a staple? ers during a walk down to a beach Could it be they just aren’t as palatnear Marazion abl e / d i g e s t i bl e / and they seem to easy to grow? I be a popular crop have a theory that thereabouts. Cauevery 50 years or liflowers are reso, there’s a fresh I became all lated to cabbages call to grow these enthusiastic which in origin are things, everyone essentially coastal tries them, they eat about Incan plants. In fact wild one or two, throw achocha and cabbage can still the rest away, then be found on cliffs, go back to eating tried hard to usually of chalk or carrots and parstempt my tribe limestone. nips. I became all with them We’d taken a few enthusiastic about days off to drive achocha (another down to Cornwall, Incan specialspending a couple ity), which fruited of nights in St Ives prolifically and and then one in though I tried hard Torquay on the way back and for once, to tempt my tribe with them, we all decided not to visit gardens but trun- decided that courgettes, sweet pepdle about and drop in on a couple of pers and aubergines were far supenurseries. My husband and I did buy a rior. Which is perhaps why they are few ornamental plants but our excuruniversally popular. sion was comprehensively hijacked I bought some yakon growing in a by fruit and veg. Yes, I know there are pot and before I finish this article I’m shops and art galleries in St Ives but going to dig out a tuber and try it. we didn’t have time for any of them! Large tubers are harvested and the At Trevena Cross near Helston, small ones overwintered damp and we marvelled at the barely hardy frost free in a pot. In spring, small subtropical plants that grow readily tubers sprout, are potted separately
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This week’s gardening tips
and then planted out 1m apart after all danger of frost. Harvest time is in autumn, immediately after the foliage has died back. Large tubers are gathered and the smaller ones potted and taken in. In Torquay, we stumbled across a greengrocer selling golden beetroot and purple carrots and this is where I prefer to direct my veg growing energy. There are so many unusual varieties of the tried and tested crops, with different colours and subtly different flavours. Growing speckled borlotti or waxy yellow French beans, purple potatoes and the acid green pinnacles of Romanesco cauliflower seems more worthwhile and a better use of my space, because I know we’ll eat our way through the whole crop. I’ve just broken off a yakon tuber, peeled the thin skin away and tasted the flesh, which wasn’t bad. Mild and sweet with a slight fruity flavour, the best thing was its crunchy texture reminiscent of water chestnut. Easy to eat raw, yakon is good in savoury or fruit salads but discolours quickly, so a squirt of lemon juice is advisable, as with avocado. I guess these unusual crops are great to incorporate in a forest style garden, to gather in small quantities for an enterprising cook. Now’s the time to make your seed order and, inspired by the Cornish cauliflowers, I’m going to have a stab at ‘Purple Graffiti’ (Suttons 0844 922 0606 www.suttons.co.uk)
Anne’s advice for your garden
• Sow hardy peas. I prefer to start these in pots, setting four seeds per 9cm/3.5in pot and planting them out as one, a trowel-length apart, again in a double row. • Stake tall plants of Brussels sprouts and purple sprouting broccoli in case they are toppled by gales. Protect brassicas from pigeons by hanging plastic
bags or cd’s to twist in the wind, or cover them with mesh. • Prune out fruited shoots of hybrid blackberries and tie in the new ones for next year. Attempt to lay them horizontally along wires, or bend them into serpentine shapes to steady the flow of sap and ensure fruits all along.
Question time with Anne West reader queries answered by Anne Swithinbank
Q
We have toadstools coming up all over the lawn. Is this something to worry about?
This has been a brilliant year for fungi and I was even sent a picture of an amazing Clathrus archeri or devil’s fingers which looks like a fleshy red starfish erupting from a white ball. Our own lawn is speckled with random yellow and fawn mushrooms and if I look closely, I can see they are mostly in lines. This implies they are feeding on the decaying roots of trees that have been removed. Most fungi are an important part of nature’s clearing up process. Some, such as ‘fairy ring’ toadstools do discolour lawns but they are hard work to get rid of, so I’m a great advocate of just letting them widen out and drop off the edge. Just don’t eat any - unless you have a true expert present to help distinguish the edible from the poisonous.
Q
Please suggest some interesting plants for a coastal hedge.
Along our mild coasts, escallonias make good, salt tolerant evergreen hedges. E.rubra var. macrantha would be a good one to try. Expect aromatic foliage and lots of small red flowers in summer. At Carbis Bay recently I noticed some successful low evergreen hedging almost on the beach, made of tightly clipped silvery Elaeagnus ebbingei, which would also make a tall hedge and produces small but very fragrant flowers. Then there are the olearias or daisy bushes. The whole tribe are silvery and fabulously wind and salt proof. Tamarix is also a reliable hedging plant for the front line.
Send your questions to Anne at westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk
Sow broad beans straight to the soil. They’ll germinate in the warm earth and then sit winter out to grow with a vengeance in spring. Opt for a hardy variety like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ or ‘Valencia’ and sow 15cm/6in apart in double rows 30cm/12in apart. .
Prune gangly buddleias by half now to tidy them. In spring, they can be cut even harder. Hard-pruned buddleias produce better quality blooms than those allowed to grow unpruned into taller ‘trees’. 25
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[
Looking good
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If a cool and contemporary look for your home is what you are after, then this South Devon property is full of good ideas, finds Becky Sheaves ildacres is a strikingly modern property that was created five years ago by master builder and stonemason Seymour Crang as the family home for himself, his wife Michelle and their family. “We just love really sleek, modern interiors,” explains Michelle, who took charge of the creative side of the décor for this remarkable house. To create a feeling of space, light and simplicity, the whole house is painted white (Dulux Diamond Glaze, to be precise, in a washable matt finish) with huge aluminium framed windows, clever
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lighting and polished granite floors. “I then add colour and interest with art works, rugs, cushions and pieces of furniture,” explains Michelle. “This way, it’s very flexible, as I do love to keep changing the look.” The plot used to be the site of the run-down village hall in Bittaford in South Devon. As part of the planning process, Seymour agreed to build the village a new hall, just down the road. “Our house then took us about 18 months to build, during which time we lived in rented accommodation,” remembers Michelle. “We could have done it more quickly but we were also working on
other projects for Seymour’s business at the time, such as a barn conversion nearby.” The architect, Brian Farmer of MTA Architects, based in Brixham, has created a property which appears private and quite unassuming from the road, but delivers impact in spades once you are inside. Highlights include the graniteedged fish pond that extends from the patio right into the huge curved living area. There’s also a tower-like turret at the top of the house, and a large Torbay palm tree growing up through the roof of the covered outdoor patio. “It’s all fun, and we love quirky details,” says Michelle.
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Interiors
Michelle pairs white walls with pops of bright colour throughout
While you may not be able to grow a tree through a hole in your roof – or indeed, have goldfish swimming into your living room – there are many ways in which Michelle’s extensive homedécor experience can be a starting point for your own interiors. Her use of iconic mid-century furniture is a case in point: “I love the look of our tulip white pod dining chairs,” she says. “We ordered the upholstery in a bright colour and they look so striking. Many of our chairs come from Swivel UK (www.swiveluk.com), who re-create classic retro designs by names like Charles Eames and Mies van der Rohe. We have found them really helpful to deal with, too.” Most of the artwork on the walls comes from a company called Mohka (www.mohka.co.uk), which Michelle found online. “This company is really great at offering bespoke solutions. For example, we have one canvas of brightly coloured cocktails in a row against a white background. But you can also order each image on a separate canvas, as we have done with the jelly baby pictures in the living room. You arrange them along a wall as you like, which looks really striking.” Ease of living is another watchword for Michelle’s interior choices. The aforementioned white Dulux paint is, she says: “totally washable – I just scrub it”. The windows have remote controlled blinds and the Corian composite worktops in the kitchen are easy-clean and “very hardwearing”. In keeping with her decision to go for neutral background colours, the kitchen units are in a shade of taupe, which works well with Michelle’s collection of red kitchenware. “But if you had, say aubergine or lime green pots and
STYLE TIP: Source newly-made versions of
iconic mid-century furniture designs online, for a hit of instant James Bond style glamour 27
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Interiors
pans, that would also look great,” says Michelle. In all the rooms, the floors are polished granite with underfloor heating, meaning the house does not have radiators cluttering up the walls and is comfortably warm at all times. “We have ground source central heating, from pipes running through the field,” says Michelle. “When we bought the plot we also bought the field next to it. We have kept it as grassland, which means it is full of wildlife and gives a really unspoilt, natural setting that complements the modernity of the house perfectly.” The outdoor area around the house is ideally suited to enjoying the setting, with a sauna, hot tub, and folding doors blurring the line between indoors and outdoors. “It is perfect for summer parties,” says Michelle. Indeed, this house really is a tribute to Seymour’s meticulous building skills, and Michelle’s bold taste in décor. But it is for sale: the family is on the move once more. “I’ve got itchy feet and I want to do another project,” says Michelle. “We love this house and our five years here has been the longest we’ve ever stayed in one property. But we love what we do. So we are on the lookout for another plot to start all over again. I can’t wait.” Wildacres, Bittaford in South Devon is for sale with Marchand Petit. It has four bedrooms, 2.7 acres of land and an asking price of £625,000. For details call Marchand Petit, Modbury, on 01548 831163 or visit www.marchandpetit.co.uk
New versions of the mid-century ‘tulip’ chairs were found online
STYLE TIP: Large doors and windows blur the
line between indoors and outdoors, perfect for summer parties and enjoying the views
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Interiors
GET THE
LOOK
Use neutral backgrounds to set off striking and colourful modern designs
Trafalgar chair £698, DFS
Uto pendant Christopher Wray £307 www.christopherwray.com
Knives and forks print tea towel £12.50 White Stuff
This luxury, bespoke kitchen from Woodstock Furniture from £30,000 www.woodstockfurniture.co.uk
Set of eight colour pop tea light holders £29.95 www.dotcomgiftshop
Espresso coffee pot £16.95 Dotcom Giftshop (www. dotcomgiftshop. co.uk) 29
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11/11/2014 15:08:11
Beauty
Tried
& tested We check out the best beauty products of the week, as selected by West magazine’s Catherine Barnes, with help from daughter Tilly, 17.
Simply divine We tried - and love -this Nephria jade serum (£45), which absorbs easily into the skin and smells divine. www.nephria.co.uk
Win
We have two gorgeous Nephria jade serums up for grabs, each worth £45. For a chance to win, just email us! Mark your entry
Nephria Jade and send your contact details to: westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk by November 28. Normal terms apply
Customise your shade
Lilylolo’s mineral based makeup (£13.49) has great staying power and is gentle on skin, with built in SPF protection. Its weightless powder foundation can be applied in layers and is available in 18 shades, so you can really customise a base to suit your look. Find at Devon boutique aromatika.co.uk or at lilylolo. co.uk
I’M ALL EYES Add a dash of colour or dramatise your feline flicks with Eye of Horus’ latest launch - the Sapphire Goddess Eye Pencil (£17.50) www.eyeofhorus.uk.com 30
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the review Three of the best:
Milk Baths Dairy products can do wonders for your skin and hair. We pick out our three favourites for smoothing and softening
Hair, hair Ever had hair that’s become so dry and tangled that your go-to solution is a hat? We think Naturtint’s Vital 5 Hair Mask may have magical properties. Surprisingly light, it rinses out easily leaving hair silky and a breeze to comb through. £14.99 from Holland & Barrett.
Dear dairy Scottish Fine Soaps boasts an entire Au Lait range of indulgent bath milks, soaps and lotions all containing a dash of the white stuff to nourish and soften skin. Prices start at £3.50 for a gift carton of soap, through to £13.95 for 500g churn of milk bath powder, with free delivery on all UK orders over £20 (www.scottishfinesoaps.com).
Milk amino acids give hair strength and body while avocado, and vitamin E make tresses more manageable
Milk made Try milk_shake hair care’s lovely Active Milk Mask (£12.79) which nourishes and conditions. Milk amino acids give hair strength and body while avocado, rice oils, honey extracts and vitamin E make tresses more manageable. Exclusive to: www.milkshakehaircare.co.uk and selected salons
BATHTIME RICHES
BREAST FRIENDS WhiteWash Laboratories is donating £2.50 from the sale of these pink electric toothbrushes (£29.99) to breast cancer charity the Pink Ribbon Foundation. Find them at www. whitewashlaboratories.com
The Organic Pharmacy’s luxurious Cleopatra’s Milk Bath is infused with milk, rose petals and essential oils for a blissful bathtime soak £39.95 at www.theorganicpharmacy.com.
Want a review? Send your request to westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 31
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Wellbeing
Shut down for shut eye If your mornings are more dozy than dynamic, you’re not alone, but help is at hand: f you automatically hit the snooze tonin, the hormone which helps to regulate our button when the alarm goes off circadian rhythm, or ‘body clock’. Melatonin in the morning, you’re not alone. encourages sleep by activating chemical reThree quarters ceptors in the brain, and if it is of us find weeksuppressed, we find it harder to day starts a strain and two in drift off to sleep. five people in the South West “Sleep should be a time for ‘ A short, goodgrant ourselves regular ‘five switching off in every sense – so quality sleep more minute’ reprieves before I’d advise people to either refinally dragging ourselves out frain from using tablets and mowill always be of bed. biles just before going to sleep better than New findings reveal that most – or at least to dim the backlight people spend around 12 minon devices. This will give your eight hours of utes in bed after waking, often mind a better chance of winding fretting and to grope for our phone and down.” turning’ begin scrolling through our If you still find it difficult to messages. But according to rouse yourself on darker mornsleep expert and psychotheraings, it might be worth investpist Dr Nick Read, getting into ing in a natural light alarm, bed with our mobile technology could be the one piece of technology which will give you a cause of our bleary-eyed starts in the morning. gentle start to the day. He says: “The artificial light emitted by mobile If early starts are hampered by a poor night’s or tablet screens can suppress levels of melasleep, is it because your mind is still racing over
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DODGER
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THE SOFA
your mental to-do lists? Try making written lists of the tasks you need to do. Include some easily achievable things that can be quickly crossed off and agree to sleep on the rest. And finally, don’t panic that you won’t wake up refreshed without a full eight hours of shuteye. “It’s time to stop believing that every good sleeper has eight hours of sleep and partners should sleep blissfully next to each other,” says sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewski, who runs Exeter’s Sleepyhead Clinic. “Everyone has their own natural sleep/wake cycle and it will be different to the next person’s. A short, good-quality sleep will always be better than eight hours of fretting and turning. Go to bed only when you can barely keep your eyes open - an early bed time may not make your meeting tomorrow go significantly better.” Meanwhile, probiotic drink Yakult has a host of good tips for making your morning starts brighter: Try its quiz at: www.yakult.co.uk/ healthy-living/brighter-starts to find out what kind of morning person you are!
THE KEEP FIT COLUMN WHERE ONE WOMAN TRIES EVERYTHING:
this week: Archery Wanna-be fitness fanatic Sam Taylor, 35, lives in Cardinham near Bodmin and runs the Sofa Dodger website (www.sofadodger.co.uk). This week she tries archery I went to St Austell Bay Archery Club feeling fully Maid Marian about the prospect. My tuition for the evening was left to Kevin, an accidental archer, who took it up with his son 18 months ago and continued with it, while his son moved on to other pursuits. I was given the safety instructions based on various whistle toots. I was fully attentive to the
advice, as these arrows travel and I didn’t want to re-enact the Bayeux tapestry. My first three arrows landed out of the scoring range but bang on in pretty much the same place. I was surprised that after an hour, my hand started to shake, as I got more tired and new muscles were awakened. I can see that this would be quite addictive as a sport.
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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Bake NEW!
cake of the week
Kate Shirazi bakes:
Carrot cakes with honey orange cream cheese frosting Kate says: I like the fact that the frosting contains no sugar, being sweetened with honey. One thing I would suggest is to use only proper cream cheese - sometimes sold as curd cheese. I’ve never had much success with the white soft cheese sold in supermarkets everywhere. It’s too runny. * Makes about 10
You will need: For the cake: 175g soft brown sugar 175ml sunflower oil 3 large free-range eggs 150g plain flour 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg Pinch of salt 225g grated or shredded carrot
For the cream cheese frosting: 1 x 225g packet cream cheese (not soft or light cream cheese), softened 2tsp honey (or more to taste) Grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange Orange sprinkles, to decorate
Method: 1.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake cases.
2.
Mix the sugar and oil in a large bowl. Add the eggs and mix well. Sift in the dry ingredients, and beat everything until well combined. Add the grated carrots and stir through well.
3.
Place spoonfuls of mixture (batter) in the prepared cases and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Watch these like a hawk as they have a tendency to burn. If the tops are getting a bit dark and it looks like the innards are still raw, cover with greaseproof paper or baking parchment and cook a little longer. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
4.
While they are cooling, make the frosting. Put the cream cheese in a bowl and beat till softened. Stir in the honey and orange zest. Give it a taste to make sure it is sweet enough. Add a bit more honey if you want. When the cakes are cold, spread the frosting over the top and decorate at will.
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) 33
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12/11/2014 12:20:32
Strictly stylish
The Vestry monochrome dress £58
Jazz hands up: It’s time to shimmy!
ook, we’re not going to pretend that you’ll be walking the dog in this little lot. Or popping out to buy a pint of milk. But if Christmas and New Year partywear is on your mind right now, then Strictly Come Dancing is a pretty good place to seek inspiration. After all, with the nation glued to the TV on these winter evenings, the ‘spangles, sequins and big smiles’ look is definitely seeping into our consciousness. This is maximalism, pure and simple. Forget clean lines and understatement. The Strictly style says more is more. And why not? After all, the costume designers on the show have created showstopping frocks for all shapes and sizes this series, from svelte Frankie from the Saturdays (above) to the impressive curves of This Morning’s Alison Hammond. And the outfits have all spun around the dancefloor without causing a wardrobe malfunction. That’s why we’re delighted that Curvissa’s range (www.curvissa. co.uk) goes right up to a 32. So - whatever your size: strut your stuff !
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Curvissa layered dress £59 34
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12/11/2014 09:39:36
Fashion M&Co tassle dress £89
Very sequin dress £49
Linzi T-bars £22 www.linzi.com
Adrianna Papell at John Lewis embellished gown £330
Primark tassle earrings £4
House of Bath heel clips £9.95
Monsoon clutch £45 Monsoon embellished dress £199 35
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12/11/2014 09:44:43
Trend
How to wear it:
Masculine Tailoring Kathryn Clarke-Mcleod discovers the joy of a smart suit blame Christopher Kane the most bleak of Mondays into ‘Inand Saint Laurent. Speternational You Day’. Convinced yet? cifically, Emma Stone in Good. Here’s what to look for when Saint Laurent. you hit the shops this weekend. There is something inIt must fit you. If you are spending explicably gorgeous about a woman in good money, don’t settle for a pair of men’s tailoring, especially when the trousers that pull in the groin area, attempt at androgyny backfires and gather at the back of the knees, or acts as a foil for her innate femininity. change length when you walk. Yes, It sounds like the most simple of walk. Don’t try the suit on and stand trends. In fact, when it first started still in a cubicle. Open the door and making an appearance in magazines stride around the store. If, when you the fashion editors were suggesting get back to the mirror, things are still simply ‘borrowing’ from his wardrobe where they should be, then you can to supplement your own. consider buying. Length is essential. Take my advice, don’t bother. Unless Be brutally honest with yourself you and he are the same dress size, the when considering the purchase. Are end result will be that of a woman who you more a brogues than stilettos had wine in her cornkind of girl? Then get flakes and then decided them hemmed with to adopt a rakish air by your brogues on. Note: dressing in ill-fitting Any decent store will The best part? menswear. I speak from do this minor alteraexperience. tion for no cost. If they These items My long-suffering don’t offer, ask. are so practical boyfriend came home It is also important to once to a pile of his keep the overall silhouthat they most dress shirts on the floor ette classic. A friend redefinitely fall of the bedroom and cently approached me a frustrated fingersfor a second opinion on under ‘essentials’ bleeding-from-buttona black blazer that had ing girlfriend with a puffy pleated shoulface as crumpled as ders. ‘It’s first class,’ I the pile on the carpet. said. She beamed. ‘No, There is no way to make men’s shirts as in you look like an air hostess in look good on you, roll the cuffs up all first class.’ Luckily she had a redeemyou like, heck, tie it in a bow at your ing monochrome tuxedo jacket in the midriff, but unless you are an actual other bag, which I now covet. If you’re painter/potter/insert studio-based progoing to indulge in a trend, try not to fession here, you will not pull it off. let it spill over into your wardrobe staThe solution? Shopping. Bien sur! ples. After all, their long term staying The best part? These items are so power depends on it. practical that they most definitely fall In case you were wondering, I under ‘essentials’ The worst part? Taipicked up all my boyfriend’s shirts loring isn’t cheap. Rest assured that I and only the mildest of rows. We am not being the devil on your shoulwent out shopping the next day and der when I whisper to you that these my new Reiss suit (whose cut even he purchases are the one time when you applauded) is hanging proudly in my should spend without remorse. A cupboard. Although, I could swear I well-tailored black suit will see you hung it up on the left hand side. I don’t through the next decade if chosen suppose someone’s been trying it on? right. It will give you confidence in job All fashion in these pictures is from interviews, add grown-up glamour to Princesshay Shopping Centre, Exeter, a first date and can transform even www.princesshay.com
Main Photo Hair: Saks, Exeter Makeup: Clarins, Debenhams (both Princesshay) Photography: Steve Haywood Still-life photographs: PR Shots
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Adrian Point collar shirt white, Reiss, Princesshay, £79 Karke slim tailored jacket in black, Reiss, Princesshay, £195 Willow slim tailored trousers in black, Reiss, Princesshay, £110
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Trend_Nov16.indd 36
12/11/2014 11:11:24
fave!
NEXT hat £20
NEXT shirt £35
STREET STYLE HERO
GET THE
look DEBENHAMS Betty Jackson black trousers £45
DEBENHAMS Star by Julien Macdonald £42
Mia Clay, 26 Communications coordinator from Sidmouth Jacket, H&M, £25 Trousers, Next, £20 Top, New Look, £10 Bag, Dune (House of Fraser), £60 Shoes, Matalan, £12 Scarf, Primark, £5
REISS Harper scalloped detail court shoes in black £149 REISS Tali studded shoulder bag £225 37
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12/11/2014 11:12:01
Kath Whitworth with husband Nick
My Secret Westcountry
Kath Whitworth Kath Whitworth runs Cornish clothing company Celtic & Co with husband Nick. The company manufactures sheepskin boots and slippers, as well as a range of stylish knits, coats and accessories. The Whitworths live and work in Newquay and have two children in their twenties, Mike and Clare. My favourite... Walk: Newquay’s
the perfect starting place for a walk. The bustling town centre has the perfect mix of restaurants, shops and bars, but if you wish to get away from the crowds, we are surrounded by green fields and, of course, have a beautiful coastline on our doorstep. It’s so easy to escape the pressures of everyday life, being able to leave work at the end of the day and be on the beach walking my dog Alfie within 15 minutes. It’s one of the best things about living in Cornwall, feeling that every day is a holiday.
Scenic spot: Sitting in a sheltered spot in the dunes on Crantock beach, looking out over the huge expanse of white sand to the crystal clear sea beyond.
Venue: This is an easy one for us lucky locals: Lusty Glaze Beach in Newquay holds regular sundowner sessions through the summer, featuring a variety of artists to suit all tastes and it is a truly unique beach venue.
Pub: For great food in a beautiful, traditional thatched pub The Smugglers Den at Cubert would take some beating. Restaurant: With a great atmosphere and superb sea views for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I’d opt for the Fistral Diner, on Cliff Road, Newquay. Or for committed seafood lovers (it’s pricey!) Nathan Outlaw at the St Endoc Hotel is perfect for special occasions.
Shop: Working in the mail order industry I feel it is a big part of my job to test out the competitors, good and bad, large and small. I
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People
WOODS IMAGE: EMILY WHITFIELD-WICKS
Cardinham Woods, Bodmin
like to think I carry out this task with reverence and the due diligence it deserves… However, my wardrobe does of course consists mainly of Celtic! I live in either our boots during the day or our bootee slippers in the evening.
Headland Hotel, Newquay
Treat: Being able to get to my exercise classes on time and unstressed. I have a membership at Waterworld Leisure Centre in Newquay and since it is only a 10 minute walk from work, there should be no excuses. They run a huge class timetable to suit all abilities as well as having a well-equipped gym and two swimming pools.
Nathan Outlaw
Day out: I love any new dog walk that has a handy teashop that welcomes dogs and wellies. My favourite at the moment has to be Cardinham Woods near Bodmin. There are so many walks, all from one car park, and the bacon butties served in the café are ideal for refuelling. If we only have time to ‘go local’, we like to walk around the headlands of Newquay on a stormy day, then retreat to the Headland Hotel and sit in front of one of their log fires with a cream tea. Alfie would agree as they love dogs too and even have their own wandering around to greet visitors.
Hidden haven: Our garden on a warm, sunny day preferably shared with Nick and ‘the kids’ - both now are grown up and run their own businesses. So down time together is a rare treat.
Cream tea
To see Celtic & Co designs and to buy online, visit www.celticandco.co.uk 39
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11/11/2014 15:22:33
[The Rusty Bike[ EATING OUT
By Becky Sheaves
hate writing a bad review. I’m well aware that I’m knocking someone’s heartfelt small business, their livelihood, their means of providing for their children. What’s more, living as I do in the relatively small world of Westcountry foodies, being a restaurant reviewer can turn out to be personally embarrassing, too. More than once I’ve run into people whose eateries I’ve written about. Often, they are indignant for one reason or another, even if the write-up was actually pretty good. I once had to explain to a chef at a drinks party why he had ‘only’ got 8/10 for his food. That was fun. And – alas – there is someone I know who is pointedly Not Speaking To Me since their pub received 7/10 for food and 8/10 for both atmosphere and service. Which is good - and it is a good pub! Just not 10/10 good. Even worse, they are also Not Speaking to my poor husband, who didn’t have
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anything to do with it. Awkward. place. But I’ve got to be honest, that’s what food reThe Rusty Bike is a traditional street-corner views are all about. Things didn’t start well at The pub in a residential area of Exeter. In recent years Rusty Bike when my husband John and I went it has been transformed by the team who also there for dinner on Monday run The Fat Pig, another sprucedlast week. We rang up to book up old pub on the other side of the at about 7pm and were there by city. According to their website, the eight, to find the place decidowners rear their own rare-breed We wore our edly chilly. So much so that I pigs and butchery is a speciality, coats through surreptitiously felt the radiator with a strong emphasis on homebehind our table and asked the made charcuterie. The pubs have our whole waiter if it could be put on. “It’s both been restyled with a sort of recstarter course, broken,” he said. “So has the lamation-chic look. “Guess where as did everyone iPad. It’s one of those nights.” those boards come from,” I said to We wore our coats through my husband John, gesturing at the else in the our whole starter course, as did elm planks adorning the side wall. place everyone else in the place, until I was showing off. I happened to some emergency plug-in heatknow the ghostly white rings date ers had taken away the wintry back to the days when the boards chill. I can’t help but think that, once supported maturing round if this was my business, I would offer diners the truckles of cheese. Indeed, the whole décor is odd free drink by way of apology. And I might very cool, with stripped floorboards, giant picalso have mentioned that the pub was going to tures of Hemingway and a retro football table. All be very cold when I took the booking in the first the staff had skinny jeans and various styles of
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4 of the best
Westcountry gastropubs
IMAGES: MATT AUSTIN
The Ship Inn
1 The Ship Inn, Noss Mayo
This waterside pub near Plymouth has a deservedly good food reputation and a beautiful setting, too. Dish of the day: Duck breast with potato rosti Price: Mains around £15 Contact: 01752 872387, www.nossmayo.com
beard (yes, they were all blokes) and the vibe is extremely hip. In a blokey sort of way. The menu was reassuringly short, leading us to expect good things, freshly cooked. There were a few veggie/fish dishes, but the overwhelming emphasis was on meat, so we went with it to let them play to their strengths. John chose ruby red beef bresaola (£7) to start, and I went for an Exmoor deer, black pudding and duck scotch egg (£7.25). The bresaola came in piles on a black slate looking very pretty. But it was overpowered by the blue cheese dressing and “wasn’t the best bresaola – not very tasty and rather tough” said John. My scotch egg was innovative but underseasoned. It really just reminded me why these things should be made with spicy sausage meat, rather than rich but dull minced venison with bland black pudding. In fairness John tried some and really liked it, but I ended up spooning over pepper and salt, which is never a good sign. We had two very good glasses of wine: mine was a South African chenin blanc and was absolutely delicious (£6) while John had a great glass of fruity, long-finishing merlot. For our main course, I ordered confit pork belly with cassoulet (£16) and John went for grilled pig’s liver, beer battered onion rings, aioli and chips (£14.50). John really liked the liver, which was carefully cooked so as to still be pink inside and, he said, “clearly from a good pig”. He used to breed freerange saddlebacks, so I believe him. My confit pork was wonderful too – possibly from the same pig. It was beautifully tender and tasty with a great wodge of crisp crackling on the
top. The cassoulet was lovely also but the whole dish suffered from being much, much too salty. For puds, John had a decent sticky toffee pudding (£6) and I ordered “blackberries, hazelnuts and vanilla” (£6.75) which turned up looking spectacular with blackberry ice cream on top of a vanilla pannacotta, strewn all about with pickled and freeze-dried blackberries and sugared hazelnuts. It wasn’t an overwhelming success to eat, though, as the pannacotta had too much gelatine and had set far too hard, while the dried blackberries were seedy and unsatisfying. The ice cream was superb though, as were the pickled berries. So, this wasn’t a bad meal but it wasn’t a great one. I hope I’ve been fair and constructive with this review. And that, if I ever come face to face with the owners, they will understand I am, after all, only doing my job. The Rusty Bike, 67 Howell Road, Exeter, 01392 214440
How they scored... Food
Atmosphere
Service
Price
Dinner for two was £73
2 The Ferryboat Inn, Helford Passage
Another waterside pub, this one is run by oyster fishermen and serves great seafood on the stunning Helford river near Falmouth Dish of the day: Fowey mussels with wine, garlic and parsley Price: Mains around £12 Contact: 01326 250625, www.thewrightbrothers.co.uk
3 The Rock Inn, Georgeham
Just inland of the surf beaches in north Devon, this 17th century pub takes food and real ale seriously. Dish of the day: Old school calves liver with parsnip mash Price: Mains around £13 Contact: 01271 890322, www.therockinn.biz
1 The Diggers Rest, Woodbury Salterton
A very pretty thatched village pub in East Devon, ‘The Diggers’ is well known for good food, locally sourced, and a friendly atmosphere. Dish of the day: Honey-glazed belly of Kenniford Farm pork Price: Mains around £14 Contact: 01395 232275, www.diggersrest.co.uk
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Ingredient of the Week
Pheasant with Tim Maddams
nyone else noticed the sudden appearance of 4x4s and pick-up truck convoys heading out into the wilds recently? Maybe you’ve spotted groups of country green and tweed clad folk with excited-looking dogs marching off up a distant hill, probably into a rain storm? Of course there is no mystery about these events, anymore than the falling of the leaves form the trees. These folk, and I count myself among them, are going out shooting. Their most likely quarry? The common pheasant. Now despite being about a evocative talisman of the countryside, the common pheasant is not native to these shores. Although there are wild populations all about the region, most of the ones you see will have been reared and released this year to provide quarry for people who like to go out shooting. Whether you like or dislike shooting it is worth remembering that it generates a lot of money for otherwise cash-strapped rural areas. On the whole most shoots are well run, the welfare of the birds is high and respect for the quarry is paramount. Shoots are more than that though. They are a vital community hub for many rural folk living in remote locations. Anyway, back to the food. Pheasant is tasty stuff, richer and more characterful than chicken, yet just as versatile. As the season progresses the birds that remain will be older and tougher than they are now. So it’s worth bearing in mind
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that now is the time for roasting the birds whole. Anywhere past late November for a cock-bird and mid December for a hen and you are going to need to think more creatively to use up the seasonal glut. Many people have been put off eating pheasant and other game for that matter by the misguided advice that you need to hang the birds for days on end to develop the flavour. This can be true but as I rule I think all game is best eaten as fresh as is possible. We eat a lot of pheasant in our house, and in the past I have done everything from pheasant noodle soup to pheasant nuggets for the kids. I am still finding better and better ways of making the most of the seasonal crop of birds. If you’re a beginner, don’t worry about plucking or skinning to start with. Keep it simple and pick up a couple of oven-ready birds from a game dealer or butcher. They will be more expensive but are guaranteed to be of the best quality. If you like the meat, and think you could use more birds, then explore the possibility of preparing your own. Plucking is time-consuming but satisfying and removing the meat after separating the skin and feathers is a doddle once you know how. Attending a course on game cookery and preparation is a great way of gaining the confidence you need to really get going. In the meantime, give pheasant a try. It is local, seasonal and tasty and right now it’s cheap and abundant too.
Roast hen pheasant
Season and butter (generously) a plucked and dressed hen pheasant and allow it to come up to room temperature. Meanwhile heat a good non-stick oven proof frying pan over a moderate heat. Chuck in a few cloves of garlic, a knob of butter and some fresh bay leaves and then place the bird in on its back. Sear it hard in the pan until the back is golden and then repeat on the sides. Quickly give the breasts the same treatment before turning the bird onto its back once more. Pop it in the oven for around 12 minutes. Remove it from the oven once firm. Turn the bird breast side down and allow to rest in the pan but off the heat for around 15 minutes, occasionally basting with the pan juices. Serve up and enjoy!
Pheasant and bacon burgers.
Combine equal amounts of pheasant meat and smoked streaky bacon. Mince together, shape and chill for an hour before cooking – a great winter BBQ treat. @TimGreenSauce
Tim Maddams is a Devon chef and writer who often appears on the River Cottage TV series 42
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Drink St Austell brewery’s Roger Ryman
Darren Norbury
talks beer t’s a cloudy autumn afternoon and I’m standing at the rear of St Austell Brewery in south Cornwall with head brewer Roger Ryman, gazing skywards at a pair of new 350-barrel conditioning vessels. They are symbolic of just how far the firm has come since it was set up by maltster and wine merchant Walter Hicks in 1851. The vessels have just been installed, yet there are concrete footings to the side in readiness to add another two such beasts in the future. With Tribute now such a popular national brand, and Korev coming up on the rails in the lager market, brewing capacity is quite an issue at St Austell. When Roger arrived at this family-owned business back in 1999, it was the year of the solar eclipse. He brewed a seasonal special called Daylight Robbery which went on to become Tribute and changed St Austell’s brewing fortunes entirely. Back then production stood at 15,000 brewer’s barrels of beer a year (a brewer’s barrel being 36 gallons, or 288 pints). “We are getting dangerously close to brewing 100,000 barrels this year,” says Roger. He dismisses the criticism that big means loss of quality. “There’s no reason why you can’t brew good beer on a big scale.” Perhaps that big footprint St Austell now has across the UK – you could walk into a corner boozer in Aberdeen and see Tribute (and possibly Sharp’s Doom Bar, as well) on the bar – is one of the reasons why, once
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a year, the brewery chooses to focus on the local community with its Celtic Beer Festival. If you love beer and you haven’t been to the Celtic Beer Festival, clear your diary now for next Saturday, November 22. The festival is held in the cellars of the brewery, where some 130 beers from all over the world – but majoring on Celtic regions – can be drunk in a wonderful atmosphere. There’s loud live music in a lower room, but the upper main bar area is the place for most drinkers’ attention. One of the key attractions is a number of oneoff specials made by members of Roger’s brewing team. I was lucky to enjoy a preview and there are some real delights, including Goss Moor Best, made with gorse and heather in the recipe. Tribute Extra is dry hopped with Willamette and Celia varieties and there’s a honey hop beer with alecost, made for the Eden Project. Oh and a cinnamon beer named after the brewery’s late resident squirrel, Colin, since superceded by newcomer Malcom. Not forgetting, of course, Roger’s very own lager, hopped with Nugget, Citra, Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo. The festival is staged to raise funds for the St Austell Brewery Charitable Trust, which supports good causes throughout the South West. Find out more at www.staustellbrewery.co.uk. Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk @beertoday
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL Short runs for two new brews from Atlantic Brewery, Newquay. Azores (4.2% ABV) is described as a midAtlantic pale ale, so expect some zesty bite, while the new honey beer remains, as yet, un-named. There will be six casks’ worth, plus a few bottles ,says brewer Stuart Thomson.
Beer of the week John Dunkley’s Cornish Crown brewery, just outside Penzance, has grown to the stage where he’s starting to try some new ideas. Red IPA (5.9% ABV) offers the resinous, piney hop character of an IPA, with the candy sweetness from a traditional red ale, offering some spiciness as well. Autumn with bite.
Flaming good Ottery St Mary’s famous flaming tar barrel event on November 5 got its own dedicated beer this year, made by East Devon’s Otter Brewery. Called Flaming Ale, it was available in the town’s Volunteer Inn, London Hotel, Lamb & Flag and King’s Arms.
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Living
MOTORS
A future classic? Petrolhead Scott Squires takes the new Jaguar F Type up onto Dartmoor to see what all the fuss is about he F-Type R coupe is Jaguar’s latest at the Royal College of Art in London, where his chapter in its sports car renais- talents were noticed by Ford. He then went on to sance, and it comes hot on the heels work for the likes of Nissan, Volvo, TWR and of the excellent convertible. The crucially - Aston Martin, where he was involved company claims the coupe is ‘the in the DB7 and the beautiful DB9 to mention just most dynamically capable proa few. And now here’s the F-Type. duction car Jaguar has ever That’s quite a portfolio. made’. No pressure there then. And this, he says, is his favourite Could it be as good as the clascar of them all – and I’m not going It’s up against sic E-Type, even? to argue. No matter what angle some serious It’s up against some tough you look at the F-Type from, it’s competition, though. Buyers stunning. And you can, indeed, see competition: will be choosing between this hints of the classic E-Type in its the Porsche and, say, a Porsche Cayman, long bonnet and short rear, which Cayman, 911 or 911 or a James Bond Aston give it a great road presence. Martin V8 Vantage. A lot to The inside of the cabin isn’t bad Aston Martin V8 live up to, then. either, even if the infotainment Vantage From the outside it’s a system is starting to look a bit winner all day long. To get the dated (but it does all work). There best view of the F-Type you are a few nice touches like the have to approach it from the gold-coloured paddles on the steerrear… it has the best looking back end of any car ing wheel. Also there’s an indication of what the I’ve seen, with its plunging roofline. The front car is capable of with a grab handle on the pasend isn’t bad either. senger side of the centre console – why would you The designer of the F-Type Ian Callum has got need that unless this is a wild beast? a little bit of pedigree. He studied Vehicle Design Once in the driver’s seat your eyes are drawn
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gadget notebook 16 November 2014
HI TECH: Smart gadgets
Our round-up of the latest must-haves for the techno-minded
to the gold start button that flashes like it has a heartbeat. One push and you wake the heart of F-Type. And your neighbours, thanks to the raspy growl of the 5-litre V8 supercharged engine. The coupe R is the full fat double cream of the F-Type range, and from that supercharged V8 you get 542bhp which is good for 60 in four seconds and a top speed of 186mph. If you want to know what mpg you get or CO2 emissions then this car isn’t for you – this is a fire breather. Jaguar claim this is the most performancefocused production car they’ve ever made. But does it mean it’s for the race track only and completely un-driveable on normal roads? In a word, no. Surprisingly, I find it rides the bumps and pot holes of Dartmoor roads very well. Yes, it’s a firm ride but it won’t require a visit to the dentist aferwards. Jaguar has got the perfect balance between a comfortable ride and a car that is stiff enough to handle superbly. Around town, I found myself getting lots of looks and not just because of the car’s beauty. People can can hear you coming from five miles away. Boy does it make a good sound. When you first hear the exhaust the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and after about five minutes you think they’ve gone too far – but then you push the right pedal hard and you get more snap, crackle and pop. It brings back memories of the car chase from Bullet. On the open road, the best way I can think of describe it is as a wild beast that needs a firm hand to keep it in check. It’s quick. Very quick, Put your foot down hard from a standstill and you’ll get a loud rumble from the engine, the rear end will squirm a little as the rear tyres struggle to cope with the power and then it feels like you are strapped to a rocket leaping forward at warp speed. Be careful when you exit a bend, if you have a heavy right foot it will try to bite you, but the stability control soon steps in to save the day. If this is the future of Jaguar, I approve.
Jaguar F-Type R coupe Price: £85,000 (£94,255 as tested) 0-62 mph: 4 seconds Max speed: 186 mph CO2 (g/km): 259 Combined mpg: 25.5
Smart spider This clever Britishdesigned (and made) gadget can multi-task. It’s a mini tripod for hands-free photos, a tablet stand and satnav holder for the car. Spiderpodium £24.50 from www.dreamgb. co.uk
light up! These seven differently shaped lights illuminate when they come into contact with each other. Stacks of fun. Tetris light £29.95 www.red5.co.uk
fave!
Class monitor This LED monitor has a huge 27-inch touchscreen, a USB port and other connection options, for work and play. Acer Touchscreen LED Monitor £359.99 from pcworld.co.uk
Be seen! Cycle safely - this cycle light has a laser beam which projects the image of a cycle onto the road ahead, to alert oncoming traffic. Ideal for dark evenings Blaze light – £125 from blaze.cc 45
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12/11/2014 09:53:06
My life
[
man and boy
A wizard wheeze
[
Phil Goodwin and James, four, queue up to see a witch
fter Merlin, Harry Potter, Dumbledore and Gandalf, how many famous wizards can you name? The Wizard of Oz, I hear you cry. Ah, but that is only his title. In actual fact, the sought-after sorcerer at the end of the Yellow Brick Road is none other than James Goodwin, at least as far as Russian readers are concerned. I recently came across this nugget courtesy of my wife, a Russian and a researcher of children’s literature, and felt duty bound to reveal this strange literary heritage to my son, his namesake. In the famous Judy Garland film, the mystery man is unmasked as an ordinary old chap. One who landed in Oz by accident in a hot air balloon and longs to return to his home in Omaha and his job in the circus. Over in Russia, writer Alexander Volkov reworked the original tale into his 1939 book, The Wizard of the Emerald City. For reasons best known to himself - and never explained, as far as I can discover - he gave birth to the Mighty Goodwin, a character much-loved by Russians. And by me, for obvious reasons. Of course, the association is of little use, and actually might not have helped much during my childhood. I was routinely asked if my dad was Ken Goodwin, a little-known funnyman famous only to fans of the TV show The Comedians. Aside from that, my nickname - the inevitable ‘Goody’ - came with irritating connections to the BBC comedy trio The Goodies, and - more annoyingly - the accompanying soundtrack which haunted large parts of my early youth… “Goody, Goody Yum Yum”. Other than an extremely tenuous connection to the tragic King Harold - son of Godwin of Wessex, who died at Hastings in 1066 with an arrow in his eye - I have never discovered much in the way of
A
illustrious figures with which to share the family surname. It seemed apt to tell James the Wizard of Oz story during the recent Hallowe’en festivities at Devon Crealy, near Exeter. Like so many parents, I found myself weighed down with a giant pumpkin, looking after small children and waiting in a very long line for an audience with a witch. As you can imagine, demand to see the old cauldronstirrers is pretty fierce during half term break
[
The old human powers of invention and distraction were required as we inched our way along the line
[
and queues were long. James and his girlfriend Hala, who was decked out in in black, complete with a pointy hat, were behaving themselves, but half an hour is an eternity for four-year-olds. Hence, the best human powers of invention and distraction were required as we inched our way along the line and into the spooky house. “Did you know you have a magical name? That you are called after a wizard?” I asked James. “No,” he replied, suspicious. So I explained. And armed with the information, the two of them skipped up and down the queue singing the “wizard” song, like Dorothy and the Tin Man. And just like the end of the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz (written by the American L Frank Baum back in 1900) our supernatural encounter turned out to be harmless. After being ushered into the witch’s dimly-lit waiting room by a teenage Dracula – who was actually quite scary, appearing out of the gloom when a light switched on in a mirror – we finally entered the inner sanctum. A lovely lady going by the name of Gwinelda Cackle made friends with the excited kids before making them turn around three times in circles, then dishing out two toffee lollies. Having safely avoided being turned into toads, we emerged into the light and made for Trick or Treat. There the Mighty Goodwin and his enchanted sidekick joined the army of youngsters, rattling windows and banging on doors as they attempted to scare the life out of the assorted mummies, monsters and werewolves inside. Chip off the old block, perhaps?
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11/11/2014 15:00:11
Sunday Lunch?
Ri Hea ch d ar ch d H ef un t
…it’s Exeter’s best kept secret
Adult 2 Course £13.95
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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.
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Have you discovered the perfect
Bodmiin Jaiill
Bodmin Jail, Berrycoombe Road, Bodmin, PL31 2NR
12/11/2014 12:01:38
Christ mas Celebrate
with us!
FROM ONLY
£290 per person
*
Book one of our packages & receive a Special Bonus Night Rate!
Choose from one of our 5 fantastic hotels in:
• Falmouth • Torquay • Fowey • Padstow The Wonderful West Country
1-4 NIGHT CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS GETAWAY Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
PLUS festive fun with drinks receptions, entertainment, activities and games, Christmas Day wouldn’t be complete without the Queen’s Speech & mince pies! See website for more details.
Please book on freephone
0800 005 2244 www.richardsonhotels.co.uk
*Prices are correct at time of going to print and unless stated are based on 2 people sharing a standard inland double/twin room. £290pp is based on a 3 night Christmas Break at The Grosvenor Hotel, Torquay. VAT is included at the standard rate and any gratuities are at the discretion of the customer. A non-refundable deposit of £100 per person is required on booking. The balance is payable by 1st December 2014 and is non-refundable after this date. We do recommend that guests consider taking out insurance cover, in the event of a cancellation. All meals include tea/coffee but other drinks are not included, unless otherwise stated.
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12/11/2014 12:00:57 11/11/2014 09:23