West Magazine, October 15, 2016

15.10.16

Give your home a golden glow

Michael Caines: The Devon chef talks TV shows & Michelin stars

COSY AUTUMN

27

STYLE - pg 28

Weekend treats for the family

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‘I don’t rate skinniness that highly. As I regularly tell my 13-year-old, skinniness is not a measure of prettiness’ Gillian Molesworth accidentally loses weight, p8

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A GOLDEN GLOW Cosy up at home this autumn

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‘I’M ON THE TRAIN!’ Emily Blunt on her new film role

[contents[ Inside this week...

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THE WISHLIST Our pick of the best treats this week

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JUST BETWEEN US...

Sh! We have the latest gossip!

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THE MAN OF THE MOMENT Why chef Michael Caines is making waves

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ON THE RUN Great ways to feel your best right now

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A TASTE OF THE WEST Check out this fabulous new cookbook

MADE WITH LOVE Gorgeous (and ethical) homewares

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A GOLDEN GLOW Cosy up at home this autumn

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JUST ASK GRACIE Our style guru solves your problems

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SHEAR GLAMOUR The shearling jackets you’ll adore

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BOOST YOUR WELLBEING Great ways to feel your best right now

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SMALL BITES What’s hot in the South West foodie world

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GLUTEN-FREE AND GORGEOUS How Honeybuns of Dorset make cookies

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CULTURE VULTURE This week’s Westcountry arts hotlist

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NO MORE STABILISERS Phil Goodwin’s son takes to two wheels

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MY SECRET WESTCOUNTRY Where to go, what to do

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FAIR TRADING

Ethical homewares on sale in Devon

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ETHICAL ELEGANCE

Discover homeware with heart

[ welcome [ It’s definitely time to get cosy e’ve had a gentle and gradual introduction to autumn this year here in the South West, haven’t we? But the other morning I set out from home and then turned right around, went back into the house and emerged wearing a pair of gloves. It’s definitely cosy time.

With all things seasonal in mind, this week’s magazine has a look at how to bring that autumnal glow into your home in our interiors feature on page 22 today. You may not want to go for the lifesize turning leaves mural (although it is truly fabulous) but I guarantee you’ll covet the £4 oak leaf coat hook from The National

W

Tweet

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of the week

[

[

Trust.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we pick the most snuggly fashion for the cold days ahead (p 28).

Sheepskin coats have come a long way since Del Boy’s market stall in Only Fools and Horses.

One of the best labels for all things sheepskin is, of course, Celtic & Co, which is based in Newquay. We love today’s cover star, who is wearing one of their beautiful coats. Emma from Celtic tells me things have just got “super-busy” for them now that the weather is turning chilly and everyone wants to keep warm in style. All in all, there is a lot to look forward to right now.

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Things have got ‘superbusy’ for them, now that the weather is chilly

@LooseyLocket

So inspiring interviewing Lady Elizabeth Kitson for @WMNWest Age and dyslexia no barrier remarkable lady TO ADVERTISE: Contact Cathy Long: 01752 293017 or 07557 576668, clong@dc-media.co.uk

Becky Sheaves, Editor

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

COVER IMAGE: Celtic & Co

MEET THE TEAM Becky Sheaves, Editor

Phil Goodwin

Kathryn Clarke-McLeod

Gillian Molesworth

Cathy Long

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If you love crafts, then get yourself some tickets to Stitch Fest South West, the festival of all things wool taking place this November in Totnes, south Devon.

The headline act is the internationallyacclaimed knitwear designer and author Erika Knight, who will be holding a workshop on using colour in your knitting as well as hosting a fun cream tea and talk.

Many top knitters and crochet experts will be selling their wares at the show, including Belinda Harris-Reid (pictured) who makes fabulous knitwear and patterns from her home in Exeter.

Workshops include chances to learn to spin, broomstick and Tunisian crochet, Fair Isle and lace knitting, needle and wet felting plus a chance to meet Cornwall-based lace designer Anniken Allis.

Stitch Fest South West, November 5-6, Civic Hall, Totnes. Advance tickets £4.50 (£5 on the door), visit www. stitchfest.co.uk for more information.

Win

We have five pairs of £4.50 tickets to Stitch Fest South West to be won, worth £45 in total. To enter, tell us in which town the show will take place. Send your answer, plus full contact details (name, address, phone and email) to: Stitch Fest competition, westmag@ westernmorningnews.co.uk to arrive by October 21. Alternatively, you can post your entry to: Stitch Fest competition, West magazine, Queen’s House, Little Queen Street, Exeter, EX4 3LJ. Normal terms apply, West magazine will not share your details.

MAIN PICTURE: STEVE HAYWOOD

If you do one thing this week...

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NATURAL Wood bowl £14.99 HomeSense

the

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

Dog doorstop £14 M&Co

Golden Dragonfly paperclips £3 Paperchase

Jacquard peeptoe heels £35 Wallis

COOL Southbank cushion by Rowenna Mason £205 TheMakerPlace.co.uk

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Wishlist

Oriental floral shirt £35 Evans

Party!

Sasha evening bag £39.95 White Stuff

CHIC Slanted diamonds collar £32 Oliver Bonas

Store we adore...

SEASIDE Whitby enamel kettle £40 Amara

STORE WEteADORE: Vintage, Exeter perwhi Pep WORDS: BETH HALL A wonderful array of unique and authentic homeware items can be found in this independent Exeter shop. The vintage and re-worked style of the items on sale here are all in beautiful taste and well worth a look. Pepperwhite also run in-store

DIY courses, so you can learn how to create similar items yourself for your home. This shop is perfect for that upcycled chic vibe that looks so good in relaxed, country-style homes.

Pepperwhite Vintage, North Street, Exeter. Pepperwhitevintage.co.uk 7

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talking points Gillian Molesworth

Story of my life...

Slim pickings in the wardrobe ’ve just come in from stacking some bales of haylage. I had to move some of the bales of miscanthus first, which is a pain because I had to stack them using the ladder. In the farm supply store I ran into one of the ladies I used to go to the gym with, and we had a nice chat.

It occurred to me that while I that I could look really great if I was stacking haylage, she was could just be bothered to lose a doing Body Pump, a class I used stone. to attend regularly. I think stackWell, now I’ve lost a stone ing haylage is harder. In fact I (nearly), and I’m kind of anknow it is – I would have wimped noyed. All my clothes, my trouout of the last rep of arm curls in sers in particular, are hanging off Body Pump, but I had to get the me. For some reason, this is more haylage stacked, so quitting was dispiriting than their being too not an option. tight. You feel like a scarecrow, Something odd has happened you’re worried about them falling to me since my plunge into horse down, and what’s the point in ownership in being slim if your July. Without clothes look baggy? trying to, I have For many, this I don’t rate lost weight. I would be a “whoopthink it’s ineviee, let’s go shopskinniness that table – all those ping” moment, but highly. As I hours of not just to be frank, I don’t regularly tell riding, but pushwant to go shoping wheelbarping. I have great my 13-year-old, rows, lifting feed clothes: jeans for skinniness is sacks, and trying work, tidy trousers to re-hang gates and skirts for work, not a measure on their hinges nice dresses for of prettiness so they’re easier nice occasions. I’ve to open. weeded out the stuff Now I don’t I don’t like and it’s rate skinniness that highly. As all good quality.

I regularly tell my 13-year-old I don’t particularly enjoy shopdaughter, skinniness is not a ping, I haven’t got a lot of time, measure of prettiness and it’s not and pretty much all my money is a measure of success. People look being spent on the horses right best when they’re healthy and now. Plus what happens when I happy, whatever their weight. put weight back on again? That The main thing is to be kind to will just be a bummer in reverse. yourself, get plenty of exercise, So ladies! Take heart. I’ve had eat well and not obsess over it too the magic weight loss happen to much. me and it ain’t all it’s cracked But I’m also human, and like up to be. Put on your favourite most women have sighed in front trousers (that fit) and just enjoy of full length mirrors thinking being you!

I

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

PERFECTLY

purple

Gemma Arterton was the belle of the ball at the Olivier Awards where she was up for Best Actress. She stood out in a gorgeous purple embellished column dress with sheer bell sleeves. Featuring Egyptian style sequin beading across the bust and skirt, the dress is part of Jenny Packham’s Fall 2016 collection and would cost several thousand pounds. Should you wish to splurge on something equally fabulous, try one of these regal-hued options below.

Jenny Packham, Fall 2016 Collection

steal her

style

OR MAKE IT YOUR OWN

OPTION A Flowing Verina Dress £280 Studio 8

OPTION B Fabulous

Evening maxi dress £110 Curvissa

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15.10.16

‘I’M ON THE TRAIN!’ The Girl On The Train star EMILY BLUNT has revealed her embarrassment at not having read the book that the film was adapted from, until after she signed up to act in it.

Emily says: “I think because I saw everyone reading it, I was trying to be contrary and say: “Well I’m not going to read it if everyone’s reading it.

“Then I got offered the film and shallowly ran to the book store to get a copy.”

Her co-star Luke Evans was in the same boat, he admits: “I read the script and then quietly one evening I went to a book store with my hood up and [the shop assistant] said: ‘I hope you don’t mind me asking, but

Just

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

shouldn’t you have read it before you got offered it today?’

“I said: ‘Please don’t tell anybody I haven’t read it!’”

[[ ‘My husband does most of the child care’

MUM’S THE WORD Paralympian DAME SARAH STOREY has said mothers do not get “nearly enough credit” for the work they do when it comes to balancing their working and personal lives.

The mother-of-one, who had daughter Louisa in 2013, says her husband Barney “does the lion’s share of the childcare” while she

trains, and that they are a “team”.

Sarah, 38, adds: “I don’t think mums get nearly enough credit for the balancing act they do, especially now when we are expected to do everything all the time.

“I’m an athlete mum. But most mums are athletes and they don’t realise. We are all athletes in different ways.”

heard all the latest juicy stuff here first!

!

SIR TOM: I CAN’T KEEP AWAY SIR TOM JONES is back as a judge in The Voice UK, now that it has moved to ITV, after he previously slammed the BBC for firing him from the judges’ line-up in 2015.

Sir Tom will be joined on the panel

by Oscar-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson and rock star Gavin Rossdale.

Long-running coach will.i.am, who will complete the line-up for the singing competition, admitted he had missed Sir Tom and welcomed his move to ITV for the series, set to air in 2017.

Singing veteran Sir Tom says: “I’m looking forward to returning to my big red chair on The Voice UK. “I had some great times on the show and I can’t wait to again discover and help some brand new talent. And of course be back with my pal will.i.am.”

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I do: French bulldogs Dexter and Maya got married in front of St Michael’s Mount

in pictures Picture this: Hydrangeas in Trebah Gardens are reminiscent of Monet’s garden

In the wild: Photographer Richard Austin captured these ponies being rounded up in the annual drift on Exmoor

Feathered friends: The British Trust for Ornithology is ringing birds in east Devon

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talking points A HISTORY

of the

WEST in

100

objects The best way to:

LEARN TO RIDE Beth Hall discovers how to go gallivanting across the South West on horseback, in style and safety.

• Explore the moor: Cornwall isn’t all surfing and beaches, at Hallagenna Farm you can explore the unspoilt moorland of Bodmin moor from £20 per hour or how about a threehour pub ride to the Blisland Inn (£80)This notable school offers the perfect setting for learning to ride throughout the entire calendar year. www.hallagenna.co.uk/horse-ridingcornwall/ • On the beach: Roylands Riding Stables offer hacking and riding lessons from £35 in the beautiful countryside near Croyde in north Devon. One of the highlights of the rides they offer is a two hour ride on beautiful Putsborough beach, which costs £70. www.roylandsridingstables.com •

Cornish cantering: At Polmartin Farm near Liskeard rides and lessons cost from £25 an hour and the owners also run popular three-day children’s riding camps at Easter and in the summer for £140. The farm is British Horse Society approved. www. polmartinfarm.com • Take back the reins: Budleigh Salterton Riding School in east Devon is close to the glorious heathland rides of Woodbury Common. The stables offers adults-only Take Back the Reins courses, costing £235 for 10 weeks, a great way to get back into riding after a long break. www.devonriding.co.uk

16:COAL MINER’S LAMP

by Humphry Davy of Penzance, about 1817 Julien Parsons is the Senior Collections Officer, The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter.

He says: In the early 18th century Britain’s coal-rich regions overtook the South West in the race for industrialisation: coal and coke fuelled the mills and factories of the north. Yet it was the ingenuity of a Cornishman that helped ensure the success of the northern powerhouse.

One of the biggest threats to coal miners was fire-damp. If this explosive gas was ignited by flames from lamps, the results were deadly.

Felling Mine near Gateshead suffered tragedy in 1812 when 92 miners, aged from eight to 65 years old, died in an explosion. A distraught community appealed for help from the greatest scientist of the age: Humphry Davy. Davy was born in Penzance and, while still a teenager, was invited to work at Bristol’s Pneumatic Institute. By 1801 he was wowing audiences at the Royal Institution with hair-

raising demonstrations. He quickly established himself as a pioneer of chemistry.

In 1815 Davy began redesigning the miner’s lamp. As is evident from this rare, early example, he enclosed the flame in a fine mesh chimney which allowed air in, but never heated sufficiently to ignite the fire-damp. And so Davy’s place in history was rightly assured. Or was it? W.R. Clanny and George Stephenson had both developed similar designs. Had the eminent chemist ‘borrowed’ their ideas?

#16

This lamp saved lives

On display Social History Gallery, Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance.

Competition winners: Congratulations to Fiona Hughes, Exeter and Heather Cartwright, Torquay, who each win £100 hairdressing vouchers for Saks of Exeter. Many thanks to Saks: www.saks.co.uk

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the Man of the Moment As he joins forces with cookery legend Prue Leith for a new TV series, Westcountry chef Michael Caines tells Keeley Bolger how overcoming challenges has been the story of his life eality TV competitions are swarming with contestants pledging never to give up on their dreams, but for My Kitchen Rules UK judge Michael Caines, it’s a hard-won reality.

The two-Michelin starred chef, who is teaming up with renowned food writer Prue Leith for the Channel 4 daytime series to find the nation’s best pair of amateur cooks, was only 25 and at a critical stage in his career when he lost his right arm in a horrific car crash.

A career-ending and life-changing injury on the surface, he reflects that his recovery and decision to have a prosthetic limb fitted brought his ambition into sharp focus. Incredibly, he was back in the kitchens a fortnight after the accident. “I had more to lose, ironically, than just my arm. It was my career, everything, really,” says the Devon-based chef, now 47.

“I did think, sometimes, when you work so

R

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Interview

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Michael has two Michelin stars for culinary prowess

hard to get to a certain point, it’s easier - even though it’s hard to imagine - to continue, and try and get back in the deep end and not give up, than it would be to simply not try.

“I felt the opportunity of carrying on in a career I loved and had spent so much time on was important to me. I had worked so hard to achieve that level of opportunity, and had just started a job as a head chef,” continues Michael. “Being given the opportunity to continue is one thing, but once given it, you’ve got to have that determination to pursue and continue.”

Almost 30 years on, Michael has come good on that promise.

There’s an MBE, those two Michelin stars (“I’ve held them for 18 years,” he says with satisfaction), appearances on MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen, and guiding his former restaurant - Dartmoor’s Gidleigh Park - take top spot in The Sunday Times Food List.

Then there’s his famous customers - he cooked a “lovely turbot dish” for Tony Blair when he was PM, as well as serving up a banquet for the

Queen. “If I look back, there have been so many wonderful experiences in my career that have really shaped what I do,” says Michael. “There have been many things I can be proud of. They all encapsulate what’s been a fantastic career.”

And since leaving Gidleigh this January, after 21 years at the helm there, the father-of-three has delved into new ventures, including the development of a Georgian country house on the River Exe, which will be opening soon as a hotel and restaurant called Lympstone Manor.

Now he is also heading up My Kitchen Rules UK. Based on an Australian format, the show had an outing on Sky Living with Jason Atherton and Lorraine Pascale as judges back in 2014. This incarnation will be much the same in structure - cooking duos from across the country, who could be couples, friends or siblings, create pop-up restaurants in their own homes and dish up meals for the judges and rival contestants, with the winning team scooping a £10,000 prize.

‘I myself am adopted and

benefitted from growing

up in a loving family’

If there was a vogue for hot-headed TV chefs a while ago, softly-spoken Michael doesn’t fit it, insisting he prefers to adopt a “very firm but fair” approach, and is not interested in becoming a pantomime bully for the cameras. “Unlike other programmes, we’re not setting tasks; we’re giving feedback for them to grow and become better contestants,” explains the chef, who lives with his partner Zoe in Devon.

“Being critical is always going to be about getting the right balance. Fuelling confidence is also part of the role of the judge. You don’t want to leave the contestants feeling dishevelled. You want to give them time to develop their personalities as well as their talent.”

Encouraging people to cook and eat well has long been part of Michael’s mission in life. He is the leading light of the annual Exeter Festival of South West Food and Drink, where he has given fun cookery demos with stars including Caroline Quentin and Kirstie Allsopp.

He also set up a catering academy at Exeter College, where he himself trained, to encourage the best and brightest students to become the top chefs of the future.

Michael himself was adopted into a large family in Exeter, where he was the youngest of six. During his childhood, a love of cooking started early - Michael’s mum was a keen cook who

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Interview

encouraged him to explore his interest in food, teaching him how to make the best of his dad’s garden filled with home-grown vegetables.

His belief in the imprtance of adoption has led him to become a very active and supportive patron of the Westcountry charity Familes For Children. “It is a charity close to my heart as I myself am adopted and have benefitted from growing up in a loving family,” he explains.

“Adoption does work and gives a huge amount of benefit for the adoptee and parent alike.”

His early experiences in his adoptive family shaped his appetite to work with food and, after graduating from Exeter College, he worked for the top chef Raymond Blanc for three years.

Today, he admits his kids don’t share his ambition to become chefs but the family thoroughly enjoys food. “What I do with the kids is I want them to enjoy food. I want them to find their own way in life in terms of what they want to do, but do it through celebration of food as well.

“We’re very privileged to be a society where we’ve got now a great larder of food available,” Michael adds.

“It’s easy to forget, not so long ago, the generation or two before us had to have rations for food, so we’re very, very lucky.”

My Kitchen Rules UK airs on Channel 4 on weekdays at 5pm

Michael supports Exeter’s food festival, alongside TV’s Kirstie Allsopp

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People

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Made with Love Alex and Ali Cooke sell stylish homewares in their beautiful store in south Devon. They tell Anna Turns why ethics are key to their business plan rom humble beginnings inspired by their first round-the-world trip together in 2001, husband and wife team Alex and Ali Cooke now run a national business selling artisan products from all around the world to the likes of John Lewis and Selfridges.

A year ago, the couple also opened their own first venture into face-to-face retail, a lifestyle store based just outside Totnes in south Devon. And now the couple are on a mission to uplift public awareness of their brand by selling online too: “We want to become a household name,” explains Alex, 39.

But while she and her husband Ali, 40, are aiming high, there’s a real sense of trying to enjoy the ride at the same time.

Part showroom and part café (with delicious coffee supplied by The Curator Café in Totnes), the converted barns in Harbertonford are filled to the brim with an eclectic mix of one-off reclaimed furniture and original handmade products.

Anything that catches Ali and Alex’s eyes on their travels finds its way back to Devon on a shipping container. From old trunks to fire pits you’ll find it all here, not to mention quirkier one-off items such as a massive freestanding metal fan which had previously been

F

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People

used to blow air through grain used in breadmaking. There are Indian cinema chairs, worn old cartwheels and military bottles once used by soldiers to carry water.

Items on the shelves of the new lifestyle store have a sense of authenticity, from the recycled hammered glassware to the Indian chapati boxes and lassi cups. This reflects an ongoing conversation (often on social media) with the hundreds of valued and skilled craftspeople across the world.

“As we chat to our makers about new designs, our product lines evolve but it always comes back to basics,” says Ali. “Nkuku is all about the natural materials, age-old techniques and rural skills used to create each piece.”

Alex’s face lights up as she shows me round this treasure trove, telling me the stories behind the collections on display: “The history of these things is just amazing and now we have this store, we can invite buyers down from London to Devon to see what we’re all about,” she explains.

Feeling the texture of the Vietnamese indigo drop pottery or handwoven rugs made by four brothers in Jaipur, for example, is a very differ-

ent experience to viewing a catalogue. There’s a distinct pared back, rustic look to the Nkuku style, which mirrors Ali and Alex’s ethics.

The designs make you want to reach out and feel the grain of the wood or the rough glaze on the pottery. And this tangible appeal connects consumers to the people who have carefully created these products by hand.

Artisans are the essence of Nkuku, says Alex, and this business is fuelled by the founders’ desire to travel to unknown corners of the world in order to bring a little piece of it back to your living room.

It’s the antithesis of mass production and Nkuku embraces the beauty of every imperfection.

Earlier this year, Ali and Alex took their four children Archie, 11, Amelie, ten, Angus, six, Ava, four (yes, all the family’s first names begin with “a”) with them to India, Hong Kong, Cambodia and Vietnam. Part buying trip and part family adventure, they spent five weeks exploring different cultures, meeting new makers and experiencing a totally different pace of life.

“Nkuku is based on our love for travel, fascinating cultures and different people, as well as

‘Our bags are made with techniques used to craft saddles, preserving rural skills and empowering craftspeople’

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Alex, left, and Ali Cooke run an artisan homewares business

Ali and Alex are committed to ethical trade with their suppliers 19

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People

Nkuku

From humble beginnings...

Nkuku was founded in 2003 by Ali and Alex Cooke of south Devon The collection now has 1,200 product lines of homewares and accessories Nkuku is stocked in 1500 UK retail outlets including The White Company, John Lewis, Selfridges. Nkuku is now expanding to Europe, USA and Japan.

The name Nkuku is a word the couple saw written on a hut in Zambia when they were travelling together. Once they had scribbled their first business plan down, the name stuck.

Ali Cooke with the four children in India

all their amazing traditions,” Ali tells me.

“You can be down in Devon looking out at a field of cows but there is also so much else going on out there and the world is full of contrasts. Our kids were blown away by it all.”

The four children also fell in love with India, a country that is already so special to their parents. “It’s such a humbling, spiritual place, and over the years our suppliers there have become our friends. We share a lot of common ground with them,” Ali says.

“The more we visit India – and we go four or five times a year – the more we love it.

People are so entrepreneurial and we have noticed dramatic economic changes taking place in India over recent years, with a better infrastructure including more main roads and a booming economy which is brilliant.”

Because Nkuku isn’t fashion-led, the drive is to design beautiful things from natural materi-

als, such as sustainable mango wood. Alex tells me that 30% of the world’s mango fruit is grown in India, so using the wood that is a biproduct of this industry avoids chopping forests down solely for manufacturing. “I love how India has a natural way of being so resourceful,” describes Alex.

“All of our glassware is recycled, we recycle fabric from 30-year-old saris to sew the hangings for our photo frames, and recycled cotton paper for our journals is created from a bi-product of the T-shirt industry.” The material from the cutting room floor is made into a pulp, then a binding agent is added and it is laid out to dry for a day to make paper sheets, so no tree pulp is required in the making of Nkuku’s trademark leather-bound journals.

“We believe in the power of the collective and many of our craftspeople work as part of cooperatives,” says Alex. “Our Savannah leather bags, notebooks and photo albums

‘India is such a humbling, spiritual place, and over the years our suppliers there have become our friends’

are made by cooperative of 40 families established 30 years ago in Rajasthan.

“Each product is made by one artisan alone and the leather bags are made with the same traditional techniques used to craft saddles and water carriers. So it’s a brilliant way of preserving rural skills and empowering people at the same time.” Another collective of 400 women in southern India weave raw fibre into braided hemp and make Nkuku’s rugs and coil baskets, and Mali pottery is part of a fair-trade enterprise training artisans from disadvantaged backgrounds, using a tiny kiln lit by a fire.

As a commercial business rather than a charity, Alex and Ali strive to be successful in an ethical way. As demand increases, they will broaden their selection across their valued team of hundreds of artisan suppliers. Consumers are becoming more discerning so provenance and traceability are more important than ever.

“Personally I know I am much more selective these days about what I buy because I consider how something is manufactured,” says Alex.

“For us the most crucial thing is to be totally transparent.”

Visit Nkuku at Brockhills Barns, Harbertonford, Totnes, Devon, www.nkuku.com

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Interiors

Cosy comfort With autumn here, it could be time for a seasonal shake-up, says Gabrielle Fagan.

W

Autumn tree wall mural, from £52.15 per square metre, Purlfrost

ith the change of the seasons, this is a great time to have a fresh look at your home’s décor.

“The colours of autumn are rich, warm and earthy, inspired by the

harvest.

“You can really change the look of a room by bringing in shades which reflect the purples and plums of berries, russet shades of leaves and dark greens of mosses, and which will create an autumnal sanctuary,” says Sian O’Neill, head of marketing at Topps Tiles.

Bathrooms are often overlooked when it comes to a style shake-up, but introducing lighting via accessories, specifically with illuminated mirrors and mirrored cabinets, can make a huge difference to a room. “Aside from sleek functionality, a carefully considered mirror can be a great feature statement. It’s typically the first thing to catch your eye when you walk into the bathroom,” says Steve Kaye, marketing director at HiB, the bathroom company.

“An alternative to harsh overhead lighting allows you to change the atmosphere in the bathroom, and help create a tranquil ‘spa’ effect.”

“If you want to breathe a new lease of life into your kitchen but don’t have the budget for a revamp, the introduction of new handles is an easy and affordable way of making a real style impact,” says Ben Burbidge, managing director at kitchen specialists, Burbidge.

“The trend is for more discreet handles, such as top-fitting ones in brushed aluminium or chrome, and those whose finish - gloss or matt 23

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Interiors

Dahlia sofa in stone £899 Shabby Chic mercury candlesticks from £21 and Ellen ceramic vase £35, Linea chunky cable knit blanket £40, all House of Fraser

Grove door in Chartwell green from £2,000 Everest

Small trunk £19.95 large trunk £29.99 multi bulb lamp £49.99 side table £39.99 striped cushion £24.99 all HomeSense

match the doors.” ture by painting it and the fire surround in the Giving the front of the home a quick facelift same, or a complementary, shade.

- by replacing the door and reBlack or moody grey shades, painting the exterior - will work with the interior of the fireplace wonders, too. in a burnished gold, mimick‘We’re seeing “It’s the ideal time to smarting the glow of a fire, would be en up the front of the home, ideal for a dramatic scheme. people creating before the cold weather strikes,” The Colours paint range (£13.94 cosy homes says Jill McLintock, product for 2.5 litres) has black and grey manager at Everest Home Imshades, and Craig & Rose Oputhat focus on provements. “Updating a front lence Kings Gold Emulsion is relaxation and door gives a home added kerb £31.87 for 2.5 litres from B&Q. hunkering down appeal,” she adds. “Current popUse the floor of the hearth to ular front door shades include display candles (faux ones look with their families’ a subtle Chartwell green and a good these days, too), and interpale porcelain blue - both great esting accessories such as a vinfor those who want to introduce tage trunk - perfect for housing colour without being too bold. distracting clutter - or even a “In terms of design, we’re seeing a rise in popularity of the stable-style door, particularly for country homes, while streamlined designs are traditionally favoured for urban settings. Timber doors are a classic choice but modern composite materials, which have the style, solid feel and even the grain effect of wood, can help minimise heat loss and improve the security of a home.”

It may still be too warm to light fires yet, but a well-dressed hearth can still be a focal point.

A chimney breast can be transformed into a fea-

[[

vase of flowers.

Treat your home to a little TLC, and your rooms will repay you by being cosy retreats this autumn.

“We’re seeing people follow the Danish art of living well - ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hoo-ga’) - and creating cosy homes that focus on relaxation and hunkering down with their families,” says Joanna Feeley, chief executive of homes and lifestyle forecasting agency, Trend Bible.

“That atmosphere is compatible with a warm, earthy colour palette and heavily textured fabrics and materials. Ceramics and marl fabrics are flecked and speckled, adding subtle, organic pattern to home products. Textile prints have a rawness to them, and Scandi-style floral prints have an imperfection which ties in perfectly with this idea of cosy, natural and casual living.”

STYLE TIP: Paint the fire surround and wall behind in a dark, moody shade then paint the inside of the fireplace in a burnished gold to mimic the glow of a fire

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GET THE

LOOK

Natural motifs and autumnal colours create a warm, cosy vibe

Set of three leaf print vases £10 Wilko

Linea artisan throw £48 House of Fraser

Leaf tiles £21.45 per square metre Walls and Floors

Copper lantern £12 Wilko

Cast iron oak leaf hook £4 The National Trust

Leaf collage cushion £16 House of Fraser

Lambswool knit throw £140 Kelly Hoppen

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Ask Gracie...

Want to look your best this week? Our styling expert Gracie Stewart of Exeter can help you fulfil your fashion potential in every possible way. All you have to do is ask...

The wardrobe edit Q

Longline blazer £59 Topshop

What are the essential pieces every woman should have in her wardrobe this autumn?

FB, Truro

A carefully curated classic wardrobe will contain a few staple items that work season after season, both together and alone.

My three must-haves are: 1 A blazer. A single-breasted blazer in black can be worn day or night, and works with everything from a slim pant to a cocktail dress to jeans.

Slightly padded shoulders provide structure and streamline your silhouette.

2 A coat: Although the exact fabric weight depends on personal preference, a cashmere or wool bathrobe style is the best option in terms of versatility and timelessness. Keep it kneelength or longer (so that you can wear it over all your daywear), and in a neutral colour.

3 A bag: There’s nothing wrong with buying a statement bag every so often but first you need one medium-sized leather handbag that goes with everything. Opt for something subtle in a neutral shade. It should be big enough to hold your wallet, sunglasses, phone and a small makeup kit but not oversized.

Autograph coat £169 Marks & Spencer

Luna leather bag £360 Furla

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Gracie’s shopping list

Suedette mini skirt £14 Matalan

Fabulous at 40-plus Q

Is it OK to show some skin once you’re over 40? WM, Newton Abbot

There’s a reason that they say, “if you’ve got it, flaunt it.” If you’ve got a figure that is the result of hard work or genetic blessings, there’s no reason age should prevent you from showing it off.

Society has a funny way of making women over a certain age feel like they should disappear. But the ageless Naomi Campbell has made a case for limb-baring outfits in your 40s (and beyond), while Elizabeth Hurley has worn body-con numbers for the past few decades.

When it comes down to it, the only accessory you need is confidence.

So go for it!

Elemis Body Detox Skin Brush £21 House of Fraser

Sisley Cellulinov £142 House of Fraser

Matt & Nat Percio changing bag, £145, www.mattandnat.co.uk The Percio bag from Canada’s favourite cruelty-free fashion brand does double duty as a nappy bag. Featuring a roomy interior, two slip pockets, a changing pad, and a built-in 13” padded laptop compartment, it’s a must-have for any stylish mother on-the-go.

Keyonna dress £79 JOY

Premium lace bodycon dress £29.99 New Look

Say goodbye to cellulite can be at her ideal weight and still have cellulite while a woman who relatively well but I still have weighs more can be dimple-free. cellulite. What exactly is it and how Unfortunately there’s no way to do I get rid of it? RS, Ottery St Mary get rid of cellulite completely but when choosing an at-home Roughly 85 percent of women firming cream, look for one that have cellulite and its cause is not is formulated with antioxidants. just fat, but rather about These work to attack the the structure of the skin free radicals that tend to around the fat. break down healthy skin If circulation under the cells. skin slows, this causes Products formulated fat cells to swell. The with caffeine can in“elastic bands” that hold crease circulation and down the fat gradually temporarily shrink fat weaken, enabling the cells, as well as distribfat cells in between the ute water between fat bands to pop out and cells more evenly for a cause the dimpling effect smoother appearance. we know as cellulite.

Another option is dry While weight gain and body brushing, which is poor diet may increase exactly what it sounds the development of cellike. You use a speciallulite, hormones and a ised brush to massage genetic predisposition the skin, which helps exClarins to slowed circulation are foliate, brighten, stimuBody Lift the leading causes. late circulation and imCellulite In other words, a woman prove skin texture.

Control £37 Boots I’m a size 10, I work out a

Q few times a week and I eat

Philip Kingsley Citrus Sunshine Swimcap cream, £13, Marks & Spencer This refreshing citrus version of Philip Kingsley’s classic formula is infused with rose and bergamot. It was developed for the US Olympic synchronized swimming team to protect their hair from dehydrating chlorine and salt water. A must for swimmers and holiday travellers.

The TBX Magnetic Collection, £119, www.thebeautyexchange.com Containing their 10 core Magnetic Makeup Brushes and signature Clique Rectangle Brush holder, the TBX Magnetic Collection is everything you need to transform the way you use and store your make-up brushes.

Got a style or beauty question? Email Gracie Stewart at westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk with the subject Ask Gracie

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Fashion

Shear luxury

Black fur shearling coat £90 Very

orget Del Boy in his bulky 1970s sheepskin, today’s shearling coat is not only the cosiest and the most practical statement piece - it is also luxurious, stylish and on-trend.

Traditionally, shearling coats are made from sheepskin that has only been shorn once, leaving the surface soft and breathable.

Celtic & Co from Newquay in Cornwall make the most covetable versions, as you can see here. We like these excellent faux versions from Marks & Spencer and M&Co. Either way, today’s shearling coats are sheer joy to wear.

F

Shearling medium pouch £59 Jigsaw

Armenti Boot £99.95 Moda in Pelle Long shearling zip off biker coat £100 Very

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Faux shearling jacket £69 Marks & Spencer

Maud shearling saddle bag £179 Jigsaw

Faux shearling gilet £49 M&Co

Reversible parka £1,100 Celtic & Co 29

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Wellbeing

the boost

Life just got better. Our wellness guru Charlotte Dear has handpicked the latest health secrets and expert advice to help you be your best self, every day

On the run Fancy yourself as a keen runner with a competitive streak?

Covering 22.1 miles of Exmoor National Park in a suddendeath challenge, the Red Bull Steeplechase is the perfect way to test your limits. 500 runners will begin the race but only 40 will reach the finish line in Lynmouth as, at each of the four steeples along the way, only the fastest will make it through to the next leg. To enter this brutal test of mental and physical endurance, www.redbull.com

Apple harvest We’ve reached that glorious time of year when our trees are laden with delicious, antioxidant-rich apples just waiting to be munched, stewed, juiced or pressed. To celebrate the season, many orchards are opening their gates to the public for exciting apple-themed events and activities, including South Molton Apple Fair on October 30, Sparkwell Apple Day and Tree Planting on November 5, Carhampton Orchard Apple Day on October 22 and many more.

ALL THE JUICE We’re all aware of the importance of staying hydrated while exercising, but what if there was a tastier alternative to plain old water? With the new Citrus Zinger infusion bottle you can start enjoying fruity flavours on the go. The inbuilt juicer cup allows you to infuse your water with a slice of lemon, kiwi, grapefruit or cucumber to create a zingy and refreshing drink to enjoy at the gym or out and about. www.root7.com

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Visit the spa of the year Carbis Bay Hotel has picked up yet another award and this time the Cornish retreat’s impressive C Bay Spa has won a Professional Beauty Regional Award for Spa of the Year in the South West.

To see what all the fuss is about, why not book yourself in for a day of pampering and relaxation – opt for the flagship treatment, Serenity by the Sea (£120 for two hours) and you’ll receive a fullbody exfoliation, a knot-releasing lava shell massage and a tailormade facial. www.carbisbayhotel.co.uk

Boxing clever A major study of eating habits has concluded that diets that are rich in olive oil, fruits and vegetables could cut thousands of heart attack and stroke deaths each year. One of the best ways to move towards a Mediterranean menu is by signing up to a local veg-box scheme; Riverford, Shillingford Organics and Plowright Organic all deliver fresh, locally-grown fruit and veg straight to your door, but there are plenty more to choose from by visiting www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk

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

@WMNWest or email westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 31

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Wellbeing

Happy feet Does reflexology really work?

Working and massaging congested or ‘crunchy’ points found in the feet, can help release tension Trained reflexologist Sharon Walker says: Reflexoland pain in the correogy is a complementary holistic healing therapy sponding point in the that works your whole body, body system through your which feet and also, on occasion, can help through your hands. rebalance you.

Energy points A reflexologist will work Reflexology is used to help in the feet are along your feet, massaging soothe physical as well as mental particular reflex points ailments. It’s a way to find peace revitalised which have been found to and calm mentally, as well as through correlate and reflect other physically. areas of the body - so The fact you lie down for an massage, which the toes are linked with hour, away from the stresses relieves tension the head and brain, for and strains of everyday life, elsewhere in the instance, and so on. means reflexology is also great The idea is that energy for settling yourself and finding body points in the feet are revia way to just ‘be’ in the moment, talised through massage, as well as being a great way to which relieves tension reboot your system. elsewhere in the body, It is, naturally, ideal to visit a helping to minimise and ward off pain, discomtrained reflexologist, however, a great way to fort and illness. work these pressure and reflex points in the feet,

Q

One of my friends swears by reflexology.

I’m not sure – does it really work? And if so, how? FW, Moretonhampstead

[[

without seeing a reflexologist specifically, is to walk barefoot, particularly on a sandy beach.

Doing that, all the points in your feet are worked equally, which explains why we often feel reenergised after a walk on sand.

It’s also been found through reflexology that the shape and colour of your feet can point to certain personality traits and health factors. For example, dry, cracked feet is a sign of dehydration, so up your fluid intake, while patchy yellow and red skin on the feet can indicate signs of infection elsewhere in the body. Always consult your doctor if you are worried about any health symptoms.

Sharon Walker is a trained reflexologist and author of Essential Health for Women (£7.99, Parragon)

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SMALL BITES Our pick of what’s on in the Westcountry food world right now Festival fun The annual North Devon Foodfest is taking place tomorrow (Sunday October 16), celebrating local food businesses from across north Devon. Look out for everything from cheese and ales to local meat and fresh seafood.

Five of the area’s best chefs will be cooking live, including the two Michelin-starred chef Michael Caines, Mark Dodson from the Mason’s Arms in Knowstone and Paul Berry from the Swan in Bampton.

With more than 100 stalls at the event, celebrity chef demonstrations and mouthwatering delights to sample, Foodfest runs from 10am- 3.30pm, in Barnstaple’s Pannier Market and Queen’s Theatre. www.barnstaple.co.uk

Delicious Dartmouth The Dartmouth Food Festival is back for 2016 with a tempting mix of delicious food and drink, chef demos, workshops, lively food debates and fun for all the family. More than 100 South West producers will showcase wares and a line-up of top chefs will inspire festival-goers. Entry free, October 21-23, www.dartmouthfoodfestival.com

New chef at the New Yard

Winter wonders Discover all that’s great about Cornish farming and food at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, next month. The Cornish Winter Fair is a fun day of farm-themed events and shopping incorporating the 138-year-old Wadebridge Prime Stock Show, with cattle and sheep showing, craft and cookery classes.

Stalls showcasing Cornish food and drink producers and crafts will be on hand, plus a pop-up café. Saturday November 19, www.royalcornwallshow.org

Trelowarren’s New Yard Restaurant is sited in the former stables of the beautiful Cornish stately home near Helston. The eatery now has a new chef, Jeffrey Robinson, previously of The Loft in St Ives. Jeffrey, who has worked at high level in London for many years, is passionate about ethical sourcing of ingredients and animal welfare.

Using the best small local suppliers in the area he is putting together a new menu, sourcing more than 90% of produce from a 20-mile radius, including fantastic fish, meat and game and home grown fruit and vegetables. There’s also a homemade, wood-fired pizza shop in the stable yard.

If you want to make a holiday of it, you can stay in one of Trelowarren’s delightful luxury cottages on the estate. www.trelowarren.com

Got some foodie news? Let us know on westmag@westernmorningnews.co.uk 33

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Bake

Gluten-Free Amondi Cookies Emma says: This is my version of Italian amaretti. Naturally gluten-free ingredients such as flax seeds (linseed) work really well with ground almonds – they add lightness and help to balance the oiliness of the nuts – so we’ve adapted our usual amondi to include ground flax seeds.

Ingredients

Method:

4 egg whites 400g ground almonds 280g granulated sugar 50g ground brown flax seeds (linseed) 1 tsp orange oil Finely-grated zest of two oranges 4 tbsp icing sugar 14 whole almonds

1.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Cut a piece of baking parchment to line the bottom of a large baking sheet.

2.

Put the egg whites into a large, clean mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer until they form stiff peaks. Add the ground almonds, sugar, flax seeds, orange oil and orange zest and beat using an electric mixer at low speed until you have a sticky dough.

Makes: 14 cookies 3.

Dust your hands with icing sugar and divide the dough into 14 equal portions. Roll into balls and roll these in the icing sugar, then place on the baking sheet. The cookies will spread as they bake, so make sure you leave plenty of space between them.

4.

Using the palms of your hands, squash each cookie to a disc about 1 cm/½ in thick. Place a whole almond in the centre of each cookie and push it in gently.

5.

Bake for 15–18 minutes, until light golden on top and mid-golden underneath: use a fish slice to check the bottom of a cookie after 15 minutes.

6.

Leave on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. When cold, amondi should be firm and chewy, but not hard.

Emma Goss-Custard runs Honeybuns in Sherborne, Dorset. Honeybuns Gluten-Free Baking by Emma Goss-Custard is published by Pavilion, £14.99 34

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Cook

Scallops with Hog’s Pudding Recipe: Will Sherry, Head Chef, Boscastle Farm Shop, Cornwall Will says: We have our own traditional butchery here, together with a sea view! It’s fantastic to be able to create genuinely local, seasonal dishes. As a chef, I am so lucky to be able to meet with our farmer and butcher daily here on the north Cornwall coast.

Ingredients:

Method:

12 to 16 scallops 350g hog’s pudding 200ml white wine vinegar 125g caster sugar 2 tsp arrowroot, mixed with a few drops of water 100g pea shoots 50g red amaranth (a bright purple micro salad with an earthy flavour)

To make the dressing

To serve

1.

Put the vinegar and sugar into a pan and boil until the sugar dissolves.

1.

2.

Stir the arrowroot and water into this mixture and allow to cool.

Arrange the pea shoots and red amaranth on plates and lightly drizzle with dressing.

Use the remaining dressing to glaze the scallops.

2.

Serve with artisan bread for a tasty weekend lunch or as a simple starter.

A Taste of the

hefs and producers to d Gloucestershire way me. What better

West Country

Tea & Supper Worth Matravers

1.

Heat a little sunflower oil in a pan and sear the scallops for one minute on each side, making sure not to overcook.

2.

Cook the hog’s pudding for a similar amount of time until it’s golden on both sides.

created by Taste original recipes and producers A collection of ning chefs of the West award-win

e beautiful ive in an area wher doorstep.” on our e found almost Room, Dorset

A Taste of the West Country

To cook the scallops

This recipe comes from the new A Taste of the West Country cookbook, now available on Amazon (We Make Magazines, £17.99) created by original recipes ers A collection of g chefs and produc award-winnin David Griffen Photography by

Taste of the West

1

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Drink

Happy h ur

Calva-Pirinha Cocktail 40ml Pere Magloire Calvados 20ml apple juice 2 tsp brown sugar 1 lime Ice Crush the lime and sugar in a glass, add the Calvados, apple juice and ice, then stir and serve.

with drinks expert April Marks

April says: Next week sees the annual celebration of all things connected to the Normandy apple harvest in France. Bars and pubs offer Calvados cocktails, host applebobbing events and themed menus, all for Calvados Week.

Normandy is considered too cold to grow grapes. Instead they favour apple and pear orchards (some seven million trees) from which they produce cider and calvados apple brandy.

Using 46 permitted varieties of apple, the Normandy Calvados makers will first create a cider

before slowly distilling in a Charentais still followed by ageing in wooden vats for a minimum of two years.

If the Calvados originates from the best area, known as Pays d’Auge, it will be double-distilled with more control over production. The ageing in barrels is important as, over time, the Calvados softens, each bottle will have an age indicator to assist you select the style that’s right for you.

The youngest at only two years ageing, is given the name of Fine, at four years it’s called VO or VSOP and six years or over is labelled as XO.

French Calvados

makers create a cider

then slowly distill it

The other style available is Calvados Domfrontais, in which 30% of pear cider has been added to the blend.

You can try this distinctively fruity, spicy brandy either neat, with tonic or make yourself an Applejack by adding cloudy apple juice to the Calvados.

April Marks is co-founder of Regency Wines Ltd Exeter @regencywinesuk

WINE OF THE WEEK Where to celebrate:

Calvados Week The Beach House in Woolacombe, north Devon The Break Bar in Widemouth Bay, north Cornwall The Anchor Inn in Sidmouth The Pig & Whistle in Totnes The Prince of Wales in Stoke Sub Hamden, Somerset For details of other outlets taking part click visit www. regencywines.co.uk/news

Duette Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley, Chile As the evenings become chillier and game comes into season, I’ve selected a Pinot Noir produced in Chile’s cooler area, the Casablanca Valley.

Seductive aromas of ripe red berries, rosewood and dried cherry add to the notes of gunpowder. It is soft and unpretentious yet it has a firm texture.

Remarkable elegance and balance.

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Drink Beer of the week Fans of Citra hops, with their big, bold citrus flavours, will be familiar with Oakham Brewery’s 6% ABV monster Green Devil IPA. But we’ve recently had the more junior Citra (4.2%) in our local and it’s just as satisfying, even with a lower ABV. Bold, tangy hops, kept in check by mellow malt.

Beautiful.

Darren Norbury

talks beer ONE FOR THE FIRESIDE Skinner’s Penny Come Quick stout is back for its autumn appearance (tying in with the Falmouth Oyster Festival, running at the moment) and it’s available in bottles, too, from Skinner’s new bottling line.

Highly recommended for those chillier autumn evenings by the fire.

Probably the first proper lager in the world…

Carlsberg has recreated a lager from 1883 which used the world’s first pure yeast. A single bottle was found in 2013 and scientists cultivated the yeast from it. Only 600 bottles have been produced.

mong life’s many mysteries is how great, leading to a running Instagram joke about various advertisements end up apmy use of the ‘Beer Today filter’. So I’ve taken to pearing on my Facebook timeline. using my digital camera to photograph the beers, In theory, Facebook’s clever algowhich is cumbersome but gives good results. rithms should deliver commercial I do try to take good pictures because I know content that’s relevant to me but the repeated how they can boost social media traffic, but I take appearance of the promotion for men’s inconmy hat off to one of my fellow beer writers, Matt tinence solutions is starting to Curtis, who has beer pictures grate now. However, the newest down to an art form. one is for an insidious developTravelling around the UK Travelling around ment of the selfie stick – the and overseas, too, he has taken selfie stick with microphone. some beautiful photographs the UK, and overThis chimes in with a new of people, of beer, and often of seas, he has taken study that shows the average the two together. Have a look at some beautiful adult will share at least one www.totalales.co.uk to see for picture of food a week on social yourself. photographs of media. Guilty as charged. I have Trust me, taking a great photo people, of beer, posted quiche and cheesecake of beer, or food for that matter, pictures but, more importantis a lot more difficult than just and often of the ly I’m all about the beer pics. point and shoot. I recall being two together I blame peer pressure. Even invited to a workshop session by though I’m a wordsmith, social St Austell Brewery where chefs media these days is image-drivfrom their estate were being en. It’s not enough to write a taught how to take pictures of brief review of a beer for Untappd. People want their dishes on their phones. It’s all about light, to see a picture of it, too. placement, background. Not as simple as it My drinking buddies are used to this now, and sounds. much as I think the mobile can be a curse of the I am going to persist with my beer photographs, modern age – that shopper at the supermarket but I won’t be getting a selfie stick, let alone one checkout nattering to their mate on their phone with a microphone attached to it. Unless my Phil while ignoring the cashier is so rude – I do try to Collins tribute career takes off, that is… be as quick and discreet as possible.

Darren Norbury is editor of beertoday.co.uk Trouble is, my mobile phone camera isn’t that @beertoday

A

[[

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10 YEARS

Guided House Tours

OF FIFTEEN CORNWALL

Take a walk with us through history on your very own winter weekend tour of Mount Edgcumbe House.

Available Saturdays and Sundays between October-April.

Tickets are on sale at the entrance to the House (11am-4pm weekends only) or you can pre-book by calling 01752 822 236.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT TO BOOK: Ring reservations on: 01637 861000, Option 1 Book online at: www.fifteencornwall.co.uk ON THE BEACH

W AT E R G AT E B AY

C O R N WA L L T R 8 4 A A

West Mag_161015.indd 1

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10/10/20

11/10/2016 14:17:40

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

An evening of mystery If you are a fan of Downton Abbey then you’ll love the fun nights of aristocratic mystery at Bickleigh Castle near Tiverton on Friday October 21 and Saturday November 19.

Lord and Lady Downton invite you to join them for dinner with the family. Their trusty Butler, Larson, will ensure your every whim is catered for. But watch your manners and pay attention to the other guests, as one of them has a secret they would rather you didn’t know. How far will the family go to save its reputation?

The Murder Mystery Evening is £289 per couple, including a welcome cocktail on arrival, three course meal and live murder mystery entertainment. To book call 01884 855363 or email info@bickleighcastle.com. More information can be found at www.bickleighcastle.com

Special show tunes

Spooky spectacular How about a terrifying treat just for Halloween? Join the Pendennis Castle team on an eerie evening tour for a journey back into the Falmouth castle’s remarkable past dating back to Tudor times. Meet their spine-tingling storytellers and hear tales of ghoulish goings on.

Adult tours (over 16 years) and children’s tours (over five years) are available with tickets priced at £16. October 27 and Friday 28 from 5.30pm. Visit www.english-heritage.org.uk or call 0370 333 1183.

The live show Beyond the Barricade has delighted audiences throughout the UK and mainland Europe, with its exciting concert portrayal of the greatest songs in musical theatre, all performed live.

Recreating original West End/Broadway musical hit songs, the former principal performers from Les Miserables present a blockbusting two hour show, now established as one of the nation’s favourite musical theatre concerts. Their next show is Sunday October 23 at 7.30pm at the Exeter Corn Exchange. Tickets £23, call 01392 665938 www.exetercornexchange.co.uk

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Ads_Oct15.indd 2

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Enjoy

A WEEKEND IN

Plymouth F

Gin flings:

Located in the Barbican, Plymouth’s Blackfriars Gin Distillery is the oldest gin distillery in England, dating back to 1793. Why not try a Master Distiller’s tour, which lasts around two and half hours and allows visitors to discover the secrets of gin making by creating and distilling a personalised gin recipe.

Everyone is given a 200 ml bottle of their own handmade gin to take away as a unique memento of their visit. www.plymouthgin.com

Chocs away:

Run by a chocaholic motherdaughter team who trained at the acclaimed European Callebaut Chocolate Academy, Chocaccino is located in Plymouth’s old town,

on the Barbican. As well as the usual savoury sandwiches and classic cakes, afternoon tea comes with a choice of delicious hot chocolate or chocolate-flavoured tea and Chocaccino’s famous chocolate chip scones and homemade mango marshmallow, all for £14.95 per person. www. chocaccino.co.uk

Secret bars:

A speakeasy bar hidden underground and located underneath the Duke of Cornwall Hotel, Tigermilk at the Duke is an independent drinking den in Plymouth specialising in fine spirits and fantastic entertainment. Without a doubt Plymouth’s most quirky bar, there’s just a small plaque outside to let people know where it’s located and a buzzer entry system to enter. The Duke of Cornwall was Plymouth’s first ever luxury hotel and celebrated its 150th birthday in 2013. www.tigermilkbars. com

Beach walks:

Wembury Beach is the ideal place to relax and unwind. A short 20 minute drive from Plymouth city centre, this lovely sandy

PHOTO: JOHN BROADLEY

rom seafront dining to historical monuments and quirky attractions, Plymouth has a lot to offer for a weekend break these days.

Destination Plymouth, the city’s official tourist board, is highlighting the potential of this vibrant oceanfront city right now.

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Wembury Beach

Segway at Mount Edgcumbe

The Royal William Yard

xxx

Chocaccino public spaces in the UK. The former home of the earls of Mount Edgcumbe, the gardens are Grade I listed. Adventure Segway offers Segway tours around the park taking visitors through parkland, woodlands and past listed monuments with breath-taking views across Plymouth Sound. Access to the park is by the ferry from Plymouth to Cremyll Quay. Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is open to the public daily free of charge. Mount Edgcumbe House is closed on Fridays and Saturdays. www. adventuresegway.co.uk

Plymouth Gin beach, known for its rock pooling, is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and owned by the National Trust. Wembury has its own Marine Conservation Centre as well as guided rock pool walks on the beach and beautiful cliff walks to Bovisand in the west and Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo to the east. The beach is also a popular spot for water sports, in particular surfing and kayaking, as well as swimming, diving, sailing and fishing. www.visitplymouth. co.uk

Wheely good fun: Located on a peninsula with more than ten miles of stunning coastline, Mount Edgcumbe Country Park is set in 865 acres of land and is one of the most delightful

Rock it out: Plymouth Pavilions is the South West’s largest purpose-built exhibition and entertainment attraction. Coming up soon are concerts from top musical names including Deacon Blue, Jools Holland and Jess Glynne - or why not take a spin on the South West’s best and biggest ice rink, also to be found in the Pavilions? www.plymouthpavilions.com Gone fishing:

Based in the fisherman’s arches besides the historic Mayflower Steps, The Boathouse Café runs Fish ‘N’ Trips boat rides, a fun way to learn more about the marine environment while out on the water. After three hours of fishing, sea dogs will return to shore where you can can kick back with a glass of wine or beer. Behind the scenes, the Boathouse Cafe staff will be busy filleting and cooking the catch straight off the boat, so it doesn’t come fresher than that! www.fishntrips.co.uk, www. theboathousecafe.co.uk 43

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06/10/2016 14:09:44

My Secret Westcountry

Hope Cove

Jean-Philippe Bidart

My favourite:

Jean-Philippe Bidart, 46, is head chef at The Millbrook Inn, South Pool, south Devon. JP, as he is known, has taken the gastro-pub on to win many culinary awards.

He is married to Lisa and they have a son, Jean-Luc, aged six.

Walk: I love the South West Coast Path and one of my favourite walks with my wife Lisa is from Hope Cove to Thurlestone in south Devon, which is just the right length for our son Jean-Luc’s little legs. The views are lovely with dramatic cliffs and tiny coves. When we go walking, I make a picnic with sandwiches, salads, coffee and wine and we’ll stop a while, take in the view and enjoy some food.

Place to eat :

There are so many wonderful

places to eat in the Westcountry but working as a chef means there is very little opportunity to go out in the evening. Instead I will sometimes create a particularly delicious picnic filled with things like artisan bread baked at Frogmore, white crab meat from Favis of Salcombe and home-made cooked burgers or cured meats using rare breed meat from Holsome Park near Kingsbridge.

Weekend escape:

St Michael’s Mount near Marazion in Cornwall. We went not long ago and had a wonderful time. You can walk across

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People

The Beach House cafe, South Milton Sands

Kingsbridge estuary

the causeway to the castle when the tide is low or take a boat on the high tide. It is a lovely place for children to explore and let their imaginations run wild. The beaches are also lovely. We’ll definitely be going back for another adventure soon.

View: Early sunset from my house high above Kingsbridge is perfect. We have a 360 degree view and can see the estuary, Salcombe, West Alvington and East Portlemouth. Every sunset is different and it really is a beautiful view especially if I am enjoying it with a good gin while chatting to Lisa.

Favis of Salcombe fresh crab

St Michael’s Mount

Pub: From our house, we can walk down to the Crabshell Inn on the quayside in Kingsbridge. It’s always lovely going there to enjoy a few drinks with friends sat by the waterside. If we go during the day, we will often take our crab nets and fill a big bucket full of crabs of every size which keeps Jean-Luc amused for hours. There’s a knack you know - and they definitely prefer smoked bacon!

Food: I’m a classically trained French chef

and lamb sweetbreads are a favourite of mine. They make a regular appearance on the menu along with other offal. I am an advocate of using less

fashionable meat, such as mutton and rose veal, and of nose-to-tail eating as it reduces wastage and helps our local farmers.

Drink: Gin is my drink of

choice and I am very partial to a Salcombe Gin, served with a slice of red grapefruit.

Beach:

South Milton beach is National Trust owned which is great as we are members and as a family we enjoy visiting National Trust properties. As a Frenchman, coffee is important so the Beach House café comes in handy!

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My life

[

man and boy

On the road

[

Phil Goodwin and James, aged six, take to two wheels very cyclist remembers taking their first major tumble, that exquisitely painful moment when sharp pedals meet tender legs and you skid to a halt, gravel stinging the soft palms of your hands.

I ran into a tree on my very first ride, downhill after a push by my big brother. I crashed out in a Cornish pothole ten years ago after reaching for a water bottle at precisely the wrong moment.

Last week, my son tasted tarmac and creosote, wrapping body and bike around a wooden fence, all thanks to the overtaking urges of a passing woman who just couldn’t bear to be held back by a wobbly novice, aged six.

We have recently been enjoying the simple pleasures of life on two wheels, sampling the joys of the open road. I caught the cycling bug many years ago and first started riding seriously while living in the hilly Basque region of Spain. Now, I am happy to say, the bike bug has spread to young James.

He took to two wheels like the proverbial duck to water – an evening rolling down our avenue without pedals, off to the practice cycle park in Exeter then straight to the Exe Estuary cycle trail.

With its nifty pedestrian bridges and wooden walkways on stilts, hide-holes overlooking marsh-wading birds, the shiny new car-free bike track from Exmouth and Dawlish to the city is a spectacular route.

But on a warm Sunday afternoon, it plays host to the world, his wife, their two well-dressed kids and their muddy, out-of-control springer spaniel, Noodles. Now, when you add into the mix a hairpin or two, half a dozen chicanes and a few

E

kissing gates it becomes a tricky obstacle course, especially when you have only just unbolted the stabilisers. The boy, being, well, a boy, likes to go

[

[

He panicked, swerved left and ran smack bang into the fence. It was horrible to watch

as fast as he can at all times, thundering along on his new bike. Trailing behind, I trundle along, barking out instructions about keeping left and unheeded warnings to “feather” the brakes.

On a gravelly stretch somewhere near the commando training assault course he skidded to a sudden halt without a hint of warning, causing me to swerve to avoid a crash. “Why did you stop?” I asked. “Daddy, I have got an itchy nose,” he replied before pushing off into one of his wobble starts.

There was another hairy moment near Lympstone when, to my cries of keep left, he took a sharp left along the grass verge on the right and forced an oncoming couple to stop.

But this is a shared, family space, not the Manchester velodrome, so you can expect to have to give way a bit, slow down and stop from time to time. Everything was going fine – we even stopped to pick some blackberries – then on the way back to the van, a lycra-clad Laura Trott came spinning past.

I heard the ding-ding of a bell and pulled in to let her by then watched as she overtook the lad. Unfortunately, when she saw the oncoming riders, rather than ease back and wait she clearly decided she absolutely had to get past, despite his tell-tale novice meanderings. She edged left to make the move and squeezed his space – he panicked a bit, swerved left and ran smack bang into the fence. It was horrible to watch but he got up straight away.

As for the Laura Trott wannabe - she didn’t even notice. Luckily, James was more shaken up than hurt and was soon firmly back in the saddle, legs pumping. It was a good lesson. I hope he doesn’t forget.

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

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10/10/2016 13:11:11

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