The Bath Magazine April 2012

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ISSUE 115 • APRIL 2012

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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BATH £3.00 where sold

BATH AT WORK A new series of photographic portraits Image: Celia Cook. Vasp, Oil on linen, 18”x 18” on show at The Adam Gallery

BATH AT WAR

The Blitz - 60 years on

EAT YOUR ART OUT The Holburne: a nice café with museum attached

FA C IN G T HE M U S I C

Loose Women’s Denise Welch

TITANIC TALES The Bath woman who survived tragedy

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TOWN COUNTRY PROPERTY

Bath’s Premium Properties Beautifully Illustrated

The very best of local writing, what’s on, arts, lifestyle, property and so much more in your guide to life and living in Bath

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contents

2012 April 46 14 22

24

40 6

ZEITGEIST

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Five things to do in Bath this month

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BIGWIG Struggling with middle age? Make a list

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14

BATH AT WORK Our new photographic portrait series begins with jewellery designer Tina Engell

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FACE THE MUSIC Denise Welch talks to Mick Ringham as she prepares to take to the stage in Bath

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BATH BLITZ 60 years on from the bombing of the city a new book examines the impact it had on our urban landscape

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EASTER ROUND-UP

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WHAT’S ON Women take centre stage this month, from Anne Boleyn to Birds of a Feather and Steel Magnolias to Abigail’s Party

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TITANIC TALES

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FOOD & DRINK

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The Holburne: where the food’s as pretty as the pictures in the galleries

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WEEKEND BREAK Join the middle classes in their favourite playground, the beaches of West Wales

54

BATH PEOPLE

INTERIORS At home with west country seascape artist Jane Reeves

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CITY GARDENING Jane Moore visits a garden in Tormarton

News from Bath’s foodie scene

46 RESTAURANT REVIEW

FIT & FABULOUS Tried and tested beauty products

The story of a Bath woman who sailed on that fateful voyage

85

PROPERTY Dozens of beautiful homes to buy or rent

ON THE COVER Vasp by artist Celia Cook on show at The Adam Gallery

News & views from the city and beyond

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THE WALK Andrew Swift looks forward to warmer days with a walk through the Pewsey Downs

What to do with the family over the bank holiday weekend

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It’s time to leap into spring with the latest shows from local and international artists

TALK OF THE TOWN Comedian Arthur Smith on what he enjoys about Bath

ART & EXHIBITIONS

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EDUCATION NEWS Profile of the £9m concert hall being built for Somerset

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EDITOR’Sletter

I

t’s hard for us to imagine that 60 years ago this month Bath was subject to three terrifying nights of bombing by enemy aircraft. What was so frightening for the men, women and children of our city was that the targets were so random – nobody was safe. Familiar buildings, like St Andrew’s Church in Julian Road, were reduced to smoking ruins and whole houses, with families still in them, blown to rubble, craters left in the streets.

More than 400 people died in the Bath Blitz and the physical scars of the bombs can still be seen on the landscape today, indeed there are still Bathonians who vividly recall the nights of the Baedeker raids. Historian Dr Cathryn Spence and city photographic archivist Dan Brown have produced a fascinating book about this dark period in Bath’s history, which we feature on Page 22 this month. Photographs from 1942 and today bring the story vividly to life.

Going further back in time, Lindsey Harrad has looked into the story of a Bath woman who set sail 100 years ago this month on the ill-fated Titanic, and by happy accident survived. The remarkable story of Edwina Troutt is told on Page 40.

But it’s not all history in this month’s issue. We’re looking forward to all the cultural delights happening in April this month, from the fabulously toe-curlingly funny Abigail’s Party to a free family day in Royal Victoria Park laid on to celebrate Bath’s World Heritage status.

As always, we are mindful that there’s more to Bath than shopping for shoes and handbags and we hope that’s reflected in the diverse offering from our team of valued contributors without which we couldn’t deliver you, dear reader, so much.

Georgette McCready Editor All paper used to make this magazine is taken from good sustainable sources and we encourage our suppliers to join an accredited green scheme. Magazines are now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help to reduce waste and contribute to the six million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Please recycle this magazine, but if you are not able to participate in a recycling scheme, then why not pass your magazine on to a friend or colleague.

THEBATHMAGAZINE Editor Email: Tel: Deputy Editor Email:

Georgette McCready georgette@thebathmagazine.co.uk 01225 424499 Samantha Ewart sam@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Editorial Assistant Email:

Rosie Parry rosie@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email: Commercial Production Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk Catriona Stirling cat@thebristolmagazine.co.uk

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos stevem@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact the Advertising Sales team on tel: 01225 424499 Advertising Sales Liz Grey Email: liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk Advertising Sales Email:

Kathy Williams kathy@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Email:

Jodi Monelle jodi@thebathmagazine.co.uk

The Bath Magazine and The Bristol Magazine are published by MC Publishing Ltd and are completely independent of all other local publications.

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ZEITGEIST

things to do in April

Watch

Celebrate

Independent arthouse cinema The Little Theatre has launched a monthly Vintage Monday night with a retro feel that includes old-fashioned usherettes selling ice cream and the chance for audiences to get into the mood by dressing up.

This month’s event is on Monday 2 April, from 5pm and will include entertainment and a retro/vintage market next door at St Michael’s Centre.

■ Another film date for your diary is the screening of Titanic the Aftermath on Monday 23 April at 6.30pm in the Julian Slade Theatre, Prior Park College, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the disaster and to raise funds for Bath charity Mentoring Plus.

The screening is hosted by the Widcombe Association and after the screening the documentary’s writer, Marion Milne, who is a Widcombe

resident, will be in conversation with Christopher Ward, author of the novel And the Band Played On. His book is based on Milne’s grandfather Jock Hume, a violinist on board the Titanic. Tickets for the screening are £15, available from, tel: 01225 332219.

Titanic the Aftermath is screened courtesy of Discovery UK. See Page 40 for the story of a Bath survivor of the Titanic.

There are not many cities which can boast being a designated World Heritage Site, so it’s fitting that Bath is holding a day of celebrations – complete with Roman soldiers in costume – to which all its residents are invited. There will be a day of events on Sunday 22 April from 11am, with activities for the whole family to enjoy in Royal Victoria Park, on the lawn outside the Royal Crescent, in the Assembly Rooms and at the Circus.

As part of the festivities the Ermine Street Guard will set up a Roman encampment in Royal Victoria Park, with demonstrations and drill throughout the day. Enjoy a walking tour with the Mayor’s Honorary Guides, join sculptor Laurence Tindall and letter carver Iain Cotton for a chance to have a go at stone carving and visit the Georgian house, No 1 Royal Crescent, which is owned and run by the Bath Preservation Trust.

Play We may not all be Olympic athletes but there’s one sport that people of all ages and abilities can compete in and the start of the new season is the ideal time to sign up and start playing croquet. Bath Croquet Club is offering people a hands-on trial on Bank Holiday Monday, 7 May at the Bath Recreation Ground from 10am to 5pm.

Members will be on hand to put you through your paces, with a £2 donation for the Dorothy House Hospice invited. If you enjoy it you can sign up for a five-week Saturday morning course which begins on 19 May. Tel: 01225 837615.

■ The Camerton & Peasedown Croquet Club is very proud of its newly established lawns and is inviting prospective members to come and try their hand at the game.

A beginners’ course is being run for five weeks, beginning on Monday 14 May, from 5.30pm to 8pm. Call the club coach, Ros Key-Pugh, tel: 01225 427525.

See

The Bath Magazine is a big fan of the quirky work of local artist Charlotte Farmer, who has her first solo exhibition at Rostra & Rooksmoor galleries in George Street. Charlotte designs greeting cards and homeware and her limited edition silkscreen prints are increasingly collectable. The Rostra show will include some old favourites, such as her snow globe images, plus some new work, including Philately Will Get You Everywhere. Charlotte’s show runs from 7 to 25 April.

Above, is Teatime Treats, a print which is also available as a tea towel.

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Out of town People could be queuing down the street for this one, just as they did for Banksy a few years ago – the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition, which opens at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery on 30 March. This is a rare chance to see da Vinci’s fine drawings up close. We have until 10 June to see Ten Drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.

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NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

By Bigwig

engell

bespoke jewellery shop

I’VE GOT A LITTLE LIST . . .

A

eons ago when Bigwig was at college (I’m talking mid 1960’s here) every student had a mentor who was supposed to guide them through the many problems that beset young people who have left home for the first time. Just in case one of us decided to jump off the roof.

Problems? What problems? Up from the sticks to the big city, cosy bedsit, no more nagging parents, down the pub every night with your mates, living on beans on toast, blimey, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven!

My mentor was Miss J, who seemed to suffer from a permanent cold.

As she sniffed her way through my tutorial I often felt it was me preventing her from jumping, not the other way round. In fact I felt so sorry for her, I used to make up problems just to cheer her up. I once mistakenly used the word ‘depressed’ when I meant ever-so-slightly-fed-up and ended up being sent to a counsellor. Still, at least it showed they cared.

tina engell 29 belvedere, bath ba1 5hr 01225 443334

I constantly forget why I have come ❝ into a room and I need to go through

www.tinaengell.com

the alphabet to remember really famous film stars’ names

❞

Mind you, no matter what problem, real or pretend, that one came up with (and I compared notes on this with my fellow students) Miss J’s response was, without fail ‘Make a list!’ and actually, to this day I have followed that advice. There is absolutely nothing better to focus the mind than making a list: prioritising, colour coding, itemising and best of all, crossing off. Once written down, that nagging worry about an uncompleted task just disappears. In fact, a list is the perfect tool for the procrastinator with a tendency to worry ie. me.

I once participated in a tour of a musical show throughout Europe. We had a small cast and so one had to take on some of the stage management oneself. I had 101 little tasks to undertake before the performance: put shoes out ready for quick change, sharpen eyebrow pencil, check sightlines, suss out route for entrance through audience, make sure pin in place on cuff for bursting water balloon (it was a knockabout comedy) and so on.

I’m not remembering these things, for I have the list in front of me.

I couldn’t go through the pre-show routine without ticking off each item, even after 100 performances. In the end, there were so many different coloured ticks, crosses and asterisks on the dog-eared piece of faded paper it became almost unreadable. But I had to have it in my hand.

At the end of the tour, my colleagues declared it a work of art and now it hangs framed above my desk. I can just about make out two items: Nappy and spare nappy. I cannot for the life of me remember why these were required in a show about baroque composers.

And that’s the crux of the matter. It is absolutely true what they say about the decline of short term memory in middle age. I constantly forget why I have come into a room and I need to go through the alphabet to remember really famous film stars’ names. So I started to keep a pad of Post-it notes next to my bed. Not just for those brilliant ideas that suddenly come to one in the middle of the night, but to stop me tossing and turning and worrying in half-sleep about all the things I was going to do the next day by jotting them down.

And no kidding, dear readers, I awoke one morning recently to find I had written in big letters ‘Make a list’. ■ 8 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Bath’s Flooring Specialist

• Wide selection of quality carpets • Free measure & quotation • Knowledgeable staff • Skilled fitters • Leading brands

Free customer car park at side of store WALCOT I BATH BA1 5BX TEL: 01225 465 757

www.trhayes.co.uk

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TALKofthe TOWN

My Cultural Life

Book of the month The Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore Published by Hammer, hardback £9.99 Reviewed by Georgette McCready

F

or her legions of devotees, a new book from Bristol-based writer Helen Dunmore is like the best kind of present, as gratifying in the enjoying of it as the delicious anticipation of opening it.

Dunmore’s impressive track record of novels to date includes The Siege, set in snow-bound Stalingrad during the Second World War, its sequel, Betrayal, the heart-breaking tale of a mother in Mourning Ruby, and House of Orphans, set in a Finland on the edge of revolt.

Perhaps it is because she is a poet as well as a novelist that so many of her phrases paint pictures for our imagination that linger long after we’ve turned the page.

For her latest novella, The Greatcoat, Dunmore has turned her hand to a different genre to her previous work. The film-making Hammer House of Horror has cast itself now as a publisher of unsettling and spooky tales. The Hammer imprint is published through Random House.

The heroine, Isabel, is a vulnerable and lonely young bride, recently married to a country doctor who works long hours and is often called out to patients in the middle of the night, leaving his wife alone in their flat.

She feels frozen out by the locals and her short-

tempered landlady, and Isabel is cold in the flat. Then, one night she pulls an old wartime RAF greatcoat out of the back of a cupboard and wraps it round her for warmth.

Soon after, an airman taps on her window.

Here is their first encounter through the window: “He spread his hand flat on the glass, all the while looking at Isabel. She clutched the coat to her. Her brain was still fogged with the noise of the engines. She shook her head, but the sound would not shake out. He was looking at her intently, waiting for something. All at once she understood what it was, and lifted her own left hand, to match his right, and laid it on the glass.”

The tension builds as Isabel grows closer to the stranger and further from her husband. As ever, Dunmore the consummate story teller, builds the characters with such detail that you believe in them, the plot unfolding slowly but inexorably.

Green Park Station at weekends is now the place to go browsing, grab something to eat and meet friends, what with all the themed festivals that are being staged there. And from this month the market calendar will be joined by Bathʼs first gardenersʼ market, Digin! on Sunday 22 April from 9.30am. The men behind Digin! are Rick and Tom of The Garden Works Company, who have worked with TVʼs Phil Spencer on The Secret Agent, the roof gardens at Cabot Circus, as well as with clients across the south west. Tom says: “We have hand picked stalls selling a diverse cross section of gardenware, from artificial grass to hens for your back garden. Traders who are well informed and experienced in their chosen fields – beekeepers, willow weavers, tree surgeons and wildlife charities will all be involved.”

GARDEN WORKS: Rick, Tom and friend

NEWS IN BRIEF Strut your stuff for the dogs

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2012 Every month The Bath Magazine is circulated free to over 20,000 selected homes and businesses in Bath and the surrounding areas.

A certificate of print and publisher’s statement are available on request.

Disclaimer: Whilst every reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Bath Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. This publication is copyright and may not be reproduced in any form either in part or whole without written permission from the publishers.

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Animal lovers are being urged to help Bath Cats and Dogs Home by taking part in the annual sponsored Wag Walk across Bath’s beautiful skyline on Sunday 29 April from 10am. Walkers are each encouraged to raise £75 in sponsorship in celebration of the rescue centre’s 75th anniversary. You can either bring your own dog, walk one of the rescue dogs or walk dog-free across Bath’s skyline in either a three or six mile National Trust trail walk. To take part tel: 01225 787335 for a registration and sponsorship form. A form can be downloaded from www.bcdh.org.uk. All participants completing the course will each receive a certificate.

We ask comedian and Grumpy Old Man Arthur Smith what he’s doing this month What are you reading?

I am reading a book of poetry by Christopher Reid called A Scattering.

What’s on your MP3 player?

I note that as I write I am listening to Music for Airports by Brian Eno. It is dangerously soporific so I may shortly replace it with Runaway by Del Shannon.

Which café or restaurant takes your fancy?

The Crown at Bathford where I used to go with my mum and dad when they lived in Bath.

Film or play? What will you be going to see this month?

Play – I like live. I’m going to see a play version of my not very good novel of 1997, Pointless Hoax.

Your passions? What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing?

I will be looking at Ordnance Survey maps and following where they tell me . . .

Shopping habits. Local market or big department store? Where do you most enjoy spending your cash?

I have turned into my father – I love charity shops.

What outdoor activity will you be taking part in?

I will be taking an active role in Arthur Smith’s Great Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday 7 April at 11am and 2pm. I shall then go indoors for Arthur Smith’s Easter Eggstravaganza Cabaret at 9pm in Widcombe Social Club.

Bath Comedy Festival 2012 runs from 30 March to 9 April, for programme details see: www.bathcomedy.com

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Bath@Work Our new series of photographic portraits by Neill Menneer shows Bath people at work

Tina Engell: jewellery designer aving left school at a very young age, I spent many years working in restaurants, earning money and having a lot of fun. I did think that perhaps becoming a chef would be my direction, as I love food, and enjoyed the stress in the kitchen. I was born in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1961 – and one day in 1982, I went to visit my friend who had only just started her apprenticeship as a goldsmith at a workshop in Copenhagen.

As I entered that workshop, I immediately knew that I had found my path in life. I fell in love with the messy workbench, the old tools, the metal and the power you have over it, and even my friend’s dirty finger nails.

My friend’s master Vagn Dragman, was kind enough to let me spend the days in the workshop, playing around, while working in the evenings, and to this day I feel I owe him so much for giving me the opportunity. I then spent the next two years chasing workshops and companies, begging them to take me on as an apprentice, but again and again the answer was no as I was a girl, and too old. Then, only 12 people qualified as goldsmiths a year in Denmark, but having driven a well known Danish jeweller Ole Lynggaard, crazy by calling him every day, he finally agreed to take me on as his apprentice in 1984 and I qualified in 1988.

During my apprenticeship, I started a gallery/workshop called Okker Otte in Copenhagen with another seven goldsmiths. It was a very exciting and creative time. I continued working as self-employed and taking part in many exhibitions. Feeling the urge to explore and I suppose get away from cosy Copenhagen, where we all wore the same thing and thought the same thoughts, I travelled to London, and was lucky enough to be accepted by the Royal College of Art where I studied jewellery design from 1990-92.

I am still here in the UK, with my studio in Bath, still making jewellery, and still loving it. Creating jewellery is a very slow process, yet so instant, it is hands on and you are in total control.

I have a lot of respect for silver and gold as it is so forgiving.

You can roll it, beat it, file it and even mistreat it, but once polished, it is so very beautiful.

I am a strong believer that jewellery should be worn as everyday pieces and feel comfortable, and my designs are driven by simplicity. I admire brightly coloured stones and often let them dominate.

Having the shop in Belvedere is a dream come true. I enjoy having direct contact with my clients and perhaps it is healthy to be “interrupted” during the cosy and lonely days of jewellery making and listening to Radio 4.

H

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic

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BATHstyle

TREND SPOTTING Get your hands on this spring’s season staples without leaving Bath city centre PERFECT PASTELS: pale blue Verdugo jeans, £170, Jolly’s.

13 Milsom Street.

Tel: 0844 8003704. www.houseoffraser.co.uk

ESPADRILLE WEDGE: a spring/summer wardrobe staple year after year. Genie wedge, £79, Dune. 4 Union Street.

Tel: 01225 422286. www.dune.co.uk

ENTRENCHED: smartcatch belted trench coat, £165, French Connection. 3 Green Street. Tel: 01225 442874. www.frenchconnection.com

COLOUR POP: the classic ballet pump in fun brights. Blue Gibson pump, £40, Monsoon. 21-22 Union Street. Tel: 01225 463500. www.monsoon.co.uk

PASHMINA PRINTS: snake print stole, £16, Accessorize.

21 Union Street.

Tel: 01225 422833. www.accessorize.com COWGIRL: perfect for bridging the seasonal divide, teamed with skinny jeans or a floaty dress in warmer weather. Short tan cowboy boot, £75, Office. 3 Burton Street.

Tel: 01225 466055. www.office.co.uk

FLORAL INVASION: short suits are a big trend for spring/summer ‘12.

Gleeso shorts, £89 and matching jacket, £129, Ted Baker.

46 Milsom Street.

Tel: 01225 466055. www.tedbaker.com

CLUTCHED: basket weave clutch, £38, Laura Ashley.

8/9 New Bond Street.

Tel: 0871 2231327. www.lauraashley.com

BOLD BURST: embrace this season’s key trend with bright accessories. From left: suede tassle zip top clutch, £12, Accessorize. 21 Union Street.

Tel: 01225 422833. www.accessorize.com; Red skinny belt, £19, Linea at House of Fraser.

13 Milsom Street. Tel: 0844 800 3704. www.houseoffraser.co.uk; Yellow leather Crocus tote, £245, LK Bennet.

25 New Bond Street. Tel: 01225 317 880. www.lkbennet.com

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BLAZERS: H! by Henry Holland scallop jacket, £40 at Debenhams.

17 Southgate Place.

Tel: 01225 333763. www.debenhams.com

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FACEtheMUSIC

HER HEART ON HER SLEEVE Actress and queen of the tabloids, Denise Welch talks to Mick Ringham about fame, friendship and the important role music has played in her life

I

n many respects Denise Welch’s private life has eclipsed her career, with stories appearing in the tabloids on an almost daily basis detailing her drinking, alleged affairs and emotional meltdowns. And some of these very personal issues were played out on a very public stage, in front of millions of television viewers in one of the most watched Celebrity Big Brother episodes of recent times.

But the other side of Denise Welch is the successful actress who has been constantly performing since her teenage years and who is also an engaging personality when you meet her.

Denise’s career started out in repertory theatre and rapidly moved on to television with roles in Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Soldier Soldier, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, to name but a few. She is also a regular contributor to Loose Women, ITV’s hugely successful daytime chat show, where she has been able to show her own personality and air her, often forthright, honest opinions.

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Denise was born in County Durham in the late 1950’s and developed her penchant for acting at 14 after performing in the school play. She said: “The early years touring the country in rep helped shape many a young actor and I was no exception.

Times can be hard but you try and make the best of things. I enjoyed working in the business and had fun. It’s true to say, that friendship then as now, counted for everything.”

It was during her four years playing the landlady of the Rovers Return in Coronation Street, that the black dog of severe depression entered Denise’s life but, having a nononsense approach to life coupled with a strong personality, she managed to carry on, albeit with a few hitches along the way.

How does she react to the media’s fascination with her private life? “Well I can understand it – I’m the kind of person who doesn’t mince her words. As little as a decade ago breakdowns and depression really weren’t talked about

STELLAR CAST: left to right, Cheryl Campbell, Cherie Lunghi, Isla Blair, Sadie Pickering, Kasey Ainsworth and Denise Welch in Steel Magnolias

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FACEtheMUSIC

EMOTIONAL MEMORIES: left to right, Yusuf, formerly known as Cat Stevens, Father and Son, Michael Jackson’s Ben, and Lee Marvin, I was Born Under a Wand’rin Star

especially in showbiz circles, they were a taboo subject so it’s good to get it out in the open and I genuinely believe this helps other sufferers to understand they are not alone.”

Talking about her experience on Celebrity Big Brother, she admits: “I hated the first two weeks and as you are not aware of what is being edited and shown to the TV audience, it can be quite scary. It was a huge shock to be voted the winner and believe me I am still getting over it.”

Denise is mum to two children, Matthew and Louis and has been married twice, but is now separated from her second husband actor Tim Healy, although she is at pains to point out that they are still the greatest of friends.

I had such a crush on Donny ❝ Osmond when I was a teenager so it came as a shock when, as an adult I had the chance along with 15 other ladies, to have dinner with him

❞

This month sees her appearing in Steel Magnolias at Bath’s Theatre Royal, where she plays Truvy, swapping the bar of the Rovers Return for a saloon in the deep south of America and exchanging that cheerful Geordie accent for a southern drawl.

She says of her time in Bath: “It’s great to be in the west country again, acting in a fabulous play, which tells of the lives of six remarkable southern belles.”

Rest assured, the presence of Miss Welch will ensure the audiences enjoy a lively time.

Denise’s top ten: ● The Real Thing – You to Me Are Everything When I tend to go out to nightclubs, which surprisingly is quite rare, I always ask the DJ to put on some dancing music rather than that dreadful boom boom boom that literally drives me crazy. When they do play some acceptable music, people do get up and dance. This record really does typify good dancing music, which we girls can appreciate. ● Diana Ross – Ain’t No Mountain High Enough I also admire singers such as Aretha Franklin and have constant battles in the car with my youngest son for what station to put in. I like Smooth Radio and he’s always changing the channel while I’m concentrating on the traffic – the little tinker! ● Van Morrison – Have I Told You Lately That I Love You? I heard he lives locally so it would be great to bump in to him when I’m in Bath. Although I am separated from my husband WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Tim, he is still my best friend and confidante, he also has an amazing voice, particularly when he sings his rendition of this song. ● Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam – Father and Son This reminds me of my first boyfriend, who was a vicar’s son.

I was 14 at the time and he was 16. We would sit in the Rectory and listen to all of Cat Stevens’ fabulous songs. He possessed an amazing talent and was a breath of fresh air on the music scene. ● Donny Osmond – Puppy Love I had such a crush on Donny Osmond when I was a teenager, so it came as a shock when, as an adult I had the chance along with 15 other ladies, to have dinner with him. We discussed all sorts of topics and he helped me come to terms with my own life, telling me about his depressions and panic attacks. It was a strange conversation but one I will never forget. ● Lee Marvin – I was Born under a Wand’rin Star This is for my mum. I can’t remember how many times she dragged me along to see the film Paint Your Wagon, where this track is taken from. She just loved it. She never did get to meet Lee Marvin but through a few connections, she has had a chance to speak to Howard Keel and a telephone conversation with Johnny Mathis which set her heart fluttering. ● Neil Sedaka – I Miss the Hungry Years It takes me back to those holiday journeys in the car, which seemed to take all day and most of the night to get to Cornwall. This is one of my dad’s favourite records and also reminds me of the freedom I enjoyed and good times I had as a young actress. I had hardly any money, crummy digs but great and long lasting friendships. ● Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Delivered Another boyfriend I had was Rob Taylor; he went off to teacher training college and left me still at school, pining after him. He had a huge collection of Stevie Wonder records and to this day I still love Tamla Motown. It really is the greatest dance music ever. ● Jackson Five – ABC One of the discos I used to go to as a teenager was called Zone 22. It was one of those ‘dancing round your handbag’ places but the music and atmosphere was just wonderful. I’ve been asked to present a video for a cancer charity featuring a terrific young band called New Bounce. They are influenced by the sound of Motown and they’re just fabulous! ● Michael Jackson – Ben My eldest son, who is 22, loved listening to Michael Jackson from a very early age and when Michael died, he genuinely felt he had lost a friend. Louis my 11-year-old still loves to listen to his records and although Michael Jackson had a strange upbringing and odd personal life, my goodness, he was a talented and gifted performer. ■ Steel Magnolias starring Cheryl Campbell, Isla Blair, Kasey Ainsworth, Cherie Lunghi, Denise Welch and Sadie Pickering is at the Theatre Royal, Bath, from 3 – 7 April.

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THEBATHMAGAZINE THEBESTOFBATH PERFECTLYCOVERED BATHSBIGGESTMAGAZINE PERFECTLYDELIVERED TOADVERTISETEL: 01225 424499

ARE YOU WATCHING BATHʼS

OLDEST TELEVISION SET? To celebrate Moss of Bathʼs Golden Anniversary during 2012, we are kicking off with the search for Bathʼs oldest working television! f you are currently watching television on something that is almost as old as us,

I

you could be in with a chance of winning a brand new 32” Sony HD LCD television.* Only televisions that can demonstrably receive and display current TV

broadcasts (probably with a digital set top box) will be eligible and the winning entry will be based on the date/year of the television’s manufacture and Moss of Bath’s decision will be final. Send us the make, model and age of your TV, plus a photograph of it broadcasting something current.

So, if you think that you are the owner of the most ancient (working) telly in Bath, we want to hear from you.

Moss of Bath is celebrating 50 years in business in 2012 and we have some exciting celebrations and promotions planned throughout the year. We are currently displaying photographs in store of Moss of Bath: 1962-2012 and have a Guest Book available for customers past and present to record their own memories of Moss of Bath.

Memory Lane...

A young Tim Moss and his father Frank Moss in the original premises at Combe Down.

* Terms and conditions apply, ask in store for details*

Moss of Bath. 45 St James Parade, Bath, BA1 1UQ Tel: 01225 331 441 www.mossofbath.co.uk

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THE RAIN OF TERROR To mark the 60th anniversary of the devastating Second World War air raids Bath historian Dr Cathryn Spence and archivist Dan Brown have produced a fascinating book, which graphically shows the city as it looked in April 1942 and now

B

ath still bears the scars from the Second World War. On some streets you can see where there is a gap in a row of houses, in others you can put your hands in the pock-marks left on Bath stone buildings by gunfire. It was 60 years ago this month that Bath suffered three horrifying nights of bombing by the Germans. On the weekend of 25 to 27 April waves of German enemy aircraft swept over the city on what was known as a Baedeker raid, named after the travel guide books which the Nazis used to choose the targets for their raids, deliberately picking cities that were British cultural centres.

It has been estimated that nearly 400 high-explosive bombs and more than 4,000 incendiaries were dropped on Bath over those three nights. More than 19,000 buildings were affected, of which 1,100 were seriously damaged or destroyed. A total of 417 people were killed and another 1,000 injured.

Bath historian Dr Cathryn Spence and city photographer Dan Brown have written a new book about the Bath Blitz to mark the 60th anniversary. Bath in the Blitz Then and Now is illustrated by photographs from the Second World War, and next to them the same sites as they look today. It makes fascinating reading.

St Andrew’s Church, Julian Road There are still people alive who remember the church of St Andrew’s which stood where the green now lies in Julian Road, and who vividly recall the drama of seeing this beautiful sacred building ablaze and in ruins. It was a Gothic revival building designed by the noted architect Sir Gilbert Scott, who also designed St Pancras Station. As Bath burned the firefighters were faced with the impossible choice of whether to try and save St Andrew’s Church or the Assembly Rooms – in the end both were lost. Post war financial constraints meant the ruined building wasn’t demolished until 1957.

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Bear Flat on the Wellsway Wellsway and Oldfield Park suffered the greatest destruction and loss of life during the Blitz. Bear Flat was hit twice and had to be almost completely re-built, including the Bear Inn, which was re-built further down the road. Harry Patch, who was from Combe Down and became known as the last surviving Tommy of the First World War (dying in 2009 at the age of 111) spent the Second World War as a member of the Auxiliary Fire Service. While working on the Wellsway during the Blitz he and his fire crew were machine-gunned even as they tried to put out the flames.

Harry Patch wrote afterwards that the raids on Bath were so horrific they reminded him of his time fighting in Ypres in 1917.

New King Street In New King Street the devastation was horrendous, with a huge bomb crater in the road, chimney pots tilted sideways and a great hole in the row of buildings where two Georgian townhouses were completely destroyed. Then, as now, these tall houses used to be multi-occupied. At No 7, the house collapsed in on itself, killing 11 of its residents including Mrs Ford and her six children – 17 people died in this one street. A Methodist Church was so badly damaged that it had to be carefully demolished, for fear that masonry would fall on passers-by. The cheerful looking Percy Community Centre is now on the site.

Abbey Church House When buildings are bombed, odd features and items inside are left exposed. There might a decorative wallpaper exposed, or a

GHOSTS WALK THE STREETS: local student Hazel Evans has worked on creating these fascinating photo montages of Bath in 1942 and today, with war-time people and buildings merged with 21st century street scenes

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THEN AND NOW: from top, Bear Flat in 1942 and today; the site of St Andrew’s Church in Julian Road, and the old building after it was hit, and Abbey Church House the morning after the bombing raid, and painstakingly re-built to look Elizabethan

fireplace left suspended. The wartime photograph shows the front of the old building completely demolished, while at the back, a solitary portrait still hangs, untouched on a wall.

Abbey Church House was one of very few Elizabethan buildings left in Bath, with stone mullioned windows and gables, it stood out from its newer Georgian neighbours. It took a massive hit during the 1942 Blitz. Luckily, photographs had been taken of the original building and after the war Abbey Church House was re-built, with what could be salvaged restored to look as much as possible like its predecessor.

firefighters were faced with ❝ the impossible choice of whether to save St Andrew’s Church or the Assembly Rooms . . . both were lost

❞

It is hard for us today to imagine the fear that these bombing raids engendered in the people of Bath. Three consecutive nights of attack, when neighbours, friends, relatives had lost their homes, many were killed, others injured and so many of the city’s familiar landscapes were disturbingly changed, with bomb craters in the WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

ground and piles of stone and broken glass littering the streets.

We might think that taking refuge from the bombing in an air raid shelter would have kept people safe. In Oldfield Park a large number of local residents took the official advice and went into the public air raid shelter opposite the Scala cinema on Shaftesbury Road. On the second night of the raids, a high explosive bomb hit the shelter directly, ripping it apart and killing around 20 people. In 1992, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Bath Blitz, a memorial garden was opened on the site of the shelter, as a poignant reminder of the civilian casualties of war.

The spaces in our urban landscape were filled, with varying degrees of success, by what became known as ‘package case’ architecture of the 1960s and 70s. Several generations on from the bombing, the city still shows many of her scars.

This new book about the Blitz contains images held by Bath Central Library, many reproduced painstakingly from the photographer’s original negative. There will be a series of events, surrounding the anniversary, including an exhibition at the Museum of Bath at Work in April, and an exhibition at Bath Central Library from 16 - 28 April, which will include images and a map showing the recorded locations of bomb damage. ■ Bath in the Blitz Then and Now by Dan Brown and Dr Cathryn Spence, is published by The History Press, £12.99. View more old photos of Bath at www.bathintime.co.uk APRIL 2012

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EASTERevents Enjoy a family day at Hartley Farm

Events Activities THE EASTER GUIDE

The words ‘I’m bored’ will not be heard this Easter as Rosie Parry hunts out the best events and activities to ensure fun for all the family

CHILDREN’S THEATRE The egg, Theatre Royal, Bath.

Box office tel: 01225 823409 www.theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg

The Balloon Gardener, Monday 2 April, 11.30am & 3pm. Age 4+ Danny the wild balloon tamer has run out of balloons. The tamer turns gardener. Seeds of hilarity are sown as Danny attempts to cultivate bold, colourful, latex shapes in pots. The plot thickens with problem pests, wacky weather and weeds you have never dreamed of.

Landscapes, Friday 6 & Saturday 7 April, 10am; 12noon; 2pm & 3.30pm. Age 4+ Performed inside a white canvas dome, this unique and intimate show takes children on a journey to four landscapes from desert to rainforest, and beneath the sea to Antarctica.

Using no words, Mimika Theatre combines beautifully crafted puppets with original music.

BECOME AN ARTIST The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 388569 www.holburne.org

Easter Eggstravaganza, Sunday 1 April, noon – 4pm This is a free event for the whole family.

Celebrate Easter at the Holburne with an afternoon of entertainment and craft activites.

Find the hidden eggs on the Easter trail, carve your own minature chocolate Wedgwood cameo and join in the giant egg roll.

Easter Art Camp, Tuesday 3 – Thursday 5 April; Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 April, 9am – 4pm School holidays aren’t normally this creative.

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Intensive day-long workshops for budding artists wishing to focus on specific crafts led by the Holburne’s experienced team of artists. For 5 – 7 year olds and 8 – 13 year olds.

SPRING INTO ACTION Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Tel: 01666 880220 www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

Easter Challenge, Tuesday 3 – Friday 6 April, 10.30am – 3.30pm Can you complete Westonbirt’s Easter challenge?

Follow a trail of clues around the arboretum, explore the early signs of spring and solve the spring riddle for a sweet reward. Create a spring mask, magic wool flowers and make an Easter or spring card for someone special.

Jurassic Plants and Other Ancients, Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 April, 10.30am – 3.30pm See trees once nibbled by dinosaurs, some of the very first flowers and an ancient tree that inspired the samurai. Make your own leaf fossil and help to create a giant picture of ancient plants with prehistoric paints.

ANIMAL AWARENESS Bath Cats & Dogs Home, The Avenue, Claverton Down, Bath. Tel: 01225 787321 www.bathcatsanddogshome.org.uk

Small Animals Take The Limelight, Friday 6 – Monday 9 April, 11am – 3.30pm Bath Cats and Dogs Home has recently been inundated with rabbits, guinea-pigs, ferrets, gerbils, degus, and chickens thanks to the recent spring-like weather. To support re-homing this free, awareness-raising, activity-based event will

The Balloon Gardener

Meerkats at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens

give adults and children the chance to handle all the small animals. Enjoy face painting, a colouring competition, an informative talk on Good Friday and an interactive DIY activity table.

ALL THE FUN AT THE FARM Hartley Farm, Winsley, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire. Tel: 01225 864948 www.hartley-farm.co.uk

Farm Family Fun Day, Saturday 7 April The working farm will be hosting a children’s book launch by local author Tim Lerwill, known for his Farmer Tim adventure stories that are aimed at three to eight year-olds. Tim will be giving readings from his new book Market Day in the garden marquee at 11.30am and 3pm and will sign copies throughout the day. There will be tractor and trailer rides on offer, Easter eggs galore, face painting and other fun activities.

There may also be the chance to complete the new farm trail to explore the countryside around the farm and meet some of the pigs, chickens, sheep and cows – all of which are reared outdoors.

PLAY FOOTBALL Culverhay Sports Training Pitch, Rush Hill, Bath & Twerton Park Stadium, Bath.

Tel: 01225 335489 or 07730 538841

Bath City FC Football Fun Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12 April, 9.30am – 3pm Join professional players from Bath City FC and FA qualified male and female coaches for three days of football fun. Open to boys and girls aged 5–15 years old who will take part in specialist workshops hosted by professional players doing skills training and matches.

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EASTERevents Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! at Bristol Hippodrome

Get into the spirit at Westonbirt Arboretum

Handle a Guinea-pig at Bath Cats & Dogs Home

All aboard the ss Great Britain Photograph by David Noton

GO WILD

FAMILY THEATRE

Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford, South Gloucestershire. Tel: 01993 823006 www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk

Bristol Hippodrome, St. Augustines Parade Bristol. Tel: 0844 871 3012

Eggs-stravaganza, Friday 6 – Monday 9 April Join in with an egg-themed trail in which youngsters must find the letters that spell out the word of an egg-related fact, to win an encounter with one of the park’s egg laying animals. There will be a number of egg-themed animal talks and the meerkats will have boiled eggs to eat as a special treat. The park has an explosion of spring bulbs and flowers to plant and enjoy.

Falconry Flying Displays, Friday 6 – Monday 9 April See a variety of birds of prey all of which are free flying. As they fly close by, you will witness their speed and grace, you will awe in their freedom but soon come to realise that life is never easy and they have to work to survive. You could have the chance to see vultures, owls, falcons and even eagles.

ARTS & CRAFTS The American Museum, Claverton Manor, Bath.

Tel: 01225 460503 www.americanmuseum.org

Bunny Trail, Friday 6 – Monday 9 April, noon – 5pm Grab a trail sheet and seek out this year’s bevy of bouncing bunnies to win a chocolate egg.

Dream Catcher Workshop, Tueaday 3 April, 10am – 1pm Make a Native American inspired dream catcher to capture good dreams and keep nightmares away. Suitable for children aged 9 – 12 years.

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Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!, Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 April, 7.30pm; Matinees: Wednesday & Saturday, 2.30pm One of the most popular dance productions ever staged in the UK, Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! returns to celebrate its 20th anniversary. This delicious theatrical feast has family-sized helpings of Matthew Bourne’s trademark wit, pathos and magical fantasy. Nutcracker! follows Clara’s bittersweet journey from a hilariously bleak Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross’s Orphanage, through a shimmering, ice-skating winter wonderland to the scrumptious candy kingdom of Sweetieland.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Nr Chippenham.

Tel: 01249 730459 www.nationaltrust.org/lacock

Easter Egg Trail, Sunday 8 & Monday 9 April, 10.30am – 4pm On your marks, get set and get going around the grounds on this Easter egg trail with a sporty twist. Can you find the record-breaking bunnies hidden around the grounds? If you can, you’ll win a chocolate surprise.

FUN ON-BOARD ss Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol. Tel: 0117 926 0680 www.ssgreatbritain.org

Sea Hear Tuesday 3 April, 11am Join professional storyteller Sarah Mooney for

adventures of the high seas. Stories are tailored especially for pre-school children.

Flash, Bang, Wallop!

Easter Holidays The Baker gallery will be transformed into a Victorian photographer’s studio, with various backdrops bringing the studio to life. Visitors will be able to try on period costumes and take their own photographs against a backdrop of the ship.

SAFARI ADVENTURE Longleat , Warminster, Wiltshire.

Tel: 01985 844400 www.longleat.co.uk

Longleat Safari and Adventure Park: Alice in Wonderland, until 9 April The park is being transformed into the magical world of Alice in Wonderland. Visitors will come face to face with familiar characters from the much-loved children’s classic. Alice and the Mad Hatter invite guests to attend the craziest tea party ever in the spectacular surroundings of the Great Hall of Longleat House and there’s the opportunity to go through the looking glass and search for Alice’s golden crown in the mirror maze. Hop on the Easter eggspress to discover White Rabbit as he rushes through the woods to meet the duchess, and help Humpty Dumpty track down his lost giant eggs in an Easter trail.

The Queen of Hearts has turned the gardens into her own rose garden just in time for a game of Wonderland croquet. As well as the Easter fun there are also new features including the awesome Cheetah Kingdom in the safari park, hunters of the sky aerial birds of prey display, Jungle Kingdom and the Monkey Temple, and a major lakeside gorilla enclosure which is set to open later in the year. All Easter activities are free with the all in one day ticket or annual pass.

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READER COMPETITION Win “that dress” from The Artist courtesy of: As Seen on Screen: Sassy Flapper frock in ‘The Artist’ worth £360 Six years ago Sassy & Boo owner, Alison Townshend, instinctively knew that recreating a trio of original 20’s dress patterns would provide her customers with a taste of vintage flapper style, perfect for a range of occasions and flattering for most body types and ages.

Little did she know that the flapper fringe in black & silver would feature in the 2012 Oscar winning: ‘The Artist’, causing a renewed interest in Deco and flapper style. Worn by actress Bérénice Bejo, the dress is embellished with beads and sequins and drops into a full fringe skirt.

Art Deco has been pushed as a big trend for spring/summer thanks to the likes of Gucci, Julien MacDonald and Amanda Wakeley inspired by the era for their spring/summer collections and with a Baz Luhrmann re-make of ‘The Great Gatsby’ due out at the end of the year the trend for the 20’s looks set to continue. Sassy & Boo flapper dresses are available in a trio of styles and numerous colourways.

To win this fantastic Flapper frock simply answer the following question: “What is the name of the leading actress in The Artist” Send answers, marked ‘Sassy Flapper Frock’ by email with your contact details to : competitions@thebathmagazine.co.uk All entries must be in by 30 April 2012.

Dress taken from stock: some sizes may not be available. Editor’s decision is final.

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WHAT’Son THEATRE, DANCE & COMEDY – listed by venue

DANGEROUS LIAISONS

love survive? Neil Simon’s romantic comedy was a huge hit on Broadway, a famous film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, and remains one of the most popular plays of his remarkable career. This production is one of the Daily Telegraph’s Top 10 touring theatre highlights for Spring 2012.

Birds of a Feather, Monday 9 – Saturday 14 April, Monday – Wednesday, 7.30pm; Thursday – Saturday, 8pm; Matinees: Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday, 2pm The original cast star in the world premiere stage production of the television favourite, Birds of a Feather. This fondly remembered sitcom comes to stage with all three of its original leading cast members, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph, visiting Bath as part of a limited UK tour. Sharon and Tracey can’t believe it when they move back into the iconic house in Chigwell to discover that erstwhile neighbour, Dorien, is also back next door. It might have been ten years since the ladies last met but some things don’t change. Hunting for new men, romance, mistaken identities and a chain of events and surprises ensures a fast-moving and funny evening.

The original cast of Anne Boleyn photographed by Manuel Harlan

Theatre Royal Sawclose, Bath. Box office tel: 01225 448844. www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Anne Boleyn, Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 May, Tuesday – Wednesday, 7.30pm; Thursday – Saturday, 8pm; Matinees: Wednesday & Saturday, 2.30pm A play by Howard Benton and winner of the Whatsonstage Theatregoers’ choice award for best new play 2011. Compelling, witty and often laugh-out-loud funny, this celebration of a great English heroine, Anne Boleyn, exposes the life and legacy of Henry VIII’s notorious second wife. Anne Boleyn is traditionally seen either as a pawn, manipulated into the King’s bed, or as a sexually licentious predator, even a witch. But Howard Benton puts a very different Anne on the stage. Witty and confident, she takes on the vicious world of Tudor Court politics. She is in love with Henry but also in love with the most dangerous ideas of her day. Conspiring with the exiled William Tyndale, Anne plots to make England Protestant for ever. Following two sell-out London seasons, two powerhouses of great British theatre – English Touring Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe – join forces to stage this vivid and vibrant production; gripping, rich in humour and shot through with chamber music played on period instruments, and visual imagery.

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Steel Magnolias, Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 April, Tuesday – Wednesday, 7.30pm; Thursday – Saturday, 8pm; Matinees: Thursday & Saturday, 2.30pm Steel Magnolias is a heart-warming and bittersweet comedy. Join six remarkable ladies from Louisiana: the beautiful and impulsive Shelby; her strong-willed mother, M’Lynn; beauty parlour owner Truvy; elegant, wealthy widow, Clairee, sharp tounged Ouiser and mousey newcomer Annelle as they ride life’s rollercoaster and enjoy friendship that has no boundaries. From the original play in 1987 to its film adaptation in 1989, Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, is a truly moving play that celebrates the strength and value of friendship, humour and love in the midst of life’s greatest hardships.

Barefoot in the Park, Monday 16 – Saturday 21 April, Monday – Wednesday, 7.30pm; Thursday – Saturday, 8pm; Matinees: Wednesday & Saturday, 2.30pm Love is in the air in this side-splitting romp from the king of Broadway comedies. Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park follows the lives of newlyweds Paul and Corrie Bratter as they adjust to married life in a tiny New York apartment. Paul is a straight-laced lawyer, while Corrie is a free spirit who won’t let anything disturb her romantic bliss, but will

Birds of a Feather

Abigail’s Party, Monday 23 – Saturday 28 April, Monday – Wednesday, 7.30pm; Thursday – Saturday, 8pm; Matinees: Wednesday & Saturday, 2.30pm Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Menier Chocolate Factory present Abigail’s Party which became an instant classic when it first appeared as a BBC Play for Today in 1977.

The social get-together from hell begins when Beverley and estate agent husband Laurence invite the neighbours round for a drink. As Beverley plies her guests with alcohol, cigarettes, Demis Roussos and nibbles, comedy, drama and tragedy combine into an iconic piece of theatre.

The Ustinov Studio Monmouth Street, Bath.

Box office tel: 01225 448844. www.theatreroyal.org.uk

In a Garden, Wednesday 4 – Saturday 5 May, please contact the theatre for times

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WHAT’Son

It is 1989. An ambitious young American architect is summoned to a fictitious Middle Eastern country, where the Minister of Culture commissions him to build a structure which will remind him of his most idyllic childhood memory, the garden of his father. Dream turns to nightmare as months turn into years, a cat and mouse game ensues and the architect’s attempts to fulfil the brief are constantly rejected. In this veiled and dangerous world in which neither side is capable of understanding the other, the only outcome is catastrophe.

The Rondo Theatre Saint Saviour’s Road, Bath.

Box office tel: 01225 463362 www.rondotheatre.co.uk

The Vortex, Wednesday 18 – Saturday 21 April, 7.30pm The same team that produced last year’s sellout Under Milk Wood for Bath Drama, led by director Gill Morrell, represents this production of Noel Coward’s early and autobiographical drama. The Vortex mixes the comedy of manners of Hay Fever with a more serious study of drugs and homosexuality in early 1920s high society. An unflinching expose of the hedonism of the social elite, the play retains its force and relevance in our 21st century world.

2011. Following on from his sellout national tour of Uncaged Monkeys, with Professor Brian Cox, and as co-presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Sony Gold Award winning series The Infinite Monkey Cage, Robin continues his comic exploration of the human condition in his new autumn show, questioning if you can be happy and rational at the same time. Join him in a world of Schrodinger cats, multiverses and evolutionary conundrums. Spend an entertaining evening in Robin’s company as he orienteers through the craggy landscape of evolution while plumbing the depths of his own murky consciousness, all without the aid of a safety net.

ICIA ICIA Arts Theatre, University of Bath.

Box office tel: 01225 386777.

I Guess If the Stage Exploded, Saturday 28 April, 7.30pm Sylvia Rimat is a performance maker. I Guess If the Stage Exploded draws on what happens in the brain when memories are created. Sylvia Rimat introduces memory tasks and techniques and applies them to the stage situation; the audience is systematically trained to remember – hopefully forever. Sylvia will be joined by several performers from around the world who support her mission live via Skype, and a living Eagle Owl called Ollie.

The Vortex

The Mission Theatre

European Arts Company returns to The Rondo with a double-bill of Harold Pinter’s classic short, black-comedies: In The Dumb Waiter, two hit-men are waiting in a basement room to do a job. Strange messages keep appearing via a serving hatch – who are they from? Why are they waiting? Comedy and menace collide seamlessly in this classic Pinter one-act play from 1960. In The Lover, Richard and Sarah have been married for 10 years.

Every morning he commutes into the city to pour over balance sheets and graphs while she shows her lover the hollyhocks. Everything is not quite as it seems as fantasy and reality converge to dizzying effect.

Robin Ince: Happiness Through Science (Star Corpse Apple Child), Friday 6 & Saturday 7 April, 8pm Direct from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Heroes, Wednesday 25 – Friday 27 April, 7.30pm This poignant comedy which won the 2006 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy is now revived by theatre veterans of comedy: DUCKbrothers, whose collective stage experiences span more than 150 years. It is 1959 and three French veterans of WW1 live in a home for old soldiers and pass their time grumbling about the staff, dreaming about young women and arguing over whether a statue of a dog is alive. They decide to escape and run away to Indo China, or at least as far as the poplar trees on the hill. Hampered only by how they are going to move the 200lb statue of the dog that one of them wishes to bring with them, they plan their escape with military precision. They survived the war – can they survive the care home? Tickets from Bath Box Office on tel: 01225 463362.

The Argyle Players The Tovey Hall, Grove Street, Bath.

Tickets available from the Tourist Information Centre, Abbey Churchyard, or tel: 01225 858112

I Guess If the Stage Exploded

The Dumb Waiter & The Lover, Friday 13 & Saturday 14 April, 8pm

Quids In Theatre presents this exciting new drama, written to commemorate the centennial of RMS Titanic in 1912. Set in the hours following the disaster, the show focuses on the fate of three very different people who were on board the ship. Their stories, taken from actual accounts, mirror the experiences of hundreds of passengers on board the liner on that frozen night. Tickets from Bath Box Office on tel: 01225 463362.

32 Corn Street, Bath. For ticket information contact the theatre on tel: 01225 428600 or visit: www.missiontheatre.co.uk

Blue Remembered Hills, Monday 16 – Saturday 21 April, Monday – Saturday, 8pm; Matinees: Wednesday & Saturday, 2pm Trees to climb, squirrels to chase, a whole forest to explore...The Forest of Dean, 1943. A group of lively seven year-old children spend a summer’s afternoon playing in the woods and fields of Gloucestershire. But it’s not all fun and games when around every corner could be an escaped prisoner of war, a German parachutist, or an angry farmer. Apollo Theatre Company presents a brand new production of Dennis Potter’s childhood tale, which continues to be one of his most popular works both on stage and screen.

Heaven’s Gate, Tuesday 10 & Wednesday 11 April, 7.30pm

Cash On Delivery Wednesday 25 – Saturday 28 April, 7.30pm This comedy tells the story of Eric Swan who, aided by his uncle and unbeknown to his wife, has pocketed thousands of pounds through fraudulent DSS claims. When Norman Bassett, the lodger, opens the door to Mr Jenkins the DSS inspector, decptive mayhem follows – as do the bereavement counsellor, psychiatrist, Norman’s fiancee and the ominous Ms Cowper.

Merlin Theatre Bath Road, Frome.

Box office tel: 01373 465949 www.merlintheatre.co.uk

The Graduate, Wednesday 25 – Saturday 28 April, 7.45pm Frome Drama Club presents this classic story about a naive college graduate adrift in the shifting social and sexual mores of the 1960’s.

A vivid insight into the alienation of youth and the disillusionment of an era. California in the 60’s, Benjamin Braddock has got excellent grades, very proud parents and, since he helped Mrs Robinson with her zipper, a fine future behind him.

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WHAT’Son

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MUSIC – listed by date Luke Turrell

Rush Hour Concert, Thursday 19 April, 5.30pm

Appalachia, Thursday 26 April, 8pm

The Coach House, American Museum, Bath.

Box office on tel: 01225 386777 A rising figure in the European classical music world, Luke Turrell performs works by Hummel, Hindemith, de Sarasate and Brahms.

Rondo Theatre, Saint Saviour’s Road, Bath.

Box office tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.rondotheatre.co.uk A fusion-string band offers up its inspired take on American roots music with a mix of blues, country, jazz, ragtime, bluegrass and unique originals.

Doric String Quartet 10th Anniversary Concert, Saturday 21 April, 7.30pm

Janet Seidel: Doris & Me Friday 13 April, 8pm Chapel Arts Centre, St James’ Memorial Hall, Lower Borough Walls, Bath. Tickets from tel: 01225 461700 or visit: www.chapelarts.org Janet Seidel presents her delightful celebration of the life and songs of Doris Day. She emphasises the aspects of Doris Day’s legendary but often overlooked excellence as a singer of both jazz and pop idioms.

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Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon.

Box office tel: 01225 860100 Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Doric’s first concert at Wiltshire Music Centre. The quartet brings young Scottish pianist Alasdair Beatson for what promises to be a riveting performance of Brahms’ towering masterpiece.

David Quigley (Piano), Thursday 26 April, 7.30pm The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath. Box office on tel: 01225 463362 As part of the museum’s Rachmaninov Retrospective, David Quigley’s performance is a musical exploration of characterisation and imagery. It includes Rachmaninov’s Morceaux de Fantaisie Op 3 and Elgar’s Enigma Variations.

Bath Minerva Choir, Saturday 28 April, 7.30pm Bath Abbey, Bath. Tickets from Bath Box Office on tel: 01225 463362 Bath Minerva Choir will perform Bruckner’s Great Mass in F Minor in a rare opportunity to hear a full scale performance of this work, which contains a blazing affirmation of profound beauty and ethereal mystery.

GBH Big Band, Saturday 28 April, 8pm Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon. Box office tel: 01225 860100 or visit: www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk GBH Big Band steps up to the board again with this exciting rarely performed guitar concerto, written for John Williams and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra in 1986.

Complete with six off-stage trumpets.

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WHAT’Son OTHER EVENTS – listed by date Themed Literary Evenings, Wednesday 11 April, Wednesday 25 April & Thursday 3 May Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights, 14/15 John Street, Bath. Tickets £14, to book tel: 01225 331155 or email: books@mrbsemporium.com Part of the fifth season of the literary evenings these three include discussing and exploring themes present in novels such as Patrick Gale’s moral thriller A Perfectly Good Man and political power struggles in Jason Goodwin’s An Evil Eye. Evenings include food and drink and a discount off of all books on the night.

Regional Film Premiere, Sunday 15 April, 5pm The Little Theatre Cinema, 1-2 St Michael’s Place, Bath. Tickets available from The Little Theatre Box Office on tel: 0871 902 5735 or visit: www.picturehouses.co.uk The special preview regional film screening of Marley (certificate 15), a fascinating new documentary about the life, music and legacy of reggae master Bob Marley. The film will be followed by a discussion between the film’s director, Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, Last King of Scotland), and poet and broadcaster, Benjamin Zephaniah. The event is in aid of Ethiopiad.

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The Spring Vintage Bazaar, Saturday 21 April, 9am - 3pm The Cheese and Grain, Frome. For more information please visit: www.thevintagebazaar.blogspot.com Visiting this bazaar is a wonderful way to blow away the winter cobwebs and indulge in a bit of eco-friendly retail therapy. At this unique event you can purchase from some of the country’s best vintage dealers and designers who repurpose vintage materials. Everything from vintage 40’s dresses, Edwardian buttons, 30’s American feedsack fabric and 50’s pinnies to handmade cushions, jewellery and deco inspired millinery. The Spring Vintage Bazzar is visited by fashion and interior designers who come to find unique vintage fabric and trims.

A Talk by Tony Beckingsale, Thursday 26 April, 6.30pm Museum of East Asian Art, Bennett Street, Bath. Tickets £3, to book tel: 01225 464 640 Tony Beckingsale talks about his book Letters from Hankow on Laura Beckingsale’s personal saga during the most chaotic time in China (1911 – 1926, Chinese revolution and Japanese invasion). Tony is a distant relative of Laura and took care of her in the last five years of her life. He compiled the book from

her old letters and tape recordings. Her letters and stories were previously displayed by national museums. This is a great opportunity to gain a fascinating insight into the life and history of China as it progressed through one of the most monumental periods in history.

Author Event: Royal Biographer Penny Junor, Thursday 17 May, 6pm for 6.30pm Bristol Grammar School, University Road, Bristol. Tickets £7/£5 available from www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/events/litera ry-events.aspx Bristol Grammar School and Hodder and Stoughton in association with Foyles Bookshop present Royal Biographer Penny Junor talking about her new book Prince William; Born to be King. Prince William

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS BEN HUGHES

Ben Hughes, Carnelian Heart

Ione Parkin RWA, Primal Essence

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Ben Hughes Fine Art The Old Malthouse, Comfortable Place, Bath. Tel: 07941 426071, www.benhughesfineart.co.uk

26 April – 20 May OPEN STUDIOS

ZENA HOLLOWAY

Larkhall Open Studios 3b Upper Lambridge Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 446136

5 – 7 May More than 30 artists will take part in this event allowing you an intimate glimpse into their studios.

The work will be for sale and many of the professional artists have a national and international following, including RWA painter, Ione Parkin.

CELIA COOK Adam Gallery 13 John Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 480406

THE FOLDING COSMOS Bath Artists’ Studios The Old Malthouse, Comfortable Place, Bath. www.bathartistsstudios.co.uk

28 April – 2 May An opportunity to experience a travelling minature universe through an exhibition of contemporary Japanese design and a series of Japanese tea ceremonies. Originally exhibited in Japan and then New York, it will now collaborate with Bath-based visual artist Paula Tew.

An exhibition of recent portraits in the artist’s distinctive contemporary style. Minimalist graphic backgrounds contrast with the subject to striking effect in this series of both head and shoulder and full length paintings.

Until 17 April

Zena Holloway, Angel 1

Bo.lee Gallery 1 Queen Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 428211 www.bo-lee.co.uk

Until 28 April To coincide with Bath in Fashion, Bo.lee gallery presents work from acclaimed underwater fashion photographer Zena Holloway whose portfolio includes commissions from Tatler, GQ, Sony, Dazed & Confused and Kylie Minogue. Her images combine the highly technical aspects of underwater photography with creative direction resulting in extraordinary, ethereal and magical imagery.

Swan Song, derived from the legend that while swans are mute during their lives they sing beautifully and mournfully just before they die, sees a figure serenely floating in an alien world of weightless calm. A dance with time encircles a woman in a whirling metamorphosis that makes her a cloud, then a white petal and, finally, a drop of milk lost and immediately found in the deep ocean.

Close to the Edge is an exhibition of paintings, carborundum prints and etchings. The work offers a purely visual adventure, producing colourful and dynamic experiences with geometric shape and the painted surface. They have been produced at 107 Workshop, a printmaking studio based in Wiltshire. Over the period of a year, Celia has devised a unique approach to the carborundum process, painting over the surface and exceeding the edge of the printed border.

Celia Cook, Yazim

Toshiya Shimozawa, Tea Urn

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS BATH SOCIETY OF ARTISTS 107TH ANNUAL EXHIBITION

BARRY CAWSTON Beaux Arts 12 – 13 York Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 464850 www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

23 April – 12 May Award winning Bristol photographer, Barry Cawston, will be exhibiting new work from such diverse locations as the Yangstse river, the Brazilian rainforest, rural Burma and Avonmouth Docks. A small edition of 3x4ft framed print of The Tibetan Cowboy is available exclusively through Beaux Arts. Barry Cawston has won numerous awards including winning the Royal Academy (Bristol) Photographic Open competition in 2008 and was one of the exhibiting artists on BBC2’s Show me the Monet last year.

Geoff Shillto, Cherries

Victoria Art Gallery

By Pulteney Bridge, Bath.

Tel: 01225 477233 www.victoriagal.org.uk

This spring open exhibition will showcase more than 300 artworks on view and for sale. Any artist aged 18 or over may submit work for possible selection and for the chance of winning an award. Many distinguished 20th-century painters have exhibited with the society including Walter Sickert and Mary Fedden.

NEW ENGLISH ART CLUB

Hilton Fine Art 5 Margarets Buildings, Bath.

Tel: 01225 311311 www.hiltonfineart.com

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Until 19 May

The American Museum Claverton Manor, Claverton, Bath.

Tel: 01225 460503 www.americanmuseum.org

ICIA Art Space 2 Univeristy of Bath.

Tel: 01225 386777

Until 1 July

Until 4 May

Richard Pikesley, extract from Porthmeor Beach

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A former gymnast herself, artist Dr Jo Longhurst’s work considers the human body in action and questions ideas of human perfectibility. A-Z explores the gymnast in action.

Thomas Hart Benton (1889 - 1975), The Race

19 April – 19 May This exhibition will focus on a number of NEAC members whose painting styles vary tremendously, from bold expressionism to delicate egg tempera work. It will feature works by firmly established landscape and figurative painters such as Ken Howard and Arthur Neal alongside an exciting group of diverse painters Louise Balaam, Ruth Stage, Richard Pikesley and Saliann Putman.

JO LONGHURST

THE COMPASSIONATE EYE

An exhibition of prints by American artists depicting the sympathetic relationship between man and beast. Many images will be on display for the first time at the museum.

Barry Cawston, extract from The Tibetan Cowboy

ART AT THE HEART

RUH Combe Park, Bath. Tel: 01225 824987 www.ruh.nhs.uk/art

Until 25 April MIXED EXHIBITION

Edgar Modern Bartlett Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 443746 www.edgarmodern.com

Henrietta Dubrey, A Go Go

Art at the Heart is giving staff and volunteers a chance to not only share their creativity by showcasing work, but to help transform corridors.

Local artist Nick Cudworth will also be exhibiting work. All works are for sale with 25% going to Art at the Heart of the RUH.

3 – 28 April A collection of new works by Henrietta Dubrey as well as Dominic Hills, Carl Melegari and Mungo Powney. Artist Jenny Southam from Devon also joins the gallery with gorgeous figurative ceramic pieces. The sculptures explore mythic and domestic themes.

Nick Cudworth, extract from Sydney Gardens Bridge

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BATHpeople

PEOPLE LIKE US

Photographer Benjamin Shelmerdine has worked with the vendors of The Big Issue to produce a fascinating collection of portraits which goes on show later this month

T

hey are a familiar daily part of the Bath street scene. A part that some choose to walk past and ignore, while others stop, make eye contact and exchange a few words.

The Big Issue sellers, in their red jackets carrying their bundles of magazines, are ever present.

Somebody’s son, somebody’s brother.

Some chatty and upbeat, others bearing evidence of life’s hard knocks and mishaps in their faces.

Photographer Benjamin Shelmerdine got to know the vendors as part of an aspirations themed project run last summer by the Bath Big Issue office. During this week a photography event took place called What inspires us? which focused on what drove the vendors of the Bath area and what they wanted from their future. One of the results of that project are these remarkable portraits.

Selling The Big Issue is only one visible part of the help offered to those who are homeless or

vulnerably housed. The Big Issue Foundation is a separate charitable entity to The Big Issue and concentrates on the social welfare of those who sell the magazine. It works towards four key areas – health, finance, housing and aspirations.

The Foundation incorporates a scheme called the Vendor Support Fund (VSF) in which vendors receive financial help to buy items such as birth certificates, passports, driving licences, cookers and other household necessities. However, they are required to contribute towards this aid by providing 20 per cent of the total value of the item. This runs with the foundation’s slogan of: “A hand up, not a hand out.”

The Who am I? exhibition will be donating all proceeds to the VSF in recognition of the help from the vendors which made it happen. ■ Who Am I? runs from 16 – 22 April, daily from 11am to 5pm, at The Old Pet Store, 9 Lower Borough Walls, Bath

The Great Conwy Sands by J I Bridgland Welsh Journey Judith I Bridgland

Lime Tree Gallery, 84 Hotwell Road, Bristol BS8 4UB

April 28 - May 26

Tel 0117 929 2527

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ALLIED WELSH THE LOFT CONVERSION SPECIALISTS ■ Free Design & Survey ■ Unique Staircase Solution ■ Over 2,600 Conversions Completed ■ Established 1989 ■ In-house Team Of Over 50 Loft Experts ■ All Work Including Planning and Building Regulation Approval

What ever the reason...

ALLIED WELSH.COM

0800 458 3334

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CITYarchive

AND THE BAND PLAYED ON On the eve of the 100th anniversary, Lindsey Harrad discovers the remarkable story of Winnie Troutt, a Bath-born survivor of the Titanic disaster

T

his month, on 10 April, is the centenary of the sinking of the ‘unsinkable’ ship, RMS Titanic, the most opulent ocean liner of her day. The wealthy elite packed out the first class cabins along with hundreds more in second and third classes, but many of those who celebrated securing a ticket for the great ship’s maiden journey from Southampton to New York were destined to become victims of what The Times Dispatch headline described at the time as The World’s Greatest Marine Disaster, a tragedy that claimed around 1,500 lives, almost two thirds of those on board.

Titanic had been built for the White Star Line at the Harland and Wollf shipyard in Belfast at a cost of over $7 million. After departing from Southampton amid much fanfare and media interest, Titanic struck an iceberg shortly before midnight on her fourth day at sea, and disappeared under the sea less than three hours later at 2.20am. The New York Times reported that when another ship arrived at the scene at daybreak to attempt a rescue, alerted by Titanic’s wireless distress signals: “The Carpathia found only the drifting lifeboats and wreckage of what had been the biggest steamship afloat”.

Aboard the fateful ship was a Bath-born woman who went on to become one of Titanic’s most famous survivors in her later years.

Edwina “Winnie” Celia Troutt was born in Bath on 8 July 1884, to Edwin Charles Troutt, proprietor of the Lyncombe Brewery at 40 Claverton Street and Elizabeth Ellen. From 1907 Edwina had been living and working in New Jersey and 40 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Massachusetts, possibly seeking a more prosperous future than Bath was able to offer.

Edwina returned briefly to visit her family in 1911, but then booked a crossing on the Oceanic in order to be with her sister who was living in Auburnhale, Massachusetts, and nearing the end of her pregnancy. Due to the coal strikes, Edwina was transferred to the Titanic. She travelled second-class on ticket 34218, which cost £10 10s, and shared cabin 101 on E deck with two other single ladies – Susan Webber from Cornwall and Nora Keane of Limerick, both of whom also survived.

Edwina later recalled that as Titanic was considered “unsinkable” the call for lifebelts was first received as a joke, it was not until they saw the lifeboats being lowered that passengers started to appreciate the imminent peril. She said the atmosphere was surprisingly calm, but also described the heartrending screams as couples had to part when women and babies were ordered to board the lifeboats first. She was initially reluctant to board a lifeboat feeling it was ‘wicked’ to save a single girl first, but when she was asked to take care of a fivemonth old baby, she felt happier about being rescued.

It has been suggested that this baby was Assad Thomas, son of Thamine Thomas and nephew of Charles Thomas, who reputedly handed the baby to Winnie to save. Thamine also survived the disaster, while her brother Charles perished.

After returning to New York on the Carpathia, it took several months for Winnie to recover emotionally from the trauma of the disaster, but it didn’t put her off seafaring, as she went on to cross the Atlantic at least ten more times during her lifetime.

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CITYarchive She said the atmosphere was ❝ surprisingly calm but also described the heart-rending screams as couples had to part when women and babies were ordered to board the lifeboats first

❞

ULTIMATE SACRIFICE: a detail from the memorial sculpture at Southampton to the engineer officers on board the Titanic who all lost their lives in the sinking

Main picture, the Titanic at Southampton

Winnie married three times and lived out the rest of her life in America, mainly in California, and was a popular guest at Titanic conventions, even into her late 90s. She died on 3rd December 1984 in Redondo Beach, California, months after celebrating her 100th birthday.

One of Winnie’s most poignant memories of the sinking was hearing the band playing Nearer My God to Thee in the final moments, and here’s where another local connection emerges. With a formidable reputation as a passionate Salvationist, preaching hellfire and brimstone, the Bristolian Baptist minister Reverend Robert James Bateman was also a champion of the disadvantaged. Through his work spreading the Gospel in Bristol, Baltimore and Knoxville, he worked with the homeless, the needy, the dissolute and the incarcerated, and after he had emigrated, eventually founded the Central City Mission in Jacksonville.

On board Titanic returning to Jacksonville, the Reverend Bateman reputedly conducted the band as they determinedly played throughout the evacuation and final sinking. Harold Bride, the surviving wireless operator, described the last desperate hours of the crew and passengers to the New York Times and said: “The way the band kept going was a noble thing… and the last I saw of the band, when I was floating out to sea with my lifebelt on, it was still on deck playing Autumn.”

Eyewitnesses reported that after seeing his sister-in-law Ada Balls safely onto a lifeboat, Bateman returned to the band and urged them to strike up Nearer my God To Thee, his favourite hymn, and passengers and crew who remained on the ship joined in the singing as the ship continued to sink. Again, according to some sources, Bateman was still conducting Abide with Me as he and the band went under the icy waters of the North Atlantic and Titanic made her final journey to the ocean floor.

Of the 2,207 on board only 712 survived, the victims were mainly third-class passengers and crew, although numerous men from all classes were lost, including the Reverend Bateman, who died aged 51.

In a further twist, a story that emerged many years later revealed that the Reverend Bateman had sent two postcards from on board ship, mailed at Cherbourg where Titanic had stopped off for supplies en route.

He had sent one postcard to his wife, the other to his nephew, and they arrived several weeks after he died. In 2007, one of these postcards was auctioned for 15,000 Euros. In the postcard to his nephew, Bateman had written, with his usual confidence in God’s care, but also with ominous foresight: “Tom, if this ship goes to the bottom, I shall not be there, I shall be up yonder. Think of it!” ■ With thanks to Dr Cathryn Spence.

For more Titanic facts visit: www.encyclopedia-titanica.org

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

BASED ON REALITY: former Daily Express editor Christopher Ward is the grandson of Jock Hume, who died on board the Titanic playing the violin with the orchestra. Ward has written a love story based on his grandfather’s life, and will be talking about his book at Prior Park College on 23 April following a screening of the documentary Titanic the Aftermath

A NEW LIFE: an advert from 1912 offers people in Bath the chance to buy a ticket to emigrate in search of work in other countries

How it was reported in Bath A special edition of the Bath & Wilts Chronicle was printed on Monday 15 1912, carrying first news of the Titanic disaster. Although the ship is reported to be sinking, all lives are reported safe. Tragically this proved wrong. On board was understood to be a passenger from Bath, it reported, Miss EC Trout who was booked by Bell & Co. in Bath. Miss Trout was a sister to Mrs Collins, wife of Mr Collins, tobacconist of Stall Street. A cargo of furniture from the Albion Cabinet Works was on board, a number of cranes were made by Stothert & Pitt.

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FOOD&DRINK

Delicious homemade food for busy people Eating lunch at one of Bath’s newest independent foodie venues is rather like having lunch at the home of a good and dear friend, who also happens to be an excellent cook.

Cavendish Cooks, just off St James’s Square, is primarily concerned with preparing delicious homemade main courses, side dishes and puddings that we can take away and pop in our own ovens. But on Thursday, Friday and Saturday lunchtimes, Nancy Gardener and Rebecca Coke, two mums who founded the business, open a tiny restaurant for diners to enjoy potluck dishes.

There are just three tables, seating 14 in all, in a delightful, open plan dining/kitchen room from where delicious smells waft from a range where all the dishes are cooked from scratch. Such is its popularity that you will need to book.

The day I visited, the potluck dish was a country style roast chicken cooked in herbs, white wine,

HOME FROM HOME: the dining room at Cavendish Cooks off St James’s Square

potatoes dauphinoise and greens – a generous plateful, for £9 all in, that tasted as good as it smelled. You can go with a friend, or as a solo diner

Pasta fun Bath brewery Abbey Ales has branched out into producing food as well as beers. It has recently launched the Bath Pie, which its makers hope will become as popular as the famous Bath bun or the Bath Oliver biscuit.

The new pie has been cooked up in conjunction with piemakers Lovett Pies and was the idea of Assembly Inn licensee Caroline Walcot and her chef Alex Coxall. The Bath Pie’s three key ingredients are Bellringer Ale, brewed in Bath, Marshfield beef and Bath Blue Cheese, making it a truly local product.

You can sample the new pie at the Assembly Inn and Bath Ales is now hoping that it will be snapped up by other pubs and restaurants.

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as there is a convivial atmosphere that encourages chat. You’re welcomed as soon as you come through the door, made comfortable

The art of patisserie Cookery book editor and recipe writer Jane Middleton, who lives in Bath, decided to dedicate her time to baking rather than writing about food, and has launched a bespoke patisserie business.

Cinnamon Toast supplies its customers with bite-sized cakes, macaroons, biscuits, tarts and other sweet treats, which are not only pleasing to the eye but to the tastebuds too. Jane has perfected the art of making small, pastel coloured macaroons which crumble delightfully in the mouth, along with novelty biscuits in all sorts of shapes. She took a course at Leith’s School of Food and Wine and supplies private customers in Bath. Look out for Jane’s goodies on her stall at the Love Food festivals and The Tasting Room in Green Street. Visit: www.cinnamontoast.co.uk

and then brought some Bertinet bread with butter while you wait for your lunch. There is something liberating about not dithering over a menu and the surroundings, as you can see from the photograph, are pretty and homely.

Pudding that lunchtime was sticky toffee pudding and Cavendish Cooks is now licensed so you can have a glass of wine with your lunch.

Takeaway dishes are £7 for a main course for two, or £14 for four people. You can even cheat and, if you give enough notice, the kitchen will prepare your food in your own dish so you can pass it off as your own. I shall deny doing this, of course.

It’s also heartening to know that they’re using locally sourced produce, with meat from Newton St Loe and vegetables from growers Eades. Call: 01225 312805 to book lunch.

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Enjoy the tranquillity of the Kennet and Avon Canal, on the oldest electric launch in existence.

Built in 1890, Lady Lena is believed to be the oldest electric launch in existence and still powered by electric. If you are looking for something truly memorable or unique, private charter of this magnificent historic boat is ideal for up to 10 people, year round. journey anywhere from Bath to the beautiful Limpley Stoke Valley • trips tailored to your own needs • complimentary glass of champagne on arrival • bring your own picnic or our caterer can provide • cream teas available to find out more about Lady Lena tel: Jenkyn: 07963 834828 Helen: 07791 511611 01225 834250

www.ladylena.co.uk WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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FOOD&DRINK

Hot stuff at racecourse A two-day festival in celebration of the British chilli industry is being staged at Bath Racecourse in May, bringing a host of musical stars along too.

KT Tunstall, The Blockheads and Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel will be headlining, playing familiar and some new material. The Somerset Chilli Festival runs over the weekend of 26 and 27 May and is open from 10am each day.

During the day, people will enjoy chilli related events and CHILLED OUT: experiences, including a chilli good food and eating contest, food sampling live music is and the chance to meet the planned for the British growers who have had weekend of 26/27 May at such success with this fiery little Bath racecourse number.

Then, once the sun goes down, organisers Jamonit Events, will be bringing on the live music, including indie giants The Wedding Present. Tickets are £35 for the weekend, or £60 for a ticket plus camping. Visit: www.jamonitevents.co.uk for more details.

The view from the Hare & Hounds at Lansdown

Good news for the hare on the hill Joe Cussens, owner of prizewinning Bath gastro pubs The Chequers and The Marlborough Tavern, is expanding his empire by taking over the Hare & Hounds pub at Lansdown.

The new-look Hare & Hounds is due to open later this month – which will be welcome news to walkers who enjoy the fabulous views from this hilltop spot. Customers can expect

some really good British cooking and, as always, a friendly, relaxed welcome from Joe’s team.

The Chequers recently made No3 in the TripAdvisor’s national top ten poll of pubs with food. Numbers 1 and 3 were both Michelin starred establishments, so The Chequers staff were understandably delighted with this achievement.

The Tasting Room WINE MERCHANT & C AFÉ /BAR

Independent Wine Merchant Wines & Spirits to suit every occaison Tasting Room Café is a continental style café/bar located in the heart of Bath.

The style of eating is designed to be relaxed with emphasis on quality. Serving breakfast (brunch at weekends), lunch and dinner - open all day for coffee, tea and cakes and pastries.

The café/bar situated on the first floor, upstairs from the wine shop and there is a secluded terrace for the summer months. This is the perfect place to unwind after a long day at work with a cocktail, glass of wine (perhaps with a plate from the tapas menu) or choose from a long list of unusual Malt whiskies.

Pre-theatre 2 courses for £11.95, 3 courses for £14.95 Tapas deal 3 dishes for £10.00 Available Tues – Friday 17.00 – 19.00pm Now open Sundays Sunday Brunch from 10.30am • 2 course lunch for £11.95 served from midday OPENING HOURS - Sunday 10.30 – 16.30, Monday 9.30 – 16.30, Tues – Thurs 9.30 – 22.30, Fri – Sat 9.30 – 23.00 SHOP

OPENING HOURS

- Mon – Sat 9.30- 18.00

6 Green Street, Bath BA1 2JY • 01225 483 070

www.tastingroom.co.uk

Book a Wine or Whisky tasting

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THEBATHMAGAZINE THEBESTOFBATH PERFECTLYCOVERED BATHSBIGGESTMAGAZINE PERFECTLYDELIVERED TOADVERTISETEL: 01225 424499

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MORE THAN A CHOCOLATE BOX: luxurious cream truffles, pralines, caramels and more. Signature Cabinet from Hotel Chocolat, £160. Hotel Chocolat, Southgate, Bath.

Tel: 01225 448665 www.hotelchocolat.co.uk

TAKE YOUR PICK: original gourmet chocolates from Montezuma. Enticing truffle boxes each containing sixteen luxury truffles, £11.99. Available from Rossiters of Bath, 41 Broad Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 462227 www.montezumas.co.uk DRINK UP: Rubis chocolate wine.

Embrace Easter with the finest range of Luscious red cherries oozing with chocolate, chocolate and treats available in Bath £10. The Wine Tasting Company, The Barn, Dinghurst Road, Churchill.

Tel: 01934 853574 www.thewinetastingco.com

Delightfully Indulgent

SIP IT: following the success of her first collection, Bath based designer Charlotte Farmer has designed these fun mugs for New House Textiles. Perfect for sipping on hot chocolate. £9.95, New House Textiles. Tel: 01989 740380 www.newhousetextiles.co.uk

DIY: try your hand at making your own professional chocolates with one of the many workshops available at The Chocolate Tart. Prices start from £20 for a workshop. The Chocolate Tart, The Old Malthouse, Congresbury.

Tel: 01934 833111 www.thechocolatetart.co.uk

COCOA BEAN: made with beans from the Sambirano valley in North West Madagascar, the Venezuelan Black blend is perfect with food. Willie’s Cacao products available from Chandos Deli, 12 George Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 314418 www.williescacao.com

HOT CHOCOLATE: classic combinations with a twist from Somerset based, award winning chocolate company, James Chocolates. Chilli honeycomb, from £6 and macaroon discs, from £5.

Available from John Lewis, The Mall at Cribbs Causeway.

Tel: 0117 9591100 www.jameschocolates.co.uk

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The Holburne Garden Café Great Pulteney Street, Bath, website: www.holburne.org

REVIEW

THE ART OF PRESENTATION T g

here used to be an advertising campaign for the British Museum which boasted: “an ace caff with quite a nice museum attached.” Well, I have to admit that since the Holburne Museum re-opened to great applause a year ago, I have unashamedly made use of its new café to meet friends – a tour of the galleries not always the sole purpose of our visit.

Since the museum is now free to enter, aside from its specialist exhibitions, it has become more of a destination for Bathonians.

You can wander down Great Pulteney Street and, in the space of a lunch break, have lunch and a potter round the museum. My favourites are the 18th century portraits, as I love gazing at their faces and speculating what sort of people they were.

Part of the Garden Café’s success is its setting, with all that wraparound glass and proximity to the trees and grass outside.

Visitors from the canal towpath, in walking boots and rucksacks tend to enter from the Sydney Gardens’ entrance, while the formally dressed Bath city crowd come through the museum’s formal entrance hall.

But a large part of the café’s popularity is that it provides good, simple food that looks and tastes fresh and vibrant. Its contractors are two brothers who trade under the name Benugo, and who also run the café at the recently improved Ashmolean in Oxford and have just won the contract to feed the visitors at the Victoria & Albert, the Science Museum, and the above mentioned British Museum – so they must be doing something right.

The chef in charge in Bath is the delightfully named Saffron Sunshine and, unlike some other national eateries in Bath, this head chef likes to get a lot of her fresh STILL LIFE: from The Art of Arrangement, produce from local sources. detail from work by Jem Southam 46 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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We’d decided to have lunch after perusing the Holburne’s current special exhibition, The Art of Arrangement up on the top floor. This photographic exhibition charts the development of the art of still life from the 19th century to the present day.

It’s a quirky little show that will have you guessing, if you stand back, which are the contemporary images and which are the beautifully lit and technically accurate Victorian efforts.

After admiring the still life arrangements of food on one wall of the gallery our tummies reminded us that it was lunchtime and so we descended downstairs to the café.

They keep the menu here very simple, although you can always call in for coffee and homemade cake at any time. But for lunch there’s soup, sandwiches or salad to choose from. The soup is £5.20 and comes with bread, while the sandwiches are goats cheese or ham, and are a good size, priced at £5.95.

The big bowls of salad on display are still life arrangements in their own right – a Matisse Mediterranean splash of colours.

There are three main salad dishes to choose from: broccoli, sweet potato with sesame and chilli the day we visit; roasted carrot and avocado salad with a zingy orange and lemon dressing, or fennel, cauliflower and oven dried tomatoes.

For £10.50 you get a hearty slice of quiche with two salads, or, as I chose, a hunk of sourdough topped with smoked salmon and horseradish, also with these tasty, fresh, seasonal salads.

They were so healthy tasting that we reckoned a chocolate brownie (£2.50) and a slice of carrot cake (£3.95) were justified. For other indulgences the café is licensed, so you can have an early evening glass of wine, if you wish.

From 6 April on Friday and Saturday evenings a supper menu of meat or cheeseboards will be served until 8pm, and from that weekend you’ll also be able to pick up a jute bag and a throw to go with a Garden Café picnic, and take it out into the Sydney Pleasure Gardens, the bag and throw being yours to keep. ■ The Art of Arrangement: Photography and the Still Life Tradition is £6.50 to visit and it runs until 7 May. The next exhibition, Presence: The Art of Portrait Sculpture will run from 26 May to 2 September.

GMc

VISUALLY PLEASING: the food in the Holburne Museum’s café is as good to look at as some of the art upstairs in the galleries

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Small Ship Cruise Expeditions

A bespoke portfolio of fascinating itineraries aboard comfortable, fine quality small ships.

Unique travel experiences for the curious and discerning.

SOUTH SEAS ODYSSEY - Celebrate Christmas on Pitcairn Island during an epic voyage from Easter Island to Fiji via the Gambier Islands, the Tuamotus, Tahiti, the Society Islands, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tonga and Wallis & Futuna Group.

Depart 16 December 2012 ex London via Santiago to Easter Island return 21 January 2013.

The portfolio has an enticing array of options from around coastal Britain, circumnavigation of Iceland, Norwegian Fjords to Murmansk and the White Sea, the intimate Mediterranean, the Levant and Black Sea, West to South Africa, South America and coastal New Zealand.

Explore in depth at :

www.johnkennedy-noblecaledonia.com or call John Kennedy on: 0117 946 6000

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WEEKENDgetaway

A CITY BREAK WITH A TWIST St Davids may be the smallest cathedral city in the UK, but it punches above its weight as a family holiday destination reckons Georgette McCready

W

hen we first started taking family holidays in St Davids, Pembrokeshire – about 20 years ago – frankly it was because we couldn’t afford a holiday abroad. So every summer we’d pack the car to the gunnels, wedge the kids in, their faces pressed against the window under the piles of pillows, toys and sleeping bags and we’d head west along the M4 to the very tip of West Wales.

We’ve been going ever since, noticing over the years that the place has become much more popular with the affluent English middle classes. But, even into young adulthood our children and their friends still return on camping trips.

There’s always the excitement of the first person to see the sea of St Bride’s Bay as we take the swooping road down to Newgale sands and past the pretty haven of Solva, before arriving at St Davids, the smallest cathedral city in the UK. We’ve always camped, but you can rent cottages in the area.

There are several campsites and in Caerfai Bay you are near enough for even the littlest children to walk with you to the beach or into town for supplies or ice cream.

St Davids is very popular with English families who call their children Jemima and Henry. Three generations are often to be found descending on the beaches, with dog in tow, carrying body boards, the younger members with buckets and spades, older folk with folding stools and copies of the latest Booker prizewinning novel. We joke that these families always have a Lytton Strachey look-a-like with them, a greybeard in Panama hat and little round glasses, whose lanky frame can be seen helping launch a canoe on to the waves, or enjoying a Welshcake while sitting on a rock.

And because the chattering classes are in the area en masse, there has been an increase in the number of art galleries and shops where you can buy beautiful objects to take home, or even clothes. Cultural types will enjoy a wander round the ancient St Davids cathedral and the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace, where alfresco Shakespeare is performed in the summer.

You are also spoilt for places to go for really good food. We particularly like The Refectory, an airy light café that’s been opened next to the cathedral, and the Cwtch restaurant (it means cuddle in Welsh) in the city centre. The children’s favourites include The Sloop Inn at Porth Gain, which is an energetic bike 48 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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ride from St Davids, where they’d opt for an Angry Dog burger, or The Bench, a delightful Italian pizzeria which also makes delicious ice cream.

The area is a playground for all tastes. As well as the numerous beaches, for sandcastle building and damning streams, there are fine walks along the coast path and the chance to catch some great waves, either bodyboarding or surfing. You can hire bikes in St Davids by the day, or head out to St Justinians lifeboat station and take a boat trip out to Ramsey Island. There’s always a chance you’ll see seals and, maybe, porpoises or dolphins. Take the Aquaphobia trip and you’ll have the added pleasure of bouncing on the rough surfaces of the water as you approach the notorious Bitches tidal race between Ramsey and the mainland.

My favourite way to spend a day is to walk from Caerfai Bay round to the beach beyond crowded Whitesands beach. It’s about eight or nine miles of spectacular cliff path walking and there’s always a sheltered spot where you can eat your picnic lunch, or watch the puffins fooling about on the cliff edge. Take your swimming costume with you for a dip at the end, then catch the minibus service from Whitesands back into St Davids.

It’s a great place to come with other families who have children of the same age. When the weather’s bad – a summer sea fret can render the other side of the camping field invisible – they will entertain each other. Our lot used to play endless games of cards huddled in their tents while the rain lashed down. And in the evenings, a barbeque would bring everyone together, the younger children settled down to sleep while the adults sat round enjoying a few glasses of wine.

If you’re going to West Wales in August you may be lucky enough to catch some clear nights when the Perseid meteor showers can be seen. Lie on a rug and adjust your eyes to the vast sky, and then wait unblinking, until you glimpse your first shooting star and wish.

It doesn’t matter how old or young you are, St Davids is the uncrowned capital of good times for family holidays. ■

WELSH PLAYGROUND: main picture, the azure sea at Caerfai Bay, top, The Bench Italian pizzeria in St Davids, below, the ancient cathedral, and, inset Victorian writer Lytton Strachey, whose doppelganger can often be glimpsed on the beaches of West Wales

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ALFRESCO LIVING Get the garden ready for summer and alfresco entertaining with these striking design pieces and garden accessories

SCANDINAVIAN: Danish design large slate oil lamps from Nordic House, in beautiful grey slate, £129.

Order online at www.nordichouse.co.uk.

Tel: 0845 4751610

MAGNIFICENT: the Magma biofuel fire can be used inside or outside and burns for up to three and half hours. A real design piece it is a perfect addition for alfresco dining. £299, Living It Up. Tel: 0116 269 5960.

Order online at www.livingitup.co.uk

LADY WITH THE LAMP: clay garden lanterns from Kindle. £35, Kindle. 2 Sussex Place, Widcombe Parade, Bath.

Tel: 01225 332722. ww.kindlestoves.com

PRETTY AS A PICTURE: interesting architectural pieces for the garden from Agriframes, such as the Gothic Pergola, £246. Agriframes, Journal House, Bristol.

Tel: 0845 260 4450. www.agriframes.co.uk

TIMEPIECE: sundial with an aged finish. All designs can be personalised with a motto or dedication. Merlin Sundials, £290.

Tel: 01454 615036. www.merlinsundials.co.uk

ANTIQUE STYLE: French antique wall scones, £38 each from Grasse. 3 Argyle Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 444260. www.grasse.me.uk

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WARM UP: putting a design conscious twist on the classic chimenea. a striking addition to your garden accessories.

The Hacienda Maca chimenea from Worldstores, £250. Shop online at www.worldstores.com or tel: 0844 9311005

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LEGALmatters

ADV ERT OR I AL FEATURE

PROPERY LEASES - KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRICE AND VALUE AS A COMMERCIAL TENANT Patrick Mears, Head of Commercial at Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors, explains how to negotiate a fair rent.

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or the owners of small businesses taking leases of commercial premises, there is at least one good piece of news from the otherwise bleak economic climate we find ourselves in: for the moment, at least, prospective tenants are operating in a buyer’s market. There are good deals to be done out there for entrepreneurial tenants with a strong head for negotiation. And even better deals for tenants who know their stuff.

But the fact is, many prospective tenants do not exploit the opportunities available to them because they do not take advice from an appropriate professional at a sufficiently early stage in their negotiations. All too often tenants will agree terms with their landlords assuming that the level of rent quoted is “about right” and that the other lease terms specified “seem reasonable enough”.

In what is an extremely tough market to find tenants, prospective landlords are keen to tie down good tenants and to appear to be offering a good deal. But tenants should bear in mind the (perhaps obvious) point that any landlord will be trying to get the best deal he possibly can; so tenants should take a landlord’s assurances that the level of rent offered represents fair open market value with a pinch of salt. And get some advice.

As commercial solicitors, the first and often the most important advice we give to tenant clients is to instruct their own surveyors to give an opinion on rental value from the tenant’s point of view. A surveyor can provide potentially invaluable advice on: • Whether or not the proposed lease terms on offer and prevailing market conditions justify some type of “rent free period” or similar incentive from the landlord. In the current market, it is not uncommon to see landlords offering rent free periods of six months or more.

• Whether or not the proposed length of the lease term would justify a lower level of rent.

Landlords might be more willing to agree a slightly lower level of rent for longer terms (say, 10 years) whilst insisting on higher rents on shorter terms (5 years or less) • Whether or not the landlord will be charging VAT on top of the basic rent. A vital consideration! Many commercial landlords charge VAT on lease rents, potentially adding 20% to the basic rental figure…a potential showstopper for many small business tenants who are not able to reclaim the VAT being charged.

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• Whether or not particular factors justify the negotiation of a lower level of rent. For example, if the state of repair of the premises is poor, or if it is likely that the tenant will have to incur significant expenditure to refurbish the premises or make them compliant with health and safety requirements. Tenants should bear in mind that the basic rent should never be negotiated in isolation, and without reference to the other lease terms agreed.

• Whether or not the exclusion or inclusion of other lease terms makes it appropriate to negotiate a higher level of rent. For example, the owner of a fledgling tenant business should give thought to the length of the lease term being offered, and whether or not it would be worth offering a higher level of rent in order to secure rights to terminate the lease during its early years, giving the tenant vital flexibility.

• Whether or not the basic rent is payable exclusive or inclusive of other major overheads. Although some landlords do offer “all inclusive” rents, most landlords require the basic rent to be paid exclusive of insurance, business rates, service charge (covered in more detail below) and VAT. A surveyor would be well placed to offer an opinion as to the likely level of these overheads, and whether or not these overheads might justify a discount in the basic rent.

• As overheads go, service charges will always be the biggest imponderable for business tenants. A surveyor will be able to advise as to the likely scope and level of any service charges payable. Service charges are usually unlimited, and can result in landlords passing down to their tenants a proportion of potentially major items of capital expenditure. Tenants should ask their surveyors to inspect the structure of the building bounding their premises, to ascertain the likelihood of any major works being required. If appropriate, the tenant’s surveyor might be able to negotiate an appropriate annual “cap” to service charge expenditure, to make the imponderable more ponderable.

• Will the basic rent be reviewed during the lease term? If so, when will the rent reviews take place? And will the rent be reviewed on an “open market” basis (that is by reference to rental values in the local market) or linked to inflation (by reference to the Consumer Prices Index or Retail Prices Index). Which

type of rent review procedure is most advantageous for a commercial tenant will vary depending upon market conditions: index linked rental increases, whilst relatively simple and straight forward, might yield guaranteed rental increases to landlords which might not be achievable on an open market review! And in this topsy turvy economic climate, tenants should bear in mind that the rate of inflation is by no means linked to open market rental values! If anything, inflation is currently depressing open market rental values.

Getting the basic rent right at the outset is vital.

Even if the basic rent negotiated is “overrented” by just a few hundred pounds a year, that could easily result in the payment of thousands of pounds worth of excessive rent over the life of a lease.

In that context, spending a bit of money on good surveying advice will almost always be money very well spent.

For further information on commercial leases, commercial property issues or assistance with your business needs, please contact Patrick Mears, Head of Commercial at Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors on 01225 485700 or via email at pmm@mowbraywoodwards.co.uk.

Patrick Mears, Head of Commercial at Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors

Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors, 3 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HG www.mowbraywoodwards.co.uk APRIL 2012

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OFFICEsolutions

Part-time Secretary/PA Interior Design and Architecture practice, MoreySmith Ltd is looking to expand its operations to include a Bath office. We are currently looking for a part time Executive PA to work alongside the Managing Director on a two-day-a-week basis. These days will include Monday and Friday. The practice is based in Gay Street, at the heart of Bath’s cultural centre. The successful candidate would ideally have estates/property/interior design related experience.

The position has the potential to develop into a full time position over the next two years.

Salary negotiable - dependant on experience.

Essential skills:

ARE YOU SITTING COMFORTABLY? Lynette Labuschagne from Workingstyle Interiors offers tips for a good working environment in the home

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rom a functional perspective the one item of furniture you should consider spending at least 50 per cent of your allocated furniture budget on is your chair. Buy as much adjustability as you can if you are going to spend most of your day sitting down looking at a computer screen. Which brings us on to ergonomics.

Ergonomics isnʼt rocket science just common sense. Simply it is the physical relationship between you, your furniture and equipment. Key elements to concentrate on are your computer screen, keyboard and chair.

By following these simple guidelines the chances of you getting eyestrain and back pain will be greatly reduced...

■ Let your chair support your back and try to occupy the whole surface

area of the seat.

■ Adjust the backrest height to support the pelvis and lumbar region.

■ Keep an eye to screen distance of at least 40cm.

■ Keep your forearms horizontal and elbows bent at an angle slightly in

excess of 90 degrees.

■ To avoid pressure behind the knees keep legs bent at an angle of at least

90 degrees.

■ Keep your feet resting on the floor.

Keeping your office free from clutter is just as important as thinking about your office furniture when it comes to health and safety. Various studies reveal that we have far too much storage and we only actually ever refer to approximately 15 per cent of what we keep. The key to minimal storage is a planned filing system. If you can differentiate between current work load, intermediate and long term/archive material, setting a time frame to each category and get into a discipline of a monthly purge your office will be a less cluttered more efficient space to work in. At the very least make sure your equipment is safe and members of your household canʼt be harmed by it. Check your equipment regularly and make sure the electrics in your house can accommodate any additional loads the office may put upon it. You can download useful guidelines produced by the Health & Safety Executive at http.//www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg226.pdf.

Following these basic steps should help you create a home office you enjoy working in as well as being a positive aid to your business. ■ About the author: Lynette Labuschagne lives in Bath and runs her company Workingstyle Interiors from home. The company specialises in commercial and home office interiors. She is always pleased to offer advice and help to anyone who needs some guidance setting up their home office. You can contact her on tel: 01225 445487 or email: lynette@workingstyle.co.uk 52 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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• The ability to take initiative and work proactively • Must have excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint • An interest in design is essential • A knowledge of the property industry would be advantageous Experience: 5 years + Please send covering letter and most current CV, with “BathSec” in the subject line of your email to: jobs@morey.co.uk www.moreysmith.com

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

WHY DID THE ACCOUNTANT CROSS THE ROAD? A life in the day of Jacqui Bowden a Partner at Pearson May We accountants are used to being the butt of people's jokes Why did the accountant cross the road?

To bore the people on the other side.

What do accountants do for fun?

Add up the telephone book.

And my personal favourite How do you tell when an accountant is an extrovert?

When he looks at your shoes while he’s talking to you instead of his own.

So why are accountants labelled as boring?

Yes many of us love numbers. I, for one, am guilty of that. I came to the University of Bath many years ago to do a maths degree and have stayed in the area ever since. But there are many people who don’t like numbers, particularly when they also involve the taxman, so maybe it’s a good thing that some of us do!

My day might start early with a networking business breakfast. Because we’ve all been with the firm a long time, my 5 partners and I have built up relationships with other professionals over the years and are able to access specialist expertise when needed.

I can never be entirely certain what the day will hold for me as head of the Private Client Department. I may have planned to do some inheritance tax planning for a client, but I may then get a phone call or email from someone selling a property who urgently needs to know the capital gains tax implications, so everything changes to meet the deadline. I deal with a whole spectrum of people and they are spread not only

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throughout Bath and Wiltshire, but all over the UK and the world.

One minute I might be dealing with a widow who lacks confidence in dealing with financial matters following the death of her husband who has always dealt with the family affairs. The next minute I might be looking at tax planning for a director of a multi-national company with a huge portfolio of investments and very complex tax affairs. It is a pleasure to deal with both. I enjoy it when the widow realises that, with help, she can cope and it is another step forward in moving on. I equally enjoy the difficult cases where I am drawing on many years’ experience and a wealth of knowledge which can be pulled together to resolve a problem to which there appeared to be no easy solution at the outset.

I joined Pearson May after graduating and am one of a number who have celebrated more than 25 years with the firm. We are proud of our record on staff loyalty and of course for our clients this means that they are dealing with people who have a wealth of experience and a detailed knowledge of their affairs built up over many years. Equally important is the loyalty of our clients and it is very rewarding to deal with grandparents, parents and children of families and see careful tax planning over the years reap benefits for them.

Throughout the day I will be briefed by my dedicated team as to what is happening on clients that I look after. There may be different people dealing with different issues for a client as we have a team of people here with a whole range of experience and we try to match the work with the person who has the appropriate skills and level of responsibility. That isn’t to say

Jacqui Bowden of Pearson May

that a client will have to deal with different people for different aspects of their affairs. My clients know that if they phone me I will know what they are talking about and be able to help them.

Our ethos at Pearson May is to deal with our clients’ affairs as we would our own, and we like to think that our clients see the benefits in personal service and pride in our work and having continuity with their affairs.

There is plenty of variety in my day and certainly no time to get bored. I may deal with individuals with income from property; overseas income; portfolios of investments; family trusts; estates; share schemes; pensions; residence and domicile issues and the list goes on. In the Private Client Department at Pearson May we deal with tax compliance e.g. the preparation of annual Self Assessment Tax Returns as well as tax planning for income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax etc.

I love meeting a diverse range of clients, old and new, and helping to resolve their problems – whether it is taking away the headache of completing a Tax Return or helping them to cut tax through careful planning. So I don’t think accountancy is boring (but then maybe that’s because I am a boring accountant!).

If you would like assistance with your personal tax affairs then do arrange to come and see us – and check to see whether I look at my shoes or your shoes! [Memo note: - buy some new shoes] Pearson May Chartered Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisers, 37 Great Pulteney Street, Bath BA2 4DA T: 01225 460491 E: Mail@PearsonMay.co.uk W: www.PearsonMay.co.uk

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CITYpeople

A showroom in the country With the demise of Habitat, Bath shoppers are now looking around for other destinations for picking up contemporary furniture and accessories for the home.

Newly opened at Allington near Chippenham is the CLOSA showroom, which stocks all kinds of items from sofas and sideboards to complete kitchens and flooring.

The new venture is being run by Melksham couple Andy and Sam Jennings, who invited former Olympic swimmer and newly arrived Wiltshire resident Sharron Davies to open the showroom.

CLOSA sells products from another Wiltshire based business, Neptune, as well as accessories for the home and garden and a range of paints.

With the weather warming up, summer furniture begins to come into its own in the garden and CLOSA stocks sets, such as this one pictured, along with sun loungers, hammocks, cushions, barbeques and hammocks.

The new showroom can be found near the Allington farm shop, Bristol Road, Allington, SN14 6NA. CLOSA also has a website: www.closa.co.uk and offers free delivery.

News in brief

LATEST BUZZ

Profits up for city building society

Grapevine staff cycled 70 miles for charity

■ The Forever Friends Appeal at the Royal United Hospital (RUH), Bath has been given £5,000 by communications company Grapevine telecom of Peasedown St John for the NICU Space to Grow Campaign. Edward Lewis of Grapevine Telecom, whose son Daniel, now four, was cared for in the old neonatal unit for two weeks, knew just how much the funding was needed. Grapevine staff and families and took part in activities including quiz nights, golf days, curry nights, raffles, auctions, sweepstakes and a 70-mile charity bike ride, all as part of its 20 birthday celebrations.

■ Not all the businesses formerly in The Podium and moved to make way for the new, expanded Waitrose, have disappeared. Children’s wear shop Up To Seven has moved to Pulteney Bridge.

Bath Building Society has announced its annual results, showing a pre-tax profit up 77 per cent on last year and a 10.4 per cent increase in its reserves from £15m to £17m. Chief Executive Dick Jenkins said: “Our results show the benefits of our long term strategy to lend to those good borrowers that for one reason or another fall foul of the big lenders’ one-size-fits-all lending policies. We’ve also done our bit to help first time buyers, in response to widespread reports of customers generally finding it hard to get mortgages. We have successfully increased our mortgage book over 2011 by introducing new innovative products specifically geared to helping first time buyers get onto the property ladder.”

BATH PEOPLE news & views

Power of the sun

There has been much talk recently about solar power and Government support, and indeed whether harnessing the sun’s power to create energy can work financially and practically.

Bristol based Ethical Solar firmly believes that homeowners and businesses can still get lucrative financial returns, in spite of the government’s reduction to the feed-in tariff incentives.

The feed-in tariff was introduced in April 2010, as a scheme to boost investment in the much underfunded renewable energy infrastructure in the UK. It offers a fixed price guaranteed payment, for every unit of electricity a solar array generates, offering an annual return on investment of between five and ten per cent.

Ethical Solar uses Innotech, which it believes are the greenest panels available to the UK market.

Ethical Solar was awarded The Installer of the Year Award 2011 in recognition of its commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

The knowledgable team at Ethical Solar, Create Centre, Smeaton Road, BS1 6XN is happy to talk to potential customers about the benefits of adopting solar panels.

Women successfully campaign for water fountains on city streets Three Bath women have successfully campaigned to get oldstyle water fountains back on the streets of the city, as part of a drive to persuade young people to keep hydrated and for all of us to choose tap water over bottled water.

The Love Tap Water (LTW) campaign kicked off with the installation of a fountain in St James’s Rampire opposite City of Bath College. The project has the support of Wessex Water and Bath & North East Somerset Council.

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James Dyson will also design a bespoke stainless steel drinking bottle for LTW. Eventually there will be ten modern water dispensers on the streets of Bath. These will be known as the Bath Water Holes and will be a permanent legacy of the city.

All ten water dispensers will be funded by Alternative Source, a charity set up to raise funds for overseas clean water projects. In return, all of the profits from the sale of LTW stainless steel bottles

will be donated to Alternative Source and other water based charities. The infrastructure and pipework will be installed by Wessex Water and water will be sourced from the chalk and limestone hills of Dorset and Wiltshire.

The three women; Ruth Poole, a primary school teacher, Shelley Doyle, a graphic designer, and Jo Eke, a marketing manager, are passionate about the message the campaign embodies; the detrimental

effect of plastic bottles on the environment, and the lack of accessible, hygienic drinking water in the city for themselves and their children.

Ruth Poole said: “Love Tap Water wants Bath to be a beacon for change throughout the country.

We want residents and visitors to be able to drink the same good tap water they drink at home on the go.

Using our stainless steel bottles completes the health and sustainability package.”

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TAXmatters

ADV ERT OR I AL F EATURE

PLANNING YOUR EXIT! Taxation issues surrounding the sale of a business are complex and need to be planned for well in advance of embarking on the sale process.

specific employee tax issues arising, plus potential extra tax relief for the company, which can add value to the balance sheet and hence can sometimes provide extra bargaining power for the seller to negotiate a more favourable price from the purchaser.

Is there currently a holding company/subsidiary structure in place, and if so which segment will the purchaser want to buy?

There is a potential exemption when a subsidiary or substantial investment is sold by a holding company, and the shareholders of the holding company can then plan to extract the resulting cash from the holding company in a tax efficient way.

Jon Miles

I

n the November 2011 edition of Bath Magazine, we introduced you to Richardson Swift Corporate LLP, who can help you value, market and sell your business. In this edition we give you a brief overview of how our Tax Director Jon Miles complements this service by helping owner managers to plan in advance for the tax impact of selling their business.

When shareholders plan the sale of their company and the deal will involve them each selling their shares to the purchaser, there are a number of key questions that typically spring to mind. The main one is what will the shareholders receive and when will they receive it? For example, will this be a balance of cash up front and then further consideration later, and will this later consideration be a contingent and known or unknown amount? In what form will this later consideration be payable? Perhaps in cash, loan notes or shares in the purchaser.

Then, once this is known, what rate of tax will they pay (e.g. 10%, 18% or 28%) and when will this be due?

Sometimes there may be employees of a company who hold options to acquire shares in the event of the company being sold. We have advised on this type of scenario and there are WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Where property is involved there are invariably additional tax issues to consider, and how the property is currently owned can have an influence on the deal. For example, it might be that the company being sold owns the property but the current owners want to transfer it into their own names or into a pension fund prior to the sale. In this case there are certain tax issues to consider including the company’s tax position on selling the property and Stamp Duty Land Tax. Alternatively, the purchaser might wish to buy the company with the property.

It may be beneficial to undertake certain transactions prior to a sale such as a reorganisation of share capital such as the company buys back some of its shares, or a transfer of some shares to a spouse or trust.

If the current shareholders have made loans to the company, then the repayment of these will need to be factored into the deal, and the timing of repayment agreed.

There is another route by which a business can be sold and that is the company’s assets (and potentially some liabilities) can be sold to the purchaser rather instead of shares.

Sometimes this can be a favoured route for the purchaser due to the availability of capital allowances on certain assets.

As well as tax planning prior to a company sale we can liaise with the solicitors to advise the selling shareholders on the drafting of the various documents, in particular the tax

warranties and indemnities, which in very basic terms are designed to protect the purchaser.

Such clauses can often result in drawn out exchanges and so we have to help the client by translating them whilst also maintaining a commercial perspective in the interests of completing the sale.

The overriding message with all of the above is talk to us as far in advance of the transaction as possible.

Finally we thought it was worth pointing out we are always happy to have a no-obligation meeting with a prospective client. We take the view that we would rather meet up with you to discuss your situation, look at your options (as there are usually more than you think) and give our honest opinion on whether and how we can help.

Please contact Jon Miles on (01225)325580 or email jm@richardsonswift.co.uk if you are thinking of selling your business, or indeed if you are embarking on any other important business transactions such as a property purchase, acquisition of another business, or even if you are thinking of voluntarily closing the business down, as these are all areas where we can help.

www.richardsonswift.co.uk 11 Laura Place, Bath BA2 4BL. 01225 325 580 APRIL 2012

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OUT&ABOUT

AT HAWTHORN TIME...

Andrew Swift looks forward to warmer spring days with this month’s walk in the Pewsey Downs of Wiltshire, with views towards one of the county’s iconic hillside white horses

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pril’s walk takes its inspiration from one of Edward Thomas’s best-loved poems, the laconically-titled Lob. Not only does its first line provide us with our title, but several landmarks and villages visited en route feature in the poem.

It also includes the immortal line, ‘Nobody can’t stop ‘ee. It’s a footpath, right enough.’ So, with that piece of advice in mind, we will set off to explore some of the ancient roads and trackways high on the Pewsey Downs, but beginning and ending in the very different landscape alongside the Kennet & Avon Canal.

The starting point is the Barge Inn at Honeystreet (SU100616), which, as well as being a splendid canalside hostelry, is a Mecca for crop-circle enthusiasts, with the mural of a green man on one of its ceilings. From here, the Alton Barnes White Horse can be seen way to the north.

After parking near the pub – do please comply with signs asking you to check at the bar for where to park – head east along the towpath, past the old boatyard on the opposite bank.

When you reach the road bridge, cross it and head north for 500 metres. At Alton Barnes, turn right along a lane signposted to the Saxon church.

After 150 metres, look for a turnstile on the left. You will be going through it shortly, but first carry on for a few metres to the tiny church, a fascinating building with memorials to several illustrious rectors, all from New College, Oxford.

Go through the turnstile and follow the path across a field. You will notice that it is paved. It links the churches of Alton Barnes and Alton Priors, and was presumably paved so that the rector could walk between the two without getting his cassock muddy.

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through the next field, the paved path turns sharp right to the gate of Alton Priors church, with Jacobean pews and a sarsen stone hidden beneath a trapdoor.

Beyond the church, at the far end of the churchyard, cross a stile on the left, bear right and go through a turnstile. Carry on along a lane and follow it as it swings to the left.

At the crossroads, cross by a thatched barn and head straight on past a telephone box up a bridleway. This soon turns to a hollow way, before emerging by a road (SU112629). Turn left down the road – it may seem tempting to opt for the broad greensward to the left of it, but this involves scrambling down a slippery bank to the road further on.

After 250 metres, when the road curves left, turn right up a footpath. This leads up to a bench with an information board beside it. Go through a gate and carry on uphill, passing massive earthworks on the right. Soon you are on Walker’s Hill – mentioned in Thomas’s poem – on the edge of the escarpment.

After about 500 metres, follow the path as it curves left along the escarpment (SU111635). After another 350 metres, you round a corner and the White Horse, out of sight for some time, suddenly appears before you. Carry on round the top of it, go through a gate and carry on, with a fence up to your right. After 350 metres, when the fence turns sharp right, bear right along a path running parallel to it.

After heading north for 600 metres, go through a gate and carry on downhill, keeping the fence on your left. When you reach a farm track, turn left along it (SU102646).

To the right of the track is the Wansdyke, which can be seen heading westward along the contours. The track you are following, however, bears south-west, leading down from the escarpment.

WILTSHIRE LANDMARK: main picture, the Alton Barnes White Horse Above, left to right: The Barge Inn at Honeystreet, a sunken lane and the White Horse glimpsed in the distance from the Kennet & Avon Canal

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OUT&ABOUT

After a while the track curves to the left, heading south. After passing a track leading to a large barn on the left, you come to a fork, where you bear left. This track leads to another barn (SU090632). From here, there is a footpath marked on the map as crossing the field to the left, but as there is no sign of it, it is easier to carry on along the track to the right of the barn.

This leads to a road, which you cross, before heading along a side road to Stanton St Bernard. After 350 metres, when the road curves left by the church, carry straight on, before turning right into the yard of a riding centre, where a muddy bridleway on the left leads back to the canal. After crossing the bridge, go through a gate on the right and under the bridge, before heading east along the towpath to return to Honeystreet.

For this walk the going is generally easy with few stiles, but there is some climbing. ■

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FURTHER INFORMATION Length of walk: 7 miles Map: OS Explorer 157 ■ Approximate time: 3 – 4 hours ■ The Barge Inn is just off the road south of Alton Barnes, seven miles east of Devizes.

Closed Tues lunchtimes.

Tel: 01672 851705 ■ ■

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RAISE THE RAFTERS Marianne Sweet looks at a fundraising project that aims to provide a £9.4m arts venue in Wells which will be used by musicians across Somerset and the south west

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t has been a dream in the making for almost 25 years and this month work will begin on a new performing arts centre in Wells which will be an asset to the whole south west. Cedars Hall, which will be built on the grounds of Wells Cathedral School, will include teaching, rehearsal and performance rooms, a state-of-the-art recording studio and a 350-seat main auditorium.

The £9.4 million hall is an ambitious project for a school which though independent, is neither well-endowed nor rich. But in spite of the economic downturn Wells is confident its ambition is achievable and the school has launched a massive fundraising appeal.

Roy Hatch, a resident of Bath, and chairman of the Cedars Hall fundraising committee, said: “There is a lack of suitable arts venues in the south west and it is wonderful that local organisations and choirs will be able to use Cedars Hall.”

Wells Cathedral School is one of only four specialist music schools in England and 84 per cent of its specialist music students are supported through grants, bursaries and scholarships. The government provides 78 places at Wells through its Music and Dance Scheme.

While school musicians hold their Prestige Concert series in the medieval cathedral, the building lacks appropriate acoustic properties for the students and flexible performance space.

School head Elizabeth Cairncross, said: “When our symphony orchestra rehearses it does so in our existing concert hall – a 600year-old theological college library – the 70 musicians cannot even fit into the room, the strings spill out into the exit.”

The new hall is designed by award-winning architect Eric Parry – the visionary behind the extension at the Holburne Museum in Bath. The hall is uber-modern, a cathedral-like structure with great swathes of glass and a roof that looks as if it floats above the building. It will be finished in corten steel, which weathers to a dark amber. While it will host a variety of 58 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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performing arts events, Cedars Hall was acoustically designed for talented musicians playing in chamber ensembles.

The Wells Cathedral School Foundation, which is a registered charity, has launched a campaign to raise the money needed.

While a significant amount has already been pledged, the team must raise another £2m to ensure the hall opens in spring 2014.

It has gathered a team of supporters from the music world, including former Wells Cathedral School students, to help its campaign.

in our existing concert hall . . . ❝ the 70 musicians cannot even fit into the room, the strings spill out into the exit

❞

One of those is sound engineer Sam Okell, who grew up in Chard, Somerset, and received his second Grammy award this year for his work with Paul McCartney and the remastering of Band on the Run. Sam was a specialist percussionist student and was 100 per cent government supported as he studied for his A levels at Wells.

He went on to study at the University of Surrey on the prestigious Tonmeister course and his first job was at Abbey Road Studios, where he is today.

He said: “Wells gave me an good grounding and an incredible breadth of musical knowledge. I suppose I am living proof that you can attend a specialist music school and not have to be a concert violinist.”

Somerset-based conductor and composer Charles Hazlewood, is also supporting the Cedars Hall appeal.

Students from Wells will be performing at his Orchestra in a Field event at Glastonbury Abbey on 30 June and 1 July.

ACOUSTICALLY SOUND: an artist’s impression of how Cedars Hall will look

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HOME FOR TALENT: left to right, cellist Jamie Walton is a former scholarship student at Wells, current students play in the orchestra, and conductor Charles Hazlewood who is supporting the appeal

“People associate big orchestras with stuffy concert halls, and a lot of people are alienated by that image of ‘classical music.’

But take the music out of that setting, and it’s a revelation,” he said.

He believes Cedars Hall will be a great asset in the cultural life of Somerset and the south west.

“It will be an incredibly important asset to the school and the community, providing excellent facilities for young musicians’ education and allowing the community, from primary school children to pensioners, the opportunity to experience the thrill of live music.

“In this age of swingeing local cuts, the Cedars Hall project is desperately, vitally needed.”

Former Wells Cathedral students Michael and Emily Eavis, of Glastonbury Festival fame, are also backing the appeal for the new hall. Emily said: “It’s vital for the school to carry on that musical tradition and to further develop its strong community involvement ensuring music is inclusive and not exclusive.”

Every year more than 2,000 people are involved with the

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school’s community outreach programme which is provided free of charge.

Head Elizabeth Cairncross said: “From primary school concerts at Colston Hall in Bristol, to free lunchtime recitals in Wells to singing clubs for Alzheimer’s disease sufferers – we carry out a multitude of activities for the community. We achieve this with such limited space. Imagine what we can do with Cedars Hall.”

Cedars Hall is due to open in spring 2014 with a series of gala concerts for those to support the appeal and for the public.

People can support the campaign through a variety of initiatives, from buying a seat which carries your name to general donations.

Mark Coote, chief executive of the Wells Cathedral School Foundation, said: “This will be one of the most significant developments for the arts scene in the south west this decade and certainly one of the most exciting. We hope people will join us in making this dream a reality.” ■ For more information, visit: www.wellsfoundation.org.uk

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EDUCATIONnews

Swing out sisters Chloë and Izzy Pinder, pictured, sisters aged 12 and 14 from The Royal High School, Bath, have wowed the judging panel of the UK’s biggest original music competition and sailed through the audition stage of Live and Unsigned, beating hundreds of other hopefuls.

Chloë and Izzy will now be competing against the most talented bands and artists in the country at the regional final of Live and Unsigned 2012 – all in a bid to make the grand final at The O2 in July. Acts that made it through auditions will now take part in a

live regional final showcase in front of hundreds of spectators and girls from The Royal High School, Bath will be out in force to support them.

The best acts will also get the opportunity to play at some of the biggest festivals in the UK from over 100 festivals including Beach Break Live, Boardmasters, Bearded Theory and Osfest.

This year’s competition also offers acts an extra chance for exposure as it’s being filmed for Sky TV in a fly-on-the-wall documentary. Headteacher Rebecca Dougall said: “We are thrilled with Chloë and Izzy’s achievements as

Joint open day ■ Four girls from the Ebony Horse Club in Brixton, a charity that works with disadvantaged children, paid a visit to Stonar School where they took part in a show jumping workshop with the Wiltshire pupils. Ebony uses access to horses and riding to teach teenagers key social skills. The workshop was run by ex- International Nations Cup rider, Anne Newberry.

There are plans for the Stonar girls to visit Brixton later in the year.

■ Students from the University of Bath have won an award for promoting engineering to school children. Graham Iles and Charlie Duncan presented a racing car built by last year’s student racing team, TBR11, to A Level students at a competition organised by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). Graham and Charlie are from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and members of the University’s Formula Student racing team. They are designing and building a racing car in preparation for the Student Formula 2012 competition next summer.

they reflect the wide range of musical talent that can be developed, nurtured and celebrated in our

BATH EDUCATION news & views

A round up of achievements and events from the city’s schools and universities

Gourmet black tie ball If your school had a talented chef who’d worked alongside Michelin-starred Simon Rogan in London and picked up inspiration in Australia, wouldn’t you want to share him with more people than your students and staff? That’s what Beechen Cliff School has decided to do with its head chef Tim Fletcher, by hosting a fundraising ball on 1 June, to coincide with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The black tie dinner, auction and musical entertainment is to raise money for the school’s learning resource centre. For tickets visit: www.beechencliff.org.uk, or email: jaqwomenlimited@aol.com to offer an auction item.

forward thinking and inclusive music department.”

Youngest member of England squad Congratulations to west country teenager Jodie Dibble, pictured, who is flying out to South Africa this month to play in the England women’s academy cricket tour.

Jodie, 17, is a pupil at Taunton School, and the youngest member of the team. The squad will play three Twenty20 matches and three 50over games against the South Africa national women’s team.

Jodie previously captained England Under 17s in 2010 and then attended a training camp in India last year.

She said: “Women’s cricket has recently become a professional sport and so it’s a great time to be involved in the England system.”

Headmaster Dr John Newton said: “Jodie is a real success. She has already captained the boys in our cricket teams in the school for some years. She typifies the ambition and drive of Taunton School and I am really proud of her.”

Picnic begins jubilee celebrations Westonbirt House and gardens is hosting The Big Jubilee Picnic on Saturday 26 May to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Guests are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy a programme of music with sessions from The Big Brunch Band and Swindon Brass as well as a dancing display by Swingbytes. The grand finale is a spectacular firework display at 10.30pm which can be watched from the South Terrace of Westonbirt House.

Other attractions include a 60 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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refreshment tent, an ice cream bicycle, a classic car display and a chance to picnic in the Pleasure Grounds and to see the Italian Garden.

Doors open at 5.30pm and cars will enter the grounds by turning south off the A433 at the main gates of Westonbirt School. Tickets are on sale, £10 for adults, £5 per child (18 and under) and under 5s free. There is also a family ticket for £25.

Order your tickets now from Laura Reid on 01666 881333 or email: thebigjubileepicnic@westonbirt.org. FINE SETTING: Westonbirt House is hosting a public picnic for the Queen’s Jubilee

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WITH SONG IN THEIR HEARTS

Are you hosting International students?

We are currently looking for caring hosts who can welcome one or more students aged 13 – 18 in Bath during June, July and August.

Please contact Dawn Bennett on 07771 279608 or email bathhostfamilies@elac.co.uk

Accredited by the VACATIONS

www.elac.co.uk

For dementia sufferers, locked in their own world, and their carers, joining a singing group has helped them find a key to communication and pleasure. Robert Hurst of Singing for the Brain explains

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t was in a church hall in Newbury, that I first encountered Singing for the Brain and met the founder and inspiration behind this innovative service of the Alzheimer’s Society, Chreanne Montgomery Smith. Back then there were just a handful of groups. I knew that day that I’d discovered something special and resolved to bring it to the west of England.

It is now universally acknowledged that it is possible for many older people to live far better lives and remain at home for far longer if they do not become isolated and have access to stimulating and caring services such as those run by the Alzheimer’s Society. I approached its Bristol office.

After an excellent short training course, a small group of people with dementia and their carers met for the first time in a hall in Westbury-onTrym to discover the joys of the specially devised singing programme, Singing for the Brain, which I led, with staff and a few friends/volunteers from the local Alzheimer’s Society. As the group grew we moved to the hall of the St Monica Trust in Cote Lane.

There are now more than 115 similar groups nationally, including two in Bath. There is one which meets in Manvers Street and a new one which has just started at the Peggy Dodd Centre in Combe Down. Our volunteers have become an essential part of the sessions.

We have seen people who can barely ❝ speak, transformed by the music to the huge surprise and satisfaction of those accompanying them

❞

Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia have been subject to much more media attention in recent years and the launch of the National Dementia Strategy in 2009 has encouraged excellent work. We were able to attract BBC attention which resulted in a critically acclaimed BBC2 Wonderland programme based on members of two of our groups.

Working with all who attend on a weekly basis has been a profoundly rich and moving experience for all the volunteers and leaders involved. It usually takes three weeks to settle in. We have seen people, who can barely speak, transformed by the music, to the huge surprise and satisfaction of those accompanying them and indeed us all. They are able to sing not just songs that unlock old memories but also experience the thrill of learning new vocal routines and participating in all the other features of the session.

We hear that conversations at home sometimes improve and there is the added bonus of newly formed friendships with people in the same boat. You don’t have to have any singing ability as we are there to have fun, “we don’t need to impress but we do need to express,” is a favourite phrase used.

While reasonably inexpensive to deliver, these peer support services constantly depend on local funding. By supporting the work of the Alzheimer’s Society you will be able to help sustain the services in this area.

For further information about the work of the Alzheimer’s Society including details of your nearest Singing for the Brain group call Rena Cottis who deals with the Bath area, tel: 07540 921 035, or email: bristol@alzheimers.org.uk. There are currently about 750,000 people in the UK with a form of dementia. ■ WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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We deliver to over 20,000 addresses every month. But if you live outside our distribution area or would like us to send a copy to friends or family then we are able to offer a mailing service for only £15.00 (6 issues) or £25.00 Euro zone; £30.00 (12 issues) or £50.00 Euro zone World Zone 1 £95.00 World Zone 2 £120.00 To subscribe just send a cheque payable to MC Publishing Ltd 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED or Telephone 01225 424 499 for card payment

Subscription Form Mr/Mrs/Ms ................Forename ..............................................

Surname................................................................................

Address.............................................................................. ..........................................Postcode ............................

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FIT&FABULOUS

GLOW FROM WITHIN Fiona Campbell, naturopath, nutritionist and lecturer for the College of Naturopathic Medicine, shares her top tips on how you can glow from within and improve the health of your skin this spring season

C

hanges that you make on the inside have a big impact on how you look on the outside. In just 2-4 weeks you could look years younger by making a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle: ■ Keep well hydrated Start your day with a cup of hot water and a squeeze of fresh lemon and drink at least two litres of fresh water and herbal teas every day – green tea is a great way to boost your intake of antioxidants and will help you overcome any caffeine cravings.

■ Remove toxic influences What you take out of your diet is even more important than what you put in. Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol are the biggest hitters where our inner and outer health is concerned. At a basic level they interfere with the absorption of valuable nutrients and overload the organs and systems that support healthy elimination. The more you cut back, the more your skin will love you.

■ Healthy sources of protein and essential fats at every meal Are you a sugar junkie with problem skin? Boost your skin-supporting nutrients and curb your carbohydrate cravings with healthy sources of protein and fats at each meal. Have three palm-sized servings of organic and free-range meats, eggs and non-farmed fish each day and eat a small

▲

A daily facial...

The new Guerlain Super Aqua Serum (£65.50, 50ml from John Lewis) offers intense hydration and wrinkle plumper in just one squirt. From the moment of application it revitalises and smooths skin, leaving a radiant complexion

▲

The new Sanctuary Skin Perfecting BB Cream (£14.99, from Boots) does the work of a primer, moisturiser, foundation, concealer and sun cream in just one simple step.

Combining skincare and makeup, this amazing product gives a bright and flawless complexion in ultra-quick time. Perfect for ladies on the go

▲

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SKIN DEEP The latest health and beauty news and product reviews from Samantha Ewart

SPRING FRAGRANCES: perfect for lazy days in the sunshine is the light scent of Miss Dior Eau Fraiche (£49, 50ml from Jolly’s). Feminine and fresh, it’s a delightful take on the classic Dior fragrance, Miss Dior. And evoking the warm days of spring is Jo Malone’s new limited edition fragrance, Plum Blossom. It has a floral overtone, with sandalwood and musk to tone down the sweetness.

Available from May at Harvey Nichols (£36, 30ml cologne)

▲

For a classic and sophisticated look, accentuate the arch of your eyebrow with Shavata’s Arch Enhancer (£9.95, available from House of Fraser). The soft pink light-reflecting pencil can be applied under the arch of your brow and also works as a fabulous cheek highlighter

▲

If you have dry and sensitive skin, try Vita-E cream (£7.49, from Boots) – fragrance free and kind to the skin, it heals, hydrates, softens and soothes skin, and you can use it on your body too

handful of nuts and seeds with a piece of fruit for snacks. Good fat foods include salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines. Avoid full fat cheese, as well as fatty and processed meats such as pastrami and salami.

■ Fruit and vegetables To keep skin looking toned and clear of blemishes, eat foods that contain vitamins Fiona Campbell C, E, beta-carotene, zinc and potassium. Have four servings of vegetables and one serving of fruit daily. The best vegetable choices include broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach, watercress, peppers, kale, squash, carrots and sweet potatoes. Dark fruit is packed with antioxidants which help to protect your skin – choose blueberries, cherries, figs, pomegranates and gogi berries.

■ Juicing Recipe If you have a juicer, this is a quick and easy way to boost the nutrients which support skin health. Juice two large carrots and two stalks of celery. If you have problem skin, swap the celery for 125g of watercress.

The College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) provides training in Nutritional Therapy in Bristol, visit www.naturopathy-uk.com or tel: 01342 410505 for further information

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Clinics are held at Fairfield Park Health Centre, Camden Road, Bath BA1 6EA Lyndhurst Upper Rooms 16a Upper Oldfield Park, Bath BA2 3JZ

Specialising in non surgical facial treatments Including • Wrinkle reducing injections • Restylane and Juvederm dermal fillers • Skin peels • Medical Microdermabrasion • Cosmeceutical skin care products • Treatments to reduce excessive sweating • Sculptra • Genuine Dermaroller All treatments are with Dr Marie-Claire Hamling MBBS (Guys) MRCGP an approved Restylane & Juvederm Practitioner with advanced training in the medical & cosmetic use of Botox For more information visit www.bathbotox.co.uk phone 01225 335033 or email info@bathfacialaesthetics.co.uk to book a free consultation

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HEALTH&BEAUTY

One of the UK’s best loved skincare and bath brands has launched its first anti-ageing range. TBM popped into the Bath store to sample the new collection

PROTECT YOUR MOST PRECIOUS ASSET

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olton Brown is one of those brands that when you see it in someone’s bathroom or find it in a hotel, you’re reassured by its reliable familiarity. Which is why, when it announces the launch of its first new skincare range in a decade, one sits up and takes notice.

And this is MB’s very first anti-ageing skincare range. It’s done its research and come up with a simple four-step daily regime for time-poor busy women to follow, with virtually no hassle.

In the Bath store, in New Bond Street, Liz Watts and her team are giving customers free demonstrations of the skincare range. The first thing we are advised is to stop dragging our skin – and our faces – downward when cleansing or moisturising. Instead, use an upward or sideways sweeping motion – you’re not scrubbing a doorstep, keep it light. Choose the range that suits your skin, whether it be normal or dry.

Step one then for those with drier skin, is to use a damp muslin cloth to cleanse using the Kalahari Melon Cleansing Fluid (£25 for 200ml), designed to keep the skin supple. Step two is to apply the Tamarind Fruit Refining Toner (£25 for 200ml), which leaves the face feeling bright and clear.

Step three is the application of the light Creole Grass Anti-Ageing HydraCrème for dry skin (£65 for 50ml). This is the one that’s really designed to keep your most precious asset – your public face – looking as youthful as it can. And because it contains no sun screen protection, this can be used overnight as well as a day cream.

Lastly, we apply what MB is calling the ‘hero product’, that’s the Karanja Tree Sunshield with a sun protection factor of 30 (£35 50ml). If you do nothing else for your skin, protect it from sun damage, which ages us faster than almost anything else. MB’s Sunshield contain protection against UVA and UVB rays, which makes it unusual.

Tests done by MB at its London headquarters showed that sun damage can be done through office glass and even on cloudy days.

So, in conclusion – clean, prep, hydrate and shield. That leaves plenty of time to do other things before you leave the house in the morning. And that’s got to be a good thing.

MB also has a range of what it calls Target products, which are pocket sized and so can be kept in the handbag. There’s an eye concentrate to tackle dark shadows and puffiness and a lip booster for softer, plumper lips.

Take care of the delicate skin of the neck and decolletage by using a Polynesian extract of kopara to charge the skin with minerals, and the same ingredient can be found in MB’s anti-ageing body cream and hand cream.

As always with Molton Brown, the shop experience is always a pleasant one, easy on the eye and appealing to the senses. ■ GMc 68 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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unwanted hair?

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PAUL ISAACS COLUMN:PIF Full Page

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TIPS FROM A TRAINER If you haven’t managed to stick to that New Year’s diet, fear not, because our fitness and nutrition expert, Paul Isaacs, is on hand with some top tips on how to keep the pounds at bay in a less restrictive way

Spring into

Summer

■ The first tip is to NEVER go hungry Many people think that food-deprivation is the best form of dieting, but this never leads to healthy long-term weight loss. Remember to eat regularly, ideally every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism ticking over.

■ Make sure all your main meals are protein based Ingredients like salmon, chicken, turkey, egg whites and tuna are ideal.

Raw nuts are packed with protein and are great for snacks, so carry some round with you during the day.

■ Don’t neglect your 5-a-day Eat vegetables and some fruits as your main source of carbs during the day, and limit consumption of processed food and sugars.

■ Keep hydrated Aim to drink three litres of water a day, and avoid calorific drinks…yes, I’m afraid that means the daily latte and the evening tipple.

■ Watch the carbs It’s best to eat starch-based foods, ideally brown rice or pasta and sweet potatoes, after your workout or at lunchtimes, rather than later in the day.

■ Avoid late night snacking If you find yourself reaching for the crisps or chocolate when you are curled up on the sofa in front of the TV at night, try eating your main meal an hour later than the usual time. This should help keep the munchies at bay before you go to bed. If you are still tempted, opt for cottage cheese or peanut butter instead.

Enjoy a luxury Clarins Pedicure and receive a FREE 1/2 leg wax

■ Follow the 80/20 rule Many people fail to keep to a healthy food plan because they strive for perfection, and then when they think they’ve failed, they end up abandoning the whole idea. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Aim to eat healthily 80 per cent of the time, but don’t be afraid to relax the rules the rest of the time. This way, having the odd treat will feel like a reward, rather than a failure, and you are far more likely to stick to the plan.

For further information, contact Paul Isaacs Personal Training on tel: 07712454074 or visit: www.paulisaacspt.com

at

JENNIFER LUCKHAM

BeautyClinic

Offer during the month of April Clarins Luxury Pedicure £35 Full leg wax with this offer - surcharge £8 Full leg & bikini wax with this offer - surcharge £13

TEL: 01225 428741 32 MONMOUTH STREET • BATH 70 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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An invitation If you are interested in learning more about your skin and glycolic peels, then please join us for our Jan Marini Promotional Evening Thursday 19th April, 6pm-7.30pm There will be a facial peel demonstration and a FREE hand peel worth £25 for everyone that attends Tickets cost £10, which is then redeemable against exclusive promotional offers that will only be avaliable on the evening

We really hope you can join us for a glass of bubbly & canapés RSVP as places are limited

the orangery l a s e r

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No.2 Kingsmead St. Bath.

Tel: 01225 466851 www.theorangerylaserclinicbath.co.uk

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APRIL 2012

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CITYhomes

INSPIRED BY THE SEA Sarah Bolton visits the home and studio of artist Jane Reeves, who takes inspiration from happy holidays in Cornwall for much of her work IN DEMAND: main picture, Jane Reeves in her studio, surrounded by work that’s been commissioned for art galleries across the south west

T

he sunny studio of artist Jane Reeves is an evocative place: open sketchbooks, every inch of wall space taken up with paintings of the sea in all its moods, rows of brightly coloured Cornish cottages made from glass catching the light and a set of shelves stuffed with little curiosities to inspire – pieces of driftwood, old tiles, fragments from photographs. One might be forgiven for imagining that the view from the window would be a Cornish beach complete with wheeling gulls and black-clad surfers paddling out in search of the perfect wave. But this is the basement of a house in Bristol so that’s unlikely.

The vista is actually a pretty courtyard garden filled with blossom and a variety of feeders whose visitors are the subjects of Jane’s most recent work, a series of beautifully rendered miniatures of birds painted on to glass. She says: “There’s something about looking out of the studio window at the goldfinches and wrens and being reminded about nature even though this is essentially an urban setting. You may have to look harder than you would in the countryside where it surrounds you but it’s there.”

The birds are a new departure for Jane whose usual work takes the sea and in particular the coastline of St Ives in Cornwall as inspiration. “The paintings developed when we started holidaying there 23 years ago,” she says. “I know it’s a cliché but I just fell in love with the place and the light that the town is famous for. I started painting anything to do with the sea and was especially drawn to the meeting point of water and land – the place where nature, the big ‘otherness’ meets man. I love the feeling, that I imagine is universal, when you stand on the shore and there’s just the sea and sky. My work is a response to the longing I have to be there.”

Jane also sees her art as a way of curating her experiences.

“Having had so many holidays in Cornwall with family and friends, I feel as though I have built up a store of memories and each of my artworks are attempts to capture those moments. I 72 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Left, the courtyard garden at her house attracts much wildlife which has provided the inspiration for the artist’s most recent work – quirky miniatures of birds

think others are drawn to the images because they resonate with them reminding them of their own happy holidays and childhoods.”

Jane trained in graphic design and illustration at Bath Academy of Art before working as an illustrator producing programmes for the theatre. One of her earliest memories of school was standing at a tiny easel and painting a boat bobbing on the sea as all her school friends gathered round to admire.

“That was a good feeling,” she laughs.

After her own children were born, she enrolled on a stained glass course at night school which lead to a series of workshops to learn about fused glass – a process which involves cutting and shaping pieces of coloured glass, assembling them as a picture before fusing it in a glass kiln. Her studio table has carefully arranged boxes of glass in every imaginable hue and Jane seems to exude an extraordinary sense of calm as she gradually assembles her jewel-like creations of beach scenes, sail boats, the sea, the rocks and cottages before they are sent to the kiln. The end results are not flimsy creations but enduring and somehow tactile. She says: “Everyone who sees the glass always asks if they can touch it.”

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CITYhomes

AN AIR OF CALM: Jane Reeves’ kitchen/dining room, left, and hall, right, have a tranquil air about them.

The home is also used to display some of her work, made in her home studio PICTURES: Mark Bolton

More recently, Jane has started to ‘paint with glass’ where finely powdered glass in a liquid medium is used as a form of paint which she applies directly onto sheets of glass. “I’m really taken with the process. It’s like the two disciplines, the painting and the glass work, have come together. It’s tricky though as you have to wait for each layer to dry and be careful not to smudge it.”

Jane’s work has been hugely successful and she now sells in 16 galleries across the UK including the 3D and Sky Blue galleries in Bristol, and also via her website to Australia and the US. Her husband and business partner, Kelvin, a web designer finds much of his time taken up helping out by liaising with galleries, running

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

the website, sending out orders and photographing the work. All a far cry from when Kelvin took just a few pieces into the prestigious New Craftsman Gallery in St Ives just to see if there was any interest.

Jane says: “We weren’t quite sure what the reaction would be as the galleries there tend to exhibit artists who live in Cornwall They took all five and they sold out within two weeks which was just so encouraging. I had the first glimmers of hope that it could be possible to make a living doing something I loved.”

Visit: www.janereeves.co.uk. Jane will be having a solo exhibition of her paintings and glass at The Picture House Galley in St Ives from 18-29 May. ■

APRIL 2012

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BATHinteriors

STYLE WAYS Prints, pastels, bolds and minimalism- there’s something for everyone with the current interior trends PATRIOTIC: warm up for the Olympics and the Jubilee celebrations by going all patriotic at home.

Blue, white and red striped rug from TR Hayes. 15-18 London Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 465757. www.trhayes.co.uk

MONOCHROME: Lawrence duvet cover, £85; pillowcase pair, £30; Beatrice double headboard, £669, Jolly’s. 13 Milsom Street.

Tel: 0844 8003704. www.houseoffraser.co.uk

MADE IN BRITAIN: Race yellow paint from the British Made Mid Century Colours by Kevin McCloud Collection. £29.50 for 2.5 litres, Davies of Bath. Monmouth Place, Bath.

Tel: 01225 423749. www.firedearth.com

LIMITED: Helmsley chest in white by Hammonds. Haskins, High Street, Shepton Mallet. Tel: 01749 3422583. www.hammonds-uk.com

MADE IN BRITAIN: the L-shaped frame of S Craft shutters fits snugly around the edge of the window frame to block out draughts and when closed, the louvers trap a layer of insulating air next to the window, cutting heat loss through the window by 50%. The Pole Company, 1 Saracen Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 469 559. www.thepolecompany.co.uk

RULE BRITANNIA: commemorative Union Jack Enslow, from £2,265, Wesley Barrell. 84 Whiteladies Road, Bristol. Tel: 0117 9238915. www.wesley-barrell.co.uk

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COSY UP: the Sienna Loveseat from Feather and Black’s limited edition collection, available in only 13 stores across the country, including Bath. £1,099, Feather and Black. 4 York Place, Bath. Tel: 01225 333476. www.featherandblack.com APRIL 2012

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APRIL 2012

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THEBATHMAGAZINE 75

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“If your hobby was collecting china tea services, how would you want to display it?

That was the challenge. What do you think?

It’s those personal touches that make the kitchen design really belong to you.

For men, it can be sports equipment or a wine collection, or even a unit to provide a sleeping place for your beloved pet.

Kitchens don’t have to look like a sterile operating theatre, as so many now appear to do.

It’s the personal touch that makes it truly yours.”

P77:Layout 23

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LIGHTING SPECIALIST

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APRIL 2012

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OPENgardens

COURTING THE SPRING Jane Moore visits Tormarton Court to see the bulbs and trees burst into life for spring, in time for its April open day for the National Garden Scheme

T

here’s nothing that us gardeners like better than having a good gossip with fellow garden enthusiasts. Add to that the opportunity to gaze at a glorious garden and then partake of tea and cake and you have the perfect day out. Those clever folk at the National Garden Scheme, otherwise known as Yellow Book, cottoned on to this a long time ago and the scheme raises millions for charity each year.

But as well as getting a lovely warm feeling of giving something to a good cause, we also get to indulge our curiosity and have a good nose around gardens that are not often open to the public, such as Tormarton Court. This 11 acre garden opens twice for the NGS, once in June for the wildflower meadow and the roses, but also in April when it is a wonderland of beautiful bulbs and magnificent trees just coming into their new spring green.

“We have something like 150 mature trees,” says Noreen Finnamore, who has spent more than a decade renovating the house and developing the surrounding garden and park. “They demand a great deal of husbandry but give the garden its character and structure.”

The Court is home to many stately trees including majestic limes, a copse of mature beech and an avenue of horse chestnuts.

Recent additions include a nut walk and a small but rare Wollemi pine, a tree that was believed extinct but in 1994 a scant 100 trees were discovered in a gorge in Australia and it has since been micro-propagated.

Close to the house lies the glade, a charming collection of trees such as lime, ornamental apple, greengage and plum all richly under planted with a succession of spring flowers. Dotted among the trees and the old pets’ graveyard dating from the house’s heyday in the 30s are snowdrops and aconites, followed by daffodils and blue anemones and, Noreen’s favourite, the native snakeshead fritillaries. In April and May a mass of tulips, naturalised after being planted first in pots, create vivid splashes of colour through a foaming froth of cow parsley.

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Working with Noreen for the past five years have been head gardener Neil and his assistant Kate who share Noreen’s passion for wildlife.

“We try to make the garden as wildlife friendly as possible,” says Neil. “We leave piles of logs around and we’ve made hedgehog shelters in the copse.”

“And we’ve put up bird and bat boxes, even owl boxes,” adds Noreen. “There’s a tawny owl in one of the owl boxes this year which is great. We can hear him hooting in the evenings.”

The ancient dewpond is a rich source of wildlife and Neil has been careful to plant plenty of cover that is also ornamental such as coloured dogwoods and weeping willows with irises and marsh marigolds in the water.

“The pond is incredibly deep,” says Neil. “So we’ve sectioned it off with a ‘fedge’, a living willow hedge, which has rooted and is settling in nicely.”

Beyond the pond lies the copse of mature beeches which is an area that Neil and Noreen have just begun to develop, creating snaking paths through the trees and under planting with hellebores, ferns and cyclamen. The local children’s nursery uses the area as an outdoor classroom, with the children looking for wildlife or sometimes sitting on logs and telling stories.

From the copse there are broad mown paths through the new growth of the wild flower meadow spotted here and there with clumps of palest pink lady’s mantle, or cuckoo flower.

“The wild flowers are really at their peak for the June opening,” says Neil. “But there are always flowers to see in the spring.”

The formal gardens lie close to the house with the clipped yew hedges and immaculately striped croquet lawn providing a sharp contrast to the relaxed informality of the meadow and glade.

“Kate loves getting the stripes perfect and sometimes she mows it twice to get diamond shapes. She loves it, whereas I would rather be doing something else,” laughs Neil.

Within the high Cotswold stone walls of the walled garden

WILDLIFE HAVEN: main picture, a mown path leaves the wild flowers either side to grow and bloom freely

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OPENgardens Gardens open in April The Bath Priory Hotel, Weston Road, Bath. A quintessentially English garden of billowing borders planted with bulbs, flowering cherries, croquet lawn, and pots of brilliant tulips. Open: Tuesday 17 April, 2pm to 5pm.

BRIGHT AND BLOUSEY: a magnificent display of spring colour at Tormarton Court, with tulips and daffodils in abundance

more yew hedges screen the family’s swimming pool and create smaller, more intimate areas of herbaceous borders backed with trained roses and a cutting garden for flowers for the house.

There’s also a substantial kitchen garden with masses of trained fruit trees. Apples, pears, quinces and even more are trained into fans, espaliers and stopovers. Beneath them are planted broad beans, garlic, potatoes and peas.

Next to the house, in the hot southerly facing Mediterranean style courtyard are the culinary herbs and more exotic fruits such as peaches and figs, as well as lemon trees and brilliantly coloured geraniums in the summer.

“It’s a suntrap in here and the lemons and the olive tree love it.

This is where we do the teas on NGS days,” says Noreen. “Let’s hope it doesn’t rain!” ■ Tormarton Court, Church Road, Tormarton, Somerset GL9 1HT, is open Friday 20 April 10am to 4pm. Jane Moore is the awardwinning head gardener at the Bath Priory, follow her blog, janethegardener.

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

The Children’s Garden, 28 Withleigh Road, Knowle, BS4 2LQ. New for this year, this small family garden packs in colourful beds and wild corners, a living willow tunnel, tree house, fruit trees and a sweet little pond, plus a great view of Bristol. Open: Sunday 22 April from 12pm to 5pm Prior Park Landscape Garden, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath.

Enjoy sweeping views of Bath over the garden’s lakes and Palladian bridge. Wilderness walk and wild garlic carpeting the woods. Open: Sunday 6 May, 10am to 4pm Secret Gardens, Bradford-on-Avon, pictured. There will be more than ten charming gardens to enjoy as a great way to explore the hidden parts of Bradford-on-Avon. A day for all ages with home-made teas, plant stalls and children’s arts and crafts. Open: Sunday 29 April, 2pm to 6pm, all in aid of charity.

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PETcorner

We’re ALL going on a summer holiday!

G

ood news for those of us who were thinking of taking our dog, cat or ferret on holiday abroad as new legislation makes it easier for them to cross the border between the UK and other countries.

Previously we had to face the expensive route of quarantining our pets for months, and blood testing for adequate levels of rabies titre to allow entry back into the UK, but since January 1, 2012 updated regulations allow us to abolish the rabies blood test and the long period of quarantine, while still maintaining a high level of security from unwanted infectious disease not currently found in Britain. An official certificate called a Pet Passport is still required by all animals travelling between countries so my advice is to have a chat with your vet to ensure that all the necessary paperwork is carried out before embarking on your trip.

If you intend to fly with your pet you'll need to plan farther ahead but do not despair, a well thought out plan of action will make the trip a lot easier.

All pets must travel in some form of carrier. Buy the carrier in advance and ensure that the size is adequate for your pet to turn around and sit comfortably for a period of time. Also check with the airline that the carrier meets their requirements for dimensions and provision of food and water.

Then slowly introduce the carrier to your pet as routinely as possible to create positive associations with time in the carrier. Leave the door open, fill the space with treats, familiar toys, and a blanket, and by doing so you are ensuring that panic trying to get them into the carrier will not ensue on the big day. The next step is to have several dry runs with the carrier in transit.

Take-off and landing in a plane is the most stressful part of the journey so I recommend taking your pet in the carrier for a car ride. Even better take them to a car wash where the noise will simulate the noise of a jet.

Travelling by car ensures that your pets will have lots of opportunities to break the journey. Car sickness is a big problem for some so discuss this well in advance with your vet. Desensitizing them to a long car ride is the best form of action but this takes several weeks of training. Pills can alleviate some of the nausea for a short period. Tranquilizers are best avoided but anti-anxiety medications and motion sickness pills are acceptable. It also helps to have a specific place in the car for them to ensure safety for all.

Specific documents such as the Pet Passport are extremely important and at Bath Vet Group we've currently got an offer promoting Pet Passports for ÂŁ99.99. That's roughly 50% less than the cost of a new Pet Passport this time last year. The last thing you want is to show up at the border without the correct certificates or to find that your crate does not meet the size requirements of the plane. And rules will vary from country to country as well as between continents. For example, did you know that it is illegal to possess a ferret in California? Check the DEFRA website for more information on specific countries, check with the airline, and get advice from your vet at least a few months in advance. And lastly, don't forget that sunscreen.

If you have any questions, local vet Jenny Keen will be pleased to help and can be contacted on 01225 428921. All Bath Vet Group surgery contact details and further information are available at www.bathvetgroup.co.uk.

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THE BATH DIRECTORY - APril 2012:Layout 31

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the directory

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to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499 Electricians

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to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

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For the full range of sizes and prices please call us on

01225 424 499 Email: classified@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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★ Here to inspire and motivate ★ Tailor-made individual learning ★ ★ Carefully selected and experienced teachers ★ info@onestepaheadtutoring.co.uk • www.onestepaheadtutoring.co.uk

Call Sandy Hewit now on 01225 420977

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PROPERTYin FOCUS

AUGUSTA VILLA, LYNCOMBE HILL, BATH

Guide Price: ÂŁ1,450,000

Grade II listed town house Three bedrooms Two reception rooms Cellar Walled garden

L

yncombe Hill is one of the most desirable addresses in Bath, partly because of the commanding views across the city, its proximity to the mainline station and shops, but also because the buildings on the hill are so architecturally fine. Augusta Villa is a handsome double-fronted Georgian townhouse of pleasing proportions. Its living accommodation is spread across four floors and linked by an elegant stone cantilever staircase. The dining room, kitchen and family breakfast room can be found on the lower ground floor, the kitchen affording views into the garden. There’s a gas fired Aga, access to the cellar, plus a cloakroom and door out to the garden. On the ground floor is a pretty drawing room, with views, and across the hall another reception room which could be used as a fourth bedroom. The master bedroom and a sumptuous bathroom, complete with freestanding bath, take up the entire first floor, while there are two more bedrooms and a shower room on the top floor. The 100ft walled gardens are well stocked and private, while a gate leads through to a delightful orchard of two and half acres which is shared with six neighbours.

Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225

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A CLEAR VIEW IS A WINNER ■ Cambridge Terrace, Widcombe One of the great advantages of this family home in Widcombe is that it’s just a short stagger from the city centre, and yet it’s in a no-through lane off Widcombe Hill that’s not bothered by traffic whizzing by. You can see right across Bath from here, and there’s much pleasure to be had picking out landmarks, such as Bath Abbey. The mature, well stocked gardens provide a pleasant back drop to just sit and drink in that view. The house is spread across four floors and clever use has been made of the vaults adjoining the lower ground floor to create a bathroom. The family kitchen space flows into the dining/sitting room and this in turn opens into the gardens. The elegant drawing room with high ceilings and big sash windows is on the ground floor, along with the study. There are four bedrooms, all a good size, plus a second bathroom on the first floor and a cloakroom on the second floor.

Price: £850,000 Contact: Hamptons, tel: 01225 312244

■ Lyncombe Hill, Bath Supping a cup of coffee on the stone terrace of this Georgian townhouse on Lyncombe Hill one can enjoy views across a wooded valley as fine as anything you’ll find in Tuscany. This is an idyllic spot and it’s just a short downhill walk to the mainline station and Bath city centre. In addition to fine gardens to the front and rear, the house has four bedrooms, three reception rooms, a superb kitchen with gas fired Aga and a traditional pantry for storing food such as cheese and a bathroom, shower room and cloakroom. The house is beautifully and tastefully presented, with original features such as sash windows and fireplaces.

Price: £1m Contact: Fine & Country, tel: 01225 320032

■ Tory, Bradford-on-Avon From this charming stone terrace in Bradford-on-Avon there are commanding views right over the rooftops of the old wool town. But, if you can tear your eyes away from the view, this is a darling of a townhouse, full of character and neatly turned out. The accommodation is across four floors, with a kitchen/diner on the ground floor for entertaining, a first floor sitting room, light and airy, while the three bedrooms are on the second and third floors, the bathroom being on the second floor.

Outside, cross the path to reach the garden, where there’s a lawn and a sunny terrace which looks like being an ideal spot to enjoy the warm summer days to come.

Price: £385,000 Contact: Jeremy Jenkins, tel: 01225 866747

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pritchard-partners.co.uk

Charlcombe

Lansdown

A superb detached modern property set in an enviable location with the most breathtaking views of Solsbury Hill and beyond.

A fine, spacious, detached house standing in attractive good sized gardens, principally facing south west, in a peaceful and highly sought after ‘no through road’ on the popular northern fringes of the City.

4 bedrooms, box room, bathroom, en suite shower room, reception hall, 2 receptions, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room & cloakroom. Attractive front and delightful level lawned rear garden backing onto Kingswood School grounds. Double garage and driveway parking. Approx int area: 2089 sq ft/194.07sq m.

Kitchen/breakfast room, 2 receptions & conservatory, master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Single garage. Off road parking for 3.

Gardens. Total approx floor area: 2183 sq ft/202.8 sq m.

Price: £795,000

Offers in Excess of: £750,000

Bathampton

Shaw

A fine semi detached, well presented 1930’s house with fabulous 240’ gardens enjoying wonderful far reaching views to the rear. Convenient and popular village just over a mile from the City Centre.

A sumptuous 3 double bedroom semi detached mid 18thC. Property set in good sized gardens with countryside views.

3 bedrooms, bathroom and en suite shower room, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, large utility. Garage & driveway parking for 2/3 cars.

Total approx floor area: 1471 sq ft/136.7 sq m.

Price: £389,950

Fabulous reception rm with woodburning stove, kitchen & utility, master bedroom with French doors onto balcony & 2 bedrooms, bathroom. Underfloor heating. Parking for 2.

Total approx. internal area: 1502 sq ft / 135.9 sq m.

Price: £329,500 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

PRITCHARDS April.indd 1

Tel: 01225 466 225

19/03/2012 12:21

Bath Office Sales. 01225 459817 bath@hamptons-int.com Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Semington, Wiltshire Semington House is the major portion of a stunning Grade II Listed village home. It benefits from two prominent façades creating a magnificent impression as one turns into the sweeping drive. The interior design, enhanced by restored period features is equally impressive with three receptions, a large family kitchen and five double bedrooms plus a well cared for level garden adding to the appeal.

Approximate gross sq.ft. 3681.

Guide Price £1.25m 5 Bedrooms 3 Receptions Handsome Façade Stunning Interior Popular Village Landscaped Gardens

Bath Office 01225 459817 bath@hamptons-int.com

The pianist Yonty Solomon (1937-2008) once said that there are no such things as pianos – only Steinways; for us, there are no such things as estate agents - only Hamptons. Following past experience of dealing with Hamptons, we would not wish to approach any other estate agent. Bath Seller

Hamptons Sales April.indd 1

19/03/2012 12:22

Bath Office Sales. 01225 459817 bath@hamptons-int.com Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire Brook Cottage is a pretty five bedroom L-shaped red brick home situated within large delightful gardens on the edge of the popular village of Steeple Ashton. This extended period home offers well presented accommodation with retained features, plus more modern light and airy rooms including a large family kitchen with an Aga; approximate 1.4 acre paddock compliments this charming country home. Approximate gross sq.ft. 2391.

Guide Price ÂŁ800,000 5 Bedrooms 4 Receptions Delightful Detached Home Pretty Wiltshire Village Beautiful Gardens 1.4 Acre Paddock

Bath Office 01225 459817 bath@hamptons-int.com

The pianist Yonty Solomon (1937-2008) once said that there are no such things as pianos – only Steinways; for us, there are no such things as estate agents - only Hamptons. Following past experience of dealing with Hamptons, we would not wish to approach any other estate agent. Bath Seller

Hamptons Sales April.indd 2

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ALL HAVE GROUNDS FOR APPEAL ■ Glenavon Lodge, Sion Road Far from run of the mill is this Italianate Victorian villa on the hill at Lansdown with a master bedroom suite that’s something quite special.

Reached by a spiral staircase the generous sized bedroom has tall ceilings, a shower room with a two-person sized shower, and off the bedroom a large south facing sun terrrace with views up to Prior Park. The villa has two more bedrooms, reached via a different staircase, and sharing the second bathroom. On the ground floor there’s a superb kitchen/dining room with an Aga and loads of cupboard space. An area has been set aside as a study and this leads out to a garden room. There’s also a pretty drawing room which opens into the gardens, which are a major feature of this property, having steps that lead down to the lawn and from there to a terrace with some fine specimen topiary. The house also has the rare luxury – in Bath – of a drive for parking.

Price £1.25m. Contact: Pritchards, tel: 01225 445737

■ Beaulieu, Kelston Road You feel like king of all you survey from the terrace of this splendid six bedroom, with its far reaching view across the Avon Valley on the western edge of Bath. A Georgian villa of well proportioned rooms, including a handsome big bay windowed drawing room, it stands in two acres of land, which includes an orchard, a lavender walk and a walled garden with space to keep hens. There’s even a delapidated folly in the grounds that could be restored for romantic effect. Inside the house the slate floored kitchen with Aga is at the heart of the home, while there is also a breakfast room and a study. Beaulieu also has an annexe, with its own kitchen, sitting room, bathroom and two bedrooms, making it ideal for families wishing to share their home with three generations under one roof. There are also all sorts of useful storage spaces in the house and a garage.

Price: £1.3m.

Contact: Crisp Cowley, tel: 01225 789333

■ The Old Vicarage, Englishcombe Blessed was the priest who used to have this lovely country home asnpart of his employment package. It’s in the heart of Englishcombe village and comes with an acre of gardens, with space for children to kick a ball as well as for their parents to enjoy a quiet drink on the terrace. The house has five bedrooms, two bathrooms and three reception rooms. It’s been sympathetically modernised, the

kitchen/breakfast room having handmade units, underfloor heating and double doors which open on to the terrace. The drawing room has a open fire as its focal point for chilly days and the kitchen has an inglenook fitted with a woodburning stove. There’s a useful large outbuilding for storage and for keeping the car and garden tools in.

Price: £1.459m. Contact: Carter Jonas, tel: 01225 747250

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Bath Office Lettings. 01225 445646 bath@hamptons-int.com Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Marlborough Buildings, Bath

£2500 pcm

A stunning 2 double bedroom apartment occupying two floors of this Georgian town house with lovely views and within a short walk of the centre via the Royal Crescent or Victoria Park. Lovely first floor sitting room and breakfast kitchen, two bathrooms. Available unfurnished from April.

Seymour Road, Bath

£1750 pcm

A beautifully refurbished 3 bedroom Georgian town house over two floors and enjoying elevated views. Breakfast kitchen, utility, sitting room, dining room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a lovely enclosed garden. Available from April.

Hamptons Office 01225 445646 bathlettings@hamptons-int.com

The pianist Yonty Solomon (1937-2008) once said that there are no such things as pianos – only Steinways; for us, there are no such things as estate agents - only Hamptons. Following past experience of dealing with Hamptons, we would not wish to approach any other estate agent. Bath Seller

Hamptons Letting April.indd 1

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CITYproperty

A FINE CONVERSION Work is almost complete on the creation of 11 one and two-bedroom apartments in an Edwardian former church in Oldfield Park

C

ontemporary apartments for single people and couples are as rare as hen’s teeth in Bath, so it’s hardly surprising that four of the homes created in a former Moravian church in Oldfield Park were sold before the project was even completed.

Developer Broadway Heritage Plc has worked with structural engineers Mann Williams, architects Woodwards AP and Construction Total Solutions of Bath to cleverly create 11 apartments in the building.

Bath estate agent Whiteley Helyar is marketing Moravian Place, whose apartments are priced from £165,000 for a one bedroom apartment, rising to £250,000 for a two-bedroom apartment with a parking space and a terrace.

Because the redbrick building, which was built in 1907, is in a commanding position in Coronation Avenue, some of the properties have envious views right over Bath, taking in all the city’s historic crescents in their sights.

Attention to detail has been paramount so the new inhabitants can eat, sleep, cook and relax making the most of the space in each apartment. The open plan living area with kitchen and dining space has high ceilings, while some have French doors opening on to outdoor terraces. The kitchens are state-of-the-art,

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the bathrooms are of Swiss design and the heating is energy saving and fully programmable.

The shops of Moorland Road are within walking distance, as is Oldfield Park station with its links to Bristol, while the centre of Bath is still a reasonable walk from here.

The Moravian church had been redundant and was being used as offices before its conversion.

This imposing building was constructed in 1907 for the Moravian congregation of the area. There have been Moravian Christians in the city since 1765, and there are still congregations here today.

During the Second World War the church offered to host the children and teachers from a school which had been bombed.

Michael Hodges, of Broadway Heritage, said he was encouraged at the interest shown in the apartments, locally and from outside the area.

He said: “Our website has been getting 50,000 hits per month and we know the apartments will be much sought after when the scheme has been finished.” ■ Whiteley Helyar of George Street, Bath can be contacted on, tel: 01225 447544. Visit: www.moravianplace.co.uk

LIGHT AND AIRY: views from inside Moravian Place, Coronation Avenue.

The homes should be completed by the end of April

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Jeremy Jenkins FP April:Layout 4

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Turleigh. £565,000

Upper South Wraxall. £495,000

NE W

NE W

Nestled into this pretty hamlet between Bath and Bradfordon-Avon Wayside Coach House enjoys a peaceful spot above the valley of the River Avon & access to Winsley as well.

Internally we find oodles of character to explore amongst the three bedrooms, ensuite, two receptions, kitchen breakfast room, attic room & conservatory. Roof terrace with views; gardens to front, driveway & garage.

Situated at the end of a lane on the edge of this ever popular village. “White Willow” is an individual home with flexible accommodation over two floors. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, two good receptions plus a conservatory & kitchen breakfast room. Externally we find mostly lawned gardens with a stream along the front boundary. Driveway parking & detached double garage. The village is set in beautiful countryside with access to Bradford-on-Avon & Bath.

Bradford-on-Avon. £435,000

Bradford-on-Avon. £235,000

NE W

NE W

An excellent example of its type. From the welcoming entrance hall to the conservatory, this house is well proportioned & smartly presented including a virtually new fitted kitchen. Four good bedrooms, long lounge & separate dining room, nice big kitchen family room, ensuite, cloaks and utility. It’s all here including a smashing double garage and driveway parking. Level walks to the station, Sainsburys and town centre.

Crown Court is just off Woolley Street on the Bath side of town. Hidden away from prying eyes in a little community all of its own. Refurbished and offering a very comfortable home in this popular area. Double aspect open plan sitting room with fireplace and a brand new fitted kitchen – all ready to go for the budding master chef & entertainer! Two bedrooms & classic white bathroom. The garden is just over the path.

NO CHAIN.

☎ 01225 866747 27 Market Street, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1LL email: info@jeremyjenkins.co.uk • website: www.jeremyjenkins.co.uk

Ladymead House A choice of 3 studio apartments and 2 one bedroom apartments located in a beautiful Grade II Listed building on Walcot Street, a stone’s throw from Bath city centre. Newly refurbished to a high standard throughout, the apartments provide contemporary, open plan living with access to stunning communal gardens overlooking the River Avon.

Rent £675.00 pcm - £825.00 pcm open plan contemporary living | newly refurbished throughout | fully fitted modern kitchen | granite work surfaces | stainless steel integral appliances | contemporary bathroom / shower room | river views | stunning communal gardens | city centre location

Reside Bath | 24 Barton Street Bath BA1 1HG | T 01225 445 777 | E info@residebath.co.uk | W www.residebath.co.uk

RESIDE April.indd 1

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Fidelis

Norton St Philip

£775 PCM

Delightful 2 Bedroom Cottage, Located in the Heart of the Village, Beautifully Appointed Throughout Sitting Room | Dining Room | Smart Kitchen | Utility Room | 2 Double Bedrooms | Bathroom | Pretty Garden | Lovely Views

Belmore Gardens

£1050 PCM

Smartly Presented 4 Bedroom Family Home, Located in a Small Cul de Sac, Handy for Local Amenities Open Plan Sitting/Dining Room | Kitchen/Breakfast Room | Master Bedroom With En-suite Bathroom | 3 Further Bedrooms | Bathroom | Single Garage

www.fidelisproperties.co.uk

01225 421000

134 Wells Road, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 3AH Fidelis April.indd 1

19/03/2012 12:15

Fidelis

Sladebrook Road

Price £469,950

An Imposing Individual and Unique Period House with huge amounts of Character and Charm Large Imposing Entrance Porch | Entrance Hall | Sitting Room | Dining Room/Family Room | Kitchen | Breakfast Room | Conservatory | Cloakroom | Master Bedroom | 3 Further Bedrooms | Family Bathroom | Delightful Front and Rear Gardens | Single Garage

Wells Road

Price £495,000

Investment Opportunity - Spacious and Versatile House Currently Let as 3 Flats Ground Floor 1 Bedroom Flat | First Floor 1 Bedroom Garden Flat | Seoond Floor Studio Flat | Current Yield £2,000 PCM | Good Condition with Modern Kitchens and Bathrooms | Close to City Centre and Bath Spa Station

www.fidelisproperties.co.uk

01225 421000

134 Wells Road, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 3AH Fidelis April.indd 2

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1 Hayes Place, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 4QW.

k Mar r o l y a N

01225 422 224

ENTRY HILL

ÂŁ635,000

This super, large family home has versatile accommodation and room to be able to work from home. Great location overlooking the golf course and its wildlife and only a short walk away from the busy Bear Flat Parade. Owner suited and keen to sell.

Hall, sitting room, dining room, study, cloakroom, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, master bedroom (with en-suite shower room), 3 further double bedrooms and family bathroom. Detached double garage and separate garden room with cloakroom under. Gardens. Approximate gross internal floor area house: 1,570 square feet / 146 square metres. Approximate gross internal floor area annexe: 180 square feet / 17 square metres.

www.mark-naylor.com

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1 Hayes Place, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 4QW.

k Mar r o l y a N

01225 422 224 LONGFELLOW AVENUE £429,950 Don’t delay in viewing this super Poets’ corner home.

This property is now ready for aesthetic finishing, both inside and outside, to create a super and spacious family home in a location to die for!

Entrance vestibule, hallway, sitting room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, 3 double bedrooms and bathroom. Generous gardens.

Gas central heating and double glazing. Upgraded heating and wiring in the last few years.

Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,320 square feet / 123 square metres.

CHILTON ROAD £395,000 A tall Victorian terrace with adaptable 4 floors of accommodation. Great City views and convenient access for the City Centre by foot.

Owner suited and keen to sell.

Drawing room, study/4th bedroom, large kitchen/dining room, conservatory, spacious bathroom, small vault to front, 2 first floor bedrooms and cloakroom. Large attic/3rd bedroom. Gardens to rear.

Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,525 square feet / 141 square metres.

www.mark-naylor.com

Whiteley Helyar April:Layout 4

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• BATHFORD A fantastic development opportunity. Detached 4 bedroom house : Plot for 3 further houses subject to final planning approval : Green belt field.

The site occupies a delightful position in the heart of this select and pretty village, abutting open fields and the Green Belt. It enjoys fabulous widespread semi-rural views, yet is within easy walking distance of the village amenities.

Guide Price ÂŁ1,000,000 for the whole

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• NORTH ROAD

• HAYCOMBE LANE

A modern detached single storey dwelling in a small select development just a short walk from the shops and amenities in Combe Down village.

A beautiful semi-detached period former farmhouse, built Circa 1766, enjoying a wonderful semi-rural position and stunning far reaching views, just 3 or so miles from the centre of Bath.

4 bedrooms, bathroom and en-suite, large living room, kitchen/dining room. Double garage. Driveway parking for several cars.

4 bedrooms, bathroom, shower room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfastdining room, conservatory. Store and workshop. Delightful gardens and additional land. Driveway parking for many cars. Double garage.

Guide Price £650,000

Guide Price £750,000

• COMBE DOWN

• BATHFORD

A substantial detached house set in a large level plot and enjoying a fabulous tucked away position in the heart of the village.

A well presented and charming early 18th century house in this highly sought after ‘proper village’ on the edge of Bath.

4 double bedrooms, bathroom and en-suite shower room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, family room/bedroom 5, dining room, conservatory, utility room, cloakroom. Fantastic 70’ rear garden.

3 double bedrooms, bathroom, large living room, kitchen, dining/family room study/landing, cloakroom, utility. Walled south facing rear garden.

Guide Price £599,000

Guide Price £415,000

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Bannerdown Road When the owners, discovered this spacious house set in a superb location, on the edge of a lovely village and on the outskirts of the city, they were delighted and moved to live here with their young family. The house, built of local 'sun- kissed' Bannerdown stone, was designed and built for Sir Alfred Sim who was Director General (Ships) for the Admiralty at that time. This was 35 years ago, since then it has proved to be a wonderful family home and one which has been enjoyed by several generations of this family.The rear of the house has three levels, providing a large, extremely useful, basement space in which some interesting traditional features remain.

The large garden, which is laid to lawn with herbaceous plantings, is enclosed by trees and shrubs providing a lovely quiet area in which to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Utilising the space afforded in the house and garden, there have been so many happy special celebrations through the years.

The accommodation is generally well proportioned and has been maintained in good order by the present owners, however, any prospective purchaser may wish enhance it still further. In addition there is the potential for extension subject to obtaining any appropriate planning permission.

The owners will miss many things, particularly sitting out on their patio on balmy summer evenings looking down onto twinkling lights of Bath.

The village offers everything required for day to day living. City centre of Bath is easy and convenient, either by road or public transport, as are major roads and motorways.

CROSSLANDS 4 Bedrooms, 3 Reception Rooms, 2 Bathrooms, Utility Room, Garden, Ample Off Street Parking, Garage

Contact: 01225 320032

ÂŁ695,000

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The Empire The Empire is one of Bath’s landmark buildings situated in the very centre of the City. Originally built as a hotel in 1901, commissioned by the Admiralty during the war years, and, in the mid 1990’s, converted into exclusive apartments for the over 50’s.

A grandiose entrance hall and original mahogany staircase immediately establish this building's credibility. Residents’ drawing and function rooms are located on the ground floor, along with lifts that provide access to the lower ground floor communal facilities and to all apartment levels.

Communal facilities include guest suites, cinema /function room that can be booked for a nominal sum, laundrette, billiard room, craft room, exercise room, sauna, library and a beautifully stocked scented roof garden with ample seating and table space.

Apartment two is located on the first floor and offers wonderful views over the Avon Valley, River and Weir.The accommodation comprises of 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms [1 en-suite], sitting room with high ceilings and 2 large picture windows.

The apartment has ample storage space with large built in wardrobes.

Offering so much more than a typical Georgian conversion,The Empire will appeal to those seeking a rather special secure base in the City centre, with glorious far reaching views, and Bath’s fashionable shopping areas on the door step.

APARTMENT TWO 2 Bedrooms, Sitting Room, Kitchen, 2 Bathrooms [1 en-suite], Communal Facilities

Contact: 01225 320032

OIEO £425,000

The Property People Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

SOMERSET

Nunney, Nr Frome

ÂŁ2,650,000

A delightful Grade II listed Georgian Manor in a hidden location (approximately 7,837 sq ft / 728.06 sq m), the Old Cottage (approximately 1,582 sq ft / 146.97 sq m) and Coach House Studio (1,174 sq ft / 108 sq m).

Approximately 27 acres.

Bath 01225 747250 david.mackenzie@carterjonas.co.uk

Carter Jonas April Sales.indd 1

London Country Department 020 7493 0676 jasper.feilding@carterjonas.co.uk

19/03/2012 12:04

carterjonas.co.uk

BATH

Englishcombe

Guide Price ÂŁ1,495,000

A superb and spacious 5 bedroom detached period property with attractive gardens occupying an enviable position in the heart of the popular village of Englishcombe.

(Approximately 4,994 sq ft / 465 sq m)

Bath 01225 747250 patrick.brady@carterjonas.co.uk

Carter Jonas April Sales.indd 3

19/03/2012 12:04

The Property People Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

BATH

Upper Swainswick

Guide Price £925,000

Offering contemporary elegance, a tranquil & idyllically situated country retreat on the doorstep of Georgian Bath. Four bedrooms (2 guest with en-suites) further family bathroom. Bespoke ‘Chalon’ kitchen, open plan living room with library. Approaching 1/2 acre of established gardens with 180 degree views of the Woolley valley. (Approximately 2,398 sq ft/222.60 sq m)

Bath 01225 747250

david.mackenzie@carterjonas.co.uk

BATH

Portland Terrace

Guide Price £375,000

A beautifully presented Victorian three bedroom terrace with a west facing courtyard garden. There is a private covered parking space available by separate negotiation for a guide price of £30,000. (Approximately 1,105 sq ft / 103 sq m)

Bath 01225 747250

Carter Jonas April Sales.indd 4

patrick.brady@carterjonas.co.uk

19/03/2012 12:05

carterjonas.co.uk

BATH

Lower Weston

ÂŁ850 pcm Unfurnished

Newly renovated and immaculate Victorian garden apartment adjacent to Chelsea Road. One double bedroom, new kitchen and bathroom, sitting room with doors to garden. Large south-facing garden. Available now.

Bath 01225 747250 sharon.hunter@carterjonas.co.uk

BATH

Behind Upper Lansdown Mews

ÂŁ2,750 pcm Offered Unfurnished

Detached modern house in superb location behind Lansdown Crescent. 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility room, study and cloakroom. Enclosed walled garden, double garage and small driveway.

Bath 01225 747250 sharon.hunter@carterjonas.co.uk

Carter Jonas April Sales.indd 6

19/03/2012 12:06

Cavendish Place

Offers in Excess of £435,000

First floor Georgian apartment | Prime location | Modern living | Stylish kitchen | Luxury bathroom | Super views | Highly recommended This stunning first floor Georgian apartment is located in the beautiful and ever popular Cavendish Place overlooking the golf course. This modern apartment offers clever use of space and is well presented throughout. Early viewing advised.

Connaught Mansions

Offers in Excess of £395,000

Two bedrooms | Extremely well presented | Stylish ‘Mark Wilkinson’ kitchen | Off road allocated parking | Early viewing highly recommended A beautifully presented two bedroom Georgian apartment located in a highly sought after building in prime address - Great Pulteney Street. The apartment also has the advantage of an off road, allocated parking space. A super apartment that is likely to attract considerable interest - early viewing is strongly recommended.

The Apartment Company April.indd 1

20/03/2012 12:45

Paragon

Offers in Excess of £200,000

The Elms

Offers in Excess of £180,000

Georgian apartment | Beautifully presented | Two double bedrooms | Modern kitchen | Fabulous views | Highly recommended

Period apartment | Sought after location | Mature grounds | Allocated parking | Highly recommended

A beautifully presented two bedroom top floor Georgian apartment that affords some of the finest city views.

A unique one bedroom period apartment set in mature grounds in a highly sought after location on the west side of the city.

Manvers Street

Green Park

Offers in Excess of £160,000

Offers in Excess of £125,000

Central location | Recently renovated | Period apartment | Modern kitchen & bathroom | Ideal first time purchase or investment

Georgian apartment | Lovely outlook | Living room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Bathroom | Ideal city base | Early viewing advised

This one bedroom second floor apartment has recently been renovated and is located right in the heart of the city

A delightful Georgian studio apartment located in a prime position in the heart of the city.

The Apartment Company April.indd 3

20/03/2012 12:45

Great Pulteney Street

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ420,000

Prestigious location | Beautifully presented | Spacious living | Modern kitchen | Luxury bathroom | Highly recommended This stunning Grade I listed two bedroom apartment is located in the world famous Great Pulteney Street and offers spacious, well presented accommodation all just a level walk from the city centre. This is a truly beautiful apartment in a wonderful location and an internal viewing is highly recommended.

The Apartment Company April.indd 4

20/03/2012 12:46

Grosvenor Place

Offers in Excess of £245,000

Georgian apartment | Ground Floor | Spacious living | Quality kitchen | Two double bedrooms | Highly recommended A well proportioned and beautifully presented two bedroom ground floor Georgian apartment located on the eastern outskirts of the city. The apartment affords many of its original features including some truly stunning cornicing and wonderful ceiling roses along with marble fireplaces.

Paragon

Offers in Excess of £200,000

Georgian apartment | Beautifully presented | Two double bedrooms | Modern kitchen | Fabulous views | Highly recommended A beautifully presented two bedroom top floor Georgian apartment that affords some of the finest city views. Presented in excellent decorative order and enhanced with gas fired central heating – a super apartment that comes highly recommended.

The Apartment Company April.indd 6

20/03/2012 12:46

Wellow An extremely well presented Victorian detached property with stunning south facing valley views in this highly desirable village | entrance hall | drawing room | kitchen | dining room | utility room | cloakroom | conservatory | study | bathroom | 3 double bedrooms (1 en suite) | oak framed double car port with tool shed | gardens | views | Guide Price: ÂŁ550,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley April.indd 1

19/03/2012 13:17

Freshford A superb attached Grade II listed Mill providing 3000 sq ft of accommodation in this highly sought after and quite exceptional location | garden room | spacious hall | galleried drawing room | sitting room | study | kitchen/breakfast room | cloakroom | master bedroom with en suite bathroom | 3 further bedrooms | family bathroom with separate shower | outbuildings | stores | established gardens | parking | Guide Price ÂŁ1,150,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley April.indd 2

19/03/2012 13:18

Near Kingsdown Handsome detached listed Georgian house dating from around 1724. Light and well presented accommodation | hall | sitting room | farmhouse kitchen | study area | conservatory | utility room | cloakroom | 5 bedrooms | bathroom | shower room | cellar reception room | attic space | double garage | south facing gardens | Guide Price: ÂŁ695,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley April.indd 3

19/03/2012 13:18

1.5 miles Wellow Detached Victorian house in a fine rural location standing in approx 4 acres with various outbuildings including stabling and garaging | hall | sitting room | living room | dining room | breakfast room/kitchen with Aga | sun room/utility | 4 bedrooms (2 en suite) | family bathroom | triple garage/workshop | stone annexe/office suite | Guide Price: ÂŁ750,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley April.indd 4

19/03/2012 13:18

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