The Bath Magazine April 2015 by MC Publishing Limited

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ISSUE 151 • APRIL 2015

www.thebathmag.co.uk £3.00 where sold

E M I T F O S D A E R TH EXHIBITION OF THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES

HOME STYLE BACK TO THE 70s

TALKING POINT SHOULD BATH ELECT ITS MAYOR?

PAINT MAGIC NEW LOOK FOR BATH’S OLDEST BUILDING

BATH FASHION ALICE IN WONDERLAND

T H E C I T Y ’ S F I N E S T M O N T H LY G U I D E T O L I F E A N D L I V I N G I N B AT H

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THE | CONTENTS

APRIL 2015

44 10 THE ESSENTIALS 5 things to do in Bath in April

44 ART EXHIBITIONS The latest in the city’s galleries

12 MY BATH

50 REGENCY BALLROOM

15 TALKING POINT

52 FOOD NEWS

With tour guide Catherine Pitt

Should Bath elect its mayor?

17 FASHION SHOOT Homage to Alice in Wonderland

26 BEAUTIFUL BATH The best salons in town

From music hall to casino

Wining and dining

54 6 OF THE BEST Dog friendly places

56 WEEKEND BREAK Explore historic, stylish Regent Street

30 WHAT’S ON

59 APRIL WINE

Theatre, music, comedy and more

38 CRADLE TO GRAVE The American Museum’s new show

40 GROW YOUR OWN Harvest from just one square metre

42 FACE THE MUSIC Bath musician Clyve spins his discs

Angela Mount’s spring choices

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The night sky in April

82 THE WALK Exploring South Gloucestershire

84 INTERIORS Clair Strong on the 70s revival

86 PAINT MAGIC Profile of decorative artist Adam Calkin

92 GARDENING Sow the seeds for summer colour

98 PROPERTY Beautiful homes to buy or rent

60 BATH AT WORK Neill Menneer’s portrait of the month

62 CITY PEOPLE News of the movers and shakers

66 FUN WITH THE KIDS Activities for the Easter holidays

Even more great content online: thebathmag.co.uk 4 TheBATHMagazine

74 STAR GAZING

ON THE COVER Historic quilt from the American Museum’s Hatched, Matched, Despatched and Patched exhibition

Like us on Facebook.com/ TheBathMagazine

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n older Bathonian was talking to me the other day about the golden times of the past. Life in Bath was better, he reckoned, a few decades ago than it is today. I listened politely to his litany of lost places and events then went away and thought about what he’d said. And you know what, I think he was wrong. Sure there are some things we’re missing that we used to have – like the anarchic fun of Walcot Nation Day or the free opening night picnic and fireworks in Royal Victoria Park that heralded the start of the Bath International Music Festival – but there are also a host of great things about life in Bath that we didn’t have 20 years or so ago. Back then we didn’t have a fantastic, inspiring children’s literature festival or an annual month-long celebration of food and drink, as laid on by the Great Bath Feast each autumn. Nor did we have the Bath Comedy Festival, now in its seventh year and bigger and better than ever. It runs until 6 April, make sure you check out at least some of its shows – many of which are free. You’ve only got to look through the pages of this magazine each month to find out that there are plenty of good things happening in Bath, organised by the city’s great institutions and by the community of creative and caring people in this city. Just in this month alone you could take part in some very varied activities. You could pop in to the Victoria Art Gallery and have a laugh at the warm, witty paintings of Beryl Cook, or marvel at the handiwork of seamstresses past in a major new exhibition at the American Museum, or join a sombre, thought-provoking pilgrimage which is being staged between Frome and Bath in commemoration of those who died 70 years ago in the Holocaust. Why not pick up a paintbrush and have a go at capturing one of Bath’s dazzling landscapes? Or get on your bike and join a friendly weekend touring group? You could take the children to the Cats and Dogs Home at Claverton and fall in love with an abandoned rabbit, or give a home to a hamster. This month Melissa Blease has picked six places to take the dog, for when you fancy a pint and he’d like a bowl of water (see Page 54) while Eirlys Penn encourages us to take a closer look at the abandoned former bingo hall in Sawclose and enjoy its long history as a place of popular entertainment (see Page 50). Our head gardener Jane Moore is full of ideas for which seeds to start growing now to ensure a colourful display in your garden this summer (Page 92) and decorative artist Adam Calkin has transformed Sally Lunn’s, giving Bath’s historic tearooms a stylish and witty new look (Page 86). Professional photographer Neill Menneer continues his popular series of portraits with an interview and photo of a man who’s a familiar sight on the streets of Bath, Hungarian Big Issue vendor Istvan (Page 60), while Mick Ringham buddies up with musician Clyve as the pair talk about the glamour of New York but why Bath is still best (Page 42). Our aim is to inspire you to get out and enjoy Bath and all it has to offer. But we’d also like you to spare some time to consider the hot topic of the moment in Bath and North East Somerset. Should we follow the lead taken by Bristol and elect a mayor for B&NES? We’ve invited Philip Raby, a leading campaigner for an elected mayor for Bath and Don Foster, long-serving MP, to put forward the arguments for and against the proposal. You can read what they think on Page 15 and decide for yourself. If you manage to get some leisure time this month, do take us with you and let us be your companion through the days of April.

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.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

APRIL 2015

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Georgette McCready 01225 424592 georgette@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Deputy Editor Email:

Jenny Hayes jenny@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Financial Director Email:

Jane Miklos jane@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Art & Design Email:

Zoe Tabourajis zoe@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact the Advertising Sales team tel: 01225 424499 Advertising Sales Email:

Liz Grey liz@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Advertising Sales Email:

Kathy Williams kathy@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

The Bath Magazine is distributed free every month to more than 20,000 homes and businesses throughout Bath and the surrounding area. We also have special distribution units in the following city centre stores and coffee shops

2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499. Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmag.co.uk ÂŠ MC Publishing Ltd 2015 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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ZEITGEIST

April

things to do in

Paint

Pick

If we get enough sun over the next few weeks it’ll be time to head down to Farringtons Farm in Farrington Gurney where more than 50,000 tulips will be bursting into life. Enjoy Somerset’s own unique pick-your-own tulip fields. Fill a vase with colour.

Cycle

Enjoy From the pith helmeted explorers to the Mods right up to the stars of 90s Britpop, the desert boot has been worn as one of the great design classics of the 20th century. The Museum of Bath at Work in Julian Road, Bath, is celebrating the 65th anniversary of the footwear since it was created by Clarks with the launch of a new exhibition. The boot was designed in 1949 by Nathan Clark and modelled on a style made in the bazaars of Cairo. Since then it’s become an enduring symbol of for all kinds of tribes, from Teddy boys and 60s flamboyance, and from Cool Britannia to 21st century swagger. The exhibition opens on 9 April.

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If your imagination has been fired by the BBC’s Big Painting Challenge you might want to have a go yourself. Friendly professional Bath artist Andrew Lansley will lead a workshop on landscape painting in the beautiful grounds of the American Museum at Claverton on Saturday 25 April, 10am4pm. He’ll begin with plein air watercolour, followed by an introduction to egg tempera. All materials, including gesso board, sketchbook, brushes, and paint will be provided for a £20 fee. Places are £40 (£34 museum members). To book tel: 01225 820868 or email: workshops@americanmuseum.org

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The Bath CTC (Cyclists’ Touring Club) is a sociable club which meets every Sunday at 9am at Alkmaar Garden, Orange Grove, next to The Empire Hotel, for an all day ride of about 40 – 80 miles, writes member Louise Leigh. Café and pub lunch stops are incorporated for rest and refuelling. For the more adventurous, occasional weekend tours to more distant locations are included in the rides list. We welcome all cyclists, and although I’m in a female minority, I’m included in the group and I’d encourage more women to join. Leaders ensure that no one gets left behind and favour quieter, scenic (if sometimes muddy) lanes. Despite being accused of joining ‘the baggy shorts brigade’ by mountain biking friends, I’ve found the CTC to be a refreshingly unpretentious bunch where enjoyment and comfort are rated above one-upmanship and techie fads. We are part of CTC, an independent cycling charity with a membership of 67,000. Members’ benefits include insurance, legal advice, a magazine and access to events, holidays, cycle training and shop discounts. It aims to inspire and help people to cycle and keep cycling, and if the age of some of our members is anything to go by, it’s proved successful. For information and rides list: ctcwest.org.uk. Information and membership: ctc.org.uk.

Visit

People living in Bath and North East Somerset are now be able to view all exhibitions at the Victoria Art Gallery for free, on production of a Discovery Card. The extension of the scheme to the art gallery coincides with the start of the new Beryl Cook: Intimate Relations exhibition. The show covers the whole of Beryl’s career, from her first painting, Hangover, to her last painting of Tommy in 2008. Some of these oil paintings have never been seen in public. The Residents’ Discovery Card is available to adults age 17 and over and children over 14 living in Bath & North East Somerset. It can be used to gain free entry to the Heritage sites of the Roman Baths, the Fashion Museum and now the Victoria Art Gallery. To apply for a card residents should take their council tax form and one other proof of local residence to the Council Connect One Stop Shop, Manvers Street or the Roman Baths main entrance hall.

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ist

THE CITY THE BUZZ

My BATH We asked Catherine Pitt Bath tour guide and social media marketeer for The Royal Hotel and Bailbrook Lodge what she’ll be doing in Bath this month

What brought you to Bath? My love of the city. I was born here and grew up in Corsham, so every weekend was pretty much spent in Bath exploring. Despite moving away for my degree in medieval history, my masters degree, and various jobs including running my own tour guiding business, the west country always seems to draw me back.

Walk Two popular charities are using the beauty of the Kennet and Avon Canal as a lure for people to support their good causes. The Royal United Hospital’s appeal to buy a new cancer centre is hosting the Walk of Life, which takes place on Saturday 16 May. The walk, sponsored by Kier Construction, challenges people to walk 9,12 or 21 miles along the canal between Devizes and Bath. The Walk of Life was set up in 2008 in memory of Vanessa Kyte – an inspirational mum, daughter, sister, wife and friend who died in 2007. Sign on at: foreverfriendsappeal.co.uk. But if you’d prefer to set out along the canal from Bath towards Pewsey in Wiltshire, Alzheimer’s Support charity is inviting people to walk over the bank holiday weekend of May 22 – 25. Walkers can choose from four sections of the route, from four miles to a leg-stretching 37. The charity offers practical support for Alzheimer’s sufferers and their families. Visit: alzheimerswiltshire.org.uk.

Compete Artists are being invited to submit entries for the Bath Open Art Prize, which will show selected works as part of the city’s Fringe Arts festival in June at 44AD gallery. The closing date is 30 April. Prizes include the people’s choice (arts tokens from Minerva Art Supplies). To submit works, visit the FaB website: fringeartsbath.co.uk/bathopen2015.

Visit

Next time you’re in Oxford Street, London, pop into John Lewis where Bath’s own The Makery has a new make-it centre in the craft and sewing department. Kate Smith, who founded the business, is very excited about taking her workshops to the capital, where people can book hands-on sessions.

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What are you reading? I usually have at least four or five books on the go and tend to prefer non-fiction and reference books. I’m currently working my way through the biographies of Kenny Everett and Errol Flynn, plus various tomes for research on Bath, including the rather amusing The New Bath Guide by Christopher Anstey written in the 1760s, which I found in a charity shop. What is on your MP3 player? I have everything from electro wwing and Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer to Mark Ronson, AC/DC and Madonna. I do love a good bit of rock though to get me going in the mornings. Which café or restaurant takes your fancy? My ideal night out would be a wander through Bath enjoying a few tipples say at The Star, The Porter or The Old Green Tree. I’d then end up in The Royal Hotel’s 1846 Bar, before dining in their Brasserie Brunel with a delicious rump steak, and warm chocolate brownie. I may be biased, but The Royal is more than just a hotel; it serves good local, fresh food at great prices. Which museum or gallery will you be visiting? Many moons ago I worked at The Fashion Museum so I like to pop in there from time to time. There are so many smaller museums and galleries in the city that don’t get the press as much and I enjoy making time to visit them, such as The Old Theatre Royal and Bath Architecture Museum. This month there’s a symposium about the Beau Street Hoard at The Roman Baths, so I hope to head along to that too. Your passions? What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing? When I’m not working you’ll find me rooting around in the city’s vintage, charity, and bookshops; I love heading to Green Park Market on Sundays when the Vintage and Antique

Market is on to look for a trinket or two. Being self-employed I understand the importance of supporting local independent businesses, so I try and use them as much as possible when I’m shopping. History and pubs are my other passions, so if you can’t find me in the vintage shops then I’m to be found holed up in a pub reading a history book and planning some tours of Bath. What local outdoor activity or event will you be doing or visiting? I’ll be doing my usual jaunt to Green Park Station either for the fantastic Farmers’ Market on Saturdays or the Vintage and Antique Fair on Sundays. As the weather picks up I start to look forward to picnics in Royal Victoria Park or Parade Gardens, which brings back memories of watching Punch and Judy shows there when I was little. Film or play? What will you be going to see this month? If I do go out it tends to be to a music venue such as the Motown night at Komedia, or to enjoy live music at The Bell in Walcot Street. Do you have any projects on the go? I’m working on my new blog for The Royal Hotel and Bailbrook Lodge called Focus On Bath. This is a monthly look at a specific business, museum, site, gallery or person. There’s so much to do in Bath that I wanted to focus on certain places and go behind the scenes. I also tend to find that people don’t like to be a tourist in their own city so hopefully this will encourage Bathonians to go explore and enjoy. By the end of April there will be a downloadable walking tour I’ve created to start and finish at The Royal Hotel. This will include a discount at the hotel. The hotel and Bailbrook Lodge both offer a free loyalty card which offers discounts. To read the Focus On Bath blogs visit: royalhotelbath.co.uk/blog, bailbrooklodge.co.uk/blog Twitter: @royalhotelbath and @bailbrooklodge.

We’re following @NaturalTheatre, Bath’s own Natural Theatre Company, world leaders in street performance. Their actors use humour to tackle serious issues, such as the recent #homesforbritain as well as making us laugh out loud with their characters – great ambassadors for Bath

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CITY | DEBATE

THIS HOUSE BELIEVES... IT’S TIME THE PEOPLE OF BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET HAD AN ELECTED MAYOR, PROPOSES CAMPAIGNER Philip Raby

ould you like a choice about who leads the local council? Did you choose the current leader (do you even know who he/she is?), and will you have a say in who is the leader of the new council after the May elections? If the answer to those questions is yes, no (no) and no, then read on. At present, the Leader of the council is chosen by a small group of councillors. An elected Mayor is voted for by the whole electorate. This mandate is one of the key reasons why elected Mayors have a significant element of soft power. Their authority is based on the fact that people have voted for them. That allows an elected Mayor to act more decisively in the public interest than a leader chosen behind closed doors by his/her fellow councilors. There are 16 elected Mayors in the UK, and many more across the world. In most cases, they have been remarkably successful. Some belong to political parties, some are independent. And they all answer to the people who elected them, rather to their fellow politicians. An elected Mayor offers leadership that can be: ambitious, visible, collaborative, independent, emotionally intelligent and accountable. In the words of Dorothy Thornhill – Lib Dem elected Mayor for Watford (population 90,000): “I have been able to do far more by being a mayor than if I were a council leader.” She has been re-elected three times. As a result of George Ferguson’s election in Bristol, the city has a significantly higher profile (European Green Capital 2015), and inward economic investment has gone up by 40% in the last two years. This is the consequence of a leader making bold decisions; the problem in B&NES is that the council has tended to avoid making awkward decisions because it has been desperate to avoid taking risks. Bath, with the towns, villages and countryside that make up B&NES is one of the great small cities of the world. But we have never had the political leadership needed to achieve our full potential. For the last 20 years, since B&NES was created, local elections have resulted in alternating Lib Dem and Conservative minority councils, none of which have been willing or able to push through substantial and sustainable development. We believe there is a need for a fundamental change in the political system that governs B&NES. And judging by the response that we have had as we collect signatures, a lot of people feel the same way. The division between Bath on the one hand, and North East Somerset on the other, has been an unresolved issue for too long. An elected Mayor who has been chosen by voters will represent everyone, ensuring equal treatment, and (just as important) the perception of fairness. Another reason to support this campaign is that central government takes elected mayors seriously, and is willing to give them more powers and financial support because of their mandate. As we move towards more regional government, it becomes even more important that we have a strong and visible local champion. There are a certain number of misconceptions about the role of the elected Mayor. It is neither presidential nor dictatorial. Indeed, the fact that he/she has been elected, makes him or her more responsive to voters. It is not an extra tier of government, just a simple matter of an elected Mayor replacing the leader of the council. Nor is there any significant difference in cost, apart from a one off referendum (the council declined to hold it at the same time as the other May elections). An elected Mayor has the capacity to save money by implementing policies that make the most of resources. Regional governance is going to become more important. B&NES needs dynamic and accountable leadership to ensure that we can act as an equal partner in the evolution of those changes. It comes down to this. Do you want to choose how you are governed and by whom? Can an elected Mayor do a better job of making B&NES a world class place in which to live, work and play? Our answer to both those questions is yes. ■

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

BATH & NORTH EAST SOMERSET DOES NOT NEED AN ELECTED MAYOR, ARGUES OUTGOING MP

Don Foster

do not support an elected Mayor for B&NES. However, I’m pleased that the issue has generated much debate on the way in which our area should be governed and that the LibDem run council has – following on from regular Bath city conferences – developed proposals to give the people a stronger say in council decision making and addressing the democratic deficit of there being no parish councils in Bath itself. In the last few years we’ve seen major changes in the power handed down from Whitehall to local areas. Councils have seen the removal of many of the strings attached to grants from central government, have been allowed to retain 50% of business rates to increase local control of public finance, and given the freedom to offer business rate discounts to help attract more investment and jobs. Councils – like B&NES – have been given greater power to determine their own house building plans. Over the past four years, our award winning Lib Dem-run B&NES Council has made good use of these powers with notable achievements and successes in home building, sustainability and a planning department ranked amongst the top five in the country. Jobs have been created and unemployment has fallen, school exam results are some of the best in the country, council tax has been frozen for the past 4 years and costs have been significantly reduced. Public satisfaction with the council is extremely high and external evaluations show it to be well performing. Perhaps most importantly, B&NES Council is seen as a “listening council”; a council willing to change decisions in the light of public opinion and a council getting to grips with issues that concern local residents like ensuring more affordable housing is built or imaginative solutions are found to our transport problems. Given this, one has to ask: “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” But the case against an elected Mayor is more than that. As a Government Minister I was able to introduce legislation which will help further devolution to communities; a range of Community Rights such as Neighbourhood Planning and the Community Right to Bid. I believe we should be developing the use of these opportunities and empowering Bathonians rather than concentrating power in the hands of one individual. Such concentration of power can lead to unaccountable, secretive and authoritarian leadership. The 65 councillors collectively set the budget and the strategy of the council. They each speak for the communities in which they are rooted. Could a single person, as Mayor, have such indepth knowledge of every part of B&NES? Could such a person balance the needs of all parts of the area? A mayoral system risks there being fewer checks and balances as the opportunities for councillors to scrutinise and influence decisions is reduced. It may well lead to fewer people offering to become councillors. Any decision must be made by local people to determine what they feel is right for them. It’s instructive to reflect on decisions taken elsewhere. In 2012, referenda in 10 cities led to nine saying no to elected mayors. In the same year, Hartlepool voted to abolish the post of elected Mayor. In 2009, Stoke-on-Trent also voted to abolish the post after just seven years of having an elected mayor. Closer to home, the elected Mayor of Bristol is by no means universally popular and a campaign has been under way to abolish the post. Of course we need people to champion our area and to drive economic development and growth, to ensure services are efficiently and effectively delivered and that all the different communities are fairly treated. But surely it is better to have a range of people doing that rather than just one individual. And I share the view of 63% of people (as shown in an opinion poll {British Social Attitudes Survey}) that an elected Mayor would NOT make it “easier to get things done”. So, while no system is perfect, I’m opposed to an elected Mayor for B&NES. It might be right for some places. But while locally we already have a system which is giving successful and vigorous leadership, overseeing great developments and delivering many highly regarded services, I see no case for it here. I see few benefits and many dangers. ■

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SPRING | FASHION

THE WONDER OF

Alice

This year is the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland so in tribute Bath design houses Carina Baverstock and Chanii B teamed up with milliner Carrie Jenkinson for a quintessentially English shoot

FOLLOW THE WHITE RABBIT: Isabella wears Flora dress by Temperley London @ Carina Baverstock, Suu headpiece by Carrie Jenkinson and Petit Chou flat peep-toe pump in black and fuchsia WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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SPRING | FASHION

CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER: Isabella wears Arielle dress by Temperley London @ Carina Baverstock, Claudia headpiece by Carrie Jenkinson and Rainbow ponyskin shoe and matching clutch by Chanii B

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SPRING | FASHION

THIS PAGE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ALWAYS TEA TIME: Flora dress by Temperley London @ Carina Baverstock, Billie headpiece by Carrie Jenkinson, Coco sandal by Chanii B OPPOSITE PAGE: Ines dress by David Fielden, Jane headpiece by Carrie Jenkinson and Danii white leather bootee, Chanii B

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SPRING | FASHION

WHO IN THE WORLD AM I: Bella dress by David Fielden @ Carina Baverstock, La Lune fuchsia leather sandal with ribbon lace by Chanii B

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SPRING | FASHION

Why, you’re

nothing more than a

pack of

cards

THE TIME HAS COME: Alicia by David Fielden @ Carina Baverstock, Aloof platform wedge sandals by Chanii B

THANK YOU

Photography: BETHAN ECCLES Styling: CHLOE BOWEN AND LUCY HAYWARD Art direction: SARAH ASPREY Hair and make-up: SARAH ECCLES-MARKEY Model: ISABELLA HAYWARD-RODGERS Clothes: CARINA BAVERSTOCK, MILSOM PLACE Millinery: CARRIE JENKINSON Shoes: CHANII B, MILSOM PLACE Clocks: ALISTAIR MCCLEMONT AT BATH CLOCKWORKS Location: THE BATH PRIORY HOTEL 24 TheBATHMagazine

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READ IT | AND TREAT

The beﬆ little HAIR & BEAUTY SALONS IN BATH Every year we run the hugely popular ‘Best Little Shops in Bath’ feature - but for this issue, we have saved something rather special for you. The Bath Magazine has been enjoying a tour of some of the city’s best Hair and Beauty Salons ... and wow, do we look good.

ARTIZAN GEORGE STREET Artizan George Street Townhouse, George Street, Bath. BA1 2EH Tel: 01225 447087 www.artizanbath.co.uk At this bespoke, boutique-style salon you will be treated to an exclusively Aveda experience. They will pamper you with Aveda hair products, for your hair type, and every client is offered an Aveda complimentary stress-relieving neck, head and shoulder or hand massage, using mood-lifting flower and plant essences - a lovely treat. They have a reputation for excellent hair services and high customer satisfaction. On arrival your stylist will give you an initial consultation, where he/she will take the time to understand what it is you really want to achieve with your hair, whilst helping and advising you on what will work for your face shape and lifestyle. The Artizan George Street Townhouse mantra is: A hairstyle isn’t just about fashion. It must suit your face shape, your lifestyle and, most of all, your personality.

FINE AND DANDY BARBERSHOP 4 Prior Park Road, Widcombe, Bath. BA2 4NG Tel: 01225 461848 www.fineanddandybarbers.com One of Bath’s coolest barbershops, Fine & Dandy was opened in September 2014 by Robbie Emm who has over 10 years experience in the barbering trade. The haircuts are classic, creative or modern and cut with precision. Beards can be reshaped and moustaches trimmed with the luxury of American Crew products. Now a firmly established favourite in Widcombe, the creation came complete with period perfect chairs, reclaimed wood and vintage periodicals. The barbershop is filled with good soul music and the odd vinyl playing in the background. The paying gent can enjoy a coffee no matter what time of day as Fine & Dandy is open 10am till 7pm Tuesday to Friday and 9am till 3pm Saturdays.

THE ORANGERY Laser & Beauty Clinic No. 2 Kingsmead Street, Bath. BA1 2AA Tel: 01225 466851. www.theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

The Orangery Laser & Beauty Clinic is an independent salon situated in a corner of Kingsmead Square in the heart of the city centre. The clinic has been established for over twenty years and has an excellent reputation. An oasis of calm with a friendly professional service they offer exceptional customer care and an extensive list of treatments by a small team of experienced Beauty Therapists and IPL Laser Technicians. Additionally to all the usual maintenance beauty treatments they are also well known for offering professional and affordable IPL Laser (Hair & Red Vein reduction) and retailing salon exclusive Guinot and Jan Marini Products.

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JENNIFER LUCKHAM No.3 Hairdressing BEAUTY SALON 32 Monmouth Street, Bath. BA1 2AN Tel: 01225 428741 www.jenniferluckham-beautysalon.co.uk

3 Saville Row, Bath. BA1 2QP Tel: 01225 443222 www.no3hairdressing.co.uk Meet No.3 Hairdressing. This contemporary hub of creativity is a place where you’ll always leave looking (and feeling) better than when you arrived. The experienced team of friendly faces at No.3 approaches hairdressing as an art. A unique blend of passion, personality and talent – plus ongoing staff training from Bumble & Bumble – keeps the salon’s work fresh and forward-thinking. There are also on-trend barbering options available, plus a menu of nail, lash and threading services. Join No.3 for Prosecco Saturdays, enjoy a summer Pimms in their private garden or find inspiration in their collection of fashion and design books.

LE ROSE PARFAITE 8 Chapel Row, Bath. BA1 1HN Tel: 01225 426123 www.laroseparfaite.co.uk

Claire Lawton (CIDESCO) and Heather Lippiatt co- own Jennifer Luckham Beauty Salon and this year will be celebrating 25 years of keeping Bath beautiful ! It's a very special independent salon offering beauty therapies including Clarins face and body treatments, relaxing Thalgo wraps, manicures, pedicures, waxing, electrolysis and CACI non- surgical face lifts. All the therapists are wonderfully experienced and have been with the salon for many years which means there’s good continuity for regular clients combined with excellent understanding and care. New customers are made to feel very welcome and are invited to a complimentary consultation to discuss their requirements.

As an established Beauty Salon, in the heart of the city, they pride themselves on offering excellent service to their clients. Many of them have been visiting us since they opened six years ago. Le Rose Parfaite aims to provide exceptional treatments and customer care to everyone. Their professional product ranges include Skinceuticals - an advanced skincare range designed to treat all skin concerns, Shellac polish for long lasting glossy nails and Lycon hot wax for a more comfortable waxing experience, all carried out by highly trained therapists. The CACI Ultimate machine has the newest technology available for the best results, using micro-currents to re-educate facial muscles. La Rose Parfaite is open Monday - Saturday, with late night appointments available on Wednesday and Thursday.

HEADMASTERS BATH 30-32 Westgate Street, Bath. BA1 1EL Tel: 01225 447028 / 0345 459 7717 www.headmasters.com/salons/bath Situated at the heart of the city; Headmasters Bath is the perfect place for a thorough pampering. Their team of experienced, talented stylists ensure you get everything you expect from a great hair salon - exquisite cutting, innovative, beautiful colour and a little haven where you really do feel like a VIP. The salon was designed with comfort in mind, based on neutral colours, minimalist lines and a contemporary atmosphere. You can take advantage of complimentary refreshments throughout your appointment, and you’ll emerge feeling de-stressed, tranquil and looking pretty amazing. On top of all that, the Headmasters team guarantee you a free consultation with an experienced stylist who will be able to advise you on cut, colour, condition and maintenance at home; a luxury head massage, plus gratuitous fringe trims as often as you need them. Bliss.

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THE BROW PLACE 6 Abbey Gate Street, (just off Abbey Green) Bath. BA1 1NP Tel: 01225 443821 www.thebrowplace.co.uk Run by mother and daughter, Sue & Amy Adams, The Brow Place has brought a new concept of easy access but top quality eyebrow/eyelash treatments to Bath. They took the idea of a drop-in brow bar normally found in a public place, and put it in the privacy of a salon but with brow bar prices. Their desire is to be seen as convenient, excellent value, experts in their field and to be where people go to for advice. In their first 18 months they have been finalists in both The Bath Chronicle & the Bath Life Business Awards.

THE BEST OF THE REST THE SPA & BATH HOUSE The Royal Crescent Hotel, 16 Royal Crescent, Bath. BA1 2LS 01225 823333

DAVID MAXWELL 11 Claverton Buildings, Widcombe, Bath. BA2 4LD 01225 310200 and 10 Argyle Street, Bath. BA2 4BQ 01225 435713

ALL ABOUT YOU 1 Saville Row, Bath. BA1 2QP 01225 465540

BOBBY MAK HAIR

HACKETTS Mens Hairdressers 5 Green Park Station, Bath. BA1 1JB Tel: 01225 465200 www.hackettsmenshairdressers.co.uk Not too sure what look to go for...? Hipster or traditional..? Hackett stylists are experts in their field and based on your style, lifestyle and look they will advise you on the best cut for you. Using some of the very best hair products from American Crew, Fudge and Redken for Men, Hackett always selects the best products for your hair so you can see them first-hand and in use. With two salons in both Bath and Frome, Hacketts has certainly made their name in the South West and now it is time for you to experience their expert scissors.

GREEN STREET HOUSE 14 Green Street, Bath. BA1 2JZ Tel: 01225 426000 www.greenstreethouse.co.uk Green Street House is a unique Urban Day Spa located in the centre of Bath. We offer a luxury relaxation experience whilst providing high performance treatments, therapies , and rituals using our carefully selected range of spa products. Our focus is very much on the customer and their journey, attention to detail and overall wellbeing. Boasting five treatment rooms including a Ritual Suite for dual treatments, a Shower Room for body wraps plus a heavenly Relaxation Suite to be enjoyed before and after treatments, Green Street House has something to offer everyone. Green Street House can also provide for an array of occasions. Whether you’re seeking a hen party venue, a romantic gift for Valentines or a present for Christmas, Betsi Hughes and her team offer a wide selection of booking options, retail products and gift vouchers to purchase. We believe the Green Street House Experience is an Urban Day Spa like no other!

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15 Old Bond Street, Bath. BA1 1BP 01225 337245

CORNERS HAIR STUDIO 11 St James's Street, Bath. BA1 2TW 01225 446311

JJ’s 217 London Road East, Bath. BA1 7NB 01225 858565

REGIS HAIR SALON Ist Floor of Jolly's, 13 Milsom Street Bath. BA1 1DD 01225 335308

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WHAT’S ON in April EVENTS ARE LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER

A Mad World My Masters

BATH COMEDY FESTIVAL Friday 27 March – Monday 6 April n Various venues in Bath This is the biggest city comedy festival to date with more than 100 events planned in pubs, concert venues and at Bath Cricket Club. There’s some well established talent, including Scottish comedian Fred MacAulay, Mick Ferry (who won Best Live Stand-Up in 2013) and Richard Herring (catch his show at Komedia on 2 April, it’s called Lord of the Dance Settee). There’s also a whole raft of comedians you might not know but who will be aiming to entertain, and this includes a gaggle of women comedians, from Diane Spencer and Harriet Kemsley to Stephanie Laing and Bec Hill. Pick up a programme for more details or visit: bathcomedy.com. TOM CONTI IN TWELVE ANGRY MEN Monday 30 March – Saturday 4 April, times vary n Theatre Royal, Sawclose, Bath Bill Kenwright’s production was lauded as ‘the classiest, most intelligent drama in the West End’ and now Bath audiences can judge for themselves as one of Britain’s most popular actors heads the cast in this classic jury room drama. Tickets: tel: 01225 448844, visit: theatreroyal.org.uk.

Tom Conti

THE BATH PLUG AWARD WITH TERRY JONES

Terry Jones Fred’s House

Harriet Kemsley

Also at the Theatre Royal this month A MAD WORLD MY MASTERS Tuesday 7 – Saturday 11 April, times vary If you enjoyed the re-working of One Man Two Masters, we are reliably informed you’ll have a good time with this fast-paced Jacobean romp, which has been set in 1950s Soho. Presented by the English Touring Theatre and directed by Sean Foley, who also directed The Play What I Wrote, this promises Bath audiences a good time. AND THEN THERE WERE NONE Monday 13 – Saturday 18 April, times vary Who doesn’t love an Agatha Christie whodunnit? Based on her bestselling thriller, this drama sees ten strangers lured to a remote island off the coast of Devon. This production is from the successful Agatha Christie Company.

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Sunday 5 April, from 5pm n Little Theatre cinema, Bath Comedy festival organiser Nick Steel invited Python Terry Jones last year to be festival patron, and was delighted when he accepted. This year Jones descends on the city for a meander through his funny screen career and the presentation of the prestigious Bath Plug award. The evening begins with a screening of Wind in the Willows, which stars Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Steve Coogan, and ends with the showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Tickets: £10 – £20. Tel: 0871 902 5735. Booking is essential.

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WILTSHIRE AND SWINDON YOUTH ORCHESTRA WITH PIANIST ALEXANDRA DARIESCU Friday 3 April (Good Friday), 7.30pm n Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1DZ Alexandra Dariescu is a Romanian pianist who BBC Music magazine dubbed a rising star. She will play Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2 in C Minor and will be joined in other pieces by some of the most talented young musicians in the county. Tickets: £15/£9 u18s. Tel: 01225 860100. Also at Wiltshire Music Centre this month CLARE MARTIN AND JO STILGOE Saturday 18 April, 7.30pm Clare Martin, jazz singer, teams up with singer/painist Joe Stilgoe for an evening of music celebrating April in Paris. From Gershwin to Cole Porter, Charles Trenet to Maurice Chevalier, this programme is a whirl of Gallic glitz and glamour. Tickets: £20/£10 concs.

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ALINA IBRAGIMOVA AND CEDRIC TIBERGHIEN Wednesday 22 April, 7.30pm Violinist Ibragimova and pianist Tiberghien are two successful musicians who have played in some of the world’s top venues. They are brought together for a delightful evening of Mozart’s violin concertos. Tickets: £22/£11 concs. ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND THE PARAGON SINGERS: WATERCYCLE Saturday 25 April, 7.30pm The popular OAE takes us on an inspirational journey through waterthemed highlights of the Baroque era, accompanied by local chamber choir the Paragon Singers. Tickets: £12/£6 concs. MEDITATION IN MUSIC FOR GOOD FRIDAY Friday 3 April, 7.30pm (Doors open 7pm) ■ Bath Abbey All are welcome to join this Good Friday performance of the muchloved Stainer’s Crucifixion sung by Bath Abbey’s choirs of Girls and Men. With hymns for congregational participation. No tickets or booking required. For further information, contact the Abbey Office: Tel. 01225 422462 or email office@bathabbey.org BOHEMIA PRESENTS: DICK AND DAISY Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 April, 7.30pm ■ The Mission Theatre, Corn Street, Bath BA1 1UF When young Annie finds an old scrapbook and secret memoirs belonging to her Grandmother, Marguerite, she can scarcely imagine the colourful story hidden within... As aged Marguerite (Daisy) writes and reads her memoirs, we learn that she was a gentleman’s daughter who married the young actor, Dick, against her family’s wishes in 1906. Following the marriage, Daisy was unprepared for the years of drama that would follow when Dick, after an incident with a gun, fled the country, only to appear later in early Chaplin films. Dick’s unmasking by his grown-up son in San Francisco during the Roaring Twenties, adds a colourful and dramatic twist to the story. £10 (£8 concs) Tel: 0117 9710556 or Bath Box Office 01225 463362 online at www.bathboxoffice.org.uk. Also at the Mission this month JOHNNY COPPIN Thursday 30 April 7.30pm Enjoy an evening of beautiful songs by an acclaimed singer/songwriter who returns to Bath armed with his latest album Borderland. Featuring both guitar and piano, Johnny's music is essentially English, and always melodic and evocative. Tickets £14 (£2 concs). Tel: 01225 463362. Enjoy a meal before the show: The Green Room is open from 6pm with a full range of vegetarian dishes and desserts. Tel: 01225 428600 in advance to book your table. FRED’S HOUSE Saturday 11 April, 7.30pm ■ Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1QR An award winning band from Cambridge, which plays elements of folk, blues, country, classic rock and West Coast with echoes of the 70s. On vocals are real-life couple, song-writing duo Griff Jameson and Vikki Gavin, enriched with a third part harmony from bassist Gafyn Jameson (Griff’s brother), lead guitar Lachlan Golder and drummer Paul Richards. The band has played support for the likes of Eddi Reader, The Wonderstuff and Lucy Rose and has had received national airplay on BBC 6Music, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Introducing. Tickets: £10 (£12 on the door), tel: 01225 461700 or visit: chapelarts.org Also at Chapel Arts this month SNAKE DAVIS BAND Friday 24 April, 7.30pm If you think you haven’t heard saxophonist Snake playing before, you could be mistaken, as he has played with legends such as Ray Charles, Take That; Mary Wilson and Will Young and has a long association with M-People, Heather Small and Lisa Stansfield. The band perform classics from McCartney to Junior Walker or Prince as well as self penned numbers. Tickets: £12 (£14 on the door). Snake Davis Continued Page 32 >> WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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SPRINGTIME BLUES: CONCERT AND FILM Sunday 12 April, 7.30pm ■ Little Theatre Cinema, St Michael’s Place, Bath Enjoy a double dose of the finest delta tunes, courtesy of a live performance from Michael Roach, followed by a tale from Mississippi interspersed with cracking archive performances. Roach sings and plays guitar in a style of blues that dates back to the 1920s. After spending several years learning from such well-known figures as John Jackson, John Cephas and Jerry Ricks, Roach is an exceptional performer, with six albums to his credit. Followed by a screening of Warming by the Devil’s Fire (12A). Director Charles Burnett presents a tale about a boy's encounter with his family in Mississippi in the 1950s. Featuring archive footage of Bessie Smith and Lightnin’ Hopkins, this mix of drama and documentary drips with Deep South atmosphere. Tickets: £14/£12 conc. Tel: 08717 042061.

Michael Roach

SUPERNATURAL THRILLERS WITH JOHN CONNOLLY Monday 13 April, 7.45pm ■ Topping & Co bookshop, the Paragon, Bath John Connolly is back with a new Charlie Parker thriller, A Song of Shadows. Private investigator Charlie Parker has befriended the widow Ruth Winter in Boreas, the small Maine town that he has chosen for his convalescence. Parker suspects that Ruth, like himself, is avoiding her traumatic past – a past that involves a Second World War concentration camp like no other. Something is emerging from the shadows, and Parker finds himself standing between Ruth and her demise as old atrocities are unearthed. This is an exciting chance to hear the machinations of storytelling from a true master. Tickets £6 in advance, tel: 01225 428111.

PROVINCIAL BOOKSELLERS FAIRS ASSOCIATION BATH BOOK FAIR Saturday 18 April, 10.30am – 4.30pm ■ The Assembly Rooms, BA1 2QH Bath Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t need any more books in the house. This fair will prove them wrong. There’ll be more than 30 booksellers offering a selection of their wares in the same ballroom that Charles Dickens and Jane Austen graced. Browse and buy from a wide range of books. Prices start at just a few pounds. Admission £2 .

Hayseed Dixie at Komedia Dry stone walling

Also hosted by Topping & Co this month MARTIN HUGHES-GAMES Monday 27 April, 7.30pm ■ Museum of Bath at Work, Julian Road, Bath Before Martin Hughes-Games joined the Autumnwatch and Springwatch team, he spent many years behind the camera, producing wildlife documentaries. From the rainforests of South America, the scorching grasslands of Africa, to the dizzying heights of the Himalayas, Martin’s sense of adventure and fascination with wildlife has driven him to some of the world’s most perilous environments. Over a career spanning three decades, Martin has captured the extraordinary life and diversity of the animal kingdom on film. In his book A Wild Life, Martin packs this experience into a rich and boisterous memoir.

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DANCE: THE HAPPINESS Wednesday 15 April, 7.30pm ■ Weston Studio, The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton, BA2 7AY Karla Shacklock presents a show that combines breakneck choreography, spoken word, live sound and ever transforming images to bring an emotional and colourful experience. Tickets: £10/£8 concessions. Tel: 01225 386777. Also at the University of Bath this month RECITAL: CHORAL AND ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY Saturday 25 April, 7.30pm This will be a formal recital from a range of auditioned soloists. Tickets: £4 in advance, £5 on the door, from tel: 01225 386777. THEATRE: THIS MOMENT NOW Thursday 30 April, 7.30pm A world premiere which is part of the Bath Taps into Science project. It has grown from a workshop held previously. Expect live drumming, a cup of tea, ideas on time dilation and ageing. Tickets: £10/£8 concessions. Tel: 01225 386777.

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TALK: WEDDING DRESSES 1775 – 2014 Thursday 16 April, 6.30pm reception, 7pm talk n The American Museum, Claverton, Bath Edwina Ehrman, curator of fashion and textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum, discusses key pieces from the recent Wedding Dresses 1775-2014 exhibition, and explores the history of the wedding dress in Britain. Tickets: £7 (£5 museum members) tel: 01225 820868 or email: workshops@americanmuseum.org. Also at the American Museum this month MARIACHI TEQUILA Sunday 19 April, 2pm Who doesn’t love the joyful sound of a mariachi band? London-based Mariachi Tequila specialises in traditional Mexican popular music with a repertoire including boleros, corridos, rancheros, and jarabes. American musical forms in their own right, these genres have influenced music-making across the US. Admission with gardens only ticket. LEARN DRY STONE WALLING Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April 10am – 4pm n Dyrham Park, National Trust SN14 8HY Learn a new skill to help maintain the walls at Dyrham Park. Work alongside National Trust staff and volunteers to learn the traditional skill of dry stone walling. Six places available at £60 per person. For more details and to book tel: 0117 9371333. BEAU STREET HOARD: MONEY BAGS FROM ROMAN BATH Wednesday 22 April, 7.30pm n Pump Room Free public lecture on the Beau Street Hoard by Richard Abdy, British Museum curator of Roman coins. Book on Eventbrite.co.uk. SING WITH SASSPARELLA: THE MUSIC OF MOTOWN Saturday 18 April, 10am – 6pm n Selwyn Hall, Box An opportunity for anyone who loves to sing. Join the Bath-based community choir, Sassparella, for a full day of learning and singing Motown classics, finishing up with a performance accompanied by a live soul band. The day will be led by local singer/songwriter Cindy Stratton and Marius Frank, the musical directors of Sassparella. Participants don’t need to be able to read music. Places are £20/ £16 concessions (OAP’s and under 18’s). To find out more, and reserve a place visit: sassparella.net/sing-with-sass or call 07803 136745. ARENA AND LCUK (LANDSCAPE COLLECTIVE UK) GROUP SHOW 24 April – 10 July n The Royal United Hospital, Combe Park, Bath Following last year’s popular Arena Exhibition at the Royal United Hospital, the group returns with a new show featuring work from group members Nicky Gwynn Jones, Tony Worobiec, Susan Brown, John Chamberlain, Harry Cundall, Carol Hicks and Leigh Preston. The exhibition is in conjunction with LCUK Group, an inaugural exhibition of unique and award winning landscape photography. Cadgwith Cove by Roger Longdin Open daily, 8am – 8pm. A HANDFUL OF SINGERS: RACHMANINOV’S VESPERS Saturday 25 April 7.30pm n St Mary the Virgin Church, Bathwick BA2 4EB Bath’s highly acclaimed chamber choir, A Handful of Singers, presents Rachmaninov’s Vespers, his rich and deeply moving setting of the Russian Orthodox Church liturgy, performed by candlelight in the atmospheric surroundings of St Mary’s church. The concert includes a guest appearance by the outstanding Wells Cathedral School choir Choralia (finalist in in Let the People Sing 2013), conducted by Christopher Finch. Tel: 01225 463362 or visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk. Continued Page 34 >> WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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WHAT’S | ON HAYSEED DIXIE

canvases of the Arctic Circle. The choir will be conducted by Will Dawes. With proceeds to Julian House and Hospice South West. Tickets from the Ticket Secretary, tel: 01225 425621 or 07951-885102 or visit:bath-choralsociety.org.uk.

Sunday 26 April, from 7.30pm

n Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath The driving hard rock of AC/DC gets the Appalachian mountain treatment as one of those most original tribute bands offers up its unique rockgrass treatment of songs from a series of rock legends, including AC/DC. You won’t have heard anything like this before, we promise you. Catch the Hayseed Dixie sound while you can. Tickets £15. Tel: 0845 293 8480. PLANNING AHEAD PARAGON SINGERS PRESENT ITS TWIN CHOIR OPUS XIII Saturday 2 May, 7.30pm n St Swithin’s Church, Walcot, BA1 5LY Last September Bath’s Paragon Singers visited Aix-en-Provence as guests of Opus XIII. As part of their return visit, Opus XIII will perfom Fauré’s Requiem and music from Venice in St Swithin’s Church. Paragon Singers will join them to sing Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and the Hallelujah Chorus. Director: MarieHelene Coulomb. Tickets: £10 from Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362.

Hilltop Nurseries, In Clover, Ivy Cottage Nursery, Long Acre Plants, Special Plants, The Mead Nursery, NW Plants, and Wild Thyme. Growers and gardening enthusiasts will be on hand to provide information and advice. There will also be a second hand gardening and cookery book stall.

THE FRIENDS OF THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM PLANT SALE Sunday 10 May, 11am – 2pm n Outside the Holburne Museum Stock up on horticultural treasures at this annual plant sale. Browse at the Friends’ plant stall and stalls from specialist nurseries, including Chase Plants, Evolution Plants,

BATH CHORAL SOCIETY: MUSIC FOR A SUMMER’S AFTERNOON Saturday 20 June, 3pm n Prior Park College chapel, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath BA2 5AH An afternoon of music by Bach, Rachmaninov, Sibelius, Grieg, Nystedt and Part, which evoke images of the wide open Steppes and the vast

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Ray Davies

RAY DAVIES Saturday 8 August n The grounds of Glastonbury Abbey Ray Davies, stellar British singer-songwriter and former lead singer with the Kinks, is the star of this year’s Extravaganza, organised by Michael Eavis. The concert will end with a firework display. Tickets: £35 adult and £20 (children six to 16), or £40 adult, £25 children on the day. Visit: glastonburyabbey.com/Extravaganza2015. There is also an exclusive campsite for ticket holders. WORLD PREMIERE: MRS HENDERSON PRESENTS Friday 14 August - Saturday 5 September n Theatre Royal Bath Based on the successful film starring Dame Judi Dench and the late great Bob Hoskins comes this musical based on the famous London Windmill Theatre, which during the war entertained audiences with its scenes of naked women posing as statues. It famously boasted: ‘we never close.’ Bath is to host the world premiere of the show before it goes into the West End. With lyrics by Don Black and direction from West End director Terry Johnson this promises to be one hot ticket. n

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BATH PHILHARMONIA TIM HUGH, cello

THURSDAY, 16 APRIL, BATH ABBEY, 7:30PM Shostakovich - Cello Concerto No. 1 Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”

“….every phrase was transmitted with a depth and subtlety, rare even from the greatest players.” The Strad Magazine

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Tickets: £28/22/18 (£5 unreserved) Available at the Bath Box Office 01225 463362, www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

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Royal School of Needlework Hand Embroidery Classes in Bristol • Join us for fun Day Classes: beginners and all levels welcome • Learn traditional embroidery techniques to a high technical standard on the Royal School of Needlework Certificate and Diploma • Study on our two week Summer Intensive Course in July 2015 Venue: 38 Old School House, Kingswood Estate, Britannia Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 8DB

Join us at Bath in Fashion 2015 on 25 March and pre-book for: ‘Beautiful Buttons’ Workshops at 10.30am & 2pm Anthropologie, New Bond Street ‘Embellishing Fashion’ Lecture, at 2pm Assembly Rooms For more information visit www.royal-needlework.org.uk Contact Anne Butcher - T: 020 3166 6937 anne.butcher@royal-needlework.org.uk RCN 312774

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CITY I EXHIBITIONS

THE THREADS OF HISTORY A new exhibition at the American Museum sees the milestones of our lives, from birth to death, reflected in textiles Georgette McCready visits Hatched, Matched, Despatched – and Patched

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❝

Women would sew themselves heavy, black quilted funeral skirts in anticipation that they would be buried wearing one

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rnest Hemingway wrote the shortest tale ever in just six words: ‘For sale: baby shoes, never worn.’ And just as there is an ocean of sadness in that brief sentence – an unimaginable pain and grief – so some of the pieces on display at the American Museum’s big summer show this year have the power to evoke strong emotion. The museum has drawn upon its worldwide reputation as a collection for textiles to create an exhibition based around the universal themes of birth, marriage and death. From the delicately embroidered fine lawn cotton christening dress to the sombre allencompassing black widow’s weeds, the great milestones of life are reflected in textiles. Hatched, Matched, Despatched – and Patched has been laid out in three zones inside the New Gallery at the museum which last year attracted 55,000 visitors – many of them drawn by the colourful, vibrant Kaffe Fassett show. This exhibition is nowhere near as bright and showy, but it is more reflective and gives us the chance to peer closely at the threads which are literally sewn into family and community history on both sides of the Atlantic. There is joy here in the exquisitely sewn christening robes and in the tiny

waisted wedding dresses. And fans of the American Museum’s extensive collection of quilts will be very happy to spend time admiring the intricate hand stitching that has gone into the making of the quilts on show. But, call me morbid if you will, the great draw for me is the number of poignant and tragic stories told in the show. We stop to admire the glossy gold embroidery and bas relief yellow daffodils on a 19th century wedding dress. But when we bend to read the

FROM CRADLE TO GRAVE: left to right, a widow’s ornate jacket, a 19th century rare Welsh quilted burial skirt, widow’s lace shawl and the daffodil wedding dress from 1892

adjoining text we learn that the embroiderer was brideto-be Henriette Leonard who never got to wear the dress for her big day. Shortly before she was due to marry, her brother persuaded her to leave the States for a tour of Europe. Sadly, Henriette contracted flu and, suffering additional nervous exhaustion, died. Her dress is preserved, packed away by her grieving family and offered for our gaze in virgin condition. A heavy curtain screens the room dedicated to mourning wear and ritual. This is the most alien collection for the modern eye. When we walk down the street we no longer expect the bereaved to wear their loss literally on their sleeves. How would our modern sensibilities cope if they came face to face on the street with a middle class

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CITY I EXHIBITIONS

HANDMADE: top, the tablecloth from 1944 that remained unfinished and above a log cabin quilt

Anglo-Saxon widow dressed top to toe in layers of black, shrouded to the waist in a black lace veil? To our forebears death was surrounded by ritual and rules. Hanging on the wall is a single quilt, sewn in simple black and white – a widow’s covering. We can imagine her giving up her marital bed to the next generation, stoically sewing herself a permanent reminder that her husband is dead, then laying herself under the quilt, as cold and unwelcoming as a grave. In parts of Wales it was traditional to knit stockings, specifically made to adorn corpses. Women would sew themselves heavy, black quilted funeral skirts in anticipation that they would be buried wearing one. We can’t help but wonder at what stage of their lives did

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they begin this bleak creative project. Few of these burial skirts remain, so the American Museum curators were delighted to be able to borrow this late 19th century one for the show. Just as with the birth of a child or the marriage of a daughter, when families would show off their relative wealth, so death brought its own status. A cabinet shows the ornate mourning garments sported by wealthier widows, heavily beaded in jet. An imposing sight they must have made, arriving at a family meal in glittering black, bearing an ornate collar of the sort worn by the Wicked Queen in Snow White. Symbols of mourning on both sides of the Atlantic included a fashion for jewellery containing or made from human hair from the late departed. My mother’s own jewellery box contains such a piece with a lock of hair and the old Biblical word Mizpah, which means: ‘the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another.’ In the exhibition there are earrings fashioned from what looks like filigreethin threads, but turns out to be human hair which has been wrapped around a mould and dried stiff. Again, this would horrify modern tastes. But turn to the tablecloth, stitched with men’s signatures during the Second World War and here is a story that speaks to us across the years. Helen

Slater was based in Cheltenham, where she began the task of embroidering her freinds’ names on a tablecloth. On hearing the news that her fiance Jack Carpenter, an American serviceman, had been killed in action, she didn’t have the heart to go on and left the needle and thread in the unfinished cloth. Whether you’re interested in history or textiles there will be something to grab your attention at this exhibition. But if you are easily moved to tears I would advise you take a hankie – just make sure it’s an exquisitely embroidered one. n

HatcHed, MatcHed, despatcHed – and patcHed runs at the american Museum at claverton until 1 november. the museum is open tuesdays to sundays, noon to 5pm. admission to the museum, exhibitions and gardens is £10, adults, £9 concessions, £5 children aged five – 16. a free shuttle bus runs from terrace Walk (Bog Island) at 11:40am, 12:30pm, 1:15pm, 2pm and 2:45pm daily. the journey takes around 15 minutes. also showing at the museum is spirit Hawk eye, a series of remarkable photographic portraits of native american Indians by Bath photographer Heidi Laughton.

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GROW YOUR OWN Start your own productive food garden on a single metre of ground. Lolo Houbein’s inspirational new book shows how

ven the tiniest of suburban gardens in Bath could provide your household with a tenth of your food needs, argues garden writer Lolo Houbein. In her book One Magic Square: Grow Your Own Food on One Square Metre she writes compellingly about how we can cultivate just one square metre of earth to provide fruit and veg all the year round. Lolo speaks with some authority. As a child growing up in the Nazi occupied Netherlands she and her family suffered a severe famine, forced to use doors and furniture for firewood, having to eat mice, rats and birds and even grass roots from under the snow. It was this experience which has driven her to become a passionate advocate of some degree of self-sufficiency.

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We don’t have to come over all Tom and Barbara in The Good Life and turn the lawn over to pigs or potatoes, but setting aside a patch for fresh produce is possible in most gardens. There is plenty of information in the book on treating and feeding the soil to make it productive, but favourite are the diagrams which show just how much variety can be squeezed into a small space. Take The Beans Plot, for instance, for spring and summer. Lolo advises planting in diagonal rows, featuring runner beans (planted in two waves to prolong fruiting), onions, lettuces and what she calls bush beans (we’d call them French beans), with garlic growing in a pot. In the autumn/winter you could opt for a healthy stir-fry planting scheme with broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, bok choy, half-hardy coriander and broad beans with snow peas (mangetout). “Before you devour it all,” she writes, “remember seed-saving.” There are tips on gathering seeds, letting one plant run to seed, or saving your biggest and best bean for sowing next spring. The book offers practical advice on a range of topics – from keeping slugs and snails at bay (coffee grounds or an upturned flowerpot with moist newspaper inside), to crop rotation, which is key to not overworking the soil. For those who want less work than a full twice-yearly crop rotation she suggests you try something perennial, like spinach, or a herb plot. Lolo admits that, like most of us in the garden, she has had her failures. “Don’t come to me with tales of people who just spit out out a few seeds from the veranda and eat melons all summer,” she complains, having lost one crop before the fruit got bigger than tennis balls, and another to wildlife, which has the uncanny knack of knowing exactly when a crop is ripe and ready for eating. This isn’t so much a coffee table book as a practical and friendly guide. Growing your own food is immensely satisfying and, long term, it can save money too. n HOME HARVEST: One Magic Square: Grow Your Own Food in One Square Metre by Lolo Houben (revised for the UK climate) is published by Green Books, hardback

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FACE | THE MUSIC

LIFE AND SOUL OF THE PARTY Mick Ringham talks to Bath born musician Clyve about how he divides his life between his home city and New York and why he’s chosen the music that makes up his all-time top ten

athonians are used to seeing famous faces strolling the city’s streets. Many of these have been connected to the music industry; some like Peter Gabriel, Van Morrison and Tears for Fears’ Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith have lived in or near Bath and are instantly recognisable. That said, there are many talented people who live among us that you may not have acknowledged at first glance. And local soul, funk and R’n’B singer Clyve may be a case in point, but the way his career is going it won’t be long before this talented recording artist will be a familiar face. When you hear his music you may well recognise it from the Party in the City at the start of last year’s Bath International Music Festival, or when he played infront of a crowd of thousands at the Special Olympics ceremony in the Royal Crescent last summer. Clyve, who keeps his surname and his age under wraps (perhaps like Banksy he likes to keep fans guessing?) was born in Bath and educated at Beechen Cliff School where his first love was sport. He went on to play football for Bath City and he represented the city in athletics, tennis and cricket. But music, as the song goes, was his first love. He started out singing in 42 TheBATHMagazine

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FUNK IT UP: main picture, in conversation with our very own Mick Ringham, sometime DJ and above, Clyve in rehearsal

church choirs at Bath Abbey, Wells Cathedral and was head choirboy at St. Mark’s Church in Widcombe. Clyve signed his first recording contract in the early 80s, but carried on forming and recording with various bands over that period. But despite his commitment and enthusiasm his releases met with little success. He laughs: “But we did have lots of fun over those years and worked in some really great venues in London. With hindsight I suppose, it was a great learning curve for me and helped shape my future career.” The next decade saw him signing to President Records and releasing a version of Moon River which also featured on an Audrey Hepburn tribute

album. Then, in 1995, Clyve made the big move to New York, having teamed up with the dance label Kong Records and buoyed up by his chart success in Europe with the dance track Painted Moon. He made his US debut in front of a 200,000 strong crowd at the Capital Pride Festival in Washington DC, alongside singer Kim English and Jade Esteban Estrada. Since then and because of the way his music has been received in America, Clyve has divided his private and professional time between the States and his home here in Bath. He says: “Obviously both cities are totally different and yet have their own unique vibes. I’m really proud of where I’m from and I love coming back home, catching up with friends and family. I’ve been lucky in travelling to many places around the world but Bath and New York are so incredibly special to me.” Over the past few years he has been working with co-writer and producer Jon Birth, on creating some sweet soul music for his first album, along with the task of writing and recording Reach which was to become the official anthem for the 2010 Transplant Games. Following on from the success of that event Clyve was asked to write another anthem Living Our Dream, this time for the GB Special Olympics. He says “I had

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FACE | THE MUSIC

CLYVE’S CHOICES: Roxy Music – A Song for Europe This was the first band I ever saw play live at the Theatre Royal, then owned by the great Charlie Ware. Ever since that night I have idolised them. I only got to the gig due to someone giving me a ticket as they only wanted to see the support act – which was the one and only Shakin Stevens. What a night! I will always remember it and the amazing atmosphere. Truly priceless.

working at the UBO in Bath in the late 70’s and would get home of an evening, put on make-up, black clothes and really get hooked on thinking I was this guy. I loved all the albums especially The Pleasure Principle and Telekon. I suppose you could say it was my very own teenage crisis at that time.

Haunting and mystical sounds with the smooth Ferry-like vocals of David Sylvian, that still make me shiver. I remember listening to the album Tin Drum by candlelight and being transported off to the Far East. I did manage to get over there in the end and that was about four months ago. It was wonderful. As for Hong Kong, that was amazing.

Yes it’s true – I was a Numanoid. I was WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

and gospel singer and also winner of American Idol – when it was good! It’s just a beautiful song with an uplifting chorus and one I would love to record in my own style one day.

Gil Scott-Heron – The Bottle I first heard this track at a party in Jersey City about seven years ago, I had the worse ever hangover known to man. The intense sunshine, heat and humidity were the only thing I can actually remember from that day, I have never repeated it. This is an amazing groove from someone who really was a poet and in my opinion, never really got the recognition he deserved.

Lynden David Hall – Do I Qualify?

I’m really proud of where I’m from and I love coming back home, catching up with friends and family

Lynden was a superb UK soul singer who was taken from us far too soon and just at a time when he was establishing himself as a truly amazing artist. People may also know him from his version of All You Need is Love from the film Love Actually. I have recorded this track, as well as performing it with my wonderful band of talented musicians.

Tears for Fears – Woman in Chains

Jay Z and Alicia Keys – An Empire State of Mind

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I had to have one of their numbers in my top ten and this is one of many I could have chosen. They wrote so many great songs it’s been difficult to make a choice. I used to go to school with Curt Smith and hadn’t seen him for long time, then a year or so back I saw him again in Bath, looking very youthful. I also had the pleasure of meeting Oleta Adams and the magical combination TFF and Oleta makes this particular track extra special.

Morrissey – The More You Ignore Me I couldn’t actually stand The Smiths the first time around, then met my new best mate Stuart Aveyard and became Morrissey brainwashed. I’ve seen Moz many times in concert over the last 15 years and now adore The Smiths. This number is my landmark of love for Man and Quiff and it’s from the album Vauxhall & I.

Fantasia – I Believe Gary Numan – This Wreckage

MEN OF CHARACTER: left, Gary Numan This Wreckage right, Gregory Porter Water Under Bridges

Japan – Ghosts

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the honour of performing it at the opening ceremony held right here, in my home city at the Royal Crescent along with Clare Teal and Susan Boyle. “Since that date I have really felt a big part of the Olympic family and recently cut a short recording in New York which I hope to perform at the Olympic Park in London for a fundraising event.” I asked him if he preferred recording in the studio or performing live. “Oh wow! It’s got to be out there with my band on stage, having fun and entertaining the public. From the smallest of gigs to large arenas, it really makes no difference to me. You get such a great interaction between you and the audience. It’s the best feeling in the world.” His musical heroes include Luther Vandross and Bobby Womack, but he also has huge admiration for fellow artist and friend jazz singer Clare Teal. Later this year he is set to perform at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the opening of the Special Olympic World Games. Clyve’s new album The Beat Continues is due to be released this summer. His latest single is Feels Like the First Time. He says of the new album: “It will bring together musical influences from both cities in a fusion of vibes, beats and grooves.” After touring and promoting the album he plans to come back to the UK and Bath ending the year with his annual Funky Christmas Show which this year will be at Komedia on 13 December. I should reserve your tickets soon, it sounds like it’s going to be quite a party!

This is a lady I love, for all her faults and mishaps. She is a wonderful soul

I wanted to choose an anthem that would represent New York City and me – and really there is just the one. The lyrics in this number rings so true ‘concrete jungle where dreams are made of’ sums it up rather nicely. There is also a video with this track that also makes me crave this strangely addictive city more and more. Jay Z and Alicia are without doubt Brooklyn’s finest.

Gregory Porter – Water Under Bridges The singer/songwriter known in the business as ‘jazz hat’. My favourite singer at the moment. This is such a beautiful song with such meaningful lyrics. I had the pleasure in meeting the big man himself after his show in Bristol. I must have played his latest album Liquid Spirit at least 200 times and it still has the same effect. Pure class! n APRIL 2015

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

ART FOR APRIL

New and exciting talent in British art and some big names from the 20th century can be found on the walls of Bath’s galleries this month. Take some time out this Easter to enjoy this eclectic mix on our doorstep Cadiz Cannon by Robert Tavener

44AD GALLERY 4 Abbey Street, Bath BA1 1NN Tel: 07855 885 220 Email: info@davidturveyprints.com Visit: davidturveyprints.com A CELEBRATION OF BRITISH PRINTMAKING Tuesday 14 – Sunday 19 April Tues - Sat 10am – 6pm, Sunday, 10am – 4pm David Turvey presents, A Celebration of British Printmaking: including a selection of fine and rare prints from the Emma Mason Gallery archives of British printmakers working in the post-war period; and showcasing the work of significant contemporary artist and printmaker Michael Kirkman. Kirkman’s unique and timeless images reveal something of the legacy of British printmaking, yet show a real contemporary edge. This is the first time his work will have been shown in Bath, so this is a great opportunity to discover a new and ascendant talent, alongside work from the late, great Robert Tavener.

BATH CONTEMPORARY 35 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT Email: gallery@bathcontemporary.com Visit: bathcontemporary.com Tel: 01225 461230

Ceramic figures by Sally MacDonnell

DEREK BALMER 28 March – 18 April Derek Balmer’s bold, colourful and wonderfully exuberant paintings are constructed like layers of memories. A window to his own imagination, his work exudes the energy and warmth from particular landscapes, cities and experiences. Balmer’s astute eye for structure and placement grounds his intuitive mark making, resulting in seemingly naïve yet highly sophisticated imagery. Old Tangier by Derek Balmer

GALLERY NINE 9b Margarets Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Tel: 01225 319197

BATH OPEN STUDIOS Larkhall, Newbridge, Widcombe & Bear Flat

SPRING SHOW 10 April – 31 May

Throughout May Make a note for your diary as artists open their studios across four areas of Bath for each weekend in May. We’ll be focusing more on this in next month’s magazine, but meanwhile here’s a taster of the treats in store. Bath Open Studios (BOS) is a collaborative group committed to raising the profile of art in Bath. It promotes the four art trails as an example of the rich diversity of creative talent across the area. The exhibition of BOS artists’ work at the RUH (ending on 16 April) is testament to the quality and variety on offer. Pendant by Victoria Walker 44 TheBATHMagazine

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Gallery Nine celebrates spring with an exhibition of new and exciting work. This group show features the joyful and intimate work of gifted painter and printmaker Anita Klein. This prominent artist celebrates the small everyday moments that make life special. The elegant and tactile ceramics from Christiane Wilhelm complement the sculptural curvaceous forms of James Oughtibridge. Inspired by the beauty of natural forms, Victoria Walker’s intricate and kinetic hand crafted jewellery is showcased alongside the voluptuous coloured acrylic collection from Sara Packington.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

VICTORIA ART GALLERY By Pulteney Bridge, Bath Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm, Sundays, 1.30pm – 5pm Tel: 01225 477233. BERYL COOK: INTIMATE RELATIONS Until 6 May Warm, witty and instantly recognisable, Beryl Cook is one of the nation’s favourite 20th century artists. Enjoy this retrospective of more than 50 works. Includes some never seen before works. Entrance £3.50 or free with Discovery Card. And while you’re at the gallery enjoy a rare opportunity to see a Canaletto. Regatta on the Grand Canal is on loan to Bath until May.

ANTHONY HEPWORTH FINE ART DEALERS 16, Margarets Buildings, Bath tel: 01225 310694 Rooms with a View: Beckford’s Tower by Nick Cudworth NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London St, top of Walcot Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 445221, visit: nickcudworth.com SPRING EXHIBITION 4 – 30 April A collection of paintings and prints featuring two new paintings of imaginary constructed interiors with glimpses of Beckford’s Tower and The Royal Crescent.

PHELAN GIBB: THE IRISH FAUVE: PAINTINGS FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION Until 11 April These paintings have not been shown for at least 70 years. Phelan Gibb (1870 - 1948) was one of the artists shown by Lucy Wertheim in her London gallery in the 1930s and these paintings are from her private collection. Harry Phelan Gibb was a true modernist, painting at the beginning of the 20th century in Paris, where he remained for 25 years, at one time sharing a studio with

Boats by Phelan Gibb Matisse. He was proud of his Irish ancestry on his mother’s side, was associated with The

Near Marden by Andrew Taylor THREE WESSEX SKETCHERS: CAPTURING THE LIGHT Saturday 2 – Monday 4 May, 10am – 5.30pm Landscape painters, Valérie Pirlot, Bob Child and Andrew Taylor, will be at the West Barn, Barton Farm, Bradford on Avon to share and talk about their work. Nature, landscapes and architecture lovers, all three artists share the same passion for capturing light with paint. Reflections on the water, the sun hiding behind the clouds, the sparkle of the sunset on the sea, Bath stone lightened by the first ray of light, these are just a few examples how light is an endless source of beauty and marvel. Work will be for sale alongside original prints, cards and catalogues.

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Ed Kluz, Fonthill Abbey, paper collage, 124 x 92 cm QUERCUS GALLERY 1 Queen St. Bath BA1 1HE Open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10.30 – 5.30 Tel: 01225 428211 www.quercusgallery.co.uk

White Stag Group, and referred to as the Irish Fauve. Visit: anthonyhepworth.com

ED KLUZ New collages and prints of Bath 25 April – 30 May 2015 Private View: Friday 24 April 6 – 8pm Ed Kluz is an artist, illustrator and printmaker, based in East Sussex. His work explores contemporary perceptions of the past through the reimagining of historic landscapes, buildings and objects. For this solo show Ed has created a new body of work inspired by the rich architectural history of Bath and the surrounding area. The show features collages and prints along with a selection of his distinctive fabric designs. Expect refreshing perspectives of some of Bath’s landmark buildings and city views, seen through the eyes of an artist who finds fascination in the eccentric, the lost and overlooked aspects of our cultural heritage.

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THEBATHMAGAZINE THEBESTOFBATH PERFECTLYCOVERED BATHSBIGGESTMAGAZINE PERFECTLYDELIVERED TOADVERTISETEL: 01225 424499

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

ROSTRA GALLERY George Street, Bath Tel: 01225 448121

Jewel by Kathryn Stevens

ART IN BLOOM Saturday 11 April – 11May Bring the outside into the gallery with paintings, sculpture and lino prints. Among the springtime treats are Suzie Marsh’s life size baby elephant sculptures

LANE HOUSE ARTS 5 Nelson Place East, Walcot, Bath BA1 5DA Tel: 07767 498403 Visit: lanehousearts.co.uk KATHRYN STEVENS: NEW PAINTINGS Until 25 April The gallery has re-opened after refurbishment with a riot of colour to herald in the new season. Bath School of Art and Design graduate, Kathryn Stevens’ new contemporary canvases show a fluid depth created by this emerging artist’s increasing knowledge and understanding of oil paint. Kathryn tests the boundaries and constantly redefines her work to create subtle details within the paintings which become bold statements of colour. Currently based in Cornwall, the influence of its dramatic environment is clear in the notion of landscape in her powerful abstracts.

EMMA ROSE Upstairs at The Bath Sofa and Curtain Shop, 78 Walcot Street, Bath Open Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm Tel: 01224 424424 Visit: emmaroseartworks.com

Distant Pier by Emma Rose

ADAM GALLERY John Street, Bath BA1 2JL Tel: 01225 480406 SONIA DELAUNAY Saturday 18 April – Saturday 2 May To coincide with the major retrospective show at the Tate Modern, Adam Gallery is pleased to be exhibiting a selection of works by artist and textile designer Sonia

St Ives Window by Julian Bailey DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlettt Street, Bath BA1 2QZ tel: 01225 460189 visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Mon – Sat 10am – 6pm, Sunday afternoons MIXED SPRING EXHIBITION 13 April – 2 May A mixture of paintings by award winning Julian Bailey, who is showing recent small paintings of groups of figures, New Zealand born Lynne Cartlidge, who paints still-lifes in oil paint and still-lifes and flower paintings by Mike Service, who trained in fine art at Bath Spa University after taking early retirement.

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made from cold cast bronze resin – you won’t be able to resist wanting to touch them. In addition are stained glass birds by Eddy Crick, country watercolours by Liz Saddington and widlife lino prints by Sam Knowles.

Split Light by Stan Smith HILTON FINE ART 5 Margarets Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP Open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am – 5.30pm Tel: 01225 311311

SPRING EXHIBITION Throughout April Emma uses Indian inks and acrylics to produce vibrant and arresting work. Landscape, sky, sea, nature and memory are among her sources of inspiration.

Delaunay (1885-1979). In 1964 she became the first living female artist to be given a retrospective at the Louvre in Paris. Her work is still in demand: last year one of her portraits sold for more than £600,000. She lived to the age of 94, and was painting right up until the day she died. A great exponent of colour, her work looks as fresh as the day it was painted.

MODERN FIGURATIVE: STAN SMITH 18 April – 18 May In association with Robert Eagle. A working class boy from Hull, Stan Smith became president of the London Group, head of fine art at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford, and his work was shown at the Royal Academy almost every year from 1964 till 2000. His wife, Kate Gwyn, said of him: “Stan’s interest in the human figure (ideally female) was boundless. Not surprising perhaps for a man who begat nine children by four different mothers (of whom I was the last in line), he was never one to be shy about asking a lady to take off her clothes. His muses included wives, girlfriends, daughters, friends of daughters, passing students and professional models. He painted and drew them in bedrooms, in bathrooms, on the loo, in woodland and rivers, and even in Falmouth Art School garden. The twinkle in his eye, his lust for life, his passion for art and artists, his dedication as a teacher of art, the stories told over a glass or two, made him much loved by all who knew him.”

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nick cudworth gallery

The Art Gallery ‘The Glory of Spring’

‘Three Graces’ by Mariusz Kaldowski

24th March – 28th April

The Art Gallery,Tetbury home of ArtGallery.co.uk Spencer House, 34 Long Street, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8AQ Tues-Sat. 9.30-5pm. Tel: 01666 505152 help@artgallery.co.uk art_gallery_uk

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artgallery.co.uk

Member Gallery

Image of Rooms with a View 2 – The Royal Crescent

SPRING EXHIBITION 3 - 30 APRIL

A collection of originals and prints by Nick featuring two new paintings of imaginary constructed interiorswith glimpses of Bath’s much loved landmarks Beckford’s Tower and The Royal Crescent.

5 London Street (top end of Walcot Street), Bath BA1 5BU tel 01225 445221 / 07968 047639 gallery@nickcudworth.com www.nickcudworth.com

APRIL 2015

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CITY | ARCHIVE

CITY’S PLEASURE DOME As Bath’s city centre prepares to see its first casino built on Sawclose, opposite the Theatre Royal, Eirlys Penn looks at the history of the listed building that used to be the Regency Ballroom

rom juvenile Charlie Chaplin to The Who, via Peek-a-Boo striptease, Bath’s former bingo hall in Sawclose has hosted an unimaginable spectrum of popular entertainment in its 130 years as a venue. Since it first opened as a music hall in 1886, this building has had to evolve constantly to hang on to the coat tails of changing popular taste and the onslaught of new media, from the arrival of the movies, to the advent of television and rock n’ roll. Its latest conversion to a casino and hotel complex is just one more transition whose associated controversy is echoed by the hand-wringing of previous generations over the vulgarity of popular tastes and behaviour.

THE PAVILION In its first incarnation as Bath’s Pavilion (not to be confused with the Pavilion in North Road) Music Hall, live entertainment was big business. Opening in 1886, it seems to have been an instant success providing 50 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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quintessentially ‘vulgar’ entertainment in the historical sense of being for ‘ordinary people’. A Victorian YouTube, all human life paraded here, from freak and novelty turns to more mainstream vocalists and dancers. Its popularity was apparently reflected in healthy finances by January 1888 when Pavilion directors declared a fat dividend of 14%. The good times didn’t last long: by 1893 the Pavilion was looking rundown. The local poultry fanciers’ association had held its annual show there attracting 600 avian entries, presumably adding a literally foul smell. The hall closed soon after.

THE LYRIC The old Pavilion was quickly revived through a redevelopment which expanded the variety theatre adding glitzy new features, a new stage with proscenium arch, orchestra pit, stalls and boxes to seat 800 in red plush and gilt, new dressing rooms, an artistes’ corridor, bars, and even a suite of

VARIOUS INCARNATIONS: top right inside the Lyric when plush seats were installed, below the building was last used by Gala Bingo, main picture, the empty building as it looks today

urinals, plus the galleried façade which survives to this day. Run in conjunction with the Empire in Bristol, it was opened to capacity crowds by Little Tich, a huge star in his day, but famously short at 4ft 6ins. An auspicious start, but contemporary Lyric playbills and artistes’ contracts suggest that Bath didn’t attract such big names on a regular basis. It didn’t lack for notoriety: singer Belle Elmore appeared in 1900 and 1902, scribbling appreciative comments in the visitors’ book of her

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CITY | ARCHIVE

THE PALACE As The Palace, the music hall reopened in 1903, part of the MacNaghten Vaudeville Circuit of theatres. It enjoyed an unbroken run of music hall programmes – despite bomb damage in 1942 – all the way up to 1955. Music hall remained the beating heart of light entertainment throughout the Edwardian era. MacNaghten experimented by placing Bioscope shows on the bill, an early type of travelling cinema popular from the late 1890s to the First World War. And the Palace continued cinema presentations until the 1920s, then reverting to live variety only. Bespoke cinemas were beginning to provide stiff competition, and other mass communications channels – such as radio – were in the offing. By the Palace’s 1937 Art Deco refit – streamlining the original ornate auditorium and adding one simple balcony – the entertainment scene was altering significantly. The new Palace put on a brave face, predicting that it would draw youth away from the lure of the movies. Bransby Williams, heading the bill on re-opening night, wishfully hoped ‘as their fathers did, so will the young folk of to-day turn back from the “flicks” to the living stage…’ Some hope. In a further attempt to keep up with the times, The Palace installed a broadcast room in the 1930s revamp, which The Bath Chronicle hoped ‘the BBC will frequently be utilising, knowing that the film can never oust the variety theatre from the hearts of the British public.’ BBC radio did indeed run one of its earliest outside broadcasts WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

THEY CAME TO BATH: left to right The Who, jazz as part of the Bath Festival, below, music hall star Little Tich and the young Gracie Fields

from the theatre. By 1953, however, variety was on its last legs, unsure how to contend with its newest threat, television, and the Palace bill was looking ropey, resorting to cheap thrills and titillation. Phyllis Dixey, singer, impresario, fan dancer, and producer of the first striptease show in London’s West End, was presenting her Peek-a-Boo production. She’d enjoyed considerable popular success during the 1940s but was now resorting to provincial tours to make ends meet. As the Palace, it finally closed its doors on 21 May 1955. Directors blamed the state of the variety business and difficulty in obtaining touring shows. The Entertainment Tax and commercial TV were other factors.

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL AND THE REGENCY The rock ‘n’ roll era saw the Palace’s old stage and boxes removed to

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A Victorian YouTube, all human life paraded here, from freak and novelty turns to more mainstream vocalists and dancers

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Bath digs. Unfortunately, a decade later her grisly murder hit the headlines—she was the wife of one Dr Crippen.

create a new venue with a dance floor which opened in Spring 1956 as the Regency Ballroom. Through the 60s various formulae were tested to bring

the ballroom into profit, bingo being one element. Besides ballroom dances, the venue hosted the Jazz Festival, attracting John Dankworth; the Who performed on the final R&B night of the Jazz Festival in June 1964, just a month after Keith Moon had joined the outfit and a month before they released their first record. Youth culture had seriously arrived, and the Regency was notorious for its Saturday night, notionally alcohol-free, ‘hops’ where local teens would meet and fight, having fuelled up first at local pubs. Ballroom dancing was dropped in 1967, as well as bingo. Disco was introduced through the week and was turning a profit. But Fridays and Saturdays were devoted to jazz. The ballroom finally closed in 1968.

BINGO AND CINEMA Parts of the old theatre complex were later converted into a pub and the small President Cinema circa 1976. But in 1980, the building was converted into Zetters Bingo Club. Existing seating was stripped out and new seats and tables fitted. Its final incarnation was as Gala Bingo from 1986, offering gaming and slot machines, plus live entertainment.

A NEW CASINO Controversy, fame, infamy and the threat of failure haunted the old Bath Music Hall and its subsequent guises, as has a prevailing anxiety that such an establishment might not be suitable for a city such as Bath. What remains of the original provincial emporium of popular entertainments is now a Grade II listed building, its façade intact. But few vestiges remain within of the Victorian Lyric or the Deco Palace, bar the odd section of skirting board and handrail. In the old music hall, bite-sized ‘turns’ guaranteed that if you didn’t like the current act, something more enjoyable would be along shortly. Perhaps Bath’s new casino will simply be maintaining the Sawclose status quo: the latest of Bath’s entertainment turns and the most recent reminder that keeping people amused isn’t all fun and games. ■ APRIL 2015

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FOOD | NEWS

Titbits

■ Great Western Wine and the Allium Brasserie are joining forces to host a Burgundy themed food and wine evening at the Allium on Saturday 18 April. With the opportunity of tasting some classic Premier and Grand Cru Burgundies, matched to executive chef Chris Staines’ menu, the dinner is priced at £69. There’s also the opportunity to try a range of wines, including the new Yealands Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Riesling, on 11 April, when Yealands’ Helen McFarlan will be hosting a free tasting at the Great Western Wine Shop between 11am and 4pm. A Wine and Jazz evening, hosted by Great Western Wine shop manager Alan Nordberg, returns for an evening of wine tasting and live jazz at the shop on the evening of 23 April from 7pm. All proceeds will go to the support of the Wiltshire Music Centre, in Bradford on Avon. To book tickets tel: 01225 322810 .

BUSINESS BAKE OFF RAISES A LAUGH

The Great British Bake Off inspired a group of Bath bakers to stage their own version of the competition to raise money for Comic Relief. The Bath Business Bake Off attracted 23 entries as businessmen and women rolled up their sleeves, dusted off their aprons and got busy making and decorating a cake that represented their business. Cakes in all shapes and sizes were entered from a typewriter, to a hairdryer and a pink bustier cake. Every business who entered a cake gave a donation to Comic Relief. Together the businesses raised over £300 for Comic Relief. The cakes were judged by Dan Moon, Head Chef at Ston Easton Park, Imogen Sellers of BBC Points West, Ben from Made by Ben, and Kitty Lambah of the Bath Women’s Institute. Mayor of Bath Cherry Beath and Lady Margaret of the Natural Theatre Company were also in attendance to award the prizes. The winner was Dani Leroy of Nick Brain Hairdressing whose chocolate and almond sponge cake, Bad Hair Day won the judges over. Mayor Cherry Beath said, “It has been a joy to be involved with this event and I am delighted to see businesses in Bath pulling together to support Comic Relief.” Linda Donaldson, director at Geometry PR who organised the event said, “I am amazed at

RED NOSE FUN: Emma Sparks of organisers Geometry PR, with Mayor Cherry Beath and Lady Margaret the support the business community of Bath have given to our Bake Off. It has been a lot of fun and helped to raise some funds for a very good cause, I can’t thank them enough. We are already planning the next Bath Bake off event.” Pictures can be viewed on the Geometry PR Facebook Page in the album Bath Business Bake Off 2015.

NEW LEASE OF LIFE: the historic old coaching inn beside the River Avon in Bradford-on-Avon has been given a £1.5m makever to create the new Timbrell’s Yard – named after an old painting from the same site. Under new ownership of the Draco Pub Company the newlook bar and restaurant with rooms serves modern British seasonal food with the emphasis on good suppliers. Local man Jon Hutchings is the general manager

■ The Bath Priory is hosting an evening of fine dining with paired wine on Thursday 23 April, in conjunction with Marques de Riscal, one of the oldest most respected vineyards of Spain and Michelin-starred executive head chef at the Priory Sam Moody. Brand Ambassador for the UK, Ruth Sutton, who has worked for Marques de Riscal for over 25 years, will take diners on a journey of discovery with wines to match the four course dinner. The evening starts with canapés and an aperitif in the Drawing Room, before a four course dinner and wine flight, followed by coﬀee and petits fours. Places are £95 per person, to book your place tel Louise at the Priory: 01225 478389. ■ A familiar face on the Bath foodie scene, Jean-Pierre Auge, former owner of the Beaujolais French restaurant and one of the founders of the original Bath Boules tournament in Queen Square, is popping up as master of ceremonies for a wine tasting and quiz evening in the city this month. JP will be joined by another familiar foodie, Mark Heather for the evening upstairs at Cafe Retro on Saturday 11 April. To join the fun email: winepluscompany@gmail.com. ■ Real ale and cider fans will be getting ready for the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) Bath Beer Festival which takes place at Bath Rugby at the Bath Recreation site on Friday 10 and Saturday 11 April. There’ll be a line-up of more than 35 beers and ales as well as cider and perry. Tickets are £8, to include a £2 beer token and a glass to take home. Visit: bathandborderscamra.org.uk.

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A CELEBRATION OF PUDDINGS

Beth’s Bakes Pudding Appreciation Society was first held at The Tollgate Inn, Holt last summer and has its next gathering –of savoury and sweet treats – on Wednesday 13 May, from 7.30pm with £5 from every ticket going to Pop n Grow, a charity set up to help premature babies. Baking people happy has long been a passion of Beth’s. In 2013 she baked for 24 hours straight as part of the Macmillan Coffee mornings and raised over £2000. She also works with other chefs to

use surplus food to cater events and help FareShare SouthWest reduce food waste and repair communities. Beth’s friend Emily gave birth to her

daughter Essie three months early and they are raising money for Pop and Grow to say thank you. Beth has recently returned from two months cheffing at a yoga retreat near Rome, which has influenced her to explore some more Italian dishes. Places at the pudding club are £28 per person to include food, a complimentary tipple and a goody box to take home leftovers. To book a place at the evening in May call the Tollgate, tel: 01225 782326.

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The Diner’s Digest SIX OF THE BEST

Dog-friendly pubs

Out with a furry friend and fancy a pint and a bite to eat? Melissa Blease recommends some places where you’ll both get a warm welcome

MARLBOROUGH TAVERN

The Bath Pub Company triumvirate (the Marlborough Tav, The Chequers and the Hare and Hounds) are all as welcoming to dogs as they are to their owners. But today we’re focusing on the charms of the Marlborough Tavern: close to Royal Victoria Park, in one of Bath’s loveliest neighbourhoods. There’s a lovely walled beer garden at this well-appointed inn, which has earned a reputation for its modern menus (if you and your hound are in search of the burger many reckon are the best in Bath) and easygoing, thoroughly congenial vibe. Top tip: the big tables towards the front of the bar provide the best kennel-style cover for weary furry friends who will be offered a bowl of water if they ask nicely. The Marlborough Tavern, Marlborough Buildings, Bath BA1 2LY, Tel: 01225 423731, visit: marlborough-tavern.com

THE HOP POLE

It could be said that Royal Victoria Park is, to Bath’s contemporary canine community, what the Assembly Rooms was to the groovy Georgians: the Heritage City’s most fashionable promenading hotspot, in the shadow of Bath’s most illustrious address the Royal Crescent. The park even hosts a dog show every summer. But as glamorous as Bath’s own version of Central Park is, it’s still offers a properly practical slice of park life. Similarly, the Hop Pole (just across the road from the playground) offers a country-pub-in-the-city feel. The gorgeous hidden gem beer garden outback could be miles away from the busy Upper Bristol Road rather than just a few shakes of a tail away from it. The chunky, funky-but-cosy interior easily adapts to all manner of well behaved canine personalities, many of whom can be regularly spotted dozing beneath the big tables while their owners enjoy the seasonal, locally sourced classy pub grub. This being a Bath Ales pub, serves great beer too. The Hop Pole, Upper Bristol Road, Bath BA1 3AR, tel: 01225 446327; visit: bathales.com

THE WHITE HART

Few people in Bath can say that they don’t know where the White Hart is; drive in any direction through Widcombe, and it’s impossible for the huge white hart standing above the door not to catch your eye as it gazes placidly into the middle distance across the traffic snarl. Beyond the congestion of the main drag a veritable haven of tranquility is waiting to greet you and your canine companion(s). If you’re looking for the perfect place to rest up after vigorous hill walking exercise session (good for exploring Lyncombe/Widcombe Hill and handy for the National Trust’ Prior Park Gardens too), you’ve most definitely found journey’s end. Kick back and relax your weary limbs in this scrubbed stylish sanctuary with an utterly divine

GARRICK’S HEAD

beautifully planted garden outback. While the dining room doesn’t offer access all areas to all dogs, there’s plenty of space for them to lounge about and make new friends in the bar and garden while you refuel from the uncomplicated but super-stylish menu or make merry with the well-kept real ales and/or superb wine list. The White Hart, Widcombe, Bath BA2 6AA Tel: 01225 313985 Visit: whitehartbath.co.uk

Many of my friends prop up various bars in many pubs around Bath, but the one I’m always happiest to run into (or rather, be run at by) is Dakota, who is super-friendly, furry regular at the Garrick’s. She has a silky coat, a big smile and the endearing habit of playing fetch with bent straws. But Dakota isn’t the only dog to proudly call herself a regular – I usually make a new canine companion each time I visit. No wonder dogs love it here: on chilly days, there’s a fire indoors when a cosy snooze is the order of the day, and on warmer, dry days the alfresco tables oﬀer mooching opportunities aplenty. Wallet-friendly bar menu classics such as burgers, fish and chips, proper sarnies and moules frites make going home for dinner a pointless exercise, while head chef Tony Casey’s ways with British seasonal flavours on the a la carte up the good times ante in style. GH sister pub The King William welcomes dogs too, and if your pet gets really lucky there might be a marrowbone going begging. Garrick’s Head, Bath BA1 1ET Tel: 01225 318368; web: garricksheadpub.com

HALL AND WOODHOUSE

It’s heartwarming to be able to include a watering hole that one would not necessarily refer to as a pub in a feature like this. At first glance, the glossy looking Hall and Woodhouse complex, offering zones to match every social occasion from casual family breakfasts to postsunset posh dining, may not immediately appear to bark pooch-friendly credentials. But after a stroll around the city centre, the well behaved pooches are very welcome to join you in the spacious street-level Pantry, which serves people-pleasing delights such as fish finger

sandwiches, tasty things-on-toast, modern British tapas and chic incarnations of classics such as fish and chips, burgers, big salads, etc. Might your dachshund need a drink? Could your Halvanese be hungry? Is your cockapoo in need of a cuddle? The staff are as lovely to man’s best friend as they are to their own; we’re hereby declaring that H&W stands for Hounds are Welcome. Hall and Woodhouse, 1 Old King Street, Bath BA1 2JW Tel: 01225 469259. Visit: hall-woodhousebath.co.uk

INN AT FRESHFORD Dogs and country walks go together hand in . . . well, paw, do they not? But even the most foolhardy four legged friends need to rest their paws (and their owners’) midexertion. Surrounded by acres of country highways, byways and splashing-around opportunities, as well as being attached to a gorgeously characterful, split-level beer garden, the historic Inn at Freshford (around five miles/8km south east of Bath) oﬀers a very warm welcome to folk with tails in tow. While Rover, Prince and Spot are busy helping themselves to a

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well-stocked supply of complimentary dog biscuits, their owners are tempted by their own treats from a menu that specialises in upper-crust incarnations of solid, proper pub classics, including pies as perfectly formed as the pastoral paradise backdrop and puddings that make the very notion of the word ‘diet’ redundant. But hey, who’s counting calories? Surely you’ll burn that sticky toﬀee pudding oﬀ on the walk home . . . Inn at Freshford, BA2 7WG. tel: 01225 722250 Visit: theinnatfreshford.co.uk

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C O N T E M P O R A RY

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I TA L I A N

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R E S TAU R A N T

We are located next to the Bath Theatre Royal in historic Beau Nash House

www.ciaociaoristorante.co.uk | 01225 330030 | reservations@ciaociaoristorante.co.uk New Spring & Summer Menu “Following a successful opening for Ciao Ciao, I am delighted to introduce our new Spring and Summer Menu.” “With inspiration taken from this wonderful city, using locally supplied ingredients and inspired by our discerning customers, ambitious and talented Head Chef, Giacomo Carreca, has created a contemporary, seasonal, and authentic Italian menu to delight your palate.” “I look forward to welcoming you to historic Beau Nash House and to making your dining experience wonderful.” Gianluca Rizzo, Restaurant Manager

Sample Menu

Filetto di San Pietro con Burro Aromatizzato ai Capperi e

Frittura Mare e Monti e Salsa Aioli

Peperoni Rossi, Baby Carote e Patate Duchessa

Mushrooms with Garlic Aioli

Duchesse Potatoes, baby Carrots and creamed Red Peppers,

Senape Servito con Uovo in Camicia al Tartufo, Crema ai

Crispy Calamari, Tiger Prawns, Whitebait and Stuffed Forest

Fillet of John Dory with a delicate Mustard and Caper Butter, topped with a Poached Egg drizzled with Truffle Oil

Filetto di Branzino Marinato al Pepe Rosa e Agrumi servito con Insalatina di Cetrioli e Finocchi alla Rapa Rossa

Coscia di Anatra Confit in Sfoglia, Petto di Anatra, Crema di

Peppercorns, Fennel, Cucumber and Beetroot Salad

Confit Duck Leg wrapped in Puff Pastry with Pan-fried Duck

Griddled Sea Bass Fillet, Marinated in Citrus and Pink

Flan di Melanzane, Salsa al Pomodoro e Basilico servito con

Patate, Mela Verde e Salsa alle Ciliege

Breast, Creamed Potatoes, Granny Smith Jelly, Cherry Sauce

Scamorza Affumigata in Carrozza (V)

Pannacotta al Rabarbaro servita con Carpaccio di Banana e

Smoked Cheese Croquettes

Rhubarb Panna Cotta, Banana Carpaccio and Passion Fruit on a

Aubergine Flan on a Rich Tomato and Basil Sauce served with

Frutti della Passione su Frollino Shortbread Biscuit

Ravioli di Triglia su Pesto di Rucola, Asparagi di Mare e Bisque di Langostine

Homemade Ravioli filled with Red Mullet, tossed in a Langoustine Bisque on Rocket Pesto and Samphire

Complemented by a wide range of superb Italian and International wines selected by our trained Sommelier

Friday 3rd April – Monday 6th April Celebrate Easter at Ciao Ciao Three course lunch for £30 per person. Visit our website for the menu.

www.ciaociaoristorante.co.uk | 01225 330030 | reservations@ciaociaoristorante.co.uk

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A MILE OF STYLE

Georgette McCready spent 24 hours in and around one of London’s most famous spots and discovered there’s lots more to Regent Street than shopping

iven 24 hours in the West End of London – Regent Street to be precise – what would you do? Between the landmarks of the BBC at one end and the statue of Eros in Picadilly Circus at the other, there’s a whole lot more than shopping going on. The Crown Estate owns Regent Street and has done much to enhance the area and to highlight some of the undiscovered pleasures to be found behind the walls of this famously curved classical edifice. We stayed at the newly refurbished Hotel Café Royal, the historic gathering place for the rich and famous, from David Bowie to Oscar Wilde, and from Kate Moss to Princess Diana – all kinds of people have graced the ornately decorated ground floor café and salons since they opened in the mid19th century. The Café Royal was closed in 2008 and acquired by The Set, which set about restoring the 1860s and 1920s rooms and adding modern rooms upstairs. It was good to find a Bath connection in the ornate decor of the restored building as Donald Insall Associates acted as historic buildings architect, worked on the alterations, repair and refurbishments in collaboration with David Chipperfield Architects. This included the fabulous extravagent ceiling paintings, the swathes of decorative plasterwork and the gold paint, on which it’s clear no expense was spared. These new luxurious contemporary rooms have been beautifully designed, to include marble basins and baths, 56 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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emporor sized beds and hi-tech touches, like the remote controlled curtains which swish open at the flick of a switch. You might find this hard to believe, but you will not be disturbed in your room even if it looks on to Picadilly Circus (as ours did), as triple glazing blocks out all street noise. EARLY MORNING

Start the day with an early morning gym workout in the Hotel Cafe Royal’s big basement Akasha spa, or if you’re not that energetic, like me, you could enjoy a quiet swim in the candelit 60 foot long pool. It’s hard to imagine in this haven of peace and tranquility that the city centre traffic is thundering by overhead. Follow this with perfectly fluffy scrambled eggs and bacon, freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee and you’re set to face the bustling world.

10AM: A STROLL

You’ll find a plethora of familiar names, from Burberry and Anthropologie, the toy store Hamley’s and, just off the main thoroughfare, that shrine to style, Liberty. Being journalists we made a

bee-line for the BBC studios where we posed for photos outside the new/old Broadcasting House and the neighbouring All Souls Church.

HISTORIC PLAYGROUND: Regent Steet was the first purpose-built shopping street in the world

Discovering a gallery you haven’t visited before is a welcome surprise and with the demise of so many newspaper photographers’ jobs in recent years, the Photographers’ Gallery just off in Ramillies Street, was particularly interesting to us. Entrance is free (suggested 50p donation) and there are always two or three exhibitions running. Human Rights: Human Wrongs showed the black and white news photos highlighting some harrowing events in history.

Left, afternoon tea at the Hotel Café Royal and Heddon Street, the foodie quarter

BEFORE LUNCH

LUNCH

Halfway down Regent Street, turn right into Heddon Street and you’ll find what they call the food quarter. Tibits is a lively, popular vegetarian eaterie, where you simply help yourself to a plate and then circle a central island on which are displayed all sorts of tempting dishes, from hummus and falafels to hot bakes

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WEEKEND I BREAK

glass of Champagne in hand, one can imagine exchanging witty banter with Mr Wilde, whose favourite table was next to ours. EVENING

Brasserie Zedel is a wonderful Art Deco find, a French restaurant serving excellent, authentic classic cuisine in a salon worthy of fin de siecle Paris, and at reasonable prices too. From here, after dinner, you can buy tickets for the Crazy Coqs nightclub, in the same stylish subterranean spot. An intimate audience of around 30 are entertained to live cabaret while supping cocktails. LATE NIGHT

OPULENT: the sumptuously decorated main staircase at the Hotel Café Royal, which Donald Insall Associates worked on restoring to its former glory

and fresh-as-a-daisy salads. Then you get your plate weighed and only pay for what you’ve taken. Tibits also does delicious fresh juices and one day a week its menu is all vegan, responding to demand from its customers.

Picture: Von Morley Photos

Take a walk that encompasses everything from the historic beginnings of Eros in Picadilly Circus to contemporary installations such as the flashing LED bars of light in Vital Signs on the corner of Sherwood Street. It’s

AFTERNOON

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worth taking a detour to Golden Square for the juxtaposition of old and new – but generally ‘look up’ is my advice. AFTERNOON TEA

Afternoon tea in the Oscar Wilde Bar at the Hotel Café Royal must rank among the delightful and decadent experiences imaginable, gilded paint, mirrored walls, painted ceilings and attentive staff who bring wave upon wave of delicious morsels, from teeny savoury rolls and sandwiches to an exquisite collection of miniature cakes and macaroons. With a

You’ve got to love the bright lights, the huge advertising screens flashing away over Picadilly Circus, as they have done for over a century, but while you’re out there are bars a-plenty in the area. We had been recommended the Ice Bar, which is an experience that will make you smile. You’re swathed in hooded thermal capes before being ushered into a bar not only as cold as ice but made of ice, for cocktails in glasses made of ice. LATER

Time to test those computer controlled curtains back in the hotel room . . . ■ Travel on First Great Western with a Two Together railcard, £30, for a third off your train fare. ■ Hotel Café Royal: 020 7406 3333, email: enquiries@hotelcaferoyal.com

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THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic offers some tips on enjoying New Zealand wines

he All Blacks, Lord of the Rings, Sauvignon blanc – three totally different, but iconic statements about the beautiful islands of New Zealand. I’m not qualified to comment on rugby, I can confirm that the scenic views featured in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy are breathtaking and I can certainly shout the praises of New Zealand’s wines. With the current craze for New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, it’s difficult to believe that the very first vines were planted on the islands less than 50 years ago. After a slumbering start, the arrival of now famous brands, such as Cloudy Bay and Montana, ignited the torchlight, and Sauvignon blanc from New Zealand is now the white wine of choice of millions. The home of Sauvignon blanc is Marlborough, a region, close to ocean, in the north west of the South Island. It may be warm, and idyllic in summer, but the winters are cold; and this is what Sauvignon blanc loves and needs to give it that special, zingy, passion fruit freshness. For one of the best value Sauvignons around, look no further than The Frost Pocket Sauvignon blanc 2014, (GWW £9.95 down to £8.76 till end April) which delivers on all fronts, with its vibrant, lime zest and tropical fruit flavours, and mouthwatering liveliness. Sauvignon blanc is one of the best matches with spicy food, and is a sublime partner to the humble fish and chips. One of the most exciting recent finds is a grape variety that hails from the Austrian Alps, and is now one of the current fashionistas of the wine scene. From the world’s leading carbonneutral winery, Yealands Estate Gruner Veltliner 2014 (GWW £12.95 down to £11.40 until end April) is an elegant, spicy delight – dry, yet fruity, with hints of peach, ginger and citrus, I love its zestiness, and seductive scents – this is a great wine to partner with aromatic, spicy Asian dishes, and copes particularly well with creamy Thai curries. Another tip – don’t ignore the much-maligned Chardonnay, it’s a thing of beauty, that produces some of the greatest white wines in the world. Deep in the south of New Zealand’s South Island, is a region called Central Otago, which vies with Patagonia as the southernmost wine producing area in the world. Carrick Chardonnay 2012 (GWW £16.95 down to £14.92 throughout April) is a glorious example of why this grape is great, with its ripe, creamy, baked apple, and toasted hazelnut scents and flavours. Fabulous with roast chicken or pan-fried salmon with hollandaise. New Zealand is also famed for its cooler-style reds, especially Pinot Noir. The colder, temperate climate, not dissimilar to northern Europe, is well suited to this maverick grape variety, which can produce some of the most sublime wines in the world, but can also be very capricious. The styles of Pinot Noir vary by country and region, but the common factor is always a seductive, soft, elegance, a relatively light colour, and a gloriously scent of red berry fruit. Urlar Pinot Noir 2012 (GWW £17.95 down to £15.80 until end April) is one example. Not only in this silky red, delicious in its own right, it has an extra special story – it’s totally organic and produced by a couple who emigrated from their farm in the Scottish Highlands, to New Zealand and set up a vineyard in 2004. A fuller style of Pinot Noir, with some real character, it’s a delicious mouthful of ripe cherry, damson and raspberry fruit, sprinkled with sweet spice – perfect with duck, charcuterie or spicy Asian red meat dishes. n All of the above, plus a mixed case can be ordered through our website. Enjoy a 10% Great Western Wine discount by entering the code on Angela’s wine column. Visit: www.thebathmag.co.uk

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BATH @ WORK

Our series of photographic portraits by Neill Menneer shows Bath people at work. View a gallery of Bath@Work subjects at: thebathmag.co.uk

Istvan Kakas

Former chef and now Big Issue seller

was born in 1966 in Budapest, Hungary, where around the age of 14 you choose your future career and go to university or college to study your subject. The course is half theoretical and half practical so you work as an apprentice in a local business. I had chosen the catering industry as I wanted to be a chef. I therefore worked some of the time in Hotel Europe and by 18 I was fully qualified. They taught me well as I progressed from cutting onions to making starters and then stews. Eventually I was serving tables. I was then conscripted into the army for my obligatory two years. It was pretty fun actually as I opted for skydiving and jumped 256 times in Siberia and other places. At minus 30 degrees it was good training for the life I was to lead sleeping rough in the UK. I learnt early on that the cold and alcohol do not mix! I went back to cheffing on leaving the army but life was about to get very interesting as this was the time of the huge upheaval that became known as the Velvet Revolution. It sounds cosier than it was and like most Hungarians I got swept up in the tide of history and took part in the uprising at Hero Square and was there when the Russians were finally expelled at Elizabeth Bridge in 1989. I was awarded the medal of Honour by Joseph Antall for my contribution, but he also told patriots like me that it was no longer safe to remain in the country. I fled to Argentina and settled and worked in the Iguazu area. Ironically with an ex Nazi. After travelling extensively in South America and Europe I finally returned home in 2000, but the place had become corrupt and poverty was still the norm. An ex KGB man Pater Meggyssy became PM in 2002 so once again it was time for me to leave. I had met a man at a football match, an old revolutionary from the first uprising in 1957, who had lived in England and agreed to help me find a job in Cheltenham. So I found myself working in the Montpellier Wine Bar in Cheltenham from 2004 – quite legally! I then had a succession of good jobs working in Croyde and at Gidleigh Park and the famous Michelin starred Elephant restaurant in Torquay. However these happy days were about to finish and get awkward. The couple I worked for in Holsworthy split up and I was out on my ear. I lived in a B&B at first but the money I had saved soon went as I was funding my mother’s care at the same time as trying to provide for myself. After living rough for a while I came to Bath with £2 in my pocket and started selling The Big Issue soon after. My most famous customer was Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who bought a magazine for me and gave me £10 for it. I love my job. My place is at The Half-Penny Bridge behind the station. The people at the station gave me a broom so I could sweep it properly. I keep the bridge clean and I have made many friends. I have no desire to go back to my previous life, it’s just too risky! n

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic. Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk, tel: 01225 483151. WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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CITY | PEOPLE BUSINESS

News in brief

■ A charity ball at Bath Racecourse, held to raise funds for Children’s Hospice South West, raised around £15,000. The ball was hosted by Bath couple Johan and Becky Grobler. Johan is to take part in one of the world’s toughest races, the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert on April 6. Pictured are Ben Richmond, Stuart Doughty, Johan Grobler and David Barnes. ■ Bath Building Society and the city’s Independent Guesthouse Association have teamed up to provide a customer-friendly discount reward card. The Bath Reward card is available to Bath Building Society members and anyone staying at any of the association’s accommodation. They will be issued with a physical card which can then be used throughout the city, giving them money oﬀ their eating out bills, a free glass of wine, or 2 for 1 entry to some attractions. Find out more at: stayinbath.org. ■ Pippa Daniels and Gillian Pears, have launched Pears & Daniels HR Consultancy, based in Bath, to provide cost eﬀective HR services to businesses. The pair provide consultancy on a range of issues across recruitment, workforce management and employment law. Pippa and Gillian, both worked at Future and are Fellows of the CIPD, (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), with a combined experience of nearly 50 years.

CITY FIRMS WIN BID FOR ABBEY PROJECT Bath Abbey has chosen four Bath based companies to lead the design and build work for its Footprint project. Following a four-month tender process, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCBS) has been reappointed as the lead consultant and architect for Footprint, while Buro Happold and Mann Williams have been retained as MEP and structural engineers. Duncan Ball from Synergy LLP’s Bath office will continue in his role as the project’s quantity surveyor, with Paul Grinham from the same company as project manager. Charles Curnock from Bath Abbey said: “While we received competitive tenders from all across the UK, we are very pleased to be once again working with FCBS, Buro Happold, Mann Williams and Synergy LLP, all companies based in Bath. What especially

attracted us to working with this team is their experience of working with historic listed buildings, coupled with proven track records of providing innovative, sustainable and relevant solutions to their clients’ needs.” The Footprint project is a £19.3m programme which will

repair the Abbey’s collapsing floor, install a new eco-friendly heating system using Bath’s hot springs, and provide new, improved facilities to ensure the Abbey is more sustainable, hospitable and usable for the half a million people who use it every year. See more: bathabbey.org/footprint

A GESTURE OF SOLIDARITY

Walkers are being invited to join a communal walk from Frome to Bath this month to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Holocaust of the Second World War. Forced Walks: Honouring Esther takes the route of a Nazi Death March in February 1945 into the Bergen Belsen death camp and transposes it onto the English countryside. When the camp was liberated by the British in April 1945, some of the soldiers came from Somerset, so the walk also commemorates the local involvement in this key moment. Supported by Bath Spa University, the walk takes place over two days, beginning in Frome and ending at Bath’s historic Jewish Burial Ground, Combe Down, on 15 April, exactly 70 years since the liberation of Bergen-Belsen.

It will also be possible to follow the walk online; an exhibition will follow in July. The project is being run by Bath Spa Creative media practice and heritage lecturer and walking artist, Richard White in collaboration with installation artist, Lorna Brunstein, whose mother Esther undertook, and survived, the original walk in 1945. Richard said: “We walk at a time and to a place of our choosing in solidarity with those who had no choice. We want to hear from local historians and residents, artists, walkers, veterans, exiles and migrants who may be interested in contributing and taking part in some way.” For more information on the walk email: forcedwalks@gmail.com or visit the university website and search under forced walks.

MANOR PLAYS HOST TO VISITORS FROM 86 NATIONS Congratulations to English language school, Cheney Court, run by Linguarama, which is celebrating its 25th year of welcoming visitors from all over the world to its 17th century manor house in the historic hamlet of Ditteridge near Box. In its 25 years it has played host to more than 15,000 participants from 86 countries, including most of Europe, South America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific and as far away as Iceland, the Ivory Coast and Vanuatu. Linguarama’s parent company, the Marcus Evans group, specialises in business intelligence and provides conferences, summits and professional training across the world, as well as owning Ipswich Town Football Club. Within the old walls is a modern training environment offering one-to-one tailored courses with relevance to business and professional life, helping participants achieve 62 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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their professional and career goals. Also provided is English training in areas such as meetings and negotiations, human resources, corporate communications, and project

management. Cheney Court also runs courses in more than 25 languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Mandarin, Urdu, Serbian, Croatian, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish and Bahasa Malay. It is said that Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, once stayed at the country house in the 17th century. She was parted from her husband in Abingdon and headed west, expecting her ninth child – she never saw her husband again. Now we’re more likely to find a pharmacist from Japan, an Italian banker or a diplomat from Belgium enjoying the rural setting and taking trips to Bath, Bradford-onAvon, Stonehenge and Lacock on the social programme. Within these mellow stone walls students from different nationalities exchange ideas in English over dinner and enjoy jokes translated from Italian and Spanish, Polish and Russian.

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ocl A C C O U N TA N C Y

141 Englishcombe Lane, Bath BA2 2EL Tel: 01225 445507

www.oclaccountancy.com

At OCL we specialise in helping small and medium sized businesses (start-ups to £3 million turnover) by providing business advice, tax planning and accountancy services. We can help in all areas of commercial and business life, including accounts preparation (management and statutory), payroll,VAT, self assessment and all traditional tax services. For tax saving tips contact us – call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Bratten on 01225 445507 for a NO-OBLIGATION MEETING We look forward to meeting you - and see our website for more, including FREE download guides

What our clients say:

“For us, in our 30 years experience OCL Accountancy is the best fit we have found.”

“Having moved from London to Bath five years ago, we were looking for a new accountant after using a large firm for a number of years and finding it impossible to get them to understand the differences between our business and their ‘standard’ client. Since working with the team at OCL we get a much more personalised and responsive service completely tailored for our needs.” “I definitely would like to recommend OCL accountancy. I live in Wells and tried local accountants and that didn’t work out. I’m moving to London now and OCL Accountancy will still be my accountants.They have given me loads of support, offer value for money. When there are some problems they are able to look into things quickly and efficiently. And they are nice guys who have a sense of humour.They give me accountancy advice but also business advice. In short I would say: they save you money, professional service, comes highly recommended.”

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

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FAMILY | EVENTS

Rabbits, Easter eggs and clowning around We’ve got loads of ideas of things to do with the family over the Easter holidays

CHILDREN’S SPRING FORAGE Monday 30 March from 3pm n Newton Farm Shop and Cafe, Newton St Loe, Bath BA2 9BT Join local forager, Chris Westgate of Heavenly Hedgerows for an informal and fun introduction to foraging. Chris will show you how to identify wild common edible plants and share ideas on how to use them in cooking. The afternoon will start with a short walk. On your return to the cafe learn how to prepare and create something tasty from what you’ve collected, and enjoy a foraged snack. hildren £12.50, Adults £6. Price includes: tuition, guide to foraging and light refreshments. To book tel: 01225 873707. ROMAN BATHS: EAGLE’S EYE VIEW Monday 30 March, 10am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm n Roman Baths Spot some of the fantastic animal designs on our coins and make an imperial eagle. HATS OFF TO SPRING Tuesday 31 March, 10.30am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 3.30pm n Fashion Museum Create a hat enthused with the joys of spring. EASTER CRAFTS Monday 30 March – Thursday 2 April 10 – 11.30am and 2-4pm, Tuesday 7 – Friday 10 April 10 – 11:30am and 2 – 4pm n Ora et Labora Drop in sessions. Wool weaving and Easter windows. Celebrating all things medieval, near Bath Abbey. £5 per session. CRAZY CARNIVAL 1 April, 10.30am – noon n Victoria Art Gallery Create carnival masks and enjoy the visiting carnival painting by Canaletto. Also at Victoria Art Gallery this month CREATING CITYSCAPE Wednesday 8 April 10.30am – noon Enjoy the exhibition featuring a painting of Venice by Canaletto. Use collage and dragged paint.

Miss Popularity Nutty Noah and ventriloquist Krazy Kev with Dinky Dino. Choose from any of these, or see Kooky the Clown or the Funky Puppet Show. For ticket details pick up a Bath Comedy Festival programme or visit: bathcomedy.com. FAMILY NATURE TRAILS Thursday 2, Tuesday 7 and Thursday 9 April, 11am – noon and 2 – 3pm n Dyrham Park National Trust house and gardens, Dyrham off the A46 near Bath Explore the park through activities on a guided discovery trails. From pond-dipping or bughunting to spotting the deer, head outdoors and discover the wild side of the parkland. Normal admission applies. CADBURY EASTER EGG TRAIL Also at Dyrham this month Friday 3 – Mon 6 April, 10am – 4pm Come and explore the parkland at Dyrham with the Easter trail and claim a chocolate prize. £2 per trail. Normal admission applies.

EXTRAVAGANT EASTER EGGS Wednesday 1 April, 11am – 1pm n No1 Royal Crescent museum, Bath Sugar paste eggs filled with sweets, gifts and hand-written mottos were fashionable gifts in the 18th century. Decorate your own wooden egg, write a motto with a quill and ink then add mini chocolate eggs. Free with normal admission.

EASTER YARN BOMBING Friday 3 – Monday 6 April noon – 5pm n The American Museum, Claverton, Bath The Easter trail through the grounds features springtime creatures and creations all handcrafted by museum volunteers. Follow the trail to find all the knitted delights and earn yourself a chocolate treat. Also at The American Museum this month Thursday 9 April, 1pm – 4pm Come and create your own festive bunting. Drop in sessions for children aged 3 and over

BATH KIDS COMEDY FEST From Monday 30 March – Thursday 2 April n Bath Cricket Club, Bath Jimmy Mc, long-time entertainer of the children of Bath, will be hosting a number of entertaining sessions with guest comedians. There’ll be Clown Bert with all his daftness, Miss Popularity who messes about making things with balloons while raising a smile, plus

EASTER ART WITH ROSIE Thursday 2 April, 10am – 11.30am n Pound Arts, Pound Pill, Corsham, Wiltshire Join Rosie, the CreateNoW! art club leader as she leads Easter craft activities and create your own masterpiece to take home. There is also a weekly children’s art club CreateNoW! Suitable for children aged 7–12. £5 per child. Tel: 01249 701628/712618, visit: poundarts.org.uk.

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Also at Pound Arts this month FAMILY CRAFTY CREATIONS Tuesday 7 April, 10am – 11.30am Get creative with Naomi, The Pound’s creative learning officer. Age guidance 5 and over. £5, please bring an adult DRAMA FUN AND GAMES Thursday 9 April, 10am – noon Join Paula, The Pound’s Youth Theatre Director for a session of games, storytelling, new friends, dressing up and acting out! Age guidance 5-7 years. £8. PHOTOGRAPH SAFARI Friday 10 April, 10am – 1pm Get out and about to explore Corsham this holiday with Penney Ellis, Pound artist and photographer. Bring a digital camera and go on photographic safari adventure. Age guidance 8 – 11. £10 CRAFTY SATURDAY Saturday 25 April, 1.30pm – 3.30pm This is a drop-in monthly craft workshops with Mazy Bartlett, The Corsham School’s artist in residence – the perfect opportunity to get crafty and creative. Free, please bring an adult. SMALL ANIMAL WEEKEND Saturday 4 – Monday 6 April, 11am – 4pm n The Cats and Dogs Home, Claverton, Bath BA2 7AZ If there’s a small but insistent voice in your family saying: “Mum can I have a rabbit?” you might want to call in to the pet rescue centre over Easter and find out whether your family is prepared to take on the responsibility of owning a small pet, such as a guinea pig, a hamster or a ferret. Entrance is free and you can learn all about caring for your own pet at home.

Titch and Tinsel at Claverton animal rescue centre

#THE EGG HUNT Until 11 April n Around Bath, organised by the egg theatre To celebrate the egg theatre’s 10th birthday join in a city wide treasure hunt to find 25 decorated eggs that will be hidden round Bath. Pick up a free treasure map from the theatre.

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FAMILY | EVENTS

Inspiration for young musicians and artists

Up in the Attic

Easter egg hunts

FROZEN THEMED EASTER EVENT Saturday 4 April, 10am – noon n Norton St Philip Pre-school group, Norton St Philip, Somerset There’ll be an Easter egg hunt, a bouncy castle plus guest apperances from characters in homage to Frozen, Princesses Ella and Anna. THE ROCK PROJECT Mondays from 5.30pm, juniors, 7.30pm seniors n Beechen Cliff School, Bath BA2 4RE The Rock Project works with young people aged 7–11 and 12–18 in fun sessions combining music lessons and workshops to learn guitar, bass, drums or vocals. Students can work towards playing or singing in a band live on stage at a summer gig. All abilities are accepted from complete beginners to experienced musicians. The Rock Project is a fun and exciting weekly activity that engages young people in music by learning songs they request and being taught by young music professionals. Students can also have singing lessons and sing with a live band every week. Instruments can be provided at no extra cost, trial sessions are available. For more information call Mike – himself a very experienced musician who plays trumpet with Clyve and the South City Foundation – on 07896031521, email: bath@therockproject.com or check out The Rock Project Bath on Facebook. MY FRIEND MOLE Monday 6 – Tuesday 7 April, times vary n The egg theatre, Sawclose, Bath Birdsnest Theatre presentsa gentle tale of friendship and the imagination using live music and storytelling. Suitable ages three to six. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50 concs. Tel: 01225 823409 or visit: theatreroyal.org.uk/the-egg Also at the egg this month UP IN THE ATTIC Friday 10 – Saturday 11 April, times vary Join three children as they go on a bedtime adventure in an attic. This is a magical, melodious and inter-active show suitable for children three to six. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50 concs. PENELOPE RETOLD Tuesday 21 April, 7pm Olivier award-winning solo performer Caroline Horton retells the story of the Odyssey, 68 TheBATHMagazine

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bringing the classics together with a modern twist. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50 concs. THE BOY WHO BIT PICASSO Friday 24 and Saturday 25 April, times vary Wear some play clothes as this could get messy. With storytelling, music and the chance to make some art, this family show introduces the great artist to a new generation. Suitable for over fours. Tickets: £7.50/£6.50 concs. MEET THE ARTIST Sunday 12 April, 2.30 – 3.30pm n The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath ‘I’m an Animal Illustrator’, talk and hands-on workshop with Alexia Tucker. Are you a whale or a tiger, or…? Alexia creates detailed images of families and couples as animal versions of themselves. Come and discover what animals you might be and learn some techniques in drawing fur, scales and feathers. Children must be accompanied by a participating adult. Adults £3, children £2. To book tel: 01225 388569. WORLD HERITAGE DAY Sunday 19 April, 10am – 4.30pm n Prior Park Landscape Garden National Trust property, Bath Join the celebration for World Heritage Day. Free entry with Discovery Card. OAE TOTS: SPLASHING ABOUT Saturday 25 April, 10.30am n Wiltshire Music Centre, Bradford-on-Avon A family inter-active concert aimed at children aged two to five. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment takes the youngsters through a musical journey exploring rivers, bath time and swimming through songs and music. Tickets: £8/£2 under 18s. Tel: 01225 860100, visit: wiltshiremusic.org.uk CREATE CLUB Saturday 25 April 10am – 12pm n Fine Art Studio, The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, BA2 7AY Suitable for children and adults of any age, Create Club is a fun hands-on creative workshop. Led by experienced artist-educators and workshop facilitators. £3 per child, adults free, all materials provided. If you are six or

Emberfest in Devon under please bring an adult. BUBBLE BLAST Saturday 28 March – Sunday 10 May n At-Bristol, Harbourside Investigate the science of bubbles as they float, pop or burst into flames in At-Bristol’s latest live science show. Mess with mixtures to make the perfect bubble, encounter bubbles that you certainly wouldn’t want in your bath, and experiment with chemistry to create bubbles with some surprising properties. Regular shows at weekends and daily during the Easter holidays. Free with standard admission. For more information tel: 0845 345 1235 or visit: atbristol.org.uk ALIEN TOURS Monday 30 March – Sunday 12 April n At-Bristol, Harbourside Dress up in alien costumes and follow the robot tour guide around the At-Bristol exhibition to learn about the bizarre species known as ‘humanity’ and the strange world they inhabit through the eye of visitors from another world. Tickets: £2.50 adults, £1.50 children, in addition to standard admission. For more information tel: 0845 345 1235 or visit: at-bristol.org.uk PLANNING AHEAD CAMPING IN YURTS Monday 24 – Friday 28 August n Emberfest yurt holiday, Embercombe, near Exeter, Devon Celebrate summer with a four night stay in one of Embercombe’s warm, comfortable yurts, which come complete with stove and a plentiful supply of wood should it get chilly when the sun goes down. During the daytime families can enjoy hands-on workshops where you can learn to pickle produce, preserve fruits, forage for ingredients, make sour dough and bake bread. Embercombe is dedicated to organising courses and events that help people strengthen their understanding and relationship with the world around us, working together to create a more beautiful place for us all to live. Yurts are available for up to four people, priced £645 per yurt. The price is inclusive of all meals and activities. For more information, tel: 01647 252 983 or visit: embercombe.org. n

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SINGING AND SPEECH LESSONS For performance, presentations and job interviews or simply for enjoyment

with professional actor/singer Lloyd Notice, from The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. (credits include “Mufasa “in West End,” The Lion king.”

The Royal Shakespeare Company, film and radio.

Lloyd has taught voice for over 15 years and has helped clients in performance, win scholarships’ and job interviews through vocal training. Private 1:1 sessions available in all aspects of voice training.

Group singing sessions @ Weston Methodist church BA1 3EA Every Wednesday 8-10pm with accomplished pianist Anders Olinder.

For more details contact Lloyd anytime: 07949 173 034 “Lloyd is a fantastic and encouraging teacher. He has helped me become a better singer, with the confidence to produce my own cd.” Sybil Mansfield

“Lloyds infectious enthusiasm for voice, even my voice has filled me with greater confidence in public speaking.” Dr Rick James MBA

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WRITTEN IN THE STARS Find yourself a spot without light pollution if you can for this spring’s star spotting. Jenny Hayes visits At-Bristol the south west’s science centre to find out what to look out for

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SCIENCE I ASTRONOMY

LOOK OUT FOR . . .

The Lyrids meteor shower runs annually from 16 – 25 April. This year it will peak on the night of Wednesday 22, producing around 20 meteors per hour. Some of these can produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds and are best viewed from a dark location after midnight.

LOOK UP: main picture, a stellar nursery in Virgo Above, Bootes by Johannes Hevelius 1690

or as long as man has inhabited the Earth, spring has been celebrated as a time of new beginnings, when we literally and metaphorically sew the seeds for a successful year ahead. So this month, we’ll be looking at some of the objects in our sky that have particular significance at this time of year because they all have an agricultural relevance, either in their mythology or their importance as seasonal guides for our ancestors. Let’s start with one of the most familiar farming objects, the easily recognisable shape of The Plough that

❝

he is depicted as wielding a sickle which he swishes at the bear’s tail to encourage her to push the stars around

❝

stretches high above our heads in the April sky. Although large and dominant among the constellations, The Plough itself is actually an asterism – that is, a recognisable pattern of stars within the larger constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. Nonetheless, it is an important marker in our night sky and an apt start for our agricultural journey through the heavens, for if you follow the curve of the handle down you’ll come to the Arcturus, one of the most visible stars in the night sky at our latitude, part of the constellation of Boötes, the herdsman. Although Boötes does not guide The Plough himself, he is linked to the Great Bear constellation. In the night sky, he is depicted as wielding a sickle, which he WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

swishes at the bear’s tail to encourage her to push the stars around each evening. So, according to the stories of old, it was Boötes who was responsible for keeping the sky revolving and therefore bringing about the changing seasons. And Arcturus is fittingly named in keeping with this figure, deriving from the ancient Greek arktos ‘bear’ and ouros ‘guardian’. Like Aldebaran in Taurus, Arcturus is one of a small collection of red giants in our sky. Despite being a similar mass to the Sun, Arcturus is about 25x the diameter and far more luminous (i.e. emits a great deal more energy). Because it has exhausted the hydrogen from its core, Arcturus is now in the latter stages of its life as a mainsequence star and its temperature has dropped to about 4000°C and into the infrared spectrum, making it appear red in colour to our eyes. As time passes, it will expand further until it completely sheds its outer shell and becomes a white dwarf. This remarkable star is itself located within a group of stars known as the Arcturus stream, all of which are physically associated because they share proper motion (rate of movement relative to the Sun and solar system). This stream did not originate within the Milky Way,

and scientists believe it is a remnant from an ancient satellite galaxy that has become assimilated into our own. If you continue further down along the same trajectory as you followed from to find Arcturus you’ll come across Spica, a binary star that is the brightest in the constellation of Virgo, the goddess of the harvest. Unlike many of the stars we’ve encountered in previous articles, Spica is not a main-sequence but a post-sequence blue giant. These are incredibly rare celestial entities, occurring only in stars with very high mass and lasting – astronomically speaking – a very short amount of time. Like their red counterparts, blue giants have used up their core hydrogen supply, but because they are far greater in mass they remain much hotter, so they glow blue on the sizzling ultraviolet spectrum as opposed to red on the cooler infrared spectrum. These rarities have a scorching surface temperature of 20,000°C or more, which makes our Sun sound veritably chilly at a mere 6000°C. The mass and heat of the blue giant Spica combine to give it incredible luminosity, and it is the 15th brightest star in the night sky. Because of this, for thousands of years it has been a vital marker for mankind, and our ancestors used its changing position in the sky to tell the time of year. When Spica rose above the horizon in the northern hemisphere, it meant that spring had arrived and signalled to farmers to start planting their crops. Hence the Romans named it Spica, meaning ‘ear of wheat’. So next time you are out after dark and see The Plough in the spring night sky, why not look a bit further? Just remember, ‘follow the arc to Arcturus then speed on to Spica.’ n With thanks to Lee Pullen at the Planetarium. If you would like to discover more about astronomy, visit the At-Bristol website for details of all shows and upcoming events visit: atbristol.org.uk or tel: 0117 909 2000

MAIN-SEQUENCE STARS

This category comprises 90% of the stars in our universe – including our Sun – all of which convert hydrogen to helium at their core. When the core runs out of hydrogen, the element instead begins to fuse in a layer around the core making the star expand, become brighter and begin to cool. As its temperature drops, so its colour changes as it moves deeper into the infrared spectrum, becoming first a yellow giant, then an orange giant, and finally a red giant. These giants are rare, accounting for less than 1% of stars, but because they are so luminous – emitting several 100x more light than the Sun – they can be very distinct objects in our night sky.

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

Looking

GREAT

GET THE FEELGOOD FACTOR INSIDE AND OUT THIS SPRING

RUN A RAINBOW

Enjoy a 5k with a diﬀerence by taking part in Run or Dye at Bath Racecourse on Saturday 16 May when you can run, jog, walk or dance your way round the course while being splattered head-to-toe in (washable) brightly coloured dye. Run dressed in white for maximum impact, this event is suitable for all ages (under sixes run for free). Find out more at: runordye.com

FACIAL REFLEXOLOGY Facial Reflexology and Japanese Cosmo Facelift are non-invasive, unique facial treatments based on the principals of western reflexology with oriental methods. They involve rhythmical, deep yet gentle strokes, stimulating acupressure and neurological points with a comfortable pressure. Both treatments use organic plant oils blended freshly with effective essential oils. The beautiful aroma helps to soothe the mind. Facial Reflexology focuses more on balancing the body’s energy, similar to foot reflexology, while Japanese Cosmo Facelift aims to tone the outer appearance, like holistic beauty treatments. These two treatments give profound relaxation and a feeling of melting away tension. The resulting experience gives an amazing feeling and the skin looks fresh and luminous leaving the skin tone wonderfully different. Therapist Keiko Kishimoto works out of Neal’s Yard in Bath and from her home in Trowbridge. You can contact her on: 0773 982 7186 or visit: keikokishimoto.co.uk

BEAUTY FROM INSIDE OUT

IN PURSUIT OF YOUTHFUL SKIN

As we ancient ones, or – forgive me – those not quite so ancient, enter each new decade, we embark on the ever more urgent pursuit to discover the elixir of youth. You will often find us in the elegant beauty halls of Jollys, or, after a couple of jars, in SpaceNK, as we mentally prepare our wallets and minds in the crusade of youthful good looks. Skin is the very foundation of beauty. This is where it all began – watching our mothers or grandmothers, religiously plaster themselves in thick, white cold-cream, like Ponds or Nivea. But today’s skin products are far more sophisticated, laced with ingredients like extract of brown algae and gingko bilboa. One such producer of refined skin care is, Parisian cosmetics company, Sisley, who have been at the forefront of creating natural skin care products since 1976. This month Sisley unveils a new product in its Sisleÿa skincare range. The Essential Skin Care lotion, an antiageing prepping lotion that hydrates and prepares the skin to ‘better receive products.’ Having been naturally perfumed with may rose water, revitalising orange blossom water and the worldly ingredients mentioned above, the lotion claims to combat the first visible signs of ageing. For those with unsightly dark spots or skin imperfections Sisley’s Intensive Dark Spot Corrector is perfect for targeted application and it works for men and women alike. Meanwhile, another skin renewing product has hit the market via the unlikely tracks of former British Captain of the Olympics Modern Pentathlon Team, James Greenwell. Surprised? So were we. So the story goes that James discovered an incredible side eﬀect on his skin after taking a collagen supplement course which was prescribed by his doctor to improve a ruptured Achilles heel, he found his skin had noticeably improved. James has since launched a range of skin care products, called proto-col, and collagen skin plus capsules, which combine the regenerative benefits of collagen, alongside other ingredients including the superfood quinoa, papaya, coral seaweed and silk extract. James’s heel improved in a record 21 days, his doctor said it would take up to 14 weeks. With these kind of figures you can understand why proto-col is on our beauty hit list. It’s currently only available online, visit: proto-col.com

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New to Bath is a new beauty treatment, skinade™ which offers a new way to look after your skin — from the inside out. Developed by UK scientists and manufactured in Britain, each daily-dose bottle is packed with the highest quality, low molecular weight collagen and essential ‘beautyceuticals’, all delivered to the skin’s inner layers in liquid form. With no artificial colouring and naturally flavoured with peach and mangosteen, the collagen peptides in skinade™ trigger the body’s natural collagen production. The liquid is easy for the body to absorb and is only 35 calories. As skin loses 1.5% of its natural collagen each year from the age of 20, this drink is said to boost the skin’s ability to restore its youthful appearance. A course of 30 day treatments is priced from £90. Visit: skinade.com or visit spa at the Royal Crescent Hotel Bath.

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Gentle IVF Geeta Nargund, medical director at Create Fertility, discusses a gentler approach to iVF

alling pregnant is an experience we all hope will be an easy one, but the reality is that many women and couples struggle with fertility. Since the first IVF baby was born over 36 years ago, fertility experts have been offering solutions to those who need a helping hand in producing a much wanted child. However many of those seeking treatment do not realise that conventional IVF, with its intense and gruelling hormone treatments that incur both cost and health risks, is not the only option. By using a tailored approach that focuses on quality and not quantity, Natural and Mild IVF offer an IVF experience that is aimed at protecting both the short and long-term health of mother and child. Involving either zero or very small dosages of stimulatory hormonal treatment, the chance of developing adverse health risks, such as Ovarian HyperStimulation Syndrome (OHSS), are almost nil, and costs are significantly reduced. Treatment takes place within a woman’s natural cycle, using naturally- selected eggs, and removes weeks of intense treatment and associated side effects. CREATE Fertility are the pioneers and leaders in Natural and Mild IVF in the UK, and in February celebrated the first anniversary of their Bristol clinic, which has now helped women across Bristol and the south west give birth to healthy, happy babies. The clinic’s very first baby was little Hugo, whose parents unexpectedly found themselves struggling to conceive a sibling for their daughter Emilia. Hugo and Emilia’s mum Kate explains:

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“It was incredibly difficult to imagine we may not be able to have a little brother or sister for Emelia, but we also didn’t want to impact on her childhood by having a mother going through the emotional and physical trauma of extensive hormonal treatment, so Natural and Mild IVF offered a way that ensured we didn’t sacrifice my health. Hugo has completed our family, and we wouldn’t change the sleepless nights for anything! Watching Emelia dote on her little brother is a wonderful gift after imagining for a time that it may not happen for us.” CREATE Fertility’s Clifton-based clinic provides patients like Kate and her husband Dave with the only local access to Mild and Natural IVF, as well as other innovative approaches including the Endometrial Receptivity Array (ERA) test, which determines when a woman’s uterus is most receptive for implantation of embryo, and cutting-edge 3D/4D and Doppler scanning – all of which help in increasing the chance of success in each individual case. Over 45% of patients treated in the first year had already been turned away by other clinics due to treatment failure, yet success rates have been high with over a third falling pregnant so far. As knowledge of Natural and Mild IVF grows families are discovering the importance of remaining informed, providing the confidence to seek what is right for your body, your family and your future. n For further details or to find out about the next CREATE Fertility open day, tel: 0117 317 1493 or visit: www.createhealth.org

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IS WORK A PAIN IN THE NECK?

Too long in front of a screen, on a phone or pad can cause aches and pains – luckily treatment is available

hile the physiotherapists at Circle Bath enjoy offering help to people with a large variety of problems ranging from acute sporting injuries in elite athletes to chronic pain from arthritis, we are also seeing an increasing number of people suffering from the problems that come associated with working long hours at the desk and from using hand held computers and mobile phones. By far the majority of the workforce nowadays spend a huge number of hours working at desks and with laptops in sometimes cramped and shared spaces. The huge increase in the number of people using hand held tablets has added to the number of hours that the average person may spend using a screen or keyboard. The human body is made to move and the increasing number of gadgets, remote controls and labour saving devices means that recent generations are increasingly suffering from symptoms related to lack of movement and exercise and from working in prolonged poor postures. Symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, shoulder pains and back pain are often exacerbated by sitting for long periods particularly when focusing at a screen. Some simple advice offered by the team at Circle Bath can often help to reduce or avoid these symptoms, such as: ■ Take a few minutes to set up your desk. Try and make sure your body is supported as much as possible by the furniture around you by keeping feet on the floor or a foot rest, forearms supported on the desk, back rest and chair in a good position and set your screen at a good height and distance. ■ Take regular breaks from the screen and desk by walking to talk to a colleague rather than emailing them, walk to the printer, offer to make the tea. Some simple stretches can be done at the same time and it doesn’t need to take any time out of the working day. Time away from the desk also gives the eyes a rest and remember to get regular eye tests. We all know nowadays how important exercise is for us all and this is particularly important for those who work in a sedentary job so try to find some fun exercise that you can fit into your weekly routine. Try and allow time between looking at a screen and going to bed. Sleep can be disturbed by late night time spent on Facebook and Twitter and reading emails. Playing games on the i-Pad in bed certainly won’t help by also putting your neck and shoulders into a bad posture just before sleep. If all else fails and you are still struggling with aches and pains the physios at Circle Bath will be pleased to try and help you. We can offer a comprehensive assessment of your posture and movement as well as helping with lifestyle advice. With hands on treatments, exercise advice, sports massage, dry needling and acupuncture as options for treatment we can help you find ways to balance your life around your work requirements and to keep fit and healthy. For more information on Circle tel: 01761 422388, visit: circlehealth.co.uk or contact Sue Ross, email: susan.ross@circlebath.co.uk. The hospital is based at Peasedown St John, BA2 8SQ. ■ 80 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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THE | WALK

the car park. After a couple of metres, go through a kissing gate (KG) on the right, take the footpath forking left and head straight across a cricket field. Go through a gate, carry straight on and, when you come to a broad track, known as Bath Lane, turn left along it. You are now on the Cotswold Way (CW), which you will be following for the next three miles. After 1,000m, just before a gate onto a lane, bear right to follow the CW with the hedge on your left. After 600m, go through a chicane into a field with a ruined barn ahead, and head diagonally across the field, following a faint track. At the end of the field, follow a CW waymark along a clearly-defined track, which leads through a gate into a beech wood (ST768848). After 200m, a holloway, heading steeply downhill, cuts across your path. Bear right, but almost immediately fork left to follow a path that, after descending a little way, rises again, goes through a KG and follows the contours across a field. Below you on the left is Horton Court and church. At the end of the field, follow the path as it curves alongside the fence, before going through a KG (ST765847) and following a zig-zag path up through woods. Go through a KG at the top, and carry on with a fence and the edge of the escarpment on your right. The path leads through the ramparts of an iron age fort, before going through a KG (ST765843) and heading down past a pepperpot folly built in 2000 for owls. Widden Hill House, to your left, was built as a rectory, in Greek Revival style, around 1815. Two more KGs lead down into Horton village. Turn left along a lane, right at the T junction, and after 50m, turn left along a gravel drive before continuing along a path. After going through a couple of gates, the path drops down to the valley of the Little Avon. Carry on and, after crossing a

ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY Make the most of an English spring with a long walk Andrew Swift suggests a scenic route

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passing a cottage on your right (ST753879), carry straight on across Inglestone Common. When you come to a lane, bear right along it. Carry on through the hamlet of Orange End and, after crossing a cattle grid, follow the lane as it starts to climb. Opposite a turning to Hillesley, turn right through a gate (ST765878) and follow a footpath between hedgerows. When you reach Hawkesbury village, turn left along a lane. Just past the churchyard, take a path along the bank on the right (ST769869) and follow it as it heads up through woodland. A succession of waymarked stiles leads up to the Cotswold plateau, with the Hawkesbury Monument on your left. After crossing a broad track, carry straight on. At the road, turn right to find the Beaufort Arms. On leaving the pub, head for a footpath in the far right-hand corner of

❝

This view . . . has a quietly haunting quality, as though it has slipped through a wormhole from another century

❝

pril’s walk is an 11 mile trek through some of the finest scenery in South Gloucestershire, calling at the Beaufort Arms in Hawkesbury Upton en route. The pub is three miles into the walk, which should take you around an hour and a half, so if you want to stop for lunch, that will give you an idea what time to start. The walk starts in Lower Woods, the turning to which is on a minor road midway between Wickwar and Hawkesbury Upton, opposite Inglestone Farm (ST749885), from where a 600m drive runs south along a rough track to a small parking area (ST746880). Walk south along a track – signposted to Bucklesbury Farm – to the left of the car park. After 200m, follow it as it curves left, but, when it curves right through a gate, carry straight on along a grassy, marshy strip of land. After

THE OWL HOUSE: this delightful Gormenghastian tower was built in the year 2000 as a sanctuary for owls

stile by a house, turn right along a lane (ST758833). At a T junction (when the CW turns left), turn right along a lane. After 1400m you come to Sodbury End, where a cattle grid leads onto Sodbury Common. South Gloucestershire’s commons have a melancholy beauty all of their own, and this view, with the Tyndale Chapel on the left, has a quietly haunting quality, as though it has slipped through a wormhole from another century. Here you have a choice. If you want to continue along lanes,

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THE | WALK

bear right before the cattle grid. After 300m, bear right at a T junction. After another 400m, turn left along Mapleridge Lane for 1750m, before turning right along a bridleway opposite Hares Farm (ST735851) and skipping the next two paragraphs. For a more challenging option, carry on across the cattle grid. When the road bears right, carry straight on across the common. After crossing a road, head towards a small tree surrounding by palings, with an oak beyond it. Carry on in the same direction, keeping close to the hedge on your right, and you should soon find yourself following a discernible track. When the hedge on the right ends, carry straight on – negotiating several muddy patches – and eventually you will see a stile with a waymark in a hedge ahead (ST735843). This double stile, overgrown with brambles, leads into a field with cows. Head across it, go through a gateway and cross another field, at the end of which you have to climb a sevenbar gate. Carry on and go through another seven-bar gate, which leads onto a lane, along which you turn left. After 350m, turn right along a bridleway opposite Hares Farm (ST735851). After 850m, carry on through a gate ahead into Lower Woods Nature Reserve and follow the track ahead.

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EXPLORE: the path through the Lower Woods

When it forks, follow the main track to the right. Carry on past a track branching left, but, just before you reach a five-bar gate, bear left. After 500m, carry on at a cross path along a broad, tree-shaded avenue (ST743866). Continue as the path drops down and rises again before emerging into the open at a T junction. The broad grassy track along which you turn right is Horton Great Trench, once the main highway between Bristol and Wotton under Edge. After 500m, it curves down to a bridge over the Little Avon, on the other side of which a path leads steeply uphill to join the track from Bucklesbury Farm, along which you turn left to return to the car park. n

FACT FILE ■ Length of walk: 11 miles ■ Time of walk: allow 5-6 hours ■ Map: OS Explorer 167 ■ Refreshments: The Beaufort Arms in Hawkesbury Upton is open all day from noon. Food, noon-2.30pm, but booking advisable. Dogs allowed in public bar. Tel: 01454 238217

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INTERIOR | TRENDS

METAL GURU: A NOD TO THE 70s Bath interior designer Clair Strong picks some key trends heading our way this spring

f you’re thinking of redesigning your home this spring, you need to know that brass fixtures, cacti, inky blue walls, ethnic rugs and the 1970s are key interiors trends for the months ahead. Bath interior designer Clair Strong has spent the last few months travelling around the top interior

design shows taking place all over the UK and in Europe. From Top Drawer, Home and London Design Week in the UK, to Maison et Object in Paris, Clair has been checking out all the new colour and design trends which are about to hit the high street this spring and summer. Here is her round-up of the key interior design looks to emerge for 2015….

MOODY BLUES

Marsala may have been named Pantone’s colour of Drawing Room Blue estate year in 2015 but from emulsion £36 from 2.5l, rich jewel tones right Farrow & Ball copyright through to deep indigo it seems blue is having a moment too. Try painting your walls a deep inky shade of blue like Drawing Room Blue from Farrow & Ball to give a room a dramatic moody feel. But don’t worry, we won’t be seeing the end of grey yet although darker shades like charcoal are beginning to take over from the paler greys of the last few years.

WARM METALLICS

Warm metallics like brass and copper are the materials of the moment and add an elegant finishing touch to complete the look of a room. Copper and brass can be used on everything from lighting, furniture, tableware, accessories and lamps – and both brushed and polished finishes look modern. An iconic Tom Dixon light is a statement piece that will never go out of fashion. Copper Bronze brass pendants £375 each, Tom Dixon. Copyright Tom Dixon

BOTANICAL BEAUTIES

You’ll see flamboyant botanical and wildlife prints appearing on everything from sofas to cushions and rugs this year. All the big designers showed gorgeous nature-inspired fabrics covered in ferns, butterflies and flowers and the look has already filtered onto the high street. The Marks and Spencer botanical range nails this trend brilliantly. Copyright Marks & Spencer

SEVENTIES CHIC

After a lasting love for everything mid-century, the interiors industry has added another era to its source of inspiration. The 1970s are now having their moment with smoked-glass coffee tables, low sofas, bold rugs, rattan furniture and metallic accessories giving a modern glamorous retro look to our homes. Copyright Clair Strong

ANIMAL HIDES

The design aesthetic for 2015 is all about making your home look comfortable and modern and animal hides are ideal for creating this welcoming yet contemporary feel. Don’t just stick to cowhide rugs though – think zebra print, pastel colours, metallics, patchwork, cushions, blankets, artwork and throws. This zebra print rug would make a real statement on a polished wooden floor. Zebra printed cow skin £94 Amara

MIXED WOOD

Mixing woods is no longer a faux pas and using multiple woods in the same piece is an interesting micro-trend I noticed from the shows. I think a combination of woods adds dimension and richness to a room. I love this cool Fonteyn TV bench in mixed oak and walnut from Made.com. Fonteyn media unit, £499 Made.com 84 TheBATHMagazine

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INTERIOR | TRENDS

BOLD GEOMETRIC DESIGNS

Geometric shapes are here to stay, Clair says. On tiles, rugs, bedding, cushions and furniture these shapes add a sense of style and simplicity to your home and look great in modern homes. Niki Jones is the queen of geo designs with her new range introducing bang-on-trend mustard and grey to her collection. Niki Jones from Nikijones.com

OUT OF AFRICA

LIGHTING SPECIALIST

Ethnic inspired patterns with a modern twist – white combined with colourful zig zigs, stripes and spots – are a great way to add bright colour and that crucial handmade look to your home. Think modern hippy meets Nordic cool! Treat yourself to a new rug or some Kilim cushions to update your living room. India Jane Beren Cushion £39

8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK

URBAN JUNGLE

A LOVE OF NATURE

From terrariums to living walls – walls entirely covered with plants – 2015 will see the return of the house plant, so bring the outdoors in and learn all those houseplant names from the past. Copyright Clair Strong

Eco-friendly natural materials are also having a moment. Wicker, wood, bamboo and grass are the materials to look for and they fit seamlessly into almost every interior style from traditional country to industrial chic. These Piet Hein Eek baskets from Amara are created by Vietnamese handicraftsmen from recycled & rejected breadboards to great effect. Piet Hein Eek basket collection from Amara.com

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CITY | INTERIORS

ADD WIT TO YOUR WALLS Internationally renowned artist and interior designer Adam Calkin has taken on a new project, restoring historic Sally Lunn’s. Georgette McCready went to meet him and find out more about this master of paint magic

f ever there was a man who could persuade you that painting a wall plain white, grey, blue or cream was simply too dull and unimaginative to contemplate, artist Adam Calkin is the one. Just like a musician who has perfect pitch or can compose the ultimate guitar riff, Adam can take a room and transform it with paint. With more than 30 years experience as an artist and interior designer and having worked in homes and buildings all over the world from Los Angeles and New York to the Caribbean and the Middle East, Adam’s most recent project involves the transformation of one of Bath’s oldest buildings, Sally Lunn’s. He has taken this historic tearoom – one of the city’s most popular tourist hotspots – and given it a new lease of life. Not only has he managed to make the visitor feel as though she’s stepping into an authentic 17th century he’s also applied his trademark wit and humour. On the ground floor, where visitors quaff tea and devour the signature dish freshly baked Sally Lunn buns, Adam has recreated a coffee house as seen in London in the 1650s. Bill posters from the Theatre Royal hang on the walls, the chairs and tables are simple and the floor is unadorned plain wood. 86 TheBATHMagazine

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Everywhere you look there are visual jokes. Adam and his carpenter colleague Dave Lavis get a namecheck in the theatre advert, an alcove like a shrine holds a small chest which gives authenticity to there being a secret Sally Lunn recipe being discovered in this 15th century building. And on the far wall the current owner, Jonathan Overton, is referenced in a trompe l’oeil clock, over-large in Alice in Wonderland fashion and which Adam unveiled as a surprise for Jonathan. The pair have collaborated closely on the restoration. Jonathan was determined that none of the character of the place be lost or watered down, oh and there was the little matter of his not wanting to turn away custom while the work took place. Adam got round this by turning up daily, paintbrush in hand, head full of new ideas, to work from 5am until 10am when the first customers arrived. He also took his work home, creating for instance, the artlessly antiqued hand stencilled wallpaper that manages to look completely contemporary and yet historic all at the same time. If you haven’t visited Sally Lunn’s lately, I would urge you to go and check out the transformation. Even the brand’s colours have been updated to blue and

IT’S IN THE DETAIL: main picture, the ground floor salon at Sally Lunn’s, Bath, evokes a coffee house of Restoration London Left, Adam Calkin Photography by Phoebe West

cream from claret and cream. And Adam has plans in mind for the little cellar museum – watch this space. You may be familiar with Adam’s work from glossy interiors magazines. He pioneered the large patterned wide width wallpaper and his designs for the 130cm format can be ordered via Lewis and Wood wallpapers of Gloucestershire. His work on his family home in Atworth, that he shares with wife Charlotte, has also featured in a book, English Eccentrics by Ros Byam Shaw. It is here, at home, that Adam’s imagination and creativity have been

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CITY | INTERIORS

MULTI-TALENTED: clockwise from top left: Commissions are now being taken for bespoke tabletop paintings like those Adam did for GPT in Bath the landing in Adam and Charlotte’s Wiltshire home A fairytale den created inside what looks like a seaside beech hut The high ceiling of this bathroom is covered in delicate tracery, enhanced by the chandelier Jonathon Overton, owner of Sally Lunn’s was surprised and delighted by his painted clock

given full rein. Charlotte says: “When people come to see us they often just ask if they can spend some time looking around rather than chatting to us!” A plain kitchen dresser has been jazzed up with multi-coloured stripes in a kitchen that’s as colourful and eyecatching as a souk stocked with baskets of spices. Delicate blue and white tiles round a fireplace turn out not to be Delft, but a trick of the paintbrush, and visitors to the loo have to work out for themselves that it will only flush when you lift a yellow jug on a shelf – the mechanism is hidden underneath. Adam’s recently been busy at his sister-in-law Caroline’s bed and breakfast, T’s B&B, in Box. She and her sister Charlotte have clearly inherited their late father Leslie Crowther’s love

of crowd pleasing and the entertainer’s sense of fun. Guests staying at T’s will be able to opt this summer for staying in what appears to be a beach hut hidden in English woodland, but inside turns out to be a fairytale den, its wood panels decorated with swags and swirls of Eastern European inspired folk flower garlands. Visit: tsbandbs.co.uk. Adam also works with decorative furniture. He painted matchbox lid designs on the tables for the refurbishment of GPT (formerly Green Park Tavern) in Bath. Now people are commissioning him to design and paint their own bespoke tabletops for birthdays, weddings and other special occasions. Visit: adamcalkin.com. Read his blog: adamcalkinblog.com. n APRIL 2015

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CITY | INTERIORS

Interior

NOTES

NEW ARRIVALS This month we take a look at some of the stylish new products and trends appearing in stores across the city

MODERN KITCHEN CLASSICS FROM SMEG The ultra stylish retro design of the Smeg Stand Mixer is a modern masterpiece. ( £359.99) Its new small appliance line up also features; toasters, blenders and kettles. A striking range, all available in cool colours : cream, deep red, pastel blue and rich black. See the range in Bath at appliance specialists: Coopers Stores, 13-15 Walcot Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 311811

BEAUTIFUL RETRO SWIVEL Designed by Abigail Ahern for Sofa.com, this curvaceous and classy Stanley swivel armchair adds a touch of style to any space. From £580 (shown here in Baltic, Roosevelt velvet £750) Visit the Sofa.com showroom, The Corridor, Bath Tel: 0345 400 2222

PLANTATION RUG COMPANY With a diverse range of colours, fabrics, textures and patterns; Plantation Rugs are a great new line now stocked in Bath at the ever popular Avonvale Carpets showroom. Avonvale Carpets, 37 Kingsmead Street, Kingsmead Square, Bath Tel: 01225 427057

TILE STYLE FROM MANDARIN STONE These fun and on-trend Laccio decorative & embossed tiles from Mandarin Stone are available in 6 different colour options. They measure 200x200x10mm and are sold in sets of nine and cost £119.70 per sqm. Mandarin Stone, 15 - 16 Broad Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 460033

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Stressless by name and by nature Stressless Magic Recliner

BATH’S LARGEST FURNISHERS

Richard Hayes from TR Hayes furniture store in Bath looks at how this stylish contemporary brand has come up with the answer to all our seating needs. With over 80 years’ experience developing classic pieces of furniture to fit your lifestyle, Stressless has gone one step further than other rival brands by considering the individuality of its customers to create furniture that is right for them and their own personal comfort needs. The Stressless Magic is a fantastic example of design with your well-being in mind. Available in three different sizes, small, medium and large, the Magic is built with your shape and size in mind and features patented Stressless Glide® and Plus® systems. These intuitive systems along with the recliners meticulously sculpted proportions and adjustable headrest respond to your body’s slightest movements to deliver superior comfort and support where you need it most. If the Magic doesn’t suit your personal style, why not sit back and relax in the contemporary Stressless City instead? Chic and stylish, this recliner features a rotating steel base and fresh lines Stressless City Classic chair that combine the tradition of 90 TheBATHMagazine

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comfort with flawless finish, high grade leathers and vibrant colours that invigorate your décor. Available in high and low back, the City also comes with a matching footstool. Another popular favourite and one I own myself, is the Stressless Arion sofa. With a dramatic silhouette and ample portions this sofa is one of the most versatile in the collections and is available in both high and low back options with individually adjusting seats and backs. Whether you prefer sitting up a little straighter or you love leaning back with optimal head support, you can have it all to suit your individual requirements. In addition, this model can be configured to make up the perfect Home Cinema set-up. Suitable for any size living room or snug, this brilliant system comes in flexible modules that can be constructed into your ideal arrangement and come with additional extras such as slide open armrests perfect for storing your controllers or snacks. It’s certainly a hit with my family. Available in a choice of seven different wood finishes and over 80 different leathers, the Stressless range of sofas and recliners have more than enough choice to tempt any potential buyer and have an equally impressive range of furniture that will not only give you a total sense of relaxation but beautiful furniture that will last a lifetime. For more information on the Stressless range please visit the TR Hayes store on London Street or online at www.trhayes.co.uk. Local delivery is free and there is a large customer car park at the side of the store. Fantastic spring offers throughout the Stressless range in store now.

Arion Sofa Home Cinema

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Gardening April_vZ.qxp_Layout 1 20/03/2015 16:14 Page 1

CITY | GARDENING

SOWING THE SEEDS

Give your borders the wow factor this summer with a handful of seeds sown now, says Jane Moore

Annuals You’ve got to have the structure in place, for sure. By that I mean your permanent planting such as shrubs and roses, clipped topiaries and herbaceous perennials of course. But the rest of it you can fill in with a few well chosen annuals which tend to flower profusely, especially during those often surprisingly barren months of July and August. It must be something to do with their short lives but you do really get a lot of flower for your effort from an annual. The varieties you choose should be for maximum effect from minimum effort which is precisely how I like my gardening to be. Don’t you find there are always annoying little gaps in the garden? Those spots where something has died or you’ve had to prune hard back and it’s left a bit of a space. For some reason it’s those gaps my eye is always drawn towards – it doesn’t matter how glorious everything else in the border looks – if there’s a gap I keep returning to it – mentally picking at it like a scab. So I have to fill those gaps or drive myself insane over the summer and annuals are really the only way to do it. 92 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Bedding plants They may be a cliché but they do work. You can’t beat a pack of marigolds or snapdragons to fill in a few gaps and lift the colour quotient to new levels. It’s all about what you choose and how you use them. Avoid mixed colours unless they’re toning ones such as Pink Shades or something of that ilk. Mixed colours dotted in a border looks like an accident – not good at all. Whereas a single block of colour, contrasting or toning with something nearby, looks intentional and totally planned – totally Sarah Raven. Think soft feathery cosmos with pink roses, or bold African marigolds with lush vibrant cannas or dahlias. Have fun, they’re only annuals so if it’s awful, compost them and no-one need know. Chances are that if you plan where they’re going, you’ll choose wisely and it will look fab.

Half hardy annuals You can buy these at garden centres in packs in a limited range of varieties or you can get experimental and try out a few different things by sowing them yourself indoors or in the greenhouse. I’m a great lover of nicotiana in all its forms but especially the taller, more unusual ones such as the fragrant Heaven Scent and the statuesque nicotiana sylvestris. These you’re unlikely to find for sale on a garden centre bench but, no matter, as they’re so easy to grow given a little warmth to get them going. A word of warning though – they are horribly attractive to slugs and snails and will get utterly

decimated once they’re planted out unless you take protective measures. My other top half hardies are cosmos – I love the scalloped Seashell types which you don’t often find as ready grown plants in the garden centre. Cosmos has that wonderful ability to go with just about everything and look good anywhere. Cottage garden style, formal box hedged beds, the tropical look – cosmos looks great. I’m also a huge fan of all sorts of amaranthus – better known as love lies bleeding. It’s partly a foliage plant with flowers that defy description and a handful of these in a border is sure to provide a conversation piece as well as a touch of drama. I love the purple leafed

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A RIOT OF COLOUR: main picture, be bold with your colours. Here, the hot shades of rudbeckia and dahlia (grown from tubers) sit happily alongside the purple self-seeding verbena bonariensis

Think soft feathery cosmos with pink roses, or bold African marigolds with lush vibrant cannas or dahlias

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he holy grail of gardening for many of us is making our borders beautiful from May to October. This, while seemingly impossible, does not require miracles or even rocket science. Instead I have a mindbogglingly simple solution to achieving brilliant borders in high summer.

Marvel Bronze but Pony Tails is probably the one you’ll know with its trailing tassels of red and green flowers. All of these are shockingly easy to grow from seed given a little heat to start them off – just don’t sow too many at one go – a little goes a long way with nicotiana, cosmos and amaranthus as they tend to be larger plants. There are tonnes more half hardies you could grow such as the lovely zinnias, but this trio have always proved absolute fail-

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CITY | GARDENING

EASY TO GROW: left to right, nigella or love-ina-mist, nicotiana or tobacco plants and cornflowers

safes for me so I tend to stick with them.

Hardy annuals I’ve saved the best – and by far the easiest and cheapest – until last. Hardy annuals are exactly what they say they are, hardy and robust enough to sow directly into the soil where they are to grow. At least that’s what most people do, although I have been known to sow them into cells in the cold frame or cold greenhouse, or even into a makeshift seed bed in the garden and then move them about once they’re big enough to handle properly. The likes of pot

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marigold or calendula, nasturtiums and annual grasses such as briza maxima or quaking grass always seem to cope well with this rough treatment which means I can move them to where I need them as the season progresses rather than making decisions right now. I wouldn’t take such liberties with those early flowering, cottage favourites such as love-in-a-mist or nigella and cornflowers as I think they would just go straight to seed if moved. These are definitely best sown in situ and look wonderful filling in those annoying gaps under roses, all those lovely sky blues

look especially good with our pink, purple and soft yellow roses. These annuals are also great for under planting any new plantings such as roses, shrubs and climbers as they don’t demand too much from the soil. That means they won’t compete with your expensive new roses for nutrients so the roses establish better and the garden looks great from year one. That’s what I call a winning formula. n Jane Moore is the award-winning head gardener at the Bath Priory. She writes regularly for the Telegraph and can be followed on Twitter @janethegardener.

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APRIL 2015

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JACKSONS FENCING News, topical treats and more... It’s April, has spring sprung at last?

pril means Easter is here, and all things springy leap to mind. It’s a time, for not only spring cleaning the inside of your home, but getting out and tidying up in the garden too. There’s nothing I like better than pruning the old growth back, clearing rubbish and making way for the fresh greenery, as bulbs send up shoots and the cheerful yellow of the daffs remind us of the bright sunshine of spring. If you would like some hints and tips about what to do in the garden, to aid your ‘spring clean’ do go to your dedicated web page to find a link to our website blog posts. I find this time of the year is usually synonymous with being ultra busy for me., as over the last five years, we’ve been running the Jacksons Show Gardens Design competition, where out of many competition entries, we will

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pick a couple of winning designs which are then built here at Jacksons Head Office, amongst the seven show gardens we have here in our display, from previous years. They have proved very popular with visitors and are a useful source of inspiration for customers looking for fresh ideas for their own projects. Here as an example are photos of one of last year’s winners – Mediterranean Memoires by Sally Perigo - I know from several customers feedback that they incorporated the Jakwall used in the raised beds, into their own gardens, after having seen it here. However, this year is a different story show gardens-wise; instead of running the competition with the end result being a couple of lovely new show gardens in our head office display area, the prize is a show garden at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, which is the stuff that many garden designers dreams are made of. As you can imagine it’s been hectic, we have had over two hundred designers registering their interest in the competition and we are just at the judging stage as I write this. By the time this is printed, whomever has won will have been announced on our web site and in the press, and we will have moved on to the planning stage for building the garden for the show, which will be at RHS Hampton Court Palace from 30th June to 5th July. So if you are planning to visit the show, please do come along and have a look at our Show Garden and say hello louise@jacksons-fencing.co.uk

Win tickets to RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

To celebrate our presence at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower show we are having a free prize draw to win pairs of tickets to the show. The free prize draw will run from the beginning of April until 15th June 2015. Winners will get a pair of tickets and will receive a goody bag when they drop by the Jacksons show garden when visiting the show. For full details and how to enter please go to your dedicated web page: www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/bathlocal www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/bathlocal or call 0800 408 4754 to talk to your local Jacksons Fencing Centre. APRIL 2015

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A HOUSE BUILT TO PARTY A Georgian gem with a fascinating past has been meticulously restored by the current owners

here is a limited supply of detached Georgian buildings in Bath, and of those few are as unspoilt by the ravages of time as this beautiful jewel box of a home. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no understatement to say that this was a house built for parties, and its rooms have rung with laughter and lively conversation for much of its long and fascinating history. Batheaston Villa, which faces south with far reaching views over Bathampton Meadows to the hills beyond, was built in the 1760s with the intent that it would give pleasure to its owners and impress its guests. The first owner was an Irish heiress, Lady Anna Miller, whose ambition was to be the society hostess with the mostest. She held fashionable soirees at the house, inviting the aristocrats and the literary circle to attend. Her poetry competitions attracted a great deal of interest as men and women vied to win the coveted Batheaston Vase. Among those who were entertained in Lady Millerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drawing room were novelist Fanny Burney, socialite Georgiana, the 98 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Duchess of Devonshire and politician Horace Walpole. One one occasion more than 50 carriages were lined up en route to the villa. Lady Miller brought back all sorts of embellishments to the house from her European travels. The current owners, who have spent 20 years restoring the

house, have been respectful of that glorious past and the villa today combines all the luxuries a modern duchess would require, along with classical and romantic historic features. The Regency bookcases are still intact in the library, as are the beautiful curved full-length windows with most of their

FIT FOR A DUCHESS: main picture, the drawing room at Batheaston Villa and left, panoramic views from the decking on the second floor balcony

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CITY I PROPERTY

REGENCY LEGACY: the house retains much of its original character, but right, has been lovingly enhanced for 21st century taste

original glass. The ebullient Lady Miller was the first in a line of interesting women who have lived here. Fanny Chapman lived with her aunts and uncle at the house and kept an illustrated diary describing her very busy social life. Later, in the 19th century, the Misses Aethel and Grace Tollemache, lived at the house with their father the Rev Tollemache.

This pair never married but led very active lives, fighting the cause of Votes for Women in the suffragette movement and being imprisoned for their troubles. They were force-fed in prison and this led them to bring their fellow suffragrettes back to Bath to recuperate, as did their fellow suffragettes at Eagle House. A few locals still remember the sisters as characters who ran a market

garden during the Second World War and entertained themselves on warm days by diving from the parapet of the tollbridge at Bathampton into the River Avon until they were into their 70s. It wasn’t age that stopped them but the owner of the tollbridge who forbade them to continue with this stunt. It’s no wonder that Batheaston Villa has Grade II listed status. It’s a very handsome Bath stone building with its Regency balcony and original big studded front door. Even its grounds are of historic interest. There’s a romantic stone folly, or temple among the trees and a pretty water cascade which would originally have been fed by water pouring down from Little Solsbury Hill. There’s also an ice house and a vegetable garden, from the days when households had to be more selfsufficient in growing and preserving their own food. The villa has a welcoming magnificent entrance hall with a grand staircase rising up right through the centre. In addition to the elegant bow windowed drawing room, there’s also a sitting room, the library and very good sized kitchen/breakfast room, plus a utility room and cloakroom on the ground floor. There are seven bedrooms, three bathrooms and the top floor can be used as a self-contained bedroom apartment which has enviable access to a turreted rootop terrace from where you’d feel queen of all you surveyed. Throughout everything has been meticulously cared for and beautifully presented. n

FACT FILE

Batheaston Villa, Bailbrook Lane, Bath Grade II listed, built 1760s Guide price: £1.65m Agent: Pritchards, tel: 01225 466225 Grounds: c1.22 acres House: four receptions, seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen/breakfast room, cellar

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Monkton Combe An impressive 1920's detached House occupying a stunning position standing in fabulous gardens & grounds of approx 4 acres including paddock & copse. Wonderful far reaching valley views. (3376 sq ft/314 sq m). • Fabulous setting enjoying oustanding valley views • Wonderful gardens and grounds of approx 4 acres • Comfortable and spacious family accommodation • Lots of privacy • Swimming Pool • EPC rating F

Guide Price: £1,650,000

Westwood, Nr Bradford On Avon & Bath A delightful 4 bedroom detached former school house that enjoys a most pleasant outlook to the rear over rolling countryside (as illustrated). • 4 bedrooms, shower room, en suite & cloakroom, reception room • Easily maintainable garden • Off street parking for 2 • 8 miles from Bath • Floor area approx. 2,968 sq.ft. (275.7 sq.m.) • EPC rating D

Price: £795,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

Holt, Nr Bradford On Avon An attractive Grade II Listed detached period property conveniently situated within walking distance of village amenities. • 3/4 bedrooms, shower room, en suite, cloakroom, 2/3 reception rooms • Garage & ample driveway parking • Delightful, level walled garden • 9 miles from Bath, 2 miles from Bradford on Avon • Floor area approx. 1,902 sq.ft. (176.75 sq.m.)

Price: £695,000

Sion Hill, Lansdown An impressive period townhouse in one of the most desirable areas in the city and less than a mile from the centre of Bath. • 2/3 bedrooms, bathroom • Elegant dining room & drawing room/bed 3, kitchen • Small paved courtyard garden • Residents permit parking available • No onward chain • Floor area approx. 1,077 sq.ft. (100.05 sq.m.)

Price: £550,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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PROPERTY | INVESTMENT

ritchards of Bath is very excited to present for sale three adjacent, Grade I listed Georgian townhouses on Laura Place, one of Bath’s most prestigious locations. Just off Great Pulteney Street, Laura Place is one of the most historic and architecturally finest Georgian streets in Bath. Consisting of a number of flats, commercial units and a restaurant, the properties also present excellent investment opportunities. They offer greater potential for further rental yield or other usage, subject to the necessary consents.

10 Laura Place: Consisting of six commercial units and four flats, including one to the rear at garden level, this townhouse was extensively refurbished in 2007.

11 & 12 Laura Place: These two properties have been brought together and comprise six commercial units and six flats, with one flat to the rear at garden level.

The Spring Garden Restaurant: Built in 2004 in a unique boat-house style, this is currently rented out as a fully licensed Italian restaurant. It consists of a downstairs bar and outside seating area, a restaurant on the first floor and a balcony with seating. History: The properties were built between 1788 and 1790 by Thomas Baldwin, for Sir William Johnstone Pulteney. Laura Place was planned as an irregular octagon to join four streets of different widths and four terraces of houses, of which these are one. It is named after Sir William’s daughter, Henrietta Laura Pulteney, who laid the foundation stone in March 1788 and inherited the estate in 1792. On purchasing these properties the buyer will join illustrious names including William Wilberforce, Napoleon III and Admiral Earl Howe, who all owned property on Great Pulteney Street. Neighbourhood: Within a rugby ball’s throw of The Rec’ and all the other city centre amenities including shops, parks, museums and schools, the properties are excellently situated for a variety of uses including residential, tourist and business purposes. For more enquiries: It is fitting that such a historic group of properties is on the market with Pritchards, Bath’s longest-established estate agents, which was set up in 1785 – only a few years before these remarkable townhouses were built. For more information on this property or to arrange a viewing please contact Bath Estate Agents; Pritchards Pritchards, 11 Quiet Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466225

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10,11 & 12

LAURA PLACE, BATH A unique opportunity to invest in Bath history • 20 bedrooms • 12 commercial units •1 restaurant Offers in excess of £5,000,000

Brunel Crescent, Box This smart and stylish three bedroom penthouse apartment occupies an enviable position at the top of a brand new and contemporary development, with gated allocated parking and spectacular views from the apartment’s private balcony. The property is situated in the picturesque Wiltshire village of Box, which provides a variety of amenities on the doorstep and is within easy driving distance of Bath.

*An administration fee of £420.00 inc. VAT applies.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

NEW HOMES AVAILABLE AT THE COLLECTION AT FORTESCUE Bloor Homes is thrilled to welcome potential purchasers to its multi-award winning development, The Collection at Fortescue, where the final eight homes will launch on 17 April 2015.

onveniently situated on the edge of the sought after village, Norton St Philip and just eight miles from the traditional spa town of Bath, The Collection at Fortescue offers potential purchasers the best of both rural and urban lifestyles. Each of the homes has been individually designed by world famous architect, Robert Adam, and appeals to the most aspirational homeowner. What’s more, with stunning Georgian-style exteriors featuring heritage stone detailing and natural slate roofs, the properties at The Collection at Fortescue blend in seamlessly with the local architecture and are finished to the highest standard. Despite its traditional character, The Collection at Fortescue is ideally suited to the demands of modern living, offering large airy living spaces with market leading energy efficiency and security features. Currently available is a selection of four and five bedroom homes priced from £725,000, and with two stunning new showhomes launching, potential purchasers will soon be able to see the long awaited luxurious collection for themselves. Priced at £1,600,000, the exquisite five bedroom ‘Knowle’ showhome showcases the very best in modern day family living and extravagant entertaining. The ground floor presents a spacious dining room and drawing room, completed by a remarkable handmade, hand painted Coppice Guild kitchen and family area. Many of the rooms also benefit from French doors leading out onto the rear terrace, acting as an outdoor dining space and allowing potential purchasers to enjoy the stunning countryside views. Designed for flexible working lifestyles, the basement also benefits from a home office, along with an additional living room and multimedia room – perfect for larger families with older children wanting their own space. This floor also boasts cloakroom with shower and laundry/utility areas. Meanwhile, the first floor comprises three bedrooms each benefitting from their own en suite, providing ample space for growing families and guests. The master bedroom also boasts a generous dressing area whilst the attic is home to the final two bedrooms and an additional family bathroom. 104 TheBATHMagazine

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A detached triple garage and ample parking behind a gated entrance complete this superb home. Philippa Stone, Interior Designer at Jane Clayton said: “To reflect the grandeur of this stunning property, we’ve dressed the ‘Knowle’ showhome in a warm palette of emerald green and deep bronze with copper accents throughout, complete with sumptuous fabrics and rich textiles. Designed to accommodate the needs of a modern family, the variety of formal and casual spaces in the showhome perfectly illustrate the versatility of this property and its suitability to everyday life.” Michele Rose, Sales Director for Bloor Homes South West, added: “We’re delighted to invite potential purchasers to take a look at the final eight homes at our award winning development, The Collection at Fortescue. The distinctive designs make every home one of a kind, meaning that your new home in Norton St Philip is like nothing you will find elsewhere. “The development’s prestigious reputation means that its final plots are already eagerly anticipated by local househunters and those from from further afield. We would therefore urge any potential purchasers to register their interest now to avoid disappointment.” A Location to Love Norton St Philip is located in the heart of the picturesque Somerset countryside, and offers a charming high street with two local pubs, church and good primary and first schools on the doorstep whilst nearby Bath city centre offers a host of shopping, cultural and architectural treasures. The development offers easy access to the M4, making Bristol, Reading and London easily commutable, whilst the mainline Bath Spa station puts London Paddington just an hour and a half away. For more information contact the sales advisors on 01373 834805 or email fortescuefields@bloorhomes.com. Alternatively please visit our marketing suite at High Street, Norton St Philip, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7LH (open Thursday-Monday from 10.00am-5.00pm).

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

The Garden House Upper Lansdown Mews ÂŁ3,250 pcm A detached Grade I Listed house located within a delightful mews, hidden behind Lansdown Crescent. An individual stone built house whilst traditional in appearance, has been improved internally to suit modern living. The kitchen breakfast room has been entirely modernised, boasting granite worktops, stone flooring and all the mod cons for everyday living. A private walled courtyard terrace, accessed from the kitchen, can be enjoyed for the morning sun. Light and spacious it is ideal for entertaining or everyday living. EPC D.

Bath Office

Lettings 01225 458546 | Sales. 01225 459817

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Bathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Premier Removals Company Thomas Firbank Removals and Storage is a family run business that offers a personal and business service of the highest quality. For seventeen years we have ensured that all of our clients enjoy a stress free move and a great deal of our business is generated by referrals from satisfied customers. We tailor your packing and removal to suit your needs, and give you a prompt quotation without any hidden costs.

Tel: 01225 31 44 33 www.firbankremovals.co.uk

Crafting beautiful homes In and around Bath

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BAR Number T050

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Bradford-on-Avon, £475,000 A handsome and impressive detached family home in this popular location on the south side of town. The welcoming entrance hall sets the scene for the whole house; well proportioned & comfortable living space with room enough for family or guests to spread out a little. We find two good receptions; a comfortable sitting room leading to the garden via the conservatory. There is also a separate study or dining room. The modern fitted kitchen dining room has patio doors opening onto the garden. There is a utility and downstairs cloakroom. Upstairs are four bedroom, three are doubles. Ensuite to master & bathroom. Externally we find a pleasant lawned rear garden. At the front there is a driveway parking outside the detached double garage.

Kingsdown, £375,000 A comfortably charming character cottage with a relaxing atmosphere. We find attractively presented accommodation throughout. The sitting room has beautiful floor boards and hearth in front of a stone fireplace housing a wood burner. The dining room is open plan with the kitchen with access to the rear garden and patio from here. Upstairs are two double bedrooms and a smart bathroom and a dressing room, study or nursery which makes a useful addition to the accommodation. Externally there is a nice long garden with a paved patio seating area, great for eating out! We also find a lawn, vegetable patch, and garden shed all finally backing onto farmland.

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

nTheMarket.com TM

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PROPERTY | THINKING

Building a renting portfolio What are the best properties to go for? By Peter Greatorex, Managing Director of The Apartment Company who this month, looks at which properties are best for buy to let invsetments

roperty has now become the UK's number one leading area of investment with over 1.4 million people owning property, which they let for income. Low interest rates, a growth in house prices and continuously rising rents have all been contributory factors to the success of the contemporary landlord and you can duplicate that success by following some very simple steps. There has recently been much media reportage on the exodus of landlords from London to Bath. Not surprisingly with our strong tenant demand and an 11% rise in house prices between 2013-2014. Bath offers great value for your money. 13.7% of Bath's population lives in an apartment, this suggests that when you are seeking an investment property in the heart of Bath then an apartment will guarantee you excellent rental potential. 16.9% of the population of Bath is already renting properties and with 38,712 unmarried/non co-habiting residents the outlook on Bath’s rental potential is huge. So how do you go about choosing the right property for the best capital growth opportunity and annual rental potentials? Researching your area is a must, for example is there strong tenant demand? Higher than average rents can indicate stronger demand for rental property within your area. Check what improvements are to be made within the district and how these affect your choice of property? With detailed area specific research you can then focus on the typical tenant associated with your choice of location. Researching your tenant is imperative. If your tenant market is focused around families, does the area you're thinking of investing cater for them in terms of schools and amenities? What type of property will you require to accommodate a family? Properties with open plan living space are increasingly in demand as are those with en-suite master bedroom facilities that put pay to the family bathroom waiting times. There’s never been a better time to invest in your property journey, we’d love to hear your aspirations, plans and dreams for making 2015 your year in the rental market. Follow us: Twitter @ApartmentCo or Facebook.com/TheApartmentCompany Our blog is a powerful resource for information and advice for anyone buying and selling in Bath. Visit www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk and view all our articles in full. For more information on any aspect of buying, selling or letting an apartment, call The Apartment Company on 01225 471144.

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01225 448443 Property sales & lettings

SOLD STC. Land and house sold for over the asking price. Combe House, Bath: 4 bedroom detached house with stunning views.

We have buyer s waiting for similar proper ties! New Address Ltd. | 12 Pierrepont Street | Bath | BA1 1LA | www.yournewaddress.co.uk

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ST JULIANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ROAD, SHOSCOMBE - ÂŁ575,000 A wonderful, modern, detached property which simply must be viewed. It blends superb reception and bedroom space with wonderful gardens, generous parking and a village location close to sought-after Shoscombe Primary School. Entrance hallway, sitting room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, study, utility room and cloakroom. Large landing leading to 4 generous double bedrooms (master with en-suite bathroom) and family bathroom. Expansive rear gardens, driveway for up to 5 vehicles, double garage and carport. Double glazing and oil-fired central heating. Approximate gross internal floor area: 2,330 square feet / 216 square metres without garage.

k Mar r o l y a N

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DARK LANE, FRESHFORD - ÂŁ585,000 This beautifully appointed, detached, bungalow is a gorgeous home and would ideally suit a single person, couple or family with the planning permission in place. Its location within the village is central and viewing is recommended. Hallway, living room, sumptuous kitchen, dining room, 2 double bedrooms, shower room and conservatory. Double garage with obtained planning permission to convert to bedroom three. Gardens and off-street parking. EPC = C. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,435 square feet / 133 square metres.

k Mar r o l y a N

01225 422 224 www.mark-naylor.com

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

NEW INSTRUCTION

Cavendish Road Guide Price £625,000

Bannerdown Road Guide Price £650,000

A top floor apartment within one of Bath’s most prestigious and luxurious residences. Cavendish Lodge is within easy reach of City Centre and is situated in approximately four acres of private grounds. There are two en-suite bedrooms and a triple aspect reception room and a separate kitchen. EPC: C.

This very well presented Victorian residence offers open plan and versatile accommodation. The stylish interior is complimented by period features and the views are far-reaching across the River Avon. With an enclosed garden, parking and a garage, this is both a stylish and practical family home. EPC: D.

Richmond Place Guide Price £650,000

Ralph Allen Drive Guide Price £1,200,000

This delightful Grade II Listed period gem offers the most stylish accommodation with open plan living on the ground floor and three first floor bedrooms. Situated in arguably one of the most attractive terraces of period cottages in Bath, the house also benefits from both front and rear gardens. EPC: Listed.

Set just across the road from Prior Park this stylish home offers beautifully presented accommodation across just two floors. As well as smart ground floor receptions the first floor has been designed to take in the wonderful views across Rainbow Woods and down to the city. EPC: C.

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 459817 | Lettings 01225 458546

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SALE AGREED IN FEBRUARY

Royal Crescent Guide Price £295,000

Russel Street Guide Price £350,000

A top floor apartment in one of Bath’s most coveted addresses. Self-contained at the rear of the fourth floor with fine views across the sweeping lawns of the Approach Golf Course, this two bedroom home has the benefit of a stunning communal entrance hall and a lift reaching to the third floor. EPC: Listed.

A contemporary apartment self contained within an impressive Georgian townhouse in one of Bath’s prime residential locations. Located on the ground floor level of a Grade II Listed building, the spacious accommodation flows beautifully and offers style and flair combined with city living. EPC: Listed.

SALE AGREED IN FEBRUARY

Sion Hill Place Guide Price £475,000

Lansdown Road Guide Price £695,000

This courtyard apartment offers a great opportunity to live in one of Bath’s most desirable addresses. The apartment would now benefit from refurbishing and offers retained features as well as courtyards and the use of the grounds to the front of the terrace. EPC: Listed.

A stunning upper ground floor apartment benefiting from stunning far reaching views from a superb balcony. Having been thoughtfully refurbished to an exceptional standard, the property is offered without a chain and is located in the sought after location of Lansdown with ease of access to the City. EPC: D.

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Saltford Superb detached period home located in a secluded position on the outskirts of the popular village of Saltford. Immaculate accommodation comprises five bedrooms, four reception rooms, triple garage and outbuilding. This stunning property began life around four hundred years ago as a dairy farm, but in more recent years it has been greatly extended and modernised to create the most beautiful family home. It is situated on the fringes of the pretty village of Saltford, close to the banks of the river Avon, and is surrounded by a beautiful patchwork of farmland and countryside. It’s a fabulous location that would be terribly hard to beat. Avon House has been thoughtfully and beautifully designed both inside and out, with an attention to detail that is second to none. “Since buying the house we have done an

awful lot to it,” says Helen. “We completely changed the layout of the upstairs, created a fantastic den for our son in the basement, installed an outdoor kitchen on the patio, and completely renovated all of the main living rooms on the ground floor. In the entrance hall, which is quite spectacular, we have had the most beautiful staircase installed. On the outside you get a real sense of its history, but inside we benefit from all the modern conveniences. “The grounds that surround this property are every bit as beautiful as the house itself. Beyond the large patio and heated swimming pool area there is a vast expanse of beautifully landscaped lawn and three large fields. We benefit from this beautiful rural setting, and yet we are around ten minutes away from two major cities, both of which have so many wonderful things to offer. It couldn’t be better.”

AVON HOUSE SUPERB DETACHED PERIOD HOME • FIVE BEDROOMS • FOUR RECEPTION ROOMS • TRIPLE GARAGE • SWIMMING POOL • GYM • EPC RATING: D

Contact: 01225 320032

Price: POA

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Bath A two bedroom apartment located in one of Bath's most sought after addresses The Circus. The accommodation comprises drawing room with bay window and views, kitchen/dining room, master bedroom with en-suite shower room, 2nd bedroom and bathroom. The World Heritage City of Bath is renowned for its Roman history and Georgian architecture characterized by the impressive Royal Crescent and Circus. Recognised as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, it has many museums and galleries reflecting its rich historical past, most famously the Roman Baths museum.

There are lots of restaurants, cafes and boutiques to enjoy. The Theatre Royal has a wide ranging programme with pre-West End productions, opera, ballet and concerts. The annual Bath Festival in May offers an international repertoire of classical and popular music.

THE CIRCUS TOP FLOOR APARTMENT • DRAWING ROOM WITH BAY WINDOW • TWO BEDROOMS • KITCHEN DINING ROOM • EN-SUITE AND FAMILY BATHROOM • SOUGHT AFTER LOCATION

Contact: 01225 320032

£469,950

Camden Crescent

OIEO £495,000

West House

OIEO £435,000

We are delighted to market this superb two bedroom apartment, located in the sought after location which is Camden Crescent boasting picturesque views over Bath and a charming rear courtyard.

A beautiful three bedroom apartment located just moments away from the canal and picturesque village of Bathampton with the rare advantage of a single garage and off road parking.

Lower Oldfield Park

Belgrave Terrace

OIEO £270,000

OIEO £190,000

A delightful and beautifully presented two bedroom apartment offering a large established rear garden complete with decking and lawned area and an off street parking space.

A fantastic opportunity to purchase a well presented one bedroom apartment affording far reaching views over Bath and the surrounding areas, this apartment is truly something special.

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The Royal Crescent

OIEO £715,000 Great Pulteney Street

OIEO £640,000 The Circus

OIEO £600,000

A superb opportunity to purchase a stunning two bedroom garden A beautifully renovated first floor apartment, boasting a wealth of period A superbly presented two bedroom apartment overlooking the apartment in one of Bath finest locations. green in The Circus, offering far reaching City views. detail, luxury living and high specification appliances.

Portland Place

OIEO £350,000 Victoria Bridge Court

OIEO £325,000 Cavendish Crescent

OIEO £320,000

Gated development | Allocated covered parking | Well presented | Open plan

Georgian apartment | Period features | Immaculately presented | Council Tax

living area | One double bedroom | One single bedroom | Quiet and private

Band: D | No children | No pets | Agency fees £350+vat | Available immediately

An impressive top floor apartment offering large and private accommodation A superb opportunity to purchase a private and exceptionally quiet two

This immaculately presented and furnished apartment is located within

with stunning views and the advantage of parking and a communal garden.

an impressive Georgian house and is only a short walk to the City Centre.

Old Walcot School

bedroom top floor apartment located in a new development by the riverside.

OIEO £300,000 Circus Mansions

OIEO £290,000 Waterfront House

Grade I listed | Georgian apartment | Top floor | One bedroom | Large

OIEO £275,000

This spacious contemporary maisonette in period building, with two double A fabulous opportunity to purchase a stunning one bedroom apartment with outstanding A fantastic two bedroom apartment overlooking the River Avon, bedrooms one with an ensuite and a family bathroom on the ground floor level. views over Bath, situated in a sought after part of the City this apartment is sure to delight. close to the City Centre with the rare advantage of lift access.

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Derwent House

£1,700 pcm

Johnstone Street

£1,275 pcm

A beautifully refurbished three bedroom apartment close to the City Centre. The apartment offers a south facing garden, patio area which offers stunning views, vault and a parking space.

Situated on the top floor of a Georgian town house in the heart of the City Centre is a two bedroom unfurnished apartment offering spacious and well presented accommodation.

Burlington Street

Darlington Street

£1,050 pcm

£950 pcm

This spacious and beautifully presented apartment is certain to please. The property boasts a delightful courtyard, two bedrooms and a spacious open plan living area.

A stylish and well presented lower ground floor apartment which has been recently refurbished and comprises: open plan sitting room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and a pretty garden with a seating area.

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T LE EED R AG

Royal Crescent

T LE EED R AG

£1,800 pcm Great Pulteney Street

Georgian apartment | Beautifully presented | Famous location | Private courtyard

| No pets | Furnished | Agency fees £350+vat | Available March 5th 2015

T LE EED R AG

£1,200 pcm Great Putleney Street

£1,100 pcm

A superb two bedroom furnished courtyard apartment in the highly sought Royal A well-presented two bedroom apartment located in a sought after Stunning apartment with back and front views to include a large drawing room to the crescent. The apartment has been beautifully restored to the highest specification. location, within a short level walk to City Centre shops and amenities. rear of the apartment with south facing views overlooking The Recreation Ground.

T LE EED R AG

Old Walcot School

£1,000 pcm Vineyards

T LE EED R AG

£995 pcm Rivers Street

Luxury furnished apartment comprising: open plan living area including kitchen/dining A bright and beautifully presented top Floor apartment located in much sought after area, with an open plan living area that has been recently renovated. area, two double bedrooms one with an ensuite, family shower room and a study.

T LE EED R AG

Margarets Buildings

T LE EED R AG

£975 pcm Brunswick Place

Two double bedrooms | Central location | Well presented | Council Tax Band C

| No pets | Furnished | Agency fees £350+vat | Available March 8th 2015

£995 pcm

Two double bedrooms | No pets | Council Tax Band B | Permit parking

Favoured location | Unfurnished | Agency fees £350+vat | Available Now The apartment offers accommodation arranged over two floors and comprises: cloakroom, sitting room, kitchen, two double bedrooms and family bathroom.

T LE EED R AG

£950 pcm

Sydney Place

£900 pcm

A delightful spacious two bedroom Georgian apartment within walking A truly spectacular one bedroom apartment, with a sitting room, luxury new fitted

Charming courtyard apartment in the City Centre, offering a stylish kitchen,

distance to shops and amenities including Bath Spa rail and the bus station. kitchen, new fitted bathroom with sensor and mood lighting and a double bedroom.

sitting room, bedroom, occasional bedroom/study and bathroom.

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Oldfield Road A superbly presented and substantial Victorian family house

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Great Pulteney Street A quite superb Grade I listed courtyard apartment with the great benefit of windows on two sides of the building, making it light and airy

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Castle Combe A very distinctive and attractive stone built Grade II listed property situated in this historic Cotswold village

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Lower Shockerwick A handsome stone built Grade II listed house dating from the 1740s providing 2,400 sq. ft. of accommodation in this highly sought-after location. Set within the picturesque grounds of Shockerwick House

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Chelsea House London Road Bath BA1 6DB Tel 01225 447971 88 Whiteladies Road Clifton Bristol BS8 2QN Tel 0117 973 1144

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