The Bath Magazine October 2015

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ISSUE 157 | OCTOBER 2015

BACKSTAGE PASS: THE ORIGINAL THEATRE ROYAL INTERIORS: JEWEL BRIGHT SHADES FOR WINTER 6 OF THE BEST: BATH’S MOST HAUNTED PUBS WHAT LIES BENEATH: UNDER OUR CITY CENTRE

AUTUMN PHOTOSHOOT

A RTFULLY STYLISH AT THE VICTORIA ART GALLERY

THE CITY’S FINEST MONTHLY GUIDE TO LIFE AND LIVING IN BATH

£3.95 where sold

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THE | CONTENTS

OCTOBER2015 84 54 82

19 8

5 THINGS TO DO Where to go as the weather gets cooler

64

48 ART EXHIBITIONS

10 MY BATH

54 BATH HISTORY

12 GUEST COLUMNIST

56 BATH AT WORK

Kelly Ann Perry of The Bath Framer

Otto Bathurst on the Modern Man

19 AUTUMN FASHION An opulent shoot at Victoria Art Gallery

26 ALICE LEVINE 30 FACE THE MUSIC With tattoo artist Vicky Le-Guilcher

34 WHAT’S ON 42 MOZART FEST

64 RESTAURANT REVIEW A trip to the Rajpoot

86

HEALTH & BEAUTY Fitness clothing special

92

INTERIORS Designer Clair Strong’s autumnal ideas

98

GARDENING Creating a colourful autumn garden

101 PROPERTY Beautiful homes to buy or rent

Melissa Blease’s top haunted pubs

68 GREAT BATH FEAST

Welcomes a host of international stars

46 KURT JACKSON A celebration of the British landscape

We pick our festival highlights

70 BUSINESS NEWS What’s been happening this month

Even more great content online: thebathmag.co.uk

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Take a tour of Woodchester Mansion

Meet Helen Rich of Rich Pickings

Tasty titbits from city eateries

THE WALK

66 SIX OF THE BEST

Make the most of Bath’s cultural diary

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84

Neill Meneer’s portrait of the month

60 FOOD HEROES

TUNNEL VISION Going underground in Bath

Backstage at the original Theatre Royal

62 FOOD NEWS

Meet the new face of McArthurGlen

82

What the galleries are showing

OCTOBeR 2015

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

ON THE COVER

From our autumn fashion shoot, p.19. Tania wears: Dress, £170 and jacket £350 from Reiss; Freia boots, £375 from Ted & Muffy. Photographer is Paolo Ferla

Like us on Facebook.com/ TheBathMagazine

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EDITORS PICKS AUTUMN COLOUR: I’ve been obsessing slightly about dahlias – partly because they’re such a cheerful, colourful sight on a sunny autumn day and partly as my own Bishops of Llandaff picked up a first prize at my local flower show. I was feeling pretty pleased with my efforts until I saw this amazing display, main picture, on a newly created calendar

by Wiltshire based Electric Daisy Flower Farm. Flower grower Fiona Haser Bizony and her team have created gorgeous headpieces for 12 chaps to demonstrate that there are British flowers in season for every month of the year - ‘It was much easier than you would imagine to find blokes who didn’t mind getting moss down their necks’ says Fiona.

from the

EDITOR

TRIED AND TESTED: I’ve been trying to find a waterproof jacket for some time, having been soaked right through in the rain by a jacket that claimed to be stormproof. I was recommended Sea Salt’s range of colourful jackets by a dog walker, who said they were comfortable to wear and, more importantly, kept the water out. I tested my new purchase on Bank Holiday Monday in the rain at Sidmouth and again on a bumpy boat trip on the Isles of Scilly. It was indeed both fresh and seawater proof.

T

his autumn issue has been fun to harvest.

We gathered together a very talented bunch of people for our autumn fashion shoot, which I hope you’ll agree, does look rather sumptuous. Photographer Paolo Ferla, who was a pleasure to work with, created some arresting images using Bath’s own Victoria Art Gallery as a stylish backdrop. I hope they’ll inspire you to perk up your own winter wardrobe and to visit this publicly owned gallery to enjoy its treasures.

It was also a treat to explore another public space this month, namely the tunnels that lie 20 feet beneath our streets and head out from the Roman Baths. If you get the chance to book yourself in to a Tunnel Tour, do. It’s a fascinating experience that makes you see Bath and its history in a whole new way.

As always I have been helped along the way by all sorts of people. Historian Catherine Pitt has researched the history of Bath’s original Theatre Royal – find out more about its past on Page 54. Melissa Blease has interviewed the Queen of Terrine, Helen Rich of Bath-based Rich Pickings (Page 60) and been brave enough to carry out her own spirited search of local pubs to find seasonal ghost stories for Halloween (6 of the Best, Page 66). Wine expert Angela Mount has some fine wines from Autralia to tempt our palates (Page 59).

Mick Ringham talked to Vicky Le-Guilcher (Face the Music, Page 30) about her unusual career as a tattoo artist and, so impressed was he by her work, that he’s been talking about having one done himself. Hannah Sturgeon took interiors advice from photographer and home stylist Solesbury & Worthy (Page 90), and getting all cosy with jewel-bright hues for autumn in the home is Bath interior designer Clair Strong (Page 92) offering some insight into current trends.

TV and film director Otto Bathurst is our guest columnist, writing a thoughtprovoking piece about men’s position in modern society (see Page 12) while our regular walking guide, Andrew Swift, walks us through the slightly scary, and allegedly haunted fairy tale woods at Woodchester Park (Page 84).

Gardening expert Jane Moore shares my passion for dahlias on Page 98 – and offers her favourite varieties so you can start planning next year’s late summer display.

Now, I’m off to the potting shed with a pile of seed catalogues to see what I might grow for next year’s flower show.

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.

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HAUNTING: on a recent visit to Lacock Abbey and the Fox Talbot Museum I found an exhibition of these rather spooky dream-like photo paintings by artist Fran Forman. Her pieces for Escape Artist (there is a book as well as this exhibition) invite the viewer to consider what realities exist beyond the traditional limits of gravity, linear time, and social convention. See what you think. the exhibition is at the National Trust property until January.

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At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At age 40 we don’t care what they think of us. At age 60 we discover they haven’t been thinking about us at all ANN LANDERS: US COLUMNIST

❞

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ZEITGEIST

5October things to do in

Enjoy Visit Half-term (from October 24 to 1 November) sees all kinds of events, talks and openings as a celebration of Bath and North East Somerset’s Heritage Open Week. All events are free for local residents with a Discovery Card.

This is the 30th year of the council-run week and this year 24 venues are taking part. Here are some of the family-friendly events: l Investigate what the Romans ate at the Roman Baths l Design a Lego spacecraft at the Herschel Museum of Astrology l Visit the Mayor’s Parlour and see the city’s royal charters, and treasures, including gold, silver and a sword l Explore the grounds of the American Museum and meet ghosts from America’s past on the family Haunted Story Trail l Join a Junior Writers’ Lab at the Victoria Art Gallery.

For full listings, download the Heritage Open Week brochure from: bathnes.gov.uk/openweek.

Celebrate Enjoy the ancient custom of Halloween by carving pumpkins and setting them with lanterns inside, to welcome the Trick or Treat brigade. If you don’t want callers, put a polite notice in your window saying you’d rather not and Trick or Treaters, please respect your neighbours’ decision not to join in with this custom. Older people living alone can find it intimidating to have people ring their doorbell after dark. But, if you are celebrating on Saturday 31 October, enjoy the scary stories, the dressing up and warming pumpkin soup.

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Enjoy nature’s fireworks either with a walk through your local park or head off to the National Arboretum at Westonbirt to see some of the finest trees in the country put on their annual spectacular show. Staff are encouraging visitors to make the most of autumn as they admire the explosion of red, orange and yellow hues throughout the 600 acre site near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. From conker challenges to tasty picnics, collecting colourful leaves and taking beautiful photos, autumn provides the perfect opportunity to enjoy nature at its best, and spend time outdoors with family and friends.

Eat We’re looking forward to munching our way through the month of October as dozens of local eateries and food producers take part in the Great Bath Feast. There’ll be one-off feastings on a grand scale, as restaurants create special menus with wine or beer flights to treat regular customers and woo new ones.

Or you can get hands-on and learn something new at a workshop. Rachel Demuth is leading a session on creating innovative dishes from autumn fruits (that’s on Thursday 15 October) while on Saturday 17 October Dawn Butler, expert cake decorator, will be showing you how to make a hanging Minions cake.

There’ll be tips in Queen Square, the lovely Nigella at the Forum talking about her latest book, Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food, or you can join the oenophiles at the Great Western Wine portfolio tasting session on Thursday 22

Visit The town of Corsham is turning itself into a public art gallery from 3 to 11 October as it hosts the Peacock Arts Trail. The historic market town and its surroundings villages invites visitors to its galleries and private studios to enjoy work by more than two dozen artists. There’ll be a children’s mural making workshop at the Methuen Arms on Saturday 3 October from 2pm to 5pm, an exhibition by Bath Spa University students at Corsham Court and a series of adult workshops at the Pound arts centre. Pick up a brochure, which contains a map featuring all the artists and their studio addresses, from the town’s Tourist Information Centre or follow @peacocktrail on Twitter.

October at the Assembly Rooms.

We’ll see you at Bath Abbey on Saturday 3 October for the Great Bath Cake Sale and again on Saturday 31 October for the Blessed are the Cheesemakers festival of cheese.

See more details of the feast on Page 68.

The famous peacocks of Corsham

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ist

THE CITY THE BUZZ

My BATH We asked Kelly Ann Perry owner of The Bath Framer, what she’ll be doing this month

Scarecrow trail Bath’s primary schoolchildren are taking part in October’s Great Bath Feast by creating a homemade scarecrow trail around the city centre.

Scarecrows built from yoghurt pots, recycled materials, fruit and veg and dried plants will be spotted out on the streets of Bath from Saturday 16 October. The competition has been designed to encourage children to think about healthy eating and passers-by are invited to take a selfie with a scarecrow and join the chatter on Twitter with the hashtag #greatbathfeast.

Cake anyone?

The annual Ted’s Big Day Out to raise funds for Bath’s Royal United Hospital is this year turning its attention to cake making – very much in keeping with the nation’s obsession with the Great British Bake Off. This year’s fundraising week is between Monday 5 and Friday 9 October. The RUH is raising £8.5m towards a new cancer centre. Visit: tedsbigbakeoff.com to order a free baking pack or tel: 01225 825823.

Book of the month A God in Ruins

by Kate Atkinson Published by Little, Brown & Co It’s been 20 years since Kate Atkinson published her first novel, Behind The Scenes at the Museum, which went on to win the Whitbread prize and much acclaim from readers. Just as a singer-songwriter who has produced a Number One album has pressure to go on to repeat that seemingly impossible feat, Atkinson has faced the challenge to rise to the same heights.

She has entertained us with her series of Jackson Brodie books, in which she combines her bleak – and very British – sense of humour with clever, intricate plotting. And then, with her last novel, Life After Life, she delivered a

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What brought you to Bath?

I have lived nine miles out of the city, in Corsham, for most of my life. Now my boys are older, I’ve just moved the business into the city, it was the perfect opportunity to rethink and we decided living in Larkhall would suit us better. Bath has always been like a second home and I have some really good friends in the city.

What are you reading?

I’m currently ploughing my way through The Game of Thrones books. I have always preferred the book to screen, although sometimes I think I should give up and just watch the series with this one.

What is on your MP3 player?

In honesty all sorts. I love music and the radio goes on first thing in the morning. I’d probably be classed as an Indie chick but now I just prefer to go with what makes me feel good at the time. At the moment I really like Bonobo, but my all time favourites include; Fleetwood Mac, Massive Attack and Led Zeppelin. I’m really not too picky, I love a bit of chart trash too!

Which cafe or restaurant takes your fancy?

On the rare occasion that I do pop in to a café I like to people watch, so The Jazz Cafe in Kingsmead Square is great for this especially if it’s a sunny day and you can sit outside. In all honesty you’re more likely to find me having a swift pint in The King William after I shut the shop.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

I love the exhibitions that Evie curates in Quercus Gallery. She seems to have a great eye for contemporary work, which I really like. This month is a solo show by Susan Laughton, called Travelling Light which runs from 3 October to the end of the month. cracker of a modern novel which covered family life, love and death in an original and very moving way. We had no doubt with this book that Atkinson had written a literary novel, besides it being a great read.

A God in Ruins revisits the Todd family of Fox Corner, who we met in Life After Life. And while some of the characters and events are linked, I don’t think you need to have read the first book to read this companion piece.

I read it at the same time as the nation was commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, which made the story of pilot Teddy’s own war all the more poignant. As a young pilot, many of his friends dying around him on his missions, Teddy set out on his 30th bombing raid, knowing that the odds of

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

As I’ve just moved house, most of my spare time will be taken up by making our new home gorgeous! So I’ll have the sewing machine out making Roman blinds and cushions, I might even knock out a new dress or two.

Film or play? What will you be watching?

I’m going to keep my eye on what’s on at The Rondo and see if anything takes my fancy. I’m sure I’ll be dragged along to the cinema by my youngest if there is anything that he wants to go and see. Going to see a movie has always been a family favourite for us.

I’m now in my third month of trading on the London Road, and it’s the best business decision I’ve made. The free, two-hour car park in Weymouth Street just along the road makes it easy for drop offs and collections. My customers feel comfortable when they come in and always comment on how beautiful the interior is, which I hope reflects the quality of workmanship they will receive. With over 20 years of framing experience and a qualification in interior design, I feel I offer a unique perspective on choosing the best solution for your artwork. I’m open Tuesday – Friday 10am-6pm and Saturday 10am -4pm.

Visit: thebathframer.co.uk. n surviving and getting home in one piece were hugely stacked against him. It is hard to imagine how these aircrews summoned up the will to get into their planes, given the death rate. But Atkinson also makes us see that for the survivors there will be inevitable guilt at innocent lives taken in Germany, and that they’d long to live ordinary, quiet lives after war. Once again Atkinson tackles universal themes provoking thought and emotion. GMc

We’re following @Ben4Bath, MP for Bath & North East Somerset. He’s got around 7,000 followers and has launched #HowlettsHour, the first between 4pm and 5pm on Tuesday 29 September to answer queries from constituents in a virtual surgery. Whatever your politics, this looks like a brave move.

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CITY | BUSINESS

THE | COLUMNIST

A TRUE MAN IN THE 21ST CENTURY TV AND FILM DIRECTOR OTTO BATHURST WHOSE CREDITS INCLUDE PEAKY BLINDERS AND HUSTLE IS OUR GUEST COLUMNIST

I

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amazing man called Serge Benhayon who has helped me begin to understand the root of the issue in myself, and recognise it in many others.

All men are at their core, extremely sensitive, fragile and tender beings who are leading lives, living in worlds and building relationships that totally and utterly bury this gold. It is this gold that we miss, that we crave. We know the lives that we are living are in fact a lie, a pretence, a front and every excess that we indulge in – whether it be work, food, depression, alcohol or whatever - is a desperate attempt to fill the emptiness that we all feel at living this lie. And it is, literally, killing us.

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My kids don’t want a giant who mends their toys . . .they want an honest dad who listens

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’ve lived in Somerset for seven years – the last two of them in Bath – having moved here from London, where I grew up. I work as a film and television director and am married with three young kids.

Like many, I have found the challenges of being a man complicated and confusing. What is a man?

A friend? A father? A lover? A bread-winner? A DIY expert. A know-it-all? Or a useless couch potato?

It’s tricky. We are told to be this, forced to be that. We have been taught to be tough, to cope, to bear the weight, to be brave, not to cry, to soldier on. And so we do, we take all of this on and we muddle through; silently, stoically. We put on the coat of armour and the masks, we build the fortress, create the image and we head out in to the world – blindly making it up as we go along.

And how are we getting on? What does the picture look like?

Cancer mortality rates have increased by 23% in men in the last 30 years and cancer kills 50% more men than it does women. The amount of alcohol we drink has more than doubled since the 1950s and men are three times more likely to become alcohol dependant than women. The list goes on; our consumption of coffee is increasing 13% each year, one in four men are obese, men are three times more likely to be drug abusers than women, men make up 95% of the prison population.

The picture is even bleaker when we look at the next generation. Boys are three times more likely to be expelled from school than girls, boys are achieving 15% lower in their grades than girls.

And perhaps the most shocking of all . . . suicide is the most common form of death in men under the age of 35. A horrific fact made all the worse when we consider the thousands of other men behind that statistic, living in the darkest depression.

Yet, while all this goes on, we work longer and longer hours, striving to own a bigger house, a faster car, a slimmer iPhone. We disappear ever deeper into our hobbies, screens and social media.

We consume ever more knowledge and news. We numb ourselves in front of the TV or a pint.

We constantly look to our peers and friends for affirmation and recognition. Anything to give our lives meaning.

The modern man is at sea – a rudderless shipwreck.

The oft-trotted-out causes of the problem are, in my opinion missing the point and as long as we continue to blame, for example, the ‘rise’ of the female, our parents, or the fact that none of us actually know what ‘metrosexual’ means, nothing is going to change!

Big problems require a big vision to see the whole picture. In the last few years I have been listening to the inspiring presentations of an

By listening to other men and by allowing myself to express the honesty of what I feel, I have been shocked by what I am beginning to unearth in myself and deeply inspired by what I have seen in others. I can feel a joy and purpose, far outstripped by anything else I have ever pursued, through re-connecting to this truth and am now, for the first time in my life beginning to understand what a man actually is.

While I accept that society makes it very hard for men to live this way, one of the many pearls that the modern day philosopher, Serge Benhayon has offered is that we have to acknowledge the fact that we are the creators of our own society and that society is a direct reflection of the choices we are all making. So, the responsibility for our society actually lies at our own doors – as does the catalyst for change.

Thus, is it in fact up to us men to claim who we

really are? Is it up to us to be honest about what we want, to admit to what hurts us and to have the courage to wear our hearts on our sleeves, to bare our insecurities and to express our fragility?

It may seem scary. It may seem a leap too far. It may feel too late. But nothing is scarier, more shackling and more final than the depression that so many men live with.

What’s more and what surely sharpens our sense of responsibility is that the world, our partners, our colleagues and our children are all craving the true version of a man.

My wife doesn’t want a broad-shouldered, bread-winning, sex-god. My wife wants a husband who has the courage to express the truth, the tenderness to not judge and who is committed to nurturing a loving and evolving relationship.

My kids don’t want a giant who mends their toys, cheers them from the touch-line and imparts his knowledge across the kitchen table. They want an honest dad who listens, who allows them to find life tricky and who inspires them to love themselves even more than he loves them.

My friends don’t want bravado, quick wit and a drinking partner. They want a loyal soul who treats them with absolute equality no matter what they show me and who celebrates the gorgeous man that they don’t show the rest of the world.

To be able to be any of the above I have to be honest. I have to be open. I have to be fragile.

In short I have to be the real me; no tricks, masks or special skills. Just simple, beautiful me.

That takes immense courage, and that, in my book, is the mark of a true man and it is the kind of man that I am now inspired to be; the man who can peel back the layers, knock down the fortresses and reveal the absolute gold that has been waiting patiently, ever since we were the gorgeous little boys that we all still are. n Inspired by Serge Benhayon and the teachings of Universal Medicine. To read more visit: unimedliving.com

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Visit our showroom: Kingsmead Square, Bath, BA1 2AA TEL: 01225 427 057 or see our all new website: www.avonvalecarpets.co.uk

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Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine Contact us: Editor Tel: Email:

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

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos steve@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email:

Jeff Osborne production@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 Š 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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Gold & Platinum Studio

Handmade and Bespoke Jewellery

Beautifully crafted engagement rings, wedding rings and fine jewellery designed and traditionally handmade on the premises. All types of jewellery remodelled.

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19 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR | Tel: +44 (0)1225 462 300 www.goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk | email: mike@goldandplatinumstudio.co.uk 16 TheBATHMagazine

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Elegance & Quality The Sekkai range of watches are classically distinctive and simply elegant.

All are distinctive and exude character and style, prices from £35 to £95.

Full mens, ladies and unisex range available view online.

www.sekkai.co.uk A Bath Company

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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AUTUMN | FASHION

The city’s Victoria Art Gallery provided the elegant backdrop for our autumn fashion preview.

Photography by Paolo Ferla

A UTUMN C OLLECTION

THE

FLARE FOR STYLE: Harriet wears trousers, £59.99 from Zara, jacket, £179 by Custommade at Grace and Mabel, top, £48 by Ilse Jacobsen at Grace and Mabel

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AUTUMN | FASHION

GET THE LOOK

M

elanie Crump, make-up professional and principal of the Bath Academy of Media MakeUp, applied our models’ make-up. She has advice on achieving these looks for yourself.

‘For natural looking skin with beautiful radiance adopt the strobe effect and apply Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation primer with only a little foundation. Use Chantecaille Liquid Lumiere Anti-ageing Cheek Illuminator in Luster on the apples of cheeks and cheekbones. For fresh neutral and easy application eye makeup, eradicate dark circles with a pale pink Bobbie Brown cream concealer and set with MAC Invisible Powder. Apply Lord & Berry Nudo concealer on the lower water line. Use MAC Cream Colour Base-Pearl over the lid and up to the brow then add a swish of Bobbie Brown Sand Dune Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick into the sockets and outer corners, and blend out with finger or brush. Use Bobbie Brown No Smudge Mascara: this will not budge even when the rain comes lashing down.

Lip colours this season: Harriet wears Kevyn Aucoin Bloodroses with NARS Shanghai Express to give vibrant impact and an ombre effect.

Tania (orange coat) wears Ellis Faas Milky lips in Burnt Orange Louisa wears Dior: Lady 039 combined with Inglot sleeks cream lip Paint 93. For a nude lip Bobbie Brown Pale Mauve lip liner all over the lip with a little lip balm over the top.

‘If your makeup starts to slip use MAC Studio Fix as a quick top up or revive and refresh tired and dry looking skin/makeup with Dermalogica Antioxidant Hydra Mist which will totally reboot and refresh your make-up during long days.’

Melanie Crump, academy principal Tel: 01225 331315 info@bathmediamakeup.co.uk Bath Academy of Media MakeUp. BACK TO BLACK: Louisa wears jewellery

by Bill Skinner, gloves by Paul Smith, top, £48 by Ilse Jacobsen, jacket, £415,

by Paul Smith, all from Grace and Mabel boutique in Broad Street

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SPRING | FASHION

MAKE AN ENTRANCE: Tania wears coat, £425, skirt, £165, top, £135 and shoes, all from LK Bennett

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AUTUMN | FASHION

WEATHER GIRL: Harriet wears cape jacket, £265, top, £110, trousers, £125, all by Reiss, bag from LK Bennett

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AUTUMN| FASHION

STYLE NOTES

B

ath stylist Gaby, who styled our shoot, has some tips for shopping for this autumn/winter...

Invest in classics: • Wrap coat • Leather jacket • Jumper dress • Boots • Sweaters The trends.

This is the fun bit where you get to choose which trend you want to inject into your wardrobe for the season. This is where your own personality and style can shine through. That’s what trends are for, whether it’s just a hint or you go for it full swing – 70s flares and all!

Things to look out for if you want to add that fun element to your functional wardrobe. Think about the on trend colours, prints, trouser shapes and mix it in with your classics.

Here are a few suggestions for this season: • Flares • Wide trousers • Suede coat • Calf length sock boots (block heel) • Masculine flats • Matching top and bottom (knit or print style) fine ribbed knits • Robe coat • Tie blouse Visit: voilastyling.co.uk to book a Voila stylist who will help you find these items in the shops.

THE THREE GRACES: Tania wears jumpsuit, £120 by Reiss, shoes Belladonna burgundy, £140, Harriet wears jumper, £130 and skirt, £245, both from Reiss, shoes LK Bennett, Louisa wears dress, £145 Reiss, ankle boots, £170 Ted and Muffy, burgundy bag, £295 LK Bennett

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AUTUMN | FASHION

EXTRAS AND OUT-TAKES CLASSICALLY STYLISH: Louisa wears dress, £265

by Tara Jarman at Grace and Mabel

THANK YOU

HAIR CARE Experienced hair stylist Abigail Constanza styled our models’ hair for the shoot, adopting a sleek, chic look. She says: ‘Now the weather is beginning to change and central heating is being turned on, this can have a huge impact on the condition and texture of your hair. To keep your hair looking healthy and glossy through the autumn/winter try using a moisturising oil. This can be applied prior to drying or after you’ve finished styling to eliminate frizz and add extra shine. My personal favourite is Dry Remedy oil by Aveda.’

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Photographer: Paolo Ferla Contact: paolo@ferlapaolo.com Location: Bath & North Somerset Council owned Victoria Art Gallery Models: Tania, Louisa and Harriet from Mustard Models, Bristol, tel: 0117 955 1964. Facebook: Mustard Model Agency Styling: Gaby at Voila Styling.

Contact: style@voilastyling.co.uk Assistant stylist: Hettie Dewing Make-up: Melanie Crump, Bath Academy of Media MakeUp. Contact: office@bathmediamakeup.co.uk MUA assistant: Leann Ford Hair: freelance hair stylist Abigail Constanza.

Contact: abitilt@gmail.com Coffee from Blue Quails Deli

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AUTUMN | STYLE

THROUGH THE

LOOKING GLASS Jenny Hayes meets the face of Mcarthurglen’s Wonders of autumn campaign, alice Levine

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AUTUMN | STYLE

Main image: Alice adds a twist to a classic winter coat with a patterned shirt and chunky boots This page, Alice’s picks: navy coat from Jaeger and black leather bag from Osprey, both exclusive to McArthurGlen; Alice and Laura model other chic styles from the Wonders of Autumn campaign

A

lice Lavine is a multi-talented woman. When she’s not hosting shows on Radio 1, she’s presenting a variety of programmes across our television channels, and also somehow finding time to write a monthly food column with her best friend – and co-model for the McArthurGlen Wonders of Autumn campaign – Laura Jackson.

Despite this busy schedule, Alice always finds time to look good, rocking a signature style that is classic with a quirky, feminine twist. So, ahead of the launch of her McArthurGlen campaign later this month, TBM caught up with this one woman whirlwind to ask her more about her autumn style, and what she’ll be up to this season.

What first sparked your interest in fashion?

My earliest fashion memories are basically of me being like a magpie. I loved going through my Mum's jewellery box and putting everything on. She also had a pair of pewter high heels which I would go and dig out, take to my room and try and walk around in.

You have a very individual and enviable sense of style. How has that evolved?

My mum is very stylish and has a great eye when shopping. I also look to icons from different eras, like Charlotte Rampling in the 70s – what a babe. Diane Keaton had an incredible look too. In terms of modern muses, I love Michelle Williams and how she mixes and matches things and always looks herself. And Instagram can be addictive too – I constantly screen grab looks I like for inspiration.

How do you make sure you stay true to your style when you are out shopping?

I’m such a creature of habit. I like what I like and don’t really get sucked into fads. I think because I always go for a look with a 60s aesthetic, or at least a hint of that, then that keeps my style quite consistent. That’s why the McArthurGlen Wonders of Autumn campaign really intrigued me – AW is the key season to herald those timeless, classic pieces in your wardrobe.

What are your AW wardrobe staples?

I think investing in a handbag and winter coat are my absolute favourite seasonal purchases. Do visit McArthurGlen in Swindon this autumn where Jaeger and Osprey have created beautiful products, totally exclusive to the centres. The Osprey black leather handbag is ideal for work, then play, then work again,

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and the Jaeger navy winter coat ticks all my boxes. It feels incredible on, the shape is classic with a twist and navy is definitely my choice over black. I’d always advise to make like a Parisian and go for navy.

Do fashion and music correlate for you?

Distinctive aesthetics that belong to certain music communities obviously exist, but I think more and more people listen to a whole range of genres and express themselves in a variety of ways rather than dressing to be part of a music tribe.

You’ve had some incredible musicians perform in the Radio One Live Lounge. Do you have any particularly memorable moments?

My first ever live lounge was FKA Twigs when she was just emerging. She’s such an interesting performer, but a woman of few words in interviews. I was mesmerised when she did Two Weeks for us. That was definitely stand out.

And is there anyone you’re really looking forward to having on the show, or that you’d really like to invite on?

I recently interviewed Jake Gyllenhall and that was such a laugh, so it would be great to get some more movie guests on. I love interviewing people; it’s my favourite part of the job.

Do you have any bands or performers you’d advise us to look out for over the next few months?

Having come from the specialist music world (I used to do the John Peel slot on week nights), I listen to everything from grime to dance, so I get to hear a lot of different genres. That's the beauty of a show like that. At the moment I'm loving Rationale, a producer called Luca who’s done a track with a vocalist called Tei Shi, and Mapei is amazing.

And finally, what can we expect to see you doing over the next few months? Any exciting projects in the pipeline?

I’ve just finished a documentary about girls in technology for the BBC, and I’m also working on a comedy podcast that launches in October. Laura and I also have a food show to start making with Channel 4, so it’s an exciting time! n The McArthurGlen Wonders of Autumn campaign launches on Thursday 15 October, and runs until Monday 2 November.

Fronted by best friends and style heroes Alice Levine and Laura Jackson, the campaign presents iconic pieces from the new season’s collections. For more information, visit: www.mcarthurglen.com

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5 Margarets Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP +44 (0) 1225 300573 • www.jpmaps.co.uk • info@jpmaps.co.uk

Our fresh new gallery is now open in the lovely Margarets Buildings, Bath, after 45 years’ trading in London

Original Antique maps, charts and plans of all areas of Britain and the World, atlases, books, curiosities and cartefacts

Members of ABA, BADA, PBFA

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FACE | THE MUSIC

ART THAT LASTS A LIFETIME Mick Ringham talks to Vicky Le-Guilcher about the ancient art of tattooing and the music that gets beneath her skin

T

he English Oxford Dictionary describes the art of tattooing as a form of body modification, which to me sounds a little scary.

Nevertheless, after prehistoric cave painting it has been officially recognised as one of the oldest forms of art with examples tracing back 6,000 years BC. Once the domain of the rugged windswept sailor, the tattoo helped perpetuate that all important hard-man image, which was to become synonymous with territorial strength and courage. However in the last decade we have witnessed a sea-change in this perception, in part due to the influence of celebrity culture and media interest.

Latest statistics have estimated that approaching one third of the UK’s population sports a tatt of some description. Vicky Le-Guilcher is an experienced decorative tattoo artist and part of that ink-work revolution.

She was born in Somerset, and after leaving school gained a National Diploma in art and design at art college and a BA Hons in drawing and applied arts from the University of the West of England. To finance her intended career in the world of art Vicky worked as a shop manager, saving some of her earnings to pursue her goal as an artist.

However the professional art scene is a hard and fickle business and by this time Vicky had married her long-term sweetheart Lee and the couple were thinking of raising a family. They say that some of the most interesting experiences in life happen by chance and this was certainly true in Vicky’s case.

“Lee fancied having another tattoo and initially I went along to keep him company, obviously having an interest in drawing I thought it would be quite an experience.

“I ended up being fascinated by what was happening and really wanted to learn more about it.”

The upshot of her meeting that day with the tattooist led to her being taught by him for many months to come. After serving her apprenticeship, and with needle in hand, she joined a tattoo studio in Bristol, later moving to Bath and in her own words she has never looked back. She has been professionally tattooing now for over seven years with Electric Vintage Tattoos and although commuting on a daily basis from the couple’s home in Weston Super Mare says “it’s worth the journey just to work 30 TheBATHMagazine

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in such a lovely city with such great people.”

Vicky specialises in colour custom pieces, floral and portraiture work and lately in watercolour technique. She says: “I am really lucky in having a job which I love but it’s been hard work getting to where I am today; after all if a mistake is made on the skin you just can’t rub it out. Walking into the studio every day is in many ways an adventure as you never know what your next customer might want. I want my work to reflect my love of art and be able to beautifully decorate my clients’ bodies to the best of my abilities.”

I ask her about the most unusual tattoo she has had to undertake: “That

would be a few years ago now when a guy asked me to write ‘I like your rubber duck’ on his arm. I asked him what it meant but he refused to tell me.”

Still the most popular tattoo by a country mile is the traditional and beautiful coloured English rose and that was one of the first tattoos that Vicky had on her own arm. Like most fashions and influences designs change over time along with clients. Even the illustrious broadcaster David Dimbleby joined the tattooed set, at the age of 75, getting a scorpion on his shoulder.

I asked Vicky the question that most people would like to know before they sit in the tattooist chair – does it hurt?

“Not really, it’s more of a sensation than

ARTIST AT WORK: Vicky Le-Guilcher with a client and on opposite page, examples of the designs she’s created

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FACE | THE MUSIC

anything truly painful.”

Vicky met her husband Lee when she was 16 and the couple have a four-yearold daughter Cherry-Rose. Being a working mum is challenging as Vicky juggles family life around her work, but she also makes time for her hobbies of sewing, baking (she’s a huge Mary Berry fan) and oil painting.

I asked if there was just one person she would love to walk into the studio and tattoo? She says: “It would have to be Peter Kay, although I guess I would have to try my hardest not to laugh with the needle in my hand.”

I’m still pondering about whether to get a tattoo myself – but where and what on earth to choose? Maybe I’m just too cautious but I keep being reminded of those lyrics by Pete Townsend, ‘Welcome to my life tattoo –we’ve a long time together me and you.’

VICKY’S CHOICES: Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance with Somebody I am fully aware it’s a little cheesy but this song reminds me of dancing around the living room as a child with Lucy and Julie my two elder sisters. The three of us are really close and this particular record conjures up so many happy memories of that time. It’s definitely a number to sing along to, even today.

Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now Queen was played a lot in our family’s house when I was younger. My mum was a big fan and this is by far their best track and my personal favourite. This song is always played by DJs at weddings – ours included. It reminds me of fun days out and also lots of great times with family and friends.

Al Green – Let’s Stay Together Talking of weddings, this was our first dance at our own wedding. I met him when I was just 16 and in December 2011 we had our beautiful daughter Cherry-Rose. Every time I hear this song now I instantly go back to that amazing day. It puts a smile on my face and gives me such a warm feeling inside. I really love soul music and always wanted this WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

played on my special day, it’s just a beautiful and sentimental record.

Coldplay – The Scientist This number is from their album A Rush of Blood to the Head and has been a favourite of mine since the first time I heard it. Whatever mood I’m in I always enjoy listening to it. Before university I spent two years at art college and a lot of work was done listening to this album. I love the Renaissance period and have recently taken to painting in oils – time permitting.

Athlete – Wires I was 19 when this amazing record was released. I love it and still listen to it regularly. It was written by the band’s lead singer about his daughter who was born prematurely.

Five years after this song came out my nephew and then my niece were both born very premature, so this number has even more meaning to me now.

Eva Cassidy – Songbird Such a beautiful song. I have spent many nights singing this to our daughter as she goes to sleep. It reminds me of the overwhelming love I have for CherryRose. She is very artistic and already talks about having a My Little Pony tattoo when she’s a big girl of 18. Getting that feeling from some music is a special thing, so for that fact alone and if I could only chose one song, this would be the one.

Sam Cooke – Bring it on Home to Me The first three years of my tattoo career involved listening to Sam Cooke in the studio. I am a great fan of soul and Tamla, but

SPECIAL SINGERS: left to right, Paolo Nutini, Iron Sky, Eva Cassidy, Songbird and Paloma Faith, Only Love Can Hurt Like This

this track will always be a special song for me, apart from the fact I just love his voice and the lyrics, I think of fun times with lots of laughs. It also reminds me how far I’ve come in my personal life and also in my professional career and how much I’ve grown over the years.

Paolo Nutini – Iron Sky He has such a distinctive voice and the album Caustic Love, which is where it’s from, has been listened to over and over again, especially on my way to and from work. It’s a bit of a trek from Weston to Bath, especially in rush hour, but well worth it when I can listen to music such as this to keep me company. I have heard all Nutini’s albums but this is the best so far.

Paloma Faith – Only Love Can Hurt Like This I saw her on tour in March this year and it really was an amazing night. She usually only sings songs that she has written herself, but not that night. I think that it goes to show just how good the number is, that she wanted to take it on and make it her own. I always sing along to it whenever I hear it.

The Killers – Mr Brightside This had to be included in my top ten records. I’ve had so many good nights that have involved dancing along to this track and singing the words at the top of my terrible voice.

Unfortunately I have not yet had the opportunity to see them play live, but I’m working on it.

There’s no particular reason I made this choice apart from the fact that it’s great music, full of energy and makes me really happy. n Electric Vintage, Westgate Buildings, Bath, tel: 01225 789911, visit: electricvintagetattoo.com.

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WHAT’S ON in October EVENTS ARE LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER HANDS UP FOR JONNY WILKINSON'S RIGHT BOOT: A PLAY FOR THE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2015 Wednesday 30 September – Saturday 3 October Nightly at 8pm, but Saturday 5pm, followed by live England vs Australia n The Rondo Theatre, St Saviour’s Road, Larkhall, Bath A new comedy for the rugby loving city of Bath, by award-winning playwright Dougie Blaxland, commissioned to coincide with The Rugby World Cup 2015. It celebrates one of those moments that rugby fans will never forget: The Rugby World Cup Final 2003; England vs Australia in Sydney and with just 26 seconds to the final whistle and with the score standing at 17-17, Jonny Wilkinson makes history as he drops a goal to win the World Cup for England. Live Wire Theatre will be re-enacting Jonny Wilkinson’s achievement, together with other celebrated rugby memories. For tickets, visit: ticketsource.co.uk/event/94659.

Skirmishing at the American Museum

GREAT BATH FEAST: APPLE DAY Wednesday 21 October (plus event on Friday 23 October) n Demuths Cookery School, Bog Island and Green Park Brasserie, Green Park Station, Bath Vegetarian cookery school Demuths is holding an Apple Day evening class on 21 October, while on Friday 23 all day from noon there’ll be apple themed happenings at Green Park Brasserie in Green Park Station. This free event will also see an appearance by the two Thirsty Gardeners who’ll be demonstrating how to turn locally grown apples into cider. For more details, times etc visit: greenparkbrasserie.com

The Curious Incident at the Theatre Royal

Also at the Rondo theatre this month ENCHANTED APRIL Wednesday 7 – Saturday 10 October, 7.30pm Bath Drama presents this charming tale, set in Italy in 1922 when English women go in search of the warmth of the sun. Only to find . . . Tickets: £10, concessions £8. tel: 0333 666 3366.

A SEASON OF FRENCH FARCE: MONSIEUR POPULAR Thursday 1 October – Saturday 7 November, times vary n Ustinov Studio theatre, Bath This is the UK premiere for Jeremy Sams’ newly translated 19th century French farce. Middle aged lothario Celimare keeps his mistresses happy while at the same time befriending their husbands. But who’s most reluctant to lose his company when he decides to leave the past behind and marry his 18-year-old sweetheart? Tickets: all seats £12. Tel: 01225 448844.

Seven Ages of Man at the Mission Theatre

Session Americana at Chapel Arts

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SEVEN AGES OF MAN Thursday 1 October, 7.30pm n The Mission Theatre, Corn Street Using extracts from dozens of Shakespeare’s plays, this original play, devised and directed by Gill Morrell, shows the inebriated ne’er do well Christopher Sly from The Taming of the Shrew encountering the mysterious Will, who takes him on a journey through the seven ages of man. Tickets: £10, from bathboxoffice.org, tel: 01225 463362, or 07780 938107. It will also be at The Pound in Corsham on 3 October, at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, 5 October and St Margaret’s Hall, Bradford on Avon on 7 October.

THE SNAKE DAVIS BAND: CLASSIC SAX SOLOS Friday 2 October, 7.30pm n Chapel Arts Centre, Lower Borough Walls, Bath Who doesn’t love the haunting refrain of a saxophone? Snake – he gets his nickname from the sinuous way he moved on stage – takes his audience through a greatest hits of sax classics from Baker Street to Careless Whisper. Tickets: £14 (£15 on the door) Tel: 01225 461700.

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Also at Chapel Arts this month BIG BOY BLOATER: ONE MAN SHOW TOUR Friday 16 October, 7.30pm British R&B kingpin Big Boy Bloater, hailed by Jools Holland as one of the great blues men of our time, presents an evening of songs old and new in a rootsy entertaining style. Funkster Craig Charles is also a fan.

Tickets: £12.50 (£15 on the door).

SESSION AMERICANA Thursday 22 October, 7.30pm A collective of talented musicians put on a kind of modern freewheeling hootenanny using a hotch-potch of instruments. All the way from Boston they bring a batch of original songs plus some old school Americana. Tickets: £12.

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR WEEKEND Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October, noon – 5pm n The American Museum, Claverton Manor, Bath The Southern Skirmish Association troops bring the sights and (very loud) sounds of the American Civil War to the lawns of the museum.

The height of the action will be at 3pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.

Also at the American Museum this month LECTURE: DR LLOYD GROSSMAN Friday 16 October, 7pm How to Paint History. Loyd Grossman will discuss the genesis and influence of Benjamin West’s 18th century painting The Death of General Wolfe and explore the personality of the artist who travelled from the backwoods of Pennsylvania to the state rooms of Buckingham Palace and the Presidency of the Royal Academy. The lecture co-incides with the publication of his book Benjamin West and the Struggle to be Modern. Loyd Grossman will be book signing after the lecture. Tickets £10.

POPULAR SCIENCE WITH ALEX BELLOS Tuesday 6 October, 7.30pm n Weston Studio, The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath £10, £8 concs Bestselling author, writer, broadcaster and mathematics speaker Alex Bellos leads a colourful journey into the magical world of mathematics. From the philosophers of Ancient Greece to the artists of the Renaissance, via Islamic design and Hindu Mandalas, this is an accessible evening of art and maths in the university’s new arts centre, open to all. Tickets: £10, concessions £8.

Tel: 01225 386777, visit: icia.org.uk Also at the university this month LOST DOG: PARADISE LOST (LIES UNOPENED BESIDE ME ) Thursday 15 October, 7.30pm There is a possibility that God made everything because he was terrified of doing nothing. Here is a re-telling of the story of the beginning of everything inspired by Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, only with fewer words, more dance and never before seen levels of divine incompetence. A show for anyone who has ever created anything (a child, a garden, a paper aeroplane) and then had to watch that wonderful thing spiral out of control. Tickets: £10, concessions £8.

SCIENCE SHOWOFF CHAOTIC SCIENCE COMEDY CABARET Friday 30 October and Friday 4 December, 7.30pm Need a bit more geek in your life but want to get a proper evening's entertainment at the same time? Geek comedian Steve Cross hosts some of Bath’s top science, comedy and performance talent in a night of clever chaotic cabaret. A lineup that will never be repeated, performing in ways never seen before. Tickets: £10, concessions £8.

BAD JEWS Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 October, times vary n Theatre Royal, Sawclose, Bath This fast-paced scaldingly funny play enjoyed its UK premiere last year in Bath before transferring to the West End, to critical and public acclaim. Now it’s back in the south west en route to a well-deserved national tour. For ticket prices and details tel: 01225 448844.

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Also at the Theatre Royal this month TOM CONTI IN BEFORE THE PARTY Monday 12 – Saturday 17 October, times vary Based on a story by Somerset Maugham, adapted by Rodney Ackland, we’re taken back to 1949 and a dark comedy of class and manners.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME Tuesday 20 – Saturday 31 October, times vary From the insightful, clever and funny book by Mark Haddon, the stage play has won seven Olivier awards and is brought brilliantly to life by the National Theatre. Join 15-year-old autistic Christopher and learn what it’s like to be wrongfully accused of killing a dog . . .

SATIRIST TO INSANITY Monday 5 October, 7pm ■ Top gallery, the Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Bath Bath Evening Decorative and Fine Arts Society hosts an evening about the life and work of satirical artist John Gillray, presented by lecturer Ian Keable. Tickets: £7 (students free) tel: 01225 742819. Visit: bedfas.co.uk.

Tom Conti and Gwen Taylor in Before the Party at the Theatre Royal

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS: EDUCATION & MINDFULNESS Tuesday 6 October, 7pm ■ Central United Reformed Church, Argyle Street, Bath Guest speaker Sir Anthony Seldon, former Master of Wellington College will speak on education and mindfulness. All welcome.

THE BATH BOOK FAIR Saturday 17 October, 10.30am – 4.30m ■ The Assembly Rooms, Bath BA1 2QH If you enjoy spending a few hours browsing among old books, finding new treasures and re-discovering some past pleasures, then this event will find you in bibliophilic heaven. Admission is £2, which allows access to more than 40 booksellers from all over the UK offering good quality secondhand books and fine antiquarian books for sale. Visit: pbfa.org, or tel Bath Old Books 01225 422244 Andy Parsons

Mary Beard

Annie Sloan

Simon Schama

Festival of the Spoken Nerd

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SIMON SCHAMA: THE FACE OF BRITAIN Wednesday 7 October, 7pm ■ Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Independent bookshop Topping & Co has a great line-up of speakers for its autumn book festival. Brilliant historian Simon Schama, who is always engaging and fascinating, has written a book about the development of portraits in British society. Tickets: £10, to include a book voucher. Tel: 01225 428111 or call in to the bookshop on the Paragon at top of Broad Street.

Also hosted by Topping & Co this month MELVYN BRAGG Thursday 15 October, 7.30pm ■ Christ Church, Julian Road, Bath Author and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg returns to Bath to discuss his latest novel, Now is the Time. It is set in the 14th century against the backdrop of the Peasants’ Revolt, when Richard II, a vain boy-king is confronted by a baying mob. Tickets: £7 includes book voucher.

MARY BEARD Thursday 22 October, 7.20pm ■ The Forum, SouthGate, Bath As residents of a city that has partly built its reputation as a World Heritage site on the achievements of the Roman Empire, this talk by one of the most knowledgable and interesting historians of our time, will be an elightening experience. Mary Beard’s latest book SPQR covers 1,000 years of history and will make us think again what the Romans have actually done for us. Tickets: £8, includes book voucher.

FESTIVAL OF THE SPOKEN NERDS: JUST FOR GRAPHS Thursday 8 October, show starts 8pm Komedia, Westgate Street, Bath Join acclaimed stand-up mathematician Matt Parker, experiments maestro Steve ‘Danger’ Mould and geek songstress Helen Arney for graph-aminute fun. The Nerds have appeared across TV and radio and at the Hammersmith Apollo. Tickets: £15 Advance auditorium, £25.50 meal deal, tel: 0845 293 8480.

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Also at Komedia this month BOGAN BINGO Friday 9 October, show from 8pm Two Australian trailer trash bingo callers with a passion for 80s music lead a night of chaotic entertainment, tentatively held together by bingo. Big prizes include a European holiday from Travel Talk, free drinks and a frozen chicken. After a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and sell out performances in London, Bogan Bingo bring their unique show and DJ experience to Bath. Dress code: trailer trash fashion and 80s passion. Tickets from £8.

ANDY PARSONS: LIVE AND UNLEASHED – BUT NATURALLY CAUTIOUS Thursday 15 October, show 8pm The star of BBC2’s Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo hits the road, delivering more sharp comedy. Tickets from £15.

SPIES, SHOWGIRLS AND THE GROCER’S DAUGHTER Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October, 7.30pm n The Gallery, St James Wine Vaults, St James’Square, Bath Rapscallion Theatre Company presents a triple bill of fast paced, one-act comedies about extraordinary women and their impact on the world, featuring Mata Hari, Aphra Behn, Margaret Thatcher and Mandy Rice Davies.

ORIGINAL: AN INSTAGRAM EXHIBITION Friday 9 October – December n The Forum Coffee House, SouthGate, Bath An exhibition of photographs taken by Bath Instagrammers. Free entry and opening night with free canapés and drinks on 9 October.

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AN EVENING OF GOTHIC ENTERTAINMENT: BATH PHILHARMONIA Friday 16 October, 7.30pm n Bath Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath Featuring violinist Charlie Siem and a programme including Fingal’s Cave and Raymond and Agnes. Tickets from £15 from Bath Box Office, Abbey Chambers, Bath.

Doug Stanhope at the Pavilion INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE NATURAL COSMETIC WORKSHOPS Monday 12 October and Sunday 25 October Workshops with Anna Christensen, designed for people who are interested in learning about making products and to see if it’s something they wish to develop further. For more information and booking visit www.annachristensen.eu. Choose from a half day or full day workshop.

DOUG STANHOPE Wednesday 14 October, 8pm show Bath Pavilion Fuelled by equal amounts of anger, outrage and alcohol, comedian Doug Stanhope rails against western civilization’s slide into apathy and stupidity. As seen on BBC TV’s satirical series Newswipe with Charlie Brooker. Tickets: £30.Visit: dougstanhope.com

BATH CANTATA GROUP: CHORAL WORKSHOP Saturday 24 October, 9.30am – 6pm n St Mary’s Church, Bathwick Led by Neil Moore, music director, you’ll be singing Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Vaughan Williams Te Deum in G, with an informal performance at the end of the afternoon. The cost of £10 includes score hire. tel: 01225 722381 or email: cam.2107@gmail.com.

ANNIE SLOAN Saturday 24 October, 2pm n The Guildhall, Bath Annie Sloan, expert in decorative paint, colours and techniques, will be demonstrating how to use her paints and stencils, answering questions and signing her books. Tickets: £25, includes tea, coffee and cake. Visit: relovedevents.eventbrite.co.uk.

LECTURE: THE ART OF THE REDHEAD Friday 30 October, 7pm The Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street Arts commentator Jacky Colliss-Harvey explores the history of redheads.

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WHAT’S | ON Angharad Harris (French horn), Sebrina Lambert-Rose (cello) Seren Nickson (violin) and Freddie Redding on piano. The 2014 winner, Lizzie Daniels will perform for the audience while the judges make their decision. Hannah Conway, who won in 1992 and is now a composer, presenter and musical director is one of three adjudicators. Tickets: £10, £5 under 18s Bath Box Office, tel: 01225 463362, or visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk

WATERLOO AND THE MARCH OF SCIENCE Until 14 December n The Herschel Museum, New King St, Bath An exhibition which invites us to consider 1815 and what was happening during this golden age of advancement.

SMALL WORLDS DOLLSHOUSE EXHIBITION Until 8 November n The Brownsword Gallery, No 1 Royal Crescent, Bath A collection of historic dollshouses and furniture. Adults £9, concs £7, children £4.

WESTONBIRT CHRISTMAS CHARITIES FAIR Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October, 10am – 4pm n Westonbirt School, Tetbury The fair is supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and The Nelson Trust, a charity providing care, support and encouragement to overcome addiction. Packed with colourful stalls showcasing a tempting array of gifts chosen for their quality, design and eye-catching appeal, find all your Christmas shopping under one roof. With free access to the gardens, free parking, a coffee shop, wine bar and restaurant open all day, while the new drop off zone will enable you to enjoy a day out without the hassle of carrying around your parcels. To book visit: westonbirtfair.com

Former Young Bath Musician of the Year presenter Hannah Conway BATH CHORAL SOCIETY: HAYDN THE CREATION Saturday 31 October, 7.30pm n The Assembly Rooms, Bath Bath Choral Society opens the new season with Haydn The Creation. Soprano, Helen-Jane Howells, tenor Ben Hulett and bass James Platt, Bristol Ensemble conductor: Will Dawes.

Tickets £18 to £24 and £8 unreserved. Tel: 01225-463362.

Planning ahead BATH YOUNG MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR 2015 Tuesday 3 November 3, 7.30pm n The Pump Roomm, Bath Now in its 28th year, this competition features five young local musicians, all high achievers in the Mid-Somerset Festival. This year’s contestants are: Fiona Boddington (flute),

BATH BACH CHOIR: LUX AETERNA Saturday November 7, 7.30pm Bath Abbey 7.30pm The programme features: John Rutter Requiem; Karl Jenkins Motets; Eric Whitacre When David Heard; James MacMillan Lux Aeterna and Ralph Vaughan Williams Valiant for Truth.

Conductor: Nigel Perrin. Tickets: £8 – £25, tel: 01225 463362, visit: bathboxoffice.org.uk SIMON WESTON 19 November, 7.30pm n Roper Theatre, Hayesfield Girls School, Bath Welsh Guardsman Simon Weston overcame serious burns sustained on an attack on a troop carrier during the Falklands War and has dedicated his life to charitable work with veteran’s groups and young people’s organisations. He became the subject of TV documentaries, a successful author, businessman and public speaker. Hear his story and his subsequent triumph over adversity.

Tickets £15, Park Pets, 01225-316509, Beau Nash Antiques, 07891 868410. n

Looking to have your event listed? You can now submit your What’s On events on our website. Visit: thebathmag.co.uk

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MAKE A DATE TO DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF OPALS Nicholas Wylde, Bath’s leading jewellery designer, is hosting a number of special Opal events in October at his Bath showroom

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esigned to be entertaining as well as educational, these special, free events will see a veritable abundance of stunning opals on display. You’ll probably never again see so many beautiful opals gathered together in one place and all available for purchase, along with talks on their wonders and history. Nicholas Wylde will be offering suggestions of cleaning and caring for your own precious stones, and would like to encourage you to bring along for free verbal valuations.

The dates are October 13th & 14th in Bath and October 15th & 16th in Bristol. There will be two events organised each day – an afternoon one that runs from 3pm to 5pm and an early evening one from 7pm to 9pm.

These free events offer the chance to ask questions, see opal cleaning and polishing demonstrations and learn about the wonders of opals. During the day events, attendees can enjoy complimentary homemade cake and tea and for the evening events, canapés and a glass of bubbly will be served.

Nicholas Wylde is the South West’s leading jewellery designer, creating beautiful bespoke jewellery in his unique and visionary manner. He is one of the few jewellers in the world to have a registered, patented diamond (The Wylde Flower Diamond, containing more cut facets than any other brilliant cut diamond), and Nicholas continues to explore new frontiers in designer-led jewellery – all crafted with skill and love.

To attend one of these unique and special events, please book your place by calling the Bath showroom on 01225 462826 or by emailing: bath@nicholaswylde.com Nicholas Wylde, Goldsmith & Jeweller, 12 Northumberland Place, Bath BA1 5AR n

BRILLIANT STONES: Opal is one of the world's most beautiful and precious gemstones, predominantly found in Australia. Above, from left: Black, Yowah Nut, and Fire Opal

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CITY | OF | FESTIVALS

FESTIVAL SILVER ANNIVERSARY Actor Simon Callow and storyteller Michael Morpurgo join some international music stars for next month’s Mozart Festival

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n our year-round City of Festivals, November is always a high point for classical music lovers. The annual Bath Mozartfest, which runs from Friday 13 to Saturday 21 November, consistently attracts a raft of big-name musicians and this year, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary, artistic director Amelia Freedman has excelled herself.

The Mozartfest will open on Friday 13 November with the Nash Ensemble that Amelia founded 51 years ago, The Nash. They will open the festival with the music of Mozart, although don’t be fooled by its title, this nine-day, 17-event ‘fest’ ranges far beyond the works of Wolfgang Amadeus. Although Mozart does sit firmly at the heart of the festival, and this year there are two events dedicated to his life and work, there are also several Mozart-free concerts.

Amelia’s much acclaimed programming focusses on those who influenced Mozart and those who followed him and took inspiration from his work. The choir and instrumental ensemble The Sixteen will present a programme of glorious early church music in Bath Abbey, all written by Claudio Monteverdi who lived almost 200 years before our titular hero.

The hot-ticket concert is undoubtedly Sir András Schiff, the Hungarian-born pianist whose star shines very brightly in the musical firmament. He brings to Bath his project to perform the last sonatas of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert in major European and American cities. This concert will be followed by a gala dinner to celebrate the quarter century anniversary of Bath Mozartfest.

This is no modest achievement for a festival which was created as a result of a charitable bequest, and which has had to survive some very choppy financial waters and to exist with virtually no public funding.

The festival came into being in 1991 as a result of a generous bequest by Mrs Mary Purnell, who wanted to create a music festival in memory of her late son, Mark, dedicated to the composer whose work he loved in the city that they both adored. Sadly, she died before this came to fruition but the trustees of the AM Purnell Charitable Trust carried out her wishes and 25 years ago the great violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, opened the first Bath Mozartfest.

In due course, Amelia Freedman followed in his footsteps as artistic director, a role she has now occupied for more than 20 years. With a very small team, and just three outstanding chairmen – the late Michael Kaye, Sir 42 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Martin Smith and now Sir David Bell – the festival is today strong and thriving.

But, back to the music. Paul Meyer, clarinet soloist with the English Chamber Orchestra on Tuesday 17 November, appeared in the first Bath Mozartfest and is delighted to be here again in this landmark year, playing Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto.

Yehudi Menuhin may be long gone but this year’s programme features no fewer than three of the finest contemporary violinists. And they are all female: Nicola Benedetti, who will give an 11am ‘coffee concert’ with her new Benedetti Elschenbroich Grynyuk Trio on Saturday 14 November; Tasmin Little, who will appear with pianist John Lenehan on Monday 16 November at 7.30pm at the Guildhall; and Alina Ibragimova who is the soloist in the closing concert on Saturday 21 November at The Forum with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vassily Sinaisky.

The mezzo-soprano, Sarah Connolly, who opera buffs will know from her roles at ENO, Covent Garden and Glyndebourne, not to mention the Last Night of the Proms, embraces the more intimate setting of the concert stage with her performance.

Chamber music is always the cornerstone of this festival, and highlights this year include the fine

SPECIAL GUESTS: main picture, Michael Morpurgo’s The Mozart Question will be narrated by the author Right, violinist Nicola Bendetti and actor Simon Callow, who will both be gracing Bath with their presence in November

Jerusalem Quartet and the Belcea Quartet, both giving an evening and a lunchtime concert. One hour, 1pm, weekday concerts offer a treat for city workers, and there are those two ‘extraordinary’ Mozart-themed items: a famous film and a moving Sunday afternoon event for all the family.

Miloš Forman’s 1984 film Amadeus, with screenplay by Peter Shaffer and music conducted by Sir Neville Marriner, is being screened at 2.15pm on Friday 20 November at the Little Theatre, introduced by Simon Callow, who created the role of Mozart in the original National Theatre production.

On Sunday 15 November at 3pm at the Guildhall Michael Morpurgo will narrate his work The Mozart Question.

This deeply moving story of a great musician looking back on a life in music over-shadowed by the tragedy of the Holocaust, is told in words and music.

Morpurgo is accompanied by actress Alison Reid, violinist Jack Liebeck and The Storyteller’s Ensemble. Suitable for older children and adults, this enthralling story leaves a lasting impression.

So, this Mozartfest has much to appeal to its legions of local fans as well as those who come to our city specifically for it. Demand for tickets is hot. Visit Bath box office: bathmozartfest.org.uk or call: 01225 463362. Tickets from £10 to £45. n

Shannon.fp.qxp_Layout 1 22/09/2015 09:56 Page 1

CHOOSE YOUR FAVOURITE WEGNER CHAIR

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Carl Hansen & Son presents a unique and special promotion.

Offer applies to any chairs or stools designed by Hans J Wegner and you can mix and match. 6 for 5 Offer runs until 10th December.

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Contemporary interior furniture and lighting from Carl Hansen and Son, Fritz Hansen and Swedese. Homewares from Marimekko, Iittala and Arabia with fabrics, and throws from Finland and Sweden.

68 Walcot Street Bath BA1 5BD 01225 424222 www.shannon-uk.com

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INTERIORS | TECHNOLOGY

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INTERIORS | TECHNOLOGY

LIVE. LIKE NO ONE ELSE

BeoLink Multiroom unites your Bang & Olufsen products into one liberating wireless system, allowing you to play different music in different rooms or let one tune flow throughout your home. Just touch your Bang & Olufsen product to instantly join the music stream, or control the experience from your mobile phone.

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f you are looking to stream music throughout your house then there are plenty of multi-room audio systems on the market to choose from, but what if you want stylish design and have an unashamed appreciation for high-end products. Then Bang & Olufsen ticks all the boxes.

Bang & Olufsen, one of the worlds most coveted super brands from Denmark has launched a clever platform that simply connects your new and classic Bang & Olufsen products wirelessly to allow you to let the music flow throughout your house, it’s called Beolink Multiroom; it’s pure genius, and blissfully good.

Operating the BeoLink Multiroom is as easy as turning on and off the lights. When your music is playing you just touch any of your Bang & Olufsen products to link it in to the Multiroom experience – in any part of your home. There’s no need to fumble around to find your smartphone or even the remote control. It is a simple and intuitive sensation, you are just tapping into the stream of music.

Naturally, your Bang & Olufsen TV can also join the multiroom set up through your BeoRemote One or if you do want to have control on your smartphone the new BeoMusic App (available for iPhone, iPad or Android), which offers an intuitive and transparent overview of the system. With the BeoRemote One or the BeoMusic App you can easily link or unlink rooms – and when leaving your home, you put all devices on stand-by with a quick and easy one-touch gesture.

At the centre of the BeoLink Multiroom set-up is Bang & Olufsen’s super intelligent music system: the BeoSound Moment, this ultra clever device is not only the coolest looking gadget to have in your home but it’s intuitive and rather spookily understands and adapts your listening patterns and will select music for you that fits with the relevant time of day. So, when you wake in the morning, a single tap on the touchsensitive oak panel of the BeoSound Moment will initiate your favourite daybreak music. It is at the hub of your multiroom experience, but will also be a valuable assistant and concierge to expand your music tastes.

To add more rooms to your experience, simply touch to join. In the living room you might tap the BeoPlay A9 speaker to join the Multiroom experience, and in your kitchen you maybe click the wallmounted BeoSound Essence to let the music flow from the source. You can also include your Bang & Olufsen television as speaker or sound source in your BeoLink Multiroom experience. The BeoLink Multiroom will even breathe new life into your classic Bang & Olufsen gear. With the BeoLink converter you can connect all-time favourites, such as the iconic BeoSound 9000 or your ‘old-school’ turntable BeoGram 4000, to be included in your Multiroom stream.

All BeoLink Multiroom products remain up-to-date through software updates that provide new features and functions in order to secure the lasting value and longevity of your Bang & Olufsen set-up.

As Marie Kristine Schmidt, Vice President of brand, design & marketing at Bang & Olufsen, said at the August launch of BeoLink Multiroom in Copenhagen “Bang & Olufsen products are not commodities that you buy and throw away. With BeoLink Multiroom we emphasize our commitment to our customers by creating a set-up that allows you to unite new and classical products via state-of-the art wireless technology,” n For more details on the Beolink Multiroom visit the Bath showroom which re-opens 1 October.

Bang & Olufsen of Bath. 3 Fountain Buildings, Lansdown Road, Bath, BA1 5DU. Tel: 01225 445211.

Opposite page, main pic: Combine new and classic B&O devices with the Beolink Multiroom experience. Left: the BeoSound Moment, displaying a colourful and intuitive mood wheel of music. Right: BeoSound Essence, a discreet circular system controller.

This page, from top: Touch the BeoPlay A9 wireless speaker to link it to let the music flow.

Middle: The BeoSound Moment displaying the multiroom setup. Right: The BeoMusic App.

Also Bang & Olufsen Bristol, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol BS10 7TU. Tel: 0117 950 8442 www.bang-olufsen.com WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

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CITY | ART

A SENSE OF PLACE West country artist Kurt Jackson invited fellow artists, writers, scientists and academics to help him prepare for a a shared exhibition which celebrates the British landscape. It opens at the Victoria Art Gallery this month

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sense of place has always been important to British artist Kurt Jackson, who is known for his visual poems in praise of the landscape.

His relationship with the environment is one he shares with many, past and present and that has its roots deep in the national psyche.

You’ve only got to mention Hardy’s Dorset, Constable’s Suffolk or Ravilious and the South Downs to conjure up an image in your head.

And so Jackson turned to others to share their own vision of the world around them. He invited 32 contributors, including the writers Robert Macfarlane, Helen Dunmore and Richard Mabey, Glastonbury Festival founder and farmer Michael Eavis, scientists and poets to write a personal transcript of a place they felt a connection to. The results form the exhibition, Place, which comes to Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery this month as part of its national tour.

The south west features heavily in the exhibition and a book, also called Place, has been published for people to enjoy at home.

Each writer was asked to contribute text about their favourite location.

Jackson then visited each place – including Worthy Farm, the home of Glastonbury Festival, Bristol docks and Bath, as well as islands, mountains, Spaghetti Junction, suburbs, beaches, Paddington Station and a Welsh estuary – to create works for the show.

The exhibition will feature each writer’s text alongside Jackson’s response to their chosen location.

Kurt Jackson said: “Over the last 30 years as my working practice has evolved, I have become more and more conscious that I need a reason for visiting a location for my work to happen there. For this project, I turned my normal methods upside down and looked for a way to relinquish control and to funnel new sources into my working practice.

“I decided to ask other people for their own choice of a preferred location, with them choosing where to ‘send’ me to make work at their own personal place within Britain.”

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SOUTH WEST: main picture, Sweet Reggae Music, in the crowds at the Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Right, painted from above Bathampton Wood looking down to Bathford Left, the artist at rest

produced some vivid and engaging works from his time among the crowds.

He has invited Michael Eavis to formally open the show in Bath at the council owned gallery. He has also created some small pieces for the Bath exhibition which will be sold, with money going to Greenpeace.

Jackson is a Dorset born artist with a degree from Oxford University in zoology. On graduation he travelled widely, painting as he went. He travelled in the Arctic alone and hitched across Africa with his wife Caroline. In 1984

they moved to Cornwall, where they still live and work. Visitors to St Just in Cornwall can see his work at the Jackson Foundation Gallery.

Like Bath’s own Pete ‘the Street’ Brown, Jackson enjoys working on location in the open air. He works with paint, mixed media, sculpture, printmaking and film.

This will be the third exhibition for Jackson at the Victoria Art Gallery in a decade. His pieces will fill the main gallery and the small gallery on the ground floor.

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CITY | ART

VIVID: details from Jackson’s works, So Many Orchids, Rodrigo and Gabriela at Glastonbury and Spring, Wytham Oak and Glasto Tent City

FACT FILE The council owned Victoria Art Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, Sunday 1.30 – 5pm, closed Mondays. Tel: 01225 477233; visit: victoriagal.org.uk l Talk by Kurt Jackson on Saturday 10 October, 11.30-12.30. Free to Discovery Card and ticket holders l In: Visible Place. Australian artist Merilyn Faireskye will be in conversation with Anita Taylor, Dean of Bath School of Art and Design on Saturday 31 October, 5.30pm (tickets £6/£5 concs.)

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

l Kurt Jackson will give a talk at King Edward’s School on Thursday 8 October at 6.30pm, which is open to non-parents. This will coincide with the school’s own New Horizons Art and Photography Exhibition by senior students. This is at The Wessex Building, King Edward’s School, North Road, Bath BA2 6HU. Tickets: £6, £4 concessions, available from King Edward’s school reception, North Road. Tel 01225 464313

Place is at the Victoria Art Gallery, Bath, from Saturday 10 October to 3 January 2016. Admission: £3.50, free to under 21s and Discovery Card holders.

For further information: kesbath.com/ kurtjackson.com. ■

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

CELEBRATING MIXED MEDIA Ceramics, lino prints, sculpture and oils are among the media explored by artists in October’s selection of art on show in Bath

BATH CONTEMPORARY 35 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT Email: gallery@bathcontemporary.com Visit: bathcontemporary.com Tel: 01225 461230 Opening times: 10am – 5pm, Mon – Sat PURE PIGMENT 2 – 31 October Celebrating the life and work of the late Mark Leach. Since his untimely death in 2008 Leach'’s work has become increasingly precious and is sought after by private collectors worldwide. He was a leading figure in the world of contemporary pastel painting, with many prizes and publications to his name (notably Raw Colour with Pastels, Batsford Ltd 2006 and reprinted in 2009). Bath Contemporary is extremely privileged to be working alongside the Leach estate to bring his work into the public eye once again. Pure Pigment will be supported by Pastel Society members Sarah Bee, Jeannette Hayes, Felicity House and Past President Moira Huntly.

Canal de Midi by Mark Leach BATH ROYAL LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION 16 Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN Visit: brlsi.org or johnrobbinsfineart.com Tel: 01225 723467 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY WATERCOLOURS AND PAINTINGS Saturday 10 – Saturday 17 October, 10am – 4pm, closed Sunday This exhibition offers a wide range of styles and genres, ranging from early Victorian to contemporary.

In the last few years the popularity of the Victorian watercolour has declined but, the quality of the work is still there, consequently they now represent very good value.

There are many good examples of landscapes and figurative works capturing the essence of a bygone age. The modern work covers a variety of subjects in watercolour, oil and acrylic and includes examples of very competent commercial art.

There are works on view by more than 60 well recorded artists at prices from £25 to £1,0000 with subjects as diverse as Camels in Cairo by a 19th century French artist and Jazz Musicians by a contemporary British artist. Admission to the exhibition is free.

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ADAM GALLERY John Street, Bath BA1 2JL Tel: 01225 480406 Open Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 5.30pm DAN PARRY-JONES: LIFESEEN 24 October - 13 November Bristol artist Dan Parry-Jones’ vivid and nostalgic mixed media landscapes have attracted a worldwide fan base. As well as his signature theme of coastal scenes with children playing, the exhibition demonstrates a recent shift in subject matter and style to grittier, more anoramic, urban landscapes – both busy and desolate in feel, inspired by his travels and his home city of Bristol. He combines painting, screen-printing, photography and collage, an approach that has evolved from a background in illustration and graphic design.

SILVERSIDES GALLERY 1 Beaufort Place, Larkhall, Bath LARA DUNCAN: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS Friday 25 September – Saturday 10 October 10am – 5pm Mon to Sat, 11am – 4pm Sundays

Fairground byDan Parry-Jones

Lara Duncan is acclaimed in contemporary glass for her drop vessels. These are not blown, but a technically different process which takes several days to complete, during which the glass is manipulated inside a kiln using heat and gravity.

As an art form, the drop vessel has become an exciting and popular new dimension in contemporary glass, with several featuring in the International Festival of Glass this year, and winning prizes. Lara will be bringing 24 of her vessels to Bath from her studio in Hampshire.

This will be the largest number of drop vessels on display by Lara at any one time. (Or indeed perhaps by any single British Contemporary Glass Artist in one show). She will be bringing a selection of other art pieces including a small collection inspired by Buddha plus some of her kiln formed glass pendants.

Her art pieces and drop vessels are priced between £150 and £350.

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ART | EXHIBITIONS HOLBURNE MUSEUM Great Pulteney Street, Bath Tel: 01225 388569 Daily, 10am – 5pm (11am Sundays)

Watching Mad Men by Anita Klein THE PRINCE’S TRUST CHARITY ART AUCTION AND DINNER The Assembly Rooms, Bath Thursday 8 October Fifty pieces of art have been donated for this charity auction by some of the most talented contemporary artists in the UK. One of these pieces is Watching Mad Men by Anita Klein.

She is among Britain’s best loved painters and printmakers. Anita’s work celebrates the small domestic moments we all share. Her prints and paintings have been exhibited in the UK, Europe, the USA and Australia. In 2003 she was elected president of the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers. For the full catalogue visit: eveningofartauction.com.

The black tie dinner will be hosted by sponsors Coutts & Co, Withy King, Reside Bath and guest auctioneer BBC TV presenter, Paul Martin. Tickets: £1,500 for a table of 10 and £150 per person. This includes the drinks reception, three-course dinner and half a bottle of wine per person. For more information, email; Katherine.morgan@princes-trust.org.uk.

NAHOKO KOJIMA: HONEY BEE Saturday 24 October – Sunday 24 January Japanese paper cut artist Nahoko Kojima creates spectacular intricate sculptures from single sheets of paper cut by hand. Previous work includes Cloud Leopard, selected by the Crafts Council to be shown at the Saatchi Gallery in 2012, and a life-size polar bear, which she cut from a single sheet of paper.

Photograph of the artist by Solo Kojima London

Nahoko Kojima will create a new work for the Holburne to be displayed in the Wirth Gallery. The Holburne’s collection includes a number

UNIVERSITY OF BATH Galleries 1, The Edge, University of Bath, Claverton Down BA2 7AY Free admission, all welcome

The Gain Line by Ravi Deepres QUERCUS 1 Queen Street, Bath BA1 1HE Tel: 01225 428211. Visit: quercusgallery.co.uk Tues – Sat, 10.30am – 5.30pm (Sunday 4, open 11am – 4pm SUSAN LAUGHTON: TRAVELLING LIGHT 3 – 31 October Susan Laughton is a contemporary landscape painter based in Cheshire and this is her first solo show in Bath.

The landscape has always been Susan’s starting point, not as a picturesque or static view but as a space travelled through and experienced, often on the edges of the urban and the rural.

These beautiful new paintings reveal Susan exploring her particular take on the landscape further. She skilfully captures the times of day where the light appears to be travelling in or out like a tide, preserving something of this transience in the ethereal glow of her gently abstracted paintings.

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of important pieces of historical paper cut works including a bear cut by Mary West in about 1709. Free admission.

RAVI DEEPRES: THE GAIN LINE Until 19 December, Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm A moving-image installation by Ravi Deepres, commissioned to coincide with the Rugby World Cup. Beneath the high-impact challenges that take place along this notional frontline, there is another ‘gain line’ players and coaches aspire to reach – one that parallels the rush of competing players with a swarm of chaotic, sometimes conflicting data, captured by a new generation of sensors that players wear in training, and in matches.

GALLERY NINE 8 - 9 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath Open: 10am – 5.30pm Tuesday to Saturday

CASTLE GALLERY 13 Old Bond Street, Bath DANIEL LANE/MECHANICA 24 – 31 October Mechanica is a mixed media artist. His sculptures unite elements of nature, religious iconography, small sculptures and industrial components to create intricate work. The work is a dark yet beautifully elegant take on natural forms by mechanical intervention.The artist will be at the opening day from 12pm to 4pm.

Royal Crescent (detail from) by Clare Caulfield CLARE CAULFIELD AND PAUL PHILP Throughout October Gallery Nine presents new illustrative prints by Clare Caulfield and hand built ceramics from Paul Philp. Through variation of surface colour and treatment, each one of Paul’s vessels are unique, while Clare’s love of drawing and use of line lend themselves perfectly to her work as a printmaker.

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Andrew McNeile ‘In the Quiet of the Day’ (£1950) 26” x 34” (framed)

nick cudworth gallery

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 artgallery.co.uk

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art_gallery_uk

Member Gallery

Prospects from Portland Place – Oil on canvas and Signed Prints

TIME FRAMES 1 – 31 October

An exhibition of paintings exploring the passage of time over Bath’s notable architectural features combining black and white monochrome with full colour oil painting to show these developments

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

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ART | EXHIBITIONS

NICK CUDWORTH GALLERY London St, top of Walcot Street, Bath.

Closed on Mondays Tel: 01225 445221, visit: nickcudworth.com TIME FRAMES Throughout October Exploring the passage of time over Bath’s notable architectural features combining monochrome with full colour to show these developments.

Hare lino print by Hilke MacIntyre Windows on Larkhall by Nick Cudworth

DAVID SIMON CONTEMPORARY 3 – 4 Bartlett Street, Bath BA1 2QZ Tel: 01225 460189 Visit: davidsimoncontemporary.com Mon – Sat 10am – 6pm, Sunday afternoons LOST HORIZONS 10 October – 7 November The paintings of Julia Cooper convey a sense of working from memories of a place but also memories and observations of objects and materials such as the worn layers of paint on the hull of a fishing boat, or the weather-battered stonework of a harbour wall. Her paintings are built up through many layers of paint, oil stick and charcoal, and like the surfaces of the harbour walls and the cliff edges, these are often partially scraped back to reveal a history. The enjoyment of the materials that she uses and the simple profundity of mark-making is as important as the subject of each painting – the technique is the content.Jane Wheeler’s ceramics

Squall by Julia Cooper reflect the same ideas of age and history through the building of layers in her distinctive technique. Through the development of each vessel, Jane adds a combination of coarse grog, slips, oxide and chun glazes to the slab-built structures, exploring surface textures and a history to each piece.

ROSTRA GALLERY George Street, Bath THE AUTUMN COLLECTION 3 October – 9 November From golden fields to fallen leaves The Autumn Collection takes a look at the beauty of the outside world and how each artist responds to this time of year. Graham Carter’s new screen prints offer a quirky look at the animals of the world whether it’s the mighty silverback gorilla or the birds and bugs closer to home. Hilke MacIntyre’s lino prints and ceramics have a sense of charm and nostalgia, capturing moments at home, in the garden or on holiday. Jane Walker’s lino prints are bold and colourful, her inspiration comes from everyday objects and the patterns they create when placed together. Suzanne Breakwell transforms wire and paper mache into delicate sculptures celebrating her love of the natural world, from blue tits to barn owls.

Tracey Benton’s sculptures feature Britain’s favourite mammals using needle felting and ceramics.

44AD GALLERY Abbey Street, Bath, open daily 10am – 6pm, 10am – 4pm, Sundays

Ship of Fools by David Turvey

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PRINTS AND CERAMICS 13 – 18 October David Turvey Prints presents an exhibition featuring Harry Brockway, Marcelle Hanselaar, John Duffin and Michael Kirkman, with ceramics by Charlotte Grinling. Harry Brockway’s wood engravings are distinguished by their outstanding representation of the human form. This is notable in the many commissions he has done for publishers such as the Folio Society, as well as his independent work. The exhibition also includes images from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, Coleridge’s The Ancient Mariner, Christabel and Kubla Khan.

Marcelle Hanselaar’s etchings display her delight and fascination with theatrical illusions, and although often peppered with a biting sense of humour, the works reveals her understanding of human nature. Ceramics by Charlotte Grinling are objects of beauty as well as being of practical use in a domestic setting, while comfortably fitting in with virtually any interior.

There will be rare early etchings by John Duffin and new work by Michael Kirkman. His pieces, often theatrical and enigmatic are complex and innovative linocuts and his monoprints have been popular at previous shows.

The sweet susurration of incoming sea

by Emma Rose EMMA ROSE Upstairs at The Bath Sofa and Curtain Shop, 78 Walcot Street, Bath Mon – Sat, 10am – 5pm Tel: 01224 424424 Visit: emmaroseartworks.com AUTUMN . . . THE YEAR’S LAST, LOVELIEST SMILE Throughout October Landscape paintings by Emma Rose reflecting the season’s shift. Summer brights fading into the autumnal shades are represented with enticing new work.

Limited edition prints, framed and unframed available as well as original artworks.

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ART EXHIBITION Watercolours and paintings ranging from Victorian to Contemporary

THEBATHMAGAZINE THEBESTOFBATH PERFECTLYCOVERED BATHSBIGGESTMAGAZINE PERFECTLYDELIVERED TOADVERTISETEL: 01225 424499

BATH ROYAL LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION 16 Queen Square Bath BA1 2HN www.brlsi.org Open from 10th to 17th October 10am to 4pm. Closed Sunday johnrobbinsfineart.com tel/fax 01225 723467 mob 07790 690495 email: robbinsjohna@gmail.com

Save the Date: Monday 26th October (From 10 am to 4 pm) Why? Official Opening of Where? Chapel Court, St John’s Hospital, BA1 1SQ

is a new community facility, right at the heart of Bath, within St John's Hospital city centre complex.

It’s designed to welcome anyone 55+, to try out something new for the first time, take part in a whole range of social and health related activities or go to the advice sessions on offer. St John’s Almshouse Residents can also enjoy everything that’s available as well. is aimed at bringing people together, to lessen their sense of isolation and loneliness, to empower them to lead an independent and fulfilled life, in their latter years.

Come along and find out what is going on in and events for the over 55s.

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

: it’s bursting with advice, activities

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THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Historian Catherine Pitt goes backstage at the old Orchard Street Theatre – Bath’s original Theatre Royal

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idden down a back street of Bath there stands an unassuming building. An incongruous bronze wall plaque is the only clue to the secrets that lie beyond. Here, behind the pedimented doorway, in what is today a Freemason’s Lodge, lies Bath’s original Theatre Royal – the Orchard Street Theatre.

This is the 18th century theatre that Jane Austen and Thomas Gainsborough knew; the theatre where William Herschel conducted. This is where great actors and actresses like Sarah Siddons and John Henderson began their careers; and where they performed the plays of local luminaries such as Richard Sheridan and Hannah More.

For travelling performers who came to Bath in the early 1700s, they had to make do with local hostelries, inns or hire rooms to put on their productions.

A number of temporary theatres were eventually set up, including one where The Royal Mineral Water Hospital stands today, and one within the Lower Assembly Rooms on the Grand Parade.

However, Bath had yet to match the expectations or requirements of the ever growing number of visitors from London Society.

In 1747 an actor, John Hippesley broached the subject of a permanent theatre for Bath. On the edge of ‘The Ham’, the river Avon’s flood plain, but near to John Wood’s new Grand Parade, it was decided that Orchard Street was a perfect central location to build.

The plan was set out: “Sixty feet long and forty feet broad: it was to front Westward to Orchard Street” The theatre’s design is attributed to the architect Thomas Jelly, and was completed by local builder Henry Fisher.

It was also quite usual to have seating on the stage . . .but the actors did have to put up with theatregoers talking across them or walking on stage midperformance

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Its cost was over £1,000, with much of the money raised through investment.

Those who invested included John Wood himself, and the Master of Ceremonies for Bath, Richard ‘Beau’ Nash. For £50 one received 20 shares in the theatre and a Silver Ticket. This ticket admitted the investor to all performances except benefit nights, and delivered a modest dividend per annum.

Hippesley was not to live to see his idea come to fruition, but the project was completed under the management of John Palmer, a local brewer and chandler. Bath’s first purpose built theatre opened its doors to the public on 27 October 1750 with a performance of Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part II. The first few years of the theatre’s life were not without trouble. It had to vie for audiences with the Lower Assembly Rooms, then under the management of a Mr Simpson. After six years of struggle, it was the Orchard Street Theatre that won out, assisted partly by Beau Nash’s influence in swinging society’s favour towards Orchard Street. In 1756 Palmer bought Simpson’s theatrical “rights” for £600, and thenceforth enjoyed total

monopoly in Bath.

Palmer ran the theatre with his son, John Palmer Junior. It was Palmer Junior who secured the theatre’s fortunes, for in 1768 his petition for a Royal Licence to perform plays was accepted. The Orchard Street Theatre became the first outside of London to be named a Theatre Royal. Bath was no longer just a “nursery stage” for London’s Drury Lane and Covent Garden theatres. By the end of the 18th century a season performing at Orchard Street was seen as essential for any London actor.

Palmer Junior ran the Orchard Street theatre in tandem with the King Street

THE CRUSH HOUR: main picture, ‘coming out of a country theatre’ a print from the archive library of BathinTime.co.uk (Twitter @bathintime) Inset, actor David Garrick as Gloucester in Richard III, from the Somerset Maughan Collection, held at the Holburne Museum

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Theatre in Bristol (now the Bristol Old Vic). To enable his acting troop and their luggage to travel swiftly between the theatres Palmer created two extralong coaches, known as caterpillars, for their use. These fast coaches were duly noted by the Mail coach services which at the time were much slower; so much so that by the 1780’s Palmer Junior was in the employ of the Royal Mail. By 1785 the theatre was in the hands of William Keasberry and a local actor, William Wyatt Dimon, who oversaw its final years.

Daniel Defoe wrote: “The Playhouse here (in Bath) is elegant and commodious and retains a company of comedians very little inferior to those which I have seen in London.”

Today when you enter the Orchard Street Theatre you are met with an entrance lobby, which was added during 1774 improvements. The earlier original doors to the theatre still remain, though within the building rather than outside. From the lobby you walk into another 1774 extension – the Crush Bar. Aptly named, for this was where almost 1,000 theatregoers could mingle and obtain refreshments.

Going to the theatre in the 18th century was a different experience to the one we enjoy today. No sitting in reverent silence. In the 1700s a theatre was a place to see and be seen. There was no lowlevel lighting; both the stage and audience were brightly lit by hundreds of tallow fat candles. It was also quite usual to have seating upon the stage. These were the best seats in the house, but the actors did have to put up with theatregoers talking across them or walking on stage mid-performance.

An evening at the Orchard Street Theatre would have also been much more intimate in feel than today. In the Pit the upper classes would mingle with courtesans, jeering at the actors, or flirting and gossiping with each other. Boxes were the privilege of the ladies of class and the aristocracy, but high above them would have been the galleries, where WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

STANDING ROOM: above, a packed house at the Theatre Royal and right, the same columns can be seen today in what is now the Freemasons’ Lodge Below, the renowned actress Sarah Siddons and the exterior of the theatre as it looked in the 1800s Archive pictures from: Bathintime.co.uk

the middling classes were crammed, observing all going on below.

Theatre performances in Bath during the Season (November to June) started at 6pm sharp, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets went on sale around 3pm, and in 1750 cost 3 shillings for a box, 2 shillings for the pit, and admittance to the first and upper galleries cost 18 pence and a shilling respectively. Those that could afford to sent servants to reserve their seat.

The plays chosen for 18th century theatre would have certainly differed from what we watch today.

Although Shakespeare was incredibly popular, it was not unusual to adapt and rehash his works. Melodramas were also very popular especially it seems by contemporary accounts in Bath.

Often the main play was followed by a small vignette, farce or variety, musical and dance acts. Bath once enjoyed the delights of ‘Signor Rossignoi and his bird imitations’, ‘Moses Kean, a one legged entertainer’ and the rather mysterious sounding, Phantasmagoria.

The style of acting was also vastly different. The set of columns that dominate the Orchard Street stage appear to block audiences’ views, but when you

consider that in the 18th century the emphasis in acting was more on the spoken word, while movements were restrained, these columns do not seem so out of place.

Walking into the auditorium at Orchard Street today it is hard to imagine the crowds, smells and noise 265 years ago. Yet, look closer and there are echoes of the past everywhere.

Around the walls there are the ghostly imprints of the boxes and galleries.

Behind the stage are the original scenery hangings, and to the left of the stage there is an extant Georgian box, the original key still poised to turn the lock.

As the population of Bath grew, and the city began to expand north-west towards The Royal Crescent, the Orchard Street theatre began to struggle.

It couldn’t expand to accommodate the growing audiences and by 1800 its location was considered unfashionable.

On 13 July 1805 the curtain fell for the final time. The New Theatre Royal in Beaufort Street opened its doors in October the same year.

Over time the old theatre was partly dismantled; firstly to accommodate a Catholic Church and then a Freemason’s Lodge. Yet the footprint of Bath’s first purpose built theatre remains today, a hidden treasure of the city, but one that you can explore and enjoy.

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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

Lynne Roche Doll maker

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came to Bath with my husband Michael in 1979. Initially we were looking for a place in the countryside but in those days rural houses were more expensive than town houses so we found a place on the London Road.

I had graduated from Camberwell Art school where I studied painting and Michael was a furniture restorer. We opened a shop in Walcot Street in 1980 called The China Doll from which we sold antique and collectable dolls. These were often German or French dolls and (when we could get them!) from the two famous French manufacturers Jumeau and Bru who made exquisite porcelain dolls.

The English had never really made porcelain dolls, but in earlier times they did make fabulous wooden and then wax dolls. We used to buy ‘cracked’ rare dolls in Paris and we could use these heads to make moulds of our own. There was a good market for these reproductions in the 80s. This then soon led to the making of our own dolls from scratch. Michael’s woodworking skills and my background in art and textiles allowed us to make and dress original articulated dolls that we sold worldwide.

We model the heads out of a soft flexible medium and then make moulds from which we make the porcelain heads. Michael makes the wooden bodies by hand. Each face is painted individually so each doll is totally unique. Their outfits and wigs are dressed in my own designs, often referring to the 50s classic styles.

We only make a few heads per year but each doll will have two or three outfits and typically sell in editions of 20. We also do special dolls, so this year, to celebrate 35 years, we are relaunching Lillian who played a big part in our 25th anniversary. We even went to Venice with her for a photoshoot!

We’re now based in Lansdown. We love being in Bath. It is one of the few cities to have such harmonious architecture (apart from a few sad exceptions). As well as its glorious history it is also a vibrant modern city with so much going on.

I now run the Bath Textile Summer School, which is in its third year. For 2016 specialists like Jenny Adin Christie, (Raised Embroidery) Nikki Wepener (Classic corsets), Becky Adams ((Concertina Fabric Books), Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn (Hidden Depths) share their expertise with enthusiasts from around the world. They teach a range of techniques from stump work (17th century raised embroidery), applique, silk painting and canvas work.

The events, which take place at the Holburne Museum and Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution in Queen Square, have proved enormously popular (we’re taking bookings for 2016 now!). It’s been a wonderfully exciting career and we are proud of the fact that our dolls can be found in The V and A Museum of Childhood, and in Paris at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs.

Somebody once asked the question whether our dolls could have been made in London. Probably not as there’s something about them that evokes the world of Jane Austen and the timeless classic character of the city where they were born!

Visit: roche-dolls.co.uk and find out more: bathtextilesummerschool.co.uk. n

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic.

Visit: capturethespirit.co.uk, tel: 01225 483151.

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THE WINE COLUMN Angela Mount, wine and food critic picks a handful of Australian jewels

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’m very lucky in my work; every day I learn something new. I know a fair bit about wine; but my so-called knowledge is constantly challenged and enhanced, as I explore and discover new regions, wines, grape varieties, and ways of making wine. But many of us who love wine, stick to the tried and tested, because we don’t want to make mistakes, don’t want to look foolish, and don’t dare wander out of our comfort zone.

Australia is a case in point. Over 25% of wine purchased in the UK is from Australia – but I’d wager my bottom Aussie dollar that a vast proportion of those sales are safe bets such as Shiraz, Chardonnay and maybe a bit of Sauvignon. So I’m hoping to encourage a sense of exploration with a little selection of less traditional styles of Aussie wine. Australian wine is no longer about brash, bold, shouty, oaky, fruit bomb wines (although there are still far too many culprits). There is elegance, there is poise, there is style. Here are some of my current favourites: Howard Park Mount Barker Riesling, Western Australia 2014 (GWW £14.95) The cooler regions of Australia, such as Clare Valley, and Western Australia (from which this wine hails) are producing some of the best Rieslings in the world. This one is simply glorious – piercingly clean and intense, with whistle-sharp freshness. Imagine scents of freshly zested lime, honeysuckle, lemon juice, and the freshest of herbs; taste the wine and there is an incredible purity of flavour, packed with vibrant, tangy citrus character – sassy, racy, bone dry and fresh. Perfect for smoked fish, Thai and southern Indian seafood dishes.

The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne, McLaren Vale 2013 (GWW £12.50) A worthy winner of an International Wine Challenge silver medal, this bold and exotic dry white, is a curvy, fleshy delight, full of ripe, bold, succulent peach and apricot fruit, with layers of scented lemon peel and grapefruit, yet with a refreshing, zesty tang on the finish. It’s a blend of two white grapes that form part of most white Rhone style wines, so there is a degree of similarity of style here, although from other ends of the world. It takes its name from the soil where the grapes grow, which is layered with the shells of hermit crabs and other marine life, from the days when the seas still lapped up over the McLaren Vale in South Australia. It works well with fruity tagines, roast pork and oriental dishes.

Heartland Dolcetto Lagrein, Langhorne Creek 2012 (GWW £13.50) Iconic wine maker Ben Glaetzer has indulged his love of Italian wines by planting two northern Italian grapes in the cool, European- like climate of the Limestone Coast in South Australia.

Heartland can now boast the largest plantings of the little-known Lagrein grape outside of its native Alto Adige region. The result of this pairing is inspired – a symphony of perfumed, voluptuous scents and flavours, with a beguiling softness and deftness of touch.

Ripe black cherry fruit, licorice, damsons, hints of violets, dark chocolate – with a twist of black pepper. Versatile, but spot on with savoury Italian flavours.

Howard Park Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 (GWW £15.95) Back to more familiar territory with this grape variety, but grown in the cooler climes of Western Australia. This wine is elegance in a glass. It’s not trying to be anything too serious, but is a perfect example of well crafted Cabernet – tasting like good Bordeaux should, but all too frequently doesn’t. It’s polished, elegant, and oozing class, yet with early-drinkability. I love the purity and intensity of the ripe, perfumed blackcurrant fruit, mingled with hints of mint, ground nutmeg, cedar and bitter chocolate. Look no further than a roast leg of lamb to do this wine justice.

Great Western Wine is offering up to 20% off Australian wines for the month of October. 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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THE QUEST OF A LIFETIME Melissa Blease talks to Helen Rich, founder of Rich Pickings and creator of more than 40 different pẩté and terrine recipes about her long obsession with authentic French dishes

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talents, she has plenty of tasty anecdotes to share.

“I’m proud to have grown up as part of a clan of foodies. My mum inspired me with her homemade bread, stocks, pies and cakes – she made sure I knew how to cook by the age of four.

“My dad is our wine and cheese wing man. On our many family holidays in France we sampled Beaujolais and Pinot Noir over a good local mountain cheese and discussed matches and provenance.

My aunt is a massive inspiration to me too – everything she makes is food gold, all about generosity and enjoyment.

“Unsurprisingly, my husband is also a total foodie. Discussion in our house is always food-related, our holidays, social and family life – all food-focused.”

In Helen’s world, good food is all about simplicity, quality ingredients and joie de vivre – she describes her idea of heaven as shopping in French markets and eating in a rustic auberge, preferably with the sound of live jazz floating on a soft breeze.

“British food has been through a renaissance in recent decades and is now exceptional, but I believe we can still look to France for inspiration, where the focus is on seasonal produce, local delicacies and respect for your ingredients,” she declares.

“Ever since I was little I’ve been obsessed with French pâté. My dad and I would go around the local butchers in French towns and try them all out together, but I was always gutted when we came home because supermarkets only stock what we call pâté Playdough in this country. So my pâtés are based on classic French incarnations, only

anglicised in terms of being gluten-free, with less liver and fat.

“I don’t use any filler – just meat, vegetables, fruit and copious alcohol!”

Of the 45+ different recipes that Helen uses to stock her stall with sumptuous scrumptiousness on a weekly basis, her own favourites are the wood pigeon, truffle and pancetta, or rabbit, Armagnac and three-nut terrines and her chicken liver and white port parfait. But really, it’d be pretty much impossible to find a Rich Pickings dish that you couldn’t become addicted to.

But as solid as her reputation and the busyness of her stall, Helen has development plans in the pipeline that further support and bolster her ethos as a champion of fellow local producers.

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TASTY TREATS: main picture, one of Rich Pickings’ terrines and opposite page, Helen Rich on her stall at Green Park Station, and far right, one of her French inspired chicken liver pâtés

Each bespoke hamper will be stocked with food and drink produced within a ten-mile radius of Bath city centre

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f you love your grub, spending a Saturday morning tasting your way round Bath Farmers’ Market in Green Park Station turns food shopping into a pleasurable treat. Established in 1997, it was the first of its kind in the UK, and today continues to thrive and develop at the heart of Bath’s local food scene.

At the centre of the action, the Rich Pickings pâté and terrine stall – overseen

by Bath-born Goddess of Good Taste Helen Rich – attracts hordes of established customers and foodies in search of tasty victuals for supper, dinner parties or just to munch while walking around the market every week, often selling out of stock before many of us have even woken up.

And Helen enjoys the Saturday morning buzz: “The customers at Bath Farmers’ Market are total legends! My regulars have become proper friends, really dear to my heart.”

“But the whole place is full of exceptional people, and produce to die for. Here you can buy the best cheese in the world, the largest selection of apple juice in the world – all kinds of everything good. Many folk still don’t realise that the market offers really good value too; I do my weekly shop there for less than £35 for two of us, and we eat like kings!”

Indeed – it’s wonderful to have one of our Food Heroes flying the flag for her fellow traders, let alone the gloriousness of the farmers’ market in general.

But for the purposes of this story, we’re putting the spotlight on Ms Rich herself – and once we pin her down to talking about her own indisputable

This month, Helen will use her former experience in retail to launch her own hamper company, Taste of Bath. Each bespoke hamper will be stocked with food and drink produced with a ten-mile radius of Bath city centre, packaged in a small, medium or large English handcrafted apple crate, available for purchase online and delivered anywhere on mainland UK. The research for the new service has been very thorough.

“I’ve been taste-testing prospective

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always remain core to my business strategy.

And when I’m running a multi-national hamper company, I’m still going to be serving at my stall in Bath Farmers’ Market on a Saturday morning!”

hamper ingredient suppliers for two years now and and have personally selected produce from the finest local suppliers so that local people, local businesses and tourists can have easy access to all of it,” Helen explains. But there’s far more to this new business than first meets the eye.

“As a food producer myself, I know how hard distribution can be. You just can’t be at every market, shop or deli flaunting your wares, and these days it can be difficult for customers to identify the authenticity of ‘locally produced’ claims. And anyway, not all customers have the time or money to go to each individual stockist; people want ease, and if they like certain

products they want to know where they can buy it again.

“My website offers links to my producers’ websites, telling my customers where and how each product was made, and who made it. So my new business will serve as a platform for local producers to shine, develop and promote themselves too. My retail experience showed me how important it is to cherish and value suppliers, which many big businesses totally fail to do.”

And when Helen says she’s taking on the Fat Cats, she’s thinking big. “When I expand my Taste of... hampers to other cities in the next few years, the ethos that I’ve outlined here will

PERFECT PÂTÉ, TERRIFIC TERRINES: HELEN’S TOP TIPS You don’t necessarily have to follow one recipe.

If you read a handful of recipes, you’ll see themes reccurring . . . then you can get creative, this is meant to be fun. I find I produce much better results when I go with my gut instinct – a pâté artist, if you like! l Blend all your salt, pepper, spices and fresh herbs/zests together in a spice/coffee blender – this gives real depth of flavour. l Marinate everything overnight: the chunks of meat in rapeseed oil and alcohol; the fruit fillings in booze. l Don’t rush it; my terrines take six days to come together. l Use a food processor to cut all the vegetables and herbs – this will speed up the process considerably but won’t affect the outcome. l For a really good finish, press for 48 hours – and trust me when I tell you that good things come to those who wait.

Helen Rich can be contacted, tel: 01225 683021 / 07813439572; web: www.tasteof.co.uk; Twitter @rich_pickings Bath Farmers' Market is at Green Park Station every Saturday from 9am-1.30pm; web: www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk / www.greenparkstation.com

The Michelin Guide Good Food Guide Hardens

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Titbits

■ Three of the city’s best known chefs are putting their talents behind the annual Souper November fund-raiser for vulnerable people by making soup for the launch party. The Genesis Soup Run, which nightly serves free hot soup on the streets of Bath, is celebrating 25 years of helping people. Chefs Robert Clayton, Rache Demuth and Chris Staines, above, will be kicking off Souper November at a party on 5 October. There’s still time to get involved in Souper November by signing up if you run a cafe, pub or restaurant, or making a note to eat soup at one of the supporting establishments giving a donation for each bowl of soup sold.

Visit: genesistrust.org.uk or email:events@genesistrust.org.uk.

■ A charity Halloween ball is being held at the historic Roman Baths and Pump Room, all in aid of Meningitis Now, the national charity based in Stroud. Organisers of Diamonds and Devils, on Saturday 31 October, have been busy dealing with enquiries for tickets for what promises to be a glamorous evening. The night begins with Champagne round the Roman Bath followed by dinner and entertainment, finishing with dancing. Tickets for this black tie event are £110 per person. To find out more contact: amanda@diamondsanddevils.co.uk.

■ Bath museum No 1 Royal Crescent is hosting an unusual talk on 17 October. Gail Tucker is a miniature food artist, who with her mother Aileen, runs Merry Gourmet Miniatures. The company researches and makes historically accurate dishes for dollshouses, all in the classic scale 1:12. Gail will talk about her art at No1 Royal Crescent museum (which currently has a historic dollshouse exhibition). Learn how to make dishes fit for a doll and create your own. Places are £15, tel: 01225 428126.

■ In recent years gin has shed its old-fashioned image and has been re-born as a trendy new spirit. Dave Broom’s new bok, Gin: The Manual, is a celebration of this most British of tipples.

Join him for a convivial evening of tasting and talking on Thursday 29 October, from 7.30pm at the Art bar in the Abbey Hotel, Bath, hosted

by Topping & Co. Tel: 01225 428111 for details and tickets.

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CHEF RETAINS CITY’S SOLE STAR

Bath’s foodies eagerly await the annual announcement of who’s been awarded a coveted Michelin star and this year they were delighted to see The Bath Priory’s executive chef Sam Moody retain his star for the fourth year running.

Sam, who joined the Brownsword owned Bath Priory in 2009, was awarded a Michelin star for the first time when he was just 28. He said: “We’re delighted to have retained our star – the Michelin guide is arguably the most prized of all accolades and to have held ours for over four years running is great.

ACCOLADE: Sam Moody I’m so proud of our team here at The Bath Priory – they are a young and ambitious bunch who work so hard and this is a

fantastic achievement.”

Sam will be hosting a unique lunch on 1 October at The Bath Priory as part of The Great Bath Feast, joined by fellow chefs from sister hotels across the Brownsword Hotels group. He is also an active member of the Chefs’ Forum and he works regularly with catering students.

There was some surprise in Bath that the city failed to gain another Michelin star, given its rich and diverse culinary scene, but Lucknam Park and Castle Combe Manor in Wiltshire both retained their stars.

HELLO, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME

Bath’s ever changing culinary landscape has seen several openings in recent weeks. The chain Burger and Lobster, which made its name in London by boldly serving a limited menu of burgers and fresh lobster, held a big opening party in the newly restored former Octagon chapel off Milsom Street.

Up at Bear Flat the iconic white polar bear has been retained on the roof of The Bear Hotel, which has been refurbished by Bristol based Zazu’s Kitchen. Around 250 local residents and businesses were invited to the launch party. Partner Dougal Templeton, a former Bath resident, said: “The Bear is at the heart of a strong, local community, which is very much what Zazu’s is all about. We aim to provide the kind of friendly, fun neighbourhood boozer and restaurant atmosphere that we’d all love to have at the end of our roads: a 21st century brasserie for locals to enjoy at all times

PARTY TIME: the team at Burger and Lobster of the day, whether for a great coffee, a glass of wine and a chat or a decent bite to eat.”

Zazu’s serves from breakfast at 9am, to brunch and lunch, afternoon teas and dinner featuring meat from Ruby and White.

DOUBLE FOR PUB

The Bath Brew House in James Street, Bath, which opened almost two years ago, has picked up two awards, as Best Freehouse in the South West awarded by the Great British Pub Award committee and City Pub of the Year by Bath and Borders CAMRA. Lucas Van Rensburg VIII, general manager at the central Bath pub, is incredibly pleased: “We’re very proud of what we do here – from our spit-roast and smokehouse-influenced menu to our own microbrewery and homebrewed beers, we keep everything local and personal, which means using the best ingredients and working with the best, and often smallest, breweries in the south west.”

The Great British Pub Awards are an annual recognition of pubs in the UK, with various categories ranging from Best Freehouse to Best Wine Bar/Pub and are viewed as the Oscars of the pub industry. The Bath Brew House opened in September 2013 and has quickly proven popular with both locals and tourists. It has an open kitchen, complete with a spit-roast, as well as a smokehouse where meat and cheese are cured.

There’s free ping-pong in the garden, as well as an outside bar, which turns into a heated beer tent during the colder seasons, allowing twiceyearly beer festivals and private functions.

Sundays bring live music in the afternoons, along with scrumptious roast dinners and all the weekend’s best sport shown live on big screens.

The pub has a variety of local guest ales, along with those produced by the in-house microbrewery, James Street Brewery. Tours of the brewery run twice daily, please book in advance, visit: thebathbrewhouse.com.

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One of the country’s leading Indian establishments, The Rajpoot was founded with great fanfare. The business prides itself on providing innovative, top class Indian cuisine in an elegant and intimate setting. Its stylish dining rooms are hung with beautiful lanterns and service is always professional and charming.

Rajpoot’s internationally acclaimed fare is fashioned through gentle layers of spicing, use of the best ingredients, and delicate but fastidious preparation.

The restaurant is a frequent haunt of celebrity diners, and boasts an equally impressive list of awards, which is a testament to the quality it has maintained over its three decades of service. The restaurant’s team of long-serving chefs, alongside owner Ahmed Chowdhury, presistently looking to improve and build on the Rajpoot’s impressive reputation, continuing their dedication to the art of fine Indian dining each and every night.

THE US DELICIO GUIDE LOOKING FOR RESTAURANT INSPIRATION? The Delicious Guide to Bath 2015 featuring all our fave eateries and foodie treateries is available online at our website www.thebathmag.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter @thebathmagazine

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FOOD | REVIEW

RAJPOOT 4 Argyle Street, Bath, BA2 4BA. Tel: 01225 466833 or 444527. Web:rajpoot.com

R E V I EW

A MOST ELEGANT INSITUTION

I

n 1980 – before, I’m guessing, many of the folk reading this knew what a jalfrezi was – Ahmed Chowdhury opened the doors at the Rajpoot restaurant. As Bathonians at the time tended to favour custom and convention over cutting-edge innovation, the restaurant’s elegant ambience and familiar cuisine-theme immediately engaged local support, and still continues to almost impishly defy the trend for canteen-style dining and staff who address their diners as ‘guys’ today.

There’s still even a doorman decked out in full Raj regalia waiting to welcome all those who are about to venture below Pulteney Bridge in search of an exotic supper that, regardless of the restaurant’s three decades in Bath, offers one of the most authentic Indian dining experiences for miles around. Despite the restaurant’s reputation for olde-worlde tradition, Mr Chowdhury has never shied away from reinventing his menus to move with both the times and the developing tastes of the British palate.

India is roughly the size of Europe, with a climate and topography that’s hundreds of times more diverse. Cuisine across the continent is often also determined by culture, religion and caste. Expecting all menus in all restaurants with owners that originate from India to completely represent Indian food is as about as accurate as expecting one dish of escargots to typify French cuisine. Still, there’s a ‘curry house’ on every high (and low) street in Britain serving identical dishes based on a couple of sauces, either spiced up with chilli or calmed down with cream. The Rajpoot, though, exceeds all expectations based on the prosaic familiarity of the ‘curry house’ genre and as a result has garnered heaps of acclaim over the 64 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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years including regular gongs (the most recent being this summer) for Best Restaurant in the South West at the British Curry Awards, the curry world’s equivalent of the Oscars – and no restaurant can maintain such achievements by standing still.

The Rajpoot offers regularly spruced-up surroundings to match the kudos, too. Two intimate bar areas make menu perusal over an aperitif an occasion rather than a necessity, while the plushly-furnished booths in the candlelit, barrel-vaulted cave at the heart of the dining action defines the point where cosy meets glamorous, with an abundance of rich scarlet and gold décor offering a vintage James Bond film vibe. Elsewhere, a collection of immaculately decorated spaces alongside the main dining room includes a range of smoochy tables for two and several flexible, spacious party-on areas, all linked but subtly discrete of each other.

On the menu, a selection of usual suspects (tandooris, bhunas, biryanis, et al) mingle happily with Indian sub-continent specialities and several spectacular fresh seafood options.

Our Rajpoot voyage started off with golda chingri biran (translation: sumptuous, herbmarinated fresh water king prawns) and tandoori machlee (butter-soft, subtly spicy whole barbecued trout). Both dishes good enough to fight over for fork domination.

Starters range from around £3.65 –£7.25 and ours came from the upper-cost echelons, but I know from past experience that even the bargain-priced onion bhaji is a joy to behold.

On from this, a chicken jhal noorpuri (£10.75) that I would have believed to be too hot for my tender tastebuds had Mr Chowdhury himself not urged me to try it – this

dish is, after all, made to his very own recipe, so who was I to argue?

And I’m glad I trusted him; eaten before (not with, you understand – Mr C says that’s where so many British people get the Indian mix’n’match dining concept wrong), a velvety lamb rogan josh (£9.50) that shall henceforth define all incarnations of a familiar favourite and a pasanda (again, not a dish that I would have ordered independently), the chilli heat seemed almost soporific – who’d have thought that chillies can be so calming?

That pasanda, meanwhile (£11.95), was way above and beyond its misunderstood reputation as korma’s even milder-mannered little sister. At the Rajpoot, it’s a rich, complex, aromatic delight, thickened with ground cashew nuts and rightly deserving its woefully overlooked status as a celebratory feast dish beloved of the Moghul emperors.

And of course, our mains did not arrive unaccompanied – earthy dhal (£4.25), perfect pulau rice (£3.15) and an incredibly fresh peshwari naan (£3.15) completed our festive feast, each individual component once again exceeding our typically British expectations of familiar favourites.

The Rajpoot is most definitely not a curry house. It’s a Bath institution that’s artfully, thoughtfully, intelligently moved with the times while defining a legacy for the Heritage City. I look forward to celebrating the restaurant’s 50th birthday party already.

But if you want to mark its 36 years in our city take advantage of the birthday offer, as the Rajpoot is currently offering customers a 20% discount between Sunday to Thursday 6pm to 7.30pm.

Melissa Blease

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The Diner’s Digest SIX OF THE BEST

Pubs with spirits

With Halloween at the end of this month Melissa Blease visits a few old haunts to hear some seasonally chilling ghost stories

THE CRYSTAL PALACE

The Crystal Palace has a past shrouded in myth and legend – if the plane tree in Abbey Green could talk, we’d know the story behind several skeletons and a Roman mosaic floor that were uncovered beneath the cellar in the 1980s. And when journalist Donald Smith started researching his 2011 book Haunted English Pubs, he unearthed a whole host of reports of monks wearing black habits spotted in and around the pub and a mysterious, naked runner.

‘Tales are rife of a vaporous naked male apparition sprinting between the Abbey and Abbey Green,’ Donald wrote. ‘But . . . the man’s form converts to cloudy grey and, when he reaches the Crystal Palace, he disappears altogether.’ The spirited streaker is unlikely to be the ghost of Lord Nelson said to have stayed at the pub when it was a lodging house.

The Crystal Palace, 10-11 Abbey Green, Bath BA1 1NW Tel: 01225 482666; web: www.crystalpalacepub.co.uk

THE LONGS ARMS

“We have odd goings on in all areas of the pub, witnessed by customers as well as staff,” says Rob Allock, head chef and landlord at this gastronomic hotspot, which was recently awarded an illustrious Bib Gourmand gong in the 2016 Michelin Guide. “We have a recurring visitor we call George: a previous landlord who left the pub in 1949. George has often been seen sitting at tables, standing at the bar or even in the garden picking up apples, always wearing his bowler hat. George is lovely and very much part of the pub. But we also have a ghost dog, always seen in black and white, like an oldfashioned photo – sounds weird, I know, but you have to see it to believe it. We’ve actually had people chasing the dog around the tables trying to stroke it – they get a bit freaked out when we explain that the dog is a ghost. I was a spook-sceptic, but today I feel as though George is watching over me while I’m telling you this!”

The Longs Arms, Upper South Wraxall, Bradford on Avon, BA15 2SB Tel: 01225 864450; web: www.thelongsarms.com

THE GEORGE INN

Some years ago, the Wiltshire-based Phoenix of Wessex Paranormal Research Team spent a night at the ancient, charming George – one of the oldest pubs in the country, established in the 14th century and formerly patronised by Samuel Pepys and the Duke of Monmouth, who stayed at the pub during the Monmouth rebellion in the 17th century, when a dozen men were hanged at the nearby crossroads by the infamous Hanging Judge Jeffries. While the ghostbusters made no record of any encounters with the judge or his victims, but team member Dave Wichard described his stay as ‘very eventful’, collating reports of an encounter with the figure of a child wearing 17th century dress, the noise of a woman sighing loudly in an apparently empty room, several items

THE GARRICK’S HEAD

One of the few remaining regulars I’ve yet to meet at The Garrick’s Head is the Grey Lady: a shadowy, colourless, semi-translucent figure wearing 18th century evening dress, rumoured to the the ghost of a young woman who fell in love with an actor and who was then killed by her husband in a duel. The Grey Lady wafts around both the pub and the adjoining Theatre Royal itself, where many actors have reported seeing a misty grey shape lurking in the shadows of the auditorium. But while the most dramatic 'visitation' took place in 1996 when bar staff apparently witnessed a heavy till dragged from a tight space and thrown across the pub, most encounters (and reports are countless) involve little more than a sudden unexplained drop in temperature and a powerful, almost cloying smell of jasmine, after which many people claim to feel suddenly depressed, as if they have absorbed the lady's restless misery themselves – a symptom best treated by a visit to the bar for a pint of Pheasant Plucker, pronto.

The Garrick's Head, St Johns Place, Bath BA1 1ET Tel: 01225 318368; web: www.garricksheadpub.com

THE MUDDY DUCK

Built on the site of an 11th century priory, this characterful pub-with-rooms was originally established as an inn in the 17th century. Little wonder, then, that The Muddy Duck has its fair share of longstanding regulars. Heavy footsteps and the sound of a woman sobbing are often heard coming from the upper floor – could this be the ghost of a Victorian lady who was killed outright when a bolting horse overturned her carriage? And is she familiar with the monk said to be seeking justice for a crime committed against him, who has a habit of moving glasses

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about and switching lights on and off? He’s not to be confused with the Black Monk, though, who was found dead slumped over his accounts in what is now the bar, and unlike the ghost of a local miner who walks towards the pub, the Black Monk walks away from the building . . . missing out completely on what real, live people claim to be the best fish and chips in West Wiltshire.

The Muddy Duck, 42 Monkton Farleigh, Bath BA15 2QH Tel: 01225 858705; web: www.themuddyduckbath.co.uk

THE SALAMANDER

Unexplained heavy footsteps, singing and voices heard drifting from empty rooms, flying glasses, a fire door that opens itself, cold spots, black shapes – eek, it's all going on at The Salamander: the lovely, lively Bath Ales pub that offers a modern-day warm welcome, in a characterful building that dates back to 1736, and still accommodates a handful of former regulars still keen to create a rumpus at the bar. Some say that all the unexplained activity in the pub is down to just one ghost: a young man in a frock coat, jodhpurs and riding boots, his dark hair tied

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inexplicably moved around during their visit and several members of the group experiencing a “heavy, foreboding atmosphere” in a number of the rooms. Personally I’ve never encountered anything other than a warm welcome here – but I wouldn’t stay overnight unaccompanied even if the pub offered me one of their spiffing Sunday roasts every day for a year.

The George Inn, High Street, Norton St Philip, BA2 7LH Tel: 01373 834224; web: www.georgeinnnsp.co.uk

back with a white ribbon, often spotted wandering around the John Street/Quiet Street area after dark – well, one would imagine that a busy day’s duelling brings on a heck of a thirst? If the Salamander ghost isn’t our man in the tight pants (perhaps he was an extra from the Adam and the Ants’ Prince Charming video, still seeking gainful employment?), I’d still like to buy him a restorative snifter to reward his dandy sartorial efforts.

The Salamander, 3 John Street, Bath BA1 2JL Tel: 01225 428889; web: www.bathales.com

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CITY | OF | FESTIVALS

OCTOBER-FEAST

Bath’s restaurants, pubs and cafes are inviting us to treat our tastebuds with a month-long programme of food and drink.

We’ve picked some highlights of the Great Bath Feast 2015

T

he annual month-long Great Bath Feast is like a contemporary take on the harvest celebrations of old, providing an opportunity for Bath’s restaurants, cafes and pubs to show off their skills, highlight some of the best of local produce and to allow the rest of us to indulge in some great food and drink.

DINE OUT FOR A TENNER You might want to take advantage of the month-long £10 deals being offered by many Bath eateries – but do check the small print before you turn up as some of them have conditions, such as certain times or days of the week when you can grab a bargain. At Le Bistrot Pierre, for example, diners quoting ‘the Great Bath Feast’ on arrival qualify for a two course lunch and a glass of wine for a tenner.

The Garrick’s Head has prepared a cheeky foot-long sausage, which it’s serving with a stein of lager, for £10.

GET SET, BAKE! Saturday 3 October, don’t forget to set your cake calendar to visit Bath Abbey during the day (11am until 3pm) for the Great Bath Bake Sale. Lining the aisles will be table upon table of tempting bakes from the city’s amateur and professsional cooks. Buy some cake, treat yourself and your family and help local food charities and the Abbey’s own Footprint major repair and improvements appeal. The day includes a Best of Bath table where companies can donate their own samples and show stoppers. To reserve a table, contact Katie McGill on 01225 303314 or email: KMcgill@bathabbey.org.

BEER AND BUILDINGS Beer and Buildings is a unique architectural pub trail of Bath highlighting 15 of the city’s most interesting pubs ranging from the unspoiled, authentic such as the Star on the Paragon and the Old Green Tree, to the modern generation such as the craft beer specialists in Milsom Place, Colonna & Hunter. Pick up a map from the Bath Visitor Information Centre or one of the participating pubs, or visit: beerandbuildings.com, to help you plan your own beer trail around the city.

TASTE IN THE TIPIS Hartley Farm of Winsley is setting up a pair of tipis in Queen Square between 15 and 18 October. Visitors will be encouraged to pop in for lunch or to see one of the food demonstrations going on. This will be a nice change for people looking for somewhere to have lunch.

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AN INTIMATE EVENT One of London’s most respected chefs Gennaro Contaldo, will be at Jamie’s Deli in Milsom Place from 11am on Thursday 15 October, and will be sharing his passion for Italian cuisine.

You will need to book as the deli can only take a few people.

FAMILY OF DISTILLERS Siblings Gin is one of the leading distillers of British gin, currently at the head of a revival of this classic spirit.

Come and learn more about this family business, which is based in Cheltenham, and find out for yourself what everyone is raving about. This gin event is on Wednesday 14 October from 7pm at The Tasting Room, Green Street.

CHEESE FESTIVAL Ann-Marie Dyas, the doyenne of cheese, organises an annual gathering of British artisan cheesemakers, which is usually held in Milsom Place. But this year the head of Walcot’s Fine Cheese Company, is inviting her cheesemakers to set up stalls in the hallowed space of Bath Abbey. Expect an interesting experience as you browse among the delicious cheeses from all over the country and get the chance to talk to the men and women who produce it. This cheese

SOMETHING FOR EVERY TASTE: main picture, French restaurant Le Bistrot Pierre is among those taking part in the Great £10 Feast Top right, the Great Bath Bake Sale in Bath Abbey raising funds for its Footprint appeal (picture courtesy of Deborah Coleman) Right below, real ale pub The Star Inn on the Paragon is on the Beer and Buildings trail For full details of the entire programme pick up a Great Bath Feast brochure or visit: greatbathfeast.co.uk

festival takes place on Saturday 31 October from 10am till 4pm, with free entrance.

AFTER WORK DRINKS A fun evening at Yammo Italian restaurant in Walcot, in which you can learn how to prepare pre-dinner bitter cocktails and stuzzichini, while being sociable. The fun starts at 6.15pm and Thursday 22 October, and you’ll need to buy a ticket (£12).

CELEBRITY CHEFS Evergreen Nigella, cheery Tom Kerridge, likeable Matt Tebbutt, Italian Gino d’Acampo and Bath’s adopted son, baker Richard Bertinet, are among the ‘as seen on TV’ brigade whetting our appetites during the Great Bath Feast.

STOCK UP FOR THE HOME Go in search of retro kitchenware at Green Park Station market on Sunday 18 October, when Bath Vintage and Antiques Market holds a Vintage Kitchenalia sale. Stalls will have a range of covetable items from blue and white Cornishware, and jelly moulds, to glassware, furniture and old cookery books. We might head down to replace that old fondue set we used to own.

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FOR VEG GROWERS It’s fitting that there’s a bit of a harvest theme to some of the Great Bath Feast. Marty Grant, owner of Gascoyne Place and self-confessed allotment novice, has issued an invitation to the city’s vegetable growers. Throughout October simply email info@gascoyneplace.co.uk with what you’ve got to offer.

Collections of everything from cabbage to fennel will then be arranged at the restaurant on Wednesdays, where the kitchen crew will then create dishes in time for Thursday evening diners. If you’ve donated produce you’ll be given a discount – or even a free meal if your contribution is great – to enjoy on Thursday evenings.

bookshop is hosting three founders of the popular London Groundnut Supper Club, Duval Timothy, Folayemi Brown and Jacob Fodio Todd, on the evening of Friday 9 October. These three Londoners of African heritage have written The Groundnut Cookbook and will be introducing a Bath audience to the joys of dishes such as okra muffins and spinach, green bean and pistachio salas, and groundnut stew. For tickets call Topping & Co: 01225 428111

FOR PUB QUIZZERS If you know your cremini from your porcini you might like to show off your culinary know-how at one of two food themed quizzes during the GBF. The King William on London Road is holding an immersive three course dinner quiz on 13 October and the Circus restaurant is also holding a food based quiz night on 14 October.

THE BEER HUNTER It wouldn’t be a proper food and drink festival without a p***-up in a brewery, now would it? Bath Ales has obliged by opening its doors for an official tour of its brewery on the evening of 15 October.

Don’t worry, there will be a chance to sample. Also for afficionados of craft beers, the King William and Gascoyne Place are both hosting dinners with a beer flight for each course.

FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT Anyone who enjoyed throwing paper planes about at the opening night of the Bath Fringe in May will want to reprise the joyful experience of watching three top chaps, aka the Hot Potato Syncopators playing their own brand of swinging top tunes from the past. Enjoy their ukelele, musical saw and banjo playing after a delightful Sunday lunch at Woods in Alfred Street on 11 October. This is one of a series of themed lunches at Woods.

FOR KITCHEN EXPLORERS We’re familiar with Mediterranean, Asian and Far Eastern cookery, but how many African dishes do you cook at home? Topping & Co WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

UNUSUAL VENUES Bath Abbey is hosting a sit-down harvest supper on 17 October, prepared by the Surplus Supper Club (as opposed to the Surplice Supper Club)

ICE AND A SLICE? Anyone who knows us knows we’re partial to a sparkling gin and tonic here at Bath Mag when the day’s work is done. The majestic ballroom at the Holburne Museum is the splendid setting for a gin salon on Thursday 1 October, at what we call ‘early doors’ – that’s from 5pm. So totter along from work and enjoy a whiff of the juniper berry from no less than nine different gin distillers, including the city’s own Gin Austen. Tickets are £12 for this Spirit of England event. Politely we have refrained from asking how many G&Ts your entrance price will get you . . . n OCTOBER 2015

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CITY | BUSINESS

News in brief

■ Everyone’s talking about the new viewing pod, Aqueye that’s being proposed for Pulteney Weir island in Bath city centre. Designed by award-winning architect Nicholas Stubbs, AquEye is a revolving glass observation pod suspended between two slim, carbon fibre masts that rises from a horizontal position to a height of 65m, offering 360 degree views over the city. The capsule will accommodate up to 25 people who will embark from Parade Gardens.

Subject to planning permission, AquEye will begin operation in spring/summer 2017, with 10% of its profits going to charity. Nicholas Stubbs said: “Although brilliant, I could not see the London Eye working here, so I wanted to develop something that would offer a similar breath-taking aerial experience, but in a way which was both elegant and unobtrusive.

AquEye will lift people high enough to enjoy and interpret the city from above, but will be low profile enough to preserve Bath's traditional views, as AquEye's resting position is down and so doesn't interrupt the city skyline.”

A crowdfunding campaign will be launched in November. Visit: AquEye.co.uk.

■ Bath Racecourse at Lansdown has put in for planning permission to carry out multi-million improvements. Proposals have been submitted to Bath and North East Somerset Council, for plans which include a new grandstand overlooking the final furlong, giving racegoers improved views of the course. The new stand will have a public bar on the ground floor, viewing steps for up to 400 people and a 200 seat restaurant with a balcony on the middle floor. The top floor will consist of a covered roof terrace. The new grandstand will also offer space for non-raceday events including conferences, banquets and weddings. There are also plans to rebuild the existing hospitality stand that overlooks the finishing line, improve landscaping and build a new cafe.

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BEAD SHOP ADDS A NEW STRING

Bath Bijoux Beads in Abbey Green, central Bath, has rebranded itself in its tenth year to become Bijoux & Willow, adding clothing and jewellery to its offering.

The shop has been renovated and new arrivals include some lovely timeless clothes from Myrine Antwerp – the only stockists in Bath – Bohemia from Sweden, luxury furry coats and accessories from Ruby and Ed and in the spring a range from the Danish Masai label.

Owner Dawn Small said the trouble with being a speciality bead shop has meant her customer base was limited: “Many bead shops are closing and we don’t want the same fate to happen to us. Therefore our reaction to this has to change the business and to move forwards to rejuvenate the shop into a boutique to include some fantastic clothing collections to compliment our

own jewellery and accessories and our quality jewellery components. I am very much looking forward to welcoming new customers to Bijoux & Willow and hope they enjoy browsing through the lovely designs.

“All the same amount of jewellery components and beads are still available, we

have just changed the way we sell them by creating a colourwall of beads where you can see visually the beads on the wall rather than selecting them from trays in the traditional way.”

Visit: bijouxandwillow.co.uk or, for beads: bijouxbeads.co.uk which remains unchanged.

CREATIVE SPACE: White Stuff men and women’s wear chain, has moved into larger premises in New Bond Street, formerly occupied by Laura Ashley. The business, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, prides itself on its community links, including raising money for charity. The new shop has a designated making kitchen where workshops can be held. A local craft group and a wine company were among the first to book use of the new room, which opens off the main shopfloor.

GRANTS FOR ENERGY SAVING PROJECTS Grants of up to £5,000 are being offered for projects in the Bath area which are dedicated to saving energy and/or tackling fuel poverty.

Organisations have until 16 October to apply to community energy enterprise, Bath and West Community Energy, with the awards beng administered by the Quartet Community

Foundation. Organisations can apply for £500 – £5,000 with the primary aim of reducing carbon emissions and/or tackling fuel poverty. There will also be one award of up to £10,000 for a particularly exciting project.

To apply for a grant visit: quartetcf.org.uk or tel: 01225 420 300.

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

START PLANNING NOW – RECENT TAX DEVELOPMENTS

Calvin Healy from Richardson Swift explores a few areas which may require consideration as a result of latest tax developments.

Take advantage of the transitional pension input period rules for 2015/2016 by making additional pension contributions for the year The maximum amount of pension contributions qualifying for tax relief has been doubled to £80,000 for the current tax year.

This limit is split over two periods during the tax year being pre and post budget day 8th July 2015. The effect is that if you made a £40,000 contribution before budget day, you can now make an additional contribution up to £40,000 and obtain tax relief.

Take care if you are looking to develop land within the garden and grounds of your main home H M Revenue and Customs have recently successfully argued that private residence relief should not apply to a plot of land sold for development which was originally within the garden and grounds of the taxpayer’s main residence. The decision demonstrates the importance of careful planning and advice when undertaking these types of arrangements.

Start looking ahead in order to preserve tax relief on buy-to-let loan interest From April 2017, landlords will start to face a restriction on the tax relief they claim on allowable loan interest and finance costs. If the landlord runs and owns another business, which is not residential letting, it may be possible to refinance to avoid the loss of tax relief on borrowings.

Plan ahead for the changes to the taxation of dividends As most will no doubt be aware George Osborne announced in the Summer Budget changes to the taxation of dividends. In essence from 6th April 2016 the first £5,000 of dividend income in any tax year will be tax free. Dividends received in excess of this amount will be taxed at 7.5% for basic rate taxpayers, 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers, and 38.1% for additional rate taxpayers.

H M Revenue and Customs have begun to release details of how the changes will work in practice and accordingly advance planning should be now be undertaken in order to mitigate the impact of the changes.

A lot of basic rate taxpayers will likely be worse off from next April.

Therefore, individuals with portfolio shareholdings should consider transferring some of their shareholdings into ISA’s. Of course this should 72 TheBATHMagazine

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be considered in tandem with the effects of capital gains tax on transfers.

In addition, owner managed business owners should actively review the cost benefit of withdrawing or postponing dividend withdrawals between now and next April. Business owners who regularly receive large dividends taxed at higher rate may in fact find themselves better off from next April.

Beware the onerous reporting obligations if UK residential property if sold by non-UK resident individuals, trustees, and companies that are closely-held From 6th April 2015, any non-UK resident disposing of UK residential property will be required to deliver what is known as an “NRCGT return” to H M Revenue and Customs within 30 days of completion of the disposal.

This is irrespective of whether the non-UK resident is registered with H M Revenue and Customs through Self Assessment or not. Penalties may apply for failure to make a return.

The return has to be made on the basis of circumstances prevailing at that time and therefore if there is doubt concerning tax residence status advice should be sought.

For further information and guidance please contact either Calvin Healy or Jon Miles.

Calvin Healy

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

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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

Your company and the new dividend taxation rules A major change to the taxation of dividend income, from 5th April 2016, was announced in the recent budget and this will affect all owner managed businesses: • The notional tax credit is being abolished • A new £5,000 dividend allowance will be introduced i.e. the first £5,000 of dividend income will be “tax free” regardless of other income • Over £5,000, new tax rates apply to all dividends e.g. 7.5% for basic rate taxpayers and 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers Under the existing system, dividend income is effectively free of tax for basic rate taxpayers. That has changed but the new system: • Provides new opportunities for tax planning • Means that drawing income from your own company by a combination of salary and dividend still returns the lowest effective tax rate when compared to alternatives such as salary / bonus or self employment.

The amount of additional tax payable will of course depend on a number of circumstances, but tax planning remains essential.

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.

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Call Marie Maggs, Mike Wilcox or Hannah Bratten on 01225 445507 to arrange a no-obligation meeting 74 TheBATHMagazine

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01225 791155

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Education SIXTH FORM OPEN TO BOYS AND GIRLS Hayesfield School is celebrating its mixed sex sixth form by inviting prospective male and female students and their families to visit its new sixth form centre, the East Wing, with several open days.

The new centre gives students access to purpose built self-study areas, learning centre, common room and a wireless laptop network. The school is proud of the fact that more than 95% of its

students go on to higher education post-18. This year all four of the students who applied to Oxford University were successful and are taking up courses.

The open days are: Wednesday 11 November, 6pm – 8.30pm at Upper Oldfield Park, Tuesday 3 and Tuesday 17 November, 1pm – 3pm at Brougham Hayes.

To find out more visit: hayesfield.com

FIREWORK TIME

GOOD REPORTS

Bath Building Society and The Rotary Club Bath have launched the 40th annual fireworks safety poster competition at Moorlands Schools Federation in Bath. The competition is to encourage children to be aware of the dangers of fireworks and bonfires. This year’s fireworks display is on Saturday 7 November at The Recreation Ground and will be run

by The Rotary Club Bath and sponsored by Bath Building Society. Money raised will go to The Trauma Recovery Centre in Bath and other local charities.

Tickets go on sale from 1 October.

Headteacher at St Mark’s School, Bath, Barnaby Ash, has this term overseen a new brand and vision for the Larkhall based school. An Ofsted inspection in June 2015, awarded St Mark’s a Good status school across all areas. Further to this, the school has also been recognised as a Good Church of England school in its most recent SIAMS inspection. The school continues its work to be the school of choice for local families; establishing connections within the community and building relationships with children in the area from a young age.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN KENYA Five students from St Brendan’s Sixth Form College embarked upon a trip of a lifetime this summer. Students Dana Clench, Adam Skirkowski, Sophie Giltinan and twins Kieran and Megan Long, travelled around 5,100 miles with their A level environmental studies

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teacher to the Kenyan village of Alara. Taking shoes collected from home and PE kits given by the St Brendan’s Sport Union, the visitors made themselves useful. One of the tasks was to treat children’s feet where they’d been infected by sand fleas, or jiggers as they’re known.

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Beechen Cliff

Sixth Form Open Morning Saturday 17th October 9am - 1pm Our purpose at Beechen Cliff’s Sixth Form is to develop the resilience, aspiration, balance and achievement of each student. When students leave us we want them to be at ease with themselves, to have a sense of self-worth, to be able to stand up for themselves and be a valuable member of society.

Beechen Cliff’s developing national reputation for excellence stems from our unswerving resolve to provide the best possible teaching and the strongest possible support and guidance. The Sixth Form was awarded Grade 1 in its 2014 Ofsted Inspection and was designated as Outstanding. Nationally we are in the top 10% for students achieving the highest grades in core academic subjects.

Life in The Sixth Form extends well beyond the classroom. Sport, of course is legendary and here there are excellent opportunities both for young men and young women to take part in either our elite or recreational teams.

The Sixth Form at Beechen Cliff is large and vibrant. It is a genuine community to which young people are proud to belong. It is open to students of all abilities who are committed to their study, the broader life of the Sixth Form and to Beechen Cliff as a whole.

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Could you foster a teenager?

Local Familiies for Local Children Do you have the skill and experience to consider fostering a young person aged 13 upwards - with the possibility of continuing to support them living in your home until the age of 21? There are a number of young people in Bath and North East Somerset, who are not able to live with their families; they need the support and encouragement of foster carers.

These young people have often experienced a chaotic home life, received inconsistent and unreliable parenting or abuse. The difficulties and disruption of their early lives means that they may lack the skills they need to keep themselves safe.

They may misuse drugs or alcohol, self-harm or have difficulty making positive choices in their lives; they need foster carers who can provide them with stability, guidance, boundaries and a high level of support to help them overcome these challenges.

Jenny shares the rewards she and her respective family have experienced from fostering teenagers with Bath and North East Somerset: “it is great to see young people doing well at school; starting to have some ambitions in their life; learning to start trying hard and to be able to share new experiences.......such as going on holiday together, going swimming and ice skating.

It is especially rewarding to see the young people grow and develop over time.”

Jenny (foster carer for 8 years)

Carers receive an excellent support and training package, as well as a competitive allowance those caring for older teenagers are likely to receive in the region of £420 per week.

To find out more, call The Family Placement Team on 01225 394949 or email fpt_duty@bathnes.gov.uk

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www.bathnes.gov.uk

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

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WHAT LIES BENEATH

Georgette McCready joins one of Bath’s Tunnel Tours to explore a hidden world 20 feet below the city streets

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at the front of the party, the other acting as a sheepdog to round up and protect any stragglers.

It’s quite exciting to leave the main body of tourists milling their way round the baths and slip through a locked door below street level and into a tunnel.

Don’t expect level surfaces, or even dry ceilings – but this is as near to being Indiana Jones as you can get in Bath city centre. The bits of tunnel where you have to duck your head, the uneven floor which turns out to be an actual, genuine part of Roman wall, the occasional drip, drip, drip of cold water on the head and the section of 2,000 year old mosaic floor which we’re invited to peek at by lifting its protective Pickfords tarpaulin, all add to the thrill of discovery. You might say, in modern parlance, that this is immersive history.

And what do the head of Queen Victoria, Julius Caesar’s hand and blackened embers from the 11th century arson attack on the city all have in common? They can all be found within these tunnels. The queen used to be in a niche overlooking York Street, while Julius (a Victorian replacement) was toppled and accidentally broken by students in the 1980s. Wannabe

GOING UNDERGROUND: main picture, the Roman Baths during the Victorian excavations, c1890 Opposite, Queen Victoria’s bust which once looked out over York Street, now consigned to a storeroom

archaeologists will be very excited to get up close to an earth wall that retains the untouched layers of the past, from the Roman at the foot, right up through that black line of the original Sack of Bath (when the city was virtually burned to the ground) through the medieval, Tudor and Civil War Bath, right up to the late 19th century.

Storerooms are stacked neatly with much that was found when Major Charles Davis and his teams carried out

❝

this is as near to being Indiana Jones as you can get in Bath city centre

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I

t was while I was researching the stories behind some of Bath’s statues and monuments that Dan Brown, who runs the image archive Bath in Time, suggested I go on one of the city’s guided Tunnel Tours to have a look at some of the treasures hidden away, literally under our feet.

I put in a request to join one of the tours but as only a few people at a time can be accommodated in the rabbit warren that stretches out from the Roman Baths, it was several months before I was able to see for myself this collection that’s seen by so few. And if you have a genuine interest in Bath’s many layers of history and of how the Roman Baths came to be excavated during Victorian times, I would recommend you put your name down on the Bath and North East Somerset Council waiting list for this most unusual of tourist trails.

The party is met in the majestic foyer of the 19th century Pump Room, where we’re given maps of the underground routes we’re to follow. You needn’t be nervous at the prospect of being abandoned in the dark 20 feet beneath Stall Street as there are two guides, one

Pictures courtesy of Bath in Time. Pictures from the past can be ordered from: Bathintime.co.uk Top right, passers-by in Stall Street unaware of people beneath their feet

the major excavations of the 1880s.

There are piles of terracotta roof tiles, still with their Roman makers’ marks clearly on them, parts of demolished columns and a host of treasures found in other parts of the city. These include parts of structures long gone – like the ornate stone carving from the entrance to the 18th century Duke of Kingston’s baths. Every single thing has been

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painstakingly catalogued and labelled and whenever money can be got, further investigations are carried out into where and how they came to be.

And everywhere you look there is something of interest, either from Roman times or more recent.

The hour-long tour, delivered articulately and engagingly by our guide Michael, kept us moving to different parts of tunnels which run under Stall Street and under York Street. There were times when schoolgirl mentality took over, I admit, particularly when standing in the

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half-light looking up at the grilles in the street outside Primark. We could hear the voices of people passing by just 20 feet above us. Who wouldn’t want to call out: “Hello! We’re down here.”?

What we’re actually looking at is where the lift shaft used to descend to allow guests from the Grand Pump Room Hotel to reach the baths without having to cross the street.

While I thought I knew the history of Bath’s spa, I had never given much serious thought in terms of what the city owes to two great Empires – the Roman and the Victorian.

When the Romans came to build their spa on Britain’s only naturally occurring hot spring waters, the locals were living in huts. They would have watched in awe as this huge stonebuilt complex went up. It would have been the equivalent today of engineers and architects building something like the Shard in the remotest rainforests of Papua New Guinea.

What seems odd to modern sensibilities is why, after the Romans left in 407AD did the

Britons not want to keep this fabulous bath house going?

Was it lack of skills or seething resentment against their former invaders that led to the buildings falling into disrepair, finally to disappear under new buildings? By the time the Victorian Major Davis got to the baths they lay under a whole street of houses and shops.

The Victorians were very thorough and we’ve got them to thank for the existing complex that surrounds the baths, along with the sturdy pillars underground, built to withstand the weight of trams overhead.

The next Tunnel Tours are on 21 October, 11 and 18 November at 11am. To book tel: 01225 477773. Discovery Card holders go free, otherwise the admission price is included in the Roman Baths ticket.

Changes are afoot around the baths. You may have noticed an old stone chimney on the city centre skyline. The chimney in Swallow Street tops the former laundry which served the baths in Victorian times, when the baths were used for healing purposes.

Bath & North East Somerset Council plans to create a learning centre in that buiilding and York Street, which will enable visitors and locals to learn much more about the World Heritage City of Bath and its multi-faceted history. The new Archway Centre will cost around £5m. n

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IN SEARCH OF THE LOST MANSION October’s walk has a fairy tale feel to it as Andrew Swift guides us through the woods to discover a Gothic Sleeping Beauty hidden among the trees

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ur October walk explores a 500-acre landscaped park with a chain of ornamental lakes in a beech-lined Cotswold valley, long forgotten but now being restored after years of neglect.

When the National Trust took over Woodchester Park in 1994, it had lain undisturbed, apart from sporadic tree felling, for over a century. Hidden in its fastnesses was a vast Gothic mansion, abandoned half built in 1873 and untouched ever since. It is reputed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the country and is home to an extraordinary number of bats.

The mansion, owned by a trust, is now open to the public, and the park around it has come back to life as one of the most popular family destinations in the area. For adventurous children, there is an elaborate play trail, with opportunities for climbing, swinging and a good deal besides. Dogs too will be in their element, although there are places where they need to be on leads because of sheep and (docile) cows. For those who just want a country walk, meanwhile, whether it be a gentle stroll or a strenuous ramble, Woodchester is hard to beat, and, with the trees in their autumn beauty – and the mansion open until the end of October – there is no better time to visit.

Although it is not easy to find – and sat navs, I am told, are likely to lead you astray – there is a reasonably straightforward way to get there. Head north from Bath on the A46 – past the M4 and the turning to Cirencester – and after 20 miles you come to traffic lights, where you turn left along the A4135.

After two miles, turn right (signposted to Nympsfield and Frocester). At a Tjunction, turn right along the B4058.

Keep straight on along the road (ignoring a turning where the B4058 bears right and side roads into Nympsfield village).

After two and a half miles, turn right at a T-junction along the B4066. After twothirds of mile you will see a turning on the right to Woodchester Park. The entrance to the car park (SO799014) is 300m down this road.

Leaflets with details of waymarked trails are available from holders in the car park. The longest trail is seven miles long, but even this does not exhaust all the sights to be seen in this gloriously secluded valley, and there are plenty of opportunities to explore on your own 84 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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away from waymarked paths. Here, though is a suggestion for a two-hour walk taking in much of what Woodchester has to offer, and calling at the house and tea room before returning to the car park.

Head down the steps from the car park and turn right down the main path.

After 300m, take a path branching up to the left. This leads past an old quarry where beams and tree trunks now form part of the play trail. As you continue to climb through beech woods, with sheer drops on your right, you pass rope swings and a viewpoint with a bench.

Follow the path as it curves steeply downhill, following a blue arrow, and at the bottom, when you come to a Tjunction with a seesaw, turn left. As the path curves round the head of dry valley, you will see a blue tarpaulin covering the remains of an 18th-century ornamental temple.

At the head of the valley, don’t take a path forking left uphill, but carry on as the main path curves right. After 250m, follow the path as it curves right through a gate, and at a T junction bear left along the valley.

Staying on the main path, go through a kissing gate, carry on with a lake below you on the right, and go through another kissing gate. At a fork, follow an orange arrow downhill to the right. After going through a gateway, bear left, following an orange arrow along a narrow path beside a lake. When the path forks, bear right across a dam. On the far side, go through a gate with an orange arrow on the right – but not before carrying on for a little way to see the old kennels.

After going through the gate, follow a path across a meadow. A small gate at the far end leads to a boardwalk and a narrow path alongside the lake, where

AMONG THE TREES: main picture, the mansion and inset, one of its Gothic gargoyles Opposite page, the bleak beauty of Middle Pond and a view across to the boathouse

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you will see an old boathouse on the opposite bank. After another boardwalk, steps lead up to a path where you turn right, passing the boathouse below you on the right. At a T junction, follow an orange arrow to the left.

Go through a metal gate, carry on, and, when you come to steps, don’t go up them but bear left to follow an indistinct path through the meadow, with the lake to your left. The path eventually rises to join a gravel path up to the right. Carry on along it in the same direction and, when it forks, go straight on through a gateway, and Woodchester Mansion will come into view ahead. After going through a gate, the path curves round to the mansion, after visiting which, a gentle stroll up the drive will lead you back to the car park. n

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FACT FILE ■ Length of walk: 4 miles ■ Time: 2 hours ■ Map: OS Explorer 168 ■ Opening times: The National Trust owned Woodchester Park is open daily from 9am until dusk, while the mansion is open 11am – 5pm daily until the end of October, closed on Mondays. Parking is £3, free to NT members ■ Refreshments: A tea room in the servants’ hall is open when the mansion is open

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HEALTH & BEAUTY

HEALTH&

Beauty COVETABLE: Lipstick Queen’s new range All That Jazz

MEET THE LIPSTICK QUEEN

EASE OF MOVEMENT: Yoga Goodies range includes plain, stretchy wear, right, top £37.99 and pants, £34.99 by Pure Lime, to brights, below Be Present Kona pants, £55 and on model, red yoga pants, £60

MOVE COMFORTABLY FROM CLASS TO STREET

T

his year’s look is sports luxe, where leisure wear meets fashion. And whether you own a yoga mat or not, there’s some cool clothing about.

We’ve just discovered Yoga Goodies, a new brand based in Chippenham.

Founded by yoga teachers Emma Goodwin and Claire Murphy, the pair wanted to create a brand which is comfortable, colourful and affordable.

Yoga Goodies stocks world wide brands for yoga, dance and the gym.

Having an exclusive European deal with the eco friendly US brand Shining Shakti, Yoga Goodies, brings fun and unique yoga pants to the UK. Each pair is hand dyed so no two pairs are the same.

Pure Lime is the company’s active fashion partner from Scandinavia, who create technical designs for women to look and feel good at the gym or in the studio.

Poppy King, founder of the Lipstick Queen brand will be at Space NK Bath on Friday 16 October from noon until 5pm, carrying out one-to-one consultations. Bookings are being taken now to meet lipstick designer Poppy King, pictured, and to work with her to find the ultimate shades, textures and finishes that will enable you to embrace your inner lipstick queen. With over 25 years’ experience in beauty, Poppy is an industry authority and is frequently quoted in the world’s top fashion magazines. This is your chance to hear it straight from the source. Call 01225 482804 to reserve a 20 minute appointment with Poppy. There is a £15 booking fee which is fully redeemable against Lipstick Queen purchases made in-store.

Be Present and Sure Designs allow Yoga Goodies to offer a men’s yoga clothing range, with products made from breathable fabrics, cut especially for movement.

This month Yoga Goodies launch YG its own clothing range. The Chakra and Sanskirt range includes colourful tanks, long sleeve burn-out tops and comfortable oversized tops to throw on after class. The range will be launched an the OM Yoga Show London.

Visit the website at www.yogagoodies.co.uk, Bath Magazine readers can get a 20% discount if they use the code BathMag at the checkout (Valid 1 – 31 October). n

GYM OWNER’S THANK YOU

WELCOME GUESTS: Bath rugby player Kane Palma-Newton, left, joined firefighters at Mark Lamputt’s re-opening of his newly refurbished Space Premier Fitness gym

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Gym owner Mark Lamputt was so impressed at the speed and efficiency of firefighters who attended a fire at his gym in Bear Flat, that he invited them to be guests of honour at its re-opening. The lads of the Avon Fire and Rescue team even brought their fire engine with them to the party at Space Premier Fitness in Hayesfield Place.

Mark said: “The speed of attendance by the fire service on March 11 meant that I didn’t lose the whole building. I really wanted to say a big thank you to the fire service and to all my members, local businesses and neighbours who have been so supportive.”

The new-look gym has a new interior scheme, luxury changing rooms with power showers, the latest gym equipment and a Sonos sound system. Space has been operating from temporary premises in St Luke’s Church Hall on Bloomfield Rd for the past six months.

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• Removal of single or multiple skin lesions • • Simple, surgical procedure using local anaesthetic • • Delivered by doctors experienced in minor surgery • • Convenient ‘one-stop’ appointment including consultation and procedure • • Easy-access clinics in BANES with free parking • Please contact us or visit our website for further information including details of clinic locations and prices for this private service

GREEN KITE HEALTHCARE

Registered with the Care Quality Commission (ID: 1-1603137933) www.gkhealth.co.uk

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• Email: info@gkhealth.co.uk • Tel: 0333 332 1491

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Treat Yourself or a friend.... £15 OFF ANY ELEMIS TREATMENT including the new Biotec facial. To be used for treatment over one hour.* *Valid until November 27 2015

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green street house, 14 green street, bath BA1 2JZ Tel: 01225 426000 Email: info@greenstreethouse.com www.greenstreethouse.com

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B A T H

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Dermapen™ is a revolutionary micro-needling treatment, which aims to tighten, lift and rejuvenate the skin.

Dermapen™ promotes scar less healing and natural collagen reproduction, similar to fractional laser treatments, IPL, laser resurfacing, and chemical peels, but without the side effects and downtime.

Before and After Treaments

Dermapen™ can effectively treat hard-to-reach places (e.g. around the eyes, nose and lips).

Dermapen™ is ideal for treating: • fine lines • wrinkles • • surgical, acne and trauma scars • • stretch marks • pigmentation •

Contact us for your FREE consultation No.2 Kingsmead St. Bath • Tel: 01225 466851 • www.theorangerylaserandbeautybath.co.uk

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STYLED BY THE PROFESSIONALS A photographer and a stylist have teamed up to become a creative force to be reckoned with. Hannah Sturgeon went to meet new interiors styling and photography brand Solesbury & Worthy

S

o you thought you were stylish?

Do you hone your house so it looks like a Homes & Garden feature? Or are you, like me, and the rest of civilised society, living in a house surrounded by the accoutrements of living in the real world…with newspapers scattered across the bedroom floor, odd socks littering the landing and half-empty red wine bottles in the kitchen?

According to Bath’s newest and most stylish creative hothouse, Solesbury & Worthy (an interiors styling and photography team), you are not alone.

Most people reside in homes filled with the chaos of life being lived; post piling on an empty surface, a heap of shoes shoved under the stairs, but with the possibility of one room, perhaps two, artfully decorated and arranged - and strictly to be used only on Christmas day when the in-laws pitch up, or guests are ushered in.

Claire, the Worthy half of the team and Central Saint Martin’s trained photographer extraordinaire, explains that most interiors magazines want you to believe that people live in spotless houses, with no toothbrushes, telephones or half-chewed pencils to be found…anywhere 90 TheBATHMagazine

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“A magazine might shoot Mr & Mrs De Rigueurs’ house and claim that is how it is – but it isn’t. The house will have been stripped right back and apart from a few key items, the stylist will create the dream to convey the sense of style and story the magazine and photographer wants. If you look at those pictures you will see that there are no vestiges of everyday living . . .”

So, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief and carry on living in our usual suspended state between demented untidiness and Hoovered, structured order, or somewhere in between.

Creating the perfectly styled, elegant image of a beautifully arranged room, home or space is, without doubt, a job best left to the professionals, step in: Solesbury & Worthy.

Eliza, the Solesbury end of the team, has an august career under her belt; styling for films, commercials and stills photography, she was an award-winning set director, nominated for an Emmy and won a Gemini award for her work on The Tudors – is the styling half of the duo and is the kind of person who, given an hour or two, could probably locate a hand-carved Jacobean chair and a pair of vintage 80s neon, legwarmers – if the requirement arose.

Inspired by the likes of Tim Walker, Cecil Beaton and Wes Anderson their friendship and business blossomed when they met as mums in their children’s school playground and discovered a mutual obsession with brilliant design, whilst sharing very similar aesthetic tastes, prompting them to begin working together.

With her sleek, dark-haired bob, petite frame and old school Adidas, Eliza brings an eclectic and visionary element to their work. While Claire, who has shot the stars and sets of India’s Bollywood, founded 24 year photography project:

STYLE FILE: main picture Solesbury & Worthy suggest arranging classical and contemporary mirrors together in a contrasting space to make them shine Inset Claire and Eliza, the duo behind Solesbury & Worthy, with sofa and cushions courtesy of HAY, Bath

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24photography.org and worked with Magnum photographer, Peter Marlow, exudes an effortless and elegant je ne sais quoi. Together they work in perfect, precise, creative balance.

This über stylish duo provide clients with the complete design package.

Working with a range of businesses from property developers, editors, furniture makers, manufacturers and brands who are all looking for that one perfect image to help them sell, sell, sell.

Together they develop a vision, crafting a narrative, which they weave through location scouting, sourcing, styling and photography to produce an alluring and exquisite set of photographs which will be used in magazines and brochures to sell a product or a lifestyle.

Eliza says: “We work with a blank canvas, planning it down to the very last detail. We constantly have objects, pieces of furniture or colour in our heads. We ensure we make the best use of the space we have chosen, planning how we will embellish it to create the exact image or story we have been commissioned to deliver.”

CREATNG THE LOOK: Solesbury & Worthy’s styling skills at work Left, create richness using a few chosen colours and layer with textures, flowers, glass. Finally, magnify the experience with unusual objects.

Centre, textures play a big part in styling, as does mixing old and new furniture together to create a tone and set the mood.

Even the kitchen table can be dressed to look its best. Symmetry, natural lighting and balance are essential to Solesbury & Worthy, each object chosen tells a story

Claire says: “Bath is just perfect, there are so many beautiful and unusual properties, which are a hugely valuable resource for our work. The look here is very different from a big city like London, it really appeals – the mix of old and new – this juxtaposition really works for us.”

You can see this style in their work, they often group together contemporary and classical pieces in an unexpected environment to ensure each stands out.

Some of their favourite places to browse and shop include Simon Jackson Antiques in Bath, Talisman in London, and Dig Haüshizzle in Bristol. Other Bath shops they favour are: Anthropologie, The Loft, Rossiters, Looking Glass and Hay. Solesbury & Worthy have worked in a number of unusual houses in and around Bath, if you have a beautiful or quirky home and you would like to see it in a magazine or think it would be the perfect location for shoots do get in touch with them at: solesburyandworthy.com or on twitter @claireandeliza.

Finally, we asked them for some styling ideas: l Use colour in unexpected places; under

shelves, inside cupboards – in a tucked away space to intrigue and inspire. Use one pop of bright colour; orange, red or black to draw the eye into the space. l When styling a room use a common colour thread throughout to create cohesion and to link pieces together almost sub-consciously. l Create simple vignettes by grouping objects together that relate to each other by scale, colour or texture. Groups of threes of fives work better than even numbers. l Don’t be shy of using patterns, they provide a sense of punctuation within a space. l Use brass or gold this autumn. The warmth of these metallics help to reflect the changing colours of the season and illuminate.

Meanwhile, if you are still dreaming of creating the perfect Homes & Gardens house, take a styling tip from Cecil Beaton: “Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”

I am quite sure that Solesbury & Worthy would approve. n

A COLLECTION OF COLLECTORS Claire and Eliza are also working on a long-term project, photographing and chronicling personal collections.

Claire: “We became interested in the idea of recording collections because we noticed that a lot of people collect. We did some research into it and found there are many psychoanalytical theories; emotional support; to recapture the early childhood comfort found from inanimate objects such as a favourite teddy bear; existential angst – the collection being a legacy, an extension of us, that will live on after us. It has even been linked to the search for love. ” The Telegraph has commissioned Eliza and Claire to create a series based on collections

and they are looking for others: serious, obsessive, prolific collectors whose objects number in the 100s. So far they have shot images of someone who collects miniature Star Wars figures, the owner of over 200 walking sticks, pictured, and even an avid collector of planes. He has a collection of over 30 aeroplanes and various other plane parts.

The obsessive, they have found, tend to be male, so they are also on the lookout for women collectors too. Perhaps, you have your own collection of Victorian glass jelly moulds, or you know someone who is a manic collector?

Get in touch with Claire and Eliza the collection could be photographed and chronicled for posterity.

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EMBRACE THE SEASON Interior designer Clair Strong shows us how to take inspiration from autumn

A

utumn is the most beautiful season. Crisp mornings, perfect light, a riot of colour amongst the trees, a feeling or renewal and change in the air – it’s a season of inspiration for us all.

JEWEL TONES Colour is a huge part of the appeal of autumn.

The trees turn from verdant green to a rainbow of red, orange, purple and even dark blue.

These rich and uplifting colours inspire a jewel-toned scheme for the home.

Colours like emerald green, ruby red, inky blue and royal purple are perfect for creating a cosy yet striking space. These hues work really well together in abundance, or can be used sparingly in a neutral space for a more subtle look.

OPULENT HUES: main picture, deep turquoise sofa by Sofa.com and, inset, emerald cushion by Nanette Lepore (£100 – £120) at culow.co.uk 92 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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TEXTURE AND TEXTILES Textiles are an interior design staple, and one you’ll definitely want to stock up on for the colder months. Rugs, blankets, throws, pillows and curtains all add texture and warmth. Without them a room can feel bare, so they’re a vital finishing touch, and they have practical uses too of course. This year, it’s all about texture and pattern – gloriously chunky knits, soft mohair and

faux sheepskins. As for pattern, tartan is always in vogue but I also love contemporary herringbone in pastel hues and global ikat prints. And you need look no further than Walcot Street where Katherine Fraser produces hand woven tactile textiles for the home.

Orchard Stripe merino lambswool throw £185, and ember stripe and gunmetal merino lambswool throw, £185 and gunmetal twill cushions £80

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GLOOMY GLAMOUR Another trend taken straight from the interiors catwalk is dark, gloomy, almost Gothic interiors. This look is perfect for autumn and winter because it reflects the environment outdoors. It’s dramatic and striking but it’s also snug and comforting – the perfect hideaway for the cold months. This trend goes all out with dark walls, dark floors and dark furniture. It uses deeply saturated hues, like charcoal grey and aubergine, which helps it avoid veering into teenage bedroom territory. It also takes in a lot of the luxe trend, with metallic accents and ornate patterns to create a sophisticated, almost regal, ambience. It’s perfect for big open rooms that need to be made cosier.

LUXE COMFORT The A/W 2015 interior design trends are all about luxury and indulgence.

Super soft textiles in the finest materials (like velvet and sheepskin), leather accessories and gold or copper elements add a touch of luxe to any space. If your budget for luxuries is limited, remember opulence doesn’t have to come with an eye-watering price tag. You can find splashes of lavishness and extravagance on the high street at John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and even IKEA. n Clair Strong Interior Design is a small, friendly, creative business based in Bath and London, providing services for residential and commercial clients. Visit: clairstrong.co.uk or contact: clair@clairstrong.co.uk.

SHAdES oF GREy Go the whole nine yards with the neutral colour of the moment: grey. This colour scheme evokes the wintry, almost fairy tale-esque side of autumn but it transitions perfectly from season to season.

Layer pale shades of grey and off-white for a soft yet atmospheric look. Paint the walls antique white, and the woodwork (skirting boards, window sills and doors) in a smoky grey. Accessorise with more grey but anchor the pale colours with one splash of dark grey to add a bit of drama and depth.

SHOPPING LIST: clockwise from left. Furnishings from John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and, below right, Dunelm Mill

NATURAL INFLUENCES Effortlessly accessorise with the world’s greatest designer; mother nature. Hunt, gather, collect and curate. Bring elements from the great outdoors into your home for autumn.

Scour the countryside and the coast for beautiful things you can display in your home, things like pine cones gathered in a bowl, dried flowers displayed in a frame, interesting branches strung with lights and shells arranged artfully.

If you prefer to leave nature in her place, you can of course fake it. Faux antlers, artificial plants and botanical wall charts are beautiful reminders of the bounty of nature.

Right, Autumn Horse Chestnut Tree Wall Chart by Wallography

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

OCTOBER 2015

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CITY | INTERIORS

COUNTRYSIDE INSPIRED

Interior

Farrow and Ball have launched 3 new designs inspired by the beauty of the Dorset countryside. For the first time they have included a large scale border - Feather Grass as shown here, is a superb wallpaper that will create a calming look in any room. Farrow and Ball, 124 - 126 Walcot Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 466 700

NOTES

FRITS HENNINGSEN’S SIGNATURE CHAIR

As the last piece of furniture Frits Henningsen designed and produced, the Signature Chair crowned his life’s work and consummated his legacy as one of Denmark’s greatest furniture designers. This is an undisputed classic, elegant, simple and one of the finest pieces of authentic Scandinavian furniture ever produced.

Available n a select range of fabrics and finishes.

Priced from £2,255 Visit Shannon for details 68 Walcot Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 424222 www.shannon-uk.com

NEW ARRIVALS

COLLECTABLE MAPS

A new and correct plan of Bath reduced from a recent survey. It is a coloured copperplate engraving, published in Bath in 1818 by J. Barratt and Son. This very detailed map shows the development of the city at this point, including many of the proposed plans for the area to the east of the river. It includes a gazetteer of 42 numbered major buildings. It is in good condition and costs £320 from Jonathan Potter’s new gallery in Margarets Buildings.. JP Maps. 5 Margarets Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP. Tel: 01225 3005735 www.jpmaps.co.uk

This month we take a look at some of the stylish new products and trends appearing in stores across the city BEN PENREATH DESIGNS Alternative Flooring have teamed up with Ben Penreath, one of the UK’s leading architectural and interior designers to create three new designs for their ever popular Quirky B carpet collection. Ben’s designs, while drawing on traditional and classic influences are rich in texture and are perfect for an English contemporary look. With a wonderful optical illusion of complex three dimensional patterns his designs are colourful, vivid and graceful. For more information on Alternative Flooring’s Quirky collection visit Avonvale Carpets, 37 Kingsmead Street, Kingsmead Square, Bath. Tel: 01225 427057

PINCKNEY GREEN WOODBURNERS The Charnwood C6 stove from Pinckney Green offers excellent warmth and efficiency and would complement either a contemporary or traditional interior.

This stove is also DEFRA-exempted allowing wood to be burnt in smoke controlled areas. £954 (inc VAT).

Pinckney Green. Tel: 0117 937 2555 www.pinckneygreen.co.uk

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01275 461 800 www.solarsense-uk.com

Lower Bills, Reduce Emissions & Generate Income with Solar PV Homes, Businesses, Farms & Communities

Return on Investment is now better than ever due to significant reductions in panel prices Call today or visit the Solarsense Technology Park to find out how to protect yourself against rising energy costs Average bill set to rise at least 50% by 2020 • South-West leading installer • Multi-Award winning • Test/Display products

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• Unparalleled experience • First Class after Care/support • Exceptional customer feedback

OCTOBER 2015

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MJ Finishes offer unique wall and floor finishes to transform any room.

Beton Cire is a polished concrete resin, which comes in a range of exciting colours. Beton Cire is totally waterproof, ideal for bathrooms, wetrooms and kitchens. No grout needed!

This durable product can transform dull rooms into stunning living spaces.

www.mjfinishes.co.uk • mjfinishes@gmail.com

20,000 10,000 10,000 copies every month

visitors per month

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LIGHTING SPECIALIST 8 BATH STREET, FROME. TEL: 01 373473555 WWW.FIATLUX.CO.UK TUESDAY – FRIDAY 9.30AM – 5.30PM, SATURDAY 9.30AM – 5.00PM

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OCTOBER 2015

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OPEN | GARDENS OPEN| GARDENS

ONE LAST HURRAH

Jane Moore is determined to hang on to the colours of summer for as long as the dahlias keep blooming

E

xtolling the virtues of autumn colour in October almost goes without saying but it’s actually all about the end, the death of the season, the onset of winter. It’s that last great explosion of colour and joy before the leaves finally fall, abandoning us to our winter landscape of bare trees and twigs for the next three or even four months.

As last hurrahs go it can be truly splendid but it is inevitably the start of the drear, dank, long, long months of winter.

Like many of us, I’ve become increasingly keen to put off the inevitable march of time, in the sphere of gardening at least. To this end I find myself doing my utmost to keep the summer season going for as long as possible. Planting late flowering perennials such as rudbeckia, echinacea and asters does wonders for eking out the colour into September and even early October in a good year. But the real winners, the biggest bloomers with the utmost sheer flower power are undoubtedly the dahlias. If asters are a top notch technical face cream then dahlias are Botox; where asters are the subtle draping of a classy dress, dahlias are exuberantly Vivienne Westwood, unashamedly bold, bright and as breezy as can be. They may be a bit of a fiddle but I can’t think of another plant that gives so much, flowering non-stop from July until November with no loss of enthusiasm whatsoever.

Aren’t they difficult?

Well yes, they do require a bit of TLC but I operate a set of scales when it comes to fiddle-factor: on one side I weigh up the amount of love required against the amount of ‘wow’ attained.

Most plants don’t make it past year one but dahlias have become a permanent fixture.

The fiddle is all at the beginning really as they are incredibly attractive to slugs as they’re getting going in the late spring. Get them through this tricky phase in April/May/June with regular applications of your anti slug stuff of choice, and you’re laughing. At the Priory we find they also need the odd treatment for the rest of the season to keep them looking good but they’re nowhere near as troublesome as hostas.

Like many herbaceous plants, they will need staking to stop them flopping and regular deadheading too. But what puts most people off, including me for a few years, is the fact that they need lifting every winter. In milder, dryer 98 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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gardens you can get away with leaving them in the ground as long as you remember to start slug treating in the spring. We lift nearly all of ours, potting them up and keeping them dry and frost free for the winter. In the spring we move them into the greenhouse and simply start watering them, pinching out the new growth to make the plants bushy and then planting them out in June. See, it’s not that much fiddle.

Where to plant them?

Lots of us have visions of the gaudy, frilly dahlias so beloved of flower show exhibitors but in reality there are so many varieties that there is bound to be something to appeal. They range from small pompom blooms to starry cactus types and the colours vary from purest white to deep, dark reds and purples and anything in between. I tend towards the

LATE BLOOMING: main picture, liquid amber and dahlia Bracken Lorelei in the autumn sunshine at the Priory Below, Gryson’s Yellow Spider

warmer colours of reds, oranges and yellows because those are the shades that blend with late summer and autumnal tints. We dot groups of three towards the front of mixed borders where we can keep an eye on them or plant them en masse in a sunny spot.

What to plant with them?

There are few things that dahlias don’t go with. They look great with early flowering shrubs like philadelphus and deutzia which act as a backdrop while they make lively accompaniments to herbaceous plants such as bold persicaria, dainty sanguisorba and vibrant crocosmia. Dahlias excel themselves with grasses which soften their brilliant colours and add height and substance to all sorts of annuals.

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OPEN | GARDENS

BRIGHT AND CHEERFUL: left to right, Doris Day, Jescot Julie and Roxy

My top five It’s not easy to pick my favourite few as it’s often a case of different dahlias for different circumstances. Even so there are those that I turn to first when it comes to placing them, those that instantly pop into my head in glorious Technicolour and those that do such a good job of brightening the garden that I can’t imagine life without them.

Top of my ‘can’t live without’ list is Doris Day, a cactus flowered vision of the richest scarlet that manages to be vibrant without being brassy, just like its namesake.

A new-found love is the beautifully

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behaved Jescot Julie, a lovely burnt orange with that lovely two-tone thing on the petals that dahlias do so well. It grows so very neatly and is almost dainty although it’s definitely not delicate.

I bought Roxy originally as a one-off space-filler about seven years ago and have replanted it every year since – it’s such a good doer. It never needs staking, has lovely purple foliage and the jolliest bright pink- magenta single flowers which the bees love. It’s not for the faint hearted as it is bright but does a brilliant job livening up a dull border some distance away from the house where it

appears bright rather than brash.

Bracken Lorelei is much more subtle but still brilliantly colourful with twotone flowers of soft yellow delicately stained with a rusty brown. It might not sound great but it is a beauty, tall and statuesque and very elegant.

My deputy Anna tells me my list isn’t complete without mentioning Gryson’s Yellow Spider. This stalwart has become a regular fixture with its large citrus yellow blooms adding vibrancy and excitement in our borders. n Jane Moore is the award-winning head gardener at the Bath Priory Hotel.

She writes regularly for the Telegraph

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Electricians

Gardening

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

House & Home

Acupuncture for Fertility, support alongside IVF, Pregnancy and Womens Health.

RHS Silver Medal winner 2012 • Award winning Garden Design • • Expert planting • • All aspects of Garden Construction •

Holly Woodward (MBAcC, Reg Nurse) is an experienced fertility acupuncturist, having worked for leading fertility expert Zita West.

• Attention to detail • Reliability of service • • Highly experienced •

Mob: 07967 078 058 Tel: 01225 789990

Call Holly on 07759 684552 Address: The Practice Rooms, 26 Upper Borough Walls.

Situated above ‘Lush’.

E: holly.woodward@yahoo.co.uk W: www.hollywoodward.co.uk

www.bretthardylandscape.co.uk ONEMAGAZINEONECITYONEMONTH

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

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Aromatherapy Deep Tissue Massage Japanese Cosmo Facelift Reflexology/Facial reflexology For more information, please visit:

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07739 827186

07787870841 / 01225445605

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Bored of feeling Anxious?

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ONEMAGAZINEONECITYONEMONTH

Pritchard PIF SEPT 15.qxp_PIF Full Page 22/09/2015 17:29 Page 85

PROPERTY | HOMEPAGE

I

t is believed that there has been a mill on this site since The Domesday book and during the 13th and 14th centuries The Mill House served Hinton Charterhouse Priory. The present Grade II listed house dates from the 17th century and was working commercially until 1959. The house is set on the banks of the Wellow Brook and has riparian rights and also the potential to restore the mill wheel for electricity generation.

The interior retains many period features including spectacular exposed beams, beautiful fireplaces and charming recessed windows. The spacious accommodation is arranged over three floors with access to the adjoining mill from the ground and first floors. On the ground floor there is a large entrance hall, a drawing room and sitting room, wine cellar, bathroom, bespoke fitted kitchen with Aga and a breakfast room with views over the mill chase. On the first floor are two double bedrooms and a bespoke family bathroom. There are two further double bedrooms on the second floor. The former mill is also over four floors and offers potential for a variety of uses subject to consents. Opposite The Mill House is The Wagon House which offers garaging for two cars. There is ample additional parking in front of the property. The beautiful gardens offer excellent opportunities for trout fishing; there are lawned areas, and a terrace for al fresco dining. At the end of the main garden a footbridge leads to ‘The Island’ which has been maintained as a natural habitat. The Mill House has a ‘story book’ quality and its location and facilities offer a potentially magical family home set among beautiful countryside yet within easy reach of the city amenities.Viewing is highly recommended and can be arranged with agents Pritchards.

THE MILL HOUSE MIDFORD, NR BATH

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

Price: £1,000,000

WWW.THEBATHMAG.CO.UK

• Waterfront property • Four double bedrooms, two bathrooms • Attached mill with potential to convert • Fishing rights and potential to generate electricity • Bespoke kitchen and family bathroom

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pritchards-bath.co.uk

S AG ALE RE ED

LE SA EED R AG

Winifreds Lane, Lansdown A spacious split level detached bungalow, on the market for the first time since 1964, the property offers tremendous scope for potential development/refurbishment subject to necessary consents.

• 4 double bedrooms, 2 en suite, bathroom • Study/bed 5, 2 receptions, kitchen/breakfast room • Double garage with utility/boiler room & parking • Attractive gardens, store & workshop. Swimming pool • House 2152 sq ft/200 sq m. Outbuildings 663 sq ft/61 sq m.

Offers In Excess Of: £1,350,000

Beechen Cliff Road An attractive Grade II Listed Regency townhouse, circa 1830, enjoying a peaceful tucked away position close to Bear Flat amenities and less than a mile from Bath Spa station and centre of Bath.

• 4 bedrooms, bathroom & shower room • Sitting room, dining room, study, kitchen/breakfast room & conservatory • Small cellar • Wonderful mature gardens to front & rear • Double garage & further single garage • Internal house area (excl cellar): 2306 sq.ft (214 sq.m)

Offers In Excess Of: £1,000,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Freshford An impressive 3 bed link detached family home situated in this thriving village within easy walking distance of the well regarded primary school, superb village stores/cafe. Railway station & pub also within easy reach.

• 3 bedrooms, cloakroom, bathroom & shower room • Sitting room, dining room & kitchen • Front & rear gardens, parking & garaging • Floor area approx incl garage. 1411 sq ft (131 sq m) • No onward chain • View to rear as illustrated in smaller image

Guide Price: £675,000

Yomede Park, Newbridge A fine 3 bed 1920s detached chalet bungalow in a small select “no through road” on the popular western fringes of the city with well presented and versatile accommodation.

• 3 bedrooms, bathroom & en suite shower • Sitting room, kitchen, dining room, study • Attractive landscaped gardens to the front & rear • A rare example of a property with an easy level approach without steps • Single garage and ample driveway parking • Internal area: 1852 sq ft/172 sq m • EPC RATING E

Guide Price £625,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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pritchardsapartments.co.uk

S AG ALE RE ED

S AG ALE RE ED

Palladian, Victoria Bridge Road

Park Street

An outstanding beautifully presented top floor penthouse apartment forming part of the Riverside development built in 2012 with panoramic views of Bath & beyond.

A well proportioned, recently refurbished top floor apartment with outlook over The Approach Golf Course.

• 2 bedrooms with the master en suite, family bathroom • Impressive open plan kitchen/living/dining room • Utility & large balcony • Communal garden • One underground parking space • Lift, fibre optic cabling & underfloor heating • Internal area: 1083 sq ft/100.6 sq m

• 2 double bedrooms & bathroom • Good sized sitting room, kitchen & hallway • Well located off the popular St James's Square & easy reach to City Centre • Total approx floor area 852 sq ft/79.1 sq m

Price: £499,500

Offers In Excess Of £325,000

Sydney Road

Saltford

A beautifully presented, 2nd floor apartment with a charming outlook. Ideally situated within a short walk of the city centre with a garage & off road parking.

A spacious & particularly well presented top (2nd floor) flat forming part of a small impressive development standing in large attractive communal gardens well placed for both Bath & Bristol.

• 2 double bedrooms, bathroom & en suite shower room • Sitting/dining room & well fitted kitchen • Large attractive communal lawned gardens, communal bin & bike stores • 2 private allocated parking spaces & visitors parking • Internal area: 887 sq ft/82.4 sq m • NO LIFT

• Recently refurbished throughout • 2 bedrooms • Open plan kitchen/living room • Garage and parking • Pleasant outlook across Sydney Gardens • Internal floor area approx. 709 sq ft (65.8 sq m.)

Guide Price: £325,000 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Price: £264,500 Tel: 01225 466 225

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PRITCHARDS Thinking of selling your property in Bath?

We have got it down to a fine art.

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB | T 01225 466225 | pritchards-bath.co.uk

Selling property since 1785

Pritchards and Pritchards Apartments are pleased to be co-sponsoring The Prince’s Trust Evening of Art Auction on Thursday 8th October 2015 at the Assembly Rooms, Bath.

The Apartment Co - Oct.qxp_Layout 1 23/09/2015 11:43 Page 1

Why use a video tour to sell your apartment?

NASH & CO Estate Agents

Peter Greatorex, managing director of The apartment Company discusses the virtures of making a video your property

A

t the Apartment Company our video tours have become an extremely popular trend amongst our clients looking to sell their homes. Those clients who have requested video tours have had a notable increase in their online property listings views and engagement, by up to 25% in many cases! As well as the tried and tested ‘traditional’ services, we also understand the necessity of embracing the digital age.

It's widely known that homes on the market with videos get a greater click through rate on portals such as Rightmove, but why are online video tours taking the Bath property market by storm in particular?

Autumn Property Evenings • Wednesday 14th October • Thursday 19th November

Our top 5 reasons to use video to successfully sell your home this autumn:

Where:

1. Cover All Bases By uploading your property onto Youtube and sharing it through Facebook and Twitter we are covering all bases, attracting the interest of as many potential buyers as possible.

George Street, Bath, BA1 2ED What time: Between 5.00pm and 9.00pm

2. Access All Areas Video (done well) can give potential buyers a real insight and ‘flow’ of the property before the initial viewing, which a photograph simply cannot convey. Sellers can literally have the world at their fingertips, as video provides potential to attract buyers from anywhere around the world too.

Get no obligation advice from the following local professionals;

3. Time Saver For the many millions of house-hunters who just don’t have the time to fit property viewings into their busy schedules, a video tour is a real blessing.

4. Stand Out Besides being able to clearly see how many views the video tour has had, the agents Youtube rating and subscription popularity, by using correct keywords and text specific to your target audience your estate agent can really make your property stand out from the crowd.

5. Avoid Time Wasters

• Independent Mortgage Advisor • Solicitor

• The team at Nash and Co estate agents If you would like to know more or register for an

Whilst increasing the amount of physical viewings, at The Apartment Company we've found that video tours drastically reduce the number of time wasters attracted to your property listing.

Video Tours are proving to be one of the best tools at our disposal in our specialist toolbox. Don’t make your perfect buyer go around the houses; use an Apartment Company video tour instead! n

106 TheBATHMagazine

Offices of Nash & Co, 2 Princes Buildings,

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OCTOBeR 2015

appointment please contact;

By email: duncan@nashandcobath.co.uk or call

01225 444800

Marlborough Buildings An impressive three bedroom apartment occupying the top two floors of a Grade II Listed former Georgian townhouse, accessed through elegant communal hallways and an impressive staircase. The apartment benefits from a roof terrace with breath-taking views over the world-renowned Royal Crescent.

Rent: £1,800 pcm* entrance hall | dining area | light and spacious living room | contemporary fitted kitchen | 2 good-sized double bedrooms | beautiful bathroom | third single bedroom in the loft space | a private roof terrace | stunning 360° views over Bath and the Royal Crescent Reside Bath | 24 Barton Street Bath BA1 1HG | T 01225 445 777 | E info@residebath.co.uk | W www.residebath.co.uk

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

RESIDE October.indd 1

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Lullington

£3,750 pcm

Walcot Street

£2,250 pcm

A true rural retreat. New Court Park Farm is a well presented five bedroom contemporary family home with the added benefit of a two bedroom annexe. This fabulous property is perfect for all you passionate equestrians. Paddocks available by negotiation.

Immediately available.

If you seek privacy plus the day to day city living. You may consider this property which is positioned over looking the River Avon, where you can relax on either the lower balcony or the private roof terrace. Briefly comprising two bedrooms, two bathrooms plus fantastic open plan living space with a private garage.

Broadmoor

Batheaston

£1,350 pcm

Where city truly meets Country. Aldermead is a furnished three bedroom detached coach house on the western outskirts of the city. Offering peace and tranquillity with panoramic countryside views. The M4 is easily accessible from Landsdown Lane.

Available November.

Bath Office

Lettings 01225 458546 | Sales. 01225 459817

Hamptons Letting October.indd 1

£3,000 pcm

Hillside House is a splendid detached period family home, originally built circa 1900’s and has been thoughtfully extended in recent years, situated over three floors the property boasts five bedrooms and two luxury bathrooms plus wonderful living space inside & out, private manicured gardens and off street parking for several cars.

Bath Office

32 Gay Street, Bath, Somerset BA1 2NT Sales. 01225 738923 email@hamptons-int.com Lettings. 01225 458546 emaillettings@hamptons-int.com

21/09/2015 16:33

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Jeremy Jenkins October.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2015 09:14 Page 1

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NASH & CO

The Garden House, Bath

£650,000

Built by Juniper homes, this unique and wonderful detached mews style new build home is nestled in the popular village of Larkhall. Located to the rear of a substantial Georgian family home the property offers private and secluded living and is built to a very high standard and specification. Accommodation includes; entrance hallway, downstairs cloakroom, utility, kitchen/dining room, study and lounge with bi-fold patio doors to two sides under a sedum roof.

On the first floor there are 3 bedrooms and a family bathroom with sanitary-ware by Villeroy and Bosch, the master bedroom has an en-suite shower. Outside there is ample parking for 3-4 cars and landscaped gardens.

£440,000 • 3 Bedrooms semi detached • Rear garden • Perfect family home • Off Street Parking • No chain

● ● ● ●

3 bedroom detached ● Light and airy Under floor heating ● Mews style setting Off street parking and landscape garden Kitchen with Neff integrated units

Weston, Bath

Set in a quiet setting in the Leas area of Weston, this delightful 3 bedroom semi will prove a popular property. Manor Park provides easy access to both Weston Village and Chelsea Road, both of which offer an array of local amenities from supermarkets to chemists..The property itself has the potential to be a lovely family home. With regards to schools, Newbridge primary school and St. Mary’s RC primary school are both situated nearby as is Oldfield Academy,

enquiries@nashandcobath.co.uk 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2ED

Tel: 01225 444 800

.co.uk

fidelisinbath.co.uk GUILDPROPERTY.CO.UK

£730,000 Bloomfield Road Newly Constructed Architect Designed 4 Bedroom Family Home in Desirable Residential Location Living/Dining Room | Kitchen | Large Hall | 4 Double Bedrooms (2 En-suite) | Family Bathroom | Double Garage | Eco Heat Pump | Underfloor Heating | Feature Spiral Staircase | Landscaped Gardens | EPC Rating: C

£430,000 Thornbank Place A Licensed HMO let out for the 15/16 Academic year producing a rent of circa £25,000 Sitting Room | Six Bedrooms | Kitchen | Bathroom | Shower Room | Cloakroom | Utility | Parking Spaces | Gas Heating | Double Glazing | EPC Rating: D

Proud sponsors of Beechen Cliff School Fidelis October.indd 1

21/09/2015 16:31

01225 421000

Fidelis

£282,000 Norton St Philip A Beautifully Restored Three Storey Character Cottage in a Sought After Village Location Sitting Room | Dining Room | Kitchen | Two Double Bedrooms | Bathroom | Chain Free | EPC Rating: D

£285,000 Wells Road – First Floor Flat A Upper Maisonette Forming Part of an Impressive Terrace, Within Walking Distance of the City Hall | Sitting Room | Kitchen/Diner | Three Double Bedrooms (One With En-Suite) | Loft Storage | Bathroom | Period Features | Stunning City Views | Gardens | EPC Rating: E

Thinking of Selling in 2015?

Fidelis October.indd 2

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SUMMER LANE, COMBE DOWN - £1,500,000 An individual detached country house built in the early part of the 20th century to a distinctive ‘Arts and Crafts’ style. Situated in extensive grounds totalling almost ¾ of an acre, the property is deemed to be unique and is strongly recommended by the owner’s agent. This lovely property offers accommodation on two floors and has a distinct, comfortable and timeless, traditional style.

Hall, drawing room, study, cloakroom, kitchen, dining room with veranda, 4 double bedrooms, bathroom, auxiliary store room and further upstairs cloakroom. Beautiful and substantial, landscaped gardens and double garage, with additional parking spaces. Approximate gross internal floor area: 2,395 square feet / 222 square metres.

k Mar r o l y a N

01225 422 224 www.mark-naylor.com

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LONGFELLOW AVENUE - ÂŁ595,000 A large Edwardian terraced home that offers four bedroomed accommodation, a range of period features and a convenient city location.

Attractively presented throughout, this house has accommodation over three levels. It is equipped with gas central heating and is thought by the owner’s agent to be the ideal larger family home.

Hall, sitting room, dining room, breakfast room, kitchen, cloakroom, 3 first floor bedrooms and bathroom. Attic/master bedroom with en-suite shower room. Pretty gardens. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,590 square feet / 148 square metres.

k Mar r o l y a N

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Claverton Down Road, Bath

Guide Price £2,000,000

A handsome detached period residence situated just past the peak of the fashionable Bathwick Hill and moments away from the university. The house benefits from period features from the era as well as well proportioned, light and airy rooms. Within gardens of one acre and including a one bedroom cottage this is a superb family home with excellent access down to the city centre and Bath Spa Station. EPC: E

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5 Bedrooms 4 Reception Rooms Detached Period Home 2 Miles From The City One Acre Level Garden Detached Cottage

Bath Office

Sales. 01225 459817 | Lettings 01225 458546

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Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Lyncombe Vale Road, Bath An 18th Century Grade II Listed former farmhouse which has evolved over the centuries to become an attractive four bedroom family home with pleasant gardens and just a walk down to the station. Arranged across just three floors and providing three reception rooms and two studies this really is a lovely home. EPC: Listed

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Guide Price £1,200,000 • • • • • •

4/5 Bedrooms 3 Reception Rooms 1/2 Studies Grade II Listed Gardens and Views Walk Into Town

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KELSTON, Mill Farm

guide price ÂŁ950,000

Grade II listed Victorian stone detached property located in the desirable village of Kelston. Comprises four bedrooms, en-suite bathroom and family bathroom, sitting room, family room, breakfast room, kitchen and barn and pleasant gardens overlooking fields.

EPC Rating: Exempt

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UNDER OFFER

NETTLETON, The Tynings

guide price ÂŁ899,000

Stylish, light, spacious property built of oak and stone in 2006 on the edge of desirable Nettleton village. Comprising open plan kitchen/dining room/sitting room, four bedrooms, three en-suite, family bathroom, garden room, garage, attractive garden..

EPC Rating: C

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Marlborough Street

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£750,000 Royal Crescent

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£700,000 Claverton Lodge

OIEO

£575,000

Modern kitchen • Four double bedrooms • Private entrance • Beautifully presented • Balcony - with view • Light and airy • Holiday lets permitted • Approx. 1,563 Sq Ft

Grade II listed • Georgian • Top floor apartment • Maisonette • Three double bedrooms • Beautifully presented • Period features • Views • Prestigious location

Grade II listed Georgian apartment Ground floor • Allocated parking space • Private terrace • Oak flooring • Separate entrance • Approx 1173 Sq Ft

Stunning four bedroom apartment with the benefit of its own front door and a balcony offering picturesque views.

Located over two floors, we are offering a superb three bedroom apartment in the Royal Crescent.

A beautifully presented apartment with its own private entrance and a wrap around terrace perfect for alfresco dining.

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Cavendish Place

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£535,000 Great Pulteney Street

OIEO

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£525,000 Portland Place

OIEO

£420,000

Grade I listed • Georgian apartment • Lower ground floor • Courtyard • Large sitting room • Well presented • Two bedrooms • Prestigious address

Grade I listed • Georgian • Ground floor • Beautifully presented • Quality kitchen • Two double bedrooms • Two luxury bathrooms • Prestigious address

Grade II listed • Georgian • Second floor apartment • Two bedroom • Well presented • Stunning views • Allocated parking space • City centre location

Situated on the lower ground floor with a lovely rear courtyard and large living areas.

Offering well presented accommodation with two bedrooms on the ground floor of a Georgian Townhouse.

Spacious and well presented apartment offering two bedrooms with a wealth of period features.

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Lansdown Place West

OIEO

£360,000 Berkeley Court

Grade II listed • Georgian • Lower ground floor • Stylish kitchen • One bedroom • Occasiona • second bedroom/Study • Courtyard • Private vaults

OIEO

LD

£345,000 Grosvenor Place

Modern building • Second floor apartment • Kitchen • Bright Sitting room • Two double bedrooms • Communal garden • Garage • Visitors parking

This property benefits from a variety of unique features, Superb opportunity to purchase a two bedroom including its own private front door, private vaults, and a apartment with a garage and a communal garden. delightful courtyard.

The Apartment Company October.indd 2

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OIEO

£280,000

Grade II Listed • Georgian Apartment • Two double bedrooms • Large Kitchen • Modern Bathroom • Bright and spacious • Newly fitted carpets

A fantastic opportunity to purchase a two bedroom apartment located on the top floor of a Georgian building.

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Selling & Letting Bath’s finest apartments

Park Street

OIEO £525,000

Grade II listed Georgian Two bedrooms Spacious living Delightful garden Modern kitchen • Luxury bathroom • Highly recommended • No chain •

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A fabulous two bedroom garden apartment located in a prime position - just off St. James’s Square. The apartment has spacious accommodation that comprises: large reception hall, cloakroom, sitting room with feature fireplace and twin sash windows overlooking the garden, modern fitted kitchen, two large double bedrooms, utility room and a luxury bathroom. The apartment is presented in excellent decorative order and also has the advantage of its own front door. A rare opportunity - early viewing is highly recommended.

Portland Place

OIEO £475,000

Grade II listed • Georgian • Ground floor apartment • Two double bedrooms Study • Large entrance hall • Terrace • Conservatory • Own front door

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A rare opportunity to purchase a marvellous and unique property located on the ground floor of a Georgian townhouse in Portland Place. Formerly two separate apartments, the property is now a large two-bedroom apartment on two levels. From the large and light entrance hall, steps lead up to a spacious sitting-room with doors out onto the rear, southfacing terrace with a conservatory. To the left of the sitting-room is a fitted kitchen with ample space for a dining table. With two double bedrooms at the front of the property, one with an en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, this property is definitely one to please!

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Bennett Street

£1,175 pcm Old Walcot School

£1,050 pcm

Top floor apartment • Two double bedrooms • No pets • Fabulous views • Central location • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available October 28th 2015

Two doubles • study/bedroom • Council Tax Band D • No Pets • Parking - Central zone permit • Furnished • Agency fees £350 plus vat • Available September 12th 2015

Grade II listed Georgian two double bedroom apartment in favoured location.

Spacious and modern second floor apartment, offering two double bedrooms and a study/third bedroom.

Grosvenor Place

£995 pcm Kensington Place

£750 pcm

Two double bedrooms • Grade I listed • Off street parking • Council Tax Band B • No pets allowed • No children • Part furnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available now

One double bedroom • Second floor apartment • Council Tax Band B • On street Parking • No pets • Suit professional couple or person • Unfurnished • Agency fees £350+vat • Available Now

Conveniently situated and nicely presented Grade 1 Georgian Apartment.

Georgian refurbished one bedroom unfurnished apartment with on street parking.

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Somerset Place An exquisite restored Grade I listed Georgian townhouse situated in one of Bath’s finest locations

| entrance hall | cloakroom | drawing room | withdrawing room | dining room | kitchen | cinema/media room (potential bedroom 5) | utility room with shower room | 4 bedrooms | family bathroom | shower room | front and rear courtyards | communal gated gardens | Guide Price: £1,800,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Wellow A tucked away detached 5 bedroom family home, set in one of the most sought-after villages in the Bath area

| drawing room | dining room | sitting room | kitchen/breakfast room | utility/wet room | master bedroom with en suite shower room | guest bedroom with en suite shower room | 3 further bedrooms | family bathroom | double garage | delightful garden | Guide Price: ÂŁ895,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Claverton Down A detached well-presented house in this highly sought-after location

| garden room | entrance hall | sitting room | dining room | kitchen | breakfast room | study | utility room | cloakroom | master bedroom with bathroom en suite | 3 further bedrooms | family bathroom | integral garage | gardens | parking | Offers in excess of ÂŁ650,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Woolverton A beautifully presented Grade II listed family home set in lovely grounds in this popular village

| entrance hall | kitchen/dining room | utility room | cloakroom | study | sitting room | reception room/bedroom 4 | master bedroom with en suite shower room | 2 further first floor bedrooms | bathroom | attic room | driveway parking for numerous cars | double garage | beautiful gardens | Offer in excess of ÂŁ600,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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