The Bath Magazine Jun 2011

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£3.00 where sold

THEBATHMAGAZINE ISSUE 105 • JUNE 2011

MIDSUMM ER

NOW AVAILABLE ON iPAD

F C U R I L C L

Image: First Touch by Nigel Hall 2004. Polished wood sculpture, 60cms x 78cms x 24cms.

On show at the Quest Gallery, Bath

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BATH www.thebathmagazine.co.uk

FESTIVAL WALK Enjoy the venues with our special themed walk

MAD JACK Lord Byron’s crazy parents

FACE THE MUSIC Burlesque performer Gemma Lye

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS A round up of great events and things to do

LE

EATING OUT The Crown at Bathford

ISLAND GETAWAY Taking a break on Lundy

GARDENS Jane Moore goes potty with pots

INTERIORS A sympathetic renovation of a Bath house

and

TOWN COUNTRY

PROPERTY

The most desirable homes in and around Bath

COMPETITION Win a vintage Champagne experience

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

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JuN 18 6 TALK OF THE TOWN News and views from the city

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BIGWIG Our columnist opens his garden to the public – with interesting results

10 MIDSUMMER MAGIC Indulge yourself with some retail therapy

12 FACE THE MUSIC Mick Ringham meets Bath-based burlesque artist Gemma Lye

14 FASHION We pick our favourite accessories for summer

19 SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS Don’t miss out on this season’s festivals, community events and top entertainment

26 WHAT’S ON From John Cleese in stand-up to Fringe Festival fun – if it’s worth seeing in Bath it’s in our guide

34 ART & EXHIBITIONS Who’s showing what and where this month

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38 FROM THE ARCHIVE The strange tale of the poet Byron’s parents and the family’s turbulent times in Bath

42 BUSINESS NEWS Celebrating new appointments and success stories from Bath’s commercial world

46 FESTIVAL WALK Andrew Swift has devised a seven-venue tour through the city’s historic hotspots

48 FAMILY FUN Entertain the children with story time, art workshops and a new gardening club

66 INTERIORS A Bath home created with love and filled with vintage detail

71 OPEN GARDENS Visit the gardens open in aid of Dorothy House

72 GARDENING Brighten up your plot with pots – plus this month’s National Open Gardens news

79 PROPERTY Our bumper property section starts here.

53 TAKE A BREAK Why Lundy Island is the perfect get-away-from-it-all retreat

56 RESTAURANT REVIEW We visit The Crown at Bathford, which has been transformed into a bistro pub

58 FOOD & DRINK The latest places to eat, drink and be merry

60 FIT & FABULOUS Top tips on preparing your toes for summer

ON THE COVER Circular sculpture by Nigel Hall, currently on show at the Quest Gallery

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EDITOR’Sletter

W

e’re fast approaching the longest day of the year and I always feel we should make the most of the extra hours of daylight by spending more time outside.

There’s still time to join in the fun of the Bath Fringe Festival, which runs until Sunday 12 June and offers something for all tastes. I’m tempted to wheel out my trusty bike to join the Sky Ride cycling event on the streets around Royal Victoria Park on Sunday 5 June and plan to enjoy a wander around the Bedlam Fair around Kingmead Square with its street performers, art fair and buskers on the same day. If you’re out and about, take a stroll down to the Rec during the fringe festival and enjoy the sight of the historic Spiegeltent which arrives each year like a veritable Tardis of entertainment.

You can pick up a fringe programme from the former Officers Club shop opposite the Pump Rooms so you don’t miss out on an array of diverse entertainments – which include a Charleston and cake tea party, a gathering of classic American cars with some live rock’n’roll, and a series of open-air performances of Henry Fielding’s 18th century romp Tom Jones in the Botanical Gardens.

Our June issue offers plenty of ideas for you to make the most of the long summer days and light evenings. Andrew Swift offers a detailed guided walk around seven historic venues in the city centre (page 46), which will entertain visitors but make locals think too, while on our foodie pages we’ve got some suggestions for venues old and new for eating out.

Barbara White tells the story of the poet Byron’s parents on page 38. I think it only fair to describe them as a dysfunctional family and to conclude that it’s no wonder he grew up to become, er, how shall we say, a little eccentric?

Add to the mix our ever dependable What’s On section, a round-up of exhibitions in the city’s galleries, things to do with the children, and an overview of all sorts of days out, festivals and community gatherings in Bath and beyond this summer, and we hope The Bath Magazine will be your good companion in the weeks and months to come.

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

THEBATHMAGAZINE Editor Email: Tel:

Georgette McCready georgette@thebathmagazine.co.uk 01225 424499

Deputy Editor Email:

Samantha Ewart sam@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contributors

Jane Moore, Mick Ringham, Nichola Owen, Andrew Swift, Barbara White

Production Manager Jeff Osborne Email: production@thebathmagazine.co.uk Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos stevem@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Contact the Advertising Sales team on 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 and are completely independent of all other local publications.

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TALKofthe TOWN

My Cultural Life

BOOK OF THE MONTH Review by Valerie Ferguson

Smut: Two Unseemly Stories written and read by Alan Bennett Available as four CDs or a download from AudioGO, visit: www.audiogo.co.uk

These entertaining short stories explore the unconventional beneath the mundane existence of middle-class suburban life. Full of Bennett’s customary sharp wit, humanity and brilliant talent for dialogue and observation, they gently draw the listener into a recognisable but disconcerting world in which the characters’ actions can surprise and amuse. The Greening of Mrs Donaldson describes the protagonist’s heroic efforts as a mock patient used to train medical students about diagnosis, and her increasingly bizarre relationship with her young lodgers, while The Shielding of Mrs Forbes reveals comedic escapades and unusual predilections in various bedrooms, as well as the constant need for role playing to maintain appearances and avoid conflict in our relationships.

AudioGO is offering CD sets of The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett to the first five readers who send a postcard marked Bennett to The Bath Magazine, 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED. Please remember to include your name and address on the postcard.

This month we ask Wendy Matthews and Steve Henwood, organisers of the Bath Fringe Festival What’s on your MP3 player?

The excitement is in-tent

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little piece of history comes to Bath every summer from a pretelevision era when a travelling circus or music hall arriving in your home town was a really big deal. The Spiegeltent – offically the Palais de Glaces – with its splendid domed ceiling and opulent plush and glass interior, is on Bath Rec for just ten days (until Sunday 5 June) as part of the Bath Fringe Festival.

While there is plenty of entertainment going on inside the tent, including some very glamorous sounding burlesque, there is also the SpiegelGarden outside. It’s the perfect spot for an after work or shopping visit as there will be free early evening entertainment and the chance to enjoy supper. Soul Food is the caterer for the Spiegeltent and its menu includes tapas, with small dishes from £5.

THEBATHMAGAZINE 2 Princes Buildings George Street Bath BA1 2ED Telephone: 01225 424499 Fax: 01225 426677 www.thebathmagazine.co.uk © MC Publishing Ltd 2011 Every month The Bath Magazine is circulated free to over 20,000 selected homes and businesses in Bath and the surrounding areas.

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

NEWS IN BRIEF Get to know your neighbourhood If you’ve never stuck your head inside St Swithin’s Church on the Paragon, it’s worth taking time on a Wednesday between 11am – 3pm for a look at the beautiful Georgian interior where they’ve preserved historic headstones of people including Fanny Burney and photographs of the old streets where Hedgemead Park now stands. The poet Byron’s parents were married here too – see page 38 for our feature on his errant father and his tempremental mother.

The story of the Great Comet Two hundred years ago a comet burned brightly through the skies, watched by people over a period of several weeks.

Some feared it would be a portent of the end of the world, others, like astronomer William Herschel, took a more scientific approach. Bath’s own Herschel Museum opens its new Caroline Lucretia Gallery on 30 June for a new exhibition, Ice, Dust and Fire: the Story of the Great Comet of 2011, which will make fascinating viewing.

Choir elects new president Leonard Pearcey has been appointed as the new president of the historic Bath Choral Society, replacing Ian Dewey, who has retired after 16 years in the post.

Leonard was musical director of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama until 2003, then director of the Merton Festival and has carved a career as a producer and presenter. Bath Choral Society has a major concert in Bath Abbey on Saturday 25 June.

Porthleven Holiday Cottages Published by MC Publishing Limited Printed by PCP Limited 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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In our May issue the website address for Porthleven Holiday Cottages was incorrect. The correct website address is www.porthlevenholidaycottages.co.uk.

We don’t have them. Journeys and the like are a chance to think clearly without constant phone calls. We do play music in the office – on Spotify and Grooveshark as well as music from the constant stream of people wanting a gig – recent favourites include: Aethenor, and the Yarol Herman Trio (he’s on at Brecon Jazz and his latest is called Follow the White Rabbit, very appropriate.)

Which book are you reading?

Steve: Just finished House of Leaves

by Mark Z. Danielewski. Getting my breath back. It’s a bit of a serious undertaking. Wendy: Re-reading Armadillo by William Boyd.

Which cafe or restaurant takes your fancy?

We’ll have a really good restaurant at The Spiegeltent on the Rec this year, run by the people who do Clifton Lido and The Glass Boat in Bristol.

We’re both really into tapas and haven’t tried La Perla the new place on South Parade yet.

Which museum or gallery will you be visiting?

The Octagon for Nick Cudworth and Matthew Zuckerman’s special shows.

And FAB Bath Fringe Visual Arts at the Officers’ Club, of course – looks like a good one this year.

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

The Fringe connects with many of our passions, that’s why we do it – it’s certainly not for the money. Street theatre is one of our major interests, we both go to other festivals to see street theatre and music, so it’s nice to get some here. Wendy: Gardening if I get a moment. Steve: Checking out new bands at the Fringe PopUp series at Green Park Tavern. I’m fanatical about music and addicted to hearing new things.

Bath Fringe, 27 May – 12 June, visit: wwwbathfringe.co.uk.

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International gathering expected Bath is to host its first vintage dolls collectors’ fair and convention at the Lansdown Grove Hotel over the weekend of 18 and 19 June. The event has been organised by Bath-based dollmakers Lynne and Michael Roche and has attracted bookings from collectors as far and wide as Russia, France, the US and Germany. Guest speaker on the Saturday night dinner is Barbara Sapdaccini-Day, former curator of the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. The dolls fair, which is open to visitors on the Sunday from 10.30am (£5 entry), will feature antique dolls and modern artist dolls as well as accessories and bears too.

Annie lifts that workplace tension Every workplace should have someone who comes in, soothes the workers with a smile and then eases away their aches and pains from tired shoulders, necks and backs. In the States and on the Continent, on-site massages are a regular part of working life and now several enlightened Bath companies are already signed up for regular visits from Re:treat.

The Bath Magazine recently enjoyed a visit from Re:treat’s own Annie Lindridge, who brought her lightweight professional massage chair into the office and proceeded to give everyone a one-to-one gentle massage. Without exception, after 20 minutes under her expert hands, we all felt less stressed and physically perked up.

Annie, who has more than 12 years experience, can deliver massage therapy at her home sanctuary or in the workplace. She charges £40 an hour and can be contacted on tel: 01225 830881 or 07886 087 041.

■ You know it’s June in Bath when you see groups of men and women huddled together in Queen Square looking earnestly at a scattering of silver balls on the gravel. This year’s Bath Boules tournament takes place over the weekend of 18 and 19 June and is sponsored by Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Passers-by will be able to watch 64 teams battle it out for the title Bath Boules Champions.

Before you start mocking the outrageous French accents among the players, some of them really are French. . .

Last year’s tournament saw £11,500 raised for local charities, so we say more power to the boules players’ elbows.

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NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

By Bigwig

GARDEN GATE

gossip W

e opened our garden to the public the other day. We being me and the other tenants of the ancient pile that we are proud to call home. It’s not an immaculate garden, but spectacularly huge and a real hidden gem between two major traffic arteries. And we have the tallest tulip tree in England don’t you know.

“Why, I never knew this was here!” was the universal cry. ‘Well, I should think not, it’s private and it’s ours,’ murmured Mrs D as we sat sipping pink fizz on her patio, trying to spot potential burglars casing the joint amongst the modestly attired, slightly tweedy mostly middle-aged visitors.

We didn’t identify any latter-day Raffles I hasten to add.

My downstairs neighbours made an amazing array of cakes and displayed them in their kitchen window. Bill looked absolutely worn out from serving teas all day, but raised several hundred pounds for water purification kits for the third world. I am ashamed to say that after several glasses of the fizz I didn’t do a lot to help, but with the aid of Google I was able to pontificate from the swing seat on Mrs D’s terrace on the subject of tulip trees. National tree of Oregon apparently.

The thing is, the open day got accidentally listed on the National Gardens scheme on the internet. It was almost a flash-mob, so many people turned up. But once they got over the fact that it wasn’t Chatsworth I think they enjoyed our extensive lawns, pitted though they are with badger excavations, and our beautiful flowering shrubs. Though our fabulous giant poppy decided not to bloom until exactly one day later. Typical!

My granny, ever the opportunist if ❝ there was a bit of brass to be made, took to sitting outside in an old Windsor chair looking like the sweetest of old dears

❞

Many years ago my family lived in an idyllic thatched cottage in a country lane in deepest Essex. There was only one variety of plant on display, a brilliant white alpine that took over the entire garden in May and June, making the cottage look as though it was balanced on a huge snowdrift. It became quite an attraction, and tourist coaches would briefly disgorge hordes of Americans eager to savour little old England at its best.

My granny, ever the opportunist if there was a bit of brass to be made, took to sitting outside in an old Windsor chair looking like the sweetest of old dears (which she most definitely wasn’t…rather she was the mother-inlaw from hell at whose head my mum once aimed her best antique jug).

Unknown to us, Nana was charging to have her photo taken. She got her come-uppance though. One day we heard blood-curdling yells from the front garden and ran round the house to see what disaster had occurred.

The Windsor chair had collapsed mid-pose, depositing granny upsidedown into the snowy flowerbed, leaving an open mouthed and astonished group of ladies from New Jersey staring at her fully exposed and copious satin bloomers and wrinkly stockings. Mum and Dad were out at the time, but luckily the coach driver was a sturdy fellow and he helped extricate the ever-protesting old lady from the herbage and into our kitchen for a reviving cup of her favourite Camp coffee.

I often wonder if in some dusty album across the pond there is a puzzling black and white photograph of a ye olde postcard-pretty thatched cottage with a pair of Nora Batty type legs inexplicably sticking out of the flower bed. Come to think of it, if I wait long enough, it’s bound to turn up on the internet. ■ WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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CITYshopping

Summertime and wearing dresses is easy – especially when they’re as floaty and pretty as this floral off-theshoulder dress from Traffic People, Milsom Place, £120

Welcome guests on summer’s evenings by lighting their way with lanterns down the garden path, round the porch and in the windows. Luma in Milsom Place has a varied collection, which includes, etched glass lanterns, from £6.95, and, bottom, tea light holders in different sizes, from £12.95

The annual, much-awaited Bloomsbury end of line sale takes place at the New Oriel Hall in Larkhall on Tuesday 14 June from 9am to 4pm. Bargains will include these pretty Paul Smith Cucchio Tan peep-toe shoes, which were £175 and will be on sale at £69.95

MIDSUMMER

magic

We’ve picked a few of our favourite things in store in Bath this month There’s something about a sharpdressed man that always impresses.

Marc Wallace, which has its only branch outside London here in George Street, Bath, has launched its new range of menswear. The inspiration comes from retro toys and graphic design of the late 60s and 70s. Suit jackets are shorter, with one or two buttons and a single vent.

Trousers are flat-fronted with a narrow leg. Made to measure suits are from £695.

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FOR DADS The lovely chaps at My Small World have hit the nail on the head when it comes to boys and their toys, and we are reliably informed that this brilliant solid wooden workbench is as big a hit with the Dads as it is with the creative sons and daughters. On Father’s Day (Sunday 19 June), if you can’t find them, the boys will be in the shed. Workbench £74.95 From My Small World, 18 Little Southgate (between Debenhams and Boots) tel: 01225 938338 or visit: www.mysmallworld.co.uk

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OUR EXCLUSIVE LINGERIE & SWIMWEAR BRANDS INCLUDE: Hannah Dulcie Lingerie, bespoke and limited edition collections • Stella McCartney Lingerie • Myla • Mimi Holliday • Bordelle • Lascivious • Nichole de Carle • La Perla • Studio La Perla • Damaris • Fleur of England • Princesse tam.tam • Elle Macpherson Intimates 50% OFF JUNE SALE Join us in store for our ongoing June sale with up to 50% off selected brands.

We’ll be offering our customers Champagne and Chocolates each weekend in June to celebrate new collections from La Perla, Stella McCartney, Mimi Holliday and Elle Macpherson, including Bridal ranges.

Shop online at:

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to Bath & local area residents for June WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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FACEtheMUSIC

KNOCK ME DOWN

with a feather Mick Ringham meets burlesque artiste Gemma Lye to talk about life in the spotlight. She picks the music that means the most to her

GLAMOUR: burlesque artist Gemma Lye wearing a dress from Deadly is the Female in Frome, visit:www.deadlyisthefemale.com Picture by Marko Dutka

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FACEtheMUSIC

BLONDE ON BLONDES: top, left to right: Madonna Like A Prayer, Blondie Parallel Lines and Nirvana Nevermind

E

motions are running high, the theatre lights dim, the band strikes up and a single spot picks out the sparkle of sequin and a splash of colour centre stage, on cue the audience starts to cheer. And there in the spotlight is Gemma Lye, burlesque artist and promoter.

So how did Gemma find her way into this very specialised field of entertainment? Originally from South Wales, she moved to Australia with her parents and enjoyed childhood in sunny Melbourne. After leaving high school in 2006 Gemma returned to the UK, not knowing how long she was going to stay.

She settled in the west country and, as she had seen a few burlesque revues back in Melbourne, decided to try her hand at promoting a cabaret show at a small pub in Bath. During this time Gemma had been training as an artist in her own right, under her stage name Geisha Go Disco. She explains: “I’d spent a fortune on costumes, feather fans etc. as well as rehearsal space, it’s really not an inexpensive hobby. However, I was lucky enough to get a part-time job, so I eventually managed to get a return on my investment.” After many successful gigs, she teamed up with London-based burlesque artist Fifi Fatale to produce a bigger and more polished revue, Coco Boudoir. Two years on and the shows are a constant sell-out.

It’s not surprising that some critics suggest the term burlesque, is just another word for stripping.

“That really does annoy me,” says Gemma firmly, “what we’re talking about here is a celebration of sensuality, talented and specialist artists in the true theatrical sense.”

She talks passionately about her profession and her conversation is sprinkled with fabulous names of artists she admires, larger than life characters, such as Vicky Butterfly, Poppy Von Tarte and Beatrix Von Bourbon. Gemma has now established her own burlesque agency, booking performers throughout the country.

That aside and as a result of the growing fascination in burlesque – thanks to high profile practitioners of the art, such as Dita von Teese and the recent movie Burlesque starring Christina Aguilera, this year has seen her starting to host hen parties and workshops with fellow performer Lily Belle.

Gemma says: “They really help women find their inner confidence. I meet a lot of women of all shapes and sizes, who come out of their shell.”

At the end of a busy night in the limelight and after costumes and props have been packed in their cases, surely this lady of burlesque heads for the nearest trendy nightclub?

“I’m not a party girl anymore. I get so hungry after a gig, it’s straight to the nearest take-away for a really nasty burger, then back home to my boyfriend and a nice cup of tea.”

Gemma’s top ten: ● Blondie Parallel Lines I found this in my dad’s vinyl collection decades ago and just loved it. Debbie Harry transcended rock, pop and punk. It was through Blondie I became interested in the writings and artwork of Andy Warhol and it was about this time that his superstar, crew of outcasts came on the scene and influenced my style.

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● John Kander & Fred Ebb Chicago, the soundtrack Back to school for this track. I was part of the performance crowd there and we loved anything super-dramatic, In fact I still do. The lyrics they wrote for this piece are so clever and risqué. ● Hole Live Through This Courtney Love is a huge inspiration to me. I sang and played guitar with punk bands in Melbourne at a place called the rock’n’roll high school. It was a place for girls to learn to play instruments and rehearse. Those were really fun days and when the ‘school’ closed down I bought a huge 1970s amplifier from there and had it shipped to the UK. It holds a lot of memories. ● Zarah Leander Mein Leben Fur Liebe My singing teacher Francesca Best introduced me to this German singer from the 1940s. She has an incredible deep voice and exceptional diction, truly a role model for aspiring singers.

She’s up there with Edith Piaf and Shirley Bassey. ● Nirvana Nevermind The drums and vocals on this record just blow me away. It’s one of those albums that attract kids to start playing guitar. Bands such as these live by the old punk ethic, that is to say, you can do almost anything with whatever little you have and you don’t need to spend thousands on musical equipment to make an impact. ● Madonna Like a Prayer This is the first record I went out and bought, so has lots of memories for me of growing up in Australia. Madonna is a talented artist as well as being a great businesswoman. It’s hard to pick just one album as I love them all. ● 10cc How Dare You Another one from my Dad’s collection. It has the coolest photograph on the inside sleeve of everyone seemingly tangled up in phone wires. Album artwork designed to accompany music is something you just can’t get from downloads. This record has great tempo changes and vocal style. The track I Wanna Rule The World was definitely written for me. ● My Ruin Ghosts and Stories The only metal piece I’ve put in this list. The band are from Hollywood and their singer Tairrie B Murphy is a massive inspiration to me. I’ve met her a few times and she’s tiny in stature compared to her huge voice. The band also have an amazing work ethic. I have been following them now for over a decade and love all their albums, this being the latest. ● Depeche Mode Exciter I’m properly a Goth at heart and choosing this record represents a lot of new romantic and 80s music, with all the dramatic imagery that went with it. I absolutely love dancing to Depeche Mode and would dearly love to see them live someday. ● Queen Greatest Hits II Freddie Mercury was the ultimate front man with the best voice ever. He was a true entertainer and an icon to so many people.

The picture of Queen in drag was a significant image for me and that’s why I chose this album. I believe you shouldn’t stop playing with costumes and characters, just do your own thing and don’t worry what people think. ■ Coco Boudoir can be seen in cabaret at The Chapel Arts Centre, Bath on Saturday 25 June, visit www.houseofgodisco.com JUNE 2011

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SEASONALfashion

BY THE SEASIDE: colourful canvas tote bags, £125 each from Radley GOLD RUSH: gold tribal pendant. £240, Kara Ross at House of Fraser

STAY COOL: cotton and wood crochet fan, £8 from Urban Outfitters

A LONG hot SUMMER

GET THE LOOK: tortoiseshell sunglasses, £85; gold edged cuff, £75; lock bracelet, £65; bag, £230; silk shorts, £199; fishnet round shoulder jumper, £230, all from Jaeger

A LA MODE: black and gold aviator sunglasses, £18 by Linea at House of Fraser

Step out in style with these irresistible accessories that will make any outfit look on-trend

TURKISH DELIGHT: axle jewelled flat sandals, £85 from French Connection

EXOTIC CHIC: Martinique Dress, £110 from Monsoon

CLASSIC MEETS COLOUR: fashionable watch with a smooth leather strap and a shimmering mother-of-pearl dial. £169 from Thomas Sabo at Cabot Circus, Bristol SIZZLING HOT: underwired bandeau bikini with classic briefs.

Available in blue/black/cream stripe, £90 from Princesse tam.tam. at Hannah Dulcie, Milsom Place

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• Shown: Silver and Gold Bangles, handmade on our premises

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SUMMERhighlights

FESTIVALS EVENTS

THE SUMMER DIARY

JUNE IFORD FESTIVAL 10 JUNE – 13 AUGUST For further information and to book tickets, visit www.ifordarts.co.uk Another thrilling and varied season of exceptional opera, concerts and jazz comes to the beautiful Iford Manor, just outside Bath.

Throughout the festival three captivating operas will be performed – Hansel & Gretel in June, Don Giovanni in July and Rodelinda from the end of July through August. Iford is one of the loveliest places to enjoy opera as the Italianate Peto Garden provides an intimate setting staged in-the-round for an audience of 90. Popular and informal free-flowing jazz and two seated concerts complete this year’s festival. All events offer the chance to relax over a pre-show picnic and soak up the party atmosphere.

EAST ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL FRIDAY 10 – THURSDAY 23 JUNE For a full programme of events and to book tickets, contact the Little Theatre Cinema on tel: 0871 902 5735 or visit: www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/The_Little Take the chance to see a variety of East Asian films selected by the Museum of East Asian Art. Screenings will take place at the Little Theatre Cinema, Bath. With a variety of movies including family films, drama, horror and more from China, Japan, Korea, and beyond, there will be something for everyone.

WOMAD AT BRISTOL ZOO SATURDAY 11 JUNE, FROM 6PM For further information and to book tickets, visit www.bristolzoo.org.uk or tel: 0117 974 7300 Step into a world of music, arts and dance in a unique, vibrant evening at Bristol Zoo Gardens.

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Visitors to WOMAD – an internationally established festival – at Bristol Zoo can enjoy two stages offering some of the best in world music, as well as children’s workshops, stalls and entertainment. Acts already confirmed include Muntu Valdo of Cameroon, Rua Macmillan from Scotland and Siyaya of Zimbabwe.

BATH GUITAR FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY 15 – 22 JUNE

Bette/Cavett and Call Mr Robeson, while Sonia Sabri Company’s Kathakbox promises to be an incredible dance experience. And as ever, Corsham Fringe Festival offers the best in free street entertainment, including a performance by the Hot Potato Syncopators.

FESTIVAL OF NATURE SATURDAY 18 & SUNDAY 19 JUNE

For further information visit: www.igf.org.uk The Bath Guitar Festival returns with a diverse programme featuring the Brit-nominated singer songwriter Newton Faulkner headlining at The Forum on Wednesday 15 June. Newton’s 2007 debut Hand Built By Robots reached number one in the album charts selling over a million copies. Other festival highlights include flamenco legend Juan Martin, Cuban sensation Tomezclao in the UK to play Glastonbury, and Mississippi Swamp Blues one-man band Ben Prestage.

Events will take place in a variety of venues around the city, from The Forum and the Guildhall to The Pavilion and Chapel Arts Centre.

For further information visit: www.festivalofnature.org Once again Bristol will unleash its wild side as the Festival of Nature returns to the harbourside with loads of free and exciting activities from over 80 environmental organisations. The biggest event of its kind in the UK, the festival gives wildlife enthusiasts of all ages the opportunity to get up close with the natural world. There’ll be talks, workshops, storytelling, films and entertainment on offer, including free IMAX screenings at Bristol Aquarium. Other festival highlights include a sustainable living show and the bustling festival market packed with traders selling local produce from across the south west.

CORSHAM FESTIVAL 2011 SATURDAY 18 – SATURDAY 25 JUNE

FOODIES FESTIVAL FRIDAY 24 – SUNDAY 26 JUNE

For a full programme of events and to book tickets, visit: www.poundarts.org.uk or tel: 01249 701628 An eclectic eight-day festival bringing exciting performances, exhibitions and workshops to venues across the historic market town. This year’s programme is one of the most diverse yet featuring theatre, dance, family events and a terrific programme of world, classical, jazz and folk music. Musical highlights include authentic Croatian choral music from Klapa Motovun, and British jazz star Dennis Rollins’ Velocity Trio. Two internationally renowned theatre performances come to Corsham in the shape of

For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.foodiesfestival.com A showcase and celebration of the region’s finest food, drink and culinary talent held at the Bristol harbourside. Experience and learn about food and drink with top chefs who will cook up their favourite signature dishes live; enjoy hands-on cooking and tasting sessions; mix things up in a drinks masterclass; indulge in dishes from around the world in the restaurant village; browse the stalls in the taste market and sample and buy exclusive ingredients from producers.

The line-up of top chefs already includes Martin Blunos and Masterchef winner Matt Follas.

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SHAKESPEARE LIVE: HAMLET TUESDAY 5 – SATURDAY 9 JULY

JULY FLAVOURS OF THE WEST SATURDAY 2 & SUNDAY 3 JULY For further information visit: www.milsomplace.co.uk This friendly foodie gathering has the atmosphere of an artisan farmers’ market.

Located in the open courtyards of Milsom Place, it welcomes producers from the west country for a celebration of food and drink. Local celebrity baker, and food champion of the BBC Food & Farming Awards 2010 Richard Bertinet will be taking centre stage in the chef demonstrations and the line up for the Aga Range Master Cookery Theatre also includes Daily Telegraph cookery writer, Xanthe Clay and Rachel Demuth whose restaurant was named Best Vegetarian Restaurant in 2010 by Gourmet Britain and who, like Richard Bertinet, runs a cookery school in Bath. West country suppliers, including The Bath Pig, Fussels Fine Foods and The Thoughtful Bread Company will be on hand for tastings and tutorials and a range of beers and ciders will be available from Bath Ales, Bridge Farm Cider and Red Rock Brewery as well as wines from the Field Wine Bar, Quoins and Avalon Vineyards.

KEYNSHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL SUNDAY 3 JULY, NOON – 9.30PM For further information visit: www.keynshammusicfestival.co.uk Sup a pint, relax and while away the afternoon at this free event showcasing some of the best unsigned bands in the area with an emphasis on all things local. Taking place at the Keynsham Memorial Park, the festival will include four stages, a creative arena, delicious food, local ales and stalls to keep all generations entertained.

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For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.shakespearelive.com or tel: 01225 722987 This year the long-established group move to Lackham House, just north of Lacock, where the beautiful setting of the gardens and eighteenth century house act as a perfect backdrop for the play itself, and for the picnics beforehand – a traditional feature of the evenings. New director Rod Moor-Bardell has chosen to place Hamlet in 1920, just after the Great War, examining the contrast between the old, war-torn past, and the new, rebellious future. Tickets are available for all six performances which take place at 7.30pm each night and at 2pm on Saturday 9 July. The Friday and Saturday evening shows are gala nights, with tickets including pre-play entertainment.

FROME FESTIVAL FRIDAY 8 – SUNDAY 17 JULY For a full programme of events visit: www.fromefestival.co.uk With over 180 events, featuring comedy, visual arts, theatre, dance, workshops, walks, talks, and every musical genre, this year’s colourful programme is set to attract thousands of visitors to the town. Musical highlights requiring early booking include Irish folk singer Cara Dillon, singer-songwriter Sandi Thom, Mercury Music prize nominees Turin Brakes, world fusion pioneers Transglobal Underground, and festival favourites Praying for the Rain. As always, the festival features comedy, and this year John Shuttleworth, Lucy Porter, Jo Caulfield and Three Bonzos and a Piano, amongst others, will be supplying the laughs. One of Frome’s best kept secrets is that Pre-Raphaelite writer Christina Rossetti once lived and worked in the town which the festival celebrates with a

combined musical and literary event – the Amati String Quartet will share the stage with Tina Waller, narrating Rossetti’s letters and poems.

Events for families include Miracle Theatre’s outdoor family comedy The Death of Sherlock Holmes at the ECOS Amphitheatre and don’t miss the Outdoor Swimming Society’s Big Jump – a perfect opportunity to take a summer dip in the River Frome. This year’s visual arts programme is a kaleidoscope of exhibitions, collaborations, workshops and talks. A summer festival with many outdoor events, the fortnight sees none bigger than the famous Food Feast, mixing international music with global cuisines. Also pairing fine food with music are the Acoustic and Jazz Breakfasts, hosted by the Archangel, a new festival venue with rave reviews.

INTERNATIONAL AIR DAY SATURDAY 9 JULY For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.yeoviltonairday.co.uk RNAS Yeovilton will be celebrating 40 years since the first flight of the Lynx aircraft at this year’s International Air Day. An extensive flying and static display will take place to mark this significant anniversary with historic aircraft coming together with their modern counterparts to highlight the role that RNAS Yeovilton Squadrons have played, and continue to play. Air Day will also feature world class military aerobatic teams such as the RAF Red Arrows and the Royal Jordanian Falcons. The fast jet displays and helicopter displays are not to be missed and for the first time Team Viper will perform a formation display of classic Hunter jets. Throughout the day there will be plenty of entertainment on the ground for all the family including side shows, funfair, vintage, classic and military vehicles, service demonstrations, picnic areas, helicopter pleasure flights, simulator rides, trade stands and much more.

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LARMER TREE FESTIVAL WEDNESDAY 13 – SUNDAY 17 JULY To book tickets visit: www.larmertree.co.uk/tickets Larmer Tree Festival at Larmer Tree Gardens near Salisbury celebrates traditional folk music and world famous acts. It’s a festival that delivers high quality with a buzzing atmosphere and eccentric antics. Over 80 acts will perform on six stages alongside free workshops, awardwinning international comedians, quirky and unique street theatre and late night jam sessions.

This year’s line up includes Seasick Steve, Jools Holland and his rhythm and blues orchestra, Sandie Shaw, Imelda May, Ozomatli and Asian Dub Foundation.

BRISTOL COMEDY GARDEN WEDNESDAY 20 – SATURDAY 23 JULY For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.bristolcomedygarden.co.uk See comedy’s biggest and brightest stars perform in a garden-inspired festival set in Bristol’s Queen Square, which will be transformed into a comedy emporium. Bristol-born mega-star Russell Howard, Stephen K Amos, Ardal O’Hanlon, Shappi Khorsandi, Angelos Epithemiou, Sean Hughes, Stewart Francis and cult-hero Adam Buxton are just a few of the big name acts that will be bringing the laughter back – quite literally – to grassroots. Expect plenty of comedy off stage too with the hilariously groovy antics of Silent Disco. The original Dutch masters will be throwing an open-air danceathon once the comedy wraps up on Friday and Saturday night. The site will feature a whopping Big Top surrounded by a bar serving refreshing ales and quenching spirits, a selection of food stalls and an al fresco seating area. There’ll be live jazz as the sun comes down and roars of laughter as the lights go up. Don’t miss out on this fantastic series of shows designed to give you 22 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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the ultimate comedy experience.

STOURHEAD FIREWORKS SATURDAY 23 JULY, FROM 7.30PM To book tickets tel: 0844 249 1895 Take family and friends along to the National Trust’s Stourhead Gardens in Wiltshire to relax and enjoy the tranquillity of the world-famous landscape garden as dusk falls. This is a rare opportunity to see the Stourhead in a different light, with the lakeside temples illuminated and the garden transformed – take in the magic with a walk around the lake while the sun sets and find a spot for a picnic. The evening will end with a spectacular firework display – seeing the illuminated temples and fireworks reflected in the lake is a sight not to be missed.

WOMAD AT CHARLTON PARK THURSDAY 28 – SUNDAY 31 JULY For further information and to book tickets visit: www.womad.org This summer’s WOMAD Festival at Charlton Park, Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, welcomes soul legends and gypsy punks to the stage alongside performers from all over the world to celebrate all types of music. This year’s line-up includes: Afrocubism from Mali and Cuba, Booker T Jones from the USA, Ballake Cissokho & Vincent Segal from France and Mali, Lau from the UK and Samuel Yirga from Ethiopia, among many others.

BRISTOL HARBOUR FESTIVAL FRIDAY 29 – SUNDAY 31 JULY For further information visit: www.bristolharbourfestival.co.uk The south west’s biggest free cultural event celebrates its 40th anniversary along the city’s harbour with three days of fantastic live music, theatre, circus acts, dance stages and food stalls, while hundreds of historic and visiting boats sail

into the harbour. To mark this momentous occasion, the festival will include an additional week from Saturday 23 – Friday 29 July, during which the harbour will be animated with dragon boat races, strolling entertainment, music on boats and more. Many of the venues around the harbour will be putting on additional ticketed shows as part of the festival week and over the main festival weekend. So as the sun begins to set, festival-goers not quite ready to go home can head to one of the venues around the harbourside that will be continuing the live entertainment long into the night. Join the celebrations and enjoy a diverse festival of fun and entertainment.

AUGUST THE FESTIVAL OF BRITISH EVENTING FRIDAY 5 – SUNDAY 7 AUGUST For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.gatcombe-horse.co.uk or tel: 0843 208 7455 The Festival of British Eventing, presented by the British Equestrian Trade Association, takes place at Gatcombe Park, the spectacular home of HRH The Princess Royal. The festival incorporates the British Eventing Open Championship, one of the most coveted titles in the equestrian calendar; the Smith & Williamson British Intermediate Championship and the Dodson & Horrell British Novice Championship. As well as a weekend of top class eventing, there is also a packed programme of arena attractions and entertainment for all the family including the Shetland Pony Grand National and Ye olde Red Tail Falconry display team. And for those in need of a little retail therapy, there will be over 100 trade stands in three shopping areas.

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THE BATH FOLK FESTIVAL MONDAY 8 – SUNDAY 14 AUGUST For further information and a full programme of events visit: www.bathfestival.org This is the second year of The Bath Folk Festival which will once again be host to a series of concerts, informal sessions and a summer school for people to learn traditional music. Take the opportunity to learn to play the fiddle, button accordion, guitar, flute, tin whistle, Celtic harp or join in some Irish singing. There will be classes at different levels so if you are new to traditional music or an experienced player looking to hone your skills under the guidance of a master, this is a very worthwhile experience.

There will also be a four-day song writing course from singer and poet Aminah Hughes as well as storytelling and poetry events and workshops in English, French, Indian, and Senegalese music.

Join in the family picnic on Bath City Farm and the street party on St James Street.

BRISTOL BALLOON FIESTA THURSDAY 11 – SUNDAY 14 AUGUST For further information visit: www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk Over 100 balloons of all shapes and sizes are expected at this year’s event, providing a real spectacle as they take to the sky from Ashton Court. With mass hot air balloon ascents every morning and evening, the famous nightglows on both Thursday and Saturday evenings, arena and air displays, over 250 trade stands and caterers, and a variety of entertainments, it’s an event not to be missed.

BATH RACECOURSE LADIES DAY SATURDAY 20 AUGUST For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.bath-racecourse.co.uk Bath Racecourse’s 200th racing season climaxes on with the spectacular annual Ladies Day event.

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Racegoers can expect a more lavish affair than in previous years with the course going all out to impress and up the glamour stakes. There’ll be live music on the Champagne lawn and a Pimms village as well as the thrilling live racing to enjoy.

The course has also resurrected ‘The Somersetshire Stakes’; a race first run 188 years ago with a total £20,000 prize fund. After the races a compere will take the event into the evening; with live music to keep everyone entertained followed by a spectacular fireworks display.

TREEFEST FRIDAY 26 – MONDAY 29 AUGUST For further information and to book tickets visit: www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt-treefest Four days of fun are set to take over Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire as part of the new Treefest which incorporates the best of Westonbirt’s previous signature summer event, the Festival of the Tree, but with exciting new elements including camping, creative workshops and local live music. Traditional favourites, including wood carving demonstrations and craft sales will complement local food stalls, unique art creations and exhibitions, falconry displays and morris dancing alongside the live music to celebrate all that trees and nature inspire.

SEPTEMBER THE NATIONAL GARDENING SHOW FRIDAY 2 – SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.bathandwest.com Calling all gardening fans – The National Gardening Show, held at The Royal Bath & West Showground at Shepton Mallet, showcases the finest in autumn gardening, with advice from

experts and help on how to grow plants and vegetables. Highlights include a poultry show – ideal for those who are thinking about rearing hens – the National Dahlia Society Show, the UK National Giant Vegetables Championships, innovative gardening ideas, flower arranging, cider making in the showground’s apple orchards and a scarecrow competition for the kids.

BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF KITES & AIR CREATIONS SATURDAY 3 & SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER For further information visit: www.kite-festival.org.uk To celebrate the festival’s 25th anniversary, an action-packed aerial extravaganza will be wowing visitors at the Ashton Court Estate.

Featuring kite flyers from all around the world, the arena programmes will feature spectacular flying displays, kite fighting battles, synchronised routines to music, power kites and ground-based inflatables and air sculptures of all shapes and sizes. To add to the festive atmosphere there will also be play structures and children’s attractions, selected specialist kite traders, a licensed bar and an array of food and drink.

ORGANIC FOOD FESTIVAL SATURDAY 3 & SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER For further information and to book tickets, visit: www.organicfoodfestival.co.uk As part of the Soil Association’s Organic September, the Bristol harbourside will once again host Europe’s largest organic showcase event. Now in its 11th year, the festival celebrates the full spectrum of organic fare with hundreds of stalls selling delicious food and drink, clothes and beauty products. You will also get the chance to meet producers face-to-face, get tips on organic gardening and home design, watch inspiring cooking demos and sample food from some of the UK’s top chefs.

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ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

Come to

the fair!

International Test Polo At Beaufort Polo Club

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he Tomlinsons once again open their beautiful grounds, The Beaufort Polo Club, to all of Gloucestershire on both Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June 2011 with the Beaufort Country Fair. To help celebrate hosting one of only three international polo test matches in the UK, they will put on a magnificent two-day spectacular country fair, filled with family events For the price of your admission ticket, on Saturday 18th June you can watch the International Test Match; England Vs New Zealand and on Sunday 19th June you will

Fun-packed family ❝ weekend with world class polo thrown in!

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see the much admired Bernard Weatherill Charity match. Between chukkas, there is an opportunity to bask in the English sunshine and enjoy a range of country pursuits including top-class exhibits and spectator

events for the whole family. There is bungee trampoline, face painting, hamster balls, jazz

WIN ONE OF 10 FAMILY TICKETS TO THE BEAUFORT COUNTRY FAIR AND INTERNATIONAL POLO TEST MATCH ON SAT 18th JUNE 2011 For your chance to win one of ten family entrance tickets worth £25 each, to the Beaufort Country Fair and International Polo Test Match between England and New Zealand answer this question: What is the name of the family that lives at Beaufort Polo Club?

To enter simply email your answer and code: Bath Magazine 2011 to info@beaufortpoloevents.com. Competition closes 10th June 2011 One family entrance ticket admits two adults and two children to the Beaufort Polo Club on Saturday 18th June 2011. No substitutions will be made including no cash alternatives. The winners will be the first 10 entry’s selected at random from all correct entries received. Winners will be notified within one week of the closing date via email. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The winners must be willing to take part in post event publicity if necessary

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Polo and Papas. The perfect day out for Father’s Day

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band and a shopping village with 50 trade stands, plenty for all.

Don’t forget Sunday 19th June is Father’s day, and a perfect opportunity for the whole family to come along and watch the enormously popular Bernard Weatherill Charity Match in aid of charities for which the patrons are Prince William and Prince Harry. Perform a polo tradition at half time by joining Beaufort on the pitch to help ‘tread in’ and for that extra added touch why not treat Dad to a groundside picnic gazebo to celebrate the special day.

Beaufort Polo Club Country Fair 18th – 19th June 2011 International Polo Test Match: England Vs New Zealand Saturday 18th June 2011 10.30am Gate and Shopping Village open 10.30 – 3 pm Country Fair attractions and events 12.15pm Drinks Reception starts for Hospitality Guests 3.30pm England (Sponsored by Audi) v New Zealand 5.30pm England Ladies v Young England 8 pm Mahiki Coconut Party at the Beaufort Sponsored by Royal Salute. Tickets from ticketmaster.

Sunday 19th June 2011 10.30 Gates open 10.30 – 3 pm Country Fair attractions and events 12.15pm Drinks Reception starts for Hospitality Guests 3.30pm Bernard Weatherill Cup Entrance tickets from just £10 per adult and £5 per child Please call 01666 880510 for more details enquiries@beaufortpoloclub.co.uk • www.beaufortpoloevents.com

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Chukkas Away!

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he Beaufort Polo Club, near Tetbury, is run by the Tomlinson family – a polo dynasty in their own right. Claire Tomlinson was the highest ever rated woman player at 5 goals and her eldest son Luke is the England Captain. His brother Mark is an England regular and her daughter Emma combines both a career as a professional whilst running a highly successful vetinerary practice.

The Club was revived by the Tomlinsons in 1989 and now attracts top international players to its grounds. The Club has over 70 playing members and a full programme of tournaments from grass roots to high goal level from late April to mid September.

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Hosting one of only three full England International matches in the UK, Beaufort Polo Club will see England will take on New Zealand on Saturday 18th June. In anticipation of the International match, England regular and polo’s “Golden boy” Mark Tomlinson, 28, gives us an insight in to playing at the highest level.

“I am most proud of playing for England. For any sports person being chosen to represent your county is the ultimate accolade. I started playing with them in 2005 and since then we have won both the Gold Cup and Queens Cup. I am also incredibly proud of winning the Copa Miles in Argentina. I have a handicap of 7 and play in position number 2, which is a primarily a defensive one. It’s often described as the engine room of the team; it’s certainly not the glory position! It requires a sense of sacrifice and an unselfish approach.”

Growing up in a polo club must have made it easy for you to make the leap from amateur to professional sportsman. “I was 5 or 6 when I started to play and I never looked back. We were fortunate to have the club on our doorstep and my parents bred horses so it was a way of life for us. My parents were hugely influential in my career. Both are celebrated polo players in their own right and all of my siblings have played at the top level.”

Does that mean there is competitive sibling rivalry between you and your bother and sister?

“Luke is five years older than me and we mostly play together in a team rather than against each other so actually it’s more comradely than competitive. If we were to play against each other I’m sure there would be some banter…”

Polo can appear to an outsider to be somewhat elitist do you have any tips on how to get started and what’s really involved. “The sport is played by Royalty, millionaires and now billionaires and this will always attract headlines. Its takes all kind of players to make a team and it is surprisingly inexpensive to get involved with polo at a beginners or spectator level. I’m sure most people would be taken

aback to know that you can watch polo from as little as £5 per car for the whole day, which is extraordinary value. At Beaufort Polo Club we are really keen to encourage participation at every level which is why we purposefully keep the price low. I would definitely encourage everyone to go down to their local polo club and have a go. At Beaufort we run sessions for beginners so it’s easy to get started.”

Beaufort Polo Club, Down Farm, Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire GL8 8QW Tel: 01666 880510. Visit www.beaufortpoloclub.co.uk

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COMEDY legend

The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 June, Tuesday – Wednesday, 7.30pm; Thursday – Saturday, 8pm; matinees: Wednesday & Saturday, 2.30pm High in the mountains of Galway lives a lonely spinster, Maureen, and her devilishly manipulative mother, Mag. Maureen longs for the romance that will spirit her away. After a sell-out run at the Young Vic last year, this first major revival of Martin McDonagh’s multi award-winning black comedy now tours with Rosaleen Linehan reprising her highly acclaimed performance as Mag. Directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins, Rosaleen Linehan is joined by the brilliant Derbhle Crotty, from Notes on a Scandal, as the long-suffering Maureen.

Martin McDonagh’s work includes the Olivier Award-winning The Pillowman, Oscarwinning Six Shooter and the BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning hit In Bruges.

An Evening with John Cleese, Tuesday 28 June – Saturday 2 July, Tuesday – Saturday, 7.30pm

An Evening with John Cleese at the Theatre Royal

T HEAT RE ROYAL Sawclose, Bath. Box office tel: 01225 448844. www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Hamlet, Monday 6 – Saturday 11 June, Monday – Wednesday, 7.30pm; Thursday – Saturday, 8pm; matinees: Wednesday and Saturday, 2.30pm After its hugely successful first visit to the Theatre Royal with The Merry Wives of Windsor in December 2010, the worldrenowned Globe Theatre returns to Bath with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, prior to playing in Elsinore itself. Learning of the king his father’s death, Hamlet comes home to find his uncle married to his mother and installed on the Danish throne. At night, the ghost of the old king demands that Hamlet avenge his murder and so follows a story of political intrigue, sexual obsession, philosophical reflection, violence, tragedy and humour. Performed on an Elizabethan-inspired stage, this is a raw, thrillingly elemental production.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkling family musical continues to enjoy huge success across the country with standing ovations at every performance. Retelling the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers and the coat of many colours, this magical musical is full of unforgettable songs including Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door To Me and One More Angel. Keith Jack, the popular runner-up who finished just a hair’s breadth behind winner Lee Mead in the hit BBC series Any Dream Will Do, takes on the title role, having won the hearts of the nation with his sparkling charisma and sensational singing voice.

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■ The Peter Hall Company returns to the

Theatre Royal Bath on Thursday 7 July until Saturday 3 September for its eighth annual residency. Four productions will be offered, all reflecting aspects of England at war, with Henry IV parts 1 & 2, The Happy Breed, and The Madness of George III. Tickets now on sale.

T HE US TINOV T HEAT RE Monmouth Street, Bath. Box office tel: 01225 448844. www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Pedestrian, Friday 3 and Saturday 4 June, 8pm Fresh from a sell-out run at Edinburgh Fringe 2010, this brand new solo performance from highly-acclaimed Bristol-based performer and writer Tom Wainwright combines finely-tuned physical storytelling, breathtaking animation, a cinematic fishbowl, and an epic journey from a never-ending pedestrianised shopping precinct to the gates of heaven and back pursued by a giant fish.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Tuesday 14 – Sunday 19 June, Tuesday – Thursday, 7.30pm; Wednesday & Thursday, 2.30pm; Friday, 5pm & 8pm; Saturday, 2.30pm & 8pm; Sunday, 1pm & 4pm Having enjoyed sensational reviews, Bill Kenwright’s production of Tim Rice and

One of the UK’s favourite comedians of all time, John Cleese comes to the Theatre Royal as part of his first ever UK tour. Best known for his idiosyncratic turns in Monty Python’s Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers, John will bring his unique comedic perspective to audiences across the UK. From writing to starring in plays, musicals, theatrical and comedy productions, to films and sitcoms, Cleese has done it all, and now it’s time for him to tell you about his jam-packed life.

Keith Jack stars in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Bound, Friday 17 June, 8pm Bound is the multi-award-winning story of six

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trawlermen from Devon as they embark on one final voyage. Compelled by the threat of bankruptcy, fishing trawler The Violet is forced out into treacherous weather, where the men must battle against each other’s egos, their lives ashore and a relentless storm. Will they lose more than a way of life? Bound’s haul of awards includes Fringe First, Herald Angel, NSDF and Methuen Drama Emerging Artists Competition and the Holden Street Theatres Award.

Life Savings, Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 June, 7.30pm; matinee: Saturday, 2.30pm Where would you go if you could live a moment of your life all over again? Would you change things, or leave them as they were?

And when do we choose to look back at the things we had, rather than forward at the things we still desire...? Two writers, two directors and two casts, one older, one younger, respond to Allen Ahlberg’s magical tale about an enchanting adventure. Life Savings is part of The Living Project, celebrating diverse experiences and perspectives on ageing and generational change in the 21st century, supported by Theatre Royal Bath’s ENGAGE programme.

British women that were left behind. A powerful production full of swing dance, friendship, love, laughter, tea parties and airraid shelters.

Water’s Not So Thick, Sunday 12 – Sunday 19 June, 8pm This fantastic piece of writing by Gill Kirk finally gets its first professional production having been selected by both Bristol Tobacco Factory and The Ustinov’s script-in-handreading programmes. Rupert and Rebecca are trying to get married. The fly in the ointment is his mother. As this dark comedy-drama unfolds, extreme maternal instinct meets the desire to live a normal married life and the results are messy indeed.

The Happy Couple, Friday 24 June, 8pm This show from New Old Friends deals with a relationship: not a broken one, a dark one, an abusive or adulterous one, but a nice one.

Between two people who love each other. They love each other at the start and all the way through to the end, but there is comedy to be had along the way in the things we do to our other halves. A work in progress.

The Happy Couple

An Instinct for Kindness, Monday 27 & Tuesday 28 June, 8pm In these exclusive preview performances of his new solo show, Chris Larner recounts the true story of his terminally-ill ex-wife to the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland. In this powerful, bitter-sweet and sometimes comic performance, Chris explores both the profound personal ramifications and the wider ethical issues that surround the contentious topic of assisted suicide. Chris is an acclaimed writer and composer whose credits include extensive work with legendary double-act The Right Size. He is directed by David Benson, who is familiar to Ustinov Studio audiences for his own one-man performances.

T HE R ONDO THEAT RE Saint Saviour’s Road, Bath. Box office tel: 01225 463362. www.rondotheatre.co.uk

Pick & Mix: A Cabaret, Saturday 4 June, 8pm Following the huge success of the gap-filling Pick & Mix last season, Rondo favourites New Old Friends are back with another eclectic hectic evening of good times. Enjoy an evening of mad-cap whirlwind sketches from the ever-engaging hosts.

Fighter Boys, Thursday 9 – Saturday 11 June, 8pm A devised piece based on the novel by Patrick Bishop. Britain in the 1940s: World War II is raging. The men are fighting and risking their lives at the front, but what lies ahead for the women back home? Fighter Boys paints an emotional picture of what life was like for the

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M ISSI ON THE ATR E 32 Corn Street, Bath. For all ticket information contact the theatre on tel: 01225 428600 or visit: www.missiontheatre.co.uk

The Roses of Eyam, Wednesday 1 – Saturday 4 June, 7.30pm; matinee: Saturday, 2.30pm A remarkable and true story of a Derbyshire village stricken with the great plague through the arrival from London of a box of clothing.

The villagers chose to isolate themselves to prevent it spreading and this decision provides a chilling backdrop to this most moving of plays. Presented by Zenith Youth Theatre.

The Pirates of Penzance, Friday 10 – Saturday 11 June, 7.30pm White Horse Opera brings this famous Gilbert and Sullivan operetta to The Mission Theatre for the first time. The swashbuckling adventures of the Pirates combined with the plodding policemen, the wonderful Model of a Modern Major General and poor young Frederic’s love for the beautiful Mabel ensure this is a show to be enjoyed by all the family.

Table by the Window, Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 June, 7.30pm In the dining room of the Beauregard Private Hotel, Bournemouth, visiting guest Anne Shankland is finishing dinner. When hotel proprietress Pat Cooper shows in resident John Malcolm to sit at a separate table, Anne is instantly alert. As the evening and the following day unfold it becomes clear that despite John’s current liaison with Pat, a passionate undercurrent from the past linking him with Anne is still very much alive. Next Stage is making its first foray into Terence Rattigan’s with this acclaimed piece. A theatre supper event.

WILT SHIR E M USIC C ENT RE The Marriage of Figaro, Saturday 25 June, 7.30pm Arguably, Mozart’s most popular opera – a comedy of manners, with pathos, humour and misunderstandings. Performed with wit and sparkle by Bath Opera, who will also be putting on performances at Crowe Hall, Widcombe Hill, on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 June at 8pm.

Timing, Wednesday 29 June – Saturday 2 July, 8pm Timing is the first play by impressionist, actor and writer Alistair McGowan and, as you’d expect, it’s a comedy. When Julian Mann goes to work one morning to record a sat-nav commercial, little does he expect to working along-side his ex. She's not just any ex either – she’s the woman who captured his heart, shared his life for five years then left him and hasn’t spoken to him since.

Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon. Tickets from the box office on tel: 01225 8600100 www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk

Bath Opera double bill: Porgy and Bess/Candide, Saturday 18 June, 7.30pm Fresh from their recent highly acclaimed stage production of Verdi’s Luisa Miller the considerable forces of bathOpera are turned to a double bill of Gershwin and Bernstein. This performance will be repeated at St Swithin’s, Bath on Friday 1 July at 7.30pm. For tickets, contact Bath Box Office.

THE WR OUGHTO N THE ATRE King Edward’s School, North Road, Bath.

Box office tel: 01225 400295

Bath Gilbert and Sullivan Society presents the Yeomen of the Guard, Wednesday 1 – Saturday 4 June, 7.30pm Love triangles abound in this tale of intrigue and betrayal set against the imposing backdrop of the Tower of London.

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WHAT’Son M U SI C B ATH ABB EY

R O O K L A N E A RT S

Abbey Church Yard, Bath. Tickets from Bath Festivals Box Office on tel: 01225 463362

Bath Street, Frome. Box office tel: 01373 472709

Mozart Requiem, Saturday 25 June, 7.30pm

Teatime Concert Series: Tyburn String Quartet, Sunday 5 June, 6pm

Bath Choral Society perform Mozart’s Requiem and Exultate Jubilate and Lauridsen’s Lux Aeterna.

The Tyburn String Quartet came together in their second year at the Royal Academy of Music. It has performed extensively around the UK at venues including the Royal Opera House and Royal Festival Hall.

K ING SWOOD SCHO OL T HEATR E Lansdown Road, Bath. Tickets £10 from tel: 01225 734212.

Music and Words for a Summer’s Evening, Saturday 18 June, 7.30pm A musical evening with Lucy and Marcus Sealy and Jean Crowther in aid of Open Arms Infant House in Malawi.

AM E RIC AN M USE UM IN B ATH Claverton Manor, Combe Down, Bath. Tickets from Bath Box Office on tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

Hooray for Hollywood, Saturday 2 July, 8pm The American Museum and Bath Philharmonia have teamed up to present this very special, outdoor concert to celebrate the Museum’s 50th anniversary. The programme includes favourites from Hollywood classics such as The King & I, West Side Story, ET, and The Sound of Music. Bring a few chairs and a picnic to enjoy an evening of unforgettable music under the stars.

Enchanting singersongwriter Martha Tilston was blessed with a gloriously clear and seductively beautiful voice.

Weaving her magic spell over listeners wherever she plays – from the concert hall to the campfire, from folk clubs to main festival stages – she is a rare musical gem.

W I D CO M BE BA P T I S T C H U RC H Widcombe, Bath.

Summer Concert by A Handful of Singers, Saturday 18 June, 7pm

S T S T E P H E N ’ S C H U R CH Lansdown, Bath. Tickets £10, including a drink, from the Bath Festivals Box Office on tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.bathfestivals.org.uk

Chippenham, Wiltshire. Tickets £10 from tel: 01249 657727

Summer Gala Concert, Sunday 12 June, 3pm

Music for a Summer’s Evening, Saturday 11 June, 7pm

Stentorphon Opera is holding its Summer Gala concert in association with the Friends of St Stephens. Showcasing the singers and musicians featured in the 2011 season, the programme will include favourite arias and ensembles by Mozart, Puccini, Bellini, Wagner, Verdi, Gershwin and Humperdinck.

At this year’s Opera Sulis summer concert, world famous soprano Susan Coates and tenor Carlos Alonso will perform a delightful programme of operatic hits accompanied by concert pianist Nick Goodall.

Broad Street, Bath. Tickets £13, including an Indian vegetarian meal, from tel: 01225 460095 or email Mr P Nandi on: maspkn@gmail.com

Classical Indian Music, Sunday 5 June, 7pm – 10pm A recital by Partho Sarothy on Sarod accompanied by Sanjay Jhalla on Tabla. A concert in memory of Mr Nandu Kamat, senior lecturer at Bath University and pioneer organiser of Indian classical concerts in Bath since the 1970s. All profits to be donated to the Japanese tsunami appeal.

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Friday 27 May – Sunday 12 June

Martha Tilston, Thursday 16 June, 7.30pm

A Handful of Singers, one of Bath’s leading chamber choirs, is joined by Widcombe CofE Junior School for a programme that includes lighter pieces suitable for a summer evening.

S T M IC HAEL’S C HUR CH

BATH FRINGE FESTIVAL

T H E C A U S E M U S I C A RT S C E N T RE

W ILTSHI RE M USIC CE NTR E Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon. Tickets from the box office on tel: 01225 8600100 www.wiltshiremusic.org.uk

Piaf, Friday 17 June, 8pm Passionate and sometimes heartrending, the music of Edith Piaf touched many around the world. Nearly fifty years after her death, she remains an icon of French cabaret. Joined by two superb musicians, the French singer Eve Loiseau’s powerful renditions of Piaf’s songs hold the key to that visceral, unforgettable, earth shaking voice and the evening is interlaced with dramatic insights into Piaf’s life – anything but La Vie en Rose.

B

ath Fringe is a 17-Day festival of all the artforms found (and some that don't have names yet) in Bath. You’ll find some 170-odd events, performers from around the world and from next door, in places from the Spiegeltent and to the secret rooms of Bath, to the streets and cafés and all the city’s best venues. There’s something for everyone. Highlights include: The Spiegeltent – Lounge at your ease in the wood, glass and plush splendour of a booth in the Spiegeltent located at the far corner of the Rec, which makes for the best sunny Spiegelgarden experience. The Spiegeltent is the best intimate in-the-round audience experience in the city for music and comedy, and it’s got a huge dancefloor. The new bar-restaurant will be serving local food and drink and alongside the programmed events, there’ll be free entertainment every day in the early evening.

Fringe Arts Bath – Bath’s biggest annual celebration of visual arts with a rich and varied selection of individual, group shows and interventions.

The main space, the FAB Officers Club on Stall Street will house a mega mix of group and curated shows. Visit www.fringeartsbath.co.uk for a full list.

Special Places – This year, The Bell in Walcot Street will house the Fringe Office. For the duration of the Fringe, it will host events every night and most afternoons. Some other Bath venues and institutions are also making special events for Fringe time: Check the increased activity at Green Park Station and Green Park Brasserie, and don’t miss the comedy events at the Widcombe Social Club.

For further information and a full programme of events, visit: www.bathfringe.co.uk.

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WHAT’Son OTHER EV ENTS W IL D P L A N ET L EC TU R E

T H E P O RT N A L L L E CT U RE

Bath Abbey. The talk is free but tickets are required and can be collected from the Wild Planet store on Stall Street.

Church of St Michael’s Without, Broad Street, Bath. Tickets £5 from tel: 07977 519057 or £6 on the door.

Lecture by Photographer Andy Rouse, Thursday 23 June, 6pm

Spirituality in Everyday Life, Saturday 18 June, 11am

South west photographer Andy Rouse has won seven prestigious awards in the International Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. Andy will share his expertise in getting up close and personal with some of the most magnificent beasts on the planet in this captivating lecture.

The 16th Portnall Lecture to be given by Satish Kumar, editor of Resurgence Magazine and Visiting Fellow of Schumacher College.

HANDMADE IN BRITAIN Friday 17 – Sunday 19 June

TALK AND B OOK LAUNCH

M U S I C W O RK S H O P

Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath. Tickets £22.50 including lunch or £10 to listen only.

Booking through the box office on tel: 01225 448844.

Studio 1, ICIA Arts Barn, University of bath.

Cost: £350 or £420 including four night’s accommodation. Book on tel: 01225 386777

Paranormal Bath with Malcom Cadey, Thursday 9 June, noon

Zimbabwean Music Course with Chartwell Dutiro, Monday 11 – Friday 15 July Zimbabwean musician and ethnomusicologist of SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) in London, Chartwell Dutiro delivers a one week course specialising in the music traditions of his native Zimbabwe. Chartwell teaches through community singing, dance and mbira playing.

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Malcom Cadey of the Ghost Walks of Bath will be talking about his new book – Paranormal Bath and focussing on the extraordinary ghostly activity around the Theatre Royal.

RNID-Action on Hearing Loss will be holding a fundraising day of events on Monday 6 June at The Bell in Walcot Street from 1pm to celebrate the charity’s centenary.

Now in its fourth year, Handmade in Britain returns to the Assembly Rooms for its annual showcase of some of the most talented and innovative designer makers in contemporary design from Britain. Buyers and exhibitors alike are sure to be inspired by the quality, originality and eco conscious ethos behind the works for sale.

Visitors will find over 60 designers from various disciplines including fashion and accessory design, interiors, glass, jewellery, furniture, stationary, metalwork, ceramics and wood work.

Tickets to the show are £3 and can be purchased on the door or from www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk

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ADV ERT OR I AL F EATURE

A hospital with history – and an exciting future Royal visit; King George visits patients

P

We want to further develop our hospital in roviding health and hospital care based on three key areas; strengthen our role in the care of the needs of the local community, is those with suspected or confirmed cancer, something that Bath has been doing since improve the hospital site to ensure it’s responsive the 1700’s. to our changing service and clinical needs and Inspirational institutions such as The Bath consider the possibility of a merger with the City Infirmary and Dispensary, and the Bath Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases Casualty Hospital, were established in the late NHS Foundation Trust (The Min). By joining Eighteenth century out of a need to provide free forces, we believe we could deliver better healthcare - albeit rudimentary. services for patients and release funds for The Infirmary provided medical and inpatient improved support and patient care. treatment for the city’s poor. Before this time, Continuing the theme of providing care based paid for treatment was offered to visitors to the on local need….the hospital is planning to city at the General Hospital and doctors would become an NHS Foundation Trust and we want visit wealthy residents in their home. The members of our local communities to be part of Infirmary however, didn’t offer any kind of a successful hospital by becoming members of surgical treatment – that was left to the Casualty the Trust. We remain part of the NHS but with Hospital, founded in 1788. Although it had an greater freedom on how we spend our monies average of just eight beds, it was kept extremely and what services we provide, and we’ll be busy treating the alarming number of injuries accountable to members for our standards of sustained by labourers during the Georgian housing ‘boom’ of the late 18th Century.

Eventually the two hospitals joined and the Bath United Hospital opened in 1826.

Fast-forward to 2011 and look how modern medicine has moved on.

Today the RUH is the city’s largest NHS hospital, occupying a 52-acre site at Combe Park, providing acute and emergency care for half a million people – not just in Bath, but also in north and west Wiltshire, North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire and the Mendip area of Somerset.

We’re one of the leading hospitals Modern NHS; high-tech scanning equipment improves patient nationally in Stroke care and prostate cancer care and we’ve gone from strength to strength care care. So becoming an NHS Foundation Trust over the past five years, making the RUH a member means you’ll have more of a say in how leading hospital in terms of patient safety and the hospital is run and the services we offer. Join standards of care. For instance, we have us, and you can directly influence the sort of substantially reduced healthcare associated healthcare you want to see at your local NHS infections. There hasn’t been a single case of the hospital. so called ‘super bug’ MRSA for six months, and Members can choose how involved they want only two in the past financial year. Cases of to be from simply receiving a newsletter, or Clostridium difficile reduced from 17 in January coming along to events through to standing for 2010 to just three in January this year. These election as one of our Public Governors. figures put us among the best hospitals in the Membership is free and open to those aged 16 country for standards of safety and infection plus and who live in the area. There will be levels. We’ve also cut waiting times, improved regular updates on our website, www.ruh.nhs.uk our hospital buildings and balanced our books. and in local papers and magazines.

You may already be familiar with the RUH. You could be one of the 68,000 people who For further details, or to apply for membership attended our emergency department last year, or visit www.ruh.nhs.uk/foundationtrust or one of the 270,000 who received an outpatient telephone the Foundation Trust office on appointment. Perhaps you are one of our 300 01225 821299 if you would like to have dedicated volunteers? information posted to you. You can email your comments to use at foundationtrust@ruh.nhs.uk Whoever you are, whatever you do, we have some exciting changes planned at the RUH and we’d like you to be involved in them….

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS UNIVERSITY OF BATH AND PHOTOSOC PHOTOGRPAHY EXHIBITION ICIA Art Space 3 University of Bath’s hall foyer.

Until 17 June A chance to see the winning entries and runners-up from the University’s competition based on ICIA’s 2011 theme Set in Play.

MIXED EXHIBITION Bath Fine Art 35 Gay Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 461230 www.bathfineart.com

Until 30 June The gallery introduces two new artists this month – Clive Jebbett and Bath-based painter David Cobley. The widely exhibited Clive Jebbett brings a range of figurative compositions in his familiar timeless style while David Cobley, RP RWA NEAC, an award-winning portrait and figure painter based in Bath, showcases his latest works. David’s paintings have won numerous prizes and are in both public and private collections throughout the world.

Priscilla Thomas

PRISCILLA THOMAS FRPS: EXPLORING THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ABSTRACT The Royal Photographic Society Fenton House, 122 Wells Road, Bath. www.rps.org

1 – 29 June In this intriguing exhibition Priscilla showcases images that would not be visible to the naked human eye without the facility of macro lenses, extension tubes and bellows which allow her access to another world.

Nick Cudworth will be showing a collection of his landscape paintings and prints of Bath and further afield in his gallery in Walcot Street until 30 June. Alongside this, Nick will also be exhibiting his rock and roll paintings and prints at the Octagon Gallery in Milsom Street until 5 June, with live music to accompany.

David Cobley, Morning

BARBARA RAE: SKETCHBOOKS Adam Gallery 13 John Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 480406

23 June – 9 July To celebrate the launch of the third book about Barbara Rae’s work based on her sketchbooks, Adam Gallery is hosting an exhibition of new paintings and vignettes associated with the sketchbooks, which will be available for sale. Published by the Royal Academy, the book gives an insight into Barbara’s first sources of inspiration, and her creative processes. Her sketchbooks are full of watercolour paintings completed outside on the spot, sometimes in rain and storms. They reveal her drawings of landscape, alongside photographs and touching collages of loved things. The images are complete miniature paintings in themselves, yet also form the starting point for all her larger works. She explains that the: ‘Sketches contain vital information and source material; the basis for my work.’

Image: Barbara Rae, Western Bay

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS DARKNESS TO LIGHT The Octagon Milsom Place, Bath.

For further information visit: www.bo-lee.co.uk

NIGEL HALL RA: SCULPTURES AND DRAWING FROM FOUR DECADES

21 – 30 June Highlighting who we are and what we do, from the simpler things in life to the more hidden, Darkness to Light explores a common human urge to perform ritual motions. The Bo Lee Gallery’s off-site exhibition features work from Ione Rucquoi, Patrick Haines, Kim Baker, Kristin Vestgard, Neil Moore, Bobbie Russon, and Philippa Lawrence.

Quest Gallery 7 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath. Tel: 01225 444142

Until 23 July

Kristin Vestgard, Dressing Up for the Landscape

WIDCOMBE ART TRAIL Various venues around Widcombe For a map and further information visit: www.widcombeassociation.org.uk

11 and 12 June, 10.30am – 6pm Widcombe’s fifth Art Trail showcases a wide range of work by 40 artists at nine venues.

Widcombe is a delightful, historic and surprisingly rural part of Bath, so walking between the varied venues is a pleasure in itself. The Ring o Bells and White Hart will be hosting exhibitions again this year, as will as The Print Room.

MARK GALE: TROMPE L’OEIL MEETS ABSTRACTION The Octagon Milsom Street, Bath.

An exhibition of Bristolborn sculptor, Nigel Hall’s work from every decade of his career. A major theme in his work, and evident in the show, is the meeting point of line and plane and light and shadow. Nigel explores space, volume and boundaries through his pieces, finding interest in Nigel Hall, North East hidden spaces. Part of his process of ‘making’ has always involved drawing and stands equal with the sculptures.

JANEK SCHAEFER ICIA Art Space 1 University of Bath.

Until 17 June Janek Schaefer is a sound artist, musician and composer. As the Olympics approach, Schaefer explores the University’s Sports Training Village via his camera lens and microphones to create a mixed-media installation that responds to ICIA’s 2011 theme Set in Play.

DRAWING THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM OF ART: A TALK BY KAREN WALLIS AND DR ALEXANDER STURGIS Bath Artists’ Studios The Old Malthouse, Comfortable Place, Upper Bristol Road, Bath.

Tickets: £5

Thursday 30 June, 7.30pm

14 – 19 June Mark Gale’s latest exhibition features two contrasting styles. The larger-than life oils depicting a cluttered kitchen dresser are just beautiful.

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Until 14 June, Edgar Modern on Bartlett Street is exhibiting new work from Mungo Powney following his recent travels through Vietnam. Powney's work endeavours to push past the technical or academic to locate a poetic image, creating thoughtful landscapes and still life in his unassuming style. Alongside this will be new work from abstract painter, Jeremy Annear depicting the forms and feelings of the Cornish coastline and rich, heavily textured oils by Judy Buxton.

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Karen Wallis has been Artist in Residence throughout the Holburne Museum’s development project. For this talk, Dr Alexander Sturgis, Director of the Holburne Museum, will be in conversation with Karen, discussing what part the residency played in the project and its impact on her as an artist. When the museum closed in April 2008, Karen began drawing anything that caught her eye. She has followed the whole project from packing up the collection and moving out, through the building of the new extension and restoration of the existing building, the fundraising and planning meetings, up to the new installations of exhibits for the reopening last month. What began as a series of sketchbooks of the building, has grown to include portraits of the people on site and larger drawings about some of the stories that emerged during the process. An exhibition of Karen’s drawings can be seen at the Holburne Museum until September 4 and the complete sketchbooks and portraits are online at karenwallis.co.uk/holburne

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EDWARD BEALE Gallery LeFort Fine Art 5 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath. www.gallerylefortfineart.com

18 June – 8 July Recent paintings by the eminent Cork Street impasto painter Edward Beale who comes to Bath for the first time in this major solo exhibition, showing over 25 paintings.

Running until the end of June at the Galleries Shop and Cafe in Freshford is an exhibition of decorative panels by local artist Jim Robins. Jim’s work is inspired by 18th century Scandinavian country house wall paintings, on a theme of the Tree of Life.

TOM MARSHMAN

ICIA Art Space 2 University of Bath.

Until 17 June Inhabiting the gallery space, Tom creates a domestic dwelling; combining real furniture from students’ rooms with simple life-size wall drawings of interiors, interwoven with video and photography from interactions on campus.

MIXED EXHIBITION Beaux Arts 12 – 13 York Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 464850

Until 11 June Colourful and lively new paintings by Cornish artist Nicola Bealing alongside a new menagerie of warthogs, lion cubs and elephants in Nick Mackman’s latest collection of ceramics. Eddie Curtis also returns with his signature red porcelain and stoneware ceramics.

Nicola Bealing, Small Brown Bird, oil on linen

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His father married his mother for her money and couldn’t bear to live with her.

His mother was vain and had a fiercesome temper. Was it any wonder that the poet Lord Byron grew up to be so troubled, wonders Barbara White?

MAD, BAD & W

e may be familiar with the exploits of the Romantic poet Lord Byron, his many love affairs and adventures, but his parents’ life stories and their links with Bath are not so well known, while providing plenty of talk for the city’s gossips.

Byron’s mother, Catherine Gordon, died 200 years ago at the age of 46. Byron’s birth was the result of an ill-fated courtship and marriage, which took place in Bath, between a fortunehunter and a tempestuous heiress, or ‘golden dolly’ as Byron mischievously described such women.

From this unhappy union sprang a man who was dubbed ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know’, a poet of extraordinary genius but one whose ‘profane, sensual, passionate [and] revengeful’ character was shaped, it has been argued, by his mother’s negative force.

Catherine was the only surviving daughter of George Gordon, 12th Laird of Gight, Aberdeenshire. He drowned himself in the canal at Bath on 9 January 1779 and was buried in Bath Abbey six days later. With the deaths of her sisters Abercromby in 1777 and Margaret in 1780, and her mother Catherine Innes in 1782, the young Catherine was left with no close family to protect or instruct her. Thus, when she came to Bath in early 1785 at the age of 21 with a fortune of £23,000, the inexperienced Catherine was easy prey to any practised Lothario in search of an heiress.

Enter Captain John Byron, also known as Mad Jack, who set out to enrapture Catherine ‘with his polished manners, good looks and his dancing’. Within three months, on 13 May 1785, the couple were married in St Michael’s Church, Bath.

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had already run through one heiress’s fortune when he had eloped with the beautiful Amelia Osborne, Marchioness of Carmarthen. She was the wife of Francis Godolphin Osborne, the Marquis of Carmarthen, later 5th Duke of Leeds and had three children by him. Jack married Amelia in June 1779, a month after her divorce, thereby securing for himself, her £4,000 per year allowance. Within a year of Amelia’s death in January 1784, (and the loss of her allowance), the debt-ridden Jack was in Bath in search of another heiress bride.

His need inured him to the less attractive elements of Catherine’s character and person. She was generally described as

In her infatuation Catherine ❝ overlooked the fact that Jack had already run through one heiress’s fortune when he eloped with the beautiful Amelia Osborne

❞

lacking social grace and with a provincialism of manner and accent that never left her. Physically, she was ‘a stout, dumpy, coarse-looking woman’ whose ‘excessive corpulence’ meant that ‘she rolled considerably in her gait’. This did not preclude her from vanity, however, and she insisted on 40 sittings with the portrait artist Thomas Stewardson to get the right turn to her elbow. Most irredeemable of all, Catherine had an uncontrollable temper ‘which was never for an hour secure’.

FAMILY TRAITS: above right, Byron’s mother Catherine Gordon, ‘a stout, dumpy, coarselooking woman’, and left, her son George Byron, who liked to pose as a dashing, romantic hero

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BAD HABITS: above Byron’s father Mad Jack, far right, had already eloped with the Marquis of Camarthen’s wife Amelia, and got through her fortune before coming to Bath in search of another well-off victim

She flew from passionate affection to equally passionate and foulmouthed resentment in a moment, hurling crockery or ripping up gowns and bonnets in her anger.

Indeed, it was said that her death on 1 August 1811 was hastened by a fit of rage brought on by seeing an upholsterer’s bill.

Jack, who only lived with her intermittently, described his wife as ‘amiable at a distance; but I defy you and all the Apostles to live with her two months’.

Within two years of her Bath marriage, Catherine, who proudly traced her lineage back to James I of Scotland, was ruined, as Jack sold off the Gight estates for £17,850, to settle some of his debts.

Although Catherine managed to secure £4,222 of the estate against Jack’s creditors, her life, thenceforward, was a frugal one, as she struggled to live within her means. She bore her humiliation with great dignity and remained in love with her husband despite his continued profligacy.

In September 1790, soon after the birth of their son, George Gordon Byron, Jack finally abandoned his family and escaped his creditors, by moving to France to live with his sister Frances Leigh. Rumours abounded of liaisons with prostitutes, servants, actresses and also his sister. Even so, when Jack died in August

1791, possibly of tuberculosis, Catherine’s ‘loud cries of grief could be heard by all the neighbours’.

Catherine bore a deep attachment to her son, yet the relationship between them was both tormenting and destructive. She could be a doting mother one moment and viciously cruel the next. Byron recalled his horror and humiliation when she taunted him as ‘a lame brat’ because of his deformed foot. For his part, he condemned her as ‘the mass of corruption which was the being from whence I sprang’.

There is no surviving evidence of this damaged relationship during Catherine and Byron’s visit to Bath in autumn 1802.

Catherine arrived at her lodgings at 16 Henrietta Street on 28 October and Byron joined her a month later. An unnamed lady said that she saw a good deal of the 14-year-old Byron at Bath: ‘his mother frequently sent for me to take tea with her. He was always very pleasant and droll...’

We also know that Byron attended a fancy dress party given

by Lady Riddel at 14 Royal Crescent, dressed as a Turkish boy with a diamond crescent in his turban. This anticipates one of the most famous and charismatic portraits of Byron, painted in 1813 to celebrate his visit to Albania in 1809. In exotic dress, Byron is indeed handsome, bold and every inch the Byronic hero. ■

15-18 London Street, Walcot, Bath, BA1 5BX Tel: 01225 465 757

www.trhayes.co.uk

• FREE DELIVERY TO A LARGE AREA • CUSTOMER CAR PARK •

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LEGALmatters

ADV ERT OR I AL FEATURE

Is your last Will and Testament worth the paper it’s written on?

W

e naturally assume that when we make a Will, our wishes will be complied with following our death.

We rarely stop to think that our decisions and bequests will be overridden. However, the recent Court of Appeal’s decision in the case of Ilott v Mitson demonstrates quite the opposite.

The case in question highlights how an unemployed mother of five, Heather Ilott, whose own estranged mother bequeathed the majority of her £486,000 fortune to animal charities and nothing to her only daughter, won a landmark appeal for a share of her mother’s estate. The ruling has caused considerable public interest and has reignited the debate as to whether parents owe any moral obligation to provide for their adult children under the terms of their Will.

In this particular case, Heather Ilott and her mother Mrs Melita Jackson had suffered a stormy relationship and had been estranged since Heather ran away from home at the age of 17 with her boyfriend. Heather Ilott left no note and did not want to be traced. This was the start of a 26 year rift that ended with Mrs Jackson’s death at the age of 70 in 2004.

In her Will, Mrs Jackson chose to leave the best part of her £486,000.00 estate to three charities, The Blue Cross, The RSPB and The RSPCA despite having no link with these charities. Her only daughter, Heather Ilott, was not included in her Will. Mrs Jackson’s solicitor, realising that this might provoke a claim on her death by Heather Ilott, advised her to prepare a letter explaining her decision.

Mrs Jackson went further - she wrote a letter of wishes explaining why her daughter would receive nothing and instructed her executors to fight any claim that her daughter might bring.

On her mother's death, Heather Ilott began a claim against the estate under the Inheritance Act 1975 for the inheritance she believed she was entitled to.

Does a parent ever have testamentary freedom?

Currently under English Law, we are free to decide who will receive our estate when we die. Provided that a Will complies with the formalities of the Wills Act 1837 and the person making the Will had mental capacity to do so, it will be valid.

However, it may be possible for a claim to be brought against the estate of a deceased person under the Inheritance Act. This allows any child to claim that the parent’s Will did not make "reasonable provision" for him or her.

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Under the Act, others connected with the deceased may also be able to bring a claim against the estate including: • A spouse or civil partner of the deceased • A former spouse or civil partner of the deceased who has not remarried or entered into a new civil partnership • A person “treated” as a child of the deceased in relation to any marriage or civil partnership, either before after or during the marriage or civil partnership • A person who lived with the deceased in one household as spouse or civil partner for the whole of the period of two years immediately preceding death • Any person who falls outside of these categories who was being “maintained” either wholly or partly by the deceased immediately before their death How is a claim brought about?

The factors that the court is to have regard to vary depending on the indivudual who is bringing the claim, but include the financial resources and needs of the claimant and other beneficiaries both now and in the future, the size and nature of the estate, any physical or mental disability of the claimant or other beneficiaries, and the conduct of the claimant or other beneficiaries. The court has wide powers to redistribute the estate of the deceased following a successful claim. An adult child could bring a claim even if it was possible for that child to sustain themselves financially without receiving any money from their deceased parent’s estate.

In the case of Ilott v Mitson, the Court of Appeal confirmed that Heather Ilott was entitled to claim from the estate of her mother Mrs Jackson and that it was unreasonable for her to be left with nothing.

It is difficult to imagine how Mrs Jackson could have made her wishes clearer. However, the Court of Appeal decided that court needed to consider the relevant factors and make a “value” judgment as to whether the provision made was reasonable - there was no need for the court to “balance” the various factors.

Furthermore, the Court of Appeal decided that there is no requirement for there to be any moral obligation owed by the deceased to the adult child bringing the claim before that claim could succeed.

Arguably, this case may be seen as demonstrating a general trend towards restricting the ability of individuals to choose who they wish their estate to pass to when they die. However, the financial position of Heather

Ilott was key in this case, and cases under the Act are very “fact –specific”. Furthermore, had Mrs Jackson left her estate to family members rather then charities, the result may have been different.

Heather’s case is ongoing and there may yet be another twist in this long running dispute, therefore we will have to wait to see what the final outcome will be for Heather Ilott.

How to avoid claims against an estate?

The case highlights the importance of obtaining specialist legal advice when drafting Wills in order to try and avoid future claims being brought against the estate.

The case also shows that it is imperative for executors to obtain legal advice before acting in the administration of estates in order to protect themselves from claims brought by beneficiaries. For further information please contact our wills, trusts and probate team on 01225 485700.

If you do find yourself involved in a claim or you feel that you that you may have a claim under the Inheritance Act 1975, please contact Luke Watson head of our inheritance disputes team to discuss your case on 01225 485700.

Luke Watson, Partner at Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors

3 Queen Square Bath, BA1 2HG www.mowbraywoodwards.co.uk JUNE 2011

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BUSINESSnews

Crowds flock to museum It’s perhaps the size of crowd you’d expect to see for the opening of a grand sale or the appearance of a film star, but this was the scene that greeted staff at the Holburne Museum when they opened their doors for the first time since the building had its multi-million pound makeover.

Bathonians and tourists have been making a beeline down Great Pulteney Street since the museum opened on 14 May. And although entrance to the main galleries is free, it is encouraging that in excess of 10,000 visitors crossed the threshold in the first week after reopening.

There is a small admission charge to the Peter Blake exhibition and money is changing hands in the Holburne’s new cafe and the museum shop – all of which must be good news for the local economy.

News in brief Dr Dan Magnus, pictured, a paediatrician at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, has been voted Junior Doctor of the Year in the British Medical Journal awards. Dr Magnus, who is also a co-founder of the Kenyan Orphan Project, was awarded his prize at a ceremony in London. Dr Stephen Jones, who works with Dr Magnus at the RUH, said: “Dan is an exceptional doctor and human being and it’s a real privilege to work with him. He’s the kind of person you only meet once or twice in your life.”

Sam Moody, pictured, head chef at the Bath Priory Hotel, has been picked as one of the country’s brightest stars under 30 in the catering industry.

Sam was awarded his Acorn prize at Cowarth Park in Buckinghamshire – only one of 30 winners from a long list of nominations.

Bath-based Nash Partnership has appointed architect Justine Leach, pictured, as design director for its urban design and landscape section.

Justine has worked across the UK, including with London practices, and in London.

Larkhall-based Kilter Theatre Company is finding a new audience with its new rough-and-ready style family-friendly podcasts, broadcast by the characters January and March. These are made in the local area and can be viewed at: www.januaryandmarch.podbean.com

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Cocktail bar brings New York buzz

LATEST BUZZ

Always in the picture Congratulations to Martin Tracy and Ian Pittman at The Framing Workshop in Walcot Street, who have reached the finals of the National Art and Framing Industry awards.

The independent business is one of just three finalists in the business sales promotion category for a piece of work created by master framer Ian which perfectly captures a couple’s personal collection of memorabilia and objects.

The Framing Workshop duo will have to wait until 11 June to hear whether they have triumphed in this national competition.

BATH BUSINESS news & views

A round up of achievements and events from the city’s business community

Following in the footsteps of the legendary Raincheck bar in Monmouth Street, comes a new cocktail bar run by two award-winning cocktail bartenders, due to officially open on Saturday 25 June.

The duo behind Door 34 are Andy Walsh and Craig Edney, pictured, who bring with them a wealth of experiences in making delicious cocktails and keeping the customer satisfied.

Andy has worked in many bars in London and Edinburgh, while Craig runs events and parties all over the world. His clients include Dizzy Rascal, Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, F1 motor racing and Bath Rugby for its Christmas party.

The curious can sample Door 34’s hospitality prior to the official opening, with cocktails and other drinks available after 4pm daily.

Up and away as free tickets launched at racecourse The going was good for Bath Racecourse’s 200th birthday celebrations as racegoers were joined by 130 special guests for an anniversary lunch and afternoon of racing.

There were presentations from Tom Kelly, managing director of owners Northern Racing and from racecourse general manager Holly Glover, outlining the business’s plans for the coming year and thanking guests for their continued support.

The highlight of the day was the release of 200 balloons, each containing free tickets to the racecourse’s Ladies Day and 200th Anniversary Day on Saturday 20 August.

BIRTHDAY PARTY: Holly Glover, right, general manager helps launch the 200 birthday balloons

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ADV ERT OR I AL F EATU RE

Managing Your Business G

ood businesses will know where they are throughout the year, they will know if they are on track against budget and will have reacted immediately when circumstances change. If profit margins are being squeezed you may need to take action quickly rather than wait until the year end accounts are prepared.

Jennie Herbert of Richardson Swift has a keen interest in this area. Jennie says “I have seen an increasing demand from our clients for the preparation of budgets, forecasts, cash flows and management accounts. These tools help directors and business owners to monitor how the company is performing on a much more up to date basis, allowing a prompt response to problem areas and the ability to capitalise on opportunities.”

Cash flows take into account the incomings and outgoings of the business so as to be able to anticipate what the bank balance will be at any given time. This is particularly important in the current economic climate where access to cash is limited; it is all too easy for business owners

Jennie Herbert

Bath’s newest training, business and event venue Are you looking for a new inspiring place to learn, do business or just relax, reflect and recharge?

Waterhouse now has: • Premium Serviced Offices • • Luxury Training and Conference facilities • • Meeting rooms and Virtual Workspaces • • Luxury en-suite accommodation •

Come and see what our clients (including Visa and M&S) have been talking about! Join us at our Launch:

Wednesday 8th June 2011 To book, email: waterhouse@wilsher-group.com OR call: (01225) 721 999 Waterhouse, Waterhouse Lane, Monkton Combe, Bath BA2 7JB

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to focus on turnover and profit margins but if there isn’t sufficient cash to support the trade the business is at risk.

Strong management information will greatly help you when you are looking to raise capital finance as you will have all the information to hand and won’t have to wait for the numbers to be prepared.

For a no obligation meeting please call Jennie or your usual contact on 01225 325580 or email Jennie on jah@richardsonswift.co.uk

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

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OUT&ABOUT

Face to face WITH THE PAST

To commemorate a unique seven-venue musical performance as part of the Bath Festival, Andrew Swift devises a walk that takes in all those sites, while enjoying some of the city’s history along the way

O

ur June walk is inspired by one of the most radical ventures ever undertaken by the Bath Festival. On Saturday 4 June, between 2pm and 5pm, Cornelius Cardew’s The Great Learning will be performed simultaneously in seven venues across the city.

Cardew was not one to do things by halves. After pushing the boundaries of musical avant-gardism as far as he could with works like The Great Learning, he turned his back on the avant garde and became a political activist, before being killed by a hitand-run driver – in the pay, some say, of the security forces – in 1981.

The Great Learning isn’t easy listening – but it will be memorable, not least because it takes place in seven remarkable buildings. As the audience is invited to undertake a pilgrimage around the seven sites, this walk offers a suggested itinerary and a brief history of the venues. It also includes a look at some of the quirkier messages from the past to be seen en route.

We start not with Cardew but Cudworth. One of the highlights of this year’s Fringe is an exhibition by Bath artist and musician Nick Cudworth. The theme of the exhibition is music – Still Life with Rock & Roll – and it will be accompanied by performances of songs by Nick and his friend Matthew Zuckerman. It takes place in another remarkable building – the Octagon in Milsom Street. The exhibition runs from 31 May to 5 June, with performances at noon, 3pm and 6pm. As the Cardew event doesn’t start until 2pm, there is plenty of time to take in the performance at noon on 4 June.

The Octagon was one of Georgian Bath’s proprietary chapels, built for wealthy visitors unwilling to mix with the hoi polloi in the abbey. Patrons had to stump up a hefty fee, but were rewarded with celebrity preachers, elegant surroundings and top musicians. The Octagon’s first music director, appointed in 1767, 46 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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was William Herschel, who resigned after discovering Uranus and then deciding to devote himself to astronomy full-time.

After leaving the Octagon, turn right up Milsom Street – Bath’s premier shopping street for over 200 years, with reminders of some of the shops that once traded here. Above Hobbs, on the right, a circulating library is advertised; a little further along, above Gabucci, a brush manufactory announces its presence.

At the top of Milsom Street, turn right to the pelican crossing.

To your right is Revolution, once Bath’s main post office. After crossing over, take a look at the entrance to Allen & Harris, on the corner of Bartlett Street – the name of the Motor Clothing Co can still be seen.

Walk up Bartlett Street, under an ornate iron bracket which bore the name of Evans & Owen, once the store on the left. Cross Alfred Street, and carry on. The colonnade along the north side of the Assembly Rooms was once a row of shops.

Cross over, turn left and then right up Russell Street. Turn right at the top and then cross with care to Christ Church, the first of the seven venues. If you are too early for the performance, head up the steps to the second venue, the Museum of Bath at Work.

This is many people’s favourite Bath museum. Built round a Victorian mineral-water factory, here you can find out what life was like for the vast majority of people who lived and worked in the city. Although admission to the performance is free, there is a charge for entry to the rest of the museum.

The building started life in 1777 as an indoor tennis court, and the building on your right, as you head back down the steps, was an indoor riding school.

Christ Church, built in 1798, was the first free church to be

OVER-LOOKED: main picture, the ruins of Bathwick Mortuary Chapel, and inset, ‘This Grave is Full’ is the wry inscription on a tomb to be found near St John’s Church

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OUT&ABOUT

THE PAST IN PINTS: left to right, the former Walcot Brewery in London Road, centre, old brewery crates inside the Bath At Work Museum, and right, the Old Red House Bakery in Julian Road Walcot Brewery picture courtesy of Paul D-Ath Below: the trompe l’oeil painting of a male reader in the windowton the corner of Grove Streetnear Bishopstrow Mill

consecrated in England since the Reformation. It was built for the hundreds of people who lived and worked in this area but could not afford the pew rents charged by chapels such as the Octagon.

As you leave Christ Church and head east along Julian Road, look over to the small white building on the corner, once a branch of the Old Red House Bakery.

When you reach Lansdown Road, cross and carry on down Guinea Lane – looking out for Wiliam Cottell’s furniture removal business at No 17. The chapel on the right was built in 1841 for the Catholic Apostolic Church, who believed the end of the world was nigh. It wasn’t and the building now houses a nursery.

Go down the steps and turn right to the next venue, the Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel. Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, was a follower of John Wesley who formed a breakaway Methodist sect. The chapel, built in 1765 ‘after the Gothic taste’, was one of Bath’s most fashionable places of worship. It now houses the Building of Bath Museum, an essential stop for anyone interested in learning how Bath was built.

As you retrace your steps along the Vineyards, notice how the building ahead tapers almost to a point. It is in fact coffin-shaped, which becomes clear if you look at an aerial photograph in the Star Inn. The story goes that Daniel Aust, the builder, was also an undertaker – with a bizarre sense of humour. Be that as it may, the interior of the Star has changed little in 150 years – an almost unique survival of a Victorian pub. Continuing the funerary theme, the row of seats beside the bar is called Death Row, while the bench by the front door is also coffin-shaped.

After crossing the bottom of Guinea Lane, look across to the mausoleum to the right of the church, decorated by what look like upturned ice-cream cones. They represent inverted and extinguished torches, symbolising death.

Cross the zebra crossing and walk back up to the next venue, Walcot Church, dedicated to St Swithin. There has been a church on this site for over 1,000 years, but the present building dates from 1777-80. The spire was added in 1790.

Head back over the zebra crossing, turn right past Hedgemead Park – covered by rows of houses until a series of landslips carried them away – and continue along the pavement as it curves steeply uphill.

Turn right down Pera Road to pass the former Clarence Street Malthouse, a reminder of one of Bath’s most important industries – brewing. Just beyond it, look over the wall into Burdall’s Yard, our next venue. This, along with the malthouse, was once part of Walcot Brewery, which covered the entire site.

Turn right and right again to reach the entrance to Burdall’s Yard. When you leave the yard, turn right, cross at the traffic lights, turn right and cross to the Curfew Inn, where you turn left.

If you look over the wall at the end of the row you will see columns which came from a chapel in Queen Square, built by John Wood and demolished around 1870.

Cross the bridge and turn right down St

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John’s Road. Immediately after passing the church turn left along a path. Just before it swings to the right, look for a tomb with the terse inscription: ‘This Grave is Full’.

Carry on through the gates into St Mary’s Churchyard, past the shell of the old mortuary chapel and through a gate onto Henrietta Road. If you look left, you will see a three-storey house dwarfed by its neighbours. This was Bathwick Manor House which once stood in rustic isolation.

Turn right, cross over and follow the path into Henrietta Park.

Two centuries ago, there were plans to build grand terraces here, with Frances Square at the centre. The money ran out and today this is an oasis of calm, shaded by massive trees.

When the path comes to a T junction, head straight on across the park towards a block of toilets. Take the path to the left of them and turn right up through an archway to Henrietta Street.

On your right, another archway led to the long-demolished Laura Chapel, whose name is still inscribed there.

Turn left and then right into Argyle Street and the sixth venue, the Bath Central United Reformed Church. Built in 1789, the impressive portico was added in 1821 by HE Goodridge, the architect of Beckford’s Tower.

On leaving the chapel, look for the gentleman reading a book by a window on the corner of Grove Street – this was once a bookshop. As you turn down Grove Street, look up to the left for a datestone of 5792.This is a Masonic date, with 4,000 years added to the conventional date due to the belief that the world was created in 4000BCE. Double back along the street down to the left, which burrows under Argyle Street before emerging beside Pulteney Weir. Carry on along the river until you come to North Parade Bridge. If you look through the arch, you will see, on the opposite bank, a grotto, now part of a restaurant patio but once set in a secluded glade. It was here, according to legend, that Richard Brinsley Sheridan held clandestine meetings with Elizabeth Linley before eloping to France with her in 1772.

Walk up the spiral staircase and cross the bridge. At the lights, cross left and right to Good Buy Books, and walk along to the Huntsman pub. Built around 1740, this was the Parade Coffee House, the most fashionable meeting place in town. It still has its original façade.

Turn right and then left along York Street to find the last venue, the Friends Meeting House, with a Greek Revival façade similar to that of Argyle Chapel, but built two years earlier by a London architect. It was originally a Masonic lodge and once bore the date 5819. It had no windows, all light coming through two glazed lanterns in the ceiling – an arrangement reminiscent of the Octagon. After the Freemasons moved out in 1841, it became a chapel, windows were added, and in 1866 it was acquired by the Quakers. ■ This walk has been devised to coincide with the events on Saturday 4 June. Although it can be undertaken at other times, some of the venues listed will not be open. Details of the events are available from the Bath Box Office, 2 Church Street, Abbey Green (www.bathboxoffice.org.uk; 01225 463362). For information on the Great Learning see www.bathmusicfest.org.uk/greatlearning.aspx; for Still Life in Rock & Roll see www.bathfringe.co.uk/shows/nick_cudworth.

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FAMILYfun

GREEN fingers

OBSERVE ASTRONOMY Queen Square, Bath.

Summer Solstice Solar Observations, Tuesday 21 June, from 10am

PACK A PICNIC

Look at the sun safely through a solar telescope.

National Trust’s Prior Park Gardens, Ralph Allen Drive, Bath.

Father’s Day Afternoon Tea, Sunday 19 June, noon – 3pm While away the afternoon relaxing by the lakes whilst indulging in a cream tea.

Midsummer Picnic, Saturday 25 June, 5.30pm – 9pm Pack a picnic and relax in the evening sun whilst being entertained by lazy jazz. £3 adult, £1.50 child.

PACK A PICNIC

Nati1 Royal Crescent, Bath.

Gardening club at My Small World

A round-up of activities and events for all the family to enjoy

ITʼS A SMALL WORLD

My Small World Toy Store, Little Southgate, Southgate, Bath. To book, contact tel: 01225 938338

My Small Gardener, Thursday 9 June, 10am – 11am It’s My Small World’s monthly gardening club – create miniature fairy gardens, plant bulbs, sow seeds, and decorate pots. The beans planted in April are now in the garden, and the climbing canes and hanging baskets planted in May are flowering fit to burst. Fantastic gardening fun in the indoor comfort of My Small World. Suitable for even our teeniest gardeners. £4 per child.

My Smallest Book Club, Thursday 16 June, 10am – 10.45am My Small World’s monthly book club for preschoolers. Bring your littlies along to My Small World for a fantastic story followed by a gentle activity – and let the My Small World team know exactly what you thought. Suitable for 1 – 3 years. £1.50 per child.

My Small Scribble, Thursday 23 June, from 10am The monthly art club is a chance to get sticking, glueing, cutting, glittering and colouring. Pop in any time between 10am and 5pm for a wonderful opportunity for children of all ages to get creative. There’ll be a manner of arty paraphernalia, and a workshop leader who has unlimited imaginative ideas up her sleeve. Free.

My Small Book Club for Nearly Schoolers, Thursday 30t June, 10am – 10.45am If your child is heading to school in September then head down to My Small World for their incredibly popular junior book club. This is a great opportunity to gather together prospective school mates, and help cement friendships in

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time for September. Bring your friends, snuggle down for story time – and, in words and pictures, you can tell the team exactly what you think. Suitable for 4+ years. £1.50 per child.

OUTDOOR THEATRE

ECOS Amphitheatre, Merlin Theatre, Bath Road, Frome. Box office tel: 01373 461360 www.merlintheatre.co.uk

Fantastic Mr Fox, Sunday 5 June, 3pm Following their highly acclaimed production of James and the Giant Peach and a sensational sellout season, the popular Illyria returns with another Dahl classic. All Mr. Fox wants from life is to feed his family, and fortunately farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean have an ample supply of chickens, geese and ducks. But Boggis, Bunce and Bean are not just any farmers – they are the cruellest, meanest and most ruthless farmers you could ever meet, and they are determined to put a stop to Mr. Fox once and for all. Performed outside on the ECOS Amphitheatre so bring picnics and cushions.

MUSIC AND MOVEMENT

Sessions held in Bathford Parish Hall, Bathford.

For further information visit: www.toddlerworkshop.co.uk or contact Amy on tel: 01225 852889

Toddler Workshop, Tuesdays, 9.30am – 10.30am or 10.45am – 11.45am ; Thursdays, 9.30am – 10.30am A lively medley of dance, drama, music and movement for toddlers and pre-school children aged 18 months +. Imaginative sessions designed to encourage and develop children’s creativity, language and expression. Unusual themes, interesting props, fun songs and music bring stories to life. Now booking for summer term.

Family Fun Day, Saturday 4 June, 11am – 3pm A selection of free hands-on family activities will be on offer including costumes to try on and objects to handle. Admission charges apply.

QUACKING FUN

Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. For further information contact tel: 01453 891900

Downy Duckling Days, Until Sunday 5 June Join a duckling tour, take part in arts and crafts and follow a treasure hunt to learn about ducks, nests, eggs and ducklings.

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire.

Tel: 01666 880220 www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

Forest Fun, Wednesday 1 – Friday 3 June, 10.30am – 4pm Follow the trail to explore, create, build and imagine your way around Westonbirt. You can also make your own games with natural materials.

ART CLUB

Victoria Art gallery, Pulteney Bridge, Bath. £3.75 per child in advance. Must be booked on tel: 01225 477244

Spots and Stripes, Thursday 2 June, 10.30am – noon and 1.30pm – 3pm Visit the exhibition and create a piece of spotty and stripy art. For 3 to 7 year-olds.

Art Opportunity, Friday 3 June, 10.30am – noon and 1.30am – 3pm Find out about Op Art and create a piece of optical abstract art. For 6 to 11 year-olds.

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Curtain Up Theatre Schools 01761 239185 www.curtainup.biz

Summer School Children 8- 16 years old 25th-29th July or 15th -19th August

Sing, dance and act your way through the most exciting week of your summer!

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Curtain Up; a part time theatre school for kids aged 6-17 interested in the wonderful world of performing arts, allowing them to discover themselves and their potential through performance. Covering the three essentials of musical theatre, acting, dancing and singing, weekly sessions are held on Saturday mornings at St Gregory’s Catholic College, Bath or Friday afternoons at Stonar School, Atworth.

Weekly sessions run parallel to school term dates whilst during the summer holidays the children create outstanding musical theatre productions during week long workshops.

Catering for the children's individual needs, the staff at Curtain Up look after them in a unique way giving them access to a hugely diverse range of material. With a bank of memorable performances and invitations to appear alongside local schools & amateur dramatic groups to West End top performers such as Sir Ian McKellen and Connie Fisher, Curtain Up is an eye-opening learning experience and great fun for young enthusiasts or for those who simply need to find confidence in themselves. Locally our students regularly win festivals, whilst others can be seen around the UK in stage, television and film roles.

Optional exams all have a 100% pass rate with over 120 children recently achieving superb LAMDA results and older students moving on to receive awards & scholarships for the UK’s top schools of Acting.

For further information and details of our free trial sessions, please contact Tristan or Sarah Carter.

01761 239185

admin@curtainup.biz • www.curtainup.biz

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FAMILYfun EAST ASIAN ACTIVITIES

Museum of East Asian Art, 12 Bennett Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 464 640

Dragon Boat Workshop, Saturday 18 June, 2pm – 4pm Drop in to the museum to find out about Japan’s fascinating Dragon Boat Festival and make your own miniature dragon boat to take home. Cost: £2.

FAMILY THEATRE

The egg, Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath.

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

Tim and Light, Saturday 4 June, 11.30am and 3pm Tim and his cat Light embark on a dangerous rescue mission that will bring them face to face with friendship, identity and a terrifying painter.

Tim and Light is a brave new fairy tale told through beautiful puppetry and beguiling moments of visual beauty. Suitable for ages 4+.

The Night Queen, Thursday 16 – Saturday 18 June, Thursday – Friday, 10am and 1.30pm; Saturday, 11.30am and 3pm There are secrets in the dark and tangled forest – that’s why Pamina’s father won’t let her play there. But Pamina is desperate for adventure.

One day she slips out of the house, following her

only friend Popinjay, a curious and colourful little bird. She finds that her father was right.

Hidden in the forest is an angry dragon – Pamina can escape from its clutches only with the help of a beautiful, mysterious character – the Night Queen herself. It is The Night Queen who sends Pamina and Popinjay on a dangerous quest to find the magic orb and retrieve it from its sinister guardian. Taking the music, characters and themes from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, The Night Queen weaves an exciting and enchanting story of adventure. Suitable for ages 6+.

Life Savings, Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 June, 7.30pm; matinee: Saturday, 2.30pm Inspired by the children’s short story, Life Savings by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. Audiences will be taken on an enchanting adventure through two theatres over a single evening with the first part of the show taking place in the egg and the second part in the Ustinov Studio after the interval. Suitable for ages 7+.

Fireman Sam in Pontypandy Rocks, Sunday 26 June in the Main House, 1pm and 3.30pm The hero next door is back, in a brand new show live on stage. Join Fireman Sam, and all his friends, as Pontypandy hosts its first ever music festival. Station Officer Steel has booked a surprise guest star to perform at the festival. It’s a big secret. With so much to plan and prepare, Norman Price and Mandy Flood are told to stay out of mischief but Naughty Norman is determined to find out who the secret superstar guest will be... at any cost. This day promises to be one of Fireman Sam’s busiest yet, as he’s called on to save the festival. A fantastic show with great new songs, daring new rescues, and more adventures than ever before.

The Paper Washi Wish, Saturday 2 July, 11.30am and 3pm Join Rabbit’s friends on an exciting adventure to find him, as they travel into a magical paper world full of surprises. This unique theatrical experience features traditional Japanese storytelling, a hands-on papermaking workshop, and an opportunity to take away a shared memento from this magical day out. Suitable for ages 3+.

THE

LANSDOWN CLUB TENNIS, SQUASH AND CROQUET CLUB

• TENNIS, SQUASH, RACKETBALL AND CROQUET • BRAND NEW TENNIS COURT WITH MINI TENNIS MARKINGS

dance dance movement

voice

therapy centre

BRISTOL B ASED MASTERS PROGRAMME IN DANCE MOVEMENT PSYCHOTHE RAPY Validated by Canterbury Christ Church University INTERVIEWING NOW for October 2011 intake and NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN DANCE MOVEMENT and the THERAPEUTIC PROCESS (BTEC) 1 year programme starts September

Ffi: Dance Voice, Quaker Meeting House, Wedmore Vale, Bedminster, Bristol. BS3 5HX tel: 0117 953 2055 e-mail: admin@dancevoice.org.uk www.dancevoice.org.uk 50 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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• FRIENDLY FAMILY MEMBERS CLUB • SOCIAL AND COMPETITIVE PLAY • COACHING FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES • CLUBHOUSE SERVING FOOD AND DRINKS • TV AND INTERNET LOUNGE • SOCIAL EVENTS Northfields, Lansdown Bath. BA1 5TN T: 01225 425763 E: reception@lansdownclub.co.uk

www.lansdownclub.co.uk

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HOST FAMILIES NEEDED

Crown Guardians

Are we looking for you? local families for local children

Crown Guardians needs local host families for overseas students that attend boarding schools in and around Bath and Bristol. The high standards we require are well rewarded with excellent rates of pay.

The students we represent require full board host family accommodation with internet access for short periods during the school year (usually for half terms).

If you or someone you know would be interested in hosting international students please contact us straight away. We work hard to match the right student with the right family and we offer all the support you could wish for.

Please call us or visit our website for further information.

Tel: 01225 423327 E: mail@crownguardians.co.uk 29 St James’s Park, Bath, BA1 2SU

www.crownguardians.co.uk

Could you foster a young person from the Bath and North East Somerset area?

We are looking for people with child care experience and the time and energy to care for young people aged 11 and over or people who are able to care for brothers and sisters who need to be kept together.

Carers receive an excellent support and training package, as well as a competitive allowance – those caring for older teenagers are likely to receive up to £400 per week.

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

KAPLAN

I N T E R N AT I O N A L COLLEGES

ENGLISHUK

member

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Accredited by the

BRITISH COUNCIL

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WEEKENDbreak

Kingdom of HEAVEN Lundy Island is the perfect place to go and do nothing.

Andrew Swift explains why it’s one of his favourite haunts ESCAPE THE 21ST CENTURY: Lundy Island’s craggy coastline is a bird watcher’s paradise Below, Lundy’s seals are just as curious as people and will swim up to boats to take a closer look

I

n 1836 William Heaven, a Bristol merchant, bought an island eleven miles off the North Devon coast and built a villa. Most of his friends and acquaintances must have thought him mad. Lundy’s history was one of smugglers, pirates, Knights Templar and marauding Vikings. Many of the island’s previous owners were outlaws or rebels, and many had come to a bad end. Only 80 years earlier it had belonged to an MP in charge of transporting convicts to Virginia. They got no farther than Lundy, where he put them to work building drystone walls across the island.

There was little on Lundy beyond a lighthouse, a farm and a ruined castle. The Heaven family were determined to make their mark, however. William dreamed up a quixotic scheme to open huge granite quarries and ship the stone to London to build the Thames Embankment. It never got off – or out of – the ground, but you can still walk the tramways.

In the 1890s, Heaven’s son, a vicar, built a church with pews for hundreds of worshippers and a tower with eight bells to summon them to prayer. On an island with a population of around 50, you have to admire his optimism.

The Heavens sold Lundy in 1917, other owners came and went, until in 1969 it was acquired by the National Trust and handed over to the Landmark Trust, which runs it today.

You cannot buy property on Lundy but you can book a holiday in one of 23 self-catering properties. These include a corrugated-iron hut, lighthouse keepers’ and radio operators’ cottages, a barn, the keep of a Norman castle, Heaven’s villa and a wood-panelled Edwardian admiralty lookout.

The island is a mere three and a half miles long and half a mile wide. The only road corkscrews up from the landing place to the cluster of buildings that pass for a village. There is only one pub and nothing to do except walk, watch birds, go climbing, canoeing or diving or sit in the pub. There’s no TV, mobile phone coverage is patchy at best, and – unless someone decides to hold an impromptu session in the tavern – no entertainment.

The island is a massive granite outcrop, the legacy of a volcanic eruption 50 million years ago, with vertiginous cliffs rising to a 400-foot-high plateau. Inland, the landscape is reminiscent of Dartmoor, but the coastline is remarkably varied. Part of the west coast was riven by the earthquake that shook Lisbon in 1755 and you can still thread your way

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through the fissures opened up over 250 centuries ago.

There are no public footpaths on Lundy – you wander where you like, untroubled by ‘keep out’ signs or notices warning that cliff edges are dangerous. There are no signposts either, and no books of walks. Lundy is all about selfexploration, about making your own discoveries.

For adventurous children, it’s a bit like Swallows and Amazons laced with a hearty dose of the Famous Five. As well as rock pools, smugglers’ caves and a pirate castle, there’s an island-wide treasure hunt made up of 27 ‘letterboxes’.

Lundy is most famous for its wildlife. Puffins only come ashore between April and July and spend most of their time in burrows, but the colonies of seals at the north end of the island – so curious that they almost come out of the water for a closer look at you – are ample compensation.

The island warden leads a variety of excursions – rock-pool rambles, wildlife trails, seabird walks and, best of all, snorkelling safaris. The waters around Lundy were designated England’s first marine conservation zone in 2010, and a snorkelling set will let you gaze down through crystalline waters at seaweeds, anemones, fish and crustaceans.

Once bitten by the Lundy bug, many people return again and again. Over 40 years ago, Sir John Smith, the founder of the Landmark Trust said that ‘those who find it and are hooked by it have ever after something special in common with each other – be they bird watchers, archaeologists, botanists, climbers, divers, lovers of solitude, or lovers of good company.’

You can go over to Lundy for a day and spend around four hours on the island – just time for a quick walk followed by a pint and a pasty in the tavern. But you really need to stay, if only for a couple of days. And, as you stand at night under a vivid blanket of stars, with the eerie cries of Manx shearwaters on the chilly air and a dim ribbon of lights far off on the Devon shore, you begin to understand why Mr Heaven decided to set up home in this magical place. ■ The MS Oldenburg runs three times a week to Lundy from Ilfracombe or Bideford, April-Oct. Day return £33.50; period return £58. To stay on Lundy it is essential to book in advance. Visit: www.lundyisland.co.uk or phone the Lundy Shore Office on 01271 863636.

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

Built in 1890, Lady Lena is believed to be the oldest electric launch in existence and still powered by electric.

If you are looking for something truly memorable or unique, private charter of this magnificent historic boat is ideal for a romantic cruise for 2 or for a party of up to 10 people, year round.

journey anywhere from Bath to the beautiful Limpley Stoke Valley • trips tailored to your own needs • complimentary glass of champagne on arrival • bring your own picnic or our caterer can provide • cream teas available to find out more about Lady Lena tel: Jenkyn: 07963 834828 Helen: 07791 511611 01225 834250

www.ladylena.co.uk

THEBATHMAGAZINE 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, Bath BA1 2ED or Telephone 01225 424 499 for card payment

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

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

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

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Win a Vintage Experience at the Paddington Champagne Bar! The romance of travel is back with Searcys newly launched Champagne Bar at Paddington Railway Station. This glamorous bar holds the largest selection of Grand Marque houses, the most extraordinary selection available by the glass, with all styles of Champagne represented; including Pink Fizz from only £6 a flute. Our food menu has been developed to partner our Champagne list and to ensure that even the hastiest traveler can be served in quick time.

The bar is perfect for enticing guests coming and going from Paddington Station as well as being a destination in its own right for Champagne lovers. So bring some romance into your journey and celebrate life at Paddington Champagne Bar. One lucky Bath Magazine reader has the chance to win a Vintage Champagne Experience for themselves and up to eight guests at Searcys Champagne Bar Paddington. The Vintage Experience will include two bottles of Lanson Gold label 1999 and two bottles of Lanson Extra Age. These will be accompanied by delicious mixed charcuterie, seafood and cheese boards.

To enter, send us your favourite Champagne quote, for example “Come Quickly, I’m drinking the stars!” Dom Perignon. Send your entries to Paddington@searcyschampagnebars.co.uk.

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thechampagnebar Terms and Conditions: The prize winner will be notified by email. The offer is not redeemable for cash. Booking is required.

Closing date for entries is the 30th June.

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Paddington Champagne Bar The Lawn, Paddington Station, London, W2 1FT T: 0207 99 33 279 www.searcys.co.uk/paddington-champagne-bar/

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FOOD&DRINK

Win a hamper of west country goodies The last two annual Flavours of the West food festival held in central Bath were so popular that organisers are holding another one this year, on the weekend of 2 and 3 July, which gives shoppers the chance to spend a leisurely few hours at Milsom Place sampling the best of local food and drink.

The courtyards provide an ideal setting for a street market of stalls, offering free tastings as well as the chance to meet the artisan producers and buy their wares. The Octagon will be transformed into the Aga Rangemaster Cookery Theatre for the duration, hosting demonstrations from such foodie luminaries as Xanthe Clay, Richard Bertinet, Rachel Demuth and Martin Blunos.

One of the success stories of previous festivals is The Bath Pig, which produces a range of British chorizo, using free range British pork. Matthew Chiles, owner of the Bath Pig Company, said: “Two years ago when we launched our chorizo at Milsom Place, we were bright-eyed and bushy tailed entrepreneurs, running blindly into the wonderful world of cured sausages. Today we are exhausted, overworked, but overwhelmed.

From Inverness to Penzance from Dublin to

A new arrival Stepping neatly into the space vacated by the Moon and Sixpence is the French restaurant, Côte Brasserie, which opens in Milsom Place on Wednesday 8 June.

The national chain was awarded the Best Value Restaurant in the UK by the Good Food Guide in 2009. It will be bringing its own brand of value meals from breakfast through to nightfall.

Typical dishes include steak frites, tuna Nicoise, moules marinieres and Breton corn-fed chicken, although shoppers are free to call in for a mid-morning coffee.

There will be a weekday lunch and early evening menu at £9.95 for two courses and £11.90 for three courses.

The new restaurant will bring 40 jobs to the city too.

Norfolk, our chorizo are stocked in some 400 shops and 50 restaurants.”

The Bath Magazine readers are invited to win a hamper from the Flavours of the West festival at Milsom Place, packed with delicious goodies from the producers at the foodie fest.

The hamper will be assembled for the winner and will include some of the following items: award-winning cheese by Caws Cenarth, Gould Cheddar and Bath Soft Cheese, British chorizo from the Bath Pig; sweet delights from Bristol-based Crumpet Cakes and Serious Treats, jam by Gratton & Oldridge and local brews from Bath Ales and organic wine by Avalon Vineyard.

Simply answer this question to be in with a chance of winning: What is the name of the free cookery demonstration theatre at Flavours of the West?

Send your answer on a postcard to Flavours of the West, The Bath Magazine, 2 Princes Buildings, Bath BA1 2ED or email competitions@thebathmagazine.co.uk. The deadline for entries is Monday 27 June.

The prize winner will be invited to collect their hamper in person on the Sunday afternoon from Milsom Place.

Gurkha Fine Foods, which produces authentic Nepalese curry sauces and chutneys from its base in Neston, near Corsham, is now supplying the Chandos Deli in George Street. Iain Keith-Smith, who owns Chandos, said: “HillBoy, a roasted chilli condiment with a smoky flavour and crunchy texture, is my favourite product in the range.”

Visit Gurkha Fine Foods at: wwwgurkhafinefoods.co.uk

■

TASTE and the

TABLE Morsels from Bath’s food & drink scene

A warm sunny welcome Bringing the warmth of Italy and the impeccable customer service of California to a little corner of Bath is Filippo Maodda, pictured, the new general manager at Browns restuarant in Orange Grove.

On summer evenings Browns has one of the best spots in the city to enjoy outdoor dining and to get in holiday mood. A new summer menu brings in a zingy, tasty selection, including a refreshing watermelon, feta cheese and hazelnut salad and a British take on carpaccio using tender smoked Gloucestershire beef with roast peppers. Browns’ expert team of bartenders can also rustle up a cheeky low-calorie cocktail to enjoy as a sundowner. Perfect.

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Loving food There’s always a great atmosphere at the Green Park Station market on a Saturday morning, where the stallholders are eager to talk to shoppers about their produce and offer samples.

Now there’s another good excuse to go down to Green Park Station, on Sunday 12 June, when the market site will host a Love Food Festival from 10.30am to 4pm There will be some of the Saturday regulars there – like PJ’s Farm which produces superb local bacon and sausages from the family-run farm – plus some new faces to the Bath foodie scene.

The day will include a pop-up restaurant, live jazz, a children’s area and even the promise of a croquet lawn, in addition to dozens of stalls selling every kind of food from Jamaican jerk chicken to cakes.

This is the first time the Love Food Festival has staged an event in Bath, but it already holds regular food festivals at Paintworks in Bristol.

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VENI vidi VINO

Fine Returns from Fine Wines

by Kate Robinson

I

t’s that time of year again; the top châteaux of Bordeaux are in the process of releasing the new vintage onto the market and opinion seems to be universal – 2010 is another great vintage and certainly one to rival 2009, albeit being in a totally different style to the opulent, velvety wines of last year.

The best wines of 2010, of which there are many, show immense concentration of fruit and tannins due to the very dry growing season along with a lovely freshening acidity owed to the unusually cool nights experienced throughout August and September.

These components go together to create perfect balance and ensure these wines will be very long lived. This is backed up by the highly influential wine critic, Robert Parker, who has commented that the top châteaux are set to produce wines of perfection, capable of obtaining scores of 100 out of 100 once bottled. It will be very interesting to see what effect another exceptional vintage will have on ever escalating Bordeaux prices.

A large number of wines from the 2009 vintage set new price records on release but this did not seem to have a negative effect on demand. These days many customers like to buy wines both for drinking and on a speculative basis hoping prices will go up on the top wines over time. As results from the Liv-ex Claret Chip Index illustrate the investment is generally a sensible one; the price of Bordeaux’s first growth wines have shown an increase in excess of 30% over the past year.

A key reason behind the increase is due to the rise in demand from new markets, especially China, where the newly affluent seem to have a near insatiable interest in the leading wines of Bordeaux. It is thought that over three quarters of Château Lafite now ends up in the Far East.

To find out more on Bordeaux En Primeur or wine investment contact Kate Robinson on 01225 322808 or visit: www.greatwesternwine.co.uk/bordeaux-2010-en-primeur ■

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The Crown at Bathford 2 Bathford Hill, Bath BA1 7SL. Tel: 01225 852426, www.crownbathford.co.uk

REVIEW

FRENCH

T

fancies

here’s nothing more satisfying than a good hearty meal in a cosy country pub – and that’s exactly what you get at The Crown at Bathford which has recently re-opened as a bistro pub.

With the owners’ French and British heritage, they have perfectly combined the warm and friendly atmosphere of a British pub, with its ales and fish and chips, with the taste sensations and elegance of a French bistro.

Having found success and won numerous awards at their sister pub, The Somers Town Coffee House in London, the owners decided to start a new venture somewhere a little more peaceful, and so they came to Bath. And with them they bought awardwinning French chef Hugo Warhem who has created an inventive and delicious menu.

We were greeted by a friendly waiter on arrival and seated comfortably at the bar to peruse the drinks menus before we found our table. There was a happy buzz from the drinkers sat beside us, many of which were supping on a pint of one of the popular Bath Ales on offer. Nick was persuaded. I meanwhile was impressed by the extensive international wine list and chose a light and refreshing Sauvignon Blanc.

The atmosphere was relaxed, with music playing in the background and a general cheery chatter, but not so loud that you couldn’t enjoy a private meal. Couples, families and groups of friends were dining in the large non-formal room which is filled with antique wooden tables and chairs and vintage pieces of furniture. The sense of character and country pub charm is further enhanced by the cosy fireplaces, stone walling and comfy sofas, while the sparkling chandeliers and shiny goblet wine glasses offer a touch of French sophistication, reflecting the variety of the menu completely.

Reading the menus at our table, we found we were completely spoilt for choice.

For our starters, we were tempted by the The Crown’s Sharing Platter (£15) which consisted of homemade port rillette, chicken liver and foie gras parfait, homemade pig’s trotter croquettes, country pork terrine, chicken wings and homemade sauces; but in the end I couldn’t resist the goat’s cheese lollipops (£6) – delicious deep fried goat’s cheese balls stuffed with fresh quince served with fig coulis and soft cheese creme anglaise. It tasted just as good as

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it looked – beautifully creamy and indulgent. I think Nick had a tiny bit of food envy but he certainly enjoyed his tasty and fresh salade Normande (£5.75) full of lardons, tomatoes, new potatoes and camembert fritters.

For the main courses, The Crown offers pub classics such as steak and ale pie and a pure beef burger, alongside bistro classics which included our choices of agneau au flageolets, £14, (for me) and steak frites, £16.50, (for Nick). My grilled leg of lamb steak was perfectly tender and succulent and came with sauteéd potatoes slowly cooked in lamb jus and garlic cream.

The presentation was excellent and the portion size generous. Nick was very impressed with his pan-fried 8oz sirloin steak, declaring it was one of the best he’s ever tasted. Served with French fries and blue cheese sauce, it was a flavoursome dish that went down nicely.

We were not disappointed by the desserts either. Nick’s trio of chocolate, consisting of milk chocolate and almond gateau, dark chocolate ice cream and a white chocolate and berry coulis, was heavenly – white chocolate has never tasted so good. I opted for a scoop of the homemade Bailey’s ice cream, which finished off the meal perfectly.

All the food at The Crown is sourced locally and made fresh from scratch, even the tomato ketchup.

The menu changes seasonally and throughout the week you’ll find steak night on Mondays – if you order two steaks, you get a bottle of house wine free; French night on a Tuesday – order a traditional French dish and get a kir, a green salad and a platter free; and home cooked roasts on a Sunday.

The large secluded beer garden, pentanque court and children’s play area makes it a perfect place to visit on a warm summer’s afternoon or evening too.

We’ve definitely found our new local. ■ SE

they have perfectly combined the ❝ warm and friendly atmosphere of a British pub, with its ales and fish and chips, with the taste sensations and elegance of a French bistro

❞

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®

Braised Little Gems, Radish, Spring Onions and Mint

Highly recommended by food Guides and critics Recipient of

for four consecutive years as the best in South West and one of the 10 best in Britain OPEN DAILY including Holidays 12-2.30pm and 6pm to 11pm • Friday and Saturday till 11.30pm SPECIAL LUNCH £8.25 - (Monday to Friday)

4 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BA www.rajpoot.com Tel: 01225 466833 / 464758 • www.rajpoot.com

THEBATHMAGAZINE THEBESTOFBATH PERFECTLYCOVERED BATHSBIGGESTMAGAZINE PERFECTLYDELIVERED TOADVERTISETEL: 01225 424499

West country organic food company Riverford, which delivers fruit and vegetable boxes to homes in Somerset, Bath and Wiltshire, has produced a second cook book, Everyday and Sunday – Recipes from Riverford Farm.

Everyday and Sunday is the follow-up to Riverford’s award-winning first book, The Riverford Farm Cook Book by Riverford founder Guy Watson and head chef Jane Baxter. The book describes what vegetables are in season month by month and the best ways to use them in the kitchen.

Guy Watson said: “Despite the hype from celebrity chefs and the best endeavours of our government with its Five A Day campaign, the consumption of fresh, unprocessed vegetables has declined by 45 per cent over the last 30 years. We have to make cooking with seasonal, fresh ingredients easier for the people who find it a struggle. That is what this book is all about.”

The book has recipes for quick, everyday meals, alongside one or two more celebratory dishes. From a warming kale gratin for springtime to this warm salad of braised Little Gem lettuce with seasonal mint in June, there is inspiration to create something with every kind of vegetable.

Ingredients: Serves 4-6 2 tbsp olive oil 3 Little Gem lettuces, cut into eighths lengthways 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp caster sugar 1 tsp cider vinegar sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 10 radishes, cut into very thin rounds 1 bunch of spring onions, finely chopped leaves from 1 bunch of mint, shredded

Method: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the Little Gem wedges and stir quickly, then add the garlic, sugar and vinegar and stir for about 10 minutes until wilted. Season well.

Remove from the heat and add the rest of the ingredients, reserving some to sprinkle on the top when serving.

Everyday and Sunday – Recipes from Riverford Farm is available from www.riverford.co.uk and selected bookshops. Hardback, £24.99, paperback (only available on mail order), £18.99.

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FIT&FABULOUS

Get feet fit for summer A tip from Vicki Painter, beauty department manager at House of Fraser:

The ultimate travel essential this summer, the Champney’s Mediterranean Bliss Travel Collection (£12) is now available at Boots, along with other products from the Champney’s spa range. The new Mediterranean Bliss collection is designed to provide a deeply therapeutic experience, featuring a luxurious bath soak, a hydrating body lotion and a moisturising scrub to leave you with immaculate skin and a relaxed state of mind. Recreate a spa experience wherever you go with this handy travel-sized set.

Nina Ricci fragrances have always been favourite summer scents, but the Nina L’Elixir, Eau de Parfum (£54, 80ml from House of Fraser) tops them all. A very sensual fragrance, it oozes femininity with its mouth-watering sweet scent of toffee apple complemented by jasmine, red berries and warm amber.

SKIN DEEP A selection of tried and tested health and beauty products that we love

Finally, a product that evens out skintone. The new Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator from Estée Lauder (£62, 50ml) instantly illuminates skin with brightening optics and reduces the look of redness for radiant, more even-looking skin. Ideal for those who have problems of redness, discolourations, blemish marks, sun spots and dark spots.

■ Sassy & Boo on Green Street are now stocking the popular Dr Hauscka face and body care range. They have just launched a new regenerating body lotion which is gorgeous – well worth popping in for a pampering treat.

NEWS in BRIEF

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■ Do you cover your mouth when you smile, or keep your lips firmly together? People are more conscious than ever about their appearance and that’s why Valley Orthodontics provide many different treatment options to correct irregular, crowded or ‘gappy’ teeth. At the practice the doctors specialise in braces that are see-through or completely hidden, which are well received by adults in particular. Free tooth whitening is also provided with all brace treatments, making the end result even more effective. For further information contact Valley

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“During the summer we tend to wear open-toed shoes or flip flops which can leave the soles of our feet tough and dry. That’s why it’s important to look after our feet and make sure they feel and look good during the summer months. A lot of customers ask for advice on soothing cracked heels and dry skin. I always suggest people start with a foot file to remove the dead skin and regularly use a good foot scrub in the bath or shower. It’s also crucial that we moisturise our feet to keep the new and exfoliated skin feeling and looking soft. Decléor’s comfort foot cream (£19) is fantastic, with a triple action formula which moisturises, calms irritations and regulates excess perspiration. Another favourite with customers is the Clarins Foot Beauty Treatment (£20, pictured) which helps prevent dry skin build-up, soothes, softens and comforts tired feet with excellent moisturising ingredients such as Cashew Nut and Shea Butter.

“It is really easy to ensure we have beautiful feet this summer, whether you look after them yourself or prefer to be pampered.” ■ If you suffer from unsightly bunions and bad posture, you can find help with Beech sandals – a flip flop that does so much good for the feet and body. Using a unique design of four toe separators, the sandals realign all the 26 bones found in the feet, helping to improve posture and fix bunions. You’ll see a difference just after wearing them for ten minutes every day for two weeks. Available from www.LoveThoseShoes.com for £29.

Orthodontics on tel: 01275 333322 or visit: www.valleyortho.co.uk ■ Jennifer Luckham beauty clinic on Monmouth Street has introduced the newest treatment from Clarins – the Triactive Facials. Using new formulas, the beauty clinic is offering a choice of six personalised results-driven facial treatments: The Youth Activator, a richly replenishing treat for mature skin; The Lifting Line Smoother, which restores suppleness and freshness; The Radiance Reviver, for dull, tired-looking skin; The Moisture Replenisher, designed to give dry, dehydrated skin a moisture boost; The Skin Healer, to make sensitive skin feel comfortable again; and The Detox & Shine Stopper, a fresh start with a shinefree finish. To book an appointment tel: 01225 428741.

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ADV ERT OR I AL F EAT U R E

Combining clinical excellence and five star hospitality

Last month 99% of patients at CircleBath said they would recommend the hospital to family and friends. We look at why this hospital is making such an impression on its visitors and speak to the woman who ensures it continues to exceed expectations.

S

helagh Meldrum, CircleBath’s Hospital Manager who has worked primarily as a Senior Nurse for more than 10 years, is quick to point out that this is a healthcare environment like no other.

“The Circle approach is very different. The medical care delivered by some of the region’s leading doctors and clinical partners is firstclass, but on top of that there is a service style you would expect in a five star hotel or if you were flying first class. The team here at the hospital is wholly committed to ensuring our patients receive the best care,” she explains.

The fact that the building doesn’t look like a hospital either is something Shelagh believes is a major benefit to patients.

“Even on the busiest days it feels calm here in the hospital,” she says. This may have something to do with its picturesque backdrop; it is nestled into the rural landscape overlooking Shoscombe Valley, or it could be the range of art on display, the pianist or harpist playing in the atrium and the smell of real coffee from the deli.

“Our patient bedrooms and waiting areas are comfortable and stylish, while our operating theatres are equipped with state of the art diagnostic and medical equipment and there is natural light coming through the windows. We even recruited our head chef and hotel manager from a Michelin star restaurant,” she adds.

Patient feedback is something the hospital takes very seriously and Shelagh personally reviews each and every patient comment and ensures actions are taken.

CircleBath treats in the region of 700 private and NHS patients every week in more than 25 different specialities.

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Services and treatments available at CircleBath: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Cardiology (heart) Cosmetic Surgery Dermatology (skin) Ear, Nose & Throat Gastroenterology (abdomen & bowel) General and Elderly Care Medicine General Surgery (hernia & gall bladder) Gynaecology Health Screening Laser Eye Surgery Neurology (brain) Oncology Ophthalmology (eyes) Orthopaedics (muscles & joints) Pain Management Physiotherapy & Sports Medicine Plastic Surgery Podiatry Radiology Respiratory Rheumatology Urology Vascular Weight Loss Surgery

Shelagh Meldrum, CircleBath’s Hospital Manager

What makes CircleBath different to other hospitals?

1. Partnership - Every member of staff owns shares in the hospital and that gives a vested interest in your wellbeing and experience.

2. Hospitality - Every detail, from the pillows on beds through to the menu and the warm welcome upon arrival, has been carefully considered to ensure patients are made as comfortable as possible at all times.

3. Free Parking - It sounds like a minor thing but it helps to take the stress out of a visit. Valet parking is also available, as is a chauffeur-driven service on request.

For more information visit www.circlebath.com or contact the hospital on 01761 422 222.

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Sculpt Tone & Balance in Elegant Style!

City Centre Ballet Classes in Central Bath

* Adult Beginners & Improvers * All ages welcome * Private classes

Lose Weight Effectively With Hypnotherapy

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For your free consultation call

01225 484938 Phil Mattingly LHA E.Hyp Registered Hypnotherapist www.philmattingly.com

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ADV ERT OR I AL F EATURE

A health check up tailored to

your needs Every year we take our car in for a service to ensure that it’s in good, safe working order and to prevent breakdowns. So why don’t we do the same for our own bodies? The Bath Magazine talks to the GP behind CircleBath’s new health screening service.

D

r Nick Jones, a local GP with more than 10 years experience in health screening, has been working with CircleBath hospital, in partnership with Dr Lucy Mackenzie, to establish a unique new service which combines a detailed medical assessment tailored to a patient’s needs within an unhurried, relaxed environment.

Health Screening: Dr Nick Jones with a patient at CircleBath Hospital

In Dr Jones’ experience most people have a specific underlying reason for wanting a medical check up and this has been used as the basis for creating CircleBath’s range of assessments which allow patients to pick and choose the examination elements most suited to their concerns.

“We wanted to give our patients more choice when it came to health screening assessments now they can choose to have only the tests that are relevant to their situation.

One of the biggest advantages in taking this approach is that it makes the process far more cost effective as the patient isn’t paying for tests that they don’t need,” he explains.

“For example, men who are specifically WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

concerned about their prostate will not require all of the tests normally included in a standard, comprehensive health screening assessment and they will sometimes be put off having one at all because it seems overwhelming and costly.”

In addition to a prostate-specific check up, focused assessments are also available at the hospital for women’s health, cardiovascular risk, fatigue, and health issues relating to smoking. It also offers the traditional full medical check up lasting about 90 mins for patients keen to have ‘the works’.

“Health screening allows time for the patient to fully express their worries and the doctor to assess in detail, explain findings and offer solutions,” Dr Jones explains, adding, “Time in this context is such a great luxury and sadly not always available in a busy GP surgery.”

After each check up a personalised written report with the main findings and recommendations will be provided. Patients can then either return to their GP to discuss further treatment or investigations, or seek further assessment through the wide variety of clinical specialities at CircleBath.

“The peace of mind knowing that you are in good health shouldn’t be underestimated; over the years I’ve seen screening assessments make a dramatic difference to people’s lives,” concludes Dr Jones.

Why Health Screening?

Health screenings can be useful for early identification of problems such as prostate, breast, bowel and cervical cancer, heart and dietary related conditions as well as persistent tiredness.

What’s included?

• Blood tests • Height, weight, and blood pressure measurement • Urinalysis • Faecal occult blood test • ECG (heart tracing) • Spirometry (lung function testing) • Medical assessment including fracture risk evaluation, cardiovascular assessment • and depression screening • Personalised written report with main findings and recommendations • PSA Prostate examination and prostate cancer risk assessment (male only) • Breast examination (female only) • Pelvic examination and smear (female only) • Optional DEXA (bone density) scan and mammogram Choose your own check up: Depending on what type of assessment is needed, a personally tailored 45 minute health screening can cost as little as £220. A full medical check up, which takes around 1.5 hours, will cost £430.

To find out more information about the health screening service or to book an appointment please contact 01761 422222 or visit www.circlebath.com.

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Open Evening The Latest in Non-Surgical Cosmetic Treatments Dr Rita Rakus MBBS www.drritarakus.com

Date: Monday June 13th 2011 Time: from 5.30 - 7.30pm RSVP - The Orangery Laser and Beauty Clinic 01225 466851 Dr Sherina Balaratnam - associate colleague of Dr Rita Rakus, would like to invite you for an evening to discover the latest in non-surgical treatments using advanced techniques.

Following a champagne reception and formal introduction, there will be live demonstrations on the following treatments:

• Muscle relaxing injections • Dermal fillers for hand, chest and facial rejuvenation • NEW dermaroller skin microneedling for scar treatment and skin rejuvenation of the face, neck and hands

You will discover why these non-invasive treatments are acclaimed for being faster in terms of procedure and recovery time, more cost effective and less painful than invasive surgical alternatives, as well as have the opportunity to learn about the function and benefits of these advanced injections.

To reserve your place at the event or to book your free consultation with a world-class team of aesthetics experts, please call The Orangery Laser and Beauty Clinic on 01225 466851

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JENNIFER LUCKHAM BeautyClinic A fusion of science, touch & nature

INTRODUCING • Six New Clarins Tri Active Facials • by • Four Experienced Therapists • at • One Established Beauty Clinic •

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SUMMER essentials BOOK a course of 6 Jan Marini peels and receive a product starter pack worth £71 free Common concerns including the appearance of sun damage, fine lines and wrinkles, acne, scarring and skin discolouration can be greatly and even resolved by the use of our specialised formulations and services. Skin of all types can be stimulated to appear clearer, younger, smoother and healthier

IPL Permanent Hair Reduction Treatments

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INTERIORstyle

VINTAGE

treasures

Michele Chivers, founder of The Vintage and Handmade Fairs at Chipping Sodbury, talks to Nichola Owen about how she found and rescued her Bath home

I

was living in a similar Victorian terrace nearby but I always admired this street. Each front door has a different stained glass panel. It gives the street character. Also it is a short downhill stroll into Bath city centre and it is a friendly neighbourhood. Some months earlier I delivered postcards to each house asking the owner to call me if they were keen to sell, but I had accidentally left one digit off my phone number so that came to nothing. A few months later we spotted this house, liked it, and bought it. And our house sold, just like that. We had three offers in one week. It felt like someone was smiling on us.

This house felt unloved, when we viewed it. Some of the upstairs rooms were virtually empty while the sitting room looked like a dentist’s waiting room, with a hotchpotch of furniture and acres of cork tiles on the floors. The kitchen was a cavernous dark chamber and what is now our utility was a yard with an ugly bitumen roof. But I could see Pete, Harry, and I filling it with our friends, and music, and living here happily.

We moved in on a beautiful sunny day in May 2006 and from the word go our neighbours were great, offering tea and help – although the children next door were taken aback to see their headmaster moving in. We piled our boxes into one room and the builders arrived three days later. They started to gut the kitchen, rewire the whole house and began to landscape the garden. So while it was good to crack on with the work it meant that there was no escaping the dust and noise.

The kitchen, which is at lower ground level, was a big job and went smoothly, although when a builder sat on my beloved Smeg fridge and dented it, I could have cried. We knocked through a wall to open the space up and created a new chimneybreast for the Aga. I wanted to buy vintage freestanding kitchen cabinets because I

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admire the quality and craftsmanship of old furniture but it was hard to find pieces to fit, so we had it all made by a local cabinetmaker. It was a relatively cheap option in the end.

It was the utility that proved to be our Everest. The roof went on and leaked, it came off, it went back on, and leaked again.

One morning I woke up to find frogs hopping about the kitchen.

They had fallen through the utility roof, which is at street level at the front of the house. It took three years to finish.

I have the honour of owning ❝ these vintage treasures before they are sold on to another loving home

❞

The other rooms were a breeze in comparison. All the walls were painted to freshen the place up. I am particularly pleased with the main bedroom, which is my oasis. The pale blue walls are very calming. We have coir flooring throughout which is neutral and hardwearing. I am less happy with the sitting room. I wanted a warm colour so plumped for the ochre. In hindsight I wish I had chosen dove grey. But as sun shines on the back of the house, we tend to start our day in the kitchen and move upstairs as the day passes, and by early evening the sitting room has a lovely glow, as the sun hits the ochre. So it’s not perfect but it works.

I make all the choices about the interior. Pete reckons DIY stands for ‘Don’t involve yourself.’ So if mistakes are made they are all mine.This house represented a fresh start after the loss of

HOME SWEET HOME: Michele’s kitchen cupboards were made by a local carpenter and a chimneybreast created to take the family Aga OPPOSITE PAGE: THESE WE HAVE LOVED: the family sitting room and some of Michele’s vintage toys which she collects and sells

If you would like to see your home or work on the pages of a national magazine contact Nicky Owen on tel: 0796 659 2203 Photographs by David Parmiter, www.davidparmiter. co.uk

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INTERIORstyle

both of my parents. So on January 1 2007 feeling inspired and happy in our finished home, the idea of my new business Cowboys & Custard was born. I design greetings cards that are currently available online at notthehighstreet.com and in Kiss The Frog Again in Bath. I decided to combine this existing business with my love of vintage graphics and design. I found a vintage cowboy stories book in Oxfam and used the pages to make badges and design some new greeting cards. Soon after I discovered blogging and started my own blog.

I would sit at the kitchen table, making and blogging, and in May 2008 I met fellow blogger, Kim Mercado, on line and she is also passionate about vintage style. We would muse about having a shop and on 25 July 2009 our online shop Milly and Dottie’s emporium was launched – www.millyanddottie.com.

Sharing our love of vintage homewares, we are constantly seeking interesting pieces for the shelves of our online shop.

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My life and my work revolve around my home. Vintage homewares, especially toys are my passion; I buy them at flea markets, antiques fairs and auctions, always on the hunt for items to sell in our Emporium.

I have the bonus of owning these vintage treasures for a while before they are sold on to another loving home.

I turned a corner when we moved here, both geographically and in my life. Living here inspires me, and fulfils me and is a happy home for us all. And as I sit and look at the view over Bath, I think of our home and I count my blessings and smile. ■ The next Vintage and Handmade Fashion and Textile Fair is at Chipping Sodbury Town Hall on Saturday 4 June from 10am to 4pm. The next Vintage Jumble Sale is on Saturday 13 August, at Rangeworthy Village Hall. Visit: www.vintageandhandmade.co.uk or Michele’s blog at: infocowboysandcustard.blogspot.com.

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The

Works of Bath

Marble, Granite & natural Stone specialists Granite, Marble & Quartz worktops for kitchens & Bathrooms

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INSPIRATIONAL BORDERS: the planting scheme at The Garden House at Dyrham

UP THE

garden path L

andscaped gardens, cottage gardens, gardens with a view – they’ll all be open for Dorothy House over the next few weeks. The annual open gardens season is one of the most enjoyable and popular events in the hospice’s fundraising calendar – who can resist the chance to take a peek at some of the lovely gardens that are usually hidden from view?

On Sunday 12 June, you’ll certainly be spoilt for choice: the grounds of Corsham Court – complete with peacocks – are open from 2-6pm, with delicious teas being served at neighbouring St Bartholomew’s Church. The Garden House at Dyrham is open from 2-5pm, with a chance to enjoy the colourful herbaceous borders, kitchen gardens and lily pond, while in Weston Village 14 gardeners are opening their gates to visitors from 15pm, showing off a wonderful variety of gardens, large and small.

The views from 8 Trossachs Drive are simply spectacular – and the terraced garden in Bathampton is a riot of glorious colour at this time of year. Unusual plantings, old roses and wildlife are sure to make this one of the highlights of the season. It will be open from 2-6pm on Sunday 19 June.

Another bunch of garden delights are on offer on Sunday 26 June, when seven delightful gardens of all shapes and sizes are open in the tiny canalside hamlet of Avoncliff, near Bradford on Avon. Open from 2-6pm, the gardens are a short walk along the towpath from Bradford on Avon – or you could even take the train from Bath.

Hill Lodge, Northend, once again opens to visitors on Sunday 3 July, from 2-5pm. Three acres of herbaceous plantings, woodland, a lake, stream and ponds: Hill Lodge is deservedly popular with visitors and a wonderful destination for a sunny summer’s afternoon.

A little further from home, but well worth the trip, Hanham Court Gardens, near Bristol, will be opening for the first time for the hospice on Sunday 5 June – a romantic mix of formality and wilderness, this is a ‘must-see’ for 2011.

Further details about location, refreshments and admission charges for these and all the other gardens opening for Dorothy House this summer can be found at www.dorothyhouse.co.uk. ■

PICTURE PERFECT: the gardens at 8 Trossachs Drive

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CITYgardens

POTS

POTENTIAL

Filling pots and other containers with bedding plants bring a splash of colour to the garden. Jane Moore offers some inspiration for quick-fix summer planting

M

uch as I love June it’s often when I feel that the garden isn’t quite living up to my expectations. We’ve got all that glorious weather (we fervently hope) and those long summer evenings to savour the garden, but there just isn’t enough colour about. It’s an odd, inbetweeny time after all the splendours of spring and before the excesses of high summer exuberance take over.

I know the roses and early clematis are doing their best but, for an instant splash of colour, I look no further than good old bedding plants. Cue gasps of astonishment and cries of ‘Oh not dreary old geraniums again!’ from all over the county, not least from our esteemed editor. The thing is: it’s not necessarily the ingredient that’s important; it’s what you do with it that matters. There are ways with bedding that lift even the humble pelargonium into a different stratosphere. Obviously beds of scarlet geraniums and bounded edges of alyssum and lobelia are a definite no-no. But a blood-red geranium in an old terracotta pot casually plonked by the shed door has a rustic charm all on its own. And that’s the key: bedding plants should never be seen in isolation, they should always be considered in the context of the garden.

Think about where you place things. That rustic geranium – or pelargonium to be correct – will look completely wrong in a modern, clean-lines garden whereas a zinc pot planted with a succulent would look fab. The great thing about pots is that you can experiment and move things about. After some trial and error we’ve managed to brighten up a rather gloomy pair of conifers with a pot of vibrant orange tulips in the spring followed by the cool white daisies of a marguerite in the summer.

Use texture and foliage to your advantage as well as flower colour. Bold foliage plants such as hostas and heucheras look dramatic in pots either on their own or with flowers to add 72 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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detail and interest. Even at some distance a wonderfully crinkled, blue-leafed hosta planted on its own in a lichened pot grabs your attention. They also combine brilliantly with commonplace bedding plants such as the dreaded pelargoniums and make them look just that bit more classy.

Don’t be afraid to try anything in a pot once. If you think a purple smokebush would look just great with a rose pink argyranthemum, then try it. The chances are it will look just as you imagined but, if you really think it looks truly appalling, then dig ‘em up and try again. The great thing about pots is that they’re so easy to chop and change about.

A blood-red geranium in an ❝ old terracotta pot, casually plonked by the shed door has a rustic charm all on its own

❞

Use blocks of colours. If you have a smaller garden or lots of small pots try planting single varieties into each pot and then grouping them together for maximum impact. For larger pots, like wooden barrels, you can mix plants but keep them in solid blocks rather than dotting them round the container.

Be clever with colours. Think about what colours work well together in nature and repeat those themes. For example white flowers such as cosmos, nicotiana and pelargoniums look fantastic with lush greens such as fFatsia and tropical palms.

Blue flowers such as petunias are beautifully set off by just a touch of pale lemon or lime like soft yellow petunias or green nicotiana to act as a contrast. It lifts the whole colour scheme.

ANY POT WILL DO: containers of all sizes can be used to create instant splashes of colour in the garden

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CITYgardens • Top plants for sunny pots You can really take your pick of all the bedding plants available as most will thrive in a sunny spot. Having said that, you do need to keep up with the watering or they will go past their best very quickly.

If it’s a real suntrap go for a Mediterranean look with herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme as these all love baking and intersperse them with pots of marguerites, agapanthus or good old pelargoniums. Also consider olive trees, gazanias and succulents such as echeveria and sempervivum.

In a sheltered warm garden a tropical look with cordyline, fatsia and palms looks lush and modern. Keep colour simple and strong such as exotic cactus dahlias or osteospermums. For the full-on floral experience choose from felicia, bidens, cosmos and bedding classics such as fuchsias, pelargoniums and petunias.

• Top plants for shady pots Shady gardens might seem a problem at first glance but many plants prefer cooler conditions and, while they might not flower quite as much as those in the full sun, they won’t suffer from drought either.

Lush leafy plants such as hostas, ferns and heucheras love a shady corner and you can create a beautiful arrangement with just a few splashes of colour. Hostas are variously striped, crinkled and variegated in shades of yellow, lime green, green and blue while these days heucheras are available in a veritable rainbow of shades including some fantastic candy colours.

Don’t forget the feathery fronds of ferns either; even a tree fern will grow in a pot if it’s sheltered enough. For flowers look no further than busy lizzy or impatiens which thrives in a cooler shadier situation. Fuchsias will be quite happy, as will begonias, African marigolds and violas. ■ Jane Moore is the award-winning head gardener at the Bath Priory.

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Open gardens in June

Wiltshire furniture designer Mark Wilkinson is opening his gardens at Brooke House, Bromham on Sunday 5 June from 11am to 5pm in aid of Alzheimer’s Support.

The grounds of the extended Tudor manor house include lakes, woodland paths, quirky sculpture and formal planting.

There will be lunches and teas, children’s treasure trail, samba band and stalls including plants.

If you’ve thought about entering the annual Bath in Bloom competition, it might be worth visiting 45a Combe Park at Weston, Bath, on Saturday 11 June, from 15pm, for inspiration. This is a walled garden with colour schemed borders, a pergola with a vine and an impressive collection of large tree ferns.

Sculptures at Brooke House, Bromham

Former country estate houses at Dyrham are opening their gardens on the weekend of Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 June. Six gardens will be open that weekend, with teas and fabulous views on offer.

Plantswoman Derry Watkins is hosting an open afternoon at her gardens at Greenways Lane near Cold Ashton on Thursday 16 June. As always, she has unusual plants on sale.

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Reduce your Electricity Bill with the Solar Power People!

Bath’s award winning Ace Energy are the leading suppliers of solar power. Recently they have installed solar at Bath City Farm as well as a number of city centre homes. With the average electricity bill being around £600 yearly, installing solar on your roof can reduce that bill by up to 50% and provide home owners and landlords with a healthy profit. This is due to the new Feed-In Tariff scheme which pays premium rates for power generated from solar power Bath households on the scheme are now earning over £850 every year. The tax free, inflation-proof payouts are designed to protect the UK from ever-rising energy prices and help lower carbon emissions. You may have noticed an increase in the amount of Bath roofs proudly showing off their solar panels recently and according to Alan Seviour Ace Energy’s MD, business has never been better.

With interest rates at an all time low investment savvy householders are looking for alternative ways to earn money and solar power offers that.

Ace Energy are registered with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) For a free survey and quotation please call 01225 729005 or visit www.ace-energy.net

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What’s in an itch?

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ring on the summer! It is the season to be itchy for some dogs and cats. In fact, itchy skin is one of the most common of all problems for vets this time of year. It is not always so clear cut and many owners may not be aware that their animal is suffering from a skin problem. As well as obvious scratching, pets can present with an increase in paw licking or nail biting, rubbing their tail area, patchy redness or hair loss on any part of their body, and ear infections. Allergic dermatitis is the most likely cause for these ailments and in particular, during the warmer months of the year, a disease known as atopy has to be considered foremost. Atopy is similar to hay fever in humans. When an animal inhales an allergen (something they are allergic to) they develop itchy skin. Atopy can also be caused by direct contact with allergens on the skin. Some allergens commonly found in the environs include plant pollens, moulds, and house dust or storage mites. The most common of these allergens are house dust mites who feed off dead skin from humans and animals. Their faecal particles left behind contain proteins which are the source of allergy. Storage mites are found in dried food such as grains.

Who suffers from atopy? Usually clinical presentation begins between the ages of six months and four years in a dog. It isn’t so well defined in a cat. Atopy may start benignly as itchy skin limited to either spring or autumn, but as the dog gets older they may suffer with itchiness year round. Certain breeds such as terriers and retrievers also seem to be more affected. Studies conducted on the genetic predisposition of this disease concluded that if both parents were atopic individuals then their offspring would have about a 60% chance of developing atopy. This having said, almost any animal can potentially suffer from atopy.

Scientifically we know that dogs and cats with underlying skin abnormalities can predispose them to allergic dermatitis (inflammation and itchy skin). The skin is an organ just like the liver or heart is, and it has specific functions. Skin serves as an initial barrier to harmful environmental agents. If the skin barrier is damaged or defective in any way, the body is exposed to potential illness. Individuals suffering with atopy have an abnormal skin barrier.

Another line of bodily defence is the immune system which is designed to fight disease once it sets hold inside the body. Atopic individuals have a sensitive immune system which is primed to over react to everyday benign particles such as pollens from trees and plants. Thus atopic animals mount an excessive immune response to their environment causing an itchy skin.

What can be done about this irritating itch? Unfortunately the key thing to note is that atopy is incurable. However with vigilance and knowledge by pet owners it can be successfully managed in most cases. By preventing other causes of itchy skin such as controlling fleas, judicious bathing with medicated shampoos, and monitoring for infections, you can at least eliminate other factors. Once diagnosed your vet may prescribe medications to control atopy especially during the peak problem seasons of spring and autumn. Just like with humans antihistamines and corticosteroids have been used with success. Various modalities of treatment such as hyposensitizing individuals with specialized vaccines have worked for some, although this type of treatment can take time to be effective. Alternative therapies such as dietary supplements with omega fatty acids can also help. It is important to note that a single treatment alone is usually not as effective as a complete treatment regime. For more information you can talk to your vet.

In a simplified world avoidance of allergens is the best medicine of all.

But unfortunately as atopy is a multi-factorial disease where environment plays a big role, avoidance is almost impossible. What we can do however, is equip ourselves with enough knowledge to treat our pets when necessary and to understand that atopy, although frustrating at times, is a controllable disease.

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

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Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

Health, Beauty & Wellbeing

POOR POSTURE? BACK PAIN? Strengthen, lengthen & lighten your load with

ALEXANDER LESSONS Hellie Mulvaney MSTAT Oldfield Park

01225 353397 helliemulvaney@blueyonder.co.uk www.helliemulvaney.co.uk

Home Security

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

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

House & Home

Call Holly on 07759 684552 Address: Centre for Integrated Therapies, Kingston House, 6 Pierrepont St, Bath, BA1 1LA. E: holly.woodward@yahoo.co.uk W: www.hollywoodward.co.uk

Learn to Nordic Walk A fun, safe and sociable way to get fitter.

Baths first weekly group with FREE taster sessions - contact instructor Alison James T: 01225 344552 W: alisonjames.webs.com

The Furniture Care People.

Hypnosis For Change with Jayne Norman D.Psy. D.Hyp. AAMH. HA. UKCHO. NHSTA.

What is hypnotherapy?

It is the therapeutic practice of inducing hypnosis.

Using a very pleasant method of relaxation and concentration. It is a natural state of altered consciousness. In this state you can work with your subconscious mind to change and improve your life.

T: 01225 760605 E: jayne_norman@hotmail.co.uk www.jaynenorman@hotmail.co.uk

Want to find out more about advertising in The Bath Magazine?

Visit our website www.thebathmagazine.co.uk

SWIM+SMILE Strain–free swimming with the Shaw Method – based on the Alexander Technique.

Individual lessons for adults in peaceful pools. Improve your stroke or learn another.

Furniture, door, wood and metal stripping.

Restoration techniques, unique non-toxic, non caustic System 2000. Suitable for both hard and soft wood. Non harmful.

Recommended for Grade I Listed buildings

Our customers range from Home Owners to the V&A Museum

Franchise of the year award

Call Maria on 01225 315541 • www.kwikstrip.biz

www.swimandsmile.co.uk trisha@swimandsmile.co.uk Trisha 01225 480970

Want to find out more about advertising in The Bath Magazine?

Visit our website www.thebathmagazine.co.uk Holiday Rental

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House & Home

JUNE 2011

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the directory

to advertise in this section call 01225 424 499

House & Home • Plans drawn/applications submitted • All trades available • Project Management • Project Costing (Surveying) • Bespoke work / material sourcing • Eco Building & Renewables • Structural Repair Work • Listed Building Work • Garden landscaping / garden offices • Property Maintenance • Shopfitting / Refurbishment

The complete building solution, from start to finish

Plumbing

Chris Sweeney PLUMBING AND HEATING

Boiler Replacements • Complete Bathrooms • Central Heating Systems Over 20 years experience

All aspects of Plumbing work undertaken

Contact us on (01225) 442097 - (07944) 468942 info@evolveprojects.co.uk - Visit us today - www.evolveprojects.co.uk

202002

T: 01225 443530 • M: 07900-215848

Tuition Personal Services for professional help in researching your family tree angela.lance1@googlemail.com

to advertise in the directory call Kathy on 01225 424 499

Advertise your Business in this space for as little as £40 per month.

01225 424886 £15 an hour

TEL: 01225 424499 ex-BBC researcher and family history enthusiast of 10 years

Advertising that keeps working

ONEMAGAZINEONECITYONEMONTH....No One covers Bath better

Pet Services

Top Cat Country House Hotel

Key Stages 1, 2, 3, GCSE & ‘A’ level Mathematics, English Science and more!

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

Call Sandy Hewit now on 01225 420977

STA

ARD

DRIVING SCHOOL

THEBATHMAGAZINE IS AVAILABLE AT

PROFESSIONAL DRIVING TUITION Reliable, Patient & Friendly Instructor Rich Stallard

Door to door service at competitive rates For more information Contact:

Real Care for the Cat you Love

www.stallarddrivingschool.co.uk

by the owner Diana Dickson

or call 07889 167492

ENJOY A GREAT MAGAZINE WITH GREAT COFFEE

Featured on National TV & Radio Bristol

We are a small luxury cattery for those who prefer their cats to have extra special attention Diana sometimes breeds Burmese & Burmilla’s Opening Hours 9am to 1pm Closed Sundays & Bank Holidays The Old School House Kelston, Bath

Tel: 01225 313099 www.topcathotel.co.uk

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Want to find out more about advertising in The Bath Magazine?

Visit our website

www.thebathmagazine.co.uk

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PROPERTYin FOCUS

N

umber 9 Cavendish Crescent is a superb example of a grade II listed Georgian townhouse. The crescent was built between 1817 and 1830 and originally comprised 11 houses of equal size. During the 20th century, most of the houses were divided to create apartments, therefore number 9 offers a rare opportunity to acquire a complete town house. Added to this are the spectacular views over the approach golf course and the city beyond. The house has been newly refurbished to an exacting standard and the versatile accommodation includes; reception hall, impressive drawing room, withdrawing room, fabulous kitchen/breakfast rooms with Aga, dining room, garden room, five bedrooms (1 en suite), bathroom and shower room. Further ancillary rooms include; utility, cloakroom, boot room and two box rooms. There is a self contained lower ground floor, which provides; living room, kitchenette, two bedrooms, bathroom and cloakroom. There is also underground storage/wine vaults. To the rear of the house is a beautiful stone walled city garden designed to be enjoyed all year round. The garden may be accessed via French doors from the garden room. The exceptional refurbishment of this highly desirable property deserves to be appreciated. Viewing is available by appointment with agents Pritchards estate agents in Bath.

CAVENDISH CRESCENT, BATH

Guide Price: ÂŁ2.6 million

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

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Washwell, Box

Saltford

An exceptional, family residence dating back 200 years in parts. Lg grounds 8 acres. Outstanding views. Private driveway, garaging & parking. Recently updated & beautifully presented.

A most impressive Grade II Listed period Village home situated within 6 miles of Bath City Centre.

Kitchen/breakfast room, 2 receptions & conservatory, office & study, utility, 5 double bedrooms - 2 en suite, bathroom. Private woodlands & paddocks. Heated pool. Outblds & PP granted for stabling & 1 bed self contained annexe. Approx floor area: 2865 sq ft/266.2 sq m.

Spacious entrance hall, dual aspect drawing room, dining room, recently refitted kitchen, lovely garden room to the rear, utility, cloakroom, 5 bedrooms (1 with large en suite bathroom, fabulous family bathroom with roll-top bath, further shower room and a music room/bedroom 6. Total approx int. area 3396 sq ft/315 sq m.

Price: £1.2 million

Guide Price: £1 million

Sydney Road

Lyncombe Hill

An attractive Grade II Listed Victorian Italianate villa retaining a wealth of character and wonderful period features in a most convenient and desirable residential area, just a short walk from the centre of Bath. Total gross internal area: 2858 sq ft/266 sq m.

3 bedrooms, bathroom and en suite shower room, charming garden room, fine reception hall with original stone staircase, elegant drawing room, kitchen, dining/living room, study, office, large vaulted workshop. Good sized delightful enclosed gardens.Ample driveway parking for numerous vehicles.

An elegant Grade II listed town house situated on the southern side of Bath with breathtaking views and in need of modernisation.

Price: £950,000

Price: £795,000

Kitchen, dining room, drawing room, three bedrooms, bathroom. Gardens to front and rear.

Vaults. Garage.

Total approx floor area: 1687 sq ft/156.8 sq m.

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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pritchard-partners.co.uk

Freshford

Rode

An impressive double fronted detached family home situated in this thriving village, within easy walking distance of the well regarded primary school & superb village café & shop. The property offers an excellent level of accommodation, good sized gardens to the front and rear with pleasant views.

Entrance Hall, cloakroom, en suite shower room, study, sitting room, snug/bedroom 5, kitchen/breakfast room, utility/laundry, four bedrooms, bathroom. Off road parking.

Total floor area: 1595 sq ft/148.2 sq m.

A substantial period family home set within this beautiful village in parts dating back to the 1600's. Total floor area 1921 sq ft/178.5 sq m incl. garage.

Guide Price: £750,000

Price: £575,000

High Bannerdown

Great Hinton

A well presented & spacious detached bungalow with far reaching views.

Attractive gardens, peaceful & much sought after location.

An immaculately presented detached family home some 12m approx from Bath & amenities ofWestbury & Trowbridge close by with rail links.

4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite) & shower room, sitting room, dining room/ conservatory & hallway, kitchen & pantry, cloakroom. Garage & driveway.

Int. area 1800 sq ft/167 sq m.

2 receptions, kitchen/breakfast room, utility, study/bedroom 4, ground floor shower room, 3 double bedrooms & bathroom. Private, surrounding pretty gardens. Large single garage, ample driveway parking and workshop.

Total approx floor area 1615 sq ft/150 sq m.

Price: £550,000

Price: £445,000

26ft living room with large open fireplace, dining room, kitchen, WC, utility, 4 double bedrooms - master en suite & family bathroom. Pretty front garden & impressive south facing rear landscaped garden. Good sized patio area & summer house. Garage & store.

11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

Tel: 01225 466 225

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Bath Office Sales. 01225 312244 bath@hamptons-int.com Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Monkley Lane, Rode Common, Somerset This handsome and recently refurbished detached country home is situated adjacent to farmland and offers beautifully presented family accommodation on the edge of the popular village of Rode and includes a detached cottage. Approximately 3780 sq ft.

Hamptons Office 01225 312244 bath@hamptons-int.com

Reassuringly Professional. Surprisingly Dynamic.

Hamptons International won the Best for Innovation award at the 2010 Estate Agency of the Year Awards in association with The Sunday Times and The Times, recognising its innovative marketing approach and launch of the Hamptons International app for iPhone and iPad. Call us to find out how we can use our market-leading approach to help you.

Guide Price ÂŁ935,000 Freehold 5 bedrooms 3 reception rooms Swimming pool Garden Country views 2 bed detached cottage

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Bath Office Sales. 01225 312244 bath@hamptons-int.com Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Bathwick, Bath

Guide Price ÂŁ1,000,000 Freehold

This handsome Grade II Listed townhouse is situated in the most sought after road just off Bathwick Hill. There are wonderful views from the principal rooms at the rear of the house, across the city to the hills beyond. This delightful home would now benefit from some refurbishment to realise its true potential. Approximately 3370 sq ft.

Hamptons Office 01225 312244 bath@hamptons-int.com

4 bedrooms 3 reception rooms Wonderful potential Grade II listed Enclosed garden City location

Reassuringly Professional. Surprisingly Dynamic.

Hamptons International won the Best for Innovation award at the 2010 Estate Agency of the Year Awards in association with The Sunday Times and The Times, recognising its innovative marketing approach and launch of the Hamptons International app for iPhone and iPad. Call us to find out how we can use our market-leading approach to help you.

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■ Eden Villas, Larkhall Somebody has worked hard to create a little, verdant garden of Eden in this quiet traffic-free spot in Larkhall. The front garden is packed full of flowers in high summer, while there is also a courtyard at the rear of this three/four bedroom 1930s family home. Inside, the house has character and is full of light. On rainy days you can enjoy the garden from the sanctuary of the conservatory and there are views out to Solsbury Hill. Price: £335,000 Contact: Whiteley Helyar 01225 447544

■ Fersfield, Perrymead

■ Caroline Buildings, Widcombe One bedroom apartments with their own gardens are as rare as hen’s teeth in Bath, and this charming flat in Widcombe is rendered even more desirable by backing onto the Kennet & Avon Canal behind the property – making it handy for a discreet early morning jog along the towpath. The Georgian flat comprises shared entrance hall leading to a private hall, sitting room, kitchen, bedroom and smart modern bathroom. The long back garden has a patio for dining plus a lawn, borders and trees. Price: £216,000 Contact: Whitfield Nash 01225 480444

Sweeping lawns, a private wood, a pond and a superb mature wisteria are just a few of the outdoor delights attached to this substantial wing of a Victorian house. This generous sized four bedroom home has two bathrooms, a dramatic large drawing room and a kitchen/breakfast room complete with Aga. The conservatory looks out over what can justly be described as grounds, where the children will love having adventures in their very own woods.

Price: £895,000.

Contact: Crisp Cowley 01225 789333

A HOUSE in

TOWN Enjoy midsummer nights’ dreams with the scent of roses in a town garden

■ Crescent Cottage, Lansdown The elegant Italianate style of gardening has been perfectly recreated in the secluded, sunny walled gardens of this generous sized mews cottage tucked away behind Lansdown Crescent. The four bedroom home has two bathrooms and a wetroom, an open plan kitchen and two walled outdoor rooms. Price: £1m Contact: Tim Bennett 01225 325857

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■ Belmont, Lansdown From the peaceful oasis of this town garden, well stocked with roses, irises, alium and a collection of maples and camellias it’s hard to believe that Milsom Street is just a few moments’ walk away.

This is the perfect spot for a pre-concert alfresco supper. 14 Belmont is a five bedroom Georgian townhouse with high ceilings and a sensitively modernised light interior.

Price: £1.4m Contact: Hamptons 01225 312244

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■ Bellsburn, Rode Bellsburn is a beautiful, mellow old family home in the heart of the village of Rode and which also boasts large, lush gardens. There are wide sweeping lawns bordered by flowers and sheltering walls and trees, while near the house is a stone terrace for outdoor entertaining.

The house itself has open fireplaces, a fine carved staircase and a large bay window at the front. Bellsburn has six bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large drawing room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, study, a workshop and two garages. Price: £595,000 Contact: Carter Jonas 01225 750900

■ Heatherly Cottage, Corsham

■ Frankleigh House, Bradford-on-Avon What a fantastic place to raise children – a four bedroom share of a mansion house just outside the town which has splendid rambling gardens and a swimming pool for all sorts of adventures. For adults the appeal may lie in the superb family kitchen/breakfast room and a fantastic sense of space in this slice of country manor life. Price: £475,000.

Contact: Jeremy Jenkins 01125 866747

There can’t be many people who have room for a pony, but the extensive grounds at Heatherly Cottage have space for humans and pets too. The main house, which has been used for bed and breakfast, has five bedrooms and three reception rooms. The dining room is perfect for dinner parties and the conservatory opens out into the gardens, which include a sun trap corner, a vegetable garden and a chicken run. Ponies may be kept safely in the fenced paddock next door. Price: £795,000.

Contact: Hamptons 01225 312244

A HOUSE in the

COUNTRY This month’s crop of country homes all have gardens with space to grow flowers, fruit and veg

■ Spion Kop, Saltford The phrase ‘commanding position’ might have been coined for this late Victorian home of character in Saltford, which stands in four acres of grounds and has the most impressive views down across the countryside and the River Avon as it snakes its way between Bristol and Bath. The four bedroom house, which was extended in the 1970s, has a spilt level sitting room as well as a sun lounge, dining room and a kitchen/breakfast room. Oustide there are various outbuildings in the grounds which could be used for any number of purposes (one, for instance, is a lambing shed) and the gardens run right down to the river itself. Near to the house there are formal gardens with plenty of mature trees, and there is also a productive vegetable garden and paddocks, along with a sweeping drive and a detached double garage.

Price: £825,000 Contact: Pritchards 01225 466225

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L E T T I N G S & M A N AG E M E N T Great weather we have been having has got everyone moving... April and May this year have been our busiest months yet... it seems no sooner have we advertised a property and it has been taken!

For the month of June, The Best of Bath, who champion the Best businesses in Bath, asked us to put together an outrageous offer for landlords in their special Mini guide which will be sent to several thousand homes in the Bath area. I’m not going to say what the offer is here because it is way too good to be mentioning. However, if you are a landlord and you aren’t lucky enough to receive the Best of Bath publication I am happy to extend the offer to you if you call and quote this month’s diary entry. The offer is that good though, that I will have to limit it to the first 5 new landlords who call.

Good luck!

Glenn Perry, Director, Zest

Available at Zest this month

Stunning new build architect-designed home on the east side of the city. With its breath taking views, this high spec property really has the ‘wow’ factor! The attention to detail in the design is clear to see with its top of the range fixtures & fittings & interesting light fittings throughout. This luxury accommodation also has 3 bathrooms, a beautiful landscaped garden & parking for 2 cars.

Available from end of May. £2300pcm

Contemporary living at its best. Situated in the Weston/Newbridge area of Bath, this stunning 2 bedroom maisonette has an open plan designer kitchen/dining area, lounge with modern feature fireplace, spectacular bathroom with freestanding bath & shower cubicle & 2 spacious double bedrooms. The property is furnished with high end & stylish furniture & also benefits from an allocated parking space & a delightful outside courtyard area. Available Early June. £1075pcm

T: 01225 481010

www.zestlettings.com

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Bath £1,100pcm

A luxury 2 bed furnished flat with a large double bedroom and lounge enjoying views over the city, a further bedroom, contemporary kitchen and bathroom. The property has secure garage parking and gas CH. Available now

Wells Road £1,100pcm

Smart 3 bedroom maisonette located 5 mins walk south of the city centre. Large lounge with views, 3 double bedrooms, bathroom and breakfast kitchen

Colerne £625pcm

Widcombe £875pcm

Cosy furnished cottage property on Colerne High St with 2 bedrooms, lounge and new fitted kitchen, patio garden and gas CH. Available now.

2 bedroom fully furnished flat in a quiet location in Widcombe just a short walk to Bath station and city centre.

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Fidelis Residential Lettings

W E N

Warminster Road

£1250 PCM

Edward Street

£785 PCM

Attractive and Versatile Home, close to the City Centre

Chic and Elegant 1 Bedroom Apartment just off Pulteney Street

|Living Room | Kitchen/Breakfast Room | 3 Bedrooms | Office/Nursery/Occasional Bedroom 4 | Bathroom | Double Garage | Large Gardens | Off Road Parking | Unfurnished

Wonderful Location | Light and Airy Apartment | Large Windows with Working Shutters | Open Plan Living/Dining Room | Kitchen | Double Bedroom | Bathroom | Furnished

W E N

W E N

Norton St Philip

£750 PCM

Devonshire Buildings

£750 PCM

Gorgeous 2 Bedroom Cottage Packed with Character and Charm

Attractive 2 Double Bedroom Apartment Located above Bear Flat

Located in the Heart of the village | 2 Reception Rooms | Modern Kitchen | Utility Room | Master Bedroom with En-suite Shower Room | Further Double Bedroom | Smart Bathroom | Pretty Cottage Garden

Well balanced accommodation | Light and airy | Neutral Colours Throughout | Close to local amenities at Bear Flat | Living Room with Juliette Balcony | Kitchen | 2 Bedrooms | Bathroom | Garage

134 Wells Road, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 3AH

www.fidelisproperties.co.uk

01225 421000

Widcombe Crescent Entrance hall | Drawing room | Study | Dining room | Kitchen with Aga | Cloakroom | Laundry room | Snug | Games/garden room | 5 bedrooms | 3 bathrooms | Gardens | Double garage | Parking | Pergola | Summerhouse | Period features | Fine views

Rent ÂŁ5,000 pcm An exquisite, late Georgian grade I listed Townhouse built in 1805, refurbished approximately five years ago with a style and sensitivity rarely seen, creating a substantial home which is sympathetic to its origins whilst retaining a sophisticated, subtle and slightly contemporary feel.

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

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us find you a tenant us prepare your agreement us manage your property us take the stress out of letting

Put your property in safe hands - call us on 01225 314055

Bath Property Letting as recommended by

The letting and management specialists

www.bathpropertyletting.co.uk LANDLORDS *Register your property with us and enter our fantastic balloon flight free draw June to August

Residential Lettings

HomeLets of Bath

www.homeletsofbath.co.uk

Weymouth Street

Property Management

£650PCM

Hanover Street

£750PCM

Grosvenor Place

01225 484811

£775PCM

Fairview Cottage

£850PCM

• 1 Bedroom • Furnished • • Spacious Kitchen • City Centre •

• 2 Bedroom • Unfurnished • • Spacious Top Floor Flat • City Centre •

• 2 Bedroom • Unfurnished • Spacious Georgian Flat • On Street Parking •

• 3 Bedroom • Furnished • • Courtyard Garden • On Street Parking

Available Now

Available from 27.05.11

Available from 01.06.11

Available from 07.06.11

Hazel Way

£895PCM

Harcourt Gardens

£1,100PCM

Henrietta Street

£1,500PCM

Great Pulteney

£2,200PCM

• 3 Bedroom • Unfurnished • • Gardens • Garage •

• 3 Bedroom • Unfurnished • • Gardens • Garage •

• 3 Bedroom • Furnished • • Immaculate Georgian Apartment •

• 3 Bedroom • Unfurnished • Spacious Open Plan Conversion •

Available from 07.06.11

Available Now

Available from 01.07.11

Available from 01.06.11

MORE PROPERTIES REQUIRED - CONTACT HOMELETS NOW info@homeletsofbath.co.uk • 1 Edgar Buildings. George Street. Bath. BA1 2EE Working with you since 1992 94 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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01225 866747 Bakers Orchard, Bradford-on-Avon £599,950 An extraordinary, individual detached period home with a fabulous modern single storey extension offering very flexible living space. There are four bedrooms including a master with ensuite on the ground floor. Three separate reception rooms including sitting room, separate dining room and an amazing garden room flooded with natural light.

Externally we find a charming enclosed garden plus a further lawn, double garage and driveway parking. The property is situated on the Bath side of town with access to schools and the historic town centre whilst enjoying an element of secrecy.

Castle Corner, Beckington. £475,000 A masterpiece in miniature? Three bedrooms, master with ensuite. The south facing rear has plenty of garden & a pleasant terrace to occupy the enthusiast. The balcony overlooks the whole idyllic scene from the second bedroom.

Internally we find a relaxing atmosphere & in addition to the sitting room with its tall sash windows & fireplace there is a study which is flexible enough to use as an intimate dining room.

The kitchen breakfast room has French windows, seamlessly joining the home & garden as one living space. This is a beautiful house in a great location. Recommended viewing.

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

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City Centre

£495,000

Superb Georgian Period Maisonette in Prestigious Location

Sitting Room | Large Dining Room | Kitchen/Diner | Three Bedrooms | Bathroom | Separate Cloakroom | South Facing Private Roof Terrace | Stunning Views over the City | Refurbished to a High Standard | Period Features Throughout

EW

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Combe Down Beautifully Appointed Victorian Four Bedroom Home

£450,000

Sitting Room | Dining Room | Kitchen/Diner | Utility Room | Four Bedrooms | Family Bathroom and Ensuite | Loft Conversion | Walking Distance to Local Amenities | Views Towards the Green | Excellent Opportunity for Investors

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Fidelis R e s i d e n t i a l

Widcombe

S a l e s

£359,950

A Rather Unique Grade II Listed Neo Georgian Mews Style House with Glorious Leafy Riverside Views Central Location | Overlooking the River Avon | Less than 5 minutes walk to Bath Spa Station | A Short Stroll from the centre of Bath | Immaculately Presented Throughout | Oak Flooring throughout the Ground Floor | Living/Dining Room | Kitchen with Integrated Appliances | Cloakroom | 3 Bedrooms | Bathroom | Single Garage and Parking Space

Kilmersdon

£595,000

A Delightful 4/5 Bedroom Village Home including a 1 Bedroom Annexe Standing in Secluded Grounds of approximately 0.65 of an acre 4/5 Double Bedrooms | 3 Bathrooms | Open Plan Sitting Room | Kitchen/Dining Room | Office | Reception 2 | Double Garage | Workshop | Aga | Oak Flooring | Parking for several cars | Offered for Sale with No Onward Chain.

134 Wells Road, Bear Flat, Bath BA2 3AH

www.fidelisproperties.co.uk

01225 421000

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hunter french estate agents, valuers and surveyors

St Saviours Road, Larkhall £699,950 Rosewood House is a beautifully finished imposing Edwardian property. This large family home boasts period features yet stylish finishes recently installed by the current owners.

The accommodation briefly comprises; on the ground floor there is an entrance hall, cloakroom, drawing room, dining room, contemporary kitchen, family room with french windows to the rear garden and utility room. On the first floor there are four double bedrooms, a stylish family bathroom and also a separate shower room. The gardens are mainly laid to lawn surrounded by mature trees and shrubs with gated access to all sides.

At the rear of the property is a garage and off street parking for two vehicles. Vendor suited, internal viewing is highly recommended.

Daffords Place, Larkhall £400,000

Fairfield View, Fairfield Park £325,000

Full of period charm is this cottage right in the heart of Larkhall.

Briefly comprising; sitting room with open bath stone fireplace, dining room, kitchen complete with integrated appliances, study, two double bedrooms and a large bathroom. There is a private garden to the front of the property with flagstone patio and mature fruit trees, shrubs and flower boarders. At the rear is a courtyard laid to shingle with rear access.

Bay fronted Victorian terraced home finished to a high standard.

The property comprises; entrance hall, sitting room open to the dining room both with stripped wood floors, kitchen/breakfast room, three bedrooms and a large bathroom. At the rear the garden is arranged in different areas, a terracotta tiled patio, lawn and at the end is a wooden summer house with rear access.parking.

Bath Office: 01225 444454 Corsham Office: 01249 715775 e: info@hunterfrench.co.uk • www.hunterfrench.co.uk

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hunter french estate agents, valuers and surveyors

Biddestone £540,000 'Home Place' is an utterly charming attached stone cottage which is listed grade II and retains immense charm and considerable character with many fine original features Reception hall, cloakroom, sitting room with inglenook fireplace, office/bedroom four, dining room, contemporary kitchen and conservatory, master bedroom with en suite, two further bedrooms and a stylish bathroom. Fully enclosed rear garden, detached double garage with a further parking for two cars.

Ham Green, Holt £299,950 Step through the door of this charming period cottage situated on the village green and you will be surprised and enthralled as the accommodation is far larger than it first appears.

Sitting room with wood burner, large kitchen/dining room and day room. Master bedroom with vaulted ceiling, ‘Jack and Jill’ bathroom and two further bedrooms. Attractive easily maintained garden, side access and parking to the front.

Corsham Office: 01249 715775 Bath Office: 01225 444454 e: info@hunterfrench.co.uk • www.hunterfrench.co.uk

WILDOAK RESIDENTIAL Real Estate Agency FARLEIGH HUNGERFORD

SHORTLISTED FOR “BATH’S BEST ESTATE AGENT” AWARD AFTER 9 MONTHS OF OPERATION.

LANHILL

Where do we start? Could this be the perfect country retreat? Hermitage House is an old world delight surrounded by large private gardens and enjoying far reaching views across the grounds of Farleigh House. We were not surprised to learn that in a previous life this majestic country residence served as an Inn. Tricky to think of anywhere Freehold better to entertain from, or escape to.

A truly exceptional and unique recent conversion. This Grade II listed, Cotswold stone, 7 bedroom residence benefits from spacious lateral accommodation, a self contained 2 bedroom annexe, glorious rural views, impressive formal gardens and there is approx 9.5 acres of adjioning pasture land available by separate negotiation.

Freehold £995,000

£1,400,000

KINGSDOWN

LUCKINGTON

This fabulously unique Grade II listed period residence may require a little TLC but it is literally bursting with character and charm; from the vast croquet lawn to the walled courtyard garden accessed from the delightful drawing room and the triple aspect kitchen. Breathtaking views put the cherry on top. Dog sadly not included.

This beautifully positioned, spacious and flexible five bedroom family residence with potential to extend yet further, enjoys glorious, uninterrupted views over a rolling rural landscape and yet still offers easy access to local village facilities, including a highly regarded school, shop and public house in this Freehold attractive Cotswold setting.

Freehold Guide Price £700,000

£699,999

DID YOU KNOW...

Wildoak has worked with property in Bath, Belgravia and Barbados with prices ranging from £150,000 to £150,000,000

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W NE

North Bradley, Wiltshire - Price Guide £1,350,000

Upper Lansdown Mews - Price Guide £1 million

A fascinating & substantial Victorian Rectory situated in a level and established plot of approaching an acre in a village location just outside Trowbridge within 12m of Georgian Bath.

6 beds, 5 receps, 4 baths. Office suite. Heated 35ft swimming pool. Extensive cellars. (4350 Sq Ft, 404.25 Sq M)

An enchanting, tucked away & large mews in this prestigious residential location behind Lansdown Crescent.

4 dble beds, 2 baths & wet-room. L-shaped k/breakfast room, sitting &, drawing rooms, study & garden room. Secure parking, walled garden & roof terrace (2039 Sq Ft, 189.5 Sq M).

W NE

ED

LDQUIR SO RE

AR IL M SI

Southstoke, Nr Bath - Price Guide £650,000

Chantry, Nr Mells - Price Guide £495,000

A reassuringly traditional, 1993 built, character home. Versatile & consistently well proportioned accommodation, with stunning views south across the Midford Valley.

5 dble beds, 3 receps. Gdn & dble garage. Sold with tenant in residence until July 2012 (2872 Sq Ft, 266.81 Sq M).

An extended conversion of this 1836 Wesleyan chapel making a substantial, versatile family home.

4 dble beds, master with en-suite, stunning living room/ entertaining room & fitted kitchen with interconnecting family room. Set in approximately 1/4 acre, double garage & driveway.

W NE

Beckington, Somerset - Price Guide £499,500

Sherston, Nr Malmesbury - Offers Above £299,500

A deliciously unconventional & intriguing village home offering a myriad of opportunities for enterprising purchasers: Versatile accommodation includes 2 rental units, large workshop & vaulted work studio. Enclosed garden. Further unit available by sep. neg. (3425 SQ.FT, 318.3 SQ.M).

An innovative & deceptively well proportioned conversion of a fine former coach house at the heart of this picturesque, sought after village, 40 mins drive of Bath.

3 bedrooms, two receptions, pretty garden, integral single garage and drive.

No onward chain (1464 Sq Ft, 136 Sq M).

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residential sales

Camden - ÂŁ515,000 A fine Grade II listed Georgian townhouse located in the sought after Camden area of Bath. This beautiful period home is presented in superb condition throughout and offers impressive space over 3 floors.

The property is currently arranged with the following accommodation; sitting room, kitchen, dining room with glass roof, utility/cloakroom, 4 bedrooms, family bathroom, en-suite shower room, rear courtyard, front garden and off street parking for 2 cars.

Early viewing is highly recommended.

Saltford - ÂŁ395,000 A 3 bedroom detached bungalow situated in a popular residential road in the village of Saltford. Although in need of some updating, the property has some style and is nicely positioned in the road on a well proportioned plot. The bungalow could, subject to planning be extended into the roof to potentially offer two further bedrooms.

The accommodation is currently arranged as hallway, cloakroom, sitting room with separate dining room, kitchen, conservatory, three bedrooms, and bathroom.

Outside there are well proportioned and stocked gardens to the front and rear, offering mainly laid to lawn with flower beds and borders.

The property further benefits from a tandem garage with off street parking in front.

2 Princes Buildings George Street Bath BA1 2ED

T 01225 480444 F 01225 483198 E enquiries @whitfieldna sh.co.uk W www.whitfieldnash.co.uk

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THINKINGproperty

The best season to sell When is the best time to put your home on the market? Peter Greatorex, Managing Director of Bath apartment specialist The Apartment Company explains

L

ast winter was worse than usual for homebuyers and sellers, not just because the awful weather stalled viewings but because there was so much uncertainty in the market. However, things always pick up in spring as people begin to feel more optimistic about moving.

Increased numbers of buyers start registering with agents at this time of year as more properties also come on to the market.

To compete for the attention of purchasers you should, therefore, consult your agent about how you can best position your home to attract attention and offers. For example, if your property has been advertised for some time, arrange for new photos to be taken, as nothing dates a place more than last winter’s snow and grey skies.

Find out what buyers are looking for, whether they are commuters who want something that’s low maintenance or if they have children they want to get into local schools before autumn.Then work with the agent to highlight those points about your home that will appeal.

The longer days give buyers more time for viewings in the evenings and your home will look at its best because the light is better and any outdoor spaces such as gardens are in bloom. However, the main driver for spring and summer sales is families. Parents will generally want to aim for completion leading up to or during the school summer holidays.

Advertising your property any later than June will affect your chances of tapping this market, as things tend to slow down in late July and August while people are on holiday. You may also find that at quiet times of year,

such as December and August, buyers may be aware there is less competition and might try to negotiate harder on price.

If the end of summer sees you still without a sale, don’t worry. There is a second burst of activity in September and October when buyers are often motivated by a desire to be in a new home by Christmas. Keep your property well maintained to appeal to those who want to move before winter. No one wants to buy a property on which any exterior work may be needed during cold weather.

Miss either of these seasonal bursts of activity and you could be looking at another winter in your current home. So if you plan to move this year, talk to your agent as soon as possible.

For advice on buying or selling an apartment, please contact Peter Greatorex or Ben Hansell, The Apartment Company, Tel: 01225 471144 Website: www.theapartmentcompany.co.uk

THEBATHMAGAZINE 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, Bath BA1 2ED or Telephone 01225 424 499 for card payment

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

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

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

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JUNE 2011

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Bewley Barn, Lacock Bewley Barn will appeal to those who want a thoroughly modern house in terms of facilities whilst having the character and atmosphere of an old house. It has considerable rustic charm and great effort has been put into the high specification and quality of the workmanship by local craftsmen. Original features have been carefully restored to create a home that truly blends the traditional with modern.

The open plan spaces are light and airy but equally there are quiet more private spaces.

Fine & Country 36 Gay Street, Bath BA1 2NT

Unusually for a new home it has plenty of storage space.

The kitchen is a real feature, its hand made oak kitchen with island unit being the ideal spot to sit with a glass of wine and catch up with the family.

All the main living spaces at Bewley Barn look into the atrium.

Full height sliding doors allow light to flood into the rooms in this open plan concept..

Bath

4 TO 5 BEDROOMS * KITCHEN/ DINING AREA * 2/3 RECEPTIONS * UNCONVERTED BARN * CONSERVATORY * PADDOCK

Contact: Bath: 01225 320032

OFFERS OVER ÂŁ1,750,000

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Woodwich Hall, Bath Arts and Crafts style, 2004 completed detached 5/6 bedroom, 5545 sqft, stone built house, set in private and mature grounds of approximately 2 acres. Finished to exacting specifications by the current owners and presented to a show home standard. Baronial galleried reception hall,wide functional inglenook fireplace, French pillowed limestone floors and exposed timbers. Made energy efficient through Pilkington K double glazing and a combination of under floor heating and radiators.All principal rooms enjoy views

over the landscaped grounds with a duck pond, floodlit trees and sweeping lawns.

The basement includes an air conditioned cinema room, alternatively suitable for a variety of uses and a separate office/gym area. A filtration room and services are in place in preparation for the construction of a swimming pool at garden level.

Approached through electronic double gates, giving access to a large double garage and adequate parking.

Bath

5 BEDROOMS * 4 BATHROOMS [2 EN-SUITE] * SHOWER ROOM * 4 RECEPTION ROOMS * KITCHEN/BREAKFAST ROOM * 2 UTILITY ROOMS * CINEMA/MULTI FUNCTIONAL ROOM * OFFICE/GYM

Contact: Bath: 01225 320032

ÂŁ1,600,000

Call 01225 320032 bath@fineandcountry.com

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Catharine Place

Offers in Excess of ÂŁ430,000

Kitchen with open plan dining | Sitting room | Master bedroom with en-suite | Two further double bedrooms | Bathroom | Off street parking | Terrace A superb three bedroom penthouse apartment located in a prime location between the Royal Crescent and The Circus. This property is one that stands out from the crowd and early viewing is highly recommended.

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Alfred Street

Offers in Excess of £250,000 Brunswich Place

Offers in Excess of £238,000

Private entrance | Modern kitchen | Separate dining room | Living room | Two bedrooms | Luxury bathroom | Private courtyard

Open plan living room and kitchen | Two bedrooms | Bathroom | Period features | Great location

A beautifully presented two bedroom Georgian courtyard apartment located in a prime central location.

A stylish 2 bedroom Georgian ground floor apartment located in the heart of the City.

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Windsor Villas

Offers in Excess of £220,000 Charlton Buildings

Offers in Excess of £180,000

Arranged over two floors | Large living/dinning room | Modern kitchen | Open plan kitchen/living room | Master bedroom | 2nd bedroom | Two double bedrooms | Luxury bathroom Luxury bathroom | Shared patio garden This Georgian maisonette is situated on the west side of Bath, a level walk from the City Centre and offers spacious accommodation.

A beautifully presented two bedroom ground floor Georgian apartment located in a convenient location with level walk to the city centre.

Perrymead A beautiful Victorian wing of a substantial detached house set within a breathtaking part of Perrymead | entrance hall | drawing room | kitchen/breakfast room | conservatory | cloakroom/utility room | study area | master bedroom | 3 further bedrooms (1 en suite) | 2 bathrooms | gardens and woodland of approximately 1.7 acres | parking | Guide Price: £895,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Somerset - Downside Intriguing former Grade II listed Vicarage with farmland views. Bath about 13 miles. Wells 8 miles | hall | 4 principal receptions | kitchen | breakfast room | 6 beds | bathroom | shower room | interlinked annexe with 2 beds | coach house | garage | conservatory | gardens 0.71 ha (1.75 acres) | Guide Price: ÂŁ1,275,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Englishcombe Lane A substantial semi-detached home in this popular location with stunning views over the City of Bath | entrance hall | drawing room | sitting room | kitchen | dining room | utility room | cloakroom | 6 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | front and rear gardens | double garage | office/workshop | off-street parking | Guide Price: ÂŁ725,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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Bloomfield Avenue A substantial four bedroom, three storey period house with spacious accommodation in highly popular residential area | 4 large bedrooms (1 en suite) | hall | feature staircase | drawing room | second reception room | large kitchen/dining room | family bathroom | downstairs wc | large double room cellar | garage and off road parking | gardens | over 2800 sq ft of accommodation | double glazed windows | sought-after residential area | Guide Price: ÂŁ695,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

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KnightFrank.co.uk

Camden Crescent, Bath

Guide Price £345,000

A modern apartment in a Grade I Listed Crescent Private entrance, reception room, kitchen/breakfast room. Master bedroom, bathroom, seperate WC, snug/bedroom 2. Approximately 1,511 sq.ft.

Courtyard. Residents' parking.

Northend, Bath

Guide Price: £750,000

A charming cottage on the edge of a very popular village 3 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite).

Approximately 2,145 sq.ft. Garden, off street parking.

KnightFrank.co.uk Bath 01225 325 999 bath@knightfrank.com

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KnightFrank.co.uk

Ham Hill, Somerset An imaginative conversion of a former Mill set in delightful open countryside Entrance hall, 3 reception rooms, kitchen, study. 4 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Approximately 4,212 sq.ft.

Large garage, o street parking. Gardens and grounds of approximately 8 acres.

KnightFrank.co.uk Bath 01225 325 999 bath@knightfrank.com

Guide Price ÂŁ1,000,000

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KnightFrank.co.uk

Catharine Place, Bath

Guide Price £395,000

A spacious city centre apartment Entrance hall, 2 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room. 2 bedrooms, bathroom. Approximately 1,192 sq.ft.

Residents' parking.

Walcot Parade, Bath A stylish and superbly presented courtyard apartment 2 reception rooms, kitchen, entertainment room. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. Approximately 1,055 sq.ft.

Rear courtyard, communal garden. Off street parking.

KnightFrank.co.uk Bath 01225 325 999 bath@knightfrank.com

Guide Price £365,000

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KnightFrank.co.uk

Lansdown Crescent, Bath A delightful ground floor apartment in one of Bath's most prestigious Crescents Entrance hall, 1 reception room, modern fitted kitchen. 1 bedroom, stylish bathroom. Approximately 830 sq ft.

Private courtyard. Residents' parking.

KnightFrank.co.uk Bath 01225 325 999 bath@knightfrank.com

Offers in Excess of £385,000

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