The Bath Magazine July 2012

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ISSUE 118 • JULY 2012

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CITY OF BATH £3.00 where sold

HOMMES FRANÇAIS

GOLDEN

AMBITION Bath’s Olympic Contenders

Bath’s Gallic League of Gentlemen

TOP TABLE

Menu Gordon Jones

FACE THE MUSIC

Gareth ‘Coochie’ Chilcott chooses his tunes

FIVE OF THE BEST Our Great Little Shops

ON THE MARKET

www.thebathmagazine.co.uk

Bath’s Premium Properties For Sale

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KITCHENS BEDROOMS BATHROOMS STUDIES FREESTANDING

Tel: 01656 841 942 Visit our website to see more:

www.jeremydavies.co.uk

View examples of our work at

Mandarin Stone 15-16 Broad Street, Bath BA1 5LJ

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CONTENTS July:Layout 2 copy

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contents

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ZEITGEIST

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Five must-do things this July

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TALK OF THE TOWN FACE THE MUSIC

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BATH AT WORK This month’s portrait by photographer Neill Menneer is of book illustrator Grahame Baker Smith

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46 FRENCH TASTE An interview with Bath’s very own fabulous Frenchmen

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Don’t miss out on the cultural offerings this month – theatre, music and more

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ARTS & EXHIBITIONS What’s on show in the city

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SCHOOL’S OUT Ideas to entertain the kids this holiday

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ROWING FOR GOLD WHAT’S ON

RESTAURANT REVIEW Menu Gordon Jones – need we say more?

Past and present – we meet Bath’s Olympic rowers

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FOOD & DRINK Foodie news to whet your appetite

ONES TO WATCH Bath’s own London 2012 Olympic athletes

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SIZE DOESN’T MATTER A round-up of Bath’s best little shops

ARCHIVE The romantic elopement of an Irish playwright and an English beauty

England rugby hero Gareth Chilcott picks his favourite tunes

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WILDLIFE HAVEN

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A garden that inspired an illustrator

The latest novel from the author of Chocolat is reviewed by Topping & Co

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A PLACE TO RECOUP A £5m appeal at the RUH

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FIT & FABULOUS Latest beauty news and product reviews

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COMPETITION Win a family day out at Cabot Circus in Bristol

THE WALK Enjoy unspoilt countryside with a reduced carbon footprint

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INTERIORS A sneak peek at the re-vamped and re-juvenated Francis Hotel

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CITY GARDENING A very English summer: choosing your perfect roses

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PROPERTY For the finest selection of beautiful homes in the Bath area

ON THE COVER Body cast sculpture of Beth Tweddle by Louise Giblin on show at the Octagon, Milsom Street, from 3 July

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EDITOR’Sletter

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want you to read this very carefully if you’re of a nervous disposition, and you might want to make a note of what I’m about to tell you. At precisely 8.12am on Friday 27 July you will hear bells ringing out across the city and in towns and villages. Don’t panic, as the inimitable Corporal Jones of Dad’s Army would say.

The ringing does not mean it’s the end of the world or that aliens have landed. It’s all part of a nationwide bell ringing to herald the arrival of the Olympics and Paralympics to our land.

All the Bells is a national arts project, led by Turner Prize winner Martin Creed. He has urged everyone to take up a bell – be it a handbell, a church bell, a bicycle bell or even a doorbell – and ring it as fast and as loudly as you can for three minutes, beginning at 8.12am on 27 July. I’m sorry if you were planning a quiet lie-in that morning, or if you have a dog who barks at the slightest noise, but at least I’ve given you warning.

July is a busy month in Bath. We’ve got all the excitement of the Olympics, which is already being celebrated with some impressive sporty sculptures dotted around the city, and this will be added to with an exhibition at the Victoria Art Gallery. And don’t forget, that’s free, as the gallery is owned by the people of Bath.

In this month’s magazine – take a deep breath – we’ve got: the RUH’s £5m appeal to build a new cancer centre; the city’s rowers who took part in the Olympics in the 1960s; the athletes from Bath to watch in this year’s Games; a review of the fabulous Menu Gordon Jones and an interview with former Bath Rugby player Gareth ‘Coochie’ Chilcott. There’s an awful lot more, but I’m off to find my bicycle bell . . . ting, ting.

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

THEBATHMAGAZINE Editor Email: Tel: Deputy Editor Email:

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

Editorial Assistant Email:

Rosie Parry rosie@thebathmagazine.co.uk

Production Manager Email: Commercial Production Email:

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

Publisher Email:

Steve Miklos stevem@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

Kathy Williams kathy@thebathmagazine.co.uk

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

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ZEITGEIST Support

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things to do in July

Book We can cheer on Team GB at the London Olympics, which begin with the opening ceremony at 7.30pm on 27 July and run until 12 August. Bath is doing its bit – not only has the city produced a number of contenders to watch out for, but it’s also celebrating the body beautiful with a series of art exhibitions. Pictured above is sculptor Louise Giblin at work on her body-cast sculpture of Dame Kelly Holmes, on show as part of Sculpture and Sport: A Celebration for 2012, at The Octagon, Milsom Street from 3 July.

Enjoy Bath Philharmonia, the city’s professional orchestra, will be raising the roof at The Forum on Thursday 12 July with a concert in support of the Help for Heroes charity. The programme includes Copland’s stirring Fanfare for the Common Man, Beethoven’s Eroica, Symphony No 3, and Vaughan Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen. The highlight of the evening is a performance of Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, narrated by Lord Ashdown, better known as ex-MP Paddy Ashdown.

Bath is home to Britain’s largest children’s literature festival, which this year runs from 28 September to 7 October – and tickets are now on sale.

There are some big names coming to The Telegraph Bath Festival of Children’s Literature, including War

Visit It’s fitting that Bath – where Edgar was crowned the first king of all England – is host to an exhibition of costumes as worn by actors playing royalty. Jubilee: Dressing the Monarchy on Stage and Screen runs at the Fashion Museum from 17 July to 2 September. Sumptuous costumes include these robes, as worn by Luke de Lacy as George III, right, along with those worn

by Alec Guinness, Helen Mirren, Keith Mitchell and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers.

There will be more than 50 costumes from stage, film and TV productions depicting kings and queens from 973, when Edgar was crowned at Bath Abbey, to the present day.

Listen The bandstand in Royal Victoria Park, Bath, is the picturesque setting for an afternoon of music by bands and singers, including members of Bath Light Operatic Society, on Saturday 14 July. Dubbed Sat in the Park, this alfresco concert is being held to raise funds to help a young Bath actor, Jessica Lucy, go to drama school. Tickets, which are £8 (£6 concessions), are available from tel: 07958 329376 or from the box office in the park on the day. The entertainment runs from 3pm to 6pm and the musical acts vary from folk to ‘50s, and swing to jazz. Among the performers are West End show singers and the Bath Spa Training Band.

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Horse author Michael Morpurgo, Anthony Horowitz, Michael Rosen and Peppa Pig and Fireman Sam for the little ones. Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown will be on hand throughout the festival. To find out more, visit: www.bathkidslitfest.org

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TALKofthe TOWN

My Cultural Life

Book of the month Peaches for Monsieur le Curé

by Joanne Harris Published by Doubleday, hardback £18.99 Reviewed by Topping & Co, independent booksellers of Bath

W

e are invited by Joanne Harris to return to the wonderful world of Chocolat for her latest novel. When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to follow the wind that blows her back to Lansquenet, the village in south-west France where she opened up a chocolate shop.

But Vianne is completely unprepared for what she finds there. Women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea, and there, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the square little tower of the church of Saint Jerome like a piece on a chessboard – slender, bone-white and crowned with a silver crescent moon – a minaret.

Joanne Harris writes well of the magic of

everyday life in France, and has created a rich, delicious novel to savour.

We have a special offer for The Bath Magazine readers to attend an evening with Joanne Harris in the shop on The Paragon. Either pop into Topping & Co, or tel: 01225 428111 and mention The Bath Magazine Joanne Harris offer, and you will receive two free tickets to the event on Wednesday 11 July.

Bath student wins prestigious fashion prize HEAVENLY CREATURES: Chloe Jones and her catwalk models show off her prizewinning collection at Graduate Fashion Week

We ask Penny Senior, captain and junior co-ordinator of Avon Rowing Club, what she’s up to in July What are you reading?

Bill Bryson’s At Home: A Short History of Private Life. Bill takes you on a tour of his home, looking at the history of the everyday things we take for granted. It’s fascinating.

What’s on your MP3 player?

I don’t have an MP3 player, but I enjoy listening to 70s and 80s music – the songs I grew up with.

What hobbies or interests will you be pursuing?

Bath Spa University graduate Chloe Jones was awarded the Womenswear and overall George Gold Award at the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week Awards, with a prize of £21,000. She joins a sparkling list of previous Gold Award winners, including designers such as Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney, Antonio Berardi and Giles Deacon.

Chloe’s breathtaking monochrome collection – entitled Our Father who art in Heaven – was inspired by Gothic architecture, stained glass windows and the ethereal figures that inhabit them. She said: “It’s such a privilege to be able to show at Graduate Fashion Week, let alone be nominated for an award. It was an honour to meet the judges and show them my work.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Provençal choir at Abbey

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

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

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

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The Cathedral Choir of Saint Sauveur, Aix en Provence, will be singing at Bath Abbey on Saturday 7 July at 2pm. All are welcome, with no tickets or pre-booking required for what is sure to be a wonderful performance.

The programme will include music by Fauré, Franck and Gounod; the choir will be conducted by Jean-François Sénart and accompanied by Chantal de Zeeuw on the Abbey’s Klais organ.

On the following day – Sunday 8 July – Bathonians will have another chance to hear the choristers from Aix en Provence, when they join the Abbey Choir for Sung Eucharist at 11am.

I used to compete in rowing but now coach the juniors at Avon County RC in Saltford. July is a busy month, with Llandaff Regatta in Cardiff and the British Rowing Championships in Nottingham. Llandaff is a great club day out. Many members will be racing, some for the first time. The Champs are a different affair, with the best club rowers from all over the country fighting it out for the medals.

When I’m not at the river you’ll either find me at my piano or in the garden.

Where is your favourite place to eat?

At home: my partner is a good cook so we always eat well. We also enjoy visiting Farrells, an Irish Italian restaurant in Keynsham.

What outdoor activity will you be taking part in?

The Olympics. No, not competing.

I’m a Games Maker, helping with the rowing on Dorney Lake, at Eton, near Windsor. I’m on the marshalling team – making sure the crews are all in the right place when they practise and race, and being ready to pull them out if they fall in. I’ll be on duty in the week leading up to the Games as well as during it. It’ll be hard work but great fun, I can’t wait.

Avon County Rowing Club has launched an appeal for a new clubhouse to replace existing facilities on the River Avon at Saltford. Visit: www.avoncountyrowingclub.org.uk

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NOTES ON A SMALL CITY

By Bigwig

A NEW WORLD COURTESY

B

igwig was born on the fourth of July. It means nobody can ever forget my birthday of course. And my ambition is to one day be in America on that auspicious day. What with my beautiful English accent and all, just imagine how many drinks would be bought for me! I can see myself now, dancing back to my hotel singing away like James Cagney – “I’m a Yankee-doodle dandy, Yankeedoodle do or die!”

I know we make fun of the archetypal tourist (I was eating my lunch on a bench in Bath one day and a woman in a hi-glow shell suit which shouldn’t have been allowed in a conservation area enquired: “Excuse me sir, is that a badge-wet?”) but I like Americans. At home they are very polite and extremely helpful to visitors.

On arriving in Washington I asked the driver of the airport express bus how to get to the British Embassy, which is in the middle of nowhere.

Reaching town, he diverted the bus, put me on another which went in roughly the right direction and instructed its driver to drop me at the gates.

Which he did, for no charge.

Contrast this with the snooty staff at the embassy, who, after I had

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finished my meeting, claimed they were not allowed to call a cab for nobodies like me. I had to go out on the freeway and hail a taxi. I had no idea where I was or where to go, so just for the hell of it I said: “Take me to the White House!” I arrived on one side of the street just as President Gorbachev arrived on the other.

On another occasion one of NYPD’s finest kindly accompanied me in the middle of the night to a drug store to buy some painkillers for my companion who was suffering from a dodgy knee. Next day we went to the hospital and got him a walking stick. Coming back on the subway, he dropped it and it fell off the platform onto the rails. A mad looking old lady jumped down onto the track and retrieved it, which I thought was taking kindness to visitors a bit far.

A friend witnessed a hold-up in a New York bank. She was next in the queue to the guy with the gun. Afterwards she asked if she was needed to give evidence. “No,” said the smiling bank clerk, “this is New York. Now

I swear I heard the strains of Duelling ❝ Banjos strike up in the back room as I tiptoed out ❞ you can tell all your friends back home you saw a bank robbery.”

Not everyone in the States is quite so welcoming. In Louisiana I had read there was good bird watching to be had at a certain reservoir. We called in at a rural post office to ask directions. Conversation in the shop stopped dead as I walked in out of the torrential rain and approached the counter.

“What’s it like down at the reservoir?” I asked nervously. Long pause.

“Kinda . . . muddy” came the eventual drawled answer through the grille.

End of conversation. I swear I heard the strains of Duelling Banjos strike up in the back room as I tiptoed out. We later read that recently a teacher had been tied up and left for the alligators in that area, so I suppose we had a lucky escape.

And my answer to the lady’s badge-wet question? I took a deep breath, put on my most aristocratic expression and answered in a very posh voice: “No … it’s a paaahsty”. ■

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CITYgardens FACE theMUSIC

FAIR PLAY TO COOCHIE Ex-local and international rugby player turned businessman Gareth ‘Coochie’ Chilcott talks to Mick Ringham about the great passions in his life – sport, family and the west country

I

remember my old school sports master warning us: “Never upset a rugby player – especially a prop forward, as the repercussions may not be pleasant.” With these words still ringing in my ears, I find myself having a late breakfast face-to-face with one of rugby’s giants. Needless to say I’m on my best behaviour. But as it turns out, former Bristol, Bath and England player Gareth Chillcott – whose glorious nickname is Coochie – is an absolute west country charmer and a pleasure to spend time with.

Gareth is a Bristolian born and bred and was a rugby player from the tender age of 11. He was later to join the Old Redcliffians junior team where he was spotted by a talent scout from Bath Rugby and the rest, as they say, is history. During his time at Bath Gareth went on to play for England and the British Lions and in so doing, carved out an impressive sporting career for himself.

He said: “As a kid I was a right little tearaway and always getting into trouble, but playing rugby gave me a framework and discipline as well as a great feeling of comradeship. I have no doubt that playing rugby has shaped the rest of my life.”

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For 25 years Gareth travelled the world with his sport, earning 14 caps for England along the way. But, with all the fame and glory that brought him, he never forgot his local roots. “I suppose I’m part of the landscape, a cider drinker and a Bristol City supporter for my sins.”

In the early semi-professional years of the game, he worked as a bouncer on the doors of local nightclubs. In a bizarre twist, at one time Gareth found himself acting as official minder for the Sex Pistols while they toured the UK. He laughs: “I didn’t so much protect the band from the public – in reality it was more the other way round.”

He took part in one of the most watched Celebrity Come Dine with Me shows with fellow rugby stars, where his homemade rhubarb crumble washed down with excessive quantities of Somerset cider, proved an unforgettable television feast – as did a hilarious game of hard-boiled egg on the head roulette.

And while Gareth loves good food, he also loves music. Three years ago, he spotted an opening in the market for a new nightclub and converted the cellars under Temple Meads Station into the aptly named The Tunnels. This provides a venue for

WEST COUNTRY PROP: main picture, Gareth Chilcott, family man and business entrepreneur Inset: Coochie in his heyday playing for Bath Rugby

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FACEtheMUSIC

ECLECTIC TASTES: from left clockwise, Johnny Cash I Walk the Line, Otis Redding Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, The Jam Town Called Malice, The Wurzels Drink Up Thy Zider

local as well as established bands to play. This month sees him opening Ventatour, which will be a bespoke sport travel business, taking people around the globe for sporting events and offering an individual approach.

Gareth lives with his wife Ann and their two children, Cleo and Ethan, almost mid-way between Bristol and Bath – the location works well for him, keeping his roots firmly in his beloved west country.

As we leave the café he taps me firmly on the shoulder and grins: “Now you’re not going to say anything too bad about me are you?” “Of course not,” I reply, mindful after all of my sports master’s warning words. Even a retired prop forward could be a force to be reckoned with.

I suppose I’m part of the ❝ landscape, a cider drinker and a Bristol City supporter for my sins ❞ Gareth’s top ten: ● Les Miserables – Do You Hear the People Sing You wouldn’t think that someone like myself would go weak at the knees, but this fabulous musical does have that effect on me, as well as bringing a tear to my eye. This is one of the best stage productions ever produced. It’s a wonderful story of pulling together and the fellowship of ordinary men and women fighting against adversity. It really does give you a sense of hope. ● Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl This is one of those recordings that I keep for the car, especially on long trips. I love to listen to this track when I’m travelling home from a meeting or a gig. When it’s raining the windscreen wipers almost keep time to the music. This song just lifts you and puts a smile on your face. I’ve seen Van the Man in concert a few times now so I consider myself a fan. ● Circuit 16 Youth Choir – Amadeus This is a local youth choir based in Kingswood. Our children Cleo and Ethan used to sing with the choir when they were younger. The great thing about it is that it’s open to all children and brings the whole community together to experience the joy of singing. They do such a wonderful job for the area and I’m very proud of them. ● The Jam – Town Called Malice It’s back to my youth for this one. I really like the energy of the band, their sheer get-up-and-go attitude. A former member of WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

The Jam, Bruce Foxton formed his own band and I booked them for The Tunnels last year. Everyone had a great time and needless to say it brought back lots of memories for me and the audience. ● Johnny Cash – I Walk the Line This is from one of my favourite films. Cash was truly a great artist and came from a troubled back ground. In many respects he turned his life around. I find it very difficult to pick just the one track from his repertoire but I chose this because the lyrics are personal to me and I can easily relate to them. ● Stevie Wonder – For Once in My Life My wife Ann and I have been married for 24 years and this record brings back memories of our wedding reception at Bath Rugby Club. It was a wonderful day; we were enjoying ourselves to the music that we both love; early Tamla Motown and soul.

We were surrounded by friends, relations and club mates and I was dancing with my beautiful new bride. ● Adge Cutler and The Wurzels – Drink Up Thy Zider The Wurzels are folk legends. I have known the band for more years than I care to remember and I have great respect for them as well as pride for their west country heritage. After Adge tragically died, they picked themselves up, reformed and carried on to great things. They play at my club to kick off the Christmas season and, needless to say, cider sales go through the roof. ● Oasis – Don’t Look Back in Anger One of the perks in rugby is that you get to visit all sorts of destinations, especially with the Sevens. My favourites are Hong Kong and Dubai. This is a really good party song. I’ve sung along to this track with club-mates for many years in various places around the globe and it’s still as fresh now as when I first listened to it. ● Otis Redding – Sitting on the Dock of the Bay You would be a fool to believe you can be happy all the time, so this record is about reflection. It’s about being on the road, sometimes lonely and in many ways a drifter’s song. It has a hypnotic, indeed melancholy feel which is sad and beautiful, full of soul and emotion. ● B52s – Love Shack I defy anyone to sit still while this is playing as it’s the ultimate dancing song. DJs have played this in clubs and weddings and for that matter, any venue all over the world. It really is an 18 – 80 year old disco record. Even rugby players have been known to get up and boogie to this, which I can assure you is not a pleasant sight! ■ The Tunnels is next to Temple Meads Station, Bristol JULY 2012

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

Grahame Baker Smith Book illustrator was a terrible scholar; I couldn’t understand why none of the lessons addressed the big questions of life, like: Why are we here? What is life all about? Where are we going?

Consequently I learnt very little and enjoyed nothing of my time at school. A careers officer just prior to me leaving labelled me a ‘plodder’ – a label that has echoed in my head ever since and something I referred to in my speech last year at the Greenaway award ceremony when, accepting the medal for my book FArTHER, I said, I couldn’t be a plodder as it had only taken 30 years to win it!

After school came a long process of self-education. Four years of teaching myself to paint and draw in various Oxford bed-sits finally resulted in me ‘accidentally’ going to the Berkshire College of Art and Design in Reading. I accompanied a friend on a day trip to the college. She had already graduated and was returning to see a couple of her old tutors; I showed them a few pieces of work and they offered me a place on a four-year course but started me in the third year as I had already done the first two years on my own.

The 1980s were spent travelling to London twice a week and walking miles around the city, portfolio in hand, seeing every publisher, design group and advertising agency I could find. It was on the coach home one December evening that I met Linda, also an illustrator and designer; we moved to Bath in 1990 and married in 1992. I have been a freelance illustrator for a long time now. There have been many highs and lows – a life in the arts is often difficult with little in the way of security, but I am doing the thing I love to do and my soul is my own.

I have a very creative and happy relationship with my publisher, Templar, and plan to write and illustrate many more books with them. That is the thing I have long been striving to do and no matter the hardships on the way I know that anything else would be a waste of life.

The first thing I love about Bath is the house we live in.

Linda and I, when we first viewed it, got as far as the hallway and both somehow knew we wanted to live here. Even though it is old and bits of it keep falling off and it drains our time and money, we love it. Bath as a city is very beautiful: I love the sense of history and culture, although, when the new SouthGate centre was built, I wish the council had exercised a little more imagination and thought beyond the limits of a retail-based attitude. I would love to see a Watershed-type complex in the heart of Bath. I love the parks, the Holburne Museum and Victoria Art Gallery, café life etc. One of the best developments is the appearance of two wonderful independent bookshops, Toppings and Mr B’s.

But I hate the traffic wardens who give you a ticket even when parked for six minutes outside your own house!

I

PORTRAIT: Neill Menneer at Spirit Photographic

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BESTofBATH

BATH’S LITTLE SHOPS part 2 In the second part of our Bath’s best little shops feature we have continued exploring the city to seek out the shops that make Bath a must visit destination city on the retail map

BATH’S

best LITTLE SHOPS

MIMI NOOR – luxury for everyday Mimi Noor’s ideology is to provide consultative styling in a comfortable and friendly environment, so women can find the perfect luxury denim and casual wear to suit their individual shape and style. Mimi Noor stocks more than 100 styles of denim to ensure that every customer finds what they’re looking for and the store offers a fast tailored alteration service meaning you really can walk away with your perfect pair of jeans.

The boutique stocks the top ten leading brands of premium denim such as J Brand, James Jeans, Goldsign and NYDJ, while also bringing to attention emerging designers. Mimi has created a loyal customer base for the quality separates she stocks. The basics ranges from Splendid and Fresh Laundry, along with cashmeres and silks from designers such as Chinti & Parker and Equipment and Tucker have been as high profile as the denim. Having launched a new website at the end of June Mimi Noor is making a name for itself as the ultimate destination for luxury casual wear and denim.

Mimi Noor, 25 Milsom Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 571518. www.miminoor.com

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BESTofBATH TINA ENGELL – beautiful jewellery Making jewellery is a very creative and long process, so for jewellery designer Tina Engell the work space is just as important as a calm environment in which to display the jewellery. The old pharmacy in Belvedere offered the right criteria for Tina’s combined jewellery workshop and shop – high ceilings and beautiful views across Bath from the rear and huge arched windows at the front allowing the natural light to flood in. The shop is open plan with split levels so that you enter directly into the shop. Beyond, three wide wooden steps lead up to the workshop, from where there is a full view of the great open space.

Tina works at a large oak bench, making her own jewellery range, which she also supplies to other shops and on commission to clients’ requirements. During the summer Tina will also be showing exciting work by London-based jewellers Disa Allsopp and Mikala Djorup.

UP TO SEVEN – for the little ‘uns

Tina Engell, 29 Belvedere, Bath. Tel: 01225 443 334. www.tinaengell.com

Following a roller coaster year of uncertainty Up To Seven has re-opened and is happily installed in a gorgeous new shop on Pulteney Bridge. The store has an exciting mix of children’s clothes for this season, with dresses, sunhats, appliqued t-shirts and baby clothes, as well as their famous strawberry hats, many of them made right here in Bath, or by small manufacturers from across the country.

Up To Seven places an emphasis on supporting British businesses but also stocks a range of items from around the world, all carefully vetted to make sure they are fairly traded and sold to help the local communities that make them. If you’re looking for a gift for a new baby, a frock for a special occasion or clothes for your kids to be comfy in, pop in to Up To Seven.

Up To Seven, 6 Pulteney Bridge, Bath. Tel: 01225 422333. www.uptoseven.co.uk

MOSS OF BATH – home of entertainment Moss of Bath is one of the city’s finest specialist retailers, with a tradition and expertise that is celebrating 50 years in business this year. Founded in 1962 by the late Frank Moss it is now managed by his son Tim. Moss of Bath specialises in the sale, installation and servicing of quality brand consumer electronics, including television, home cinema, hi-fi and portable audio products. Renowned for an impeccable product knowledge and customer service, Moss of Bath excels in offering a wide range of system installations, including the wall mounting of flat screen televisions, home cinema systems, and audio and public address systems. Moss of Bath also has unique expertise in installing satellite systems in listed buildings and within conservation areas and is the only authorised SKY agent (ASA) in the city. Moss of Bath won the coveted Best Customer Service Award at the Independent Electrical Retailer Business Awards 2011.

Moss of Bath, 45 St James’s Parade, Bath.

Tel: 01225 331441. www.mossofbath.co.uk

SHANNON – original Scandinavian design Occupying an old town house on Walcot Street, Shannon has possibly the best collection of real, iconic, Scandinavian designer furniture and lighting to be found outside London. There’s nothing quite like the real thing and with an impressive line up of products from acclaimed designers like Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen and Fritz Hansen, you will find the shop is jam-packed with furniture, fabrics, lighting and wonderfully colourful gifts from Marimekko, Klippan, Moomin and Iittala. Owner Sue Shannon opened the store in 2000 and has built up a superb reputation with architects and interior designers from all over the UK who rely on her knowledge to source and deliver classic pieces of timeless design and of the highest, authentic quality.

Shannon, 68 Walcot Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 424222. www.shannon-uk.com

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MILSOMplace

COFFEE or COCKTAILS Milsom Place is the place for al fresco dining this summer, so kick back with friends or take a break from shopping and discover a collection of great places to eat and drink

Main image: enjoying al fresco dining in the courtyards at the heart of Milsom Place; above right: Solo Pizza

● When those balmy summer evenings arrive it’s time to treat yourself to a long beer or a cool glass of wine and enjoy live music to toast the end of the week at Café Parisien. Sister restaurant, Solo Pizza, offers the crispiest pizzas in town with a variety of toppings and much more besides.

● The courtyard at Côte is a top spot for summer diners with superb French food and friendly service. Light entrées include chicken endive and baby gem salad with roquefort, walnuts, French beans, croutons and a mustard dressing, or tartine of smoked salmon with dill, capers and creme fraiche dressing. Côte is a perfect refuelling stop at any time of day, with some great value options at lunchtime and for an early bird supper.

● Sushi is popular any time of year but light healthy food always goes down well in the summer. For a fast but delicious lunch visit YO! Sushi. If you fancy DIY sushi then book into Sushi School with head chef, Henry, who will talk you through the art of sushi making and how to recreate the special flavours for which YO! Sushi are so famous.

HOT NEWS

THE ONE TO WATCH: Carluccio’s will soon be opening a café and delicatessen in Milsom Place.

Carluccio’s will offer its trademark range of Italian foodstuffs and gifts with oils and vinegars, pasta and luxury items like chocolate, gift hampers and speciality breads and cakes.

NOW OPEN: Deli Jamie’s Italian at Milsom Place is the first of its kind.

The Deli sells homemade pasta, charcuterie, fresh fruit and vegetables, breads and many Italian delicacies.

The best Italian coffee is freshly brewed to take away or drink in with a tempting array of pastries, cakes and more.

LOCAL SHOWCASE: with the Milsom Place programme of summer music you can enjoy free live performances by local artists on Friday and Saturday evenings, or for a chilled Sunday lunchtime.

Visit the website for more details.

● Jamie’s Italian needs no introduction with its buzzing atmosphere and tempting specials featuring seasonal ingredients. Jamie’s set out to recreate what Italians are most proud of – rustic dishes using tried, tested and loved recipes. Jamie’s has certainly been a phenomenal success in Bath so why not try out one of the balcony tables to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the historic rooftops of the city.

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Milsom Place Bath Tel: 01225 789 040 www.milsomplace.co.uk

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OLYMPICathletes

THE ONES TO WATCH The London 2012 Olympics is upon us from 27 July. Rosie Parry goes in search of the Bathonians who are representing Team GB this summer – get your flags and cheers at the ready

THE RHYTHMIC GYMNASTS Rachel Smith, Lynne Hutchison, Francesca Fox, Georgina Cassar, Jade Faulkner, Louisa Pouli and Annie Bartlett make up the GB rhythmic gymnastics team – the first ever rhythmic group to represent Great Britain at the Olympics. Despite a setback at the London 2012 test event when governing body, British Gymnastics discounted their final score which qualified them because their first round score was not high enough, the team won an appeal that all scores should be counted and now train full time at the University of Bath. The sport is a routine of dance-like gymnastics with the aid of ribbons, hoops and other props. The girls’ ages range between 16 and 20 years old and three of them are from Bath. Lynne was born in Tokyo, Japan but has lived in Bath for the past 10 years and is the former junior British champion. Annie is the youngest member of the team at 16 and lives in Bath as does former senior British champion, Francesca; they all trained at the City of Bath Rhythmic Gymnastics Club. The group is entirely self-funded and has had tremendous support from the Bath area, in particular the Roper Family Charitable Trust and the University of Bath.

© John Holmes

THE MODERN PENTATHLETES Samantha Murray, Mhairi Spence, Sam Weale and Nick Woodbridge are a Bath-based quartet named in the London 2012 British modern pentathlon team. They train at the University of Bath where Samantha is studying French and politics and Mhairi and Sam are alumni. It will be Mhairi and Samantha’s first Olympic Games having won world championship gold and bronze respectively in Rome whereas Nick and Sam are back for seconds after making their Olympic debuts at Beijing in 2008. Modern pentathlon consists of five disciplines: swimming, horse riding, fencing, and combined shooting and cross-country running; the athletes must complete all of these in just one day. Mhairi, who is currently ranked third in the world and studied coach education and sports development at the university, says: “It’s hard to find words to describe how excited I am to be part of the British team – we’re so lucky to be competing at a home Olympics.” The modern pentathlon is a thrilling and heart-stopping race against time.

THE SPRINT KAYAKER Ed McKeever was born in Bath and lived in Bradford-on-Avon, learning to kayak at his local club in the town aged 12 years old.

He first represented the Great British team at the 2001 junior world championships in Brazil finishing ninth, and progressed through to the GB senior team at the world championships in the USA in 2003 – and has competed in every world cup since. Ed changed from focussing on the 500m K1 canoe sprint to the 200m K1 and within 12 months he became European champion and by the end of the season he was world champion. In a twist of fate the 200m K1 is being introduced to the Olympics this year for the first time. Ed is also training to be a fully qualified ACCA chartered accountant and enjoys watching Bath rugby, reading and travelling.

He is currently training with his GB kayak teammates at Dorney Lake near Windsor and is one of Britain’s brightest hopes for a medal at London 2012. www.edmckeever.com

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OLYMPICathletes

BUDDING OLYMPIANS: from top left; the rhythmic gymnasts have had a rocky ride but are looking forward to showing off their skills at their first Olympic Games; the Bath-based quartet of pentathletes will compete in five disciplines in one day; Ed McKeever from Bradford-onAvon is 200m K1 canoe sprint world champion; right, Alexandra Rickham and her sailing partner Niki Birrell will compete at the Paralympic Games in September

THE SAILOR Alexandra Rickham is four-times world sailing champion and this will be her second Paralympic Games. The University of Bath natural sciences graduate and her sailing partner, Niki Birrell will compete in the Skud 18 keelboat competition. The pair contested the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in the same class finishing fifth and secured the best performance by a British sailing crew at the Games. Controlling ever-changing conditions on open water requires skill, tactics and nerve and Alexandra is the one to beat.

She has fond memories of her time in Bath: “I loved it so much I didn’t want to leave after three years.” The Paralympic Games sailing begins on 1 September and will be held on the Dorset coast.

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CHAMPIONS OF THE RIVER A rowing club in Bath boasts two former Olympic competitors among its members – as well as a contender in this month’s London Games. Laura Cowan went to talk to Arnold Cooke, Klaus Riekemann and Helen Glover about training in the 1960s and how today’s athletes prepare to win

M

inerva Rowing Club is a bit of a well kept secret in Bath. Not big and flashy like some clubs that are able to boast racks full of gleaming new boats, but a club that prides itself in appealing to all ages and abilities. The club also has a bit of Olympic history among its members, another thing they tend not to shout about – well, until now maybe.

Helen Glover, a strong medal contender in this year’s Olympic women’s pairs, first took to the water to learn to row at Minerva, just four years ago. Arnold Cooke, the club’s 72-year-old president, rowed for Great Britain in the 1964 Games and Klaus Riekemann won gold for Germany in the Men’s VIII in Rome in 1960.

What does a typical day’s training look like for you in the final weeks before the Olympics?

Helen: Our training intensity at the moment is as hard as ever, with lots of mileage. In the couple of weeks before the Olympics our training becomes shorter and sharper to recover and get ready for racing.

Klaus: In the last week prior to the Olympics in 1960 there was no training. It was a week of reflection one could say but it was also the time to concentrate mentally on the task ahead. Circuit training at least twice a week on the weekends and sometimes during the weeks before the Olympics was expected. Ergo machines, as we know them today, were not invented so most of 30 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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the training was water-based rather than land-based. The coach spent much of his time driving home the need for specific tactics.

Arnold: I was still working full time so it was fitted in around a normal working day. My employer, GEC, did move me from Erith in Kent to Wembley so I could be nearer the rowing club after the European Champs (six weeks before the Games). At that stage, we trained six days a week on the water and added in two lunchtime sessions of circuit training. My partner, Peter Webb, was a civil engineer working on site so his training during the day was very restricted. We started to wind down about two weeks before the Games – less quantity, higher output, speed work. We flew out to Tokyo (a 26-hour flight with many stops) a week before the Games. Two days off to recover from jet lag then light outings on the course. The rowing was in the first week so we had four days’ light training before the first race.

How big a part does nutrition play? Any favourite post race food?

Arnold: We had no special diets. Peter and I had little money and we ate cheaply. In the winter I was OK as I was in a flat with three others – we could all cook and I could organise the training to eat with the others. We only rowed at weekends during the winter until the light evenings allowed after-work outings, so circuits and running were the order of the day and could be arranged to allow civilised meals. In the summer, we ate together after the outing, generally in a cheap café in Fulham – lots of very

MEDAL HOPEFUL: Holly Glover, pictured in training and picking up a gold medal at the Belgrade World Cup earlier this year with rowing partner Heather Stanning

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SPORTINGheroes

VETERANS: left, Klaus in action in the 1960s, and, right, Arnold today enjoying his time on the River Avon with Minerva Rowing Club

greasy, fried food in large quantities.

Helen: Nutrition plays a huge part in performance and recovery.

My training requires me to eat easily over 4,000 calories a day.

This in itself is tough and requires good planning in between training sessions. Science in Sport supports the GB rowing team and so I have a recovery shake after racing to re-fuel. Although I do try and eat healthily a perk of all the training is that chocolate is allowed and I do have a big weakness for Cadbury creme eggs.

Klaus: In 1960 “Stay healthy, eat well and no alcohol or smoking” was the main advice. There were no specific dietary recommendations or requirements. During the Olympics in Rome, athletes could eat what their hearts desired and I think the consumption of food increased almost exponentially to the number of medals won. There was no food plan and the post race food recommendation can be compared with a pack of wolves finding food after the winter freeze is over.

I was warmly welcomed and ❝ invited to row with various teams even though nobody knew that in the past I’d won several European Championships and an Olympic gold medal

❞

I remember that after our gold medal race I had to be taken to the hospital at 9pm because I had a serious accident while celebrating on a trampoline. The surgeon on duty asked the team member what I had eaten that evening: “Five Schnitzel, at least ten potatoes, three bowls of salads, loads of vegetables and fruit” was the answer. The surgeon replied: “Not the total team consumption – I just want to know what he has eaten.” The response: “No, that was just him. Wait – I’ve forgotten to mention all the desserts!” A little different to Helen’s diet of today.

What is it like training at Minerva Bath?

Klaus: Minerva may not be one of the biggest names in British rowing club history, but the charm of training with Minerva lies in the commitment and support of the individual members who endlessly provide hours of their time. When I joined Minerva a year ago, having been out of competitive rowing for 50 years, I was warmly welcomed and invited to row with various teams even though nobody knew that, in the past, I’d won several European Championships and an Olympic gold medal – albeit for another country. Training now at Minerva is so rewarding as I WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

feel I’m part of a larger family with a common goal and I really value the camaraderie.

Arnold: The Avon is much the same size as the Cam at Cambridge so narrow rivers are no new thing to me. I am probably the currently rowing member who has been longest with the club. It has always been a friendly, welcoming club. We have considerably more boats than the one four and two clinker pairs which the club had when I joined.

Helen: Minerva Bath has given me a great start in my rowing career. It is where I first picked up an oar and sat in a boat. I was teaching at Oldfield School and Minerva Bath was a great base to fit my training around teaching commitments. I started rowing just four years ago, I remember sitting in a room (as part of UK Sport’s Sporting Giant’s scheme) and they said: “A gold medallist in 2012 could be sat in this room. Look around you.” I thought: “Right, I’m going to make that me!” I would say get down to the local rowing club and have a go. If the Great Britain team and the Olympics is in your sights then be prepared for early mornings and very hard training sessions. But all of the sacrifice is worth it when you cross that finish line.

What’s it like wearing the Minerva kit, yellow, purple, black?

Helen: In the summer we all wear international colours at our world cup regattas and the one time a year I get to put on Minerva kit is at our national trial. It is great because being in yellow makes me easy to spot so the supporters on the bank are always great at cheering us on at the end of the race.

Klaus: As we belong to a rowing club we wear the Minerva colours proudly. Yellow (or gold as it should be!) kit at international or national races has undoubtedly the advantage of enabling our supporters to spot us easily on the water.

Arnold: Minerva is my club so we all wear club kit for competitions, despite looking like a banana.

Have you any advice for young people wanting to row competitively?

Klaus: Find a rowing club close to your home because once you take to rowing you will spend many hours at the club and on the water. You will really enjoy the friendship, being part of a team and the success you help to achieve. There will be times when the loss of a race brings you down, but my advice is ... never, ever give up.

Arnold: Choose a club close by as you will spend a lot of time there. Remember all activities go through three stages to get to the top. First you learn the technique and at this stage the guy with the best technique goes fastest. Then the physical side dominates – practice, build up fitness and strength etc – and those who do most will probably win. The final stage, when everyone has similar technique and fitness, then the guy who wants it most wins – the mental toughness. ■ For information on sponsorship at Minerva contact: chairman@minervabathrc.org.uk JULY 2012

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WHAT’Son THEATRE, DANCE & COMEDY – listed by venue Ba thfo rd Vil l age

The School of Scandal at the Theatre Royal Bath

Bathford, Bath. Tickets £5/£3 from Bathford Community Shop on tel: 01225 852652 or email: richardahathway@aol.com

Bathford Passion Play, Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 July, 2pm The life of Jesus is re-enacted around the village of Bathford in acting, dancing, music, mime and narration by many members of the community. Proceeds are to be shared by Asha, transforming lives in the slums of Delhi, and St Swithun’s Church.

T h e R o n d o T h ea t r e Saint Saviour’s Road, Bath.

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

Out of Order, Wednesday 4 – Saturday 7 July, 8pm

SCANDALOUS T he atr e R oya l Sawclose, Bath. Box office tel: 01225 448844. www.theatreroyal.org.uk

The School for Scandal (1777), Thursday 5 – Saturday 21 July, please contact the theatre for times The School for Scandal by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and starring Stephanie Cole, is a romp through the lives and loves of the upper classes in the fashionable society of 18th century London. Sir Peter Teazle has married a young country girl in the hope that she will be too innocent to cause him any bother, but his aims are thwarted when she takes up with the most outrageous set of scandalmongers in town; Lady Sneerwell, Mrs Candour and Sir Benjamin Backbite thrive on making mayhem from malicious tittle-tattle. This classic English comedy of manners relishes every opportunity to poke fun at the society in which it is set.

Hysteria (1993), Thursday 26 July – Saturday 18 August, please contact the theatre for times Starring Antony Sher and written by Terry Johnson, this comedy is part broad farce, part case history and brings together two of the world’s greatest and most eccentric minds. In 1939, 82 year-old Sigmund Freud, who has fled from Nazi-occupied Austria, settles down in a quiet Hampstead suburb where he aims to spend his dying days in peace. But when surrealist painter Salvador Dali unexpectedly 32 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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turns up in his study, along with a young woman who finds it impossible to keep her clothes on, all hell breaks loose.

IC IA University of Bath, Bath.

Box office tel: 01225 386777 www.bath.ac.uk/icia

Marks Set Go!, Sunday 15 July, 2pm This is the film and live dance element from Peter Anderson’s exhibition earlier this year.

As a celebrated filmmaker and television director Peter continues his residency in the department for sports development, currently working alongside elite athletes at the University of Bath who are training for the Olympics and Paralympics London 2012 and beyond. Peter’s work focuses on the Cultural Olympiad’s ethos ‘the marriage between sport and the arts’.

Marks Set Go!

Following its sell-out production of The Crucible in February, Core Theatre return to The Rondo with a comedy. When Conservative MP Richard Willey embarks on an affair with the secretary of the leader of the opposition in a London hotel, he isn’t counting on sharing their room with a dead body. Cue a suspicious hotel manager, an angry wife, a furious husband and an alert private detective and then the fun really begins.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, Wednesday 11 – Saturday 14 July, 8pm Exit Stage Left brings the longest running offBroadway musical to Bath. The show astutely charts the trials and tribulations of being single, dating, marriage, loss and heartbreak.

Th e P o u n d Pound Pill, Corsham, Wiltshire. For ticket information contact the theatre on tel: 01249 701628 or visit: www.poundarts.org.uk

Edinburgh Preview Double Bill, Saturday 7 July, 8pm The first of this double bill is Lucy Porter: People Person. Her new show is a mixture of experimental psychology, social anthropology and stand-up comedy. Lucy explores whether she is right to be a ‘people person’, optimistic about human nature, or whether she ought to be more cynical. Second is Carey Marx: in Sane, winner of Best International Show at the New Zealand Comedy Festival 2009 and 2011, Carey will be previewing his 2012 Edinburgh show. For ages 18+

M e r l i n T h e a t re Bath Road, Frome.

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

The Importance of Being Earnest, Sunday 15 July, 7pm Bring a picnic and see Oscar Wilde’s ‘trivial comedy for serious people’.

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WHAT’Son M USI C – listed by date A Weekend of Passion with Gavin Carr & Bath Minerva Choir, Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 July, 10am – 5pm Roper Theatre, Hayesfield School, Upper Oldfield Park, Bath. To register or for further information, tel: 01225 444190 An invitation to all singers to join chorus master Gavin Carr and Bath Minerva Choir in a weekend workshop and informal performance of JS Bach’s St John Passion on Sunday, sung in English.

The Endellion String Quartet, Sunday 8 July, 3pm Bath Guildhall, Bath. Box office on tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk The Endellion String Quartet will perform Haydn’s The Lark, Beethoven’s Razumovsky and Schubert’s Death and the Maiden.

JeMoo, Thursday 12 July, 7.30pm ICIA, University of Bath, Bath.

Box office on tel: 01225 386777 or visit: www.bath.ac.uk/icia ICIA are pleased to support JeMoo, an orchestra from East Flanders, Belgium, performing in aid of Dorothy House Hospice. JeMoo contains some of the most aspiring players in Belgium aged 13 – 30 years old.

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Bath Bach Choir, Saturday 14 July, 6pm

The Creole Choir of Cuba, Thursday 19 July, 7.30pm

Wiltshire Music Centre, Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon.

Box office on tel: 01225 860100 Bath Bach Choir celebrates the Olympic summer with an eclectic concert of music and song from all over the world, including laidback African chants of Brewer’s Banuwa and Chilcott’s enchanting Aesop’s Fables.

ICIA, University of Bath, Bath.

Box office on tel: 01225 386777 or visit: www.bath.ac.uk/icia Irresistible melodies, richly textured harmonies and shifting Caribbean rhythms all combine in glorious songs celebrating the history of the choir’s Haitian descendants enslaved to the Caribbean from West Africa.

The Chords in Concert, Saturday 14 July, 7.30pm

The Creole Choir of Cuba

St Nicholas’ Church, Winsley, Wiltshire. Tickets on tel: 01225 720188 or on the door A return visit of this talented Welsh mixed voice choir, with a programme that includes Rutter as well as some traditional Welsh folk pieces. In aid of Help for Heroes, Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Fields Challenge and St Nicholas church funds.

Rufus Wainwright, Monday 16 July, 7pm The Forum, St James Parade, Bath. Tickets from the Bath Box office on tel: 01225 463362 or visit: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk Referred to by Elton John as the greatest songwriter on the planet, Grammy nominee Rufus Wainwright will perform songs at The Forum.

Spirit of the Bamboo, Saturday 21 July, 7pm Museum of East Asian Art, 12 Bennett Street, Bath. Tickets on tel: 01225 464640 The bamboo flute has almost two thousand years of history in Asia. Take advantage of this rare opportunity and enjoy enchanting melodies from East Asia.

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WHAT’Son OTH ER EVENTS – listed by date Late Night Fridays, 6, 13, 20 & 27 July, 10am – 9pm Prior Park Landscape Garden, Bath. Tel: 01225 833422 or visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/priorpark As part of Prior Park Landscape Garden’s ‘chill out July’ campaign you can enjoy the garden later than normal. Pack a picnic and relax in its tranquil garden as the sun starts to set.

Commensalis, Monday 9 July, 6pm – 9pm, other days until Sunday 15 July, from noon The Walcot Chapel, Walcot Gate, Bath.

Programme from www.commensalis.com Commensalis is a group of artists and performers from England, Sweden and Wales who have joined together to present a programme of visual art, music, poetry and storytelling.

Shakespeare Live, Monday 9 – Saturday 14 July

Prior Park Landscape Garden

Lackham House, Lacock, Wiltshire. For more information and to book tickets, visit: www.shakespearelive.com Shakespeare Live presents Twelfth Night set in the delightful wooded English country gardens of Lackham House. Bring your picnic and enjoy a fabulous evening of Shakespeare alfresco and, on the Friday and Saturday gala nights, be entertained by a jazz band, dancers and jugglers before the play begins.

St John’s School Fete, Saturday 7 July, 2pm – 5pm

Charity Dinner, Monday 16 July, 7.30pm

St John’s School, Oldfield Lane, Bath.

St John’s School fete will feature a raffle with around 60 prizes, barbecue, and many stalls as well as dance, taekwondo, gymnastic and orchestra displays.

Best Western Plus Swan Hotel, Sadler Street, Wells, Somerset. Tickets £29.50 per person. To book tel: 01749 836319 The hotel is hosting a charity dinner with Olympians Mary Bignal Rand and Danny

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Nightingale. The hotel’s award-winning head chef, Leigh Say, will prepare a three-course dinner and prizes will be up for grabs, including a holiday for two in St Lucia and a night in the hotel’s Cathedral Suite. Profits will go to local charities and good causes.

Ballet in the Park, Friday 20 & Saturday 21 July Ston Easton Park, near Bath. Tickets available from £115. To book tel: 01761 241631 or visit: www.stoneaston.co.uk An unforgettable evening of world-class performance from The Covent Garden Dance Company with special guest star Elena Glurdjidze from English National Ballet. The evening includes a Champagne reception, three-course gourmet supper and wine with nine performances throughout, including The Dying Swan.

Flower Festival, Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 July, 10.30am – 5pm Langridge Church, Bath.

This isolated and ancient little church, nestled in the beautiful Swainswick Valley north of Bath, will be celebrating the festival of St Mary Magdalene with a festival of flowers inspired by poems from local farmer John Osborne who has farmed in Weston all his life.

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS

CITYgardens BOBBIE RUSSON

Barbara Rae, Ardmore Point

Bobbie Russon, Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking

bo.lee Gallery 1 Queen Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 428211 www.bo-lee.co.uk

Until 21 July In her first solo show of the year Bobbie Russon embraces that which is left unsaid with a new body of work dwelling on companionship, attachment and its associated trappings. With a wry nod to the close bond which can be forged between children and animals when a longing for company unites and a combined silence echoes loneliness, the viewer is invited to return to a moment in time where one might know all there is to know – and never utter a word about it.

FELICITY AYLIEFF The Holburne Museum Great Pulteney Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 388 569

Until 2 September Internationally renowned and Bathbased artist Felicity Aylieff has been collaborating with ceramic factories in China to make extraordinary monumental pots which she decorates with contemporary translations. Presence: The Art of Portrait Sculpture also continues.

▲

CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE, PAINTINGS & PRINTS

GRAHAM DEAN

Adam Gallery 13 John Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 480406

Throughout July Adam Gallery will be showcasing a selection of British and German sculpture by artists including Jorg Bach and Stephen Siebers, as well as paintings and prints by the Royal Academician, Barbara Rae. MIXED SUMMER SHOW Bath Contemporary 35 Gay Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 461230 www.bathcontemporary.com

14 July – 1 September An exhibition exploring the diverse expressionism and materiality of paint with a selection of paintings

by Brian Dennington, George Morgan, Mike Service, Sally Stafford and Stephen Yardley, alongside ceramics by Anna Barlow and Susan O’Byrne.

Graham Dean, Swimmer

Victoria Art Gallery

By Pulteney Bridge, Bath.

Tel: 01225 477233 www.victoriagal.org.uk

7 July – 2 September

Felicity Aylieff, Fencai Leaves II

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Sally Stafford, extract from All the Joy of Small Flowers Blooming

This exhibition showcases Graham’s huge watercolours on handmade Indian paper.

Graham has visited the Olympic and Paralympic training camps and as well as documenting sportspeople in action, the paintings explore their emotions during events.

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ARTS&EXHIBITIONS ARTISTS OF FAME & PROMISE

SUMMER SHOW

Nick Mackman, Lion Stretching

Victor Pasmore, Green Darkness

Edgar Modern Bartlett Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 443746 www.edgarmodern.com

▲ Beaux Arts 12 – 13 York Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 464850 www.beauxartsbath.co.uk

Until 1 September This exhibition will focus on new paintings and sculpture from artists including: Jackie Anderson, Jenifer Anderson, Erin Burns, Andrew Crocker, Matthew Draper, Stewart Edmondson, Fenella Elms, James Hart Dyke, Nick Mackman and Conor Walton.

MIXED SUMMER EXHIBITION

1 – 31 July SUMMER EXHIBITION

One Two Five Gallery Box Road, Bathford, Bath.

Tel: 01225 858888 www.carolewaller.co.uk www.garywoodceramics.co.uk

Until 8 July One Two Five presents its summer exhibition of ceramics, painted clothing and mixed media, including work from Fran Landsman and Gary Wood. Carole Waller’s summer collection 2012 will also be on show with a sale of samples.

SARAH BROWN

A summer show introducing renowned artists Paula Rego, Victor Pasmore and Henry Moore with works in a range of mediums from lithographs to etchings. Plus works from Edgar favourites Carl Melegari, Henrietta Dubrey, Dominic Hills and Heath Hearn.

THE BATH PRIZE

Locations across Bath Bath Prize Centre, 34 Stall Street, opposite the Roman Baths.

Email: lucy@thebathprize.co.uk, entries: www.thebathprize.co.uk

July, August & September Gallery Nine 9b Margarets Buildings, Bath.

Tel: 01225 319197 www.gallerynine.co.uk

11 July – 31 August The west country is the subject of Sarah’s work on display at Gallery Nine. She uses the versatility of pastel to convey light, atmosphere and ambience.

Now in its fourth year, this competition is open to both professional and semi-professional painters and generates new works of the heritage city of Bath. New for this year is the Bath Prize centre – a central high street base for artists to drop in to and use the easel space.

The Bath Prize exhibition will run through September and the deadline for submissions is 18 August.

SUMMER SHOW Nick Cudworth Gallery 5 London Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 445221 www.nickcudworth.com

Tom Lewis, The Barefoot Legend of the Grand Katsura

1 July – 31 August

The White Room Gallery 31 Brock Street, Bath. Tel: 01225 331500 www.thewhiteroomgallery.com

Until 15 July This exhibition features new, limited editions by Tom Lewis and Lionel Friedland as well as work from Horace Panter and Henri Matisse.

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Sarah Brown, From Zennor Head

Throughout July and August Nick Cudworth will be showing an eclectic mix of original oil paintings and prints of his work. The themes reflect Nick’s varied interest in music, Bath landscapes and the unusual juxtaposition of people and objects.

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nick cudworth gallery

April in Paris Oil on canvas 40 x 40 cms Summer Exhibition Throughout July and August Bath artist Nick Cudworth will be showing an eclectic mix of original oil paintings and prints of his work. The themes reflect Nick's varied interest in music, Bath landscapes and the unusual juxtaposition of people and objects which can be interesting and thought provoking.

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

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OUT&ABOUT

WILD IN THE COUNTRY Christina Holvey is an artist and illustrator who recently provided the illustrations for a new book My Garden and Other Animals, written by her fiancé, Mike Dilger, wildlife expert on BBC 1’s The One Show

W

hen my boyfriend and I moved into our modest little house, decrepit and unloved, with its ugly pebbledash facade, and hideously dated wallpaper, I could have wept, but for all the right reasons. For this DIY disaster zone, situated in the beautiful north Somerset hills, and only a stone’s throw from Chew Valley lake, was attached to a garden that promised the most wonderful potential, under the right stewardship.

Stale from an urban life, our move to the country was to be the start of an exciting new project: a year-long journey to transform our new back garden into a botanical bonanza of planting, and a real wonderland for wildlife. At the point of purchase, the plot was devoid of all things cultivated, but there was one priceless jewel within our mere eighth of an acre ‘grounds’, and it ran the length of the north boundary, beyond the long and sun-soaked lawn, and below a little wooded bank; it was a tinkling tributary brook of the River Chew.

Mike and I set about a whole range of projects and tasks, from creating a meadow to digging a pond. We built a raised vegetable plot, constructed a bug hotel, invested in three oversized and terribly greedy chickens, planted a mini-orchard and created two monstrous herbaceous borders awash with cottage garden favourites, all nectar rich and totally irresistible- both to pollinating insects, and to us.

Today, there are flowers in profusion, roses and clematis scramble up every available tree, and smother the walls, sweet peas and jasmine scent the air, and the meadow is bursting with buttercups, followed by foaming cow parsley and ox-eye daisies.

Newts and dragonflies frequent the pond, songbirds pile into the feeding stations, and One-eyed Pete – the local battle-hardened dog fox – often saunters at dawn along the bank of the brook, where the kingfishers, who nested upstream in spring, are now fledging.

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organically in every sense, but with an idea of what we hoped would best serve our plot, soil and situation. In addition, everything that flew, hopped, scurried or was blown into the garden was meticulously recorded. With Mike writing the story, and me providing the artwork, there was something really special about how beautifully encapsulated this project was from conception to completion.

Surprising encounters and discoveries seemed to happen daily.

At dawn in spring, Mike came across an otter in the brook, and one summer afternoon we were joined by an entire family of bullfinches. We solved a murder in the meadow, witnessed life and death skirmishes at the bird feeders, and the odd direct hit from passing aerial assassins. Mike kept detailed notes of all these happenings, while I dreamt up compositions which could convey both the characters and the stories that were being played out.

We solved a murder in the ❝ meadow, witnessed life and death skirmishes at the bird feeders, and the odd direct hit from passing aerial assassins

❞

To make illustrations look simple, without losing the essence of the subject, is tricky, and the garden was a constant source of reference, as well as inspiration. Often ideas would come to me while battling bindweed, or transplanting seedlings. I like to mix tiny bits of detail and pattern alongside big sweeping blocks of tone. What tends to look right can often come about from a thought, a mark, even an imperfection, that I can build on and repeat.

As an artist, I have come to see our garden as one big inspirational canvas. I’m working with a living medium, one that

FOX AT DAWN: detail from Badger and Watering Can, one of Christina Holvey’s illustrations from My Garden and Other Animals

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OUT&ABOUT GARDEN INSPIRATION: top, May Flowers; below, detail from Badger and Watering Can

does what it wants when my back is turned. Sometimes that can be irritating, but most of the time the glorious unpredictability makes it exciting. You implement something, and the garden responds. There is huge anticipation and uncertainty, as plants may either grow and flourish or wilt and get eaten.

Sturdy, familiar plants, which are as tough as old boots and have long flowering periods, are the stalwarts of our garden for the simple reason that I don’t have the time or skill to nurture wimps. Many, such as aquilegia, cranesbill geraniums, and Jacobs’s ladders are self-seeded, and when left to their own devices, not only provide useful ground cover, but also a beautiful tumbling assortment of colour, tone and texture. However there is no pain like discovering a pre-pubescent flower spike sprawled like a fallen soldier beneath a slug-chewed stem.

Luckily, during the year I have discovered that by placing upturned flowerpots in the border (secured by a stone) you can create budget slug overnight accommodation. Creatures of the soil, slugs and snails are unable to resist a dark place to rest their weary foot, and so come morning there are many lodgers of all shapes and sizes, which meet a grisly end in the chicken pen. But as much as I detest the damage they cause, I am aware they have played their part in attracting sixty different species of birds to our garden.

I fell in love in the garden, I became engaged in the garden, and every day, in all weathers, whether it be monitoring the slug situation, dead-heading the roses, drawing the goldfinches, or cleaning out the chickens, there is always something new to see, get excited about, and be inspired by. ■ Illustrations and paintings from the book ‘My Garden and Other Animals’ are on show at Rostra Gallery, Bath, from 20 July-27 August. A launch event with Mike Dilger and Christina Holvey is on Saturday 20 July, 11am-3pm. For more information visit: www.rostragallery.co.uk or www.christinaholvey.co.uk My Garden and Other Animals is published on 19 July, available from Amazon and all good bookshops.

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CARRIED AWAY BY LOVE Clare Reddaway tells the romantic tale of the Irish playwright and the English beauty who eloped and caused a scandal in Bath society

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n the wall of Number 11, the Royal Crescent, a plaque reads: ‘Thomas Linley lived here and from this house his daughter Elizabeth eloped with Richard Brinsley Sheridan on the evening of the 18th March 1772.’ The story that lies behind this cool statement is one of the most famous 18th century romances and became the source material not only for a stage play but also one of England’s favourite operas.

The lovers in question were feted as among the most sought after and accomplished couples of their generation.

Sheridan remains well-known as the writer of such plays as School for Scandal and The Rivals, comedies of manners which are still produced today. His wife Elizabeth Linley is less immediately familiar. However, during her lifetime, she was considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the country.

Gainsborough, for instance, painted her four times. She was also a talented musician. It was said that had she been Italian, she would have been hailed as the greatest soprano of her age. So who was she and what was she doing in Bath?

Elizabeth – Betsy to her parents, Eliza to her friends – was the second daughter of Thomas Linley. The Linleys were originally from Wells, but had lived in Bath for many years before the elopement. Thomas Linley was concert master at the Assembly Rooms, gave singing lessons and played the harpsichord expertly.

He trained his daughter as a vocalist and by the age of 12 she was already performing in public in Bath. The following year she gave her debut performance at Covent Garden in The Fairy Favour, a masque performed for the four-year-old Prince of Wales. She sang with her younger brother Tom, who was to become an outstanding composer and close friend of Mozart before his early death at the age of 22.

It is hard to imagine a singing voice from the past, but William Jackson, organist at Exeter Cathedral, wrote: ‘[Elizabeth’s] voice was remarkably sweet … Her genius and sense gave a consequence to her performance which no fool with the voice of an angel could ever attain.’ Praise indeed.

The King ogles her as much as ❝ he dares to do in so holy a place as an oratorio ❞ Elizabeth’s success and the money she brought into the family coffers enabled them to move from their house in Pierrepoint Street to the Royal Crescent. Her father’s ambition was not to stop there. He knew that Elizabeth’s beauty was exceptional.

When Reynolds painted her as St Cecelia he said: ‘not even Helen or Cleopatra could have exceeded her.’ She even caught the eye of King George III. After a performance at Drury Lane Walpole commented: ‘The King… ogles her as much as he dares to do in so holy a place as an oratorio.’

In 1770, Thomas Linley engaged his daughter to one of her many Bath admirers, Walter Long, a wealthy bachelor from South Wraxall, who was 60. Elizabeth was 16.

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match, and after a few months, Long withdrew from the betrothal. He allowed Elizabeth to keep the jewels he’d showered on her during the engagement, worth £1,000, and he paid her father £3,000 compensation to halt Linley’s threatened court case.

However, Long did not escape the mockery of playwright Samuel Foote who wrote a satire The Maid of Bath based on the affair in which the wretched Long is described as a ‘fat, fusty, shabby, shuffling, money-loving, water-drinking, mirth-marring, amorous old huncks.’

By 1772, Elizabeth had become depressed at her notoriety. She was being pursued by a passionate suitor, Captain Mathews, and was thinking of fleeing to a nunnery in France. At this point, Richard Sheridan took decisive action. He was in Bath because his father, a penniless Irish actor, was teaching elocution in the city.

He knew Elizabeth because his brother was in love with her – but it was Richard, not his brother, who arrived at Elizabeth’s house in the middle of the night to spirit her away.

They may have left Bath as mere friends, but by the time they arrived in Calais Elizabeth had decided she was in love and they were married, illegally. The couple travelled on to Lille where her father caught up with her. Thomas Linley was furious at the union – aspiring playwrights are not such lucrative sons-in-law as landowners. Nor did Sheridan’s father approve of the match.

However, gradually their opposition faded and Elizabeth and Sheridan were legally married in 1773.

Elizabeth’s suitor Captain Mathews was less easy to pacify.

After the elopement, he denounced Sheridan as ‘a liar and a

MAIDS OF BATH: the Linley sisters were acclaimed beauties Top, left to right: Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the plaque at Number 11, and the Royal Crescent, across whose lawns the fleeing couple sped

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treacherous scoundrel’. Sheridan had no choice but to call him out, and they fought not one but two duels, the second of which resulted in Sheridan being severely wounded. Captain Mathews withdrew his accusations and an apology was eventually printed.

After her marriage, Sheridan refused to let Elizabeth perform professionally. She only sang at private concerts.

Her romantic life, however, became the inspiration for The Duenna, the most popular and successful comic opera of the Georgian era. It was written by Sheridan with music by Elizabeth’s father and her brother Tom. After such determined efforts to be together, Elizabeth must have hoped that her marriage would be a success. But she suffered ill health, and Sheridan strayed. Elizabeth had to endure his long

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affair with the Duchess of Devonshire’s sister, Lady Duncannon, before she herself fell in love with a much younger man, Lord Edward Fitzgerald.

She bore Fitzgerald a baby girl, which had the unexpected result of reconciling her with Sheridan. The baby died, and Elizabeth herself succumbed to tuberculosis soon afterwards.

She was 38 when she died.

Sheridan was not the only one to mourn Elizabeth. Such were the crowds outside Wells Cathedral the carriage was unable to get through.

Elizabeth’s legacy hangs on the walls of the world’s art galleries where she reminds us of who she was: one of England’s greatest singers and most lovely beauties. ■

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CITYgardens FOODIE heroes

BATH’S FABULOUS FRENCHMEN

NATIONAL GAME: chefs Michel Lemoine, Laurent Couvreur, Jean Pierre Auge and Richard Bertinet take a break to play boules in Queen Square PHOTOGRAPHY: Matt Wyatt Design

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FOODIEheroes

Bath may be a long way from the English Channel but it is home to an elite group of Frenchmen who have made a considerable contribution to the city’s foodie culture. To mark the annual celebrations for Bastille Day on 14 July Georgette McCready talks to Bath’s own Frenchmen about life on the wrong side of La Manche HIGH JINKS: photographer Matt Wyatt had his work cut out to get our fab four Frenchmen to stop messing about and have their pictures taken

I

f it wasn’t for the playful nature of a sociable French restaurateur, Bath wouldn’t create a little corner of La Belle France each summer in Queen Square with a weekend of competitive boules, with dozens of teams taking part, thousands of pounds raised for local good causes, and great quantities of wine quaffed.

That Frenchman is Jean Pierre Auge, owner of one of Bath’s longest established restaurants, the Beaujolais. JP, as he’s affectionately known, has been serving the people of Bath his brand of good, French food for more than 40 years. A fire halted him in his tracks, but the Beaujolais bounced back, complete with its saucy maiden and snail sculptures and other oo! la! la! memorabilia.

When he’s not working JP likes to get together with fellow expats to play French card games. I met up with four of the city’s most prominent Frenchmen – all chefs – to talk to them about why they have ended up in Bath and what they like about living in Britain. One of the first things you notice about these gentlemen is how affable they are with one another, fooling around and teasing each other. The second is the thing which never fails to charm we Englishwomen – that delightful French accent which even many years spent in this country can’t erase.

So why did JP come to the west country? – “It was 1968, my mother had found me some holiday work in Dover, I never went home. A friend I had met in Dover suggested I would like to work here and he found me a job at the Francis Hotel.

Obviously, driving on the wrong side of the ❝ road is a constant irritation ❞ “Bath was a great party place in the 70s and I had a great time.

We had the boules tournaments, then food festivals and parties in the street. I have been here 42 years, so it must be good.”

What does he like and dislike about the UK? – “I like the women and countryside pursuits. I dislike the traffic wardens and English sausages.”

He speaks to his four sisters in France every week and, just as the Brits talk about the weather, his family discuss what they’ve been cooking.

He admits to always being a bit of an anglophile: “When I was a child I always wanted to grow up to be an English Queen’s Guard as I had tin soldiers to play with and used to pretend to be one walking around with our cat on my head instead of the bearskin.”

Richard Bertinet is a baker and chef whose way with bread has made him one of Bath’s foodie heroes. He teaches baking at The Bertinet Kitchen cookery school, runs a café and bakery and has recently had his third book, Pastry, published.

Richard came to Britain in the late 1980s for a holiday but had

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such a great time that he decided not to go home.

“We moved to Bath from London in 2005 to set up our cookery school business. Bath ticked all the boxes – a beautiful place to live and a beautiful place to visit, so we knew people would be happy to travel here for a cookery school.

“I have no time for Frenchmen who say they hate living in the UK – if you don’t like it, go home. I love almost everything – the culture, the attitudes, the people. Some Provençal weather would be nice though.

“I do miss the sea at the Côte Sauvage in Brittany where I grew up but since I discovered Pembrokeshire (which is very similar in many ways) this hasn’t been so much of a worry.

“I would say the French and the British are definitely friends – save perhaps for a few grumpy Parisiens.”

It was love that brought Michel Lemoine, chef-patron of Bistro La Barrique, to Bath. He had come to London in 1981 and was given the opportunity to work with the Roux brothers.

“I was working in London and had gone on holiday to Rhodes in Greece; there I met my wife-to-be, who came from Bath. I visited her and fell in love with the city as well as Ann. I had already visited the west country and Bath during my time in London, and appreciated the cosmopolitan feel of the city and the beautiful countryside surrounding it.

“I have always found people in the UK to be friendly and welcoming. Things could have been different if this was not the case, as when I came to London my English was virtually nonexistent, but luckily people were always very helpful. I spend as much of my spare time as I can outdoors and love the British countryside.”

Michel believes in entente cordiale between the two nations: “We’re old friends mainly, but when France play rugby I become a true Frenchman.”

Laurent Couvreur, chef and owner of Casanis, came to Bath with his wife Jill – on their way to Australia.

“It was at the end of 1995. Our son had been born in New York City and we came back here to get our papers together and move to Sydney – we’ve been here ever since.

“When I was working at The Ritz Club in London I used to get every other weekend off. We would often come down to Bath and fell in love with it. I don’t mind the British weather. If you have to work in the kitchen it’s kinder if it’s raining outside rather than beautiful sunshine. Obviously, driving on the wrong side of the road is a constant irritation.

“What I miss most about home are daily visits to wonderful fresh product markets; nibbling on warm fresh pissaladière on the way home from an artisan bakers, and enjoying a delicious pan bagnat on the Plage Municipal in Nice.”

How does Laurent view relations between the French and the British? – “A tricky one this. I’d like to say old friends with the odd squabble here and there. Allez les Bleus!” ■ JULY 2012

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Quick bites

COOKING FOR PLEASURE

■ Here’s another date for foodies – from the beginning of July Green Park Station is hosting Friday evening street food events laid on by the StrEAT Food Collective. Choose dishes from Malaysia, India, Wales, Jamaica and other countries as StrEAT lays on a party atmosphere.

Coconut Chilli Digital, the collective behind the project, consists of around half a dozen stalls.

■ When summer finally arrives, we’ll be able to enjoy healthy refreshing snacks as Purepots frozen yogurt and smoothie bar is due to open in SouthGate in August. This is the second location for this young brand which serves six flavours of fat-free frozen yogurt.

■ The latest addition to Bath’s café scene, the Society Café, celebrated its arrival on Kingsmead Square with a bit of a do – offering delicious cake for guests. Among the VIPs at the opening party was The Bath Bullet, Jason Gardener, most recently seen carrying the Olympic torch through the city.

■ The newly revamped Hare & Hounds at Lansdown has opened under the ownership of Joe Cussons of Marlborough Tavern and The Chequers.

The pub that boasts the best views in Bath, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.

On the menu are fish and chips, steak and main courses including haddock and pea risotto. We’ve been up and admired the garden but we haven’t eaten there yet – we’ll keep you posted.

■ Raymond Blanc’s Brasserie Blanc has opened next to the Francis Hotel, on Queen Square. It marked the occasion by hosting a charity fundraising event with the Lady Taverners to raise more than £8,000 to help buy minibuses for disabled young people.

■ If you’ve got something to say about one of Bath’s restaurants, pubs or cafés, why not share it with our followers on Twitter – @thebathmagazine.

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he may write for a national newspaper based in London but food writer Xanthe Clay understands that her readers want to be able to buy their ingredients in their home city, not to have to travel to a specialist food market or store in London for them.

This is just one of the reasons she chose to write her latest recipe book, The Contented Cook – originally to be called Simple – The Daily Telegraph’s food writer tells me over tea. “I wanted to do a book about the sort of food we cook at home,” said the west country-based writer and cook and mother of two. “I find recipes that have a long list of ingredients simply exhausting, just to look at them.

I wanted to create something simple and delicious, to let the ingredients be the stars and not to muddy the flavour.”

She cites two examples of beautiful pairings of ingredients, ripe pear with Parmesan cheese, or a watermelon and feta salad.

The Contented Cook takes a season by season look at ingredients, moving from warming dishes such as purple sprouting broccoli with anchovy and chilli butter in early spring, through the summer fruit harvest, right through to a homely dish of beans with chorizo on toasted sourdough bread. It’s also full of tips, such as using parsley stalks, stored in the freezer, to add flavour to stock, and using a slow cooker to make perfect stock.

Xanthe trained at Prue Leith’s School of Food and Wine and worked at Bath’s former Raincheck bar some 15 years ago. But now she enjoys home

KEEP IT SIMPLE: Daily Telegraph food writer Xanthe Clay

cooking: “Now that the book is done one of the first things I’m going to do is have people round.” She likes people to gather and chat while she cooks – “put your hob in the middle of the kitchen so you’re facing people while you cook, then you can chat while you pop food straight from the pan piping hot directly on to Chinese spoons or on to people’s plates. Play to your strengths, do things that you can’t do in a restaurant.”

She’s clearly a thoughtful hostess, giving shy people who want something to do with their hands, jobs such as podding peas or handing out nibbles. A thoughtful guest too – she writes of hosting parties: ‘Do make sure canapés are really little, generally the size that can be eaten in one mouthful. As soon as something has to be bitten into there is a risk that it’ll burst, or crumble, or just fall

apart – which makes people look clumsy, which they hate.

Avoid dripping, staining sauces for the same reason. I was once given satay with a turmericlaced peanut sauce and my hostess still has the marks on her sofa to show for it.’

There are some things that make her eyes flash and that genial expression disappear.

Margarine and most dried herbs are dismissed as ‘vile’ and when I ask her if she thinks cupcakes have had their day, her response is instant and heartfelt: “God I hope so! I hope they’ll be replaced by the fairy cake, much smaller and more about the cake. I also predict there’ll be a renaissance in the British biscuit, home baked, perhaps the custard cream?” ■ The Contented Cook By Xanthe Clay is published by Kyle Books in hardback, price £19.99.

GMc

Fresh look for abbey café Many of us will recall, with some shame, the shabby looking establishment overlooking Bath Abbey where tourists were served up tea and coffee on plastic tables attached to their chairs.

This was hardly the sort of image that a World Heritage City deserved.

But now amends have been made and the smart new Roman Baths Kitchen restaurant and deli has opened up on Abbey Church Yard. We popped in incognito to test the coffee, and the

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service too.

The staff were unfailingly helpful and friendly and the coffee was good. The place is divided into two, one side for table service and meals and the other as a takeaway and coffee bar, where you can pick up a sandwich to go.

There’s also an interesing array of food, from Bath buns to Thoughtful Bread’s loaves and boxes of fresh eggs.

We felt we would be quite happy to recommend the Roman Bath Kitchen to tourists.

COFFEE BREAK: the new café, Roman Baths Kitchen is run by Searcys and owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council

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Menu Gordon Jones 2 Wellsway, Bath, BA2 3AQ. Tel: 01225 480871

REVIEW

THE MAGICIAN’S MENU

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ny restaurant owner in Bath who is wondering why they don’t get more customers might want to go and spend an evening in a little corner of Bear Flat where one chef is cooking up such a sensational storm that diners are clamouring to book and there’s even a waiting list for Saturday night tables stretching into weeks. A quick look on Trip Advisor reveals that Menu Gordon Jones, the 20-seater restaurant in a modest venue, is currently Number 1 out of the 257 establishments in the whole city. So what’s all the fuss about?

We had heard from foodies that this former head chef from the Royal Crescent Hotel was wowing ‘em with his wizardry.

We were told that he would provide a set dinner using seasonal and local produce – with no menu for diners to choose from.

That made me a little nervous. It’s not that I am particularly fussy but I have been known to baulk at a plate of smoked puffin and the idea of eating rabbit hasn’t appealed since we kept one as a pet. How would I cope with politely eating what was put in front of me?

We managed to secure a table on a Tuesday night, and trekked up the Wellsway to Bear Flat, where a former café has been transformed into an informal dining room. In the corner, in a space smaller than many domestic kitchens, is the man himself, cheerfully welcoming in his chef’s whites. The venue can only seat 20 at a push, but thanks to Gordon’s professional and efficient front-of-house, Sarah, the atmosphere is laidback and friendly.

For £40 a head for dinner you are treated to a truly memorable six-course taste sensation. From the home-baked bread, warm in a brown paper bag and infused with basil and beetroot, served with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar in test-tubes, we knew we were in for a unique experience.

The amuse bouche was a creamy smooth, delicate white onion espuma in a coffee cup. We declared this a beautiful taste, but then were lost for words when the next course arrived on a grey slate. Laid out like an artist’s palette was scrambled gull’s egg in a shell, accompanied by pigeon breast, fresh grilled asparagus, a small dollop of black pudding, all with a radish and raisin dressing. Gordon assured us the gull’s eggs were picked under licence from clifftops and not from the feral herring gulls of Bath with their diet of takeaway food.

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From there we went happily into the fish course of roasted wild sea bass, with roast baby aubergine, sweet potato, onion, squash and baby beetroot, with a tiny but effective kick of Scotch bonnet chilli adorning the fish. I swear to you, the quantities were never too much – at no point did anyone in the dining room declare themselves too full. By the end of the evening, diners were chatting together, asking Gordon questions about the dishes and enjoying watching the master at work.

You put yourself in the more ❝ than capable hands of Gordon and are rewarded with dazzling dish after dish

❞

By this time we all agreed that not having to choose from a menu was very liberating. You put yourself in the more than capable hands of Gordon and are rewarded with dazzling dish after dish, like a magician pulling off a series of tricks. Wizardlike, he makes it look effortless while at the same time you’re wondering ‘how did he do that?’ The wine list was seriously good too, but rather than opt for the wine flight, we enjoyed a velvety Chateau Rochecolombe Cote du Rhone, for £25.

Tender pink lamb, served with creamy peas, spring greens and mash was Gordon’s take on meat and two veg and once again we were all searching for superlatives as we tucked in.

Another trick came in the form of a creamy portion of ice cream – which turned out to be made from sweetcorn – served with foaming green wheatgrass juice. As Gordon himself admitted, this is a bit of a Marmite dish. But love it or hate it, it certainly cleansed the palate for the grand finale.

For his parting sleight of hand, Gordon presented a chocolate and honey tart sexed up with a salty tang and topped with a perfect orb of mango sorbet.

It was a truly memorable meal, but don’t just take my word for it. Try Mr Jones’ menu and then you’ll be able to say you discovered it before it got a Michelin star. ■ GMc

YES CHEF: Gordon Jones changes the menu at his Bear Flat restaurant every day Menu Gordon Jones is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesdays to Saturdays

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Tomato & Courgette Gratin In a few weeks’ time many gardeners and allotment owners are going to find themselves with the annual challenge of eating up a lot of courgettes and tomatoes, as they become ready to harvest.

Xanthe Clay’s gratin is very simple, with no bread topping. It’s good served with roast lamb or just about any simply cooked meat. Cut the tomatoes and courgettes in rounds a little thicker than a pound coin, and keep them in a single layer so they don’t go soggy.

Serves: 2

Ingredients: olive oil • 3 small courgettes • 1 garlic clove, crushed • a few thyme leaves or oregano sprigs • 6 plum tomatoes, sliced • salt

Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Oil a large ovenproof dish, or four small dishes (those individual terracotta tapas dishes are ideal) generously.

2. Sprinkle the courgettes with salt and leave for at least ten minutes. Pat dry. In a bowl, mix the courgettes with one tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic and thyme or oregano.

3. Arrange the tomatoes and courgettes in the dish, as overlapping slices in tight concentric circles, bearing in mind that they will shrink when they cook. Drizzle over a little more oil and cook for about 20 minutes until browned.

Xanthe’s words of wisdom ✲ A good courgette is no more than 15cm long and should be hard with a shiny skin. Smaller courgettes may have flowers attached, which, if they are very fresh, can be stuffed with ricotta flavoured with herbs and garlic, twisting the tops to seal and deep-fried ideally. ✲ For a delicious accompaniment to poached salmon or cold chicken, or as the base for a potato salad, chop some fresh mint and dill (discarding large stalks) then mix with creme fraiche. ✲ Save money by making your own harissa – far cheaper than the ready made variety – and add to casseroles, spread thinly on bruschetta and top with creme fraiche, or mix into salad dressings. ✲ Lemon juice freezes well and if you have spare lemon peel freeze it whole or grate the zest and mix with sugar and store in an airtight jar for up to a month. ✲ If you have a glut of tomatoes pack them into jars, top up with olive oil and poke in a few sprigs of rosemary or thyme.

Provided they are completely covered in oil, the tomatoes should last a couple of weeks stored in the fridge. ✲ Whatever the flashy television shows would like us to believe, this is a way of life, not a competition. Anyway, if you’re making fresh food at home you have already won.

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SUMMERholidayGUIDE Enjoy swimming with your baby or toddler at a Water Babies class © Kate Westaway at Water Babies, Esme Lilley and mum

Have a go at rock climbing at Young Radford’s summer camp

Events Activities THE SUMMER HOLIDAY GUIDE Rosie Parry picks the best of a glorious bunch of events and activities to ensure family fun all summer long When Eggy Met Peggy

Children’s theatre

Baby bobbing

Step back in time

The egg, Theatre Royal, Bath.

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

Three pools across the Bath & Bristol area at: Church Farm, Bradford on Avon; Three Ways School, Bristol; Fosseway School, Bath.

Tel: 0117 946 6919 www.waterbabies.co.uk

Roman Baths, Stall Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 477785 www.romanbaths.co.uk

Ruby Red Tells Tales, Saturday 14 July, 11.30am & 3pm An enchanting physical and musical performance using everyday objects and young children’s retellings of stories from around the world to create wonder and awe. Ages 3+

Wilde Tales: Fairy Tales by Oscar Wilde, Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 July, 7pm; matinee: Saturday, 2pm Wilde’s fairy tales, including The Selfish Giant and The Happy Prince are in turn ambiguous, beautiful, powerful and tender. Ages 6+

When Eggy Met Peggy, Saturday 28 July, 11.30am & 3pm What happens when the lonely egg, sat on a wall, meets the sparkling pea from under a huge pile of matresses? Join Eggy, Peggy the pea, a rock ‘n rolling raspberry, cha cha-ing carrots, royalty and a blue horse in this funny and original twist on The Princess and the Pea. Ages 6+

Peter Pan, Wednesday 22 – Sunday 26 August, 7pm for 8pm performance; matinees: Saturday & Sunday, 2.30pm JM Barrie’s classic adventure story has delighted and thrilled generations of theatre-goers with its dream-like locations and charming characters.

60 young people work with a team of professionals to create this magical land of fantasy and fantastical storytelling in the glorious outdoor setting of the Ball Court at Prior Park, Bath. Wear warm clothing and bring a cushion. Ages 6+ 54 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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Water Babies, please contact Water Babies for dates and times This award-winning baby and toddler swim school offers classes through the week in three pools across the Bath area. The classes teach water confidence and vital life saving skills in a fun and relaxed way – children can start from birth and stay until they are four years old.

Classes are small and each child is given individual attention.

Terrific trees Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Tel: 01666 880220 www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt

Summer Secrets, Tuesday 7 – Thursday 9 August, 10.30am – 4.30pm Delve into the undergrowth to find the hidden secrets of summer: leaves that communicate, deadly poisons and a rubbery wonder await.

Create secret summer pictures and design your own pipe cleaner woodland bugs.

Arboretum Art Attack, Tuesday 14 – Thursday 16 August, 10.30am – 4.30pm Explore the artistic origins of Westonbirt and discover how to use trees instead of paint. Build your own stick frames, create your own natural art to add to Westonbirt’s art gallery and design a picturesque tree garden – plenty of arty fun at its best.

Toga Parade, Monday 23 July, 10am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm Enjoy dressing up in togas and tunics and parading by the Great Bath.

Sporting Challenge, Monday 30 July, 10am – 1pm & 2pm – 4pm What sports did the Romans enjoy? Find out at the sporting challenge activities.

Go wild Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens, Burford, Oxfordshire. Tel: 01993 823006 www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk

Birds of Prey from Cotswold Falconry, Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 July See a variety of birds of prey all of which are free flying. As they fly close by, you will witness their speed and grace, you will awe in their freedom but soon come to realise that their life is never easy and they have to work to survive. You could have the chance to see vultures, owls, falcons and eagles and enjoy the variety of their flying styles.

Wild Nights at the Park, Saturday 4 & Saturday 11 August Enjoy a VIP evening at the Cotswold Wildlife Park. There will be talks by the animal keepers and you can watch some of the animals being fed. You could even watch the sunset with the rhinos. Pimms and soft drinks will be served on the manor house terrace and children must be accompanied by an adult.

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SUMMERholidayGUIDE Peter Pan at The egg, Theatre Royal Bath © Nick Spratling

Watch the sunset with the rhinos at Wild Nights at the Park, Cotswold Wildlife Park

Mr Punch’s Picnic

Outdoor antics

Arts & crafts

Lacock Abbey, Lacock, Nr Chippenham.

Tel: 01249 730459 www.nationaltrust.org/lacock

Victoria Art Gallery, by Pulteney Bridge, Bath.

Tel: 01225 477244 www.victoriagal.co.uk

Mr Punch’s Picnic, Tuesday 31 July, 11.15am, 12.30pm & 1.30pm

Lighting Up 2012, Thursday 26 July, 10.30am – noon & 1.30pm – 3pm

Mr Punch is 350 years old this year. Come and see him with Judy and the crocodile, as performed by Professor Pete Milsom. Make something to take home with Wiltshire Scrapstore or bounce on the inflatable castle too.

Design and make a model torch ready for the opening night of the Olympic Games. Ages 3-11

Family Bat Watch, Tuesday 21 August, 7.30pm Ever seen a bat fly out of a gargoyle’s mouth?

Join bat expert Tony Brazier to watch for and listen to bats living in and around Lacock Abbey.

Outdoor Theatre: The Twits Thursday 24 August, 6pm – 9.30pm A slimily, stickily, revoltingly funny show from the most popular children’s author in the world performed by theatre group Illyria. Meet horrible Mr and Mrs Twit and cheer the monkeys on as they get their own back on the gruesome pair.

Horrible history Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 463362 www.bathboxoffice.org.uk

Horrible Histories: Terrible Tudor Crime & Punishment Workshop, Wednesday 15 August, 2.30pm The Birmingham Stage Company presents a special Horrible Histories workshop. Discover the crimes and punishments of Tudor times. Will you be charged with a crime? And most terrifying of all, how will you be punished?

Prepare yourself for a truly horrible workshop.

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Family theatre The Mission Theatre, 32 Corn Street, Bath. Next Stage Box office on tel: 01225 428600 or Bath Box office on tel: 01225 463362 www.missiontheatre.co.uk

His Dark Materials Parts 1 & 2, Part 1: Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 July, 7.30pm; matinees: Saturday, 2.30pm Part 2: Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 July, 7.30pm; matinee: Saturday, 2.30pm His Dark Materials Parts 1 & 2 takes actors and audiences alike on an epic journey. More than 50 talented youngsters from Next Stage Youth, Bath’s youth theatre for 11 – 18 year-olds, are looking forward to performing in their most ambitious production yet. Audiences who have read or not read Pullman’s trilogy will love this gripping adaptation.

Summer camp Radford Mill Farm, near Timsbury, Somerset.

Tel: 07818032443 or email: info@youngdartington.co.uk

Children’s Summer Camp, Monday 13 – Friday 24 August Young Radford’s children’s summer camp is a new activity camp for children ages 8 – 14. You get to choose exactly which activities you want to do from the 11 on offer including rock

Aboretum Art Attack

climbing, pottery, kayaking, lantern making, bushcraft and circus skills. Camping is optional and includes great evening activities, a talent show, organic food direct from the farm and plenty of time to make new friends.

Fun on-board ss Great Britain, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol. Tel: 0117 926 0680 www.ssgreatbritain.org

Flash, Bang, Wallop!, daily, 10am – 5.30pm Travel back in time, and around the world, to pose for a portrait in the Melbourne photographic studio. You can even try on a costume inspired by one of Queen Victoria’s elaborate gowns. Using your own camera you’ll create unique holiday snaps.

Victorian Surgeon Visits, Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 August, 10am – 5.30pm Drop in for a check up with the ship’s surgeon and his leech.

Safari adventure Longleat, Warminster, Wiltshire.

Tel: 01985 844400 www.longleat.co.uk

Longleat Safari and Adventure Park, daily Home to BBC’s Animal Park and CBBC’s Roar, Longleat has plenty to offer for a great family day out this summer. There are more than 15 attractions, including: the new multi-million pound jungle kingdom where birds land on your hand, meerkats run around your feet and monkeys swing down from their temple; parkland deer feeding; birds of prey shows; and Longleat House set in 900 acres of Capability Brown landscaped parkland for you to enjoy.

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Curtain UpTheatre School Summer schools in Bath For children 8 to 16 years w/c 23th July or 13th August Call Sarah for details 01761 239185 56 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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www.curtainup.org.uk

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RURALbusiness

LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS Corinne Farrell looks at a £53m project to bring fast broadband connection to Devon and Somerset and talks to one business near Bath about why internet investment is vital to the region’s economy

W

ith an average 1,600 hours of annual sunshine, chocolate box villages, glorious coastline, and two national parks (Dartmoor and Exmoor) the south west is a superb destination for a holiday – which is why Alison Howell decided to base her walking holiday business in the area.

Following a three-month trek across France, Alison returned to the UK and decided that there was a gap in the market for walking holidays for people who, like herself, enjoy a leisurely and comfortable approach. So, in 2002, she set up Foot Trails from her home near Bath.

Alison is passionate about the countryside and about rural issues, and has won awards for her responsible and sustainable approach to rural tourism. In 2010, Foot Trails was the first travel company in the country to be awarded the Business in the Community Tick for Rural Action. The company has also been awarded a gold by the Green Tourism Business Scheme – the national accreditation scheme for sustainable tourism business.

Alison says: “The south west is a beautiful area in which to walk, with so many different itineraries, landscapes and terrains.

People come on holiday here from around the world to relax and enjoy the countryside, but they still want all the creature comforts of home. We work with local businesses to make sure that our visitors sample the best food, drink and accommodation that the west country can offer.”

Local authorities across the area ❝ are aiming to deliver faster broadband for all residents, businesses and communities by 2015

❞

Increasingly, Alison is finding that one of the facilities people take for granted is a good broadband service. Foot Trails’ guests might want to get away from it all – but they also want to stay in touch with family and friends via email, have access to the internet and even share their photos while actually on their holiday, through social media sites such as Facebook.

“I feel really strongly about this and was one of the people who spoke in the council chamber about how vital broadband is for rural businesses,” said Alison: “I’ve had a website ever since I established my company, and internet communication is now the bedrock of my business. I use it all the time, whether it’s for 60 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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international marketing, communicating with my customers, or connecting via VOIP with the rural businesses I use as my suppliers, for pub lunches and accommodation.

“Businesses like mine in rural areas need superfast broadband every bit as much as people living in well-connected cities if we are to compete on the world stage. If we don’t get a reasonable service, it will be impossible to retain a rural base. And if rural companies have to relocate into cities, then whole communities will start to die off.”

Bath and North East Somerset Council listened to the views of their local residents and businesses, and decided to sign up to Connecting Devon and Somerset, the programme to roll out superfast broadband to areas that the private sector hasn’t invested in. Under the leadership of Devon and Somerset County Councils, and with £53m of public-sector funding, local authorities across the area are aiming to deliver faster broadband for all residents, businesses and communities by 2015. Of these, 85 per cent will enjoy superfast broadband. The aim is to follow this by access to superfast broadband for everyone by 2020.

Connecting Devon and Somerset is running a survey to capture views on current and future broadband services.

Responses will be used to provide evidence that there is a strong demand for superfast broadband and to persuade private broadband companies to invest in the area. Connecting Devon and Somerset project director Keri Denton said: “Superfast broadband is essential to businesses and communities across Devon and Somerset and we need to show potential suppliers that there is a strong demand. To do this we need to provide evidence from our survey, so please take part and register your need for broadband. The more responses we have, the more compelling our case for private-sector investment.”

Register on the website, visit: www.connectingdevonandsomerset.co.uk or call the hotline on tel: 0844 4636887. ■ For information on Alison Howell’s Foot Trails visit: www.foottrails.co.uk http://www.facebook.com

CONNECTED IN THE COUNTRY: above, walkers from all over the world enjoy holidays in the west country, but want fast broadband to keep in touch with family and friends back home Inset, Alison Howell of Foot Trails

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Two former Bath School boys con nue Business Expansion

Richard Lewis and Jonathan Blake, two former Beechen Cliff schoolboys con nue their business expansion, moving into new purpose built premises on the outskirts of Bath.

Both boys met at school and have remained friends ever since. They launched BluSkye Industries three years ago, in order to bring professionalism to electrical recycling. They both have had significant experience in industry, with Jonathan mainly in the waste and recycling sectors, Richard in Finance and Avia%on. In-fact Richard s%ll pilots jets out of Heathrow for BA! BluSkye is an electrical recycling business with a fresh approach. The business is built on core beliefs of professionalism, passion and above all a real understanding that customer service is essen%al in these challenging economic %mes.

“We have clients across the South West, but strangely not so many in Bath, come on Bath support your home-grown talent!!” Jonathan Blake, Director Once the electrical goods are delivered to the site, those in good working condi%on are reused.

Anything broken or unusable is sent to a specialised recycling plant that converts the waste back to raw materials for reuse and separates hazardous substances for safe recycling.

We a&ract clients from both business and domes%c sources. “Companies may have old IT equipment for example, households always have old electrical items that have out lived their use, such as fridges and computers that are clu&ering up space – let us recycle it! Quite honestly if it plugs in, charges up or takes ba&eries, we recycle it!”.

We recycle circa 98.5% of the materials collected by our teams. Polystyrene is currently the only material not being recycled, however, we are ac%vely seeking a solu%on to this by way of investment in bespoke machinery.

email: recycling@bluskye.co.uk telephone: 01225 723832 visit us on Facebook follow us on twi&er @BluSkyeRecycle

www.bluskye.co.uk

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BATHpeople

The city that likes to party It’s a source of great pleasure to receive an invitation to a party, especially when that invitation comes on a beautiful card and is hand-written. And when the anticipation of that summons is met with a fun-filled occasion with family, or friends old and new, the whole party experience is perfectly complete.

A pair of Bath mums who know just how to throw the perfect party have set up their own business doing just that. From small but stylish second wedding lunches to gatherings for clients and friends, You Are SO Invited is a bespoke party organising service.

Claire Hardy, who has many years experience in hospitality, and Helen Godfrey, who was a personal stylist, became friends and then realised there was a gap in the market for arranging parties right down to the smallest detail. With an organisational skill that would make others tired, the duo can arrange a florist, beautifully hand-written invitations and place names at the table, and even take care of finding a private chef for the occasion or hiring glassware and a dinner service.

“We’re not caterers,” says Claire, “but we can organise everything for you, from sending hand-written invitations to dressing the venue.

We enjoy personalising the party, for instance, with photos of the happy couple’s wedding day reproduced for their anniversary party, and buying guests personalised gifts to take home and to remember the occasion. We like to bring a bit of magic to the party – and make it an event that people will talk about for a long time.”

The pair specialise in small events and can

MIX AND STIR: guests enjoying the transformed garden at cocktail bar Sub 13 in George Street, decorated for the occasion by You Are SO Invited’s Claire Hardy and Helen Godfrey

help with anything, from transforming a garage into a teenage party space, to finding a mixologist to make and shake cocktails.

Most recently You Are SO Invited was asked to transform the city centre gardens of cocktail bar Sub 13 in George Street for a Perrier Jouët Champagne party to mark the bar’s eighth anniversary. Fresh flowers, carefully placed

mirrors and candles, white napery and even gorgeous scent bottles and packets of Lovehearts sweets in the ladies’ cloakroom helped set the scene.

Champagne cocktails, nibbles and live music helped the evening go with a swing.

Visit: www.youaresoinvited.com or tel: 07764 928 471.

School’s music centre hits the right note

Pop-up shop The latest pop-up shop to spring up in Milsom Place will be wedding accessories business Poppy In Pearls, which will be open from 21 July to 19 August.

Already an online business, Poppy In Pearls was founded by Sarah Ross who, when planning her own wedding, wanted British made products for decorating the tables and giving as favours and found it difficult, so decided to source products especially for creative brides. Stock includes invitation sets, bride and groom cake toppers, and gifts for men and women too.

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Opera star Dame Felicity Lott performed the official opening of Monkton Senior School’s new £3.2m music centre in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 staff, pupils, parents and VIP guests, including songwriter Richard Stilgoe, pianist Bobby Chen, musician and writer Julian Colbeck, former Bishop of Thetford Timothy Dudley-Smith and David Bowerman, exchairman of the Elgar Foundation.

The school celebrated the occasion with music, with former Monkton pupils, principal clarinet with the NYO and finalist of the 2012 BBC Young Musician competition Jordan Black, cellist Bea Newman and pianist Tokino Kaga giving recitals and there was a Battle of the Bands competition for pupils.

Choirs sang, including one that said it could not sing and another

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION: Dame Felicity Lott opens the new centre

– a scratch choir – that sang Zadok the Priest after just an hour’s rehearsal.

School principal, Richard Backhouse, said: “The combination of this outstanding new music centre – which is

beginning to attract significant interest from professional musicians – together with our inspirational director of music, George Bevan, is set to take music at Monkton to even higher levels.”

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LEGALmatters

ADV ERT OR I AL FEATURE

OH I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE… AND AVOID INHERITANCE TAX Owners of holiday properties which they let out could save their families 40 percent Inheritance Tax if they qualify for business property relief…

T

here will be many residents of Bath who own and let out properties in Cornwall, Devon and other parts of our beautiful island. The owners of many of these properties may regard them as refuges from the stresses of modern life but until now such properties have provided no escape from the long arm of the taxman. Typically these properties have been subject to Inheritance Tax on the death of an owner. Since Inheritance Tax is charged at 40 percent once the threshold of £325,000 is exceeded, the death of a property owner may often force a family to sell a much loved holiday home.

A recent case has however, brought good news for the owners of furnished holiday properties which they choose to let out. The outcome of this particular case granted Inheritance Tax business property relief for a property which was used for holiday lettings.

An investment or a business?

The case in question involved the estate of Mrs Nicolette Pawson who died in June 2006. She owned 25 percent of a holiday property at Thorpeness on the Suffolk coast. It was a large bungalow with direct access to the beach. Other members of the family owned the rest of the property. The property could sleep 11 and was rented out on weekly holiday lets. From time to time members of the family stayed at the property, paying rent.

If Mrs Pawson’s executors could show that renting out the property amounted to a business which Mrs Pawson had been carrying on for at least two years, the bungalow would qualify for complete relief from Inheritance Tax. Relief has always been available for businesses and business assets. The issue here was to convince the tribunal that in letting out the bungalow Mrs Pawson had been carrying on a business. They also needed to get over another hurdle; if the Revenue could successfully argue that any such business consisted “wholly or mainly of the holding of investments,” relief would not be WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

allowed. It is this second test that has usually provided an obstacle to such relief being allowed.

Relief granted A little surprisingly the executors were successful. They did persuade the tribunal that letting the property did comprise a business.

Relevant to the outcome was first, the fact that Mrs Pawson and her fellow owners were trying to make a profit from running the business; a business must be carried on with a view to making money from it. The fact that they made a loss in one year was not significant so long as the intention was to make a profit. It was clear to the tribunal that Mrs Pawson and her family were actively running a business. It described the operation of the property as a holiday cottage as ‘a serious undertaking earnestly pursued’.

The tribunal was also persuaded that Mrs Pawson and the other owners were doing more than merely holding an investment. Here the tribunal paid regard to the level of services provided in running the property as a holiday home. The property was furnished, the kitchen was fully equipped, hot water and heating were provided as was a television and telephone. A cleaner came in after each set of tenants and clean bedclothes were included. In addition, the garden was maintained. If the Revenue could convince the tribunal that these activities were merely incidental to the holding of the property as an investment, relief would not be granted.

Fortunately for Mrs Pawson’s family the tribunal decided that such activities were not incidental and relief was granted.

Potentially the outcome of this case could result in thousands of holiday cottages throughout the United Kingdom escaping Inheritance Tax. The scenario described above will be familiar to many owners of holiday properties who may feel that their own situation mirrors Mrs Pawson’s. They may wish to take advice to ensure that they are doing what they

can to maximise their chances of securing the same tax relief. In this regard, the case does highlight the need for the letting of a furnished holiday property to be run as a business with clear records being maintained. It is understood that the case may be appealed by the Revenue but it would nevertheless be prudent for owners of furnished holiday lettings to review the way in which their properties are let now. They will then be in the best possible position to take advantage of Inheritance Tax relief if the executors are once again successful.

For further information about Inheritance Tax advice and opportunities in relation to holiday homes, please contact David Whitworth on 01225 485700 or via email at dlw@mowbraywoodwards.co.uk

David Whitworth, Head of Wills, Trusts and Probate at Mowbray Woodwards Solicitors

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

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THE £20 MILLION VISION Bath’s main city hospital, the Royal United Hospital, has launched an appeal to help raise funds to build a superb new cancer centre to give patients, their families and the staff a better healing environment

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here can scarcely be a household that hasn’t been touched by the shadow of someone being diagnosed with cancer – in the last 12 months some 2,200 people were diagnosed at Bath’s Royal United Hospital. On top of their unwelcome news, those patients are also being treated in drab buildings that date from the 1940s, sitting in rows in a waiting room under low ceilings, looking out on to brick walls.

Contrast the part of the RUH where cancer patients are looked after with the superb new facilities for premature and sick babies in the new Dyson Centre for Neonatal Care – filled with natural light, blonde wood and every piece of modern equipment – and it’s no wonder that the powers-that-be have determined that the people of Bath and surrounding area deserve better.

Which is why a £5m campaign has been launched at the RUH to help the Government fund a £20m facility that will treat its patients with the latest state-of-the-art cancer screening and fighting medical equipment, but will also make its visitors, their families and the staff working here feel better. No longer will patients have to negotiate their way around the 53-acre site through a labyrinth of corridors and rooms.

The emphasis will be on creating a holistic healing environment, made up of four factors: a therapeutic building which reduces stress, allows for privacy and is on a human scale; clinical excellence, offering the best staff and the best treatment; a survivorship model of care, which means empowering patients and making sure they have the best quality of life; and finally, ensuring that trials and research continue in the bid to eliminate cancers in the population.

At a very basic level the new all-in-one centre will help patients feel less intimidated and more confident about their future. There will be space for them to undergo treatment, to sit quietly in pleasant surroundings and to feel that the National Health Service cares about them and has invested in them. Whatever their prognosis, this will be a nurturing and positive environment.

And, as development officer Sue Tucker – one of the key fundraisers at the Royal United Hospital – says: “We know how important it is for patients to feel valued, and for staff to have a 64 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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pleasant working space too.”

Sue knows at first hand how much a caring and sensitive approach means to a patient, as she has been successfully treated for breast cancer and undergone a double mastectomy. With her characteristic energy and determination, she went back to work and is now one of the team working to raise the money needed for the new centre.

“It’s nobody’s fault, but when you look at the rather bleak walls of the existing unit with their old metal window frames and the rather depressing views from some of the beds, you think that it’s really time we gave patients somewhere more pleasant. In the vision for the new building there’ll be a ward on the first floor with views across trees and greenery. That has got to be better for people’s state of mind hasn’t it?”

HOLISTIC APPROACH: an artist’s impression of the new cancer centre to be built at the Royal United Hospital in Bath

At a very basic level the new all-in-one ❝ centre will help patients feel less intimidated and more confident about their future ❞ Patients will be able to stay in single rooms and the car park will be extended so they can walk straight from their cars into the unit. Soothing gardens and artwork will add to the ambience and there will be an emphasis on natural light. In addition to adult patients there will be provision for teenagers and young adults to be cared for.

As always, behind the fundraising campaign is the Forever Friends Appeal, which for many years has been known to the citizens of Bath and all those in the RUH catchment area.

The fundraising team has already been active in starting to raise the £5m needed to add to the Government kitty to make that dream of a new all-purpose cancer centre happen. Just a few weeks ago Forever Friends Appeal chairman John Cullum was able to announce that a £1m donation had been made by the Medlock Family Trust.

The Bath-based Medlock family has supported the Forever

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TIME FOR CHANGE: left to right, the existing waiting room with its low ceilings and small windows, fundraiser Sue Tucker, and the old post-war buildings which will be replaced by a new centre

Friends Appeal in the past, since it was established in 1999.

David Medlock said: “Jacky and I and members of our family know the RUH well and agree with the hospital that the 1940s accommodation, some 70 years old, is something of a disgrace when trying to provide state-of-the-art cancer services. As clients of the RUH we are delighted that the hospital management team have the vision and the wisdom to be developing this pioneering building fit for treating cancer patients in the 21st century.”

Tim Hobbs is the head of the Forever Friends team. He said: “This donation, spread over the next five years, is such an important start for the team here and gives us real momentum behind the campaign. Five million is a large figure to raise and we will reach it by attracting donations and support from all sources and of all sizes.”

He added that some patients who are currently having to travel to other centres for treatment will be able to be looked after in

Bath, although more complicated or rare cancer cases may be better served by being referred to a teaching hospital, such as the Bristol Royal Infirmary. The centre will eventually replace the old buildings in what is currently RUH North. At the moment is it hoped that enough money will be raised to enable it to be up and running by 2016/17.

The new centre, like the new baby unit, will allow individuals and corporate sponsors to see their names publicly displayed.

There is a big board in the corridor bearing the names of the many who gave to the Dyson neonatal unit and inside the unit each room bears a name, either as a tribute to an individual or as a thank you to the company which enabled the unit to be finished.

If you would like to learn more about the Cancer Care Campaign, or to make a donation, call Sue Tucker, tel: 01225 825900 or email: sue.tucker@nhs.net ■

Incorporate your business and save tax!

If you are starting a new business – or own a small business - you should consider incorporating the business (setting up a limited company) to take advantage of the favourable tax situation.

Owners of limited companies can pay themselves dividends from the profits of the company and so save paying national insurance at ever increasing levels.

The structure of a limited company also provides the opportunity to include other people (particularly family members) as shareholders, allowing them to benefit from dividend payments in addition to perhaps receiving a small salary (and utilising personal allowances that might otherwise be wasted).

Corporation tax starts at 20% and is very attractive for higher rate tax payers; amongst other benefits the ‘limited’ structure allows them to ring fence the profits from their higher rates and choose when to distribute them - or to have them available for reinvestment in the business without having suffered tax at higher rates and national insurance contributions.

Given that the latest increases in national insurance contributions have taken them to 12% for employees and 13.8% for the employer, the savings can be considerable.

The cost of incorporation is around £100 and takes less than 24 hours; the savings are available to any business making profits where drawings, by whatever form, are subject to national insurance contributions; the benefits can therefore be seen even with low profit and turnover figures.

See our website for more on this approach - AND DOWNLOAD OUR FREE GUIDE

Call Mike Wilcox or Marie Maggs on 01225 445507 to come in for a discussion – no obligation – we’re pleased to help.

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WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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BATHpeople

News in brief ■ Moss of Bath has picked a winner in its search for the oldest TV in Bath after finding a set made in 1972 and still fully operational. The seven-inch Sony Solid State TV (720UK) was bought by Phil Bishop from Moss of Bath’s original shop in Combe Down in the early 70s. Phil still has the original box, manufacturer’s warranty, and a hand-written final inspection docket.

He has won a £400 gift voucher to spend at Moss of Bath, which is celebrating 50 years selling televisions to the people of Bath.

■ Passers-by can watch a craftswoman at work close-up in Milsom Place, where designer and weaver Katherine Fraser has set up her loom. Katherine, who sells her one-off scarves in stores in New York, also makes throws and cushion covers. Each piece is unique, made using wool and silk yarns sourced from mills in the UK. Her showroom-cum-workshop also features work for sale, so you can look at the finished items while you watch her work.

▲ ■ A rather unpromising spot in Walcot Street – where a public lavatory once stood – is being transformed weekly, on a Friday into Bath’s newest tea garden. Each week, come rain or shine, organisers of The Tea Garden are setting up tables and chairs to serve customers tea and cake, and to admire the rural views from here across to the trees on the other side of the valley.

The founders of The Tea Garden are Mark and Linda Johnson, who run stalls at Walcot Street market.

■ A concert in Bath Abbey in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee raised £6,000 for local charities.

Hundreds attended the concert produced by Grenville Jones to raise money for six charities. Genesis Trust, Clean Slate, Project 28, Bath MIND, Focus Counselling and Off the Record: Young Carers Service each received £1,000 from a combination of ticket sales and a collection among the audience.

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Gallery offers virtual hanging before you buy Bath-based art dealer Jessica Lloyd-Smith, who will be known to many art lovers locally, has launched a new online gallery, Modernartbuyer.com. Using the internet, Modern ArtBuyer has been able to extend its platform from the traditional art gallery to an internet site.

Artists’ work from Bristol and Bath will be joined by contemporary pieces from all over the UK. A clever Changing Room app allows visitors to the site to virtually hang their favourite pieces to see what they’d look like in their own homes.

Jessica said: “We want to give busy collectors the chance to view and buy art in a simple, friendly environment. We’ve taken away the often intimidating element of entering a gallery and evaluating the quality of an artwork. Remember: bare walls need love.”

Sporting heroes guests at 100th birthday A century ago customers at family business John Moore Sports in Bath would be browsing the shelves for butterfly jars, ferret muzzles and shotguns, rather than the heart monitors and graphite tennis racquets of today.

John Moore Sports is this month celebrating 100 years in business. Founded in 1912, the family-run retail outlet is now in its fourth generation and will be marking its centenary by inviting visitors to come and join them on 7/ 8 July for a weekend of celebrations.

The birthday bash will include guest appearances from Olympic gold medallist Jason Gardener with his Olympic torch as well as Bath Rugby’s own Olly Barkley,

pictured. The stars will be happy to have their pictures taken or sign autographs.

The shop will also be offering a raffle with prizes including international cricket tickets, Bath Rugby tickets, gift vouchers and more. There will

be at least 25 per cent off all full-priced products in store.

Once owned by England cricketer Len Braun and named The Sports Depot, John Moore Sports was acquired in 1912 by the current managing director, Rob Moore’s greatgrandfather, John Moore, and renamed accordingly.

Rob Moore says: “We are extremely proud to have reached this amazing milestone. Especially in this day and age, when the retail sector is fighting hard to survive, we count ourselves lucky to be celebrating this momentous occasion.”

Olly Barkley will be in store at 10.3am on 7 July and Jason Gardener will be there at 3.30pm on 7 July.

Bell swings into action on property scene For 17 years Duncan Bell knocked in scrums for a living as a professional rugby player. He played nine years at Bath Rugby and achieved five England caps.

In 2008 he qualified as a mortgage advisor and created Bell Financial Services Ltd. Duncan has now swapped his his training kit for a suit and teamed up with Fidelis Estate Agency in Bear Flat, Bath, as its mortgage advisor. He is a completely independent advisor and covers the whole of the market.

He says: “I have wonderful memories of my career in rugby but now is an exciting time

having recently created my new business. I was proactive during my career and am now an experienced mortgage advisor.

“I want to create the personal touch with financial advice.

Whenever someone has dealt with my own finances I always wanted to know who I was working with. I feel it’s important that if they’re investing my money I want to know who is using it. That’s why I make sure, whenever possible, that I meet clients face to face.”

Duncan makes it abundantly clear that he hasn’t lost his competitive streak and is determined to do the best job he possibly can for his clients.

Contact him at: www.bellfinancialservices.co.uk or www.fidelisproperties.co.uk.

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BUBBLE CELEBRATES FOUR YEARS OF THE WINTER PALACE

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ecember 2012 marks four years of Bubble’s Winter Palace in Bath. Over the last three years Bath has seen the Winter Palace grow from its modest yet challenging 300 seat ambitions, to become one of the largest Christmas party venues in the country, attracting up to 800 guests a night.

“To achieve such growth in such a short space of time in the pit of a recession is incredible,

and to be able to operate one of the biggest Christmas events in the country in the city of Bath is remarkable,” says Richard Norris (MD of Bubble), “the fantastic support we have had from the wonderful people of Bath and Bristol is what has made this success possible”. I hope we can thank and repay all our loyal guests by continuing to put on our fantastic Christmas parties for them.”

Tickets for Atlantis at the Winter Palace are selling fast, so if you don’t want to miss out on the ultimate Christmas party experience you should enquire as soon as possible.

Tel: 0845 3670020 for more information or take a look at their website www.bubblechristmasparties.co.uk to see for yourself what they have to offer.

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

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ADVERTISING SALES Good Basic + Great Commission = ÂŁ Excellent

The Bristol Magazine, The Bath Magazine and West Country We currently produce two of the finest City magazines in the UK, and our new upmarket county title West Country has had the most enthusiastic launch.

Consequently we now have a superb opportunity for an advertising sales person to join our team. The ideal candidate will possess at least 6 months sales experience, preferably from a quality magazine publisher or similar sales environment.

Well educated, well spoken, you will be highly personable, enjoy selling and possess the ambition and confidence needed to maintain existing clients and generate new business. As well as strong sales ability you will also need excellent office, administration, computer and organisational skills, and above all great customer service.

Our magazines are reagrded as the best in the marketplace, and as well as offering a long term career opportunity, success is always well rewarded.

Please send your CV and covering letter to: Steve Miklos, The Bristol Magazine, MC Publishing Limited 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED email: director@thebristolmagazine.co.uk www. thebristolmagazine.co.uk

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A DVERTOR IA L FEAT U R E

“Why Mediate my Divorce & Family issues?”

By Richard Sharp, Sharp Family Law: Bath & Bristol Specialist Divorce Solicitors & Mediators - Dedicated to producing resolution not prolonged conflict

A

t the point of separation or divorce, good decisions are called for at a difficult time. They might relate to business or financial arrangements such as who, if anyone, will remain in the home, what bills will be met by whom, or how will savings and pensions be divided or parenting issues, such as where will children live or how often they will see each parent.

With a growing number of couples asking how best to discuss these and other issues and a choice of how to go about doing so, why and how might Mediation help you and your family.

Solutions can be ❝ created that specifically meet the unique needs of your family

❞

Family mediation is a voluntary process that offers the opportunity for parents, or (former) couples, to discuss face to face in confidence any or all of these issues and make informed decisions together with the help of an impartial mediator.

The decision to take this offer and meet with a family mediator has been made by some of our clients at Sharp Family Law and explained by them in the following ways: 1. “I do not at this stage know if, or how, we could or should take into account our future prospects, but I think it needs to be openly discussed.”

The mediation process is designed to promote open and productive communication in a safe and secure environment, so that those who participate have the opportunity to express all their needs, concerns and interests.

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

2. “I want to achieve a joint agreement that would form the basis of a settlement when we do divorce. The most important thing is that this should be achieved amicably.”

Solutions can be created that specifically meet the unique needs of your family.

Decision making rests with the participants, not the mediator; that is, you are treated as the experts in dealing with your children, your finances and your future 3. “I hope we can come to a fair financial settlement that both my wife and I are comfortable with, in order to build a new relationship of respect and trust between each other.”

Family mediation is not suitable for every couple or for every issue. Where you are not comfortable negotiating for yourself, or you need a “legal ally,” someone who will support and advise you without being adversarial with your spouse, or the issues or financial picture are complex, Collaborative Practice may be a more appropriate process At Sharp Family Law, our specialist family solicitors, mediators and collaborative professionals will help you choose the method that is most appropriate for you and your family based on the nature of the emotional, financial and legal issues that are before you.

For more information on separation and divorce options contact Richard Sharp.

By resolving your family issues through a non-adversarial process you can be reminded of, re-employ and learn skills that can help you peacefully manage changes or difficulties in the future.

4. “I wish to achieve a settlement which we both fully understand, accept is the best we can achieve, both genuinely believe is fair and that we can stay friends afterwards.”

Mediation can provide a safe place to resolve differences at your own pace, and prove to be significantly less expensive and a more satisfying process than litigating your issues.

5. “I want the children to feel they have two homes and to feel secure, loved and happy.

I want them to feel that their parents are working together to meet their needs both now and in the future.”

Divorcing families frequently have ongoing interactions after the divorce. Mediation allows you to consider how you will interact in the future should there be an ongoing relationship.

sharp F A M I LY L A W Sharp Family Law: Helping clients to reach solutions 3, Miles’s Buildings, George Street, BATH, BA1 2QS, UK email: richard@sharpfamilylaw.com: m: 07798 606740 t: 01225 448955 website: www.sharpfamilylaw.com blog: www.familylawcollaborativedivorce.co.uk JULY 2012

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FIT&FABULOUS

Beauty with heart The Body Shop in Cabot Circus, Bristol, is the latest store in the UK to have had a makeover and been transformed into a boutique-style shop championing the ethical retailer’s philosophy, Beauty With Heart, where products and values come together under one roof.

The store incorporates cutting edge design and natural imagery to create a warm, welcoming space for people to shop and the concept – Beauty With Heart – places emphasis on a beauty experience that is more than skin-deep and will spring to life through the new look shop, as well as through the active support of British model and actress, Lily Cole, who is the face behind the campaign. Lily is heavily involved with a number of charitable organisations and her dedication to ethical causes led her to recently become a member of The Observer Ethical Awards Committee, an initiative which celebrates the projects, ideas, campaigns and activists that make long term, sustainable change a reality. In her collaboration with The Body Shop, Lily has launched a limited edition makeup range, featuring cruelty-free products celebrating the company’s ethos against animal testing. The collection includes expressive coloured eyeliners, dazzling shimmer cubes and super soft giant puffs for perfect application, all with funky and fun designs.

Designed to be a heartbeat in the community, the new boutique has a people-focused approach with a community wall to promote and celebrate local volunteering projects and charities. Rosie Collins, manager of the Cabot Circus store says: “At The Body Shop we believe that true beauty comes from the heart. It’s much more than looking good and feeling good, but it’s about doing good too. We hope that customers, loyal and new, will enjoy the enhanced browsing and shopping experience and new products, as well as find their inner activist to make a difference in our local community and the world we live in.”

What colours should you be wearing today?

Lush – most known for its gorgeous and unmistakable-smelling bath and body products – has launched a new concept that matches your emotional needs to what colour makeup you should be wearing.

Spin the Emotional Brilliance Colour Wheel and choose three colours that stand out to you; these colours are linked to certain words that reveal a little bit about your current state of mind – confident, take control, glamorous etc. Each word and colour is linked to a product in the make up range consisting of lip colours, eyeliners and eyeshadows. Wear the colour that corresponds to the word and it will be significant to you and your needs at the time you wear it. There are 30 products in the range and all are vegan. You will get a handy hints and tips guide on how to wear the colours so you can create a look that you’re happy with. You can wear the colours to give a vibrant effect or blend them softly; the power of the word will still be there. Emotional Brilliance will be launched in all Lush stores on 21 July.

4

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

1

3 2

▲ HOLIDAY ESSENTIALS: ❶ Use Sisley Age-Minimising Facial After-Sun Care (£132 from Jolly’s) after being in the sun to help the skin replenish itself as well as restore youthfulness ❷ Creme de la Mer SPF 18 Fluid Tint (£55 from Harvey Nichols, Bristol) gives skin a light coverage that appears natural and glowing as well as providing UVA/UVB protection ❸ A shimmering bronzer gives you a much-needed colour boost in the first few days of your holiday –try South Seas Island Glow Body Bronzer, £20 from Harvey Nichols, Bristol ❹ For a refreshing start ot the day, try Blend Collective’s Enlivening Bodywash (£14.95 from Sassy & Boo, Bath) – the zesty lemon and lime will leave you feeling wonderfully invigorated

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COMPETITION

WIN A FAMILY DAY OUT chool is out for the summer, and with six weeks ahead, the thought of finding fun activities for the whole family can be daunting. But fear not – we have teamed up with Cabot Circus Bristol to offer you and your family the ultimate day out.

One lucky reader will win the following: • A family lunch at Giraffe restaurant • A £250 Cabot Circus gift card, valid at all stores, bars and restaurants in Cabot Circus and Quakers Friars During the summer, the Quakers Friars piazza is transformed into an outdoor green area complete with deckchairs and giant size games. There will also be a big screen where you can sit back and enjoy the summer of sport.

You can then enjoy a delicious meal at Giraffe, a laid-back restaurant with a global twist offering freshly-cooked food for breakfast, lunch and dinner – all to the sounds of spirited world music. Giraffe has a great kid’s menu, balloons and the kids’ favourite – brightly coloured giraffeshaped smoothie stirrers.

And what better way to finish your day than at the shops? The

Cabot Circus gift card is redeemable at all 120 stores, bars and restaurants, including The Entertainer, Disney store, House of Fraser and Harvey Nichols – with £250 to spend you will all be spoilt for choice.

So let Cabot Circus and The Bath Magazine treat you to a day of summer fun with the family.

To enter, just answer the following question:

S

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Where will you find the big screen during the summer?

Send your answer with your full name, address and telephone number, marked Cabot Circus Family Day Out Competition to: competitions@thebathmagazine.co.uk or alternatively, send your answer on a postcard to The Bath Magazine, 2 Princes Buildings, George Street, Bath BA1 2ED. Closing date: Friday 27 July.

T&Cs • Lunch at Giraffe redeemable to the value of £50

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PAUL ISAACS COLUMN JULY:PIF Full Page

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TIPS FROM A TRAINER Our resident fitness and nutrition expert, Paul Isaacs, looks at the problems of a sedentary lifestyle facing an entire generation growing up at the forefront of the technology revolution

W

asn’t it great to hear about Barack Obama and David Cameron putting the world to rights during a morning workout at the recent G8 Summit at Camp David? Nothing like a spot of treadmill diplomacy to tackle the world’s problems, but it got me thinking about the state of the next generation of world leaders … and indeed, the generation after that.

At the ages of 45 and 50 respectively, Cameron and Obama grew up as children of the 70s and as adolescents of the 80s. Back in those days, there were no Playstations, no X-Boxes, and no internet access so certainly no Facebook, no YouTube and thankfully no Twitter. In fact, Channel 4 wasn’t even launched until the British PM was 16. Being of a similar age, I remember as a teenager spending countless hours outside in the garden each evening, hitting tennis balls and footballs with my friends, and more than occasionally into next door’s greenhouse.

Why am I mentioning all of this? Well, in those days of growing up, exercise was an accidental habit. These days I look around at many teenagers, and I worry. It seems that kids these days are being brought up on a diet of 24/7 internet access, social media and games consoles. I have a friend who runs some local football leagues, and he tells me that it’s the younger generation of players who often fail to show for matches, and who end up out of breath midway through a half-hour game. Many of them just aren’t accustomed to exercise.

Chances are that the majority of today’s teenagers will soon end up sitting at a work desk for eight hours a day, five days a week, before going home to partake in the cultural norm for their generation – more sitting down and more computer screens.

BUPA estimates that children need to do between one and two hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day, while psychologist Dr Aric Sigman reckons that young British adolescents spend 6.1 hours a day in front of a TV or computer screen and that, alarmingly, by the age of seven, a child born today will have spent one full year of 24-hour days watching screen media.

In the past three years I have witnessed a huge increase in the number of parents asking me to improve the fitness and nutritional habits of their teenage children. I suggest trying to build exercise into everyday life, such as walking or cycling to school or college, and taking part in activities as a family. Also, I encourage parents to help their child choose more structured activities that require routine attendance, such as swimming or football.

This is a massive problem looming over the UK, and it requires active involvement at all levels of society, from government initiatives to the commitment of families themselves. If a client is committed to getting fit, I can improve things for them immeasurably, but when faced with stiff competition from multi-channel TV, the internet and the latest computer game release, we in the fitness industry really need all the support we can get. ■ For further information, contact Paul Isaacs on tel: 07712 454074 or visit: www.paulisaacspt.com

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The Rakus touch

Known as the “London Lip Queen”, Dr Rita Rakus has made her name as a leading cosmetic doctor through her sensitive approach to aesthetics and her patients

Treat yourself

When it comes to non-surgical cosmetic treatments, there’s one name literally on the A-list’s lips. As one of the most in-demand cosmetic doctors in London, Dr Rita Rakus has had many famous faces in her skilled hands and has been fulfilling her motto ‘to make someone happy every day’ for many years.

Over the past 15 years, her sensitive contouring and subtle volumising has made her facial and body rejuvenation treatments legendary. And her philosophy that aesthetic medicine needs to consider the emotions as well as physical needs of her clients has brought a new holistic approach.

Add in her commitment to safety and professional practice – she co-founded the British Association of Cosmetic Doctors – and you can understand why she is often asked to lecture and set standards in her field.

SIGNATURE TREATMENTS INCLUDE THERMAGE, FRAXEL, LIPOSONIX, FILLERS, PELLEVE and MUSCLE RELAXANTS.

Dr Rakus or one of her associate doctors visits the Orangery Laser and Beauty Clinic, 2 Kingsmead Road, Bath BA1 2AA. Tel: 01225 466851 to perform Restylane, Juvederm and Muscle Relaxing Treatments. Please visit her website on www.drritarakus.com for information or telephone the Orangery to make an appointment for your free consultation with her.

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OUT&ABOUT

LAST TRAIN TO PILNING Reduce your carbon footprint by using public transport to enjoy the countryside. Andrew Swift lets the train take the strain as he steps out for a good hike from Severn Beach

F

or July’s walk we start at Severn Beach station, from where we head inland, through fields and woods, before threading our way through the business park at Aztec West. From there, we follow a ribbon of greenery, across old commons and alongside brooks, through Patchway and Bradley Stoke, before ending at Parkway station. En route, there is some remarkably unspoilt countryside, echoes of the past and a visit to a ghost station.

Arriving at Severn Beach, turn right out of the station. At the mini roundabout, turn left into Gorse Cover Road, then right into Church Road. After 300m, follow the road round to the left.

After another 100m follow Church Road as it swings right.

Cross the footbridge over the motorway. Carry on and turn left at the main road. When you reach the end of the pavement, cross over, turn left and bear right along a lane past Pilning Forge.

At the end of the lane, turn right along Redwick Road. Carry on past the Cross Hands, cross over and go up a footpath to the left of St Peter’s Church (ST557850). The allotments near the end of the path stand on the line of an abandoned railway. Go through a kissing gate and turn right along a road. After 1100m, turn right at a T junction. After 125m, you will see a footpath on the left leading to Rednend Farm. Before heading along it, cross the road and go up the approach to Pilning station, one of a handful of ‘ghost’ stations served by only one train a week in each direction.

Head back and walk up the drive to Rednend Farm. After 175m cross a stiled footbridge on the left and turn right alongside a rhyne (or ditch) through a field with horses. After 225m, cross a stiled bridge back over the rhyne. Carry on across another stile and turn right along a farm track. After 125m follow the track as it swings left (ST572843). Carry on for 300m and turn right along a lane. Go under the railway and turn left along a bridleway (ST573839). The tranquillity of this tree-lined green lane, with views across open country, is only disturbed by occasional trains rushing past on the main line.

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take the footpath under the railway but carry on with the line on your left. When you reach a lane, turn left. After 50m, just before some cottages, go through a white gate on the right (ST583833) and bear left beside the hedgerow alongside the railway. At the end of the field, cross a metal stile and carry straight on past two houses.

When the track bears right, turn left across a footbridge over the railway (ST587831). Here there is a good view of Patchway tunnel on your right. Head straight on to the right of the brickworks and turn right, following a footpath sign up a road with large quarries on the left.

After 250m, when the road swings right, turn left up a footpath (ST591830) and carry on past three rows of houses. At the road (which may be busy), turn left for 50m, cross and go through a kissing gate.

Head up the field, with the hedge on your right. Follow the hedge as it bears left and then right up to a kissing gate (ST596828). As the footpath indicated on the OS map is blocked by a tree, bear right through Pegwell Wood for 400m along a well-worn track. When you meet a path heading up through the woods, turn left along it and cross a footbridge over the motorway.

Cross a stile on the far side of the bridge and turn left alongside the motorway. After 175m follow the path as it bears right. After 650m, when you come to a service road, turn left along it. After passing a lake with two fountains, bear left along a road. At the T junction turn right along a broad boulevard.

After 200m turn right along a footpath to Patchway Common and Bradley Stoke (ST604826), and carry straight on along a side road. Just before a dual carriageway, follow a footpath sign to the right and go through a subway. Climb the steps on the far side, turn right (crossing the subway) past North Patchway Hall and turn right along The Common (ST608824).

Interpretation boards tell the story of this historic area, where old cottages stand alongside modern houses. When you reach a main road, cross and carry on along The Common East.

GETAWAY TRAIN: you don’t need a car to get out and explore the countryside near Bristol Opposite page ROOM TO BREATHE: a brook in Bradley Stoke

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OUT&ABOUT After passing a small pond on your right, follow the road as it swings left and carry on across a footbridge over a road (ST615825). On the far side, you will see Patchway Brook down to your right. Head down to it and follow the path along its left bank. When you come to a metal footbridge over the brook, cross it and carry on along the right bank through Savage’s Wood.

Carry on through a gate and, when you reach a wooden bridge, turn right, keeping to the path. When you reach a large pond with two stone bridges, bear right alongside the brook (ST626814). Go under a road bridge and, 100m further on, turn left across a wooden footbridge and then right into the woods.

Follow the path straight on out of the woods, keeping close to the brook. When you come to a road, cross and carry on along a footpath. At Stean Bridge Road, cross and carry on along the footpath beside the road. At the Winterbourne Road, cross the dual carriageway at the lights, turn left for 100m and then right over a ditch and through woodland to emerge in Meade Park.

Head to the left of a climbing frame on a mound and carry on across the park. When you reach the main road on the far side, turn left along it.

Cross and carry on when you come to a roundabout, past the Parkway pub and across North Road, before turning left to Parkway station. Level of challenge: generally straightforward, but with several stiles. ■

FURTHER INFORMATION ■ ■ ■

Length of walk: ten miles Approx time: five hours Map: OS Explorer 167 & 155

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CITYinteriors

QUIET DRAMA ON THE SQUARE After months of work, one of Bath’s longest established hotels has re-opened after a £6m restoration.

Georgette McCready went through the famous revolving doors of the Francis Hotel for a closer look WELCOMING: main picture, the foyer of the new-look Francis retains the old revolving doors and grandfather clock but has a new monochrome tiled floor and furnishings

I

f proof were needed that Bathonians are curious about what’s happened inside the Francis Hotel during its £6m makeover, as I was chatting to long-standing hotel manager Karen Bassett in the foyer a woman burst through the revolving door and announced: “I’ve just come in for a nose around.” And who can blame her?

The Francis is one of Bath’s great institutions. The Beatles famously swung through that old revolving door when they played the Pavilion in the swinging 60s and generations of Bathonians have celebrated birthdays, weddings and graduations over the years within its historic walls. It’s been bombed (in the Second World War, when the buildings on the end of the square were hit), it’s been host to any number of famous and illustrious guests and in its almost 300-year history has been both private dwelling space and public hotel.

The hotel was bought by the Accor group which runs the MGallery Collection of hotels in 18 countries. It was singled out for a transformation, and closed in January to allow the work to take place from basement to attic, finally re-opening at the end of May. Major improvements have taken place to the whole building, from the wiring and heating to the hotel’s range of new smart black and white bathrooms, each with a massive image of the Roman Baths on one wall. There’s even effective air conditioning, which will make the place more appealing to American guests.

But, rest assured, the old Francis is still there and very much loved. From the imposing staircase which twists up from the main reception area, to the walls adorned with photographs from the city’s history, this is a Bathonian building at heart.

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Left, the familiar glass canopy remains proudly in place

of architects Houseman Henderson and she has been respectful of the hotel’s Regency past, while wanting to make the place feel like a contemporary, up-to-date hotel.

So, traditional style chairs but in modern bright fabrics adorn the drawing room and bar areas. The old curtains in the drawing room have been replaced by neat blinds, bringing light and a view across Queen Square into the interior. The hotel’s old oil portraits have been cleaned and restored and re-hung, while there is also wallspace for some 21st century art inspired by Bath.

There is some very bold, statement wallpaper throughout the building. Particularly striking is the Regency yellow wallpaper up the main stairwell, dotted with silhouettes of Georgian characters picked out in black flock. There are still traditional chandeliers, but the originals have been joined by some sparkling new ones.

A separate entrance has been created on Barton Street to allow

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Francis factfile

❖ Renowned Bath architect John Wood the Elder built nine townhouses along the south side of Queen Square between 1728 and 1735 – in 1734 he was living at No 9, with views over the square. ❖ The Francis takes its name from Emily Francis, who bought four houses (Nos 8, 9, 10 and 11) and opened a boarding house.

A NOD TO THE PAST: above, the Regency rooms and the staircase have been given high impact wallpaper – fresh flowers on the landing are by Bath florist The Wild Bunch

customers access to the new Raymond Blanc restaurant, Brasserie Blanc, which takes the place of the old hotel dining room. Hotel guests are now served breakfast in a newly created breakfast room.

Karen Bassett gave me a tour of some of the newly refurbished bedrooms.

While she explained that the bedding was of the highest Egyptian quality, she also admitted testing the comfort of the mattresses – having stayed at the hotel as the restoration work neared completion.

There are nice little touches, such as the dozen contemporary pieces of art done by artist Duncan McKeller. Each one appears to be a charming Georgian scene, but the sharp-eyed will enjoy spotting the anachronism in each picture,

such as the mountain bike in the background or the Regency character sporting a watch. And in the feature bedrooms, with four poster beds, a painting has been placed in the middle of the ceiling, to give guests something to gaze on as they lie in bed.

They’ve also included state-of-the-art Nespresso coffee makers and iPod docking stations.

But, for most locals passing through Queen Square about their daily business, the old girl looks pretty much the same from the outside as she ever did. And the tourists who come and stay at the newlook Francis should come away with a more favourable view of our city than previously – and that’s got to be a good thing. ■

❖ The glass canopy over the front door was brought from another of Mrs Francis’s properties, the Regina Hotel near the Assembly Rooms. ❖ In the refurbishment the separate houses are delineated by different colours running through each, so guests know when they’ve moved from one ‘house’ to the next. ❖ The Francis was hit twice during the German bombing raids of the Second World War. The second time builders had to dig down 30 feet under the hotel to remove the bomb – and it is said that the cap of that missile still remains under the building. ❖ The hotel had 95 rooms, now it has 98. Three more were created on the ground floor.

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ROSES: A THORNY ISSUE It’s high summer and everything’s coming up roses for Jane Moore as she enjoys this most quintessentially English of flowers

I

t’s a shocking truth but there are people who don’t like roses. I know for I have met a few of them over the years, including rather annoyingly my very own partner who, though horticulturally bereft after 20 years of living in a fourth floor flat, knows what he doesn’t like.

Thorns, prickles, barbs – whatever you call ’em he doesn’t like ’em. Neither do I, and let’s face it who does? But roses are so much more than their thorns. For a rose lover the occasional injury is the price we pay for their sheer beauty. Like many things in life it’s a case of pain and perfection going hand in hand.

For a summer highlight a rose is hard to beat and, after much negotiation and downright wheedling, I planted a rambling rose to run up our holly tree, cleverly choosing a personal favourite which happens to share its name with him indoors. Cunning, hey? After three years the Paul’s Himalayan Musk has scrambled its way through the holly turning it into a cascade of sweetly scented, sugar pink blooms every summer without fail.

Paul loves his rose, although it still incurs bouts of swearing whenever he has to do anything to the shed roof, but I think he has come to that turning point many gardeners reach where the pain is the price we pay for the loveliness. I reached that point with roses a long, long time ago and bear the scars annually to prove it as I prune shrub roses and tease into shape the fan trained varieties that line the walled gardens of the Priory.

Thornless roses When it comes to spikiness some roses are worse than others and, as criteria go for choosing a rose, it’s not a bad place to start. Rosa banksiae Lutea is one of the most beautiful roses in the world – and it’s thornless. Hurrah! Add to that the diseasefree, semi evergreen foliage, a robust climbing habit and masses of buttony soft yellow flowers and this rose is a must-have. The only drawback to my mind is that it flowers in May which is just a bit early for my little garden although perfect for the Priory where I have room for plenty of later flowering roses as well.

Zepherine Drouhin also ticks the thornless box as well as being a nice manageable climber suitable for arches, fences, pillars and pergolas. It’s fragrant, pink, repeat flowering and dead reliable so what’s not to like? Only that the flowers themselves are nothing to write home about but who really cares about that when it’s happy on a north facing wall?

Best for scent What is the point of a rose without scent? That’s fine for a Tesco’s car park but even then I still think I’d rather get a waft of something lovely as I’m loading up my carrier bags (re-used, of course). Nearly all the roses I’ve mentioned have a good fragrance but my top two are both David Austin repeat flowering roses which are ideal for the smaller garden. Gertrude Jekyll would have delighted its namesake being a beautiful rich rose-pink and highly scented, just perfect for planting in those billowing borders. It’s compact and stocky to a neat 1m or 3ft tall and looks just as good in bud as it does in flower.

Graham Stuart Thomas, a man who really knew his roses, would have been equally pleased with his rose which has that classic tea rose scent. The cupped, highly fragrant flowers are an unusually rich, pure yellow – the sort of yellow that you can’t help but love – and the growth is sturdy and vigorous making it a robust shrub or a superb climber.

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Best for flower shape After scent, flower colour and shape are the next big things for me. I love those cabbagey, quartered blooms where the petals are so jam-packed it’s a wonder any scent can escape at all. The climber Gloire de Dijon scores on scent, flower shape and colour counts with its rich strong scent and buff flowers, delicately tinted with antique pink. It’s a real classic, known as the Old Glory Rose to gnarled old gardeners, but I so wish I had a red brick wall to grow it against which would show off its delicate colouring. Bath stone is just too similar in colour to do the rose justice so grow it on a darker background.

Constance Spry is a better choice for Bath stone walls with its rich rose pink bowl-like blooms. A real stunner with masses of huge, weighty flowers the climber or lax shrub is all or nothing.

Expect a dynamite show for a few short weeks in June and then it will all be over for another year. But so worth it if you have the space.

For the smaller garden, Scepter’d Isle is a sturdy shrub which won the National Rose Society award for scent. The petals are a delicate shell pink, beautifully cupping masses of yellow stamens and it’s repeat flowering through the summer so although it may lack the drama of Constance Spry it has all the elegance and restrained poise of her Majesty in her Jubilee year.

Go and smell the roses Here are some great rose gardens within striking distance which will fire your enthusiasm and give you the chance to sniff out a few favourites: ✿ Mottisfont Abbey Garden, Hampshire.

This world-famous garden, set in the grounds of a 12th-century priory, was begun in 1972 to preserve old-fashioned roses. Look out for the 19th-century French gallicas and albas, climbers and ramblers, and a small collection of deliciously fragrant modern New English roses. Many of the varieties are rarely seen anywhere else. Entrance is free to National Trust members.

HIGHLY SCENTED: Gertrude Jekyll, above, smells as good as it looks Below, Graham Stuart Thomas, named after the late horticulturalist, would surely have met his approval

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BORDERING ON PERFECT: Gertrude Jekyll (in the foreground) in a flowerbed inspired by the Edwardian gardener’s style of planting

Visit: www.nationaltrust.org.uk ✿ RHS Garden Rosemoor, Devon.

For modern roses, visit the Queen Mother’s garden; for more than 200 cultivars of shrub roses, visit the companion garden.

Entrance is free for RHS members.

Visit: www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoor) ✿ Abbey House Gardens, Malmesbury, Wiltshire

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Planted with some 2,000 roses which give a great display in the summer – as do the owners, the Naked Gardeners, if the temperatures are warm enough. Visit: www.abbeyhousegardens.co.uk. ■ Jane Moore is the award-winning head gardener at The Priory, Bath. Follow her on Twitter, @janethegardener or read her blog, www.janethegardener.wordpress.com

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shops in Walcot St & Shaftesbury Rd, Bath. For further information tel: 01225 354 656. Sorry no dogs. ✿ Half a dozen gardens will be open in Weston, Bath on Sunday 1 July, 1 – 5pm. Combined tickets are £5 (children go free) from any participating garden, which include Glenfield, Weston High Street and 9 Church Road, Weston. ✿ Iford Manor’s romantic Italianate gardens near Bradford-on-Avon are worth an afternoon of anyone’s time – even the nonplantsperson will be charmed by the views, the statues and especially by the cream teas. Open Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat and Sunday throughout the summer, 2 - 5pm (teas at weekends only) but not as part of the National Gardens Scheme. Please tell the ticket seller if you are a pensioner, so they don’t have to enquire.

Tickets are £5, and £4.50 for concessions. ✿ Special Plants in Greenways Lane, Cold Ashton, SN14 8LA, an architect designed hillside garden, is open 11am – 5pm on 19 July.

There’s a gravel garden, a woodland walk and a black and white themed garden.

OPEN GARDENS

✿ Camers at Old Sodbury, BS37 6RG, is open on Sunday 22 July from 2 – 5.30pm. Visitors can wander round four acres of garden and woodland surrounding an Elizabethan farmhouse. Features include parterre, topiary, white and hot colours themed gardens.

The following gardens are open in the Bath area in July. ✿ Discover six hidden gardens in Ashley, Box, on Sunday 15 July, 2–6pm and help raise funds for Julian House, which works with the homeless. On show will be cottage gardens, kitchen gardens, grand Georgian gardens and rose gardens and the chance to enjoy views over Box Valley. Tea and cake will be served and there will be plant stalls. Tickets, which are £4 for all six gardens (children go free) can be bought at the gate of any participating garden on the day or in advance at Box Post Office, or from Julian House’s charity

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✿ If you’re going further afield, Barum in Edward Road, Clevedon, BS21 7DT, is interesting as it has been planted with a temperate climate in mind, featuring tender and exotic plants from all over the world. The owners, Roger and Marian Peacock (Undergardener and Headgardener, as Marian describes them) have taken a derelict third of an acre plot, and with hard work and vision transformed it.

For more information on open gardens, see The Yellow Book, National Gardens Scheme, price £9.99, or visit: www.mgs.org.uk

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PETcorner

HOP, SKIP AND A JUMP

T

hose of us lucky enough to obtain tickets to the Olympics may get a chance to see the triple jump also widely known as the hop skip and jump, by the best athletes in the world.

Dogs, unknowingly in their own way, can also practice this Olympic event on a simple walk. As a child I had a terrier that used to run along then skip and hop on one of his back legs, extend it and do a little kick out, then resume his normal run. I used to think this was because he was a happy little chappie kicking up his heels in joy. Unbeknownst to me he had an abnormality in his knee and although he actually suffered from a mild form of the disease, it always intrigued me as to what caused him to do this skip years ago. As a vet I now understand that he had a condition known as a luxating patella.

The knee of a dog is composed of a free floating bone, the patella, attached to ligaments anchoring the bone above and below the joint. It sits snugly in a little groove as the knee bends. A luxating patella occurs when the bone slips outside this groove. It feels like a pop, a slight discomfort to the dog who then tries to place the patella bone back in place by doing a little manoeuvrable adjustment such as a kick. This exercise often works but the bone is liable to slip outside the groove repeatedly when shallow and unstable.

Patella luxations can occur in one or both knees and it is one of the most common orthopaedic complaints in toy breed dogs such as miniature poodles and terriers. The incidence in larger breeds is gradually rising as well. Toy breeds tend to have problems of slightly bowed back legs whereas large breeds tend to have knocked kneed defects, both conditions potentially can lead to a luxating patella.

Most cases are mild and you can get away with just monitoring them but a few will require surgical correction to help stabilize and tighten the knee joint. Your vet will be happy to examine the knee and discuss further tests or treatment that may be required as each case is treated on an individual basis.

So next time you think your little dog is trying out for the popular Olympic track event of the triple jump consider that his patella has just luxated and it may be time to see the vet. Conversely, you hope, he could just be expressing his joy of going for that long anticipated walk by kicking up his heels.

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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PIF Prich JUly:PIF Full Page

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PROPERTYin FOCUS

O

ne of the loveliest houses in Bathford, Briscoe House is believed to date back to 1870 and is understood to have been designed by the architect for the re-building of the parish church. Ecclesiastical features are noticeable throughout. There is even a bell turret which was used to summon the coachmen from the stables on the opposite side of the road. The most striking feature outside is the glassed canopy porch which has the original mosaic tiled floor still intact. Internally the Victorian features are also all still present including ceiling cornices, full length windows with working shutters, window seats, fireplaces and leaded stained glass windows. The accommodation is over two floors and briefly comprises: Ground floor: Entrance lobby, reception hall, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, study, cloakroom, kitchen and utility room. First floor: Six bedrooms, two of which have en suite bathrooms, in addition to a family bathroom and a shower room. On the lower ground floor there is a cellar which is currently used as a workshop and store. To the front of the house is a formal garden of box hedging, with yew trees, magnolia and wisteria which all perfectly complement the Victorian exterior while the rear garden has been spectacularly landscaped in an Italianate style. There is a parking area for at least three vehicles. Briscoe House is a truly beautiful home in a quiet situation within easy reach of Bath and major transport links and is sure to appeal to serious prospective buyers. Contact agents Pritchards for full particulars and an appointment to view.

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

WWW.THEBATHMAGAZINE.CO.UK

CHURCH ROAD BATHFORD, • Great village location • House of character and historic note • Glazed porch and impressive reception hall • Six bedrooms, two en suite • Large kitchen • Reception room, dining room, living room and study • Family bathroom, separate shower room • Cellar • Extensive gardens • Parking for several vehicles • Bell Turret! (See Editor’s letter, page 9)

Price: £1,500,000 JULY 2012

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THEBATHMAGAZINE 89

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A HOUSE in the CITY ■ Beechwood House, Widcombe A wonderful family home in Widcombe, Beechwood House ticks all the ‘location, location, location’ boxes, with far-reaching views from the beautifully planted gardens. (On a clear day you can even see Wales in the distance.) A five-bedroom, three-bathroom detached home can take a lot of people before it feels crowded. There’s a family sitting room, separate dining room and a formal drawing room, plus a bright, sunny kitchen which opens out through a stable door into a courtyard garden. Handy facilities include a lobby for boots and coats, a cloakroom, and a fine glazed verandah which wraps round two sides of the house for relaxing in. There are big cellars for storage, a garage – and you can look down over Bath and teach the youngsters their local geography.

Price: £1.875m. Contact: Crisp Cowley, tel: 01225 789333

■ Forest House, Perrymead Families will love this five-bedroom house – the adults because it’s in a quiet no through road yet convenient for Widcombe and the city centre, and the children because it’s got loads of space to play in.

There’s a study which could be commandeered as a computer games room or a Lego workshop, there’s enough space outside to kick a ball around and grumpy parents can be banished to a separate office in the converted garage. Parents will like the large sitting room with a woodburning stove and the open plan kitchen/dining room, where meals can be dispensed from a big range while keeping an eye on people’s table manners. The rolltop bath will take two, or even three, children and there’s a shower cubicle for older children. Perhaps Forest House’s finest recommendation for young people is the private wood at the back of the gardens which is shared with the neighbours and where Robin Hood and his merry little men can enjoy all sorts of adventures.

Price: £750,000. Contact: Whiteley Helyar, tel: 01225 447544

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pritchard-partners.co.uk

Swainswick

High Bannerdown

A fine detached country house enjoying far-reaching views and standing in glorious gardens and grounds of approximately 6 acres. Charming and well appointed accommodation.

An outstanding detached property in an idyllic position, east of Bath.

Int area: 3238 sq ft/300.81.

5 bedrooms, bathroom and en suite shower room, sitting room, kitchen/dining room, family room, utility room and cloakroom. Detached stone built 20’ x 16’ office/games room. Ample driveway parking for numerous vehicles. Total approx. area: 220 sq m / 2368 sq ft.

Kitchen, 3 receptions, cloakroom, utility, 3 bedrooms & bathroom. One bedroom self contained annexe at ground level. Extensive mature gardens. Views. Tandem garage and a single garage.

Off road parking for several vehicles.

Price: £1.2 million

Guide Price: £850,000

Bannerdown Road

Hay Hill

A most attractive detached family house, significantly improved & offered in immaculate order. Elevated position & breathtaking views.

A stunning Grade II listed townhouse, centrally located on a pedestrian street off Lansdown Road and would make a great alternative to a City Centre apartment.

Hall & cloakroom off, sitting room to kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, conservatory, 4 bedrooms (2 en suite), 3 bathrooms. Private gardens. Parking. Carport & double garage.

Total approx floor area: 2459 sq ft/228.4 sq m.

This stylish property has a delightful mix of period features combined with high quality and contemporary finishes. The accommodation comprises kitchen/diner, living room, sitting room/occasional bedroom three, master bedroom with en suite, further double bedroom, study/cot room. Total approx floor area: 1013 sq ft/94.2 sq m.

Price: £850,000

Price: £399,500 11 Quiet Street, Bath BA1 2LB

PRITCHARDS July.indd 1

Tel: 01225 466 225

26/06/2012 12:55

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

Belmont, Bath 9 Belmont is a grand and spacious Grade II Listed Georgian townhouse in a most desirable location just a short walk from Bath’s most famous landmarks and wonderful shopping area. With stunning rooms retaining fine period details and all beautifully presented, this superb city home combines Georgian elegance with luxurious style. Approximate gross sq.ft. 4323.

Guide Price ÂŁ1.5m 4 Bedrooms 4 Receptions Superb Bespoke Kitchen Grade II Listed Fine Period Detail Garden and Expansive Views

Bath Office 01225 459817 bath@hamptons-int.com

Hamptons Sales July.indd 1

26/06/2012 12:56

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

Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire Elmsgate House is a beautiful Grade II Listed country house situated on the edge of the pretty village of Steeple Ashton. The house benefits from well cared for and versatile accommodation including six bedrooms and four reception rooms. Set in gardens of over an acre including a lake, pool and secret garden, there are also further outbuildings plus a two bedroom attached cottage.

Approximate gross sq.ft. 5399.

Guide Price ÂŁ1.5m 6 Bedrooms 4 Receptions 5 Bathrooms Listed Country House 2 Bedroom Cottage Acre Garden

Bath Office 01225 459817 bath@hamptons-int.com

Hamptons Sales July.indd 2

26/06/2012 13:00

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A HOUSE in the COUNTRY ■ The Yews, Upton Cheyney An active family will love this south-facing house in the country, with views of wide open spaces and plenty to do right on the doorstep. The fivebedroom house, which also has a separate study for quiet homework, is equipped with a tennis court, a triple garage which could be commandeered as a games room, plus lawns large enough for a good kick-around with a football. Mum and Dad can retreat to the drawing room, while the drama of every day family life can be played out in the big, comfortable farmhouse style kitchen, complete with Aga for drying wet clothes and dogs. The family laundry can be tucked away in a separate utility room, which has a sink, handy for rinsing muddy football boots, and there’s another area for hanging the numerous coats and jackets that come with growing children.

The Yews’ grounds extend to an area that’s fenced off and could be used to keep hens, while a further area of land has been planted with trees – the perfect spot for building dens or pitching tents for outdoor sleepovers.

Price: £1.15m. Contact: Crisp Cowley, tel: 01225 789333

■ Part of Wingfield House, Wingfield This single-storey wing of a lovely country house in Wiltshire will set a child’s imagination racing, just like turning the pages of a really exciting book. There are two big bedrooms in this romantic home, with an en suite for one bedroom and a rather fine bathroom fitted with a regal rolltop bath for the other. There is also a good sized kitchen large enough for parent and child to happily cook alongside each other using the trendy aubergine-coloured Aga to bake cakes in, with a sunny corner for table and chairs. A sitting room more than 23 feet by 18ft 8ins provides more living space. The wing, which has been recently refurbished and decorated, has its own large private garden to sit out quietly and enjoy the terrace with a book or to race across the lawns letting off steam. A handy outbuilding could be put to any number of uses.

Mum or Dad may wish to use it as an office and separate laundry room, while the younger generation may see it more as an exclusive headquarters for a secret society to meet in.

Price £585,000. Contact: Jeremy Jenkins, tel: 01225 866747

■ The Chantry, Corsham An Edwardian former vicarage has got to be a great place to bring up a brood. In a six-bedroom home with three bathrooms, everyone’s going to have their own space, without too much quarrelling. Family meals in the big kitchen, with the Aga, will be a lively affair, while adults will be able to enjoy formal dinner parties in the dining room. There’s a splendidly large games or snooker room in The Chantry and the acre of grounds include a vegetable patch, a pond for tadpole hunting and a chicken coop.

Price £1.2m. Contact: Hamptons, tel: 01225 312244

■ 1a Conigre House, Bradford on Avon You can almost imagine that a wardrobe in one of the rooms in this country house apartment would lead you into Narnia, although there are enough grounds to find adventures without having to visit another world. This garden apartment has high ceilings and big windows which let the light flood in. One of the bedrooms is so big there’s room for a double bed and a piano – perfect for some gentle Moonlight Sonatas to get the baby to sleep.

You could arrange the apartment to have two bedrooms and a grand library, or three bedrooms. There are two bathrooms and a sleek modern kitchen/breakfast room. Conigre House is on the north side of town, close to primary and secondary schools.

Price: £585,000. Contact: Jeremy Jenkins, tel: 01225 866747

94 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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JULY 2012

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

Hill Barn, Monkton Deverill, Warminster A unique three bedroom period house situated in a rural location surrounded by open farmland with uninterrupted views. The property was built between the wars and was heavily influenced by French architecture of the 16th and 18th century. All rooms have large windows with light flooding in and tall ceilings and the kitchen has recently been modernised and has access into the rear garden. The property is available unfurnished with ample parking and a garage. Available Now

Hamptons Office 01225 445646 bathlettings@hamptons-int.com

Hamptons Letting July.indd 1

ÂŁ2000 pcm Dining hall.

Cloakroom.

Drawing room.

Family room.

Three double bedrooms.

Family bathroom.

Garden, garage.

26/06/2012 13:20

a Hamptons half:PIF Full Page

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Page 42

A HOME TO RAISE CHAMPIONS?

E

very summer we live in hope that a Brit will win Wimbledon, but what are we doing collectively to raise the tennis champions of the future? Maybe if more families had tennis courts at home, we’d be more likely to bring home the trophy – last won by an Englishman, Fred Perry, in 1936.

Holt Farm in the Wiltshire countryside is a great place to raise active kids. Not only does it have a proper outdoor tennis court, but it also has a paddock, fields and stables, should you want to train a young rider up for Badminton. There are

96 THEBATHMAGAZINE

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JULY 2012

five acres in all, including a good sized pond – a handy outdoor classroom for budding David Attenboroughs to learn about wildlife, perhaps.

The main house is a handsome Grade II listed farmhouse with wisteria and clematis clambering up its mellow stone front.

The house has been well maintained, combining modern luxuries such as a Smallbone kitchen and Alpha range which provides heating as well as cooking provision, with features including stone mullioned windows and beamed ceilings. The drawing room has a superb stone

fireplace and the dining room is made cosy with a Jetmaster fire. There’s also a study and a ground floor cloakroom.

Most impressive is the old oak staircase which winds up to the first floor. It is here you really feel the history of the place. Holt Farm has six bedrooms and three bathrooms. The formal area of gardens are very pretty, while beyond them lie a vegetable garden and a small orchard.

The agent for Holt Farm is Hamptons, the guide price is £1.5m. To arrange a viewing tel: 01225 312244. ■

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Fidelis

Upper Oldfield Park

ÂŁ294,950

A Fabulous 2 Bedroom Apartment Presented for Sale with Elegance and Style Living Room | Kitchen/Dining Room | Hall | Master Bedroom | En-suite Shower Room | Further Double Bedroom | Bathroom | Communal Garden | Parking Space | Stunning Views

www.fidelisproperties.co.uk

01225 421000

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

26/06/2012 13:02

Fidelis July.indd 2

26/06/2012 13:02

Primrose Hill A spacious and contemporary four bedroom family house with a stunning open plan living space situated on the first floor. Located in a peaceful and highly sought-after residential area with panoramic countryside views, the property enjoys convenient access to Bath city centre, the M4 motorway and a host of highly regarded primary and secondary schools.

Rent ÂŁ2,250 pcm finished to a high standard throughout | bright and spacious living / dining room | modern open plan kitchen | handsome oak flooring | 4 double bedrooms | 1 stunning en-suite bathroom | contemporary shower room | study | utility room | private enclosed garden | countryside views

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

RESIDE July.indd 1

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Mark Naylor - July:Layout 7

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

k Mar r o l y a N

01225 422 224

CHAUCER ROAD £489,950 With 3 storeys of excellent and charming accommodation, this larger Poet’s Corner classic enjoys space in abundance, modern styling and arguably one of South Bath’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.

Hallway, sitting room, play/study room, kitchen/dining room, utility room, downstairs shower/cloakroom, 4 bedrooms and bathroom. Gardens. Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,805 square feet / 168 square metres.

MIDDLEWOOD CLOSE £449,950 An absolutely stunning, nearly new, detached property which is perfect for growing families. Immaculate and contemporary accommodation and excellent design for modern living in the most relaxing and welcoming community of Pulteney View.

Hallway, dual aspect sitting room, office/music room, kitchen/dining room, utility room, cloakroom, 4 double bedrooms (2 with en-suite shower rooms) and bathroom. Attractive southerly gardens and parking for a least 2 vehicles. Use of extensive parkland and play areas.

Approximate gross internal floor area: 1,730 square feet / 161 square metres.

www.mark-naylor.com

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

k Mar r o l y a N

01225 422 224

BLOOMFIELD PARK GUIDE PRICE £800,000

BROADMOOR LANE £559,950

SOLD WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS Further Quality Properties Required For Eager Buyers.

SOLD WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS Further Quality Properties Required For Eager Buyers.

SHAKESPEARE AVENUE £520,000

HAYESFIELD PARK £565,000

SOLD WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS Further Quality Properties Required For Eager Buyers.

SOLD WITHIN THE LAST FEW WEEKS Further Quality Properties Required For Eager Buyers.

www.mark-naylor.com

Fine & Country July:Layout 12

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Langford Cottage Located half way between Bristol and Bath, Langford Cottage is a marvellous family home in the heart of picturesque countryside. Built in 1915 the cottage has been very successfully extended and renovated to accommodate a growing family with plenty of space both indoors and outside.

“We’ve transformed the rooms into much larger spaces,” explain the current owners,“and been able to create rooms that are more versatile – essential for a growing family.”

“The installation of an oak staircase with galleried landing has improved the flow of the house allowing light to cascade around this very grand space. Just one of several impressive features of the cottage the hallway welcomes the visitor in style and grandeur. The bespoke kitchen complete with Aga is the gathering place for all the family”.

“My favourite room is the master bedroom, it’s a wonderful sanctuary, the ideal place to escape and, as the balcony overlooks the pool and garden there are always lovely views.The Cottage sits within two and a half acres of land and within the

garden there are woods, ponds and a stream.

Being able to have sheep, chickens, bees and ducks around us have certainly been a remarkable and unforgettable experience.”

The village has a small and friendly community with plenty of activities throughout the year for all ages and interests. Schools and shops are less than 3 miles away and travel for motorways, rail routes and airports are easily accessible from either Bath or Bristol.

WOOLLARD Three reception rooms, Family kitchen/breakfast room, Five bedrooms, Master bedroom suite, 2nd En-suite to bedroom two, Roof terrace, Detached double garage, Swimming Pool, 2.5 Acres

Contact: 01225 320032

£995,000

Fine & Country July:Layout 12

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The Old Police House

Norton St Philip is a village with a long and rich the country, look out over the village green - the history for which The Old Police House has most Mead, and on towards the church and the Mendip certainly played its part. Built as a cottage in the late Hills in the distance”.

17th century and extended in the 18th century to form the beautiful property we see today, The Old “Norton St Philip is a lovely village Police House is a unique family home. “It’s a very pretty house, full of character and charm,” explain with a real sense of community. the owners.

“There is a timeless quality about the place very We’re so fortunate to have such much in keeping with the village surroundings which can trace its past from as far back as the Domesday unspoilt countryside around us Book. The lay-out of the rooms is part of its immense charm with many qualities that highlight and only a short walk from our the grace and elegance so typical of a Georgian own door-step.The village has all home. I love the way the whole house seems to have effortlessly evolved to accommodate a the usual amenities and is just a modern family lifestyle without losing any of its appeal. Having 4 floors from basement to attic has short drive to Bradford-on-Avon given us so much space and freedom”.

“We live in the quintessential English village used and Bath and other transport by film companies for its incredible location. The views from the George, one of the oldest pubs in links”.

NORTON ST PHILIP, BATH Village setting, Detached period property, 3 reception rooms, Kitchen with Aga, 5 bedrooms, Period features, Pretty rear garden

Contact: 01225 320032

£585,000

Beckford House

Offers in Excess of £530,000

Grade II listed | Recently refurbished | Two double bedrooms | Ensuite bathroom & shower room | 55’ cellar | Private garden | Garage This stunning apartment is situated opposite Sydney Gardens and just a stone’s throw from the Holbourne Museum and city centre. Viewing is highly recommended.

Russel Street

Offers in Excess of £365,000

Grade II listed | Share of freehold | Popular central location | Spacious | Two bedrooms | Bathroom & ensuite wet room | Private courtyards This delightfully spacious two bedroom courtyard apartment is accessed by a private entrance. This apartment is Grade II listed and is located in a highly desirable area of the city.

The Apartment Company July.indd 1

26/06/2012 13:12

St Swithins’ Yard

Offers in Excess of £315,000

Paragon

Offers in Excess of £290,000

Central location | Two bedrooms | Open plan living | Large Terrace | Secure parking | Bicycle storage area

Three bedrooms | Central location | Spacious living | Modern kitchen | Luxury bathroom | Superb views

A first floor two bedroom apartment with a private terrace, conveniently located for the city centre.

A superb first floor lateral apartment located in a prime position in the heart of the city and benefiting from far reaching southerly views.

Beaufort East

Osborne Road

Offers in Excess of £210,000

Offers in Excess of £210,000

Georgian apartment | East side of the city | One bedroom | Spacious living area | Private courtyard | Vault

Two bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Open plan living | Communal garden | Off road parking | Riverside view

Located close to the ever popular Larkhall area with its great selection of shops, café and even a theatre this great apartment has a lot to offer.

This two bedroomed apartment can be found neatly tucked away by the river in the Newbridge area.

The Apartment Company July.indd 2

26/06/2012 13:13

The Property People Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

BATH

Claverton

Guide Price ÂŁ1,300,000

A handsome detached Grade II Listed, 5 bedroom period residence with beautiful gardens on the southern edge of Bath.

Gardens of approx ž acres.

(Approximately 3,971 sq ft / 369 sq m)

Bath 01225 747250 bath@carterjonas.co.uk

Carter Jonas July Sales.indd 1

26/06/2012 13:07

carterjonas.co.uk

BATH

Northend

Guide Price ÂŁ750,000

A modern detached four bedroom family house in an elevated position presented to an exceptional standard with the benefit of a large garden, double garage, and views. (Approximately 2,288 sq ft / 212.55 sq m)

Bath 01225 747250

bath@carterjonas.co.uk

BATH

Cleevedale Road

Guide Price ÂŁ495,000

A substantial semi detached, 4 bedroom property that has been completely refurbished and extended with a south facing rear garden, garage and off street parking. (Approximately 2,327 sq ft / 216.2 sq m) )

Bath 01225 747250

Carter Jonas July Sales.indd 3

bath@carterjonas.co.uk

26/06/2012 13:10

The Property People Offices throughout the UK including 5 in London

BATH

Freshford

Guide Price ÂŁ550,000

A beautiful 4 bedroom townhouse that is situated in a quiet, tucked away position within the hugely popular village of Freshford near Bath.

(Approximately 1,809 sq ft / 168.06 sq m)

Bath 01225 747250 bath@carterjonas.co.uk

Carter Jonas July Sales.indd 5

26/06/2012 13:10

carterjonas.co.uk

BaTh

Widcombe

ÂŁ1,150 pcm Unfurnished

Pretty detached Lodge house on Widcombe Hill. 2 reception rooms, 3 bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom. Garage and parking for two vehicles.

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

CITY CENTRE

Bath

ÂŁ3,500 pcm Unfurnished

Georgian townhouse in Bloomfield Crescent. The subject of complete refurbishment, the property offers 3 double bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, sitting room, 2 bathrooms and utility room.

Outstanding views across the City.

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

Carter Jonas July Letting.indd 1

26/06/2012 13:11

Wellow (1 mile) Outstanding traditional listed stone barn in wonderful rural setting. Converted and restored by craftsmen.

Approx. 2.5 acres | double height drawing room with views | stunning kitchen | 4 bedrooms | first floor study/dining room | utility room | 2 bathrooms | shower/wet room | cloakroom | 3 bay garage | pot. ménage/paddock | Guide Price: £1,500,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley July.indd 1

26/06/2012 13:13

Widcombe An exquisite Grade II listed detached house set in this most exceptional position with far reaching views of the City and countryside | entrance porch | reception hall | drawing room | sitting room | dining room | glazed verandah | kitchen | utility | 2 cloakrooms | master bedroom with en suite bathroom | 4 further bedrooms | family bathroom | shower room | large cellar | beautiful gardens | garage | parking | in excess of 0.75 of an acre | Guide: ÂŁ1,875,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley July.indd 2

26/06/2012 13:14

Beckington Enchanting and historic stone built mill house with 11th Century connections. Enviable waterside setting | reception hall | cloakroom | sitting room |double height drawing room and gallery | refitted kitchen | utility | 5 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | office | wood store | lovely gardens | river and fishing | valley views over farmland | Guide Price: ÂŁ865,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley July.indd 3

26/06/2012 13:14

Wellow A wonderful Grade II listed 18th Century village house providing over 3200 sq ft of accommodation in this highly prized village | entrance hall | sitting room | dining room | family room | breakfast room/kitchen | cloakroom | 4 double bedrooms | 2 bathrooms | spacious office/potential extra sitting room or master bedroom suite with balcony, south facing aspect and views | mature south facing rear garden | parking for several vehicles | Offers in excess of ÂŁ900,000

Crisp Cowley Ralph Allen’s Town House York Street Bath BA1 1NQ 01225 789333

www.crispcowley.co.uk

Crisp Cowley July.indd 4

26/06/2012 13:14

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